Chapter 07

• Jump •

Was it worth it? Harry looked around at his accomplices as they scrubbed the floors. Yeah, it was worth it.

Sirius had given him the details of pranks what to do and what not to do, what could get you caught and what you could get away with. He had forgotten to mention that ditching class and pulling a prank at the same time didn't go well together.

Luckily it hadn't been Snape who had given it. After DADA earlier Professor McGonagall had told Harry that she wanted to talk to him in her classroom after dinner. When he had walked in and noticed Hermione, Ron, Neville and Zabini all sitting down near the front of class the meeting's topic was quite apparent.

•

"Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall sounded like Snape for a moment, "I have difficulty deciding what punishment should be inflicted. It hasn't even been a week yet, I cannot believe that you are already up to things. The Weasley twins waited until the first month was over."

Harry tried to suppress a smile. It didn't work very well.

"Well, this is nothing to smile about. Two major violations of the rules. Detention, the whole lot of you."

That caught his attention, he was expecting a scolding. He should have been able to get away with his first prank... Sirius wouldn't be happy when he heard about this. He would find the prank to be pretty original though. The Marauders had never pulled a prank on Peeves. "Two violations ma'am, I mean professor, what exactly did I do to violate the rules?"

Harry realized that he shouldn't have asked that, he just had a hard time figuring out how the professor had figured out he had actually broken the rules. Peeves was the only person that knew, well and Ender somehow, but Harry didn't think either would be telling anyone. Ender didn't seem the type and Peeves... well Harry couldn't see Peeves telling a teacher that someone had pulled a prank on him, he wouldn't ever be able to live... no... go on with that little bit of information always bothering him.

McGonagall snapped her wand against her hand. "Harry... you know what you did. When you didn't return to Snape's classroom he suspected you might have gone elsewhere. Really though... I cannot believe you five would let loose all of Professor Forni's Doxy's my whole class and several nearby classrooms were infested with them and Madam Pomfrey found it difficult to treat them."

Doxy's? he hadn't even known Professor Forni had them, it would have been fun... "I... we didn't do that."

Professor McGonagall shook her head. "I have it on good authority that you did. There was a group of Slytherins that witnessed the whole event. Peeves has also come to me separately, he felt that that prank was malapropos."

Zabini looked confused. "Malapropos Professor?"

Neville smiled. "Done in an inappropriate or inopportune way. Originally from the French words mal à propos."

Harry happened to see Hermione flash Neville a look that didn't at all seem like Hermione. She was a little angry, maybe because she didn't know it.

He turned back to McGonagall. "But Professor, we didn't do that..." Harry thought about the consequences of telling her what they really did. Magic in the halls... that was far worse than releasing Doxy's. "We didn't go back to class but we didn't release Doxy's either."

McGonagall wouldn't be satisfied. "Sorry Harry. Unless you have some proof you didn't do it I am going to have to rely on the information that I was provided with."

Harry wanted to protest again but was cut off. "Deny it again without proof and I will also make sure that you cannot be with the rest of the classes while we do some transfiguration demonstrations on the ground next week. You will be in class writing essay's on the history of the animagus."

•

So now they were all scrubbing the great hall down to sparkle. This was the work of house-elves, but it wasn't as bad as something Snape would have cooked up.

No one was talking, they had been warned no magic and no one had used it they just scrubbed and scrubbed quietly. Harry was overwhelmingly bored. "Neville, earlier... how did you know what that meant?"

Neville looked up for a moment, surprised. "Well, father believes that one must be educated to succeed. He made me read dictionaries when I was younger to increase my vocabulary. I had all sorts of tutors and such to become a proper young man, it was just part of the education."

Well... to become a proper young man... that sounded more like torture than anything else. "What else did you have to do?"

Neville stopped completely and looked at Harry. "A proper man is first a gentleman. Open the door for woman, defend her honour if needed... Things like that. Next, he must be well studied and well read. He must be able to carry on interesting conversation with anyone."

