Okay, I'll be honest; this was originally not supposed to be a HP/FF-7 story. This was, actually supposed to be a HP/Bleach story at first, then it turned into a HP/Yu-Gi-Oh!, and then it turned into a HP/Naruto, but then into "HP as the logical one" where Harry's normally the one to point out all the mistakes of other characters while coming up with plans to deal with his Hogwarts years.

Instead, you guys got this! I didn't take a lot of the elements I had been working with out, so you'll kind of see them in it. Like a slightly Kakashi-like Ron, dueling references, a Toshiro/Byakuya-like Harry, or even Harry pointing out illogical moments. Hooray for you if you spot them!

Chapter 3: Uncharacteristic

Harry sat up in the room he shared with Ron, reading his book as Ron read his own. After getting and having a miniature party for not being expelled, Harry had gone straight up to his room after a quick talk with Sirius and had begun "Loveless" in earnest.

"What's yours about?" Ron asked suddenly as Harry leafed the page and closed the book, setting it to the side.

"It's interesting. It's about these three friends that go on a journey to search for this magical item called the Gift of the Goddess." Harry explained as Ron seemed enraptured already, "The three men take the roles of a Hero, a Traveler, and a Prisoner. So far from where I am in the book, the Prisoner escaped and is critically wounded, the Hero becomes a hero somewhere, and the Traveler is traveling the lands still looking for the Gift, but all of them are still bound to one another to seek the Gift of the Goddess together." Harry finished as Ron looked slightly confused but interested.

"It's one of those stories with a philosophy behind it, isn't it?" Ron finally ask as Harry sighed, nodding.

"I think it's saying that no matter where life takes you, one day you'll reconnect with lost friends again." Harry said as Ron shrugged.

"Mine was about this teenager whose entire town was destroyed, and he wandered the desert. Then, get this, this rich family finds him and takes him back with them." Ron said excitedly as he held up the book, "He's grateful, and swears to serve the family until the day he dies. He likes the daughter of the family, but then some of the people he thought were dead show back up! Now he's all freaked out and panicky because, get this, he was supposed to be the leader of the town that was destroyed!"

"That's brilliant!" Harry said honestly. If it could hold Ron's attention with no pictures, then it must have been a great read.

"Yeah, and it's got a message to. It's all about honor, keeping promises, and making tough choices. But, there's also some other things I've picked up on from the book." Ron said, looking as though he were about to tell a secret, "Like taking good care of what you have and what you love, and finding your justice. Though the people in it are a bit slow. Don't have too much magic, only objects that have spells on them."

"Still sounds good to me." Harry admitted as Ron smiled.

"Wonder what Hermione got…" Ron said, trailing off with a look at his friend as Harry shrugged.

"Not a clue, mate." Harry said as Ron sighed.

"We better get some sleep then." Ron said as he and Harry blew out the candles around the room.

And so the routine was for the rest of August. Harry spent his mornings helping to clean Grimmauld Place alongside the Weasleys and Hermione, had lunch, and then reflecting on his thoughts, visions, and dreams, which were becoming a shade clearer, a bit more persistent.

His evenings consisted of dinner, spending some time with Sirius and his friends, and reading at least a page of Loveless before bed.

By the end of August, Harry was completely prepared for Hogwarts. His homework was completed, even his Potions paper, and he had become almost completely fed up with being unable to use magic.

Harry sighed. It was already August 31st, but it felt like it had passed much too quickly. He was eager to return to Hogwarts, of that you could be certain, but if only to prepare his magic as well as his mind was for the return of Voldemort.

However, there was still something missing. It was only as he was packing his things for the next day did Harry realize it.

He didn't have the fifth year books!

"Hey Ron, did the booklists come in and we missed them or something?" Harry asked as Ron looked up at him from his own packing, which he was doing while most of his attention was on his book, "Honor Bound".

"No." Ron said slowly as he reluctantly turned from his book, "Now that you mention it, that's really weird, ain't it? They were supposed to have come out at the beginning of the month."

"That's what I thought, too." Harry admitted, rubbing his chin regally, "Did the owls maybe get intercepted?"

"I don't think so." Ron mused, his arms folding while he still held his page, "My mother still talks to Dumbledore all the time. She'll no doubt badger him for our book lists so we can get what we need."

