Chapter 14 - Of Routines

"People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing. That's why we recommend it daily" –Zig Ziglar

Harry woke up suddenly and looked around. He was in his dorm, in his bed. He calmed his racing heart. He didn't want to think on what he'd just dreamed about but the images he'd seen, the words he'd heard. They wouldn't leave his mind. He looked at the time. He had half an hour before his alarm went off, and so he knew there was no point in trying to get more sleep. The dreams he'd had weren't nightmares or visions of Voldemort. They seemed to be memories; memories experienced in that very castle. Of students from the past; including his parents. On one hand, he thought he preferred these dreams to many of his others he'd previously had; on the other hand he felt like this was some cruel trick his very own mind was playing on him.

And what was worse was that he'd been having them for a while. Some of them he so desperately wanted to believe. Others he'd wished he'd never had. Sighing, he gave up and switched off his alarm clock. Grabbing his things he went to take a shower, taking his time. The memories, if that was what they were, needed to be dealt with another time. Things were getting busy for Harry.

He winced as he stretched down to pick up the bar of soap he'd dropped. He muscles were aching. The DA was taking up much of his time, between his classes and visits to the chambers and occlumency lesson with Killian, quidditch Harry barely had any time to himself.

The Chamber of Secrets had improved immensely in month they'd been working there. It was still by no means habitable, if that was what the teachers were planning, but it had been cleansed of much of its grime by the hard work of the students, professors and house elves. Dumbledore had the Chamber constantly covered with a guard. They had managed to uncover a few secret passages within and found that it stretched much further than they thought. Lupin and Moody had managed to set up some torches that would give them more light down there. There was plenty more work to be done, but it was a good work in progress. On top of all that, Moody and the Defence professors had introduced the student body that was the delight to muggle athletes who liked to train their bodies: the Gym.

Dean and Seamus had loved the gym immediately. It gave them a chance to work out and keep their bodies in shapes for the football games they shared during summer. For Harry himself it was also a welcome godsend. It meant with the declining weather that came with the Scottish climate, it much more preferable to running outside when it started getting so bitterly cold that not even running cold hold off the sharp cut of wind. The treadmills were definitely a welcome alternate, not mention the weights where he could work on his muscles. The quidditch team also appreciated the chance to improve their physical fitness, especially the beaters who would be using the weight to their advantage to work on the upper body strength. It also meant he was constantly sore, which he thought he got over since Killian's lesson. But as Killian had once told them, if they weren't sweating or walking ( or more accurately limping) away with sore muscles, they weren't working hard enough.

Yes, Harry definitely had a lot to keep him busy. The defence lesson were picking up. As it was getting colder and colder outside, they moved Killian's lesson from the quidditch pitch inside he castle. Some of which meant working out in the gym. They had also brought in martial instructors to teach them karate, but those lessons only took place Friday and Saturday evenings for an hour, which were completely voluntary and Harry had attended all 8 so far diligently.

Harry wished he'd had something like this years ago, but it seemed with the threat of Voldemort and now the Ministry's acknowledge of it, Dumbledore had been allowed to make some changes.

Harry shook himself out of his ruminations and finished showering. Wiping himself down with a towel, he wrapped it around himself and made a grab for his toothbrush. His defence education had definitely improved, and he was more than glad to throw himself into it, hoping to find that power he knew not he could use to defeat Voldemort.

There were times he felt so stretched so thin, with everything he was taking on, with everything the professors were piling on him. The expectations his friends had of him, what the DA wanted from him. And these dreams/memories that came from nowhere. His mind felt so crammed. Harry thought it was just Killian's occlumency lessons that kept him together. The occlumency helped him keep his thoughts organised. Being organised was more Hermione's forte than his, but there were times he so desperately needed a break, and he looking forward to Christmas break which was only 3 weeks away.

He rinsed out the last of the toothpaste from his mouth and packed everything away. Making sure the towel was till wrapped firmly around his waist, he picked up toiletries he made his way back to the dorms to change into his uniform. He dorm mates had just started stirring and Ron yawned widely and blinked tiredly at Harry.

