Erised's Bane
Author's Note: Yeah, it's me again. Wow, I got a lot of reviews and good ones too! Thanks. I'll try and acknowledge you in a future author's note, but I don't have Internet access at the moment, so....yeah. Well, thanks for being nice and reading and reviewing and everything. You guys are terrific!
Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, would I be letting you people see this junk for free? Yeah write.
Chapter Seven: Quidditch Captain
Harry moved in a sort of daze down the hall, soft pains pulsating at the back of his skull as horrible images of what he had seen--what he had made the others see also--danced in his head. He was almost nauseous with the prickling feeling dancing up his spine, that fear intermingled with something more than fear--something much more primal and evil. It was something that he feared to face as he had feared nothing before...it was something that ate away at his emotions until he was left raw and unprotected.
It was hatred.
In the past he had hated Voldemort...but it had been a righteous hatred, one that he had felt no guilt in feeling because with the deaths of his mother and father, the deaths of so many, it was justifiable. What he was feeling was not. It was much more personal. It was a primitive anger that rose up not against the things that Voldemort had done, but against Voldemort himself. It was hatred for a man, for every breath that Voldemort had ever breathed, every step he had ever taken.
"Bellatrix Lestrange was right." He muttered as he slumped in the empty hall against an old statue, a cold feeling coming over him. Crucio...the memory of attempting an unforgivable was like another stone weight being bound to him. But other than the initial shock, he hadn't punished her...he hadn't had it within him at the time to torture her, because he hadn't wanted to cause her pain. The thing that Harry feared more than anything was his own understanding that he was coming very close to that line and was only inches from crossing it...it was an unstable wavering of indecision--did he or didn't he? Had he really come to the point where he wanted to cause pain...to take a life?
And what was worse, he knew he couldn't tell anybody about this. What would they say to him? Nobody could understand that his own hatred instilled a fear in him stronger than any fear he had ever known. At one time he might have said yes...but the truth had come to light in the cold dark of the dungeon only minutes before. Hermione had abandoned him.
She had left him feeble and helpless...something she had never before then. Harry didn't know why she had done it, he had tried to find her after class but she had already made her way to the next lesson, leaving him alone in an empty hall. He didn't have any lessons for the rest of the day, save Care of Magical Creatures later in the evening. At the moment, three free hours, which might have been a glorious relief for any other student, stretched out empty and gloomy in front of him. With a resigned sigh, he pulled himself from the wall and wandered towards the Gryffindor common room in search of Ron.
When he pulled open the door, though, it was to a sudden quiet. Though he couldn't hear it, there was the obvious whisper of chatter stopped an instant before. He looked around and saw everybody staring at him hesitantly. Quickly he stepped inside, pulling the door behind him, and quickly the conversation began again, though it was forced and cold. Harry sat beside Ron, who was absently staring into the fire.
"Hey Ron." Harry muttered, keeping his eyes on the scarred wood of the table.
"Oh, hey Harry." Ron replied, his voice strained. Suddenly he turned, his eyes shadowed. "Is it true? Dean and Seamus were talking about it. Did you really see....and then you...?"
"Yeah." Harry said reluctantly. "It was...scary. Very strange." He glanced over at the other boys in their class, who were whispering and throwing continual glances in Harry's direction. "I didn't mean to make them see it. It just sort of...happened."
"Was it really your mum and dad...and Sirius?" he said, his voice quieter.
Harry nodded. "Yeah. I don't know why. Near as I can tell, he's just trying to taunt me...you know, like showing me all the people he's killed, saying he'll do...more." His voice caught and he fell off, unable to say any more.
"Is Snape going to start the Occlumency?" Ron asked. "I mean, I know you'd rather not spend extra time with him, but if it's getting this Sirius...he could really mess you up, Harry. People have earned lifetimes in St. Mungo's for far less than having the most evil wizard of all time stuck in their head."
"Please." Harry said in a half-mocking tone. "I'm not Professor Quirrel."
Ron uttered a quiet laugh. "Yeah. Of course. But we're just worried, Harry. I mean, I don't know what's been going on but you haven't been yourself...last year you were plenty angry, but this year..." he trailed off with a frown, obviously at a loss for words.
