I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.
A Taste of Magic
33rd Course – Understanding
The wardrobe rattled, shaking slightly on its four legs. Something was obviously within and it was restless, making the piece of furniture move about when it should not. The class of third year students looked at it with expressions ranging from apprehension to interest.
"Would anyone like to hazard a guess at what is within?" Remus asked pleasantly. "I will offer some hints. It prefers dark spaces and has a nebulous form."
"Does that mean you should know what it is?" Seamus asked Neville.
"He didn't say Nevillous," Neville snorted.
"Is it a crake? I've heard that they're hard to see," Padma asked.
"What's a crake?" Lavender asked.
Remus smiled. "A good guess but no. Crakes are very large cave spiders that have some mild camouflaging abilities, so they don't appear as much of anything until you get very close. But they are still, distinctly, a spider."
Ron shuddered. "That's terrifying."
"Not a fan of spiders?" Remus asked kindly. At Ron's vehement headshaking, he smiled wryly. "Stay away from the Forest then. There's an acromantula colony in there. Thankfully very far and deep into the Forest, but don't want to happen on one of those either."
"There're acromantulas in the Forest?" Terry Boot looked incredulous. "How did they get there? I thought they weren't native to Britain."
Remus coughed. "Not too many people know how really," he said evasively. "But let's get back on topic. Another hint, no two people can agree on the shape of this magical creature because it will almost never share the same appearance from one person to another."
"Oh, a boggart!" Hermione said.
"Correct, two points to Gryffindor. There is in fact, a boggart in the wardrobe." Remus flicked his wand and a bit of chalk began writing on the blackboard. "Boggarts are creatures that use fear as a defense mechanism. They use their magic to divine a person's greatest fear and transforms into it."
Harry grimaced. "How did it develop that? Sounds terrible."
"A good question and one we don't quite know," Remus replied. "Magical creatures are a bit different in the sense that they came about magically or were previously mundane creatures that were exposed to magic and then became magical. So while boggarts might have had a non-magical ancestor, it is unsure what it was. Reports of boggarts have been around for ages now and in fact, the Muggle phenomenon of a 'boogey-man' can be attributed to Muggles running into boggarts in the wild."
He sighed and rolled his eyes when a good portion of the class started snickering. "Boogey-man, not bogey-man."
"I'm kind of scared of a bogey-man," Lavender giggled.
"Fear is a primal response for many beings, human and animal," Remus continued. "So it actually is an effective self-defense tactic. Like in most frightening situations, keeping a level head is one of the best ways to combat fear. For us, there is a charm that can help you combat the fear-form that the boggart takes. The Boggart-Banishing Spell does as it is named, banishing the boggart from you and the incantation is Riddikulus. You must focus on something that is the opposite of fear, laughter. Focus on something that makes you laugh, picture it in your head, and then cast the spell. With strength of mind, the boggart will be forced from what you fear most into what you laugh at most, robbing it of its strength. Eventually the boggart will weaken and flee or dissolve into nothingness if it cannot."
After some more lecturing, Remus looked at the class. "Would anyone like to try and confront the boggart and cast the spell?"
The class looked at each other, no one quite willing to go first. After some whispers and people pointedly looking away, Remus pointed at someone. "Mister Weasley, come on, how about you give it a go?"
Ron paled a little. "I don't know…"
"I think you can do it," Remus said kindly. "Come on then." He waited patiently for Ron to reluctantly approach the front of the class. "I'll be right beside you. Remember, breathe deep, try to remain calm, picture what would make you laugh in your head, and cast. Be confident. Ready?"
"No Sir."
"Right you are then." Remus waved his wand and the door to the wardrobe opened and everyone screamed when an immense spider crept from the wardrobe. It was very large and towered over everyone. It hissed malevolently, its mandibles making terribly clicking noises at it crept forward.
Ron was paralyzed by fear, staring at the gigantic arachnid.
"You can do it!" Remus said encouragingly.
