To say that Harry was bored would be an understatement. Transfiguration exams had consisted of turning a mouse into a snuff box. At least, that's what Professor McGonagall had said. Harry wasn't sure anymore—his mind had wandered the moment she mentioned "extra points for prettiness." He glanced at his snuff box, which almost looked ornate but he was too bored to even care.
Herbology was a blur of green. Puffapods... Dittany... Bouncing Bulbs. Harry's hand moved out of habit, but his mind was already elsewhere—planning lunch or maybe the prank he'd been considering. He caught sight of Neville expertly handling his plant. Of course, Neville was a natural. Harry stifled a yawn.
And then there was Defense Against the Dark Arts, which Harry dreaded since he would have to face Quirrell and he still didn't trust himself to not kill him again. The tests weren't bad, Quirrell had set up a series of simple practical demonstration where they had to demonstrate the spells he asked for, in the order he asked for. Somehow Harry, made it through suppressing his urge to kill Quirrell then and there.
Ron had whispered under his breath, "Blimey, you'd think he'd make us duel a troll or something, but no, sparks it is."
Harry rolled his eyes, as if Quirrell would ever do that. "He is trying to stay under the radar too much to risk something like that, Ron."
Potions was perhaps the best exam comically—Snape had set them the task of brewing a Forgetful Potion from memory. Quite the irony, considering how many students fumbled and forgot about key ingredients and the process. Harry had suspicions that Snape had set that potion despite the irony for the laughs. Not that he was complaining.
Astronomy had been usual—constellations, phases of the moon, planetary positions, names of stars etc. It was very repetitive but required no real effort.
History of Magic had been surprisingly enjoyable. Thanks to Lupin, who taught them more than just goblin wars and revolutions, they didn't have to write paraphrased answers about a revolution in every question. Harry didn't mind the written test. It was quite welcome since they had not had a written test yet.
Harry breezed through all the exams with full marks(or at least he thought they would be since he did that good). Although, most of his classmates groaned about how difficult the tests were, for him it had been almost painfully boring.
After the final exams, the castle felt lighter as if the tension of the past few weeks had lifted. The corridors buzzed with chatters of students relieved to finally be done with their exams. Everyone was heading towards the Great Hall for lunch, which was always a nit more extravagant on the last day of exams.
The trio walked behind everyone. Ron was in high spirits and at least in this universe seemed to have really gotten the hang of studying. Hermione who would just keep talking on and on about every small mistake she might've made, was silent and at ease.
As they continued to walk, Harry overheard some students behind them.
"I think I failed Charms," one of them muttered.
"Me too! Professor Flitwick's face... I just know I'm doomed."
Harry smiled to himself bitterly. He knew that many other students faced the same situation due to lack of their basic understanding. Hopefully what he has planned for the next year would help improve their situations.
As they turned a corner, Harry spotted Fred and George looking spent completely. Harry had helped complete all their assignments since that day, but he couldn't give their exams for them. Well he will soon be able to help them with that too, since he will get them some special privileges.
"Fred, George!" Harry called out loudly. The twins turned around to see and their faces lit up a little.
"Hey, Harry" Both of them said in unison.
Suddenly an idea sprung to Harry's mind. Something he had forgotten for a while. The Phoenix Covenant. What better way to do the inauguration then a grand prank on the last day of the exams. Harry quickly dragged Ron, Hermione and the twins to an empty classroom.
Fred and George exchanged confused glances as Harry practically dragged them down the corridor and into an empty classroom, with Ron and Hermione in tow.
"Harry, mate, what's this about?" Fred asked, while George nodded.
Harry shut the door behind them and turned to face the twins. "Since it's the last day of exams," he began. "I thought it would be the perfect time to celebrate. And what better way than to pull a grand prank?"
Hermione crossed her arms, already looking skeptical. "A prank, Harry? Really? You know how McGonagall feels about those."
Harry smirked. "This isn't just any prank. It's the perfect way to inaugurate the Phoenix Covenant."
"The what now?" Ron asked, looking puzzled. Hermione looked equally puzzled.
But the twins faces lit up with understanding and the earlier exhausted expressions on their faces was replaced with identical smirks. "Ah, the Phoenix Covenant!" George nodded.
