Chapter 5:

Required Learning.

In my last life I would have described myself as a lazy genius. If you were to ask my teachers, they would have said I was half right. That sentiment applied itself well to my primary school years in this life. That wasn't to say I didn't apply myself or that I didn't turn in work on time. It's just, the most advanced thing we covered was long division, something I had been able to do for years. I was surrounded by children for eight hours a day, which could be trying at the best of times. This led me to put forth a token effort in school. Spending more time reading for fun than actually working.

I had gotten used to putting next to no work in and still getting good grades. This was not an option at Hogwarts, as this was entirely new material and I was in Ravenclaw. Good grades were not so much expected, as required. That was without even getting into how obsessed Hermione got about studying. Thankfully we were learning magic, and magic was amazing.

The pureblood students were somewhat jaded with it. But even they still had moments of wonder when wielding magic. Magic was fascinating, say some words and wave your wand and things happened, reality twisted to suit your whims. With magic you could violate the laws of physics, you could impose your will upon the universe and the universe would yield. It was a heady feeling. I could almost understand why purebloods felt superior to muggles.

Still even the most interesting of subjects could be difficult. That was why the Ravenclaw first years met at least once a week in the library to go over class work.

"I still don't get why you don't just use a quill like everyone else, Alex." Anthony Goldstein said. It was not the first time he said it, nor I feared was it the last.

"I use my fountain pen because my hand writing is better with it than with a quill." I answered. How many times must I say that?

"But you'll never get any better with a quill if you don't use it." He pointed out reasonably.

"As I said before I do use quills for notes and such, but for out of class work it's just easier to use my pen." I retorted. Looking around the table for support. Hermione and Padma were too busy working on the potions essay due Monday to pay us any mind, thou Hermione did give me a quick smile when she looked up from her book. Terry Boot and Lisa Stroud were having far too much fun listening to us argue to be any help, and Anthony was giving me a superior look. I just rolled my eyes, before replying, "Shouldn't you be focusing on your transfiguration's essay. If you make another A, Johnson will have your head."

"Perfect Johnson can stuff it," Anthony said, but he did start working on his essay. I laughed a little. Anthony liked to talk big but he always caved before putting words to action. Johnson would have been all over him if he made another acceptable in McGonagall's class and Anthony knew it.

"You should get back to work to, if you want to keep your lead in charms." Padma said, finally looking up from her essay, Hermione, of course, was still buried in her book. "If you keep goofing off Hermione may finally pull ahead." I narrowed my eyes at her. It was true Hermione had top marks in every class. Every class, that is, except charms. It was my favorite class and the one I put the most effort in. It galled Hermione to no end that I kept getting better grades in it. I glanced at Hermione, still lost in her book. I smiled.

"Irregardless of the fact…" I tried to say.

"Irregardless is not a word." Hermione said, practically glaring at me, my smile grew.

"Irr…" I said.

"Not. A. Word." Hermione growled. The others were looking at us. This was not the first time Hermione and I had had this argument, but this was the first time we had it in front of them. I opened my mouth, "NOT. A. WORD." I closed my mouth, but my smile stayed.

"How about a little wager, Her-mi-o-ne," I sang

"Wager?" Hermione asked looking wary.

"If you manage to finish the year with higher marks than me in charms, than I will stop saying Irregardless." I said, enjoying her slight flinch at the word. Hermione narrowed her eyes before nodding.

"Agreed." Hermione said. The other Ravenclaws looked amused.

888

Buzz, Buzz, Buzz.

I shot up, my heart pounding. I glanced around for a moment before remembering what the buzzing was. I hate alarm spells. It was close to one in the morning and I did not want to be up. Regrettably it was necessary.

Hermione and I spent most, if not all, of our free time together. Don't get me wrong I liked hanging out with her but it made getting away to do certain activities, like finally making time to go to the Room of Requirement, difficult.

I finished getting dressed and retrieved my broom. Hefting my bag filled with the supplies I would need. I cast the disillusionment and silencing charms, I mounted by broom and headed out the door. Floating near the ceiling I made my way to the common room, a lone seventh year sat studying. I paused a moment and, judging him sufficiently engaged in his work, made my way out the room.

Aside from being around Hermione all the time and acclimating to Hogwarts work load, it had taken me this long to get used to navigating Hogwarts corridors. It wasn't finding my way to the room or making it back that worried me. It was doing so without having to ask the portraits and risk them reporting my after hour's whereabouts that had kept me from trying to make it to the seventh floor before now.

Getting to the seventh floor wasn't that difficult, but given Ravenclaws towers location, I had to take a somewhat winding approach to get there. There was a point in my journey that I felt as if I were going down, even though I was heading up the stairs. Hogwarts and normal geometry had an interesting relationship. One in which they completely ignored the other party.

