Chapter Four: Curses and Clabberts
"Of course he is, Hermione!" Ron told her. "He's got all of... what's his name... Henrec? All of his knowledge."
"Actually it's Haimric, Ron," Harry reminded him. "And that's not quite true. I've got a lot of his raw knowledge, but not his flair at using it. I think I'll manage though."
"It still bothers me that you've got other people in your head," Ginny reminded him. "I know you said it's okay but..."
"I'm sorry Ginny, I'm not sure what else I can tell you," Harry said. "Haimric and the others are part of me. Although sometimes they apply their own spin on things, they would never do anything that I didn't want."
Ginny appeared to consider this for a moment. "Okay Harry, I believe you. But if you start to have blackouts or memory loss or anything like that let me know."
"I will, Ginny," Harry assured her.
"Can we go?" Ron asked. "I'm hungry."
"You're always hungry, Ron," Harry told him.
"Well, I want to find out what lessons we have," Hermione added. "I wonder what sort of things your friend Professor Davis has planned."
"I think he's going to be reviewing what we covered with the DA last year first. Then move on to some of the simpler dark curses and the ways to counter them."
"That'll be dead useful," Ron said. "Especially if the Death Eaters try and attack."
"Oh, they will," Harry promised grimly. "But with the Rangers and the other Ealbhari here, and the professors and the DA as well, I think we'll be pretty safe."
"Good," said Neville. "I'm in no hurry to face them again."
"None of us are, Neville," Harry assured him. "None of us are."
----
Just as McGonagall was moving down the aisles handing out the timetables, Jenna and one of the Ealbhari corporals burst in and headed straight for Harry, who was in the middle of a discussion about Quidditch with Katie, Ron and Ginny.
Jenna whispered something in Harry's ear and Harry frowned, then nodded grimly. He finished off the mouthful of food he was chewing and then stood up. He looked over at his friends. "Something's come up, I've got to go. I'll be as quick as I can." He turned to the Ealbhari who had accompanied Jenna. "Corporal, could you get me my schedule from Professor McGonagall?"
"Yes, my lord."
"Jenna, let's go."
"I'm right behind you."
"I'll bet she is," grumbled Ginny, when the three were out of earshot. "Since he met her he hasn't had much time for us."
"Ginny!" exclaimed Hermione. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were jealous."
"That's just it, Hermione," replied Ginny in a quiet undertone. "I think I am."
"Jenna doesn't want to take Harry away from us, Ginny. Harry has something he needs to do and he needs her for that."
"I just wish he'd need me."
"He does need you, Ginny," Hermione told her. "He needs all his friends. Jenna is just the friend that can help him the most right now. Your time will come."
"Yeah, sooner rather than later, I hope."
----
Harry arrived at Potions with only a minute to spare. Because of the stiff entry requirements and the fact that most students didn't enjoy the class, only fourteen people had applied to sit it as a NEWT and all of them had it during the same period. Harry and Hermione were the only Gryffindors in the class, but there were a few other friendly faces: Padma Patil, Anthony Goldstein and Michael Corner from Ravenclaw, and Ernie MacMillian, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Hannah Abbott and Susan Bones from Hufflepuff. However there were also three people Harry would rather have avoided on his first day - Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson and Theodore Nott of Slytherin House - and also Blaise Zabini and Tracy Greengrass, two Slytherins whose attitudes were as yet a mystery to him.
Snape charged into the classroom just as they were sitting down. "Welcome to the final stage of your Potions education, you are here because you have proved to the examination board that you have a moderate gift in this area." Here he paused, then added, "Though how some of you managed to do this is a mystery to me. No matter, you are here now, so I must make do," Snape decided. "However, one false step and you will be out of here before your feeble mind has grasped where you went wrong. Is that understood?"
"Yes, Professor Snape," chorused the class.
Do not worry, Harry, Haimric whispered in Harry's head. I will make sure you do not go wrong.
Thanks for the offer, Haimric. But let's see how I do on my own first, okay?
Of course, my friend. I will do as you wish.
By the time Harry had finished this inner dialogue, Snape had finished writing up the ingredients for the first potion on the board. Harry scanned the list, it seemed to be the instructions for a basic Sleeping Draught, but something didn't look quite right. He almost broke silence to ask Hermione, who was sitting beside him and had already started work on the potion, but then he caught himself. Haimric, can you help?
He thought he heard a slight chuckle inside his mind, then his other spoke. Or course I can, Harry. Our predecessor, Lord Arsenius Aurefor wrote the book you study from.
Well?
It should be three drops of essence of wormwood, not one drop of poppy juice. You also let it boil until clear and colourless, not milky white.
Thanks Haimric.
