"I will wind thee in my arms. So doth the woodbine, the honeysuckle, gently entwist."
— William Shakespeare
Honeysuckle (Woodbine)
— Domestic Happiness and Devoted Affection
• It generally means happiness, although it also traditionally symbolized both happiness and affection for a new love. It has also been known to represent nostalgia for first loves or old flames.
"When in doubt, go to the library."
— Hermione Granger, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Summer holidays ended too quickly for Harry, thinking to himself as he crammed into the back of Mr. Weasley's Ford Anglia.
King's Cross was as lively as ever, and this time— he was going to make sure he and Ron got through the magical barrier just fine. The station was crowded as usual, and the entrance to Platforms nine and three-quarters already had families lining up to go through.
"Ron, let's go through after the Von Clarkens." He told his bestfriend, as they lined up behind the familiar blond hairs and blue eyes of the Von Clarken family, if Dobby were to close the barrier now, it would look suspicious and cause issues with the muggles and the magical world. So, he and Ron waited for the last member of the family, a little blond girl with curly hair and a knee-length plaid skirt skipped through the magical barrier and he and Ron charged right after her and through the magical barrier, completely unharmed. Hah! Screw you politely Dobby! Sorry. Anyway, he and Ron waited as the rest of the Weasleys came barreling through the barrier; Percy emerged first, then the twins, then Ginny on the trolley and Mrs. Weasley, and lastly Mr. Weasley before more families— the distinct shade of brown of their hairs followed them, and then Mr. Lovegood and Luna.
The Hogwarts Express still looked just the same. Harry pushing his luggage and helping Ron pull his trunk up and onto the train, it took a minute before everything was loaded into the storage compartment and he and Ron were free to look for an empty compartment. "Here should be good," Ron slid open a compartment door and peered inside, it was still dimly lit, but it worked just fine as Harry entered after Ron. Plopping down onto the seat opposite of his bestfriend and waited for his other bestfriend; Hermione.
"Reckon she'll ask us about our summer?" Ron quickly started a conversation, "Yeah," Hermione interrupted them with a grin, "How was your summer?"
Both boys grinned wildly as Ron pulled her down to sit, "It was great! Me and Harry played quidditch in our backyard with the twins and Ginny!"
"We de-gnomed the garden too." Harry piped up, taking Hedwig's cage into his lap and feeding her a treat trough the metal lining.
Multiple familiar faces passed by their compartment, some waved and said hello, others just acknowledged there presence and continued on up the train.
It was a relatively quiet ride to Hogwarts, the trio chatted about various different things like potions supplies, spell books, incantations and on who the Defense Against The Dark Arts was going to be. Harry smirked to himself and decided to remain silent in this topic, as he already knew who.
It was when the train finally reached Hogsmeade Station did Harry got a good look at the new crowd of first years, and the thestrals standing hitched to the carriages nearby, he went up to the first in the line, curious students stared at him as he pet the leading Thestral. A few of said students had solemn, docile looks on their faces, Harry knew one or two had already seen and understood what Death really was.
"What's he touching Christian?" Harry could hear a small voice say, the first year had addressed the fellow second year—Christian Lipovsky.
"A Thestral, Matthew." The first year's older brother answered, "What's a thestral?" Harry glanced at Christian who grinned sadly and led his younger brother away. "Sorry Harry." He nodded apologetically.
By now, Harry had already climbed into the carriage with his friends and a two others, fellow Gryffindors Seamus and Dean. They had chatted all the way up to the castle, where they were found themselves inside quick enough and had already sat into their seats by the time the first years were led into the Great Hall and the sorting had begun.
In the end there were a total of 6 new Gryffindors, 11 Hufflepuffs, 7 ravenclaws and 3 Slytherins. Harry and his friends welcomed them like usual, where an excited Colin Creevey had already taken at least one picture of him on his camera.
Harry thought for a moment, a camera could be an additional safeguard against the Dark Lord if used correctly… he mused to himself, as the feast begun and concluded after an hour and a half and all the houses headed to their common rooms. He discreetly took out his ISAC and future DA coin and used a muggle stylus to write onto the back, a two word message; 'Meeting Corridor' his writing— the message glowed a bright golden color before vanished and a simple yellow circle awarded him with a simple check mark, a sign the message had been delivered.
The first ISAC meeting took place in an empty fifth floor corridor known to the members as the 'Ghastly Corridor', an empty and long abandoned section of the castle barricaded with spellotape against a collapsed wall. The members were currently in an empty classroom, chairs and old tables were pushed into a circular arrangement, two rows of tables and chairs and in the middle was a lantern.
"Thank you everyone for attending the first meeting of this school year, as you may know— Im Harry Potter, pseudo-leader for ISAC club." A couple of the members nodded.
