The Savior Chronicles: Changing Colors

Chapter 14: Grateful Expectations

"Harry!! Where's the book? Let me see it now!" Hermione had just walked into the Gryffindor common room after a week away. She had haphazardly thrown her suitcases on the nearest couch and run over to Harry. A very annoyed looking Ron was right behind her.

"Hermione, I know that you must have missed me terribly, but no need to gush!" Harry cracked bemusedly. Hermione just folded her arms across her chest and glared at him.

"Come on, Harry. We're not joking! When I got your owl that you had found the book I was ecstatic! No more library! But I can't believe you didn't read it! Would you like to explain this to us?" Ron growled. Harry stayed silent while staring at his shoes. They need to be cleaned, he thought. Shaking away his distraction, he peered up at his two best friends. They were boring their eyes into him expectantly.

"Well?" Hermione asked, obviously wanting an answer. But Harry knew she wouldn't want to hear the truth. He wrung his hands together and tried to think up a plausible lie.

"I just thought that....er... it would be the best if I...er... waited for you guys! Yeah, because well you would be back in a few days and ...er... you would be able to help me figure out what to do!" Harry twisted his facial features into what he hoped was an innocent and truthful face. Apparently it wasn't.

"Oh Harry you just pulled that out of your arse!" Ron barked. Hermione nodded. "Just tell us the truth."

Harry sighed, knowing there was no way out of it. They knew him too well and they could tell when he was lying. "You're not going to like my excuse," he warned.

"Try us," Hermione stated confident that nothing her friend could say would make her mad. But as Harry spilled the whole story about Jenna and the way he felt, Harry saw the annoyance build on her face.

"Harry, you have to be bloody kidding me!?!" Ron shouted. "This girl has done nothing, but torture you. For fun!! I mean this is the book we've been searching for the past couple months! It could have all the answers! And what would you have done if someone else had gotten attacked and you didn't know how to stop it just because there is .00001 chance that Jenna is actually human?" Next to him, Hermione had uncrossed her arms and placed them on her hips, a sign that she was furious.

Harry had expected this exact reaction out of them, but he just couldn't explain to them exactly how he felt. He couldn't make them understand. But he had to do something so he walked over to the still standing Christmas tree and beckoned for them to follow. They did so, with some hesitance. "But guys, look at this. She made this for me," Harry responded pointing to the beautiful decoration. "If she was 'evil', do you think that she would spend so much of her energy on such a thoughtful gift?"

Ron rolled his eyes and Hermione let out an impatient huff before speaking. "Harry really, you are just too trusting. Don't you see? She probably did it to throw you off! To make you think she was trying to befriend you! I mean it has happened before. Remember last year when Professor Moody, or actually it was Barty Crouch's son, kept helping you with the Task's just so you'd make it to the cup. He was leading you into a fool's paradise, straight to You-Know-Who! How do you know Jenna is not doing the same?"

Harry felt his confidence in Jenna falter at these words. He had never thought of it like that. He hadn't even remembered the way he had been deceived last year. But that was probably because he tried to block out every minute of his fourth year. He found if he thought about it for too long, he became severely sick to his stomach. But surely Jenna couldn't be doing that, right? No, she wasn't trying to fool him. But if he was wrong? It could lead to someone else getting hurt, just like the last time... No he couldn't risk it. His mates were right. He had to know all the facts and be extra careful for everyone's sake. Harry refused to let anyone else get hurt because of his stupidity. So he apologized to Ron and Hermione and led them upstairs to his dorm where the book was waiting to be read.

* * *

AGHHH, GO AWAY! EVERYONE JUST GO AWAY!!! Jenna thought urgently. Hordes of people were swarming the building and Jenna felt her world closing in around her. Now that school was back in session, she couldn't get a single moment of peace. During the break she had been spoiled by having the dormitory all to herself, but Lavender and Parvati were back. Jenna had seen no signs of Hermione, but just assumed that she had returned as well. Probably off galavanting with Harry. Not only was the dorm always occupied, but the common room was constantly buzzing with Gryffs. She couldn't even wander the halls by herself because it seemed that several students had decided to take a tour of the grounds as if they could barely remember how to get around. Girlish giggles and squeals along with hearty bellows and taunting filled every corner of Hogwarts and Jenna hated it.

