Harry had been intending to talk to Lupin, particularly to ask if the man had purposely not let Harry face the Boggart, but he didn't expect the conversation to be initiated by the man himself, who turned up in the library while Harry was there.
"Harry, could I have a word with you?" Professor Lupin asked quietly, to avoid irritating the librarian.
Guess this is your chance, Archer commented.
Harry nodded. "Sure, Professor. Just let me put this book back."
Professor Lupin's gaze fell on the book in Harry's hand, and the boy's sharp eyes caught the shift in his demeanor when he realized that it was about werewolves, which Harry took as confirmation that Lupin really was a werewolf.
Doing his best to stay calm and cool, Harry deposited the book back on the shelf he took it from and indicated with a tilt of his head for Lupin to lead the way. Werewolves aren't dangerous when they aren't transformed, even if they can inflict permanent scars through bites or scratches as humans, Harry thought back to the information he had absorbed from the book. But untransformed or not, a wizard is still dangerous.
Sensing Harry's wariness, Lupin seemed to make an effort to appear as nonthreatening as possible, making sure to keep his hands in sight always and avoiding any furtive movements. He led the way back to his office, which was very sparsely furnished.
"Well..." Lupin said awkwardly, "Have a seat. Would you like a cup of tea? I am having one myself."
"I'm fine, thanks." Harry slowly lowered himself down into the chair facing the desk. "What did you wish to speak to me about?" He asked politely.
Lupin hesitated just as he picked up a kettle. "It's about the class earlier, actually. Surely... surely you must be wondering why I didn't let you face it?"
"That thought did cross my mind," Harry admitted. "Why? Was it because of Snape?"
"Severus Snape was part of the reason, yes." Lupin tapped the kettle with his wand, causing a blast of steam to suddenly issue from the spout. "But only part."
He didn't correct me about not using 'Professor' for Snape, Harry noticed. "Then the other part... is me?" He guessed.
Lupin turned around with a tin in his hands, and met Harry's gaze. "Yes. And I think you know why."
The man's gaze went slightly upwards, not towards the faint lightning bolt scar on Harry's brow, but to the white hair on his head.
"I had a traumatic incident in my childhood, with my aunt's family." Harry repeated the same story he told to anyone who asked about his white hair. "My hair's white because of it."
Lupin dropped a teabag into a mug and poured the hot water after it, before sitting down on the other side of the desk with the mug in his hands. "I see."
A short period of silence passed as they just stared at each other, Lupin blowing occasionally on his tea to cool it down. It was Harry who broke it first.
"Professor, what happens if someone with severe trauma encounters a Boggart?" He asked frankly.
"The Boggart will turn into the source of the trauma." Lupin answered quietly. "The person would hardly be able to deal with the Boggart in that case."
There was another brief moment of silence, during which Harry was thinking furiously about what he wanted to find out from this man.
"I must admit, I assumed that if the Boggart faced you, it would have been traumatic for the other students as well."
"It probably would have." Harry agreed to that false assumption, before changing the subject. "Professor Lupin, let me ask you this straight. Are you a werewolf?"
The man froze, and the color drained from his face, before setting down his mug. "I won't deny that I am a werewolf." Lupin admitted. "Was it my Boggart that tipped you off?"
Harry nodded. "I realized it was the moon right away, but it was your reaction in the library that confirmed it."
Lupin let out a forced laugh. "I never expected that one of my students would find out my secret so quickly." He took another sip of tea, then looked at Harry. "So, are you going to tell your friends? They'll tell their parents, naturally, and I'll be forced to leave Hogwarts."
Seems like werewolves are discriminated against, Archer said.
So it seems. Harry shook his head. "I just want to know, why are you here at Hogwarts? Is it something to do with me?"
Lupin sighed. "Yes."
"What exactly?" Harry pressed.
"You're a clever lad, so would I be right to assume you already know about Sirius Black?" Lupin asked calmly. Seeing Harry nod, he continued, "Then you can guess why Headmaster Dumbledore hired me."
"To protect me in case Black comes after me." Harry reasoned. "But why?" He asked, "Why you and not, let's say, an Auror?"
Lupin sighed again. "The truth is, I used to be friends with Sirius Black."
It was as though something clicked in Harry's head; he now realized where he had heard the name Lupin before. Back when he was trying to learn more about his parents and their friends, Lupin had been mentioned as one of his father's closest buddies.
"And my father as well." Harry added. Well, I guess Dumbledore was wagering on Lupin being familiar with how Black would break in.
Lupin looked slightly startled at first, before nodding resignedly. "Yes, your father was one of my friends too. And so was Peter, Peter Pettigrew."
"Which begs the question," Harry broke in sharply, "Why is it that I haven't seen you until now? If you were my father's friend, shouldn't you have taken care of me or something?"
Calm down, Harry. Archer was aware that his host was getting a bit worked up.
"I think you already know just how werewolves are viewed in wizarding society." Lupin replied wearily. "There was no way that I would have been allowed anywhere near the Boy-Who-Lived."
"Not even a letter?" Harry demanded.
Lupin shook his head, but the way he did so made Harry feel betrayed, similar to when he had found out about Black being his godfather. It was only thanks to Archer's efforts that he realized he was acting illogical about things.
Seeing no point in continuing the line of questioning, Harry forced himself to calm down, and changed the subject. "So what exactly do you know that can help catch Black?" The boy had to admit, he was curious about that.
However, the truth wasn't so amazing; Lupin explained that because he and his three friends used to explore the castle together, they were very familiar with all the secret passages to get in and out, as well as around the castle. That was why if Black were to break in, it would only be from a few spots, which were under close watch already.
Somehow, I doubt it would be that easy... Harry thought. Anyway, should I tell him the truth about Black or not?
I don't think it would be a good idea, Archer advised. He might tell Dumbledore, and that old man might meddle again.
You're right, I shouldn't tell him then. Harry watched Lupin thoughtfully. Rare to hear you offer advice like that.
Don't get used to it.
Sighing, Harry got up from the chair. Lupin didn't say anything as Harry walked towards the door, though he was listening carefully when the boy stopped and turned around.
"I won't tell the other students that you are a werewolf, but I don't think we'll be anything more than teacher and student." Harry told the man seriously.
Lupin nodded once, and Harry left the office.
Despite Harry's reservations about Lupin, there was no denying that the man's class was popular. Everyone had good things to say about what they learned during his lessons, which combined both the habits of dangerous creatures as well as the spells that would help combat them. Most of the time, Harry could hear people discussing their last Defense class during the study group sessions. Not all talk revolved around the lesson, however.
