Don't kill me.
Yeah, I'm planning to write more of this. The another chapter should be out by Christmas. I'm in a very slow process of editing and revamping this.
This last year has not been good to me. My cat died, and that was minor compared to some other stuff. My best friend who's almost a sister to me... I found out that she had once nearly slit her wrists. She also a cutter. A month ago... she cut her self over 20 times one day. By the way, I found out last week that she had nearly killed herself multiply times.
I'm pissed/hurt/confused... Which might be why I'm posting this at four AM.
The editing is baaaaaaaaad, and a beta-reader.
What has happened thus far:
It is Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts. Malik has the Rod, Ryou the Ring, and Yugi the Puzzle. The Ancient Egyptian arc will be primarily ignored.
Dumbledore is teaching DADA, because another professor can't be found. Professor Snape has returned to Hogwarts late, with a scarred face and haunted eyes. Recently, Malik and Yami Bakura overheard Snape arguing with Professor McGonagall over his consumption experimental memory recovering potions. Ginny and Yugi are going on a date the next day in Hogsmeade, but before that is an explanation of Harry's exploits has been promised.
OoOoOoOOoOoOoOOoOoOoOOoOoOoO
Chapter Thirty Six: Hogsmeade
OoOoOoOOoOoOoOOoOoOoOOoOoOoO
The evening came both too quickly and too slowly for Harry Potter. One hand he already knew that Malik, Yugi, and Ryou had pieced together some of the picture. They had even been with them when the dementors came. The pressing question then was 'what in the world those things where and did they just try and kill us?' However, Harry Potter's wish for time to slow or speed up were not heeded, as normal. Night came at its usual time, heralded by the sun's setting. Homework had been finished, amazingly (only because Hermione had threatened to hex them all if one word not related to their essays was uttered), and dinner eaten. It was time for Harry to fulfill his promise to explain what Malfoy had been baiting him about. To do that one would need to describe a good portion of Harry's life, hence Hermione's steadfast refusal to discuss anything until homework was done. Now it was time for Harry to speak.
He let Hermione tell most of what happened on one late October night, and all he said was the dialog of the last minutes of his parent's lives. How James had told Lily to run with Harry, and how Lily had pled for Harry's life. After that Hermione had taken up the tale once more with various explanations for Harry becoming the Boy-Who-Had-Bloody-Lived. 'Ryou' seemed more interested in the reason Harry had lived than Harry himself.
Next came the story of the first year at Hogwarts, not nearly as painfully emotionally nor mentally for Harry. In fact some parts of it were sort of neat to describe. Also Ron and Hermione could tell it which left him rather free. When it came to light that Voldemort had been hiding under the turban, 'Ryou' wondered aloud if it had been stifling, and Malik questioned the intelligence of who ever hired Quirrell. The second and third years were glossed over, and Harry said that what really mattered there was the fact that Trelawney had made a prophecy at the end of exams.
The fourth year, came next. That one Hermione told, with Harry staring into the fire. Finally, Harry told of the end of the third task, death of Cedric, and rebirth of Voldemort. No one interrupted, sensing Harry's complete unease in telling. He finished with a quick explanation of Barty Crouch Jr., alias Professor Moody.
"Who hires these people?" asked Malik.
"Um..."
"Headmaster Dumbledore, I think," answered Hermione.
"Then he must be more gullible then Yugi," Malik muttered.
Yugi glared and sighed.
Ryou had been chewing on his lip, only half listening to them till then. "Malik, what you and he-- I mean, me over heard Snape telling Professor McGonagall..."
"Oh!" Malik explained the odd conversation they had eavesdropped on. "Any idea what it means?"
Harry had an inking of an idea involving being caught as a spy. "Not really," he lied. Somethings were best kept to one's self, but... he disliked keeping secrets usually.
"The government hasn't acted yet?" asked Yugi, frowning.
"They think I'm unbalanced, courtesy of Skeeter, a reporter."
"We're screwed," Malik said with great feeling. "A quite likely corrupt government, at least a three hundred followers of a guy who people won't even name, and no unite."
Ryou shrugged. "It might not be as bad as you think."
Malik snorted.
OoOoOoO
The Halloween trip to Hogsmeade had come at last. Harry stepped out of the horseless carriage, his beaten tennis shoes thunking soundly on the cobblestones. He looked at the various decorations that had been set up for Halloween.
