Tonks and Solieyu looked up from the game of Exploding Snap they were playing. Or rather, the game that Tonks had annoyed Solieyu into playing with her. They were sitting in front of the chair that Harry usually occupied. The boy had been staring off into space for nearly half an hour before speaking. In fact, just as he spoke, Tonks was making a move in the game. The result of this, of course, was a lot of exploding.
Coughing, Tonks glared at her friend before replying, "Which two? Divination and Care of Magical Creatures?"
"Mm. Trelawney's absolutely batty and quite frankly, I'd rather not have to deal with both Hagrid and his mad menagerie." Harry said.
"A bit late for it, don't you think?" Solieyu asked, wiping his face clean. "I don't think you'll be allowed to switch classes."
"I care try." Harry said, a scowl on his face.
"Well you'll have to take something in their places." Tonks said. "Anything planned there?"
"I'd like to look into Arithmancy, to be quite honest." Harry admitted.
"Ugh. I know we're Ravenclaws and all, but that's still more thinking than I'd like to put in. Never was good with numbers." Tonks said.
"Anything else? You could probably take Muggle Studies and have an easy time of it." Said Solieyu. "...Meaning you'll probably take Ancient Runes and be done with it,right?"
Harry smiled.
"You know how bad the homework'll get in a few years, right?" Tonks asked, sweeping up the mess of cards. "And if neither of us try to transfer out, you won't have anyone to study with."
"I'll work something out." Harry said. "Besides, both subjects seem more interesting to me. I don't plan on taming dragons in the future. Nor do I plan to woo Muggles by pretending to be a spiritual medium. Besides, you two have seen my acting skills. I'd probably go on television, make an arse of myself, and get outted by some random skeptic."
There was a pause.
"In any case, I'm not going back to either class. I've killed Voldemort ... what, one proper times and then two half-assed versions of him? I've said the school both times. I don't think they're gonna say no to a simple class transfer. And if they do, I'll raise unholy hell."
oOoOoOoOoOoOo
As it happened, Harry didn't need to throw any fits or call the staff on his saving their asses twice in a row now. After a lengthy discussion with Professor Flitwick, Harry was happily freed from both Divination and Care of Magical Creatures. Hagrid might have liked Harry being around, but Harry still couldn't shake the thought that it was because of that man that he had spent so many years being tortured at the hands of those supposed to be his family.
Harry had also been scheduled to speak with the professors of the classes he would be transferring into. Neither had any objections, as it was still so early in the school year, and Harry was able to catch up on the reading almost immediately. Things went smoothly for the next few days. Tonks and Solieyu were the first to catch Malfoy after the Buckbeak incident - they reported that he was hamming up his injury as expected.
Slytherins, in fact, were the only part of his new classes that he didn't like. Harry knew that both classes were much more important in the grand scheme of things than the two he had dropped, and shouldn't have been surprised at just how many Slytherins were in them. An almost abnormal amount of Slytherins were in Arithmancy. The amount in Ancient Runes was thankfully smaller, though it did have one drawback that Arithmancy didn't - Pansy Parkinson.
Harry tried to focus on his work, but Pansy seemed to be much more adept at distracting him than Malfoy was. Harry didn't quite know how to wrap his brain around that one. She somehow managed to slip a good volley of magical fire curses at Harry's robes while Professor Graves' back was turned. Harry had managed to banish the flames before they could do anything, but it was the principle of the matter. Malfoy was more into bad pranks and outright sabotage. Pansy was trying to immolate him.
After a few days of this type of attack, Harry stormed into the Great Hall and made a bee-line for the Gryffindor table. Standing in front of Fred and George, who he had detailed matters to after the first attack, he gritted his teeth and let loose a single command: "Strike."
And strike the twins did. The following day, Pansy didn't show up to Ancient Runes, much to Harry's relief. Unfortunately, as he was leaving the classroom, she sprung from the shadows of a nearby doorway. Not expecting an ambush, Harry was caught offguard and pulled inside the small room she had been waiting in.
"What the hell are-- whoa." Harry began. He stopped when he got a good look at just what the Weasleys had done to her.
Pansy's hair was neon yellow and spiked more than Harry thought would be possible. Her left eye was pink and her right was rainbow-colored. Her skin had a distinctly green tint to it, almost as if she had been getting sick. Her fingers were gnarled and covered in warts, looking like a stereotypical fairy tale witch's would. When she snarled at him, Harry could see that her teeth had become discolored and broken.
