CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
The school was abuzz for the entire evening and the next morning with what had occurred. Not only had Harry Evans, Orion Black and Loreley Malfoy finally cracked the puzzle of that enigmatic but hideous portrait, apparently the two people trapped inside had flopped almost right out and had to be taken to the hospital wing to see Madam Abernathy. Harry and Loreley had gone to try and find the nearest teacher or teachers they could find, who as it turned out were Professor Merrythought and Professor McCullagh. The girls had been forced to bang on the office doors very loudly in order to alert both professors that someone was outside their offices from inside their private rooms and then had to very awkwardly explain that there were two unconscious strangers in the Room of Requirement.
Initially Professor McCullagh had thought the girls were exaggerating, but Professor Merrythought, who by now had a theory that nothing was normal around Harry Evans, had suspected otherwise but they had followed the two seventh years anyway. She was proven to be correct when both professors saw Orion Black guarding two unconscious strangers with a very strange stone gargoyle-like creature, Harry's familiar apparently, sitting next to one of them. Immediately, McCullagh had gone to sound the alarm while Merrythought had levitated both men straight to the hospital wing. Madam Abernathy didn't even begin to run her diagnostic spells when Professors Dumbledore, Slughorn, Griffith, Babbling, Binns, Bletchley (apparently one of Christina Bletchley's uncles was the Arithmancy teacher), Vesper (the Astronomy teacher) and Redferne (the Care of Magical Creatures professor) all hollered in one after the other.
Much to their embarrassment, the trio was requested by all of them to repeated exactly the events of what had occurred. They divulged everything, carefully leaving out Harry's Soul Magic but still using a kernel of the truth. While the professors were ecstatic that their little dark horse and her friends had finally dealt with that creepy portrait, they knew that two cursed gentlemen within the walls of the school would not only cause issues with the Board of Governors, but also with the Ministry and the parents of all the students. This would be exceedingly awkward to explain.
Madam Abernathy had come back with the results of the test fairly quickly. "They are in critical condition and will need to be moved to St. Mungo's as soon as possible. There is nothing that I can do to help them; it is beyond my skills."
None of the kids had been too happy to hear that and promptly shot the two men worried looks. They didn't get to dwell on it for long, though. Harry, Orion and Loreley had promptly been taken to see Headmaster Dippet by Dumbledore, Griffith, Slughorn and Bletchley, dragging the disgruntled Headmaster out of his office where the trio relayed the same story again.
Once they had finished, Dippet looked like he was suffering from a humongous headache, his head on his desk in exhaustion. "I thought the war was going to be the reason for an exciting year," he had commented to no one in particular. "Instead, there is an excitement due to a young Cursebreaker and her projects."
"Sorry," Harry had mumbled, sinking in her chair a little. "Trouble has the tendency to find me."
The Headmaster shot up in an instant. "No, no, Miss Evans! I simply am marvelling at how positively boring the previous years have been in comparison to this one and we are not even two months into the new school year!" Dippet laughed. He quickly regained his composure. "Naturally we will seek arrangements to get those two gentlemen to St. Mungo's immediately. Aneurin, see to it please."
Professor Griffith was out of the room in less than five seconds.
"As for your contract with Gringotts, Miss Evans, we will naturally honour it," the Headmaster continued. "I will see that the decursed portrait is sent to the goblins with a note of what has happened and that you will get into contact with them yourself soon."
Harry had sighed with relief. "Thank you so much, sir."
Dippet had smiled warmly. "Though, I am going to ask you to try and keep giving my staff a heart attack to a minimum for a while. There is only so much excitement we can all take!"
The adults had chuckled while the three students blushed and looked at their feet sheepishly. Professor Slughorn and Professor Bletchley had escorted them from the office, pleased that they had accomplished the feat and had given them ten points to Slytherin and Ravenclaw each for it, which had made the stress worthwhile. All three were rather thankful the teachers were refraining from either scolding them too much or asking too many potentially awkward questions.
Loreley had managed to escape Slughorn up to Ravenclaw Tower but Harry and Orion had been forced to endure Slughorn's praises a little further. Athenaïs, who had managed to escape the Room of Requirement, stealthily had joined them and was observing the Potions Professor as though she were assessing his sanity.
The common room, unfortunately, had been chock full with students, who had gotten wind of something exciting that had happened and awaiting to see if they could find out what. Harry and Orion had been forced to endure the embarrassing spectacle of Professor Slughorn regaling the rest of Slytherin about what they had been able to accomplish. At least there had been a gasp of shock when the students were informed two people had been inside the portrait that whole time!
Wow, Slytherin does have a conscience, Harry's Gryffindor voice had sneered for the first time in months.
Gryffindors have a weird sense of morality too, her Slytherin voice had argued back almost immediately.
Once Slughorn was finished, Harry and Orion had darted each for the safety of their dorms, wishing to escape the Inquisition of Slytherin as quickly as possible. Both decided to have an early night; Harry's dorm mates had allowed her to escape their questions for the time being but Orion's had not shown him the same courtesy. When Dolohov, Rosier and Malfoy had tried to interrogate him despite his curtains being drawn around his four poster bed and several Silencing Charms put on the bed, they were rewarded by the Moirai with Somnus the owl landing directly on top of Dolohov's head, still snoozing away. Dolohov had shrieked like a banshee and had thrown Somnus into the air, causing Nott to launch himself off his bed to try and catch the familiar before anything bad could happen to him.
Somnus carried on snoozing through the whole thing.
Harry was not spared her visions and nightmares this night. Apparently the Moirai had a few future deaths lined up that they had needed Harry's opinion on. It ranged from a dying young man whose sister was about to try to heal him using Dark magic, to the bloody Desert Fox himself, which Harry had not expected to see. Harry saw skirmishes and battles between wizards and then saw the faces and names of the ones Atropos had selected as candidates for Reapers and ghosts. There were also doomed animals amongst the candidates: wolves, horses, ravens, pigeons, dogs and cats. Harry wondered what the Reapers could want with the animals until she heard the arcane voice she assumed was Atropos'.
Not just Reapers. Psychopomps – you died yourself but a psychopomp was not assigned to you because your Tapestry didn't end. Anubis needs helpers, as do Michael, Muut, and Baron Samedi, not that they are willing to admit to it.
Harry would have laughed had she a) not been asleep and b) been stuck with a volley of visions, one after the other, having to rapidly decide what – essentially – their afterlife would be like. It was safe to say that when morning finally came and she was released from the Realm of Hypnos, Harry awoke drenched in sweat and ready to go back to bed again rather than face the entire school.
However, Druella, Ophelia, Walburga and Ygraine had other ideas because they had once again dragged Harry unceremoniously from her bed, gave her a clean uniform – blazer, blouse, tie, and overdress – and had gotten her to the shower early enough to make sure they had time to ask their questions. Athenaïs, Sigyn and Seraphina had watched on in amusement.
"Which spell did you end up using to free them?!"
"Did they fall unconscious or were they already unconscious?"
"Are they possible agents of Grindelwald sent to kill you?"
"Harry, are you even listening to us? Harry!"
Harry tried to focus on the warmth of the shower instead of the shouting of her friends through the door and the dread that lurked in her stomach. Loreley and Orion knew about her Soul Magic; the girls didn't. Harry hated to admit it to herself, but she was really feeling rather guilty that they were in the dark about the reason those men were free. After all, they knew about her visions and had were protecting her.
They deserved to know.
Steeling herself, Harry turned the shower off, dried herself down, got dressed, wrapped the towel around her still damp hair and left the bathroom, seeing her friends sitting on Ygraine's bed, looking like expectant puppies awaiting treats – almost. Walburga was far too composed to be described as a puppy.
Harry sat down with them gingerly. "They were captured by Grindelwald. When they were released they were already unconscious," she began. "As for the spell … we tried one of the Black spells. Andromeda Black's Dark Magnetism spell but it … it didn't work." The girls looked a little taken aback at that but composed themselves very quickly. Harry sighed deeply. "We got angry – Orion, Loreley and me. I …"
"Go on," Druella coaxed gently, patting her friend's arm gently. "We won't judge. Promise."
