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CHAPTER 9
Ron found it interesting how each school term seemed to start out a little shaky before finding its own rhythm, but once the rhythm was found, time seemed to get carried away with itself. This term had found its rhythm by the second week of school, and Ron had never felt so busy in his entire life.
Being Quidditch captain meant that he was in charge of scheduling the practices. So, Ron tried to schedule two to three practices each week. Harry, of course, had Occlumency lessons with Dumbledore on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights. Therefore, Ron usually chose early evenings for practice time.
In Potions, Snape gave them a new essay to work on each week, although Ron never complained about these. If he did, Harry would remind him that he had two classes with Snape, thus two essays each week. Transfiguration and Charms remained about the same as previous years. However, Sinistra's Healing class was becoming more advanced each week. Hermione was absolutely fantastic at Healing, much better than him or Harry. Ron actually suggested to her that she might want to consider being a Healer, but she had said that, for her, healing was only a necessity for emergencies.
Then, in addition to their regular class work, they also had the Biweekly Defense classes and their N.E.W.T. classes, which all seemed to be getting increasingly more difficult.
Madam Hooch was really a great teacher…until someone asked her about Quidditch. The students in Geography of the Magical World soon discovered that if they weren't in the mood to hear one of her lectures, all they had to do was say, "Madam Hooch, does this area of the world have Quidditch, as well?" And, whether or not the area had Quidditch, Madam Hooch would immediately become sidetracked onto one of her exciting stories of her favorite sport. It was incredible to be able to hear the stories, but she would still assign homework over what she should have taught each day, even if she didn't get around to teaching it. So, Ron was oftentimes forced to read through his Geography textbook extensively to be able to do his work.
Madam Bones, on the other hand, never became sidetracked, which Ron couldn't decide if he liked better or worse. She stuck to her lesson plans perfectly, and assigned at least a small bit of homework after every class. She was a very good teacher and managed to hold Ron's attention, but there was only so much a person could hear about Magical Law before they wanted to kick something.
Ron continued to sit with Susan Bones. He hadn't told Susan that Hermione had overheard and misinterpreted their conversation in Dervish and Banges. He felt that it would be betraying Hermione's trust because he knew that she had been a bit embarrassed about it. Instead he just told Susan how much Hermione had liked the book on Unicorns. Something about the expression on Susan's face after he'd told her this, made Ron wonder if she still didn't really believe him when he said that he and Hermione were only friends.
Ron and Harry soon learned to look forward to each of their Biweekly Defense classes. Hermione knew that they were necessary and helpful, but she always seemed so nervous before these classes. Ron didn't really understand why either. He knew she was a powerful witch. She should be able to do all of the spells that he could, but Ron and Harry both performed better than Hermione in Defense Against the Dark Arts.
Professor Flitwick taught them basic dueling techniques, such as Stupefy, since he had been a dueling champion in his younger days. Ron wished he would teach them some advanced practices, but Harry didn't seemed to be bothered with learning the basic spells. Whenever Ron would complain, Harry would just say something like, 'Basics are a good foundation,' or 'Everything has to start with basics.' It was kind of annoying, but Hermione agreed with Harry, so Ron never made retorts to these comments.
Snape was exceptionally arrogant now that he finally got to teach a bit of Defense Against the Dark Arts. Luckily, however, he seemed to be ignoring Harry this year instead of using every opportunity to insult or degrade him. Snape also allowed the students to choose their own partners, so Harry and Ron were always together. Hermione, however, partnered with Neville. Ron admitted to himself that it did make him a bit jealous, but Neville was never anything but friendly to Hermione. The only thing about the partners in Snape's class was that they weren't necessary. The only thing Snape ever taught was different methods of blocking the three Unforgivable Curses. Obviously, the students couldn't practice any of the blocking spells on each other, seeing as they couldn't cast the Unforgivable Curses in the middle of class. Also, Ron had thought that Avada Kedavra couldn't be blocked to begin with. That's what the fake Mad-Eye had said, but Snape would rant on and on about how no one could know that for sure because it wasn't something that could be tested safely. Hermione had pointed out that she knew of someone that had survived the spell. Ron had been surprised at her tenacity, but luckily Snape had simply ignored the comment.
