A/N: Okay, I'm trying to go through the Order of the Phoenix book, and point out as many illogical points as I can while also having this story be original, because… well… we have SOLDIER in it! As well as double-soul characters! Not too mention those sneaky Turks, the powerhouses that were SOLDIER 1st-Class Commanders, and the Commander-General Sephiroth himself as Harry Potter!
So yeah, I may need help remembering all the illogical and/or important parts of the book. So, if you guys can; please, point them out and I'll create practical arguments for them in the chapters to come.
Chapter 5: Her Gift to Us, We the Chosen
"Well…" Harry began, settling back in his seat as he smirked around the room, his cool confidence rebuilding after the supreme shock of his reborn status was brought to the forefront of his mind, "Isn't this interesting…?"
"What happened?" Ron asked as he rubbed his face with his large hands, "One moment it's like I'm here, but also conscious of it in the Lifestream, then the next, it's like someone hit me upside the head with the Buster Sword's flat side and knocked me here completely and utterly."
"The feeling's mutual, Angeal. That's for sure…" Neville said, rubbing his temples, "Oh man, dammit, does my head hurt!"
"Being loud about it isn't gonna help, dufus!" Ginny snapped as her breath began coming out in labored gasps while Hermione winced.
"Take your own advice Ginny." Hermione said, looking only slightly disorientated.
"Why don't I do a head-count for us?" Harry said, his tone showing a slight amusement to it.
"Angeal Hewley, the Honor-bound." Harry said, pointing to Ron.
"Zack Fair, the Puppy." Harry smirked as he pointed at Neville, who gave him a pout at the nickname but then winced as his head pounded.
"And as for you three…" Harry said, quirking a brow as he gazed over the girls, "I have no clue who any of you might be, if reborn at all."
"I am Elena of the Turks, Commander Sephiroth." Luna said calmly as she set aside her magazine, "I've been awaken for also a year now. It's good to see you have as well."
"Nice to meet you, Elena." Harry said velvety, nodding politely to Luna, who nodded back, "Can you identify these agents as well?"
"If I had to harass a guess, sir, I would say that Ginny is Cissinei reborn." Luna said, gesturing to Ginny, who looked on the verge of a panic attack.
"Is there nothing we can do for them before they undergo a complete psychological breakdown?" Harry asked, not sounding truly concerned, but his eyes reflecting the emotion more so than his calm demeanor.
"The integration process is handled differently for each person, sir." Luna said quietly, her airy tone not helping Harry's growing worries, "Though I suppose that since Agent Cissinei is not adapting well to the integration, you could knock her unconscious so that her subconscious mind would do a better job of melding the two personalities and the flood of memories."
"Noted." Harry said as he rose to his feet and stood in front of Ginny. Without a moment's hesitation, he jerked her hair out of the way to expose her neck, and choked her one swift time to the cluster of nerves. Ginny gasped, then went limb in his hold as he laid her back onto the seat, "Anyone else in need of a nap?" Harry asked dryly as Ron stood as well, though far more shakily.
"I'll be fine, and so will Hermione… whoever she may truly be…" Ron said as Hermione nodded, then stood with his help, "If anyone asks, we got hit with a stray hex from one of the Slytherins."
"I'm sure Draco would be more than happy to take credit for it." Harry quipped with a small smirk as Ron smirked back.
"I'm sure he would as well…" Ron muttered with an amused shake of his head before opening the compartment door. Then, he suddenly looked back to where Neville was sitting, "Is the Pup gonna be okay with you?"
As if to answer the question, and seeing that Neville was beginning to sweat, Harry quickly incapacitated the Longbottom boy as well, "I'm sure he'll be fine. Better safe than sorry. Mental breakdowns are a little hard to come back from… or so I've heard…"
"Right…" Ron said slowly as he and Hermione left.
"Well then, Luna, why don't you and I talk about this whole rebirth situation." Harry said more than asked as he retook his seat across from the blonde girl.
"Yes, sir." Luna said, "What is there that you need to know?"
"Let's start with you, agent." Harry said, crossing his legs at the knee, "Name?"
"Elena, sir." Luna answered as Harry smirked.
"Agency?"
"Turks."
"Former appearance?"
"Blonde hair and brown eyes while wearing the standard Turk uniform suit."
"History prior to employment, if any?"
At this, Luna's gaze dropped somewhat as Harry quirked a brow. So, she had a history? Interesting…
"I had a pretty normal life before the Turks, Commander." Luna began slowly, quietly, "My father was a teacher in the Shin-Ra Military Academy. Even my older sister was a member of the Turks. I worked as a bartender in Wall Market during my high school years, and trained at the Military Academy."
"I see…" Harry purred smoothly with a gesture for her to continue, "Go on."
"Well, there isn't much to really tell." Luna said with a shrug as Harry narrowed his glowing emerald eyes, "I sort of followed in my sister's footsteps. Trained with firearms, dropped those classes later on. Took up practicing martial arts instead."
"Okay." Harry said, sitting forward attentively as he saw she wasn't going to readily share her old history. Then again, most of the elite Turks never did, "You said you attended the Shinra Military Academy. What were your finishing scores?"
"Umm…" Luna said, seeming embarrassed as a blush came over her cheeks, "I… I received… mhm hmm…"
"I… didn't quite catch that, even with my impressive hearing." Harry said, steeping his hands with his arms on his knees.
"I received five Elite Emblems…" Luna said as Harry blinked, his eyes wide. While he had never been at the Shinra Military Academy, he had toured it a couple of times, and even sat in on a few classes to scout out future members of the army. From what he remembered, emblems were only given to students who held the highest scores for their exams.
"Impressive." Harry stated truthfully, attempting to reestablish his poise, "Most impressive indeed…"
"Thank you, Commander sir." Luna said, bowing her head slightly.
"So, you must have been considered a prodigy." Harry assumed.
"Well… yes. My obtaining the most Elite Emblems in the school solidified my status as a prodigy and genius among the Academy."
"Anymore of your tale you'd like to share?" Harry asked as Luna looked away from him.
"Perhaps another day… sir." Luna said as Harry nodded. He wouldn't force her, but he had gleamed enough from her to form his hypothesis.
"Which would you prefer; Luna or Elena?" Harry asked softly as Luna looked back at him with a small smile.
"Luna, sir. I like the name." Luna said as Harry nodded.
"Very well." Harry concluded, "It's been nice meeting with you, Luna."
"And with you as well, Commander sir." Luna responded while Harry smirked at her.
