Disclaimer: Harry Potter is the property of J.K Rowling and Warner Brothers
Chapter Seventeen:
Legilimency for Beginners
AND THE DARK LORD WILL MARK HIM AS HIS EQUAL, BUT HE WILL HAVE POWER THE DARK LORD KNOWS NOT..........
"But I don't!" said Harry in a strangled voice. "I haven't any powers that he hasn't got, I couldn't fight the way he did tonight, I can't possess people or – kill them –"
"There is a room in the Department of Mysteries," interrupted Dumbledore, "that is kept locked at all times. It contains a force that is at once more wonderful and more terrible than death, than human intelligence, than forces of nature. It is also, perhaps, the most mysterious of the many subjects for study that reside there. It is the power held within that room that you possess in such quantities and which Voldemort has not at all. That power took you to save Sirius tonight. That power also saved you from possession by Voldemort, because he could not bear to reside in a body so full of the force he detests. In the end, it mattered not that you could not close your mind. It was your heart that saved you."
~ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The room was black as the darkest night. The stone floor was icy and sent chills throughout his body. His clothes and hair were plastered to his face by the residue of clammy salt water. He felt no ropes or magic binding him, yet any movement he tried was futile. He was frozen to his spot on the floor. He stretched out his arms, trying to pull away the blindfold of darkness that rendered him sightless. His grasping hands froze as a cold high voice whispered in his ear.
".............. blinding a foe .......... very handy skill ...... the obscuring charm ........ point your wand directly at your target's eyes and incant 'oscuro chegus.' The pupils should turn white immediately ........"
It was dangerous tone which sent shivers down his spine. What was it saying? He needed to know. Something told him to listen carefully.
" ....... lethifolds ...... the living shrouds ......... deadly, and unfortunately quite rare, Dark creatures ........ They will join us, of course ......... provided we barter their support for inferior victims -- Muggles and such ..........."
Cesare heard no footsteps on the hard floor, but the voice was suddenly right next to him, wheezing rancid air against his cheek. He tried to strike out against whoever it was, but he still couldn't move.
"The time is drawing near ....... In mere weeks, you will mine. Close your mind, do not resist."
"The power tempts you. Imagine the glory of it .......... to control destiny. To control lives and bend them to your utter will. Would you like to do that, Cesare?" The voice laughed in his ear, sounding eerily familiar.
"Your uncle has tried to beat you down; he acted as if you were an insignificant child. But you know you ARE something great. Would you like to prove it? To get the sweet revenge you've been yearning for. There are many ways you could refine your cursing skills on him ........."
Cesare jolted awake, and sat up quickly. He tried to even out his staggered breathing. His wide brown eyes darted over the bed and heavy closed crimson curtains, blocking his vision of the rest of the room. With a sigh, he wiped the cold sweat off his brow. Just another nightmare, just a stupid dream. Relax, he told himself, mentally trying to force out the high, cold laugh that stayed with him after every nightmare. It was a merciless sound that chilled him to the bone.
He leaned back against the headboard and hung his head in his hands. What is going on? What are these nightmares? What do they mean? Was the person with the cold laugh trying to tell me something, or ......... teach me something? There often seemed to be instructions hidden within the nightmares.
He was starting to feel doubtful of his resolve to keep what was going on to himself. He desperately wished he knew someone older, more mature, who maybe had enough magical knowledge to help him. Someone .......... someone like ..........
Someone like a father. Or a mother, he thought bitterly. But he didn't have anyone like that and never would. His only family was a nasty uncle and an unknown dead-or-absent father. He was alone except for Hermione and the very few friends he had at Hogwarts. It was a feeling he was used too, but for some reason it particularly depressed him tonight.
He looked up at the bed curtains and suddenly felt trapped in a small cage of scarlet fabric. The air was stuffy and too warm even for his liking. A claustrophobic sensation started to overcome Che, coupled with his uncertainty over the nightmares.
I have to get out of here.
He slowly opened the curtains to reveal the dormitory room aglow in moonlight spilling in from the window. He pulled on his robe over his loose pants and shoved his wand in the pocket. With a quick glance at the other beds to make sure no one else was awake, he stood quietly and held his breath. The low snores reassured him, and he silently crept out of the room.
He ducked through the portrait hole, carefully swinging open the Fat Lady, as not to wake her. But it was a routine that had become instinctual. His nighttime strays had become more habitual since school started again. He had yet to get caught.
Cesare made his way cautiously and quickly to a back entrance that led into a ghostly courtyard glowing with silvery light that bordered the Forbidden Forest. When he reached the figures of the looming, dark trees, he stopped.
The air was chilly and a fresh layer of snow blanketed the pristine ground. He continued to be struck by the alien ness of this environment that was so different from warm, azure oceans or sizzling desert sands. Yet this strange place had quickly become home for him. What Hogwart's lacked in temperature warmth was made up by the more intangible friendly warmth of its people.
He scanned the grounds once more to make sure he was alone. Assured of this, he closed his eyes, although he no longer needed to bring the image of the wolf to his mind. All he had to do was simply decide to turn into his Animagus form.
Skin became dark fur, hands became paws, and his face lengthened into a snout in the blink of an eye.
When he was the wolf, all other concerns vanished. He gladly relinquished control to the animal's mind and instincts. He felt carefree and light and thoughts of nightmares seemed ridiculous.
He started to run, an almost indescribable feeling of complete and utter freedom. The cool wet dew spraying over his paws, his powerful legs attaining speeds he never could as a human, the still quiet way the moon and stars shone over the snow; he relished it all.
The forest was close; dark trees standing like straight soldiers to block the horrors within. Yet thoughts of fear were nonexistent in his mind. The wolf could defend itself.
