"Today is a great day for quidditch!"
Harper grinned at Lee as she nodded, the two walking up the stands and sitting behind the score box. Wrapping her scarf tightly around her neck as she sat down, students and professors slowly began to fill the pitch.
It wasn't long before the match began, Lee calling the match as it unfolded. Harper noticed one of the bludgers starting to follow Harry, each time Fred and George tried to knock it away from him the bludger would come back in full force.
"That bludger is really worrying," Harper muttered to Lee who nodded as he continued his uncanny knack of commentary.
"And there goes Potter through the stands! Will he get rid of the bludger? Is the snitch that way? We'll have to wait to find out!" Lee commented to the crowd.
"Weasleys do something!" Harper shouted, her voice booming through the pitch over the amplifier. The twins turned toward her and shrugged, they couldn't stop the bludger.
The Slytherin seeker, Draco was hot on Harry's tail as well, the two ducking from view before Malfoy's broom pitched from a support beam and crashed to the ground. Harper tried not to laugh. Harry came back into view, the glint of gold right in front of him as he reached out for it.
"Can Potter get the snitch?!"
"It's right there!" Harper cheered.
Harry leaned forward and catching the snitch just before crashing to the ground, the rouge bludger crashing to the ground around Harry before it exploded with sparks. Professors and the Gryffindor house all stormed the field, Harper pulled Lee along as they approached the scene, Lockhart boasting to the crowd in his annoying fashion.
"I really think I need to go to the hospital wing," Harry was complaining, holding his arm against him.
"Nonsense, I can patch you up, easily!" Lockhart was boasting.
Harper started to punch Lee's arm excitedly, she looked at him as she bounced up and down. "Proof! The proof he's a fraud! Look, look! He's going to-"
"Harper, stop," Lee laughed as they watched Lockhart tap Harry's arm. Removing all the bones from Harry's forearm.
Harper bit her lip as she grinned, "I've been telling you the entire time!"
Lee rolled his eyes, "people can mess up spells, Harps."
Harper pouted at her friend, noticing that just over his shoulder McGonagall was smirking, the two caught each other's eyes and McGonagall winked at her student. At least someone was on her side that something about Lockhart wasn't all that seemed to be.
"You two aren't that impressive of beaters as I thought," Harper had her hands on her hips when Fred and George appeared from the changing rooms with the girls behind them.
"Oi! That bludger was jinxed and there was nothing we could do," Fred frowned.
"That's not fair, you try taking on a rouge bludger like that," George scowled.
"We're still the best beaters at school."
Harper chuckled slightly, "maybe."
"Harpsichord....take it back or else."
Harper grinned, the group walking up the hill, "or what exactly?"
"I'll give you ten seconds," George smirked, cracking his knuckles menacingly.
Harper started running up the hill away from the group as fast as she could, laughing as she tried to make it to the common room before the boys caught her.
"What were you going to do?" Fred chuckled, watching Harper's hair fly wildly behind her.
"Actually nothing, just enjoy making her run," George snorted with a shrug. "Want to go to the kitchens?"
***
"You know, I've been thinking," Harper quirked an eyebrow as Angelina finished her bowl of ice cream. Gently clinking the bowl against their small table in the kitchens.
"What's legilimency feel like?" Angelina asked.
"To perform or have it done to you?" Harper asked slowly, the hairs on her neck sticking up.
"Both," Angelina shrugged.
Harper scowled at her friend for several long minutes, Angelina refused to meet her gaze, she began to slowly push her spoon around the bowl in front of her.
"Angelina Johnson. Whatever it is you're plotting...stop," Harper scowled.
"I think we should use it. On me. As an outside perspective." Angelina paused for a moment, "like the point is to look at a memory right? You'll be able to...you'll be able to see the environment in a third person view....right?"
Gossiping sneak, voices echoed through her head.
"Ange. There's a reason natural legilimens are viewed as cautionary people, there's a reason it was a technique used during the first war. It's a grey area that scares people. Most people who can do this technique are way into the Dark Arts-"
"You won't hurt me," Angelina smiled at her.
"Ange....no. This is insane. I can't. It's asinine! It's-its...." She stopped talking as she floundered for words.
"Does Snape actually let you see memories when you've been in your lessons with him?"
"Yeah, they're mostly him just glaring at his students," Harper rubbed her neck.
"Has he ever seemed like it hurts?"
"Angelina. I will not do this to you! I told you before, I would never use this to look inside someone's memories like that. I'm trying to get a handle on things so I'm not a monster anymore."