McGonagall, however, was by far Ron, Harry, and Hermione's favorite Biweekly Defense teacher. She seemed to strive to give them challenging spells and charms, and she hadn't used Transfiguration in any of the classes yet, which had thrilled Ron and Harry. Although, Hermione had been a bit disappointed.
On top of the stress of classes and Quidditch practices, Ron had also begun worrying about Harry. He seemed to be avoiding him and Hermione. When the three of them weren't in classes or in the Great Hall eating, they hardly saw him. Of course, he did have Occlumency, but when he wasn't doing that, he would leave the common room to go 'walking' or 'flying.' Was he worried about the prophecy? Ron thought about the damn thing at least once every day…surely Harry did too. Ron wished that he and Hermione could talk about the prophecy and their feelings on it, but since Hermione's feelings were, 'Say the word prophecy and you shall feel my wrath,' there was absolutely no use in even mentioning it.
Maybe Ron was just worrying too much, but he also felt as though something should have happened by now. He would never vocalize this feeling to Harry or Hermione, but Ron truly didn't understand what Voldemort was waiting for. Everyone in the Wizarding world knew that Voldemort was back. Voldemort should have made his next move since the Department of Mysteries, shouldn't he? But to Ron's knowledge, not even a Death Eater had been spotted since. What did that mean exactly? Was it a good thing? Or did it mean that Voldemort was planning something big?
Whatever Voldemort might be up to, Ron needed to forget about it for today. It was already mid-October, and Ron needed to prepare himself for McGonagall's third Biweekly Defense class of the term. They had learned how to cast the Disillusionment Charm, which Harry said Mad-Eye Moody had used on him last year. It made you appear to be invisible by allowing you to blend in to your surroundings. For the next lesson, McGonagall taught them how to expel large bits of black smoke from their wand tips, which would aid them in an escape. What might she teach them today? Hopefully some advanced dueling. If Flitwick wasn't going to share his knowledge, maybe McGonagall would.
Inside the Transfiguration classroom, all the students were milling about, mingling. All the desks had been removed, as they had been the previous times. The Transfiguration classroom was much bigger than Ron had realized. Ron, Harry, and Hermione had chosen a back corner to stand in while they awaited Professor McGonagall. As always at the beginning of one of the Biweekly Defense classes, there seemed to be a definite excited feeling emanating throughout the classroom. Of course there is, Ron thought, I'm not the only one worried about Voldemort these days.
"So, what do you think old McGonagall has in store for us?" Ron asked apprehensively to his two friends. He was always slightly anxious abouther lessons. McGonagall had told the class two weeks ago that they should come to class prepared for today, mentally and physically. Apparently they would be learning a fairly difficult bit of magic today. What if he screwed it up?
"Do you think we'll duel, Harry? Oh, I'm not sure I'd like that. I do hope we learn something useful, though." Hermione said excitedly. Ron tried to hold back a smile; she was so adorable when she was excited about learning…mental, but adorable.
"Hermione, your role model is teaching the class. Haven't you approved of her last two lessons?" Ron asked jokingly. Harry chuckled, but Hermione ignored him. Professor McGonagall had just walked into the room and everyone had fallen silent.
"Good afternoon. Today we are going to learn a shield charm." McGonagall said promptly. "Okay, everyone pair off. Mr. Potter to the front, please."
Without so much as a glance at Ron or Hermione, Harry walked straight to the front of the classroom and stood beside McGonagall. Ron looked over at Hermione, who looked as confused as he felt. Harry hadn't even seemed a bit surprised that McGonagall had called him to the front. Hermione took a few steps closer to Ron.
