Harry Potter and the Wyvern's Crown

Chapter 8: Windswept Fall

Mid-terms were beginning now that the ball was over. Between that and the Quidditch challengers being switched, the stress level was high, and the general irritableness was as well. It didn't help that they were having an extraordinarily warm (and highly unexpected) Indian summer. Everyone was dripping, and midterms were near impossible to study for, even when Dumbledore allowed the students to forgo their heavy school robes in light of any other acceptable clothing. Harry opted for one of Dudley's largest t-shirts and a pair of ripped up jeans. It was strange to see half of the student body in muggle clothing, and most witches and wizards had rather amused looks permanently plastered across their faces.

As Harry travelled to DADA (which everyone seemed to call it now), he was joined by Hermione and Raven in similar garb. Ron, however, was still donning his school robe, not having anything else to wear (he claimed his muggle clothing had been borrowed by a fifth year and he hadn't seen it since). They all spoke pleasantly about the ball, even though most topics of conversation had been covered two days ago. But there were still costumes and masks and dates that Harry hadn't even imagined Raven, Hermione and nearly ten other girls had time to involve themselves with.

A freckle-faced girl with a thick cockney accent was talking excitedly to Raven as Lupin made his way to the front of the class. 'So, you hain't goin' t' tell hanyone 'oo the lucky boy was, har you?'

Raven smiled, 'I made a promise.' Then she touched her finger to her lips as Lupin brought the class to a beginning.

'Now, because of the big game tonight, and the full moon phase beginning tomorrow, you know I've put the midterm on hold until the end of the week. But that's still no reason not to study.' He hushed the more noisy of the complainers. 'But, it also means I've a chance to add one more thing to your list of studies.' He chuckled softly at the groans of dismay, 'But I assure you, it will not be as important as being able to break Imperius, Levi, and Ferris type curses, so keep working on them (the legal ones of course!). But today' lesson, like all others can be of some use to you as a wand holder.'

Harry caught himself looking over at Raven, who was spinning her wand again. He couldn't help but notice how well her clothes fit her. Certainly, he never expected Raven to know anything about Muggles, but her facetious manner often surprised him when she would make a joke only a muggle-raised would understand, or use muggle figures to make a point in her conversations. She had re-braided her hair, he noted, even thought it still had the flickering quality to it. Why had he never noticed that before? Raven's eye caught his and she smiled briefly at him. Harry quickly redirected his eyes to the front of the class. Lupin seemed not to have noticed.

'Now,' he continued as he raised his wand, 'All wand-specific spells are determined by length, width, type, texture, material and core. You know through your lessons which spells are easier or harder to perform. This also has to do with your own magical skills, enhanced by your wand. But there are several spells, only effective through certain core elements of wands, that are more useful as defensive spells. Once learned, they may save your life, so it would be wise...' He gave Dean a dirty look as he passed a note to a smallish girl in the second row, '...to pay attention.' The girl burst into nervous giggles, but swallowed and bowed her head when Lupin's dark gaze turned on her.

He waved his wand a few times, 'The core of my wand is dragon heartstring. Now, who from potions remembers what heartstring is used for?'

Several hands went up, but none so proudly as Hermione's. Lupin chose Neville. The boy ducked his head. 'They're used to bring a brew to boil.'

Lupin smiled, 'Snape drilled that one into you, didn't he?' He chuckled, 'That's very true. Some of their better uses, however, include; causing combustion, longevity, and often, aiding a failing spirit...giving courage, so to speak. Who here has dragon heartstring? Stand up.' He waved a hand. Ron and Neville were among them.

'Here, Mr. Longbottom,' Lupin called him to the fore. 'Press your wand between your hands, and reach deep within yourself. Push every bit of magic you have into your wand, as you would to do any spell, but do not activate it. Everyone with heartstring, do the same...'

As Harry and the others watched, one by one, their wands lit up with gold-green expectant magic.

'Keep pushing, keep pushing...' Lupin was watching Neville's wand. It was the only one in the room still unlit, but even as he noticed, a bright burst of near-flame exploded from the tip of Neville's wand. Lupin smiled. 'Now, when I count to three, relax and release. 1...2...3.'

The wands dimmed. One by one, those who were standing received different varying looks of shock or delight on their faces. Lupin nodded, allowing them to sit, 'That is only a minor version of what your wand can do with something like your own magic. Once it's been placed into the wand, it is usually directed elsewhere, like at a bug or teapot. It receives very little magic taint from the core, but if it's held there, even for a short period of time, you can use a slight essence of what your animal once had.'

