Jarvey
Join Date: May 2008 Location: Leicester, UK
Posts: 567
Hogwarts RPG Name: Krysta Hedwig Sixth Year | Chapter 11: Old Enemies, New Friends
“You did what?!”
Harry hadn’t really expected that reaction. He was sitting at a table in the common room with Sharon and Hermione. He’d just told them about his encounter with Filch, expecting a sign of support, and instead had Hermione yelling.
“Harry that’s really horrible. That’s nearly as bad as Draco calling me a filthy little Mudblood!” she exclaimed in a scalding voice.
“But he…” Harry began before being cut off.
“No, Harry that was out of order.” Harry pursed his lips in a scowl that anyone watching would have told him was actually very like Hermione herself. He fell silent and sulked, only half listening to what they were telling him.
“Well we can’t find it anywhere, can we?” began Hermione, looking at Sharon for confirmation. Sharon shook her head.
“We’ve tried all sorts: Amulets of the Mystique, Five Hundred Years worth of Tokens and Ornaments – I was surprised it wasn’t in those books actually.” She said and Hermione nodded in agreement. This was all foreign to Harry.
“Magical Jewels through history – interesting piece on the Sorcerer’s Stone in there, Harry.” He smiled faintly, not really caring. He was in a bad mood now.
“Stones and Precious Metals: A Witch’s Best Friend. Everything!” exclaimed Sharon a little frustrated.
“I can’t help feeling we’ve been on the wrong track. I mean, we don’t even know what the pendant does, so we don’t really know what we’re looking for.” Hermione moaned, in a vexed voice.
“We don’t even know what it’s made of or how old it is!” added Sharon and the both looked glumly at the table. Harry yawned, and Hermione looked at him in her usual suspicious way.
“Harry, what were you up to in the Forest earlier?” he snapped to attention and stared at her wide-eyed.
“How did you know?” he asked accusingly.
“We saw Hagrid in the library.” She answered fixing him with a hard stare.
“What was Hagrid doing in the library?”
“Don’t change the subject.”
“I’m not! It’s just he doesn’t usually turn up in there.”
“What does it matter, what were you doing in there, Harry? In times like this you go wandering of into that horrible dark place that’s crawling with…I don’t want to think about what it’s crawling with.” Hermione glared at him.
“Dragons.” Said Sharon.
“What?” Harry and Hermione asked together.
“It was a book about Dragons. I recognised the cover, my aunt has it.” She answered doodling on her notepad.
“Oh. Never mind about that.” Snapped Hermione then continued to stare at Harry.
“I don’t know, ok? I was just wondering where Ron was and the next thing I’m halfway into the forest.” He said, irritably.
“Weird.” Said Sharon hazily.
“Well something must have happened. You must have seen something. You don’t just wander into the forest for no reason.” Insisted Hermione. Harry shrugged.
“I didn’t even intend going that way, I was heading in the other direction to find Ron…” he trailed off when Hermione flinched at the second mention of Ron. ”…And my mind goes hazy after that. Like a thick fog, and the next thing I know, Hagrid’s calling out to me.” He finished and shrugged again. “The only other thing I remember was this…bird. A Silver Kestrel apparently according to…” he trailed off again, not wanting to say the name again “…well anyway it hovered over the grounds, flew around a bit then flew in through a tower window. Later on, when we were on our way back we saw it again. Only this time it was carrying a scroll.” He told them. Hermione looked mildly interested but Sharon looked astonished.
“Are you sure, Harry?” Harry nodded.
“Yes Ron saw it too.” He said before he realised Hermione had flinched again. The expression on her face was of discomfort and a little anger.
“Why are you surprised?” he asked Sharon, trying to pull Hermione’s attention away from the incident that afternoon. Sharon remained silent for a while.
“It’s just that…well…Silver Kestrels are completely wild. They can’t be tamed. And they certainly wouldn’t go around delivering letters for people.”
Harry and Hermione exchanged confused and surprised looks. Yet again, something very strange was going on.
Although quiet, Ron and Hermione were being civil. Hermione didn’t yell or make snide comments and Ron just kept quiet. They were sitting in the boy’s dorm, Hermione perched on the end of Harry’s bed, and Ron sprawled on his. Harry was kneeling on the floor searching through his trunk.