"Blimey Harry, you must have been awake e-e-early," Ron said with another mouth splitting yawn, concern in his eyes..

Harry shrugged. "Woke up and didn't think there was much point in trying to sleep again."

Ron dragged himself out of bed, grabbing his things and made his way to the showers as well; but not without one last look at Harry.

Dean and Seamus also got themselves out of bed and made to get ready. Neville was the only one who was still in bed. Harry pulled on his Hogwarts pants and began rubbing his hair, making it stand up more than usual, walked towards Neville's bed to wake the other boy up.

He'd barely taken two steps when "Malachy!" Neville yelled.

Harry jumped, completely staggered at Neville's return to the waking world. Clutching the towel to his chest to calm his racing heart Harry focussed on Neville.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked once he felt calm enough to.

Neville, who was slowly coming to himself, flinched a little at the sound of Harry's voice.

"Caspian?" he asked, he said looking at Harry confused.

Harry knew the look was mirrored on his face. He didn't know who Malachy and Caspian were, but he felt he should recognise the names.

"It's Harry, Neville," Harry told him, creeping closer to the bed.

Neville blinked several times, before finally recognising him.

"Harry," he breathed. "Sorry."

Neville looked around, "It was just a dream. Just a dream."

He shook himself out of it. There was a tense moment when neither knew what to say before Neville too dragged himself out of bed, to get ready.

"It's okay," Harry said, slowly backing up to his own bed.

Neville looked like he was going say something but changed his mind and quickly strode from dorm towards the showers.

Harry quietly finished getting. He tried to push the whole incident from him mind, but he still couldn't shake the name that he'd been about to say when Neville called him Caspian.

Harry had almost called Neville Sebastian. But he didn't know who Sebastian was, although it did feel familiar like Caspian and Malachy did. As did a fourth name that echoed throughout his mind: Juno.

The names appeared from nowhere. Malachy, Sebastian, Caspian and Juno. Four unknown people.

With a last shake of head, Harry finished buttoning up his robes and grabbed his school bag, deciding to wait in the Common Room for Ron and Neville. It was just a dream of Neville's. They'd probably heard the names in one of their classes somewhere.

Harry was soon joined by Ron, Neville, Hermione and Ginny. Together they made their way to the Great Hall for breakfast. Neville and Harry ignored the awkwardness of the morning wake-up and eventually the forced camaraderie became less so. Laughing and joking they made their way to the classes for the day. First of which was Transfiguration, in which they'd been combined how to cast silently with what they were learning.

Most of the students just tried to whisper the spell, and Harry himself found it a difficult task to master. It was twenty minutes at the end of the Transfiguration lesson that McGonagall made her announcement.

"Before I dismiss you all I have been asked to inform you by your defence professors of the events that will be taking place after your return from Christmas holidays. Your other professors and I have all come up with a practical exam that will count as 40% participation grade that will take place on the first day back from break. It will be combined to make up your Charms, Transfigurations and Defence grade. You will not only be working with your year group, you will be working with every single student in this school and it will take place down in the Chamber of Secrets. Any questions so far?"

Immediately several students put their hands up.

"Yes Mr Thomas?"

"Professor, why are we having an exam so early on in the year?"

"Your defence teachers having been testing your skills quite regularly," she said, referring to their lessons in the maze that true to Moody's word they encountered several times. "Although Professor Moody is happy with your progressions so far," McGonagall continued, "they would like to see your skills in a more intense setting. According to Professor Moody, the maze and other activities are merely games. He would like to test your mettle with something more high intensity. As such, Professor Flitwick and I have decided that we will similarly test your skills and have decided to- ah - throw in our lot and see your progressions under classroom settings. Yes Miss Granger?" she pointing to Hermione.

"What kinds spell and charms do you think we should concentrate on?"

