XVI. A Prelude in Green
The first Hogsmeade weekend arrived with a gust of chilly wind that heralded the imminent winter that was fast approaching. Most students bundled up accordingly, muttering their not so pleasant comments at the temperature drop. Those lucky few that did not complain simply relished the new excuse to sit close to their significant other. Granted, many of them did not need an excuse to cuddle, but it was still nice that Mother Nature provided them with a good reason to anyways. One of these couples headed towards the carriages that would take them to the small village, completely unaware of the world around them.
Neville and Hermione had been so absorbed by one another that the world could have literally ended and it would have completely escaped their notice. Ever since the small celebration that they had in the Room of Requirement, they had finally started to behave like a normal teenage couple would. Granted, the term normal was employed loosely to describe their relationship. After all, a couple that survived the Battle of the Department of Mysteries was far from normal, but it still fell within the expected parameters. They snuggled whenever they had the chance, and overall just revelled in the feeling of closeness that their new relationship brought. Some would go so far as to say that the relationship was tame more than anything else. That would hold until you took into account that it was Neville and Hermione that were involved. Then it simply became ludicrous to even believe that they would do something like this.
After all, who would have thought that Hermione would prefer to snuggle with her newfound boyfriend instead of doing homework? This was just sheer lunacy. Even Hermione herself thought so, in the very rare moments that her thoughts were not completely absorbed by Neville. If somebody had told her during her fifth year that she would be dating Neville Longbottom she would have laughed; after cursing the person that said it. And yet, as unexpected as it was, she did not regret it one bit. There was the sneaking suspicion that she was forgetting something at times, but it was a notion that was easily squashed. After all, what could be more important than her Neville? What was more important than the first person to have ever loved her for who she was? The one that had finally treated her as the woman that she was?
Something very similar coursed through Neville's mind. This was, of course, dramatically enhanced by the fact that for the first time he felt that he truly belonged with someone. Although that feeling had started during the sessions with the DA, it had not really solidified until the start of this year. He felt bad to admit it, but in many ways he was very happy that Ron had behaved the way that he had. It had finally given him the opportunity to form part of the group of people that he liked, and it had also provided him with the unique chance of dating the young witch that had captured his heart. Being the male that he was, these thoughts were automatically wiped clean from his mind whenever they were in close contact with one another. That probably attributed how they completely neglected their other two friends.
Harry and Galdir were several carriages behind the new Gryffindor couple. Galdir's brow was creased in thought as he slowly pondered the way things were progressing. He was immensely pleased with Harry. Initially, he believed that it would be more difficult to teach him, especially due to the huge gap that existed between the way that the Elves employed magic and the way that humans used it. He had already laid out several ways to adapt Elvish casting to the human way, but he was glad that those were not going to be necessary. The dodging exercise had now become a normal occurrence in their training regime, and Harry's endurance had grown dramatically. Granted, shields still constituted the great majority of the moves that he used, but it had surprised him to see that he had decided to get more creative than that, even summoning chairs and desks to block the spells that he could not directly shield or dodge. Overall, he was very pleased with his performance.
On the other hand, he was somewhat concerned for Neville and Hermione. More specifically, he was worried of the way that they appeared to be shunning them. He was more than aware of the fact that this was not intentional in the least, but it was still somewhat worrying. To be more accurate, it was not their relationship that was the source of his concern. It was the way that it was affecting Harry. He seemed to sulk a lot more lately, and he could tell that his heart was not really there whenever they trained, be it Quidditch or otherwise. On that topic, the entire team agreed that they would be unbeatable this year. The way that Galdir marshalled all the chasers would make a professional jealous. They moved in perfect sync, perfectly transitioning from defence to offense and not wasting the opportunity to score. This was also fuelled by his 'insane' acrobatics as they had called them. Every team member literally begged him to teach them how to do one of his stunts, but he flat out refused. Although it bothered him to crush them like that, the only reason why he had yet to kill himself while doing them was simple: he was simply better than they were. His reflexes were unmatched, even though he did reign in his abilities. That coupled with his strength and innate knowledge of magic allowed him to predict with pinpoint accuracy where a person would be at the time, along with the whereabouts of the Quaffle and his broom. From there, it was truly simple, but that did not mean that anyone could do it. He figured someone was bound to complain if every member of the team ended up injured after practice, and he had already drawn enough attention to himself as it was.
Harry on the other hand struggled daily with his internal turmoil. He slept even less than he normally did, preferring to either spend his time practicing what Galdir taught him, or talking to Hedwig. She had repeatedly assured him that Hermione and Neville would eventually come to their senses and reform the 'Golden Quad' as they had been renamed. But with every passing day, he lost a little hope of their group ever reforming. Every day he felt like he lost a bit more of that which he had yearned for so long: a family. He wanted to be mad at them. He really wanted to just storm in to the Great Hall one morning and jinx them until he had their attention and they promised never to do this again. To drag them by the ear so they would attend the practice sessions that they had neglected. But most of all, so they would be by his side again. But try as he might he could not be mad at them. He knew how much Hermione yearned to have someone special in her life. How she wanted this, even though she would probably never tell him that, at least not directly. He may be a bit slow in several areas regarding human relations, but he had seen enough in the few glimpses that he had caught from Dudley's TV to know that she was completely in love with Neville. Likewise, he could not really blame Neville for the way he was acting. They were all loners, and both of them were technically orphans. He was happy for them. But at the same time he resented them. He was delighted by the fact that they had finally found each other, but he was also jealous of their relationship.
On the few nights that he actually slept, his dreams were filled with piercing blue eyes and streams of golden hair. The delicate face of Daphne Greengrass haunted his dreams. It made his mouth dry and his heartbeat quicken. His palms grew sweaty, but at the same time he could not be happier. But every time those lips came close to his, the voice of his uncle broke through, reminding him of the freak that he was. That he was worthless. That no one would ever care for him. After all, who would ever want to be with the freak from under the stairs?
He wanted to believe the voices of Hedwig and Sirius. He wanted to believe that he was worth somebody's time. But if there was one thing that life had taught him was that no matter how much he wished that he had something, it would never be given to him. And the few precious things that did come true could be taken away just as easily. And so, this dichotomy of emotions and thoughts plagued his mind, making him more miserable by the day.
The carriages finally pulled into Hogsmeade and Hermione and Neville walked off into the bustling town, hand in hand.
"Where would you like to go first Mione?" asked Neville. Hermione smiled at her nickname, which had been given to her the next day after the Room of Requirement.
"It doesn't matter Nev. Why don't we just walk around for a bit? We can go to the Three Broomsticks afterwards for a butterbeer", she said with a smile.