"Don't you want to tell George about this? About how you feel? How-"
Harper began to tremble slightly, voices of the past started to emerge in the back of her mind.
"I'm begging you...this isn't a path we should take," Harper spoke with a shaky voice, she felt as if all the oxygen had been swept from the room.
"I think it's an avenue we should venture down, we're stuck unless something happens. Why not just see what we can find?" Angelina spoke calmly, reaching out a hand. "You won't hurt me, I know you won't."
Harper drew a shaky breath, her ears ringing and her vision swirling slightly as the panic attack continued to chew through her.
You little brat, thinking you can go through our thoughts and spill all our secrets so easily.
"No, Angelina. No."
"Harper, I want to help and I'm begging you. If you can study yourself outside of yourself then-"
"Then I could use my own memories..."
"Wouldn't an outside perspective be better?" Angelina tilted her hand to the side.
Harper studied her friend, her mouth dry as she tried to wet her lips. Angelina was correct, they were stuck at the beginning still. This might be a viable solution.
But.
"What's your plan then...if we got it to work?" Harper felt as if she'd been separated from her body, as she studied her hands.
She wanted to make progress, she was at a wall in the road. But was it worth this price? Legilimency was taxing on the person it was used on, it was used as torture during the first wizarding war. It was heavily discouraged and natural legilimens were rare to come by. When one was found, it was a dark secret, many feared this kind of power while some people chose to seek it. A true master legilimens was a scary individual if given the right tools.
If she was rare, she likely deserved the treatment she got at her old school, the fear that radiated off her classmates had slowly made sense the longer Harper researched books on the subject.
She was considered somewhat dangerous by textbook standards.
"So how do you recommend we do this? If it hurts you're going to start screaming."
Angelina bit her lip slightly, thinking this over, "we should do it in potions, you seem to be the most susceptible in potions...and if things go haywire, we get the twins to cause a distraction and Snape will be there so...he'll murder us for this, but obviously he'll think you're desperate enough that maybe he can just resume lessons himself."
"Having them cause a distraction means telling them..."
"Those two would love to cause a distraction, especially for you," Angelina smirked. "Won't even have to ask twice."
Harper bit her lip and nodded, "alright....maybe we should warn Snape what we're about to do?"
"He might tell us no...."
Harper looked at her hands and nodded, "he's been choosing potions that are either really difficult or really easy....have you noticed?"
"He's definitely giving you outs."
"Well.....Let's get to work then, we should warn the girls," Harper frowned. Feeling uneasy as she looked at her friend, Angelina reached across the table and gave her hands a squeeze.
Gossiping sneak, voices echoed through her head.
"This isn't my best idea, but I do think this might help."
"You just want to experience what it's like."
Angelina shrugged, moving her head from side to side as she tried not to smile, "morbid curiosity."
"You're literally mental, Ange...." Angelina snorted slightly. "Ange. They used this magic as a torture technique....it's not a joke. That's why...that's why people fear a natural legilimens. That's why I lost my friends, why I got expelled."
Angelina jutted her jaw out, nodding slowly, "I know the risk and the trust I'm asking for. This might actually be a key."
It was a week later in potions that Angelina and Harper nodded to each other, they had warned the girls what was going on and while they literally yelled how insane and dangerous this was, Harper reminded them that Snape did say she was excelling at the legilimens charm itself. Today's potion was of average difficulty, nothing that Harper couldn't handle multitasking on, as she began gathering the ingredients for the invigoration draught.
Alright, let's ge-
"Legillimens," Harper whispered, pointing her wand at Angelina behind her cauldron.
Angelina made a gasping noise just before Harper's vision was no longer the potions room, but the boys' dormitory.
30 galleons. Christmas.
That is so much! Are you sure?
Angelina was grinning, holding out her hand for Fred to shake. I know it'll be Christmas.
If the pool rolls over to next year, you're stuck with Christmas. Are you sure?
I have confidence in my girl that it'll be Christmas.
Harper shook her head watching the scene unfold.
"This. This is so amazing!"
Harper turned to see the current Angelina was grinning beside Harper, watching the scene that started the betting pool on her love life.
"Are you feeling alright?" Harper looked over at Angelina, who nodded and grinned excitedly
"A bit of a headache but this is tolerable...you're not hurting me," Angelina smiled, "what'll we see next?!"
Harper rolled her eyes, walking away from the scene, watching memories flit by like lights. Clearing her throat she turned to Angelina.
