A/N: Thank you for the reviews/follows/favorites! They make me giddy ;-)
Chapter 27 - The New Paradigm - Part III
Severus made a stop by Aurora Sinistra's quarters after he'd said goodnight to Lucius and Remus. He'd sent her a scroll a short while ago with his apology and she'd suggested he stop by tonight, and that she'd be up until midnight.
"Severus," she greeted him, inviting him inside so that she could close the door for privacy. "I appreciate your apology, and of course accept it. You know I asked the runes to determine if you were friend or foe," she informed him with a smile. Obviously the ancient symbols had confirmed that he was simply out of sorts. "But I invited you by because I've cast some runes with you in mind, and do indeed see more conflict on your timeline."
"Wonderful," Severus drawled. "I imagine the upcoming sessions with the Wizengamot will play a role in this."
"Likely, but I fear there may be more violence on the path ahead of you, so please be careful."
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Harry emerged from his room at half nine the following morning, still somewhat groggy but also starving, and needing the loo. "Morning," he said, before shutting himself into the lavatory.
Severus had been waiting to have breakfast with him, and had assumed correctly that Harry would sleep late, so after confirming with Albus and Minerva that he also required a day for himself, he'd slept until half eight. "Do you want to eat, young man?" he asked when Harry had reappeared.
"Yes, please," Harry replied and came to join him in the kitchen, where platters of scrambled eggs and bangers awaited under heating charms. "You slept late too?"
"Late, by my standards, yes," Severus replied. He looked Harry over. "Will you allow me to run a diagnostic spell on you after breakfast?"
"Er,….yeah. I don't think I'm sick, honestly, but I'm going back to bed after this."
"I just want to be certain we're not overlooking anything, alright?" Severus responded casually. The last thing he wanted to become in the younger wizard's mind was a nattering nag, but he also didn't want to learn belatedly that Harry was actually ill. "I'll be in and out today, for your information. I'll be brewing the Wolfsbane potion for Lupin, and still need to gather some fresh ingredients from the forest."
That made Harry look up in alarm. "You don't have to go outside of the wards, do you?"
And that concerned inquiry warmed Severus' heart, but he kept his expression neutral as he resplied. "Actually, I'll be leaving the grounds for a remote location that has the nicest growth of monkshood. I shan't be gone long, and then will be brewing in the lab we used for the protection potion, should you get bored and care to seek me out."
Harry almost snorted at that, because the thought of brewing any potion typically made him want run the other way. But, in afterthought, he'd ended up enjoying the time he'd spent with Severus last weekend. So, instead of indulging his sarcastic default response, he nodded and took another bite of eggs.
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Harry slept the day away, and missed any opportunity to hang out in the potions lab. Severus' diagnostic scan had indeed yielded a reading of exhaustion, but no other ailments. By the time he'd awoken in the late afternoon, he finally felt truly rested. Severus had returned in time to join him for dinner, and after that, Harry had made his way to the MDTA to prepare for his DA meeting. Hermione and Ron were there when he arrived, and Hermione produced the list of the seventeen token holders who were due a chocolate frog tonight.
"Might as well have a snack, in the meantime," Ron announced, helping himself to a couple from the box.
Harry and Hermione each followed suit with a laugh as they counted out the rest to pass out tonight.
"Guess we'll need to stock up on them again this weekend. I can handle that for you, Harry, since you'll have the Wizengamot to deal with," Ron added.
They still had twenty minutes before people would begin to arrive. Asking Dobby for floor pillows had already yielded more than enough colorful cushions for comfortable seating. Harry had intended to get help with creating some sort of platform for him to stand on, so the class could see him, but Dumbledore had beat him to it. A decent sized, stage-like platform was installed at the head of the room. Perfect.
"Will you rest again tomorrow, Harry?" Hermione asked. And because she knew he'd make a comment about her fears for his grades, she quickly added, "I think you should, really."
