Harry Potter and the Year of Surprises by erinpotter

The Invisible Surprise

Harry thought long and hard about it. He weighed up the pros and cons and still he decided to do it. It was against school rules because the spell had recently been proclaimed one of the most complicated spells ever. The book was in the Restricted Section and it would take a very long time to do, and he had his NEWTs to study for. He asked Ron about it and Ron agreed right away. Yes, it was definitely the best thing to do. 

‘Okay guys, here’s the plan.’ Harry said to the other three. They were all sitting on the floor next to their fire. It was eleven o clock and they had just got back from Dumbledore's office. ‘Hermione, you go to the Restricted Section and get the book. That library woman knows you. She likes you.’

‘Harry, this is your seventh year and you still don't know the librarians name?’ she sighed.

‘Nope, but it doesn’t matter. Actually, maybe Ginny should get the book and say she’s doing extra to catch up with us. You two work it out. Ron and I are going to sneak into Hogsmeade to buy the lockets on Saturday and we’ll take the pictures on Saturday as well. We’ll have to get a camera in Hogsmeade as well. Is that clear?’

Yes, you’ve guessed it. They were going to make protection lockets. 

‘Harry?’ Hermione said. ‘Are you going to SNEAK into Hogsmeade?’

‘Yeah. Why?’

‘You can't Harry. You’re head boy. Do you know what would happen if you got caught?’ she said.

‘Nope. I don't really care either. Your safety and the safeties of Ron and Ginny are far more important to me than a stupid badge!’

‘Yeah, I guess you’re right. Go ahead. When are we going to do the spell?’

‘Well, we have to see what the book says first but with any luck, we’ll be able to do it on Sunday. Everyone okay with that?’

‘Yes.’

‘Yep!’

‘Uh huh. Has anyone got anything to eat? I'm so hungry!’

‘Ron! How can you think about your stomach at a time like this? This is so exciting! We’re going to try and cast one of the hardest spells in the world…three times! Really, you are unbelievable!’ Hermione breathed.

‘Calm down Hermione! I did miss lunch you know, I'm missing a meal!’

‘Harry, we need a note to get into the Restricted Section and to get the book. It needs to be signed by a teacher.’ Ginny said.

‘Why don't you try Erin? She’ll give you one, I think.’ Harry said, thoughtfully.

‘Yeah, but what will we tell her it’s for?’ Ginny, you tell her it’s for a bit of catching up and you’re asking her because you want to keep it a secret. Just say it’s kinda embarrassing having to do extra reading,’

‘It might work.’ Hermione said. ‘But if it doesn’t, I'll ask Professor McGonagall. I'll tell her I want to read a little bit more into something Professor Flitwick said. She fell for it when we were looking for the Polyjuice Potion.’

‘Yeah, is that everything, because I'm really tired and I want to get some sleep?’

‘Yeah me too.’ Hermione said. ‘Ron, I think you look tired.’

‘What, no, not really.’

Hermione gave Ron ‘the look’.

‘Actually, I am quite tired. Night Harry, Ginny, Hermione. I'm off to bed.’

Harry laughed. ‘Yeah, goodnight Ron, night Hermione.’

Harry watched as Ron and Hermione turned the first corner and fell about laughing. Ginny was already doubled over in a fit of silent giggles. Harry tickled her.

‘Harry! No, heehee, I hate… tickles!’

‘I know. No, Ginny, don't you dare!’

Ginny had tried to tickle him back but he was too strong and he forced her onto the sofa and tickled her even more.

‘Harry, I'm going to wet myself!’ she screamed.

‘Okay, okay. Just don't pee on me!’

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Harry woke the next morning, looking forward to Saturday. He knew it would be hard, but they’d done hard stuff before and besides, today they would be that little bit powerful than they were before. He rolled over in his bed and looked at the alarm clock. It was seven thirty. Just in time for a shower before breakfast.

When Harry got downstairs, he found Hermione, Ron and Ginny looking through a rather large file. 

‘What are you looking at?’ he asked.

‘Its George’s file.’ Ginny said. ‘I asked Dumbledore last night if we could have some of the past pupils files. We got as far back as my mum and dads.’

‘Cool, but I'm really hungry. Can we look at them later?’

‘Yeah, mate. I agree. I've been starved all morning!’ Ron sighed.

‘You’ve only been up for ten minutes!’ Hermione shouted and threw a pillow at Ron.

‘Oh, don't start me, Hermione dear.’ Ron said and grabbed a pillow. He threw it at Hermione who moved. It hit Ginny. She picked it up and threw it. It hit Harry in the face.

