Chapter 11: 11 - Semester End
Harry was not shy about using his newly acquired pass to the Restricted Section. As he slid into the dark, dusty aisles, he couldn't help but feel a surge of triumph. The knowledge hidden within these shelves called out to him like a siren song. He whispered a word of thanks to Professor Hamilton.
The very first thing he looked for was information on time turners. There was remarkably little. It was unsurprising, really. If rumors were to be believed, then time turners had only been invented in the last century and were only in use by the Department of Mysteries. There likely would not be many that could be used for study.
Harry found a spot in a secluded corner and began his research. With a casual flick of his wrist, he cast a spell without uttering a word. The pages of the thick, leather-bound tome he had selected began to turn themselves, fluttering like the wings of a curious bird. He always found that the more he focused on mastering his wandless magic, the easier and less rigid his spellcasting became. He spun his wand with his other hand, the polished wood twirling effortlessly between his fingers.
His mind drifted to Remus' musings—the Rothschild doodle could be turned into a fourth-dimensional rune. It was an idea that had plagued him since it was first suggested. It was just so hard to comprehend the how. Human minds could perceive the fourth dimension in the passing of time, but we could not see it. We could describe it mathematically, but it was incredibly difficult to visualize. How, then, could one draw a rune that included fourth-dimensional space?
The pages kept turning before him and he scanned each one meticulously. Harry continued his research into warding and found an interesting tome on the construction of elaborate warding schemes. His fingers danced across a particularly dusty volume, pulling it from the shelf and sending a small cloud into the air. He waved a hand, dispersing the motes, and began to read.
For the most elaborate warding jobs, ones that did not simply protect a ward line, but an entire volume of space, there were requirements for runes to be placed in third-dimensional configurations. Sometimes these runes were, by necessity, placed inside the volume of the wardstone. It was impossible to crack a wardstone and still leave it functional, so there were only two options for scribing wardstones in this way. The first was during the construction of the wardstone, if applicable, and the second was through the use of a rather ingenious transfiguration spell. It was able to scribe a rune remotely, without damaging the wardstone, using precise mathematical instructions.
Harry's curiosity was piqued. His wand twirled faster through his fingers as he delved deeper into the text. He found diagrams and descriptions that illustrated the process. His mind raced with possibilities. If he could apply a similar methodology, perhaps he could inscribe a fourth-dimensional rune without needing to see the fourth dimension.
Harry's smile grew to Grinch-like levels. He could feel the pieces of the puzzle clicking into place. This wasn't just a breakthrough; it was a Eureka moment.
He stopped the wand's twirling with a deft catch, bringing it to a sudden and elegant halt. With a quick incantation, he summoned more books, letting them hover in the air around him as he examined their spines for additional promising titles.
Minerva McGonagall entered the Headmaster's office, where Dumbledore awaited her arrival. The familiar scent of old parchment and lemon drops filled the air, blending with the soft glow of numerous magical artifacts around the room.
"Good afternoon, Albus," she greeted, taking her usual seat.
"Good afternoon, Minerva," Dumbledore replied warmly, his eyes twinkling behind his glasses. "I trust our meeting will be as enlightening as always."
Minerva nodded, her demeanor businesslike. "As always. I wish to discuss the progress of our seventh-year students, as well as the recent contest winners."
"By all means, proceed," Dumbledore said, leaning back in his chair and giving her his full attention.
"First, we have the students who are struggling," she began. "Damian Urch continues to underperform despite the additional help provided. He will barely meet the requirements for his NEWT certificate."
Dumbledore sighed. "A heavy burden for the boy, indeed. Let us hope he finds his path in due time."
"And then there is Macmillian," Minerva continued. "He had excelled in his OWL studies but has seen a noticeable drop in performance this year. Some of it seems related to a falling out with his previous friend group."
Dumbledore frowned slightly. "Social discord can be as detrimental as academic struggle. Do you have a plan to assist him?"
"I intend to meet with him soon to uncover the full extent of his difficulties and provide the necessary guidance," Minerva assured.
"Very good, Minerva. Each student's well-being is paramount," Dumbledore said. "And what of our exceptional students?"
