Mist, Feathers and Halloween Spirits
Harry had completely forgotten about his training. After taking a quick shower, he stepped out of the dormitory bathroom and found his brother, who seemed to be receiving a call from home.
Harry approached quickly, still drying his hair with the towel.
"Hi Mom, hi Aunt Mor" Harry greeted while lightly bumping his head against Percy's, the way they always did.
"Hi sweetheart; Percy told me you've been quite busy training lately" Sally said with a radiant expression. Almost two months had passed since they started Hogwarts, and she used to call them every night so they could tell her how their day had gone. Apparently both of them had gotten used to the castle and had made friends just as she hoped, which filled her with happiness.
Harry had even joined a sports club; if quidditch could be called that. Unfortunately, there wasn't any sport at Hogwarts that Percy liked, maybe something like swimming, but even so Sally hoped both would enjoy the school as much as possible, where so many children were just like them.
"Yeah, Wood is a bit obsessed with winning; he says our team is the best and that losing would be a sacrilege" Harry said with a tired smile.
"What a problem; with Harry so busy he won't be able to keep an eye on Percy; he'll surely get into trouble" Mor commented with a teasing smile from the side of the screen.
"Hey, Harry gets into trouble too" Percy added immediately in his defense; his intention was only to clarify that Harry wasn't exactly an angel either, not to deny that he himself got into messes.
"It's fine; Harry doesn't have to be looking after his brother and Percy doesn't have to look after Harry; both of you just need to enjoy your schooling like children. Besides, ever since you promised not to get into trouble, no letter from the professors has arrived, so you're surely keeping your deal" Sally said with a proud smile.
Instantly, both brothers felt guilt rise in their stomachs. They thought it would be better not to say anything about having been on the verge of being expelled or eaten by a three-headed dog.
"Um… aunt, can I ask you something?" Harry said urgently, using the change of topic as a lifeline.
"What is it" Mor asked.
"I think someone might be able to see through the magic of the Mist. Is that possible?" Harry asked repeatedly, remembering the moment Percy had used an illusion to make it look like normal magic. Professor Flitwick hadn't noticed anything, but a student had, which was clear from her confused expression when the professor praised Percy for great work that, in that girl's eyes, he hadn't done.
"If they trained to control the Mist they could be like you; but there are no others like you in these parts of the world" Mor said and immediately fell silent, as if she had let too much slip.
"Like us?" Percy asked with immediate interest.
"It doesn't matter. You just need to know there aren't other people like you. Maybe you ran into someone with good sight; also called clairvoyants, people who can see through certain illusions without meaning to. Many of that type exist, although most are humans without magic, which makes them think they're going mad; maybe that person you're talking about is the same. But at least they're a wizard or a witch, so it matters much less. If you don't want to get caught cheating, just make sure you don't show anything strange in front of him or her" Mor explained while looking directly at Percy, knowing perfectly well it had been his doing.
After all, Percy wasn't as good at magic as Harry. He was much better in physical combat, in water control and in some illusions, but general magic was always complicated for him. Maybe it was because he couldn't concentrate enough; maybe because he simply didn't care to. That's why it was quite likely he used illusions in class so he wouldn't end up in last place.
Even if it was cheating, neither Mor nor Sally argued with him. Both accepted that Percy might not be good with spells, but he was truly a genius in other areas, and demanding that he also be an expert in magic would be asking him for something he wasn't made for. For Sally, having her sons attend a magical school was more an opportunity to make friends and connect with others; she didn't care about titles or perfection. She only wanted them to be happy and did her best to give them exactly that.
Besides, she always thought that if in the future they ended up working with her at the Veil it would be wonderful; although obviously not in the dangerous positions. Even the Elder had said they would be welcomed as soon as they reached adulthood.
She also knew that Dorien had given Harry some kind of secret mission; she was fully aware, but since it wasn't dangerous and Harry found it fun, she didn't interfere.
"I see" Harry said, accepting the explanation.