Jenna had never been a fan of big crowds. When she was younger, probably from the time she was 8 until she was 12, she had been fairly overweight. You might not think a little kid could really be that big, but imagine an 11 year old girl, barely 5 feet tall, and somehow managing to weigh 160 pounds. Even now she wasn't what most people would consider skinny. At fifteen she was 5'6 and 150 pounds. While her face, arms, and other places were well proportioned, her thighs were a little wider and her stomach and hips carried 10 pounds of extra meat, making her look fuller. And it worked for her, but she was still unhappy.

But back then it had been torture for her. When she was eight, she moved to a new house and a new school, kind of the way it was now. But back then she hadn't been able to ward off harsh comments or dirty looks they way she could now. She was just a little girl. It was hard being judged on her appearance, especially since she was too young to understand how naive people could be. For a whole year after she moved to that area, she didn't have a single friend at school, no matter how nice or how friendly she tried to be. So after awhile she just gave up and closed herself off completely. Jenna never believed that anyone would see past her appearance and then one day when she was standing alone in the playground another little girl had approached her. Jennie. They became friends quickly and have been ever since. That's why it was so hard to be away from Jen and the rest of her friends. It had taken Jenna a long time to find friends, friends so selfless and true that her looks didn't matter to them. So when she finally lost a large portion of that weight, it had been for herself and not anyone else.

But ever since she realized what she really was, a monster, she tried to avoid crowds more than ever. She couldn't really explain why; it was so much worse now than it had been when she was younger. She found herself thinking more than usual, which is quite a feet on her part. And when she wanted to mull over her new identity and wallow in the terror of it all, well she really didn't enjoy the company of others. On top of that her strong sense of paranoia had been taken to new heights. When ever someone so much as glanced at her she believed they were judging her. Like they knew what she really was. That everyone knew that behind the pale blue eyes and 5'6 figure there was a hideous monster waiting to bust out and wreak havoc and devastation on the world. That every girl that whispered in their friend's ear was spreading her secret and devising a plan to ruin her. That every laugh was pointed at her and what she had been reduced to, how truly pathetic she had become.

This was exactly why she had spazzed out on Harry the other day. She had just returned from the library. She had been trying to do homework for Sprout's class, but to no avail. Her ever wandering mind had acted up on her and she decided to do some research. What she was looking for, she didn't know. Clues to how she got this way. An antidote, maybe. Whatever it had been, she hadn't found it and she left the library without completing her assignment. Walking towards Gryffindor Tower, she had this strong feeling, one she hadn't been clear on what it meant until seconds before sliding through the portrait. She had sensed Harry had been there and then laughed at her own foolishness. But when she saw him standing in the middle of the room like he was waiting for her, she lost it. She was so surprised to find that she had been right, and that's why she appeared so shocked. She barely heard what he had been saying to her. Something about talking. All she could think of was her precognition on Harry's whereabouts. Was it part of her being a...a...demon? Like a sixth sense in which she could feel her victim's presence and locate them? Like a dog who is able to sniff out the fox it's hunting? Oh god, I'm an animal! was all she had been able to think of in that moment so she had run, hoping Harry hadn't seen her urgency.

But he had and he seemed to think he had scared her. Being the good person he was, he apologized and gently tried to talk to her. None of his kindness could comfort her at that point. Her thoughts had been running wild. She panicked and begged him to let her be and he had. She had been grateful in that moment. She had needed to be by herself and think. Plus in the back of her mind, she was afraid that she might hurt him if she stayed any longer.

At that point Jenna was pretty sure that Harry still hadn't read the book he had taken from her. At least, he hadn't shown any signs of suspicion. Not until she freaked out on him and even then he looked more worried and confused that he did suspicious. But Jenna knew that eventually he would read it and put two and two together. In fact that's probably what he was doing with Ron and Hermione right now.

* * *

"Are you sure this is the thing you saw, Harry?" Hermione asked for the millionth time as the three of them stared down at the revoltingly disturbing picture. Ron had his face scrunched up and let out a feeble "Blech!" as he peeked at the drawing. They were sitting up in the fifth year boy's dorm, leaned over Dark Beasts Bred for Dark Magic.

"Yes, Hermione, I'm absolutely sure. That's not a face you'll likely forget," Harry assured her.

