AN: I do not own Harry Potter, that honor goes to J. K. Rowling.
Chapter 13: Fear the Spiders
Harry kept a close eye on Lockhart on the map whenever he was alone. The flamboyant professor showed the students more practical magic applications, leaving little time for Lockhart to strut and boast in front of his students. His incessant hints to Harry about being a mentor became a constant thorn in Harry's side. The Slytherins learned of Lockhart's intentions to mentor Harry. Instigated by a sneering Malfoy, the whole House teased and jeered at Harry whenever they could.
"Don't let it get to you," Ron muttered to Harry one morning as they left Potions. "That's what Malfoy wants. He knows he can't take you in a duel so he has to use words to try and get back at you."
"I know, I know," Harry growled back. "It isn't really the Slytherins annoying me, I'm just frustrated with everything going on. I can't get the Caterwauling Charm to do what I want. We've found some interesting spells while experimenting, but nothing like what we need. It feels like a waste of time and Lockhart is growing bolder. The Diary must be going to control him soon!"
"Take a deep breath, mate. You're getting worked up over something you don't have any control over. We have the Aurors and Mad-Eye in the castle. We're safe, mate."
"You don't know that. You realize the Basilisk is one of the most dangerous creatures in the world," Harry started to argue but was cut off by Ron's laugh.
"I know better than you. Mum threatened the twins with feeding them to a Basilisk for a full year when I was three. I think that's why they've been trying to find the Chamber so hard. They want to prove mum wrong."
Harry knew the reason Fred and George were acting so secretive. He'd tasked them with finding a way of alerting everyone in the castle of an imminent attack. The twins knew the danger of the Basilisk and offered more than once to be on the receiving end of any spell Harry needed to practice for modifying the Caterwauling Charm. They'd managed to sneak in six roosters and kept them locked up in one of the unused classrooms on the seventh floor.
"Come with me to the Quidditch field," Ron asked with a hopeful grin. "I've been working hard on my flying."
"How about this weekend, after you get your wand? There is a load of homework due already," Harry said with a shrug. "I'll help you with the Potions one."
"Brilliant! Wood keeps bothering Professor McGonagall about the Quidditch games, but she hasn't gotten back to him yet. I suppose waiting a little longer to show off my skill won't hurt."
Harry snorted and led Ron toward the greenhouses. Neville and Hermione left as soon as the bell sounded, still deep in their conversation about the uses of Belladonna in cosmetics. Snape left the class early, leaving the class to read the last chapter in their books. All four friends already knew about fluxweed, so they pretended to read in case Snape returned before the bell.
"Ginny has been doing better," Ron announced into the silence as they crossed the Great Hall. "I'd never admit this to Hermione, but having her join you guys in the storage room has been good for her."
"She's my sister as much as yours. She can be annoying, but she is alright most of the time… for a witch," Harry shot back with a laugh.
Ron laughed and threw an arm around Harry's shoulder as they finished the walk to class. Neville and Hermione took a spot near the Valerian pots and checked the moisture in the soil. Professor Sprout set the class to learn about the Spiky Bushes behind a glass pane at the back of the greenhouse. The semi-sentient plant tried shooting long needles at the students but the piercing projectiles deflected off the glass Professor Sprout enchanted.
"Blimey, I'd like one of those," Neville crooned as he peered through the glass at the attacking plant.
"You have strange tastes," Harry said with a grin.
"They aren't used in many potions, Neville," Hermione questioned as she peered closer at one needle sticking out of the enchanted glass.
"Oh, I know, but it would give Gran a fright for a moment or two," the round-faced boy said with a wide grin.
"Harry is corrupting you," Hermione groaned as she shot a glower at her friend.
"I've done no such thing!"
"You have, mate," Ron said with a laugh.
"Enough chattering, everyone write down what they see! Books are all well and good, but seeing is so much more important. What do you see, smell, feel, taste? Well, don't go touching or tasting the Spiky Bushes, but you know what I mean," Professor Sprout said with a faint laugh.
Harry set to the task given with an efficient purpose. He knew the importance of learning the material from a teacher over reading something from a book. A teacher may only provide one view on the subject, but they could answer many of his questions that a book couldn't. He made sure to annotate and give detailed descriptions in all of his notes so he could discuss it with Hermione after class.
Ron drew a stick-figure portrait of himself flying on his broomstick shooting spells down at the Spikey Bushes on the corner of his parchment. The drawing distracted Harry as he contemplated a way to make the drawing come to life and fly around the wiggling plant below. Hermione scolded both of them for not paying attention a few minutes later.
After class, Harry went to the storeroom while Hermione, Neville, and Ginny went to the library to finish their homework. Harry used History of Magic to do his Herbology homework when Hermione wasn't looking. She caught him halfway through the class and glared at him while he went ahead and finished the foot-long essay on Venomous Tentacula.
"Potter," a gruff voice called from somewhere behind Harry.
"What!" Harry gasped as he dodged another cyan spell from the red practice dummy and spun toward the voice, wand raised. "Oh," he muttered as Moody's grizzled face appeared in the low light of the storeroom.
"Behind you, boy," Moody growled and shot a spell from his wand that seemed to appear in his hand.
Harry ducked as a cyan spell flew over his head, impacting on the ceiling. "Blimey, thanks," he muttered and spun back toward the red dummy. Another cyan spell erupted from the dummy's wand, aimed at Harry's head. "Protego," Harry muttered as he rose to his feet and flicked the tip of his wand. The spell bounced off the silvery shield and hit the wall behind the blue dummy.