"Partner with me, please. Idon't know if I canhandle another class with Neville." Hermione whispered urgently. He couldn't suppress a grin, as he nodded. Earlier that day in potions, Neville had almost added twice the amount of Valerian root to their sleeping drought. If Hermione hadn't caught him, it would have been the first time Hermione wouldn't have had a passing potion to turn in.
At the front of the room, McGonagall was saying something very low to Harry. Harry nodded and took a few steps back from McGonagall, taking his wand out. "Alright then…Mr. Potter and I will illustrate what a proper shield should look like." She said to the class, before turning to Harry, "Ready?" She asked. Harry nodded, taking a defensive stance.
McGonagall then raised her own wand and uttered, 'Expelliarmus' at the same time that Harry whispered something. Everything happened in a matter of seconds, but Ron had seen it. A bright white, transparent globe of light encircled Harry's entire form, as a blue light shot out of McGonagall's wand. When her spell came in contact with Harry's shield, it turned purple and retreated back to McGonagall, whose wand was then knocked from her hand.
The contact of McGonagall's spell to Harry's shield had made a loud crackling noise, which had caused many students throughout the room to jump or gasp…or in Hermione's case, both.
"Ron!" Hermione whispered, "How did Harry do that on the first try? Shield Charms are really hard to master!" Ron just shrugged.
Oh great! Ron thought. If Hermione thinks they're really hard to master, I may never get one right! Harry lowered his wand and the white globe disappeared in a mist-like vapor. Harry then just stood there at the front of the classroom breathing slightly heavily but not looking at Ron or Hermione. After retrieving her wand, McGonagall stepped forward to address the class.
"Now, before you begin casting Expelliarmus on one another, I want you and your partner to practice making your own individual shields. The incantation is Lumen Contego. This shield can be used against any offensive spell, and will always lessen the blast, but it is not impenetrable. It is only impenetrable against a spell of lesser strength; one of equal or greater strength can still harm you. Only when you've accomplished some semblance of a shield may you try to disarm one another. And, don't worry if yours doesn't look quite like Mr. Potters; his shield was quite strong. Mr. Potter and I will be walking around and answering any questions you may have throughout the class period. Remember, Lumen Contego. Begin."
"Ron." Hermione said urgently. Ron looked down to see Hermione using her finger to motion for him to lean down. When he did, she whispered fretfully, "Ron, it's almost as if McGonagall knew Harry could make that shield."
"I don't know, Hermione. Harry can do everything. Why wouldn't he be able to make one?" Ron hadn't meant to sound so snippy. He hated being jealous of Harry's skill…but sometimes he was. Ron wanted to be able to fend for himself, fight the enemy, and protect others when in a dangerous spot…he didn't want to have to lean on anyone else's abilities.
Hermione leaned away from him with a hurt expression before quickly scowling at him. "Just forget it." She turned her back to him and retrieved her wand from the inside of her robes. She began uttering the incantation, but nothing was happening.
Ron reluctantly pulled his wand from his robes, feeling both jealousy toward Harry and guilt for snapping at Hermione. With a sigh, he took a semi-defensive stance. "Lumen Contego." He said blandly. Nothing. "Lumen Contego." Nothing. "Lumen Contego." Nothing.
Ron glanced over at Hermione and saw that a tiny wisp of white light was coming out of the end of her wand. The same wisp was emitting from some of the other students' wands as well. Now Ron was beginning to get angry with himself. "Lumen Contego." Nothing!
"You're not concentrating." Ron turned around to see Harry standing behind him. He had an apologetic look on his face, but his tone was serious. "You're not thinking about making a shield. You're thinking about something else."
Ron was about to defend himself when he heard a crackling noise from one corner of the room, followed by a giddy squeal. He turned to see Lavender Brown halfway surrounded by a faint, misty light, her partner, Parvati, jumping up and down. Hermione still had a tiny wisp coming from her wand, and she rolled her eyes in Lavender's direction.
"I'm trying, Harry." Ron grumbled. He wished Harry would just go away.
