Ron and Harry followed the path around the lake for a while before heading back up to the castle. Harry still had one more class to attend, a private one. When they entered the common room, the bushy brown hair belonging to one Hermione Granger could be found behind an immense stack of books and parchments.
“I’ll go and help her.” Ron shook his head in dismay and made his way over to the teetering stacks. “Catch you at dinner, we have Quidditch plans to arrange.”
“Yeah, sure.” Harry continued up to the dormitory to drop his books off. By the time he had made it back down to the common room, Ron had plunged right into the thick of it. He was busy explaining something about ancient runes, or at least that’s all Harry could make out before sneaking out through the portrait door unnoticed as their heads bobbed in and out of view above the books.
Harry found himself at the foot of the gargoyle marking the entrance to the Headmaster’s office. Unfortunately, he’d forgotten to find out what the password was. Actually, it didn’t even occur to him until now.
“Okay,” Harry mumbled to himself, “it’s usually some sort of candy, so which is it this time?”
He sputtered aloud through every known password that Dumbledore has used in the past and mentally checked them off with the succulent treats that lined the wall of Honeydukes. Whatever‘s left could be a viable candidate.
“Bogus Whizzbees,” a voice came from behind him.
Harry turned to see the Headmaster smiling at him.
“It’s a new product, Harry, one I’m quite fond of actually, manufactured by Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes, although I admire your reasoning and deductions in trying to figure out the password.” Dumbledore smiled as he ushered Harry up the spiral staircase.
When they reached the top, Harry let himself in. Looking around, he saw that everything was in order and not a hint remained of the way he left it last June, not that Harry expected Dumbledore to leave his office in ruins. Feeling ashamed of what he had done, he stood behind one of the chairs in front of Dumbledore’s desk and fixed his gaze to the floor.
“Please Harry, have a seat.” Dumbledore gently stroked an aging Fawkes before taking his own seat behind the old mahogany desk.
“Now, where should we begin..? Ah, yes.” Dumbledore said as he looked up at Harry. “I’m guessing you have some questions of your own?”
Harry did have a few questions for his Headmaster, “Why are you teaching me Occlumency now? Is it safe, you know, the reason why you didn’t want to teach me last year?”
“Nothing is without risks, Harry.” The elderly wizard leaned forward resting his forearms on the edge of his desk. “But some risks are worth the taking as the results of not acting on them would be far greater.”
“It is important that you become a superb Legilimens, you’ve already displayed a great aptitude for it.” A wry smile broke across Dumbledore’s face. “As far as Voldemort is concerned, I will try to protect the both of us to the best of my abilities. Do you have any other questions?”
“Um, no. Not right now.” Harry steeled his resolve; he would try his best to do whatever was asked of him.
“Good, lets start then.” Dumbledore smiled and relaxed back into his magenta chintz chair as Harry tried to clear his mind.
Harry had learnt more about Occlumency in one hour with Dumbledore than he did the entire time he suffered through ‘Remedial Potions’ with Snape. Dumbledore had a way of guiding him through the required steps, explaining why and how it all works. It was much easier to clear his thoughts when he knew how to successfully do so. He decided that it was a lot like packing his trunk for school. Memories were scattered everywhere, just like his belongings, and he needed to pick them up and properly put them in variously labeled trunks so that he could find them when he had to or lock them up altogether. Dumbledore had instilled a sense of hope in him. The hope that he might one day be able to completely block all unwanted intrusions by his depraved equal - after all, it was Voldemort who marked him as such.
With his head swimming slightly, he made his way down to the Great Hall where dinner was being served. Harry found his friends in their usual spots; Ron had saved a seat next to him as they had Quidditch details to discuss. Ron seemed to be enjoying himself as fellow teammates and house members congratulated him on his captaincy. Hermione, Harry noticed, seemed to take in all the interruptions in stride and even showed a bit more interest in the game itself. After going over the pitch schedule with Ron, it was hard to decided when to hold practices that wouldn’t conflict with homework and future D.A. meetings, Harry felt the absence of a quick witted red head.
“Where’s Ginny?” He asked looking down the table of dining students.
“Oh, she’s probably with Dean.” Ron took another bite, swallowed, and started questioning the dates and times he had picked to reserve the pitch.
“What?” Harry caught sight of Dean as he leaned in from the table on the other side of Seamus and Colin Creevey.
“Ron, did you say something?”
