In Your Eyes

AN: Love for everyone who reviewed! (Because I’m lazy I’m responding to both FF,net and AFF,net comments at the same time instead of separating them. Starting with FF Skip down to the lines if you don’t care/ just want to read)

Abbyagapao: I hope you continued to be interested! Thanks for the review! =)

lady.edgecombe: Thanks so much! I hope you continue to like it! =-)

Njferrell: Yup, heh, already thinking of the possibilities? I hope you like it! Thanks for the review! =)

ams71080: Thanks! Hope you like the rest! =)

Belew: Thanks so much! I hope the next bit keeps your attention! =)

George2Bob1: Thanks so much, I hope that you continue to be interested. =)

Kurai: Thanks so much! I hope that you continue to like it! And we did talk via email, I’m eventually going to adopt Twisted Fate, I’ve just been so busy and debating re-writing the whole thing or just picking up where you left it. =P

neverfallx3: Thanks for expressing interest, I hope I continue to enthrall! =)

Tachimaru: Thanks for your interest! And look! There is more! =)

Blood Lust 777: Thank you for the review and I hope that this chapter abates some of your anxiety. =)

Slashslut: Thank so much! I hope that you continue to find it interesting! =)

Werewolf Mistress: I hope that this was quick enough, =) Thanks so much for the review!

SilverLion: I hope that you stay intrigued! Creatures are sort of my thing; I can’t seem to help myself. =P

261012: I’m glad that you like it so far! I hope that you continue to find the story interesting! =)

Thrnbrooke: Here you go! Hope that you continue to like it! =)

Thanks Everyone for the Reviews! I live for them; they make me so undeniably happy!!
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Chapter 2:

Harry gazed out the window as Ron and Hermione left to get their prefect duties, for the moment he was blissfully alone. He hadn’t realized how hard it would be to go back to being in a setting where he could hear and see everyone’s souls rather than only two or three people. Only two of his cousins weren’t impervious to him and both of his grandparents were so it had been rare to see a soul over the summer, here however everyone’s souls pressed against him. Again he felt the urge to pop a pill but knew that it wouldn’t be a good idea, it would in fact be a very bad idea. He was well on his way to getting addicted if he didn’t cut down; his depressing line of thought was cut off when Neville and Luna came in.

“Hiya Harry, can we sit in here?” Neville asked politely. Harry nodded slowly, almost afraid of what his quiet friend’s soul would revel but it seemed that both were to well trained in keeping to themselves. Luna however sat down and promptly started staring at Harry, quite intensely. Eventually it made him uncomfortable enough to look up,

“Is there a particular reason you’re staring at me Luna?” he asked finally.

“Yes.” She said dreamily with a serene smile. Harry sighed go figure that she wouldn’t want to divulge the reason. Whatever, he thought it wasn’t that annoying. However when Neville began sending both of them curious glances Harry risked daring to ask the strange pale girl her intentions again.

“Can I ask why you’re staring at me Luna?” he tried hoping that she would just say and stop staring at him after all. However she simply cocked her head but continued staring, wide pale eyes seeming to never blink, although he avoided direct eye contact.

“Your different.” She said finally. Now it was Harry’s turn to cock his head, while technically the only difference between the beginning of the summer and now was his control over his powers but no one could see that save maybe another Ellexi.

“Different?” he replied glancing up for just a fraction of a second, but that was enough and he was drowning in her pale blue eyes. A faint giggling in an echoing dreamy voice, Luna’s soul, was the first thing he heard, unable to break her gaze.

[Hello Harry.] Her soul purred, he spotted the growing form but it was unlike any other soul he’d ever seen. First of all her soul wasn’t the typical shadow shape of their human counterparts, her soul was long and willowy and green.

[Wha…What are you?] He asked silently, that echoing giggle was his only response. Yet he still couldn’t break from her gaze trapped in her pale eyes.

[Come now little Ellexi surely you’ve encountered others with non-human spirits. It shouldn’t be that shocking, and you should be prepared for it. Hogwarts has quite the arrangement of odd creature blood running in its veins.] Her soul scolded, it was too weird! He had indeed encountered a few non humans but this was different; Luna’s soul spoke as if it were separate from Luna herself.