Cesare started to run faster, dodging trees as he gained speed. A light breeze swept off the icy snow and through his thick fur. He threw back his head, and howled in sheer delight, not knowing or caring that there were a few --very few, but still a few-- back at the castle that heard and remembered his wild call.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hermione perched on her neatly made bed, carefully inspecting a towering pile of books, deciding which ones she would need for the day. She chewed on the end of a fingernail and she debated between taking her Runes book or leaving the 5000 page volume in her dorm.
Her thoughts were interrupted as the dorm room door flew open with a bang to reveal a chattering Lavender and Parvati. They both had huge smiles on their faces. Parvati was twisting the end of her long braid with nervous excitement. They both looked at Hermione expectantly.
Hermione reluctantly postponed her book decision, and looked up at the giggling girls. "Okay, I know you want to tell me something. Go on."
Lavender glanced quickly at her best friend and nudged her shoulder. "Dean asked Parvati to go to Hogsmeade with him tomorrow!" she squealed excitedly. She seemed more excited than Parvati, who sat on Hermione's bed and was still smiling.
Hermione smiled warmly at Parvati. "That's great. I didn't know you fancied him."
Parvati nodded. She was unusually quite, but her dark eyes were sparkling with delight. Lavender also flopped onto Hermione's bed, making the book tower shake quite precariously. "Especially tomorrow! It's so romantic!" she swooned. "You're so lucky, Parvati! You too, Hermione."
"Tomorrow........" Hermione said slowly. There was something, wasn't there? Some sort of important thing. What was it? Her mind was blanking.
Lavender was staring at her; disbelief written in her blue eyes. "You do know what tomorrow is, don't you?"
"Oh, course! Tomorrow............tomorrow is........is the day after today," she finished lamely.
Lavender's eyes were as wide as a house-elf's. "Hermione!" she shouted, sounding completely horrified. She hit the other girl's arm. "Tomorrow is Valentine's Day!"
"Ah," Hermione commented, feeling stupid. "I knew that," she insisted stubbornly.
"Sure." Lavender waved as dismissive hand. "Anyway. Tell us what you and Che are doing! Are you going to Hogsmeade too?" Lavender and Parvati looked at her with rapt attention.
Hermione felt uncomfortable. She had forgotten all about Valentine's Day and would not be surprised if she discovered Cesare had never even heard of the holiday. She would feel very foolish if she asked him. "Che and I? Er........well, actually, we don't have anything planned."
Now it was Parvati's turn to look horrified. Honestly, these two were obsessed. "You......you don't have anything planned?" she asked in a hushed voice, as if this was a dirty secret not to be revealed too loudly. "How is that POSSIBLE? You two have been going out forever!"
Try a little over two months, but who's counting? Hermione thought dryly. But before she could say anything else, Lavender interrupted.
"I can't believe he didn't even ask if you wanted to do something special!"
"Well, actually, I doubt he even—"
"That is unbelievable. Typical men," Parvati added.
Hermione swiftly gathered up her books. "Yeah, typical," she said vaguely, hoping for an escape. "Anyway, I should be going. Can't be late." She swung her heavy bag onto her shoulder and made for the door before Lavender or Parvati could say another word. As she left, she couldn't help feeling just the slightest twinge of jealousy. It had been very sweet of Dean to ask Parvati out for Valentine's Day. She sighed. Oh, well. She was used to Che's ways. Valentine's Day wasn't something that suited him well.
She didn't see the scheming glances shared by Lavender and Parvati after she exited the room.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Here, these might help you."
Harry looked up from his homework. He had been in the library for the better part of three hours, desperately trying to catch up in his classes. He couldn't remember how he had gotten this far behind in his workload. He stared at Cesare blankly with tired eyes.
"What might help me?" he asked confused.
"These." Cesare tipped a stack of books onto the table. Harry eyed the top one. Understanding Your Spirit Animal: Don't be despaired if you're an insect! He leafed through it with an amused smile.
Che took the seat across from him. "It's for your Animagi research," he offered helpfully.
"My Animagi research?"
Cesare narrowed his eyes. "You know, that thing where you become an animal. Don't you want to know more about your animal?"
Harry kept his eyes focused on the messy scrawl that passed for his scribbled Charms essay. "Er, actually I think I might pick something else."
"Not the cobra? Why?
"The idea of being a snake makes me want to puke."
Che rolled his eyes. "That's ridiculous superstition. There's nothing wrong with snakes. Besides, aren't you a Parseltongue anyway?" He raised a questioning eyebrow.
"Bad experiences," Harry muttered vaguely. Nagini.
"I'd urge you to reconsider. The asp would be a good Animagus form. They're not bad creatures; they just have a nasty reputation." Cesare looked up and noticed Ron approaching the table. He quickly stood up.
"Where are you going?" Harry asked.
Che's gaze left Ron's direction and he cracked a small smile at Harry. "You got other company coming," he said lightly. He laid another book on top of the pile he'd placed in front of Harry. There was an enchanted photograph of a large crimson and gold phoenix on the gilded cover. "It's about magical birds. I spotted it and thought Ron could make good use of it," he explained with a shrug.
Harry was struck by how ridiculous the unspoken conflict between Cesare and Ron was. The two would actually have made good friends. He was surprised by Che's thoughtfulness for someone who made such a display of hating him.
"Don't tell him it's from me," Che smirked and left the table before Harry could utter another word.
Cesare made it as far as the doors when he was accosted by Lavender Brown and Parvati Patel. The two had been waiting for him behind a tall, dusty bookshelf.
Lavender smiled warmly, with undisguised intent in her eyes. She drawled out his name. "Ceeeeesare, how good to see you."
