DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter and its universe belong to JK Rowling or whichever company really has its legal rights. I just fool around with its universe and characters.
DISCLAIMER: Angela and its universe (Inheritance Cycle) belong to Christopher Paolini or whichever company really has its legal rights. I just make a minor use of it for fooling around.
DISCLAIMER: Lorcan, Rowan and its universe (Throne of Glass series) belong to Sarah J. Maas or whichever company really has its rights. I just make a minor use of it for fooling around.
A/N FAQ: I'm gonna repeat this just in case… For this universe, Hogwarts begins at 15yo. For this universe, Tonks is two years older than Harry.
I wanna thank my awesome brother for acting as my Alpha and my Batata for proofreading part of my writing.
And I also want to thank every reader who takes that little extra time to review my fic. I really appreciate the feedback you provide.
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The wandering path of a Battlemage
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CHAPTER 009
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01 Nov - Tu
Harry woke up the next day still on his infirmary bed. The previous night Poppy ran a thorough examination on both of them, but their greatest injury had been all but a few scratches. Despite that, Poppy had instructed them to remain in the hospital wing for the night so they wouldn't have to deal with their housemates until the next day. She wanted to give them some time to recover after the experience.
"I haven't slept this good in a while" -said Harry while stirring awake.
"That may be because it's already past noon" -said Poppy from somewhere close by.
Suddenly, Harry's brain registered the information and realized he was in deep shit as he had skipped three of the Potions four hours class. He snapped awake and off the bed, frantically looking around for his robes- 'Surely it will be better if I'm late instead of not showing up at all. Snape is going to have my hide for this as well as give me detentions until the day I graduate if I don't' -He thought as he tried to get dressed as quickly as he could.
"Relax Harry. The dungeons were a wreck, especially the Potions classroom. No one will be attending any Potion or Ghoul Studies classes for a week at the very least" -said Poppy bringing him to a halt- "You can go on and celebrate, everyone did at breakfast after all"
Instead of celebrating, he jumped back in bed and closed his eyes in blissful relaxation as he released a deep sigh- "No greasy git for at least a week" -He whispered to himself. After a moment, he sat back up and looked around the infirmary. Hermione's bed was empty and there wasn't anyone else at the infirmary besides Poppy and himself- "Where's Hermione?"
"She woke up at sunrise as it seems to be her usual habit. After a quick check-up to see that she was doing fine, I released her so she could get back to her daily routine. Sometimes the best way to overcome traumatic experiences is to continue living as one has been used to and eventually realize that everything important has prevailed." -Harry only hummed in acknowledgement- "Once you are awake and you feel that you are ready to leave, I'll make you a few routine questions and then you may go as well"
Harry absentmindedly nodded. There was something in the room that troubled him, and he didn't know what. He had to count every bed before he was able to realize- "There are two other beds missing. Did anyone else get hurt last night?" -He asked with trepidation.
Poppy didn't respond immediately. Instead she looked at him with a grim face and seemed to contemplate what to say for a moment- "You are eventually going to hear about this anyway, so I might just tell you the truth" -She took a deep breath trying to compose herself- "Last night, the two of you weren't the only ones to come across that wretched creature. Two other students… two badgers ran into it, they came across with the troll on the way to their common room. Sadly, they weren't as lucky as the two of you. The troll left them with grievous injuries; it probably thought they were already dead by the state we found them. But by the time anyone arrived, their status had turned to terminal already. There is nothing I could have possibly done to save them" -She said before wiping a single tear.
Harry suddenly felt disgusted with himself. Not a moment ago, he had felt joy over the aftermath of the troll's attack. He and Hermione had survived almost unscratched and they wouldn't be seeing Snape for a week at the very least. But now he knew two lives had been lost- 'Two badgers' -Fear creeped inside his bones- "Was…" -He choked on his own words- "Was it Nym any of them? Is she alright?"
Poppy offered him a small smile- "No, she wasn't one of them. But she must be feeling heartbroken as they were two of her classmates. All of them are probably; the badgers are very close to one another after all."
They remained silent for a moment, before Harry couldn't help himself but ask- "Who were they?"
Poppy seemed to doubt for a moment whether she should reveal that piece of information- "They were Anthony Ricket and Malcolm Stebbins" -She said with a solemn face
Harry remained sitting with a solemn face as well but he couldn't help his mind from going astray- 'At least I don't even know who the fuck they were. But I should check on Nym anyway'
Half an hour later Harry had successfully passed each of Poppy's examination; both physical and emotional. He headed down to the great hall, as lunch was already underway.