"There are the expected high achievers," Minerva replied, checking her notes. "Granger, Patil, Zabini, and Malfoy all continue to excel."
"No surprises there," Dumbledore acknowledged with a small smile.
"But there is one name that has particularly stood out," Minerva added, her tone indicating interest. "Harry Potter."
"Harry?" Dumbledore's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "A delightful surprise, indeed. What have you observed?"
"Both Professors Meadowcroft and Hamilton have expressed high opinions of the boy," Minerva informed him.
"Professor Hamilton?" Dumbledore's interest deepened. "How did she come to interact with Harry?"
"Harry was a winner in the most recent warding challenge," Minerva explained. "It seems his understanding and application of wards have impressed her greatly."
"Impressive," Dumbledore mused, stroking his beard thoughtfully.
"Also, Septima Vector believes that he may be her best student."
Dumbledore's interest deepened. "That is exceptional praise. It is heartening to hear that Harry is excelling and gaining such recognition from his professors. How is Harry getting along with his fellow students?"
"There is some conflict between him and Neville's group," Minerva said, her brow furrowing slightly. "However, Harry gets on very well with most of the neutrals and is friendly with Lavender Brown's group."
Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully. "Is there anything else of note?"
"There was a conflict early in the year that left Harry in the hospital wing," Minerva reported. "He refused to speak of the incident, and as a result, the perpetrators went unpunished."
Dumbledore's expression grew serious. "A troubling situation. Has there been any further violence that we should address?"
"Mr. Finnegan," Minerva agreed. "He was briefly hospitalized after an incident. Poppy tells me the boy had been intoxicated and from what she gathered he was injured in a fight over a girl."
"Thank you, Minerva," Dumbledore said, his tone earnest. "Did we find the source of the liquor?"
"We believe it was snuck back from Hogsmede but we are unsure by whom. We did, however, find the boy's stash and it has been confiscated."
"I will speak with young Neville. Perhaps I can mediate this issue between him and Potter. It troubles me to see conflict between the two possible targets of the Prophecy."
Minerva nodded and laid out her own follow up items before the two heads of the school parted.
Harry did his best thinking while wandering, and over the last week had been doing quite a bit of that. Some of that time was spent with Luna, looking for new secrets that Hogwarts had to offer. The two had recently been searching for a way to get to the Skyway, a set of floating bridges between the three central towers. It was normally only open to staff and University Students through their towers, but the duo were determined to get there.
Harry had another goal during his wandering sessions. His mind ran on overdrive regarding the remote scribing charm and the formulae it would need in order to map a fourth dimensional rune on an object. He had spent several days in the library working on a formula he believed would work, and tonight he was trying to think through any problems that may arise.
It was usual for his wanderings to find him in the various towers and halls of Hogwarts, but today he was exploring the Restricted Section of the Library. While his pass only allowed him to check out books related to Runes, Arithmancy, and Wards, it allowed him freedom to wander the entire section of the Library. Given the Restricted Section spanned seven floors of height there was a lot to explore.
He was moseying through the DADA section when a small alcove caught his eye. The bust which occupied it seemed out of place. There were very few adornments in the libraries of Hogwarts that were not related in some way to storing of the books. A few diagnostic spells confirmed what Harry had already suspected. There was something more to the statue.
It was the work of only a few minutes to find that by tweaking the nose of the statue a doorway would open into the tower beyond. If the geometry of the castle were followed, Harry knew he would be stepping into the Staff Tower. It was a tower that was normally inaccessible to students, the wards at the tower's entrances prevented access from those not keyed in and Harry had never considered attempting to break them. Free access through this portal, though, was something he could not pass up.
The tower did not seem meaningfully different from the others in the castle and Harry advanced to a window to confirm that he was indeed in the Staff tower. He was on the sixth floor, to be precise, which meant that he had jumped a floor from his location in the library; He would never tire of the breaking of the laws of geometry that magic enabled. His musing about his formula forgotten, Harry made to advance to the tenth floor, where the Skyway was located. He grew excited to be able to tell Luna he had made it.
He encountered no one on his way up the tower and upon reaching the tenth floor it was the work of only moments to find the entrance to the Skyway. A couple diagnostic charms told him that there were no wards to prevent his exit and he stepped out onto the path that floated some hundred feet above the ground, thirty feet above most of the castle.