"Who are you talking about?" Percy asked seriously; the fact that there was someone capable of seeing him cheat was something he considered dangerous.
"You'll figure it out" Harry said with a small amused smile, instantly sparking Percy's curiosity.
"Dear ones, I already want the holidays to come so you can return home" Sally said with a touch of sadness; it hurt her not being able to hug them.
"It's fine Mom, only a couple of months left" Harry said quickly while Percy nodded in agreement.
"Alright, it's late; better get to bed. Tomorrow is Halloween; I don't know how wizards celebrate it over there, but have fun" Sally said with a warm motherly smile.
" I think they dress in dark clothes or furs so they don't draw the attention of spirits; they paint their faces with soot and carry rustic lanterns made from hollowed-out turnips. All of that while performing protection rituals so they won't be possessed by spirits" Mor said while thinking lightly, as if recalling a historical fact she maybe shouldn't have mentioned.
"What" Percy and Harry said at the same time, with surprise and a touch of fear. Two other voices also reacted.
Neville and Ron, who had just entered the room, heard that last part and almost jumped in fright. When the boys talked with their mother they usually gave them space, so they had walked in at the worst possible moment.
"Well, have fun and don't get possessed" Mor said goodbye with a mischievous smile before turning off the mirror.
"Wait, your aunt isn't serious, right?" Ron asked, quickly approaching Harry and Percy with an alarmed expression.
"Actually, with Aunt Mor you never know" Harry said, scratching his head and feeling worry for the next day begin to grow.
"Why don't you ask your brothers, they go to Hogwarts before you, idiot" Percy said quickly. After all, he didn't want to be possessed by any ancestral spirit.
"You think they'll tell me? They'll surely have fun at our expense" Ron replied right away, almost resigned.
After that conversation, the four boys didn't sleep very well. The idea of a Halloween full of rituals and restless spirits left them tossing in bed while imagining creepy scenes they didn't want to experience.
However, the next day, when they went to the Great Hall, they realized it wasn't as exaggerated as Aunt Mor had described; it even seemed that they celebrated Halloween in a fairly normal way. There were floating pumpkins everywhere, spooky decorations like cobwebs, and enchanted bats flying between the beams of the ceiling.
Sweets covered the tables and the sweet scent of sugar mixed with roasted pumpkin filled the place. The four let out a sigh of relief at the same time as they walked in cautiously. Really, if they had asked, they wouldn't have worried so much.
The aroma of roasted pumpkin called out to their hungry stomachs; so everything was reduced to one of Aunt Mor's jokes while they sat down to have breakfast before going to class with Professor Flitwick.
That day they would work in pairs to practice the levitation charm, that is, making objects float. The professor had even done a demonstration with Neville's toad, which immediately excited everyone.
The pairs were chosen by the professor. Percy got paired with Seamus Finnigan; Ron ended up with Neville, and Hermione with Harry. Hermione threw him a somewhat competitive look, as if she wanted to ask him something, that look she always gave him whenever they crossed paths. Harry had already started trying to ignore her because she didn't know how to hide anything; or rather, she didn't even want to.
Percy observed his class partner with a slightly amused expression. Seamus was known for setting everything on fire whenever he did magic; while he, during his training with Aunt Mor and with Harry, always ended up flooding everything. Maybe it was destiny.
Still, Percy didn't want to think about coincidences. He was truly alert because he was still worried about who might discover he was cheating with illusions; so he decided that maybe this class would be better done without tricks. Everyone was a suspect now, and he wasn't going to give himself away by making an invisible feather float while the real one stayed still on the desk. It was different from other spells he could fake easily; this one was too obvious.
"Don't forget the wrist movement we practiced" Professor Flitwick said, making a gesture with his wand while standing atop his stack of books as usual. "Swish and flick; swish and flick" he repeated twice while showing the movement.
"And remember to say the words correctly. Never forget wizard Barufio; he said F instead of S and ended up on the floor with a buffalo on his chest" the professor added quickly.