"Stop blocking the door!" Ron demand from behind him.
Harry moved, and Ron jumped down. Ginny and Hermione emerged from the dark carriage as well.
"See you later," Ginny said, waving, her eyes already tracking someone.
"Fine," Ron said, distracted.
"Yugi!" Ginny called over the crowd, signaling. Harry watched the two meet, and wander off in the general direction of Dervish and Banges. He hid a slight smile as he watched Ginny's hand seek Yugi's, glad that her crush on him had disappeared.
Harry looked at Ron slightly confused; why Ron hadn't blown up at his little sister's date. Wait... Ron hadn't been around when Ginny had asked initially, and Harry doubted that Ginny had told any of her older brothers. He debated on whether or not to tell Ron.
"Right then," Hermione said briskly, "I'll meet you two at the Three Broomsticks at two o'clock."
"Oh?" Harry asked.
"I have a date with Stephan," Hermione said calmly. She walked towards the post office, where someone was waiting.
Harry blinked. Hermione on a date? Mentally, he heard a voice say well, she is a girl, the voice also sounded like Ginny. Ron fumed. "A date," he muttered, "A date! She didn't even tell us!"
Harry sighed, and tuned out Ron's whispered rant. His gaze followed Cho Chang, and wish that he to could have gotten a date. But he felt that to date Cho, he would be stealing Cedric Diggory's girlfriend, even though he was dead; the papers would also write it like that as well, if they found out... Merlin, his life was messed up, if he thought more about the reaction of media rather then the reaction Cho would have.
"Hey," Malik said greeting them. Ryou was a few steps behind, shrugging his cloak over his muggle clothes.
Harry smiled and pointed to Ron discreetly, while rolling his eyes.
Malik looked at Ron, and listened to his mutterings. Malik rolled his eyes as well. "Poor us," he remarked, patting Ron's shoulder. "Both Hermione and Ginny have abandoned us for fairer men."
Ron looked at Malik, thunderstruck. "Ginny's got a DATE!" he screeched, garnering several odd looks.
Malik nodded, "Yeah, with Yugi."
"Yugi? Well..." Brotherly instincts warred with the trust of a friend. "I suppose that's okay," Ron finally sighed.
Harry felt a slight relief now that it seemed Ron wasn't going to go looking for Yugi wand in hand and with a second chosen for a duel. Ginny being the only girl (and baby as well) of the family, with six older bothers, any of her early boyfriends would be subject to strict scrutiny, to see if they were fit. Ginny probably had gone out with Yugi for that very reason, Harry figured. You could object to his sense of dress, but any one who was around him for more then ten minutes would see his utter sincerity on any topic.
"Where to?" asked Malik.
Harry shrugged, it didn't make a lick of difference to him. "Zonko's," he suggested, knowing that they had never seen a wizarding joke shop before.
"Why not?"
As they meandered though Hogsmeade, Harry noticed an odd thing. Many of the professors were in Hogsmeade today. Sure, there were always a few, but the usual did an errand or two and then stopped at a friend's home or the Three Broomsticks to relax. However, he had seen Snape sweep by three times, McGonagall twice, Hagrid --often in the distance, due to his height-- over ten times and so forth. He had a sneaking suspicion, remembering his trip to Daigon Ally. Exiting Honeydukes, Harry felt a wave of rage building in him. The didn't need to watch him like a three year old! He had dueled Voldemort himself, and tied! Ah, but that was when you still had a wand with the same core, commented a treacherous voice. Harry objected to that. It was more then any of the other professors could say, other then Dumbledore... and perhaps Snape. The conversation that Malik and Ryou had relayed came back to him.
Snape had been a spy, that much Harry knew. Harry had guessed the night before that Snape had tried to become a double agent again, but Voldemort had known and had tortured him, thus the scars. Harry repressed a shiver; how many other scars did snape have other then the ones on his face? What shape had he been in before Pomfery had treated him? Not even the potion's master deserved what must have happened. Harry felt pity well up inside in his heart. Quickly, he repressed it, knowing that Snape would only scorn it. Rage fluttered through him. Voldemort...
"You okay, mate?" asked Ron concerned, pausing his explanation of Sugar Quills.
