~An Emerald amongst a Sea of Stone~

Chapter Seven

Filius had been a little more than surprised, when last night at dinner, Minerva had told him that Harry was due a detention with her. After all, the boy was anything but a troublemaker.

Once he learned of what exactly had transpired though, his surprise had faded - at least somewhat,

Hearing of the spat between Neville and Harry filled him with concern. Not just because Harry had gotten himself into a fight, but also with whom he had. The implications were certainly not good.

The boy had, thus far, seemed wholly in control of his emotions.

He was, on the surface, the perfect Slytherin, however much it pained Filius to admit. That he had seemingly lost control after a few taunts seemed entirely out of character.

But as Harry had demonstrated, he certainly was capable of holding a grudge - not just towards Petunia and the Death Eaters who had invaded the Potters' home that fateful night, but Frank.

And Neville… was Frank's son. Him of all people mouthing off about Lily and James.

It had perhaps cut just a little bit too deep.

It was somewhat comforting to hear that Harry had apparently already reflected on his behaviour, but Filius knew that - no matter if the boy regretted his actions or not - Harry certainly didn't feel sorry for them.

But that was not what he was concerned about. What truly worried him was that this public show of emotion could be perceived as a weakness; and that like a flock of sharks smelling blood, others would sense an opportunity to use it against him.

After all, Half-Bloods were anything but liked in Slytherin - especially ones as unapologetic and brilliant as Harry. Filius could only hope that the boy had taken his advice to heart and begun his journey into the art of duelling.

Either way, he was about to find out.

'You wanted to see me, Professor?'

Filius was greeted by a brilliant smile. Harry stood in front of his lectern, bag hanging lazily over his shoulder.

'Yes,' Filius nodded, banishing away the frown that still rested on his face. 'I was merely curious as to how you were progressing with the books I recommended to you a while back. Are you enjoying them so far?' he asked.

Harry inclined his head. 'I did, sir,' he smiled.

Filius blinked in surprise. Surely not…

'Do you mean to tell me that you have already finished them?' he questioned incredulously.

Harry nodded. 'Yes, sir. Except for the book on spell sequences. That one was quite difficult to follow at times.' It seemed like the boy had a specific paragraph in mind as he spoke.

Filius shook his head in amusement. I should hope so. After all, learning even the most basic of spell sequences is far from easy, even for the most talented witches and wizards.

'Then,' he exclaimed. 'I have to say that I'm more than impressed. Well; what is your impression so far? Would you be interested in pursuing the art any further?' Filius inquired.

To his pleasure, Harry was quick to agree. 'I haven't had the chance to get some practical experience, but duelling certainly looks interesting, sir. I'd be more than willing to give it a shot, I think.'

'Wonderful!' Filius said warmly. 'Then I'm inviting you to join the duelling club's first session in late November,' he declared. 'I would recommend you familiarise yourself with the core concepts some more until then, but after all there is plenty of time.' A pause. 'Especially during my lessons,' he added amusedly.

Harry nodded politely, the hint of a smile tugging at his lips. 'Of course. Thank you for the opportunity, sir.'

'Oh, you have earned that yourself, Harry,' Filius assured. He paused 'If you'd like, I'm sure we could also find the time to arrange a mock-duel one of these days. I'm afraid my schedule remains awfully tight for now, but it will open up a bit these next few weeks.' He paused. 'On Halloween perhaps?' he suggested.

It was far from subtle, but he doubted Harry would join any festivities going on in the Great Hall that night anyway. And since Filius himself usually spent Samhain's eve in his office - often with nothing more than a bottle of Firewhiskey to keep him company - he figured that inviting Harry for a mock duel would perhaps serve both of them well.

It also gives me an opportunity to assess just how talented he really is.

Something flickered across Harry's face, too quick for Filius to decipher, but - to his delight - the boy nodded.

'Well then,' Filius said happily. 'Does seven sound fine to you?'

'Yes, sir.'

'Wonderful. Until then I'll be happy to provide you with some more recommendations on literature should you need them,' he offered. 'Or, of course, answer any other questions you might have.'

Harry inclined his head. 'I'll keep that in mind, sir.'

