Harry Potter and the Dead Sphere
By: Stokely
This is definitely an interesting chapter. New characters introduced. Hope you all enjoy.
For Ghada, the only one who supports Moonshade and Black.
Chapter three
Moonshade and Black
"Harry… Harry… oh wake up you great lumpy git!" Harry's eyes opened slowly. He was looking at a very blurry shoe. He yawned loudly before sitting up slowly and blinking around at the compartment. It was pitch black outside but the compartment was lit in a golden aura. "Thank god, you were crushing my foot." It was just then that Harry realized that he was lying on the floor.
"Wha happened?" he asked sleeping as he rubbed his glasses on his shirt before putting them on.
"You must have slid off the bench when you were sleeping." Ron said as he massaged his foot. He was dressed in his robes. "Hermione's just been round, she says we're nearly there." Harry nodded as he got to his feet and looked around.
"Where are Neville and Ginny and Luna?" he asked as he climbed up to get his things out of his trunk.
"Ginny went to see her other friends I s'pose. Neville wanted to show Luna something up front, or so they said." Ron gave a suggestive wink while Harry rolled his eyes.
"How was Hermione?" Harry asked as he began changing into his school slacks. Ron busied himself with cramming his other clothes back in his trunk. They both noticed that the train had begun to slow and the excitement had begun to build up in Harry's stomach. Ron's merely gave a hungry rumble.
"She seemed fine. A bit flustered." He grinned. "Apparently Tony Goldstein's a bit hard to cope with. Brainier than her too, or so she ranted after she'd slammed the door. I swear I don't know how you managed to sleep through her huff." Harry smiled sheepishly at this. He buttoned up his shirt and began tying his gold and red striped tie.
"I hope she doesn't get too upset with him or I reckon we'll be getting the brunt of it." Ron added with a sigh which made Harry laugh. He had just finished pulling on his socks when the compartment door slid open and Hermione let out a sigh of relief.
"Oh good. I was half expecting you two not to be ready. We're almost ready to go and I just wanted to-"
"Good luck Hermione." Harry said knowingly. She might seem like the most confident girl in their school but he knew that she had come back there for a bit of cheering up and encouragement. Her mouth closed and she smiled.
"Yeah, you'll do great." Ron added enthusiastically. She nodded.
"Well then, I guess I'd better head up front. I'll see you two at supper." She said quickly before moving back down the corridor at a bit of a run. Moments later they felt the train slow to a complete stop. Neville and Luna came back a second later to collect their things and Ginny was not far behind them.
"What do you say we wait a minute?" Harry said just before Ron could open the door. "Doesn't matter if we're the last ones off the train, Seamus and Dean'll save our places." They all sat back down, none of them too eager to get mixed up in the chaos that was undoubtedly unfolding in the corridor and on the platform.
When it sounded as though the majority of the crowd had gotten a coach and were already on their way up to the castle, they all lugged their things out into the corridor and off the train. The sound of their trunks scraping along the platform toward the coaches pulled by Thestrals followed them, and Harry couldn't help but notice a large silhouetted figure conducting very tiny first years towards the boats. Harry combated his first instinct which was to switch directions and run over to Hagrid, and instead helped Ginny load her things onto the coach.
The ride up to the grounds was rather quiet, everyone looking out their windows out onto the dewy grass. The night was clear and now cloudless, the moon high in the sky and glowing brightly. The view was so clear that Harry thought he could see the moon's craters. The wheels of the carriages crunched along the road up to Hogwarts and the wind whistled slightly. He was back where he belonged for his final year.
Once they'd finished putting their things in the front hall, they entered the Great Hall and breathed in the smell that was uniquely Hogwarts; a mix of dust and memory, of excellent feasting and candle wax, and Harry's home. He inhaled so deeply he thought he might gag as his senses were assaulted with all the things he would sorely miss once this year was over.
Opting not to look too overwhelmed with feeling, he followed Hermione and Ron as they bee lined toward Hagrid who was talking animatedly with Dean and Lavender Brown. As they came into his view, he beamed at all three of them and a giant egg sized tear collected at the corner of his eye.
