Chapter Summary: Getting injured in the Quidditch match was not enough for Harry, as he again finds himself at a loss of words, not because he's suddenly become mute but because he's frozen by our own Madam Pomfrey. And consider that a favor; as you don't want to see Harry's insides go up in flames do you? I see you shaking head Good! A peck by Ginny does wonders and almost mastering occlumency gives another high, but a woozy Cho in his arms is not a good omen for our, Harry dear.
A/N: Here's the 2nd and last part of chapter 12. Thanks to all those who have dropped by to submit their reviews. I've been very busy lately and that's why couldn't really update speedily. The story of my life right now. :winks: I see a sudden drop on feedback and I wonder, are my readers getting bored with this story? I'm just curious.
Thanks to LunaticPandora1, Bubbly, mctrozzo, GinevraPotter, Honey76, sierra, critic101, Ninde Annare, Rain, Eloise, Akasha and Akanksha (Are you two the same?) for your feedback.
LunaticPandora1, If you think Idealistically and if you put yourself in Hermione's shoe, Harry/Hermione relationship seems very much probable because the girl always wants to Hero, the more prominent of the bunch and Harry is. But, in case of the clues provided by JKR it is evident that Ron and Hermione will be together. They had been squabbling like idiots with each other and without any reason. If you read GoF, you'll get my point. Hermione is jealous of Fleur and Ron is of Krum. In CoS movie Hermione hugs Harry as a friend but hesitates and then doesn't hug Ron. If you ask my opinion I do believe in both the pairings because there are possibilities in both. Ginny can be a probable choice, so can Luna. I have paired her up with Harry in this one because the plot asks for it. She's going to have a very strong role in this fic as I'm following a link provided by JKR on this one.
Bubbly, Your wish is my command:smiles: Here's some Lupin for you and there will be more of him in the later chapters as well. I'm trying my best to get the whole editing things ASAP. I'm on chapter 13 and that means there are 9 chapters that are still to be done. But, I'm getting there. As always, thanks for dropping by.
mctrozzo, Thank you! And I'll be adding more to it.
GinevraPotter, :huggles back: Thanks Ginevra for all the enthusiasm, this is what I write for! And I'll keep on updating.
Honey76, Thanks for coming back amigo! And don't look forward… there might be another… :grins coyly:
sierra, Oh yes! YEY for Ginny :smiles: And just a hint, as this story is a mystery. Everything is not cut and dried. The perp is not Draco Malfoy unfortunately which is a big clue! Thanks for dropping by hon!
critic101, :laughs: You know that is against my professional judgment. As I can't tell you who it is. It can be anybody…
Ninde Annare, Hiya Ninde! Thanks for dropping by and of course for liking the story.
Rain, Thanks for leaving a bunch of reviews!
Eloise, :hugs: A known mate then! Thank you for dropping by and I need an update from your story and pronto! Man you got me addicted! And I can't tell you who it is but it's not Draco Malfoy.
Akasha, I love Hagrid! And try my best to keep his accent on check. ;) Thanks!
Akanksha, Thank you very much. That part was one of my favorites! And here's another update for you. I'll try my best to keep at it. :winks:
This chapter is dedicated to MavericK and Eloise McGonagall, who helped me out from a tight spot recently!
"Harry, you are not concentrating!" Lupin said, folding his arms.
Harry was trying to make ropes come out of his wand, but they were so thin that they weren't even able to bind the Crup, he was supposed to trap.
"It's no use, I can't concentrate!" he said, giving his wand a last wave, producing a wooly thread, which arced towards the Crup's nose. The Crup, in response, started rubbing its nose with its little paws in an irritated fashion.
Lupin chuckled. "Okay, forget it, Harry. Anyways, the time is over. The advanced DA members would be arriving soon.
"So, what's eating you?" Lupin continued boyishly.
"I just can't make up my mind. It's like, there are so many decisions to make and sometimes I wonder why they have to be made by me..." Harry said twirling his wand in his hand, without meeting Lupin's eyes.