"Hermione's not really concentrating either." Harry said ignoring Ron's comment. And then in a very serious tone, "It's really important to me that you two learn this charm. It's the strongest blocking charm we've been taught all term." Harry glanced over at Hermione, who was still trying fruitlessly to form a proper shield, and then he whispered to Ron. "When I make mine, I…I picture you and Hermione in trouble…"
Ron looked up at his best friend. Harry's eyes looked serious, yet sad. Something pulled on Ron's heart as he looked at Harry. He felt intense guilt for his jealousy. He should be glad that Harry was such a skilled Wizard, because in the end…he had to be. With new incentive, Ron nodded and turned to where he could see Hermione. Then, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he pictured her in trouble. It wasn't difficult because he had thought about it a lot since the Department of Mysteries. There she was, sitting at home or outside on the Hogwart's grounds…when suddenly a Death Eater appears. Dolohov…Ron opened his eyes and looked at Hermione, raising his wand.
"Lumen Contego." Ron immediately felt a rush of cold air sweep through him and a small white light came out of his wand.
"Lumen Contego." He said more loudly. The cold came again, but this time it remained and a white light encircled him. It wasn't as bright as Harry's, but it was much stronger than Lavender's. A smile spread across his lips as Hermione turned to look at him with surprise. He lowered his wand and he immediately felt the cold leave him; he now felt tingly and warm.
"Brilliant." Harry said smiling. He patted him hard on the back and resumed his walking about the students. Ron saw McGonagall cast him a thin-mouthed smile from across the room. Hermione came over to stand beside him.
"Wow, Ron! That was fantastic!" She said brightly; though she looked a bit envious. "I haven't been able to do it yet…"
Suddenly Ron's proud feeling began to ebb away as the image of Hermione in trouble flashed across his mind again. "Hermione, try again." She shook her head.
"Later. Let's test out your shield first." She stepped away from him and pointed her wand in his direction. Ron would rather her try to make the shield, but he consented.
Looking into her eyes, Ron held up his wand, "Lumen Contego." The shield appeared again. This time Ron thought it might've even been a little brighter.
"Expelliarmus!" He heard Hermione exclaim. Then he saw a blue light flash in front of his shield, followed by a purple light, a brief feeling of warmth to interrupt the cold, and a crackling noise. Ron lowered his wand to see Hermione smiling and nodding approvingly. Maybe he wasn't a complete screw up.
Hermione left Transfiguration feeling like a complete idiot. When it came to Defense Against the Dark Arts, she never felt competent or confident. At the Department of Mysteries, every spell she cast was cast out of desperation. There were probably tons of other spells that would have been immensely useful to her, but she hadn't known any of them. And, now that she was being taught wonderful defense techniques, she could not seem to perform them. What was the matter with her? She knew that she was strong enough to conjure McGonagall's light shield. Why couldn't she focus? Maybe she should speak to Professor McGonagall about it.
The class that Hermione did seem to have a true knack for was Healing…and Hermione thought she knew why. Every time Sinistra taught them something knew, Hermione would force herself to accept the fact that these spells may be necessary to use on Ron or Harry in the near future. There was no way she was going to find herself in a situation like that at the Department of Mysteries without knowing how to help her two friends if they became injured.
So, the following day, Hermione went to Healing class determined to master whatever new technique Sinistra had in store for them. By now, Hermione knew how to heal minor bruises, cuts, and burns, how to set broken bones, and how to reset dislocated joints. Today, however, they were going to be learning how to remove pieces of foreign debris from wounds.
"So, what debris do you think we'll have to extract from the Baccaberry Hares?" Hermione asked excitedly before Sinistra arrived to the classroom. Harry had his head down on the sterile white table and Ron was leaning back on the back legs of his chair.
"Hmm." Ron looked over at her with a mock-serious expression. "I don't know. Probably something really dangerous…like…an incomplete homework or a failing grade…"
Harry raised his head from the table to smirk at Hermione, while Ron continued to hold his serious demeanor. Hermione simply smiled back sweetly. "You do know that you are in a very vulnerable position, don't you?"
