Halloween

Harry found himself struggling to concentrate in class, too focused on the question of what was happening at the trial.

It got so bad one of the professors held him back to make it clear they understood what he was going through, but he still had to at least try to pay attention in class.

Finally it was time for lunch.

Even back in the Great Hall he was left distracted, picking at the food that made its way onto his plate.

His state had hardly gone unnoticed, but Hermione wasn't one to talk in class.

"Are you okay Harry? I know-" she started, only to be interrupted by a startled cry from down the table.

Everyone turned to see Ronald Weasley, having been scarfing down his food as normal, had become the first victim of the twins 'correctional pranking', having apparently completed their tests and persuaded the elfs since they had spoken with Harry.

Despite his concerns about what the trial could discover he couldn't help but smile at the sight of Ronald suddenly covered in yellow feathers.

Over the next few minutes more students suffered transformations of their own, none quite as severe as Ronalds, seeing as their table manners were at least somewhat better if still leaving something to be desired.

There were students with fur, others with scales, some more with feathers, all of various colours.

Most had their change in a single colour, but Harry couldn't help noticing one of the Slytherins was left covered in multi-coloured feathers, almost like a Hō-ō.

"What the-" Hermione started to ask, taken by surprise just the same as everyone but the twins.

"They got it working," Harry couldn't help himself from saying.

"Who got what working?"

"I... may have mentioned that people were getting sick from Ronalds lack of table manners," he began, getting nods from the students around him (including a few of the less seriously transformed, not to mention last to be affected, students). "I learnt that he was taught the habit from his brothers 'testing' their pranks on him, and convinced them it was their responsibility to sort out."

"So why are we affected," a temporary (hopefully) lizardboy asked.

"They aren't exactly the responsible type," Harry understated, "as the fact that their pranking efforts were responsible in the first place. I convinced them that they could use their pranking skills to do this, creating a potion that would affect those with poor table manners. It doesn't have any effect as long as you at least try to use good manners, or at least shouldn't, and so should serve to teach people better manners unless they appreciate being randomly transformed each meal."

"How can you be sure there aren't any side effects? It's an original potion."

"That's why it took so long to get the potion in circulation," a familiar voice informed them.

"I mean, we started it second week back, so it should have been ready earlier," a similar voice continued.

"Making sure it would only affect target the required vic- I mean students meant we couldn't get it finished before the end of the month."

"But we didn't need nearly as many bezoars in testing as normal at least!"

"Really annoying to swallow sometimes," the first twin cut in with a shudder, getting a nod from the second.

"And then of course the House Elves did their own testing to make sure it was safe."

"And with no harmful effects and targeting those who need better manners, we finally convinced them to help us with our efforts!"

"So as you can no doubt tell, we put in all the effort needed to ensure it was safe."

"Even if we did put it in motion a bit earlier than intended."

"But moving it up half a day from the feast was a small sacrifice to help cheer up our favourite firstie. Siblings not included of course."

"It worked," Harry admitted.

"You encouraged them to prank the school," Hermione exclaimed. "I can't believe you'd do something so... so-"

"What's so bad about pranking someone? I mean, as long as you don't go too far or focus on one person or group too much," Harry countered, faltering slightly as he remembered his prank on the Uchiha.

"That doesn't mean this is right!"

"Did you look forwards to seven years of the same lack of table manners from Ronald?"

Hermione hesitated.

"Have you actually told anyone that's what is going on?"

"Not yet."

"We're still giving the announcement at the feast."

"Just at the start, rather than the end."

"At which point it all becomes their own fault," Hermione finally accepted.

"We even have the House Elves producing the potion now, so it can continue even after we leave."

"How do you plan to convince Dumbledore to tell the new students?"

That was the serious flaw in the self-perpetuating prank, as far as Harry could see.

"He should be right on board."

"How else would you describe his 'a few words before the welcoming feast'?"

It was clear Hermione was still struggling with the concept of a teacher being on board with pranks.

"It looks like giving an explanation after the incident was a bad idea," Harry pointed out, seeing that many of the victims, who hadn't received an explanation of what was going on, were leaving the table, clearly fleeing to a place of relative safety, notably among them Ronald himself.

Soon enough it was the end of lunch and time for lessons to start again.

The victims of the prank ended up coming in late to the first afternoon lesson, having waited until their transformation wore off.

It was the first time Harry saw late students not receive any censure for not arriving on time.

When Ronald finally joined their charms lesson, the last student to join the class, he was in a much worse mood than the other victims of the prank, even discounting those who merely laughed it off.