"Please, call me Harry. I like the name." Harry said as Luna smirked back.
The weather remained undecided as they traveled further and further north on the Hogwarts Express. Rain spattered the compartment windows half-heartedly, then the sun put in a feeble appearance before the clouds drifted in the way it once more. When darkness fell and the lamps came on inside the carriages, Luna sighed as she rolled up The Quibbler, putting it carefully away in her bag and took to staring at the two unconscious members of the compartment instead.
"Do you think they'll be okay?" Luna asked dreamily, "When they awake, I mean?"
"I'm sure they'll be fine." Harry said with a dismissive wave of his hand, "Zack was always a strong kid, and Neville was getting there slowly as well. Though I have very little experience with Cissinei of the Turks, she was very strong-willed as is Ginny."
"However…" Luna said, sensing the word coming.
"However, if they should not regain conscious before classes begin, then we'll have to entrust their health, both mental and physical, to Madam Pomfrey." Harry said as Luna seemed very worried when Neville began to thrash about lightly as though he were having nightmares.
"We're back!" Hermione announced as she and Ron stepped back into the compartment.
"Still no signs of change, huh?" Ron asked, checking over Neville and Ginny.
"I wouldn't say that. They both seem to be growing more restless every few minutes." Harry said, his glowing eyes staring into Ron's own illuminating orbs, "I believe they are actively experiencing their former life's memories, trying to assimilate the two personalities into one being… or at least, something to that effect."
"Noted." Ron muttered, watching over his sister with an especially close glowing blue eye.
Harry was sitting with his forehead pressed against the train window after an hour of staring at the still unconscious pair. He turned his gaze to try and gain the first distant glimpse of Hogwarts, but the moonless night and the rain-streaked window were too grimy for even his sharp vision to see past.
"We had better change." Hermione said at last, as the conscious members of the compartment all exchanged looks before they opened their trunks and got out their robes.
"I'll take Ginny and dress her somewhere else." Hermione said, opening Ginny's trunk with some difficulty, "Luna, would you help me."
Harry looked to Ron as he saw the red-head and Hermione pinning their Prefect badges carefully to the chests of the school robes. He also watched in amusement as Ron began checking his reflection in the black window.
At last, the train began to slow down and they heard the usual racket up and down train corridor as everybody scrambled to get their luggage and pets assembled, ready to get off. As Ron and Hermione were supposed to supervise all this, they disappeared from the carriage again, leaving Harry and Luna to look after Crookshanks and Pigwidgeon.
"I'll carry the owl, if you like." Luna said to Harry, reaching out for Pigwidgeon as Harry whipped out his wand and animated Neville's body with a spell he barely recalled, making the unconscious boy's eyes snap open before he stowed Trevor carefully in an inside pocket.
"Animation… the wonders of ancient powers…" Harry said with a sigh, handing her the cage while hoisting Hedwig's own cage more securely into his arms.
Hermione or Ron must have animated Ginny before the girls had come back, because as they shuffled out of the compartment feeling the first sting of the night air on their faces, the flame-haired young teen girl had joined them just as they merged with the crowd into the corridor. Slowly, they moved towards the doors as Harry could smell the pine trees that lined the path down to the lake. He stepped down on to the platform and looked around, listening for the familiar call from Hagrid to round up the First Years.
But it did not come. Instead, a quite different voice, a brisk female one, was calling out, "First years line up over here, please! All first-years to me! Yes, yes! This way!"
"Oh no, where is Professor Hagrid?" Luna asked as Harry glanced back at her, recalling what he had been told during his time at number 12 Grimmauld Place.
"He's away on an extended mission." Harry informed quietly as Luna nodded, seeming to understand.
"Noted, sir." Luna said as Harry suddenly became ultra-aware of his surroundings, and ducked as a lantern came swinging over his head. Harry moved back a bit, and narrowed his eyes as he and Luna saw by the lantern's light the prominent chin and severe haircut of Professor Grubbly-Plank, the witch who had taken over Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures lessons for a while the previous year.
"Professor…" Harry greeted quietly as the woman frowned at him.
"You're blocking the doorway, Potter." Grubbly-Plank informed as Harry scowled, but stepped out of the way with Luna at his side.
"She could have at least greeted you back, sir." Luna mumbled as Harry found himself amused.
Harry, instead of remaining annoyed, looked around for Ron and Hermione, wanting to know what they thought about the reappearance of Professor Grubbly-Plank, but neither of them was anywhere near him, so he allowed himself to be shunted forwards on to the dark rain-washed road outside the Hogsmeade Station.
It was there that he would see the hundred or so horseless stagecoaches that always took the students above first year up to the castle. Harry glanced quickly at them, turning away to keep a lookout for Ron and Hermione.
But then he did a double-take while arching a brow as he gazed more intently at them.
The coaches were no longer horseless…
In fact, there were these… creatures standing between the carriage shafts. If he had had to give them a name, he supposed he would have called them horses, though there was something reptilian about them, too. They were completely fleshless, their black coats clinging to their skeletons, of which every bone was visible. Their heads were dragonish, and their pupil-less eyes were white and staring. Wings sprouted from each withering creature; vast, black, leathery wings that looked as though they ought to belong to giant bats. Standing still and quiet in the gathering gloom, the creatures looked eerie and sinister. Harry wondered if it was truly these creatures that had been moving the coaches along and not simply magic moving them along by themselves.
"Where's Pig?" Ron's voice came from right behind Harry smoothly.
"Luna was carrying him as you seemed to simply leave without any means of your animal's transport." Harry said, turning around slowly despite his eagerness to consult Ron about Hagrid's absence. Turning, he noted that Luna was no clue with him… Huh…
"Not sure if you noticed, but Hagrid is gone." Ron said, sounding vaguely worried, "He'd better be okay…"
A short distance away, Draco Malfoy, followed by a small gang of his cronies including Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy Parkinson, was charming some timid-looking second-year girls out of the way so that he and his friends could get a coach to themselves. Seconds later, Hermione emerged panting from the crowd.
"Already abusing… his bloody power…" Hermione huffed as Harry and Ron exchanged amused looks.
"I think Draco's more of him abusing his good looks rather than his power as a Prefect." Harry commented as he watched for any sign of Ginny or Luna.
"Yeah well, Pansy Parkinson has been being absolutely foul to the first-years back there. I swear I'm going to report her." Hermione said while looking cross, "She's only had her badge for three minutes, and she's already using it to bully people worse than ever… Harry, where's Crookshanks?"
