Harry Potter and the Light of the Istari
Chapter Eight
The Good and the Ugly
Harry woke up early the next morning and pulled the drapes around his bed back so that he could look out at the sky. Neville snored loudly but all the other boys in Harry's dormitory slept on.
Harry got up and pulled on his dressing gown and went and sat on the stone window ledge next to his bed. He looked out over the school grounds, relieved to see that nothing had changed. Smoke was rising out of the chimney of Hagrid's hut; the water in the lake rippled as the giant squid swam along on his back and every now and then a flock of birds would shoot up out of the trees squawking before flying off to settle in another part of the Forbidden Forrest.
As Harry looked back to Hagrid's hut, movement caught his attention on the edge of the forest. Professor Dumbledore emerged wrapped in a large dark blue robe and wizards hat. He made his way quickly up the side of the forest and disappeared from Harry's view up towards the school entrance hall. Harry looked back towards the forest to see if he could spot any other movement but the only thing that caught his eye were the four Hogwarts house flags, flapping in the breeze on top of the stands of the Quidditch pitch. 'Quidditch' Harry suddenly thought to himself happily and, grabbing some parchment and a quill he crept out of the dormitory and made his way down to the Gryffindor common room.
An hour later Harry stood in front of the notice board admiring his handiwork as Ron came down from their dormitory.
"What do you think?" Harry asked eagerly pointing to the notice board.
"That's great" Ron replied reading Harry's notice about Quidditch tryouts. "I love the broomsticks but why the owl?" Ron asked; his eyes following the miniature Firebolts that were shooting all over the page.
"That's a snitch!" Harry responded indignantly "I spent ages on that!"
"Of course it's a snitch Harry" said Hermione appearing behind them. "He's winding you up; ignore him. When are the tryouts" she asked trying to peer round Ron to get a better look but he was deliberately blocking her view.
"Why your not thinking of trying out are you?" he laughed.
Hermione glared back at him "and so what if I did tryout?, at least I can catch a ball!"
"Tonight!" Harry jumped in quickly seeing the furious look on Ron's face. "I figured the sooner we start the better; I've got a training schedule worked out and everything … look". Harry pulled out a large piece of parchment that he had spent the last two hours working on. It had quid ditch practices scheduled for the next three months and what they would be doing in each practise.
"That is incredibly complex Harry" Hermione replied obviously impressed and forgetting her argument with Ron. "There's just one thing though".
"What?" Harry asked cautiously.
"You haven't left yourself anytime for normal classes!"
Half an hour later Harry, Hermione and Ron were sat in the Great Hall eating breakfast as Professor Mcgonagall handed out timetables.
"See even if you put all your practises after lessons there still isn't enough time to fit them all in; unless everyone just stops sleeping. But even then I doubt Professor Dumbledore will let you all out to play in the dark!"
"Ha ha very funny" Ron replied sarcastically as Harry gazed absently up the Gryffindor table.
"Well I'm sorry but if you both stuck half as much effort in to your school work as you do Quidditch, then you could do anything you wanted when we finish school".
"Change the record Hermione, can't you find anything new to nag us about?!"
"Back in a minute" Harry interrupted before disappearing down the other end of the table for a few moments then coming back and continuing to eat his scrambled eggs.
"Well?" asked Ron "what was that about?"
"Just telling Sloper and Kirke we need them for the try outs tonight - might as well do it with the whole team … hang on where's Ginny?"
"I GIVE UP!" Hermione exclaimed clamping her hands over her head in disbelief as Harry; completely oblivious, continued searching the Hall for Ginny.
"Hey Harry. We've got Defence first, with the Hufflepuffs. Blimey … have you seen how many lessons we've got with Bill on here?" Ron asked, wiping marmalade off the middle of his timetable frowning, so he could point to the lessons beneath.
"She's not here" continued Harry, craning his neck in his seat searching up and down the other house tables. "Why isn't she here? How's she going to get her timetable?"
"It's just a nightmare!" Ron carried on still gazing at his timetable while Harry continued looking around the Hall. "Nearly half our lessons are with him AND we're taking another five NEWTs!"
"Could be worse" added Neville from across the table "at least they aren't with Snape!"
"Well you never know" Seamus joined in "they still aint said who the other teacher is and there's no way your brother can teach us for all these lessons Ron and teach the rest of the school as well".
