"Harry? Harry, are you with us?"
Hermione nudged Harry. He had fallen asleep during Lupin's discussion on thestrals.
"Yeah, I'm here" muttered Harry.
"Good, then what did I just mention?"
Harry surprised himself when he said the right answer. "The only people who are able to see a thestral, are people who have witnessed death first hand."
"Correct. Ten points to Gryffindor." Lupin smiled.
Hermione cast an amazed look at Harry. "How did you know the answer? You were almost out cold."
"I don't even know how I knew." said Harry, truthfully.
"Well, when you figure it out, tell me." whispered Ron. "That was bloody brilliant."
Harry laughed, but nodded. Lupin cast a sidelong glance in their direction, and they stopped their conversation.
"As I said, thestrals can only be seen by those who have witnessed death first-hand. Now, Harry, I know you can see them, because of the unfortunate events in fourth year."
Harry looked at his feet.
"Who else can see them?"
A few other people raised their hands. Lupin nodded at each of them in turn.
"Professor Lupin," Lavender had raised her hand.
"Yes, Lavender?"
Lavender put her hand down. " can you see thestrals?"
Lupin smiled. "Fortunately, no, I cannot. They are amazing creatures, yes. But I have no desire to be able to see them. For some, when they see them, it will bring back the memory of the person who died."
Harry heard Neville make a weird choking noise. Harry continued to look at his feet.
When the bell rang everyone got up to leave.
"Harry, I would like to speak with you." Lupin said.
Harry nodded.
"See you in transfiguration, mate." said Ron as he and Hermione walked out the door.
"What is it, Lupin?" Harry asked.
Lupin smiled. "You are to start Occulemency again."
Harry groaned.
"Do not worry, Harry. It will be fine. Your first lesson will be tonight."
Harry nodded.
"You better head to transfiguration."
Harry turned on his heel and walked out the door.
"What was that about?" whispered Ron as Harry sat down.
"I'm to start Occulemency again." muttered Harry.
"Well, you really, really should, Harry. It's important."
"I know it is, Hermione. I know it is." Harry looked down at the turtle he was supposed to be turning into a ruby crystal goblet. He prodded the turtle with his wand. He then, unknowingly, muttered the incantation, while waving his wand. His turtle molded and shaped into a goblet, then steadily turned crystalline and ruby.
"Harry, how'd you do that mate?" asked Ron in awe. "Hermione is having trouble."
Harry looked over at Hermione. She had turned her turtle to a green goblet. She tried three more times. She got a red turtle, then a crystal turtle(still green), then, finally, a ruby crystalline goblet.
"Good, good, Mr. Potter. Fifteen points to Gryffindor." said Professor McGonagall.
Hermione stared in amazement at her. It was the first time that she wasn't the first one to transfigure the object.
"Good job, Harry." said Hermione. "Really. How'd you do it?"
"I don't know. It's like Defense this morning. I don't know how I did it ."
"Harry, this is weird. You should tell Sirius." said Ron.
"I will. I plan to. Maybe I can talk to him in Hogsemeade." suggested Harry.
"Yeah, that would be good." said Ron, only turning his turtle red for a second.
At the end of class, they gathered up their things and headed for the common room.
"Are we going to have a D.A. meeting tonight?" Hermione asked, as they climbed through the portrait hole.
"No, not tonight." responded Harry. "I have Occulemency."
"Oh, right."
"Good luck with that, mate." said Ron, trying to comfort Harry.
"Yeah. Hope it doesn't go bad. It's important I learn it." said Harry.
Hermione and Ron cast weary looks at Harry.
"It's not like I won't try. Not after what happened last year." assured Harry.
"We know, Harry." said Hermione. "But will you be ok? Since Snape will be teaching you?"
"I'll be fine, really He's not nearly as bad anymore."
Hermione cast him a doubtful look.
"I'll be ok, it's not like I'm facing Voldemort."
Ron gave a frightened squeak.
"Oh, for goodness sake, Ron! You had better get used to hearing his name!" said Hermione.
"No, it's not that." he whispered.
"What then?" she demanded.
"I just saw Wormtail's head in the fireplace."
