"What project?" the know-it-all asked, bouncing on her toes, which once again caused the two male teens to look down. 'Maybe if I quit nagging, he'll tell me,' she thought, then blushed and stopped bouncing when she noted where those eyes were. 'Perverts.'
"Just something that me and Luna are experimenting with," he said with a wave of his hand as he returned his gaze to her face. "However, you're more than welcome to read the books, after I'm done with them." She was a smart girl; perhaps, she would suss it out on her own. It wasn't his fault that she doubted Luna.
"Fine," the bushy-haired witch harrumphed, seeing she wasn't going to get better answers. "Although, you really should be paying more attention to your school studies," she scolded, only to be met with a bland look. She turned and marched into the Great Hall and took a seat at her normal spot. She then pulled out her books and started to read, grumbling all the while.
"Don't worry, Harry," Neville said, clapping him on the back. "She'll either learn to accept that she doesn't need know everything, or die disappointed." He didn't care what Harry studied, as long as he kept his promise to help him learn to be a great wizard. He had flipped through that book the other boy had lent him, and was impressed with the fact that it was written by Merlin. He was especially glad that the translation spell was still on it. He now had a start on what his friend was going to teach him, and he couldn't wait.
"Well, that's a bit morbid but accurate," the dark-haired wizard agreed as he made it to the seat across from his angry friend, Luna sitting next to him and Neville by Hermione. He dropped his arm and pulled the Wiccan books from his TARDIS pocket and started to read.
They studied for a little while with Harry getting strange looks over his reading material. The bright colored covers and the non-moving pictures of scantly clothed women praising the moon drew a lot of attention. Most wizards and witches didn't know what Wicca was, so they had no clue that they were passing up a different type of magic. 'Their loss,' he thought as he caught a whisper.
Harry learned that the religion was all about keeping your cool and not hurting anyone, while attempting to do magic. 'And harm it none, do what you will' was their motto. Well, there was a longer creed, but it was mostly boiled down to that one sentence. They used ritual spells to help others, or improve their own lives. Some of those ceremonies were bizarre. Really, dancing naked in the moonlight, chanting to dead deities and the elements was a bit much. 'Still naked women,' he thought as his mind wandered.
Our hero shook his head and disregarded those titillating thoughts, for now. They were something he might research later, since they truly believed that is where they got their powers from. He wanted to learn to meditate using new approaches that could improve his mindscape and let him feel the ambient magic in the air. The book he was reading right now was on aura reading. It was telling him how to get in touch with the magic around people and feel their aura. He closed his eyes for a moment did that with Luna, and once again felt the tranquility he felt earlier. This might not be as hard as the author was suggesting.
There were two suggested meditations in this book. The mirror technique seemed like it could trap you, if you weren't careful, so he put that away for now. The candle one seemed like a good start. He'd have to do it in a non-flammable area, just in case his magic made the flame flare. He was still learning how to harness it, given how the whole skunk fiasco played out.
Speaking of Ron, he subtly glanced at the redhead and noted that there was only a small space around him, so the stink must be mostly gone. He did see that the black and white hues were still there, albeit washed-out. He was glad that the jinx was fading. He really felt bad for the boys that had to bunk with him. He chuckled under his breath, and turned back to his studying.
He put the aura book away and pulled out a ritual book. After a few minutes, he was really getting into it. Perhaps, he could convince a few girls to dance in the moonlight, sans clothes. For a spell, of course. Shaking his head from those thoughts, which he had to say were very distracting, he read more.
Sirius' POV
Meanwhile, Sirius was walking down the streets of Hogsmeade, relishing the freedom of not being recognized. He looked everywhere, as if he were a third year and in the village for the first time. He was just about to go into the clothing store, which advertised a new line of clothes with Harry's name on it, when he realized he had no money. Cursing to himself, he turned to The Three Broomsticks, and after waving to the always lovely Rosmerta, who gave him a queer look, he used the Floo to the Leaky Cauldron.
Using his stolen wand to get into Diagon Alley, he made his way to Gringotts, once more basking in being able to walk down a busy sunlit street unmolested. He spotted an Auror, who was probably there to catch him, and didn't even blink. The guy looked right past him, which made him break out into a huge smile. This was quite a prank on the DMLE. He'd have to tell Harry all about it.
The two goblins in front of the bank bowed and opened the door. He nodded back, as was proper, and made his way to the nearest empty teller and glanced at the nameplate. "Hello, Steelblade, I'd like to see Shockhorn if I could," he said, when the goblin acknowledged him.
"Shockhorn is the Black Family Account Manager. Judging from your hair and eyes, you are not a Black," Steelblade growled. "Or you are under a disguise, which we greatly frown upon," he added, narrowing his beady black eyes at the fact that the wards didn't warn him.
"I have little recourse except to come as I am," Sirius said, hoping the goblin realized who he was by that vague statement. In the past it was always night when he came, without a disguise, and to a mostly empty bank. One more shady looking character, whose hood was up, was always disregarded by the night dwellers.
"We shall see. Snarlfist!" the teller shouted.
"You bellowed?" the little being asked from Sirius' elbow, making the young looking man jerk.
He wondered where this one came from. 'Sneaky little critters, these goblins,' he thought.
"Here is another one for a blood test," Steelblade growled, pointing his gnarled finger at the twitching man. "Find out who he is, and how he got past our sensor wards. If he is who I think he is, and swears an oath, then take him so Shockhorn. If he is not, kill him," he snarled, making Sirius very glad he wasn't lying.
"Follow me, human," Snarlfist deadpanned as he turned to the same door Harry went through to take his test.
Sirius fretted. He was worried that Harry's glamor might be a little too complete. He really didn't trust his magic to get him out of trouble. The spells he had used since he stole the wand were weak. This made him more determined to learn his godson's brand of magic. He hated that this whole thing was making him feel emasculated; he used to be stronger than this.
Damn the bloody Ministry and the fucking Dementors for making him feel pathetic. He made a vow to himself to become the man he used to be. He squared his shoulders, like the Gryffindor he was, and followed the goblin to the room, grabbed the knife with a firm hand, and took the test, making sure to wipe the blood on his robes. When the numbers of his four vaults appeared, he silently sighed in relief. A bit too soon.
"Come with me, Black," the goblin said and went to another room.
The glamored man followed the tiny creature. When he got to the door, he felt magic wash over him, but he remained the same.
.....
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