Fred grinned mischievously. "We've been waiting for this."
George quickly explained what the Phoenix Covenant was to Ron and Hermione.
Ron blinked in surprise. "Wait, you lot are forming a pranking group? And you didn't tell me?"
"Relax, Ron," Harry said with a chuckle. "You're part of it too. That's why I dragged you in here."
Hermione tried to show that she didn't want to but everyone knew that she was just trying to put up and front and was actually quite thrilled to be included.
"But you know, will we have individual names like the Marauders did?" Fred asked curiously.
Harry's grin widened. "Of course, we'll have names. What's the fun in forming a pranking group without some legendary nicknames?"
Fred and George shared a look, already pleased with the idea. "Alright, then. Spill. What are we calling ourselves?" George asked.
Harry thought for a moment before smirking. "I'm calling myself Aether."
Ron furrowed his brow. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Aether," Harry explained, "is something that's basically could be another name for magic. Fitting don't you think?" He shot a playful glance at everyone.
Everyone nodded as it made sense. Ron smirked, "Alright, Aether. What about me?"
"Easy," Harry replied. "You're quite unpredictable and full of surprises, just like a storm. So you are Tempest."
Ron's grin widened. "Tempest, eh? I could get used to that."
Hermione rolled her eyes, arms still crossed, but a hint of a smile tugged at her lips. "And let me guess... I'm not getting out of this, am I?"
Everyone replied together. "Nope."
Harry grinned at her. "You will be Sage. The voice of reason behind us lunatics."
Hermione sighed dramatically, but her smile gave her away. "I suppose I can live with Sage. I guess someone has to reign in you lunatics."
"Now that's settled," Fred chimed in, "what about us? What are the illustrious nicknames you've prepared for the best pranksters at Hogwarts?"
Harry smirked at them. "Oh don't worry, brother. I have saved the best for you both." He looked at Fred. "Fred, you'll be Jester—always making everyone laugh, the king of chaos."
Fred grinned. "Jester it is! I like the sound of that."
"And George," Harry continued, "you're Jinx. Because you're just like a jinx, fun but also dangerous at times."
George's smirk grew wider. "Jinx, huh? Sounds perfect to me."
Fred laughed. "Well, we're all set then. The Phoenix Covenant, ready to raise some chaos."
Hermione tried to put a disapproving expression, but it didn't quite work. "Just remember, if we get caught, I'll have to be the one to figure out how to get us out of trouble. So don't cause too much chaos."
George clapped his hands together. "And there we have it—the Phoenix Covenant, officially inaugurated. Now, what's the plan for our first prank, Aether?"
Harry's eyes gleamed with excitement as he told them his plan. The more he explained the more incredulous looks he got from everyone else.
"Are you sure we can pull this off, Harry?" Fred asked nervously. "I mean the charm work is on another level. And not to sound bad, but we really can't do that complicated spells yet."
Harry smirked. 'Leave all the spell work to me. I'll handle it. I just need you to handle—"
Harry explained what he needed the others to handle. They all nodded in understanding. After Harry had finished explaining everything, each of them had a mischievous smirk on their faces.
"I think people will remember this for years," Ron smirked. Everyone else nodded in agreement. Fred and George handed a lot of stuff to Ron and Hermione as the group headed towards the Great Hall.
As the group entered the Great Hall, they kept a straight face and took seats at the end of the Gryffindor Table. Soon as everyone was inside the Great Hall, Harry quietly slipped his hand under the table. With a subtle flick of his fingers, Harry had casted the charms on the entire hall. He smirked at the others, "Any second now."
And then, it started.
A boy from Hufflepuff reached out to carve into a roast chicken, only to freeze in shock as it suddenly squawked. "Not me again! Pick the salad!" His fork clattered to the table as he stared at the dish in horror.
The students around him burst into laughter. A girl tried to reach for the bread, only for it to wiggle out of her grasp and squeak, "Carbs? Really? Try the fruit dear. Much better for the brain."
Laughter bubbled from each table as more and more students began to experience the cheeky responses from their enchanted meals.
At the teachers table, Dumbledore seemed to be amused. A plate of éclairs shifted away as his fork approached, and one éclair piped up, "Really? Haven't you had enough sugar for the century? Maybe a carrot stick this time."
