Erised's Bane

Author's Note: All right! I'm finally back in the writing mood! Perhaps it's because I finally got to reading the fifth Harry Potter book again. Here, I have an admission to make...I've only read the last book once. And the thing is, it's isn't because I didn't want to or because I never had the time. I'm a fast reader. No, the thing is...after reading it that first time, I knew how it ended. So other than that twelve-hour marathon first time I got the book and various references back for my story here, I haven't cracked that baby open since. And I keep getting close to tears every time Sirius is mentioned...so there. I'm a huge baby.

But anyway, since I had to stay home sick today I figured what the heck, sucked it up and now I am suddenly assaulted by millions of ideas for this story. So be prepared, oh faithful readers! Megx is back...and better than ever!!! :D

Disclaimer: It may take me as long as her to get my stuff out, but no I am not J.K. Rowling and no, I do not own Harry Potter. Lucky me *grumbles*.

Apparition Education

Harry sneezed, making Ron and Hermione slide him sly grins. He winced, wanting to bury his head in his arms. And it was quite obvious to everybody sitting around what was going on. After all, Harry Potter was the only Gryffindor who seemed to have yet come down with a sudden cold.

And it was also painfully obvious that the whole of Hufflepuff had been stricken with the same ailment. "So, been doing some preparatory snogging for Halloween celebrations?" asked Ron with a smirk.

"Shut up." Harry said, facing the table. Leaning up, he caught Hermione's eye and turned even redder.

"Oh forget it Ron." Hermione smiled. "Harry isn't the type to kiss and tell."

"He did last year with Cho." Ron snorted, leaning forward in a whispered aside to his friends.

"Git." Harry sneered.

"Come off it, he was excited." Hermione said serenely.

The three friends sat there chatting as if nothing was going on, when the truth was their amusing conversation was distracting them from a matter of much more concern...their apparition lessons were starting that evening. Words like splinching kept coming to his mind, and in truth it was the same with every sixth year who had gotten their permission for lessons.

Just the other day in class Professor Young had made the mistake of showing them a dueling technique called 'stinching' and at the unmistakable rhyme half the class had cringed involuntarily before realizing it was a completely different word the professor had used.

To be on the safe side, Hermione had momentarily let up on her no copying ban, allowing Ron and Harry to write down some of the notes she had taken out of various books on Apparition, provided the boys agree to actually study them. To be on the safe side, the boys had agreed to her conditions.

And to everybody's utter surprise was just who would and would not be attending classes. For example, Harry had been struck when Neville had casually mentioned his gram allowing him to take the lessons as they sat their at Gryffindor table, and only a few minutes later was equally shocked to hear Draco Malfoy say that he wouldn't be taking the lessons. After all, the ferret had smirked, his father had taught him all that he had to know long ago (which everybody knew was illegal, but seeing as everybody also knew his father was an escaped convict they didn't say much). And besides that, Harry had remarked in a not-so-casual tone to his friends, the Malfoys sure didn't want Draco actually registered as an apparating wizard.

"I suppose we should be going then." Hermione said with a small gulp. Harry noticed dimly that she had barely eaten any breakfast.

"I guess." He replied as he stood. He glanced over at Susan just as she looked up. At the silent message she stood, casting her friends a brief excuse as she made her way to Harry. He blushed as he saw the girls' knowing smirks and, digging himself into an even deeper grave, chose precisely that moment to sneeze. To make matters worse, Susan seemed to have developed an unseemly connection to Harry and sneezed at precisely that moment also.

"I've got to see Madam Pomfrey about this blasted cold." He muttered as Ron hooted. Susan smiled at him politely for a moment.

"Good morning, Harry. Ready for lessons?" she asked.

"I guess." He said, attempting to mask his own anxiety from her. "I mean...it shouldn't be too hard. I've done it before."

Susan blinked. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well..." Harry suddenly blushed, somewhat embarrassed and yet also pleased that she was so interested in his youthful feat. "When I was much younger I was...well, I was being...chased...sort of..."

Hermione rolled his eyes. "Undoubtedly, Harry hasn't told you about his porky cousin Dudley, which he should have, but the pig and his pack of swine were chasing Harry, which I'm sure he would have gotten around to telling you if he weren't stuttering."

"Thank you very much Hermione." Harry said, turning pink. "But yes, that's true, and when they had me cornered I sort of...appeared...on top of the school."

"Wow..." Susan appeared stunned. "First...first the Patronus and now this? I'm beginning to think there's something about you we don't know about."

Harry had a fit of coughing at that point that made Susan frown and Ron and Hermione exchange scared looks. He stood, shaking his head. "I'm...I'm fine." He said. "Let's go, shall we?"

