Chapter Five
First Week Stress

The hoot of an owl scared Harry into awakening. He sat up and threw his curtains open. Pig was sitting on his nightstand.

'Pig… you scared me…'

Ron also whipped his curtains open. He looked furious.

'PIG!' he shouted in rage.

The tiny owl hooted and flew out the window.

Hermione emerged from the bathroom, dressed in her robes. When she saw Ron at the window, yelling at Pig, she erupted with laugher and winked at Harry.

'That's the third time he's done that since the summer,' she told him.

He smiled and looked over at Raine's bed. It was empty.

'Where's Raine gone off to?' he asked, turning back to Hermione.

'I don't know. I got up and he was gone…'

Harry's heart missed a beat.

'What time is it?' he asked frantically.

Ron came back and sat on his bed. 'Don't worry, they're just starting to make breakfast. I can smell it. We aren't late.'

'Yet.' Hermione said sternly. 'Remember, we have to meet with Professor McGonagall at seven fifteen to review our duties and such.'

Harry yawned. 'What time is it now?' he wondered aloud.

'Seven.'

Ron grabbed his robes and went to the bathroom to change.

Hermione sat on her bed (which was neatly made) and opened her copy of The Standard Book of Spells and started reading about portals.

Ron came out and let Harry go in. After he was ready, they left the dorm. The common room was empty, as students got up at seven thirty today. They left the tower and headed downstairs.

As they got to the staircases, they heard a familiar voice.

'You bloody cowards again, eh? Draw your swords, knaves!'

In a painting of a quiet meadow sat a drunken or senile (perhaps both) old knight on a gray horse. He drew his longsword and slashed the air.

'Hullo Sir Cadogan,' Harry muttered.

He was about to say something else when…

'Ow! Peeves!'

Ron grabbed his nose in shock and whirled around. Harry saw a rather heavy book at Ron's feet.

'Peeves! Stop it! Do I have to report this to the Bloody Baron?'

The annoying old poltergeist blew a raspberry at Ron and flew away, giggling madly as a gnome.

They reached McGonagall's class and knocked. She answered the door and let them in.

'Ah, good, at least three of my prefects are up and punctual. Where is Mr. Lionheart?

'Um, ma'am, he still has another three minutes.'

Professor McGonagall glanced at the wall and saw the time.

'Oh… pardon me… thank you Miss Granger.'

Raine chose that moment to step into the door.

'Welcome Mr. Lionheart,' Professor McGonagall said.

'Morning Ms. G,' he said, flopping down into a desk beside Harry. Hermione giggled and Ron coughed to cover a snigger. Professor McGonagall glared at Raine.

'Excuse me? 'Ms. G'?'

'Whoops! Sorry, I meant Professor McGonagall. My head of house back home was Professor Greymalkin, but he let us call him Mr. G., so I—'

Her expression made him silent at once.

'Well, at Hogwarts, you shall treat all instructors with courtesy and respect Mr. Lionheart.'

She turned back to address all for of them.

'Now, I would like to first congratulate you all on being the top students in your house. You have exceeded our standards leading up to the nomination of prefects and we are most confident that you shall continue to distinguish yourselves in such a manner.

'First and foremost, your duties as prefects are based below those as students. You will not fall behind in class and remain a prefect. This is the key rule to being a prefect. Learning over leading.

'Second, any abuse of your privileges will result in the removal of yourself from the ranks and, if serious enough, the school, as well. We rarely have had to do so, as the prefects usually remain well mannered and responsible.

'We would like to remind you that you must be cooperative with other prefects.' She placed her gaze on Harry at this point, obviously thinking of him and Malfoy.

'Professor Dumbledore believes that you will succeed, without a doubt. We have trust in your judgement, wisdom, strengths and all other attributes. You will face difficult situations during your time as prefects. We have faith in you.

'Are there any questions?'

Hermione's hand flew up. 'Why do we have four prefects per house? I mean, we always had one before.'

McGonagall smiled. 'The Ministry of Magic has decided that we need more prefects to keep Hogwarts under control. For the past four years, things have gotten… out of hand. And teamwork, which works hand in hand with friendship, is essential for a good system.