Harry chuckled softly. "Thanks," she whispered and took a deep fortifying breath. "I … used Soul Magic to free them."
The was a shocked silence for a good minute. Even Walburga lost her countenance completely.
"You used what?!" Ophelia spluttered, shooting to her feet. Harry almost winced at the frequency of Ophelia's voice; damn the girl could hit some high notes. No doubt she was in the choir! "But that's … Harry, Soul Magic is so unbelievably rare and difficult – how in the name of Excalibur and Clarent did you master Soul Magic at seventeen?!"
That caused the Lady Regnant of House Peverell to chuckle awkwardly.
"I haven't," Harry admitted. "I have only just started learning."
"Of course you have!" Ophelia flung her arms in the air dramatically and started pacing again. Druella shook her head at her dorm mate, biting her cheek to contain her laughter.
"Learning? You mean you actually have a teacher?" Ygraine's eyes widened further, also unable to believe what she was hearing. "Harry, have you any idea how dangerous this information is? If Grindelwald figures it out-"
"I will be more screwed than I probably currently am," Harry finished as lightly as she could with an awkward chuckle. "Yes, I know."
"Who is teaching you?" Walburga asked curiously. She then decided to take an educated guess. "Your family friends?"
Harry nodded. "Yes."
"Merlin!" Ophelia cried out. "I mean, I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised considering the reputation of your family. The Peverells were always known to have magics linked closely to life and death but still … Harry, why can't something just be normal around you?"
Harry spluttered with laughter, causing the others to join in very quickly.
"Guess that just means we have to master Occlumency faster – no questions asked," Druella stated, shaking her head. "But Harry, thank you for trusting us with this."
"Indeed," Walburga agreed as she hugged her friend, much to both her and Harry's surprise. "It is not easy to divulge a secret like this, especially after a potent betrayal."
"Speaking of the traitors, do you think they will spontaneously forget their anger and try to fish information out of Harry?" Ophelia sighed as the girls went to pack their bags.
"Doubt it," Ygraine replied candidly. "Riddle is as stubborn as a mule after all. He will simply get any information he wants from someone else."
"Hey, Harry," Druella grinned. "You haven't by any chance enchanted any more of Riddle's books have you?"
Harry grinned evilly. "What makes you think it was me?"
"Because I think I know some of your character by now. As I said, Machiavellian viper!" Ophelia laughed. "I have no idea how you managed it, but girl, I haven't seen Riddle this murderous in a while!"
"Oh don't worry. It isn't his books he should be worried about next," Harry informed, eyes shining with the prospect of more mischief.
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?!" Ygraine demanded as the other three started laughing with glee. Ygraine looked and sounded amused as the others but she still couldn't quite believe that Harry Evans had literally no fear of Tom Riddle. The boy was not to be trifled with, especially when at a volatile state, and yet Harry was already planning on making it worse!
Harry flung her arms nonchalantly. "I have been marked for death anyway! Might as well live a little!" she stated jovially.
"We are all going to get silver hairs from worrying about you by the end of the year," Walburga commented, shaking her head in disbelief.
Harry grinned. "Good thing silver goes well with black, Wally!"
Walburga mock-scowled at her as they entered the common room. They had expected to be empty since it was still quite early and breakfast would only commence in ten minutes. To their surprise, they were met with the sight of Lament, Dolohov, Mulciber cornering Orion, who was glaring at them with such venom that it was surprising the three boys had not dropped dead from it.
"-it's as I told Dolohov, it is none of your business!" Orion snarled, almost bearing his teeth like an irate wolf.
"Are you really expecting us to believe that you, Malfoy's half-witted sister and Peverell simply used any normal kind of magic to free those stupid wizards?" they heard Lament snarl. "Do you think we are stupid?"
"Apparently, you are very stupid to do this in the common room," Harry couldn't help it.
Orion, though he had been incredibly defiant in expression, immediately sighed with relief when he saw his friends, his future wife and their dorm mates. Lament, Dolohov and Mulciber had swung around and while Dolohov and Mulciber looked like children with their hands in the cookie jar, Lament didn't.
"Peverell," he sneered. "Just the witch we're looking for."
"Well, you must be blind as well as stupid because as far as I know, I don't look like Orion or vice versa," Harry stated snarkily as Orion slipped away from two of Riddle's Knights and the Slytherin Seeker and joined Druella and Walburga, who put themselves between him and the boys.
"You think you're so smart, don't you?" Dolohov snarled.
"In comparison to the three of you, definitely," Ophelia spoke up with a smirk. "After all, here you are cornering a fellow Slytherin in the open and threatening a girl, in front of witnesses. Certainly not a move a Ravenclaw would make, let alone a truly cunning Slytherin."
By now, the common room was filling up with students who either stopped to watch or who had slowed their pace to try and catch as much of the ongoing hostility as possible. Riddle and his Knights had followed behind a couple of Lament's friends and had been immediately routed to the spot. As for War and Bletchley, they had joined Harry's group, looking thoroughly confused.
"What is going on here?" Riddle had demanded in a tone full of authority, which made some of the younger ones disperse immediately.
"We were just having a pleasant conversation with Black," Lament lied smoothly. "Peverell and her little friends here got the wrong idea is all."
Harry and the pureblood heiresses snorted inelegantly and started chuckling coldly.
"Wrong idea?" Harry sneered. "So if we had left without saying a word, you wouldn't have hexed or jinxed Orion, is that what you are trying to convince us of? Really? You're going with that defence, are you, or would you like a moment to get a better excuse?"
Lament sneered at her while Dolohov looked like he was about to attack her, Muggle style. Mulciber simply glared at her.
"I reiterate, what is going on here?" Riddle demanded.
"What happened here is that two of your minions and this lummox decided to corner Orion about the events of last night," Druella spoke up with a lot of venom embedded in her voice, gesturing towards the three irate boys. "They wanted to know what magic they used and I can hazard a guess that Orion point blank refused to answer them."
"Is that so?" Riddle looked to Orion, who nodded curtly, glaring at him just as defiantly as he had been at his attackers.
"Riddle, you can't believe a word they are saying!" Lament protested. "They are clearly trying to protect that weakling-"
"The only weakling is you," Harry cut across sharply. "You need two people to back you up against a Black, and one people view as weak. Not to mention said Black is Heir Apparent to the entire Most Ancient and Most Noble House and would have a very irate father demanding retribution. What does that say about you, I wonder?"
Lament saw red. He had drawn his wand and had pointed it directly at Harry. However, before he could incant a spell or anyone could disarm him, Harry's eyes had flashed bright silver and Lament was thrown from his spot and into one of the arm chairs near to the fireplace by a powerful, wandless, nonverbal Stunning Spell. Lament had been knocked into the chair with some force, that the chair moved a good few paces back and the Slytherin Seeker was forced to gasp for air. Harry grinned to herself; she really loved the Old English magic! They packed more of a punch, which is what this cretin deserved.
Harry turned to Riddle who was blinking in disbelief. "Salazar Slytherin was a knight in his time, you know. He kept to a code of honour and chivalry. Our little disagreement is between all of you, and me. Orion and the others are off limits. Control your little friends, Riddle," she advised icily, "if you know what is good for you."
Riddle at least had the decency to swallow at the unspoken threat. Druella, Walburga, Ophelia and Ygraine had to bite their cheeks quite hard not to laugh directly at Riddle's face. However, once they were out of the Slytherin dungeons and heading to the Great Hall, the walls echoed with their raucous laughter.
"As if Lament's pride couldn't get any more damaged!" Druella celebrated. "Did you see his face?"
"His face?! I was too busy concentrating on Riddle. His face was just golden!" Ophelia added.
"I am just glad you came when you did," Orion admitted to Harry with grateful eyes. "I couldn't have taken them on by myself."
"What happened exactly?" Walburga asked her fiancé as she took his arm in one hand and Harry's in the other.
A look of absolute fear and shame came into the electric blue eyes of the Black Heir.
"I woke up, got weird looks from Rosier and Malfoy. Nothing new, I am used to it by now. They never like my clothes or ideas or my pyjamas – they think my Nessie patterns are childish and stupid," Orion sighed. "I ignored them and went to take a shower and got dressed. Nott had managed to get Somnus to wake up and eat something that morning so I was about to thank him when Dolohov started interrogating me about last night," Orion swallowed. "I told him it was none of his business and that the teachers know everything – besides it was Harry's Gringotts assignment so I was privileged to even get to help, let alone witness what I did so I said I had no obligation to divulge what happened."