"Any luck with the Diary?" he asked as he dodged out of the way of a yellow spell.
"None, yet," the ex-Auror growled and stomped over to Harry. "You flail about too much. Efficient motions and don't flick your wand. Think ahead of your opponent. If they attacked you, how are you going to block, dodge, or counter the spell before sending one of your own," he continued to lecture. "Move aside."
Harry watched as Moody took his place by blocking a red jet of light with a yellow one. The experienced veteran shot a blue spell at the dummy half-a-second later. The spell impacted on the dummy's shoulder, causing ice to form around the shoulder and upper arm. Harry watched Moody jinx the wooden dummy into a twisted wreck in four exchanges of spells.
"That… was impressive," Harry muttered as he stared into nothing, letting his memory replay every motion the ex-Auror used. "You blocked the spell with Protego and used the upward motion of the Shield Charm to start the triangular motion required in the Exploding Charm."
"Very good, remember, when casting any spell, think about the next spells you will use. Economy of movement will save your life one day," Moody praised and muttered under his breath, waving his wand over the crumpled dummy. "Don't let the others use this dummy, they aren't ready for how fast these spells will be coming at them. You're the only one foolish enough to use it so far anyway."
"Thanks, I guess," Harry muttered with a sigh.
Later that night, Harry lay awake in bed, using his flashcard to review the new material he and Hermione created. The Marauder's Map lay beside him on the bed, partially covered by his blankets. The dot labeled 'Gilderoy Lockhart' left his chambers, causing Harry to sit up and pull the map closer. "Third night in a row," he muttered as he followed the professor's progress through the castle.
Lockhart wound his way through the castle, headed toward the Hospital Wing. Harry spotted Alastor Moody's dot, waiting near the first-floor corridor. He'd told the ex-Auror about the professor's nightly stroll but refused to tell him how he knew. Lockhart passed by Moody as he headed for one of the side doors. It took a moment for Moody's dot to move off after Lockhart, making Harry wonder if they were both under an Invisibility Cloak or used Disillusionment Charms on themselves.
"I don't know how you did it, Potter, but Lockhart passed right where I was standing last night. I followed him into the forest. The wily git may have realized someone was on his trail because he disappeared for a while. I spotted him coming out of the forest a couple of hours later with a triumphant grin on his face. Last night makes three nights if your information is correct," Moody reported later that day. Both eyes were locked on Harry's as he gave his report.
"Could the Basilisk be hiding in the Forbidden Forest? Unknown and hidden for years? Is that where the Chamber of Secrets is?" Harry mused as he tried to ignore the intense stare.
"No, it was cleared by Aurors I trust to do the job right. The Basilisk is in the castle," Moody declared in a gruff voice.
"What could Lockhart want with the forest," Harry grumbled, trying to come up with something that might explain the professor's secretive outings. "Maybe he's looking for material for a new book."
"That would require something important to happen. There are magical beasts and magical communities in the forest, but nothing noteworthy," Moody growled. "You ready to show me your progress with the rooster mimicking spell?"
Harry started and glared at the ex-Auror, "Nothing to show," he answered with a sigh. "The most I have to show for all my work is a hex that changes someone's voice into a chicken. Found a combination of words, intent, and wand-movement that seemed to work."
"Changes someone's voice or causes an object to sound like a chicken?" Moody questioned, leaning forward in his chair.
"Vocal change, not causing something… I wonder," Harry said and trailed off as he drew his wand.
"Don't even think about testing a spell you've just come up with on the spot. I will curse you into a puddle, boy," Moody growled and aimed his wand at Harry's chest.
"Right, safety first," Harry muttered, feeling his ears burn.
"Work it through and let me look it over. I'll you help for a good cause and this is a good cause," the ex-Auror growled and stared at Harry.
Excited by the sudden inspiration, Harry worked hard that night on writing the potential spell combinations down to make an object omit a noise. Instead of trying to change the complex Caterwauling Charm, he would start small and focus on creating something simple.
"Harry, you're about to let your cauldron bubble over. What are you doing?" Ron hissed under his breath. Professor Snape's assignment was for the students to brew a Sleeping Draught.
"Testing something," Harry answered back as he watched the potion swirl.
"Testing the viscosity of Flobberworm Mucus," a sneering voice called from near the front. "Your potion will brew, but the strength will be diminished. By the number of bubbles in your cauldron, Potter, the dreamless sleep will last for thirty minutes to an hour at most. Five points from Gryffindor for not taking the class seriously."
Harry nodded to the professor and tried to hide his rush of excitement. He would trade five points every class for more knowledge about Potions if he could. Writing everything down, he brewed the potion to completion and turned it in for a grade. He saved the other two bottles of his potion for Fred and George to experiment with.
"Defense next," Hermione said in a low voice. "What do you think Professor Lockhart is doing in the forest at night?" she asked as she used her pocket mirror to look around the next corridor.
After seeing Hermione's all clear hand-sign, he answered in a low voice, "best guess is that he is looking for something to write about, but who knows."
"Do you think he's already possessed?" Neville asked in a low voice from behind them.
"With him, there is no way to tell," Ron snorted and used his mirror to check the next corridor.
"Ron!" Hermione chastised. "He's done so many things!"
"You can't be still on that, Hermione. Even Moody doesn't like Lockhart," Ron complained.
