lux in teberius

Mmm Chocolate

I’m laying on something but it doesn’t feel soft like a pillow, it’s something solid but covered in cotton and smells like chocolate. I can feel it slowly going up and coming back down very gently almost breathing, rocking me back to sleep but I’m more awake now, and I can here Hermione’s worried tone when my current headrest gently shakes like it’s laughing. Oh… Oh Merlin- Shit, I’m sleeping on a person and its definitely not Ron. It’s hard for me to move, I did just get my soul sucked out of me at least a little and I’m exhausted.

“Oh, gently now – that’s it” The head rest talked again and I’m slowly coming back to reality as it holds me up. “You just woke up from a very nasty nap, you will feel a bit woozy but please don’t worry, you can lean on me until you feel safe enough to sit up.” His tone was warm and almost motherly, I feel like crying – must be a side effect of having my soul ripped out of me. 

Then the warm tone spoke again, “Hello Harry, I’m Professor Remus Lupin. I’m the new defence against the dark arts teacher.” He held out a little brown line “Don’t worry, it’s chocolate. It helps replenish your energy see and you need to get your robes on.” He smiled down at me and yep definitely a side effect, I'll be damned before I cry in front of anyone in the carriage, so I take a deep breath to steady myself and try to reply, tears in my eyes as I blink them away.

“Yeah- KUEGH ah sorry, uh Thanks” My voice came out raspy and choked, I should drink some water too.

“That was a dementor, They’re here to find Sirius Black...” He faltered at the name, like he was upset but never stopped his homely smile. “Excuse me, I need to have a little chat with the driver.”

I ate the chocolate and he walked out the carriage. Ron and Hermione weren’t arguing for the first time in a while, I know why, I can see it on their faces. The concern. I stand quickly and grab my robes before the questions can start and leave the to get dressed, and maybe cry.

~

Remus left the carriage with tears streaming down his face, hands shaking violently as he wondered to an empty carriage. Purposely having chosen the carriage that the marauders used every year he fell asleep thinking of his lost friends. Waking up to James' face was not something his was prepared for.

Its dark as they enter in on rickety carriages, pulled by horrifying horses - but no one in his first year questioned them, so Harry didn't either. The candle light and the stars lighting the way for the students to see their way into Hogwarts. The castle seems so much bigger than last year, Harry wonders why that may be as he steps off the carriages and into said castle.

Everyone’s sat in the great hall as Dumbledore explains the rules and sorts the first years into their respective houses.

“And welcome to our new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Lupin” Lupin stands as he smiles that friendly smile he showed Harry on the train. He sits back down and the smile fades a bit, it looks less familial and more loving as he grabs his goblet and drinks from it, forcing himself to not look at the potions professor on his left. Not that Harry noticed though, nor did anyone else.

“Potter. Potter!” It was Malfoy obviously. “Is it true you fainted?” Harry looked at the grey eyes in front of him filled with concern, at least for a moment “I mean you actually fainted?” Malfoy was laughing, mocking.

“Ignore him Harry” Hermione spoke softly as to not trigger Harry’s blatant rising anger. So much for 'Civil' he supposed.

“Unfortunately as our old Care of magical creatures professor has rightfully retired, I have appointed our own Rubeus Hagrid to take their post.” The hall erupts into a much louder applause than it did for Lupin but everyone knows and loves the half giant so it’s completely understandable in Lupins eyes.

Harry cheered the loudest, ecstatic that one of his favourite adults was going to be teaching him. he tuned him out through the majority of the announcements, not caring what that backstabbing headmaster was saying. Plus, Harry was still exhausted, everyone could see it in the way his eyes were a touch darker than usual. Light bags forming ender them. Harry just wants to go to bed.

“I am sorry to announce that our school will be playing host for the dementors of Azkaban” Harry quickly tuned Dumbledore back in. “They will be stationed at every entrance to the school. Do not bother them, on purpose or accident – they will not differentiate between the one they are looking for and the one who gets in their way.” His eyes were dark but had that stupid sparkle of interest in a way Harry so used to love.