He entered the great hall and immediately all the noise was reduced into a murmur. He didn't care though; he had friends he had to check on and a life to continue. They could gossip as much as they wanted for all he cared.
Harry looked along the ravens table unable to find Hermione. He did find Neville having lunch and they offered each other a smile and a nod in silent greetings. He furrowed his eyebrows and gave Neville a questioning look, which he seemed to pick up on right away as he nodded towards the badgers table.
It wasn't hard at all to find the speck of blue among all the golden yellow robes. Hermione was sitting and having a whispered conversation with Tonks, who wasn't her usual cheerful self. Taking a second look across the badgers table, he knew that the news about their fallen housemates had already spread and it was clear that the ones on second year were the most affected by it.
He approached both girls from behind and placed a hand on each of their shoulders in order to gain their attention- "Hey, how are you both?" -He said with a smile trying to appear as supportive as he possibly could.
Tonks looked up to him with puffy eyes from crying so much but gave him a warm smile nonetheless- "Welcome back Harry. I'm thankful both of you got out of it without getting hurt" -She said as she place her hand over his and squeezed it.
Hermione on the other hand looked a little tense and had bags under her eyes. She looked up at him with hesitation before standing up and giving him a hug- "Thank you Harry. I would have ended up like them if it hadn't been because of you" -She said into his ear.
"Don't worry. I would have gone after you even if I had known the troll would be there"
She tightened her embrace as he felt her nodding with her head. She finally let go and turned towards Tonks- "Tonks… will you please help me with that?"
Tonks seemed reluctant to accept to whatever was going on, but after a moment she gave a sigh as she nodded- "Yes. I promise I will. But I still believe you are wrong about it"
"Thanks" -Said Hermione before turning back to Harry- "I have some stuff to do. I guess I'll see you later" -She said with teary eyes before giving him a friendly goodbye kiss on the cheek- "I'm sorry about this Harry…" -She whispered as she walked away, unheard by anyone but herself.
Harry was left there standing, wanting to run after her and ask if she was really okay. He also wanted to know what would become of them, as he had dreamt all night about their kiss. But he was brought back to reality by Tonks pulling on his robes, indicating for him to sit on Hermione's vacant seat.
"Don't worry, she will tell you once she has sorted it out" -Said Tonks with a slightly faked smile.
'But… what's there to be sorted out?' -Harry thought to himself.
He took a sit by Tonks side and bumped shoulders with her- "And how are you doing?"
Her eyes welled up with unshed tears as she sniffed- "Getting better" -Was all she said for a couple of moments- "It was hard to find out, for all of us inside Hufflepuff. We're very close to one another, you know. Even if I'm sort of a weird badger because I tend to wander off by my own most of the time" -She sniffed again- "We knew something bad had happened to them last night when we couldn't find them. But we never expected them to be gone by the time we woke up today… Pomona announced it this morning at our common room. The whole house was shaken by the news, but the blow was much harder on us. We were their yearmates after all."
A single tear began to trickle down her cheek. Harry placed an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a hug, doing his best to offer her some kind of comfort- "Not one of us was able to attend classes after that and only a few managed to come down for lunch" -She paused and suddenly began to squeeze the air out of Harry as she sniffed harder this time- "I was terrified when I heard the gossip about you two not making it back to the ravens tower last night. You are like me, and possibly the only one capable of ever understanding how it feels to be like this. And not only that but you are family as well, even if distant and unknown until this year."
Harry felt as if he was being choked. Tonks had insisted many times before on the two of them being a family of sorts. But this was the very first time in his whole memory to know someone who worried about him as such.
She slightly eased her grip on him- "Don't get me wrong, I was worried sick about Hermione too. She never judged me over anything and she's definitely fun to study with, even if she can get a little overwhelming at times."
His stomach grumbled as he was considering what to say, so he decided he could get some lunch as they chatted some more. But before he could grab anything to eat, all the food and cutlery disappeared from the tables. His dismayed face must have been hilarious, because Tonks couldn't herself from laughing at him for several minutes- "Come, I'll show you down to the kitchen's. Hermione told me you would be having Ghoul Studies but I've heard most of the dungeons were wrecked and we are excused from classes today"
"Thanks, I really wasn't looking forward to spend the rest of the day on an empty stomach" -Said Harry.
