Secrets from the Future

Chapter 8. TWO NEW GRYFFINDORS

The city of London had just fallen into darkness, the deafening toll of Westminster Abbey's bells was resounding through the night air. A hooded Death Eater was walking along a dark corridor lined by with stone walls. He stopped in front of a heavy wooden door and hesitated before knocking.

KNOCK! KNOCK!

Without waiting for a reply, he opened the door and entered, quickly reaching the center of the room. He bowed in front of his master who was standing by the open window with his back to the newcomer.

"Everything is ready, my Lord. We await your orders."

Lord Voldemort slowly opened his eyes as a satisfied sneer appeared on his sunken, corpse-like face. Wrapped in a dark cloak, his tall figure was barely visible in the twilight, illuminated only by the burning fireplace.

"You've done well, Nott. Soon, you'll know when to take action. This time, my dear old friend Albus won't be able to save him. There will be no escape for Potter this time." His words were followed by a hateful laugh. "The boy's mind is an open book to me now. Soon, he'll fall to my will. When I'm finished with him, there'll be nothing standing between me and absolute power!"

"And you'll always have me by your side, Master." Nott added in a whisper, echoing Voldemort's evil laugh.

***O***

The last weeks of the holiday flew by quickly; the time to return to school arrived soon. At the end of August, Harry, Ron, and Hermione moved to Grimmauld Place to be nearer King's Cross Station.

After the dramatic fight with the boggart in Magnus Erudio's room, Harry began to withdraw himself even further. He soon began to have a clear understanding of what happened that day. A boggart took the shape of the deepest fear of the person standing in front of it. It now looked like Harry's deepest fear was to discover his similarity with his eternal enemy, Lord Voldemort.

In the days following the encounter, Harry stubbornly refused to continue with his magical training, causing Hermione to worry about him more. She tried every possible thing she could think of to get him to change his mind, but it was all futile. While she and Ron kept busy with Erudio and his instruction, Harry passed his time alone, closed away in his room or outside, on the grounds by the lake.

Just as the warlock had foreseen, he and Harry had no other occasion to meet each other again.

To Mrs. Weasley's great happiness, and the immense disbelief of Fred and George, Ron was awarded the badge of Head Boy; Hermione got the badge of Head Girl. They were the highest positions a student could reach at Hogwarts. Everyone sincerely congratulated the two of them... everyone except Harry.

When Ron got the Prefect badge at the beginning of fifth year, Harry was jealous of his friend. This time, however, all there was in Harry's heart was a great sense of indifference and apathy.

If the others don't appreciate me for what I am, then it probably means that I'm not worth that much! he kept telling himself.

On September first, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny arrived at King's Cross Station, followed by their usual escort of wizards from the Order. Accompanying them were Mad-Eye Moody, Tonks, Lupin, and Mrs. Weasley, all dressed as the most eccentric of Muggles. After the farewells and last-minute advice, the group of friends climbed board, giving start to another school year.

Ron and Hermione went to the Head Boy and Girl's carriage to attend their first official meeting. Harry and Ginny found seats at the end of the train, along with Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood.

Harry sat by the window and remained in silence for most of the trip, replying to any question his friends asked him with single-syllable words. On his left, Luna was reading The Quibbler, apparently not noticing Harry's odd behavior. That day, her long, blond hair was styled with three ponytails, and she was wearing a long, multi-color tunic, giving her a rather Hippie-like appearance.

Neville and Ginny were sitting close to each other, across from Harry, occupied with a game of chess. Neville had grown taller during the summer and had lost some weight, though he still had the air of eternal insecurity which was so characteristic of him. Ginny had also grown a little taller, and in beauty, as well. Her long red hair was tied up beautifully in a braid; a light tan made her fair skin golden.

Harry sat there, staring intently out the window, absorbed in the view that was racing by in front of him, oblivious to what was going on around him. On the rack above him, Hedwig was peacefully resting in her cage.

"You cheated again! I saw you this time!" exclaimed Neville, disappointed, after Ginny had won her tenth game.

"You must be joking. You know perfectly well that you can't cheat in wizard's chess."

"Don't lie. I saw you whispering a spell to your white queen." Neville turned to Harry. "Didn't you notice it as well? Ginny cheated!"

