Here's the next chapter.
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Here we go.
The arrival of the other schools seemed to have put the whole of Hogwarts in a sort of 'Triwizard Fever'. Even now, as Harry Potter sat in his usual seat at the front of the Transfiguration classroom, he could hear the quiet din of conversation as everyone waited for Professor McGonagall to enter the classroom. Usually the stoic lady's classroom was silent, though that was not the case today.
"I definitely could get passed the age line. It's easy." spoke Ron Weasley, an assured bravado colouring his tone.
"Look mate, I believe in you. You're a top bloke, really. But its Dumbledore we're talking about here. He hasn't lost a duel in about a million years. Do you really think it's gonna be as simple as getting an owl to drop it in for you, or getting a seventh year to do it?" replied Neville Longbottom.
"Listen, he said that the Goblet will choose whoever's the most worthy. It doesn't matter about the age line at all, really. The goblet's gonna sense the pure unadulterated brilliance that is Ronald Bilius Weasley and let me through. No. Questions. Asked." Retorted Ron, a clear humour in his voice.
"Oh yeah, and the Cannons are going to win the league and Seamus is gonna go out with Lavender and Malfoy will stop being a dickhead." spoke Dean Thomas, stirring laughter from those who sat around him.
"If you have all ceased your chatter, would it pain you all if I began today's lesson?" said the Transfiguration Professor, demonstrating her uncanny ability to sneak in undetected, as evidenced by the start she had caused in the assembled Gryffindor and Ravenclaw class. "Now, today we're going to be continuing our study into cross-species Transfiguration, and for today's exercise we're going to be trying something that no doubt many of you will find trying."
The tall Professor brandished her wand then, causing a porcupine to appear upon her desk. Whether it was summoning or conjuration, Harry was unsure, so quick was her wand action. "We'll be changing this porcupine into a hedgehog. In this, your focus should be upon ensuring that the end result is definitively different from the beginning porcupine. Remember that you must have a clear image of end transfiguration, or your end results may be cataclysmically bad," she said before silently transforming the porcupine into a perfect hedgehog. "You shall find the incantation within your textbooks. You will perform this task in pairs so as to improve the likelihood of you completing the task. You will have the remainder of the lesson to attempt this task."
Her words caused a flash of anxiety to run through Harry. It was incredibly rare for any collaboration in her lesson and so he had not mentally prepared for the eventuality of talking to someone else. He had hoped for an odd number of people in the class so that he was spared such an event, but a quick head count proved he wasn't quite so lucky.
As was so often the case, everyone had made a beeline for their friends. Harry felt sorry for the unfortunate soul who had drawn the short straw of being someone's second favourite friend, though his partner became readily apparent when Hermione Granger was left stranded as everyone's allegiances made themselves known. In hindsight, this was the most likely outcome, Harry thought, as she herself shared his distinction of being one who preferred the company of books to other people.
Rather uncharacteristically, she was apprehensive as she approached him. "Erm, I guess we're going to have to work together today. I hope you don't mind too much."
Harry nodded, preferring to keep quiet.
Upon a total lack of vocal response, she quickly returned to herself. "So, I've read the notes for the spell quite a few times and it looks quite tricky, but I should be able to do it rather straight away. The incantation is rather simple, but it makes use of quite a lot of mental focus which is where the difficulty lies." Said Hermione, her tone bordering on lecturing. Harry didn't think it prudent to tell her that he himself had also read the literature concerning the spell, and had even managed the spell himself about a week prior. Harry thought she rather enjoyed the sound of her own voice.
"I do love Transfiguration, you know. It can be frighteningly difficult, but that's where all the fun lies. And McGonagall of course is a brilliant teacher, she's wonderful and she will always help you if you have trouble or give you something interesting to research that isn't on the syllabus if you ask her. She was the one that came to my house, you know, to introduce me to magic. She told me which books to buy from Flourish and Blotts if I was interested in the academic aspect of magic," continued Hermione. Harry was beginning to see why she was the one that had been partnered with her. "Anyway, if we don't start with the spell now, we've not got a chance of finishing it before the lesson ends."