"He could at least make an effort to dress better," Draco complained. "The state of those robes, it's unbecoming of a Hogwarts Professor."
"Well, now you know what to get him for his birthday." Harry said absently as he filled in the answers for his homework.
"I'm not going to buy him birthday presents!" Draco protested.
It was the first week of October, and Harry was studying with the Student Council under their invitation. While he would have preferred working on his personal projects, he had noticed that he was being tracked; by now, he had identified at least three Prefects from Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff, all seventh-years, watching him whenever he had free time. It was obvious why they were doing it, but to Harry, it was rather stifling.
And progress is still slow on getting Black his trial, Harry thought. If Madam Bones wasn't giving me details...
You know, Archer remarked, I find her letters very interesting because of all the information she's hiding between the lines.
Same here, Harry agreed. Who knew so much politics was going on behind the scenes?
Keeping in her role as Harry's tutor in wizarding politics, Madam Bones regularly wrote him letters explaining the current situation in the Wizengamot while carefully slipping in details on how she was going about preparing for Black's trial.
As for Black, Harry managed to get a letter to the man using Ilya to inform him that Pettigrew had already been captured and was being held in a secure place, and to stay under cover. He also included a package containing food and writing materials so Black could write back, on Archer's advice. However, apart from a short note letting Harry know that he was safely holed up somewhere, there wasn't any further communication. There wasn't much he could do on either end except wait, so instead he distracted himself by focusing on what was in front of him.
Professor Trelawney's class was irritating, and frankly useless, in Harry's opinion. They spent time trying to decipher lopsided shapes and symbols in that hot and stifling tower room, and she kept giving him pitying looks. In retaliation, Harry would come up with explanations that sidestepped her death predictions, doing so in a manner that would irritate the woman. There were some students who believed in her predictions, such as Lavender and Parvati, and they often spent their lunchtimes in the tower room, coming back with annoyingly superior looks on their faces as though they knew things the others didn't. They treated Harry as though he was on his deathbed, to which he responded by pretending he had encountered death omens, and twisting that into something else before they could point it out and stubbornly refusing to believe otherwise.
If anything, it's been helping with my excuse making, but I'm thinking of dropping it soon. I know Hermione is starting to consider it too. Harry rubbed his nose irritably. I'm starting to think that Dumbledore wants me to believe in that nonsense, which is why he put me in that class. But to what purpose, I have no idea.
As for his other electives, the two Professors had noticed that Harry was far ahead of where the class was, and agreed to let him study ahead in their classes so long as he could properly complete a worksheet covering that day's material at the beginning of the lesson. Not surprisingly, Hermione was miffed about that, and she started distancing herself from Harry and studying harder to try and outdo him. Checking the Map had shown her using the Time-Turner more often for that purpose.
I'm going to have to talk to her soon... She's going to burn out at this rate. Harry mused. Or maybe I should get Daphne to do it, she's been hanging around more often.
That might not be a good idea, Harry, Archer warned.
Why? They're both girls, right? Wouldn't it be easier for Daphne to talk to her?
There was a short pause. Hermione considers you a closer friend. She's more likely to listen to you.
Harry was sure that there was something else behind that reasoning, but decided to trust Archer. Alright.
He took a look around the room. Draco was working on an essay about Kappas for Professor Lupin, Su was calculating through the funds earned by the Student Council's activities, Hannah was reviewing some of the future planned projects, and Neville was working on a lesson plan for Hagrid.
While Harry wasn't taking Care of Magical Creatures, he made sure to warn his friends that Hagrid had a tendency to overestimate others' ability to deal with dangerous creatures. In a surprising show of courage, Neville stepped up to review the creatures Hagrid had planned to show the students, so he could come up with ways to make sure no one was hurt. From the way Neville described it, it was a very good thing he did, because the next intended creature had some very sharp fangs. Thanks to the plucky Gryffindor, the class was now dealing with Crups, wizard-bred dogs that resemble Jack Russell Terriers, except for a fork in their tails.
Slightly surprising was that Snape wasn't any more vindictive in class despite having witnessed what some of their greatest fears were, though he occasionally gave them knowing sneers. Harry eventually figured it out that the man was purposely acting that way so as to instill more fear in the students, keeping them on their toes waiting for the shoe to drop. However, telling the others didn't help to dispel their fear.
Finishing the last of his homework, Harry tucked the worksheets away into his bag, and pulled out an old book.
"Is that another one of your rare finds at a used bookstore?" Su asked quietly from next to him.
Harry nodded as he opened Progression of the Arts to where he was last at. In truth, it wasn't a book he found in a used bookstore, but in a book-filled trunk in the Room of Hidden Things.
Under the surveillance, Harry's search of the Room was severely limited, but he managed to get an hour in whenever he could. For some reason, his searching speed seemed to be faster than he recalled it being last year, so Harry was able to go through quite a number of junk piles during the time he spent there. And it was a rewarding search even when he had yet to find the Horcrux hidden within.
The book he was currently reading discussed various methods of working magic, and how they evolved over time to become what they were today. Because it covered quite a number of casting methods, the tome itself was quite thick, so Harry chose to slowly read through it so as to absorb it properly. He didn't regret doing so; there was so much he could incorporate into his own style, even esoteric practices such as nomads dancing to work their spells.
The books weren't the only benefit from his search either. Harry had also discovered several enchanted items, which he Analyzed and deconstructed the spells on in order to further his comprehension on how they interacted with each other. Besides learning more about how to go about enchanting his own creations, Harry actually started getting an idea of how to go about breaking curses and wards, since all he had to do was introduce a foreign element to destabilize the existing matrix. It wasn't perfect yet, especially if there was an underlying trap, but Harry didn't mind the learning process.
But don't forget your purpose in searching through all that junk, Harry, Archer reminded him.
The boy turned a page. No, I haven't. I can feel myself getting close... the only problem is, I think it knows that I'm looking for it. I don't have a reason for how I know, I just do.
So you're expecting some resistance...
Both of them thought back to the time when Harry had went down into the Chamber of Secrets near the end of Harry's second year. Harry had brought along one of Voldemort's Horcruxes in the form of a diary, and it suddenly manifested itself in the form of a paper construct, forcing Harry to fight it and the Basilisk it summoned. Repeating that experience wasn't something he was hoping to go through, especially not if the Horcrux in the Room could use its secrets against him.
But Harry knew that he didn't have a choice, not unless he was willing to let such a dangerous thing remain in Hogwarts. That was why he also spent a few hours using the Room to train his combat abilities; by now, he was developing a proficiency with the spear concealed in his watch, as well as becoming able to fire rapidly and accurately with his bow even while moving at a fast speed. Harry even had a few tricks up his sleeves in the form of his Mystic Eye, which he trained to fire off as fast as he could.