This caused him to chuckle while all the other professors tried to hide their smile. Professor Sprout seemed to be headed for the lamb, when it shot up in a shrill voice, "I thought you were all about plants! The vegetables are waiting, you know."
Fred and George, unable to contain themselves, were practically in tears from laughing so hard, while Ron's face was red from laughing just as hard. Even Hermione couldn't hide her amusement anymore, her smile wide as she watched the chaos unfold.
From across the table, George leaned in, eyes twinkling. "Harry, mate," he whispered, "this might be your finest work yet."
Harry smirked, "We all know its not over yet."
As if on cue, a nearby student attempted to grab a pudding, only to have it bellow, "I've had enough! Pick someone else!" sending them stumbling back in shock.
The whole hall was in an uproar now, students shouting in surprise, laughing uncontrollably, and glancing suspiciously at every dish they approached. Even the teachers were now laughing with the exception of Snape. But Harry saw the corners of his mouth twitch and he knew that he was trying his best to not laugh.
As the chaos only begins to get bigger, Fred and George brought out their wands under the table.
Fred winks at Harry, then mutters to George, "Ready for the next part?"
George nods, "Wouldn't miss it for the world."
Grinning they tap their wands together under the table. An invisible magic swept through the hall.
Across the Great Hall, the students suddenly gasped, yelping as they looked down at themselves. Their robes had vanished, replaced by house-color pyjamas. Gryffindors were now dressed in deep red, while Ravenclaws had turned into a sea of blue. Hufflepuffs were clad in yellow, and Slytherins had all turned into green.
But it wasn't just their clothes that had changed. Their hair too had been transformed, matching their house colors. Everyone in Gryffindor now had flaming red hair. Ravenclaw had sleek blue locks, Hufflepuffs had golden-yellow curls, and Slytherins now wore silky green strands.
"Smooth," Fred mutters under his breath, not even needing to look at the chaos erupting across the room. George smirks, "As always."
"What in Merlin's beard is going on?" one Gryffindor exclaimed running a hand over his fiery red hair.
Meanwhile, the teacher's table was not spared. McGonagall found herself in red pyjamas just as every other Gryffindor. Her hair now matching the fiery red of the others. She looked absolutely horrified, and for the first time, she was completely speechless. Snape had matching green pyjamas and hair. Though he remained expressionless, Harry saw the barest hint of amusement in his eyes, but the corners of his mouth twitched once more.
Flitwick was trying to get a good look at his newly blue hair, which sparkled slightly, looking like a night sky. "Oh, my! Quite the transformation," he squeaked, looking around with an amused grin.
But it was Dumbledore who stole the show. His hair had turned a vivid electric bluish-green, matched with pink pyjamas.
"Ah, quite the fashionable upgrade!" Dumbledore remarked with a chuckle and a twinkle in his eye as he ran his fingers through his newfound colors. "Though I must say, I do miss the silver."
Fred and George winked at Ron and Hermione who got the signal. Hermione pulled out her wand and cast a spell to turn the Great Hall ceiling dark, while Ron cast another spell for a dazzling fireworks display.
"Perfect timing, Ron, Hermione" Harry whispered without turning his head.
Bright colors exploded into the air, filling the entire hall with bursts of red, blue, yellow and green. Some of the firework streaks shot across the ceiling, leaving trails of sparkling stars, only to explode into magnificient shapes. The Gryffindor lion, Ravenclaw eagle, Hufflepuff badger and the Slytherin snake soared through the air.
The hall erupted in applause and cheers. It was quite a show which even the professors felt grateful for after the intense weeks of exams. Everyone seemed to appreciate the show.
Harry quickly cast another spell under the table. This time a bigger firework appeared and burst into a red phoenix. It flew around the hall once before bursting into a shower of golden-red sparkles. These sparkles rearranged themselves into words:
We are the fire that reignites the spirit of Hogwarts. We stand for unity, for laughter, and for breaking the rules when the cause is just. Magic is our legacy, mischief our creed. Let this be a reminder: the Phoenix always rises—The Phoenix Covenant.
The letter flared brightly one last time before vanishing in another spectacular shower of sparks.