Harry wordlessly retrieved a Porcupine from where they were stored in the back of the classroom, as Hermione once more looked over their textbook. Perhaps, he thought, if they managed to do it quickly they'd be allowed to return to working by themselves.
"Okay, so the incantation is ericusus and it uses the wand motion that all change spells use. I'll try first as I think I have the best chance of us two to perform it correctly, then you can learn from what I did," said Hermione, before training her wand at the animal. "Ericusus."
The small mammal underwent a metamorphosis, though the end result was simply a more rotund Porcupine - the animal in question itself did not appear to be all too thrilled with its change in proportions. Harry quickly performed the counter-charm, returning the rodent to it's original dimensions.
"Well that didn't go according to how I imagined it. My pronunciation and wand motion was perfect, so I wonder where the issue lies." Said Hermione, her cheeks pinked in a shade of embarrassment at her lack of immediate success. "Did you see something obvious that I didn't do?"
Harry shook his head. "These things take time I suppose, though I'd rather they didn't. Why didn't you have a go?" asked Hermione, to which Harry would gave an in-eloquent hum of agreement.
Harry pointed his wand the small animal. He remembered that he had learned from his own attempts with animal-to-animal Transformations, one had to envision not just the image of the animal the transformation caused, but it's movement as well. Its gait. He suspected that was where Hermione had failed, but he imagined she'd rather discover that for herself than a stranger tell her.
"Ericusus." Incanted Harry, producing a near-perfect hedgehog, save for some slight discolouring on a small patch of its spines, but he didn't hold it against himself. Upon seeing his spell, a gasp of shock left Hermione.
"B-b-but how did you manage that? It's supposed to be near-impossible to perform correctly your first occasion." said the girl, her mind frantically scrambling for answers. Harry thought of telling her the truth, though he didn't wish to prolong any conversation.
"Luck, I imagine." he replied, his voice soft.
"It can't be luck. There's no luck in magic and especially so in Transfiguration," said Hermione, who was beginning to become rather irate, her face reddening. "Do it again."
Rather than cause fuss, he complied. He performed the counter-charm, then once more spoke. "Ericusus."
The end result was once more the same, with this time a perfect hedgehog being formed on the desk.
"Very impressive, Potter. It's not often someone demonstrates success with this spell so quickly. I would award you house points, but I think with this you've earned an exemption to the homework that I had intended upon setting," said McGonagall, once more displaying her rare stealth in sneaking up to the pair. "I knew that the son of James Potter would have inherited some of his father's proclivities."
A rare beaming smile covered Harry's face at Deputy Headmistress' words. Unfortunately, Hermione had a growing ire at Harry. As McGonagall left to attend the rather comical efforts of Parvati Patil, Hermione whispered. "That's not fair, you know. Just because you got lucky with your spell doesn't mean you should get out of assignments."
Her words managed to wipe Harry's smile from his face, though he didn't acquiesce to her point.
Hermione attempted the spell a great many times during the lesson, but her anger only served to make her attempts worse. It seemed like this spell was her Achilles Heel. She had managed to get closer to the desired result than all others, though that was clearly not enough for the girl. For his part, Harry simply sat and performed the counter-charm when necessary, his mind focused elsewhere on the more pressing task that Tonks had set him.
He had absolutely no idea what he would do. It wasn't as if he had a girl at school that he wanted to spend time with. He didn't really want to punish anyone with his presence and that, to his mind, seemed to be the only outcome. The worst aspect of it all to him was that it put it out rather plainly that Tonks wanted nothing to do with him which, whilst fairly obvious, stung. Not for the first time, he was rather annoyed at his circumstances.
Mentally, he drew up a list of all of the girls in his year that might not try and eternally embarrass him if he were to ask them out, though that qualification ruled out nearly every one. Certainly all those in Slytherin. House lines ran deep, after all. And, he didn't want to live out his life up to eighteen feeling overwhelming embarrassment every time he went to his common room, which ruled out everyone in Gryffindor. So, realistically, he only had those in Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff as actual options.