Lupin then did the Phoenix Feather wands. Not even having had the chance to ask Ron how it felt, he found himself in the same position that Neville had been in. Asked what Phoenixes were useful for. He almost stumbled in his nervousness, but managed to say, 'Oh, many things. They heal, and...live forever and, ' he licked his lips, 'can carry heavy loads?' It sounded stupid even to him. Raven's smirk almost made him laugh.

Lupin nodded, 'Often used in healing and restorative potions, but very useful, nonetheless. As before...' He led them in charging and holding the power in their wands, to taint the magic before releasing it back into themselves. Harry was shocked to hear a dim cry, like that of Fawkes, rush into his ears and a burning warmth surge through him like a pleasant breeze. He touched his chest as Lupin led the Unicorn hair wands in the same exercise. Raven leaned close to him, as though the look on his face worried her. 'Was it bad?'

Harry swallowed and shook his head no, 'Actually it was fantastic. Unexpected, but fantastic.'

Raven smiled, as Harry glanced up. The unicorn hair wands were still charging. Once they had released, It dawned on Harry that Raven hadn't joined in any of the groups. He had no time to ask what core her wand had before Lupin began again. 'Now these, of course, are the more common wand cores. But, I see there are a few others. I know of most materials, so if you three of you would stand, I'll get you to work together on this one...'

Raven, a boy and a girl stood. Yolei was first, owning a wand with Tanuki stomach fibers, imported from her native Japan. Marc was second, born in France, with veela hair. And then Raven, who tilted her head calmly and told Lupin that her wand was maple and Mysticat fur, one of three known wands of that core type.

Lupin was impressed. 'Well, the first two I know something of. Tanuki, while mostly preferred by men for their wands, will give you a sense of stability, while veela hair, mostly preferred by women, will present a sense of wild charisma,' He looked at Raven. 'I'm not sure what your wand will do, but if you discorporate, please try and stay in one place until I figure out how to put you back together.'

Raven laughed with the rest of the class, but fell into the same meditative mode that the other two did. Her wand's magic was a pale misty purple colour. Harry watched as they released. Yolei let out a yelp and dropped hers, while Michel's cheeks colored and he abruptly sat down. Raven however, looked completely numbed, her jaw dropped, then a moment later, so did she.

Harry didn't even realize he had moved until he had caught her deftly in his arms. Her eyes were closed as Lupin pushed his way through the students who were peering in for a look. He touched her cheek, looking up at Lupin with concern on his face. Lupin waved his wand over her, then laughed, 'She's asleep. Just pat her face Harry. She must have accessed the sleeping area of the mysticats personality.'

Harry touched Raven's cheek as a few of the girls crooned Raven's name. Raven's eyes flew open, gold-white looking deep into Harry's. Her teeth were bared, her face suddenly feral. In shock, he almost dropped her. But even as her mouth closed again, she began to tremble. She looked up at Lupin who was now comforting Marc (who had a rather embarrassing physical reaction to the use of his wand). Yolei looked a little beside herself.

Lupin grinned as the students and Harry righted Raven. Her eyelids still looked droopy, 'What happened?' She managed to ask as Hermione and Harry helped her sit back on her stool. She yawned, almost forgetting to cover her mouth in time.

'Mysticat fur is used for fashion (as you all reminded us at the ball), but it makes a very stern sleeping potion as well. Mysticats are nocturnal creatures and sleep almost exclusively during the day. If you performed the procedure again at night, it may well be different. You feeling better now?'

Raven reached into her pants pocket and retrieved her piece of solid restorative potion, 'I'll be fine.' She stuck it in her mouth. Dean snorted from behind Harry.

He then explained what had happened to Yolei, who had suddenly felt her insides thrum with energy (much like a Tanuki's would), and apologized to poor Marc, who had now recovered from the intense feeling of a veela jumping into his lap.

'For the three main cores (and doubtless, the others), there is what is called a 'final' magic. Only used in the most dire of circumstances, and that has been extremely rare for the last fifteen years, the 'final' magic will rip all of the magic from your wand in one burst to protect you. I pray you never have to use this, but if you are at your wit's end, hold your wand with one or both hands, push all of your energy...all of it mind you...and shout 'tot finem'. I've never had to use it myself, but trust me, your wand will protect you in this manner,' Most people noted this with a quick jot of their quill, but Raven remained still, chewing on her failed potion, a tired look on her face. Harry shook his head in sympathy. That had to have been embarrassing.