Ron's hand trembled a little but flicked his wand. "Riddikulus!" The gigantic spider suddenly inflated, all parts of it becoming a very large and fat balloon. When it hissed, it sounded like air escaping a balloon and it started spinning in place, legs flailing impotently while it continued to make the loud long wheezing noise.
"Well done!" Remus praised while the rest of the class laughed appreciatively. A smile blossomed on Ron's face and he looked happy and smug while the spider-balloon continued to deflate. "Miss Li! You're next."
Sue came up and when she stood in front of the spinning spider, it stopped moving and fell to the stone floor. The form shifted and the spider became a person. It rose jerkily to its feet, its skin deathly pale and eyes blank and unseeing. Fangs filled its mouth and it wore traditional Chinese clothing, long garments of dark blue with yellow-gold trim. It screamed loudly and hopped towards Sue with arms outstretched.
"Riddikulus!" she shouted, her own eyes wide.
The jiangshi screamed once more, but in confusion when it was stuck to a pogo stick and it started bouncing about erratically. It had no control of its movements, bouncing all over like a chaotic rubber ball and its arms whipped around without strength. A long yellow strip of fabric appeared on the brim of its hat and fell forward, making it go limp as it continued to hop about without rhyme or reason.
"Clever!" Remus applauded and the rest of the class did too. "Mister Finnegan, come up."
Seamus came up, looking confident. The confidence wilted when the hopping vampire turned into a thin and skeletal woman that floated over the ground. Long and ragged hair flew about and she stretched out an arm, the long fingers ended in longer nails and she began to wail, an eerie sound that make the skin pucker and the hair stand on end.
However, Seamus' Boggart-Banishing spell took her breath away, literally. The banshee began to cough and hack, holding her throat. She sounded like someone in the throes of a coughing fit, sneezing and sounding completely and utterly miserable.
"Sounds like me when I last had the flu," Remus smiled, making the students laugh appreciatively. "Excellently done. Mister Corner, how about you?"
Michael's fear manifested as a very large bat with terrifyingly long fangs and bleeding eyes. It chased him around for a few moments but Michael managed to cast the spell, turning the bloodthirsty vampire bat into a tiny mouse that scurried about in an agitated fashion.
Then Harry was called. He walked to the front, not entirely confident but not completely afraid himself. He stood at the ready, wand outstretched and waited. Remus stood close to him, ready to take over
The tiny mouse stopped and looked up at Harry before it started to change. It grew in size rapidly, fur turning into cloth, becoming a long and ragged cloak. The cloak swallowed the form and it hovered over Harry menacingly, making an awful rattling noise as it reached for him.
"-he's here! Take-and run!"
Harry shook his head as the malaise dragged on him, drowning him.
"Please, not H-! Anything but him!"
"Get out of the way, you foolish girl!"
Harry flicked his wand weakly. "Riddikulus," he gasped but nothing happened.
"Kill me instead! Not my baby!"
Harry felt himself be pushed back and Remus stood in front of the boggart-Dementor and backhanded it with his left hand, staring unflinchingly into the black depths of the cowled head. The boggart-Dementor hissed angrily and it shifted again. Cloak became fur once more but instead of a small mouse, a large werewolf stood there. It towered over them and its hide had scars carved into it. It growled menacingly, amber-grey eyes staring with menace.
"Riddikulus," Remus incanted calmly and the werewolf turned into a tiny duckling. It quacked indignantly before it was banished back into the wardrobe, making squeaky noises of protests before the door slammed shut.
Silence rang in the classroom with everyone looking all over the place. Some focused on the spot where the werewolf was, others stared at the wardrobe that was still. A few looked at their professor while finally, a few looked at Harry.
Remus' clapped his hands, startling everyone. "Well then, that was a bit exciting, wasn't it? Well done all. Two points to everyone that faced the boggart. I would like an essay on the origins of boggarts as well as an example of its appearance in recorded history, due at next class. Off you go, everyone. Mister Potter, please remain for a moment."
Harry nodded, still shivering slightly and his heart pounded. He put his things away slowly and smiled wanly at his worried friends. After a few words of comfort from them, and a hug from Lavender and Parvati, he went back to Remus.
