Harry, being amused by Tonks' protectiveness of him, let her scare the wits out of anyone who might try and steal his heart away. Solieyu, on the other hand, wasn't as lucky. While he got a fair amount of valentines, he simply pushed them to the side, where Luna happily read them aloud. She then proceeded to rattle off a sappy (and outright bizarre) poem of her own. Solieyu wasn't entirely sure if it was supposed to mean something in regards to her liking him, so he just tried to ignore it - and the commentary from his 'friends' on the other side of the table.
"Awww, she thinks your hair looks like the blackest abyss!" Tonks cooed, forcing back a giggle. "C'mon, Leon! Get down on one knee and proclaim that you'll protect her for all eternity!"
Through gritted teeth - not to mention a fierce blush - Solieyu replied, "Stifle it, NYMMY."
"Hey! You can't call me Nymmy! Only Harry can call me Nymmy! Right, Harry?" Tonks cried.
"Right, Nymmy. OUCH! Dammit, you said I could call you Nymmy!" Harry said, nursing his arm.
"I said you're the only one who can call me it. I didn't say you wouldn't get slugged for doing it." Tonks stated.
"Bloody violent woman..." Harry muttered under his breath.
"As well as your fans should remember!" Tonks declared, smiling in a distinctly predatory manner.
"Harry!" Came a call from up the table. Harry turned to see Steven Lynch leaning forward. "We've got practice for the rest of the week! Be sure to get your arse down to the pitch at 6 every evening!"
"Six! Lynch, are you out of your mind? Why's it have to be then?" Harry called back.
"Because we're in the final, you twit!" Lynch said with a slight glare. "And I want you able to ignore that prat Malfoy while you're in the air!"
"If Malfoy gives me problems, I'll sling a bolt at his ponce-y head." Harry muttered. Then, louder, he said "Alright, alright. I'll be there. Just don't expect me to be all sunshine and roses!"
"Roger that." Lynch said, sitting back and rolling his eyes.
"A bit nutty, that one." Tonks said.
"You have no idea." Harry said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Right slavemaster, he is. I'll do fine this time. If Malfoy's in the air, he can't be attempting to reach the pitch in an awful Dementor getup. And since I've pretty much gotten the Patronus Charm down now, if any real Dementors hit the field, I'll be able to stop them."
"You sure?" Tonks asked. "You know, you still haven't told me what you're using to fuel that spell."
"I'll tell you eventually." Harry said, evasively.
"Come to think of it, I don't even know what shape it takes. Didn't you say you finally got it to form something last time?" Tonks asked.
"Yup."
"So what is it?"
"Not telling."
"Harry James Potter!"
"Ooh, all three names." Commented Luna.
"He's in trouble." Solieyu said, nodding.
"Shut up!" Harry and Tonks said at the same time, glaring at the other two.
"And very irritable." Solieyu added.
Luna, clasping her hands together and smiling, said, "They argue like an old married couple."
Harry and Tonks, who had resumed their silly back-and-forth, both stopped and blushed at this comment. And for the rest of the meal, neither of them could look at the other without blushing brightly.
oOoOoOoOoOoOo
"Be careful not to fall off your broom this time, Potter!" Sneered Draco Malfoy.
"Be careful not to get trampled by a horde of real Dementors, Malfoy!" Harry sneered back.
The two Seekers had flown in circles, hurling insults back and forth since the start of the game. Harry wasn't particularly worried about the snitch - Malfoy wasn't anything to worry about. Nor were the Dementors that Harry could spot here and there on the grounds. He wasn't worried about the rest of the team, as the Slytherins were all muscle and no speed. And with his Firebolt, Harry was nothing but speed.
"It's a shame Black didn't attack Ravenclaw Tower instead, isn't it? Shame. But then, he seems to be so stupid, he'd probably mistake that bouncing trollop of yours for you and try killing her. Not that that would be a bad thing, mind you..." Malfoy drawled.