Harry merely quirked a brow at her, "I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was my responsibility to look after both your pets after the two of you so suddenly took off in order to… what was it? Basically stand around and look pretty?" Harry snarked, "Next time, perhaps you'll at least give me some warning before this sort of thing happens."
"So…?"
"Ginny's got your cat, and Luna has your owl." Harry said dryly as he turned his friends around, "Here Ginny comes now…"
True to his word, Ginny had just emerged from the crowd, clutching a squirming Crookshanks.
"Thank you, Ginny." Hermione said, relieving Ginny of the cat while Harry and Ron exchanged looks. Ginny didn't seem to be under any form of spell any longer. In fact, she seemed perfectly normal…
"Come on, let's get a carriage together before they all fill up…" Hermione suggested as Ron turned on her.
"I haven't got Pig yet!" Ron whined playfully, but Hermione was already heading off towards the nearest unoccupied coach. Harry chuckled smoothly as remained behind with a fuming Ron.
"Hey!" Ron called after her as Hermione turned and gave a smirk.
"I don't care about your pet, I've already got mine!" Hermione teased, sticking her tongue out at him as Harry chuckled even more while Ron looked more amused than angry.
"That's not very nice, nor is it very honorable." Ron said trying to keep a straight face but failing miserably.
"What are those beasts pulling the carriages?" Harry asked casually as he nodded toward the horrible horses as the other students surged past them.
"What things?" Ron asked with a funny look.
"Those horse-"
Luna appeared holding Pigwidgeon's cage in her arms; the tiny owl twittering excitedly as usual.
"Here you are, Commander sir." Luna said respectfully as she handed Ron the cage, "He's sweet little owl, sir."
"Er… yeah… he's all right, Miss…?"
"Luna Lovegood, Commander Hewley, sir." Luna introduced herself, shaking Ron's hand firmly as he glanced at Harry, who appeared deeply bemused by the carriages.
"Yes, well, it's a pleasure, I'm sure." Ron said gruffly, "Come on then, let's get in. What were you saying, Harry?"
"Ron?" Harry called as Ron looked to him.
"Yeah, mate?"
"If I were to tell you that I'm seeing strange creatures pulling the carriages to school, would you tell me that I'm seeing things no one else can?"
Ron blinked at the unusual question, but then looked to where Harry was gazing, "Sorry to say it, but I just don't see anything. Are you feeling alright?"
"I'm… not sure." Harry responded slowly, "Perhaps my own integration did not go as well as I had believed. Hermione?"
"Yes, Harry?" Hermione answered back from inside the carriage while Harry and the others gathered around it. Ginny had apparently found Neville, who was still blank-faced and slightly drooling now.
"Are there creatures that are invisible to some, but not to everyone?" Harry asked as Hermione bit her lip, racking her brain for an answer.
"I don't know… I'm sure there are, but why would they reveal themselves to you and not us?" Hermione asked as Harry could do nothing more than shrug.
"I haven't the slightest idea…" Harry said honestly, though he had initial thought with dread that it was because of Jenova cells and the like.
"Don't worry, sir." Luna reassured him, "You're not going insane. I can see them too."
"You can?" Harry asked dryly with a hint of skepticism to his tone. He wasn't sure what to make of it. From what he had gleamed from on the train ride, Luna Lovegood seemed to believe in several creatures that he'd never heard of. Then again, for all he knew they could all be just as real as their won reincarnation was, "Have they-?"
"They've always been there, pulling the carriages, sir." Luna stated calmly, dreamily, "I've been able to see them since my first day here."
"Ahh!" Neville shouted as he jerked forth, his eyes blinking rapidly while they filled with a warm glow, "Wh-What happened? Where am I?"
"Nice to see you're awake. Have a nice nap?" Ron quipped with a smirk as Neville was still looking around in all directions.
"Ron…" Neville said, but then saw the warm blue glow in Ron's eyes that only one man possessed so purely, "An-Angeal?"
"Not here, Pup." Ron said firmly as Neville, still looking deep confused as to where he was, nodded. Then he turned and gasped.
"What are those things?" Neville asked as he jumped back while Ron only raised a brow while Neville pointed at the thin air in front of the carriage, "Wait… I remember now…"
"So you're saying that you, too, can see these beasts?" Harry asked as Neville nodded slowly.
"Yeah… I remember now… They're called Thestrals…" Neville informed before glancing at Harry. He was about to shout in surprise at seeing those illuminating green eyes which had once been filled with madness and insanity, but bit his tongue to stay quiet.
"You can only see them once you've seen death take place before your own eyes, sir." Luna informed as Harry quirked a brow.
Harry lowered his eyes to the ground as his heart gave a single pang of guilt and sorrow. While he still felt nothing for Cedric's death taking place, he did feel guilt and sorrow for the part in it that he played. He felt pain for how senseless Cedric had died as nothing more than spare to Voldemort's eyes. He sighed, before suddenly realizing that eyes were upon him. The others must have realized that he was thinking of Cedric's demise at the hands of Voldemort… or rather, Peter Pettigrew otherwise known as Wormtail.
"So the two of you have witnessed death as well." Harry asked tonelessly as they clambered into the carriage.
"Yes, sir." Luna said as Neville watched him closely.
"It was my grandfather…" Neville said as they all looked to Luna.
"For me, it was my mother." Luna said casually, "She liked to experiment, and one day when I was nine, one of those went wrong. It was rather horrible." Luna admitted in a conversational sort of tone, as though she were talking about the latest news rather than a deeply traumatic event of her mother's passing.
Hermione actually winced at the information, patting Luna's shoulder as the two sat together, "I'm sorry to hear that." Hermione offered as Luna shrugged.
"I supposed that I'll always feel sad about it sometimes, but I still have my Dad." Luna said as Harry admired her strength to see the bright side of things, "Besides, it's not like I won't see her again after my own death. I'm just glad she didn't come back as a ghost, forever haunting this plane of existence… It would grow to be frightfully dull after a while. Besides, she's with the Lifestream now, and I'm sure the Goddess is watching over her."
Strange though her tone was, Harry felt himself smile. The Lifestream and Mako Energy were both constant reminders that there was an afterlife. When he had died as Sephiroth, he could not remember what he had done in the Lifestream, but at the looks Ron and Neville were exchanging, it was obvious that the two had stayed great friends even in the Lifestream.