"Harry, how are you feeling?" Remus asked worriedly.
"I'm okay," Harry sighed. He smiled a little at Remus' disbelieving snort. "No really, I'm okay. Just…a little upset."
"Only a little? You have nothing to be upset about. Facing your fears is something that is difficult for many people. Dementors are fear creatures like boggarts, except they weaponize fear instead of using it as a defense mechanism. They drain a person of positive thought and energy, using their fears and dark thoughts against them."
"That's horrifying," Harry said. "And they are the guards at Azkaban?"
Remus nodded solemnly. "It is a terribly place for many reasons. Many prisoners go mad and eventually die from being around them for too long."
"Except for Sirius Black," Harry said softly.
Remus looked away. "Yes, except for him."
"I wonder how he withstood them for so long. I heard he was there for a long time."
"Twelve years," Remus said quietly. "A very long time for anyone." He shook his head. "He was a person of exceptional stubbornness. Perhaps that is what helped him endure."
Harry frowned a little. "Did you know him?"
Remus froze before sighing deeply. "Yes, rather, I thought I did. We were classmates while we attended Hogwarts together." He sighed again. "No, I am doing nothing for anyone for phrasing it like that. He and I were close friends."
"Really?! Does that mean he was friends with my parents too?"
"Yes, he and James were best friends," Remus said sadly, looking at Harry with eyes filled with pain. "We all were, including Peter."
"Peter. Wasn't the wizard that was murdered named Peter?"
"Yes, one and the same," Remus said softly.
"He murdered his friend and those Muggles?" Harry gasped.
"Yes," Remus said, his voice a whisper. "And I never knew why." A flicker of emotion ran through his eyes, anger and loss and pain running together. "And that was not the worst of it."
"What else did he do?" Harry asked, not wanting to learn more but he could not help himself from asking.
"Not now," Remus said at last. "I can't. Forgive me."
"No, it's okay, it doesn't sound good," Harry said. He gave Remus a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry."
"Me too," Remus sighed. The silence built between them.
"I…hear voices when I'm near a Dementor," Harry said.
"Voices?"
"Yeah, I think two men and a woman. One of the men sounds really bad, like really bad while the other two sound scared." He did not go further into detail, unsure if he wanted to tell Remus because of how preposterous it sounded. Not to mention how scary it sounded.
"Hmm." Remus hummed in thought. "I can't say I've heard of that side effect but I will do some research. Until then, it might be best to avoid them if you can."
Harry grinned. "No arguments there."
Remus was glad to see him smile. "Splendid. Let's go to lunch then, shall we? I'm as hungry as a w-" His voice died away and he too looked haunted for a moment, like Harry did moments prior.
"As a Welsh pixie?" Harry offered.
Remus smiled, his spirits rising. "You smile but I've seen ten of them devour a fruiting tree bare within minutes. Ravenous things they can be, and a right pain in the arse too."
-0-
"Hey, you okay?" Parvati asked when Harry joined them at the table.
"I'm okay," he said with a small smile. "Had a nice talk with Professor Lupin."
"That's good." She patted his arm. "Boggarts are already scary enough and you made it even scarier. Don't feel too bad. I'm glad I didn't go up. I don't think the world would survive with two Padmas."
Padma smiled while the others snorted and laughed. "Please, you and I both know that we would see Grandmum chasing us down."
"Oh yeah no, you're right," Parvati said, shuddering theatrically.
"What was that thing that manifested for you?" Hermione asked Sue.
"A jiangshi," Sue grimaced. "Scared of those things so much. Hopping vampires. I had cousins tell me about them and once pretended to have one jump at me while visiting a crypt. The only thing that made me stop being so scared is imagining them hopping around wildly like that."
"It looked and sounded scary," Hermione said, shivering a little.
"Ugh, the boggart?" Millicent asked as she and Pansy joined them. "That was scary."
"Did you two go against it?" Lavender asked.
"No, I had no desire to," Pansy said, shaking her head with Millicent doing the same. "I don't even want to imagine what I would see."
"A very big Sunny tearing up your clothes," Harry joked.
