Author's notes: I guess I didn't appear on that much people's research yet but my faithful review kept my hopes up! Let's keep the ball rolling with a new chapter!
Disclaimer: Haha! With this 'Marauder's Lottery' ticket, I'm sure to win a Harry Potter! Someone has to win! -scratch scratch scratch- Hummmm…Wha? No! I didn't want a million dollars, I wanted Harry Potter! WHAAAAA!
First of September came fast, the first day of school. Harry was up with the sun and ready to go an hour early. Standing in the living room dressed in his school attire he finally couldn't wait any longer and took a pinch of Floo Powder. He stood in the fireplace and spoke clearly:
"Ministry of Magic!"
Then he threw the powder at his feet, and stared twirling. He felt his legs move forward unexpectedly as he was thrown out of the Floo right before his feet firmly planted on the ground, his balance off. He leaned back involuntarily, his arms flaying slowly, his back almost parallel to the ground. A trio of paper-planes zipped over him and he mused idly that they would have hit him had he not been so hunched over his back. Then he landed on his ass. He picked himself up, dusted his cloak, and followed other kids, all walking in the same direction. It was the first day of school and, as such, every students, teachers and other staff personnel met in a big auditorium at the Ministry of Magic's building.
Harry had his wand checked at the reception before having it given back and told to follow the yellow paved road.
'Someone have a weird sense of humor,' Harry thought as he walked on the floor, painted in yellow brickwork. 'Still, it makes it pretty hard to get lost.'
Even the elevator's floor was painted gold-like. He got out once at the right level, followed the path a bit further and entered a really big room with hundreds, no, thousands of seats. This place was freaking huge! It was a semi-circular auditorium caved in like a bowl.
Harry saw Hagrid at the bottom with whom must be Hogwarts' teachers. The auditorium was already filling up and Harry noticed people hang out in groups of twelve to fifteen. There were smaller circles, but they all clung around bigger ones. Harry guessed that students stuck with the same groups for most of their education. Since The Spread, they had to move the classes from homes to homes. Changing students to different groups for each classes would have been an additional pain!
At ten minutes before eight, Hagrid's voice boomed.
"Firs' years! Firs' years! Come on down! We're about to start!"
Harry walked down at a quick pace, having no intentions to hold people back. He knew no-one, except Hagrid and Justin, who just made it down behind him, and he hoped that being muggleborn raised would not hinder him to make new friends. Who knew if the purebloods and mixed-blood didn't all knew each other? Harry knew them to be silly fears, but try to tell that to your brain! His fear quickly abated as everyone had to be introduced to each other and no mention to magical lineage was made. They were then introduced to their teacher in turns, with most of them displaying an aura of no-nonsense, zero tolerance to insolence.
Minerva McGonagall, teacher in transfiguration, could have made the most stern Math teacher bow his head and apologize without knowing why. Harry did not want to cross her.
Filius Flitwick was probably the only teacher he could look in the eyes. Not only was he the kind to smile more easily, but he was standing at first year's height. A short first year.
Remus Lupin looked… Zen. That was the best description Harry could come up to describe the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. He was dressed in the same way as the others, but it looked unnatural on him, as if he wasn't used at wearing it.
Rigel Algebar looked old. Not only that but he felt old. He looked like one of those worn, thick wooden chest you've got in your home: it always was there, your parents got it from their own parents but you have no idea where it come from or how old it is. Fitting, for an History of Magic teacher.
Aurora Sinistra had this strange way of looking at people, as if they were a distraction before she could look up again. Harry guessed the Astronomy course got a lot more serious this past decade.
Pomona Sprout was a short, plump woman with a smile practically stuck to her face. As teacher in Herbology, Harry guessed she never tired of seeing things grow, be it plants or students.
Then, there was the tall, dark man that seemed to hover a step behind the other teachers, as if to put a barrier between him and the snot-infected children. His sneer fit so well on his face Harry couldn't imagine the man so much as sleeping without it. His hair reflected light like only oil can, and Harry felt that potion would be the kingdom of no-nonsense. In fact, no-nonsense must have stumbled on this man and stuck in his hair.
Harry decided then and there he would NOT upset that man and read as much as he could that evening if only not to be the victim of his ire.
