Harry Potter and the Last Goodnight

Chapter Twenty: The Empty Owlery

There was a hint of red in Eva's cheeks when she finally did look him in the eye again. Harry was surprised at her reaction, but couldn't help wondering if his nose was an excuse just so she wouldn't hurt his feelings.

She took Seamus's letter out of its envelope and nervously folded it and unfolded it back and forth. "You know," she said, breaking the silence between them, "it's not exactly Seamus who I have a problem with."

"It's not?" Harry questioned, the embarrassment fading from his consciousness.

She seemed to hesitate. "It's his da. Me mum's brother." She took a deep breath and exhaled into the cold night air. "I guess it's not right to take it out on Seamus." She set the folded letter on her desk. Maybe Seamus had been right and she would listen to Harry. At least she hadn't thrown the letter away.

Harry suddenly noticed that she was shivering. There was gooseflesh trailing up and down her arms where she had rolled up the sleeves of her sweatshirt to help with his nosebleed. "Want me to light a fire for you?" he asked, gesturing to the fireplace.

She shrugged. "Doesn't matter." She checked her watch. "I'm only here for a little while longer anyways. Then I'm off to the Ministry."

Harry glanced at his own watch and saw that it was past two. "But when do you sleep?"

"I don't," she replied indifferently. "I slept last night." He could tell that she was trying to be casual about it, but it concerned him. "Don't tell Nora," she added. "I don't want her to worry."

He sighed. "All right. But I'm still going to light a fire. No reason to be cold for the few hours that you're here." And then he realized that he didn't have his glasses on, and it was pretty difficult to see anything that wasn't a foot away from his face.

He quickly walked out into the hall and got on his hands and knees, searching the floor. Eva joined him. "I'm so sorry about your glasses Harry. I can pay to replace them. I guess I didn't realize my own strength."

Harry gathered up the pieces and smiled at her. "Nonsense. Watch." He grabbed his wand from his pocket and performed the spell that he'd learned from Hermione that very first day on the train. "Occulus Reparo."

Eva gasped as the pieces of Harry's glasses molded together by themselves until the spectacles were as good as new. "Wow," she breathed.

Harry realized that this must be the first time she'd really witnessed any sort of magic. He laughed. "If you think that was impressive, wait until Nora comes home for Christmas. She'll knock your socks off."

Eva laughed, but her heart wasn't in it. Harry could tell she was thinking about how far away Christmas was. He hated to see the misery in her eyes. The loneliness.

The two of them went back inside the room. Harry found some matches and a little kindling to start the fire. It wasn't long before the flames lit up the room. When he turned away from the fireplace, Eva was staring at him.

"And here I was expecting to see some more magic, and then you go and use the Muggle way," she said disappointedly.

"Starting a fire isn't quite as glamorous as putting things back together," Harry said. Eva's room looked much more inviting with the gentle glow of the fire.

"Want something to drink? I've some warm Butterbeer around here somewhere."

"No thanks," Harry replied. It was getting late. It'd take him a while to get back to Hogwarts, and he'd be asleep on his feet soon if he didn't get a move on. "I, unlike you, do not have the super-human strength to function during the day without sleeping the night before."

Eva smiled and led Harry to the door. "Who said Muggles don't have any special powers?" She winked.

Harry found himself hesitating at the threshold. He didn't want to leave, but the rational part of Harry was him Harry to go before it was too late to get any sleep. And before he found some other way to make a fool of himself in front of her.

"You know, Harry, for being famous, you're very down-to-earth."

"Thanks," he replied. "You know, Eva, for being a Muggle, you're very magical." Then he realized how incredibly stupid he sounded. But Eva didn't seem to notice.

"Thanks for delivering the package," she said. "It means a lot to me. And feel free to write - or stop by - anytime."

"I'll keep that in mind." Harry wouldn't need an excuse to visit her next time, now that he'd been invited back. And there would be a next time.

"And I'm really sorry about your nose," Eva apologized. "I wish there was something I could do. Maybe you can ice it or something?"

