Brilliance
By Virdian Magpie
Chapter Summary: "It's so stupid. I mean, there's a big difference between pranking and killing someone, isn't there?"
Disclaimer: Huh? Me? Own Harry Potter? You gotta be kidding me!
Chapter Ten: Lion's Courage
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We stopped before an old Potions classroom which was only ever used once a week for voluntary Potions tutoring. Remus went there each Thursday evening.
The Auror opened the door and stared at me pointedly. I looked at McGonogall. She had not uttered a single word the whole time and didn't seem inclined to do so now; but her curt smile reassured me and heartened by this I decided to face my fate head on like a true Gryffindor.
I really had had nothing to fear. The interrogation went smoothly and while the second Auror continued to eye me disapprovingly and Moody - unlike the other the badly scarred one had told me his name - was a bit grumpy, the latter's professional (if unconventional) attitude soon put my mind at ease. With a small smirk he assured me that there was no reason to look so pale. I was not under arrest and would not be except I had a skeleton in my trunk (I quickly negated this and he said he hadn't thought so) and that my head of House had decided not to pursue our volition of the school rules aside from subtracting 20 points each.
This was rather mild considering it was old McGonogall we were talking about.
All in all, I was feeling fine. The questions were numerous but not mean. Moody wanted to know a lot of details. I answered each query truthfully (with the exception that I never once mentioned James' Cloak, which was still tucked away underneath my robes; it wasn't a vitally important fact, after all).
At about half past two then, I was free to go. Escorted by my Head of House I arrived in my dormitory, where James, Peter and Remus pretended to be asleep. I saw right through it (the lack of snoring was a dead give-away) and I think McGonogall did as well, but she didn't say anything and left quickly and quietly.
Her footsteps were still echoing through the silence of the Tower when my three companions came to life.
"You alright," Remus queried. My friend looked at me expectantly.
"Uh-huh," I replied.
"Good." Remus at once turned around to face James.
"Alright, what happened then?"
I gaped. That was all he had to say? Good? Okay, I could understand that Remus was curious. He probably didn't mean it and it was late at night and we were all tired. I shook my head. It was time I went to bed.
"Well," James spoke up in reply to Remus' question, "We were just sitting down when Pomfrey charged in..."
I tuned the rest of the narration out (I had been there, after all) and got ready to sleep.
There are some days when - almost immediately after you rise - you get the inexplicable feeling that you should better lie down once more. Unfortunately a sleep deprived mind tends not to become aware of bad omens or - if it does - will attribute it to the lack of sleep. After trying to comb my hair with James' teeth brush, running smack into the door frame of the bathroom, and stumbling over my backpack, it should have registered that this was not a good day. The feeling even nagged at me but - stubborn as I am - I ignored it.
"Did you hear-"
"Yes, I'm sure."
"They've always-"
"Who else?"
"- prank gone too -"
"- hated -"
I felt like screaming. I'd've done it, too, if it hadn't been for the fact that this would only have fuelled the rumours, so I just clenched my hands and kept my mouth shut.
I had done so since noon and by unspoken agreement the other had, as well. We would not acknowledge the whispers. Nor the stares. Absolutely not. We refused.
"First the toad-"
This was going too far. I suddenly didn't feel really hungry anymore. My fork clattered to the table and I quickly excused myself before I ate my words and jumped down that guy's throat. James nodded in reply but didn't say anything. Peter simply continued eating like nothing was bothering him. Wished I could do that.
As I exited the Great Hall Remus caught up. We walked in silence. Even though I was tense the quiet wasn't. In a way it was even soothing. I dared to take a quick peek. Remus' expression was neutral but I didn't think that he was as aloof about this as he might have wanted us to believe.
He wasn't above suspicion, either. Guilty by association or whatever. It worried me. If the scrutiny we were subjected to by almost all of Hogwarts continued, there was a chance someone might find out about 'it'.
"Fortitudo Leonis."