Orion took a deep breath. Walburga and Harry saw he was struggling with something internally so, after they exchanged a look of agreement, Walburga gave her fiancée a reassuring squeeze on his arm. Ophelia had taken hold of his other arm and did the same.
It worked. "Dolohov got angry, and started demanding to know what spells we used for some reason. It caught me off guard and I thought I misheard until he demanded it again. I didn't expect it but Nott had backed me up, saying Dolohov should stick his nose into a Hippogriff pat instead of in our business. Rosier had told Nott to stay out of it." Orion looked terrified at this point. "The next thing I know, Dolohov had drawn his wand … Nott had tried to distract him by hitting him with a book, telling me to run and … I ran. I heard Dolohov shout something and then people run after me. I was going to go to Slughorn but Mulciber caught me by the hood of my robe. That was when Lament and Dolohov caught up and Mulciber asked the same damn question. I answered the same thing I told Dolohov. Lament got angry – then you guys came."
The girls could hardly believe their ears.
"Dolohov attacked you?!" Harry seethed, her eyes dancing with silver. "Oh, he's dead fucking meat!"
"Harry, language!" Ygraine scolded lightly, but the fury in her eyes shared the sentiment of her friend.
Harry's hair crackled with quintessence. "Sod that! I should have turned him into a tennis ball and hit him straight into the Black Lake! Let the fucking Grindylows play with him for a while!"
"Harry Evans, breathe!" Druella ordered. "We will get the maggot next time."
By this time, Harry was forced to listen because they had reached the Great Hall. The group splintered again, an angry Harry and petrified Orion heading to the Gryffindor table while the other Slytherin girls took their places at the Slytherin table while trying not to crack the stained glass windows with their fury. Loreley, who had arrived to breakfast early and looking like she knew exactly what had happened, distracted her friends as best as she could with letters she had been receiving from her parents about the Yule Ball they were hosting, but neither Harry nor Orion were listening.
When Artemis and Minerva arrived with the Weasley twins and the Prewett siblings, who wanted to make the acquaintances of the Ravenclaw and two Slytherins, they all could see the red hot rage on Harry's face – and the lightning threatening to jump out at any moment. They saw that Orion Black was so pale he could make Binns look sun-tanned. Both Artemis and Minerva immediately looked towards the Slytherin table and saw that Harry's dorm mates looked five steps beyond murderous. Riddle and his Knights were watching Harry with expressions that ranged from worry (Nott, Avery and Lestrange), fear (Rosier and Mulciber), abject disgust (Dolohov) and unexplainable concern (Riddle and Malfoy). Lament, who was clutching one of his sides for some reason, was seemingly trying to kill Harry with his eyes. In that instant Artemis and Minerva knew Slytherin House had once more imploded rather spectacularly and both guessed it had something to do with the fact Harry, Orion and Loreley had solved the portrait puzzle.
It was one of the only major things that had happened in recent days, other than some spectacular alliances between families falling apart – the Prewetts deciding to look for a Black alliance instead of an Abbott alliance for example for their children – and it could be one of the only reasons for the idiotically reckless behaviour of normally cunning Snakes. The magic the three wizards had used must have been absolutely powerful in order to free two men who had literally formed the image of that portrait. If there is anything a Slytherin wanted, it was more power.
Especially if it won them further credit with Tom Marvolo Riddle.
The two girls shared one thought: Someone was going to get a lightning bolt in the face.
Artemis, knowing that Harry needed to be distracted pronto, poured her sister-from-another-side-of-the-family a cup of coffee and had plated a few waffles onto her plate, then placed a gentle hand on Harry's arm as carefully as she could, hoping she didn't spook the already volatile witch next to her. Harry, who was desperately trying to control her magical outburst, gave Artemis a grateful smile and cautiously began to eat as though as eating too much or too quickly could get her magic to jump out much more quickly.
Minerva decided to distract Harry differently, turning to the three Prewetts, who looked at her with undisguised worry and sympathy. "Harry, some of our friends would really like to make your acquaintance. Yours too, Orion, Loreley. Are you up for that, or should we leave you alone for a bit?"
Orion and Loreley raised their heads curiously and Harry sat up slightly, her attention peaked. Minerva smiled to herself triumphantly and gestured to the seventh year boy, sixth year girl and the fourth year boy. "I'll take that as a yes. These are our friends: Ignatius," the oldest gave a cheerful smile and wave, "Tessa," the girl bowed her head respectfully, "and young Bilius but everyone calls him Billy."
"Hi!" the boy piped up, causing Harry, Orion and Loreley to smile smally. "I just want to say I think what you guys did was really awesome!"
Orion looked to the eldest Prewett with interest. "So you are the person Father and Mother are considering for my dear sister as a suitor!"
Ignatius bowed, flushing slightly. "Indeed, Heir Black. I thought it prudent to introduce ourselves now rather than have our parents force each other into awkward conversations at some do."
"I have to ask – have you got some amulets that will protect you from human transfigurations?" Orion questioned.
Ignatius blinked in shock, clearly not expecting that question. Tessa and Billy giggled at their brother's fluster. "Well … I am not entirely sure."
"I suggest you invest in one in case you bore my sister," Orion advised with a grin. "She is utterly merciless to those she considers tedious company!"
"So, the rumours about Lucretia Black being vicious are true?" Billy's eyes shone with wonder.
Orion's infectious, excited energy was back in an instant at the prospect of gossiping about his older sister. "Absolutely! Come and join me; I will tell you all about it."
The Prewetts seated themselves with Loreley and Orion – Billy in between Minerva and Loreley, opposite Harry; Tessa next to Loreley and opposite Orion; and Ignatius on Orion's direct right – so Minerva and Artemis decided to deal with what precisely had Harry so riled and Orion spooked.
"You didn't sleep well did you?" Artemis randomly asked as she peeled her apple.
Harry scoffed as she sipped her coffee, trying to tune out the story of Lucretia Black throwing a fire ball at an unfortunate suitor who had accidentally knocked over the vase that had been a gift from another suitor she actually liked. "Nope! My good luck ran out on that front."
"But that's not why you are angry, is it?" Minerva guessed. Harry scoffed again, and shook her head. "What happened?"
"Dolohov and Lament happened," Harry growled, glaring at the offenders with murderous intent. When she met their gaze, Dolohov ducked away to look at his plate and Lament made a rude gesture at her to which, much to the surprise of many, she petulantly stuck out her tongue.
"Harry, that is not ladylike!" Minerva scolded immediately.
"Sod off," Harry snarled venomously. "Dolohov attacked Orion, and Lament would have had my friends and I not come in just in time so forgive me if I am a little childish right now!"
As soon as the Gryffindor girls heard that, they blanched in shock and exchanged a dark look. Fortunately the atmosphere was saved only slightly by the arrival of a Gringotts owl and a handsome raven who Harry did not recognise. She decided to deal with her employers first, finding a letter and a pouch that was full of money.
Dear Lady Peverell,
When your Headmaster got into contact with us yesterday we thought something may have happened to you. We are very relieved that it is not the case. We realise that the portrait has been more trouble than it was worth, and indeed it was debated whether we should have sent it to you in the first place. The King not too long ago was set to recall it at one point, thinking we were throwing you too far into the deep end. I am most glad we convinced him otherwise.
When we were informed your efforts – with the help of your loyal friends – were indeed a success, we were ecstatic! I have never seen Mr. Rowle do a jig before, it was quite a sight to behold so already thank you in advance for that memory! Then when we were informed of the two gentlemen currently lying comatose in St. Mungo's had been inside there the whole time, we were shocked and indeed impressed that three young wizards managed to free them from what we have found out was such intricate and arcane magic that it took us the whole night to even suss out what could have happened to them.
Through deductive magic, Gringotts and indeed the wizard Auror office suspect this had been a gift from Grindelwald himself. Something we should have considered as a possibility. As such, my Lady, it was unanimously agreed that 90,000 Galleons be your wage for this troublesome artefact that we in hindsight should have suspected was a trap from the Dark Lord himself.
