Title: Harry Potter and the Search for the
Meaning of Life at Hogwarts, or The Hogwarts School Band
Chapter:
Six: Warnings
Rating: M for mature
content, and adult conversations
Original Character:
Alastor Daker
Reason for Edit: Noticed that the
formatting had been screwed up, so decided to re-submit with correct
editing. Plus I wanted to change a few of the things, as it was bit
odd in places.
Notes: Please note that this was
written waaay before 'Order of the Phoenix' so, the OWL grades and
subjects for NEWTs don't tally with the canon. Best read this as an
alternative 'book 7'. Also, check out my prequel 'The Gospel,
according to Gilderoy Lockhart or The Hogwarts Gazette'.
Six: Warnings
Hermione Granger poked gingerly at her food the next day at breakfast. She had spent most of her night considering the consequences of what she had seen going on between Daker and Snape. She made a promise to herself that she was going to keep their secret, it seemed unfair to spread it amongst her friends - and after all, she was unsure on the status homosexuals had in the Wizarding World. Maybe there was good reason to keep homosexuality a secret. One thing she was glad of was that it was Saturday - no lessons. It meant she didn't have to sit in either Daker or Snape's lessons and feel guilty.
She looked up in time to see Professors Daker and Snape enter the Great Hall. Both appeared to be in good spirits, and neither seemed particularly aware that Daker had been right and that there had been someone in the office with them. Deep down she felt a slight pang of jealousy - Alastor Daker was quite good looking and she had the type of personality Hermione would have loved in a man. However, she had Viktor Krum and to her, he was worth much more. She also felt quite relieved that they had indulged in no more than a kiss, who knows where it would have gone if Daker had not felt uncomfortable.
She was still curious as to Daker's blindness, it was now common knowledge amongst the students that Daker and Snape had been friends at school, which meant Daker had been blinded after his time at Hogwarts - if so, was it the reason he had retired from being an auror.
"Morning!"
Hermione jerked suddenly out of her silent thoughts. "Ron!" She gasped, "don't do that!"
"Sorry." Ron grinned and sat down, "couldn't help it. There you were just sitting there with an absent look on your face. Couldn't help it."
Hermione laughed, "just promise me you won't go down Fred or George's road! I don't want tricks playing on me first thing in the morning."
"Tricks first thing in the morning? Actually, that sounds like a good idea."
"Ron!" Hermione hit him playfully on the arm.
"Morning." Neville Longbottom said as he sat down opposite Hermione. "Did…" he hesitated a moment, "did anyone hear footsteps on the stairs last night?"
"What?" Ron asked.
"Late last night. Really late."
He shrugged, "maybe Harry was sneaking out again or someone on their way to the bathroom."
"Yeah, you're right." Although Neville didn't sound too sure, Hermione made a quick decision and decided to admit that she was the one who had been on the stairs late that night.
"Sorry Neville, that was me. Didn't mean to wake you." She said.
"What were you doing up that late? You're supposed to be a prefect." Ron was semi-joking.
"Couldn't sleep so I went down into the common room to get a book. Read for a while then decided to head back up to bed."
"Oh, phew." Neville grinned, "I got scared, I kept thinking back to when we were in our third year and I accidentally lost the piece of paper I had the passwords written on." He gave a shudder, "but thankfully that's behind us.
A sharp tapping sound from the teacher's table made everyone go silent and turn towards the said table. Professor McGonagall was indeed calling for quiet, some people grumbled that she could of used a less high pitched method!
The headmaster, Albus Dumbledore stood somewhat wearily to his feet. He looked tired and haggard; perhaps Dumbledore too had had a disturbed sleep. He looked slowly round the room before beginning to talk. His voice sounded feeble and as if he was suffering with a nasty cold.
"I do not wish to take up any more of your precious breakfast, but I do however wish to announce that Gryffindor House Quidditch Team Trials will be held today starting at one o'clock. Other houses have yet to arrange trials, and I am sure Gryffindor House will hold no objection if anyone wishes to go along to watch." He sat down again amidst the murmuring from the many students. Usually house team trials were held in some secrecy, and they were curious as to why Dumbledore had decided to announce them. From the look on Harry Potter's face, the rest of the school surmised that it had not been Harry's decision to invite the school to watch the team try-outs.
