Chapter 8: 8
Disclaimer:
Harry Potter and its world belong to J. K Rowling. I only own the original characters I made.
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The Griffindor's common room was lively when Harry entered. Some students cast weird eyes at him while others laught. Puzzeled he walked up to Neville for some answers.
"Did I miss something?" He asked Longbottom who was doing his transfiguration homework. Abysmally at that some would say.
"Hermione treated Ron like a rag doll and whisked him away from the dorm." He replied holding back his chuckle. "She meant business."
Seeing the fear in the boy's eyes an escape plan flashed in Harry's head. "Even the chamber doesn't seem so bad as an option."
"You'll need to face the music eventually." Neville scratched his head frustrated. "Any thoughts?" He pointed towards what seemed to be an amalgamation of rock and steel.
Potter grabbed the monstrosity in awe. "So wrong and yet the materials flow perfectly from one another." His friend blushed at the questionable praise.
"I'd appreciate less sarcasm." The boy looked down in sadness. "It's already hard."
Harry sat before Neville and reversed the spell revealing a wooden box. "Show me." He urged the teen with a smile.
Taking a deep breath Neville began muttering the necessary chants. The box was slightly changing its color to a more metalic one. However it stopped, making him use more force. Creeking noises were produced by the slowly deforming object.
"That's enough Neville." Harry said as his friend deflated from fatigue.
"I'm worthless." The blond teen said. "Why can't I even do a second year exercise right?" He hid his face in his hands.
"It is curious," Harry stared at the box, "the power was there. Intent as well." He mused while turning the object over in his hand.
Suddenly he felt a burning smell. Looking back at Neville he saw the boy's wand letting out a little string of smoke. "Does it do that often?" Harry asked.
Longbottom returned from his misery and sighed at the view of his wand. "It's becoming more frequent nowadays. That's also the reason I abstain from waving it too much."
"Maybe you should get another wand?" Harry remarked. "It seems to be the reason with your inability to cast magic."
A flash of anger appeared briefly in Neville's eyes. "It can't be." He responded. "My father's wand can't be faulty."
"And yet when Ron didn't use a wand of his own it caused nothing but problems." Harry said nonchalantly. "Not that the change made him more studious."
A smile reappeared on Neville's face at the joke. However it soon drowned in another wave of melancholy. "I can't forgo the wand Harry. It's houses the dreams of my father," he paused and continued with a lowered tone, "and grandmother's."
Silence permeated between the two. Both had great expectations imposed on them from young age. Locked in cages controled by puppeteers blinded by their judgement and tragic past. But should they endure?
Sighing Harry stood up and patted the boy on the shoulder. "I'm certain that drive of yours will flourish one day when you're ready." He said with encouragement in his voice.
Neville looked up and saw the peaceful orbs of greens glancing back at him. "Thank you." His voice wavered.
"Anytime." Harry reassured the boy as he left for the showers.
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"Good evening, everyone." Dumbledore greeted the deans. "Yet another meeting is upon us." With a kind smile he observed the gathered professors.
"Firstly I'd like to say my congratulations to you Pomona." Mrs. Sprout was flying on cloud nine since yesterday. Cedric's performance finally brought much needed recognition to the badgers.
"Thank you Headmaster." She replied with a blooming smile.
McGonagall grimaced remembering her own cub's results. "With the first trial finally over, we have to prepare ourselves for the next event. The Yule Ball."
"Quite right Minerva." Albus summoned pieces of parchment with a casual wave of his wand. "We'll announce the dance on the 10th of December. I'll leave the announcement to your discretion."
"What years will be allowed to take part?" Flitwick asked while grabbing the flying scroll.
Dumbledore stroked his beard in thought. "Since Mr. Potter became a Champion, forth year and older."
Snape scowled. "Yet more privileges handed over to the boy."
"It's the season of giving after all, Severus." The elder wizard replied with mirth. "Speaking of which, didn't you have something to tell us Minerva?"
The stern witch's face cracked into a small smile. "Two stubborn cubs of mine reached out to me with a proposition to hold unofficial Quidditch matches." Angelina and Alicia caught their dean just moments before the staff meeting with an extensive plan for playoffs.
Flitwick grimaced remembering that a couple of students from the team were singled out as bullies and are suffering the consequences. "I'm afraid currently my eagles are a couple of players short."
