Keynotes: Some fade to black lemons.

Chapter 29 - Secrets

Harry didn't want to say goodbye, but after seeing all of his adults together, he was reasonably sure they would be okay.

Well, maybe not Remus.

Remus, who was Luna's uncle.

The man didn't really seem okay. He volunteered way too fast when Albus visited with Christmas presents and Order business.

But, Harry supposed that Remus has never really been okay, not since Harry has known him at any rate.

Because, really, how does an escaped convict from the Prison of Torment and the man who woke up in a coffin with his wife manage to become better adjusted than the freeman?

However, Harry didn't pretend to know what it was like to be a werewolf, a werewolf who had been one since before going to Hogwarts.

oOo

Filius Flitwick was not a young wizard, and it was with this in mind that he brought his students together.

Their common room was filled to bursting, Minerva, Severus, and Pomona at his back.

"It has come to our attention that members of this house have not been respecting the sanctity of the dormitories," Filius said. "I have already spoken with you all this year, but a second strike comes with more serious repercussions."

His students eyed each other.

Luna pressed herself into an alcove, unnoticed by all save Marietta.

For the life of him, Filius couldn't understand teenage grudges. Miss placed pride and jealousy, perhaps.

"Interhouse fighting is not something that is encouraged, and there of course consequences. However, it is quite uncommon for infighting within a singular house to escalate to the point where a student feels both unwanted and unsafe. This is completely unacceptable. Furthermore, while some of you may know whom I'm speaking of, sadly, I'm disappointed that this is not relegated to one or even two years of students."

Minerva stepped forward, "Such behaviour is not tolerated. Hogwarts is a home and refuge to many, and it is every student's right to sleep in their own beds in safety. If this behaviour persists, the aggressors will be expelled from Hogwarts."

"Are there any questions?" Filius asked.

No one answered.

Severus glowered at them all and every one of them seemed to shrink in on themselves.

Pomona spoke, "If there any concerns, please approach any of your professors."

Filius was as relieved as the students when everyone was dismissed, Pomona placing a hand on his shoulder, "It will be alright."

"I can only hope," Filius sighed.

oOo

Luna wasn't particularly clear on how her classmates would respond to the professors' talk. But she did know that Flitwick wouldn't be mad if she stayed out all night.

Not that he had ever minded before.

Tonight, she had a surprise for Harry.

Her heart thundered in her chess as the thestrals escorted them to a sort of grotto she had crafted in an outcropping of rocks.

Harry gasped as she pulled off the cloak and pulled back a wall of branches she had spell-crafted into a door. Inside was warm and private and nothing at all like a cave.

"Luna?" he asked as light from winter starworms wafted in the air around them.

Surety was a heady drug.

Her father had given her the talk, and aside from being careful with her health he had told her simply: Don't regret it. Whoever you share that part of yourself with, trust them enough to feel safe and have a pleasant memory. Even if it falls apart later, no one can take the memory of what was away from you if it was right for that moment.

As her father seemed to live much of his life in memory, she understood.

But with the war looming closer, all Luna could think of was how much she would regret what she hadn't done.

Especially with the boy she had grown to love with her whole being, down to her very last fibre and prayer that made her her.

"Luna?" Harry asked.

She looked into her eyes as if he could see her.

See her truly.

He didn't look at him as if she was odd. He didn't look at her like anyone else.

He looked at her as if she was the world and without her, life would surely lose its colour.

Harry was romantic, more romantic than he knew how to be yet, but it didn't matter. Because the things that he wished he could say that he didn't have the words for were spoken in his emerald gaze.

It was funny, the turn of fate. Harry was quite a bit like his father. Not the man who Harry had talked about last year, but the true article.

Harry was not like the wealthy quidditch star that his father had been made out to be, the boy who bullied others in the rush of having friends.

Harry wasn't like that boy, or perhaps he was and had just made better friends, but the real thing that father and son had in common was their sweet hearts.

Harry silenced her thoughts with the brush of chilled fingers against her cheek, silently asking for permission to kiss her.

Even now, asking when she was about to ask him everything.

When his lips kissed hers, he tasted sweet, when she deepened his kiss, it was sweeter still.

With a wave of her hand, the door wove itself shut. And she let her thoughts go as she lived in her body for a time.

For a time, she was but a girl with a boy, learning and living as teenagers do.

And it was wonderful because he was wonderful. And she was happy, happier still because she was able to forget about tomorrow and yesterday.

There was only him and herself.

For now, each other was all they needed.

All she honestly wanted.

oOo

Lavender raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss–"

"Brown," she said. "Are you going to teach us about curse breaking?"

Ron sniggered.

Bill smiled gently, but his voice was curt, "Of course. If it's cursed don't touch if you think it's cursed don't touch. Call the ministry for help, those lazy bastards have jobs for a reason and it's not to fluff their own arses. Better to call them than to go to the healers who have better things to do than to treat your stupidity. Any other questions?"

Harry exchanged a smile with Ron.

Bill was a cool dude.

No one else seemed willing to push it after that somewhat sharp response.

"Very good," Bill said. "Now, speaking of curses, we are going to learn to make basic wards and magical alarms. I know you all are behind on your OWLS material, however, safety first."

Bill waved his wand and small tall boxes appeared on their desks.

Harry tilted his head, noticing the double hinges, each box opened from two different sides.

Chalk wrote the incantations on the board.

"Now, you each have a box to present as homework for the week, but I would like you to work in pairs. If any one of you is also learning runes or arithmancy, I would like that person to be the person who makes the ward and the other tries to break the ward without breaking the box. Silent casting, in other words with minimal power. Whereas the person making the ward, I would like you to make it as powerful as possible. Please keep in mind what theory from runes and/or athermancy can help you."

