Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the intellectual property associated with Harry Potter.

Hi all,

Here's the first of two chapters for today. Harry investigates Lewis' movements at Hogwarts, and a Herbology class becomes a lot more exciting.

Chapter 67

Harry knocked on the door to the Charms classroom. After checking the map, he discovered that Professor Rosier was still there after classes had ended for the day.

After finding Lewis' name in the book, he came straight here to see if he could get answers from his sister. He was convinced she had to know something about Lewis visiting the castle.

The message Lewis left in the Charms book was strange for a couple of reasons. It was nothing special, just a brief note describing the spell that allowed him to create a copy of a book. But Lewis was a Squib, so how was he able to use a wand to perform magic? He didn't think Lewis had been lying about being a Squib.

Secondly, why did Lewis leave the note in the first place? The book wasn't his personal diary, nor was it necessary to conceal it with invisible ink. It suggested that he was deliberately leaving it behind for some enterprising individual to find. However, what were the chances that someone like Hermione would come along who was so thorough in her search?

Violet opened the door. "Harry, what can I do for you?"

"I need to ask you something about Lewis," Harry told her.

Violet motioned Harry inside, and he entered the classroom. She took a seat behind her desk and took a moment to clean up the parchment scattered across her desk.

"There's always homework to mark," Violet said. "This is one part of the job that I don't enjoy. I wasn't even supposed to come back to teach, but the headmaster was so persistent that I ended up agreeing to another year."

Harry took a seat opposite her. "What else would you do with your time if you weren't a professor?"

"Try and find my wayward brother, for one," Violet replied. She reached into a drawer and pulled out a cigarette and a lighter. "Do you mind?"

Harry shook his head, and she lit the cigarette and took a puff.

"I found this book in the library. Read the words on the inside cover on the back of the book." Harry said, sliding the book across the desk.

Violet opened the book and read the message Lewis had left behind. The cigarette dropped from her mouth. "How is this even possible?"

"I was hoping you knew something about it."

"I had no idea that he came here," Violet said. "These words imply that he could use magic, but I am certain he cannot. He never showed signs of accidental magic when he was a kid. He was kicked out when he turned thirteen for being a Squib. I don't see why he would pretend all this time that he couldn't use magic."

Harry frowned. "Maybe he was just researching the spell for someone else and wasn't going to use it himself?"

Violet retrieved her wand and began casting a series of spells on the book.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to find out if there are hidden traces of magic in this book," Violet explained.

Her expression changed when she performed the next spell.

"What is it?"

Violet turned the book around to reveal a symbol drawn beneath Lewis' name on the inside cover. It showed a golden dragon with its head bowed and a long tongue flicking out, as if tasting the air.

"I've seen this symbol before," Harry exclaimed. "Lewis has a tattoo of the image inscribed on his right arm."

"That is the first I have heard about it," Violet grumbled. "But he probably didn't tell me because I wouldn't have approved of such a barbaric Muggle practice."

"Barbaric?" Harry raised an eyebrow. "It's a means for people to express themselves. It doesn't hurt anyone."

"Voldemort marked his followers with a tattoo. Forgive me if I disagree with that sentiment."

"It's not the same thing," Harry protested. "Besides, you are smoking. Talk about a nasty Muggle habit. It's a lot more harmful than a tattoo."

Violet blew some smoke into his face, ignoring his words.

Harry glared at her, but then something occurred to him that made him forget his irritation.

"What are the chances that he was serving someone, and this was the symbol representing that servitude?"

"Harry, what is going on? Who would he be serving?"

"My friends and I are searching for information on Galahad," Harry said after a brief hesitation.

"Who is Galahad?"

"He is a renowned artisan who is thought to have lived for millennia." When she gave Harry a sceptical look, he raised his hands defensively. "I know it sounds absurd, but there is evidence to suggest that he is still alive, or that someone is impersonating him at least."

"What evidence?"

Harry told her about the sorting hat and the runic puzzle that had been sent with it. About how his curiosity drove him to look for traces of Galahad in the library, knowing that he had to have visited it at some point to gain access to the wealth of knowledge.

"That is a fascinating story," Violet remarked. "I wish I had learned about this spell in school, as it would have come in handy. But I don't see how this is related to Lewis. Even if he visited the library at some point, what makes you believe Lewis has anything to do with Galahad?"

Harry pulled a pocket watch from his pocket and showed it to her. "Lewis sent me this watch as a Christmas present last year. Galahad made this watch. Do you still think it's a coincidence?"

