Every Tear Falls Down For a Reason

Chapter 18

As January turned to February, and February to March, Harry and his friends were busier than they could ever remember being. Between classes, homework, the DA, Quidditch practice, and Prefect duties for Harry, Hermione, and Susan, it was a wonder they got any sleep at all.

Slytherin just barely beat Hufflepuff towards the end of February, and Hufflepuff narrowly won against Ravenclaw in late March. All eyes would be on the final match, between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw at the beginning of May. With the way the points stood, as long as Gryffindor won, they would win the Cup.

At Hogwarts, Snape had kept his word, and was treating the Gryffindors, if not well, at least neutrally. It was so different and unexpected that more than one Gryffindor wondered if perhaps the world was coming to an end.

Harry and his friends spent one dreary afternoon at Hagrid's in late March, interrogating him on his injuries. It had been months, and he yet he still sported recent bruises and cuts. Something was going on, and they wanted to know what it was. Under the scrutiny of the six teenagers, Hagrid broke down and told them about his half brother, Grawp. He had smuggled the giant back with him, and was now hiding him in the forest. He wanted to introduce them, but at least had the presence of mind to know that it wouldn't be safe for them until he had Grawp a little more trained.

Harry was worried about a Giant taking up residence in the Forbidden Forest, but he couldn't betray Hagrid's trust, the same way he hadn't told anyone about Norbert; the same way he had gone into the Forest his second year because the gamekeeper had told him and Ron to 'follow the spiders'.

Hagrid promised he was making progress, and he hoprd to be able to introduce Grawp to outsiders soon.

The Daily Prophet reported many more attacks on muggles and wizards, as well as a few reported Dementor attacks that had many students thankful that Harry had taught them the Patronus Charm. Most of the first and second years hadn't managed to get more than a thin silvery mist, but almost half the third and fourth years had managed to produce a corporeal form, something that made Harry truly ecstatic. He had produced an animal at thirteen, so he knew it could be done, but then, he wasn't normal, and he was happy to see how determined and indomitable his fellow students were. They wanted to learn. They wanted to be able to protect themselves.

The DA was doing incredibly well. The meeting time had stayed at two hours, even though there was no more need to include a special portion of time just for Defense lessons. Instead, they had introduced dueling. Not the frumpy, wait until the count of three formal duels that Lockhart had tried and failed at teaching them. Sirius had put forward the lessons he had taught Harry and his friends over the summer: teams of varying numbers would go up against each other, and they would fight with all they had. There was only one rule: nothing lethal. Anything else was fair game.

Everyone loved it.

In animagus training, Neville finally managed to complete the transformation, two weeks before Susan also successfully made the change. She had to work a little harder than the rest of them; it was one thing to transform into an eagle, but flying threw her for a loop for a little while, until she got the hang of it.

Ron had changed both arms into a dog's, and Hermione had finally had complete success at the wandless levitation; once she mastered that, it was only a matter of time. She was quickly catching up with Ron, managing to change one arm completely with just two days of practice.

Harry and Ginny spent several free Sundays on their own, working on their phoenix form. They had studied the bird as much as possible, but so far, hadn't managed to make any progress.

Ginny huffed, annoyed. "Maybe there's something we're missing. Maybe we can't actually change into a phoenix at all."

Harry didn't say anything. Inside him, he felt something like a fire work its way from his chest out to his arms. He closed his eyes, and concentrated.