'Perfect. Then, as long as you do not have any questions, I believe it is time for you to head to dinner,' he smiled.

'You're not coming, sir?' Harry wondered.

Filius gave him a pained smile. 'I'm afraid not. Unfortunately, there are too many tasks to finish and too little time. Perhaps I will pay the kitchens a visit later tonight.'

'Oh. Good night then, Professor.'

Filius smiled softly. 'Too you as well, Harry.'

As the boy's raven head of hair turned around and vanished out of the classroom, Filius could only stare after him in thought.

'He's even more brilliant than his mother, isn't he?' he murmured.

'I'm not particularly in the mood for dinner either…' Harry murmured as he left Professor Flitwick's classroom behind.

He hadn't been for the last few days. After his outburst during flying class, he had taken the little time he spent around his fellow classmates and reduced it even further. When he wasn't in class, he was in his dorm, the library, or some abandoned classroom on the fifth floor.

Harry knew it wasn't a long-term solution - he simply didn't care. Keeping his temper in check had become difficult - and while he wouldn't have felt sorry to anyone who found themselves on the opposite end of his wand, he simply couldn't afford to earn himself another detention - or multiple even.

He had one objective, and that had priority above everything else. Even duelling.

He hadn't lied to Flitwick about wanting to pursue the art - he felt it was interesting, useful, and a challenge all at once - but he simply couldn't commit to it the way he wanted.

Which brought him back to the exact thing that prevented him from doing so - his research on the Cruciatus. He couldn't, not in good conscience, let his promise slide in favour of things that were more enjoyable.

His fruitless pursuit of knowledge about the Curse was becoming more and more frustrating with each day that passed - but he simply couldn't give up before knowing he'd given it his all. Breaking into the restricted section was something he wanted to avoid as long as possible.

Though the possibility of it happening seemed to draw nearer with each hour more spent in the library…

A sigh escaped him. Perhaps he would come to find some relief in the form of the duelling club. It was certainly an opportunity he would try to honour as much as he could.

Pushing through a pair of gates, he entered the West Tower of the castle, where he usually spent his evenings practising spells. As he strode down the corridor, the sound of a step filled his ears.

Which was quite surprising, seeing as he'd chosen this part of the castle to practise, because both students and Professors never came here. He slowed down, listening for anything else. He'd rather his secret lair remain just that for now. After all, he didn't want to deliver anyone the perfect opportunity for an ambush.

Perhaps it was a trick of his ears, but he could swear there was a whisper echoing from somewhere in the darkness at the end of the corridor. A mild frown appearing on his face, Harry's wand slid out of its holster and into his palm.

Somehow I have a bad feeling about this…

'Stupefy!'

Almost on instinct, Harry threw up a shield, the pale red flash which had appeared out of the darkness crashing against its silvery surface with a sharp hiss. Two more spells followed, both of them dissipating on impact with Harry's barrier.

'I told you we should've taken him from behind!' a voice said angrily. 'This was stupid.'

Seems like it's already too late to prevent being ambushed… Harry thought. Raising his wand, he returned a stunner of his own. Just a moment after the darkness swallowed his spell, a loud thump echoed across the hallway.

I hit one… Harry realised.

'Shite!' another voice exclaimed. 'W- What are you waiting for?! Attack him!'

Harry sidestepped another volley of incoming stunners, as a Blasting Curse blew chunks of the wall to his right.

'Nothing fatal you idiot!'

Harry tried to respond with curses of his own, but was forced into a defensive stance as more and more spells rained down on him. He tried his best to ignore the strain in his muscles as he dodged and shielded like his life depended on it - which it possibly did.

Four figures stepped out of the shadows - covered head to toe in black robes, their faces obscured by a pair of goofy-looking goblin masks. As three of them continued blasting Harry with hexes, one stepped forward.

'You've been strutting through these halls all high and mighty for long enough, Potter!' he spat. 'It's time someone taught you your place!

Harry didn't recognise the voice, but didn't think it would've mattered even if he had. After all, his attackers were anything but interested in diplomacy. As such, Harry didn't even bother replying to the clown in front.