He was slightly taken aback by her greeting. "Ah......I'm good, Lavender. And yourself?" he asked politely, while backing towards the exit.
Parvati swiftly crossed in back of him and gently took his arm. "Che, Che, Che. We must talk. Lavender and I have just had the most distressing news."
Lavender took his other arm and pulled him towards a table. She was still smiling sweetly as she pushed him into a chair. The two girls took seats across from his and folded their hands in a professional manner. They eyed a bewildered Cesare very sternly.
"Now. There are a few things we must discuss........."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hermione rolled her eyes as she walked past the desk Parvati and Dean were sharing the next day. They were whispering with their heads close together, but Hermione could make out Dean's wide grin and Parvati's batting eyelashes.
Valentine's Day. What a ridiculous concept. All day the corridors had echoed with the excited giggles of hopeful girls. Suddenly everyone was eying each other with romantic thoughts in their heads. How bloody stupid.
Of course, she wasn't resentful because her own boyfriend had ignored her the entire day. That had nothing to do with it. After all, why should she be disappointed that on the first Valentine's Day she actually had a boyfriend (Krum didn't count) he hadn't said two words to her? No, that wasn't affecting her mood at all.
She pulled out the chair next to Cesare, making sure the legs scraped against the floor. He didn't look up at the noise. She sat down and scowled as he continued to appear unaware of her presence. He was absentmindedly doodling on a spare bit of parchment; his eyes focused towards the front of the classroom.
"Hello to you too," she said scathingly.
Che eye's flickered briefly in her direction. He seemed surprised to find her sitting there and Hermione fought the urge to roll her eyes.
"Hey," he muttered before turning his attention back to the front of the room. Men are so completely clueless sometimes," she thought. Hermione caught another glimpse of Dean and Parvati sweetly flirting and cursed the bit of jealousy she could not deny.
Professor Almari walked in at that moment and class started. Throughout the lesson, Hermione shot glances at Che, but he ignored her. She grew more annoyed as the minutes ticked by. When the bell rang, she jumped out of her seat and charged towards the door.
~*~*~*~
"Harry and Ron? May I speak with you two for a moment?"
Harry swung his bag onto his shoulder and turned around. Almari was looking at him expectantly. With a glance towards Ron, the two walked over to the teacher's desk.
Almari smiled warmly. "Ron, Harry tells me you are willing to help him learn Legilimency. This is very kind of you."
Ron ears turned slightly pink at the praise. "It's nothing," he insisted, but with a trace of uncertainty in his voice. Harry didn't blame him; he wasn't fond of people breaking into his mind either.
"I was wondering if you two would like to start tonight?" she asked. "You can come before dinner. I'll have some food sent."
Harry and Ron exchanged affirmative nods. "Yeah, that sounds good."
"Excellent. Ron, welcome to our very exclusive Occlumency and Legilimency group," the jinn said with a smile. "I'll see you two tonight.
They left the classroom and walked to their next lessons. "You're positive about doing this, right mate?" Harry asked. "I mean, I completely understand if you don't want to. I wouldn't blame you at all. You wouldn't have to feel guilty or anything."
Ron held up his hand to interrupt his friend. "Relax. I told you before, I'm doing this. I want to help you. Really. This is important, I mean, after last year and all........" his voice trailed off as Harry looked away.
There was a moment of uncomfortable silence at the mention of the unspoken subject. Harry stared at the small patch of dusty winter sun illuminating the worn floor. Ron bit his lip and then opened his mouth slowly, as if uncertain of the reaction his words might produce.
"Harry......you know, you can talk about it. Really, I don't mind. In fact, it might be good for you. It's been awhile now." He watched his friend with concern.
Harry didn't say anything at first; just fidgeted with the strap of his bag and continued to avoid Ron's gaze. Why didn't he talk about, he wondered. Ron was right; it had been several months since Sirius's death. While thoughts of his late godfather continued to creep into his mind, Harry realized he didn't think of Sirius everyday. When had that happened? Sirius used to dominate Harry's life. He had been reminded of the beloved Animagus constantly. When had that changed? Did it mean that Harry was simply healing and going on with his life? Harry wasn't sure how he felt about that. He didn't want to ever forget his godfather.
"Harry?" Ron asked, when he didn't respond. Harry looked up. "I'm fine," he said softly. His mantra. I'm fine. I'm always fine. "I should be getting to Dueling. And you don't want to be late to Herbology," he added quickly.
Ron looked a little surprised at the rapid change of subject, but his voice indicated weary acceptance. Harry still didn't want to talk about his godfather's murder. "Yeah, you're right. Sprout gets all in a huff when I'm late. Get it? In a huff? She's in charge of Hufflepuff?" The joke was terrible, but the attempt to lighten Harry's dark mood was a sign of the deep friendship they shared.
Harry couldn't hide the small smile that broke across his face at Ron's incredibly lame pun. "I'll see you later," he said before heading to his next class.
~*~*~*~
Hermione had time to drop by Gryffindor Tower and pick up her books for Arithmancy before class. She dropped her bag on her bed and searched for a rubber band to put up her thick hair. It was driving her crazy today. She stood in front of the mirror and as she swept her hair up into a ponytail, she saw two people reflected behind her shoulder.
Completely startled, she jumped and whirled around. She caught her breathe when she realized it was just Parvati and Lavender. "Dear Merlin, you two scared me," she said with a laugh.
The joke was apparently not shared by either of them. Parvati screeched and hurried forward, snatching the rubber band from her hand.
"What are you doing?! You can't wear your hair in ponytail!" Parvati held up a brush that seemed to have appeared from thin air—or Parvati's expansive collection of beauty and grooming supplies—and started yanking it through Hermione's hair.
