Harry Potter and the Orb of Power

            Chapter 13: Short Delays

    Harry opened his eyes, and saw Professor McGonagall standing over him, mouthing words to him. He only heard a few fragments, all of which sounded as if they were coming from the depths of a pool. He blinked his eyes, but everything was a blur. He realized, rather obviously, that he didn't have his glasses on, which explained the blurriness of his vision. Feeling crept back into his body slowly, which was unfortunate for Harry, because the places that he could feel now felt as though they had been stung by a swarm of bees. Harry opened his mouth to speak, but felt a wave of nausea swoop over him. He heard more of Professor McGonagall's words, which was barely audible to him.

    "Don't try to move, Potter. You'll just hurt yourself more." Harry blinked his eyes, trying to acknowledge that he heard her. He heard someone next to Professor McGonagall, her voice shrill and uneasy.    

    "Will he be all right, Professor?" Hermione, Harry decided, had asked.

    "He should be. The Macabre Hand shouldn't be used on a living person, as very serious consequences can happen. However, Potter's a strong individual, and the Macabre Hand isn't fatal. It just forces the victim to relive the last hours of a sentinel's life, if the sentinel is touching the person affected, and that is precisely what that grey figure was. Potter sure picked a doozy of a sentinel, too," McGonagall said grimly. "That one's got a particularly complicated history."

    "You know them?" Ron asked. "Are you mad? Why are they even here? They could rip us all to shreds!"

    "Settle down, Mr. Weasley. They're not completely pointless. They're here to protect the school," McGonagall said impatiently.

    "Nutters. They've gone absolutely nutters," Ron said, throwing his hands into the air.

    "Professor, why did this one attack Harry?" Hermione asked nervously.

    "A difficult question, Miss Granger. They are quite vicious, but they are under strict orders to use prohibitive forces only. This one, however, as I've said, has a complicated past. While sentinels aren't alive, they aren't dead either, which allows them to formulate plans, and think and strategize. Of course, they have a more complicated and sordid explanation, but I expect Professor Dumbledore to explain them more clearly. As for this sentinel, I have a feeling this one was trying to do something of that sort."

    "By killing Harry?" Ron asked disbelievingly.

    "That sentinel did not intend to kill Mr. Potter. If it did, I'm afraid Mr. Potter would have been dead." McGonagall let these words hang in the air, before she continued. "Enough of this chatter, let's get him to the Infirmary. He should be all right by tonight, after the effects have worn off," McGonagall said, dismissing further discussion. "Mobilicorpus!" McGonagall murmured, levitating Harry onto a stretcher. He felt himself float alongside his teacher and his friends, thinking about his sentinel attacker.

*****

    Harry lay in a hospital bed, with Madame Pomfrey hovering over him, tutting about rogue sentinels and inept teachers. Harry tried not to listen, but since he was hit with McGonagall's spell, all he could do was hear and listen.

    "Honestly, I don't know what Professor Dumbledore was thinking, using sentinels to protect the school. They're just as bad as dementors!" Madame Pomfrey forced Harry to drink some potion that tasted as sour as fifteen lemons. His face puckered up severely, which hurt Harry's cheeks.

    "It hurts," Harry mumbled through his pursed lips.

    "It only lasts a couple of minutes. When your face has loosened up again, you can go down to the feast," Madame Pomfrey said to Harry, as she walked away to inspect her medicine closet. Harry felt his face with his hands, and felt that it was completely sucked in, and when he looked into the mirror, he saw the wrinkles all over his face. The door opened to the infirmary, and Harry saw Ron and Hermione walk through the doorway. Ron instantly started laughing at Harry's face, while Hermione looked like she was struggling, with all her might, to keep a straight face.

    "Honestly, it's not that bad," Hermione said, her face glowing red from the attempts to not laugh.

    "Harry, don't get too close, people will think you're trying to kiss me," Ron said, howling with laughter.

    "Shut up!" Harry mumbled through his lips, which caused Hermione to burst out with laughter also.

    "Will you three keep it down! You're causing such a ruckus!" Madame Pomfrey yelled.

    "Sorry, Madame Pomfrey," Hermione apologized. Harry shook his fist at Ron, who was still trying to contain his laughter.

    "Don't threaten violence with me, Harry. You just have sour grapes over my good looks," Ron said with a smirk. Harry heard a loud sucking sound, and his puffed out again. His cheeks were a little loose, but otherwise, his face had returned to its normal shape.

    "Come on, we're missing the feast!" Hermione muttered, dragging Harry and Ron out of the Infirmary. As they walked through the halls, Harry noticed that the lighting was rather dim, and their footsteps echoing off of the walls of the empty halls were rather creepy. He heard a gust of wind, and saw another grey looking figure prowling the halls.

    "Another sentinel," Ron said rather obviously. Harry got the chills as the sentinel turned and looked at them. This one too was dressed in knight armor, only one of its legs was twisted grotesquely, and was dragging on the ground. His face, complete with the swirling grey eyes and mouth, was horribly scarred, and its mouth hung loosely from its face in a permanent expression of mourning. It pointed at the three of them with a grey, scaly looking hand, and in a gust of wind, went completely invisible. Harry sighed in relief, but when he heard another gust of wind, he realized the sentinel had merely moved behind them. It pointed again, pointing down the hall.