“I know it’s in here.” He said, his head upside down amongst his belongings. He could hear both of his friends giggling, almost definitely at him. “Ah hah!” he exclaimed, holding up a palm-sized rock. It was the one Remus Lupin had given him for his birthday. “All yours.” He said handing the rock to Hermione.
“It’s even more beautiful than the picture in the book.” She announced gazing at it. Ron and Harry exchanged a confused look. They looked a little closer. It was rock: Grey-blue with no distinct markings at all. It was…a rock. Ron raised an amused eyebrow and Harry grinned.
“You’re only saying that because you know what it can do. It’s a rock, Hermione. Pure and Simple.” Ron grinned and she gave him an irritated look. This was no simple rock at all. It apparently glowed when Vampires were near, and although Vampires weren’t exactly commonplace in the Highlands of Scotland, it was extremely rare. On her search for information on the mysterious pendant that had turned up in her hand when she had been unconscious, Hermione had come across an entire section about this so-called pure and simple rock. The chapter was actually, and ironically enough in the same, large and old book in which they had learnt about the great Alchemist Nicholas Flamel and his Sorcerer’s stone.
“Y’know the alchemy of these rocks is actually more complicated than the sorcerer’s stone.” Hermione told then, and they were surprised.
“Surely they’re not that rare!” exclaimed Ron.
“Well, in the 5th century there was a revolt against the makers of the sorcerer’s stone. Many stones were destroyed, and the art lost.” She explained.
“What?! Why?”
“Immortality scared people. Just like magic scares Muggles, I guess.” She said thoughtfully and philosophically.
“People fear what they can’t comprehend.” Said Harry quietly.
“Well I guess the kind of people that seek immortality are the kind of people you don’t want around forever.” Said Ron and Hermione nodded.
“Exactly.” They looked at Harry. They were all thinking the same thing. They were thinking about the last person that had tried to get hold of one of the stones. They were quiet for a while.
“Well, anyway, according to the book, the makers of these stones…” she held up the rock in her hand “…date back to the time of the Ancient Egyptian, and that’s just what’s on record. No one alive today actually knows how they’re made, and analysis of the stone produced very confusing results. No one can figure them out.” She said, with a frown.
“How is that possible? They must at least be able to tell what’s in the rock, even if they can’t get a reading for the structure.” Said Harry, much to everyone’s amazement. They stared at him, and he shrugged sheepishly.
“I liked my science teacher, ok?” they grinned and Ron winked at Hermione. She hesitated then grinned back.
“Well, you’re right.” Said Hermione, still grinning. “Technically, even Muggles should be able to analyse the stone, but for some reason, the tests come up all scrambled. Every test done on the stones has produced different results, even tests on the same sample.” The boys looked astonished.
“That’s magic for you.” Said Ron folding his hands behind his bed and leaning back against the pillow.
“Quite.” Harry handed the rock to Ron who turned it over in his hands, bouncing it in his palm.
“So what else did the book tell you?” he asked her.
“Hang on, I‘ll go and get the book.” She said, getting up.
“You took it out of the library?” asked Harry in slight disbelief.
“Well that book has proven useful before now…besides, I wanted to read a passage from it to you.” She said with a mild huff of indignation and disappeared through the door. Harry and Ron grinned after her, waiting for her to leave earshot before speaking.
“Well, at least she’s her old self again.” Said Ron, smiling. Harry could tell he was relieved. Ron had been dreading his first encounter with Hermione since the incident earlier on. Hermione had been in a foul mood earlier but seemed to have calmed down considerably. Harry suspected hitting the books had cleared her head, and maybe she’d even realised that Ron’s outburst had been due to how much he cared.
“You two seem ok.” Harry said slowly. Cautiously, Ron nodded.
“I hope so.” He said quietly. Harry began rummaging under the bed and pulled out the Arinella case. Carefully he removed the crystal jar and handed it to Ron.
“Look closely in that. Notice anything different?” Ron turned it carefully over in his hands, peering into the silvery depths of the wispy fluid inside.