The issue proved to be a quandary that stuck with Harry throughout the entire lesson. It was only when McGonagall called the lesson to an end, that he was drawn from his thoughts. Harry motioned to leave the room, when the professor's voice called from behind him. "Potter, could you remain behind for a moment."
Perturbed, Harry closed the door as his classmates scurried off to the greener pastures of the Great Hall for lunch.
"I must say, I was quite shocked by your exemplary results over the past examination period. You hadn't done quite as much as others have to draw attention to your own proficiency, though I assume that was rather deliberate on your part," said McGonagall. A look of confusion crossed Harry's face. "As to why I asked you to stay behind, I simply wished to say that you're efforts will no longer go unnoticed by myself, which I have to say has been the case for the past few years."
Harry was inwardly smiling at her words. The Transfiguration Professor continued. "I shall once more extend the offer I do to all students. Should you find a challenging aspect of your studies that you become stuck on, I am always available to help. I dare say we expect great things from you, Mr Potter."
Her words shocked Harry, though he was incredibly thankful for the sentiment. He took his leave from the classroom, though he immediately ran in to a familiar face.
"Right, I've just spent the last hour of my life totally confused and feeling like a blithering idiot. You're going to show me how to do that spell now, or I fear my mind my melt out of my ears."
"And should I not help you?" asked Harry, though in truth he realised that if he helped her, he'd be more likely to be rid of her.
"Well, up to now, you were just the quiet Gryffindor fourth year. No one knew that you were brilliant at Transfiguration and believe me, you will want it to stay that way. If you don't help me, everyone will know how good you are and you'll be up to your neck in people asking you to help them with their homework."
As annoying as it was, her logic was stellar. He was beginning to come around to Dumbledore's point of being more than just a pariah, but the idea of him being the next, well, Hermione, wasn't exactly enticing.
A thought struck him. "Did you wait out here for the whole time McGonagall was talking to me?" asked Harry.
"No, actually I apparated to Paris and spent the time in the Louvre. Of course I did. The matter is of pivotal importance. And before you say you want to get your lunch, I know you avoid the Main Hall like the plague."
"How do you know that?" asked Harry, a sense of worry in his voice.
"Because everyone knows you do. You're the only one from our year that's ever absent so regularly. It's slightly more conspicuous than you might wish it to be." replied Hermione. The pair took the short walk to the library, though the only thought that occupied Harry's mind that he was becoming increasingly annoyed with the girl.
"I just don't understand what I'm doing wrong," began Hermione as they meandered the hallways of the castle. "All of the textbooks I've looked at haven't detailed any other beguiling aspect of transfiguration. There's not some hidden sixth aspect of the equation that I don't know. It's so troubling."
Harry thought the truly troubling aspect of the current circumstance was that he was being forced to spend time with this girl.
They reached the library, finding it deserted save for its stalwart guardian Madam Pince. Wordlessly, they both sat at a table tucked into an alcove in one of the more secluded corners of the room.
"So, what's the secret?" asked the muggleborn girl as they sat, having already brought out her quill and parchment in preparation.
"I'm, erm, not great with words but I think you're sorta not approaching the problem correctly," said Harry, coughing as his voice thickened with nerves as he spoke. "Living things don't just exist as objects. They live. When you change an animal to another, you need to think of the animals existence as well as what it looks like."
Hermione looked incredibly disappointed with his rather short explanation. "So I just have to treat an animal like an animal."
Harry nodded. "Basically, yeah."
She threw up her arms in exasperation. "I wish I'd thought of that! It makes total sense now, of course. We're not recreating an inanimate being here, animals have a life force of their own and I should've realised that."
"I wished I'd thought to have taken one of the Porcupines with us, I want to finally get this spell right." Hermione said.
Harry wanted nothing more than to be back to Lupin's old room, so he said the first thing that he could think that would ensure that. "I can conjure one."