'Another reason we have more than one prefect is that this is a one-time experiment. If all goes well, the Ministry will set up a new system. Meanwhile, whomever did the best job out of all of their houses will go on to be the House Boy or Girl, which acts as the previous role of the prefects. There will only be one for each house. And the following year, they will be selected to be Head Boy and/or Girl, while the others continue to be prefects, as assistants to professors and what not. That is why you were selected in fifth year. It is all tied in with the Ministry's precautions towards the resurgence of Voldemort.'

Ron asked the next question.

'Will being a prefect disrupt our extracurricular activities? Like for Harry, will he still play Quidditch?'

She thought for a moment, then said, 'No, extracurricular activities will not be affected, not if a prefect is left to lead the house to the stadium or help during such an activity.'

This seemed to satisfy Ron.

'Any more questions?' McGonagall asked. When nobody raised his or her hands, she said, 'Well, it is time for breakfast. Off to the Tower to escort your house.'

Hermione, Ron and Raine all stood and headed for the door, but Harry approached the professor.

'Um, Professor McGonagall, I have a question. I didn't want to ask it in front of the others…'

McGonagall gazed at Harry shrewdly. 'This is concerning Draco Malfoy, isn't it Potter?'

Harry nodded.

'Do not worry about him. You will hardly see each other, only in a few classes or at meals.'

'But… why? Why was he selected?'

Professor McGonagall grimaced.

'Remember, it was not by Professor Dumbledore's or my choice. The Ministry selected him.'

Probably Lucius Malfoy bribed the people responsible for choosing, Harry thought bitterly after he had thanked her and was leaving.

Hermione was waiting outside for him.

'Asked her about Malfoy, didn't you?'

'Yes. She says that neither she nor Dumbledore chose the prefects personally. The Ministry did, and, well, you can guess…'

'Lucius Malfoy?'

'Probably,' Harry muttered.

***

They reached the tower, where Ron and Raine were organizing the house. It was the first day of classes, and the first years were more than nervous, so getting lost would be all too common. The prefects would show them the way to the Great Hall for the first week, then they would get there themselves.

Ron was doing a perfect job of instructing the first years. Raine, meanwhile, was chatting with Seamus, Ron's brothers, Lee, Neville and Dean Thomas. Dean had his bat attached to his arm ('Merlin is such a baby. Won't leave me alone for more than five seconds!') and Seamus' cat, Ameradince, was weaving her way through everyone's legs.

Ron slid out of the common room through the hole behind the Fat Lady's painting. Everyone followed, with Harry and Hermione holding up the rear. Kyle, the first year, saw them and said, 'I knew it!', and received a smack in the head from Will.

Nearly Headless Nick met them in the staircase corridor. He was trying to subdue Peeves, whom had gotten a hold of a few spare spell books.

'Peeves, drop those books before the Bloody Baron sees you! He will surely—'

Nick sighed as a book flew through his head.

'I'm warning you Peeves.'

Peeves giggled and squealed, 'Okay!'

A book bounced off of Harry's head and hit the floor, opened. A piercing shriek told Harry that it was the screaming book from the restricted section of the library.

The scream startled the first years. Hermione kicked the cover closed and held her foot down on it, but the screaming continued. Harry looked to Hermione with a look of panic.

'Use a silence charm!'

Harry whipped out his wand and shouted, 'Quietus!' The book fell silent.

Peeves fluttered down and picked up the book, tossing it from hand to hand.

'You broked my book! You broked my book!' he sang.

Harry motioned for the Gryffindors to follow him just as Argus Filch, the groundskeeper of Hogwarts, burst out of one of the classrooms and began raging at the poltergeist. Apparently, he'd regained his memory in due time.

The first years were gaping at the outcome of the situation. They were all over the 'Incredible Duo' as Kyle called. Harry and Hermione blushed at the attention.

They reached the Great Hall after Ravenclaw, but before Hufflepuff and Slytherin. Dumbledore and half the other teachers were already there, but Snape and Professor Sprout (the heads of Slytherin and Hufflepuff) were missing as well, no doubt filling their own prefects in on the situation as McGonagall had.

Professor Flitwick was speaking to Dumbledore. The Headmaster saw Harry and winked. Harry smiled back as he sat down beside Ron and across from Hermione and Raine. They started talking about their new duties and the enjoyment they would have.

After the meal, all three boys had Divination while Hermione studied her other subjects. After almost a year of Divination, in which Professor Trelawney had predicted Harry's death an average of eight times a week, she left. She had become sick of Trelawney's hocus predictions and left the class, never to return. Now she spent her time researching her other subjects instead.

