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Harry Potter and all characters and trademarks are copyright to JK Rowling and are not owned by me. No infringement is intended or any money made from this publication. This story may not be reposted without my permission.
Harry Potter:
To the Victor: Despair
Harry Potter walked down the stairs at the Burrow to find the usual frenzy that he'd always associated with returning to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Their school trunks were already in the hall and Mrs Weasley was bustling past, carrying an armful of clothes. Even so, she still greeted him warmly.
"Oh, good morning, Harry dear. Breakfast is in the kitchen."
"Thanks, Mrs Weasley." Harry said, making his way into the kitchen. Inside, he found all of the Weasleys, as well as Hermione, all talking animatedly. Hermione had been made this year's Head Girl for Gryffindor, much to George and Ron's disgust. Added to this was the fact that Ginny had been made Prefect. Harry slipped into the seat next to Ginny, helping himself to scrambled eggs.
"Morning, Harry." Ginny said, before dropping her voice slightly. "How do you feel?"
"I'm fine." Harry replied, as casually as he could
Ginny simply stared at Harry with a knowing look, until he relented.
"Alright, I guess it feels a little weird going back to Hogwarts, after everything that's happened. And being in your year, too."
Despite the chaos of the previous year, exams had been held as a sort of Summer School. Rumour had it that student's actions during the defence of Hogwarts had been taken into consideration.
"It'll be weird." Harry repeated. "But, I won't be alone."
Harry stepped out of Mr Weasley's car, turning slowly to take in his surroundings. Even though the war had ended, lessons learnt in battle were not easily forgotten. Ginny, Ron and Hermione were alert too, watching the crowds around them and keeping close together. Checking that his wand was securely in its' sheath around his wrist, that Hermione had brought them last Christmas, Harry lead the others towards the entrance and Platform 9 ¾, stepping through to be greeted by the smell of smoke and the cacophony of voices, so that he almost felt like he was coming home. After exchanging a hug with Mrs Weasley and shaking Mr Weasley's hand, Harry boarded the train, leading the others along, looking for an empty compartment. As he walked, Harry became aware of the whispers and furtive glances from the other students. It seemed that the events of last year had restored some of his popularity, making him even more of a hot topic for gossip. Once, Harry would have been pleased that he was getting something other than snide comments. Now, though, all he wanted was not to be noticed.
Harry's dark thoughts were interrupted by a voice calling his name and he turned to see Luna Lovegood waving at them from across the carriage, smiling at them in her slightly distracted way. Standing next to her was Neville Longbotttom; his hair was cut shorter than Harry remembered and he'd exchanged his remaining fat for muscle, looking taller and a lot more confident.
They greeted them warmly and then Harry turned to Neville.
"Neville, what are you doing here?"
"Yeah, don't tell us you didn't pass your NEWTS." Ron added, drawing a glare from Hermione and Ginny.
Neville smiled brightly, clearly pleased with himself.
"No, I passed. I even got an Outstanding in my Herbology Exam. Professor Sprout asked if I wanted to come back this year as a teaching assistant for her.
"Professor Longbottom." Hermione said approvingly, making Neville blush.
"Don't get carried away, Hermione." Neville mumbled.
"We've got a compartment." Luna said, adding, "At least when I'm around, you'll always get one to yourselves." She said it so matter-of-factly that Harry felt another twinge of anger.
Yes, Luna was slightly strange at times but she was kind and brave. Her willingness to fight alongside Harry at the Ministry had proved that. They stowed their trunks, and Ron and Ginny left with Hermione. As Head Girl, she was responsible for overseeing the Prefects.
"How was your summer?" Harry asked Luna.
"It was fine." Luna answered. "With all the attention we got last year, the sales of the Quibbler have never been higher. Dad's overjoyed."
"That's great." Harry said, enthusiastically.
"Incidentally, Dad wanted to interview you about your defeat of Voldemort last year. But, I told him it was too soon. Don't worry about it now, Harry. If you want to, later, I'm sure Dad will still be interested."