Ron leaned forward to put all four chair legs safely on the ground. He looked as if he might have a smart retort for her comment, but he didn't get the opportunity to say it. Professor Sinistra walked into the room in her black robes, her heels clicking quickly on the floor as she went to the front of the room. She had on dark blue lipstick and fingernail polish today. On anyone else, Hermione would have thought it silly, but Sinistra somehow looked natural with it.
"Good morning, everyone." She said in her soft, soothing voice. Something about her voice sent chills down Hermione's spine. It wasn't really bad, just…eerie. "I announced last class that we would be removing foreign debris from minor to severe wounds. The foreign matter might be bits of wood, metal, or anything that is not supposed to be lodged in one's skin. The incantation we will be learning removes the foreign object completely when done correctly. Some healers, not focusing on the task, have been known to only remove half of the matter and not realize until they've already sealed the wound. So, this requires full concentration. I have given the Baccaberry Hares a tablet to dye their bodily secretions from clear to red, in order to increase the authenticity of the situation."
"Excuse me."
Hermione turned around in her seat to see Marietta Edgecombe sitting primly in her seat with her hand raised. Professor Sinistra had a blank look on her face. "Yes?" She said blandly.
Marietta shifted uncomfortably in her seat and wrinkled her nose. "Well, I was just wondering if you knew of a spell that could dye blood a different color…you know, like blue? Or, I don't know, just something prettier. Because, well…I just don't know if I can stomach red blood."
Hermione saw Ron raise his fist to his nose to stifle a snort that he couldn't contain. Harry had a completely blank look on his face. A muscle in Sinistra's jaw twitched slightly as she gazed at Marietta with an expressionless stare. Hermione could not believe that anyone would ask such a trivial question. Of course, Hermione was thankful for the Baccaberry Hare's clear secretions. But in a true emergency, the color of blood would be the last thing on her mind. Especially if the blood were Ron or Harry's.
"Miss Edgecombe," Sinistra began calmly, "Let me ask you…if someone was in need of medical attention, and you were the only one available to help, would you honestly dye their blood blue before consenting to operate on them?"
Marietta scoffed, "Well…yeah. Or purple…" A few people in the room began chuckling at this remark. Harry slapped his forehead with one hand before lying his head down on the tabletop. Ron actually spun around in his seat so fast to gape at the girl that Hermione heard his neck and back pop a few times.
Sinistra didn't appear to be shocked or amused, however…she looked closer to disgusted. "In answer to your question, Miss Edgecombe, yes. I do know of a spell that can dye blood blue…along with orange, magenta, periwinkle, and mauve." Sinistra then levitated the box of hares from the back of the classroom to the front without another glance in Marietta's direction. "Each hare already has a small twig lodged into its leg. Now, come retrieve your hares and I will then continue to walk you through the process of extracting the debris."
After every table had one hare for each student, Sinistra went into a thorough explanation of the proper way to extract the debris and clean and dress the wound. She said that the Mending Charm, Resarcio, would not work on a major wound, and that most wounds caused by debris were major.
The red dye seemed to work very well at making the exercise seem more realistic. A couple of people had to be excused from the classroom, neither of which were Marietta. However, she did say 'ew' about twenty-seven times. Hermione wished she could have used the Silencing Charm on her. By the end of the class period, Hermione, Ron, and Harry had each managed to extract twigs from their hares. They had done a very nice job, too. And, as they were packing up their satchels to leave, Hermione complimented both of her friends for their achievements, silently hoping that none of them would ever have to use this Healing spell, yet all the same, glad that they could.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm very sorry that it has taken me longer to submit this, not very romantic, chapter. From the reviews,I can tell that some of you are getting antsy for some love confessions...well, hang in there b/c I'm too much of a romantic to wait much longer!Believe me when I say that our trio's yearonly getsmore interesting... I'm off to work on the next chapter, and thanks again to the reviewers! I love reading what you have to say!Please continue to read and enjoy!