Originally posted by dark1365
AUTHOR's REPLY------------Oh yeah, I was writing a story. nosweat Ah....*nervous laughter*CHAPTER EIGHTEEN--------
Life at Hogwarts had changed noticeably. For several reasons.
Students were required to stay inside. The Floo Network regulators had even connected a couple more fireplaces in case of an emergency, but Harry thought that this was unlikely.The teachers had stopped giving out written homework, much to the relief of Ron and Harry, who were never quite as good as essay-writing than Hermione was.
"Just because you're not writing anything doesn't mean you're going to be sitting idle all day." Hermione snapped at Ron.
"Oh."Flitwick had started drilling them on practical charms, such as waterspout. His former cheerful self had diminished a little, and he worked them hard.
McGonagall had started nagging them on Human Transfiguration. She warned the entire class a week after the incident that at the end of the week, she would choose two random people out of the class, partner them up, and test them.
Ron had been unnerved. "How do you think she'll test us?" he asked, when they were up in the common room.
"Who knows?" Harry said, shrugging. "Personally I think she'll force one of us to Transfigurate the other. It'd be bad if they failed; your partner would be messed up and on top of that, you lose marks."
"Better start practising, then."
Ron picked up a textbook and started reciting out loud, waving his wand as he did so. An armchair bearing a confused Neville accidentally rose up in the air, who yelped.
"Oh, sorry Neville!" Ron said hurriedly, stowing his wand away."This is so difficult," Harry said wearily. "Who knows who she's going to choose? It's probably going to be the worst in the class. Or maybe the best, she probably wouldn't want anyone to go to St. Mungo's."
"Yes, that would be inconvenient." Hermione appeared from the girl's dormitories. "By the way, Harry, McGonagall's just announced that there would be no more Hogsmeade trups until further notice."Harry was very disappointed to find that they would be denied from going into Hogsmeade. He had been looking forward with a drink in the Three Broomsticks with Hermione, perhaps with Ron and Luna...
"Good times, though." Ron sighed, summing Harry's thoughts into three words. He laid the textbook down and gazed out at the sunny weather.
"What wouldn't I give for a fly out with my broom.""You know that's unallowed." Hermione said sadly, slumping down besides Harry.
"I know."Harry thought of something. "When's the next order meeting? They're doing it here, aren't they?"
"Apparently, Dumbledore gave all the instructions that were necessary." Hermione told him. "The only time we need a meeting is if something's changed drastically, or it's an emergency. Or both.""Darn it, I hate sitting tight and doing nothing. I wish I was doing something to help. Anything." Harry grumbled.
"You will, Harry," Hermione laid her hand on his shoulder. "From what we've found out this year, you will be the biggest factor in this war. The difference."
No one could think of a response to that.
Instead, Hermione said tentatively; "Why don't we go down and visit Hagrid?"
Glad of something to do, Harry jumped up, and Ron followed, putting down his homework.
It was almost like good old times, if one could even label it that; the windows were open and a merry trail of smoke was weaving up from the chimney.
Fang barked loudly as usual when Harry knocked. Hagrid opened the door, and beamed down at the three.
"I've been lookin' forward to a visit from you three1" he said happily. "Well, come on in....I've just put a kettle teh boil."
They went into Hagrid's sizeable cabin, and sat down on one of his huge, hand-crafted sofas.
Hagrid poured pour steaming bucket sized mugs of tea, handed them around with a plate of biscuits, and sat down, looking at Harry.
"So, Harry," he began. "Dumbledore's told me that we might be going, very soon."
"Yes," Harry said. "But all he told me was that we would go whenever he thinks I'm ready."
"And by the end of the school year?" Hagrid said, eyes twinkling.
"Yeah!" Harry said, brightening up. "I forgot that part, though."
Hermione glanced at Harry, then at Hagrid. "Hagrid, what did Dumbledore tell you?"
"Well...." Hagrid took a pull at his tea, playing for time. "Prett' much what he tol' Harry, except for the fact that if You-Know-Who doesn't make a move sooner, we're going to go anyway by the end of May."
"Really?" Harry said, his head jerking up very fast. He felt part guilty and part excited; the former being because he wanted Voldemort to make a move sooner, so that he could go. The latter because of course, he had got a definite date and time.
"Tha's right." Hagrid grunted. "Dumbledore's exact words. Oh, but don't tell him I told yeh."
"Of course not, Hagrid." Ron grinned.
"How're Grawp, Torgus, and Rawth?" Harry enquired.
"They're away at the moment.," Hagrid said. "I've told them, best as I coul', about the situation right now. Apparently they're bored with sparring, and they wanted to go on some kinda cross-country long patrol."
"Any idea where they're going?" Ron said.
"Well, they were headin' southeast last time I saw 'em. I suspect Belgium or Scotland. They know to keep their heads down. Well, for giants at least, they're pretty good at stealth." Hagrid said proudly.
Ron had extreme difficulty with suprressing a snort of laughter.
Write more Wrie more Write more! i feel better now that you wrote more, but now i'm hungry for more! i hope you write some more today.
BTW, i have been writing in this Harry Potter 6 (multi-author) and i saw that you wrote a little in it. Could you write some more? your an awsome writer and me and Ginny are starting to build a plot into it...it would just be awsome if you posted there again!
AUTHOR-------Man I hate these boring-ass parts.
"How are classes?" Harry asked him.