"Ye all look so growed up." He sniffed, as the tear trickled down his ruddy cheeks and disappeared into his wilder than ever beard. They all grinned up at him almost childishly before Hermione launched herself at his middle and hugged him. Hagrid let out a surprised "ooph" but smiled as she let out a tiny sob of her own. "Now, now, 'Ermione, s'not the end o' the year yet!" he said patting her back.
Ron and Harry managed to pry her off him so that he could return to his seat at the Head Table and they sat down, Hermione burying her face in the crook of Ron's neck. Ron blushed madly and stroked her back, looking around at everyone else who was grinning at the awkward look on his face. Harry meanwhile had gone to talk to Ginny for a moment before taking the seat opposite Ron.
"Alright Harry?" Dean said leaning over the table. Harry grinned back.
"Yeah. And you?"
"Pretty good. Can't believe that next year we'll be off." He said, but his smile showed that it was not such an unappealing thought. Harry nodded. The Great Hall was filling up quickly and the noise level was rising as people shouted and launched into discussions about their holidays, all excitedly musing on what this next year at Hogwarts would bring. Harry looked up at the Head Table and locked eyes with Dumbledore. Harry offered a small smile and nodded toward the headmaster. Dumbledore's eyes merely twinkled before he winked and returned to conversing with Professor McGonagoll.
Harry's eyes wandered over to the Slytherin table and he was pleased to see Malfoy looking particularly sour as he eyed the Head Boy badge that Anthony Goldstein was showing off to his peers. Ron picked up on this too, and Harry could have sworn he saw Ron give Hermione an extra squeeze just to show how proud he was that she'd gotten Head Girl.
"Well hello, hello to all!" Dumbledore's voice boomed, and suddenly it went quiet, silent almost, as everyone looked up eagerly at the top table. "It is excellent to see all of you looking so cheery and, surprisingly, to see you all looking so cheery to be back here at Hogwarts." Everyone clapped, a few even whistled. "Now let's have the first years up front please." Dumbledore called as he rubbed his hands together expectantly.
The small group of little first years ambled forward, looking around at the floating candles, at the four long tables, which were this year decorated in their house colors for start of the year. They looked up at the clear starry sky and blinked rapidly, trying to comprehend where the ceiling had got to. Harry smiled nostalgically at them all, timidly gathering around the front, as McGonagall produced the old stool and school Sorting Hat.
The Sorting Hat had apparently reverted back to its old song, no longer belting out the long warning song it had sung for the past two years about houses uniting. Harry looked at it quizzically for a moment and for the first time in a month he wondered where Lord Voldemort was.
Oh no, he wasn't gone. Not yet.
Last year, Harry had once again come face to face with Lord Voldemort and battled him along with the Order of the Phoenix. The prophesy that he had been turning over in his mind all last year had given him a certain power, or at least had made him feel more powerful. He knew the rest of the prophesy and Voldemort did not, which made Harry feel as though he had a secret that he held over his enemy's head. There had been casualties, oh yes, some lost their lives, witches and wizards Harry had not even known by name. Mundungus Fletcher had lost a limb and they'd lost Elphias Doge, Hestia Jones and Mad Eye Moody when they were ambushed by Death Eaters. Tonks was still in St. Mungo's, Harry grimaced, remembering that he hadn't heard from Lupin about Tonks in nearly a month. He made a mental note to ask Remus next time he sent Hedwig out.
Harry wondered how he had been so complacent and forgetful about worrying about Voldemort. He'd been beaten badly and was on the brink of death but he'd been on the brink before and come back as strong as he was fourteen years earlier. Harry had pushed all that out of his mind however. The Ministry was looking for Voldemort, they had the finest Aurors spending every waking moment tracking Death Eaters and picking them off one by one. It was only a matter of time. And Harry could go back to being normal.
Well as normal as any witch or wizard could be.
"Weedlebrush, Helen." McGonagoll said clearly. It was then that Harry snapped out of his reverie and realized that they'd commenced the Sorting Ceremony and were very nearly finished. There were only three little ones left. Helen Weedlebrush was sitting on the stool; the Sorting Hat perched atop her thick brown curly hair. The hat seemed to be having trouble placing her and Helen looked as though she were praying for it to make up its mind.