Harry didn't doubt that for a minute, chuckling softly at the thought of the almighty Dumbledore cowering before Mrs. Weasley's maternal wrath.

Just then, however, when Harry was about to comment, Hermione came rushing upstairs carrying three envelopes, "Harry, Ron! Hogwarts letters just arrived!"

Instead of voicing his thoughts on the latest, his mind immediately jumped to the question at hand, "How do they expect us to get any new books? Today is the last day of summer holidays."

"We still have the rest of today." Hermione reminded him, "But, I see your point. Flourish and Blott's is going to be incredibly busy. This was, however, incredibly strange of them to wait until the last moment to send the lists out…"

"Yeah, yeah." Ron agreed hurriedly, but unconcernedly as he returned to his book, sitting beside his open trunk, "Read what's there."

Hermione glanced at the letters to verify which was for whom, and passed them to her friends. Her eyes lingered on Ron, who huffed as he marked his page and shut his book before taking the letter up. Then, as one, they opened them.

As usual, there were two pieces of parchment in the envelopes. The first was the standard reminder about the start of term being on September 1st, but Harry was more concerned about the second letter; their booklists.

"Only two new books this year." Harry noticed immediately, quickly going down the list, "The predictable one, The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5, by Miranda Goshawk. But the other one seems strange, and worries me somewhat… Defensive Magical Theory, by Wilbert Slinkhard."

"Theory? For fifth years?" Ron said, looking up from the first notice to the second and then frowning deeply, but then Harry noticed that something else in Ron's envelope had caught his friend's eye.

"Hermione, you don't suppose they're-"

CRACK!

Fred and George had apparated right next to Harry, who was so accustomed to the action by then that he wasn't even fazed any longer. Fred opened his mouth to say something, but Harry was far more concerned about his friends' state of catatonia.

Suddenly, Hermione seemed to snap out of her thoughts, flipping her Hogwarts envelope upside down hurriedly. Harry was a bit surprised when a badge fell out of it into her hand, but wasn't able to comment before Hermione broke into a loud squeal of girlish happiness.

"I made Prefect!"

Harry blinked.

He'd completely forgotten that Prefects were chosen in their fifth year.

However, the fact that Hermione had gotten the position was to be expected; she was entirely too responsible, orderly, and willing to help others not to. Plus, who else was McGonagall going to give it to? Lavender or Parvati? Both of them were notorious gossips, and focused on boys more than their schoolwork.

Yes, truly there was no better Gryffindor than studious and fair Hermione Granger.

"Well done, Hermione. Well done." Harry told her with a smile, "Mind looking over Ron's shoulder and seeing what he's shocked about? He looks like he's not breathing."

But she didn't have to do anything, as Ron took that moment to wheeze out, "Prefect? Me?"

Fred and George's eyes widened in stereo.

"No way…!" the pair of twins breathed as Fred rushed over and snagged Ron's envelope out of his other hand. Fred quickly flipped it upside-down, and exactly like Hermione's, a gold and red badge fell out into his hand.

George took a step back in shock, a hand laid over his heart, "Fred? Tell me that's not what I think it is…"

"I'm afraid so… it's a prefect badge. Ickle Ronniekins is a P-Prefect."

In tandem, they twisted and started at Harry as though he'd suddenly destroyed all of their hopes and pranking dreams, "We thought you would be the 'fect!" they cried out as Harry blinked, "We thought that Dumbledore would-!"

Harry cut them off with a sharp look, "I've more important things to worry about than stalking the halls this year." Harry told them as he frowned, "Besides, making me prefect would probably end up a mistake."

He threw Ron a glance, not knowing why as he hoped Ron would be able to read his expression. Normally it was Hermione he'd share the looks with, but Ron nodded, seeming to understand as he went back to his book.

"Calm, thoughtful, confident. Those are the people chosen for Prefect duty." Ron said as he went back to his book while Hermione looked surprised at his response, but nodded slowly in agreement.

"Yeah… we're expected to set the example for the younger students." Hermione said slowly, giving Ron a curious look as he didn't even glance up from his book.

"Yeah, I can see how it'd be bad if Harry here put the fear of God into some Ickle Firsties if they got him on a bad day, yo." Fred teased lightheartedly as George nodded.

Harry looked up in surprise at the small verbal tick. It couldn't be…!