"Fine," Harry said, smoothing over his anger.
Ryou looked apprehensive. "Sure it's nothing?"
Harry nodded.
Malik looked around. "That everything, Bakura? Didn't know you liked sweets so much," added Malik, muttering.
"There not for me," Ryou said absently. His hand flew to his mouth, his face showing his regret of telling.
"Really now?" Malik said measuredly, smirking slightly.
Ryou glared. "It's not all that important," he murmured nervously.
"They're for him?" Malik smirked.
Harry wished that every now and then, they wouldn't speak in code like that.
Ryou smile was strained. " 'Them who ask no questions isn't told a lie'."
Malik snorted triumphantly. "So they are for him!"
"Yeah, the candy's for Yoru," Ryou said, resignedly.
Malik was caught up short. "Yoru?" he repeated, his victory smirk fading.
"Mh-hm." Ryou counted his money out to the cashier.
Malik frowned. "Yoru... Yoru..." he said distantly. He screwed up his face. "Who the hell is 'Yoru?' "
Harry saw a slight smirk flash across Ryou's face, and disappear. "You may have met him before..." Ryou became interested in a sweets display, but Harry thought it might an excuse to avoid Malik's searching gaze.
"Muggle?" asked Malik, wrinkling his nose at the term he used.
Ryou shrugged, still avoiding Malik's eyes. "Where can we have a late lunch?"
Malik looked at Ryou, and asked in a voice deceptively calm, "Well?"
Ryou looked at Malik, blinked and bit his lower lip. "Yoru wa mou hitori no boku da."
Malik blinked. "What the hell did you say?"
Ryou smiled pleasantly. "Yoru wa mou hitori no boku."
The other wizard pinned Ryou with a stare, that Ryou met evenly. "Fine. Don't tell me," Malik growled. He started to walk away. "Yet," he added softly, with a malevolent gleam in his eye.
Ryou sighed, and his body relaxed out of its rigid stance.
"Um..." Ron uttered. "Malik, where are you going?" he yelled.
The figure froze. "Aren't you guys supposed to be following me?"
"Not when you're going the wrong way," Ron protested.
Harry bought up the tail of the quartette, wondering. Malik and Ryou had three different modes to get along. The first, they got along and Malik often cut Ryou slack, sometimes giving him a pitting
look. Others, they picked fights, voicing nearly unforgivable comments. The rarest was when Ryou became very defensive and code of the oddest sort was used.
"Lunch?" Ron asked hopefully as the passed the Three Broomsticks.
Harry nodded, his stomach agreeing.
The Three Broomsticks was as Harry remembered. They sat at a booth, Malik and Ron on one side and he and Ryou on the other. The menu appeared on the table. Literally on the table, Malik had to
take his elbows off the top, so Ryou could see the beverage list. Ryou asked several question about what was such and such was. Malik remained silent, eyes scanning the menu. Madame Rosemerta came to take their orders.
"Do you have vegetarian dishes?" Malik asked.
Ryou stared, eyes wide.
"What about Violet Potatoes?" she suggested, frowning thoughtfully.
"It has no meat ingredients at all?" Malik checked.
She nodded.
Malik shrugged. "Sure."
Ron ordered a butterbeer and half of an infinite chocolate cake. Harry order fish and chips, which he had not eaten since the Dursleys had heard he was wizard. When it became Ryou's turn to order, he was startled and pointed to a random entrée, and asked for a water as well. She nodded, and left to attend to another table.
"You're a vegetarian?" Ryou exclaimed, staring intensely at Malik.
Malik looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "That's what my choice would imply."
"He's been living on salads," added Ron, ducking as a bottle flew over his head to land in front of him. He uncorked it, and sipped, grinning happily.
"After what you did this summer!" Ryou hissed almost helplessly.
Malik shifted uncomfortable.
Ryou began to mutter darkly in Japanese.
"Ryou, I can't understand you... so shut up," Malik said, drumming his fingers on the table.
Ryou smiled and looked faintly sick, and when his food came, he only picked at it. After leaving money to pay for his meal, he left the mostly full dish and left.
Ron toyed with a bottle of Butterbeer, and looked at Malik. "What does you being a vegetarian have to do with what happened last summer?"
Malik's were eyes distant and regretful. "Nothing."
