Chapter Twenty-Three: The Three D's
It took both Fred and George nearly half an hour to get Harish up in time for classes the next day. He ate breakfast quickly before hurrying back down to the dormitory where he put his school books back into his book bag and slipped Magical Water Plants of the Highland Lochs in as well. Then, the teen hurried up to meet with the twins and they went off to classes together.
That day in Charms, Harish told them about his nighttime adventure. The twins were impressed that he had figured the riddle out so quickly, but agreed with him that he was stupid for getting stuck in that trick step. Then, they began discussing the second task once again.
"But, Harish," Fred said as they were dismissed from class. "How are you going to breathe underwater?"
"Well," Harish replied. "We have been learning human transfiguration in class, but I don't think I am quite ready for that yet. I might do it wrong and end up horribly mutating myself. And of course, the next option would be the bubble head charm, but that one I think is a bit overused and it won't really help for much but breathing. So, that's why I have this."
He held up his book he had received for Christmas.
"Magical Water Plants of the Highland Lochs?" the twins both read the title aloud.
"I thought it might have something in here that would help," Harish replied. "I've been reading through it."
Harish put the book back into his bag as they entered their Potions classroom and the three of them sat at a table at the back of the room.
That evening Harish was reading through his plant book when he suddenly exclaimed, "I found it! I found it!"
All of his friends all turned and looked at him with curiousity and Fred and George climbed over the couch to have a look.
"Found what?" Draco asked.
"The key to breathing underwater for an hour! It's Gillyweed!"
"Gillyweed?" everyone asked.
"This here says that it causes someone to sprout gills," Harish said, "and that their hands and feet web over like a frog's."
"That would work!" the twins exclaimed.
"Gills would let you breathe, obviously," Fred said.
"And webbed feet would make you go faster!" George added.
"The only thing is," Harish said. "I don't have any Gillyweed."
"Can you even buy Gillyweed in your everyday Apothecary?" Draco asked.
Everyone turned and looked at Hermione.
"Why are you looking at me?" Hermione protested.
"You're the one that always knows everything," Draco replied.
"On the contrary, I do not know everything," Hermione harrumphed, sticking her nose in the air.
"Maybe I could send a letter and ask my father," Harish said.
"Good idea," the twins said agreeably.
"If not," Hermione said as they left the room, "I know Professor Snape has some in his private stores."
Harish went down to his dormitory and wrote a letter to his father, asking about Gillyweed. He wrote one to Sirius while he was at it, telling him everything that was going on, including Snape's office being broken into. Then, the young wizard went up to the Owlry and sent them both off with a school owl. Finally, Harish returned to the common room just before curfew and went to bed.
The next day, February started with a bang. The twins had calculated the weeks they would be taking the lessons and discovered that the Apparition Tests would be three weeks after they turned seventeen. Harish sulked. It also happened to be sixteen weeks before his own birthday.
The first day of the month also happened to be the first Saturday of the month, and it was the day of the first lesson. Harish, Fred, and George arrived in the Great Hall to discover that all of the tables had disappeared. Though it was still chilly outside, the snow had melted signifying that the rainy season had begun. Because of this, rain lashed against the windows and the ceiling swirled with darkness as the sixth years assembled in front of Professors McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick, and Sprout—the Heads of Houses—and a small wizard whom Harish took to be the Apparition instructor from the Ministry.
He was oddly colorless, with transparent eyelashes, wispy hair, and an insubstantial air, as though a single gust of wind might blow him away. Harish vaguely wondered whether his odd appearance was caused by him apparating so much, as Harish was sure he taught Apparition every year, or whether it was just an ideal build for someone wishing to vanish.
"Good morning," the Ministry wizard said, when all the students had arrived and the Heads of Houses had called for quiet. "My name is Wilke Twycross and I shall be your Ministry Apparition instructor for the next twelve weeks. I hope to be able to prepare you for your Apparition Tests in this time, by which time many of you may be ready to take your tests.
"As you may know, it is usually impossible to Apparate or Disapparate within Hogwarts. The headmaster has lifted this enchantment, purely within the Great Hall, for one hour, so as to enable you to practice. May I emphasize that you will not be able to Apparate outside the walls of this Hall, and that you would be unwise to try.
"I would like each of you to place yourselves now so that you have five clear feet of space in front of you."
There was a great scrambling and jostling as people separated, banged into each other, and ordered others out of their space. The Heads of Houses moved among the students, marshaling them into position and breaking up arguments. Then, they called for quiet once again as everyone was situated.