"You should revise as much as possible. As it this practical exam will literally everyone from first years to seventh years it will be encompassing. I strongly suggest that you start your revision today, you will need to arm yourself with as many spells as possible, not mention all the gymnastics Professor Killian has been teaching," she talked over the groans of the classes, raising her voice slightly "to pass the assessments your professors and I have put together for you.

"It will not be easy I will assure you now. We will be putting a lot of effort and preparation into this and we expect the same effort for you to pass. I do not expect to be let down."

She answered a few more questions and then moved onto the next announcement.

"Also note, as you are now sixth years, some of you will be turning 17, if you haven't already, that we will be offering Apparition lesson after Christmas. If you wish to participate in these lesson the list will be posted in your Common Rooms announcement board. Simply add your name. Now hurry off to your next lesson," she dismissed them.

The sixth years walked out of their Transfiguration lessons, partly excited and partly dreading the upcoming events. Hermione was in her element; using the opportunity after lessons had ended for the day to coming with a list of all the spells, charms and jinxes they would need for the exam.

Harry told Hermione to keep the details to herself, until they met with the DA that evening.

"After all, McGonagall said this is going to be a school wide participation. It's better we go over strategies with the DA as they will down in the Chamber as well," Harry pointed out.

After thinking about it for a moment, Hermione nodded and continued to make a list of all the things she thought would come in handy.

It was an hour after dinner that Harry was sitting in classroom not far from Killian's office that they held their DA meetings in now, waiting for the rest of the DA team members to trickle in.

Harry waited for the last of the mutters to die down before standing up to address the DA.

"As I'm sure you're all aware there's going to be a practical exam after Christmas so we will be stepping up our wand work as much as possible. Considering this is going to be involving Charms and Transfiguration as well as Defence, Hermione has put together a list of what we think might be useful to know. The list will be pinned on the board behind me. If there's anything you guys think you think might be helpful at all, feel free to make your contributions."

They all nodded thoughtfully.

"For each DA meeting we'll pick something from the list and work on that, or if there's something that any of you want to work in particular, just step up and let us know and we'll do that. There's no particular order. This is literally going to be a cramming session because we don't know what we're going to need."

"We tried to ask the professors what to expect," Hermione took over, "and all we were told was that it could be covering everything we learned so far this year and that we need to be prepared for the kind of work we've been doing in the maze but on a larger scale."

There was several snorts and a few sniggers at that. They were all wondering how it could be done on a bigger scale than what they already experienced in the maze lessons.

"Considering it is going to be taking place in the Chamber, it goes without saying that we need to be cautious. We can't rule out the possibility that the professors could have found something down there to test us with," Neville spoke up.

"You're right." Hermione said. "There must be a reason they've chosen the Chamber for the exam to take place rather than the Great Hall as normal. None of the professors seem to want to tell us anything useful we could use, unless there's something here anyone else could contribute."

No one said anything but Harry saw someone slowly put their hand up in he middle crowd.

"Yeah, um" Harry started, waiting for the crowd to part to see who put their hand up. "Andrews."

David Andrews slowly stepped forward, a little self-conscious to be under scrutiny but cleared his throat to be speak nonetheless.

"I don't know if this is useful at all, but I did overhear Snape and Shacklebolt speaking to Madam Pomfrey about stocking for with, well a LOT of, healing potions in preparation for the exam. Apparently it's going to be on a massive scale because the quantity they were discussing seemed as if they expected the whole school to end up in the hospital wing after exam."

This was met by a lot of groans wondering what new tortures that were named Defence lesson would be inflicted on them for that exam.

"Well, on that cheerful note lets start with basic shield charms and work our way up," Harry said, wand ready.

And so they practiced. Determined to pass their exams, considering they only had three weeks before school ended to practice as much as possible. Harry didn't know if the Order wanted everyone to be back at Headquarters over Christmas, in which case they wouldn't be able to practice wand work, after all they never been allowed to use their wands outside of school before. Therefore, Harry was train as much as possible before end of the term. And so the routine continued for Harry and the DA. Lessons, gym, DA and trying to make sense of the dreams that plagued him about him mum, Snape and the Marauders.