Harry Potter and the Shadows of the Watchgate

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-*~| CHAPTER 12 - Expecting the Unexpected |~*-
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As he came out from the Hospital Wing he saw Ginny waiting for him, which made him gladder than even winning the match.

"How are you feeling, Harry?" Ginny asked, and then blurted out hurriedly, "Everyone was getting worried about you, so they sent me to look for you."

Why she's explaining all this? Or she was the one who was worried sick? he reflected, amused. This thought made him stand a little straighter than usual--tough luck there, as it made him grimace in pain.

"No matter, Ginny, I'm feeling all right," he said, wincing.

"You don't look too good," said Ginny surveying him closely, as Harry was mustering up his courage to do the thing he had been aching to do for quite long.... Instead, he doubled over in surprising pain as his insides went up in flame. It was so painful that he couldn't maintain his balance and keeled over on the floor.

Ginny was taken by surprise, still she started screaming for help immediately as she kneeled down beside him and shot a red sparkling spell towards the Hospital Wing. Harry was rolling on his sides in agony, gasping for breath.

"Giiiinnniii," he muttered in pain.

Madam Pomfrey came running and gasped in surprise seeing Harry twisting in agony. "What happened to him?"

"I don't know! He was just talking and- and this--" Ginny motioned towards him with a trembling voice.

Madam Pomfrey checked him and gasped again. "Oh no! How could this be?" She frantically checked him over to make sure.

"Miss Weasley, will you be able to move him towards the Hospital Wing?" asked Madam Pomfrey hurriedly.

"Yes, I can," Ginny answered and enunciated, "Mobilicorpus!"

Harry's writhing body started hovering in the air. Ginny pointed her wand at him and started running towards the Hospital Wing after the Matron as gracefully as she could without bumping his body anywhere.

Madam Pomfrey did a freezing charm on Harry, which froze his floating body in an instant into a white grimacing statue.

"What did you do that for?" asked Ginny in surprise.

"Just wait for a bit Miss Weasley, and don't go calling to your friends... at least not right now." This made Ginny even more bewildered.

Ginny helplessly watched Harry's frozen body. She couldn't understand, but whenever something was about to happen between them, something always went wrong, ruining it. She had gotten over her puppy-love in her third year, but from the time Harry had arrived at Grimmauld Place, he had acted quite differently towards her. She had noticed him watching her and the small hope that had died was suddenly pushing forward to rise from the ashes.

Madam Pomfrey was fretting in her office and Ginny followed her. She was bringing down many old grimy bottles and was dusting their exteriors. She beckoned a book to open, using Accio. She read a page and brought down a very ancient carafe from a shelf and read its label closely. She opened the bottle and sniffed it, when satisfied, she ordered Ginny to go to the Staff Room and bring Professor McGonagall with her.

"Can I bring Ron?" Ginny asked pleadingly but got a very curt, "NO," in response.

Harry was revived to his own self by the time Ginny arrived with Professor McGonagall panting behind with her walking stick.

"What's the matter, Poppy?" she asked worriedly.

"There has been an awful misfortune, Minerva. Someone broke into my office and changed the contents of a healing potion, which I use profusely and in a hurry I didn't check that it was the right potion or not... and look what happened," she finished pointing towards Harry with a dry sob.

Harry was unaware of the whole process because he only remembered being frozen after that excruciating flaming sensation rocked his insides. When he was unfrozen, he didn't feel any pain; however, he soon realized that his lower body was still frozen. Madam Pomfrey made him drink a solution, which was icy blue in color and as he gulped it down, he felt a cold sensation seep through his body--colder than the ice covering half of his body.

After a wait of almost five minutes, Madam Pomfrey unfroze him completely and Harry didn't feel a single pang of pain after that.

"Are you sure, Poppy?" asked Professor McGonagall after looking at Harry skeptically.

"Yes, I am sure! I gave Potter the right quantity of Meroceli Potion for his swelling but it turned out that it was Flammilo Potion instead, and if it hadn't been for Miss Weasley here, Potter would have sustained permanent repercussions," Madam Pomfrey replied, shuddering at the thought.

"Who could have done such a thing?" asked Ginny.

"Flammilo Potion is a very advanced potion, Miss Weasley, and it's not a part of Hospital supplies. Am I right, Poppy?" Professor McGonagall asked the Matron.

"Yes, certainly," Madam Pomfrey answered earnestly.

"This is the work of a very crafty wizard or witch, who not only broke into the Matron's office, but was successfully able to hoodwink her," said McGonagall looking livid.

