"So, you´re informed about everything you had to know about Grawp, now?" Hermione asked snappishly the next morning while they went down to breakfast.
"No." Harry felt annoyed. "I saw Peeves and Filch." If he had listened to her he would never have seen anything from last night. So why tell her now?
I told you so´ was clearly written on her face, though she didn´t say it.
Vexed he turned to Ron. "Got your horoscope ready?"
"Yeah, sorry I didn´t wait for you. I decided to predict my death shortly after graduation –you know how she always enjoys that- and it saved me lots of time. Neville was still scribbling on what he´d do when he´d be 78 when I went to bed."
Down the Great Hall Cho and Marietta were just leaving the Ravenclaw table. Harry hesitated at the door. He might as well just get over with it. Motioning for Ron and Hermione to go on he cleared his throat to catch Cho´s attention.
"I asked Hermione how to get rid of the curse." He looked at Marietta for the first time really since that evening in Dumbledore´s office. "There´s no countercurse. You have to honestly regret what you´ve done, and you have to apologise for it, then it´ll go away."
Cho seemed furious. "How could she…! How dare she…! Wants to humiliate us-" But her friend looked relieved. "That´s it? That´s all and then I´m rid of this?" She motioned with a grimace at her face. "I do regret that I ever talked about the DA, I regret that I ever joined…" She looked Harry directly into the eyes. "Alright, I do apologise for betraying you. It was a cowardly thing to do, I was too weak to stand up against my family… I´m really sorry for what happened because of me… Can you accept my apology?"
She sounded genuine. He wouldn´t trust her again any time soon but it would only work if she regretted her actions honestly anyway. He nodded. "I accept it."
There was an uneasy silence. They all waited for something to happen. Marietta slowly took down the balaclava that covered half of her face. The blisters were still there. She started rubbing them desperately. Dry scurfs trickled down and under them new skin, healthy, fresh skin appeared. "Oh, good, thanks!" She said, watching herself in a hand mirror.
"Okay then, mhm, I´d like the two galleons from the DA back from you. Do you have them with you?" He really did not want them to know anything about the DA, not even about their meetings.
"Oh, I´m sorry, I got rid of mine during the summer. I didn´t want to keep anything that reminded me of that group, and of the curse…"
Cho stammered a bit. " I don´t think I have mine with me…" "Yes, you have. I saw you putting it in your bag this morning. Just have a look."
Cho opened her bag reluctantly and found the galleon lying on top of her books just like Marietta had said. She handed it to Harry and he excused himself to go to breakfast. Marietta was admiring herself in her mirror but Cho seemed rather miffed, as if the meeting hadn´t went the way she would have liked.
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The first lesson of the day was Defence and Harry remembered with a jolt Rookwood and his resolve to inform Snape about their talk. He needed to do it inconspicuous with Malfoy in the same class.
"Today we will practise a banishing charm. Pair up with a partner and try not to show too much of your incompetence –try not to blast them into the walls. Potter, you partner Longbottom, I don´t think there will be much difference when you hit your head a few times against the wall."
Neville´s hands trembled after that and his wide eyes already apologised to Harry for what harm he might do him. Harry mentally cursed Snape. Neville had done so well in the DA. All he needed was some confidence but Snape seemed to crush every little bit Neville possessed. Sure enough Harry had slammed against the wall for at least half a dozen times till the end of the lesson and his mouth hurt from his forced smile as he tried to reassure Neville that he was okay. Damn Snape! Should leave him to deal with Rookwood on his own!
His bag ripped open as he angrily stuffed his book in too hard and his things spilled on the floor. He quickly glanced around. Half the class had already left, Ron and Hermione were waiting at the door and Neville stood next to him. "Go on, or you´ll be late for Charms! Tell Flitwick I´ll be there in a minute!" Slowly stuffing his things back in the bag he waited till only Snape was left in the classroom.
"Hurry up, Potter, and get out! I don´t place much value on your presence."
