Chapter 10- The Moon's Rage
"Aren't you supposed to be in detention?" Angelina said crossly.
Harry shrugged. "Got let off early," he said simply, sharing a glance with Ron.
Hermione had taken a seat on the stands, surrounded by her books and homework and leaving the two boys to continue on their way to the middle of the Quidditch pitch, where the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team and Keeper hopefuls were standing.
"Good, now get up into the air. I need you to watch from above and point out any weaknesses," said Angelina.
Harry gave a mock salute and kicked off into the air on his Firebolt. He had missed this dearly, being up in the air. He relished the feel of the wind blowing in his face, whipping his messy hair backwards. He loved the rush of adrenaline as he dove down towards the ground and pulling up at the last second, barely a foot from the hard ground. Flying his broom in the air was the only time and place where Harry felt that he could leave all the problems and the weight of the world behind him.
"Oi! Potter! Stop showboating and do what I asked you!" shouted Angelina from down below. Harry looked down and grinned at his captain, who only scowled and shook her head, while the twins, Katie and Alicia laughed before they too took off into the air. The group of Keeper hopefuls, including Ron, followed, albeit at a much slower pace.
"Alright! I want you all to line up in an orderly fashion and wait for your name to be called up! Then it will be your job to stop the Quaffle from going through the hoops five times. If you manage that, then you will be put aside and wait to go into the next round," explained Angelina. "Am I clear?"
There were murmurs of assent from the students trying out.
"Good, now hop to it!"
The first person called out, a tall, gangly third year could barely fly up to the hoops without almost threatening to fall off, and Angelina quickly sent him away. The second and third hopefuls were much the same and they too were quickly eliminated. The fourth player was barely able to save the first shot by Alicia before he fell off his broom, but was miraculously saved by Fred and George. The fifth was almost unseated from his broom when Katie threw a wicked curve shot that forced the poor boy to duck, allowing the ball to sail harmlessly through the middle hoop.
Harry could see Angelina getting more and more frustrated as the evening wore on and the sun went down, and even Harry was groaning from up high. The prospects of a good Keeper for Gryffindor were appearing more bleak by the time it was down to the final five, which included Ron, and they hadn't even completed the first round yet.
The first of the remaining five was a tall, broad-shouldered fourth year who was able to save the first three shots, but Angelina eliminated him after he was unable to save the last two. The second boy saved all five shots, but looked a little fearful of the Quaffle in Harry's opinion, but he was able to make it to the next (and hopefully last) round. The next two boys didn't fare as well, and then it was Ron's turn.
From Harry's view, Ron looked deathly pale, the freckles on his face even more prominent than usual. Fred and George were muttering words of support to their younger brother as he walked past them, and even Hermione and stopped working on her assignments to watch Ron. He was steady as he flew up to the hoops, which Harry thought was a good sign.
Angelina was the first one up to throw the Quaffle. It soared through the air like a bullet towards the middle hoop, but Ron easily stopped it, batting away the Quaffle with the back of his fist. He blocked Alicia's shot similarly, along with Katie's. Harry smiled at his best friend. Though he looked nervous, Harry couldn't help but admit that Ron was probably one of the best amongst those who had come to try out for the team.
Alicia's second shot was blocked when Ron had to extend his foot down to block the Quaffle, and Katie's third throw was also blocked. Harry cheered, along with Hermione as their best friend made it to the next round.
Katie drifted up on her broom lazily to meet Harry, giving him a wry grin just as the final person made it to the second round.
"Enjoying the view?" she asked.
"I would, but you're in my way," said Harry lightly.
"Very funny Potter," said Katie sarcastically. "So, what do you think?" she asked, indicating to the three potential Keepers.
"The first guy's pretty good, and so is the second, said Harry. "Though I don't envy Angelina that much right now."
"True," said Katie. "What about Ron?"
"He's not as good as the others, but I think that's nerves more than anything," observed Harry. "Besides, Quidditch is in his blood, if he's not at his peak now he'll definitely get there."
"I was thinking the same thing," agreed Katie. "Though the second guy is in my year and is a bit of a whiner, so I don't see how Angelina would put him on the team for that reason."
"True," said Harry. Angelina called the two over and Harry and Katie drifted down to Angelina's level.
"So, what do you think?" she asked when the whole team gathered together.
"Ron," said Fred and George immediately.
