WHEN TIME STANDS STILL
Disclaimer: I own only the plot.
girlknight: She's not stupid, and not exactly a fraud like Trelawney either.
ping*pong5: I'm sorry it's taken so long; I've just been far too busy.
SilverKnight7: Sorry, I didn't realize it would be hard to get through. I hope this is quicker.
Amerz1: Read on and find out!
Indiangurl: You really do have good ideas! I like this one, maybe I'll use it.
Amandinka: Thanks! Wow, I love compliments.
Epiphanys-Curse: Here's the next chapter, and none to soon. Sorry about the delay.
supernova8610: Thanks for reviewing.
Vicous Pixie: Every time I intend to have the next chapter out in a few days, but it never happens. I'll try again!
petites sorcieres: Thanks for the review. Review in French or a mix, whichever you prefer is fine with me.
Darcey: Sorry! I'll try to be quicker.
star estrella: Thanks! You guys are great.
PrincessSkywalkerOrgana: I am, I will. Soon, I hope.
violet-angel07: Thanks, but be warned: this is a short chapter, too.
gaul1: Thanks.
loony luna: Sorry, I never meant to do it.
Space Density: Read on and find out.
Lady Phoenix Slytherin: Thanks! I'll be as quick as I can.
Moni: Thanks for the review.
restless-soul: Here it is, although it's late and short.
Author's note: I keep saying I'll try to post more often, with longer chapters. I'll still try, but it may be difficult.
CHAPTER 7: XENOCLEIA SPEAKS
James and Sirius fell in on either side of Harry as he left the Potions dungeon. He did his best to ignore them, which was not very easy.
"So, Thomson," James said, "like the class?"
"Yeah," Harry replied, truthfully, as it happened. Without Snape sneering into his cauldron and Malfoy sniggering across the room, he had managed a pretty good Draught of Despair.
"Hardly surprising, that," Sirius said. "Some people like Potions."
The vicious glance he cast in Snape's direction left no doubt whom he meant. Harry felt himself colour furiously.
"Come on, Padfoot," James said lightly. "He's not as bad as Snivelly. By the way, that was quite some Patronus this morning."
"Er... thanks," Harry said, wondering why James was being nice to him all of a sudden.
"Yes," Peter piped up from Sirius's other side. "It was. Except we were wondering - OW!"
"Excuse him," Sirius said, removing his elbow from Peter's ribs. "He suffers from arthritis sometimes."
Peter rubbed his chest gingerly.
"I think you broke one of my ribs."
Harry just managed not to grin.
"So, anyway, Thomson," James said, "I think we got off on the wrong foot earlier. Suppose we start again. My name's James Potter."
"Harry Thomson."
"Sirius Black."
"Peter Pettigrew."
"Come on, then," Sirius said. "There's a shortcut to the Great Hall from that corridor down to the left. We'll show you."
Alarm bells went off in Harry's head.
"No, no thanks, I... um... I'll get mixed up like this... I'll just take the normal route, thanks."
Sirius snorted.
"Oh, come on. You've not got lost even once so far - that has to be a record. You'll be able to remember one little corridor."
"No - I think -"
"Where d'you think we'll take you?" James said, affecting an injured tone. "Straight to Voldemort?"
It was as much surprise at hearing the name spoken aloud as Sirius's vice- like grip that made Harry go down the corridor with them. Besides, his father and Sirius were finally treating him with something other than contempt - he wasn't going to blow this just because he was as paranoid as Mad-Eye Moody.
The corridor was dark and twisting. Harry knew nothing of where they were going until they came out on the second floor.
He looked around for a minute, puzzled.
"But we're even further from the Great Hall now, aren't we?"
"No, no, it's just down here," James said. "You just - oh, look, there's Remus. Back in a minute, Thomson."
With that, he dived around a corner, closely followed by Sirius and Peter.
Harry glanced to where they had vanished. There had been no sign of Remus, no sign of anyone for that matter. The corridor was empty.
Idiot! How could you let yourself get lured into this?
He turned to go - and froze. There were footsteps coming down the stairs behind him. So this was why he had been brought here - he had no idea what was coming, but it could not possibly be good.
"Ah, a student," a light, silvery voice said behind him. "I have never seen you before."