"Innocent until proven guilty, I say," she shot back with her nose in the air.
"Welcome, welcome!" Gilderoy Lockhart called out to his class when everyone entered. "How wonderful it is to see everyone. Harry, as usual, my door is always open to those willing to learn. Now, on Monday, we talked about trolls. Not the ones a few of you have received on your essays, but real trolls. We'll continue talking about their behaviors, how to track them, and how to take them down."
Harry suppressed a sigh as he sat back in his chair. He hated Lockhart's demonstrations of how he defeated the trolls in his book. Lockhart's voice distorted and faded away as he focused on his spell idea. A nudge brought him back to reality. He looked at Ron who was giving him a surprised look.
"Harry, he's teaching us how to cast the Ebublio Jinx," the redhead announced in a low whisper. "He never tries to teach, only show."
Harry sat up and blinked, watching the flamboyant wizard teach Lavender the spell. The fact Lockhart didn't fail to cast the spell every time he showed it off made the hairs on Harry's neck stand on end. Lavender struggled with the enunciation and wand-movement required to create a blue large bubble. It was a sobering thought to learn the simple spell could have stopped the Mountain Troll the previous year with little effort.
"Now, remember, trolls have natural magical resistance, making it harder for the spell to capture them. However, if they were to step on or near an object, you can cast the spell on the object, trapping them in the bubble. Trolls are still strong, so choose the object you enchant with care. Now, I don't expect you to know how to enchant things on the fly, but when you're older… something to keep in mind, eh?" Lockhart said with a beaming smile. "Now, Lavender, let's try this again. Repeat after me… ee-BUB-leo," the professor intoned and flicked his wand toward the wardrobe at the side of the room.
An azure jet of light flew from the tip of his wand, slamming into the wooden door. A blue bubble encased the entire wardrobe to the applause of some of the class. Lockhart beamed and shot Harry a ferocious grin. Harry thought he could count all the professor's teeth. He rubbed at the back of his neck, trying to get the tingling feeling to abate. The sensation of moving his skin was all he felt under his deadened fingers.
"We haven't been over this spell yet," Hermione gushed as she sat forward.
"We're working off a scripted checklist, of course, we haven't gone over all the spells," Harry shot back. He wasn't angry with her, but with himself for getting them in this position.
"That would have been useful against the troll," Ron muttered and squinted at Lockhart. "He somehow seems more pleased with himself. I didn't think that was possible."
"At least it's the first thing he's taught us all year," Neville muttered and shot a look at Harry.
Lockhart continued the monologue of his exploits and why he didn't use the spell against the trolls in his book. Harry and Neville added their own comments of derision under their breaths while the professor prattled on. Ron's ears went red as he tried not to laugh, eventually burring his face in his book and laughing. Hermione, fed up with the boy's antics, cursed Harry with a Stinging Jinx under the table.
Ron, with his new Hornbeam and Dragon heartstring wand, took a little longer than Neville to perform the new spell when it was his turn to practice. Harry and Hermione tied at one attempt to cast the spell followed by Neville's three attempts. The rest of the class struggled to cast the spell, despite Lavender and Fay's near-fanatical attempts.
"That was a fun lesson, for the first time this year," Ron admitted as they took their seats in the storeroom after class.
"Please don't remind me," Harry groaned. "A competent Lockhart is scary to watch. I just know Tom is coaching him or teaching him."
"Moody says he's working on it, we have to trust him, Harry," Hermione chided and pulled out the checklist from her bag. "I spent the last bit of class to find a few more spells to work on," she started to say but was cut off by Harry.
"We stick to the list until it's complete," he declared and pointed at the wall where another copy of the checklist was fixed to. "We have so much more to learn, let's work through the list Professor McGonagall gave us first. There has to be a program or reason she gave us that list outside the mock test she gave us. We barely failed and while I feel more confident in what she gave us now, I have a feeling that isn't the end. We're drowning in information as it is."
Hermione pursed her lips and looked over the list in her hand. "You're right, Harry. Sorry, I just got so excited about everything we could learn."
"I'm excited to learn new things, but we're almost done with what we were given. We could probably pass the O.W.L.s of our core classes if we had to sit them, maybe except History of Magic for me. But that is just the core classes and who knows if those questions are even the ones on the test."
"I'll keep this list for stuff we can go over during the summer," she declared with a small smile.
"That works for me," Harry said with a shrug. "We've got the last bit of Astronomy, Transfiguration, and Defense left to go over. We have something like a month left before the exams," he announced, reading off the last of the checklist. "I mean, we really have a little more in every area because things like the Disillusionment Charm, Confundus Charm, Wit-Sharpening Potion, and the Chinese Chomping Cabbage are all still not checked off."
"I still think we should make another checklist and write everything we know down for each of the topics and spells. We should do one huge essay for each of the classes. I know it sounds like a lot, but we could compare our essays to see what we might have forgotten," Hermione suggested with a strained smile.
"I agree with you, but… like I said before. We'd need someone else to grade it to make sure we didn't miss anything. I'm not too keen on telling anyone how much I know or don't know," Harry said in a low voice, looking toward the darkened corner were Moody's sleeping quarters were.
"We could do like I said but only have someone like Professor McGonagall look over my answers," Hermione said in a low voice. "That way we can still get an accurate gauge of how much we know."
"We'll talk about it again when we complete the checklist," Harry said after thinking for a minute. "So, back to Vanishing Spells or conjuring inanimate objects? Honestly, I can do it but something easy like Astronomy today might be better. It is one of the reasons we left it for last."