Professor McGonagall called order, being Deputy Headmistress, and greeted all students, new and old, for another year at Hogwarts Temporary Migratory School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. People took their seats and the first years were then introduced to the rest of the school in general. They were told to take the front seats, saved just for them, as the Telling of the Spread would be told.
Professor McGonagall, along with Professor Flitwick, told the story of the school with sketchy illusions and still pictures floating in mid-air. Silence settled on the room, the old woman's words echoing easily all the way to the back.
"Many, many centuries ago, four people gifted amongst the gifted united to create a learning place, a great stronghold of the knowledge of all forms of magic. They were Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin. The students were originally assigned one of the four Houses by the Sorting Hat, pending on the student prominent trait of personality."
The signs of the four crest floated above their heads.
"Gryffindor for the strong and brave. Ravenclaw for the smart and studious, Hufflepuff for the hard-working and loyal while the cunning and ambitious went in Slytherin."
The four crest turned and mixed to form the Hogwarts crest. Then it became black.
"But ten years ago, the strongest Dark Lord in recent history disappeared from the world after a fail attempt at murder, cursing this planet as he vanished."
A full moon appeared between the two teachers with clouds slowly drifting about.
"The night became increasingly dangerous as Shades spread in the bedrooms, past sunset, all over the world. We know not how or why they were created, but their existence is closely linked to the Nightmares."
The illusion took the shape of a familiar looking shadow, and then, of a pitch black zone of darkness. The kind you just knew there was something inside, just past your vision, just waiting for you to take a closer look…so it can jump at your throat as you blinked.
Harry felt mixed emotions regarding the Nightmares. He felt… it was on the same wavelength as the Shades, but more real, more dangerous. He should be afraid but… it was only a kind of Shade able to manifest, nothing more. If you weren't afraid of it, it lost most of its power, didn't it? It was familiar. He dealt with Shades since he was five after all.
"Nightmares spread around the world but nowhere so thick as at Hogwarts. Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, the greatest wizard of our time, got back from a duty outside the castle to see it under assault by the Nightmares, the wards useless. Magic itself have very limited success, and the spell working could vary from a wizard to another. That night, Albus Dumbledore shone like a beacon of hope and safety. Around him, fear abated and magic worked with greater success. He held the Nightmares at bay for a time. He allowed us to escape. Then, ten minutes after the last living person was evacuated, the castle locked down. To this day, its gates stayed close."
Silence filled the auditorium as the last of the illusion faded, leaving the room somehow even darker.
"To this day, we make honor of his sacrifice and reaffirm our vow to teach magic in the spirit of the Four Founders. Finally, we remember our past so the next generations knows that it wasn't always like this, and so they help us work for a brighter future."
The torches on the wall slowly burned brighter so that the room was, once again, fully lit. Harry couldn't remember when they dimmed.
Then, followed a description of the castle, its surrounding and the path leading to it. Of course, it was strongly unadvised to go there. It was mostly for the form, as none had any intention of getting near enough of it to see its highest tower. The Forbidden Forest was, as it were, forbidden to the student as even grown wizards kept clear of it. There were magical creature you wouldn't want to cross at any time of day or night. A wizard's village held on nearby, despite the close presence of the castle. They found out, in the first few years, that any great settlement of wizards would attract Nightmares. Those things had the power to kill a grown man, even though there were no records of it happening. It was just… a saying, as if everyone knew someone who knew someone it happened to.
The assembly moved on to more practical topics such as the distribution of the schedules for every classes and the rules to follows while at school. They essentially spoke of respect while at anyone else's home, the procedures in case of damage to the property of the host and compensations in case of vandalism. The rules were clear, strict and unforgiving. After all, there were there to prevent troublemakers. If you kept civil, no rules were hindering at all.
Lunch came by, a free distribution of mostly cold meals. Strange small creatures, not… particularly pretty, were distributing drinks, sandwiches and some hors-d'oeuvre around.
"Oh! You must be an House elf! I couldn't find more than passing references about you in 'Hogwarts, a history'! How come?" asked a girl with long, brown and bushy hair.
The small creature bowed, unsurprised of the question.
"I be Tinky! I worked for great wizard Dumbledore at Hogwarts, many years ago! You are correct, I be an House elf. I am bound to my duties to Hogwarts to serve the students and teachers. We help clean classroom before and after lessons."
"Really? Are you well paid? How are your living conditions?" asked the girl, named Hermione remembered Harry.
