Disclaimer: The fine tapestry of plot and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling. I am merely pulling threads at will and weaving my own design in counterpoint to hers.
Chapter 45
Friends
Hermione located a large brown envelope and assisted Harry with removing the individual photos from his parents’ album so that they could be taken to the Creeveys. Since they were only attached using small black squares in the corners, it was a relatively simple procedure. She also insisted that they also copy the photo that was framed on Harry’s nightstand.
“There’s no point omitting anything,” she declared.
“Do you think that I could just destroy the album and keep the photos for myself?” Harry suggested with a tiny glimmer of hope.
Hermione smiled sadly as she responded, “Probably not. They were all part of the album when the Horcrux was created. At worst, I suspect the Horcrux would be only partially destroyed if you were to attempt to salvage the photos themselves.”
“Your best bet is to have them copied,” Ron agreed. “That may stop the fading process as well.” Ron held up an old photo that showed James waving from the prow of a brightly colored tugboat and pointed to a white spot in the right corner.
“I always assumed that was just someone’s thumb that had gotten in the way,” Harry confessed with a small shrug.
“Doesn’t happen with wizard photos,” Ron declared. “The subjects are able to magically move out of the way of anything that blocks them. Trust me, were it not so, my family wouldn’t have a single group shot of all of us!”
“Why don’t I go down to the common room below and see if either Dennis or Colin are up yet?” Hermione offered. “We can all go down to breakfast together after that.”
Harry poured them each a cold glass of cider from the side cabinet and breathed a small sigh of thanks that Hermione have been tactful enough to volunteer. Merlin knew, he wasn’t about to make another appearance and have everyone just assume he was looking for Ginny again. Or worse yet, actually encounter her accidentally.
Minutes later, Hermione returned through the sconce with an empty glass in her hand and both Creevey brothers in tow.
“Say, this place is nice!” Colin remarked appreciatively after greeting everyone.
“Something to look forward to if we make it this far,” concurred his brother, Dennis.
“Thanks for agreeing to look at these photos for me,” Harry began as he handed them the envelope. “Some of them may have already begun to deteriorate with time.”
They examined a few of the photos briefly and agreed that it was worth a try.
“Please let me pay you for your efforts,” Harry insisted.
“Only for the chemicals then,” Colin agreed. “This will be a different sort of project for us and you can’t put a price on new knowledge now, can you?”
It proved to be another rare sunny afternoon, so Ron and Hermione immediately seized on the idea of watching the Gryffindor Quidditch team practice. Ginny had rescheduled it from the previous morning to allow for Apparition lessons.
“You go on ahead,” Harry suggested. “I could do with a bit of quiet reading by the lake.”
“Maybe we could get recruited to help them with their skirmishes,” Ron offered hopefully.
“Thanks, Ron, but things were different before,” Harry assured him, thankful that Ron simply nodded in understanding. He didn’t trust himself to continue the conversation much longer before the urge to suggest that Robert help them out instead became unbearable.
The breakthrough that had begun with Bill’s book had revitalized Harry’s effort to do more Horcrux research. He regretted not having returned to the Valley of the Kings book sooner, especially in light of the dog-eared page where he had found the word ‘Horcrux’. Foolishly, he had stuffed that volume into the bottom of his book bag after his confrontation with Ginny at the Burrow, as if the book he’d been reading at the time had somehow been to blame.
He was dressed extra warmly as he made his way down to his favorite rock by the lake. He warmed it with the now familiar spell and settled his back comfortably against the adjoining tree stump. There were lots of other students about, he noticed, but since it was the weekend no one was motivated to disturb him in his study spot.
Fifty pages later, he felt his eyes closing as an unmistakable wave of drowsiness overcame him. After all the anticipation, the sole mention of Horcurxes had been in the context of a disagreement whether the terminology correctly applied to a certain object. No details, no descriptions, no salient points whatsoever provided. If only he could find some mention of how to destroy the pesky things. Anti-climax coupled with a sleepless night made Harry’s eyelids feel extremely heavy and he did not fight it.
He was awakened by Lupin’s cheery voice. “Must be some book. Has you totally mesmerized.”
Harry yawned and straightened his glasses automatically. Lupin was sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with him against the tree trunk. “Must have dozed off, sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry about. It’s just a bit too chilly for a long nap in the sun.”
Harry hastily repeated the warming spell on the rock to try to get the chill out of his legs and backside.
