Harry and Ron entered the fumy Divination room with little enthusiasm. Loosening his tie as the usual heat wave hit him, Harry found his seat next to the window. Professor Trelawney then came sweeping in with that unique mysterious spookiness.
“Welcome back class,” she said in her dreamy voice as she put on her overtly large glasses. Parvati and Lavender were the only ones who responded to her.
“Today we will be studying the subconscious mind,” she whispered while moving her hands in slow circles around her face. “Who will tell me what your subconscious is?” she asked as she finally stopped making circles and brought her long fingers together.
Parvati’s hand shot up into the air as she made “ooh ooh ooh!” noises.
“Yes Miss Patil?” Professor Trelawney asked with a smile and a sideways nod.
“Our subconscious mind is the place where everything that’s happened to us, our whole past, no matter a big thing or small thing, rests. Whether we know it or not, it affects our everyday lives and makes us do the things we do.”
“Excellent,” the Professor exclaimed ecstatically, clapping her hands high in the air. “The subconscious most commonly surfaces amidst our dreams, but today, we will be studying when and why it comes out during our waking hours,” she said mystically.
Ron gave Harry a bemused look. Harry stifled a laugh and continued his gaze out the window, only half paying attention to the mental Professor. Ron had already begun planning what he was going say was in his subconscious mind; the key part of it being that everything had to lead to some sort of gruesome death.
“You will get into partners and list events that have happened to you in the past week which triggered weird behavior. Your homework is to list events that have happened this week and predict what will happen next week,” Professor Trelawney announced before she retired in her chair to observe the class.
Harry sighed and looked back at Ron, who was scribbling hastily on his sheet of parchment.
“What are you doing Ron?” Harry asked, surprised that his best friend was so interested in this assignment.
Ron chuckled. “Just you wait…” and he kept writing, making weird faces while at it.
Harry lazily pulled out his bag and retrieved a single sheet of parchment. He played around with his quill a little before actually writing anything down. He looked up and jumped as he saw two magnified eyes watching him carefully.
“Prof…Professor, is there a problem?” he stuttered.
“Mister Potter, why is your paper blank?” she questioned negatively, placing a long fingernail on his parchment.
“I…I was…,” Harry began, but decided to go the dramatic route out, “Oh Professor! I was overcome by memories of the horrible events of last week and shocked to realize how they have affected me…and now…now I am too ashamed and shaken to write anything just yet…” He looked up hopefully at Professor Trelawney. She smiled and patted him on the back.
“Very good Harry, this is exactly why we are doing this lesson. You must not be too hard on yourself for your past mistakes. I am glad you have mastered the objective and will hopefully be able to prevent the same faults for next week.”
Ron was completely red from holding in loud fits of laughter as Trelawney floated away. Harry smiled and winked at him before returning to his paper.
**
Hermione walked down the hall with her wand out in defense. She kept every eye open for movement as she stealthily turned a corner. Three more hallways until you reach the Slytherin dungeons, she told herself. Hermione looked behind her to make sure no one was following her or suddenly appearing out of vortexes. As she neared the Slytherin portrait hole, she saw a body lying motionless on the ground. Recognizing the platinum blonde head, she ran to Draco and knelt down beside him. She put a hand to his forehead to check his temperature. Everything seemed to be fine. Using her wand, she cast the levitation spell on Draco and floated him down to the hospital wing.
Madam Pomfrey greeted her warmly and took Draco into her care.
“What happened?” she asked, finding nothing wrong with the boy.
“I don’t know. I found him unconscious in front of the Slytherin dungeons.”
The nurse frowned and checked a couple more places around Draco’s body. “He seems perfectly fine to me. Are you sure he’s not pulling off another prank?”
Hermione gave Draco a hard punch on the arm, and when he made no response, she look back up and confirmed that he wasn’t faking it.
“We’ll let him sleep it off, it may just be exhaustion.”