Professor Trelawney barely acknowledged them. In fact, she barely acknowledged anyone. The Hufflepuffs glanced around at one another while the Gryffindors contemplated poking her awake or leaving the room.

Ten minutes later, Professor Trelawney finally seemed to come back to Earth. She told them to gather a crystal ball and pair up. Ron stuck with Neville when Raine insisted on partnering with Harry. The crystal balls were clearly ancient. Most had at least one crack and were all covered in dust. They reminded Harry of Professor Lupin…

'He was afraid because of the shape,' Harry muttered.

Raine looked up and said, 'What was that?'

Harry smiled apologetically. 'It reminds me of a teacher we had once for Defence against the Dark Arts. Remus Lupin. He was a werewolf.'

'I've heard of him,' Raine replied, 'old friends with your dad. And Sirius Black.'

'My godfather.'

'Ah.' He looked slightly puzzled, 'isn't he wanted? Didn't he escape Azkaban?'

'Yes, but they never found him.'

Raine nodded.

During that hour and a half (Double Divination was terrible, especially in the heat), Raine peppered Harry with question after question. Harry answered them, patiently and with detail. Raine was extremely impressed by Harry's adventures; last year's with the trials he had been through was his favorite.

'So Voldemort basically rigged the competition?'

Harry nodded, 'Yes, with Barty Crouch Jr's help. He was the one who dropped my name into the Goblet of Fire. Confunded the thing to make it think that I went to another wizard school.'

Next was Transfiguration. Hermione was already there when the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs arrived. Professor McGonagall started by reviewing basic Transfiguration, which they practiced with lamps, transfiguring them into irons.

It seemed that Raine had a gift with this subject. Not only did he transform the lamp quickly and perfectly, he also transformed a rat into a mug, and he could also transplant his arm onto his desk and back.

'Professor McGerrigle was a thorough teacher.'

'I can see that,' replied the witch, who was beaming at the marvels Raine had performed.

Lunch perked up the tired students. The whole school packed in to the Great Hall, where bowls of Minestrone soup, wheat crackers and drinks were being served.

As prefects, Harry and the others sat right near the end of the table. They ate heartily, as they would need to, to keep up with Hagrid's class. They spoke about their summers and Raine gave them his own "standardized" speech about Canada.

'It's a gorgeous country in North America, just above the U.S. A lot of people think that it always snows there. Ha! I wish! In North Vancouver, BC, where I'm from, it rains approximately three hundred and two point five days a year, while the other fifty three days consist of either mild snow, some sun, gray clouds or sleet.' He took a sip of his pumpkin juice, ignoring the looks of total amazement on the others' faces and said, 'but I still find it beautiful because of the greenery and the air, and the people. It is absolutely amazing!'

***

After that was Care for Magical Creatures. Hagrid was frowning as the students approached his cabin. There were about seven Slytherins there (one of them Draco Malfoy, others like Crabbe and Goyle), while others were trudging back in the direction of the castle.

'…An' if yeh don't have yer book with yeh, then yeh either go an' get 'em or yeh share with some'un else.' Hagrid was explaining impatiently.

'Look servant,' Malfoy said with contempt, 'we don't have to listen to you. You're a nobody! A half-giant, a failure!'

Hagrid's eyes flared with rage at this.

'Why yeh li'lle…'

Harry and Ron put a hand on each of his arms.

'Hagrid, don't even bother,' Harry mumbled, 'he just wants you to be mad.'

Hagrid grunted and said, 'Go Draco, or I'll report this teh Dumbledore. 'An yeh know what he can do teh yer reputation.'

Draco suddenly didn't look too confident. He said, 'Well, my father can have you sacked if you do so!'

Hagrid shrugged, 'At least I'd rid the school of the' likes of yeh.'

Draco muttered something under his breath, turned and headed towards the school. The other Slytherins followed.

'Bravo Hagrid!' Hermione cried as she ran over to his side. 'That was spectacular!'

Raine was still gaping at the sight of such a massive man.

Hagrid seemed to notice this and called, 'Oy, you there! C'mon!'

Raine slowly walked to the group.

'Raine Lionheart, Rubeus Hagrid. He's our Care for…'

'Rubeus Hagrid?' Raine cried in excitement, 'the Rubeus Hagrid?'

