Daughter of Darkness777: Oh don't be so hard on Harry. I think if I were in his shoes, I might handle it worse than he does. But who knows, hardships only make you stronger. Oh and I hope Snape's not too OOC for you but I noticed that the Death Eaters can go quite OOC in JKR's books in the presence of Voldemort. I mean, even someone as arrogant as Lucius Malfoy can fall on his knees and kiss the hems of Voldemort's robes. I wouldn't expect anything different from Snape.
Babebunny: Thanks… well yeah he does seem like he's going mental isn't he? But not to worry, he's not. It'll all come to light soon.
Well, this chapter is kind of slow. No cliffhangers. No surprises. No gasps! And definitely very unlike my usual chapters. Well, hang in there coz this is necessary for the plot development. Next chapter should be exciting though.
Chapter 9: Revive the Army
"So you have something to tell me, Harry?" Dumbledore inquired, his voice gentle, his blue eyes kind, as he sat across Harry in his magnificent office.
"I've been having weird encounters," Harry confessed slowly.
"Yes?" Dumbledore prompted.
"I've been seeing things – people – that were supposed to be dead," Harry paused, looking at his Headmaster, who looked undaunted, "and people who claimed not to have seen me though I had, I thought I had, talked to them."
Dumbledore cleared his throat but did not say anything.
"And Ron says I've been changing," Harry continued, his words tumbling out of his mouth in a rush now, "he's been seeing me as Voldemort and as my father. And last night, Professor Snape called me his master."
Dumbledore's face was serious, as if he was thinking. "I see, Harry," he said finally, "anything else?"
"No," Harry said timidly, "Am I going crazy?"
"I don't think so Harry," Dumbledore said quietly, "but I must admit I am not very sure myself what this is about. I may need to get back to you when I have your answers, probably at a later date."
Harry nodded, swallowing hard.
"If there's nothing else, you may go back to your classes," Dumbledore said.
Harry nodded again and got to his feet shakily. With one last look at Dumbledore's unreadable expression, Harry left the large circular office.
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"Harry! I need to talk to you!" Hermione shouted over the throngs of students hurrying to their next class.
"I thought you have Ancient Runes?" Harry asked her when she caught up with him.
"No. I mean, yes," she panted, "but I'm not going."
Harry studied her closely. "Are you okay?" he said, grinning at her.
Her lips twitch but she fought down the smile by saying, "This is urgent. I've been trying to talk to you…"
"If this is about Janieve, then forget it," he cut in briskly.
"No, it's not about her. I mean, yes it is… Argh why don't you just listen to me first?" she said in frustration.
Harry smiled, amused.
"Okay," she said breathlessly, "that night, the night before you were attacked, Janieve went to the Forbidden Forest."
"I told you –"
"Listen to me first!" Hermione shriek in exasperation. "Listen, she went to meet the Killets that night."
"She what!"
Hermione shot Harry a stern look which reminded him of Mrs. Weasley and Harry shut up instantly.
"And, the Killets told her…" she continued, "that there's a spy here, in Hogwarts, working for Voldemort. And the spy is spying on you."
Harry gawked at her.
"And then, as she was leaving, someone knocked her cold from the back. When she woke up, she found herself in the Shrieking Shack, two days after she was hit. Hence, we suspect the Janieve you saw… was an imposter."
"She told you that?" Harry asked.
"Yes, and I believe her," Hermione said firmly.
"Listen to me Harry," she pleaded, "shouldn't we know by now if Janieve is good or bad? I can't believe you would actually accuse her of something again after what happened last year."
Harry sighed in defeat. "I know. It's not that I don't trust her. Honestly, if you want to know, I didn't think she had set me up for the attack. But I was just so angry at myself for feeling so worried about her when she was actually all safe and well. I guess I took that anger out on her."
Hermione smiled at Harry, proud of his honesty. "Now that you know that your in the wrong," she said, "you should know what to do."
"What?" Harry asked.
"Apologise to her, duh!"
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"That's all for today!" Harry called across the pitch to his flying Quidditch team.
"About bloody time, Harry!" Ron complained, "that was like what, four hours of non-stop flying?"
"Yeah, we're going to tire ourselves out even before the match starts," said Ginny, taking a swig out of the bottle Hermione gave them, "And I thought Angelina was bad!"
"Well, you'll be singing a different tune when you become captain next year," responded Harry.
Ginny made a face at him.
Harry looked round and spotted Janieve. As Harry was about to make his way over to her, Dean and Seamus started talking to her. Not wanting to apologise to her in front of anyone, especially not two guys he shared a dorm with, Harry paused in his steps.
"Harry?"
Harry blinked. He had been watching Janieve, waiting for her conversation with Dean and Seamus to end for so long that his eyes watered.
"What were you doing? You looked like you were in some sort of a daze," said Corianne from beside him.
"I'm fine," Harry replied, "How do you find our Quidditch practises so far?" he asked casually.
"I swear if I'd known what I was getting myself into," she said indignantly, "I wouldn't have joined the team."
Harry stared at her. "It's not that bad, is it?" Harry asked hesitantly.
"Of course not!" she answered, "I was just joking."
"Right," Harry said. He saw Ginny joined Seamus and Dean in the conversation as Janieve walked away. "Er, talk to you later," Harry said curtly to Corianne.
"Janieve!" he sprinted after her and patted her shoulder. She whirled around.
"Yes?" she asked, her brows furrowing.
"I talked to Hermione," Harry said, "I er, I…"
Janieve plucked her hands on either sides of her waist, the corners of her lips twitching. She was clearly enjoying this.
"I want to apologise for the things I said," Harry said earnestly, "I didn't really believe you would set me up. It's only because… you know…"
"No, I don't know," she said simply, the smirk evident on her face.
