Only Time

Chapter Seventeen

"Today's class is going to be very important," Harry said, and watched the heads of his students snap up all over the room. "Most, if not all, of you are going to be able to use it at least one point during your lives, if not more. It may be the very thing that let's you survive any encounters with Death Eaters, or other Dark wizards or Dark creatures." He looked around with a wry half-smile on his face. "I'm going to teach you how to run away."

The class was silent, staring at him, until Sirius exclaimed, "Run away? But--how is that going to be useful--I mean, isn't that...a bit...cowardly?"

A few of the Slytherins tittered, but Harry quieted it with a raised hand. "Mr. Black has a valid question," he said. "But yes, in some cases, running away might be considered cowardly. However, not in all. If you were outnumbered, carrying a piece of vital information, and if you stayed you would almost certainly die, would it be very useful at all for you to stay?" Silently, Sirius shook his head. "Or what if, while you were fighting something else that didn't especially matter in the long run, Death Eaters attacked a village at your back. Would you abandon your current fight to go to the rescue of that village?" Sirius nodded, and Harry smiled at him. "Sometimes running away can be the most useful, and in some cases the bravest, thing you could do in a given situation."

Sirius shrugged. "I'll take your word for it, Professor. It still seems a bit weird to me, that running away could help, but," he shrugged again, "you're the teacher, and you know what you're talking about."

Harry nodded. "Once, several years ago, I was outnumbered, the other wizard with me was dead, and I had vital information that Dumbledore needed to hear. I didn't stay around for useless heroics that would get me killed, I just knew I had to get away. That was what would help me survive the best, and would help others survive the best. You have to make a decision based on your situation, about whether escaping is a good idea. But in order to be able to make that decision, you have to know how to escape. Do any of you know the spells?"

The class shook their heads. One Gryffindor girl exclaimed, "There're spells for running away?"

Harry smiled. "There are, though they're not like Apparition. They're more things that would give you an easier time escaping. Things like fog spells, quick feet spells, and so on. There is one that acts much like Apparition, taking you to the first safe place you think of, but you need a good bit of power to pull that one off."

He looked around at his students, and put down his wand. "Okay, here's the spell for calling fog to obscure your escape. It's very simple. Obscuro!" If his wand had still been in his hand, the classroom would have been covered in fog. "If you're going to practice that one, be sure you know a good wind spell to dispel the fog, or else it will be sticking around for quite a while."

He continued showing them various spells to help them escape, until he looked at the clock and saw that he only had about five minutes left until the bell would ring. "We don't have much time left, but before you go, I should tell you about that last escape spell, the one that acts a lot like Apparition. First of all, you need to have a safe place in mind. Often, that safe place is here at Hogwarts, or perhaps St. Mungo's. You can use the spell in tandem with others so that you all are taken to the same place. But much like Apparition, you could get splinched if you don't do it right, or if you don't have enough power behind the spell. That's why most other wizards simply rely on Floo powder, Apparition, portkeys, and so on, in order to get away from a dangerous place. But you should learn this spell anyway. The incantation is Aufugio." Just then, the bell rang. As the students streamed out of the room, he called, "Remember those spells! You might need them sooner or later. Mr. Snape, you could stay behind a moment, please?"

Snape, who was about to leave the room, stepped back from the door, a puzzled look on his face. As the door closed behind the last students, Snape walked towards Harry's desk and stopped beside it. "Professor?" he asked.

Harry sighed. "This won't take long, Mr. Snape. First of all, I wanted to apologize for any fright I gave you at our first dueling lesson." Harry felt rather weird for apologizing to Snape, of all people, but he figured he'd better. Besides, he was certain that Snape himself would never have apologized to him in the same situation, and it gave him a certain satisfaction that he was at least trying to be more polite than his old Potions teacher.

Snape looked vaguely surprised. "It was nothing, Professor," he muttered. Harry hid a smile--how just like Snape to hide that he had been scared. But that wasn't his only reason for holding Snape back.

