Chapter 10

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In Harry's lessons he noticed that there were a lot more supply-teachers than usual. In Charms, a young woman was teaching them non-verbal Charms. Not one of them got it, even Hermione, who still looked distracted. In Potions, they still had Clankship, though she looked thinner, and her hair was tied back more often. Harry noticed that her nail varnish had chipped. Snape was no longer in any defence against the Dark Arts lessons, and they were never sent a cover. Harry, among many other students went to an unused classroom or a secret passage way where they had less chance of being attacked.

Although no one mentioned it, Harry had become their sort of leader. Harry didn't mind, and, although he didn't say it, he thought that he was the best one to lead the others, anyway, as he had had the most experience. Every time their mysterious objects given to them by McGonagall vibrated, everyone looked around at Harry.

'C'mon,' Harry said, 'we need to get out of here – you know the centaurs go to classrooms.'

And they all sped out of their empty Defence against the Dark Arts classroom (Clankship fled to the staffroom), and Harry told them to be quiet, and led them down a corridor, thinking of the Mauderer's map he had left in his closet in his dormitory.

Harry swore under his breath; he had led them down the wrong corridor.

'What's wrong, Harry?' Hermione said. Several people echoed her. 'Aren't we going to go through the witch?'

'You are a GENIUS!' Harry practically yelled. 'Right,' he said, addressing all the class, which were all Gryffindors. 'We're going to go through here, one by one.'

'Harry, they're coming closer,' Neville whined. Harry swore again.

'Dissendium,' he muttered, and the one-eyed witch's hump opened, and Harry shepherded the small crowd through it. He could hear drunk yells that reminded him of the scenes of horror at the Quidditch World Cup. 'Hurry!' he said, and he helped Lavender, Pavarti, Neville (who needed a push up), Seamus, Dean and Ron through.

'Hurry, Hermione,' he said; she was just looking at him.

'You're the best leader we've ever had,' she said, and she disappeared through the hole. Harry climbed through himself, and sealed the hole shut with magic.

'Don't go anywhere!' he yelled; Dean was looking around the dark corner which Harry knew led to Honeydukes. Dean came back to Harry.

'Now, all we need to do is keep quiet. Only we, and possibly Fred and George know about this – DUCK!' he bellowed, as the hole above them opened again.

'Talk of the flipping devil,' he grumbled, as Fred and George, with the rest of their class jumped in. They started talking loudly.

'Shut UP!' he yelled, and everyone fell silent, except for the drip of the dirt dripping from the ceiling. 'Now, all we need to do is keep very, very quiet. Can anyone conjure stuff up, like food? I know Hermione can do a good fire,' he said, and Hermione said 'Stay back,' and she pointed her wand at the middle, where a roaring fire sprang immediately up. She had also managed to put a fire-grate up. The older people drew food from thin air, and everyone was eating, almost happily.

But what scared them most was the centaurs that kept on running on overhead. Harry decided it was best of they stayed the night down in the cave. Just as Fred was conjuring up sleeping-bags, a tall, thin girl let out a yell.

'What?' said a few people.

'Quiet,' said Harry. Everyone fell unspoken, and Harry asked her what was wrong.

'Katie's not here – you know Katie Bell, don't you? We've got to find her.'

'No, we can't,' said Harry, into the eerie silence. 'Voldemort has her already,' he said, and a lot of people flinched. 'But they won't get you of you just go to bed, and keep the noise down.'

Harry stayed watch with Ron and Hermione.

'I wasn't here last time,' Ron whispered, way past midnight.

'You weren't, were you?' said Harry. 'You didn't miss much, I promise.' Hermione laughed.

'You better hope there isn't a next time, either. They'd shut the school down now, but no one can tell the outside world what's happening. Dumbledore's even gone somewhere. I've no idea where, though.' She added, for Harry whipped his head around very quickly.

Harry woke up the next morning to hear a tap, tap sound above him. It was too light to be a centaur.

'Whassat?' Ron asked groggily. 'Sounds like an owl.'

'Keep your voice down,' Harry implored, gesturing at Hermione, and then at everyone else. Ron got up, and then pulled the letter through the hole. Harry saw the confused owl fly off. Harry hoped it was still alive when it had gotten past the school gates; all owls being sent in were killed, as well.

'I don't believe it,' Ron said rather loudly, and several people grunted in their sleep. 'Doesn't he know, flipping ba–'

'Ron,' said Harry, 'keep your voice down. Now, tell me who the letter's from,' Harry said, although he had already guessed.

'Krum,' Ron said with a lot of hatred.

Oh dear, Harry said in his head.

'Look, he doesn't know about you and Hermione does he? How was he supposed to know?' But Ron had already thrown the letter in the fire, which was till raging on in a merry sort of way.