Pansy Parkinson was not a happy camper.
"YOU..." Pansy began, seething as she tried to form a coherent sentence.
"Yes, me." Harry replied. "You know, the one you've been trying to light on fire the whole time I've been in Ancient Runes."
Her left eye twitching in an interesting way, Pansy quickly closed the distance between the two of them and, seemingly in one breath, exploded. "If you don't find your two helper monkeys and get them to reverse the damage they've done, I'll personally see to it that you're never able to have children, Potter! I will make it my life's goal to make you miserable every moment of every day you live! If I don't get changed back by sundown, I'll go straight to Snape with this. You might be exempt from being expelled from the school but those two Gryffindors certainly aren't! I won't be humiliated in such a manner, Potter! I did good to get here without being seen and I'm going to stay here until they come to fix things!"
Harry gaped at the girl for a moment. After he had processed everything she had just hissed at him, he made a face. "I know every single thing they did to you, Parkinson. And I can reverse the changes."
"Then change me back to normal!" Pansy yelled.
"What's the magic word?" Harry asked, eyes wide in mock innocence.
"Don't you play games with me, Potter!" Spat Pansy.
"If I wanted to play games with you, I'd have stunned you and floated you along behind me as I headed down for dinner." Harry replied in a dry tone. "You don't even have your wand our and you're throwing threats? Did you even notice me drawing my wand? Or my pointing it at you?"
Pansy's head jerked down. Sure enough, Harry had his wand drawn and aimed at her, though both his arms were still by his side.
"And," Harry added, before Pansy could say anything else, "Might I add that it's really hard to take death threats seriously from someone who looks like you do right now, you bloody pu--"
Harry wasn't able to finish the word, as he was too busy wheezing. Harry might have had his wand out, but he wasn't expecting Pansy to make such a cheap shot with her knee. Apparently, she took being called a pug VERY seriously. As Harry slumped back against a wall, wand clattering to the floor, he glared up at Pansy between coughing fits.
Squatting down, Pansy smiled unapologetically at him as he curled up. "What's wrong? Don't tell me that even the great Harry Potter is affected by a good, swift hit to the groin. Why, what would your fan club think?"
"They'd be jealous that you were the first one to come in contact with my bits and would promptly hunt you down and lynch you." Harry growled, trying to force himself into a sitting position.
Pansy twitched again. "If you even think about trying to twist this into something it's not, I'll..."
"Oh, relax." Harry hissed around a groan. "It's not like I want anyone to know you hit me there, either. But the twins are sure to notice something wrong with me."
For the first time since she had pulled him into the room, a brief look of horror dawned on Pansy's face. It was gone in an instant, though, replaced by cool indifference. "I've already told you what I would do if you didn't reverse the effects those two caused. If they attack me again, it'll only help my cause."
Leaning his head back and closing his eyes to try and concentrate on something other than the pain, Harry murmured, "You know, I could've helped you before... but I don't think I'm going to be doing much of anything for the rest of the day. Which means that unless I get the twins and ask them to change you back, you'll be stuck like that until the spells wear off."
"Then I'll keep you here until you are feeling up to it. Neither of us leave this room until I'm back to looking how I used to." Pansy declared, standing back up and walking over to the door. After throwing a few locking and silencing spells at it, she spun around and leaned back against it.
"I despise you. You DO know that, right?" Harry growled, grabbing his wand and slowly getting back to his feet.
"Well aware and proud, thank you." Pansy replied.
"Aren't afraid I'm gonna hex you into a coma?" Harry asked, smirking weakly.
"You just said that you wouldn't be doing much of anything the rest of the day. Idle threat, Potter."
"Wanna tempt fate?"
"I don't believe in fate." Pansy said, voice suddenly icy. "Now shut up and heal so you can fix me."
"I don't think Dumbledore could fix you." Harry muttered. "As for reversing the spells the twins hit you with, I'm still waiting for that magic word."
"You can't be serious."
Harry's smirk widened.
"I'm not saying 'please' to you." Pansy stated, crossing her arms.
"S'wrong, Parkinson? Scared to show a side that doesn't scream evil and pathetic?"
"Evil am I? And this 'prank' wasn't?"
"You kept slinging fire spells at me!" Harry cried.
"It was amusing." Pansy said, shrugging.
"And this was amusing to them." Harry retorted.