"Oooh - 'trollop!' I wasn't aware that you had a dictionary in your common room, Malfoy. Or that you had the capacity for reading! Five points for Slytherin! But you do know I don't take well to anyone insulting my best friend and least of all you!" Harry said, switching from a casual tone to a near-roar in seconds. Grabbing his wand, he aimed at Malfoy and snarled, "Lacer!"
Malfoy let out a yelp and managed to zip out of the way of the spell, which flew harmlessly by and dissipated after awhile. Narrowing his eyes, he too drew his wand, muttering quietly so that Harry couldn't hear what he would be using. When he did attack, it was in a flurry of spells, all of which Harry had little problem avoiding on his new broomstick.
"Your aim is atrocious, Malfoy! You wanna borrow my glasses?" Harry taunted.
"Don't you dare patronize me, Potter!" Malfoy hissed.
"Well somebody has to!" Harry called, grinning. "Might as well be me!"
"Shut your mouth!" Malfoy yelled, slinging another couple of spells at Harry, who once more avoided them. But when he looked over at Malfoy to resume his taunting, he saw the blonde grinning insanely.
"What the hell are...?" Harry began. But he was cut off by something white hot piercing his right shoulder. Harry let out a cry and quickly brought a hand up, blood trickling out over his fingers.
"What's wrong, Potter?" Malfoy asked, smirking. "Didn't like that? Didn't notice that one of them was charmed to arc around and fly back, did you? Typical Ravenclaw - thinks he knows everything about everything."
"Go to hell, Malfoy!" Harry hissed through clenched teeth.
"You first." Replied Malfoy, aiming again. Harry quickly started glancing around. If he fell and no one thought to bother catching him like Dumbledore had in the match where the Dementors had interfered, he would be in trouble. He and Malfoy were rather high off the ground. So high, in fact, that none of the other players of either team seemed to notice them.
Harry then caught a glimmer of gold out of the corner of his eye. The snitch was almost directly below Malfoy, who clearly hadn't noticed it, so busy was he in trying to kill Harry. Squeezing his Firebolt with the one hand he had on it, he promptly shot forward at Malfoy, who let out a panicked cry and soared up higher, thinking that Harry was trying to ram him. But at the last moment, Harry shoved the tip of the Firebolt down, forcing it into a sharp descent.
When Malfoy looked down and saw that Harry was going for the snitch, he swore loudly and pulled his own broom into a dive. As he flew after Harry, he took aim and cried out a spell, the incantation of which was lost to the wind.
Harry, eyes on the snitch, didn't see the spell coming. And, at the angle he was at, the spell caught him in a bad way. Hit directly in the back, the spell threw him forward and off of the Firebolt completely. He let out a shocked cry, his attention to the snitch gone. But, in a brief moment of clarity, he realized that if Malfoy made it to where he had been, he'd be able to get the snitch.
Rolling over in midair so that he was facing the sky, he took aim and screamed, "TELUM CONICIO!"
A flurry of movement from Harry's good arm later and a half dozen searing hot bolts of energy issued forth from Harry's wand, tearing through the sky at Malfoy like missiles. And, just as the spikes had shot out, Harry then yelled, "ACCIO FIREBOLT!"
The broom tilted downward again and shot towards Harry. Harry pocketted his wand quickly and reached out for the broom, grasping it desperately as it got close enough. Using both hands (and ignoring the sharp paint coursing through his right arm) he wheeled the Firebolt underneath him, spun around so that he could see where he was, and let out a strained cry. He jerked back on the Firebolt with as much force as he could put into it, mentally shouting for the broom to pull up.
By now, everyone - players on both teams included - had stopped and had taken note of the aerial battle taking place above them. It didn't help that Harry was mere feet above the ground when he had managed to pull the Firebolt up straight.
After catching his breath and forcing himself to stop staring at just how close he had come to getting himself killed, Harry looked up and yelled, "WHAT ARE YOU IDIOTS DOING?"