OoOoOoO
Harry sighed, watching Malik and Ron toy with their Butterbeers, bored. It was almost two o'clock. The only conversation that Ron was capable of involved Hermione, and Malik was lost in his thoughts. Abruptly, the said Egyptian sighed.
"Eh?" Harry asked, breaking the silence in the midst of the bustle of the Three Broomsticks.
"Nothing..." Again he sighed.
"Sure," Harry said sarcastically, "You sigh twice in a minute over nothing."
Malik gave a reluctant smile before propping his chin up on his hand. "I'm fine."
"But worried about Ryou?" Harry pressed. Malik's eyes had been so full of pain and regret the past hour and Harry hoped for a change of emotions.
"A little, but not much."
Ron snorted, joining the conversation. "You're worried that your little tiff could ruin a friendship," he commented in one of his rare, undeniable correct insights.
Malik didn't say anything, but the silence spoke for itself.
"He'll get over it in a couple of hours." Ron said, leaning back. "Unlike me, he doesn't hold grudges long."
"It happened months ago," Malik commented miserably. "Ryou never seems to hold any resentment long, but he does, only hidden." He buried his head in his arms, which were on the table.
"Worst happens is that he doesn't talk to you for the rest of today, mate." Ron stated. "It might help if you explain why he's so mad at you too," he added with such an ill hid curiosity that a three year old would have been able to see though.
"Not bloody likely," Malik retorted, gloom lifted at Ron's antic.
Ron shrugged. "He's about as understandable as Hermione. What does she see in Qurkie? He's just a Cha...ser... She has something for Quidditch players! A bookworm like her! She thinks sports are a past time for the those with too much muscle! And then she goes and dates them! Next thing you know she'll be going out with our next Keeper!"
"What if are next Keeper is Parvati Patil?" asked Malik, the question filled with wicked amusement. He looked at Ron, lips fighting to hid a smirk and his eyes dancing. It was the worst hid secret of the Fifth years that Ron had a crush on Hermione. Or at the very (unlikely) least, had a very overprotective brother complex about her.
"You don't think that's why she keeps falling for losers, do you?" Ron asked, panic-stricken.
"No," Harry reassured him before Malik could answer him. And judging by first Malik's smirk and then frown of disappointment, it had been a confirmation. Pulling Ron's leg was just to easy some days. "Besides, we don't know yet who even going to try out for Keeper, it's next weekend when tryouts are held. For all we know it could be you."
Ron snorted. "On a Shooting Star? Hardly. That thing slower then a butterfly. Might as well go buy a toy broom." He slammed his butterbeer onto the table. "Absolute rubbish."
"You still want to try out, don't you?" asked Harry slyly.
"Course I do, you'd have to be Hermione not to. Or obsessed with nonphysical games," added Ron when Malik cleared his throat.
"What if you could use a faster broom?" Harry asked, softly. "Say one that the school owns."
Ron's eyes went wide. "I could try out without making a fool of myself. Can't be accused of cheating either!"
"We'd have to get permission from Hooch and McGonagall first," Harry cautioned.
"So? We have Ryou do most the talking to McGonagall and you talking to Hooch." Ron grinned caught happily. "Maybe we can worm the reason why this year's season is so late, while we're at it..."
Harry snorted. "Good luck. Angelina badgered McGonagall about it for a week. She only stopped because the prof threatened to take away ten points each time she asked."
Ron rolled his eyes. "Bet it's Snape. The Slytherin's team doesn't have anyone to replace. Everyone else at least one vacancy."
"Ravenclaw has to find four more players," Harry commented.
"No." Both looked at Malik, curious to why he thought that Harry's count was off. "I don't think Snape would do that. He's to busy trying to remember what ever it is he forgot."
Ron snorted. "Maybe he had a flash of his old self when he did this."
Malik shook his head, but didn't argue. He toyed with his butterbeer.
"Maybe I can find McGonagall or Hooch and asked about the broom," Ron commented, standing. "If that's okay," he added.
Harry nearly growled. "You noticed that too?"
"Uhh... What, mate?" asked Ron, not sure what brought on this turn of events.
"The increase of professors, here in Hogsmeade this weekend."
"How couldn't you?" asked Ron. "You almost bump into them at every corner."