"RAVENCLAW!" The Sorting Hat shouted and the table on the far right stood and clapped and cheered as little Helen ran out of the spotlight, seemingly relieved that she was no longer the center of attention.
"Wong, Terrence." The little Chinese boy eagerly bounced up to the stool and took a seat, his eyes falling shut as the hat was placed on his head. Only a second later –
"GRYFFINDOR!" Harry pounded on the table and cheered as Terrence flung off the hat, which McGonagoll nearly didn't catch, and ran as fast as he could to join his fellow first year Gryffindors. Harry saw Ron pat the little fellow on the back and say "well done you!" Hermione smiled at Terrence who grinned brightly back.
The last first year trotted up and sat down delicately on the stool without McGonagoll calling her, and soon Renee Zeffinger was off to join Hufflepuff. Dumbledore stood as the stool and hat were carted off behind the table.
"Splendid! Well done all of you! Now a few reminders, yes of course." He said, his eyes twinkling as he saw a few people groan. "Firstly, the Dark Forest is out of bounds. All first years are to abide by this, unless of course they wish to be parted with any appendages. Secondly. And lastly, I am pleased to announce that Hogwarts will be playing host to a Wizarding Exchange Programme with Salemtops in America." At this his eyes came to rest on Hermione. "Miss. Granger of Gryffindor participated this summer and was to have one of her friends come here for term. Unfortunately Miss. Aggleberry has come down with a bout of Mumbello's, and as she has only toned down to a mild magenta, we had to find a replacement." He made to continued but stopped.
Dumbledore paused as the sound of the Great Hall doors opening interrupted him. Everyone's heads swivelled around, and people craned their necks to get a better look at who was coming in late.
Two girls, probably in their sixth or seventh years, had come in and were standing in the middle aisle between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor. They were very different looking from one another but it was very clear that they were not Hogwarts students.
"Ah, and here are our two exchange students now!" Dumbledore smiled widely, clapping his hands together. Everyone surrounding Hermione looked to her as she gaped.
"Two?!" She breathed, obviously just as surprised as everyone else. They all turned back to look at the new students.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, please give a hearty Hogwarts welcome to our two new students, Isis Moonshade," he motioned to the girl on the left, "and Aryn Black." he motioned to the other girl.
There was a pause before a sparse amount of clapping sounded out. Everyone was too busy staring. Both girls were wearing a similar uniform, although the girl on the right was a bit sloppier looking that the one on the left. They both wore black shoes with large tin buckles on them, dark purple knee socks, grey pleated skirts and white collared shirts. They also wore deep purple ties with an embalm on them of a crescent moon and a white cat. The witch on the right also wore a black wide brimmed hat with a crooked point.
Isis Moonshade, the girl standing as though she were rather perturbed by all this attention, was a tanned girl with long brownish red curly hair. She was quiet tall; Harry was probably only just her height. But something that was most astonishing about her was her eyes; they were a deep amethyst color.
Aryn Black was a bit shorter than Moonshade and was fair, with short choppy straight blonde hair and olive coloured eyes. She was standing much more at ease than Isis and she gave off the impression that she wasn't one for rules and that she did not want to be here.
It was then that Harry caught Hermione's eye and they both wondered the same thing. Black… was she?... could she possibly be related to Sirius…? Both their heads whipped back around so quickly, Harry could have sworn he heard Hermione's neck crack. The Black girl surveyed the Hall ominously, before her eyes came to rest on Harry and the Gryffindors around him. And then he saw something strange happen on her indifferent if not gloomy face: she smiled. Not widely, and a second later it flickered away, leaving him to wonder if he hadn't just imagined it.
"Well, Miss Moonshade, if you would please proceed to the Gryffindor table, I'm sure Miss Granger would like to introduce you to a few people." The darker girl smiled uneasily before making her way, temporarily stealing the spotlight from the gloomy girl, to come to a halt in front of their group. Hermione smiled and turned to Ron.
