Harry Potter and the Eye of Isis

Chapter 18 - Brother

February 23, 1997

Harry was completely caught off guard as someone gathered the back of his robe and yanked him into a classroom. Harry couldn't believe that it was Snape that had snuck up on him; he wondered where his mind must have been if he couldn't feel Snape, of all people, sneak up on him.

"What?" Harry nearly shouted in his irritation.

"Don't play your games with me, Harry, I know better than everyone else, and I'm not taken in by your headache and pretence at having a girl friend. I know better than to fall for your smoke and mirror tricks. Where were you Saturday night?"

"I had dinner with Hagrid," he answered, "ask him."

"And where were you after that?"

"Later Parvati and I met--"

"And before that.... Where were you?"

Harry just stood there, his arms folded across his chest, refusing to comment while clearing his mind. He knew he could not let Snape know what he had truly been doing. Snape's reaction to that information would be severe.

"Answer me, Harry!" But it was clear that Harry had no intention of answering the questions. His mind had cleared of absolutely everything and Snape couldn't read anything from him but his irritation. "Why must you be this way?"

"Why must you ask me things that I can't possibly begin to answer?" Harry answered with his own questions. "You all are so great at keeping secrets from me...well maybe I've learned that trick."

Snape narrowed his eyes as he glared at Harry. "You're not too bright--"

"I know, you tell me all of the time." He nodded slightly as he acknowledged his professor's belief.

"Have you considered the position that you have placed Miss Patil in? Do you understand that the Dark Lord has spies everywhere and probably knows by now that you have a girl friend?"

Harry's angry look turned into a pang of guilt as he slowly nodded his head. "She knows, and swears it's her choice," he said softly. "Why must I be denied everything in life? Can't I have someone to hold?"

Had Harry been looking at Snape he would have seen that the hard-nosed professor actually had taken pity on the boy...only for a moment. But Harry didn't have to look at him to know that Snape actually felt sorry for him. The astonishment of that caused Harry to look up at the man who had inadvertently become a confidant.

"I left the school," he admitted.

Snape sighed heavily, anger resuming its rightful place on his face. "How could you be so stupid? What if the Dark Lord had found this out?" It wasn't a question that was meant to be answered and Harry knew it, remaining silent as he awaited the rest of the lecture. "Did you take Miss Patil with you?"

"No," he insisted. "I wouldn't put her in that kind of danger. I met her in the loo."

"Why were you two wet?"

"Myrtle splashed her," Harry said honestly.

"And you?"

"I fell in some water before that." He hoped that was enough of an explanation to satisfy him. "Are you going to have me expelled now?" Harry wasn't worried about having to leave the school, but he was worried about his wand if that were to happen.

Snape rolled his eyes for a moment, silently giving Harry his answer. "Don't ever do that again without my permission. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir."

Harry stared in amazement as Snape left the room. He wondered why the professor who seemed to hate him so dearly was suddenly slightly accommodating. He had sensed that Snape understood Harry's departure from Hogwarts had something to do with learning more about how to defeat Voldemort. Harry could only speculate that was why Snape hadn't turned him into Dumbledore and insist that he be expelled.

Finally, after several more minutes of contemplation, Harry exited the classroom and resumed his walk. He quickened his pace knowing that Neville and Professor Lupin were probably already waiting for him in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. When he got there Neville was sitting on top of one of the desks talking with Professor Lupin. Harry started in towards them but stopped dead in his tracks when he inadvertently read the professor's mind. A brief moment of shock covered his face as he looked at the smile Romulus Lupin wore on his face.

"What's the matter, Harry?" Neville asked.

"Nothing, I just realised that I forgot to bring that book you wanted to borrow from me." Neville scrunched his face as he stared at Harry. "You know...the one about magical sea creatures?"

"Oh yeah," Neville said trying to play along with Harry. "I forgot all about it too, so no harm done."

Harry looked up at Professor Lupin and smiled feebly. "You wanted to see us, sir?"

"Yes," he answered. "As you probably already know, Harry, I've been giving Neville private lessons to help him become a better dueller. I have intended all along to include you on these lessons...as soon as Neville felt ready to duel with you." He looked over at Neville Longbottom and smiled proudly at him. "Neville has become quite efficient in this subject and I think he is a perfect training partner for you."

Harry and Neville shared a quick glance, but Lupin didn't seem to follow it.