It is my pleasure.
Smiling slightly to himself, Harry got to work. Working steadily, and with the occasional reminder from his other self, he managed to complete the potion within the time allowed. Glancing around, Harry noticed that of the other students, only Hermione, Malfoy - who had most likely been tipped off by Snape - and a couple of the Ravenclaws had potions which looked right, everyone else had clearly followed Snape's instructions.
When he saw Harry's potion, Snape's face twisted into an annoyed grimace. "Five points from Gryffindor for not following my instructions, Potter! And ten points from Gryffindor for helping him, Granger!"
Harry gritted his teeth, he almost said something but the warning hiss in his mind from Haimric and Hermione's hand on his arm persuaded him to stay silent.
"I want two rolls of parchment on sleeping potions including three occasions when each have been used in history for the next lesson. Now get out!"
----
"That man gets worse every year!" exclaimed Harry once they were out of sight of Snape's domain. "Fifteen points off because we didn't make the mistake he wanted us to!"
"I know, Harry," Hermione admitted. "We only have two more years to go though."
"Thank Merlin for small mercies."
"How did you get it right anyway? I know you studied a bit of the summer but..."
"Are you asking if he helped me?"
"I guess I am," Hermione admitted.
Harry sighed. "You're right, Haimric did tell me about the wormwood and the shorter boiling time. Arsenius Jigger was one of my predecessors."
Hermione frowned, "Is that fair, Harry? Using your extra powers in class."
"I don't know, Hermione. All I know is that it gives me an edge. And frankly, at the moment I need every edge I can get."
"Just be careful all right? I don't want you to rely on him all the time."
"I won't, Hermione. Potions is just too important. Can we talk about something else?"
"Of course, Harry. What do you want to talk about?"
"Well, in your letter before my birthday you mentioned something about coming to a decision about Ron and Viktor..."
----
After lunch, Harry and Hermione joined Ron, Neville, Seamus, Dean, and a handful of Slytherins, including Crabbe, Goyle, Millicent Bulstrode, and Tracy Greengrass, but not Malfoy, Nott or Pansy Parkinson. To Harry's relief, Hagrid had decided to start with something relatively tame, Clabberts. He was further reassured by the six Rangers patrolling nearby in case of an incident.
After dinner, Ron and Hermione disappeared towards the library. Harry decided to make a start on his Potions essay while things were still quiet and so he got out his things and joined Dean, Neville and Ginny at one of the tables. None of them seemed to be interested in talking, Dean was helping Ginny with her Transfiguration homework, and Neville was pouring over a thick book entitled African Desert Plants and Their Uses, so Harry just got out some parchment, a quill and his Potions book and got started.
By the time Ron and Hermione returned just before the nine o'clock curfew, Harry had finished his essay, and had read a bit further on in the book. Ron came over their table and sat down beside Harry. "Can I have a word with you, Harry?"
"Sure Ron, what's up?"
"Alone?"
"Okay," Harry agreed with a slight frown. He looked around the common room for Seamus and found him sitting with Lavender, Parvati and two of the fifth year girls near the girls' staircase. "Upstairs?"
Ron nodded and they climbed up the stairs to their dorm. Once Harry had closed the door behind them, Ron sat down on his bed and looked at Harry for a minute. "I'm not sure how to say this..."
"It's okay, Ron. Take your time."
"You, me and Hermione, we've been friends for a long time... and when Hermione started going out with Vicky two years ago... well, I'll be honest I was jealous. Then there were all those articles. But Hermione and I have had a talk, and if it's okay with you... we, erm, that's we'd..."
"Ron, you sound like I would if I tried to ask you for permission to date your sister!"
Ron paused for a second, blinked, then sighed. "Bloody hell, Harry! Of course that's what I sound like! That's what I'm doing!"
"I guessed that, Ron," Harry admitted. "But why are you asking me?"
"I just want to make sure you're okay with it. I mean it's always been the three of us, and it still will be, but..."
"I understand, Ron. Does Hermione really think of me like that?"
"As a brother?" Harry nodded. "I reckon she does, Harry. I mean she certainly fusses over you like Bill, Charlie and Percy used to fuss over me and Ginny. What about you?"
Harry shrugged. "I never really thought about it. But if I did have a sister, I don't think I could care about her more than I care about Hermione," he admitted. " So if you want my 'blessing' Ron, you have it. Just treat Hermione right okay? Or I might just have to take a leaf out of your mother's book and 'protect her honour', got it?"
"I getcha, Harry. In that case, you got any free advice?"
