Note to Reader's, The Full Title is:
When It's Time to Change, You've Got to Re-Arrange, Who You Are and What You're Gonna Be
(The title also end's with a lot of Sha na na's, and if you understand this, you've must be as old as I am. LOL)
Anyone going to take a guess at where I got the title?? *pout* No one has even tried.
A/N: A big thank you to Gryphnwng, whose review I am still trying to recover from. In case no one recognizes the name in this chapter's title, Oda Mae Brown is a character from "Ghost", particularly a psychic/medium, played by the ever talented Whoopi Goldberg. After you read this chapter, you'll understand why I chose to name it thus.
Also, there have been a couple of requests regarding pairings. I've decided to take a page out of Fyre's book, and will refrain from listing them – I have to have something to taunt you all with. LOL Besides, I have only decided on one pairing so far…the others I'm still debating on. But be warned, the other pairings will probably not be a focal point of this story – and, if anything, will only be mentioned towards the tail end of the story. Though, anything can change. :)
Just Call Me Oda Mae Brown
Here's something to think about: How come you never see a headline like 'Psychic Wins Lottery'? Jay Leno
'Five days. It's been five bloody days. Well, ok, four and a half really. But she should be awake by now!'
Harry was worried. It was dinner at the end of the fifth day from when it happened, and the Headmaster had just indicated that the mysterious young woman still hadn't woken from her coma-like state.
At every meal since the portal incident, Harry had sought out Dumbledore's gaze cocking his head and raising his eyebrows to ask the same question each time…'Is she awake yet?' And each time, the Headmaster shook his head to answer 'no'.
He and his friends exchanged concerned glances. They knew that, by all indications, the young woman was perfectly healthy and physically healed – she just wasn't…there, mentally. They had discovered this by the end of the second day, when Hermione was able to see her in the infirmary.
Concerned about the woman's physical well-being, Hermione had sent a request to her parents to send muggle books on medical care for coma patients, specifically on the physical aspects.
Upon receiving books on massage therapy, Hermione had immediately sought out the Headmaster to find out if Madam Pomfrey had set up a regiment to ensure that the young woman's muscles wouldn't become atrophied, should she remain unconscious for an extended period of time.
After voicing her concerns, Hermione was told that the medi-witch had already spoken with Dumbledore, but was at a loss as to how she should proceed, since the muscle stimulant potions she was giving the young woman were not exactly designed for someone who was unconscious for longer than 48 hours.
With a flourish, the brainy Gryffindor presented her therapy books to the smiling Headmaster, after ensuring him she had procured them from her parents on the pretense that she needed them for the next time Harry or Ron knocked themselves unconscious by doing something stupid.
Dumbledore asked her to deliver the volumes to Madam Pomfrey, and to help with the understanding of treatments that didn't require the use of magic or potions. While the medi-witch was well-versed in medicine of the wizarding world, her understanding of muggle medicine was somewhat lacking. Hermione was only too happy to agree.
Between the two of them, they were able to coordinate therapy sessions that were scheduled around the young Gryffindor's classes, so Hermione could provide another set of hands to help out, especially when the medi-witch was tied up with other patients.
In speaking with Madam Pomfrey, and by her own observations during the therapy sessions, it was apparent that there was nothing physically wrong with the young woman. As to why she hadn't regained consciousness, it was anybody's guess.
The three Gryffindors quietly finished their evening meal, then made their way back to their common room. For Ron and Harry, the need to finish their homework overrode any thoughts of sneaking up to the infirmary to get a peek at the young woman themselves. The winter holidays were now over, and the teachers were quelling any leftover feelings of good cheer with gobs of homework assignments.
Entering the common room to find it virtually empty (everyone was still at dinner), the three friends quickly claimed their spots and pulled out their textbooks. Ron and Harry, Divination, and Hermione, Arithmancy.
After Hermione's quiet, "I'll try to find out something later," the silence was only prevailed by the scratching of quills on parchment.
Three hours later found the trio finishing up their work, now surrounded by the chattering voices of their housemates, who had returned a couple of hours ago.
Ron and Harry cleared up their books and supplies, making room for their nightly chess match. Laughingly, they exchanged the predictions they used in their Divination essays – Harry had chosen to die from multiple stab wounds delivered by a dark villainous figure who swooped down from a dark hidden corridor within the castle, Ron chose to be severely maimed by a crazed centaur who trampled him, and was then on the verge of death.
Hermione just rolled her eyes and pulled out one of the medical books her parents sent her. Before she had to leave to help the evening massage therapy, Hermione was hoping to find any information that would help to explain why the mysterious young woman didn't wake, but she didn't think it was likely.
Everything was winding down a couple hours later. Ron and Harry had moved on to exploding snap, and Hermione had already left and returned from helping Madam Pomfrey with one of the therapy sessions.
After Hermione told the two boys, in brief words, that there still was no change, the three friends bid each other good-night. Gathering their personal items, they made their way to bed.
The nightly ritual of preparing for sleep was short for the two boys, and they quickly made their way to their beds. Ron fell asleep immediately, but Harry was having some trouble, and only fell into a light doze about an hour later.
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Harry never knew what actually woke him, but there he was, annoyingly awake in the middle of the night. Grabbing his glasses from the nightstand, he then picked up his wand and quietly breathed out the incantation to tell him what time it was.
