Harry Potter and the Betrayal of the Phoenix
Chapter 13 - Worries and Wands
A/N: I'm trying this chapter out just to see if there is any of this story left in my mind. If there is, well, hot damn. I needed to see if anything is still there, and to "fix" a couple of things before Halloween. I've got oodles of more ideas for my other fic, Betrayed Used and Royally Pissed (unfortunately the acronym is BURP). I don't own any of this, and have no idea if I'll continue this after this chapter, or after the real 6th book comes out. Thanks to the reviewers, I'm still stunned at how many this story's received. And I restarted a Yahoo Group, for both this story and BURP...name of the group is LeTimboFanFiction. And to everyone that's assumed it's Harry/Blaise…you so sure about that? insert evil author grin here . Sorry for any grammatical problems, no more beta. And on we go…
Blaise hadn't seen nor heard from her parents in weeks, but it was widespread knowledge that the Zabinis had broken their neutrality and sided with Dumbledore. Having it plastered on both the front pages of the Daily Prophet and The Quibbler on the same day would generally do that. Many other neutral families decided that this was the motivation they needed to choose a side once and for all. Most, but not all, of the neutrals began to support Dumbledore, but there were rumors that other families, not as many mind you but too many to forget about, began to support Voldemort. Blaise told Harry that after it was made public, she gave Malfoy a good cursing, both verbal and magical, and was moved into a private room after she was hexed in her sleep. Harry never found out which hex, or who did it, but Blaise assured him that the person who did it was punished She told him in one of her study sessions that it was offered for her to change houses after the nighttime attack, but she refused. Harry asked her why, but she refused to give a full answer, and he eventually stopped asking, although he always wondered.
It is not often that there were many similarities between the Slytherin Dungeons and the Gryffindor Tower, but tensions were just as high in Gryffindor as Slytherin. The schism between Ron and Harry has begun to affect the entire tower. Hermione tried to play the go between the two, but it began to wear on her to the point of exhaustion, and it began to show in their classes, particular the DA. Seeing Hermione frazzled rattled Harry, and decided to have a chat with Hermione.
"Look, Hermione, you know I can't forgive or forget what Ron did to Blaise. It was uncalled for. Yes, this means the end of the Golden Trio for now, but I can still be friends with you without being friends with Ron."
"Look, Harry, I know that. I just want everything to go back how it was."
"That just can't happen Hermy."
"Because you and Ron are just so…bloody…stubborn!"
"Bloody Hermione? When'd you begin to expand your vocabulary…"
"Shush Harry."
"And as for being stubborn, I'm sorry if I take offense to a former friend trying to maim one of my new ones." Harry said with just a hint of anger in his voice.
"Look, I know, and the Zabinis have certainly showed the world that they are firmly on the side of the light, and now that they are in the light, Ron would never think…"
"They were on the 'side of the light'," Harry used air quotes for that phrase, "before Ron used one of the worst legal curses around."
"Look, I know, and I'm not saying it's right, but I can understand why…"
"Look, Hermione, I think we should probably stop talking before we get even deeper into an argument. What I wanted to tell you is that you've become completely frazzled over the past couple of weeks." Harry continued talking over Hermione's indignant scoff. "And I want to make it clear that we will be friends even if you and Ron are friends. I have a lot of good friends outside our house, and Ron, well, doesn't…"
"Harry, if you are going to suggest what I think you are about to suggest…" Hermione interrupted, but Harry continued to talk.
"And I think it would ease House tensions if you would stop trying to be the go between us all the time. You're his best friend, and he needs you to stop trying to constantly be 'buddy buddy' with someone he can't stand."
"So WHAT do you want me to Harry, stop being friends with you?"
"Of course not. Just…"
"Not in public? Are you ashamed to be seen in public with me?" Hermione said with barely contained anger, as her face began to turn red.
"Hermione! Stop taking this the wrong way. Sweet Merlin, would you think logically for just a minute!" Harry paused…and continued with a small smirk on his face. "Never thought I'd have to say that to you of all people…"
Hermione looked like she was about to start yelling again, but suddenly burst out laughing. "Ok, ok, I admit I was being just a little hard on you there. You do have a point. I just don't want to forget about our friendship. The moment you see me pulling away because of Ron, just…smack me or something."