Hermione nudged Harry. He had fallen asleep during Lupin's discussion on thestrals.
"Yeah, I'm here" muttered Harry.
"Good, then what did I just mention?"
Harry surprised himself when he said the right answer. "The only people who are able to see a thestral, are people who have witnessed death first hand."
"Correct. Ten points to Gryffindor." Lupin smiled.
Hermione cast an amazed look at Harry. "How did you know the answer? You were almost out cold."
"I don't even know how I knew." said Harry, truthfully.
"Well, when you figure it out, tell me." whispered Ron. "That was bloody brilliant."
Harry laughed, but nodded. Lupin cast a sidelong glance in their direction, and they stopped their conversation.
"As I said, thestrals can only be seen by those who have witnessed death first-hand. Now, Harry, I know you can see them, because of the unfortunate events in fourth year."
Harry looked at his feet.
"Who else can see them?"
A few other people raised their hands. Lupin nodded at each of them in turn.
"Professor Lupin," Lavender had raised her hand.
"Yes, Lavender?"
Lavender put her hand down. " can you see thestrals?"
Lupin smiled. "Fortunately, no, I cannot. They are amazing creatures, yes. But I have no desire to be able to see them. For some, when they see them, it will bring back the memory of the person who died."
Harry heard Neville make a weird choking noise. Harry continued to look at his feet.
When the bell rang everyone got up to leave.
"Harry, I would like to speak with you." Lupin said.
Harry nodded.
"See you in transfiguration, mate." said Ron as he and Hermione walked out the door.
"What is it, Lupin?" Harry asked.
Lupin smiled. "You are to start Occulemency again."
Harry groaned.
"Do not worry, Harry. It will be fine. Your first lesson will be tonight."
Harry nodded.
"You better head to transfiguration."
Harry turned on his heel and walked out the door.
"What was that about?" whispered Ron as Harry sat down.
"I'm to start Occulemency again." muttered Harry.
"Well, you really, really should, Harry. It's important."
"I know it is, Hermione. I know it is." Harry looked down at the turtle he was supposed to be turning into a ruby crystal goblet. He prodded the turtle with his wand. He then, unknowingly, muttered the incantation, while waving his wand. His turtle molded and shaped into a goblet, then steadily turned crystalline and ruby.
"Harry, how'd you do that mate?" asked Ron in awe. "Hermione is having trouble."
Harry looked over at Hermione. She had turned her turtle to a green goblet. She tried three more times. She got a red turtle, then a crystal turtle(still green), then, finally, a ruby crystalline goblet.
"Good, good, Mr. Potter. Fifteen points to Gryffindor." said Professor McGonagall.
Hermione stared in amazement at her. It was the first time that she wasn't the first one to transfigure the object.
"Good job, Harry." said Hermione. "Really. How'd you do it?"
"I don't know. It's like Defense this morning. I don't know how I did it ."
"Harry, this is weird. You should tell Sirius." said Ron.
"I will. I plan to. Maybe I can talk to him in Hogsemeade." suggested Harry.
"Yeah, that would be good." said Ron, only turning his turtle red for a second.
At the end of class, they gathered up their things and headed for the common room.
"Are we going to have a D.A. meeting tonight?" Hermione asked, as they climbed through the portrait hole.
"No, not tonight." responded Harry. "I have Occulemency."
"Oh, right."
"Good luck with that, mate." said Ron, trying to comfort Harry.
"Yeah. Hope it doesn't go bad. It's important I learn it." said Harry.
Hermione and Ron cast weary looks at Harry.
"It's not like I won't try. Not after what happened last year." assured Harry.
"We know, Harry." said Hermione. "But will you be ok? Since Snape will be teaching you?"
"I'll be fine, really He's not nearly as bad anymore."
Hermione cast him a doubtful look.
"I'll be ok, it's not like I'm facing Voldemort."
Ron gave a frightened squeak.
"Oh, for goodness sake, Ron! You had better get used to hearing his name!" said Hermione.
"No, it's not that." he whispered.
"What then?" she demanded.
"I just saw Wormtail's head in the fireplace."