Harry turned. The witch coming down the stairs was wearing turquoise robes and a large number of gaily-coloured scarves.
"Er... Professor..."
"Know that I am Xenocleia... Mr Potter."
Harry's heart stopped. He was sure the Marauders were just around that corner, listening to every word.
"No, no, I'm not James. A lot of people mix us up, but I'm not James. My name is Thomson. Harry Thomson, Professor."
"Indeed." She was right in front of him now, and she bent to gaze into his face. "Well... if you choose to call yourself Thomson, then who am I to object?"
Harry desperately wanted to run for it, but there was something hypnotic about her. He could not make himself turn.
"And what other secrets do you hold? For I can see you hold many secrets..."
Blank your mind... Remember Snape's lessons, blank your mind. Don't think at all.
"Ah... so you have trained in Occlumency, I see. But not as good as you ought to be... yet. I see... that you are a linguist, Mr Thomson. You speak other tongues."
Harry tried to deny it, but his throat was too dry.
No, no, please no.
"And you are brave... yes, you are very brave. Professor Dumbledore agrees with me, I see. Interesting. And... you play Quidditch! On the team?"
Harry shook his head violently.
"No? Well, if you say so, but I could have sworn... never mind. What more..."
"Xeno!" A voice said, cutting into her revelations. Harry felt a surge of gratitude as he looked past her at the figure of Professor Dumbledore. "Just the person I wanted to see. I have to talk to you."
"Of course, Headmaster. I was just acquainting myself with young Mr Thomson."
"Yes, I wanted to speak to you about him. Off to dinner, Harry."
"Yes, Professor."
~*~
"You see?" James hissed to Sirius as they slipped out of Gryffindor Tower under the Invisibility Cloak. "He's hiding things. And Professor Dumbledore knows."
"Well, I don't see what more we can do. We can't ask him."
"Even if we did, he wouldn't tell us."
"Suppose we just leave him be?" Peter said.
"Oh, no. He won't tell us, but he seems to get along with Moony. We can put Moony onto him tomorrow." "Come on, hurry!" Sirius said. "We can talk later. Do you want to waste the full moon?"
Disclaimer: I own only the plot.
girlknight: She's not stupid, and not exactly a fraud like Trelawney either.
ping*pong5: I'm sorry it's taken so long; I've just been far too busy.
SilverKnight7: Sorry, I didn't realize it would be hard to get through. I hope this is quicker.
Amerz1: Read on and find out!
Indiangurl: You really do have good ideas! I like this one, maybe I'll use it.
Amandinka: Thanks! Wow, I love compliments.
Epiphanys-Curse: Here's the next chapter, and none to soon. Sorry about the delay.
supernova8610: Thanks for reviewing.
Vicous Pixie: Every time I intend to have the next chapter out in a few days, but it never happens. I'll try again!
petites sorcieres: Thanks for the review. Review in French or a mix, whichever you prefer is fine with me.
Darcey: Sorry! I'll try to be quicker.
star estrella: Thanks! You guys are great.
PrincessSkywalkerOrgana: I am, I will. Soon, I hope.
violet-angel07: Thanks, but be warned: this is a short chapter, too.
gaul1: Thanks.
loony luna: Sorry, I never meant to do it.
Space Density: Read on and find out.
Lady Phoenix Slytherin: Thanks! I'll be as quick as I can.
Moni: Thanks for the review.
restless-soul: Here it is, although it's late and short.
Author's note: I keep saying I'll try to post more often, with longer chapters. I'll still try, but it may be difficult.
CHAPTER 7: XENOCLEIA SPEAKS
James and Sirius fell in on either side of Harry as he left the Potions dungeon. He did his best to ignore them, which was not very easy.
"So, Thomson," James said, "like the class?"
"Yeah," Harry replied, truthfully, as it happened. Without Snape sneering into his cauldron and Malfoy sniggering across the room, he had managed a pretty good Draught of Despair.
"Hardly surprising, that," Sirius said. "Some people like Potions."
The vicious glance he cast in Snape's direction left no doubt whom he meant. Harry felt himself colour furiously.
"Come on, Padfoot," James said lightly. "He's not as bad as Snivelly. By the way, that was quite some Patronus this morning."
