Unpredictable Life

Harry and his friends – except for Ron and Hermione, who had to perform their prefect duties – got out of the train with their pets. As soon as they stepped into the night air, the raven-haired Gryffindor immediately opened Hedwig’s cage. His pet hopped onto his arm and as the rest of his friends backed off slightly, he launched her forcefully into the air. His snowy owl gave a sharp cry as she flew off and soon, other owls joined her, all heading for the castle. He heard Hagrid bellow loudly for the first years but was unable to see the half-giant since he was standing behind some very tall Hufflepuffs.

The young wizard felt a gentle prod and he glanced over his shoulder. Ginny pushed him toward the stagecoaches. Even from where he was standing, the emerald-eyed Gryffindor could see the Thestrals stamping their feet eagerly. He was rather excited about being back at Hogwarts and he felt a little guilty for it. He kept thinking about holding his lover in his arms and felt bad that Luna had seen his goofy grin. He shared a carriage with the fifth-year Ravenclaw and Ginny, who was holding on to a loudly purring Crookshanks. The Thestrals started pulling the coach forward.

“What’s on your mind?” Luna asked him and he smiled.

“Well … D.A.D.A. … actually,” he said truthfully. “Snape told me that it should be someone competent.”

“Umbridge was competent too – if only theoretically,” the Ravenclaw pointed out drily.

“I don’t think the Ministry’s going to interfere about who is teaching the subject,” Ginny said suddenly. Her girlfriend looked thoughtful and fell silent. Harry took the chance to examine the surroundings.

It feels peaceful but the world is anything but tranquil. The thought about the second wizarding war triggered the memory of his dream during the journey. I should tell Sev about it. No more hiding things from anyone. His expression turned grave. At least Dumbledore knows me well enough not to coddle me anymore. It’s rather futile.

They finally passed through the entrance to the Hogwarts grounds and Harry’s sensitive nose picked up on a strange scent. It seemed faint at first, but at one point it was so intense that he started to cough. He was a little relieved that the other occupants were experiencing the same thing.

“What in the hell was that?” Ginny wheezed.

“Valentine’s Day is certainly not around the corner,” Luna agreed, her big eyes gleaming with provoked tears.

“The … perfume’s gone now,” Harry commented just as the coach stopped at the steps leading up to the Entrance Hall.

“You’re right,” Ginny muttered and she stepped out of the carriage. Harry and Luna followed seconds after, looking about them with interest. “Let’s save some seats for Ron and Hermione.” The girls hurriedly clambered up the steps and Harry heard Neville calling out his name.

The raven-haired Gryffindor waited and his three roommates finally appeared. Together, they made their way into the Great Hall. He immediately searched for his Slytherin lover and the happiness that welled up in him at the sight was hard for him to hide. As he went over to the Gryffindor table, he saw that his godfather, Sirius Black, now masquerading as a Professor Edan Wulfe, was sitting at the high table and chatting with Remus like an excited squirrel.

As he sat down, with Ginny across him and his three roommates sitting on the same bench, the Hall erupted in conversation. Neville was amazed that Remus was back to teach them and everyone was curious about the wizard beside him who seemed to have no sense of formality at all. Hermione and Ron entered the Hall with the other prefects and Harry’s two best friends sat on either side of him.

When Professor McGonagall appeared carrying a scroll in one hand and leading a train of very anxious first years, conversation quickly died. The Transfiguration professor cleared her throat loudly and she glared at Sirius. Harry’s godfather quickly went to his seat and the green-eyed Gryffindor saw his lover smirking at the silent rebuke.

Harry couldn’t concentrate on the Sorting Hat’s song as he stared dreamily in the direction of the grim-faced Potions Master. When Ginny realized that he wasn’t going to stop watching Severus, she stamped down on his foot, hard. He breathed in sharply and frowned at the youngest Weasley. It’s a damned miracle I didn’t scream. The Sorting Hat’s song was similar to the one that had been sung the year before except that the Hat kept emphasizing the fact that all the students needed to cooperate with each other if they were to survive the disaster that would fall on Hogwarts.

Harry dully waited for the sorting to end and he clapped just as enthusiastically as Ron did. He was quite hungry and the protesting growling of his stomach was irritating him. The Headmaster started off with giving the usual warnings.

“I’m fairly sure that you encountered with a peculiar smell as you entered the grounds,” Dumbledore began mildly, and Harry sat up in his seat a little straighter. “It’s nothing for you to be worried about.” Several students groaned at his evading the subject. “Now, I would like to introduce a man that is no doubt a familiar face for some of you. Remus Lupin has graciously agreed to return to Hogwarts to be your D.A.D.A. professor. I am sure that there are those among you who will object on the grounds that he is a werewolf, however, there seems to be a lack of wizards and witches who have the required qualifications as well as the personalities to handle this post, which is why I have asked him to come back to teach you all.” He looked at the students sternly through his half-moon glasses.

“Sitting next to him,” Harry’s godfather stood and bowed grandiosely – The Boy Who Lived acted nonchalantly when he heard several girls sigh in appreciation and Hermione suppressed a giggle – Dumbledore cleared his throat loudly to gain their attention, “is Assistant Professor Edan Wulfe. He’ll aid Professor Lupin and will fill in for him during his moon days.”

At that, some fifth-year Gryffindors, most of whom were boys, started laughing uproariously. Although Dumbledore’s words could be construed as an insult, Remus smiled. Harry felt a little more conscious when students started paying attention to Severus, some of them whispering and nudging their neighbors.

“At least he is still trying to play the part of grim, evil, greasy bastard,” Ron muttered under his breath.

“Hey, be nice,” Harry whispered back without moving his lips. Malachite green eyes gazed at the heavily scowling Potions Master with amusement.

The feast finally began and beside him, Ron heaved a huge sigh of relief and started plying his plate with chicken wings. Harry drank his pumpkin juice and let his eyes wander around the Great Hall as Hermione placed some chicken wings and a bit of mashed potato on his plate. The raven-haired Gryffindor looked across the spacious hall and was surprised that no sneer met him.

But his two bodyguards are sitting at the same place, he thought darkly. Where’s the git? Harry finally started eating and was chewing on his food when he heard Hermione say something. He stared at her until she finally turned and met his eyes. She leaned in and whispered into his ear.

“Malfoy’s been acting a little odd. I wonder if it is really him or is someone pretending to be him if you get my drift.” She pulled back, her face solemn and resumed eating her dinner.

Harry stared at her thoughtfully before looking down at his plate. Great … a Moody-Crouch reenactment?

It took a long time for the feast to end and the emerald-eyed Gryffindor was getting quite restless. However, when Dumbledore finally made his last speech and advised the students to return to their dormitories, the young wizard remained in his seat. Hermione and Ron looked at him quizzically.

“I want to say hi to Sev before I go up,” he said quietly.

