Author: Elora Dark
Title: Harry Potter and the Trials to Come
Rating: R for language
Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling (because if I were I would not have killed Sirius in the first place), nor do I make any money from this story. All characters, except Roan Draven, belong to Ms. Rowling.
Authors Note: No Sorting Hat song because I don't have the patience to write one.
Chapter 6The next few days passed in a blur. Harry spent as much time with Sirius as possible, as he would not be able to see him in person until Christmas break. Remus disappeared every morning and returned late in the evening. Roan remained absent as did Snape who had already returned to Hogwarts.
"I want you four to pack your things tonight, we won't have enough time tomorrow morning, understand?" Mrs. Weasley told Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny before sending them to their rooms early.
"Barely nine o'clock and already sending us to bed! That woman…Last day before school starts…" Ron grumbled all the way up the stairs.
"Well, I'm going to ask Sirius if I can borrow some of those books. Those spells look like they'd be very useful." Hermione said smiling, as she and Ginny left Ron and Harry at their room.
"Do you suppose we'll be able to start up the Defense Club again, Harry?" Ron asked as they started emptying out drawers and folding their clothes. Harry shrugged his shoulders, not really caring while throwing his belongings chaotically into his trunk, finally placing a small wrapped parcel gently on top. "Is that the mirror, then? You actually gonna use that thing now?" Ron asked, straightening up and changing into his bed things.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Harry asked viscously. "I didn't ask you to follow me to the ministry!" he said taking a menacing step towards Ron. Ron who was several inches taller than Harry, still took a step back.
"That's not what I meant, mate. Look never mind, I think we should just get some sleep, huh?" Ron said, raising his hands in a peace-making offer. Harry turned from Ron and faced the empty frame of Phineas Nigellus's portrait. He took several shaky breaths, suppressing the anger that had become almost its own entity. Finally Harry climbed into his bed, still facing away from Ron and muttered 'extinguish' at the lights.
"Ron, Harry time to get up! Hurry so you can have some breakfast before we leave!" Mrs. Weasley said turning the lights on as bright as possible. They dressed half asleep and joined everyone in the kitchen for breakfast.
"Hi guys!" Tonks greeted them cheerily as they descended the steps. Mad-Eye, Mundungus Fletcher, and Roan had also arrived sometime in the early morning.
Sirius sat quiet and brooding at a far corner of the table, every few minutes his eyes would dart to Roan and Remus who sat with heads together. Roan had brought several large and dusty volumes to the table and she and Remus sat pouring over last minute changes to her lesson plans. "I hate essays, never learned a damn thing from them. Practical application was my favorite part." Roan muttered as she sorted the large books into different piles.
"Then don't give them any, I'm sure Severus will give them enough when he subs." Remus answered.
"Sirius, your sure its alright that I borrow all these books?" Roan asked not looking up from her notes. "They're not cursed are they?"
"Yes." He grunted.
"Yes to which part. That they're cursed or I can borrow them?" She asked smiling mischievously, the few days spent away from Grimmauld had brought color back into her cheeks. Sirius opened his mouth to retort, thought against it and instead turned away from the werewolves to speak with his godson.
"Disarming spells the Ministry doesn't want you to Know, Advanced Self-Defense Spells, The Auror's Handbook…, theses are some of the books I was looking for," Hermione said looking at the precariously stacked volumes.
"Don't worry Hermione, you'll learn all these spells in class," Roan muttered, sending a book soaring into an open trunk.
All too soon Mrs. Wealey was bustling Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny out of the kitchen. "Time to leave, hurry now!"
Tonks did a quick change and now looked like a very intimidating bodybuilder. Moody muttered something that sounded distinctly like "Constant Vigilance" as they headed out. Mundungus Fletcher kept readjusting his bulky overcoat and giving Mrs. Weasley innocent smiles. "Hey! Wait a tick, what about Roan?" Ron called over everyone's head.
"I have a few more things I have to do first, I'll be flying." Roan's voice wafted up from the kitchen.