"We'll be giving out invites to the new firsties later this week, and notices will be given out on your coins for what we will be doing on our next session, any questions?" Daphne asked the gathered crowd of at least 25 members.
"Introductions will be on the next meeting, raise your hand if you are a third year or higher, prefects included."
At the request of Hermione, multiple hands raised, "Names please."
"Luke Nottingham Jr, 5th year Slytherin prefect."
"Bastian Zwingli, I am 6th year Hufflepuff prefect this year." Quiet cheers from the yellow ties erupted,
"Stefan Winterborn."
"Elienora Annaliese."
"Marylin Boreal, Ravenclaw Head Girl." The brunette girl smiled as the blue ties clapped.
"Gabriel Truman, Hufflepuff 5th year prefect!"
"Wendy Devors, 6th year Gryffindor prefect." The red ties cheered and scribbling was heard after the last name was spoken.
"Thank you, we'll like to give you the best of luck in your duties!" Tracey piped up after the scribbling and chatter calmed down.
"Meeting dismissed! Here are the notices for potential invitees and the main list to go over, next meeting will be held in our usual spot over the weekends." And with that, the club dispersed an hour before curfew.
Turns out, this year's group of first years were incredibly happy to join a study club first thing the next day as pamphlets were given out and invitee lists were hung and pinned and nailed to different classroom and common room notice boards, courtesy of a certain Gabriel Truman and Marylin Boreal.
Harry had gone over the main list several times and a total of seventeen names were lit up in green in the span of only seven hours after breakfast had ended and only two names had lit up in blue.
It was quite a successful feat when you imagine the confused and horrified faces of the blood purist Slytherins when they gaze upon their notice board to see a interhouse c student club being open to new invitees.
Perhaps Harry could lower the amount to a reasonable number for the space of the second floor library.
Lockhart's class was as chaotic as the last life, the Cornish pixies rained havoc upon the frightened second years, Neville was stuck to the chandelier, Ron was knocked out on the floor and had to be dragged out by Seamus and Dean— Hermione used the Immobilius spell after a few more minutes in and Lockhart had already retreated to his office. Harry and his two friends, the recently awakened Ron and the fuming Hermione had some time to cool off in the rest of their lessons.
Harry sat in the great hall for dinner after a grueling potions session, Professor Snape had left them to their own devices once Seamus blew up the remnants of his potion, and a Slytherin girl accidentally knocked over another's cauldron, spilling the liquid all over the robes of a neighboring Gryffindor. He himself had already completed his potion and was currently on the verge of helping Neville out with his, but held back.
After the class had ended, a good amount of the student body had rushed off to dinner, which was not a quiet affair. A Gryffindor across from him, Matthew Lipovsky— Christian's younger brother was discussing something, while his older brother was a Ravenclaw, the younger blond was a Gryffindor through and through. The rambunctious 11-year-old had already achieved quite a crowd of friends, amongst them was the blond's fellow first year Gryffindors and two or three Hufflepuffs. A loud mumble of 'Damn the Finehause!' From the Ravenclaw table was heard.
Harry and his two bestfriends had finished Dinner at a decent pace and had already gathered themselves and went off to the library— albeit with a begrudging Ron who trudged behind them at a funny pace, Harry didn't blame his redheaded friend though, sometimes books were just that boring for some.
They had settled into one of the far corners of the Library, with a pile of books surrounding them. They discussed a multitude of topics, ranging from quidditch, to homework, to lessons, to bedtime routines, to muggle sports and eventually it was thirty minutes till curfew and Madam Pince had chased them out of the library and into the hallway, where other students rushed from one place to another. Most were rushing off to their common rooms, just like the trio were doing when they joined a crowd of upperclassmen heading for the staircases.
The ravenclaws split from the group to head down another set of stairs and disappeared into a passageway to their rights, while the Gryffindors hurried up three or four more staircases before they eventually turned and went into a passageway, leading into a corridor right outside the Fat Lady's Portrait. Harry, Ron and Hermione trailed after them at an even pace as the head of the group stopped at the entrance of the common room and the Fat Lady's portrait came to life, a grin on her face she said, "Twenty five minute till curfew Gryffindors, Password?" A tall brunette girl broke out from the group and cleared her throat,
"Leonis fides," The tall brunette answered with a swish of her long braided hair. "Woah," A likely muggleborn first year behind them stared in shock and wonder again as the Fat Lady's grin widened and her portrait flung open to reveal the passageway and entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room. Harry walked in alongside his two friends as the familiar interior of the circular Gryffindor Tower revealed itself. The group of upperclassmen before them dispersed into the various corners of the common room and down the stairs into the dormitories.