Well, hopefully it won't come to that, Harry thought.
"Well, I'm done too." Su announced, pushing back the papers in front of her. "Harry, do you have anything interesting to read?"
"Yeah," Harry pulled another book out of his bag, not one of his Room finds, and handed it to her. "Here you go."
Su smiled at him. "Thanks, Harry."
Speaking of books, Harry realized he still had all the books down in the Chamber of Secrets to retrieve, but it was hard for him to find the time to do so. There was also the carcass to consider; Harry had no idea whether it had decomposed after being left down there for so long, but if it hadn't, then he had several spells to try out from one of the books from the Room, a journal that explained how to render magical beasts down to materials for use in potions, crafting, and other magical workings.
Outside of Harry's school and hidden life, his social life was also going quite well; the study group of his friends was going strong, and the work was completed quickly with everyone helping each other out, giving them more free time for their own pursuits. Learning etiquette from Daphne, working on Black's motorbike with the Hufflepuffs, discussing books and spells with Su and the other Ravenclaws, there was lots of things for Harry to do, but he managed to juggle them all together somehow.
But I don't think it's going to be so easy from now on... Harry mused.
Are you going to quit? Archer asked.
I'm considering it, actually. It's not like I'm not enjoying it, especially after we won the Cup last year.
With the start of October, the Quidditch season in Hogwarts was about to begin. That was why Harry was not surprised when the door suddenly opened to admit Oliver Wood, the Captain of the Gryffindor team.
"There you are, Harry." The older teenager said excitedly. "Come on, we're having a Quidditch team meeting!"
Sighing, Harry marked his place in his book and put it away into his bag. "Help me watch my bag, please." He asked Su as he got up from the chair.
The girl nodded. "Alright, Harry."
By the time they were all gathered in the locker rooms next to the Quidditch pitch, it was nearly evening. Apart from Harry and Oliver, the Weasley twins were also present in their roles as the Beaters of the team, and so were the Chasers Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinner, and Katie Bell.
"Last year, we finally did it," Oliver started, striding back and forth in front of them. "We won the Quidditch Cup!"
Fred and George let out cheers while the girls whooped, and Harry clapped a few times. Oliver smiled briefly before nodding for them to stop.
"After six years of not winning, Gryffindor finally did it." Oliver clenched his fist. "And that's because we've got the best, ruddy, team, in, the, school!" He punctuated each word with a punch into his other hand.
Harry's attention started to drift as Oliver began introducing the members of the team, and it only returned when he heard himself being mentioned.
"-a Seeker who has never failed to win us a match!" Oliver was glaring at Harry with a kind of furious pride. "And me," The teenager added as an afterthought.
"We think you're very good too, Oliver," George said.
"Spanking good Keeper," Fred added.
"So this is my last year at Hogwarts," Oliver started pacing up and down again. "Which means it's my last chance to see Gryffindor win the Quidditch Cup again. Once I leave at the end of the year, I'll never get another shot at it."
There was such a strong tone of hopeful determination in his voice that the rest of the team couldn't help but get fired up.
"We'll win this again, Oliver!"
"Nothing will stop us!"
"Definitely," Harry said, before pausing thoughtfully. "Say, shouldn't we be having tryouts for the second years?"
Everyone stopped to look at him. "What?"
"Last year we had the Quidditch Introduction event, remember?" Harry reminded them. "Oliver, didn't you make a note of which students might be good on the Quidditch team?"
Oliver blinked, then smacked his fist into a palm. "Ohhh! I totally forgot about that! The list is..." He thought for a few moments. "I left it in my room."
"So when are we having tryouts?" Katie asked.
"Can you take care of it, Harry? Since you're no longer part of the Student Council, I'm sure you got the time." Oliver immediately delegated.
Harry sighed and agreed to do so. Somehow, I feel like this is because of something bad I did before.
I think so too, Archer agreed.
As October wore on, the weather began getting worse, turning darker and colder as though reflecting the Dementors that stood guard outside. This reminded Harry of his decision to ask Lupin for the spell that worked against those creatures, and he went to see the teacher after class one day.
"That spell is a highly advanced charm, well beyond Ordinary Wizarding Level," Lupin explained to Harry when he asked. "It is called the Patronus Charm."
From what I've seen, the more 'advanced' a charm is, the more focus and power control it takes, Harry thought. "Could you teach it to me?"
Lupin gazed thoughtfully at Harry. "Why do you want to learn it?"
"That time on the train, when I encountered a Dementor for the first time, I blacked out because of what I felt." Harry felt no shame in admitting it, playing off Lupin's impression that Harry had been through some horrible experiences. "I want to learn how to protect myself from that at least."
"From what I hear, Harry, you're quite the excellent student, much like Lily was." The man paused, clearly thinking. "I would not be too surprised if you actually managed to learn this, but just to warn you first, many qualified wizards have difficulty with it."
Harry didn't react to the mention of his birth mother, having already heard a lot about her while researching his parents before. He was more interested in the spell itself.
"Well, I do not see any harm in teaching you, but I would not advise seeking out a Dementor to practice against." Lupin checked the clock on the wall. "There is quite a bit of time until dinner, so let us begin now."
He took out his wand, and indicated that Harry should do the same, only to realize Harry already had his out in a ready position, clearly cautious. He paused a while before continuing on.
"How this spell works, is that it conjures a Patronus, which is a kind of anti-Dementor." Lupin told Harry. "The Patronus is a guardian that will act as a shield between you and the Dementor."
"How does that work?" Harry asked curiously.
"It is a kind of positive force, a projection of the very things that the Dementor feeds upon... hope, happiness, the desire to survive-"
"Doesn't that mean the Dementor will just feed on the Patronus?" Harry interrupted.
Lupin shook his head. "Unlike real humans, a Patronus cannot feel despair, so Dementors cannot hurt it."
Ah, I see. So a Dementor feeds upon happy thoughts by increasing the amount of despair the person feels, which pushes out the happy energies for it to feed upon, Harry concluded. But if it feeds on happy thoughts, I still think a Patronus would be unable to stand against a Dementor. It would be like delivering a huge meal right in front of it.
Another thing to file under the 'Does not make sense' category, Archer agreed with him.
Maybe I'll think about it more later. For now, focus on the lesson. Harry returned his attention back to Lupin.
"As a Patronus is a projection made by the wizard who conjures it, each one is unique to the wizard," Lupin explained.
"And how do you conjure it?" Harry asked, albeit a bit impatiently.
"With an incantation, which will only work if you are concentrating, with all your might, on a single, very happy memory."