Ron nodded in agreement. " That thing looks like it was hung from a tree by it's cheeks! How does it smile like that!?!" He turned his head away in disgust. Hermione glared at him for a moment, one of those 'Ron stop being so childish' looks and returned to the information in the ancient text.

"Well, certainly sounds like the creature that attacked Seamus. All the right properties and side effects match up. But what bothers me is the fact that it says here that it often takes human form." Hermione went into one of her trances of thought. She brought her hand to her chin and rubbed it pensively.

"Yeah, that does seem a bit odd. This thing sounds like a cross between a werewolf and a Dementor. Human by day, like a werewolf, and personality sucker by night, similar to a Dementor, " Harry pondered. He turned to Hermione who was still lost in her own brain and then looked to Ron for support. No help there. He still looked as if he might upchuck his morning bagel.

Hermione then snapped awake and spoke, "That explains how it got into Hogwarts. If it was in human form, it could most likely find some sort of way in and then transform when it approached it 's target."

Harry was about to say something in agreement when Ron added something that neither of them had thought of. "What if this person was already inside?"

Hermione's eye's widened with realization. "You don't mean..."

"Why not? What couldn't it be someone who lives on school grounds?"

"Ron that's a bit out there, don't you think?" Harry reasoned. Ron turned to him, appearing a little hurt by Harry's words, but he stood his ground and took several steps forward.

"Is it really? How many other time's has it been someone who was on the inside? Think about it! Quirrell! Moody! Who's to say it can't happen again!" Ron was on the verge of yelling and already sounded indignant.

Not liking his friend's haughtiness Harry raised his voice as well, the two of them now nose to nose. "That's exactly my point! It's been done several times already and hasn't particularly worked! Don't you think Voldemort or whoever did this would be smart enough to try a new approach?"

Hermione watched as the best friends stared each other down, the tension growing with each argument. Having had enough, she poked her way in between them. "Okay, stop! Calm down, alright? You both have good points. It could very well be someone in the castle, so we shouldn't rule that out. But it has been attempted before so we have to anticipate attacks from different angles and not completely focus on this one way."

The boys pulled apart, but neither seemed the least bit convinced. Harry stood slightly hunched over from anger, trying to breathe out his frustration. Why either of them had gotten so worked up, Hermione couldn't figure out. She turned to watch Ron, who was pacing from one length of his bed to the other and back again. Hermione could see that the wheels in his head were still turning. Then suddenly he snapped his head up. Oh no, Hermione thought.

"Jenna!" Ron shouted excitedly.

"What about her?" Harry spit out, obviously still a little worked up.

"The one who's on the inside! Jenna's the Semestinasia!" He was smiling widely, as if he believed he had just solved the whole mystery and was proud that he had done it before Harry or Hermione. Harry, on the other hand, did not look so happy.

"What? Why do you automatically assume it's her? Are you just trying to piss me off or something?" Harry said nastily, the pink rage returning to his cheeks.

"Don't be so self-centered Harry! No I'm not just trying to piss you off! But it does make sense. I mean, she just started here this year and then all of a sudden this beast starts attacking students? Don't you find that a little odd?"

Hermione watched as Harry balled his fists and fought to suppress his annoyance, if you could call it that. Personally, she thought that Ron might be on to something. "Harry," she said gently, "Ron does have a point. It is worth checking out."

This only made him more angry. "No! Just because she's new, it doesn't mean anything. And if she was one of these things, why would Dumbledore want me to be friends with her?"

"Maybe he suspected what she really was and wanted you to find out for sure or keep an eye on her or something! And since when are you back in her side again? I thought you agreed that she might be part of this!?!"

Harry's expression flickered to confusion. He brought his hands up to his face, put them under his glasses, and rubbed his tired looking eyes. Hermione came to realize that he was not angry with Ron, but himself. Harry had no idea what was going on or what to believe and it was getting to him. She noticed that over the past week he had grown thinner and bluish purple half moons hung under his eyes, magnified by his thick glasses. Hermione walked to his side and placed a comforting hand on his back. She felt the blade of his shoulder pertruding slightly more than usual. Yes, he had lost weight.

