The Other Side of Midnight

Ch 6

A Few Surprises

The room was large and was tastefully decorated. The walls were done up in a cool mint green shade of wallpaper. On the wallpaper were illustrations of two intertwined silver snakes as a pattern. The snakes were a nasty bit of business, both the snakes had their mouths open and fangs bared, looking to the left and right. They had the look of a creature guarding something. At a glance it almost looked as if the hundreds of snakes were staring at you and watching your every move. The fact that it was magical wallpaper and the snakes moved about did not make it any less creepy.

The northern wall had about a dozen portraits of dead ancestors, each of them having the same common features of pale blond hair and cold grey eyes. The ancestors in the portraits stared coldly around from their frames, their cold grey eyes casting a chill upon the room. On the east wall were shelves reaching up to the roof, and every bit of space on the shelves was used up by the thousands of books that were neatly and alphabetically lined up on them. The books were not new and the covers showed that they had known much use.

The West side of the room was dominated by a large and heavy, antique oak desk, on which papers and other day to day office stationery were neatly laid out. A thick Persian carpet adorned the floor and there was a magnificent chandelier hanging in the center of the room, which suffused the room into a comfortable light - not too bright and not too dim.

Overall the room gave the impression of being a den or office of the house's owner - a very rich one at that.

The center of the room had a few comfortable chairs facing towards the south and the huge crackling fireplace. It was in one of these chairs that a tall, skeletally thin man sat. By his feet lay a huge snake and it was hard to tell whether it was asleep or awake, but it lay motionless suggesting the former. The man looked to be deep in thought and therefore looked up annoyed when there was a knock on the door.

The door opened to admit a tall man with pale blond hair and cold grey eyes, and features that were very similar to those in the portraits.

"Yes Lucius what is it?" The Dark Lord asked impatiently.

"My Lord, McNair is here," Lucius Malfoy said bowing.

"Send him in then," was the impatient reply.

Lucius bowed again and departed through the door that he had come from.

A moment later there was a second knock on the door and it opened to admit a tall strapping man in his late thirties. His face might have been handsome in different circumstances but now there was a cunning and evil look on his features. His thin moustache only tended to emphasize these qualities rather than hide them.

"Come in McNair and don't keep me waiting."

The man called McNair bowed and hurried forward to the Dark Lord's side. He did not however take a seat, as he had not been asked to do so, and to sit without being allowed to was a grave offence in front of the Dark Lord.

"I have something for you to do," the Dark Lord said carelessly.

"Anything, My Lord," McNair replied.

He listened carefully as the Dark Lord in a cold, harsh and impatient tone quickly told him what was expected of him. When he was finished talking, McNair bowed.

"It will be a pleasure, My Lord."

He was then dismissed with a wave of the hand and he scurried out of the room.

When he left the Dark Lord burst out laughing, the cold unpleasant sound reverberating around the room.

"A pleasure? It won't be so pleasant as you think you fool," the Dark Lord hissed his red eyes gleaming.

"So you are going to do it after all, my Lord?" the snaked at his feet hissed inquiringly.

"Did you have any doubts about that Nagini?"

"No, My Lord, of course not."

"Hmm.... Lets see how Harry Potter handles this one," the Dark Lord mused. "He has a fondness for running and this should indulge him to the full."

~*~~*~~*~

Harry and the rest of the Gryffindors were in the first Defense against the Dark arts class of the year and there was wild and enthusiastic guessing going on as to who the new teacher would be.

"Maybe it'll be Lupin," Dean enthused.

"Or maybe even Moody again," Parvati said.

"Well I just hope it's not Snape," shuddered Ron. "I would quit the class immediately. Imagine the amount of house points Gryffindor would lose if that happened."

There were murmurs of agreement but they were interrupted by Hermione's voice groaning

"Ron how many times must I tell you? You cannot drop out of Potions, Transfurigations, D.A.D.A, Charms, Herbology or even History of magic for that matter. You don't have any choice in these subjects."

"So much the pity," Ron muttered disappointedly.

