Music of Destiny

Chapter 4

Hovering on his Firebolt, halfway to the Gryffindor boy's dormitory window from the roof, Harry drank in the unusual sight before him. He had been on his way back to the dorm when the pale glimmer of the rising sun had caught his eye. Green eyes wide, he sat still on the broomstick, hardly daring to breathe. With an artistic flair he never knew Dawn had, the sky had been painted a luscious tints of rose and swirling pearl and there were bursts of clouds patching it here and there.

But the most startling, most wondrous, most unique sight of all was the silver that coated everything, a silver that seemed to shimmer and sigh and tease the fingers of sun that grasped the horizon; mixed with strong, steady, gleaming gold that was the background to the silver's foreground, a gold that complemented the mistily soft silver with its bright, cheerful blaze that shone even from under all the other shifting colours.

After what seemed like an eternity (which was in reality only about a minute), the gold gave one last proud burst of colour before fading, followed a little while later by the slow fading of the silver. Harry turned and resumed his flying, still awed by what he had witnessed. It was not everyday that one saw a gold and silver dawn, and it wasn't until much later that he realized what it truly symbolized.

Right now he was thinking of the night he had spent, a ghost of a smile touching his lips. He felt better than he had for a long time, despite lack of sleep. The entire time, all the way till dawn, he had spent talking about his burdens and problems with the Friend. Avoiding anything that would give their identities away, just unloading proverbial weights off their shoulders. It felt so relaxing to be able to just talk... but then, come to think of it, they weren't talking, were they? Then how could -

"YAAAAH!" Harry yelped as he was knocked off his broom by something that barreled into him the moment he flew into the dorm. Even though he was dazed and trying to recover his breath, he fumbled for his wand, blinded and choking. Thoughts speeded through his mind like a drunken driver on the highway - did Voldemort somehow managed to set up a trap for him? How did he get any of his minions in here? And - oh god, his friends! They should have been pulling back their covers by now, asking him what the problem was, but there was no movement, no sound except Sirius's panicked voice and his own loud breathing and the painful thudding of his heart-

Wait a sec. What?

"... to scare you, I'm really sorry, Harry please listen, it's just me, or rather Padfoot, I really didn't mean to scare you like that, I just wanted to surprise you, I didn't think... hey, are you even listening?!"

Waving his hand in the direction where he guessed his godfather was, Harry managed to convey the point that he was listening and yes, he understood, thank you very much, and would Sirius please just let him find his goddamn glasses because he couldn't see a thing. Harry felt immensely pleased he had managed to get his point across in just a few waves of his hand when he felt Sirius step back and fall silent, then as an afterthought, mutter "Accio," and place the missing spectacles into his godson's feebly groping hand.

Jamming his glasses thankfully back onto his face, Harry blinked up at his sheepish looking godfather from his sprawled position on the floor. Scrambling up, he threw himself into the welcoming, open arms, and hugged tightly as he felt the much taller man embrace him back. Then, suddenly catching himself, Harry forced his way out of that safe, warm hold, his wall up again in an instant. Stupid, stupid, stupid! He had been out of his mind with joy and relief seeing that Sirius was safe, so much that he had forgotten that Sirius would never be safe as long as he was with Harry.

But it was good to see Sirius healthy and well, Harry admitted in his mind, but he didn't allow himself to care any more than that. But the look of hurt on Sirius's face cracked his wall a little, so he hastily scrambled for something else to talk about, and found it.

"Sirius? What did you do to them? I'd have thought they and everyone else in Gryffindor Tower would have rushed here by now," Harry indicated the four-poster beds, all with curtains drawn, with a sweep of his hand.

Sirius blinked. "Oh. That. I just cast a simple sound barrier on each bed, then around this whole room. The boys here and everyone else out there can't hear anything that happens in here. Just in case we make noise, see," he explained sheepishly.

"I see. Well, now that you've seen me, you can go," Harry said curtly, guessing correctly the reason his godfather had come. He had had enough of being talked at. What did they know, the lot of them? Sure, they knew about the guilt he felt, but that barely skimmed the surface. Now, his Friend was a different matter, he understood entirely what Harry felt...

He realized Sirius was speaking and forced himself to listen. "...And I've even brought you breakfast, look. I was thinking maybe we could catch up with each other over food? I'm hungry, and I bet you are too. Oh, and have you seen my collar? Cool, isn't it? You should have seen the look on Remus's face..."