“Is that better?” he asked Lupin with a smile.
“Much. I imagine great chunks of you are still numb, though. I’ve hiked around the lake twice while you’ve been sitting here.”
“Fancy a third?” Harry asked hopefully as he slowly rose to his feet and stretched. “That huge breakfast I had is still weighing down my stomach.”
“Only if you agree to have supper with Tonks and me tonight,” Lupin returned with a widening grin. “She spotted you from my window seat.”
“Sure,” Harry agreed as he marked the spot where he had left off reading and tucked the book casually into his jacket pocket. Finding a pair of gloves already occupying the limited space, he gladly put those on his hands. The temperature was definitely getting colder despite the sunshine.
Lupin set a brisk pace that warmed Harry’s limbs in quick order. At this speed, it was going to get his stomach grumbling, large breakfast or not.
“How’s your special project coming?” Lupin asked out of the blue.
Harry nearly stopped in his tracks and then had to increase his tempo to catch up.
“You know I can’t tell you about that,” he stammered between puffs. “Is that the reason you sought me out this afternoon, Remus?”
“I sought you out for purely selfish reasons,” Lupin affirmed, looking at Harry directly. “I happen to enjoy your company… Change the subject, if you prefer.”
Harry continued in silence for a few moments, then volunteered, “I’ve made some progress. Does that satisfy you? The Order has been hounding you for an update, haven’t they?”
“I pretty much advised them that I wasn’t going to be able to provide them with that information,” Lupin replied candidly.
“I imagine they didn’t take that well,” Harry remarked with a sharp laugh. “I’m surprised they didn’t suggest Veritaserum.”
“They’re not that ruthless,” Lupin amended with a chuckle. “Besides, it would involve all that blood from having to cut down Tonks and me first… Seriously though, they just want to feel that you’re on their side.”
“How could I not be? I’ve been on their side from the beginning.”
“There was more talk of asking you to join. I promised I’d bring you their offer.”
“Did you tell them I’d already turned you down earlier?” Harry asked pointedly.
“No.”
“Besides, I didn’t think they allowed members who were still in school, even if they were of age.”
“They’re willing to make an exception in your case, Harry.”
“I don’t see what use I’d be to them seeing as how I’m restricted to school grounds. I wouldn’t even be able to attend meetings.”
“Yes, the logistical nightmare of smuggling you out for meetings was addressed,” Lupin elaborated. “Tonks suggested we find an alternate place to meet, somewhere on school grounds. The Shrieking Shack was mentioned.”
“It’s not exactly on school grounds. I’d be sneaking out against the headmistress’ orders. Oh, right, she’s one of the members…. Give them my thanks, Remus, but I really am comfortable with the way things are now. It would just frustrate me to not be able to participate in any of the covert activities being planned. There are covert activities, aren’t there?”
“Absolutely. Guaranteed in the bylaws.” Lupin grinned. “Just no matching jackets.”
Harry laughed merrily. “Right, a secret society with matching jackets! Say, isn’t that what the Death Eaters have?”
“Their masks actually hide their identities. Their tattoos allow them to recognize one another.”
“Maybe the Order should consider a secret handshake or something,” Harry deadpanned.
“I’ll relay your suggestions,” Lupin replied solemnly.
Harry made a point of complimenting Tonks on her workshop over supper that night, making sure that none of his comments would lead Lupin to think that she had deviated from his suggestions.
“I definitely need some practice time, though,” Harry concluded. “Will we have access to the same room again this coming Saturday?”
“Sorry, Harry,” Tonks replied. “I have other duties to attend to on Saturday and won’t be able to lead the workshop.”
“That’s no reason why they can’t have a practice session, cherub,” Lupin countered. “They can’t very well practice at any other time -- not on school grounds. I’ll check with the headmistress about having another teacher oversee the seventh years. Professor Vector struck me as the type that might enjoy learning a new technique. She’s not part of your committee, is she?”
“Just Professors Sprout and Hooch,” Tonks assured him. At Harry’s perplexed expression, she added, “Hufflepuff is playing Slytherin at Quidditch on Saturday, did you forget?”
Apparently, Harry thought to himself, then replied in a more polite tone, “But the match is in the afternoon, right? Mr. Two-Left Feet from the Ministry will still be here in the morning for the regular Apparition class?”