They headed down to the basements and Tonks showed him the secret entrance to the kitchens, where he was met by hundreds of house-elves eager to serve or help them with whatever they could. Harry told her all about the trial doors and the Cerberus incident over a hearty meal. Despite she appeared to have already heard all of it from Hermione, Tonks had shown interest on his view from the stories. After that, they headed out to the castle grounds where they talked away the rest of the afternoon. Sundown was approaching fast when they decided to part ways and head for their respective common rooms until dinner was served.
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02 Nov - We
Harry had spent the rest of the previous evening with Neville and the rest of the raven guys. Along with Neville, they told Oliver and Roger all about the trials and the Cerberus they came across and then he proceeded to recount to the three of them his encounter with the troll. Despite he insisted that he had only managed to fool the troll for enough time to get Hermione out of there, they all treated him like a hero. After that, they spent the rest of the evening alternating between jokes and study.
He hadn't been able to find Hermione until dinner, but even then she sat amongst the raven girls instead of with him. When they were all back to the common room, she excused herself and went to bed early arguing that she was feeling tired before he got any chance to talk with her in private. He thought it wouldn't be a problem, as he could still catch her for breakfast today. But he hadn't been so lucky and couldn't find Hermione until now, already at their Transfiguration class where she had taken a seat amongst the girls and away from him once again.
Harry's moping probably wasn't as subtle as he had believed since Neville certainly took notice a nudged him in the ribs- "Relax, I talked with her yesterday morning and she was still shaken over the incident"
"I don't know what you are talking about" -Mumbled Harry only to find Neville giving him a knowing look- "Okay, fine. But I feel like she's avoiding me and I can't figure out why"
"Look… I know it was you who rescued her, but maybe you bring back her memories of being defenseless against the troll." -said Neville.
Harry opened his mouth to argue back but held his tongue. He could understand his logic even if it was slightly unfair towards him. Despite that he could understand it if it were like that, it didn't mean he would be feeling any better after the fact.
"I'm sure she'll come around it by the end of the weekend, her rationality wouldn't allow it any other way after all" -added Neville while patting him on the back- "Now focus on our class and everything will be back to normal before you know it. You do enjoy Transfiguration after all"
Harry leaned back on his seat and gave a long sigh; he stayed that way for a moment as he thought about it. Having made up his mind on giving her however long she may need to come to term with it, he sat back straight- "Ok, I get your point. So let's step it up with this as I can't wait to learn the Draconifors Spell and I'll be damned if Weasley keeps holding back the whole class from getting to it"
"Huh? And what do you plan to do about that? I don't think it would help to smash his head against the books"
"You did notice that most Transfiguration spells are nearly invisible, right?" -Asked Harry getting a nod of confirmation from Neville- "Well, I've decided we'll let him try a couple of times before we… provide with some remote assistance."
"What do you mean by us? And how are you planning to fool him AND Minerva anyway?"
Harry broke into a devilish grin- "That my dear Nev is where you come in. You will assist me by providing a distraction for Minnie while I perform the spell, so when she turns back to Ron she will believe he has succeeded on the task. As for Ron himself… I'll make sure to time it right, but I doubt he would notice any foul play anyway"
Neville looked at him with disbelief for a moment- "Are you sure you are not a snake in disguise? And the ember ring in your eye seems to glint a little brighter whenever you come up with any mischief; it's a little scary if I'm being honest." -He kept quiet for a moment as he seemed to think about it- "But fine, I'll help you with it. Even if I'm not the best at casting every spell successfully like you, the theory is still going rather too slow for my tastes. Just make sure we don't get caught"
"Don't you worry Nev, as long as you are able to distract Minnie no one will be noticing. And even if they do, I doubt they would rat on us once they realize our noble intentions. Besides, you just need to come up with stuff to ask Minerva about and you could always feign ignorance if I get caught"
Neville stifled a chuckle as he shook his head- "No bloody way. I might not be as brave as the lions, but I'm certainly not going to be selfish like a snake. I already let you go to warn Hermione by yourself and that ended up on you facing an adult troll on your own in order to save her. From now on, I'm on gonna do my best to stand by my friends. So I'll start with and build on my courage so you may count on me the next time." -He said proudly- "But do try not to get us against any other troll until our seventh year if you could; or giant three-headed dogs for that matter." -He pleaded in an afterthought.
Harry laughed quietly, trying not to disrupt the class- "That's certainly fine by me. I have more than enough in my plate having to face Snape's attitude every week." -Upon seeing the face of terror on Neville once he remembered his constant confrontations with Snape, he clamped his mouth shut trying to avoid bursting in laughter- "Don't you worry, I'll give you a free pass on that until you manage to hear him without shivering down your spine"
"Oh thank Merlin's beard" -Neville murmured as he relaxed on his seat.