Lynch was the first to snap out of the trance he had been in. "Get moving, you lot!" He cried at the rest of the team, who sprang back to life instantly. Seconds later, the rest of the Slytherin team did the same and the game resumed as normal.
Harry quickly looked up to see where Malfoy - and the snitch - were. Malfoy was circling above the pitch, his arm outstretched. The snitch was almost right in front of him. Harry let out a curse that he was sure would have given him a month's detention if any of the staff had heard him and once more pushed the Firebolt to its limits, the pain in his shoulder and arm ignored.
Malfoy was concentrating so much on getting the snitch that he didn't see Harry approach. It wasn't until Harry had risen between him and the snitch that it happened, and by then it was too late. Malfoy couldn't slow down in time and Harry couldn't pull away. The crowd let out a collective gasp as Seeker hit Seeker above the pitch. Malfoy managed to keep himself from colliding with the wall surrounding the pitch, but Harry - snitch in his good hand - couldn't keep himself conscious anymore. It had taken what had remained of his strength just to get to the snitch before Malfoy. He had won Ravenclaw the match; that was good enough. He triumphantly held the fluttering, golden ball up in the air. And then,shortly after, slipped off his broom and fell to the ground.
oOoOoOoOoOoOo
Harry found himself sitting in a vast, empty field. Tall grass lazily blew in the warm, spring wind. He wasn't sure where this place was or how he arrived in it. He just knew that it was quiet and very peaceful. Without really thinking about it, he allowed himself to lay down, staring up at the clear, blue sky. There were no blonde idiots here. No murderers hellbent on revenge. No Dark Lords trying to kill him.
Shutting his eyes, Harry let himself relax. It was only then that he noticed that his right shoulder was aching. And, for some reason, the whole of his left arm was as well. He frowned and raised his left arm, twisting it slightly. It didn't feel injured... so why was it hurting so much?
"S'broke, y'know." Came a voice from behind him. Harry tilted his head back to see Tonks sitting behind him, looking amused.
"Tonks? ...Wait, what's broke?" Harry asked.
"Your left arm, you daft sod." Tonks said, rolling her eyes.
"Doesn't feel broken." Harry said, sitting back up and feeling about the arm in question. Indeed, it didn't seem to be broke. It merely hurt a lot.
"Yeah, well, you're not gonna feel it here, are ya?" Tonks asked.
"...Where is 'here'?" Asked Harry.
Tonks shrugged. "It's your mind, mate. You tell me."
"My mind?"
"You're out like a light."
"Oh. Wait, how would I know if I was out like a light with a broken arm?"
"Beats me. Maybe your magic is trying to inform you of what's happening." Tonks said.
"My magic? Tonks, would you make sense?"
"Once again, mate - it's your mind. You're gonna hafta try and figure it out on your own." Tonks said.
"Dammit." Harry muttered. "I'm not very coherent, am I?"
"Obviously not." Tonks said, smirking. "How you manage to work anything out is beyond me. SO! What're you gonna do about me, then?"
"About you?"
"Yeah! Do you love me or don't you?" Tonks asked.
Harry gaped, his cheeks warming up. "Wha... Tonks, I... uh..."
"I'm not the real Tonks, remember?" Said Tonks, rolling her eyes. "I can look like you if you think it'd make this easier. I could look like anyone, really."
"Uh... I don't think talking to a copy of myself would make the topic any easier to bring up." Harry mumbled.
"Well, you needta make a decision soon, y'know."
"Why? Why can't I just keep things like they are? It's less complicated if love is involved." Harry said, looking at the ground.
"Maybe for you. Did you ever stop to think of how it is for Tonks, though?"
"...No. Not really." Harry admitted. "Why? Does she ... does she, y'know...?"
"Your mind, not hers. Are you sure you're a Ravenclaw?" Asked Tonks, cocking an eyebrow.
"Oh, shut up." Harry groused. "Look, I just... I dunno if I can say it yet. I dunno if I'm ready for love."
"Okay, now which of us are you trying to convince by saying that? Me or you? Because it's you either way. Not good, that." Tonks said.
