Harry potter and the Time of Retirement
Everything related to Harry Potter belongs to JKR
Chapter 34 – Year 2
"Good luck, everyone" said Harry, jovially, when finally the turn of the younger applicants had come.
"Like we need it!" bragged Megan before taking off.
"Thanks, Harry" said Justin, feets still on the ground, while picking his school-provided broom up.
"It was damn bloody time" grumbled Zacharias, already floating and looking at the captain.
Everyone else was already flying high: there was a sizeable group of third years, the whole 2nd year class, and a lone first year that Harry didn't recognize. With some amusement he noticed how Sally-Anne had left too, joining the try outs at the last minute.
'Wonder why' thought Harry, amused: with the way she had been looking everywhere except at him when the group of girls had joined the boys, it was pretty obvious she didn't want the two of them to remain alone on the ground.
With less pleasure he noticed also how all members of Hufflepuff's quidditch team, bar the captain, had landed on the grass and were either looking up or straight out ignoring the last batch of applicants in favour of chatting between themselves. The other, older, students who had passed the flight test were close by and everyone else was already on their way back to the castle.
Among the players for the team he could recognize a younger Cedric Diggory. 'The perfect Hufflepuff' thought Harry, with just a slight hint of sarcasm.
And in truth, even if Diggory had been quite the stereotypical 'puff, that was because of his qualities: fair, hard working, loyal. His good looks and his talent in magic were just the extra push that made him popular, too. Right now he was quite young still but Harry had still heard only positive things about him from his house mates, and occasionally even from students of other houses.
'And of course I stole his spotlight' admitted Harry, shaking his head, at the memory of the tri-wizard tournament. Just another of the many horrible memories he had about Hogwarts.
"Why do I like this place, again?" murmured Harry, amused; his smile quickly disappeared, though. He was aware of the answer, and he wasn't happy about it: he was enjoying his life at the castle, while feeling like he had no real alternatives anywhere else.
'Focus' thought Harry. 'I am only here to prevent any mess with the basilisk, and that's it'.
Pacing a bit back and forth, he considered again his options. Checking up regularly on Ginny, on Hagrid's roosters, warding the entrance of the chamber…. those seemed only half way measures.
'If only I could just kill that damn snake' thought Harry…. before shaking his head. He had already considered it, obviously, but the option just didn't seem that attractive. Fighting the basilisk was really risky on its own, and by killing it there was a chance Riddle's diary could gain control of someone without revealing itself until it was too late for anyone to stop it. 'Unacceptable' concluded Harry, sadly aware of how he was basically accepting the chance someone could die so long as he could known for certain that the diary had been destroyed.
'Still, I could set something up in there' he considered, weighing pro and cons of making a solitary trip down to the Chamber. Wards, traps, supplies, anything placed inside the chamber of secrets could go a long way in helping if anyone else got possessed by the diary… or, even worse, a confrontation with the giant snake was required. All this, in exchange for a slight risk of alarming either Riddle or the head master.
"Pal, are you alright?" said a voice behind Harry, startling him. When he turned he saw the worried face of Diggory in front of him, with another of the team's players on his side.
"Yes. Sure. Why?" he answered, still a bit confused.
"Oh, well, you were… walking back and forth, and you are the only one left on the ground. Just wondering" said the older boy, an embarrassed smile on his face.
"We thought you had been excluded, and he insisted to check up on you. Goody-goody" said the other guy, easily a 6th or 7th year student, a friendly smirk on his face.
"I am pretty sure worrying about our house members is part of Hufflepuff's motto or something, Tony" said Diggory, amused. "Anyway, why down here? Have you really been…." He said, hesitating at the last part.
"Excluded? No. I just wasn't interested" said Harry.
"The only one" said the older team member, skeptical.
"Yes."
"I am sure you would have done fine" said Diggory, pleasantly. "Don't stay here alone, anyway. Come and meet the team". Meanwhile, the older student just started sniggering and shaking his head.
Harry, too, felt the temptation to make some teasing remark but decided in the end to simply appreciate the good intentions behind his efforts.
"I am fine, really, thank you. Just tell me… do they have any chance to make it to the team?" he asked, nodding towards the students in the air.
"We are pretty full already" said the older student immediately.
"True, unfortunately…. two of our former teammates were 7th years and their reserves 'got promoted', so to speak, which means there are only two spots available" grimaced Diggory. "Hard to see how any second year could be selected."
