Chapter Fifteen
Potter and Black
Harry left Angel with a huge grin on his face. He met up with Hermione, Ron, Miley, Neville and Ginny at lunch, but didn't say much to any of them, his mind on something else and a grin plastered on his face. "What are you so smitten about?" Ginny teased.
"You'll find out." Harry retorted, not looking her way.
"What?" Ron chuckled, seeing the aback face on Ginny.
"Chill, you'll understand." Harry said.
"ARUGH!!!!!!!" came a shriek from outside the Great
Hall doors. Everyone jumped up to see what made the noise, but Harry contained his seat and looked up at the staff table where Angel was just slipping in to place. "Black. I am going to kill you!" Professor Snape stood in the door way, his hair long and greasy in his face. his robes now bright pink.
"What' wrong Snivellus. I mean Severus?" Angel said calmly. The Great Hall was in a fit of laughter. Some cheering, other cracking their ribs with laughter.
"You know damn right what's wrong! Change my robes back now!" Snape ordered, staring Angel down.
"Why me Professor?" Angel mocked.
"Why are you all wet?" Cried a giggling second year.
"Because you're darling Professor Malfoy had a bucket of grease dumped on my head."
"One, I am a Black, Two." Angel smiled slightly and said sweetly, innocently, "I didn't think you would actually notice the grease. I thought you would think it was just your hair."
With these word everyone fell to the ground on onto the table rolling with laughter, even the Slytherin House could not fight fit of cheers and praise to their teacher.
"Hey!" Harry jump up on his seat where everyone could hear him, "Why are you giving Black all the credit! I changed your robes Snivellus!" Harry shot a hand to his hair, bended over and messed with his hair dramatically.
Snape turned a brighter pink than his robes. "Detention. Potter, Black... tonight in the dungeon!" Snape wheeled around and was almost to the doors when the Great Hall went into a chant. "Potter.Black.Potter.Black. Potter.Black."
The praise and cheers went on well after lunch. People would pat Harry on the back and wave at him. Angel only winked and held herself proudly and for a while her were resurrected in laughter and smiling.
The sixths years made their way to Defense Against the Dark Arts. When Harry and Neville entered the room, Angel was standing on her desk tap dacning. "What are you doing?" Hermione squealed though laughter.
"Teaching you damn English men how to do an Irish dance." She tapped her feet making rhythmic beats on the wood. "Come here Harry."
"Why me?" Harry gasped through laughter.
"'cause yer are a black Irish hoodlum." Angel said in a perfect grunt Irish accent.
Harry smiled broadly and let himself be dragged onto the desk. "How do you know I'm Irish?"
"Yer mum had red har and gren eyes laddie." Angel grunted again, doing another dance step. "Yer no good laddie. the leprechauns havern't blessed yer feet." She pushed Harry onto the floor. The class was now laughing more than ever as Angel started getting fast and dramatic.
Then clapping came from the door and Angel stopped. Dumbledore was leaning against the door frame. "I never thought I would see the day when one of my teachers gave a dance class."
"Well, that's what yer get for highin' a black Irish yunnin'." Angel said brightly; jumping off the desk. "And they ernt leaning much."
Dumbledore' eyes twinkled and he smiled. "I just came don't to tell you that you don't have detention tonight Seri and neither do you Harry."
"Why?" A Ravenclaw asked.
"Because teachers can't have detentions and I thought pink looked every good on Professor Snape." Dumbledore smiled brightly, winked at Angel and left the room with laughter exploding behind him.
"Okay, okay, settle down." Angel eased. "Today we are going to have some fun!"
The class whooped as Angel jumped back on to the desk. "The one thing Death Eaters and Voldemort."
People squealed and gasped at his name. Harry looked at them, eyes bugged out annoyingly. okay, he was scary, but his name was no big deal. drama class? I thought they were in Defense Against the Dark Arts.
"Fearing the names makes you more scared of the thing it's self. I'm scared of prats. but the word don't make me pee in my pants." The class eased up a little and some smiled. "Anyway, one thing they really can't understand is love and laughter. So, we are going to practice tickling hexes. cheering charms. caring curses and my favorite." Angel did a tap step and held her arms open. "the happy feet hex!"
"That's dumb." Malfoy splat.
"Yes, I know you are. Who's first?"
The class went very fast and very fun. Harry couldn't believe how energized a little prank could make Angel get, but her eyes soon dimmed to their dead state again. She would laugh and smile, but it was like a mask, one she wore al the time. but Harry had seen her when she took it off.
Harry sat with the normally group at lunch, Luna and Miley even snuck over. They were planning a huge prank. "Hey don't we have a meeting tonight?" Hermione asked.
