Chapter 9 – The Witching Hour
September flew passed and I had enjoyed it, I had received my work back from the muggle owl order studies and so far I had done well and we were actually learning spells in classes now that we were past the safety lessons and I was beginning to enjoying it.
Potions, Charms and History were my favourite subjects, but Binns, our ghost professor for History, was the most boring being I had met, he didn't even take the register and I wondered how he was able to mark the homework when he couldn't touch anything, it was another question to add to my book.
"Hari?"
"I'm in here." I called out to Hermione and Lily when they called for me.
Hermione's head popped in and her eyes widened, "it's like the Tardis." She exclaimed and I had to stifle a giggle. "You have your own library." She said in wonder looking around at the stacks of books I had filed away, though I was barely even a quarter filled.
"I've hardly read any of them, I used them for research and stuff, I pulled a lot from my vaults but I'm still sorting them out, some don't even have titles." I gestured to a stack with bare spines.
"Where did you get this?" Hermione asked looking around the library.
"It's an apprentice's trunk, I can't think of the shop name but it's near the bank."
I left Hermione to look around while I pulled a thick leather book from the blank pile at random, I settled onto my armchair, there were three in here each with a side table and a pull out desk, Nina Simone played calmly in the back ground and I relaxed while I flipped the cover to see a handwritten front page,
The Marauders Handbook
1971-1978
Messrs Moony, Padfoot, Wormtail and Prongs
I frowned at the title, who would call themselves the Marauders? Unless they were pirates from a few hundred years ago that is; though a few dozen pages into it I had my answers and it made me gasp in realization. My father James 'Prongs' Potter and his three friends were a gang. Sirius 'Padfoot' Black, Peter 'Wormtail' Pettigrew and my father were all animagus, and their last 4th a Remus 'Moony' Lupin was a werewolf. Inside the handbook were pranks, spells, anecdotes, and how to guides for the animagus transformation.
There was something there though, I wondered what animal I would become, everyone wanted something cool like a big cat, wolf or bear but I wasn't sure, they couldn't really be hidden, you would notice any one of those animals walking down a street. If I had a choice I would be a Labrador or something generic like that, even a black bird or raven would be acceptable and possible even more handier than a dog, as a bird could fly away from danger.
I wasn't sure on how much I liked my father and his friends, from this handbook I noted how much they gave a boy named "Snivellous" a hard time, I didn't like bullies, I detested them in fact, and the thought that my father was one made me feel sick; and the fact he wasn't alive to explain anything was even worse, maybe a letter to these other people would help? It was something to ponder for the future.
I would take on the knowledge it gave me though, there was something called Occlumency, that helped someone clear their mind and in turn help them to find their animal and ward their mind. It started off like meditation, that wasn't foreign to me, I hoped I could become acceptable with even the little knowledge I had gleamed from the book, every little helps and all.
"What do you have there?"
"A diary, it was my fathers." I locked it in a bookcase one of a few that had locks and each had a different password. I didn't want their knowledge to be given to just anyone, they had all the notes on how to make a map of the school and a lot of other things that I didn't want Hermione sifting through.
She sighed, "-it must be hard growing up without them."
I shrugged, after all, it was all I knew, "I don't know any different, I didn't even know their names until our first night here."
She gasped in shock, "-didn't your family…"
"-They aren't my family,' I said abruptly, "-family aren't as horrible as them."
"Sorry, I forget that everyone grows up differently."
"It's ok Mimi, it is what it is, I can't change it; what did you find?"
"Did you just call me Mimi?"
"Yep, I like it, I love your name but everyone should have a nickname."
"And what would yours be?"
"I don't know, you can't make them up yourself, it's the rules. Hakaan calls me H or little gem, he says my eyes look like emeralds." Hermione smiled at me, but she stayed quiet, I wondered if I shouldn't have mentioned that last bit.
"Hari." I looked up seeing the blonde Slytherin Prince walk over to me.
"Hey Draco, long time no see."
"Yeah sorry, how's it going?"
"Yeah it's ok." I looked pointedly at his logo on his robes, "Slytherin like your father, how's it treating you? Everything you wanted?" I smiled at him, he too smiled back and nodded.