Ron rolled his eyes and muttered, “You’re a hopeless romantic.” The redhead looked down on him. “Whatever made you think that he deserves you is completely beyond me.”

Hermione clucked at her boyfriend and tuned to Harry. “Don’t stay out too long. The password is Aldebaran.”

“Thanks,” the young wizard murmured in response. Ginny stayed with him until the very last moment and quickly dragged Dean and Seamus out of the Hall to stave off their curiosity.

Harry cursed silently when he saw Draco go up to the high table with the Slytherin girl he had seen talking to Andromeda earlier during the day. The girl followed the silver-haired Slytherin at a distance. Severus’s eyes had flickered in his direction but the Potions Master went to his student. The Gryffindor had no choice but to be unobtrusive. Remus and Sirius had other plans however.

The two professors walked up to him and Harry took a chance to look them over. The tawny-haired professor had dressed as though he was in better times and the young Gryffindor thought he looked quite dashing in the relatively new brown robes. His godfather, though, was dressed in stark black trousers, a pristine white collared shirt and a black cape.

“I have heard about you Mister Potter,” Professor Wulfe drawled in a bad imitation of Severus’s voice. Harry merely raised an eyebrow in question. The werewolf peered at his face and frowned when he saw the faint edges of a bruise on his forehead.

“Harry, what happened?” Remus asked, concerned.

The young wizard started telling them about the invisible-smacking book incident and Sirius grew more murderous by the second. “I know it was his book but it looked like it happened accidentally,” Harry said quickly to his godfather. “For Merlin’s sake, I think I bloody well know how to save myself from future pranking troubles.”

The murmurs from the Headmaster’s group intensified and the three other wizards turned to watch. Dumbledore seemed to be explaining something patiently to a steely-looking Draco Malfoy and a frowning girl. Quite suddenly, both Potions Master and Transfiguration professor exploded with a string of objections.

“That’s the most absurd thing you have ever suggested!” McGonagall protested.

The Headmaster looked at both of his employees sternly and Severus bit off his tirade. Electricity seemed to crackle in the air between the wizards engaged in a staring contest. In the end, it was Severus who gave way and he directed his anger at his students. “I warn you, Draco, behave in a distasteful manner and you’ll wish you weren’t born a Malfoy!” the Potions Master said harshly. “And that goes for you too, Miss Moon!”

Harry watched the lectured Slytherins in amusement. Even though his nemesis looked totally composed and undeterred, the girl looked as though she might strangle either her peer or her teacher. She was looking at Professor McGonagall for help and the emerald-eyed Gryffindor thought that it was odd that any Slytherin would do that.

“Do you understand me?” Severus asked threateningly.

“Yes Sir,” the Slytherins mumbled in unison.

“Potter! In my office! Now!” Severus’s voice cracked like a whip and Harry wondered if the anger he heard in the tone was feigned.

“See you guys tomorrow,” he whispered to the two professors and walked out of the Great Hall. His lover was already inside the gloomy office but the wizard quickly pushed him out and pulled him along deeper into the sub-level once he had grabbed a couple of thick books. “Sev? Where are you taking me?” he asked urgently, casting a look behind him anxiously.

“My chambers. Memorize the way carefully,” Severus spoke in an undertone.

The couple walked along the dimly lit corridors and Harry was glad that he had a talent for remembering the twists and turns of the castle. Finally, after fifteen minutes of walking, they came upon a blank wall. Severus simply pressed his palm against the surface and the glamour that had been placed on the brick wall melted away to reveal a bronze door. The emerald-eyed Gryffindor heard a soft click and with a low creaking noise, the door swung open.

Severus’s hand came to rest on the small of his back, gently pushing the younger wizard forward into the room. The room was slowly brightening and Harry couldn’t help but be amazed at his lover’s quarters. It certainly was unbelievable that such a cavern-like space was able to look beautiful, cozy and practical at the same time.

Maybe it has something to do with his sense of fashion, Harry thought absently. Although gray and still having that same eerie greenish glow that dungeon walls seemed to have, the black furniture arranged in the spacious area did not give one a feeling of utter seriousness.

“What do you think?” Severus’s voice sounded far away but the Gryffindor was still able to hear the anxiousness in his tone.

“If you had windows, it would be perfect.” Emerald eyes looked about the room in awe before starting to pace around and examining the furniture.

“Are you claustrophobic by any chance?”

Harry heard his lover approach him slowly and the young wizard turned so that he could watch the Potions Master’s face. Severus looked quite worried and Harry stepped into the wizard’s private space to hold him. Feeling the older wizard’s hands wrapped around him, the sensation as he rested his cheek on Severus’s shoulder, the incredible rightness that this was his home, overwhelmed him so much that his knees gave way without warning and the couple tumbled to the floor unceremoniously.

The pale Slytherin began to chuckle and the raven-haired teenager pretended to sulk. I wonder if he’s aware that he’s catching up on his laughter, Harry pondered. They readjusted and the lighter wizard ended up in the Potions Master’s lap. They stayed that way for several minutes until Severus broke the silence.

“You can’t really stay here,” the older wizard mumbled into his ear and Harry nodded his understanding. Still, he was reluctant to let go of his lover. “But the Headmaster has allowed you to come visit me every Saturday evening …”

“What?” Harry pulled away and stared at the Potions Master in disbelief. “You’re pulling my leg aren’t you?”

“It’s for the Occlumency lessons, imp,” Severus replied sardonically.

“I knew it.” The Gryffindor crawled out of older wizard’s lap and stood.

“He didn’t say you have to go back to your dormitory,” Severus replied mildly. His solemn face broke in a roguish smile.

The raven-haired teenager looked thoughtful. “It means I’ll have to make sure I get my homework done in advance,” he said wryly. The black-robed man started to chuckle as Harry took his hand and pulled him slowly to his feet.

The emerald-eyed wizard noticed that the Head of Slytherin House had a strangely glazed look and all of a sudden, Severus started ranting about Dumbledore finally succumbing to old age.

What the hell? Does he talk to himself? Harry watched the Potions Master in alarm. Fawkes had actually chosen that moment to insinuate something to Severus and the Slytherin was oblivious of the fact that he had spoken verbally. The young wizard couldn’t help but frown. He is not even speaking in complete sentences! The Gryffindor did catch some snippets, something about a Mudblood, accidents and pregnant. Pregnant? Green eyes widened to the size of Galleons.

“Uhmmm … who’s pregnant?” Harry asked his lover meekly.

“What?” Sanity and consciousness flooded the pair of coal-black eyes. “Never mind that,” Severus quickly said. Harry squeaked a little when his lover suddenly came close. “You’ve got a bruise. Did something happen?”

“I think this one can be safely counted as an accident. But listen, Sev, I took a nap during the journey.” The Gryffindor’s voice was low and he looked deeply into the dark abyss of the Potions Master’s eyes, “And I dreamt of Voldemort.”

