I'm sorry for being inactive for so long, I thought stuff that wasn't posted were. There is a new chapter on my other two stories as well.
Hermione clearly needed a distraction, she was Always either studying for one of her classes, on her way to one, or researching to help Hagrid and Buckbeak. He tried to help her with it, but when he spilled ink on her ancient runes assignment he was made to leave her to it. The only distraction Harry could think of was asking her to help him research for a spellweaving project of his, but that would just add to her full plate.
Ever since buying Hermione that book on spellweaving, he'd been interested too. Harry had even gone so far as to send McGonagall a letter asking to exchange his Divination class with Arithmancy for its use in spellweaving, which he was certainly happy about after hearing Ron's description of Professor Trelawney.
Professor Vector was very stern, but the rumor of this being an exceptionally hard class must have come from pureblooded students who'd never taken maths classes, because it was much the same as he learned from primary school.
His exceptional grades, however, didn't stop him from still sitting next to Hermione, with his many books, wracking his brain for ideas.
"What're you working on?" Ginny asked, making Harry jump.
"Oh, Ginny," Harry sighed. "How long have you been here?"
"I just sat down," she said, "don't worry about seeming oblivious."
"Oh, er, okay," Harry said. "I'm just trying to figure out which spell to add a modifier to."
"I thought you wanted to make your own spell," Ginny said, though it was more of a question.
"Flitwick said I shou start small and just add a modifier."
"Oh, well what have you got so far?"
Talking to Ginny about his plans was surprisingly helpful to Harry. He couldn't quite figure out whether it was just having someone to talk about it with, or if it was Ginny in particular.
Over the course of an hour, the pair were able to narrow down the forty spells Harry had been debating over to four.
"Okay," Ginny said, "so you could add a modifier to Expelliarmus -- but you don't know what kind, to Protego to have multiple shields, to Episkey to work on more major injuries, or to Incendio to make heat rather than a full flame."
"Yeah," Harry said, smiling as Ginny counted off the spells on her fingers.
"These all seem rather difficult," Hermione interjected, "don't you think someone would have already done some of these if they were possible?"
"Or maybe they just weren't smart enough to think of them," Ginny retorted.
"Besides," Harry said, "it's worth a shot."
"I suppose," Hermione mumbled. Suddenly Hermione's watch beeped. "Oh! I'm gonna be late!" She pulled a golden necklace from under her shirt, and sped off.
Was that --? Harry thought. How'd she get a time-turner?
Harry had read all about time-turners in the spellweaving manual. It was mentioned because the spell time-turners are imbued with is the only spell not created by a witch or wizard, instead, a number of the artifacts were discovered by the Ministry of Magic.
Another mystery for later, Harry decided, returning to the list, to debate the choices.
Most would be exhausted after the training Wood was putting them through, but Harry was simply too excited about the stroke of inspiration that hit him.
A radial modifier to Expelliarmus! Harry thought. It would be useful in aerial combat or in situations when the castor is surrounded!
Any time you wanted to make a new spell or modifier, you had to write up a sort of briefing of it, and show it to another spellweaver for a second opinion. The only thing stopping Harry from starting on said briefing was the fact that he would get mud on it. Instead he hurriedly changed and hardly even noticed Hermione and Ron arguing about their pets again.
It was, however, distracting.
What would the incantation be? Oh, Expelliarmus Radia, obvi -- "Your cat is a bloody menace!" -- ously. Description: A way to -- "He's doing what a cat is meant to, Ronald." -- disarm multiple attackers -- "I thought you said he was trained to only attack when told!" -- in the event that the caster is surrounded -- "I thought so too, but he is only part kneazle."
"Ron! Hermione!" Harry shouted. "First of all, you're both in the wrong. Second, I'm trying to bloody concentrate!"
"Sorry," Ron mumbled.
"Sorry, I'm just a bit stressed from all my classes."
"Good, now figure out a compromise of how you both can keep better control of your pets."
Harry turned back to his brief to find he spilled his ink all over it. Rendering it unreadable. Harry growled, threw the paper in the fireplace, and got out a new sheet of paper.
"I guess I could keep scabbers in a cage," Ron said.
"Yeah," Hermione said with a laugh. "I doubt Crooks is the only one to have a go at him. Not very smart to carry around a rat in a school full of cats."
Harry was rushing through the halls, a finished brief in his hands, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny hot on his tail.
"Slow down, Harry!" Hermione shouted, out of breath.
"How're you so bloody fast!?" Ron asked. "I thought it was just while on the broom!"
"You're just slow!" Ginny taunted, the only one actually keeping up.
Harry whipped around the corner and ran into Professor Lupin. He seemed rather pale and was leaning heavily on a cane.
"Whoa there, Harry," Lupin said. "Where are you off to in such a hurry? Not running from some mess you made, I hope."
"Not at all, Professor," Harry said, panting, "I was just bringing this to Professor Flitwick." Harry held out the brief, excited for what the DADA professor would think of a spell modifier such as the one he planned to make for Expelliarmus.
"This is quite the idea, you wanted to ask Flitwick to help you make it?"
"No," Ginny interjected. "He just wants the go ahead to start making it himself."
"That is quite impressive. I'll just get out of your way."
By the time the four reached the diminutive professor, Flitwick, they were all completely out of breath -- Hermione was even leaning against the wall with a hand to her chest.
"What has you lot all riled up?" He asked, amused. Harry silently handed over the paper for Flitwick to read. "Expelliarmus Radia," he mumbled. "I see, very useful. Not too dangerous." Flitwick handed the paper back to Harry with a smile on his face. "I would even be willing to give you a few spell schematics for other radial spells so you can steal those.
"No thanks, Professor, I want to see if I can do it from scratch."
"Very ambitious, young man. You'd do well in any house wouldn't you?"
"That's what the hat said too."