"The nerve of him!" Harry gasped.
"Um?" Ginny Weasley said looking up from her Cornflakes.
"The nerve of Dumbledore to invite the school to watch the Gryffindor team trials."
"Well, maybe they've decided to change the rules this year?"
"The rules?" Harry looked doubtful at Ginny.
"Yeah, the rules. Maybe this year Dumbledore has decided that team trials can't be secret events anymore."
Harry gave her a patronising look, "trust a girl not to understand."
"Hey!" Ginny looked somewhat outraged. "You can't say things like that!"
"So? It's the truth. Girls don't understand tactical matters when it comes down to Quidditch - not got the brains for it."
"Hmph!" Ginny gathered up her bowel and moved further down the table away from Harry. Some of the other nearby girls gave him dirty looks but didn't say anything.
"What's her problem?" He said to one of the nearby first years.
"Hermione!" Hermione turned in the direction of the voice, not that she needed as she recognised the cold drawl.
"What do you want, Malfoy?" She said suspiciously. Both Ron and Harry looked on watchful.
"I was wondering if I could perhaps have a word." He looked at Ron and Harry, "in private." He added.
"Su…" She began, but Harry interrupted her.
"Piss of Malfoy." Harry said with some violence. "She doesn't want to talk to you, so clear off!"
Malfoy turned to look coldly at Harry, "you don't own her, Potter, and she's old enough to make her own decisions."
"Just clear off, you Slytherin scum!" Harry flexed his not-so-impressive muscles.
"Harry!" Hermione said; appalled at his behaviour. "There's no need for that! He just wants to talk, no harm there."
"Yes there is, his dad works for Voldemort."
"I don't have to listen to your insults, Potter." Malfoy retorted, beginning to wish he hadn't wandered over to ask an innocent question.
"Good!"
"Harry, stop it!" Hermione turned to him, "just go away, alright? Stop getting in the way! Like Draco said, I'm old enough to make up my own mind whom I talk to."
"But he's a Slytherin!"
"I'm the Head Girl and I have a duty to every student in this school, regardless of what house they belong to. I suggest you go and find someplace to let your prejudice cool off." She turned to Malfoy, "now, what did you want?"
Malfoy looked at Ron, who instantly got the message. "Come on, Harry." Ron muttered taking Harry by the arm and almost dragging him away. Once Malfoy was sure both Harry and Ron were out of earshot he began.
"This might seem somewhat awkward…" He ran his hand though his hair, "first thing is that I am sorry for what I've said in the past, and I would really like to ask for your help in something."
"Depends what it is, Draco."
"Arthimacy."
"Arthimacy?"
"Yes. Father is getting all jumpy because I only got a 'B' on the OWLS. He wants me to do better."
"A 'B' is good, Draco."
"I know that, but my father is rather… forceful. He wants me to get an 'A' in all of the subjects I am taking, otherwise he said he'd disown me and cut off my finances."
"You're good at Arthimacy."
"Yes, but the matter is, I am afraid that I might not get the 'A' he wants from me. As you are equally good at Arthimacy, if not better, I was wondering if you would perhaps help me study."
"This isn't a date is it?" Hermione asked suspiciously.
"Don't be stupid, Hermione, would I be asking you on a date? No only would my father and fellow housemates kill me, I would also be at risk from Potter, Weasley and your boyfriend Krum."
Hermione laughed, "you're right, sorry. Sure, I'll help."
"We must do it in secret, you understand of course."
"Yes." Hermione knew the implications for both her and Draco if they made public the fact she was helping him study. The Malfoy family believed that they were better than any families with muggle born in them, and they were firm believers in the pure blood divide. As much as she didn't really like Draco, she did feel honestly sorry for him - imagine having such an over-demanding father that you were at risk for not getting an 'A' in your exams!
----
Harry and Ron busied themselves getting things ready for the Quidditch trials later that afternoon. It was a beautiful day outside, the sun glinted merrily off the crystal glass windows of Hogwarts, the air was still and humming with the many songs of various insects and the birds sang sharply in the nearby trees.
