"It's been an interesting month Minerva." Dumbledore said as he walked quietly into the teacher's lounge. McGonagall looked away from the window, sighing and putting her glasses back on.
"You're telling me? I worry Albus, about the decision to let young Mrs. Potter and her brother reside her over the school term." He sat down next to her, absently picking up an essay she was grading.
"I know you do, but honestly, I want to keep an eye on them, as well as give Harry some happiness in his life. Last year was rough on him."
"I agree… but after you told me what Mahari and Tedros was… I don't know if we're capable o f dealing with their magic. That spell in the Great Hall… the children awoke with no memory of what transpired! She did that with one word."
"I know, isn't it exciting?"
"Albus!"
"I know it bothers you because it keeps coming up in conversation. I'm honestly excited about it." Minerva looked at him and huffed.
"Of course you are." Albus looked over his glasses.
"You need to loosen up. I hear that Tedros has sat in on a few of your classes?"
"He has. He wants to understand the theory behind Transfiguration. I wish I had him as a student. He and Ms. Granger are a teachers dream."
"I'm sure he is… but there is something else you wanted to talk to me about, isn't there?"
She smiled stiffly. "You know me too well Albus. Too many years of working together."
"That; and the fact that when you try and hold something back, your eyebrows try to escape into your hair." Her mouth dropped open and she laughed.
"If the student's heard you speak like this…"
"They wouldn't believe it, and my reputation would remain wonderfully aloof." He became serious. "So what is on your mind?"
"I'm worried about those horrible Daily Prophet articles about Harry and Mahari. The female population of Hogwarts is very unforgiving, and they consider her to be lower than dirt from removing Harry from their marriage fantasies."
"Well, girls will be girls."
"No, Albus… they're somewhat rude to her. I don't want her to think of herself as a prisoner. When I leave in the morning from my quarters, she seems as if she's just getting in. I don't think she's sleeping well."
"Poppy told me that was a suspicion as well. I just trust that Harry will make sure that her stay here is adequate."
"You can't possibly think that Harry has the emotional insight to see what's in front of his eyes, do you? He is only sixteen."
"But he's risen to the occasion before. Minerva, stay out of it."
"Albus, you can't possibly-"
"Stay out of it." She bristled at his firm tone.
"Fine." McGonagall scooted away from him unconsciously, and Dumbledore just picked his chair up and sat it again right next to her. "You're impossible."
"Lemon Drop?" He said cheerily, three in his hand.
"No thank you. I don't know what they're laced with this time."
"I would tell you, but you'd take them away."
"Probably."
> > > > >
Mahari smoothed her hair as she quickened down the steps. Harry asked her to accompany him to his first class of the day, Transfiguration. She was interested in this particular discipline of magic, and was somewhat excited that she was attending.
Nodding to a few students who looked her way, she turned the corner, walking down the hall to the classroom. She hesitated slightly as she came closer to a group of girls. They wore the same colors as Harry, so they must be in his House. Readying herself with a smile, she walked past, it faltered as she saw the looks on their faces.
"Hello." They turned their heads, as if they didn't hear her. Sighing, Mahari continued into the classroom and looked around. She was the first one there, Professor McGonagall at the front of the class. "Hello Professor."
"Ms. Wolfe… I'm sorry, I mean, Mrs. Potter. I apologize. One day I will get used to saying that." The older woman pulled her glasses off and smiled.
"You're not the only one." Mahari pointed at the desks. "Which one is Harry's?"
"That one." McGonagall watched as she sat down next to the chair. "You're joining us this morning?"
"If you don't mind. Harry asked me to come."
"No, not at all. I love when people take an interest in my class, even if they're not students." Minerva frowned as she saw the way Mahari gingerly held herself, the dark circles in her eyes. "Are you alright?"
"Why do you ask?" She looked up, a slight fear in her eyes.
"Because you look as if you're not all that well. Is everything alright with you and the baby?" Mahari opened her mouth to reply, but closed it as the tittering group of girls she encountered outside walked in, along with other students. Class was about to begin.