"Don't worry about it." Harry touched it carefully. It was still quite tender. However, he would sneak away to see Madam Pomfrey early tomorrow morning if the swelling didn't go down yet. He could live with the pain for awhile. It was a bittersweet reminder of the time he'd spent with Eva.

"Well, goodnight," she said. She waved, then reached forward and pulled the door shut.

"Goodnight." Harry found himself grinning at her closed bedroom door. She had stirred up emotions inside him that he'd forgotten how to feel. He was excited in a way that Quidditch had never fulfilled him. He was hopeful in a way that none of his friends could ever awake in him. For the first time since Sirius's death, it felt as though he had a heart again.

But he couldn't explain how. How had some girl put this spell on him that made the rest of the world look so much brighter?

* * *

"Blimey, Harry, that's the nastiest bruise I've seen since Charlie tried to teach Percy to fly without a broom when we were kids," Ron said before Muggle Studies the next morning. Harry did have a nice bruise right between his eyes. He'd woken up late and didn't get a chance to go to the Hospital Wing before their first class.

"You should see the door I ran into," Harry replied. He hadn't told Ron the whole truth - about how that door happened to be in the Hog's Head, or that he didn't run into it so much as get hit with it. "But it's not as bad as it looks. As soon as class is over I'm going to see Madam Pomfrey."

"You should leave it alone," Neville said. "Girls like that."

Parvati, who was sitting in front of Neville, turned around in her seat, her long, dark plait trailing on the end of his desk. "And what do you know about girls, Neville?" she scoffed.

Neville turned red. "I just... I mean that they like scars and bruises and stuff. Tough guys."

Harry laughed. "Maybe I'll let it heal on its own then."

Parvati swirled around. "Why Harry? Are you trying to impress a girl?"

Harry knew that the entire class was looking at him, but for some reason, he didn't care. He just felt so good after the night before. He was refreshed. "Maybe," he answered, thinking of Eva, standing in front of her bedroom window with her hair down and her eyes sparkling.

"Ooh, who is it, Harry?" Parvatiasked.

"It's not Granger, is it?" Lavender Brown demanded.

He glanced sideways at Ron, who was trying extremely hard not to give any indication that he and Hermione had kissed the night before. Harry was impressed by how natural things were this morning. If he hadn't seen the kiss for himself, he'd never have guess that Ron and Hermione's relationship had been taken to the next level.

"No, it's not Hermione," he replied.

"Who is it then?" Parvatiquestioned.

"Is she in our year?" Lavender asked. "Our house?"

Harry groaned. Letting on that he had any sort of feelings for anybody was a bad idea. Especially with the two Gryffindor Gossips around. "Never mind. I was just joking," he said hastily.

"Yeah, right," Parvatisnorted. "I bet I know who it is..."

She was interrupted by Professor Avis's entrance. That morning she was wearing high heels that clicked as she trotted along the wooden floor to her place in front of the class. Her hair was pulled back in into a tight braid that trailed behind her back. She was wearing a sweater and jeans. This was the most that she ever looked like a Muggle. Harry was impressed. If it weren't for the rhinestone-covered cat-eye glasses, he would have never given her a second glance.

"Good morning, class," she greeted in her usual sing-song voice.

"Good morning," they replied automatically.

"Today is a very exciting day. Today we'll be discussing the details of our Halloween field trip, set to take place on Halloween night." She paused dramatically. "All Hollow's Eve is a special day in the Muggle world. There are religious aspects to this holiday, pertaining to spirits in the dead. However, on our actual field trip, we will be observing typical Muggles and mostly children as they participate in the time-honored tradition of Trick-or-Treating."

There were some "oohs" from the students who didn't know much about Muggle culture. Harry grinned. He'd never actually gone trick-or-treating himself, but he'd seen Dudley dress up for a dozen years. Ironically, he'd been a wizard on several occasions.

"We will be leaving on Thursday afternoon right after lunch. You'll be missing your afternoon classes."

"Yes! No Herbology!" Ron celebrated, his smile stretching from ear to ear.

"Calm down, Mr. Weasley," Profess Avis snapped. "I assure you, you're still responsible for all of the homework for that day."

Ron smile faded, but there was still a twinkle in his eye.

