The Patronus and The Portrait.
It was hours into their first night and the students were already studying their homework, except Hermione, who was subsequently no where to be seen. A flustered Ginny ran into the room, "Has anyone see Hermione?" she shouted quite loudly, much to the annoyance of some fifth years who had got an early start on revision. Ginny was met with a collective shaking of heads, and she ran back out again.
"They're up to something." Ron said, narrowing his eyes with suspicion.
"What makes you say that Ron?" Harry said humouring him.
"They're acting weird. They're acting crazy. They're acting like…"
"Girls?" Harry suggested.
"Girls." Ron nodded, "I wonder what they're up to" he said ponderously.
"They've probably hidden in a tower to play a nice game of "Dream Phone" and talk about how rubbish boys are I expect, I hardly suspect its anything sinister" Harry laughed.
"I suppose your right" Ron grinned in return, he was interrupted by a large slam of the portrait and a bedraggled looking Hermione storming in.
"Where've you?" Ron started
"Don't ask!" she said, holding up a hand.
"But you're covered in…" Ron called after her as she started to ascend the stairs to the girls dormitories.
"Owl pooh! I know!" she called and closed the door behind her.
"Don't believe its anything sinister now?" Ron smirked as he packed away his things in triumph.
The next day McGonagal addressed them all at breakfast.
"As all of you who are here know, these times are hard, and lessons will subsequently get harder. Everyone will be leaving here with a qualification, don't you worry about that! But there will no longer be end of year exams, you'll be assessed by projects during the year, and gradually on your performance in class. We don't wish to cause the students any unnecessary stress. Everyone will have their defence against the dark arts lessons doubled, and from now on let's just say what you'll be learning will be a little bit more "practical" for what lies ahead" she smirked then turned on her heel.
Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny all rushed to Defence against the dark arts, to be greeted by Lupin.
"Hello Harry!" he beamed, Good to see you!" he smiled and hugged Harry tightly. "And my favourite witch of course" he smiled pulling Hermione into a hug as well.
"How come you're back professor Lupin? I thought you resigned" Hermione asked innocently.
"Please, Remus." He added, "The only parents who would have kicked up a fuss, are the ones that would take their children out of Hogwarts at a time like this!" he laughed. "McGonagal shared this view and asked me to return to teach you all a bit of stronger magic, and right now it wouldn't go amiss, so in my duty to the" he paused and hushed his voice "Order, I am obliged to do so!"
"What are we doing today then?" Hermione asked.
"Well, I thought Harry might be able to help me out here, I don't think anyone realises the power in a Patronus; we can use them to communicate with other wizards, send out signals of safety or distress, protect yourself from some curses, and of course dementors. I think it would be beneficial if everybody could conjure a slightly sufficient one, I'm not expecting many full animal forms, but I'd like it very much if you could teach this class for me Harry, I've never seen any patronus quite like yours!" Harry felt sick and proud all at once, and looked uncertain for a second, like he might vomit, or punch the air. He settled for a marginal "ok". The class had trickled in by now, and Harry felt his stomach sink into his toes, and his forehead start to sweat. He looked out onto dozens of eyes that were staring at him, and with an encouraging grin from Lupin, Swallowed hard and started.
"Erm, hello everyone. Lupin has asked for me to teach this class today, for erm some reason" he concluded to the giggles of many girls in the class.
"I'm going to teach you all how to conjure a Patronus." He smiled. "And does anyone, excluding Hermione" he said, laughing. "Know what a patronus is?" Cho and Ginny both raised their hands, and Harry wrestled with himself for a moment, before his heart fluttered and he chose Cho. Ginny looked both disappointed and annoyed, Hermione glared at Harry and then gave a soft look to Ginny, who smiled meekly and squeezed Hermione's arm for comfort.
"It's a good spirit that can be used to ward off some dark magic, and also used as a messenger" she smiled sweetly at him.
"Nice to see you're applying yourself Chang" he jested "Five points to Ravenclaw" he smiled and continued, "To conjure a patronus, you need to think of a Happy memory or moment, it doesn't have to be real but I'd recommend it" he nodded. Lupin added;
" A little bird has told me that some of you may go on to be trained as an Animagus this year, and usually your patronus is a reflection of what animal you will become, so this should be interesting. Of course I really only expect Harry to produce a distinct animal body" he smiled.
"Right I want to know what everyone's memory is, Neville?"
"Snape leaving" everyone laughed.
"Cho?"
"Catching the snitch before Harry" she laughed.
"You there?"
"Getting A's on my OWLs"
"Ron?"
"Scoring a goal for Gryffindor!" he beamed.
"Hermione?" She glared at him for a few moments, smirked, then quickly glanced at Ginny, who was also smiling.
