HARRY POTTER AND THE BREATH OF LIFE
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any other known character from the Harry Potter series. I do own the plot and a few characters.
For those wondering how it is I update so fast, the reason is very simple. I have nothing to do with my life so I write a lot.
Glad you like my story. Now on with the chapter.
Chapter 26 – Harry sixth year – The Breath of Life
On the following day of the arrival Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny made their way to Iris's office. They had decided to visit Iris and then Hagrid.
The door was ajar when they arrived there.
" Hello, can we come in?" Harry asked.
" Sure. I'm just getting rid of some things. Come in." came Iris's voice from inside the room.
The kids entered and were surprised to see the room in an utter mess. Loads of things were upside down. Harry recognised some of Umbridge's things and felt glad that Iris was getting rid of them.
" Looks like a hurricane passed through here." Said Ron.
" You're right. But I would say that there were two hurricanes at least. However, with a flick of a hand." She flicked her right hand. " Everything goes to its place."
In front of their eyes passed a transformation. All the things that were upside down disappeared and the rest placed itself neatly on the shelves or on the table. All the kids were open-mouthed except for Harry, who already knew of Iris's ability to do wandless magic.
" How in Merlin's beard did you do that?" asked Ron.
Iris's answer was a grin. Then she conjured out of nowhere four chairs and beckoned the kids to sit down.
" So, why are you here?" she asked assuming a position of I'm-the-teacher-you-the-pitiful-students-so-bow-to-me.
" We just came for a visit, Professor, but if you don't want us here we can just leave." Said Harry, putting an emphatic irony on the word Professor.
" Very
funny. Thanks for the visit. I'm so nervous. I have absolutely no idea of what
I'm doing."
" So why did you accept the job?" asked Harry.
" Well, first because I could use the money and second because I happened to want to be near my godson. But apparently my godson doesn't want me around."
" Don't even think that. I couldn't be happier to have you here." Harry protested.
" Yeah, and I'm sure you'll do great." Said Ron.
" I'm depending on Remus for that." Said Iris sadly.
" What does Professor Lupin have to do with it?" asked Hermione.
" He's the one preparing the classes. Just promise you won't tell anyone about this. I would be so embarrassed. I don't want my students to think I can't even prepare a class on my own. If only he had offered me the position for Potions Master. In that case I wouldn't need Remus."
" Don't worry, we won't tell anyone. We wouldn't gain anything with it." said Ginny.
" Yeah, and Ginny doesn't do anything unless there is something in for her." Complained Ron.
" That right. I like to get advantage of something otherwise, what's the use in doing it?"
" Let's not argue on this. It will lead nowhere." Iris intervened quickly.
There was a moment of silence before Hermione shifted in her chair and said.
" Iris,
Professor, can I ask you something?"
" In my office is Iris. Save the Professor for the classroom. Ask me anything."
" Harry told us about you and I was wondering how it is you are going to bring Sirius back."
" I was
waiting for question. The problem is I don't know the answer. I mean I know but
I can't explain. You have to be there to understand."
" Is this a joke?" asked Harry angrily.
" Calm down. The method consists of simple operations. First I take a potion that allows my body to continue to function after I enter the veil. Then I administer the same potion to Sirius. When we come out he has to take another potion that will make his body fight for air and that will make his heart resume its normal work. Later he is to be administrated a set of potions that will normalize his vital signs and eventually return him to conscious and life. The set of these seven potions is called "The Breath of Life". That is how I'm going to bring Sirius back. But you didn't ask me this. You asked how I was going to bring him back, take him out of the veil. That is what I can't explain."
" How can potions do this?" asked Hermione eagerly.
" That
you have to ask my sister. She came up with these potions. It took her more
than ten years to do it. I don't even know how she tested them."
" Wow! Your sister must be an amazing potion brewer." Said Hermione.
" She is. No one knows this but she created the Wolfsbane Potion just because of Remus."
" She knew Lupin?" asked Harry.
" Of course she knew him. We were all in school together and they went out together for a few years. Almost as many as me and Sirius."
" What happened?" asked Ron.
" Well,
after my passing it became hard for her to stay here in England. So she took
our younger brother William and they left to America. They are still there. But
leaving meant break-up."
" That was bad. Poor Lupin." Said Ginny.
" Poor
my sister. She suffered a lot too. She fought for a position here at Hogwarts
just to stay near him. After she left she began researching for a potion to
ease his transformations. She knew how hard that was. But the truth is we will
never know which one of them suffered the most."