Hermione nodded, then gave Draco one last concerned look before leaving the room.
**
Draco stirred slightly as a cold metal hand touched him on the forehead. His eyes opened to greet a mass of darkness; his breathing was uncomfortable and ragged, it felt like there was a warm wet blanket covering his whole upper body, making every breath an effort.
“Master, are you okay?” he heard a man ask.
Master? He can’t be talking to me, Draco thought to himself. Letting all his sore bones relax, he fell back into the bliss of unconsciousness.
“What’s going on?” Lucius asked as he watched Lord Voldemort pass out again.
“We were contacting Draco when he suddenly collapsed on the ground,” Wormtail responded worriedly.
Lucius sneered. “Can’t do anything right can you?” he spat, shoving the short plump man out of his way.
“Ennervate!” Lucius cried, pointing his wand at the Dark Lord. Draco was jerked out of his sleep and shoved back into the world; the first thing he saw was his father with his wand pointed at him.
“What are you doing?!” Draco hissed angrily, but paused as he heard his words come out in someone else’s voice. He placed a hand to his throat and felt the ice cold skin he was under. He looked at his hand and realized it wasn’t his. Panicked, Draco looked around, and gasped as he realized who he was now.
He was Voldemort.
**
The bell finally rang as Harry hurriedly shoved his made up list of events into his bag. He was about to leave the room when Professor Trelawney called to him in her mystic voice. Harry sighed and told Ron to go ahead.
He walked back to the Professor and rudely exhaled, “What?!”
Then he took a closer look at his Professor and realized what was happening. She stood rigidly still, her eyes unfocused, and her facial features grave and serious. He looked around the room to make sure everybody had left, then he shut the trap door.
“What is it Professor?” he asked intently.
“DO WHAT YOU ARE AFRAID TO DO,” she said monotonously.
“Thoreau, Professor?” Harry questioned, puzzled as to why his Divinations teacher would be quoting a transcendentalist poet from the nineteenth century.
“NOTHING CAN BRING YOU PEACE BUT YOURSELF. AS THE BATTLE DRAWS NEAR, KNOW YOUR ENEMIES FROM YOUR FRIENDS. THIS IS YOUR FINAL BATTLE…THE BATTLE FOR ALL.”
Professor Trelawney then fell into a lax position. Harry nodded with a look that read “sure, whatever you just said” and was about to turn away when she continued, this time in a softer tone, “Time recognizes untrustworthy strangers, take validity over lies, disregard emotional, moral, or rational tendencies.”
A puzzled utter escaped Harry’s lips.
And his Professor snapped back to her normal self. “Your quill dear, you forgot your quill.”
Harry blinked and looked down at her outstretched hand which did in-fact hold his quill.
“Thank you Professor,” he mumbled as he took the quill and turned to leave.
“What was that?” Ron asked as Harry climbed down the stairs.
“A very, very weird warning,” he replied.
Ron’s eyes widened to the size of tennis balls as he ran to catch up to Harry.
“You mean she did it again?!” he asked amazed.
“Yeah, I think. I‘m going to ask Dumbl…” Harry stopped in his steps. He was about to ask Dumbledore for his advice. His death had finally hit him, Harry took in a large breath, feeling like his lungs had just been robbed. He worked so hard to put it in the back of his mind, tried so hard not to think about Dumbledore.
“Harry, you alright?” Ron asked, putting an arm around his shoulders. “It’s okay Harry, we can figure this one out on our own.”
“He’s gone,” Harry whispered incredulously. “Ron…he’s really gone.”
Ron scrunched up his eyebrows. “Harry…”
“What am I going to do?” Harry half cried.
Ron pulled Harry into a hug and patted him on the back. “Everything’s going to be okay,” he assured, but inside, he was just a lost as Harry. Dumbledore was always their rock to lean on when things got bad, but now that he’s gone…what were they going to do?
