The Silver Tongue

chapter 18

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The potion was finished without difficulty. The Pack was waiting till after dinner to take it. Sitting at the Hufflepuff table Harry was the one who noticed Luna always looking over at Cho, who sat all alone at the end of the table.

"A knut for your thoughts Luna." Harry smiled at her. She pulled her eyes away from the pitiful sight to lock them with his.

"Is that all they are worth? The Mugglars would give me nectar from the amber rose." Luna was distracted, he could hear it in her voice.

"Luna, talk to me. I'm your Alpha; it's my job to take care of you." Harry pushed his empty plate away. His jasmine tea took its place.

"I think Cho has learned her lesson. She doesn't have any friends, her grades are falling, and when she talks it has no bite anymore. I sit with her everyday but this past week she's been talking to me. With what she says, I think the punishment should end." Luna watched to girl get up and leave. Many just ignored her as she passed; others turned their noses up at her.

Harry watched Cho and then turned to look at Luna next to him. "Luna if you think her punishment is done that's fine. All you have to do is tell her, in person, that you forgive her. She'll go back to her natural state."

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"Alright, who wants to go first?" Draco set a tray down on the table in the middle of the common room. He took the open seat by Ginny on the couch.

No one stepped up until Harry sighed. He stood, drawing all eyes to him as he grabbed the first glass vial of the jelly like yellow potion. He turned to look at Hermione. "You will cast the spell for me when I am ready." She nodded.

Harry sat down cross legged on the floor. He lifted the potion to his lips and drank it in one go. It was horrendous tasting and it slid down his throat like thick slime. When he felt that he wasn't going to be sick he closed his eyes and calmed his breathing, concentrating on his heart beat and the magic flowing with his blood. He was soon in the room he had created deep in his mind, the dark world he made as a child to block the pain of the outside world. He felt magic cradle him as he just sat in oblivion.

Something pulled his attention for the peace. It looked like an animal for the glimpse he got. He turned all the way around. It was a wolf. A wolf made of what looked like smoke and with piercing emerald eyes. A small flash of red drew his eyes to a mark on the wolf's shoulder. There was a red ring around it. When Harry finished observing the wolf it faded, leaving him to his dark peacefulness once again. It didn't last long. He was soon pulled back into the real world.

Harry slowing came back to the world. He concentrated on his heart and then his breath. When he felt that he was all the way out of his mind he opened his eyes. Hermione sat in front of him waiting. He noticed Neville and Fred on either side of him, eyes closed and breathing deep. A glance passed Neville showed Luna in the same state. Ginny sat in front of her brother, Draco was in front of Luna, and Fred in front of Neville.

"Welcome back to the world Harrison." Helga greeted him. Harry smiled.

"Tell us, what did you see?" Godric asked. He looked excited, like a child in a candy store.

Harry stood, stretching out his legs. "A wolf made of smoke with a red band around its shoulder appeared to me."

"Very good. The wolf shows your animagus form. The red band shows that you can use blood magic. But the smoke wasn't smoke. It was shadows. It shows that you can use shadow magic too." Rowena smiled widely.

Harry wanted to ask questions but decided to keep them to himself until all the others were done. Neville 'woke' next. He looked afraid and disoriented. "Neville, you alright?" Fred moved to steady the poor boy.