"I'll bet that's the reason why they postponed that broom game too," Malik figured. "Security concerns. Bet if Fudge wasn't messing with the school so much Dumbledore would cancel it all together. Now he has to settle until there's snow on the ground, so parent won't be so eager to travel here."
"Does make sense," Harry reluctantly agreed. "I guess I should count me self lucky that my permission to visit Hogsmeade hasn't been revoked."
Malik shook his head. "No, Dumbledore's just accepted the inevitable will happen. If you're walking around almost a sitting duck, then those Death Meat people will go after you, a more tempting target. Well, the first few times. Dumbledore's counting on you to survive long enough for help, in the form of professors, to come. After whatever-his-stupid-name-is thinks about people you're close with, they could be in danger as well..."
Malik proceed to outline various strategies that "Voltmorter" (a detached part of Harry's mind wonder wether Malik was trying to mess the names up on purpose) could employ. Time almost seemed to freeze around them while Malik, uncomfortably traced patterns on the table while he pointed out ways Voldemort could cause terror in the wizarding world. They ranged from kidnapping, impersonation, assassination, to wide spread poisoning and planting muggle bombs. The bar seemed not to pay any attention to the three but sailed on its merry way. After what seemed a century, Malik fell quite, not speaking.
"How," asked Ron, recovering after a time of staring blankly at the wall contemplating a hypothetical girlfriend being captured to gain a lever over him, and thus Harry as well. "How can you think of all of this in less then a day?"
Malik's eyes remained downcast and dark, but a faint hint of regret entered. "In the world of duelers, that game we play, there are some who would be terrible Death Eaters. Some stratagems, on smaller scales have been employed in tournaments."
Ron shook his head in disbelief.
Malik shrugged. "Be glad-- please note here that I've spent a lot of time around Yugi, and am only saying what I know he would-- that Voldemort has not yet realized to what heights friendship can help carry you to."
That would be a very Yugi saying, Harry reflected. Voldemort hasn't yet started to employ an methods, other then gather followers... I think...
"Hi."
He turned his head slightly, seeing Hermione and behind her Rita Skeeter.
"What's wrong?" asked Hermione softly.
"What's she doing here?" Ron demanded, pointing at Rita. "Do you even remember what she wrote last year?"
"Yes," said Hermione firmly, "I do. But I also think it inhumane for her to be kept in a jar until June 25." Hermione lowered her voice, "Besides, I have her wand."
Ron snorted, unconvinced. "What did you do? Take her with you on your date? Or," A hope kindled in Ron's dark brown eyes, "Was the date just an excuse to go some where out of the way to let Skeeter out?"
Hermione rolled her eyes, "Of course not."
Skeeter who up until now had been watching the conversation with great intensity, her hand occasionally convulsing, tapped Hermione. "You're paying for the food, right?"
Hermione carefully nodded.
Rita proceeded to order the most expensive things of the menu.
"Hey--"
"Ron, let it go," Hermione whispered. "Anyway, before we got sidetracked over my uh-- guest, what we're you talking about?"
"What Voldemort might do," Harry answered glumly.
Rita squeaked and spilled her cocktail over the front of her robes. "Don't say that name!" she hissed, looking around.
Hermione rolled her eyes, she had been around Harry long enough to become used to it. "He's not a demon. As long as we don't fault it, he won't come"
Rita frowned, still looking over her shoulder at every noise, and mopped her robe with a napkin. "In the old days, he did come when you said his name. Sometimes he was there in seconds, and others in a week. Saying it in public was a death sentence."
Harry rolled his eyes, mind eternally whirring at the implications. "He's had it in for me since I was a child. Voldemort can't kill me more then once."
Rita choked on her drink again. "Please for the love of Merlin, don't say that name!"
"Voldemort, Coldenfort, Gortmord, what's in a name?" asked Malik. "Nothing. It's only a combination of syllables, sometimes making sense." He shrugged. "If you don't want to say his name, call him Joe or something."
Malik's sudden ability to pronounce the Dark Lord's name correctly confirmed Harry's suspicions that he had been mangling it on purpose.
Rita who had put down her drink for the moment looked at Malik in amazement. "You're living on borrowed time. No one besides Dumbledore could get away with that."
Malik snorted and rolled his eyes. "This is how the average wizard reacts to Voldemort?"