"I also wanted to apologize for leaving so quickly, but I believed I needed to inform the Headmaster of this recent development immediately. But that doesn't excuse the fact that I left you with a bleeding arm that wouldn't clot. Did you take it to Madam Pomfrey?" It galled more to continue this apology, but Snape was currently his student, and he needed to show some concern. But he did hope Snape didn't hold on to his pride so much that it stopped him from getting help.

"Ah, no, Professor. I healed it myself," Snape replied, looking away. Harry raised an eyebrow, and Snape flushed slightly. Harry's eyebrow climbed higher; he didn't think he'd ever seen Snape look embarrassed. This was certainly a sight to remember! "My mother was a Healer at St. Mungo's," he explained, a bit self-consciously. "She taught me a few healing spells."

Harry certainly hadn't known that. He never would have figured a relative of Snape's for a Healer... "Well, all right then. Anyway, I thought I'd better inform you that soon we're to start a dueling unit in my class. Do you still want to continue these individual dueling lessons?"

Snape nodded quickly. "I'd still like to learn those Dark spells, to defend against them better, sir," he said. "And I daresay you're more challenging than most of the others in the class. So if it's alright with you, sir, I'd rather continue the individual lessons."

Harry nodded. "All right then, though you'll probably find some worthy opponents in class once we start dueling. And I don't think I need to remind you of the secrecy concerning the other matter?" Snape shook his head, paling slightly, and Harry nodded. "You may go, then. Here," he scribbled a note, "here's a note for your next teacher, in case you're late, saying that I was talking to you." Snape nodded and left.

Once Snape was gone, Harry started rubbing his forehead with one hand. Now I have new sympathy for my teachers, if this was what they had to go through with teaching us...he thought, a headache starting to pound behind his eyes. I never knew teaching could be so stressful...so many things add up. They need to think of so many things, take care of so many students...how do they do it all? I need some time off...but what to do? I have an evening free...would anyone be willing to go down to Hogsmeade with me, I wonder. Wait...Hagrid! And Hagrid's always game for a drink, so we could go to one of the pubs... His plans for the evening now thought up, Harry whistled as he grabbed his cloak and started down to Hagrid's hut to see if he was doing anything.

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"Down t' Hogsmeade?" Hagrid's face brightened. "All right! Not many'd ask me, ye know. Most the other teachers don' like me much..." Hagrid said as he shrugged into his great moleskin coat and strode out the door of his hut, Harry right behind him. "So thanks. Fer invitin' me, an' all."

"No problem, Hagrid," Harry replied, smiling. He'd never really had a chance to do this with his Hagrid, so he was glad he could with this one. "So where to? The Three Broomsticks?"

"How 'bout th' Hog's Head?" Hagrid suggested. "Few o' m' mates might be there, an' I don' get t' see 'em very often."

"The Hog's Head it is, then," Harry agreed. He hadn't had much of a chance to go in there since his fifth year, and he never really did get a chance to try firewhisky...Ron would be jealous...

Harry grabbed them a table while Hagrid went to the bartender and ordered some firewhisky for Harry and his customary mulled mead for Hagrid himself. He came back, and they talked about work and the students for awhile--Hagrid has some fairly amusing tales of the students he saw on the grounds, and especially some good ones about chasing the Marauders out of the Forbidden Forest. He was just getting finished with one about how he dragged James away from an angry Bowtruckle in third year when he saw those friends of his that he mentioned. After telling Harry that he wouldn't be long, he went off to their table to saw hello.

Harry sat nursing his firewhisky--it had a very interesting taste, but an acquired one. It was hot going all the way down, and Harry thought it might take awhile before he'd decide to have another glass. But his attention was soon caught by the two black-cloaked people in the corner table behind his.

"--that new Defense teacher!" one of them was saying, and Harry surreptitiously leaned back in his chair in order to hear about whatever it was that concerned him.

"No!" the other growled. "We don't know anything about him, just that he's young and supposedly powerful. It's doubtful that he sympathizes with our cause, and besides, I don't recognize his last name. He'd probably a Mudblood."

Harry raised an eyebrow in surprise. These two were most likely Death Eaters, and thinking about recruiting him? Why him? Voldemort didn't know anything about him, or he shouldn't...and if he did, he'd know that there was no point in trying to recruit him. So what were these two Death Eaters talking about? Harry leaned in a bit closer to listen better.