Hermione retrieved Dean and the group of them headed down to Hogsmeade, checking out with Argus Filch as they went, listening to his derisive comments as they exited. "You know how to get there, Hermione?" Ron asked as they walked.

"No idea." She said brightly. "I haven't been that way before. You Susan?"

She nodded. "My Auntie Amelia had a cabin she used there...that was back when she used to travel a bit for the Ministry, before they put her in charge of the Disciplinary Board. Anyhow, she sold it, but I remember coming here with her sometimes. Course, if we still lived here I'd probably be expected for tea on Hogsmeade weekends." At this she rolled her eyes for the benefit of the others.

But it also made Harry wonder...he didn't know much about Susan's family except for what he heard in brief snitches of conversation here and there. Had she just implied that she lived with Amelia Bones, the one who had been at his meeting the year before? The thought of it made him shake his head slightly. He reminded himself to ask her sometime.

But he had no time to think about it. Small groups of sixth years were making their way down the paved streets of Hogsmeade to the designated place, and by the old witches and wizards sticking their heads out their windows and muttering softly to themselves, he got the sudden feeling that this portion of the year...apparition lessons and such...was most likely dreaded by the local residents of Hogsmeade. Remembering the loud cracks that went with Apparating, he didn't blame them.

They stopped in front of a large door bearing the Hogwarts emblem. Hermione shook her head, seeming slightly unsure of herself. Like that doesn't make me want to run away. He shook his head in disbelief.

The door swung open. They entered and backed off to one side of the cabin. Harry blushed as most of the population inside nodded at him almost as if he were the teacher--these were the members of the DA.

After long whispers and much chatter, the door suddenly closed. Everybody quieted and looked around in wonder for the culprit, but seeing that nobody was near the door shuffled away from it in confusion. And then, with a sudden noise that made a few of the girls shriek and Lavender jump, bumping hard into Ron. Harry looked to the center of the room and saw McGonagall and Young.

"Students." McGonagall said in that voice that caused even the most raucous student to quiet. "Today is the beginning of one of those subjects that is hardest to master. As you are well aware, not every witch and wizard learns apparition...there are those who do not think it necessary, that believe such a skill isn't worth the trouble or risk to learn. Be it so for them.

"However, if you are here today then that means you have decided that, for whatever reason, apparition is for you. Some of you may display a natural talent, such as you would on a broomstick." As she said this Harry was almost sure her eye twinkled towards him. "Others of you will struggle, but I assure you with hard work and determination in the end you will certainly master it. But right now, if you are unwilling to work hard and take risks, I suggest you leave now." She paused, as if allowing time for any of the students to turn and immediately leave the building. None did. She nodded, as if somewhat pleased. "All right then. Now, you know Professor Young." Young nodded as her name was said--most of the students in the DA nodded back at her. "She will be assisting me with these lessons. Professor Snape in the past has aided me with these lessons, but he has...other business to attend to at the moment."

Harry could hardly suppress a whoop of joy at this statement. He didn't have to contend with Snape? How lucky could he get? Even Occlumency lessons had been advancing so well he was only having them every two weeks now. And the less he saw of Snape...well, the better. Exchanged glances with Ron and Hermione showed him that the sentiments were shared.

"Now, first things first. We will be meeting every other Saturday until next March, at which time those of you who have completed the necessary paperwork will be allowed on to take your test. However, I must remind you that those who at the end of the year have not yet reached seventeen will not be allowed to apparate until you have reached legal age."

Harry moaned under his breath...Ron sniggered. "The first three lessons will be teaching you to apparate small spaces. If any of you successfully manage to perform that action before we continue with the lessons, Professor Young I'm sure will have no qualms with teaching you the more advanced stages of apparition."

"None at all." Young stated with her usual lopsided, absentminded grin.

"Right then." McGonagall coughed unnecessarily. "We shall begin. First thing, I ask you to spread out against the walls...oh dear, Sabrina. You were supposed to have done the Elasticity Charm." She sighed.

"Oh...right." Young blushed before raising her wand. "Elastic Mobilius!" she said, biting her lip slightly.

"My...she's a bit of a ditz, isn't she?" Susan said at his side.

"Better than the other teachers we seem to have had." He muttered. "Besides Lupin, of course."

Susan nodded. "Lockhart was all right I guess, even if he was a tad smarmy." She said with a slight shrug. Harry opened his mouth for a moment before snapping it closed again. The less she knew of the multiple times his teachers had tried to kill him, the better.

But a look up showed the results of Young's charm. The gutted house seemed to have stretched to almost triple it's previous size, even though a glance out the windows showed that they seemed to be in the exact same space they were from the other houses before. As a whole, the class moved back against the walls, at the professor's warning allowing extra space 'just in case'.