Looking at the cheery grin on Sirius's face and the exuberant way he rambled on, Harry could see through his act to the worry and deep concern underneath. He felt another pang in his heart for worrying the closest thing he had ever had for a father, even more than kind Professor Lupin, but it was for the best. Steeling himself, he cut Sirius off mid-ramble.

"Look, Sirius. I know you mean well. But I don't need help. Leave me alone." He didn't add the part he always felt like saying out loud: I'll do my part in the world and defeat evil, yadda yadda, and then I'll go off and die a pathetic miserable hero's death after seeing everyone who cares about me die.

It hurt. It hurt a lot, seeing Sirius's composure finally broken, seeing him cringe and deflate, seeing the pain and hurt finally surfacing, a hurt so poignant that it shook Harry for a moment. This was Sirius, his godfather, his dad's best friend - but no. Even his parents died because of him. He wasn't going to let his determination waver just because of some hurt feelings. He would be grateful to be alive, in the end, grateful that Harry did what he did.

He pushed past the pleading hand held out to him; putting his Firebolt, flute and wand back where they belonged, grabbing the stuff he needed - clothes, toiletries, etc. - from his drawers, and all the while ignoring Sirius, he tried to enter the bathroom. But when Sirius blocked him, determined to solve the problem once and for all, he finally snapped. His wall was breaking, he had to be final, and there was no other way. Turning his gaunt face to Sirius, a face that now resembled how the other man used to look as a convict, with hollow eyes and prominent bones, he said in a low, cold tone, "Leave me the hell alone. I've had enough of all you people. Just. Shove. Off."

Harry forced his way past a stunned Sirius, frozen to the spot like stone, and shut himself in the bathroom, the click of the lock a final, decisive sound. He didn't see the way Sirius clenched his fists and slowly drop to the ground, eyes tightly shut, pain in every line in his face. He didn't hear the anguish in his voice as Sirius choked, "James, Lily... I'm sorry. I'm so, so, sorry, I've failed you, I wasn't there to look out for Harry, and now... Harry... I've failed you." He didn't hear the way, after the spells had been taken off the room, Sirius transformed into Padfoot and whimpered sadly, sorrowful black eyes gazing at the bathroom door. He didn't feel the air of self-loathing and despair that hung around the animal as it padded quietly out of the dorm.

If he had witnessed it all, Harry's wall would have no choice but to fall under that sort of attack. As it was, he was drowning himself underneath the shower, letting the jets of water punish his aching body, hating himself for doing that to someone who loved him so deeply, like the father he had never known. But as always, he justified it with the knowledge that Sirius would be safe, like everyone else.

He stayed there for half an hour, washing up, before stepping back out into the dorm. Pocketing his wand, he dried his hair with a quick spell, and picked up his schoolbooks for the day. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the tray of food that Sirius had left. Warm, thick, creamy mushroom soup, still-crisp waffles with butter and honey just the way Harry liked it, some cold water to wash it down, and apple slices. Harry stared at it. There were even funny faces floating around the tray, some spell he had dug up no doubt... Sirius had put quite some effort into it. Harry owed him one, he knew he had hurt him deeply...

For the first time in two years, Harry sat down (on the floor, but that doesn't matter) and had a proper breakfast. He hesitantly lifted the spoon and drank some of the rich soup, then fell on the meal. It took him only three minutes to finish the generous helpings; he hadn't eaten for so long. *Only ONCE shall I do this, and it's only because Sirius went to all this trouble for me,* Harry warned himself. *No more. I mustn't let myself get used to this, because I don't deserve it. And I'll eat less later, to make up for this.*

But all that aside, he was feeling better this morning. Perhaps it was because of the meal; perhaps it was because of the Friend. It was a small detail, hardly noticeable, but it was still there, and it was a start.

+++++

Remus stroked Padfoot's thick silky coat, comforting without words. The big dog had just padded into the room and one look at him told Remus all he needed to know. He had knelt on the floor, arms open in welcome, and Padfoot had huddled to him, head on his lap, shuddering. Remus understood what he felt, because he had felt the same way too, many times.

Finally the dog raised his head and gave a little huffing sigh. He nuzzled Remus, who said softly, "Don't blame yourself, Sirius. If somebody's to blame, it's me. I've been here since the start of this year and I couldn't do anything. So don't blame yourself. I know you."

Padfoot looked at Remus silently, and the werewolf sighed. "I'm seri - I mean, I mean it." The dog dipped its head with a small whuffing sound, like dog laughter. "You have to go soon, you know. Don't let this affect your work. I promise, I'll try my best to help him. You know that."