Harry blinked, then realized that Lupin had an expectant expression on his face. He's expecting me to think of one, The boy realized.
Happy, huh? Archer sounded wistful.
Harry knew Archer's history, and oddly felt a brief stab of jealousy despite knowing that Archer's dream of being able to save others was both a blessing and a curse in itself. Forcing his mind past that, he cast about for a happy memory while analyzing Lupin's statement; why did it have to be a single memory and not multiple memories combined, and whether the level of happiness mattered to the charm? Then in a flash of understanding, Harry concluded that it was a combination of both factors; the spell required a strong power of emotion, but it also had to be compressed in order to give to a conjuration, which was why Lupin stated that it had to be a single memory.
The first one that came to mind was when he had first used Magecraft to analyze something. At that time, it had been initially shocking and a little bit painful, but after that, Harry had felt a sense of wonder at how he simply knew what the item had been through.
So if I gather a strong amount of positive energy, and focus it within this one happy memory... To Harry, it was quite similar to the self-hypnosis that was used in Magecraft, so he found it quite easy to do that.
Coming out of his thoughts, he noticed Lupin looking at him with a sad expression. As though feeling Harry's gaze on him, Lupin straightened up and cleared his throat.
"The incantation is this... Expecto patronum!"
Well, that's easy to remember. "Expecto patronum." Harry repeated after the teacher, making sure to imitate the pronunciation as closely as he could. "Expecto patronum."
"You need to concentrate hard on your... happy memory." Lupin reminded him.
"I know. I just want to make sure I'm saying it right first." Harry imagined the sequence in his mind first: he would recall the memory, arouse positive emotion in himself, focus the two together, and finally say the incantation.
He really thinks you have very few happy memories. Archer pointed out, only to be ignored.
"Okay, here I go..." Harry felt an uplifting in his chest as he ran through several happy memories in his mind before focusing entirely on the one he had chosen. "Expecto patronum!" He said while jabbing his wand in front of him.
A large ball of silvery smoke burst from the tip of his wand, almost solid in appearance. It looked to Harry as though it was trying to take the shape of something, except that its boundaries seemed too fragile to maintain the desired form, resulting in a constant shifting flux that slowly shrank until nothing was left.
I think the memory wasn't strong enough to form a stable container. "That looked to me like a good first try." Harry remarked, turning to look at Lupin.
It turned out that the man was flabbergasted by Harry's performance, which went far beyond what most first-timers would have been capable of. In fact, he seemed almost relieved when the clock indicated the time for dinner, which he pointed out to Harry as a reason to end the lesson right there. Still, he did tell Harry to continue practicing on his own, as well as to warn him not to attempt testing it out on a Dementor on his own.
That's quite good advice, if you think about it, Archer was talking as Harry headed down to the Great Hall, You do have a tendency to rush off on your own.
I'm not that bad, Harry protested. Am I?
Archer pretended not to hear the question. The Dementor's effect makes it hard to think of anything happy, so it takes serious mental strength in order to be able to cast the spell while in their presence.
So it's too much of a risk to try facing one without someone capable of doing so supervising, Harry concluded, a bit put out.
Well, just keep progressing as you always have. You've gotten back into the rhythm, haven't you?
Just as Archer said, Harry had somehow managed to reach the fine point of balance between everything he had to and wanted to do, and it was paying off well. It was almost as though fortune itself smiled upon him; the first prototype ring was nearly complete, he managed to learn how to perform a Disillusionment Charm from The Invisible Book of Invisibility, and yet still manage to get along with his friends in the clubs.
Susan had joined in on Daphne's etiquette lessons, and between the two of them, Harry was shaping up to be quite the cultured individual should he ever attend a ball. Su accompanied him a few times when he turned up at the Science Club, and gained the respect of its members when she displayed a talent for explaining how things worked to them. It helped that she didn't explain things in the same manner Hermione did.
There was Quidditch training tonight, but it was for the two reserve Chasers that had joined the team after the tryouts, overseen by Oliver, so Harry joined his friends in the study group to complete their Astronomy homework. After that, he, Hermione, Neville, and the twins made their way back to Gryffindor tower, where they found the common room buzzing with excitement. Harry's sharp eyes instantly pinpointed the cause to be the new notice on the bulletin board.
"Yep, it's the first Hogsmeade weekend," Fred said, reading over Harry's shoulder, "I need to visit Zonko's. I'm nearly out of Stink Pellets." With that, he and his twin went to look for their friend Lee.
Harry scanned the notice again. So I have to pass the form to the Head of House, which means McGonagall. I wonder...
"It coincides with Halloween," Hermione noted. "I can't wait to see what it's like."
The remaining trio took seats near Ron, who was morosely trying to do his homework. As days passed without any sign of his pet, the redhead became more depressed, causing even his twin brothers, who weren't known for their sympathy, to feel sorry for him.
"You still haven't found Scabbers, Ron?" Neville asked sympathetically.
Ron shook his head. "I think he's gone already... he was getting old, and he wasn't really all that great recently."
Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but at that moment, Crookshanks leapt lightly onto her lap, with a large, dead spider dangling from his mouth. Ron scowled at the cat, both at the reminder of his missing pet, and the sight of an object of his greatest fear.
"Clever Crookshanks, did you catch that all by yourself?" Hermione stroked her cat.
"That's an idea." Neville said suddenly, causing the rest to look at him.
"What is?" Hermione asked.
"We're getting Ron a new pet for his birthday." The boy decided.
"What? No, you don't need to," Ron protested. "Besides, my birthday's in March, that's over six months away!"
But his words fell on deaf ears, as Hermione and Harry agreed with Neville, and nothing Ron could say would change their minds on that matter. Despite that, he kept on trying, and Harry could overhear him talking to Neville during Herbology class the next day while he and Hermione worked together on the Puffapod next to theirs.
Wow, Neville's really come a long way from how he was during first year. Harry thought as he carefully stripped the fat pink pods from the plants and put them into a wooden pail. Despite how much Ron is trying, he's not bending in the least.
Moments later, Professor Sprout was loudly scolding Ron for not looking where he was dumping the pods, due to his attention being focused on Neville. Chastised, Ron didn't bring up the issue again.
As they headed for Transfiguration next, Harry struck up his own conversation with Hermione about some of the things he was doing, and the topic of his impromptu lesson with Lupin came up.
"Do you think Professor Lupin would teach me that charm too?" Hermione asked hopefully.
"I don't know. It does seem to take a lot of concentration to pull it off, and honestly, I don't think you have enough at the moment."
"What's that supposed to mean?" The girl demanded.
Harry stared at her for several seconds before sighing. "Hermione, have you looked in a mirror lately?"