Harry said nothing. He wasn't sure that he'd ever be able to talk about those terrible events.
Luna seemed to sense his distress, because she changed the subject with a sentence that caught Harry's attention.
"Anyway, I've been seeing a lot of Neville over the summer."
Harry raised his head slowly, to look at Neville, who had gone slightly pink again.
To spare Neville, Harry said;
"It'll be good to have Quidditch back this year."
During Snape's reign as Hogwarts Headmaster last year, Quidditch Matches had been banned. With Katie Bell having left last year, that left Harry short a third Chaser; he'd need to hold tryouts pretty soon. Half an hour later, Ron, Ginny and Hermione returned, looking slightly breathless, as if they'd run all the way.
"What's up?" Harry asked, and Ron and Hermione exchanged worried glances. Eventually, it was Ginny who broke the silence.
"Harry, Malfoy's here."
She said, gently.
"What!" Harry yelled, leaping out of his seat. "What's he still doing here?"
Ginny sat down next to Harry, saying;
"He must have failed his last year. Don't forget, he wasn't really that focused on his studies, was he?"
Harry sank back, his good mood shattered. Malfoy was trouble he'd hoped to be able to do without.
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny said goodbye to Luna and Neville and made their way to the Gryffindor Table. Harry looked up at the Staff Table, spotting Hagrid, and Professor Slughorn, as well as Neville taking his seat next to Professor Sprout. However, his attention was drawn to the tall man with a neatly trimmed goatee and the Chinese woman sitting at his right-hand, dressed in flowing green robes with black trim, emblazoned with a silver dragon on the left sleeve. In contrast, the man wore dark red robes, with a pattern of black tracery across the chest; his eyes burned with a contained ferocity that was as compelling as it was unsettling.
"New Headmaster, d'you reckon?"
Ron whispered.
"Who else can he be?"
Hermione whispered back, a touch of reproach in her voice.
Clearly, everyone else had reached the same conclusion. Whispers beginning as Professor McGonagall lead the First Years into the Hall. Harry didn't pay attention during the Sorting Ceremony, though, clapping half-heartedly with the rest of the Students; all he could think about was a stranger sitting in Dumbledore's Office. When the last student was seated, the Headmaster rose and the Hall fell silent without being asked, in expectation of a speech.
However, he simply waved his hand and the Hall filled with a mouth-watering smell as the feast appeared.
He bowed formally, a small lowering of his head and sat down, pouring wine for Professor McGonagall and the Chinese woman. Confused, but seeing that their Headmaster was eating, the Students began helping themselves. Harry ate mechanically, not really tasting the food. Ginny clearly noticed something, judging by the looks she kept giving him.
When everyone had finished and the plates had cleared away, including Harry's half-eaten Treacle Pudding, the Headmaster rose to his feet again.
"Now that we have finished our feast, I would ask for your attention for a few moments. My name is Professor Tobias Fallstone and I am the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Firstly, I would like to introduce Professor Xiu Li, who will be your new Defence Against the Dark Arts Teacher. With the role of Headmaster, I realise that I will be taking on an enormous responsibility. After the events of last year, there will be great uncertainty amongst you about your attendance at Hogwarts and what the future may bring. You may all rest assured that Hogwarts will return to being the place of freedom, learning and equality that Professor Dumbledore desired. Professor Dumbledore was an exceptional Teacher and Mentor, and will always been remembered as one of the finest Headmasters in Hogwarts' history."
He reached down and picked up a golden goblet from the table in front of him. As he did so, identical goblets appeared on the tables, filled with a golden liquid.
"I'd like to raise a toast to Albus Dumbledore."
He said, lifting his glass to his lips and the students echoed him.
"Albus Dumbledore."
Fallstone waited a moment, and then clapped his hands.
"And now, time for bed." Professor Fallstone said.
