Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

A/N: This particular chapter was inspired by something JK said some time ago. Incidentally, I just realised that my last two initials are JK…weird, huh? Maybe that's where it all comes from.

Sorry, I went slightly overboard with the Review Responses.

To whoever reviewed and said Ginny's real name is Virginia: Absolutely not! JK herself confirmed some time ago it was Ginevra. Check the websites if you don't believe me.

Pokey-Oats: Random reviews and rabidness are good, believe me.

Lourdes: (bows flamboyantly) One does one's best.

nbkwriter: True, the return of the Marauders isn't an original idea. BUT, since this is a story of what I think will be likely in canon (or at least what I WANT to be likely in canon) I have to use a few conventions.

GiGiFanFic: If you're still reading this, then I have this to say. I am 19 myself, so I know how young people speak. I am trying to keep this story authentic and realistic, and that means it will contain swearing. I am sorry if this offends you, but I can honestly say that compared with my everyday speech patterns this story is VERY tame.

Kimberly Grace: The day Hermione and Draco get together in canon is the day I stop reading Harry Potter. That's some seriously twisted shite.

Melindaleo: Cheers for pointing out Ron and Hermione's long absence. I get so caught up in writing with my own characters I tend to forget JK's…where the hell are Neville and Luna?

Esrb99: What the hell are you on about, no good white rappers? The name Eminem ringing any bells? I agree about the rest, though…Blink-182 rock, and so do Good Charlotte, Greenday, etc…

Lady of the Dragons2: That is officially the longest review I've ever got…300 words you reckon? Not a bad effort! Cheers for all the nice things you said about me (well, the fic at least!). I tried to keep the relationships as realistic as I could, and I took all my OC's out of my own novel (James is actually the main character, although in a slightly different form). And Cricket isn't a sport, it's the ONLY sport. Americans just suck at it.

sunni07: Nope, sounds like you were playing it right. But that's what makes it fun.

Katy: The interactions with Dumbledore are based on the fact that Dumbledore is trying to be friends with Harry – not have authority over him – but Harry is still REALLY pissed off with him, not entirely rationally, I'll admit. Ginny isn't helping, either. That will change in the future. As to being a guy writing about relationships, that's funny in so many ways that you would never understand. The Harry/Neo similarities were completely unintentional, I assure you. Or maybe not. So what, I'm a Matrix fan. Sue me.

Wytil: A Mind Mage is someone born naturally with the ability to perform wandless magic, it cannot be taught. And no, you haven't missed anything.

The Slytherins were a somewhat sullen group the following morning, with the obvious exception of Isabelle. She entered the Hall with Alex and Cassie and sat at the Gryffindor table, pointedly ignoring the many glares coming her way from the Slytherins.

When the remaining food finally cleared from the tables, Dumbledore stood from his place and waited patiently for the assembled students to quiet.

'Last night, a student made a request of me that has only been done a few times in Hogwart's long history,' he said heavily. 'It is not usual to have to resort to such drastic measures, but I feel in this case it may be appropriate, so I have agreed to the student's request. I refer, of course, to a Resorting.'

The Hall immediately broke out into whispers as everyone speculated on who it might be, and what houses they were coming from and going to, respectively.

'Who d'you reckon it is?' Ron whispered aside to Harry.

'No idea,' Harry replied. He noticed Alex smiling a little grimly, and a sneaking suspicion crept into his mind.

'Bet you it's a Slytherin, and they get Sorted straight back,' Ron said in satisfaction, glaring at the Slytherin table.

Dumbledore waited patiently for the room to quiet again. 'Miss Lestrange, could you come up here please?'

This time the students didn't bother to whisper. They spoke loudly and pointed openly as Isabelle stood and, with her head held proudly high, marched to the front of the Hall. Her neutral expression barely even twitched as calls of "traitor!" and other such things came from the Slytherins. While she looked neutral, however, Alex looked murderous.

'They just don't learn, do they?' he muttered darkly under his breath as Isabelle reached the front of the hall. She turned and regarded the Slytherin table, then shook her head.

'I am disgusted that I was ever sorted into Slytherin,' she said in a clear voice that conveyed the depths of her contempt. Several Slytherins leapt to their feet, shouting obscenities at her, but Dumbledore waved them to silence.

'That is quite enough,' he said sternly. 'Ten points from Slytherin. Miss Lestrange has made her choice, and you will not attempt to sway her from it.' He nodded to McGonagall, who came forward carrying the Sorting Hat. 'The results of this Resorting are final, and cannot be changed. They will be entered into the school records, and let no wizard or witch contend what happens here today.'

Isabelle took the Sorting Hat from McGonagall, turning it over in her hands. Harry couldn't see her face from this angle, so he couldn't tell what she was thinking. Finally she turned and placed the Hat on her head, her eyes closed and a calm expression on her face. Harry noticed Alex tense up and couldn't help but wonder what the Sorting Hat would say.