"Hey, Madam Pomfrey said that you missed your check up with her today." She turned as Harry slid into the chair next to her, kissing her on the cheek.
"Mr. Potter, I suggest you leave that outside my classroom walls, where it's barely appropriate. We're about to begin." He blushed as the rest of the class laughed, Hermione and Ron running in before the doors were closed.
Harry looked at Mahari, frowning. She wasn't able to answer him, and he had a feeling that she didn't want to. "Today, class… we will be learning how to transfigure rats into kittens." He looked up. The class promised to be interesting, but he couldn't help but think of Scabbers and Peter Pettigrew, and Harry glanced over at Ron, whose face was pale.
"I know that everyone will be excited, with this year allowing for animate to animate transfiguration, but know that this will take concentration, practice, and above all… patience. Not everyone will get it first try, but don't be discouraged. I have faith that everyone will perform satisfactorily. Now everyone pass around the cage, and place the rat on your desk. Unless agitated, they should not run around, Hagrid has assured me of that."
Mahari's nose wrinkled as the class passed around the rats, placing them on the desks where they sat obediently. She grabbed Harry's arm as it looked at her. "Harry!"
"Yes?"
"Why is it looking at me?" She hissed.
"Because you're so pretty." Mahari smiled and swatted his arm.
"Very funny." She kissed him on the cheek.
"Ahem. Another warning and I'll have to ask you to leave Mrs. Potter." Mahari swallowed and nodded.
"I'm sorry."
"No apologies. Just don't let it happen again." Harry nodded, and the couple disengaged themselves, their attention on the lesson at hand. Professor McGonagall walked to the chalkboard and tapped it with her wand. "Take these points down, and commit them to memory. The success of your spell will be determined by how well you can remember them.
"Transfiguring a living, breathing creature is different from say a cup, or a rock. You will have to force your rat to the shape of a kitten, and that will take conviction. You cannot sort of want for the transfiguration to be successful… you have to demand it, and let your magic react accordingly." Mahari raised her hand. "Yes, Mrs. Potter." Harry smiled down at his rat, while students in the back of the room giggled quietly.
"I was wondering, why force something else to assume another form? What if it's not in them?"
"That's what the wonderful art of transfiguration is for. Imagine if you're in the forest, and a wild bear is running at you. You'll be glad to have someone who can transfigure that hulking killing machine into a tea cozy, instead of upwards a thousand pounds of bear still coming towards you."
"But Professor, I wouldn't have that problem." Mahari insisted.
"And why not young lady?"
"Because I would just persuade the bear to keep going in the other direction."
"And you think you could do that with a bat of your pretty little eyes?" Mahari shrugged.
"I don't know what I do it with, but anything can be influenced." Minerva looked at Mahari over her glasses and an eyebrow rose.
"As that may be, we're in transfiguration, and that's what we'll learn. I want everyone to tap their rat, and repeat the incantation, demuto alacritas corpus. You may do so now."
Mahari watched as Harry pulled out his wand, the rat squeaking once, and as he and everyone around him said the incantation, she felt as if large hammers slammed through the air, and a smothering roar echoed in her ears. The air felt weird… the magic was strange. "This is harsh magic…"
"What?" Harry scratched his head. His kitten had a rat's tail.
"It's still a rat!" She said.
"Um… It's only partly rat love. I almost have it."
"No, that's not what I meant. I still see it as a rat." Mahari blinked, and saw a kitten with a rat's tail sitting on the desk, but after the next blink… it was again a rat.
"What?"
"It was never meant to be a cat to begin with!" She raised her hand again.
"Yes, Mrs. Potter."
"Wouldn't it just be easier to find rats that are more inclined on becoming cats, instead of forcing those who are just happy being rats to assume the form?" Professor McGonagall walked away from a surprised Neville's purring kitten.
"I don't follow you." Mahari looked around, slightly shy. One smile from Hermione gave her strength.
"I just thought it made sense to go with the natural inclination of the animal. It's easier than bludgeoning it over the head with your magic. Instead you're just giving it the little push it needed to be happy."
"And how would you know what such a thing would like to be?" Harry turned around and glared at the few people in the back who laughed. It stopped quickly.
