Harry Potter, Heir of Gryffindor
Coping and Classes
The New Yeas Eve Ball went as well as could be expected. It wasn't as well attended as the Yule Ball had been but no one complained and Harry was glad that every effort was being made to remember those who had fallen in the battle. The service, that had taken place before dinner that evening, was not only well done but reminded everyone that it was going to take a team effort to defeat Voldemort and that everyone's efforts, no matter their history or background, would be needed and greatly appreciated.
At midnight on New Years Eve Harry and Ginny were standing at the top of the Astronomy Tower looking down on the makeshift village on the castle grounds. The air was cool but not cold and a gentle breeze rustled their cloaks and robes just enough to let them know that it was there. The sky above was clear and the galaxy was laid out before them. After watching the activity on the castle grounds for a while Harry turned around and started searching the heavens for the Dog Star. When he found it he stopped and let his eyes fill with tears. Ginny, sensing his pain and seeing where he was looking, took hold of one of his hands and held it gently in both of her own. "You miss him, don't you," she said, stating his heart's desire to speak with his godfather again.
Not really trusting his voice Harry nodded his head slightly and said, "Mm hmm."
Stepping around to stand in front of him Ginny reached up and brushed away a few of the tears that were beginning to spill down his cheeks. Harry looked down and smiled at her. After wiping the rest of the tears from his eyes he looked down into her eyes and whispered, "Thank you."
Ginny slid her arms around his neck and pulled him into a gentle hug. "He's never really all that far away, you know," she said softly. "All you have to do is think about him and remember the good times. That's the way he would have wanted it."
"I know," Harry whispered then wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into a gently tender yet passionately warm New Years kiss.
Fifteen minutes later they left the Astronomy Tower and made their way back to the Gryffindor Common Room where they said good night and went to their rooms.
The few students who had gone home for the holidays returned the next evening and were stunned at what they saw. Several of the students were still sporting bandages and slings and a few - like Orville Burns - we still using a crutch or crutches to get around. The Quibbler had run a special war issue the day after the battle - based upon interviews from flyers, volunteer fighters, residents of Hogsmeade, aurors, hit-wizards, security wizards - which had been approved of by Percy after he made sure that all of the details were correct and accurate but the returning students wanted to hear all about it from those who had actually lived it. Not surprisingly, though, no one wanted to talk about it. Even Colin Creevey, who had take many of the pictures used in the issue, was surprisingly quiet and refused to talk about it. A few of the more brazen returning students mocked those with injuries, suggesting that they were just trying to get attention or gain sympathy, but they were quickly silenced by those who had stayed.
On the Saturday after the students' return Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna, Blaise, Pansy, Orville and several of the others who had taken part in the defense of Hogwarts in various capacities were sitting in the Defense classroom, with Kingsley as moderator and a wizarding psychologist in attendance, talking about their experiences trying to work through some of the problems they were having with flashbacks, nightmares and people asking questions they did not want to answer. For Harry and his group this was nothing new but for those for whom this had been their first battle it was a nightmare and Harry honestly felt sorry for them. At one point Orville Burns stood up and almost shouted, "Why can't they understand that we don't want to talk about it?"
"With anyone who wasn't there," Pansy added.
"Are you referring to the returning students?" Mr. Hawkhorn, a soft-spoken, balding man with a silver fringe, sparkling blue eyes and sky blue robes, asked.
"Yes!" Orville growled.
Kingsley stood up and walked over to stand in front of the teacher's desk, which had been shoved back against the wall to help create a more open and friendly environment. After folding his arms across his chest and bowing his head in thought for several seconds he let out a deep, audible sigh. "That, Mister Burns," he said gently, "is why we are here. You see, until recently most of you in this room have led very sheltered lives. You have not had to deal with the pain and agony of war or having seen your friends or family die. But now you have. You have experienced a few of the unspeakable atrocities of war. You have seen and felt things you most likely never knew existed, hate beyond hate, fear beyond fear and pain beyond pain and you have survived. We, the faculty, staff, your fellow students and people like Mister Hawkhorn here are here to help you. Many of us have dealt with these kinds of experiences before and I can tell you from personal experience that talking about it is never easy. It might seem far easier to withdraw into your own little worlds and build walls around yourselves, locking even your closest friends out because you fear that they will not understand. But that is neither the safest nor the sanest alternative.