They waited eagerly keeping an eye on the door and when they finally saw their teacher there was a loud and boisterous cheering to greet him by the class - for it was Lupin! A much changed Lupin as far as appearances go. He was wearing new robes in a deep rich blue shade that suited him marvelously and his long hair was cut short and neat. In all he was looking rather handsome and the female component of the class were looking at him quite interestedly.

Harry, Hermione and Ron were overjoyed to see Lupin again and were grinning at him happily and cheering with the rest when they saw something that nearly bowled them over with shock, because trotting behind Lupin was a large shaggy black dog.

"Snuffles?" Ron said weakly looking at the dog.

The dog looked up at him and wagged his tail before going on after Lupin.

The other Gryffindors sent a few curious glances at Ron for knowing the name of the dog and he sat back down looking away after receiving a sharp nudge from Harry's elbow.

Lupin smiled at the class from behind the desk, "Good day everyone, I am very glad to see you again. I am your new Defense against the Dark arts teacher for the year. Now this year there are going to be some changes and you will find that I am not the only teacher that you have for the subject. Defense Against the Dark Arts will be divided into two parts, one knowledge of Dark Arts, which I will be taking and the second will be Defense against the Dark Arts. This second part will consist mainly of teaching you how to defend yourself against dark hexes and spells and how to duel."

There were excited murmurs at this bit of news. Dueling! They were going to be taught how to duel!

"Who's going to teach it Professor?" Lavender asked excitedly.

"I think that would be Alastor Moody," Lupin said.

"Mad eye Moody is going to teach us how to duel?" Dean gasped.

"Oh wow!" Neville exclaimed.

"Super," Seamus put in.

Harry did not feel as enthusiastic as the rest as he thought of the last year, then he reminded himself that that was not the real Moody and managed a small grin. This year was certainly going to be interesting.

Lupin looked over to where the dog was sitting by the desk and pointing to him said, " That there is Snuffles, and if any of you are scared of dogs have no cause to be alarmed as he is well trained and harmless."

As he was saying this the dog suddenly stood up and growled menacingly showing its large and wicked looking teeth. The front-benchers promptly shied away.

Harry stifled a grin at the dog's behavior knowing it to be one of Sirius' pranks to give Lupin a hard time. Lupin knew this and he gently admonished him, "Now, now Snuffles, don't be a bad boy."

The dog opened its mouth in what could almost be called a doggy grin and sat back down.

"Ok, now Prof. Dumbledore has told me that you have dealt with the Unforgivables last year, and while that is the thing you will be fighting against, there are also a lot of other things that you will have to be aware of. One of them, which we will be covering today, are Drainers. Can anybody tell me what Drainers are?"

Hermione as usual had her hand up and Lupin nodded at her to go on.

"Drainers are a kind of dark potion that are banned by the Ministry and they are of three kinds. The first one is called Alpelosa and its effects are complete loss of appetite. The second one is called Palelosa and its effects are drain of magical power. The third and worst is Bariosa as it does not have any known antidote, upon drinking it a person falls into a deep sleep from which he will find it almost impossible to wake up. If he cannot wake up before a week's time then that person will slowly die. Bariosa is also known as the Draught of the living Dead."

"Excellent! I couldn't have put it better myself. Five points to Gryffindor."

Hermione sat down her face lighting up at Lupin's remark.

"Yes, Hermione is right, but what she said barely scratches the surface. Alpelosa if drunk will slowly take away your appetite a little at a time. It will start by you slowly reducing the amount of food you eat without you even realizing it. It works very gradually and cunningly. For example, you might find that you don't feel like eating dessert one day, then the next week you might not want to eat more than a few mouthfuls at lunch. Slowly you will start skipping meals due to lack of appetite, but you will not even realize it because the potion masks any weakness that you might feel due to lack of nutrition. Then suddenly one day it all falls apart and you find that you are too weak to do anything, by this time it is too late to save the person and he will surely die. The antidote has to be taken within two days of consumption or else it might be too late."