Harry looked up at the girl. "But..."
"But nothing, mate. You can't fall out of love with someone." Said Tonks, getting to her feet. "And you need to start thinkin' of more than your own feelings for once. It's sweet that you picked meeting her as the source for your Patronus, Harry, really it is. But if she never knows how she makes you feel... it may not be the Dementors that take her away from you. It may be your own indecisiveness. Time to wake up, Harry. Try and remember the conversation we've had, yeah? One doesn't get to speak to oneself that often..."
Before Harry could reply, the field, Tonks, the sky, and everything else vanished, leaving him in a gaping, black void. Seconds later, the darkness was filled by a blinding, white light. He let out a sharp hiss at the brightness.
And then, the next time he was aware of was Tonks' voice murmuring, "Welcome back."
Harry cracked an eye open, scanning what was obviously the hospital room. Tonks - the real Tonks - was sitting in a chair next to him. Solieyu was at the foot of the bed. "Good to be bad." He croaked. "How long was I out this time?"
"Oh, just a few hours. Madam Pomfrey's already fixed your injuries. You had me damn scared, Harry Potter." Tonks said, glaring at him.
"Sorry, Nymmy." Harry said, smiling lazily. He was awake, but he felt severely drugged. Pomfrey must've forced some potions down his throat or something while he was out. "You look better outside of my head."
Tonks blinked. "Say what now?"
But Harry just let out a drug-induced giggle and shut his eye again. "Nothin'... I think I needta get sommore sleep, though. What'd that cackling harpie gimme, anyway?"
"Something to help heal the wound in your shoulder, something to help make your bones heal faster, and something to ease the pain of both sets of injuries." Solieyu said. "She said you'll probably be sleepy for a good day or two, but you have no permanent damage."
"Wha'bout the match?" Harry asked.
"You won." Tonks said, and Harry could just hear her grinning. "Lynch was practically crying, he was so happy. You're gonna be a right hero when you return to the Tower."
"Heh... glad I could make his last match here memorable." Harry murmured. "Tell him to save me a butterbear or two. And if he really wants to thank me, tell him to get me a case of Sugar Quills."
Tonks snorted. "Will do. Now you get some rest, Harry. We'll be back tomorrow to check on ya, alright?"
"Mmkay." Harry said through a yawn.
"Sweet dreams." Said Tonks, leaning over and kissing Harry on the cheek.
Harry listened as she and Solieyu walked out of the hospital wing. Suddenly, he didn't feel very sleepy anymore. But, eventually, the potions won out over his wanting to be awake and angsty for awhile, throwing him into a nice, dreamless sleep. It was dark out when he woke up again. 'I've got a bad habit of this,' he thought to himself with a scowl.
His whole left arm seemed to be throbbing with a dull pain, which kept him from drifting back off to sleep. Instead, he slowly sat up and moved his pillow so that he could lean back against it. His right shoulder was feeling much better, and it wasn't anywhere near as sore as his left arm was, so he used it to reach for his glasses. Thankfully, Madam Pomfrey had seen fit to leave a pitcher of water and a glass on the table next to the bed as well.
As he was getting a good, long drink in, Harry heard the doors to the hospital wing open up. He smirked as he heard a pair of hushed voices. Even without the Marauder's Map at their side, the twins had been able to sneak down to see him. How they had know he would be awake was anyone's guess.
"Told you he'd be waiting for us." Said Fred's hushed voice as he and George walked up.
"Indeed you did." George said, nodding solemnly.
"And how is the hero of Ravenclaw this fine night?" Asked Fred, smiling down at Harry.
"Ahh, but not just Ravenclaw - the rest of the school joined in with Ravenclaw's victory." George said, smirking.
"Well, all except Slytherin." Fred said, looking thoughtful. "Though I can't imagine why."
Rolling his eyes, Harry said, "Oh goodie, I get to be the center of attention! I'm never the center of attention! This will clearly be a new and exciting experience for me!"