"It's not impossible."

"I don't believe in them."

The mystery surrounding Lewis caused him to reconsider his entire relationship with him. Just how many secrets was he keeping from him? Who exactly was Lewis fleeing from when he left the junk shop behind? Did it have anything to do with the work he was doing here at Hogwarts?

Violet picked up the cigarette and re-lit it. "Well, it seems like I didn't know my brother as well as I thought. You will need to find Lewis and ask him yourself what he has been up to because I have no idea."

Harry shrugged. "It was a long shot. It looks like I will have to look elsewhere."

"If you ever find Lewis, be sure to tell me," Violet said. "He has some explaining to do."

Harry had just left the classroom and was on his way back to his common room when he remembered the incident with Ron, and he changed direction, heading for his grandmother's quarters instead. As he was passing the bathroom on the second floor, he gasped as a translucent head appeared through the door.

"Bloody hell," Harry cursed, holding a hand to his chest. "Myrtle, why the hell are you scaring me like that?"

Moaning Myrtle blinked owlishly. "Isn't that in a ghost's job description? What else am I supposed to do with all my time?"

"Pass on to the next life?" Harry suggested and wanted to smack himself when the girl's eyes welled up with tears. He didn't want her to have a crying fit because she could go on for days once she got going.

"I know when I'm not wanted," Myrtle sniffed. "Nobody ever noticed plain, boring Myrtle Warren. They didn't even notice I was missing for two days after I died."

"Was there anything you needed?" Harry asked, glancing down the corridor desperately.

He preferred to be somewhere other than here, but he was surprised that Myrtle had approached him at all. The castle's ghosts have avoided him since the incident earlier this year. Probably due to a misplaced sense of guilt over allowing Merlin to control them. He had nothing against them because, given their circumstances, they were the most vulnerable to manipulation.

The rest of Myrtle's body emerged from the bathroom and curtsied. "Warden."

"Not you as well," Harry groaned. "Why has this castle gone crazy?"

"I don't know. I suddenly get the urge to call you that name ever since you came back to the castle," Myrtle said. "Anyway, I overheard your conversation with the professor."

"Are all ghosts as nosy as you?"

Myrtle ignored him. "I have a suggestion for you. Lewis may have confided in someone else while at Hogwarts. You might want to look for a like-minded person living in this castle."

She disappeared back into the bathroom as Harry was left pondering her words. It took him a moment to get it. Lewis was a Squib. Who else in the castle shared the same circumstances as him? It was no secret that Filch was a Squib. The students discovered the secret when the attacks on them started happening, and their magic was being drained. Filch had been used to escort students to their classes because it was believed he wouldn't be targeted, which turned out to be correct.

"I will go and see him after I talk to my grandmother."

When he reached his grandmother's quarters, Harry told her about the incident with Ron and Neville, and his belief that there may be a dark object in his dresser or a curse placed on it. She followed him back to his dormitory room and began investigating the dresser.

"I can't find anything," Minerva said, after examining every inch of the dresser. "Do you see anything out of place? It's good to see that your clothes are well organised."

Harry examined the contents of his dresser, trying to see if anything had been moved. He only noticed one anomaly. "The invisibility cloak has moved."

"Are you sure?" Minerva asked, and Harry nodded. She began casting spells on it, but she gave up after determining that there was nothing. "Well, I can't find anything. Maybe Mr Weasley was lying to you."

"Maybe," Harry said doubtfully. "But I'm a pretty good judge of character. I don't think Ron was lying about attempting to steal my belongings. Thanks to your generosity, I've never had problems with the Weasleys."

Considering what he had learned about the Deathly Hallows from Peverell in the Fae Realm, he was more inclined to suspect the cloak than Ron. He was told to be careful of them. Although he had no reason to believe Peverell, this incident had put him on high alert.

Harry remembered feeling something strange from the cloak when his grandfather first handed it to him, but it wasn't something he could put into words. But if it did have a negative influence on others, perhaps he should keep it in his trunk from now on. It wasn't as if he needed it, but he could easily retrieve it if he did.

Perhaps he should examine the cloak more closely at some point to determine what was going on with it. His grandparents hadn't been negatively affected by the cloak. Perhaps whatever influence it had wasn't always active and had only occurred recently. It had nothing to do with his grandfather handing him the cloak, right? And why wasn't he affected by its influence?