    "I think it wants us to leave the hallway," Harry said, urging Ron and Hermione away from the sentinel. It turned and limped off, away from the trio.

    "Those things are so creepy," Hermione whispered as she felt a cold shudder creep up her spine.

    "I suppose they'll guard the school well," Harry said rather thickly, as they managed to find their way to the feast. The Sorting had just concluded, and Harry, Hermione, and Ron took their seats at the Gryffindor Table. The new Gryffindors sat at the end of the table, looking rather nervously around at the rest of the student body.

    "Sorting finished rather late this year," Harry said pointedly to Hermione, as she applauded the new students.

    "Dumbledore probably made that announcement beforehand to the rest of the school. The one where no one is supposed to bother us about Diagon Alley or last year," Hermione said, attaching her prefect's pin to the front of her robes. Harry did the same, quickly, and looked at Ron, who rolled his eyes when he saw Harry put his pin on. Harry looked up at the teacher's table, and saw the usual suspects. McGonagall was directly next to the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. He saw tiny Flitwick chatting it up with, according to Hermione, Professor Vector, the Arithmancy teacher. There were other teachers up there that Harry didn't recognize, but he thought nothing of it. Harry paused to look at a woman sitting at the table, whom Harry didn't recognize. However, she was sitting directly next to Snape, the atrociously evil Potions master. Snape, who usually was sneering at Harry or at the Defense Against the Arts teacher at the feasts, had a nervous expression on his face that Harry couldn't figure out. He was talking to the new witch, but it seemed as if Snape was scared of her. Harry pointed this out to Hermione, who also looked at Snape with a curious expression on her face.

    "The last time I saw Snape nervous was when Moody...er...Crouch was here," Hermione whispered.

    "Exactly. Think she's an Auror too?" Ron asked, picking up on their conversation.

    "I'm not too sure. I guess Dumbledore will introduce them when he makes his announcements," Hermione replied.

    "Well I hope he hurries, I'm starving here," Ron said with an exasperated look on his face. Professor McGonagall tapped her glass with a fork, bringing the student body slowly to a quiet. Dumbledore stood up, and Harry, who had seen him earlier in the year, felt the same feeling of pity and worry when he saw the man's tired face.

    "Welcome to the beginning of another year. While I know you all are very anxious to begin stuffing yourselves with our finest offerings of food, I trust that you will bear with me as I make a few notices." Dumbledore looked around to make sure that everyone was paying rapt attention, and he continued. "As a reminder, the Dark Forest is strictly forbidden, as it has been for many years. Anyone who wanders in there without supervision or consent from a teacher is responsible for his or her own fate. And it will be a grisly one, at that," Dumbledore said, peering over his half-moon glasses. "Mr. Filch, our caretaker, has posted even more items on the banned items list, all of which will not be listed here. Please consult the list in his office for further information. Again, I will have to respectfully ask all students to refrain from using the third floor corridor. Those that do will face unspeakable horrors and a painful, torturous death." Harry looked at Hermione with a look of surprise on his face, while Ron could only mouth "Fluffy". Dumbledore was about to sit down when McGonagall gave him a pointed look.

    "Ah, I almost forgot our other important notices. In light of the unfortunate return of Lord Voldemort..." The room filled with gasps at the mention of his name "...several changes will be made to Hogwarts. The first is that Hogwarts will be hosting the sentinels this year. While they are not as disconcerting and disrupting as dementors, they are just as menacing, and are on strict orders to make sure that the students do not wander into prohibited areas. They do not listen to pleading, and will make sure that all those who break the rules will be duly punished. Second, all trips to Hogsmeade will be supervised by your professors." Harry looked at Hermione with a desperate look on his face.

    "Not Snape!" Harry whispered fiercely as he listened to Professor Dumbledore read out the names.

    "Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, and Snape will be supervising."

    "NO!" Harry moaned quietly, as Ron put his face into his hands.

    "I look to the new Head Boy and Girl, and the prefects, to make sure that no students break the rules and run astray of any dangers that pose themselves over the course of the year." Harry saw all of the first years look down the table to see who their prefects were, and he waved weakly.

    "More responsibility. Just what I need," Harry mumbled under his breath, while Hermione waved excitedly to the first years.

    "This is going to be so much fun!" Hermione said eagerly to Harry, who could only smile weakly and nod. Ron shook his head, and moaned that he was hungry.

    "If that's all the announcements, then the only thing left is for everyone to eat until you burst." Dumbledore clapped his hands twice, and the food appeared instantly on the table. Roast turkeys, steaming boats of gravy, soft, buttery rolls in abundance appeared on the table. Cuts of steak, steaming piles of vegetables, and pumpkin juice added to the aroma in the hall, making Harry all the more hungry. He took a little of everything, and began to eat, happily discussing Quidditch with the rest of the Gryffindors.

    "So who do you think will be the new captain, Harry?" Seamus asked, his mouth filled with turkey.