Likewise! Harry thought, stomped over to the door, closed it and placed a silencing charm on it. He had read about that charm after the order had used it during all their meetings last year.
Snape raised an eyebrow. "Potter, do you understand common English? What part of get out´ didn´t you understand?"
Harry swallowed an angry retort and took a deep breath. "I need to talk to you. Rookwood, the liaison officer, he asked me about you last week, and about Occlumency lessons. He has asked others, too, I think, -I overheard him talking to Malfoy."
He had rushed this out quickly but had to stop there. Snape´s face had gone white, his nostrils flared and his fingers convulsed as if strangling someone. He looked uglier than ever. Making a fast step forward Snape towered over Harry and hissed: "Potter, you imbecile! What have you done? You stupid, brainless idiot! What did you tell him? What?" Spit hit Harry in the face as he stumbled back from the teacher´s fury, though he thought he saw flashes of fear in the dark eyes.
Finally loosing his own temper Harry yelled back: "I told him that you´re an unfair bastard who always favours Slytherin and that you hate me because you hold some petty old grudge against my father! I told him that you did only give me remedial potions because Dumbledore insisted on it and that you threw me out as soon as you could and claimed I was too lazy! I just thought I´d tell you in case he asks you, too."
Snape stood motionless staring at Harry, his mouth half open. Horrified Harry suddenly remembered who he was yelling at. Grabbing his bag he turned and fled the room before Snape could pull himself together enough to blast him through a wall.
Of course Harry arrived late for Charms but luckily Flitwick just waved him over to a free place next to Neville. "As we´re finished reviewing we´ll start with something new today. In NEWT level Charms we will now focus on more complex spells, for example charms that need more than one person to cast them, or need to be performed on a special time and place, or are different for different persons. These complex charms are often called rituals or chants. Who can tell me why they are so difficult? Miss Granger?"
"Chants and rituals need to be done very carefully because every slight change in them can have huge unforeseen consequences. Thinking of the wrong things during the time, forgetting one word in the whole ritual, sometimes even wearing the wrong clothes can render the chant useless. And of course you need enough power to perform it in the first place, and in case more persons are needed there must be a fine balance between them."
"Very good, Miss Granger, five points to Gryffindor. Yes, details are very important in rituals, and the balance. Now most chants used today are Anti-Apparition wards, and rituals used for protection. Otherwise they are not very common any more because most wizards and witches prefer some simpler spells that achieve similar results but are of course not as powerful. It´s also often a problem to get together a sufficiently balanced group of casters. In former times for example rituals for influencing the weather were widely used."
For the rest of the lesson they wrote down a rather simple chant for protection. It needed to be cast by at least three wizards together to shield everything inside their triangle, more wizards could form a circle. The drawback was that the incantation had to be repeated constantly for the shield to remain. Harry thought that it wasn´t that useful since a "Protegro" could do nearly the same without the disadvantages.
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Care of Magical Creatures that afternoon brought an unexpected yet familiar sight for Harry. "Ah, good y´er all here. I´ve got somethin´ special fer you today! Found him near my hut this mornin´, knocked out cold. Don´ know what happened ter him." At Hagrids feet lay the green, huge creature from last night in the forest, now tightly bound with a collar around his neck and a muzzle. Nevertheless it growled and scratched the ground wildly like an attacking bull.
"It´s a Cusith. They hunt at nigh´, mostly fer woman an´ girls, ter feed their young ones. Luck´ly they´re easy ter fight fer a wizard or a witch, a stunning spell´s enough. This here ´s a ´specially beautiful one, wonder if I can keep him. Migh´ be good company in the forest -not like Fang the coward- once I´ve trained him up a bit. "
After a lesson about the characteristics and habits of Cusiths, and how to (try to) tame them, Harry, Hermione and Ron stayed back to talk with Hagrid.
"How are yer? Haven´t seen much of ye´ this year."