"That won't be a problem, Filius." McGonagall took out the several pages of parchment and duplicated them. "Surprisingly they wanted to make mixed teams comprising of all houses and the foreign students if they agree."
"Wasn't Quidditch canceled because the stadium will be needed for the tournament?" Sprout asked.
"Maybe I was a bit too hasty in my decision." Albus responded. "However we all remember how eventful the last couple of years have been."
"At least the most problematic child won't be able to take part." Snape remarked with a gloating smile.
"Nevertheless the earliest a match can be scheduled is after the second trial." McGonagall stated as a matter of fact. Quidditch season took the backburner during winter after all.
"Quite right my dear." Dumbledore chuckled. "Let's return to the Yule Ball arrangements, shall we?" His eyes twinkled playfully.
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"What's that you got there girl?" Harry was drying his hair when Hedwig landed on the perch near his bed. Sulking it raised its foot revealing a note. Untying the piece of parchment off, he turned it to the side and saw a paw mark. A mixture of conflicting feelings welled up in his chest. Happiness and disappointment at not listening to his cautions.
"The both of you are very irresponsible." The youth berated his owl and godfather. Hedwig ignored the tantrum by cleaning through her feathers.
Dean entered the room and started going through his trunk. "Did you see my gobstones Harry?"
"I believe the girls borrowed them a couple of nights ago." Potter replied while hiding the note in his pocket. "You should ask Katie."
Closing the trunk Dean thanked the boy. "Thanks mate." As he was about to open the door Ron barged in.
"Blimey Harry," the redhead jumped on his bed and let out an exhausted sigh, "How you do it?"
Chuckling at his friends misfortune Harry dressed up. "I try to stay on her good side."
"Try is a strong word Mr. Potter." Hermione greeted the boys with a fake smile. "May I have a moment with you?"
Dean quickly escaped while Ron moaned. "Why can't the horror stop?"
The girl huffed seeing their reactions. "House of the cowards this turned up to be."
"You do have an unfair advantage Mione." Harry walked up to his girlfriend.
"That being?" She raised her brow and crossed her hands.
"The darkest mage of them all by your side." He maniacally laught or at least tried to. Seeing the unamused look on her and Ron's face Harry stopped and blushed. "You can't win them all."
"Anyway. When you've been hiding away somewhere we've been trying to catch Skeeter." Hermione sat down on Harry's bed and unfolded the map. "She was at the courtyard, but we couldn't find her."
"And she disappeared without a moment's notice." Ron added. "It's almost as if she was a ghost."
Harry tapped his biceps in thought. "The map doesn't lie." He stared through the window. "Maybe she wore an invisibility cloak?"
"Not likely." Hermione rejected the idea. "Ron stood at the location she was supposed to be and nothing happened." She bit her lip in frustration.
"I doubt she was in the air either." Their male friend replied. "But her digging in the ground like a niffler is also unlikely."
"Then either she became the wind or grass," Harry paused, "or she has another form." He grinned.
Hermione and Ron looked at each other puzzled by the suggestions. "We're not going to entertain the former Harry." She remarked. "But what do you mean by other form?"
"Can't say without actually seeing it in person." Harry chuckled. "But maybe she is able to shrink herself somehow." He mused. "And it has too be inconspicuous enough that none of her victims realized she was there."
Ron gave up after mulling over
the topic for a while. "Let's hope she'll take her buzzing around elsewhere."
"Buzzing around?" Hermione repeated and fell into silence.
Worried by her quietness Harry crouched down before her. "Is something the matter?"
The girl stood up making the boy fall flat on his behind. "I got it." She looked towards the boys. "She must be a bug animagus. It fits so well with her modus operandi and character."
"You believe she'd be able to go through with it?" Ron asked with a dose of skepticism. "McGonagall wouldn't be happy with you downplaying the difficulty of becoming one."
"We all know that's horseradish Ron." She rolled her eyes. "Padfoot and the rest of the Marauders somehow managed it."
"One more thing to ask Pads when I see him." Harry interjected. " I wonder how difficult it truly was."
"At least now I know what I'm looking for." Hermione flashed a mischievous grin. "I'll give that blind bat a home wrecker when I catch her."