Hagrid blushed, but Harry, Ron and Hermione were just confused. Raine was gushing.

'I've read all your stories! They're fantastic! I mean, plot development, characters, and vocabulary… I can't believe that I'm actually meeting you!'

'Wait a moment…' Ron interrupted, 'what in the blue blazes are you yammering on about?'

Raine whirled on his feet. 'You don't know? This is Rubeus Hagrid! He's an author, and a damned good one at that!'

He reached into his bag and pulled out a book called, 'Tales from the Garden' and flipped through it. He picked a page and held it open. Harry, Ron and Hermione leaned over it to read.

Emerald Twilight
By Rubeus Hagrid

It was by random chance that a man like me would ever see such a thing as her. Young, majestic, the stunning image of a dragonrose blooming in the autumn sun. Ah, yes. She was all that. And it was I whom she loved…

'Erm… that's enough, really…' Hagrid mumbled and pried the book from Raine's hands. He was as red as Ron's hair.

'Aw, Hagrid, come on!' Hermione whined, 'that was beautiful.'

He muttered something that sounded like, 'That's why I never let yeh read my stuff.'

'He's really famous in Canada! All my friends have his works! Well, my author friends.'

As Draco and the Slytherins were returning, Harry grabbed the book from Hagrid and shoved it into Raine's bag.

'You don't want the Slytherins to think any less of Hagrid.' Harry told Raine.

Soon, there were eight prefects standing off. Draco was face to face with Harry while Pansy Parkinson was staring down Hermione; Wing Aerofeather to Ron and Rodney Elstone was glaring at Raine.

'So… it seems that the prefects have met.' Draco said coolly.

'Seems so…' Harry replied bitterly.

Draco gestured with his head over to Raine. 'That's the new one right?'

'Yeah.'

Draco looked over in Raine's direction.

'If I were you, I'd transfer out of that house and come to Slytherin. We have better families, we respect one another, and our house leader is incredibly generous.'

Raine flashed Draco a sneer. 'Yeah, sure, I'll take your word on that. I hear that you're also spoiled brats, kids who dream of being Voldemort, and losers who have to get their parents to pay for what they want.'

That just about sums up Draco… Harry thought.

'You obviously don't know much about me then. Perhaps you've heard of me. Draco Malfoy.'

When Harry and Ron had first met Draco, Ron had laughed at Draco's name. This was the exact opposite of Ron's expression. Raine paled, like he had seen a ghost.

'What?'

'I'm Draco…'

'Malfoy?' he asked in a dangerous tone.

'Yes, you've heard of me?'

'Yeah, you could say that,' he snapped. He was now standing in front of Draco. Nobody noticed him move.

He leaned in close. Malfoy was about a head shorter than Raine, so Raine was slightly intimidating.

'Tell your dear old father,' he spat the word father, 'that Raine Lionheart says, 'Hi.' Tell him,' he leaned in so that his nose touched Draco's and hissed, 'I know.'

Raine stalked off towards the castle, his hands shoved in his pockets. Draco was pale and trembling.

'Alright, alright, around back all of yeh.' Hagrid beckoned for his class to follow. 'C'mon now, we've gots a buncha Orkanirs out there.'

Harry glanced back at the castle to where his new friend had trudged off.

***

Harry hardly focused on the lesson. Not that there was any danger. Orkanirs were herbivores that resembled squids, with two huge black eyes and thick pink lips. They were newborns, so they had a tendency to spit up a white, stringy fluid. Fortunately, Fang, the huge boarhound took the brunt of the stuff, which he lapped up hungrily.

'Aw, dun worry, its actually good fer 'im. Lotsa nutrients,' Hagrid explained to a few girls who had turned various shades of green.

They had Charms class later that day, so they decided to stay to speak with Hagrid. Tomorrow they would have Potions and Defence Against the Dark Arts. Harry shuddered at the thought. They had had Snape for it a few times, when Lupin was out in Hogsmeade, undergoing his transformation into a werewolf. It had been horrible.

Harry, Ron and Hermione stayed back after class to talk to Hagrid.

'C'mon Hagrid, why didn't you tell us?' Hermione asked.

'Shucks, Hermione, I'm just too modest, I guess…'

'It was fantastic,' Ron said again.