"Do you sell something Miss Norris? Huh, do you girl?" Filch said as he and Ms. Norris, Flich's cat, rounded the corner. Flinch was an old man, early fifty's muggle fifty's at that, he walked with a hunch and dressed in drab brown robes. "Oh, well catch them and string them up. Won't we Ms. Norris? Yes we'll catch those rotten children out of bed and put them…" Breath, focus, sense. I reached out, ignoring the familiar feel of Hogwarts, curious to see what a squib would feel like. There, a sense of the wild only slightly tempered by generations of domestication and connected to her was Filch. His magic was slightly stunted, tilted leftward but there.

I pulled back. Interesting. So squibs do have magic, and not just a sensitivity to magic, enough it seems to form bonds with animals. A Familiar bond maybe? I felt a slight pang, in my last life I had had a few pets and loved them dearly. I had been wanting to get a pet since I was old enough to talk in this life. Unfortunately Vernon was adamant on his no pet's policy. I had been looking forward to getting Hedwig from Hagrid but, for whatever reason, he never got her.

I sighed aloud, thankful I had remembered to place the silencing charm on my hood, and looked around to see of any one else was around. Hearing and seeing no one, I continued on. I managed to remain unseen for the rest of my trip. Though I did fly over what looked like Perfect Hemmingway and a Hufflepuff Perfect, whose name I didn't know, engaging in a serious snogging fest. Honestly, I rolled my eyes, take that to the broom closet girls.

It was only 1:20 by the time I made it to Barnabas the Barmy's painting. I made good time. I stood there for a bit trying to remember how to get the room to appear. It took me so long to remember that I was actually getting ready to call the whole night a waste and head back to bed when I finally remembered. Right, walk back and forth three times thinking about what you want it to be.

I want the room with Ravenclaws Diadem. I focused on that thought as I walked in front of the painting until a door appeared.

I opened the door and stepped through into the biggest junk pile known to wizard kind. There were all sorts of things, bowls, socks, what I could have sworn was a Lakers jersey and books, lots of books to name a few. I paused and looked back at the socks, nice thick woolly socks. I grabbed them and slipped them into my pocket. At least my Christmas present for Dumbledore was taken care of.

"Point me Ravenclaw's Diadem." I said. My wand moved around a few times before pointing choosing a direction. I carefully picked my way through the piles of stuff. Over a trunk and under a leaning dresser and through a set of animated manikins, handsey animated manikins. "Ow! Stupid manikins." I grumbled, after managing to get through a group of them. While rubbing my sore butt.

Looking back one of the dam things winked at me. I growled and started to bring my wand around to point at them, when I noticed that my wand was pointing just to my side and I saw the diadem was sitting next to me.

"Success!" I said triumphantly. I reached out to touch it, stopping just before I did so. How much of what I remembered about the diadem was accurate? I thought I knew it was one of Voldemort's horcruxes, but what did that entail here? I knew the diary could take you over if you wrote in it. Diary's, even enchanted ones, don't usually take over your mind. Ravenclaw's Diadem, on the other hand was rumored to increase the intelligence of whoever wore it. To do that it would have to interface with the mind itself.

I reached into my bag and got a pair of tongs and carefully grabbed the diadem. Breath, focus, sense. I was immediately overwhelmed by the feeling of Hogwarts magic. It actually bowled me over, so intense was the feeling. I retained enough presences of mind to retract my senses, but I was still out of it for a while.

When I was able to move again I found myself laying on the floor the diadem scant centimeters from my face. That was far too close. I grabbed the tongs and picked up the diadem again. Obviously I wouldn't be able to ensure this was a horcrux in here given how concentrated Hogwarts magic was here.

I started making my way back to the entrance. After exiting the room the door faded. I nodded and moved down the hallway. Once I judged myself far enough away, I got started. Breath, focus, sense.

I gaged, dropping the tongs and the diadem with it, before puking up my dinner. Corpses, the diadem smelled of corpses. I took a minute to get myself together before standing and looking at the puddle. Ugh, I mentally moved the vanishing charm up my list of spells I needed to know. Hopefully the house-elves would take care of it before anyone saw it.

I reached into my bag and retrieved a metal box just large enough to fit the diadem in it. It wasn't warded or spelled in any way, but it should suffice as a holding place for the diadem. After stowing the box and its contents, I walked back to Barnabas' painting. Not much I could do with it tonight but if it had a book on occlumency I could certainly use it. I had been unable to find one myself and I was starting to get really worried about someone reading my mind.

