The War of Shades

Chapter 31 Off Limits

On the morning of the first day of classes, Harry and Neville were almost done with breakfast when Hermione and the prefects came from the prefects' bathrooms after their post-run showers. Ron didn't bother to even sit before he was taking piling handfuls of sausages and toast and scoopfuls of scrambled eggs on his plate.

"Have some breakfast, Ron," said Harry, smiling.

"Thanks, I will. Got to hurry to get a good breakfast before defense," said Ron, as he began shoveling. "We ha' a mee'ing in f'ont of 'e baff'ooms."

Harry could barely understand Ron, so he tilted his head toward Hermione, giving her a quizzical look. Hermione took it upon herself to explain.

"He said 'we had a meeting in front of the bathrooms.'"

""at ut I 'aid," grunted Ron.

"Oh, just let me explain, Ron. We are to spread the word about safe areas. Ron and I were delegated to explain them to you. Several rooms have been designated off-limits to you, so that people can have their glasses off for a while," she said, nibbling on a point of toast with marmalade.

"Oh, well, that's fine. I don't mind avoiding a few areas. Where are they?"

"Let's see, there's Trelawney's tower ..."

"Okay, I'm not in Divination and it's not like anyone'd accidentally end up there."

"... the girls' bathrooms..."

"Yeah, I haven't spent much time in those in years."

Neville cocked his head and raised his eyebrows at Harry over that, and Harry just grinned back at him.

"... the other houses' dorms and common rooms ..."

"That makes sense."

"...classes you're not in will be conducted with locked doors ..."

"Naturally."

"... the prefects' bathroom ..."

"Right."

"... and the spare classroom near the library will be made a study room for students using the library books."

"Well, I'll just stay to the library if I'm going to use library books. Is that all?"

"For now. We're going to try that much and see if it gives people enough time without the shades."

"They're annoying, are they?"

"You get used to the feeling, but everything is so dark. It leaves you walking around in a bit of a fog. Oh, there's one other thing. The student auxiliaries on call will stay in the Ravenclaw common room so they can use the Floo network on a moment's notice."

"Blast!" said Harry, with a smirk.

"Why, what's wrong with that?" asked Neville.

"We won't see Hermione for the rest of the year. Have you ever seen the Ravenclaw common room?"

"Can't say as I have. I thought they would all be like ours."

"It's a big, cozy, comfy library, 3 stories high and lined with books - Hermione won't be content until she's read every book on their shelves. That's it - she's gone!"

Ron mumbled something through a mouthful of eggs and toast and Hermione threw a napkin over his head.

"You're being silly, Harry."

"Maybe a little, but when I saw it last year, I thought of you immediately."

"That's sweet, but we'll see each other plenty, Harry. There'll be classes and meals, I'm still the Gryffindor quidditch trainer, and I have my Head Girl duties. And it's not as if I can live there." Then she got a dreamy tone in her voice, "Or could I? All those books."

"See!" said Harry, "We've lost you already."

She shook her head. "Oh nonsense, Harry. Haven't I always made time for my friends?"

Harry grinned. "I reckon. Well, we'd better get to class."

That evening Harry was sitting with Ron going over the first lesson in legilemency in preparation for the first essay assignment. Ginny came storming through the portraithole and slammed her bookbag down on the table.

"I do not need this!"

"Erm, how else will you carry your books?" asked Ron.

"What!? Oh, not that, you git. A week of detention!"

"How'd that happen, Ginny?" asked Harry.

"Oh, I was in Potions and Snape asked a question about truth serums. I answered it as well as I could, but he said the ingredient I suggested would turn it into a poison. I said 'well, at least your victim wouldn't be telling any more lies.' Did you know that man has no sense of humor AT ALL!?"

"You're just now figuring that out?" asked Harry. "So what happened?"

"He started to take twenty points from Gryffindor and I protested. He said that since it was not all of Gryffindor that had been 'cheeky' there was no need to punish all of Gryffindor and offered me the choice of detention for a week. I started to object that it was too much, but Andrew and Jack were glaring at me so hard I decided to just take the detentions."

"Wow, a week's detentions to save the house twenty points. That's rough."

Just then Andrew Kirke came through the portraithole. "Way to go, Weasley. Save those points! I'm keen on the house cup this year."

"Well, why don't you take those detentions for me then, if you're so keen!"

"Hey, don't blame me, Weasley. You're the one who's 'cheeky'! So how's about showing us those 'cheekies,'" he said, peering around toward her backside.

Suddenly Ron jumped up and charged Andrew. "You won't be talking about my sister that way, Kirke!"