Tonks giggled in spite of herself. “I guess that makes mine the irregular Apparition class, right?”
“You’re just as bad as he is, Tonks!” Lupin tried to reprimand her, but his expression became a smirk halfway through, robbing his words of most of their impact. “I wouldn’t let him hear you calling him that, Harry. I’ve heard he can really fly off the handle.”
“Doesn’t surprise me one bit,” Harry allowed with a laugh. “He already looks like he could fly away with the first wind!”
Tonks had to swallow a goodly amount of pumpkin juice before she was able to reply, “I’m hosting the Hufflepuff victory party so I will have too many last minute things to see to in the morning. I can’t miss the match itself; Remus promised he’d sit with me in the Hufflepuff stands!”
Lupin threw Harry an apologetic look before offering, “What will you do in the event that they lose, cherub? Unlikely though it may be.”
“Then it will be a consolation party. Not as many guests and only music in a minor key,” Tonks shot right back. “Before I forget, Harry, I’m inviting all of the seventh years as my special guests that evening. Each of you is welcome to bring a guest.”
“I’ll make sure I visit my House and invite them personally,” Lupin replied airly. “I want them to know that my close ties with the hostess were instrumental in obtaining their invitations.”
“You’d better not suggest to either Ron or Hermione that they each bring a guest,” Harry advised with a knowing smirk. “That doesn’t really work for them. Trust me.”
Harry arranged to stop by for tea with Hagrid early in the week to make doubly sure that he would be attending the Quidditch match. He pointed out how even Professor Lupin had deserted their ranks for this event.
Hagrid chortled in response to Harry’s fake pout. “I expec’ Remus would swim the deepes’ ocean for his wife; movin’ over ta the nex’ reviewin’ stand isn’t tha’ much ta ask! Yeh think Neville will turn coat, also? Now tha’s a serious offence for a Head Boy.”
“What can I tell you, Hagrid?” Harry joked. “They’re dropping like flies as Valentine’s Day draws near.”
Hagrid gave Harry an appraising look over his tea mug but Harry just shook his head to indicate ‘don’t ask’.
Just as before, they were soon joined by Luna who had come by for some private time with the new thestral babies. “I’m the only one they’ll let near. Not even Hagrid,” she whispered dreamily.
“Say, Luna,” Harry offered, “I have a personal invitation to the Hufflepuff party on Saturday night, would you like to be my guest?”
Luna’s eyes lit up immediately, but then it was as if she had second thoughts.
“I’ll leave yeh two ta work out the details,” Hagrid mumbled as he inched his way out the back door. “Fang, yeh too,” he hissed.
“Was that the wrong thing to ask?” Harry felt as if he’d been a total boor. “You’re not still…?”
“No, I’m over Robert.” Luna smiled briefly. “I was more concerned about you, Harry.”
“I assure you, I’ve never been attracted to Robert!” He laughed a little too loudly.
“You know that’s not what I meant,” she replied as she poured herself some tea.
“What would you have me say, Luna?” Harry replied candidly. There was never any point in dissembling with Luna, he reminded himself; she was not one to let you side-step in that manner.
“Are you sure you want to attend a party knowing that Robert will likely be there with Ginny?”
“I will make a point of facing the other direction!” Harry responded more harshly than he’d intended. “It was a personal invitation from my advisor, who also happens to be my Head of House, who also happens to be married to the hostess. I couldn’t very well refuse.” In a lighter tone, he added, “Look, if you can get over Robert, I should be able to get over Ginny, right?”
Luna’s response left Harry speechless. “I wasn’t in love with Robert.”
“Luna…I…” he stammered.
“Your secret’s safe with me, Harry,” Luna assured him as she laid a comforting hand on his arm. “I just see how you look at her when you think nobody else is watching you.”
“When have you seen me look at her? I’ve gone out of my way to stay away from her this term “ ever since she told me she was going to start seeing Robert.”
“Give her credit for at least telling you to your face, Harry.” Luna’s quiet pronouncement said more than a whole paragraph from anyone else.
“I didn’t take it very well,” Harry admitted, part of him incredulous that he was confiding this to her in the first place.
“To answer your question, though, I was in the Apparition class in the Great Hall on Saturday. You made a point of speaking to her and then watched her from the door. It’s so blatantly obvious, I don’t know how she can’t see it.”