I hope you will forgive this oversight on our behalf and in the future, we will be more wary about what we send to you. We would also like to invite you and your two companions, one Heir Orion Arcturus Black and Heiress Loreley Azalea Malfoy, to a debriefing tomorrow morning. We would like to know exactly what happened from your own lips. If you cannot make tomorrow, let us know when you can meet at your earliest convenience.
May your enemies always tremble at your feet, my Lady,
Griphook.
Harry found herself smiling throughout the letter, her magic cooling down ever so slightly. She did blanch heavily at the amount of Galleons that had been paid out to her and immediately, after burning the letter, started to divide the amount between herself, Orion and Loreley, much to the shock of Orion and the envy of the Gryffindors and the Hufflepuffs who had been spying on them.
"Harry, what are you doing? They are your wages!" Orion wailed.
"Yep, which means I can do with the Galleons what I wish," Harry replied, continuing dividing the money with a quick spell. "You helped me; you get paid."
"You are my friend, of course I helped you. This is too much Harry! I don't need this much!" Orion kept protesting as thirty thousand Galleons were shoved towards him in a conjured pouch.
"Black, shut up or we'll take the money!" Septimus Weasley threatened.
"Next time she wants help, I am helping," Octavius commented, shaking his head in disbelief at the gold pile Harry just put into another pouch.
"By the way, the goblins want to meet us tomorrow morning at our earliest convenience," Harry continued as she handed Loreley her share of the money, much to the Malfoy girl's own amusement. "What time should I say?"
"Can we meet them at ten?" Orion asked. "We are studying the runic numbers in Ancient Runes tomorrow! I really want to be there."
"And we have History," Loreley pointed out to Harry. "I do not want you to miss another duel with Binns!"
Harry rolled her eyes but grinned. "OK, I will ask if 10.30 will suffice," she decided as she quickly quilled her answer to the goblins, tying her letter to the owl and feeding the owl a bit of waffle to thank it for its patience. The owl hooted gratefully and took off.
Harry then dealt with the raven, who had been waiting very patiently, and its cargo. It had a letter with it and a package that ended up carrying a beautiful necklace that, funnily enough, wasn't meant for her, but for Athenaïs because it was definitely big enough to put around a familiar's neck. Harry had seen that Seraphina had a bunch of them.
Dear Harry,
We thought it would be best to send this gift for your family via Tosti's raven rather than wait until ungodly hours to give it to you. We know that you have succeeded in your endeavour and I assure you we are all impressed and proud at how well you managed to use your fledgling Soul Magic to free those souls. Not that we ever doubted you mind! Antioch, Cadmus and Ignotus were practically partying in their frames when they heard!
As Tosti probably told you, Athenaïs is likely to undergo some changes as the familiar of the Mistress of Death. Therefore this necklace should help her hone her powers until she has full control. Antioch insisted she take the amulet that once belonged to his beloved little Lara. I really hated that cat, but don't tell him that.
Until tonight,
Melinoë
Harry grinned at the letter and pocketed safely away into one of her books. The amulet, carefully wrapped, also went into her bag for safe keeping just as more owls and other birds began flying into the Great Hall, once more all carrying newspapers. Harry sighed and prepared for the worst as one of said newspapers landed in front of Artemis and another in front of Minerva.
TWO PEOPLE FREED FROM CURSED PORTRAIT – ANOTHER GRINDELWALD PLOT FOILED?
One would have thought Hogwarts, for all its past exciting stories over the centuries has seen everything in her history, especially since the Dementor attack not too long ago, but once again the school has seen events worthy of being the storyline of a theatre play.
Last night, a young Cursebreaker and her friends, who have reportedly been working on a mysterious portrait for a few weeks now, managed to complete their endeavour and discovered that the secrets that lay within were more shocking than anyone could have imagined. Within the portrait were two men, trapped within; they are in critical state and are currently being treated at St. Mungo's Hospital. The identities of the two men involved are unknown, but both the Auror department and Gringotts have admitted to the Prophet that the portrait was created by Dark Lord Gellert Grindelwald himself and one can hazard a guess these men were in the Resistance.
As for the identity of the children, neither Gringotts nor Hogwarts are forthcoming about their identities.
Harry's hands subconsciously curled around her cutlery and her eyes flashed silver. The glass jugs of water on the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables sprung apart, causing the students to duck under the table to avoid being hit by the glass. It seemed the elves had not enchanted the jugs to not do that again after the first time. The teachers were up in an instant – having just read the paper themselves – and went to fix the jugs and reassure the students that there was nothing to worry about.
The reassurances fell on deaf ears. Orion and Loreley, nearly glaring at Slughorn and Dumbledore for saying Grindelwald could not know it had been Harry, took their friend and decided to go early to their first lesson. Harry barely reacted to it. She had no idea where her legs were carrying her and honestly she didn't care all too much, allowing her friends to take control of the direction she was walking.
Stupid Grindelwald. Stupid Voldemort. Stupid leak. Stupid Harry … stupid, stupid, stupid! Why indeed could nothing be normal around her? Putting herself in the line of danger was one thing; if Orion and Loreley got caught up in it, Harry would never be able to forgive herself if anything happened to them.
She was forced to shake herself out of her head when – in what seemed like an eternity – Harry followed Orion and Loreley into the Charms class and to the back of the classroom. Druella and Walburga joined them not too long ago, a look of concern on their countenances but knew enough that they didn't push Harry any further. The Ravenclaws unpacked their stuff, shaking their heads in Harry's direction, and the Slytherins shot her looks of apprehension.
Professor McCullagh started her lecture on the Creative Element of Charms promptly and tried to keep a light tone to her voice throughout. "Today we will be focusing on preparing you for your practical Charms exams. Considering the fact both the Ministry and the Headmaster are determined for exams to continue during these turbulent times, you will need to be more prepared than ever before. The practical exams will not care about the theory behind the Charms you use, but the application. The creativity you use, the various Charms you are able to use in conjunction with each other. Because sometimes, all one needs to be able to solve a puzzle or defeat an enemy, is a little imagination. Therefore, today all of you will be called to the front. I will conjure a table of objects for you to use. You have ten minutes at most to use as many Charms as you can creatively. If you are done or have run out of Charms, you can stop the timer yourself but that isn't ideal. There will be bonus points for flare. Understood?"
"Yes, professor!" the class chorused.
"Good, then we will begin alphabetically. Mr. Avery, that means you are first!"
As Malum Avery got up from his seat, Harry decided to tune out the classroom while trying to focus on calming down her breathing, which was still too erratic for her liking. She just couldn't focus on anything. Help came just in time.
Harry, Harry, if you can hear me – you need to calm down.
Thanatos, Harry whispered in relief. The damn papers got wind of what happened … what do I do? What if it alerts Mr. Weird Eyes to my presence? He already knows I am at Hogwarts-
Harry, calm yourself. Take a deep breath.
Harry did as she was told.
Good, I wanted to practise this with you tonight but I think you should try it now. Close your eyes, clear your mind and focus on the life forces in the room around you. Distract yourself. He doesn't know yet. OK? Relax.
Harry closed her eyes and began to clear as much of her mind as she could as she concentrated on the choir of heartbeats in the room, focusing on keeping her breathing as controlled as possible while she did so. Some heartbeats were faster than others, but each had a rhythm to them that was unique and somehow still added something to the rest. It was beautiful, calming. Harry opened her eyes and to her quiet awe, she saw them – the souls of her classmates dancing like forty willow-o-wisps luring a human to their doom. Some were brighter than others; some were faster than others. Then she saw it - Riddle's soul. Marred by an ugly red hue and looking rather sickly; it looked like it was in pain. It almost made Harry want to burst out crying. She didn't know how long she spent observing the life forces of her fellow students but the next thing she knew, Professor McCullagh was calling out her name.
"Miss Evans," Harry was knocked back out of her own thoughts again by the gentle call of Professor McCullagh as Dolohov trudged back to his seat, looking rather sulky. Apparently his run had not gone very well. McCullagh smiled at her and gestured to the table of items in the middle of the classroom.
