A/N: I bet I am surprising you all by updating already! Though don't get your hopes up, this isn't a permanent thing. I just suddenly felt the urge to write, and write for this story, which sounds weird, but for a long time I was finding this being more of a task then something to do for enjoyment. Now, to thank those of you who actually reviewed that made me really happy.
Xylem: thanks for the review. I didn't know that could actually suspend users, eep, I better watch out lol.
Chips challenge: haha I might have to look into downloading that game, if my ol' computer can take it haha, this thing is ancient, all I pretty much have is MS Word and Internet lol, though ::crosses fingers:: I hope the download goes through, I'd be quite happy lol. Thanks so much for your review!
Lost In A World Of Pain: haha thank you a lot for your review. I love how you always find I way to make it seem like the chapter wasn't bad at all, and then relate it to yourself. Even if that didn't make sense to you, I still thank you very much for the review.
Dianne: thank you for your (2!) reviews J you are very kind. In your second review you voiced a lot of ideas, and much of them I had already been thinking, and others I think are really good and may incorporate into the story. I really liked that my story actually made you think, I just think it's funny because here I am just writing for fun, and people are actually reading it and stuff. I dunno, it just struck me as a little amusing. But thank you again and again and again, you are a really kind reviewer!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of Harry Potter, and I used to say JK owns it all (which in my opinion she does) but apparently it is divided among Warner Brothers and I even now hear…..Disney? lol oh well, all I know is I don't own any.
Chapter 17
Harry decided to give everyone a break and not start up Quidditch practices yet. Though, the truth was, he really didn't have the time for it, with Occlumency, plus all of his school work he found it hard enough to even fit in meals. He was so busy he hadn't even noticed the absence of his best friend.
"Harry, do you think Ron is okay?" asked Hermione one evening while helping Harry with his Potions essay, he had made a deal with the head of his house to not have to be tutored by Snape if he kept up well enough in the class, he had found out that doing that was a lot harder than it sounded.
"Erm, I'm not sure, you probably talk to him more than me lately" replied the raven haired boy, now feeling guilty for not paying more attention to his friend.
He just seems so distant now, always off doing something, but he never seems to have accomplished anything. I'm worried, Harry, I mean, not to be rude or anything, but it's usually, you who is the one more distant- not that, that's a bad thing" she quickly reassured, "but, I just don't know how to deal with Ron when he is-"
"Busy." replied a voice from the entrance of the common room, which startled both Harry and Hermione, the looked to see Ron standing there.
"Erm, hey mate" said Harry with a half-hearted grin.
"Look, guys, I'm fine, nothing is the matter with me" said Ron exasperated, "For your information, I've been in the library researching things for Fred, he has to testify about the murder for the ministry."
"Oh! Ron! Why didn't you tell us? I know of the perfect books to look in! " exclaimed Hermione, more to herself than to them she started muttering things and flipping through her bag.
"Ron, we can help you with this, you know?" said Harry, now in a more serious tone.
"I know," said Ron looking at his feet, "but Harry, you're busy enough with all of this!" he said while gesturing to the table with scattered parchments and textbooks, "why bother you with more bookwork."
"Because, I'm your friend and you know very well I'd much rather do something other than essays for Snape" he replied with a sly grin.
"The greasy git" said Ron now grinning back, at this Hermione then rolled her eyes and sighed something that sounded distinctly like 'boys'. Which then made Harry and Ron burst out laughing, filling the quiet and empty common room with echos of laughter.
The next morning as the Gryffindors sat eating breakfast a student from another house took a seat next to Harry as if oblivious to the fact that practically the whole school was staring at her, Harry looked up to see Dumbledore even looking, though, unlike the rest of the school, he looked pleased.
"Hi Luna" said Ginny greeting the blonde who immediately then began to help herself to a muffin.
"Hello" she replied to Ginny, but then turned her attention to someone else. "Harry Potter" she said as if he didn't know his own name.
"Erm, yes?" replied Harry as Ron snorted in his pudding.
"I have something that may be of interest to you" she said as she then proceeded to blink one eye and then the other, "My father's latest issue has an article you would enjoy." At this Luna handed him the magazine on which the cover read "Secrets of the Department of Mysteries Revealed."
Harry's heart gave a jolt when he read this, although he never mentioned it to anyone, he would give anything to have Sirius back. Trying not to show too much excitement or get his hopes up, he sincerely thanked Luna (who didn't seem to notice as she stared at Ron as if he was putting on a show while humming "Weasley Is Our King" under her breath).
Hermione immediately asked to see the magazine and Harry gladly let her, feeling as if he was on cloud nine knowing me might learn about the veil. Stirring around his eggs in his plate he was shocked when Hermione burst out into laughter.
"Sorry Harry," said Hermione trying to contain herself, "but this is a load of rubbish, I mean, come on! Do they honestly expect us to believe this" she said lowering he voice in case Luna was listening.
Apparently she was. "Excuse me," she said looking rather coldly at Hermione, "but that is in fact true information. After the events last year I because interested in what was within the Department of Mysteries, so I expressed this to my father, who thought it would make a wonderful story." With that Luna got up and left the Gryffindor table just as quickly as she came.
