Harry Potter and the Shadows of the Watchgate

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-*~| CHAPTER 6 - Tarziah Vidal |~*-
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Next morning he woke up early because he wasn't able to sleep well after that dream. He kept on shifting in his bed for a comfortable position, but to no avail. He got up at five o'clock and started to get ready for the first day of the term. He was rummaging for his favorite quill when his fingers made contact with something smooth and cold. It was a shard of the mirror that Sirius has given him. He took out all the shards and repaired it with Reparo, and whispered two words to it: "Sirius Black."

Harry looked at the mirror fixedly, hoping for any trace or sign of something other than his own reflection, but nobody appeared, and in frustration he shoved the mirror into one of the drawers in his desk. He took out Sirius's diary and placed it with the mirror. He'd work it out somehow--he knew he could do it.

He went about his unpacking, going through his gifts and finding places for them on his table. He put the Foe Glass on his desk (foggy shapes were roving in and out of focus), and placed the mirror given to him by Lupin with the diary.

He sat on the windowsill near his four-poster bed and started thinking about his dream of last night. He couldn't understand why he was having them in the first place. As usual, he had occluded his mind before sleeping. So how could he end up dreaming about Voldemort's childhood when he wasn't even born in that time? The memory saved in Tom Riddle's diary was his sixteen-year-old self; so how could Harry see a twelve-year-old Tom Riddle? And who were the people who defeated Avery? Was it the Order of the Phoenix? Must be, because some Death Eaters died... that sure was good! And what was that smoky—

His chain of thoughts was broken by Ron talking in his sleep. Harry caught snatches like, "Dunno how I'll do this," and, "How can I..."

Abandoning his attempts of clear thought, Harry headed for the owlery to check on Hedwig, as it was too early for breakfast. Almost the whole castle was asleep, including the portraits whose occupants were snoozing peacefully with low harrumphing sounds. He encountered Filch on the way who eyed him suspiciously with Mrs. Norris in tow, who in turn stared at him with her lamp-like eyes.

"What are you up to now, Potter? Trying to set off dungbombs? On your first day back!" Filch barked at him, seeming outraged, but Harry was saved from answering by, Peeves the Poltergeist, who came flying in, riding a school broom and spraying mud from its rear end all over the corridor.

"Potty and the Old Hag - oh how enthralling! Wheeeeeeee!" Peeves zoomed past them.

"I'll get you for this one, Peeves!" Filch snarled with his fists raised.

This was very convenient for Harry, as he slinked past Filch to the owlery unnoticed. He went straight for Hedwig's resting place without noticing his surroundings. He stroked her feathers and gave her some owl treats. She hooted happily, giving him her full attention.

Harry heard a shuffling sound from behind him and about-turned with the agility of a leopard, his wand out, expecting Malfoy. But found a very disheveled and puffy-eyed Colin, with his right leg stuck in an overturned basket. He must have been trying to get past him silently but didn't succeed.

"Hullo, Harry," he said in a hoarse voice.

"Oh, hi, Colin!" Harry was too surprised to say anything else.

With a pause he started again collecting his thoughts. "How are you? I'm so sorry... about your brother... if it helps; I know how it feels to lose someone close," said Harry, in an awkward manner, while Colin only nodded.

"Uhhh....So er... when did you arrive?" asked Harry.

"Last night, by Knight Bus."

"Oh, ok... er... Why don't you come with me to the Great hall, Colin? It's almost time for breakfast." Harry tried to sound cheerful.

"Okay," Colin replied, shrugging.

-*-

"Where have you been?" Ron yelled, not unlike Mrs. Weasley, but changed his expression immediately, seeing Colin in tow. Other students also saw him for the first time and lined beside him to offer their condolences.

Harry was finishing his toast when Professor McGonagall came and handed them their schedules. Hermione, who was talking to Colin, came to abrupt attention and started reading the time table aloud for changing the current topic of sudden-deaths at the Gryffindor table.

"Today we have double Transfiguration and double Potions."

"Yuck," said Ron, followed by an audible groan from the sixth year students.

"And History and then in my case, Arithmancy."

"Yuppers!" Ron whooped sarcastically, while Hermione gave him a stern glare which shut him up.