They walked back silently to the Gryffindor Tower. It wasn’t until they were in the common room before Harry couldn’t keep quiet anymore.
“Why does it always happen to me?” he screamed at Ron. “I never asked for this, you know. I never wanted to be the boy who lived, I never wanted to be the target of the evilest wizard out there. I just want to be Harry, just me!”
Hermione went downstairs to see what was going on.
“Harry?” she asked timidly.
“What’s wrong with me, Hermione?” he asked desperately, outstretching his arms to her. “Why can’t anything in my life be normal? Why can’t I be happy? I just want to be happy!” He dropped onto the floor and began crying.
Ginny joined Hermione on the stairs. Hermione cupped a hand over her mouth as she watched Harry break down. She felt so badly for him. He never had anything steady in his life, and it’s always just one trauma after another. She looked down as a tear fell from her eye.
“Yes, that’s right,” Harry growled as he saw Hermione sniffle. “Cry for me. Cry me a river. I’m the poor little boy who never knew his parents, never had anything real. I lost everything that mattered to me. Mum, dad, Sirius, Dumbledore, it’s only a matter of time before I lose you guys too. I’m going to have to fight Voldemort soon; but I know I’m going to survive. I always survive. It’s just part of me…I always lose what means the most to me, but I never lose myself.”
“Harry, snap out of this,” Ginny scolded him.
“Harry, snap out of this,” Harry mocked in a high pitched voice.
Ginny scowled and pulled out her wand. “You don’t want us to sympathize for you? That’s not a problem. I lost my father to Voldemort, Harry, but do you see me crying about it?”
“You’re father’s still alive,” Harry forced through clenched teeth.
“No, Harry. That’s the worst part. He may be living, but he’s dead. DEAD!” Ginny shouted hotly.
Harry leaned back as her words slapped him. He looked down speechlessly. “Ginny…I’m sorry. I have no right…”
“No, Harry. I am. I’m sorry you never stopped pitying yourself. It’s time to grow up.”
Harry looked up at the enflamed red head and nodded. He stood up and took in a deep breath to even out his breathing. He looked at Ron and Hermione apologetically.
They nodded understandingly before he said anything. Hermione finished her trip down the stairs and gave Harry a warm hug, soon joined by Ron and Ginny.
**
Voldemort sat up in an unknown bed. He felt so young. Is he reliving his past? He looked around the room and instantly knew where he was. Filled with energy, he jumped off the bed and headed towards the door.
“Mister Malfoy, where do you think you’re going?” Madam Pomfrey questioned, leaning against the doorpost of her office with her arms crossed.
Voldemort stopped in his tracks and looked at the person speaking to him. Malfoy huh? He could definitely work with that. “I’m feeling perfectly fine now ma’am. I think I’ll head back to my room now,” he said with a dashing smile.
The nurse gave him a glare, but nodded since she had no reason to keep him here anyway. Half skipping, Voldemort once again ventured the halls of Hogwarts freely. He jumped randomly, enjoying his new supply of life. He was young again. This time, he was going to live it right.
Coming to the Slytherin portrait hole, he waved his hand and it swung to the side. The Slytherin guardian watched in awe as he was forcefully opened. He immediately ran through paintings to the nearest corner and reported the crime to one of the Order members standing guard.
Voldemort strode straight into Draco’s room and disappeared behind the shelf. He gasped with admiration as he saw his first born son. He picked it up and swung it slightly in his arms.
“My baby,” he whispered lovingly. Then he put down his child and raising both hands into the air, he said, “Vilige!”
At the sound of his voice, every ball in the room burst out a beam of light and cracked their shells. Once freed from their prison, they let out a unified shrilling cry. Voldemort cackled hysterically along with his minions.
**
Draco quickly assumed his character and stood up. Wormtail followed his every move with beady eyes.
“Are you alright master?” Wormtail asked meekly.
“What happened?” Draco asked in a commanding tone.
