Evoking the Spirit

Disclaimer: Oh, H.P. stuff not mine!Hurmph!

Warnings: Not 'sexy' yet. mmm but it will be!

“Evoking the spirit can be very dangerous Harry, are you sure you want to try it?”

“Will it make me stronger?”

“Yes.”

“Will it make me harder to kill?”

“Well, yes.”

“Hermione, isn’t that what we want?”

“Yes Harry, but it could kill you and if it doesn’t chances are you would loose your mind, we need a fourth, without a fourth it’s just too risky.”

“Okay, what kind of fourth are we looking for?”

“Well Ron and I are too weak to be in the southern position. We’ll be fine as east or west but not south. We need someone strong enough to split the power with you, someone who can handle the influx of energy. Harry he has to near if not as powerful as you are. He has to be strong enough to take some of the pressure off you.”

“Not she?? I mean what about Ginny?”

“No, I know you wouldn’t mind sharing this with her, but you know it is supposed to be very intimate and she just doesn’t have the experience you have. This person must be at or above your level of expertise, with a similar temperament and have a high amount of innate magic.”

“Er, I’d better get looking then, huh??”

“Maybe, or maybe-”

“Do you have any ideas?”

“I have one, but I’m not sure you’re going to like it. First I need to read through some things and check the school roster for any people I haven’t thought of.”

“Who did you have in mind?”

“I’ll tell you later. I won’t be in class, but I’ll meet you and Ron in the common room later, alright?”

“Yep, see you.”

***


Harry smiled all the way to Advanced Potions where he met up with Ron outside the door. He would start looking immediately; just in case, it couldn’t be that hard to find someone suitable for the spell.

“Where’s ‘Mione?”

“Skiving off today. She’s busy with that thing we were talking about.”

“Blimey, you still want to go through with that? Did she mention it could kill you?”

“Yeah, but she also mentioned that it probably wouldn’t if we found a fourth.”

“Fourth?”

“Yeah, in chants there’s usually an ideal amount of people right?” Ron nodded unenthusiastically. “Well for this there needs to be a fourth. Someone to be at the south point of the circle, someone as physically strong as I am with a high level of innate magic and-”

Harry was shoved violently to the side but he had seen Malfoy coming and countered him by shoving back. Neither were trying very hard anymore, they mostly fought out of boredom and habit. Draco had been found that summer near dead and had been nursed back to health at Grimauld Place until just before school started. He and Harry had avoided each other the entire time Draco was there because they had a mutual understanding. The Dark Lord may have wanted them both dead and they may be on the same side but that doesn’t mean they were supposed to be best friends. Harry vouched for Malfoy during his little time at Grimauld Place and Malfoy stayed out of the way.

“Watch it Potter!”

“Shove off Malfoy!" He turned back to Ron, "-and about the same level of expertise and temperament as me. That way the magic will split up evenly between him and I and the other portion will split correctly between Hermione and you.”

“That’s a lot to take in mate.”

“Shh!” Hermione appeared at Ron’s side, “Class is about to start.”

“I thought you said she was skiving off!”

“I did, she was-I thought she was.”

“No, that would be quite silly;” She smirked, “I’ll tell you after class.”

She stopped talking just in time because Slughorn’s replacement swept in looking to be in a particularly nasty mood, although Harry rather liked her. She had shown up a few days before the start of the school year. Remus introduced her as an old friend and Sirius’ second cousin; she was the only daughter of Bellatrix Lestrange. Like Sirius she denounced the Dark Lord but instead of hanging around she fled to America, knowing that Bellatrix would kill her as soon as she surfaced. Remus knew she would be a valuable asset to the Order and had recently convinced her to come back to teach at the school even though she seemed irritated most of the time and could be, in Hermione’s words, ‘rather abrasive.’ Her seeming recklessness and caged animal quality reminded Harry of Sirius and he liked that. He did not like however, the fact that she favored her younger cousin, who happened to be Malfoy. Ron said she reminded him of Snape and Harry couldn’t really disagree, the similarities were striking. She favored Malfoy and long billowing black robes, although she had fair skin opposed to Snape’s sallow coloring and long dark curtains of hair and thick black eye lashes over dark but glittering lidded eyes. Her name was Trix Lestrange; she was named for her mother. Or as Ron liked to call her Ms. Estranged and sometimes when he was upset about a grade, Harry’s favorite, Ms. Deranged. Her voice was thick and tinged with something that could only be classified as disdain or a vague distaste for whatever it was she was talking about. Harry thought she sounded not like her mother, but like her aunt and Draco’s mother, Narcissa Malfoy.