Everyone else in the class had already been paired up, in their first practical class in the subject, to keep an eye on their partners spellcasting, with the exception of Hermione who, having demonstrated her skill with the spell, was always the one to split off on her own when the class had an odd number of students.

Harry had just about managed to get the feather he'd been provided a couple of inches above the desk before Ronald and Hermione started arguing over the exact pronunciation of the incantation they were using, before Hermione demonstrated that her pronunciation was correct by levitating the feather to the ceiling while Ronalds attempts with his pronunciation had seen the feather remain firmly on the desk.

It was at this moment he said something that made Hermione burst into tears and flee the classroom.

Harry nearly left his seat, to chase after her, but was distracted when another student managed to explode their feather.

This incident led to Flitwick forbidding them to leave until they could demonstrate adequate skill with the spell, a level that Harry hadn't yet reached.

By the time he was cleared to leave Hermione was nowhere to be found.

[|]

Hermione couldn't believe what Ronald had said to her.

She knew she could act as a know-it-all, she had always been good with schoolwork and had seen that as a way to make herself friends.

It... hadn't worked out that way.

She had quickly discovered that while the other children would welcome her assistance with schoolwork they were simply using her rather than treating her truly as one of them.

By that point habits had formed, however, leaving her studying everything she could to increase her knowledge.

As she did, she came to the realisation that the world was nowhere near as safe as she'd believed, leading her to look for reassurance in more learning.

Each peril had an answer, and she learned to seek reassurance in knowledge, and use that knowledge when she felt nervous or afraid.

Between that and her lack of experience with friendship it was inevitable for first impressions of her to often involve the term 'know-it-all'.

Ronald continuing to say that she didn't have real friends, merely people using her for her knowledge, had struck hard, leaving her in tears as she fled the room.

She needed some place to be alone, somewhere she could be sure Ronald couldn't follow, so her steps took her to the girls bathroom.

It was only once she'd got there she remembered she was on the second floor and the bathroom on the second floor was considered out of order due to haunting.

After considering this for a moment Hermione decided it was a good thing.

With the ghost, this 'Moaning Myrtle', around, she was unlikely to be disturbed.

[|]

When he was finally let out Harry had decided to wait for Ronald.

"What did you say to Hermione?"

Ronald flinched from the tone of his voice. "That she's a know-it-all without any real friends," he told him. "That the best she can hope for is someone using her for her knowledge."

That hit home for Harry.

He had used Hermione as a shortcut for things he needed to know after all.

"Why would you say something like that?"

"After the way she told me how to cast the spell-"

"That you weren't able to cast correctly."

"-when my brothers messed with my food again-"

"Which in this case was only because of your poor table manners."

"-on the day my pet went missing!"

"I can understand you getting frustrated when things pile up upon you," Harry admitted, "but that is no excuse for attacking Hermione like that!"

"So I should just have listened to what she was telling me?"

"That is considered appropriate when something speaks to you in civilised society. I'm going to find her. Hopefully when I get back you'll be able to behave in a civil manner."

He turned and walked away, deliberately skipping the next lesson.

Whatever it was wasn't as important as making sure his friend was alright.

[|]

He started by looking through the areas of the castle he knew the both of them could access, the most likely of which had been the library and their common room.

After confirming she wasn't in either he realised he needed another approach.

Given that she doubtless wanted to avoid Ronald he realised she had to be somewhere he wouldn't be allowed.

It crossed his mind to use his Ninja Centrefold Jutsu to gain access, but the transformation didn't exactly come with clothes which would be somewhat suspicious beyond him trying to search without transforming.

And the standard Henge wasn't suitable for disguising gender, as academy instructors had been sure to point out.

Instead he found he needed to approach other Gryffindor girls to look for Hermione, which soon excluded the dormitory from the search.

It was only when the others students were heading to the feast that he heard where exactly Hermione was still hiding, the disused second floor girls bathroom.

Which was why, instead of attending the feast, he was outside the bathroom door calling her name.

"Go away," she finally responded, her tears audible in her voice.

"Hermione, it's okay," he tried telling her. "I know what Ronald said to you. There's nothing wrong with knowing more than other people. One of the most respected people in the village I grew up in is even known as the Professor."

"You just want to use me for what I know, like everyone else," she accused him.

Harry winced. "That's not true. Hermione, you know how much time I spend on research, finding things out myself. If I was just using you I'd just ask you wouldn't I? We both know you like proving you know things other people don't, but is it a bad thing to help other people who don't know?"