'1 bloody am.' He groaned softly, so as not to wake up his roommates, and rolled out of his bed. Padding barefoot to the restroom, he took care of business then returned to his room. Lying back down, he attempted to make himself go back to sleep, but it was useless…his body refused to go back to the Land of Zs. And for some reason, his thoughts were racing, compelling him to do…something. But what?
Cursing softly, Harry got up again and quickly dressed, tucking his wand into a pocket. Grabbing his invisibility cloak and the Marauders Map, he quickly made his way down to the common room, then out the main door.
Standing in the empty corridor, Harry unrolled the map to see who he would have to avoid at this hour, and was pleased to find that only Filch was up, but was outside the castle near the lake (along with Mrs. Norris, that bloody cat).
'Well, no worries there, then. So, let's see where my feet lead me.' Harry thought, then let his racing thoughts lead him to…wherever.
Not really paying attention, and only occasionally looking at the map to ensure that no one else decided to have a midnight stroll also, Harry eventually found that his feet had led him to the infirmary.
'Figures.' Harry snorted. 'I must be more worried than I thought. I may as well go in, since I won't be able to sleep until I see her.'
Being very careful, Harry turned the knob of the door to the infirmary as quietly as possible. With a soft 'snick', he opened the door just wide enough for him to slip through, thankful that it didn't creak.
Tip-toeing to the medi-witches office (where Hermione had told him the entrance to the private room was located), Harry listened for any noises to indicate that Madam Pomfrey was still up. Hearing nothing, and seeing no lights, he entered the office.
Supposedly, the door to the private room was behind the desk, but only a blank wall greeted him.
'Bloody hell. Now what am I supposed to do.' Harry thought, while beating himself over the head for not thinking that the private room would be hidden, and the entrance keyed only to authorized people.
As Harry continued to berate himself, he was startled when the stones on the blank wall began to morph until a doorway appeared.
'Bloody Hell.'
Not taking the time to question why the doorway would appear for him, Harry quickly opened the door and slipped through, taking care to shut it softly behind him.
Harry was surprised to find that the room was not completely dark. Sconces with softly lit candles hung on the walls around the room, giving off warm gentle light. He was pleased to see that, should the occupant awaken, she wouldn't be frightened by waking to an unfamiliar pitch black room.
The room was sparsely furnished – a nightstand, a couple of chairs, and the lone bed that the young woman lay upon.
Harry moved closer, and on nearing, he could see why Hermione was confused as to why the woman wasn't conscious – the woman lay as if in peaceful repose, and looked as if she may waken at any moment. Her blonde hair was spread across the pillow, and her expression looked serene, a faint blush upon her cheeks.
'She looks like one of those fairytale princesses, who will awaken with a kiss.' Harry mused, then blushed at his thoughts.
'Maybe…' Harry cheeks reddened even further, but he gathered his courage, leaned over, and brushed his lips softly over the woman's.
Stepping back, he peered closely at the woman, to see if there was any reaction. The woman didn't move.
'Well, either that wasn't the solution, or I'm not her True Love.' Harry thought, his blush still lingering, telling himself that there was no way in Hell he would reveal this experiment to Ron or Hermione. They would tease him mercilessly.
Harry sat in one of the chairs next to the bed, and continued to quietly observe the woman. Other than his worries, he had no idea why he was so compelled to come here.
Several moments passed as the young Gryffindor sat there in silence. A feeling of lethargy overcame him, and he slumped bonelessly back in his seat. His gaze was still fixed on the unconscious woman as a soft warmth slowly spread through his limbs. At some level, Harry knew his scar was glowing white again, gently throbbing in sync with his pulse.
Knowing that something important was happening, Harry didn't fight the sensations, and kept his eyes firmly focused on the woman. His diligence was rewarded when faint glowing lights began to appear on the woman's body.
In a straight row, ranging from her lower abdomen to the top of her head, seven differently colored lights glowed, somewhat muted. Memorizing the colors, and their general placement, Harry noted absently that all the colors seemed to be a bit muddied.
When his gaze fell upon the woman's head, he was startled to see the color stretched out, wispy-like, far above her head. The glow was a violet color that faded to white the further it was away from her body, and wafted gently in the air. As Harry stared at it, he noticed that the contact point to the woman seemed to thin out then become more solid, only to thin out again – the thinness staying in place longer than the solidity. Harry's brow furrowed – he knew this probably wasn't a good sign.
Harry felt the lethargy begin to leave him, and made sure the information was firmly locked into his memory. And, as the soft warmth leeched out of his body, the glowing lights faded from his sight.
Jumping from his seat, Harry quickly made his way to the door. Knowing there would be nothing else for him to see, he was determined to write everything down as soon as possible. As he exited the room, he took one last look at the young woman, before quietly shutting the door.
Turning to the desk in the medi-witches office, Harry searched for some blank parchment, already having grabbed the ink and quill on the desk. Though uncomfortable about having to invade Madam Pomfrey's privacy, Harry forced himself to rummage through the desk before he found a stack of unused parchment.
Quickly sketching out the general form of a body, Harry first marked the location of the glowing points, then numbered them. On another parchment, he marked the numbers and their coordinating colors, being sure to make a note that the colors, though glowing, were muddied and muted. On a third parchment, he drew a side view of a head, and made notations of the wispy thread, giving the color range and the fact that it seemed to be fading in and out.
