Chapter 2: Weakness
Harry Potter couldn't remember anything that happened that day after being hit with the Death Eater's curse. It seemed that almost as soon as he awoke from that deep, pleasant sleep, it was back to his usual troublesome life. A month passed. The titles and headlines of many wizard newspapers continued the ongoing debate.
THE BOY WHO LIVED - TWICE?
HARRY POTTER MIRACULOUSLY SURVIVES DEATH CURSE
THE CHOSEN ONE - RESURRECTED?
How exactly did Harry Potter vanish in the middle of one of the worst Death Eater attacks in history and then be found on the other side of Diagon Alley? Some people simply said that The Boy Who Live was always full of inexplicable miracles. For those that found him, it had been astonishing to see him there alive – and, even more, unscathed. The members of the Order of the Phoenix were shocked that a counter curse was unnecessary. None saw him disappear from the scene.
Harry was happy that his friends by now were fully recovered from their wounds. Now they were all together on the train to Hogwarts, pretending life was normal again - or as normal as it ever was. In only three months they had faced vicious Death Eaters twice and managed to survive. Harry, Hermione, Ron, Neville and Ginny - the "Golden Gryffindor Five", as the Slytherins started calling them mockingly.
"You alright there, Harry?" asked Ron Weasley.
"Huh?"
Harry Potter was sitting next to the compartment door, staring off into space. Slowly, he turned to look at his friend. "I'm fine. Why?"
"Earth calling Harry," teased Ron. "Honestly, you've been such weirdo lately. If you want to check out a girl or something…"
"Oh, shut up," snapped Harry and he looked away.
"…maybe you should take off your sunglasses. It's not discreet," continued his friend, laughing. "And besides, we're inside the train now, you know…"
The others were also staring at him.
"Oh, right…"
Harry totally forgot he had them on since he could see perfectly and comfortably that way. The moment he took the sunglasses off, he felt a sharp pain on his eyes and winced.
"Hermione, can you draw the curtains?" Harry asked politely.
"Sure…" answered Hermione. She complied with his request as she continued her conversation with Ginny. Harry pretended to listen to his friends again, lost in his thoughts.
Lately, he'd been feeling very strange. He couldn't explain it well to anyone, but he knew he was changing ever since that day in Diagon Alley. The only visible change people seemed to notice was his corrected vision. He no longer needed glasses; apparently, his vision got fixed magically somehow. But also, every other sense was stronger in him. He could hear people whispering from within other rooms of a house and he could smell things that were far away. All this annoyed him. He loved the night so much now. It was weird how he longed to be in a cool, dark room all the time.
But what bothered him the most was something deep inside his soul. He was feeling extremely weak and tired most of the time and no matter what he ate, he still felt hungry and thirsty. To top it all off, he was constantly in a bad mood and always wanted to be alone.
What is wrong with me?
A pale looking Harry stared at his plate with dread. Why did he hate eating so much now? He used to love it before. But now he just couldn't stand the sight of food. He tried to focus his attention on the Headmaster's welcoming speech. A few minutes later, Dumbledore finally said what he wanted to hear.
"On to the Sorting; may our new students enter the Great Hall."
The Great Hall filled with raucous cheers.
"Harry, aren't you going to eat anything?" Hermione asked him amongst all the noise. The large doors opened and the new students entered in a line.
"No. Not hungry…" answered Harry absent-mindedly as he watched the incoming students.
Right next to him, Ron laughed. "Oh no, Harry. Now we have worry you have an eating disorder?"
"Shut up, Ron," snapped Hermione. "Won't you ever grow up?"
"Sorry! Merlin. It was only a joke…"
Harry stopped listening to them. He immediately noticed that other than first years, there were about three students who were obviously older. There was a short blonde boy, a curly haired girl, and another one who immediately caught all of his attention. Harry assumed he must be as old as he was, probably a sixth year as well. He was tall, lean and very well built. He had silky, neck length, dark brown hair with strands that reached his stunning amber eyes in a casual and charming disarray. He had a roguish expression and simply stood out from the crowd. He made all others around him fade into the background. Even the way he moved was just different. Enormous confidence radiated from him as he came into the Great Hall like it was his own home.
"Who could that be?" Harry heard Ginny say to Hermione very quietly. "The tall one…"
"I expect he's transferred from another wizard school here in England..."
"Isn't he gorgeous?" whispered Ginny. Harry swiftly glanced at the two excited girls. Ginny blushed when she realized Harry heard her. The raven haired wizard smirked at her then continued watching the new students. He noticed most of the girls in the Hall were also glancing heatedly at the tall new student, whispering at each other, smiling and giggling.
At least now Ron's got another bloke to be jealous of.
Minerva McGonagall read what she explained to the new students every year; they were to sit down on the stool and wear the Sorting hat, which will place them in one of the four Houses. The official Sorting began.
"Do you think he'll be sorted into Gryffindor, Hermione?" whispered Ginny. This time she forgot to be quiet. Her brother smirked at her.
"Is little sister already drooling over a new crush?" teased Ron.
Ginny rolled her eyes at him. "Shut up, brother."
"Don't bother," said Ron. "The bloke's a jerk. I can tell."
"Bright, Amanda," called McGonagall, and the curly haired girl sat on the stool with the hat. After a few moments, she was sorted in Ravenclaw, and that House's table erupted in cheers, proud that one of the few older students was placed there. Harry clapped along with the others indifferently. He also wanted to know where that brown haired guy was going to be sorted.
"Cunningham, Henry," called McGonagall. The wizard in question had been standing with his arms crossed, looking bored, and when he heard his name he strutted toward the stool and sat down nonchalantly.
"Gryffindor...come on, please, be in Gryffindor..." pleaded Ginny, her fingers crossed.
But Henry Cunningham barely sat in the stool and the hat barely touched his head before it declared, "SLYTHERIN!"
Roars and cheers came from the Slytherin table - they were almost deafening - as the newly sorted student walked to their table. Apparently, they knew him somehow and he was popular there. Harry was immediately reminded of how Draco Malfoy was sorted in his First Year.
Everyone else was clapping but Ron only leaned toward Ginny and Hermione and gave them his most smug expression. "You see? I told you so. You've got to watch out for bad eggs like him. You were starting to like a nasty Slytherin, sister."
"Always the judgmental one, dear brother."
"Judgmental?" exclaimed Ron. "Are you joking? Tell me of one decent Slytherin you know, just one!"
Harry's attention was focused on Henry Cunningham, who was walking down beside the Slytherin table now, finding a place to sit. To Harry's horror, he saw Draco Malfoy stand up, smile at Henry, and - even amongst the loud noise, Harry somehow heard him - exclaimed, "Cunningham!" like you would to a close friend you hadn't seen in a long time. When Henry Cunningham approached him, they shook hands in a way that indicated they must indeed know each other very well.