"I'll be fine." Harry said in as calm a voice as he could muster. "Really. I just need some time to get these things...worked out."
"Hope so." Ron muttered, leaning back. "Because...well, I've already got five brothers...don't need another one, really...but that's practically what you are."
Harry laughed. "You going to kiss me or what?" he snorted.
Ron returned the grin. "No thanks. But that reminds me, somebody was looking for you earlier."
"Who?" Harry said absently.
"Lavender Brown." Harry stilled and turned, not sure that he liked the hint of laughter in Ron's voice.
"Lavender was...looking for me?" he said, slightly uncomfortable.
"She said she wanted help coming up with some 'extra-credit' jinxes for Defense against the Dark Arts." Ron snorted, quickly dodging a blow Harry aimed at his head. "Hey, watch it." Ron said, "I'm only the messenger."
"Don't even make jokes like that." Harry said uncomfortably. "I'm really not in the mood to deal with girls."
"That's good." Ron joked, leaning back. "Leaves more for me, eh?"
"Shut up." Harry snorted. "I think I'm going to nip down to the kitchens." He said after a moment. He wasn't really hungry, but activity was what he needed more than anything...something to keep his mind off of things. "Want to go?"
"Sure." Ron stood beside him and the two exited the Gryffindor, taking the way down to the hall filled with pictures of fruit pointed out to him by Hermione, at Fred and George's direction, two years before. When they reached the painting they tickled the pear, causing it to turn into a giant handle, and swung the door open. Harry jumped quickly out of the way when something flew in their direction, only just managing to avoid getting hit. Ron shouted and ducked, falling flat to the floor. They were in that position...Harry crouched down, Ron sprawled on his stomach, when one of the house-elves ran over and began apologizing loudly as three others cleared the missile, a pan full of a bubbling stew, from the hall.
"We is sorry!" squeaked the elf, standing practically on its toes to look Harry in the face. "We is not knowing who it is, Harry Potter sir! We are asking grave forgiveness." He repeated, bowing low.
"Why did you throw a pot of stew at my head?" panted Harry as he slowly got to his feet, readjusting his glasses.
The house-elf squeaked and bowed its head in shame. "I is thinking you is Hermoninny and her espy eew." He muttered. "And I is most sorry."
"Espy eew?" Ron said in confusion.
"Spew." Harry replied, rolling his eyes.
"Ohh..." Ron said automatically as it registered to him. Hermione had obviously been conducting her plans for the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare. The only opposition seemed to be coming from the house-elves themselves.
"Come in, come in good sirs." The house-elf said, bowing again and waving them inside. They entered and took a seat at one of the tables that at mealtime were laden with food before it was sent up to the hall. At the moment, seeing as lunch wasn't for a few hours and breakfast well over, there was slight lull, and the most active of the elves were only clearing up and preparing for further preparations.
After having a few sweets and leaving with a large bag of them for later the two boys emerged into the hall just as the bell rang. Ron sighed and shoved his sack of treats into Harry's hands. "Divination." He said in irritation. "Firenze is next semester...I'm stuck with Trelawney until then."
"Too bad." Harry said with a grin. "Tell me who she kills in my absence, all right?" he asked as Ron walked away, raising his hand in tribute.
________________________________________________________________________
"Now tha' we're in N.E.W.T. Care of Magical Creatures, I think it best yeh learn to deal with real creatures, not that rubbish you've used before." Hagrid said, patting the box at his side. "So I'm tellin' yeh, be careful. There 'ere critturs ain't summat yeh'd like to anger, I'll tell yeh tha'. So who's gonna be the firs' to have a peek?"
The class stared back at him in varying states of shock. Neville, who had been forced by his gram to take every class he was able, which had been everything save Transfiguration and Potions, paled and took a slow step backwards. Harry thought bemusedly how accurate it should be that Neville could now face a legion of grown Death Eaters, and still cringed to imagine the things that lurked in the shadowy regions of that crate. Of course, that might have been a mark of intelligence...it was Hagrid, after all.