Ron had just taken an enormous bite of steak and kidney pie so Hermione answered Dean’s question. “No, we just thought that Ginny was with you,” Catching the desperate expression on Harry’s face, she continued. “Do you know where she is?”
“I left her in the common room, she said she was going to grab a bite later.” Dean shrugged and returned to his conversation with Seamus. Harry had to try hard to hide his irritation of yet another lack interest towards his girlfriend.
“I’m sure she’s fine, mate.” Ron said under his breath, trying to reassure him.
“Ginny probably has a lot of homework, I’m sure that’s it.” Hermione stated, “Remember all the work we had when we started our fifth year.”
“What, like we don’t have a lot of work to do now?” Ron mocked at Hermione; he had only just pulled her out of her own tar pit of studies to get her to come down to dinner.
Harry stared absently at the platter of roasted chicken that lay in front of him, his mind was racing along with his heart. Now he had to figure out how he was going to leave dinner without drawing too much attention as to why, Ron and Hermione would understand but Dean was another matter.
“Uh, I don’t feel so good.” It was the best he could come up with, “I’ll catch you two later.” Harry excused himself and headed straight for the giant doors only looking back to find Malfoy and his cronies dining at the Slytherin table.
He hurried along the corridor as fast as he could without breaking into a jog, his robes billowing behind him as his steps quickened to match his heart rate. His hands were sweating, he had unintentionally balled them into fists as he took the stairs two at a time, and all the while Malfoy’s words and Ginny’s screams for help reverberating through his mind.
“Skiving Snackboxes” Harry told the Fat Lady before he reached the last step so that he could walk straight through the portrait hole without stopping to wait.
Once inside the common room, he quickly glanced around for Ginny. His heart skipped a beat as he ran to peer over the couch in front of the fireplace. She wasn’t there. ‘The map!’ he thought as he ran up the stairwell to his dormitory. Harry tore open the lid of his trunk and jammed his hand down the right side and across the bottom underneath the folds of his dress robes where he felt the softness of the well used parchment he had been looking for.
Harry swore the Marauder’s oath as he touched it with the tip of his wand. He unfolded the layers out onto his bed before all the ink had appeared to get a better view of the castle and the grounds. Knowing that she wasn’t in the common room or the great hall, his eyes went immediately to the many corridors and staircases that Hogwarts possessed, disappointment and panic built up as he had not yet found her name.
“Come on Ginny, where are you?” He said aloud to himself as he continued to frantically scan the third floor.
Giving up his current area of the search, he decided to start from where he was and work outward from there. To his relief and embarrassment, he had found her. Ginny was coming down the stairs leaving the girls dormitory, she was not more than thirty feet away. Turning around and sliding his back along the side of his bed, Harry released a long, slow and steady breath as he landed on the wooden floor, his knees propping up the rest of his slumped body as the last gasp of air had left him.
“What was I thinking?” He let his head fall back as if addressing the question to someone above him.
After taking a few moments to regain his composure, he got up off the floor and watched as Ginny made her way down to the great hall to catch the last vestiges of dinner. When he saw that she had made it safely to the Gryffindor table, muttered ‘Mischief Managed’ and put the useful device away, making sure to tuck it into the fold of his dress robe. It occurred to him how important it was to have the tools, the weapons he needed, readily organized and available at a moments notice. ‘There is a lot to learn from Dumbledore, the greatest wizard in the world,’ he thought.
Harry vainly tried to at least make a dent into the mountain of homework he’d been assigned after only two days of term; his four-poster was strewn with books and crumpled parchment. Not wanting to answer questions from his friends about his sudden illness at dinner, it was as good an excuse as any. Finally, he gave up the battle and drifted off to sleep but not before devising a plan to keep a better eye on Ginny.
..................................................................
Wednesday came and went rather uneventfully. More homework had been added to the pile and the three of them dove in headfirst. It wasn’t so bad to do the assignments and essays, they learned quite a lot about subjects that always interested them. McGonagall said that they would be learning the theory of Apparation and Disapparation before moving onto its practical use as most of them would be coming of age in the coming year.
Professor Flitwick, though still reviewing last year’s charms, outlined briefly the course schedule for the fall and winter terms. Hermione wasn’t the only one who eagerly anticipated learning the advanced spells, Harry and Ron agreed that a few of the charms could come in handy during particular situations and just might find themselves on the D.A.’s to-do list.