Food appeared and the quite started to bubble into excited talking about new classes and just how many Hermione would be taking this year.

“Fortuna Major”

In the boys dormitory sat Harry, Neville, Ron, Dean and Seamus. The boys were talking and laughing and Harry felt the happiness he’d forgotten over summer quickly return. The happiness, the warmth of being around his friends – of being in Hogwarts. Ron clearly wasn’t too ecstatic today but he doesn’t talk about it and Harry doesn’t ask instead favouring to talk to Neville as the boys ate chocolate and made animal noises till late into the night.

Harry discovers that night just how funny Neville can be, honestly, he’s confused why he never gave him a chance before. They were friends obviously but he’d never clicked with anyone so quickly, not even Ron! They all ended up in bed around 11pm, not too late but as they had breakfast at 7am Harry thinks they need all the sleep they can get. He closes his eyes as he tries not to pay attention to the black figures flying outside his window, far enough away he isn’t scared but close enough to snatch his imagination and make his thoughts nothing but paranoia as he slowly drifts into sleep.

Tempus glowed lightly next to Harry, Imitating the sun and playing soft music and bird noises. He’s glad he read those books over summer, he’d learnt not only a silencing charm and a muffling charm (He doesn’t have to hear Ron snore), but also how to set an alarm using tempus! He’s surprised they don’t get taught this as first years, must be due to the amount of students who grow up with this stuff. It should still be taught though, Harry thinks. He’s never woken up more happy and he has time to get ready! Great start to the day.

Harry turns off his alarm and lowers the muffling charm, he doesn’t lower the silencing charm as he doesn’t want to wake the others however, he regrets lowering his mufflito as Ron’s snores fill the room and his ears, how did he ever sleep through that?

Harry heads to the great hall early as he finished getting ready quicker than he thought he would and still earlier than his roommates woke up, well so he though.

“Hey Harry, wait up!” a timid voice rang through the hallway and suddenly he’s glad he left early, its just them in the hall but the figure running up to him was Neville.

“Oh, hey Neville, never seen you run before what’s up?” He stops to turn to him, Neville smiling widely, “I saw you walking and thought you could ah- use some company? Sorry that’s stupid, uhm, can I walk with you?”

It’s hard to say no to Neville, especially now he’s actually trying to branch out and make friends, “Of course Nev, You wanna sit together too?” He’s nice enough to Harry so he really doesn’t mind.

“Yeah! Thanks aha, I get the daily prophet and the quibbler every morning if you want to ah- you’re not much of a reader are you… sorry” The shy boy looked awkward after saying this, apologetic.

“Ah actually, I’ve been reading more recently through the summer,” Harry looked around making sure someone wasn’t around to listen in, “I would love too.” He tried the sweet smile that Professor Lupin gave him on the train, tried to be comforting and friendly but it was more lobsided. Always has been after the Dursleys… Anyway.

Candles burning, quite chatter, Harry’s surprised he’s never done this sooner it really is quite lovely. It’s Ravenclaws, already studying for the academically magical year ahead and Slytherins at their table, gossiping with Hufflepuffs before they have to split off for the day. And Harry, sitting with non-other than Neville Longbottom reading ‘The Quibbler’. It was the nicest morning Harry has ever experienced, even better than when the Dursleys had left him alone in the cupboard under the stairs when they went on holiday but forgot to lock him in. Well, until everyone starting piling in for breakfast, the Gryffindor boys were late as usual to the great hall but the food appeared right as they entered which had the red head practically sprinting his way over to get first pick, Hermione shaking her Head at his boisterousness.

Harry had divination first and honestly, he’d liked it when he read about the way muggles use tarot cards and things but he couldn’t wrap his head around the way wizards did divination. If you didn’t have ‘the sight’ you just have to say the worst thing possible and Trelawney will love it, it’s quit upsetting really, Especially since Ron took this class for an ‘easy O’ and won’t stop bloody talking. Though he should probably be more upset at ‘You’re gonna suffer, but your gonna be.. happy about it.’ and ‘The Grim’ that professor Trelawney keeps pointing out. Yes, Harry thinks I’m going to die. But not in a grim way (no pun intended), He knows he’s going to die eventually and if his last 2 years of school are anything to go off, its going to be soon.

