RELATIONS

Chapter XII

The first week of class went very quietly for Harry. There were no rampaging pixies, illegal curses, or criminally abusive detentions. Snape had sneered a bit at Harry and Ron in the Advance Potions class (all the Sixth years still taking potions were now in the same class), but had put them in the furthest corner of the lab. Malfoy and Zabini (the only two Slytherins) were kept as far away from Harry and Ron as possible. Hermione and five Ravenclaws were buffers.

Professor McGonagall took similar precautions, except Ron was in the right front seat, with Harry right behind him, and Malfoy four seats away in the front left. Harry and Ron thought these reasonable precautions, and no one bothered to ask Malfoy what he thought.

Sixth year Charms, Defense, and Herbology were all large enough to have two sections each, and none were with the Slytherins (although they shared Herbology with Ravenclaw for the first time). Draco had dropped out of Care of Magical Creatures, to Ron and Hagrid's delight. However, Draco had not dropped out of Runes, which made it the only class one of the Trio had with Draco. (Draco was only taking seven classes; his final one was a special experimental potions class with himself and two Ravenclaws in it).

While the classes were much more difficult than Fourth year had been, things seemed a tad lighter than Fifth.

Hermione had been torn about Runes. She'd loved the previous professor, who had just been appointed Deputy Master of Durmstrang. She hadn't liked sharing the class with Malfoy and some of the other Slytherins, although it (and Arithmancy) did allow her to mix more with the Ravenclaws.

Hermione also knew Edward Potter was a brilliant field archeologist, but wondered what kind of classroom teacher he might be. . . .

"Welcome to your Sixth year of what we like to call 'Runes' here at Hogwarts; what most other places call 'Magical Symbols and Languages.' By now, you should have mastered at least twelve magical languages, five scholarly ones, and nine sets of symbols. As there are, depending on how we define the categories, some eighty-one major magical languages, twenty-seven scholarly ones, hundreds of minor ones, and dozens of symbol sets, we have quite a range to work with yet."

"As you no doubt remember from your own first three years, Sixth and Seventh year students help with the weekend language retreats. If you were not aware, you may win up to ten House points for your helpful participation." Edward stressed 'helpful.' Somehow, two of the three Slytherins present didn't look very helpful, at least at the moment.

Edward passed out a set of handouts. "You will also be learning seven new languages over the next two years, and three new symbolic sets during each year. The first page of the handouts will remind you what the requirements are for the N.E.W.T.s, and which are acceptable individual choices. You will need fifteen magical languages, nine scholarly ones, and at least a dozen sets of symbols, plus the ability to fuse runes and letters onto certain types of objects. The second through fifth pages lists a series of projects. You will be enchanting three items this year. The basics supplies, charm levels, and runes needed are also listed. You have two weeks to choose. The sixth page is a form you need to fill out once you make the choices. It may be handed-in at any time over the next two weeks. It must be handed-in by the end of class, two weeks from today."

"Unfortunately, last year's temporary head mistress seems to have partially damaged some records, and some of the last professor's records were damaged from damp -- something about a leaking swamp in the area above her office last spring?" Edward shrugged. "Therefore, use the last page to list which languages and symbol sets you know, so I can check it against the damaged records and see if I'm missing any information."

He turned to the chalk board. A wave of his wand, and a paragraph appeared. "For homework, copy this down. Translate it into Latin plus one scholarly and one magical language. Hand it in at the start of class next week."

"When you have copied the paragraph and turned in page seven, you may go. Are their any questions?"

Draco and Hermione both raised their hands. To Hermione's surprise, he called on Draco.

"Mister Malfoy?"

"Are you going to be offering a weekend on the languages you worked on the last two years in Chad?"

"South-West Nilic is not yet classified as a major magical, or even minor, language, and so is not one of the nine that might be scheduled. However, if at least nine Sixth and Seventh years are interested, we'll try and add another. If any of you are interested," Hermione's hand shot up again, but Edward ignored it, "please let me know in three weeks." Hermione's hand went back down. "By then, you should all have a good idea of your workloads this year."

