Chapter thirty-nine - 'You didn't lay a foot or a table leg on him instead did you?'
After having a double lesson in the morning, a quick break, Transfiguration for a double before dinner where he ended up sat talking to Professor McGonagall for a good half hour. Although catching himself day dreaming for at least five minuets Harry manage to gather that they were talking about how things would be structured for him and that really it would be best if he just dropped a lesson although she wasn't sure what, she believed he seemed to be quiet evenly behind on most of them. In the end they were just going to see how things went, give him extra homework and he'd probably end up working though the holidays and he'd have to get quiet a bit done in the summer which wouldn't be too hard and then he should manage to be on top of things before next year. It was just lucky he didn't have his exams at the end of this year and he wasn't behind too much before being ill.
After his afternoon lessons Harry, although quiet tired started to walk down to see Hagrid before dinner with Ron, Hermione and Ginny who was holding on to him again happily even if she did notice Harry's pace slacken a bit as they got outside. Harry was quiet glad in a way she was like this, as he was suspicious by how tired he might be after seeing Hagrid. Today was by far his busiest day of the week and he felt the worst to return back to as he was exhausted by dinner and was sure he wouldn't last much longer after tea if he even managed to tea that was!
"Oh good, I wondered when I was gonna get to see you! Goin' off to say hello to everyone and not little 'ol me!"
"Hagrid there aint nothing little bowt you and I was gonna come see you at dinner but ended up discussing boring stuff instead! Besides I got tomorrow afternoon off if you not busy." Harry replied walking over to a quiet corner of the courtyard after the meal had finished with Ginny still in tow.
"No Harry, I suppose I can shift a few things around tomorrow and you come see me. You look bit tired Harry at the moment. Now tell me about things for a quick bit. How do you feel to be back?"
"Glad I suppose, but I forgot how tiring it is being here."
"Only a 'suppose' Harry?"
"Well I was getting used to being there, the company was just getting good but when I could finally do stuff I had to come back here."
"Rumour has it you had a little tree incident that stopped you coming back sooner. But we didn't expect you back till Easter did we?" Hagrid explained as Hermione and Ron nodded in agreement, all three glad it was sooner but hoped it wasn't too soon for Harry's health.
"Yeah well I was too thin, it took a while for me to put enough weight on to walk about and stuff and well. I wanted another Christmas having missed the last so we had a turkey, a tree and everything, I finally found your prezzi's too. I mean how many people do you know manages to loose Christmas prezzi's for that long a time?"
"Only you Harry."
"Yeah well. I am glad to be back, honest I did really miss you all."
"Summit else I heard recently, how long this thing with Ginny been going off? I only found out when these two came back in January. Don't I get to know stuff too?"
"It's him, being awkward as arse all the time! And he's always around when I come see you. Can't get you on me own to tell you things anymore."
"Harry I'd leave if you really wanted to talk about her with Hagrid."
"No you don't, your awkward as anything."
"I'm not."
"Yeah you are. You have that look and I can't even sit next to her some times at dinner coz of your sodding moodiness!" Harry complained.
"Sounds like a lost cause to me Hermy." Hagrid decided seeing her roll her eyes again at the start of another ridicules scuffle. Well at least Harry must be back to normal if he's arguing with Ron about what Harry can cannot do with his sister was the general feeling.
"Anyway you lot, time to get going back up to the dormitories with ya or ya'll give me a bad name!"
"Hagrid, when has that ever in years and years ever stopped you before?!"
"Oi misfits get going will ya, I've got a letter to compose!"
"A letter."
"To compose Hagrid?"
"Now we're interested, you can't send us off to bed now!" Ron complained giving up on Harry who was giving him saucy looks as to what he thought about doing with Ginny making Ron of all things blush as Hargrid went quiet again and little rosy cheeks appeared under all his hair.
"None of ya business Ronald now off you trot!"
"Come on Ron I'm tired!" Harry yawned, he hadn't meant to but this gave Hagrid the perfect excuse as Ron became slightly nervous by his apparent sleepiness they had basically ignored before Christmas. Panicking unnecessarily Harry felt Ron made him go straight back to the dormitories and to bed with barely time to cuddle Ginny in his worry, that Hermione backed him up on for this one occasion. Harry was rather annoyed by this attitude of not just Ron but a few other people as well as it seemed to last for the next couple of weeks.
