P*T*E*N Page is up and running, slightly ahead of FFN and AO3. This pace will change to significantly ahead of FFN/AO3 once we reach the next hiatus point (at the end of the Durmstrang Arc). Visit P*T*E*N / 521dream if interested. Posted stories include A Flaw in Fate and Sacred Sight (A King's Path Rewrite/Remaster).
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The next chapter will be published . . . yeah I ain't gon lie I dunno when. Enjoy!
Harry Potter: Sacred Sight
The Goblet of Fire
VII. Grim Arrival
Gothic carriages hobbled through a snow-covered path. Harry waited impatiently as the line to Hogsmeade thinned, Lavender's chest pressing rather noticeably into his back.
"First Hogsmeade visit of the year," A curious voice called. Harry turned, his eyes darting through the group to find who had spoken. It was Lisa, "We should be relaxed, yet, somehow, I get the feeling you're rather restless."
Harry laughed softly.
"I get the feeling you'd rather be in the library."
"Because I'm a Ravenclaw, or because I like to read?"
"The most flavorsome meals are rarely lacking in ingredients."
"Both, then," Lisa frowned. Lavender blinked in confusion from behind, "I would have expected you of all people to know better than to generalize."
Harry shrugged.
"Generalizations are often rooted in truth," he argued, "Besides, I judge your character based on the thousands of little factors that make you who you are. Rarely lacking in ingredients, remember?"
Lisa snorted.
"Someone's been practicing their speech."
Harry laughed with her.
That someone is Tom. People were much more poetic in the forties.
"Single file!" a brown-haired woman shouted from the front of the queue. She was bedecked in the trademark red silk of Auror robes, "Or we'll send you straight back to the end of the line -"
"They're in a foul mood, aren't they?" Hermione whispered from in front of him, "I'd have thought they'd be thrilled to have an easy assignment, being Aurors."
Susan Bones shook her head.
"Not the younger ones," she said, "They'd rather be in the thick of things. More exciting."
Hermione frowned.
"How do you know she's one of the younger ones? Does your Aunt know her?"
"She knows 'cause she's got eyes, Hermione," Ron sighed. Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration, "I mean, look at her -"
Harry did. Straight brown hair fell to her shoulders, framing a heart-shaped face. Her skin, like his, was very pale.
"I recognize her," Hannah whispered, poking Susan's arm, "Don't you?"
"Huh? Where have you seen her?"
"Common room. She used to be a Hufflepuff, I think."
Susan squinted. Hannah did, too.
"I recognize the other one as well," Hannah was saying, "The one with the bubblegum hair -"
Harry perked up. His emerald eyes streaked across the line, falling upon a pretty witch bedecked in Auror robes.
"Tonks," he laughed, grinning, "You've got to be shitting me -"
"You know her?" Hannah asked, surprised. Harry nodded.
"She was a part of my Auror detail at the Quidditch World Cup. I like her."
"I remember her," Susan said, nodding at Tonks specifically, "She says 'wotcher' a lot, doesn't she?"
Harry shrugged. Hannah, however, nodded quickly.
"That's her. She's pretty funny, I think. So long as you don't call her by her first name."
"First name?" Harry frowned, "What, her name isn't Tonks?"
Susan shook her head.
"Nymphadora," she mouthed slowly, "She hung two third-years upside down in the common room because they kept calling her that."
"Nymphadora," Harry repeated, grinning, "Nymphadora . . ."
The line thinned. Up above, Harry just barely spotted the familiar fluttering of feathers. Hedwig's feathers hid quite well between the sickly clouds of the British sky.
Sirius got the message, then. Perfect.
"We're not going to all fit in one carriage, you know," Parvati whispered in his ear, "You might have to pull out the old expansion trick -"
"Don't," Lisa warned, "Aurors."
"Tonks won't care," Harry noted off-handedly, turning around. He grinned as his gaze fell upon Pavarti, "Besides, I'd rather please you than them."