"No, but what has that got to do with-"
"It's not just me who has noticed, but you're starting to burn out from overwork."
Some would say the same of you, Archer pointed out.
Harry ignored the spirit as he listed several clues which indicated that Hermione was being stressed out by her classes. By the time he was done, she was silently mulling over his words.
"Since it's your choice, I won't tell you to drop your classes, but I think you should take more time to rest, instead of spending so much time on your studies." Harry deliberately hinted.
Wow, she's not really good in hiding it, is she? He thought as Hermione touched a hand to her chest, where the Time Turner was.
Hermione finally gave him a weak smile. "Alright, if you say so, Harry. I'll rest more."
They had fallen behind the rest of the group for privacy, so the two of them hurried to catch up once their conversation was over. When they reached the line of students waiting outside McGonagall's classroom, Harry noticed that there was a disturbance near the front.
Lavender seemed to be crying, while Parvati had her arm around her, and was explaining things to Dean, Seamus, and Neville, all of whom were looking very serious.
"What's the matter, Lavender?" Hermione asked anxiously.
I think it should be okay if Neville's there, Harry thought, staying back. More importantly, will McGonagall try to keep me from going to Hogsmeade?
Looks to me like you're enjoying this, Harry, Archer smirked.
Maybe I am. Harry paused as he realized that Parvati was glaring at Hermione, while Neville tried to calm the both of them down. Did she say something insensitive again? Guess that's another clue that she's been running ragged. She used to be like that in first-year, until I managed to break her of that habit.
Professor McGonagall interrupted before things could go any further, and the students entered the class and took seats, with Hermione sitting between Harry and Neville. The class went on without incident, but when the bell rang the end of the lesson, Professor McGonagall called the class to stay for a moment.
"As you're all in my House, you should hand Hogsmeade permission forms to me before Halloween. No form, no visiting the village, so don't forget!"
Neville opened his bag, and Harry could see a parchment envelope pinned to the inside, which the boy detached and opened to reveal his permission form. Noticing Harry's eyes on him, Neville smiled sheepishly.
"This way I won't forget, see?"
Harry grinned back, pulling out his own form. "Let's go hand them up then."
Make sure to have witnesses, Archer advised as they walked to the front.
"Here's my form, Professor." Harry announced, raising his voice so those nearby could hear. "Signed by my guardian. I'm looking forward to seeing what Hogsmeade is like."
There was an unreadable expression on Professor McGonagall's face as she took the form, but she nodded in acknowledgment. Still, Harry didn't feel as though things were settled, and started thinking of ideas on how to counter whatever Dumbledore might try. He decided that he needed to go to the Owlery later to send a letter.
As though McGonagall's announcement had unlocked the memory, the rest of the day saw the students constantly discussing what they would do at Hogsmeade. Even after dinner, when Harry's group of friends gathered together for their group studying, not much was accomplished because there was so much conversation and debating about what each of them wanted to do as a group.
"I hear there's a music shop there," Susan said. "Maybe we could go there first?"
"I was thinking of seeing Scrivenshaft's first, actually," Lisa disagreed. "I need to buy more ink."
Tracey sniffed. "Wouldn't Scribbulus be more suited for that?"
"Scrivenshaft's has some special ones, and I got some extra money from my parents."
Even the Student Council was there, and were quite actively participating in the discussion, as they were supposed to be planning the schedule for the groups to visit the Wizarding Wireless Network Headquarters. However, there was a noticeable tendency for them to keep going off-track.
"One of the older students told me that there was a shop there that sells exotic plants," Neville confessed. "Professor Sprout even said that I should take a look."
"Well, if that's what you like." Draco dismissed. "I, however, have an appointment with the hairdresser there."
That comment drew a lot of stares, before Su changed the subject.
"There's a teashop that sells special tea blends too, isn't there? I'm thinking of buying a few bags to send back home." The Asian girl said.
"You're thinking of Rosa Lee Teabag," Cedric Diggory, having overheard from nearby, joined in the conversation. "Their prices are a bit steep, but the taste is worth it."
"What else is interesting there, Cedric?" Hannah asked.
Not even Hermione was uninfected by the enthusiasm everyone was showing, as she kept talking to anyone who would listen about interesting historical facts about the village and its inhabitants, until Harry finally managed to get her to stop and apologize for getting too carried away.
I was a little worried, but I think she'll be just fine. Harry thought as he watched the other girls tease Hermione for falling back into her old habits.
So McGonagall didn't try to stop you. Maybe you were a bit paranoid? Archer asked him as he withdrew from the conversation to actually do his homework.
Maybe, but I still feel like something's going to happen...
On Halloween morning, Harry awoke with the rest of his Gryffindor friends and went down to breakfast, where he received a letter replying to the one he had sent out with Ilya two days ago. After reading it through quickly, he wrote a quick reply note to send back with Ilya, before joining the rest of the students going to Hogsmeade in the Entrance Hall, where Filch the caretaker was checking off names against a long list, peering suspiciously into every face as though expecting all those who shouldn't be going were going to try their luck hoping they could.
Which was why Harry only got a mild shock when Filch told him that his name wasn't on that list, followed by resignation. I kind of expected this.
"What?" Hermione reacted on his behalf. "That can't be right, he gave his form to Professor McGonagall. Check again!"
"Already did, girl," Filch scowled. "His name isn't on the list. That means," The man turned to Harry, "You don't get to go!"
I really feel like punching him... Harry thought, looking at Filch's ugly face. But I won't...
"Calm down, Hermione. We can get this fixed easily, Professor McGonagall's still in the Hall." Neville reminded her.
"You're right, she can fix this." Hermione grabbed Harry's hand and began pulling him back towards the Great Hall. "Come on!"
The two of them, followed by Neville and Ron, who had overheard, made their way through the hall and up to where McGonagall was about to leave.
"Professor! Please wait!" Hermione called out.
The woman stopped and turned around to face them. "What is it, Miss Granger? Weren't you going to Hogsmeade today?"
"It's Harry, Professor. His name should be on the list of students going to Hogsmeade." Hermione rushed out breathlessly. "But Mister Filch says that it isn't, and he won't let Harry past."
"He handed his form together with me when you asked for it, Professor." Neville added helpfully. "It was signed and everything."
"Could you please help, Professor?" Hermione asked. "You can tell Mr Filch that Harry is allowed."
"I'm supposed to help lead one of the groups of students later, taking over from Neville." Harry volunteered, wondering, Will she? Or won't she?
McGonagall had an odd look on her face, one that took Harry a while to place as conflicted. It was obvious that the omission of his name was not a mistake.