He couldn't help it, it was hard work keeping up with things and slowly catching up with other things. Although Harry had a lot more magical energy than everyone else and it often tended to always be him that accidentally over egged things. It didn't matter too much, people found it funny some of the things that happened by accident and most of his teachers seemed to understand that things like that just happened around Harry Potter.
Potions however was a different matter, despite knowing about Harry's troubled mental state, Snape still loathed him and sick or not nothing was going to stop him from having the joyful opportunity of embarrassing Harry. Harry had the feeling that he could probably tell what nights were order meetings as Snape seemed to be in a particularly fowl mood the next morning with Harry. He was sure it was Sirius doing but as nothing dreadful seemed to happen to him Harry wasn't sure he should add any fuel to the fire by mentioning it to Sirius. One particularly morning lesson though Harry was quiet sure Sirius had done something to piss Snape off as he was taken to the front of the class for Snape to have a chance to embarrass him in front of the Slytherin students in particular. Snape didn't expect Harry to know how to be able to do difficult spells well none verbally, having missed all the lessons on it which Hermione found very unfair and was glad she'd whispered a lot of the basics of it to him on the way to the lesson.
Standing on his own at the front Harry was supposed to block the spell Snape was going to cast on him and disarm him without uttering a word. Harry wasn't sure what he was going to do but was quiet sure what ever Snape had planned for him wouldn't be pleasant. The only thing that happened to jump into his head was something Remus had told him recently among many spells was a mirror charm that was highly useful to stop people from hexing you as provided it was powerful enough (something Harry accidentally had abundance of) it didn't matter what the hex was it would repel it and a good one would reverse the spell on to the person hexing.
Lupin had tried to teach it to Harry and explained it as clearly as he could but unfortunately Sirius was still trying to put the living room together after Harry's last attempt at controlled magic and flatly refused to let him try anything on Remus in case they needed a matchbox to scoop him up in. Sirius was insisting that he was all out of matches and didn't want to have to do yet more cleaning because of Harry's failed attempts at self control. On Snape however Harry was quiet sure Sirius would hold no objections and tried his best to remember what he'd been told about holding his wand firm and balanced when nonverbally saying the spell inside his head as clearly as if he was saying it allowed. Remus had also said it was important to focus on what he was doing. Harry got the feeling that focus didn't mean day dreaming half way through a sentence about Ginny's lacy black knickers coming off.
The entire class seemed to be watching in anticipation for something, as anything involving these two would most likely be spectacularly entertaining one way or another. Blocking his mind as best he could to stop Snape from looking into his thoughts Harry turned and bowed as instructed before holding his wand by his side as Snape lazily counted down from three firing a spell out before he barely said one. Harry pulled his wand up quick and as the spells collided Harry's bounced out like ripples from the tip of his wand and Snape's reverted directly back at himself if not a little below his wand level.
Harry had no idea what had happened but suddenly something was picking Snape up by the ankle as he was thrown the full length of the classroom and knocked out cold for a few moments. Harry quickly got down and looked to Hermione and Ron for what to do as Ron was clearly struggling to contain some laughter by stuffing his hand in his mouth behind Hermione. Harry got down and looked down the classroom to see if Snape was moving yet then he looked across to Draco and Knott who were struggling to decided between there pleasure at seeing Snape defeated and hate towards Harry for doing it. Pansy hoping to get in his good books quickly got up to have a look and see if Snape needed any assistance or was too badly hurt. Eventually though Wade from Ravenclaw asked what on earth Harry had done.
"What was the spell you used?"
"Err, it was a sort of mirror charm, I forget it's proper name." Harry replied casually still stood in the centre of the room looking about. Suddenly though Snape came round and Pansy who had been looking over him jumped to her feet to stay out of his way as clearly, he was livid with the result of his own spell, having the horrific idea that some how it might of even backfired as once it had done so on James much to Snape's humiliation in front of most of the year.
"POTTER! What the HELL was the spell you used? I said to DISARM ONLY! 50 points from Gryffindor. EXPLAIN yourself!" Snape bellowed before he'd barely even got to his feet flattened his hair again before marching down to the front of the classroom to face Harry who was quiet arrogantly for him stood quiet calm not exactly sure what to say. Suddenly though he had a wave of pride kick in and told his teacher quiet bluntly.