An adorable red tinge spread across Pavarti's cheeks. Harry stared into her eyes. Plentiful shades of dark, alluring brown stared back at him.
Gorgeous eyes, if you look carefully enough.
Parvati didn't look away. The inexplicable sensation pooled more quickly in Harry's chest.
My Cassiopeia . . .
"I think I like you," he whispered. Parvati rolled her eyes, a faint smile on her lips.
"You've lost your mind," she grinned.
"Is that a bad thing?"
"Right," a voice said curtly, pulling Harry from his thoughts. Lisa was staring rather pointedly at them, "You lot can be - be weird on your own time. We're nearly at the front now."
Parvati looked away, blushing furiously. Harry smiled.
"Cheers, Lisa."
After what felt like multiple eternities, the fourth years found themselves at the very front of the line. Harry waltzed up to Tonks, sporting the same roguish grin he'd seen Sirius wear just a few months prior.
"Having fun, Nymphadora?"
Tonks' shoulder-length hair shifted to a colour befitting her uniform. She turned angrily, her eyes widening as they fell upon him.
"Careful, Potter," Tonks warned him, "Or I'll turn you into a tea cozy."
"I don't think Madam Bones would like that much," Harry frowned, "Susan would be sad, wouldn't you?"
"Er - yes, of course I would," Susan blinked from his side. Tonks rolled her eyes.
"Get in the damn carriage."
Harry grinned.
"Yes ma'am."
He stepped into the carriage, followed by Pavarti, Lavender, Susan, Hannah, and Lisa. Tonks stopped the others before they could enter, joining them in the carriage before slamming the door shut.
"You're coming with us?" asked Harry, surprised, "Not that I'm complaining, mind you -"
"Nice to know you have favorites," Tonks yawned, "And of course I'm coming. You're half the reason the Aurors are even here."
"I thought they were here for Black?" Susan frowned.
"Who's here for Harry," Tonks finished, "At least, that's what Fudge thinks. Your Aunt reckons he's on the other side of the world by now."
Another loss for Auntie Bones.
"She doesn't think he'll come back for me?" Harry asked, curving his tone into faux disappointment, "Honestly, from the way everyone talks about him, he doesn't seem like the type to leave easily."
Tonks shrugged.
"Bones said he loses interest easily," she said, "The fact that he waited until June was a shock enough as it is. He's probably fucked off to Timbuktu."
"Probably," Harry agreed. Tonks stared at him suspiciously.
"You seem to be in good spirits. Held up well since the World Cup?"
"Thanks to my prodigious skill, no doubt," Harry smiled, "I did tell you I could take care of myself."
"And I believed you," Tonks assured him, "It was your friend I was more worried about - Longbottom. I helped escort him back home."
"Why were you protecting him, anyway?" Harry asked curiously, "I get me - Dumbledore wouldn't have let me go on my own."
"Probably because you're both in the same boat. Two orphans from wealthy, influential families. I think it was a favor for Augusta."
"It was," Susan confirmed from Hannah's side, "Auntie said Augusta was a family friend."
"Augusta," Harry repeated, "That's Neville's grandmother, right?"
Tonks nodded slowly. Her gaze combed over Harry again.
"You look different."
Harry shrugged.
"It's been a month," he said, "And I'm a growing boy, I think -"
"Your cheekbones are higher," she said with an air of certainty, "I didn't think they rose much during puberty."
Harry stared at her with intrigue.
"How in Merlin's name do you notice a change that minute?"
Tonks grinned, her hair shifting from pink to green and back again.
"Metamorphmagus. I'm good with faces."
"Can you change your entire body?" asked Lisa curiously, leaning closer, "Or is it just limited to your face."
"The face, mostly," Tonks explained, "I can make myself taller and shorter, too. Oh, and I can do this -"
Tonks took a deep breath, closing her eyes. Her Auror robes shifted as her breasts began to swell.