Perhaps Angeal had even guided young Zack on his return to the lifeblood of the Planet…
"You're right, Luna Lovegood." Harry agreed, startling the others who had been quite solemn at her words and now surprised that he was both speaking and agreeing with her, "We'll get to see them all again someday in the Lifestream."
"Yeah, now let's get off this subject." Neville said cheerfully while Ron chuckled at the boy, "Enough with all the gloom and doom. Save it for later."
Harry found himself chuckling as they began the ride up to the castle. Neville and Luna told everyone about their summers, while Harry related his experience at the trial and how he and Dumbledore had turned things back around on the Ministry. But all too soon, they had arrived at the castle.
Exiting the carriage, Harry led the way to the Great Hall, with Ron and Hermione at both his sides while Luna drifted away towards the Ravenclaw table.
Before she went, Harry touched her on the shoulder and gave a simple, whispered, "Thank you."
"Anytime, sir." Luna said with a small smile, and with that Luna pulled away gently and sat down at her table while Harry watched her go.
Harry sighed as he went over to the Gryffindor table, sitting across from Ron, who smiled. Hermione sat beside him while Neville went and sat next to Ron, laughing and joking as he threw an arm over Ron's shoulder while Ron quickly threw him off his person while a barely suppressed smile. Seeing that a member of their group was missing, Harry looked up to see Ginny standing with some fourth-years that must have flagged her down before the red-haired girl managed to get a seat on his other side in front of Neville while Hermione sat in front of Dean Thomas.
Glancing up at the staff table, Harry's eyes widened as he realized once again that Hagrid was missing from the Opening Feast.
"Hagrid's not here." Ginny said as Ron and Hermione looked up suddenly, scanning the staff table as well, though it was clearly evident Ginny had spoken the truth.
"How could you have not noticed? Hagrid's simply too large to miss, being half-giant and all." Harry quipped dryly as Ron and Hermione ignored his remark.
"That's odd…" Hermione murmured, her brows knitting together to figure out this great mystery which Harry already knew the answer to, "You don't think he's… hurt or anything? Do you?"
"No." Harry replied at once, his voice nearly toneless, "He's still on his mission. It just must be taking longer than any of us expected."
"That was the reason I asked my question though." Hermione said as Harry narrowed his eyes slightly.
"And I gave my answer, didn't I?"
"Sorry…" Hermione muttered, "I'm just worried."
"I know." was all Harry said.
Hermione bit her lip, looking unsure if she should further apologize before someone up at the staff table caught her eye, "Who's that?" she suddenly asked sharply, pointing towards the middle.
Harry took a closer look. In the center, in his tall, high-backed golden chair, was Dumbledore, wearing deep-purple robes scattered with stars and a matching hat. Continuing on, Harry saw that Dumbledore seemed to be listening to a squat little woman who was wearing a fluffy pink cardigan that did nothing to detract from her toad-like face… Harry nearly gave a start as he recognized her, but narrowed his eyes.
"It's the woman from my hearing. Umbridge, I think it was. She works for Fudge, and keeps his ego inflated like a balloon of hot air." Harry informed as Ron also narrowed his eyes.
"I guess we don't need to figure out who this year's Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher will be now." Ron commented, his blue eyes still glancing up at Umbridge, "She doesn't look like much…"
"Near do we." Harry said, and with that they all narrowed their eyes at the woman, not daring to take her lightly.
"Do you know anything about her?" Hermione asked Harry quickly as he racked his brains for a few moments.
"Not really, no. All I know is that the dullard of a woman voted against me…" Harry said, "And that she seems to either really respect Fudge, or at the very least, greatly appeases the fool."
Hermione groaned, "That's not good." she said as Harry arched a brow upward.
"You're bloody well right it's not." Ron agreed sharing a look with Harry, "If she's firmly on Fudge's side, then you can bet your Materia that she's going to do her best to make you recant that Voldemort's back, and make this year absolutely miserable for you."
"I'd like to see her try." Harry snarled like a dangerous lion as his expression darkened while staring up at the woman at the staff table. Perhaps feeling his eyes upon her, she turned to look at him, and the two locked gazes. She smirked, and Harry felt a flash of anger at her, despite her not having done anything yet. He, however, did smirk back at her as he leaned over to his friends.
"So, it's her turn, huh?" Ron chuckled darkly, "I wonder if she knows about your history regarding Defense teachers?"
"What history do you mean?" Harry asked with faux innocence that wasn't fooling anyone, "Do you mean the first one being dead literally be my hand? The one having lost all his memory by his own? The one sacked? Or maybe the one Kissed by dementors?" Harry listed.
"What next? Suicide by Potter?" Neville asked with a laugh as Hermione gave him a look.
"Ron, control him!" Hermione cried out, looking scandalized.
"What? Pup speaks the truth." Ron said pleasantly with a shrug and smirk, "Harry here has had something to do with every single Defense teacher having lost their job since we came here." Ron defended his former student and reborn friend.
"Harsh, but a true statement none the less." Harry mused, ignoring his two best friends, "So far, each of the Defense Professors have left in a way rather ironic to themselves."
"How so?" Ron queried as Harry looked to him.
"Quirrel, who sought the Elixir of Life, died from the life-giving protection my mother left me." Harry started on his index finger, "Lockhart, who had made a living off of Memory Charms, erased his entire life away with the very spell that attributed to his success."
"I get it." Hermione said, "Professor Lupin, who taught us how to defend ourselves against Dark creatures, was revealed to be a Dark creature himself."
"Correct." Harry said with a nod.
"And Crouch Junior?" Neville asked as Ginny looked curious as well.
"He wanted to help resurrect Voldemort, but was Kissed by the very dementors that would soon join under his evil and dark master." Harry said as Ron smirked.
"Ya know, if the trend continues this way, I wonder how Umbridge will go?" Ron said as Neville and Ginny snickered.
"Yeah! Probably eaten by a giant toad or something!" Neville joked as even Harry and Hermione found themselves chuckling at the idea.
"It must be time for the sorting, then." Ginny said as she noticed Professor Grubbly-Plank appear behind the staff table and seat herself in what should have been Hagrid's seat.
"Indeed…" Harry replied as Professor McGonagall opened the Great Hall doors a few seconds later, leading the new first years into the magical dinning room.
The buzz of talk that had permeated the Great Hall mere moments before now faded, and Professor McGonagall set down the customary stool and the Sorting Hat. The rip on its brim opened wide like a mouth, and the Sorting Hat began to sing its song.
"Branched out a bit, hasn't it?" Ron commented with crossed arms after the Hat's song was sung.
