Author's Note: I do not own Harry Potter
Can I just say, before I let you carry on with reading the chapter, that I have been blown away with the positive reviews I have been receiving about this fanfic. I know that many have felt annoyed at the way I have portrayed Harry in this, or with other things, but know that each action is planned and will have an outcome that may surprise you. This is not only a learning curve for me in how to write a character-driven story but also one for Harry himself. This Harry is one who has suffered and is clawing his way bloodily out of the shadowy pit he resides in. This is his journey (with some of my minimal alterations to the universe of course) and we are simply here to want him to succeed. The truth is that life doesn't always go well for the good guys. The underdogs aren't always the ones who win. The people who deserve everything are usually the ones who suffer the most and the people who deserve to suffer are usually the ones who reap the rewards. In the end, however, I'm not going to write a tragic tale with no positive outcome – prepare for bittersweet with a journey wrought with both joy and pain.
By the way, a little bit of information here, this chapter was originally going to only be about 3,500 words approx. It just sort of took on a life of its own and ended up being what it was.
Also, a bit earlier than I said I would release the chapter, but I'm away from stable Internet connection as of next week so thought an early upload is better than no upload.
Harry felt like he had returned home once more. At the foot of the stairs, he could see Katie waiting for him, a nervous smile and red cheeks gracing her face as he moved his own arms out to meet hers.
"Morning, Harry," she murmured sweetly in his ear.
"And to you too, Katie." He had to look upwards slightly, a twinge of annoyance that he had barely grown, yet she had almost shot up in height.
They exited the portrait hole, early morning hunger directing them downstairs so that they could eat their fill. Katie's hand slid naturally down his arm, promises that his scarred limb was still there, and ended clasped in his own, a warm cocoon heating her hand pleasantly while their fingers laced together.
The trip down was silent but pleasing. The two had, for too long, been forced to avoid such trips by the constraints of life outside the school, and were, as such, incredibly grateful that they could return to such normality.
They entered the Hall together, not letting go of each other until they sat down, entering a world of their own as their conversation remained light and airy. She was worried about him, her concern would always touch him, but after yesterday's display, he could not fault her. He would send subtle reassurances that, yes, he was doing fine. The attack of the Dementors was a cruel, evil thing, but for him now, it was as if a fleeting nightmare had woken him up in the night – he had the affection and care of those important to him to remind him of his humanity, and it felt so right to want to take advantage of that.
"Mr Potter, I trust that I shall see you later tonight with Madam Pomfrey? I wish to be there, just in case." Minerva McGonagall wore a light frown and soft eyes as she took in the duo. "Miss Bell," she handed over Katie's timetable with a practiced flourish, "I believe that nothing I can say may dissuade you from accompanying him?"
"Nothing at all I'm afraid, Professor."
McGonagall rolled her eyes in mock dismay. "Of course not. Now, Mr Potter, your timetable for the year. I do hope that you continue your displays within my classes; I am also aware of your engagements with Quidditch, and for your information, Professor Lupin and Professor Dumbledore are talking with Professor Flitwick to aid you in some way on the Dementor front. They have not reached a conclusion yet, but your reactions to them are not something that we will be taking lightly, of that you can be assured."
"Thanks, Professor. But, I'll be alright for now." He playfully elbowed Katie's side, receiving a mock snort in reply.
"That I see," the professor responded, lips curved upwards in a small smile. "Well, I hope your day goes well, Harry, Miss Bell."
She walked off, keen to start her own breakfast, and could not help but to break out into a wide grin that quickly hidden when she heard the playful banter develop between the two teens.
When the giggles of the two friends had subsided, and they took note of more of the Circle entering the Hall in various different states of wakefulness, the two began to focus more on their preparations for the day.
"What's the damage, Harry?" Neville asked through bites of toast.
"What are you taking?"
"Care of Creatures and Divination."
He looked over to Fay, who was slowly buttering her toast and was eyeing up the coffee as if it were her prey. "Divination and Ancient Runes," she mumbled.
Harry frowned for but a moment. "Not too bad today," he said glancing over his timetable, as the others of his year were waiting on theirs. "History first today it seems."
Monday: Arithmancy – 11am-1.30pm, Care of Magical Creatures – 2pm–4.30pm
Tuesday: Defence Against the Dark Arts – 1pm-3pm
Wednesday: (No lessons scheduled)
Thursday: History of Magic – 9am-11am, Herbology - 12.30pm-2.30pm, Potions – 3pm-5pm
Friday: Transfiguration – 10am-12pm, Charms - 1.30pm-3.30pm, Astronomy – 10pm-12am
"Potions as well?" Fay said with some disgust. "And Arithmancy?"
Harry blushed, "We-well, Katie said it's really interesting, so I thought I would give it a go. And now Hagrid's teaching Care of Creatures, so the electives should be really good. I'm looking forward to this year."
An hour later, after everyone had eaten their fill, the Third year Gryffindor and Hufflepuff students were waiting outside their History room. Harry was happy and lucky to have considerate friends, as they shielded the stares from the others as they whispered about his exploits within the Chamber. Harry also noticed a lonely Ron Weasley slumped against the wall, eyes red and teeth grinding against each other.