“Maybe she does, Luna, I dunno. We just drive each other away. If I didn’t have so much hanging over me, I assure you I would have already confessed to Ginny “ even if she’d turned me down flat.”
“So you don’t think attending the party will be a bit like torture to you?” Luna returned to the original issue.
“I was hoping you’d take my mind off of it for a while, have a few laughs.” Harry smiled genuinely at Luna. “You’ve always had the most unusual sense of humor, Luna. I know not everyone appreciates it, but trust me, I’ve always been a fan.”
Harry could tell she was a bit embarrassed by his honesty but she smiled graciously nonetheless. “Only as friends, though,” she stipulated.
“Of course.”
The day of the Quidditch match dawned grey and misty; but by the time the morning Apparition lessons were in full swing, the sun could be seen trying to reassert itself. Wilkie Twycross, their Apparition instructor, reprimanded so many students for keeping their eyes focused on the enchanted ceiling instead of their wooden hoops that by the end of the appointed hour, he left the Great Hall more frustrated than the sixth years who had not yet achieved any successes.
The seventh years in the adjoining chamber were feeling a greater sense of accomplishment as many had been able to complete soundless Apparitions. Professor Vector turned out to be a very willing accomplice and had mastered the technique herself by the end of the hour. They were still having difficulties controlling their breathing so that they didn’t wind themselves in the process of each silent jump. When they concentrated on not holding their breath, though, the Apparitions responded by creating soft, but noticeable, popping noises.
There was a sense of excitement in the air as the students wound their way down to the Quidditch pitch. The feeble sun was doing its best to hold on but it had become extremely blustery in the process. Challenging flying conditions always made for a rollicking match full of surprises, so the spectators were even more keyed up by the time the first whistle blew.
Harry huddled as close to Hagrid’s massive bulk as he dared, but the wind still threatened to shear his jacket and scarf right off of his body with each massive gust. He considered charming the bench with Moody’s warming spell to at least keep the lower part of his body warm but Hagrid mentioned that wooden stands might react differently than rocks and stones. Within the space of a half hour, though, Harry was so thoroughly cold that starting a raging fire in the stands was beginning to seem like a viable alternative.
It was an edge-of-your-seat type match as the players performed all sort of aerial acrobatics to combat the wind gusts. The spectators rose to their feet in anticipation of imminent calamity with such regularity that it served to restore the circulation to Harry’s legs and feet. Most of the shots were going wide due to wind interference, but compensation in the other direction was tricky at best due to the inconsistency of the mighty gusts. An hour into the match, the score was only forty to ten with Slytherin in the lead.
Harry tried to keep his attention riveted on the field but that proved impossible as the players were flying so erratically. Lupin was sitting next to Tonks in the middle of the Hufflepuff stand and waved merrily when he saw Harry looking in his direction. Robert was doing the commentary in a very impartial tone that was belied by the bright yellow and black Hufflepuff scarf that was wrapped around his neck. Thanks to his Omnioculars, Harry could tell that Ginny was huddled by his side with a rather determined look on her face “ an expression that was prevalent throughout the stands, he noticed. Perhaps she had only wound her arm so sinuously around Robert’s to keep from being blown away, Harry lied to himself.
Not having seen Neville all morning, Harry assumed that he was involved in some of his Head Boy duties. Imagine his surprise when he spotted Neville’s red and gold stripes amid a sea of green and silver. Focusing more closely, he saw Neville rise to his feet rather sheepishly as the Slytherins scored another goal. Next to him, Daphne was glowing with happiness.
The score was now eighty to thirty, still in Slytherin’s favor. Although he hated to admit it, the added bulk of the Slytherin team players “ hadn’t they often been referred to as ‘throw-backs’ and ‘Neanderthals’? “ was working greatly to their advantage under these conditions. Despite their skill and agility, the Hufflepuff team just couldn’t keep up.
Hermione caught his attention from her seat on Hagrid’s other side by leaning over and pointing directly at the sky above them. Harry focused his Omnioculars on what appeared to be a pitched battle between two birds of prey. As he adjusted the lenses for maximum magnification, the image resolved into the Seekers from each team. It looked like they were having a fistfight as each spun out of control and then returned to face the other directly; but it was impossible to tell whether it was, in fact, caused by the wind. Mesmerized by their antics, Harry noted duly that Slytherin had managed to score another two goals, bringing their score up to one hundred points.