"We´ve been really busy with NEWT classes, loads of homework, and I´ve been made Quidditch captain!"
"Yeah, heard that from McGonagall, congratulations Ron, I´ll come an´watch yer first game. An´ how was yer summer?"
For some reason Ron and Hermione stayed quiet and waited for Harry to answer that question. "It was okay. I´m glad to be back though."
"Yeah, Harry, guess ye´d be. With only thos´ Muggles, an´ Sirius dead –"
Harry knew the half giant only meant well but Sirius was still a sore spot. "Yes, Hagrid, but it´s over now, I´m back at Hogwarts, it´s okay."
"Nah, of course it isn´t okay, not yet, but life has ter go on an´ we´ll have ter live an´ deal with it. C´est la vie."
"C´est –what?!"
Hagrid blushed. "Uh, yer see, I´ve been stayin´ some time durin´ the summer with Olympe –Madame Maxime – learnt som´ French. Hrm, uh, think ye´ should head in now or ye´ll miss dinner… See ya soon!"
"Hagrid learning French! Well, maybe Olympe teaches him how to cook next, would be far more beneficial." Ron remarked on their way to the Great Hall.
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On Tuesday in Herbology Harry found out something more about the night in the forest. He was working together with Neville who already knew everything they would be learning about their plant and showed Harry how to handle it correctly. At a table near them two Slytherins were working whose names Harry didn´t know. The Whipping Wallflower they were repotting suddenly lashed out and hit one of the students who dropped the pot. "Mr Cole! Please be more careful with your Wallflower! They need a gentle hand and a little encouragement to overcome their shyness, otherwise they will whip you."
Harry turned around at the name and looked up the Slytherin. Not very tall, brown hair, quiet. Harry could not remember ever speaking to him, or even remember noticing him before. He didn´t look in any way special, or the type to venture in the Forbidden Forest at night, or to go and rescue girls from hunting Cusiths, and Harry wondered if he maybe had misread the map, or if there were more Coles at Hogwarts.
He kept watching out for the Slytherin after that Herbology lesson but as Cole wasn´t in any of Harry´s other classes he hadn´t much chance to spot him besides meals. During meals at the Slytherin table Cole stayed mostly in the background, without attracting attention. He seemed one of those people you never noticed, never missed when they were not there, never remembered. Why had Cole done what he had done? And what exactly had he been doing –had he followed the girl from their common room or just been out like Harry? And was this a once in a lifetime thing or something more frequent?
Just as he had come so far with his musings Malfoy entered the Great Hall and after briefly looking over the Slytherin table stepped up to Cole and sat down beside him, starting a quiet conversation.
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The next day in the afternoon Harry went to the library again. Tonight they would hold their second DA meeting. He wanted to get some more books on defence and look if there was anything about how to discern if someone was trustworthy.
"Hi Luna! Mind if I sit down here, too?" Harry placed the books he had found on the table she was sitting at.
"No, I don´t. I´m thinking about my strengths and what I´d like to research."
Harry had a sudden image of her wanting to research and recruit Snorkacks to fight against Voldemort but couldn´t think of a way to tactfully broach the subject.
"Er, yes, I need to look up some things for the DA." Looking around if anyone was near enough to hear them he noticed the girl from the forest sitting in a corner. He had not found out much more about what had happened that night, except that the girl always kept to herself in Potions and often sat with the two smaller girls in the Great Hall. Maybe Luna knew something about her? One outsider about another? She seemed to know a lot more than she let on –he gulped as he remembered their conversation about her roommates and their lists.
"Luna, do you know something about the girl over there in the corner?"
"That´s Daphne Greengrass. She´s in your year. She´s here often until late at night. I think her roommates don´t like her much either. She´s good in Transfiguration and likes History of Magic, and she plays violin and has chess pieces that don´t move. She doesn´t think much of Quidditch and she´s often with David Zimmer from my year and some younger students."
"Wow, how do you know all that? And why don´t her roommates like her?"