Ron spent the rest of the morning looking huffy, but, to Harry's thanks; he didn't say anything to Hermione, who still looked confused. Early everyone had woken up by mid-day. Harry thought it was safe to go back outside again.

'OK, people, its lunch time right now, and so can you all split up and go into different directions. We're not making their lives any easier.' By 'their' he meant the centaurs, but, most importantly, Voldemort. 'Let's go; older people first.'

Many people thanked Harry on the way out, complimenting him. No one said a bad thing against him.

'See,' said Hermione, on their way to Hagrid's hut for some lunch, 'you are a great leader.'

''S true, mate. Have you two been to Hagrid's?'

'Er,' said Harry and Hermione; they had not been for ages.

Hermione knocked on the door.

'Hagrid, it's us, let us in.' No one answered. 'Oh dear,' she said to Harry and Ron. 'You two haven't done Care of Magical Creatures for NEWTS, have you?'

'No,' said Ron and Harry. 'We don't want to have our arms eaten off anymore,' added Ron with a slight smile, but his face fell as he saw Hagrid's face whip from the window.

'Ron! He probably heard you, now. Oh great. I bet he can rip our heads off if he wanted.' And she knocked again, but, even though she was shouting, nothing happened, though Harry saw Hagrid's watching them from another window. This gave Harry an idea. He explained it to Ron and Hermione, who both laughed. Harry walked around to the vegetable patch morosely, and, out of the corner of his eyes, saw Hermione fall over. He tried hard not to smile, but instead pulled out a carrot, and started shredding it with his wand. He chanced a look around, and saw that his plan was working well; Ron was picking Hermione up, and she went in for a kiss on the cheek, but he got her lips … Harry focused on beating a cabbage up. Harry looked towards the forest, and allowed himself a quick grin … sooner or later … any minute…then a pain hit him on the chest … his head was on fire …he must obey the master…

''Ermione! Ron! What the ruddy hell are yeh doin'?' Ron and Hermione broke apart. Hermione did a very good job of looking embarrassed. 'You know Harry is jus' roun' the corner, an' yeh two off – when did, er, this 'appen?' Harry snapped out of it, and took this as his cue to come round the corner.

'What are you two doing, sitting down on the floor?' said Harry, making a convincingly confused face, and then he turned to Hagrid. 'What happened, Hagrid?'

Hagrid looked very uncomfortable. Hermione rushed over to Harry and hugged him, whispering in his ear. 'You're doing an excellent job, now lets get back in his cabin; I'm starving.' And she let go, saying 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Harry.' And Hagrid led Harry and Hermione; Harry saw Ron doubled up in fits of laughter. Hagrid noticed him looking, and Harry and Hermione started smiling.

'Righ' then, all o' yeh lot in me Cabin, NOW! Now what the ruddy hell has been goin' on. Are yeh two really tergether?' He asked faintly. Hermione responded by holding Ron's hand. Ron and Harry were still laughing silently.

'Since when?' he asked, looking confused and angry that no one had told no one had told him.

'October,' Ron gasped, grinning maniacally. He then stopped chortling when Hermione gave him a reproachful look.

'We've been really busy, Hagrid, you know.'

'Ruddy centaurs,' Hagrid muttered.

'You are safe in your cabin, aren't you?' Hermione asked pointedly. Harry sensed the change in conversation and helped move the conversation.

'Yeah, I mean you live near the forest, don't you?'

'S'pose,' Hagrid said unhelpfully.

It took them another half hour before they got any food, and by the time they had left, Hagrid was in a very positive mood.

'Bye, yeh lot, be sure ter visit me soon-ish!' he called merrily.

'Bye,' called Harry, Ron and Hermione.

'You know, we really should visit him more often, you know…'

'Yeah,' said Harry.

'We're gonna be busy, you know. 'Specially me, I'm way behind.'

'You'll catch up,' Hermione said. 'Hey Andrea. Harry – we'll see you in the Common Room, yeah?'

'OK,' he said to Hermione. 'How're you, you look better,' he said to Andrea before he could stop himself; and she certainty did; her hair was curly and bouncy again, and she looked more full and had lost the bags under her eyes.

'Thanks,' she said, smiling, her cheeks going red.

'It's OK,' said Harry, smiling himself, for which he was very glad; moments like this with Cho were usually filled with her crying.

'No, I meant thanks for helping me again the other night. I am so grateful. Which reminds me, the teachers are letting us go to Hogsmeade, I think they need to put more security on the castle, or something. But, anyway, I was thinking we could go to Hogsmeade together?' Harry's stomach did a back-flip.

'That'd be great' he said, and they walked around the lake, resting at the other end; it was nice to just sit there and talk, without worrying too much about what was happening up at the castle. Andrea said she was going back up to the castle, kissed him on the cheek and then went up, shivering.

'Andrea, wait!' Harry called, and threw her his cloak.