"Think about classes"
Angelina scrunched her face up and suddenly a few balls of fleeting memories swept by them. They were suddenly sitting in defense, Angelina sitting and doodling in her notebook, Harper laughed slightly before watching herself toss a wad of paper directly at Angelina's head.
"You were definitely annoyed about something here"
"Yeah, being in that class...."
"Maybe we need a potions class?"
The memory flitted and morphed and they were standing around cauldrons.
Nonmacker, can you hand me the honey water?
Only if you tell me why. Because you don't need it yet.
George rolled his eyes slightly, come on potions princess, just let me have it.
I'm telling you, you don't need it yet!
Are you telling me I'm making this wrong?
Wouldn't be the first time, let me see your potion
Harper was laughing as George started pouting.
"God you two are sickening sometimes," the current Angelina scoffed.
Harper blushed, looking at Angelina and shaking her head.
The scene changed a few more times, Harper studying how she looked from an outside view. She didn't look upset or annoyed, instead Harper always looked relaxed, as she thought back to all that she watched she remembered not concentrating on what she should've....was this really that easy?
"What about Halloween?"
The scene changed, Harper was sitting across from Angelina in between the twins as usual. Harper watched as herself fidgeted and flinched in her seat, her eyes darting everywhere. Harper reflexively reached for her head, feeling the ghost of the pressure she got during these moments. Harper leaned forward, watching herself and George, trying to decipher any changes between the two, but it just looked like two friends sitting very close on a cramped bench. Nothing out of the ordinary.
"That should be enough information, we should stop here."
"oi, oi! Girls? Girls!"
Harper turned her eyes away from Angelina and smiled at the twins who were looking at her like she was insane.
"We know you're the potions princess and all that, but I don't think full on daydreaming in class is your style," Fred frowned.
"I support the idea...but at least bottle your potion up first," George added.
"And Ange! you too?!" Fred looked slightly appalled at the girls.
Angelina shrugged, "we were up all night....couldn't sleep."
The boys pursed their lips, not buying the story, but said nothing as they continued on their potions.
"Now that you're awake and I have your attention, can you help me here? My potion turned purple..." Fred frowned.
Harper snorted, sighing as she looked over Fred's potion with a thoughtful smile. "Whatever you need, Freddie."
"So. Did we figure anything out?" Angelina rubbed her hands together as they sat on Angelina's bed sometime after classes.
"You were annoying me in both cases, and Halloween....I just remember the pressure," Harper thought it over. Angelina kicked out at her knee and glared. "I don't know Ange....I kind of feel like it did nothing."
Angelina pouted, "actually in both cases George was brought up!"
"George has nothing to do with this..."
"What I'm saying is, you were enjoying yourself and relaxed and then boom.....You started hearing thoughts."
"So always be uptight and on guard. Got it...."
Angelina groaned as she laid out, "Harper!"
"Angelina!" Harper mocked, filing her nails slightly.
"Actually....the potions class, did you hear my thoughts or George's first?"
Harper put down her file and scowled, "what makes you think George's thoughts came up?"
"You were laughing and you told me before, he likes your laugh," Angelina raised an eyebrow and scowled at her.
"I...if I remember correctly, I heard him say something about my laugh and then you jumped right on top of it...."
"He really fancies you," Angelina grinned, Harper rolled her eyes slightly.
"Ange, I swear if that's all we got out of doing something completely idiotic in front of a bunch of people. I'll never forgive you."
Angelina's cheeks flushed slightly, "I told you, you wouldn't hurt me...Fred said it looked like we both just fell asleep."
"We got lucky," Harper growled with a frown, going back to filing her nails into almond shaped points.
Angelina nodded, chewing on her thumbnail, "we'll figure it out."
"Can we without stupid, risky measures?"
"Where's your sense of fun?"
"Hmmm he's about six foot something and has gorgeous brown eyes, and I think he's downstairs waiting to steal my charms essay."
Angelina started giggling, Harper smirked as she rolled her eyes.
***
Harper looked up from her breakfast, seeing Ginny some seats away steadily writing in that shoddy diary, she looked...healthy? But all Harper felt comfortable doing was bothering the twins to check on her and check in with Ron and Hermione to see how Ginny was doing. No one really seemed to say much, but out of respect for Harper, they all attempted to make sure Ginny at least knew they were considerate about how she was adjusting to school.
"Harper..." George cleared his throat, all the girls looked up with excited grins, Joy and Alicia took each other's hands and began jumping in their seats. "Hogsmeade."
