Harry arrived at the potions classroom with Ron and Hermione, finding the door open.
The door had glowing handwriting on it, large enough for them to see even from across the hall, telling them to come in.
When Harry, along with the rest of the Gryffindors and Slytherins, entered the classroom, their eyes widened.
The once dreary classroom looked bright and inviting, with lanterns hanging from the ceiling and the windows showing the sunny weather outside, even though they were deep in the dungeons.
The wall of potion ingredients was gone, replaced by a simple wooden door. The tables had been seemingly replaced too, or at least thoroughly cleaned, as they looked brand new.
The cauldrons were gone, in their place were circles of intricate symbols that very few in the class recognized as Runes, and even fewer still knew what they were there for.
Aahna sat at a heavy desk in the corner of the room beside the blackboard, reviewing a piece of parchment. Her hair was tied back in a bun, her wand stuck in between.
She looked up and smiled as they entered, standing from her desk gracefully.
"Welcome! Please, take your seats!" Aahna called, gesturing them to enter.
She wore what were obviously extremely expensive robes, white with silver and gold embroidered in. A cloth of gold cape hung off her shoulders to end at her mid-thigh, attached to her shoulders by two clasps.
Breaking up all of the silver, white, and gold was a dark metal necklace with a ruby centerpiece, which rested between her breasts.
Overall, the robes looked incredibly ornate, and Harry wondered if there was some charm to lighten things, as it looked like it'd be awfully heavy.
Harry took his seat near the front of the class, along with Ron and Hermione, who both looked intrigued at the new Professor.
"She isn't another Lockhart, right?" Ron mumbled under his breath, glancing over at Aahna's robes.
"Ron!" Hermione hissed. "You can't just say that about any professor just because they have expensive robes! Plus, didn't Professor Dumbledore say she was just as qualified as Snape?"
"Yeah, but…" Ron trailed off, glancing at Aahna to ensure she wasn't listening. "Snape wasn't the best teacher in the world, you know?"
"But he was good at potions, wasn't he?" Hermione pressed. "That has to count for something."
Ron looked unconvinced. "What do you think, Harry?"
"Well…" Harry began, uncertain. "Robes don't make a professor, do they? Professor Lupin wears shabby robes and he's an amazing teacher. Maybe Lockhart was just an exception?"
Ron relented at that, deciding to reserve his judgment until after class.
The students looked around the room as they entered, many of them expressing how different it looked.
Aahna stood with her back against the blackboard, smiling warmly at all the students who entered.
Once everyone was seated, Aahna pushed off the wall with her foot and clapped her hands.
"Good morning! I am Professor Aahna Marime, your new Potions Professor," Aahna said cheerfully.
Some of the students, particularly the Gryffindors, smiled a bit at her warmth, glad she wasn't another Snape.
"Ooh, before I forget," Aahna said, waving her hand.
A roll of parchment shot into her hand from her desk, and the class gaped at the casual wandless magic.
"Roll call," She grinned, completely ignoring their shock.
Aahna quickly went through the roll, glancing up at each student and muttering something under her breath as they confirmed their presence.
"Now– " Aahna tossed the roll of parchment away and it shot into a drawer in her desk. "–Some quick things."
"Some of you–" She glanced pointedly at the Slytherins. "–Might be used to Snape's form of teaching. I can assure you I'm much different."
Her face became serious, and every student leaned back slightly, being forcefully reminded of McGonagall in a way.
"Some things about me. I am Head Unspeakable for the Hellenic League of Magic," Aahna stated calmly. "Or the Greek Ministry for those who are Muggle-born."
Harry glanced at Ron, who looked intrigued, and Hermione, who seemed to be vibrating in her chair in excitement.
"I have been an Unspeakable for over 15 years," Aahna continued, pacing around the room slowly. "I went into it right out of Hogwarts, along with two other friends who are sadly no longer with us."
Aahna paused for a second to let it sink in before continuing.
"Outside of potions, I specialize in spell creation, particularly Charms," Aahna said before she stopped in front of the classroom.
"Who here heard about my husband, Thanatos, killing the dementor on the train earlier this year?" Aahna asked, arm raised. "Raise your hand if you have."
The class simultaneously raised their hands. Who hadn't heard of it?
"I'm the one who made the spell he used to kill it," Aahna stated matter-of-factly.
Whispers exploded across the classroom, the respect the students had for her increasing by the second.
Hermione looked like she couldn't be happier, almost jumping in her seat.