"Oh no" Neville replied glumly sinking backwards on to the bench " I hadn't thought of that. Five years of endless picking and I still can't get away from him".
"Thanks a lot Seamus!" Hermione grumbled "I spent an hour last night convincing him it wouldn't be Snape!"
"Hermione have you seen Ginny this morning?"
"NO HARRY I haven't seen Ginny this morning!"
"Sorry! I just wondered" Harry replied timidly looking shocked at Hermione's outburst. "So … what lesson have we got first?"
A whole morning of Defence Against the Dark Arts classes flew by because they had so much fun. After last years book based curriculum most people found it nice to get some practise for a change. Of course the DA members had no problems with last years spells; well all except Neville but only with a couple of them. They spent a while in groups performing shield charms to block unfriendly spells but as Ron, Harry and Hermione already knew how to do these they tried helping Neville who was having great difficulty trying to deflect Dean's Nettle hex. Bill, they noticed was having troubles of his own trying to leave Parvarti and Hannah Abbot who kept insisting they didn't understand the charm fully enough to be able to perform it.
"Really!" Hermione muttered "you would think they'd make it a little less obvious wouldn't you"
"Like you did with Lockheart you mean!" Ron laughed "Whoa watch it Neville!" Ron ducked quickly as a red ball of flames shot over his head having rebounded off Neville's shield. "I did it!" Neville cried "I wonder if this would work if people were throwing actual objects at you?"
"Want to try?" Ron offered helpfully!
They didn't get much of a chance to talk to Bill during the morning because he was so busy. But in the ten minutes they did see him, he explained that Gringott's had given him a year off on Dumbeldore's request.
Everybody groaned when Bill announced the end of the lesson but they were placated a bit by the announcement of a Defence Club after school. "A sign up sheet will be going up on your house notice boards tomorrow and the club will start on Friday. Have a nice lunch!".
"Hang on Ron" Harry grabbed the back of Ron's school bag as he went to leg it out of the classroom before everyone else. "lunch will wait I want to have a word with Bill to try and find out who this other teacher is".
"And what makes you think Bill will tell you?" came bill's voice from behind Harry as the last of the students left the classroom leaving Harry, Ron and Hermione alone with Bill. "You will find out the same time as everyone else. I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise would I!"
"When is he getting here then?" Ron asked.
"When he gets here" Bill laughed sitting down on top of a desk by Hermione.
"Bill!" Ron shouted grumpily "What about family loyalty? You know we wont tell anyone; we're prefects after all!"
"That's never stopped you before" he smiled. "Oh all right, he'll be here Sunday but don't you tell anyone I told you. Oh and it's Professor Weasley to you little brother!"
"But he'll miss the first defence Club" Hermione stated rather than asked as she was still fishing for more information.
"Ah well that's where Harry comes in and why I was coming over to catch you before you left. Dumbledore and I have been talking about how to set up the defence club so that everybody gets a chance to take part and he told me all about your own little 'insurrection' shall we call it, last year. Anyway we've decided to have two clubs; the first one for years one to four and the other for years five to seven. That way students are also practising the right level of magic. Now because this is open to the whole school and because we might be a little stretched depending on the number of students who sign up and because we have other duties to attend to as well, Dumbledore has suggested that Professor uh…" Bill laughed nervously "… nearly said it! Right where was I? Ah; he suggested that we get some help so that there will be … say … 15 students to one teacher rather than 30".
"And the point of this?" Ron interrupted
"Well the point Little brother is … Professor Flitwick has volunteered to be one of the helpers and we were wondering, Harry, whether you would like to be one of the others?"
"What?!" Harry exclaimed "you want me to teach … properly?"
"What about Quidditch?" Ron called shocked.
"Don't panic!" Bill laughed "it shouldn't interfere with Quidditch. What we planned was for Harry; if you agree that is, to help with the first to fourth years because it will be all things you already know and that will be on a Monday evening. We have already sorted out a timetable of what will be worked on so you wont have to do any preparation and you wont be on your own anyway, so if you have any questions you can just ask who ever is there with you. You'll be given your own group and you help them to practise what is timetabled and give them tips if they need it. Besides I saw you with Neville today and I'm sure you'll be fine. So are you interested?"