Harry looked to Theo who had become his go to partner.

Both the ward and the ward breaker were written on the board with the wand instructions.

"I'm taking both," Theo said.

Harry nodded, focusing on the ward breaking spell.

It reminded him of Alohomora, but a tad bit more violent.

"Done," Theo said. "My mother taught me this when I was eight."

"I truly don't envy purebloods," Harry said, pulling his own wand, strangely aware of Bill pacing through the tables.

Pulling his wand and casting it without much concern.

It was a simple spell with an easy incantation.

There shouldn't have been a problem.

Harry cast silently, if there was a problem, it just shouldn't have worked.

But there was a problem and it did work.

In a fashion.

By in a fashion, he meant, it blew up in his face.

More than half the class threw up shield charms.

Harry didn't have time as the spell rebounded on me. He bit back a scream as pain ripped up his arm. He dropped his wand as it splintered in his hand.

The shards of his wand burst into flame as they hit the ground.

Harry felt his heart twist and he had to blink back tears.

The pain in his now bleeding arm was nothing, absolutely nothing, compared to watching his wand turn to ash.

Harry looked up at Theo whose face had drained of blood, his lips pale as he looked at Harry with fear.

"Potter–" Theo began as he lowered his shields, swallowing hard. "I didn't… Harry… I didn't ward it to do that. I'm s–" he bit off the apology.

Harry felt himself going into shock, he knew that Theo wasn't responsible for this.

But his wand…

It was like losing a friend.

A limb.

Bill laid a hand on his shoulder and it took everything in Harry not turn on him with raised fists.

It took him a moment to hear what Ron's oldest brother was saying.

"I need you to try it again for me, Harry."

"Are you bloody insane!?" Ron railed at his brother. "Bill, he nearly blew off his arm."

"Son of a Death Eater or no, Mr. Nott does not have the necessary power for that type of ward. Besides, I don't think the spell escaped the wand," Bill explained.

"Escaped?" Hermione questioned.

Ron was still angry on Harry's behalf, "Whose wand are you going to sacrifice, aside from, you know, Harry maybe losing an arm next."

Bill ignored his little brother and told Harry, "I would like you to perform the same spell wordlessly. I need you to at least try. If nothing else to narrow down what happened before you see Madam Pomfrey."

Harry didn't want to but the look on Theo's face…

For Theo, it would be a good and a bad thing if he had managed to hurt Harry. But mostly bad if he was accused directly of it.

Taking a steadying breath, Harry lifted his hand toward the untouched box. Pausing as the class went quiet, everyone had their wands out at this point ready to cast shield charms.

The drip-drip of his blood falling to the floor beckoned his gaze downward. But he was light-headed as it was, he couldn't look down lest he end up falling over.

The stinging in his palm and the sharp pain up his arm fueled his concentration as he recast the spell with an instinctual twist of his hand.

The magic glowed in his mind.

And the box?

The box opened with a click.

No rebound.

No problem.

"I don't understand," Harry whispered.

Theo sprang forward to catch him as he staggered, shoving Bill out of the way in the process.

"I'm taking him to the hospital wing," Theo said, already walking him to the door.

Harry glanced down at the smouldering bits of his wand as he allowed himself to be led toward the door. "Why?" he asked.

Bill walked ahead of them to open the door for them, "You've outgrown your wand."

Harry glared at him, "It's Voldemort's wand."

Theo stopped so abruptly that they both nearly toppled over. "What?" his friends hissed.

The room once more seemed to hold its breath.

"His is yew and mine is holly, but they have the same core from the same phoenix. I am not more powerful than Lord Bloody Voldemort."

"No," Bill said softly. "But you are his equal."

Harry looked up at him, unable to read the man's expression.

When had Bill Weasley learned of the prophecy?

Theo pulled Harry forward as his gaze locked with Draco.

Malfoy was ashen, looking as if Harry had just grown another head.

Theo didn't say anything as they walked, leaving a trail of blood behind them.

"Thank you," Harry finally managed to say.

"You're going to get yourself killed, Potter."

"I know," Harry sighed.

"I'd say be more careful, but if basic shite like that is going to get you… I don't know what I would do if I was you."

Harry shut his eyes, "My dad and Sirius are going to be sick with worry."

"And your girlfriend?" Theo prodded.

Harry shut his eyes, "She's too good for me."

Theo snorted, "I am not a romantic, Potter, but if soulmates were a thing, you and Lovegood would likely fit the bill."

"I don't want to keep upsetting her."

Theo squeezed his waist, "Take it from someone who knows, worrying because of the people you have is a lot better than being alone because of the people you don't."

Harry dropped his head, "Thanks, Theo. Would you–"
"Yeah," he interrupted. "I'll let her know you're in the hospital wing."

"Thanks," Harry said. "And you should probably tell your dad you tried to kill me."

Theo blinked and lowered his voice to be almost inaudible, "You know he escaped?"
"What?" Harry asked.

Theo swore.

"Theo–"

"Don't, Harry please, don't ask."

Harry glanced up at the portraits in the halls and he didn't say anything.

But he could feel Theo's rising anxiety.

"What are you going to do?" Theo asked when they reached the closed doors of the hospital wing.

Harry felt extremely dizzy, but a little blood loss wouldn't kill him, Theo's family and the Death Eaters had no such qualms.

"I can enter the Dark Lord's mind," Harry answered. "I can spy on him through his own eyes and mind."

"Is that dangerous?"

"It's war, Theo. We are all in danger."

Theo's dark eyes searched Harry's before he nodded in understanding and helped him get to Madam Pompfrey without face-planting.

oOo

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oOo

AN: Thoughts, red-panda barb, or feedback, pretty please?