" Iris is right. About the potions, when will you have them?" Harry asked.
" I'm expecting them for soon. She can skip the research part so it won't take her long. Maybe in a couple of weeks. But you don't have to worry; you'll be the first to know when they come."
Harry nodded and that ended the conversation.
" I can't wait for our first class with her." Said Ron when they were on their way to Hagrid's hut.
" Me too. I'm sure she will be great." Agreed Ginny.
Harry however was not paying attention. He was thinking about what Iris had said. "Maybe in a couple of weeks" kept coming to his head. He couldn't help but wish that the couple of weeks would pass flying.
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On Monday was their first class with Iris. Once more Iris proved she had many abilities. Including the ability to surprise everyone. When they entered the DADA classroom they didn't expect the show they were going to get. Because of the small number of students it was a joint class. On that morning there were Gryffindors and Slytherins. Iris was already on the classroom when the students entered.
" Sit down quickly. I have a few announcements before we start our class." She said in a very strict voice. She sounded like a mixture between McGonagall and Umbrige.
The students sat down as quickly as they could, Harry and Ron on the front desk and Hermione right behind them.
" First of all let me clear something out. I don't like children between the ages of 13 and 17. That includes you. Hence I don't like you. I would also like to clear that I will not accept jokes, conversations during class, passing of notes and other things that might disrupt the class. Did I make myself clear?" Iris announced in her new tone of voice.
The students were all looking at each other. Then a very low "Yes Professor" was barely heard. This answer caused another surprising reaction from Iris. She started laughing.
" Well, that serves to prove I can be menacing. But that will only happen if you give me very good reasons. I'm sorry if I scared you, I didn't mean to. I'm a very good person but don't upset me. I'm sure we will get along just fine."
She went to her desk with a smile on her face and winced at Harry when she turned to the class.
" Now enough playing, let's get to work." She said.
That had to be one of the strangest classes ever.
The other classes were very interesting. Iris brought two creatures and they spent the classes 'playing' with them. On the second week of school she gave them a project for DADA and Care of Magical Creatures. They had to find a certain creature and then had to keep it alive for a whole month. She helped to deal with the creature for it's capture and then Hagrid took over to help them keep the creature alive. However something happened that made Harry forget about his project. At the end of that same week Iris received a box.
" Is it the potions?" Harry asked after she received it.
" Yes. It is." She said while opening the box.
Sure enough inside the box were seven vials of multicoloured potions. A transparent, a blue, a black, a green, a red, a yellow and an orange potion sat neatly on the box. Each had a sticker revealing their contents. Iris watched them for a while and then closed the box. On the top was a card explaining how to use them. Iris read it and then gave it to Harry. She took the box and turned to Harry.
" I'm going to Grimmauld Place to talk to Remus. You go back to your afternoon classes. When I come back I'll tell you our plan. If everything is settled we go tonight."
Harry's eyes brightened and he nodded. Then Iris disappeared in the fireplace. Harry ran to the common room. He had to tell someone.
Iris called for Remus but no answer came. She searched the whole house but the werewolf was nowhere to be found. She sat down at the kitchen table and looked at the box placed in front of her. Its contents had been her salvation and now they were going to be Sirius's salvation. They could not fail and all she wanted right now was Remus. And there he was, cleaning his robes from the ashes of the fireplace.
" What are you doing here? Don't you have classes?" he asked.
" No. Remus, the box is here. We can go get Sirius."
Lupin opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. He sat down in front of Iris and breathed.
" What are we going to do?"
" We have
to go to the Department of Mysteries and take him out of there."
" You make it sound simple. We have a guard to pass and how exactly are we
going to enter the Department?"
" How did you? On that day?"
" The door was already open. I'm not so sure it will be open this time."
" Find someone who will open it for us. Leave the guard to me. All I need is to
get to that veil."
" I'll talk to Arthur maybe he can tell me who's doing the night shift tonight."
" I'll go back to Hogwarts to stay with Harry. Meet us at the entrance to the Ministry at five to midnight."
" All
right. I'm going to talk to Arthur now. See you tonight."
Iris nodded and taking the box she left
back to Hogwarts. Lupin then made to speak to Arthur in a way only known to the
members of the Order. Soon he knew who was in the Department of Mysteries at
midnight. Most importantly he was getting his best friend back.
TBC
There you go. Another chappie. Next one: discover the world behind the veil.
Note to reviewers: I don't answer your questions because they are answered by the story as it progresses. If I missed an answer let me know and I'll clear it for you.
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