"I'll look." Said Malfoy with an arrogant sneer. Harry rolled his eyes, wishing Malfoy had left the class. It was obvious why he was still there, though. He hadn't any other opportunity as great as this one to torture the Gryffindors, with Hagrid the half-giant there as well. Ron and Hermione shared amused looks with Hermione as Malfoy approached the box--besides Harry, they were the only ones who knew what lingered within the wooden enclosure.
Darting back a glance as if daring somebody to say something, Malfoy pulled off the lid. A confused sort of sneer came over his face and he leaned over, squinting. "There's nothing..." he stopped and screamed suddenly, falling back onto the ground. "GET WHATEVER THE HELL THIS IS OFF!" he screamed, swiping at the air around his shoulders. Practically the entire class...including Crabbe and Goyle...was laughing even though most were still shooting nervous glances at the box. Hagrid frowned.
"I's jest a snake, yeh know." He snorted, scratching his beard.
As he said that, the Black Serpent reappeared, curled around Malfoy's throat. It had obviously grown in size since Harry had seen it, and now appeared to be at least three feet long. 'Ugly, dirty filthy boy.' Harry heard it hissing. This was obviously a female. It blinked its eyes and crawled away from Malfoy, stopping to stare up at Harry. You... it hissed in a distinctly feminine voice. Harry was suddenly very anxiously aware of the eyes of every person in the class turning to look at him.
Harry Potter, it is an honor to meet you... she hissed. I am Farah, sssisster of Venguard. He hasss told uss you bring goodnesss... Harry stared at her for a moment before realizing that Hagrid was coughing and looked up.
"Uhm...perhaps yeh could translate fer us?" he said unsurely. Harry paused for a moment before nodding.
"Sure." He muttered. "She just said her name was Farah." He said, unwilling to reveal the second part of her message. He turned back to Farah.
Thank you for not thinking I'm like...him. He said, thinking with new anger about Voldemort.
We are only grateful that we are able to meet you, Harry Potter. She hissed. And we will protect you againssst those in this ssschool who would cause you harm. The boy there, he isss not sssafe. We despise his kind, Harry Potter. We ssshall not let you be harmed by him.
"So, what's she sayin' now?" Hagrid asked eagerly, making Harry jump.
"Oh...she was just saying how different it is being around all these people." Harry lied again.
"Hmm...interestin'." Hagrid muttered. He turned back to the class. "Now, these Black Serpents aren' like any other snake. As yeh saw, they can disappear, their venom has very unique qualities..." with that statement half of the class looked at the serpent in horror, "And their blood is used in a lot of potions. Now, carin' for em...well, these critturs I think prefer to eat rabbits..."
With a sly grin Harry leaned forward. What do you like to eat? He asked quickly. The snake blinked and an almost amused look glimmered into its eyes.
We all have our preferences, but I think most of us prefer young birds.
"Hagrid? Farah just told me that while she likes rabbits, she'd prefer young birds for her evening meal." Hagrid looked over, grinning through his bushy beard.
"Did she now?" he asked. "I'll be sure ter make a note of it." The rest of the lesson passed quickly, though Farah seemed to be most unresponsive to the Slytherins, which was quite the blow seeing as the serpent was their house mascot.
"Do you know why those snakes preferred Gryffindor?" Hermione asked as they walked away. "It seems most unnatural."
Harry, who was still uncomfortable with Hermione after her earlier abandonment, shrugged stiffly. "Don't know why. Probably because of me, right?"
Hermione stopped in her tracks and turned to Harry. "What aren't you telling us?" she demanded, crossing her arms over his chest. Ron froze and glanced over at them, clearly uncomfortable.
"Nothing, Hermione. There isn't anything to say." He said, pushing past her and towards the castle.
"Harry, I know when you aren't telling us something. Its happened enough times by know that we ought to be familiar with it. Harry! Stop!" She ran after him as he began walking away in the middle of her sentence. Ron stared after for a few minutes before following.
"She's right." Ron said as he caught up. "If there's something..."
"There's something, all right? But I don't want to tell you. Not yet. Believe me, you'd be better off not knowing." He sighed. "You wouldn't understand...I don't want to tell you until you would understand. I don't want you running away...again."