"That… is confidential, young miss," said the big eyed elf, bowing respectfully.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to intrude!" apologized the girl in a hurry, her hands flying to her mouth. "My parents always said I ask to many questions…"
"No harm done, young miss. You be here to learn after all! Don't let that stop you from asking questions!" the elf replied before bowing and disappearing.
"I hope I haven't offended him!" squealed the poor girl.
"I don't know if they can be, on a personal level," said a young boy with a round face, frowning.
Harry remembered his name to be Neville.
"They are that good-natured?" asked Harry.
"Well…not so much good-natured than… compliant. You'd convince them more easily to stop breathing than to disobey one of their master's orders. It's in their blood and their magic."
"That's awful! You mean they can't be free?" said Hermione, outraged.
"More like they consider being servants as being free to serve, while being freed from their master is to be ripped off their liberty to serve. Their system of value is kinda backward to ours. That's pretty much what I understood while speaking to Twinkie, our own house elf."
"Your family own an house elf?" asked Hermione again, building up steam.
"Yeah, pretty much my only friend until today too…" he finished, looking away.
Hermione's mouth shut close with an audible snap.
'Open mouth, insert foot…' Harry thought for himself.
"I guess we'll have a lot to learn about magical creature, don't we, Harry?" asked Justin, just a bit louder than natural.
"I didn't even realized magical creatures could exist, even after meeting a goblin at the bank!" chuckled the young wizard. "Do you think they have Leprechaun?!"
"I'm from a magical family and I'm not even sure if they exist! If I asked, I'm pretty sure one of my brothers would put a green vest on a garden gnome and yell to me they found one!" joked a red-haired boy.
It defused the tense atmosphere quickly enough. They started a lively discussion about all the possible creature that could really exist and which one were only in fairy tales. Hermione kept silent for the rest of the discussion though. Later on, she quietly left the group to stand in a corner, half-hidden by the far seat of the auditorium. A girl, Harry remember she was named Lisa Turpin, followed her shortly and spoke to her. Harry hoped it would work out somehow. Being lonely at the very first day of class must feel terrible. Both girl came back a few minutes later, Hermione's eyes a bit redder, but not too much. Everyone was gladly acting as if nothing happened at all.
Lunch came to an end and people resumed their seats. Each teacher made an appearance, explaining what their course would be about, from first to seventh years. The grading method of OWLs and NEWTs were explained too and the importance of having more than too few was mentioned continuously. Finally, they laid down a lot of the most common employments in the Magical World. Some of them were related to the inner working of the Wizarding society like the Aurors, the magical police force and the Healers that worked at St-Mungo's, London's magical hospital. The Ministry had a lot of Departments to run too like the Transports or the Abuse of Muggle Devices.
Of course, the Magical World was not all focused on Magic. Many sectors of industry needed them, but not their particular magical skills. They needed people to sell clothes, to make them and the various step of food production, building construction, furniture distribution and hundreds of other small things were necessary. It was important to remember that not everyone could be an powerful Auror or a skilled Healer. They needed places for the Magicals to get their stuff. The market may be small, but the competition in each field was practically non-existent too.
Harry wasn't interested in all of that. He would become a Nightmare Hunter. He didn't know if he could ever get paid for it, but that wouldn't stop him! He would have to learn all the stronger magic he could to fight them and one day, free Hogwarts!
Magic didn't work on them! That was explained in details at one of Professor Flitwick's lessons. Nightmares were unaffected by most forms of magics but physical effects of a spell were said to have some effects. Still, doing so was as tricky as attacking Nightmares in close combat. One spell was said to affect them enough to either chase them away of give you time to flee. That same spell could be used to destroy Shades. It was created only a few years ago and the crafter of the spell gave conferences to teach it to first years and give refreshing courses to anyone interested.
Still, Harry found the Charms lessons fascinating! Making object levitate would have been in the top five list of things he would do with magic, and it was the first spell they had to learn! Some had more trouble than others, but Professor Flitwick explained that this particular spell was taught first because it was simple and had to be 'held'. It helped children to connect with their magic faster and the low level of the spell was meant to give confidence in their next lessons.
The red-haired boy, named Ron Weasley, was a bit impatient into getting results and moved his wand a bit too forcefully, if not to say wildly. As Hermione turned to tell him he would achieve nothing good, she received the point of the wand near an eye, making her yelp in pain and surprise. They were in Justin home's basement today and the place was limited. They had to work close to one another.
