Disclaimer: See chapter one.
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"So what did your dad say about you being in Gryffindor?" asked Ron.
"He didn't seem to mind actually. My mother was in Gryffindor. I think he's actually glad."
"Really?" asked Hermione, surprised.
"Yeah. He doesn't want me mixing with future death eaters."
Ron and Hermione kept any thoughts of hypocrisy to themselves when Harry shot them a look.
"There's a Hogsmead trip tomorrow. Wanna go?" said Harry.
"Yeah! I need some more lollies," said Ron, excited. Leya was excited as well.
"I haven't been to Hogsmead before. I'd like to see it," she said.
"Hermione?" asked Harry.
"Yeah, sure. Sounds fun," Hermione agreed. "I'll catch up with you later. I've got some work to do in the library." Ron stood up too.
"I'll come with you Hermione. I need to get a book."
A moment later they were gone, leaving Harry and Leya alone.
"D'you wanna try it again?" asked Leya.
"I guess it can't hurt," said Harry. "I mean, I've heard of wizards who can do magic without a wand, but I never thought I might be one. It was probably just a bit of luck."
"My father said that wizards who can do that are really powerful. He said we use wands to enhance our natural power, but some wizards are so strong they don't need it or that they have the ability to tap into their power without a wand," said Leya. "Ready?" She held out her hand, and cupped inside it he saw a small stone.
He reached his hand out and concentrated on the pebble. Nothing happened.
"I don't understand. Last time I wasn't even thinking about it and it just came to me."
"Don't worry. Maybe you're thinking too much. Try again."
He stretched out his hand again, clearing his mind, and before his hand was even fully outstretched, the stone flew into his hand.
"You did it Harry!" Leya smiled.
"I can't believe this!" grinned Harry. She stood up.
"Come on, let's go and try it on something bigger," she said. They walked outside, down to the lake. She pointed to big rock down by the water's edge.
"Try moving that," she instructed. Harry stretched out his hand and twisted it. The rock flipped over. Harry and Leya grinned.
"See if you can move the water."
"The water? I don't think I could do that. It isn't even a solid object," he said.
"Go on. Just try," she encouraged. He kneeled down next to the water and placed his hands palm- down over it. He had absolutely no idea what to do. He willed the water to move and he fancied he could see it shifting slightly under his gaze. He pulled his hands away, about to give up and to his amazement the water followed him. He cupped his hands over it and willed it to move again. It formed a blob, connected to the lake by a stream of water. He imagined it breaking away and he was immediately left with a blob of transparent water in his hands. He moved his hands around it, shaping it into a circle. He took one hand away, and it sat there, floating an inch above his hand.
"Wow…" he heard her awed whisper.
"Yeah. Wow," he agreed. He moved his hand closer to her and rolled the ball into her outstretched hand. It sat there, quivering slightly. She poked it with her finger, and it went straight through. She gave a small laugh.
"This is amazing Harry!"
His concentration was suddenly broken, however when someone called out his name.
"What are you doing Potter?" yelled Malfoy. Harry looked up in the direction of the voice and the ball of water broke with a splash, drenching the front of Leya's robe. She muttered a drying spell and turned to see Malfoy. Harry sighed.
"He we go again," he muttered.
Malfoy walked up to them flanked as usual ny Crabbe and Goyle.
"What are you doing Potter? I asked you a question," he sneered.
"Look Malfoy, just leave me alone. I am not in the mood too talk to you today." He turned around and they started walking back towards the castle.
"Don't walk away from me Potter!" yelled Malfoy. He heard Malfoy mutter something under his breath and a moment later found himself lying on the ground. He gritted his teeth and stood up. Malfoy muttered another curse and he dodged it and whipped out his own wand.
"Expelliarmus!" he whispered, and Malfoy's wand flew out of his hand. He hadn't expected Harry to be that quick.
"I haven't learnt nothing at those duelling lessons Malfoy, so leave me alone before I get mad," Harry threatened.
"I wouldn't get too mad if I were you Potter. You might get someone else killed," he drawled.
Harry spun around to face him again, eyes blazing.
"What are you talking about Malfoy?"
"You know very well. Last time you got into a fight you killed your dear old godfather."
"That wasn't my fault Malfoy," said Harry quietly.
He turned and began walking quickly up to the castle, ignoring Malfoy's taunts. He told himself once again that he was right; it hadn't been his fault that Sirius had died. He had managed to put it from his mind until now. He felt the overwhelming guilt wash over him again.
"Harry are you all right?" asked Leya.
"I'm fine," said Harry, calming down. Malfoy wasn't worth getting upset over. "Come on. Let's go and find Ron and Hermione."
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The four of them chattered excitedly as they left the Hogwarts grounds. There were more teachers accompanying them than usual- sign of the tightened security after the rise of Voldemort. The first place they went was the joke shop, then to Honeydukes, where Harry stocked up on sweets. When they stepped out the door, they realised it was snowing, so they decided too go to the Three Broomsticks for a Butterbeer. They entered into the warm pub and found a table in the corner.