"Is Gryffindor what you expected?"
"Unfortunately yes, sometimes I wonder how it would have been if I allowed the hat to put me in Slytherin."
"It wanted you to be a snake?"
"At first, then my logic turned his mind."
"So surely you'd be an Eagle of that was the case?"
I shook my head, "I don't want knowledge for the sake of it, I just want knowledge to better myself."
He shook his head, "what are you doing?"
"Well, right now I'm talking to you."
"Come with me, I want to show you something." He held his hand out to me.
"If this ends with you pranking me I will make you pay Dragon."
"Trust me."
"Well ok, lead the way then." I took his hand and he led me into the dungeons.
We stopped at a blank wall, I looked at him with a strange look, "Pure." And to my surprise the wall opened much like the Diagon Alley one did. Inside was the Slytherin common room.
It was magnificent, where the Gryffindors had a red and gold cosy common room the Slytherins was elegant and beautiful, the snakes motif was engraved everywhere and at the back was a whole wall of glass that showed the Black lake.
"Wow, I defiantly prefer your common room." I said looking up at a portrait of a three headed snake.
"Typical human… ~gawking at us… ~stupid ugly girl." I could hear them speak.
"Hey, no need to be so rude, I wasn't gawking, I was looking, I actually thought you were beautiful, but if you are going to be mean I won't bother."
The three heads all looked at me, each one was silent, "a speaker, it has been many years since we have spoken to anyone, I am Naga-loka," the one on the left spoke.
"And I, Mahavamsa." The middle one spoke, he nodded at me like it was a bow. "I am Longnu." The last head spoke. "Together we are the Nagi."
"My name is Hari."
"Little lioness, what are you doing in the snake pit?"
"Visiting friends."
"Then we shall leave you little speaker, come back where ever you can, it gets tiresome with these two idiots." "Hey, we have to put up with you more like."
I shook my head intending to speak to Draco only to find most of the common room all looking at me. "What?"
"Where you speaking to that portrait?" And older girl asked.
"Yes, don't you?"
"I don't speak snake language." She was looking between the portrait and me.
"They were speaking English." I spoke confused,
"Did it sound English to you?" I nodded. "What did they say?"
"They told me their names; he's Naga-loka, Mahavamsa and Longnu. They said they get bored, that I should come and speak to them again."
"So you're a Parselmouth?"
"What's that?"
"The language of snakes," I thought about the snake I had spoken to at the zoo, maybe they were right.
"Well now that's something else to look up." I spoke to the room.
"Why are you in here, Lion?"
I looked to Draco who stepped forward, "Hari said she likes snakes, I wanted to show her the common room, Professor Snape said it was ok."
"Well then, carry on." The room dispersed and I breathed a sigh of relief.
"You are full of surprises." Draco spoke to me, a smile upon his lips.
"I don't try to be Draco." I shook my head and we sat in a set of chairs near the wall of windows. "What creatures have you seen in there?"
"The giant squid, Grindylows and fish have been the most we have seen, the older years said that there's merpeople in there too."
"Wow, we are up in a tower but this is so much better."
Tea cups arrived thanks to a house elf, I thanked them, Draco though interrupted the house elf which made me look at him, "-how are you enjoying Hogwarts?"
"Yeah, I like it, a bit more theory than I thought, you?" I asked picking up my own cup.
"Same, what's your favourite class?"
"Potions, but charms and History are up there, no thanks to Binns."
"History, really?"
"Yes, I'm taking a muggle history course too and it's amazing how much magical history interacts with non-magical history. I wonder if the royals know about our world?" I pulled my notebook out of my pocket and wrote the question down.
"Is that your query book?" I nodded at his question.
"It's different for you, you grew up magical, I feel like I'm playing catch up, I don't like that."
"What was it like growing up muggle?"
"I didn't know any different," I shrugged, I seemed to shrugging a lot these days.
"Was it happy?" Draco asked me, his eyes were harder than usual.
"Not really," I sipped my tea, "-but I made it through and here I am."
"Were your muggle family horrible?"
"They are, but I have a best friend who is muggle and his family are the best, I suppose it's the same in the magical community, some are good and some are bad. What's your favourite class?"
