Hey everyone! Chapter 20 here, I can't believe this story is that far along already, and we are so far from finishing! This chapter shows Harry meeting Luna in the forest and talking to Severus about the blood quill/threstrals, and then the following scenes in the Great Hall in the morning (talking to Ron/Hermione, and McGonagall vs. Umbridge). Getting a bit more into the plot of Order of the Phoenix now!
Enjoy and please review :)
A few more weeks passed, uneventfully, into the school term. It was starting to get colder, and the sure signs of autumn showed on the grounds of Hogwarts. The grass was duller, the leaves turned crisp and the evenings grew shorter and darker.
Harry chose to wander the grounds after classes, a lot. This was not just a bid for space, away from his slightly nosy friends, but also for some time to clear his mind. He liked the outdoors, despite the chilling breezes of late September. He loved practising his nature magic, more evolved now than it had been during the summer. It gave him time to breathe, and think of absolutely nothing.
One Monday after a particularly boring double lesson in defence against the dark arts, where Umbridge had made them copy a page on pixies five times over, he took to the trail leading to Hagrid's hut. Of course, he knew Hagrid was absent, but the walk soothed him somewhat. He had to pay attention in order not to trip on the many rocks and roots of the path, and that meant his mind very rarely wondered onto more stressful themes or thoughts.
He still hadn't spoken to Sirius, despite his godfather's letter to Severus. His guardian had sent the reply they had agreed upon, but there had been no response. Harry said that Sirius was clearly satisfied by what Severus had told him, and saw no need to send another letter. Severus looked at him sympathetically and ever so slightly critically, but had not told him otherwise.
Harry reached Hagrid's hut quickly, and couldn't help but peer through the windows. There was no trace of Hagrid, and Harry could not help the twinge of sadness in his heart. He missed speaking to the half-giant; he had been a faithful friend for many years.
A strange cry made Harry turn from the window. A winged creature was flying over the woods near to Hagrid's hut. These were not the trees of the Forbidden Forest, but of the safer woodland area that Hagrid housed many creatures in. Curiosity took over him, and Harry made his way towards the site he had seen the creature fly over. He had plenty of time until dinner, after all, and returning to the common room just meant returning to the questioning of his friends.
Harry eventually arrived a large, open clearing in the woods. There was a wide stream running by the side of it, and a few felled trees. In the middle of the clearing was a girl, and she was surrounded by the creatures that Harry had seen flying. There were at least fifteen in the vicinity, some by the girl, and some by the lake, some walking to and from. They were the same creatures that had been pulling the carriages at the start of the year, the one's that Hermione and Ron could not see.
The creatures were horse-like, but winged and more importantly, skeletal. Harry could see many of the bones, including the ribs, of the animal. Their faces were reptilian in nature, and their wings seemed leathery, like a bats. The appearance was grim and gaunt, but Harry found himself drawn further into the clearing, to inspect them. They clearly weren't hurting the girl.
As he walked closer, he saw that it was Luna Lovegood stood there, the one at the carriages who said he was just as mad as she was. Her dirty blonde hair was long, reaching just below her bum as she tipped her head up to feed the creature in front of her. She wore a light pink top with a blue cardigan, and three quarter length white jeans. Despite being in the woods, she wore no shoes. Harry wondered if she had taken them off, or if she had walked down from the school without any at all.
"Hello Harry Potter." Her soft voice said, as he came to stand next to her.
"Hello." Harry replied, astounded that she had known his name without turning around, "Your feet, aren't they cold?"
"A bit." The girl nodded, "Unfortunately all of my shoes have mysteriously disappeared. I suspect nargles are behind it."
Harry looked at her strangely, and then focused his attention on where she was looking, "What are they?"
"They're called threstrals." Luna informed him, and her voice still seemed dreamy, "They're quite gentle, really, but people avoid them because, they're a bit…"
"Different." Harry finished for her, as they both spotted a baby version of the skeletal horse making its unsteady way towards them. Luna started to walk to meet it, and Harry hurried after her, "Why… why can't the others see them?"