Hermione appeared 10 minutes into the lesson, she swore she was there the whole time but our protagonist doesn’t believe her, he isn’t that stupid – not anymore.

As they walked down to care of magical creatures, talking about how disappointing the class was, Hermione shouting about how outrageous professor Trelawney was, talking about the grim and how Harry’s going to die. Personally, Harry found it all hilarious watching Hermione yell about something so trivial (instead of arguing with Ron for once this year).

“You don’t think ‘the grim’ is to do with Sirius Black do you?” Ron asks worriedly

“Oh honestly Ron, if you ask me, Divinations a woolly discipline.” She responded tautly “Now, Ancient Runes, that’s a fascinating subject.”

“Ancient Runes?! Exactly how many classes are you taking?” He’s bewildered because “Hang on.. That’s not possible! Ancient runes is the same time as Divination, you’d have to be in two places at once.”

“Don’t be silly Ron. How can anyone be in two classes at once?” She replied ignoring how correct Ron’s statement was. “Broaden your mind! Use your inner eye to see the future!” She carried on giggling at the last class the whole way down.

~

“You have to stroke the spine Neville” Harry said as he watched the timid boy start to undo the stap. “It’ll attack you otherwise.” Harry thought back to his encounter with the book in the leaky.

Neville stroked the spin carefully and his face softened like it was one of his sentient plants, “Thanks Harry!” he could hear the relief in his voice and chuckled “Of course Neville.”

“’ello! Wel’ome to Care of magical creatures, I’m Professo’ ‘agrid, some of y’all may alr’dy know me!” His gruff voice capturing the classes attention. “Dun da da daaaaa” He sung an introduction to for the creature of this class. “Isn’t he beau’iful. Say ‘ello to Buckbeak!”

“Hagrid.” It was Ron, voice like he’d seen a spider, “exactly what is that?”

“That Ron, is a Hippogriff. Very proud crea’ures, easily offended. You do NO’ want to insult a Hippogriff.” He was stern, in teacher mode. It was new to what everyone had seen of him before but he was clearly enjoying himself.

~

“You’re not dangerous at all, are you? You great ugly brute!”

One moment, Malfoy was fine – a bitch but still fine. – the next, on the ground yelling about how he’s dying. See Harry usually would have found this hilarious if he hadn’t read about how dangerous it was to be attacked by a magical creature. Especially Hippogriffs and the likes. You see, they have dark magic in them, it’s why they get upset so quickly. So while everyone was laughing, Harry and Hermione where yelling at Hagrid to take him to the medical wing.

Harry went to transfiguration before he had lunch but nothing was to note but the lack of arseholery from Malfoy since, well since he wasn’t there.

Lunch however, he was back with a sling and Hermione looks vaguely impressed his arm wasn’t snatched from its body.

“Does it hurt terribly Draco?” a girl from Slytherin Harrys never met.

“It comes and it goes, Crucio is worse but still, I consider myself lucky! Madam Pomfrey said another minute and I could’ve lost my arm.” And Harry thinks there’s so much to unpack in that statement he genuinely couldn’t be more confused if Voldemort was secretly a mermaid.

“Listen to the idiot. He’s really laying it on thick isn’t he?” Ah of course, the pureblood knows less that the muggle born and raised.

“At least Hagrid didn’t get fired.”

“I hear Draco’s father’s furious. We haven’t heard the end of this.”

And then chaos. It was Seamus who started it, unsurprisingly. What was surprising was that it wasn’t with an explosion, “He’s been sighted! Sirius Black has been Sighted!”

“Dufftown?” Hermione was shocked by the news. “That’s not far from here”

“You don’t think he’d come to Hogwarts…? Do you?” Neville was scared, rightfully so but then “Surely not. Not with dementors at every entrance.”

“Dementors. HA, he’s already slipped past em once! Who say’s he won’t do it again?” Seamus claims.