The Library.
The second day went a lot differently from the first. Example being that McGonagall informed the 3rd years that their second lesson of the day, DADA, was cancelled for an unknown reason.
The trio, instead, spent 2nd period as a free period, and went to the library in order to look up Death Omens as planned. Madam Pince saw them walk in and the look of absolute shock at seeing all 3 of them, on the 2nd day of school no less, was priceless. She, with a look of confusion the entire time that made Harry think she hadn't even processed what she asked, told them where they would find the Omens section before turning away to distract herself with returning books back to their cases.
Hermione shrugged and lead the way, Harry and Ron following. They claimed a table tucked away in an alcove, hidden by most people if they were to look over. It took about 20 minutes to find anything on Death Omens.
"There's not a lot is there," Ron frowned, looking at the 4 books they had laid out on the table. The 3 chose one each to start reading.
"I suppose not many people believe in omens or such like divination," Hermione stated, flipping the pages to a specific section in the book she chose.
"Still, the wizarding word has been around for... well... forever really. You'd think there'd be more."
"There probably is in the Restricted Section," Harry interrupted offhandedly, engrossed in his own readings.
"Probably... you'd think Pince would let us?" Ron asked, with absolutely no hope in his voice.
"If we nag her enough, maybe she will."
"OR-," Hermione said, glaring at Harry as he laughed quietly, "We could ask McGonagall for a pass. There's a chance she could give us one."
"A small, tiny, sliver of a chance," Ron grumbled, flipping a page.
Hermione sighed and went back to reading.
They read comfortably for most of the period, only the sounds of passing students conversation, Pinces footsteps or the turnings of a page interrupted their silence. Hermione had just reached for the 4th book, having finished hers when Ron spoke up, "found it!"
Harry jumped, having completely forgotten they were looking for something specifically and gotten lost in reading. Hermione, however, brightened and turned to him, "What did you find?"
Ron recited the section, "Well, it says:
A Witch or Wizard that finds him or herself in front of a Death Omen is said to die within a time frame; the time frame usually being within 24 to 72 hours. If a Witch or Wizard lives longer, they are instead carrying that Omen within them, spreading it to the people around them, killing them without moving a finger. If neither happen, it was not a Death Omen, but a warning to an ordinary Witch or Wizard.
It then goes on about how omens can be carried and some rubbish, but then it talks about the Peverells, and I remembered Harry mentioning he was Heir Peverell, right?" He looked at Harry for confirmation, who nodded, before continuing, "Right, so it says here,
There are certain circumstances with a Witch or Wizard in which the Death Omen does not specifically mean Death. but more of Luck. These circumstances are keyed towards Necromancers specifically, and an example would be the famous Most Ancient and Most Nobel House of Peverell, and their descendants, with the rumours of even meeting Death itself in the tale of The Three Brothers, based off of Antioch, Cadmus and Ignotus Peverell. Rumours were never confirmed or denied."
Both Harry and Hermione looked at each other with wide eyes. Necromancy?
Hermione asked before he could, "Necromancy? As in bringing back the dead?"
"Well, its more than that. It's mainly transference and absorption of Life from what I remember," Ron said, "Communicating and summoning spirits, its a Dark Magic, Light wizards would never be able to do anything of the sort. It's not the most welcomed thing in the Wizarding world, its ridiculously frowned upon in my opinion, definitely not something we would want getting back to the old goat out of everything else."
Harry sighed, "One more thing to research then."
Hermione stood up abruptly, causing Harry and Ron to turn their heads towards her, "We need some sort of privacy bubble or something, if it's frowned upon and seen to be dark, we wont be able to discuss it out loud," and walked off.
Ron's eyes followed her as she walked, "Well, then," He said once she disappeared, "Should we head to lunch?"
Harry shook his head, taking a notebook out of his bag, "I'm gonna stay and write down everything we need to research."
Ron shrugged, "suit yourself. I'll bring you and 'Mione something to eat," stood, and walked off, leaving Harry alone.
He sighed, stretching his arms in front of him and began to jot down the topics they needed to study within their free periods and History of Magic, no doubt it will get longer and longer:
Necromancy,
Sirius Black,
Heir/Lordships,
Peverells,
Ravenclaws,
Wizengamot,
Dementors + spell against them,
Divination self-study,
History of Magic self-study,
He was just tapping his quill against the paper, trying to think of anything else when Hermione returned with a thick book, the cover reading 'Privacy Charms For All Witches and Wizards'. He arched an eyebrow at her, and she just shrugged, "There's all kinds of charms for privacy, the most common one is in the curriculum I believe, but it might do us good with a more complex one."
He nodded, "Good thinking. Speaking of curriculum, I'm writing down the things we've mentioned studying or looking into during free periods and History of Magic lessons, is there anything I'm missing?" turning the notebook to be in front of her.
She frowned down at it, reading over it, "Not that I can think of. Maybe all Hogwarts Heirs next to 'Ravenclaw'? It may be useful to look into it all."
He nodded and jotted it, "Brilliant."
By the time Ron returned with a few sandwiches that he snuck past Pince, Hermione and Harry had chose 3 privacy charms, one being the Imperturbable Charm as it would come in use later on for exams.
They spent the rest of lunch and the start of their first period practicing the spell and wand movements before growing bored and moving onto homework for Transfiguration. An essay on Animagi.
"Hey don't you think being an animagus is sort of useful?" Ron said, disrupting the silence.