"Yeah…" Harry agreed, looking pensively at the Hat with narrowed green eyes. Usually, the Sorting Hat stuck to describing the qualities sought by the four Houses…
"I don't remember it ever giving out warnings before." Hermione said as Harry didn't either. But then again, he had only been able to be there for two of his four previous years' beginning feasts and Sort ceremonies due to… unfortunate circumstances.
"That's the advice it always gives, when the times are troubled." Nearly-Headless Nick, the Gryffindor House ghost, told them knowledgeably as he drifted by, "Be strong from within, unite the Houses."
"It's not a bad idea." Hermione said in a very thoughtful tone of voice, "If the children are united, then it follows that their parents will as well, for their sake."
Neville snorted as Ron gave him a cross look, "What, An-… I mean, Ron! As if the Slytherins would make nice with us." Neville argued derisively.
Harry frowned at Neville's comment. It rubbed him the wrong way somehow, despite how he could clearly see many of the returning Slytherins glaring in their direction, "You know…" Harry began slowly, "I was nearly sorted into Slytherin in the beginning, Neville. They can't be all bad. Especially not since we now have an agent in their lair, at least."
Neville opened his mouth to answer, but Ron promptly shushed him with a sharp look. Professor McGonagall was starting to call out the names of the new students.
Shortly thereafter, every new student was sitting with their respective House, and Dumbledore rose to address the school.
"To our newcomers, welcome!" the twinkling-eyed Headmaster began with a beaming smile and wide arms, "To our old hands; welcome back! There is a time for speechmaking, but this is not it. Tuck in!"
Harry couldn't help but chuckle and clap his hands with the majority of the students as Dumbledore sat neatly. The man was quite amusing. Harry turned on the bench that he and the others were seated on just in time for a delicious feast to appear on all the tables.
Taking some steak and kidney pie, Harry kept quiet as he listened to Neville talk animatedly with Ron and Hermione, both looking amused with the change in the normally timid boy. Harry, however, found his thoughts wandering to the disgusting fact that the Ministry observing the school just to find further reasons to discredit him and Dumbledore. With Fudge's refusal to admit that Voldemort had returned, Harry already knew that he'd need to work quietly, and especially quietly, to get stronger, make some allies, and try to cripple whatever threats (from Voldemort, the Ministry, and anything else) he could.
At the last thought, Harry found his eyes fixed on Draco Malfoy at the Slytherin table. As if Harry's gaze were a magnet, Draco looked away from his plate and locked glowing eyes with his archrival. The platinum blond smirked again like he had on the train before flipping his hair back arrogantly. Harry found himself scoffing at the boy's flamboyant and slyly charming nature.
That was completely the charm of Genesis Rhaposodos, and yet, with the same sophisticated flare of Draco Malfoy…
"Arrogant little tart, ain't he?" on asked, having seen the quiet exchange between Harry and Malfoy.
"Yes…" Harry replied quietly with a small soft smile, "Yes he is…"
Harry sighed as he focused his mind on the thought of reincarnation. He was still Sephiroth, and he feared that he would never be able to properly repent for his insane actions all those years ago before his death at the hands of Cloud Strife while having his memories of that time. True, there were still large gaps in his memory of the past life, but he did remember that he was Sephiroth and he shivered as he remembered his last actions before death.
How was he to recant for those actions when he could no longer be at peace in the Lifestream, or live the simple chaotic life of Harry Potter?
Harry was interrupted on his mental subject of rebirth and what was best for him when his superior hearing heard the ridiculous way that Umbridge cleared her throat. He glared slightly as h looked up to see the stout woman rise to her feet… right in the middle of Dumbledore's speech! That was a shock for everyone as Ron and even his own eyes were just as wide as everyone else's eyes.
Dumbledore looked a little taken aback, but recovered gracefully as he sat down smartly, attentively watching the Ministry representative as though he would love nothing more than to listen to her speak. The other teachers, however, Harry noticed, were not nearly so composed in their reactions toward the blatant form of disrespect aimed at their Headmaster. Professor McGonagall's lips were no longer visible to the normal eye as Harry saw that they had thinned so much so that they were only a line to be seen. Professor Flitwick, and even Snape and Professor Sinistra, were outright staring incredulously before Snape coolly school his features and sat back impassively.
Glancing around the Great Hall, Harry saw nothing but confused and wary (mostly from Slytherin table) looks directed toward Umbridge and some his way as well, though he didn't know why. But apparently his matching expression of aloof surprise was enough of an answer for them, as they turned once more to Umbridge.
"Thank you, Headmaster," Professor Umbridge simpered, her falsity not unnoticed by all those that could notice, "for those kind words of welcome."
Harry glanced at Ron, who was staring incredulously up at Umbridge.
"Ange- I mean, Ron… Did I miss something?" Neville asked as Ron regained his composure.
"No, Pup." Ron said, a grimace on his face, "We've just entered the nauseating void of politics."
"You think so?" Harry asked quietly as Ron only nodded, crossing his arms over his chest as his gaze settled once again on Umbridge. Harry, too, turned back to the woman, paying close attention to her words. Sure, he hadn't actually been paying attention to Dumbledore's actual words, but he hardly wanted to miss anything this dullard of a woman said now that even Ron wanted to hear.
Umbridge cleared her throat again, apparently only a little taken aback by the stark silence and stares the children gave her, "Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" She smiled widely, but it struck Harry as very false and subtly forced, "And to see all your bright… happy… little faces… looking up at me!"
"Okay, she has to be completely blind." Neville deadpanned as Ron smacked him in the back of the head, but Harry had to agree with the excitable boy's words. Plus, the simpleton was speaking down to them like they were five years old.
She would pay for that one day, a dark whisper in the back of Harry's mind said as he smirked darkly.
"You said it, Neville." Seamus whispered over to him as Neville smiled, only to be hit again while others around them were mumbling and nodding in agreement.
Hearing the noise and seeing their movements, Umbridge's attention was drawn toward them, or more specifically, toward Harry. Harry met her brazen gaze stolidly and unflappably, daring her to comment as his eyes glowed darkly. She shivered at the ominous glow to his emerald orbs, and after a few moments of the staring contest, broke the stalemate and looked in the complete other side of the room while readdressing the school in her dull, rehearsed tone, as though she'd memorize her speech for just this moment and for purpose.
"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction." Umbridge said with her falsely sweet smile, "The ancient skills unique to the wizarding community must be passed down the generations lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching."