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5 Nov - Fr
"Harry, please stay for a moment before your next class" -Angela said outloud.
Harry nodded in agreement before turning to Neville- "You go on ahead. You have your music class whereas I have WCC next. So there's no point in waiting for me"
Neville only snorted in response- "It's not like you would actually need any backup anyway, its Angela after all. She may have her quirks, but I doubt she would hurt a fly"
"Yeah, I guess she's no Snape after all" -Harry agreed with a chuckle- "Alright then, I'll meet you guys back at the common room before dinner"
"Gotcha. And remember not to take too long or Lorcan won't be leaving anything left of you to return to the tower" -Neville replied with a cheeky grin. A shiver run down Harry's spine upon remembering the first and last time he had been late for WCC.
He approached Angela's desk and waited until everyone had packed and left the classroom. Once they were alone in the classroom, she closed and locked the door with a key before pulling out her wand and tapping on certain runes engraved on the door frame. Once she was satisfied, she turned around- "There, that should keep anyone from either eavesdropping or interrupting" -she said with a smile before going behind her desk and pulling out a bottle of wine- "Would you like some?"
The wine had a fragrant and sweet smell- "No, thanks. I have WCC with Lorcan after this and I barely dare to have a snack before his classes, never mind a glass of wine. Aside from the fact that we are at school and I'm much too young for it" -He answered with a polite smile.
Angela looked at him with her usual cheerful face that didn't allow anyone to discern anything about her real thoughts before shrugging- "Fine by me, I wouldn't have said anything anyway." -She served herself a glass and took a sip of it. She savoured the wine while reclining on the back of her padded chair and sighed in bliss- "So, what did you need?" -asked Angela.
Harry felt perplexed for a moment- "Angela, it was you who asked me to stay behind"
Angela hummed deeply in thought- "I guess Solembum did rub off on me. He and his race always seemed to be ruled by the whims of fate after all" -She paused for a moment as if she were in deep consideration- "Well then, if you don't know what you need you may know what you want after all."
"Listen, I don't want to be rude but I'd rather not be late for WCC. Lorcan is merciless with those who are late for his class and I'd rather not tempt fate"
"Don't you worry about Lorcan, just tell him I held you entertained and he'll let it pass" -She said waving her hand nonchalantly before her cheerful smile turned into an mischievous grin- "As for fate, I believe I could help you with that after all"
Harry felt a dreadful feeling creeping up her bones- "Wh-what do you mean?"
"Oh don't you worry about it, it's no trade for your soul. But would you like your fortune told?"
Harry relaxed if only a little, but his innermost feeling of trepidation wouldn't go away- "I thought that Divination was extremely unreliable and that it only had significant meaning when it happened of its own accord"
"Oh, that's certainly true but only for the kind they teach you at school. Many societies have different ways of foretelling the future. Not all of them are precise or accurate at all, but I can assure you that mine is" -she said maintaining her devilish smile.
"And why would you offer me something like that?"
"Because I like to follow where the interesting things happens, and this time it has lead me right here where it seems that you are to become the centre of all of it" -Harry seemed reluctant to accept the offer, so she carried on- "Look, I have no ill intentions with it, I wouldn't do it if you don't want me to. I did help a number of interesting people after all: a mother who had trapped herself, a man blinded with revenge, I helped a rider to overcome his fate and another to survive his past; and then I travelled into another war before I helped two others to recover the one who they thought was already lost. But understand that to know one's fate can be a terrible thing. You must be sure of your decision; I know that some of them would have preferred not to know in advance."
Harry held his tongue. Part of him wanted to remain in blissful ignorance, but the side that had landed him amongst the ravens lusted for the knowledge- 'It's not like I have a pending destiny, it might just tell me what I'll grow up to be or what we'll be having for dinner. Although I doubt Angela would be this interested in me if all there is to know about my future is my career and my meals. I do wonder if it could tell me if things will work out with Hermione' -Throwing caution aside, he made up his mind- "Alright, I want to know what awaits me in my future"
"Excellent! Now… where did I hide them this time…" -Angela murmured to outloud. She opened one of her drawers and pulled out a satchel. From inside of it, she began to place all sort of things on her desk. She carried plenty of different herbs and phials as well as many other trinkets. At one moment she pulled out a crystal ball and looked at it with furrowed brows- "What is this crap doing in here?" -She said before throwing it into the trash.