Immediately, the ex-Death Eater’s face became paler than was usual. Without prompting, Harry began telling him all the details of the dream. After several minutes, all was quiet. The raven-haired Gryffindor waited apprehensively for the older man to speak. One of Severus’s hands came up to brush a lock of hair absently but his fingers touched the warm – and bruised skin of Harry’s forehead.

Startled at the difference, Severus took a step back and stared. “What happened to your hair?”

Does that mean he prefers me to keep my hair long? Harry smiled nervously and mumbled about Mrs. Tonks doing a trimming job. His lover suddenly stiffened and the Gryffindor looked at him in puzzlement. What?

“It’s late. You ought to go up to your dormitory now,” Severus spoke perfunctorily.

“Like bloody hell I will go!” Harry yelled, as though something that he had been suppressing inside him exploded. “What is wrong? If there is something, would you just tell me since I know something’s making you unhappy?” Incredibly, the young wizard was already fuming before five minutes had passed.

I’ll count to ten. If he doesn’t speak by then, I’m leaving! Harry winced when he listened to his own childish thoughts. Fine, I’m staying right here until he gets whatever that’s bothering him off of his chest. With that in mind, he stripped himself off his school robes and flung himself on the bed. He was careful not to let his shoes make contact with the clean sheets though.

“I don’t know if you care, but Sev, I am definitely not going to leave this room unless you tell me or you throw me out,” he said impassively as he stared up at the dark gray ceiling.

Whether it was because of the journey or his filling dinner, Harry was getting sleepy. But I don’t want to leave him with this bad feeling. He sighed and sat up on the bed. “I’m sorry that I yelled.” He picked up his robes. “Good night. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He quickly gave his lover a kiss on the cheek and turned to leave.

“Wait,” Severus called him and Harry stopped. His lover came up to face him, his expression unreadable. “There are quite a few approachable wizards here.”

“So you’re jealous? That I might find someone my age attractive?” The Gryffindor raised an eyebrow and looked questioningly at his brooding lover. “Sev, I’m not insulting your taste in men, but you do know that Ron is bloody handsome, right?” His lover did not speak. “And I wasn’t quite expecting Malfoy without that same sickening leer that was always on his face. He had the gall to look good-looking today with that emerald cloak of his.”

“It’s not like he would accept you anyway,” Severus muttered.

“He’s straight? What a shame,” Harry drawled and his Slytherin lover glowered at him. “You’re being ridiculous. I can only see myself with you.” The emerald-eyed wizard grinned and gave his lover a sound kiss on the lips before leaving. He didn’t have to turn to know what Severus’s expression was like since the feeling of embarrassment felt rather intense. Looks like I will be able to get a decent night’s sleep after all. He smiled faintly. But it will be a hell of a tough job keeping my eyes off Sev. He walked along the corridor cautiously, hoping that he wouldn’t bump into any wandering Slytherins.

Monday, 2nd September 1996. Harry’s Dormitory.

Someone was shaking him roughly and he fended his assailant off feebly. “I’m awake,” he muttered and sat up on the bed. He looked around. Everything seemed quite dark to him and he absently plucked his glasses from his desk. What happened while I was sleeping? Harry wondered after seeing Ron looking at him strangely. “What?” the emerald-eyed Gryffindor croaked out.

His redheaded friend drew his curtains open and came to sit on the edge of his four-poster bed. Ron was still wearing his pajamas so Harry knew that it must still be early morning. The tall Gryffindor looked at him thoughtfully before leaning forward. “You were calling out to him,” Weasley whispered.

“What?! I called Voldemort’s name while I’m sleeping?” Harry yelped, green eyes widening in shock.

“Is it time yet?” one of his roommates groaned sleepily.

“Not him!” Ron hissed. “Him!” The redhead glanced behind him to check that the rest were still in bed. “You were calling the greasy git,” he muttered rapidly.

Harry blinked. Slowly, his cheeks reddened and he gave his best friend an embarrassed smile. Silencing Charms. I think it will be wiser if I start applying them. He gazed at his scarlet-haired friend. “Thanks for informing,” the raven-haired wizard said earnestly.

“Just watching out for you, mate,” Ron replied with a crooked grin. “Imagine the look on Neville’s face if he knew that you’re going out with someone who looked ridiculous wearing a lace-trimmed dress, a pointy hat and holding onto a huge crimson handbag.”

“You’re mean,” Harry mumbled but he started chuckling. He checked his watch; it was early. “Let’s get ready.”

“Yeah and we’ll wait for ‘Mione and Ginny in the common room,” Ron replied.

Harry pushed his curtains back and saw Hedwig perched on her usual stand. The two young wizards started going around the dorm room to wake the other sleepers. When none of the three boys stirred, Harry and Ron exchanged looks and gave similar shrugs.

“We’ll have to wake them later, I think. Since it’s early, there’s no rush in going to the washroom,” Harry said absently as he gathered his toiletries and his new set of clothes. Ron waited for him by the door and the two early Gryffindors exited the dorm.

The sixth-year Gryffindors boys, Hermione and Ginny, trooped out of their portrait hole in good cheer. As they descended, they met up with some students from Ravenclaw on the fourth level. Luna happened to be among them and she walked beside Ron’s sister the rest of the way. They were within sight of the Entrance Hall, and although Parkinson, her group of girls, Crabbe and Goyle juniors were there to ‘welcome’ the group of Gryffindors, their blond leader wasn’t among them.

“You’re a murderer, Potter. You killed your godfather, didn’t you?” Parkinson snickered loudly. “Thought that you were simply too good to call for help, didn’t you?” The Slytherins burst into a giggling fit. Ron predictably began to see red but both Hermione and Ginny cackled maniacally.

“Come on guys. Let’s just leave this bunch of losers wanting the limelight to their own devices,” Ginny spoke daringly and gave Pansy Parkinson an extremely rude hand gesture.

“Gin!!!” All the boys — including Harry — shouted and stared at the red-haired witch in mock terror. Dean spurred his girlfriend onwards and the others followed save for Luna, Neville, Harry and the other Ravenclaws.

“I heard you weren’t doing too good this summer, Parkinson,” Luna Lovegood said to the pug-faced Slytherin calmly. “Heard rumors that you weren’t good enough for the Ice Prince.” The Ravenclaw gave a cruel smile and Harry flinched at her look of madness. The Slytherin girl snarled and it appeared that she was about to draw her wand.

“Come on Luna!” One of her housemates dragged her away roughly and Harry saw no reason to linger in the Entrance Hall.

The ceiling in the Great Hall reflected the sunny skies outside. The emerald-eyed wizard saw that Hermione and Ron expected him to sit in his usual place. He smiled broadly and sat down between his two best friends. Harry was still deciding what to eat – pancakes or toast – when Professor McGonagall made her way down their table.