Pansy smiled while the others laughed. "That is a lot closer to the truth than you think." A loud crackle of thunder made them look up at the enchanted ceiling. The ceiling of the Great Hall was charmed to reflect the weather outside and it roiled with heavy grey clouds and thunder made the air shiver. "It's going to storm," Pansy sighed with distaste.
"You're in the dungeons, can you hear when it storms?" Parvati asked.
"No, but it means sitting outdoors for the Quidditch game will be miserable," Pansy said.
"Oh that's true," Lavender said, making a face. "Better wear rain coats."
"At least we won't be playing in the storm," Padma said prosaically.
"They really play Quidditch in all weather?" Hermione asked.
"If you're crazy enough," Parvati said. "One of our cousins got struck by lightning once."
"Same one that concussed himself?" Lavender giggled.
"Yes, the not very smart one," Padma smiled.
"Was he smart before he did all that stuff?" Neville asked.
"Not terribly," the Patils said together.
"You lot might have a reason to skive," Millicent said to the Ravenclaws. "Unfortunately us green and red people have to go to show team spirit and House unity and all that."
"Eh, part of the fun of Quidditch is seeing how they get plowed by the Bludger," Parvati said airily. "Especially if it's someone you don't like. Oh, whoops, sorry," she said sheepishly to the Slytherins.
Millicent smiled broadly. "No need to apologize to me. Also, Draco isn't our favorite person right now anyways and he's a bit pissy at us as it is."
Pansy looked like she should not be smiling, but a smile grew on her lips nonetheless. "Pissy at me really, you're mostly blameless."
"At least until I cackled like a cackling stump filled with pixie dust," Millicent shrugged and snickered.
"What did you do?" Harry asked.
"Well, Draco made a snide comment about me looking like a pig or a pug for my greatest fear," Pansy said a trifle frostily. Her smile grew pointed. "I replied that at least I wouldn't see my father striding out of the wardrobe and he took that rather poorly."
"Ouch, that had to hit him where it hurt," Parvati said admiringly.
"He didn't dare volunteer after that," Millicent snorted. "I think once the thought was in his head, he got too scared of it."
Pansy chuckled a little with the rest before growing somber. "It was rude of me to say that."
"He was rude first," Harry said and the others nodded with agreement.
Pansy smiled wanly. "Yes, but is that any excuse to be rude back?"
"Are you kidding? That is how Parvati and I operate on a normal basis," Padma said.
"Mutually assured rudeness," Parvati nodded sagely.
"I told her already," Millicent said. "That's something us Society girls are taught though. Be the first to make a quasi-rude comment, not the second, and then take the high road to maintain moral superiority."
"Sounds boring," the Patil twins said together, making everyone laugh.
-0-
"I can't see anything!" Lavender shouted against the roaring wind and pounding rain.
Just like Pansy had said, the storm swept over the grounds and countryside surrounding the castle. Sheets of rain slammed into the ground, driven by the tempest and wind. Lightning cracks filled the dark sky, sending jagged shadows everywhere.
The watching students huddled on the stands, covering themselves with cloaks and coats, holding onto flapping clothes and useless umbrellas. Within moments, they were already soaked. The figures of the Gryffindor and Slytherin Quidditch teams moved in the sky, looking like flashes of red and green in the rain and wind.
"How can people play in this?" Harry shouted back.
"Maybe we should have stayed indoors!" Hermione said loudly.
Harry and his friends sat close together, huddling for some comfort. Everyone looked miserable in varying degrees, from faintly to distinctly. Suddenly the rain seemed to break slightly, going from heavy to steady. A wave of noticeable relief ran through the student watchers and they sat up a little, no longer needing to stay hunched over.
"I can hear myself think again," Millicent groaned with relief.
"Poor you," Pansy smiled.
"Oh no, I can hear you think out loud again," Millicent groaned with faux-irritation.
"Millicent's right, it's weirdly quiet," Harry said, looking around. He shuddered all of a sudden, breathing in and out. His breathing began to mist, becoming visible. "We should go," he said, recognizing the feeling that was starting to crawl over him.
