Ooh, this chapter, where we finally learn a bit about our beloved Istari character... should be fun no? R&R please!
Chapter Seven
Haradwaith, where the stars are strange
Draco watched blandly as the Gryffindor and Slytherin teams entered the Great Hall for breakfast; admit cheers from their respective houses, while boos and hisses were hurled from their opposition. Eating quietly at the far end of the Slytherin table, with as much distance from his year mates as possible, Draco reminded himself that he had made a correct decision for the hundredth time.
The continued acts of ostracizing from the entire house were steadily growing bolder in verbal abuse and insults behind the veil of the house common room, but outside he was still safe for the time being. And as he was still removed from the Slytherin team, Draco felt that not only was it better for his own safety, but would be more enjoyable to watch the game from the Gryffindor stands with Hermione.
The Gryffindors were still sitting at their table when Draco finished his food. Walking quickly past his housemates, who glared silently at him, Draco approached the Gryffindor table. Ginny caught his eye, and Draco felt himself blush slightly, but her current boyfriend Dean Thomas, cocked an eyebrow at Draco, which caused the blond's blood to boil.
Draco sat heavily across from Harry, just in time to listen to both him and Hermione attempt to prepare Ron mentally for the upcoming game.
"How are you feeling," he asked the red head neutrally, just as the rest of the Hall started to bustle out and onto the grounds. Ron responded by putting his head flat on the table, groaning mutely.
"Cheer up Ron! I know you'll be brilliant!" called a Gryffindor girl as she and her giggling friends passed, but Ron ignored her completely.
Several seconds later, Faykan stood from the opposite side of Ron, siezing the larger boy by the arm and pulling him to his feet, "Come on Ron, we have something to discuss in private."
Draco raised an eyebrow as the pair retreated out to the Entrance Hall, but Harry simply shrugged, and Draco let it go. Knowing Faykan, either there was some outlandish list of questions he was needing answers to from Ron, or he had solved some integral part of some personal issue Ron had confided in him, and chose that moment to present his findings. Thinking back to all that the boy had done for him, Draco felt that Faykan more than deserved his trust on these sorts of things.
Soon enough the pair returned, Ron looking roughly the same, but with a steely sort of grim determination in his eyes. "Nearly time," he said blithely, and Harry nodded, standing.
The pitch had been expertly restored to its original appearance before the climatic duel between Faykan and Dumbledore, and Draco had a hard time not staring as he sat next to Hermione amid the sea of red and gold. The somewhat awkward thing was that none of the other Gryffindors eve batted an eye at the Slytherin's presence, almost welcoming him as one of their own.
The crowd burst into cheering as the teams arrived on the field, but nothing overcame the loud roaring of the lion-headed hat worn by Ginny's blond friend Luna Lovegood, who was also sitting among the sea of red and gold.
Turning back to the field, Draco watched as the new Slytherin captain, Urquhart, tried to crush Harry's hand before mounting his broom. Aside from their captain, the team was unchanged from last year, but one other player was notably absent. Nott was gone, replaced with the substitute player, Harper. "Where's Nott?" Hermione asked, searching, and Draco shook his head.
"Not playing, apparently," he informed her. At least that meant that Gryffindor would not have to worry about Slytherin capturing the snitch, as Harper never played long enough on the team to be very good. The only worry that was left was Ron, now circling the goals as the Chasers fought over the Quaffle.
Draco was distracted however, as the commentator started speaking, the snide voice of pompous Zacharias Smith blaring over the din of the crowd. "Well, there they go, and I think we're all surprised to see the team that Potter's put together this year. Many thought, given Ronald Weasley's patchy performance as Keeper last year, that he might be off the team, but of course, a close personal friendship with the Captain does help…."
Glaring over at the announcer's box, Draco wondered why Professor McGonagall would allow another team's player to comment over his competition's game. It was absurd to believe that he would be anything but biased over every little thing. Yet there she sat, watching the game and completely ignoring the skinny blond prat as he played subtle mind games with Harry's team.
"Oh and here comes Slytherin's first attempt on goal, it's Urquhart streaking down the pitch and…" Draco's head snapped back to the game. The burly Slytherin was indeed speeding toward Ron. The redhead yelled as he swerved into the path of the thrown Quaffle, knocking it away with a powerful kick. The red ball spiraled away, only to be recovered by Faykan, who pelted back into the game.