"You need to let people in. It may not be easy and it may feel like some are trying to pry into your private lives but that's what these support groups are all about. We are here to help you adjust to life after, hopefully, some of the most horrific experiences you will ever have. All we can do is ask that you please try to be patient with those who were not there and do not understand what you have been through. If they wish to understand . . . if they truly wish to understand what you have been through then they will be just as patient with you."
When Albus stood up to make his announcements at the Start of Term banquet the next night Harry noticed that while his eyes still were still sparkling with life there was a certain haunted look to them, almost as though he were remembering the events of the last war against Voldemort as well as the events of the war against Grindelwald. His heart went out to the old man then because he knew what Albus had been through.
As the old man rose to his feet the Great Hall fell silent. "Although many of you did not go home for the holidays, for which I am eternally grateful, many of you are returning from what we can only hope was a restful and enjoyable holiday season. As you know, we have had an eventful past few weeks and many things have changed. In the past I have delivered this speech with respect to Harry Potter and asked you not to bother him with questions about the recent events in his life. Now many of you know why. Some memories are just too painful to relive for the sake of simple conversation.
"For those of you who returned home for the holidays as well as those of you who did not actively participate in the defense of the Hogwarts and Hogsmeade I must ask you to please respect the rights and privacy of those who did and not ask them any questions they might find hard to answer. We lost several fine witches and wizards in that battle as well as a few promising students who gave their lives for what they believed in and I ask that you honor their memory by remembering what they died for and keeping their memories alive in your hearts.
"We are going to strive for normalcy as soon as possible. However, since many of you are still dealing with the pains of war, counseling sessions and support groups will be held every Sunday evening until such time as they are no longer needed. The faculty and staff as well as several representatives from Saint Mungo's will be on hand to help you deal with any issues you might have. I encourage you all to attend. If you were not here or did not actively participate in our defense and would like to attend one or more of these sessions then I must ask that you get permission from the participants before attending.
"On a lighter note, there will be an awards ceremony next Saturday, starting at 1:00 PM, to honor and recognized those who fought and those who died. That is all. Now please, tuck in."
The silence that lingered in the hall after the headmaster's speech was almost deafening. No one had ever heard him sound so grave. But gradually the conversations picked up and, after a while, small bits of laughter began to fill the air.
In Defense Against the Dark Arts the next morning Remus, Kingsley and Alastor were all looking a bit grim and Tonks was looking nothing short of shell-shocked. "Well that was interesting," Kingsley said. "And I must commend all of you on a job well done."
Moody growled his affirmation then added, "Aye. We couldna done it without ye."
Tonks nodded her head as tears began to well up in her eyes. "I'll be honest with you guys. I've only been an auror for a few years and that was only my third encounter with all out war; and I'm proud of you. I don't think I could have asked for any better mates than you students and the others who fought on our side. I thank you."
Remus looked up from where he was sitting on a stool in a shadowy corner - he was still recovering from the effects of the last full moon - and sighed. Standing up and walking over to stand beside Tonks he said, "Now you know why what we have been trying to teach you is so important."
A girl in the back row raised her hand. Pointing to her Remus said, "Yes?"
"Excuse me, Professor Lupin, but I went home for the holidays and wasn't here for the battle. I understand why its hard for most people to talk about it because there are things my grandfather still won't talk about when we ask him about the war against Grindelwald and I hope the rest of you don't mind but I think it would be very instructive if we could talk about the spells that were used and how and why they were used."
Several of the students shuffled uncomfortably in their seats and a few even grumbled about her just wanting to hear their stories but the more Harry thought about it the better he liked the idea. Remus seemed to think about the girl's suggestion for several seconds then said, "You may be right. After all, if what I've heard is true then that is precisely how Harry's study group was started last year."
The girl smiled at the acceptance of her suggestion and the rest of the class was spent discussing the many curses, hexes and charms used in their defense of the school and how and why they were used. The discussion turned out to be so successful that it set the pattern for the rest of that week's classes.