"Why?" Sue asked, alarmed.
"Oh no," Lavender gasped. She pointed and they turned and saw dark forms floating closer to the pitch. The high emotions from the Quidditch game had drawn the attention of the Dementors and they hungered for them. They flew onto the grounds towards the pitch, like moths drawn to the light. The magical creatures lost themselves to their hunger and dove towards the players and watchers alike.
Bursts of silver light came from some of the professors, shapes and things drove the Dementors back but there were too many of the latter and not enough of the former. A few of the Dementors slipped past and came close, arms reaching, cowls rattling.
"Enact a perimeter around the stands," Dumbledore ordered. He was incensed by this intrusion, a clear loss of control by the Ministry. He rose and held his wand steady. "Expecto Patronum!" A silvery phoenix burst forth from his wand and it flew into a crowd of Dementors, sending them flying back. Patroni cast by others capable of the charm began running circuits around the stands, creating sanctuary zones for the students within. Remus went onto the pitch and his efforts protected the Quidditch teams as they came down to earth.
Lavender screamed as a Dementor slipped past a darting silver cat, coming straight for her. Harry stood and pushed her back into Parvati and Padma and as if scenting tastier prey, the Dementor turned its full focus on Harry. He reeled back, the malaise from the Dementor washing over him completely.
"Lily! He's here! Take Harry and run!"
Lily. The name rang in Harry's mind, protruding from his memories. Cold cruel laughter oozed up from the depths.
"Step aside, you foolish girl."
"No, not Harry! Anything but him!"
"I only want to kill the boy. The father already lies dead, no need for you to join them."
"Kill me instead!"
"As you wish."
Harry's scream of horrid realization mingled with Lily's scream of defiance and terror and Voldemort's scream of victory. As the Dementor's hand almost touched him, a trio of silver cats slammed into it, driving it back. McGonagall appeared near them, furiously pushing her Patroni on, driving the Dementor back.
Harry's knees gave way and he crumpled, his senses leaving him. Pansy and Millicent caught him before he could hit the stands, pulling him back to safety. "Harry!" Pansy cried. "Harry, are you okay? Say something!"
He did not, despite the pleas of his friends. He lay there, lost in a nightmare.
-0-
Harry blinked slowly, feeling heavy-headed and confused. He coughed weakly, trying to rise.
"Careful there," Pomfrey said gently, coming over to him when she heard him cough. "You're still a bit delicate."
"I'm not delicate," he protested weakly and automatically.
"Well, he's still Harry, thank goodness," Pomfrey joked lightly, breathing a sigh of relief. She helped him put his glasses back on and Harry blinked owlishly. The people around the Infirmary bed swam into focus and he saw Pomfrey, Remus, McGonagall, Flitwick, and Dumbledore there.
"How are you feeling?" Dumbledore asked kindly.
"Okay…I think," Harry said. "I still feel really tired. What happened?"
"Dementors," Remus scowled. "They came onto the grounds when they had no right to. The emotions from the game drew them in and they went hungry."
"We were able to drive them off and protect the students though some, like you, became exposed," Flitwick said angrily.
"Cornelius and I had words," Dumbledore said quietly, his eyes blazing. "They will be kept on a much shorter leash now and we will have more protections."
"They're still going to be here after this incident?!" Pomfrey gasped.
"Unfortunately," Dumbledore sighed wearily. "With Black still at large, Cornelius was loathe to completely remove them. I have lobbied my complaints with the governors and we will have to wait and see what happens next."
"The man should have a few in his home and see how he likes it," McGonagall spat.
"I have made that suggestion and he soundly pretended not to hear it," Dumbledore said dryly. He coughed. "Forgive us Harry, I'm sure you do not want to hear us bicker and gossip like this."
"Don't mind me," Harry replied with a small smile.
The professors, the Matron, and the Headmaster chuckled. "You had the most severe case of exposure," Pomfrey said. "But it's only been an hour or so, thank goodness."
"Do I have to stay?" Harry asked. "Not that I don't enjoy your company, Madam Pomfrey, but I remember you saying you don't like it when I make you work more."