Harry and Ron watched as their friend left the room in a hurry. Most likely brewing a plan of sweet vengeance.
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Not able to fall asleep Harry wandered the corridors of the castle. After having his fun by trailing Filch and Mrs. Noris, the youth decided to enter the RoR. The boy sat down comfortably in an armchair before the fireplace. As he watched the dancing sparks an idea came to his mind.
"Dobby?" He uttered with uncertainty. However much to his relief a pop broke the tension. A familiar looking house elf appeared. Dressed in bizarre clothing and not matching socks. Its two big eyes watched the wizard with reverence.
"Harry Potter been wanting to see Dobby?" An enthusiastic elf gripped the boys leg in joy.
Patting the elf on the back Harry smiled back at his friends antics. "It's good to see you've been doing well for yourself, Dobby." He willed a chair to appear for the elf. "Take a sit."
Dobby wallowed with tears. "Harry Potter's so good to us elves!"
Sweating from its show of emotions the teen tried to calm the elf down. "How's your freedom been treating you, Dobby?"
Quickly forgetting its sadness it replied with excitement in its voice. "Dobby's been places. Even visited the beach."
Harry listened as the elf told what's it been up to since he last saw it. Dobby ventured high and low throughout Europe, seeking wonders and what to do with its new found freedom.
"And now we be looking after Winky ever since I've found her." Dobby's ears flopped down to the sides. "She be heavily drinking, sir."
"Harry will suffice, Dobby." The youth was tapping the armrest in thought. "She was Crouch Senior's elf, wasn't she?"
Dobby nodded in response. "Winky be crying herself to sleep. How she failed young master."
"Young Master? She's older then Mr. Crouch?" Harry raised his brow.
Dobby closed its mouth in haste. "Dobby wasn't supposed to say this." The elf shot from the chair and began banging its head on the floor.
Not having it Harry willed the ground to become soft. "I already knew about Junior, Dobby." He ensured the elf. "And that he was present during the Quidditch finals."
"Harry Potter be a smart and benevolent wizard." Another round of cries filled the room, much to the teen's dismay.
"We're off topic Dobby." Harry gave the elf a handkerchief. "I'd like to ask you something."
Blowing its nose hard Dobby calmed down. "How can I serve you?"
"Nonsense. You can always refuse to answer." He waved his hand. The last thing he wanted was to bind his friend to him. "Are you able to freely come and go to Hogwarts?"
"Yes. It's natural for us to go where we must." Dobby explained with gusto.
"That can't be right, surely?" Surprise painted Harry's face at the revelation. "There has to be some kind of restriction."
"Only a moral one, Harry Potter." Dobby replied. "We can be where we needed but we can't take or steal anything belonging to others."
"And yet you're able to pinch my letters." Harry snickered at the blushing elf.
"Dobby be an unusual elf." Laughter broke between the two.
Wiping his eyes Harry regained his composure. "Would you be able to transport me in and out of Hogwarts, Dobby?"
Th elf shook its head. "Afraid not. The wards still block the unlawful entry of humans."
'Unless they're animagi.' Harry thought to himself. Sighing the teen had to change his plans a little bit. "Could you give this to my godfather?" He gave a note to the elf. "He's not too far from here."
"Dobby will not fail Harry Potter." With a pop it disappeared leaving a tired teen behind.
After a couple of minutes Dobby reappeared with a big black dog by its side. "Dobby got uncle Doggy."
The creature started morphing, revealing Sirius Black in the flesh. "Guess who's back, Pup." The man hugged his godson.
"Cleaning charms are a thing." Harry scrunched his nose but still hugged back the disheveled mess.
"I've rocked worse." Sirius released his godson. "Glad you thrown out the scrawny look. It didn't give you any favors."
Harry rolled his eyes. "Please, even at my worst I've been a much more desirable bachelor than you at your best."
The haggard man almost fell down in laughter. "There's the Lily part." He added with a grin.
Looking back softly at his godfather Harry summoned an armchair. "Are you hungry? I can arrange something."
Sirius brushed his ribcage with his boney fingers. "If you're treating?"
Sighing the teen turned towards Dobby. "Could you grab something from the kitchens? It'd be much appreciated."
"Anything for Harry Potter." And with a pop the elf disappeared.