A recently waxing gibbous lit the castle and surrounding grounds vividly as Harry peered around, awed by both his success in managing to get to this point and the view which he had. Thoughts of Arithmancy were far from his head as he took in the vision before him. As he scanned the skyline, he found himself taken with Hogwart's roof. As he glanced over the structure it appeared as if the geometry seemed off. There were rises where there should be none, there were shadows cast where nothing was there to cast them. Harry vowed to explore.
So enraptured was he with his find that he did not notice the approach of another from behind him.
"You seem to have discovered the joys of this place early, Mr. Potter."
Harry quickly spun to find himself face to face with Headmaster Dumbledore. The man's raspy, but confident, voice offering a mere observation.
"I suppose I have, sir," Harry answered with only a modicum of worry. After all, this man had not expelled the Marauders after all the trouble they had caused, what would he possibly do to a student merely out of bounds?
Dumbledore offered a murmur of agreement and then simply moved to stand next to Harry and looked out upon the castle himself. Harry, unwilling to begin whatever conversation the two were about to have, simply joined the older wizard in his inspections.
"I must say Mr. Potter, that you are a remarkably interesting young man," Dumbledore finally offered after several minutes of silence.
"How do you mean, sir?"
"I mean that despite your handicap of five years' time, relative to your peers, you have made phenomenal progress here at Hogwarts. I understand you recently placed in the warding challenge?"
"Yes sir." Harry answered with pride. "I took third behind Miss Granger and Miss Patil."
"I also understand that you have been excelling in your arithmancy studies, especially."
"I have always liked Maths, sir."
"Indeed," Dumbledore spoke thoughtfully and Harry thought he detected the smallest amount of sadness. "It was a trial for our world when your parents passed, Mr. Potter, and another when you disappeared years later. For what it is worth, I am personally sorry that we were unable to return you to the Wizarding World before you were brought back into it."
"Thank you, Sir." Harry spoke in acknowledgement of the apology.
"It lifts a little bit of the burden from me to know that you have found those who should have been your family all along." The words may have indicated Harry being brought back to the world of magic, but the thoughtfulness behind them made it clear to Harry that Dumbledore knew about Remus and Sirius.
"Yes, sir." He spoke forcefully, this time to the Supreme Mugwump of the Wizengamot. "We are very happy, and I look forward to the time that everything can come into the open."
Dumbledore looked thoughtful again and then nodded. "I hope one day soon, Mr. Potter, to see you take your seat in the Wizengamot. I think youth could bring a freshness to a group that has largely gone stale."
"I will consider it, sir."
"Hmmm." The elderly wizard allowed silence to reign for a minute before turning and walking towards the Headmaster's tower. After taking a few steps away he stopped and turned back.
"I do so hope that you will not lose your spirit of exploration, Mr. Potter," he remarked. "It will help to keep joy in your life." Harry merely nodded his head at the elder wizard and turned back to the view. Dumbledore soon stepped into his tower and out of view.
Harry spent, in his opinion, far too much time over the next couple of weeks continuing to work on Rothschild's rune when he should have been studying for the upcoming end-of-semester exams. The scribing spell had worked as well as Harry had hoped it would, and it seemed that magic was able to accomplish that which the human mind was ill-equipped to handle. Harry had taken to testing the longevity of his experiments and was ready to start using better wardstones, as the current experiments were limited more by the wardstone quality than any other consideration.
Surrounded by stacks of books and rolled-up scrolls, he was deeply engrossed in his work. His piercing green eyes scanned the mathematical equations laid out before him, his mind whirring with possibilities and calculations.
"Making any progress or just wasting time?" Hermione's voice cut through the silence, sharp and direct.
Harry's head snapped up, green eyes meeting Hermione's gaze. She stood with Padma Patil by her side. The latter looked more composed. "Some progress. Not as much as I'd like," Harry replied, irritation flickering in his eyes. "What can I help you ladies with?"
"Were you aware that we are the other members of Blaise's team for the challenges?" Padma asked, her tone neutral, trying to steer the conversation.