"Snape does that enough." George concurred quietly, though the humor and honesty in his voice was not lost on anyone as Harry looked up at him sharply as well, "And that's every time the kids go into Potions!"

At the mention of Snape, Ron quirked a brow while still never looking up from his book. Still silent as a grave, he took the badge from Fred and glanced at it, squeezing it as though to tell that it was real. He finally tore his eyes away from his book, lowering it some to look up and met Harry's gaze, their eyes sharing a multitude of questions and answers.

Harry put on a smile, proud of his friend's promotion in rank.

Wait… promotion in rank? Where had that come from? Even as he was thinking this, he meant it when he said, "Well done, Ron. Very well done."

Ron shook his head, slightly amused while Hermione looked curious and thoughtful.

"I don't get it, Harry." Hermione said as they all turned to her, "Why didn't Dumbledore choose you? If it was just a matter of the temper tandrum from the court and when you first arrived, I'd still go with you." Hermione's eyes quickly fell on Ron, who had looked down. Hermione, in her slight embarrassed, quickly tried to do damage control by moving on, "It's just, Ron and I both get into arguments all the time, especially with each other. Why make us both prefects? If we're supposed to set the example, then why set up a pair of prefects who get into arguments? I understand why I was picked. I mean, just look at the other Gryffindor Fifth Year girls."

None of them could disagreement with that last point.

"Well, when I get angry, I blow up at everyone around me." Harry said off-handedly, thinking much quicker than he normally did and acting far more casual, "The two of you at least stick to one person; each other. And maybe it's because you two can still be friends after you quarrel. Not everyone can do that, so maybe that's another way of setting a good example. Ya know, how two very different people can still be good friends. I'm sure the two of you will promote Inner-House Unity."

After Harry's words, Ron and Hermione smiled at each other, and it made Harry feel even better about the whole situation. Despite having come up with them on the spot, his newfound spontaneous intellect made a lot of sense. Perhaps Dumbledore really was trying to get everyone to branch out and make friends with the other Houses. Not that it was a bad idea, especially with Voldemort back. They could use all the help they could get… Maybe once he was at school, he'd try as well…

As Ron ran downstairs to tell Mrs. Weasley the good news, Harry found himself tuning out his surroundings and quietly packing, wondering what Hogwarts was going to be like this year now that the Daily Prophet and the Ministry at large were taking shots at him and Dumbledore.

"Probably just like second year."Harry thought bitterly, "Except instead of being thought of as the Heir of Slytherin, I'll be thought of as the psychotic, attention-seeking liar out for more fame and glory."

"Come on then!" Mrs. Weasley's voice rang out, "Out the door! We've got books to get! Move it!"

Harry woke up on September 1st early, having gone to bed earlier than usual. He knew how bad the Weasley family was about being up on time to catch the Hogwarts Express, and was hoping to avoid being caught in the stampede of activity which was sure to striking the house in the morning.

Quietly, Harry got up and picked up his trunk. He was careful to be as silent as possible in order not to wake up Ron as he dressed and made his way to the sitting room. Harry was completely unsurprised to see Hermione there with her trunk as well, reading over her copy of "Defensive Magical Theory", but he was a bit taken back when he saw that Ron was there as well with his own book, "Honor Bound".

To be honest, Ron had changed slightly over the past month, but this was a little extreme for the youngest son of the Weasleys. To be reading, in the early morning, and with Hermione casting periodic glances at him as well.

Hermione looked up at Harry as he sat on the couch next to her, with Ron on her other side. The two friends shared a look of amused and affectionate exasperation, but then both looked over at Ron as he hummed to himself while flipping the page.

"Umm, Ron… How long have you been up?" Harry asked as Ron glanced at him with a smirk.

"Oh, about twenty minutes." Ron answered, "Early to rise, meet the sun, live life to see it set, only to rise and greet it once more."

"Huh?" Hermione asked in confusion of the proverbial way Ron worded himself, which Harry suddenly noticed she and he didn't do very often.

"You know, greet the day, and lay when it's gone. Early to bed, early to rise." Ron said as Hermione then seemed to get it, nodding as she still sent Ron curious looks.

"You, 'Mione?" Harry asked as Hermione looked to him.

"Ten minute." Hermione said and Harry understood that she too must have been shocked to walk into the room and find Ron reading in the early morning before her.

