AN: Thank you so much for the response! 10 Reviews, 21 favorites and 54 followers after one chapter is definitly a first for me:) Again, thank you so much.
Chapter two
The next day Harry had his first ancient runes class, while Ron had another go at the lovely room of incense and mystique up in the north tower. As Harry submitted the papers on which language options he would take, along with everybody else who had been there on the first lesson, the teacher nodded to Harry. He took a place besides Hermione as the lesson begun.
The teacher was amazing. While the lesson weren't very practical they got a set of runes to remember before the teacher put up different rune clusters on the board they were supposed to try and decipher the message based on the two chapters they had read and the runes they had been given, it took a while but Harry found out that after he had already deciphered a rune it was much easier to remember it the next time he needed to translate the same rune. The big break came when he realised that the teacher had mixed Gaelic and Norse runes. In the end he did break the message "Never trust me when I tell you to only use one runic alphabet", but not before Hermione who sat impatiently while the others finished. Harry wondered as they walked out of class if the real lesson was the translation, the message or both?
When the week came to an end Harry gave up in deciding which of the courses he would chose of the two electives he had to chose between. Harry figured he had done decently well on the arithmancy test and math was something he liked if not loved. Trying to figure out the puzzles and runes that ancient runes consisted of was fun, while in a different way from flying or Professor Lupin's classes were. McGonagall had seemed pleased with his decision and had given him a high mark on his essay on animagi, with a note at the bottom praising his hard work and encouraging him to continue in this manner.
The term continued as usually, with Snape being nasty, not only to Harry and all Gryffindors, but also Professor Lupin. Peeves still soared around and the first years quickly learned to avoid him as much as possible. The real difference for Harry from previous years was the fact that for the first time he felt like he didn't struggle with academics and people in the school. He just was another student, neither a hero nor villain, since everyone was so focused on Sirius Black.
The language courses were interesting and for the first time since flying Harry did something without his two best friends. Hermione took Latin and Italian claiming she knew enough French since her visit there during the summer. While challenging, the lessons were fun and since everything was done as much in the languages as possible Harry's vocabulary expanded decently. Grammar and spelling came back easily since that had been the main focus along with phrases back in elementary school.
Harry shared both language lessons with Susan Bones who he was seated next to in both arithmancy and ancient runes. Terry Boot was also seated close to Harry in both courses and they shared French. A number of students from different houses were in the language lessons and they mixed years so Harry met a lot of new people, like in Spanish a little Ravenclaw called Luna who was hilarious and Penny the prefect (who was also Percy's girlfriend, but Harry didn't hold that against her) who tried to protect Luna from some of Luna's year mates.
"No Luna, the turn is like this. Make sure to place in on you homework and anyone not yourself or a teacher will get rashes." Harry smiled at the protective tone in Penny's voice and leaned forward.
"You could also try and learn the confusion hex." Harry had learned that during the summer from Florian Fortescue, when he had told him about his troubles the past years.
"Like the Blundering betwaxs?" Harry nodded with a smile. He might not believe in all of Luna's creatures, but who was he to judge anyone. For all he knew they might exist.
Another person Harry met from the language groups were Cedric Diggory. Cedric was oblivious to the stares and sighs from some of the girls, were in the French lessons group. Harry and Cedric sometimes bantered in French about quidditch and probably made many syntactical errors. The Diggory fangirls, Penny's name for them as she also took French, really freaked Harry out. He made sure to recognise the behaviour so that he could avoid it in the future.
"Why do they do that?" Penny shrugged.
"I don't really know. None of them seems to know him. Perhaps because he's good looking or because he's a quidditch captain? He's really smart as well, but somehow I don't think that's the reason." Harry snorted at that.
Meanwhile Ron found a new chess partner in Seamus while Dean, who took ancient runes with them, sat with Hermione and Harry and did ancient runes homework. Hermione spent most of her time in classes or the library with some breaks to sit in the common room and study there instead. Harry was confused by the number of assignments she had, as they were supposed to take the same classes and she had more assignments than he did. Some of them were extra credit in Transfiguration and Charms, but that didn't explain the difference completely.