"Whoa, easy there," said Angelina. "I don't want any nepotism."
"We're being serious," said Fred.
"Yeah, you haven't seen him play at home," added George.
"Fine. I'll keep that in mind," said Angelina, rolling her eyes. "Harry?"
Harry thought for a moment before answering. "I think we should wait till we've finished this round before making a decision," he said finally. Alicia and Katie agreed with Harry's assessment and Angelina sent them back up into the air.
Harry flew a little closer to the hoops this time, circling them like a hawk stalking a field mouse. The first boy was unable to block the Chasers' lethal combination, though having saved two of the Quaffles and being the first in line, he was not discounted from the tryout. Though that proved to be a futile decision when the second boy saved four of the shots.
Ron was last this time, and if it were possible, he looked even more terrified than before. Hermione shouted words of encouragement from down below in the stands, and Harry noticed that she was shaking with anticipation. Harry wasn't sure who was more nervous between the two.
Katie was the first, and by the look of determination on her face she wasn't planning on making this easy for Ron. He was able to stop the Quaffle from going through the right hoop however, and tossed the Quaffle back to Katie. Angelina was next and she was just as ruthless as Katie had been, but once again the results were the same, though Ron stopped the speeding Quaffle with his forehead. Alicia went next and threw a curve ball at the right hoop. Ron was just able to stop it from going through the hoop by reaching out with both hands and catching the Quaffle, his broom jerking awkwardly from the momentum of the throw.
Katie flew back up to join Harry as they watched Angelina and Alicia perform a tricky combination of passes and feints in the hopes of confusing Ron.
"This is gonna be good," commented Katie.
"He's got this," said Harry confidently. "Look at his eyes. They never lose sight of the ball. That remind you of anyone?" he added, pointing to Ron's face.
Indeed, Ron's eyes were darting back and forth between the other two Chasers, never taking them off the Quaffle for a second. Harry and Katie watched as Ron's eyebrows furrowed together and he shot his broom to the right as Alicia launched the Quaffle towards the hoop, and Ron was able to block the fourth shot when he caught it. Cheers went up all around as the score was tied up between the two last competitors.
Angelina and Alicia started another series of passes and feints to confuse Ron, but he looked more determined than ever. Alicia positioned herself to score through the left hoop and Ron moved to block the incoming throw, but at the last second Alicia passed to Angelina and the team captain threw it at the middle hoop. Ron turned his broom as hard as he could and flew as fast as he could back to the middle, and Harry was worried that he wouldn't make it. Katie, who was now floating in the air right next to Harry, grabbed his arm and squeezed tightly, her face etched with excitement.
Impossibly, Ron was able to deflect the shot at the last second with the tips of his fingers, sending the Quaffle flying harmlessly over the goal.
Harry and Katie flew down to join the rest of the team to congratulate a stunned Ron. Fred and George were dancing around swinging their Beater's bats wildly. Harry clapped Ron on the shoulder just as Hermione came down and wrapped Ron in a tight hug. She let go of him quickly though, the two blushing furiously. Angelina had separated from the rest of them and looked to be in the middle of a heated argument with the sixth year Katie had said whined a lot. The boy stomped his feet on the ground and marched out of the Quidditch pitch and Harry saw Angelina sigh and come over to congratulate Ron.
"Welcome to the team," she said happily, then her voice turned serious. "We have practice every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights so that we can get up to speed and be ready for our first match, which is against Slytherin. So try not to get into detention." She added that last part with a look at Harry, who grinned sheepishly.
Just as Angelina finished her speech, the moon rose over the Forbidden Forest, bathing the Hogwarts grounds in a cold, pale light. When the light rested on Harry's face he suddenly felt very nauseous and would have fallen to his knees if it weren't for Katie and George catching him, his head feeling like it was spinning wildly on his neck. His eyes zoomed in and out of focus and he resisted the urge to vomit.
"Harry? Are you alright?" asked Katie with concern.
"Yeah... just felt really weird," said Harry, blinking furiously to stop the dizziness.
"Take him up to the hospital wing," ordered Angelina, and Fred took Katie's place as he helped lift Harry onto his and George's shoulders.
Katie led the way as Fred and George practically dragged Harry up the stairs back into the castle. They had to stop twice so that he could dispose of the contents of his stomach, but only felt worse. The group climbed up the staircase and rounded a corner leading to the hospital when Harry gasped in pain.