"I was. The three of you have done quite well considering you usually compete with a numerical disadvantage," Harry replied, his voice calmer as he addressed Padma.
"That's because quality outweighs quantity, Harry," Hermione retorted with a smirk.
Harry's lips curled into a sardonic smile. "And sometimes quantity has a quality all its own," he quipped, not missing a beat.
Hermione crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing. "What exactly is your goal at Hogwarts, Harry? Other than to show off?"
Harry's initial surprise at her abrupt question quickly gave way to guardedness. "I think you have the wrong of me, Hermione. My goal is the same as yours I assume. To become more capable. That's what this is," he gestured to the work spread out on the table."
"Is that so?" Hermione raised an eyebrow, her skepticism palpable. "Or is it just an excuse to keep to yourself?"
Harry's patience was wearing thin. "Now, was there something I can help you with, or were you here just to chirp?"
Padma, sensing the rising tension, laughed lightly, breaking the ice. "He sounds like you when Blaise and I approached you, Hermione."
Hermione's stern expression softened slightly, a touch of sheepishness crossing her face. Padma took this moment to steer the conversation back to their purpose. "Harry—Hermione, Blaise, and I, our group is dedicated to truly bettering ourselves here at Hogwarts. We've noticed you've made significant progress in just a few months. We'd like to invite you to join us."
Harry remained silent, his expression unreadable, weighing the offer. The invitation was unexpected, and he was not one to jump into commitments without thorough consideration.
Padma, sensing his hesitation, added, "Remember how well we worked together in Transfiguration, Harry? We managed to pull off that complex transformation spell when everyone else struggled. I think you'd fit right in with our group. We complete assignments and push beyond the obvious. You'd also be a valuable addition to our team for school competitions."
Harry's thoughts drifted back to their joint efforts in Transfiguration. Padma had a knack for calming situations and bringing out the best in her team members. Perhaps this group could provide the camaraderie he often found lacking since leaving Sirius and Remus behind.
Padma smiled, glad to see the tension easing. "There's no need to decide immediately, Harry. Why don't you join us for a study session this week or next and see for yourself?"
Harry considered for a moment, weighing the pros and cons. He was used to working alone, but the idea of being part of a group that shared his drive for excellence was appealing. "That sounds fine, Padma. What days do you usually meet?"
"We work together every day," Hermione interjected, her tone more amicable now. "We're almost always in the common room after classes or in one of the empty classrooms if we need more space."
Harry nodded. "Alright. I'll join you tomorrow. Where should I meet you?"
Padma's eyes lit up. "Let's meet in the castle's east wing, third floor. It's usually quiet, and we can have a larger table for all our work."
"Fine by me," Harry agreed. "I'll be there."
As Hermione and Padma turned to leave, Hermione tossed one final barb over her shoulder. "Just try not to get lost in your own brilliance, Potter."
Harry chuckled, shaking his head as he watched them walk away. "No promises, Granger."
With the library returning to its customary quiet, Harry's thoughts hummed with anticipation and worry. The idea of working alongside like-minded individuals, even if it meant dealing with Hermione's sharp tongue, was a prospect he found surprisingly appealing.
Bill Weasley leaned back and stretched in his chair. It had been a long year here in Egypt but it had paid off handsomely with the most recent breakthrough into a royal tomb from the Old Kingdom period. The warding schemes of that time had started to become much more difficult to break through and it had taken the better part of the last year to succeed. The fact that none of the team had been seriously injured had been icing on the cake. Now, Bill was looking forward to returning to dreary old England, escaping the heat, eating some home-cooked meals, and spending time with his family.
Waving goodbye to the few colleagues still at the office in Cairo, Bill made his way to the portkey station and quickly found himself back in Diagon Alley. He spent an hour picking up Christmas gifts and allowing the portkey vertigo to disappear before apparating home. Approaching his family wardline he instinctively cast the diagnostic charms he always started with when approaching a new tomb and was surprised to see the addition of a couple wards outside of the main wardline. His diagnostics told him they were not harmful, and he felt no trepidation in crossing them and into his family's property.
