Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
Okay, I'm really really sorry. I've had this finished for awhile now... But my beta might have accidentally dropped off the face of the Earth. Can't seem to get ahold of them.
*Sighs* Oh, well.
But to reward all you faithful readers (If I have any faithful readers left that is...)this is the LONGEST chapter yet. Hooray!!
So I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and PLEASE review. I really need some feedback to help me until my amazing beta returns. So on with the show! And don't hog the lemon drops.
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Eviyara looked at Harry, concerned, with her keen vibrant emerald eyes. It had been a few hours since the whole animagi fiasco, and it had been a blessing when he had woken up. She had felt so alone without Harry well and at his side, ready for anything. But that was in the past, she needed to look to the future.
She watched as Harry showed the small eleven year olds a few beginner defense spells, correcting them as they went along. He was always patient with them and seemed to rather enjoy helping them learn to defend themselves, but when the bell rang relief from Harry's side of their link flooded her senses.
Little one? She asked gently, Harry, are you alright?
Harry nodded saying, "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just tired, Sirius reopened his wounds again, so I gave up repatching him, and sent him to Pomfrey now that he won't die of blood loss. I got around an hour worth of sleep, and that potion took a lot out of me."
Eviyara trilled sadly at her bonded's words. He smiled and stroked her silky white feathers, letting her perch on his shoulder like a hawk. Do not scare me like that again fledgling, she said sternly, I thought something had gone wrong and you had...
"What?" Harry said, suddenly very angry, "Say it Ev, you thought my prophecized death had come early." He looked at her, and was surprised to see pure grief and sadness in her eyes.
Yes Harry, she whispered, I thought you had died. But tell me, do you know what will happen to me when you d-d-die? Her voice shook as Harry shook his head no. If a phoenix's bonded partner dies... They will be kept apart forever in the afterlife, never to see each other again. I thought I had lost you forever Harry.
Harry buried his face in his hands and let out a small sob, thinking about everyone that he'd lost, everyone he left behind. "Is there anyway," he sobbed, "that we can assure we are never seperated Ev? I can't loose anyone else."
The phoenix pecked him affectionatly, saying, Yes love, but we'll need some help. We need somebody to say the incantation, you won't be able to. It's too powerful for even you. The Boy Who Loved nodded. He wiped the tears away that had streamed down his face, and jumped as he heard the door to his classroom open.
The two Marauders waltzed in, and Harry couldn't help but grin. They couldn't help with his phoenix problem, but with his father, nothing was boring.
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The DADA teacher hopped out of his chair, and greeted Remus and James. He gestured for them to sit in the desks closest to his desk, while he shuffled through the unorganized lesson plans on his messy desk. Harry snatched up todays date, September 3, and scanned the paper.
He was doing Dark spells and dark creatures today, interesting.
Harry turned back to the teenagers saying, "Hello Remus, James." The boys nodded back absently, and James looked completely lost. "I moved Sirius to the Hospital Wing after you left. You can visit him after your classes, or maybe if you ask Minnie nicely. She can be very sympathetic and it'll get you out of Transfiguration." A slight grin graced his father's features at the mention of Harry's nickname for the strict woman, but then he went back to his depressed look.
Harry's eyes filled with understanding for his soon-to-be father at his distress. He had had his share of friends in the hospital, and it wasn't fun watching your best mate squirm from his injuries. And the limited visiting time didn't help either. Why couldn't Pomfrey just extend visiting hours to curfew? It seemed logical enough...
"Harry?" Remus jolted him out of his thoughts. "Er... Are you alright? You look a little off color."
He smiled at the werewolf thinking silently, Yeah old friend, those bloody prophecies do that to ya. He replied louder, "I'm fine Remus, I've been... ill lately." Harry smirked at the repeat of the words the man standing before him had said too often to him in his third year of schooling.
The phoenix on his shoulder buried her head into his shoulder in comfort as Harry felt a pang of homesickness, but he brushed it away. He could handle that later. "Anyway," he started, "no dueling today. We are doing dark and light creatures and dark and light spells. Therefore, we don't really have to do anything this morning, but..." Harry felt his scar prickle furiously. His hand shot to his head as he groaned softly, "These... Headaches will be the death of me."
But Eviyara screetched worriedly at her partner, and sent comforting thoughts drifting across his mind. Just simple things like that she was there for him. And that was enough to keep the visions and emotions at bay while his Gryffindors and Ravenclaws filtered into his room.
It was going to be a long day.
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Harry took a deep, cleansing breath as he turned to his class. Today was going to be a very important lesson, and since this was a double period, he had twice the amount of time to teach it.
"Hello class," he said. The students responded with a tired 'morning', and most of them looked dead on their feet. "Does everyone have their homework on 'dark' spells that I assigned yesterday?"
At this point several unorgainized Gryffindors went into a frenzy looking for their parchments while many studious Ravens took out their more than required roll of homework. Harry chuckled quietly, somethings just never changed.