Minerva nodded. "If this happens again, please let me know. I will have your grandfather look at it. I will disregard the scuffle between Mr Weasley and Mr Longbottom, but the next time they fight, they will be punished."

His grandmother departed. He descended to the ground floor and proceeded to Filch's office. He didn't like interacting with the caretaker because he was a miserable old sod, but if he could find any information about Lewis, he was going to have to put up with it.

When he reached the door, he heard a meow and looked down to see Mrs Norris staring up at him with a sour expression. It appeared so humanlike that he wondered if she was an Animagus in disguise.

"What's with that look? Want to fight?"

Mrs Norris hissed at him.

"Don't give me that attitude or I'll have my grandmother chase you out of the castle. She's the top cat in this castle. You're some two-bit alley cat."

Harry had to leap backwards as the cat took a swipe at him. "Maybe I should have my snake have a word with you. But fair warning, she may just decide to eat you instead."

That threat seemed to get to her. Mrs Norris meowed and pawed at the door, which immediately jerked open as if Filch had been on the other side of the door, listening to their conversation.

"What's the matter, Mrs Norris?" Filch cooed, his jowls quivering. "Is this student bothering you? Do not worry, I have just the right equipment to fix his attitude."

Harry caught a glimpse of the man's office, where chains hung from the ceiling. He shuddered and wondered if they had ever been used on a student before.

"What do you want?" Filch scowled, finally addressing Harry. His eyes were bulging, and a vein in his temple was throbbing. "You're the Potter brat, right? If your grandmother wasn't the deputy headmistress, I would have strung you from the ceiling for upsetting Mrs Norris."

"But we both know you don't have the means to do anything to me," Harry replied.

Filch muttered something rude under his breath.

"I'm here to ask about Lewis Rosier. You met him at some point, didn't you? I imagine you may have become friends with him."

Filch gaped at him. "How do you know Lewis?"

"Because I used to visit his junk shop," Harry explained. "We lived in the same neighbourhood, and he looked out for me."

"A wizard hanging out with a Squib?" Filch scoffed. "I would never believe such a thing was possible."

Harry frowned. "I don't have anything against Squibs. Besides, I didn't know I was a wizard at the time. I was just another ordinary kid."

Filch's mouth moved, but he didn't seem to have a comeback to Harry's words. "What do you want to know about Lewis?"

"I know he came here to access the Hogwarts library," Harry said. "What do you know about that?"

"I was the one that gave him access to the castle over the summer holidays a few years ago," Filch said grudgingly. "I owed him a favour for getting me this job. He got his sister to put a good word in for me with the headmaster."

Harry nodded. "Did he tell you what he was doing in the library?"

"He told me he was conducting research for someone." Filch leaned out of the doorway, looking down the corridors in both directions before speaking again. "He promised me that if I could grant him access to the library for the entire summer, he would give me something that would allow me to perform magic."

"You want to repeat that?" Harry asked faintly, hardly believing his ears.

"Lewis demonstrated some magic to me," Filch said, his face showing a hungry expression. "It was only a basic Lumos Charm, but he demonstrated it was possible. A Squib could do magic!"

Harry rubbed his face. Investigating Lewis was leading him down unexpected paths. How was it possible for a Squib to use magic? Did Lewis use an artifact? He could envision a few ways in which it could potentially replace the need for magic. Although, he hadn't heard of such an artifact before. He was certain it would have caused a huge uproar if it had.

"What happened next?" Harry asked. "Did he give you something that allowed you to use magic?"

"Do you think I would still be working here if I had something like that?" Filch growled. "He was supposed to give it to me after his final weekend here. But he never showed up. I spent months looking for him and never found him."

"Do you have any ideas where he might be now?"

Filch shook his head. Harry thanked him and turned to leave, but stopped when Filch reached out and grabbed his arm in a vice-like grip. "If you ever find that bastard, you'll get the item for me, right? I want to know what it feels like to use magic."

Harry hurriedly agreed. Filch appeared deranged, his eyes protruding madly, so he was going to say anything so the man would let him go. When Filch released him, he hurried away, alarmed by his encounter.

He understood the caretaker's obsession with magic. Filch was a Squib who was surrounded by wizards and witches who performed magic on a daily basis. That must have made him bitter, especially since he had to clean up after their messes. He questioned why there was a caretaker position in the first place, given that Hogwarts had over a hundred house-elves to look after it.

16th September

Harry stood up from the garage floor and stretched. He felt like he had finally made some progress with his car.