"Good morning," chirped a surprisingly joyous Hermione.
"Good? History first thing on our first day? You do know that we have Potions later too, right?"
"Fay..." Harry intoned with a frown. "Be nice." He tittered softly at her exaggerated huff, turning to greet Hermione. "How are you feeling?"
"Hah, I should be asking you that, really. But well, thanks. Ginny introduced me to a girl in her year, Luna. She's quite nice, though a little odd. Talks about all these odd creatures that I don't think exist."
"Don't they?" asked Harry. "I wondered about that too once, but when I asked Professor Flitwick once, he said that who knows with magic? He's right too. I mean, a few years ago, Dragons and Unicorns weren't real, and now they are, so who knows exactly if she's right or not?"
Hermione pursed her lips, her tongue poking out of the side of her mouth as she thought on his words. "It... is possible that you're correct. But she is a sweet girl nonetheless."
Harry nodded, moving in to the room as the door opened to let them in. He bypassed Neville and Fay, knowing that they would use this time to catch up on their rest, and sat beside Hermione, who, like him, drew out her parchments for note-taking, and the textbook for the year.
"One day," Harry whispered, "I hope Professor Binns can teach something with a bit more excitement."
He was sure that his friends would be proud of him for eliciting the small giggle from the girl.
Once more, however, Binns proved that the lesson was primarily only good for the purpose of catching up on missed sleep over actually learning anything fruitful.
'You would really think that there would be so much more enthusiasm involved with having a ghost for a teacher,' he grumbled internally. 'How can someone possibly make a brutal Goblin Warlord's assent and destruction become so lame?'
When Binns ended the lesson abruptly at the strike of 11, floating through the blackboard and out of the room, there was a collective sigh of relief. They shared a united groan when just his head popped back.
"4 feet of parchment on the rise and fall of Warchief Kurog, on my desk before next week."
They went to lunch as a whole group, with Fay and Neville rolling their eyes in good humour at Harry and Hermione eating as quickly as they could.
"You know we have plenty of time to get the homework done, right?" Neville asked.
"Yes, but Harry has the correct idea. The sooner it is complete, the better."
Harry agreed it seemed. "Yeah, besides, I've got my first training session back on Sunday morning. I want to get my work done before then."
"It... is a healthy outlook, Nev."
"Why are you agreeing with them?" he complained to Fay, who pat his back in sympathy.
He perked up tremendously when their next lesson began, as he was in his element.
"Welcome back, one and all," Sprout exclaimed, "Back to another year of Herbology. Now, this year we will be focusing primarily upon a not as exciting, but still fundamentally important, aspect of Herbology: Common Household Planting. Now, just because you can find Jarrin Root in your garden at home, does not mean it isn't something incredibly dangerous to work with. For those of you with high interest in Potions, you may find this year to be quite informative."
The Quiet Trio exchanged already exhausted looks, but Neville tightened his apron around his waist and fixed his tie: he was completely ready for the lesson, much to the hilarity of his two friends.
Harry was always in silent awe at how his friend became an almost completely different person when it involved their current subject. It always brought a smile to his face, as it showed that all Neville needed was some more confidence, and Harry truly believed that his friend could become great at anything he attempted.
As the day went on, it became less and less obvious that there was anything wrong with Harry after the previous night's trials. Pomona Sprout, always the caregiver, would watch concernedly out of the corner of her eye at his actions, making sure that no issue would arise.
The Harry Potter she remembered from 2 years previous was almost the opposite from this hesitant, but much stronger, boy who laughed quietly with his friend, Miss Dunbar, and followed the lead of their other friend, Mr Longbottom. In a way, though they were not of her House, she felt no small measure of pride at the sight of such a damaged child develop and evolve into the blossoming young man before her. There was a power developing here that contradicted his commonly seen, withdrawn attitude, small stature, and shy demeanour. Harry Potter was slowly coming into his own. He was starting to show the legend that the stories declared him to be.
Harry was enjoying the lesson to the fullest extent possible. Not only was it proof that he had returned to the world he chose to embrace as his own, but it was also a way to deny the sight of Snape for as long as possible.
Considering that the last time he had come into contact with the surly Potions Master, he had been thrown across the room by two of his other professors, he could safely say he was not looking forward to seeing the man in his classroom.
Time marches on, however, and the Gryffindors hurried to the dungeon level, with Neville and Harry quietly complaining about why, for the third year running, they have to share the most detestable class with the Slytherins.
'Though it would be nice to see Tracey again,' he thought. She was the one who gave him enough hope that not every one of the Snakes were blatantly despicable. She had even come to speak with him after his foray into the Chamber of Secrets. Though she stated that it was not because of any sort of sense of worry, he could clearly see the relief in her eyes when she saw that he was in one piece.
She gave a small, subtle smile when he walked in the Potions room, seeing that the space was empty next to her, he walked over and sat down.
"Potter," she said in a low voice, "It is good to see you."
"Why don't you call me Harry all the time? Doesn't Potter get boring?"
She raised a thin brow, a bemused look on her face as she smirked playfully. "Well, well, well. Harry's cracking a joke. The world must be ending."