The current password to the tower was a joke. It was way too easy too figure out for everyone with a Latin dictionary. 'Lion's courage'. I wondered what The Fat Lady had been thinking. Maybe she had run out of ideas? A thousand years of making up passwords might result in that. But why didn't she simply use old ones again? It wasn't like anyone would know the password from April 1534 or something (well, maybe except the ghosts). And even if there was someone, the chance of them guessing correctly before somebody noticed them were slim. Slimmer than guessing the current password.
"Dinner already over, dears?"
"Fortitudo Leonis," I repeated. I wasn't in the mood for idle chit-chat.
"If you wish." Affronted, she swung aside. I couldn't care less.
The Common Room was empty. We didn't linger though for it would not remain so for long. We arrived in our dorm and Remus closed the door. Not a single word had been exchanged as of yet.
I was still tense and by now the silence had changed. It seemed oppressive and unbearable. I needed to say something. Shout, rage, scream, anything. I wanted to make it clear that I would not suffer this treatment by our classmates much longer.
My back was turned to Remus and I glared out of the window. I felt like a volcano, ready to erupt.
I swirled around, the words, the diatribe, already forming in my mouth, when I saw his expression. 'I know,' his eyes said and I deflated.
"It's so stupid," I whispered. He nodded.
"I mean, there's a big difference between pranking and killing someone, isn't there?" It was a rhetoric question but he answered, anyhow. To reassure me, I guess.
"There is. It's just Hogwart's rumour mill. In a few weeks nobody will remember it, you'll see. They'll be gossiping Johnson ditching his fifth girlfriend this year and wondering who'll win the Quidditch Cup and all that stuff."
He was trying to reassure himself, too. Still, I appreciated his effort.
"The fifth? You're actually keeping track of that," I asked amused. Everyone - including Johnson, I guess - knew that there was a betting pool pertaining to the amount of girlfriend's he go through each year - and who'd they be. James and Peter participated but Remus and I didn't. Each of us for his own reasons.
"Nah, but Peter keeps me updated." And I bet all my Chocolate Frog cards that he did so without being asked. I shook my head and snorted. That was Pipsqueak through and through.
I slumped down on the floor and leaned against Remus' bed. The owner of said bed joined me right after.
"Do you know what subjects you gonna take next year?" If the change in topics was abrupt, Remus didn't comment.
"Uh-uh, but Care of Magical Creatures sounds fun. You want to take Muggle Studies, don't you?"
I nodded. "Mhm. I was just thinking that I might want to consider Divination."
"Oh. How come?" Remus' brows were furrowed in confusion.
"I - yesterday, when we were in Dumbledore's office, I had the feeling as if I was a suspect. And look, it turned out to be true." I laughed humourlessly.
Indeed, it had. We weren't persecuted by the Magical Law Enforcement, however, but by our fellow pupils.
"They'll soon forget," Remus repeated his earlier statement.
"What if they don't," I queried. "What if the Aurors believe that crap? One of them, the younger one, was constantly staring at me, yesterday. Like, like he was trying to see if I had something to hide." I shuddered. I did have a few things to hide but nothing really that could send you to Azkaban. But what if they really-
"There's only one thing to do." Remus cut into my string of thoughts. I looked at him in askance.
His face showed determination.
"We find the killer ourselves." .
.
.
AN: I'm really sorry for the long wait and the shortness of the chapter. I won't bother you with lame excuses. Just, please, accept my sincerest apologies for this wait --- and the next one. I don't know when I'll be able to update again. Between the stress of studying for the finals (I'll be graduating this year) and the severe case of classical Writer's Block (I swear, everything I write a primary school kid could have done better), a fast update seems pretty unlikely. Again, I'm sorry. .
.
Answers to reviews:
+ Barbara Kennedy: Thank you.
+ Hrei-siesn: I think this chapter pretty much answered your question. Yeah, would have been a bit
unrealistic, wouldn't it. On the other hand, in the real HP books a lot of ppl seem to believe that
Harry might be capable of doing some things, so... anyway. I think I never asked - if I did, please
forgive my bad memory - but what does your pen name mean? It looks interesting.