Ron and Harry looked at each other and shrugged. "Yeah, at seven in here." Ginny said, looking up from her writing.
"What kind of meeting is it?" Ron said.
"No idea, Angel told us about it Monday, remember." Hermione said, a little irritated. "Well, it's 6:30, so I just we just stay here."
Harry smiled slightly and took his wand from his pocket. "Furo- Thirty." He said softly.
"Harry you are mental. what are you doing?" Ron hissed, making sure no one else was looking.
Harry was excepting another vision like the one he had with Trawnley. but instead her heard a whisper. a female whisper. an army. Harry shook his head and put his wand down. "An Army." He said shortly.
"What are you talking about Harry? I think you've gone off the deep end." Neville said hushly.
"It's just a spell Angel taught me this morning." Harry said back, now turning pink. What was going on with him? Harry never acted like this. He never fully hated anyone before. no one. not the Dursley, not even Voldemort. but he loathed everything about Bellatrix Lestrange at the moment. and what about his spectacle in the Great Hall. when had Harry ever been known to draw attention to himself. was he wearing a mask just like Angel. and is the new Harry the real one or the cover up? And what was this now. showing off a spell he fully didn't understand. He messed with his hair, praying his friends would just forget about he did.
"What kind of spell?"
"She taught you this during Occumency?"
"You take Occumency? Wait, what is that?" Neville asked, now as pink as Harry.
"Oh.it's.err.stop.people.from.err.um.reading.your.mind." Hermione stuttered.
"Who's reading your mind?" Ginny asked innocently.
"Voldemort, okay, Voldemort!" Harry threw his hands up in the air. A couple people looked his way, and he sunk lower down into his chair.
"Oh," Ginny Luna, and Neville said.
"It was from Divinations." Harry said later after a silence.
"You don't take Divinations." Ron said.
"Thanks you Ron, no Angel's teaching it to me. says my dad sister or cousin or someone was really good and I might be."
"But you never marked very good in Divinations before." Hermione said.
"God, what do you all not believe me? I'm not lying to you, honest."
"Harry, are you alright?" Ginny said, laying her hand on Harry's arm.
"No.err...I mean yeah. fine." Harry messed with his hair again and looked to the high table and scanned the teachers till he saw Angel. There she was, the one with more secrets and lies and moods than anyone he knew. When ever he talked to her she brought out a different side of him.
"Students," Dumbledore stood up. "There will be a meeting tonight at seven, but do to us having to prepare, I'm going to have to ask you all to leave."
Some of the student gather food in their arms, while other side and threw their food back on their plate, either way, everyone got up and left.
Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Luna, Miley and Neville didn't say anything to Harry. The seven of them stood outside the Great Hall, not having enough time to go back to the common room or anything. When the door opened again the house tables were gone. The school filed into the hall in a flood and it seemed most of the teachers stayed to watch. Snape was the only one missing. "Come on in. yes, yes, bit of a squeeze, but you should fit." Angel was standing on top of the teacher's table.
"What is this all about?"
"What are you doing?"
"Calm down, once everyone is silent I will explain." Angel said, holing her hands up to silence everyone. "Well, I'm Professor Black, as you all know, but at this time you may call me Angel. we're not in class."
Harry looked around; everyone seemed to be hanging on her every word. "Well, as some of you might not know, last year we had a sort of Defense Against the Dark Arts Club." Harry felt himself turn bright pink and when he looked the Ron and Hermione, they did too. So that's what army meant, Dumbledore's Army. Harry looked around the room and all the members who were with him last year in that secret room were pink or holding their chests out. "Now, under circumstance, the club had to meet in secret and was discovered sometime after and had to stop their meetings." Angel smile at Dumbledore and the old man winked back. "Well, since it was such a great idea and such an important subject for the events today, Professor Dumbledore wishes to continue the club, and in honor of those who started it, we intend to keep their name; Dumbledore's Army."
As though someone had pointed him out, every head in the hall turned on Harry. He missed with his hair and put his chin in his neck. "Harry, would you come up here please." Dumbledore said.
Harry felt hot tension ride over him and his eyes became dry. He should have gone to the common room, not to the meeting. Why didn't he make Ron or Hermione captain last year, it was Hermione's idea to begin with. No it had to be Famous Harry Potter this, and Famous Harry Potter that and with everything he did, it looked like he loved being the spot light and most of the time it was true, even if Harry denied it. perhaps the Daily Prophet was right last year, maybe he was striving for attention or maybe striving to live up to his name.