Hermione nodded.
"I take back what I said. You're not screwed. You're royally fucked."
"I might just stay a beetle forever," muttered Rita, eyes slowly returning to normal.
"And if one person is hurt, it's going to be your fault," Hermione said acidly. "If it hadn't been for that article on the day of the tournament, people might actually believe what Harry and Headmaster Dumbledore have been saying."
Rita snorted. "I still think you were hook-winded, maybe not by Harry, but perhaps by Black, trying to cause mass panic."
Harry eyes flew open, and the green eyes burned with a rage. This woman was infuriating. But if she saw sense, and had a retraction printed... "I don't think Black and I had the same core in our wands," he said, teeth gritted.
"You share wand cores?" yelped Ron and Hermione. Skeeter became even more pale. "Blimey," whispered Ron.
Harry winced. Obviously his this was one of those few places where his knowledge in wizarding society wore thin.
"You don't know, do you?" Hermione stared, brown eyes wide. "Usually, that happens with twins or very close siblings. With all most identical personalities."
"Fred and George have the exact same wands. Both eleven inches and willow with dragon string, they can use the other's," Ron informed, tonelessly.
"Well, if it's any comfort, I did have to get a new wand," remarked Harry absently. The second year...
Skeeter looked at him as though she expected him to declare allegiance to the Dark an second now, and would have fled if Hermione had not held her arm with bruising intensity.
"Hannah, he's a Parselmouth. Everyone knows that's the mark of a Dark wizard. Have you ever heard of a decent one that can talk to snakes? That's probably why You-Know-Who wanted to kill him in the first place. Didn't want another Dark Lord competing with him."
The whispers of the second years, wondering. The doubt that eventually faded, until the paper's brought them back, with how far he'd go to win the tournament... With both him and Cedric disappearing by portkey, and one not coming back alive...
Skeeter's craving for ratings cost lives. Next year, Skeeter could write. The same woman who looked at him, eyes wide and horrified. Sixteen was not to unlikely an age for some one to have aspirations to be a Dark Lord. Look at Riddle, he firmly planted his feet down that path in the fifth year. Any attacks then could be blamed on him and--
"And I think we've had enough pessimistics for now!" Hermione said in an overly bright voice, still looking a little worriedly at him. "Ron, how are the Cannons doing?"
"Huh-- Oh, them, the Beaters are strong but that's it." Ron was looked out a window, avoiding talk. Silence fell around the table and once more the rest of the bar seemed distant.
OoOoOoO
Remus Lupin looked around Hogsmeade. It had been over a year since he last had come. Yet, it had remained the same as when he had first set his sight on it in his second year when James and Sirius talked him into sneaking in. The world had changed, You-Know-Who rising, then falling, and now rising again, though he had yet to announce it officially. Remus suspected it would be an unpreventable attack when the news came. Perhaps even on the Hogwarts Express, despite the increased security.
Former students waved at him, and a couple even asked him why hadn't come back when the Headmaster had asked him. Remus attempted to explain that the headmaster had wanted him back, but could ill afford the letters of protest. Some of the Hufflepuff third years went away shaking their heads, muttering about the injustices of the world, while one or two of the older Ravenclaw stacked away, murmuring about possible potential for werewolves. Dumbledore was widely regarded be the out side of the world to be crackers, but yet inside the school, nearly everyone maintained loyal, even a few Slytherins. Most seemed to have put out of their minds the mere idea that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named could be back as there were no frequent glances over a shoulder, or perhaps that was because this generation had not experienced those dark times. Beside him, a black dog growled softly, before Remus drifted of into thought.
"Shush, we'll get to Harry eventually."
The black dog looked at him.
"It's not like I can tell where when he's not in my sight." The werewolf muttered. The duo found their way to the Three Broomsticks... eventually. After Sirius decided that he was a 'dumb dog' and chased Snape over half of Hogsmeade. Moony was torn between laughter and tears.
"Will you ever grow up?" he asked his friend when he came back.
Sirius whined, affronted by the idea.
