Exams. At one point, they had been an insane rush to get everything done on time, but this year was different in a myriad of ways. He was a repeater, for one, even if no one really knew that aside from Lily. Remus and Severus might have suspected. But more than that he spent this year finally doing what schools are for, learning. And learn he did. The practicals, as they went over the curriculum in their secret hideout, had become mind-numbingly simple. When they looked over the transfiguration class material, they did so joking and rushing through every spell in the book. In the end, Remus felt the need to give an advanced lesson on free-form transfiguration.
In hindsight turning a cup into a horseshoe bat was a questionable decision. Lily found it hilarious, as both Harry and Severus tried to prevent the thing from making a nest in their hair. Severus finally hit it with the counterspell and the unfortunate cup-retired-horseshoe-bat fell in pieces on the floor. And this marked the tone of their revisions, something which took the better part of a week. More interestingly it was an opportunity for all of them to pool the knowledge they'd gained from Keldran's library. As advanced as Remus' efforts in self-transfiguration were, the biggest surprise came from Severus.
He first disappeared into the spell creation workshop and came out with a heavy looking black leather glove. "Take a guess," he said with a grin.
"A dispelling glove," Remus chanced, but hung his head when Severus shook his.
"Sev, will you come out with it, I hate riddles," Lily moaned in frustration.
"Fine then, spoilsport, it's a wand."
"Wait is that, dragon hide?" Harry asked.
"Good eye. Yes, I had it imported. It cost me a fortune, but it worked. I first thought the choice of a core might be tricky, but really it's just making sure the stitching is good enough, I just transplanted it from my old wand. And with dragon hide, well it won't get broken or burnt. And you can't really get disarmed, not with the straps."
Harry looked distrustfully at the glove. In one daring revelation Severus had rendered his favourite trick useless. "That's crafty."
"And it works?" Remus said excitedly.
To that, Severus pointed his hand at the potions workshop, and with much more force than would be possible wandlessly, a thick tome came flying into his glove.
"Bloody hell," Lily uttered. "Are you taking orders? Maybe a different colour, though."
Severus snickered and they continued testing the thing. Harry, not to be outdone, took out the once daunting spellslinging spellbook and prepared to see how far he'd come. A little over twenty entries later, and all of them countered, he sat back down sweating bullets. There were a handful of hexes he didn't know yet that had popped up, but thankfully he could apply most of it on the fly.
"That was pretty good, Harry," Remus said, and in the haze of his exhaustion for a moment he saw not the young werewolf, but the professor who taught him so well his third year at Hogwarts. He laughed.
"I bet you'd give Flitwick a run for his money," Severus said, still proudly regarding his glove.
"We've all done well, haven't we?" Harry mused.
"We have," Lily said.
They had entered the Room of Requirement, sorting hat in hand as wizards, and now they had become something more. They were confident, in their knowledge, in their skills, and if anyone could face the troubles ahead, it was the four of them. Harry felt straighter, taller. If he had to face any of the three of them as enemies, he would be worried, and whoever would face them might feel the same way now. Be it Voldemort or another challenge, they would overcome it. They were the most talented wizards he had ever known, and for once in his life, he felt like he wasn't out of his depth.
Their casual demeanour irritated their classmates to no end. It wouldn't be uncommon to hear someone say "Some people are taking their exams seriously!", a sentiment that was readily ignored by them. Just a week before the exams started, Harry got stopped by Slughorn in his last session.
"Harry, could I speak to you for a moment," he said, his moustache curling as his eyes lit up.
"Yes, professor."
"Now, don't go and think you'll get in trouble, but I've heard from… sources, that you're quite talented when it comes to duelling." He waited, and Harry got the meaning. Somehow the news of his illicit duels with both James and Helena had gotten to Slughorn.
"Yes, sir?"
"I've arranged a meeting for you, let's say, a career meeting. I'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised. All I ask, is that you don't forget old Sluggy when you've graduated from here. Well, you get my meaning, us Slytherins know the importance of making allies."
Harry was apprehensive of making too many promises, but the least he could do was humour his slightly selfish, but helpful Head of House. "Thank you, sir. Might I ask who I'll be meeting with?"