'That's what everyone says. But I can't stand the pressure, yeh know?'

They asked him if they could read his other stories, and after much deliberation, he finally gave up.

'It's all in that there cupboard.' He told Ron, pointing to a cupboard about two and a half meters from the floor. Ron grabbed a chair and climbed on, rummaging through the various papers.

'Now… what about that whole thing with yeh and those Slytherins earlier. Raine seemed to take to Malfoy pretty badly, it looks teh me. Avoided class because of 'em.'

'I'm not sure,' Harry responded, 'but I'll ask him tonight when I see him.'

'That's a fine idea'r if yeh ask me.'

***

After Charms, in which Professor Flitwick had forced a Smile Charm onto Ron, they headed back to the common room, which was in an uproar when they arrived. Many first years were doing their homework and complaining about teachers (comments about Snape were all too common) and others were excitedly retelling the day, with help from friends.

Ron (who seemed to resemble a certain second year Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher with that grin…) and Hermione agreed to stay outside, while Harry spoke to Raine, if he was indeed there.

Harry muttered 'Cyclops' and the door swung open.

Raine wasn't in the bed area. But the shower was audible. Harry sat on his bed and waited. The water stopped and Raine appeared, in a towel.

'Harry! What are you doing here?'

'This is my room too.'

Raine gave a weak smile.

'Could you hand me that robe? Thanks. Listen, if you want some of Hagrid's stories…'

'It's ok, we got them.'

'Ah…' he blushed and headed into the bathroom. Out he came quickly.

'Raine… what happened today? With you and Draco?'

Raine grimaced and said, 'Nothing. It's personal. Very personal.'

'Oh, ok.' Harry said, a bit disappointed. He stood and went to the door.

'Harry.'

Harry turned to Raine.

'Maybe in a while I'll tell you.'

Harry nodded and left.

***

After a dinner of roast pork, Greek style potatoes and Greek salad, which was followed up by a treacle fudge, the students filed back to their towers to finish homework and cool off from the first day of school. Harry and Hermione were beside the fire, doing homework while Ron was in Seamus, Dean and Neville's dorm. Raine was somewhere unknown at the moment.

'So what did he say when you talked to him?' Hermione asked.

'Nothing. Just that it's very personal.'

She agreed with Raine, 'Something that would make him that mad would be very personal,' she scribbled something down in her notes and rolled the parchment up, 'but what does Lucius Malfoy have to do with it?'

Harry pursed his lips in concentration. What was the connection? Sure, Lucius Malfoy was a nasty person and most people despised his actions, but that was mostly in Europe… and now, Harry knew for sure that he was a Death Eater…

'Harry, Ginny's staring at you again.' She giggled, causing Harry to scowl at her. He looked over and indeed, across the room, was Ginny Weasley, watching him. When she saw him look up, she jumped in shock and went back to her Potions homework.

Harry turned to a giggling Hermione.

'I think she still likes you Harry!' she whispered. He rolled his eyes.

'If Ron ever saw her doing that…'

Hermione bit her lip. She leaned over to him again.

'I'm going to talk to him tonight. Just to clear things up with him.'

'That's a good idea,' Harry responded.

They got up and made their way to the prefects' room, where it would be quiet. Hermione sat on her bed and started to flip through the papers that Hagrid had given them. Harry decided to take a shower.

He let the water turn warm then adjusted to make it hot. It felt good to shower like this, relaxing his muscles. He sighed as the Alfredo's No Scrub Shampoo massaged his scalp and rinsed itself out.

He wrapped a towel around himself and dried off. His long hair dripped a bit, but he didn't mind. He opened the door a crack and was about to ask Hermione for a robe when he heard her speaking.

'Please? Just two songs!'

'Yeah, c'mon Raine!'

There was a forced sigh, and Raine said, 'Okay, later on though.'

'Yes!' Ron hissed in delight.

He opened the door and said, 'Could someone hand me a robe please?'

Hermione grabbed his robe and handed it to him.

'Thanks,' Harry replied.

He changed in the bathroom. When he came out, Hermione and Ron were gone. Raine was sitting on his bed.

'Harry, I need to talk to you about something.'

Harry's heart skipped a beat. About him and Malfoy? Did he want to know something?

'What was the Care for Magical Creatures homework?'

Harry slumped onto the bed, a little disappointed.