Hermione stared at Harry for a long moment. "Is it about that then?" she said in a small voice that was definitely not her own. Harry immediately wished he hadn't said anything, because tears immediately started streaming down her face. "Well, I'm sorry, but I was scared! What was I supposed to do, take it all in stride? That was the scariest thing I'd ever seen, Harry! I've never..."
"Well, I have." Harry said, his voice falling to a dull monotone. "Don't you understand? I was there for all of them. When my mom and dad were killed, when Cedric was killed...when Sirius..." he choked on the words.
"Oh, Harry." Hermione said softly. Without warning she threw her arms around his neck. "I'm so sorry." She sobbed. "I just didn't think, for once." Harry, clearly not expecting this, felt very uncomfortable, and tried to ignore the fact that Ron was shooting daggers at the two of them with his eyes, turning bright red from his ears to his neck. With a final sniffle, Hermione pulled away.
"What do you say we go inside?" Harry muttered, breaking the silence. Hermione nodded eagerly and began walking, letting Harry fall back so he could speak to Ron.
"That was interesting." Ron said, struggling to contain himself.
"I tell you, I'll go mad if she starts blubbering all the time like Cho did last year." Harry muttered. "What is it with girls and crying?" he said in exasperation, absently brushing a hand through his hair.
"Dunno." Ron sneered. "You'd be the expert."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry said in confusion, turning to look at Ron. His friend had just opened his mouth to speak when...
"Harry Potter, could you come with me please?" He turned to face McGonagall, who was looking at Hermione's tearstained face thoughtfully.
"Oh...sure." he said. "Bye." He forced himself to say to his friends, neither of whom seemed to be very receptive to him at the moment. He waved uneasily and followed the transfiguration professor down the hall to her office, where she stopped and ushered him inside. He sat down and folded his hands, unsure of what to expect.
"Harry, I have some good news for you." She said, leaning back in her own chair and staring at Harry across the table. "Due to your exceptional performance on the Gryffindor house team for five years, and your dedication to the team, I have decided to award you position of Captain for this year."
What? Harry stared blankly at her, he himself having forgotten that Angelina Johnson, the previous year's captain, had left the school already. But him? He was shocked to find he had never even considered it.
He instantly imagined himself flying through the air, effortlessly directing the team and giving them a speech before the game, practices where he was in control, and the last game of the year, the immense feeling of pride as the Quidditch Cup was hefted high and sparkling in the air...
And then, just as suddenly, the feeling faded as other images came to his mind...being kicked off the team the year before, falling through the air, forfeiting games because he hadn't been able to be there...
"No." he said firmly, making one of the most gut-wrenching decisions he had ever had to make.
"Excuse me?" McGonagall blinked, staring back at him.
"I said no, I can't be your captain, though I thank you for the opportunity." He stood and started making his way to the door.
"Harry, who else do you suggest for Quidditch Captain?" McGonagall said in exasperation. "I know you have a lot on you, but there isn't another person more qualified for the position. And I thought perhaps having something fun to do might help you relax..." she paused.
Harry thought for a long moment. She was right...there was nobody else on the team who had been on as long as he had. But might there be somebody more qualified? Not Ginny, certainly not one of the beaters...but the Keeper?
Could Ron be the Quidditch captain? Sure, he had only been on the team a year, but he had been around Quidditch his entire life.
"Ron." He said, making up his mind.
"Excuse me?" McGonagall looked at Harry. "I understand Mr. Weasley is your friend, but I don't think you should be giving this title to him because..."
"He'd make a much better captain than I would." Harry said firmly, now all for it. "He has more time to devote to it. He's a great player, now that he's finally gotten over whatever it was that was making him mess up. And he knows more about the other positions...I've only ever been seeker. He grew up around Quidditch, his brothers all knew Quidditch, and he knows things for all the different positions as well."
He could tell McGonagall was thinking. "And why not you?" she said.
"I don't strategize." He said, understanding for the first time that the answer had been in his head all along. "I tend to be rash, not to think beforehand. And that's cost me a lot more than just a Quidditch match." He said, choking on the last sentence. "I don't plan ahead."