"Let's get the hard stuff out of the way. I've got a headache, but not bad enough to keep trying the harder Transfiguration."
"Works for me, Vanishing Spells it is then," Harry said and pulled the index parchment they'd created. "Five books on the subject, two checked off. We'll read through this seventeenth-century book on advanced Transfiguration theories to see if anything is different from what we've already read."
Neville and Ginny arrived in the storeroom just before dinner, having finished their homework in the library. Ron appeared, drenched to the bone, in the Great Hall moments after the food appeared on the tables. "Harry, do you mind warming me up?" the red-haired boy asked as he wrung out his robes under the table.
"Do you mind not doing that here?" Ginny scolded as she picked up her feet. "You're getting my trainers wet!"
"Sorry," Ron muttered and turned to Harry.
"You really need to learn this spell," Harry said with a laugh. One Heating Charm and a Hot-Air Charm later, Ron breathed out a thanks and dug into his food with gusto.
"Harry is it just me, or does Lockhart look paler than normal," Neville commented during dinner.
Everyone looked up to the High Table, looking for the flamboyant professor. Lockhart sat beside Professor Snape at the far end of the table, eating and talking to a frail, frizzy-haired professor with thick glasses. The Defense Professor didn't flash his trademark smile as much as he shoveled food in his mouth. Harry thought Lockhart looked a little like Ron when he was at his hungriest by the way the food on his plate disappeared.
"Not worrying at all," Harry muttered in a sarcastic tone as he turned back to his friend. "I'll let Moody know before curfew. I hope he can get Lockhart tonight so we can get the Diary away from him. While the class was good, I'd rather not have a possessed professor."
"No one should ever be possessed," Ginny said in a small voice.
Dinner passed in relative silence. Harry broke off from the group to find Moody getting ready in the storeroom. The grizzled ex-Auror seemed troubled as he tucked a small dark book into his robes. "Potter, any more information?" he questioned as he struggled to get to his feet from the low armchair.
"Lockhart is showing the same signs Ginny did. Overeating and sallow skin," Harry reported with a frown. "Maybe, I should let Kingsley know too."
"Maybe," Moody growled and stomped to the fireplace, rekindling the wood with his wand. "You expect Lockhart to leave the castle again tonight?"
"It would make four nights in a row. We know he is headed to the forest so there is little chance to lose him in the castle. Are you going to try and take him down or wait?"
"For me to know and you to find out. Keep me informed if anything changes," Moody growled, turning to look at Harry. "Focus on your studies. If anything happens, keep your head down and get you and your friends out of here first. Leave the other students to me and the Aurors."
"You don't have to tell me twice," Harry muttered, narrowing his eyes. Something the ex-Auror said bothered him but he wasn't sure what. "Happy hunting," he called over his shoulder as he left the seating room, headed for the secret door.
Harry was lost in thought as he roamed the darkened passages, heading for the Gryffindor Common Room. He stopped a few times to stare at portraits in the corridors, trying to guess how the Diary came into existence. Two ghosts passed through the walls ahead of him, deep in conversation, making him think of the attacks. Little reminders of the lingering danger of the Diary jumped out at him as he finished his slow walk. "Wattlebird," he called out to the portrait of the Fat Lady.
"Don't look so glum," the Fat Lady called as the portrait swung open to reveal the hole into the common room. Sounds of laughter and bright flashes of light illuminated the dark passage around Harry.
"Show'em another, George!" Fred called as his figure appeared from under a brown blanket. "Do the Jumper this time."
"Right-o, Fred," George said and fished around in his robes.
Harry stepped into the common room, looking around at all the Gryffindors with grins on their faces. George lit the end of a small firecracker with the tip of his wand. Harry fought to keep the grin off his face when he saw the yellow wrapper. Taking out his wand, he cast a quiet Shield Charm in front of him as a precaution. Lee Jordan, standing near Harry, cursed under his breath and drew his wand, but it was too late. The firework let out a screech of sound and rocketed across the room. It bounced off the wall over the fireplace, hit the stone ceiling, and hit Kenneth Towler in the head. The boy yelped and fell backward over the side of the chair he was standing next to.
Fred and George howled with laughter as the yellow rocket bounced off people, surfaces, and overturned an ink bottle on the table. No one was hurt because Harry bewitched the tip of the firecracker to have a Softening Charm, but it would sting for a moment if you got hit by the hurtling projectile. Lee Jordan got hit twice before he could protect himself with a Shield Charm. He glared at Harry, Fred, and George before breaking out into a booming laugh.
"Jumping Whiz-bangs will be available next year to anyone who wants to have a little fun!" Fred announced as he threw off the brown blanket with a broad grin.
"Wicked!" a few Gryffindors called while others hurtled insults and expressed their mock anger at the twin's new toy for causing mayhem.
"Wait until they see the other things we have in store," George muttered to Harry when he approached. "We're getting low on the supplies, by the way."
"I'll see what I can do about that," Harry promised, mentally counting how many Galleons he had on hand. "I need to see a few things through before I can focus back on our projects."
"Not a problem, we'll be careful with what we have left," Fred assured with a smile. "I know you don't like hearing it, but thank you, from both of us. We wouldn't be where we are without your help."
"Without the Galleons you mean," Harry shot back with a wry grin.