"Your aunt had the exact same reaction," Tonks laughed, grinning as Susan's jaw dropped. She quickly returned her proportions to normal, "But aside from basic stuff, I can't do much else to the body. Not that I'm mad. I'd have a heart attack if I accidentally grew a willy."
"Mostly just the face, then," Parvati surmised, her mouth still slightly open.
"Yup!" Tonks nodded.
"What about Harry?" asked Lisa, "Could you make your face look like his, even though he's a boy?"
"Probably," Tonks said thoughtfully, "I've much better control over my face. I can't do the eyes, though, nor the scar -"
"Why?"
"The scar's curse magic," Tonks explained, "Magic can replicate the mundane, but it has a much harder time replicating actual magic. As for the eyes, I don't really know why."
Lisa nodded thoughtfully. Harry leaned closer, rejoining the conversation.
"There's a muggle saying I've heard - the eyes are the window to the soul, or something like that. Maybe that's why."
"You know, Hestia said something similar," Tonks paused, looking at him, "You really should meet her."
"She's here too?"
Tonks nodded.
"Most of the Aurors are. Hestia's the brown-haired witch who was helping me get people into the carriages."
Something flickered in Harry's mind.
"Most of the Aurors are here?" he asked, not bothering to hide his curiosity, "Shouldn't they be - I dunno, guarding Azkaban or something? This all started because Black broke out of the place, after all."
"That would be the smarter thing to do, wouldn't it?" Tonks agreed irritably, "But the Minister - or, to be more accurate, his supporters - think it was a fluke. They'd rather protect the people than put any effort into making a jail that's supposed to be impossible to escape from even more inescapable."
Harry frowned, thinking to himself.
Supporters of the Minister . . . must be members of the Wizengamot.
His frown deepened.
Tom said they don't do much -
"'Impossible to escape from,'" Lisa repeated with distaste. Harry's focus returned, "You'd think they'd have learned their lesson.
Tonks sighed.
"I know, trust me, I know," she leaned back, sliding closer to the carriage door, "For what it's worth, they'd have a hard time convincing most Aurors to work shifts at Azkaban anyway. Even Moody hates the Dementors."
"They don't even have Aurors guarding Azkaban?" Parvati asked, surprised. Tonks quickly shook her head.
"No, they do. They just don't need them much. The dementors do most of the work."
The carriage began to slow. Harry wrapped his cloak more tightly around him, glancing at Tonks.
"These supporters - you mean the Wizengamot, don't you?"
Tonks nodded slowly.
"Some of them. They . . . they squabble amongst each other a lot. They don't often get much done."
Harry nodded, having suspected as much. Tonks glanced around quickly.
"They're not all bad, of course," she added, glancing at Pavarti, Hannah, and Susan, "I've heard decent things about your parents, and obviously your aunt," she nodded at Susan, "is my boss. Still, when you're arguing with idiots . . ."
"Nothing gets done," Lisa finished. Tonks nodded.
"And they haven't even bothered to change Azkaban's protection?" Harry asked, lining his voice with the same dissatisfaction that Tonks spoke with, "Nothing at all."
"Not at all," Tonks agreed, frustrated, "As far I know, things are exactly the same."
Perfect.
The carriage finally stopped. They watched as the door swung wide open.
"Well, it was nice seeing you, Tonksy," Harry grinned as he stepped out, "We'll meet again at a later date, I'm sure -"
The metamorphmagus pinched the ends of his robes.
"Not so fast," she said, jumping out from the carriage. She rolled her eyes as Harry brushed her fingers from his form, "Why do you think I'm here, genius?"
"To keep Susan safe for Madam Bones?"
"Funny," Tonks deadpanned, "You're not stepping a foot out of my sight, Potter."
Harry smiled, his lips curving into a grin reminiscent of his late father.
"I wouldn't be so sure."