Padfoot looked at Remus with total, complete, giving trust in his eyes. He nudged the slim man with his nose, then got to his feet. Wagging his tail lightly, he gave Remus a small lick before padding to the door. The werewolf got up as well and opened the door for him. "I'll send you out, so in case the students ask, I'll say you're a stray that I'm returning to the wild."

The dog nodded, a curious action on an animal, and side by side, the two Marauders made their way down the Hogwarts corridor.

+++++

Harry left the tray outside the big painting that was the entrance to the Hogwarts kitchen, not wanting to go inside and face the squeals of the house-elves. Now he had a full hour to kill before lessons. Might as well go to the library and return the spell-book he had borrowed - he had already learnt all the spells in there, and he should borrow new material to study. He wanted to learn as many as he could, so that he wouldn't be useless when fighting Voldemort, since that was the only thing he could do - the only thing left for him to do. That was also why he had been illegally borrowing books from the restricted section, using some handy silencing spells and his ever-faithful Cloak.

Nodding to Madam Pince, who curtly nodded back to the student that she had seen countless of times these last two years, Harry placed his book on the desk with a murmured 'thank you' and headed toward the bookshelves. He usually went back to sleep for an hour or two, but his meeting with Sirius had gotten him wound up and too troubled to sleep. This happened sometimes, and when it was a quarter to nine, Ron and Hermione showed up at the library, knowing where to look for him from experience.

And sure enough, Harry was sitting at a remote, almost hidden corner of the library, looking through a few books. He didn't look up when they stood beside him, awkwardly shuffling their feet. It was Hermione who spoke quietly, so as to not incur the Wrath of the Deadly Librarian. "Hey, Harry, it's a quarter to nine, and we didn't see you in the Hall, so we were thinking maybe you want some breakfast?"

"Eaten." Harry didn't elaborate, and he ignored the disbelieving looks sent in his direction. He didn't add 'go away', since the two Gryffindors could be very deaf and very stubborn when they wanted to.

"Ah... okay. Eaten. As in... ate. Food." Ron paused at Harry's cold nod and exchanged a This-Is-A-Good-Sign-Right-? look with Hermione. They shrugged at each other and turned back to Harry, who picked up two books and pushed past them to walk to the counter. Trailing after him, the two watched as he borrowed the books and then stuffed them in his bag. Going back to the table he had used, Harry set about putting the other books back, helped by Hermione (who was familiar with the library herself; Ron just stood and watched). Her efforts were rewarded with only a muttered, "Thanks. But I don't need help."

And so, the trio went off to the first class of the day, which was double Potions with the Slytherins ("I hate Tuesdays." "Yes, Ron." "I really, really hate Tuesdays." "Shut up, Ron." "Did I mention I hated Tuesdays?" "I'll hex you, Ron, I really will."). They seemed to have almost all what they termed the 'important' classes with the Slytherins - DADA, Potions, and Transfiguration, even CoMC, and for Hermione and Harry who had just joined last year after the O.W.L.s, Astronomy, but thankfully not Ancient Runes. The two walked beside and slightly behind the green-eyed boy, who for all his pale gauntness had an air of command around him that made people instinctively move out of his way as he walked down corridors.

Arriving in the cold dungeons five minutes early, they found seats at the back of the classroom and began setting up everything they needed. Everyone else was already there, quietly doing the same. Suddenly the door burst open and in strode Professor Snape, silencing even the quietest of whispers with the particularly pissed look on his face. A Slytherin nearest to the door jumped up and shut it before returning quickly to his seat.

Snape glared around at the class. *What's got into him?* Ron wondered, eyeing the Potions master. *He looks like he's in an even worse temper than ever.*

He soon found out.

"In an effort to - to *promote* inter-house so-called friendships," snarled the Professor, "the Headmaster has decided on a plan, that in my class *will not* induce any more animosity than there already is or there will be hell to pay." He glared at the class again, noting the get-to-the-point-already looks on the student's faces. Fine.

"In every single lesson from now on, and I don't mean just Potions, you will be paired with a student from the other house." Five, four, three, two -

"WHAAAAAT?!" Half the class shot to their feet, yelling outrage, while the other half either froze in their seats, too shocked to move, or slumped to the floor. Snape noted that both Potter and that Granger girl, together with Draco, Pansy and Blaise, were part of the 'frozen' group, while predictably, Weasley was on his feet, red in the face and pointing accusingly in the direction of the Slytherins while yelling something that was lost in the overall noise. Longbottom was on the floor, a look of despair on his face, not surprisingly. He pitied the Slytherin who had to work with him. But for now...

