I don't own any characters and as far as I'm concerned I won't own any characters. So, with that said, let the story continue!
A/N: This is my favorite chappy so far!! Enjoy!
The next few weeks had gone by. Hermione had not met with Malfoy in the library or the Room of Requirement lately. When they were tested by Tonks, they just answered correctly and did their defensive charms as if they had been working together. The truth was, Hermione had been ignoring Malfoy again ever since that 'incident' in the Room of Requirement. Malfoy hadn't tried to talk to her, he would give her time. She'd be wanting him in no time, he kept telling himself.
November wasn't scheduled for any Quidditch games. The next one would be in December, a weekend before the Christmas holidays. Harry still made his team practice harder four days of the week before dinner.
"Harder throws!" He would tell the Chasers. Although Ginny would be tired, she still gave Harry admiring looks and kept her head up high. The other boys were restless, sometimes even had bags under their eyes the next morning because right after dinner they would go to sleep, wake up in the middle of the night and do their work, and sleep again. Harry didn't feel bad though, because they needed this practice and he was going through the same things.
Ron didn't tell his best friends how he felt yet. The truth was that there was more reasons why he was in the library other than working and receiving letters from Percy... However hard Quidditch practices were, Ron managed to make it to the library after dinner and before Prefect Duty every night. Hermione didn't spend a lot of her time doing work in the library. She much preferred the common room, or up in her room. She would only spend time in the library during her breaks or weekends, if she wasn't with her friends.
All three of them had improved in Apparation. Ron had improved a lot in his classes and even Snape gave him awkward looks and tried every little reason to pick on him - but his reasons were running out. He still gave Harry and Hermione a hard time though, but it wasn't that bad. Malfoy wasn't there to see them being humiliated.
A Wednesday night - which was a relief to Gryffindor Quidditch players because it was their night off - in mid-November, Dumbledore made a happy announcement to those at dinner.
"I am pleased to announce that 3rd years and up will be able to visit Hogsmeade this Saturday." The Great Hall burst into cheerful applause. "Still, we will all be precautious. We will return to Hogsmeade earlier than usual, and I will accompany you all to Hogsmeade." Some students were surprised, others were still too happy that finally they would be visiting Hogsmeade for the year - especially third years. "Teachers always go along, you know, but this time I am going with them. Just to make sure things don't get out of hand."
After dinner, Harry had his usual Occlumency lessons with Snape. Hermione, who hadn't told her best friends about the incident with Malfoy, hurried to her room after dinner to finish some work. Ron was in the library doing his work among another thing... it seemed like their little trio hadn't been as close this year.
As Harry walked down the dungeons into Snape's classroom, he thought about the book he'd been reading for the past few weeks. He hadn't gone through it all, as privacy was very hard to get in Hogwarts, but he had gone through the majority of it. There were very many interesting facts, and a section that Harry found to be very amusing and informative: Section 1: What Lies Beyond...
What lies Beyond the Veil is so dangerous that when the mysterious object was found, it was kept within the Department of Mysteries. Once belonged to a very old and ancient (almost believed to be legend) underwater castle that is meant to stay secret, even if in ruins by now, it was taken because the prince of the castle was abusing his uses with the Veil. He would throw in completely innocent people and mermaids for the fun of it, or because he hated them.
But back to the point of this section, what lies beyond the Veil is Pergutory - neither Heaven nor Hell, but the borderline between both. Bodies that fall through immediately become lost souls that are stuck in there. They usually turn feelingless - unless they have very strong wills to feel - but because they are stuck, they have nothing left for even their souls to live for anymore.
The reason people can hear voices when they come near the Veil is because those are the souls still with feeling - pleading for their souls to somehow to be taken out of there and sent whereever they are meant to be. As far as I know, there is no possible way. Once you fall through the Veil, your stuck.
A legend is that to communicate with their most living ones, they are allowed one dream visit. Only one, to let them know how they are. It doesn't last long, and fades soon after they had just barely started...
This Veil was said to be sent up thousands of years ago by Persephone as a gift to enter Heaven along with her breed of thestrals. But when Hades found out about her betrayal, he immediately cursed the Veil for anyone who falls into it - to land into Pergutory.
"Where have I heard a story like this before?..." Harry pondered to himself as he recalled the words of the book. His thoughts were soon interrupted when he walked into Snape's dull gray dungeon.
"Hello, Mr. Potter," Snape said. "Are you ready? Have you been emptying your head every night before sleeping?"
Harry hadn't done that every night, as some nights he was busy reading the book. But he had done it when he could.
"Yes," Harry replied coldly.
The two were just about to start when one of Snape's cupboards started to move uncontrollably. Harry wondered what it was curiously, but Snape just waved his hand and went over to it.
"These boggarts, never go away. Although I haven't seen one in a while," Snape muttered to himself. But Snape hadn't dealt with these in a while, as he had said, and when he opened it, he began to raise his wand and say, "Riddickulus!" but he only got as far as, "Riddi - " and his mouth fell open at the sight he hadn't seen for a very long time.