I did not want anyone reading my mind. The best possible scenario involving my mind being invaded was Dumbledore taking a look for whatever reason and deciding to confront me about my past life. That was unacceptable, if the talk went bad…

I don't even want to think about how that would go. The thought of me walking into Dumbledore's office as me and then walking out not me was terrifying. I shuddered at the thought. That thought had featured in my nightmares before coming to Hogwarts, now I had it nearly once a week.

Anyway, books on occlumency I focused on that thought as I walked back and forth. Once the door appeared I walked through and came to an abrupt halt. Inside was a library, a huge library. I had been in college in my last life, a university not a community college, so I had been in big libraries and the regular Hogwarts library was big, but this was huge. I could see from where I stood at least ten stories worth of books.

In front of me there was a shelf and on its side a sign read O. "Useful, very useful," I muttered. One of the books was pulled out slightly. I walked over and grabbed it Occlumency: Defending the Mind. Perfect.

It was not perfect. When I tried to leave with the book it disappeared. When I walked back in the book was right back where I found it. So the books can't leave, that's annoying, instead of perusing it at my leisure I would need to sneak away if I wanted to learn how to protect my mind. Unless…

Unless I brought Hermione here with me, she would have been the main one I'd have to avoid anyway. We were close to each other but not so much with the other students. It wasn't like it wouldn't be very useful for the both of us to learn occlumency. With that in mind I started back.

888

The worst part of late night escapades, is having to waking up early anyway.

"If you don't get up soon, you'll miss breakfast," Hermione said, sounding far too well put together for a Sunday morning. I grumbled at her and rolled over, pulling my blankets over my head. "You're already awake, why don't you just get up?" More grumbling on my part. "If you miss breakfast you will be hungry until lunch." I threw my covers off me and sat up.

"Fine, fine, I'm up." I said before getting ready. "There, happy?"

"Yes." Hermione said primly, as we left for breakfast. I spent most of the way down to the great hall mumbling about pushy people. Hermione spent the whole way down ignoring my complaints.

As we sat down to eat I swear I felt someone watching me. I looked around but couldn't see anyone looking at me. Quirrell wasn't even in the room and Snape was talking to McGonagall. With my first two suspects ruled out I looked over to the Slytherin table, still nothing. I shrugged, it was probably just one of the other students.

I looked up as the owls flew in with the morning mail. One of the owls dropped a letter on my plate. I rolled my eyes, Hogwarts owls had horrid aim. I opened the parcel. A letter from Dudley.

Apparently Dudley had dropped the ball on his grades and Aunt Petunia was most upset with him and making him do my chores as punishment. I laughed at his threat.

This is all your fault Alex. If you hadn't made me get good grades in the first place then I wouldn't have gotten in trouble. I know where you hide your candy and I'm going to eat all of it.

"What's so funny?" Hermione asked, looking up from her book. Honestly Hermione, eat than read. Most of Ravenclaw brought a book to the table but they usually waited until they had finished eating to read.

"Just a letter from Dudley. He says that it's my fault that he's in trouble for getting bad grades and that he's going to eat all my hidden candy." I said still amused.

"Why would it be your fault his grades are bad? If he can't keep them up himself it's his fault not yours and you shouldn't let him walk all over you." She said, sounding very offended. I looked at her concerned. "What? You know I'm right."

"Hermione, Dudley's not walking all over me. Trust me I made sure he knew he wouldn't get away with being rude to me. He's just annoyed that he's in trouble with Aunt Petunia and griping about it." I assured her. I reaffirmed my desire to pay Grace a visit this summer. She had really done a number on Hermione. "Besides he kind of right." Hermione narrowed her eyes at me.

"And just how is he right?" She asked.

"Dudley's grades were never that good. Honestly the only reason he was passing in the first place is because we attended public school. You have to actively try to fail public school." I said exaggerating slightly, Hermione laughed a little. "But, anyway, his grades were not good. So I started to help him and he stared to get good grades. Without me helping him though…" I said leadingly.

"His grades are not what his parents have come to expect." Hermione finished.

"Still if he thinks I actually left anything for him to take." I said shaking my head. "The poor boys lost his mind." Hermione raised her brow in silent question. "I took most of my candy with me. I knew it would be a temptation for him, so I put it all in my trunk."

"Too much candy is bad for your teeth." Hermione said.

"Is that your way of asking for some?" I teased.

"Maybe one or two." She said looking guilty even as she said it. Dentists, ruining candy for children. Does their depravity know no limits?

"You know there are spells to fix your teeth even if you manage to eat enough candy to overcome your magic?" I asked. It was the same thing every time sweets were brought up. Hermione would start pontificating their faults all the while looking as if she would like nothing more than to try some for herself. At her stubborn look I just sighed and changed the subject. "Didn't you get a letter from your parents last week? Have you written them back yet?"

