"So, Harry, what did she want?"
"Patronus demonstration," he muttered.
"What, she couldn't do it herself?"
"She said it would help the other students' confidence at the charm later if they saw a fellow student perform it."
"Oh."
"Yeah. I have to miss practice today, Ron. She wants me back to make up my charms work." Harry rolled his eyes.
"She's going to teach you the charm?"
"No. She's bringing Luna in to do it.
"You going to be okay with that?" asked Ron. He knew things were still a little odd between Luna and Harry-at least for Harry's part they were, Luna seemed her usual surface obliviousness.
"Yeah. I managed fine at my Legilimency lesson the other day."
"Good luck then, mate."
Harry finished eating. "If I finish soon enough I'll come out to practice, okay?"
"I'll let everybody know," said Ron.
"Thanks. You run practice 'til I get there." He yawned.
"If you get there."
Harry was on his way to Delano's room when he saw Luna heading in the same direction and fell instep beside her. "Hi."
"Hello, Harry."
"Before we get to Delano's room, I was wondering, is that what you did to Zacharias?"
"What?" Her expression suggested she already knew.
"At the meeting in the Shrieking Shack. You set his feet on fire. Was it a heating charm?"
"No."
"Was it the same charm you used on Malfoy when we were on the train?"
"Yes."
"You're a fighter, aren't you? Not a meek little pacifist who pays no attention like everybody thinks."
"Wow, you're brighter than you look."
"What's that supposed mean?" He realized she had insulted him, but in a teasing sort of way.
"Oh, nothing."
"So will you tell me how to hex Malfoy like that?"
She gave a small smile and looked at him, quirking an eyebrow. "I don't think so."
"Why not?"
Her smiled came to resemble something of a smirk and she patted his cheek. "We all have our secrets. I'm not telling. You're too much of a mystery for me to be the one to start answering the riddles." Immediately her dreamy countenance and usual voice returned, "I wonder where she is."
They'd entered Delano's room, only to find she hadn't come yet.
"We'll start anyway." She began to explain the charm and demonstrated on a fork she'd brought up from dinner. Harry held it in his hand and as she performed the charm it began to heat until he had no choice but to drop it.
Harry had been practicing, though the fork heated Luna never flinched, and Delano finally came in.
"Sorry," she didn't sound sorry, "I was at a meeting. How are things going? Any problems?"
"No," Harry answered.
"I was addressing the young lady."
"He's doing fine. He's a bright boy," Luna's voice as usual made it sound as though her mind was elsewhere.
Harry was determined to find out Delano's real reasoning for pulling him out of class to do a spell that she could easily do herself. "Aren't fifth years a little young to be learning Patronuses? Professor Lupin told me they were well above O.W.L. level."
"Indeed. To quote a great man, 'Desperate times call for desperate measures'. We are in hard times and all children of this school-you included, Potter-must learn to be more than they are, or in your case more than you are. That's what life's all about."
"I thought life was about existing miserably for a few years and then dying," he said, annoyed and in no mood to philosophize with the woman.
"You shouldn't take this so lightly, child. You have a great responsibility to the world."
"I know and I don't want it," he said.
"You don't have a choice," Professor Delano replied coolly.
"But nobody ever asked me first," he shot.
"You have to take what life deals you," her tone was now like ice.
"But he doesn't have to take it all now," said a firm voice from the doorway.
Harry looked and saw Professor Dumbledore.
"Albus, life has dealt him a cruel card but he has to face it as much as any of us do."
"But he doesn't have to face it yet. Certainly not tonight." There command in the Headmaster's voice that Harry had rarely heard. He became jovial again. "Come, Harry. I'm sure you want to get to Quiditch practice."
"No, thank you, Professor," Harry said with as much politeness as he could muster. "I- I think I'm just going to go back to the common room. I've got a lot of homework. And I'm tired."
"Quite understandable, Harry. Jenny, a word?"
Harry and Luna left. Harry didn't even bother to come up with some excuse that would allow him to eavesdrop: he didn't have the energy for it. He made his way up to Gryffindor Tower, unsure as to why he was so exhausted. Sure his schedule was a little full but it wasn't really that bad. Quiditch three nights a week, D.A. one night, extra lessons 2 nights, and homework another. That shouldn't be this bad. What was wrong?
He entered the common room and Hermione looked up from her studying, "Hello Har-what's wrong, Harry? You look awful."
He didn't bother answering her and instead stumbled up to the boys' dormitory and collapsed on top of his bed in total unconsciousness.
*
Okay, I hope I answered the thing about Lupin and the Patronus being more than OWL level. The truth is, I forgot, I knew it was that advanced. A few chapters ago somebody mentioned that I had kind of been neglecting Hagrid (which I had) but that's 'cause I forgot he was alive. (He isn't in my other fic). But anyway thanks for the reviews they're really helping my writing. I'll try and post the next chapter soon.
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"So? He's been asleep 18 hours, shouldn't he wake soon?"
"If you wake him, Ronald Weasley, I will have to hurt you!" whispered Hermione.
