Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters they all belong to Rowling. I would also like give my thanks to all who reviewed.

I would also like to give my thanks to imiko-hiei, my new beta reader

The wand makers' apprentice

Chapter 11

Harry woke up in the Hospital wing surrounded by Morris, Ron, Hermione and Dumbledore smiling sadly down at him. Suddenly remembering why he was here, he quickly tried to sit up, but was pushed back down by Ron, who was standing by his head.

"You don't want to do that Harry" Ron warned, looking down at Harry's ribs.

Harry when to look were Ron was staring, but Hermione on his left and opposite to Ron, put her hand in the way. "Trust us Harry you really don't want to look, it's rather disgust-"

"Amazingly cool!" Morris let out excitedly, he looked up at him "Harry you would love this, your ribs are all like moving and wobbling about, it's so awesome!" Harry looked to Hermione, who was giving Russell a very good impression of one of Professor McGonagall's stern looks.

"Yes it is quite interesting" Dumbledore said peering down to have a good look "I shall have to learn that one" he said as he chuckled with Morris.

Harry, Ron and Hermione looked shocked at how much the two of them acted, Ron lean inwards and whispered so that only Harry and Hermione could hear. "Told you all Sorcerers were mad as loony's" Harry had to stifle a laugh, much to Hermione's distaste.

There was a loud crack, Harry suddenly felt a hard pressure on his lower ribs. Pushing air out of his mouth as he tried to breathe in, he let out a small "ow" before gritting his teeth as pain began to surge from his mid-line. Morris quickly gave Harry a potion from a steel tray behind Dumbledore's large violet robes.

Morris made Harry drink the whole potion, which tasted like a medley of old socks and sour fish, but it was good, as it stopped the pain with in seconds. After some chatter, Dumbledore finally told Ron, Morris and Hermione to leave, before they left Morris gave Harry a hug and whispered seriously and quickly.

"If he asks about the snake spell tell him nothing, never look in his eyes, don't lie directly." It surprised and made Harry nervous that Morris sounded so worried about Dumbledore knowing how he learned the spell. Hermione cried a little as she hugged him, Ron uncomfortably shook his hand, before they all hurried to, Harry suspected, the great hall for something to eat, since he was starving.

A long silence filled the hospital wing, as Harry sat himself up on his bed, doing as Morris said, and avoiding Dumbledore sparking blue eyes.

"So…" Harry said, unsure what to say.

"So" Dumbledore said happily, trying to catch Harry's attention, but failing. Harry felt Dumbledore's stare burning on him, Dumbledore then chuckled "Mr Morris has, no doubt, told you not to trust me."

Harry was slightly taken aback by the old headmasters bluntness. "No, he didn't say not to trust you professor."

"So why is it that you are afraid to look at me?" Harry felt it was more of a statement, then a question.

"Russell," Harry was about to make up an excuse, but remembered what his friend had told him 'don't lie directly' so instead Harry just repeated what he said before "he didn't say not to trust you professor"

Dumbledore chucked again "I see" he said, standing up at the end of Harry's bed. "I suppose it was he who taught you how to do the Serpent catenae?" Harry tried desperately not to look up.

Harry paused, carefully thinking through his words. "Russell didn't teach me the spell professor, I learned it from a school book," Harry tried to think what else he could say.

"From the library?" Dumbledore questioned lightly, before becoming serous "I would never let should a book enter these walls. Harry the book you read, it isn't one I would put my reliance into"

Harry frowned "What do you mean professor?"

"Sorcerer magic is very powerful and extremely dangerous Harry. People have even been changed by the Sorcerer books pages." Something in the way Dumbledore spoke reminded Harry of Morris in the locker room, when they were talking about the spell 'what was it that Russell had said?' he question himself.

"Though not always for the worse." Harry said out loud.

Dumbledore was silent for second "No, not always for the worse Harry, but never for the better"

"You don't think I should use the spell again professor?" Harry asked tenderly.

"I think you should use that particular spell in moderation dear boy, in moderation"

8

Harry was beginning to think that what Madam Pomfrey had said to him was true, and he might as well just live in the Hospital wing. Harry was longing to leave, but was forbidden to.

Harry wished he could of gone to a privet hospital like Higgs had done, he was fixed up over night and back in school two days later, but Harry wasn't allowed. To get such care you needed your parents to sign a Hogwarts form saying he was allowed to leave school grounds to be privately hospitalised.

Still it wasn't too bad. It would have been better if he hadn't had so many nightmares about falling off his broom and into Quirrell's purple turban.

Morris, Ron and Hermione would come and say good morning before breakfast and good night after the evening feast. Morris and Ron would come the most, though Morris was tutoring him while he was bedridden, and Ron was there to cheer everyone up with his somewhat stupid comments. That and eating the sweets that the Gryffindor team had given him as a get well gift, and for thanks because he let them win the match.

By the time Harry was finally out of the hospital wing, Hogwarts was in the second week of December, and everyone was beginning to feel festive, even if they were still going to classes.

Harry was glad he wasn't too far behind the others in most of his classes. According to Ron, Professor Snape had made sure that there was a test the day Harry was let out of the wing. Morris, as he often did, disagreed.

"He's been planning the test since last September." Morris argued as the four friends made for the library. "It was in the school curriculum, if you bothered to read it Ron."

"How'd you get the school curriculum?" Ron asked annoyed that Russell was beating him in yet another, 'Snape is evil, argument'.