"Sure," Behind Harper's veil of hair, she was smirking as George opened and closed his mouth. "It's a date"
"It's a date!" Joy and Alicia repeated to each other, "it's a date!" They shouted.
Harper pulled out her wand and suddenly the girls' voices were muffled, they huffed at Harper who winked.
I need help
Harper's vision was suddenly black, flickers of light, and then back to normal. Harper looked down the bench to see Ginny Weasley packing all her things before hurrying off.
"How's Ginny?" Harper mused, looking over George who shrugged.
"She seems to be adjusting fine," George nodded.
Harper scowled, something was definitely going on with the girl.
You're a gossiping sneak
Harper batted away old memories as she tried to calm her breathing. She hated this and hated seeing Ginny like this, maybe she should take the information to Snape?
You're wrong, all wrong
***
Harper looked at her jeans and smiled at how she looked, a black top with blue jeans and ankle boots. She'd curled her hair and laid it out to the side in a nice black curtain, grabbing her cardigan, bounding downstairs to find George leaning against the back of the couch.
"Ready then?" George grinned, holding out his arm for her before the two began walking down and out of the castle. "What got you free today?"
"Convinced my aunt it was fine for me to go," Harper smiled.
"So if it's not your aunt taking your free time, it's all those extra lessons," George laughed slightly.
"The lessons were paused for a bit actually," Harper frowned before they continued their walk into the village.
"Oh they were?" George spoke a bit excitedly.
"That just means more time for studying now," Harper laughed.
George scoffed as they entered Zonkos, George grinned as he looked around the joke shop excitedly and picked some things for purchase. Pointing out different things to Harper that he enjoyed using for pranks on other students.
Off in the distance, Harper saw Fred standing with Joy and Lee Jordan who were all grinning like idiots. Harper rolled her eyes and kept walking beside George who was discussing an idea for a new prank.
"What if there was a way to make something you ate that got you out of classes? Or give to someone you don't care for....I'd love to mess with Malfoy. See him eat a sweet that turns him purple!"
"I think I've been a bad influence on you miss Nonemacker."
"No I always love a prank or two," Harper winked, "you boys just don't feel to include me is all."
George smirked, "I'll remember that."
"So this is the shrieking shack," George smiled at the old house. He pulled out the old parchment with a wink, Harper glared.
Harper leaned in close to look at the blank parchment. "Is this the big grand secret to how you stalked me last year?"
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," George tapped the paper and the map came to life. Harper squeaked as she watched the paper transform. "Sorry my dear, we couldn't help ourselves. You have a mysterious air about you."
"Do I still seem that mysterious?" Harper asked with a grin.
"Growing more and more mysterious everyday," George smiled, he pointed at the map, "now here. This passage takes you inside the shack from the school."
"Why don't we go then?"
"Go where?"
"Let's go inside the shack and then take the passage back to the castle, the group is going to tear us apart about today. Why not get some extra privacy before they tear the Mickey out of us?"
George chuckled slightly, "ah I like the way you think Miss Nonemacker. Let's go then."
Harper grinned, the rebellious idea igniting her urge for adventure. And who better to take on this adventure with her than George Weasley. Together the two managed to get down the steep hill and to the front door of the shack, with tentative footing Harper slowly opened the door. The floorboards were creaking under their feet, "lumos," Harper muttered, her wand tip lighting the dusty floors before them.
"Do you know where to find the passage?"
"Not exactly," George said a bit gruffly. Harper turned around to see George looking stiff and slightly frightened.
"Are you frightened, Weasley?"
"Oh shove it," George muttered.
Harper giggled slightly as she looked around the room.
Come on, mate. Don't be a chicken.
Harper frowned, George's thoughts making her heart pang in her chest slightly. His fear becoming hers. She had thought this would be a fun adventure, but now she realized it was sort of spooky being in a supposed haunted house.
Just find the passage way and you can get out
"George, let's just head back," she tried to hide the disappointment in her voice but even she could hear it.
Way to go. You're making her upset
Harper closed her eyes and started to hum to herself, hearing his thoughts was different than anyone else's. she felt her heart twitch in pain.
"Revelio," Harper whispered. The floor stirred and she smiled when she saw the outline of a door. A small draft was coming through the sides.
"George, it's time to go!" She pushed open the door and jumped down, smiling as they slowly made their way back to the castle. Harper's sense of adventure completely dead when they appeared at the base of the whomping willow. "Erm....how exactly do we get out without getting the shit punched out of us?"