"We hear," Fred said, ignoring Harry's smarmy reply entirely, "that you managed to get our beloved Map confiscated."
"Uh... yeah. Well, blame Snape." Harry said. "And that bloody statue. It decided to close on my robes and by the time I got them free, Snape was there. Lupin came to my rescue - oh yeah, he had told me to tell you two 'hello' for some reason - but he took the Map in the end... Sorry, you two."
"Hmm. Now why would our favorite Defense Professor take an interest in our Map?" George asked, brow creased.
"I think he might know what the Map really was. When Snape had it, all it did was make snarky comments to him." Harry said. "I don't think the Map liked him very much. Anyway, to what do I owe a visit by you two tonight?"
"Ah yes!" Fred said, his face lighting up.
"We came down to fill you in on the ongoing saga of our ickle Ronniekins and his love-hate relationship with our dear Hermione Granger!" George explained.
"Oh, lord. What now?" Harry asked.
"Well, Ron was afraid that Hermione's awful, ugly cat, Crookshanks, had eaten his awful, ugly rat, Scabbers." Fred started.
"Which caused them to have a giant row over, by the way." George interjected.
"Yes, another one. They have them regularly, see." Fred said. "Well, they were going down to comfort Hagrid one day..."
"Wait," Harry interrupted. "Why were they going to comfort Hagrid?"
The twins blinked. "Tonks and Leon didn't tell you?" Asked George.
"Tell me what?" Harry asked.
"Well, you know that hippogriff Hagrid brought to show you lot? The one that tried having a Malfoykabob?"
"How could I forget?" Harry said, grinning.
"Well, Malfoy told his old man about it, apparently, because that Buckbeak is scheduled to be executed soon." Fred said.
"What!" Harry cried. "Can he do that?"
"Guess so." George said, shrugging. "Seems Hagrid is doin' good at not showing that he's upset to his classes, but Ron and Hermione both said he was doin' a good bit of crying when they went down to see him."
"Which leads back to our story." Fred continued. "They were down there, trying to comfort the poor guy and, hiding off under his bed, was Scabbers!"
"Well, Hermione and Ron got into it on the way back from Hagrid's. Hermione wanted an apology out of Ron." George said.
"Imagine that." Fred added.
"And, after things settled down, they've been trying to work out a way to save Buckbeak. Hermione's actually gotten Ron to sit with her in the library in an attempt to find a way to exonerate a hippogriff." George said, shaking his head slowly. "They've come a long way in a short time."
"Yeah. And given how irritable Hermione's been all year, that's saying something." Fred said.
"Why's she been irritable?" Asked Harry.
"No idea. We've tried asking her, but she won't tell us. We've tried following her, but she always just seemed to vanish into thin air somehow." George said, scowling. "We don't know how she's pulling that off, either, which annoys us to no end."
"Heh. Maybe she's a ninja in disguise?" Harry suggested.
"Nah, she'd have ninja starred our dear brother in the bits by now if she was." George said. "You have any ideas on how she's avoiding us so easily? If it helps, it seems she's just appearing as randomly as she's vanishing, according to Ron. One moment, he'll be next to an empty seat and the next, Hermione's there. Ron's never heard her approach or leave once."
"Hmm..." Said Harry, frowning. "I dunno... but I'll see if I can't find us an answer next time I get some free time."
"That's our Harry!" Fred exclaimed, slapping Harry on the shoulder. Harry let out a wince, a hiss, and a swear, then gave Fred the evil eye until he backed away with his hands up in front of him. "Right, sorry."
"Did we tell you how bloody brilliant that flying of yours was?" George asked.
"Not yet." Harry said, rubbing his right shoulder, which wasn't happy about being slapped.
"Bet you didn't hear the shriek that all the girls made when Malfoy knocked you off your broom." Fred said, grinning stupidly.
"You're gonna have half the girls in school asking if you're alright for ages." George added, smirking.
"Oh joy." Muttered Harry.