"It's like picking up a stick, because it looked so much like a bat, and you felt like it could be a bat. And it was… inside."
"Interesting theory. But for now, in my classroom, why don't we endeavor to cause fewer interruptions. Those of you, who weren't successful, try again, and then we'll work on the reversal incantation."
Mahari pinched the bridge of her nose as more laughter came from the back of the class. Dean snorted with disgust and turned around. "You back there, why don't you shut your holes."
"Why are your boxers in a snit Dean? Mad that we're having a laugh courtesy of Mahari?" Lavender shot back, glaring at the boy one row ahead of her.
"No, I'm mad that you're making fun of her for doing something you never do. Ask intelligent questions and listen to the assignment. And it is so obvious since you're still sitting there restraining a rat." He turned back to the front, Hermione and Harry turning red from keeping their laughter in. Mahari was the only one who didn't have a smile on her face, and another headache welled up inside of her.
She couldn't take it anymore… her head hurt most of the day now. Clamping down on the pain, Mahari breathed a sigh of relief, as the pain ebbed away.
Harry gritted his teeth, the pain coming out of nowhere. His kitten exploded, spraying Mahari, Harry, and Professor McGonagall with cat remains. The windows behind the surprised teacher shattered, and Harry gripped the desk, the world spinning. He didn't hear the screams as his hearing dimmed, ringing in his head.
Mahari jumped up as the desk started splintering underneath Harry's hands, and she watched as other desks cracked, folding to the floor as if beaten to submission. Animal and human screams were in the air, everyone running away from Harry.
"Harry!" Mahari opened her mind and felt the pain just a step away. Thinning her shields, she swept it into herself, and gasped. The world erupted into a bright and dazzling thing… and she could see the magic in the room. It wanted to suffocate, thick and multicolored as the witches and wizards that called it.
Professor McGonagall was in front of her, grabbing her before she could hit the ground, and she was a bright, shining thing, dazzling as a diamond, and Mahari couldn't look away. "Mrs. Potter, what is going on? What is the matter?"
"Professor, I don't think she can answer you." Harry panted, letting go of the desk pieces he still held in his hand. Staggering to the floor, he gripped Mahari's ankle, and she screamed.
If McGonagall was beautiful, Harry was absolutely breathtaking… a being she had never looked upon before, with such power! She couldn't take it anymore, and Mahari wondered who was screaming with her voice…and her body went rigid.
Hermione stood and caught Mahari on the way down to the floor, Harry having passed out where he kneeled, Professor McGonagall's hand over her mouth. When Potter touched Mahari… there was this current… tears were in her eyes, and she laughed slightly.
"Professor, we need Madam Pomfrey!" Hermione's voice brought her back from some euphoric plateau that her mind had visited, and reality came crashing down as hard as the windows behind her.
"Mr. Thomas, please inform Madam Pomfrey that her expertise will be needed." Minerva shook her head, voice shaky.
"No…" Harry pushed himself up to his knees, breathing heavily. Hermione looked down into Mahari's eyes, and they were almost white. "I'll take her."
"Mr. Potter, you're barely in better shape than she is. Let Madam Pomfrey come and take a look at the two of you."
"No, we'll walk. I can carry her." He gritted his teeth and winced, the light suddenly really bright as he gained his balance and took a step.
"Mr. Thomas, I'm still in charge here, so do as I asked." McGonagall pursed her lips disapprovingly.
"No." Dean stopped, suddenly rooted to the floor.
"Mr. Thomas!"
"Professor, I can't move!" He jerked on his legs, which wouldn't leave their positions on the floor.
"Potter! Is this your doing?" Harry didn't answer as he lifted his wife out of Hermione's arms.
"Harry… maybe you shouldn't be walking, let alone carrying Mahari when you're like this." Hermione said hesitantly, wiping the cat off of her forehead.
"Don't." Ron stood, and began kicking away broken desks that littered Harry's path, face slightly pale.
"Harry…" She began again.
"Hermione, leave the man alone." Ron said quietly, watching Harry leave the room.