"Perhaps it would be better if young Harry didn't go."
The students turned to see Dumbledore standing behind them, having overheard and approached.
"Why, Headmaster? Harry's form was signed by his guardians." Hermione asked.
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled slightly. "It is for his safety, Miss Granger."
"And what sort of danger would I be vulnerable to if I went to Hogsmeade?" Harry wanted to know. "I don't think that there's any danger."
"I must ask that you trust me in this, Harry." Dumbledore deflected the question.
"But-" Hermione objected.
"The Headmaster's decision overrules mine, Miss Granger." McGonagall told Hermione crisply. "I'm sorry, Mister Potter, but you may not go to Hogsmeade."
Looks to me like she's relieved that she doesn't have to make the tough decision. "Not even if I have an adult escorting me?" Harry pressed, hiding his annoyance.
"We teachers have our own jobs to do, Potter." This time it was Snape who joined in, having also been at the teachers' table. "None of us have the leisure of escorting you as you go playing around."
"In that case, I'm sure I can find someone willing to." Harry replied.
"And who would?" Snape sneered.
Dumbledore suddenly blinked and turned to look at the doors. Harry, seeing that, smirked slightly, hearing the cry of 'Auntie!' coming from the same direction. I need a bit of your smooth talking, Archer.
You got it. The Heroic Spirit slid into control as Harry relinquished it.
"As it turns out, Madam Bones wrote me a letter asking to meet regarding the case of Sirius Black." Archer lied through Harry's mouth; it was Harry who wrote to her first. "Since the Hogsmeade visit was today, I planned to meet her there so as to save the teachers the trouble of having to receive her."
Dumbledore frowned slightly. "You did not have to do that, Harry. Surely..."
"Madam Bones can be trusted to accompany me, yes, I agree, Headmaster." Archer smoothly interrupted, disrupting what the older wizard intended to say.
Before Dumbledore could correct him, Madam Bones entered the hall and made her way over to where the group of teachers and students were, unexpectedly followed by Tonks, who looked like her normal self except with brown hair. The monocle-wearing woman nodded to Dumbledore and McGonagall with short greetings, frowned slightly at Snape, and finally turned her attention to Harry.
"Mister Potter, I have already reserved a room for our discussion at the Three Broomsticks." She informed him. "After that, Auror Tonks will be willing to escort you for the remainder of your time there."
"Good morning, Madam Bones," Dumbledore greeted her, "I'm afraid that I cannot allow Harry here to go-"
"Without a signed permission form?" Archer piped up quickly. "I handed it over to Professor McGonagall, as Neville and Hermione can vouch for."
Madam Bones caught on just as quickly. "Then there's no problems. Mister Potter, you and your friends can follow me. Minerva, Albus, I will make sure your students will be returned to you safely. And I will inform the caretaker Mister Potter is allowed to go to Hogsmeade." The intense aura around her kept anyone from disagreeing before it was too late to do so.
Caught off-balance by the woman's forceful personality, the teachers could only watch as the two women escorted the four children out of the hall. Harry glanced back and saw Snape staring furiously at him, but decided not to poke the nest any more than he already had.
Thanks a lot for the help, Archer. Harry thanked the spirit in his head.
I can't say that I didn't enjoy that either.
Susan and Hannah were waiting in the Entrance Hall, and they joined the group on the way out. Filch was told that permission had been given, so he backed down with a bit of grumbling. Splitting into two smaller groups so they could fit on the carriages, Harry found himself with Hermione, Susan, and Madam Bones, while Tonks sat on the seat outside as a guard, conjuring a jack rabbit Patronus against the Dementors the carriage passed on the way out.
"Harry! What was that about? Why didn't you tell me about all this?" Hermione half-demanded, half-asked.
"About what exactly, Hermione?" Harry said calmly.
"Everything!"
"Hermione, Harry deserves his own privacy, you know," Susan told the other girl gently.
"Quite right." Madam Bones agreed. "So how have you been, Susan?" That started off a conversation between aunt and niece.
"Besides, you were already all stressed out by your schoolwork." Harry told Hermione in a soft voice. "I wasn't about to add my own troubles on top of all that."
"But I'm your friend!" Hermione sounded like a petulant child whining, and from her expression after that, she realized it as well. "Sorry."
Harry waved off the apology. "It's alright."
He started off by giving her a brief background explanation about what was going on: who Sirius Black was, how he had been captured and for what reasons, before his recent breakout. By the time he was finished, Hermione was pale.
"That's what Mister Weasley was talking about the night before we got on the train, wasn't it?"
"Yes, but that's not all there is to it."
Hermione opened her mouth to ask, but Madam Bones cut in before she could.
"Before you say anything further," The woman said, "I would rather that this conversation continued in the private room."
For the rest of the short ride, they just talked about their classes. When the carriage arrived in Hogsmeade, Madam Bones got out and led a group consisting of Harry, Hermione, and Tonks to the Three Broomsticks, which was an inn which doubled as a pub. The other students, not being included, went with their own plans. The proprietress, Madam Rosmerta, directed them upstairs to a small room and asked for their orders.
"Since it's their first time, they should have Butterbeer." Tonks suggested.
Madam Bones nodded. "Butterbeer for all of us." She told Rosmerta, who nodded and left.
"I'll be on guard outside, Ma'am." Tonks followed the woman out and shut the door behind her. "Don't forget to check before talking."
"I know the protocol better than you do, Auror." Madam Bones retorted as she took out her wand to start casting several spells and charms meant to detect and prevent against eavesdroppers. Once she was done, she turned to Harry and asked, "Are you really sure you want your friend to listen in as well?"
Harry nodded, despite originally had not wishing for Hermione to know. It was a consequence of his decision to counter Dumbledore's plans by bringing Madam Bones in, and now he was facing the results. Based on his impression of the girl, Harry didn't doubt that she would try to pry deeper in order to help him. The problem was that her prying would lead her to ask questions that he didn't want to answer just yet.
According to Madam Bones, Black was nowhere near Hogwarts. The Ministry of Magic was starting to recall back the staff that had been pulled from their normal duties to join the search, as there had been no result so far. The remainder were tightening around Hogwarts based on what Black was overheard saying during the days before his escape, but nothing else of note was occurring other than that.
On the other hand, the interrogation of one of Black's associates was proving to be fruitful, and she agreed to pass Harry a copy of the transcripts once they had exhausted everything they had to ask. Madam Bones also assured Harry that they had managed to uncover just how Black managed to escape, and were applying countermeasures against that on the associate, preventing him from escaping until a proper trial could be had.
