Disclaimer: I do not own anything Harry Potter. 'Tis a shame really, but, hey, I wish I owned him, I don't.
I've got some responses to the last reviews. I was trying to show Harry as vulnerable in the last chapter. Even he's not immune to everything. I can't promise whether or not he'll get his revenge. I don't know if he should get revenge really. I'll explain more during this chapter and you'll see. This chapter is pretty long compared to a lot of my other ones. *sigh* Can you believe it's been 50 chapters? *tear* But it's only 135 pages so far, my Order of the Phoenix fic is actually a lot longer. . . Never mind. On with the chapter!
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There wasn't any good outcome for Harry from the Weasley twins' pranks. The news soon spread throughout the school that the Weasley twins had made a cameo appearance just after Valentine's Day and pranked the great Harry Potter. Everyone was delighted to learn that it was the twins who had caused Harry such humiliation and that they could buy their products thanks to the special order forms they'd left. He would have to wait quietly for cold revenge. Revenge was, after all, a dish best served cold; but he was sure that it would be icy by the time a good opportunity came up.
Harry had tried to burn them but they refused to catch fire and the first years started passing them out.
Ron, Ginny, and Hermione stood staunchly by him throughout it all, but even they laughed. Especially Ron and Ginny. They should have been sympathetic! They grew up with the twins and knew what it was like! Maybe they were just glad that the twins had had their fun at someone else's expense for a change. Hermione did better than the younger Weasleys, but the laughing still hurt.
Luna was the only one who didn't laugh. Although she did pass one comment about taking him bra shopping.
Oh, well. No one was perfect.
It was a month, almost mid-March before the giggles and taunts completely stopped. Harry had to admit, the twins were good. Professionals. The best at what they did. He just wished they hadn't chosen him. Then again, after everything he and Luna did to Fred, he supposed he had it coming.
Dumbledore hadn't said a word about it to him. Not a single word.
McGonagall, however, had. She had asked him to stay after class the next day.
"Mister Potter, I am well aware of who . . . pranked you yesterday. As is the Headmaster."
"I know. Your point, Professor?"
Her nostrils flared in irritation. "The point, Mister Potter, is why we allowed it to continue when we could have easily put an end to it."
"And that would be?"
"You need to understand that we have your safety at heart. It was and still is necessary for someone to follow you around and prevent any ill from reaching you."
"You just want me so I can save the world."
"The truth is, Harry, whatever will happen has already been decided."
"But . . ." Harry knew her feelings toward Professor Trelawny, and toward Divination as a whole.
"Whatever will happen, will happen, all we can do is try to sway events in the right direction. The best way for us to do that is to make sure you have every possible chance of succeeding. If you are injured or impaired in any way, your chances, and ours, are diminished greatly. Do you care?"
"About what?"
"Anything. Any person. Any place. Hogwarts. Your friends. Do you care?"
"Yeah, of course I do."
"Without you, all of it will crumble, Harry. All of it."
"This . . . this is a lot, Professor. I don't know if I can do it all."
"You won't have to do it alone, Harry. That's what we have been trying to tell you. That is what your friends have tried to tell you. You don't need to go it alone. They have always stood by you and they always will. That's what true friends do."
He asked quietly, "What about Peter? What if there's another Pettigrew lurking in our midst and we don't even know it? What will happen then?"
"I don't know, Harry. We can only hope and pray. And have faith that things will turn out alright in the end."
"My friends . . ."
"Harry, your friends have always stood strong by you. Mister Longbottom stood up to you when he thought you needed it back in your first year. That very same night, Mister Weasley sacrificed himself for you, and Miss Granger pulled your butt through the fire. Second year again your friends stood strong by you. Miss Granger focused all her energy on solving the mystery the three of you were wrapped in and Mister Weasley went down into the Chamber itself with you. And he put up with that blathering idiot Lockhart. Third year—"
"I get it, Professor! But I don't want them in harm's way." Especially Luna.
"It's too late for that, Harry. We're all in this together." She squeezed his shoulder. "All of us. Remember that. Dumbledore allowed what happened because he felt you needed to learn a lesson. To learn that danger can lie around any corner. And above all to learn to respect those that care for you. If you have nothing else to say, you are dismissed."