>
"How are you feeling?" Harry promised himself he would calm down. Mahari's eyes were open after the first flight of stairs, but she wouldn't answer. It wasn't until halfway to the infirmary that she was able to speak.
"Oh god… what was that…"
"I don't know."
"Where are we going?"
"Madam Pomfrey."
"Put…put me down." She mumbled.
"No."
"Harry, I'm not fragile." Mahari started to fight against his chest, but Harry's grip tightened.
"Stop."
"Harry…"
"No. Stop." She looked up, and her movements ceased. He wasn't going to take no for an answer. Mahari felt like an idiot. It was her fault really, and she didn't even know how she did it. Stewing in her own thoughts, she didn't realize they came upon a crowd of girls… from the look of it; they were in Harry's year.
Mahari made her face blank as they neared, and she heard the whisperings within their little group. One particularly brave girl stepped forward, and put her hand on his arm, causing him to stop short slightly.
"I can't talk right now. I need to get her to Pomfrey." Harry pulled his arm out of her grasp. She was a Ravenclaw girl, a curly redhead who was always friendly in class.
"Harry, she's just faking. She's trying to compete with you. You need someone who will compliment you. Someone who isn't afraid of letting you have the limelight and making sure you're… taken care of… at home." Her girlfriends tittered behind her, and Harry looked at her as if she was growing an extra head.
"What? You… get out of my way."
"Harry! You don't-"
"Move out of my way!" He shouldered past the girls, and continued on to the hospital wing. Mahari is shaking in his arms, and he didn't know if it's from anger… or something worse. Almost running he took the last few yards, yelling and kicking the door open. Madam Pomfrey ran from her office, and Mahari's eyes rolled up into her head.
> > > > >
"I'm telling you, I'm fine." Mahari sighed and crossed her arms.
"Okay, I'm so glad."
"So you're going to let me out of the bed, right?" She smiled, and asked sugary sweet.
"No."
"Tedros!" He shook his head from the couch, moving his pawn. Ron scratched his head and smiled, swiftly ending the move.
"I'm sorry sis, I'm more inclined to agree with your husband."
"You know I'm fine. I feel absolutely wonderful!" Mahari smiled and white lied convincingly.
"Maybe we could let her up." Hermione shrugged, washing the salad in the sink. Harry shook his head, putting six plates out on to the table.
"Nope. Madam Pomfrey said she needed to rest. She's not getting enough sleep."
"Well, she's not going to get it if she's forced to lie down." Ginny quipped from the desk, her Potions homework sprawled everywhere.
"Thank you Ginny! I knew I liked you for some reason." Hermione smiled and put the silverware out.
"But I do get to eat at the table, right?"
"I think Harry should feed you in bed." Ron suppressed a laugh as Tedros suddenly concentrated harder on the game on the coffee table.
"What!"
"You know, I think that's a good idea." Tedros swallowed his own laugh, careful not to look at his sister.
"You what!"
"That settles it then. I'm going to feed you in bed." Mahari's eyebrow rose in anger, and she glared at Harry.
"No, I don't think you want to attempt that."
"Leave her alone guys, she's gone through enough today." Hermione smiled and shook her head, closing Mahari's cookbook. "Besides, she has to make sure that this is okay, because I'm out of my element."
Harry sat next to Mahari, taking her hand in his. "Seriously though… you gave everyone a scare. Are you sure you're alright?"
"I'm fine. I don't know what happened this morning, but Madam Pomfrey said that I was wonderful."
"Except you don't get enough rest."
"Sure I do."
"No, you don't." Mahari looked around their crowded living quarters.
"Can we talk about this another time?"
"Fine."
"And can I get up and taste the food? Hermione is a wonderful cook, but there is only so much I can guarantee, shouting orders into the kitchen, for stuff I can't even see."
"I'll risk it."
"Harry…"
"Fine. I really don't feel like going down to the Great Hall for supper."
"Me either."
"Not me."
"I can't eat anything down there anyway."
"I don't want to see anyone until I'm done with my homework."
"You all are going to eat what I made, and it's really good, so there." Hermione smiled and clapped her hands. "Lets eat!"