"You may ask why I feel Neville the best, but--"

"No," Harry answered. "Neville and I both know why. I told him about the prophecy already, Professor."

Lupin looked a bit shocked for a moment, but quickly proceeded. "Excellent, that will save us the trouble of explanations. We will begin on Wednesday, promptly at seven."

They acknowledged their Professor and left the classroom together. When they were down the corridor Neville finally had to ask Harry what his reaction was all about.

"Well..." Harry thought of how to explain it but couldn't find the words. "I don't know why, but for a split second, Professor Lupin reminded me of Voldemort."

Unsure of how to respond to that, Neville simply changed the subject, chatting idly with Harry as they headed towards the Great Hall for dinner. Harry slipped onto the bench next to Parvati with Neville still beside him. Parvati passed him a plate already piled with food immediately upon sitting. He planted a small kiss on her cheek as a thank you and began eating. After dinner, Harry and Parvati left the hall holding hands, and Harry noticed the staring that followed them. His eyes fell on Draco Malfoy as he took one last look over his shoulder so that he could return the evil glare. It dawned on Harry that Professor Snape was right...Voldemort was certainly aware of his relationship with Parvati and Malfoy was likely the person who'd scampered off to tell him.

When Harry returned to his dorm room later that night he was met by Dean and Seamus, who were smiling broadly at him. "What's going on with you two?" he asked.

"Nothing," Seamus said as he stifled a laugh. "We were just talking about were you and Parvati missing duelling club and wondering where you could have been off to."

Harry turned deep red as he walked over to his bed. "That's none of your business." He wasn't about to tell them where he'd been, what he was doing, or that he had no intention of going to duelling club again. "Why don't you two bugger off?"

They just laughed harder as they left the room. Harry couldn't help but smile at them. They meant well, he knew that, but the details of his life weren't something that he necessarily wanted to share with Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan...not after the things he'd heard them bragging about. He liked them but he knew they'd air his laundry if given the chance.

Harry was reclined back on his bed when the door opened again and Ron entered. "Why weren't you at duelling club, Harry?" he asked immediately.

"I was with Parvati--"

"Doing what?" A croaked smile turned the corners of Ron's mouth.

"Why weren't you and Hermione at dinner?" Harry turned the question on Ron. "Where were you two?"

"We were--" Ron realised what Harry thought they were up to. "No!" he insisted quickly. "We've never done that!"

"What?" Harry had been under the impression that Ron and Hermione had been having sex for some time now. "I thought you guys slept together on Yule?"

"Well yeah, but we didn't shag!" Ron's face was bright red now, brighter than Harry thought he'd ever seen it. "Not that I wouldn't like to...but that's not the point."

"Hermione hasn't...?" Harry wasn't sure how to phrase the question. "What I mean it...she hasn't agreed to--?"

Ron slowly shook his head. "You know how Hermione is, Harry. She always follows the rules, and well, she was raised to believe that sex was something you did after you were married. She treats it like a rule."

"I didn't realise," Harry muttered, "I just get such intense feelings from the two of you; I just assumed that you were sleeping together."

Ron chuckled a bit. "I think we're a lot like you and Parvati. Just a lot of snogging, but no sex." Harry quickly looked down into his lap and Ron didn't need to be an Occlumens to know what that meant. "What? When? Why didn't you tell me?"

"It just doesn't seem like something you just sit down and talk about, you know?" Harry knew that Ron understood because they had never talked about the intimacy in the relationship between him and Hermione.

"Mum's always scolding Bill and Charlie when they kiss and tell," Ron stated. "You're right, but I can I just ask...how was it?"

Harry couldn't contain his smile. "Nice."

*

"I asked you guys here tonight to discuss a few things with you," Harry overlooked the small group he invited to join him in the Room of Requirement. "I know you're wondering why I didn't just call a D.A. meeting and have Hermione inform everyone of this, but I feel that not everyone can be trusted right now. I hope that I am just being suspicious and overly cautious, but I think you'll all agree that is not necessarily a bad thing with the way things are going in the war right now."

A few heads nodded and some mumbling could be heard but the attention stayed on Harry. "I've asked you guys here tonight because I want to form an alliance between us...just us. We need our own Order of the Phoenix since not all adults can be trusted. Much is brewing in our world and it's only a matter of time before it spills back over into Hogwarts, and we all know that Voldemort wants me dead, so we know he will keep trying to get at me no matter where I am.