"Like?"
"What should I do about my blowing rage which keeps on getting on the edge of boiling point, what can I do about my friends who patrol around me as I'm the lost treasure of Black Pearl, what can I do about the people badgering me to 'be vigilant', what can I do about this whole hero pressure? ... Sometimes I feel I play too easy to get...
"And... I can't get Sirius off my mind, Lupin. I keep on seeing him... Am I going nuts with all these pressures over me?"
"I don't think so, Harry," Lupin answered, searching Harry's face for some sign. "It's just nerves I think. About being vigilant, well, you can't do anything about that, because your friends and well wishers are simply concerned about you. However, forget about the hero thing, will you?
"About Sirius, I reckon you are ignoring the reality so clearly that you can't set up your mind right, and if for a second you stop the self-loathing sequel-"
Harry opened his mouth to protest but Lupin hurriedly went on, "And, yes, I admit that it is on the downfall. But still, you haven't gone over it. You see, Harry, he'll always be here... and best of all, you have his memories, which you can even feel and see. What more do you want? Or may be the reason of this tantrum is that, you haven't opened the diary after that incident?"
"I guess so," Harry said, shuffling his feet.
"I see." Lupin cleared his throat and went on, "If you are waiting for a guarantee, I would love to give mine. However, I think, this is not the only thing bothering you-" Lupin was interrupted by a knock at the door.
"DA members," Harry said, sighing.
"We'll continue later," Lupin said, patting Harry's shoulder.
Harry stood up and made his way to the center of the room. He had planned this lesson from quite before. He had already gone through the practical use of the Patronus Charm with Lupin. Obviously, they couldn't invite a real Dementor, so Harry became a babysitter for the whole class, while Lupin found him a boggart.
Harry planned to stand in boggart's range to let it change into a Dementor and then the students will practice with it and send their Patronuses at it.
"You know that this could be fatal," Lupin had warned him. However, Harry knew that for practice they all had to do this. The Dementors seemed to be the most powerful in Voldemort's army besides the deadly, dark spells used by the Death Eaters.
"If something goes wrong, Lupin, Prongs is there to save me," Harry said reminiscently, his eyes shining, while Lupin's features softened.
"Yes," he agreed, nostalgically.
The DA members filed in the Room of Requirement, while Harry mused on how this room had become a beacon of light for many of his purposes.
"How was the training, Harry?" asked Hermione.
"Oh... it was okay," said Harry, for which he received a furrowed look from Hermione, while Ron gave him a thumbs-up sign.
Looking at Ginny entering with Luna Lovergood, he felt a pang in his chest. The episode with Ginny hadn't progressed as Harry would have hoped. There were still many things unsaid and unresolved in between them.
When Lupin announced to the class what Harry intended to do, gibbering started at full speed.
"Are you mad, Harry? Bringing in a stupid boggart and doing that to yourself to make us practice!" Hermione bellowed, her arms flailing.
Lavender, Padma and Parvati Patil started shrieking like mad. "Oh c'mon, Harry... We... er... can't! Just can't! With... a r-rreal Dementor?"
"Oh no, no, no, NO!"
"Well, technically it will not be a real Dementor!" he said exasperatedly, but nobody listened, except Luna, who looked almost surreal.
Some of them were totally terrified. Harry could clearly see Neville screwing up his nose and thinking hard. Cho was looking edgy, while Michael Corner and Zacharias Smith looked downright angry.
"Okay, students, settle down!" Lupin's voice boomed over the babbling crowd and suddenly everybody went silent.
"I don't want to sound like Moody, but it's a reality that with the coming war, no one is safe. All of you saw what happened in Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, or do you all want your memories refreshed?" Lupin surveyed the whole class while Harry folded his arms haughtily.
Most of them were looking at their shoes and Parvati, Lavender and Cho's faces looked totally drained of blood.