Harry messed with his hair again and looked up, but his eyes did not travel to Dumbledore as they normally did for council, they met Angel's. Her eyes were still dead laughter and silent tears, and even thought Harry didn't trust her and knew she had to hate him, he felt comfortable with her, like there was a certain connection between them. Angel met his eyes and nodded with a reassuring smile. Harry nodded and made his way to the front, people patting him on the back and cat calling as he did and instead of seeing it as being singled out he saw it as praise, recognition and respect.
"That's it Harry, nothing to be ashamed of." Angel whispered in his ear. Harry smiled and nodded the room in front of him. "Daddy thought it was a good idea didn't he?"
Harry looked at her and she was almost pleading. "Yeah, he thought it was a great idea." Angel smiled and bobbed her head.
"Now, this is how we are going to organize this since it is obvious we can't have all of you in here at one time." And Dumbledore went on for a while explaining how it would be set up. "All of Gryffindor would be together first though fourth and 1st though 4th in Ravenclaw would be together. and so one with Slytherin and Hufflepuff. All the fifth years (from Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin) would be together and the same with sixth years and seventh years. Luna and Ginny exchanged grins as did Ron and Miley.
"And meetings will be once a month," Angel added pleasantly.
"Wow, Angel's going to have a lot to do, Defense Against the Dark Arts, teaching Harry those extra classes, hosting a club at night and going back and forth from the Order." Hermione breathed.
"She can do." Harry said proudly as they left the Great Hall.
"I don't understand her myself." Ron said plainly.
"Angelica is the best, she can do anything." Miley said. "She graduated vhen she vas 16. most people don't do it until they're 17 or 18 and she's funny. Most people vouldn't have a sense of humor living with such family."
Ron rubbed his head slightly and shook his head in agreement.
"No, it's who she is." Ginny said plainly. "She's Sirius's daughter, how else should she act? Sirius went though a lot of shit, and he was still funny."
Hermione, Ron, Neville and even Ginny, looked at Harry after what was said. Harry messed with his hair. They think he is glass. if one bad thing is said they believe Harry will explode. but hadn't he proven that he doesn't fall under pressure, at least he didn't snap under his dead god father's name. no, wait, Sirius isn't dead. Harry kept telling himself this, but neither saying Sirius is dead or Sirius isn't dead. either way sounded wrong. he was in between. living among the dead.
Harry wanted to debate this with his friends, too, but it was no use. They would tell him to stop denying and just get used to it. of course they wouldn't be that harsh in saying so. Harry messed with his hair once more and followed his friends the Gryffindor Tower.
As though nothing could make Harry feel worse. Katie Ball climbed on top of a table and raised her hands for silence. "Quidditch Practice and Try-Outs tomorrow after dinner!" People cheered and whooped, Ron grinned and shook Harry's shoulder with his hand. But this didn't make Harry excited like it should have. Quidditch was his favorite game and there was no doubt he was good at it. but he was suspended.
He wanted to remind Ron and everyone else that he couldn't play, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. partly because saying it was final. So, Harry went to bed without a word and fell into a fit full dream.
When Harry woke up the next morning all her could remember was something about a big Black dog, and feeling exactly how he felt the first time he produced a patronum. like he was a stag. He rubbed his eyes and reached over to grab his glasses, his scar hurt.
The day went by slow. First of all it was a pretty busy day, classes wise and Harry was dreading the end of supper when Katie would stand and say, "Quidditch" and everyone would stare at him because he remained seated, picking at his peas. Well, just as he knew, Katie did stand half way though supper and yell, "Quidditch" at which most of the Great whooped and cheered. Ron turned pink in the cheeks, grabbed one more roll and followed Katie out.
"Harry, what are you waiting for, Christmas?" Hermione teased.
"Suspended." He grunted shortly.
"Honestly Harry, Umbridge is gone. Go ask Dumbledore if you don't believe me." Hermione said kindly. Harry just stared at her like she was crazy. He wasn't going to Dumbledore, no way. After all that man kept from him last year. he couldn't do it. But Harry got up and walked away like he was actually going to the headmasters, but he went straight to Gryffindor Tower, closed his curtains and silently did his homework. And once he heard Ron come in from practice and call his name, he pretended to be asleep.
He ate breakfast in silence the next morning, just waiting for Ron to sit down. and he did minute later. "Where were you last night?" He asked, piling his plate with food.
"Oh, I don't know. doing homework and stuff. How was practice?"
"Come off it Harry, you know what I mean. why weren't you on the field last night?"
"Suspended." Harry pushed his plate forward and it disappeared.
"Oh yeah, sorry mate." And Ron shoved his face with food so not able to say another word.
Harry sighed and looked down the table. Angel was missing.