Which? Pancakes or toast? Harry frowned as he stared at the food. Hermione seemed to be aware of his predicament and whispered that none of them mattered or tasted that different. Still in a preoccupied state, the emerald-eyed wizard replied, “I just realized that you guys haven’t tasted any of Sev’s cooking. I have to warn you now; he makes the best pancakes I’ve ever had.”

“Of course his cooking tastes good. He’s probably spiked it with something that will make you think that everything about him tastes nice,” Ron remarked drily.

His comment drew Harry out of his dreamy-like state. “Ron, are you aware of what you just said?” His friend looked at him quizzically. “That part about everything about him tastes nice?” The Boy Who Lived added meekly. Hermione giggled and tried to hide it by concentrating on her breakfast. The red-haired prefect still looked clueless so Harry dropped the topic but Hermione was still snorting with amusement.

“Misters Weasley, Potter, and Miss Granger. Here are your timetables,” their Head of House called and handed them the yellow-tinted scrolls.

“Thank you, Professor!” the three chirped and their light-heartedness caused the witch to study their faces carefully. She lifted one eyebrow elegantly and went further down the Gryffindor table.

Harry finally decided on pancakes and listened to Ron’s teasing absently. His friend was telling him that Severus was walking down the line of Slytherins, giving out his students’ timetables.

“Oh, don’t look now but his back is facing you,” the redhead muttered casually. Not able to restrain himself, Harry looked and examined his lover’s shoulder-length ebony hair, the broad shoulders, the way his robes cascaded down his back and hiding that firm pale behind. “Bloody hell, ‘Arry. You’re damned hopeless!”

“Hey! You started it! You made me look at him!” the raven-haired wizard protested weakly.

“Boys,” Hermione mumbled under her breath. The young witch was eating with her right hand while her left was unrolling her class schedule. Harry and Ron carried on with their mild verbal bantering until Ginny interrupted them by asking about their first lesson of the day.

“Hang on,” Harry and Ron answered at the same time.

The raven-haired wizard took a look at his timetable and he suddenly felt a sense of nostalgia. It was a peculiar sensation and it made him squirm, because he didn’t want an erection in the Great Hall. He had just envisioned himself sitting on Severus’s lap and reading to his lover aloud. He shook his head and his green eyes returned to study the parchment.

“It’s Defence,” he replied and was seconded by Ron.

“Does that mean the professors are splitting up?” Ginny asked and the young wizards looked at her in puzzlement. “The fifth-years are having Defence too, at nine.”

“Maybe it’s a merged class?” Hermione said, her eyes unconsciously flicking to the Slytherins.

“Or maybe it’s just us Gryffindors,” Dean said shrewdly.

“But can Professor Wulfe and Lupin handle all of us?” Hermione fretted.

“I don’t care – as long the Slytherins aren’t taking Defence,” Ron said.

His girlfriend looked at him in exasperation. “Ron, D.A.D.A. is a core subject for all.”

The redhead looked blank for a few seconds and then he exploded. “But that’s not fair! They will have a double advantage against us!”

“But only if they’re in Voldemort’s service,” Harry pointed out, hoping his comment would deflate his best friend’s temper a little. He suddenly had the feeling that he was being watched and he turned to see that his godfather, Remus and his own lover were staring at him. Well, the Potions Master was scowling more than simply staring. “I wonder why he’s scowling at us. Have we been talking loud or something?” His friends shrugged.

Just then, someone from the other side of the Hall exclaimed, “Damn! We’re having Defence first!”

“What?!” several students exclaimed. When Harry looked, a bunch of Slytherins immediately ran out of the Hall. Some came back a second later for their forgotten timetables.

“They’re fifth-years,” Ginny said after taking a long look at the running students. “You should be glad we didn’t make a deal,” the girl told her brother.

“Whaddyamin?”

“Ron, you’re certainly old enough not to eat with your mouth full,” Hermione said, looking at him in despair. “Or are you just fond of someone nagging about it?” Her boyfriend’s cheeks started to redden.

“So, it will be one huge session, then,” Harry decided. He took another peek at his timetable. “And our lesson is taking place ... here,” the young wizard supplied.

“Huh?” Hermione turned to stare at him.

“I didn’t think it was there earlier but there’s something flashing underneath the words ‘D.A.D.A.’ right now,” the messy-haired teenager spoke absently. He looked at his godfather’s scribbled writing and wondered how he had managed to do it. Then again, how on earth did he and the Marauders create the Map? The Gryffindor smiled to himself. I’ll understand if he does not want to reveal the secret to it but I’d be disappointed all the same.

“Did he break up with Parkinson or something?” Hermione asked abruptly.

Harry jumped in his seat and cursed himself silently for daydreaming so early in the day. He glanced to the area where most of his friends were watching but his view was blocked by a passing Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil. When his two other year-mates finally took their seats, with Parvati placing her school bag as a divider between herself and The Boy Who Lived, he managed to see who his bushy-haired friend was scrutinizing.

The girl whom Severus referred to as Miss Moon, was talking softly with Draco. Harry’s fear of the Slytherin prefect being an impersonator increased since it was unlike the latter to look at anyone – much less conversing with them – with great patience.

“Just where have you guys been living anyway?” Lavender started. “I don’t know what kind of hexes you inflicted on him but after his mother found him dumped inside the luggage rack and undid the spells, he tracked Parkinson before she left the train and jinxed her.”

“I think he was quite unhappy that his ‘girlfriend’ had forgotten to check up on him for more than three hours,” Parvati inserted with a knowing smirk.

“That’s his new girlfriend ... or so we think,” Lavender said. “Never saw them kiss or hold hands or anything like that –”

“– But they were together for most of the time during the trip here,” Parvati added helpfully.

“Who bloody cares about who that git is dating?” Ron said, brandishing his fork in the air.

Lavender ignored his comments and plodded on. “What was that about Malfoy being missing? What are the media people trying to do now?”

“Probably trying to prevent anyone from getting their training at Hogwarts?” Parvati muttered almost angrily.

“Possible,” Hermione, Ron, Ginny and Harry answered solemnly. Before the silence could become something uncomfortable, a strong baritone coming from the Slytherins snatched their attention.

“Just flip a coin,” said Slytherin suggested to Moon. The witch nodded and took the coin the boy held for her.

“Tails or heads?” the girl asked Draco.

“Heads,” the platinum-headed Slytherin answered in a bored tone. Still seated, Moon flipped the coin high into the air and unfortunately for her, it landed on a table full of Hufflepuffs. She seemed a little hesitant to get the coin back – like she was unused to the attention she was rapidly gaining – but slowly, she rose from her seat and approached the table where Susan Bones was sitting with Hannah Abbott.

Wayne Hopkins handed the Slytherin his plate that contained his half-eaten breakfast and the missing coin. “Tails,” the boy said neutrally.

