Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations made and owned
by J.K.Rowling, various publishers including but no limited to Bloomsbury
Books, Scholastic Books, Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money
is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Summary: Set in Harry's fifth year. Harry learns about his special powers; the reason Voldemort wants to kill him and a transfer student from Japan comes to Hogwarts in search of something - or somebody.
Chapter 3: Defense Against the Dark Arts
"I wonder what the old fraud's going to predict today..." Harry said aloud.
"Hmm...Your death, Neville's mishaps, your death, this year's happenings, your death..." Ron answered.
"I got the point."
"You asked." Ron said, shrugging his shoulders.
They went up the ladder to the stuffy, hot room and took a seat at the farthest place from where Professor Trelawney sat. Unlike Parvati and Lavender, who were waiting excitedly for the class to start, Harry was dreading it. Not only because of her supposed predictions, it was because Harry couldn't stop thinking about the one she had made in third year.
The prediction came true and here they are, under the Dark Lord's reign of terror...no, not under. They need to fight. Lives would be lost, but this battle must be won.
How many lives would be lost? How many people would die like his parents? Harry couldn't help pondering. But his heart was set - he would fight against the Dark Lord, no matter what happens.
He was so deep in thought he didn't hear Professor Trelawney calling his name until Ron nudged him.
"Yes, Professor?"
"I was just going to tell you that I have read your death, Mr. Potter."
"Again?" Harry asked, clearly not amused.
"In my tarot readings I read a death full of suffering..." she said, in a sorrowful voice. Parvati and Lavender also looked as if they pitied him for what was waiting for him in the future.
But Harry just yawned, clearly not interested, while Ron tried to stifle a snigger. Trelawney gave Ron a disapproving look.
"Mr.Weasley, this is no laughing matter. Your friend might die!" she said in an over-dramatic tone.
"Last time you predicted that, it didn't happen, did it?"
"You cannot say, for you, Mr.Weasley, have a very foggy eye!"
"I don't think I even have one," Ron whispered to Harry.
"That was an amusing class," Harry said sarcastically, as he and Ron was walking to the Great Hall for lunch.
"Was it? I only remember sleeping after she explained the meaning of 'the fool'."
"Hey, there's Hermione!"
"Hi Ron, Harry!" Hermione had a smile on her face. She looked as if she had a good class.
"How was Divination?"
"Boring, as always. Wasn't worth listening to." Harry replied.
"You two really should have dropped it."
"But it's nice to have a class where we can sleep." Ron yawned. He was not completely awake yet. Hermione just rolled her eyes. She couldn't say anything, because she herself had made remarks like that in Divination.
"Anyways," Harry said, "I wonder when we can meet Snuffles."
Hermione looked at her schedule. "We have Defense Against the Dark Arts tomorrow. Maybe we can ask Lupin."
"And he might know why Snape was acting so strange today!" Ron brightened, his sleepiness forgotten.
"Maybe Snuffles did something to him..." Harry said.
"Or maybe Professor Lupin did!"
"Childish," Hermione muttered, while finishing her lunch... "Really."
The Gryffindors waited impatiently for the next class - Defense Against the Dark Arts - to begin, especially Harry, Ron and Hermione.
"Stop staring at your watch, Ron!" Hermione said.
"In 10...9..." Ron counted, not bothering to answer. "3...2...1..."
"Good morning," a cheerful voice said. Professor Lupin entered with a bright face, but he had a somewhat nervous atmosphere around him.
"Long time no see..." he said looking over the students. "And I'm here to teach, again. As you heard, I'm a werewolf...but I won't bite..." he said, in a serious tone. "I am human when it's not a full moon."
"We don't care if you're a werewolf!"
"Yeah, and you're a good teacher, unlike all the rest...though Crouch wasn't that bad..." Ron said. Harry sat uncomfortably on his chair. The rest of the students had been told that Moody that taught them was really Barty Crouch J.R. in disguise, but they didn't know the truth behind all of it.
Lupin smiled. "I'm glad..." he said. "Well...last year, you have done the Unforgivables, correct?" The class nodded. "This year will be mainly on blocking curses and avoiding the Dark Arts...beasts included. And a lot of the spells we are going to practice are above Ordinary Wizard's Levels."
"Since the Dark Lord has come back in to power, we must be ready for it. Spells are important, but your heart must also be prepared in order to fight against evil. I hope I can train you in both this year."
The class was silent. But the looks of their faces told that they were ready to learn. The Professor, noticing their eagerness, didn't lose a minute to teach them the things they need to know.
"We will be working on dementors today. Can anybody explain what it is?" Hermione's hand shot up, along with many others, including Neville.
"Neville?"
"They suck the happiness out of living creatures."