"I'm afraid I can't say as of now, secrecy an all that. Given the circumstances I'm sure you understand, but no doubt you've heard of him. He came by request of Filius – ah, professor Flitwick, I mean – they're acquainted, set up a training program together at the Ministry." Slughorn wrung his hands together in excitement, and Harry was now more and more curious who this mystery person might be.
"All right, when should I meet with, uh, this person?"
"Tomorrow, after class, in professor Flitwick's office. Don't worry, I can see you worrying. This is nothing but a favour from your favourite professor. Now move along, can't seem to play favourites too much."
"Right..."
When he told Lily about it, she rolled her eyes before congratulating him. This was nothing out of the ordinary for Slughorn, and apparently he had put together a meeting with Melissa's father for Lily last year. Hearing about it from her, it was mostly pleasant, but as she had no real plans to make a career in potionmaking, it was a dud, and yet Slughorn had not given up trying to get her in his good graces.
"It's probably just some Ministry official who will lecture you for an hour and try to get you to promise an interview," she said during dinner, returning with interest to her chocolate cake.
The next day after transfiguration, he made his way to Flitwick's office. And with every step there came a nagging at the back of his mind. Someone was waiting for him, and he felt like they had other intentions. A man with ragged blond hair flashed into his awareness, there was no pain with this vision, but it was as recognizable as any of his previous ones. Scars or not he'd recognize that face amongst any. Alastor Moody, the crack wizard catcher of the Auror Department, at least in this time, was waiting for him.
He stopped. Moody could indeed be here for recruitment, but he had been here not too long ago looking for a missing student. It was just as likely he was here to continue his investigation, in fact it seemed more likely Moody had sniffed the scent of blood and was following his nose to Harry. He took a deep breath. At least he'd been warned. He sent a message to Lily, telling her that he would be meeting with Moody, and to draw the necessary conclusions if he got held up too long.
There was no telling what precautions Moody would take, it was entirely possible he could prevent mental sending if he got arrested. He fingered a vial in his pocket, an antidote for Veritaserum. Ever since Peter's disappearance they had each carried it with them, just in case the Ministry wanted more answers. He swallowed it, and made his way to the office.
He knocked, and Flitwick's soprano voice told him to come in. Harry had his best game face on, and unsurprisingly he found Alastor Moody showing an all too kind looking smile.
"Ah! Professor, is this the boy you've told me so much about?"
"Right. This is Harry Peltier. Harry, this is –"
"Auror Moody?" Harry finished. He had a hunch Moody would have spotted a lie on his part, better to play it straight. Moody's smile lost some of its feigned jolliness.
"Well informed too."
"Well he is one of our top students," Flitwick said proudly.
"And you joined Hogwarts just this year?"
"Yes, sir."
"Just call me Moody, everyone does," he said, stepping closer. Harry managed not to flinch, but even with both his good eyes, it wasn't any less scary than being under the scrutiny of his blue magical one.
"Pleasure," Harry said, with a genuine smile. Even under the gun it was hard not to appreciate the man being alive before him.
Harry's glee seemed to throw him off balance a bit. The Auror smoothly changed his demeanour and walked over to the desk. "Well, no point in wasting time. I'm here to see if you have any interest in joining the Aurors, when you finish school here." He poured two cups of tea, and handed one to Harry. He took it, confident in Severus' antidote. "Sit, boy. I'd like to hear your thoughts."
Flitwick sat with them on a chair with a big cushion.
"Well. To be honest, I haven't yet decided what I'll do when I leave Hogwarts." This was technically true as he had no idea what kind of horrors he would face in the near future.
"Have you considered it? Becoming an Auror, I mean."
"I have," Harry said, sipping the tea. It did have an aftertaste. If he was in Moody's shoes and had laced the tea, this was about the point where he would start to ask the more relevant questions.
"You disappear a lot, I've heard. Big castle, you have any secret hideouts? I know I did when I was at school."
"You can always find an empty classroom if you need some privacy. I don't like to be overheard," Harry said. Clearly there was more to Moody's visit.
"Neither do I," Moody joked.
"I should report this, you know. It's not within school rules to use empty classrooms for – hmph – privacy, as you said, Harry," Flitwick chimed in.
"Oh, come on now, professor," Moody laughed, "we all had a few secrets from the teachers when we were younger."
"Still, as a teacher –"
"Later, Filius, please."