"No you can't. They don't teach mammal conjuration until NEWT's. You might be good, but I know you can't do that." Hermione said.
Rather than explain what he would do, instead he used the Snake Conjuring spell they were taught in second year, then transfigured the snake into a porcupine.
"If I knew someone was this much better than me at Transfiguration, I'd have done more reading this summer," muttered Hermione, though Harry suspected it was entirely to herself, after the display of magic. Harry thought it wasn't that impressive and that given an afternoon's practice he was fairly sure that nearly everyone in the year could achieve it. "Okay I think I can do this."
She once more closed her eyes, before she spoke. "Ericusus."
This time, the spell worked as she had intended. Where once a porcupine had stood, now stood a hedgehog, albeit with a few of its needles eschew.
A breath of relief left Harry. He watched on as she repeated the spell several more times, with each attempt getting closer and closer to her intended result until at last a perfect replica of what Harry had achieved was sat atop the desk.
Hermione looked thrilled as this happened, her earlier grave mood replaced as her success drew joy from her.
Her eyes flickered to Harry, who had began to pack his bags in preparation to leave. "I'm sorry for being so belligerent today, I just really hate not being able to do something in Professor McGonagall's lessons. I really owe you for a lot for helping me today. So, should you ever find yourself needing help with homework, I'll be here to help you, though I doubt that'll ever happen."
Harry nodded, taking his leave.
"Thank you, Harry."
As he left, Harry wondered why Hermione was quite so resolute that he be the one to help her. She said herself that she'd often go to McGonagall for help, after all.
It was a tired Harry Potter that made his way to Dumbledore's office, his fatigue entirely caused by the work he would be doing within his own private studies.
Fatigue through spellcasting was a rather rare thing, nowadays. The rigour with which magical theory and spellcasting was taught meant that very little magic was wasted outside of the purely applied aspect of spellcasting, meaning that less magical energy would need to be channeled through the wizard's body in order for a spell to take affect, so less force was exerted upon a wizard's body in spellcasting. Many years ago, St Mungo's had an entire wing dedicated to exhaustion, for those that had been too haphazard with their spellwork. The improvement in education practices had meant that there hadn't more than the occasional example of spellcasting fatigue for quite some time.
However, Harry had ran into the very reason that the Northern Magics were not in popular use. As brilliant as they may be, they did not follow the conventional theory that built upon the first Roman Arithmancers. As such, the wand motions and theory that he had been taught proved fairly useless in controlling the magic and as such he would use a great deal of energy in his efforts to control and use the Northern Magics.
Harry approached the gargoyle outside the Headmaster's office. "Shadowplay." Said Harry, allowing him passageway into the office. He'd wanted to see the headmaster for quite a while, though it was as difficult as ever to find him in a moment when he wasn't performing one of his many duties.
He caught sight of the Professor hunched over his desk, glancing through what looked to be a ministry document. Having heard his footsteps, the Headmaster spoke, his eyes not once leaving the page. "Please sit, Harry."
They sat in silence, Harry preferring until the Headmaster began the conversation, as Dumbledore finished his appraisal of the document in front of him.
"Did you know that there is a movement within the Wizengamot to put into place a minimum weight upon paper that is able to be sold?" said Dumbledore, his wizened voice breaking their companionable silence.
"Why would they do that?" Harry asked, in response. Try as he might to assimilate into the culture of wizardry, so often did their actions leave him confused.
"If I were to tell you that the movement was spearheaded by a Mr Malfoy and a Mr Goyle, would that give you any clue?" asked the Headmaster.
Harry thought for a moment. "I suppose that if lighter paper were to be removed from circulation, parchment would be the only option to be used. I wasn't aware that either of them were involved within selling parchment, though." said Harry, his voice searching.
Albus Dumbledore chuckled. "Astute as ever, Harry. I do enjoy our conversations for that very reason. No, as I'm sure you're aware, the reason we use parchment is that through a fluke of magic, the process of magically creating parchment is quicker and less magically complex than forming paper. For that reason, all of the paper you find within the magical world is of muggle manufacture.