"W-what? What are you talking about?" stuttered Harry, as if he had only now realized his friends' presence.

"I asked if you noticed that Ginny was cheating," repeated Neville, this time emphasizing each word. Harry looked at the chess board for a few seconds, trying as hard as he could to gather his thoughts, when suddenly the sliding door opened and everybody turned to see who was there.

A sixteen year old girl was standing at the door; she was extremely thin, with a great volume of curly, black hair, falling messily behind her shoulders, reaching down to her waist. Harry thought that her hair oddly resembled a lion's mane. She had deep, brown eyes and pale skin, and was wearing a Hogwarts uniform trimmed in Gryffindor colors. With one hand, she was dragging along a huge, worn-out trunk and with the other, a large cage containing an old, gray owl that was losing its feathers; it looked like it had been plucked.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt you, but... well, the train is incredibly crowded today. May I sit here with you?" the girl asked, pointing at the two empty seats by the door.

"Well, actually..." started Neville, knowing that they were saving those seats for Ron and Hermione; Ginny, however, cut him off.

"Of course you can come in. Our friends won't be back for a while, so you can stay with us while they're away."

The girl smiled happily, as thought she were hoping for exactly that, and quickly entered the compartment. "Oh, I don't know how to thank you. I was already losing hope," she said, as she levitated the luggage and cage with a wave of her wand, setting them on an empty shelf near Hedwig's cage. She then took a seat by Ginny's side, throwing her head back in a pretty, almost flirty way to get the long, curly locks of hair off her forehead.

A few minutes of silence followed, punctuated by the fast rattling of the train. Harry turned again to stare out the window, Luna returned to reading her magazine, and Ginny and Neville started to put away the wizard's chess pieces.

Without saying a word, the new arrival took off her shoes and sat cross-legged on the seat. She then conjured a large book of history of magic out of her handbag and set it on her knees, skimming through it. Ginny's and Neville's eyes widened in surprise, but neither objected. Luna, on the other hand, lowered her magazine to just under her nose and turned to the girl with curiosity. "You're new, aren't you? I've never seen you around."

"Well, I... yes, I'm a new student. How stupid I am. I haven't even introduced myself, have I?" she exclaimed, after a certain hesitation. "My name is Jane, nice to meet you."

Jane stretched out her right hand to Luna; she didn't shake it and kept staring directly into Jane's eyes without lowering her magazine from her nose. Ginny rescued that embarrassing moment by shaking Jane's hand in Luna's place.

"My name is Ginny Weasley, nice to meet you. She's Luna Lovegood, and they're Neville Longbottom and Harry Potter. So, it looks like this is your first time at Hogwarts. What school did you attend before coming here?" asked Ginny sincerely. Jane, however, looked as if she had not heard a word. In fact, she was still staring intensely at Harry.

"Jane? Are you all right?"

"W-what did you say?" asked Jane, bewildered.

"I asked what school you attended before coming to Hogwarts."

"Actually, I... I've never attended a school until now," she replied with a serious expression on her face.

"Wow, that sounds cool!" Neville said with admiration.

"I learned at home. My mother thought me everything she knew. She's a cool witch, even if sometimes..." Jane stopped and a veil of sadness darkened her eyes. "Well... it doesn't matter," she ended without giving any other explanation.

"How is it possible that you're wearing a Gryffindor uniform already? You haven't already attended a sorting ceremony, have you?" asked Luna, even more curious.

"I did, of course. I attended a private sorting with the Transfiguration teacher. What's her name again? Oh, yes, Professor McGonagall. I had to wear that odd, talking hat, you know? A bit revolting, if you ask me!"

"Honestly... I agree with you," commented Neville, amused.

"Which year are you in?" asked Ginny, after shooting a glare at the young Longbottom.

"Sixth year. I'm so anxious to start with my classes. It'll be all new for me... attending classes in a school! My favorite subjects are Charms and Potions, but I find History of Magic extremely interesting too. Well... my mother has always stressed that I need more practice with Transfiguration and Defense Against the Dark Arts, but you know how mothers are, don't you? They are always there, ready to push us on our weaknesses. Sometimes, I can hardly stand her!"