Flitwick sighed and settled back in his chair.
"Any other places?" Moody asked.
Now was the moment of truth, either the lie would pass or he would spill his guts and the secret would be in the open. "No, not really. The grounds have a few quiet places."
It was difficult for Moody not to show his frustration. Still, he caught himself and laughed. "Right. But anyway that's not why we're here. It's rather brave to consider a career as an Auror these days, but you were seriously thinking about it?"
"If I could help by joining the Aurors, I would."
"You'd go up against Voldemort?"
Flitwick let out a squeak at the name, bringing a smile to Moody's face. "Not many people stay calm when his name is said. But you did."
"It's something someone once told me," Harry said with a wry smile. "Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself. I don't want to live in fear."
"Fear," Moody parroted, "keeps you alive."
"Or gets you killed," Harry retorted, as he put his cup on the coffee table.
Moody chuckled, and gave Flitwick a shake of his head. "Didn't expect to be surprised like that, I'm not usually fond of being surprised."
Moody stood up and shook Flitwick's hand. "You don't mind if I steal away your student for a moment, walk with him to the castle gates?"
"T-that should be fine, yes. About the empty –"
Moody ignored him and nodded for Harry to follow him. He did, somewhat relieved, but still on guard. Halfway there, he slowed his pace, and Harry looked at him.
"You were a suspect," Moody said, "in Pettigrew's disappearance. But I no longer consider you to be on that list."
"Why's that?" Harry asked, and Moody stopped.
"Death Eaters, his followers, they get this white hot rage at the casual mention of him. Even the best can't hide it. If you'd have jumped up like a scared bunny rabbit, like my good friend Filius back there, maybe I'd still be on my guard. For what it's worth, I'm serious about you joining us. I'm the party-pooper of the Ministry you see, and it's my job to consider what happens if the war doesn't end.
"You managed to beat Potter in a duel, and I was considering him for recruitment. Just give it a think, will you, we need good people in our ranks, people we can trust. And if my nose still works," he said, tapping it with his finger, "you're one who can be trusted, for now at least."
Harry laughed, at how off the mark the bloodhound of the Ministry could be. But he couldn't fault him for it, at least he had judged him well enough. Things had gotten too crazy for the rational types(by wizarding standards) to have any clue about what was going on. He could make a promise here, an empty one, because he knew already, as sure as he got his vision of Moody before he walked into Flitwick's office, that things were not going to be that easy, and Voldemort would be old news in the shadow of darker things.
"If you still need help when I leave here, you'll have it."
Moody nodded, and disappeared out of the castle into the creeping night towards Hogsmeade.
For once, Harry's troubles didn't impact his exam results. Two years ago he would have revelled rubbing it in if he got the reaction he got from professor McGonagall on his transfiguration practical("That is excellent work, Peltier, downright marvellous.") But it seemed all so… routine. And every day ticking by he felt the approaching dread ever more clearly. He started having dreams again, of a great silver eye with a pupil slit like a snake, watching him, waiting. When he woke up, he woke clear-headed. His dreams were like a metronome, counting. Tick, tock, tick, tock. It was equal parts soothing and ominous. He realized fully now that Keldran had been serious in his prediction. It was coming.
He shared with the others, and they showed no surprise, only cold determination. They had prepared for this. They spoke of Keldran again, he had promised a final test, a gift of some tools to help with the battle to come. Remus conceded. When the time came, they would go visit again. If he'd have his revenge, it would be when it was all done. Whatever it was that they would be gifted, they knew it would change everything, like the library had changed them.
Harry's eyes changed further, to a misty green grey. Lily assured him that whatever happened, they would be there. He felt more isolated from the rest of the students, as did Lily, Remus and Severus. The others noticed. Harry knew what it was to be different in everyone's eyes, but this was something else. They were the only ones who had any idea. Maybe him sharing his secret had precipitated even more change.
He'd taken to sitting alone in the eastern tower on some evenings. Just thinking, relaxing and absorbing the goings on of the day. He twirled the fated Crystal in his hand, and a worry came over him. He'd been an orphan in his previous life, it had always been self-evident to him. Now he wished he had asked, before he came back to this era, before he leapt through time. His grandparents, Lily's parents, had died, and he didn't even know their name to whisper into the crystal.