"Come off it, Tracey." He shook his head, wary of the glare he knew he was receiving from the rest of the Slytherins, and a single Gryffindor. "Good Summer?"
She made a non-committal humming noise as she started to remove the equipment required for the lesson, of which Harry quickly copied.
"It was fine. I heard about the England loss. A pity you were unable to play." She nodded her head when their things were laid out on their table. "I heard of the Dementor. Are you okay?"
Harry wondered sometimes why Tracey never seemed to get any flak from her housemates for fraternising with him. He had inquired once when she had joined him on a rainy Saturday afternoon deep in the library. She had simply shrugged and said, "Not everyone in my house is like Malfoy. Most people are just opportunists." She had left it at that, but chalked it up to some kind of inter-house politics and let it be.
"I think so." She raised her eyebrow once more. "Well, maybe not so great, but I'll manage." Much quieter he finished with, "I always do," but if Tracey heard him say it, she made no mention or motion that she had done so.
"Well, I've heard that apparently, Snape is on the warpath, so, knowing the animosity between you I thought I would do my part for this friendship we find ourselves in."
He had not even been able to formulate a reply when the man they were discussing slammed the door open, the sound reverberating violently throughout the room, and stalked to the front of the class.
"Instructions. Board. Go." Each word was a whisper, but no one strained to hear it.
Harry and Tracey exchanged a quick glance, their mouths set in a straight line as they both realised simultaneously that they should probably get on with the lesson and thank their lucky stars if he got out of it unscathed.
'I don't know if this is worse than his normal self or not,' he thought as the time was taking its final, sluggish steps to the end of the day. He was hungry and antsy – the History homework was calling his name, and even though Sprout only wanted the tiniest amount done, he was well aware of Snape's tendency to make his essays overboard.
Harry and Tracey, when Snape finally called time on the day, handed their vials of Wideye Potion over to the Professor, then turned and began packing their things away.
As Harry came back down from placing his belongings back into his dormitory, which was now a level higher up the boys' staircase, and settled in neatly between Fred and George, who began to regale him with their (apparently) amazing Defence lesson with Lupin.
"He's totally the best one we've had."
George snorted into his Pumpkin Juice. "Not that hard there, considering the last three we had."
"Yeah, but trust me," Fred turned to Harry, "You're actually going to enjoy Defence for the first time. Imagine that?" He gave a deep frown as he took in Harry's vacant face. "Err, Harry?" he waved his hand in front of his face, snapping his fingers for good measure. "King Seeker, you in there?"
Harry blinked rapidly, coming back from whatever place he was residing. "Um, we had a weird Potions lesson."
"Yeah, I've never seen Snape that... nice?" Fay questioned at the end. "No, not nice. More like out of it."
Neville, who was opposite Harry, pointed his head further up the table and passed the steps. "Yeah, but I wouldn't look behind you, Harry. I don't know if Snape's glaring at you, or Professor Lupin more."
Harry ducked his head down, refusing to participate in whatever was occurring with their resident Potions Master, and instead forced the conversation to drift away from the subject of the man.
When Harry later slipped into bed, after a lingering hug from Katie that had her sprinting up the stairs to her room, red-faced, and his heart beating ridiculously quick, he was hesitant to think if the day had been the best first day back.
The next morning when he met Katie, they averted their eyes from each other while they said in equal, soft tones, their good mornings. Harry was confused by what exactly was happening that morning but decided to put it out of his mind while they walked together to get their breakfast. When they sat down next to each other at their House table, he realised with a sharp pain in his chest that they hadn't held each other's hand on the journey down. There was a rush of panic, before Katie's shoulder nudged his, and he felt the light graze of her sweaty palm slipping over his own.
Harry decided that the strange feelings he was getting may have been worth looking in to – he made a mental note to subtly ask someone he knew that would be discreet in conversation later on – but overall realised that it was best put out of his head at that moment in time.
He was still a little distant when Professor McGonagall gave him a gentle verbal prodding at the start of his Transfiguration lesson. With a quick apology, he brought the question she asked to the forefront of his mind.
"Is it due to the possibility of remaining as that animal forever?"
She shook her head with some mirth. "Almost completely correct, Mr Potter. The form of an Animagus, when applied prior to full control over the animal, may potentially be the form you remain in for a potentially indefinite amount of time. While the process to become an Animagus is long and convoluted, there are so many possibilities for failure, that the Ministry forces those who participate in the procedure to become registered within."
"Can anyone become an Animagus?" Hermione inquired, a pointed look at the blackboard detailing the intricacies of the topic at hand. "Is it something that anyone can learn?"
"I'm afraid not, Miss Granger, for there is so much that could go wrong with it, that it is not until after the O.W.L's are completed that I would even hesitate to allow such tutelage. Of course, any teaching of this kind is also a reservation held by myself and must be seconded by the Headmaster. Therefore, I would only take on those such students that I believe have the competency, skill, and internal will to participate."
Harry was enraptured by the lesson. He had drifted off less than 5 minutes in as he had not expected such a heavy topic right from the get-go, but now he had become invested in it. 'An Animagus... I could escape.'