“I’d love to see Malfoy get away from that.” Ron whispered in Harry’s ear as they watched their professor charm a quill to chase after a frolicking chair. In the end, the quill had imbedded itself dead center into the back of the chair.
Thursday afternoon was finally here. It was their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class and Harry was looking forward to reuniting with Lupin. The class started off on an unusual note as Professor Lupin invited questions from his students pertaining to his being a werewolf.
“I want to start the year off on the right foot. I know that many of you have questions in regards to me and my condition.” Lupin took a seat on the edge of his desk. “Maybe if we could understand each other better, we can work passed fears and stereotypes and reach a mutual respect. So, are there any questions?”
After the initial discomfort of answering such personal questions with his students, Professor Lupin was quite up-front on how living as a werewolf had affected his life. That seemed to spark off a lively debate on werewolves, vampires, centaurs, giants, house elves and other similar creatures. It was like a History of Magic class minus the constant droning of Professor Binns, in other words, it was exciting and informative. Ron was able to keep Hermione and her S.P.E.W. down to a minimum with a few well-placed looks and questions of his own. They were both sure that she would have the run of the discussion if not.
When class was over; Harry, Hermione, and Ron congratulated Professor Lupin on delivering a brilliant lesson. The trio gained even more respect for their professor and friend. Bowing out of the impromptu gathering after class, Harry hurried to the Headmaster’s office - he didn’t want to keep Dumbledore waiting.
...............................................................
The only good thing about Friday was the fact that it preceded Saturday. Lunch hour was an unhappy affair due to the impending doom and gloom of the dungeons and Professor Snape, two hours of sneers, jeers, and greasy hair.
At the table, Luna drifted in and out of what seemed to be a one-sided conversation with Neville who sat looking positively morbid as she twittered way.
“Neville, what’s the matter?” Ginny asked, noticing his doleful stupor.
“Potions, Double Potions.... with Snape.” He answered remorsefully. “Don’t ask-“
“Why?” Ginny had finished his sentence.
“Yeah, why would you want to take Potions?” Ron cringed as Neville’s face fell even further.
“We all remember your boggart from third year, Neville.” Hermione said consolingly.
“None of us want to take it either, but-“ Harry joined the consultation.
“We have to.” Neville interrupted, sighed and released his fork, which hit his plate with a clink, concluding that eating would only make matters worse.
“He’s going to be a great Healer someday.” Luna sounded as dreamy as ever as she took hold of Neville’s forkless hand. “I just know it.”
The rest of the lunch hour was spent trying to convince Neville that they all shared in his less than enthusiastic attitude towards potions. Hermione, however, was the one to finally convince him that he had to be at least respectable in potions or he would have never made it into Snape’s N.E.W.T. class. Neville proclaimed that it was dumb luck - pure and simple - that he’d even achieved his Outstanding. Chalking it up to the fact that Snape was nowhere to be seen during the exam and that he actually remembered studying the ingredients in Herbology, the one class he excelled in.
The moment had arrived as Snape strode ominously to the front of the class where he stopped and maliciously glared at the students before him, his beady eyes lingering on Neville and before finally resting on Harry.
“I expect that most of you are here through your own merits, some of you, amazingly enough, have not been weeded out by the examination board.” Directing he next remark toward Harry, he continued. “Perhaps one’s reputation polluted the purity of the examination results.” Snape’s voice seethed with venom. “Surely I was mistaken, fame is everything.”
Harry only returned the look of disgust as he sat defiantly at the table with Ron. He could hear the stifled snorts from Draco and Pansy who were enjoying the public humiliation at his expense. Taking deep calming breaths to keep his surging anger at bay, he was determined to win the first battle. He wasn’t going to let Snape rile him to the point of detention on the first day.
“No matter, I expect those of you who are lacking the necessary levels of concentration needed for the intricate complexities of advanced potions to come begging me to excuse you from class.” Narrowing his gaze over the students he added with a twisted smile. “Sadly, you’ll be mistaken. I will not ease your suffering.” Snape whirled around making his way to the blackboard.
There was a collective gasp as the chills of dread and tension weighted the air of the dungeon. Ron dared to whisper to Harry out the side of his mouth, “And he’s on our side?”
“Now, lets separate the truly gifted from the fold.” He turned to the blackboard as he watched his next words magically write themselves up across it. “The Polyjuice Potion”
The students worked feverishly to keep up with the blackboard, as the ingredients needed flashed across the smooth surface. “I doubt any of you would be able to properly brew the shape shifting potion, but none-the-less I know some of you possess the arrogance and ignorance to believe that you could. Today, we will be working only in theory.”