When he finally finished marking down everything he could remember, Harry cleaned up after himself while he waited for the last of the ink to dry. As he rolled up the scrolls, Harry felt the weight of exhaustion fall upon him. He made his way out of the infirmary after checking the map to ensure that Filch was still making his rounds elsewhere.
Harry's trek back to the Gryffindor Tower was thankfully uneventful. Placing the scrolls into his bookbag, he quietly undressed, crawled into his bed, and promptly fell asleep.
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"Harry! Harry! Wake up! We're going to be late for breakfast!" Ron was standing near the head of his best-friend's bed, and shaking his shoulder.
"Ergh…" Harry mumbled, ignoring the efforts of his red-headed friend, and rolled over to go back to sleep.
Giving an exasperated sigh, Ron yanked the pillow out from under Harry's head and tugged the covers to the foot of the bed, leaving his friend's body exposed to the cold.
"Rooooooon!! Lemme alone…so tired." Harry mumbled, throwing out an arm to look for his covers.
"Get up slug-a-bed. We have potions this morning, and I'm sure you don't want to go to that class on an empty stomach." Ron quipped. "And why are you so tired anyway. We went to bed at the same time, and you're usually up before me."
"Yeah, but your brain didn't force you to take a midnight stroll last night…er…early this morning." Harry grumbled, sitting up in his bed, stretching and yawning.
"Midnight stroll? Care to share?" Ron gave him a questioning glance.
"Yeah. But can the explanation wait until we meet up with Hermione? I don't want to have to explain it twice."
Ron nodded his head in agreement, moving out of the way so Harry could get out of his bed.
Harry stood, grabbed his clothes, and made his way to the boy's lavatory. Splashing cold water on his face, he did the best to clear the last of the cobwebs from his brain. Harry quickly dressed and attempted to get his hair in some semblance of order, before running back to his dorm room to grab his book bag.
Making his way down to the common room, Harry was relieved to see it empty of everyone but his two friends. Digging into his bag, he grabbed the scrolls he had jotted down the information on, and after giving his two friends an abbreviated version of his midnight adventure, he handed them over to Hermione.
She quickly scanned through them, her brow furrowed in concentration, while Ron read over her shoulder.
"I know this!" Ron exclaimed. "Those glowing areas are chakra points!"
Harry and Hermione stared at him in surprise. It wasn't everyday that their red-headed friend knew something they didn't…or at least something that Hermione didn't.
"Uh…heh…" Ron flushed, and rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "My mum went on a meditation kick a few years back - all this weird chanting and stinky incense. These chakra points were a big part of the…uh…what was it… Oh yeah, something about 'balanced energy system'. Load of bollocks, if you ask me. Thank God it didn't last long – I thought I'd never get the smell of chamomile out of my clothes."
Harry and Hermione blinked at him, and Ron flushed even more. Finally, shaking themselves out of their surprise, the three friends discussed what their next step should be. After a brief debate, they decided to make extra copies to give to the Headmaster and the Professors, and see if they could meet with the Dumbledore after their last class.
Hermione ran back to her dorm and grabbed some fresh parchment, then quickly cast copying charms to make three duplicates. Harry jotted quick notes for the copies, and stuffed the original back into his bookbag. The copies were rolled up separately, to be delivered to the Headmaster, the Deputy Headmistress, and the Potions Master at breakfast.
Having done that, the three friends ran down to the Great Hall for their morning meal. After a quick detour to the head table to make their deliveries to Dumbledore and McGonagall, the three teens took their customary seats at the Gryffindor table. Professor Snape was absent from the main table, so Harry stuffed the last copy back into his bookbag, to give it to the potions master at the end of their class.
As they were running a little late, Ron, Harry, and Hermione quickly scarfed their food down, then dashed off to the dungeons for their potions class. They made it with two minutes to spare.
Professor Snape swooped into the classroom as usual, forcing Harry to hide a smile as he was reminded of a particular prediction from his Divination essay. Ron elbowed his friend and mouthed the word 'stab', while giving him an evil smirk. Harry lost it, and had to cover his burst of laughter with a fake cough.
Snape glared at them, but fortunately didn't deduct any house points.
The class went as it usually did – the Slytherins were praised and given points, the Gryffindors were insulted and had points taken away. But no class would be complete without Neville Longbottom exploding his cauldron, which he did spectacularly, and had to go to the infirmary to have the boils removed from his face.
The class mercifully drew to a close, and the students quickly gathered their books and supplies. Ron, Harry and Hermione dawdled, in order to give the parchment to the potions master as soon as everyone left.
Once the class was empty of all other students, Harry dug out the parchment copies and approached the snarky potions teacher.
"Uh…Professor Snape?" Harry tentatively called out to the teacher.
Turning a fierce glare at the young teen, Snape sneered, "Mr. Potter, to what may I attribute the extra attention you bestow upon me. Could it be you enjoy my class so much that you are reluctant to leave?"
Harry wasn't going to touch that question with a ten-foot pole, and quickly said, "We tried to give this to you at breakfast, but you weren't there."
Holding out his hand that held the rolled parchments, Harry offered it to the smirking potions master. Snape snapped it out of his hand, and quickly unrolled it. After briefly perusing it's contents, he returned his intense gaze to the boy who stood uncomfortably before him.
