'Dear Tom, today was okay. It was a bit windy outside, but it's not too cold to go out without getting all bundled up yet. I like to read by the lake. It's really peaceful there. The way the long ripples move in the water is very calming. It's so rhythmic, so steady. And the way the light dances through the water too… On good days it makes the lake glow like emerald.'
'I liked the lake too. The water moves in such a smooth, measured way. It cannot be broken or crushed. Inspiring, really.'
Hermione smiled, knowing that she'd likely managed to evoke memories of the Slytherin common room. It was good to know that she could somewhat influence him to give genuine responses. And now to reward him for his efforts at empathy, and capitalize…
'I know, right? I didn't think anyone else would like to watch the water like I do. Sometimes people look at me like I'm weird when I stay there for too long. With the girls in my year, you have to do everything just like them to fit in. Like the same things, act the same way and all.'
'I never did fit in either, Sally. I was always different, somehow.'
'Aww Tom… You poor thing…' Hermione wrote, deliberately laying it on thick, 'I'm so sorry to hear that!'
'But I made sure that they saw me the right way, eventually. I demonstrated my strength and made sure that they respected me like they should.' Tom seemed very quick to assert that he was not a "poor thing", despite the advantage it would give him to have her sympathy. He detested feeling vulnerable, then? Maybe they truly were kindred souls in that regard… Or perhaps he was a megalomaniac who wanted everyone to acknowledge him as a god among men? 'So don't worry about people too much, Sally. Besides, we can look out for each other.' His writing, Hermione had noticed by now, was slightly less orderly when he seemed to be truly passionate about something, compared to his perfectly even and upright script when he was flat out lying. Another thing to remember, then.
'Thanks, Tom. You're the best!'
'But of course. What are friends for?'
'But Tom, I wish someone could've been there for you too. I have you now, but you didn't have anyone who really understood you then…'
Confusion. Apparently Tom had never been asked such a question before, and was so stumped as to what the appropriate response was that he didn't answer for almost half a minute.
'It's quite alright. I accepted that I was different a long time ago.' He eventually decided on this.
And completely misunderstood the "concern"?
Very interesting, as she'd thought this feeling would resonate with someone like him most of all. Did he really not see anything wrong with –
But with what, exactly? Now that she tried to write it down, she found that she couldn't exactly articulate it either. 'It's not that, it's ...'
If one deemed oneself special, perhaps more capable or more ambitious than most, then it would only be logical to expect that others would not think the same way as oneself right?
'…nevermind. I'm just glad I have you now, I mean.'
A shame, that she couldn't probe him further on that front. But at least she was now fairly certain that Voldemort had no real trusty accomplices that she'd need to root out from somewhere within the shadows – even though many would seem to be a member of his inner circle. When it came to what was important, he would always rely on no one. No one would know enough about his plans to cripple him significantly through betrayal, or conversely, help him to a great extent when he'd need it.
Voldemort probably didn't think that day would ever come. Hermione suspected he would be in for a surprise sooner than he believed.
'I think I'll turn in for the night. Astronomy class was so long! Goodnight, Tom.'
'Sweet dreams, Sally.'
"Sal, why are we meeting in the middle of the hallway?" asked Blaise, "I thought you're taking us to our new lair."
"It's not a lair," Hermione corrected, pacing in front of the tapestry. She'd miss the convenience of the general ignorance of the Room of Requirement. But then again, they had built the room for the use of both students and faculty, so it was only fair. "Think of it as a hidden meeting room. I stumbled upon it sometime ago. There,"
Blaise's jaw almost dropped as a door and a whole room appeared out of nowhere. The others didn't contain their surprise any better.
Hermione smirked and made the room display the décor of an empty drawing room. "I think this room can gives you almost anything you wish for. To get in you have to pace in front of that wall three times while wishing for some kind of place, like a place where we can practice duelling. And now if we wish for table and seats…"
"Wow!" exclaimed Harry when a low table surrounded by five poufs actually appeared before them.
"We can also wish for books. We have to know what topic we're looking for, mind, so it doesn't necessarily replace the library."
"And if we wish for the door to be locked?" Theo grinned.
"Then no one should be able to get in, though I'm not sure what would happen if someone use alohomora." It would depend on how one envisioned the lock.
"Wicked!"
Hermione had to admit, she was delighted by their awe-struck expression. It was exactly how she'd felt when the room's final spells came together, another lifetime ago... But now onto their original reason for coming here: duelling.
The Duelling Club hosted by Professor Snape and Professor Flitwick only met three more times after the first one with Lockhart, but it only took them a little while to agree on what they'd learned was the right form again. Then they took turns duelling each other with only 'expelliarmus' like the first time Professor Flitwick taught them to, because Theo pointed out that if they ever meet Sirius Black they would probably want to dodge his spells instead of trying to block. Then they practiced casting the shield charm, because Harry argued that in case they couldn't dodge, it would be safest if they could cast a strong shield than not. After that, just for the fun of it, they did a five-way, free-for-all fight using the tickling charm only.