> > > > >
Tedros raked his hands through his hair and smiled, catching the eye of the seventh year girls who were in the corner of the library, watching him more than their books. He leaned back in his chair, dressed in a purple linen tunic, with matching slacks.
He knew they were there, and he couldn't resist showing off just a tad. Tossing his hair over his shoulder, Tedros winked at the gaggle, causing them to giggle. "You like baiting women, don't you?" A very pretty Asian girl stepped in his view.
"Maybe. Who are you?"
"More like, who do you think you are?" Tedros stopped leaning in his chair and looked at her. She was very pretty, in that delicate, but tough sort of way. His favorite way.
"I'm Tedros. And you are?" He rose and offered his hand.
"Chang, Cho Chang."
"Pretty name for such a pretty woman." Cho smiled slightly and flipped her hair over her shoulder.
"And do you flirt with all the girls like this?"
"No, only the ones who actually talk to me."
"Well, consider yourself talked to."
"And consider yourself flirted with." Tedros laughed; glad to have met this cute girl who wasn't afraid of talking to him. Another two girls walked past, dressed in Ravenclaw colors.
"No fair Cho… you always get what you want." Tedros turned back to her in surprise.
"You wanted me?" He asked, leaning in closer. Cho rolled her eyes slightly.
"More like I wanted to talk to you. You're not at all what I thought you would be."
"And what did you think I would be like?"
"Like your sister."
"Uh… no. My sister is one of a kind." He chuckled as his thoughts turned to her briefly.
"Yeah, she's sort of a bitch though." Tedros frowned and took a step back.
"And you know my sister?" The air turned slightly chilly.
"Well…no. But I've heard of her."
"Oh God… please get away from me."
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me. Get away from me. You are all so immature!" Tedros slammed his book closed, stalking past the startled teen. Walking out of the library, he was seeing red… literally, which was a good thing. "Hey, Ron. Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure. On my way to lunch, so I have time. What's pissed you off?" He asked, both of them moving through the crowd easily.
"Stupid people. Why doesn't anyone like Mahari? It's been a while since we've been here… and they're just…." Tedros trailed off, shaking his head.
"Going after you and being mean to her?"
"Yeah. How'd you know?"
"First of all, I just want to let you know, being your friend and sharing a room with you has perks. Dean, Seamus, Neville and I all have random girls walking up and talking to us because they know we know you."
"Yeah, whatever. Seriously."
"Well, they're upset that Harry didn't pick someone inside of Hogwarts."
"That's it?" They both stopped at the doors of the Great Hall.
"That's it mate. Why does it have to be something more complicated?"
"Because almost every female in this school can't be that petty."
"Mate, Hogwarts girls are really territorial. They consider it a really bad thing if you go and get someone outside school to date. And then Harry's rich and famous. All the girls wanted a crack at that."
"Man, skanks and hoes come from everywhere I guess."
"Something like that."
"But what I don't understand is that they had a chance. Apparently five years. It's not my sister's fault."
"I know that, but they don't realize it."
"I'm really trying to warm up to people here. Except the guys in our tower, and the teachers… I'm not finding a whole lot to like here. Oh, and the library."
Ron wrinkled his nose. "You sound like Hermione."
"Yeah, well, she's one of the few non insane girls I've met. One, right before I ran into you, had the nerve to call Mahari a bitch to my face… like I'm not her brother or something!"
"What did she look like?"
"She was average height, with long black hair… and was Asian. Very pretty." Ron paled slightly.
"Cho Chang?"
"Yeah."
"Oh boy…"
"What?" Tedros smiled briefly at a girl who walked between him and Ron.
"Nothing."
"Right. Now what is it?"
"That was Harry's… well… she was Harry's…" Ron stammered.
"His girlfriend?"
"No, not quite."
"Then what?"
"Love interest. Yeah, that's it. He liked her for almost two years."
"Ah … that's why Mahari was a bitch. Okay, cool. I'm good." Ron frowned in confusion as Tedros walked started to walk away.
"Where are you going?" he yelled.
"To talk to my sister!"