Removing his wand from inside his robes, Snape murmured a quick silencing spell on the dungeon room before sharply asking, "When did this occur?"
Harry shifted his weight from one foot to the other, clearly reluctant to answer.
"Answer my question truthfully, Mr. Potter. The time may have some relevance to this."
Slowly, Harry answered, "About 1:30am, sir."
Snape nodded before asking, "I assume you have requested a meeting with the Headmaster about this?"
Upon receiving nods of confirmation from the three students, he rolled the parchments back up and placed them into one of his desk drawers.
"Very well. We will speak of it then."
The professor's tone of voice was a clear dismissal, so the three students made their way to the dungeon door. They paused as Snape's voice called out to them.
"And Mr. Potter, 30 points from Gryffindor for breaking curfew rules."
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The meeting in the Headmaster's office was brief. It was confirmed that the glowing lights were chakra points, and that the wispy thread was an indication they were running out of time, but the only other results were more guesses and speculation. The gathering broke up rather quickly, each person feeling different levels of frustration, as they were accumulating a lot more questions than answers.
There was no point for the three young teens to continue discussing it, since they were no longer in the 'safe room', and couldn't chance having their conversation overheard. Relegating their worry and guesswork to the back of their minds, they hauled themselves and their bookbags to the library to work on the History of Magic homework that was due in a few days.
Snagging a table that was relatively out of the way of the other students, they dumped their bags onto the table, pulling out the items they needed. Exchanging whispered instructions, they agreed on what the assigned tasks would be for each of them. Ron was the designated 'book-getter', Harry the 'information finder', and Hermione the 'note-taker'.
While Ron went to pull the necessary volumes from the shelf, Harry and Hermione skimmed over the classroom textbook for any useful notations. Once Ron had obtained some of the books, the search was on, and the three friends worked diligently in silence.
Every half-hour or so, the trio took breathers in order to keep themselves alert and coherent. It was during one of these breaks that, keeping their voices low, they were giggling over the fact that Dumbledore had awarded 40 points to Harry for not fighting the compulsion to see the young woman. Needless to say, Snape was not pleased.
Hermione turned to ask Harry how he got around the bespelled wall, but gasped at the sight of her friend. His scar was glowing white again, and his eyes were gazing glassy-eyed at nothing.
"H-harry?" Hermione cautiously tried to get her friends attention, but received no response.
Ron went to clasp his shoulder, but Hermione quickly stopped him.
"I-I don't think that would be a good idea, Ron."
"What should we do?" Ron turned anxiously to his frizzy-haired friend.
Before she could respond, Harry abruptly stood, knocking his chair over with a clatter. His movements were slow and trance-like, as he turned and walked away from the table. Ron and Hermione followed closely.
"Ron, get on his right side, quickly! Try to hide him. We can't let anyone see his scar." Hermione rapidly instructed.
Ron swiftly complied, glancing at his messy-haired friend with concern. Both he and Hermione noticed that Harry seemed to be moving in the direction of the Restricted Section.
"Ron, I'm going to have Madam Pince floo Dumbledore. Hopefully, it will distract her from Harry entering the Restricted Section, and get the Headmaster here before something happens. If you start going deep into the stacks, try to leave a trail so we can find you." Hermione said before she darted off to the head librarian's desk.
Ron continued to walk at his best-friends side, casting nervous glances around and hoping they weren't attracting any unwanted attention. No one seemed to be paying any attention to the duo, and they reached the entrance without notice.
Harry pressed down on the lever-handle, swung the metal gate open, and walked through the entrance. Continuing his slow trek, Harry turned to the left, leaving Ron to close the gate behind them. Swiftly but quietly, Ron shut the gate, then hurried to catch up to his friend, though at the slow pace, Harry hadn't gotten very far ahead.
With each twist and turn, Ron pulled a book off a shelf, and left it in the middle of the aisle, like very large, rectangular Hansel and Gretel breadcrumbs. Ron's feeling of amazement grew at the sheer number of restricted books the castle contained, as the two boys trekked deeper and deeper into untold number of passageways.
They finally stopped at a cavern hidden deep in the shadows. Ron lifted his wand and called out a soft lumos, lighting the deep hollow with a faint glow. The soft light revealed the sight of hundreds of books shelved in shallow alcoves within the previously concealed tomb.
Harry apparently needed no light, as he unerringly moved to the shelf in front of him and reached up to pluck a book from the second shelf from the top.
This is how the others found them.
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Hermione walked as quickly as she could to the head librarian's desk. Gaining her attention, she asked Madam Pince to use her fireplace and request that the Headmaster come to the library immediately.
Madam Pince gave her a disapproving look as she said, "The Headmaster is a very busy man. You will need to give me a very good reason as to why I should disturb him."
"I'm sorry Madam Pince, I am not allowed to speak of it, but it is imperative that the Headmaster be notified immediately. He will understand when you tell him that I said 'glowing white'. Please direct him to the Restricted Section. I will wait for him there." Hermione said this as politely as she could, before she turned and made her way back to where she had left her two friends.
Moving to the Restricted Section, Hermione opened the gate and entered. Instead of waiting at the door, she took a moment to locate the first of Ron's trail indicators, then returned to the entrance. As she approached it, the door swung open and the Headmaster walked through, followed closely by Professors McGonagall and Snape.