"Now then." McGonagall said. "This is an exercise in focus. All of you close your eyes and imagine yourselves departing this world...for just an instant, mind you." She said sternly. "What you must do is enter this other world just briefly, long enough to travel the space you need to, so that when you appear back here you are perhaps...oh, for safety's sake a few inches away from where you are now."

Ron rose an eyebrow. "Yeah, cause that'll help with You-Know-Who on your tail." He said almost bitterly. When Harry was speechless Ron grinned. "With you as a friend, Harry, I tend to worry about those things." Harry couldn't help it, he grinned back.

McGonagall coughed. Harry blushed when he realized she was looking right at him, not forgetting that if it hadn't been for her he probably wouldn't be taking these lessons in the first place. So he closed his eyes and tried to imagine what some sort of...other...world would look like. His first imagining was some vague place, dim gray shadows and such...but before he could help it, an image of the veil came to mind. His eyes snapped open and he looked at those around him, wondering if they had seen such things also.

However, Susan was smiling almost happily, while Ron was blushing in the slightest. He shook his head and closed his eyes again, focusing. A moment passed as he looked on at nothing, blackness dotted with the occasional star. The veil seemed intent on coming back to him, and Harry, despite himself, kept focusing on it. A ghostly form of himself appeared before the veil, arms crossed. 'Well, staring at it isn't going to help, you know.' The ghost said smartly. 'You've got to go on in, after all. Or do you think it's just there for pretty?'

He opened his eyes again. He hadn't just imagined that...or at least, he hadn't meant to. What was going on? Of course, he didn't want to ask any questions. He wasn't crazy, after all.

Well, mostly not crazy. At least he didn't think so.

So when the veil came to him the third time, beyond frustration he moved forward and grasped it before pulling it quickly to the side and looking at the murky vagueness that lay beyond. And cringing, he thrust himself inwards.

CRACK!

He fell backwards into the wall of the house before he realized what had happened. He slowly opened his eyes to see everybody staring hard at him. Even Young seemed to have lost that airy persona she so vividly embodied and was gazing at him as if he were some ancient riddle for her to work out.

"S-sorry." He muttered as he slowly got to his feet, working out the aches in his body.

"That was...that was very good Harry." McGonagall said quietly. "I think...I think perhaps a little too good. Could you come and speak with me please?"

A sudden hush fell over the whispering that had been going on a few moments earlier. He watched the door open and saw McGonagall standing there, and this time he had a feeling his hidden talent wouldn't be invoking unexpected rewards as it had when he had his first flying lessons.

The door snapped shut behind him and he looked at McGonagall, who was tapping her foot, arms crossed. "Harry, I am not one to be casting stones...but I do not think apparition is something you should have tried to learn on your own, dangerous as it is. Even though I'm sure it must have been entertaining, appealing to your friends like that..."

"Professor, I've never tried to apparate before in my life." Harry said truthfully. McGonagall narrowed her eyes.

"I know you've been doing extra studying, Harry. You've done this for years, whenever you felt as if some skill you hadn't learned yet in class was necessary to you. That is partially the reason I gave you your own room for use this year. But for you to claim that you just...did that on your first try is beyond me. I've never heard such a thing in all my life."

"But..."

"I'm not going to get you in trouble for this, Harry." She said. "The fact is, if it were safe for you to do so I would allow you to with full consent. But to practice apparition you must have had to leave the castle, and that is something that I cannot..."

"Professor." Harry said, in a tone that clearly showed his frustration. McGonagall suddenly stopped and missing a beat, put her hand over her heart.

"My god, you're telling the truth." She said breathlessly. She then shook her head.

"Yes, I am." Harry said quietly. "But I wasn't...I don't know how. And I didn't do it very well, did I?" he said with a nervous laugh. "I slammed into the wall didn't I?"

"Harry, the pure...the pure power in your apparition is what astounded me. It takes a long time before a person can apparate with as much power as you had at that time. The fact is, as soon as you can control what you just did in there, the possibilities are endless."

Harry blinked. He certainly hadn't been expecting this.

"I know for certain it took me a while before I could get farther than a town or so away. Fact is, I just didn't know how to make myself more powerful..."

"It was Sirius." Harry said quietly. McGonagall froze.

"Harry...what did you say?"

"When I was looking for that other place...the world, or whatever you called it...I saw the veil that Sirius...that he went through..." despite himself, he choked. McGonagall, shaking, put her hand on his shoulder.

"I understand Harry." She said. "But...just to be on the safe side...see if we can't learn to control your...talent."

Harry was apparating to the receiving house on the other end of Hogsmeade by the end of the lesson.

________________________________________________________________________

"So, Potter does it again."

Harry looked up at the desk where Snape was standing, arms crossed and face as sallow as ever. "I did what, sir?" he said politely, imaging what it would feel like to plant a fist in that smug face.