Luna looked over at him, still walking forwards, "They can only be seen by people who've seen death."
Harry paused, treading carefully both with his feet and in the conversation, "So… You've known someone who's died?"
"My mum." Luna clarified, "She was quite an extraordinary witch, but, she did like to experiment and one day one of her spells went badly wrong. I was nine."
"I'm sorry." Harry said, because he had little else to respond with.
"Yes, it was rather horrible." Luna said, matter-of-factly, "I do feel very sad about it sometimes, but I've got Dad." She paused and reached inside of her bag for an apple, "We both believe you, by the way. That he-who-must-not-be-named is back, and you fought him, and the Ministry and the Prophet are conspiring against you and Dumbledore."
Harry let out a short huff of air, "Thanks. Seems you're about the only ones who do."
"I don't think that's true." Luna said, with a small shake of her head. She threw the apple forward, and as it rolled smoothly over the leaves it passed. The baby threstral spread its legs to balance itself, as the apple stopped in front of it, "But I suppose that's how he wants you to feel."
"What'd you mean?" Harry asked, watching as the baby threstral shook its head at the apple, and look back up expectantly.
"Well if I were you-know-who," Luna said, "I'd want you to feel cut off from everyone else, because if it's just you alone, you're not as much of a threat." She smiled at him kindly.
When she was done speaking, Luna retrieved a chunk of meat from her bag, and threw that towards the baby threstral. The meat left a reddish stain along the ground, but the threstral seemed happy and quickly forgot the apple in order to seize the meat in its mouth.
Harry looked at Luna in admiration, she seemed like such a kind soul, and so up-in-the-clouds dreamy all the time. On the other hand, saying things like that, Harry could sense the cunning, almost-Slytherin side of her. He wondered how many people over the years had underestimated a girl like Luna Lovegood.
"So how's the study system working out for you?" Harry asked her, as he helped her feed the rest of the threstrals.
"Oh very well, thank you." Luna replied, "His name is Jack, and he's in Hufflepuff. He is very sweet, but he smells quite bad sometimes." She threw two pieces of meat to the threstrals lounging by the lake.
Harry chuckled at that, and Luna asked the same question to him, "It's going alright, I suppose. I haven't spent much time with her. We did in the first week, but not in the last couple."
"Why not?" Luna asked, without the shame of believing she was interfering.
"Um well… We had a fight, and I never got around to apologising." Harry admitted.
"You say that not many people believe you, Harry, when it comes to you-know-who." Luna said, "But if you are cutting people out of your life, maybe you are just refusing to see it. Maybe you are afraid to think people are on your side."
"That's crazy, why would anyone do that." Harry said nervously, immediately thinking of his decreasing time with Ron and Hermione, as well as Jane, and other Gryffindor's. He had tried to be on his own as much as possible, lately.
Luna looked over at him, in the way she had most of that afternoon, with a sense of kind truth in her eyes, "Because then it makes the fight so much more real."
Harry stared at her for a second, and then suggested they make their way back to the castle. Dinner was an hour and a half away, and they needed time to get back to the castle, and clean the meat-blood of their hands. Luna laughed sweetly and kneeled next to the lake, getting dirt on her white trousers. She washed her hands quickly, gesturing at Harry to do the same.
"Turning up to the castle with blood on our hands would scare the first years." Luna explained.
Harry agreed, and crouched to wash his hands. The water was freezing, but the blood came off quickly, and they made their way out of the forest and back onto the path, heading to the castle.
HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP
Not quite ready to face his friends yet, Harry ate in the kitchens. He had learnt the secret to getting in (ticking the pear on the portrait) and Dobby was always more than happy to make him something, and never asked questions.