"Budge up there Ronald." She ordered, though they could all tell she was a bit uncomfortable. They did and Isis Moonshade took her seat in between Ron and Hermione. Dean immediately reached over the table to shake her hand; Colin Creevey was currently snapping her picture, thick purple smoke billowing from his camera. Everyone was introducing themselves, shaking Moonshade's hand as she blushed and nodded, not yet uttering a word. Seamus even went back for a second hand shake, still obviously tongue tied, and everyone laughed as he introduced himself as Stacy Gingerfin.
"What about her?" Harry heard Dean whisper to Neville. Now that Isis had met everyone in the general vicinity, they'd all turned back to look at Aryn Black, who stood as unimpressed as ever, waiting for some instruction as to what to do.
"Ah, Miss Black, if you would take a seat at the Slytherin table." Dumbledore said with a crooked smile, waving his hand toward the Slytherin table so that all the candles that levitated over them had their small flickering lights burst into flame, signalling where she was supposed to go. Harry felt disappointment creep over him. He'd wanted to question her about Sirius. Just a little over a year since his godfather's death, he'd still not recovered fully from the loss. A tiny piece of him still hoped, still clung to the hope that he would come back…
Aryn Black walked over to the far end of the Hall and began making her way toward the seventh years and, consequently, Malfoy. He glared. No doubt Malfoy would take the opportunity to poison her mind with lies about Harry. But to Harry's surprise, Malfoy looked the opposite direction and, if he wasn't mistaken, was ignoring the new girl. Aryn sat down a few people away from Crabbe and did not make to greet anyone, although some of the Slytherin boys were looking at her interestedly.
"Well I think now that our important business has been taken care of, a feast would be in order. Tuck in!" No sooner had the words left his mouth than mountains of food unfurled out of thin air. Isis Moonshade gave a little squeak of surprise, her large doe eyes growing wide at all the food.
"Well she looks very sour." Hermione said peering over at Aryn Black, whose expression remained as unmoved as ever by the sudden appearance of food.
"Don't mind her." Everyone looked at Isis, who'd just spoken before timidly reaching for a chicken wing as though sure it wasn't real. "She's just… she just doesn't want to be here."
"It's quite apparent." Hermione said as she began to shovel mashed potatoes onto her own plate. "You'd think she'd try and look a little more enthusiastic though." She huffed. Isis shrugged.
"I don't blame her." She said quietly. Everyone raised an eyebrow and paused loading up their plates, waiting for her to give reasons. Isis noticed this but opted to be mysterious. "She's got her reasons."
"Enough about her." Ron said as he helped himself to some pork chops. "What do you think of Hogwarts so far?" To Harry's surprise, Ron was talking with ease while it was quite clear that whenever Isis's back was turned he would study her, obviously quite taken with her. Harry also noticed Hermione throw Ron a few dirty looks. Obviously she had noticed where he was looking too.
Isis was blushing with all the attention she was receiving. After assuring them all that she was quite impressed with the magnitude and mystery of Hogwarts she began talking about Salemtops. Harry felt that it was actually quite interesting to hear about another witches' school.
"And our castle is nothing like yours!" she breathed looking up at the bewitched ceiling. "We've got a couple of wings and secret passages and a moat, but none of that moving staircase stuff. And we're not as obsessed with Quidditch as you are, so our field is getting kind of overgrown and wild. Only the other day our Headmistress had to call in an exterminator. The field was overrun with Nifflers, so that put practice on hold for a bit, what with them attacking anyone who went out to play. And… well… is it true that you've got a half giant teaching here?" she whispered the last part. Harry and Ron grinned at each other before nodding proudly. "Wow! That's so chill! We don't have giants in America, they're only in Europe! But we studied them last year. Really interesting stuff." She looked over at Hagrid who was red cheeked and talking with Professor Flitwick.
"Yeah, he's a really great guy." Ron said, and Harry noticed that now that Isis was around, his manners concerning talking with food in his mouth were impeccable and he made sure he swallowed all his food before opening his mouth.
"You're all so lucky!" Isis said looking at Hermione only slightly enviously. "My family moved to England after the witch trials in Arabia in the 15th century. But then you started having witch trials of your own and they decided to move to America instead." Isis took some more mashed turnip and pumpkin juice. "Plus, you all have the cool accents."