He nodded and walked away. Whatever she said, he would not be putting his friends in danger. Not if he could help it.
All of this way three weeks past. He didn't tell his friends what McGonagall had said. Or what Fred and George had said about Dumbledore knowing. Harry avoided Dumbledore at the Occlumency lessons.
It was the exams and just passing time that had taken the focus away from Harry. It was only mid-March but early study bunnies were already beginning review. Hermione among them. And even though most of the population didn't begin this early, they couldn't help noticing those who did, and feeling nervous.
Not much had changed in his relationship with Luna since they'd officially become boyfriend and girlfriend. Their conversations and attitudes were about the same. The same easy friendship was still there. The only real difference was that now, they kissed sometimes. It wasn't every time they saw each other, or anything obsessive like that. Just when they wanted to. It wasn't always (or often) for a long time either. Sometimes it was a short, sweet kiss, a peck on the mouth. Other times it was longer. Sometimes even, she slipped her tongue in his mouth (or his in hers). But the thing was, kissing wasn't what was important in their relationship, it was the communication and the relationship that mattered. No matter what, they were still friends first and foremost. By an unspoken agreement, they never kissed during, before, or after the Legilimency lessons. Something about it just wouldn't have been right. They were in an empty classroom, studying, by a teacher's special permission. It certainly wouldn't have been right.
Luna was the only one he told about Dumbledore knowing that the twins would attack him, and about McGonagall's response. She didn't seem at all surprised, but then again, things rarely really surprised her. Harry was sure that if one day, the sun didn't rise, she would hardly bat an eye.
One day (still mid-March), they were just lounging around McGonagall's room after deciding that they'd done enough Legilimency for the day. Harry really was improving.
"What do you think of teaching Occlumency to the members of the D.A.?" asked Luna, sitting on top of McGonagall's desk, swinging her legs back and forward as usual.
"What?" asked Harry. He was leaning against one of the desks.
"Between you, me, and Ginny, we ought to manage. Some of them are taking Dumbledore's Occlumency lessons anyway."
"Ginny?"
"Yeah. Her lessons are the hour before dinner. Yours the hour after."
"You didn't tell me she was taking lessons."
"You didn't ask. She hasn't been taking them as long as you. She started a few weeks after. She's really quite good. Between the three of us, we ought to manage. What do you think?"
"I think it's a great idea. I'll talk to Ginny tonight and we can start at Sunday's meeting. You're bloody brilliant, Luna." He almost kissed her, but changed his mind and hugged her instead. As he hugged her he picked her up off the desk and spun her around a few times holding her waist and keeping her several inches from the ground. She laughed. He started laughing to and set her gently on her feet.
They left the classroom and started up the stairs. No one was around. "Harry?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you ever think about sliding down these?"
"What? You mean like the steps would disappear and become a ramp, like the girls' dormitory stairs do when a boy tries to get in?"
She quirked an eyebrow. "How did you know that?"
He laughed. "Ron tried to get in last year to tell Hermione something important."
"What actually meant was do you ever think of sliding down the banisters? All these stairs at Hogwarts . . ."
He stared at her. "I haven't thought about doing that since I was a first year!"
"Have you ever done it?"
"No."
"Well why not? There's nobody around."
He took a deep breath. It sounded like fun actually. "Only if you do too."
"Deal."
"I'll go first so I can catch you when you get to the bottom."
"Okay." She smiled shyly.
Harry climbed on top of the rail and went sliding down very quickly, landing at the bottom with a thud. He laughed, "That was great! Come on!"
Harry watched her climbed on and composed herself very careful, adjust her robes and whatnot, before she let go so she could slide. Giggling, she came down like a speeding bullet and landed in Harry's outstretched arms as he twirled her around like before, both of them laughing hard. Harry and she continued to spin until he caught sight of something, then he slowly slowed and put her back on her feet gently.
"Hello, Harry, Luna," said a voice.
"Hi, Professor Dumbledore. Hi, Terry," Harry said sheepishly.
"Enjoying yourselves?" asked Dumbledore, brightly.
"We were just done with our tutoring, Professor," said Harry.
Terry snorted. It was common knowledge that the famous Harry Potter was dating Looney Lovegood. And after Looney's reaction to what happened to him the day after Valentine's day who couldn't know? Besides, Terry was in Ravenclaw. "Tutoring", probably snogging in an empty classroom.