"Yes, but you could stop my spells." Pansy said, glaring at Harry once more. "I can't figure out what the hell those two have done to me, so I can't end them!"
"I daresay no one would be able to figure out their custom spells." Harry said. "I wouldn't if they didn't give me intimate detail about all the new stuff they think up."
"That's fascinating and all, Potter, but can we get back to the point here?" Pansy asked.
"Fine." Harry said, straightening up. He was still feeling the hurt, but at least he felt like he could end the twins' reign of terror without any side effects. Making a few wide waving motions, Harry mumbled something under his breath and a beam of silver light shot from the tip of his wand, striking Pansy in the chest. The Slytherin let out a surprised yelp, but stopped a hex in mid-cast when she saw that her hands were back to normal.
"...The rest of me better look normal, too." She said, tugging a strand of hair around to look at it. Sure enough, it was back to its original color. Which, at the very least, caused her to relax slightly.
"As normal as you ever did." Harry said, shrugging. "I'm not a miracle worker."
"Yes, now if only the rest of the world would take that stance on your abilities." Said Pansy, turning and despelling the door.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry asked, walking over as best he could.
"You know exactly what it means." Pansy replied. "You've had to have noticed how many people seem to be a part of your little fan club, Potter. Even you can't possibly be so blind as to miss it. It extends beyonds Hogwarts' grounds, you know. Sickening, really."
"I never asked for any of this!" Harry spat venomously, causing Pansy to jump slightly. "Do you think I like being targetted and singled out? Do you think it was fun to see Voldemort sticking out of Quirrell's head? Do you think it was fun being chased around by a dirty great snake? Do you think that it's nice knowing that Sirius Black is apparently out for my blood? Do you think I want throngs of fans screaming my name and asking for autographs, Parkinson?"
During his rant, Harry had acted similarly to Pansy, stalking forth and closing the gap between them. By the time he finished, his face was inches from hers. "Don't think you have me worked out. And don't you ever threaten me or my friends again. I've killed the Dark Lord you and your little parasite Housemates all look up to on three occasions now. Do you really think any of you pose a serious threat to me?"
Harry had never blown up at anyone before, much less some stupid Slytherin who happened to get in a cheap shot. But, as he stood there fuming, enjoying the look of sheer shock on Pansy's face, he felt something lift from his chest. Something he figured had been building up for awhile. And, unable to find an outlet, it had just kept bottled up.
"Move, Pansy." Harry whispered. The use of her first name more than the quiet tone he had used caused the girl to jump out of her shock. She did as he commanded, stepping off to the side and allowing him to freely exit the room. As he opened the door, he glanced aside at her and, before leaving, added, "And you're welcome."
oOoOoOoOoOoOo
Harry's encounter with Pansy Parkinson had shot his entire week to hell. Tonks had tried getting him to tell them what was wrong the rest of the day, but he remained silent on the matter. He remained silent in general, as well, and seemed to slip into a daze when no one was speaking with him. When someone would shake him out of his trance and ask if he was okay, he would simply shrug in reply.
The following day, it was the first proper Defense Against the Dark Arts class. They had spent a few days going over what they should have rightly known by that point. It was a blissfully small amount of knowledge, mostly dealing with small monsters and the like. But when Lupin made the jump to the third years' proper work, it was noticable. Though he tried to hide it behind a type of game, Harry could see through the man's attempts at keeping things from becoming too much like they had been in previous years.
"You may have noticed," Lupin began, putting a hand on an old dresser that was on its last legs. "That I've moved the desks to the side of the classroom. You've probably seen this dresser moving slightly. Would anyone care to guess what might be inside of it?"
A smattering of hands went into the air. One of them being Neville Longbottom's. Since Lupin had a lot to cover in a short period of time, it had been decided that classes would double-up until they were properly in their third year studies. Ravenclaw was thankfully paired with Gryffindor, while the poor Hufflepuffs were forced to deal with the Slytherins.
"Yes, Mr. Longbottom?" Lupin said, nodding to the boy.
"Is it a boggart...?" Neville asked.
Lupin smiled. "Indeed it is. How did you know?"
"My gran found one in her closet once." Neville said, blinking wide eyes. "Not sure what she did with it, though..."
"Five points to Gryffindor. Now, can anyone else answer Neville for us? How might you go about getting rid of a boggart?"
Another small grouping of hands went up.
"Miss Granger?" Lupin said, nodding to her as he had to Neville.