Lupin paused to catch his breath and looked at the interested faces around him that were hanging on to his every word.

"Palelosa, on the other hand will very slowly drain away your magical powers and you will find yourself unable to do complex spells and Transfurigations. The potion also has delusional and depression symptoms so it seems to the person that he has no skill at magic and that's why he cannot do the complex spells. Slowly he gets more and more drained of his power and one day he may find that he doesn't have enough power left to do even simple spells or charms. This is a very dangerous potion and the symptoms must be recognized immediately to have a chance of curing it, as if it goes too far it can be stopped but the power lost is irreplaceable."

The class was listening to his every word with a sort of horrified fascination.

"As for the third one, Bariosa, or the more commonly used name - The Draught of the living Dead - it is incurable and only the will of the person can save him. It is almost impossible to fight it and only those who have very strong will power can do it, as you need to fight the sleep every moment without budging an inch for any hope of getting out of it. The sleep will try to pull you into its clutches every second and there is no respite for one fighting it. I will say one thing though, no one has ever fought it and won up till now, so try to avoid it."

A shiver ran down the class as the gruesome effects of the third drainer were explained to them.

"Any questions?" Lupin asked. "Yes Seamus?"

"How do you find out if someone has slipped some into your pumpkin juice or something like that?" Seamus wanted to know.

"You don't," Lupin said quietly. "That's what makes it so dangerous. That is the reason why it is so important to notice others around you and if you find that anyone is not himself and is showing even the slightest symptoms of having drunk these potions you report them at once. Remember, it is better to be safe than sorry."

"Blimey! You mean that somebody can just slip some into my glass and I won't be able to realize it?" Dean said alarmed.

"Yes, an that's why you must keep Constant Vigilance as Alastor Moody says," Lupin said seriously. "For you don't even know how many methods there are of killing somebody through the Dark arts without anybody even suspecting anything."

Harry shivered, he could understand now why Mad eye Moody only drank from his hip flask. Harry felt that it was a rather wise thing to do.

"Any more questions? Yes Miss Patil?"

"But isn't there any after taste or any obvious symptoms that you can see and find out?"

"No, as I said that is why it is so dangerous. Now if there aren't any more questions take out your textbooks and turn to page three hundred and forty seven, here you will find more information about the Drainers. I want, by the next lesson, an essay on the complete symptoms of the three Drainers and a background of five people who have found it out in time and survived."

There was a bustle of activity as the Gryffindors took out their books and started studying the page concerning the Drainers.

After the class Harry, Ron and Hermione stayed behind to greet Lupin and 'Snuffles' properly.

"How come you didn't tell us that you would be teaching this year Prof. Lupin?" Ron said indignantly.

"Well, I didn't know it myself, as Dumbledore just owled me and ordered me to come and teach for the year and all my excuses didn't work. I did bring Snuffles along though, at Dumbledore's suggestion, as safeguard against any problem. He can control me to a certain extent if I am a danger to anyone else."

Harry looked at the big black dog that had come up to him and was licking his hand affectionately.

"It's great to see you two here," Harry said grinning and going down on his knees to hug Snuffles.

"Uh... Harry not too much affection please, you are not supposed to know him, and please for Merlin's sake don't call him anything but Snuffles," Lupin said warningly.

Harry grinned and nodded. "So, is he going to be here during the classes?"

"After today's behavior I have my doubts," Lupin said sternly, though at closer inspection one could see that his eyes were twinkling merrily.

~*~~*~~*~

After a hurried lunch Harry and Hermione rushed to the library to do the research, as the next period was a free one.

They each grabbed a half dozen books with titles such as, Transfurigations for beginners, Advanced Transfurigations, How to become an Animagus, Animages through History,

Beings into Beasts, and Biography of an Animagus, and started reading through the matter.

There were a few excited exclamations from each of them when they thought they had found something only to be disappointed,

"Wait a second! Nah... Just some moron saying how he felt when he found out what kind of animagus he was," Harry snapped irritatedly.