'Um… we need to write a quick one hundred word essay on the Orkanirs for tomorrow.'

'Ha, I can do that. Squid things?'

'Yeah. Nasty critters, if I do say so myself.' Harry said, wrinkling his nose.

'Um, Harry, there's something else. Something important.'

'Mmm hmm?'

'Well, you know where Albania is, right?'

'Yeah,' he said. Bertha Jorkins, a woman from the Ministry of Magic, had vacationed there and was caught up in the whole Voldemort uprising.

'Well, my uncle was an Auror who was recently hunting there in the Brazen forest, and…' Raine seemed to choke, 'he was killed.

'Have you ever heard the tale of the Brazen Twins?'

Harry recalled Hermione telling him about them once. He nodded.

'They seemed to find him and killed him instead of the other way around.'

He stared at his hands.

'Do you think that a pair of dragons could be controlled with a strong Imperious curse?'

Harry was dumbstruck. He said, 'Uh… perhaps, if the wizard was very strong.'

Raine said, 'Yeah, I guess so… Thanks.'

He sat back on his bed, arms folded around his knees and said, 'So, how was your first day back?'

'As good as it can get, I guess,' Harry replied with a smirk. 'Of course, we haven't had Defense Against the Dark Arts yet, so it wasn't that bad!'

Raine laughed. 'Yeah… I've heard all about Snape.'

Suddenly, Ron and Hermione burst into the room.

'We've come to a mutual agreement.' Ron announced.

'And,' Hermione added, 'it will take your full cooperation.'

Raine looked at them funny.

'You aren't planning to do anything extremely stupid and maybe dangerous, are you?'

Hermione shook her head. 'No.'

'Aw, nuts…'

'But we want to hear more of your music!' Ron exclaimed.

'Yes! I do too!' Harry agreed.

Raine grinned. He jumped over to his trunk and snapped it open. He fished out his Discman, speakers and CD pouches.

'What do you want, really hard rock, or slow stuff.'

Ron perked up and asked, 'Rock?'

Unzipping the pouch, Raine said, 'Iced Earth. Dark Saga.' The pouch flipped a few times and spat out a purple disc, which Raine inserted into the CD player. He hit a button a few times.

While the CD loaded, Raine said, 'This is a band from the late eighties, early nineties.'

A guitar started up and was followed by drums. Then the singer began.

The deal was rigged
There's darkness in my soul
I want to die
Again…

An empty soul,
Shrouded in darkness
Alone and confused
What am I?

Images flash
Memories jaded
He took my life
Goddamn his lies!

Fight
Son of the damned
Bring the down the heavens
Smash in the gates, burn 'em down.

You must accept
This fate that you've chosen
You will obey
Your destiny.

I cheated myself for love.
Love. Unconditional.
Now, just to see her face.
I've lost it all.

Harry found the lyrics depressing, even a bit dark. But the actual music was… stimulating. He felt uplifted almost.

Ron loved it. He agreed that the words were a bit bad, but loved the guitar.

'Well,' Raine explained, 'the lyrics are dark because of the genre. Some people joke and call it death rock, but its heavy metal or just hard rock to me. Pretty gruesome, but not the worst. Trust me,' he grinned, 'people say that Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper or KISS are horrible, but when you hear Rob Zombie or Marilyn Manson , you'll think that they're mild.'

He stopped the song and put in another CD he called Vertical Horizon, Everything You Want.

'This was the first song by them that I absolutely loved. I was hooked.'

A strange sound, like a guitar that was playing on a skipping record started the song. Then, the real guitar started.

After a few moments:

Somewhere there's speaking
It's already coming in.
Or when it's rising in the back of your mind.

You never could get it
Unless you were fed it
Now you're here, and you don't know why.

But under skinned knees
and the skid marks
Past the places where you used to learn.

You howl and listen
Listen and wait for the
Echoes of angels who won't return.


He's everything you want
He's everything you need.
He's everything inside of you
That you wish you could be.

He says all the right things
At exactly the right time
But he means nothing to you
And you don't know why.

Harry instantly loved the song. The words were a bit of a puzzle, but once you heard the chorus, you'd most likely figure the rest out.

Hermione was humming a bit and Ron looked entranced. Raine was studying the ground.

After that song, Raine took a deep breath and skipped over a few more.