By Virdian Magpie
Chapter Summary: "It's so stupid. I mean, there's a big difference between pranking and killing someone, isn't there?"
Disclaimer: Huh? Me? Own Harry Potter? You gotta be kidding me!
Chapter Ten: Lion's Courage
.
.
.
We stopped before an old Potions classroom which was only ever used once a week for voluntary Potions tutoring. Remus went there each Thursday evening.
The Auror opened the door and stared at me pointedly. I looked at McGonogall. She had not uttered a single word the whole time and didn't seem inclined to do so now; but her curt smile reassured me and heartened by this I decided to face my fate head on like a true Gryffindor.
I really had had nothing to fear. The interrogation went smoothly and while the second Auror continued to eye me disapprovingly and Moody - unlike the other the badly scarred one had told me his name - was a bit grumpy, the latter's professional (if unconventional) attitude soon put my mind at ease. With a small smirk he assured me that there was no reason to look so pale. I was not under arrest and would not be except I had a skeleton in my trunk (I quickly negated this and he said he hadn't thought so) and that my head of House had decided not to pursue our volition of the school rules aside from subtracting 20 points each.
This was rather mild considering it was old McGonogall we were talking about.
All in all, I was feeling fine. The questions were numerous but not mean. Moody wanted to know a lot of details. I answered each query truthfully (with the exception that I never once mentioned James' Cloak, which was still tucked away underneath my robes; it wasn't a vitally important fact, after all).
At about half past two then, I was free to go. Escorted by my Head of House I arrived in my dormitory, where James, Peter and Remus pretended to be asleep. I saw right through it (the lack of snoring was a dead give-away) and I think McGonogall did as well, but she didn't say anything and left quickly and quietly.
Her footsteps were still echoing through the silence of the Tower when my three companions came to life.
"You alright," Remus queried. My friend looked at me expectantly.
"Uh-huh," I replied.
"Good." Remus at once turned around to face James.
"Alright, what happened then?"
I gaped. That was all he had to say? Good? Okay, I could understand that Remus was curious. He probably didn't mean it and it was late at night and we were all tired. I shook my head. It was time I went to bed.
"Well," James spoke up in reply to Remus' question, "We were just sitting down when Pomfrey charged in..."
I tuned the rest of the narration out (I had been there, after all) and got ready to sleep.
There are some days when - almost immediately after you rise - you get the inexplicable feeling that you should better lie down once more. Unfortunately a sleep deprived mind tends not to become aware of bad omens or - if it does - will attribute it to the lack of sleep. After trying to comb my hair with James' teeth brush, running smack into the door frame of the bathroom, and stumbling over my backpack, it should have registered that this was not a good day. The feeling even nagged at me but - stubborn as I am - I ignored it.
"Did you hear-"
"Yes, I'm sure."
"They've always-"
"Who else?"
"- prank gone too -"
"- hated -"
I felt like screaming. I'd've done it, too, if it hadn't been for the fact that this would only have fuelled the rumours, so I just clenched my hands and kept my mouth shut.
I had done so since noon and by unspoken agreement the other had, as well. We would not acknowledge the whispers. Nor the stares. Absolutely not. We refused.
"First the toad-"
This was going too far. I suddenly didn't feel really hungry anymore. My fork clattered to the table and I quickly excused myself before I ate my words and jumped down that guy's throat. James nodded in reply but didn't say anything. Peter simply continued eating like nothing was bothering him. Wished I could do that.
As I exited the Great Hall Remus caught up. We walked in silence. Even though I was tense the quiet wasn't. In a way it was even soothing. I dared to take a quick peek. Remus' expression was neutral but I didn't think that he was as aloof about this as he might have wanted us to believe.
He wasn't above suspicion, either. Guilty by association or whatever. It worried me. If the scrutiny we were subjected to by almost all of Hogwarts continued, there was a chance someone might find out about 'it'.
"Fortitudo Leonis."