"People died that day without any apparent reason. If you get in trouble, you have to save your own skin, because nobody else will do that for you. Dementors are just a fraction of what lies ahead. There are many unexpected things in the future and you have to be prepared for it, as nothing can be foretold." Lupin was looking everybody up with a piercing gaze.
Harry could feel determination pour through Lupin and spread towards everybody, calming them and giving them vigor.
Harry noticed that Lupin was wearing a new robe; he was still a little pale and had more than his share of white hair. Nonetheless, he emanated an unwavering strength which seemed to infect everyone in the room.
"Now, does anybody have anything to add or any problems to discuss?" Lupin inquired and received murmurs of "no," and "not at all."
"Okay then. Let's start, Harry."
Lupin brought a small trunk, which was shaking slightly. One corner of the room was made totally devoid of furniture where the trunk was placed beside Harry.
"Now one by one, you will all face the Dementor-boggart. If it is getting over you, don't use riddikulus, just scram and give the person next to you a go at it. Don't get too close and maintain a certain distance, because if you don't, the Dementor will change into your own fear."
The class gave an involuntary shudder.
"Okay! So who wants to go first?" Lupin asked jovially, and for a while nobody raised their hand but then Michael Corner came forward fidgeting with his wand.
"Excellent!" Lupin exclaimed and indicated Harry to get in position. The whole class was looking at the proceedings transfixed.
Harry opened the trunk and readied himself for the coldness. A hulking figure of Dementor wrapped in black emerged from inside, drawing an audible, slow, rattling breadth. Harry felt deja vu all over again as he had more than his share of Dementor chills but every time he faced it, it was new.
The whole room was swept by a coldness that engulfed not only him but the entire class, and they all felt the abrupt silence, even the bright lights of the room seemed to dim in its presence.
Harry steeled himself for his mother's cries, while Michael screwed up his face in concentration.
"Expecto Patronum!" Michael incanted.
A wisp of silvery gas shot out of Michael's wand, but was not enough to ward the Dementor off. Harry felt the chill seep through his body, as his eyes rolled up in his head. He went to a dark space, where nothing existed except a familiar voice: "Come on, you can do better than that!" Harry heard Sirius laugh, his voice echoing around him... but the laughter soon died, Harry could imagine Sirius's eyes widen in shock.
"SIRIUS!" Harry yelled, "NO, SIRIUS!"
Harry was kneeling down on the floor and Lupin was shaking him. "It's all right, Harry."
He felt so embarrassed. He realized that this wasn't such a good idea after all. However, he was too deep now and couldn't worm his way out of it.
Ron, Hermione and Ginny were standing beside Lupin, almost engulfing him from the prying eyes of the class.
Hermione stared at him accusingly while Lupin handed him a chocolate bar to eat.
"Let's try again?" Harry said meekly, not looking at Hermione, who huffed even more.
"Last time, Harry, and be ready yourself. Why didn't you call Prongs?" Lupin asked, looking at him hard.
Why didn't I? Am I actually hoping to hear Sirius's voice again? he thought sadly.
"Err... Let's have another go," he said without looking at Lupin.
Everything went well after that, whenever anyone faltered Harry would conjure his own Patronus, Prongs, and do away with the Dementor-boggart to hide again in the trunk. Hermione faltered at first but was able to conjure an otter to peck at the hulking figure. Ron produced a Saber-toothed Tiger, while Ginny produced a Leopard shaped Patronus.
However, everything went downhill when Cho came into the scene. She was last in line and looked very frightened. She uttered a very feeble, "Expecto Patronum," and wasn't able to produce even a wisp of smoke, except some light vapors.
While Prongs was cantering beside Harry, Cho was taken over by the Dementor and Lupin shouted, "Riddikulus," to finally finish it off.
Cho fainted in Harry's arms, as if woozy with exhaustion.
A/N: This part concludes the current chapter. I know you must be screaming eefil, eefil! But I had to cut it here or it would have been a VERY long chapter.
If you are reading this story, which I know you do with enhanced Stats, please drop a line or two, it doesn't take much time and motivates me to update quick too!