His thoughts were roaring inside him; he put scenario after scenario through their paces as he concluded that if he could transform, then maybe he could get away from everything and experience the potential for true, unrestricted, freedom.
Minerva McGonagall had never seen Harry daydream before. Usually, by this point of the student ignoring her, she would have: yelled, docked points, and possibly given detention depending on the response given to her. In this case, she was more proud of the development Harry was showing than anything else. It also helped that she had a grand soft-spot for the boy. She decided to let him be, proud of the boy she cared for start to grow into his own.
She set a short – for her – essay on the positives and negatives of becoming an Animagus, and released the Gryffindor's and Ravenclaw's to get some lunch. Harry barely touched any food, already scribbling furiously onto parchment at the Gryffindor long table in his head start of the homework.
"Harry, you haven't even got a book out to do the homework," Neville said with some humour.
Seamus looked over from his high-stacked sandwich and snorted in minor disbelief. "Come off it, Neville. He's probably already memorised the whole year's book."
Harry didn't deign to respond to the light banter, but the dusting of red on his face was enough to get his fellow third-year housemates to laugh good-naturedly.
"Welcome back, one and all! Today, for our first day back after our summer blues, I thought I would teach you all a simple spell, but one that requires the utmost seriousness in its execution."
Harry had missed his favourite Professor's squeak as he excitably taught his mastered subject. Though he believed he was only barely passable in Charmwork, Flitwick had over the last two years, smashed through Harry's poor self-esteem with all the subtlety of a lightning strike. He would never be considered amazing, and was definitely behind Hermione in the class ranking's – Tracey would gloat happily to him that even her skill was superior – that was mostly due to his wand's inability to focus fine control and timing more than anything else.
The incantation was simple enough – Diffindo – and had the outcome of severing the target its user aimed for.
Harry leant towards Neville who was positioned the other side of Fay. "Probably a good idea to not learn this one ourselves, I think," he whispered.
Fay made a non-committal grunting sound as she studied the blackboard. "Imagine if the Snakes were with us this year too. Kinda glad we've got mostly Puff lessons."
Harry grinned along with the rest of the Lions who had overheard; he could only just imagine the conflicts that would arise in this specific lesson if someone as brutish as Malfoy was involved.
He had read and reread the instructions five different times and was now perusing the Charms book for the year to locate any final details that he may have missed. The Charm was simple enough to perform, as it lacked the necessary complexities of power and wand movements that other spells may require. 'So, all I need is the incantation, the gesture of cutting in a straight line, and my wand. Simple.'
He levelled his wand at the thick strip of cloth suspended between two conjured clamps, held aloft in a taut horizontal line.
"Diffindo."
The spell sliced through the cloth like a hot knife through butter... then carried on to the table below it, and leaving a thin groove in the floor below them. The room quietened down to a dead silence as Harry's face paled chalk-white and Flitwick hurried over to his side.
"Harry..."
There was no time delay. 'And I didn't put as much force in as I usually would. What the hell just happened?'
He did not move for the rest of the lesson, uncomfortable of the awestruck looks from the Hufflepuff's placed on the benches over the way, and mindful of the contemplative looks from his own House – he could see Hermione in the corner of his eye shooting concerned expressions every few minutes.
"Are you sure you don't want us to stay?" Fay asked him when they were dismissed.
Harry bit his tongue, and he didn't know why he agreed, but an impulse to ignore his usual mind-set popped into his head and decided for him. "Actually," he spoke in his soft voice, "If you wouldn't mind. Can you? Please?"
Neville and Fay nodded as one, and Harry was feeling better already.
"Harry, please tell me again, it is a Thestral tail hair for your wand core, is it not?"
Harry dipped his head in agreement. "Yes, sir, that's what Mr Ollivander told me anyway."
"Hmm." His Professor stroked his chin in thought while he contemplated his response. "I would normally put this as your age developing your skill and innate power. Considering that our magic develops its strength through age and experience; there is a reason we leave more intense spells until later years, of course. However... Harry, if I may be blunt, you have experienced some very traumatic things in your life."
Harry was glad for his friends by his side. Neville and Fay both clasped his hands, squeezing them tightly in their shows of support.
"I cannot be certain in saying this, but Thestrals... you know what they are, and what they are associated with?" Harry did not say a word, but Filius could see the connections forming in Harry's eyes. "After what happened yesterday too... Dementors are vile, vile creatures that should not, and should never, exist. They tear, rip, a soul out of a mortal body. No one knows what becomes of it afterwards, but to even contemplate it... From my understanding, it came close to doing irreversible, final, damage to you, Harry. Such a thing will change you. Dementors are theorised, by some, to be physical embodiments of death. Consider the muggle myth of the Reaper, if you will, and you can see the considerations between the two – your soul is pulled close to death, and your wand is reacting to it.
"I believe that such a response as today will be commonplace, at least for a while as your body and magic become accustomed to the change. For now, I will explain things to Professor Dumbledore, who can pass on the message to your other professors."
"Sir," Harry began, dumbfounded by the issue that had been hypothesised by the man, "Does this mean that every spell will be like this?"