While that was happening Sirius observed his surroundings. A room he's never seen before. He recognized the Griffindor's colors but what's with the mats and sliding doors? The fireplace sticked out like a sore thumb. Not to mention the armchairs.
"I'd be scared as a chick seeing this room." He gave his opinion. "Who's responsible for this?"
Harry blushed at that and ignored the question completely. "This is a magical room. It can be whatever we want."
"So you wanted a middle life crisis?" The man wiggled his brows playfully. "Leave the decor to somebody else next time."
"I didn't plan all this." Harry gave up trying to convince anyone.
Dobby reappeared with a couple of floating plates. "Here's your food." A cup of tea landed before Harry while Sirius began eating like a ferocious animal.
After burping in satisfaction the man laid back in his armchair. "That hit the spot. I've missed Hogwart's fine dining."
"There'll be more in the future." Harry smiled. "
"So what's the occasion?" Sirius asked. "I appreciate your concern but this is beyond a prank." He added with rare clarity in his eyes.
"At least I didn't risk exposing myself using a white owl, stupid." Harry scoffed. "I was this close to strangling you and cutting bacon for Hedwig."
"You wouldn't dare." Sirius winked. "You're a softy at heart."
"Even a pillow can smother someone to death." The teen smirked at his godfather's astonished face. "You should be happy you're an animagus. Otherwise I'd have to take the long way to get to you."
Getting out of Hogwarts wasn't as hard as one would think. Many secret passages lead outside. One disillusionment spell and you're out. Maybe it was for the best that most wizards didn't have that kind of logic.
Sirius smiled remembering the good old days of adventure. "You'd fit nicely in our pack Prongslet."
"Speaking of which, do you remember how to go about achieving the animagus form?" Harry asked straightforwardly. "I think it'd be quite useful for future endeavors.
Sirius studied the boy before him before answering. "It were mostly your father's notes that helped. I just got by with my charm." He crossed his arms. "Maybe Moony remembers more."
Harry gave the man a stink eye. "All of my care for this?" He glanced at Dobby. "I want a refund."
"Dobby doesn't do takebacks." The elf grinned.
"That smile is unbecoming of you." The teen stuck his tongue at the mischievous house elf. "And it's somehow your fault." Harry pointed at his godfather. "He was fairly normal when he left for your ass."
"That's the charm Pup." Sirius raised his arms. "I still got it."
Thinking of a way to wipe that smirk off his godfather's face an idea popped into Harry's head. "There is one place in Hogwarts where nobody will find you." He said with cheeky smile plastered all over his face.
"Even better than this?" Sirius narrowed his eyes, not quite liking his godson's expression.
"I'm afraid other elves could find you here by accident." Harry paused. "However that place is somewhat of a taboo."
"As long as you say it's safe then I'm in." The man replied. "Better that than a dark and damp cave." Sirius changed back into his dog form.
"Don't worry Padfoot." Dobby disappeared with his godfather in tow. "You'll have all that and fabulous decore." Laughter still echoed in the room after Harry left for the dorm.
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"And what's your problem?" Ginny asked her brooding brother at breakfast.
Ron was reading the Prophet with a scowl on his face. "Damn that bloody bastard."
The paper was opened on a Victor Krum article. Showcasing and analyzing his great performance in the tournament.
"Even this was taken away from me." He added with a snarl. "I won't stand for this." The redhead glanced at the Slytherin's table where his nemesis was.
"He's gone mad." Ginny sighed. "And now I have to write mom."
Harry Potter looked confused at his friend's strange outburst. "Did I miss something?"
"I don't think Ron appreciates his signature spell being stolen." Luna chimed in and started talking about skeletons, revolving towers and jumping for some unknown reason.
A memory flashed in Harry's mind and he let out a giggle. "And what's so funny?" Hermione asked.
The teen looked at her and began laughing even more. "Bunnies and dragons suit you more, honey."
"I'm not sure whether to be annoyed or concerned." The girl remarked. "Either way you're in trouble."
"You could also say he's walking on thin ice." The small blonde added.
Harry pinched the naughty third year eliciting a squeak from her. "I'll use you as a buffer between me and her wrath."
"On another note." Parvati interjected. "Did anyone else woke up at night because of whimpering sounds?"
The raven-haired youth blinked and burst out in another wave of laughter. Not even the impending doom of Potions could break his humor today.
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