"Still, it's good experience for them to try. Make them less nervous when they try again" said Harry, shrugging.
"If they try again" added the older student, shrugging. "Cedric, I am going back" and with that, he started moving towards the gaggle of team members and older students nearby.
"I'm coming" said Diggory to his friend's back. "Are you sure you don't want to join us?" he added, looking at Harry.
"I am fine, for real. But thanks" said Harry, and with that - and a friendly nod from Diggory - he was alone again.
Thinking of his short conversation, Harry focused back on his class mates. "Not going to be happy" he murmured, resigned, while the rest of his year's Hufflepuff kept flying almost in circles over him.
And so it was that the following days saw a much less enthusiastic class of 2nd year Hufflepuffs move around the school. Most of them were actually unfazed, beside some initial complaints, but the few that had really hoped for a spot on the team – Justin, Zacharias, Megan and Susan – were sad enough to bring the mood down for everyone.
"There is always next year, so keep practicing and never give up!" had said the team captain before sending them off, and the kids were unsure if he meant it or was just some platitude said for appearance's sake.
Harry, meanwhile, had decided that with no other leads to follow he might as well be proactive. A dinner-time tour to the first floor's girls bathroom proved fruitful enough: with no one around using his precious cloak of invisibility, combined with more charms on his clothes to prevent sounds, did appear to be even overkill against drawing attention, especially that of the resident ghost, but he did it anyway, a bit of nervousnes creeping up on him.
The sink in front of her toilet, door to the chamber of secrets, seemed untouched enough. For what Harry could remember its faucet never worked, so it being dry and dusty was no surprise anyway. Not that it mattered, as Harry was there for another reason: he had lost his parseltongue talent long ago, after all, and all his hopes were with his scarce memories of Hogwarts and Ron claiming he managed to open it by faking the command.
'Please don't have been a liar, mate' thought Harry, considering that what he would have done in Ron's place would have been just to blow up the sink and be done with it – an option he didn't have at the moment.
Focusing on the snake engraved in one of the taps, wishing desperately for his magic to accompany his words, Harry too tried to recreate at his best the hissing he pronounced so many years ago. And, lo and behold, the sink immediately started moving, revealing a deep, dark tunnel behind it.
'Right, of course' thought Harry, stepping onward and trying to look down into it. The tunnel was devoid of light, uninviting, and with no apparent way to climb it back through once one slide down. 'A broom it is, then' considered Harry, stepping back…. only to find his face immersed into some weird kind of mist.
"Iiieeeeehh!" he heard, and quickly took several steps aside. Moaning Myrtle was hovering atop the open tunnel, looking around herself with a scared face. "Who's there!". When no one answered, she started crying: "Stop pranking me, can't you leave me alone!" she moaned, running back to her bathroom.
'She didn't see my face' was all Harry focused on, coldly 'but it was close. Maybe some sound-proof charms on the sink, too? Or a distraction…' considered Harry, leaving. As far as he could remember there was no 'close' command for the sink, and indeed he could see it closing after he got far enough. Apparently it was intent-based.
'For being a founder's masterpiece, security seems pretty low' sniggered Harry 'in fact, Myrtle seems to be the only real guard' he added mentally, now a bit worried too. The chances she would tell anyone about seeing a tunnel appear in her bathroom were low, but not zero, especially if some professor or the headmaster itself came to snoop around once, or at least if, the 'heir' declared his existance.
'Anyway, brooms. Potions, too, if I am going down there' thought Harry, his mind already planning what to do inside the chamber. 'I could buy them, or borrow them' he added to himself, with a grimace. "I was going to give them back" was a favourite among the excuses of the thieves he arrested during his life as an auror, so the idea of stealing really didn't sit well with him. His dangerously light pouch didn't leave him much choice, though, and it was probably unwise to go back to the headmaster and ask for more funds after the relatively huge sum – for a schoolboy – he already got the previous year.
'I guess this will be Dumbledore's fault' thought Harry, smiling a little. In a way, it was. Rolling up his cloak, he walked back to his common bedroom to store it inside his chest and then hurried up to the Great Hall. The loud noises coming from it showed clearly that dinner was in full swing – in fact, he could see a couple students already standing up, ready to go.
Sitting down next to his class mates, Harry rushed to fill up his plate from the half-empty dishes placed on the table."Roastbeef tonight, not bad" he said, satisfied.