Amongst other oddities she held within her satchel, she pulled out a helmet, some crystalline twinblades and an unremarkable wooden rod. Out of curiosity about why would she keep such an inconspicuous object, he reached out with his hand for the rod- "I wouldn't do that if I were you" -He heard slightly too late. As soon as he had touched the rod a shock of electricity exploded through his body, launching him over the backrest of his chair as he fell to the floor, writhing. The pain slowly faded, leaving him gasping for air. Angela stood up and looked at him from across her desk- "I doubt you'll reach far in life if you retain that kind of caution" -She said casually.
"What the hell was that?" -He exclaimed.
"An old artifact I've had for a long time"
"Pray tell what is it for?"
"I've had it for so long that its purpose have melted into the rest of my memory, which isn't as good as it used to be"
"The rest of your memory? But you don't even look like you are in your forties"
Dimples appeared on Angela's cheeks- "I'm flattered, but don't be deceived; I'm much older than I look." -She paused for a moment as if trying to recall something- "Huh, I do have a weird feeling of déjà vu" -She said and shrugged her shoulders before going back to rummage through her stuff.
Harry got back to his seat and he was rubbing off the numbness of his arm when she exclaimed- "Here it is!" -She held a small leather pouch high above everything else. She put it in her pocket before throwing everything back inside her satchel. Once everything had been carefully put away, she poured the contents of the leather pouch over a cloth she had placed on the table. It was filled with a handful of smooth bones, each slightly longer than a finger. Runes and other symbols were inscribed along their sides- "These are the knucklebones of a dragon and they have true power, unlike the crystal ball I used to carry around for show. They do not lie, but understanding them can become incredibly convoluted at times. I'll warn you that one may often arrive at the wrong conclusions, as their meaning is not always clear until one is able to look at them from afar. But you shouldn't fret about what has yet to occur, as the only way the future can harm us is by causing worry." -She said while looking at him- "So I must ask you again Harry, are you sure you want to know?"
Harry was having cold feet over the idea, as he had certainly felt a rush of power coming from the bones when she revealed them- 'But she is right, the only way my future can harm me is by causing me worry. And if I back away now, I will have already admitted defeat against my fear of whatever the future may hold' -He nodded once- "Yes, I'm certain of it. Cast the bones for me"
Angela simply offered him a proud smile before turning her attention back to the bones. She cupped them with both of her hands and brought them close to her face as she began to murmur. After a moment of tension and suspense, she loudly intoned- "Manin! Wyrda! Hügin!" -And tossed them onto the cloth.
Harry had half expected a colourful show of lights or a puff of smoke to happen, but nothing as such occurred. Angela seemed to carefully and curiously inspect them for a moment- "Oh right, I forgot about my new sticky situation" -she exclaimed with a giggle. Harry had to restrain himself from face palming in frustration.
She grabbed the bones only with her left hand this time and held her wand on her right. She held her hand closed as she repeated the murmur, before she suddenly opened it pointing with her wand at the bones in her hand and intoned again- "Manin! Wyrda! Hügin!" -This time a beam of light did erupt from her wand and impacted on the bones. Before anything had any chance to happen, she tossed them once more into the cloth. Crackling electricity bounced rampant over the bones. When the light show cleared, new runes had been inscribed into the upper facets of some of the bones. Nothing else had sustained any damage.
Angela gave a low whistle- "That never happened before… but this certainly is going to prove interesting after all, I was half afraid you would be right about this only telling us your meals and career choices"
"Hold on a moment, I never said that out loud"
"Ups? Well, it's your fault for not keeping up your mind shields"
"You mean my Occlumency?"
"Yes, now shush as I need to concentrate in order to discern what could this mean for you" -She said and for the first time since he had met her, she her expression turned into one of utter concentration.
After a few minutes of examining the bones without moving a single one of them, Angela pulled out a book from her satchel and began leafing through it apparently looking for a reference on the new symbols on the bones. Harry was starting to get bored when she finally snapped the book closed and drank the remainder of her wine- "Kiddo, it seems I certainly wasn't kidding when I said you would be the centre of some interesting stuff regardless of how cryptic this is" -She said as she served herself another glass, but instead of drinking it she just played with the liquid inside her glass.
After a few moments of silence, Harry realized he would actually have to ask- "I assure you I'm ready to listen to whatever you have found"
"Oh Harry… and I assure you'll regret those words before you leave. But it's too late now to back away." -She said with a grin before setting down her glass.