Hermione responded, not turning away from her essay whilst Harry did, "What ever do you mean, Ronald?"
"I'm just saying, being an animagus would be useful getting around wouldn't it? No-one would know its you for one, and there's probably tons of benefits to becoming one."
"Yeah, but the process-"
"Would probably be worth it," Harry cut Hermione's argument off, "I mean, it would be useful for escaping an attack or sneaking around. Imagine being chased, turning a corner and transforming into an animal and completely disappearing from an enemy." He pointed out, returning to his essay.
Hermione was clearly deep in thought by the expression on her face as Ron continued, "We are literally at the best time of year to do it. This book here," He nodded to one of the books on the pile, "literally includes the process in how to become one. Honestly I don't get why more people don't do it."
"Aren't properly motivated I'd say. It is a bit of a long process."
Hermione sighed, rubbing her forehead, "What's the process exactly?"
Ron grinned.
"Well," He practically snatched the book off the pile, cracking it open, "You have to do some meditation, find your magical core and all that, and whilst doing so you have put a mandrake leaf under your tongue for a month. There's a potion you need to make, instructions in the book as well. We would probably have to make 3 separate ones as you need to include the mandrake leaf. You drink half, then boil the rest until steam, going into a state in which you find your form if done the other steps correctly, and then you chant a spell every night until the next storm, and then its just meditation until you become your form from there."
Hermione frowned, taking the book from him, "That sounds ridiculously long Ron. Not to mention you may forget to chant the spell one night, or swallow the mandrake leaf and restart that process. And we are literally on our second day back at Hogwarts, we should be focusing on getting back on track with our lessons really." But there was a certain expression on her face that made Harry smirk.
"You want to though, don't you?"
After a moments silence in which Hermione scrunched up her nose in conflict as she looked at Harry, she sighed in defeat, "Yes alright. You're taking the mandrake leaves though," She said to Ron, who nodded eagerly.
"Yep, no, that's fine with me 'Mione. You're amazing, did you know that?"
Harry had to press his lips together to not burst out laughing at Hermione's face.
"Just write down the potion instructions, Ron."
"Yep. Brilliant you are," He said, grabbing a spare bit of parchment to write the potion, spell and steps on.
"How long have you been waiting to ask," Harry asked, amusement rolling off his tongue.
"Since McGonagall's lesson."
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When they left the library for History of Magic, Ron was practically vibrating from excitement while Harry and Hermione tried not to laugh at him, or Pince's face at Ron's excitement as he left the library. They failed as soon as they walked out the doors.
They spent the lesson practicing the privacy charms, joking around, and ignoring the weird looks Malfoy was throwing at them, clearly still trying to figure things out. The rumours probably made things worse, having gotten even wilder over the day. He overheard some first years whispering them on the way over and had to refrain from letting his jaw drop. Some people were seriously delusional.
By the time the lesson had finished, Harry and Hermione had perfected the Imperturbable charm whilst Ron had perfected one of the others.
They were just walking out, Harry behind Ron and Hermione as they quietly argued on when he should steal the Mandrake leaves when he heard a faint mutter of his name calling out from behind the tapestry, causing him to pause in his steps. He turned his head to the tapestry, tilting his head as the rest of his classmates walked down the hallway.
Once they were out of earshot, he said, "Yes, Malfoy?"
Malfoy pulled back the tapestry and walked out, checking down the hallway. Probably for Ron or Hermione.
"What are you and your pathetic excuses of friends up to, Potter?" He sneered, but it didn't come out venomously at all, more cautious and curiosity than anything.
"Not much, Malfoy, homework, lessons, the usual," Harry drawled, inwardly smirking.
"There's something different about you. About all three of you, for that matter."
"Oh really?" Harry tried not to let out a snicker, barely managing to keep a straight face, "What's so different?"
"You just..." Malfoy trailed off, narrowing his eyes a fraction, "See, your doing it now. Your being civil, almost friendly with me. It's weird. Stop it."
"Stop it?" Harry couldn't hold it in anymore, he let out a small laugh.
Malfoy glared at him, "Yes. Stop."
"Sorry to disappoint you, Malfoy, but I decided to let go of stupid little things, such as school rivalries. My life doesn't exactly have much room for them. Besides, I'd thought you would want me to let go of the rivalry. It was you, after all, who offered friendship between us in the first place."
The look of absolute astonishment on Malfoys face was priceless. "I- Yes- But- That's-." he stopped, "What?"
Harry smirked, deciding on teasing Malfoy, and no doubt confusing him even more, as he turned to walk after Ron and Hermione, "Your cute when your confused, Malfoy."
The stuttering only increased, and continued to as he walked away. The last thing he heard as he rounded the corner was Malfoy yelling his last name.
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"What caught you up?" Ron asked when Harry walked through the portrait hole into the Gryffindor, mid Chess game with Seamus, who looked absolutely miserable. Hermione, who was sat next to him, reading through the History of Magic course work they had to catch up on and self study, looked up when she heard Ron speak.
"Nothing important. Malfoy thinks we're up to something," He stated, sitting in his usual armchair to their right whenever they were sat in the common room, "Teased him a little. He probably thinks I've gone crazy."
"You're not too far off," Ron remarked, moving one of his chess pieces, causing Seamus to curse.
Hermione snorted and Harry grinned.
"Ron, I'm gonna kick your arse," Seamus groaned, losing yet another Chess game.