Harry knew that she was referring to Pettigrew, but as no names were mentioned, Hermione had no idea about that. That just meant she was very confused about everything that was going on, though only somewhat restrained from asking questions by the imposing presence of Madam Bones seated across the table. It was even more evident after Madam Rosmerta returned with their drinks, which Hermione kept taking sips of distractedly without tasting it.
Naturally, after Madam Bones was finished and allowed them to leave, Hermione dragged Harry to a quiet corner of the bar and demanded to know everything, such as what, when, and how he knew about the whole thing. Tonks, having followed, put up a silencing ward over them so no one would overhear, and received a nods of thanks from the girl before her attention returned to her white-haired friend.
Time to face the music, huh, Harry?
As much as I have to.
Harry sighed and started to explain things to his closest friend, omitting any mention of encountering Sirius Black. Beginning first with his intention to know why Black betrayed his parents after being their friend for so long, Harry then went on to how he got in touch with Madam Bones so he could see justice delivered. His suspicions about Black's murder of Pettigrew was easily explained due to his ties to the Science Club, which looked at things logically, and Hermione soon realized what he was hinting at.
"You mean, Pettigrew isn't..." She had a hand up to cover her mouth in shock.
"Alright, alright, I think that's enough," Tonks interrupted. "You two are supposed to be enjoying this Hogsmeade trip, not discuss shocking secrets, you know."
Hermione opened her mouth for a moment, before shutting it with a snap. "You're right... I'm doing it again, aren't I?" She looked somewhat forlorn.
"Just more proof that the stress is getting to you, Hermione," Harry told her gently. "Well, that's what we're here for, right? To help you unwind."
"Okay... but Harry?"
"Yeah?"
"Next time, could you please tell me about... about all of this?"
Harry was silent for a few moments. I can't ask you for advice for this sort of thing, right?
If you know the answer, why ask? Archer replied back, clearly amused.
Harry sighed, and purposely put a hand on Hermione's head and messed up her hair. "I'll try." He told her.
He was later seen running out of the Three Broomsticks, chased by an annoyed witch and a chuckling young woman. Most of the onlookers reserved their laughter for the third person, who tripped and fell flat on her face on the way out.
Hogsmeade wasn't as bustling as Diagon Alley, especially due to the cold weather driving most people indoors. However, it was just as fascinating due to this being the students' first visit. It didn't even take an hour before the Student Council abandoned the idea of having each member lead a group of third-years around; there was just so much to look at.
Most of the students clustered at Honeydukes, where they were offering samples of a new fudge they were selling on top of an incredible variety of magical sweets, each offering a magical experience to the eater, though not all of them were positive experiences. The second most popular shop was Zonko's Joke Shop, with their selection of prank items appealing to kids who wanted to try them out on their friends. Dervish & Banges was a place of interest for the non-magically-raised, with all the magical equipments on their shelves, while Gladrags Wizardwear did the same with enchanted clothing.
Harry glimpsed the Student Council members as he traversed the place; Draco was spotted in the hairdressing salon across from Honeydukes moments before the hairstylist drew the curtains, Neville was chatting with the shopkeeper of Dogweed and Deathcap, the Herbology shop that he mentioned. Su was in Tomes and Scrolls, which Tonks had to drag Harry and Hermione out off before they lost too much time there. Hannah was sending out a letter from the Post Office, which had more than two hundred owls hooting down from color-coded shelves, which indicated how fast they would deliver their mail.
There was a teashop filled with couples from the upper year students, which Harry steered clear of, and a sporting goods store that was also advertising for the Firebolt brooms. The three of them spent some time at Dominic Maestro's, a shop run by its namesake, where they listened to several records of wizarding music; it had its own novelty with all sorts of magic-related lyrics, but wasn't anything special overall. At least until Harry mentioned it, then Dominic Maestro introduced him to the more magical side of wizarding music; tunes that helped people with no dancing experience pull off expert dance moves, plant-growing songs that encouraged the plants that heard them to grow much more strongly and healthily, and self-playing instruments that the man himself directed as a conductor. It certainly was an eye-opening experience for Harry and his friends.
They later ran into Hannah, who was going around gathering the first group for the tour of the Wizarding Wireless Network; it was the only part of the original Hogsmeade tour plan that remained. Deciding to join the first group, Harry, Hermione, and Tonks, who not only changed her appearance into that of a fourteen-year old girl but also cast a Charm on Harry to reduce attention on him, gathered outside the building with several other students, numbering fifteen in total. Looking up, Harry saw the circular sign, which had Wizarding Wireless Network etched around the edges of the ring, plus four lines extending out from the bottom part to the rest of the ring, curving slightly to the sides with a glass orb suspending in the gap between the middle two near the top. (1)
A lightly-dressed wizard came out and waved them in with a smile. Inside where it was warm, there were several cubicles, each filled with a working witch or wizard. Their guide explained that these workers helped in preparing the scripts and schedules for the broadcasts, before showing them the mailroom, where the listeners and people wishing to advertise would send in their letters.
Finally, they came to the highlight. The recording booth was currently occupied, but the students could see into it through a large window as the radio DJ talked. Hearing the DJ mention that there were Hogwarts students currently having a tour of the station was a bit exciting for them, even more so for Hannah, who was invited into the booth to say a few words. She stuttered a bit, but managed to proudly explain how the Student Council of Hogwarts had arranged with the station for this tour to happen. A few of the other students were called in as well, to talk about how they were enjoying Hogsmeade village. Harry, not wanting to draw attention, stayed out of it.
The last part of the tour was a short presentation on how the process worked; the recording of the DJ and the music, processing the recorded sound, transmitting to the signal amplifier where a magical signal would also be encoded into it, before broadcasting out over the airwaves, where it would be received by radios specifically tuned to receive the encoded signal. What interested Harry was that none of the steps involved Mundane technology, but imitated the original through magic. (2)
After the tour, they went for lunch at the Three Broomsticks, where they were joined by several other students seeking the same, such as Daphne, Tracey, Neville, and Su, among others. Madam Rosmerta was kept busy serving drinks, and the deliciousness of the Butterbeer saw everyone get up to visit the toilet more than once. No one questioned Tonks' presence, assuming that she was one of the older students who came along on the visit.
Somebody suggested going up to the Shrieking Shack afterwards, but their lack of warm clothing versus the chilly weather made them change their mind, and they decided to just stay in the vicinity of the village instead. For the rest of his time there, Harry occupied himself by looking at several books and scrolls in the bookshop on dealing with magical wards, as well as talking to the shopkeeper at Dervish & Banges about how to go about tweaking charms on an enchanted object in order to restore its function.