After half an hour, even Daphne was rolling around indecorously on the floor and giggling madly. Hermione could tell that the exercise were healthy for them. In this room, there was no need to keep up appearances - no oogling from first years for Harry, and no need to project invincibility to keep people's faith for the others. Here, they were safe among friends. Just like how she'd once taken Hogwarts as her sanctuary of sort...
After they'd conjured back the tables and the poufs and played through three Nocturnes together, Hermione made her pitch. "I think we should invite a few more people to join us,"
"I second that!" declared Blaise, "This would sound better with more people."
"How about Neville?" Harry suggested. "He's also practicing Nocturnes on his own."
"Longbottom?" Daphne raised an eyebrow, "he's nice enough, but are you sure he'd be able to keep up with this? I would feel really bad if we have to tell him to leave…"
This turned into a minor debate. Hermione had no doubt that Neville would be able to keep up if he felt it was necessary. Over the last year he'd already improved from last in the class to a little above the middle. With a lot of dedication and effort, he'd managed magic above what was currently expected for his age, such as the shield charm in first year. He'd even managed magic beyond what she'd thought possible for him, like the cruciatus.
But convincing the others without explaining what exactly she'd been practicing with Neville would be difficult. Besides, she wanted their group to expand their connections into the other houses, and she could always continue to teach Neville on her own.
"How about Terry Boot and Anthony Goldstein from Ravenclaw?" Hermione suggested instead, "They have good grades, and I talk to them sometime in the library. And we all know Boot from arithmancy class." Goldstein apparently had the highest grade last year, ranking just above herself and Theo. Boot was not too far behind, and he seemed to be exceptionally talented at arithmancy from what they'd seen so far.
More importantly, like the rest of their group, both Ravenclaws were willing to challenge the status quo. They would work well together.
"I know Goldstein too," Daphne nodded, "I think he'd like this."
Blaise, Theo, and Harry expressed consensus, and the motion was passed.
"So that would make us seven then," Daphne smiled, "You know, if we're going to have a lair and everything we might as well give ourselves a name."
"We don't have a lair," Hermione snorted. It was one thing to occupy the Room of Requirements, but to claim it was a bit much in her opinion. "but a name would be nice, yes."
"Er… Defence Association? Since we're learning to defend ourselves against Black?"
Theo snorted. "Eh, I think 'Harry's vendetta conspirators' would be more suitable if we're going that route."
"The study party? But with a capital 'T'?"
"The overachievers-with-nothing-better-to-do-on-a-Saturday?"
"But we don't have nothing to do, Blaise…"
"I know, but I said nothing better to do."
"How about 'The Nocturne Group'?" Hermione offered, "For simplicity."
"The Nocturne Group," Daphne sounded it out slowly, "that sounds mysterious."
"That sounds a bit dark," Blaise realized, "but that's ok I guess."
It sounded dark because it was. If they'd looked it up in the right history books, they would've found a similarly named group that operated between the tenth to thirteenth century as the primary maintainer of order when dark arts were involved. She'd thrown the suggestion out on a whim, but a part of her was quite pleased that they were actually going with it.
"Nocturne group it is!" Theo smirked. "Mystery is nice. I mean, as Blaise said, we have a lair and everything."
"It's not a lair, Blaise!"
"Hey! Fight your own battles Theo!"
Theo responded by turning his chin up and striking an amazingly haughty pose that would make even the snobbiest lordlings jealous. Blaise retaliated by wishing a large, fluffy pillow into existence right on top of his friend's face. This provoked another tickling battle since Theo had no idea who was responsible for the pillow, and soon they were all diving and ducking around hastily 'wished' obstacles to avoid the flying charms.
"Some friends you are!" Blaise tried to glare indignantly as he dodged behind the table, straining hard to keep down the smile that threatened to break out onto his face.
Some friends indeed.
Remus peered at the young bespectacled boy before him. His head of messy black hair looked particularly unruly today, Remus noticed. 'Just like James. Merlin…'
Remus knew he was very lucky to have had good friends like them. And Merlin did he miss those days...
"Um, Professor Lupin? I have a question, if you don't mind," It was Harry himself who eventually stirred Remus out of his reminiscing. "When we fought the boggart in class, how come you didn't let me try?"
"I assumed that it would take the form of Lord Voldemort for you, and I didn't think it would be a good idea to frighten the class," Remus answered honestly. Poor Prongslet, to have to face that monster so young… 'This was not meant to be, Prongslet. You were supposed to grow up happily with nothing to worry about save homework and detentions and girlfriends at most, with your mum and dad by your side. With all of us - Peter, me, and ... Sirius... But now...'