At her touch, Harry peered up at her, a lost look playing on his face. She smiled down at him. He looked so young and so much older at the same time. The years of war definitely showed on his face, his eyes especially. But he still held on to that childhood innocence in the way only Harry could. He still tried to see the best in people, even after so much darkness and betrayal had fallen upon him. And she admired that. But she saw that he was suffering, suffering from something she could never begin to understand.

"Harry, we don't have to worry about it right now. We've figured out enough for one day. I think you should lay down and rest for awhile." He nodded absently and let himself fall backward onto his bed. Hermione then head over to Ron, who was no longer angry either, but instead looking worried and a little guilty. Hermione turned her head up to him, for he was much taller than her, and let her mouth curve into a slight smile. "He'll be alright. Give him time." She wrapped her finger's around Ron's elbow and tugged at it softly. He looked down and bobbed his head in understanding before following her down the stairs.

What do I do to ignore them behind me?

Do I follow my instincts blindly?

Do I hide my pride / from these bad dreams

And give in to sad thoughts that are maddening?

Do I / sit here and try to stand it?

Or do I / try to catch them red - handed?

Do I trust some and get fooled by phoniness,

Or do I trust nobody and live in loneliness?

Because I can't hold on / when I'm stretched so thin

I make the right moves but I'm lost within

I put on my daily façade but then

I just end up getting hurt again

by myself [myself]

I ask why, but in my mind

I find I can't rely on myself

[myself]

I ask why, but in my mind

I find I can't rely on myself

I can't hold on

To what I want when I'm stretched so thin

It's all too much to take in

I can't hold on

To anything watching everything spin

With thoughts of failure sinking in

If I

Turn my back I'm defenseless

And to go blindly seems senseless

If I hide my pride and let it all go on / then they'll

Take from me 'till everything is gone

If I let them go I'll be outdone

But if I try to catch them I'll be outrun

If I'm killed by the questions like a cancer

Then I'll be buried in the silence of the answer

by myself [myself]

I ask why, but in my mind

I find I can't rely on myself

[myself]

I ask why, but in my mind

I find I can't rely on myself

I can't hold on

To what I want when I'm stretched so thin

It's all too much to take in

I can't hold on

To anything watching everything spin

With thoughts of failure sinking in

* * *

Classes were in full swing the next day and Harry was grateful for that. Not to say that he enjoyed school, far from it on most days, but he welcomed the distraction from all the mess in his life. It gave him something to think about besides the sure to be coming apocalypse.

At the present he was in Defense Against The Dark Arts, one class he usually didn't mind, except of course when Lockhart was teaching. Or when Snape substituted. Thankfully, they were no where to be seen. Professor Croft was heading the class as usual. Today's lesson included learning methods to ward off unwanted love spells which, oddly enough, were considered dark magic. But Harry guessed that made sense since they forced someone to act against their natural will.

There were many types of loves spells, various in potion form which they only grazed over because that was Snape's territory. Each love spell had a different effect and a different cure. Some could only be removed by death. Harry found this disturbing. Imagine the only way to be free of someone you would probably hate if you had a choice would be to die or kill them. Apparently there had been many cases where victims of these spells ended up murdering the person that placed it on them either to finally be able to move on with their lives or because it hurt too much to love them. And others just committed suicide. Harry wondered what it felt like to love someone so much that it hurt. He of course loved Ron and Hermione, and Hagrid and the rest of the Weasleys, and would die for any one of them. But it didn't hurt to love them, it only made him feel stronger, more complete.

Harry looked up as Professor Croft began to explain the homework; the class was coming to an end and it was his last class of the day. "Alright everyone, I would like 5 rolls of parchment explaining at least four of the love spells we discussed today and the way to reverse or prevent them due next week." The whole class groaned, but Professor Croft only smiled.

"Oh come on! I know you've dealt with a lot worse! We all know what Professor Snape is like. Compared to him I must be taking it easy on you!" Most kids in the class laughed at her statement for it was true. Just a little funny to hear another teacher admit. Dean thought it was so hysterical that he knocked his ink off his desk and it shattered all over the floor, only causing him to fly into a new round of giggles. Professor Croft just shook her head amusedly and waved her wand, making the ink disappear.

Harry and Ron waited by the door as Hermione asked Professor Croft something, most likely about the new assignment. Hermione was chattering excitedly and Croft just watched her with a bemused grin. She fiddled with a little gold pin that was holding her cloak together at the top. It was in the chape of a unicorn. It looked new, probably a Christmas gift. Soon Hermione waved goodbye and trotted to catch up with the boys.