"Ouch! What are you doing?!" Hermione yelled, echoing the other girl's words. But her attention was suddenly drawn to Lavender, who was anxiously rummaging through Hermione wardrobe.
"Oh, I can't find anything in here!" she complained and dumped Hermione's clothes to the ground in a crumpled heap. Hermione was so shocked she couldn't even protest. Lavender started going through her own wardrobe and then Parvati's.
Meanwhile, Parvati had taken advantage of the distraction, and was expertly applying make-up to Hermione's face. "Sit still," she snapped, when Hermione tried to stand up. Hermione was about to ask them if they had been sniffing potion fumes, when Lavender hurried forward with a beaming smile.
"This is it! This is perfect!" She held up a stylish light purple robe. It looked light and airy, definitely not suitable for Hogwart's cold February weather.
Parvati looked up from her careful work. "Hey, that's mine!"
Lavender shot her a look and the other girl backed down. "But...... er, of course she can wear it," she added quickly.
Hermione jumped up from the bed and held her hands out to protect herself from the other girls. "What is going on here?!" she demanded.
Parvati and Lavender exchanged glances and then looked at her. "He didn't tell you yet?" Lavender rolled her eyes. "Guys. Never trust them to do anything."
Hermione blinked. "What? What are you talking about?"
"Nevermind. There's no time," Parvati said as she grabbed a small pot of a silvery gel-like substance. She smeared some of it her hands and ran it through Hermione's hair. She wiped her hands on a piece of cloth and then took out her wand. "Callapelli bellirini."
Hermione felt an odd sensation has her thick hair was suddenly transformed into shiny, chestnut curls. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and was pleasantly surprised.
Lavender and Parvati studied her. "Okay, I guess she's good. No time for the robe. Oh, well." Lavender started pushing her towards the door.
Hermione made a valiant attempt to grab her books and escape, but the two other girls continued to usher her downstairs.
"I'm going to be late to class!" she protested and tried to wriggle free.
"Relax, carina. There is no class."
Che was lounging in one of the squashy chairs near the fire with his feet up on the table. His arms were crossed behind his head and he looked perfectly comfortable.
"There's no class?" she repeated in disbelief.
"No. Professor Vector has suddenly taken violently ill. Unfortunately, this occurred just recently and Dumbledore has been unable to secure a replacement for today's class," Cesare announced this like someone would discuss the weather.
Hermione narrowed her eyes. "What did you do to her?" she asked suspiciously.
He didn't even try to look offended. "I'm disappointed that you think I would affect the health of one of my teachers just to have class cancelled." He smiled mischievously. "Anyway, that frees up our afternoon."
"What are you taking about? And what are you wearing?" she asked, noticing his clothes. Che was dressed in dark beige robe, much more fashionably cut than the robes that were worn in school.
"This?" he asked, fingering the robe. "It will blend in more where we are going."
She crossed her arms and tried not to look too confused. "And just where are we going?"
Che stood up and with a gesture of his head, Parvati and Lavender disappeared upstairs. He crossed the room to stand in front of Hermione. He held his chin in one hand in a scholarly manner and looked at her with amused eyes.
"I have been made aware of some sort of Western holiday that occurs today. Valencia's day or something....."
"Valentine's Day," she corrected.
"Yeah, that. Anyway, I was told that it's a tragedy if a couple doesn't do something and that it was very itypical/i of me to forget about it." Che couldn't hide his smile.
"Parvati and Lavender," Hermione muttered. She was going to curse them.....
"You have very determined friends," he said with a laugh. "Anyway, so I figured I should plan a little something. Nothing major, just dinner, or something." He slid his hand towards the small of her back and began leading her towards the fireplace, while reaching inside his pocket with the other hand.
"Of course, we might have to slightly bend a few school rules......."
"What exactly does bend mean?" she asked cautiously.
"Nothing terrible," he assured. "It's not bad at all, really."
"Ooookay," she said slowly, suddenly having doubts about this plan. Before she could say anything else, he withdrew his hand from his pocket and tossed glistening powder into the fire. Emerald flames shot up and Cesare pulled her in with him.
"Belmagina!"
Hermione yelled and tried to pull away, but he held her tight and they disappeared in a swirl of sparkling flames.
Parvati and Lavender had been spying from the stairwell. Lavender sighed. "Now that is going to be romantic!"
Parvati nodded. "I'd say our job here is well done."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hermione started screaming at him as soon as they stopped traveling. They stepped out of a tall worn stone fireplace in a bare high-ceilinged room. Sunlight streamed in through ancient cracked windows.
"Cesare, please, please tell me that we're not in Belmagina," Hermione begged.
He looked pleased. "You've heard of it?"
"Yes, I've heard of it. As is Belmagina, the wizarding community outside Naples. As in Naples, Italy. As in a FORIEGN COUNTRY!"
"Very intelligent deduction."
She was horrified. "You said you planned dinner."
"I did. In Italy."
"Bend the rules? Che, we're going to be expelled!"
"No, we're not, they would never expel us. You, Miss Prefect could commit an Unforgivable Curse under McGonagall's noise and get away with a light detention. And I'm in the exchange program. They wouldn't want to damage their 'precious international ties'. Besides, there's nothing in the rules about going to another country during school. I checked." He sounded very confident.
"I think that's because it's assumed no one is going to go globe-trotting during Potions!"
He shrugged. "Like I said before. The Founders lacked imagination." He grabbed her hand and smiled. "Now, come on. We are not going to get caught. Trust me."
They walked towards a door at the far end of the room. Che held it open for her and Hermione stepped out. She was momentarily blinded by the bright sun. When the spots in front of her eyes faded, she was even more dazzled by what she saw.