> > > > >
Mahari pulled herself out of the pool, marveling yet again how the room molded to her whim every time she turned the doorknob. This place kept her sane, even down to the bagels she used to buy down at the store in Central Islip…
If Harry knew she was down here tonight, he would be worried, and he was already worried about so much. And if he knew she was coming down every night when he fell asleep… she didn't want to think about it. She didn't want to think about what could be wrong with her, because she didn't want to deal with it. There was only so much she could deal with at one time.
She caught her profile in the mirror, the roundness of her abdomen slightly more pronounced now, but barely showing. Mahari caressed her stomach, a bittersweet feeling welling up in her throat. So much was a mistake… "But you're not." She whispered to her unborn child, more in reassurance of herself than anyone else.
The tears wanted to come, but Mahari didn't let them. Forcing them down inside, she breathed deep, until the feeling subsided. It was nearly time for the castle to stir; she needed to be back in bed before Harry woke up. Rubbing her temples gently, she tied her robe and exited the room, on quiet slippers making it back to the staff quarters and to Harry and her apartment.
When she opened the door he was still asleep, turned over onto his side, his head buried into his pillow, leg hanging off the side of the bed. He always did hog the bed… Tiptoeing in, she disrobed and pulled on her nightgown, climbing into bed next to him. He didn't even stir, and she spent the next two hours watching him sleep.
At seven she rose again, set out his uniform, and started breakfast on autopilot. Ever since she became unable to sleep, she found herself a routine that would give Harry the most security about her well being. Whipping up a fruit salad, she set the small bowl of granola and some milk, and sat down at the opposite end of the table.
On cue, Harry rolled over off the bed, groaning slightly and rubbing his eyes. "Mahari?" He yawned, standing up and stretching.
"Morning."
"Morning." He finally opened his eyes and smiled. "Smells good."
"Thanks. You better hurry up if you want to eat anything. You're going to be late." Harry looked at his watch and yelped.
"Why didn't you wake me up earlier?" He ran into the bathroom and turned on the shower.
"Because you never do." Mahari put her head on the table, but not before making sure that Harry was carefully ensconced in the bathroom.
"Are you coming to my Defense class? Tedros said he'd be there!" She groaned and lifted her head again.
"Yes! Just come and get me."
"Okay!" Mahari looked down at her hands, and they were shaking. Forcing herself to concentrate, she stilled her hands, and gasped at the pain that lanced through her head. "What's going on out there!" Harry yelled, sticking his head out of the shower, soap on his nose as he squinted to try and see something.
"Nothing. Hurry up, your fruit salad is getting cold."
"It's already cold!"
"Whatever!"
> > > > >
Professor Dumbledore looked at the students that were roughhousing in the hall, their thoughts on the snitch they were tossing back and forth, all the young men and women first years. He smiled, genuinely enjoying the youth in their play.
An overzealous child let the snitch go too far, and the group gasped as it powered away. A hand snatched out and grabbed the delicate gold ball, a smiling Harry Potter coming around the corner. "I think someone dropped this." He gave it to an outstretched hand.
"Thanks!"
"Thank you!"
"No problem." He watched as they ran away, excited.
"That was Harry Potter!" Someone said excitedly, amid the jostling of other kids. Harry turned and stopped, seeing Dumbledore in the shadow.
"Manipulating someone else right now?" He asked coolly. Albus sighed and stepped out into the hall, hands held up in peace.
"I am just here enjoying the mirth of my students. True happiness is rare these days…"
"Well, I'm sure you know." Harry turned to walk away.
"Harry, can I talk to you about something?"
Dumbledore pointed towards the gargoyle that led to his office. Once the both of them were ensconced in the room, Harry wanted to hang back. He hadn't been in the Headmaster's office since….since….their little talk. "You don't want to have a seat, Harry?"
"No, I'm fine thanks."
"I'm not going to attack you."
"I hope we can move past this Harry. Please, have a seat." Harry shook his head.
"I'm sorry Professor. I thought I would be able to be here… but I can't. Can I go?"
"Not until we talk."