"Oh wait! No! He just says that he saw red when he learnt that his best friend became a more powerful animal. I wonder why anybody would want to know that!" Hermione groaned.

They kept at it and slowly but surely realized that there was nothing in the books to help them.

"These are no help," Harry said slamming Are Animagus forms an outrage against nature with a bang and sighing. "I get the feeling that these people never write anything that is helpful at all."

"Wait a minute here's something," Hermione said pushing the book over. "It says here that you are supposed to see a golden light, look," she said pointing to the paragraph.

...When you drink the potion you will feel a ticklish melting feeling but that is very normal so don't worry. Next a shining golden light will appear before you, don't worry if nobody else can see it as it is supposed to be in your subconscious...

Harry scanned the rest of the passage and shook his head.

"We already know this and it doesn't help us," he said running his hands through his hair.

"Don't worry, I'm sure that there must be something in the rest of the books," Hermione said soothingly.

"Forget it Hermione! You and I both know that that is not true."

"So, do you want to go to Mcgonagall then?" she asked.

Harry was nodding his head wearily when he suddenly jerked up and slapped his hand on his forehead in frustration. "Oh my God! We are both idiots, we should have not done this research in the first place..."

"But Harry what else were we to do," Hermione said cutting him off. "We had to know didn't we?"

"Yes, and we should have done the most sensible thing and asked Lupin and Snuffles, after all they have already done this research and must be knowing everything about it."

Hermione looked at him annoyed. "Fine time for you to get that idea Harry Potter. After we've done all the work."

Harry grinned at her sheepishly. "Well it slipped your mind too," he countered.

"Yes so it did," she admitted wearily. "So, want to go meet them now?"

"No, they'll most probably be busy with classes and we can't just barge in. We'll meet them after dinner."

~*~~*~~*~

Draco was helping Ginny to make the shrinking potion in the cold and gloomy Potion's dungeon and there was a companionable silence as they worked.

"Why do you always act so mean towards Harry and Ron?" Ginny asked suddenly.

Draco was jolted by the sudden question, busy as he was measuring the leech juice, and he said the first thing that came to his mind.

"I don't know."

"What do you mean? Who will know then?" Ginny asked.

"I mean... Look, why are you asking me all this?" Draco asked angrily, looking up from his task.

"Don't get defensive, why don't you just answer the question?" Ginny said softly.

"You want to know why? It's because I am a Slytherin and they are Gryffindors."

"Well if that's the case why are you helping me?" Ginny asked coldly.

"What are you saying? That you don't want my help?" Draco asked not knowing what else to say as his back was against the wall by Ginny's probing questions.

"No, I'm just wondering why you're always trying to be so nasty when inside you're not really like that?"

"How do you know how I am inside?" Draco asked his eyebrow raised.

"Well... It's just a feminine intuition. And besides if you were like that you wouldn't help me, not unless you had an ulterior motive that is..." Ginny said turning to Draco suspiciously.

"I am only helping you because..."

"Because?" Ginny asked.

"Because, you are good company and nice to be with," Draco admitted finally, feeling it had been extracted out of him with a hot poker and iron tongs.

Ginny smiled. "I like your company too, but why do you persist in being so mean to others?"

"Look Ginny, I cannot be friends with Harry and Ron okay! They are Gryffindors and I am a Slytherin and I have to live with other Slytherins who would make my life miserable if they found out that I was being nice to them, not to mention my father..."

"Are you going to be dictated by other people all your life?" Ginny asked gently.

"I can't help it. It's not like I have a choice," Draco said irritatedly, his anger rising again.

"There are always choices. It's just whether you choose to make them or not."

"I know," Draco muttered softly hanging his head and realizing the truth of Ginny's statement. "Look can we drop this topic for now?"

Ginny nodded and fell silent again but she realized that today she had got an insight into the real workings of Draco Malfoy and she suspected that it was a side that he didn't show anyone else. It oddly pleased her to be one of the only few to know the truth about him and it brought her closer to him.