"That I don´t understand. The reasons for human behaviour are always so complex and muddled. I don´t really understand them."
Harry stared at his books without seeing anything. There was something – "Wait a moment. What do you mean, chess pieces that don´t move?"
"They just don´t move. They simply stand there, and they don´t talk either."
"Like a Muggle chess set? But why – does that mean she is Muggleborn?"
"Yes, she is."
"Why didn´t you say that in the beginning?"
"For me it´s not important if someone is Muggleborn or pureblood. Don´t you think so?"
"I –yes, but here it´s important. A Muggleborn in Slytherin? No surprise she doesn´t get along too well with her roommates. Hm, and that would explain why… - Do you know if the other students with her are Muggleborns too?"
"David is. The others too, I think. At least they don´t get along with their housemates, too."
"And how did you learn all that? Did she tell you?"
"No, I don´t think I ever talked to her. But I hear a lot, people tend to forget that I´m there. And I find other people fascinating."
Try as he might Harry couldn´t concentrate on his books as he sat in the library. His mind kept wandering back to what Luna had told him –and to Luna and her strange ways.
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The DA meeting that evening was very productive. Most students had thought of something they´d like to research but some seemed really enthusiastic about it and resolved to put in lots of effort. For example Anthony Goldstein wanted to cover the whole field of Transfiguration and how to use it in a duel. Padma Patil and Ernie Macmillan both went for Charms and Terry Boot said he´d look up everything he could on security measures. Susan Bones had gotten some material from her Aunt at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement about how they dealt with Death Eaters and other criminals. Zacharias Smith, surprisingly, had already put some effort in researching useful curses. Ron wanted to concentrate on duelling techniques and battle tactics and Hermione wanted to overlook the whole research and teaching and organise it. But it was Neville that made a suggestion even Harry hadn´t thought of.
"Learning curses and defence is all very well but I think we also should do some healing. Imagine how much better it could have went last year at the Ministry if we had known just some simple spells, like bracing an ankle or stop bleeding wounds. I´d like to research healing spells and potions. –I know, I know, -I didn´t say I would brew them! Just find out what Madam Pomfrey uses."
Hermione made a plan of what everyone was researching and when they would like to teach it to the rest of the students. They voted that Harry should look over all the new material first so he could help teaching.
"Hrm, I made a new parchment. I´d like you all to sign it again." Hermione said. "It is a binding magical contract against treachery. That you won´t betray us, that you won´t tell anyone things you shouldn´t –no talking about what we do, who´s in the DA, when and where our meetings are… unless the leader of the DA, Harry, is informed about it. That´s just in case we want to recruit a new member, so you can talk to them if Harry allows it.
I also charmed the paper so no one besides us can read it, in case it falls into the wrong hands like last year with Umbridge."
"What will happen if someone breaks the contract?"
"You don´t want to know that. You´ve seen what happened to Marietta. She´s now rid of it. Be assured that this time it won´t be that easy to undo, or that harmless."
Many DA members eyed her warily but all signed. Harry looked the list over. With him they were exactly 20 members, mostly sixth years, most from Gryffindor. Dennis Creevey was the only third year and the youngest member.
"I´ve been thinking about another thing. Could we do something to seal the Room of Requirement while we´re in it? So we won´t be surprised like with the Inquisitorial Squad last year…" Terry said.
"Good idea," Harry mused. "Could you look up on that too? And if anyone else has an idea about security measures, please talk to Terry about it."
After all those things were cleared up Harry started reviewing on what they had done the last year as it had been a while since their last meeting. Most of the members could do the common spells without problems but their practise duels were slow and rusty. Also on the Patronus Charm they would need to practise more. Hermione and three or four others were the only ones that could do the spell correctly on every try, most others managed to produce only some mist. And Harry knew doing it in front of a real Dementor was far more difficult. He would have to think about that –maybe he could find some Boggart and somehow make it stay in his form for the DA to practise?