The man's face was grim as he contemplated his answer. "I do believe so. With Transfiguration, there may be some adverse side effects, but due to its nature, I cannot see things going out of control on that front; from Minerva's ravings about you, I would not be surprised if you aren't snatched up for an apprenticeship in the next few years by the woman."
Harry smiled widely, though a small blush graced his features at the (in his mind) undue praise. Neville snickered behind his hand as Fay made a small cheering sound while clenching his hand in a reassuring manner.
"But for now, please leave it with me. When is your next spellcasting lesson?"
"Will I need it for Arithmancy or Care of Creatures?"
"Oh, good choices, Harry! Your mother took those exact two herself as her electives, you know, and enjoyed them immensely from what I heard. But, no, I do not believe that you will need them. Not this early on in the subjects, anyway."
"Then it'll just be Defence next week then."
"Well, that shouldn't be too much of a problem. If anything, I would say that you should require a great amount of overpowering in such an environment. I will not spoil Professor Lupin's lesson for him, but I would say that forcing a greater deal of power may come off well." He walked up to Harry, his head tilted slightly up so as to make eye contact. "I will try to get to the bottom of that Harry... And if not, well, I am a teacher, and I would be remiss of me to not even try to help such a brilliant student as yourself."
Harry's concerns started to melt away, and not for the first time, he was recognising why Filius Flitwick was his favourite professor at Hogwarts.
It was later that night when he was sat atop the Astronomy Tower, with Neville and Fay on either side of him, there feet dangling off the North balcony to the sheer drop below, that he attempted to hesitantly bring everything up to his friends.
"Harry," Fay began, "You don't need to force yourself to say anything."
Neville nodded, his arm circling Harry's shoulders whilst Fay's came around his waist. "She's right, Harry. We're here for you, but if you aren't ready, then you aren't ready."
Harry sniffled quietly as his hand continued to draw the Lunar Seas, using the lesson to place all negativity on hold until the dark thoughts went away. He could see the Dementors patrolling the school boundary, and could not help but to shiver in fear and misery as memories tickled the edges of his mind.
'They both feel so... warm.'
The weekend passed by slowly as the Circle reintegrated themselves as a group without the trappings of education temporarily halting their connections. Harry had broken away from them for just a little while to re-familiarise himself with Cedric too, as the cheerful boy caught him unawares, along with Neville and Fay, as they finished their homework in the library.
The Monday coming was to be his elective day, where two brand new subjects were opened up to him. He had taken Dumbledore's advice to heart and had chosen Care of Magical Creatures for one of them, but the other was something that he spotted when Katie had joined him the previous year in one of his forays into the library.
"So it's like maths?"
Katie put her quill up to her mouth, idly sucking on the tip as she constructed her answer. "Yes and no. From what one of my classmates has said it seems as though it's similar to where he used it in his muggle school, but there's so much more than adding and stuff."
Her explanation had been long, but it had Harry intrigued, and when it came to picking his electives, he had decided that it appeared more interesting than the others.
Professor Vector was a tall, young-looking, pretty witch who seemed more in touch with the muggle world than the wizarding. When she walked into the room, Harry and Dean, who were sat next to each other, shared a subtle glance as their cheeks burned up slightly.
'She's got a nice smile,' Harry thought to himself. And she had. There was a hint of red lipstick shining slightly upon her lips, and her auburn hair was long and wild. Instead of the stereotypical robes worn by other members of staff, she had decided to wear a long-sleeved, flowing, light-blue sundress finished by a pair of knee-high, brown boots. She would have fit right in with the other muggles at Privet Drive, if not for the two glowing yellow eyes.
Harry was smitten instantly.
"Good morning, third years!" Her voice had a bubbly inflection to it, and when she spoke, there was a hint of an accent that Harry couldn't quite place. "And welcome to your first Arithmancy lesson." Her eyes scanned the room, and Harry could feel everyone perk up at her excitable tone. "So, I thought for our first time here, we'll talk a bit about what I am going to teach you."
Arithmancy, it appeared to Harry as he sat down next to Katie to eat a couple of hours later, was just as interesting as he initially thought. Vector had explained only a little of what they were to be taught, with their first year doing it only starting the foundation for the future.
"The Art is a complex one. I will not simply teach you numbers – the complexities of what the muggles call 'mathematics' – though this will be encompassed in your learning. There is power in numbers, and so many different prospects can be made within: Numerology, spell creation, and warding just to name a few. Have you ever wondered why a spell needs certain wand movements? What if I were to tell you that it is in reference to the angle that the wand is held aloft to the base of your wand core? Or if I were to say that your body has numerical reference points? You may not be able to understand just quite yet what I'm on about, but you will."
She had spoken to each of them individually, and when she got to Harry, she had paused for but a moment.
"Harry Potter... I knew your mum, you know? I shared a dorm with her for 7 years, so I got to know her quite well."
"You were friends with my mum?"
A wistful smile graced her face as her eyes glazed over slightly. "I was close to your mum. Maybe not her best friend, but she was someone special. To all of us." She knelt down in front of him, her arms crossed upon the desk as she stared at him. "I would have come to talk to you about her before, but I felt it may have been a bit much as you were starting out here. I have some photos and stories of her if you wanted to listen. I know you have tea with Professor Flitwick when you can. If I spoke to him, maybe I could join one of these times, tell you all about her?"