"Perhaps I'll keep you around and help me tidy up to make up for it," she said, waggling a finger at him.
"Now now," Flitwick smiled, "as industrious as Harry's hard work is, I think you'd enjoy a different type of recompense." He winked broadly at Harry.
"Against my better judgement, an alternative recovery plan was decided upon," Pomfrey smiled. "But you will return here tomorrow for a follow up check. Or else-"
"-or else you'll hunt me down. Thank you," Harry said gratefully. He hesitated for a moment. "I…I need to ask you something, Professor Lupin and Headmaster, Sir."
"Of course." Dumbledore waited for Flitwick, McGonagall, and Pomfrey to move away and he drew the curtains around the space for privacy. Remus leaned on a stool beside them. "What is it?"
"Do…do Dementors force you to remember things?" Harry asked after some thought.
"Yes and no," Remus said. "They block access to your happy memories while devouring your happier thoughts and emotions. This in turn forces you to dwell on darker things, making you spiral as you can only think of bad times while feeling negative emotions."
"Did you remember something?" Dumbledore asked softly.
Harry nodded. "I…I told Professor Lupin that I hear voices when I'm near them, but I think it's a memory because it's the same voices each time. With each time I'm close to them, I hear more of what they're saying."
He took a deep breath. "I think…I hear my mum and my dad."
"Dear Merlin," Remus gasped.
"And…" Harry's voice died.
"Voldemort?" Dumbledore whispered, horrified.
"Yes. I hear my dad tell my mum to run, that he's here. I hear Voldemort telling Mum that he killed Dad." Remus groaned and Dumbledore looked pained. "I hear her begging for my life, saying that she would die for me," Harry said, tears rolling down his face. "And then she does."
"Powers above and below," Dumbledore said sorrowfully. "Harry, I'm so sorry. That is something no child should ever know, much less remember."
"I was only a baby, right? How would I remember something like that?" Harry asked, scrubbing at his eyes.
"Magic is wonderful, and terrible," Dumbledore said wearily. "Much like people. Magic is capable of incredible beauty and awful tragedy and this is of the latter. My boy, I would remove that horror from you if I could."
"It's…I can hear them," Harry whispered. "I can hear what they sound like and I want to hear more but it's during the worst part of their life." The last part of their lives. "That's…that's sick, right?"
"No, it's not," Remus said, his own eyes wet and gleaming. "You are someone that has endured something terrible in your short years, something no one should. You simply want to experience what others have taken for granted. I do not blame you in the slightest."
"Nor do I," Dumbledore said firmly. "You are not sick, Harry. You just want something you desperately crave, and no one can judge you for that."
Harry released a shuddering breath. "Thank you," he said at last, feeling a tiny bit better at their words.
"I will teach you how to fight them," Remus said. "The same charm you saw us cast to drive them back. It will be difficult, but I know you can do it. And it should help you immeasurably."
"Really?"
"Really. Not many can cast it and normally you would be a lot older before attempting it, but we can try. I have faith in you," Remus said, patting Harry's shoulder.
"That would be great," Harry said, feeling even better. "Thank you."
"Let us begin your recovery," Dumbledore said with a soft smile. "Professor Flitwick will take you to the clubroom and you may spend some time there before heading back to the dormitory. If you need to talk more in the future, you need only ask."
"Thank you," Harry said gratefully. After a last check by Pomfrey, the boy left the Infirmary, waving at them.
"That poor boy," Dumbledore murmured. "No, that poor young man. He has endured much."
"What do we do?" Remus asked.
"Be there for him, as best as we can. Teach him magic and other things." Dumbledore looked resolute. "And try to be better, for ourselves and for him."
"No complaints here," Remus said, nodding. "At least there's one good thing from this, he's opening up to us more."
"Yes, and I am grateful." Dumbledore rose and clasped his hands behind him. "Now to not lose that trust and to reward him for it. We need to do the best we can."
Remus looked at the closed doors to the Infirmary before looking out of the window and over the dark grounds. "Do our best," he repeated thoughtfully.