"But having an insider would make the plan go a lot easier!" the first one argued. "There's no way that we can sway the ones that have been there a long time. Dumbledore's poisoned them with that Muggle-loving thinking for too long. It doesn't matter if this new Defense teacher is a Mudblood. We can use him for this plan and then get rid of him later."

This plan they were talking about...what was it? Harry's forehead furrowed as he tried to remember if he'd heard anything back in his time about any special plans that happened this time...but it was information that he learned recently that came to his mind. Something that James Potter had said...oh yes, that plan involving Sirius's mother and brother and James himself. Could this be the plan that they were talking about, and thinking of recruiting him for?

"That's assuming a Mudblood would even consider helping us," the second one said sharply. "He can't have missed what we're on about. He's supposed to be smart; he'd know that we wouldn't plan to keep him on."

"You're giving him too much credit," the first replied. "He's just a Mudblood, remember? They're not as good as we are--they can't be as smart as we are. And besides, we wouldn't have to tell him what we are. If we approach him as something else--"

"I still don't like it," the second one said sullenly. "I don't want to use any blasted Mudbloods; they'd foul the whole plan up. Besides, we've already got a good plan. You do have all the ingredients, right?"

"Right," the first one said, "except for the boomslang skin, but I can get that soon enough. And once it's done, we give it to the boy, who gets his Muggle-lover brother. But I still don't like working with the mother. She gives me the creeps. Like she's going to up and curse you whenever you turn your back."

Harry had the sinking feeling that the people they were talking about were Sirius, Regulus, and Mrs. Black--it was almost definitely the plot that James had come to him with. Now he was certainly glad he'd let Hagrid choose the Hog's Head for a drink instead of the Three Broomsticks!

"Come on," the other one scoffed. "She's just an old lady. Her barks worse than her bite, you know. Besides, she is the one funding this whole operation. And it's her who's going to get to train that boy of hers, the older one. Once she's done with him, I've no doubt that he'll serve our Lord as faithfully as his cousin Bella!" the two men started laughing, and Harry felt sick. Training Sirius? He had a feeling he didn't want to know what that "training" would consist of...

"Harry!" a large hand came down on his shoulder suddenly, and Harry was so startled that he spilled the little firewhisky he had left on the table. He looked up, and Hagrid's face appeared above him. "Sorry 'bout that. Anyway, finished talkin' t' m' friends, so..." Harry tuned him out for a moment as he turned around to see what the two Death Eaters were doing, but they had disappeared. Sighing, Harry turned to face Hagrid again, and something prickled in his stomach, something that he thought had nothing to do with the firewhisky.

"Listen Hagrid," he said, and Hagrid fell silent. "I have a bad feeling...I think we should leave. Right now."

"All right, Harry," Hagrid said, a bit taken aback. "I'll jes get m' coat...all right then..." he elbowed around a few of the people at tables close to theirs and grabbed his coat, then turned to face the door. Harry nodded, and they slipped outside, then started on their way back to the castle.

"Going somewhere, are you?" a voice said behind them, and Harry spun around to see the two Death Eaters he'd been listening to inside the pub.

"I think you've been listening to our conversation," the other said--Death Eater number one, Harry thought.

"We don't like it when people don't leave their noses in their own business, and go sticking them into others'," Death Eater number two said mildly.

"Harry?" Hagrid asked quietly from behind him.

"Hagrid, get out of here. I'll take care of these two," Harry replied quickly, watching the Death Eaters in front of him, who seemed content to wait.

"But Harry--" Hagrid protested, but Harry shook his head sharply.

"Just go!" he hissed. "These are Death Eaters, and you don't even have a wand!" Harry turned his attention back to his opponents, and hoped Hagrid would listen to him. Hagrid, who wasn't even a full wizard, certainly didn't have the combat experience that Harry himself did.

"Finished, then?" Death Eater number one asked, and before Harry could do anything, whipped out his wand and immediately cast a spell in Harry's direction. Harry dove to one side, pulling his wand out and casting a Stunning Spell at one of them. He'd rather capture them than anything else.