"About girls?" Ron nodded. Harry shrugged. "Sorry Ron, can't help there. My experience with dating was a complete disaster, and as for Haimric... the Lords Procella been married four hundred and ninety-six times - three hundred and four as a man and a hundred and ninety-two as a woman; had twelve hundred and sixty-three heterosexual relationships, two hundred and ninety-seven homosexual ones, sixty-three lesbian ones and sixteen bisexual relationships. And I'll let you into a little secret... we still don't understand girls."
"Then how am I supposed to manage?" Ron moaned.
Harry shrugged. "The same way everyone else does, Ron. Trial and error."
"Yeah, hopefully without too much error," Ron said dismally.
----
The sixth year's Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson the next morning was conducted in the usual room on the second floor. When Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville arrived they found several members of the sixth year Ravenclaw class waiting for them as well. Unlike in previous years, Defence would now be a Double lesson with both Houses being taught simultaneously. Harry realised with a pang of sadness that this meant that Ernie, Hannah and his other Hufflepuff friends were probably due to suffer the presence of Malfoy and at least one or two of his goons in their lesson th next afternoon.
Harry wasn't surprised to find that all the Ravenclaw members of the DA had signed up for Advanced DADA, as had all of Gryffindor. Finally, two or three extra Ravenclaws who hadn't been in the DA rounded out the group. Davis waited until they were all seated before rising from his chair and addressing them. "Good morning class, my name is Professor Davis, and I will your Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher this year."
This greeting received a luke-warm response, and he continued. "I have reviewed the transcripts of your OWL exams, and also talked to the Headmaster and several others about how your classes were conducted. Your knowledge of the theoretical principles is sound, and even in places exceeds OWL level. However, your practical applications need working on, and we will be spending part of the year addressing this, in addition to covering the topics in the syllabus, intermediate and advanced dark curses."
"For the rest of the reason I would like to see what I have to work with. I would like you to pair off in inverse alphabetical order, one partner from each House. That means that Miss Brown, you will be facing Miss Turpin. Mr Weasley, I would like to see how you handle Mr Boot. The rest of you, find your partners and stand ready."
It only took a couple of minutes for everyone to find their respective partners. Three of the 'matches' pitted DA members against each other, in the other five, a Gryffindor DA member faced a non-DA Ravenclaw: Seamus and Padma, Hermione and Su Li of Ravenclaw, Neville and Anthony Goldstein, Parvati and Sarah Fawcett, Dean and Mandy Brocklehurst, Ron and Terry Boot, and finally Harry was paired up with Michael Corner, a fellow DA member who was an ex-boyfriend of Ginny's and was currently seeing Harry's ex Cho Chang.
"OWL level spells only," Davis warned them. "Disarming or Stunning wins. Begin!"
Harry eyed Michael. If memory served he hadn't done well against Ginny during the DA matches, so... "Tarantallegra!" roared Michael.
Harry easily dodged the Quickstep Curse, and fired back a Jelly-Legs Jinx of his own. Michael dodged to one side and cast a Shield Charm just in time to deflect it. "Stupefy!"
Harry smiled. "Protego!" Harry's Shield easily absorbed Michael's Stunner, and also the Reductor Curse he sent at it next. When that failed, Michael dropped his guard, appearing to consider what to do next. Harry, spotting an opening, decided it for him. "Expelliarmus!"
"Protego!"
The Disarming Charm hit Michael's Shield straight on, smashing it to smithereens and then continuing on to strike him in the chest. He flew backwards and then lay there, unconscious.
Harry rushed over to his side, followed by Ron, Hermione, Su Li, and Davis. Hermione was the first to act, she pointed her wand at Michael and muttered the Wakening Charm.
Nothing happened.
Hermione frowned and tried again, this time speaking loud enough for Harry to hear.
Still no response.
"Let me try," Davis told her. "Ennervate!"
Still no response.
Haimric?
Yes Harry?
What should we do?
Your power is too much for these people, you must wake them yourself.
What's the spell?
Ennervate.
Thanks.
Harry pointed his wand at Michael, then he screwed up his courage. "Ennervate!"
This time Michael stirred, a few minutes later and he woke completely.
"Miss Li, Mr Boot, please take Mr Corner to the Hospital Wing," requested Davis. "Harry, could step out for me?" Harry nodded. "Miss Granger, if you would partner Mr Weasley?"
Hermione agreed immediately, and returned to their duelling. Harry drifted through the pairs, offering advice where needed.
About an hour-an-a-half later, Davis called a halt to the lesson, assigned them a two-foot essay on the Confundus Curse, and then left.
A/N: Sorry it's taken so long to get this chapter up, I've been pretty busy. It's a little shorter than I would have liked, so I may post a revised version in a few days. The next chapter won't be up for at least another week, possibly longer. In the meantime, please review.