In Charms Professor Flitwick openly discussed the battle and praised the twins for their line of fireworks and portable swamps. He complimented them on their creativity and ingenuity and told everyone that they would go far in the wizarding world. Towards the end of class he said, "Now I don't want you to get the wrong idea but sometimes the greatest minds are those that cause the most trouble while in school. The Weasley twins were, and still are, great pranksters and I wouldn't be disappointed if some of you were to follow in their footsteps."
Hermione's jaw just about hit the floor when she heard this but she quickly recovered when she apparently realized that the diminutive professor was encouraging them to be creative while developing their personal charms and to not necessarily play by the rules. He was not encouraging them to hurt anyone out of spite but he was encouraging them to find creative applications for seemingly innocent charms. Their assignment for that week was three rolls of parchment on the use of charms in battlefield operations. They were to use both historical references as well as, for those who had participated in the battle, personal experience. They were to also begin developing at least three charms for either offensive or defensive maneuvers or a combination of the two.
Professor McGonagall was slowly pacing back and forth across the front of the Transfiguration classroom when they entered, apparently deep in thought. She glanced up occasionally as the students entered but didn't say anything. When everyone was settled and the bell sounded, signaling the start of class, she walked over to her desk, picked up a handful of small stones and, without warning, tossed them out over the students' heads. The reflexes of some were slower than others but before any of the stones could either strike any of the students or hit the desks or floor they were all transfigured onto a variety of butterflies, birds, flowers or leaves. "Very good," she said after the cries of spells being cast had died away, a faint smile appearing on her normally stern face. "You have learned your lessons well. And from the reports we have received you all did an excellent job of defending yourselves against the rather crude weapons of the trolls and goblins. I must say that I am proud of all of you. Today, however, we are going to begin the study of human transfiguration.
"These transfigurations are very complicated and can easily go awry if you are not careful. As those of you who were in Advanced Potions last term learned, the Polyjuice Potion is used to temporarily transform one person into the likeness of another. The transfigurations you will learn in here are not as dramatic as the effects of this potion but they can be used to effectively alter your appearance so that you will be unrecognizable to anyone who does not know that the transfigurations are in place.
"In addition, this term we will be learning about the animagus transformation. As I stated at the beginning of the year this transformation requires a highly advanced potion to initiate the process as well as an ability to do a small amount of wandless magic. It is unlikely many of you will be able to perform this spell. However, since all of you must be given the opportunity to at least try I thought we would spend today casting a spell that will reveal what your animagus forms might be. When I call your name please bring your wand and step to the front of the room."
Several minutes later she called Hermione who excitedly stood up and, taking her wand, walked to the front of the room to stand in front of the teacher's desk facing Professor McGonagall. Thus far they had seen a bat, a badger, a wolverine and a skunk come shooting out of their classmates' wands. Harry couldn't help but wonder what Hermione's animigus form would be. "Very well, Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall said. "You know the wand movement and the incantation please proceed."
Hermione raised her wand, performed the complicated wand movement, tracing an intricate pattern in the air, and said, "Acclaro Animans!" Almost immediately a murky mist sprang from her wand, which quickly took the shape of a brown otter. The otter flipped and flopped and performed several animated antics before dissipating into nothingness. Professor McGonagall's face softened briefly as she smiled at Hermione. "Well done," she said then called the next person forward.
When Neville was called he glanced briefly over at Harry for support then turned to look at their Transfiguration Professor. After a moment's hesitation he raised his wand, made the movements and cast the spell. The murky mist that sprang from his wand slowly grew and expanded until it took the shape of a large bull of an American breed of cattle with long, sharp, intimidating horns. Everyone gasped at this display and Professor McGonagall even stepped back in surprise. "Where did that come from?" she exclaimed. Neville shrugged his shoulders and grinned sheepishly as the magical energy dissipated into the air.
When Harry stepped to the front of the class several minutes later he could sense that all eyes were on him and it made him very uncomfortable. But then all eyes had been on everyone else too so he had nothing to complain about. "All right, Mister Potter," Professor McGonagall said. "Let's see what your animagus form will be."