"And I have my first Occlumency lesson," said Harry.

"Good for you! No History to bore over and you'll learn Occlumency," said Ron resentfully. "Why didn't I fail?" he asked to nobody in particular.

Hermione rolled her eyes and as if remembering something, she asked Harry, "Aren't you going to tell us what you dreamt last night?"

Ron forgot about his whining and like Ginny became very alert to their conversation. Harry had to give in and told them his dream/vision. And before Hermione started lecturing, he informed her that he had indeed practiced Occlumency, to which she was not at all convinced

"Then you just haven't perfected it, that's all. I guess, Dumbledore will make it easier for you," she finished satisfactorily.

"But there is no news about any deaths in the Daily Prophet today," Ron provided skeptically.

"Maybe they haven't found the dead bodies yet?" said Harry in a hopeful voice.

"But that snake! Maybe it was not a vision, Harry, maybe it's an indication or a sign? We can find that out from the Oracle," Ginny provided.

Ron gave her an appalled look and informed her that, "Such things do not exist. Don't believe what that old bat teaches you. She has never been right. Look at Harry! She has predicted his death for four years. Does he look dead to you in any way?" he asked pointedly.

"N-no, no, but we haven't started Oracle in Divination yet! I just read it in a book, that's all," Ginny said defensively, looking at Harry, who had an odd expression on his face.

Sybill Trelawney, Harry's ex-Divination teacher, had actually been right twice already, but his friends didn't know about that and he wasn't sure that he was ready to tell them about the prophecy just yet.

"Now where have you transported to again? C'mon we're getting late for the class," said Ron nudging him and they hurried towards their Transfiguration class, while Ginny made for her Charms class.

-*-

Harry, Ron and Hermione were just settling down, when Professor McGonagall entered the class. As they were having their class with Hufflepuff, there were no exchanges of glares and smirks.

Professor McGonagall started her class by Congratulating everybody present because they all had passed their O.W.Ls with 'O' or 'E' and especially mentioning Neville's efforts because he also scraped an 'E' which made him blush the color of Ron's hair. She also advised them to start studying hard from the beginning, because, "N.E.W.Ts are no O.W.Ls".

"But, Professor, we have two years for that," said Hannah Abbott worriedly.

"Miss Abbott, you will be entering practical life after N.E.W.Ts. If you aren't prepared for your chosen career, what will you do then? Prepare pumpkin juice?" she bristled.

She informed them that they would be doing some advanced spells this term and that this class would bear some future Animagi. For their first lesson they were suppose to turn inanimate objects into different animals. They started with invertebrates and would approach the vertebrates after mastering the former.

They were given saucers and small cutlery items to transfigure them into tube worms or snails. They were taught a very complicated series of wand movement which included three swishes and four pointings.

Hermione was the first one in the class to change her tea-cup into a snail, for which she earned five points for Gryffindor. Ron's saucer crawled above the desk with a snail shell protruding from one side, while Harry was able to change his spoon into a tubeworm after an hour's worth of pointing, swishing and jabbing.

They all got homework by the end of the class to practice the spell and to read the whole chapter about the Transfiguration of inanimate objects.

Their first Potions class was one of its kind. Harry coming face to face with Draco Malfoy never produced good results and the same happened when they faced each other in the corridor outside the Potions classroom. As usual he was accompanied with his two cronies - Crabbe and Goyle, with Pansy Parkinson in tow.

"Potty, Weasel and Mudblood - the long lasting amity! You people make me sick," said Draco scornfully.

In an instant, two wands came out. "Watch your mouth, Malfoy," Ron said threateningly.

"Ooooooh little Weasel is going hot all over," said Draco, mimicking him smugly, while his smirk sidled back in place.

"Shut it, Malfoy!" said Harry angrily, daring him to say just another word. Neville, Dean and Seamus also took out their wands and pointed it towards the Malfoy clan.

"You are a Prefect too, Malfoy. You should not smear your reputation and lose the chances for Headboyship. I can assure you that your Daddy wouldn't be too pleased," Hermione taunted, much to Malfoy's chagrin.

