Erised's Bane
Author's Note: And yet again, here I am to say bonjour! (Tee-hee). I apologize as always for making you poor people wait while I practice with the band in the sweltering heat. But for once I really have something important to say, so hear me out okay?
I know you all have your preferences with different character pairings, and I respect that. However, your constant nagging :) is getting me quite flustered and I don't really know what to do with the story romantically anymore.
Believe me, I do realize that it might be odd pairing the new Ginny with Neville, but you must remember Neville himself has gone through a little bit of a renaissance and besides, these two together guarantee me an open spot for the plot that I now have in mind. For all you hard-core Harry and Ginny lovers, I do apologize, and even though this story was starting that way I do not feel it is in the best interests of the story to head in that direction at this moment. But if you want to hold out some hope that's okay.
As for Harry and Hermione, I'm really not sure what their future entails. But I am not going to tell you whether or not it's going to happen with them in this story. I'm really sorry if this story isn't going along with your favorite ship, but believe me, I'm doing the best I can to write a really good story that you will all enjoy and hopefully walk away from feeling as if you've already read the sixth book.
Disclaimer: Dude, where's my credentials? I don't have them! Know why? Because I do NOT own Harry Potter, har har har.
Chapter Fourteen: Romeo and...Susan Bones?
"Neville? And...Ginny?"
Harry nodded in the face of his astonished friends. "Yeah. Neville showed up at my door, looking like he was about to pass out. Then he told me she asked him out."
"That's so sweet!" Hermione cooed.
"That's revolting." Ron said sickly.
"Ron!" Hermione turned to Ron and scowled. "How can you say such a thing? Don't you see how good those two could be for one another? Ginny needs somebody who won't be arguing with her and causing her mayhem and Neville needs...well, he plainly needs somebody who..." Hermione started blushing. "Well, he needs somebody."
"I'm really not surprised." Harry said, causing Hermione to look at him proudly and Ron to look as if he wanted to smack Harry. "Listen, we were all pulled closer together by what happened last year at the ministry. I think it's only natural that Ginny would want to spend some time with somebody who went through the same things as her."
"Yeah, but she isn't exactly going around snogging you, eh Harry?" Ron sneered. "And here's Hermione here looking perfectly capable of not snogging us crazy."
"The way you're acting it isn't hard to see why." Hermione snorted. Harry grinned and Ron turned bright red, opening his mouth to say something, the words choked out in a gasp of surprise when something appeared at his right ankle with a loud puff.
"I wish these things would stop doing that." He said warily, staring down at the Black Serpent. The three friends were currently in Care of Magical Creatures, which explained why they had been given the freedom to talk as they pleased. For the first time in a while, the Slytherins found they had nothing to say to Harry in passing, as the article that had been released in all the recent papers about the press conference had painted pleasing portraits of the boy-who-lived. Those accounts that reminded the reader of what had been said earlier in the year did so only in brief, and only as an apology of sorts.
Hagrid was involved with the brush pile that the Black Serpents habitually hid in. He seemed to be contemplating a large pitcher of chicken gizzards and how best to feed them to the creatures. "Here, let's get this guy back to his group." Harry said, sighing. Although the Serpents were uncommonly shy creatures, they seemed to have found it to be a profitable habit to turn up wherever Harry was, sometimes commenting on mundane topics or, in the case of the younger, more curious snakes, assuring themselves that Harry was who he said he was.
He had still told nobody of the true identity of the snakes. He supposed Hagrid might possibly know, though somehow he doubted it. If anybody knew, it would probably be Dumbledore. The fact didn't bother him as it had at first, however. He could tell that the snakes were genuinely afraid of their mother, as well as Voldemort, and he had found himself feeling sorry for the young brood, even making sure that they were all rounded up and protected at the end of class.
He leaned over and picked up the snake, letting it wrap itself around his wrist. Hello, Sssir Harry Potter. It said softly.
Hi. He hissed back, replacing it back on top of the pile where it burrowed itself deep inside. "Hello, Hagrid." He said. Hagrid looked up and blinked for a moment, as if trying to decide why Harry was there. He then grinned, shaking his bushy head.
"Harry, good ter see yeh. Ain't getting' much done in class today, I know, but I'm tryin' to decide how ter feed these things. They ain't eatin' in my sight."
"Don't worry." Harry said automatically. "They eat, only they do it when none of us are around. They...like their privacy." Hagrid looked down at Harry and chuckled.
"I almos' forget about yer talent sometimes." He said. "So that's it, is it?" he laughed. "Well, I guess I'll sprinkle these out a bit. Your class is almos' over anyway. What's next?"