'You strut around flaunting your magic like you're better than us even though the same blood of your crippled, mudblood mother runs through your veins!' the masked student continued. 'You're nothing compared to us, Potter, and it's time you learned that!'

Harry grit his teeth - not because of the unoriginal insult, but rather because the ache in his limbs had begun developing into a burning sensation. Under heavy breaths, he realised that he wouldn't be able to shield himself for much longer. He needed a different approach.

'You should-'

In the fraction of a second, Harry dropped his shield and fell to the floor, stray spells flying just inches over his head. Rolling sideways, he pointed his wand at one of the attackers.

'Reducto!'

The blood-red spell crashed into the guy's ribcage with a sickening crunch. He dropped like a ragdoll as his perplexed companions began to open fire again. Harry barely managed to force himself up and erect a shield, before the spells hit him.

'Fuck you, Potter!' one of them cried.

Fuck you as well.

Knowing the same trick wouldn't work twice, Harry desperately tried to think of any other solution. The moment he dropped the shield, he'd be beaten into a pulp. He either needed a way of dismantling them one-by-one, or something to knock them all out, or-

He took a deep breath, trying to conserve the little bit of energy he still had left.

Or I can go out with a bang…

With a faint smile, he dropped his shield. 'Bombarda Maxima.'

The last thing he saw before a pale red flash took his consciousness were his attacker's panicked movements as the hallway blew up with an eardrum-shattering BANG!

Harry awoke with a headache. Blinking profusely, he tried to make out his surroundings.

Bright, white light fell through what he assumed to be tall, arched windows. He laid in a bed of some kind - with clean, white sheets that emitted the soothing scent of lavender. Anything else was hard to identify through the haze that clouded his vision.

Where are my glasses?

Instinctively, his hands searched the brown spot of colour to his right. To his relief, his fingers quickly found the temples of his trusted spectacles. Putting them onto his nose, the blurred mess in front of him vanished.

Almost immediately, the curtains surrounding his bed were drawn aside, an unfamiliar woman stepping through. She was clad in a long, white Healer's gown, a surprised expression on her face.

'Mr. Potter!' she exclaimed. 'You're awake!'

Obviously, Harry thought irritatedly, rubbing his forehead. Why was everything so bright and loud?

'Where am I?' he asked, his voice coming out as more of a croak than anything else.

The woman handed him a glass of water, which he immediately downed. 'You're in the Hospital Wing, Mr. Potter!' she answered, fussing him over. 'Professor Snape brought you in with five of your Housemates last night. Whatever foolish thing it was the six of you were doing, you were lucky to get off with just a light concussion! Your fellow troublemakers were far less fortunate.'

Good.

'Drink this!' She passed him a small flask filled with a blood-red, bubbling potion. He recognised it from one of his Healing books.

Pepper-Up.

He downed the potion, grimacing at the heat in his throat. He coughed up some steam. Didn't think it would taste this bad…

'Well?' the woman demanded. 'How are you feeling?'

Harry frowned, shielding his eyes from the light. 'Fine…' Except for the headache, at least.

She huffed. 'Hmpf. The headmaster and your Head of House wanted to speak with you the moment you awoke. I suppose rest can wait for later then. I'll be right back and fetch them.'

As the woman vanished, Harry's lips thinned in displeasure. The headmaster? Wonderful…

There was little doubt in his mind that this whole fiasco would result in more detention for him - no matter whether he actually was the one at fault or not.

I probably shouldn't confess to casting that Bombardment Hex either. From what it sounds like I got my attackers good… Admitting it would probably just worsen my punishment - whatever that'll be.

He was, admittedly, rather pissed. Not about the fact that he'd been attacked in the first place, but that he'd failed to dismantle the situation as effectively as he would have liked.

I don't have time for this…

He should have been better prepared for the eventuality of an ambush. He'd thought himself safe in the West Tower and allowed his attention to waver. He could even consider himself lucky to have gotten off as easily as he had.

Who knows how long I would've had to spend in the Hospital Wing had they actually won against me?

He needed to be better. Because - Harry was all but certain - this would happen again. Perhaps he had scared off some of his enemies, but there were undoubtedly still enough out there, waiting for just the right opportunity.