His eyes traveled to his mother, Lily, who had already taken out her work. She was so beautiful with her cherry-red hair and familiar emerald green eyes that he noted did look like his. The only difference was that Harry's eyes were filled with a haunted, and sadness filled green nowadays. Grief filled his heart as he remembered that Halloween night in 1981, when she gave her life up for him.
Harry heard Eviyara trill beside him happily at some Ravenclaw. He looked over to the child and recognized her at once. There was no mistaking the ugly glasses around her eyes. It was Rita Skeeter, the reporter for the Daily Prophet. An evil grin spread across his face. Revenge time for Harry...
"Miss Skeeter," he said smoothly, "may I see your essay? I need an example to read off of." The teenage girl giggled at him and handed him her essay. The rest of her house glared at her with a look that clearly stated, 'don't screw it up or no one's helping you into the common room.'
However one look at the girl's list made him pity the other staff members. Her handwriting was worse than Dudley's... When he was in kindergarden. It was no wonder why she used Quick Quills in the future! It's too bad they haven't been invented yet though...
Harry cast a quick straightning charm on her handwriting so she could read it, and was not surprised at what he saw. "Dark Spells," he began, "by Rita Skeeter. Killing Curse, Imperious Curse, Cruciatus Curse, Blasting Hex, Cutting Charm, Bone Splintering Hex, Servering Charm-" Harry stopped and shook his head, handing the girl back her essay. "Can anyone tell me what was wrong with that essay?"
Nobody said anything, but Remus, Lily, and some Ravenclaws went back into their parchments to edit them. crossing out the spells he had said. Harry smirked saying, "No one? Well than class, answer me this. How many of you can cast a Summoning Charm?"
The entire class raised their hands, but Lily said, "But sir, that's spell is so innocent! How could it possibly be a dark spell?" James nodded, agreeing with the pretty redhead, but then he went back to doodling the word 'Lily' covered in hearts on his homework.
Harry grimaced and replied, "Well, Lily, let's say that a Death Eater is very accomplished at the Summoning Charm, and actually have a brain bigger than an acorn, which is quite rare, by the way." Chuckles filled the classroom, and James had a big grin on his formally depressed face. "If he wanted to, that Death Eater could summon just your heart. It wouldn't leave your body, but it would knock it out of place, giving you severe problems, and you might even die."
The laughter was gone from the room. Harry looked around at the faces only to see shocked and grim expressions. James was now paying full attention, his eyes were as wide as a bulldozer's wheels, and his gaze never left Harry's wand. Remus, Lily, and most of the Ravenclaws had abandoned their notes and just stared, flabergasted.
"Surprised?" The defense teacher asked softly. "Don't be. There is no such thing as a Dark spell or a Light spell. There are only spells, but there are such things as Dark and Light wizards. It all depends on how you use the magic. After all, it's your choices that make you who you are." Harry smiled slightly. He remembered that afternoon at the end of his first year when Professor Dumbledore told him that final part of his speech. It had all been so easy back then...
Harry shook his head to clear his thoughts, and put his mind back on his class. "Now on to a more... Interesting part of the lesson. Can anybody tell me what this is?" He went to his desk and pulled out a long curved fang. He was very thankful that he had started to carry around all his possessions in a shrunken trunk since fifth year when he thought he should run away to keep his friends safe.
He heard a small gasp from the back to the Gryffindor side of the room. Lily raised her hand and said, astonishedly, "Sir, that can't be a basilisk fang!" Remus and a few others gasped as well, but most of the kids were looking very confused.
"Actually Lily, unfortunatly it is." Harry grimaced in rememberance of the pain that fang had caused him, and rubbed the circle scar on his arm where the snake had bitten him. "Can anyone give me an extremly detailed explanation of a basilisk?" No one moved an inch. "Good, if you can tell me exactly what the King of Snakes looks like down to how many teeth it has, you're probably dead, or extremly lucky."
It was James who raised his hand this time. "Harry, how the bloody hell did you find it?"
Harry smiled and laughed. Once he calmed down enough he spluttered out, "It's wasn't hard to miss it really when it was sticking out of my arm." James looked taken aback, and Remus fell out of the seat he had been on the edge of while protesting, "B-b-but there's no cure!"
Harry grinned again. "Phoenix tears, Remus. They do wonders when you've been poisioned by a bloody snake." The class' eyes shot to Eviyara who flew over to Remus and cried on his cheek, where a cut was. The instant the tears hit it, the scraped dissappeared in a puff of smoke.
The phoenix trilled softly, and flew back to Harry who said, "Basilisks are extremly dangerous creatures. They are known as the King of Snakes, have fatal venom, and if you look into their eyes you die instantly. If you see a reflection of the basilisk's eyes, then you are just paralyzed. They stand at about sixty feet tall, while their fangs are roughly a foot long." He spun the fang around with his fingers, like a baton, and laughed, "Oh yeah, and of all things a rooster's crow is fatal to them. Although, I find stabbing them in the roof of the mouth a very good alternative. Just have a phoenix ready. Actually on second thought... If you know a basilisk is near, run like hell is chasing you.