The scars on his left shoulder where the lion-man had bitten him flared up in searing agony, almost making Harry pass out from the pain. The scars hadn't hurt this bad since he was bitten in the graveyard the night of the Third Task, and his vision flitted in and out of focus. The beast that Harry had worked so hard to tame over the week roared inside him and easily tore down the defenses Harry had put around it, and he was helpless to stop it from hurtling Fred and George from him, sending the two crashing into the walls on either side of the corridor.
George was knocked out instantly from the impact, and Fred's eyes glazed over when the back of his head smacked against the hard stone. Alicia and Angelina screamed and rushed over to the twins while Ron, Hermione and Katie stooped over Harry, who had fallen to his knees and crouched over, dry heaving as the pain from his scars travelled through his body, igniting his veins and nervous system with an unquenchable fire of agony.
"Come on Ron! We have to help him!" screeched Hermione, grabbing hold of Harry's right arm and trying to pull him up.
"No, Hermione! He might hit you too!" yelled Katie, pulling Hermione away from Harry, who had begun to shiver violently.
Harry looked up at the sound of Katie's voice, and she took a step back in fear. Harry's eyes were glowing a hypnotizing shade of green that glowed in the dark corridor, and she could see the pain behind them.
"Go! You have to run, all of you!" urged Harry through clenched teeth. He groaned and doubled over again, the pain of whatever was happening to him increasing tenfold. It was ten times worse than Voldemort's Cruciatus Curse, and up until this moment Harry was sure that was the worst pain known to man. He felt his bones begin to groan painfully, and Harry knew he had to get away from everyone before he lost complete control of himself and hurt someone.
So, without another thought and a sudden burst of adrenaline that seemed to come from nowhere, Harry bolted from the corridor, leaving his friends behind. He ignored the pleas and calls for him, each word sounding like somebody was ringing a church bell right next to his ears, and climbed another set of stairs. He didn't know where he was going, all Harry knew was that he had to find someplace that could stop him from hurting anybody. His journey took him up to the seventh floor and he forced himself into an abandoned classroom. He struggled to pull his wand from his pocket and pointed it to the doorknob, gasping "Colloportus." The door clicked loudly as it locked, though Harry was fairly sure that a locked door wouldn't hold if he decided to break through it.
Another wave of pain shot through Harry's body and he buckled over, screaming as the agony coursed through his body like venom. His glasses fell off his head when he hit the ground. His bones creaked and stretched, his insides squirmed and jumbled uncomfortably as they rearranged themselves. His tail bone lengthened while his head elongated painfully. Harry moaned as his teeth lengthened and sharpened. His muscles, doubled, then tripled in size, tearing through his Quidditch robes, and Harry was forced to rip them off just as his nails lengthened and sharpened into razor-sharp claws. The palms and insides of Harry's fingers and feet thickened until they formed thick, leathery pads.
Black hairs sprouted all over Harry's face and body, the hair on his head growing and becoming thicker and shaggier as well, growing all over his neck as well to encase Harry's face in a long, black mane. Dark grey fur sprouted over his body as well, creating beautiful stripes that ran across his shoulders, back and down his exposed pectorals. Harry's facial features distorted and molded until they became catlike. Harry's cries gradually sounded less human as he continued to transform and became deeper and more animalistic. The tailbones continued to lengthen until it became a long, black-furred tail that ended in a dark grey tuft. The bones in his legs and feet shifted and thickened, his feet widened and he felt his pinky toe shortening until it was completely gone. Harry's legs continued to morph until they looked more like a cat's than a humans, his feet turned into massive paws with thick, leathery soles.
Little by little, the pain in Harry's body began to ebb away, receding back from the clawed, padded tips of his fingers, crawling back up through his arms and legs, down his head, up his spine and finally, his bite marks, which were no longer visible underneath the black fur that covered his body.
Breathing deeply, a low, primal rumbling that reverberated through his chest, Harry let out a deep and mighty roar as his mind became focussed on the need to do one thing: kill.
He had never felt this angry in his life, and he enjoyed it immensely. He wanted to kill, to grab something, to tear its flesh with his claws and teeth, to squeeze until he felt the bones break underneath his massive hands... and then keep squeezing.