The village was situated among the cliffs, overlooking the sea. Sparkling light danced across the smooth waves. The sky was so blue that looking at it hurt her eyes. And the town itself was magnificent to behold. Stone buildings, painted in bright whites and pastels were clustered next to and on top of one another. Red and brown tiled roofs stood out amongst green trees and vibrant flowering vines.
Small shops and stalls covered the narrow, ancient streets. Vendors hawked their wares, inviting customers to come and compare their prices. Everything seemed to be on sale. Hermione saw a stall selling multi-colored glass bottles, the one next to it was covered by stylish wizarding hats, and aromatic scents wafted from the closest stall.
Cesare wrapped his arm around her waist. "Benvenuto a Belmagina," he whispered in her ear.
She felt some of her anxiety at getting caught dissipate. Cesare's hand slid down her shoulder and he intertwined his fingers with hers. He pulled her out into the street.
"Come now, smile. It is not so bad, no? I'll show you where I spent my summers." He held a finger to her lips. "And no more talk about getting in trouble. Trust me. I wouldn't let them catch you."
Hermione let herself relax. She was in a beautiful, romantic place with Che. She had been filled with growing stress due to schoolwork and the problems with Ron. She would give herself today to enjoy.
She leaned against his shoulder. "Okay, italiano. Show me the sights."
Che smiled. "I will. But first......" he inspected the sleeve of her thick, black Hogwarts robe and shook his head. "We are going to make you look like an Italian."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Harry heard a loud bang as the Fat Lady's portrait slammed against the wall. He looked up from his essay on Cleaning Charms and saw Ron scrambling out from the passage into the Gryffindor common room. He looked irritated.
"All these bloody saps. Snogging all over the place. Damn holiday," he cursed and then stumbled over a chair leg.
"Nice entrance," Harry remarked. Ron scowled.
"Dean and Parvati are the new thing or so it seems. Had to sit next to Dean while he made eyes at her." Ron dropped his bag on the table and a roll of parchment spilled out from the messy contents.
"Dean and Parvati?" Harry asked. "Thought he was with Ginny."
"Nah, mate. Keep up with the times. That's been over for ages. 'Cept she won't tell me who the new boyfriend is. 'None of my damn business' apparently. She thinks I'd harass him or something."
Harry turned his laugh into a cough and looked at his watch. "We should go. Almari will be expecting us."
Ron nodded and the two left. As they walked towards Almari's office, Ron glanced at Harry anxiously.
"Y'know, if you see something embarrassing in my head, do me a favor and lie to Almari about it," he asked.
Harry rolled his eyes. "Don't worry. I probably won't see anything. I think Almari overestimates my potential. I'll probably stare at your forehead for an hour and only get a headache."
He knocked on the door and heard the jinn tell him to come in. Harry opened the door and he and Ron walked inside the Defense Master's office. Harry was still always taken slightly aback by the room. It looked so different from the rest of the castle. It seemed like he was walking into a room in India or Morocco.
Almari wasn't in her usual seat behind the desk. Harry looked for her and saw the black-haired professor seated on a floor cushion besides the book shelves. That part of the room was richly carpets and vibrant colored silk cushions were strewn about.
"Come. We will be more comfortable over here if either of you pass out," she said with a wink. Ron grew noticeably paler.
"A joke, Mr.Weasley," she assured.
They sat. Harry, having grown used to the jinn's odd ways, looked comfortable. Ron still looked nervous and Harry felt a pang of guilt for asking his friend to do this.
"Let us start. Now Harry, we have gone over some of the techniques, yes?" Almari looked at him.
"Yeah. The incantation and stuff."
"Yes, do you remember it?" she asked.
"Of course," he answered. "Legilimens."
"Very good." Almari took a deep breath and closed her eyes, and then exhaled slowly, keeping them closed. "I am going to help you on your first few tries."
Harry felt sudden warmth in his mind and knew she was giving him strength. Although jinn magic was still a mystery to him, the two had worked together for several months on Occlumency. It had been work like this, mostly mental, and her presence in his mind felt very natural.
"Okay, we are going to start easy," she continued. "Ron, I want you to think of a Quidditch memory. A single image. Concentrate very hard on it and only it."
"Uh, huh," he murmured. "Got it."
"And Harry, with this topic in mind, you are going to try to pick up on the image. Say the incantation and concentrate. Try to imagine yourself in Ron's mind. Pretend you are him, if it helps. Understand?"
Harry heard Ron try to suppress a laugh at the idea of Harry pretending to be him. "I understand," he said, trying to remain serious.
"Start."
He pointed his wand towards Ron. "Legilimens!" He stared at Ron's closed eyelids, willing something to happen. Nothing did.
There was a light touch upon his thoughts that felt almost physical. Almari. He tried to draw from the power he felt emanating from her small frame. He emptied his mind and became more aware of his surroundings: the soft silk underneath him, the steady ticking of a clock, the fragrance of smoldering jasmine incense.
Quidditch. Think Quidditch. He visited his own memories. Images of his beloved sports blurred past in slideshow of colors: green grass, blue sky, scarlet and gold robes.
One image stuck out, calling attention to itself. As if he was hovering in the air above, he saw three huddled wet figures against the dark Quidditch pitch. Lightening lit up the scene.
He looked more closely and recognized the trio. Hermione, Harry, and Ron. Hermione was holding Harry's glasses in one hand and waving her wand over them. Ron and Harry watched her anxiously.
Harry smiled to himself at the memory of Hermione bewitching his glasses to make them waterproof. As he stared at the trio, an odd thing happened. He noticed more than just the physical elements of the image. He saw the rain, heard the thunder, but this was different. He could almost feel what was happening. The past emotions of his friends and former self came alive. Hermione's worry hit him as hard as a punch. Ron's concern was tangible. His own determination to win surrounded him.