"Ten points. Yes, dementors suck out the sense of living, I've often been told, if in its presence for a long time. As most of you know, they used to guard Azkaban for this reason. And the worst thing they could perform is the Dementor's Kiss...to suck out the soul of any creature."
"But there is a way to defend yourself from them. Does anybody know the Charm?" Only Hermione, Harry and Ron's hands went up.
"Yes, Ron?"
"The Patronus Charm."
"Another ten points. The Patronus Charm...a highly advanced charm. The incantation is 'expecto patronum'. But that's not the only thing needed. You need to concentrate on a happy memory...the happier it is, the stronger the Patronus will become. But I warn you, it isn't easy as it seems.
"Harry, could you demonstrate?" Lupin asked. Harry nodded. The others looked surprised.
Harry tried to find a happy memory...nothing in fourth grade could do. He ended up concentrating on when he and the Gryffindor team won the Cup in third year.
"Expecto Patronum!"
A stag came out from the tip of his wand. It gave Harry a look and then it disappeared, knowing there was no danger. ??
"Thank you, Harry. As you can see, a Patronus will come out from the wand and guard you. The Patronus has no particular shape - it is unique to the wizard that conjures it."
When the class ended, the three stayed inside the classroom, waiting for the others to get out. When they made sure they were alone, Harry asked, "Professor, how is Padfoot?"
"Oh, he's alright. He wants to meet you, but he has some work to do right now."
"Isn't that dangerous?" Hermione asked, worriedly.
"There's a risk for everything we do, but I think he'll be alright. Oh! I almost forgot - Dumbledore wants to meet you three on Friday, at his office. I think you'd be able to see him there."
"Thank you!" the three said. They bided their professor good bye, and left for their next class.
"You know, I have a feeling we've forgotten something..." Ron said, on the way to Transfiguration.
"What?" Hermione asked.
"I don't know...Harry! We forgot to ask why Snape was acting so strange!"
"You two can ask them Friday," Hermione said.
(A.N.) I uploaded fast this time, didn't I? I managed to write this chapter down in five days! I didn't have school today so I had a lot of time. Anyways, Please R&R!
~To~
Hermione HP: Thanks for the first review!
Darcel: Thanks!
Jordan: Here's the next chapter ^^
Scrabbit: Thank you!
Kagome-Chan: I think the transfer student's going to arrive in the next chapter or the one after that.
kate: Like the real thing? Really? I'm blushing...
Summary: Set in Harry's fifth year. Harry learns about his special powers; the reason Voldemort wants to kill him and a transfer student from Japan comes to Hogwarts in search of something - or somebody.
Chapter 3: Defense Against the Dark Arts
"I wonder what the old fraud's going to predict today..." Harry said aloud.
"Hmm...Your death, Neville's mishaps, your death, this year's happenings, your death..." Ron answered.
"I got the point."
"You asked." Ron said, shrugging his shoulders.
They went up the ladder to the stuffy, hot room and took a seat at the farthest place from where Professor Trelawney sat. Unlike Parvati and Lavender, who were waiting excitedly for the class to start, Harry was dreading it. Not only because of her supposed predictions, it was because Harry couldn't stop thinking about the one she had made in third year.
The prediction came true and here they are, under the Dark Lord's reign of terror...no, not under. They need to fight. Lives would be lost, but this battle must be won.
How many lives would be lost? How many people would die like his parents? Harry couldn't help pondering. But his heart was set - he would fight against the Dark Lord, no matter what happens.
He was so deep in thought he didn't hear Professor Trelawney calling his name until Ron nudged him.
"Yes, Professor?"
"I was just going to tell you that I have read your death, Mr. Potter."
"Again?" Harry asked, clearly not amused.
"In my tarot readings I read a death full of suffering..." she said, in a sorrowful voice. Parvati and Lavender also looked as if they pitied him for what was waiting for him in the future.
But Harry just yawned, clearly not interested, while Ron tried to stifle a snigger. Trelawney gave Ron a disapproving look.
"Mr.Weasley, this is no laughing matter. Your friend might die!" she said in an over-dramatic tone.
"Last time you predicted that, it didn't happen, did it?"
"You cannot say, for you, Mr.Weasley, have a very foggy eye!"
"I don't think I even have one," Ron whispered to Harry.
"That was an amusing class," Harry said sarcastically, as he and Ron was walking to the Great Hall for lunch.
"Was it? I only remember sleeping after she explained the meaning of 'the fool'."
"Hey, there's Hermione!"
"Hi Ron, Harry!" Hermione had a smile on her face. She looked as if she had a good class.
"How was Divination?"
"Boring, as always. Wasn't worth listening to." Harry replied.
"You two really should have dropped it."