"No, not yet, there's been too much work to do for me to get back to them." Hermione said, already going back to her book.

"You should write them back now, while you have the chance." I said.

"I will, later." Hermione said, absently. It wasn't like I was surprised that she was putting it off. We did have a lot of class work, but this was family and to see her just blow them off rubbed me the wrong way. I knew that she wasn't doing it on purpose and that she had the best intentions. It's just that I remembered my new parent's death and my old life's family had to think me dead by now. I tried not to dwell on it, but my old family was forever out of my reach and sometimes that fact just hit me.

"Hermione, Hermione look at me please." She looked at me questioningly, a little annoyance in her face. "Family's important, please don't put it off." I asked her, she opened her mouth to respond but something in my voice stopped her.

"Ok, I'll write it now and we can go the owlery after we're done eating." She said pulling out her quill and parchment from her ever present book bag. I smiled and nodded.

"Thank you, and after we do that there's something I want to show you." I said softly, mindful of our surroundings.

"What…" Hermione said.

"Later, trust me." I said. She looked conflicted a moment before nodding.

888

"Why are we on the seventh floor?" Hermione asked. It took some convincing to get Hermione to come with me after I refused to tell her where we were going after visiting the owlery, but I managed it.

"You'll see, just give me a minute." I said as we approached the dancing trolls. I took a moment to sense for tagalongs but sensing nothing I started walking in front of the painting, once, twice, and third times the charm. The door appeared and I smiled at Hermione's soft gasp. I grabbed the handle, "You're going to love this," and opened the door waving Hermione in.

"This is amazing." Hermione said as she looked around. I smiled taking another look around the place. I couldn't properly appreciate it last night but the library the room made was beautiful as well as big. Decorated in a tasteful combination of green drapery and wood paneling the library felt calming. Up front was the O section but just beyond that, to the left, was a stair way going up ten floors. "How did you find this place?" Hermione turned to face me. I knew I forgot something. Shit.

"Ah, I was exploring and it popped up?" I tried. Hermione gave me a look. Ok, how do explain this. I can't tell her about my last life, can I? ...No bad idea.

"Well?" Hermione said.

"I remember my parents talking about." Hermione looked like she was about to interrupt so I hurried on. "Hermione, I remember that night," Hermione looked confused, "that night," understanding dawned and a concerned look entered her eyes. I hurried on. "My mom did some kind of ritual just before Voldemort came for me. I don't know what she did, but my memory of my early childhood is much better than it should be." True, but not quite all the truth. Hopefully it would be enough.

"That still doesn't explain how you found this place." Hermione said unconvinced, but willing to hear me out.

"So I remembered my dad saying something about the Room of Requirement being on the seventh floor…" I said.

"Room of Requirement?" Hermione asked, interrupting me.

"Yes, that what it's called." I said.

"Why?" Hermione asked. I looked at her confused. Why what? She sighed. "Why is it called the Room of Requirement?" Oh, that makes sense. I nodded.

"It's called that because it can be anything you require." I answered.

"Anything?" She asked. I nodded. "And you asked for a library to find out what your mom did?"

"Not quite, though that a good idea. A really good idea" It was, why hadn't I thought if it? "I read somewhere about Occlumency, it supposed to improve your memory and help you protect your mind from invaders. I want to learn it but I couldn't find any books about it."

"You said you memory is already better, why do you need to improve it more?" Hermione asked.

"The ritual my mom did, I remember her doing the ritual, but not the ritual itself and occlumency is supposed to protect your mind from foreign influence." I said.

"Foreign influence, like mind reading?" Hermione asked looking concerned. I nodded. Legilimency, as I later found out, was somewhat safe if you used a wand, if you didn't things could, and most likely would, go very bad.

"That and mind control." I said seriously. Hermione look very concerned now.

"And the room has information on occlumency?" Hermione asked. I pointed to the bookshelf behind her. She turned around and seeing the book slightly pulled out, grabbed it. "Occlumency: Defending the Mind," She started looking through it. "It doesn't look that hard to learn." She looked at me a moment before turning back to the book. "Alex?"

"Yes." I said, looking at her.

"A lot of the books I read about that night they said your mom was in the room with you?" It wasn't a question, but she phrased it as one.

"Yes." I answered, swallowing nervously. I could picture that night near perfectly. The long scream that seemed to drag on. The steady thumping as Voldemort ascended the stairs. The glassy look in my mother's eyes as she crumpled lifelessly on the floor. The mocking look in his eyes as he turned and sent that sickly green spell that should have been my end.

I didn't even know I had closed my eyes until I felt Hermione's arms around me.

….

An: Comments welcome!