It's taken much too long
to get it right,
would it be so wrong?
To maybe find someone,
a miracle.

And all you really need
is everything
you could never be.
And so you'd give it all
for a miracle.

It there a trace
inside her face
of a lonely miracle?
And so you wait
and lie away
for a lonely miracle.

Raine stopped the CD abruptly. He unhooked the speakers and crammed them back into the trunk.

'Uh, sorry,' he said sheepishly.

He then left to the common room, saying quietly something like, 'Oh Kara, why?'

Harry and the others looked to each other, each wearing a worried frown.

'What happened?' Ron asked.

Harry shrugged.

***

Raine trudged past students as he meandered through the school in a slump. A few students greeted him, only to be ignored. Raine knew that it was rude, but he couldn't help it.

He made his way outside and hiked down to the lakeside. This evoked a new flood of emotions in him, still depressing. The memories came back again.

Raine sat on the grass and stared out onto the lake surface as it reflected the light of the moon and that stars. He felt his stomach knot slightly and he wanted to curl up into a ball and cry, but he held back. It would serve no purpose.

Instead, he reached into his robes and pulled out a folded and worn photograph, and gazed at it longingly.

In the picture were six people: himself, his friends Breynar Chimera, Malakite Ravenfire, Lataerez Wolfstrom, Lataerez's girlfriend Chloe Emerson and Kara Kobayashi.

Raine's true love.

He couldn't hold back the tears. They flowed silently down his face as he shook with silent sobs. In his mind, he went over the picture.

Breynar, the clown of his little group back home. He lived with his mother after his father, a Muggle, had left (his memory had been, of course, altered). Dyed blue spikes of hair and wide, grey eyes were the first indications of a happy person.

Malakite was perhaps the most serious person Raine had ever met in his entire life. Malakite was an orphan, raised by an orphanage until the age of four, when Breynar's mother took him in. Breynar and the boy with long silver hair and odd blood red eyes were extremely close, almost inseparable. He was also abnormally tall (so Breynar said, though he was only six feet three inches while Breynar remained five seven). He was very talented with magic.

Raine had a hard time with the last three, for they had one thing in common.

Lataerez was serious as well, but not to the extent of Malakite. He had a good sense of humor, however he was very mature as well. He had jet-black hair and sparkling green eyes, so he looked almost like Harry. He too was an orphan, watching his parents slaughtered by a pair of dark wizards at the age of three. An orphanage (the same one that took in Malakite) supported him until it was decided that he should be able to support himself and was moved into a small house near Raine's. However, the two did not meet until Capilano.

Chloe was a girl whom Raine had known for most of his life. She was beautiful, to say the least. Red hair, green eyes, very Irish. She was like a sister to Raine, it seemed. She had fallen for Lataerez in their first year, and he had fallen for her as well. Raine had taken it upon himself to set them up. It had worked out. They were a prospering couple.

Until third year, that is.

Raine shook as he recalled that dreadful year.

It had been like any other year. At first. But in the winter, things changed.

***

There had been constant problems at the school, mostly revolving around the Dark Arts. In December, a teacher at the school and head of one of the houses, Luther van der Rose, had been accused of practicing the Dark Arts. Van der Rose of course denied the rumors, but they never died down. They haunted the man before he snapped.

It was May 14th, exactly one month before Raine's birthday. Van der Rose had a Muggle Arts class when Howie Prewitt, a loud-mouthed smart aleck with an extremely bad attitude had asked van der Rose, 'Are you a Dark Wizard or a wino? Either way, you're a freak!'

Van der Rose had stood still for a moment. Pale and sweating, he mumbled something. Then, quite calmly, he had pulled out his wand and blasted Prewitt's head off, quite literally. He then had proceeded to murder the entire class and a runner from one of the other classes. The headmaster had arrived before van der Rose could move onto another room, forcing him to Disapparate.

But the damage had been done, and it had affected Lataerez personally. Chloe had been in the classroom when van der Rose lost it. He had snapped every bone in her body in half before he killed her. The thought of his love being tortured like that had enraged Lataerez beyond all logic. He had chased the Dark Wizard down and confronted him almost five kilometers away from the school in Stanley Park. But van der Rose had been too strong for Raine's friend. The Killing jinx had been used. Raine, Breynar and Malakite had watched as their friend fell to the ground, unscathed, wide-eyed. Van der Rose had Apparated away. Raine and the others swore revenge on the wizard.