Harry snorted. "Like I could if I tried."
It was Hermione's turn to smirk.
The DA moved much smoother after their conversation, even though it was still tense between Ron and Harry. Harry and Hermione began to lead the group in spells that weren't normally taught (therefore not normally taught how to counteract) that incapacitated an opponent.
"Ok class, the spell for today is Inanis. Anyone know what it does?" Neville timidly raised his hand. "Neville?"
"It causes the subject to faint dramatically."
"How'd you hear that?" shouted Seamus.
"I heard Lockhart used it on his cheering fans to make his events more…newsworthy"
All the females blushed as most of the guys burst out in laughter.
"Well, even though Lockhart used it, it's still a good spell. Make sure you get the pronunciation right, and the wand movement is a subtle twitch. Makes it easy to conceal. Enervate won't work to counteract this spell like it would normal stunning spells. The only way is tap your wand on the person's forehead and cast Enervinanis. Hermione will show you once how it's done. Hermione?"
"Ok Harry, you asked for it. Inanis!" Harry put the back of his hand to his forehead, gasped, and fainted dead away. He woke up seeing Hermione's laughing grin. "Harry forgot to mention what happens right before the actual fainting. It's a little different for everyone apparently, and depends on the situation you're in. If you're in an extremely hostile situation, you might shriek at the top of your lungs before fainting, for example. Pair off class and practice. And here's a hint, you will be tested on either how to cast this spell or the counter spell. Side A cast on the count of three."
Almost everyone seems to get the spell after a couple of tries. Only a few were assigned to keep practicing the spell for homework, as long as they had a willing partner. "And if I see anyone use this spell on someone outside this lesson without permission, it'll be a detention, as per class policy. We forgot to remind you last week and look what happened. We expected better." Hermione had to remind the class, after she caught Colin Creevy, of all people, using a DA spell on a fourth year Slytherin, who apparently tried to break Colin's camera.
Harry was off in his trunk, finishing up a Transfiguration essay, when Corning swooped onto his desk, landing right on top of his textbook.
"I guess I haven't spent that much time with you lately. Sorry Corning. Life got…difficult. Well, life is always difficult it seems, but more difficult than normal. I'm having this huge fight with Ron, and even my old friends seem a little more standoffish than before. Blaise is great and all, but after this mess with her parents and Malfoy and all I just feel responsible for ensuring her safety. Classes are ok, but work me so hard I hardly have the time to think."
Corning nuzzled Harry's hand, and sang to him, "I understand. Remember I am here not just to aide you in battle. I have been thinking, and realize you could use a gift from me." Corning started to preen her feathers, until a rather long feather fell onto Harry's desk. Without comment, she flew out of her trunk, presumable to her perch.
Harry sat looking at the feather. She left me a feather. That is great and all, but what should I use it for. Harry took the feather and stored it in the second compartment of his trunk, after putting on an even stronger locking charm than normal to protect it.
Harry had his Herbology practicum the next day, and was having to repot Speckled Fangtoothed Ferns using only his wand, when he thought about the feather waiting for him in his trunk. This wand can't work against Voldemort's. Maybe I need a new wand, and maybe Corning's feather would work as a core for the wand...I should owl Ollivander and see what he says. And I think I should keep this a secret between the two of us.
Harry mailed Ollivander that very night, inquiring about a custom made wand. The owl he got the next morning surprised him twofold, one, the speed in which it arrived and two, the contents.
"Dear Mr. Potter,
I understand your desire for a custom built wand, and understand your desire for discretion in the manner. In order to fully customize a wand, there are a few things which you must owl to me.
a) Core sample. I normally work with Phoenix Feathers, Dragon Heartstrings, and Unicorn hair, but as a special order I can build a wand with whatever cores you send me. You must make sure the cores are compatible with your magic. To do this, hold the core in your wand hand, and wave it. You should have some sort of positive feeling. You'll know what I mean when it happens.
b) Wood. In order to customize your wand, you also must send a block of the wood desired for the wand. This block needs to be at least 2 feet tall, and 6 inches wide. To see if the wood is compatible, touch the tree you wish to harvest the wood from. You will know if it's the right one for you.
c) Measurements. You need to send how long the wand should be. To do this, please use the enclosed measuring tape. Hold it in your wand hand and say "Activate." When the tape is done, send it back to me and it will show me how long the wand should be."