"SILENCE!" he roared, and got it immediately. Everyone froze and then dropped back into - or pulled themselves back onto, as in some cases - their chairs. "This is disgraceful. Ten points off Gryffindor and ten points each off Weasley and Finnigan for that vulgar gesture with their hands. Five points off Slytherin." That last sentence was forced out of his mouth, but it had to be done.

"Now, I will read out the pairs and I want you all to be seated with each other in five minutes. The boys move, the girls stay put." He pulled out a roll of parchment and began rattling off names to groans and muttered curses as people hurriedly began packing their stuff. "Brown and Crabbe, Patil and Rhimes, Jordan and Goyle, Granger and Malfoy, Finnigan and Bulstrode, Longbottom and Davis, Weasley and Parkinson, Potter and Zabini."

Disgusted glances were exchanged as everyone scrambled to settle down before the five minutes were up. Harry unwillingly dumped his belongings next to Zabini's, seeing that the other boy made no move to get up and walk over. He supposed that he should be glad he wasn't working with a girl, and that it wasn't Malfoy he had to pair. Zabini he could handle.

Snape set them to making a potion that was complicated enough to need two people doing it at the same time. A few curt sentences to each other had Harry chopping up wings into exactly equal slices and Zabini mixing and measuring other ingredients after they had prepared the basic potion. Their tone when speaking to each other was polite and distant, and they finished the potion perfectly without any incident. Which was more than they could say for the others, besides Hermione and Malfoy, who had also gotten their potion perfect.

When the lesson ended, Tracey Davis had her head in her hands while her partner Neville looked close to tears due to their bright yellow potion, which was supposed to be dark blue. At least the cauldron was still whole, for Davis was almost as good as Malfoy. Snape deducted points from Neville for not helping much. Crabbe and Goyle, not much smarter than they looked, had Lavender and Kassia Jordan frustrated, and five points off Slytherin and twenty off Gryffindor. And Seamus, paired with Millicent Bulstrode who was as poor at Potions as he was, had ended up with sticky purple goo splattered all over them and twenty points off Gryffindor for exploding their cauldron. They had to stay back and skip lunch to clean the dungeon.

And as for Ron...

"That girl is the most annoying thing I have ever met! She squeals and whines and made me do all the work while she stirred and the worst thing of all is that I get blamed for not doing the ingredients properly and ruining *her* potion! I wonder how the Slytherins can stand her! She's so totally fake, and she gushes over Malfoy non-stop, and when she's not doing that she's threatening every single person who even looks at him cross-eyed! Please don't tell me these pairings are permanent, I'll die!" Ron fumed, gesturing wildly to emphasize his point, almost poking Hermione's eye out. "I need a proper lunch and LOTS of cold juice."

And he got just that, gulping down glass after glass of juice ("This tastes good, anyone know what it is? The house-elves have been experimenting lately, I've noticed.") and chomping on his food. Harry ate even less than usual, then pushed his plate away and took out a library book. Hermione noticed, and said pleadingly, "Harry, please eat more." He ignored her, and she sighed and stabbed miserably at her own plate. Ginny, next to her, squeezed her hand comfortingly, while Ron grimaced and cast an anxious glance at Harry. Seamus tried to lighten up the mood by telling a very dirty joke, which he put Harry's name in, and everyone either laughed heartily (a little forced, though) or exclaimed "Seamus!" in a scandalized tone.

Harry looked up at Seamus. "Shut up, Seamus. Don't involve me in that kind of shit joke. If you're trying to cheer me up, it's failing miserably."

That was the longest speech the Gryffindors had ever heard from Harry for a long time, and Seamus took it as a good sign, regardless of the less-than-pleasant choice of words. Grinning at Harry, he cracked, "Hey, I was just sharing a joke with everyone here. I'm not attempting the impossible and getting killed in the process, eh, Harry?"

Harry tried to suppress his emotions, but his lips twitched in a ghost of a smile.

And that silenced the entire Gryffindor table, who all stared at him with mouths hanging open, unable to believe their eyes.

+++++

"I wonder why they're all staring at Potter?" Blaise raised an eyebrow, squinting at the Gryffindor table. "And they've gone silent, too."