"Yes definitely" Harry replied eagerly. "It sounds great and does that mean I still go as normal to the other club?"
"Of course that way you'll get more practise of what we'll be learning to do in class".
"Okay count me in" grinned Harry.
"Right I'll get a timetable to you on the weekend then if I get a chance".
"What else have you got to do?" Hermione asked Bill curiously.
"What? Um just things" Bill responded hesitantly getting up off the desk.
"Hang on" Ron jumped in "what are you up to; what else have you got to do except teach?"
"Just school things Ron. Now come on you had all better get down to lunch if you want to eat before your next class".
"No way" Ron continued "I know when your lying. Your right eyebrow twitches just like Dad and Percy".
"Look I'm just helping Dumbledore out so stop the questions".
"Goblins" Hermione interrupted and Bill turned to look at her.
"What .. How'd you …?"
"Its simple" she reasoned "Harry overheard Professor Dumbledore talking to two goblins at the Order about making an alliance. He obviously picked you as a teacher for a reason. One being your background with curses but then you haven't exactly got a lot of teaching experience have you; no offence. The other reason being you work with Goblins and you said earlier about Dumbledore talking to Gringotts".
"Geez it's like an inquisition in here. You know one day your brain is going to get you in to trouble Miss Granger" Bill laughed. "All right you got me, just don't tell anyone".
"What's the problem though?" Hermione questioned "Fudge has gone now and Dumbledore has the Ministry's backing".
"Not on all things unfortunately". Bill sat back down on the desk again. "Prejudice and xenophobia still runs pretty deep in most people, especially in most of the old wizards that influence the Ministry and Wizengamot. You've read what happened in the last goblin rebellion, you know what they are capable of. A lot of people would rather leave things the way they are and not make an alliance just in case it does happen again. Fear is a powerful thing".
"But surely they're not more scared of the goblins than Voldemort" Harry asked incredulously "that is just daft. That last rebellion was well over a hundred years ago and they haven't done anything since".
"Well you can't change people's attitudes over night but Dumbledores working on it. All the same I might be here a while though!"
"Great!" Ron muttered sarcastically.
"Oh cheer up little brother! It's not like mum has got me writing to her everyday to tell her what you lot are getting up to … she just wants a letter every other day" at which point Ron picked up Hermione's copy of 'Protection Charms and How To Use Them' and hurled it over the desk towards his brother.
"Calm down" Bill laughed stopping the book mid air with his wand and then gliding it over to Hermione "I'm winding you up; besides it's Ginny she wants me to keep an eye on. She thinks she has been looking a bit sickly lately".
"I was looking for her earlier but she wasn't at breakfast" Harry added.
"Oh well, I'll keep an eye out; but if you notice anything Hermione let me know will you?"
"Yes sure" she replied picking up her schoolbag and hauling it on to her back. As usual it was crammed full of textbooks. "Right we really had better hurry now if we want to have something to eat because lunch is nearly over".
"What!" Ron exclaimed jumping up off his desk and grabbing his bag again. "Right we'll see you later Bill" he called as he led the way out of the classroom.
"Okay, but remember, not a word!"
"Yeah, yeah" Ron shouted from the corridor.
"Why is it no matter how much you eat you always grow upwards instead of outwards like everyone else" Hermione moaned at Ron as they made their way down to Hagrid's Hut with Seamus, Dean and Neville after lunch.
"Oh would you rather me be fat then?" Ron replied trying to look offended but not succeeding and getting a slap on the arm from Hermione.
"Oh great!" Harry muttered as they rounded the bend and Hagrid's Hut came in to view. "Why is it EVERY year we get stuck with the ruddy Slytherins".
"Least it wasn't in Defence" Neville added "that would have totally spoilt it".
"I think that was more a case of careful planning" Hermione responded "I mean can you imagine it - sticking Slytherins and Gryffindors together in a class where you can fire spells at each other? It would be all out war. Besides there are Hufflepuffs here too; see there's Ernie".
"Well I know who I'd like to curse" Harry spat through gritted teeth as he spotted Malfoy sat on a large stone by Hagrid's front door, surrounded by a group of black and green Hogwarts robes.