"What is it, ma'am?" Harry asked politely, clearing her throat.
"Ah, you spaced out again. I thought as much," the Charms professor gave her a sympathetic look. "It is your turn, Miss Evans."
The Charms teacher covered her table with a blue table cloth, muttered a spell and lifted the cloth to reveal yet another set of different items.
Harry sighed, embarrassed that she had missed the performances of her friends and other classmates, and came to the front of the class. Professor McCullagh gave her a reassuring smile. "As you can see, I have several different items here that I think are tailored to your talents. A violin, a canvas with some paint, a statue of one of each of Hogwarts' four houses, a bowl of water and a candle. Do you think you can work with this?"
Harry nodded slightly, smiling to herself. She could definitely work with these! "Yes, professor."
McCullagh grinned. "The time will start when you are ready. Mr. Black, Mr. Riddle, may I ask the two of you to keep an eye on how many Charms Miss Evans uses?"
"Yes, professor!" the two boys chorused.
"Good. Miss Evans, whenever you are ready." Professor McCullagh went to take a seat behind her desk. Up until now, she had left the young girl be, but after hearing Galatea Merrythought sing her praises to the sky and Andrea Babbling gush that the girl was actually very good at her subject for someone who was doing a self-study option, McCullagh found she could no longer resist the urge to put the girl to the test. Especially after what happened yesterday. It was true she had wanted to test all her students, but Harry Evans had motivated this little preparation class. After all, Professor McCullagh had been a Ravenclaw in her time. She was curious by nature.
Harry stepped up to the table and looked from one object to the other, deciding the order she would take with this little performance she was formulating. Harry, once she had a clear sequence in her head, looked at the statues and decided she would indeed have some fun, world be damned. "Piertotum Locomotor!"
The lion, eagle, badger and snake statues sprung alive in an instant. Quick as a whip, Harry enchanted the snake statue to pick up the paint brush and start painting while she used the Levitation Charm to start playing a folk jig-semi tavern song on the violin. As the violin began to play, the lion, badger and eagle started bobbing their heads to the rhythm and dancing, under the influence of a Dancing Feet charm. Joining them were Prongs, Padfoot, Moony and her Horntail Patronus all of whom had initially looked for a threat before swaying to the music too. Harry tapped her left hand against her left leg to make sure she and the magic stayed in rhythm. The snake continued to paint as Harry conjured red and blue sparks in quick succession and then used the Colour Changing Charm to make the sparks turn every colour of the rainbow and to change the paint colour the snake was using. She used the Drought Charm and the Extinguishing Charm to snuff out the candle and make the bowl dry before using a Banishing Charm to get rid of them since she decided she wouldn't need to use them after all.
Smiling to herself, Harry then focused on the violin and the music and as she sung a wordless aria, using a Cheering Charm on the statues to make them cheer and cry out to the beat of the music, she weaved the Fire and Water Making Charms into the magic of the music. What that ended up doing was from the violin, with every note and cord change, came strands of fire and water that snaked out like banners around the room. As Harry sensed that she was approaching the ten minutes, she used the Freezing Charm to freeze the statues, violin and elements in mid stance.
Finally, Harry banished everything except the snake's artwork with a click of her fingers into smoke and gave a dramatic bow. The Charms professor wanted flare; Harry would give her flare. Professor McCullagh got up from her seat, her eyes dancing. "Impressive display, Miss Evans! I see your Patronuses were back; they really are quite stunning. All right, Mr Black, Mr. Riddle – how many Charms did you count?"
"Fourteen!" both boys chorused at the same time.
"Not counting the second Banishing Charm and using the Colouring Charm twice, albeit on two different elements," Riddle added. Harry couldn't resist rolling her eyes at this but admitted to herself that she probably shouldn't have used those Charms twice.
"How?" someone – Harry guessed it was Dolohov – spluttered. "She conjured sparks twice! How does that not count as being used twice?"
"Because Red Sparks and Blue Sparks are two different spells!" Minerva answered. "Red Sparks is usually used to call for help while Blue Sparks is sometimes used as an offensive spell."
"Very good, Miss McGonagall! Five points to Gryffindor," Professor McCullagh praised, her eyes dancing. "Miss Evans, it is clear that you do have an affinity for the more creative side of Charms and if I may I would like to keep your snake's exquisite Van Gough-like painting. It captured its friends and your Patronuses very well." Harry nodded. "But, while your display was impressive, I am sure this was not your best work."
Harry looked a little sheepish. "No, ma'am," she forced herself to admit. "Kind of kicking myself that I used two of the same Charms – a bit stupid of me, I know. I wanted to cast some Bluebell Flames to decorate the statues and use a Beauty Charm on the portrait but I didn't think that was creative enough."
"Miss Evans, you are anything but stupid, which is why I am so strict with you," Professor McCullagh reassured. "As for your ideas, you should have gone through with them. I would personally have loved to see that. Galatea tells me you have a wonderfully unorthodox style and I think you should embrace that here as well as in duelling. The fact that you doubted whether to use spells or used the same spell twice, it just means you need to find something that is maybe similar, but still different enough to make sure your points do not go down at the end of your actual practical exam. Not to worry – you still have the November mock exams to use as good practise time."
Harry nodded in agreement but still couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.
"Nevertheless, I think you get 80 out of 100 for that, a solid EE for your display," McCullagh continued, her eyes shining. "I cannot wait to see what you continue to come up with. Mr. Fairweather, it is your turn!"
Harry returned to her seat, still kicking herself mentally a little until Druella and Orion triumphantly told her that while she spaced out, Dolohov had accidentally cast such a potent Herbivicus Charm that the plant McCullagh had put amongst the objects on his table that the plant had not only grew to look like the younger sibling of Yggdrasil the World Tree, but it had sprouted various different flowers, much to the Knight's own embarrassment. Dolohov had banished the thing promptly but only the flowers had remained behind, apparently.
Harry had a sadistic smirk on her face hearing that, which prompted her to watch the performances of Riddle and his Knights quite closely once it was their turn. Heron Lestrange's performance was based on disappearing and reappearing acts, illusions, concealment and levitation, primarily. Harry saw McCullagh enjoyed watching that – according to Loreley, McCullagh's father was a Muggle illusionist so it was like a taste from home. Abraxas Malfoy found it extremely difficult to move rapidly from one Charm to another, let alone put a creative twist to it. He did eventually conjure his dinosaur Patronus to, ironically enough, cover the creature in silver feathers. Harry actually had to smile and clap at that. His sister Loreley's performance was like watching an actual Mad Hatter's tea party; it was a stark difference. Mulciber's performance could only be described as wooden – he gave his objects properties that were almost predictable. Harry had to admit the tap dancing pineapples were funny though.
Nott's performance was everything she had hoped for. Like Altair himself, it was loud, brazen and it had to leaving either reeling in your seat or made you want to see more of it. Nott put on a show with the help of his Patronus; it was like watching a circus act. Together he and his golden jackal used as many of the items as possible: a top hat, a carpet, a walking stick and a plushie lion. Harry's favourite part was when Altair's golden jackal Patronus sprinted in and out of sparks like it was doing a slalom before jumping through rings of fire and water and barking in triumph as it jumped onto the flying carpet. The look of pure glee and enjoyment on Altair's face made Harry almost forget all of her anger and worry.
Unsurprisingly, Altair got an 89/100 for his performance, the highest grade up until that point. After several other students, it was Rosier's turn, followed by Druella. Just as it was with the Malfoy twins, there was a glaring difference in the style of the Rosier twins. Arcturus Rosier did not take naturally to creative magic, preferring to use more conservative magic – only changing the colours of the objects or making them impervious to water as part of the creative element. He had only managed to get his teapot and tea cup to begin singing by accident. Druella took a musical route, like Harry, but the music was as backdrop to Druella's own dancing. The Rosier heiress somehow managed to cast Snowflake Enchantments, a Disillusionment Charm, a Fire making spell, invisibility spells and a Levitation Charm while she did so, leaving ice flowers with her feet – somehow! Druella's 90/100 was well deserved.