But those thoughts were for later… Right now, he had a more immediate concern - convincing Dumbledore and Snape of his innocence. Fortunately, he'd always been a proficient liar.

Right that moment, the curtains opened. The headmaster stepped inside, wearing an extravagant, indigo-coloured robe littered with golden stars. Behind his half-moon spectacles, brilliant, electric-blue eyes sparkled with curiosity.

'Ah! Mr. Potter,' he greeted with a smile. 'It is good to see you awake.'

Harry inclined his head tentatively, not quite sure what to respond.

'Thank you, sir.'

'Severus will join us momentarily, I believe,' Dumbledore said. 'How are you feeling, if I may ask?'

Harry's lips thinned. 'Fine, sir…' he trailed off. 'I heard my attackers weren't quite as fortunate as me?' he responded.

Dumbledore blinked. 'Your attackers, you say?'

Harry nodded without hesitation. 'Yes, sir.'

'Perhaps we should-' The curtains swung aside once more, revealing Snape. 'Ah, Severus! Perfect.' With serenity, Dumbledore turned back towards Harry. 'I apologise, Mr. Potter. You were about to elaborate, I believe?'

'Yes…' Harry nodded, his forehead creasing. 'I… didn't feel up to dinner after yesterday's Charms lesson. There was a lot on my mind and… I figured taking a walk through the castle might help me put my thoughts into order again.'

Dumbledore nodded, his gaze far away for a moment. 'A walk through these halls does indeed have its way of soothing a troubled mind. But please,' he smiled apologetically. 'Go on.'

'I'd just entered the West Tower when a volley of spells came my way. I was barely quick enough to raise a shield and avoid being hit. A couple of figures wearing goblin masks emerged from the darkness and continued firing spells at me.'

He paused. Best not mention that Reductor either…

'I don't remember too much after that, but we duelled for a while. The last thing I remember is my shield failing and a Stunner crashing into my face.'

Dumbledore broke out into a frown, his fingers gently stroking the hair of his long, silvery beard. 'Hmm… And that is all?'

Harry nodded slowly. 'That's everything I can remember, sir.'

'That certainly doesn't explain why the corridor we found you in looked like a battlefield…' Snape said in his usual drawl.

Harry frowned. 'I believe one of them used a Bombardment Hex, sir, but I'm not exactly sure. My memory is quite… hazy still.'

'I'm sure…' the potions master agreed softly.

'It is… a quite interesting situation we've found ourselves in, it seems…' Dumbledore murmured. He looked down at Harry. 'You see, Mr. Potter; Severus found you - along with five of your fellow Housemates - unconscious and unresponsive on one of the Fifth floor corridors late last night; After receiving an anonymous note from… what we suspect to be a student,' he explained.

'The corridor was, as Severus already mentioned, quite the mess. It apparently looked quite like… a bomb had gone off, if you will.' He fixed Harry with a piercing stare. 'You are quite sure that there is nothing else you would like to tell us?'

Dumbledore's voice was perfectly calm, but for some reason Harry couldn't help but feel intimidated. Slowly, he shook his head.

'No, sir.'

Dumbledore didn't seem particularly pleased with that answer. Nevertheless, the headmaster nodded.

'Then I suppose we will have to wait until your Housemates awake,' he pondered. 'Thank you for your time, Mr. Potter.'

In a soft stride Dumbledore broke through the covers. Snape fixed Harry with a sharp look.

'Should I find out that you've been… lying, Mr. Potter; I can assure that there will be consequences of a most… unpleasant nature.' He paused. 'Understood?'

Harry nodded without so much as a flinch. 'Yes, sir.'

'Good.' The man vanished.

Harry barely had enough time to take a breath before the covers opened again, revealing the woman from earlier - the matron as he suspected.

Pomfrey, wasn't it?

'Is everything alright?' she asked.

'Yes...' Harry answered, before pausing. 'How long until I'm allowed to leave?' he asked.

She huffed. 'That depends on what happened to you!' she said irritatedly. 'For some inexplicable reason, no one has seen fit to inform me of anything so far.'

'Oh.' Harry frowned. 'I took a Stunning Spell to the head.'

'Hmpf.' The woman deflated somewhat. 'I suppose you are free to leave then. You would do well to take it easy for the rest of the week though,' she warned.