As the golden letters of the Phoenix Covenant's message faded away, a second wave of glowing words danced into view, written in a flimsical, almost comical font:
Oh! Almost forgot...
The words wobbled comically as they floated across the Great Hall, drawing giggles from the students.
The robes and hair? Yeah, those won't change back till tomorrow. So, good luck with that!
P.S. Have fun. This is just the beginning.
Beneath the message, signatures appeared one after another in bright, flaming letters:
—Aether, Tempest, Sage, Jinx, and Jester.
With a loud crackle, the message burst into a dazzling firework display, sparks of gold and silver showering the hall as Ron, Fred, and George released their own fireworks. The ceiling of the Great Hall transformed into a magical fireworks show, lighting up with vibrant colors, swirls of stars, and crackling bursts of light. Harry quickly cast another charm to change every drink in the Great Hall to Butterbeer and one to make the fireworks randomly burst into chocolate and candies instead of sparkles.
Students squealed in delight, grabbing handfuls of sweets that tumbled from the sky, stuffing their pockets or mouths with glee. Dumbledore caught a falling chocolate frog, chuckling as it wriggled in his hand before hopping off onto the table. Even McGonagall, caught off-guard, found a toffee landing neatly in her teacup. She raised an eyebrow but smiled nonetheless.
As the laughter and chatter in the Great Hall began to settle, Dumbledore rose from his seat, still in his pink pyjamas and electric bluish-green hair and beard. With a soft clap of his hands, the hall quieted, all eyes turning to him. He smiled mischievously.
"My dear students," he began. "What a delightful surprise we've all been treated to! I must say, it's been many years since I've witnessed such impressive magic intertwined with mischief."
A few students chuckled and Harry saw Dumbledore's eyes twinkling in their direction.
"Exams are behind us now, and I believe we can all agree that this—" he gestured to the fading sparkles of the Phoenix Covenant's final display, "—has been quite the celebration. Whoever the masterminds behind this Phoenix Covenant may be—" Dumbledore's gaze swept the hall, lingering briefly on Harry's group, "—I would like to thank you for reigniting the spirit of laughter and unity in Hogwarts."
A wave of applause broke out from the students, along with a few whistles.
"Now, I must say, the magical craftsmanship displayed here was nothing short of extraordinary. From the soaring phoenix to the magical transformation of robes and even... the sweets," Dumbledore added with a chuckle, glancing at the chocolate frog still hopping near his feet. "It's rare to see such advanced spell work, and to those responsible, I congratulate you on your brilliance."
He continued, "However, I do hope that this talented Phoenix Covenant chooses to reserve such... creative endeavors for moments outside of the classroom," he said, his tone laced with playful caution. "For while we all enjoy a good bit of mischief now and then, education must not be interrupted by too much excitement."
The hall erupted in laughter, with even McGonagall unable to hide a small smile.
Dumbledore's expression softened once more, and he spread his arms in a welcoming gesture. "In all seriousness, you have done well. You have persevered through your exams and have proven once again that Hogwarts is not only a place of learning, but a place of friendship and joy. I, for one, look forward to seeing more of the magic—and yes, the mischief—that will continue to flourish within these walls."
He gave a small, knowing nod. "To the Phoenix Covenant: may your flames burn brightly, but let us all hope that they remain outside of class hours." His eyes twinkled as the students laughed again.
"Now," Dumbledore finished with a final clap of his hands, "I wish you all an enjoyable afternoon. Celebrate your hard work and relax."
With that, he sat back down, his usual smile in place, while the students erupted into applause.
Harry smirked at the group who couldn't help but feel pride over the prank they pulled. Students will be talking about this day for quite a while after this. Although Harry, might have overlooked a fact that it was the end of the exams and that Dumbledore was in school, contrary to the original story.
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Harry stretched lazily on the armchair, his eyes half-closed giving off the appearance of complete relaxation. Across from his Ron and Hermione were furiously flipping through the pages of the books he had given them, trying to finish by tomorrow as he had instructed. Despite the peaceful appearance on the surface, Harry's mind was far from rest.
His thoughts darted to Gringotts. They still hadn't written to him about his account manager, something that had been bothering him. The goblins were usually efficient, but this delay was quite unusual. Harry made a mental note to visit Gringotts later in the evening and get things sorted out.