"With the Riddikulus spell, sir." Hermione replied, quickly. She opened her mouth again, as if to continue further, but closed it and settled on looking satisfied. The side of Harry's mouth turned up. It was the first time he had seen or heard of Hermione Granger not spouting off an impressive amount of knowledge about something. She was just as smart as he was, if not smarter, and had really gained a lot of confidence in herself since their first year.
"Very good. Another five points to Gryffindor." Lupin said. And then, drawing his own wand, he continued, "The Riddikulus spell requires you to visualize your worst fear in an amusing way while speaking the incantation. For instance, if you were afraid of spiders, you could imagine a bright pink one with a large clown nose on its face. Makes the spider much less frightening... unless, of course, you have a natural fear of clowns."
Harry glanced aside at Tonks and Solieyu, then back to the Gryffindors. Ron Weasley, who had thankfully mellowed out a bit, was pale as could be. Harry smirked.
"Now then, we're going to face the boggart one at a time. When you step forward, the boggart will adjust itself to whatever you fear most and will then move towards you. After it takes shape, you're to imagine that form in a silly or amusing manner and cast the spell. If done correctly, the boggart should retreat and target someone else. We'll continue in this way until everyone has had a chance, at which point I will step in and finish it off. Remember - laughter is the key here. Don't be afraid. I won't let anything happen to any of you. Just concentrate and you'll do fine." Lupin said. "Now then, everybody line up. Once you've performed the spell, step to the side and let the next person move."
Harry purposely moved to the very back of the line. In addition to not wanting anyone freaking out over what his darkest fears might be, he wanted to absorb what everyone else was frightened of most. A few spots ahead of him, Tonks was murmuring what sounded like words of encouragement to a very shaky Neville Longbottom. Solieyu was looking almost bored, as if he had already prepared.
And so it went. The students took turns exposing their deepest fears and then turning them on their heads. Large dragons became stuffed animals, snakes bit their own tails and rolled around as wheels, and Professor Snape was outfitted in old lady garb. The class had a good, long laugh at that. And even Harry, through his bitter phase, managed to crack a grin. When Tonks stepped up, the boggart whirled around numerous times before taking shape. This time, Harry did laugh. The boggart looked exactly like Tonks did in her natural state, when her hair and eyes were their normal colors. Only she was dressed just like Neville's grandmother, as well.
"Shut up!" Tonks whined. "I couldn't help it! I blame YOU for this!" She said, pointing an accusing finger at Neville, who was biting back a laugh of his own. Pouting, she walked over to Harry and settled on punching him in the arm. "You aren't allowed to laugh."
"Sorry. It was the clothing that did it." Harry murmured, keeping his voice quiet enough so that only she could hear. "You know I think you look nice like that otherwise."
Tonks shrugged, then nudged Harry and motioned for him to pay attention again. Solieyu was stepping up. Once more, the boggart whirled around. This time, a large, war-scarred centaur was formed. It gnashed sharpened teeth down at Solieyu, who gave a look of mild indifference before performing the Riddikulus spell. The centaur's body was changed to that of a cow, with black spots, and a baby's pacifier popped into the creature's mouth. It blinked in surprise before resuming a shapeless form.
Harry's eyes were wide. The piece of the puzzle that Solieyu had ruthlessly kicked away from him over the summer did an about face and slammed back down. This time, however, things really did click. The potion, the lack of a transformation on the full moon, the weak stints... and now centaurs. Harry smirked triumphantly as Solieyu walked off to the side and back towards his friends. He caught Harry's eye and, with a nod,confirmed things. He then mouthed 'Halloween' and turned back to watch the next person challenge the boggart.
After a few more people, Harry was the only person left. Slipping his hands from his pocket and drawing his wand, Harry watched the boggart swirl about in midair. He looked off at Lupin, who looked tense. Harry couldn't blame him, really. Voldemort was probably going to form and scare the entire class half to death. But the Dark Lord wasn't what the boggart chose - it was a Dementor. Not prepared for the sudden rush of freezing cold air or the voices that were set off in his head, Harry stumbled backwards. Lupin rushed forward at the same time, roaring at the boggart to come to him, instead.
The boggart immediately changed into a glowing, white sphere that hovered high off the ground. The swarm of voices screaming in Harry's head subsided, leaving him with a migraine headache that showed no signs of going away. Lupin did as promised, finishing the boggart off. He then went to his desk and brought Harry a sizable portion of chocolate, ordering him to finish the whole thing before the end of class. Not really feeling hungry, Harry nibbled at it until the pain subsided enough for him to take larger bites.