“Silence class, we will be brewing a truth potion today. The truth is a powerful weapon and our best ally. As you know there are many ways to conceal it but there is one potion that can make it known without a doubt. The strongest truth potion creatable, today we will be brewing Veritaserum. The directions are on the board. You are by no means to test it, do you understand? Fill a bottle when you are finished and leave it on my desk.” Hermione was suddenly sitting bolt upright in her chair with a smile on her face, “I would like three scrolls on the effects and uses of this potion by next week. Begin!”

Hermione swiftly got up and sat beside Malfoy, to the shock of Harry and Ron and most of all Malfoy who was glaring daggers at Hermione. When she made no move to get up he said something that sounded like ‘get out of that seat you jumped up mud blood.’ Still she didn’t move, only stared at him before she started ticking off ingredients.

“What is she doing?”

“Shh, Ron, I’ll get the ingredients, I’m sure there’s an explanation.” Although Harry couldn’t think of one. By the end of class his and Ron’s potion had an odd bluish hue that he was sure they’d lose points because of, but other then that it appeared to be alright. Malfoy and Hermione’s potion was perfectly clear, not a surprise considering they were the top students in the class. When Harry went up to put his bottle on the desk he caught Hermione’s eye, she looked at the door and mouthed the words ‘wait for me.’ He nodded back. Ron and he were standing outside the dungeon door when she came out.

“I’m sorry but I had to make sure the potion was perfect because we are going to need it. Malfoy is the best in the class, next to me of course.”

“Was it worth it then?”

“Oh Ron, stop it. You should both be excited, I found us a fourth.”

Harry’s ears perked up, “Brilliant! Who is it then?”

“Draco Malfoy of course!” Hermione said with a flourish.

“No!” Ron gasped just as Harry was taking it in.

“Yes! Yes of course, he’ll be perfect. But getting him to, hm?”

“What? Harry have you lost your mind too?”

“No Ron, Hermione’s right! She’s always right! He’s almost as powerful as me with the same level of expertise and we’re already close.”

“Close, what are you on about?”

“Well,” Harry began but looked to Hermione for help explaining.

“See Ron, its not friendship like with the three of us, but disdain and-and I think admiration. Have you noticed they never fight with anyone else?”

“He fights with us!”

“Only to bother Harry.”

“They respect each other Ron. It’s very complicated I think.”

“You know if Malfoy up and disappeared I’d miss him, almost as much as I’d miss you and Hermione, just for different reasons.”

“That’s very touching Potter, it really is, but I’d like to know why I’m still standing here.” Draco emerged from the shadows.

“Bugger off then, no ones stopping you.” Ron sputtered irritated.

“No, Draco. I asked you to wait because we need your help with something.”

“Hermione, no.” Ron pleaded.

“Yes, hush Ronald. Dr-”

“Trouble in Paradise? Need a bit of spicing up? I’m not interested.” He turned to leave.

“Stop.” Harry grabbed Malfoy’s arm and spun him around, there faces were within an inch of each other. He spoke conspiratorially, “We need your help, and I need your help.” Draco smelled of cloves and something vaguely smoky, “Be at the room of requirement at midnight.”

“Fine.” Malfoy’s voice was soft but resolute. The mask was gone for a moment as he searched Harry’s eyes for a clue. But the sneer returned as he faced the others, “see you tonight,” he winked, sneer firmly in place, and was gone.

“Right then, I swear I don’t understand you two more everyday.” Harry laughed at the confused Red head as the trio walked off.