Waving them to follow, Hermione turned back to where the trail began, the three adults followed as soon as Dumbledore instructed Madam Pince to lock the gate behind them.
Tracking the books left in the middle of the floor proved to be no problem, so the Headmaster took the lead, wand drawn. As the trail led deeper into the stacks, Snape and McGonagall exchanged concerned looks, knowing that the further away you got from the entrance the more dangerous and volatile the book.
Their worst fears were confirmed as they turned into a corridor that housed several hidden caverns, the deepest you could go in the Restricted Section. While not all the books within these tombs contained spells of Dark Magic, it didn't mean they were any less dangerous.
Spying a faint light within one of the caverns, the Headmaster carefully walked towards it, and entered just as young Harry Potter pulled a book from a shelf.
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Harry was only vaguely aware of what he was doing. He felt no need to speak, as there really wasn't any information to convey. The presence was guiding him somewhere, indicating when to turn right, when to turn left.
Upon reaching his destination, the presence guided him to chose THAT book, and no other. So, he trustingly reached up to pluck it from its resting place. Grasping it with both hands, the large tome fell heavily into his grip. While not overly large, the book was thick, and had a solid, slightly tarnished lock holding the binding closed.
Turning to find a spot to place the heavy tome, Harry hazily notice that he and his friends were now joined by the Headmaster, Snape, and McGonagall.
Dumbledore stretched out his arms, and gestured for Harry to place the book there. Without argument, Harry set the book in his hands, leaning the rest of the book on the Headmaster's forearms.
Letting his hand hover over the book, Harry felt his magic gathering within him, and softly spoke the word 'open'.
Ron and Hermione gasped as the catch unlocked, and the book cover opened – Harry hadn't used his wand. The adults were silent, but they glanced piercingly at the young boy, before turning their gazes back to the book.
As his hand still hovered over the book, Harry spoke another word, 'find', and the pages began to flutter, before finally resting open to a page written in spidery writing.
Harry moved his hand back to his side, and stood silently before the others.
Seeing the glow of Harry's scar begin to fade, Dumbledore turned the book towards him, being careful not to lose the page. Skimming the page briefly, he then searched his pockets for something to save his place, but only found an old lint covered red licorice twizzle-stick. Hoping Madam Pince would eventually forgive him, he placed the semi-sticky candy into the groove between the pages and closed the book.
As Harry's scar returned to normal, or as normal as a lightning-bolt shaped scar could be, he seemed to be shaking himself out of a trance. His eyes were once again focused, and he seemed surprised to see himself in an unfamiliar location, along with the fact that he was now surrounded by three adults in addition to his two friends.
Looking over to Hermione, he asked ominously, "They did it again, didn't they?"
Upon receiving her hesitant nod of confirmation, he turned his scowling face upward and growled, "I am not a medium! The next time you guys want me to do something, send an owl!"
Ron and Hermione held back their giggles, knowing their friend was upset, and wouldn't want them to laugh at him. But Dumbledore and McGonagall let out a couple of chuckles, and even Snape let out a snort of amusement.
Harry glared at the potions master, his scowl deepening. The potions master smirked at him.
The Headmaster juggled the book into one arm, then pat Harry on the shoulder.
"Well young Harry, it looks as though you had another unwanted adventure. But if it makes you feel any better, I believe a particular spell in this book will help the young woman regain consciousness. If that is the case, I'm sure they won't be bothering you again."
Harry sighed, shoulders drooping, as he said, "I hope so. It's no fun to feel like you've been sleepwalking, then waking up not knowing where you are or what you did."
Ron hurried to reassure him, "Don't worry mate. There wasn't anything embarrassing, unless you count your glowing forehead, and I don't think anyone saw that."
"Thank you Ron." Harry responded sarcastically.
Hermione giggled.
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled in merriment as he gestured the group from the alcove. Taking a moment to shrink the tome to a manageable size and placing it in his pocket, the Headmaster motioned the group to follow him back along the book strewn path.
"I believe we should return to the main library, if we do not wish to have any undue questioning by our esteemed librarian. And Mr. Weasley, I'm sure Madam Pince would appreciate it if you would return the books you pulled back to their proper place."
"No problem!" Ron quipped. "I pulled each book from the last shelf on right side of the aisle. They were the last book on the third shelf from the bottom."
Hermione looked pleased at the fact that the red-head hadn't just pull books at random. Maybe there was hope for his brain at last.
"…I think."
Or maybe not.
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The three Gryffindors were disgruntled when they found they would not be privy to the discussion about the spell. Apparently it was extremely powerful, and bordered on 'Dark Magic'. The Headmaster didn't feel it would be appropriate for the children to take part in the debate, but assured them they would be informed of any decisions made.
It was with extreme annoyance that the teens returned to their studies, trying to get back into the flow of working on their boring history essay. Extremely boring, when compared to an unknown powerful spell.
After an hour of pointless scratching and doodling, they gathered their school supplies, returned the library books to the appropriate shelves, and made their way back to the Gryffindor Tower.
Dumping their school bags haphazardly, Ron pulled out a deck of exploding snap cards, and was even able to convince Hermione to forego her nightly reading frenzy and join in the game.
Each of them played badly, as they wondered about the conversation taking place in the Headmaster's office.