"That sounds good."
They walked slowly around town, not really talking about anything of importance. They slowly drifted towards the outskirts, until the crowds thinned out entirely and the noise disappeared. Neville knew what he wanted to do. Heck, he wanted to do it that night in the Room of Requirement, but something kept holding him back. He knew that back then would have been too soon, and the day after and so forth. But today he felt no such restrictions. He felt like today was the day when he would say what he had been dying to say since that night. Granted, that did not mean he was not scared. He was downright terrified. But he still mustered all of his Gryffindor courage and slowly started to lead Hermione closer to the nearby woods. As soon as they were well out of the way and he felt confident that no one would interrupt the moment, Neville stopped, turning Hermione to face him.
"Hermione?"
"Yes Neville?" she answered curiously.
"I know that this may seem a bit early, with this being our first date and all, but I… I really feel that… I mean I… you see what I'm trying to say is…"
"Yes?" Neville cursed himself for stuttering. He screwed his face as he took a deep breath.
"Would you be my girlfriend?" he asked. His voice was nothing more than a whisper.
Hermione froze. All higher level functions were lost the moment that she heard those words. Her heart was beating frantically in her eyes, almost drowning out what Neville had said. She honestly had no idea of what Neville had wanted to ask her, and was kind of surprised that he had picked such a secluded spot. But this was beyond any scenario that she could have conceived in the short amount of time that she had.
"You… you're… asking me…?" Neville nodded, a crease forming on his brow as his shoulders slumped in dejection.
"I understand if you don't…" He never got to finish the sentence. He felt Hermione throw her arms around his neck and within a mere fraction of a second, their lips met. It was an awkward kiss, but it was beyond what either of them had ever felt. If the world had ceased to exist for them before, it didn't even come into their minds. As a matter of fact, every thought that could have possibly crossed their minds was wiped clean, leaving only one thing behind: pure and absolute bliss.
By the time their kiss ended, they were both sporting goofy grins. These immediately vanished as they kissed again. Reacting purely on instinct, Neville's tongue slowly snaked outwards, caressing Hermione's lips. She moaned softly and admitted him entrance, their tongues battling for dominance. Their bodies were pressed as tightly as possible, trying to be in contact with each other as much as possible. Hermione's hand grabbed Neville's hair, pulling him closer towards her as he pulled on her hips. By the time the need for air became pressing, they were both rather flushed and panting slightly. Hermione had a slightly dazed look on her face, while Neville's eyes were slightly darkened with lust. He quickly shook his head in an attempt to spurn his mind into working. They embraced once more, simply enjoying the close contact.
"So I take it that's a yes then?" asked Neville with a smile. Hermione looked up and pecked him softly on the lips.
"Yes Neville. I would love to be your girlfriend."
Later that day, Harry and Galdir met at what had become their 'training classroom'. Neville and Hermione had decided not to come in order to continue enjoying each other's company. That is to say that they wanted to have another snogging session, but only Galdir knew that. By the time that Harry had finished warming up with the dodging exercise with Galdir, his whirlwind of emotions was just about ready to burst.
"I want to fight you", he said.
"Harry, we have been through this, you are –"
"I don't care! I feel ready!" yelled Harry. Galdir eyed him very carefully. He was more than aware of the dam that was barely holding his chaotic feelings at bay, and understood the need for release. What he was unsure of was how his magic would react to the onslaught of emotions that was very likely to explode during the combat. On the other hand, Harry did make a good point. If he felt that he was ready, then chances were that he probably was. Even if he was not ready, the exercise could help to determine his current level. Seeing nothing wrong with it, Galdir slowly nodded.
"Very well Harry." He turned around and began waving his hands as he reinforced the wards that he had placed on the room. While they were designed to keep low level spells at bay, they were never meant to hold anything else. If anyone threw a spell that was more powerful, the wards would shatter and somebody was bound to find out.
"What are the rules?" asked Harry.
"Very simple. Although I have been training you for combat, we shall use the rules of a standard duel for this. The round will stop when one of us is either unarmed or unable to continue."
"What about spells?"
"In order to keep this interesting, we will do the following: you are allowed to use whatever spells you so choose except for Unforgivables. I will only use shields, stunners, and disarming spells. Does that sound fair to you?" Harry nodded slowly. "One more thing: I want you to try to do everything silently. If you can do it without using a wand then I want you to do so. However, do keep in mind that I will not waste an opportunity to end the duel, so do not force yourself to do something if it is going to cost you. Understand?" Harry nodded again.
Galdir waved his hand and banished the remaining desks to a corner and moved to face Harry. With a flick of his wrist, his wand snapped to his hand and gave Harry a short bow, which we returned.
"On the count of three then. One… two… three!" Galdir was already moving to avoid a Bludgeoning Charm that Harry sent towards his head as three stunners leapt from his wand. Harry dived to avoid the spells, launching three in return as he was flying. Galdir in turn dodged them and proceeded to pepper him with disarming charms, which Harry either avoided or shielded. The duel rapidly progressed into a very energetic dance, with Galdir and Harry never stopping. Their wands were blurs of movement and sweat trickled down Harry's brow. He was astonished to see that Galdir had not even broken a sweat. He was still as cool and composed as he was when the duel started. Harry's spells were gradually getting weaker, and he found that he had to shield more than he dodged as his movements got sloppier. His throat was dry from muttering so many spells under his breath as he tried to keep up with the onslaught of attacks that Galdir produced. As his muscles burned from exhaustion, his mind tried desperately to find a gap in Galdir's defences. He just needed to find something to end this. There had to be a way. If only Neville and Hermione were there…
Galdir was enjoying himself. As a matter of fact, it had been a while since he had challenged himself like this. While the training sessions that he had every morning were definitely gruelling, they relied as much in power as in strategy. But this… this was pure mind. When to dodge, when to shield and deflect. The right angle that the shields had to be at in order to bounce a particular spell back in a specific direction with the desired speed. These were all things that he had to take into account as he weaved between the beams of light that sprang from Harry's wand. As the duel progressed, he slowly adapted his strategy in order to always match Harry's rhythm. The fact that he had not even broken a sweat was irrelevant to him. What was important was that he kept Harry engaged at all times. That the challenge was just enough to keep it interesting. At least until the dam of emotions that Harry was holding back broke. He sensed it before he saw any physical manifestations of it. The currents of magic shifted into a whirlwind as he began to draw more power to use. His intensity grew. His attacks became more aggressive. Soon Galdir found himself in a bit of a predicament: while he could continue dodging the attacks, it would be very difficult to explain why he was able to move faster than any human could. He instead resorted to the one thing that he disliked most: pure defence.