All the feeling were connected. They swirled about his mind and fused together. And he suddenly understood. It was the bond between the three of them that had caused this entire scene. The deep friendship they shared.
He couldn't explain what happened right after that. Suddenly he felt completely recharged and powerful, as if he could take on the world. It was an odd feeling. However, he was still thinking of Ron's memory. A surge of images and emotions pounded into him, faster than he could comprehend what was going on. He saw flashes of the Weasley family: the twins joking, Ginny smiling, Mrs. Weasley yelling, Mr. Weasley in the hospital recovering from a snake bite, and more. A toddler Ron held up his pudgy arms to his waiting mother. Harry saw his own face meeting Ron for the first time. Harry and Ginny emerging from the Chamber of Secrets. An image of Hermione crying when Ron yelled at Crookshanks.
The visions sped up and his hands flew up to his head which felt like it was going to explode. Harry and Ron playing wizard's chess. The three of them at Hogsmeade drinking butterbeer. Cleaning and cracking jokes with the twins at Grimmauld Place. Studying with Hermione. Harry standing in the hospital wing, looking broken and defeated after Sirius's death.
He couldn't stand the onslaught anymore. His head was burning. Stop it, stop it, stop! he cried to himself.
Suddenly cool hands were holding his face gently and he heard a soft voice chanting in unknown and incomprehensible tongue. The images stopped and his eyes snapped open. He was breathing heavily and felt cold sweat break across his brow.
Harry saw Ron staring at him, his mouth hanging open and his eyes disbelieving.
"Sit back, Harry," a voice said soothingly. "It is over." Almari handed him a glass of water and he leaned against the cushions.
"Are you alright? Do you feel dizzy or disorientated?" she asked with a concerned face.
Harry sipped the water and felt a little better. "No, I'm okay," he said slowly. "But.....what just happened?
The jinn looked a bit less anxious after he said he was alright, but her face was still dark with worry and.......something else that Harry could not make out. Was it fear? Confusion? Or something entirely different?
She was silent for a moment and looked very pensive. She stared at him intently; her dark eyes boring into his skull, and then spoke. "I was hoping you could tell me what happened," she confessed slowly.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"How's this one?" Hermione asked. She held out her arms, and spun slowly, displaying the deep indigo robe. She stared at Che expectantly. They had been shopping for almost two hours. She was surprised he still seemed relatively patient. Hermione was starting to feel edgy, but the shopkeepers were so eager and earnest; she couldn't bring herself to be rude.
This was the third in a series of upscale wizarding wear boutiques. Hermione had never been in a shop like this in her life. The store owners seemed to know Cesare and brightened up when he started chattering away in Italian. There had been several exuberant cries of "Certamente!" and then two women had whisked her into a dressing room the size of a large classroom.
"Too dark," he commented on the robe. At the sight of Che's disapproval, the two attendants looked heartbroken and Hermione struggled not to laugh. They led her back to the dressing room and then disappeared for a few minutes. When they returned, one woman was carefully holding a light lavender robe in her arms. She held it up for Hermione to look at.
It was gorgeous. Hermione didn't care much for fashion, but she would swear that she had seen a witch modeling this very robe in one style magazines Ginny had left lying around Grimmauld Place.
"You like?" The witch asked after she had tried it on, a hopeful expression on her face.
Oh, she liked alright. It was probably the most stylish thing she had ever worn. The color looked nice against her complexion and brown hair.
Che agreed when she came out. "Mi piace molto," he said with a smile. Hermione fumbled at the back of the robe. "Wait, let me check the price. I can't find the tag."
He laughed. "They don't have price tags here, carina." He wrote something on a slip of paper and handed it to the owner. "Molto grazie. ArrivaderLa, signorine."
He slipped his arm through Hermione's and led her back outside. The sun was starting to set; the crimson and gold sphere slowly slipping beneath the Mediterranean blue.
A little while later, they were seated at a white-clothed table on a terrazzo overlooking the water. A black haired waiter came over and spoke to Cesare in Italian.
Hermione gazed at the magnificent view of the village, and stole a few glances at Che. He looked so comfortable here, speaking Italian at nearly the speed of light with the waiter and gesturing with his hands for emphasis. It wasn't hard to picture him in this beautiful place as a child, yet he'd had a horrible childhood. She shivered and wondered if his uncle's villa was nearby. She'd never met the man, but for some reason, the thought of him sent chills down her arms.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Harry looked thoughtfully at his goblet of pumpkin juice. After the bizarre Legilimency experience, Almari had had food brought up and the three of them discussed what could have happened. They were no closer to solving the mystery now then they had been an hour before.
"There seems to be a connection between the images you saw, Harry," Almari remarked as she neatly scooped up a bit of rice with her right hand. "It's vague, but a possibility."
"There is?"
"Well for instance, you didn't see any memories of Ron doing homework or performing a spell. All the memories were of people in his life. Friends and family he cares for."
Ron's eyes lit up and he nearly choked on a biscuit. "Y'know, she's right! I didn't think of that, but it's true."
Ideas were connecting in Harry's mind. "When I saw the images, I also felt something attached with each one. The same thing happened when I first recognized his Quidditch memory. It's odd, but I could almost touch our past emotions. They were so strong. And they all kinda blended together to......I dunno how to explain it.......but it sorta represented our friendship. Do you understand what I'm saying?" he asked, feeling rather ridiculous for talking about touchy-feely emotions with the Defense professor.
Ron clearly wasn't following; he was looking at Harry like he'd dyed his hair pink. But Almari was studying him carefully. "Yes, Mr. Potter.........I think I do."