Harry hated to admit it, but she had rather high expectations from Tom Riddle. Voldemort was a master of magic – if there was anyone who knew how to use Charms creatively, it was her old friend Snakeface. She hated to admit it, but Riddle didn't disappoint. He had taken the route that Lestrange had, using illusions, concealment and banishing, but each object were re summoned with funny colours, features, doing silly dances, and spitting out sparks, fire, and lightning. There was a clean cut and by the book aura to Riddle's approach but Harry could tell, especially by the snake forms the fire and lightning were taking, he had put his own twist to it. Harry had thought baby Voldemort had actually done a pretty decent job but McCullagh was a harsh taskmaster, giving Riddle only an 88/100. One point under Altair and two under Druella; Harry felt a tug of smug satisfaction in her heart. That would not sit well with Riddle's ego at all!
She was right of course. Riddle had a face like thunder when he realised he had not achieved his customary 100 points after a lesson. Not that Altair noticed the apoplectic expression on Riddle's face, he was too busy still being rather pleased with his own grade. Indeed, after the lesson, on the way to Herbology he was almost skipping down to the greenhouses, much to Lestrange, Harry and Loreley's amusement.
The class were reviewing the dreaded Venomous Tentacula that lesson. Harry was almost disappointed she hadn't brought her scythe, rapier or daggers to class. She had done battle with those bloodthirsty beasts before and knew just how deadly they could be. Neville had used them to lethal affect against the Death Eaters; Harry knew these stupid plants meant business. Fortunately Professor Griffith had given them express permission to swear loudly if one tried to grab or seize them from behind. Especially since some of the bloody things were going through their teething phase.
Fortunately, Harry knew exactly how to deal with her vicious man-eating plant. She and Loreley had gone outside, much to Griffith's delight, to catch some Chizpurfles – crab-like parasites that were attracted to magic – that were known to make themselves at home in some of the greenhouse plants and to feed them to their rather hungry Tentaculas. Harry had to severe several vines that were dangerously close to their throats and stun the plants before they poured the poor insects into the gnashing maw of the plants. Harry and Loreley were thanked by their ungrateful plants with not only Chizpurfle carapaces shot at them, but spikey, spore-like balls being flung at them too. Harry and Loreley dodged them very quickly, as though they were dodging grenades. In some ways they were.
"Well, at least we have gotten our daily exercise," Loreley joked as the two girls took shelter underneath their table.
"Yippee," Harry grumbled sarcastically as she scooted away as another spore bomb landed not too far away from her feet. "Right, that's it!"
Harry had just about enough of her plant's antics, got up from under the table and began scolding it like a mother. "If you want more food, I will go out and get some more but the least you can do is be a bit more thankful! I am not prey; I am the one who gave you prey."
To her shock, the thing actually had the audacity to wilt miserably.
Harry put her hands on her hips. "Don't you dare start pouting! I know humans are tasty to you but I assure you I taste awful."
The two Tentaculas didn't seem convinced but they at least had stopped trying to attack Harry and Loreley for a little bit. With some effort, Harry and Loreley had harvested a good amount of Tentacula leaves, which was more than some of the other students could say, who were battling with their plants almost constantly. Griffith had to jump to the rescue almost constantly, so much so Harry and Loreley now and then helped him in the endeavour with Stunning spells, Severing Charms and more Chizpurfles, for which he was very grateful.
So grateful, he almost forgot that Harry and Altair still had their detention to serve with him after the lesson. Altair, who looked exhausted from the wrestling match with his Tentacula, looked utterly dismayed at the prospect of having to spend more time at the greenhouse while Harry simply hoped very quietly that they wouldn't have to work near those damn homicidal plants. Fortunately, Griffith had put them in a metaphorical time out corner of the greenhouse.
"For your detention today," he said with a grin, "I would like the two of you to give some of the young mandrakes their daily composting and water. Then feed the Chinese Chomping Cabbages please; I have my first years soon and I would rather not have them faint first lesson in! If you have time, water the Fanged Geraniums, check on the Puffapods and the Bouncing Bulbs and Miss Evans, would you be so kind and try to get the Cobra Lilies to cry again? I sent some of the Cobra Lily tears to an apothecary friend of mine and apparently they have some very powerful pain numbing properties – she would like to use them in her new potions."
Harry flushed in embarrassment. "I will try, sir."
Professor Griffith beamed at her. "Good! Hand in your wands; no magic allowed. You need to get up close and personal with the plants. Now, get to it, my dears. I will be in my office if you need me."
"I am once again reminded how much I regret taking this subject," Altair commented as soon as he had heard Griffith's office door close behind him.
"Oh come on! A little dirt is not going to hurt you," Harry teased with a grin. "Unless you are able to use wandless or nonverbal telekinetic spells, I say let's embrace our inner Muggle!"
"Urgh, spare me," Altair grumbled as he followed her begrudgingly to where the dragon dung compost sacks were being kept.
Altair looked at her curiously as they collected the sacks of dragon dung compost, carefully avoiding disturbing the gnashing Chinese Chomping Cabbages, from the back of the greenhouse and carried them over to the tray of mandrake pots, the young sprouts of the mandrakes moving around.
"I've been wondering, how did you get those Cobra Lilies to start crying in the first place, Harry?" he asked curiously.
"I don't know. I just sang to mine; my Cobra Lily had challenged me," Harry admitted with a slightly goofy grin. "I sang it a lullaby and it just started wailing."
"Weird," Altair chuckled as they put their gloves on and opened the bags. Altair's face crunched up in disgust. "EWWWWW! It smells so disgusting."
"It's made out of dragon poop. It's not going to be pleasant," Harry pointed out as she began taking handfuls of compost and began gently padding them down into the soil of the young mandrakes in front of her.
"Why in the name of Morgana's amulet collection do these plants like this stuff?" Altair complained as he begrudgingly set to work. "It stinks worse than owl droppings and cat vomit combined! What does it contain that makes them want to grow better?"
"Dragon dung compost has a nicer nutrient variation than normal soil or compost Muggles use," Harry answered, remembering Neville's ramblings during fourth year. "It tastes better too. It's like a gourmet meal to them."
Altair shook his head in disbelief as he worked. "But how do we know they like it?"
The answer to his question came in the form of the muffled but excited squealing and chattering from inside the pot. The young mandrakes had begun to notice that it was feeding time and by the sound of things, they were really starting to enjoy their meal. The squealing only got louder when Harry and Altair watered them; some of them let out contented sighs and stilled for a moment, enjoying the water on their leaves.
"Awwww, when they're in their pots like that, they are rather cute," Altair cooed, grinning as some of his mandrakes started ruffling their leaves, asking for more water.
"Yes, when they are not crying and knocking people out," Harry agreed with a chuckle.
Altair laughed shortly. "Hear, hear! That lesson in the second year put a lot of people off Herbology for ever, I suspect. The mandrakes had quite the knock out count that lesson: Potter, Orion Black, Druella, Ignatius Prewett, Bletchley, several Ravenclaws I don't know, three Hufflepuffs and Dolohov!"
"Neville fainted the first lesson with the mandrakes," Harry remembered with a grin. "It wasn't due to the mandrakes, though."
Altair snorted. "I thought he loved his plants!"
"He does! It doesn't mean they didn't scare the crap out of him!" Harry laughed.
"Fair enough," Altair grinned.
The Chinese Chomping Cabbages were up next. Fortunately Griffith had prepared at least two sacks full of carrots, which was their favourite food, for their late breakfast. Harry and Altair found that feeding the things was actually rather fun. They took great delight in throwing the carrots and the Chompers, as they were soon nicknamed, took delight in catching them. A few of them tried to steal their friends' carrots by snatching the carrots out of the air before they got to their fellows but Harry and Altair gave them a scolding that – to their surprise – made the Chompers wilt sheepishly. The rest of the feeding went smoothly with no more attempts at stealing each other's food.
Harry then went to deal with the Fanged Geraniums while Altair went to on the Puffapods and the Bouncing Bulbs. Altair was very relieved that the Puffapods were not sentient and simply allowed him to water and compost them without much issue. The Bouncing Bulbs however were not as cooperative, dodging all attempts at watering like cats afraid of water. One or two had even hit Altair in the face when they escaped his clutches but he had cast an Immobilising Charm on them and had dunked them in a bowl of water before putting them back into their boxes, looking very vexed. As for Harry, she was humming while watering the Fanged Geraniums, who purred at the water and the pleasant sound they were hearing.