"I did disarm you though Professor and it was mirror charm to repel your spell."
"And where might I ask did you learn such a spell, it's hardly something I would teach in my lesson now is it, quiet a useless spell really because of it's flimsy and unpredictable outcome. Come on then explain where you learnt such a spell!" He snapped knowing full well who it was likely to have come from and hoping to salvage some pleasure from the lesson by winding Harry up.
"It's err, in the textbook sir!' Harry answered quietly but still quiet firm in his voice. This clearly wasn't the answer his livid teacher had expected so swelling with pride again Harry continued his explanation a little louder.
'It's on page nine and it's supposed to work like a mirror which is why it got it's name as a mirror charm when really they are actually something slightly different." Harry added not sure if he should be sounding a little helpful and wondered how on earth he was still in one piece after throwing this particular teacher across the room.
"Potter detention. Class dismissed." Snape finished turning on his heel and heading to his private rooms off the classroom.
After a few minuets while the students tidied up well before the bell had gone Harry was surprised by how he didn't seem to be getting the feeling that this was all his fault. The Slytherins had gone off quickly and Harry was quietly being pushed out the room with his bag and down towards Hagrid's before he really knew what was happening. It was only when they were out safely in the grounds did Ron start the conversation Harry hoped would end in some sort of explanation.
"So you're gonna help me with this essay he gave out aren't you? I mean you will help and in return I'll lend you me notes from recently. I've got quiet good in your absence you know. Being forced to make me own might have helped a bit I think. Sometimes I can actually remember what we did in the previous lesson without having to listen to Hermione telling me." Ron explained casually as they started on the steps and Harry deliberately walked between his friends. He felt guilty not explaining why but Ron didn't seem to notice Harry was intending to use him as a falling buffer and Sirius did make him promise.
"So what's with him anyway? Everything's so different I mean, I expected to get me arse blown off!"
"Well Harry not that you don't still have your wonderful talent for putting him in a bad mood. Something I'm quiet sure your proud of, we aren't so surprised. He's been really quiet odd lately, he often sends us away with essay's to do like that and when we're practising spells and things he often leaves the room and comes back at the end of the lesson to get rid of us. He doesn't mark things very well either. I mean I know he was never as good as Lupin or Professor McGonagall for constructive criticism. But he's not even putting the same snooty comments on like he used to. I mean coz your there he actually bothers a bit more but his teaching's way down these days for our group and the year above. Katie was telling me how they seem to be doing far more independent study than she ever thought they would and Snape sends them off to the restricted section of the library to work on there reports on their own most the time."
"Reports?" Harry wondered.
"Yeah in your last year you do a really long essay about various topics in Defence against the dark arts and then you have to prove your able to use the spells in a load of really weird ways. It's sort of like an obstacle course I think. I'm not really sure to be honest he never really said much I just got it out one of the school education handbooks." Ron explained.
"School education handbooks Ron? How long have I been gone? First your taking proper notes and now your reading sodding handbooks about next years stuff. I mean I knew this was gonna be a bit of a fucked up year but honestly. Your turning in to Hermione!" Harry grumbled pulling the door open and climbing up into Hagrid's hut. Ron just looked at Hermione completely lost as to what to say back to Harry but she merely gave him a reassuring look that she didn't think they were very similar and left it at that.
"Sirius Black?" Harry called sitting down on the side of the prefect's bath by himself before dinner.
"Yeah Harry?" He answered sitting down on his own bed surprised Harry already had something to talk to him about after seeming to have nothing to say last night when Sirius got in touch with him.
"I'm tired."
"Then why don't you go to bed Harry." Sirius explained helpfully immediately deciding Harry did actually look a little tired.
"I can't they'll all know then. I'm right tired and stuff all the time. And will you stop pissing the twat off at meetings when I've got potions the next morning. He's been a right wanker at the moment. I swear he takes it out on me coz of you."
"I'll sort that Harry." Sirius explained quickly and quietly giving the reaction that Harry really didn't want to get.
"Please don't do it your way Sirius. I just want him to ignore me. Can't you have a go at Mrs Weasley or something instead. It's just, it's not like he's picking on me it's just he hates me all the time." Harry sighed. Sirius wasn't really sure about this, Snape hating Harry was obvious wasn't it?
"What's the matter Harry?"