Harry's large ears that were perched on the top of his head instead of the sides, popping out of the thick mane of fur that covered his head and down to his neck and chin, twisted like radar dishes when he heard footsteps coming down the hall from outside the classroom he was trapped in. Prey? Yes... they were coming his way, and Harry crouched behind a desk, though his massive size prevented him from completely hiding behind the desk.
"Alohomora," murmured a voice behind the door and the door clicked and swung open, revealing three teenagers. Two of them were female and the third was male. The male was tall and gangly with red hair and a pale complexion dotted with freckles. The girl that had come through the door first had bushy, shoulder-length hair. The second girl was extremely beautiful with long, brown hair that was tied up in a ponytail and had tanned skin from hours spent outside. Harry couldn't help but feel that the three teenagers looked familiar.
"Harry?" asked the bushy-haired girl, trying to peer over the desk from where she was standing.
"You alright mate?" said the tall redhead.
Harry let out a low, rumbling growl and tensed his muscles as he stood up in an attempt to terrify his soon-to-be prey. To his satisfaction, the three students' eyes widened in horror and they took a step back. Harry flung the desk aside like it was nothing as he stalked towards his victims, adrenaline pumping through his body as it prepared for the excitement of the kill. Instinct was telling Harry to move slowly, both to terrify them and to make sure that the kill would go as smoothly as possible.
He let out another growl, making the teenagers jump back. He crouched down so that his heavily muscled, overlong arms touched the ground and he stalked forward on all fours, his tail flicking behind him every so often. He stopped just a few metres from the terrified teenagers as their backs pressed against the closed door.
"H-Harry, it's us..." whimpered the bushy-haired girl. "It's Hermione..."
Harry let out a snarl in reply as he crouched low enough that his mane was brushing against the stone floor, his long claws scratching against it. The two girls closed their eyes and seemed to accept their fate, while the redhead was pointing a stick at him warningly.
With a roar that shook the whole room and forced the teenagers to cover their ears, Harry leapt at them, teeth bared and claws extended...
And slammed into an invisible wall just a few feet in front of them.
Shaking his head as he leapt up to his feet, Harry snarled and slashed at the brunette, only to once again be repelled by the invisible wall. He tried again and again, alternating between slashing with his claws and punching with all the force he could muster. Harry let out another roar, this time in frustration at having been denied his prey.
The redhead seemed to gather his courage and brandished his wand at Harry, shouting "Stupefy!" a beam of red light shot out of the wand and smacked Harry in the face, sending him rearing back on his hind legs and rubbing his nose in irritation. Without his realising, Harry's mind cleared, washing away the animalistic rage and instinctive need to kill.
"Bloody hell, Ron! What was that for?!" yelled Harry as he glared at his best friend. His voice was much deeper than before and had a distinctive underlying growl to it.
"What? Says you! You just tried to eat us!" Ron shouted back.
"What are you on-" Harry stopped as the memories of the past few minutes returned. "Oh Merlin, I'm so sorry..."
"It's alright, we're fine," consoled Hermione, while Ron looked at her incredulously.
"Are you mad? He's a giant half man, half lion now!" yelled Ron. Harry, Hermione and Katie's head whipped over to Ron, who was now looking at them in confusion.
"What did you say?" said Harry.
"You're a half man, half..." Ron trailed off, realisation dawning on his face.
"Harry! The graveyard! That thing that bit you? What did it look like?" gushed Hermione, her past fear forgotten for now.
"A lion-man," said Harry, he too coming to the same conclusion. "Hermione, is there such thing as werecats?"
"I don't know, I've never heard of them before. But I'll try to look something up," said Hermione.
Harry looked over to Katie, who still seemed to have not fully recovered from Harry's attempted attack.
"Are you alright?" asked Harry in that same deep, growling voice.
Katie shook her head. "I don't know. I've never been in something like this before," she whispered, though Harry still heard her clearly.
"I'm so sorry," he murmured, looking sincerely at Katie. She looked up him and nodded her said, smiling slightly.
'Bloody hell mate, you look wicked," said Ron, awe dominating his features.
Harry looked down at himself and his eyes widened. His arms were almost as thick and long as tree trunks, muscles rippling underneath the sleek black fur. His chest was popping out far more than he remembered as well, silver stripes going over his shoulders from his back and down his pectorals.