Harry and Ron exchanged narrowed glances as they noticed how Professor Umbridge deliberately paused and made a little bow to her now fellow staff members, none of whom bowed back to her and few who gave disgusted looks better hidden than others. McGonagall and Snape, much to Harry and Ron's surprise, seemed to be in unconscious synchronization as identical expressions of white lips firmly pressed together in thin lines showed. It looked as though the two accredited teachers were struggling to hold back whatever they wanted to say, and their furrowed brows that obviously meant that they were displeased but unable to do anything about it at the present.
The reason for Harry knowing what their looks meant? He'd seen the look often enough on their faces whenever he was at the center of trouble, which was to say; very often during the school year.
Harry was once again interrupted in his thoughts as Umbridge once more cleared her throat with that annoying "Hem, Hem" of hers. She opened her mouth to continue her spiel.
"I think someone needs a damn cough-drop." Neville muttered mutinously, unable to help himself while Ron sighed and Harry quirked an amused brow with a small smirk. Harry found himself agreeing with the formerly rookie Second-Class officer in the Shinra Armed Forces as Umbridge had made that extremely irritating sound of clearing her throat several times in the last few minutes.
Harry's smirk fell as he found himself annoyed with her continuation as he could think of an entire plethora of better things to do than to listen to one of Fudge's Undersecretaries and now Ministry representatives give pointlessly lengthy speeches that threatened to bore him and everyone else in the Great Hall into oblivion.
Hermione, for once, didn't even spare any of them a glance. Looking to her, Harry saw that she was staring avidly at Umbridge as though she were trying to puzzle out something. The last time Harry had seen such a look on her face, it was when she was figuring out what the monster of the Chamber of Secrets was.
"Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historically and educationally-exemplary school. And that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay." Umbridge said, moving across the platform which the staff table sat upon while gazing over the crowd of students, "There again, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation, because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognized as errors of judgment."
"What exactly is she playing at with this?" Ron asked in a deep rumble as he leaned over to Harry, who barely cast him a glance, but was giving him his attention.
I don't know, but the idiocy spouting forth from her mouth is beginning to give me a headache." Harry quipped dryly as Ron grinned a little.
"Progress for progress's sake must be discouraged?" Ginny echoed skeptically as she narrowed her eyes, a sparking glow in them, "Progress is only ever done because of a discovered flaw."
"Again I ask: What is she playing at?" Ron said as they all watched the stout woman in pink move upon while gazing over how well received her last statements were.
"Hem, hem…" Umbridge cleared her throat as Harry felt his eye give the barest of a twitch in annoyance, "Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited."
"Pruning practices that ought to be prohibited…?" Harry heard Hermione mutter as he looked to her.
"It means that she'll most likely be deciding what we can and can't learn here at school." Harry said as Hermione turned to him, meeting his eyes with a look of abstract horror, but then a look of understanding came across her face as she recalled something and came to the conclusion.
"The Educational Decrees…" Hermione breathed as Harry nodded, seeing that she was catching on. It felt so surreal with him being a step ahead of her and watching her figure things out which he understood almost instantly.
Harry, however, also had to give the Ministry some points for their little scheme. As with the Educational Decrees getting Umbridge in, it also gave the Ministry a way to watch Hogwarts, get an agent inside Hogwarts, and the power to create and enforce other Educational Decrees without it seeming too suspicious and insane.
"Though it's me they're going against… and Dumbledore, too. These poor dullards are going to end up crushed and defeated beyond their most far-reaching nightmares." Harry thought as a dark grin came over his face, "They may be trying to reduce Dumbledore's power as much as possible, and punish me for telling the truth, but these fools let out one important fact when factoring in me as their adversary; I'm the One-Winged Heartless Angel, and all fall before me in the end."
Even with that in mind, Harry still found himself subtly clenching his fists under the table as he glared at Umbridge. He'd had it with the Ministry's foolishness, and he wanted nothing more than for the amphibian-like woman to be gone.
Shifting his gaze over to rest on the other teachers, he was slightly amused to see Professor McGonagall looked almost angry, and that Snape's mouth had twisted into a derisive sneer. Professor Sprout's face was a mask of unpleasant surprise, while Dumbledore's own expression gave near to nothing away, though Harry took notice of how the ever-present twinkle in the aged Headmaster's eyes had diminished significantly.
Umbridge had sat down, and Harry fell back into his normal routine of pensive thought while Dumbledore and the other teachers gave only a couple of claps. The students themselves seemed to have been suffering greatly from their boredom and some were even taken completely by surprise that it was finally over, as not one of the students applauded.
Harry was barely aware when Dumbledore dismissed the school, automatically rising from his seat as others did the same.
Hermione leapt up from beside him, breaking his thoughts as she shouted at Ron, "Ron! We're supposed to bring the First-years to the common room!"
"Oh yeah… !" Ron said, crossing his arms.
"Here, let me help." Neville said before he stood leaning over the Gryffindor table, "Oi! Oi, you lot! Midgets! Prefects over here, midgets!"
"Thanks…" Ron said dryly as Neville gave a bright smile.
"Neville, you can't call them that." Hermione scolded before turning kindly to the new students of their House, "First-years! Yes, First-years, follow us please!"
"But they're so small…" Neville whispered to Harry and Ginny, "There's no way we were ever that small."
"You still can't call them that." Ginny said, though the look of amusement on her face betrayed her.
Harry grinned at a pair of particularly small First-years. They looked terrified as they gazed up at him, hurrying away and whispering to each other while somewhat more pale than before. Harry's grin fell instantly. "It was nice chatting with you, too…" he muttered dryly before he turned on heel and set off out of the hall.
"My friend, do you fly away now? To a world that abhors you and I?" a voice behind him asked as Harry turned to see Draco Malfoy leaning coolly against the wall next to a suit of armor.
"Loveless: Act Three." Harry identified as Draco smiled.
"So, you remembered?" Draco asked as Harry merely smirked before tapping at his temple.
"How could I not, when you've beaten it into my head." Harry said as Draco nodded.
"It's good to have you back, old friend." Draco said as Harry smiled.
"I didn't realize I had gone anywhere you could not follow." Harry quipped with his dry sense of sarcastic humor, "Forgive me for not getting you a souvenir."
"Okay." Draco said with an arrogant smirk, "You're forgiven."
"How pompous." Harry commented as Draco shrugged.
"You say pompous, I say prideful within proper and reasonable perimeters." Draco countered as Harry smiled visibly so.