They rolled on the floor wrestling a few seconds until Harry hit them with a spray of ice water from his wand that literally took their breath away for several seconds.

"Oi! Wh-wh-what d-d-did you d-d-do th-th-that for?" said Ron.

"To stop two fools from fighting. Ron, what's got into you? He was a little suggestive, but it's not as if he grabbed her or anything," scolded Harry.

"I guess you're right, Harry. I've been kind of on-edge for a while now. Maybe quidditch practice Wednesday evening will help."

"Ohh! Quidditch practice," said Ginny thumping her forehead with the heel of her hand. "Detention's going to make me miss it. Blast!"

"Ginny, you can't go getting detentions that interfere with quidditch!" said Ron, "We need to pick a new Chaser."

She screamed back at him, "Don't you think I know that, CAPTAIN!!!!"

Ginny grabbed her bookbag and stormed up the stairs.

"Wow," said Harry. "Is everybody short-fused like that?"

"I hadn't thought about it before, but now that you mention it, I guess there's been a good but of it. Everybody's getting peevish. The slightest things are setting them off."

"That's a good bit more than peevish, Ron. Reckon it's the glasses?" asked Harry.

"I don't think so, Harry," said Andrew. "People were snapping at each other even without the glasses in the study room and classes today. But somehow, as I think on it, it doesn't seem like such a big deal."

"Well, it is a big deal. We've got to figure it out and do something about it. We can't prepare to defend ourselves if we can't get along."

"Right, mate," said Ron. "We'll all keep our eyes open for what it might be."

"Yeah, let's do that," said Harry.

"If it's anything," added Ron.

"Oh, there's something going on. Nobody's been edgy - even belligerent - like this since we've been at Hogwarts til now."

"Hm," grunted Andrew. "I barely noticed, but if you say so."

Tuesday evening brought the first DA meeting of the year. The Room of Requirement was slightly smaller than it had been the year before, which puzzled Harry at first, until Ron reminded him that with a substantial number of the returning students practicing flight-formations on broomsticks, those students would be reassembling outside for practice where they could fly unimpeded by walls.

Harry asked Ron about his plans for the squadrons, as Ron insisted on calling them, and Ron told him not to ask and not to look. Harry understood. If nothing else, the squadrons had gotten special permission to fly without their sunglasses while Harry was in the Room of Requirement. Late summer flying in the evening with sunglasses would be one thing: they would have daylight for most of their sessions outdoors and might even choose to wear the shades regardless of Harry's possible presence. Soon, however, the sun would set earlier and they would be practicing in the dark. Sunglasses would make flight nearly impossible.

There were substantially more people at the DA even than the previous year, when the end of the year tally was over 900. War was a major motivator. The school population had grown, as it had every year since Harry's second year (reflecting that people had held off having children until Voldemort's fall). In addition, there were very few hold-outs even from Slytherin. Crabbe and Goyle were there, as well as Pansy Parkinson, and apparently all of the students from fifth-year down. Harry reckoned there couldn't be but about twenty students not participating. Besides the large class of first years and the new students from the other classes, there were perhaps a hundred ex-students returning: Cho Chang, Fred, George, Charlie and Bill Weasley, Oliver Wood, Lee Jordan, Alicia Spinnett, Katie Bell, plus many others, including, of course, Remus Lupin. Harry was pleased to see Tonks there, although she would only be able to attend when auror duties allowed. Harry was even happier to see that she and Remus were behaving much less antagonistically with each other than they had at the end of camp. Hagrid as well was there, keen to learn everything he could.

After opening remarks about the on-going war, the bravery of the many team leaders who had served as student auxiliaries, as well as the adult auxiliaries and aurors who were participating, and the new organization they would be trying, Harry divided everyone into first-night teams for the purpose of evaluating where everyone's skill levels were. This went surprisingly well, and with a little coaching of a few people whose spellwork was rusty from last year, they were able to divide the group into those who were ready to practice in platoons and squadrons, and 400 trainees. The trainees consisted of first and second years, new students from upper classes, and alumni who needed dueling and spell practice to be effective.

280 people wanted to be in the squadrons and Ron led them outdoors to evaluate their broom skills. There were several professional quidditch players and others who flew for their work, and all of those were more accomplished fliers than Ron, but not one of them grumbled about his qualifications to assess their skills. Katie Bell volunteered to be trainer for the squadrons, seeing to unhexing and other healing which might be needed. She enlisted Oliver Wood to be deputy squadron leader to take over while she was busy with unhexing. The remaining 500 were in Ernie McMillan's platoons. He took one end of the Room of Requirement - an area substantially larger than a quidditch pitch, and Harry took the other with his trainees. As soon as Harry realized that he ought not be able to watch Ernie's platoons at work, a screen descended from the ceiling to separate the two groups.

