Harry went down to Gryffindor common room with the rest of his dorm mates a few hours later. He had avoided talking to people, in a fear that the changes in their behaviour might be drastic. Fortunately, Salazar had been correct. They had not instantly looked at him; in fact, nobody seemed to notice much of a difference in him, although he had caught a group of fifth and sixth year Gryffindor girls looked twice at him as they all sat in the common room.
I must be rather unattractive to be pleased when someone looks at me twice.
Harry knew that he wasn't painful to look at, but it was still an interesting thought. They were all waiting for McGonagall to bring them to breakfast (they had a more formal schedule for the day, since they were to meet the Auror guards).
He had, however, received many comments on the distinct lack of glasses. Many people had unknowingly given him an insight as to the workings of the second ritual; Angelina had told him that he looked brave and charming without his glasses, something that both Alicia and Katie agreed with. They had all assumed the change was caused by the sudden lack of glasses, as opposed to the effects of the second ritual.
It was a fairly nice feeling to receive such a compliment. He remembered that Salazar had said a trait would only appear if it truly existed. Bravery was quite a nice trait to have, according to Harry.
Hermione and Ron had also both noticed the change, with Hermione telling Harry he looked more intelligent. He and Hermione had quite a fun time explaining the concept of contacts to Ron, whose reaction was comparable to Salazar's.
Just as they had finished their explanation, Professor McGonagall entered the common room. She stood by the portrait hole, waiting for them all to quiet down.
"Organize yourselves by your years, youngest at the front. We leave in one minute." she said, her voice crisp. The students did as they were told, and within a minute they were exiting the common room.
It was rather unusual to see the entirety of Gryffindor house acting so serious for once. Perhaps it had something to do with the guests that were most likely waiting for them in the Great Hall. he had heard that one of the guests would be Madam Bones, the aunt of Susan Bones.
According to what Harry had heard, the Auror Guards had finally arrived. They would be discussing safety plans today, and likely other related subjects.
Harry was more than certain that the ministry officials would at least do a quick look over to try and find him. He was, after all, the most famous teenager in the magical world, regardless of the lack of public information on him. The thought annoyed him, but he knew there was little he could do about it.
Harry felt a slight burning on his cheekbones, feeling as they slowly shifted upwards. It appeared as though the first ritual worked one at a time, as opposed to all features at once. The pain was quite annoying, as Harry could literally see his cheekbones shifting upwards, although it was just barely
The House of the Brave made their way into the Great Hall a short while later, the other houses already seated. Harry got a few looks of interest from the seated houses, particularly from those his age and older. Harry's cheekbones had finally stopped burning a minute prior, much to his relief. Just as Harry was about to take a seat, he casually swiped his hair to the side, revealing his scar.
Salazar had told him earlier that he could not, and should not hide from who he was. If he wanted to become powerful enough to be left alone by others, he would have to be seen first. It was unfortunate, but Harry could tell that the portrait had spoken words of truth and wisdom.
Harry looked over to the staff table, which had every seat filled except for the Headmaster, who was standing behind his lectern. To Dumbledore's left stood the lady Harry assumed to be Madam Bones, another man standing by her side. Behind them stood twelve witches and wizards, all wearing Auror clothing.
Once everyone was seated, Dumbledore cleared his throat and began to speak.
"As you may have realised from the rather peculiar schedule for our fine Saturday morning, we have a few announcements regarding safety protocols that we wish for you to hear. Beside myself stand Madam Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, as well as Rufus Scrimgeour, Head of the Auror Office . . . "
Harry soon lost any semblance of interest, instead choosing to observe the Auror guards. There were the same number of males as they were females, a six and six split. He recognized two of them, both of whom stood at the back of the group. He was fairly certain he had seen both of them at Hogwarts as a first year.
.....
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