That morning's classes were semi easy. It was mainly Professor Flickwick and Snape (who by the way is just as, if not more, sore about his and Angel's little prank) explaining how you would use charms and potions in the Auror line of business.
After lunch Ron and Miley were so into a conversation, they didn't notice Harry veer off for the dungeons instead of Transfiguration. He walked into the old class room he and Angel had been using. It was different though, the desk was pushed against the wall and there were pieces of paper sticking out of what looked to be where wholes were. He sat his things on the desk and waited. Angel wasn't at breakfast and he didn't look for her at lunch. maybe he was supposed to have Auror Transfiguration and it was just a mix up. no. she said there were three lessons, then where was she.
"Harry, are you in here?" Angel said, peeping her head in the door. "Oh good," she sighed spotting him. Angel jumped in and shut the door gently. She locked it and put the key in her pocket.
She made her way over and climbed onto the desk, sitting cross legged on it. "Okay. this is the most important and most difficult class of the three. you are going to end up hating it and me by the time the month is out."
"What is it?"
"I'm going to be teaching you how." Angel stopped and looked around. She grabbed the front of Harry robes and jerked him toward her. She put her lips as close as she could to his ear without actually touching it. "I'm going to be teaching you how to become an. animagius."
She let Harry's robes go and he stumbled back a bit. He looked at her for a while expecting her to say, "Only joking" or "never mind, another Divinations lesson then". but she didn't say a word after that. A weird and mischievous smile formed on Harry's face.
"Don't be smiling yet. its hard work." Angel said, waving a hand in front of her.
"Are you an. animagius?" Harry said, finding his voice.
"SHHHH.. We are doing this for your protection, if any one found out.." Angel trailed off. She grinned then. "Yes."
"Really, what are you?"
"I'm not telling you till you figure out what you want to become."
"Why? It's not like I'll steal your animal or anything."
"True, but you might the idea."
"You've lost me." And as disappointed as Harry wanted to sound, he couldn't stop smiling.
"Well sit down and we'll discus it, what kind of animal?"
The smile some what died on Harry's face. What did he want to be? A lion. no, too big. a snake. that's a diffident no. and not a rat. an owl maybe. some kind of bird. maybe a horse.
"Come on Harry think, what animal do you think you'd like to be. what animal to you think would feel glorious running or flying." Angel trailed off, watching Harry intently.
Harry thought of this. how wonderful it would be to fly. feeling air beneath your wings. or to run on for legs, strong and true. but he didn't know which he'd like better.
"How did you decide?" Harry asked.
"I had a dream. Actually, it was more than that."
He thought for a moment again. McGonagall was a cat. fit pretty well. Sirius was a dog. yeah that fits too. Peter a rat. oh yeah and his dad was a. "stag" Harry whispered out loud.
"What was the Harry?" Angel smiled.
"How about a stag?"
"It's whatever your want Harry."
He thought about it for a moment. The feeling of running with four hooves, pounding on the ground yet not even disturbing the dew, the ease as your legs moving on instinct. and he had had a dream about that feeling. only the other night. "Yeah, I think that's what I want."
Angel chuckled. "I guess it wouldn't have made a difference if I showed you what I was or not." Angel winked. She closed her eyes. A second later instead of a beautiful black hair girl sitting on the side of a desk it was.
"A dog!" Harry jumped back. "You're a dog. a big black dog!" Memories came racing back to Harry, the dog at Diagon Alley, the one who pulled him to the train. he wasn't going mad. it was Angel.
Angel changed back with a smile of pride on her face. "All those times I thought I losing me mind because I saw a big black dog and it was you all along!" Harry was out raged.
"Calm down Harry. I'm unregistered. I can't go around bragging about it you know."
"Are you even suppose to be teaching me this?"
"Not really. none of the other teachers know besides McGonagall and Dumbledore. You're going to be unregistered too; at least till you get out of school. that means no one knows. not even Ron and Hermione. Besides being unregistered and sneaking around. I thought it would have made it that much more fun for you."
Harry smirked. Then, he frowned. That's what Sirius had said to him, that it being risky would have made it fun and that his dad thought it would have been. then he reassured himself that his father was a bit of an idiot. Perhaps he didn't want to be a stag. he didn't want to be his father. or did he?
They spent the rest of the lesson reading up and taking notes on stags from books Angel stashed in the room. Finally, after the hour was almost up, they collected the notes, locked them in the desk and hid the books under the floor broad just incase a teacher, house elf or student came snooping around, they wouldn't find anything.
"Hey, this is going to be something huh?" Angel said putting the broad back in place.
"What is?"
"Prongs and Padfoot back at Hogwarts." Angel stuck her tongue out.