"There you go. That feels good, doesn't it?" Harry cooed.
A chorus of happy earthy hissing ensued, causing Harry to giggle.
"Why do plants like you?" Altair grumbled sulkily. "The only ones that like me are non-sentient ones."
"Hey, my Tentacula tried to kill me as much as yours did," Harry pointed out. "I only knew how to handle mine since this was not my first time."
"Your Herbology tutor had Tentaculas?" Altair guessed.
"Yes, and Neville used them in battle," Harry informed, causing Altair to gape.
"As weapons? Seriously?!"
"Oh yes. They were extremely effective," Harry informed, smirking at the memory of the plants eagerly wrapping their vines at struggling and panicking Death Eaters. "Neville had given them abundant prey; they were more than happy to help out."
Altair shuddered. "Merlin. If I ever meet Neville, remind me never to make him angry."
Harry chuckled. "I will."
She felt her heart sink a little. Harry desperately wanted her old friends and her new ones to meet and get to know one another, but she knew that was beyond impossible. Unless of course Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna and the others somehow managed to find their way to the 40s too, which was highly unlikely given how Harry had gotten there. Altair saw the sadness etch onto his friend's face and decided to switch the subject.
"The Cobra Lilies are next and then we can enjoy what is left of our free period before we have to go to Potions!"
Harry grinned at Altair's enthusiasm as he dragged her over to the trays of Cobra Lilies, some of which were napping in the morning sun. As the two humans approached, the Cobra Lilies looked up with interest.
A few recognised Harry, chief amongst them Harry's Cobra Lily. *Speaker, you are back! Do you bring nice food and water?*
Altair noticed them dancing in their pots and hissing at Harry, laughing. "I think they must remember you from the last time."
Harry smiled weakly. He had no idea how right he was! "I think so too."
Altair rolled up his sleeves again, ready to dive into the sack of dragon dung compost again. "Well, let's feed them, get them to cry and get out of here."
Harry followed suite. As she and Altair worked, the Cobra Lilies were telling her about the funny professor playing really loud music in the morning and then the noisy students screaming at their Tentacula friends as they were trying to hunt – Harry had wanted to point out that the Lilies' friends were trying to hunt her and her friends but decided against that – and that the Cobra Lilies were all dreading the short walkers coming into their home because they were not gentle or quiet.
Eventually Harry straightened up and smiled down at the snake flowers. "Would you like me to sing for you again, while I give you guys water?"
The Cobra Lilies perked up immediately. *Another song! Another song! A different song!*
Altair chuckled at the exuberant hissing coming from the flowers. "I think that is an emphatic yes! I will go and get some vials just in case."
Harry nodded and turned back to them once Altair was out of ear shot. *I am going to sing to you in the human tongue. My friend does not know I am a Speaker.*
*Of course Speaker! You must protect the sacred language,* they chorused.
Altair came rushing back from Griffith's office with a box of clean, crystal vials, grinning. "Got them. Get singing, Harry!"
Harry scoffed and thought for a moment about what song to sing this time. She had done a lullaby … maybe another Disney song would suffice? She did know one more … or maybe another Luna song?
Harry grinned. Got one! Harry cleared her throat.
# A silver hue on wings of blue,
As all around me,
Shadows dance in light
Sun is high above,
And winds are still enough,
And all I want do is stay,
For seven days,
They make the sky,
Look down upon them,
As they go their way,
Sun is high above,
And winds are still enough,
And all I want do is stay,
For seven nights,
They wait the moment,
For the morning light to come again,
Sun is high above,
And winds are still enough,
And all I want do is stay,
And one by one,
They wander one by one,
Meander never go astray,
Sun is high above,
And winds are still enough,
And all I want do is stay #
Once more, as Harry was set to continue the song, the sniffling and hissing of the Cobra Lilies cut her off. All of them – including the ones who were still asleep – were weeping profusely with a shocked but elated Altair trying to catch as many tears in the two vials he juggled as he could.
"Aithusa's shiny white scales, Harry, it really wasn't some sort of fluke!" Altair stated as he continued to feel the vials. "Why in the name of Merlin's fairy staff are they crying?"
*So beautiful. So much emotion!* several of the snake lilies wailed. *Pure magic; pure emotions!*
Emotion. The penny had dropped in Harry's head. The Cobra Lilies were somehow reacting to her emotions! Neville did once say that plants had the ability to understand humans somehow, reacting to what humans said to them, and even feel around them. Harry was thinking about Luna and her friends – the Cobra Lilies had sensed that.
"Emotion," Harry whispered. "It's because this song was one Luna used to sing."
Altair's eyes widened. "You think we should tell Griffith?"
Harry nodded. "Let's get those tears first and bottle them up, though."
As Harry helped collected the Cobra Lily tears, she simply had to ask the question she was hankering to ask. "So, how is Riddle handling be bested by you by only one point?"
Altair snorted. "He's furious," he informed with a small look of satisfaction. "This is the second time I have beaten him at anything, you know."
"He really does not handle losing well, does he?" Harry shook her head.
"Absolutely not. I am half expecting to get a similar treatment to Orion Black," he admitted, looking a little worried at that.
"Why?" Harry asked, frowning.
"It wouldn't be the first time you know. Riddle can't handle not knowing something or being the best. This may come as a surprise to hear, but Christina Bletchley used to be actually quite good at Potions during our first year and our second year," Altair explained, leaning against the table with Cobra Lilies on it, arms folded.
"Was she?!" Harry couldn't contain her surprise.
"Yes. Bletchley's parents are known potioneers and apothecaries. Bletchley knew some tricks of the trade the rest of us didn't," Altair sighed. "I can still remember Tom's frustration that Bletchley kept beating him by narrow margins. Tom spent ages in the Potions lab practising, but the others … Dolohov, Avery and Mulciber took matters into their own hands."
Harry's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean by that?" she dared to ask.
Altair swallowed. "They started sabotaging Christina's potions. When her back was turned they would throw stuff in, fling jinxes and hexes under their breath at her potions – the more her potions malfunctioned and the more cauldrons exploded, the more Bletchley started getting scared of setting a foot near the cauldrons. No one noticed of course, least of all Slughorn. All he noticed was the drastic change in Bletchley's skill and grades. He didn't even suspect his own Slytherins were deliberately trying to make Bletchley fail on purpose because of fear."
Harry felt herself pale. "How in Avalon do you know this? Why didn't you say anything?!"
"I know because I watched them do it several times," Altair admitted. "And I didn't say anything because I was a young, stupid kid who wanted to keep what little friends he had, or thought he had."
Harry sighed. She could understand peer pressure very well, but still – to know that Christina exploded cauldrons because of Riddle's Knights was quite sickening to hear. All because Bletchley was beating Riddle in Potions marks.
"Why did they never try anything with me?" Harry wanted to know. "I beat Riddle in History, and I managed to keep up with him in Defence."
Altair smiled weakly. "I asked myself that same question multiple times. I have many running theories, but my primary one is that he wanted you to like him. He wanted to befriend you and use your valuable knowledge for himself. Plus Avery liked you, Mulciber thought you entertaining enough not to mess with you and Dolohov – well, he isn't that bright as we all know!"
Harry scoffed. "Riddle has a funny way of showing that he wants to be friends with someone!"
Altair laughed shortly. "He does, doesn't he?"
The two of them went to hand in their glass vials to a very ecstatic Griffith, who was positively jumping up and down excitement to know Cobra Lilies cried because they reacted to emotions in the song, and went back to the castle chatting about anything and nothing, from the up and coming Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff game to the possibility of Riddle ever casting a Patronus before the Yule break. Harry and Altair had a bet: 300 Galleons Riddle wouldn't be able to (Harry) and 500 Galleons that said he would (Altair).