Finally he called the meeting to an end and send the members to their common rooms. Luna stopped shortly by his side and told him, beaming: "I´ve found out what my strength is: being different." Harry watched her walk out, humming to herself, with an odd feeling in his stomach.
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At first everything was just as usual on Thursday evening in the common room. Harry worked on a Transfiguration assignment and wished he had more time because he also had homework in nearly all his other classes and hadn´t done much for Occlumency lately. Ron kept trying to sneak a look at Hermione´s parchment and put up his most innocent face whenever she caught him. Neville was writing on an History essay about The Uprising of Several Wizarding Communities during the early Middle Ages across the European Continent that led to the Building of the First True States of Wizardkind with the tip of his tongue between his lips, absentmindedly biting off a chocolate frog from time to time. The first years near them whispered excitedly about Weasley´s Wizard Wheezes and put their heads together over some suspicious looking package.
"Aaaarg!" In a burst of feathers a yellow canary appeared at a table in the corner. The first years broke down laughing while most of the older students settled down quickly again after identifying the work of a Weasley´ joke. The canary screeched and flapped his wings helplessly and tumbled down on the floor. After a few more seconds Harry saw it turn back into a crying, panicked Paul Wheeler.
"Is little Paulie crying again, hm? Seems he´s scared again, I really don´t know how he got into Gryffindor. Does he want to go home to his Mommy? Ooh, maybe he´s just disappointed that he couldn´t fly –maybe I can help him with that…" And the first year pulled out his wand and pointed it at Paul while his classmates watched eagerly. "Wingardium Leviosa"
The spell worked but rather shakily. Paul was hovering in the air, occasionally bobbing up and down, his face smeared with tears and snot. Some first years laughed, some were clapping.
"Who wants to see me take off Snivelly´s pants?"
Harry had reacted before he realised it. "That´s enough! Put him down!"
The first years were startled and looked at him a little frightened. The one with the wand let Paul down, who sniffed and furiously swept his tears away. "I don´t need your help! I can manage on my own!" And fled up the stairs to his dormitory.
"He deserves it! He always thinks he´s better than everyone else." The ringleader of the first years seemed a bit scared at talking to an older student like this but tried to look sure of himself.
"This is no way to treat one of your dormmates no matter if you think he deserves it. If you have any problems with him than you can speak with a teacher or a prefect. I must say that I´m ashamed Gryffindors would behave like this towards a fellow student of your own house." Hermione had rushed to Harry´s side and fixed the first years with a stare worthy of Professor McGonagall.
The first years embarrassed shuffled back and returned to their homework as did the rest of the Gryffindors who had watched the scene. When the conversations slowly picked up again Harry muttered: "What about a student of another house?"
"Sorry, what did you say, Harry?"
"I think I´m heading to bed too, I can´t concentrate on homework any longer. Good Night."
In the thankfully empty dormitory he tried to get the image of Paul and Snape out of his head, hanging in the air, blending together, turning into each other.
He didn´t understand why –he hadn´t even told Paul about him being Dudley´s cousin, and for all he knew Sandra might have come to her senses by now and already have broken up with Dudley- but somehow he felt responsible for the small first year.
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A stone room with some old furniture swam into focus. It looked damp and as if it hadn´t been used for a long time. Two figures were in it, and a snake.
"I hope your visit was more successful than last time. Do you have the information I wanted?" The voice was sharp and made one shiver. The man it belonged to –if he still could be called a man- looked down at the servant at his feet.
"Master, there is a breach of security somewhere. He is trying to find out what exactly it is, and how we can use it to our advantage. He just needs some more time he said…"
"Time! So there might be some breach of security but you don´t know what it could be or if we can use it?! It´s been nearly four weeks now. I´m not pleased by this."