The sight of Lily Potter being tortured by an unknown figure in a room with black books and the Dark Mark engraved on the side... the room Harry had seen in his dream about Hermione. His mother looked about a year younger than when he saw her in the Mirror of Erised... and yet she was suffering, probably at the hands of Voldemort himself.
However, Harry knew it was a boggart and because he didn't know what the whole thing was about and Snape was still in a state of shock, Harry had to mutter the counter curse. He placed the boggart back in the cupboard. He gave Snape a very questioning look. When Snape finally got out of his shock, he looked at Harry, not knowing what to say.
"May I ask what that was all about, Professor?" Harry asked, knowing that if he asked politely he might get a polite reply back from Snape. He knew either way Snape wouldn't give him an answer, but he also knew he had more of a chance asking nicely.
Snape just stared at him, his eyes turning into slits, "That is none of your business, Potter." Looks like Harry's theory was wrong. "We'll end here tonight. Come back next week."
Harry stared at Snape with questioning eyes. Snape stared back with cold ones, that refused to answer. Harry just shrugged and left the room, extremely curious and deciding that this was one secret he wasn't keeping from his friends.
It was now the Saturday of the first visit to Hogsmeade. The halls were filled with laughter and excitement on that foggy morning. Kids were all wearing mittens and scarfs and hats and even some muggle clothing. Harry had explained to Ron and Hermione the night before about Snape's boggart. And they were discussing it again as they walked along to wear the Hogsmeade students were meeting.
"It just doesn't fit... why would Snape's worse fear be to see your mother suffering, Harry?" Ron asked.
"Don't you guys see it?" Hermione asked, aggrivated. Harry liked seeing her like that. "Don't you ever wonder why Dumbledore trusts Snape? Well... maybe your mother had a lot to do with it, Harry."
Harry pondered that for a moment. Of course it did! How could he miss it? Then he remembered that he was suppose to be going to Hogsmeade with Ginny today, so he dismissed himself from his friends.
"I'm meeting with Ginny today. She wants to go to Hogsmeade alone with me," Harry said.
Ron scowled, and said, "Alone, eh? A date?" At first he was okay with the fact that his sister used to fancy Harry, but now that they were older things might have gotten out of hand.
"Relax, Ron," Harry replied. "She just wants me to help her find Christmas presents for you two."
Hermione just laughed and said, "Oh, how sweet!" Harry didn't like the idea of not spending the first Hogsmeade visit with Hermione, but he did make a promise to Ginny, who at the moment was making her way towards him. "Oh, Ron, stop scowling. Trust your sister! She is fifteen now, you know."
Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione joined in on one carriage on their way to Hogsmeade. When they arrived, Harry and Ginny went a separate way from them.
"So, what do you have in mind?" Harry asked Ginny as they walked along the streets. They spotted Dumbledore walking with his hands behind his back next to Professor McGonagall. His eyes were twinkling and he smiled at the two.
"I don't know," Ginny said, eyeing the couples love tea house that Harry had attended the year before with Cho Chang on Valentines Day.
Harry, however, was spotting another store. It was a store that Harry had never seen before. It had a small glass window on the side and a small glass door. From what Harry could see, the inside was filled with bright objects that looked almost antique. But it was such a very colorful store, that it was almost impossible to think the objects were antique. Harry looked up at the flowery engraved name of the shop: Mrs. Fairyskit's Antiques.
"Ohh... it looks interesting!" Ginny exclaimed, forgetting about the couples' tea house.
The two walked inside the store, which wasn't filled with many people at the moment. And the people that were in there were mostly girls, anyway. Harry regretted wanting to come inside this shop.
Then a very short and plump woman, wearing a pink apron over a yellow dress and a pointed hat over her gray hair approached them. Not just approach - but fly! The almost-dwarf woman flew to them - with wings! Harry and Ginny looked at the little lady in awe.
"What's a matter, kids?" said the lady in a squeaky, high pitched voice. "Have you never heard of fairy witches before?"
The two nodded their heads in unison.
"Oh, well, there aren't very many of us left." The lady said sadly. "Anywho, I'm Mrs. Fairyskit, and you are?" Then suddenly her eyes made her way up Harry's forehead. "Oh, Harry Potter! Hello, dear. I've been wondering when you'd stumble upon my little old shop." She spread her mouth into a wide smile proudly, her big blue eyes becoming smaller as her smile grew.
Harry said, "We've never learned about you in Hagrid's - I mean Care of Magical Creatures."
The old fairy pouted. "Why, we hardly need taking care of, young man," Ginny giggled. "We are just like wizards and witches, only short with wings!" The old woman saw Ginny giggling and smiled to her appreciatingly. "Now, are you young Mr. Potter's girlfriend?" Ginny blushed and Harry started feeling nervous. Ginny definitely wasn't his girlfriend, and he wasn't thinking that in a bad way either. What would Ron think if that did happen?
"Er - no ma'am, and sorry for the misunderstanding," Harry said apologetically. "Anyway, we're looking for Christmas gifts for friends."
The fairy kept her smile on her face and called for an assistant to come and well - assist with Ginny and Harry. She was younger and her apron was purple and she wore a pale green dress under.