"Bloody hell, Hermione," said Ron grinning, "you seem to have bad luck with nutters, first Trelawney, then Rita Skeeter, and now Loony Lovegood."
Hermione just huffed muttering things to herself and left the Great Hall leaving Harry and Ron to finish their breakfast alone.
Harry let the rest of the day pass by like any other; he even let Snape taunt him while making potions without loosing his cool, keeping Luna's magazine in mind. He didn't want to read it with Ron and Hermione, not that he had anything against them; he just needed to read that alone.
After all of their classes for the day Harry was hoping to get some time to himself to read it, but unfortunately Harry was not sure when he'd have time for that tonight. Hermione had told Ron that they would help him with researching tonight, and Harry agreed that was an important thing.
The library was practically empty when the trio arrived and realized how strange Ron was acting, he was very jumpy and his voice seemed higher that usual. Harry poured through books trying to find anything that would help Fred, when he finally realized, h didn't' really know what he was looking for, exasperated Harry finally asked "What exactly are we looking for?"
Hermione looked up now as if she had been waiting for Harry to ask that the whole time, "I do also have to ask Ron, It would help if we knew as much as we could about-erm-Georges death" said Hermione meekly.
"Um, well, Fred said he has to go to the Ministry to prove it was, a Death Eater that killed…" at this Ron trailed off, but he just continued as if it hadn't, "Fred told all of us his side of the story; they were at the shop and-George, had said they needed to make a deposit in the bank from all the money they had been making, Fred said the shop was really dead (a/n: ahh no pun intended there) that day so they both immediately wanted to get out for a little bit, the both argued for a bit for who to go, and George finally reluctantly gave in and Fred apparated to the bank. As Fred was making the deposit somebody came in and claimed there was a recent attack, it was a really small one, but still an attack, only one death. He apparated back to the shop and saw that the Dark Mark was hovering above the shop. By then the Auror's had arrived and they told him that….."
"Oh my, Ron…" but even Hermione was at a loss for words. Though Harry was still unsure why it had to be George. Ron seemed to sense that.
"Erm, Fred claims he knew it was George, all of the pieces fit perfectly; they were both members of the Order since they were of age, and they had been working on some tools under Dumbledore's orders." and with that Ron stopped talking.
Harry knew that was the end of Ron's tale, and it was probably the last time he would ever hear him talk of it, though he honestly didn't mind, he knew exactly how Ron was feeling. Harry always found it easier to push things away in the back of his mind, instead of dwelling on them, it may not be the most successful way in the long run, but he knew it worked well for him.
They all packed up their books, knowing with all that on their minds they probably wouldn't get anything else done. Harry claimed he still had homework to work on hoping that Hermione and Ron would just go to bed, but they lingered in the common room for a long time. Eventually Hermione claimed she was really tired and had to go to sleep before she fell asleep down there, and Ron also gave in and went up to bed also.
Harry's hands trembled with anticipation as he finally could read the Quibbler, he wasn't really sure why he was so excited, Hermione said it was all rubbish. But deep down he felt as if a voice was telling him that there was a way to get his godfather back. Slowly Harry flipped to the article Luna had told him about.
Secrets Of The Department Of Mysteries Revealed
Deep on the ninth level of the Ministry of Magic lies the blank black door on the windowless hallway, the Department of Mysteries. Many people have always questioned what really is in the Department of Mysteries and why it is claimed the 'Unspeakables' are hard at work to keep the 'magic in order'.
Within the Department of Mysteries it is said to have many magical objects of interest. One being the shelves of prophecies, it is said to have every prophecy made all there for safe keeping, it is said to be the one of the safest places to be. (at this Harry snorted) Prophecies are made when a true seer; one who posses the inner-eye, goes in a trance and has no control over what they say, it is said that there is over 5,000 prophecies in the Department of Mysteries, though not all are still in effect.
Another magical object within the department is the veil to the other world, rumor has it that if there is a way to bring someone back, it would be through there. We were unable to find more information on it.
Harry stopped reading there, he felt defeated that there was not more information on it, but a very small part of him lit up in excitement, there was still hope to get Sirius back, it said if there was a way to do it, it would be with the veil. Harry went to sleep with a glimmer of hope.
A/N: alright, skip this note if you were satisfied and have no questions about the chapter, but I feel the need to clear things up now that this is written. Alright first off, I don't really know where that whole ending thing came from, do I honestly think Sirius is coming back in the upcoming books? No, I don't. Will my story maybe have Harry thinking so? Maybe, I'll see where my imagination takes it lol. Also, the whole thing on George Weasley I was not going to incorporate in this chapter either, but once again things just happen when I start writing and before I know it I have written five pages of nonsense (I tend to ramble and have to edit the chapters a lot before posting lol). Also, I am sorry if I did anything wrong, the Department of Mysteries article took me a long time because I wanted to try to keep it as close to canon as possible, meh, I think I did a decent job on this chapter, a lot of information was dished out in it, so if you have questions don't hesitate to ask, I probably explained things wrong in there.