"Some of you don't know where I was in December and January, so I'm going to tell you all now what happened to me." Harry had a seat on a stool as he prepared to tell the tale. He started at the beginning with Luna's prophecy and finished with the day he woke up back at Hogwarts. It had taken a little over an hour to tell and when he was through he made eye contact with everyone in the room in order to know who was really on his side. He was relieved to find that everyone was.

"So you want us to be your inner circle?" Padma Patil asked.

Harry winced slightly at that phrase, but couldn't help but accept it as the best way to describe the support structure that he was searching for. "Basically, but I don't want you to think of me as the leader. I want us to be equals." They all nodded. "We will train together on the nights that the duelling club meets." Before anyone could argue that they'd miss duelling club, Harry explained, "As I said before, not all adults can be trusted, even if they are professors."

"What are you trying to tell us, Harry?" Ernie Macmillan asked. "That you don't trust Professor Lupin?"

Harry nodded slowly. "I can't give you a reason, but he isn't the only one within Hogwarts that I don't trust."

"But--"

Harry cut Susan Bones off. "I know that I need to explain this all to you, but I don't think that tonight is a good idea. Tonight I just need your word that this meeting and all future meetings between us will be held in confidence and not discussed with anyone outside of this group." Everyone nodded. "Once you've each given me your word, a wizard's bond will be created between us, and you will be unable to break it without me knowing it. That bond works both ways. If I break my word to protect you to the best of my abilities, you will know it."

Fifteen heads nodded. As they departed each gave their word that this group would be kept among those present and that new members would have to be brought before the entire group before admission was issued. They would meet every Sunday afternoon when the duelling club met and carry out tutorials then.

Harry's days were once again filled to the brim. Tutorials with Professors Flitwick, Lupin and Snape; researching all he could about Defense Against the Dark Arts and then teaching it to his group; taking excursions into the Chamber of Secrets in order to continue his research on the Eye of Isis and Neville's mum. And of course, continuing to monitor Death Eater activities. Voldemort had rallied his troops again and they were on the attack throughout Europe, staying a relative distance away from Scotland and Hogwarts. Harry assumed that was because Hermione had been right about the Eye of Isis: Voldemort let him get away with it and was now giving him the time to research it and find out exactly how it worked.

It was at the end of April that Harry was finally putting all of those pieces together and learned how to unlock the key to deciphering the Ritual of Life.

"Neville," Harry took gasping breaths from his run through the castle to his dorm room where Neville and Ron were sitting. "Your mum...your mum has the key."

"To what?" asked Neville as he sat up in his bed.

"To the Ritual of Life... it's not in her work because she still has it!"

"Harry, we have no way of talking to her," Neville reminded him. "She's missing a few marbles."

"She isn't insane though," Harry recalled seeing her a year ago. "Does she ever try to communicate with you?"

Neville immersed himself in deep thought but didn't seem to come up with anything until Ron spoke. "What was it your mum gave you last year at Christmas? I saw you put something in your pocket."

"A gum wrapper, she's given them to me for years."

"Is there anything written on them?" Harry asked, finally in control of his breathing again.

"Sometimes," he thought about it. "But I stopped looking at them a long time ago. Gran always tells me to throw them out because they're just rubbish, but I've saved everyone that she's given me... the wrappers are the only thing she's ever given me, a load a rubbish according to Gran."

"Where are they now?"

"In a box under my bed at home," Neville answered Harry.

"Do you think you could get your grandmother to send them to you without her going through them?"

"Yes."

*

April 20, 1997

Harry looked up as the owls swarmed the Great Hall. This was quite normal for a Sunday morning. Most students got their care packages from home on Saturdays or Sundays, but Harry was particularly keen on watching Hedwig. He could clearly see that Hedwig was carrying a large parcel and it had to be intended for Neville since he had used Hedwig to write to his Gran four days earlier.

Harry excused himself from Parvati as his owl touched down in front of Neville. He was at his side as Neville tore the package open and they both peered down at the hundreds of gum wrappers. Harry and Neville shared a victorious smile as Ron and Hermione joined them.

"Let's get this back up to our room," Harry said as he glanced over at the head table. Professor Dumbledore was staring intently at the group wondering what it was they were so excited to see.

Unfortunately, they drew a little more attention to themselves as Neville scooped the box up and they huddled around him, collecting Parvati as they passed her, and disappeared from the Great Hall. They entered the sixth year boy's dormitory and quickly locked the door behind them. Neville dumped the box out of his bed and everyone stared down at the silver wrappers.