Harry's vision was tinted with gold and red colours. His magic lashed out in every direction. He had stopped talking. His arm was no longer moving. His feet no longer responded. All that mattered was that they weren't there. That they had abandoned him. That once more, he was the outcast. Once again, he was alone. Magic reacted to the wave of emotion that coursed through his body and made his spells stronger. At some point, he had ceased to cast spells. They were merely manifestations of magic, designed to follow whatever instruction he gave them. The room slowly darkened. Little arcs of lightning sprouted from his body. His normally vibrant green eyes shone with power. The banished desks began to vibrate. Little particles of dust, chipped rock and rivulets of sweat began to float as the concentration of magic increased. His cloak billowed. His breathing dropped. For one mere instance, there was silence, as the currents fluxed around him, giving him enough power for one final strike. Time seemed to slow as he drew the power around him. With one mighty bellow, a massive wave of light materialized in front of him and got pushed forward with immense force.
Galdir felt the change in magic. His shields were slowly cracking from the ferocity of the attacks. He was very well aware of the fact that these low level charms would not last much longer. His eyes widened as he felt the crescent wave of magic form within Harry. With a wave of his hand, the strongest shield that he could cast safely materialized before him. As the wave launched itself towards him, Galdir dove to the side, muttering under his breath in order to reinforce the wards that protected the room. While he could very well stop the spell, it would entice more questions about his true power. And he definitely did not want to delve into any details. By the time his shoulder came in contact with the ground and his body curled to prepare for the roll, he smiled gently.
The wave of magic that Harry unleashed did not crack the shield. It shredded it to pieces. Fortunately, behind the shield that Galdir had created was another layer: one that was designed to absorb the majority of the energy and channel it into the wards to prepare them for the inevitable clash. As soon as the wave smashed against the nearest wall, the wards flared to life in a multi-coloured display of power. Feeling Harry drawing more magic for another attack, Galdir rose from his stance and raised his hand.
"Enough Harry", he said. His magic carried the command and allowed it to reverberate in Harry's mind. The teen suddenly snapped back into reality and realized what was going on. Magic rushed away from him as he slowly sank to his knees, his head throbbing. His eyes slowly dimmed down as redness crept over them and a single tear started to form. Before it even had a chance to descend from his eyes, Harry shielded his face from view as he attempted to wrestle his emotions back into submission. Galdir patiently waited for him.
Harry slowly raised his head to look at the person that had become his friend. There was no judging. No fear. No anger. Only understanding. And pride.
"I… I'm… s-sorry" said Harry with a cracked voice. Galdir merely smiled,
"There is nothing to apologize for Harry. As a matter of fact, I should be congratulating you. That was an incredible display of magic."
"But I could've killed you."
"Do not fret. I was well out of the way of the spell before it even came close. I was never in any real danger." Harry did not say anything.
"I still should be able to control my power. I've just…"
"Never felt anything quite like this, have you?"
"No." Silence.
"Harry, what is bothering you?"
"Nothing." Galdir did not say anything in return. "I just have a lot in my mind."
"I understand. Just make sure that you talk to someone alright?"
"Why? Why is it so important that I do?" asked Harry, his temper slowly rising.
"It does you no good to dwell on your feelings like that Harry. Nothing good ever came of bottling them up." Galdir turned around as grief crossed his face. "Trust me, I know."
"How could you know?!" snapped Harry. "What do you know of loneliness?! What do you understand of loss? Of having everything and everyone that you ever cared for stripped from you? Of watching others be happy while you sit there alone? Tell me Galdir! What do you know?!" He immediately regretted saying those things. He was half expecting Galdir to lash out or have some form of a reaction. Instead, Galdir just eyed him sadly.
"I know more than you think", he said softly. With a wave of his wand the wards vanished and he walked out the room.
Later that night, Harry walked to the owlery. His mind was in turmoil. He felt guilt for having snapped at Galdir that way. Pain from feeling abandoned by his friends. He felt like everything that he had just gotten, everything that he had attained was slowly slipping through his fingers. The worst part was that he felt powerless to stop it. He was greeted by Hedwig, who had sensed him approaching and swiftly swooped down, transforming just before she landed.
"Harry… what happened?" she asked concern evident in her voice.
"It's just… I… I don't know Hed. I just don't know."
"Why don't you tell me?"
"It's just that… Neville and Hermione…"
"They were kissing today, weren't they?"
"Yes… how…?"
"It just made sense. Based on what you've told me, it was only a matter of time before they did."
"It's just that… It's been almost a month since we've been together. They no longer come to the training sessions." Hedwig said nothing. "Don't they realize that there's a war coming? That the skills that we learn today could save our lives? Don't they know that we could lose everything?!" his voice slowly rose as tears started to form in his eyes. "And then today… Galdir and I were training… and… I said some things…"
"What did you tell him?"
"I shouldn't have said anything! It was cruel! He's an orphan like me… but he has a mother. Someone who takes care of him…"
"You don't know all the details honey."
"What is there to know?! He has a mother. A family. And I'm…" His defences finally crumbled. Harry dissolved into tears.
"Harry, I want you to listen to me. The fact that you know that he is an orphan does not mean anything. You don't know the relationship between him and his mother. You don't know what the conditions were. The fact still remains that although you have similar labels, you know nothing about his past. Even if you did, that does not give you the right the judge anyone else."
"I know that. It's just…"
"You feel alone."
"But I am alone Hedwig! They pretty much ignore us! They rarely talk to me, and when we are together it's like… like they're not really there." She said as she slowly stroked his back.
"Harry, we've been through this. Your friends haven't left you. It just may take a while for them to remember that there is a world outside of each other. This is their first relationship."
"But that…"
"That doesn't justify what they are doing. Harry, I'm not trying to excuse them. Far from it. I'm pretty disappointed in the way that they're behaving. But on the other hand I can understand that they would react this way. Why haven't you talked to them about this?"
"I… I just… I don't want to be a bother…"
"Harry, look at me." He slowly raised his head until his bloodshot eyes stared into her unblinking amber orbs. "There are times in which being self-sacrificing is a good thing. I know that this is who you are, but you simply have to realize that you cannot act like this all the time. They are hurting you Harry, whether they mean to or not. This is something that you should be talking to them about."
"I don't…"
"Do you trust me, Harry?"
"You know I do."
"Then trust me on this. Talk to them. There is a very good chance that they don't realize the way that they're affecting you, and they will try to do something about it." Harry nodded slowly. "Promise me Harry. Promise me that you'll talk to them tomorrow."
