Secrets To Keep

Hogsmeade Weekend

"Why aren't you coming, Harry?" Hermione was asking. She was excited to see Ron in Hogsmeade.

Harry sighed. "Because, Minerva is teaching me how to be an animangus, I need to meet her. Tell Ron and George I said hi."

He kissed Luna. "Love you, be safe."

Harry turned to head up to Minerva's office, but turned to see her, behind him.

"Hello, Minerva."

"Harry. Up to my office, shall we?"

Harry nodded, walking with her.

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"Now," Minerva began. "as I'm sure you know, you must hold the leaf of a Mandrake in your mouth for a month."

"Yes Ma'am, I was planning on using a sticking charm. Of course I wouldn't be able to talk or eat."

"Ah, yes. Since I'm teaching you, I'll let you in on a little secret. If you use the spell to add a pocket to your mouth, you can put the leaf in it, and you can still eat and talk."

Harry grinned. "That's great, Minerva! But, I've never heard of that spell."

She smiled. "Albus invented it. Repeat after me, addere Nabu. [Add-ee-ree Naw-boo]"

"addere Nabu."

"Excellent. When you cast it, you'll want to point in at your jaw. No...here."

She handed him a Mandrake leaf.

"Remember, annunciation!"

Harry took a breath. "addere Nabu."

Harry's eyes went wide range. "Wow. That feels...weird!"

She nodded. "Now, put your leaf in the pocket. Then I'll cast a spell to seal the pocket, otherwise the leaf falls out."

Harry did so, then let her seal it.

"Sigillium! [See-jee-ee-um]"

"Now, our next lesson will be October...30th."  She told him, then adding, "I'll get the papers to register you."

Harry smiled, leaving.
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"Professor?" Damiana whispered, they were in the library.

Harry looked up from his book, Famous Animangi: by Septimus W.

  "Yes, Ms. Zhang?"

"Uh, I looked for you at your office, well I knocked, and a...thing, I can't remember what they're called, but it told me you were here. I was hoping I could ask you some questions? I didn't wanna do it in class, because you might be less likely to answer."

Harry nodded. "Okay, but just curious, why did you come to me? Why not your Head of House?"

She seemed to struggle. "It's...about you. Luna wouldn't answer."

Harry thought, 'Why wouldn't she?' but said, "Well, okay. Do you want to talk in here, or is there a place you'd prefer?"

"Can we go out to the pitch?"

Harry nodded. "Of course."
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They ran into Luna coming back from Hogsmeade. "Harry!"

"Oh, hi Luna!"

"Where are you going?"

"Weren't going out to the pitch. Ms. Zhang says she wants to talk to me ab I ut something."

Luna's eyes went a but wider. "Oh. Well, can I come? I'll go away, so I won't hear you."

Damiana nodded.

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Luna sat away from them, with the Thestrals.

"Um, Professor, you weren't...well, I read a Daily Prophet article the other day..."

Harry nodded, trying to be encouraging.

"It, uh, said you lived with Muggles relatives."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I did. With my aunt, uncle, and cousin. Didn't your paper on family history say you lived with your grandfather?"

"Yeah. But when I was six, he couldn't take care of me anymore.  So he gave me to his neighbor, Daphne Wayfield..." She added hastily, "I'm grateful, of course!"

Harry nodded, even though the way she'd said it gave him a queasy stomach.

"Anyway, I read your were abused by them."

Harry sighed. "Yeah."

"I'm sorr--wait, yeah?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. Just...do me a favor?"

"Yeah."

"Don't tell the Press this. They'd have a field day."

"Of course. I hate the way they act like you're just a story! Anyway Professor, Kelsey's waiting for me. See ya in class!"
   And she ran away.

Harry stood there for a minute before he felt Luna's hand on his shoulder.

"She asked if you were abused?"

Harry just nodded, still unable to form a word.

"You nodded earlier, I saw you. Let's go in for dinner."

Harry nodded, still speechless by the time he sat at the table.

Minerva noticed and called Luna over. "What happened to him?"

"Damiana asked if he was abused, he nodded. He's speechless. Not sure why. Probably shocked somebody asked."

Minerva nodded.

Hermione noticed Harry wasn't talking the whole dinner. She was determined to ask Luna. And she did.

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Hope ya'll liked it! BTW on this coloring app, I made Ron. Let me know what to write next!