"Let's start with the easiest of them all." -She pointed to a couple of bones mixed together where only two shapes were clear to him: a rose blossom and a whirlwind- "Your love life is bound to be filled with turmoil. You'll touch and drag towards you many hearts, but how it will all end I cannot see. All I can advise you from it, is to tread carefully unless you want everything in your way to be left broken"
"Your hardships" -She pointed to another set of bones. He saw one of the newly carved symbols was amongst them: a seven-pointed star. He was also able to distinguish a wandering line and another omen he had wished he wouldn't find: the grim- "I had to look up regarding the star but it seems to be simply stating the obvious, seven times. From the way this bones have arranged themselves, the wandering line means you'll have a life of many choices that will affect greatly those who surround you. This will grant you freedom on your path, but not all of them will lead to the life you deeply desire. Despite of that, you are bound to courtship death seven times before you are able to overcome whatever endeavour awaits you"
"But this set of bones is what perplexes me the most" -She said pointing another group where all he could distinguish were a long line with a circle resting on it and a lightning bolt- "The line with the circle signifies infinity or long life. It's not the first time I come across with it when meeting a human but still it doesn't cease to amuse me" -She said with a smile, before a shadow seemed to settle over her face- "But the lightning bolt is supposed to be its complete opposite. It is most commonly meant to be death, but arranged in this pattern it could mean something completely new. The only certainty is that whatever happens, it will be swift as the lightning that symbolizes it."
Harry considered what she told him. From everything he had just learned, the only consolation he could find was that her reading of the lightning bolt could be completely wrong and be simply related to his scar. He considered for a moment whether he should reveal it to her- 'I guess she already knows way more than others ever will, as I certainly won't be telling anyone about this. Besides, I have a feeling she can be trusted despite her quirks' -By the time he made up his mind, Harry had forgotten a tiny detail that he remembered upon seeing her face of excitement- "Oh fuck. You know it's supposed to be rude to intrude in other people's minds, right?"
"Oh it's not my fault if you don't guard your mind and let it broadcast for anyone capable of listening" -She argued with a gleeful smile- "Now show me! I can barely believe you turned out to be this interesting so soon!"
Harry relaxed himself and released his morphing over the scar- "Huh… it feels weird to have it out in the open now. What?" -He asked when he saw Angela's dumbfounded face.
"That's it?" -She asked with disbelief.
"Of course that's it, what did you expect? Hadn't you seen it inside my mind already?"
"I wasn't inside your mind; I just picked on your stray thoughts"
"And the difference is what exactly?"
"I'll tell you once you've mastered your Occlumency shields. Now, can't you do anything else?"
Harry sighed in exasperation- "Not much so far. I'm somewhat new to being a Metamorphmagus and I can only change my hair colour and maintain minor facial morphings for now. Nym is the true expert on changing but her problem instead is keeping it stable without fully focusing on it."
Angela gave a sigh that seemed to deflate her whole being- "Well, I guess I might have been expecting too much from it."
Harry made an effort of not making his frustration obvious- 'I know I wouldn't want the attention if I had it but… how can she dismiss so easily an ability to transform who you are?!' -Angela's clearing of her throat reminded him of something- "Well?"
"Well what?" -she retorted with a smile
"I know you were… listening to my thoughts or however you might wanna call it. So how come you are so nonchalant about me being a Metamorphmagus?"
"Because you are not the first one I meet capable of similar things, though I admit your potential is greater than most. But so far it's not very amusing" -she explained shrugging her shoulders- "And I doubt you would want me go all fan-girl over your real identity, not that it was actually a secret anyone has been able to keep from me mind you"
"I-" -Harry paused for a moment to really think about it- "I guess you are right… anyone who likes to dabble in Transfiguration should be able to replicate my skills so far." -Harry rubbed his face in an effort to clear his mind and get back on track- "So what do you think about my scar? Could your knucklebones be actually referring to it?"
Angela hummed as she thought about it for a moment- "It could be related… but I highly doubt it. Your scar is a marking from your past, whereas the knucklebones are supposed to be a way of foretelling the future. It could mean that your scar will have a significant impact at some moment along your life, but I'd put my money and say it's completely unrelated or at least not entirely relevant to whatever it may refer to" -She gave another pause as furrowed her eyebrows- "There is saying… Yesterday is history; tomorrow is a mistery; but today is a gift and that is why it is called present. So heed my warning Harry and live your life without worrying about what has yet to come"
Harry ran a hand through his hair as he leaned back on his chair- "Yeah… but that's easier said than done"
Angela simply smiled at him- "I guarantee that you'll feel better once you're out in the sun" -Harry didn't respond and just stayed there for a moment- "Go on now, I'll tell Lorcan you say hi. Just go and ponder on what we've discussed for a while, but don't let it rule your path"
Harry rose from his chair still deep in thought and headed for the door. Angela walked with him and reached with her wand to unlock the rune-wards but held her hand from it- "I would also advise you to keep all of this to yourself, as you never know who might be listening. And you should probably improve your Occlumency as soon as possible, as it will help you keep your thoughts to yourself" -She said with a wink and unlocked the door so he could go for a stroll.