Edward turned to Malfoy. "Are there any other questions?"

Malfoy gazed at Edward defiantly, but shook his head. Hermione decided to keep quiet as well.

Katie Bell was the new Gryffindor Quidditch captain. She decided, with Professor McGonagall's support, to have open try-outs for all the other positions. No one wanted to challenge Harry for the job of seeker, that was decided the first Saturday. The other positions would be settled over the coming weeks.

Ron was fairly certain he could keep his Quidditch position. He was less certain he could keep up with Harry in their quest to become Aurors. Harry wasn't an academic standout, but he seemed able to scrape by with less effort than Ron. Harry had a pile of gold and, if there was peace by the time they left school, a chance at professional Quidditch to fall back on if his dream of being an Auror fell through. Ron loved his father, but had no great desire in follow his footsteps as a poorly-regarded Ministry official, or to follow Percy's ambitious sucking-up. Neville also had a well-off, although not wealthy, family to fall back on. There was an estate, which Neville planned on managing and improving. Hermione would no doubt have a wide number of career options.

Ron had very few options he liked the looks of.

Ron also knew he was in love with Hermione, and he hoped Hermione felt the same about him. Neither had said much, but both acknowledged openly that they were 'together,' without defining what that meant.

What all this meant to Ron was to make him afraid to make any sort of commitment or direct request until he had some idea what kind of life he could offer Hermione. That Hermione, an independent Muggle feminist, might not think in traditional terms was a bit outside Ron's adolescent imagination.

Hermione, who had a much better idea of how Ron thought than even Ron did, had decided to try and mature and train him as she wanted. She knew she wouldn't get him the way she might hope, but figured she could at least get him started in the right directions.

Hermione was also trying to oversee two other relationships. Neville and Ginny was something of an unexpected pairing. Hermione was still trying to figure it out, and Ron was trying to come to terms with it. Hermione suspected that Ginny was, as far as romance went, the most forward and adventuresome of the six.

Hermione was also trying to understand Harry's relationship with Luna. She could see that it was good for Harry, but she just couldn't understand Luna well-enough to see the attraction. She was glad Luna was a Ravenclaw; it made the relationships of the four Gryffindors seem easy to operate by comparison.

Hermione was, although she did not realize it, a bit jealous of Luna. Hermione loved Harry like a brother, and knew he loved her as a sister. For five years, though, Hermione had been the most important girl in both Ron and Harry's lives. She had been Harry's advisor. Luna was moving in on her territory in ways Cho never had come close to.

Harry and Luna's schedules fortunately meshed to a degree. They usually had a few minutes together between their classes. Although both students were natural late-risers, they quickly took to getting up at 6:45, feeling it was a reasonable sacrifice to make. They ate breakfast with the earliest eaters, and alternated between sitting together at the other's tables, whichever was open at the time. This was considered appropriate behavior, even at the Slytherin table, so long as the 'intruder' didn't stay so long as to leave a House member seatless. It was not considered good behavior at lunch (except on weekends) or dinner, and not even a free spirit like Luna dared break that taboo.

Thursday, September 12, 1996

The second week went much like the first. Harry and Luna were eating breakfast at the Gryffindor table, next to Hermione. To their surprise, Hedwig came in before the rush of breakfast mail, and left Harry a note.

"It's from Dumbledore," Harry said quietly. "It's a stop-press from today's Daily Prophet."

"What is it?" Hermione asked. Harry read it softly.

At about midnight, a large force of Death Eaters attacked the Ministry Annex for Long Term Care. It had housed eighty-four people who had been Kissed by Dementors, and fifteen innocent victims of the Dementors, dating back to the 1920s.

As usual, there were twenty-one caregivers, eight guards, and a member of the Minister's Office on duty when the attack occurred. Sixty of the sentenced soulless were killed and twenty-four taken. Nine of the innocent were also killed, the remaining six taken.