"I wish there was a mirror around here," muttered Harry. He then noticed a large mirror propped up against one of the walls and he walked over to it on all fours, stepping over the splintered debris of the desk that he had tossed aside earlier.. He stood up on two legs again and gasped, or what was the equivalent of a giant, half man, half lion gasp.
Harry was a nine foot tall mountain of pure muscle and fur. His torso and arms resembled a a human bodybuilder's, not including the black fur and grey stripes. His arms reached down past his knees, giving Harry the posture of a gorilla, which allowed harry to easily alternate between walking on either two feet or all fours. His fingers were long and thick, with wicked long claws at the end of every phalange. Running horizontally along his deltoids were more grey stripes. His head, however was not human at all. He had a long, shaggy mane that covered his neck and went down between his shoulders and down the canyon of his chest. The mane framed a complete lion's head that had a grey streak of fur in the shape of a lightning bolt on its forehead. The only other sign that the lion's face belonged to Harry was the emerald green eyes, though Harry didn't recall his eyes ever glowing before.
Harry's legs, however, belonged to a lion's that just happened to be attached to a humanoid hip and torso. A tail flicked lazily behind Harry. He opened his mouth to reveal long, sharp canines and thick molars designed for crushing bone.
Harry looked over to his friends, who were watching him intently, and gave them the lion equivalent of a grin.
"Pretty cool, huh?" said Harry lightly.
"Except for the fact that you almost killed us," Hermione pointed out.
Harry's grin quickly fell from hi face. "Sorry about that," he mumbled.
"S' alright mate," said Ron earnestly. "You didn't mean to."
"But I could have," said Harry morosely.
Just then the door into the classroom opened, revealing Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape. All three had their wands drawn, but they hadn't seen Harry yet.
"Mr Weasley, Miss Granger, Miss Bell. Are you alright?" asked Professor McGonagall, looking over her students carefully.
"We're fine," said Katie, "but Harry..."
"Where is Harry?" asked Professor Dumbledore calmly.
"He's er..." said Ron, not entirely sure what to say.
"Here," said Harry, stepping over to them but making sure that the invisible barrier was between him and the group of students and teachers.
"What happened to you Harry?" asked Dumbledore, whose eyes had widened at the sight of the tall, muscular lion-man before him.
"Oh, now you want to know what's wrong with me?" said Harry in a sarcastic tone.
"Harry!" hissed Hermione.
"What? He ignores me all summer and now that I'm some kind of monster I'm suddenly at the top of his priorities?" growled Harry, sounding slightly more like the beast he resembled as his temper started to rise.
"Mind your tone Potter," snapped Snape, glaring at Harry. "You're just as arrogant as your father ever was."
"Oh shut up Snape. Just because you've got your arse stuck in the past and can't see me as Lily's son and not James'," snarled Harry.
"Why you little..." started Snape, raising his wand.
Harry let out a small, yet still powerful roar at the Potion's Master which sent him sprawling to the floor as he tripped over his long black cloak. Harry let out a snort of satisfaction before turning his attention back to Dumbledore.
"Now why should I tell you anything?" he demanded, glaring at the headmaster, folding his huge, furry arms in front of him.
Dumbledore sighed wearily. "You are right," he said. "I have ignored you all summer and haven't defended you as well as I should have." He looked back up at Harry. "But you must understand, however, that whatever is happening to you is far more important than any disagreements we might have at this time."
Harry was tempted to let Dumbledore know just exactly he felt about that, but nodded his head instead, deciding it best that he know what was happening to him.
"Now, can you tell me what happened?" asked Dumbledore.
And so Harry began his tale that began at the end of the Quidditch tryouts. How he felt sick when the full moon came up and how the Quidditch team tried to help him to the hospital, but in a burst of accidental strength he accidentally hurt the Weasley twins.
"How are they, by the way?" Harry asked suddenly, concerned for Fred and George.
"Mr Weasley and Mr Weasley will be fine. They're both just recovering from a mild concussion in the hospital wing," said Professor McGonagall.
Harry let out a sigh of relief and continued his tale. He told the teachers about how he had then run away from the others, warning them away. He talked about how he stumbled into the classroom they were currently talking in and locked it to make sure that no one could get in before he described the pain he felt while he transformed, and how his mind had been completely taken over by the animal for a few moments. Harry's voice dropped to a barely audible whisper when he described what he was feeling and thinking when he almost killed Ron, Hermione and Katie and how he didn't even recognise them until Ron shot a Stunning Spell at his nose.