“You were trying to contact young master Malfoy, but suddenly fell onto the floor,” he explained quickly.
Draco nodded. “All of you are dismissed.”
All the Death Eaters glared at him. He returned their looks and hissed angrily, “Do you have a problem? I said leave!”
Confused, they apparated out of the room. “You too Wormtail,” he added.
“But sir, I never leave your side,” he stammered.
“I SAID…LEAVE!” Draco hollered. Sheesh! What does a man have to do to get some privacy?! Wormtail disappeared in a blink of an eye. Draco strolled around the room and looked at some battle plans that were on the table.
“Like what you see?”
Draco spun around to see himself. Is that what I really sound like? He thought to himself. He quickly brushed away his self-conscious thoughts and glared angrily at Voldemort. “You! What’d you do?”
“I didn’t do this Draco,” Voldemort replied with a grin.
“What do you want?” Draco asked, squinting his eyes.
“Oh yes, that’s right. You forgot our last conversation,” Voldemort thought aloud. “Admone!” he said.
Draco swung back as an invisible wind hit his head. He grabbed the table to break his fall to the ground. After a couple intense seconds, his eyes flashed open, and he no longer saw Voldemort as a threat, but instead as a friend.
**
“The DA meeting is hereby begun,” Harry announced as he launched a white spark into the air. The students quieted down and turn to look at the leader.
“The final battle is drawing near,” Harry declared. “So far, you all know the Patronus spell to ward off Dementors, Binding spell for defense, Summoning charm in case you need something, the Alohomora spell should you run into a locked door, the Colloportus spell to seal a door shut, the Confundus charm to confuse the enemy, most of you know the Conjuring spell, the Cushioning spell, well all the spells you should have learned in class, the Vanishing spell, the Shield charm, and the Disarming spell. We’ve also covered how to break the Imperius curse. Today, we will need to go deeper. The spells that will be used on us will be far more dangerous, far more advanced than those childish spells we learn in class. Today, I am going to teach you the Unforgivable Curses.”
Silence spread across the room like a disease. A couple gasps were heard here and there. Harry laughed at all the shocked faces and said,
“I’m just kidding! I don’t even know them!!”
The kids looked at him like he was sprouting pixies out of his ears. Harry cleared his throat and continued, “Sorry. Bad joke. Had to do that. I will introduce you to a new spell though. We all know that Giants, Werewolves, and Dementors are more than likely going to be on Voldemort’s side this time, so we must prepare. I will show you the Solaris Charm, which conjures the power of the sun; which will hopefully turn the Werewolves back into humans, but I can never be sure. For giants, I expect you all to use the shrinking charm, of course, we’ll be fighting in groups as I don’t expect individuals to pull off a successful curse. If we stick together, I believe we will win.”
A hand rose steadily into the air. “Yes?” Harry asked.
Dee stood up and cleared her throat. “Harry, they need to know the Unforgivable Curses.”
Harry frowned. “Dee, there’s a reason why they’re call ‘Unforgivable’.”
Dee sighed. “You have no idea what we’re up against then, if you think we have a chance without knowing the most effective curses in a duel.”
Harry knew she was right. He looked down in took in a decisive breath. “All right. We’ll take a vote. Majority rules. Who wants to learn the Unforgivable Curses?”
At first only a couple hands went up, but as the students came to realize for themselves that it was for the better most of them raised their hands.
“Okay, that’s it. Dee, would you like to take the stand?” Harry stepped to the side and welcomed her up front.
“What? I’m going to teach them?!” Dee asked in a tone that already said “no”.
“Well, who else?!” Harry replied with a laugh.
Dee looked around nervously and walked up to the front of the room. She looked around some more and felt her stomach swishing around inside her.
“Harry…I’m not really good at this,” she whispered weakly.
“It’s okay, you’ll do fine.” He patted her on the back, which only made her want to retch even more. “Just breathe.”