* * *

Harry and the rest of the team were ready, when Raven finally walked smoothly into the change room. Angelina's face was stuck in a hideous scowl. One matched by her fellow chasers.

'Hurry it up, Hawksmoor, we forfeit if we don't get out to the pitch.'

Raven flipped on her cloak and accorded Angelina a look that, though she didn't seem to have any emotion on with her face, seemed to insult the black chaser deeply. Angelina spluttered, as Raven raised her hands and called her Keeper broom to herself. It responded. Harry grabbed Angelina's shoulder, explaining that Raven had gotten herself zapped by a potent sleeping spell, and that she wasn't really herself, while marvelling silently at Raven's ability to use wild magic. The accio charm had been one of the first they had practiced in earnest. Harry and Raven were the only ones who could perform it with some consistency.

Devin, however, was utterly concerned for Raven. He reached forwards, his innocent blue eyes searching out hers, 'Rave, you alright for the game today?'

Raven smiled kindly, 'Of course. If Harry's potion works.' She glanced over at Harry who pulled out a bottle of pale blue liquid. She smiled and took a swig. She made a face, 'Hope this is better than mine,' She pulled the shining blue stone out of her mouth and put it in a pocket before taking another drink.

Harry laughed as did the beaters. Angelina still looked upset, but when Raven smiled suddenly she shook her head. 'No hard feelings, right?'

'None,' Raven assured her, then winked at Harry, 'How was getting that zum-weed from the garden this afternoon?'

Harry rolled his eyes, 'More trouble than it was probably worth. Now, get on your broom and go,' He hopped on his own, and the team travelled out. They hopped off and faced the green-robed Slytherins across the pitch, waiting for the signal to take to the sky. He was across from Malfoy, the blond boy staring him down heartlessly with a cruel smile as usual. And why shouldn't he smile? Harry thought, wrinkling his nose. He's got the better broom, and he bloody-well knows it too.

As they stood, waiting, Harry chanced a glance to his right, towards the blue-painted Ravenclaw seats. He saw Cho waving and cheering for him. She had faith. He grinned back at Malfoy's small figure. And as suddenly, a cloud swept over the sky, and a refreshingly cool breeze blew over the crowd, which erupted into appreciative cheers.

'Well, it seems Fall had a late start, as we have today,' Colin Creevey's nervous voice broke out. Most laughed. 'Teams...mount!'

The whistle blew and the two teams hopped into the sky. Though Harry had to concentrate on catching the snitch, he couldn't help but overhear the cheers of delight as Raven made save after save. On such an old broom, it seemed near miraculous that Raven had only let a quaffle past her twice. But when Harry first caught sight of the snitch and he was diving for it, he managed to hear the angry howls of the Slytherins as he zipped past him, avoiding a bludger sent his way for his efforts.

The snitch moved before he could touch it, and Malfoy had followed his dive, but was unable to catch it himself. The bludger Harry had dodged had sent the Slytherin Seeker even further off course. As Harry was avoiding the angry words and occasional side-swipe from a Slytherin chaser (a girl built like a stone house) he over heard a loud taunt float down towards her, '...forget him. We've got the keeper...'

Harry's jaw dropped as he looked up. A Slytherin Beater was up, higher than he should have been, waiting. Devin smashed a bludger towards him, but that seemed to be what the beater had been waiting for. He knocked it towards Raven's head. Raven reared on her broom, dodging the ball. Harry almost breathed a sigh of relief but then a Slytherin chaser smashed into Raven's up tilted broom. The crowd roared in sudden despair. Raven seemed to be clutching her broom's tail with all her might, but as old as it was, it simply spun in her fingers. One hand lost its grip, then the other.

Silence fell over the crowd as the red-marked figure fell. Harry felt his own cry of rage leave his lips even as he heard one from another player. Malfoy dropped out of the air like a stone, diving to catch her. Harry's broom was no where fast enough, but Malfoy's might be. Oh, if only he weren't so far away! She was falling too fast, Harry thought, looking at Malfoy's dive. He covered his mouth, even as light suddenly surrounded Raven. Harry blinked. He'd seen that somewhere before.

Malfoy missed.