"Oh, they're grea'," Hagrid said. Unfortunately, his point of view tended to be slighty different from the students, to say the least. "Fifth years are comin' along fine. I brought the fifth-years to see the Thestrals, like we did last year...your sister seems to know a lot 'bout 'em, Ron."
"Yeah, considering the fact that she rode one last year." Ron muttered under his breath to Harry.
"What about the rest?" Hermione ignored Ron.
"Wha'? Oh, you mean the other students. Well, first-years are timid at first, I'll give yeh that, but they found out that I wasn't a bloodthirsty giant - "
This time Ron could not prevent himself from snickering.
Hagrid didn't seem to mind, and chuckled. "Yeah, they found out I was all righ', and we got along fine afterwards. Gryffindors, mostly. Slytherins have stayed the same pretty much...insultin' bunch. But I can put up wi' it."
"Makes me proud to be a Gryffindor, eh?" Harry replied dryly.
"Do you think any other giants will come, Hagrid?" Ron asked.
"Probably not." Hagrid said. "Otherwise they'd be from smaller tribes - I mean groups, an' not all of em' know about this place. Torgus and Rawth came from the scattered remains of Golgomath's group."
"So they're the only two from the biggest tribe of giants there is." Ron said slowly. Hagrid nodded.
But Hermione frowned, and glanced at Harry, who understood.
"Hagrid," he asked. "What did you mean by 'scattered' remains?"
"They were broken up," Hagrid said shortly. "Torgus an' Rawth told me. "After You-Know-Who's Death Eaters came and trotted some of 'em off, they were then told about what they were gonna do."
"And?" Hermione said nervously.
"And a lot of 'em didn't have the guts to sign up for service." Hagrid said bitterly. "Just like a lot of the Death Eaters were scared of what they were about to do. But the giants don' like magic, yeh see, and they were afraid to go up against the entire Wizardin' community. So they were - they were.....'taken care of'. And after, many ran away."
"Blimey." Ron said, in a hushed voice.
"Yeah," Hagrid said, taking a pull of his tea. "Suppose that's wha' we've got on our side, isn't it...justice and fairness. Mayhap some of 'em will remember me and Olympe's visit, and they'll come and follow Rawth and Torgus. Maybe it's better that way, to be livin' in just very small, scattered groups. They'll survive longer tha' way."
"Wait a minute...you said that Rawth and Torgus were Golgomath supporters, right?" Ron said. "Were they around when you visited last year?"
"O' course," Hagrid replied. "An' I don't blame 'em for not interfering when I got grabbed. They would've been pummeled to a pulp."
No one doubted those words.
AUTHOR--------Damn, I realise a lot of regulars have left. Sorry, I've been watching too much Spider-Man. *nervous laughter*
***
Their Transfiguration practical unit test came at the end of class on Wednsday.
Onimously, Professor McGonagall gave them instructions to meet way up in the Astronomy tower. Since it was still daylight, it was quite deserted, and little Professor Sinistra gladly allowed them to use her tower. They had orders to bring anything that could magnify their vision. Most bought telescopes, but a choice few brought their Omnioculars from two years ago, at the Quidditch World Cup.
"Now, I suppose all of you know what we're doing this afternoon.," Professor McGonagall said, her voice businesslike and crisp as usual. "One of you will be picked to perform a Human - Vertebrae/Invertebrae Agnamius spell. If it goes wrong, not only will you and your partner lose marks, the rest of the class will also lose marks. However, if you preform it correctly, the entire class will recieve bonus marks."
The class looked at each other, almost accusatory.
"Hermione Granger!" Professor McGonagall said. "Harry Potter!"
Every single head turned to stare at the pair.
"Miss Granger, I ask you to perform a Human/Spider graft into Mr. Potter, please."
There was an audible release of tension from the rest of the class; everyone knew that Hermione was still the smartest.
Hermione was nervous, but she steeled herself, pointed her wand at Harry, and muttered something under her breath.
Immediately, Harry felt a acidic sensation spread from his core, all the way out to his skin. He grunted in pain and doubled up, and the rest of the class gasped.
A peircing pain struck Harry in both wrists, and was followed by a peculiar tickling sensation in his fingertips and toes. Harry glanced at his fingertips and saw tiny little bristle-like hairs sticking out. There were two while holes in his wrists.
He stood up, and felt an unworldly strength and agility awaken inside him. Harry felt as if his sense were doubly heightened.
Instinctively he knew what to do, and leaped out of the window, to the astonished yells of all except Professor McGonagall.
Harry enjoyed the brief sensation of flight for a while, and then shot a shiny web string up to one of the statues on the rooftops. It went taut, and Harry swung himself up and around, the sheer job and thrill of it causing him to laugh. This was as fun as, if not better than broom-flying.
He could hear the cheers of those in the tower.
Harry continued to swing, boosted by his heightened reflexes, and landing on top of a spire....
What was that distant dustcloud?
Harry took out his Omnioculars, and set them to the maximum magnification.
He could see Rawth, Grawp, and Torgus, all of whom were running very fast toward the Hogwarts grounds. Were they being chased?
Harry zoomed in behind them, but could see nothing. He set his Omnioculars back in his pocket and web-slung all the way back to Professor McGonagall.
"Excellent, Potter!" she said, giving him a rare smile. "Bonus marks, everyone."
Everyone cheered, and craned to pat Harry on the back. They grabbed their bags and left.
"How long 'til the effects wear off?" Harry asked Hermione.
"Twenty four hours."
"Oh well," Harry said, very disappointed. "We need to get to Hagrid's, now."
"Why?"
"I'll explain on the way there."