"Hope this weather keeps up." Ron grunted as they set down the chest containing the Quidditch balls.
"Me too. Great Quidditch weather, the air being still makes it good conditions for catching the Snitch, but the suns glare might be a problem. I'll ask Hermione later if there are any spells that I could use on my glasses to make them act like sunglasses."
"Or you could just wear a pair of sunglasses."
"Not got any, anyway, wouldn't be able to see without my glasses would I?"
Some of the students were already lazing around in the morning sun, reading books and magazines and some playing gobstones, chess or trading wizard cards. A few of the teachers had emerged from the school, and they too were sitting in small patches of shade talking or just reading the paper. Professor McGonagall looked like she was doing some marking - to Harry it seemed extremely pointless to do work when the weather was this nice. He looked round and saw Professors Snape and Daker sitting under a tree, a few of the older students from Slytherin house and some students from other houses were also sitting near them. Snape and one or two of the older Slytherin's appeared to be smoking.
Harry thought that smoking was a pretty cool thing, since he knew that only the coolest people in the school smoked. Harry didn't quite class Snape in his 'cool' category and decided that, that was probably Snape's attempt of acting 'cool' and tying to get on well with the students, a pathetic attempt if there ever was one.
Harry watched and spotted Hermione wandering over to Snape and his little gaggle of 'followers'. She plonked herself down on the grass and said something, which made the gaggle laugh. Harry was quite keen to know what they were talking about, but he didn't want to go anywhere near Snape or Daker.
----
"I hope this weather keeps up." Hermione said, lying back on the grass. "Be nice to be able to revise outside for a change."
"You haven't started to revise yet, have you?" A rather bemused Slytherin sixth year asked.
"Of course not!" Hermione sat up, "I don't always work, you know!"
Daker grinned, "sounds just like Professor Snape when he was your age."
"She does not!" Snape replied.
"Does, you either had your nose in a book or a piece of music."
"I do not always have my nose in a book!" Hermione retorted.
"Alastor always seems to have his hand in his…" Alastor glared at him, "what? I was going to say wallet."
"What are you implying by that?"
"Oh nothing…." Snape grinned, several people laughed.
Catching on, Alastor continued the friendly banter. "So say's the person who seems to have more videos than the population of Holland!"
"Can I help it if I like films?"
"No, but you don't always buy the film for the story line do you." Alastor winked at Hermione who grinned.
Snape turned slightly pink; "it's their acting I like."
"Especially if they are stark bollock naked!"
They all laughed. "What films do you have in your collection?" Hermione asked, "obviously not including porn films." She grinned.
"And what makes you think I have any porn films?"
Hermione grinned, "well, you've gone rather pink."
"Aahh, you've been rumbled, Spike!" Alastor laughed, and Snape hit him playfully. Hermione sat back amused by this exchange - having Daker around really did seem to cheer Snape up.
She had to admit that they did seem almost the perfect match, each playing off their own strengths and weaknesses. She wondered if anybody else found Snape's behaviour change slightly frightening - but then again, it was extremely rare that she was around Snape and some Slytherin's; perhaps Snape was like this with all Slytherin's.
"I've got quite an extensive collection, mainly comedy, drama, mystery, and action, and to set the record straight, I do not own any porn films…" He lowered his voice, "they are all Alastor's."
Alastor shrugged, "touché."
Snape stood, "I shall leave you in the company of these fine young gentlemen and Alastor."
"I notice that I was after the 'and'." Daker grinned, "don't worry, I know I'm not a gentleman, but at least I inform people where I'm going - just so we know where to look when you don't come back."
Snape rolled his eyes and muttered something in possibly Dutch, Hermione wasn't sure. She understood a bit of German, and what Snape had spoken didn't sound much like German, oh well, she never seized to be amazed by the strange things she discovered at Hogwarts.
----
Neville hurried up to his dormitory in search for a book he'd promise to return to Professor Sprout. She had lent him a particularly fascinating book about the people who worked in Herbology as a career; he'd borrowed it over the holidays and it had proved to be most interesting reading. As he entered the dormitory he was hit by a strange sickly sent that had been there in the morning - they had all decided that it was something to do with the ventilation or perhaps something the House Elves had cleaned the floor with.