Harry almost started laughing, it seemed so funny, the 'proper' way of doing things. He could see opening the door for a woman or defending her if needed, being 'well read' wasn't at all necessary and why would you need to carry on interesting conversation with someone, most people didn't know what an interesting conversation was. Neville still had more to say and Harry let him continue.

"A proper man must be able to endure any pains live brings his way and not allow for other's to help even if offered. He must only call for help in the direst of circumstances. If allowing himself to participate in a fight he must win or not fight. Loss is unacceptable."

Those rules were a little excessive. "That's why you didn't want Hermione's help earlier?"

Neville looked down. "It's hard... When father isn't around I try not to follow them but there is punishment if he finds out. I've gotten so used to them sometimes it's hard to allow them to be broken even if father isn't around."

Harry watched him, there was a great deal of emotional pain that was very apparent on his face. "What about your mum?"

Neville smiled lightly. "Mother thinks father can be harsh at times, but says it is for my betterment."

Harry started to scrub the floors again, they might as well keep going while they talked they had to get the floors done before the detention was over. "Why does he do that Neville, why does he make you conform like that?"

"He has his reasons. I've learned a lot from it... but sometimes... sometimes I wish they weren't there. I always wondered what it would be like if I didn't have a father who forced me to be proper."

Harry wondered if his father would have been like that, he had never known him accept through Sirius. No, his father wouldn't, his father would have been like Sirius- that was the only way he could picture his father. "You know Neville, you can be whatever you want to be here. Your father isn't around to force you to be any certain way."

Neville nodded. "I know, but my father is so forceful sometimes. I wish he would have stayed an Auror, it would have kept him away more than he is now and we wouldn't have the money for servants. You know, it's partially your fault he quit."

Harry stopped again and looked at Neville. "My fault? I was barely two when he quit, how was it my fault?"

Neville looked around, Ron was in the far corner working, but slowly. Hermione and Zabini were talking between themselves, not paying any attention to Neville or Harry. "When Sirius took you there was a big search. A lot of things went around about you and Sirius, how he might be innocent because you were still alive. Father was in charge of pursuing you and spent a year, night and day tracking Sirius. He had been in charge of tracking down Death Eaters but Zabini's father replaced him. He was killed just after he got the position. Well, father couldn't find you but he wrote a book about what had happened in his point of view, about Sirius and how evil and sly he had to be, the reasons he kidnapped you... It was very good and he made a great deal of money on it so he got out of the Auror's, mother quit also."

Well, no wonder everyone thought Sirius so evil, books and newspapers could cause that. "You don't believe it for a second Neville. It wasn't Sirius, it was someone else. I am going to prove that this year and make sure Sirius is free to come back."

"I believe you Harry. If Sirius had been so bad I think you would have been different. You're a Gryffindor not a Slytherin."

Neville and Harry talked until they had finished the floors. Hermione and Zabini joined in the conversation with them when they got near the center, Harry nor Neville spoke about either of the first two topics but they did have some ideas on how to get the Slytherins back for lying about what they saw. Harry didn't know who had been in the group but he was pretty sure he knew who at least one of them was.

"Malfoy'll get what's coming to him."

Ron's grunt was the only sound he made, the rest of the group agreed out loud. Harry thought about Ron, the grunt at least showed he was interested in helping them out or wanted revenge on his own.

•

"It's time to get into the more difficult class, we have been working on this charm for two weeks. Now we are going to try it a different way." Professor Flitwick had crawled up onto his podium instead of hiding behind it. "To levitate an object isn't difficult at all but I am going to show you what could be done if you work hard enough. Volatilis."

Harry smiled, he remember using that spell several years before when Sirius had asked what he could do magically, right before apparating. Professor Flitwick lifted into the air and was moving slowly, but in control, around the room in the air. The spell wasn't interesting at all and slowly his eyes wandered to the window. Far below, out towards the pitch there was a group of students listening to Madam Hooch about their broomsticks. He wondered if he would be able to use his this year at all, he did know how to fly well but he had heard others boast as much too.