"Poppy, verify all the draughts and potions in your supply for their credibility. I have to report this to the Headmaster and, Potter, do you know anything about this that I'm not aware of? Because you always seem to know more than you reveal," said Professor McGonagall, looking sternly at him.

Harry looked towards Ginny for support who shrugged in response. He wasn't sure that the note that he received when he was ill had anything to do with this incident or not.

"I don't know, Professor..." he trailed off, looking truthfully nonplussed.

"Very well, Potter, but do tell me if you find anything... that means everything you find. Understood, Potter?" Her voice was firm but her eyes were filled with concern. "There are already many wizards on prowl for you."

"Yes, Professor," Harry said obediently.

"Just have a lie-in for an hour, Potter, so that I can observe the result of the medication," said the Matron.

"Now, can I go and get my brother?" Ginny asked hopefully.

Before Madam Pomfrey could say anything Harry replied, "No, Ginny, don't worry them. I'm feeling fine. You can stall by saying that I'm with Professor Lupin... all right? I don't want to disturb them in their merry making," he finished, thinking about all the Gryffindors partying in the common room.

Ginny gave him an appraising look and smiled. "You gave me a heart attack just then, Harry. I thought you were taken over or something," she said, shaking her head.

"I'm fine now," he said smiling back and thinking what was with his fate? The moment he wanted to start something with Ginny, something unexpected happened....

"All right, Miss Weasley, you can go now, he's feeling better and needs rest after being injured and inflamed in a single day," said Madam Pomfrey quite pointedly.

"Okay... I guess I'll leave you now," said Ginny, kissing Harry on the cheek and went away hurriedly. Harry could guess, even without looking at her that she was blushing.

-*-

The one hour shuteye changed into two hours and when he finally woke up, he was feeling fresh as a punch. He noticed another thing, he was not alone. Ron, Hermione and Ginny were there, sitting beside his bed.

"Feeling all right?" asked Hermione.

"Yes, not bad at all," Harry said stretching, while checking the functionality of his hands and limbs--all seemed to be in order.

"So, how's the party going?" Harry asked for a distraction.

"It will go on the whole day, but don't try to change the subject!" Hermione huffed at him.

"There is someone for sure, who is real hopping mad at you, Harry," said Ron. "We can't ignore this. Whoever it was, had a great plan and if it hadn't been for Ginny..." Ron shook his head at the other consequences.

"Flammilo Potion is lethal, Harry. It was used and still used by many notorious wizards to kill people.... If it gets the time to react, it can burn all your insides," Hermione said with a shudder.

"I can tell you this - that it doesn't feel any great. I just experienced the insides of a Dragon's gut," Harry said jokingly, for which he received angry glares.

"I think the letter you received when you were ill has some connection with this incident," proposed Ginny, on a serious note.

"Well... who knows? I can't cower in a corner just because some twisted git is after my skin," Harry said angrily, feeling all revived, getting things out on the open.

-*-

"Legilimens!" Dumbledore shouted.

Harry, for the first time, was successfully able to block out Dumbledore's probing of his thoughts. He achieved this by imagining that, all his thoughts were surrounded by a strong brick wall just like the Hogwarts Castle, and nobody could penetrate through it.

"Very good, Harry! This is your first total block," Dumbledore said smiling at him. "At least now I can rest a little bit easier. And if you continue like this for the next two classes, we will then start Legilimency," he said nodding towards Fawkes, who vanished with a flash of fire.

"I would advise you to be careful and vigilant. I see the brooding calmness around us very engaging, but I don't think that Voldemort is resting in peace. To the contrary, he has started to stir things up a bit," Dumbledore said, half absorbed in some thought.

"Professor, er... do you know what was stolen from the Department of Mysteries?" Harry asked anxiously.

"Some important documents have been stolen, very stealthily, and I'm afraid, that's just about all you can worm it out of me," Dumbledore said smiling knowingly at him.

He checked the time on his twelve handed clock. "Oh, how time flies. Run along now, I have to go to a meeting," he said, his eyes twinkling.

Sure, Harry could guess. "Another Order meeting, I reckon?"

Dumbledore nodded and walked Harry to the Entrance Hall.

"I think I can leave you here safely, but be careful," Dumbledore said, reminding him of the said killer on the prowl for him.

While walking absent mindedly to the main notice board in the Entrance Hall, he thought, who else could it be other than Draco Malfoy? After all, he was the one who vowed in an Alley to finish him off this term.