"See, Ron?!" She whispered. "She has to be good! Who else has killed a dementor?"
Ron grumbled under his breath about not judging books by their covers, but Harry could see he looked far more excited than he had previously.
"Yes, yes, I know I'm awesome," Aahna grinned before becoming serious again. "Alright, you may gossip after class. Please quiet down."
The class immediately went silent except for Malfoy, who was muttering something unflattering to Crabbe and Goyle about Aahna's robes.
"–Looks like something I'd see an expensive harlot wear," Malfoy was muttering. "Those accents look dreadful–"
"Something wrong, Malfoy?"
The three Slytherins jumped as Aahna's voice came from behind them.
The rest of the class blinked in shock; they hadn't even seen her move.
"Fifty points from Slytherin and three days of detention," She stated coldly. "These are the official robes of the Ghosts, the Greek Unspeakables, and they're better made than anything your nepotistic, magically ungifted daddy could ever even dream of."
Malfoy went red with rage, but Aahna's shockingly cold glare froze his words on his tongue.
"There will be no rudeness in my classroom," Aahna declared. "Any student who participates in any form of discrimination, whether it be about blood status, race, gender, or even your House, will be given three weeks detention with Filch. Understood?"
The class agreed and Aahna turned back to Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle.
"Do I make myself clear?" She asked, staring down at them.
Malfoy sneered but nodded, intimidated by Aahna, not that he'd admit it.
"Good! Glad we could get that out of the way!" Aahna clapped her hands cheerfully.
She placed her hand on Malfoy's shoulder as she walked back to the front, making the blond boy cringe in disgust and wipe his robes.
"Now, any questions?" Aahna asked as she turned back to the class.
Lavender raised her hand, and Aahna smiled.
"Yes, Miss Brown?"
"You said you were an Unspeakable, right?" Lavender asked, getting a nod. "What's that?"
Aahna smiled. "An Unspeakable is, to put it simply, a magical researcher. We study the intricacies of magic and its laws, investigate magical phenomena, and help push the magical world forward. In other words, we are like scientists."
Hermione's hand shot into the air, and Aahna turned to her.
"Ye–"
"Can anyone become an Unspeakable or is it only limited to a certain group?" Hermione breathed.
"Excellent question, Miss Granger," Aahna replied. "And no, anyone can become an Unspeakable as long as you have your NEWTs in Charms, Potions, Transfiguration, and DADA. However, if you manage to gain a Mastery in one of those four, or a NEWT in Ancient Runes, your chances go up drastically."
"And is there any prejudice based on Blood status?" Hermione asked again, or more half-demanded to put it better.
Aahna beamed at her. "No, of course not! Why, one of the friends I mentioned was a Muggle-born and she was the smartest witch of her generation!"
"Really?" Harry asked. "Who was that?"
"Your mother, Mister Potter," Aahna replied. "Lily Potter nee Evans. She, like myself, gained an invite from the Unspeakables the moment she graduated."
Harry smiled brightly at that. He barely knew anything about his parents; it was good to get some info about them.
"Anything else?" Aahna asked the class, looking around.
"What are these runes for?" Hermione asked after raising her hand.
"Oh, don't worry about those for now, they're only important for the next class," Aahna answered. "But if you really want to know, they're protective circles meant to stop stray potions from hitting you or the people around you. I was thoroughly surprised and disappointed that Snape hadn't placed them."
The class murmured, several poking the circles with their hands or wands to see if something would happen.
"They're incomplete for now," Aahna explained in amusement. "But next class, I'll show you how they work and how to turn them on. They're quite useful."
"Now, if that's ever–" Aahna turned as the blonde Slytherin from earlier raised her hand. "Yes, Miss Greengrass?"
"You said you created the spell used to kill the dementor on the train. How? They're supposed to be unkillable," Greengrass questioned.
"Oh, I was hoping someone would ask that," Aahna grinned.
"Many people believe dementors to be unkillable because they don't have souls," She explained, slipping into teacher mode. "However, non-magical animals usually don't have souls, yet they're still very killable. So it can't be that, right?"
The class shook their heads, invested in what had to be extremely advanced magic.
"It's not. The actual reason is that dementors are almost entirely made up of corrupted magic," Aahna told them. "This differs from dark magic in several ways, but that is far too advanced for you lot, so I won't get into it."
Hermione bristled slightly at information being called too advanced, but since it was a teacher, she begrudgingly accepted the judgment.
"Now, the dementors' magic corrupts anything that enters them, including souls," Aahna explained, her voice going slightly cold. "So how could I possibly destroy something that corrupts everything inside its container?"