Harry's marks had gone up quite a bit this year, potions of course still being an exception. While Harry couldn't really care less about the stars and moons and which was made of ice, History he did make an effort in since, while Binns were deadly dull, the book was decently interesting and it might be a good idea to understand more of the wizarding world. Hagrid's lessons had become something of a joke but Harry did his best to be supportive of his friend turned Professor. He didn't even want to know what Hagrid based the grades on since the main thing they did was to take care of flobberworms. His potions grade however still remained awful, despite his extra work. However bad his grade might be, Harry had found out that his OWLs were examined by outsiders so he could earn a better grade there at least. Besides he wasn't about to let Snape win. Whenever Snape was being particularly nasty Harry imagined himself watching Snape seeing Harry's OWL result, which hopefully would be really good. Snape would have an apoplexy if Harry did well on his potion OWL.
The term progressed in this hurried and firm pace until Wood realised that the quidditch season were about to begin and woke up the team before dawn and dragged them down to the pitch.
"Honestly, are we sure that Wood hasn't been hit by a bludger too many times. He's getting bonkers, I want to win as well, but we need to sleep. How can he deprive us like this?!" The rest of the team snorted at Fred's theatrics' as pretended to faint. While they still only practised three times a week, as more than half the team had OWLS this year and had threatened with mutiny, Wood suddenly popped out of nowhere during the day to discuss tactics. However Harry stumbled upon a solution to that. Take one quidditch fanatic with another and they could talk for hours! And thus Wood started talking to Ron during most of the evenings. Ron also got some lessons in being a keeper from Wood so hopefully another problem would be solved by that solution. Of course that still didn't stop Oliver from making the others go bonkers with his desperate pleas for them to train every day since this was his last chance to win the cup. Finally the rest of the team had enough on a rainy training. Curfew was dangerously close and Wood didn't seem to be letting up.
"Oliver some of us are prefects! I'd prefer if I didn't lose my badge because of your obsession!" Alicia hissed at Wood. He looked apoplectic.
"This is our last chance and your badge is not as important as the cup and you only want to go back because your cold, we must not give in to weakn…" Luckily for Wood the twins had covered his mouth with their hands and smiled angelically at Angelica, Alicia and Katie who stood together and glared at Wood while Harry tried desperately not to laugh as the twins dragged a wildly protesting Wood away. As soon as the door to the changing room closed the rest fled. The next day Halloween was upon them.
Harry hadn't been allowed to go to Hogsmede and aside from a chat with Professor Lupin Harry had spent his day in the library. If he couldn't go to Hogsmede he could get some things out of the way at least. He had asked the twins, Hermione and Ron to buy some candy for him and given them the money. The twins had nodded business like, but Ron and Hermione had had to make a big deal about it.
"I'm so sorry Harry, but perhaps they'll capture black and we can get McGonagall to let you go next time." Hermione glared at Ron.
"Don't give him false hope, Ron! But we'll tell you everything Harry, it'll be just as if you were there!" Harry doubted that but managed a smile and shooed the out of the doors. Besides, Harry tried to convince him self as the self pity crept up, studies could make him stop think about why Snape had brewed a potion for a man he seemed to hate and said man hadn't been afraid to drink it. As he was studying Harry heard a small shuffling noise behind him and looked up. Little Luna Lovegood was standing beside him. Harry smiled at her and she smiled timidly back.
"Is it still alright if I study with you?" Harry's smile widened and he pulled out the chair next to him.
"Of course! You've got all your homework?" Luna nodded and started dividing her homework. Harry glanced over her herbology essay and handed her a book he had used for his own herbology essay.
"Chapter two mentions mandrakes here. I wished I had thought to ask Neville about it last year. He's the best in herbology in my year." Luna nodded and started writing on her essay.
Harry had noticed that the other girls in her year were particularly nasty to Luna. Remembering his own time in primary school Harry had given Luna permission to study with him anytime she wanted to. The-boy-who-lived thing sometimes did have it uses if Luna got to do her homework in peace. Between Harry and Penny she had mastered several good locking spells as well so that at least her books and homework could be left alone. Other things belonging to Luna still disappeared, but the little girl never complained.