"No mate," George cut in. "We mean the magical knowledge and ideas you've come up with on your own. The Galleons help, yes, but someone to bounce ideas off of has been more of a help than you can ever know." Fred nodded his agreement as he turned to talk to Lee.
"Thanks," Harry muttered, retreating from the twins and their friends. Angelina and Alicia had a fierce look in their eye as they approached. The firecracker bounced off Angelina's backside when she tried to jump out of the way. If her muttered curses and dark look was anything to go by, Harry wanted to be far away from the aftermath of the twin's fun.
The twin's howls for mercy followed Harry as he descended the stairs to his dormitory. Ron lay half off his bed, one trainer still on his foot, as he snored away into his blankets. Scabbers stared at Harry as he entered with a quizzical expression on his tiny rat face. Neville waved to Harry before going back to his flashcard, muttering an answer and tapping the black card in his hand. Seamus and Dean had their heads together, looking over a worn leather book on Dean's bed. They didn't notice Harry's arrival, engrossed in their conversation.
Harry stayed up long after the other boys had fallen asleep, watching the map with his curtains drawn to hide his wand-light. Books and sheets of parchment littered his bed with the map spread out in the center so Harry could keep an eye on Lockhart. The professor was pacing in his office, a small change from standing in one corner of the room for over an hour. Harry scribbled out more notes about anything he could find on Basilisks in wizarding history. A lot of the information he'd read before, but he copied the quotes and the brief first-hand accounts onto the page.
One purge of a Basilisk nest cost had a butchers bill of over thirty-nine witches and wizards. It was sobering to Harry to read the deaths were caused by three adult Basilisks. In the end, the only way they were able to kill the serpents was to bring the ceiling of the large cavern down, crushing five more wizards who remained behind to distract the serpents.
Lockhart left his office sometime while Harry was reading the ancient history book. Harry snatched up the map and spread it out on his bed, trying to find the elusive dot in the castle. He spotted Gilderoy Lockhart's dot near the kitchens. Confused, he watched on as the dot disappeared near the far corner of the antechamber to the kitchen. A hollow weight settled into his stomach as he realized the map didn't reveal everything about the castle.
Two hours later, Lockhart's name appeared on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, headed back up to the castle. Harry shook his head to clear his exhaustion and focused hard on the map. The professor looked to be running by the speed at which the dot was moving. Harry watched as another dot appeared from the edge of the folded part of his map. Alastor Moody moved with considerable speed across the Entrance Hall, headed for the grounds beyond. Kingsley and the other Aurors seemed to be up and moving around moments after Moody stepped over the threshold of the main doors.
Harry watched with fascination as a lot of things happened at once. Moody and Lockhart's dots met on the path, halfway between Hagrid's Hut and the castle. Three Aurors from the castle, Kingsley in the lead, moved toward Moody and Lockhart who were circling each other. Harry recognized the circular movement as the start of a wizards duel. Moments later, Moody and Lockhart broke off, each headed in a different direction. The ex-Auror ran for the forest while Lockhart ran off the path, toward the greenhouse side of the castle. Kingsley and his two Aurors came to a halt were Moody and Lockhart were less than a minute before.
Harry tried to work out what happened as he tracked Lockhart's path back through the castle. The professor made it back to his quarters without issue. Tired and unable to keep his eyes open any longer, Harry put the map away and covered up with his blankets. Twice he awoke in the middle of the night, having been awoken by a nightmare of a beast he couldn't see attacking people around him. The phantom screams of his friends rung in his ears as he tried to go back to sleep.
"Mate, you're going to be late for class," Ron called as he opened the curtains.
Harry lay facing up, staring at the canopy above him. He got little sleep that wasn't plagued by nightmares. Frankie's round face stared at him with wide, expectant eyes from behind the Mirror of Erised as Harry pleaded with the young boy to understand he couldn't do anything. "Defense with Lockhart first," he mumbled as he pulled off his blankets and let them fall to the floor.
"You look terrible, mate," Ron said as Harry put on his robes and trainers.
"I didn't sleep well. Bad dreams for the most part."
"You're just stressed. Tell Hermione to lay off the studding for a day. You two are mental trying to do all your core classes at once. It isn't like you don't have three more years until we sit our O.W.L.s," Ron complained as he waved his wand. His worn leather bag lifted off the ground and floated to him. He checked the contents and nodded to himself. "You ready?"
"Almost, I'll meet you down in the Great Hall in a few. Need to stop by the wash," Harry called and gestured with his hand for Ron to leave.
Gilderoy radiated with excitement as he led the class through a short exercise on the Fire-Making Charm. He regaled them with his exploits on taking down monstrous spiders, never seen before in the magical world. Burning these rare albino spiders alive in their dens and how the last one, who he saved to ensure the species wouldn't die out, declared vengeance on him forevermore. A couple of students hung on his every word while Harry tried to look like he was paying attention. His exhaustion made it difficult for him to pretend to listen to the buffoon of a professor.
"Mark my words, my fans," Gilderoy called as he dismissed the class. "Those monstrous creatures are probably why we've had all these attacks this year. They are known to petrify their prey before eating them alive!"
"What a load of rubbish," Neville muttered. "You can't use Gillyweed to breathe in smoke. It is used for underwater breathing."
"You tell him, Neville," Ron said with a booming laugh. "What was that class all about. I mean, he did give a cool tip about Incendio's range and power, but the rest of the class was boring."