He was greeted by his very enthusiastic mother and shuffled into the Burrow where his father met him with a firm handshake and relieved him of his packages. Pleasantries were exchanged and food was hoisted upon him as his parents related the current state of his siblings. Charlie would not be joining them this year as he had volunteered to continue monitoring the dragon preserve while others took Yule vacation.
Percy would be starting his vacation in a couple days' time. The twins usually came by a couple times a week for a fresh meal and laundry. Their shop was still in rapid growth mode and both were shaping up to be successful businessmen.
Ron and Ginny were still a week from coming home but both were doing great at Hogwarts, still joined up with the Boy-Who-Lived and taking home the occasional challenge. Ron was still progressing well towards his goal of being an auror, and Ginny may have a real chance at the Quidditch leagues.
Bill raised his brow at the last one. Charlie and the twins had both been prospected by the leagues, but ultimately each had decided their passions ran elsewhere. It may still be possible for a Weasley to make a career out of broom flying after all. His thoughts briefly ran to his own choices that led him into his passion for cursebreaking when he remembered the wards he had passed outside.
"Dad, when did you get a couple new wards added to the house?" Arthur's confusion started the ringing of alarm bells in Bill's head. "You didn't do them, did you?" he asked in response.
"No Bill, you know I'd have had you take care of any improvements necessary. I haven't had anything done to the wards since you last looked at them a few years back. What could you tell of them?"
"I did not take more than a cursory glance at them, dad, but they seemed to be tracking wards of some sort. We can go look at them together, if you'd like?"
A couple hours later and Bill still had not been able to divine the precise purpose of the wards other than that they were trigger based wards that sent some sort of alert. He could not tell exactly what the trigger condition was as that would require finding the wardstone. For wards such as these, that could be something very small and it was unlikely that it would be discovered quickly. He could, however, trigger the ward. That was a relatively simple application of his experience with cursebreaking.
"Look Dad," Bill started. "I could tear these wards down, no problem, but it seems mighty strange to me that there would be wards here when there weren't last year." He paused. "I say we trigger them and see who comes – that would at least tell us what we are dealing with."
His father started to object, but Bill held up his hand. "We can easily be behind the Burrow wards when we trigger this one dad. No one short of You-Know-Who would be able to get at us easily." Arthur voiced a couple negative scenarios before Bill spoke again. "Dad, as your heir and future patriarch of the House of Weasley I think it is in the best interest of us all that we find out who is trying to keep tabs on our family. If it makes you feel better, we can call the twins in, but we should do this soon, before Ron and Ginny come home."
Agreement came soon after the offer of waiting for reinforcements.
The study sessions with Hermione, Padma, and Blaise kept Harry on his toes. While they seamlessly meshed their conversations, Harry couldn't help but feel like an interloper. Though he appreciated the new group dynamic, the awkwardness was palpable.
Harry had mainly studied with Remus over the last two years and their age gap gave those sessions a different flavor. Here, with peers, it was different—and distinctly awkward. He felt like he had to put on airs, constantly second-guessing himself.
Padma and Blaise, to their credit, ensured the conversations flowed. Harry observed their rhythms, noticing how each liked to one-up the others, pushing magical boundaries in both group and private sessions. Today, they tackled potions a subject that Harry was not taking and had not seriously studied. He watched closely, noticing how a potion's success relied on the base properties of its ingredients and their interactions.
Intrigued, he asked how one measured those interactions. Padma launched into an enthusiastic explanation, detailing arithmantic formulae and the mapping of common ingredients. She was the best potions student of the group and shared some of her research but held back key details, likely working on her own concoction.
Blaise, the practical spellcasting ace, aspired to the dueling circuit. His physical regimen caught Harry's interest, leading to a brief exchange about workouts. Harry offered the other to join him in the morning. While Padma and Hermione appreciated the physical results, they had no interest in joining. Hermione, in particular, seemed distracted.
Harry caught Hermione staring at him, her brow furrowed in thought. "What's the problem, Hermione?" he finally asked, breaking the silence.
Caught off guard, Hermione blinked and shook her head. "Nothing, just thinking."
Her intense gaze returned when she finally spoke up. "What were you doing in the library the other day? I saw your notes."
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Arithmancy. Why?"
"Don't play dumb, Harry. Those equations weren't in any of Hogwarts' books. What were you really working on?"