"I don't really care, Blaise," Pansy mumbled through a mouthful of food. Swallowing, she continued, "And speaking of Potter, how was working with him like?"

"Well, it was okay, surprisingly. He's smart, knows what he's doing, and does his fair share of work. I don't have to tell him anything, and the level of conversation was almost non-existent." He grinned. "Just the way I like it. How 'bout you, Draco? I see you were the only other pair that managed to finish their potion."

"Draco?" Pansy waved a hand in front of his face. "Hello?"

"What?" Draco snapped out of his daze and blinked at Pansy.

"You're thinking of something important, I know you. Your eyes went all sort of silver and misty and your face was all peaceful and everything. What is it?"

"Silver... misty... peace..." Draco couldn't help it, he smiled. A smile that was sweetly pure and happy and unrestrained, making his normally holier-than-thou expression soften into something beautiful. Then he realized what he was doing, and stopped abruptly. But too late. Everyone in Slytherin was gaping at their supposedly 'Ice' Prince, and quite a few of them had lovesick looks on their faces.

Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, puzzled at the sudden silence, looked around them and blinked at all the open mouths. Then wincing in pain, they simultaneously clapped their hands over their ears as a roar of noise shook the Great Hall, creating a chaos of cheering and clapping and yelling and jumping up and down.

At the Slytherin table, Pansy was fending off girls and even some guys fawning over Draco, shrilling insisting he was her boyfriend and would you crazy hormonal apes get off him. Blaise was glaring at them all, and together with Crabbe and Goyle were trying to shove the mass of people all declaring undying love for Draco.

At the Gryffindor table, Seamus was drowning in baked beans and mashed potatoes as everyone tried to pat him on the back or give him a friendly punch. And Harry was surrounded by well-wishers all blabbering about how glad they were that he had finally come to his senses and how they knew that the brave Boy-Who-Lived would pull through, while Hermione and Ron were trying to shoo them away and having no luck.

Just as suddenly as it all started, it ended with a loud roar of "SHUT UP AND GET LOST!" from two voices at the opposite ends of the hall. The voices harmonized perfectly, two tenors that rang in the sudden silence. Their owners locked eyes. Green and silver conveyed identical frustrated anger. Harry and Draco had shoved themselves from their seats, finally unable to take it anymore, causing the people around them to shrink away and stare.

"What is the meaning of - " Professor McGonagall began from her seat at the teachers' table, but then flinched almost imperceptibly as furious gazes of green and silver lasers bored into her. Dumbledore rested a hand on her arm, and she sat down in a huff, trying to regain her composure. The entire hall watched in stunned silence as the two boys stormed out, and they could not have made a more contrasting yet complementing picture. Draco's pale skin and carefully slicked back silvery strands, the opposite of Harry's brown tan and messy shock of black hair, somehow seemed to unite in their fury.

Once outside the hall, they strode in the direction of their Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, still fuming. But thankfully, when they arrived outside the classroom, their tempers had cooled, and they were deeply regretting showing so much emotion in front of the entire school, no less!

Then suddenly, as if they had just remembered who exactly the person next to them was, Harry and Draco sprang apart. They looked warily at each other, hands on their wands. Neither spoke nor moved, just stared each other down.

Finally, as if they had reached an unspoken agreement, they released their wands at the same time, the tension slowly seeping out of their bodies and the air between them. "That was annoying," Draco said conversationally. "Trust my house to make a big fuss over nothing."

"Oh, my house isn't any better," Harry replied airily. "They like big scenes. Overly dramatic."

"What happened, anyway? It looked like you all were going on a mass murdering spree, with you and Finnigan as the prey."

"Oh, that was nothing, compared to yours. What, did you put love potions in their drink?"

Draco sighed. "Oh, I just did something stupid and they acted accordingly."

Harry shrugged. "Then we're in much the same position."

Draco looked at Harry, eyes narrowed in sudden suspicion. Was this actually a... a *civilized conversation*? Oh, death, doom, disaster, and *damn*! He had to do something, fast. "Frankly, Potter, might I make an observation?" He didn't wait for a reply, just barreled on. "You look like a fright. Thin as a stick, your robes are practically hanging off you. Your skin is pale under that tan, not a nice colour, and your hair is as frightful as ever. Not that I'm insulting you, of course. Just a professional view."

Harry smirked inwardly, keeping his face passive. Back on familiar ground. Malfoy was his enemy, after all most probably a wannabe Death Eater; and he had no qualms about not ignoring him. Though Harry had been relatively tolerant of the git for the past few years, it was an understatement to say he wasn't feeling like himself this year.