Professor Avis continued. "We will meet in this classroom promptly at one o'clockin the afternoon. The headmaster has been kind enough to connect our hearth to the Floonetwork. We will be traveling by Floo Powder to the Ministry of Magic in London, where Mr. Weasley..." she glanced at Ron, "Mr. Arthur Weasley will be waiting. From there, we will take a walking tour around Muggle London and explore Muggles in their natural habitat."

Beside Harry, Neville's had shot into the air. "Yes, Mr. Longbottom?"

"Are we actually going to get to go trix... I mean, are we going to go treating?"

"No, I'm afraid that after a long debate, we've decided it's a little too risky. However, that afternoon we are going to do something even better." Professor Avis grew quite excited. She waddled over to her desk, opened a drawer, and pulled out a flier. "I've reserved us all a tour of the Tower of London and a special showing of the crowned jewels. We will be studying Muggle history and cross-referencing key historical dates and figures with our own." She grinned broadly, handing it to Ernie Macmillan to pass around to the rest of the class. "And if I don't get any trouble from any of you, I won't make you write an essay and compare the two.

"I have to stress that you must all be on your best behavior. I know you all possess a curious mind, but please keep your hands to yourselves and your lips shut. The school governors were very gracious for letting us go on this field trip, and if all goes well it will become an annual outing. Unless you choose to mess it up somehow. However, you're all intelligent students. I don't expect trouble from any of you. Yes, Miss Brown?"

Lavender put her hand down. "I was wondering, Professor Avis, what are we supposed to wear? Do we get to wear costumes or anything?"

"No, I'm afraid not. Everyone will be dressed uniformly in black with a sweater that you will all be receiving at the Ministry."

Both Parvati and Lavender looked disappointed. "Why do we all have to look the same?"

"So that we'll look like we belong in a tour group. No fussing, girls, that's just the way it has to be." She cleared her throat. "As for the rest of the day that we've planned, Mr. Weasley has managed to pull some strings for us. That night, we're going to have dinner at a very special place: the Royal Dining Realm."

Professor Avis paused as though she were waiting for some more cries of astonishment from her class. "Don't you know what the Realm is?"

Neville raised his hand uncertainly. "I... I think that my Granhas eaten there. Whenever she goes, she's always dressed in ruffles and frilly clothes."

Professor Avis nodded. "The Royal Dining Realm is a special themed restaurant, which Muggles refer to as a Medieval Dinner. There is food from the old days, along with lots of entertainment that is important in both Muggle and Wizarding history. We're all going to have an excellent time."

"What kind of entertainment?" Ron asked.

"There will be jousting and fencing and games."

"Excellent!" Dean cried. "Will we get to joust?"

"I'm afraid not," she replied. "It's much too dangerous. I must ask all of you not to draw too much attention to yourselves. We have to do our best to blend in with the crowd. If we raise too much suspicion or are discovered in any way, it will be disastrous."

The mood of the males in the class seemed to deteriorate slightly at the sound that there would be no jousting or fencing involved in that night's dinner. "It's not fair," Ron muttered. "Muggles get to have all the fun."

After a few more minutes of explanation, Professor Avis was satisfied with her field trip lecture and the class began discussing the Muggle novel they had to read called, To Kill a Mockingbird. The novel was written by an American author who had grown up in the deep southern states. It was about the trial of black man who was unfairly charged with the rape of a white woman. Harry couldn't help but notice that the racism in the book was something that he could apply to the riff between Wizards and Muggles, and even Wizards and non-human creatures. It reminded him of the unfair treatment that Lupin had suffered with for so many years and the trials he still had to face because he was a werewolf.

Class went by quickly, and before Harry knew it, the bell rang. "Please finish the last chapter for Wednesday and write a response. I want at least a foot of parchment." She dismissed them and then disappeared back into her office.

As Harry gathered his supplies, Parvati turned to him, a mischievous grin on her face. "So congratulations, Harry."

"Congratulations on what?" he questioned, confused.

"On you and Ginny," she said. "It's about time you two got together." She turned around, her dark hair flipping with her, and practically skipped out of the classroom. Everybody in the classroom froze, except for Neville, who quickly followed Parvati out the door.