He nodded. 'Thanks for fixing me up, Ma'am.'

A tender smile appeared on the matron's aged face. 'You're quite welcome, Mr. Potter,' she said. 'Very well then - I'll leave you to it. There are other patients to tend to, after all. You can find a fresh set of robes and your bag inside the drawer.'

After a short goodbye, she walked off, leaving Harry to drag himself out of bed and gather his belongings. Smartening himself up some, he drew aside the screen and headed towards the large pair of gates at the end of the long hall.

He noticed that there were a half dozen other curtains drawn shut, behind one of which Madam Pomphrey's frantic voice could be heard. He exited the Hospital Wing with the faintest of smiles on his face.

Seems like I did a good job…

Despite not being quite familiar with this part of the castle, it didn't take him too long to find his way down into the dungeons. After about five minutes, he found himself stepping through the Ashwinder's portrait frame into the Slytherin Common Room.

As the time of the day would suggest, it was quite full. Some students looked up to meet his gaze and broke out into mutters.

No doubt there's already a rumour about what happened…

Ignoring the stares that trailed after him, he headed up the staircase to his right and made his way into the first year dorms. Without a sound, the door to Harry's room opened.

To his delight, Blaise was nowhere to be found. I'm not really in the mood of answering any more questions…

Sighing, he sat down on his desk and reached for the unfinished essay to his right.

Might as well- Hm?

An envelope, sealed with wax the shade of Slytherin green, laid in the middle of the table, right next to the Herbology paper. The lack of an address header made Harry's forehead crease ever so slightly. After a few seconds of confusion, he decided to break the seal and unfolded the letter within.

Harry Potter,

I have a proposition to make.

You have been browsing the library's curse section for weeks. What exactly it is you seek answers to, I do not know.

But whatever it is. If you haven't found it by now, you aren't going to.

After the Great War, the ICW passed a set of laws commonly referred to as the 'Esoteric Knowledge Protection Decree'. In essence, it banned the unregulated distribution of books on any magics which work on, or are, at least partially, fuelled by emotion.

In response to this act, libraries all around the world were forced to purge their collections of esoteric magics and lock their knowledge away where no one could freely access it.

So also Hogwarts.

The restricted section is home to any and all knowledge which falls under the jurisdiction of this act, among them many of the darker curses I suspect you are searching for - and also a specific branch of wards I find myself interested in.

Unfortunately for both of us, no student has been granted unsupervised access to the section in decades.

As such, I believe we find ourselves confronted with the same decision. Either we drop our extracurricular research…

Or we acquire what we desire through more… unconventional ways.

But breaking in is a risky undertaking. Something best not attempted alone.

That's why I propose we help each other out.

As a prefect, I have influence over the schedules which dictate the nighttime patrols.

So while you could take your sweet time breaking in, I'd be able to clear the way for you to get out.

Things, of course, aren't quite that simple. But if you find yourself interested, then I suggest you take a look into your drawer, where you will find a small, black notebook, engraved with your initials.

It will allow us to communicate via a Protean enchantment. Write whatever you desire onto the pages, and it will appear inside the counterpart on my desk.

Best regards,

A Fellow Slytherin

Harry bit his lip as he allowed everything to sink in for a moment. The letter was just as ominous as it was concerning.

Whoever this Fellow Slytherin was, he hadn't noticed them watching him during his research sessions. And while it didn't seem like they had any desire to rat him out, others could have made the same observation just as easily - which was a problem.

Not only had he been careless enough to allow an ambush to catch him off guard, he had also failed to keep his ambitions the tightly-guarded secret they were supposed to be.

Of course this Fellow Slytherin claimed they didn't know exactly what he was searching for… but why did that have to be the truth?

Harry shook his head. The intriguing offer aside…

How had the letter even gotten into his room in the first place? If people could gain access to the dorms so easily, it meant he had to double his efforts to learn both runes and arithmancy.

Thin-lipped, he opened the singular drawer adorning the underside of his desk.

And just as promised - beside his inkpot and quill, rested a smooth, leather-bound notebook the colour of his hair.

