Chapter - 61 : Glitterent Part - 3
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you're eager to delve deeper into the story, consider joining my Patreon for exclusive content and early access to new chapters
50+Advanced Chapters there.
(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)
patreon.com/Kun_Blig
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He drew in a deep breath and closed his eyes, focussing on Amanda, on his memory of them drinking and laughing and walking and talking right until she fled. He opened them in a flash and tapped his forehead with his wand. "Iungo."
Reaching forward with both hands, as soon as he cupped the ball smoke whirled within, clumping together and forming a smoky apparition of a pensieve before dissolving into nothingness once more.
Harry frowned as he sat back, ignoring the now familiar snapping of the gold thread between his inner eye and the ball. Had he focussed too much on the concept of memory? Or was there something in his memory of Amanda that could yield answers to his questions if viewed in a pensieve?
"What did you see?" Cassandra asked impatiently. "For that matter, what was your focus?"
"A pensieve and a girl," Harry said absently, still deep in thought. Cassandra's wolf-whistle broke him out of his trance and he realised that confessing that might not have been the wisest of actions.
"So there is a lover in your future. Or your past, judging by the pensieve." She hummed thoughtfully. "You're not stalking her, are you?"
"Of course not," he said, offended.
"Good. Because using Divination to get in her robes is just wrong."
Harry rolled his eyes and turned his back to her. Even though it hadn't been there before he wasn't surprised by the marble pedestal holding a pensieve only feet away. With obvious ease of repetition he drew a silvery strand from his temple and deposited his memories of Amanda in the bowl. After only a moment of hesitation he jumped in after.
To his disappointment, besides making him smile and blush there wasn't much there. She'd been angry when she first stormed into the bar, yet it hadn't been directed at him but at her ex-boyfriend. When she started flirting she had obviously enjoyed his embarrassment but it wasn't malicious at all.
Telling himself he was only checking for a Dark Mark he let his eyes run over her body. Several times. Thorougly. Ah, who was he kidding, she was gorgeous. More, she knew it and wielded her beauty like a weapon at his sheltered self. It was very nice to look at, but there was no sign of an ugly snake tattoo anywhere.
With a sigh he exited the pensive. It seemed he needed more practice before his visions could answer questions.
"There is a problem with your booklist, Mister White," McGonagall said from the opposite side of the desk in her office. She had summoned him in her role of Deputy Headmistress and Harry had loyally responded.
"Oh," he said, confused. "I took your advice and visited Flourish and Blotts. They had copies of each of them on hand."
She ground her teeth. "And they can procure copies of the volumes on the list you gave me, Mister White. The problem is that you have neglected to mention material for the NEWT students."
"NEWT students?" he blurted out in surprise. As far as he knew Trelawney hadn't ever had any of those. "I didn't think Hogwarts offered the course at that level."
"You yourself asked for no restrictions with regards to your students and with prophecy in the news Divination is proving to be surprisingly... popular." The pinched expression on her face left no doubt about her feelings on the matter. "I would have been quite willing to bar students from pursuing the course at NEWT level, but by this time OWL results have been sent out to the new sixth years and there have already been enrolment requests for your course."
"I see," Harry said hesitantly. He barely knew enough Divination to teach the third through fifth years. What was he going to do for advanced students?
He eyed McGonagall and had to stifle a chuckle at the almost tangible displeasure she was radiating. At least he wasn't the only one unhappy with this development.
Ah well, there was nothing for it now.
"I will see to correcting this oversight immediately," he said in as pompous a tone as he could manage.
McGonagall glared at him. "See that you do." In a clearly dismissive gesture she turned away from him in favour of a stack of parchment on her desk. "If there is nothing else?"
"Actually," Harry said on a whim as his recent vision sparked another thought, "I wanted to put in a request for a pensieve." He was making use of one almost daily and he didn't feel like going to the Room of Requirement quite as often when the halls were filled with students. Plus, it would honestly be a useful teaching tool.
McGonagall pursed her lips and slowly raised her eyes up until she could flatly stare at him. "Why?"
"It's an incredibly useful tool to review various visions. The only way to share them between Diviners, really. After all, I can't see what one of my students sees in a crystal ball and details are inevitably lost in a description."
For a moment McGonagall was silent before she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Mr. White, for the last five years Rolanda Hooch, our flight instructor, has practically begged the board of governors for funding for new brooms in order to save students from injury. She has not been successful. A pensieve is far more expensive than a simple set of brooms and flying is a far more practical pursuit than Divination." She visibly restrained herself from saying anything else derogatory. "I will forward your request to the board, but do not expect them to accede. Plan your lessons without one or, if you truly feel it is essential, acquire one on your own."
Harry rolled his eyes. She knew exactly what kind of funds he had access to and though he wasn't quite sure what a pensieve would cost it was in all likelihood beyond him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you're eager to delve deeper into the story, consider joining my Patreon for exclusive content and early access to new chapters
50+Advanced Chapters there.
(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)
patreon.com/Kun_Blig
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~