"Now what?" Parvati wondered, not quite sure she knew why they were supposed to be excited about old gum wrappers.

"We think this is how Neville's mum has been communicating with him," Harry explained to his girl friend. "Now we just need to figure out how."

"Don't you think that we should sort them by oldest to newest?" Hermione suggested.

"How are we going to do that?" Ron asked. "It's not as if Neville dated them."

"We can charm them," Parvati said. "It will make the newest paper obvious, but there's no telling if they were given to Neville in a row by the age of the paper."

"It's a start at least," Hermione looked over her shoulder at Parvati.

"I agree," Harry said.

Hermione and Parvati quickly whipped out their wands and performed that sorting charm several times until the wrappers began dancing around on the bed lining up to be inspected. The wrappers were still trying to line up when there was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it," Harry said as he was closest to the door. He removed the locking charm and opened the door just a fraction. Looking up at Professor Dumbledore he asked, "Can I help you Professor?"

"I was wondering if I might have a word with you, Harry."

"Sure," Harry slipped out of door frame and quickly closed the door so that the headmaster could not see what his housemates were up to. "What did you need to talk to me about?"

"How is your training coming along?"

"Just fine," Harry answered as he looked the headmaster in the eyes. "I thought you got weekly reports from the professors?"

"I do, but I thought best if I talked to you directly. I know that you have been upset with me for sometime, but I don't think that continuing to ignore each other is the way to deal with our differences. Do you?"

"Probably not," Harry answered truthfully. "But that's not the reason that you're here right now."

"Not entirely," Dumbledore admitted. "I would like to ask you what Hedwig brought to Neville that made so many Gryffindors desert the Great Hall in the middle of breakfast."

"His grandmother sent him a package that we all wanted to see."

"And that's why you're now hiding in your dorm room?"

"I wouldn't exactly call it hiding, Professor," he answered. "We just wanted a little privacy to sort through it."

"Why do you lie to me, Harry?"

"Why do you lie to me, Professor?"

"I am simply trying to protect you," he answered. "Some things are best for you not to know. Not every piece of information can help you, Harry. Knowledge is a double-edged sword that can cut deep."

"I understand," Harry said. "And I will hold the same position."

Dumbledore's eyes softened a bit as he looked into Harry's eyes. "I would like your trust again. I know that we can help each other still. I find this feud tiresome."

"All you have to do is be honest with me and I'll be honest with you. I'm not so young that I won't understand. I need to know everything you do about Voldemort if I'm going to defeat him." Harry found himself still waiting for an answer but knew that one would not be offered. He wished that he didn't have to have this conversation again with the headmaster.

"I want to trust you," Harry told him in all honesty. "You know as well as anyone that trust is not given freely, and when it is lost it is difficult to regain."

"Yes, I know this, and I'm sorry that I can't say anything to you that would regain your trust."

"You know," Harry leaned against the door, "it's not so much that I don't trust you any longer, it's more a matter of respect. You were my hero and to learn what I have about you--to see you with clear eyes--has been devastating."

"I am human, Harry, and as such I have many flaws. Heroes are often held on pedestals that are impossibly high..."

"I know."

Dumbledore nodded his head softly. "I'll let you get back to Neville's package, but before I do, I want you to know that I have the utmost faith, respect and trust in you."

Harry glared at Dumbledore's back as he turned and left, feeling irritated that the headmaster was trying to guilt Harry into respect. He took a few moments to himself before entering the room where his friends were piecing the wrappers together as if they were puzzle pieces. Upon looking more closely, Harry realised that they were just that. He dove into helping and as they placed more and more of the wrappers together, Harry began to see the bigger picture.

It took another hour of non-stop work before they all stepped back and looked at the portrait lying on Neville's bed. It was of the woman who had handed him the green stone. Isis was kneeling on one knee her arms spread wide revealing that she had expansive wings.

"What's that say, Harry?" Hermione pointed at the scribbling across the bottom.

Harry quickly translated the Egyptian writing for them. "The Eye of Osiris will see the soul; the Wings of Isis will deliver it."

"That stone is really the Eye of Osiris," Hermione concluded.

"Who is Osiris?" Parvati asked.

"Isis's brother," Hermione answered and then looked at Harry with excitement. "I know where to find the Wings of Isis."