"Er... thanks," Harry said, wondering why James was being nice to him all of a sudden.
"Yes," Peter piped up from Sirius's other side. "It was. Except we were wondering - OW!"
"Excuse him," Sirius said, removing his elbow from Peter's ribs. "He suffers from arthritis sometimes."
Peter rubbed his chest gingerly.
"I think you broke one of my ribs."
Harry just managed not to grin.
"So, anyway, Thomson," James said, "I think we got off on the wrong foot earlier. Suppose we start again. My name's James Potter."
"Harry Thomson."
"Sirius Black."
"Peter Pettigrew."
"Come on, then," Sirius said. "There's a shortcut to the Great Hall from that corridor down to the left. We'll show you."
Alarm bells went off in Harry's head.
"No, no thanks, I... um... I'll get mixed up like this... I'll just take the normal route, thanks."
Sirius snorted.
"Oh, come on. You've not got lost even once so far - that has to be a record. You'll be able to remember one little corridor."
"No - I think -"
"Where d'you think we'll take you?" James said, affecting an injured tone. "Straight to Voldemort?"
It was as much surprise at hearing the name spoken aloud as Sirius's vice- like grip that made Harry go down the corridor with them. Besides, his father and Sirius were finally treating him with something other than contempt - he wasn't going to blow this just because he was as paranoid as Mad-Eye Moody.
The corridor was dark and twisting. Harry knew nothing of where they were going until they came out on the second floor.
He looked around for a minute, puzzled.
"But we're even further from the Great Hall now, aren't we?"
"No, no, it's just down here," James said. "You just - oh, look, there's Remus. Back in a minute, Thomson."
With that, he dived around a corner, closely followed by Sirius and Peter.
Harry glanced to where they had vanished. There had been no sign of Remus, no sign of anyone for that matter. The corridor was empty.
Idiot! How could you let yourself get lured into this?
He turned to go - and froze. There were footsteps coming down the stairs behind him. So this was why he had been brought here - he had no idea what was coming, but it could not possibly be good.
"Ah, a student," a light, silvery voice said behind him. "I have never seen you before."
Harry turned. The witch coming down the stairs was wearing turquoise robes and a large number of gaily-coloured scarves.
"Er... Professor..."
"Know that I am Xenocleia... Mr Potter."
Harry's heart stopped. He was sure the Marauders were just around that corner, listening to every word.
"No, no, I'm not James. A lot of people mix us up, but I'm not James. My name is Thomson. Harry Thomson, Professor."
"Indeed." She was right in front of him now, and she bent to gaze into his face. "Well... if you choose to call yourself Thomson, then who am I to object?"
Harry desperately wanted to run for it, but there was something hypnotic about her. He could not make himself turn.
"And what other secrets do you hold? For I can see you hold many secrets..."
Blank your mind... Remember Snape's lessons, blank your mind. Don't think at all.
"Ah... so you have trained in Occlumency, I see. But not as good as you ought to be... yet. I see... that you are a linguist, Mr Thomson. You speak other tongues."
Harry tried to deny it, but his throat was too dry.
No, no, please no.
"And you are brave... yes, you are very brave. Professor Dumbledore agrees with me, I see. Interesting. And... you play Quidditch! On the team?"
Harry shook his head violently.
"No? Well, if you say so, but I could have sworn... never mind. What more..."
"Xeno!" A voice said, cutting into her revelations. Harry felt a surge of gratitude as he looked past her at the figure of Professor Dumbledore. "Just the person I wanted to see. I have to talk to you."
"Of course, Headmaster. I was just acquainting myself with young Mr Thomson."
"Yes, I wanted to speak to you about him. Off to dinner, Harry."
"Yes, Professor."
~*~
"You see?" James hissed to Sirius as they slipped out of Gryffindor Tower under the Invisibility Cloak. "He's hiding things. And Professor Dumbledore knows."
"Well, I don't see what more we can do. We can't ask him."
"Even if we did, he wouldn't tell us."
"Suppose we just leave him be?" Peter said.
"Oh, no. He won't tell us, but he seems to get along with Moony. We can put Moony onto him tomorrow." "Come on, hurry!" Sirius said. "We can talk later. Do you want to waste the full moon?"