Deciding to change the subject and not allow his momentary surprise to get to him, Harry moved on, "I'm vaguely worried about who our newest Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is going to be."

Hermione nodded in agreement as Ron did as well, but he didn't look up, "I agree." Hermione concurred, waving her hand at the closed book she had been reading, "I've already read the first couple of chapters, and quite frankly Harry, this doesn't look good. Not at all."

"On a scale of one to ten, where one is Lockhart, and ten is Lupin, how bad does it look?" Ron asked without looking up from his book while Hermione gave a deadpan look.

"I'd say, one, bordering on zero." Hermione said flatly as Ron actually looked up and Harry felt like gaping incredulously, but easily resisted the temptation.

"You're kidding, Hermione." Ron said as he leafed his page and closed his book with an audible shut, "How can anyone be worse than Lockhart?"

"I wish I were kidding." Hermione replied, looking solemn as she sighed before pushing back some of her bushy hair from her face, "At least Lockhart's books had the occasional reference potential to useful spells we could look up. But this… this is… this filth isn't even a real book! It's completely useless!" Hermione seemed about ready to throw the book, but before she did, she paused and took a couple deep, calming breathes.

"Who are you and what have you done with Hermione Granger." Ron asked with a smirk as Harry raised a brow.

"Yes, because the Hermione Granger we know would never get angry at the contents of a book, let alone appear even remotely tempted to abuse one?" Harry asked, semi-serious and half-amused while Hermione blushed red.

"Yes, well… this is our OWL's year, and I can't see how this book will help us… at all." Hermione said smartly as she gently set the book down and sat back from it, as though she would do something she'd come to regret if she didn't.

"I don't think that Dumbledore would have hired someone who would give us this book." Ron said as he ran a finger over the book's cover, "I think this is the Ministry's doing. The twins said the overheard Dad say that they'd be taking advantage of Dumbledore's difficulty finding a teacher."

"I wouldn't put it pass them to have caused the difficulty itself." Harry cut in as Ron nodded, both looking as though they had run into shifty politics far too many times to count.

"Yes, I figured as much." Ron said as Hermione put her head in her hands while they continued on, "Especially with your recent hearing-turn-trial. They must be trying to undermine him."

"But to do what?" Harry engaged as he could have sworn Ron's blue eyes were glowing slightly, "This has to be bigger than just sabotaging us."

"You're right." Ron agreed, seeing Harry's green eyes glow brighter. So he wasn't crazy after all, "It would make no sense from the Ministry's perspective, so they must have something else in mind that they're trying to accomplish."

"Perhaps discrediting me and the Headmaster more?" Harry suggested as Hermione finally looked up.

"I don't think they'd go through that much trouble, Harry." Hermione said, but both Harry and Ron frowned upon her naivety.

Wait, what? Since when did he and Ron believe Hermione to be the naïve one?

"Regardless, but we won't have anything solid until we see whoever our teacher is. Once we have a face and name, then we can figure out what the Ministry is up to." Ron said as Harry nodded while Hermione was staring at his face, or more specifically, his eyes and Ron's as well.

"Whatever it is, though, I'm sure it has something to do with discrediting myself and Professor Dumbledore." Harry said firmly, then he exchanged a glance with Ron as they both looked to the entrance of the sitting room.

For some reason, they could hear soft footsteps, but they didn't see anything. Odd…

"Aye, you're right." came a gruff voice as both Ron and Harry stood while Hermione jumped and in a flash her wand was out. Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody pulled off his Invisibility Cloak, fixing the three teenagers with a piercing gaze, "That's what last night's meeting was about well you were all asleep early. The Ministry went and passed a new Educational Decree that allows them to "help" the Headmaster of Hogwarts if the Headmaster cannot find a teacher for a subject. Since Dumbledore couldn't find anyone, they assigned one of the Minister's works to the job."

Harry frowned deeply, his eyes still glowing dimly without his knowing, "So that's what it is. Getting one of their own to act as an extension of Fudge's will under the cover of an instructor. So tell me, Professor Moody," Harry said, his face a calm seriousness that came with an upcoming storm, "just how frequently can the Ministry pass those… Educational Decrees?"

"Now you're see it, Potter." Moody praised, " There are only twenty-two in existence right now, and given how long Hogwarts has been around, do the math."