Next morning, Hermione and Ginny sat at the table in the Great Hall, early so they had privacy to talk discreetly.
"He's upset." Hermione said, "About Professor Fallstone."
Ginny nodded;
"Can you blame him? You know how close he was to Dumbledore. It can't be easy for him, almost like he's been replaced over night."
Ginny looked up to see Harry and Ron entering the Hall and gave Hermione a slight shake of her head, a sign to leave it to her.
"Morning, Harry." She said, as he and Ron sat down.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Ginny asked
"About what?"
Harry asked, trying to sound unconcerned.
"You know what."
Ginny responded coolly and Hermione held her breath; if she had been that direct, Harry would have probably bitten her head off.
"Professor Fallstone." Harry said, with a sigh. "I can't shake the thought of him sitting in Dumbledore office."
Before they could continue, Professor McGonagall came over, distributing timetables. Seizing the distraction, Harry picked his up, scanning the parchment. Despite his mood, he felt a surge of elation when he saw that he had Defence Against the Dark Arts for his first period on Mondays.
"DADA next?" Harry asked, using the shortened name of the class, and the others nodded. Comparing their timetables, it seemed that they had the majority of their classes together.
Feeling slightly cheered by this news, Harry set off for his first lesson with his spirits slightly lifted. On the way there, Harry found himself psyching up for the encounter he anticipated with Draco. Turning the corner, Harry spotted Draco's blond hair amidst the crowd of students; tall and slim with a thin face and cold expression, Draco was hard to miss. He looked up and Harry's hand went immediately towards his wand, ready to draw.
However, Malfoy just stared at him for a long second, before turning away, clearly distracted.
Harry had no time to ponder this, as the classroom door opened and Professor Li stepped out, fixing the students with a piercing stare, before turning and sweeping back into the classroom.
With a few nervous glances, the class entered and took their seats. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny took seats at the front of the room, joined by Neville and Luna. Professor Li's stared stonily at the class for a long moment and Harry was reminded of Snape's icy stare. Then she smiled, her face transformed from stern to radiant.
"Good morning. Welcome to your final year of Defence Against the Dark Arts. As Seventh Year students, you have already learnt a great deal about the magical forces at your command and the potential threats that you may have to face. While your instruction in these areas will continue, the main aim of this class will to develop your focus and discipline when it comes to your spellwork. You all know that words are used to give focus to your spells. However, that is an oversimplification. True control of spell casting comes from emotional state and mental focus. How many of you managed to cast spells unintentionally when you were younger? Don't answer aloud; just consider for yourselves."
Harry thought back to the time before he came to Hogwarts, when he was still living with the Dursleys, remembering the time he had set a Boa Constrictor on Dudley. At the time, he'd been feeling angry and wanted to get back at his cousin. Maybe, he saw the beginnings of Professor Li's point.
"When your education began, you were taught to use words to control your spells and you relied less on your emotions to guide your spells. However, the power still resides within you. Over the next year, I will be teaching you to improve the control and efficiency of your spells, by developing your mental discipline. In this way, you will be able to perform far more complex spells. Furthermore, throughout the year, I will be running special classes focusing on aspects of Chinese magic, starting today."
Professor Li turned to the black board, drawing a thin, black wand with a silver hand grip in the shape of a dragon, tapping it to reveal words in a swirling script;
Runic Magic: An Introduction
Turning back to the class, she said;
"Now, who can tell me what Runic Magic is?"
Harry turned to Hermione, expectantly, only to see Ginny with her hand up, too.
Professor Li pointed at Ginny;
"Yes, Ms..."
"Weasley, Professor. Professor, Runic Magic involves inscribing symbols with specific meanings to produce a particular effect."
"Correct. Five points to Gryffindor. Now, who can give an example of Runic Magic in practice?"
Hermione's hand shot up before Professor Li even finished the question, looking stormy.
"Ms...?"
"Granger, Professor. One of the most common uses of Runic Magic is to create 'elemental talismans' that focus those particular energies."