Harry turned back to the classroom, watching the students one by one, trying to learn things about everyone of them. A Slytherin, with a smile that said he was about to do something stupid, swished and flicked his wand towards Flitwick. It was a normal levitation curse but wasn't designed to be used on a person, especially not one that was already levitating.

"Professor, be careful." Hermione called from next to Harry when he lost control for a moment in the air.

Harry watched carefully, the spell shouldn't have just reacted like that, it should have been much, much worse. Flitwick trembled again and started loosing control. The spell was working.

Without any other warning Flitwick completely lost control and was propelled towards the nearest open area-- outside. Harry saw him moving towards him and barely had enough time to get out of the way as Flitwick barreled through the window outside. Catching Harry with his hand and loosing his wand in the process.

Looking around Harry struggled to figure out what to do. He had to help the Professor, from this height he could easily die. Why didn't he know a good cushioning charm? A flying charm would help, it would probably make matters worse, but what else was there? Harry stood again and stepped to the window, pressing the others out of the way, well everything was pretty bad right now, it wouldn't matter how much worse it could be, there was always the possibility of Harry being able to stop his fall.

It came to him as Flitwick started into his decent. Harry looked around and then, gripping both his and the Professors wands tightly propelled himself out the window after the Professor. This had better work...

"Accio!"

Harry tried with all his might to bring one of the school brooms to him but by the time it did move it wasn't at all quick enough. The brooms were far too far away and Harry was much to close to the ground. Harry leaned forward a little deciding that he had to do something else, his body dove faster. Maybe if Flitwick had his wand he could stop both of them.

It took what seemed like hours to move inches, Flitwick came closer but the ground did to. Harry felt like he had done the stupidest thing in his life until he felt himself slow but Flitwick come much closer. Harry shoved the wand as hard as he could into Flitwick's side hoping that he would feel it.

He did. The professor rolled in mid air and saw Harry and his wand and made a lurching grab for the wand. It was a clumsy grab but he managed to get a hold of the wand and that was all that mattered. Harry couldn't hear what was said but Flitwick slowed this time, Harry passed right by him. The ground was terribly close and Harry closed his eyes, worried what might happen.

Something hard struck his hand and he opened his eyes again, the broom was right in front of him. He didn't have time to grip it but fell right onto it, forcing it down and hurting himself in the process. He gripped the front of the broom and pulled with all his might, the ground was too close he couldn't help the professor now. He had done what he could and Flitwick had his wand, it was up to him to save himself.

Harry pulled again, harder than ever before. The broom moved underneath him and then started to flatten out, Harry felt himself moving upward for a moment then nothing. He was falling again, the broom had snapped under the tremendous pressure of Harry pulling out of the fall.

He landed with a soft thud and closed his eyes, there was no pain, he hadn't broken anything. Harry laughed, that had sure been a rush... a once in a lifetime rush, he wasn't about to jump out of that window again without a broom in hand.

Several voices became louder and Harry opened his when a loud clapping erupted, he found a concerned McGonagall looking down at him. "Are you alright Harry?"

Somewhere in the crowd he could here Professor Flitwick say something about being alright. "Yeah, I think so. I don't think anything's broken."

"Good. Harry, if you ever, I mean ever pull something like that I will personally see to it that you receive a weeks detention. Did you ever bother looking down to see if someone else might be able to help him?"

No, he hadn't. But he hadn't seen them as he fell, maybe he wasn't looking hard enough. Harry rolled onto his side and tried to stand up but he wasn't able to, his head spun and he decided to rest for a few minutes before he tried that again. Professor Flitwick marched over to Harry, he smiled. "That was the most daring thing I have ever seen a student do. I say, if you hadn't done that... well I don't want to think about what might've happened." Well, at least someone thanked him.