Harry's mouth dropped. He suddenly felt all eyes on him. "Wait!" he called. "I'm not - Ginny and I..."

"She's got to be joking!" Ron exclaimed. "You're going out with my sister and you didn't even tell me?"

"We're not going out," Harry said forcefully. "We're not together. Ginny and I are friends, that's all. Nothing more."

"That doesn't mean you don't want it to be more," Lavender giggled. "We saw this coming long before you did, Harry."

"You don't understand!" Harry cried. "Really, we're not a couple and we don't want to be."

But it was too late. The entire class was buzzing with the new gossip. Harry fumed. He was going to hex Parvatiinto oblivion.

* * *

After both Harry and Ginny tried to set the record straight about a dozen times, he found it was nearly impossible to stop word from reaching the entire school. Harry apologized for what had happened, but Ginny seemed to take it right in stride. She was much more collected when it came to gossip.

"They'll get tired of it, Harry," she said. "You'll see. Next week we'll be old news. Besides, when they see that we're not together, they'll get the idea."

He hoped she was right.

After dinner that night, Harry climbed the stairs to the Owlery. He wanted to get a breath of cool autumn air before going down into the dungeon for his Occlumency lesson. At least it would be the only one for this week because of the field trip. He thought he deserved a few days off; he was absolutely exhausted.

But what troubled him when he got to the Owlery was why Ginny had given him such a rejection in the first place. What transformation had she gone through that had turn him from a childhood crush to nothing more than a friend? He had to admit, his ego was a bit bruised when she casually informed him that there was nothing romantic between them.

In truth, the feelings he felt for her were in no way romantic at all, but more or less of a brotherly fashion. However, the fact remained that he was not her brother and she didn't seem the least bit attracted to him. And now, as he watched her nonchalantly refute the mere idea of the two of them together, she didn't bat an eyelash. Somewhere inside of him, it hurt a little.

As Harry pushed open the Owlerydoor, he took a deep breath, bracing himself for the smell of owl droppings and rotting mouse carcasses. But when he did look inside, the sight amazed him.

Where there had been a pack of owls, there were none. Each perch was empty. There was no stench of droppings or any sign of life in the deserted Owlery. It was so eerie that Harry felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

He walked over to the window, his feet crunching on the hay-covered floor. He looked out, wondering where Hedwig was and if she was safe. He remembered that Dumbledore had said that owls had been intercepted earlier in the year. What if Hedwig had met the same fate - or worse, that she'd been killed?

No, he couldn't worry. Worry only put him on edge. The past few days had been so nice since he'd seen Eva. He'd felt as though he was on top of the world until Parvati opened her big mouth.

Suddenly, Harry heard voices from outside the Owlery door. A snicker. The door was quickly thrown open, and Malfoy and his two goons walked in. He was carrying a tiny package.

Malfoy sneered. "What are you doing up here, Potter? Waiting for Weasley so the two of you can have a little romantic rendezvous?"

Harry's fists clenched at his sides. "Ginny and I are not dating."

"I wasn't talking about her," Malfoy chuckled. Crabbe and Goyle laughed along with him.

Harry could feel his blood boiling. He needed to get away from Malfoy before he did something stupid. After all, the Owlery was at the top of one of the tallest towers at Hogwarts, and the windows were all open. There was no telling if Malfoy got too close and Harry happened to bump him over the edge.

He checked his watch. He only had a few minutes before he was due for Occlumency. "I don't have time for this," he muttered as he walked past Malfoy.

"Going to be late for a remedial Potions lesson?" Malfoy snickered. "Too stupid to learn it by yourself, eh?"

Harry lingered in the doorway. He wanted nothing more than to take all of his aggression out on Malfoy with his fists. But he needed to be prepared for anger like this. When he met Voldemort again, or if he ever saw Bellatrix, he would have to control himself. He took a deep breath. "Whatever you say, Malfoy. At least my godfather wasn't too stupid to find a way out of Azkaban." He flashed a grin in Malfoy's direction, whowas at a loss for words, and then marched down the stairs towards the dungeon.

Feels good to put that little bastard in his place, Harry thought with a smile.