"Harry, wait!" Sirius called, he grabbed Harry's shoulder and held him behind. "I want to hear from you, understand. Use the mirror, or I'll come climbing through a fireplace at an inopportune moment."
"Yeah, Sirius," Harry smiled for the first time in a few days, "I'll talk to you tonight, ok? See you soon." He quickly hugged Sirius and then was pushed out the front door by Mrs. Weasley.
The trip to King's Cross was, for the most part, uneventful. Until a little boy had the misfortune to bump into Mad-eye. Moody in turn, spun around faster than anyone thought possible, "Cowards trying to curse me while my back is turned!" he threw off his hat revealing his very scarred face and sent the little boy screaming back to his mother.
"Forgot to take your meds today, Uncle Bob!" Ron called loudly, as several muggles stopped to check out the commotion. Upon hearing that Moody was more than a little unbalanced they quickly turned back to their own business. The group reformed and quickly walked to the magical barrier between platforms 9 and 10.
"Be good, try and stay out of trouble, hmmm?" Mrs. Weasley said kissing everyone on the forehead. She paused for an extra second in front of Harry, then straightened the collar of his sweatshirt. "Do watch yourself, Harry."
"Be careful! Have a great year!" Tonks called as Ron, Ginny, Hermione and Harry boarded the Hogwarts Express. Most of the compartments were already filled with students chatting about the summer's escapades. They finally found a compartment at the back of the train. "Well, we'll see you in a little while. Have to patrol and speak with the other prefects." Hermione said as she and Ron pinned on their prefects badge and left the compartment.
Several hours later the train pulled into Hogsmeade Station. The wind howled mercilessly and the rain pelted them with such force it stung.
"Firs' years this way!" Hagrid's great, shaggy head appeared over the milling students. The lantern he was holding swung violently with each gust of wind. "How ya doin' Harry?" Hagrid's great booming voice caused several first years to jump. Harry called a reply but it was lost in the downpour of wind and rain. "See ya at the feast then!" he voice sounded far away as Hagrid led the first years to the boats.
Harry and Ginny ran heads down against the wind to the Thestral drawn carriages, where they met up with Hermione, Ron and a few seconds later a very wet Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood. They clambered into the carriage and sat shivering in their wet robes, before Hermione showed them how to do a quick drying spell.
"Do you suppose Roan got here? Suppose she got blown off course?" Ron asked as a sudden strong gust of wind shook the carriage violently.
"Professor Draven, Ron. We are back at Hogwarts, remember?" said Hermione crossly. Ron went slightly pink and made a great act of straightening his Prefects badge. "and, I don't think it would be wise spending too much time with her anyways." She added.
"And why the bloody hell, not?" Ron asked.
"Well, if you looked into empaths maybe you would learn something about them?" She said haughtily.
"Are you going to tell us, or just act like a git?" Harry asked. Hermione shot him a hurt look.
"True empaths, those that can sense real emotion and see a person's memories, usually end up in St. Mungo's Psych ward. They can't tell the difference from someone else's memories or emotions from their own. Most of them go crazy, and if you don't mind me saying I think Roan is well on her way.' She said as the wagon was shook violently by the gales of wind.
Finally the carriages came to a lurching halt outside the giant doors of Hogwarts castle. The rain beat violently down on the hundreds of students trying to push through the doors. The Great Hall was lit as usual by hundreds of floating candles; the enchanted ceiling showed a purple and black sky. Ron, Harry and Hermione took seats at the end of Gryffindor table.
"She's not here yet!" Ron whispered.
"Fancy her do you?" Hermione mumbled.
"No, just hoping to she could give me some pointers 'bout Quidditch is all." Said Ron, tuning bright red.
"But you're a keeper and she was a beat…" Hermione was forced to stop her nagging as Professor McGonagall brought out the three legged stool and Sorting Hat. The large rip in the enchanted hat opened and as it was last year, the Sorting Hat's song was more of a warning, even more ominous then last year's. Then one by one the frightened first years were sorted into their houses. Everyone remained silent and looked expectantly at Dumbledore to begin his annual welcoming speech.