H. J. P. stood on its cover in thick, silver lettering.

This is not good…

The rhythmic drum of his fingers echoed against the desk, as he considered how to proceed.

He was tempted to accept the offer - how couldn't he be, after weeks of fruitless labour? But that didn't mean he could afford to just go along with the proposition without asking any questions.

It seemed quite apparent that the letter's author - whoever it was - would prefer to remain anonymous for as long as possible. Which made perfect sense, seeing as there was - at least from their perspective - a considerable risk of being ratted out by him.

But it worked both ways. If this person decided to forsake their operation, they had the possibility of snitching him out the moment they wished. He didn't like the idea of that happening at all.

Trust is assurance for fools…

But even if he didn't accept… the same thing applied. There were questions he desperately needed answers to and only one person who had them. His gaze gliding downwards, he opened the notebook and reached for ink and quill.

«I find myself interested in your proposition,» he wrote in his tight, neat script. «However, there are a few… questions that I would need answered first.»

He pursed his lips, eyeing the largely empty parchment with a calculative glint. Keeping it open, he placed the notebook at the far end of his desk.

Waiting it is… I wanted to finish that Herbology essay anyway.

It was some few hours later that a response finally appeared inside the pages of the notebook.

Besides finishing every last one of his dreadfully boring essays, Harry had also used the time to explain to Blaise just what had transpired last night.

He'd told him a story similar to the one he'd sold Dumbledore and Snape - not because he believed Blaise would rat him out, but rather because he wanted to keep preferably everyone in the dark about his true capabilities.

Sure, he flaunted his magical talent during classes - if mostly for the sake of a good grade - but that didn't mean he needed to show off about all the other stuff he learnt.

After all, being underestimated is the only thing that saved me from losing that duel last night…

The five boys had most certainly not expected him to be capable of Advanced Shield Charms, Stunners, or let alone even an Exploding Hex. Keeping that same advantage against the next flock of people who wished him harm certainly seemed like a good idea.

Back to business though…

Harry reached across the desk, taking a look at the words which had appeared within the notebook. A thin line separated the rather beautiful, arched script from his own.

«Of course,» it read. «Ask away.»

He dipped his quill into the inkpot by his side.

«How did you get access to my room?» he asked.

For a brief moment nothing happened. Then, after a few seconds, the answer materialised onto the page.

«I didn't.»

Harry pursed his lips. «Would you mind elaborating?»

«Not at all,» came the response. «I asked a house-elf to deliver both the book and letter to your room. It was rather easy to convince.»

Harry's lips thinned. That was actually a rather clever idea. After all, house-elves had access to the entirety of the castle - even the headmaster's office. Using them to deliver anonymous messages was undoubtedly smart.

Most certainly something to keep in mind…

«How did you know what I was researching?» he asked.

He knew he hadn't been particularly careful - why, after all, would anyone pay attention to what a firstie was researching his leisure time? Retrospectively, it was, of course, a rather poor way to look at things. Nevertheless, for the sake of his curiosity he decided to ask about it anyway.

«I thought you were worth keeping an eye on,» the answer appeared within the pages. «You are on track to becoming a generational

talent. People like you create opportunities.»

Faint surprise washed over him at the blunt answer. Not that he disliked it. In Harry's book, anyone who claimed they did things out of the goodness of their heart was, at least in most cases, a liar.

«That is… fair, I suppose,» Harry admitted with a stroke of his quill. «But how do you expect me to trust you when you are not even willing to reveal your identity?»

A minute passed before an answer finally appeared on the page.

«I can offer little else than what I already revealed in that regard. Approaching you was a far bigger risk for me than accepting could be for you. Of course this could all be a scheme to trick you, but why go to such unnecessary lengths? If I wished you harm, I assure you that I would be more than capable of dismantling you in a duel. No matter how well you held up against those third years.»

Harry blinked. «How could you possibly know about that?»

«You should begin checking for tracking charms. They are a quite ingenious way of keeping tabs on people, especially since it is so easy to apply one amongst the crowds which gather in the Great Hall during meals.»

He frowned. That didn't answer the question, did it? Sure, it was something he would start doing, now that he'd been made aware of it. But why-

He paused, before rubbing his temples.