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07 Nov - Mo
Hermione had avoided him throughout the weekend unlike Neville's prediction. His frustration in the subject was starting to get out of hand. He really wanted to find why she was avoiding him. He had saved her life and then she had kissed him. They had been good friends before all of that. The question was what could he do now to help her overcome her trauma over being cornered by the troll? He was dying to know where that kiss could lead them, but if it really came to it he would much rather keep her as his friend. He would do anything before losing the girl who had become his very first true friend.- 'I'd jump into the depths of hell and fight to get her back if that is what it would take…' -Harry finally made up his mind and decided to corner her after Charms on their way to lunch.
"Harry, please stay for a moment before you head off to lunch" -Flitwick said outloud.
Harry hit his forehead against the desk in frustration and muttered- "Crap" -Which got a raised eyebrow from Flitwick but refrained from making any comment.
Harry remained on his seat as he looked at Hermione hurriedly leaving the classroom while looking at her feet. Harry sighed- 'I guess I'll catch her after magical creatures… since I doubt I'll be able to find her again before that'
Once everyone had left, he stood and approached Flitwick's desk. He offered a bow to him as the lions had been doing since their very first class- "Yes professor? Why is it you required me to stay behind?"
Flitwick laughed heartedly- "Don't you worry Harry. And please, drop all that bowing nonsense. I only enforce it amongst my lions to instill some discipline as they can easily get out of hand. Although I do enjoy occasionally when those who wrongfully feel superior due to their birth grudgingly do so" -Harry straightened up and Flitwick seemed to carefully consider him for a moment- "But I do believe it would be neither case for you"
"Thanks… i guess"
"I do believe you appreciate not to be considered a bigot, but I do hope you don't believe it would be a dishonor to be considered one of my lions" -He said with a raised eyebrows.
"No, no. I can assure you I didn't mean it like that. I'm happy to be a raven but I wouldn't have minded to be a lion aside from some of the company" -Harry hastily denied.
Flitwick gave a tired sigh- "I think I know who you might be referring to. And despite bravery is a noble quality, it doesn't seem to always be accompanied with wit"
"Regardless of that" -Flitwick continued on his usual self- "I wanted to discuss with you your encounter with the troll"
"I mean no offence professor, but I already discussed the events with Minerva. And Poppy made sure Hermione and I were feeling well right after the ordeal"
"Oh yes, I know you both certainly did. First of all, as Gryffindor's Head of House I wanted to commend you on your bravery for facing such a foe in order to save your friend" -He said with a proud smile
"Thank you professor" -He said somewhat embarrassed and bowed out of instinct.
"But that isn't why I truly asked you to stay behind. Minerva proudly recounted to the whole faculty how you managed to get both of you out of there alive. And I do believe you performed some kind of illusion spell, am I right?"
"Yes professor" -Harry was getting worried if he was about to be told off for practicing magic they hadn't been taught.
Flitwick made a knowing smile- "Don't you worry Harry. As most of the faculty are scholars by heart and professors by profession, hardly any of us would reprimand a student for advancing their studies on their own. That is as long as they are sure their experimentations are not dangerous or indulges in any kind of dark magic" -He paused momentarily in order to allow Harry to ease his nerves- "Au contraire, I wish to offer you my assistance if you ever need one"
"Huh?"
Flitwick chuckled at his loss for words- "Illusory magic is one of the many branches of the Charms field" -he explained- "And as such, I believe I'm the one amongst your professors better suited to instruct and guide you in this branch"
"That would be amazing" -exclaimed Harry, before he grudgingly admitted- "But I doubt I could carry on with my current schedule plus the extra tutoring"
"Nonsense! I do not intend by any means to hold your hand on your pursuit for knowledge. What I offer instead is that I'll recommend you on what books you would find most useful to read and we can hold monthly meetings to review your progress and provide you with any proper tutoring you may need" -Flitwick explained- "That is not to say that I wouldn't answer your doubts or provide with assistance during the rest of the month. I actually encourage you to consult with me on whatever you may need to clear up your doubts or if you would like a watchful eye whenever you try a new spell that you are having doubts on"
Harry thought about the offer as he unconsciously nodded- "I would certainly like to work with you professor in such a way"
"Marvellous! Now, I ran the idea with Minerva before I decided to approach you and she told me you were already occupied with her every Saturday for tea. So I propose that we meet every first Sunday of the month for tea as well. Naturally, we would begin this very next Sunday so you won't be missing on the chance for the rest of November. Would you agree with these arrangements Harry?"