    "I'm not sure, it depends on who the Quidditch team elects," Harry replied, taking a swig of pumpkin juice.

    "I can't wait for the keeper tryouts," Dean said eagerly. "I've been dying to try out for the team."

    "I'd try out, but I'd probably fall off of my broom," Neville said sadly. "That or I'd be the third bludger."

    "I'm sure you'd make a great keeper, Neville. You should try out!" Harry said brightly, cheering Neville up, while the rest of the Gryffindors gave Harry an odd look. Harry had still kept his promise to not tell anyone about Neville's family, and he felt that Neville shouldn't be bullied by anyone else. Thinking about his oath to Dumbledore, Harry made a mental note to discuss his dream with Dumbledore. If Harry's dreams were like the one he had last summer, when he dreamed about the old muggle being killed, then he had some sort of knowledge of Voldemort's plan. He looked at Ron and Hermione, and made another note to tell them about the dream, and about all that's happened on Privet Drive, including the vampire bat. When everyone finished eating, Dumbledore stood up yet again.

    "An important announcement I forgot to mention, due to my recently acquired slippery memory. Classes will not begin for a few days. I will be away from the school for several days, during which Professor McGonagall will be headmistress. However, we feel that postponing classes until everyone becomes accustomed to the atmosphere here is the proper way to begin the year. Prefect meetings, Quidditch meetings, and faculty meetings will continue as scheduled. Have a good night. Prefects will escort the first years to the common room."

    "Gone for a couple of days? That's interesting," Harry said to Hermione as they got up from the table.

    "And troubling. I don't like that Dumbledore is leaving the school for days like this. Think something is up?" Hermione replied.

    "It might just be Ministry business," Ron said, trying to allay any fears. "Fudge might just want to double check on the running of the school."

    'He's never done this before, though," Harry replied.

    "Why would he? Fudge, before last year, of course, always gave Dumbledore a free hand when it came to running the school. After last year, I think Fudge is likely to change that," Ron replied.

    "I think Ron is right. But we can't discuss it now, we've got to take the first years up to the common room," Hermione replied. She turned to the young looking students, and clapped her hands once. "First years, gather up here. I'm Hermione Granger, and I'm one of the Gryffindor prefects. This is Harry Potter, another Gryffindor prefect." Students looked up at Harry in awe, mostly because he was the "famous Harry Potter" and the other because he was a fifth-year prefect.

    "Ok, we'll be going to the Gryffindor common room now. Make sure to keep up with us, it gets a bit tricky when you make your way through the halls," Harry said to them all, feeling like an older brother to the fifth years. He, Hermione, and Ron led the students through the castle. They gasped at moving staircases, talking pictures, much like a tour. They finally made it to the Fat Lady, the picture that covered the entrance to the Gryffindor common room.

    "When you get here, you tell the Fat Lady the password. You can get the password from a prefect if you can't remember. You must not, however, tell anyone outside of Gryffindor the password," Hermione warned. "Harry will now give the password, and we'll be inside the common room." Harry looked at Hermione nervously. "Go on, Harry, give them the password."

    "Um...Hermione...I don't know the password," Harry said awkwardly, realizing that some of the first years were looking confused at them, expecting that they should be in the common room by now.

    "You didn't get the password from McGonagall?" Hermione bristled, getting angry.

    "I'm sorry, I was a bit incapacitated from her spell," Harry hissed back. The Fat Lady listened to the argument, shaking her head as Harry and Hermione whispered back and forth.

    "What is going on here?" the Fat Lady asked loudly, startling Harry and Hermione.

    "Um...we don't have the password," Harry said, prompting laughter from the first years.

    "Well, what do you want me to do about it?" the Fat Lady asked, clearly annoyed by the rabble of students in front of her.

    "Can you give us the password?" Hermione asked meekly.

    "Absolutely not! That is impossible!" the Fat Lady retorted snidely.

    "But we're prefects!" Harry shouted.    

    "I don't care if you are the queen of England, no one gets access without the password!" the Fat Lady shouted, clearly getting riled up.

    "The password is Canary Creams," Ron said loudly, and the Fat Lady swung open, clearly sighing in frustration. Ron turned to the first years. "And that's why you should always remember your password. The Fat Lady will never let you in, no matter how much you ask. Even the prefects, who played along with this little ruse, couldn't get the password from her. So, the lesson is, always remember your password." Ron turned and winked at Harry and Hermione, while the first years clapped. They entered inside, talking about their smart and talented prefects, while Hermione, Harry, and Ron lingered outside of the common room.

    "Smooth, Ron. That could have been embarrassing," Harry said, grinning.

    "Can't have you guys screwing up being prefects on the first day now can we?" Ron said with a smile. Harry detected something else in his tone, something direct and pointed, but he couldn't figure it out. However, he noticed that Hermione had a big smile on her face, which seemed to cheer up Ron.

    "Quick thinking, Ron, well done. It's a good thing you were here," Hermione said.

    "Well..." Ron said, turning a bright scarlet color. "...it wasn't that impressive." The three of them entered into the Gryffindor common room to the applause of the first years.