"Yes, I know, Harry. I am aware of what day today is and what time it is," said Dumbledore. "But it's getting late, it's probably best you go back to your houses."
"Okay, Professor. Goodnight."
"Watch out for bed bugs," said Luna in her dreamy voice (the first time she'd spoken since they'd seen Dumbledore and Terry).
Terry followed them up the stairs. "You two are my next picture," he said.
"Are we a portrait or a comic?" It was Luna's still dreamy, but almost sensible voice.
"I haven't decided yet. Whichever it is, I'll show you at the next D.A. meeting. Goodbye, lovebirds." He started jogging ahead eagerly.
Harry asked, "Picture?"
"Most people outside Ravenclaw don't know it, but Terry draws. All the time. He draws nice pictures and comics too. I wonder which we'll be."
Harry recalled seeing a parchment a few months ago that someone had been passing around. It was a drawing of a bunch of students pushing Snape head first into a soapy cauldron. He'd wondered who had drawn it.
"He doesn't sign his pictures, even the comics. But he's more shy about his nice pictures. You might remember the little comic one he did titled 'Take a bath, Grease Ball'."
"Yeah, I do! But how would he make ours a comic?"
"Oh, he could draw you holding me like you were when we were spinning around and have you say 'Have you been putting on some weight? I think my arms are going to break'. Or have me say, 'I'm getting dizzy'."
"Luna, you know I'd never say that."
"I know. But it'd look funny in the picture."
"That's true." He smiled at her. He looked back and saw Dumbledore sliding down the banister. He nudged Luna and she looked too.
They both laughed. Their headmaster was behaving like a child, but what else was new?
Harry, by this time, had a pretty good idea for where the Ravenclaw house was and walked with her most of the way.
"Goodnight," he said.
"Goodnight. Pleasant dreams."
"Pleasant dreams." He gave her a hug and started the trek to Gryffindor Tower. He found Ginny sitting alone in the windowsill. "Hey, Gin."
"Oh, hi, Harry. What's up?"
"I was wondering if you'd mind at the next D.A. meeting . . ." he explained.
She listened until he finished speaking. "No problem." She patted him on the back and went off to bed.
Sunday came and so did the D.A. meeting.
Harry, Luna, Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Ginny were the first to get there and the others trailed in afterward. Harry willed there to be pillows on the floor instead of desks when they came in and the Room of Requirement obliged. Terry came last and brought with him a folder with some papers in it.
One of the Ravenclaws asked, "Terry, what you got there? The latest in Life At Hogwarts?"
He nodded and started passing out pictures. "Padma used a duplication charm to make copies of them for me." He gave out the last two pictures to Luna and Harry.
Harry heard Ron give a snort of laughter and he looked at the picture. Luna's hair stuck out every which way (which it didn't actually do anymore) and she was wearing the necklace Harry had given her, with the radish earrings as he twirled her around. Harry' s scar was drawn dark and bold and his hair was rumpled. A speech bubble above him said, "Jeez, you're fat, did you put on some weight?" and a speech bubble above Luna said, "No, but I'm dizzy enough to puke". Over the top was the title "Kooky Couples of Hogwarts #1".
"It's my latest series. I think I'm going to do a bunch of drawings like this of different couples. The Snape and Malfoy ones I've been doing are getting kind of old." He bit his lip. "I drew another one too. But you can't show this to anybody." He pulled out one more.
This own was done in paint and it was beautiful. It was the same scene, Harry twirling Luna around at the bottom of the stairs. But they both looked happy (as they really had looked). Luna's hair was smooth and there were no radishes in her ears, only star earrings. She was wearing a gorgeous pale blue dress, kind of old fashion and puffy at the bottom, with puffy sleeves. Harry's hair was somewhat smoother and you couldn't even see his scar. He was in a dark tux. It was phenomenal. Looking at the picture, Harry could almost feel like he could hear Luna laughing softly and as though there was music playing.
"Wow."
Terry shrugged. "I just thought the other picture was kind of mean and I wanted to do something nice."
"It's lovely," said Luna.
"I like to keep all of my pictures, but you can have somebody make a copy. But I don't want everybody to see this."