"Wesley saves it, well, he's bound to get lucky sometimes, I suppose." Smith finished blandly. Over the next half hour, Draco's finger dug deeper and deeper into his seat as Smith continued to berate Harry's choice of keeping Ron on the team, despite the boy making every single save that came his way the entire game. The announcer finally gave up, and moved on, from person to person on the Gryffindor team, injecting enough of his own lack of respect into his commentary to be as insulting as possible without attracting repercussions from the Professors.
Faykan had apparently had enough of it as well, and, while he was in possession of the Quaffle, took an elongated path past the announcer's podium, skimming close by Zacharias himself. The Hufflepuff staggered back from the near miss, only to be clipped by the training Slytherin and Gryffindor players. Draco could have sworn that Ginny deliberately kicked the megaphone out of her ex-boyfriend's hand and sent it spinning to the ground far below.
Mercifully that act seemed to silence Zacharias for the short remainder of the game, which ended with another classic capture of the snitch by Harry, sealing a Gryffindor win.
The crowd surrounding Draco and Hermione roared its approval, standing in a hurry and pounding the seats around them in joy. Draco smiled, but held his peace from whooping like the surrounding Gryffindors. Hermione began ushering him out of the stands and down to the field to greet the team as they emerged from the changing rooms.
The team came running out of the changing room, cheering and whooping as much as the gathered fans were. Draco and Hermione found Faykan and Harry quickly enough, but the girl that had spoken to Ron at breakfast got to him first. Giggling madly, she threw herself at Ron, kissing him senselessly. Draco looked on confusedly when Ron started kissing back passionately, and exchanged glances with both Faykan and Harry. The worst response came from Hermione, who looked ready to rip the pair apart, but settled for leaving quickly in a huff.
The three boys shrugged at each other and departed through the crowd back toward the castle. The Gryffindors were planning a party in the tower, but Harry and Faykan had insisted that they should go to the Room of Requirement instead.
They found Hermione there, wiping tears furiously from her eyes. Faykan swooped down to comfort her while Draco and Harry stood by awkwardly in case they were needed. Draco was certain that Hermione was going through something similar that he was with Ginny and Dean, but it felt out of place to try and offer any insight himself. Faykan soon had calmed her down, and they settled around the comfy couches that Hermione had created in the Room.
Concentrating, Faykan summoned a small table with the ever present Palantir that he used so often when teaching them or to help them visualize a story. Faykan took a deep breath, and looked at Harry, who nodded, before gently touching the stone's surface. The light around them darkened somewhat as light started to shine out of the black stone's depths. "You asked some deep and rather personal questions of me yesterday, Hermione, and after careful contemplations, and some useful advice from multiple people, I have chosen to tell you my story."
The stone flashed once, and Faykan began with his usual story-telling confidence, "It began when the Valar first commanded myself, along with the other Istari of old, to come here to Arda. I was one of the first called to go, to leave our home in the West and lend what assistance I could to the world as it slowly slipped into darkness. However, Curumo, Olórin and Aiwendil served in the west, among the men of Gondor and the Elves there, while as for Pallando and myself were given… different instructions."
An image began in inside the stone, an old man with familiarly piercing blue eyes as he rode through a desert wasteland. A second old man in similar garb rode beside the ancient Istari, and Draco knew he had seen the face somewhere before, but couldn't place it. "We were sent deep into the east and south, to incite the rebellion of the men of that land against Sauron the deceiver, who ruled as a god in their hearts and minds. At first we were successful, but after the Dark Lord fell at the hands of Isildur, many turned once again to worshipping the Eye."
The image changed to a scene of an army, dressed in dark reds and gold, carrying banners of serpents and a great red eye as Faykan continued, "despite our efforts, and a second journey into the east and south, many of the men of Harad joined in the War of the Ring, fighting in the name of Sauron. As an agent behind enemy lines I witnessed countless horrors and atrocities in the name of power and darkness. Thankfully the war ended in victory for King Elessar and the free peoples of Middle Earth. With the fall of Sauron the men of Harad flocked toward freedom, mostly… Saruman had fallen into darkness and was slain, while Gandalf the White returned home across the sea with the last of the Elven Lords."