"Was quite a show you put on, though. That one'll be talked about for years to come!" Fred said. "...Well, anyway, we were en route to the kitchens for a midnight snack when we decided to check in on you and both give you news and something to ponder!"
"Just in case you can't get back to sleep." George said. "Pomfrey seems to enjoy only giving enough of a potion to knock you out for half the night. Both of us have been on the receiving end of those. Right boring just sitting around."
"Thanks, you two. Always good to know what's happening elsewhere. I'll have to talk to Tonks and Leon about Hagrid. I'm sure they could help us try working out what's up with Hermione, too." Harry said.
"No problem! Want us to bring you back anything?" Asked Fred.
"Nah. Not hungry right now. I think one of those potions is suppressing my appetite for the time being." Harry said.
"Suit yourself! Let's go, brother o' mine!" George said.
"After you!" Fred said, bowing with a flourish.
"Get outta here, you two hams!" Harry cried.
"At once!" The twins said in unison, scampering out of the hospital wing and leaving Harry with his thoughts.
"Disappearing and reappearing, huh?" Harry said into the silence that fell back over the room. "Well... she can't be apparating - you can't do that on Hogwarts grounds. I'm pretty sure she isn't popping in and out of secret passages... even Ron would notice something like that. Hmm. Very interesting... very interesting, indeed..."
oOoOoOoOoOoOo
Harry was released the following afternoon. Tonks and Solieyu had come to visit him that morning, and he related everything the twins had reported to him to them. Both seemed surprised about Hagrid and Buckbeak, though it looked as if realization was dawning on Solieyu. "I wondered why things seemed 'off' with him lately." He had said.
To Hermione's strange comings and goings, Tonks and Solieyu agreed to help Harry work out what was really going on. If nothing else, it gave them something to do besides sit around and work on homework all the time. It wasn't healthy, even for Ravenclaws, to spend all their time working and reading.
Harry had promised to meet them at lunch and he was on his way down there when something
very odd happened. He had just stepped around a corner when he nearly collided with
Professor Trelawney. A Professor Trelawney, he noted, that smelled strongly of alcohol.
Harry blinked, certainly not used to seeing sauced staff wandering the halls.
"Um... Professor? Are... are you alright?" He asked, tentatively.
Trelawney looked down at him, blinking her eyes owlishly a few times. "Ahh... if it isn't Harry Potter..." She slurred, hiccupping once. "Too good to stay in my class, I see..."
"It isn't like that, Professor..." Harry said, rather unsure of how to deal with the woman. The only other drunk he had dealt with was his Aunt Marge. And Trelawney didn't seem the violent type at all. Indeed, if anything, she seemed to whine a lot when she was drunk.
She prattled on for a good while about the degradation of youth and how no one bothered trying to see with their third eye anymore. Harry politely listened to the woman's near-incoherent babbling for awhile before his stomach let out a tremendous growl. When it did, he looked apologetically at the woman and said, "Ahh, I should probably go get something to eat, Professor. Um... will you be alright...?"
"What? Oh, yes, yes. I'll be fine. I'm always fine." Said Trelawney, dismissively. "Up in my tower dealing with bratty little children who think my subject is merely a joke! A JOKE!" Here, she stopped and hiccupped again. "Oh dear. Yes, just a joke to you lot these days... back in my time..."
Harry mentally groaned as the woman veered off again, speaking of how children respected their elders in her day. Figuring she would babble on whether he was there or not, Harry sidestepped her. He had just passed by her when she reached out and grabbed him sharply by his injured shoulder. He sucked in a breath and spun around, jerking his shoulder out of her grip.
It was then that he noticed the distinctly far-off look on her face. She opened her mouth to speak again, but her words were clear and her voice didn't seem to be her own anymore. "It will happen soon! The Dark Lord lies alone and friendless, abandoned by his followers. Soon, very soon, the servant will break free and set out to rejoin his master! The Dark Lord will rise again with his servant's aid, greater and more terrible than ever he was! Soon... yes, very soon indeed... the servant... will set out... to rejoin... his master!"