Of the twenty-one caregivers, fifteen were squibs. All fifteen were killed. Three of the others were killed, three are missing. Six guards are also missing. The remaining two guards were killed. The member of the Minister's office was injured and his condition is listed as 'serious' by St. Mungo's.

No reason is known for the attack or the taking of the soulless.

"Dumbledore added a note," Harry added. "Barty Crouch was one of the ones taken. Percy was the official on duty."

"I wonder why Percy was injured, not killed?" Hermione asked.

"It could be he was lucky, it could be he was working for Voldemort and his injuries were cover, or it could be He wants us to think Percy might be working for him." Harry grimaced. "I wonder what He wanted those people for."

"Zombies," Luna said simply.

"What?" Hermione asked, shocked.

"Zombies. The soulless are more easily commanded by Dark Arts," Luna said, in her matter-of-fact yet dreamy voice.

"They are essentially mindless as well as soulless," Harry said, trying to remember what he knew about zombies and the Kissed.

"True," Hermione had to admit.

"Well," Luna said, "I think we have the first lessons for the DA."

"Good idea!" Harry agreed.

Hermione rolled her eyes, but had to agree. "If we can get things started."

Professor Snape had been complaining from the first day of the term about the makeup of the DA. He wanted Slytherin to be integrated into the group. Harry, and the rest of the DA, were resisting. Harry and Hermione merely said that it was currently limited to the previous year's members. Any new members would have to be voted in, and the group was still discussing how that might be done. They would meet again the next night.

'Maybe,' Hermione thought, 'a good starting topic will get everyone ready to move on the group.'

"We didn't do much with zombies with Quirrell, did we?" Harry asked Hermione.

"No, he said we'd work with them Second year," Hermione stated thoughtfully. "Lockhart didn't cover them, though."

"I bet he marked it 'done' somewhere, and went on talking about himself."

"Professor Lupin had zombies as an optional report," Luna contributed. "I'll ask Amber to research them for me tonight. She likes looking things up."

"Your year has O.W.L.s," Hermione reminded her.

"I know. I'll remind her that zombies weren't properly covered, and that's why we want the information. She'll run to find out about them, and help us as well as herself."

'Sounds like Hermione,' Harry thought, but he was wise enough not to say anything.

"Here comes the Seventh years," Hermione said. That was the signal for Luna to leave. Kissing was certainly discouraged in the great hall, and so the couple merely held hands for a moment, before Luna left.

Harry gave Hermione a dirty look.

"What?" she asked.

"You don't have to sound so happy when they show up," Harry answered, rather grumpily.

"Sorry," Hermione said, not terribly sincerely.

Saturday, September 14, 1996

Harry had left a note for Professor Snape at breakfast, requesting a meeting for any time after 3:00. He had Quidditch try-outs to help with in the morning (Ron regained his keeper's spot, Ginny had earned a spot as a chaser and reserve seeker). He and Luna had taken a large picnic lunch to Hagrid's, and had found a sun-lit but-secluded arbor overlooking the lake after discovering Hagrid was in the Forest. They had sat on a bench and got to know each other better.

A little before 2:45, Harry checked the notice board near the potions area of the dungeons. Snape had left him a note, giving him an appointment at 4:00. Harry decided to show Luna a collapsed tunnel in their time remaining.

"And what's interesting about this?" Luna asked, puzzled. Usually she could come up with something interesting in any situation, but this time she was at a loss.

"So far as I know, only Ron and Professor Lupin know about this, although I guess my cousin might as well. Ron and Professor Lupin know the tunnel has collapsed."

"Yes?"

Harry shrugged. He waved his wand three times. A magical smokeless torch, a large-if-shabby sofa, and a table appeared. He closed the passage door.

"You created these?" Luna asked, impressed. That was late Sixth year Transfiguration and Charm work, if not Seventh.

"No," Harry admitted. "I vanished them from a storeroom."

"Ah," Luna said. This was late Fifth year magic. "That makes more sense."

"And with the Map, we won't walk out when someone is nearby," Harry added. He had explained the 'Marauder's Map' to her and Neville at Potter Place.