Harry and Altair joined Orion, Artemis, Loreley, Minerva, Druella and Walburga in the library. The group was rather surprised to see that Altair had joined them so nonchalantly but since Harry was blasé and looked very content, they didn't say anything and got back to work, now and again complaining that Harry and Altair still smelled like the greenhouse and not in a good way. Harry had decided since she had caught up with most of her homework she would instead sketch her friends. Orion and Altair testing each other in Potions and Ancient Runes, using flash cards. Minerva and Walburga focusing on their Transfiguration homework. Artemis reading about Nifflers, but Harry deciding to add a little Niffler next to her, reading along. She was just starting on her sketch of Druella's magical dance from Charms when it was time to leave for Potions.
Harry had tried to ignore the shocked and affronted looks of Riddle's Knights, and Rosier, when they saw Altair approach with Harry's group of misfits. Altair, to his credit, ignored Riddle and the others and simply asked Rosier how his free period had been. Harry and the others joined the Gryffindors, who were talking animatedly about Samhain, which was fast approaching.
Potions had passed quietly. The lesson had this time been on Veritaserum, instead of the antidote, and Harry could almost start giggling manically when Slughorn jovially asked Riddle if he had brought another Classic to class, making the wannabe Dark Lord flush red, before asking Christina Bletchley to read the chapter. When it was time to gather the ingredients, Harry made sure to be the one to go up to collect the ingredients for her and Artemis, and accidentally-on purpose brush past Christina, her eyes flashing silver as she mentally incanted a confidence spell and sending a soft jolt of magic into her fellow Slytherin.
For the first time in a long while, there had been no exploding cauldrons, no melting cauldrons and Bletchley and her partner had made a serviceable potion. Professor Slughorn looked about ready to burst into tears of pure relief that not another of his cauldrons bit the dust that lesson. But that was not the best of it. The look of horror on Dolohov and Mulciber's faces were Pensieve worthy and the suspicious look in Avery's eyes made Harry want to do her best Maleficent impression.
If it was a battle of wills the Knights wanted, they would get one.
Harry was even more surprised and delighted when at dinner, Altair had unreservedly joined her, Orion and Loreley at the Gryffindor table, though blushed with embarrassment when the Gryffindors gaped at him in absolute shock. Artemis had dropped her fork because she was so gorgonised she had lost her grip on it.
The Weasley twins couldn't resist looking at the Slytherin table and chuckling at the aghast expressions running through the entire House from the seventh to fifth years. The younger ones looked set to start laughing at the older ones. Druella's group were attempting to hide their amusement but were failing miserably. Rosier's expression was the best, though – a look of realisation and absolute resignation had taken the place of his disbelief. The message was not lost on anyone: Altair Nott had officially defected from Riddle's side.
"You guys love shaking the boat don't you?" Billy had guessed, looking at the older Slytherins in pure awe.
"Absolutely," Loreley had answered for them. "They are very good at it."
"Not that we mean to," Harry grumbled.
"Could have fooled us!" the Weasley twins chorused, causing raucous laughter to run through Gryffindor and some of the nearby Hufflepuffs.
Harry sighed and exchanging an amused look with Altair, settled down for dinner, hoping to any deity who would listen that they would be able to enjoy a quiet evening without too much trouble.
The arrival of a Gringotts owl distracted her momentarily from any worry.
Dear Lady Peverell,
We will see you, Heir Black and Heiress Malfoy at 10.30 in the morning tomorrow. Mr. Rowle will meet you at the entrance of Gringotts. Your Headmaster will summon you when it is time to open the Floo Network. Enjoy the rest of your evening!
Griphook.
Harry looked to Orion and Loreley, giving them a thumbs up. Orion and Loreley lit up in an instant, both looking quite excited at the prospect of going to Gringotts for something other than tedious financial matters.
This meeting was going to be anything but tedious!
#################
The music from Grindelwald's study was blaring to the point everyone suspected a Sonorous Charm had been put on the radio, and could almost be heard in every room in the castle, causing many of his disgruntled followers to cast Muffling and Silencing Charms on their rooms to block out The Mills Brothers' You Always Hurt the One You Love and Paper Doll as well as Take The "A" Train by Duke Ellington. Some of them had been near to shouting at the Dark Lord when Bing Crosby songs were being played almost on repeat. Queenie, Credence, Vida and several others desperately wished they could hide in their chambers until their leader calmed down but since he wanted to brief them on their new missions, that would have to wait.
As Queenie and Credence had rightly suspected, the moment Gellert had been informed that the Cursebreaker had freed Ambrose and Bradley from their portrait prison, it was like they had informed the Dark Lord that his child had won some sort of international prize. The Dark Lord had been positively skipping for the rest of the day. Gellert had been plying everyone who even set foot on his castle grounds, including captured Resistance members, with Firewhiskey and had even danced with a shocked Vida and half-amused Queenie in triumph. There was a shared sentiment amongst the prisoners and their captors that Grindelwald had possibly lost it for real.
"I knew it, I knew they had talent!" Gellert sang. "How they managed it! I need to know. I should get into contact with-"
"Sir, that would be a mistake," Vida had cut across seriously. "Gringotts and Hogwarts are on high alert; it would put our asset at risk. We should simply wait for them to get into contact with us."
Gellert had pouted. "Fine. You make a good point, Vida. So, what should we send the girl next?" he lit up, already running in his head some good ideas. An old Egyptian cursed artefact could be fun, but he betted that the Cursebreaker would break no sweat with that. Maybe he could ask his spies in the Greek Magical Ministry to collect something from the bowls of the Department of Ancient and Dark Artefacts. Or maybe he could pull a few favours with his friends in the East?
Unfortunately, Queenie heard every thought that had run through his head and shook her head in disappoint at him.
"Sir, maybe we should give the poor doll a rest," Queenie advised with a small sigh. "She's been through some excitement, no doubt. It … won't be much fun if she is tired and can't work at her best."
Grindelwald was rather sulky that Queenie could read his mind so well and also managed to make such perfect sense because of it. It took all of his fun away; it really wasn't fair! "Very well. But I want all of you to find a way to ensure I get to meet this girl face to face. She is too interesting not to meet in person!"
Merlin, help us, Credence thought immediately. Queenie sighed deeply in agreement.
"We will look into it, sir," Vida promised reluctantly, anything to get her leader to try and focus again on the task at hand. "At present, we need to focus on our next mission. You say it is of utmost importance?"
"Indeed!" Grindelwald moved onto his next little scheme as easily as a seven-year-old moving onto another conversation. "We all know Albus and his little friends in the Resistance have been hiding some of their most important assets. One of them, as you will all remember, is Nicholas Flamel."
"I still owe that man a curse or two," Vida growled.
"Well, as well as his extensive alchemical skills, my sources tell me that Flamel may be able to help me with my little Hallow enquiry," Grindelwald told them smoothly. "Flamel is over six hundred years old and in that time, he had made acquaintances of a lot of fellow mages specialising in life and death magic. Including the Peverells."
Credence sighed. The bloody Peverells again! If it wasn't Dumbledore one minute, a pesky Resistance member the next or the bloody Cursebreaker, it always went back to the stupid Peverells. "Sir, we have been searching Europe high and low. The Peverells have been hunted for centuries; they will be next to impossible to find. You said so yourself!"
"Indeed," Gellert agreed silkily. "But I am willing to bet that Flamel knows where they might be."
"He will not divulge that kind of information willingly," Vida stated, setting her jaw.
Grindelwald started chuckling as he shot a knowing look at Queenie, who was grinning. "It is a very good thing then that we have a natural Legilimens on our side."
Queenie chuckled. Yes, Gellert was in a far better mood than he had been in such a long time. Perhaps she should send a little thank you to this mystery Cursebreaker for cheering her friend and leader up?
Does she like jewellery? Queenie found herself wondering.
###############
Oh dear, I think Gellert has been consuming too many sweets! But it seems he is going after Flamel next … As for Altair Nott officially defecting away from Riddle's group publicly, I wonder what repercussions will follow. Harry already isn't happy with the Knights; things could go either way! And the meeting – we know there is a spy in Gringotts' midst. Will they be there?
As always I hope you have enjoyed the latest instalment of my story using JK's world and characters. Also. the song Harry sang is Pale Grass Blue by Enya, which is of course the singer's own property. The songs that Gellert listens to are some of the most popular and best hits from the 1940s.
See you next time!
Kingmaker'sUmbreon