Harry smiled, and simply nodded. He was still undecided on the matter, and frankly didn't want to hear opinions from people who didn't know what it was like to be in his shoes.
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"Alright, let's all settle down," Harry called out to the room after the rewards had been delivered and the newcomers had been welcomed.
Four new faces had shown up, two third year Hufflepuffs, a fourth year Slytherin, and Fay Dunbar. Harry, was tempted to be irritated that Fay had managed to glean an invitation from Ron, but it was already done. Who knew? Maybe she'd benefit from what he planned to show them.
"I'm guessing it's obvious by the cushions that I've planned a calmer lesson for us tonight." He was slightly irked at the not so subtle awwwwww and boooooo that were muttered by the two members that enjoyed harassing Harry the most, Michael Corner and Ernie McMillan. "Listen," he said, rolling his eyes, "I've told you about how I've mostly been able to keep my focus when I'm under attack, and I want to show you how to do what I do. It's not complicated, but it's also not terribly easy."
This was met with attentive silence, but again, no signs of enthusiasm, so he did what any fifteen year old leader who wanted to motivate his class would do: he showed off his wandless talents. Harry held his right hand outward, the heel of his palm facing upward and thrusting forward, to make it obvious where the magic was coming from. Several pillows began to rise, and then twist or spin, dancing happily, until then one of them sought out Michael and Ernie. Each of them got a whack upside the head from a bright pink cushion, much to the absolute delight of the rest of the group.
"Blimey, how'd that happen?" Harry called out sarcastically. The pillows dropped to the floor as he stepped onto the low platform, which put him in everyone's view. "So, what we're doing tonight is learning how to quiet our minds and find our own center."
"What's that got to do with the magic you just used?" Ernie called out, clearly unperturbed by the reprimand.
"It's step one, Ernie," Harry replied patiently. "If you can get step one mastered, the wandless part is step two."
"What does that mean, Harry?" Colin Creavy called out anxiously, his enthusiasm making him visibly vibrate.
"Just follow along, Colin, you'll catch on, I promise," Harry told him. "Everyone stand with your feet at shoulder's width, arms at your sides, but hold your hands facing out and open like mine are." He demonstrated what he meant. "Now close your eyes, and get as quiet inside your head as you can." He paused for about ten seconds as the students followed his directions. "Good."
Lucius stepped quietly into the room and nodded at Harry, which Harry inferred was a signal that he simply wished to observe. A slight flutter of nerves kicked in for Harry then, but fortunately he was engaged in the very practice he now used to combat said nerves.
"You're all doing great. Keep your eyes closed and just relax, and sort of notice what you see behind your closed lids for a couple of minutes. Everyone will likely see something different, or nothing but darkness. There's no wrong result." Harry closed his own eyes, and felt that wash of his own calm set in. "Next, I want you each to imagine someone touching the inside of your hand. Imagine the feeling of being lightly touched on that palm. If that is hard for you, use your other hand to lightly press a couple of fingers into your palm and then remember the sensation. Keep your attention on that sensation you are imagining." Harry paused again for about thirty seconds. "Good,... now, while you still remember the feeling in your one palm,... imagine it in your other palm... And then imagine feeling them both at the same time."
He opened his eyes and looked around the room. Every student had his or her eyes closed and seemed to be doing the work. He shot a quick glance over at Lucius, and found the older wizard following along, eyes closed. Harry grinned, but only briefly as he went back into the zone of calm to continue the exercise. "Really, really good, everyone. Now, while you've got your attention on both palms, feel the ground beneath one of your feet, and add it to your concentration... Breathe through your nose if you can…. easily and slowly." He paused again for a few beats. "And now, feel the ground beneath your other foot,... hold your attention on all four places."
He opened his eyes briefly and found several of the younger years and (surprise) Fay blinking and looking frustrated. "If your attention slips away, that's alright! Just start over. The more you do it, the faster you'll do it. You lot, try again. Eyes closed." He kept everyone in that same standing position until he realized a few were starting to sway. "Excellent! Slowly open your eyes," he instructed, feeling quite giddy at the rate of success on this first try. "Alright, now, everyone find a cushion and sit comfortably. We're going to do it again, but while seated." No one argued.