The Palantir went dark for a time, but Faykan continued to narrate, "Thinking that my and Pallando's tasks were done, I waited for the call from the Valar to return home, but it never came. Years, decades, countless ages it seemed to pass. Friends and those who I grew to love became old and passed away, but I remained the same. Eventually, Gondor fell to ruin, and the whole of Arda began to forget its past. The dwarves started to distance themselves, the orcs and trolls vanished into the holes of the mountains. Rulers of Harad rose and fell, tribes consolidated and broke apart. But always I remained the strange old man with wisdom beyond years."
Faykan paused, and they all turned to see that he was shaking slightly, staring at the black sphere while sweat beaded on his forehead. Settling himself with a deep breath, Faykan pushed on in his story, "I suppose a combination of loneliness and the misery of it all got to me over time. Leaders from all over Harad would come to me, asking for this or that, assistance in a war against this tribe or medicine to cure a ravaging disease, and I grew frustrated. I may have… researched things that should have been best left alone…"
Averting his eyes, Faykan shook his head as the Palantir flared to life again, show the same old men it had originally, now standing opposite each other with raised staffs. "I… I was out of control, and Pallando came himself to stop me. The duel was quite intense, reminiscent of what I went through with Albus, but he finally defeated me, transfiguring me into an owl for several hundred years as punishment. The Valar had decided that I needed time away from most mortals to recover from steering deeply into the Darker Arts, but that I was not past redemption…"
The orb went blank, and the lights in the room retuned, Faykan rubbing a hand over his face, "Fighting Dumbledore like that, or other intense situations where emotions run high have tendency to plunge me back into those handful of moments where I sought to destroy my best friend, and the madness returns. I apologize for hiding it for so long, but I felt that I could control it. Clearly I was mistaken…"
Draco was silent for long moments after his friend had finished. "So," Hermione said slowly, "that's why you've worked so hard, arranged events so precisely to fight back against Voldemort, to rebuild things that were lost, all as part of a path of redemption?"
"Well, at first," Faykan replied, "but the Valar are not unaware of the needs of their servants. I had been isolating myself for many centuries, and it was on their orders that I came to Hogwarts and interacted with specific students, inevitable leading me to all of you. I can see that their wisdom demanded that I had most need to return to the wider world, and cease to live in the past of so many millennia ago."
Hermione opened her mouth to speak again, but the door to the Room swung open, causing them all to turn toward it. Draco felt an immediately unease as Ron entered, laughing and flushed with the same girl from earlier on his arm.
"Oh," he said, stopping short as he noticed that the Room was occupied.
"Oops!" the girl said stupidly, backing out the way they had entered, pulling the red haired boy in her wake.
"I think that's enough for one day," Faykan announced immediately, standing and snatching up the Palantir quickly.
Draco also stood, not wanting to be around for Hermione's inevitable outburst, and departed out of the Room, refusing to look at the retreating forms of Gryffindors making their way back to their tower.
It wasn't until he was back in the dungeons that he encountered anyone else. As he approached the corridor which hid Slytherin House, Draco saw a shadow playing off the torchlight from around a turn in the corridor. It certainly wasn't his godfather, and Draco did not want to run into Filch or a prefect, and ducked into a nearby classroom.
Watching from inside the darkened room, Draco's eyes widened when he saw Theodore Nott carefully sneak past him, murmuring to himself and consulting several sheets of parchment. Silently blessing his newfound animagus form, Draco quickly shifted into a white ferret, and crawled along the corner of the floor and wall after the boy, wondering what he was up to.
Nott led him around the stone walled corridors for a short while, eventually turning down a staircase that led to the highly unused section of the dungeons. None really went down there for anything, even other Slytherins, and the darkened torches and cobwebbed corners added proof to that fact.
Draco felt a strange sense of foreboding start in his stomach as Nott finally slowed and ducked into a darkened room, shutting the door and bolting it behind him. Pressing a sharp paw against the wood, Draco knew that there were enchantments in place to ensure the boy's privacy, and that he wouldn't be able to open it without Nott knowing. There was nothing he could do about Nott or his secrets as of now, but at least he could tell the Gryffindors of the boy's suspicious actions.
The desire for sleep finally catching up with him, Draco turned and scurried along back up the passage to the common room, not noticing when the door he had left opened slightly, nor the glaring face that watched him depart.