Harry's expression hardened. "A ward pattern. Simple as that."
"Cut the crap, Harry. I saw muggle maths in your notes," she shot back, her voice rising.
"I told you, warding pattern. Now if you're gonna keep vexing me, I'll get lost. Got better things to do than be grilled."
He started shoving his things into his bag, Padma quickly grabbing Hermione's arm, pulling her away. Blaise stepped in, his voice calm. "Don't go, Harry. She's just feeling threatened."
Harry scoffed. "She's not safe."
"She's not dangerous," Blaise insisted.
"That ain't, isn't, what I meant, Blaise." Harry's temper flared.
"Look," Blaise said, "Hermione's dominated our class for years in theory. Seeing you working on something she can't grasp has her rattled."
"Don't care what she feels. She's narking me off. She can take me as I am or piss off."
Hermione suddenly exploded at Padma across the room, her face flush with anger. ""No! But I at least expect honesty from a study partner!"
"Honesty? You think I'm telling a load of cobblers?" Harry's tone grew sharper as he addressed the girl across the room and Padma stepped back, having lost control of the situation.
Hermione's voice rose. "You can have secrets, Harry, we all do, but how can we trust anything about you when no one even knows who you are? You come here from nowhere, the only student Hogwarts has ever accepted mid-form that wasn't a transfer, only having re-joined the wizarding world a year ago?"
Harry's eyes flashed with anger. "Mind your own business, Hermione. You don't know half of what I've been through, and you sure as hell don't get to judge me for how I cope."
Blaise and Padma exchanged worried glances. Padma stepped forward, trying again to defuse the situation. "Maybe we should all just take a breather. We can come back to this later."
"No, Padma," Harry said bitterly. "If she wants me to spill something, fine. I'm working on ward patterns using arithmancy and muggle maths because it's the only way to advance the magic. Instead of acting like a know-it-all and judging everyone around you maybe you should try it."
Blaise stepped between them, hands raised. "Enough! Both of you. This isn't helping anyone. Hermione, give him some space. Harry, please reconsider joining us. We will speak with Hermione and this won't happen again. Take a couple days."
Harry's shoulders relaxed, the fight draining out of him. "Fine. But if this happens again, I'm done."
Padma gave him an encouraging look. "Thank you, Harry. We'll make it work, I promise."
As Harry left the room, he felt a tumult of emotions—frustration, anger, and a hint of regret. Part of him feared he'd never truly fit in anywhere, that he was still just the incurably criminal boy of his past. Another part of him, the part tempered by years of struggle and resilience, refused to give up. For now, he'd give this group another chance.
The last few days of the term were filled with exams and left Harry very little time to explore. Hermione had apologized for her attitude and Blaise had joined Harry for a morning workout. The two, in their first real talk between them since the day they had met, got to chatting about the differences in living as a muggle and living as a wizard. Harry did his best to explain muggle technology to Blaise, and the pureblooded boy looked intrigued, mentioning that he would have to visit Hermione's house someday to experience it.
Harry, for his part, was extremely surprised that Blaise had not had this conversation with Hermione already until Blaise explained that Hermione had been a bit of an outcast at Hogwarts during her first few years and attributed that, wrongly in Blaise's opinion, to the fact that she had a muggle upbringing. She had done her best in the subsequent years to blend in with wizarding culture. Hermione was not one to talk about her home life at Hogwarts because of this.
All in all, Harry enjoyed the last week of the term. He was confident that he had passed all of his tests, especially in those subjects he adored. He had rejoined the study group after Hermione's apology, and despite her still somewhat abrasive personality, he quite enjoyed the time spent with the other three.
Today, however, was the last day of the term and Harry felt the need to scratch the exploration itch once more. Packing his things early, instead of his morning workout, he began the long jaunt down to Hogsmede on his own armed with a few new spells. Approaching the bluff overlooking the Black Lake, he conjured a rope and pitons before using magic to secure the rope to the top of the bluff. Wrapping the rope around himself, he cast another spell upon his hands, which suddenly became textured as a gecko's were.