[But I am separate, at the same time we are one little Ellexi. I am Luna’s soul, I know her deepest of thoughts but at the same time I am the embodiment of her diluted creature blood, you see?] Her soul said reading his thoughts, he hated when they did that it was entirely unfair.

[I don’t quite understand. Luna isn’t a magical creature is she?] Harry asked.

[No. But several generations ago some of her ancestors were, thus a small part of their blood runs within her. You see? I know that the Ellexi are different, their blood is always dominant no matter who their mates but for other creatures it can become recessed and simply be carried from through generations getting weaker or stronger depending on the parings you see. Because of your gifts you can see a person’s true heritage.] The soul tried to explain this time it made a tad more sense.

[I think I get it. Thank you for the lesson?] He replied finally, unsure of how to address this strange soul and desperately wanting it to let him go.

[No problem dear.] She said finally letting him turn away and whispering before disappearing, [I’m a dryad by the way.]

“Hey Harry are you alright? You sort of spaced out there for a moment.” Neville asked worriedly looking over at his classmate.

“Yeah, yeah I’m fine…” he murmured as Luna stopped staring at him and turned back to the quibbler finally. For a minute it looked like the other boy was going to say something else but a girl that Harry didn’t recognize came into the car.

“Hi, Harry, I’m Romilda, Romilda Vane,” she said loudly, large dark eyes fixed on him as he glanced at them for just a second. “Why don’t you come join us in our compartment? You don’t have to sit with them” she continued in a stage whisper. She glanced at Neville who had retreated under the seat trying to retrieve Trevor during her little introduction. Then to Luna who was ignoring them all reading the Quibbler through her free pair of Spectrespecs; giving her the odd look of a demented, colorful owl.

“They’re friends of mine.” Harry replied coldly.

[Seriously? Who the hell is he kidding with that act? The brave and noble Harry Potter taking care of the misfits? Whatever, we’ll have him by the end of the year, oh yes we will.] Her soul had an unbearably slimy tone to it that made him grateful when it faded.
“Oh,” She said aloud taking on a shocked expression. “Oh. Okay.” With that she left sending them furtive glances.

“People expect you to have cooler friends than us.” Luna commented in her typical way of lacking any cover and displaying the embarrassing truth.

“You are cool.” Harry muttered defensively, “None of them were at the Ministry. They didn’t fight with me.”

“That’s a very nice thing to say,” she beamed and settled in to read the odd upside down magazine. Neville resurfaced clutching Trevor in one hand, placing him in a spacious box with plenty of air holes. Clearly he was going to start talking about their adventure in the Ministry but Harry cut him of first turning the talk to grades and harmless subjects; ones that he could basically tune out but still give satisfactory answers such as Quidditch. Eventually Ron and Hermione returned the latter remaining silent and glaring despondently at Harry. Taking no notice Ron slumped next to Harry with a groan.

“Wish the lunch trolley would hurry up, I’m starving.” He said longingly and then looked at Harry with a mixture of worry and concern. “Were you at least eatin’ right wherever you were this summer, I know the muggles…” he whispered eyeing Neville and Luna warily and drifting off as he mentioned Harry’s aunt and uncle.

“Yeah, Ron I was. Thanks for the concern though mate.” He replied with a pleasant smile and a surge of affection for the redhead. Hermione huffed, but he just ignored her trying hopelessly to drown out the sound of her soul ranting in the background. It was already fainter than earlier because he was loosing affection for her thus cutting off his ties unconsciously but that made him as depressed if not more so than her souls blatant betrayal.

“Hey Harry guess what?” on said sitting up looking rather excited for a moment, “Malfoy’s not doing prefect duty this year.” Harry sat up, that was unlike the younger Malfoy. Passing up the opportunity to demonstrate his power, the power he had happily abused all the previous year. He then sort of shrugged it off, exchanging odd reasons and explanations with Ron and Neville until a little third-year stepped into the compartment.