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By the time he'd led them through a seated, and then a reclined, rendition of the exercise, the entire group was extremely relaxed. He'd stayed on the platform the whole time, observing who was really getting it. He was ready to put down money that each of his dorm mates, Hermione, and definitely Draco would be figuring out the next step of wandless magic long before he taught step two.
"So, that's how you find your center," Harry concluded. "And you'll need to do it quite a lot, to get to the point where you can bring up your magic without your wand. For me, I had to be under a lot of stress. I used this as a way to cope, so I got really good at it." He grinned at the way everyone seemed so… chilled out. "Well done, you lot. That's all for tonight."
"I'm going to use this to prepare for Divination class!" Parvati enthused as she gave Lavender a hand up.
"There's got to be a million good uses for this, like when you're nervous about a test!" Colin declared.
"Pfffft, no joking," Anthony added. "I'm going to remember this when it's time to take our OWLs!"
"Good idea," Harry returned.
"I bet this could help you get to sleep at night, couldn't it?" Dean called out. "Or help with bad dreams." It was clear that he had Harry in mind for this suggestion.
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"How did you learn that technique, Severus?" Lucius asked his best friend. He'd already lavishly praised Harry's teaching abilities, after having stayed off to the side as the students departed. He'd waited to invite and escort Draco and Harry back to his quarters for a visit.
"Albus, of course," Severus replied. "But he never indicated that he'd taken it as far as Harry has learned to go, and I'll admit I've also learned to go."
"I'll be right behind you," Lucius claimed. "I've already sensed the tingling presence of my magic in my hands from just tonight's exercise." He furrowed his brow, as he commented, "It's quite ironic, isn't it? Any one of us could have long since employed this tactic for a much more comprehensive mastery of our magical skills. It's quite fortunate that the Dark Lord never discovered this access."
"I hadn't thought of that," Harry said with a shiver. There was always a chance ol' Tom Riddle could get resurrected and be taught how to find his center- Nah. Harry shook his head and looked up to find Draco and the adults waiting for him to finish his thought. "I don't think Voldemort could do this, honestly. It makes you feel so… calm and balanced, and aware of your self. Ol' Tom spent all his time thinking of revenge and about who he hated. I'm thinking being evil doesn't really go hand in hand with being centered."
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They were quiet for a time, the two dark haired wizards and the two blonds. Lucius' sitting area had a long sofa, flanked by two large arm chairs which formed a semi circle to face a roaring stone fire place. There were two large windows overlooking the rocky terrain and lake below, but when it was dark, there were only stars to be seen. And the view was extraordinary. Harry smirked. He was pretty sure he knew why he and the two blond Slytherins each found this view so exceptionally compelling.
"Sorry to break the silence, but I was wondering if either of you know what the interview schedule is yet for the weekend?" Harry asked the two adults.
"In our haste to force these encounters, we'd overlooked the timing of the full moon," Lucius admitted. "Remus' condition is no longer a secret, but there's no reason to remind those who might wish to make issue of it. I'd prefer the interviews to allow us all to attend together. Albus told me yesterday that he'd been informed that the ranking members of the Wizengamot were not yet in agreement about the order of recent events to prioritize. I imagine we'll get the confirmed times tomorrow, and will plan accordingly." He'd spoken directly to Harry, but now looked over at Draco. "It's been my assumption that the topics will begin in chronological order, so the incident with Thicknesse will likely be the last on the calendar. You may not get called until the second weekend, son."
Draco nodded, his face started to pinch up. "I'm looking forward to it. I'm ready."
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The question of where Harry would spend the entirety of his time off had never come up. Actually, Harry never considered staying anywhere other than his bedroom in Severus' quarters. He noticed that neither Lucius nor Severus had asked him what his plans might be for the hours that he would not be attending classes. It's like they trust me to behave like…. an adult?