But that's enough of that." Harry said, putting down the fang. "James, can you tell me your opinion of werewolves?"
James narrowed his eyes and said bodly, "Extremly misunderstood creatures. It isn't their fault they got bitten, they're still people." Harry's eyes brightened when he saw Remus' smile cover his entire face.
"Good, good." Harry murmered, but then he said more loudly, "I want two groups. Everyone who agrees with James, and everyone who disagrees."
And so the room split into two teams. The for werewolf side that was made up of Remus Lupin, James Potter, Lily Evans, Jean Sim, Taylor Spyner, and Jimmy Speir. It was mostly Gryffindors except for Taylor Spyner, a Ravenclaw, who was getting very evil looks from her twin brother, Tyler Spyner.
The opposed to werewolf side was Rita Skeeter, Sam Boot, Tyler Spyner, Hayley Chang, and Reiley Goose, and Emma Radson. They were all Ravenclaws with the exception of Emma Radson, a Gryffindor. Harry gave Hayley Chang a funny look. Was she Cho's mother or maybe her aunt? And was Sam Boot related to Terry Boot?
Eviyara pecked Harry lightly to regain his attention redirected back to his students. He walked to the middle of the two halves and said, "Good, we have almost even teams for our debate. Now I will not tell you my opinion until the end of the debate to have no one be biased, but if at anytime in the debate you feel you chose wrong, you can not go to the other side." Harry turned to his mother, "M-Lily, if you would start."
The determind Gryffindor stood up out of her seat and started to go on about how werewolves were extremly misunderstood people that have a hard time living in society just because of a condition. Her little speech went on for about ten minutes before Harry silenced her and went to the other side.
Hayley Chang went on about how werewolves destroy property for awhile before she started stuttering and getting very nervous and sat back down. This turned the debate to the other side and the students battled along for awhile in the fashion.
But then, Tyler Spyner stood and told about various bites from werewolves killing people, and horror stories of children being murdered in cold blood. It was truely terrifying, what he said, and when he sat down Remus was staring at the floor in front of him with shame evident in his eyes.
At this point Harry felt the need to step in. "Class," he said angrily, through gritted teeth, "who here knows about Adolf Hitler?" Only a few muggleborns raised their hands. "He created Nazi death camps for a certain people just because they were different. He killed millions of muggles and probably some witches and wizards. Now are all muggles like that? No. Werewolves are a stereotype, like witches in the muggle world. Little children's nursery rhymes tell children that witches are ugly villians aiming to take over the world. See my point?" They all nodded, Tyler did so angrily, but then the bell rang, signaling the end of class.
Harry shooed them away until there were only one other student in the room: Remus Lupin. He gestured for him to sit, and the werewolf said, "Sir, you know of my condition... Right?" Remus squirmed uncomfortably in his seat until Harry smiled and nodded his yes. "Well I just wanted to say thanks. Not many people have the guts to say things like that. And with the full moon tonight..."
That jolted the Boy Who Lived in shock. He had forgotten! Harry realized he looked surprised and put his indiffernt mask back on. "Your welcome Remus. But you better go, Minnie will be looking for you soon." Remus nodded and walked out of the room at a quickened pace. Minerva would never let him see Sirus during class if he was late!
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Harry rubbed his scar as he and Eviyara went through his Snitch painting, and into his office. He went to the book they had taken from the Room of Requirement on Animagi Transformations. It read:
Once you have learned you animal the rest is extremly easy to do. Just visualize it and you'll transform as fast or as slow depending on your power levels. But remember that if you do not visualize the animal perfectly you will hav an altered appearance and several problems.
After you transform the first time animal instincts will be faint in the back of your head, and certain foods will bring out the animalistic side of you for the rest of your life.
Example:
Rat animagus + Cheeese = Crazy
Harry grinned and shared an evil look with Eviyara. He knew what he was giving Pettigrew for Christmas! Eviyara trilled, amused, saying, Come on Harry, torture the rat later. Right now you need to get that transformation right before full moon if you want to join Remus.
The Boy Who Lived rolled his eyes, murmering something like, "Yes, mother," to the bird. He closed his eyes, focusing on the form he wanted to go outside with. Picturing the midnight black pelt and the markings, Harry felt his body be altered. It didn't hurt, per say, but it felt... Odd. His body tingled and a shiver went down his spine. Harry opened his green eyes only to see that he was on all fours.
A happy bark left his mouth. He did it! Yes, congratulations mutt. Eviyara teased. Now let's go, you're burning moonlight.
Harry nodded and started down with his friend to the Forbidden Forest, but on his way there he couldn't keep his mind from going back to his Sirius. He would have been so proud of him... I'm so sorry Sirius... A soft wimper escaped his lips at his late godfather, and mountains of guilt towered inside his mind.
But Eviyara had other ideas. Harry! She scolded, No, now is a time you should be happy. You are going to see the Marauders at their best, the full moon.
He knew she was right, he had to forget Sirius.
For now.
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kirby