His fingers wrapped tight around his wand, which was tucked into his pocket.
Abscondere.
The Disillusionment Charm blanketed him, rendering him nearly invisible. Tonks stared off in his general direction, looking rather unimpressed. He watched as she pulled out her wand.
"Homenum Revelio," she said clearly. Her wand spun in her hand, pointing at exactly where he stood, "Save us both some time, would you?"
Susan and Hannah both giggled behind her back. To her side, Lisa was watching Tonk inquisitively.
"You can't undo his Disillusionment Charm, can you?"
"I can," Tonks yawned, "But it's illegal, even for Aurors. Unless it becomes a matter of safety, of course. Which, now that I think about it -"
Hurry up. Sirius is waiting.
His unseen form spurred, his hands removing the Invisibility Cloak from his pockets. Harry quickly threw it over him, coating his feet with a charm that would remove any footprints he might leave in the snow. He circled around the girls until he was standing just behind Tonks, who quickly pointed her wand at where he once stood.
"Finite Celare!" she said loudly. A trail of wispy white magic flew off into the distance, eventually crashing into a wall several blocks down.
"Did you get him?" Harry asked loudly. Tonks jumped in surprise.
"You little -" she spun around, her wand held out, "Homenum Revelio!"
Her wand flitted around uncertainty before skittering to a stop. It was pointed directly at her chest.
"Where did you go?" Tonks called out. Her gaze swam through the open air before her, desperately looking for him, "How - why can't I find you?"
"A little gift from Ignotus," Harry snickered, "Goodbye, Nymphadora."
With a loud laugh, he set off, leaving the stressed Auror to accompany his friends.
Packed streets flitted past him as he stumbled through the snow. Twice Harry nearly bumped into someone - only his trained seeker reflexes had allowed him to duck out of the way in the nick of time, avoiding discovery. After some time, the crowded streets thinned. A lonely cave stuck out from a nearby hilltop.
Sirius said he used to hide Firewhisky there back when he was in Hogwarts.
Harry inspected the cave thoughtfully. Nodding to himself, he continued forward, trudging through the heavy snow. Up above, Hedwig swooped silently in the air. He watched as she circled around the hilltop just once before heading off towards Hogwarts. Harry held his wand aloft.
Bark?
"Hey Snuffles," Harry grinned, watching as a large black dog poked its head through the cracks in the cave's entrance, "Had a fun summer?"
Bark!
Harry squeezed himself through the tight opening, filling the gaps behind him with an idle wave of his wand. He quickly removed a crumpled package from the insides of his robes.
"I brought you loads of food," Harry said, holding the package out to the panting dog, "Merlin knows you could use better food than rats and dead pigeons . . ."
He trailed off, watching as the dog contorted on the spot. Black fur turned into long, thick hair, as a gaunt yet handsome man took the creature's place.
"Cheers," Sirius smiled, taking the package from Harry. He fiddled through it for a moment, eagerly pulling out a large drumstick, "You're certainly holding up well."
"Better than you," Harry frowned, his eyes trailing across Sirius' cheeks. Though not as hollow as before, the man still cut an emaciated figure, "You have been eating properly, haven't you?"
"'Course I have," Sirius waved a hand dismissively, "Just takes time to undo twelve years worth of damage, that's all."
Harry paused.
"Surely that elf - Kreacher, was it? Surely he's been helping?"
Sirius snorted.
"The little fuck keeps ruining all the food. I never thought I'd miss the slop at Azkaban, but here we are."
As if to prove a point, Sirius returned to his drumstick with renewed vigor. He watched Harry all the while.
"You look different, you know," the gaunt man said after some time, "Your cheekbones are higher."
Harry laughed.
"I'm starting to think all Blacks have got a weird obsession with faces."
"All Blacks?" Sirius frowned, "You haven't run into Narcissa, have you?"
"Draco's mum? No, I haven't. Did see Tonks earlier though."