The enchantments for the chassis were complete, and he could move on to adding the enchantments for the bodywork before he fitted them to the chassis. Most of the enchantments for the chassis added stability and durability since he was going to be putting it through its paces.

It needed to be extra durable, as he would use it as an off-road vehicle. Because it was going to be a flying machine as well, he needed even more durability, in case the flying function ever decided to fail and fall out of the sky. Furthermore, there were some enchantments to protect him from the elements, such as fire-proofing the vehicle. If he ever came under spell fire, it would add some extra resistance in case the protective barrier failed.

Unlike Mr Weasley's Ford Anglia, he was going to have some robust protections that would last him a good while. Because of the size of the Hummer and the materials he was using, he had a lot more options to work with.

He also laid the groundwork for features such as the submersible mode, which would require a lot of enchantments to make it drivable underwater, as well as a tight seal to keep water out. When he entered the water, the wheels would transform into propellers that would give him the propulsion he needed to drive through the water.

A noise drew his attention, and he turned to see his girlfriends in the doorway. They walked up to him, and each gave him a kiss.

Gabrielle giggled. "Your grandmother's talk didn't have the effect I think she was hoping it would have."

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked.

"Your grandmother talked to me about our relationship," Susan explained. "With an emphasis on the intimate aspect of it. I was so uncomfortable afterwards that I made sure Gabrielle and Daphne went through the same conversation to make it fair."

"Thanks, Susie," Daphne said with heavy sarcasm. "I appreciate you thinking about me."

"I didn't feel uncomfortable at all," Gabrielle confessed. "In fact, your grandmother ended the conversation as soon as I described exactly what I wanted to do with you."

Harry's mouth became dry. "Would you care to share?"

"Hmm," Gabrielle said, placing her finger on her lips. "I don't think so. I don't want to ruin the surprise."

The girls examined the car and made the appropriate appreciation noises.

"You are going to take us for a drive once it's finished," Daphne stated. It wasn't a request.

Harry smiled. "I would love that. But I'll have to refrain from taking the car out to sea. I'm afraid you all will turn into Sirens and swim away, leaving me all alone."

Susan shook her finger at him. "That's always a possibility. So, don't do anything to upset us."

"Is there a reason you came to see me?" Harry asked. "Beyond the obvious reason?"

Gabrielle chuckled. "You are needed back in the castle. You have a couple of guests who want to see you."

"Who are they?"

"They aren't that important," Daphne said dismissively. "Just a couple of witches that you recently saved. One of them is enamoured with you as a result of your heroics. Do you want to guess who?"

They exited the trunk and went downstairs to the common room. Harry became terrified when he saw Parvati approaching him with a happy expression, and he hid behind his girlfriends for safety.

"Harry!" Parvati managed to get around them and engulf him in a hug. "Thank you for saving me. I don't know how to repay you."

"Your gratitude is enough," Harry said, feeling uncomfortable.

Parvati batted her lashes at him. "I'm willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to pay you back. All you need to say is the word, and I will have my father make the announcement."

Before Harry could panic even further, Daphne pulled her out of Harry's arms. "All right, that's enough. Harry didn't save you so he could marry you. He did it for Padma more than anything else."

Parvati pouted, but had to move out of the way as another woman approached him with Neville by her side. "Harry, you have grown up to be a handsome man. Maybe I should make the same offer?"

"Mother!" Neville yelled. "Harry and I are the same age. I don't want him as a stepfather."

Harry folded his arms. "I think it will work out. I have plenty of maturity and a lot of wisdom to impart. Go on, call me Daddy."

Neville gave him the finger.

Alice pulled Harry into a hug. "Thank you, Harry. I thought I would be trapped within my mind for the rest of my life."

Harry returned her hug, conscious of her fragility. Even after a few days, she hadn't completely recovered from her ordeal. It would take her a long time to recover, and her physical condition was the least of her concerns.

"I hope that vulture gets what she deserves," Harry commented.

Alice laughed. "I never liked Augusta's vulture hat. Who knew it was revealing her true colours all this time?"

Harry led her over to a sofa, and everyone gave them some space to talk in private. "How long are you going to be here?"

"Only a few hours," Alice said. "I am under strict orders to return to the hospital this afternoon. Why aren't you in class?"

"It's a free period. I have Herbology after lunch."

Alice nodded. "I'm sorry about what happened to your parents. Your mother was my best friend, and our husbands were close too."