"I thought it would be him at first, but then I remembered that Dementor from the train." If anything, Harry looked relieved at his answer. Perhaps he thought that Remus thought he couldn't manage the boggart, the new Defence professor realized.
Remus was actually very impressed with his third year Gryffindor class. Aside from Hermione, everyone else managed to force the boggart to change shape on the first try. And even Hermione did it on the second try – albeit rather dramatically. "Ah, but this suggests that your worst fear is… fear itself. That's very wise, Harry."
"I just don't get why I react so badly to them!" Harry grumbled, "Nobody else faints around them, do they?"
"It has nothing to do with weakness," Remus assured him, "The dementors affect you worse because there are horrors in your past that other people don't have."
Prongslet nodded reluctantly. "Sally said something like that too,"
"Sally-Anne Perks?"
"Er… no. Hermione, I meant. She reads about everything."
Right. The girl whose boggart was a mirror was a good friend of Harry's then. She'd also shared a train compartment with him now that Harry mentioned it. Remus had almost forgotten for some reason. Strange…
"Professor, if dementors affect everybody, even strong wizards…"
"Yes, Harry."
"Even powerful wizards like Merlin and Godric Gryffindor and Professor Dumbledore?"
"Even more so, Harry."
"… Then somebody's got to have found a way to defend against them right? Sally said those things were bothering people since a long time ago. There's got to be a sort of shield spell, or something?"
Remus smiled despite himself. "You've got your mother's brains, Harry. Truly. Yes, there is a spell, but it's very advanced, well beyond OWL level. Professor Dumbledore forbade them from entering the school, and I think the headmaster literally controls a ward around Hogwarts that stops them, so you'll be fine if you stay away from them."
"Wait, Professor you said… Did you know my mum, Professor? Could you tell me more about her? It's just…" Harry shuffled on his feet and stared at Remus's desk, "I hardly even know anything about her. All I know is from when people tell me about my eyes and from when I get too close to a dementor."
Remus was about to tell him that Lily was the best person ever, but was confused by the last part. "Dementor, Harry?"
"When I get too close to a dementor I can hear Voldemort murdering my mum."
Oh, Prongslet… Remus so dearly wanted to hug him, to protect him like he wasn't able to all those years ago, but thought better of it. 'Harry doesn't really know you, remember?' "Your mother Lily was the brightest witch of her time, Harry. She was such a happy girl then, and a wonderful friend," Remus whispered. He could hardly swallow the lump in his throat. "And when she had you she was overjoyed…"
Prongslet shivered, and Remus's throat seized up again.
Then Harry suddenly looked up, his eyes pleading. "Could you still try to teach me that spell, Professor? What if I end up having to pass them again? I – I don't think I can stand listening to - to –"
When he looked at him like that, what could Remus possibly say?
"Well… all right. I'll try to help. Er, maybe not today though," It was too close to the full moon. "Come by my office next Sunday?"
"Thank you Professor!" Harry brightened visibly, "I'll try really, really hard! I'm already practicing duelling with Sally and Blaise and the others, and we're teaching ourselves shield charms too!"
"Duelling? Already?" Remus found himself smiling too. Merlin, he could still remember baby-Prongslet dumping pudding into his hair! A Marauder even then… "Even your father wasn't this enthusiastic, Harry!"
But what remained of the great Marauders? Two dead, one on the run for murdering the two others, and one left to mourn the losses...
"We're preparing ourselves in case Sirius Black comes."
"Right. It's always best to be ready…" 'Why did you do it, Sirius? Your own friends? Were we not brothers in all but blood?'
Remus must've let his feelings show, because Prongslet was watching him with a bit of concern now. Wishing Harry good luck on his noble endeavour to master duelling, Professor Lupin ushered him out of his office before sinking heavily into his chair.
'I miss you, James. And I'll make sure Prongslet stays safe. I promise you that.'
A.N.: Warm welcome for Mastermind17, who'd offered to beta read for this story! This chapter hasn't been checked yet, but if I end up making any drastic changes I'll let you know at the start of the next chapter.
To clarify, Sal's boggart is the mirror of Erised showing Salazar with a hypothetical family, and the implications of this will become important later. The second figure in the mirror is meant to be symbolic and not anybody in particular.
I think Canon!Hermione only broke down from overworking because she actually tried to use the time turner as little as possible. Partly because she was an obedient little girl and afraid to break rules, and partly because overusing a time turner will make you grow old faster than your friends. Sal has no such qualms in both cases, so the time turner should solve her workload problem rather than increase it. Also, Sal wouldn't be spending time on researching hippogriffs this year so that also helps.