~~Sina tea kirma : This is a line break~~
Bellatrix fumed over the lack of things for her to do. She had been retained at her Lord's hidden cavernous base since the previous battle where she, once again, had faced against Dumbledore and Alatar. The Light Lords were growing more and more bothersome for her Master's plans, and it continuously trickled down to the torment and disillusionment of his other forces. Bella knew better than to believe that her Lord would fail, but was certain that he would in the end wipe the muggles and their filth from the world, paving the way for the return of wizard-kind to their rightful place in the world.
Pacing in her chambers, brooding over her latest conflict, she thought of how Alatar had singled her out in the midst of the fight, and dropped everything, hacking and blasting a way through the melee to her. Only a hasty retreat had saved her from the overwhelming power of the man's magic.
Slamming her fist into the wall she swore in rage, something she rarely did, as it was unladylike. "Damn that Alatar…" she growled.
"My my dear Bellatrix, what has you so on edge?" said Abdurahman, his heavy accent making it difficult for Bellatrix to understand in her rage.
"What are you doing here," she hissed back, turning away from the eerie necromancer. As much as she enjoyed the man's work, she found none but her Lord worth her time or attention.
"The Dark Lord is, uninterested, in organizing another raid as of yet, so I have some free time." the Arabic man continued, "You mentioned a name… Alatar I believe, am I right?"
Bella considered the man's first statement carefully. The Dark Lord was always plotting the next stage of his endless battle against the muggle loving light. But lately, he had grown far more distant and aloof of even his closest followers. While Bella was not in a place to question her Lord of his actions, she worried somewhat about how much he tended to drift into bouts of solitary meditation, or blandly stare into space during meetings with the lower caste Death Eaters, as if unfocused on the world around him.
"Lady LeStrange?" Abdurahman said again, imploringly. She snapped back to the present.
"Yes," she said hotly, drawing her wand and twirling it in her hair, "Alatar is one of the wizards that are consistently harassing our efforts for the Dark Lord."
"But surely this wizard could not be the Alatar, the legendary one of old. It is a simple myth, told in the Far East, and to the south is it not?"
Bellatrix narrowed her eyes, "What myth?"
The Arab looked at her confusedly, "you have not heard of the legend of Alatar of Harad? I though the name of that wizard was exclusive to the tale…"
"Well, are you planning on sharing this tale or not?" Bellatrix said, growing impatient.
"Oh of course, of course my Lady," the Necromancer said quickly, "It is said among my people that long ago, many thousands of years in the past, a powerful wizard came from the West, wielding mighty powers and possessing much wisdom. The wizard came to save them from a great dark god that ruled over the land with an iron hand. He united the tribes of Harad and brought much peace to the people. Those who fought for the Great Eye fell in wars to the west, and in time they were indeed saved from the evil."
Bellatrix felt her impatience with the man growing. She had little need for the ancient ravings of old wives tales about mysterious wizards saving the world. "But then things began to change," Abdurahman said, catching the witch's interest again.
"Haradrim fought Haradrim, every tribe fighting for their own, and Alatar the Great was caught between, trying to keep the peace. The power and influence slowly corrupted the wizard and drove him to madness. He started to rule over those that were under his protection, forming cults of magic users and revealing many dark arts to them, such as Necromancy."
The Arab stroked a small necklace of bone that he always wore as he spoke, and smiling fondly he continued, "The men of Harad began to call him Alatar the Terrible, as he would fight against all who opposed his rule over the wastes of Harad. The other ancient kingdoms never dared to enter his domain, no one, except another wizard, mighty like himself. A devestating battle was fought, Alatar the Terrible was destroyed, and with his power broken, freedom returned to Harad at last."
Bellatrix tried to make and sort of connection between the ancient figure of the Arab's story, and the mysterious wizard she had fought multiple times already. "If someone was to be taking on the name of Alatar, they are declaring themselves to be a power over all others," Abdurahman summarized, "as there can be no way for one such as he to have survived so long, even with his great knowledge."
Bellatrix frowned, inwardly scoffing the Arab for his doubt, albeit, the tale itself was interesting. If this wizard she had fought had any connection to the man of in the legend, which Bellatrix felt was rather likely. If her Lord considered him a threat he had to be more than any mere wizard. And since that was indeed the case, this Alatar would have to be removed, and Bella had a feeling that the Dark Lord would want her to be the instrument of this thorn's demise.