"This represents a moral quandary, Harry. Messrs Malfoy and Goyle wish for the magical economy to be entirely self-contained, even though the consequence of that is the quality of our technology decreases. And, though their reasons for this are entirely prejudiced, what they're doing does have merit."
"It doesn't seem to be an entirely clear cut issue, Professor." Harry replied.
"No, my boy, it isn't. Even worse, as they do happen to hold a lot of economic power within our community, even if I were to block this movement they would no doubt impose tariffs on muggle paper until it was simply too expensive to be logical to buy."
"I suppose you'll have to choose your battles, Professor." Harry said. Dumbledore laughed.
"That may be true, Harry, though it pains me to do so. The more we remove any connection we have to the muggle world, the more foreign it will become to the wizards born to muggle families. Nothing good will ever come of isolating ourselves from the outside world." Said the Headmaster. "I do hate to bring politics into our discussions, Harry, so let us move onto to more important matters. To what do I owe your presence this evening?"
Harry cleared his throat. "I'd quite like to hear the full events of what happened to my parents." said Harry.
A troubled look took overtook Albus Dumbledore's usually twinkling blue eyes. "Are you sure, my boy? This is a knowledge that will heavy upon you. It will be a burden, rather than an enlightenment."
"I'm quite sure, Professor. I want to know their fate." said Harry, his voice lacking in volume but making up for it in assuredness.
"If you are entirely sure, Harry. I only ask because I do not want you to become caught up in some misguided vengeance because of this. No good would come of such bloodshed."
"I understand, Professor." replied Harry.
"If you are entirely sure that you want this Harry, I shall tell you," began Dumbledore, sinking into the soft backed chair that he sat on. "It was All Hallows Eve, 1981. Your parents were off duty for the night from the Order-"
"Sirius mentioned this Headquarters. What was it the Headquarters of?" asked Harry.
"I suppose you deserve to know. The Headquarters was the main base of operations for who I had assembled to fight against Voldemort. We were named the Order of The Phoenix, after our friend here." said Dumbledore, gesturing to the bird perched atop one of the bookcases adjacent to the Headmaster, who gave a trill in response.
"As I was saying, Professor Snape had, at that time, began working as our one and only spy within the Death Eaters and had informed us of an attacked planned that night upon the Longbottom Estate. What we did not know was that Voldemort had his own informant within our ranks - Peter Pettigrew. I believe it was Voldemort's intention to cause confusion by attacking two targets at once, both the Longbottoms and your parents. The confusion would allow him to freely attack young Neville and, to my great shame, he succeeded. By the time we had realised what was happening, the damage had already been done.
"Voldemort sent his army to the attack at Longbottom Manor. It took our order a great deal of time to overcome this, by which time he and Bellatrix Lestrange broke through the Longbottom defenses, subduing Neville's parents, though that aspect of the events of that night is well documented. Whilst this happened, the two Lestrange brothers, the Carrow twins and one other person ambushed your parents. Your parents fought honourably, but it was simply too many to be overcome by their talents, though they managed to make sure that everyone that attacked the Headquarters did not leave under their own power, ensuring they were apprehended by the Aurors and tried. Furthermore, through some miracle, you managed to escape the attack without a scratch."
Harry was stunned, the weight of what was said fully hitting him. His parent had died protecting him, died fighting for a better world to live in. And for that, he was incomprehensibly grateful.
"I-I - Thank you, Professor," said Harry, his voice laden with emotion. However, one aspect of the story stuck out to him. "You said another person was there, who were they?"
"Does it truly matter Harry? I fear all that knowledge would do was stoke a vengeance inside you that nothing good would come of."
"Please Professor, they were my parents. I need to know." Said Harry, his green eyes blazing.
"If you are absolutely sure Harry, though I warn you, you will not be happy after hearing the name that I say." said Dumbledore. Harry nodded, accepting what he had said.
"Who was it, Professor?"
"Lucius Malfoy."
There it is.
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