Harry left Angel with a huge grin on his face. He met up with Hermione, Ron, Miley, Neville and Ginny at lunch, but didn't say much to any of them, his mind on something else and a grin plastered on his face. "What are you so smitten about?" Ginny teased.
"You'll find out." Harry retorted, not looking her way.
"What?" Ron chuckled, seeing the aback face on Ginny.
"Chill, you'll understand." Harry said.
"ARUGH!!!!!!!" came a shriek from outside the Great
Hall doors. Everyone jumped up to see what made the noise, but Harry contained his seat and looked up at the staff table where Angel was just slipping in to place. "Black. I am going to kill you!" Professor Snape stood in the door way, his hair long and greasy in his face. his robes now bright pink.
"What' wrong Snivellus. I mean Severus?" Angel said calmly. The Great Hall was in a fit of laughter. Some cheering, other cracking their ribs with laughter.
"You know damn right what's wrong! Change my robes back now!" Snape ordered, staring Angel down.
"Why me Professor?" Angel mocked.
"Why are you all wet?" Cried a giggling second year.
"Because you're darling Professor Malfoy had a bucket of grease dumped on my head."
"One, I am a Black, Two." Angel smiled slightly and said sweetly, innocently, "I didn't think you would actually notice the grease. I thought you would think it was just your hair."
With these word everyone fell to the ground on onto the table rolling with laughter, even the Slytherin House could not fight fit of cheers and praise to their teacher.
"Hey!" Harry jump up on his seat where everyone could hear him, "Why are you giving Black all the credit! I changed your robes Snivellus!" Harry shot a hand to his hair, bended over and messed with his hair dramatically.
Snape turned a brighter pink than his robes. "Detention. Potter, Black... tonight in the dungeon!" Snape wheeled around and was almost to the doors when the Great Hall went into a chant. "Potter.Black.Potter.Black. Potter.Black."
The praise and cheers went on well after lunch. People would pat Harry on the back and wave at him. Angel only winked and held herself proudly and for a while her were resurrected in laughter and smiling.
The sixths years made their way to Defense Against the Dark Arts. When Harry and Neville entered the room, Angel was standing on her desk tap dacning. "What are you doing?" Hermione squealed though laughter.
"Teaching you damn English men how to do an Irish dance." She tapped her feet making rhythmic beats on the wood. "Come here Harry."
"Why me?" Harry gasped through laughter.
"'cause yer are a black Irish hoodlum." Angel said in a perfect grunt Irish accent.
Harry smiled broadly and let himself be dragged onto the desk. "How do you know I'm Irish?"
"Yer mum had red har and gren eyes laddie." Angel grunted again, doing another dance step. "Yer no good laddie. the leprechauns havern't blessed yer feet." She pushed Harry onto the floor. The class was now laughing more than ever as Angel started getting fast and dramatic.
Then clapping came from the door and Angel stopped. Dumbledore was leaning against the door frame. "I never thought I would see the day when one of my teachers gave a dance class."
"Well, that's what yer get for highin' a black Irish yunnin'." Angel said brightly; jumping off the desk. "And they ernt leaning much."
Dumbledore' eyes twinkled and he smiled. "I just came don't to tell you that you don't have detention tonight Seri and neither do you Harry."
"Why?" A Ravenclaw asked.
"Because teachers can't have detentions and I thought pink looked every good on Professor Snape." Dumbledore smiled brightly, winked at Angel and left the room with laughter exploding behind him.
"Okay, okay, settle down." Angel eased. "Today we are going to have some fun!"
The class whooped as Angel jumped back on to the desk. "The one thing Death Eaters and Voldemort."
People squealed and gasped at his name. Harry looked at them, eyes bugged out annoyingly. okay, he was scary, but his name was no big deal. drama class? I thought they were in Defense Against the Dark Arts.
"Fearing the names makes you more scared of the thing it's self. I'm scared of prats. but the word don't make me pee in my pants." The class eased up a little and some smiled. "Anyway, one thing they really can't understand is love and laughter. So, we are going to practice tickling hexes. cheering charms. caring curses and my favorite." Angel did a tap step and held her arms open. "the happy feet hex!"
"That's dumb." Malfoy splat.
"Yes, I know you are. Who's first?"
The class went very fast and very fun. Harry couldn't believe how energized a little prank could make Angel get, but her eyes soon dimmed to their dead state again. She would laugh and smile, but it was like a mask, one she wore al the time. but Harry had seen her when she took it off.
Harry sat with the normally group at lunch, Luna and Miley even snuck over. They were planning a huge prank. "Hey don't we have a meeting tonight?" Hermione asked.