“I’m supposed to deliver these to Neville Longbottom and Harry P-Potter,” she faltered as her gaze fell on Harry’s much proclaimed scar and she turned scarlet. Handing them the two scrolls of parchment tied with violet ribbon she retreaded hastily.

“What is it?” Ron asked curiously looking at Harry’s over his shoulder.

“An invitation.” Harry replied simply looking at it with confusion.

“Dear Mr. Potter,

I would be delighted if you would join me for a little bite of lunch in compartment C.

Sincerely,
Professor H. E. F. Slughorn.”

He read aloud looking at the elegant signature with a perplexed expression looking at Neville and Ron to see if either of them had any idea who the sender was.

“Who’s professor Slughorn?” Neville asked just as perplexed as them. Hermione scoffed from the other side of the compartment but said nothing aloud.

“I guess he must be the new defense Professor right?” Ron suggested re-reading Harry’s letter.

“But what does he want me for?” asked Neville nervously as though he was expecting detention.

“No idea, but I guess we have to go.” Harry replied sounding resigned, walking down the train with everyone staring at him more then ever with the fiasco last year was defiantly what he wanted to do. It was inevitable that he’d meet someone’s eyes, or trip over someone or something trying to avoid their eyes. They however made it without to much trouble and once they reached compartment C, they saw that they were not the only student’s invited. Judging by the extremely stout, round Professor Harry was the most anticipated much to the obvious annoyance of the others.

“Harry, Harry, welcome m’boy!” he greeted with the air of one who had just discovered wonderful treats. After a moment of vigorous hand shaking the strange bald man turned to Neville and gave him a watered down version before gesturing for them to take a seat. They sat in the only two empty seats nearest to the door. Harry looked around spotting Zabini, a Slytherin from their year, two seventh year boys whom he didn’t know and Ginny who looked utterly perplexed as if she wasn’t sure what she was doing there. Slughorn introduced them, revealing the two unknown boys to be Cormac McLaggen the larger boy and Marcus Belby a thin and nervous looking guy.

“Well now, this is most pleasant,” Said Slughorn settling himself down and sending them each a napkin, “A chance to get you all better. Here take a napkin. I packed my own lunch; the trolley, as I remember it, is heavy on …” Harry began tuning the strange man out after than accepting what was handed to him not bothering to think on what it was. Probably not the best mindset for someone with a Dark Lord after them but he hardly thought that this strange plum older man would be servicing Voldemort. He registered that Professor Slughorn seemed to be weeding them out by the more influential people they knew or were related too, which only raised his dislike of the man. He looked hopefully at the door before it was his turn hoping that he could break out before being thrown into the spotlight but was met with no such luck.

“And of course, Harry Potter, or The chosen one they’re calling you now.” He said almost reverently. Harry looked aside as he went off for a bit about the rumors and such, nodding mutely in the right places. There was a brief sanctity when Ginny and Neville interrupted saying they had been present at the ministry too but Slughorn was not to be detoured. Finally they were set free and talked about how odd the man had been on the way.

“How come you ended up there Ginny?” Harry asked looking at her curiously.

“He saw me hex someone.” She replied shortly obviously having some questions of her own for Harry, he however tried to deter her and make his way back to the compartment only to bump into the very last person he expected to see on the train, looking up he was drowning in fathomless black eyes.

AN: Holy long chapter huh! Well here it is! XD The only reason it took me so long was because I actually want to follow the original story-line a bit more than I previously had (obviously since I have excerpts from the book itself but I tried to keep that to a minimum after all we’ve already read the books right? XD) and I could not for the life of me find my copy of book 6! Then when I went to borrow it from the library both copies were on hold! -.- finally I found my copy allowing me to write!

I would like to point out that in my version Harry did NOT go with Dumbles to convince Slughorn to teach thus why harry doesn’t know who he is either. I think there was something else I wanted to say but as always I can’t remember so from her on in there will be some overlaps but it should fall out of line with the book a bit more. Till next chapter!

~Aviv