"Go easy Harry; don't spoil Hagrid's first lesson back" Hermione tried to calm him down. "We'll get him back for what he said about Sirius on the train. Just not now. It has to be something big, and totally unexpected" Hermione glared menacingly towards the Slytherins.
"Careful Hermione your starting to sound like Fred and George" Ron laughed nervously.
With the prospect of getting a spectacular revenge on Draco, Harry tried to calm himself and listen to the beginning of Hagrid's lesson. It wasn't easy either as Draco started baiting Harry as soon as he saw him. He even tried upsetting Hermione about the muggle attacks but soon gave up when Hermione just turned and smiled sweetly at him. Hermione had changed a lot since Harry had first met her; out of the three of them she was the calming influence and had always had a knack of being able to handle anyone she met, whether it was to get him and Ron out of trouble or dealing with the likes of Draco Malfoy. Ron was lucky to be going out with Hermione and Harry was lucky to have them both as friends. They were all he had left now that Sirius was gone and it worried him. No matter how much danger he had put them in, in the past, they had always stuck by him and helped him through. His stomach knotted at the thought of meeting Voldemort or a gang of death eaters again without them by his side because there was absolutely no way he would be able to tackle them himself. Everyone saw him as the famous 'boy-who-lived' and was waiting for him to defeat Lord Voldemort again but in his heart and his head, ever since Sirius had gone, Harry just wished he had been just another boy-who-died.
"Harry?" Hagrid's voice pulled him out of his dark depressing thoughts. "Everyone's separated in to pairs; looks like your with Neville here".
Harry looked round and sure enough everyone had paired up and walked off towards the large wicker baskets that were dotted around the pumpkin patch.
"You okay 'Arry?" Hagrid asked sounding concerned.
"Yeah I'm fine, just a bit tired" Harry lied giving Hagrid a weak smile then jogging over to Neville who was sat at a basket near Ron and Hermione.
"Are you all right Harry?" Hermione asked "we did call you".
"I'm fine" he shrugged and leant over the top of the basket reaching to undo the catch but Neville's hand shot out and stopped him. "Not yet Harry, we have to wait".
Harry went to ask why but didn't have a chance as Hagrid clapped his hands loudly to get everyone's attention. "Right, now that I've explained the types of things we'll be looking at fer your NEWTs; it's time fer your firs' creature. Now you'll have to be very careful with these cos they're tricky little blighters if you don' look after them properly". At which point nearly all the class glanced warily sideways at the now shaking wicker baskets. Whatever was in them, Harry thought to himself, obviously knew the sound of Hagrid's voice or that they were about to be let out!
"What we have here are Carbuncles …"
"Oh great" whispered Ron "something else that bites!" at which Harry looked round at him alarmed.
"… they've been fed this morning but they might be a little peckish so if one person from each group will come and get a bowl from the table by 'ere, then we can get started". No one was in a rush to get the bowls and it seemed s if everyone now knew what was in the basket except for Harry.
"Right now that you're all ready, we'll get 'em out … but…" Hagrid had added the but too late and Neville had opened their wicker basket and a smelly, wrinkly, green thing leapt up through the air and bit him on the nose. Neville spun round frantically shaking his head trying to get it off but the Carbuncle had firmly clamped his yellow spiky teeth on to the end of Neville's nose and didn't want to let go.
"Oh dear!" Hagrid groaned as Hermione grabbed her wand, shouted at Neville to stand still and roared 'stupefy' shooting a red flash of light right at the carbuncle making it release its grip and fall to the floor; but also knocking Neville off his feet in the process, landing bum first in to the empty wicker basket.
"Yes, well; well done Hermione, quick thinking there" Hagrid announced as he lifted Neville up with one hand and pulled the basket away with the other. "There you go Neville. You might want to pick him up now and hold him tightly before Hermione wakes 'im up fer you".
Panic stricken and trying to mop up the blood from his nose, Neville looked frantically at Harry.
"Uh … why don't I hold him while Neville sorts the food out?" Harry suggested warily looking at the state of Neville and couldn't help being a bit disappointed when Hagrid slapped him on the back and thrust the stunned Carbuncle in to Harry's hands. "Good lad Harry, 'ere you go. Neville can feed 'im and take the notes" at which Harry felt a bit better knowing it would be Neville's fingers that going near the Carbuncles teeth and not his.