"I missed this." Harry said quietly so that only Draco could hear as they began to walk, "I think… I think that even when I was unaware of our rebirth, I missed it. Did you?"
"I think it was the reason I continued to dog and scorn you after you refused my hand in friendship." Draco said airily as Harry scoffed. Even now in rebirth, Genesis could never be direct in his responses.
"So what do we do now, Commander-in-Chief?" Draco asked, stopping at the staircase while Harry chuckled, the sound of his amusement still as wondrous as it was back in the days of Shinra because of just how rare it was heard by others.
"Funny, very funny." Harry commented, "Angeal called me Commander-General, and Elena of the Turks continues to call me sir and Commander. I, however, don't recalled being called by those titles by either of you or Angeal in our last times together."
"Perhaps, perhaps not." Draco said vaguely with a smirk as he tossed his hair back.
"We need to establish all of those that have been re-awoken by the Goddess." Harry said, his tone serious as Draco nodded.
"We also need to figure out if this is the Planet or another one. As I remember correctly, only the Cetra and those descended from their race were able to use magic without Materia." Draco said, his glowing grey eyes narrowing in thought, "Also, we must regain our former prowess and weaponry."
"Why?" Harry asked, a brow raised, "While I toyed with the idea on the way up to the school, it doesn't seem necessary to deal with the dullards that lull and lurk upon this Planet. Not even against that fool Voldemort."
"Perhaps…" Draco breathed before turning to Harry with a pout, "But I simply cannot live a life without my rapier."
"Oh, you mean the rapier you so creatively and affectionately named… Rapier?" Harry asked dryly as Draco's pout grew.
"Yes! That one! I need my baby." Draco whined, "Oh, and my book! I need my Loveless."
"I believe I have a copy of that one." Harry said as Draco's eyes lit up in a way that was not the unconscious surge of energy which dwelled just under their surfaces, "But enough of this banter. So, we have our starting points."
"Yes." Draco said, a hand gently resting on the staircase's banner, "We must find out who all were reborn, if we're on the Planet, and regain our lost prowess and weapons."
"That last one is still debatable." Harry said firmly, "We have been reborn, not repeated. This is a new age for us, not one to bring about the same tired routines."
"Okay, I'll admit that sounds like a reasonable argument." Draco conceded, but moved closer to Harry so they no more than a breath away, "But I'm also concerned that your main reason for not wanting to regain such is because… you're afraid that you'll fall back into the spell of insanity you had before…"
Harry's eyes flashed as he glared daggers at Draco, who seemed unfazed and even confident as always that he was right, "You weren't even alive during that. The way I hear it, you died in a field with your pride as SOLDIER."
"Tales of my demise were greatly exaggerated." Draco replied softly, though his tone was full of mirth, "I was rescued and restored by some rebels. I then placed myself in a sealing sleep until it was my time to fulfill the role of the hero in our tale."
"Still only motivated by your own pride and lost there of, huh?" Harry asked, "How petty."
"Perhaps." Draco said, "But you'll not distract me from the truth. We all have our faults, Sephiroth. One of your own is that you don't easily let go of the past; whether it was that of your supposed mother's, or your own."
Harry flinched at the mention of that… that thing which had claimed to be his mother and puppeted his insanity and actions, even when he had been killed and his soul within the Lifestream.
No… he could not allow that to happen again… He would not allow it…
"I can see it in your eyes." Draco said, sighing dramatically, "Your soul, corrupted by vengeance… Hath endured torment, to find the end of the journey… In your own salvation-"
"Still you quote Loveless." Harry snapped irritably as Draco only smirked wider, "Even in rebirth you never change."
"Perhaps…" Draco said airily while tossing his hair back arrogantly, "But do not worry, my friend. For you are beloved by the Goddess. You are Hero of the Dawn… Healer of Worlds…"
Harry said nothing, even though he was greatly surprised when Draco laid a hand on his shoulder and gave him a reassuring squeeze of both comfort and friendly affection. Draco, nor Genesis were particularly intimate people, but just like himself, the two-in-one only showed so when they felt truly elated or truly concerned.
And Harry had to bitterly and begrudgingly be aware that Draco was the latter of the two emotions… Ugh, concerned for him… It sickened him deeply as he felt it would be too close to pity had it been anyone else.
Thankfully, neither Draco nor Genesis ever showed pity for anyone or anything, and Harry amusingly mused that the red-head turned blond didn't know how to feel such an emotion.
The two didn't talk anymore as Draco walked with Harry until they were around the corner from his House entrance.
"Remember what I said, Potter." Draco said, though with no bite, and even a trace of worry in his voice as Harry nodded firmly. He would.
In fact, he had a lot of thinking over to do…
Draco and he parted ways as Harry made his way through the crowded castle towards the portrait of the Fat Lady.
"Hmm… Err…" said Harry when he reached the portrait, only to realize that he didn't know the new password.
"No password, no entry." the Fat Lady said sternly as Harry felt his ire rise for his situation. Typical… He knew that he should have followed his friends when they were guiding the First-year brats up to the Gryffindor dormitory.
"Something wrong?" Neville asked, his eyes lingering warily on Harry as he didn't quite blame the boy for the caution when alone around him. The last time they had met before rebirth, he had given young Zackary Fair one most sound and insane-driven beating, as though the boy was nothing more than a foot soldier instead of his equal in rank.
But then again, he was, or rather, had been Sephiroth, so it made sense no matter what way you put it…
"I don't have the password." Harry said, casting a glance at the strange cactus Neville was now carrying.
"Oh, that's an easy one." Neville said, puffing his chest out proudly, "So long as you don't go insane and try to kill me again."
Harry, seeing that the boy was trying to get over his fear, smirked lightly, "I think I can manage that."
"Good, now stand aside and let the Zack Man-… ugh… I mean, the Nev, take care of everything!" Harry raised an eyebrow, but did step aside as Neville stepped up to the Fat Lady's portrait.
"Password." she asked as Neville grinned, holding up his strangely moving cactus.
"Mimbulus Mimbletonia!" Neville said as though he were intoning some ancient power instead of pride in his Herbology skills. Harry's brow quirked even higher when the portrait swung open to reveal the Gryffindor common room.
"How amusing." Harry said, entering after Neville, "Our password is the name of a secreting cactus… what joy will I have remembering that…" Harry quipped dryly before waving goodnight to his friends in the common room and making his way up to the Fifth-year boy's dorm room. He wanted to some peace and quiet for the rest of the night, and his fellow Housemates weren't going to give him it if he didn't act quickly and get up to the room.