"But Just because that's how many they actually passed, that doesn't mean that's the extent of how often they can do it." Hermione observed as Ron nodded, his book lying forgotten next to the joke of a Defense book.

"Seph-" Ron said, but then shook his head as if to clear his foggy mind, "I mean… Harry, you've seen Minister Fudge recently. Just how frequent do you think he'd do it, if he could?"

Harry's frown deepened even more as he thought on the question, "If he could, I think he'd do everything legally possible to discredit Dumbledore and try to assert his own power over the school. If that includes being able to pass new laws, he'd definitely use it to his advantage. He's already publicly committed to the idea that Dumbledore and myself are liars…" Harry said, crossing his legs elegantly at the knee and leaning back with his arms lightly crossed over his chest, "Fudge will lose everything when we're proven right, regardless of what he does now. I think to him, it's only to his benefit the more he attempts to undermine us; making us look bad makes him look good, in vice versa."

"You two've got a good grasp on the situation." Mad-Eye Moody commented with a suspicious look at Harry and Ron, while he merely glanced over Hermione, "But that's good. Like it or not, you're players in this too. Any of you come up with a plan for what you're gonna do at Hogwarts, Potter?"

"Learning as much as I can while trying to stay under the radar. For a wizard, knowledge is power. I'll also try to get in as much practice with my magic, too." Harry said as the grizzly man seemed to take the answer for the moment.

"Also, OWL's are this year," Hermione added to be helpful while Ron reminded silent, "I think we all want to make sure that after this mess with V-Vold…" Hermione struggled to say the name while Harry mentally scoffed, "Voldemort!… After this mess with Voldemort is over, then we can all get on with our lives."

The ex-Auror gave her an appraising look, but nodded, "Good reasoning, Granger, but you all best remember: All the knowledge in this world won't help you if you can't use it at the right time."

"Noted." Hermione said firmly with a curious look as she saw that Ron and Harry's eyes were still glowing dimly.

"Hey, Harry! Glad you're up." Harry looked over Moody's shoulder to see Sirius coming into the room with a smile on his face, "Looking forward to Hogwarts?"

Harry shrugged at the question, not really sure how he felt, "Not sure. What with the Ministry on me and people believing I'm crazy." seeing his godfather's look, Harry quickly pressed on, "But it will definitely be nice to use magic again."

Sirius let loose a barking laughter, a grin stretching across his formerly gaunt face as Harry could see the color and fullness returning with good times, "Oh, I remember that feeling! The rush of being able to use magic freely at school! I really do wonder sometimes why they don't let students practice at home…"

"Up!" came Mrs. Weasley's scream much like yesterday's rush to the bookshop, "Out of bed! WE'LL BE RUNNING LATE! UP, I SAID!"

Harry raised a brow and looked to Ron, Hermione, and then back to Sirius as he didn't hear Mrs. Black's bellowing about blood-traitors and Mudbloods in her house. However, he understood why she was silent when he went to look with the others, and found Mrs. Weasley physically holding the curtains shut, muffling the occupant as she herself bellowed for her children to get ready.

Hermione and Harry exchanged knowing a glance and a smirk at Ron, who rolled his eyes as they watched the train wreck.

"That is the Weasley family morning ritual in motion, Ange-" Harry shook his head, not knowing why he was about to call Ron another name, "I mean… Ron, and normally, you're a part of it."

Ron didn't respond, his ears going pink as he ducked back into the living room and retrieved his book to read.

"Hmph. Podmore is late." Mad-Eye grumbled, "We're one short of the full guard, and he's got my spare Invisibility Cloak. Lousy timing…"

Harry let out a disgruntled grunt while giving a mental scoff; he didn't really care for a guard, and didn't need it. He hadn't been the General-Commander of the SOLDIER army for nothing, after all. He hadn't been called the Hero of the Wutai War for just show. He hadn't gotten a title like the One-Winged Angel with just his dashing good looks! He hadn't hailed SOLDIER's greatest and easily most powerful First Class member by flashing a smile!

Wait… what?

"Leave your luggage and owls, Alastor's going to take care of them. Check them over before and after." Mrs. Weasley said quietly and quickly to everyone, having abandoned her post as Mrs. Black's silencer, "Harry, you're with me and Tonks. Oh for Merlin's sake, Sirius! Dumbledore told you no!"