Next his mind wandered to the potion he had thought about making. The potion that will allow him to speak Parseltongue. Vernon had gotten him all the ingredients but he had still not made the potion yet because he was confused. Should he make the potion that just enables him to speak Parseltongue or should he make it so that the potion allows him to speak to every magical and normal creature. Cause if he chooses the latter the potion becomes hundred times more complicated.
Then again there were a lot of potions he needed to get done after this so his mind was jumbled. Speaking of potions, there was the matter of his Potion Master's exam. Snape had finalised the exam, but Harry had yet to receive any notification of when it would be held. He couldn't afford to let that slip by, especially since it was an important step in advancing his influence.
A soft chuckle escaped his lips as he shook his head lightly, amused by his own confusion. He glanced over at Ron, who was struggling to stay focused on his book, and Hermione, who was making quicker progress but clearly trying not to snap at Ron for being so slow.
"How's it going?" Harry asked.
"Almost done with the first one," Hermione replied with a slight frown.
"Yeah... 'almost done'," Ron muttered sarcastically, earning a glare from Hermione.
Harry smiled softly. Maybe he was too selfish by keeping that spell to transfer content from the book into your mind to himself. He sighed. He was just keeping it away from them because he feared they might overuse it and it will break their mind. But if they don't, it could perhaps be one of the most useful spells they could learn.
While he can't teach them the Libre Omnis Imbibere that he had modified, he could teach them Cognitio Transcribere.
"Ron, Hermione," Harry said suddenly. "Come with me. And bring your books."
Both Ron and Hermione exchanged puzzled glances but didn't question him. They gathered their books and followed Harry out of the common room.
"Harry, where are we going?" Hermione finally asked.
"You'll see," he replied.
Harry led them to an empty classroom a few floors down. After making sure no one was around, he entered the room and cast locking and warding spells on the door to ensure privacy.
Ron set his book down on a desk and turned to Harry. "Alright, what's this about?"
Facing them Harry's expression was serious. "I'll teach you guys the Cognitio Transcribere spell. But first I need you to promise me that you will only use it for at max two books a day."
Ron's eyebrows shot up in a surprise, and even Hermione looked taken aback. They both knew about the spell of course, since Harry had told them about it before. But he had never offered to teach it to them.
"Two books a day?" Ron asked. "That doesn't sound too bad."
Hermione asked with narrowed eyes. "Why two specifically? What happens if we try for more?"
Harry crossed his arms, looking at her directly. "You will die..."
He let the words hang in the silence.
Ron's eyes widened, and he instinctively took a step back. "Die? Just from reading too many books? Blimey, mate, that's... I thought magic was supposed to make learning easier, not more dangerous."
Hermione, however, wasn't deterred by the warning. "But you've done more than that in one sitting. You've scanned entire shelves of books, Harry. How come you can handle it?"
Harry sighed. "The first time I did that was purely luck Hermione, nothing more. That excruciating pain as if hundreds of thousands of needles drilling into my head, I wasn't able to handle it on my own. It was purely and completely luck that I didn't go mad."
He glanced at them, making sure they understood the gravity of his words. "It was purely luck, but after that first time, my mind quickly became resilient to that. Now although I have this splitting headache when I scan entire shelves, my mind will not break."
"I.. I see. So the original spell, Cognitio Transcribere, is safer because it transfers the content from only one book at a time." Ron added.
Both Ron and Hermione exchanged a glance before turning to Harry, "We promise, Harry. We'll be careful."
Harry nodded and held out his hand, as Elythral materialised in his grip. "Now watch carefully."
Harry demonstrated the spell. He made sure to show them all the wand movements and the correct way of pronunciation.
"That's it, the moment the light touches your forehead, all the information will flow into your mind." Harry added at last.
Ron and Hermione exchanged glances, then nodded. Harry handed Ron the first book. "Give it a try."
Ron took the book in his hand and gulped. He pointed his wand at the book and uttered the incantation "Cognitio Transcribere".
A black aura emanated from the tip of his wand and enveloped the book. Then streams of glowing symbols and patterns surged from the pages and flowed directly into Ron's forehead. His eyes widened as the knowledge flooded into his mind.