‘Oh shit.’ she whispered.

Harry grabbed the pillow and threw it at Ginny and grabbed a few more and fired them in various directions, hoping to hit Ron and Hermione. He succeeded but also succeeded in getting three pillows thrown directly at his head. They all fell about laughing until Ron got up at stated that if he didn’t get some food, he’d go crazy and act like a monkey.

‘I think it’s already happened.’ Ginny whispered to Hermione.

They had double charms, history of magic and potions that morning. In charms, they learned about memory charms. Harry remember the time Gilderoy Lockhart tried to do a memory charm on him, but it backfired and it him himself. He was now in St Mungo’s. He couldn’t remember a thing. 
They practised the charms on a partner. All they had to do was think of the time span they wanted to remove from their memory and shout ‘Obliviate!’
Ron managed to get to Harry this time before Hermione got him. Harry was worried about this. Ron wasn’t very good at charms. 

‘Just think five seconds, Ron. Five seconds.’ He warned.

‘Yeah Harry, five seconds!’

Luckily, nothing bad happened. Seamus couldn’t remember anything for five hours so he was sent to the hospital wing. Nothing was too serious though.
In History of Magic, they were talking about the Rise and Fall of Lord Voldemort. That would be the subject they would base their NEWT coursework on. Harry didn’t know what to think, but he knew that no one would be falling asleep in there anymore.
In potions, they fed the potion they brewed yesterday to old rats. Then, they had to guess what the potion was from the effects it took on the rat. 
Harry guess it was as shrinking potion because it got considerably smaller.

‘No Harry. We did shrinking potions in second year. I think it’s an anti-aging potion. Look, it’s still really slow. I've read about these. You look really young on the outside but on the inside you’re still as old as you used to be.’ Hermione whispered. 

‘Yeah, Hermione's right, Harry. My Nan took one once. She only wanted to look a few years younger, but it turned her into a baby!’ Ginny whispered.

Harry laughed, which made Snape take ten points of Gryffindor but it was a good a class as potions was going to get.

They had Transfiguration after lunch. They would be transfiguring pieces of furniture into animals and back again, hopefully.
They walked into the classroom. The Slytherins were already there. They sat down in their usual seats and waited for Professor McGonagall to come in. No one saw her come in so Draco Malfoy came sliding over to their table. 

‘What?’ Harry said.

‘Oh nothing Potter. I was just admiring the view.’

‘Excuse me?’ Hermione said.

‘Oh no mudblood. Don't worry; it wasn’t you I was looking at. It was weasel’s little sister here.’ Malfoy stroked Ginny’s hair. She shuddered.

‘Malfoy, just piss off. You know you don't have a chance so I suggest you slide back over to your seat before I hex you. Or don't you remember being hexed in Umbridge’s room?’

‘Yeah Weasley, but I like ‘em fiery.’

‘Malfoy, I'm warning you. Fuck off now or I'll kick your ass, muggle style.’ Harry threatened. 

Malfoy looked at Harry, who was much taller and a lot stronger. He decided against fighting him but leaned in to Ginny,

‘The offer’s on the table if you want to take it up, Weasley.’ He walked away.

‘What did he say to you?’ Hermione asked.

‘He said the offers still open. Don't worry about it, Harry. Do you honestly think I'd go there?’ Ginny said.

‘No Gin, but he’s just annoying. I can't believe he did that! I'm standing right here. If he makes one more move on you, he’ll be on his back faster than you can say “Quidditch”.’

McGonagall turned up a few minutes later but they hadn’t time to do anything practical. They took more notes on transfiguring things into animals.

DADA was going to be fun that day. They were going to be trying to be come invisible. 

‘Afternoon class. Don't bother sitting down. Just put your bags at the back of the classroom and we’ll get started.’

Everyone threw their bags to the back and watched as Erin vanished the tables and chairs.

‘Right, I'm just going to show you what an invisibility cloak looks like. There are only fifty of these in existence and I am the lucky owner of one of them. It was passed down to me from my father when he died. It’s really pretty useful.’

Erin handed the cloak around. Everyone looked amazed and Seamus had a go at trying it on. When it got to Harry he passed it on, looking bored as did the other three.

‘Why aren’t you four interested in it?’ Erin asked.

‘No offence meant, Erin, but we’re all used to seeing one. We…er…know someone who owns one and…er…’

‘Enough said.’ she winked at Harry. ‘Right, give me that and we’ll get started.’