"Well, you're making this really hard," Harry said hotly.
"I think you deserved it," replied Janieve, the smirk gone, her jaw set.
"Look," Harry said heavily, "I'm really sorry. I messed up, okay? I said things I shouldn't have and I definitely agree that I deserve it, anything, any punishment. But I just want to tell you that there's no doubt that in my heart that I believe you. Not even when I said those awful things."
Janieve's face softened. "It's okay," she said quietly.
"Would you like to go to Hogsmeade this weekend with me?" Harry asked suddenly.
Janieve looked up at him disbelievingly. "Forgiving you does not mean that I'm ready to run back into your arms, Mr. Potter," she said angrily, "I can't believe you."
"That's not –"
"Why don't you ask Corianne instead!" Janieve said loudly before storming off, leaving Harry staring after her, shocked and confused.
Still seething with anger, Harry crossed back to the stands and retrieved his things. Everyone had left except Corianne. An idea struck Harry.
"Would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me?" Harry asked.
"What?" Corianne said loudly.
"It's okay if you don't want to," Harry said quickly, suddenly regretting his offer.
"No, no… of course not! I would love to go to Hogsmeade with you," Corianne said sweetly.
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"Oh come on, it's Honeydukes!" said Corianne, who was dragging Harry by his arm towards the candy shop at Hogsmeade.
"Look it's the Fizzing Whizzbee! And exploding bonbons! And…" she let out an excited squeak as she nearly skipped down the shelves of sweets. Harry thought he might have been watching a first year given a special treat at Hogsmeade. "Drooble Best Blowing Gum! I haven't had them in a really long time!"
"You've been here before?" Harry asked quizzically.
"No," replied Corianne, eyeing a box of Toothflossing Stringmints, "but I've had the gums somewhere else."
"I see," Harry said stupidly. He had not really thought that there existed any Wizarding world outside of Hogsmeade. Well, apparently he still has a lot to learn about despite seven years of contact with the magical world.
"Come on," Corianne said in her giddy girlish voice again, "pick something. I'll buy."
Half an hour later, with their pockets significantly heavier, Corianne and Harry left the premise of Honeydukes and headed for the Three Broomstick. Inside, every seat appeared to be taken and the pair was lucky to find two empty ones by the counter.
They ordered from Madam Rosmerta two butterbeer and sat down on the tall stools, glad to finally rest their feet.
"Say Harry," started Corianne, "I've heard a lot about you."
"You did?" Harry asked, not surprised at her revelation. After all, not everyone was known as the boy who lived.
"Yeah, but one thing puzzles me…"
Harry kept quiet. He was getting uncomfortable at the direction this conversation had taken.
"Why did Voldemort want to kill you as a baby?" she asked, her eyes studying Harry curiously.
Harry stared giddily at the froth forming on the surface of his butterbeer. Taken aback by Corianne's bluntness, he did not know how to react. Should he yell at her for being a nosy prat and walked out of the place? Because he did not really want to tell her - they barely knew each other. But precisely so, and plus the fact that Harry had always had a good impression of her, he did not want to be rude.
"What is it to you?" Harry asked sharply.
"Well," Corianne began, looking chastised and embarrassed, "sorry I asked. I was only… Well I was being a nosy git. Sorry."
And she truly looked like she was sorry.
"Never mind," Harry said gruffly. They sat in awkward silence for a long time. Harry took a big slurp of his butterbeer, mentally willing the awkwardness away. Maybe he shouldn't have lost his temper. No, Harry corrected himself, it's all Jan's fault. If it wasn't for her, he wouldn't even have asked Corianne out of spite. It was always easier to blame someone other than oneself.
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Ron and Harry were having a friendly wizards duel while Hermione sat in the corner of the room of requirement, reading a book called 'Advanced Defence Spells and Shield Charms Against Unfriendly Attacks'.
"Hey Harry…"
The door opened and in came Dean and Seamus. The boys started to engage in a four men duel until the room slowly fill up with nearly half the school's population.
"I think we need to leave the place and change to a bigger room," Harry suggested. But the wonder of the room, it grew bigger to accommodate the enormous crowd upon the words leaving Harry's lips.
"Now, that everyone's here," Harry yelled over the buzzing chatter, and the chatter immediately died down, and Harry continued in a softer tone, "Er, I'm glad you all came. With you-know-who out there, er," he wasn't really good at prep talks, "well, let's begin shall we?"
Nervous laughter rang through the room.
"I think I would like you to work in groups of fours and fives. Try disarming each other randomly. It's a good way to test your er, reflexes," said Harry.
The room occupants split into clutters of fives and "Expelliarmus!" could be heard deafeningly throughout the room. Wands flew in many directions and people knocked over one another in their eagerness to retrieved their wands. It was a total mayhem.
"Hey!" Harry shouted.
"HEY!" he bellowed.
He clapped his hands and screamed at the top of his lungs, "HEYYYYYYYYYYY!"
One after the other, people began to stop the disarray disarming activities and reverted their attention to Harry.
"I can't do this," he said, "I think I need to split you up into different meetings. I'm not going to be able to teach anything in such a chaotic manner. I'm sorry. That's all for today. We'll give further notice about the subsequent meetings."
There were groans of disappointment but seeing that Harry wasn't going to let them carry on the lesson, they left the room, leaving Harry feeling extremely small in the expanded room with only Ron and Hermione.
"Hermione," Harry told her when the last person finally cleared out, "I need you to group the DA's and draw a schedule for the different groups. Can you?"
"Yes, sir," Hermione intoned playfully.
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Note: I don't know when the next chapter will be out but it shouldn't take longer than a week. I've already written half of it.