Harry set out to do this by the end of the day. Classes seemed to go slower than normal, and in many classes he was asked why he seemed so distracted. Finally, after his Transfiguration practical he raced to his trunk. He gently took Corning's donated feather, and waved it in his right hand. Well, it feels right, but sort of incomplete. He pondered that while he grabbed his invisibility cloak and his wand, and set out to the Forbidden Forest, the perfect place to find the wood for his wand. He spent over half an hour trying different trees, but got no feeling when touching some, and horrible feelings touching others. He was about to give up, when he spotted the all-too-familiar Whomping Willow. Maybe...I do have experiences with it after all. While the Willow was relatively calm, he ran to the trunk and pushed the knothole, calming the tree. When his hand touched the tree, a warm sensation immediately went up his arm. This was the tree. Unsure how to harvest the wood from a tree that would easily fight back, called for Corning.
"Corning, do you know how I could harvest a piece of wood from this tree?"
"Allow me to do it. I long ago established a rudimentary form of communication with the Willow," she sang. Then she flew up to the top of the Willow, sand a few notes, and when done brought a large piece of a branch, which was just large enough for Ollivander.
Hmm...Corning's feather felt incomplete, especially after feeling the Whomping Willow. I wonder...
Harry never thought he would visit the Chamber of Secrets again. It was well after curfew when he found himself going through Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom, and after a disgusting trip, causing Harry to mutter under his breath, "Well, some things never change," he finally reached the main part of the Chamber where he fought the Basilisk less than four years ago. The smell…the smell was worse than a Troll and caused Harry to gag repeatedly, but he saw what he was looking for. Harry walked up to the fallen snake, and using his wand levitated another fang out of the decaying skull of the beast. Having read up on Basilisks for his Animagi class, he knew that the poison was only on the inside of the tooth. If he was careful, he would be able to hold the tooth and test it's compatibility. He gently grabbed the tooth, and once again the incomplete but good feeling shot up his arm. Harry called for Corning and she swept him back to his trunk. When he finally grabbed the Basilisk fang along with Corning's feather, that same feeling he got from the Whomping Willow came back. He just hoped that Ollivander could make a wand with two different cores. He bundled up all the wand parts, after using the measuring tape and adding it to the package, he sent Corning to Ollivander with said package and a brief note explaining the dual cores. The next day he received his reply.
"Mr. Potter,
In all my years, I never thought I would be making a wand out of a basilisk fang! You must tell me one day how you got this magnificent specimen. I can make a wand out of two cores, it's just extremely rarely done. Last time was in 1927, I believe. The process should take a couple of weeks, and I will withdrawal any funds from your Gringotts account, as you requested. When the wand is done, I shall call for your beautiful phoenix to deliver it for me, as I know that would be much more secure than simply owling it. Best wishes."
Halloween time was approaching, and even though most of the students were anticipating the great Halloween feast, a notable few were dreading the holiday. Harry Potter was one of the few. It seemed every Halloween something terrible happened, and he hoped this year wouldn't live up to the trend, and he was anxiously awaiting his second wand. Blaise Zabini was another. She was concerned over the latest wave of murmuring that followed her when she walked across the Slytherin common room, a sure fire sign that someone was being planned, and odds are it's against her. Hermione Granger was another concerned; she was starting to get the feeling at Ronald Weasly was going to ask her out soon, and she wasn't sure how to let him down gently without completely destroying their friendship…the crush longed since passed. Draco Malfoy was nervous more than anything. He had to find a way out of the castle during the feast to finally receive the Dark Mark during the Dark Lord's initiation rituals, which were only conducted on Halloween. And Albus Dumbledore was concerned, because all signs were pointing to another traitor in their mist.
A/A/N: The wand stuff was a last minute plot bunny. Thoughts?