However, that plan failed as it seemed that Dean and Seamus had apparently made it in before him, and had just started digging posters out of their trunks. Dean was pulling out a Muggle football poster, but Harry was more curious about why they'd suddenly stopped talking. His superior sense of hearing had heard their voices on the way up, but as soon as the door had opened they had silenced. He toyed with the thought that it might have been a personal and private conversation, but in the end he shrugged as he really didn't care too much and he had bigger and better things to worry about.
"Hello." Harry greeted disinterestedly, almost as though he was distracted.
"Hey, Harry. How was your summer?" Dean asked as Harry was about to go with the automatic "fine", but decided to actually be truthful for once.
"It was horrid." Harry said dryly, arching a brow, "And yours, Dean?"
"Umm… It was… It was alright…" Dean said, a bit taken back by both Harry's answer and from not truly having expected such an answer, "Wh-Why was it so horrid?"
"Well, I was attacked by dementors in the muggle neighborhood I live," Harry said shortly as he opened his trunk, "Then the Ministry tried to expel me for using underage magic to protect myself and my cousin from said dementors, but then when I inquired about it, they put me to trial by the entire Wizengamot."
Dean's jaw dropped and Seamus turned around with a strange expression, one that Harry couldn't readily decipher as he only glanced up to gauge their reactions, but he could tell it was obvious a tone of incredulous.
"You're kidding!" Dean shouted, "R-Right?"
"I wish I were. But sadly… that it not the case." Harry said dispassionately as he flipped up the back of his robes to sit on the edge of his bed, relaxing for a moment before he went to do his nightly rituals of hygiene, "That dullard, Minister Fudge, didn't believe that there had been dementors there."
"Why not?" Seamus asked, a look of slightly skepticality on his face.
"Well, why would he?" Harry threw back with barely any emotion in his tone, "After all, they're supposed to be under the Ministry's control. Worse yet, there wasn't exactly any proof that the dementors had been there. No one got Kissed, and the only ones attacked were me and my cousin. I'm just glad that Dumbledore was there at the trial, even though Fudge changed the time of the trial on the morning of it." Harry said, fudging the truth a bit so as not to bring much more attention to himself than he already was. He hadn't actually needed Dumbledore, but it had been a good thing the man was there to restrain him from mass murder of a room filled with dullards and shrews.
Seamus laughed humorlessly, taking Harry for a joke but while seeing the look on the famous boy's face, also could not, "Looks like you and I are both lucky to be coming back to Hogwarts this year."
That caused Harry quirk a brow highly, his gaze resting on Seamus, who wasn't looking at him, but pulling on his pajamas.
"What?" Harry asked, not sure why he was so shocked by that small tip of information. Seamus not coming back to Hogwarts? It seemed also criminal now that Harry thought about it.
"Me mum didn't want me coming back to Hogwarts." Seamus answered as Harry's brow only rose higher. Why would his mother not want him to come back to Hogwarts. He had to admit, even though he ran into danger every single year, for everyone that stayed away from him, Hogwarts couldn't be a more safe place.
"Why?" Harry asked as though he were bored, but the two boys were catching on quickly as they heard the incredulous and shocked undertone.
"Well… because of you, I suppose…" Seamus replied calmly, his head bowed without meeting Harry's gaze as if he were ashamed to admit it.
Harry only sighed, "So… your mother believes the Daily Prophet to be true, and now harbors the idea that I am an attention-seeking liar, and that Dumbledore's an old fool past his time? Am I correct, Seamus?"
Seamus fidgeted for a few moments before shrugging, still looking down at his feet like a scolded child who had done wrong, "Yeah… Something like that…" Seamus muttered before looking up, "But I don't believe it!"
"And why not, Seamus?" Harry asked curiously, allowing his tone to show it as he leaned forward.
"Well, it seems like every year or so people have some different theory about you they believe in. Sorta like the muggles in America got with their celebrities." Seamus said, kicking at the floor as he finally looked up to meet Harry's gaze. Harry supposed that he was the closest thing the Wizarding World had to a celebrity, if not anything else.
"And…?" Harry drawled as Seamus sighed.
"It's just getting stupid at this point. I mean, in Second year we all thought you were the heir to Slytherin, and at least we had some form of solid proof to that with you being able to talk to snakes and all." Seamus said as Harry shrugged, "Nearly everyone reads the Daily Prophet, and most just prefer to believe what's written there, but I'm no sheep, Harry. That woman, Rita Skeeter, works for the Prophet, and she wrote some pretty untrue stuff last year. She also ran a piece on me and Dean being in love with each other before Hermione got her to back off. I heard you and Dumbledore last year, and if you both say that Voldemort is back, then he is. We're all behind ya, Harry."
"Yeah, mate." Dean said, even though he still looked flustered from that previous comment about him and Seamus nearly being prey for Skeeter's gossip column, "We're behind ya all the way, man. After four years of rooming with you, I think we'd know better than to think that you'd just lie about something for attention's sake."
"Very well said." Harry replied, nodding, "The both of you."
"Thanks." Seamus said, then bowed his head as he added in solemn tone, "Plus, we didn't believe you about not putting your name into the Goblet of Fire last year, and look where that got us…"
Harry said nothing as he got up from his bed to put on his night clothes. After a few minutes of silence, he spoke.
"I'm glad you two can think for yourselves rather than having a newspaper do the thinking for you." Harry said, smiling lightly at his two dorm mates, "In the fight against Voldemort and such, I'll need people like you two."
"Yeah." Seamus said, his eyes lighting up in excitement at the thought of fighting alongside Harry. Dean, too, had the same look.
"Yes." Harry confirmed, "And I'm proud to say that if I should ask of anyone to join me in that fight, you two will be some of the first I ask."
"We'll be there for ya, Harry." Dean said as Seamus nodded.
"I'm glad to hear it." Harry said, pulling back the hangings of his bed, "Though if anyone suspicious asks what I just told you; this conversation never occurred. Correct?"
"Affirmative, Commander." Dean and Seamus quipped amusingly, falling into a pretend line-up and saluting him as he got into bed.
"Good. Now at ease, soldiers." Harry said with a soft chuckle, "Good night… Seamus Finnegan… Dean Thomas…"
"Good night, Harry." the two said as they pulled back the curtains and got into their own beds.
Harry smiled in his sleep… glad to have two more in the fight against evil.