During their discussion, Harry remained in silence, pretending to be completely absorbed by the view outside the window, heedless of what was happening around him. Nonetheless, he had been unable to avoid listening to them, noticing with disappointment just how many words the new girl was able to say in one breath. I'd certainly like to use a little Silencing Charm on her right now! he thought, annoyed, as he frowned and watched her out of the corner of his eye.

"I've heard that the Headmaster is quite formidable. I can't wait to get to know him in person. It'll be a great honor for me. I bet the other teachers are pretty good too. I sincerely hope that the Potions teacher will be brilliant!"

"Oh, more than brilliant... you'll see," exclaimed Neville with a sarcastic note in his voice. For his comment, he earned a strong jab from Ginny's elbow.

"I'm sure you'll find all of our teachers extremely... demanding. They start loading us with lots of homework from day one. But, don't worry! Since we'll be in class together, I'll be happy to help you anytime you need," Ginny added.

"Well, I'm sure I won't need any help. I'll be able to handle everything on my own!" At this affirmation, spoken with such certainty that it bordered on arrogance, Ginny, Neville, and Luna looked at each other bewildered. Noticing their reactions, Jane immediately explained herself. "I meant... that I'm used to taking care of myself, but I appreciated your offer, really."

Silence again fell on the compartment. After a few minutes, which Jane passed by staring intensely at her shoe laces, she raised her head and unexpectedly turned to Harry. "I know you! You're the famous Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived!"

Harry merely frowned at her and didn't reply.

"I can't believe I'm traveling on the Hogwarts Express, sitting so close to the famous Harry Potter. I've read everything about you. It's a great honor for me, I don't know what to say..."

"Fine! Can you do me a favor then?" erupted Harry, thoroughly annoyed. "Shut up and don't say a word for more than five minutes... if you're able to!" He then suddenly stood up, stepped over his friends' legs, and exited the compartment, slamming the sliding door behind him.

Everybody stared at each other openmouthed, not knowing what was going on with him.

"The books I read didn't have anything written that said he had such terrible behavior!" Jane commented as she shrugged her shoulders.

***O***

Albus Dumbledore stood up with a slight rustling of his long blue robes. "Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!" The Headmaster's deep voice silenced all of the students in the Great Hall, who had been chatting amongst themselves.

"I hope you will be able to make full use of all the knowledge that our excellent teachers will pass on to you in the coming months. Now, more than ever, we need to learn from each other and hold on to the goodness that life still has to offer us!" Dumbledore emphasized the last few words, fixing his intense blue eyes directly onto Harry's who had, in the few minutes before then, been busy trying to concentrate his attention solely on the empty dish in front of him.

"I must make a few announcements. First, I am very sorry to inform you that, due to security measures for the war that are still in effect, we won't be having our usual Quidditch tournament this year."

A murmur of disapproval rose amongst the students; Professor McGonagall had to raise her voice several times to silence everyone. Once everyone had settled down again, Dumbledore continued with a placid tone.

"I wish also to inform you that the canceled Quidditch tournament will be replaced by a another event, which I hope will keep us all excited. I'm talking about a Academics Tournament. Four teams will be formed, one for each House. Each team will be consist of five sixth and seventh year students, personally selected by Professor Flitwick, our Charms teacher.

"The tournament will consist of five tests, which will be held during the school year. The team that scores the best overall will win. Each test will cover a subject taught here at Hogwarts. We will have tests covering Potions, Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, and Care of Magical Creatures. In due time, you will be informed the dates of each test, so that each team will be able to prepare itself. For more details, you may ask Professor McGonagall or Professor Snape."

Dumbledore stopped briefly; the students started chatting again, excited.

Dumbledore spoke again and the hall became silent once more. "My next new announcement regards our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Unfortunately, our esteemed Professor Lupin won't be able to join us this year. It is for this reason that I wish to welcome another highly qualified teacher, as well as my personal friend. Please give a warm greeting to Professor Magnus Erudio."

While the students were applauding the new teacher, Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at each other in disbelief. After a few moments, Magnus Erudio emerged from the small staff room behind the teachers' table and slowly, with the support of his wooden staff, reached his seat on the side of Professor Snape, who glared at him with hostility. Erudio remained impassive, with his gaze fixed to the back of the hall.