In the end Harry got his candy (with a "here Harry, you'll never believe how much fun we've had!) and tried not to feel jealous of their visit to Hogsmede. That and their descriptions and stories from Hogsmede preoccupied him until he realised that they were at the fat lady's portrait and that it was slashed. Harry and the rest of Gryffindor tried not to grumble when they had to return to the great hall. Transfiguring his Gryffindor scarf into a pillow he tried to look like he was sleeping and of course not eavesdropping on Dumbledore and Percy trying to be important and Harry's favourite teacher, Snape. Harry was amused that Dumbledore disappointed Snape's hope to frame someone.
The conversation was illuminating as well as confusing. Harry really didn't understand why Black was after him so badly, but he guessed anyone got insane after spending so much time in Azkaban with the dementors. Still Harry refused to sit and bite his nails waiting for someone to kill or save him. He was doing well at his studies and he would continue with that. It wasn't like it was the first time someone tried to kill him Harry thought cynically while he stared up at the stormy sky. He didn't try to be blasé he just couldn't stop living just because he had people who wanted him dead. After all he now had met Voldemort or Riddle as Harry thought he should call him. After all Riddle hated that name all the more reason to use it. Wasn't the fact that powerful wizards wanted him dead more reason to try and live as normally as possible before the next time one of them made an attempt?
Thoughts of mass murderers and psychopaths couldn't trouble Harry to long anyway, with Wood going on about quidditch and lessons continuing. Before the first game there was of course the problem of Malfoy. He was apparently too injured to play, which was such a blatant lie that most of Gryffindor spent the evening predicting Malfoy's death in various ways. While Harry didn't like Malfoy milking his injury Harry couldn't care less who he met in the next match. The way the weather were looking it would not be a fun match. Of course Wood became even more fanatical as they found out that they would meet Hufflepuff and the twins had joked about it. Harry thought it would be fun to play against Cedric and they had started to tease each other in French during their evening lessons. The Hufflepuffs' were also angry that the Slytherins had upset the schedule. Everybody seemed to agree that the weather would not be fun as a couple of days before the match Harry sat in his usual seat in arithmancy next to Susan bones, who was talking to Terry Boot.
"No Terry I'm not really looking forward to the game. I'll go of course all Puffs are, but I pity the players. The weather's not ideal." Harry smirked.
"I'm not looking forward to it much either. You two don't know some spell to make me able to see despite the rain and water on my glasses? Or should I fear sabotage?" He smiled at Susan to show that he was just joking. She laughed with Terry.
"Well what have you tried?" Susan replied with a smile.
"Mainly books on quidditch, household spells and a book on magical glasses and lenses. Really need to get a pair of those the next time I'm in Diagon alley." Susan nodded while Terry looked contemplative.
"You should get the lenses; surprised whoever took you to Diagon alley for introduction didn't get you a pair. But on the spell perhaps you should go a different way, make the water go away from the glasses like a vanishing or repelling charm." Harry nodded while Susan grinned.
"I think impervious would do. It repels everything from a surface. We win by fair play after all not by having a blind opposing team seeker." Harry grinned and thanked her. Then he turned to Terry.
"Hagrid introduced me to the magical world. As my relatives don't like magic I always discover something new." Terry grimaced and nodded. While Hagrid was very nice, he wasn't the best person to introduce someone to the magical world.
"I know that one of my dorm mates got introductory books recommended, I can find out which if you want?" Harry nodded and smiled at Terry as the teacher came in and started the lesson.
Harry was very glad for the advice Susan and Terry had given him that lesson since the weather at the game was worse than most had thought it would be. He could hardly see anything with the repelling charm and didn't know what he would have done if the charm wasn't there. While his glasses helped, nothing had prepared him for dementors entering the arena. A horrible feeling came over him as the temperature dropped to sub zero degrees. Harry heard the screaming he had heard on the train again. As he slowly slipped in the middle of the sky a stray though came to Harry's mind, I wonder if I could impervious the dementors.