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After reading the spell thoroughly, Dumbledore had turned the book over to the two professors sitting before him, and was now attempting to read their expression as they themselves read the contents inscribed on the page.
Minerva turned a shocked and worried gaze towards the Headmaster.
"Albus, do you realize how dangerous this spell is? It would require a small number of powerful wizards and witches to perform this – a number that I don't believe we have here at Hogwarts. The majority of the staff doesn't have the necessary magic level to be a part of this spell. And while Flitwick may have the power, I don't believe he will be able to handle the physical backlash that may occur. No, at most, it would just be the three of us, and that is not enough. We would need at least one more wizard or witch who has a similar magic level…maybe two."
Severus sighed and reluctantly said, "I'm afraid you will have to count me out also."
Dumbledore gave him a questioning look.
"The spell is so close to being Dark Magic that my involvement may tip the scales." Snape gestured at his left arm.
Giving him a look of understanding, the Headmaster sat back and stroked his beard in thought.
Sighing deeply, Dumbledore slowly spoke, "I know of two others who can be trusted with keeping this secret, but I know you may not like the idea, Severus."
"Black and Lupin." Snape said sharply with a look of displeasure on his face.
"They have the necessary power levels that would enable us to do the spell. And we could include Professors Sprout and Flitwick as backup, should we need a boost. Yes, it would work. How long would it take to get them here?" Minerva questioned.
"Normally it would take a couple of days, but with Harry's surprising involvement in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, they have chosen to remain near enough to immediately apparate to the borders of Hogwarts, should anything happen to go wrong."
Dumbledore sighed tiredly. "If what Harry saw is any indication, we should be thankful they are nearby. The young lady is fading away, and it is imperative that we perform the spell as soon as possible. I will send owls out to them immediately. Sirius should arrive within an hour, and Remus no later than tomorrow morning.
"We will plan on performing the spell late tomorrow night, which will give us a portion of the day tomorrow should we need to prepare or rest. Severus, though you will not be participating in the spell, I would still wish to have you there to help should anything go wrong."
Severus nodded, and moved to stand up, but the Headmaster held up a hand to stay his leave-taking.
"Severus, I know you have…issues…with Sirius Black. Should any harm befall him, it may affect his ability to perform the spell, and would thereby affect the recovery of the young woman. I ask that you set aside your hostilities for the time being. I will request the same of him, and seek to confine him to the infirmary for both his safety, and the sake of avoiding a confrontation with you. Will you make the effort not to antagonize him needlessly?"
Snape's lips curled into a sneer, but he reluctantly nodded.
"Now, before we end this meeting, I believe we have one last issue to discuss – Harry's surprising display of wandless magic."
Minerva, a concerned look on her face, spoke gravely, "How was he able to do that Albus. Even if it is not as rare as other skills, wandless magic generally doesn't show up until a wizard or witch is at least in their early twenties – the youngest recorded being just shy of 21 years of age. I've never heard of anyone showing this skill before they've even gone through puberty."
"It may be another oddity from Harry's connection with Voldemort. There is much we don't know about how that connection affects Harry's magical development. When you combine that with his experiences during the last 4 years, and his muggle life, Harry is far more mature than your average 14 year old. This combination may have triggered an early appearance."
Snape snorted in disbelief.
Dumbledore turned serious eyes towards the sneering potions master, "Do not mistake an adventurous spirit for stupidity, Severus. While young Harry may be testing the waters and spreading his wings, he does so with caution and intelligence. How else would he have passed the spells protecting the Sorcerer's Stone and then defeat the spirit of Voldemort housed within Quirell? How would he have discovered the Chamber of Secrets and then vanquish Tom Riddle? How is it that he had the strength of character to stay his anger in order to listen to the man found guilty of murdering his parents, and then have the compassion to keep his father's friends from killing the real murderer, in order to let him have a chance to stand trial?
"No, Severus. Contrary to what you believe of him, Harry is far more mature than you think. No one his age would normally take the time to weigh the consequences, then choose that which benefits others, no matter the personal cost."
Severus's eyes and face were void of expression, as he stared at the Headmaster.
Minerva cleared her throat to bring their attention back to the matter at hand.
"Albus, regardless of what may have caused Harry's display of wandless magic, is it something we will be able to deal with now? Because of the age at which it usually makes its appearance, this ordinarily falls within the Ministry's area of influence. You know how they insist on those wizards and witches, who test positive for the skill, to take the requisite courses shortly after their 20th birthday, in order to understand the dangers associated with its use, and another course when they obtain the gift. The renewal of their apparation license requires them to complete the course. But since Harry is nowhere near getting even his first apparition license, we have nothing to influence him with. Will he have time to learn what's necessary before the term ends? Do we even have anyone qualified to teach him? Should we notify the Ministry?"
Minerva began panicking at the thought of having to bring the Ministry into anything connected with Harry.
"Calm yourself, my dear. I have no intention of letting the Ministry finding out about the early arrival of Harry's new skill. While it may be inconvenient for it to show up now, Harry could use all the advantages he can get, if he has to face Voldemort again any time soon." Dumbledore spoke calmly, then sat back, stroking his beard in thought.
After a moment of silence, the Headmaster nodded his head in decision.
