Note: Please look to prologue for disclaimer and additional notes about the story.

A Dance With Fate

Canopus Carina

Chapter 17 of 20

It would have been a good idea for both of them to go as he had the power to bring them there and she had the study skills to find the identity of Master Healer Remedius Partromi but only one of them could go. Merlin's book was very specific about how much power it would take for one person to break through time's boundary for even one day. It was why time turners only went back hours at a time and true divination was so rare. He would have to go alone after he had been accompanied for so long. But he knew if Hermione went instead – though she was incredibly powerful in her own right – the power needed for the spell would drain her very life from her.

If he had to take the journey alone in order to save the two people who meant more than the world to him, he would.

Saturday: 19 November 1977

Instead of meeting in the Great Hall, the usual flyer instructed the students to meet on the school grounds near the lake. The Marauders made sure to get there early in hopes of seeing what Harry had busied himself over the past two weeks. Rumors had it that during his exploits outside the castle, he had picked up a dementor for these mock trials. Remus thought it was an absurd notion as they hadn't gone over dementors in these lessons and would not have any way of defending themselves against one, let alone defeat one.

When they got to the spot indicated, they noticed the closed off portion of the grounds were guarded by the house elf Dobby. They tried to speak with the small creature but he only answered that "Harry Potter has trusted Dobby with this task" and that "Dobby will do that!" Being raised as a muggle, he didn't have much contact with house elves but he figured the little elf was completely devoted to the one that had set him free.

Soon the area was filled by the regular students of the club as well as those who had stopped attending the first month. The excitement of a secret practical lesson seemed to cause some to brave their fears and attend.

"I figure you are more than ready to try some of what you learned in some fast paced exercises," he joked, while walking up to the crowd. "But instead of scare some of you away, we seemed to have gained a few more faces. But heed my warning: while this lesson does not stem on the last few lessons, you will find some of this difficult if you haven't been regularly attending. That being said, I hope you are ready for a rather fun experience, that is if you like Defense as much as I do."

This earned a round of chuckles. Throughout the three months he had been teaching this class, his students had realized that no one, not even all of their Defense teachers combined, enjoyed Defense as much as Harry did. The boy had an impressive knack for it as well as dueling.

"Now, I decided to set up a small obstacle course for you to go through. Okay, maybe it's not that small."

Saying that this maze was not small would be almost an understatement. The door was in a ten meters wide and fifteen feet long enclosed room. No scratch or nook from the outside betrayed how much of the building was designated for the maze, or if there were additional rooms. In addition, no sound was heard from the inside so there was no indication on what type of creatures they would have to face. The only thing they knew was that there was a single door leading out of the building on the furthest wall. Anything else would have to be found out from inside.

"Each student is expected to move around the maze separately, but that does not mean you can't help someone out in a time of need. You are to separate immediately afterwards." He leveled them with a look that nonverbally told them that he would know if they didn't follow his directions. "There will be a door labeled for each year. Find your door and instructions will be there for your next task. Once I figure enough students have found their door, Dobby will allow the next year inside. As each year enters, the tasks will get harder so they are at the appropriate level. If anyone gets into trouble, send up red sparks and you will be pulled from the maze. Any questions? Then let's get started." And he entered the room without another word.

After a few seconds, the third years were directed to enter the maze, and good luck, by the little elf. The others were forced to wait outside in the cold.

He now understood why Harry had decided to have the lesson on a Saturday as opposed to any other day of the week right after dinner. If they tried this on one of those days, they would have wasted the day away. They waited patiently as the very few third years entered the room. Those Harry had stated that the maze shouldn't take them that long, it was still ten minutes before Dobby announced in his squeaky voice "four year!" Another ten minutes passed before fifth years were allowed in, but by then, there would have been a lot of people in the building, especially if there were rooms for each year as Harry had alluded to.

Soon after the last fifth year straggler entered through the doorway, a line of third years came from the other side of the building. Those sixth and seventh years who knew one of the third years called out to the youngsters without an answer back. The young students only shook their heads and hurried to the castle's front entrance. Those still outside thought it odd, but didn't know what could have caused it. Could they have sworn not to say anything to them?

The seventh years actually cheered when they were finally allowed into the building. By then, it was getting warm enough for them to want to take off their jackets but the November air was still too cold that they didn't want to. The building proved to be warm enough that they all shed their outer coats and quickly wrapped them around their stomachs for safekeeping. It would have been preferable to be able set their coats somewhere else, but there was nowhere to place them. The only thing that was in the entry way was a sign with "Do not hurt the creatures in here. Disabling them shall suffice."

Remus quickly followed Harry's instructions to break away from the other students and wandered down one of the corridors leading off of the entry room. Nothing popped out at him automatically, but he had the distinct feeling that he was being watched. He made sure to keep his awareness open to that feeling so if whatever was watching him didn't have the upper hand.

Even after rounding a corner and fighting off a group of pixies didn't lure whatever was watching him out of its hiding place. With each corner he turned, he made sure to check for anything in the upper corners of the hallway for anything that could be hiding above and creating the feeling. But he didn't see anything.

He finally figured that the lurking feeling was only a spell of Harry's that was created so that they didn't just partner up and work the maze together. With that in mind, he dropped his guard and continued the maze. It was then, that it struck.

Though only a baby, the acromantula that dropped down in front of him had rather large fangs and threatening looking long legs. During his lessons in Defense class and while helping Peter in his Care of Magical Creatures Class' homework, Remus knew that an acromantula was able of human speech. Hoping that Harry directed this spider not to hurt him, he tried to speak with it. Apparently this spider was too young to speak to him and only got angered by his attempts. Web shot out of in an attempt to cover Remus in its sticky goop and eliminate him from the maze. But a quick fire spell burned the web and successfully stunned the spider so that he could get past.

Not long after his encounter with the acromantula, Remus encountered something that looked like a winged lizard with only two legs and an elongated body. After racking his brain over the creature, he remembered something about them in Peter's homework about them and that they were called an occamy. This occamy was currently wrapped around a post on the right side of the hallway. He figured he could get passed the snakelike creature as it was more interested in eating the rat in its mouth, but given its long neck, the occamy could jab at him as he passed.

When he tried, it did so and completely blocked his way through the corridor. Any attempt of going below or above the head was in vain as it was quick enough to counter his attempts. But as he looked closely in the corridor ahead, determining if it was worth it, he found an outline of a room just four meters from his position. It would be worth trying another way.

"Um, hello?" he said stupidly to the snake. He didn't know why, but he figured he could at least give talking to it a try. The occamy looked at him with surprisingly intelligent eyes so he continued. "I want to go in there," he indicated the door so close to him, "but I have to get passed you to get there."

The occamy continued to stare at him for a long time while Remus held his breath. It then slowly unraveled from around the post and fluttered directly in front of him. It was then that he remembered that occamy were considered a level four creature in the ministry's ratings of dangerous creatures and considered to run from while he could. But instead of attacking him, it turned around and fluttered down the corridor, poking his head at the door labeled Seventh Year. When he passed it, it poked its head under his hand in an attempt to be petted. Remus figured he could give the creature some of its time before it fluttered back to its perch.

He then turned to the door, his hand hovering above the doorknob.

End of Chapter 17 – 1,610 of words

Posted: 27 June 2007