-0-
Flitwick led Harry to the clubroom and Harry was surprised to see the door cracked open slightly and the room full of light and sound. Flitwick had given him a comforting pat and had left him there with a kind smile. Harry opened the door some more and took a step in.
"Look, how precise do the measurements have to be?" Parvati asked.
"Now I understand why your Potions marks are low," Padma sighed.
"Don't give me that. You know why I'm asking," Parvati said crossly, pushing Padma. "The aunties and Grandmum barely measure anything half the time."
"Cooking isn't the same as baking," Padma returned, pushing Parvati back. "Baking is like potion brewing, mess up the ratios and measurements and it won't turn out quite right."
"What did you mess up?" Lavender asked, glaring at her friend.
"I didn't mess anything up! I just might've added a bit more sugar than what the recipe said," Parvati said.
"How much is a bit?"
"Looks like half-again," Sue said, looking at the bag. "This was a new bag, right?"
"The dough looks a bit…gritty," Hermione said as she poked it with a spoon.
"You can add a bit more flour," Harry said with a big smile. "It won't come out exactly right, but it'll take some of the grittiness away. Maybe a touch more fat too."
"See? Thanks Harry," Parvati sniffed. She did a double-take. "Harry!" The others exclaimed with delight at his presence and Lavender hugged him hard.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
He nodded. "I'm okay. Weak, but otherwise I'm fine."
"We thought you would be out a little longer so we came to make biscuits for you to bring to you," Padma said.
"Really?" Harry felt his face and chest warm. "I can't remember the last time someone made food for me, that wasn't the Elves of course."
"We thought you would like it," Pansy said softly. "We were worried."
He saw the expression on her face and recognized it, a lingering wistfulness, as if she wanted something.
"Thank you," he said and shyly, and awkwardly, opened his arms slightly to her.
Blushing furiously, after a moment's hesitation, she hugged him, feeling better when he hugged her back. Lavender bit her lip for a moment, feeling a flash of something that she could not quite identify before pushing it away.
"Really, thank you all," Harry said once they parted. "I really appreciate it."
"You cook and bake for us all the time," Sue said. "We wanted to do it for you though," she poked the dough, "might not be up to your usual standards."
Harry smiled once more. "No problem. We can salvage it." He moved a little slower and still looked tired, but he also looked happy.
"Did you want to talk about it?" Hermione asked once the biscuits were in the oven.
Harry thought for a moment and shook his head. "It's…no, not right now. If that's okay."
"Of course," Millicent said. "It's private and we get it. We're here for you if you ever need us." They chatted easily as the biscuits baked and they took them out of the oven when finished.
"See? They still look okay," Parvati said. She bit into one. "Still tastes fine!"
"Tastes good to me," Harry said with heart-felt conviction. Just like at the end of last year, in the presence of smiling faces and warm conversation and food, he felt much better. Cold air, grasping hands, and empty cowls that brought terrible screams felt far away at that moment.
And he relished it.
-0-0-0-
AhsokaTheGreat - I've never had dosa before but seen some lovely youtube videos about them. They sound tasty. One of my favorite things, scallion pancakes, has a remarkably similar base to roti sort of so I do like roti a lot too.
odonnellzoo99 - I imagine there are a lot of jobs that House Elves do, we just didn't see them in canon. That was part of the impetus for this fic, exploring some things we didn't get to see but would be fun to imagine. Also trying to give Hagrid a bit of a growth and change here too.
poka - It was fun imagining the scale of things and seeing how it would fit in with the school and everything else. Like I said in another response, a big goal of this fic to have fun exploring little facets of the setting we didn't see before. It's fun, for me anyways, sometimes to see logistics and the other things we normally don't think about and trying to make them work in the grand scheme of things. I really like naan, I like a fluffier bread but I do like roti and scallion pancakes and tortilla a lot too. Glad you liked the wonder. I want to try and capture the magic and whimsy of the setting in this fic.
alix33 - I've had alligator before but not crocodile. Alligator definitely has a wild and gamey taste to it that's weirdly chicken-esque and seafoody.
DarkRavie - Thank you.