Dobby had joined the Hogwarts staff after a brief period of unemployment (following the sock-incident with Lucius Malfoy, freeing Dobby from slavery). He wanted to work because he enjoyed it, but he also wanted to be paid and therefore struggled. Eventually he had come to Hogwarts, and he and Dumbledore had come to an arrangement about pay (a galleon per week) and days off (one per month), which they were both pleased with. He did not have many tasks, and could come and go as he pleased, but he was always there to welcome Harry to the kitchens.
Within seconds of walking into the kitchens, Dobby approached him with a plate of food from the feast, and said how happy he was that Harry had come to visit. Winky, Dobby's often drunken elf friend, brought him a slice of cake afterwards, as Dobby sat on the countertop with his legs swinging over the side.
"Do you think I should apologize?" Harry asked Dobby, after telling him of the situation. Dobby never asked questions, but Harry often told him what was happening in his life anyway. The elf was kind and always gave good advice to the best of his ability.
"Yes, Harry Potter must apologize to his friends." Dobby said firmly, "Harry Potter should know how important friendship is, and he must apologize as soon as possible. Dobby will not feed Harry Potter any more cake until Harry Potter has apologized to his friends!"
Harry laughed, pushing away the already empty plate, "I suppose your right. After all, you, Luna and Severus have all told me it's for the best. I should apologize."
"Yes Harry Potter should." Dobby approved confidently.
"Thanks Dobby, I should get going. I need to see Severus before curfew." He stood, and Dobby quickly jumped down from the counter top to shake his hand, "Thank Winky for the cake, it was delicious. I'll see you soon."
"Goodbye Harry Potter!" Dobby waved, as Harry shut the portrait door to the kitchens.
He walked slowly to the dungeons, doubting whether Severus would even be there yet. Dinner was still on-going and Severus rarely left early, preferring to observe his Slytherin's manners, using it as a prime opportunity to see who was behaving properly, and who was not.
As suspected, Elspeth told Harry that Severus was not present in his chambers. Harry shrugged and told the snake the password, walking in and arranging himself on his usual sofa (Severus had been deeply unimpressed the one time Harry had decided to lie on the other one). He retrieved his organiser from his bag, found the piece of homework with the closest due date, and summoned it. He had almost finished by the time Severus arrived.
"Harry, how often should I expect these surprise visits? I believe they are three times weekly now." Severus noted, as he walked in and observed his ward, "Not that I am complaining, it is nice of you to come visit me."
"It certainly sounded like a complaint." Harry said, mock offended, and then added, "I made tea."
"Thank you." Severus said, making his way to the kitchen.
"How were the Slytherin's tonight?"
"They were generally well behaved." Severus commented, pouring himself some of the tea that Harry had prepared, "There was one first year boy making a fuss over something, but his housemates managed to quieten him down. I will investigate what that is about."
Harry nodded, and then straightened up, "Speaking of investigating, did you ever look into Umbridge's quill?"
Severus paused, closed his eyes, and walked over to Harry, "I did not need to. I know what it was."
Harry withdrew slightly, "What do you mean? What is it?"
"It's a blood quill." Severus explained, "They are very, very dark instruments of torture, prominent in the ranks of he-who-must-not-be-named. It will drain the blood from the person using it, and painfully engrave the words they are writing onto their own hand."
Harry stared at him in shock, "Oh God…" He said, horrified, "And Umbridge has one here in the school… She could use it on a student! She must have been thinking of using it on me during that detention. We have to get it out of her office, Severus."
"I know, Harry, I am working on telling Professor Dumbledore but it is a very uneasy situation. She is the Ministry's employee here at Hogwarts, accusing of her of such dark magic would have severe consequences." Severus reminded him.
Harry stared at him for a moment, "How did you know what it was?" He asked quietly.
Severus stared back, and then let his gaze drop, "I have one in my possession. I knew it as soon as you said that your eyes were drawn to it. The description just cemented what I already knew. "
"You… You have one?" Harry repeated, unbelieving.