"I'm tired. And if I go to bed early people worry about me and things. And if I try and stop up and look normal for a bit they fuss. Every time I talk to someone after a while they think I'm gonna die on them or something. I promise I won't but they still seem to think I might drop dead at any moment. I'm not in the mood for that at the minuet, I wanna go do stuff before dieing but they won't have it. Everyone treats me like dead man walking. Ron says I'm been daft but he does it. He laughs at things that aren't really that funny for me and he'll always change his mind about what he wants to do see he does what I do. I don't know, I'm just...I don't know why's it weird."
"Harry you were abducted out of school over Christmas and then didn't come back for months. People noticed you weren't there and now they notice that you are all the more. The longer your there the more people will get used to the idea that you aren't gonna drop dead any minuet and it'll stop."
"Yeah but in the mean time I'm sick of it. Sometimes, I do just wanna sit down for a bit quietly. Have 15minuets on me own but the rest of the time. I wanna do what everyone else is doing. I think it's coz I'm not flying anymore."
"Harry you can't fly until Woolnough's sure you aint gonna drop off the thing."
"I know, to be honest I can see his point. I had a go the other day and it just wasn't the same."
"Harry!"
"Honestly one go. It was only for ten minuets with Ron, but I can see what Woolnough's on about the magic rushes were more obvious when I was up higher so I gave in." Harry tried to reason but some how Sirius didn't seem to be having any of it. Harry shouldn't be on a broomstick regardless of how he tried to justify it.
"You won't do that again will you?"
"No I won't do it again!" Harry sighed still not sure he liked the parent-y Sirius.
"Good. Now how come your feeling so tired, have you been sleeping ok?"
"Yeah well, some weird dreams. I haven't got any idea what's going off in me head sometimes. I start of dreaming about normal stuff and then I seem to think I'm a piece of cheese and then it just all goes a bit weird and I wake up all of a sudden for a few moments. It's not bad weird or anything, just feels a bit weird. I don't always remember it either. I tried explaining it to Ron but I'll start and then I go blank and I can't remember it at all."
"Well maybe your just a bit over active Harry. I think Remus dreams a lot. I tried asking him ages ago but he wouldn't say much."
"Maybe coz it's about Tonks." Harry wondered a little sarcastically knowing full well he was straying on to one of Sirius's only taboo subjects.
"Harry!"
"Yeah well, I don't start of dreaming I'm a piece of cheese. It's usually much nicer than that. It just all goes a bit weird. What do you dream about?"
"I don't dream Harry." Sirius explained, Harry waited patently for the Azkaban look to flash across his features but it only started to worry him when it never came.
"Have you always been like that? I mean, well you know."
"Yeah. I never really remember my dreams if I even have them. Sometimes there's the odd one I remember bits of but normally. Head hits pillow and I'm not thinking about anything until I lift it up again. I just go blank. Your dad used to say it's coz I'm mentally sub normal."
"Well, my dad was very cleaver." Harry added with a patronising grin.
"Quiet you. Your dad used to dream he was a chicken, I swear he clucked in his sleep sometimes."
"Are you sure you weren't just hearing the chicken you had living in your dorm?"
"Maybe, your mum used to dream about you when she was pregnant, she was adamant you were a gonna be a girl."
"She was?"
"Yep. Every night for months she'd go to bed, kick your dad out on the floor and then dream about her baby girl. Bit of a surprise when you popped out with a tiny little todger and minuet balls."
"Oi!"
"Yeah well you were small. Well on the smaller end of normal apparently. Harry what about you other dreams. Are you getting any nightmares again?"
"No I'm ok for that." Harry sighed heavily.
"You sure, you will tell me won't you if they start up again." Sirius persisted watching Harry carefully again. He knew his godchild would happily bend the truth so not to cause any alarm, which generally wasn't helpful to anyone as Harry really should cause alarm about some things Sirius was sure.
"Yes Sirius. Stop pestering me."
"Well I'll let you go then, go get some rest or something. And try not to worry too much about dreaming about cheese all the time. I like cheese, particularly smelly cheese. Don't forget your potions and don't forget to eat." Sirius added firmly as Harry merely rolled his eyes again while Sirius chose to ignore Harry's slightly flippant facial expressions.
"I won't. Night Sirius." Harry finished putting the mirror on the floor so the connection broke and then carefully rapping it back in the velvet cloth before shoving it inside his coat pocket.