"Nymphadora?" Sirius straightened up, seemingly unsure of himself, "How's she doing?"
"Quite well, actually. She's working as an Auror. One of the youngest Aurors since the war."
Sirius smiled.
"That's good. I heard she wanted to be an Auror, back when she was just a few years old."
Harry stared at him, surprised.
"You knew Tonks?"
"Not personally," Sirius shook his head, "Her mother, Andromeda, was cut from the family. I never gave a shit, of course, but with that and the war, it was hard to stay in touch. Far too much going on,"
Harry nodded.
"You're both right, anyway," he added, "I think my cheekbones have risen a bit. All a part of growing up, I reckon."
Sirius nodded thoughtfully.
"Lily did have decently high cheekbones, I suppose," he decided, "But it's more than that. Your eyes are more level."
"What does that mean?"
"You know, symmetrical," Sirius explained, "I only noticed 'cause you and James used to look more similar. You sure you haven't been messing with magic?"
Harry yawned.
"If I was, would you do anything about it?"
"Me personally?" Sirius thought for a moment, "Probably not. Far too hypocritical -"
Harry snorted.
"I forgot you dopes became Animagi when you were in Hogwarts."
"Yeah, yeah, and we succeeded," Sirius reminded him pointedly, "Regardless, Lily would kill me if I didn't at least remind you how irresponsible that sort of shite is."
"So?"
"So," the man continued, "If you're doing any sort of Transfiguration magic, at least let me know. I could probably be of help."
"I thought my dad was the Transfiguration prodigy?"
"Both of us were, asshat," Sirius snapped, "And, for what it's worth, your dad hasn't read through all the books on Transfiguration in the Black library."
He's not wrong . . .
"Fair enough," Harry sighed, thinking carefully, "Promise you won't rat me out to Dumbledore? I'm not looking for another lecture."
"Cross my heart and hope to die," Sirius grinned, "A promise from one marauder to another."
"I'm a marauder now, am I?" Harry smiled, "Wonder what my name would be . . ."
I'll come up with something when I'm bored enough.
He straightened up, turning back to Sirius.
"I've been foraying into rituals," he said carefully, motioning to his face, "This is all the result of that."
Sirius frowned.
"What do you know about rituals?" he asked carefully.
"More than you, I'm almost certain."
Sirius sighed.
"I'm the heir to the Blacks, Harry, you shouldn't forget . . ."
"And I'm a Parselmouth," Harry reminded him, "That opens quite a few doors, so to speak."
Understanding flickered across Sirius' features.
"Fine," he nodded, "Then you know that rituals always demand a sacrifice greater than the gifts they grant you?"
"I'm well aware," Harry nodded, "I'm not stupid enough to overuse them, but they have their uses."
"And you're sure you're competent enough not to - I dunno - turn yourself into a tree or something?"
"I know I am," Harry nodded, "Flitwick reckons I'm better than Mum and Dad combined."
Sirius snorted.
"Now I know you're lying."
"He said I gave my mum a run for her money in Charms," Harry remembered aloud, "She was a Charms prodigy. Charms isn't even my best subject."
"Another Transfiguration talent?"
Harry shook his head.
"Defense," he said, "I'd be good at the Dark Arts too, if they had that class."
"Your mother would've had a heart attack, hearing that," Sirius laughed, "Anyway, back to the rituals. I suppose as long as you're being responsible -"
"Hark who's talking," Harry said loudly, "You'd be back in Azkaban if it weren't for me."
"Well, it's a good thing I've got you, isn't it?" Sirius grinned, "Which reminds me - why'd you call?"
"I had a few questions," Harry admitted, leaning forward to pull a packet of sweets from Sirius, "about Azkaban."
"Ahh," Sirius yawned, "Well, fire away."
"What's the security like?" Harry opened his sweet pack, taking a large bite out of a chocolate frog, "Tonks said it was mostly just dementors."