Tonks stayed nearby, and she had a lot of stories to tell about what mischief she got up to in Hogsmeade, such as slipping prank sweets into another person's Honeydukes purchase, pretending to be a ghost haunting the Shrieking Shack, successfully convincing Madam Rosmerta to sell her Firewhiskey by using her Metamorphmagus abilities to appear older, among other amusing tales. All in all, both Harry and Archer had fun in Hogsmeade. Harry also made sure to purchase a bag of sweets from Honeydukes for Tonks as a thank-you gift for being his escort.
The time came for the students to return to Hogwarts, and they assembled to board the waiting carriages. Harry was accompanied by Tonks, Hermione, and Daphne, who had also been introduced to the Auror when she finally grew suspicious of the girl hanging around Harry. Once they were on board the carriage, Tonks reverted back to her normal appearance, complete with pink hair.
"That's one useful ability." Daphne commented.
"It has its ups and downs," Tonks replied, "But mostly ups. Like this."
Harry was looking out the window, keeping an eye out for the Dementors, so he didn't see what Tonks did, but when he turned back, whatever change the witch had shown was gone. He looked questioningly at the other two girls, who were looking down at their own bodies for some reason.
"Oh right, you don't mind if I call out my Patronus, do you?" Tonks pulled out her wand. "It's better than letting those pesky Dementors bring down the mood."
"Oh! Is it that rabbit thing you made when we were coming down to Hogsmeade?" Hermione asked interestedly. "I heard it is very difficult to cast."
"Yep, and that's right," Tonks shut her eyes and breathed in, before opening them, "Expecto Patronum!"
A white jack rabbit burst out from the end of her wand, (3) landing on the floor of the carriage where it looked around with its long ears standing upright and twitching. A warm and happy feeling filled the space, causing all those present to break out into smiles.
"Wow..." Daphne breathed.
"I know, right?" Tonks beamed.
"That's it, I definitely want to learn this charm, Harry." Hermione decided, which caused Tonks to look at Harry in shock. "I don't care that it's beyond NEWT level."
"You know how to cast it?" She asked.
"The Dementors affect me badly, so I asked Professor Lupin to teach me how to fight them off," Harry explained, "But knowing how to and being able to cast are two different things."
"Alright, now I want to see it," Tonks announced. "Come on, try casting the spell."
"Oh, alright." Harry repeated his process of compressing several happy memories' worth of emotion into a single one, and cast. "Expecto Patronum!"
Once again, another ball of smoke came out, causing the girls to gasp in surprise. Harry noticed, however, that the ball was clearly smaller compared to his first attempt.
"That's incredible!" Tonks exclaimed, "Most people can't even get that much!"
"I'm with Hermione," Daphne said, "I want to learn this as well."
The two girls spent the rest of the trip to the castle trying to cast the spell under Harry and Tonks's coaching, but the most they managed were wisps of white smoke. They were so engrossed that they only realized that the carriage had already passed the Dementors and arrived at the castle when it ground to a halt.
McGonagall was waiting in the Great Hall, and Tonks made sure to announce that her task of escorting Harry Potter had been accomplished with no problems whatsoever. Once that was done, she said goodbye to him and left. McGonagall just frowned at Harry and told him that they should prepare for the Halloween feast before leaving as well.
Well, she definitely disapproves. Harry thought to Archer as he led the way back to Gryffindor Tower.
Were you expecting her not to? came the reply.
Nope. I just don't appreciate all these things they're doing 'for my own good'. Harry grumbled.
They left their purchases in their room, and changed clothes before heading back down to the Great Hall. It had been magnificently decorated in the spirit of the occasion; orange streamers, floating candle-filled pumpkins, and fluttering live bats completed the Halloween look. The teachers' table was completely occupied; even the seldom seen teachers such as Trelawney and Sinistra were present. Harry noticed Dumbledore's eyes on him, and the old man had a slight frown on his face. From the looks on some of the other teachers, the news of what he had done had gotten around. Harry anticipated a cooler relationship with those teachers in the near future.
Apart from that, the feast proceeded normally; even while stuffed on Honeydukes sweets, people managed to take second helpings of the delicious food, and the entire thing ended with some entertainment provided by the Hogwarts ghosts. They popped out of the walls and tables to do a bit of formation gliding, and Nearly Headless Nick's reenactment of his own botched beheading was very well received.
The students were rising from their seats to leave the hall when a loud, harsh voice suddenly cut through the noise.
"A NEW BRANCH GROWS ON THE TREE OF MAGIC."
Everyone wheeled around to see who had spoken in such a strange tone of voice. It was Professor Trelawney, who had gone rigid in her armchair, with unfocused eyes and her mouth sagging.
"Sybill? Are you alright?" Flitwick squeaked concernedly.
But it didn't appear that she heard him. Instead, she continued to speak in the same harsh voice, quite unlike her own. Harry saw Dumbledore cast something, but
"BORN THROUGH TIME AND FATE, BORN IN BLADES AND FLAMES... IT GROWS IN THE LIGHT AND DARK, BUT BELONGS TO NEITHER... MANY WILL SEEK TO CONTROL IT, FOR IT WILL IMPOSE A NEW WORLD, BUT ONLY ONE WILL HOLD ITS POWER... A NEW BRANCH GROWS ON THE TREE OF MAGIC."
Professor Trelawney's head fell forward onto her chest, as everyone stared in complete silence. Then, just as suddenly as it all happened, it snapped up again.
"I'm sorry, I drifted off for a moment..." She noticed that everyone was looking at her. "Is there anything wrong?"
The Hall exploded into chaos as everyone started talking at once, and even after Dumbledore regained order and sent them all back to their rooms, very few people could get any sleep that night.
The one person who knew to whom those words referred to most of all.
(1) Got this image from the Harry Potter wiki on the WWN.
(2) Based on what I could find on how radio stations work. I wouldn't be too surprised if the wizarding version just cut out several steps that give the mundane version its better sound quality.
(3) Found from the Harry Potter wiki, which said what Tonks' Patronus form originally was before it changed.
Woo hoo, I managed to finish this before September! To be honest, this chapter was quite difficult to write, especially since without Sirius Black hanging around Hogwarts, the portrait vandalism on Halloween wouldn't occur. So something else had to happen, since that's how things go in Harry Potter world: shit happens to Harry Potter on Halloween.
After the previous chapter, quite a few reviews asked why Harry didn't participate, and I didn't expect that reaction. The reason is quite similar to that of canon, but really, so few people remembered the reason Harry used to explain his white hair?
Anyway, another prophecy, once again pertaining to Harry, but this time, heard by many others. Time for original plot! Hopefully this helps to kickstart my waning muse.
Leave your reviews, please!