Ron had been watching as well. His voice became louder.
"...see, he's friends with Malfoy. Now dare tell me I'm wrong about him!"
Ginny ignored him, unable to come up with a response, but many other Gryffindors expressed their agreement. Again, Harry's mind was elsewhere; something about this Henry Cunningham had him enthralled and he couldn't take his attention away from him. The others around him were now cheering very loudly when the last student was sorted into Gryffindor, but Harry merely clapped just as indifferently as before, constantly glancing back at Cunningham and Malfoy.
Once after the Sorting had ended and people continued dining, Harry was caught off guard when the new Slytherin met his eyes and noticed Harry was looking at him. Embarrassed, Harry looked away. Something in the other's gaze bothered him but interested him at the same time. The next time he dared to look again, he was again surprised when he saw they weren't there anymore. He caught a glimpse of Cunningham and Malfoy as they were leaving the Great Hall together, well before dinner had ended. Harry wished he could do the same. The smell of food was making him stomach turn.
"I wonder what those two are up to," whispered Ron.
"You have been as observant as I, Ron..."
"This new bloke has a dark vibe, Harry" said Ron in a forebodingly. "Did you get the same feeling?"
Harry nodded but he hadn't been listening to his friend that much. He stood up from the table.
"Harry! Aren't you going to eat anything?"
"Where are you going?"
His two best friends had spoken at the same time.
"No...nowhere..." answered Harry indifferently, and he walked toward the exit of the Great Hall, ignoring their calls.
The Slytherin common room was empty except for two boys that were in the area of the fireplace. One was pacing apprehensively and the other one lounged on one of the large, black leather armchairs with a relaxed, patient expression, one leg dangled over the armrest and the other resting over the low table in front of him.
"You see, my Lord? This is impossible for me," whined Draco Malfoy. "How am I supposed to accomplish all that alone? Three impossible tasks!"
"Why do you think he's asked this of you?" asked Henry Cunningham. The timbre of his voice was deep, raspy, and very particular, like none Draco had heard before.
"That Potter," Draco spat. "It's all his fault, him and that stupid Dumbledore's Order! They caught my father back in June. He's in Azkaban and this made the Dark Lord angry. He thinks my father failed him."
Draco sat on the armchair next to Henry's, anxiety evident on every part of his face. "Can you imagine what will happen if someone here found out? What if they see it somehow?"
"Show it to me again," Henry commanded. "I can't believe my eyes. A mere youngling..."
Draco got closer to Henry, looked around the room, and pulled up the left sleeve of his robe. There on his left forearm was the hideous Dark Mark; the snake coming out of the skull's mouth, curling up in a knot. It was evident the mark was newly made as the flesh around it still showed signs of inflammation.
"This bloody thing hurts..." whispered Draco, as he looked at it with the same disgust as Henry. He hid it back under his sleeve.
"Hideous. The half-blood is obviously desperate," whispered Henry. "You're saying he did this as revenge for your father's failure?"
"Yes! I know he doesn't expect me to succeed. He's looking for an excuse to kill me off along with my entire family!" cried Draco. His gaze dropped in embarrassment.
Henry stared at Draco pointedly. "That must never happen. You must succeed in these tasks."
Draco looked up, trying in vain to hide his fear. "And how am I supposed to do that? Do you honestly think I can do it?"
"Yes."
Draco stood from his armchair and knelt next to Henry's. "Lord Cunningham - "
"Just call me Henry," he cut off with a dismissive hand gesture. "Always call me that when we're here."
"Of course...Henry," Draco corrected himself hesitantly. "Thank Merlin you are here. You can help me."
"I could," Henry responded coldly. "But what will I get in return?"
Draco's eyes widened. "Please, I beg you. The loyalty between our families -"
"Only joking, Draco," teased Henry, lips curved mischievously. "I'll teach you all you need to know to succeed. After all, we purebloods - the few of us left - should look out for one another. Does Severus Snape know?"
"Yes. He's an important part of the plan, but I don't fully trust him. I need your guidance, my Lord."
"And you shall have it."
Draco bowed his head before he stood. "Thank you, sir," he said with utmost respect. The immense wisdom that radiated from Henry Cunningham's amber eyes never ceased to amaze Draco. With someone like him on his side, he knew nothing was impossible.
With increasing dread, Harry approached the entrance to the Gryffindor common room. Dread. He was getting a lot of it lately.
"Where the hell were you, Harry?" demanded Ron the second his friend entered the room.
"You want to be my mum now, Ron?" snapped Harry irritably, then sank down, exhausted, in his favorite armchair. He didn't look at any of his friends. He sat comfortably and dangled his leg over the armrest of the chair, strands of his jet-black hair, which was already shoulder-length, fell over his eyes carelessly. He didn't bother to move them away.
"You alright, Harry?" asked Hermione after a brief silence.
"Yeah."
"Tell us, where were you?" demanded Ron, again.
"Where do you think I was?" He sighed and spoke almost in a whisper. "Tell them, Ron. Where do you think I was, being Harry and all?"
His friend only looked at him with a confused expression. "I don't know. That's why I'm asking you."
"Don't be thick, what was the last thing we talked about? What do you think I did afterwards, being how I am?" said Harry rapidly, so that his friends had to struggle to hear what he just said. There was another brief moment of silence.
"Oh," said Ron in realization.
"Ah! Now you got there!" exclaimed Harry sarcastically.
Ron's eyes widened. "Did you follow Malfoy?"
"Mmm-hmm."
His friends all exchanged looks of understanding. Typical Harry behavior.
"Well? Did you find out anything useful?" asked Hermione.
"Not a fucking thing. They went into the Slytherin common room."
Hermione shot him a disapproving look, but he wasn't looking. And yet somehow he knew she did it. He could sense her disapproval in the atmosphere of the room, another baffling ability he didn't have before.
"Well, that's a shame," said Ron. "Otherwise you might have heard them talk about their beloved snake master."
Ginny snorted. "Harry - you missed the shock of the century during dinner tonight," she said.
"Really?" replied Harry skeptically.
It had, apparently, been a great shock, because he could feel the others' excitement.
"Yeah, the supposed Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher curse, you know? It was broken tonight! Or else it never existed..." said Ginny, beaming. "Guess who's it going to be this year? And don't spoil it, Ron!" she added when her brother opened his mouth.
That finally motivated Harry to sit up slightly. He looked at Ginny. Somehow, as he looked into her eyes, he heard it from her mind without any effort.