Ron and Harry looked at each other and shrugged. "Yeah, at seven in here." Ginny said, looking up from her writing.
"What kind of meeting is it?" Ron said.
"No idea, Angel told us about it Monday, remember." Hermione said, a little irritated. "Well, it's 6:30, so I just we just stay here."
Harry smiled slightly and took his wand from his pocket. "Furo- Thirty." He said softly.
"Harry you are mental. what are you doing?" Ron hissed, making sure no one else was looking.
Harry was excepting another vision like the one he had with Trawnley. but instead her heard a whisper. a female whisper. an army. Harry shook his head and put his wand down. "An Army." He said shortly.
"What are you talking about Harry? I think you've gone off the deep end." Neville said hushly.
"It's just a spell Angel taught me this morning." Harry said back, now turning pink. What was going on with him? Harry never acted like this. He never fully hated anyone before. no one. not the Dursley, not even Voldemort. but he loathed everything about Bellatrix Lestrange at the moment. and what about his spectacle in the Great Hall. when had Harry ever been known to draw attention to himself. was he wearing a mask just like Angel. and is the new Harry the real one or the cover up? And what was this now. showing off a spell he fully didn't understand. He messed with his hair, praying his friends would just forget about he did.
"What kind of spell?"
"She taught you this during Occumency?"
"You take Occumency? Wait, what is that?" Neville asked, now as pink as Harry.
"Oh.it's.err.stop.people.from.err.um.reading.your.mind." Hermione stuttered.
"Who's reading your mind?" Ginny asked innocently.
"Voldemort, okay, Voldemort!" Harry threw his hands up in the air. A couple people looked his way, and he sunk lower down into his chair.
"Oh," Ginny Luna, and Neville said.
"It was from Divinations." Harry said later after a silence.
"You don't take Divinations." Ron said.
"Thanks you Ron, no Angel's teaching it to me. says my dad sister or cousin or someone was really good and I might be."
"But you never marked very good in Divinations before." Hermione said.
"God, what do you all not believe me? I'm not lying to you, honest."
"Harry, are you alright?" Ginny said, laying her hand on Harry's arm.
"No.err...I mean yeah. fine." Harry messed with his hair again and looked to the high table and scanned the teachers till he saw Angel. There she was, the one with more secrets and lies and moods than anyone he knew. When ever he talked to her she brought out a different side of him.
"Students," Dumbledore stood up. "There will be a meeting tonight at seven, but do to us having to prepare, I'm going to have to ask you all to leave."
Some of the student gather food in their arms, while other side and threw their food back on their plate, either way, everyone got up and left.
Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Luna, Miley and Neville didn't say anything to Harry. The seven of them stood outside the Great Hall, not having enough time to go back to the common room or anything. When the door opened again the house tables were gone. The school filed into the hall in a flood and it seemed most of the teachers stayed to watch. Snape was the only one missing. "Come on in. yes, yes, bit of a squeeze, but you should fit." Angel was standing on top of the teacher's table.
"What is this all about?"
"What are you doing?"
"Calm down, once everyone is silent I will explain." Angel said, holing her hands up to silence everyone. "Well, I'm Professor Black, as you all know, but at this time you may call me Angel. we're not in class."
Harry looked around; everyone seemed to be hanging on her every word. "Well, as some of you might not know, last year we had a sort of Defense Against the Dark Arts Club." Harry felt himself turn bright pink and when he looked the Ron and Hermione, they did too. So that's what army meant, Dumbledore's Army. Harry looked around the room and all the members who were with him last year in that secret room were pink or holding their chests out. "Now, under circumstance, the club had to meet in secret and was discovered sometime after and had to stop their meetings." Angel smile at Dumbledore and the old man winked back. "Well, since it was such a great idea and such an important subject for the events today, Professor Dumbledore wishes to continue the club, and in honor of those who started it, we intend to keep their name; Dumbledore's Army."
As though someone had pointed him out, every head in the hall turned on Harry. He missed with his hair and put his chin in his neck. "Harry, would you come up here please." Dumbledore said.
Harry felt hot tension ride over him and his eyes became dry. He should have gone to the common room, not to the meeting. Why didn't he make Ron or Hermione captain last year, it was Hermione's idea to begin with. No it had to be Famous Harry Potter this, and Famous Harry Potter that and with everything he did, it looked like he loved being the spot light and most of the time it was true, even if Harry denied it. perhaps the Daily Prophet was right last year, maybe he was striving for attention or maybe striving to live up to his name.