"Was that Harry again?" Lupin wondered coming in and sitting down at Sirius's desk.
"Yeah." Sirius nodded putting his mirror back on the bedside table.
"How is he?"
"Apparently he keeps dreaming he's a piece of cheese." Sirius replied as Remus really wasn't quiet sure what to make of this now, between Sirius and Harry Remus was sure they deliberately tried to be weird just to annoy him.
"Well, err, at least that's not so bad. I guess he could be dreaming about something worse."
"Yeah I know that's what I said. I just didn't know what to say to him. I don't dream."
"You still don't dream I thought that was just because well. Nightmare's and stuff." Remus wondered carefully trying not to say the actual words of 'your heads well fucked up after Azkaban what do you expect.'
"No I never dreamed in the first place."
"Your weird!"
"Oi!" Sirius snapped throwing a cushion over at his friend.
"Well you are."
"Oi Sirius Black." Harry snapped at the mirror as Ron positioned himself on the bath behind Harry so he could see too.
"Harry aren't you supposed to be in lesson's or something. You woke me up." Sirius grumbled sitting up on his bed and scratching at his unwashed unshaven face.
"What did you do?" Harry complained looking at his sleepy godfather a little jealous now that he got to lay in bed till half 10 every morning.
"I didn't do anything." Sirius grumbled making a cup of coffee appear on the side so he could get his brain working again.
"Yeah you did. He's right pissed off today. You must of done something coz there's only you that can put him in that bad a mood."
"What Sniverly done now?" Sirius groaned laying down on his side a bit lazily.
"Stuck us in detention, for hours and hours on a Hogsmade weekend. I wanted to go out and about and now I'm stuck cleaning bed pans with Ron." Harry grumbled, it wasn't Sirius he was cross with really. He knew it wasn't he just really wanted to go to Hogsmade with Ginny this week.
"Look I promise you I didn't lay a single finger on him last night."
"You didn't lay a foot or a table leg on him did you instead did you? He's got a right bruise under his left eye. It's nearly gone now like but it must of been something."
"Oi, I promised I wouldn't sort it my way so I told Remus and he didn't think it safe for me to go down and talk to the slimly twat after the meeting so I was poked upstairs out the way with Tonks. I hardly saw him. And Dumbledore was there all the time when we were both in the room so I behaved myself.' Sirius grumbled not sure it was fair he should have to justify his bad behaviour to a bunch of 16 year old boys.
'Now Molly may be a bit pissed with me but that's nothing new." He added quickly.
"Well I guess you wouldn't do anything to daft with Dumbledore in the room. I just really wanted to go and now I'm stuck inside all day. But why does he have to be such a wanker all the time? I never did anything to piss him off in the first place. That was you and dad, but I'm the one he hates the most, you should see some of the looks I get these days off him."
"He really is getting well over into tosser land now Sirius. He's worse than normal, and it's not just us. He's hardly in lessons or anything." Ron added.
"It's probably order stuff getting to him. He's really quiet busy at the minuet Harry."
"Yeah well I know. And I suppose I should be grateful but he doesn't have to be such a wanker."
"It's Snape, he doesn't know how to be anything other than a sniverlly wanker. Just try and keep away from him. Are you sure you didn't give him a reason to give you detention? You didn't knock him out again did you?" Sirius added although the grin suggested he was more than just a little proud of that story he heard.
"No, I didn't knock him out or anything. I hid in the back of the classroom like you said and kept out the way."
"Well I'll Remus to talk to McGonagall about it. He's a bit more..."
"Tactful?" Ron added helpfully.
"Yeah I guess. I'll get him to say something to her about it. Might let you swap days or let you off or something so you can go to Hogsmade. Just don't do oat daft for a few days."
"Thanks Sirius."
"Yeah well I'll do me best. Now will you please not get in touch at the crack of dawn anymore unless there's something the matter. I like me sleep. And well, you know."
"Honestly Sirius, we're on third lesson now. Get out of bed."
"Yeah well you weren't up until half 2 last night."
"I was!" Ron put in quickly.
"Go away you smug git. I'll talk to you later Harry." Sirius mumbled laying down properly and putting the mirror down on the side to go back to sleep for a few hours.
"Bye Sirius." Harry added putting his own mirror down now.