"Your little stunt in Apparition Education." Snape said. "Surely you can't tell me that wasn't premeditated? That you haven't been planning on wowing your little classmates like that ever since you heard about apparition education?"

"Actually, sir..." Harry said with a growl, "I was able to do what I did by imagining the veil my godfather fell through when he died. And you were saying?"

Snape's nostrils flared. "Don't get smart with me, boy." He snarled. "I'm just trying to make sure you don't make an even bigger ass of yourself than you already seem to have."

"I'm no bigger an ass than certain other people in this school." He said with a grim smile. Snape snorted.

"Well, enough chat." Snape said with a sigh. He motioned Harry up. "Since I have...other...matters to attend to I'm hoping this will be our last lesson. If you are still too thick to finish this up, I'm sure Dumbledore will cut time out of his intense schedule to take care of you."

"That will be fine with me, sir." Harry said, perhaps a little too pleasantly as Snape's brow darkened. Harry began concentrating, and was prepared when he first felt Snape prodding into his head.

Thankfully, Harry was able to stand up to this and fought Snape off. But still he felt the probing...almost as if Snape were looking for some small crack in his concentration to grip hold of and tear Harry's thickly concentrated shroud away. And as it had many times, it worked.

Harry fought back as he watched the familiar images, this time of his frustration of the summer before, he could almost feel the amusement when Snape came across the rage he had expressed against his friends. But then, when Harry knew Sirius came near, something snapped within him. He wouldn't...couldn't...let Snape see, mock, the feelings he had for his late godfather. And remembering that it was Sirius who had given him power in apparition, he used that thought and turned every single bit of him he could against his potions professor.

"I don't know James, you reckon we should see a sight that horrible?" Harry fell down on the grass beside the lake, right where he had left off in the pensieve the year before. There was young Snape, hovering upside down as Harry's replica...his father...stood there, wand raised. Sirius was beside him, smirking, as an anxious looking Remus and an amused Peter stood off to one side.

It was Sirius who had just spoken, in response to the query if Snape's underpants should be removed, if Harry remembered correctly.

"No, I don't think so." James released Snape, none too gently, and let the slimy teen fall back to the grass. Snape, of course, automatically reached for his wand and let forth a powerful blow in James' direction, making him fall back on the grass stunned, a trickle of blood running down his nose. As he reached for his wand, inches from his hand, Harry saw another hand grabbed it...Remus.

"You've done enough James." Remus said quietly.

"But..."

"Come on, fight like a man." Snape taunted, his wand ready. "Or are you a coward like your own father?"

"I wouldn't talk about my father." James shot back. "When yours is a Firewhisky away from killing both you and your mum."

"James! You idiot." Everybody...even Harry...turned when another young girl started heading their way.

Sirius groaned. "Oh God...Sabrina." he muttered. Surely enough, a years younger Professor Young was heading their way.

"Yes, me." The girl said in irritation. "Shut your mouth, Black." She turned on James, raising an accusatory finger. "When will you learn? It's enough that Lily has to holler at you, sweet girl that she is..." James, Remus, Sirius, and Peter snorted at this, "But do you really have to taunt every single person that comes your way?"

Snape snorted. "Damn Sabrina, can't you see when you aren't wanted? After five years you still think I need your help?"

"Don't you?" she shot back.

"As to your question," James said, getting back on the subject. "Only the bloody Slytherins, m'dear." He replied with a gallant bow. "You see, even if you are a dotty, brainless, twittering little bird, since you are a Gryffindor we're quite content to simply grin at your annoying behavior."

Young's eyes narrowed. "Arrogant bastard."

"You know you love me." James grinned.

"As much as I love toe fungus."

"I think Potter is much less attractive than toe fungus." Snape said from his corner, where he was obviously amused by James' beating, despite the fact that it was coming from somebody other than himself for a change.

"Shut up." Young said in exasperation. "You...and you." She said, pointing at Snape and Harry's father and his friends. "James, why don't you just...leave?"

He looked longingly at Snape, fingers caressing his wand, but after a moment he just shrugged. "Whatever you say, cupcake." He grinned before, along with his friends, walking away. As the vision dimmed, Harry spotted Sabrina running away, joining a certain red-haired someone before the vision was over.

Harry came back to the dungeon with a jolt. He looked over at Snape, who was shaking with irritation, most likely at being reminded Harry had seen that particular event in his life, now not just once, but twice. Harry picked up his bags and paused just a moment at the door, to say "I think it's a bit much, sir, if you ask me, to be so attracted to toe fungus. Because in my opinion, both my father and I are quite handsome."

And then he ran.

________________________________________________________________________

That last part was for my own benefit! I don't know how much it will contribute to the story, could be a lot or a little. But do tell me what you think all right? I really like hearing what you guys have to say. THANKS!