"Right … everyone else listen up. BEFORE you unlock the basket, both of you have to be sat on the floor on the same side of the basket as the lock. One of you pick up a piece of goats meat and the other be ready to grab your animal. Now … the one with the meat open the catch and then open the lid quickly so that your partner can catch your carbuncle when he jumps but DON'T lean over the basket. If you do it like this there's less chance of any of you gettin' hurt" Hagrid glanced wearily at Neville as he said this. "When you have your Carbuncle feed him a couple of pieces of meat while your partner holds him still. It'll help you gain 'is trust; stroke him behind the ear when you've fed him and when he smiles at you, you'll know he's okay so you can put him back in the basket on 'is blanket and he wont run off. Then I want you to draw them. Okay is everyone ready?"
All the students looked round dubiously waiting for someone else to go first; Hagrid's lessons had never been straightforward. "Oh Hermione if you could just wake up Harry's first" Hagrid remembered. Hermione revived Harry's carbuncle and Harry had to clamp his hands together over its arms and legs to try and stop it escaping.
"Okay come one the rest of you" Hagrid said encouragingly. Quickly, Hermione grabbed a piece of goats meat from her bowl and gently lifted the latch as Ron reluctantly got ready to grab. "On three" Hermione said to him "one … two … three!"
Hermione threw back the lid and another dark green creature leapt up in to the air. But this time Ron managed to catch it and sat back with it clutched in his hands. Encouraged by Ron and Hermione's success the rest of the class started to open their own wicker baskets. Harry and Neville sat watching the others for a moment and were in stitches as not everyone managed to catch their animals in time. As Crabbe flung the lid of his basket back, Goyle lunged forward and snatched at the air as the carbuncle flew up through his arms, smacked straight in to Goyle's chin and fell back to the floor dazed and confused. Seamus and dean weren't having much luck either and were chasing their round the pumpkin patch, firing random freezing spells at it.
Eventually everyone had their animals and they all started work on the tasks Hagrid had set them. It appeared one bite of Neville was enough as he had no problem feeding their carbuncle and it hummed soothingly as Neville rubbed behind its ears. "It's quite cute really isn't it" Neville said to Harry. "Hey look" Neville pointed at the carbuncle "it's smiling".
'About ruddy time' Harry thought to himself. It may have been small but it weighed a tonne. Harry put it back in the basket and turned it round so that he could get a better look at it, but was careful not to lean too close in case it leapt up again. It was just under a foot tall, a dark green colour, a bit tubby and had fold of skin all down its chunky little arms and stubby legs. It also had two beady little black eyes and a small squashed face with two large pointy ears on the top, like a cat. It reminded Harry of a miniature version of the Incredible Hulk; one of his cousin Dudley's favourite TV programmes, only it was more flabby than muscly.
"Looks quite harmless really doesn't it" Neville said starting to reach back in to stroke its ears again. But as he did it started to hum softly again and one of the flaps of skin on its forehead rose up to reveal a large oval red ruby positioned right in the middle of its forehead.
"Whoa!" Neville exclaimed as he saw it. "Look it's huge!"
"That must be worth a fortune" Harry replied. "look at its eyes too Neville they've gone all white!"
Neville and Harry were so engrossed in their Carbuncle, they didn't notice Hagrid come up behind them. "Hey, well done lads!" he shouted at which the Carbuncle, startled by the noise, stopped humming and the ruby disappeared back behind the folds of skin.
"Okay everyone" Hagrid called, "you've 'ad a bit of time with yer creatures now, so lets see what you know about 'em".
Hermiones hand immediately shot up in to the air. "Carbuncles are largely found in woods and forests as they like the dark and live off other small woodland creatures. They used to be quite common until around the end of the eighteenth century when robbers and murders used them to lure unsuspecting victims deep in to the forests off woodland paths and country roads. Carbuncles can be tamed and trained to do as their owner tells them. They are most effective at night as their eyes glow bright white and they hum a tune as the victim is hypnotised in to following it".
"Excellent Hermione, ten points to Gryffindor" Hagrid clapped. "Now carbuncles have been listed as endangered because some very bad wizards found a way of making an easier profit off these poor defenceless little things". Harry turned and looked at Neville's nose again which was still bleeding. They obviously had different definitions of defenceless!