Throughout Harry's story, Ron, Hermione and Katie had filled in their side of the story. After Harry had run away, Angelina and Alicia had taken Fred and George to the hospital wing while the other three set off in search of Harry in spite of his warning to them. They had run into Neville Longbottom along the way and sent him to fetch Professor Dumbledore. They had heard Harry's cries in the seventh floor and followed the sound to the abandoned classroom.
"What do you think is happening to me?" asked Harry, his emerald eyes shining with anguish.
"I honestly do not know," said Dumbledore. "But Remus Lupin has recently made a breakthrough regarding your rescuer's identity, which I now believe might apply to your current condition. I shall contact him tonight and see if he can come to Hogwarts tomorrow morning to have a chat with you. Now, if you allow me to take down these wards..."
"NO!" shouted Harry, raising his massive hands in front of them. "No, I don't trust myself to be around you without them. What if it's the only thing keeping me sane right now?"
"Well, if you wish harry. But perhaps you can try to transform back?" suggested Dumbledore.
"Er... I don't know how," said Harry.
Professor McGonagall stepped forward. "Mr Potter, if perhaps I might be of assistance?"
Harry nodded his head towards Professor McGonagall.
"I want you to close your eyes and reach down into the deepest recesses of your mind," she said in a strangely calm voice that was not characteristic of the Transfiguration Professor. "Once you find the part of your mind that is most human, grab onto it and pull it to the forefront of your mind. Harness your magical core and simply force the change to come."
Harry did as he was told and closed his eyes. He reached down into his mind and closed in on the warmest thoughts of himself. He held onto those and brought them forward, using his magic as a sort of harness to hold on to.
He felt himself start shrinking and his bones and innards shifting uncomfortably. His black fur shrank down until his fair skin was all that remained, and his mane vanished as well, leaving nothing but his usual mop of untidy black hair. The bones in his face shortened and shifted back into its normal appearance as his claws shrank down and were no longer razor sharp. The transformation was nowhere near as painful as when he first transformed, Harry noted.
Opening his eyes, Harry found himself back to his normal shape and size, though he was wearing nothing but his now-torn up jeans. He glared at Hermione for staring at his naked chest and she looked away, smirking slightly. Katie was openly gawking at him with her mouth slightly open, though Harry found he did not mind her looking at him like that for some reason.
Professor McGonagall conjured a white t-shirt that fit Harry perfectly as he reached down and picked his wand and glasses up off the ground. He then discovered that the wards protecting his friends and teachers from him were no longer there, and Hermione and Ron rushed forward and engulfed him in a fierce hug.
"Oh Harry! We're so sorry!" cried Hermione, sniffling slightly.
"It's okay Hermione, really," said Harry, not quite sure what she was apologising for. He let go of his two best friends and looked at Katie, who was shuffling on her feet slightly and staring down at her toes. He walked over to her and cleared his throat. When she didn't look up, he placed his fingers under her chin and tilted her head up so she could look him in the eyes. "I'm so sorry you had to see that," he whispered quietly.
"I know, and I forgive you," said Katie, unshed tears glistening in her dark brown eyes. "You couldn't control yourself, and I don't blame you for that."
Harry smiled softly at her and he pulled her into a hug. Katie didn't hesitate to wrap her arms around his waist and squeeze, and the two stayed that way for a few moments before letting go.
"Well, I must imagine that you are all feeling rather exhausted after that ordeal," said Dumbledore. Up until Dumbledore mentioned, Harry hadn't realised just how tired he was.
"I must ask you three, however, never to repeat the events of what happened tonight. Professor Umbridge is well known to have a very intolerable opinion regarding half-breeds, and she will not hesitate to have Harry expelled for this. I will send for you Harry, when Mr Lupin arrives tomorrow. Goodnight everyone." And with that, Dumbledore left the classroom, followed by Professor McGonagall and a sneering Snape.
"Well I'm tired," Harry said dryly, which earned some small laughs from Ron, Hermione and Katie. The three left the classroom, heading back to the Gryffindor common room, not realising that the door they had just exited from vanished.
A/N- And thus... mush is revealed! Stay tuned for the next chapter, where we discover exactly what Harry is and who saved him from Voldemort!
I must say though, you guys are pretty spoilt, getting two chapters in one day!