She put the cloak away and came up too the front. Everyone watched her as she screwed up her face and suddenly, she was gone.
Everyone looked shock and Parvati and Lavender screamed. 
Harry felt something tap his shoulder. He looked around and no one was there. 
Ginny felt someone pull her hair and she laughed. ‘Erin!’
Erin appeared beside her. 

‘That’s how to do it. Any more surprises? Does anyone know how to do it already?’ she joked.

‘Nope, definitely not.’ Harry laughed.

‘Now, have you all had to hide?’ Erin said.

‘Sorry Erin. I don't understand what you mean.’ Hermione said.

‘Well, I presume you’ve all played hide and seek, but have you all REALLY had to hid. Like, trying to hide from a teacher say, or maybe even someone you really feared. Like, lord Voldemort?’

Everyone nodded. Lavender, Parvati, Dean and Seamus had been instructed by Harry to hide in the room of requirement when Voldemort came to the school last year. It had turned into a large room with lots of hidden doors and corners to hid in when Voldemort came looking for them. They all remembered it like it was yesterday.
Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione had hid from the death eaters in the Department of Mysteries and when Voldemort was at Hogwarts last June, they had constantly hid from him, while following him. 

‘Good. You see, you must remember a time when you truly had to hide to become invisible. You see, all my life, I have been followed by Lord Voldemort because I own something of my father’s which he wants badly. On several occasions since he returned I have had to hide. So when I am trying to become invisible, I think of one of those times.’

Everyone looked sympathetic towards her. They felt for her, just like they did for Harry.

‘Okay! It does not do to dwell on the past, look to the future. I sound really stupid saying that but I mean it. Don't dwell on things; just try to make the situation better. Now, has everyone got a time when they were hiding?’

‘Yes’ came the scattered answer.

‘Now, you have to really screw up your face and concentrate on hiding. Hopefully some of you should become invisible.’

Erin looked around. Lavender and Parvati hadn’t screwed up their faces properly.

‘Why aren’t you two doing it right?’ she asked.

‘Sorry Erin, but I kinda, well, I feel stupid. What if someone was watching?’ Parvati said. Lavender nodded in agreement.

‘No one could possibly be watching because they are all screwing up their faces! Except me, but I know how stupid I look like. Do I care? No. you remind me of a girl in the year below me. Cho Chang. I had to tutor her DADA and she just wouldn’t screw up her face.’

Neither Lavender nor Parvati wanted to be like Cho. All the Gryffindors hated her because of what she and her sneak friend had done to Harry. They screwed up their faces and concentrated. 
Erin smiled. She could see the tips of Ron's fingers disappearing and Hermione's feet were totally gone. Ginny's legs were fading fast and the only part of Harry left was his head. Erin looked around. No one else was making progress. It was pretty good. Four in a class of eight. That was half. She waited until those four had completely disappeared and she told everyone to open their eyes. Lavender and Parvati screamed again. Dean and Seamus grinned at Harry.

‘Well done you four. Take a look at yourselves.’

Harry lifted his hand but looked right through it. He looked around him. Ron, Hermione and Ginny were invisible too. He heard Ron laugh from somewhere near his right. He reached out.

‘Ow! That was my chest!’ Ron moaned.

‘Sorry mate.’ Harry sneaked around behind Dean and Seamus and slapped their faces.

‘Harry! Is that you?’

Harry kept quiet and slipped around to Lavender and Parvati. He pulled Lavender’s ponytail and poked Parvati in the back.

‘Ow! My back!’

‘Who touched my hair?’

‘Okay, stop messing whoever is doing that. To come back, you must think of a time when you were exposed. No Parvati I don't mean naked! I don't mean lots of people looking at you. Its like being on a broomstick with the wind blowing in your face. Or sitting on top of a building. Something like that. So you get what I mean?’

‘Yes.’ said Hermione

‘Yeah.’ came Harry's voice.

‘Yep!’ It was Ginny.

‘Uh huh.’ said Ron.

‘Okay, just screw up your face again except this time think of being exposed.

Harry thought of when he was in primary school. He was being chased by Dudley’s gang and suddenly found himself on the roof of a school building. 
Hermione also thought of her third year when she and Harry flew Buckbeak up to the tower to save Sirius. Although she hated it, she was definitely exposed.
Ron thought of when he was on the quidditch pitch, flying on Harry’s new Firebolt Series Two last June.
Ginny thought of when Ron left for Hogwarts and she was alone all year. She thought of climbing to the top of the highest tree in the orchard and looking out at the burrow, the river and the fields.

They all opened their eyes to find that they were very much visible and Erin started a loud round of applause. The four that could not turn invisible, followed suit.