~*~~*~~*~

Harry looked at the Gryffindor team members silently. "Ok, here's what we're going to do. We're going to divide the players into two teams with Fred and George as captains and then stage a match. Angelina and Alicia you go in Fred's team and Katie and Sally you go in George's team. Dean you are George's team keeper and you Ron, keep for Fred's team for now. Now move it and show me your stuff."

"But who's the seeker? And what are you and Curly going to do?" Fred asked

"No one! I am going to time you, and at the end of half an hour the side with the most goals wins. And Curly won't be playing yet, I still have to get Mcgonagall's permission and she has told me to wait as she will have to ask Dumbledore if it is ok."

"Isn't that really unnecessary, since Curly is only reserve?" Alicia asked.

"Yeah but you know how it is with Prof. Mcgonagall and rules," Harry sighed.

"But when are you going to practice? The first match is coming closer every day," George protested.

"I'll practice after you guys finish," Harry said. "Now move and stop wasting time."

The players rose into the air and took their places and at Harry's whistle the game started.

Angelina and Alicia started off for the goal where Dean was waiting for them. They flew rapidly towards the goal with the Quaffle rapidly between them and at the last moment Angelina flew forward and threw the Quaffle towards the left goal. Dean was unable to stop it and the first goal was scored.

Katie and Sally took up the Quaffle next, and they too scored when Ron was unable to stop Sally's brilliant goal.

"She's good Harry," Hermione said with amazement.

"Yeah she is, isn't she?" Harry replied distractedly as Dean made a brilliant save to thwart Alicia's attempt to score a goal.

The play raged fiercely with Fred and George doing excellent beater work and Harry watching his players with the eye of a hawk. At the end of thirty minutes he blew the whistle ending the game. The players flew down with the scores tied in a stalemate.

"Good show, tomorrow we'll sit and discuss new ploys and try to cover the flaws but before that I need some practice. Fred, George go up and give me your worst."

"But Harry you might get hurt," Fred objected.

"Yeah and I want to learn how to avoid that for the match," Harry said firmly.

They flew off and at Harry's signal the snitch was released, after two minutes he took to the air and began seeking for the first time since his return to Hogwarts. He noticed that something had changed in his flying, he now sat much lighter on his broom giving him much better maneuverability and also his balance had improved tremendously.

He was up in the air for a minute before Fred and George started giving him hell and he dodged Bludgers left and right as they flew past him some of them getting too close for comfort. He found it much easier to fly with his newfound balance and he thanked his stars for taking up Martial Arts yet again.

He executed a series of acrobatic twists and gravity defying rollovers to get away from the Bludgers and left the rest of the team watching awestruck. Hermione was wringing her hands with worry at Harry's shenanigans and she was just praying for him to come down safely.

Harry finally saw the snitch a little ahead and was going to make for it when he saw a bludger hit by Fred come at him with amazing speed. He knew with a certainty that it was going to hit him and forced his body to relax as he deeply exhaled.

He bludger hit him with a sickening thump on his flat stomach and it was only due to his strenuous pain blocking technique that kept him on his broom, as he was nearly knocked off his Firebolt by the force of the Bludger. He flew forward weakly and managed to grab the elusive snitch.

There was a cheer from the watching Gryffindor team as he slowly made his way down massaging his sore and bruised stomach.

"Wow Harry! That's some of the best flying that I've ever seen from you," Angelina said.

"Yeah Harry, I reckon that if you fly like this the cup's ours this year," Katie put in.

Harry waved aside the compliments with his hand.

"Bloody hell Harry! You must be hurt badly? I hit it with all my strength," Fred said landing down beside him.

"Well it feels like a mule has kicked me," Harry said smiling weakly despite his pain.

"Hell Harry, the way you were flying I couldn't tell whether you have become very good or we have become very bad," George put in.

"Yeah only one bloody bludger hit you," Fred said gloomily.

"Trust me one was enough," groaned Harry, as his sore stomach gave him a jolt of pain. He thought that he had better skip dinner today.