However, to do this she would need to learn more powerful Dark Arts to fight against him. Normally she would have approached the Dark Lord with this need, but from what the Necromancer had said her Master did not wish to be disturbed.
But, then again, there was another here with knowledge of dark magic she had never considered. Turning back to Abdurahman, she smiled. It the slight flinch was anything to go by, the Arab was only partially aware of what she had in mind.
~~Sina tea kirma : This is a line break~~
The uneasiness between Hermione and Ron continued up to the end of term before winter holiday. Snow was starting to spiral down and packing deeply on the lawns of the grounds. The twelve festive Christmas trees were already set up in the Great Hall, complete with garlands of holly and tinsel around the banisters of the staircases all over the castle.
Even the suits of armor were decorated, candles lighting them from the inside, and mistletoe hung at regular intervals in the corridors. However, even the holiday spirit didn't relieve Harry or Faykan from the strain that had become Hermione's and Ron's relationship.
"She can't complain," Ron had said once to Harry. "She snogged Krum. So she's found out someone wants to snog me too. Well, it's a free country. I haven't done anything wrong."
Faykan had rolled his eyes and turned away, while Harry refused to answer, but pretended to be absorbed in the book they had to read for Charms the next morning. "I never promised Hermione anything," Ron continued, mumbling now, "I mean, all right, I was going to go to Slughorn's Christmas party with her, but she never said… just as friends… I'm a free agent…" his voice eventually trailed away, although the occasional 'Krum' or 'can't complain,' could still be heard.
Their ability to communicate with Hermione was also equally strained, more due to her persistent study schedule than anything else. The only time they she was remotely free, was during the evenings. Unfortunately that meant that Ron and Lavender were in the common room, so tightly wrapped around each other that they were oblivious to anyone else. They had alternatively taken to meeting in the library or the Room of Requirement.
"He's perfectly welcome to kiss whomever he likes," she would say hotly at any mention of Ron, which added to the unease that both Harry and Faykan felt over the situation, especially when she followed it up by dotting an 'i' so hard she punctured her parchment.
After a few moments of awkward silence, Hermione spoke again, turning to Harry, "You need to be careful, by the way."
Thrown off, he turned to look at her, "I overheard some girls in the bathroom earlier," she explained, "talking about how to slip you a love potion to get into Slughorn's party with you, including Ramilda Vane. It would be easiest if you just invite someone to go with you, stop any of them thinking they have a chance, and its tomorrow night anyway."
"You really should think about it," Faykan added, leaning in at their table in the library. Madam Pince was prowling the shelves behind them, so he kept his voice low.
"Who are you taking?" Harry asked, slightly annoyed by the pressure.
"Luna of course, whom else?" Fay replied, smirking slightly.
"There isn't anyone I want to invite," Harry mumbled irritably, and he meant it. After his short stint of attraction to Cho Chang back in fourth year, he really hadn't thought about much of anything in the romantic department of his life. He had always been too preoccupied with Voldemort and surviving, which changed more recently to actively fighting back against the dark wizard.
"Well, just be careful what you eat or drink," Hermione said grimly, "because Rolimda Vane in particular seemed pretty serious about it."
Harry nodded, understanding the need for caution. "We ought to go," Faykan said, tilting his head in the direction of Pince, who was slowly stalking toward them through the library shelves, herding students out with stern glances.
"Right," Hermione said, quickly packing her things and making her way with both boys in tow for the exit. It was a quick jaunt back to Gryffindor Tower, and Harry gave the new festive password to the Fat Lady, 'Baubles.'
Climbing in after Hermione, Harry was almost instantly accosted by none other than Romilda Vane. "Hi Harry!" she said cheerfully, "fancy a gillywater?"
Catching the 'what-did-I-tell-you?' look from Hermione past Romilda's shoulder, Harry felt himself immediately on edge. "No thanks," he said quickly, "I don't like it much."
"Well, take these anyway," she continued, thrusting a box of chocolates into his hands. "Chocolate Cauldrons, they've got Firewiskey in them. My gran sent them to me, but I don't like them…"
Harry just stared at the box in his hand. Did she honestly think he was stupid or something? It was painfully obvious that the chocolates were spiked with potion and not Firewiskey.