"It isn't too hard to… power up… for a lack of a better word, any spell we know. Intention, visualization, and confidence all are components to casting all spells. Changing any one, or more components will change the outcome of the spell, with a cost. Most of the time, it pulls more magic from you to manipulate a spell, but sometimes there are unintended consequences," Harry lectured as they moved to Charms.
The Gryffindor students saw three Aurors patrolling the halls before they made it to the Charms corridor. Kingsley stood outside the door, talking to Professor Flitwick in a low voice. "Students! Welcome, welcome! Take a seat, we'll begin the lesson in a bit," the diminutive professor called before going back to his conversation.
"You will be sitting your final exams in three weeks," Professor Flitwick reminded the class as he took his place on the pile of books he used as a perch. "It has been a trying year, however, I am pleased by everyone's progress this year. That being said, review is important to ensure everything you learn stays with you for the rest of your life. Let us begin with the simple and progress to the last thing we've learned to date. Now, wands out… good. After me, please. Lumos!"
Harry fought against exhaustion as he followed along with the class. What the professor asked them to do was not hard for him, in fact, it was almost childishly simple for him now, but the mental strain wore down his low energy. Hermione shot him furtive glances from the next table over but didn't comment on his spell-work.
"Mate, why don't you go lay down after class," Ron muttered under his breath when Harry's Dancing Feet Spell did little more than make his chair wobble in place.
"I may have to. I just couldn't sleep," Harry muttered back and tried to focus again. His second cast made his chair leap onto his desk and perform a small jig. He groaned as everyone started laughing at the parchment scattering to the floor.
"That will do, for now, Mr. Potter. I think, maybe you should rest for now," Professor Flitwick called as he waved his wand. The chair stopped dancing and floated to the floor. All the parchments and spilled ink on Harry's desk returned to its previous state.
"Thank you, professor," Harry muttered and took a seat.
"Harry, Harry… Harry!" Ron's voice called to him a few minutes later. "The class is about to end and you've been asleep."
Blinking his eyes, Harry tried to look around the bright room. His classmates were packing up while Professor Flitwick beamed at them all. "Very well done, all of you! I'm pleased with all of your work so far. Keep it up. Again, the exams are in three weeks."
"Come on, mate," Neville encouraged as he helped Harry pack up his belongings.
It took a moment for Harry to get his bearings but with the help of Ron and Neville, they escorted him out of the room under Hermione's worried gaze. "Are you okay, Harry?" the bushy-haired witch asked as they took their seats in the Great Hall.
The smell of food made Harry's stomach churn from hunger and nausea. "Didn't sleep well is all," he muttered as he picked up the silver decanter filled with grape juice. He hoped it might help settle his stomach.
"Maybe you should see Madam Pomfrey," Hermione suggested as she nibbled at the corner of a darkened piece of toast.
"I'll be fine," Harry lied while taking a sip of the icy drink.
His friends took him at his word and started to talk about other topics, something he was thankful for. Neville tensed up as Zoe Stewart, Pansy Parkinson, and Daphne Greengrass walked in the Great Hall together. Harry noticed the way his friend's shoulders hunched over as he looked their way. Always with his back to a wall, Harry watched out of the corner of his eye as the trio of Slytherin witches made their way to the long table on the far side of the hall. Neville's shoulders loosened after glancing toward the seated trio.
Harry made a note to add Neville's name to the shortlist of people he kept an eye on whenever he could. Daphne's eyes met his from across the hall. Her slender blonde eyebrow arched as she continued to lock eyes with him. Unsure of what to do, Harry looked away. His gaze fell on the source of his nightmares and current troubles, Gilderoy Lockhart. The flamboyant professor spoke animatedly to Professor Flitwick, using his hands to emphasize something large with many legs.
"Herbology and double Transfiguration is all that's left for the day," Ron said with a grin as he got up from the table. "I can't wait to get in some Quidditch practice after class."
"Boys," Hermione huffed. She lifted her pack higher on her shoulder and looked at Harry. "You look tired. Maybe we should skip this afternoon's session. I could read a little more about the Vanishing Spell while you rest."
"I'll be fine!" Harry grumbled and followed his friends toward the greenhouses.
That afternoon, Harry wasn't fine and tried to stretch out on the fluffy chair. He was too tired to try and transfigure a footstool. Trying to find a comfortable position, he instead flopped his legs over the chair and using his cloak as a pillow. Hermione woke him before dinner, giving him a worried look. "You were muttering in your sleep," she accused as she thrust a bottle into his hands. "Drink up," she ordered.
Trusting his friend, Harry drank the small flask and coughed as the fiery liquid burned his throat for a moment. The Pepper-Up Potion lit a fire in his stomach, making him cough and sit up all the way. "Hey, it tastes a little like peppermint," he commented as he looked at the half-drunk bottle.
"I did some reading and wanted to try something," Hermione said with a feral grin. "Glad the taste wasn't too bad. I'd hoped it might taste like dung."
"Gross," Harry muttered and drained the last of the potion. He felt steam erupt from his ears. A feeling of warmth and energy coursed through his body as the ache in his back faded away. "Dinner? I'm starving."
"Boys," Hermione muttered and started for the secret door. "You could have said thank you!"
"Thank you, Hermione," Harry called after his friend as he snatched up his rucksack.
Dinner as abnormally quiet. Younger students talked in low whispers while older students read from books as they shoveled food into their mouths. Fifth and seventh-year students all had worn and haggard faces as they tried to cram knowledge into their tired brains while providing fuel for their bodies.