"I promise", he answered softly. Hedwig pulled him in to a warm hug.
"I guess I should also apologize to Galdir."
"You should. I'm sure that he'll understand", said Hedwig lovingly.
"Hedwig?"
"Yes Harry?"
"Do you think that I'll ever… you know… find someone?" Hedwig smiled.
"Of course Harry. What about that Slytherin girl that you told me about?"
"I don't even know her…"
"Well, asking is usually the best way to start."
"How will I know Hedwig? I mean, I've never… felt… love. How will I know if I love her?"
"Trust in yourself Harry. In spite of all that you've been through, you still retain the extraordinary ability to love. You will know it when it happens. Of that I have no doubt. You just have to promise me something."
"Anything."
"You'll introduce me to her. And not as your owl. Someone has to act like a parent around here." Harry smirked at her comment.
"I will."
The following morning, the Gryffindor group met for breakfast. Or at least that was the idea. The reality of the matter was entirely different. Galdir was his usual stoic self, though he did appear to be more withdrawn. Harry sat in guilty silence, and the other two were completely oblivious to the rest of the world. Their hair was slightly dishevelled, evidence of another round before they descended from the tower.
"Ehm… Galdir?" said Harry softly.
"Yes, Harry?" replied Galdir coolly.
"I uhm… I wanted to apologize for what I said last night. I shouldn't have judged you like that."
"It is alright Harry. You had a lot on your mind. It is understandable", replied Galdir.
"No it isn't. That's why I wanted to apologize to you." Galdir nodded. "So are we fine?"
"Yes. I believe we are." Harry sighed with relief. "Now, I do not know about you, but I for one have grown tired of this incessant scene." Harry almost spewed the juice he was drinking.
"W-What?"
"Yes. As much as I can understand that they just found each other, I believe that this is excessive."
"It's fine. I mean, they're just… enjoying the moment." Galdir turned around with an evil smirk on his face.
"Watch and learn Master Potter." He then discreetly waved his hand and simply sat back and observed.
At first, Harry was confused. It seemed like nothing had happened. It was only until grass began to sprout from Neville's ears that he realized that something was in fact occurring. He felt something nudge his foot. As he peered under the table, he was shocked to see that there were roots growing from Neville's shoes. His hair slowly turned into longer types of grass as his skin began to turn into a bark like substance. He started to snicker as he turned to see Hermione. What he saw resulted in him clutching his sides as he tried to contain his laughter. Her normally bushy hair had turned to layers upon layers of parchment. Her skin had turned smooth and shiny like a fresh leather-bound text, and random gold letters began to form on it. Galdir of course was completely composed, with only a shadow of a smirk gracing his lips.
"Neville… why do you have grass in your hair?"
"Hermione why does your hair look like parchment?"
The morning tranquillity of the Great Hall was broken by the shriek of surprise from Hermione as she realized what was happening to her, followed by an equally effeminate yell from Neville as he found that he was, quite literally, rooted to the spot. This was brought to a close by the roars of laughter from Harry, followed by the rest of the students. Hermione stared in disbelief at the state of her hair and skin, while Neville quickly found out that he was unable to move as his skin began to solidify.
"Galdir Aglaron! What did you do to us?!" yelled Hermione.
"I beg your pardon?" replied Galdir, innocence clear in his voice.
"You… you charmed us… you did something to us!"
"My dear lady, I have no idea what it is you are talking about. Both you and Scion Longbottom look rather… spiffy this morning." Harry was rolling on the floor with laughter, as was pretty much anyone else who was lucky enough to hear the exchange.
"You will undo this right now!"
"But Lady Granger, I cannot undo something which I did not cause. It seems unfair to lay blame on one such as myself when no clear evidence of any transgressions exists."
"Don't get fancy with me! I know it was you who cast the spell! Now reverse it!"
"Well, it seems impolite not to ask Neville here what he thinks about all this. Perhaps he is happy with his current condition. Master Longbottom, would you consider yourself… aggravated by your current predicament?" Had Neville been able to answer, his reply would have included a rather colourful choice of words. However, he quickly found out that he could not speak as his lips had welded together.
"Of course he can't answer you! He has no lips!"
"How silly of me. Allow me to rephrase my question then: please nod if you feel that your condition goes beyond what you wish to endure at the present time and would like to return to your… more mundane self." Neville did nothing. "You see milady? He is totally fine with the current arrangement. I do suggest that you sort your pages or you may find yourself losing some. I can only image how stressful it would be for a… lady of your calibre to find herself with less… insulation in the attic."
By this point in time, almost the entirety of the Great Hall was roaring in laughter at the exchange. Even if they were unable to hear what Galdir was replying the progression of the spells more than made up for it. It was this that attracted the attention of a certain Transfiguration teacher who had just entered the Hall with the hopes of having a nice relaxing breakfast.
"Mr Aglaron! Can you explain to me what is happening here?"
"Why good morning Professor McGonagall. Might I say that you look ravishing this morning? Did you do something different with your hair?" asked Galdir completely calm.
"What did you do to them?" Her lips were not compressed into their usual thin line, and Harry could have sworn that he saw a hint of a smile tugging them.
"Oh! You mean this? Well I am so glad that you asked. It is a simple combination of transfiguration, along with a few charms thrown in for good measure", answered Galdir with a smile. This threw Harry into a new fit of laughter.
"Then would you be so kind to undo them?"
"Why certainly. I thought you would never ask!" He then proceeded to draw his wand with as much flourish as he could and then proceeded to wave it in the single most complex pattern that he could think of. "Finite Incantatem", he said. Immediately Hermione and Neville returned to their usual selves.
"That will be ten points from Gryffindor for pranking a student… and twenty for extraordinary use of transfiguration." With that, Professor McGonagall turned and walked to the Head table.
Harry finally managed to get his laughter under control and renewed the attack on his breakfast.
"That wasn't the counter was it?" he asked with a smirk. Galdir simply smiled.
"Why would you do this to us?" asked Hermione. Though she was glad to be back to her usual self and to have her Neville back to the way that he normally looked, she was far from pleased with Galdir.
"I figured it was the best way to get your attention. It was either that or cause a tremor in the Great Hall, but I seriously doubt the latter would have worked. Besides, it seemed unfair to punish others for this."
"What?" asked Neville confused.
"You two were… how should I phrase this…"
"Drooling into each other's eyes?" offered Harry.
"I believe that about covers it." Hermione and Neville blushed profusely.
"We've been… kind of out of it haven't we?"