"Potions and I'm looking forward to flying."
"Is that soon?"
"Didn't you see the noticeboard this morning?" I shook my head looking where his eyes roamed to. "They are after school on Wednesday."
I nodded, "I expect it's nice to fly."
Draco ventured off on how great flying was and I listened to him as he explained Quidditch and how it was played and before I knew it, it was time to go for dinner.
"What are you doing with them?" I turned in time to see Ron, he had marched up to me in the Great hall when I had walked in with the other first year Slytherins.
"Going to dinner." I said with obvious annoyance.
"You shouldn't be with the Snakes."
"And whys that?"
"Because they're slimy."
"Oh, so you go around fondling snakes do you?" I raised my eyebrows at him.
He flushed red, "-no… no I… I… You shouldn't be with them."
"And why do you think you have a say in what I do Ron?"
"I don't, I…"
"Well then, I'll see you later Ron." I walked with the Slytherins over to their table in a bid to make a point.
"Well done there Potter." The boy I remembered was Blaise said with a smile at me, it was a corner smile, if I didn't know any better I'd think he was flirting.
"My name is Hari, not Potter."
"Well then, call me Blaise." I smiled at him with a slight nod. "What brings you to the pits?"
"Well, maybe I'm a snake in disguise," I laughed.
"Now that would be a real Slytherin thing to do."
Dinner was spent in good company, each first year Slytherin was acting normally with me, I liked that. Many of the Gryffindor still looked at me with wide and fond eyes, it was unnerving and to be honest, it annoyed me. Hermione and Neville seemed to be the only ones not interested in my martyrdom and to me that spoke volumes.
"I want a duel." Ron spat to Draco who smirked, I rolled my eyes at the two of them, we had just finished dinner and I was saying my goodbyes when Ron had stormed over once more.
"No, I'm ok thanks." Draco replied, he hadn't moved from his place on the staircase.
"What's wrong? You chicken?" Ron spat.
"Ron, stop it. Draco is my friend and I don't tolerate those who try and throw their weight around."
"Me? What about him?" Ron's face tinged red but his eyes were narrowed at Draco.
"Draco respects my boundaries, do you? Because there's only so much patience I have." I turned and left leaving the boys to their argument.
Flying was everything Draco had said it was. Neville had been so nervous he had nearly gone early, but I had the peace of mind to rest my arm on his, he calmed down.
"Thanks Hari, you may have just saved me."
"I did no such thing, I just helped my friend out, that's all."
"Still, I'd rather keep my feet firmly on the ground." Neville said with a laugh.
Draco and I had been throwing balls at each other in the air, for the past five minutes, one I had had to dive for, just a little. Draco was laughing at my shaky recover while I was just happy that I had caught the small ball, it was red, about the size of a golf ball and clearly there were beans of some sort inside.
"Madam Hooch, would you mind if I borrowed Potter?" I heard a Scottish accent ask, I looked down to see our head of year looking up at me, I was the highest up with Draco.
"Potter?!" I gave Draco a look and carefully I descended to the ground.
"Is everything alright?" I asked the women, one of which had the largest of smiles on her face. I wasn't sure if this was a good or bad thing.
Halloween was fast approaching and I wasn't sure what to make of that. Since finding out that my parents had died on Halloween the happiness had been sucked out of the holiday, back in Privet Drive Dudley would have spent Halloween beg, borrowing and stealing sweets for the local kids, I hadn't ever been Trick or treating so I wasn't missing that and here they did a feast, but my appetite wasn't up to its usual gusto. But I did figure out how I wanted to celebrate this year's Halloween. Ii had been making my way through the books in my trunk and one had been a book on hedgewitchary. Many didn't give credit to the magicks of old anymore, but the book had felt alive in my hands, I had read it in mere hours. It spoke about the sabbats and how Samhain was when the veil between life and death was at its thinnest. In preparation for this I had made an oil, made with almond, rosemary, pine, bay, apple and patchouli oil. I had bathed in salted water and I dressed warmly but simply, a white dress under my robes and coat.