Hermione noticed the wording of the phrase and raised her hand.
"Destroy the container?" She suggested once Aahna called on her.
"Correct! Ten points!" Aahna beamed. "Destroying the container of the dementors' magic is slightly difficult and honestly, ridiculously confusing, but that's essentially what the spell did. It targeted the magic's container and punched a hole through it, letting the corrupted magic rush out."
She made a shooing motion. "There's a ton more that went into it, but that's Master level work and far beyond even NEWT students, so I won't waste either of our times trying to explain that."
"Now, this first lesson will be purely theoretical," Aahna began, drawing groans from several students.
Aahna rolled her eyes. "Oh, then I suppose none of you want to invent potions of your own by the end of the semester?"
The class' attention suddenly increased tenfold, even Ron was staring raptly at her.
Aahna grinned. "That's what I thought. Theory, in any subject, is important because it allows us to further understand the ideas without actual practice, thus removing the risk of injury."
She paced around the room, hands behind her back. "Everything starts as a theory. Even the simplest spell, charm, potion, or magical tool begins as a theory, even the wands you use were once simply theory. Understanding how and why something happens makes it easier to fix mistakes."
The rest of the class continued with Aahna explaining how different potion ingredients would interact with each other under certain conditions, and having them practice theorizing how two random ingredients would interact with one another.
"Knowing this prevents many an accident," Aahna called as she strode around the room. "I knew a girl in my time here who messed up an experimental potion due to not understanding how Purple Coneflower interacts with leech juice, and she ended up with a face so swollen it would've made a toad jealous."
She decided not to mention the girl in question had been her in her sixth year when she'd begun fully inventing potions.
"Ok, five minutes of class left! Everyone, you may pack up your things!" Aahna told them from the front of the class. "Homework is a foot of parchment explaining how your chosen ingredients would interact in an 80:20 and 50:50 ratio. On my desk by the time I start the next class."
The class collectively groaned, except for Hermione, a few Slytherins, and somewhat surprisingly, Neville. Apparently, not having a teacher breathing insults down your neck significantly increased morale.
Aahna waved the class goodbye from her desk, smiling brightly at them and wishing them well in their next class.
Some of the students seemed surprised but waved back anyway, particularly the muggle-borns, who seemed much more comfortable around her.
"Oh, Mister Potter, may I speak to you for one moment?" Aahna called as Harry almost left.
Harry doubled back, leaving Ron and Hermione at the door, who stared in curiously.
"Yes, Professor?" He asked, genuinely curious. Was this about his training?
Aahna's eyes softened and she smiled gently at him.
"Call me Aahna, Harry," She told him caringly. "Your mother was a good friend of mine and my maid of honor; I would hate for her son to be strictly professional with me."
"Oh, ok then, Pro– Aahna," Harry corrected at her slight glare.
Aahna smiled. "If you ever want to hear things about Lily, her time at school, after that, her inventions and stuff like that, my door is always open," She said softly. "I can't tell you much about James, but I think you know more about him, yes?"
Harry nodded, feeling a knot in his throat. "N–Not much, ma'am. I–I mean, Aahna."
"Well, I can tell you some things about him, what I can remember," Aahna said. "But I mostly knew your mother, so I can tell you a lot more about her. I think I have a photo album lying around that I can bring you."
"T–Thank you, Aahna," Harry replied, fighting down his turbulent emotions.
Aahna laughed a little. "Did anyone ever tell you? That you have your mother's cadence?"
Harry blinked a bit. "Her– Her cadence?"
"Yeah," She told him. "You speak like she did, about as dead polite as her too. The same smile on top of that. You may be James' carbon copy, but you're Lily's son, Harry."
Harry nodded shakily. It was the only thing he could do as he wiped his eyes, feeling a rush of emotions overwhelm him.
"I know this might be personal, and you're not required to answer if you're uncomfortable," Aahna stated. "But… do you ever remember her? Anything?"
Harry nodded again and shivered. "Her– I hear her voice… when the dementors get close," He choked out. "I… I hear her–"
Aahna cut him off with a hug, made slightly awkward given that Aahna was extremely tall for a woman, to the point where Harry, with his 5'3 height, barely reached her shoulder.
"I'm sorry," She whispered, squeezing him tight. "I shouldn't have asked that. I'm so sorry."
She pulled back, hands squeezing his shoulders tightly.
"I'll make sure you remember her, Harry," Aahna declared. "You deserve to remember her as the great witch and friend she was."