"Transfiguration." Harry said.
Hagrid laughed as the bell wrung and the Slytherins began rushing out of the Forbidden Forest. "Oh yeah, I almos' forgot." He chuckled. "Good luck."
"Good luck? What..."
"Harry! Come on, we'll be late." Harry turned to see Hermione waving for him. He nodded at Hagrid and took off after Ron and Hermione, joining them as they jostled through the crowded hall.
They finally arrived at the Transfiguration classroom and emerged from the crowd. They took their usual seats and waited as the room slowly filled. When Neville entered Hermione gave him a cheerful smile, then jabbed Ron in the ribs when all he managed was a scowl. "Don't be like that!" she hissed. Ron didn't reply but to deepen the scowl.
The place was filled with faint chatter that immediately died when McGonagall entered the room. She smiled at them, something she rarely did. It was something that caused Harry's stomach to clench in anticipation...perhaps she was only nice in the event that a lesson was life-threatening.
"Hello, class." She said. "I hope you are all in good form today, because we are having a rather unorthodox lesson...to say the least." She smiled...gloom and distress began setting over everybody except for Hermione. "Now...you are all at least sixteen years of age, correct?" she asked. Everybody nodded. "Well then..." she said. "You do know what comes on your seventeenth birthday, don't you?"
"You get to use magic in the summer!" somebody said, the evil grin on their face making it apparent that they were most probably going to pull a 'Weasley'.
"Well, that." McGonagall said. "And something else."
"Apparition!" Hermione said, her face suddenly white.
"Yes." McGonagall said. "Apparition. It has been a habit of this school to teach those students willing to learn the basics of apparition so that they are able to pass the test when they apply for their apparition license. Of course, you all know that nobody can apparate or disapparate on Hogwarts grounds..." at this Hermione gave her friends a knowing smile, "So lessons will be conducted in Hogsmeade."
"Where at?" interrupted Lavender.
McGonagall, clearly irritated at being interrupted, turned to Lavender and scowled without really scowling. "I was just getting to that." She said, turning back to the class. "The lessons will be held at 1313 Merlin's Court. If you will come up here and sign the list for the lessons, I will get a letter out to your parents as soon as possible and receive their permission."
At this Harry felt the brief bubble of joy that had arisen within him burst. It was the same feeling he had had as a third year when he had realized he would be unable to go on Hogsmeade trips. And this time he had no godfather to sign the forms for him. Nevertheless, he stood with the rest of them and got in line. His heart jumped as he approached the desk and when he reached it, he looked at McGonagall as if she were a griffin guarding the entryway to paradise.
"I don't really think...well, my aunt and uncle might not understand about apparition." Harry said, unable to meet her eyes as he scrawled his signature across the form. "Do you think you could do...something?" he asked.
McGonagall looked at him a moment before sighing. "Meet me after class, Harry." She said softly, so that only he could hear her. "We need to talk." He nodded and went back to his seat.
Needless to say, the lesson that passed was one of the longest he had ever had to endure, and the relentless drilling of Apparition laws, regulations, and the bad things that could happen if one wasn't properly explained (splinching being one of them). By the time the end came, his nerves were on end. He waited until the room was empty, waving Ron and Hermione on without him, before going to McGonagall's desk and, biting his lip, waited for her reply.
"Now...you understand that without a proper guardian's permission you are not allowed under any circumstances to participate in possibly dangerous activities?"
"Yes." Harry said miserably. "But I had a proper guardian." He added without thinking, before realizing how selfish he must have sounded and turning pink.
"No need to feel that way, Harry." McGonagall said quietly. She shook her head and stood suddenly, going over to firmly close the door before returning to her seat. "Sirius was one of the finest people I have ever known and I realize what a loss it is for you." She said, taking a deep breath. "I taught him, as I did your father and mother and the rest of their little group. And knowing what a loss it is to you, I have made up my mind to break one of my cardinal rules and allow you to participate in these lessons without your...guardian's...permission."
"R-really?" Harry stammered. "You will?"
"It is not for this only, you understand." She said. "Apparition is a key tool for any young person who wants to go into the profession that you do. And for you as well, for any reason, I think the lessons would be best. If you were to confront You-Know-Who yet again, such a skill as apparition learned properly would definitely be in your best interests." She sighed. "But Harry, I don't want you abusing this privilege. I want you to work hard and though it is a lot of pressure, I would be displeased if you were not a top student in these lessons. You are to study hard and to make sure that you do not make some of the mistakes that I have seen you make so often before."