Moon turned and smiled brightly at Draco. “Fetch your own bag.”

“I’m not moving. And I still need to eat my breakfast, which you don’t.” Silver eyes flashed as he sneered at his housemate.

“Draco, you’re purposefully being infuriating!” the Slytherin girl stomped off, muttering obscenities clearly enough that even the professors could hear.

Back at the Gryffindor table, Harry was smiling and unconsciously muttered that the two Slytherins were a couple.

“How do you know?” Parvati asked, slightly baffled.

“It’s just like you and Anthony from Ravenclaw are one,” he answered, sounding quite preoccupied. He didn’t notice when the witch started coughing and blushed furiously. Lavender stared at her friend openmouthed.

“Parvati! How could you not tell me!!! Or your sister!!!” the girl exclaimed.

No one stopped the green-eyed Gryffindor from telling everyone of the latest couples until Hermione determinedly pinched him. That brought Harry out of his trance-like state.

“Er ... what the hell have I been babbling?” the wizard inquired of his housemates meekly.

“Well ... you just told us that Hermione and Ron are finally together,” Lavender replied, looking at The Boy Who Lived suspiciously.

“Hey, I think it’s better if we go up and fetch our books,” Ginny interrupted.

Harry looked down at his watch and stared in surprise when he realized that it was a quarter to nine in the morning. The boys started eating their breakfast in earnest – Ron was still holding onto a piece of toast as Hermione dragged him out of his seat.

The raven-haired boy cast a quick glance at the Potions Master before hurrying along to catch up with his friends. Secretly, he was glad that had Ginny saved him from more questioning by Parvati or Lavender. As they waited impatiently for the ever-changing staircases to stop moving, Harry wondered just how he knew about Parvati’s relationship with Anthony Goldstein. Damn! I didn’t mention anything about Remus and Sirius, did I? His disturbing thoughts followed him as he climbed through the portrait hole and up another flight of stairs to get to his dormitory.

Harry and his group of friends barely made it back to the Great Hall in time due to a surprise attack by the school’s notorious poltergeist. It had taken them, Dobby and half of the house-elves responsible for Gryffindor tower nearly five minutes to get their school bags away from the madly-shrieking Peeves. The Slytherin ghost came along, grabbed the poltergeist by the scruff of his neck, and wrenching a stolen wand from his grasp, dragged Peeves away.

The raven-haired wizard slowed and breathed in deeply to calm his rapid heart rate. The Great Hall was strangely silent and he entered cautiously. Like it had been during his OWLs, the spacious room was transformed. It was peculiarly sunny and there were a lot of desks arranged in a semicircle facing a teacher’s desk and a magically floating blackboard. There were two large stools facing him occupied by the Defence Against the Dark Arts professors.

“There you are, Mister Potter,” Professor Wulfe said gaily. “Come on, don’t just stand there! Pick a seat!”

Harry’s frown was copied by several of his friends – particularly Ron and Ginny. All of the empty seats were scattered around and there were no extra seats for them to choose. It meant that one of them had to sit beside Draco. Green eyes flickered over to watch Hermione who was looking quite agitated. It was understandable why her reaction was thus since her boyfriend immediately headed for the seat beside the Slytherin prefect.

Neville sighed and sat on an unoccupied seat in the back row and Ginny went for a seat directly in front of Luna’s. That’s strange, Harry thought. Shouldn’t that Moon person be sitting beside him? She could have spared us the discomfort. He sneered to himself. Then again, she’s a Slytherin. The Gryffindor scanned the rows and finally spotted an empty seat next to Moon. Hermione had stalked up to the front row and sat in between Parvati and Lavender.

Harry sighed and readjusted his hold on his school bag. He looked again at Moon – the girl was sitting at the right end of the second row, completely oblivious and was somewhat inconspicuous. Maybe that’s why I haven’t noticed her, or maybe she’s a fifth-year. Aware that he was gaining more attention than he wanted, he quickly walked up to the second row. His pace slowed when he saw that Cho was the other girl beside his seat.

He sat down quickly and returned the Ravenclaw’s weak smile. He took out his notebook, writing utensils and textbook. He glanced beside him and saw that the Slytherin girl was reading a book and she jumped slightly in surprise when Professor Wulfe cleared his throat. Harry’s eyes were transfixed on the book and he was sure that it was the same one that had hit him repeatedly during the train ride. His eyes drifted upwards to meet light hazel-brown ones. Moon stared at him for several moments before shrugging and dumping her book inside her bag.

“Good morning all,” Professor Lupin greeted them all with a warm smile while his colleague looked bored. “I don’t have to introduce myself but I’d like to introduce the wizard who is my assistant. This is Professor Edan Wulfe. He’s a Slytherin and he used to be the top student in D.A.D.A. around two decades back. He’ll be taking care of you when I’m not around,” he said mildly.

“Handing all grading work over to me, are you?” The assistant professor looked at the werewolf archly. He turned back to the students. “Oh, you guys are supposed to sit in the same places each lesson.”

“What?” Ron yelped and the red-haired wizard started glaring at his neighbor.

“I wish that I could say that we’re pulling your leg, but we aren’t,” the tawny-haired professor agreed. Some of the Gryffindors and Slytherins started to make more noise and the werewolf sighed. “All right, guys. Calm down. You can sit wherever you wish but you can’t argue if we pair you up with someone you’d rather not work with.”

Scrolls started appearing at each desk. Harry picked it up and untied the ribbon.

“That’s the lesson plan based on the Ministry of Education’s decision,” Professor Wulfe said.

“Basically, the fifth-years will sort of grow with this Defence book – until their NEWTs,” Professor Lupin added.

“Hey! We’re doing the Patronus Charm today!” Colin Creevey said excitedly.

“Yes you are,” Professor Lupin replied. “In fact, even the first years are learning about it – but they’re excluded from practical.”

“Since we have Dementors running about and only Merlin knows if the defenses about Hogwarts will be able to keep them out, we feel that you should study this charm. A corporeal Patronus can scare humans too, if you get my drift,” Professor Wulfe said lightly. “And I’ll tell you something about the Dark Lord and Dementors. Dementors are so crafty that even he distrusts them.”

“I wish to warn you that we’re dealing with highly advanced magic. The results aren’t always positive,” the Defence professor warned the students and Harry nodded in agreement. “Let’s go through the theory first. I’m sure that this is nothing new to the DA members but let’s just go over it. Shall we?” Golden eyes looked shrewdly at the expanse of Hogwarts students.

“Textbook page four hundred and twelve, please,” Professor Wulfe instructed professionally. The rustling of paper echoed throughout the cavernous Hall. “You have ten minutes to read the rather long passage.”

Harry looked down at his book and skimmed through the page quickly before focusing to read it one line at a time. A strange swishing noise broke his concentration and he saw that his godfather was writing something on the magical blackboard.