Morris turned around when he reached the top of the staircase "Like anyone who wonted to know about what we'd be learning this year," He looked to Hermione, then back to Ron. "… I asked McGonagall"

Ron's red face was all that was needed to show that he'd lost the argument, but it didn't mean he was going to give up. "Why do you like Snape so much? Why are you always defending him, even after what he did at the match?" Ron hadn't realised what he said until he look up to Morris.

Morris was always bad at hiding his emotions because when he got surprised, every one of his expressions got exaggerated by his Metamorphmagus abilities, like now.

Morris's eyes were pen wide and far too large for any human; his mouth was opened way too much for a normal jaw drop and his eyebrows are raised straight up his forehead. But just as quickly as it came, it melted back to normal, as he looked to Harry.

Harry looked solidly from Hermione and Morris, ending on Ron "What did Snape do at the match?" Harry said slowly through gritted teeth. Ron went red, but didn't say anything. "Russell?" Harry said turning to Morris, who had now seemed to have grown a new fondness of the moving painting.

"Harry, you've got to understand that we didn't want to worry you while you were ill." Hermione said sheepishly.

"Well I'm not ill now, am I?" Harry snapped angrily at her, and the next thing he knew he was being slapped, hard, across his face.

"Don't yell at her!" Morris said, his voice filled with a deep dangerous growl as he moved forward in front of Hermione, protecting her like the three headed guard dog was protecting the trap door on the third fool corridor. "If you're gonna yell at someone, you can yell at me!"

Harry had never seen Russell act like this. He couldn't even think of a time that even compared to the way Morris was acting now in the whole time he'd known the wand maker. Harry suddenly felt very guilty, and it was made worse by the time he realised that he'd made Hermione cry. He looked to Ron, who looked very jittery for some reason.

Harry looked around Morris, and tried to catch Hermione's eye. Once he did, he swallowed on his pride hard and apologised. Morris, after a long second, seemed to deem Harry's apology acceptable and slowly moved away from his guard.

The four of them didn't say another word until they were through the Gryffindor common room and into the now empty boys dormitory and sat on Morris's bed, (the tidiest of the three boys beds) Then Hermione, Ron and Russell began to explain what they'd seen on the day of the match.

"It was Snape." Ron exclaimed, as if he was finally letting go of large rock he'd been carrying. "He cursed Higgs' broom, so that he'd fly into you"

"We don't know that" Morris piped in.

"Come on Russell, you and I both know a jinx when we see one." Hermione let out, Morris looked at her, and then to the others.

"I just don't think Snape would do it. There's something in his eyes." Morris said mysteriously as he paused strangely. "I swear," he said looking past Harry, and out the near window behind him. "… I never, in all my travelling, in all my training have seen a person hide behind such a powerful shield, not even spys."

"But doesn't that prove-" Ron tried.

"No, no one has a secret so dark, that they must hide it so deep, without it being something that is so unexpected that it can hardly be believed."

"You sound like Dumbledore, Russell." Harry said after, what seemed to be a rather long silence. Morris smiled weakly, before turning his head in contemplation. Harry turned to Ron and Hermione, Hermione looked to be in deep thought, and Ron's face was twisted lightly, as if he was thinking to hard.

"What shield?" Ron finally asked Morris as he sighed in defeat. Harry turned to Morris, who had a slow creeping smile growing on his lips.

"Haven't you figured it out yet?" he looked to very one of them "Not even you Hermione? I'm surprised" he laughed heartedly at their confused faces.

"I have" cried Hermione, blushing. "I read about the spell you used on Harry, you're a Legilimens aren't you?" Morris's smile widen.

"What?" both Harry and Ron asked together, Morris, was now laughing so hard that he misjudged the end of the bed, and fell backwards and disappeared in the clump of pillows and covers that he pulled on top of himself as he tried to avoid the fall.

Three heads popped into view over the side of Morris's bed, as they watched Morris moving around under the pile of covers. He finally found his way out, and as he did all four of them exploded into laughter.

It felt like hours before they could return to conversation without giggling. Morris wiped a tear from his eye as he tried to answer Harry and Ron's question. "A Legilimens," he began "is a person, like me, or all pretty much very Wand Maker, who practices the art of Legilimency"

"Yeah but what's that mean?" Ron asked, annoyed that Russell had not yet gotten to his point. Morris rolled his eyes before resting on Harry.

Harry suddenly had a shocking realisation, memories itching their way to the surface of his mind. It was Morris' voice; it was old "Mr Ollivander is one of the wizarding worlds most experienced and skill wizards in the art and ways of Legilimency. He never needs to ask such personal questions, but sadly I do." it was a clue, and then there was the incidence in the Hospital wing, the time when Morris had entered his mind.

How could he of not seen it before, it was staring him right in the face. But was it even possible? Could wizards do such a thing? Harry could have laughed. What was he thinking, of cause they could. Russell Morris is a mind reader.

"Not really a mind reader Harry" Morris smiled and winked. Harry's jaw dropped in a half smile. "As all of those who practise Legilimency are taught 'The mind is not a book, to be opened at will and examined at leisure. Thoughts are not etched on the inside of skulls, to be perused by any invader. The mind is a complex and many-layered thing. Do not get lost'" Morris quoted, as if it was he had perfectly memorized it.

"You can read minds!" Ron suddenly squeaked loudly. It was now Harry, before Morris or Hermione, who burst into laughter at the lost and very blunt expression that was Ronald Weasely.