***

But that wasn't the worst of it.

Kara Kobayashi, an amazing Japanese witch whom he had met accidentally, stole his heart and made him love his life. He was infatuated with her and he had never felt so in love.

To Raine's complete horror, Kara, the girl who he had been in love with for almost two years, had been the runner from another class. He had used the Killing Curse on her. Raine had not found out until after Lataerez's death, which made him completely emotionless for a few weeks. When he finally came through, Breynar and Malakite supported him.

Raine still hurt, but not as badly now.

He stared at Kara's gorgeous face longingly. He had not dared to love another since her death… it was a feeling that he had forgotten about. Love. Yet, he knew that he needed to go on… it was only necessary.

Raine looked to see the moon almost directly overhead now. He stood, stuffed the picture back into his pocket and made his way back to the castle.

In the woods, he did not notice a woman watching him.

'Memories bugging you again Raine?'

***

Harry was restless that night. He had tried sleeping on his back, stomach and side. Didn't work. He kept thinking about his and Raine's conversation. And who was Kara?

What was the Nocturne Charm when he needed it?

It was almost midnight when Raine returned, Harry kept his eyes low as he watched his new friend climb into his bunk. Harry could've sworn that Raine was crying.

An hour later, Harry felt thirsty, so he stood and tiptoed to the bathroom. He drank a glass of water and gazed into the mirror. He looked ragged and tired still.

'I am getting old,' Harry proclaimed jokingly. 'Old and tired. But I have yet to vanquish my demons…'

There was a tapping on the window. Harry whirled around in surprise. He saw Hedwig.

'Hedwig!'

He tossed open the window, letting his feathery friend hop in. Hedwig nipped his ear as he untied the letter and package from her foot.

'That was a quick trip Hedwig! I only sent you two nights ago night!'

Hedwig hooted and Harry turned the faucet on, filling the water basin up enough for her to drink. He read the note first.

Dear Harry,

You're a prefect? Congratulations! I'm very proud, as your parents would be also, though not at all surprised. I know that you will do well. As well as Hermione and Ron.

Well, Remus has left for a few months for Brazil. I haven't spoken to him since the end of summer. He is currently undergoing a ritual of cleansing, which would help him rid himself of the werewolf's curse. It appears to be going smoothly. He told me that he may drop by Hogwarts to visit. Keep an eye out for him.

Harry, since you became a prefect, I thought that you may need these items. Your father gave them to me when I refused to be his and Lily's Secret-Keeper. He was once a prefect as well, you know, even head boy, and I believe that these could come in handy sometime.

Write me soon.

Sirius

Harry dropped the note and unwrapped the package. Inside he found three items: a golden compass, what looked like a pair of glasses and the Marauder's Map. Underneath was a note.

Harry, these are the Compass of Salvation and the Spectacles of Truth. The compass can locate anyone or anything you desire. Just clearly sate the name of the object or person to the back of the compass and it will lead you to them. Once the desired object is found, simply say, 'Found' to the back of it and it will return to its dormant state.

The spectacles work for seeing through Transfigurations and disguises, especially useful against Animagi, shape-shifters and Invisibility Cloaks. You will see the true identity of those who try to deceive you. Use these wisely.

And as for the map, I took it from "Moody's" office that night when you were asleep. I thought that it may come in handy. Dumbledore thinks that it may come in use for you later. I've taken the liberty of expanding its powers to cover other places such as Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade.

Good luck!

Sirius

'Wow!' Harry cried. He was excited about having the map once more, but these new gifts intrigued him. He read the note though once more, then picked up the compass. The red arrow was pointed straight up, but didn't move when he turned the compass around.

He turned it over. There was an inscription on the back.

For Harry. Find yourself.

Harry smiled. There was a feeling of warmth that flowed through him reading that

'Um… Ronald Weasley!' he said.

He turned the compass over, and the arrow had moved. He rotated it and the arrow still pointed out into the bedroom.

He grinned. He wanted to try the glasses, but since nobody was Transfigured…

He decided to try and sleep. He whispered 'Found' to the compass. Quietly, he picked Hedwig up, put the compass back into the box, along with the spectacles and the map, and headed into the bedroom.

He put Hedwig on that odd contraption as opposed to her cage, put the package on his bedside table and fell asleep.