"Tonks is right," Sirius agreed, "There's no point in stationing Aurors when you've got dementors about. They practically drain the will to live out of you. Makes you forget all about escaping."
"Then how'd you get out?"
"Snuffles," the thin man explained, "The dementors didn't affect me as much when I was in my animagus form. They can't see, you see - just sense emotions. And I suppose dogs haven't really got emotions the way humans do."
"So you just snuck out?"
"Pretty much. Squeezed right through the bars and swam to shore."
Harry thought for a moment.
"Is being an Animagus really that useful?"
"Can be," Sirius admitted, "Best part is that people just think you're an animal. Makes it easy to eavesdrop or avoid detection, even if they do see you."
"Unless I become a fucking tiger or something."
"Eh, that's not likely," Sirius waved a hand dismissively, "Most people end up as pretty normal creatures. Your dad was a common stag, and even that was rare."
"Huh. I wonder what I would be."
"A fish, I hope," Sirius grinned, "Your father and I were terrified we'd end up as salmon or something. Would be completely fucking useless -"
"I doubt I'd be a fish," Harry assured himself, "I'm a terrible swimmer."
"Like that matters. Your father was amazing on a broom, and his animagus form couldn't fly."
Harry nodded slowly.
"How long did it take you to become an Animagus again?"
"Until fifth year."
"I reckon I could do it by the end of my fourth."
"With my help, maybe. Are you good at potions?"
Harry's expression fell. Sirius laughed.
"I thought so. I'll have to make the potion for you, then."
"I'm good at them," Harry defended loudly, "I just never bothered to research them as much as charms or transfiguration -"
"- in which case you probably shouldn't brew the potion anyway," Sirius finished, "You can probably do the rest, though."
"Is the rest as hard as the potion?"
"Oh, definitely," Sirius nodded, "But it's mostly enchanting, and if you're doing ritualistic magic and haven't yet died you've got to be fairly decent at that -"
"I'm better than decent," Harry noted.
"- in which case you can probably do that on your own," the man finished, "You should probably start by sourcing a mandrake leaf, seeing as that's the most tedious part."
"Tedious?" Harry's brows rose, "I could do that by the end of the hour."
"I know you can," Sirius rolled his eyes, "It's what comes next that's long. You've got to hold it in place at the roof of your mouth for a month."
Harry sighed.
"Exactly a month?"
"From the twelve in the morning of the first day till the exact minute it switches to the next month," Sirius nodded, "You'll have to start in October."
"Fair enough. Anything else I ought to know?"
"Nothing you can't find out on your own. If you're sure about this, I'll bring you the Animagus potion when it's time. But I'm not brewing it if you won't use it -"
"I think I will," Harry decided slowly, "Seems useful. Not really any downsides, either."
"You'll have to make sure it doesn't impact your rituals," Sirius reminded him, "It'd be a nasty end, getting fucked up by a ritual that isn't meant for Animagi -"
"That wouldn't happen," said Harry confidently, "Rituals exist to be convenient. They wouldn't allow something so simple to impede them."
Sirius nodded slowly.
"I guess you do know your stuff."
"I do indeed," Harry nodded, "I'll look into all this Animagus stuff when I get back to Hogwarts. We're moving off-topic, though -"
"Right," Sirius straightened up, "Azkaban. What exactly do you want to know?"
Harry paused.
He'd stop me. For my mother's sake.
"What makes it such an effective prison," Harry lied, "It's . . . it's something I'd like to replicate, I think."
Sirius stared at him.
"Wormtail?"
Harry grit his teeth. His anger wasn't hard to fake.
"I won't let that rat get away," he promised quietly, "Your name will be cleared, and he'll pay for what he's done."
Sirius frowned.
"It's an empty rabbit hole, vengeance," the man whispered, "I know that better than most -"
"I won't repeat your mistakes," Harry said carefully, "I won't chase him. He'll come to me."