Ginny found an antique Quaffle for Ron (which was kept in a glass box) and an antique muggle dentistry set for Hermione. Perhaps it would remind her of her parents. Actually, Harry picked out the present for Hermione. After they said their goodbyes (and Mrs. Bottom offered them a free cup of tea in her little tea shop next door run by her daughters on their next visit) they walked over to Weasley & Weasley Jokes to Joke You Out.
"Hiya, sis!" said George, wearing a pair of earmuffs. He set the earmuffs on Ginny's head and she began giggling, then the earmuffs started tickling her ears. She quickly took them off.
"You guys just missed Ron and Hermione," Fred said. Younger kids were looking around their store, amazed. Some had little evil grins on their faces. April Fools would be coming up in a few months, after all. "Anyway, would you wanna buy Dad one of our tickling earmuffs? Or maybe dear Percy?" The twins chuckled.
"You know, that might not be a bad idea," Ginny chuckled along with them.
Harry was eyeing the store as he asked, "You think my lovely cousin would want anything from here for Christmas?"
"It's such a bummer that we had to leave our Diagon Alley store and move here to Hogsmeade... you know that mother of ours... thinking Diagon Alley had gone mad with attacks..." George sighed.
"I loved that place... so much explosion on old man next door..." Fred remenisced.
After the four had a short laugh, the twins were about to answer Harry's question about a gift for Dudley. George was pulling out a jar of blue and green worm-shaped candy when suddenly a shriek was heard in a nearby store. George and Fred couldn't leave their shop, but were alarmed by what the fuss was about. Doing the mature thing, which was odd for the two, they closed the doors so the kids wouldn't be exposed to the horror happening outside, but not before Ginny and Harry went flying out of it.
"You should have stayed inside with your brothers," Harry muttered to Ginny as their pace began to quicken towards where they heard the shriek. As they were approaching the sight where a crowd was at, a snake slithered towards them. Nobody noticed and Harry and Ginny were left alone with a vicious looking Python.
This snake looks strangely familiar, one part of Harry's brain told him. But then again all snakes look the same, thought another part. I would know if it was a snake I've seen before, okay?
Then another voice popped into his head, and started hissing the words, "Let me have a bite, it won't hurt." Harry was about to reply, but Sirius' warning rang into his head.
Harry quickly shoved Ginny behind him and said, "Stupefy!" But the curse didn't come out. Harry tried another curse. "Reducio!" The snake was suppose to shrink by now, but it didn't.
"Ginny, do this for me!" Harry pleaded to Ginny.
Ginny then took a step in front of Harry and kept stuttering as she tried to yell the curse. "Stu - Stuperrfy - Stupefy!" The snake then went unconcious and just lay on the outside floor. However, Ginny fainted along with it from the shock of seeing another snake again, dropping her newly purchased items on the ground. Harry caught her, getting on his knees, just in time.
"Enervate!" Harry mumbled with as much strength as he could muster. This was the first time he tried it on a fainted student and it turned out quite right.
Ginny's eyes opened and she looked at Harry. She hadn't quite remembered the events that just happened and was wondering gleefully why she was in Harry's arms. Then she remembered and he gave her a new set of instructions.
"I need to get in there and tell Dumbledore what just happened here. He must be in there..." Harry said, getting up along with Ginny, who was picking up her belongings.
"But how will you get through that?" She asked him, staring at the huge crowd near the Hog's Head.
"Apparation," he said, although he wasn't too confident about it. "I can't just leave you here alone with a snake that could wake up in any minute... so..." Harry contemplated for a moment.
"Don't worry, I can handle myself," Ginny insisted. "I'll just give a scream if anything happens, and plus there are people still in their stores watching, so we should be okay."
Harry nodded and concentrated as hard as he could on the destination he wanted to be in. And he again succeeded.
"Aberforth!" the voice of Dumbledore shrieked. He quickly walked over to the spot where a body was laying in the Hog's Head. The body of that familiar bartender that Harry realized looked like Dumbledore and smelled of goats. "You told me you were living in New Zealand!"
"I was... for a while." Aberforth replied weakly. "But then... things happened. You know me, the gambler... anyway... I was attacked here by a snake," he pointed to his arm where the snake bit him. "And there were Death Eaters in here... but their gone now."
Dumbledore nodded, "Professor McGonagall, please round up all the students and get them ready for the trip back to Hogwarts. Aberforth, would you care to be healed in the school's Hospital Wing? Madame Pomfrey works wonders." Aberforth nodded, but suddenly the headmaster spotted Harry. "Harry?"
"Outside, professor," Harry said urgently. Professor McGonagall shooed the crowd away and gave the headmaster and Harry room to walk through. Then she began running around Hogsmeade looking for all the students. She actually put the "Sonorus" charm on herself to round them all up.
Harry explained the Dumbledore what had happened between him, the snake, and Ginny as they walked to the scene. When they arrived, Ginny was rubbing her head, laying on the floor. And the snake was gone.
A/N: I don't know why I've been delaying this chapter... but well here it is! Keep reviewing! Thank you to those who have been! I hope you liked this chapter because the next two won't have as much suspense... it'll be about Christmas! Well - I'll admit there will be a little Christmas love. ;)