They immediately set to working on Expelliarmus, and soon they had first and second years injuring each other all over. Hermione was kept busy with restorative potions and unhexing, while Harry, Luna, and Neville (Ginny missed DA for the first time, due to detention, Snape refusing to reschedule) moved about among them: reassuring them that injuries are typical and a sign of progress, showing them improved technique, and teaching them how to take a fall safely. By the end of the evening, every trainee could pronounce the spell correctly and at least make wands move. Harry gathered Ernie's forces as well as the trainees and praised all their effort and progress. He also announced that there would be separate sessions for patronus work on Monday evenings at the lethiform amphitheater, but told the first and second years that until most of the upper year students who still needed to had mastered it, they would only be able to observe, due to the advanced nature of the spell. Clearly there was disappointment, but understanding.

Then Luna went out to tell the squadrons that the DA session was over. She was to explain the patronus training arrangement as well. After the full DA session came the advanced training for the team leaders and other advanced members, a group which had grown to nearly 100 members with the great progress of the past year. Harry had already begun practices with the advanced students who were already there when the others returned from flight practice, sunglasses firmly returned to their faces.

Thursday's practice went smoothly as well. There were just as many injuries, but a better class of them; that is, they were mostly the injuries that arise from doing the disarming spell pretty well, rather than from flubbing it. Ron and Ernie reported good progress with their sections as well, although their reports were necessarily and expectedly vague.

On Friday evening when dinner was over, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny and Neville started to head back toward Gryffindor tower. Harry was confronted by Draco Malfoy at the stairs.

"Potter," he sneered, "what do you think you're doing, taking all my dueling club's members away."

The rest started to put their hands near their wands, but Harry waved them down. "I just invite people to practice. If they want to come it's their business. They're welcome to come and learn what they can. So are you, Draco."

"It's Malfoy to you! You'd love that, wouldn't you, Potter? Always trying to show me up."

"No, Draco, not at all," Harry said resignedly. "You do that well enough on your own."

"Very clever, Potter, but your rabble should know how you're setting them up," said Malfoy. "The Dark Lord's going to eliminate anyone who stands in his way. The smart action is on joining him."

"I'd rather die alongside Harry than serve that loathsome murderer!" snapped Hermione.

"That goes for me, too!" said Neville.

Draco sneered in Hermione's face. "As if you'll be given any choice but to die, mudblood! And as for you Longbottom, I hope you know that you're just setting yourself up to join your parents!"

As soon as she heard the word mudblood, before even Ron could react, Ginny had her wand out and was ready to hex Draco. Neville's wand wasn't far behind at the mention of his parents. Before either could act however, Harry had grabbed his wands and said "Expelliarmus," throwing both of them back as their wands came to him. He put away his wands, and then he turned and handed them their wands as he helped them back up.

"Sorry about that, Ginny, Neville, but no one's going to hex anyone here over empty words."

After saying that, he winked at them and whispered, "Accio sunglasses."

Draco's sunglasses flew off his face to Harry's hand. Harry quickly withdrew his hand up the sleeve of his robe.

"No sunglasses, Malfoy," said Ron, gleefully. "Detention with Filch."

Draco sneered. "Like you could give detention to another prefect, Weasley!"

"Perhaps not," said Hermione, "but the Head Girl can, and you have two nights detention with Mr. Filch - one for the sunglasses and one for trying to avoid the appropriate punishment."

"But I didn't lose the sunglasses. You saw that he took them!"

"My attention was on Neville and Ginny to see that they weren't hurt."

"Is there a problem out here?"

Professor Sprout had apparently heard the commotion and had come from the Great Hall unnoticed.

"Professor, Potter summoned my sunglasses off of me so that Granger could give me detention."

"Mr. Potter, is this so?"

"Why, no, Professor Sprout. You can check my wands to see my last spell."

Professor Sprout did so. "Expelliarmus. Both of them. Potter, you were in my class just before dinner and you used Evanesco to clean up the strengthening potion. What reason would you have had for the disarming spell?"

"It's not his fault, Professor," spoke up Ginny. "I had pulled my wand on Malfoy when he called Hermione, erm, the m-word."

"And I pulled mine when he said something nasty about my parents," said Neville. "Harry was preventing hexing, not misusing magic."

"Still, use of magic in the halls is forbidden. Miss Granger, how far had you sorted this matter out when I arrived?"

"I had only been able to assess Malfoy with two detentions: one for the sunglasses and the other for arguing against the detention."