"So Harry, what are your plans for the evening?" Ron asked. " Wanna play a little wizards chess?"

Hermione waged her finger at him and in a stern tone stated, "No, Ron. You have to study for the Potions examination tomorrow. And it wouldn't hurt to get a head start on the DADA essay. Maybe make an outline."

Ron let out a whimper and whined, "But Hermione, I've been studying and working extra hard for the past month! When do I get a break?"

"If you want to keep up those good grades you've been getting, then you don't really get a break!" Ron looked at her pleadingly and she let out a sigh. "Well lets do a little studying for Potions and then we can play a game of chess. If it's not too late after that, then we'll make that outline. Sound good?"

Ron rubbed his chin thoughtfully and stuck out his slender hand. "Deal." Hermione shook it and laughed.

"That works out better anyway," Harry added. "I already have plans." Ron and Hermione eyed him suspiciously. A shy smile broke across his face. "I'm meeting Cho in a little while." Hermione frowned a bit, as to say that school was more important than girls, but she kept her mouth shut. Ron just winked at Harry suggestively.

"Good for you Harry! As long as you don't go giving out any flying secrets to her. Wouldn't want Ravenclaw to beat us in the match that's coming up next month," Ron warned. Harry would never jeopardize the game like that. Winning at Quidditch was too important to him. If they didn't beat Ravenclaw, there was a chance that Slytherin could win the Quidditch cup. No way Harry would let that happen.

Harry assured Ron of this before bidding the two of them farewell as he headed down to the pitch to wait for Cho. It was a fairly nice winter's day outside. A slight breeze whipped through the bare tree limbs. There was a light layer of white powder on the ground. Not even enough to make a snowball. The clouds were out as they usually were in England, but it wasn't too cold.

Harry hadn't been out there more than five minutes when he saw a dark head bobbing towards him. Cho's hair was loose and shiny, perfect as ever. The wind caused a rosy glow in her light skin. She waved and smiled brightly at him as she approached, all decked out in her flying gear and broom in hand.

"Hi Harry! Thanks for coming!" she chirped happily. Harry mumbled a polite return and looked around nervously, unsure of what to do. Cho giggled. "Harry no need to be nervous! Look, why don't we just get right into it. Let's just hop on our brooms and get in the sky. Then you can tell me what I'm doing wrong, okay?"

Harry nodded and smiled at her, grateful for instruction on how to get things started. He mounted his broom and soared up into the sky, Cho gliding next to him. Harry hovered for a few moments as Cho flew around the pitch showing Harry her mannerisms. He watched intently as she did this. Her general flying skills were perfect, but she needed a little help with diving and turns. Her speed was also a little slow. Harry, scared that he would give too much away, tried to decide on what advice to give her.

When she finally came to a stop next to him he looked at her for a second. Figuring that he could still beat her if he had the speed, he began to give pointers on sharper ways to turn and correct methods of diving.

"Okay, first thing about turning is that you want to get the most precise turn without losing speed. The best way to do that is to put one hand on top of the other and pull in the direction you want to turn. But to keep up speed, you must lean into the turn with your whole body. This creates a better flow of the broom," Harry instructed professionally. As he explained this, he mimicked the movements. Cho nodded intently. "Watch me do it once."

Harry then went speeding straight forward towards one of the goal posts. As he neared it, he demonstrated the correct style of turn and cut around it so precisely that there was barely 2 inches between him and the post. Cho clapped enthusiastically causing the red spots of cold in his cheeks to turn a shade darker.

Harry flew back over to Cho and asked that she try it next. They continued like this for the next hour only taking little breaks to catch their breath in which they would talk and laugh as if old friends. Harry couldn't have imagined it being any more perfect.

The two teenagers landed roughly after a hard days work and lots of fun. Both were beaming from ear to ear, obviously enjoying each others' company. Cho was the first to speak. "Well Harry, I must say I had a lot more fun than I planned to. Not to mention you're a really great teacher. Madame Hooch has a reason to worry. "

The blush had remained on Harry's cheeks. "No, it wasn't that big of a deal, but thanks for saying so," he commented looking into her eyes for once.