"You think we'll be that bad," Ron asked aloud as he watched a dark-haired Hufflepuff boy pulling his hair out, one-by-one, as he read from a huge tome in his lap.
"We'll probably be worse," Harry admitted as he looked up the table at Percy Weasley in deep conversation with Claire Turner, the other Gryffindor Prefect. "It's been hard enough already. I can't fathom adding five more courses to our schedule next year to get twelve O.W.L.s like Percy."
"Oh, I know," Hermione gasped as she looked up from her red flashcard. "This is going to be so exciting!"
After dinner, Harry got up with the others and started for the Entrance Hall. Students were spilling out into the large room, headed in every direction toward their common rooms or last stops before curfew. A massive boom shook the hall, making everyone freeze and look around.
"What?" Harry gasped as he realized the massive wooden doors shook. A feeling of dread sunk into the pit of his stomach. It was a visceral feeling of discomfort and danger. "Hermione, Ron, get ready to…" he started but his orders were cut off by a loud crash.
The doors to the Entrance Hall burst open, slamming into the wall on either side. Massive white and black creatures with many legs and glittering eyes flooded into the hall. Harry realized they were spiders as dozens jumped onto the walls and skittered toward the ceiling. "Fire spells!" he screamed, pointing his wand between to students in front of him.
The initial crash of student and monster was deafening. Young witches and wizards were caught by surprise, trampled beneath the many-legged spider's charge. The cries of "Incendio!", "Protego!", "Bombarda!", and many other spells were punctuated by the screams of students.
"Form fireteams! Incendio! Duos… Ebublio! Grab a partner! Cluster together!" Harry screamed at the top of his lungs as he shot spells at any spider he could see. Pockets of students listened but many didn't. Hermione and Neville broke off, covering a fallen first-year as they rained spells into a pocket of nearby spiders.
Students poured back into the Great Hall as the shouts and yells of professors called over the din. A pocket of older students in every House tried to protect fellow students and fight the incoming horde of spiders. "Move to the center, Potter. I have your flank," a cool voice came to him through the din. Not looking back, Harry trusted the voice and stepped over the fallen form of a Ravenclaw girl who'd been kicked by a monstrous spider in the initial charge. She cried in a ball on the floor as she clutched her stomach.
"Bombarda!" he cried, aiming his wand toward the door where he could see more spiders. The jet of white light flew under the legs of a large spider but hit the one behind it, unable to reach the mass of spiders near the door. A loud explosion rocked the area where his spell hit. The sound of other Exploding Charms erupted around the Entrance Hall, as students tried to fight back the horde.
"Don't use Exploding Charms!" a gruff, familiar voice yelled over the din. "There are downed students among you!" Moody made two large spiders burst into flames as he stomped into the Entrance Hall from near the Marble Stairs.
"Fall back, students!" Kingsley ordered as he seemed to appear from behind the spiders. He fired jets of red and purple lights into the spiders as he strode into the hall, flanked by two grim Aurors.
Harry cursed himself a fool, forgetting about the other students who'd been trampled. "Incendio," he yelled over and over, hitting a spider each time. Two massive forms fell from the ceiling, burning as they hit the ground near him.
"Protego," a clear feminine voice called from beside him, blocking a web that would have hit him in the chest. "You're welcome, Potter."
Harry recognized the voice. Daphne Greengrass rarely spoke but when she did, the entire class listened in Potions. "Thanks," he gasped and shot another Fire-Making Spell at another spider.
Moody and Kingsley fought their way to the center of the hall, killing and burning spiders with every wand wave. Both Aurors that came in with Kingsley had broken off to protect downed students and administer first-aid when necessary.
"Fight in pairs!" Harry called to a small group of students, firing spells in every direction. "Protect each other," he called again and spun to fire another spell at an advancing spider.
"Depulso!" he cried, aiming his wand at a spider rearing back to stomp its front legs on a fallen blonde-haired student. The spell hit the spider mid-thorax, sending the huge beast flying into a group of oncoming spiders.
"Immobulus," Daphne yelled as her spell struck five spiders near a group of students. It bought them enough time to regroup and continue their desperate defense.
"Glacius!" Hermione called from somewhere nearby, hitting three spiders with a blast of icy-cold air. The lead spider's limbs froze as a white sheen covered the front half of its body.
"Expelliarmus," Harry yelled, aiming his wand at a spider who'd just lifted a student into the air by two legs. The spell hit the spider, dropping the student to the floor with a grunt. An idea came to Harry as he watched the hairs on the spider's leg in front of him wiggle. "Calvorio," he said, aiming at a spider climbing the wall near the door.
The red spell hit the spider, causing its hair to fall off. Harry realized he made a mistake when the spider fell to the floor and lashed out at anything close to it. The Hair Loss Curse seemed to drive the spider insane as it attacked another spider beside it.
"Allow me!" a charming voice boomed over the commotion of battle. "Bombarda Maxima!" Lockhart called. A tiny white light flew over Harry's head, disappearing into a cluster of retreating spiders. The entire hall shook as the spell erupted.
"Protego!" many voices called out, some being cut off half-way as the shock-wave and debris from the spell hit them. Harry managed to get his shield over the fallen form of Neville, his leg twisted at an unnatural angle, when a rock hit him in the head, knocking his glasses askew as he fell backward.
The world went hazy and dull for a moment as he fought to keep his wand pointed over Neville. At the last moment, he realized his friend was still breathing and wanted to keep it that way. "Harry, Harry," a voice called to him but it seemed far away.