The Patronus Charm

Things needed to make the spell work:

-Yourself
-Your wand
-Incantation: ‘Expecto patronum’
-Happy memories
-Your heart
-Determination

The raven-haired Gryffindor turned his attention back to his book and started highlighting the important points. To his right, the Slytherin girl was scribbling furiously in her notebook and she cursed when the tip of her quill broke.

“Damn ...” The girl bent slightly to her side and she started fishing about in her bag for an extra quill. Her expression became crestfallen and she stared off in Draco’s direction. Harry silently handed her one of his spare quills. She took it with a pained expression. “Thanks,” the Slytherin mumbled and went back to writing – though more gently this time.

“Everyone done?” Professor Lupin inquired. There were nods of affirmation all around. “Good. Now let’s start.”

“A Patronus is a guardian that protects you – like a shielding device – against Dark Creatures, specifically the Dementors,” Professor Wulfe began. His colleague nodded absently as the former stood and began walking about the perimeter.

“As I told Harry approximately three years ago, the Patronus is made up of all your happy and good feelings but it isn’t able to feel despair. So while we all are affected by the feeling of dread that the Dementors invoke inside us, the Patronus remains unafraid,” Professor Lupin said and he looked significantly at the assistant professor.

“Each corporeal – if you don’t know what that means, it means having a solid or tangible shape – Patronus is unique to its caster,” Professor Wulfe spoke, fiddling with his wand absently. “So if one is particularly bad-tempered, rough, barbaric, stubborn, fast and highly excitable, the chance of his or her Patronus being a boar is quite high.”

Harry saw Moon raise her hand and both professors looked at the Slytherin girl questioningly. “Yes, Miss –?”

“Alhena Moon, sir,” the Slytherin answered quickly. “Will every Patronus take on the form of an animal?”

The two professors exchanged a long glance. After a moment, Professor Lupin took his seat, his golden eyes never leaving hers. “Yes. But it is possible for it to take on other forms. However, I’ve never come across anyone who has a human Patronus before,” he replied.

“Oh …” Her bronze eyes grew distant and a lock of her auburn hair fell across her face as she became lost in thought. Harry heard her snicker suddenly. “Bet his Patronus is a ferret,” Alhena mused.

“Those are the properties of the Patronus. For those of you who are beginners, conjuring the Patronus can take a bit of energy,” Professor Lupin warned.

“Which is why there’s a bowl of chocolates for you.” The dark-haired professor pointed to a floating bowl. “If you don’t know, chocolate is the best way to energize you after magical lessons.”

“That’s all for theory today,” Professor Lupin said brightly. “We’ll start with our first Defence practical.”

“And Mister Potter,” Professor Wulfe called, “since you’re able to cast a Patronus well enough,” Harry froze, “you’ll be our temporary assistant!”

“What?” Harry looked at his godfather blankly.

“Come on people, let’s not waste the time. Pack up your books, place them in your bags somewhere in a corner and we’ll clear up the tables,” the Gryffindor’s godfather announced, ignoring Harry’s shocked look.

The raven-haired teenager walked quickly over to where his friends had gathered and put his school bag beside Ginny’s. The students gathered around the professors and Dean pushed Harry gently toward Remus.

“You’ll be separated into three groups. Those of you who have worked with Harry before,” the werewolf smiled slyly at the DA members, “feel free to be supervised by him.” He turned to watch the Slytherins. “Professor Wulfe will help the Slytherins and the rest of you will be under me.”

“Professors!” An excited fifth-year Hufflepuff raised his hand, jumping in the air slightly. “Can you give us a demo? In turns?”

Harry watched his godfather carefully. There was surprise in his sapphire eyes but the handsome wizard shrugged and smiled roguishly at his partner.

“Just to prove to some skeptical folks that we do know what we’re doing,” the blue-eyed professor added casually. “Give us some space then.”

“I’m sure you all have seen mine, I know the Slytherins have. I don’t have to cast it, right?” Harry said, looking at the crowd uneasily.

“Amuse us,” Alhena said with a faint smile hovering on her lips. Those who remembered how Draco had played a trick on Harry during a Quidditch match only to have it backfire on him tittered loudly in the background.

Emerald eyes dared to look over to where the Ice Prince stood and Harry winced inwardly. The silver-haired Slytherin was glaring intently at Alhena who was trying very hard not to laugh. She failed; her snicker escaped and she moved deeper into the crowd, screened by Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini.

“Why don’t you cast yours first? It should prove to your peers that it is possible to do the Patronus,” Professor Lupin said thoughtfully to the raven-haired Gryffindor. Harry sighed and nodded. Taking a deep breath, he forced his mind to clear and he concentrated on the way Severus had looked at him the first time the Gryffindor went on top.

“Expecto patronum!” A jet of silver shot out of the tip of Harry’s wand. The misty silver stag stood proud in the middle of the Hall before it began to canter lightly about the room. Once it made a full round, the Gryffindor’s Patronus dissolved back into a cloud. There were awed whispers coming from a bunch of fifth-year Hufflepuffs and the emerald-eyed teenager fidgeted nervously at the attention.

“Excellent!” Professor Wulfe clapped his hands enthusiastically and he winked at Harry.

He couldn’t help himself; Harry blushed and he suddenly remembered Severus’s comment about Edan Wulfe being an outrageous seducer of young boys. He groaned and walked away to stand on the sidelines. He watched his godfather with a frown as the charming wizard smiled at the girls. Is he trying to become the next Lockhart or something?

The young wizard had never seen or heard about his godfather’s Patronus, much less known if the wizard knew how to perform it. He waited anxiously as Professor Wulfe closed his eyes, brows creasing in concentration. Then came the barked command and something huge appeared in the midst of the students.

Susan Bones shrieked and clambered as far away as she could. The students gave the professor’s Patronus a wide berth and Harry looked on in amusement. A huge silver wolf prowled about the edge of the terrified-looking students and it was soon joined by another wolf. The second one was more muscular though and the pair disappeared in the same way as the stag after staring at both professors for a minute.

“All right! Playtime’s over! Your turn now! Slytherins! To me!” Professor Wulfe called out cheerfully. The said students began to flock over to him and Harry found himself surrounded by DA members who were eyeing him slyly.

“Don’t look at me like that!” he said nervously. “You guys had better start practicing.” Dean and Seamus started laughing but the group separated to find their own space to work. They formed a circle — a little irregular at the edges — and the emerald-eyed wizard began to walk around them. He saw Marietta Edgecomb looking quite pale and immediately approached her.

“Hey, are you okay?” he asked. The girl had a pinched expression on her face and she was visibly wincing every ten seconds or so.

“Yes. It’s just that it’s … damn … that time of the month,” she gasped, her eyes watering a little.