One of the students stepped near Harry and picked up the broken broom. Harry recognized him from somewhere. He had seen him in Diagon Alley probably. He examined the broom and then looked at Harry. "I don't believe I've ever seen someone pull out of a dive like that on a Cleansweep, I wouldn't of even thought it possible until I saw it. I remember you, Diagon Alley, Quidditch supply store. No... that one had different hair and eyes but he looked like you... where have I seen you before?"

Yeah, that was it, his name was Oliver Wood, the captain for the Quidditch team. "Yeah, that's were you saw me, I had changed my appearance so no one would recognize me."

"But why would you need to do..."

One of Woods classmates whispered something in his ear and he stared at Harry. "You're Harry Potter?"

Harry nodded his head, apparently he hadn't been at the sorting ceremony. "Yeah, I uh... was trying to attract less attention while I was there."

Wood nodded and looked dazed, unsure what to say. Finally he moved over to McGonagall and whispered something in her ear. She looked down at Harry and then back to Wood. "Absolutely not. I cannot allow for that, there are too many other things..."

Wood whispered in her ear again and she closed her eyes and huffed. "Wood! You are pushing it. We will discuss this later, for right now we need to get Harry to Madam Pomfrey to check him over, make sure he's alright."

Flitwick picked up his wand. "I'll take care of it, he seems to be doing fine for now. I'm sure my class can continue for another few minutes with out me."

The class however was more interested in seeing their Professor flattened by the ground and were coming out the front door of the castle sprinting, Malfoy at the head of the pack. "I saw him do it Professor, Potter did it." He said, breathless as he reached the area they were laying at.

What? Harry almost jumped up to strangle him. Malfoy knew it wasn't him. "No, I didn't I saw Fletcher do it, he used Wingardium Leviosa."

Malfoy smiled at Harry. "Potter even knows what was used, he's a trouble maker. You know that Professor." He drawled.

Harry pushed himself to his knees and closed his eyes, letting himself get adjusted to moving again. "Malfoy, you know what happened and it wasn't me, it was Fletcher."

"Prove it. No one else saw him do anything and three people saw you do it."

Harry growled, he couldn't think of anything. A truth potion perhaps?

Flitwick looked at Harry and then back to Malfoy. Finally he walked over to Fletcher and yanked his wand away. He leaned over it and whispered something "Prior..." Harry didn't know what was going on and Flitwick turned back to Fletcher. "Detention Fletcher, I don't want to hear you deny anything. Malfoy... detention, you've been dishonest. Both of you report to me after class to receive information about your detentions."

McGonagall cleared her throat. "Class, follow me. Let's continue on with our activity."

The class followed her grudgingly, the wanted to find out more about what was happening. Neville offered Harry a hand and helped him stand then Flitwick told him to take Harry to the hospital and then, if everything was alright, come back to class. Harry walked slowly to the hospital and Neville was silent for most of the way, as they were walking the last corridor Neville finally spoke.

"Why?" was all he asked.

"I don't know Neville, to tell you the truth it's hard to say. I wasn't going to let him just die, it isn't an option if it can be avoided. Sirius taught me that, always take the path less chosen, save someone even if it means loosing yourself in the process. I looked at him falling and I couldn't let it happen, there was a chance I could stop him and so I tried." Harry said, remembering looking out the window.

"There were hundreds of other ways, why take the dive?" Neville questioned seriously.

Harry stopped and looked up at him. "It was the way that had the best chance of succeeding in the time I had. Any other would have taken time to think through and I didn't have time to think."

"Well, that much was obvious." Neville smiled. "You know, I was still wondering, even after our conversation last week about Sirius. I'm not anymore, not after that. If you need any help I'll gladly provide anything I can."

Harry grinned widely. "Well right now I have a friend working on getting some evidence while she is at home. Her father works for the ministry. But right now I could use help getting the rest of the way to the Infirmary. My head is still spinning."