Of course… Snape supposedly received an anonymous note with my location.

«You're the student who notified Snape of what happened,» he wrote.

He figured there was a good chance his conversation partner was amused. «Yes,» came the response. «When I noticed you weren't at dinner, I decided to look for you. After all, I'd heard rumours about an ambush. I arrived right as your Exploding Hex blew up the corridor. Quite an impressive feat of magic by the way.»

Perfect… Harry thought. Things only get worse the longer this day goes on…

Though the answer was at least an indication that this anonymous contact didn't wish him any harm. There were few more vulnerable spots than passed out in a hallwas surrounded by nothing but enemies.

Besides… I already considered breaking into the section myself. I don't necessarily like the idea, but if whoever this is can get rid of the patrols that would make my job considerably easier. The reward is more than worth the risk.

And just like that, the decision was made. He took a deep breath.

«Fine,» he wrote. «I'm in.»

«Perfect.»

Harry pursed his lip. «What's the plan then? The break-in will obviously have to take place at night. You already have your job cut out, but what exactly is it I need to do? I assume there are wards protecting the section from being accessed just like that.»

«Quite perceptive of you. But correct nevertheless. There are wards which stop people from just sneaking past the gates. I'm not quite sure what kind, but a reliable source told me that they aren't as difficult to circumvent as you would think. I'll try to find out more, but in the meantime you should begin by studying the basics of curse-breaking. You will need them no matter what.»

Good thing I already started runes and arithmancy weeks ago… He dipped his quill into the inkpot once more.

«That shouldn't be a problem. I'm already vaguely familiar with the subject. Anything else I should consider doing while you try to find out more?» he questioned.

«There is. It's not exactly necessary, but a good disillusionment charm would drastically decrease the risk of you being caught. Of course I'll do my best to assure no one is around when you break in, but you never know how these things go… It's perhaps a little challenging, but if there is a first year who could manage it, it's probably you. Alternatively, you could use an invisibility cloak. But those are… rare to say the very least.»

«I don't have one,» Harry confirmed curtly. «But I'll read up on the charm.»

«If you find yourself struggling, don't hesitate to ask me for advice. I'm quite proficient with the spell. It's quite unfortunate you can only really apply it to yourself. If it were different, that would save you the effort of learning it.»

I don't really mind. Becoming invisible at will seems like an incredibly useful skill to have anyways…

«Alright,» he agreed. «Any suggestions for the timeframe?»

«Before the end of the semester, if possible. I haven't decided if I'm going home for the holidays, but either way it wouldn't be smart to attempt anything while most students are out of the castle. There's less suspects that way.»

«Fair enough,» Harry agreed. «That should be manageable.»

After all, the time he had previously - however much it pained him to admit - wasted on his research could now be dedicated to different matters. Not just curse-breaking and disillusionment, but also duelling.

«Good. Then I suggest we keep things at that for now. Feel free to update me of your progress or ask any questions you have via the notebook. In the meantime, I'll try to find out more about the exact ward scheme that protects the restricted section.»

«Sounds good,» he wrote.

«Wonderful. Then I wish you a good night, Harry.»

He dipped his quill into the inkpot one last time. «To you too.»

Stowing the notebook away back inside his drawer, he leaned back into his chair. A tired sigh escaped him.

'What have I gotten myself into…?' he muttered.

Author's Note:

Another Chappie done. I hope you enjoyed it.

I feel like the story is starting to pick up the pace and that - slowly but surely - we're getting out of the somewhat sluggish starting phase into more interesting matters.

Do let me know what you think though!

On that note, as always, a thank you goes to everyone who likes, follows kudos's, reviews, comments, and all that stuff. I appreciate it more than you might think.

The *biggest* thank you, however, goes to Jupiter and Jono who did me the favour of beta-ing this chapter. Especially Jup was really helpful in terms of this one's storyboarding.

Anyways - I don't know when the next update'll be, but I can only try and keep my promise of *not in two months*. I still don't have that much time on my hands, but I'll make the best out of it.

If you're interested in joining the discord, the link can either be found on my profile here on FFN or here in the ANs over on AO3.

/zwpshsfKJn

See ya in the next one.