"So, I got a lot of sleep today, and I feel like I'm mostly back on track," Harry told Severus as they walked back from Lucius' quarters, "but mentally, I feel like I'm still on a short fuse."
"Mmm hmmm," Severus acknowledged. He nodded to his fellow Order member, John Dawlish, as they passed him making his rounds as an assigned Ministry auror. Tonight Dawlish, Tonks, Moody, and Shacklebolt had been assigned to the castle.
"Er… well, I don't think I'll sleep all day tomorrow, and while I don't have a problem with laying about and doing nothing, I started thinking about Remus, and how he's likely going to fall behind with his tasks while he's transformed," Harry said, and then added hesitantly, "and I was wondering if you might also fall behind because you'll be brewing the Wolfsbane potion between classes?"
"Where are your thoughts taking you, Mr. Potter?" Severus asked with a slight tone of amusement. He himself had benefited greatly from having had an easy day today, from both the lack of classroom obligations, and from again having unobstructed (should he need it) access restored to this young wizard.
"Well, when I was in primary school, the kids that did the best in class often got to help the teacher with grading," Harry said. "Obviously, I'm not your top achiever, but do you need help marking assignments? Do you think Remus might?"
Severus stopped in his tracks and faced Harry. He'd never once been asked if he needed assistance with his written tasks. Most students loved to help with brewing, but grading? "Actually, if you are so inclined, I've a large stack of quizzes from first through fourth year classes that need grading. You wouldn't have to evaluate the answers. They're either correct or not." He pulled out his coin and messaged Lupin, making sure that his message was shared with Harry.
Are you still….. in your right mind, Wolf?…..
Harry snickered and waited with Severus to see if Remus would respond.
I am…What do you need?…..
Harry and I are passing by….. for a brief chat. We will not….. detain you for long.
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Harry spent a leisurely day on Thursday, marking papers, snacking, and napping. He was present in Severus' quarters when Remus floo'd through to take his first dose of Wolfsbane Potion, which Severus had ready for him at sunset. Remus looked ill and wobbly, but was in good spirits, especially when Harry handed him a stack of marked assignments. Once Remus had safely floo'd back to his own quarters, Harry went up to the Great Hall with Severus to have dinner with his fellow fifth years.
Just as he sat down, a familiar looking magical scroll summons popped into the space in front of Harry's face. He sighed and rolled his eyes. Here we go.
But there were quite a few more of those pops, right there among the students seated at the tables. All of the Prefects were receiving a summons as well. Immediately, a loud BUZZ of agitated commentary broke out. Harry hadn't even opened his scroll yet before his coin was set off with messaging. It was actually kind of funny. Lucius and Severus were clearly both messaging at the same time, so the verbiage was a tad chaotic:
What was your-….. No adults-….. Clearly-….. message?…. This is just-…. seem to have received one….. the order of incidents is in-….. irksome…..
Harry had to laugh. He looked up and found Severus watching him like hawk, clearly fit to be tied with suspense. Lucius had already started towards Draco, who was opening a scroll as well. Harry read his missive, and looked up to catch Severus' eye again, only to find the potions master crooking his finger to suggest he simply come up to the professors' table. Harry was still chuckling, even though his heart was pounding at the reality that all of the legal aftermath was officially underway.
"They will begin with last Thursday's event?" Severus asked when the Boy Wonder was standing opposite him, across the table. He'd watched Harry's expression shift from amusement to nervousness, and suspected he might shift into a state of near terror if he wasn't reassured in some way soon. "What time is your appointment?"
"Tomorrow evening, six o'clock, at The Three Broomsticks," Harry told him.
"I will be right there with you, Harry," Severus said.
Harry nodded. "I need to owl my solicitor."
A/N: I'm on a roll - I hope it holds. Mayhem approaches...