All was silent for a good few minutes. It was the longest time Harry had ever seen the Hat take to Sort someone, including himself. Finally the rip in the Hat opened, and it almost seemed as though it were taking in a deep breath.

'Never expected this,' the Hat muttered, and several people laughed nervously.

'GRYFFINDOR!'

For once, the Hall remained dead silent. Isabelle swept the Hat off her head, handing it back to a stunned McGonagall. Instantly, her robes changed from green trimmed Slytherin to scarlet trimmed Gryffindor. At the same time, her Prefect badge vanished.

'Thank you, Professor,' Isabelle said to Dumbledore, and the old wizard inclined his head to her.

'Why don't you go join your new Housemates? Although by now, I daresay you're not going to be a new feature in the common room tonight.'

'Not really, no,' Isabelle agreed. She turned and made her way back to her place next to Alex, who was now smiling broadly.

'Good one,' Harry said as she sat. He held out his hand with a cheeky smile. 'May I be the first to officially welcome you to Gryffindor?'

Isabelle laughed, a sound that seemed to echo in the vast silence of the Great Hall. She reached out and firmly took his hand. 'Thanks, Potter,' she said, her eyes twinkling. 'Maybe you're not such an arrogant berk after all.'

Slowly the noise level went back up as the students adjusted to yet another strange happening at Hogwarts. Harry was fairly sure he saw coins changing hands along the Gryffindor table, and had to wonder how many had seen this coming. There certainly seemed to have been some bets on.

'But why didn't you tell us?' Hermione was demanding.

'Why?' Isabelle shrugged. 'I only knew it was going ahead this morning. Dumbledore stopped us outside the Great Hall and said I could change if I really wanted to, but I'd have to be Resorted properly.'

'It's true, Hermy,' Alex said. 'Even I didn't know until this morning.'

'Stop calling me Hermy,' Hermione said wearily.

'Of course, Hermy,' Cassie chipped in.

'It's all right, Hermy,' Harry said, patting her shoulder in false sympathy.

'Poor Hermy,' Ginny finished, her eyes welling with fake tears.

Hermione shook her head ruefully. 'What did I do to deserve you lot?' She stood up, stretching slightly in a way that reminded Harry peculiarly of a cat. 'Come on Ron, we have Potions first up.'

Ron groaned loudly and dropped his head onto the table. 'Tell Snape I'm sick,' he suggested, his voice only slightly muffled by the tabletop. 'Better yet, I'll make myself sick. Harry, have you got any Skiving Snackboxes left?'

'Sorry, Ron,' Harry grinned at his friend. 'We used them all last year getting out of Umbridge's classes, remember?'

Hermione finally managed to drag Ron out of the Great Hall, while the whole way he kept coming up with silly ideas to get out of class, culminating in an attempt to get right to the heart of the problem and assassinate Snape. Murphy's law being what it is, Snape happened to be standing near the doors talking to several seventh year Slytherins, and Ron lost twenty points and got a detention for his creativity.

'Poor Ron,' Ginny tried to stifle her giggles with little success. 'Snape's going to give him hell for that.'

McGonagall came over to them almost hesitantly, holding a slip of parchment. 'Here's your new timetable, Miss Lestrange,' she said, with a jerky nod, handing the parchment to Isabelle.

'Thanks, Professor,' Isabelle smiled at McGonagall, who gave a noise halfway between a huff and a snort, spun on her heel and almost fled back to the staff table. Harry watched her go it astonishment. He had never seen the Deputy Headmistress act like that.

'Well, that was interesting,' Isabelle said finally. 'Hope I'll get a warmer reception than that from the rest of the house, now that I'm one of them.'

'Old hatreds die hard,' Cassie commented, her eyes also following their head of house. 'But you never know.'

========

The reaction of the Gryffindors surprised Harry. All through the day they acted like Isabelle didn't exist. Ginny confirmed that classes were the same.

He was even more surprised when he found out the reason behind their behavior.

As he, Ginny, Isabelle, Ron, Hermione and the Milton twins climbed through the portrait hole that evening, they were almost blown right back through by the huge sound that came roaring out of the common room. Every Gryffindor currently attending Hogwarts was assembled in the room, and every one shouted the same words.

'WELCOME TO GRYFFINDOR!'

Numerous hands reached through the portrait hole to haul Isabelle through, leaving the rest to climb through themselves. She herself was shocked speechless as she saw the common room, which had been decorated for a party. Huge red and gold banners hung festooned from the ceiling, and over the fireplace stretched a new tapestry depicting a lion devouring a serpent. Tables had been set up along one wall, and they were covered in platters of food and pitchers of drinks. Standing in the middle of the room, both grinning widely, were the Weasley twins.

'What are you two doing here?' Ron asked, clearly shocked.