"Thank you," Twycross said. "Now then…"
He waved his wand. Old fashioned wooden hoops instantly appeared on the floor in front of every student.
"The important thing to remember when Apparating are the three D's!" Twycross exclaimed. "Destination, Determination, and Deliberation!
"Step one: Fix your mind firmly on the desired destination," Twycross informed them. "In this case, the interior of your hoop. Kindly concentrate upon that destination now."
Everyone glanced around furtively to check that everyone else was staring into their hoop, and then hastily did as they were told. Harish stared at the circular patch of dusty floor enclosed by his hoop and tried to think of nothing else. This was proving difficult, as he kept wondering whether his father had gotten his letter yet or not, as it had been two days since he had sent it.
"Step two," Twycross said, interrupting Harish's thoughts, who hastily began focusing on his hoop once again. "focus your determination to occupy the visualized space! Let your yearning to enter it flood from your mind to every part of your body!"
Harish had no idea what the dotty old man had meant by that, so he tried to imagine himself disappearing with a pop and reappearing inside the circle.
"Step three," Twycross called, "and only when I give the command…Turn on the spot, feeling your way into nothingness, moving with deliberation! On my command, now…one—"
Harish glanced around again; there were a lot of people that looked absolutely distressed at being asked to Apparate so quickly.
"—two—"
Harish tried to fix his thoughts on his hoop again; he had already forgotten what the three D's stood for.
"—THREE!"
Harish spun on the spot, lost balance, and nearly fell over. He was not the only one, The whole Hall was suddenly full of staggering people; Adrian Pucey had spun himself right into the person next to him. Marcus Belby had done a sort of pirouetting leap into his hoop and had looked momentarily thrilled before he had caught sight of Lee Jordan roaring in laughter at him.
"Never mind, never mind," Twycross said dryly, who did not seem to have expected anything better. "Adjust your hoops, please, and back to your original positions…"
Harish forced himself to focus, as he knew his father would be disappointed in him. He returned to his spot, staring a hole into his hoop and repeating the three D's (once he had remembered what they stood for). Twycross began counting once again.
"One—"
Harish stared into his hoop, his destination, and once again imagined himself appearing inside it.
"—two—"
Harish was certainly determined all right. He was determined to prove himself to his father. He braced himself and felt his magic flooding his body.
"—THREE!"
Harish turned on his heel, his magic pulsing through his body, with what he hoped was deliberation. He was still focusing on his hoop with all of his might. Suddenly, everything went black. For a moment, Harish thought he had made himself pass out. Perhaps he had forgotten to breathe because he had been concentrating too hard. As he thought this, he realized he still couldn't breathe. It felt as though he were being shoved through a rubber tube. There were iron bands tightening around his chest, his eyes were being forced into his skull, his eardrums felt as though they would burst, and then—
He gulped in great lungfuls of air and opened his streaming eyes. He swayed and fell over onto his butt, and then realized he was sprawled inside his hoop.
Harish was congratulated for being the first to successfully manage Apparition, and Twycross told him he could sit out the next attempt in order to catch his breath. The rest of the session, Harish was the only one who managed to Apparate successfully. Alicia Spinnet had managed to Apparate inside her hoop on the fifth try, but had accidently Splinched her ears. How that happened, Harish had no idea, but Twycross had said that it came from lack of determination.
An hour later, Twycross fastened his cloak at his neck and said, "Until next Saturday, everyone, do not forget: Destination. Determination. Deliberation."
And with that, he waved his wand, Vanishing the hoops. And walked out of the Hall accompanied by Professor McGonagall. Talk broke out at once as people began moving toward the entrance hall.
"Of course you were the only one to Apparate," Fred muttered as he and his twin walked over to Harish.
"I think the last time I tried, I felt something," George protested. "A kind of tingling in my feet."
Harish laughed.
"Lighten up," he said. "It is not the end of the world that you didn't manage the first day. Besides, at least you'll be able to take your test sooner than me. I have the lovely benefit of knowing that I can Apparate, but I won't be allowed to until almost next Fall."
"What did it feel like?" both twins asked.
"Like being eaten by the giant squid," Harish replied, massaging his ribs. "I couldn't breathe."
The twins and Harish joined in a moment later. They were still laughing when they entered the common room. Draco looked at Harish as though his head had been cut off, only making them laugh harder.