"Yes, Professor." Harry said, nodding. "You have my word."
McGonagall looked at him for a moment before smiling softly. "And that, Harry, is good enough for me.
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Harry cleaned up the books he had setting on the back of a nearby table and tucked the imitation wand he had irritably continued using (and thankfully had shown no problems other than singing anything he used Wingardium Leviosa on) into the pocket of his robes. The room was slow to empty, as people were fond of chatting after the DA. At the moment the big topic of conversation was the upcoming Hogsmeade weekend. He suppressed a smile when he saw Neville nervously approach Ginny, perhaps making plans for their big event. If it somewhat reminded him of his own earlier encounter with Cho, he suppressed the thought. He didn't miss Cho, certainly...it didn't bother him much at all that whatever he had had with her was over. But she had been his first real girlfriend, in a sense, though they hadn't even lasted through the first date.
He was still immersed in these thoughts when he turned all of a sudden and saw Susan Bones standing there, smiling nervously. "Hi, Harry." She said.
"Oh...hi, Susan." He replied. She bit her lip for a moment before sighing.
"The DA seems to be going really well." She said. "Not quite as good as last year, unfortunately."
"Well, there weren't as many people last year." He said. "And definitely no Slytherins."
Susan nodded in understanding. "It's still going pretty well, though. I've been telling my Aunt Amelia about it. She thinks it's an incredible idea. And she was surprised to hear that I have a Patronus that's almost corporeal." She grinned and Harry returned the expression, understanding fully what she meant.
"Madam Bones seemed like a good sort." Harry agreed. He caught Susan's eye and the both of them shared an amused expression. "You're right." He said after a moment. "She's a bit...erm...intimidating."
"You said it. Not me." Susan teased.
"Well, at least she didn't think I was a lying, attention-seeking chit. You know, like the rest of them did."
"My Auntie is really pretty understanding when it comes to certain things. And she's always been on Dumbledore's side, believing that it was highly possible and probable that You-Know-Who would return. Of course, nobody wanted it to happen...but it's better than risking peoples lives to admit that it might have happened."
Harry nodded, glad that Susan had been able to find the words to the thoughts that had continually run through his mind so often the past year. Susan started to turn away before he called after her. "Susan?" She turned back. "How come we've never talked before recently?" he asked.
"Because you've always stuck close to Ron and Hermione and nobody else. For the most famous person at Hogwarts, you're pretty shy." She smiled at him and he felt the blood rush to his cheeks.
"Well, I'm glad we've talked now." He said.
"So am I." She replied. "We should talk more often."
"We should." Harry said, and suddenly a thought he had never entertained before popped into his head. Susan was a pretty girl, if not ravishing. She had a sweet round face and bright blue eyes, and brown curls fell to her shoulders. He opened his mouth to speak but stopped, unable to say what he wanted. Susan frowned.
"Did you want to say something?" she asked.
"I...well...I wanted to..."
"You wanted to what?" she asked, suddenly blushing as brightly as he was. Aware of how awkward the two of them must look, and wanting to get the 'hard' part over with, Harry took a deep breath.
"Hogsmeade." He said, rather pathetically.
"Excuse me?" Susan said, biting her lip.
"You and me. Do you want to go on the next weekend?"
"Well..." Susan swallowed, "Ernie Macmillan asked me the other day..."
"Oh." Harry said dejectedly.
"But I didn't say definitely if I would go or not." She finished. "I guess...I mean, if you really want to go with me...I guess I could tell him I have other plans."
"Really?" Harry blinked.
"Yeah. All right. See you later." Susan smiled and walked away, leaving Harry feeling as if he had once more stared the Sphinx directly in the face and solved her immense riddle.
He walked out of the DA room grinning and made his way to the Gryffindor common room, where he sat down next to Ron on the sofa. It wasn't until he caught the odd look his friend was giving him that he knocked the goofy expression from his face.
"What's gotten into you?" Ron said. "Something happen back in Young's room?" he leaned closer. "Did you hear what Neville and Ginny said?"
"I didn't. But I just talked to Susan Bones." He said.
"What?" Ron asked. "You mean the pudgy Hufflepuff girl?"
Harry suddenly started coughing, realizing the implication of what his friend had just said.
"What did I say?" Ron said, frowning.
"Pudgy?" Harry said. "You think Susan is...pudgy?"
"Well, only a little. What does it matter to you? I mean, you're not going out with her or anything. I heard she and Ernie Macmillan are an item."