"Patronus demonstration," he muttered.
"What, she couldn't do it herself?"
"She said it would help the other students' confidence at the charm later if they saw a fellow student perform it."
"Oh."
"Yeah. I have to miss practice today, Ron. She wants me back to make up my charms work." Harry rolled his eyes.
"She's going to teach you the charm?"
"No. She's bringing Luna in to do it.
"You going to be okay with that?" asked Ron. He knew things were still a little odd between Luna and Harry-at least for Harry's part they were, Luna seemed her usual surface obliviousness.
"Yeah. I managed fine at my Legilimency lesson the other day."
"Good luck then, mate."
Harry finished eating. "If I finish soon enough I'll come out to practice, okay?"
"I'll let everybody know," said Ron.
"Thanks. You run practice 'til I get there." He yawned.
"If you get there."
Harry was on his way to Delano's room when he saw Luna heading in the same direction and fell instep beside her. "Hi."
"Hello, Harry."
"Before we get to Delano's room, I was wondering, is that what you did to Zacharias?"
"What?" Her expression suggested she already knew.
"At the meeting in the Shrieking Shack. You set his feet on fire. Was it a heating charm?"
"No."
"Was it the same charm you used on Malfoy when we were on the train?"
"Yes."
"You're a fighter, aren't you? Not a meek little pacifist who pays no attention like everybody thinks."
"Wow, you're brighter than you look."
"What's that supposed mean?" He realized she had insulted him, but in a teasing sort of way.
"Oh, nothing."
"So will you tell me how to hex Malfoy like that?"
She gave a small smile and looked at him, quirking an eyebrow. "I don't think so."
"Why not?"
Her smiled came to resemble something of a smirk and she patted his cheek. "We all have our secrets. I'm not telling. You're too much of a mystery for me to be the one to start answering the riddles." Immediately her dreamy countenance and usual voice returned, "I wonder where she is."
They'd entered Delano's room, only to find she hadn't come yet.
"We'll start anyway." She began to explain the charm and demonstrated on a fork she'd brought up from dinner. Harry held it in his hand and as she performed the charm it began to heat until he had no choice but to drop it.
Harry had been practicing, though the fork heated Luna never flinched, and Delano finally came in.
"Sorry," she didn't sound sorry, "I was at a meeting. How are things going? Any problems?"
"No," Harry answered.
"I was addressing the young lady."
"He's doing fine. He's a bright boy," Luna's voice as usual made it sound as though her mind was elsewhere.
Harry was determined to find out Delano's real reasoning for pulling him out of class to do a spell that she could easily do herself. "Aren't fifth years a little young to be learning Patronuses? Professor Lupin told me they were well above O.W.L. level."
"Indeed. To quote a great man, 'Desperate times call for desperate measures'. We are in hard times and all children of this school-you included, Potter-must learn to be more than they are, or in your case more than you are. That's what life's all about."
"I thought life was about existing miserably for a few years and then dying," he said, annoyed and in no mood to philosophize with the woman.
"You shouldn't take this so lightly, child. You have a great responsibility to the world."
"I know and I don't want it," he said.
"You don't have a choice," Professor Delano replied coolly.
"But nobody ever asked me first," he shot.
"You have to take what life deals you," her tone was now like ice.
"But he doesn't have to take it all now," said a firm voice from the doorway.
Harry looked and saw Professor Dumbledore.
"Albus, life has dealt him a cruel card but he has to face it as much as any of us do."
"But he doesn't have to face it yet. Certainly not tonight." There command in the Headmaster's voice that Harry had rarely heard. He became jovial again. "Come, Harry. I'm sure you want to get to Quiditch practice."
"No, thank you, Professor," Harry said with as much politeness as he could muster. "I- I think I'm just going to go back to the common room. I've got a lot of homework. And I'm tired."
"Quite understandable, Harry. Jenny, a word?"
Harry and Luna left. Harry didn't even bother to come up with some excuse that would allow him to eavesdrop: he didn't have the energy for it. He made his way up to Gryffindor Tower, unsure as to why he was so exhausted. Sure his schedule was a little full but it wasn't really that bad. Quiditch three nights a week, D.A. one night, extra lessons 2 nights, and homework another. That shouldn't be this bad. What was wrong?
He entered the common room and Hermione looked up from her studying, "Hello Har-what's wrong, Harry? You look awful."
He didn't bother answering her and instead stumbled up to the boys' dormitory and collapsed on top of his bed in total unconsciousness.
*
Okay, I hope I answered the thing about Lupin and the Patronus being more than OWL level. The truth is, I forgot, I knew it was that advanced. A few chapters ago somebody mentioned that I had kind of been neglecting Hagrid (which I had) but that's 'cause I forgot he was alive. (He isn't in my other fic). But anyway thanks for the reviews they're really helping my writing. I'll try and post the next chapter soon.
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"So? He's been asleep 18 hours, shouldn't he wake soon?"
"If you wake him, Ronald Weasley, I will have to hurt you!" whispered Hermione.