"Oh…" he started, realizing that she was still standing in front of him, staring, "right, thanks a lot," he paused, and noticed that the girl was barely listening to a word he said. "Err… I'm just going over there with…" he hurried off after Faykan and Hermione as his voice trailed away.
"Told you," Hermione said succinctly," Sooner you ask someone, sooner they'll all leave you alone and you can…" she trailed off, her face turning blank. Turning, Harry spotted Ron and Lavender, who were intertwined in the same armchair.
"Well, good night you two," Hermione said, and though it was only seven in the evening, she left for the girl's dormitory without another word. With little else to do himself, Harry went up to his dormitory as well, Faykan following. Ramilda Vane continued to watch him as he crossed the common room and started up the stairs.
One inside the dormitory, Faykan snatched the box of chocolates from Harry's hand and incinerated it without further discussion. "You're welcome," he said, smirking. Harry merely shook his head at his antics as he prepared for bed. Early or not he was worn out from the constant grating between Ron and Hermione. Slipping beneath the covers, Harry comforted himself that there was only one more day of term to struggle through, along with Slughorn's party, and then he would be free to go back to Orthanc with Faykan and Draco.
But his hopes for a peaceful last day weren't very high, and the Transfiguration class of the day dashed them completely for him. Not only were both Ron and Hermione sinking to new lows of pettiness, even mocking each other during their attempts at transfiguring their own faces, but small groups of girls from all houses were starting to wait in ambush for Harry under the clumps of mistletoe spread throughout the castle. Running out after Faykan and Hermione, Harry was cornered almost immediately, and only his reflexes from Quidditch allowed him to navigate through them.
Finally dodging around a particularly determined group, Harry had to pause and catch his breath at the base of a small staircase. Up ahead he could hear Faykan and Hermione, half arguing in the deserted stairwell. "Hermione you can't be serious," Faykan was saying, "getting back at Ron isn't worth it."
"But it's perfect." Hermione countered as Harry came into view of them both.
"Harry you need to talk her out of this, its madness," Faykan said, turning to Harry imploring, "she's only going to make things worse for herself as well as Ron."
"I… what?" Harry sputtered, caught unaware at being dragged into the topic so suddenly.
"She wants to ask Cormack McLaggen to Slughorn's party to get back at Ron," Faykan said, and Harry understood immediately the potential problems with that line of action. Looking at Hermione in shock, Harry could only stand there for a moment processing. "McLaggen?" he repeated to her, and she blushed slightly.
"Who else would annoy Ronald the most," she said, almost spitting the name. Faykan rolled his eyes, causing Hermione to frown. "Hermione," he tried again, "you're planning on giving another boy false impressions for the sole purpose of garnering the attention of the one you really want to go to the party with. Is there anything wrong with that picture for you, anything at all?"
Slowly Hermione's face relaxed, and she lowered her eyes from meeting Faykan's, "I guess I didn't think about it that way…" she admitted.
"Now that you realize what I bad idea for everyone that is," Faykan continued gently, "Let this go, be the bigger person. Go with Harry to the party, as friends, and solve two problems at once. Let Ron slowly wake up to the fact that what he's doing doesn't affect you, and he'll grow up a bit more. Trust me on this."
Harry had to realize the amount of patience that Faykan had to possess when dealing with any of them. For a wizard thousands of years old, these problems must seem so trivial and pointless, and yet, here he was in the thick of it, treating Hermione's problem with Ron as if it was the most important thing in the world. He could just as easily have chosen to remain neutral, as Harry had attempted, or walked away altogether and focused on running the war with Voldemort.
"I… you're right Fay," Hermione said. "If it's alright with you Harry, I'd be alright with going with you to Slughorn's party as friends."
"Sure, ok." Harry said automatically, his mind still awestruck with his thoughts about Faykan's perspective of the situation. It was definitely something he wanted to learn how to do.
Hermione's improved mood lasted well through dinner, although it may have been helped by them all staying a good distance away from Lavender and Ron during meals. Entering the common room to change for the party, the three Gryffindors were greeted by another display of Ron and Lavender half grappling in a single chair. Harry noticed Hermione stiffen beside him, but Fay placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, and guided them both past the spectacle and up to the base of their respective dormitory stairs.