"Please, master, I did as you told me, I did exactly as you told me… It´s not my fault, master…"
"Oh, Pettigrew, always quick to put the blame on someone else, aren´t you? -Stop whining, it´s disgusting. -I need this information, and I want it soon! I have let you incompetent fools spoil my plans too often. -Do you have anything useful to say or are you going to keep on whimpering?"
"Please, master, I just wondered… why don´t we focus on the boy anymore? Why don´t we try and kill him first anymore?" The kneeling man at once knew he had made a mistake.
"Do you dare to question my plans? Do you think that boy is even important enough to deserve our attention? We will turn over the wizarding world, the Ministry, Hogwarts…, and instate our rightful order and then, in the end, if Potter dares to show his face I will deal with him like he deserves." The tall wizard spit the words out, his tone one of utter loathing, and his servant cowered waiting for the inevitable curse.
But none came. "What about the other matter I told you to investigate?"
"He –he´s not sure either… everything seems to point to loyalty, but he´s not sure… says he´s got a bad feeling…"
"So, you´ve got nothing to tell me for sure, only some more speculations and guesswork. I´m really most displeased with you both."
"Master, please, I-" There was no telling how his master would take to a suggestion. "I- I th- thought about the security again. I- I think Lucius Malfoy might know about it. He´s been a governor, he knows lots of things, and he still has lots of contacts…"
"Malfoy. Hmm, maybe I will give him another chance, once Azkaban has fallen and my faithful Death Eaters have joined me again. Yes, if he can provide me with this information I might forgive him his failure last year. Perhaps your pitiful live isn´t totally worthless, Pettigrew."
"Thank you, master, thank you. I live to serve you." Pettigrew began crawling back to leave.
"But I do not like you trying to divert my attention from your shortcomings. We were discussing your failure to bring me any valuable information. Never think you can hoodwink me. You cannot fool Lord Voldemort, rat!"
"I -I didn´t –didn´t want..."
"Crucio"# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
Harry gasped as white hot pain burned trough his scar, blinding him. He bit his lip to keep himself from screaming out. Slowly the pain receded and left him slightly shaking and feeling weak. The other Gryffindor sixth years kept on snoring around him. Apparently he hadn´t screamed during his dream and woken them up. His dream…-he tried to remember the details but felt them fading. He should tell Dumbledore about it –and he´d better do it now before he forgot most of it.
Only after sneaking out of the dormitory, all the way to Dumbledore´s office, past the gargoyles and up the stairs did he ask himself if this was truly the right time for a visit. Dumbledore wasn´t in his office. It seemed almost surreal, Dumbledore always had been here. His absence made the whole room seem strange and unfamiliar. Harry looked at his watch for the first time since he woke up and realised it was just past five in the morning. Apparently even the headmaster needed to sleep sometimes.
He didn´t know what to do –should he leave and return in the morning? Try to find Dumbledore? But he had no idea where his personal quarters might be. Wait here? It wasn´t that long until breakfast.
Harry smiled as he saw a new package of lemon drops on the desk. Next to it lay a book with the title Contego Chants – The most effective protection measures of the last two thousand years. He leafed through the first pages – the Cornish Countercurse, the Rebounders´ Rite, the Brockenheim Chant...
Sitting at last into one of the armchairs he watched Fawkes sleep with his head tucked under his wings and the portraits snoring in their frames. There was an eerie, peaceful calmness in the half dark room and his breathing evened out and his eyes closed without him realising it.
A.N.: I´m not very satisfied with that chapter –too much bits and pieces. It´s also the shortest so far. But I hope it answers at least some questions from last chapter... though not too much... -Need to keep the suspense up after all.
Expect another chapter next week, with a bit more info about both Cole and the Chant, and then I have to take a break, need to learn for my exams.
I also have a question about the rating system here at ff.net, maybe you can help me with that: The Chant is rated PG-13 at the moment but I´m really not sure about this. Is it too high? Too low? Just right? There will be some harder stuff in future chapters but I´ll keep it at about the level of the books. So, how would you rate OotP or GoF?
Thanks for your opinion and till next time