The Not so Dark Hours (Tomarry)

CHAPTER 25

"Why the bloody hell is he here?" Ron hisses as we look at Dumbledore, who is standing leisurely at the front of the transfiguration classroom. I sigh inaudibly and pray to mother magic that everything will go well.

"Good morning everybody. Now I'm sure many of you are unsure why your headmaster is standing at the front of your classroom instead of in his office. Well, the answer is that my poor colleague Professor McGonnagall has caught a sickness not even Professor Snape's potions can easily fix, so for today, and perhaps the rest of the month, I will be taking over my old post as transfiguration teacher. Only for your year of course, we found someone capable of taking over the other time slots. So, that aside, lets begin with the lesson." Dumbledore explains with a sickeningly sweet smile, which, up until the point I was kidnapped, I had always thought of as grandfatherly.

Moving forward, I must begrudgingly admit that Dumbledore is not a bad teacher. He engages everyone and explains everything in easy terms. He even spelled a piece of chalk to write bullet points on the blackboard, in case someone couldn't catch up with the verbal lesson. His lesson on the topic of vanishment, although I already am quite informed about it, is very interesting and I dutifully take neat notes, just like Remus taught me to.

After the lesson I pack my things in lightning speed and escape just as I hear Dumbles starting to form my name. I grab Ron's hand and drag him all the way to the great hall, ignoring his heavy panting.

"Harry! Why *heave* are we *catches breath* running? By Helga's saggy tits, couldn't you have taken it a bit slower?" Ron complains as we arrive and walk to find a place at the Gryffindor table.

I see Ginny waving at us from across the room and approach her, surprised to find Luna sitting next to her at our house table. I open my mouth to greet Luna, just to let out a shameful croak. Right... I drank the potion I had prepared at the manor to help avoid my accidentally speaking. Good thing too, I was just about to blow my cover on day two.

"Oh Harry, so it's true what Ron said, you went mute?" Ginny asks sadly and I nod solemnly. Ron and I sit down and I stare at my lap awkwardly while Ron heaps food onto his plate. Then he does something he's never done before and starts stacking food on my plate as well, motioning for me to eat.

"Come on mate, you've got to get those... Ummm... Vitamins?" Ron tries and we laugh, well, Ginny and Luna laugh, I make some strange strangled noise.

"You mean carbs? For Quidditch?" Ginny teases and Ron blushes in embarrassment.

"Same thing..." He mumbles around a drumstick. I smile at him fondly as I also begin to eat, if with not as much vigour as him.

"You know Harry, somehow your aura is much lighter and truer than before. Strange really since Dumbledore said you went through quite some gruesome things." Luna comments airily as she feeds a leaf of her salad to some strange creature on her shoulder. I know I've seen it before, but I just can't seem to remember.

"It's a baby diricawl." Ginny says in explanation at my lost expression. "Luna and I found it when we went out on a d- on an excursion..." She continues, blushing and I can't help but appraise her and Luna's familiarity. Interesting....

"Aaaanyway," Ron begins, "it's so weird how McGonnagall somehow developed a sickness neither Madame Pomfrey or Snape can treat and then Dumbledore takes over only our transfiguration class. But somehow they found someone to take over all other classes except the ones Harry takes? Stinks like bullshit to me." He remarks, brows furrowed.

"That is weird..." Ginny agrees and I nod along.

I just hope that's all there is to it. He may be trying to keep a closer eye on me, so I have to really get out my Oscar-worthy acting during my transfiguration classes. In addition, I'm quite worried about McGonnagall... She is one of the only ones to stand up against Dumbledore and not just give in to his every whim.

I suppose time will tell.

A/N Hullo everybody, better late than never I always say, and that my dear friends is my half-arsed apology for being lazy even though I did have time. I'm sorry. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and will continue to read my story even though my updates appear just as sporadically and late as my father did to my birthdays every year. Sorry, had to get at least one self-deprecating trauma joke out and since I can't make them real-life without getting therapy suggested to me, I suppose I'll just torture you my dear readers. Nonetheless, sorry again for being late and even trauma-dumping. I hope you are all well and keeping hydrated and eating regularly and just treating yourself to a mental health day now and then because you guys deserve all that and more ♡