Once inside, Remus scanned the tables, expecting to need to continue onto the next store, as he had with Zonko's and other stores they had favored in their youth. Though Harry may look like a carbon copy of his father, except for Lily's eyes, he held different tastes. However, at the Three Broomsticks, they found him. Hermione and Ron were there as well, with an older woman who's back was tensed. There was also another boy, likely one of those three who were from Japan (as far as Remus knew, blonde hair and such an angular face was not the norm for the Orient, though). He moved closer to the table greeting those he knew along the way.
"Didn't we go though this in the second year?" asked Harry.
Lupin, with in earshot, frowned.
"All this doubt and fear?"
"I wasn't there," said the unknown boy flippantly.
"I'm sorry, Harry," Hermione said, "But...the cores. Not at all a nice thing."
"Mine's snapped, remember?" Harry said. "And since when are rules supposed to work for me? I've done magic that some adult wizards have trouble with; and something that no one's done before."
Lupin inwardly frowned. The entire table was on edge. As Ron looked around with an attempt at being discreet, he saw the werewolf. His face changed perceptively and the whole table looked in the same direction he did. The two Remus had not been acquainted with looked still confused, but Harry and Hermione grinned.
"Professor," said Hermione, pleased.
"I'm not a professor anymore," he reminded her gently.
"Lo," said Harry, using the slang he used only when he felt particularly weary. Remus mentally cursed Voldemort to the ninth hell for bringing this upon someone so young.
Sirius trotted over and leaped on him paws on Harry's shoulder, the closest he could come to a hug. He sniffed the woman , and then the blonde youth. He looked a little confused before sniffing again.
"Remus Lupin, ex-professor," he said introducing himself, and held out his hand.
"Th-the werewolf?" croaked the woman, looking at him like he had grown a second head... a slavering wolf's.
Hermione glared at the woman. "Let's go for a walk," she suggested-- no, commanded.
The woman nodded shakily, and nearly quivering stood up. Seeing the black dog, she paled to sickly preparations, perhaps seeing the dog as a Grim, an omen of death. She scurried away, Hermione keeping up with her at a brisk pace. The woman cut a wide swathe through the crowd, and many a wizard looked at her, in shock, and Remus not for the first time wished he had kept up with the rest of the world.
"Is it true," Ron said slowly, "That back then saying You-Know-Who's name could get you killed?"
Remus looked at him gravely and then sat down. "Yes," he said simply.
Ron laid his for head on the table, and muttered a swearword.
Harry rested his chin on his palm. "That would explain thing's a little..."
"How have you been?" Remus asked, remembering the first time he had talked to James after a close friend of his had been killed. James had been snappish ever since he came to the door, and when he had asked James how he had felt, James had snapped, "How would you feel if you saw someone who you went to school with for seven years die because of a few syllabus? Two words, for Merlin's sake!"
"Well enough."
Hermione came back, a minute later, stowing a jar in her bag. "Sorry about her."
"Who was she?"
"Uhhh... Well, you see," Hermione flushed. "She's Rita Skeeter. I sort of found out she was a beetle animagi last year, and she wring such horrible stuff about Harry... I... sortofblackmailedher. It's... complicated," she said, and flushed again.
Lupin raised an eyebrow, but inwardly sighed. Fifteen... at that age the only blackmail they should know how to handle would be that of other students. He was introduced to Malik, one of the students Albus had written about to him and Sirius. The other two, Yogi Moto or Ryo Bakura (or something like that) weren't there. Ron and Hermione were dazed while Malik was frowning.
Sometime later, he was nearly given the Spanish inquisition by the almost adults over what Voldemort had done the last time, in a period un-affectionally called the Terror. He regretted going into the detail he was but, Sirius non-verbal prompts. But slowly... the question came to a stop. Hermione had excused herself to the restrooms, while Ron had gone silent and staring out the window. Harry was indistinctly talking to Sirius, scratching his ears. Malik seemed to be deeply contemplating the meaning of the menu.
The shadows began to lengthen and Remus joined them in their track back to the horseless carriages. Along the way, the rejoined Ginny and Yugi, who as Remus could tell by the breathless laughter and the warm glances, obviously on a date. Another few minutes, and he was introduced to Ryou Bakura. The smirk on his face did not particularly comfort Remus.
When only a round dozen carriages were left, he said his farewell and Remus with large black dog disappeared into Hogsmeade, mist forming.
The second war was coming, and the children could see it better then any.
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Any odd stuff comes form writeing/editing at 4am. :P
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