And he will. But that's a project for another day.
"You'll have to come up with a different solution, then," Sirius frowned, "Azkaban is dependent on the dementors. Without them, it's little more than an abandoned building lost at sea."
Perfect.
"The sea's a nice touch," Harry noted faintly, "I reckon a rat would have a much harder time swimming to shore than you did. Must've been what - a hundred kilometers?"
"Thrice that, I think," Sirius mumbled.
"How would you know?"
"The warden," Sirius grunted, "The cunt loved to gloat. Always went on and on about how we were three hundred kilometers away from the nearest landform."
"And you think the place you ended up was the nearest landform?"
"I know it is," Sirius said with an air of certainty, "I ended up on the coast of Ireland. Based on the direction I was swimming, there can't have been a closer landform."
Harry nodded slowly.
"The warden's an Auror, right?"
"Yup," Sirius growled, "Merlin, I hope that fucker's dead. Treated all of us like absolute dogshit, even if some of us deserved it. Absolute scum of the earth."
"What'd he do?"
"Most of the shit the people locked up did. Torture -"
"The Cruciatus Curse?"
"Merlin, no," Sirius grit his teeth, "He hasn't got the balls. He did try to rape my cousin, though."
"What?"
"Yeah," Sirius nodded, "Bellatrix Lestrange. She's nothing short of a monster, but . . . that's the sort of thing no one deserves."
Harry nodded.
"You said 'tried.'"
Sirius grinned.
"Lestrange ripped his arm off," he remembered aloud, "She was a punching bag for the next month because of that, but I doubt she gave a fuck. She got the last laugh, after all."
Good for her.
Sirius shook his head.
"No more depressing talk," he said loudly, smiling at him, "Unless, of course, you wanted to ask anything else."
Harry thought for a moment.
"I'm good, I think," he grinned, "No more depressing talk. We've got some catching up to do, after all."
Sirius laughed.
"Especially with those delegates coming in from Durmstrang," he said, his eyes alight with mischief, "Tell me, Harry . . . you ever heard of Veela?"
(-{- S S -}-)
Dozens of voices echoed through the Gryffindor common room. Harry leaned back in his armchair, his gaze tumbling through the room. Around fifty students were all crammed within the somewhat tight space, waiting for their Head of House to arrive. Harry smiled at the sight.
Like Tom's dream.
"Knut for your thoughts?" Parvati's melodious voice pressed against his ears.
"Not a chance," he said, carefully watching the door. A smile continued to coat his features, "My thoughts are worth far more than pocket change."
"Arrogant," Parvati grinned. Her eyes lowered to the book that sat within his lap, "How much does knowing the title of that book cost?"
Harry laughed, holding it up for her. He watched as Pavarti's brown eyes took in the false title he'd charmed across the book's cover.
"Hogwarts: A History," the girl frowned, "You've got to be kidding . . ."
A slight frown slipped across Harry's features.
Not even an inkling of suspicion.
"Isn't that boring . . ."
"You said something?" Parvati asked, leaning closer. Harry held the book between them.
"Nothing."
His fingers pressed against the spine of the book, ready to pry it open. The false title gleamed in the light of the fireplace.
"You read Bathilda Bagshot?" Alicia Spinnet frowned from his left.
"I do now," Harry lied, "The book's pretty interesting."
He opened it again, returning to the page he'd been pursuing earlier. A detailed diagram of the Animagus potion covered most of the page.
Sirius was right. I'd probably fuck this up.
"You'd better not let Hermione find out about that," Fred warned from Alicia's side. He was eyeing the cover of his book, "She's excitable enough as it is."
They looked up, their eyes landing upon the bushy-haired girl that stood at the front center of the room. A large box labeled 'S.P.E.W.' was clenched firmly between her palms.
"Fully lost her mind, she has," George muttered under his breath, "All because Ronniekins can't avoid being a retard for longer than five minutes."