“Blimey, what is it?” he asked in awe as the red sphere came into view. It danced gently with the other silver spheres, clinging close to the sides of its confinement, almost as though staring back at Ron who gazed at it raptly.
“It appeared the night Hermione was attacked. Ginny found it. Wait a minute…” Harry seemed startled.
“What?” asked Ron.
“Before…it was mental. Dashing around the Arinella like a wild thing, colliding with anything in its path.” Harry told him. They both stared into the Arinella with interest. The red sphere seemed to have lost interest in Ron and was dancing aimlessly through the silver mist.
“Weird.” Said Ron, pointlessly as they continued to stare. Then suddenly, and without warning, the blood-red sphere darted at the side of the jar with such force, Ron felt the Arinella jerk slightly in his grasp.
“What the bl…blimey.” He corrected himself to stop himself cursing. “It’s gone nutso.” He cried. Harry stared in shock as the previously serene sphere dashed around the jar insanely, thrashing the sides of the crystal powerfully. Ron increased the strength of his grip. They were so busy staring at the bizarre occurrence they didn’t hear Hermione come in with the book.
“What’s going on, what’s wrong?” she called, as the sphere launched itself at the sides of the Arinella with such force that Ron nearly dropped it. Harry grabbed it too, to help steady it. Hermione stared in amazement at the spectacle before her.
“Let’s put it back, I can barely hold it.” Said Harry, and Ron helped him put it back in the case. Harry locked it shut and shoved it back under the bed. The three of them stared at each other with a mixture of alarm and confusement.
“That’s what it was like when Ginny and I found it the other night.” Hermione raised an eyebrow. “The red sphere appeared the night you were attacked. My guess is they’re connected.” Explained Harry.
“But the Arinella collects dreams. That…thing…seemed to be alive. It was reacting to something.”
“Chemicals react, they’re not alive.” Said Ron and Hermione took in his words, thinking them over.
“True.” She said thoughtfully.
“It was calm when we first got it out, then it went ape.” Said Harry.
“And you say it was acting violently the other night too?” she asked.
“Yeah, just before me and Ginny came to visit you.” He answered. Ron sniggered and Harry and Hermione stared at him in surprise.
“What’s so funny?” asked Hermione a little aggravated.
“Oh nothing, I was just thinking…maybe it just doesn’t like women.” He said and he and Harry both burst into laughter. Hermione scowled, but couldn’t make it last and her face bloomed into a grin.
It was a wonderful way to start the term. After everything that had happened, going to class felt strange, but they would have chosen any lesson over this to start the new Semester. Professor Trelawney was on top form. Doom and gloom were on the forecast and she was the weather satellite. Even Lavender and Parvati – her favourite students - were headed for a disastrous year, and so when Professor Trelawney passed straight over him and on to telling Neville he was in for a shock involving the past, Harry was rather worried. He stared wide-eyed at the Professor, with a rather nervous expression on his face. She had practically ignored him.
“I can’t stand it. I don’t feel safe unless she’s predicting my death.” He said quietly to Ron who sniggered. He was only half joking. For the last three years Professor Trelawney had dramatically and tragically told Harry that he was headed for a horrible and terrible death. Every year she had been proved wrong. So Murphy’s Law pretty much stated that if she thought he was going to be all right, something horrible was going to happen. Ron sniggered again.
“Well, buddy, looks like this is it. You’re a goner.” Harry laughed with him, but couldn’t help but feel a little apprehensive.
“Maybe he prediction is that something so horrible is going to happen, she hasn’t got the guts to tell you.” Ron suggested.
“Her only joy is telling people they’re going to suffer…she’s probably waiting until the entire class is listening.” Harry whispered back and they both sniggered, just a little too loudly so that Professor Trelawney spun around to look at them through her scary glasses, which made her look bug-eyed. They tried to stop their sniggering, but the sight of her huge-looking eyes and a small whisper of “gold-fish bowl” from Dean sent them into more fits of giggles. She glided over to them, hovering almost a foot from the ground and glared down at them.
“You two would not be so jovial if you had seen what I have.” She said in a hissing, dramatic voice. ‘Here we go’ thought Harry. He waited for the lecture about how horribly he was going to die, but instead she turned and glided over to her armchair. Ron stared at him in surprise.