Without any pause, Harry shot back, "Then you wouldn't mind my unbiased view then? You're as pale as Dracula and twice as eccentric, honestly, you should get out more. Ever heard of Quidditch? Oh, right, I remember, that disaster on a stick that I've seen around is *you*. And your hair, slicked back like that, you look like some disgusting half-assed pansy boy."

Tension returned in a rush as Draco's eyes narrowed. "My skin colour is lightly tanned, Potter, and I'd thank you to get your eyes checked. And as for hair, my hair is perfectly fine and it looks good, and that's the assessment from someone whose taste is better than yours. Your hair - only vulgar, uncultured swine have that sort of hair. The people whose genes you have must look like ogres."

Harry seethed. He wouldn't allow any insult to his parents. To him, yes, but his father and mother who had died for him - no way was Malfoy getting away with that. His wall, already straining under the weight of the confrontation with Sirius and that scene in the hall just now, finally gave way. Whipping out his wand, he snarled, "Adurotum!"

Draco's eyes widened as a beam of light that was so intense that it burned, shot toward him, but he blocked it with the counter spell "Umbre" which cast a shadow that absorbed the light. He hadn't expected the other boy to be at such an advanced level, though he might have guessed when he saw him use the Dilato spell with such ease, two years ago. But he wasn't any beginner himself. He retaliated with "Fimius Termino!", hissing venom in his voice.

Harry's eyes widened as all the dirt and dust on the ground and in the air condensed to encase him in, immobilizing and trapping him. Malfoy wasn't that simple to defeat, after all. It looked like he'd been doing some studying too. He yelled the counter-curse "Absturgio!" which caused the solidifying dirt to dissolve back into the air and fall to the ground.

The two continued to duel, sending spell after spell, so fast that it blinded everyone looking except the dueling wizards, getting more and more powerful so that they were now using spells that stumped the most mature of adults. Beams of light ricocheted between them, flashing like a laser show gone haywire. Students heading towards their classes stopped and stared at the two dueling boys, but they couldn't look for long because they were blinded by the intensity of the magical light of the spells being used. They soon learnt to move well back, since the corridors were littered with people who had gotten too close and were hit with stray spells.

Professor Lupin pushed his way to the front of the crowd and stared disbelieving at the sight. A Ravenclaw was fast fading from view, screaming, and Remus hurriedly cast a spell to stop her from totally dissolving into the air. A small but powerful whirlwind of glowing air had caught two Slytherins in a funnel, and was on the verge of dumping them out of the window - six floors down to the ground. Remus snapped out a spell that made it vanish, leaving the boys hanging onto the windowsill. Someone was burning in a shaft of light that stabbed through the window, and he quickly doused the flames and stopped that spell.

There were other victims, of course, but those weren't life-threatening, such as the Hufflepuff boy wailing with terror, staring at the two extra heads and one arm growing out of his stomach. It looked weird, but it didn't hurt, and it didn't kill. Remus tried a Stupefy on the boys, knowing that it wouldn't work, and sure enough it didn't. The red light just rebounded, and hit someone behind Remus when he ducked. There was no other choice. He had to do it.

"Quantum in me est, pessum ire, fiat!" he intoned, bracing himself. Pain shattered his entire body, and he fell to his knees, feeling all his energy leave him. Through a red haze of pain, he saw that his incantation had done the trick. All the spells had stopped, and the two boys were staring at their wands in shock. Then Harry saw him keel over.

"Professor Lupin!" he gasped, dashing to the half-dead werewolf. "Shit!" Harry tried a healing spell, but his wand didn't work, like it hadn't ever since the Professor had uttered that strange spell. "Professor - "

"I'm fine," gasped Remus. He slowly sat up. "My body can take it, I've felt worse before." He eyed Harry, who had fallen silent. "Harry, you and Malfoy help me into the classroom. And tell someone to call Madam Pomfrey. Oh, yes, and don't forget the two boys still clinging onto that windowsill over there. Everyone else get back to class."

As an eager third-year Hufflepuff dashed toward the infirmary while others swarmed toward the window, Draco came forward and helped Harry support Remus as he hobbled into the DADA classroom. Behind them came the rest of the class. They silently found their seats as Remus looked at the two boys in front of them gravely.

"Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy." The fact that Remus had used their full names, especially for Harry, showed the gravity of the situation. "I must impress upon both of you the seriousness of what you have done. This is no laughing matter. Both of you could have died, as it is, other innocent people almost did. Did you see the girl that was burning to death? Did you know that we are six stories high right now and that those two boys could have fallen and died? There are many other victims of the spells you used. Frankly, I'm surprised you're still unhurt."

Harry had retreated back into his barricade, and Draco had put on his mask of cold arrogance again; but there was an air of guilt around them. Remus shook his head. He hoped like hell that Dumbledore's plan would work, and soon. He was starting to think Snape had the right of it all along, if Harry and Draco were any example.

"Think about what I said. I shall speak with you after class about this incident and your detentions. And before I forget, fifty points off both Gryffindor and Slytherin. Go back to your seats now." As Harry and Draco sullenly turned to go, and gasps of protest at the point deduction rose all over, Remus saw Hermione's hand shoot up. "Yes, Hermione?"

"Professor Lupin, what was the spell you used? It didn't sound like a spell, it was too long," Hermione asked curiously.

Remus sighed. "It wasn't a spell, it was an incantation, to stop all magic going on at the moment, and render any working wand useless. The intensity of the duel that was going on rejected normal spells like Stupefy, and I had to resort to desperate measures. Incantations like that take a lot out of one's body and magical reserves. It's only because I'm used to this kind of pain, being what I am, that I'm still standing. Others would have been bedridden for at least a day."

A knock interrupted Hermione's next question, and she fell silent as Professor McGonagall appeared in the doorway. The deputy Headmistress had her lips pressed into such a thin line that they almost disappeared. "Remus. I trust you know what I'm here for?" she snapped, voice like the snapping of brittle ice.

"Ten minutes, Minerva, just ten. I'll take them to Dumbledore. We'll talk then. For now, I just want to start my lesson. Please, Minerva." McGonagall, about to protest, saw the weary, bone-tired look on Remus's face and sighed. "Very well." She left and shut the door smartly behind her.

Hermione's hand instantly shot up again, and Remus, feeling like just going to sleep there and then, gestured for her to speak. "How could Harry and Malfoy's duel be so powerful, Professor Lupin?"

"Because of reasons that I find it rather taxing to explain. Please leave it at that, Miss Granger." Hearing Remus call her by her surname rather than her name, Hermione knew it was time to stop, and she quietly folded her hands in her lap. Harry and Draco, who had chosen to sit at opposite ends of the otherwise empty back row, heaved inner sighs of relief.

"As you know, we're promoting inter-house friendships. We had the pairings pre-arranged, but in light of present circumstances, I am going to change them. Now, Goyle, Crabbe, Seamus, Davis, and Parvati will be in one group, while Lavender, Jordan, Neville, Rhimes, and Bulstrode in the second. I originally intended for the remaining six of you to be in one group, but after that display - Harry and Malfoy, you'll be paired. Put that energy to good use." Remus had realized that if they could master those advanced spells, the project he had originally intended to give them would have been a piece of cake.

The two boys merely nodded, inwardly groaning, but they figured they had used up their amount of Public Emotional Displays for the day, and so they had to act extra cold and uncaring for the rest of it, so as to discourage any interaction following their actions.

Lupin gave out instructions for each group. Seamus's group had to research on ways of curbing dangerous dark creatures, and also demonstrate with at least one live subject. He wanted full-length essays on at least ten creatures that they had not covered so far, including their habitats, their weaknesses, their strengths; and the more rare, the better. Neville's group had to research on at least twenty defensive dark curses and their effects, origins, and counter-spells, and find examples of them being used. Hermione's group would research on at least twenty aggressive dark curses, their effects, origins, and counter-spells, plus cures to those curses that actually hit. They had to present it all at the end of term.

Remus then turned to his last pair. The two had moved so that they had only two seats between them, not one row. It was an improvement, he supposed. It would do for now. He pondered for a while. What else could he give them?

Ah, yes, there *was* that, but... was it too hard for them? Even he was stumped... but no matter. It would give them something to do, which hopefully would last for the entire term and maybe even beyond. Remus eyed them critically. "Both of you have been doing research in secret, and practicing spells, haven't you?" They looked back at him silently. "Yes, I thought so. No use giving you those projects since you've already studied them on your own. So I'm going to give you one that you might find very taxing, but you brought it upon yourself."