"If you stay after the meeting, Hermione can make a copy. She knows the charm," said Harry.
"Okay."
Harry moved to the front of the room. Everybody was still laughing at the comic drawings being passed around the room. "Okay, okay, that's enough," he said, putting up his hands. They continued to chuckle.
"Harry, did she puke on you?" asked one of the younger members.
"No," he said, exasperated. "Now, I've got something very important for you to do today. We're going to teach you Occlumency."
Most of the students looked confused, though a few of the pure-bloods looked startled.
"Who's 'we'?" asked Zacharias.
Ginny and Luna advanced to the front of the room and stood on either side of Harry. "Us."
"They're fifth years!" protested somebody.
Luna flicked her wand at him and disarmed him while Ginny delivered a flying bat bogey hex.
Harry laughed. "Looks like the little fifth years just did a pretty good job on you."
The boy glared, red-faced while Hermione came and un-hexed him and returned his wand.
"All right then. We're Legilimensists. It's kind of like we're mind readers. We're going to try to read your mind and you've got to block us out. Who's brave enough to go up against the toughest Legilimensist here?"
Zacharias sauntered up. "I'll go against you, Potter."
Harry laughed and shook his head. "Not me. I said the toughest. That means Luna."
"She's the toughest?"
"Yeah," said Ginny.
Luna did a smart move where she pressed down on the tip of her wand and it flipped out from behind her ear and into her hand. "I'm going to attempt to break into your mind. Try to keep me out. Hex me. Curse me. Defend yourself. Whatever you think might work. On three."
Harry could tell that Zacharias didn't like the look in Luna's eyes. "I'll count," said Ginny, stepping between them. "1 . . . 2 . . . 3!"
"Legilimens!" shouted Luna.
Zacharias shouted several indistinct things. A spell missed Luna by about 3 feet and bounced off the wall. Zacharias fell to his knees clutching his head. When Luna dropped her wand, he didn't get up. He didn't move when she stretched out her hand to help him. He got unsteadily to his feet on his own. He glared at her, but his eyes were wet. Harry heard him whisper, "Did you see everything I saw?"
"Parts of it," she said calmly. "Go sit down."
He took a couple of tottering steps. Ginny took his arm and led him back to sit on one of the cushions.
A couple of people laughed nervously until Luna turned her unwavering stare on them. "Would you like to try?"
"N-n-no," they said.
"As Zacharias has just been so kind to demonstrate, Occlumency is not easy for most people. Anyone else care to try?" Her eyes landed on Neville. "How about you?"
"No, Luna, I don't think it's a good idea."
"We've given Neville a few practice lessons so you'd have an idea of what should happen," Luna said cheerfully. "Come here now."
Neville came, but didn't look very happy.
Harry heard her whisper, "Would you rather it be me or Ginny?"
The thought of his girlfriend knowing his worst fears and such was extremely terrifying. He whispered, "You."
"Good. Okay, clear your mind, Neville."
"You never told me to clear my mind!"
"Shut up, Smith," snarled Ron.
"Ready, Neville?"
"Yeah." He had his wand out.
On the count of three, Luna shouted her spell and Neville used a stinging hex. It missed her narrowly. But he managed to keep his concentration enough to try again and this time he hit her. But she managed to block it before it reached her. She broke the spell. "Well done, Neville."
"You went easy on Longbottom, didn't you?"
She smiled sweetly at Zacharias. "No, I didn't. Actually, I was going easy on you."
He glared and his face turned red.
They divided up the groups, giving a mix to each of them so that all three Legilimensists had some who had taken Occlumency and some who hadn't. They each had 7 students. It was time to get to work. Harry's group consisted of Muriel, Hermione, Zacharias, Colin, Ernie, Lavender, and Terry. "Arrange the cushions in a circle," he told his group. They rearranged them with puzzled looks on their faces. "We're going to try and meditate. It's the easiest way to clear your mind and it really works."
"How are we supposed to meditate?"
"Well, sit down on the cushion. Better yet, lay down. And shut your eyes."
"This is stupid," said the Hufflepuff. "Whose idea is this anyway?"
"Luna's. And it's very effective. It's the only way I was able to learn, so shut your trap before I attempt a less pleasant method."
Grumbling, he did as Harry told him.