"Hello to you, too" said Ernie, amused, before turning back towards the other students, busy with their conversations.
"….was full of students, I assure you. Basically all the discarded ones" concluded Zacharias, hotly.
"We'll have to ask next time" added Susan, on her side.
"I don't really need more advices. Justin would, probably" added Zacharias, but without real malice in his tone.
"Just wait until I get a spot in the team and you don't" answered Justin, evenly.
"More quidditch?" asked Harry, between one bit and the other.
"Well, duh" said Justin.
"They are going all crazy, Harry. 5th day in a row they attend madam Hooch's extra classes in the evening" said Wayne, sniggering.
"She is way too focused on the older years" complained Ernie.
"True. I have tons of questions, but I can never manage to corner her" said Megan, Susan nodding next to her.
A quick glance and a couple stolen words told Harry that the all other girls, while occasionally listening, were having their own conversation – one unlikely to revolve around brooms.
"Questions on what?" asked Harry.
"How to get a spot in the team, of course" said Justin.
"Oh, please. You only need to be good enough, what else?" said Zacharias, exasperated. "The point is, how to improve."
"So, training" said Harry.
"Honestly, beside flying every day, I can't imagine what they could do" said Wayne, his tone of voice clearly suggesting he was already considering the matter as something that didn't regard him in any way.
"You said there are strategies and stuff involved, right?" asked Ernie, while looking at Harry.
"Sure, but that is something for the captain. As an applicant… I don't know, it depends on what role you aspire to" said Harry, while filling up his chalice with juice form the pitch. 'Much better', he thought, savoring his drink.
"Like, avoiding bludgers for chasers and searching them for beaters?" asked Susan.
"Captain obvious" commented Justin, receiving an angry gaze in return.
"There is more" said Harry, sending a somewhat cold stare at Justin himself "Even without flying, a chaser must be able to throw the quaffle with precision. A beater should have strong arms, and be handy with his mace. Stuff like that."
"Makes sense" said Wayne.
"What about flying?" asked Ernie.
"I read that you have to be very good at making curves" said Megan.
"Those are the basics. Flying in formation, loops, sprints, passes, there is a lot more than just being on the broom" said Zacharias.
"Flying with one or no hands on the broom is essential, too" said Harry, stopping midway his attempt to gather more food, as all the dishes in front of him disappeared. The Great Hall, meanwhile, was slowly emptying out. 'Wonderful', he mentally complained.
"Too many things" said Ernie, frowning.
"Yep. I just want to fly once in a while" said Wayne.
"You can still do that. The team is not for everyone" said Zacharias.
"If you are that much into training, we could organize some games between us or the other houses. Like last year" added Harry, casually.
"Sure, seems fun" said Susan.
"There are always other 2nd year at madam Hooch's, we just need to ask them" said Justin, smiling at the idea.
"I'm in" concluded Ernie.
As they started going back to Hufflepuff's common room, by groups or couples, Harry – after a moment of hesitation - approached one of the girls.
"Sally" he said, while she was walking away with Hannah at her side.
"Hi Harry" said Hannah. Sally-Anne, meanwhile, remained silent.
"Hi. Listen, I need to talk to her for a while. Do you mind giving us some space?"
"Sure I can" she giggled happily, then left – only to turn around a couple times, a teasing smile on her face.
"They are going to pester me again tonight, Harry" said Sally, her voice heavy with resignation.
"You could just tell them the whole story and be done with it" he answered.
"I did, at the stadium! But they kept saying that you…." started Sally only to stop immediately, blushing furiously once again.
At this Harry showed a puzzled expression, only then to shake his head. "Yeah, I don't even want to know" he said, starting to walk away, but nodding at her to follow "and i am here for your problem, Sally. I just thought this night could work."
After hesitating a second, she followed. "To do what" she said, passively.
"I told you. This is not something you can deal with alone" started Harry. "Once your parents find out you lied, and that nothing of what they think of is being taught here…."
She said nothing, but looked downcast again. Meanwhile, Harry was leading them to the entrance hall, just wandering in it. A few older students could be seen passing by, occasionally.
"Let's sit down" said Harry, approaching a stone bench along the walls.
"Sally?" asked Harry to the still silent girl. She simply scrolled her shoulders, and moved away a little on the bench.