Dumbledore stood and looked around at the Great Hall, he smiled brightly at his students. "Well, another year begins…" his voice rang clear and crisp to every ear in the hall. "I wish I could start the year with a joyous welcome to you, new and returning pupils. But as I finished last year with a warning I too will begin this year with another." He continued to scan the Great Hall from behind his half-moon glasses. "Voldemort has returned, I expect Prefects and Older students to explain the importance of this to our new students of Muggle lineage." At this Hermione smiled to several first years and puffed her chest a bit.
"I must once again stress the importance of inter-house friendship," he eyed the Slytherin table for a few extra seconds, "and the bonds of family. The ability to love and be loved, these are powers that Voldemort despises, they are his weakness." He looked back to the Slytherin table, several of these students now had one or both parents in Azkaban; having been caught at the Ministry for being Death Eaters.
"Now a bit of liter news, we have a new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor," Dumbledore said smiling, even though there was still an empty chair on the other side of Snape. Several groans erupted in the Great Hall, too many remembered Umbridge and her dictatorship from last year.
A door behind the staff table opened discreetly and Roan, looking like she had been through a tornado, sat quickly next to Professor Snape.
"Ah, and her she is," Dumbledore turned to acknowledge Roan. Color crept into Roan's pale cheeks as she nervously tried to straighten her hair and robes as she stood and bowed to Dumbledore. "Forgive my tardiness, Headmaster I got blown over the Irish Sea." She said smiling, several small leaves and twigs fell out of her hair as she bowed; some Slytherins laughed and pointed.
"Well…let's eat," the plates were magically filled to overflowing with numerous dishes. The hall at once erupted as conversations were picked back up.
The plates cleared, Ron and Hermione stood and yelled to the first years. "Well see you in the common room!" Ron said.
"Wait, what's the password?" Harry asked.
"Lycanthrope." Ron whispered, smiling. He and Hermione left the Great Hall being followed by the group of first years.
Harry slowly made his way to the staff table where Roan was talking with several of her old Professors. "Wonderful to have you back, Roan. I don't think I could have stood another Ministry official poking their nose around." Tiny Professor Flitwick squeaked. Roan gave a short, familiar bark like laugh as Flitwick shuffled away.
"Harry, how was the trip, easier than mine I hope." She said nervously, she wiped her hands on her robes.
"It was fine. You, um, sounded like Snuffle's, his laugh I mean." Harry said looking at Roan, she was fidgeting and looking around.
"That happens sometimes, I take on people's traights. It doesn't last that long, usually…Did you need something?" she said.
"I want to use your fireplace to visit Snuffles on the weekends. I want to get out of here sometimes." Harry asked nervously, shuffling his feet.
"Um, well…I have to…let me make sure its safe. I need to put reflective spells aroumd it so the Ministry can't track it. It'll take me a while, plus I'll have to ask Sirius…"
Harry shot his head up, nervousness replaced by anger in an instant. "Do you think I can't protect myself? I just want to see my godfather, get away from all this shit sometimes. Is that…is that some big fucking demand?" Harry hissed at Roan, crshing her wrist in his seeker grip. Red hot anger and frustration flowed from Harry into Roan. The Great Hall turned into a throbbing, blinding red pain as Harry vented more anger into Roan.
"Harry…please…stop," Roan moaned, finally wrenching her hand away from Harry's grip. She staggered slightly and grasped at the long staff table.
"What's going on here? Potter, get to your dormitory!" Snape said walking towards them swiftly. Snape looked fiercely at the both of them through his curtain of greasy black hair. Harry glared at Roan's shaking form then at Snape. He then turned and left the Great Hall.
"Draven, what's wrong with you?" Snape asked distractedly.
"Oh, piss off, Severus, you're not my guardian anymore!" Roan spat angrily at Snape. She couldn't keep Harry's anger bottled up, she had to vent it somewhere. She clenched and unclenched her fists in quick hard pumps. Then stalked out of the hall in much the same manner as Harry.