When the hall became quiet and Dumbledore spoke again, Ron bent closer to the other two, whispering his thoughts on what had just happened. "I suppose now you'll tell us that you knew about that already, Hermione."

"Not at all! I think we should reconsider our conclusions about Erudio. If Dumbledore wanted him at Hogwarts, he has his own reasons to trust him," Hermione replied, thoughtful.

"Perhaps you're forgetting something else. From now on, he'll have the right to give or take off points, depending on our behavior. I'm sure that he's already been warned about us three," added Ron, worried.

Hermione turned to Harry, who had not said a word until then. "What do you think about this?"

Harry replied without taking his eyes away from the teachers' table, where Dumbledore had sat down after his speech and was now sitting close to Erudio. "There's only one reason Magnus Erudio is here at Hogwarts. He's here to watch over me. Years pass by, but Dumbledore still doesn't trust me completely!"

"You shouldn't speak like that, Harry. I'm sure Dumbledore trusts you, it's just that..."

Hermione's words were cut off by the sudden arrival of many food-laden plates on their table. The feast had just started and everyone was busy with turkey legs and roast beef with gravy and many other delicious dishes.

Hermione looked around with a slight grimace of disgust as she saw Ron attacking the nearest plate. "It's better if we continue our conversation later."

***O***

"If I understand you correctly, you're telling me that you three have lived in the house of our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher for a full month?" Neville's alarmed voice barely made it over the deafening noise which filled the common room.

While the majority of Gryffindor students were chatting animatedly, telling each other about their summer adventures, a small group -- namely Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Dean Thomas, and Ginny -- were sitting comfortably on large armchairs by the fire.

"Exactly!" replied Ron, happy to be able to share his opinion on the matter. "You can't imagine how strange that Erudio is! Mysterious, fiercely jealous of his secrets in an almost maniacal way, always ready to scold us! In short, a real lunatic!"

"Don't overreact as usual, Ronald," Hermione scolded. "I remind you that you're talking about one of our teachers, as well as a very good friend of Dumbledore!"

"And may I remind you that until a few hours ago, you were of the same opinion about him?" replied Ron promptly.

Harry didn't intervene in the topic. He had spoken as little as possible for the entire evening, just listening with his gaze lost in space.

After worriedly glancing at him for what seemed like the thousandth time, Hermione decided to end that discussion with Ron. "Instead of blabbering on about silly things, why don't you help me? We should've sent the students to their dormitories half an hour ago. It's late and classes start tomorrow," she ended, standing up.

Ron made a grimace of displeasure. Though he was proud to be Head Boy, he was not yet used to the idea of enforcing the rules on others, especially those rules he himself hated. He stood up unenthusiastically and joined Hermione.

"Hey guys!" Dean Thomas stopped them, with an excited look in his eyes. "Have you been up to your new rooms already? I wish I was Head Boy, just to be able to have my own bedroom."

Without waiting for an answer from Ron or Hermione, Ginny spoke. "Charlie and Bill told me that the Heads' rooms are wonderful. Just think about it! Their furniture and decorations change depending on the student who lives there. I can't wait to visit my brother's room."

"Don't count on it!" replied Ron, annoyed. At his words, Ginny made an disgruntled face.

"I'm sorry Ginny, but Ron is right," explained Hermione, quietly. "The Heads' rooms are in a restricted area of the castle and nobody has permission to enter them, except the Head Boy and Head Girl, of course. I'll give you a detailed description tomorrow. That should satisfy you."

"Oh well, never mind..." Ginny replied, resigned. "I should go to bed now, before my horrible brother puts me in detention," she added sharply, frowning at Ron.

"I'm going as well. Sorry, but I'm exhausted." Harry suddenly stood up, moved closer to Hermione and smiled slightly at her. "I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"Are you sure you're all right?" she asked in a whisper.

"I'm fine. I'm just tired, don't worry," he assured her. He then turned to the others and bid them good night, before heading to the staircase.

Once in his dormitory, Harry sighed in relief. He could still hear the indistinct chatting of the other students in the Common Room. He had always been comfortable in the company of his friends. That night, however, he felt out of place, and he couldn't understand why.