Harry blinked and looked over his shoulder for his Godfather, but found the spot empty. Seeing where everyone else's gaze was, Harry looked down to his side and saw that Sirius had transformed into a large black dog, sitting at Harry's side and refusing to be left out.

Pressed for time though as she looked at the nearest clock, Mrs. Weasley sighed and relented, "Well, Alastor is right about us being one short for the guard…"

Harry smiled at nothing particular as he found himself walking briskly to the London train station, easily keeping pace with both Tonks and the Weasley mother of seven while Sirius bounded around them, running happily out in the sun in his Animagus form.

"I see it's been much too long since he's been out." Harry said softly as he saw Sirius chasing cats.

"Well, we've all had to make sacrifices, Harry." Mrs. Weasley said as Harry frowned.

"I wasn't talking about that, and that wasn't the point." Harry said coldly, "However, you are right. His sacrifice is to be stuck in a house he despises, and what is yours?"

Mrs. Weasley said nothing as she and Tonks exchanged looks, having heard from Dumbledore that Harry's temper would flare up occasionally.

"Does Potter seem different to any of you?" Moody asked as he kept his gaze locked on the back of Harry's head.

"Yes, he does seem a tad more graceful." Remus admitted, watching Harry's long strides as though nothing could harm him, "And he's taken more to quiet reclusion, even around us."

"Yes, but the boy seems smarter as well." Moody said, "Smarter, calmer, more calculating, and prideful to the point of arrogance."

"I've only noticed that he is a bit more professional about things as well as cold and distant." Lupin said, sharing a look with Moody, "Though he's always been a bit reclusive, shy, and had that dry sense of humor of his. You don't suppose it could be Voldemort causing these changes, do you, Mad-Eye?"

Moody only grunted as he continued to watch Harry.

All too soon, it seemed, the walk had ended and Harry found himself back on Platform 9 ¾ while staring at the Hogwarts Express.

Barely paying attention to where a disguised Mad-Eye wheeled all of the trunks belonging to himself and his friends and other things around them, Harry glanced down at Padfoot. The Animagus looked back up at him, a glimmer of intelligence behind those canine eyes. Harry knelt down and gave the man-turned-dog a good scratch behind the ears.

"I'll be careful this year, so don't worry too much about me." Harry said as Padfoot let out a low whine, quite clearly communicating that he'd worry no matter what Harry said. Harry smiled amusingly, and yet, he felt a ping of sadness from emotions he had not felt for a long while. There really wasn't much more he could say, what with Voldemort back, was any place truly safe from worry?

Harry stood up as Ron came over to him, their eyes glowed briefly as they shared a knowing look with one another.

"Ya know, with him held up in that house of his, I bet he could find us some pretty good information." Ron said as he gave Harry a look. Harry nodded, an idea coming to him.

"Yeah, he could." Harry agreed, looking down at Sirius, who, as a dog, tilted his head curiously to the side.

Harry knelt back down to Sirius, leaning in close, "Do us a favor, will ya?" Harry whispered, "If you're looking for something to do, could you find out anything you might know on an organization called Shin-Ra? That and anything on the Lifestream, Mako, and Materia. It would be a big help this year, and could pay off for us."

With that, the great black dog barked once happily, before spinning around and chasing its tail for a few seconds.

Harry couldn't help but smile at his godfather's antics as he rose once more to a standing position with Ron smirking beside him while his arms crossed. Now Sirius had something he could do to help, and hopefully wouldn't feel so helpless and trapped in his own home.

"It'll do him and us a Planet of good." Ron said as Harry's eyes glowed brighter, and he pinned Ron with his suddenly sharp gaze. Ron merely smirked back at him.

"Yes, it would…" Harry said softly as Remus and the other gathered around them.

"Well, look after yourselves." Lupin told his compatriots, shaking hands all around before turning to Harry and clapping him on the shoulder, "You too, Harry."

"Yes. Keep your heads low, and your eyes peeled." Moody warned sternly, "And watch what you write! All of you! You never know who's going to see it nowadays."

"It's been great meeting all of you!" Tonks said with a smile, giving Ginny and Hermione a hug. Harry merely smiled as he shared another secretive look with Ron.

He now knew he wasn't the only one experiencing the dreams, and that they were in fact real…

"Interesting…" Harry muttered, a coy smirk playing on his lips.