She hugged him again, and Harry hugged her back, feeling as if he were a small child. Ironically, though, he felt more seen than he ever had.
"See me after the next class," Aahna told him after she pulled back again. "I'll give you some stuff she had that she gave to me before her death. I think you'll find some of them useful."
She squeezed his shoulders again with a smile. "They would be proud of you, you know? I know they would."
Harry nodded silently, not trusting himself to speak at the moment.
There was a soft knock on the door, and the two glanced over, seeing a young blonde Ravenclaw standing at the door.
"Oh!" The girl exclaimed as she saw Harry. "Is this a bad time?"
Aahna gestured to Luna. "That's Luna Lovegood, Harry. Luna, Harry Potter. Both of your mothers were Unspeakables with me."
Harry's first impression of Luna was that she looked… different. Long, dirty blonde hair that fell halfway down her back and wide, silvery eyes that seemed to stare at everything and nothing all at once.
There was a mysterious air about her– as if she knew more than she let on, similar to what Harry sometimes felt from Dumbledore, though to a lesser extent than the old headmaster.
She was quite pretty, Harry mused, though the odd butterbeer cork necklace and her wand being stuck behind her left ear like a pencil gave her an irregular look.
"I know you, Harry Potter," Luna said, snapping him out of his staring.
Harry rubbed his neck. "Oh– err– really? I'm sure you do."
Luna nodded. "You're one of the only students here who isn't infested with Wrackspurts."
Harry blinked. He'd expected the Boy-Who-Lived crap, not that.
"Err– thanks?" Harry replied, unsure of how to answer.
He leaned closer to Aahna. "What's a Wrackspurt?" He whispered.
"They're invisible creatures that float through your ears," Aahna replied in a normal volume. "They make you forget things and make your brain go fuzzy. She's saying you're attentive."
"Oh," Harry said. "Thanks?"
Luna nodded again and entered the classroom, looking around.
"It feels so alive," She commented, staring at the walls and ceiling. "Quite refreshing compared to Professor Snape's dullness."
Harry's brows furrowed. Alive? Did she mean the redecoration? Harry wouldn't quite call it alive, per se, but it did definitely feel refreshing compared to Snape.
"It's what I'm known for," Aahna replied casually.
She turned to Harry. "You have lunch, right? Better get going, I think your friends were waiting for you."
"Oh, right! Bye, Professor," Harry exclaimed before he rushed out of the classroom.
Aahna turned to Luna, who was tapping the runic circles on the table curiously.
"You'll figure those out later," She told the girl. "Come here."
Luna obliged, skipping over to Aahna's desk.
"I see the Nargles have stopped stealing your things," She commented as Luna skipped over, now wearing shoes instead of being barefoot.
"Oh, yes! It's quite refreshing," Luna replied, smiling. "There's this rather large crow who keeps bringing my stuff back. I've named him Raymond!"
Aahna locked down her Occlumancy to keep herself from laughing, knowing exactly what 'crow' Luna was talking about.
"Oh, really?" Aahna asked as she pulled a few things from a drawer. "Is Raymond nice?"
Luna made a so-so gesture. "He always brings my things back, but he attacked a few girls who were teasing me. I usually see him flying around the grounds after Herbology."
Aahna paused, brows furrowed. "Is there a specific reason? Did something happen in Herbology?"
Luna looked hesitant, her dreamy expression gone.
Aaha flicked her wand, casting a privacy charm over them so nobody could listen in.
"Luna, I swear to you anything you tell me here will remain between us," Aahna declared. "Nobody else will know unless you feel comfortable with them knowing as well."
Luna took a deep breath. "Well… a housemate threw a poisonous plant at my face. She said it was by accident but… well, she touched me with her gloves right after and it made it worse."
Aahna froze and took a deep breath, locking her Occlumancy down as tightly as possible. She wouldn't blow up near her– Luna wouldn't know yelling from her– ever.
"And Raymond noticed?" Aahna asked, wondering why Thanatos hadn't mentioned it.
Luna's face brightened in a wide smile. "Yes, he did! I was heading up to Madam Pompfrey and he landed on my shoulder to heal me! It was quite refreshing, much like a soft wind."
Aahna relaxed with a smile. So Thanatos had healed her and protected her from any bullies, that was good.
"And the girl? Did something happen to her?" Aahna asked, opening another drawer and pulling out an old notebook.
Luna became thoughtful, her eyes gazing at the ceiling.