Ron looked to regret immediately and apologized profusely to Hermione who held her face with both hands, fighting back the tears, but sobs winning the battle. He rushed upstairs with Justin to get a cloth with some ice inside. The teacher mumbled something about something but Harry couldn't hear him well.
Ron kept apologizing when he offered the ice and asked her if she could show him how to do it since all her spells worked great. That was laying it a bit thick since it actually was their first spell… but it helped her to calm down. By the end of the day, no more accident happened and it was a lesson for everyone about what impatience and rash moves could do, even without magic. As it turned out, better controlled wand movements showed better results and even Ronald Weasley managed to cast the spell correctly.
Potions came too fast for anyone's taste. They all saw the teacher and the older students weren't shy to tell some horror stories that happened in that class. The sight of Professor Snape at the Longbottom's house was something they would remember for all their life. Said property was more of a mansion than a house though, and Harry understood why they were called 'a Noble House'. It had nothing to do with how you behaved.
The basement could very well classify as a dungeon. It was built fully underground, devoid of windows, and was made of thick stone walls and floor. It was lit by torches. The main room was very wide and currently held thirteen students sitting on their chairs with a cauldron at their side. Before them was Severus Snape, looking at them intently. They were all ready to start but the teacher kept silent. If one would have dared check the second hand of their watch, he or she would have noticed with no small amount of awe that the potion master started speaking at eight o'clock sharp.
"The making of potions, children, require discipline, dedication, focus and above all, timing. One can pull off an acceptable potion by putting in the pot all the right ingredient, but without the exact timing, I wouldn't ask such a person to brew me a chicken broth. As my students, I will expect of you to abide by my timing. I speak, you listen. I ask a question, you raise your hand to give me the answer. Wasting time in my class is a crime and you may be asked to explain any action I see unfit under my watch. I hope this is clear."
If the dungeon wasn't cold enough, that took care of sending shivers down the young one's spines.
"I will take your silence as a 'yes'. I hope some of you had the forethoughts of opening their potion books before today or else you are going to find this morning quite…unpleasant. Potter! Name three effects of smelling the fumes of a potion directly!"
Harry blinked twice, realizing he was put on the spot without any warning at all.
"Err…just a second, professor…it was in the first few pages, about security measures. I think there were headaches and… hum… rashes and… hum…"
"And that, children, is the perfect example of wasting class time," interrupted the sneering teacher. "An answer must be quick, firm and certain of its truth. The next symptoms mister Potter was about to list, sometime in the next hour, were burns, coughing, dizziness and, my favorite, death. If you don't know what the potion is supposed to smell like, don't. Potter! I would like you to imagine putting an ingredient in you cauldron at the wrong time. You see the mix get unstable and about to have a violent reaction. What do you do?"
Harry thought as quick as he could, his mouth shut. Close the cauldron? Put water in it? Kill the fire under the cauldron? No. You're a wizard now, Harry, think like one.
"I would vanish the content of the cauldron with my wand, sir," Harry answered confidently.
"Marvelous. A correct answer that took only five time what it take for an unstable potion to ruin your face more than it already is. Potter! What do you think playing a joke on one of your little friend's potion would cause?"
"Expulsion, sir," Harry answered immediately.
"Your case may not be totally lost if you can remember the most basic and absolute rule of any classes you have. Remember Potter's crashed course in security measures, dunderheads! They are called 'Rules', not 'Suggestions'. Open your ingredient cabinet, turn your potion book to chapter one, page one and start brewing! In all security, of course. You wouldn't want to make my sensible heart bleed, would you?"
Turning pages quickly, Harry pondered on the thickness of the line to cross before being considered officially a 'dark wizard'.
Harry hosted his first class on day three of the term, in the morning. It was a transfiguration class. Petunia was a nervous wreck. How would the neighbors not notice anything! She started to regret, despite the guaranties offered by the school staff. Dudley was off to school for barely five minutes that Professor McGonagall came out of the fireplace like a jack-in-a-box. Petunia, coming out of the kitchen, had an intake of breath and put a hand over her heart.
"Sorry for the intrusion, Mrs. Dursley," said Minerva McGonagall before taking a small Rubik cube out of a pocket, twisting it three time in a precise manner and putting it on the windowsill as if it was perfectly normal. "The house is now secured in all manner of spying. Nothing… abnormal will be noticed for the time of the class duration. The only thing the neighbors could see is this cube on the windowsill."