"Very well for Mr. Malfoy," replied Sprout.

"But Professor, Potter TOOK my glasses away by magic," interrupted Malfoy.

"Without using his wand? Is he that much more capable than you, Mr. Malfoy?"

"Professor, I can prove it. He took my glasses and he hasn't had a chance to put them anywhere. Check him."

"Alright, then. Mr. Potter, you know I must be fair to all concerned."

"Certainly, Professor," replied Harry, pulling his robe off. "You can check all the pockets of my robe - you'll only find my wands. And here's everything in my pockets - my pocketknife, some old parchment I keep for taking notes, and a couple of owl treats I was taking up to my owl Hedwig."

"He must have transfigured the glasses," protested Malfoy.

"But his wand has been checked," said Ron. "Incidental magic without a wand would be one thing, but a transfiguration ...?"

"Hmm," said Professor Sprout. "There's nothing here. Alright then, Malfoy, three detentions with Mr. Filch, the third one for wrongfully accusing Mr. Potter. Miss Weasley, for pulling your wand to use magic improperly, you'll have detention with Professor Snape again - let's see, that will have to be added on to whenever your existing detentions are served. Mr. Longbottom, for the same infraction, you'll report tomorrow morning after breakfast for detention with me - the Venomous Tentaculas need their venom milked. And Mr. Potter, although it seems you prevented an improper use of magic, you nonetheless used magic in the halls against school rules, therefore you will receive detention with Professor Hagrid tomorrow morning after breakfast. Oh, and this scuffle will cost each of your houses ten points for each period of detention assessed."

No one dared say anything else but "Yes, Professor."

Out of earshot, after Draco had stormed off, Neville laughed. "Detention at the greenhouses - that's more of a picnic for me. Even the Venomous Tentaculas are more interesting than frightening, if you know how to handle them."

"Neville, you've become the Hagrid of Herbology," said Harry with a laugh. "My detention's okay, too. I'd probably have spent the time with Hagrid anyway."

"Hah!" said Ginny. "Easy for you two to laugh - I've got Snape AGAIN. I've seen more of him this week than I have of my own father since the end of last school year."

"Even so, it was worth it," said Ron. "That was a beautiful bit taking Malfoy's sunglasses."

"Absolutely," agreed Hermione.

"YOU'RE agreeing with Ron!? About using magic on someone?" asked Harry incredulously.

"Why does everyone act so surprised when Ron is right? Malfoy needed comeuppance. It was a nonharmful use of magic and put him in his place. He won't be fooling with us unless he wants more trouble now."

Ron cupped his hands around Hermione's head and looked her into her sunglasses and grinned. "Hermione, I'm sure glad you didn't take what I shall call the 'Percy' path in being Head Girl."

"Harry," said Neville. "What happened to the sunglasses?"

Harry took out the owl treats and they changed into the pair of sunglasses.

"I practiced a lot of wandless transformations while I was recovering from the lethifold last year. So I guess I have Malfoy to thank for this. You know, I think I will go visit Hedwig. We can get a house owl while we are there to return these glasses to Malfoy for me - he'll be needing them. Anybody want to go to the owlery with me?"

Ron wanted to visit Pigwidgeon and the others decided to go along also.

"Harry," said Hermione. "I'm concerned about Malfoy's attitude. Did you, erm, check him while his glasses were off?"

"I thought you didn't want me to do that with anyone?"

"Well, it's not as if anyone on our side is going to tell Malfoy anything," replied Hermione.

"Neither is anyone on the Dark side. He's shot his mouth off too many times. They don't trust him with anything important."

"Is he doing anything for them?" asked Ron.

"Yeah, he tells his father what he sees here. Big deal - I see more of what they care about than he does and Voldemort can read that whenever he chooses."

"Still, it's good to know that we have to watch the greasy little ferret. Anything else?" asked Ron.

"He knows I can do some kinds of magic without a wand - I disarmed him last year without a wand after all - but he thinks I just passed the glasses off to one of you. He had enough sense not to push the point, since any of you would have an obvious excuse for having a spare pair of glasses."

"Well, I'd say he bears watching," said Neville. "We need to know what he's being told to find out about."

"Good thinking, Neville," said Ron.

"You know, Ginny," said Harry, "It could be worse. As much as I'm not fond of Snape, you've gotten used to his detentions. At least you didn't get Filch like Malfoy did."

"Ah, so there is a silver lining, eh?" grumbled Ginny, but with a playful smirk. "Well, you're just a Little Mary Sunshine, aren't you?"

Harry laughed and curtsied in his robe, before dodging the swipe of Ginny's hand.