However, they had to clear off the corridor, as ordered by the Head Girl, who was none other than Katie Bell. They filed inside the dungeon playing who-will-glare-the-other-down-with-their-eyes.

The class started with the dungeon door banging open and a very angry Snape sweeping in, with his usual air of arrogance. His face was set in a permanent sneer and his hair looked greasier than ever.

"This year's O.W.L results are too disgusting to even discuss. Some of you might be thinking in their little overactive minds that you have somehow managed to enter the N.E.W.T Potions class and you'll also somehow manage to get through!" he said looking menacingly at Harry.

"But you would be sadly MISTAKEN!"

Snape irately threw something in the cauldron beside him which hissed and frothed angrily, issuing red smoky bubbles.

"As I have already informed you time and time again, potion making is one of the most intricate sciences ever developed, there's no silly wand waving and swishing," he hissed and almost seemed to swell in anger.

"So, prepare for two years of serious concoction work on some very advanced potions, and this year I will not tolerate any naivety and ignorance! And it will start with deducting twenty points from Gryffindor, for being a lot of thick heads."

As usual, Gryffindors lost a total of thirty points in their first Potions' class, coming out with furious faces, with Ron shouting in Harry and Hermione's ears, "What did he mean by a bunch of thick heads? Is he blind or something? The biggest baboons are in his own House!"

-*-

After lunch, Ron and Hermione headed for History and Arithmancy respectively, while Harry went towards Dumbledore's office. Approaching the stone gargoyle, he remembered that he didn't know the current password but was saved the 'cockroach cluster guessing game' by none other than Dumbledore himself. He came ambling out of nowhere and took him inside his office. The occupants of the portraits were not feigning sleep, and after seeing Harry, they all became extra attentive.

"Hullo, Fawkes," Harry greeted, while Dumbledore's pet phoenix made a small twittering sound.

Harry could see that some furniture of the office was relocated, leaving a wide space enough for two wizards to duel.

"Harry, let's start," said Dumbledore, signaling him to take his spot at the opposite end of the room.

"Clear your mind from all worries." And Harry did so.

"Legilimens!" Dumbledore shouted.

Harry was facing Bellatrix Lestrange ... "Crucio!"

He dropped down to the floor feeling thousand needles piercing his body, but a small voice inside his head told him that this was just a memory he had to hide. With that thought still rounding his mind, he was transported to the dark place in his dreams. The red and green smoky snake was bearing down on him.

His scar exploded painfully.

"Are you alright, Harry?" asked Dumbledore looking down at him worriedly.

Harry found himself lying flat on his back on the office floor and all the portraits muttering between themselves

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said, hoisting himself up from the ground.

"Was that a dream of yours?" Dumbledore asked curiously.

"Yes it was," answered Harry and explained in detail the whole dream.

Dumbledore listened attentively and made him repeat the whole thing again and stopped him at the mention of the wall through which he saw everything.

"Well, this could be a plus..." Dumbledore muttered.

"Professor?"

As if he didn't hear Harry, he continued, "Harry, you need to practice this more. Imagine you have a Pensieve and before sleeping you transfer all your thoughts to that nonphysical Pensieve. Now try that in your mind, and empty it of everything."

After a long pause, during which Harry closed his eyes and started concentrating on emptying his mind of thoughts, Dumbledore shouted, "Legilimens!"

This time there was no vision and Dumbledore wasn't able to penetrate his mind for about five minutes.

"Very good, Harry!" Dumbledore exclaimed.

After one and a half hour's practice, Harry was able to make his mind impenetrable for more than ten minutes.

"You are getting closer, Harry, so keep practicing. You'll soon master it and then we'll make way for the Legilimency classes," said Dumbledore, sounding pleased.

-*-

Their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class was scheduled on Wednesday. As eagerly they had waited for it, as silently they filed down their desk. It was very obedient of them to do that when Professor Vidal wasn't even present in the classroom.

After few minutes, Professor Vidal entered the class room with a rush of wind, apologizing for his delay.

"There was some official business to take care of... Anyhow, let's start with my introduction. As you all know, my name is Tarziah Vidal and I'm here to teach you the convoluted and sometimes misconstrued Defense Against the Dark Arts." He surveyed the whole with his glinting eyes.