“Well, at least she said something…you might live through the year after all.” They both sniggered again, though a little more quietly.
“Welcome back to another year, class…though some are lucky to be here at all.” Her humungous eyes flitted in their direction and Ron rolled his eyes. “This year we shall broach a new method of fortune telling. The Runes have been used for thousands of years as a way of communication and for the telling of the future.” She informed them and Harry and Ron exchanged a startled and interested look. At last a divination technique that interested them.
“Hermione will be annoyed she missed this.” Whispered Harry. Ron grinned.
“Nah, give her a book about them and she’ll be foretelling our futures over the dinner table tonight.” They both grinned.
“What a load of rubbish!” she exclaimed at the top of her voice making a few heads turn.
“Well that’s just what she told…” began Ron, but was cut off.
“It’s rubbish. Runes are just a form of communication. Only phonies like use them for fortune telling.” She insisted. Ron rolled his eyes.
“We agree with you, Hermione, we’re just telling you what she said.” Explained Harry, calmly. Hermione seemed to calm down a little.
“Honestly, though, I don’t know why you didn’t quit that class years ago.” She said, her eyes still burning.
“Because if we did, we’d be a class short.” Said Ron chewing a piece of bread he’d dunked in his soup. It was tomato and he had splashes on his chin that matched his hair.
“Hmmm.” Mumbled Hermione, grumpily. “So, Harry, how are you dying this year?” she asked, a slight glint of amusement in her eyes.
“Oh he’s not!” said Ron, spattling more soup down his chin. Hermione looked at him in surprise. “She didn’t say a word to him until she heard us laughing, and then she was really vague. I think she only said it to shut us up.” He finished, as Ginny chuckled and handed him a napkin to wipe his face.
“She’s probably given up. Sick of being proved wrong all the time.” Ginny suggested and Hermione snorted and nodded her head in agreement.
The conversation ended there when there was a squeal from the Ravenclaw table followed by a chorus of high-pitched screams and yells as the Ravenclaw students jumped out of their seats and ran from the table in terror. The entire Hall turned to gape in astonishment trying to see what the fuss was about. To Harry’s horror, he saw that the only student left at the table was Sharon. She was standing paralysed on the spot in the middle of the table. Surrounding her, winding around and around her legs was the largest, most enormous, and yet somehow familiar snake Harry had ever seen. In a moment, the Hall seemed to freeze, and Harry felt like he existed outside of time itself. Everything was happening in slow motion. Snape moved quickly to the head of the Slytherin table and glared at his students. Harry followed his gaze and saw smirking Goyle, Crabbe and Stephen Casey. Could they have been behind this? A whimper from Sharon drew his attention back. The snake was circling her, imprisoning her in its coils. He looked up to the head table in despair. Dumbledore was standing tall, fixing Harry with a meaningful stare, and Harry knew.
Amongst the madness and the mayhem, panicked teachers and students, Harry remained calm. He walked slowly to the Ravenclaw table and spoke in a voice only one other being in the room could understand.
“Let her go.”
The serpent blinked slowly at him, but did not move.
“Release her.” The mighty snake’s eyes narrowed, but the monstrous length of body began to slowly unwind from the terrified girl’s legs. It hissed back at Harry who stared at it in astonishment. Other students were giving Harry nervous glances now. All they could hear from him and the snake was a series of hissing sounds that meant nothing at all to them. With another hiss, the enormous creature slid from the table and slithered with graceful speed and power from the Hall.
The moment the snake had disappeared and the people in the Great Hall had collected their nerves, the silence started. No one spoke, not even a whisper. But all eyes were on him. The only movement was Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick carrying an almost hysterical Sharon from the table and out through the tiny back room to the right of the head table. Harry swore he could have heard a pin drop. It was terrifying. He felt like he’d been standing there forever, alone. He felt like he was standing at the centre of a circle with everyone else standing on the outside. His stomach flipped and twisted, rising up into his throat. He couldn’t move; couldn’t think of a way to leave.