"Bloody hell," Ron muttered, blinking rapidly. "That's intense."
He massaged his temples slightly. "I see why you said two is the limit..."
Hermione eager to try it out went next. She cast the spell on the book and the same thing happened. A black aura covered the book before symbols and patterns flew directly into her forehead.
"That's incredible," she whispered, her mind already racing through the new knowledge. She too massaged her temples, as she came to understand first hand why Harry told them that two was the limit.
Hermione gave a satisfied nod, "Now I see why you can only do two books a day. Any more, and it gets overwhelming fast."
Ron massaged his temples, still adjusting. "Yeah, I get that. Feels like I've got the entire book stuffed in my head, and it's trying to burst out."
Hermione nodded in agreement. Harry smiled, "Just be content that you can finish two entire books a day right now. Once your mind develops the resilience, I'll teach you the modified version."
Ron and Hermione nodded. Harry told them that they should scan the next book in the evening to let their minds adjust to the information from the first book.
Harry removed the wards he had placed on the door, and the trio headed out of the classroom. The corridor was empty since all the students were either outside having a picnic of sorts or in the common room lazing about. They walked in silence for a while before Hermione looked at Harry.
"Harry," she began, glancing at him curiously, "just out of curiosity... how many books do you have in your mind right now? I mean, you've been using that modified spell for a while, haven't you?"
Harry responded immediately. "Twenty-nine thousand seven hundred and one book"
Ron froze mid-step, staring at Harry. "Twenty-nine thousand seven hundred and one?" he repeated his voice showing the disbelief.
Hermione's eyes were almost popping out of her sockets. "That's... that's beyond extraordinary. Harry, that's more knowledge than most wizards would accumulate in a lifetime!"
Harry shrugged. "The modified spell helped boost the number to this absurd amount."
Ron shuddered. "Merlin's beard. You've got almost thirty thousand books just... sitting in your head?"
"Well, not sitting," Harry corrected with a small smile. "I've organized them. Imagine a huge library in your mind. You can walk down the aisles, pick up the book you need, and flip through it."
Hermione's curiosity intensified. "A library in your mind... that's amazing. How do you keep everything organized? Do you ever forget where something is?"
Harry shook his head. "Not really. It's all filed away neatly. I can access anything I need within seconds."
"But how?" Hermione asked.
Harry smiled at them, "Remember the book—Mind Mirror: A Treatise on Legillimency and Occlumency?
Both of them nodded in unison. Harry smiled, "You will be able to do just that when you scan that book. Although I'll warn you now, when you scan that book, make sure that's the only book you are scanning that day."
Ron and Hermione exchanged a glance, both looking a bit more intrigued but also wary after Harry's warning.
"Why just that one book?" Ron asked, a bit of hesitation in his voice. "I mean, I get that it's advanced, but it can't be worse than some of the stuff we've already scanned, right?"
Harry's expression darkened slightly. "This one's different," he said, his voice quieter. "The knowledge isn't just theoretical. It comes with the experiences of the writers—centuries of them. When you scan it, it's like you've instantly lived through the practice of both Legillimency and Occlumency. You'll know how to do it, but your mind won't be prepared for the strain if you aren't careful."
Hermione's eyes widened. "So, you're saying we'll be able to use both mind arts right away, without needing to practice?"
"Yes," Harry confirmed, "but you'll also have to be ready for the mental strain. That's why you can't scan any other book on the same day. If you do, your mind won't be able to handle the overload. Trust me, it's a one-book day, and even then, it's risky."
Ron visibly paled. "Blimey, that sounds... intense. So that's how you keep all those books organized in your head?"
Harry nodded. "Exactly. The techniques from that book are what help me maintain the mental library. Without Occlumency, it'd be a complete mess in my head. It took me a while to get used to it, though. When I first scanned the book, it felt like my brain was going to split open."
Hermione bit her lip, "But once we scan it, we'll be able to do the same thing? Organize our minds, protect them from intrusion?"
"Yes," Harry said. "Why don't you guys try it this Sunday? Just make sure that you don't scan anything that day. And make sure I'm there with you."
Ron gave a nervous chuckle. "You're not gonna let us off the hook with all this studying, are you?"
Harry smirked. "Not a chance."