"Lupin?" said Harry in genuine surprise and happiness - which he hadn't felt in a long time. He sat up completely.
"Yeah!" cried Ginny. "Isn't it great? Nobody expected it..."
"Wow...you guessed it really fast," said Hermione, genuinely impressed.
"Well that's because he read her mind, of course," teased Ron.
How ironic. I did read her mind. But how, I don't know...
"Bet Dumbledore's gotten into trouble with some people for this, then?"
"Yeah. They're some idiots who are opposed to it, you know, Lupin being what he is..." said Ron with a dark expression.
"But he's been taking the potions every day for a long time now, he hasn't had a transformation in ages..." added Hermione.
Harry couldn't explain it, but he felt a very strong sympathy for Lupin because of this. He could understand how incredibly frustrating it must be to be shunned for being different, for being misunderstood, when you only had good intentions for everyone.
"Well, that's new. A Defense teacher that doesn't want to kill me!" exclaimed Harry with an exaggerated, sarcastic tone. The others laughed.
Many hours later, when the common room was empty except for him, and the fire was gone, Harry Potter finally felt a little comfort. It was an unexplained delight being in that dimly lit, cold room like he wanted all day. The freezing rain outside brought gusts of nice cold hair through the opened window. He was drifting off in that armchair, savoring the pleasure of solitude and darkness, what he was drawn to most ever since that very strange day. And then as he looked back at his memories of the incident, out of nowhere came an image he never thought about before; him, in the midst of his suffering, being carried away in the middle of the battle, flying through the air. Strong gusts of winds caressed his face, and then a voice - a beautiful, angelic voice like he had never heard before telling him, "No more pain."
He froze. Where did this come from? He tried as much as he could to remember it more clearly, but that was all he could recall. He couldn't figure out if it had actually happened or if it had been a dream.
Then all of a sudden, his thoughts were interrupted. Somehow, he sensed that someone had reentered the common room and that it was Hermione Granger.
"Harry? Are you here?" she asked gently. She was standing next to the stairway of the girls' dormitories. He somehow knew this without seeing her.
He sat up in the armchair. "Yeah. It's me."
As she approached he could also sense her concern for him. She sat on the low table right in front of him and closely studied his pale face.
"It's two o' clock in the morning, Harry. Aren't you tired?"
"Not really. What about you?"
"Yeah, but I just woke up wondering if you were up still. Don't you want to go to sleep? We have to get up early tomorrow. You know that."
He sighed and sat back. "You know that lately I haven't been able to. No matter how much I try, I just can't."
"Try again..." she pleaded. Her eyes radiated pity for him, which he didn't like at all. She reached out and touched his hand, but pulled hers back instantly, as if she had been electrocuted. "Harry! Your hands are ice cold!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide. "Aren't you freezing in here?"
Harry was surprised and puzzled at this. He rubbed his hands together. Were they really that cold?
"No, I'm not cold actually. I think it's nice in here."
"Nice? Are you serious?" said Hermione, and she wrapped the coat she was wearing above her nightdress tighter around her body, shivering. "It's cold as death in here! How can you like it?"
"I don't know. I just do."
"Harry..." Hermione's tone suddenly became really serious. "What is going on with you? You've told me you've been feeling all these strange things lately. You're more quiet and irritable than ever, you don't eat or sleep. Why?"
"I wish I knew," he answered with frustration. "I told you last time, I don't know what is happening to me! And I don't remember what happened to me that day, alright?"
And then the image came back to him again, the one he thought about moments before. He would have told her about it then, but he was still very confused. Was it a dream or reality? He regretted using the harsh tone when he saw her sad expression.
"Harry...I'm sorry...I really am. I'm just so worried about you," she pleaded, and again she reached out and held his hand, this time without pulling back. "But I've told you a million times..."
"I know, you don't have to say it again," he said. She stood and pulled him up with her. "Speak to Dumbledore, I know. But he's been too busy for me. Before today we hadn't seen him at all for what? Three weeks?"
"Yes, I know..." said Hermione, frustration evident in her face as well.
"It's always that. Dumbledore. Like he has the answer to everything."
"We have no one else to ask, Harry. What else can we do?"
They stayed silent for a moment. Then she was leading him toward the dormitories. When they reached the entrances, she surprised him with an tight hug and a swift kiss on the cheek.
"Please try to rest, alright? Try. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Good night."
Harry walked up the stairs knowing what was to come: another unpleasant night of lying in bed fully awake, tossing and turning.
To Harry's dislike, the next day of class was indeed a very sunny since morning. He told his friends he skipped breakfast because he hadn't slept the night before - which was true - and he just couldn't get out of bed, but there were two other reasons. He refused to get out of the comfort provided by the thick curtains around his bed and he felt nauseous at the thought of any food whatsoever.
They were waiting for the first period teacher to arrive when, right next to him in the Potions table, Ron banged his fist against it.
"Damn it!" he said loudly, apparently not caring at all who heard him. "Three classes with the Slytherins this semester! Including double Potions with Snape! What did I do to deserve this? Oh, the horror..."
"Ronald, you'll only make it worse whining about it," reprimanded Hermione. "And keep it down, he'll be here any minute."
"What's the use in arguing, 'Mione," interrupted Harry as he rubbed his sleepy eyes. "Let him complain. It's what he does." He honestly thought that he would have to hold his eyes open with his fingers throughout the whole class. Or fall asleep right under Snape's ugly nose.
"I'm sorry, alright? But how am I going to survive?" asked Ron melodramatically. "And to top it off, I didn't know I was going to get into the N.E.W.T level until this morning, so I don't have the damned book! I know he's going to use that as an excuse -"
"Oh, no, what's the matter Weasley," came a very familiar sneering voice from the entrance of the classroom, mocking the melodramatic tone. "Can't find yourself a couple of galleons to buy a book?"
Like a gang, four intimidating Slytherins came into the classroom; Malfoy, Nott, Zabini, and - awakening Harry's immediate interest - Henry Cunningham. Since the previous night, he forgot all about his existence. And there he was again, looking as intriguing as ever. Unlike the other Slytherins, he looked pleasant and friendly. He gave a charming, flirtatious smile to a group of Ravenclaw girls, who returned it to him before they giggled quietly and whispered to each other, eying him eagerly. The group of Slytherin boys sat on the same table as them.
The moment Draco finished his taunt, Hermione pulled Ron's sleeve and whispered to him. "Don't say a thing, or he'll win. Just ignore him."
To Harry's surprise, he listened to her. Sort of. He glared at Draco and flipped him off, but said nothing.
Draco made a sarcastic, "offended" expression and said "Manners, Weasley King," which made the others laugh, even the non-Slytherins.