Harry didn't know who looked more hopeful, her or him, but all he could do was nod emphatically at the possibility of learning something new about the woman who birthed him. The resentment was cold now, but he still felt some sort of apprehension at the thought of the parents who left him all alone in an unfair world. But that small spark within wanted desperately to cling to the knowledge of who his mum was.
"How was it?" Katie asked between spoons of soup.
"Arithmancy?" A nod. "I think I might like it."
It was after a quick scoff of his lunch that Harry and Neville followed most of their year onto the school fields to get to Hagrid's hut.
"How we can have such a giant dunce as our professor is beyond me." Harry groaned at the sound of Malfoy's voice floating through the air, hoping that he could get past the electives in Hogwarts without having to deal with such an annoyance. "When my father hears of this, there will be hell to pay."
Harry subtly manoeuvred his body around the rest of the Gryffindor's taking the class, but it wasn't enough to deter Malfoy when he spotted his shock of black hair.
"I suppose that freaks meet each other well. If the coward over there is in this lesson, then it would make sense that that idiot will be here too."
Harry grabbed Neville's sleeve, shaking his head at his friend. "Don't. Please."
Until Hagrid exited his hut a few minutes later, Harry had to put up with the raised whispers of slander and insults directed his way.
"Alrigh' class." His head turned in a semi-circle to view his students. "Alrigh' there Harry." His smile was infectious, and though there was some trepidation from the third years – who all shared their classes collectively – at the idea of the bumbling man teach them, many followed Harry's positive disposition at the concept of Hagrid's lesson.
The sun beat down hard on their backs, and Harry could feel his neck grow hot. The route Hagrid was taking them into the outlying forest, avoiding the dark backdrop of the Forbidden Forest in the distance.
The clearing that Hagrid led them to had several, light-grey coloured creatures that reminded Harry of some sort of bird-horse.
"These beau'iful creatures are calle' 'Ippogriff's. Take ou' your books and ya can read abou' them, bu' don' worry. I know all about 'em." His proud face dropped slightly when he saw the blank looks surrounding him. "Ya do know 'ow to open yar books, don' ya?"
"Er, Hagrid, it did seem a bit... confusing, on how we could do that," Neville responded.
"Ya jus' stroke the spine of tha' book. It'll stop bitin' then."
"Oh, of course," Malfoy drawled sarcastically, "How could I have not understood that straight away. Right, Pansy? Such a silly thing on my part."
Hagrid either ignored it or genuinely didn't hear for his nerves, but carried on with the lesson. To which Harry was attentive at what he was to learn. He opened the book, already realising previously how to open it, and turned to the page on Hippogriffs.
When Hagrid had proceeded with his teaching, he brought forth the question that was dwelling at the forefront of Harry's mind.
"Now, who wan's to go for a ride?"
Harry, entranced with the beauty of the creature, stepped forth without thinking. Hagrid looked at him in shock, as well as the rest of his housemates, who were not expecting such a response from him.
Harry maintained eye contact with the Hippogriff – apparently called Buckbeak – and bowed low. Joy blossomed as it was reciprocated, and with hushed silence that the group watched as Harry walked forward and gently stroked the mane of the hybrid.
'I hope Hedwig won't get jealous.'
The wind billowed about him as all worries flew out of his system. Though the beginning of his third year had been wrought with negativity, Harry was once again marvelling at the beauty of magic as well as the fortune's he was developing in his life in general that was a drastic improvement than it once was.
How could he have imagined that he would be atop a majestic a creature as Buckbeak when he was suffering on the train not a week before? His perspectives had been fundamentally altered with each advancement in circumstance toward the promised light at the end of the tunnel. From the skies, he could feel the world at his fingers and knew that every hardship was to be the stepping stone to make him who he saw himself to be.
Back upon the leaf-ridden earth, after many a circuit had been made around the castle, Harry descended from his perch, eyes alight with mirth and wonder. He could see the anger on Draco's face, but as the boy moved toward him, he turned to stroke his noble steed, blocking the pathway to the annoyance Harry was sure he would perform.
Harry and Neville congratulated Hagrid profusely at the end of the lesson, determined to show some support to their large friend.
"Ya liked it?"
The two nodded emphatically as they sang his praises.
"It was interesting. I only really picked this because Harry did, but I can see why you and him enjoy creatures so much. As long as they aren't dangerous, I'm sure I'll be really happy."
Hagrid let out a booming laugh. "Nah, nothin' dangerous. Harry and Dumbledore have chewed me ear off enough for 20 people abou' it. I will be teachin' ya abou' 'em, but won' be showin' ya. Not until yar a bi' older anyways."
"I really liked it, Hagrid," Harry spoke up. "Is every lesson going to be something like it?"
"Nah, not always. Sometimes we don' have the creatures to show ya'."
Harry didn't mind. He knew that Hagrid may be clueless on many things, especially his people skills if his response to Malfoy and the Slytherins was any indication. He warned him of their antagonistic nature, which had been waved off – a showcase of Hagrid's immense trust in people. Yet Harry knew for a fact that there were not many people alive who had the immense knowledge and level of respect for magical creatures as Rubeus Hagrid.