"Now all Carbuncles have a jewel right in the middle of their forehead under some protective layers of skin. How many of you apart from Neville here, managed to get yours to show it?" Neville's cheeks went bright red as Hermione and Ron raised their hands along with Seamus and Dean. "Ours had an emerald" Seamus called whilst Hermione and Ron's had a ruby like Harry and Neville's.
"good" Hagrid exclaimed "Now all Carbuncles have different jewels depending on their family lines. The skin of the Carbuncle is very thick despite how flaky it looks and it is very difficult to get the jewel out because if the animal feels threatened it can grow more layers of skin over the top of the jewel to protect it, as it is the source of their powers".
"Why didn't they just kill the Carbuncles and take the jewel to begin with?" Ernie Macmillan called.
"Ah well, these are magical creatures aren't they! The jewel protects the Carbuncle; it can only die if the jewel is smashed first or removed but smashing is completely pointless and removing it isn't so easy cos they may look cute but Carbuncles can put up one hell of a fight. Even stunning them don't work cos more flaps of skin will still grow over the jewel if they are knocked out" Hagrid finished.
"Well how do you get the jewel out then?" Draco Malfoy called from the back of the class, still holding his Carbuncle in his hands as Pansy hadn't been able to make it smile.
Hagrid eyed him warily "well you don't need to know that anyway. You look a bit like your holding 'im a bit too tight. Why don't you try loosening your grip a bit more?" he suggested helpfully.
"What and have this disgusting little freak attack me, I don't think so!" Draco spat, shaking the now alarmed Carbuncle in his hands.
"Well if you aint gonna look after 'im properly Mr Malfoy, then you aint gonna 'ave one" Hagrid replied striding over to Draco and taking the quivering Carbuncle away from him. "There, there little fella" Hagrid whispered gently as he strode back over to Neville and pushed the frightened Carbuncle in to his hands. "Here you go Neville, 'e wont hurt you". Neville took the Carbuncle but kept it at a definite distance from his nose; he wasn't quite so daring now that someone else didn't have hold of its arms and legs.
"I'm not sitting through this" Draco announced rising to his feet and starting to climb the fence out of the pumpkin patch. "I'm going to see Dumbledore. This is stupid, Carbuncles are hardly NEWT level; we were supposed to do them last year". he jumped down off the fence and went to leave.
"There is a point to this lesson yer know" Hagrid called after him.
"Oh funny, I hadn't noticed one. So what's it supposed to be?" Draco hissed turning back round to face the class.
"Not to be led astray in to dark places. Not everything is always what it seems. Even wild things that have been tamed can still turn back and bite, even their own master".
Draco snorted and turned to leave again but screeched and jumped back against the fence as Buckbeak came around the corner of Hagrid's hut towards them and stood in Draco's path.
"Buckbeak!" Harry cried and closing the lid on his basket he jumped up and climbed out of the pumpkin patch too. Buckbeak trotted past Draco straight to Harry who bowed as he approached.
"What on earth is that THING doing here? It's a wanted animal" Draco cried indignantly.
"Not anymore he's not!" Hermione replied joining Harry "Besides what are you going to do? Tell your father?"
Draco looked absolutely furious but he left without another word closely followed by Pansy Parkinson.
"Right that's it for today class" Hagrid called cheerfully. "Just pop your Carbuncles back in to their baskets if you haven't already managed it and latch the lids down. Homework is to read up on Garuda birds for the next lesson".
"Has he been okay?" Harry asked Hagrid after everyone else had left except for Ron and Hermione.
"Well he has been pining a bit, sniffing the air and wandering a lot but all the same, I think he's glad to be home. And I missed you something rotten, didn't I Beaky!" Hagrid patted Buckbeak vigorously but then turned his attention back to Harry.
"I have to admit; I 'alf expected you to turn up on my doorstep last night 'arry".
Harry looked away from Hagrid and carried on stroking Buckbeak. "Creeping around isn't such a good idea anymore Hagrid. I don't want anyone else to get hurt because of me".
"Now you hang on just one minute Harry" Hagrid looked astonished "What happened to Sirius was not your fault, not one little bit. Don't tell me that's what you've been thinking all summer?"
"If I hadn't have rushed off …" Harry started but didn't finish because Hermione shouted over him.