"A few of the professors here are qualified to teach the subject of wandless magic, but between his class schedule and the Tri-Wizard Tournament, I do not believe Harry will have the time to learn anything but the basics, before the term ends. I would not have him return to his family half-trained, so we will not attempt to teach him anything as of yet. Though, I will meet with him regarding the subject, as it would be best to at least tell him of it, and obtain his promise not to experiment over the summer holidays, nor speak of it to his friends."
Snape let out an incredulous snort, saying, "And you'd believe him? He alone has broken almost as many rules as the Weasley twins…combined. And his friends? They share a brain – what he knows, they will know. Potter couldn't keep a secret from them if it was glued to his hand."
"The request will not be given as an order, but as a logical explanation of its dangerous consequences and valid reasoning for the need of secrecy – He will keep his promise, Severus."
The potions master looked unconvinced.
"I believe that will be all for now. I will sent out the owls immediately, and schedule a meeting with young Harry tomorrow after breakfast. And Severus, please remember your promise."
Snape glowered at him.
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The morning meal was a cheerful event that morning, as it was announced there would be a Hogsmeade visit scheduled for the next day. It was a pleasant, but well received, surprise for the students, as they had just returned from their winter holidays. Voices chattered in excitement as the students deliberated over what they would do.
But Ron, Harry, and Hermione knew that the last minute planning had something to do with what happened the previous evening. And it was confirmed when, just after the announcement, a house-elf appeared at Harry's elbow, handing him a sealed envelope.
Accepting the envelope from the shy creature, Harry turned it over to see the familiar scrawl belonging to the Headmaster. He thanked the house-elf, who gave him a friendly smile before disappearing.
"Are you running out of friends of the human variety that you have to settle for dirty house-elf servants, Potter?" A voice snarked.
Not bothering to turn his head toward the familiar voice at the Slytherin table, Harry absently said, "At least they have more brains than your two sidekicks, Malfoy."
Turning back forward, Harry opened the envelope, ignoring the growls of irritation from the table behind him. It was a request from Dumbledore that he, Ron, and Hermione meet in his office after breakfast. Handing the note to his friends, he returned to his meal.
When they finished eating, the three friends quickly made their way to the Headmaster's office. The meeting was brief, in which they were told that the spell would be performed late that night, but were not allowed to be in attendance (much to their irritation).
After extracting promises from all three to not make any attempts to sneak their way in, Ron and Hermione were given a note of excuse and dismissed to go to their class, but Harry was asked to stay behind.
"I won't keep you long, Harry. I needed to speak with you about something that happened in the alcove yesterday evening. How much do you remember?"
Harry looked thoughtful, saying, "I think all of it, but it's kind of fuzzy and blurry. If I really concentrate on it, I can remember walking along the stacks, then into the alcove. After that, I remember getting a book from one of the shelves and turning to see you and the other professors there, along with Ron and Hermione. Then I set the book into your hands and opened…it…"
Harry's eyes widened.
"Yes, Harry. You opened the book using magic, but without your wand. And that is what I wished to speak to you about."
"How…" Harry was gob-smacked, mouth opening and closing like a fish.
"Ahhh…now that is something you weren't supposed to find out for another 6 or 7 years. But then, you never seem to do anything by the book, do you Harry?" Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he smiled warmly at the boy sitting before him.
The young teen blushed.
The Headmaster explained the basics of wandless magic to Harry, emphasizing the dangerous aspects of experimenting without a trained wizard or witch present, and the need for the information to be kept secret from those who were under the specified age limit.
"Great. Another thing that makes me different." Harry sighed. "You're going to ask me to keep this from Ron and Hermione, aren't you?"
"I'm afraid you must, Harry." Dumbledore gave him a sympathetic look.
"Well, I hope there aren't any books on it in the library, or Hermione will be finding out sooner than you think."
Dumbledore chuckled. "Not to worry. I've already instructed Madam Pince to forbid Ms. Granger from obtaining those books, and as they are in the Restricted Section, they will be closely guarded."
"I don't think that will stop her, sir." Harry gave him a rueful grin.
"If or when that happens, we will address it then. Now, I do believe your class has started already. Double Potions with the Slytherins, isn't is?" The Headmaster's eyes danced in amusement when Harry groaned. "Don't worry. I will give you a pass…along with instructions that Professor Snape is not allowed to deduct points for anything connected with your delay."
Harry scowled. "Oh he'll find other ways, sir."
"As I and Professor McGonagall will find other ways to return them." Dumbledore chuckled.
Harry laughed.
"Oh, and Harry? I do believe there is a very friendly dog in the infirmary that would enjoy a visit after your last class this afternoon. Would you do me the favor of delivering this note to Madam Pomfrey when you go there?"
His face beaming with pleasure, he assured the Headmaster that it would be no problem to deliver the envelope.
Harry practically skipped to the dungeons.
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Double Potions went as Harry expected. If he wasn't so irritated, he would have laughed over the 30 points Hermione lost because Snape accused her of frizzing her hair bigger in order to keep him from seeing the contents of her cauldron. Harry didn't think Hermione would be amused to know her friend thought it was funny.
In all, Gryffindor lost 120 points – 50 of them due to Neville destroying yet another cauldron. Though he liked the shy Gryffindor, Harry was forced to concede that the House Cup would have been a shoo-in for the last four years, if they hadn't lost so many points due to Neville's mishaps.