The following day, Harry sat with some trepidation at the front row table between Fay and Neville, waiting for the arrival of their newest addition to the Hogwarts staff.
"Follow me, please," the man, Lupin, said to the gathered Lions and Ravens, popping his head into the room with a genial smile adorning his face.
Harry shared a look with his friends, placed his text, and note, books into his bag, stood up, and followed the crowd behind their teacher.
"Where d'ya think we're going?" they heard Seamus ask Ron.
"Who knows," was the response.
Harry was in two minds as to what kind of man Remus Lupin was. He seemed friendly enough and hadn't had the aura of unease that the previous two professors had brought about in him, which was a good enough start. The fact that he already had shown support to him was another point added to the chart; there was some wariness, however, as Alicia and Fred had both pointed out to him the intense stares he had directed at him during their shared times within the Great Hall. Whenever Harry had turned to see what they were talking about, Lupin had sharply turned his head away, a look of sadness that Harry could not quite understand why it was there.
Lupin had led them to a corridor that Harry was sure he had never been down before. The man opened a large, ornate door and walked inside, beckoning the class to trail in behind him.
Harry turned away, trying to make himself seem even smaller than he was as he spotted the greasy, dark hair, and black-robed figure of the schools' Potions Master. It was for nought as Snape spotted Harry in the crowd.
"I would be wary of... some students, Lupin. Not all of them have the same appreciation or skill in magic as others."
Lupin gave a half-smile, though his eyes were hard as he spoke to his colleague. "I'm sure that you may very well be wrong there, Professor. In fact, I'm sure that all my students have as equal an opportunity to succeed as every other."
Snape scoffed as Lupin gave a not so subtle glance at Harry, a frown developing as he took in his slightly dejected look.
"Now, if you don't mind, Severus, I do have a class to teach."
With a scoff and a glare, Snape left the room, nearly bowling Harry over as it seemed as though the man had deliberately taken an odd route to escape.
"Now," Lupin clapped his hands, moving to stand by a shaking cupboard, "This year, I intend to teach your year about some of the more common dark and unfriendly creatures you may end up coming across. I will also be holding a minor seminar with Professor Flitwick and Madam Pomfrey on Dementors relatively soon, considering their involvement this year. But today, we will be practicing on... a Boggart."
Lupin's scars may have had others turning away in disgust, or showering him with pity, but Harry knew. Harry understood what the scars represented, and instead of sympathy, he exhaled empathy. With every word spoken, Harry realised that he understood him more and more.
He was soft-spoken, calm, and almost exuded a nurturing aura that permeated their very beings.
"Riddikulus."
"Good, everybody well done. Now, shall we put this into practice? Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces, so it should be of some defence for you to at least know what you may go up against if you are cleaning out your attic." There were some laughs at that. "Now, shall we crack on?"
They lined up, a sense of nervousness mixing with excitement as everybody wondered what their deepest fears were and that they could actively fight against it.
Harry felt bad for Neville when he went up against the shapeshifter. The boy was trembling furiously as he stepped forward, words of encouragement from everyone there drowned out by his inherent fear. Harry tried to show his support alongside Fay when he turned to look at them pleadingly.
The Boggart saw him and transformed.
It was a mass of string and shadow, unleashing a terrifying presence, but what chilled Harry to the bone was the insane cackling coming from deep within. Harry saw Neville freeze, followed by Lupin hurrying to his side.
"R-riddikulus!"
The thing turned into a large, over-excited Niffler, bounding about the open space of the room to the visible relief of his friend. Harry placed a gentle hand on his arm, smiling lightly and proudly at his friend.
'What will mine be?'
Fay went, head held high as the Boggart transformed once more, becoming an emaciated, corpse-like woman with a rotted white dress, which emitted a terrible odour alongside a disheartening presence of rage. Fay turned as white as a sheet when she spotted the oversized ring on the floor, but stood her ground well, her wand shooting up and pointing directly at the ghastly spectre.
An incantation and a crack, and the thing transformed into a beautiful black-haired woman dancing funnily about.
Harry's arms came around his friend as they shared a brief embrace – her grip was tight and he swore he could feel her shuddering stop as she let herself go in his arms. He passed her along to an awkwardly shuffling Neville when it was his turn to step forward into the abyss.
The Boggart, now a pile of floating, brightly coloured robes, froze in place and the room grew still.
A stone. It was a smoothly shaped stone that sat before him. It was unmarked and shone with a hue of grey and blue that resonated in the sunlight and residual magic in the room.
There were looks of confusion as the class stared at what was transpiring. Many had thought that the Dark Lord would arise in the creature, or, more likely, a Basilisk of some description. This... was odd for them to see.
"Riddikulus."
His hand did not shake. Nor did he stutter. It appeared as if it did not affect him one bit. But a pensive Lupin could sense it within him, and Neville and Fay knew him too well.
Harry walked out of the room and did not return. It was not until later that evening when Katie found him in the owlery, blankly caressing Hedwig, that he anyone had seen him.