A deep chill coursed through Harry's body as the almost distorted voice of the teacher spoke those words. And then, she seemed to slump a little. Her eyes came back into focus. She blinked owlishly at him again. "Oh, Mister Potter... good day. What are you doing here?"
Harry took a step backwards. What had he just heard! Could this batty old woman have just made a true prediction of the future? She didn't seem to realize what had happened. And she still seemed as drunk as she had before. But her voice was clear and free of stutters and slurs when she had spoken of the Dark Lord's return. Taking another step back, Harry turned and quickly ran off up the hall. He needed to get to his friends.' No, no!' He thought, trying to force his mind to think clearly. 'I need to get to Dumbledore first!'
However, both parties were probably going to be in the same place - the Great Hall. Harry realized this shortly and headed there as quickly as he could. He was winded by the time he walked in, but, thankfully, the headmaster was at his usual place at the staff table. Ignoring the clamor that had erupted from his arrival - mostly sneers from the Slytherins,cheers from the Ravenclaws, and hushed talking from the other two houses about the Quidditch final - Harry walked up the center of the room.
"Sir!" He said, out of breath. "I... I just met up with Professor Trelawney on my way here. She... she seemed drunk and..."
"Oh dear." Said Professor McGonagall to Dumbledore's side. "She does have a bad habit of that. Albus, should I...?"
"If you would be so kind, Minerva." Said Dumbledore softly. As McGonagall got to her feet, he turned his attention back to Harry.
"She... she was incoherent and kept talking about ungrateful kids and... and when I went to pass by her to come down to eat, she grabbed my shoulder and... I dunno, her voice went all strange and... and I think she predicted Voldemort's return." Harry said, keeping his voice low.
Dumbledore's eyes seemed to question him further. Harry looked off, trying to concentrate on what Trelawney had said. He repeated her words as best he could remember them. When he was finished, Harry asked, "Do... do you think that really means anything, sir? Do you think that one of Voldemort's servants could really restore him from... from whatever it is he is now?"
"I am not sure, Harry... but I assure you, I will look into the matter. Thank you for bringing this to my attention." Said Dumbledore, inclining his head towards Harry slightly.
Harry nodded in return and, feeling that their conversation was at an end for now, turned and headed for his usual place at the end of the Ravenclaw table. When he arrived, Tonks and Solieyu immediately questioned him about what was going on.
"Later. In the Nest." Harry muttered.
His friends exchanged a worried glance.
oOoOoOoOoOoOo
Author's Notes: Holy crap, and the update-o-thon continues! With another fairly lengthy chapter, no less! You may note that I slightly reword the prediction of Trelawney's. Why? Because things are not going to happen 'tonight' - there's still a handful of chapters left to write and that kind of thing won't be happening until later on! So I figured I'd have ol' Sybill wandering drunk! Drunk Trelawney is something that should be seen more often. And I have a feeling that, when McGonagall DOES find her, she'll give the Divination professor a good dressing down for tottering about in the state she's in!
The next chapter really has nothing to do with anything at all. But I like throwing in padding chapters at least once in every book. And I think you're all going to like what I put in.
As for Harry's weird unconscious talk with himself... hey, every long Potter fic has to have SOME kind of goofy scene like that, right? I tried keeping it short, though. But it WAS fun having Harry's smartassed mind getting the better of him.
I wrote this whole chapter in one sitting, if you can believe that. I honestly have no idea where all this inspiration to write is coming from, but I'm enjoying it. It's nice to get closer to the end of Prisoner. I REALLY want to write Goblet and Order. Even though everything after Prisoner is gonna be longer as whole and will probably drive me batty, I've got so many things planned for the middle/last set of books that I want to get around to.
Anyway, I've blathered enough. I'll see you when I see you. It may be in a day or two, it may be in a few weeks. I honestly have no idea how long this drive will last, but I'll try and keep times between updates as short as I can, regardless.