"Yes. I was given one by he-who-must-not-be-named many years ago, when I first took up the post at Hogwarts." Severus informed him, sitting taller and lifting his gaze, "I have never used it, and never intended to."
"I know you wouldn't." Harry said, uneasily, "But… I just can't believe…. Why didn't you tell me straight away? Why didn't you explain then?"
Severus leant back, sipping at his tea which he held with both hands, "I did not know how to. I still find explaining my darker past very difficult, especially to someone as young as you, who I am meant to shield from this sort of information."
"What did Voldemort want you to do with it?"
"He wanted me to use it." Severus said simply, "Use it on students who did not conform to his ways. Make them fear him, and his followers, and pressure them into becoming one of his death eaters."
"But… You never…"
"Of course I never." Severus scoffed, "I became Dumbledore's spy before I became Potions Master. I was given the blood quill well after I have deferred from he-who-shall-not-be-named's loyalty. Even it had been given to me before; I do not believe I was ever in a place capable of causing that amount of pain to another, especially not to a child. Not purposefully."
Harry nodded slightly, "Can we change the topic please? We can discuss the blood quill, what will be done about it, another time."
"Of course Harry, whatever you are most comfortable with."
"Actually, this conversation is still quite morbid but… Have you ever seen a threstral?"
Severus furrowed his brow, "Threstrals are responsible for pulling the carriages of the upper-year students every year. I see them at the start and at the end of the school year, as such. Why do you ask?"
"I helped Luna Lovegood feed them today, including a baby." Harry said, passively.
Severus' forehead became more wrinkled as his eyebrows rose, "It is very rare for the threstrals to let students, or any humans, near to their young. They are notoriously protective and dangerous when threatened. I hope you were careful."
Harry chuckled, "As careful as one can be when dealing with a skeleton-horse and its baby." He fidgeted, "So that means you have seen death, that's what Luna said. Only those who have seen death can see the threstrals. That's why Ron and Hermione and Ginny couldn't see them."
"Miss Lovegood is correct, only those who have seen death can see the creatures. You must remember, Harry, I was in the first war. I saw many people pass, some who I thought may be better in the next world, and some who I wish had not passed for another hundred years." Severus' tone was sad, and almost lost, and Harry regretted asking.
Harry cleared his throat, "I'm going to apologise to Ron and Hermione, in the morning. I haven't been spending time with, avoiding them really, and I think I should say sorry for that."
"And Miss Harper?"
Harry looked sheepish, "I'll find her after lessons."
"Good. Now how are your studies, what homework were you working on?"
HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP
The next morning, Harry got up as soon as he heard the last person leave the dorm room. He wanted to speak to Ron and Hermione together, and that meant waiting until they were in the Great Hall for breakfast. Luckily, whoever walked out last was still early for breakfast, giving Harry plenty of time to get ready.
He packed his bag for his day of lessons; a Tuesday meant double Transfiguration, double Potions, single Care of Magical Creatures and single Herbology, so he had to use the lightening charm Hermione had taught him. He had his Hogwarts uniform on, and a black jacket on top of that to keep him warm.
He walked down to the Great Hall slowly, dreading having to apologise to his friends. He was quite sure that he would be forgiven, but it didn't make the task any less daunting. He paused at the doors, groaning for letting it get this far, before walking in.
Hermione and Ron were sat with Ginny, about halfway down the table. He approached them slowly, just hearing Hermione making a comment about Ron's eating habits, and stopped a few paces away from them. Hermione looked up, and then did a double take at seeing him, "Harry." She seemed shocked but pleased.
"Can I join you?" Harry asked, making sure his words didn't come out too quickly. Severus had pointed out that he tended to mumble and talk very quickly when he was nervous.
Hermione looked at Ron, and then smiled. Harry smiled back and was about to take a seat and begin his apologies, when the voice of Dolores Umbridge interrupted them, "Pardon me Professor, but what exactly are you insinuating?"