Leveraging both the support provided by his makeshift belaying setup and the expanded grip his spell had brought him, Harry began his descent. While descending, he took the time to set anchors for himself. The time that took was left un-wasted when his grip failed him on a couple occasions and Harry was rescued only by the steps he had taken.
His unfamiliarity with the bluff and any potential paths down caused it to take Harry over an hour to reach the bottom, where he canceled the spell on his hands and rested upon a rock at the foot of the Black Lake. The bluff above him extended two hundred feet into the air and was lit up by the rising sun. Harry marveled at his accomplishment and gave a yell of delight as he turned and faced the reservoir.
The sunlight played off the ripples of the lake before him and the waters looked much brighter than their namesake would suggest. Almost a kilometer's distance lay between him and the Hogsmede shore. Luckily, he had learned to swim in physical education classes at St. Brutus'. The Bartons had never bothered, of course.
Waiving his wand, Harry transfigured his pants into swimwear and, after enlarging his trunk, stripped out of the rest of his clothes and placed them inside. Shrinking his luggage and placing some protective charms upon it the seventh year stepped, somewhat timidly, into the freezing waters of the Black Lake.
Harry had a brief thought that, in retrospect, it may have been better for this particular bit of exploration to occur in the spring, rather than in the beginning of winter. However, he had come too far to turn back and simply cast a couple warming charms upon himself before diving in. A final spell bathed his mouth and nose with a film of magic that could convert breathable air from the water.
Diving along the shoreline, he noticed several pipes that extended from the Hogwarts shore into the lake. These, most likely being sewer lines, he stayed far from and swam inward into the lake depths. Using his wand to provide light, and the occasional spell, Harry fought off grindylows and saw a few of the colony of Selkies. The latter stayed far from him, a fact for which Harry was somewhat grateful. He did not know how he would have communicated with the creatures.
Almost two hours in the lake left Harry feeling extremely worn and weary, but he exited on the Hogsmede side shoreline feeling mentally invigorated. He knew for a fact that the Marauders had never dove into the depths of the lake, but had only entered once to try to find a merwoman for Sirius. It was one more thing he could tell his honorary family about when he saw them again tonight.
That, in fact, had been the real reason he had left early this morning. He was excited. He was excited to go home, to people who loved him. Harry was unsure if he could say the same yet, but knew that he felt a measure of gratitude and affection for Sirius and Remus that he had never felt with another. Here at Hogwarts, he was building a strong friendship with Luna, and Harry wondered if one day that may turn into more, but he simply had not allowed himself close to others.
It was a product of his upbringing. The Bartons had never allowed him friends, so he had stopped trying. St. Brutus' had not done much to change him in that regard. Harry supposed he would always be a bit of a loner. However, holidays were looming, and for only the second time in his life Harry had people to celebrate with. He would not have missed that for the world.
Dressing again, and despite his fatigue, Harry nearly skipped towards the Hogsmede station.
GONNNNNNNG
The sound of the triggered ward reverberated through Potter Manor as only low frequencies could. Remus and Sirius, in response, shot up from the dinner table, supper forgotten. A savage sneer tore across Sirius' face and he met Remus' eyes, which glowed with just a hint of yellow.
Raising their wands, twin cracks rang sharply through the room.
Supper slowly grew cold upon the table.
Somewhat unsurprisingly, Harry had beaten the vast majority of students down to the station and grabbed a cabin early. The carriages from the school arrived a half hour later and Harry was treated to several intrusions upon his own cabin by those that thought they were first to board. Luckily, his lit cigarette was enough to turn each group of mostly younger years back out to find a private cabin, which suited Harry just fine. With magic taking care of the ventilation, the smoke was only the most minor of annoyances to Harry.
As the chime sounded for the train to debark, the door to Harry's cabin opened once more and Luna flounced into the room and took a seat opposite Harry, who closed the book he had been reading and greeted her warmly.
The two engaged in cordial conversation about what they hoped to do over the summer break and Harry confided to the blonde sixth year that he had only developed an appreciation for the Christmas holidays the previous year. Luna made it known that her Yule holiday had also been a bit gloomy ever since her mother had passed away Christmas week over a decade before.
