Hermione was going over some books on advanced copy charms, trying to add more details to her project of automatically memorizing novels and tombs. Daphne actually looked adorable, wrapped around a thick law book on a soft couch. Harry jerked his eyes back to his book when she looked up. He was having a harder time having normal conversations with her since they started hanging out so often, and frankly it made him feel... strange. Nice though. He absently twirled his wand, deciding to ignore his current book about magical theory. It was really not satisfying, as he knew that normal witches and wizards could follow this book and actually improve in their spell work... but he kept getting confused. It seemed like the author was wrong on a lot of things, but was giving good advice ANYWAY.
It was like convincing a man dying of thirst to drink water... because it would balance the earth and increase mango production. It worked, but it was not exactly on the mark.
It had gotten so annoying that he had started making his own journal describing what he could SEE of magic, how it worked, how it felt, how it tasted. Oh, that had been odd, but he did learn that you had to break the thread off before putting it in your mouth. Felt like licking a battery if you didn't.
His magic tasted like lime. He had not built up enough courage to ask anyone to taste theirs. Harry watched his wand twist, turn and flip. He was partially doing finger exercises, partially just moving it with threads. His magic HAD been developing from all the strange spells he used now, his threads were as strong as his ropes USED to be, and using ropes felt like overkill really.
Daphne looked up again. Harry blushing was a highlight of her reading afternoons, although he seemed overly distracted today. Well, he never did push his Boy-Who-Lived persona, maybe all the extra attention made him feel self-conscious?
She watched as he began twirling his strange wand, tip glowing green as it flipped through his fingers... floating? It was twirling... how did he do that? There was a green band of light left from the tip as he somehow began to increase the speed. The ribbon was slowly stretching as he twirled faster... faster... She couldn't see it now. His hand had a green band around it and there was a high pitch whistling sound. "H... Harry?"
His hand whipped out and snagged the wand. "Yes, Daph?"
Wow those green eyes. "How did you do... Harry, are you feeling all right?"
He started to nod... and sigh. "Sorry, Daph, Mione. Today is a rough one for me." He waved a hand, and all his books began vanishing while the library books began stacking and ordering themselves. Hermione didn't even blink, used to seeing him do this in private, although Daphne's mouth was hanging open. Thankfully Harry didn't seem to notice.
Harry leaned back in the chair. "I always try to stay quiet during this holiday, back when I was really young. When I got older, I actually went out trick-or-treating..." Seeing confusion on Daphne's face, he held his hands apart. "Kids dress up and ask for candy. It is fun, really." He sighed. "Don't know if I can do that again, now that I know my family died today. It somehow makes it all feel... more real."
Daphne felt something cold settle in her stomach. She knew, everyone knew, that Harry had survived the killing curse... but she had never thought that much about the two people before him who didn't. Everyone was so happy about his survival that... he was alone. She remembered when her father almost died from a poison attempt, and the fear that she and Astoria had as they waited for news.
The thought of being alone had never really entered her mind.
At some point she realized she was looking into Harry's eyes, and that he had understanding there looking back. She failed hiding her blush and turned back to her legal book, some section about requirements of fire protection when within three districts of certain potion shops. Hermione gave his arm a squeeze, and went back to her book too. She had already read it of course, but she knew Harry pretty well by now. He needed someone to be there, just not fussing over him. Even if she wanted to. Sometimes his eyes got a look that made her just want to hug him and tell him that everything was going to get better somehow.
It was easier to handle with other friends like this. She was grateful Daphne had offered to hang out with them.
They sat quietly, knowing that Dinner would be starting soon. Harry absently waved a hand, a bowl moving from his hand storage, with Stasis locked cut fruit inside. Daphne took a strawberry without looking up too much from her book, as it was getting into some interesting rent by-laws she had missed last time.
As Harry started to eat some melon, he paused.
'Quack!' For a moment, his body locked up. This... This was BAD. "Hermione, Daphne, we have a problem. Four LARGE creatures are being led through the main entrance." Even as he talked he was standing, pulling Hermione toward Daphne and the door. As they all stood quickly Harry gave them hard looks.
Daphne could FEEL the air somehow going colder. His eyes were glowing harsh green. "You two need to tell McGonagall and Flitwick. I need you to move quickly, because I may not be able to slow them long before they reach children."
Hermione got a stricken look. "Harry, I can't let you..." The look turned on her made her pause before she nodded. "I will get McGonagall."
Harry nodded, and touched her forehead. Her eyes began to glow brown slightly. "Follow that path and you will reach her quickly. When you need to find me, tap your forehead and I will reverse the directions back to me." He turned to Daphne. "I need you to go to the Great Hall and keep everyone in. No one but teachers may leave, understood?"
She nodded. He reached forward and tapped her face... and suddenly there was a floating green arrow, pointing out the door. She KNEW the path, every edge, each corner, every secret passage that would make slightly faster, and she could FEEL Harry's urgency.
"Are we understood?" Harry saw both nod, and he grit his teeth. "Then time to go."
He blurred away, like smoke on a windy day.
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