He searched his trunk frantically looking for the book, when he was struck by a small whining sound. The sound sounded somewhat desperate and painful, closing the trunk carefully he looked around. Harry's Puffskein was lying on the floor looking quite ill. She looked starved and dehydrated, and the evidence seemed to prove that because of this she had been quite sick during the night.
"Oh god." Neville murmured. He gingerly touched the poor Puffskein, and she feebly tried to lick his hand. Her tongue felt dry and flaky, she didn't seem to have very much life in her at all! Quickly Neville made up his mind. He couldn't give the poor creature anything to eat or drink since she was likely just to bring it back up again, what he needed to do was get a teacher who knew about these things.
"Hang in there little fellow." He said gently, "I'll be back in a moment." With that he raced out of the dormitory, out of the common room, out of the portrait hole and off to find a teacher.
Thankfully, he collided quite forcibly with Professor Snape - knocking the wind out of him. It was perhaps the first time ever that Neville had been glad to encounter Snape.
"Longbottom!" Snape managed to breathe.
"Sorry! You've got to come quick sir!" He started to pull on Snape's sleeve. Snape looked thoroughly astounded.
"What are you doing, Longbottom!"
"Its Harry Potter's Puffskein, sir! I think she's going to die." He heaved more frantically.
"What?" Snape gasped.
"Harry's Puffskein, I think she's about to die, she's all weak and doesn't seem to have been given any food or water for days!"
"Christ." Snape murmured, finally allowing Neville to drag him along the corridor to the Gryffindor Common Room. On-route they encountered Professor McGonagall telling some rather embarrassed looking first years off. A quick explanation to McGonagall from Neville and she immediately dismissed the first years and hurried after Snape and Neville.
They reached the dormitory a few moments later. The Puffskein had been sick again, but more violently. She was shivering on the floor with a few other Puffskein's gathered around her looking very concerned. The stench in the room was quite over-powering indicating that the Puffskein had not going been sick, but had had more unpleasant emissions.
"Oh good Lord." McGonagall gasped.
"Fucking hell." Snape almost breathed under his breath. This time McGonagall did not bat an eyelid at his choice in vocabulary; his words just about summed up the situation.
"You can help her, can't you?" Neville was close to tears.
Snape looked at McGonagall and she nodded at him. Snape immediately conjured up a small stretcher and set about lifting the ill Puffskein on it. The other Puffskein's immediately started making concerned sounds. "Neville, go down to Hagrid's hut and get him to come as fast as he can to the Hospital wing."
Neville didn't need telling twice. Where animals were concerned, he was prepared to do anything. He despised of anyone who hurt animals, or neglected them.
----
"Got lost?" Alastor grinned as Snape finally returned almost half an hour after heading back into the school.
"No." He sounded shocked and distant.
"You all right?"
"Yeah." Snape replied in the same distant tone. He sat down on the grass and placed his back against the tree-trunk.
"Don't sound alright." Alastor moved closed to him, "eugh, Jesus, no offence but you reek of vomit." Suddenly concerned, Alastor changed his tone. "Spike?"
"Animal neglect."
Alastor was slightly taken back by this, "pardon?"
"Famous Harry Potter has been neglecting his Puffskein. The little thing was in a bad way."
"Oh… Is it going to be alright?"
Snape nodded, "Hagird and Madame Pomfrey think so. Won't really know until later this evening."
"What happens then?"
"Dumbledore is going to take Potter out of Hagrid's classes, and he's considering taking Hedwig away from him."
"Hedwig?"
"Potter's snowy owl. She's quite friendly with Demtri." Demtri was Quirrel's old Tawny owl, she was old and almost blind, not really fit enough to be a post-owl but no one really had the heart to remove her from the school. She loved being with other owls. She wasn't used as a post-owl, but more of a surrogate mother and friend to the new owls who came for their first year at Hogwarts. The staff had decided to keep her in memory of Quirrel, it seemed the decent thing to do.
"Isn't Demtri a male name?"
"Yes, Quentin was somewhat sure that she was a he, but he found out the hard way."