"I'll get the drinks," said Harry, standing up. He walked over to the bar and ordered four Butterbeers from Madam Rosmerta.
He returned to the table with the drinks and joined in the conversation. They looked up as the door opened and cold wind blew in.
"What's he dong here?" asked Ron, looking at the Minister for Magic. He spun back around and as he did so, knocked his Butterbeer off the table. Harry stretched out his hand and halted the cup in mid air, freezing the liquid that was beginning to come out. Ron and Hermione looked at Harry, mouths agape.
"How did you do that Harry?" asked Hermione.
"Ah, well I don't know actually. I only found out I could do it yesterday," he said.
"Wow Harry. This is amazing," said Ron, his face pale beneath the freckles. He reached a hand out tentatively for the mug and pulled it out of the air. His eyes widened as the liquid settled back into it. Ron grinned.
"Thanks Harry."
"No problem mate," he grinned back. It was just like old times… before everything.
He looked out the window and saw that it had stopped snowing.
"Hey, want to go up to the shrieking shack?" he asked. They all agreed, and pulling their cloaks around them, headed out into the bitter cold. Halfway up the hill, they encountered Cho and a group of her friends. She smiled at Harry and he remembered why he liked her. He pushed the thought from his mind. They hadn't really talked since Cedric's death. She asked if she could join them and they all continued up the hill, Cho by his side. He noticed the smile Hermione shot at him and frowned at her.
They arrived at the Shrieking Shack and stood at the gate, looking at the cracked windows and peeling paintwork. Suddenly there were several popping sounds and Harry spun around.
"Duck!" he yelled, and everyone fell to the ground. He set up a shield, just in time to stop the spells from the death eaters hitting them. He was struggling; the shield was too big for him to hold up much longer. He smiled gratefully at Hermione as she added her power to it. Several of Cho's friends screamed, as the five death eaters advanced towards the circle. Harry thought quickly. The shield might be able to block curses, but they could still walk through it. He dropped the shield and pointed his wand at the hedge.
"Eleva," he whispered, and the hedge sprang up, growing quickly around them. They didn't have much time.
"Quickly! Everyone stand up. Get your wands out!" Cho's friends quickly stood up, wands ready. He doubted they would be much good. He had a sudden idea.
"Can any of you apparate?" A few of them nodded.
"Get out of here! Get down to the Three Broomsticks and get the teachers! Hurry!" They nodded and disappeared. He looked around at the remaining seven.
"Okay," he said quickly, as holes started appearing in the hedge, "as soon as I say, I want you to get down low and shout as many curses out there as quickly as you can. Get in a circle so we don't hit each other." They scrambled to do his bidding. "Ready?" they nodded apprehensively.
"Now!" he yelled, as he dropped the hedge. Blasts of light went everywhere. He saw a death eater go down, but so did both of Cho's friends.
"Stupefy!" he yelled. Another death eater went down, before the rest put up shields. A curse rebounded off the shield and Hermione fell to the ground, stunned.
"Damn!" he put up another shield around them, but it was weak. A spell from a death eater caused it to shatter. Harry touched Hermione quickly whith his wand.
"Enervate." She sat up and grabbed her wand where it had fallen. Harry stood quickly and ran behind a tree, thinking quickly. It was him they wanted, not the others. He couldn't put them in danger.
"Expelliarmus! Stupefy!" He yelled, effectively disarming and stunning one of the men in black. The three remaining death eaters advanced slowly towards Harry,
ignoring his three friends. They shot curses at him, but he dodged them and continued moving away. He cursed as a spell hit him and he went rigid. His wand fell
from his hand. The three death eaters began striding towards him. He had to stop them. His friend's curses were doing nothing against their shields. He concentrated harder than he ever had before, concentrating in the snow blanketing the ground. It began to rise, twisting upwards in front of him. The death eaters stopped in surprise. And he dumped it on one of them. Hermione muttered the counter- curse and he fell forward, grabbing his wand. This spurred the death eaters into action, as one wriggled out of the snow. The death eaters moved toward his friends and they backed away, putting shields up, but they were too weak. The death eaters stunned Leya and Ron and they lay motionless on the ground. Suddenly another appeared.
"What are you doing? Can't you even defeat some sixteen year olds?"
The other death eater stunned Hermione and Harry woke her up again from his hiding place. He needed her.
"Damn it! Where is the boy? He's the one we need. Harry woke up Leya and Ron as well, and forced a snow bank up around them.
"How did he do that?" asked one of the death eaters. "He did it before too."
"I've had enough of this!" shouted the new death eater.
"He pointed his wand at the snow bank and muttered something and it instantly muttered away. Harry realised he needed to do something quickly. He put everything he had into his next spell, and it got past the shields. Two of the death eaters lost their wands and they flew up in the air, landing well away. Harry summoned them in his mind and they flew towards him. The remaining death eater lost his patience.
"Avada kedavra!" he yelled, pointing his wand towards his friends.
Harry watched in horror as one of them slumped to the ground, dead.
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Who will it be? R&R and read on to find out.