"I haven't been in trouble, my life hasn't been threatened in any way, as far as I know, and I am not getting any visions. There, are you happy? An update." The teen crossed his arms and looked conflicted.
"Harry, not everything is about you. This is about your wife."
"What about her?"
"I have reason to worry about her health."
"Madam Pomfrey said that her body is just adjusting to the pregnancy, and once it does, she'll be able to get some rest, and she'll feel better."
"But I don't just mean physical. I mean mental and spiritual as well." Harry frowned, and sat down in one of the chairs that were in front of his desk.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Dumbledore nodded his fingers steepled under his chin.
"She's languishing, Harry."
"Mahari is just getting used to the atmosphere of Hogwarts" Harry leaned back far into the chair, looking inward.
"She's not thriving here."
"I know she will."
"Harry, maybe you wanted her here with you so badly, you didn't think of the fact that she is part sidhe and our magic is not mixing well with her."
"Professor, it is not odd for a man to want his wife here, where he is."
"Harry, I know you think you're a-"
"Please, don't tell me that I'm not a man because of my age. We both know that there is more to me than my physical age. I did want Mahari with me, and I think her life would be in danger if she wasn't here."
"Mr. Wolfe has come to me with serious headaches; Madam Pomfrey doesn't know what to do. If you are so determined to keep them here, I want you to have Mahari contact her grandmother. There are some things I should talk to her about, and maybe we'll get some answers."
Harry nodded, and rose. "I'll ask her to do that tonight."
"Maybe that's not necessary. Ask her about tomorrow, when she's had rest."
> > > > >
"Stop running in the halls!" Hermione barked at some third years, who almost tripped down a changing staircase. She rolled her eyes, because as soon as her back was turned, she knew they started running again.
"Hermione!" Turning, she smiled as Mahari walked down the stairs, looking kind of winded. "Man, this place will definitely tone my thighs."
"Yeah, it will. Just running to class keeps you in shape. So how are you doing today?"
"I'm fine."
"Is that why you have bags under your eyes?" Mahari's jaw tightened slightly.
"I'm tired of people asking me if I'm alright. First Madam Pomfrey and now you." She walked past Hermione, towards the Defense against the Dark Arts room.
"I'm just worried, as is everyone else." Hermione said as she caught up.
"I'm sorry, but hearing 'Are you alright?' eight to ten hours a day is getting old."
"Then don't have us worry. Get some rest!"
"I do rest."
"No, you don't." Hermione sighed and grabbed Mahari's elbow, stopping her angry walk. "Look, something's wrong. Have you and Harry talked about it?" Mahari shook her head, about to cry. "Why not? He's your husband."
"I think he's part of the problem. I think I made a mistake." Hermione tried to keep the shock off of her face. Half of her wasn't surprised, but the other half was shocked to hear her friend say it out loud.
"What do you think was the mistake? Marrying him?"
"More than likely."
"You don't mean that." Mahari shrugged.
"Look, it's been a rough morning, and I'm just really on edge. I think I'm just saying stupid stuff."
"Probably. So how did the physical go with Madam Pomfrey?"
"I was bumped back an hour, because two students came with fainting spells. They wouldn't wake up." Hermione frowned.
"Those stupid prats. I'm going to have to talk to Fred and George."
"The twins with the shop, right? They're hilarious."
"I'm sure they are. But what did Madam Pomfrey say?"
"I'm fine." Mahari looked away. She hated lying with a passion, but she didn't want to alarm Hermione. Madam Pomfrey told her the baby had an irregular heartbeat, which could be aggravated by her inability to rest.
"Glad to hear it." Hermione didn't believe her for a moment, but the classroom was looming ahead, and other Gryffindors and Slytherins were making their way inside. Mahari smiled as she walked in, the air full of excitement. Harry told her this was his favorite class, and now she knew why.
The room was large, a long table with a staircase on either side. Mahari took a seat in the back, wanting to just observe after her fiasco with Professor McGonagall. Smiling at the few others who smiled back at her, she settled in as a tall black man came and stood in front of the class.