Harry looked into her eyes for a bit then raised his wand and began tracing the pattern in the air. As he traced the last imaginary line he said, "Acclaro Animans!" and the now familiar murky mist sprang from the tip of his wand. Unlike the others, however, his mist shot out and divided into two separate creatures. The first to appear was an enormous lion that was at least as large as the professor's desk. Shortly thereafter a second, smaller animal appeared. This one was a large, black, panther. Both animals had green eyes but the lion had a dark lightening bolt shaped growth of hair on its right shoulder. The panther, however, other than its startlingly green eyes, had no distinguishing characteristics.
The rest of the students gasped and Professor McGonagall took a startled step back from Harry and studied him for several seconds, the thin line of her lips pressed together in an expression of intense scrutiny. "It would seem that you have two possible animagus forms, Mister Potter," she said, breaking the silence that had fallen over the room. "We will have to see what, if anything, comes of this."
When Ron was called forward, towards the end of class, he cast the revealing charm and a reddish mist shot forth from his wand. As it began to take form most of the students were terrified at what they saw. The mist grew and expanded until a large, ginger-haired wolf was standing on the floor in front of Professor McGonagall's desk. The wolf was at least as large as the largest werewolf. It had Ron's blue eyes and a viscous snarl on its lips.
As soon as it was completely formed it walked around Professor McGonagall, eyeing her hungrily, then walked over and sat in front of Ron. It looked at him for a moment then raised its head and let out a long, silent howl which (if the apparition had been capable of making a sound) would have rattled the windows and frightened more than just a few students. Ron looked nervously over at the professor, beads of perspiration beginning to appear on his forehead and brow, and swallowed hard. "Well, Mister Weasley," Minerva said, "it would seem that you patronus as well as your potential animagus form are truly intimidating creatures."
Severus was most definitely not himself in Potions that afternoon. He tried to hide it but Harry could tell that he was both worried and shocky. His face was slightly paler than usual; his eyes held a frightened, almost haunted, look; and the small beads of perspiration that continually appeared on his forehead caused him to continually mop at his brow with a slightly soiled white handkerchief. He took attendance and lectured extensively about the Wolfsbane Potion. He was so preoccupied that he actually forgot to give either Harry or Neville a hard time or to deduct points from any of the houses.
After Class, as Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville made their way towards the Gryffindor Tower and their common room, they walked along in silence for several minutes until they were alone. "What do you think is wrong with Severus?" Ron asked.
Harry stopped and looked vacantly ahead for several seconds. "He had a rough night last night," he said solemnly. Then, leaning with his back against a nearby wall, set his book bag down and slid down the wall until he was squatting on his haunches. "Tom doesn't like to lose and when he loses he takes it out on his Death Eaters. Severus had the Cruciatus Curse held on him for several minutes last night."
Looking up at his friends who were now gathered around him Harry said, "But that's not what bothers me."
Ron and Neville joined Harry on the floor. "What do you mean?" Neville asked.
"I mean," Harry said with an air of exhaustion that one would normally expect from a much older man, "that Tom has abandoned his policy of organized attacks and has declaired open season on muggles, muggle-borns and half-bloods. He has given his Death Eaters a list of targets and told them to strike at will."
Hermione gasped and Ron looked up at her with a worried expression on his face as Neville dropped his gaze to study the floor in front of him. "There isn't really anything we can do to stop him," Harry said dejectedly, his eyes still on the floor. "I gave a copy of the list to Albus this morning but there are just too many names to guard them all; I think the Ministry and the Order are going to prioritize and coordinate their guarding activities but it isn't going to be easy."
Squatting down across from Harry, Hermione said, "So what can we do?"
Harry looked up at her. "We can prepare ourselves for the loss of life. I'll do what I can to warn as many people as I can but I'm only one person and there's only so much I can do."
After several more seconds of silence Ron and then Neville and Hermione stood back up. Harry stayed staring glumly at the floor for several more seconds until Ron and Neville tapped him on the shoulders offering him their hands and pulled him to his feet. The four Gryffindors then made their way to their common room for a break before heading down to dinner.