"Your accent is pretty cool." Harry said honestly. He hadn't met many Americans, a few when he'd been going to elementary school with Dudley. But generally speaking they were, at the time, getting beaten up, so they didn't say much.
"Nah, it's not half as cool as yours…" she trailed off as she looked at him more closely. "Wait a second… you're Harry Potter!" she said as her amethyst eyes trailed over his forehead and Harry felt himself turn a bit red.
"Er…yeah, I am." He said, not knowing really how to reply to this. Now-a-days, no one was shocked to meet him or treated him differently.
"But…I…we…" she was now blushing so furiously that it was beginning to creep down her neck and past the collar of her blouse. "I guess I just… pictured you … a tad differently…" she said slowly, still looking at the scar. Harry exchanged looks with the other boys who were merely eating and not paying much attention.
"How so?" Hermione asked sipping her pumpkin juice.
"I dunno… just… taller and older I guess…" but now she was trying desperately to stare at her plate and not have to look at Harry. "We studied you in Dark Magics last year." She added trying to explain why she was so awestruck by Harry. His eyebrows rose dangerously high, threatening to disappear into his unruly bangs. Wizards in other countries knew who he was?! This was news to him.
But Isis had suddenly turned her back on him, talking with Ron about how they'd already had a werewolf teach them, how Hagrid was a half giant, and about the ever unpopular Potions teacher Snape.
"You watch out for him. He's had it in for us Gryffindors right from the start." Ron said before polishing off his second double helping of chops.
"Yeah, we swear he'd rather turn us into toads than let any of us get a good mark in Potions." Dean chided in. Isis nodded knowingly.
"Yeah I know the feeling. Mrs. Hobblenog has been trying to fail me out of Ancient Runes for years." At this Hermione seemed to perk up.
"You take Ancient Runes?" she asked trying to contain her excitement. Isis smiled, happy to have found something to get her host more interested in her.
"Oh yeah. Hobblenog's been trying to get me to drop out but I actually enjoy the class so…" she grinned, "I just satisfy myself with occasionally bewitching her chair with a Flatulence Spell I learned in Year Two. Five years later and she still doesn't know it's me." They all laughed, even Hermione who usually frowned upon that kind of practical joke.
Harry just shook his head and chuckled along with the rest of them, returning to his half eaten dinner. He looked up from his glazed ham and peas to see Aryn Black staring right at him. He paused for a moment, his fork half way to his mouth, which was hanging open, and looked unblinkingly at her. He saw her smile and shake her head, mimicking his actions, before she looked down and continued to fill her plate with the roast duck that had just appeared in front of her.
For a long moment Harry did not move, his mouth still agape, his fork still only half way to his mouth. It wasn't until Seamus elbowed him in the ribs and gave him a look that clearly read, "close your mouth, you look like a prat" that Harry stuffed the food in his mouth.
There was a sleepy stupor settling among the students now, and just as they were all groaning about not being able to eat one more morsel, the dinner cleared and desert popped out of nowhere. It took about five seconds before everyone began to fist in for their desert.
"So you must be tired after your early port." Hermione said as she waved off the trifle that Lavender had offered her.
"Nah, it wasn't that bad. Well not for me, Aryn got stuck in customs because-" quite suddenly Isis went silent and she had the distinct look that she had just said something that she shouldn't have. Everyone picked up on this and everyone quite wisely began asking whether she was up for classes the next day. Meanwhile Harry chanced a glance back at Aryn Black and chewed a little harder on his Apple fritter when he saw who had shuffled down to sit next to her.
Malfoy was talking to her heatedly; that much was quite obvious. And it was also obvious that he was speaking so low that no one else could hear because he was right at her ear and Goyle was currently trying to listen in without looking conspicuous, which given his size, was not working well. Aryn was looking down at her half eaten piece of chocolate cake with disdain as Malfoy continued to talk in her ear. Finally she shoved the desert away, turned to Malfoy, spat something back at him, and pulled her hat down a little more securely on her head before she got up and walked out.