"Now, concentrate on your breathing. Slow, deep breaths. Easy. Don't think about anything. Just concentrate. Relax. Get rid of all your thoughts. Get rid of all your emotions. Get rid of all your tensions. There's no threat. No big test coming up. You never have to take final exams." Eventually he got them to a pretty relaxed state, he thought.
"Who wants to volunteer to go first?"
"I'll have a go at it," said Terry.
"Okay. The most effective weapon here isn't going to be your wand. It's going to be your mind. So put that down."
Slowly, Terry dropped his wand down on the cushion.
"I'm going to attempt to break into your mind. Just will me not to do it. When I get in I'm going to see what you fear, what you hate, what you don't want me to know, so don't let me in." He turned to Zacharias, "Isn't that right?"
He mumbled something under his breath.
"On three, Terry. Somebody count."
Hermione said, "One . . . two . . . three!"
"Legilimens!" Harry shouted.
Terry seemed to be able to hold his own for a bit. But not long. Harry saw images of a boy who looked like Terry (but younger) being bullied, he saw people standing around and taunting, he saw him dancing at the Yule Ball in fourth year, he saw someone tearing beautiful paintings to shreds, and a dozen other images. Harry broke the connection. That was enough. Terry kept his feet. He looked pale and he was sweating. He shivered. "Pretty good, Boot. Next?"
Hermione was excellent of course, and so were Muriel and Colin. Then again, the three of them had been doing it all year. Ernie didn't do very well, Lavender did slightly better. Zacharias was the worst. He was having serious issues.
At the end of the meeting, he asked Zacharias and Terry to stay. "Terry, I need to talk to you. You too, Zacharias."
They remained behind.
He tried to take an objective tone, "Smith, you need to get over your anger and your fear and your embarrassment and your hate. Every time it got easier for me to break into your mind. Every time. That's not supposed to happen. Was your mind clear?"
"Yes," he sulked.
"I don't think it was. You've got to learn to clear it. If you want, I can transfer you into Luna's group. I'm not the best at this. She was the one who taught me. Do you want to switch?"
"No! Don't put me in her group."
"What about in Ginny's group?" he asked, exasperated.
"Ron and Neville are both in that group. They'd have my hide for sure."
"What are you talking about?"
"Nothing. Can I leave yet?"
"Yeah. Just try to focus more." Harry sighed. Things were not going well.
"What did you need me for, Harry?"
"You're doing really well Terry. I just wanted you to know that. And since Hermione's still here I figured we could copy the picture. I've got a spare piece of parchment." Luna, Terry, Harry, Hermione, and Ron were the only people still in the room.
Hermione performed the charm. "This picture is wonderful. Did you do this, Terry?"
He nodded.
"Wow." She handed the copy back to Harry and the original to Terry.
Terry left the room immediately, mumbling something about having to be somewhere.
"I didn't know he was so artistic," she said.
"He doesn't tell many people," said Harry.
Luna was silently staring off into space.
"I've got to go do some studying, come, Ron," said Hermione.
"Oh, yeah, right." As he passed by Harry he mouthed, "Save me!"
Harry laughed.
"Something funny?" asked Hermione, turning back.
"No." Harry was left standing alone with Luna. He moved closer to her and took her hands as they sat down. "How'd your group do?"
She rolled her head to get some kinks out of her neck. "Not bad. Not great, but not bad. Yours?"
"Terry shows promise I think. I think he's motivated. Zacharias on the other hand can't get past his emotions."
"Why does that sound like someone I know?" she teased.
"He's a git. I wonder if he'll grow out of it?"
"He could join my group."
"He doesn't want to. He's terrified of you."
"What about Ginny's group?"
"He said that Ron and Neville would kill him?"
"Oh, I wonder what happened there? I heard he fancied a certain Weasley girl."
"Really? No wonder he doesn't want to join her group."
"What about the others?"
"I think it's still too early. Ernie might be okay; Lavender seems pretty good. Anybody particular in your group?"
"Too early to tell." She stood up, still holding Harry's hand, and they walked out into the hallway.
"You want to go for a walk outside until dinner?"
"Okay."
They spent the next hour or so walking by the lake talking (and sometimes doing a little kissing).
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Okay, so what did you think?