"He's in shock," a gruff voice explained before a heavy hand hauled Harry to his feet. "Took a nasty bump to the head. Boy, release your spell so we can get to your friend," Moody ordered.
"Right… friend… Neville!" Harry cried as he shook his head. The world spun as he swayed.
"That's one way to end the spell," a feminine voice said, amusement in her voice.
"Potter, stop the light show!" someone called in irritation. "Neville is fine, Harry," another, familiar voice said in a soothing tone.
"Hermione," Harry muttered as the Entrance Hall came back into focus. The bright light hurting his eyes stopped as he blinked. "What… what happened?" he asked, trying to blink the blurriness away.
"Acromantulas," a deep, masculine voice said. "Someone set fire to the forest and the dangerous beasts sought vengeance," Kingsley growled as he appeared in Harry's vision. "Thank you for the assistance, Mad-Eye. It might have been worse if you remained in hiding."
Harry watched as his enemy and the person he'd come to respect and look up to greet each other with a firm handshake with their left hands. He noticed their wands remained pointed at the bodies of the smoldering spiders on the flagstones. The smell of burning hair assaulted Harry's nose as he realized one of the burning massive spiders lay near him. Events and conversations with Moody filtered into his mind as he watched the ex-Auror talk to Kingsley.
"No one died, but there are a number of serious injuries. I've already sent word to the Minister," Kingsley informed Moody. "That spell of Lockhart's did a lot more harm than good. Bulstrode, I think her name was, will be lucky to keep her leg."
A soft gasp beside him made him look over his shoulder. Hermione crouched over Neville while Ron kept his wand pointing at a white spider, his eyes wide with terror. Daphne and Zoe stood to one side of the Entrance Hall, talking to a dark-skinned Slytherin with a gash on his arm. Students from every House worked together and supported each other while professors and Aurors barked orders. With numb legs, Harry walked over to Neville and crouched beside his friend. "How's the leg?" he asked as his left knee buckled, depositing him on the hard flagstones.
"Tripped over one of those spiders' legs," the round-faced boy muttered with a strained smile.
"Liar," Hermione sniffed as she poked Neville's leg with her wand. "You pushed me out of the way when I tried to get to Ginny. She tried to get away but got stuck between two Acromantula."
"Ginny?" Ron gasped as he came out of his stupor. "Where is she? Is she okay?"
"She's right here, Ron," Ginny called, irritation coloring her voice. "I got the one that wanted to bite me, burned its eyes off," she declared with a fierce grin. "Harry, your face is covered in blood!"
"I'm okay," Harry muttered, fishing into his robes. His numb fingers fumbled to grab one of the three vials he knew would be in one of his pockets. "Here, Neville," he mumbled and passed a green-tinted vial to his friend. "Wiggenweld," he said by way of explanation and unstopped another vial for himself.
"I think not," a kind, but stern feminine voice ordered. "All of you will go to the Hospital Wing for a check-up. I have beds free now the last of the mandrakes have matured. The Ministry helped with the brewing process and extra supplies needed."
Harry looked up to see Madam Pomfrey waving her wand over Neville. "Does that mean Filch and all the others are back to normal?" he asked as he got to his feet.
"Normal," the matron muttered with a strained smile. "Yes, you could say that. Now, all of you up to the Hospital Wing. I won't hold your hand. Move along."
It seemed like half the school had to get a check-up from the mediwizards and Madam Pomfrey. Harry sat to one side, half-listening to Hermione's account of the battle many students were calling the fight of a century. He didn't get a chance to thank Daphne for helping him out, as she'd been one of the few students near the front of the small skirmish to remain unscathed. The scene with Moody and Kingsley kept playing over and over in his mind as he worked through an uncomfortable conclusion he'd come to. Kingsley knew about Moody the entire time and Mad-Eye had tested him and gained his confidence for the Aurors and Ministry.
"Blimey, did you hear what some of the largest spiders were chanting?" Ron muttered as they crawled into bed hours later. "I can't get it out of my mind."
"What? All I heard was screams and explosions," Harry said with a shrug as he stared at the clear vial in his hand. Madam Pomfrey gave him a Wiggenweld Potion to take to bed if he needed it. He found it amusing but didn't say anything as he took the vial from the healer.
"Fear the Spiders," Ron whispered and suppressed a shudder. "They were chanting to fear the spiders."
"Mate, you want one of my dreamless sleep potions?" Harry asked as he looked into the pale and haunted look on his friend's face. "I know your greatest fear is spiders and after tonight, I can understand why you'd feel that way."
"That was horrible," Ron groaned as he lay back in his bed. "Yeah, if you don't mind, mate. I think a dreamless night might be good. I don't want to imagine whatever my mind might conjure up."
Harry lay awake for hours, replaying every interaction he'd had with Moody in the past. Anger and self-loathing burned away in the pit of his stomach the more he realized the small details. Moody got around the castle without a problem, supposedly right under the nose of trained Aurors. The ex-Auror needed to get inside the castle without being detected but questioned Harry's actions and plan at every turn. Harry knew Mad-Eye had an invisibility cloak or could use the Disillusionment Charm to hide himself. Why would he need Harry to sneak him into the castle?
He made up his mind to confront the ex-Auror the next day and ask for the truth. The next morning, he left the Gryffindor Tower early, headed for the storeroom. Anger and distrust burned in his stomach as he replayed the possible scenarios on how his confrontation with Moody might go.