Ron fumed. Harry heard him muttering under his breath. "That fucking Death Eater wannabe, pig." He glared daggers at the group of Slytherin boys. "Him and that pretty boy -"
"What is it with you and that new guy?" sneered Hermione, rolling her eyes.
"He's too fake, that bloke, just look at him!"
Henry Cunningham talked to the girls sitting on his table looking as charming and alluring as ever. They all beamed at him, laughing at every one of his jokes. The blonde girl sitting next to him touched his arm and giggled as he whispered into her ear. She swooned. Ron snorted.
"Please. He wants to be all suave and whatnot and he's a bloody Slytherin."
"Because he's a Slytherin he can't be 'suave' like you say?" teased Hermione. "Whatever, Ron, you're just jealous. Admit it."
"Jealous? Are you mad? Why would I be jealous?"
This time it was Harry that groaned, and he put his head down on the desk on top of his crossed arms. He was way too sleepy and feeling way too cranky to hear another stupid argument, especially when he knew that in a matter of seconds his most hated professor would arrive.
The seconds went by way too fast for him. The sneering voice ordering them around, the greasy black hair and hooked nose, the predictable hateful look directed personally at him; this all indicated that Severus Snape had arrived, and that the nightmare had turned into reality.
The class went by in a blur for Harry, probably due to his level of drowsiness, and also because he was way too accustomed to Snape's cruel taunts and injustice. Of course he went off on Ron for not having the book, no matter what the poor kid said, and took ten points from Gryffindor. Of course he kept snapping at Harry for looking like he'd fall asleep any minute, and threatening to take more points off only because of this. Of course he avoided awarding Hermione her well deserved points for knowing the answers to all the questions, even though he awarded the new Slytherin the points when he answered one of them. Of course it was going to be like this, it was Snape after all.
But unlike before, Harry honestly didn't care. All he wanted at the moment was his bed and its thick curtains.
"The final test for this class constitutes forty percent of your total grade for this term, and it will be done in pairs," said Snape in his typical slow, sneering voice. "It is essential that you follow all of the instructions exactly as I have written them, even if you are not one of those who definitely lack," he looked straight at Harry as he said it, "any potions ability. After all, you will be dealing with poisons and remedies, and therefore, risking your lives..."
"IT IS FOR THIS REASON," Snape considerably raised his voice as he stared at Harry, who was spacing out yet again, "Potter, are you listening?"
Harry nodded indifferently. "Yes, sir."
"For this reason," he continued after making sure everyone in the room had looked at Harry, as he walked toward his desk at the front of the classroom. "I will be assigning the pairs according to each student's ability. In each pair there will be one who is skilled and another who is less skilled. I want to make sure no one messes up. As soon as I name the pairs, you will get together and look for the potions you wish to work on, is that understood?"
"Yes, sir," answered the students in unison.
"Very well, let's see, one who lacks skill. Ah, yes. Potter!"
Malfoy and his housemates - except Henry Cunningham - sniggered as usual. Harry glared at Snape. "Yes?"
"You go with Cunningham," ordered Snape, gesturing at Henry to move next to Harry. The girls sitting on his table audibly expressed their disappointment. The one flirting with Henry looked very close to throwing her textbook at Snape's face. Henry nodded and started to put his class materials back into his bag as he finished conversing with the girls.
Snape was now pacing around the room with a mean smirk on his face. "Alright, now...another one without skill...of course, Weasley!"
More sniggers from the Slytherin table. Ron didn't even answer and only glared at Snape.
"You go with..." this time Snape considered for a moment, looking amused in his sick, cruel way. For a moment he looked directly at Malfoy, which immediately wiped the blonde boy's smirk off his face. Draco looked horrified for a moment and shook his head in a pleading gesture. Snape smiled and looked at Ron, who did the same. He looked back and forth between one and the other, both of whom displayed the same comical expression.
"...Miss Johnson."
Both Ron and Malfoy sighed in obvious relief. One of the Ravenclaw girls responded, and Ron moved to their table. Snape kept on naming the pairs and ordering them around the classroom as Henry Cunningham finally approached Harry Potter's table.
"Hello there, Henry Cunningham," he said with a charming smile as he reached out to shake Harry's hand. "I'm pleased to meet you, Potter."
"Pleased to meet you too," responded Harry as he shook his hand, slightly confused at the politeness.
Henry looked at Hermione with a dashing smile. "And you are Miss Granger."
"Yeah," answered Hermione as she shook his hand as well. "Hi..." She smiled brightly at him.
Henry settled between her and Harry. He leaned close to Hermione and whispered, "you were wonderful in class. Absolutely brilliant. You deserved all those points."
Hermione blushed. "Thank you..."
"You're clearly smarter than all of us dung-heads in this room combined."
Hermione giggled nervously, not knowing what to respond to such unexpected praise. Henry held her gaze with an alluring smirk. "I read too much, that's all..." Hermione shrugged, blushing furiously and twisting some of her hair with her fingers nervously. Harry stared at her, surprised. He'd never seen her so flustered before.
Henry chuckled charmingly and lightly touched her arm. "Well, you keep doing that, sweetheart."
He now turned to Harry. As he did, Harry saw Hermione smile very brightly, barely able to contain it. Until the moment Snape called her, she kept the same smile on her face.
"I had to tell her. It's unfair, really..." said Henry very quietly as he looked at Snape disapprovingly. Harry stared at him. What an unusual Slytherin.
"Yeah. It's always been like this, though."
Henry raised his eyebrows. "Really? That's unfortunate. And the comment about the lack of ability." He shook his head. "So unnecessary."
Harry snorted resentfully.
"Oh, and before I forget..." Henry put his hand inside one of the pockets of his robe and took out a small glass vial, of the type used to contain potions, that was filled with a transparent liquid that looked like water. "I noticed you were having a little bit of trouble staying awake." He winked at Harry as he handed him the vial. "This will help you out. You'll see. Just take one drop each day."
Harry stared at the glass he was now holding. "What's this?"
Henry leaned in closer to Harry. "Have you and your friends ever tried absinmine?" he whispered.
Harry moved away a bit and raised his eyebrows. Absinmine was a type of wizard drug that gave a very powerful boost of energy. It was mostly used by young wizards when they wanted to party all night long, and it was also illegal because of all its harmful side effects. He hadn't tried it, but he knew about it because Fred and George Weasley had indeed used it a couple of times and told him about it.
"No. I haven't."
Henry chuckled softly. "Relax, this is not absinmine. It's a much subtle - and legal - version of it. It'll keep you wide awake all day. You'll see."
"Begin working, all of you!" commanded Snape at that moment. His harsh voice caused everyone to react immediately and open their respective books. Harry put the vial inside his robes.