"No. I mean, unless you count ignoring all life on earth other than each other… then yes", replied Galdir. Harry smirked at his comment and the other two blushed even harder.
"Sorry", muttered Neville.
"It's quite alright old chap", said Galdir. "Well, if you two gentlemen and lovely lady would excuse me, I would like to stretch my legs before we head to class today. I'll see you later yes?" After he received three nods, Galdir rose from the table and left.
As soon as he left, the atmosphere grew tense.
"We need to talk. Now", said Harry coldly. Neville and Hermione flinched at his tone, but nodded immediately. Harry rose and ducked into a nearby room, followed by the pair of lovers. As soon as the door closed, Harry cast a privacy ward and turned around to look at them.
"I want you both to listen. Don't interrupt me until I'm done." After they nodded he took a deep breath and continued. "I first want you to know that I am very happy for the two of you. I think that you make a fantastic couple and I honestly wish you nothing but happiness. However, I'm far from impressed with the way that the two of you have been acting."
"Harry we're–"
"I told you not to interrupt me. Have you two any idea of what you've been doing for the last month?! Never mind that you completely ditched the training sessions that Galdir offered to give us, you've been blatantly ignoring us both!" he bellowed. "You hardly ever talked to us at all! It was like we weren't even there!" Harry paused, trying to reign in his anger. "It was like I wasn't there" he whispered softly.
Hermione felt her heart break at Harry's words. How could she had been so stupid? How can she not have considered how it would affect him? It must have been hard enough to see that they were together, but to ignore him the way that they had? She knew better. Her mind tried to excuse itself, coming up with several reasons but at the end they were all shot down by one single powerful statement: she had completely disregarded, stepped on, and pushed away, the person that she considered her brother.
Neville's feelings mirrored her own. This was Harry Potter. The one that had risked expulsion when he stood up to Malfoy in his first year. The one that did not judge him for his lack of magical ability. He had believed in him when no one else would. Had extended him a hand of friendship when his house shunned him. And how had he repaid that gesture? By spitting on it and turning his back on him because he now had a girlfriend. What kind of person was he?
Harry slowly gathered himself and looked sadly at the two.
"I understand that you were excited by your new relationship. I could see how easy it was to just forget about everything. I just wish that you hadn't forgotten about me as well." He sighed. "You guys are my only family now. I don't want to lose that", he whispered. Hermione got up and engulfed him in a hug while sobbing frantically.
"I'm sorry Harry. I'm so sorry for the way I acted. It was cruel, and selfish…"
"Hermione?" said Harry softly.
"Yes Harry?"
"It's fine… just… don't do it again." Hermione sobbed even more.
"I promise Harry." She slowly let go, allowing Neville to step forward and face Harry.
"I'm also sorry Harry. You're my best friend, and I shouldn't have acted that way."
"It's fine Neville—"
"No, it's not. You're my best friend Harry, and you don't deserve to be treated like that. I wish that I could do things differently, but I can't. I can't change what I did. But if you'll let me, I can make sure that I become the friend that you deserve." Harry nodded mutely and extended his hand towards him. As soon as Neville grasped it, he pulled Harry into a manly hug. "I am really sorry Harry."
For the first time in days, Harry sighed contently. He had his family back.
Later that night, the group met in their usual classroom. Galdir was completely aware of the conversation that had transpired, and he was glad with the way that things had worked out. He even had received apologies from both Neville and Hermione, which he accepted gladly. As a peace offering, they had both elected to join Harry for practice that day.
After casting the usual wards, Galdir turned around and eyed the group. There was still some awkwardness and tension, but he had an idea that would hopefully get rid of that and get them back into their usual antics.
"Today we are going to be trying a different exercise. Harry is already familiar with it, but I shall explain nonetheless, as there are going to be some changes. Instead of having you three practice wandless or silent magic, I want to do something else. As you are undoubtedly aware, we rarely are on our own when we fight. Although one-on-one combat is common, it is even more common to fight in groups. There is strength to be found in numbers, as you may imagine." The three nodded. "However, a group without strategy is useless, as the enemy can take advantage of the chaos to pick out members one at a time until they are all captured or killed. So today, we are going to be working on group combat."
Harry's eyes glowed with excitement.
"How are we going to organize the groups?" he asked.
"I choose Galdir", quickly said Neville. That prompted several chuckles.
"As fun as that would be Neville, we are not doing pair on pair fighting. You three will be trying to best me in combat."
"But that's unfair! We outnumber you", said Hermione. Harry chuckled.
"Have a bit more confidence in me Hermione. I'll try my best regardless to provide a suitable challenge."
"I'm sure you will", said Harry with a smirk. "Spells?"
"Any you can think of, barring Unforgivables or anything that can cause permanent damage. I'll only be allowed to use three spells: Protego, Expelliarmus, and Stupefy. Sound fair?" Harry was the only one that nodded.
"I don't think so. How can you possibly beat us with those three spells?" asked Neville with concern.
"I think Nev, that it will be more than fair. You haven't seen Galdir fight", answered Harry with a smirk.
"Right then. I'll give you five minutes to come up with a suitable strategy. Try to use your strengths and weaknesses as effectively as you can. The duel stops until all the members of each side are incapacitated. Also, while I do recommend that you try to use wandless and silent casting, do not focus too much on that. Keep in mind that I will be playing to win, and I will not hesitate to use any openings that I find. Understood?" Three nods. "Very well, your five minutes start now."
Harry, Neville and Hermione huddled in a corner while Galdir paced placidly.
"What do you think we should do?" asked Neville.
"I think Harry should answer that. He said he has seen Galdir fight before", answered Hermione.
"Well, to start: don't underestimate him. He may only have three spells, but he can deflect just about anything, and he moves really fast. I think the best strategy is to keep him as busy as possible so he is just defending and not attacking."
"So what do you suggest?" asked Neville.
"Well, you and I are the strongest hitters, no offence Hermione. I think that we should both focus on keeping him busy, while Hermione tries to knock him out."
"Sounds like a good plan. What about shielding?" asked Hermione.
"We protect each other. Use whatever you have at your disposal. Literally anything, but also keep in mind that Galdir casts very fast. As long as we keep moving and we make sure that he doesn't have a chance to attack, I think we'll be fine."
"I can also use transfiguration to buy us some time if need be", suggested Hermione.
"That could work. Just make sure that it doesn't take too long to do. He wasn't kidding when he said that he would take any opening. The only reason he didn't nail me last time… well, I was kind of upset." Dark shadows crossed Hermione's and Neville's eyes. "But never mind that. So Neville and I will hit him as fast and as hard as we can while Hermione tries to take him out. Everyone agree?" Two nods.