Neville grabbed a hold of him again and they continued on down. "You know, you're lucky you weren't killed."

"I've fought the odds all my life, swan diving out of a window isn't such a big deal."

Both laughed at the comment. Harry felt much better about doing one of the stupidest things he had ever done in his life. He had survived and that was what mattered. He always survived, always found a way, Sirius was right – he could do anything.

•

Ron was sitting on the stairs of the common room, Harry hadn't seen him at all since the dive out the window. Everyone didn't know what to think of him anymore. He had been a person to be feared, now after he had jumped out of a window 25 Meters in the air just to save a teacher... Maybe he wasn't so bad.

"You know, I still don't like you." Ron looked up at Harry as he approached to go up to the dorms.

Harry stopped and looked at Ron. "The feeling's mutual."

"Good. I wanted to say I was sorry about being angry about Ginny. She's the only girl in the family and we have some difficulties with her and guys. I wanted to say I don't mind you being friends with Ginny."

Harry coughed. Around him he noticed several people staring from different areas of the common room. "Well, uhm... thanks I think. Ok, I want to apologize about the trick with Peeves, I didn't mean to make you think we had left you."

Ron smiled and stood. "It was fun to see him caged wasn't it?"

Harry chuckled. Filch had gotten Peeves into a trap and held him there for 3 days until the solidity wore off enough. It had hung in the middle of the hall just outside the great hall so everyone could see it. Peeves wasn't too happy about it but the rest of the school found it funny and had to laugh nearly every time they walked by. Peeves was loose again but Harry hadn't seen him at all, he wondered if Peeves was afraid of him now or if he was plotting against him.

"Yeah, it was. I think Filch might let me off once in a while because we did that. He actually smiled at me when I told him what had happened, didn't mention a single thing about me doing magic in the halls at all." Filch had smiled, a slim, eerie smile that made Harry think of those you saw at funerals, the one of the person that had passed on.

Harry walked up to the dorm, passing Ron. Maybe Ron wasn't so bad after all, he accepted the friendship between and Ginny. Now they could become friends. Neville was sitting in the dorms when Harry entered.

"I think you've become the most talked about person in this school – ever." Neville seemed to be happy about something now. "People will be talking about that for years and years to come."

"Yeah... It wasn't exactly something I did for popularity."

Neville laughed. "If you would have done it for that I don't think I would be here now."

"What do you mean?" Harry wondered out loud.

Neville leaned forward and picked up a book that was sitting on his bed. "This was my fathers, it's a journal just about the Dark Lord and Sirius Black. He wanted me to read it, to know everything he did. I never wanted to, I don't want to be my father. It has information that might be helpful, look through it, find something that might help. I'm giving it to you as a permanent loan- my father gave it to me and hasn't ever wanted to see it again. I don't think he wants to know the things he's seen and done anymore, he got away and is frightened of going back."

Harry took the books and opened it, each page was covered in delicately scrawled writing. It continued through every page until the very end. This would be helpful, maybe there would be some sort of evidence to prove Sirius's innocence, or at least lead them in the right direction to take.

"This is... wow. You're sure about this?"

Neville nodded. "It's not my place to read it, I don't want to be an Auror and I don't want to know what was done by the Dark Lord."

Harry opened his trunk and tucked it away under other things to keep it hidden for now. "I think I will be able to prove his innocence, even if Voldemort is back."

Neville opened his mouth and started stuttering. "Bbbbback? He's alive?"

Harry nodded and looked down solemnly. "Yes. He is gaining power again."

Neville took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Then I guess that book might have more importance than just helping Sirius."

Harry looked back up. What did Neville mean?

"It has all the information father ever found out about the Dark Lord. He was in charge of the group that was tracking and trying to capture or kill him. Father told me about it once and that was all, he expected me to read the rest from the journal."

Harry looked back at his trunk. A journal of an Auror against Voldemort, he was going to read it, all of it.

• Edited 2004.09.18 •