"Thanks..." he said tentatively, although he was still confused as to why - again - a Slytherin was being nice to him.
"Don't worry, it's not poison or anything!" teased Henry, for a moment making Harry think he'd read his mind. "I swear, it's what I told you. Not harmful in any way. You can look for it in this very textbook, it's called Enertentia. I'll show it to you." Henry showed him the excerpt from the textbook that explained the potion in question. Harry wondered if he should take the leap of faith and trust a Slytherin for once.
After what seemed like an eternity, the class ended.
"See you at the Defense Against the Dark Arts class, Potter," said Henry as he stood up. "Remember the potion," he added with a smirk, and then walked away.
"Yeah, thanks," said Harry unenthusiastically. He felt like drinking some of it now, but he hadn't completely made up his mind about trusting him yet. He started to gather his class materials very slowly, like he had nowhere else to go all day.
Outside the classroom, Henry Cunningham found himself again at the company of Draco Malfoy, along with the other Slytherins, as they all walked down the crowded corridor.
"So, how was that?" asked Draco with a smirk. "Enjoyed spending time with our dear Scarhead Potter?" The other Slytherins sniggered.
"He's alright, I guess," responded Henry indifferently.
Draco laughed. "You know, you can be honest around us. You can stop acting."
Henry smirked at Draco mischievously. "Act? What do you mean? Who wants to talk about Potter, anyway? Forget it. Where are all those beautiful girls you boasted about, Draco? Did you make them up?"
"No," snapped Draco and they all laughed and proceeded to make their usual comments about the girls of the school. "There's a couple of good ones. Which do you prefer, blonde, brunette - "
"Redhead," answered Henry, cutting Draco off.
At that precise moment, another group of girls were walking toward the opposite direction of the corridor - two brunettes and one redhead. When they were approaching the Slytherins, Henry leaned toward Draco. "See? Like the one on the middle."
Draco face contorted in disgust. "Are you mad? Definitely not her."
"Why?" asked Henry, clearly disappointed. He flashed a smile at the girls, which they all returned. The one on the middle gave him a very flirtatious look. Henry winked at her and she blushed and giggled along with her friends as they walked past them.
"She's not an option, Henry," said Draco as soon as the girls were out of earshot. "I mean she'd be alright - if she wasn't a bloody Weasley, that is!"
The others expressed their agreement, but Henry remained silent and serious for a moment. "That's unfortunate," he said softly. Then he leaned closer to Draco and whispered very quietly, "that's the girl, isn't she?" Draco nodded discreetly and nervously.
"You're getting all friendly with the worst ones of all!" teased Nott from right behind Henry. "I saw you talking to that Mudblood!"
"Yeah, that was horrible, Henry. The Mudblood," added Draco, now looking even more revolted than before. He shuddered.
"You mean Granger? She's a Mudblood?" Henry showed the first sign of genuine surprise. "But how is that possible? She was brilliant!"
"She's just a bookworm."
Henry finally looked outraged. "Merlin. We should brand all of them with an 'M' for 'Mudblood' on their foreheads!"
They laughed as they reached the end of the corridor and walked down the stairs.
The students were getting up from their desks to leave the Defense Against the Dark Arts class, when Harry heard someone say to him, "Drink it, you'll feel better." When he turned, sure enough, it had been Henry. Harry still looked like he could fall asleep standing up. The new Slytherin smiled and continued his way out of the classroom along with the others.
"Drink what?" asked Ron with a confused expression. Along with Hermione, he stared at Harry, who was still sitting with no visible motivation to move anywhere.
"He gave me this," said Harry. He took out the small glass vial and Hermione immediately took it and studied it closely.
"What is that?" asked Ron, eyeing the vial suspiciously.
Harry shrugged. "It's an energizing potion. He said it'll help me keep awake."
"Yeah right," Ron snorted. "Sure...drink it if you want to die. It's probably some nasty - "
"Come on, Ron!" interrupted Hermione. "No poison is as transparent as this. Is this Enertentia, Harry?"
"Yeah. I read about it in the Potions text book, actually."
"How can you be sure it's the one?" countered Ron.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Well why don't you take a look at the textbook yourself Ronald? That might help!" she snapped at him, then turned back to Harry. "This potion will indeed keep you awake, Harry, but that will be for the entire day and night as well! It's very strong. Are you sure?"
"It's not like I've been able to sleep for the past month," said Harry irritably.
"Excuse me," said a voice that made them all turn around. It was professor Lupin. They forgot he was still in the classroom. "Can I speak to you in private, Harry?"
"Of course."
Ron and Hermione said goodbye to Harry and left the classroom. He was very distracted because he could hear them resume their argument when they were far away down the corridor outside.
"I can't believe you're trusting that new bloke!" Ron complained.
"He looks like a decent person, alright! You don't know him!"
"Neither do you! Never trust a Slytherin, Hermione! When will you learn? Even worse, never trust anyone who's friends with Malfoy!"
"Harry."
Harry Potter's vision suddenly became focused again and he could see Lupin standing in front of him, watching him closely.
"Yes?" he responded absent-mindedly, trying to get his friends' voices out of his head. He could hear them as clearly as if they were standing right next to him.
"Are you feeling alright?" asked Lupin. But Harry could still hear his friends arguing, no matter how much he tried to block them out.
"You fancy him too, don't you?" snapped Ron.
"No! What is wrong with you?"
"You have a weakness for Harry's enemies!" Ron yelled. "First Krum, now him!"
"I can't believe you!" Hermione cried.
Damn it, make it stop!
Harry closed his eyes and sighed. "No, professor. I'm not alright."
Slowly, the voices died down and became only whispers. Lupin sat down next to Harry and his face reflected only genuine concern. "I noticed you are feeling exhausted. You look ill."
"I haven't been able to sleep for a long time. Well, since what happened a month ago, precisely," answered Harry with a miserable expression. "And it's not like I'm more anxious now than I was before that. I just can't fall asleep! No matter how tired I am..."
"Can you sleep during the day?"
"I don't really have time for that. But I think that a couple of times I have been able to fall asleep, but only for a couple of minutes - like in classes, for example" he added with embarrassment.
"Don't worry about that," said Lupin with a chuckle. His warm, fatherly smile made Harry feel a little better. "What else do you feel?"
Harry sighed again. He didn't know where to begin. As he spoke, Lupin looked at him closely, into his eyes, searching through his mind. "I have been feeling so many strange things. For starters, just moments ago I was hearing my friends argue when they were walking down the corridor. I heard them as if they were inside my head. This happens to me unexpectedly, and it's driving me mad. I hear people talking who are very far away from me."