Lupin asked for him to stay after class. So, as the others filed out, Harry walked up to the professor's desk.
"I thought your boggart would've been something else." Lupin commented.
"Voldemort. Yeah, me too." Harry said. "I guess it does make sense, though. I... I'm not sure why I just can't function around the Dementors..."
"You fear fear itself, Harry. There's no reason to question why. It's the most logical thing to be afraid of. Though I must admit, I've only seen a few have such a harsh reaction to them." Lupin said.
"I hear voices in my head when they're close." Harry said, not meeting Lupin's eyes. "I...I'm pretty sure it's my mum, yelling at Voldemort..."
"You heard Lily...?" Lupin asked, brow creased.
"I think so." Harry said. "...It's weird. I've wanted to hear her voice for so long. But not like this. Not hearing her final moments over and over again." He shuddered,then continued, "Professor... is there any way to... I dunno, banish a Dementor?"
"...Something like that." Lupin said, eyeing Harry cautiously. "But it's very advanced magic. Even full grown wizards have trouble learning it."
"Yes, well, I'm not exactly normal... I'd like to at least give it a shot. Can you teach me the spell, Professor?" Harry asked.
"I don't know, Harry. I'll have to speak with Professor Dumbledore about this." Lupin stated.
Harry nodded. "Please do. I can't keep getting hung up when they're around. I want to do something about it."
"I'll speak with him tonight then. But I promise nothing, Harry. Understood?"
"Yes, sir. Thank you."
Lupin nodded. "You're free to go now, Harry."
Harry nodded as well, turning and heading for the door. Before he left, he looked over his shoulder and said, "And Professor? Thanks for getting it away from me. It was bad enough on the train. I didn't need to black out in front of everyone like that."
oOoOoOoOoOoOo
Sighing, Harry climbed the stairs, heading back towards Ravenclaw Tower. He had told Tonks and Solieyu to go on ahead of him. The chocolate had definitely helped him out, but he still had a faint buzzing in his head and a slight pressure behind his eyes that just refused to go away. Climbing the stairs wasn't exactly helping, either. His week just wasn't going on very well and, mentally laughing, Harry wondered if Sirius Black was going to attack somehow before it was over.
So off in his thoughts was he that he didn't notice someone storming up behind him. It wasn't until he got shoved into an empty classroom that he snapped back to reality, instinctively pulling his wand and rounding on his attacker.
"...Parkinson? Damn it all, I've had a bad day. What do you want?" Harry groused.
"I want you to keep away from me." Pansy stated.
Harry boggled. "You want me to keep away from you. So you push me into a classroom and shut the door behind us? Well, I can see why you weren't sorted into Ravenclaw."
"And may we all be thankful for that." Pansy spat. She walked up to Harry and jabbed him sharply in the chest. "You get the point, Potter. You and your little gang of suckups keep away from me. Got it?"
"Suckups? I'm not like your dear Draco, Parkinson." Harry said, swatting her hand away. "I'm actually nice to the people around me."
"Whatever you'd like to fool yourself into believing, Potter." Pansy said. "Just keep clear."
"Parkinson, if I never had to look at your face again, I would perform a little jig in front of the entire blasted school." Harry stated. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I was on my way back to the common room when you so rudely sidetracked me."
"Not so fast! I'm not letting you get in the last word twice!" Pansy snarled, rounding on Harry and pushing him back into the wall, her wand drawn and trained on his chest. "You aren't going to dress me down then leave again! Don't think you're the only one who people can't work out, Potter. You aren't the only person here who wishes they could escape the life they've been thrown into. So don't you DARE talk down to me! And don't you ever assume anything about me again or I'll make sure you regret it!"
"Oh? And what did I assume incorrectly? That you look like a pug? That you're self-centered? That you'd fit right in amongst Voldemort's other faceless drones? I bet that if he magically came back to life, you'd be one of the first people kneeling before him." Harry spat back, having no intention of stepping down and letting the Slytherin girl yell at him.
"And I suppose you would be there the moment he returned, waiting to once more smite him in the name of holy justice or whatever. Right?" Pansy asked, smiling sweetly at Harry.
"It's not my fault the idiot keeps finding me!" Harry cried. "If I could go the rest of my life without you or Voldemort, not only would I do a stupid little jig in front of the entire school, I'd let Fred and George pick my outfit!"