"Mine is private" she said with a sense of pride.
"Erm, ok? Ginny?" She mimicked Hermione,
"Mine is private too" she stated. Harry was slightly put off by this and finished asking everybody.
"So has everybody got a memory? Yeah?" he smiled as everyone nodded to him. "Right, think about it and point your wand firmly and say "Expecto Patronum" and hold it for as long as you can. Now don't exhaust yourself because it is tiring, and I'll look at them" he surveyed everybody's silvery silhouettes. Hermione had cast some kind of bird, and Ginny had conjured a fox, Ron and Neville both had silvery blobs, and it looked like Cho's patronus was a swan, but they were all very blurry and hard to distinguish.
"Very good everyone I'm pleased with this! Some really promising ones. I'm not going to set you homework, but I do insist that you all practise your patronus, as they're very useful in fighting the dark arts". Lupin stepped in.
"I agree with Harry there, practise your patronus! Extra points to whoever brings me a list of the most uses for a Patronus, and please, no silly ones. Last time I had a student say, "fetching you a butterbeer" and I hardly feel like that's a valid use!" he laughed. "Class dismissed, and fifty points to Gryffindor for Harry" Harry felt like he could summon a wonderful prancing patronus right then and there, but he was feeling shy enough and didn't want to tempt fate.
Harry's dreams of the lady in yellow kept becoming more vivid, he was going to go mad if he didn't talk about it to someone soon.
Eventually one night at the end of October, Harry sought out Hermione to talk to, but found she had disappeared again. Lately both Hermione and Ginny were behaving extremely more erratic. Hermione kept disappearing at strange times, and though at every other time her and Ginny were inseparable, even Ginny didn't know where she went. Harry gave up and decided to go and see McGonagal.
Harry hadn't been to the Headmistress's office this year, not since Dumbledore died. He hoped it wouldn't feel like McGonagal had invaded it, but suspected it would.
"Potter what are you doing milling about out here" she said.
"I was waiting for you Mrs McGonagal" he said hurriedly.
"Very well, I must go see to Peeves right away, let yourself in, it's Pineapple Chunk" she whispered. He obeyed and climbed the stone steps into the gargoyle. He supposed he would have been more comfortable with a complete McGonagal invasion. Instead, he was slightly unnerved to find that she had kept it exactly as it was. A half goblet of brandy sat on the edge of the desk unfinished.
"I wondered when you would come" a familiar voice said to him.
"Dumbledore?" Harry whirred round as fast as he could. A painting of Dumbledore was talking to him. "Oh" he said, second guessing himself.
"Expecting someone else?" Dumbledore asked.
"Erm, no" he said quietly. There was a pause, "How come you can talk to me like you're not dead?" he blurted out to no one in particular.
"Ahh, you see. When you are alive, certain wizards can choose how much of themselves they would like to leave behind in any way. For example, a painting." He smiled, "or some people possess objects to keep them safe" The canvas skin of Dumbledore smiled.
"Like the sorting hat?" Harry offered.
"Like the sorting hat." He agreed. "I did not however wish to come back as a ghost, because that way you have to stay here forever. And forever is an awfully long time." He smiled "This way, I can converse with people as if I were still alive, but if I ever want to join the other part of me, all you need to do is destroy the painting, and I go home" he explained.
"Home?" Harry questioned.
"A wizard is sworn not to tell anybody of what lies after death, but I should say that you shouldn't fear it" Harry smiled at him
"So if I tell you something, you can give me opinions on it, like the old Dumbledore?" Harry fathomed
"Yes that's right, though I don't suggest you do it often, as there are many people who are alive willing to help you" he said. "What is on your mind Harry?" Dumbledore asked.
"Well, I keep having these dreams professor." Harry stumbled.
"Dreams about Voldemort?" Dumbledore offered, stroking his exceptionally long beard.
"No, dreams about a woman, a drowning woman. She's dressed all in yellow, and I try to save her, and the outcome is different every time" he said, smiling nervously.
"Harry, dreams are strange things anyway, in a magical mind, especially one as strong as yours, all sorts of things could be happening."
"Are the dreams dangerous?" Harry said, looking fear-stricken.
"I have no doubt they are full of meaning and old magic, but dangerous? No" He sighed. Harry heard footsteps running up the stairs. "Harry, if walls could talk they would have some very interesting things to tell you. Especially walls as old as Hogwarts" he winked. Harry understood somewhere in his mind that this was a clue to what the dreams meant, but he knew not to push it any further when the portrait of Dumbledore feigned sleep as a rushed looking McGonagal sped in.
"You wanted to speak to me Potter?" she said, looking worse for wear.
"It doesn't matter professor" he said as he sprang out of the door and towards Gryffindor Tower, leaving a baffled looking McGonagal behind.