Harry messed with his hair again and looked up, but his eyes did not travel to Dumbledore as they normally did for council, they met Angel's. Her eyes were still dead laughter and silent tears, and even thought Harry didn't trust her and knew she had to hate him, he felt comfortable with her, like there was a certain connection between them. Angel met his eyes and nodded with a reassuring smile. Harry nodded and made his way to the front, people patting him on the back and cat calling as he did and instead of seeing it as being singled out he saw it as praise, recognition and respect.
"That's it Harry, nothing to be ashamed of." Angel whispered in his ear. Harry smiled and nodded the room in front of him. "Daddy thought it was a good idea didn't he?"
Harry looked at her and she was almost pleading. "Yeah, he thought it was a great idea." Angel smiled and bobbed her head.
"Now, this is how we are going to organize this since it is obvious we can't have all of you in here at one time." And Dumbledore went on for a while explaining how it would be set up. "All of Gryffindor would be together first though fourth and 1st though 4th in Ravenclaw would be together. and so one with Slytherin and Hufflepuff. All the fifth years (from Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin) would be together and the same with sixth years and seventh years. Luna and Ginny exchanged grins as did Ron and Miley.
"And meetings will be once a month," Angel added pleasantly.
"Wow, Angel's going to have a lot to do, Defense Against the Dark Arts, teaching Harry those extra classes, hosting a club at night and going back and forth from the Order." Hermione breathed.
"She can do." Harry said proudly as they left the Great Hall.
"I don't understand her myself." Ron said plainly.
"Angelica is the best, she can do anything." Miley said. "She graduated vhen she vas 16. most people don't do it until they're 17 or 18 and she's funny. Most people vouldn't have a sense of humor living with such family."
Ron rubbed his head slightly and shook his head in agreement.
"No, it's who she is." Ginny said plainly. "She's Sirius's daughter, how else should she act? Sirius went though a lot of shit, and he was still funny."
Hermione, Ron, Neville and even Ginny, looked at Harry after what was said. Harry messed with his hair. They think he is glass. if one bad thing is said they believe Harry will explode. but hadn't he proven that he doesn't fall under pressure, at least he didn't snap under his dead god father's name. no, wait, Sirius isn't dead. Harry kept telling himself this, but neither saying Sirius is dead or Sirius isn't dead. either way sounded wrong. he was in between. living among the dead.
Harry wanted to debate this with his friends, too, but it was no use. They would tell him to stop denying and just get used to it. of course they wouldn't be that harsh in saying so. Harry messed with his hair once more and followed his friends the Gryffindor Tower.
As though nothing could make Harry feel worse. Katie Ball climbed on top of a table and raised her hands for silence. "Quidditch Practice and Try-Outs tomorrow after dinner!" People cheered and whooped, Ron grinned and shook Harry's shoulder with his hand. But this didn't make Harry excited like it should have. Quidditch was his favorite game and there was no doubt he was good at it. but he was suspended.
He wanted to remind Ron and everyone else that he couldn't play, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. partly because saying it was final. So, Harry went to bed without a word and fell into a fit full dream.
When Harry woke up the next morning all her could remember was something about a big Black dog, and feeling exactly how he felt the first time he produced a patronum. like he was a stag. He rubbed his eyes and reached over to grab his glasses, his scar hurt.
The day went by slow. First of all it was a pretty busy day, classes wise and Harry was dreading the end of supper when Katie would stand and say, "Quidditch" and everyone would stare at him because he remained seated, picking at his peas. Well, just as he knew, Katie did stand half way though supper and yell, "Quidditch" at which most of the Great whooped and cheered. Ron turned pink in the cheeks, grabbed one more roll and followed Katie out.
"Harry, what are you waiting for, Christmas?" Hermione teased.
"Suspended." He grunted shortly.
"Honestly Harry, Umbridge is gone. Go ask Dumbledore if you don't believe me." Hermione said kindly. Harry just stared at her like she was crazy. He wasn't going to Dumbledore, no way. After all that man kept from him last year. he couldn't do it. But Harry got up and walked away like he was actually going to the headmasters, but he went straight to Gryffindor Tower, closed his curtains and silently did his homework. And once he heard Ron come in from practice and call his name, he pretended to be asleep.
He ate breakfast in silence the next morning, just waiting for Ron to sit down. and he did minute later. "Where were you last night?" He asked, piling his plate with food.
"Oh, I don't know. doing homework and stuff. How was practice?"
"Come off it Harry, you know what I mean. why weren't you on the field last night?"
"Suspended." Harry pushed his plate forward and it disappeared.
"Oh yeah, sorry mate." And Ron shoved his face with food so not able to say another word.
Harry sighed and looked down the table. Angel was missing.