The trio turned around and walked towards Galdir, who stopped walking and smiled.
"That was fast. Let us see if your strategy is up to the challenge, shall we?" They all nodded and drew their wands. Harry got into a stance where he could move quickly if needed. Neville and Hermione tried to copy him. Galdir merely flicked his wrist and his wand snapped on his hand. "On three then. One… two… three!"
Mayhem. That was probably the best word to describe the battle. Shots of light crisscrossed the room at frightening speeds. Harry and Neville kept a constant stream of spells towards Galdir, while Hermione tried to shield them as much as possible and tried to hit Galdir with something. It quickly became apparent that Neville had underestimated Galdir greatly. He even found himself wishing that Galdir only had shields at his disposal. Maybe then the match would be even.
The aforementioned Elf was having way too much fun. In fact, he could not remember the last time that he had a duel as entertaining as this. It was not hard, not by any stretch of the imagination. But it was highly amusing to him to think on pure strategy. He missed it. As a matter of fact, the last time that he had done anything similar was when Canadion and Anuon where still apprenticed to him. Granted, that duel was infinitely more interesting than this one, but as far as entertainment went, this one definitely qualified.
Hermione was growing more tired by the second. And with it grew her frustration. Galdir was seemingly impossible to hit. He simply moved too fast. His moves allowed him to sidestep the majority of the spells that were sent towards him. What he couldn't dodge he batted away. And what couldn't be removed that way was shielded by one of three or four different shields that were constantly shimmering in and out of existence. Neville and Harry were not doing much better. Neville was panting hard. His spells were slowly becoming sloppier, and he found himself missing more often than not. Harry, although considerably less tired, was quickly becoming frustrated. They meshed reasonably well as a team, but it was nothing compared to the skill that Galdir had. Not only that, but the other two were simply too slow for this kind of duel. He constantly found himself having to shield Neville or Hermione, and he was slowly becoming exasperated by this. He felt the huge surge of magic that was at his command, but he held back. He remembered the way that his spell had shredded Galdir's shield, and he shuddered to think what would happen if somebody was caught on the receiving end of such a spell.
A soft thud snapped his attention back to the combat. Hermione had gotten hit by no less than six stunners. Three of which Galdir had waved into existence. The rest were deflected. Neville rushed towards her, only to get hit by the disarming spell and a stunner. Harry focused all of his attention on Galdir, increasing the tempo further now that he had no one to hold him back. Galdir noticed this and a frown marred his features. For a brief moment Harry thought that he was close. Two spells that he had sent almost grazed Galdir's shoulder. The feeling was quickly replaced with darkness when five spells caught him.
An unknown amount of time later, though Harry was sure it was like a second or two, he found himself being helped by Galdir, who looked none too impressed.
"Who can tell me what went wrong?" he asked.
"We weren't fast enough", said Harry bitterly.
"Wrong. Anyone else?"
"We couldn't cast as accurately", offered Hermione.
"Partially, but also wrong. Neville?"
"Our strategy was wrong", he said simply.
"No. The reason why you three failed was because you did not act like a team", he said curtly.
"But—"
"But nothing Harry. I could see how much it bothered you that they could not move as fast as you could. Or cast as quickly as you. It was also painfully evident that Neville and Hermione were trying to protect each other, often letting Harry to fend for himself. If this had been real combat, you would all have been killed in a matter of seconds."
"That's unfair! We did what you told us to! You cannot expect us to have the same knowledge that you do when we have never done this before! You should be teaching us more spells and tactics not—"
"And what purpose would that accomplish Hermione? Do you think that more spells would have helped you win tonight? That reading about battles is enough?"
"She does have a point. We can't be expected to just beat you on the first try", said Neville.
"And who ever said that was what I expected Neville? It would have taken a serious amount of skill and experience to beat me on your first try. As Hermione so eloquently phrased it, you do not have the same knowledge that I do. That was not the point of this. The whole idea was to get you three to act like a team. And it pains me to say that you all failed miserably at it!" snapped Galdir.
Everyone recoiled like they had been slapped. Harry bowed his head in shame, while the other two huddled closely in an attempt to comfort each other.
"When you work as a team, you work as a single unit. Everything that you do is to either help one another or to further your goal. There is no I in team. There is no couple in team. There is only the team. If the others are slower, you make your pace match the slowest of the team. If someone falters, you help them recover. If another needs help, you aide them. If one falls, you try to protect them while still helping the others out. What I saw tonight was not a team. It was a collection of individuals fighting together." Galdir waved his wand and the wards vanished. "I want you all to think on what I just said. Regardless, I would like to also add that I am very proud of the three of you. In spite of everything, you have gotten better. We will practice this again at another time." With that, Galdir left, leaving the trio behind.
"What's his problem?!" yelled Hermione. "It's not like this is for school or anything!"
"No. This is for the war that is coming", answered Harry softly. The other two froze.
"I… never saw it that way", said Neville. "I just thought it would be fun to learn something cool like that."
"He never outright said it, but it shows. The practices I've been having over the past month are more meant for combat than anything else. Sure, it helps with school, but it isn't just that", added Harry.
"So what do we do then?" asked Hermione.
"I think that we all need to decide if we want to continue training. If the answer is yes, then we have to buckle down and do things the right way. I, for one, am in", said Harry with a smile.
"Where a Potter goes, a Longbottom is never far behind. I'm in as well."
"Of course I'm in", said Hermione with a smile. They gave in to the urge and partook in a group hug.
"Let's beat him next time!" They chorused.
A coppery taste filled Galdir's mouth when he awoke from his nightly meditation. He had bitten his tongue in an effort to drown the yell of agony that threatened to escape from his throat. He rose shakily from his bed to be greeted by the crisp morning of Halloween. The lines on his skin shone with dark power, completely negating the effects of the charms that he placed on them. His eyes were constricted into tight slits, and his body was drenched in cold sweat. Trying to steady himself, Galdir leaned on the bedpost of his bed, trying to get his eyes to change. Just as he felt them return back to normal, another wave of pain overwhelmed him. He doubled down in pain, struggling to keep quiet. Through gritted teeth he muttered an incantation that overrode the blood wards on his trunk and his armour sprang to life, quickly enveloping him. His sword slapped on his hand as he transitioned to the Quidditch field.
He struggled to keep his focus long enough to cast the wards that would protect the pitch and the stands surrounding it. His body was pulsating with dark energy which he barely managed to contain. Magic was so thick around him that the air felt heavy. The tall figure clad in golden robes appeared and laid a clawed hand on Galdir's shoulder.