He looked around, realizing that nothing had changed in the room: the five canopy beds, the curtains in Gryffindor colors, the wood heater in the center of the room, his trunk already placed at the foot of his bed.

Weakly, Harry walked over to the window and looked outside. Night had fallen several hours earlier. The chimney on Hagrid's hut was billowing thick, gray smoke.

Finally at home, he thought, feeling comforted.

Suddenly, the door opened, causing Harry to jump. He turned abruptly and saw a tall boy standing at the threshold. He had very short, dark hair and clear blue eyes. A few seconds of silence passed, as the new comer and Harry looked at each other puzzled. "I'm sorry to disturb you. Is this the seventh year dorm?" asked the boy, looking at Harry from head to toe.

"That's right," replied Harry, trying to be as polite as possible, even though he wasn't in the best of moods.

The boy closed the door and moved toward him with his right hand stretched out in front of him. "My name is Theo Mustle. I'm new here. I still need to learn to find my way around."

Hiding his surprise, Harry moved closer and offered his hand. When they shook hands, something odd happened. Something like an electrical shock traveled through Harry's arm, causing him to move away with a groan of pain.

"Is anything the matter?" asked Theo, staring at him suspiciously.

Harry was still looking at his right hand, not knowing what to make of what had just happened. "Of course not," he lied, feeling his heart beginning to beat faster.

"Oh, there's my trunk!" Theo observed. Then moved over to the bed that had been Ron's for the past six years. "Not bad, not bad at all, this place. I'm sure I'll feel right at home here. Anyway, you didn't say what your name was, did you?"

Still confused, Harry took a few seconds before replying. "H-Harry, Harry Potter."

"Nice to meet you Harry!" exclaimed Theo smiling, while taking his black pajamas out of his trunk. "It seems that we're neighbors this year!"

"Yeah, it seem so..." commented Harry unhappily, already regretting the loss of Ron.

***O***

It was a dark night, without stars. In the streets of an unknown city, a glimpse around showed the surrounding worn down houses.

Three dark shadows ran quickly, desperately searching for a way to escape their enemies. In their hearts were fear and terror. At each noise, their adrenaline rose, spurring them to run faster.

Suddenly, the three shadows stopped in a small alley, looking around fearfully. In that moment, an hooded figure appeared behind them, pointing his wand at them. On his arm, the Dark Mark. "Where are you going in such a hurry?"

The three shadows turned abruptly to the Death Eater and for a fraction of a second, their hearts stopped beating. It was impossible to see their faces, for they too were hooded. The tallest of the three came forward, right hand gripping a wand.

"Leave us alone!" shouted a woman's voice from under the cloak.

"Give me a reason!" replied the Death Eater, before casting an Unforgivable Curse at her.

The witch defended against the attack, trying to draw the attention of the enemy away from the other two, standing apart from the witch.

The Death Eater and the witch started to battle. Flash of red and purple lights lit the night, hitting the surrounding walls. In the end, the Death Eater prevailed and the witch fell to the ground, disarmed.

Fear, horror, harmless. The Death Eater moved closer to the witch, eager to finish his task.

Suddenly, one of the two other figures, the smallest, ran toward the witch, shouting desperately with a child's voice. "MOTHER!"

Then, a dazzling ray of light, an unbearable pain in the whole body and the vision ended.

"NOOOOO! Leave them alone, you bastard!"

Harry woke up, shouting. His pajamas were sweaty, his scar was aching, and his heart was in turmoil. Panting, he wondered who those people were and why he felt so close to their suffering.

Still in shock, he raised his hand to his forehead, which was burning. He looked around, fearful that he had woken his roommates; fortunately, everybody seemed deep asleep. In instinct, he turned to Ron's bed, and saw that the curtains were closed. This time, his best friend wouldn't be there to comfort him.

Unable to get back to sleep, Harry got out of bed and went over to the window. The moon was still high in the sky and a few gray clouds covered the stars.

What's happening to me? he asked himself. I need figure this out before I go crazy.

Harry remained awake until the first morning lights appeared on the horizon, not realizing that for the entire time, a pair of blue eyes had been watching him from behind Ron's bed curtains.

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