Everything was silent, even the teachers' table, as she marched out of the Hall. Isis rolled her eyes and continued to prod at her bit of trifle that was left on her plate. Once the Great Hall's doors shut, an angry buzzing that was all too familiar to Harry started up, and on everyone's lips was –
"Did you see her…"
"…what's wrong with her?"
"…she's a Black, I bet she's gone off her rocker, that's all…"
"I heard she's almost got kicked out of school…"
Harry looked around as everyone gossiped about her brisk exit and he glared at Dean and Lavender as they listened to Parvarti talk about how she was talking to her friend at Salemtops and she'd talked about how Aryn Black was an unstable psychopath and that she'd given Mumbello's to whoever was supposed to come so that she could get out of there. Hermione of course also rolled her eyes at them and quickly told Parvarti that she was being quite stupid and should shut her big mouth. That did shut her up and Harry was oddly pleased.
He hadn't even spoken to Aryn, but she was related to Sirius somehow, maybe…maybe she was like him. Maybe she wasn't evil.
All he knew was that he had to talk to her.
After the feast they all wearily made their way into the entrance hall and began to ascend the stairs up to the Gryffindor tower. Harry and Hermione were walking with Isis who was looking around in awe as a staircase just above them began moving.
"Deadly." She said grinning around. Suddenly the staircase they had currently been climbing seemed to want to impress her more so it too began to move. They all grabbed the rail and Isis just smiled wider, her eyes sparkling deep purple. "This is mad cool." She said as the stairs came to rest leading up to another staircase that lead up to Gryffindor Tower.
"You said something about Quidditch." Hermione said as they began climbing again. "Do you play?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah!" she said after she waved to a portrait of a particularly handsome warlock who had winked at her. "Yeah I'm a Chaser for my house. Used to be a Keeper but I got sick of it. I'm actually pretty decent at Chasing." She said matter-of-factly, neither bragging nor trying to be modest.
"That's brilliant." Ron said just behind them. "We've lost all our good Chasers."
"You'll definitely have to try out!" Harry said smiling encouragingly. Isis blushed but nodded. She did that a lot around him, Harry had begun to notice, which in turn made his cheeks turn a bit pink.
"You have houses over in America too?" Neville called from a little ways ahead of them.
"Yeah, three of them. Keller, Nightingale and Fry. They're named after three really important witches who posed as Muggles. Helen Keller, Florence Nightingale and Elizabeth Fry." Isis listed off as they approached the portrait of the fat lady, which was already opening.
"Elizabeth Fry… oh she was the one that sorted out that witches prison…" Hermione said slowly.
"Raggletomb, yeah they had a lot of problems there. But I hear it was nowhere near as bad there as it is for women in Azkaban. But before she could go overseas to visit, she became ill and died. Really unfortunate. She did wonders in Raggletomb." As soon as they entered Gryffindor common room, Isis looked around approvingly. "You know, I think I'm really going to like it here." She said slyly as she eyed the Wizard's Chess sitting in between two plush maroon armchairs.
"Anyone for a quick game?" Ron asked, seeing how interestedly Isis was gazing at the chess board.
"Not me, I'm off to bed." Said Hermione who stretched and yawned. In fact, almost everyone was heading straight for their rooms, too full and tired to think about staying up any longer. Isis nodded and gave Ron an apologetic look.
"I'm going to bed too then. Maybe I'll beat you tomorrow though." She laughed at the look on Ron's face as she said this. Harry grinned too.
"Alright, night you two." He said.
"Goodnight Ron. Harry." Isis's eyes lingered on Harry a moment longer before she followed Hermione up to the girls' dormitories. Ron let out a heavy sigh.
"She's a looker, isn't she?" he said collapsing into the armchair when he was sure they were out of earshot. Harry laughed as he took a seat next to him.
"Yeah. Yeah she really is very pretty." He agreed. Ron shook his head.
"It'll never happen, mate. Not with me at least. She was too busy staring at you like you were some pile of Galleons with her name on it." He said with an air of misery. "You always get the girl."
"Oh shut up." Harry said before he launched the chair's pillow at Ron, which hit him square in the face. "She's no more likely to go out with me than you."
"Thanks." Ron said falling back into the chair.
"Welcome." Harry shot back.