He almost jumped when he felt a hand on his. It was Hermione. He felt another hand take his other free one and saw Ginny smiling at him. Ron fell in behind them, as did the twins, Lee, Angelina, and Alicia. Harry breathed again, as they all looked around at the rest of the room, daring them to say anything. Slowly and deliberately, they all walked proudly from the room. He could feel all eyes on them, as the small party walked together. Then, one by one the remaining Gryffindors left their places and boldly followed, like a slow funeral procession they filed out of the Hall and together followed the shadow-swept corridors to the secret location of the common room.
For the rest of the day, everyone, except Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall, Ron and Hermione, avoided Harry. Even the noble Gryffindor students that had dared disapproval from their Hufflepuff, Slytherin, and more importantly, Ravenclaw friends to join their Seeker as he exited the Hall. Harry had never loved his housemates so much in that moment, when loyalty won over pride and fear.
But now the fear had taken over. They all knew that he was a parselmouth, of course, but knowing it, and accepting it were two very different things. After all, parselmouths were generally associated with particularly nasty wizards and witches. Those who knew him well knew that Harry only had the gift because Voldemort had accidentally passed it onto him when his death-curse had backfired 14 years ago. But to those who were ignorant of this, Harry’s gift was something to fear.
Whispers followed him everywhere. All through Transfiguration people avoided eye contact and seemed constantly apprehensive in his presence. It was distracting to the point that he turned a glass ornament into a living, breathing lizard, which only made things worse. To his surprise, Professor McGonagall was sympathetic and ignored the incident almost entirely.
Dinner was quiet though his friends tried to keep conversation going. He was still plagued by whispers, and though he tried hard to block them out, he could not. He was relieved when their attentions were drawn from him when Professor Dumbledore rose from his chair and brought silence to the room.
“Children…this morning’s events have all been in our minds, I know. However, thank you to Mr. Potter, the danger is passed.” He smiled briefly in Harry’s direction and Harry felt relief. “His gift has probably saved the life of an innocent young girl, and possibly others.” Harry swallowed. As grateful as he felt towards Dumbledore, he didn’t like remembering what had happened. He had reason to fear, especially after what the creature had told him. “The creature that attacked Miss Casey was extremely dangerous. I understand that it has taken refuge in the Forest, and so I stress that until it has been dealt with, The Forest and the grounds surrounding the perimeter are out of bounds. Travel around in groups: that is most important. And remember, snakes have a love of water, so stay away from the lake.” Dumbledore continued. Harry’s mind was spinning. Something was nagging at him. There was something very, very wrong. How on earth had the snake got into Hogwarts? He didn’t see how it was possible. Had someone brought it in? And what had it meant by its last words to him? They were what was worrying him. He felt Ron nudge him.
“You ok, mate?” Harry nodded unsurely, before whispering back.
“It’s just…how did it get in? What was it doing here?”
“I think we’ve all been wondering that.” whispered Hermione from the other side of the table.
“I hate grass snakes, let alone great big brutes like that.” Whispered Ginny who had also been listening.
“That’s ok, sis. Stick with Harry, and he can send them away.” Grinned George. Harry suddenly realised that their private conversation wasn’t so private, when he caught Ginny blushing slightly at George’s comment. He smiled at her and was grateful when she returned the smile.
Harry suddenly realised he’d been so caught up in everyone’s treatment of him during the day, he’d completely forgotten about Sharon. He quickly looked over to the Ravenclaw table and to his relief she was there. Looking a little pale, but she was there all the same.
She was hanging on Dumbledore’s every word with earnest. She turned and caught his eye. To his relief she smiled and waved to him. He smiled back, grateful that she at least was not afraid of his ‘gift’. Cho was sitting next to her, and Harry notice that the Ravenclaw seeker had her arm around Sharon’s shoulder in a motherly fashion. Without intending to, their eyes locked for a moment or two. Harry felt strange. Cho smiled briefly, though her eyes were hard to read. Harry felt uncomfortable even though he was sure he didn’t feel the way he had about her. But still, she was beautiful. His head felt heavy with confusion. He swallowed and forced himself to break eye contact, instead moving his attention to the head table again. His eyes were drawn to Professor Snape. Harry frowned. The man looked positively glum. Not moody or angry. He looked miserable. His head was bowed over his plate, turning sideways glances to Dumbledore as he reminded the school about the gathering for Cedric on Wednesday.