"Sally, if you really don't want to deal with this, and the teasing, I can leave. Right now" said Harry, a bit irritated. She still said nothing.
"I mean it, last chance. I have my own things to deal with" said Harry, shaking his head. "so, if you still want my help, say it now" concluded Harry. The silence remained, so he stood up.
"Very well. I'll see you aro…" started Harry, only to see that the Sally had started sobbing. 'Again', he thought, tiredly.
'Was Lily this way too?' wondered Harry, a little puzzled, while trying to recall his distant years as a father. Then, reminiscing one time when his daughter, already much older than the little girl in front him, started freaking out because she couldn't find her chosen dress right before a date, he concluded that 'Ok, yes, she was'.
The old memory, anyway, moved something inside Harry. With a sigh, he sat down again on the bench
"Ok… let me retry. I know this is not a good period for you, Sally, but I can't do much if you refuse to even look at me" said Harry, conjuring an handkerchief and offering to the girl beside him. Only after a second he froze, noticing how that was by far beyond what he should be able to do… but apparently Sally didn't notice or didn't know. Or didn't care. "Here, take this."
"I am sorry, Harry" she eventually started "You are being nice, and I am treating you horribly."
"All the girls are teasing me, they say you want to… you know. I know they are only joking, but they are still doing it even when I ask them to stop" she said, still sobbing a little, and drying her eyes with Harry's handkerchief.
"That is… not something I can really help with" said Harry, unsure. "If it was the boys, it would be easier."
"Still, I know that nothing terrible will happen just because of it" he continued when she remained silent. "In fact, once it gets boring, they will stop. I am more worried about your parents."
"….why?" she asked. While blushing, noticed Harry with some worry; what really preoccupied him, though, was something far more serious that another little witch fantasizing about romance over him.
'The ministry….' thought Harry, more unpleasant memories from his past coming back to him. The ministry's top priority was hiding from the muggles, and half-trained witches that abandoned Hogwarts were certainly considered a menace. Obliviators and a sequestered wand were the standard choice, for such a situation, at least during his career.
"Honestly? I fear your parents will decide that magic ain't worth it, and take you back" half-lied Harry, effortlessy. "We are classmates, I want you to at least decide on this."
Sally-Anne didn't answer, but nodded her head. Eventually, she said "Can I tell you something, Harry?"
"Sure."
"I like it here. But I liked my old school too" she started, unsure. After looking at Harry's face, to check who knows for what, she continued. "I planned to become a seamstress, you know? A famous one, sewing dresses for tv actress."
"Good plan" commented Harry.
"I can still do that as a witch, right Harry?" she asked, unsure.
"In theory, yes. In practice, no" he grimaced. At her stare, he added "We don't have televisions, here. We don't care about muggle stars, or fashion. At one point, you won't care about them either."
"Don't you miss the normal life, Harry? I mean, you went to school too, right?" she asked.
"I have my own reasons for preferring Hogwarts" said Harry, with a bitter smile on his face, and memories of his absurd childhood in his minds "but I know what you mean."
After a minute of silence, with both of them deep into their private thoughts, Harry restarted talking.
"My plan was for us to ask professor Sprout to talk to your parents, convince them that a magical education is the best choice for a witch. And it is" he said "but they wouldn't believe you, they need to hear it from an adult, and a successful one."
"Now, though… maybe you too should talk with her. And then with your parents. Decide if you want to stay."
She raised her head, surprised and a bit hurt "You think I should leave?"
"No. In fact, I wish for you to choose magic. But this is not something strangers get to vote on" said Harry, not unkindly. "It's important, Sally. Don't rush your decision, but take one."
"I see" she said, dejected. Her legs kicking the air, she had at least stopped crying.
"It's getting late and I imagine that going to Sprout, for tonight, is out. I would escort you back to the common room, but…." said Harry, waving his hand in the air. Sally giggled a little.
"Yep, better not" she said, standing up. Turning towards him, she gave him an embarrassed smile "Thank you Harry. I… you are a good friend."
"I hope so" he answered, smiling himself. "I'll see you later."
With that, she left; Harry, too, stood up eventually and started walking around the now empty school, without a destination. He felt neither sad not happy, just… restless. Not in the mood to see anyone yet aware that, in that moment at least, he had been pulled in just a little more into this new life of his. 'Weird' thought Harry, deliberately avoiding to think too deeply into his own state of mind. After a while, he started walking back towards his common room.