"You should rest Selda. You are in no conditions to practice at this time."
"I… can… handle it", replied Galdir through his clenched teeth. The figure nodded solemnly and gave him some space as Galdir shakily got to his feet. He slowly muttered the incantation that summoned Dûr into existence. While the shadows usually coalesced into a somewhat solid shape, this time the body of Dûr looked far too solid. The golden lines shone brightly, and his face was split in a malicious grin.
"Do you truly think you can hope to last against me today? We both know how the dark power threatens to overcome you. Just give in, Aglaron. Give into the darkness", he taunted.
"NEVER!" roared Galdir as he pushed his shade back with a massive wave of magic.
"If that is your wish", answered the Shade as he lunged forward.
Three minutes later, Galdir laid on his back with Dûr's sword pointed at his throat. He licked his lips greedily as he slowly dragged the sword on Galdir's exposed neck, drawing a faint trail of blood as it did.
"You lose." Galdir glared at him and with a wave of his hand, Dûr was no more. He tried to sit up, but the pain was growing in intensity by the second. He knew that it would not be long until he was either completely incapacitated or his mind was completely overcome by pain. He slammed his shields, trying desperately to dull the pain that fogged his mind. He felt a hand grab his arm and yank him to his feet, offering support as he swayed unsteadily. The figure gave him a toothy smile of comfort.
"You should rest Selda. Take the day off."
"You know that is not an option Heru. There is no rest for the like of us."
"While that may be true, how will you function? You can barely walk, and your magic is lashing out in every way possible. It may end up hurting someone."
"I will manage. I always have." With that, Galdir waved his hand and the wards fell, as he slowly trudged back to the castle.
He reached the common room already on the verge of collapsing. With a supreme effort, Galdir transitioned into the showers, summoning his clothes from his trunk and banishing his armour. The warm water hit his back, offering little reprieve of the waves of pain that cursed through his body. His eyesight wavered, but he clenched his fist tightly, forcing himself to focus. His nails dug deep into his palm, drawing drops of blood. As soon as he was back in control, he slowly willed his eyes to return to normal. They only went partially back, leaving him like a cat at night.
As soon as he was done cleaning himself, he dressed quickly, making sure that every inch of his body was covered in clothes. While the spells that he usually had were negated, he could at least keep his condition hidden so long as he did not allow the pain to overcome him. Galdir walked out of the showers, answering Neville's and Harry's greetings with a curt grunt.
Breakfast was a strained affair. The trio could clearly see that Galdir was ill. His face was far too pale and he seemed to sweat constantly. His jaw was tightly clenched, and his hands were balled into fists.
"Are you sure you're fine Galdir?" asked Hermione worriedly. Galdir gave her a forced smile.
"I am fine Hermione. Just a headache."
"You should go to Madam Pomfrey. I'm sure she can give you a potion", offered Neville.
"It will pass Neville. It will pass."
"You should at least eat something", said Harry.
"Not hungry."
"Galdir, you need to go the nurse. You're—"
"Hermione. While I appreciate your concern, please understand that there are things that magic cannot heal. This is something that I am aware of, and I can deal with it", replied Galdir curtly.
"What kinds of things? You don't really have a headache do you? Maybe if—"
"Don't push him 'Mione. Whatever it is, I'm sure Galdir doesn't want to discuss it right now", interrupted Neville. Galdir gave him a grateful smile.
They shuffled slowly to class, stopping every other minute for Galdir to steady himself. His eyesight was getting worse, and he could barely remain standing. They were about to reach the safety of the Defence classroom when the single worst person decided to interrupt.
"There you are Potter. I was looking all over for you four", said the snide voice of Draco Malfoy. Harry eyed him carefully, shifting himself to shield Galdir from him in case he decided to attack. Neville noticed this and mimicked him, followed by Hermione.
"What do you want Malfoy?" asked Neville dangerously.
"I wasn't talking to you squib. What? You think you're a big shot now because you're with Granger?" he spat. "To think that even a pureblood like you would lower himself to such a level. Even you can do better than a mudblood, Longbottom." Hard brown eyes stared down the self-appointed Prince of Slytherin.
"Don't ever call her that again", growled Neville. Hermione eyed him darkly.
"Or you'll do what? Tell your mudblood slag to attack me? Or get Potter here to do it for you since you're so weak?" At this Hermione stepped back as if she had been slapped. Neville turned to protect her from Malfoy, leaving Harry in front of him. His eyes sparkled with fury.
"I'll give you one chance to walk away Malfoy", said Harry. His voice was cold as ice and everyone shivered as they saw the angered teen. Even Draco backed up a little.
"Right. The almighty Potter. Think you are so good aren't you? But I can best you in a duel any day of the week."
"You can try", whispered Harry as he slowly drew his wand.
"Why don't you get your newbie to help you? Oh right, because the only way he can beat me in a duel is to cheat."
"What did you say?" snapped Galdir. He did not turn around since his eyes were now fully constricted, and he could feel the marks glowing ominously. He barely had things under control, but he almost lost it when Draco started to bad mouth Hermione. He was so very close to losing control. Draco sneered at the boy that was slumped against a wall.
"You heard me. You are nothing more than a dirty cheat. I bet you had help when you duelled Snape as well didn't you?"
"Súlon gwanna nîf gín Malfoy", replied Galdir, not noticing his shift into Ancient Elvish.
"What did you say? Speaking gibberish now? Just when I thought you couldn't be more stupid!"
Galdir slowly straightened himself to his full height.
"I will give you one last chance Malfoy. Leave now and I will not harm you."
"You will not harm me?! Do you have any idea who I am? I am…"
Draco never got to finish his sentence. A crescent arc of silver magic shot from Galdir as he turned around in a blink of an eye. Draco ducked, barely missing the wave of magic. His two lumbering bodyguards were not so lucky. The spell threw them backwards and they slammed hard against the nearest wall, collapsing in a small heap. Draco blanched as he saw Galdir. There was a dark glow that emanated from him, and his eyes were slits.
"You were warned." He simply raised his hand and Draco found himself being lifted by an unseen force. He tried to fight it, but it was useless. He could not move, and he found himself having trouble breathing as he felt a great weight settle on his chest. Another boy, Theodore Nott decided to help his leader and threw a cutting hex at Galdir. Galdir merely stretched his hand and the spell vanished midway. With a flick of his wrist, Nott simply dropped unconscious. His eyes turned to the rest of the Slytherins, who cowered away from his gaze. He then turned to the floating Malfoy, who was wheezing.