"But it's nice to have a class where we can sleep." Ron yawned. He was not completely awake yet. Hermione just rolled her eyes. She couldn't say anything, because she herself had made remarks like that in Divination.
"Anyways," Harry said, "I wonder when we can meet Snuffles."
Hermione looked at her schedule. "We have Defense Against the Dark Arts tomorrow. Maybe we can ask Lupin."
"And he might know why Snape was acting so strange today!" Ron brightened, his sleepiness forgotten.
"Maybe Snuffles did something to him..." Harry said.
"Or maybe Professor Lupin did!"
"Childish," Hermione muttered, while finishing her lunch... "Really."
The Gryffindors waited impatiently for the next class - Defense Against the Dark Arts - to begin, especially Harry, Ron and Hermione.
"Stop staring at your watch, Ron!" Hermione said.
"In 10...9..." Ron counted, not bothering to answer. "3...2...1..."
"Good morning," a cheerful voice said. Professor Lupin entered with a bright face, but he had a somewhat nervous atmosphere around him.
"Long time no see..." he said looking over the students. "And I'm here to teach, again. As you heard, I'm a werewolf...but I won't bite..." he said, in a serious tone. "I am human when it's not a full moon."
"We don't care if you're a werewolf!"
"Yeah, and you're a good teacher, unlike all the rest...though Crouch wasn't that bad..." Ron said. Harry sat uncomfortably on his chair. The rest of the students had been told that Moody that taught them was really Barty Crouch J.R. in disguise, but they didn't know the truth behind all of it.
Lupin smiled. "I'm glad..." he said. "Well...last year, you have done the Unforgivables, correct?" The class nodded. "This year will be mainly on blocking curses and avoiding the Dark Arts...beasts included. And a lot of the spells we are going to practice are above Ordinary Wizard's Levels."
"Since the Dark Lord has come back in to power, we must be ready for it. Spells are important, but your heart must also be prepared in order to fight against evil. I hope I can train you in both this year."
The class was silent. But the looks of their faces told that they were ready to learn. The Professor, noticing their eagerness, didn't lose a minute to teach them the things they need to know.
"We will be working on dementors today. Can anybody explain what it is?" Hermione's hand shot up, along with many others, including Neville.
"Neville?"
"They suck the happiness out of living creatures."
"Ten points. Yes, dementors suck out the sense of living, I've often been told, if in its presence for a long time. As most of you know, they used to guard Azkaban for this reason. And the worst thing they could perform is the Dementor's Kiss...to suck out the soul of any creature."
"But there is a way to defend yourself from them. Does anybody know the Charm?" Only Hermione, Harry and Ron's hands went up.
"Yes, Ron?"
"The Patronus Charm."
"Another ten points. The Patronus Charm...a highly advanced charm. The incantation is 'expecto patronum'. But that's not the only thing needed. You need to concentrate on a happy memory...the happier it is, the stronger the Patronus will become. But I warn you, it isn't easy as it seems.
"Harry, could you demonstrate?" Lupin asked. Harry nodded. The others looked surprised.
Harry tried to find a happy memory...nothing in fourth grade could do. He ended up concentrating on when he and the Gryffindor team won the Cup in third year.
"Expecto Patronum!"
A stag came out from the tip of his wand. It gave Harry a look and then it disappeared, knowing there was no danger. ??
"Thank you, Harry. As you can see, a Patronus will come out from the wand and guard you. The Patronus has no particular shape - it is unique to the wizard that conjures it."
When the class ended, the three stayed inside the classroom, waiting for the others to get out. When they made sure they were alone, Harry asked, "Professor, how is Padfoot?"
"Oh, he's alright. He wants to meet you, but he has some work to do right now."
"Isn't that dangerous?" Hermione asked, worriedly.
"There's a risk for everything we do, but I think he'll be alright. Oh! I almost forgot - Dumbledore wants to meet you three on Friday, at his office. I think you'd be able to see him there."
"Thank you!" the three said. They bided their professor good bye, and left for their next class.
"You know, I have a feeling we've forgotten something..." Ron said, on the way to Transfiguration.
"What?" Hermione asked.
"I don't know...Harry! We forgot to ask why Snape was acting so strange!"
"You two can ask them Friday," Hermione said.
(A.N.) I uploaded fast this time, didn't I? I managed to write this chapter down in five days! I didn't have school today so I had a lot of time. Anyways, Please R&R!
~To~
Hermione HP: Thanks for the first review!
Darcel: Thanks!
Jordan: Here's the next chapter ^^
Scrabbit: Thank you!
Kagome-Chan: I think the transfer student's going to arrive in the next chapter or the one after that.
kate: Like the real thing? Really? I'm blushing...