Harry had just opened his mouth, but no words came out. He was still in that state when Hermione came into the common room and, spotting the two, came over. She sat in the chair nearby and looked over at the boys, raising a brow when she saw Harry's situation. "What's wrong with him?" she asked.
"He went a little...off...when I said Susan Bones was pudgy." Ron said.
Hermione's eyes widened and she shook her head. "Ron, I start thinking you've started figuring things out when all of a sudden you turn back into just another...boy. Can't you see that Susan and Harry have been making eyes at one another for a while now?"
Her words brought Harry back to life. He started sputtering and turned to her. "We haven't!" he said.
"Of course not." She clucked, rolling her eyes. "But anyway, I noticed it and so did Lavender, which explains why she's been telling nasty rumors about Susan for the past couple of weeks. And why everybody thinks that Susan and Ernie are all but engaged when they only ever talked about a weekend together...plans I heard Susan just canceled, by the way." Hermione grinned. "I never thought you had it in you Harry."
"What?" Ron said. "You mean you're going to go out with Susan Bones?"
"A bit slow isn't he?" Hermione jibed nastily. Ron turned bright red.
"Don't start." Ron said. "We'd better get along. Our 'peace-maker' has other plans and I don't think it would sit well on my record to murder one of my best friends on a Hogsmeade trip."
"Well..." Hermione suddenly bit her lip. "Actually..."
"Don't tell me." Ron said. "You've got a date too."
"Who?" Harry asked, seeing by the little jolt on Hermione's face that Ron's statement was true.
"Dean." She murmured under her breath.
"Ginny's old boyfriend?" Ron said, almost falling out of his seat. "And what does she think?"
"She...she doesn't have a problem with it."
"What the heck is going on here?" Ron said, putting a hand on his forehead and leaning back on the couch. "Hogwarts has gone mad. Next thing you know, Snape's going to be putting the moves on Young."
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Ron reclined in one of the chairs by Harry's fire, looking dark-faced and moody. "I can't believe it." he was muttering over and over. "I really can't believe it. It's impossible."
"Get a grip Ron." Harry said. "So Hermione's dating. What does it matter to you?"
"It's not Hermione dating." Ron said irritably. "It's the fact that I'm not. I mean, is there something really wrong with me? I'm a prefect! I'm quidditch captain! The girls should be lining up to go out with me! So where are they? Where's the welcoming committee of lucious blondes and brunettes..."
Harry snorted and Ron grinned weakly, realizing how arrogant he sounded. "Well, all right, maybe that would be a bit much. But I'm starting to get a bit annoyed, is all. You've got Lavender slobbering all over you and who do I get? Loony. Loony Luna Lovegood."
"Then maybe you should ask her out." Harry said, dodging the book Ron tossed at his head a second later.
"Are you kidding? Ask that girl out? She'd probably get all misty and suggest we go out searching for the Transylvanian Horned Mogrog or something for our first date."
Harry began laughing at the disgusted look on Ron's face. "What about Cho?" he said. "The latest trend seems to be going out with friend's ex-partners."
"No thank you." Ron said, rolling his eyes. "The Harry Potter legacy need stay as far from me as possible. Let it be to Madam Chang's honor to tell her grandbabies that she was the boy-who-lived's first snog."
"She didn't know that." Harry said, suddenly blushing.
"She probably guessed it." Ron said nastily. It was now Ron's turn to dodge the same book that he had lobbed at Harry. He caught it and turned it over, frowning slightly. "Elementary Apparition?"
"I've been looking at it for a while now." Harry said. "I already read it, but I figure once more won't hurt since we're about to start lessons."
Ron shrugged. "Whatever you say. I'm just glad that we'll be starting soon. They say it's one of the hardest things to learn, though."
"I know." Harry said. "I've only done it once before, and that was purely by accident."
Ron turned up suddenly to stare at Harry. "What do you mean you've done it before?" he asked.
Harry suddenly turned red. "Well...it was when I was ten. Dudley and his friends were playing yet another game of 'Capture-The-Harry' and they cornered me in a back alley of the school. Then out of the blue, I found myself on the roof of the school. I got in trouble for climbing drainpipes. That was all before I found out what I was."
"That...wow." Ron said. "Harry, nobody can apparate when they're that young, If your parents had been around and you had done that you probably would have been seen as some sort of magical prodigy."
"I'm already seen as a magical prodigy." Harry said sarcastically.
"Oh yeah." Ron snorted.
"Well, I just want to be able to apparate. If I'm going to fight dark wizards, I better know how to do that."
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*shortest author's note ever*