"Does it happen when you want to?"
"No. I don't know how to control it. And then it's really hard to get the voices out of my head. So many other things are different now. I can also sense things. I don't know how to explain it. It's like I can read people's minds or something, but I don't know how I do it..."
Lupin's eyes widened just a bit. He sensed the young wizard was being completely honest. He could read minds?
"Everything... just feels different. I also can't eat! Again, I have no idea why."
"You can't eat?"
"Technically, yes. But food gives me a bad stomachache and it just comes right back out. It repulses me. I just don't understand. What's happening to me?"
Lupin continued to study Harry, his worry increasing each second. So Dumbledore's suspicions were probably true. Recent events came into his mind for a moment.
About ten minutes before his class was going to start, Lupin was reading on his desk in the classroom, waiting for his students to arrive. He didn't expect to hear Albus Dumbledore's voice.
"Remus. May I have a quick word? I'm sorry to bother you."
He looked up from his book and saw the familiar long white beard, the dark purple robes.
"Of course," replied Lupin with a polite smile. He stood up and the Headmaster approached him. "What happened, sir?"
He could see that even behind the old man's calm face and sparkling eyes, there was deep worry and anxiety. His tone was as deceivingly calm as his face.
"Remus, I am leaving now and, unfortunately, I will have to be gone for some days," explained Dumbledore. "Minerva will take my place meanwhile. I wanted to remind you to please do as I told you earlier."
"Yes, of course sir."
Dumbledore had a very serious expression as he spoke to Lupin, looking into the man's eyes, both of their voices hushed and secretive.
"Remember to always watch over Harry very closely," whispered Dumbledore. "Be aware of his thoughts whenever you can, search them to see if there's anything disturbing. In case my suspicions are proven true, you must remember that this new nature might corrupt him. We have to prevent this at all costs."
"Of course, you don't need to worry," answered Lupin confidently. "Like I told you, if that is the case, I could understand what he's going through. I believe Harry is too strong willed and noble to be changed that easily."
"Yes, in that we must trust and hope. But be certain that he isn't involved in any activities that might influence him. We need him to stay as he is, even with this tragic occurrence. If you see anything really strange about him, let me know at once. Summon Fawkes."
"Understood."
"You may also begin to teach him Occlumency, as we already agreed with him. Remember to take advantage of these lessons to look further into his mind."
"Yes, of course. But sir, should tell him about your suspicions?"
"No. Not yet, Remus. I believe we should watch him closely for any signs that prove them true before afflicting him with this knowledge. The burden might be too much for him, especially during these dark times."
"You are right. I understand."
"I expect he'll seek the truth for himself someday. But for now, we must protect him," said Dumbledore with genuine worry. He stepped farther away from Lupin, watching him trustfully. "I must take my leave now. I hope you succeed. Have a good day, my friend."
It took only a couple of days for Dumbledore to suspect what happened to young Harry after the Diagon Alley incident. Remus had to admire the man's brilliance. With every moment Harry spoke to him, the suspicions came closer to reality in his mind, which filled Lupin with heartbreak and sadness. As he looked at the weak looking boy in front of him, he felt an obligation to take care of him, to watch over him. He couldn't avoid the fact that he looked so much like James. It was unbearable to think that he might undergo a trauma similar to the one he himself experienced so many years ago when he discovered he wasn't human anymore. Heartbreak, terrible heartbreak.
"Sir?"
He gave Harry another warm but much weaker smile. He hadn't realized he had been completely lost in his thoughts. "I am very sorry, but I do not know. I trust we will soon find out, Harry. For now, we must resort to remedies. I believe you possess a vial of Enertentia?"
"Yes..." answered Harry as he took it out. "Well...Henry Cunningham gave it to me. It's supposed to be that..."
Lupin smiled. "Don't you trust your peers, Harry?" he said playfully, and then opened the small lid and smelled the liquid inside. He nodded. "This is indeed Enertentia. Drink one drop each day and you will feel very energized. You should take one now."
He handed back the vial and Harry did what he said. He drank a small drop. The effect was almost instantaneous, truly magical. Harry was amazed that such a small amount of potion could be so strong. His entire body radiated energy and the numbness all over his body was completely gone.
"You know, Harry," said Lupin after observing him for a while. "I also went through a time where I also felt unable to eat. I strongly recommend you try, at least, warm or hot foods, even if you still feel no desire at all for them. Drink hot tea and soup, anything warm, and you'll see that it will satisfy you somewhat."
Warm. For some reason this advice made so much sense to Harry that he didn't even question it. After a little more talk and agreeing on a time and day for the first Occlumency lesson, Harry went to his next class feeling like he was alive for the first time in a month.
Much later that day, a boy and girl wearing their Slytherin robes came through the portrait hole into their common room, just as the ancient grandfather clock indicated that it was midnight with its eerie banging tones. They were wrapped in each other's arms as they walked, whispering to each other and trying to be discreet. But as they walked quickly toward their respective dormitories, they were forced to stop. The room was empty except for two boys sitting on the armchairs facing them. The pair looked at each other nervously.
"Well, well. Look here, we have some late night lovers coming in..." sneered the prefect, although he showed no sign of real concern.
The girl, deeply blushed, shifted nervously. Her partner made a pleading gesture as he begged. "Please, Malfoy. We lost track of time."
Draco laughed. "I can see that," he sneered, looking at one and then at the other. As a prefect, he was supposed to order detentions for those students found out of their common rooms after eleven o'clock, but he didn't feel like doing anything to them at that moment. He shrugged. "Just go to bed," he said with a dismissive hand gesture.
"Thank you," said the boy, both he and his partner visibly eased. They turned and walked away toward the dormitories without another word.
"Oh, wow," came a sarcastic voice beside him. "Who knew you'd be such a compassionate prefect, Draco."
Draco rolled his eyes. "I just don't care..." His tone then became irritated. "Now what in the world is taking them so long, those two fat boys?"
"Maybe they're lying in bed, eating..."
Draco laughed. "Yeah...probably...Oh look, it seems we summoned them with our thoughts, Henry."
As he said this, two massive figures were coming down the stairs of their dormitory toward the common room. The two boys sitting in the armchairs quickly stood up.
"Malfoy, sorry it took me a while I -"
"Save the excuses for later, Goyle," snapped Draco. "I have no time to lose. Now both of you be quiet and follow us."
The four of them immediately walked out of the common room in silence, with Draco leading the way. None of them made a sound as they walked through many corridors and climbed the many moving staircases on the heart of the castle. They were almost reaching the seventh floor.
"Sense where Filch is?" whispered Draco to Henry, who was walking beside him.