"It's okay," Harry replied. "I didn't get a chance to know them, so it doesn't bother me so much. At least I have my grandparents."

"That's true," Alice sighed, before glancing at Neville, who was talking with Daphne. "I have missed so much of my son's life. Do you think I can ever have a normal relationship with him again?"

"Yes. You don't know how much it means to him to have you back in his life. Will it be easy to make the adjustment? No, but nothing worthwhile is ever easy."

Alice ruffled his hair. "You are wise beyond your years."

"Why does everybody mess with my hair?" Harry pouted. He flattened his hair, trying to restore some order to the nest.

"I take back what I said," Alice said, smirking. "By the way, I want to get to know you better as well. I'm your godmother, after all."

Harry smiled. "I would like that. But you should focus on getting better first."

"That's a good idea."

Harry's smile faded. "Is there any chance of your husband recovering?"

"I'm afraid not," Alice whispered, looking down at her lap. "Unless there's some medical breakthrough in the future, he will always be like that. He got tortured so much worse than I did."

"I'm sorry. I wish there was something I could do for him."

Alice forced a smile. "You have already done enough for my family."

Harry looked at his watch. "Why don't we go out and eat lunch on the grounds before you return? I will have the house-elves prepare us something."

"I would love that. You can properly introduce me to your girlfriends."

Harry groaned at the teasing in her voice. He could tell she was going to have a lot of fun at his expense.

The class congregated in front of Professor Sprout. The Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs were sharing the class, as they had done last year.

"We will be working in greenhouse three today," Professor Sprout said.

The students glanced at each other. They had only worked in greenhouse one before—greenhouse three contained much more interesting and dangerous plants. Both Neville and Daphne looked excited at the prospect, but Harry was feeling less so. Spending an entire lesson amongst dangerous plants didn't sound fun to him.

Professor Sprout took out a key and unlocked the door. The class followed her into the greenhouse, and she motioned for them to team up and share a table. Harry joined his girlfriends at one table and listened as Professor Sprout gave instructions.

"We will be repotting Mandrakes today," Professor Sprout said, as she started handing out the fluffy earmuffs. "When I tell you to put them on, do so. Do not take them off until I tell you, as you won't like the consequences."

His girls giggled when he was handed a pair of pink earmuffs, but he managed to retain his dignity by ignoring them.

"Now, who can tell me the properties of a Mandrake?" Professor Sprout asked.

Hermione's, Neville's and Daphne's hands shot up into the air, and Professor Sprout nodded to the latter.

"Mandrakes are a powerful restorative," Daphne said. "They are used to return people who have been transfigured or petrified to their original state."

Professor Sprout nodded. "That is correct. Ten points to Gryffindor. Now, the Mandrake can be really dangerous. Can any of you tell me why?"

Hermione answered this time. "Because its cry is fatal to anyone who hears it."

"Another ten points to Gryffindor. These Mandrakes are still immature, so they will only knock you out, but you still need to be careful. If any of you are knocked unconscious in this greenhouse, then it may be a bad end for you."

The students looked around uneasily. They hadn't paid much attention to the plants since coming in, but now that they were aware of them, it felt like dozens of eyes were watching them. Harry spotted movement out of the corner of his eye, but when he turned and looked in that direction, he didn't see anything.

Professor Sprout looked around. "Now, does everyone have earmuffs? Good, put them on, please, then take a tray of Mandrakes and some pots to plant them in."

Everyone did as she asked and returned to their table to begin the potting. Harry was about to pull a Mandrake out of the tray when he felt a jolt through his senses. He looked around, but there was no obvious danger. He frowned. The feeling must have come from the dangerous plants housed in this greenhouse.

The students began pulling out the Mandrakes, and Harry was surprised to see that they resembled little, muddy, ugly babies. He was about to pull his own out when the Mandrakes began shrieking. He froze, and adrenaline began surging through his veins as he realised he was hearing the Mandrakes' cries. What was going on?

The students began fainting one by one, including his girlfriends who were standing beside him and Professor Sprout. Harry looked around, terrified, as he realised he was the only one left standing. Was this a result of his magical resistance?

He didn't have time to think about it further. Between one breath and the next, the greenhouse erupted into a frenzy as plants came to life and began creeping towards the unconscious students.

Harry pulled out his wand, ready to defend everyone. Why did these things keep happening to him?

So, what do you think? Why aren't the earmuffs working? Was this an accident, or did someone deliberately tamper with them? Can Harry save the class?

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Thanks for reading.