Luna sat on the sofa and leaned back. "And what nefarious ideas does that adolescent male libido of yours have, Mister Potter?"

Harry blushed.

Luna sat up. "I'm sorry, Harry. I shouldn't tease you."

Harry sat down, and Luna laid her head on his shoulder. "We're not very good at this, are we?" she asked.

"No," Harry agreed, "but we're in this together, right?"

Luna smiled. "That's right. We'll learn together, at our own pace."

Harry kissed the top of Luna's head, while she held Harry around his waist.

Harry was nearly late for his appointment with Snape.

"What do you need, Mister Potter?" Snape asked, nearly politely.

"The DA set up its conditions for new members last night," Harry answered. Snape merely nodded, so Harry went on. "No one new under Fourth year. Anyone new has to be nominated by a current member, and approved by a sixty percent majority. I can dismiss any member, subject to a seventy-five percent override."

"I see. Well, that do doubt eliminates any members of Slytherin from joining," Snape stated, almost angrily.

"Any security prefect may join automatically, since we're selected by the Headmaster," Harry said, handing Snape a slip of parchment.

Snape read the slip. "What does this mean?" There were eight names, with Zabini's name checked.

"I want your opinion on those other seven names. Can they be trusted enough to let them join?"

"Do you think I'd speak against my own House, Potter?" Snape demanded, incredulous.

"I'm not asking your opinion as Head of Slytherin House, but as a member of the Order of the Phoenix. I take the idea of Dumbledore's Army very seriously, sir," Harry retorted.

Snape looked at Harry with a hard face for a moment, then went back to the list. "Why Stevens?"

"She's a half-blood, and, unlike a number of them in Slytherin, she doesn't try to out-Pure-blood the Pure-blood Supremacists."

"That's true," Snape admitted. He caught a strange look on Harry's face. "What is it, Potter?"

"Just something Bellatrix Lestrange and I said to each other. The Dark Lord's followers really don't know he's more of a Mud-blood than a half-blood, do they?"

Snape looked like he was about to faint. "What . . . what do you mean by that!"

Harry looked surprised. "You mean you don't know, either?"

"No! Tell me!" Snape insisted.

"His father, Tom Riddle, was a pure Muggle, who rejected His mother and refused to marry her when he found out she was a witch. She died right after He was born, so Tom Riddle Junior was raised in a Muggle orphanage. That puts Him closer to Mud-blood than I am -- my mother might have been the grand-daughter of four squibs, but she was a witch, yet they all call me a half-blood. What does that make Him?"

"There is no absolute rule about these pejorative epithets, Potter. You're right, you're closer to Pure-Blood than the Dark Lord, if . . . His father was a Muggle?"

"Yes. He admitted it to me twice. And his current body was made from. . . ."

"The bone of a Muggle, the blood of a half blood, and the flesh of Pettigrew." Snape smiled evilly. "Well, well, well. Anyway, you would still be considered a half-blood by most Supremacists, but acceptable. The Dark Lord would be the worst kind of half-blood."

Snape smiled again, but then shook his head. "Back to the matter at hand. Why Bulstrode?"

"She seemed upset at the death of Crabbe and Goyle, and was blaming Malfoy. Maybe we can get her to break away from Pansy and Draco now."

"Perhaps. Can you guarantee these will be accepted?"

"Guarantee?" Harry asked. "No. I will speak for them, if you vouch for them." Harry didn't think it necessary to mention that Dumbledore had already approved them.

"You were under the Sorting Hat for some time. Did it mention considering you for Slytherin?"

"Actually, yes," Harry said.

Snape nodded. "I think you were properly placed, but sometimes you show some Slytherin sense. I'll vouch for all eight students."

"Thank you, sir."

"Potter!" Snape called as Harry was leaving. "You need to pick someone to practice Legilimency on next spring. It should be someone who trusts you, but who has little mental discipline. Until last spring, I would have recommended Longbottom. Perhaps you might consider a Creevy?"

"Yes, sir."