"He's in the third floor, near the Ravenclaw common room. We're safe."
"Good. I don't want him bothering us."
Their barely audible voices were suddenly drowned by the sound of someone falling down behind them. Immediately they stopped and turned around. They found Crabbe laying on his stomach a few steps down from them.
"Shhh! Crabbe, you idiot, get up!" hissed Malfoy. "After six bloody years you still fall on the same step!"
"I'm - I'm sorry..." said Crabbe, wincing. Goyle helped him up as Draco and Henry resumed their way up the stairs.
"Don't dare make another sound!" hissed Draco over his shoulder.
"Alright."
"Okay."
Draco sighed and shook his head.
A minute later they had reached their destination. Draco was pacing back and forth close to the wall of that corridor, whispering something under his breath with deep concentration. Crabbe and Goyle awkwardly stood nearby with Henry studying them in silence.
After a while, he smiled at them. "Alright, tell me. Which one of you is the strongest?"
The two boys looked at each other, puzzled, and then spoke at the same time.
"Well, I think I am."
"I am!"
They looked stupid and confused. Henry sighed and looked back at Draco. A door materialized in the wall in front of the blonde wizard, who now stood still. "Draco," called Henry. "Come here."
Draco was beside him.
"Which one of your two...friends...is stronger?" asked Henry, eyeing both boys mischievously.
"I am, Draco. Crabbe's a sissy," Goyle insisted.
"What? I'm not!" cried Crabbe and he punched Goyle on the shoulder.
"Well, Henry, to be honest, I'm not sure" said Draco, ignoring both of them. "Why don't you test them and find out?" He had a dark, twisted smile on his face, which Henry returned.
There was no warning. Henry punched both boys on the stomach at the same time, without any effort whatsoever, but somehow the boys were thrown back several feet and they fell hard on the floor, groaning.
Draco and Henry sniggered darkly. "I'm sorry...there was no other way to test it," teased Henry. "I hope I didn't harm you that much."
After a few seconds, Goyle managed to get halfway up. "You bastards..." he managed to say, trying to catch his breath. "You bloody bastards..."
Draco and Henry laughed.
Crabbe was still on the floor on fetal position, groaning and rubbing his stomach. Goyle got up completely, but he was still trying to breathe properly and had a grimace of intense pain on his face.
"That solves it," stated Henry as he approached Goyle along with Draco. "You were right after all. You are the strongest. Congratulations."
Goyle looked like he wanted nothing else but to punch the boys in front of him on their faces. But something held him back. He thought he saw Henry's eyes flash red for a moment.
"You come with me, Goyle," said Draco, amused. He went inside the Room of Requirement with Goyle closely following him like a frightened pet.
Henry approached the fallen figure of Crabbe. The boy was still in the same position as before, groaning in pain at Henry's feet.
"Oh, come on, boy," said Henry, his voice low and menacing, completely different from the one Crabbe heard him use before. "Can't you take a little punch? Can't you get up?"
The only response he received was another groan. Henry chuckled darkly.
"In that case..."
He stood over the boy and grabbed a handful of his robes. Then he pulled him up without any visible effort, like he was picking up something completely weightless. With the other hand he grabbed Crabbe's shoulders and forced him to stand up straight.
He let go and Crabbe fell back against the wall, still hunched forward holding on to his stomach, groaning and grimacing. Henry roughly held the boy's chin up, forcing him to look up at him with eyes that brimmed with fearful tears.
"Listen to me," Henry commanded. "You have to do something important now. Are you listening to me?"
Crabbe nodded nervously, his entire body shaking under the other's grip. Henry let go of his chin, eyeing him contemptuously.
"You see that column there, on your left?"
Henry pointed and Crabbe looked at that direction. He nodded again, speechless.
"You have to stand behind there until we get out and guard the entrance," said Henry very clearly. "You have to make sure no one comes near it, and if this happens," he took out what looked like a normal coin and showed it to Crabbe. "You will press this hard in the middle and it will alert Draco. Do you understand?"
Yet again, Crabbe merely nodded.
"Okay? Send warning - to Draco - by pressing - this coin," he said slowly, as if speaking to a small child or a retard. "Alright? Can you do that?"
"Yes..." Crabbe finally managed to say with a shaky voice. The command sunk deep into his mind. He was standing up straight at last, but his knees felt like they'd buckle any moment, the very presence of the one before him too overwhelming.
"Very good!" exclaimed Henry with the same tone. He handed Crabbe the coin. "Now go," he commanded. "And don't wet yourself." He laughed cruelly at the boy's expression as he turned toward the entrance of the Room of Requirement.
"Let's begin."
Henry Cunningham's imperious presence filled the Room of Requirement.
There was a large, empty space in the middle but all around there was a variety of magical objects on tables, cauldrons, bottles with all types of exotic ingredients, books, and even caged animals. The room looked like a mixture of all the classrooms in Hogwarts combined with some large store from Knockturn Alley.
Henry stood in the middle of the room and held up his arms with the palms of his hands facing the ceiling. Next to Draco, Goyle watched in amazement as Henry quickly spoke some elaborate incantation and a bright, greenish, circular light appeared between his outstretched arms, first in the size of a coin, and then progressively larger. For a moment, the ground shook and the fire of the torches danced wildly. The light that had formed into a circle grew, and in a matter of seconds, into the size of the entire room. The light then sunk into the walls in every corner, on the floor and on the ceiling.
"Wow..." breathed Goyle with stupefied admiration. "What was that?"
"It's called a ward," replied Henry lazily as he approached the other two wizards. "I could be here all night explaining to you its importance, but I won't waste my time. Our friend here desperately needs our help." He looked at Draco. The three of them stood facing each other. "Draco, you've only got five days to improve."
"That's right."
Goyle looked back and forth between them, confused. "Five days to improve what?"
"Which ones, more or less, have you mastered already?" Henry asked Draco, ignoring Goyle.
"Most of the Control Ones. I'm good at Imperius."
"Are you talking about Dark Curses?" asked Goyle, but again he was ignored.
"What about Pain?"
"Well, those are the ones I need to work on the most. I really need to work on the Cruciatus. And also -"
"Damn it! If you don't tell me what this is all about, I'm leaving!" Goyle interrupted angrily.
Then the others finally paid attention to him. He immediately regretted it. They smiled at him too darkly, their gazes like daggers on his skin. A chill went up his spine.
"I'm sorry, how rude of us," sneered Henry. "Forgive us for not telling you earlier what you're here for. You see, Draco here really needs to improve his skills with some Curses because of a little secret mission and we need someone to use them on. Simple."
There was a pause. Goyle stared at Henry, trying to process what he was saying. Someone to use them on? Secret mission?