Dee nodded and closed her eyes. She thought about being in a isolated, quiet place, but then remembered that there was still a group of kids with their eyes nailed on her anyway. Those stupid tricks never work, she thought to herself. Okay, picture them in their underwear….nope, still not working. Her breath quickened. She hated being in front of people, especially when they expected something from her. Finally, she gulped and got on with the show, shaking slightly. Once she successfully conjured a spider, she calmed down and felt immediately better. The students followed her lead and by the end of one hour, half of them had gotten the Cruciatus spell correct.
“Harry, this is going to take forever,” Dee muttered to him under her breath. “The Cruciatus spell is the easiest out of them all, and they’re taking a whole lifetime to learn it!”
Harry shifted slightly in his spot. “What do we do?”
“We have to split the class. Right now, we have to teach those who learn fast everything we can, and those who don’t learn so quickly will have to pray.”
Harry frowned. “I hope your joking,” he said.
“See? Only people who make such horrible jokes can tell when horrible jokes are being told,” she replied happily.
Harry laughed and sighed. “So, seriously, what do we do?”
Dee shrugged. “You’re the mastermind.”
Hermione walked over to them and announced happily, “I can’t do Avada Kedavra!”
“Hermione, that would usually be a good thing, but in this situation, it’s not.”
“Harry! I’m glad I don’t have enough hate in me to perform the killing curse! It’s already bad enough that I could do the Cruciatus and the Imperious Curse with no problem.”
Dee smiled. “Hermione, you’re going to have to perfect that Invisibility charm I was teaching you the other day. Okay?”
Hermione laughed with a nod. Dee returned to the students, trying ever so hard to teach them to be hateful.
“Hey, Hermione, while you’re still here,” Harry said, pulling out a little slip of parchment from his pocket, “Will you take a look at this?”
Hermione took the sheet of paper into her hand. “What is it?”
“Professor Trelawney had another real prediction today. I wrote it down word for word.”
“You memorized this whole thing?!” Hermione exclaimed, impressed. “And you couldn’t even sit down for five minutes to remember what ingredients were required for a Power Increasing potion for last year’s N.E.W.T.s?!”
Harry smiled feebly. “This is more important, so I put more heart to it.”
Hermione rolled her eyes jokingly and read the paper. “Why is she quoting transcendentalists?”
“You noticed that too?!” Harry said with a wide smile.
“Of course. Let’s see here…whoa, what does this last part mean?” She scanned the last sentence again and again.
“There’s something here Harry, I don’t know what it is right now, but I have a feeling this line is the most important of all this gibberish.”
Harry nodded and took back the paper. “Thanks Herm.”
Hermione smiled and walked back to where Ron was working on Avada Kedavra.
**
Draco and Voldemort watched over the hundred or so babies as they conversed about strategies to get into Hogwarts. They planned to force all Death Eaters, cooperative or not, back into the circle, which would in return eliminate their biggest threat, Snape. Draco nodded silently to himself as he went over the foolproof plans again in his head.
“Riddle,” he said absentmindedly as he pried a baby off his leg.
“Yes?” Lord Voldemort returned.
“You need to go back to Hogwarts tonight. They’re holding a DA meeting. So far, I don’t think they know what’s happened between us.”
Voldemort frowned. “What am I supposed to do?”
“Be me. You can do it. Be nice.”
Voldemort laughed. “If you call what you’re doing right now ‘nice’, I can definitely follow.”
Draco snickered. “You know what I mean. Just keep talking like that, and you’ll fit right in. And whatever you do, don’t mess things up between Hermione and me.” He gave Voldemort a warning look.
“You can’t be serious about her Draco!” Voldemort replied alarmed.
Draco looked down at his feet and sighed. “I wish I wasn’t. I try hard not to love her…but it just makes it worse. So be nice to her. Okay?”
Voldemort sighed with a disapproving look and shot himself through a vortex.
**