"Now that you mention it," Luna mused. "I haven't seen her since. Not in Herbology or the Common Room. I thought she was just avoiding me like those bullies from the train."
Aahna nodded before picking up a few old notebooks and handing them to Luna.
"These are your mothers," Aahna told her softly. "She had a few that she didn't keep at her house. Took a while to collect them, but they're yours now."
Luna's dreamy expression morphed into a sad, soft one, and she gently took the notebooks with shaky hands.
"T– Thank you…" She whispered, tears dotting her eyes.
She wiped them away and smiled. "They look beautiful."
Aahna smiled and ruffled her hair lovingly. "Your mother loved doodling on them, she always said that learning had to be as beautiful as it was educational, or else it wasn't learning."
Luna leaned into her hand and sighed. "You really knew her, didn't you?"
"I did," Aahna replied softly.
"What was she like?" Luna whispered. "When you two were in Hogwarts?"
"Much like you," Aahna told her, watching her eyes light up.
"Like me?" Luna asked, tilting her head. "Loony?"
"Beautiful," Aahna corrected gently. "And intelligent, strong, creative. Everything you'd expect from a woman like her."
Luna's smile faltered somewhat. "I'm not– I don't think I'm like that, Miss."
"I think differently," Aahna countered. "I think you're all that and more. Pandora would be proud of who you are, Luna."
Luna's smile was sprinkled with tears, and she brushed them away softly.
"Did– Did the other students bully her?" She asked. "Make fun of her for what she was?"
"Sometimes," Aahna answered honestly. "She didn't let it bother her, though. She knew that judgment hardly, if ever, came from those who were better than you."
Luna stared at the notebooks, her fingers gently brushing over the beautiful artwork displayed on the covers.
"Miss," She said after some time. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Of course, Luna," Aahna smiled. "What is it?"
Luna looked up at her, staring Aahna in the eyes as if searching for something.
"You... You're not a normal witch, are you?" She asked softly. "You and Thanatos."
Aahna paused, weighing her options before quickly checking if the privacy ward was still up.
She sighed. "No, no I am not. Why do you ask, Luna?"
"I can see magic," Luna explained. "And it's always a color or two, maybe three like with the headmaster. Harry Potter had four, but I didn't like that dark one around his scar; it's too nasty and mean to fit him."
"Wait, what?" Aahna asked, slightly surprised.
"Yeah, I know. I expected him to have more," Luna sighed. "But I suppose he isn't an adult yet, so I shouldn't judge. People can always become more open-minded."
She shook her head. "But you and Thanatos, you especially, have around fifty colors to your magic. It's like a beautiful kaleidoscope."
Aahna tucked away that tidbit about Harry in the back of her mind for later. Neither she nor Thanatos had done any extensive checks on him, but if what Luna was saying was true, then that was a reason to worry.
"Thank you for the compliment," She smiled, returning to conversation. "But I do have a question for you."
"Hmm?" Luna tilted her head, her silvery eyes focusing on her.
"What do you see here?" Aahna asked, waving her hand.
Magic poured out of her fingertips, almost invisible to the naked eye except for the slight distorting of the air around its edges.
Luna focused on the magic immediately, her eyes shining slightly as she watched the magic flow.
She reached out, her fingers brushing over the magic like spiderwebs.
"It looks…" Luna hummed, trying to find a word for it. "It looks how I'd imagine a phoenix to sound, or how a unicorn would feel if I petted it."
Aahna looked at her in amusement. "Did you just use life to describe Life?"
Luna smiled. "I suppose I did. But isn't everything alive? Even Death?"
"Depends on what you consider alive," Aahna answered. "There's life after death, and death inhabits every part of life. There is no separation between them."
"Speaking of life after death," Luna said, staring at her. "I wanted to ask one more question if I could."
"Go ahead," Aahna beamed at her. "I'll answer as best I can."
"Well… I was wondering," Luna seemed hesitant, for what had to be the first time, to ask a question.
"Go on," Aahna urged, though she felt she already knew what Luna would ask.
"Could I… Could I see her again?" Luna asked finally in a rush.
"B–Because you're Life, right?" She asked quickly. "A–And if you're Life, and Thanatos is Death, then– then surely I'd be able to see her, right?"
Aahna considered it for a moment, weighing out the implications of Luna's request.
"Yes…"
Luna's face lit up, her eyes wide. "Really?"
Aahna nodded. "Yes, but… but not right now."
Luna's face fell. "Oh."
Aahna put a hand on her shoulder. "It's not because I don't want to, or because Thanatos wouldn't; we both would. It's just that something like that takes time."