"No, thank YOU, Harry. You know most people would have been too worried about competition to help me, but not you. You're different from everyone else," Cho said earnestly.

"Yeah," he replied his tone a little bitter, " Famous Harry Potter, different from everyone else." He looked away. Cho reached out and turned his face back to hers.

"You know that's not what I meant. But you are different."

Harry sighed, there was a sad glint in the green of his eyes. "No Cho, I'm just a regular teenage boy." She nodded in understanding, never removing her gaze from him. Harry felt a rush of adrenaline shoot up to his lungs causing his breathing to quicken. He searched her face for something, some clue as to what she was going to say next. Before he could figure it out, Cho leaned forward and placed a tender and sweet kiss on his cheek. When she pulled away Harry expected his knees to melt so that he'd fall forward. Then he heard a shout.

"Just fucking perfect! I get put on restriction and now Potter is giving tips and flirting with the Ravenclaw Seeker! Our team is going down the shit hole!"

It was Jenna standing a few yards away. Her hair was dishevilled and her eyes blazing, grey storm clouds circled in their depths. Harry stared in shock at her. Where the hell had she come from? She stood firmly on the pitch, looking unwilling to move. But she looked somewhat uneasy as she was fiddling with a necklace that lay around her neck. Harry could barely see the necklace, but caught glimpses of silver.

"Jenna! This is not a good time, we can talk about the team later," Harry squeaked through gritted teeth, hoping Jenna would play nice for once and leave. No such luck.

"No Potter! Might as well discuss all our secrets in front of good ole' Cho here! She already got you to teach her how to fly like you. Couldn't hurt for me to tell her how I hit the Bludger so well! She can pass it on to her mates for me!" Jenna was waving her arms wildly. Harry watched as she ranted. Man, she's seriously unhinged!

"Maybe I should go," Cho interjected. Her face had crinkled in concern and awkwardness. Harry turned to tell her she didn't have to leave, but before he could Jenna had raced over and was nudging Cho off the field.

"Yes Cho I think it's time you left! Okay, buh-bye!!" Before Jenna had given Cho more than a slight shove both of them stumbled clumsily, Jenna backwards and Cho forwards. Both of their faces were etched with surprise. The girls picked themselves up quickly. Jenna stood icily and Cho walked off looking bewildered. Harry waited until she was out of sight.

"I can't believe you did that!!"

"No I can't believe YOU did that! Helping the enemy! God, Potter. Do you want them to win? Or are you just that stupid?" Jenna yelled

"Neither, but you are crazy! Maybe Ron and Hermione were right about you," he seethed. Jenna stopped dead at that, her face went from enraged to nervous.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Harry brushed passed her calmly without responding. He could sense that Jenna was staring at his back as he walked away. Then he heard her yell again, "What does that mean? Potter!!" But he kept moving, not looking back even once.

He returned to the castle feeling a sense of victory. He had managed to stay cool in front of Jenna and caused her to sweat. That was a big accomplishment for him. For once Jenna didn't get him all worked up. Harry headed back up to the dorm to complete his homework before hitting the sack. He slept well that night for the first time in awhile. Pleasant dreams played in his head, another first for him. After all he had a reason to be happy. Cho had kissed him.

When early morning rolled around, before the first rays of sun arrived, Harry heard a rustle nearby. He rubbed his eyes sleepily. Once they came into focus he saw that his dormmates were all awake and rushing down the stairs. Harry sat up alarmed. He quickly pulled himself out of the comfort of his bed, threw on a robe, and followed the other fifth year boys down to the common room.

Harry quickly spotted Ron and Hermione among the crowds and rushed over to them. "What happened?" They both shrugged. The room was buzzing with nervous gossip.

A few minutes later Professor McGonagall stepped to the front of the room and called for silence, but there was no need; everyone was already hushed. "Everyone, I am sorry to report that there has been another attack here at Hogwarts." Everyone gasped. "We have searched the school, but there are no signs of a break in, magical tamperings, nor did we find who did this. No need to be alarmed. The school has now been put under even more powerful protection charms in an attempt to ward off the person who did this until we find a way to stop them. As for right now, there is nothing we can do. You should now try to go back to bed."

Nobody moved. Katie Bell raised her hand. "Yes Miss Bell?"

"Who was attacked?" Everyone leaned in closer, hanging on the next words.

"Cho Chang."