There was something else he was forgetting. Harry desperately tried to think of it. He felt like there was another piece of the puzzle missing that would allow him to understand what had happened. He knew what the piece was, just couldn't remember at the moment. But Almari's guess had triggered it. Something about caring.
The jinni was still staring at him and Harry felt uncomfortable. She seemed to look right through him and know he was hiding something. He returned her gaze uneasily, until she looked away.
"It is getting late," she interrupted. "You two will want to get back to your dorm before curfew. She stood up and then opened the door for them.
Harry was halfway there when he realized Ron wasn't following him. He looked over his shoulder and saw Ron's attention focused on a spot behind the bookshelf.
"Ron?"
Ron whirled around, with a guilty look on his face. "Sorry, wasn't paying attention." He scrambled to his feet and hurried towards Harry. Almari bid them goodnight and they left.
"Did you notice what she had in her office?" Ron asked eagerly, as they headed up the quiet staircase towards Gryffindor Tower. They both instinctively jumped over the trick step.
"No. Is that what you were looking at?" Harry responded. Ron tugged on his sleeve and he stopped. Ron quickly glanced around, but the wide hallway was empty and silent except for the whispers of portraits.
"She has a Pensieve in her office," he said with a knowing look.
"So?"
"So? Duh, Harry." Ron looked exasperated. "She suddenly has Pensieve in her office the same night you start learning Legilimency? If you ask me, she didn't want to you to see something."
Harry rolled his eyes. "We don't know that she didn't have it the entire time. I think you're being paranoid."
"Maybe," Ron said, but he sounded doubtful. "But didn't Snape use one when he didn't want you to see stuff? A lot of people use them to hide their thoughts from Legilimens."
Harry shook his head and they continued walking. "I think you're wrong. Besides, you already admitted that she's a jinn and an ex Death Eater. What else could she be hiding?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"I don't care what you say. That waiter was completely taken with you. Bella signorina this, and bella signorina that. If he stared at you any longer, his eyeballs would have wasted away!"
Hermione laughed as they walked down the beach. "He was just trying to be polite!" she protested. "He probably wanted a good tip."
"He's lucky his tip wasn't me throwing him over the railing," Che threatened, but teasingly so.
It had grown very dark. The village lights were behind them and the stars and moon reflected upon the black waves. Hermione suddenly stumbled and landed in a sandy pile, bringing Che down as well.
"Have we had a bit too much wine?" he joked. "Can't even walk without falling down...."
"You should talk! I abstained from the alcohol, thank you very much. You on the other hand........"
"It's healthy," he insisted, "better than vegetables."
She rolled her eyes and leaned against his back. "You're crazy."
"I won't argue with that," he said and lightly stroked her hair. "Oh, I almost forgot." He grabbed at something around his neck and then muttered. "I can't see a thing. Lumos."
Che froze. He had said it naturally, without even taking out his wand. His heart skipped a beat, but Hermione's attention was focused towards the sea. She hadn't seen anything. He breathed a sigh a relief. He'd just come very close to performing wandless magic in front of another person. Too close.
He took his glowing wand from his pocket and held it up, illuminating the small pendent in his hand. The gold caught the light and reflected it in wild angles. Hermione took it and ran her fingers over the strange designs.
"What is it?" she asked puzzled.
Che rested his chin on her shoulder and looked down at the necklace as she held it in her hands. "My mother's cartouche. The hieroglyphics read Kalila. It was her Arabic name. It means dearly loved." He closed Hermione's fingers around it. "I want you to have it," he said quietly.
She whirled around to face him. "Che! You can't give this to me! It's your mother's!"
"No," he insisted. "I want you to hold on to it for me." She started to protest again, but he quickly interrupted. "Do you remember when you asked me if I trusted you? And I said I wasn't sure?"
Hermione nodded, realization dawning in her mind.
Cesare wrapped his palm around her enclosed fist. "Well, I do. And I want you to know that. I trust you to hold on to this for me."
She looked at him and something inside her broke. How had this strange person entered and changed her life so easily? The relationship didn't seem logical at first. He came from a foreign land she had never seen, brought up in a family that hated people like her, with extensive riches at his hands. Many of those characteristics could also be attributed to a person she hated: Draco Malfoy. But hate wasn't the emotion she felt when she looked at Che. He made her laugh, cry, and feel something she'd never understood. Tears nearly sprung to her eyes as she gazed at his face; his brown eyes draped in shadows. She knew how significant this was to him.
"I will. I'll keep it safe," she promised. "I....." an odd feeling broke over her, something she wasn't used to at all. She hesitated, uncertain whether to continue. Uncertain how he would respond. "Che, I think........I think I'm in love with you," she confessed.
He blinked and Hermione saw an emotion she usually didn't see on his face. Shock. Oh, that's a nice response, she thought sarcastically. Shock and terror.
Che was silent for a few minutes and had trouble meeting her eyes. Finally he looked up, and Hermione saw the traces of a smile at the corners of his mouth. "No one has ever said anything like that to me," he remarked. "Thank you," he murmured.
Thank you? That's it? she thought. Her face must have betrayed her thoughts, because Che grimaced and added, "I guess I'm supposed to say more than that."
She grew annoyed and turned away. "Not if you don't want to."
"Ah....don't be like that. You know how I feel about you." He took her chin in his hand and turned her face back towards his. "You know I love you." Then he dropped his hand and laughed out loud. "Dear Merlin, that was strange!"
She slapped his arm. "You're so unromantic!" she complained, but she didn't sound upset. She wasn't the overly sentimental type anyway. She felt a bit awkward and something prompted her to check her watch. When she did, she gasped. "Che, we have to get back! It's already past curfew!"