“Oh …” Harry stood near her and looked uncertainly at the Ravenclaw. After being around Hermione and Ginny for so long, he guessed that the girl must be having those stomach cramps that his two girlfriends sometimes suffered. “Do you want to sit down or something?”

“It’s all right. I’d sooner keep my mind busy with something rather than concentrate on my stomach cramps,” she answered, smiling weakly.

“You sure?” Harry pestered and he wondered to himself why he was being nice to the girl.

“Yes.” The Ravenclaw nodded and the raven-haired Gryffindor walked over to where Neville was having problems with the incantation. Harry was so intent in coaching Neville that he was caught by surprise when something hit him from behind. He turned quickly and was surprised to see a pair of feline eyes looking up at him inquisitively before vanishing.

“Whose …?” Harry looked around, wanting to congratulate the successful student for managing to conjure the cheetah.

“Ginny! You did it!!!” Luna yelled, giving the slender girl a quick hug.

“I did?” the red-haired witch asked, her eyes glazed. Her success inspired the rest of her peers to work harder and half an hour later, Hermione and Cho were walking around with Harry to help out. Ginny was still a little shaken at her success but Ron coaxed his sister to attempt it a second time to prove that she had really conjured a Patronus. Her cheetah reappeared, stalking about the witch and snarling at the Slytherins that came too near.

“How curious.” Professor Wulfe was looking at the feline’s behavior as he handed some bars of chocolate to Parkinson and Bulstrode. “Do you know that it’s a male?”

“Professor,” Ginny protested weakly.

“All right everyone! You have a ten minute break so go and do whatever you have to do. We’ll resume the practical later,” Professor Lupin announced.

Wooden benches appeared and Harry took a seat on one of them. Seamus tossed several Chocolate Frogs at him and the raven-haired Gryffindor passed some to an exhausted-looking Neville and Marietta.

“It’s a good thing that it’s a double period and we don’t have to walk to get lunch,” Dean commented after he gulped down his chocolate.

“Is it just me or is someone else here feeling pressured?” Neville asked, massaging his temple gently.

“Don’t remind me,” Ron grumbled and sat beside his girlfriend. Ginny stared at her brother smugly and it started a small war in the midst of the Gryffindors.

Harry laughed at the teasing between the two siblings and his attention drifted off from his friends to his surroundings. The two Defence professors were listening intently to a group of Ravenclaws who were probably talking about the Patronus Charm. Emerald eyes roamed over to the Slytherins. He watched as Parkinson whispered to one of the female Slytherins, a mousy-looking witch, all the while staring at her ex-boyfriend.

The prefect didn’t look too happy as she watched the Ice Prince and his consort. Harry absently scratched his neck. That’s weird. Why do I keep thinking that Malfoy and Moon are a couple? They certainly don’t act like one. He cracked his knuckles absently as he studied the way Alhena Moon glared at Draco Malfoy when the platinum-headed wizard snatched the book she was reading from her fingers. Well, Ron and Hermione don’t really act like one … most of the time. He sighed and waited for their break to be over.

He started thinking about his lover, wondering what the Potions Master was doing. His head swam suddenly and he found himself looking at a trio of trembling students, bent over a cauldron. The smallest boy cringed as Harry loomed over him and the vision dissipated.

“Harry!” Ron was shaking his arm slightly. “They’re calling!”

“Oh ... okay,” he muttered and rose from the bench. Was I really looking out from Sev’s eyes?

“I hope that I am not late for the exercise,” Dumbledore’s wheezy voice penetrated Harry’s consciousness.

“Not at all, Headmaster. We’re just about to begin,” Professor Lupin informed the wizard who was walking toward the group.

“Shall we start then?” the old wizard inquired.

“Give us several moments to brief the students,” Professor Wulfe said. “Listen up!” His strong voice ensured that he gained every iota of attention from the students. “We’re going to put you lot into a simulation exercise.”

“You’ll be divided into three groups according to your years,” the tawny-haired professor said calmly. “The first to go will be the seventh-years, followed by the fifths and the sixths.”

“So sort yourselves and the rest of you, move closer to the entrance. Let’s give the players some room.” Harry and his friends exchanged looks, wondering what kind of simulation test they would have to get through. The raven-haired Gryffindor moved further to the back and watched his seniors carefully. Remus had gone off with them, his face solemn as he instructed them. Then the werewolf turned to look at Dumbledore and nodded once.

Somewhere on his right, the young emerald-eyed wizard heard the Headmaster chanting. Harry didn’t take his eyes off Professor Lupin or the students and watched in rapture as a huge black wall slowly cascaded down on the students from the ceiling. The Gryffindor saw Marietta’s petrified expression and the girl huddled closer to Cho, looking at the wall anxiously. Harry could no longer see them as they were enclosed by the magical bubble.

He dimly heard his godfather telling the rest of the students to rest and meditate and Harry followed his advice, silently preparing himself for whatever the professors had in mind. Hushed voiced filled the otherwise uncomfortable silence. Emerald eyes closed and Harry sought the silent part of his mind.

The young wizard must have dozed off or gone into a deep trance without meaning to. When he reopened his eyes, he found that only the sixth-years were left. “They went through?” Harry asked Hermione, feeling somewhat muddled.

“Yes. I can’t believe you actually slept … or whatever it was that you did,” she said in amusement.

“The seventh-years are a mess though,” Ron informed him. At Harry’s inquisitive look, the redhead explained, “I could only see for several moments but Cho … she was covered with gold paint all over her robes. There were some that had red paint.”

“It’s our turn now,” Neville said quietly. All of them looked ahead and Harry saw the lot of fifth-years stumbling over to join the seventh-years.

“It looks like the gold paint counts for something,” Hermione muttered. “Look at Ginny.”

Harry did. Like Hermione had said, the girl was covered in something akin to gold dust. The group walked quickly over to where Professor Lupin was waiting. He was looking at them patiently and waited until all conversations died out before speaking.

“The exercise is simple. In a few minutes, you’ll find yourself enclosed in an alternate reality. Assume every root and rock to be real. Harry once confided to me that training those of you in the DA was rather different than when he was trained by me. I gave him an opponent: a Dementor/Boggart,” the professor said quietly. “So far, none of you — except for Harry — has had any reason to cast the Patronus Charm. But that’s going to change.”

Golden eyes came to rest upon the Slytherins. “I know that some of you have your reasons for hating the rest of us,” Professor Lupin was staring at Draco intently, “but sabotaging your fellow students while in exercise will not be tolerated. And that goes for the rest of you. There are several objectives in regards to this exercise. One of them is to expose you to what Harry went through in the summer of the previous year. The second is to see if real-life situations will be more useful in getting the spell right.”

The students shuffled their feet uneasily and Harry saw Ron looking at Draco with disappointment. The Boy Who Lived felt a weird sort of anticipation fill his soul and he waited patiently for the ‘alternate reality’ to manifest.