The current password to the tower was a joke. It was way too easy too figure out for everyone with a Latin dictionary. 'Lion's courage'. I wondered what The Fat Lady had been thinking. Maybe she had run out of ideas? A thousand years of making up passwords might result in that. But why didn't she simply use old ones again? It wasn't like anyone would know the password from April 1534 or something (well, maybe except the ghosts). And even if there was someone, the chance of them guessing correctly before somebody noticed them were slim. Slimmer than guessing the current password.
"Dinner already over, dears?"
"Fortitudo Leonis," I repeated. I wasn't in the mood for idle chit-chat.
"If you wish." Affronted, she swung aside. I couldn't care less.
The Common Room was empty. We didn't linger though for it would not remain so for long. We arrived in our dorm and Remus closed the door. Not a single word had been exchanged as of yet.
I was still tense and by now the silence had changed. It seemed oppressive and unbearable. I needed to say something. Shout, rage, scream, anything. I wanted to make it clear that I would not suffer this treatment by our classmates much longer.
My back was turned to Remus and I glared out of the window. I felt like a volcano, ready to erupt.
I swirled around, the words, the diatribe, already forming in my mouth, when I saw his expression. 'I know,' his eyes said and I deflated.
"It's so stupid," I whispered. He nodded.
"I mean, there's a big difference between pranking and killing someone, isn't there?" It was a rhetoric question but he answered, anyhow. To reassure me, I guess.
"There is. It's just Hogwart's rumour mill. In a few weeks nobody will remember it, you'll see. They'll be gossiping Johnson ditching his fifth girlfriend this year and wondering who'll win the Quidditch Cup and all that stuff."
He was trying to reassure himself, too. Still, I appreciated his effort.
"The fifth? You're actually keeping track of that," I asked amused. Everyone - including Johnson, I guess - knew that there was a betting pool pertaining to the amount of girlfriend's he go through each year - and who'd they be. James and Peter participated but Remus and I didn't. Each of us for his own reasons.
"Nah, but Peter keeps me updated." And I bet all my Chocolate Frog cards that he did so without being asked. I shook my head and snorted. That was Pipsqueak through and through.
I slumped down on the floor and leaned against Remus' bed. The owner of said bed joined me right after.
"Do you know what subjects you gonna take next year?" If the change in topics was abrupt, Remus didn't comment.
"Uh-uh, but Care of Magical Creatures sounds fun. You want to take Muggle Studies, don't you?"
I nodded. "Mhm. I was just thinking that I might want to consider Divination."
"Oh. How come?" Remus' brows were furrowed in confusion.
"I - yesterday, when we were in Dumbledore's office, I had the feeling as if I was a suspect. And look, it turned out to be true." I laughed humourlessly.
Indeed, it had. We weren't persecuted by the Magical Law Enforcement, however, but by our fellow pupils.
"They'll soon forget," Remus repeated his earlier statement.
"What if they don't," I queried. "What if the Aurors believe that crap? One of them, the younger one, was constantly staring at me, yesterday. Like, like he was trying to see if I had something to hide." I shuddered. I did have a few things to hide but nothing really that could send you to Azkaban. But what if they really-
"There's only one thing to do." Remus cut into my string of thoughts. I looked at him in askance.
His face showed determination.
"We find the killer ourselves." .
.
.
AN: I'm really sorry for the long wait and the shortness of the chapter. I won't bother you with lame excuses. Just, please, accept my sincerest apologies for this wait --- and the next one. I don't know when I'll be able to update again. Between the stress of studying for the finals (I'll be graduating this year) and the severe case of classical Writer's Block (I swear, everything I write a primary school kid could have done better), a fast update seems pretty unlikely. Again, I'm sorry. .
.
Answers to reviews:
+ Barbara Kennedy: Thank you.
+ Hrei-siesn: I think this chapter pretty much answered your question. Yeah, would have been a bit
unrealistic, wouldn't it. On the other hand, in the real HP books a lot of ppl seem to believe that
Harry might be capable of doing some things, so... anyway. I think I never asked - if I did, please
forgive my bad memory - but what does your pen name mean? It looks interesting.