Harry sighed. With the conspicuous absence of the Headmaster and Professor McGonogall, the noon meal had been somewhat subdued, but quickly over. Now, in Charms, the time seemed to drag on forever.
'It figures.' Harry thought. 'When you have places to go and people to see, time is as slow as the thinking process of Crabbe and Goyle.'
Just when he thought there would be no end, his class finally drew to a close. Harry crammed his supplies into his bookbag, and waved to Ron and Hermione as he departed. Ron was still a little miffed that he couldn't join him, but had admitted it would be odd for two healthy young boys to be seen entering the hospital wing without good reason. Hermione had finally gotten him to see this logic, though it almost took a crowbar and funnel to get that common sense to soak into his brain. Of course, the threat of hexing him with a petrificus totalus helped.
Harry walked to the infirmary as quickly as his legs would take him, almost forgetting about the trick step on one of the stairways in his haste. Narrowly avoiding that misstep, he dragged his attention back to where he was, and made it to the hospital wing without further mishap.
Upon entering the infirmary (quietly, mind you), he swiftly made his way to Madam Pomfrey's office towards the back, and stood uncertainly at the open doorway. Gaining her attention, he handed her the Headmaster's note.
"Professor Dumbledore wanted me to give this to you, and said that I could visit with Snuffles for a while." Harry looked around for the large black dog. "Uh…where is he?"
The medi-witch, reading the note in her hand, waved her wand absently behind her, causing the doorway to appear in the castle wall.
Briefly looking up from the message, she said, "The Headmaster insisted that flea-bitten canine be allowed to keep her company…something about coma patients responding well to the presence of pets."
Madam Pomfrey scrunched up her nose in disgust, but waved Harry through the opening before returning her attention to the note.
Harry held back a giggle, wondering how the medi-witch would feel if she knew that it was a thirty-something year old man that was alone in the room with her patient, and not a dog. Shaking his head, he opened the door and stepped through.
Closing the door behind him, Harry looked in the direction of the young woman's bed. He was surprised to find someone sitting in one of the chairs next to the bed, in addition to seeing his godfather, in canine form, with his nose buried in the young woman's hair, giving her a soulful look.
"Professor Lupin!" Harry exclaimed in surprise. "The Headmaster didn't tell me you would be here also!"
"Hello Harry. It's good to see you again." The brown-haired man gave him a friendly smile of welcome. "And please call me Remus. You know I'm not your professor anymore, but I would be honored to call you friend."
Harry grinned, and walked closer to the raggedly dressed man. He hesitated a moment, but at because of the affable and relaxed posture of the other man, he gave him a brief hug in greeting.
Remus Lupin was startled for moment, as not many people felt comfortable touching the werewolf, but after his brief hesitation, he gently returned the hug.
Stepping back, Harry glanced in the direction of his godfather, who had just extracted his nose from the young woman's neck.
"What's with him?" Harry asked Lupin, a little hurt that he hadn't received his godfather's usual exuberant greeting.
"I think he's smitten." Remus responded with a faint smile gracing his lips.
"Smitten?!" Harry snorted in amusement. "How can you be smitten with someone you've never met, who's in a coma?"
Remus laughed. "Out of all the Marauders, Padfoot always was the one to be different."
If it was possible, the canine managed to look both embarrassed and affronted. As the dog dropped his front paws back to the ground, he transformed into the familiar form of Harry's godfather, Sirius Black. His black hair was a little longer, and he still wore the scraggly robes from the last time Harry saw him, but at least he didn't look as scrawny.
He scowled at Remus, his cheeks tinged pink. Turning to his godson, his face lit up with a grin. Bounding over, he gave Harry a big hug, before pulling back to scrutinize the young teen.
"How are you holding up Harry?" Sirius asked, a concerned look on his face.
"I'm doing well, though getting tired of being the middle-man for the mortal plane and whoever." Harry responded a little grumpily, waving his hand up at the ceiling.
"Yes, about that…I think some explanations are in order. Would you care to get us up to date on what's been happening around here? Dumbledore hasn't seen fit to enlighten us on the situation." Sirius arched an eyebrow in question.
Harry sighed, but nodded his assent, gesturing Remus to take his seat again. As there was only one other chair, Sirius let Harry take it, choosing to sit on the young woman's bed, holding her hand. Remus and Harry exchanged an amused look.
The next hour was spent on catching his godfather and Remus up on the latest secret news. Since Remus and Sirius were apparently going to take part in the spell later that evening, Harry had no reservations in revealing everything. The hour following was spent over-analyzing all the events until Harry called a halt to it all.
"Gah! That's enough for me. The Headmaster is right in saying that she will wake up before we find any answers." Harry waved his hand at the young woman laying silently on the bed.
"Yes, there is much too much to consider, isn't there." Remus mused silently.
Any response was interrupted by the noise of the door opening. Sirius quickly turned into his animagi form, jumping down off the bed before turning in the direction of the entryway.
A tall dark figure slipped in quietly, and closed the door behind him. The three conscious occupants recognized the potions master, though none were pleased to see him.
Taking in the sight of two other people in the room of the unconscious girl, the potions master's eyes then fell on the canine, who was peering around the side of the bed and growling softly. He tensed, giving the dog a cold look.
"Black."
A/N: I promise she'll wake up soon – probably the next chapter. Sorry there weren't any elves in this one, but they will return, scouts honor!!