A few hours before the feast was due to start I grabbed a couple candles and I walked out to the edge of the lake near the forest. I cleared a section on the ground; it was a natural hollow, before I knelt down, thanking the powers that be that it hadn't been raining, though it was chilly. I wrapped the blanket around me tighter.
I anointed my candles and lit them, the flames not blowing in the wind, not even a little before I centred myself and I spoke,
"The veil grows thin at the time of the dead.
As I honour my lost ancestors,
In whose footsteps I tread.
Life retreats into the bulbs and roots,
The time has pasted for the flowers and fruits.
As leaves fall thick and carpet the ground,
The Dark mother waits in silence profound.
Now is the time for the apple feasts,
Time stands still for humans and beasts.
Seek the wisdom of days gone by,
To deal with the past and let it lie.
To face my shadows and except my faults,
I look now to the future to seek my results."
The candle flames suddenly grew tall, each one several inches in length, the air warmed considerably, it was like Ama when she gave me a warm hug, but better. This was my parents, here to comfort me.
"Mum, dad, I miss you, I love you. I'm sorry you died." The feeling didn't dwindle, it only intensified and I basked in the feeling. Tears sprang to my eyes, I hadn't been able to remember them, but this was something new and I hoped this feeling wouldn't ever fade.
I sat in contemplation for a while, I spoke to who I hoped was my parents and though they couldn't answer, it was nice to feel them. The candles grew lower, and a caw startled me, I looked at my watch on my wrist, the time nearing midnight. "I'm in so much trouble."
"Goodnight, parting is such sorrow." I blew the candles out and picked them up and made for the castle. The doors were unlocked, inside I could hear raised voices, Severus and McGonagall were shouting at each other it took me a moment to realise that they were speaking about me.
"-she come to you for? I'm her head of house!" McGonagall spoke over Severus who hadn't stopped speaking, in spite of the deputy.
"-should keep a better eye on your Lions." The headmaster was walking out of the great hall, his eyes on his teachers.
"She wasn't at the feast, where could she be?"
"With a troll on the loose she could have been hurt before it was reported." Severus looked even paler, I chose this moment to step into the entrance hall.
"I'm sorry," I spoke quietly, I was surprised that they even heard me, but all eyes landed on me.
"Where have you been?" McGonagall stalked up to me, she grabbed at my arm, having had this done by my relatives, who weren't innocent in their motives, I kicked into fight mode and pushed her away from me, ripping my arm from her grip making her fall to the ground, my breathing came in strong breathes.
"Hari?" The headmaster spoke. Brown wide eyes looked at me from the floor.
"I'm sorry, but don't grab me like that." Snape was in front of me.
"Are you ok? Where have you been?" The headmaster helped McGonagall up.
"I was standing vigil to my parents, I was by the lake," I held my hand up to show the nearly burned out candles, "I lost track of time, the moment I realised the time I raced back, I apologise for the hour, I started at 6, I didn't realise just how long I was out there."
"Why aren't you cold? It's freezing out there." The headmaster asked.
"The air was warm around me, and I had a blanket." I pointed to the one that had fallen to the ground when I had been grabbed.
Dumbledore nodded like this had been enough information, "well no harm done. To bed with you, Severus could you escort young Miss Potter to her dorm?"
He nodded and I followed after picking my blanket up.
"Are you okay?" He asked once we had moved away from the others. I nodded, then realising that he couldn't see me I answered.
"Yeah, a bit of a strange feeling, what happened?"
"A Troll made it into the grounds, it has been dealt with,"
"Wow, well done."
He gave me the smallest of smiles, "-to bed with you. Goodnight Hari."
"Goodnight sir."
The moment I was through the portrait I had three people stood in front of me, Hermione, Neville and Ron. Ron was the surprise.
"You okay there Ron?"
"Look I'm sorry I acted the way I did. My dad and Malfoys have a thing, I'll try and give him a chance." Well that was different, I'd give him the benefit of the doubt, I just hoped I wouldn't regret this.
"Well, thank you. Snape said there was a Troll."
"Where were you?" Hermione asked.
"I paid my respects to my parents." Neville's eyes caught mine, he knew how I felt, I don't know he lived with his grandmother, and he hadn't ever mentioned his parents, maybe one day he would like to confide in me, until then, I'd just be there.