"They just cll me a know-it-all-"

"Then don't listen to them! You're the one helping them, don't let them insult you."

He continued arguing his way through to her until the feast was done.

It might have been a struggle to get through to her, but there was no way he was leaving her alone.

[|]

"What are you doing here, mister Namikaze," McGonagalls voice cut through the air.

"Hermione was insulted by Ronald and fled to hide in there," he told her. "I've been trying to encourage her to come out, that she does have friends, but..."

McGonagall sighed. "To think that one of my lions would drive another to this point," she muttered to herself. "Mister Namikaze, in case it wasn't clear enough all students are expected to attend the major feasts, but I shall make an exception given the circumstances. In any case there are two things I needed to find and tell you. The first is an announcement the Weasley twins made-"

"About all meals from now on being dosed with a potions to 'encourage' good table manners, they told us earlier," he interrupted.

She nodded. "Indeed, but kindly avoid interrupting your teachers in future. Second, professor Dumbledore returned from the trial of Sirius Black, and wanted you reassured that he was found not guilty on all charges. Apparently it was another of their group, the long thought deceased Peter Pettigrew, that actually betrayed the Potters."

"So he's free?"

"Sirius Black is currently in Saint Mungos for treatment from his time in Azkaban, in a secure ward in case anyone wants to target him either under the belief that he's guilty despite the findings of the Wizzengamot or intending to claim that they had such a belief. It is the hope of all of us who knew Sirius personally that he will be released before the end of our year here."

"It wasn't Sirius? Do we know why Pettigrew betrayed them?"

"Pettigrew is still missing, we don't have his side of the story. In any case, I must insist that both you and miss Granger return to Gryffindor tower before curfew. I may be understanding about you missing the feast, but curfew is another matter."

With her piece said the professor turned and walked away, leaving Harry to fall back against the wall.

Sirius Black hadn't betrayed his birth parents.

It was his fathers other friend, discounting professor Lupin at least, Peter Pettigrew who had betrayed them.

He still didn't know what had driven the betrayal, but, he realised, it wasn't his godfather that had betrayed him.

"Why did she tell you about Sirius Black?"

He had mostly forgotten about Hermione being close enough to hear.

He hesitated a moment.

"You wondered why I came here if I grew up in another country," he began, deciding to trust her. "I was adopted, after my birth parents were killed."

"What does that have to do with-" she stopped speaking, clearly realising where he was going.

"Before I was adopted my name was Harry Potter," he told her.

"B-but the books said nothing about," she started.

"You can't trust everything you read," he interrupted. "As I understand it, things were arranged so that if anything happened to my birth parents my adoptive father would take me in. I... have no idea how my first godfather, Sirius Black, fit into this."

"Do you know why the trial finally happened?"

"I heard about Sirius Black being my godfather and how he betrayed my parents. I just wanted to know why. What would drive him to do that. I sent the minister a letter, asking if he knew or could find out. He responded to assure me he would look into it and pass what he found onto Dumbledore to tell me. And today the trial was announced in the paper."

"Why are still going by 'Namikaze'? I mean with your fame as Harry Potter-"

"I just want to experience what it's like to be a normal child," he told her. "I've had enough special treatment growing up. So please, don't tell anyone."

There was a noise, and the next thing he knew Hermione was sitting next to him, with an arm around his shoulder.

"Thank you for trusting me," she told him.

"Why wouldn't I, we're friends aren't we?"

[|]

The headmaster sat in his office, contemplating his plans for the Sirius Black situation.

Step one was complete.

Now he just needed young Harry to talk to him, so he could see the entire situation dealt with.

And ideally that conversation would be before the break.

He couldn't help smiling as he popped a sweet from the bowl on his desk into his mouth.

Yes, everything was going according to plan.


AN: Sorry about the break, but the Christmas period is always disruptive, even without a pandemic messing things up. As for the chapter, I have finally finished Halloween!

For those unfamiliar with the term a 'Hō-ō' is also known as an Eastern phoenix, and beyond being the inspiration for the pokemon 'Ho-Oh' is depicted as a bird with vibrant, many coloured feathers that seems more appropriate for an Eastern raised character to use for comparisons than a peacock.

Further, we see how the Hermione situation could have played out without the troll (as Quirrel is not yet possessed as should have become clear by this point).

And finally we see Harry share one of his major secrets with a student, who should know to keep it secret. What a final chapter for the year, right?