She said not a word, moved up behind him, hugging him tight as he finally managed to relax and release the metaphorical breath he was holding.
"Don't ever leave me, Katie. Please. Don't leave me."
Katie placed a gentle, loving kiss onto his head, drowning her face within his untamed locks. "Never," she whispered, matching his tone. "Never."
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"You have got to be joking!"
"Nope, not one bit." She wanted to both kiss him and punch him at the same time.
"But why me?"
There was a stupid looking grin was too adorable on his face. "Because I believe in you. Because I saw your face when you were flying on that broom. Because," his already soft voice quietening even more as he spoke the last of his piece, "You have told me how much you want this."
Harry had snuck up on her, quiet as a mouse, as she made her way downstairs to sneak off to the equipment cupboard by the Quidditch Stadium. Usually, this would receive a large punishment for doing such a thing, but she felt a bit vindictive after what had happened to her the previous year, and petulantly believed that she was owed at least something. This slight rebellion against the school system was her way of dealing with it.
"This isn't the first time, is it?"
That was his opening salvo as he sat on the small armchair that faced the stairs to the girl's dorms, his Nimbus 2000 laid across his lap.
Katie Bell was sat on the armrest of the chair, her arm draped over (Her)Harry's shoulders, her cheek pressed down onto his hair while her other hand lay upon his scarred arm. She twitched imperceptibly at the gall of the girl as she could see the look of relaxation that Harry had at her ministrations.
Ginny did not look at her, and instead sent her reply to Harry (her saviour!). "I do this at home too. The number of times I would nick Charlie's broom and practice was probably too many times."
"We've seen you the past few mornings. You going to try out for the team?"
Ginny's teeth were set, but she decided to play nice for once to the other girl. "Yes. Is that a problem?"
"I think the only problem is the lack of a suitable broom," Harry interjected softly. His eyes were closed as he was obviously enjoying the affection of the girl.
Ginny had been told, even by her brothers, that their relationship was a complicated one, but not romantic in any way. For her, who was now a hundred percent smitten with the boy who saved her life, she could spot the tells of how the two teens were feeling towards each other. It annoyed and angered her. 'If I could show Harry how well I play Seeker... Would he notice me then? Would it be a good start at least?'
Harry leaned forward, both hands grasping on to the broom. "The National Team have bought every starting player a brand new broom: a Firebolt. We get to keep them, so that meant that I have two brooms. Originally, I offered it to Katie, but she turned it straight down."
"It wouldn't work for Chasers who have different broom speeds," Katie interrupted. "Angie and Alicia both have Comet 260's, and if I introduce a much faster broom, the cohesion of us three will drop. Such a fast broom wouldn't be great for Wood either – he'd need to change the whole team's work style just for the use of a single broom."
"So, I've decided to loan you my Nimbus." Harry scratched the back of his neck, mindful of his friend behind him. "I feel kinda bad that I left us with no Seeker for the year."
"Harry, I can't take this..."
"You can, and you will. If it makes you feel uncomfortable, just give it me back after the last match of the year." She noticed how beautiful his emerald eyes were, and not for the first time. They shone intensely, with a form of confidence that she could not remember seeing the year before. There was something there now. Something that she just could not put her finger on...
"I might not even make the team," she said in a last-ditch effort to get him to reconsider.
"Ridiculous, you'll make it. Trust me."
He was right. She made the team. And the Nimbus flew perfectly in her hands.
Author's Notes
Okay, so before anyone goes mental at the fact that the pace of which Harry and Katie's feelings are shown, and will be shown, I have this answer. Neither of them is very good at this stuff. Harry especially. He will have no idea exactly what he is feeling because no one has ever been there to explain it, and he has little way of learning. You could question this by asking if Harry could have other boys (or girls), or the Professors, discuss it with him. What I'm writing here won't be brought up too much in the story, so I'm detailing the exact reason as to why Harry won't just simply act on what we all are noticing as outside observers. Just to add that little bit of juicy drama to the hectic life of Harry Potter.
Hope you also liked the complexities of Harry's wand – Harry's come too close to the realm of Death too many times now, that it's begun to affect his wand. However, this does not mean that Harry is going to get off easy as this is only temporary. It will change some things, but don't expect God Harry now that this has occurred.
And yes, Harry has a little crush. I thought to use it as an example that Harry isn't some emotionally stunted teen who is only filled with angst. It adds a bit of normality to his life. I mean, come on, what teenager didn't have a crush on someone older than them? Add in Harry being completely sexually repressed and having hormones rushing around his body as he undergoes puberty? Yeah, we get this. He doesn't know what's going on though, which should make for interesting times.
Ooh, and what's this Boggart, eh? Why would it be a simple, polished stone? Well, I guess you'll have to keep reading to eventually find out.
As you can see, I've also put Ginny as the Gryffindor Seeker. Not sure how well that will be received, but it's my way of doing it so it's staying. It may also seem to be a bit out of character for Harry to act in such a way, but he's got the support of Katie behind him, as well as the sense of care he feels for Ginny. He did go through a life-or-death experience for her (even if it wasn't his original intention to do so) and as such feels a measure of responsibility for her.
Next Chapter: Quidditch Family