"Yes, I'm sure you'd just love to have a nice, peaceful life, wouldn't you, Potter?" Pansy began. "I suggest you stop trying to live in your own little pocket of space. Life isn't fair and the sooner you own up to that, the sooner you can see reality for what it is. Not everyone has a choice in the path they get set on."
"I thought you didn't believe in fate." Harry commented. "If you see a lack of options, you've only got one path to follow. And if you don't try and break free from that path,you're following right into fate's plan."
Pansy looked at Harry strangely for a moment before narrowing her eyes. "It must be nice to be able to think like that. Maybe you will be there to stop him."
"Whether I want to or not, probably." Harry said, shrugging. "Unlike you, I put others before my own well-being. I'd risk my own life to save anyone, regardless of who it was."
"Even me, Potter?" Pansy asked, smirking.
"Even you." Harry replied. The lack of even a moment's hesitation caught Pansy offguard. And, for the briefest of moments, Harry thought he saw something reflected in the girl's eyes. "Feeling alright, Parkinson? You don't look well."
Pansy shook her head. "You don't know what you're saying, Potter." She said, sounding tired all of a sudden. "You act like you'll always be able to save the day. What happens when you can't? Then you'll have died for no reason."
Harry smiled. "If I die protecting my friends, then that's reason enough. I've looked death in the face more times than I'd care to admit... especially to you. Don't think Voldemort's the only person who's tried to kill me, Parkinson. You'd be surprised how many times I've been close enough to death that I could almost see the other side."
"What are you going on about?" Pansy asked.
"I'm not going further into it with you." Harry stated. "That you know this much is uncomfortable for me."
"Then why tell me?"
Harry shrugged. "I'm not sure. I know it's pointless trying to explain something like this to someone like you. You'd just as soon escape the battle and save your own life than stay behind and die protecting someone you love."
"Watch your bloody mouth, Potter." Pansy hissed out. "Don't act like you know what I'd do if I was cornered."
"It's pointless, anyway." Harry said. "As I doubt you'll ever know what it's like to truly care about someone else. Let alone to the point of loving them. I've found that Slytherins seem to care about themselves first and foremost, after all."
"So being in Slytherin means automatically giving up your own feelings and emotions for some kind of collective?" Pansy asked. "Is that what you really think?"
"I've yet to see proof showing me otherwise." Harry said, raising his eyebrows.
Pansy glared daggers at him and stalked forward.
Harry Potter had been having a very odd, very trying week. He had been in a bad mood for most of it and had spent the rest in a baffled state, trying to work various things out. And all the while, Dementors and the ever-possible threat of Sirius Black loomed over his head. All he wanted was to sit down in his chair in the common room, grab a nice,long book, and just lose himself in his reading.
Harry was glad for one thing, though. He was glad that, in the past, he had kissed Tonks. It might not have been the most elegant or romantic of kisses, and it certainly wasn't a proper kiss, but it had happened. And Harry was thanking Merlin, the four founders of Hogwarts, and every other important historical figure in magic for this. Because if he had to endure the thought of Pansy Parkinson giving him his first kiss,he would've gone willingly to he giant squid to let it eat him.
"Don't think you know everything about me." Pansy murmured darkly after pulling away. "And don't assume every Slytherin supports the Dark Lord or wants him to return. Some of us enjoy our relatively peaceful lives. Like I said... Keep away from me, Potter. And keep your damn friends away from me, too, if you value their lives. I may not do anything to them... but then, I wouldn't be the one to initiate something like that."
Pansy slipped out of the room almost the second she finished speaking, leaving Harry alone and still dazed. It was bad enough that he didn't understand women in general. Harry wasn't entirely sure what the hell was wrong with Pansy Parkinson, but there was no way in goblin hell that it was anything he wanted to be a part of. Making a face as he slowly faded back into reality, he wiped his mouth on his robe's sleeve.
And, as he finally regained his motor functions enough to walk, he headed out of the classroom. As he did, he shook his head and muttered, "Can't believe that barmy pug kissed me."
The next morning, the Great Hall was abuzz with noise as Harry and his friends entered it. Fred and George were in front of them almost immediately, flailing about and talking at once. Harry had to yell to get them to shut up and talk to him properly. They dragged the three Ravenclaws over to the Gryffindor table. Once there, one of the twins motioned to Ron and said, "Go on! Tell him what happened."