"So?" he asked, but stood anyway. "We should wait a little later. We don't want to Floo into the common room when people are there." He helped her up and she gazed at the ocean once more.
"It really is beautiful here," she said as they walked off the beach, avoiding the small fishing boats that gleamed in the moonlight. "Do you think you will come back here after graduation?"
"Here? No," he said quickly. "Bad memories," he added quietly. "Besides, Egypt is my real home. That is where I feel I belong. I've only lived in Italy during the summers."
She was intrigued. "Why did your family decide to leave Egypt?" She realized she didn't know.
He snickered and she could have sworn a flicker of embarrassment swept across his face. "Well, exile doesn't give you much choice to do otherwise," he said sarcastically.
"Exile?" she repeated in disbelief.
"Yeah. My great-grandparents were obsessed with their ancestry. They started to go a little pazzesco, crazy, at the thought of Muggles trouncing on 'their' history. So their response was to bewitch the sands around the pyramids to swallow Muggles."
Hermione gasped. "They did what?"
"Oh, they didn't stop there," he said with a sardonic smile. "Some famous Muggle archeologist was exploring the tomb of an old pharaoh. Tutankhamun, I think it was. Anyway, great granddad cursed the tomb and the archeologists started having accidents that resulted in their tragic and bizarre deaths, and the Egyptian Ministry of Magic went nuts. They were never able to completely contain the crisis and Muggles still talk about that curse today." He laughed. "The Jalil's couldn't buy their way out of that disaster and the Ministry kicked them out of the country."
"So they came to Italy?"
"Yes. The Italian Ministry was furious. I don't think the Italian and Egyptian Ministers got along too well after that. Anyway, my great grandparents moved into an old villa near here."
"Close to Belmagina, right?" she asked.
He nodded. "Very close, actually. Within walking distance. Yet one can only see it if they are a family member or have been brought by someone who knows the way. For extra security." He looked thoughtful. "We have some time. I will show you," he said with a mischievous grin.
They turned onto a narrow, dirt path that twisted into some scraggly trees. The path took them higher on the cliff and Hermione's legs started to ache. Suddenly Che stopped and stared across the water. A short peninsula jutted into the sea. It was covered in trees and nothing else.
"I don't see anything," she whispered.
"You will." He brought out his wand and aimed it at the distant rocky cliff. "Aparecia anigla!"
As if it were a desert mirage shimmering in the noon sun, a magnificent white structure slowly rose from where there had been nothing. Her mouth dropped open. It was huge! It had to be several stories high and had tall towers at each corner that reached even further into the sky. The alabaster marble glowed in the darkness. It looked peaceful, quite, and serene.
He seemed to read her mind. "Looks can be deceiving," he warned. He stared at the grand building across the water with angry eyes. "I wonder if the devil is in tonight," he muttered bitterly.
Hermione glanced over and was disturbed by the twisted expression he wore. It was clear even looking at the place distressed him. "Let's go," she said quietly. Without another word, they headed back to the town, Hermione clinging tightly to his hand, unable to shake off the eerie feeling the villa had given her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Harry didn't realize how exhausted he was until he collapsed onto his warm bed. He pulled off his sneakers, muttered a good night to Ron, and settled under the thick blankets. His mind ached and he closed his weary eyes. He was asleep in minutes.
Doors spun around him as he stood in the Department of Mysteries. He waited patiently until they stopped. He knew exactly where to go. The formidable black door loomed over him and the knob was icy when he touched it. It was locked, but that could not prevent Harry's entrance. What was in there belonged to him and he was determined to take it.
He turned the knob and lock gave out. The door groaned with disuse as he pushed it open and stepped inside. It was very dark and he blinked as his eyes grew used to the shadowy blue glow.
He looked around. The room seemed to be empty. Then he spotted something silvery gleaming in one of the corners. He narrowed his eyes and walked towards it.
It was an old mirror, with an ugly greenish brown frame. He looked at his reflection, but found that the person gazing back was not him. It was a young woman with sparkling green eyes and long red hair. His mother.
"The Mirror of Erised........." he whispered, but the image of his mother shook her head and then spoke.
"I am not who you think I am and this is not the mirror of which you speak, but its sister. You are seeking something, Harry Potter and that is what you will see reflected in this glass."
"I don't know what I am seeking," he murmured in his dream.
She looked at him with sad determination. "Answers, Harry Potter. You seek answers to the questions that have plagued you. You seek to know if you can defeat him. The answers you desire cannot be found behind any of these doors, Harry Potter. They dwell in your heart." She touched a pale hand to her chest.
Harry suddenly stirred in his sleep and the vision disappeared. He recalled a confused version of it for a minute, but then as he fell back into other dreams, the message from the Department of Mysteries was lost.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Cesare and Hermione crept out of the fireplace and into the quiet common room. He smiled. "I told you we would not get caught."
A yawn slipped past her mouth. "Uh, huh," she said tiredly.
He kissed her gently. "Good night, Hermione."
"Night. And Che," she lightly touched his cheek. "Thank you for tonight. It was perfect. And amazing. And probably other things that I am too tired to think of right now."
"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, habibi. Now go to sleep."
Hermione dragged herself up the stairs towards her room. She knew Lavender and Parvati would try to keep her up by forcing her relieve every detail of the trip. But she couldn't bring herself to feel annoyed. She was filled with a delighted, airy feeling after tonight. It had truly been magical.
As she opened the door to her room and was greeted by the squeals of her roommates, she was mercifully spared foresight. She had no suspicion that in a few weeks she would look back upon this night and be haunted by betrayal and pain.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
-_~ Author's Note ~_-
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