"YOU didn't make Sirius leave the house, and YOU didn't make Bellatrix fire a curse at him. He KNEW he wasn't supposed to leave the house but he did it anyway and nothing can change that. And Sirius wouldn't want you blaming yourself for what happened either".
"No he wouldn't, well said Hermione. Sirius wouldn't want people moping, he'd want action!" Hagrid said enthusiastically then hesitated as he realised. "Oh I shouldn't have said that … um what I meant was he'd want revenge … oh um".
Hermione jumped in quickly again "He'd want Dumbledore and the Order to take action, safe action Harry which is what Dumbledore has been doing. Dumbledore will stop them, he has too. He's the only one that can".
Harry stared glumly at the floor knowing this wasn't true. It wasn't Dumbledore who would have to fight Voldemort it was him, Harry, and he didn't have a clue how he was going to be able to do it. He still hadn't told the others about the prophecy and from Hagrid's face it was pretty clear that he didn't know about it either. 'Great man Dumbledore' Hagrid was repeating as he fed Buckbeak a dead ferret. Harry knew he wasn't ready to tell them about it yet either so he let it drop.
Uncomfortable with the silence, Ron changed the subject. "So … what you been up to over the summer Hagrid? Any more mountain trips?"
"No Dumbledore's handling that now; I've been busy here, lots to get ready for yer new term".
"Dumbledore's been to see the giants then?" Hermione asked.
"Well no I didn't say that did I".
"But he hasn't given up on making an alliance with them then?" Harry asked.
"Ah well Dumbledore's a powerful wizard and he won't give up on anything. You should have learnt that by now".
"Well what about the Goblins then?" Hermione persisted.
"Goblins! How'd you now about that? That's top secret that is. Don't you go shouting about that. Get us in to trouble that would. Some peoples are more scared of goblins fighting us than meeting a dementor".
"Well that is just stupid" Harry said sarcastically.
"Well you and me knows that firsthand Harry, but that's just the way it is. Fear is a powerful feeling to overcome".
"That's what Bill said" Hermione added.
"you've been talking to Bill too have you? Who else have you been chatting too?" Hagrid asked looking concerned.
"Just you too" Ron promised. "We're not stupid you know".
"Well just you be careful" Hagrid explained "these days you never know who might be listening. Oh which reminds me! There's someone else really looking forward to seeing you all, especially you Hermione! Or should I saw Herme!"
"Oh no" Hermione shuddered as Hagrid beamed at her. "Don't tell me you still have Grawp here!"
"Yeah of course, where else would he be! He's comin' on in leaps and bounds too, and Dumbledore's helping. His English is much better and he keeps saying he wants to play with Herme. He was dead excited when I said you'd be back this week".
"Oh great!" Hermione said very unenthusiastically as Harry laughed. Ron not having met Grawp wasn't quite sure what to say. Harry and Hermione had told him all about Hagrid's little brother but he wasn't all that keen on meeting a proper giant after all he had read about them; even if Grawp had been tamed.
"Right come on you three, better hurry if you want to make your next lesson on time. I don't think Professor Mcgonagall will be too happy if your late".
And she wasn't either when they burst in five minutes late gasping for breath and looking dishevelled having run all the way there. It didn't matter that they lost five house points each though because Hermione made them back up again answering the questions Mcgonagall set the class.
As Harry sat down to dinner in the Great hall he and Ron decided it had been a good first day back and was only going to get better with Quidditch tryouts in an hour too. Harry's happiness was short lived however, as just as he got up to go and get ready, Professor Snape crossed the Hall from the teachers table and came straight towards him.
"Evening Potter I trust you had a pleasant holiday" he sneered looking down at Harry contemptuously. "as much as it displeases me, your presence requested in my dungeon at seven o'clock tomorrow evening to continue your remedial potions lessons. Professor Dumbledores orders I'm afraid. Make sure you arrive on time!" Having announced this loudly enough for most of the Gryffindor table to hear, Professor Snape sauntered off to the Slytherin table.
"Geez Harry, that's really harsh" Dean said sympathetically "and we haven't even had a normal potions lesson yet and your not that bad!".
Harry just shrugged as none of the other students knew he was actually having occlumency lessons. He left the Hall soon after that with Ron and Hermione who, annoyingly for Harry, kept insisting the sooner he started the lessons again the better.