"Ohhhh…" Realization dawned on Luna's face. "So you're– you ARE Life and Death, but you can't fully use your powers?"
"More or less," Aahna replied. "Or more that we can, but it takes a serious toll on our physical bodies since humans aren't built to handle the true power of Life or Death. It also has drastic effects on our surroundings, so we can't just use them wherever."
Luna looked thoughtful again, the wheels in her head turning.
"I will ask you not to tell anyone about this," Aahna told her seriously. "Not even your father or anybody else. You can imagine the sheer panic that'd rise if people knew the Spirit of Life itself was in the castle, correct?"
Luna nodded. "You would think the people would appreciate Death itself guarding their children, don't you think? Especially with Life alongside him."
Aahna sighed. "Well, most people seem to fear both life and death. They're complacent living in hatred, killing one another, yet they run whenever death knocks on their door."
She blinked immediately after, having forgotten she wasn't talking to Pandora or another highly experienced witch with intimate knowledge of life, but rather a 12-year-old.
"Most people don't ever understand either," Luna replied with a frown. "It's quite a shame. Life is so beautiful, and Death is merely a passage, yet people treat it as a malevolent entity."
Aahna studied the young girl for a moment. Keen intelligence danced behind her eyes, hidden by the dreamy, serene look Luna sported almost constantly.
'I wonder if she could be trained as well,' She mused. 'Mage Sight is an incredible gift, and her perspective on life and death is something I've never seen in someone her age.'
Aahna shook her head. Harry getting marked was an unfortunate coincidence, but Luna would choose that path only if she so wished.
"Well, I suppose you need to head off," Aahna said, looking at the clock above the door. "Lunch is half over already."
"Hmm, I suppose so," Luna replied, staring at the clock. "That's unfortunate."
"I'll get more things of Pandora's, ok?" Aahna said, squeezing her shoulder.
Luna beamed at her. "Ok! Thank you, Miss Life!"
Aahna smiled back. "You're welcome, but don't call me that outside of our conversations, remember?"
Luna nodded. "I won't, Professor."
"Good," Aahna ruffled her hair a bit, much to Luna's enjoyment. "Now go off, don't want you to go hungry."
Luna left with a joyful goodbye, clutching the notebooks Aahna had given her to her chest tightly as she did.
While Luna and Aahna were having their conversation, Harry rushed over to the Great Hall, since Ron and Hermione were already there.
He stopped at the doors as the doors flew open and Malfoy ran out, hands around his throat.
"O PARTIGIANO," Malfoy bellowed out in a perfect key. "PORTAMI VIA! CHE MI SENTO DI MORIR!"
He rushed past Harry without looking, still perfectly singing Bella Ciao at the top of his lungs as he ran up to the infirmary.
Harry stared bewildered at Malfoy's fleeing back.
He looked back at the Great Hall, seeing Ron and Hermione sitting at the Gryffindor Table, snickering loudly along with most of the hall.
"What… just happened?" Harry asked as he approached them, utterly confused. "Why was Malfoy… singing?"
Hermione, the better composed of the two, only managed a shrug through her giggles, her face bright red from the laughter.
Ron was completely gone, howling with laughter at his seat and holding his stomach as tears rolled down his face.
The rest of the Hall wasn't much better, as even the Slytherins seemed to have difficulty composing themselves.
Harry sat beside Hermione, who was taking deep gulps of air to calm down but was still overcome by giggles every few seconds.
"S–Sorry, Harry–" Hermione said through the laughs. "B–But Mal– Malfoy just… He tried to insult me and just–"
She broke down in giggles again, but Harry managed to catch the gist and blinked in surprise.
"He insulted you," Harry said slowly. "And just began singing?"
Hermione nodded quickly, still trying to contain herself.
Ron had managed to catch his breath. "You should've seen the look on his face!" He exclaimed.
"I hope it stays," Harry replied with amusement. "It'd be better than hearing Malfoy spewing rubbish all day."
Their amusement eventually died, though Ron would still snort every once in a while whenever he remembered it.
Harry glanced around, feeling an odd draft on his neck, and shivered.
"Bloody windows," He muttered, looking up. "They're always open."
He shook off the draft, instead glancing at the food before him, which suddenly looked quite appetizing.
"Oh, I just remembered, what did Professor Marime want with you, Harry?" Hermione asked.
Harry smiled softly. "She told me she would give me some of my mom's stuff from when she was alive, that way I could remember her. Tell me stories and such."