'You coming?' she asked, but Harry shook his head. 'I'll see you around.'

And she went up to the castle, leaving Harry to his confused thoughts. He looked out onto the bank and remembered Sirius for the umpteenth time. Harry missed him a lot, and when he wasn't busy, he was still in mourning and his heart ached every time someone said his name. He had started to skip meals and was frequently behind homework. The only thing that cast his mind from his godfather was the small, but raging war in the castle.

Fortunately for Harry, as a scary January faded into a daunting February he had little to think about apart from staying alive. No one ate in the Great Hall anymore, as the centaurs were still in there; more and more people were duelling; meaning that progressively more people were being hurt; lessons were disrupted by, not only people running amok and jinxing everybody, but by the lack of teachers. Dumbledore seemed like he had gone for ever, and there was no sign of Snape. Their Charms Master, Professor Flitwick had disappeared, too. Harry thought it was blindingly obvious who was making all of this mess, but the teachers were being jinxed, too. Professors McGonagall and Vector were confunded, and in the Hospital Wing.

No one could go anywhere without risk of attack. Harry, Ron and Hermione had to; again, postpone their trips to Hagrid's and eat in their Common Room. They also noticed a number of people going missing. They no longer saw Ginny, Dean or Katie anywhere. Students in other years reported people missing, and the teachers went out to find them, but with very little success; all the people they were trying to catch seemed to have Dark Magic in them. Soon all of Slytherin was captured, except for Malfoy, who was made a Gryffindor. This caused several outbursts in the Common Room.

'But, miss, why do we have to have him? Can't Ravenclaw–'

'– Or Hufflepuff –' Seamus said.

'– Take him?' A seventh-year asked; he knew how much trouble Malfoy was.

'Draco Malfoy is only staying here temporarily. The facts are, Coops, is that the Slytherins Common Room is unavailable. It is also unadvisable to linger in corridors for too long. I'm sure you all remembered what happened? Yes?' she pressed, and everyone nodded, thinking of the same thing; a group of Hufflepuffs, including Ernie Macmillan, were captured. Ernie was still missing; he had not been seen anywhere.

'But miss,' whined another first year, but McGonagall interrupted him.

'Bryans, there are no buts.'

'So what's the other reason?' Ron asked her aggressively. 'Professor?' he added to get him out of a week's worth of detentions.

McGonagall opened her mouth, but Harry cut across of her.

'Because I asked him to; he's different now, and, I think that if I can take him, than all of you can.' Harry snapped, and everyone was taken aback; they still thought of Harry as their leader. No one made any further queries, and McGonagall left, giving thanks to Harry. Malfoy was rocking back and forth on his chair, staring at nothing.

'I think it'll just take him some, er, getting used to,' Hermione said, and Ron snorted; he still hated Malfoy.

'Look, Ron,' Harry said over Malfoy, who wasn't listening, anyway, 'I know he's changed. 'You weren't there at Halloween. You wouldn't know. Ask Harry,' Hermione nodded.

'Whatever,' said Ron, and attempted to do his Transfiguration homework.

'It happened in a split second; Harry was on his feet, and had hit Ron in the head. After he had done it, he felt very guilty.

'What was that for?' Hermione said indignantly, holding Ron.

'I – I dunno,' he said lamely – but why had he done it? He thought back to seconds before and he, with a startle, remembered hearing a voice; a voice telling him to get angry and to hit him.

'Er, Hermione,' he said, 'can I talk to you for a bit?' The room was very silent. Ron's head was throbbing.

'I think you'd better,' she said angrily, and she followed him outside the portrait hole.

Before Hermione could cut him off, Harry said, 'The voice in my head told me to do it.' Even out loud the words sounded stupid. Hermione's look of anger fell off of her face.

'Like in our second year? Oh, Harry, this isn't any good,' and she hugged him, and she apologized.

'I just thought you hit him,' she said to her feet, ten she straitened up, and said in a business-like way, 'Was it in Parseltounge?'

'I dunno – it sounds like English to me, doesn't it?'

'I suppose so. You mustn't listen to him, you know.'

'Listen to who?'

'Voldemort, Harry.'

'Oh,' said Harry. 'Him.'

And they went back inside to the Common Room, glad to find that a bubble of chatter had broken.

'What was this,' Ron indicated his rising lump, 'for?'

'Hermione, you tell him,' Harry said, sitting down with his hands in his face.

In the pretence of looking at his throbbing lump, Hermione told Ron what Harry had just said.

'Not again,' he said loudly.

'Yeah, er, sorry, mate.'

''S no problem. Keep me on my toes. Should be fun, eh? Oh, just forget it,' he said, and, once again started on his essay on Human Transfiguration; the head.

OK, I know it's a slow story, but I swear if you read it, you'll like it!

autumnlover