"And how is that to sway me when Mr. Weasley has been involved in just as many scrapes as you? In all of them, I believe."
"He can strategize." Harry said simply. "There's nobody in Gryffindor who can even beat him at chess...you probably didn't know that."
McGonagall smiled. "I didn't. But chess isn't Quidditch."
"It's still strategy." Harry sighed. "And I think he would make a much better captain on the grounds of that alone."
"It's your decision." She said finally, nodding. She reached into her desk and pulled out a shining gold badge that Harry had seen before on Angelina and Oliver Wood. "You may keep it for yourself, or you may give it to Mr. Weasley. But whoever takes it, I expect the Gryffindor team to do an amazing job this year."
Harry left her office with the badge held tightly in his hand. But of course, as he had discovered in more than five years at Hogwarts, the more things are supposed to be secret the more people know about them. No less than five people congratulated him on his big achievement as he walked down the corridor, and when he entered the Great Hall and approached his friends, it was to find a large false smile plastered over Ron's face.
"Just heard the news." Ron said. "Good job, Harry. Knew you could do it."
An icy chill along his back made him turn. He found himself facing Snape, who had a hostile sneer on his own face. "As head of Slytherin house, I suppose congratulations are in order. I look forward to seeing our teams face one another." He scoffed.
"That's nice." Harry said. "But you're congratulating the wrong person." Turning, he pushed the badge into Ron's hand. "McGonagall wanted to speak to me, and she sent you this. Great job, Ron."
Ron stared at Harry for a long moment before looking down at the badge in his hand. "Bully." He whispered. "But I...Harry, you."
But before Ron could ask any questions, Harry stood, fully aware that Snape was still boring icy holes into his back, and called over the table to every Gryffindor, "Hey everybody! Three cheers for our new Quidditch Captain, Ronald Weasley!"
The moment he said it, a loud cheer broke out from every person at the table and Ron was immediately assailed by hands and arms thumping him cheerfully on the back. Harry sat amid all the furor and patiently waited until things were finally called to order and the evening meal began, with all the usual cheer that anybody could muster.
"I heard it was you." Ron said finally, with a wide smile.
"It was." He replied. "But after I told McGonagall about your incredible skill at Wizard's Chess and reminded her just how rash and spur of the moment I am, she was all for letting you take the job." He grinned.
"Well, I don't care." He grinned. "I'm the first Weasley to be a prefect and captain. Take that Bill! Take that Charlie! Shove it to ya', Old Perce!"
"Now all you need is Head Boy, and you'll be set." Harry grinned.
________________________________________________________________________
Harry was walking back to his room when Dumbledore called for him. He turned and found himself facing his headmaster, who wore a grave look on his face.
"Harry, come with me." He said austerely, motioning him to follow.
"What's happened?" he said nervously as he moved after him, finding it odd that they were making their way not to Dumbledore's office but to Snape's dungeon.
"You will see in a moment." Dumbledore sighed. "We cannot speak of it right now...the castle has many ears, Harry."
He followed along down the hall until the two of them had entered the room. Snape was standing there, his arms crossed and that ever-present sneer plastered firmly in place, while McGonagall was nearby. She nodded when Harry and Dumbledore entered. "We haven't much time." She said dispassionately, making a cold creeping go up Harry's spine. "The rest are expecting us."
He was about to ask what was happening when he felt a small jolt come from the medallion he had never ceased to stop wearing. He brought it up to his eyes in the dim light. The letters he had come so used to seeing were there for a moment, but suddenly with a great swirling they rearranged themselves into new words.
PLEASE BE AT HEADQUARTERS BY MIDNIGHT, No EXCEPTIONS
BY COMMAND of THE ORDER of THE PHOENIX
So this is it. Harry thought. He was going to his first official meeting of the Order...and by the looks of his fellow members, something bad had happened.
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Yay, cliffhanger! I have a strange fondness for these little devils, so please forgive me! Anyways, tell me what you think. I think this was an interesting chapter, so bear with the strangeness and stuff.
Well, please review. And E-Mail me, as well, I don't know anybody from school and it's boring just getting junk e-mail all of the time...jeesh.
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