He looked at Ron to see if he’d noticed the interest he’d shown in Cho worried in case he thought he’d passed Ginny over for his old flame. But Ron wasn’t paying any attention. He had his own flame to gaze at. Hermione of course was oblivious, as she was rabbiting away to Ginny about Runes and the ‘rubbish’ Professor Trelawney had been filling people’s heads with. Ginny was clearly uninterested and was miserably picking at her food with a heavy sigh. He wondered what was bugging her, besides Hermione’s ranting of course.
Dumbledore had finished speaking and before he knew it, dinner was over. They left the Hall together, and were just turning to head off to the common room, when a familiar voice came to their ears.
“Harry! Wait a minute.” Harry swallowed hard when he saw Cho pushing her way through the crowd of Gryffindor students to reach him. Avoiding eye contact with his friends, Harry smiled as naturally as he could as she approached them.
“Hi.” He said as breezily as he could. Cho looked uncomfortably at Ron, Hermione and the others before speaking.
“Er, Harry, could I have a word?” she paused “In private.” He looked at Ron who looked surprised and mildly suspicious, and Hermione who looked entirely indifferent.
“Er, ok.” He said awkwardly. Cho smiled gratefully as the others turned and headed up the staircase.
“Can we walk outside? It’s quiet out there.” She asked, and he nodded.
She was right, it was quiet and peaceful outside in the grounds. The evening was similar to the previous one, although when he scanned the sky, no silver Kestrel flew above them. It seemed Dumbledore’s speech had scared everyone into staying inside, as the grounds were deserted and for a while, they walked in silence. The sun was slowly setting on their backs and Harry felt warm. Cho had once been taller than him, but now he stood a good three inches above her. He felt uncomfortable, not wanting to speak. Eventually, as they rounded to corner and the lake came into view, the sun sparkling on the surface, Cho spoke.
“It’s a couple of things really.” He remained silent, allowing her to continue. “Firstly, I’m worried about Sharon.” Harry looked up in surprise.
“I didn’t realise you were friends.” He said, looking at her questioningly. She smiled.
“Yeah well…I think we both needed a friend.” She said quietly. Harry studied her profile. Now they were at an angle to the sun, her features were in shadow. Her pale skin was even paler than usual, and a faint grey tinge had appeared around her dark eyes. Her dark, shiny hair had somehow lost its bounce and the spirit had gone out of her movements. He couldn’t help but wonder whether she would be much use as a seeker right now. She’d lost the sparkle he’d seen in her eyes she’d had the first time he’d really noticed her. The time she’d nearly knocked him off his broom. He felt a lump in his throat and looked quickly away from her, and out across the sparkling lake.
“It’s just…you see, she isn’t making many friends.” She paused “In fact she hasn’t made any. If she didn’t have you guys, she’d be alone.” Harry hadn’t realised.
“Well it’s only the first day back. It takes time.” He said, hopefully. Cho shook her head.
“They think she’s a freak or something.”
“But why? Just because she was moved up a year?” he couldn’t believe it was that. So she was clever, so what? She was a Ravenclaw, she was meant to be clever.
“I think…they’re afraid of her, Harry. She’s an extremely talented witch. She can perform spells even I have problems with. The others think she’s a show off and a freak.” She finished. Harry was finding it hard to take in. He really needed to talk to Sharon, as soon as possible. He waned to know exactly what had been happening for the last two years. What exactly had she been taught, and to what level?
“I’ll talk to her. Her aunt’s been teaching her, but I don’t know what.” He said, and Cho nodded.
“Yeah, the one in Romania, I know. She talks about her all the time. She seems really proud of her.” Said Cho and her face lit up in a smile briefly, and Harry smiled too. But he felt no flutter of butterflies in his stomach, no light-headedness. And in that instant he realised that he was truly over Cho. It had been a crush, and nothing more. He barely knew the girl after all. This was probably the most they’d ever talked since he’d first met her, and as they walked together in the evening sun, he found himself thinking of Ginny.
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