"Oh, Harry, that's wonderful!" Hermione exclaimed happily. "It's good that you'll be able to know them, at least somewhat, right?"
"Yeah…" Harry replied, smiling wider. "She said I had my mother's cadence. That I spoke like she did."
Harry's eyes were bright as he spoke. "Nobody's really told me much about her, so it feels nice to be connected to her in some way."
He laughed a bit. "She said I was my father's carbon copy, but my mother's son. That they'd be proud of me."
"I'd bet," Ron said as he ate. "I mean, who else can say they became the Seeker for their house as a first year?"
"Probably that guy from a hundred years ago," Harry joked, causing Ron to snort.
Harry noticed Luna entering the hall, skipping lightly with notebooks clutched to her chest.
"Do you know her?" Hermione asked, having followed Harry's eyes.
Harry nodded. "Her name's Luna. Aahna introduced me, apparently, our mothers were Unspeakables together with her."
He blinked. "Oh, and that reminded me. Hermione, have you ever heard of a Wrackspurt?"
"A what?" Hermione's brows furrowed.
"A Wrackspurt," Harry repeated. "Luna mentioned them– said I was one of the only ones who didn't have much. According to Aahna, Luna meant I was clear-headed or something like that."
Hermione frowned as she racked her brain. "No… Haven't heard of Wrackspurts before. Did Luna mention what they do?"
"Aahna told me they float through your ears and make your brain go fuzzy," Harry supplied. "But I've never heard of them."
Hermione's frown deepened. "Sorry, Harry. But that sounds rather unbelievable. I mean, come on, would Professor Dumbledore really let an infestation of Wack– Rack–"
"Wrackspurts," Harry supplied.
"Yes, that," Hermione said somewhat dismissedly. "Do you really think Professor Dumbledore would let those creatures infest the student body? It sounds kind of wooly."
'That's what you said about Divination,' Harry muttered internally. 'Yet there's a prophecy hanging over my head, one that got my parents killed. Nothing wooly about that.'
"But didn't Harry say Professor Marime knew about them?" Ron questioned through his sandwich.
"Well– I…" Hermione paused, confused.
She sighed. "I'll do some research. I've never heard of them, but if a professor says they exist and knows about them, they have to, right?"
"Apparently they're invisible," Harry told her before plating a slice of meat pie, feeling ravenous, even though he'd been fine just a few moments before.
"Maybe that's why Dumbledore doesn't remove them," Ron suggested. "He just can't see them."
"That sounds absurd," Hermione told him blandly.
Ron shrugged. "What other option do you got?"
Hermione spluttered, trying to respond to that but coming up short.
Harry went to take a bite of his meat pie as Hermione spluttered, only to stop as his ring grew uncomfortably warm.
The ring tingled with magic, racing up his fingertips almost as a warning.
Harry's brows furrowed and he set the bite of meat pie down experimentally.
The ring cooled rapidly, and the tingling feeling subsided after a moment.
"What the–" He muttered, tapping the ring curiously.
"What's wrong, Harry?" Hermione asked, looking over his shoulder at the ring.
Harry raised the bite of meat pie again, stopping as the ring grew warm.
"My ring's going off," Harry told her in confusion, setting the pie down. "But only when I try to eat."
"Isn't that ring supposed to warn you about poisons?" Hermione questioned.
Harry's eyes widened. "D'ya think the pie is poisoned?"
"Wait, here, try mine," Hermione suggested quickly, pushing the plate towards him.
Harry forked a piece of pie and lifted it to his mouth, but the ring stayed cool.
He paused. "It's only my pie. The ring's not going off with yours."
Hermione's eyes widened. "Someone's trying to poison you?!"
"Bet it was Malfoy," Ron muttered darkly, handing a sandwich to Harry. "Here, try this and see if anything happens."
Harry grabbed the sandwich and nearly immediately dropped it as his ring turned scalding hot.
He dropped it on his plate, removing his ring and blowing on his slightly burnt finger.
Ron stared in horror, a half-eaten sandwich in his other hand.
"We have to go to Madam Pompfrey, NOW!" Hermione hissed, grabbing her bag and standing.
Harry and Ron stood quickly too, with Ron looking extremely green at the thought of being poisoned.
They rushed out of the Great Hall quickly, ignoring the stares of the student body as they did.
Over at the Head Table, Dumbledore's hands shook slightly, his face a bit pale as he ate.
He'd overheard the teens' conversation, becoming increasingly horrified at every passing word.