'Someone needed a party, and they invited us up here to plan it,' George slapped Alex on the back.

Isabelle laughed delightedly. 'You did this for me?' she demanded of Alex, who shrugged modestly.

''Course he did,' Fred assured her. 'In fact, he didn't shut up about it until we agreed to come.'

Isabelle grinned, and Harry was surprised at how youthful the expression made her look. Her usual neutral expression made her look far older than she was. 'Well, I love it,' she said, kissing Alex on the cheek. Alex blushed lightly, and his face took on a rather silly grin that Harry had seen many times on Ron's face, and was fairly sure had adorned his own a fair few times.

'Speech!' one seventh year boomed, brandishing a butterbeer bottle.

Isabelle laughed helplessly as Alex and Cassie hoisted her up onto a table. 'What can I say?' she said, spreading her arms wide. 'This is great! Slytherin never did anything like this! Can you imagine a party like this with Malfoy strutting around trying to prove how good he is?' That got quite a few laughs.

As she leapt lightly off the table, Harry reflected on the changes a few short weeks had wrought on the ex-Slytherin. He remembered back to the first time he had met her, back at his first class, when she had doubted him. The girl now being hoisted onto Alex, Cassie, Fred and George's shoulders and paraded around the common room all the while helplessly laughing was not the same Isabelle Lestrange, of that he could be sure. The old Isabelle had almost never laughed, and then only in a quiet, dignified way. She had seemed…less than human, almost. But now, it was almost like she was alive for the first time.

Ginny's arm entwined with his, and immediately all thought of Isabelle vanished from his mind. He smiled down at her, and she smiled back. His head automatically tilted forward, catching her lips in a kiss.

'Get a room, you two!' Isabelle yelled as she passed them, still on the assorted twin's shoulders. Unfortunately, that only served to draw Fred and George's attention.

'What, ho!' George said, tugging his twin's arm to stop him. Alex and Cassie, left with the task of holding Isabelle in the air, decided it would be easier to just fall onto a conveniently placed couch, dropping Isabelle with a soft thwump.

'Looks like our baby sister isn't a baby anymore,' Fred sniffed theatrically.

'I'll show you how unlike a baby I can be if you want,' Ginny offered, although her eyes sparkled with mischief.

'That sounds like a threat, Missy,' George grinned, placing one hand onto Fred's shoulder.

'More like a warning,' Ginny clarified. 'Do you really want to take on the new Marauders?'

Alex and Cassie had by now joined Harry and Ginny, discreetly aiming their wands at the Weasley twins. Just as Ginny finished speaking they simultaneously cast a spell under their breath. The room exploded with laughter as both sets of twins suddenly sprouted feathers.

Cassie blinked. 'Well, that wasn't supposed to happen.' She was covered from head to foot in blue feathers, as was her twin. The Weasley's feathers were red.

'We put up a deflection spell just before we came in here,' Fred – or maybe George, Harry couldn't tell under the feathers – informed her. 'Just in case any of our former housemates tried anything in retribution, you understand.'

'Good one,' Alex said ruefully, fondling a blue feather. 'At least it isn't pink this time.'

'Nice to see you finally continuing the tradition of your forefathers, Harry,' George (Fred?) placed one arm around Harry's shoulders.

'Yeah, and if you ever need any dirt on Ginny for bribe purposes, give us a call,' Fred smirked.

'Okay, that's enough,' Ginny said quickly, blushing to the roots of her hair and grabbing Harry's arm to lead him away. The Weasley twins grinned identical grins as they watched the young couple wander away.

Sirius was, of course, in his element. He ran among the students barking madly, wagging his tail and giving puppy dog eyes to anyone nearby when no one would pat him. The girls all squealed and said how cute he was, the guys gave him a gruff pat and pretended not to be interested. This was the first time Harry had let him mingle with students other than those he already knew, and he was pleased to see him handling it so well.

Ron and Hermione joined Harry and Ginny as they neared the fireplace, Ron handing them both butterbeers.

A space opened up for them on one of the couches, and they squashed down awkwardly. Hermione ended up solving the space problems by sitting on Ron's lap, and Ginny quickly followed suit by sitting on Harry's.

'Here's to another great year,' Harry said, holding out his butterbeer bottle. The declaration was slightly ludicrous, considering all that had already happened and all that was likely to happen in the future, but the other three raised their bottles and clinked anyway.

'We can hope,' Hermione said quietly before they all drank.

A/N: I just realised that the Weasley twins had yet to put in an appearance in this fic, so here they are. Aren't I nice?

I also realised that there's been almost no R/Hr so far! Stupid author, stupid…but I'm going to rectify that, promise!

Okay, Reviewer opinion time: should I keep going with the current chapter length (around 2000 words a chapter) or make them longer? Bear in mind that less words means more updates, but more words means more update at a time…it's up to you guys!