"Why me?" Ron asked.
"Because it happened to you, dimwit." The other twin said. At Ron's silence, he sighed and turned to Harry. "Our dear brother here..."
"Was nearly at the receiving end..." Continued the first.
"Of a knife weilded by Sirius Black!"
"What?" Harry and Tonks cried out.
"Woke up in the middle of the night... and I saw him. Was RIGHT over me, he was. If I hadn't been awake enough to roll off to the side and yell, he probably would've gotten me, too." Ron said. "Seemed to scare poor Scabbers half to death, too. He's been hiding under the table our water's on ever since. Couldn't drag him out, either. I tried and he actually BIT me!"
"Why would Black attack Ron, though?" Solieyu asked.
"Dunno. He knew your parents though, didn't he?" Fred asked. "Mum was blubbering to dad one night and just kept going on about it. Was your dad in Gryffindor?"
"Yeah, he was." Harry said, nodding. "Dumbledore mentioned it to me."
"Well, there you go." George said. "Probably assumed you were sorted there, too."
"Yeah, but surely he knew I wouldn't look like Ron does." Harry said. "No offense or anything."
Ron shrugged.
"Dunno. But Dumbledore apparently furious. The Dementors didn't seem to detect him, which is downright eerie if you ask me." Fred said. "Those things are naturally attracted to people."
"Maybe all that time in Azkaban made him immune or something? He broke out, so they probably can't detect him or something. Dunno how, though." Harry said.
"Yeah, s'weird." George nodded. "If we find out anything, we'll fill you in, yeah? Even we can't be stealthy around those bloody things. If this guy can be, we want to know how."
Harry rolled his eyes. "Yeah, just like you two to admire the sneaking ability of a lunatic. Thanks for the head's up, though."
"Jeez... it's not even Halloween and things are starting up." Tonks said as the three went to the Ravenclaw table. "Can't we have one year where nothing bad happens?"
"Doesn't look like it." Solieyu said.
"Haven't even eaten yet and I already have a headache." Harry said, sighing. As he sat down, he glanced over towards the Slytherin table. Usually he did this to make a mental note of how many of Malfoy's goon squad weren't there, as it tended to be a warning for him to watch his back en route to classes. But today, he managed to lock eyes with Pansy for the briefest of moments. She sent a scowl his way, then turned back to listening to whatever Malfoy was going on about.
Sighing, Harry started loading food onto his plate.
Next to him, Tonks watched this odd exchange, then prodded him. "What was that all about, then?"
"I wish I knew, Tonks. I honestly wish I knew."
oOoOoOoOoOoOo
Author's Notes: Hey! Sorry this one took awhile - most of the time was spent trying to think of what the hell Tonks' boggart would be! A friend of mine suggested something and I rolled with the idea. I hope you found it amusing. I hope you've all had a happy holiday season, whatever you celebrate. I've gotten more games in the past couple months than my wrists would care to deal with, quite frankly.
Suggestion(s) duely noted. Besides, any excuse to opt out and get Harry away from Hagrid is fine by me. Ugh. If I need anything related to those classes to happen, it can happen through Tonks and Leon. Plus it gave me an idea for using Pansy at some point down the line. In case I haven't made myself vocal about it yet, I can't stand typical, cut-and-paste pairings. I like the more exotic ones - Harry and Tonks, Harry and Luna, Harry and Fleur, Harry and Pansy, etc.
No, I'm not grinning evilly. I've no idea what you mean. Only one and a half of those ideas will ever properly come to pass in this series!
Besides, keeping things in the air drives you guys insane and keeps you coming back. I'm a very evil author, I know.
I do hope fans of Most Haunted caught my glaring nod towards the show. While I thought Derek brought a fine bit of humor and dramatic flare to the program, I also think he's a pretty bad psychic. I MUCH prefer Gordon to him. He doesn't overact, he's willing to step back and look at things from Ciaran's perspective... and I like his accent. I do hope Most Haunted gets the DVDs released stateside. Travel Channel is stupid and airs the episodes out of order. My only fix is through a torrent website.
I hope everyone enjoyed the Harry and Pansy bits. Don't worry, this fic's clearly still Honks. As if Harry wiping Pansy's kiss off wasn't obvious enough. I have my reasons for having her kiss him out of the blue. If you've been paying attention, you should also know why. No, I'm not telling. Go re-read things and piece it together on your own. Until next time, folks!