"Hogsmeade Weekend!" Harry almost jumped on the spot, all the thoughts of being murdered went away from his mind on a dead run. However, he regained his composure instantly. In his mind he saw the announcement winking at him expectantly on the notice board.

I have to be prepared! Harry thought, thinking about asking Ginny out for a date.

-*-

Not too distant from Harry, a person smiled wickedly, seeing him miss a step in front of the notice board.

The Trap is set... Waiting its capture... Oh sweet raptured light... It'll end in a fortnight...

-*-

"Harry, you are not concentrating!" Lupin said, folding his arms.

Harry was trying to make ropes come out of his wand, but they were so thin that they weren't even able to bind the Crup, he was supposed to trap.

"It's no use, I can't concentrate!" he said, giving his wand a last wave, producing a wooly thread, which arced towards the Crup's nose. The Crup, in response, started rubbing its nose with its little paws in an irritated fashion.

Lupin chuckled. "Okay, forget it, Harry. Anyways, the time is over. The advanced DA members would be arriving soon.

"So, what's eating you?" Lupin continued boyishly.

"I just can't make up my mind. It's like, there are so many decisions to make and sometimes I wonder why they have to be made by me..." Harry said twirling his wand in his hand, without meeting Lupin's eyes.

"Like?"

"What should I do about my blowing rage which keeps on getting on the edge of boiling point, what can I do about my friends who patrol around me as I'm the lost treasure of Black Pearl, what can I do about the people badgering me to 'be vigilant', what can I do about this whole hero pressure? ... Sometimes I feel I play too easy to get...

"And... I can't get Sirius off my mind, Lupin. I keep on seeing him.... Am I going nuts with all these pressures over me?"

"I don't think so, Harry," Lupin answered, searching Harry's face for some sign. "It's just nerves I think. About being vigilant, well, you can't do anything about that, because your friends and well wishers are simply concerned about you. However, forget about the hero thing, will you?

"About Sirius, I reckon you are ignoring the reality so clearly that you can't set up your mind right, and if for a second you stop the self-loathing sequel--"

Harry opened his mouth to protest but Lupin hurriedly went on, "And, yes, I admit that it is on the downfall. But still, you haven't gone over it. You see, Harry, he'll always be here... and best of all, you have his memories, which you can even feel and see. What more do you want? Or may be the reason of this tantrum is that, you haven't opened the diary after that incident?"

"I guess so," Harry said, shuffling his feet.

"I see." Lupin cleared his throat and went on, "If you are waiting for a guarantee, I would love to give mine. However, I think, this is not the only thing bothering you--" Lupin was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"DA members," Harry said, sighing.

"We'll continue later," Lupin said, patting Harry's shoulder.

Harry stood up and made his way to the center of the room. He had planned this lesson from quite before. He had already gone through the practical use of the Patronus Charm with Lupin. Obviously, they couldn't invite a real Dementor, so Harry became a babysitter for the whole class, while Lupin found him a boggart.

Harry planned to stand in boggart's range to let it change into a Dementor and then the students will practice with it and send their Patronuses at it.

"You know that this could be fatal," Lupin had warned him. However, Harry knew that for practice they all had to do this. The Dementors seemed to be the most powerful in Voldemort's army besides the deadly, dark spells used by the Death Eaters.

"If something goes wrong, Lupin, Prongs is there to save me," Harry said reminiscently, his eyes shining, while Lupin's features softened.

"Yes," he agreed, nostalgically.

The DA members filed in the Room of Requirement, while Harry mused on how this room had become a beacon of light for many of his purposes.

"How was the training, Harry?" asked Hermione.

"Oh... it was okay," said Harry, for which he received a furrowed look from Hermione, while Ron gave him a thumbs-up sign.

Looking at Ginny entering with Luna Lovergood, he felt a pang in his chest. The episode with Ginny hadn't progressed as Harry would have hoped. There were still many things unsaid and unresolved in between them.

When Lupin announced to the class what Harry intended to do, gibbering started at full speed.

"Are you mad, Harry? Bringing in a stupid boggart and doing that to yourself to make us practice!" Hermione bellowed, her arms flailing.

Lavender, Padma and Parvati Patil started shrieking like mad. "Oh c'mon, Harry... We... er... can't! Just can't! With... a r-rreal Dementor?"

"Oh no, no, no, NO!"

"Well, technically it will not be a real Dementor!" he said exasperatedly, but nobody listened, except Luna, who looked almost surreal.