Professor Li nodded;
"Excellent, Ms Granger. Another five points to Gryffindor. That is indeed the most common use of Runic Magic. For today's lesson, I will be covering the basic techniques involved in creating such talismans."
Professor Li flicked her wand and small squares of blue parchment flew across the room to land in front of each student.
"Colour is bound up with the discipline of Runic Magic. At a basic level, blue stands for air, red for fire, green for water and brown for earth. While there is more to it than that, you don't need to know anymore for now. The other important factor is the medium used to create the rune. Typically, inks with magical substances added are most effective, although almost any medium can be used. chalk, sand, water, even blood. However, blood usually makes for a darker spell, with the negative connotations that comes with it, as well as the pain that comes with acquiring it."
She tapped the board with her wand, again;
On the board is the rune for air; using the ink in front of you, trace the rune onto the parchment. No incantation will be required. Instead, hold the thought of a gentle breeze in your mind, similar to non-verbal spells. You may begin."
Harry stared at the parchment resentfully; non-verbal spells had never been his forte. Almost unbidden, a memory of his first flying lesson; the broom responding to him because of his confidence. Maybe the same would apply here as well. After all, with everything else he'd done...
Harry focused on the parchment, picturing the feeling of a gentle breeze against his face as he drew the rune. As he drew the last stroke, Harry felt a sense of tranquillity and felt sure that he'd succeed. Staring at the parchment, Harry wondered how to activate it. Using the same logic that had got him this far, Harry focused, and was rewarded with a faint gust of wind across his face. Harry grinned to himself, and turned to Ron, who was staring fixedly at his own rune. Next second, Ron's head was pushed back by a blast that left him looking like he'd just walked through a hurricane.
"Well, I think you've got it!" Harry said, trying to keep a straight face.
To distract himself, Harry looked over at Hermione and Ginny, only to find his heart sinking.
Both young women were sitting stiffly, staring straight ahead, studiously avoiding the others gaze. Before them on the table sat two identical parchments that Harry imagined had been the cause of their disagreement. Before Harry could even begin to think about solutions, Professor Li moved back to the front of the class.
Harry almost collapsed onto his seat in the Great Hall; it had been an exhausting day and not just because of the workload. Hermione and Ginny had been competing all through Potions and were now sitting on either side of him and Ron, casting angry glances when the other wasn't looking.
Still unsure how to deal with this, Harry helped himself to sausages and mashed potato, trying to think of what to say. However, his thoughts were interrupted by Professor McGonagall.
"Potter, I have a message for you from the Headmaster."
Professor McGonagall handed Harry a folded parchment stamped with the Hogwarts crest. Exchanging a glance with Ron, Harry opened the letter and read
Mister Potter,
I would be grateful for your presence in my Office at 8:00 this evening.
Professor T. Fallstone
"Wonder what he wants?" Ron asked.
"I guess I'll find out at 8:00."
Harry said, staring at the letter as if it would suddenly reveal some hidden secret.
At five minutes to eight, Harry walked towards the Headmaster's Office, stopping in front of the Gargoyle, saying;
"Harry Potter to see the Headmaster."
In response, the Gargoyle moved aside, revealing a set of stone stairs. Harry walked up, knocking on the heavy doors and heard a deep voice.
"Enter."
Harry pushed open the door and stepped inside to stand before the Headmaster, trying to hide his dismay at the changes that had been made. Gone was Dumbledore's Pensieve and his collection of golden devices. Instead, the walls were covered with large bookshelves filled with leather-bound tomes and aged manuscripts that gave the air a faintly musty smell.
Behind the desk sat Professor Fallstone, who gave Harry a curt nod.
"Thank you for coming, Mister Potter. Please, take a seat. Now, I have a proposal for you, Mr Potter. I want you to reform Dumbledore's Army. "
End of chapter 2
Any comments and constructive criticism very welcome.