Harry had known that Luna had lived with only her father, of course, but it was a shock to see that there was something that brought the always jovial Luna to sadness. Switching seats to be next to her, Harry allowed the younger girl to lean into him and he idly played with her hair. The two sat like that for some time before Harry realized that the soft rocking of the train and his own ministrations had put Luna to sleep. Unwilling to wake her, he leaned back and allowed Morpheus to claim his second victim.
The piercing whistle of the Hogwarts Express shocked Harry into alertness and he realized that several hours had passed. It appeared that his earlier explorations had wiped him out. And, he admitted to himself, it had been nice having Luna nearby.
The blonde girl was slower to wake, and Harry once again ran his fingers through her hair. Looking down at her face, he noticed that there were tears in her eyes. Concerned, he stopped his hands and asked Luna what was wrong.
"My mother used to rub her hands through my hair. You simply reminded me of her. I miss her."
"I cannot imagine, Luna, what that is like."
"You've lost your parents too," she pointed out.
"True, but it is so different. I never had a chance to get to know my parents, so I never developed the relationship that you had with your mother. I miss the idea of my parents, but I seem to be incapable of actually missing them."
Luna gave him another look before speaking. "I see that you do have people you care about though. They mean a lot to you." She smiled at him. "They say it is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all."
"I'm not sure I agree," Harry responded.
Luna looked at him again and frowned. It looked foreign on her face to Harry. "You won't," she spoke authoritatively. Harry had little time to contemplate what she meant by that before she spoke again. "You're needed, Harry. Don't delay."
The raven-haired boy knew immediately that she was speaking of Remus and Sirius. At that moment, the train came to a rest at Platform 9 ¾ and Harry apparated directly out of his cabin with a loud crack. Luna was left looking at the space her friend had just vacated. The frown remained on her face for only a few moments longer before she, too, left the cabin, albeit by more conventional means.
The convict and the werewolf appeared in a clearing in the woods, where Remus' ward had alerted them the breach had occurred.
"Sirius Black!" the exclamation was the only warning the pair had before they immediately came under spellfire from multiple angles.
The two, having practiced with each other for the past year, immediately moved in unison to cover one another. Remus shielded his friend from a piercing hex and a bludgeoner, only to take a cutting curse to his forearm. A roar of pain echoed from the lycanthrope.
For Sirius, the situation became desperate. Convinced it was a Ministry sting, the convict launched out dozens of spells of dubious origin. A tree that one of his assailants used for cover suddenly animated and attempted to detain the wizard behind it. A shriek of panic told him it was successful. A line of fire emanated from the Black Lord's wand and immolated several more trees that were being used by the attackers as cover.
Remus's roar of pain sent panic through the convict causing him to mistime a shield and take a blasting curse to his left shoulder, which instantly dislocated as he was tossed ten feet back across the clearing. Several jinxes landed as he skidded to a stop, causing painful boils to rise up across his skin and further limiting his mobility.
A glance at Remus told him that his friend was not in a much better position than he. "Moony," he shouted. "Leave!" A wide area bludgeoning hex launched two of his attackers off their feet and Sirius followed that up with a spell that emulated a muggle flashbang, momentarily blinding and deafening everyone in the clearing. Remus apparated out in the moments that followed and Sirius made to follow. In the very instant that his apparition began, another blasting curse caught Sirius square in the chest.
Bill Weasley swore with such vigor that even the twins looked ashamed. Arthur did not bother admonishing his oldest son, instead simply taking a seat on a nearby tree trunk and holding his head in his hands. It had taken too long for him to recognize his old colleague from the Order of the Phoenix as the man beside Sirius Black. His initial exclamation had caused his three sons to immediately launch an attack and ultimately resulted in the twins being injured and Bill causing what seemed as though it would be a grievous injury to a man Arthur was sure was responsible for the deaths of the Potters.
Yet, he had never had any doubt that Remus was on the side of the Order, and here Remus had defended Sirius Black, a man who was supposed to have been dead for at least the past year. Remus would never have done so without a good reason. There was something very strange happening.
As Bill Weasley applied first aid to the twins and spoke about calling in the DMLE, Arthur finally spoke.
"No son. I will go speak to Amelia directly. We must not let this leak to the Ministry at large. Not yet. Something seems rotten in the state of Denmark."