Harry waved goodbye to Hermione as she separated from them to go down the stairs to the girl's dorms while he and Ron went down the boy's dormitories and stopped at the second door a short ways from the staircase, prying it open, Harry glanced around; Neville was already asleep, Seamus and Dean were playing exploding snap in the middle of the circular dorm, apparently talking about how a certain Pureblood family's male heirs always wore they're hair short and cropped towards the left of there faces.
The morning came like a blazing pheonix, shining its rays of light directly into the open junction of the dormitory— awakening not only himself but all of his roommates, who all grumbled and groaned at the rude awakening. It was the second day of school, so everything was a bustling and disorganized mess, clothes strewn all across the floor and trunks scattered in unimaginable places in the corners of the dorm. It took a bit of chuckling before everything was in an orderly fashion, he swore it was looked exactly as the second-year boys dorm in his previous life, a space where they all felt safe for six years— until the seventh, where the Horcrux hunt for him, Ron and Hermione begun and there friends were left to fend for themselves against the Carrows.
He shook his head as Dean helped him awaken the other boys, the dark-skinned boy's alarm clock was truly an extraordinary muggle invention in the eyes of Mr. Weasley. He laughed as Neville fell off his bed and Seamus darted up from his own, panicked like he had woken up to news about the cancellation of Quidditch.
The five boys had made it in time for the first food deliveries to appear during Breakfast time, and mail time came soon after during the free period and most of the Gryffindor table openly roared in laughter when one of their own with the name 'Bartholomew' had a howler addressed to him from his grandmother and another fellow lion named Lee Jordan had a pile of souvenirs addressed to him that landed on top of his head.
Harry laughed along and dispersed with he and his two bestfriends headed to the first class of the second day.
Herbology was a calming ride for the second day of school, Neville fainted once again and was caught by Seamus and a Hufflepuff, and everyone finished their mandrake removals and transferring on time for points to be award to both houses.
He and his classmates had exited greenhouse number three after the end of lessons, a confused and dazed Neville draped over Ron's and Dean's shoulders as they made there way inside the castle, navigating the corridor which led outside and into the various greenhouses.
The group of Gryffindors ascended a set of staircases and took a right turn to get to there next class.
After the chaos of Lockhart's duelling club, and handing a mirror he had prepared in his robes to a frightened Justin Finch-Fletchey,
Sir Nicholaus' Deathday party was rapidly approaching and this time, he would make sure that no one, not even Mrs. Norris was hurt. The ghost of the Gryffindor house was very giddy and happy when he and his friends had accepted the invitation. He had already handed out the mirrors to Ron and Hermione, who questioned him but he gave them no answer, just yet— eventually, Hermione would know too, she was smarter than Ron in terms of suspicion for magical activities after all. Ron was essentially chalking the mirror up to looking themselves in the mirror if they're outfits for dirty or whatever.
He laughed mentally but didn't say anything as they entered the ghostly party, he recognized the wistful and transparent forms of multiple Hogwarts ghosts, as well as a multitude of Portraits, like the Fat Friar and a ghost with long hair and a monocle, who were chattering away in the middle of the room and the Bloody Baron who was chatting quite nicely to Sir Nicholaus, who was holding the hand of a small child-like ghost with messily cut short hair and a wide grin on her face.
The room was cold, courtesy to the ghosts' partying.
After the party had ended, he begun dragging his two friends away and into the corridor, picking up the pace once he heard the familiar vocal range of parseltongue slithering through the walls— "kill, kill..." It hissed, but he knew he was the only one who could hear the basilisk.
Finally, they had come across the petrified form of Mrs. Norris, thinking on his feet he quickly yelled out for help so they wouldn't be suspects and a crowd of students and staff emerged from both directions of the corridor. Caretaker Filch came running as fast as he could, falling to the floor near his beloved companion.
They were questioned, immediately just as had they been found. Headmaster confirmed she was only petrified and Lockhart made a fool of himself once again, the Caretaker shouted but was calmed down by Madam Pomfrey and Professor Sprout, who assured him the Mandrakes would be matured in time, before the feline's scheduled death. Harry knew there were going to be more attacks soon, Colin, then Justin... then two more students and finally, Penelope and Hermione.
It was only a matter of time, he thought in his head, before being ushered back into the Gryffindor common room by Percy and another Gryffindor prefect.
"Μερικές φορές, ο χρόνος είναι το μεγαλύτερο δώρο."
Additional Notes
Finehause — The name of the Von Clarken's family residence, a play on the words 'Fine' and 'House'.
The name Bartholomew means 'Rich in land' and son of Ptolemy.
Translations:
Μερικές φορές, ο χρόνος είναι το μεγαλύτερο δώρο. (Greek) — Sometimes, Time is the greatest gift.