“Wands out. Only the Patronus Charm may be used,” Professor Lupin said warningly. “You may begin.”

As though the three words were the password, the sphere surrounding the students thickened and slowly expanded. Then, the alternate world began to materialize. Darkness spread across them, their surroundings lit only by starlight. Tall, ancient trees grew solid and separated the students. Grass began to grow beneath them and Harry thought he scented rain. He was right when he felt the first light drop of water. Then it was drizzling and soon, his outer robe was damp.

Remus was standing on one side and he gave the emerald-eyed wizard a sign of encouragement. The young wizard nodded and promptly ignored the professor. He crossed the grounds swiftly to join Hermione and Ron. That was when the screaming began.

Harry felt cold — at first he thought it was just a breeze but slowly the feeling turned to dread. Something dark was looming behind Hermione and he thought he heard himself shout to his friend to duck. He commanded his Patronus swiftly and it rammed its horns directly into the chest of the Dementor. It vanished.

“Expecto patronum!” Hermione screamed and her otter appeared, chewing on the edge of a Dementor’s cloak furiously. The silver otter vanished through the ground as though it was in a body of water. The witch’s Patronus returned from behind and lashed at the Dark Creature with its powerful tail.

The silver otter joined with Harry’s stag and the wizard and witch rushed over to Ron who had stumbled against a tree root. Even trapped, the redhead was still trying to summon the Patronus. Harry saw wisps of silver erupting from his friend’s wand but they drifted away with the wind that sprang up.

“Go!” the raven-haired Gryffindor instructed the silver stag to charge the Dementor pestering Ron. He could see that Weasley’s face was pale and his entire body was trembling. The Dark Creature was already bent over the tall prefect and Harry cursed when his Patronus was intercepted by two other Dementors.

He didn’t have to yell out for Hermione to help — her otter sank its sharp teeth over one ankle and dragged the Dementor down. There was a rapid whirl of silver about the Dementor that was about to administer the Kiss to Ron. Emerald eyes widened in awe as he watched a Tasmanian Devil making short work of the Dementor’s cloak. The Dark Creature stumbled away but Ron’s Patronus was determined not to let go of its quarry.

Harry scanned the area quickly and held out a hand for his friend. The red-haired prefect winced as he stood. “Damn … I sprained my ankle.”

“Is it over?” Hermione asked, her face deathly white and her hands trembling. She was looking at the trees — they were becoming transparent and a few seconds later, they vanished altogether.

“Must be,” Harry answered distractedly. He was staring at his archenemy, surprised by the look of compassion on the pale face as he knelt beside Alhena Moon. It seemed that, like Ron, she had stumbled over a tangle of roots.

“Icy … please … take my boot off,” Harry heard the Slytherin girl say to the silver-haired Malfoy. The girl was gasping and the Gryffindor wondered why she looked as though she was on the verge of a major nervous breakdown. The wall separating them from the rest of the real world finally came down and Harry blinked his eyes rapidly.

“When I call your names, tell me the color that you’ve been marked: red, gold, white or slime,” Professor Wulfe said briskly. He started rattling off names in alphabetical order.

In the meantime, Harry watched as Madam Pomfrey quickly headed straight for Seamus, who had a huge bump on his forehead. The boy’s back was splashed with red and so was Dean’s.

“Lupin wasn’t joking when he said that the roots are real,” Dean mumbled. The Gryffindors sank to the floor, breathing raggedly and Ginny came over to her boyfriend.

“Mister Malfoy?” Harry’s godfather called out. The blond Slytherin watched him through narrowed eyes, as though saying that the professor was blind if he could not see the paint that had been dabbed all over his pristine black robes.

“Gold,” the boy said calmly.

“Miss Moon?”

“Red,” the girl gasped harshly. She was still sitting on the ground and the audible pain in her voice brought Professor Lupin to her. The Defence Professor started swearing and immediately summoned an ice pack.

“Miss Parkinson?” Harry’s godfather called out but the witch did not respond. “Can someone please tell me if she has white paint or slime on her?”

“Slime,” Millicent Bulstrode answered in a quavering voice.

“Disgusting,” Crabbe said slowly as he examined the Stunned Slytherin girl who was covered with slime all the way to her toes. “She’s ruined my appetite.”

“Mister Potter?”

“Gold.”

It seemed like it had taken forever for his godfather to get the results down. The Headmaster was seeing to Pansy Parkinson and the school nurse was dealing with Alhena’s major sprain.

“Okay guys.” The students immediately looked up to the werewolf. “If you are wondering about the markings, we’re going to tell you now.”

“But the paint has already faded,” Colin said.

“Yes, out of my personal interest to keep away from your Heads,” Professor Wulfe said charmingly. “Those of you who were painted white; it means that you fainted right away when you spotted your first Dementor. Trust me: you wouldn’t want that to happen if it had been real. Red means that you were on the verge of summoning a corporeal Patronus but wound up Kissed in the end — or something like that. Those who were covered in gold were successful in conjuring a Patronus and commanding it. Those in slime, shame on you.”

“Now, now, Edan, don’t be harsh,” Professor Dumbledore said mildly.

The handsome wizard just smiled but it was a smile that was devoid of warmth. “I will not say why these people had slime. But I warn you, second-time offenders will seriously find themselves on fire.”

“All right. For homework, please write an essay on the Patronus. We also want you to write something about your encounter with Dementors. I suggest that you scribble that one down right away rather than leaving it for tomorrow,” Professor Lupin said with a real smile. “Class dismissed.”

The Great Hall changed once again in preparation for the lunch hour. The Gryffindors retrieved their bags and when their tables and benches finally appeared, they sat down gratefully. House-elves popped out of thin air and held out bowls of water with which the students could wash their hands.

“Do we have time for a shower?” Harry asked the group.

“No,” his friends chorused. Plates of sandwiches appeared and the students launched themselves at them as though they had not eaten for months.

“What’s going on over there?” Ron asked, chewing on his food quickly.

All of them studied the way Moon was clinging onto Madam Pomfrey. “The girl’s a wreck,” Seamus observed.

“Why is she so shaken up?” Harry heard his godfather ask his partner.

“I have no idea,” Remus admitted. “Professor?” The werewolf looked inquiringly at the Headmaster.

“Her Patronus was a reticulated python,” Draco said.

Remus and Sirius looked at the Slytherin, not really understanding the boy’s information. Harry and his friends looked on quizzically. Only Professor Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey looked as though they knew what that single sentence meant.

“Oh dear,” Madam Pomfrey said, looking almost apologetically at the young witch.

“Whatinhelwashatabot?”

Hermione sighed in exasperation while Ginny laughed. Harry gave a sidelong look at his friend. “No idea.” He shrugged and continued eating, already thinking about his next lesson. Potions class was due to start in an hour’s time.