Harry saw another spell coming at him, and rolled forward, so it hit the crates behind him. They exploded, and bits of wood came flying past Harry, one of them clipping him hard enough on the cheek that he started bleeding. Harry cursed, and ducked again as another spell came winging past.

"Stupefy!" he yelled, but it missed his target and dissipated into the ground. He ducked another spell and rolled forward, shouting, "Stupefy!" again, and this time with results. One of the black-cloaked figures fell over, but the other one was nowhere in sight. Harry cursed again as he felt a spell come at him from behind and threw himself to the ground, letting the spell fly harmlessly overhead. Briefly he let himself wonder why no one else was appearing, surely they heard the sounds of a duel going on--

He cast another Stunner and danced out of the way of the Death Eater's latest spell--but he forgot to look where he was going; he tripped over the Stunned Death Eater's prone body and sprawled facedown in the dirt. He rolled over and saw the other Death Eater standing above him, and cast another Stunner just as the Death Eater cast a spell on him. He saw his connect, and the Death Eater fell on top of him--but the other's hit him as well, and he just realized that he hadn't recognized the spell. The last thing he heard before his vision faded to black was feet pounding on the street over to where he was lying.

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He opened his eyes, only to close them tightly again as a bright light shone into his face. He heard a very familiar chuckle from close to where he was lying, and slowly opened his eyes to stare directly into Albus Dumbledore's blue eyes. Harry let his eyes wander, and blinked in surprise when he recognized the Hogwarts infirmary.

"How are you feeling?" Dumbledore asked. "That was quite a spell you were hit with. Good thing Hagrid came with reinforcements, who got you to Madam Pomfrey quickly, or you might not have been purged of the spell quickly enough."

Harry blinked again. "What spell was I hit with?" he asked. "And those Death Eaters--do you still have them?"

Dumbledore nodded. "Madam Rosmerta called the Aurors as soon as we got you back here. Both Death Eaters are in custody, and are probably being questioned by the Ministry at this moment. We have to thank you for catching them."

"And that spell?" Harry persisted, and Dumbledore sobered. He sighed.

"That spell's use is against the law. Your Death Eaters would be indicted for using that spell alone," he said, and Harry felt a prickle of fear down his spine. "It's designed to inject a poison into the victim's body, one that will go directly to the brain and will eventually wipe clean all memories and traces of personality. If we hadn't reached you in time, or if Death Eaters had gotten to you first, you would have been very susceptible to being taken over using Imperius or some potion for the same use."

Harry grimaced. "Nasty spell," he said, and Dumbledore chuckled.

"Yes, a very nasty spell," he agreed. "Madam Pomfrey was able to extract the poison before it reached your brain, but you'll still be quite weak. You'll be in her care for the rest of the week, at least, and possibly more." Harry grimaced again. It was only Wednesday.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he saw Harry's grimace. "Not a fan of the hospital wing, are you?" he smiled as Harry shook his head, but then the smile disappeared. "I must impress upon you the importance of resting here and taking all the potions that Poppy gives you. If you don't, you could possibly lose part of your memory."

Harry's eyes widened. "But you said Madam Pomfrey got all the poison out!" he exclaimed.

"All that she could, Harry," Dumbledore said, and Harry sank back into his pillows. "You're out of danger, as long as you take the potions, which should eradicate the remaining poison."

"But who is going to take my classes?" he protested. Dammit, he thought. That just figures. I go down to Hogsmeade to relax with a friend, and I come back poisoned after an unexpected duel with Death Eaters. Figures something like this would happen to me.

"I will," Dumbledore replied, and Harry blinked. Dumbledore laughed. "Don't worry, I shall take good care of your students. And it is only for a few days, isn't it?"

Harry chuckled, and closed his eyes as a wave of tiredness washed over him. "Right," he said, and yawned. "Just a few days..." As he drifted off to sleep, Dumbledore quietly rose and slipped out of the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey came out of her office, a steaming goblet with a potion in her hand, but she stopped when she saw that Harry was asleep. She smiled, and set it down on the night table for Harry to drink when he woke up.