"Aw, baby owls."
"Yup."
Alastor coughed, "um, Spike, could you do me a favour?"
"Sure."
"Change your shirt, starting to make me feel a bit queasy."
"Sorry."
Snape pulled himself to his feet and headed back to the castle for the second time that day, hoping this time that he didn't have to meet any other neglected animals. Once a lifetime was quite enough for him.
----
Harry Potter lined up the people who had come to try out for the Quidditch team. He noticed that there were a lot of first years, and a lot of girls who had come to try. Over his seven years playing Quidditch he had decided that the female players were not quite as quick and strong as the male ones, and he had firmly decided to only admit the female players that proved to be the best of the best.
He noticed that Colin Creevy and his brother were in line to try out, he wasn't sure what position they were intending to try for but he already had reservations about putting them on the team. It was true that they no longer seemed obsessed by him, but he couldn't risk it. If the Creevy brothers were on the team, he'd need one hundred percent concentration from them, and if there was even the slightest chance they could be distracted then no way was he going to take the risk.
He wanted to go down in Hogwarts history was the most successful player and the most successful team captain that Gryffindor house had ever seen -- no, no, make that, the most successful player and team captain that Hogwarts had ever seen!
He grinned at the prospect.
"Mr Potter." A voice behind him said. Harry turned and came face to face with a very angry looking Professor McGonagall.
"Hello miss." He said, "come to watch the try-outs?"
"No. Come with me young man."
"What? But the try-outs! Professor you can't be serious!"
"I am, Potter, and this is over a most serious matter." She looked round, "Mr Weasley I'm sure will be able to take over the trials for you."
"You can't be serious! The try outs need the team captain there to choose, I can't trust Ron to pick my team!"
"That will do! You will come along with me this instant otherwise I will personally remove you from Gryffindor team!"
"You can't do that, Gryffindor need me."
"Do they indeed? Come along." Grudgingly Harry gave in and followed Professor McGonagall off the Quidditch pitch, into the castle and in a direction that suspiciously reminded Harry of the direction to Dumbledore's office.
----
"Humbug Trifle." McGonagall said to a stone gargoyle, and instantly Harry knew that he was being taken to Professor Dumbledore. He wondered what Dumbledore could possibly want, maybe Voldemort had been seen near the school and Dumbledore wanted Harry to keep a watch out for him and prepare for a possible attack! Yes that was it, in an attack against Hogwarts; Harry would be the one with the most power to bring down the Dark Lord. He cheered up instantly.
McGonagall pushed open the old oak office door, and gave him a gentle shove inside. Dumbledore was sitting gravely behind his desk, and a furious looking Hagrid was standing to his left. Harry had never seen Hagrid this angry before, it must be something to do with Voldemort.
"Thank you, Minerva." Dumbledore said gravely. "Sit down, Harry." Harry sat. "Now, I suppose you are wondering why I have asked you here."
"Not really." Harry replied.
"Oh?"
"It's Voldemort, isn't it? He's been seen near the school…. You want me to…"
"Harry, this has nothing to do with Voldemort." Dumbledore interrupted. "This is a far more serious matter."
"More serious than Voldemort?"
"Yes. You see, Harry, your education at Hogwarts precedes any other commitments you might have. Your education is vital here, and I will not have you waste it in the way you have been."
"What?"
"It saddens me that I have been brought to this, but cruelty of this sort cannot be tollerated."
"Sorry? Cruelty?"
"I am talking about the baby Puffskein you were entrusted with."
"Oh that."
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows at Harry's off-hand manner. "You are aware that at this very moment your Puffskein is fighting for her life in the Hospital Wing?"
"What happened to her?"
"You, happened to her, Harry."
"Me?"
"Surely you realised the consequences of not feeding or giving her water."
"Oh, yeah, sorry, knew there was something I had to do this morning."
"Harry, this abuse of your Puffskein has been going on longer than this morning. Therefore I am going to remove you from the Care of Magical Creatures course."
"WHAT!"
"You heard me, Harry and be thankfully that it wasn't a suspension." Dumbledore raised his voice, "now get out of my office, I don't want to see you in here again."