"Let me make this perfectly clear Malfoy. You are nothing. You are the dust beneath my boots, and I will crush you like the insect that you are", he spoke venomously. Draco's eyes went wide with fear as he felt his throat close completely. Harry snapped back into reality and rushed to stop Galdir, while Neville continued to console Hermione.
"Galdir! Listen to me, he is not worth it."
"Oh I know that. But it will be so delicious to extract every single delectable ounce of agony from him", replied Galdir's cold voice.
"You're not like this Galdir. Calm down, think about—"
"Aglaron! One hundred points…"
"You!" Snape soon found himself in the same predicament as Malfoy. "I will also enjoy watching you suffer."
Galdir's mind was a blank. He had long since been overcome by pain and he was simply reacting to his most basal needs and wants. The primal urge to crush those that had wronged him and his friends was too strong. A multitude of voices swam in his head, encouraging him to draw blood, to revel in the agony of his enemies. ENOUGH! The voice of his companion broke through the haze and snapped him back into reality. He slowly became aware of the agony that his body was in. He also noticed that his robes were damp. Dark crimson blots slowly formed on his left side. His vision swam, but he gritted his teeth and it refocused. He slowly realized what he was doing and quickly shifted his focus, ending his telekinetic hold on Snape and Malfoy, who slumped to the ground. He was vaguely aware of Harry's arm on his shoulder, trying to get him to respond. His eyes focused on the other students, who eyed him with fear. He slowly tried to run. To get away. But he couldn't. His entire left side was drenched with blood, and it was slowly pooling at his feet. His hands were cold. Hermione's scream reached his ears, but it felt so far away. Darkness crept on the edge of his vision.
"Anno dulu enni Harry", he whispered as darkness claimed him.
Harry walked slowly out of the infirmary that night. His mind was still reeling from the events of that day, and he could not shake the mixture of concern and fear over the actions of his friend. His eyes. They were so reminiscent of the face that he had seen on young Riddle from Dumbledore's memory. There was something eerily similar in the way they looked. The way he incapacitated the Slytherins astounded him. He had not even looked at them, and the wave had knocked them out. What was that spell anyway?, he thought. Then there was Nott. There had been no noticeable spell, but he just dropped like a ragdoll. I think that we all need to have a long talk when he wakes up, decided Harry.
There was something that he was hiding, that much as obvious. The question was what.
Flashback
The only reason why anyone noticed that Galdir was bleeding was when Hermione screamed and pointed at it. Harry heard Galdir say something, but he did not understand what he said. He did get the meaning behind whatever it was: help me. He had quickly levitated Galdir and walked him towards the infirmary, Neville and Hermione walking next to his body, trying to contain the blood with their hands. They stormed the infirmary, calling for Madam Pomfrey. As soon as she saw Galdir, she quickly told them to set him on a nearby bed and started to work on him. With a flick of her wand, she removed his shirt, eliciting a gasp from everyone in the room. Dark, angry lines covered his entire left arm, stretching from his wrist all the way up to his shoulder. By the looks of it, they wrapped around his shoulder blade and descended down to his side, continuing down his thigh. The lines stopped shy of his neck, which explained why no one had seen them. Pomfrey's wand waved frantically, trying to stop the flow of blood. The lines glowed in reaction to her spells, but eventually they receded. After several tense moments, Poppy Pomfrey sighed. She banished the blood and summoned several vials of potions from the cabinet, which she proceeded to shove down his throat.
"Will he be alright?" asked Hermione.
"Yes. I believe that he will. He has lost a lot of blood though, and I have no idea what this is. It looks like curse scars, but they are like nothing I've ever seen. They look like…"
"Tattoos", completed Harry.
"Yes. I believe that I will be having a word with the Headmaster. His mother might be of help. For now, return to your classes. You can come back after dinner. Take this so you won't be punished" The trio nodded reluctantly, took the note, and left.
By the time that they returned to their class, they were half-expecting there to be pandemonium. Or that Snape would be beyond angry. They were actually surprised that no one had brought down Crabbe, Goyle, and Nott. Instead, they found everyone sitting normally, like nothing had happened. Snape sneered at them when they handed their note. They exchanged confused glances but decided to keep quiet. Malfoy sneered at them, earning hateful glares from the three Gryffindors.
"Why are they like this? Just a few moments ago they were…"
"I don't know Hermione. They seem normal to me", answered Harry.
"It's almost like they don't remember what happened", said Neville.
"Maybe he obliviated them?" asked Harry.
"But he was unconscious! There's no way he could've done it", said Hermione.
"I can't think of anything else Hermione. It's the only thing that fits", answered Harry.
"We'll ask him when he wakes."
"Yes we will", said Hermione.
Harry had been the only one that stayed until curfew. Hermione was still shaken up by Malfoy's comments and decided to head back with Neville, hoping that a session of cuddling would help. She asked Harry to cover for her that night, seeing as they both were on patrol. He absentmindedly walked to the third floor, where he was supposed to be stationed. There were just too many things that were off, and he had no way of knowing the answers until Galdir woke. With a heavy sigh, he walked down the corridor, not really expecting to meet anyone that late. A muffled cry from a closed door caught his attention. Drawing his wand, Harry approached cautiously. He slowly opened the door and looked inside. What he saw made his blood boil.
Daphne Greengrass was pinned to a wall. Goyle held on to her wrists while Crabbe roughly fondled her breasts. Her shirt looked like it had been torn in several places, and her skirt was roughly split in half, revealing her white knickers. Harry walked in and waved his wand, sending two stunners followed by ropes that quickly bound their prone forms. He quickly surveyed the room to ensure that no one else was there. Coward Malfoy. Probably sent his goons instead of getting his hands dirty. He slowly approached the girl who had collapsed on the floor and was curled tightly, her shoulders shaking. Harry placed a hand on her shoulder, but she flinched violently.
"It's okay", he said softly. "I won't hurt you." Daphne recognized who it was and launched herself at his neck, sobbing frantically.
"Thank you", she whispered between sobs. Harry patted her back awkwardly, not really knowing what to do.
"I should get you to the Infirmary", he said. Daphne's hold on him tightened.
"Please don't go", she said. Her voice quivered with fear.
"I'm not going anywhere. But you seem like you need to see the nurse", said Harry.
"Please", she whispered.
Harry nodded and muttered an incantation, transfiguring a nearby chair into a pair of pillows. He then changed his cloak into a blanket, which he proceeded to wrap around himself and Daphne. After ensuring that Crabbe and Goyle would not wake up for another while, Harry slowly sat down with her, trying to comfort the weeping girl.