"Settle down. Mr. Finnigan, could you please catch the door. Today I will take up your homework on the stunning spells, and we'll practice them today. Pass them up, and no excuses."
"Professor Shacklebolt, honestly, my homework exploded!" Neville raised his hand, looking crestfallen.
"And how did that come to pass?" He asked, stopping in mid stride.
"A mishap at the table of the Gryffindor common room. I was drinking some juice, and it spilled on my parchment. Seamus taught me a spell to clean grape juice off of anything, and when I tried it… it blew up." Harry's ears turned red with the effort it took to not laugh. Everyone else was in similar situations.
"See me after class Mr. Longbottom. As for the rest of you, we're moving on the practical application of your essay. Each person will get another student's essay. That's the person you'll be paired with. Since we have two houses in this class, I'm going to make sure you don't get paired with someone in your house." The essays were redistributed, and the groans that echoed around the room gave a satisfied smile to Professor Shacklebolt.
Harry smiled inwardly. He had Goyle, and he was looking forward to stunning him right between the eyes. The big oaf had was entirely too slow to fire anything off, let alone remember the right spell and aim correctly.
Mahari watched as the student pairs went, Ron and Crabbe first up. Ron looked slightly uncomfortable as he felt everyone's eyes on him, but focused as Crabbe made his way up to the table.
"What are you looking at?" The red head asked the hulking Slytherin.
"Why, are you afraid?"
"Of getting ugly on my robes, if that what you mean." He shot back. The class laughed, and Professor Shacklebolt cleared his throat.
"I don't think I covered trash talking in the lecture yesterday. Wands at the ready gentlemen, and stunning charms only." Ron smiled, and imagined a nicely placed target in between Crabbe's fat eyes. "One…two…three!"
"Expelliarmus!" Ron roared before Crabbe could get his wand up properly. The fat oaf defied physics and sailed through the air, slamming into the empty wall behind him. Shacklebolt looked at the fallen student and nodded his head.
"Well done Ron. You may sit down. Ennervate!" Crabbe's eyes opened, and he groaned. Professor Shacklebolt smiled grimly and held his hand out, helping the teen to his feet, albeit shakily. "You're alright. Just have a seat. Next pair, Pavati and Millicent, if you please?"
Mahari looked on with pride, knowing that Harry helped train almost all of the Gryffindor students in the class, and almost always managed to knock their opponent clear off of the platform.
Professor Shacklebolt was definitely pleased. Some of the students were using auror level stuns, and three students were sent to the infirmary. Goyle and Harry made their way to the front of the class, and everyone sat up. This was what they wanted to see.
Harry hated being put on display, and he sighed as his foot made it to the first stair. Goyle pulled out his wand and pointed it at him, and before he realized it, his wand was in his hand as well. A shift in the crowd caused him to look down, and Malfoy was there, a smile on his face as he had his own wand out, pointing it at Harry's chest.
"PROTEGO!" He yelled, throwing up his shield. Harry's eyes widened as he realized the energy he called up for the shield was substantially more than he was normally able to call forth. The dueling platform cracked under the force of his shield, and from inside it was like watching everything in slow motion. Professor Shacklebolt looked up from his quiet discussion with Neville, wand out.
The hex that Goyle threw knocked the boy up and over the class as the shield reflected it back to the originator. Malfoy's spell, whatever it was, pushed him through the desks, knocking teens and furniture out of the way as he slid to the wall. Mahari stood, along with almost everyone else in the room.
"Mr. Goyle, Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Potter! Mr. Potter! Let go of that shield!"
"I can't!" Harry felt the platform give way, and he sank slowly to the stone floor, hearing the shriek of cleaving limestone. He looked at Mahari, who had a slight smile on her face. She was moving towards an already upright Malfoy.
Mahari always thought her wedding ring was a little big. The rock was absolutely beautiful; a princess cut blood red stone that Harry swore up and down was not a ruby. It reflected light that wasn't there, and was at times heavier than it should have been. But it was perfectly suited for what she was about to do. Tapping the platinum haired menace on his shoulder, he turned around, wand out. Slapping it out of the way, Mahari reared back and let her fist fly at his face.