He hesitated. Could he trust Malfoy? No, he couldn't. But... even if he couldn't trust Malfoy, he could trust Harry to change Malfoy. No matter how withdrawn he was, Harry was still Harry, deep down. He would always do the right thing, and had proved it time and again, which was why the world trusted him to save it. Him and no one else, because saving the world once had matured him far beyond his age... in some aspects. In others, like matters of the heart, he was still a confused child.

"I've been researching ancient texts on dark potions and spells. It's slow going, since everything is coded and impossible to read unless you have the key to the code. There is this one text that I have puzzled over for very long but am still unable to decode." He did not add that the information inside could save many people and help the Light to victory, but if in the wrong hands, would be a deadly power for the Dark. If Malfoy betrayed them.... *Just remember - trust Harry,* Remus told himself.

"You're both learning Ancient Runes, and the knowledge will help you, added to the fact you're both smart and your ways of thinking haven't been set yet, which means you might see something in these texts that I did not. However, this is very important and thus top secret, and so I would like you both to keep anything you find from the rest of your peers, report to me on your progress constantly, and immediately if there is any breakthrough. Do not let anything slip, and tell me anything personally - no letters, no messages, nothing. I trust you boys to keep this secret."

He paused, as a thought occurred to him. "Oh, yes, you won't be researching here - I shall arrange for you to have a private room to use, only accessible to you both, myself and the Headmaster. I'll send you a note, tomorrow, perhaps. The books will be placed there, and may not be removed at any time, so if you need them, you have to stay in the room. Any questions?"

Draco and Harry glared at each other, then turned to look sullenly at their teacher, who was looking tired and had the beginnings of what looked like annoyance on his normally kind face. "No, sir." They felt like they had caused the professor enough trouble for one day. Even though the Slytherins acted cool and disdainful of their DADA professor, they respected him most after Professor Snape, and it showed in the way they behaved when he was around. It didn't have anything to do with the fact he was a werewolf - that was widely known and accepted with ease by the students, though not most of the parents.

"Good. Wait here while I brief the rest of the class, and then we'll visit the Headmaster's office." He walked off to the front of the room, and told the class in his clear, authoritative voice to continue on with their work and when the bell rang, he would come back to let them off. And when he did, he didn't want to see any trace of there having been a fight, or it was detention for every single person - for the entire term. That, more than anything else, told the class how thin Professor Lupin's patience was stretched.

Silently, as the class got down to work, Harry and Draco followed Professor Lupin out with their books clutched tightly in their arms. Withering glances were exchanged every step of the way until they arrived at a stone gargoyle, glaring at them menacingly from its perch.

"Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans," Remus said crisply.

The statue did not move.

"Oh dear, he must have changed the password since the last time I used it," Remus sighed. "Well then. Give it a try, boys. I never was one for too many sweets, except Sugar Quills."

Harry and Draco put aside their grievances for the moment to tackle this daunting task. They yelled out all sorts of names they could think of, from Chocolate Frogs to Pepper Imps to Blood-flavoured Lollipops. But still the gargoyle sat there, seeming to gloat over their frustration.

"Perhaps we should wait for Professor McGonagall or someone else to come by," muttered Remus, glaring balefully at the statue. Dammit, he did *not* need another headache!

Draco looked thoughtfully at the statue. "I wonder... Clown Chews!"

Harry stared at Draco in amazement, forgetting his enmity toward the blond in his surprise. "Do you know Clown Chews were invented by the Weasley twins? *And* they make you look stupid?" He had tried it once, and his nose had swollen and turned a bright red, his hair had fizzed out in all colours imaginable, his skin had sprouted feathers, and his feet had enlarged to a ridiculous size. Since the Slytherin disliked the Weasleys (dislike being a rather bland word), and hated loosing his composure and dignity, Harry couldn't imagine him trying the sweet.

Draco looked at Harry coolly. "Yes, I'm not an idiot. I find it amusing. It makes fools out of my lowly subjects while letting me have a laugh at their expense." He sneered at Harry; not mentioning that, he, Blaise and Pansy, in one of their more silly moments, ate the sweets and tried to compare who looked the stupidest though they could hardly focus for the tears of laughter in their eyes. The memory brought warmth to his heart, though his expression continued to be as icy as ever.

The grating of stone broke the beginning of another confrontation, as the gargoyle hopped to the side the stairs began to spiral their way up. Lupin was already on the moving stone, one eyebrow raised. "Coming?" he asked mildly. "You wouldn't want to keep the professors waiting." Harry suppressed a shudder, as he got on with Draco right behind. Apprehension filled him as they rose higher with every second, nearing what Harry dreaded would be his doom.

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