"It wasn't me," Ron snapped angrily, pointing at the boys beside him, "Seamus and Dean were having a go at her, ask them!"
"She's got a point, you know," Dean yawned, "It is slavery -"
"See!"
"Listen here, you little shit," Fred drawled, wagging his pointer finger rather seriously in Dean's direction. Dean gulped, "The longer you keep spitting out that rubbish, the longer Granger will be breathing down our necks. George and I have thrown her stupid 'S.P.E.W.' badges off the top of the Astronomy tower twice now -"
"I'm starting to lose hope," George sighed, "She'll just keep making more."
They looked back, watching as Hermione broke into a loud speech before a huddle of first-years.
"She's been leaving clothes out for the elves too, have you seen?" Angelina whispered, leaning in, "Thank Merlin Neville's been taking them all -"
"So that's why she was mad at him," Parvati realised aloud, "She seemed pretty angry at him last night. Lav and I heard her screaming -"
Fred quickly turned to his brother and Lee Jordan.
"I say we just take her to the kitchens," he said with an air of finality, "Let her see the havoc she's created -"
"Havoc?" Harry asked curiously, unable to slow the grin that took over his features, "What do you mean, havoc?"
"She's got the elves in shambles," Lee Jordan moaned, "They keep begging us to put an end to her reign of terror -"
"'She-who-must-not-be-named', they call her," George spat, "Can you fucking believe that? They've stopped cleaning Gryffindor Tower altogether because there's so many trap clothes lying about."
Harry looked around. Sure enough, a number of poorly knitted hats poked out from the nooks and crannies of the Gryffindor common room. Harry stared at them, his mouth slack, as Hermione's determined voice grew louder and louder -
"- doesn't change that they are treated as second-rate citizens, brainwashed into accepting labor and unaware of the greater possibilities that await them!"
Hermione looked around the room, which suddenly fell silent. Her features contorted into a determined expression.
"As the next generation, it is our responsibility to ensure the wellbeing of our peers," she said, "It is our responsibility to ensure that tomorrow is a better day than today -"
She's not a bad speaker when she's passionate about something.
"- and it is our responsibility to create a world which our children might one day be proud of!"
If possible, the room grew quieter. Hermione was breathing heavily at the front, her face red from adrenaline.
"Miss Granger?"
Hermione's eyes went wide. She turned around, coming face to face with a blank-faced Professor McGonagall. Embarrassment flashed across her features.
"I - I'm sorry, Professor McGonagall."
"You have no reason to apologize, dear," said McGonagall kindly, "Please be seated."
Hermione shrank into the audience, prompting quiet snickers from a few of the crowd. They all fell silent as Professor McGonagall stared at them.
"Now then," the Transfiguration Mistress began, "We have a few matters to discuss, what with the approaching arrival of the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang delegates. As many of you know, they will be joining us at the month's end -"
Screech!
Many students winced as a large eagle owl swooped through the room. Harry watched, his body stiff, as Malfoy's familiar owl made a show of soaring through the room, eventually landing on the left arm of his chair.
I'm going to skin that fucker alive.
"You seem to be making a habit of receiving letters at untimely hours," Professor McGonagall noted curtly, staring at him, "Is there something you wish to share?"
A hundred eyes flicked to him. Harry slowly shook his head, pulling the letter from Draco's owl.
"No, Professor."
Professor McGonagall stared at him for a moment before continuing her speech.
"That's Malfoy's owl," Angelina muttered quietly, watching as it flew off.
"I noticed."
"What would Malfoy want with you?"
Those nearby all turned to face him yet again. Harry slid his fingers against the opening of the envelope.
"Only one way to find out."
He pulled the parchment from the envelope, making a show of being cautious. After a moment, he raised it to his eyes. Two inky black words spanned the aged parchment.
'He's Alive'
Harry pocketed the letter, fighting to keep the trill of intense satisfaction out of his eyes.