“I’d say that was the best Potions class we’ve ever had!” Ron was the first to speak as the trio climbed the many staircases out of the dungeon.
“Yeah, I think we’ll get our essays done in record time.” Harry laughed, “We obviously possess the arrogance and ignorance.”
“Maybe we should add a bit about what happens if a person tried to change into a non-human subject.” Hermione poked fun at her own misfortune regarding Millicent Bulstrode’s cat. “Professor Snape would have to give us extra credit for that whether he wants to or not.”
“So, can we have some free time then, Hermione?” Harry mockingly asked for her permission. “It’s Friday after all.”
“Uh, sorry mate... er-we can’t.” Ron looked from Hermione and back to Harry. “We have “erm...”
“Class.” Hermione finished. “We have class with Dumbledore.”
“You have class with Dumbledore? Both of you?” He asked completely perplexed, he’d known all along that something was up, but to have it out in the open seemed to make it all the more real.
“Yes, we both do.” Hermione and Ron exchanged nervous looks.
They had reached the crowded main floor of the castle. Ron and Hermione departed reluctantly from his side after they had said their good-byes, as they walked away towards the Headmaster’s office, Harry was left standing amid the river of passing students with more questions than answers regarding his two best friends.
Back in the common room, he flopped down unceremoniously onto his usual couch next to the fire. Since he had the free time, Harry decided to plan out the D.A. meeting schedule and what he thought would be important lessons. Taking a page out of his professor’s book, he chose to review the more difficult jinxes and hexes they were studying before the summer holidays. The Patronus Charm, Harry thought, they could use the extra work. It was only a matter of time, if it hadn’t happened already, the Dementors would be joining Voldemort.
“Voldemort.” Harry said aloud, staring blankly.
“What about him?”
Harry twitched as he saw who was seated next to him on the couch. “Oh, sorry Ginny. I didn’t know you were there.”
“What about him, Harry?” She asked him again.
“Nothing, you know....” He rambled aimlessly on. “I was just planning out the D.A. meetings and... Ginny, you don’t look so good.”
“Oh, I’m fine. I suppose it’s just a cold or something.” Ginny tried to brush off his curiosity. “Can’t wait for Quidditch practice tomorrow, Ron’s making me try out for Chaser even though he says I’m a shoo in for the position.”
Ginny got up from the couch, grabbed her book bag off the floor and added, “He really needs to find a couple of solid Beaters though, I wouldn’t fancy a Bludger to the back of my head from another team, not to mention my own. See you at dinner, Harry.” And with that she left him for the dormitory.
It was midnight before Harry left the common room. He and Ron had played a few games of Wizards’ Chess while Hermione buried herself in yet another crusty, ancient looking book. Ginny who, Harry noticed, was still looking a bit paler than usual, sat with Dean and his friends shortly before excusing herself to an early retirement. ‘Quidditch tryouts tomorrow, boys.” Harry heard her say before Ron’s cheers of victory drowned her out. With his mind more on Ginny than they game, Ron had taken out his unprotected queen. He wanted to talk with her again, but reluctantly observed from a distance.
After quietly pulling on his pajamas, Harry wished Ron goodnight. He took his glasses off his face and rubbed his tired eyes and the bridge of his nose, his hand pressing against his forehead before letting his fingers run through the tangled mess of black hair. Harry sat his folded glasses on his nightstand and reach up for the curtain of his four-poster. He tugged the left closed, and then reached for the right. It was being stubborn so Harry had to give it an extra jerk. When it finally came free, he fell back onto his pillow as his out-stretched arm nearly knocked off Neville’s plant from his nightstand.
Finally finding peace within the crimson velvet walls, Harry drifted off to sleep. Sometime during the night, Harry woke up suddenly as a foreign swelling of fear and sadness filled him. He had been dreaming with Ginny.
A/N: Three cheers for Betas Whizzbee and Bogus. (I have to selfishly cheer myself, this was a hard chapter to put together...) Up next, Fly, this was the fastest, easiest chpt. to date. (Considering the last two just about sent me to the Loony bin.) I like it and hope you do too. It’s a bit fluffy... Chpt. 10 is almost complete, we’ll be getting down to business. Thanks to my faithful reviewers...