That morning's classes were semi easy. It was mainly Professor Flickwick and Snape (who by the way is just as, if not more, sore about his and Angel's little prank) explaining how you would use charms and potions in the Auror line of business.
After lunch Ron and Miley were so into a conversation, they didn't notice Harry veer off for the dungeons instead of Transfiguration. He walked into the old class room he and Angel had been using. It was different though, the desk was pushed against the wall and there were pieces of paper sticking out of what looked to be where wholes were. He sat his things on the desk and waited. Angel wasn't at breakfast and he didn't look for her at lunch. maybe he was supposed to have Auror Transfiguration and it was just a mix up. no. she said there were three lessons, then where was she.
"Harry, are you in here?" Angel said, peeping her head in the door. "Oh good," she sighed spotting him. Angel jumped in and shut the door gently. She locked it and put the key in her pocket.
She made her way over and climbed onto the desk, sitting cross legged on it. "Okay. this is the most important and most difficult class of the three. you are going to end up hating it and me by the time the month is out."
"What is it?"
"I'm going to be teaching you how." Angel stopped and looked around. She grabbed the front of Harry robes and jerked him toward her. She put her lips as close as she could to his ear without actually touching it. "I'm going to be teaching you how to become an. animagius."
She let Harry's robes go and he stumbled back a bit. He looked at her for a while expecting her to say, "Only joking" or "never mind, another Divinations lesson then". but she didn't say a word after that. A weird and mischievous smile formed on Harry's face.
"Don't be smiling yet. its hard work." Angel said, waving a hand in front of her.
"Are you an. animagius?" Harry said, finding his voice.
"SHHHH.. We are doing this for your protection, if any one found out.." Angel trailed off. She grinned then. "Yes."
"Really, what are you?"
"I'm not telling you till you figure out what you want to become."
"Why? It's not like I'll steal your animal or anything."
"True, but you might the idea."
"You've lost me." And as disappointed as Harry wanted to sound, he couldn't stop smiling.
"Well sit down and we'll discus it, what kind of animal?"
The smile some what died on Harry's face. What did he want to be? A lion. no, too big. a snake. that's a diffident no. and not a rat. an owl maybe. some kind of bird. maybe a horse.
"Come on Harry think, what animal do you think you'd like to be. what animal to you think would feel glorious running or flying." Angel trailed off, watching Harry intently.
Harry thought of this. how wonderful it would be to fly. feeling air beneath your wings. or to run on for legs, strong and true. but he didn't know which he'd like better.
"How did you decide?" Harry asked.
"I had a dream. Actually, it was more than that."
He thought for a moment again. McGonagall was a cat. fit pretty well. Sirius was a dog. yeah that fits too. Peter a rat. oh yeah and his dad was a. "stag" Harry whispered out loud.
"What was the Harry?" Angel smiled.
"How about a stag?"
"It's whatever your want Harry."
He thought about it for a moment. The feeling of running with four hooves, pounding on the ground yet not even disturbing the dew, the ease as your legs moving on instinct. and he had had a dream about that feeling. only the other night. "Yeah, I think that's what I want."
Angel chuckled. "I guess it wouldn't have made a difference if I showed you what I was or not." Angel winked. She closed her eyes. A second later instead of a beautiful black hair girl sitting on the side of a desk it was.
"A dog!" Harry jumped back. "You're a dog. a big black dog!" Memories came racing back to Harry, the dog at Diagon Alley, the one who pulled him to the train. he wasn't going mad. it was Angel.
Angel changed back with a smile of pride on her face. "All those times I thought I losing me mind because I saw a big black dog and it was you all along!" Harry was out raged.
"Calm down Harry. I'm unregistered. I can't go around bragging about it you know."
"Are you even suppose to be teaching me this?"
"Not really. none of the other teachers know besides McGonagall and Dumbledore. You're going to be unregistered too; at least till you get out of school. that means no one knows. not even Ron and Hermione. Besides being unregistered and sneaking around. I thought it would have made it that much more fun for you."
Harry smirked. Then, he frowned. That's what Sirius had said to him, that it being risky would have made it fun and that his dad thought it would have been. then he reassured himself that his father was a bit of an idiot. Perhaps he didn't want to be a stag. he didn't want to be his father. or did he?
They spent the rest of the lesson reading up and taking notes on stags from books Angel stashed in the room. Finally, after the hour was almost up, they collected the notes, locked them in the desk and hid the books under the floor broad just incase a teacher, house elf or student came snooping around, they wouldn't find anything.
"Hey, this is going to be something huh?" Angel said putting the broad back in place.
"What is?"
"Prongs and Padfoot back at Hogwarts." Angel stuck her tongue out.