Title: Eyes of the Chosen
Author: Emcee
Summary: Harry and Ron make a horrific discovery on the way to class.
Author's Note: Thank-you to my muses, Rae and Fre and my beta and Pablo.
This story is AU to "Order of the Phoenix". It is the sequel to Labyrinth
of Illusion.
Disclaimer: "Harry Potter" and the characters, places and things
related to it do not belong to me. They are from the brilliant mind of JK Rowling.
They belong to her and her publishers. I am not making any profit from this
fan fiction.
CHAPTER NINE
Unseen
For one of the first times in his five years at Hogwarts, Harry was glad to be back to classes. Harry was resolved to leave the death of the gypsy girl to Sirius, Remus and Miss Tsukino. He just wanted to get through the rest of the year with as little heartbreak as possible.
Today was a light day. Harry had Transfigurations in the morning, then Charms. After lunch, he and Ron would part from Hermione to Divinations with Professor Trelawney.
Best of all, Harry had Quidditch practice today. With the revelation of his possession, Professor McGonagall had visited him over the break in the hospital wing. She had reinstated him as Seeker on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. He was no longer captain, having given the position to Alicia Spinnet, but it didn't matter. All he wanted to do was play.
Next week they were going to have a match against Hufflepuff. It was a re-match over the game in which Ron had been struck by lightning. Harry prayed this game would go better than the last one. He didn't know if Remus could bring back his friend again.
With the promise of Quidditch later and the distraction of classes, Harry was doing well keeping his mind off the horrible murder that had occurred over the break. It looked like Dumbledore and McGonagall had done a good job of covering it up. None of the students who had been away seemed to know about it.
Harry seemed to be doing much better than Ron today. All through Transfigurations, Ron's head drooped down, his limbs moving as if his bones had been replaced by jelly.
"Hey Ron." Harry prodded Ron in the side with his wand.
Ron's head snapped up. He jumped out of his seat, giving a yelp. "I'm up!"
Professor McGonagall looked sharply over at the desk. She raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Weasley, I am so sorry my teaching interrupted your nap!"
Ron flushed maroon and slid down in his seat. "What did you do that for?" He snapped at Harry.
"Are you all right?" Harry began to copy down instructions as to how one made a wizard chess set. "Did you not sleep well last night?"
"A little hard with you yelling so loud," Ron replied grumpily.
Harry gulped. "I was yelling again? Anything in particular?"
"Nothing I could really understand." Ron looked up at the board and began to copy the notes himself.
"Oh... Well, sorry." Harry shrunk down slightly.
Ron shook his head. "It's not your fault, mate. I think I'm just... Passing the blame, is all. Wouldn't have been able to sleep even if you were mute."
Hermione leaned in. "You weren't having any more visions, were you?"
"NO!" Ron spoke much too sharply and too loudly. McGonagall glared at him, taking five points from Gryffindor for Ron's lack of focus.
"I don't want to talk about those flukes," Ron hissed. "I've got it taken care of."
Ron refused to listen to any more questions about his visions through Charms and lunch. He kept hushing Harry and Hermione, eyes darting around to the other Gryffindors at the long table in the Great Hall.
"But Ron." Hermione gripped his hand. "We just want to keep you safe."
"I'm going to be safe. I mean, we don't know if they mean anything yet, right?" Ron pushed his potatoes around his plate.
"There must have been a reason for you have a vision about that-- that..." Hermione lowered her voice. "That girl. Maybe we're supposed to do something about it."
"No."
Hermione and Ron turned in shock to Harry. He was staring down at his plate, his voice hard and firm.
"What do you mean 'No'?" Hermione asked. "Harry, you want to look into this right?"
"I don't," Harry replied flatly. "Tell me which school rule says: Harry Potter must interfere in every deadly event that occurs on Hogwarts grounds."
"I'm not saying that!" Hermione blushed deeply. "I'm just saying, you want to know what's going on, right?"
"Sirius and Remus can handle it. They're working on it already." Harry gathered his books. "I just want to go to class." He strode off out the door.
Hermione sighed. "Try talking to him during Divinations."
Ron picked up his own bag. "No, Hermione. Harry's right. Why do we have to get involved this time? Why do we have to be the champions of the school?"
Following after Harry, it didn't take Ron long to catch up. "Hey! Listen, it's okay, mate. Hermione's just... Being Hermione. We don't have to look into Jakhori's death."
Harry paused for a moment. "You know the girl's name?"
Ron nodded. "It just came to me. It doesn't mean anything." He shrugged. "Frankly, I'm relieved you don't want to get involved. I don't want to have to deal with this anymore."
Harry gave a nervous chuckle, going up the ladder to the Divinations classroom.
Ron followed close behind. "Listen, I'm going to stay late in Divinations. I need to talk to--"
"Neville."
Ron climbed out through the trapdoor. "No, Professor Tr--"
Neville was kneeling on the floor in the classroom. "I got here early," there was a sob in Neville's voice. "I would have gotten someone, but I didn't want to leave her alone."
Harry and Ron both recoiled as Neville moved aside, revealing Professor Trelawney sprawled out on the floor. Blood tears cascaded down her cheeks from the mangled wounds that used to be her eyes.