Poison? Who would poison the food? As much as Dumbledore wanted Harry to follow his path, he would never even DARE to do something as abhorrent.
But he couldn't tell the students– if he did, the panic would surely send every student in the Great Hall running to Madam Pompfrey, and the medi-witch could only deal with so many patients at a time without backup.
Dumbledore flicked his wrist and the Elder Wand flew smoothly into his hand.
He took a deep breath, summoning his extraordinary control and waving his wand low.
An examination charm washed over the Hall, checking each student and every morsel of food and drink for potions and poisons.
Dumbledore paused as the results flooded his brain, and his brows furrowed.
Harry's food had loyalty and confounding potions, along with one that Dumbledore surprisingly didn't recognize, at least not with the weak spell he'd used.
Ron's was much worse, containing loyalty and mild love potions, along with a dose of poison that would slowly shut down Ron's ability to breathe if it wasn't treated.
Ginny also had the same potions and poison, though at a smaller dose.
Dumbledore locked down his anger with an iron fist, but even still, the grip on his wand tightened slightly.
"Minerva," He said with forced calm. "Please take Miss Weasley to Madam Pomfrey for a flushing draught. Now."
McGonagall did a double take but stood without question, walking over to Ginny and taking the confused girl out of the Great Hall.
Whispers followed her exit, most believing Ginny had gotten in trouble.
Percy turned to the Head Table, questions written across his face.
Dumbledore minutely shook his head, and Percy nodded, understanding that he would learn later.
"Is there a reason you cast a spell over the Hall, Albus?" Flitwick asked, having sensed the magic but not knowing what it was.
Albus cast a wandless privacy charm over the Head Table and turned to the professors.
"Potions have been found in the food of Harry and the two youngest Weasleys," Dumbledore explained calmly. "Along with poison for the Weasleys. There is a threat inside of Hogwarts."
Sprout's grip tightened on his silverware. "Do you think it's Black?"
Dumbledore shook his head. "No. Sirius Black has never shown potion aptitude in his time here, and I doubt Azkaban would've taught him. Thanatos has also only been gone for a day, and reported no unusual activity before then– there wouldn't have been enough time for Black to do what happened without being caught."
"So who?" Flitwick asked, pulling out his wand. "Should we warn the students?"
"No," Dumbledore replied. "I already checked their food, none but the youngest Weasley siblings and Harry have any potions, big or small, imbued."
"As for who, I don't have enough information to guess," Dumbledore sighed. "By all accounts, it should've been impossible unless someone did it after the Elves placed the food down."
"So what do we do?" Sprout asked, glancing over at her Hufflepuffs.
"All three of them are on their way to Madam Pomfrey's. Hopefully, our swiftness should eliminate any threat," Dumbledore replied. "I will inform the Elves and get Aahna to investigate. Potions can be traced to the brewer to my knowledge; however, I am unaware exactly how."
"Nancy!" He called, and a loud 'pop' sounded a moment later.
A House Elf appeared in front of him, wearing a pillowcase with the Hogwarts emblem printed across the breast.
"Yes, Headmaster Dumbledore?" The Elf asked in high-pitched and slow, but coherent English.
There wasn't much visible difference between male and female House Elves, the main difference came from the highness of their voice and the feel of their magic.
"Nancy, potions, and poisons have been detected in three students' food, specifically the meat pies and sandwiches," Albus explained gravely. "Take the food away and examine it, if you can, extract any of the substance and hand it to Professor Marime, as she will be able to determine the root cause."
Nancy paled somewhat but nodded. "Yes, Headmaster Dumbledore!" She exclaimed before popping away.
"Fawkes!" Dumbledore called after Nancy disappeared.
The phoenix appeared with a majestic burst of flame, singing a light note as it landed on his shoulder.
"Fawkes, please find Thanatos and tell him there's a situation here," Dumbledore told his old friend. "If he is with Amelia, tell her that we will need the Auror detail sooner rather than later, if he isn't, bring him here and then find her."
The phoenix sang a note and bobbed its head, disappearing in a flash of flame.
.
Author's Note: Chapter done!
If you're wondering, Aahna is 6'3" (190.5 centimeters) and Thanatos is slightly taller at 6'4" (193 centimeters). Yeah, they're both huge, which I feel fits better since they're literal deities who control the two most powerful things in all existence.
Harry's ring gets its first use, and definitely won't be the last. But who poisoned/contaminated the food? \_(ツ)/. Find out next time on Dragon Ball Z!
See you all in the next one.