Harry noticed that Vidal had a certain accent but he was not language expert enough to distinguish what dialect. With the exception of a slight emphasis on Z's, his English was quite lucid.

"I have been informed of the fates of the previous professors of this subject and I was really quite taken aback after hearing the increasingly alarming tales. Dumbledore even offered me to reject this proposition, but I was too besieged to refuse and I don't regret my decision. As you all know, Hogwarts has its own reputation of being the best, and what more a wizard could want than getting an opportunity to teach here?"

After a slight pause he continued, "Well, I'm actually from Romania."

Ron smacked his head with his hand. Hermione and Harry gave him a look but couldn't ask him what the matter was.

"I am an Auror by profession and was working with the Ministry of Romania. But when this job was offered to me, I took on the opportunity. You always want to be in the thick of things when you are an Auror." He gave a big mischievous smile to the class.

"I have also been informed that this particular class has more experience in Defense than all the seventh years put together," he said, his gaze lingering on Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"Your O.W.Ls results are extraordinary too--almost ninety percent of your class passed with an O... which made me more confident, as it always feels good to teach a class that is serious about their studies."

With a last playful smile which kept on trespassing his face now and then, he started calling out their names. No 'famous Harry Potter' or gaping came from Vidal. He didn't even look up when he called Harry's name, which was more than okay for Harry.

"Well, class, let's start from something interesting and useful. With the prevailing war situation, this spell can help you to disorient your opponent for five to ten minutes, during which your opponent will not be able to see anything as his vision will become foggy. If you master it well, you can make your opponent disoriented for half an hour."

He looked at them questioningly. "Does anybody know which spell I'm talking about?"

And to nobody's surprise Hermione's hand shot up in the air.

"Yes, Miss?"

"Hermione Granger, Professor. The Spell is called the 'Obscurus Spell.Â’"

"Yes, correct! Five points for Gryffindor. Now let's learn the wand movement and the incantation." He demonstrated the wand movement with the incantation 'Obscurio.'

The class was divided into pairs and after practicing the wand movement, the room was filled with shouts of 'Obscurio!'

Harry was paired off with Ron and Hermione with Neville. Harry was having fun with this spell and Ron didn't take much time to master it either. Whereas, Hermione was having trouble because Neville kept on saying 'Obscurao' rather than 'Obscurio' which did not made her foggy, but shot hurricane-type wind at her which made her bushy hair stand on end.

Ron started laughing uncontrollably at the even bushier Hermione, causing Harry to sprout a bushy mustache due to his inattentiveness. Everyone burst into laughter seeing a bushy mustached Harry and a bushier Hermione. Professor Vidal cleared the matter up smilingly amusedly.

Their homework was to write an essay on 'the after effects of the Obscurus Spell.'

The moment they came out of the class Ron said incredulously, "Bloody Hell, I'm such a dunce!"

Hermione and Harry looked away, trying not to laugh.

"Vidal is Charlie's friend; that's why I was telling you guys the name rung a bell. Now I remember Charlie telling us about him, when he came back to the Burrow on his first vacation from Romania. I wasn't paying much attention, that's why I couldn't remember. They named him after some Muggle Cormick Hero, which I don't remember. He is a legend over there; you can consider him a younger version of Moody. He cleared off most of the Romanian Death Eaters after V-vo--You-Know-Who's fall."

"Oh say it already, Ron," Hermione said exasperatedly, which Ron completely ignored.

"So are you saying that Voldemort had foreign followers too?"

"Yes, Harry, if it wasn't for you, he would have achieved world domination by now," said Hermione, giving a shudder.

Harry was starting to like Vidal. His agility and mischievousness reminded him of the only person he didn't want to remember - Sirius. If Sirius hadn't have been framed for his parent's deaths, he would have lived a normal life and he might have been an Auror, just like Vidal wasÂ….

His melancholy sigh was interrupted by Hermione's jubilant voice. "Ron, do you mean the comic character named Tarzan? Was he named after him?"

Ron furrowed his brows in deep concentration, "Yeah, I think you are right. They called him just that - Tarzan Vidal."

~*~