Both Seekers began to lose altitude rapidly as they careened out of control towards the ground, their movements still so erratic that it looked like each was trying to knock the other off his broom while doing a simultaneous somersault. Professor Hooch’s alarm was evident as she blew her whistle frantically to catch their attention. This should have also signaled a temporary halt to the game below; but as the Hufflepuffs gazed at their comrade above, the Slytherin team captain took the opportunity to score another goal virtually unopposed. At jeers from the crowd, Professor Hooch turned her attention towards the goalposts and barely had time to move out of the way of the Hufflepuff Seeker who had inexplicably veered in her direction. With very little control, the Seeker barely managed to jump off his broom as it crashed into the side of the equipment shed. A resounding boom was heard as the broom ricocheted off the metal siding and came to a shaky stop.
Professor Hooch was more concerned about the Hufflepuff Seeker who was still trying to move feebly from where he laid crumpled in the grass. She ran over to him with a concerned look on her face and blew the complicated whistle that called for medical attention. The crowd hushed as Madam Pomfrey joined her beside the injured player.
Unnoticed by the majority of the crowd, the Slytherin Seeker had managed to control his broom at the last moment and pulled up alongside his team captain. Oblivious to the scene below, they started shouting and shoving at each other in anger, their words entirely swept away by the wind.
The injured Seeker was loaded onto a stretcher, but before Madam Pomfrey was able to levitate it towards the Hospital Wing, Professor Hooch grabbed the player’s hand and held it aloft to signify that the Golden Snitch had been caught.
The crowd went wild when it finally became clear that Hufflepuff had won! Professor Hooch hurried up to the commentator’s stand so that she could convey the final standings over the explosive sounds of jubilation. She barely managed to avoid being swallowed up in the tide of Hufflepuff fans who were practically jumping from the stands directly onto the field.
The final announcement from Robert, his voice barely containing his excitement, was Hufflepuff 180 to Slytherin 110. Professor Hooch decided to allow Slytherin’s last questionable goal since it was unclear whether the Seekers themselves might have fouled one another in the air.
Its duty completed, the weak sun retracted for good as darker clouds rolled in on the wind. By the time the students had hurried back to the main building, the temperature had dropped considerably and it was beginning to look like sleet or snow.
Harry checked his image in the bathroom mirror one last time in preparation for the victory party that evening. He had agreed to meet Luna outside the Ravenclaw common room and the appointed time was quickly approaching. Glad that he had taken Hermione’s advice to wear a black jumper over a white button-down shirt, he smiled at the image that looked more adult-like despite his jeans and loafers.
As he hurried down the partially open corridor that presented the fastest route, he was heartened that the howling wind had finally died down. Small irregular gusts were gently depositing powdery snow along the low brick wall that separated the covered flagstones from the rear grounds. He diligently avoided the shiny, wet patches that were quickly forming from melted snow that was drifting into the corridor itself. These would harden into treacherous ice by moonrise, if they hadn’t already.
Harry paused around the corner from the entrance to the Ravenclaw common room to allow his breathing to return to normal. He couldn’t believe he was actually nervous for a meeting that was clearly not a date. With a deep breath, he turned the corner and casually waved to Luna who had been patiently waiting for him on a nearby bench. He sat down next to her with a shaky smile.
“Sorry if I kept you waiting,” he offered.
“It was only a few minutes,” Luna replied. “And I didn’t mind … really.”
“I’m sure everyone that exited through that door looked you over,” Harry sympathized.
“Oh, yes,” Luna replied with an inexplicably dreamy smile. “They were all so amazed when I told them that I had a personal invitation to the Hufflepuff party. You could tell they didn’t dare ask who my escort was even though they were fit to burst with curiosity.” She giggled happily. “As if the whole thing were just a figment of my imagination!”
Harry was struck how comments that would have seemed catty coming from any other girl took on a totally different tone when delivered by Luna.
His smile widened as he assured her, “Well, won’t they be surprised!”
“But they’ll assume…” she broke off with a note of concern in her voice.
“Let them think what they will.” Harry winked in response as he rose to lead the way. “I couldn’t care less what they think!” Unless it concerned his relationship with Ginny, he corrected himself inwardly.
Harry Potter and the Hero's Lament by L A Moody
Chapter Notes: Harry and Luna plan to attend the upcoming Hufflepuff party as friends; the Hufflepuff vs. Slytherin match resembles a wind-surfing event.