This time Harry nodded with enthusiasm and a big smile- "I would be delighted! As a matter of fact, illusions were the first piece of magic I accidentally discovered during my childhood and I have been particularly interested on it since Minerva revealed the wizarding world to me"
Flitwick's smile turned sad despite he held it in place; as he had apparently heard from his childhood beforehand- "I'm glad to see you are not tormented by your past as I feared when I heard from it. Minerva spent a whole week on a warpath against Albus from the moment she got back from your meeting"
Harry wasn't thrilled to hear that his backstory was common knowledge amongst the faculty, but he was thankful that regardless of that it hadn't spread to the student body and they had also seemingly respected his choice for anonymity.- "Me too…" -He whispered just as a means to fill the silence.
Flitwick seemed to regret having meddled into his past so soon. Once it became clear nothing else of importance would be said, he said- "I won't hold you any longer or you'll completely miss your lunch. I'll await eagerly for our first session this coming Sunday"
Harry felt thankful over being dismissed and gave a short nod in farewell before quietly leaving the classroom.
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Luckily for Harry, Hagrid had decided that today they would hold a practical lesson near the borders of the Forbidden Forest; where they got to meet a list of expressly tame creatures that had previously been approved by Minerva. That meant that now on their way back to the castle Harry would have the perfect opportunity to approach Hermione on an open field where she wouldn't be able to sneak away from him.
She had hurried back to the castle as soon as Hagrid had dismissed the class, so Harry was forced to run after her.
"Hermione! Wait up, please" -He said grabbing her by the shoulder- "Look, I know the whole troll situation was scary but I wanna help you get over it. I want us to be able to hang up together again and… you know… maybe we-"
Hermione had to stifle a sad laugh as her eyes welled up and she looked away from him.- "Harry, I…" -She tried to say with a broken voice- "I… it's not because of the troll that I've been avoiding you" -She finally admitted with her eyes closed as a few tears began to fall.
"But… Neville said… then why?" -Harry felt a pit starting to form in his stomach.
"It's because of you and that kiss" -She admitted after some struggle- "But it's not because of what you think!"
Pain spread over Harry's chest, he closed his eyes fought it back trying to push away the tears that wanted to come out.- "If it's not because of the troll then there aren't many other options left" -He said through gritted teeth.
"It's not because of you but because of me" -She said with her face full of tears- "You… you saved my life twice already and I… Poppy's emotional checkup made me remember something I read. They call it misattribution of arousal" -She said flushing furiously- "And it explains that during situations of fear one may confuse it with… falling in love"
Harry was speechless as he couldn't figure out if whatever was happening would be good or bad for him.- "I don't get it… if you think that… that you are falling for me, then why are you avoiding me so much?"
Hermione refused to look at him as she mumbled- "Because I wouldn't want to be with you for the wrong reasons… I feel like I really like you, but I fear that it might be because you saved me when I fell from my broom and then you rescued me from that troll" -She turned to look at him as her tears fell freely- "And I don't want to be with you simply because I'm confused. You… you don't deserve something like that, you deserve better!"
Harry couldn't wrap his mind around it- "But Hermione, I-"
She shook her head- "No Harry. I couldn't do that to you. I… I need you to give me some space and time. I don't want to waste your time and eventually break your heart because I was uncertain of how I felt." -She paused in hesitation for a moment- "Just give me a couple of weeks to clear up my mind. I'm sure it will go away by then and we'll be able to go back to being friends" -She said before she turned and ran away leaving a trail of tears behind her.
Harry stood there. He stood there watching how she ran away from him. He knew they hadn't known each other for that long, but it pained him nonetheless- "But… I…" -He whispered by himself- "I guess I can give you some time"
He felt a chill set over his skin and he thought the wind was blowing cold, despite the fact that not a single blade of grass moved. He decided he would head to WCC and get some warm back before he could catch a cold.
'It's just a week or so that she needs. Then we can go back to being friends if nothing else' -He thought to himself as he lay in bed that night. He had raised the heat and pulled out some extra covers. But the chill never left that day nor did the hollow he felt inside.
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A/N 01: Simply out of curiosity… has any of you ever read inheritance cycle or throne of glass series?