Percy and Seamus began waving their wands toward the feather over and over, but nothing seemed to work.
"Aren't you supposed to be one of the best in the class? Why aren't you that good now?" Seamus asked, frustrated. He had hoped that being Percy's partner would be an advantage because normally, between him and Harry, they always completed everything perfectly and ended among the top students. Although Percy usually did it even a few moments before his brother, everyone believed he was an incredibly talented wizard.
Well, that was because Percy was cheating to take home good grades that Christmas.
"Maybe my magic battery is a bit worn out" Percy said, looking at him with suspicion, watching every one of Seamus's gestures in case he was the wizard capable of discovering his trick.
"Battery?" Seamus asked before touching the feather with his wand. Instantly, the feather burst into flames.
Both boys opened their eyes wide. Percy pointed his wand immediately and a large amount of water shot out, drenching Professor Flitwick from head to toe while he was sitting at his desk.
"Or maybe I have the wrong battery" Percy said, looking at the professor with his wand still in hand. The feather, completely soaked after having burned, was now reduced to half its size on the floor, far from both of them. "and maybe we need another feather" he added.
"Excellent fire and water spells, Mr. Finnigan and Mr. Jackson; but right now we are trying to make the feathers float, so I cannot award you any house points" the professor said with a playful smile. Luckily for Seamus and Percy, he wasn't Professor Snape; he would surely have deducted every last point from Gryffindor for such a disaster.
Harry, sitting next to Hermione, looked at his brother and shook his head, somewhere between amused and resigned. He was genuinely having fun watching him so scared at the possibility of being caught cheating. After all, Harry tried very hard not to use the Mist so he could properly learn Hogwarts magic, while Percy abused illusions so he wouldn't look like a mediocre wizard.
Then Harry looked toward the feather for a moment and moved his wand just as he felt Hermione making the same gesture. Both of them pronounced "Wingardium Leviosa" in unison.
The feather began to rise gently above their heads.
They both looked at each other at the same time. Once again they had cast magic together, almost like mirrors of each other. Hermione slightly furrowed her brows and moved her wand with more firmness, as if she were fighting a silent battle for control of the feather.
Harry felt his competitive side awaken and tensed his arm, pulling the feather toward himself while Hermione did exactly the same. Very soon, the small feather was moving from one side to the other above the table, tugged in two opposite directions.
The scene caught the attention of several nearby classmates who began watching with interest as the feather trembled in the air as if trying to escape.
"Oh, it seems Potter and Granger have done it, look" Professor Flitwick announced, already dry thanks to his wand, visibly excited as he approached.
Harry felt all eyes on him and, annoyed by the attention, he lost concentration for an instant. The feather slipped away from him and Hermione smiled with a discreet but clearly victorious gesture.
Harry put away his wand without saying anything. Ron, sitting nearby, made a very irritated face; Hermione's presence seemed to bother him more than usual.
When they left class, Ron didn't take long to show it.
"It's no wonder nobody can stand her; did you see her smug face" he said with annoyance.
Harry walked calmly without giving it much importance, while Percy still scanned the hallway with sharp eyes, as if all their classmates could be guilty of seeing through his tricks. He even looked at Neville suspiciously for a second.
Neville, confused, met his gaze with an expression of "what did I do" without understanding anything.
"She's a nightmare, I'm telling you seriously" Ron added right as someone bumped into Harry.
It was Hermione. She held a book tightly against her chest and, for a moment, both Harry and Percy were able to see her face before she lowered her gaze. Her eyes were filled with tears, and one of them fell before she could stop it.
"I think she heard you" Harry said, lowering his voice with a touch of guilt.
"Making a girl cry is not proper for a gentleman" Percy said immediately while looking firmly at Ron with absolute seriousness, repeating the teachings of Luther and Arthur.
The looks from both brothers made Ron uncomfortable at once.
"So what; she must have already realized she can't make friends, with her personality and all that" he muttered, before quickening his pace as if wanting to escape the judging stares he felt stabbing the back of his neck.