Some of them were totally terrified. Harry could clearly see Neville screwing up his nose and thinking hard. Cho was looking edgy, while Michael Corner and Zacharias Smith looked downright angry.

"Okay, students, settle down!" Lupin's voice boomed over the babbling crowd and suddenly everybody went silent.

"I don't want to sound like Moody, but it's a reality that with the coming war, no one is safe. All of you saw what happened in Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, or do you all want your memories refreshed?" Lupin surveyed the whole class while Harry folded his arms haughtily.

Most of them were looking at their shoes and Parvati, Lavender and Cho's faces looked totally drained of blood.

"People died that day without any apparent reason. If you get in trouble, you have to save your own skin, because nobody else will do that for you. Dementors are just a fraction of what lies ahead. There are many unexpected things in the future and you have to be prepared for it, as nothing can be foretold." Lupin was looking everybody up with a piercing gaze.

Harry could feel determination pour through Lupin and spread towards everybody, calming them and giving them vigor.

Harry noticed that Lupin was wearing a new robe; he was still a little pale and had more than his share of white hair. Nonetheless, he emanated an unwavering strength which seemed to infect everyone in the room.

"Now, does anybody have anything to add or any problems to discuss?" Lupin inquired and received murmurs of "no," and "not at all."

"Okay then. Let's start, Harry."

Lupin brought a small trunk, which was shaking slightly. One corner of the room was made totally devoid of furniture where the trunk was placed beside Harry.

"Now one by one, you will all face the Dementor-boggart. If it is getting over you, don't use riddikulus, just scram and give the person next to you a go at it. Don't get too close and maintain a certain distance, because if you don't, the Dementor will change into your own fear."

The class gave an involuntary shudder.

"Okay! So who wants to go first?" Lupin asked jovially, and for a while nobody raised their hand but then Michael Corner came forward fidgeting with his wand.

"Excellent!" Lupin exclaimed and indicated Harry to get in position. The whole class was looking at the proceedings transfixed.

Harry opened the trunk and readied himself for the coldness. A hulking figure of Dementor wrapped in black emerged from inside, drawing an audible, slow, rattling breadth. Harry felt deja vu all over again as he had more than his share of Dementor chills but every time he faced it, it was new.

The whole room was swept by a coldness that engulfed not only him but the entire class, and they all felt the abrupt silence, even the bright lights of the room seemed to dim in its presence.

Harry steeled himself for his mother's cries, while Michael screwed up his face in concentration.

"Expecto Patronum!" Michael incanted.

A wisp of silvery gas shot out of Michael's wand, but was not enough to ward the Dementor off. Harry felt the chill seep through his body, as his eyes rolled up in his head. He went to a dark space, where nothing existed except a familiar voice: "Come on, you can do better than that!" Harry heard Sirius laugh, his voice echoing around him... but the laughter soon died, Harry could imagine Sirius's eyes widen in shock.

"SIRIUS!" Harry yelled, "NO, SIRIUS!"

Harry was kneeling down on the floor and Lupin was shaking him. "It's all right, Harry."

He felt so embarrassed. He realized that this wasn't such a good idea after all. However, he was too deep now and couldn't worm his way out of it.

Ron, Hermione and Ginny were standing beside Lupin, almost engulfing him from the prying eyes of the class.

Hermione stared at him accusingly while Lupin handed him a chocolate bar to eat.

"Let's try again?" Harry said meekly, not looking at Hermione, who huffed even more.

"Last time, Harry, and be ready yourself. Why didn't you call Prongs?" Lupin asked, looking at him hard.

Why didn't I? Am I actually hoping to hear Sirius's voice again? he thought sadly.

"Err... Let's have another go," he said without looking at Lupin.

Everything went well after that, whenever anyone faltered Harry would conjure his own Patronus, Prongs, and do away with the Dementor-boggart to hide again in the trunk. Hermione faltered at first but was able to conjure an otter to peck at the hulking figure. Ron produced a Saber-toothed Tiger, while Ginny produced a Leopard shaped Patronus.

However, everything went downhill when Cho came into the scene. She was last in line and looked very frightened. She uttered a very feeble, "Expecto Patronum," and wasn't able to produce even a wisp of smoke, except some light vapors.

While Prongs was cantering beside Harry, Cho was taken over by the Dementor and Lupin shouted, "Riddikulus," to finally finish it off.

Cho fainted in Harry's arms, as if woozy with exhaustion.

~*~