"I am merely requesting that when it comes to my students," Minerva McGonagall's voice replied, "You conform to the prescribed disciplinary practises."
Harry, Ron and Hermione all walked out of the Great Hall, followed by several other students, to see what was going on. Professors Umbridge and McGonagall were walking up the steps just outside the hall, but stopped halfway to continue their conversation, as if they both wanted the publicity of the students.
"So silly of me, but it sounds like your questioning my authority in my own classroom," Umbridge took a step up on the stairs, "Minerva."
"Not at all, Dolores." Minerva joined her colleague by stepping up one, "Merely your medieval methods."
By this time, a large crowd had gathered at the bottom of the steps, just outside the doors of the Great Hall. Harry, Ron and Hermione stood at the front, watching the interaction between the two Professors.
"I am sorry, dear," Dolores looked incredibly offended, "But to question my practises is to question the Ministry, and by extension, the Minister, himself. I am a tolerant woman, but the one thing I will not stand for, is disloyalty."
The students sucked in their breath.
McGonagall reeled back ever so slightly, and stepped one step down on the stairs, "Disloyalty." She said, with a tiny, unbelieving laugh interrupting the word.
Umbridge took another step up the stairs, so she was taller than Minerva, and looking down on all the students, "Things at Hogwarts, are far worse than I feared. Cornelius will want to take immediate action."
With that, she swept away, with the pink, short clock flying behind her. McGonagall faltered on the steps for a second, and then turned towards the students, "Go finish your breakfast's, children," She said, faintly, "Now, please."
The students all hurried inside, and the trio of Gryffindor's returned to where they were before.
"What do you think they were talking about? What medieval methods, all of her theory?" Ginny whispered. She had stayed inside the Great Hall, but had heard everything even still. The Great Hall was abuzz with conversation of the two teachers.
"It could mean something else entirely." Harry said.
The other three looked at him sharply, "What do you mean Harry?"
"Ok, before I tell you, I just want to say I am sorry I haven't been speaking to you much lately. I wanted my own space, for a while. I am sorry for the way I acted." Harry looked around his friends pleadingly, hoping for their forgiveness.
Hermione huffed, "We forgive you, Harry. We knew that you needed some time."
"Yeh mate, we all need space every now and again. You… Well you're special, you just needed a little more time than the rest of us usually do." Ron grinned, resuming eating his breakfast from before the confrontation.
"Ronald it isn't kind to call someone special like that." Hermione reprimanded him, and then leaned in, "Now tell us Harry, what do you know?"
"I can't tell you here, somebody might hear. Come on." The four of them quickly left the Great Hall, and went back up to the Common Room, dodging the students who were only just coming downstairs (or upstairs, depending on their house) for breakfast.
"You better make this quick Harry, lessons start soon." Hermione complained, as they arrived at the Tower.
"We have half an hour, Hermione, calm down." Ron rolled his eyes at her.
"Guys," Harry interrupted them, "Let me explain."
He reminded them about the quill that Umbridge had been holding in his detention, and then added what Severus had told him last night. He left out the part that Severus personally owned one of the quills, saying instead that Severus learnt about them during his time as a Death Eater.
"Merlin…" Ron whispered, "So you think McGonagall knows about the quill? That's what she was confronting Umbridge about just now?"
"It can't be." Ginny said, "For McGonagall to find out, Umbridge would have had to use it on a student, and for that student then to tell McGonagall. A lot more fuss would have been kicked up."
"Ginny's right." Hermione agreed, "McGonagall must be angry about us not learning any magic."
"Severus is going to try talk to Dumbledore about the quill, but there's no guarantee. Going up against her is the same as going up against the whole ministry." Harry told them.
"What do you think she meant by 'immediate action'?" Ron hesitantly asked, and they all went quiet.
"I don't know," Harry said finally, looking up and wringing his hands, "But I don't think it means installing a sundae machine in the Great Hall."