George looked around for a moment, pulling out his wand he carefully pointed it at the branches.
"Immobulus!" With a smile the two climbed out and ran out of reach of the savage tree.
"That was one hell of an adventure," George breathed, trying to laugh as they approached the castle doors.
Harper gave a tight smile and nodded, they silently walked to the common room where everyone was happily sitting around the plush chairs. Without a word Harper walked upstairs and closed the curtains around her bed, it was a few minutes before Joy and Angelina poked their heads through the curtains and frowned at her.
"Boys are so dumb," Harper wiped at her eyes and laughed.
***
"Here's the bat wings," Harper held out a pair to George who grunted in response.
Harper sighed deeply, it'd been a month since the Hogsmeade weekend. George was mostly reserved around Harper since. This dynamic made the girls upset as their Cupid magic wasn't working anymore. Made Angelina and Fred competitive as they kept upping the bets between them. And it was such a big distraction for Harper she barely focused on what she should be focusing on.
Angelina flicked a wad of paper at Harper who glared, with a huff, Harper turned back to her potion.
Harper. You gotta focus.
Harper looked at Angelina, rolling her eyes
Come on! Don't you want to be able to tell the boys soon?!
Harper nodded.
"Oi, stop it with your secret conversations," Fred interrupted them with an air of annoyance. "It's getting scary now."
The boys deserve to know
"I know!" Harper shouted, she clamped her hand to her mouth and let out a groan as Snape appeared behind them. He only sneered but said nothing as he walked off.
Sorry H
Harper made a small heart, hanging her head and turning to her cauldron. The rest of the day was quiet as the group made their way through classes. In the library that evening, Harper sat alone looking through more books from the restricted section.
"Harpsichord," Harpers heart fluttered without her consent as she looked up at a tired looking George.
"Yes?" She closed the book she was copying notes from, looking up at him as he leaned against her desk.
"There's something...there's something you aren't telling me."
Harper began to stammer, her face flushing as she shook her head, her bun falling from atop her head and falling into her eyes.
"I don't know what you really mean."
"Come on....we haven't talked much since the shack. It's been bothering me ever since," George frowned.
"The holidays start tomorrow and you want to know about a trip we took a few weeks ago?" Harper crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.
George rubbed the back of his neck and frowned, "sorry....I know the timing is bad. But...I've actually been trying in my classes and with the holiday coming, I didn't want to leave and come back not friends anymore."
Harper gave a small smile, "I understand. But that wasn't going to happen." George nodded, frowning, "you know we didn't have to go into that shack if you were frightened."
"I wasn't.....I wasn't frightened," George coughed. Harper raised an eyebrow, "alright I started getting a bad sensation. Didn't you?"
Harper shook her head, shrugging slightly, "can't say I was, Georgie."
George nodded, "I just feel....distant. You feel distant."
"I'm sorry George," Harper said sincerely.
"When we're back for term....back to normal yeah?"
"Promise," Harper smiled.
George put his hands in his pockets, giving a slight smile and nodded before turning on his heel and leaving.
I'm such a git
Harper's heart twinge, closing her eyes she turned back down to the book. Studying for how she was going to continue working on her legilimency. She needed to find out how to stop the humming in her skull during meals, as long as she focused on herself and a task, she didn't wander into others thoughts. The problems were dinners when the humming was too much pressure on her temples. That's what she needed to focus on. Working with Angelina, she was finally able to stop listening to her thoughts. It took focus and was specific to one person. What she needed was the perfect environment and the right amount of information.
"George came to see me in the library," she sighed as Joy and her sat in the kitchens for dinner.
"What happened?" Joy said excitedly.
"He was trying to apologize for being a git."
"Oh! That is so sweet!" Joy grinned as she gave a dreamy sigh.
Harper rolled her eyes, "I do think I fancy him."
"Of course you do, or else his thoughts wouldn't make you feel emotional. You don't get like that otherwise right?"
Harper nodded, "he's the first person I want to tell when I'm ready."
Joy jumped up and down, clapping her hands as she giggled. "I love this so much!"
"Why're you so hell bent on setting up your friends?" Harper laughed.
Joy smirked, "you don't see how perfect you two are. It's adorable. He gets a goofy grin on his face when you show up...like out of those romantic movies!"
Harper rolled her eyes slightly, Joy nudged Harper with her foot, "I'm telling you, Harper. Take my word for it."
***
Excluding the first year chapters, the new ones are all named after songs/bands I like. Like todays
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