"Of course, you don't have to worry, Goyle," explained Draco. "Henry knows every curse and counter curse in existence." He smiled darkly when he saw the look on Goyle's face. "He can heal anything."
Goyle backed away slowly. "You're saying you're going to Curse me on purpose?"
"Yeah. Sorry, but someone's got to do it," said Draco with a shrug, and then he added with a twisted smirk, "and what are friends for?"
"No way. Are you insane? Draco, why would you do this? You haven't said anything to us about a mission. What's going on?"
Goyle gazed incredulously at Henry, whose presence felt completely different from moments before as immense, raw power emanated from him. "You..." Goyle's voice shook. "Who are you?" He fell to his knees before Henry. "Please," he cried desperately. "Don't hurt me. I beg you."
An invisible force suddenly paralyzed him. He found himself looking into Henry's amber eyes right above him. His mind went instantly and completely blank. He didn't know who he was or where he was. He just heard a soothing, calming voice inside his head.
You will obey all our commands without question.
Silence. Henry looked back at Draco and the two exchanged looks of satisfaction, then he approached the dazed Goyle.
"Give me your wand," Henry commanded.
As if in a trance, Goyle handed his wand to the source of the voice, the one that interrupted his blank state of mind. A few more seconds of blessed silence passed. Then the voice inside his head spoke to him again.
Return to us.
Goyle blinked a couple of times and the room suddenly came back to focus. His mind was a dense fog, unable to make sense of his surroundings.
"Start with the Fire Curse."
"Yes, sir," said the voice he slowly recognized as Draco Malfoy's. "Incendio!"
After an orange light collapsed against his chest, Goyle could swear he'd been thrown in a fiery pit. He twitched in pain, screaming at the top of his lungs. Boils appeared throughout his entire body. The pain was so outstanding it made him snap back into reality. "STOP! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? AGHHH!" he yelled.
"Go ahead and yell. Express yourself," said the amused and serene voice of Henry Cunningham. "With these wards, no one can hear you."
"BASTARDS! YOU EVIL BASTARDS!" yelled the helpless boy between more screams.
"Oh, we're not evil," said Henry, his tone disturbingly peaceful. "I'm just helping a friend. And Draco's just doing his job, you know?"
The pain finally stopped. Goyle couldn't move an inch without feeling even worse pain.
"What the hell were you whining about?" snapped Henry as he approached the fallen, burnt Goyle. "That was excellent, Draco."
He crouched down next to the victim and moved his hands across his body in circular motions, inches away from the skin, while reciting the incantation inside his mind. Meanwhile he kept talking to Draco like he didn't need to concentrate on what he was doing at all. "We'll practice Pain but only their favorites. Then the new technique."
"Of course. Aura Drawing. I still can't manage to draw the life-force of a bloody elf," muttered Draco, his stress level shooting up immediately. "Aunt Bella also insisted I master the Cruciatus now."
"And the Killing Curse?"
"Only on small animals." Draco groaned. "I'm dead."
"Stop whining, boy," snapped Henry. He was now healing Goyle's legs and arms. "Go practice. Don't waste a second."
"Yes, sir."
Draco used a curse that made blue flames shoot from his wand, using some random junk that was in the corner of the room to burn them with it before they touched the floor. His aim was improving. Meanwhile Henry made the circular movements from the counter curse faster and the boils from all the burns disappeared amazingly fast. Less than a minute after that, Goyle was healed.
But as soon as the poor boy tried to get up, wailing at Draco and Henry to stop, he was hit with another horrible curse and fell back on the floor.
And so the training session progressed.
Draco practiced dozens of Dark curses on the helpless Goyle, who was then healed by Henry in a matter of minutes only to be used again. After Malfoy practiced the Cruciatus, however, the boy was in too much pain even after he got healed. He lay on the floor while the other two practiced dueling briefly.
It was only fifteen minutes until 1 o'clock in the morning when they began to practice Aura-Drawing. Goyle remained motionless.
"This is the most important part of these little meetings, so you better listen closely," said Henry. "I'll explain it to you quickly. As you know, Aura-drawing - the taking of another Witch or Wizard's power and vital life-force - is one of the Darkest and most feared Magical Arts. Why? Because you don't use a wand, and so it's impossible to track down by the Ministry. If it's done the right way, a wizard could end another's life by draining that person of their life force completely. You knew this, right?"
"Yes, sir."
"Well, I'm going to teach you an old technique I discovered a long time ago. It's impossible to get caught using it. The secret is learning how to draw an Aura while you're outside of your body."
Draco looked surprised. "Like sending your own aura energy double to do it? Aura Projection or soul traveling?"
"Yes, it's very simple once you master traveling outside of your body at will. You must master this and then the normal Aura-Drawing for my technique to be successful. I believe you have learned some soul traveling back home?" Draco nodded. "Good. It's that simple. You combine both things."
"I see..." now Malfoy seemed surprised at its simplicity, but he still wondered how exactly did one draw an Aura without a body.
Henry smirked darkly. "That's what I'm going to show you. We shall dedicate our next meetings exclusively on doing this. For now, try to draw the life force from these animals," he pointed at the caged mammals and reptiles on the corner of the room, "until they are dead. Understood? Begin."
They spent the next fifteen to twenty minutes on this. Henry watched over Draco as he concentrated as much as he could, holding his hands close to each animal, still inside its cage. Dim light of the color of each animal's aura slowly came out of the creature's body, into the wizard's hand. He was becoming angry when he realized he hadn't actually killed them, until at last he manage to take the life of the last one, a Pygmy Puff, just by drawing its aura. Draco couldn't hold back his glee at his accomplishment.
Henry patted his back. "Not bad. Soon enough you will move on to bigger animals and then humans. We're done for today. But we need do this every night until then. Make sure both of those friends of yours will be available every single time."
"They will be," said Draco with a smirk. "I assure you."
Goyle waited for a chance and sprinted toward the exit as fast as he could. But in the blink of an eye, Henry soundlessly appeared right in front of the door before him. His heart stopped. Henry's eyes were right in front of his, inches away. He heard the mesmerizing voice again.
Forget everything that happened in here.
Goyle's world spun and he fell backwards on the floor, his mind blank again. Bewildered, he looked up and saw Draco Malfoy and Henry Cunningham standing next to each other, looking down at him coldly.
"Draco? Wh...What happened? Where are we -"
"Get up, fat boy," commanded Draco in his usual sneer. "We have to go."
"Oh..." said Goyle as he stood up. "Ow...my back hurts. What happened?"
When he looked up, both boys had already gone through the door. Goyle followed them, wondering why his entire body felt so incredibly sore.