Harry changed quickly, and waited down in the common room with Faykan for Hermione to emerge. She finally did, smiling shyly as the entire room turned to look at her. She was dressed similarly to how she was at the Yule Ball two years previous, except that Hermione had not gone to drastic means to control her hair, choosing to tie it down with an emerald ribbon that matched her dress.
As they left, Harry noticed that even Ron, still attached by the lips to Lavender, was watching them go, a confused and hurt look on what part of his face was visible.
The walk down to Slughorn's office was rather uneventful, aside from meeting up with Faykan and Luna at the landing to sixth floor. "Hello Harry," Luna said happily, "so glad you've brought the D.A. back this year. I was feeling dreadfully bored without the extra activity to look forward to."
"Glad to hear it," Harry replied as they reached the office door. Slughorn spotted Harry as soon as they entered the room and sauntered over. "Harry, m'boy!" he boomed, "Come in, come in, so many people I'd like you to meet."
Harry tried to dodge Slughorn as the man took him by the arm, but failed to escape the Potion Master's grasp. Looking back at his friends for help, Harry sighed as he saw them with Ginny and Draco, only Faykan giving him a sad smile and shrug of hopelessness. Bracing himself, Harry endured the gauntlet of names and faces that Slughorn was determined to parade him about the room to meet. Most of them washed past Harry, as he was more eager to just get away at the first possible moment.
Finally, after being introduced to a wizarding biographer, Harry had had enough, "I'm sorry," he said by way of excuse, "but I've really left my date unattended for far too long. I should go see that she has everything she needs." And with that he darted away, slipping past two members of the wizarding band 'The Weird Sisters.'
He quickly found Hermione, Faykan, Luna, Ginny and Draco all tucked away in a corner of the room, goblets of mead in their hands and a spare for Harry which Faykan passed to him. Glancing at Draco and Ginny, who were not very subtly trying to catch each other's eye without their nearby dates noticing. Hermione was talking with Ginny and Luna about something, but before Harry could figure it out, Professor Trelawney approached them.
"Hello," Luna said politely to the Divination Professor.
"Good evening, my dear," the woman replied, swaying slightly on the spot. Harry detected the smell of cooking sherry quite clearly. "I haven't seen you in my classes lately…"
As Luna and Ginny drifted into a conversation about the Divination classes being split between Trelawney and Firenze, Draco caught Harry's eye and beckoned for him, Faykan and Hermione to follow him a few paces away.
"So, I still haven't figured out what Nott's up to when he sneaks out at night," Draco said once they were moderately secluded from the rest of the party. "Any of you have new leads?"
"No," Hermione said, "whatever it is, it's got to be something he can carry around with him, otherwise we would have found it when we searched that dungeon room you saw him use."
They had each taken extensive time in observing or following Theodore Nott as he went about the castle, both publically and privately, trying to figure out what mysterious thing he was up to. Professors Snape and Dumbledore were of no help, despite Professor Snape's continued efforts to discover what Nott's mission from Voldemort was. All they could tell was that it was something that required a decent amount of time to prepare, and was small enough to be carried on his person, or easily hide.
Nott never seemed to use the same room twice, as they had all seen him hiding away in places all over the castle for hours on end, behind powerful wards that, while potentially broken by Faykan's magic, would alert Nott to any attempts and give him time to hide his activities before being discovered.
"Well," Harry said matter-of-factly, "we just need to keep on him, eventually he'll make a mistake and we'll be able to…"
"Harry Potter!" interrupted Professor Trelawney, gliding back over to them with an apologetic Luna and Ginny in her wake. Once she reached them, she stumbled a bit, and had to steady herself before continuing, "My dear boy, the rumors! The stories! 'The Chosen one'! Of course, I have known for a very long time…. The omens were never good, Harry… But why have you not returned to Divination? For you, of all people, the subject is of the utmost importance!"
Harry frowned, not really wanting to hear about this, but things only got worse when Slughorn ambled over again, and the pair of Professors started up their different conversations in each of Harry's ears. Any attempts to escape were gone now, and he was at their mercy for the rest of the party.
Harry was at least thankful that he had had a few moments to discuss things that were actually important to the wider war against Voldemort before things were so derailed. Hopefully, they would be able to solve the puzzle of Nott's actions and stop him and Voldemort from whatever nefarious scheme they had concocted.
That was, of course, if Harry managed to survive this very awkward and emotionally painful night first.