"Really?" asked Petunia, puzzled. "Wouldn't there be some kind of light coming from it? A glow when it activated or something?"
The Transfiguration teacher blinked twice.
"There was."
"Oh."
"If you'll excuse me, I'll go and prepare the room. The students will get from the fireplace directly to the classroom."
"Do you need me to show them the way?" asked Petunia in a small voice.
"Thank you for the offer but it won't be necessary," assured the older woman before swiftly moving up the stairs.
Petunia saw the fireplace flare up again and a small boy walked out of it. He barely looked around before going up the stairs, not even noticing her. It was the same for the next boy and girl. Two girls, apparently twins, got out almost at the same time and never stopped chatting all the way up. Petunia knew she should be grateful, but felt there was something freaky going on. She went back to the kitchen and promise herself to stop cleaning every single hidden surfaces only when the clock would chime midday, and that the house would be hers once again.
Harry greeted his teacher nervously, having been ready for a while. McGonagall looked at the room with a critical eye and nodded.
"Very clean, very tidy. Good, nice wide spaces. I'll start making the desks, you can go and greet your classmates," said the teachers, taking small blocks of metal out of her pockets.
She placed them on the ground and waved her wand continuously over them. The cubes grew and changed color to finally become the school furniture Harry used yesterday. He wondered if it was the elf who brought them before class but this was so much cooler!
Minerva offered a small knowing smile to the impressed young wizard.
"Some classroom are in a fixed state, like at the Longbottom's estate and yes, some teacher require the service of the House elves to move the furnitures in their classes, but I wouldn't call myself a transfiguration teacher if I did it any other way," she explained.
Neville passed the door of Harry's room and greeted him. The class filled up quickly enough and, once again, without the ringing of any bells, the teacher started her course at eight sharp. They had to change a match in a metal pin. Harry, having seen her transform steel blocs into wooden desk, figured it couldn't be that hard now, could it?
Life went on, and nothing seemed to deviate from the routine that established itself passed the first few weeks of the term. Petunia was jumpier than ever. but her case was put on as a bad case of the Shades by those close to her. It was frequent when Halloween grew closer. Harry's days started with breakfast, Floo travel, morning classes, Floo again, lunch, one hour of allowed magical practice, afternoon classes, Floo travel, dinner, personal studying, personal time and bed. They had seven classes on a possibility of ten in a week. There were three free periods to study in groups, socialize or seek personal tutoring from a teacher.
To Harry, the routine was unique each weeks. How could it really be the same with classes constantly changing locations and the subject to continuously amaze and surprise him. Harry made a lot of friends but not that many close friends. Petunia wanted to hear nothing of magic outside of necessity and the other kids seemed to single him out a bit, somehow. Harry asked Hermione if she noticed anything he did to make that happen, as the young witch couldn't possibly refuse to answer a question.
"Harry," she started, a bit uneasy, "You don't understand the impact the night of the Halloween nineteen eighty-one had on the world. You-know-who had Britain under a reign of terror and he didn't even achieved official governmental ruling! I asked a few teachers about that time and it was horrible. Back then, He disappears right after trying to kill you. People saw you as a savior for almost twenty-four hours but the darkness came, filled with Shades and Nightmares and Hogwarts was lost…"
"People…think that's my fault?!" asked Harry, his voice squealing at the end.
"No! Well, not really…Some people are just looking for someone to blame. Others, who lost people to… Him…says that this was the price to pay to get rid of him and that the effects would probably wear off, some day. Others…"
Faced with her silence, Harry felt a lot of dread, but he had to know.
"Other… what?"
Hermione opened her mouth and closed it a few times, but Harry was right: she just couldn't leave a question hanging.
"Others…think this is all too much to pay…for the life of one person."
For a moment, all Harry was aware of was his own breathing. It shouldn't be that hard to breath, shouldn't it? People don't even realize they do it most of the time!
"Harry… you look a bit pale. Do you want me to fetch the teacher?" asked Hermione, worrying. Her hands gripped the hem of her skirt, straining the fabric.
"No…it's okay. It's okay…" he said, but clearly, it was not. He realized now more than ever how important it would be for him to find a way to undo what Voldemort did, ten years ago. Until then, people would see him as the reason for all their troubles!
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