There was an explosion of feathers, and a black dart burst out of Raven's Gryffindor cloak. The red robe drifted to the ground. Malfoy landed as did the rest of the teams. Whistles were blown even as cries from the crowd nearly drowned them out.

Harry reached Malfoy's side. The Slytherin boy seemed badly shaken. He was holding Raven's jersey, looking extremely bewildered. He looked at Harry with a sudden and most complete change of attitude, 'Where is she?' His eyes grew cold, himself again, 'Where is she?!' He grabbed the guilty chaser's cloak dragging her eyes up to meet his, 'What have you done, you...you...' He looked up at Harry, 'And you! Letting her ride that broom! What were you think...' His voice broke off as he felt a sudden weight on his shoulder.

A large purple-black crow was perched there, a familiar golden eye peering at Harry.

A smile broke across Harry's face, and he took off his cloak, while he held out his arm. The crow flew to it, but a moment before landing, the crow's body flashed and extended, And Raven stepped into the cloak before anyone saw anything inappropriate.

Raven thanked him softly, pulling her long feather-flicked hair from the cloak, while team members gawked and began to pry. Professor McGonagall finally pushed her way into the center as Raven bowed her head with a blush, holding Harry's arm for support. She still seemed very upset by her fall. After a moment of questioning, the professor tapped her throat, making her voice loud enough for all to hear.

'The Gryffindor Keeper is unharmed.'

The crowd erupted into cheers of relief.

'However, for this type of indecent contact, and for the deliberate endangering of a fellow player's life, the Slytherin team automatically forfeits the game, and according to the rules of the school, the points remain the same from before the incident, no snitch added.'

Some of the crowd was upset over this (all Slytherins), but most were sympathetic, and understood that the rules were in place so something like this wouldn't happen again. Raven touched McGonagall's arm.

'Will there be a rematch?'

McGonagall seemed shocked at such a suggestion. She tapped her throat again, 'No, there will not be. Were you actually hoping they would manage to kill you?'

Raven shook her head no, still clinging to Harry's arm. 'But it isn't fair, is it? I'm not hurt...they...' She seemed sad. 'The game was still good.'

McGonagall shook her head, 'It was far from good, and it was likely they were going to lose even if their seeker got the snitch. You were up by a hundred points,' She tilted her head, 'Rules are rules for a reason, my dear. And remember, you still have to obey them,' Harry caught the double meaning. Raven and McGonagall undoubtedly had an agreement. Raven wasn't to have used her Animagus ability on campus, first, to keep her on a level with the other students, and second to keep them from finding out how she did it. Now she was going to have to be doubly sure not to tell anyone.

Raven's cloak (and other clothes) were then handed to her. She looked up at Harry, a certain apology in her eyes. 'I'm very tired, Harry, and I hate to impose, but could you walk me back to the tower? Your potion seems to have worn off...that or being a crow reduced its effectiveness,' She looked up at the throng of people around her, 'Please don't let them stop you.'

Harry obeyed without question, trying not to think about how angry he was with the Slytherins for both ruining the game and trying to kill his keeper. The look must have been present on his face, because people fell silent as he pushed by them. He felt someone tugging at his cloak, and calling to him, but he pulled away, giving them a hard shove for spite, while single-mindedly guiding Raven to her dorm. He wasn't sure what he felt worse about...the fact that the Slytherins were so heartless that they had planned to hurt Raven or that Raven had been forced to reveal her Animagus abilities. It felt as though he had suddenly discovered another Parseltongue. He knew she would be resented for it, and he knew it wasn't her fault. Raven's weight wasn't uncomfortable, but she was falling asleep against him, and halfway to the tower she was fully unable to walk anymore.

Her eyes were filled with apology before they closed again. Harry sighed, and with some effort, managed to pick her up. The fat lady gave him a particular look as he called out the password, but he didn't bother to explain himself. She'd get the information one way or another. He headed to the girl's dorm and walked through the open door. He didn't know which bed was hers, but on seeing a familiar raven-feather quill at a desk, he narrowed it down to two. Placing her on the more untidy of the two beds, so he could cover her, Raven only roused once to thank him before falling asleep almost instantly again.

Harry dimmed the light with his wand, and looked at Raven's sleeping figure with a guilty lump in his throat. Why hadn't he dived? It bothered him that Malfoy was the only person on the pitch who had enough sense to try. And what was going to happen now with the rest of the house?