Harry scratched his head. "I don't know, really. I honestly can't dig up the memory of when I actually learned those spells. But I wasn't thinking of a particular spell when I did it. It was more like a reflex."
"You certainly cast those spells quickly! Your wand didn't even stop moving between the spells! You had to have practiced it."
"I think I did practice it, Hermione. I got this feeling, when I saw Malfoy draw his wand, that I'd been there before. Well, since I've lived through the future three times already, I guess I had been there before. But it was still a rather vague feeling, like... I don't know... déjà vu, I guess. I think I've been through a lot of duels in the future, and I opened up with that spell combination for most of them."
"I get the same feeling when I'm reading my notes. It's like some of them are more important than others, and that I have to do something with the information, but I just can't seem to recall exactly what it is I have to do..."
A thought struck Harry. "Hermione... what if this is the best that the beacon can do?"
Hermione turned to him. "What do you mean, Harry?"
"I mean, what if... all these vague feelings and fuzzy images of the future are all that we can manage to send back? I mean, my spellcasting has improved a little bit, and we have a very rough idea of what's going to happen in the next few years... but what if that's all we get? Then there's no point in sending ourselves back over and over again if we're never able to use the information."
Hermione looked at him for a while before speaking, and smiled slightly. "Yes... that does make sense. Oh, I'm so relieved..." At this point, Harry wondered if the Cheering charm had finally faded, as her expression quickly turned to a frown. "Darn! I was hoping it would be so much more useful than that! I thought I was going to revolutionize time travel..."
Harry kept his face blank as he grabbed Hermione's shoulders. "Hermione, listen to yourself. You're disappointed that you haven't managed to revolutionize time travel while you're in third year?" He started laughing. "You've already done the amazing, and you've pretty much proved to me that time travel is technically possible, going years back! Maybe we can improve on your ideas in the future, but I think it's safe to say you've already done something more amazing than any other third-year has done... or will ever do, in fact."
With a huge smile on his face, he hugged her tightly, whispering into her ear, "You're the most brilliant witch of our times, Hermione. Never doubt that. You'll always amaze me."
Hermione left lunch that day with a genuine smile, no cheering charms needed.
The two of them would, however, need cheering charms to get through the afternoon without losing their tempers. Professor Snape strode into class, his cloak billowing behind him. "Today, class, we will be brewing the Scouring Potion. I dare say that some of you," he said, looking straight at Neville, "...could possibly end up with a cauldron even dirtier than a proper scouring potion could clean."
"Hey, where were you at lunch?" Ron whispered to him.
"Um... looking at Hermione's Runes notes," Harry answered.
"Potter! Brewing a potion does not require you to open your mouth," Professor Snape snapped. "Ten points from Gryffindor."
The rest of potions class continued as usual, but Professor Snape seemed to be especially vindictive today. Harry figured he was still seething at Sirius's escape, and despite not having any evidence, blamed Harry for it. Then again, whether he was responsible or not, Snape probably would have taken his frustration out on him anyways. He managed to lose another 50 points by the end of class, and despite brewing a potion that was only a slight shade lighter than it was supposed to be at the final step, Snape declared it "worthless" and vanished his work before he could complete it.
Harry glared at Snape when he did that, and the moment their eyes locked, Harry felt a presence in his mind. There was something pushing, searching... NO! he thought forcefully. He must be searching my mind... he's done this before... I know it... Harry vaguely recalled sitting across from Snape, losing all his precious thoughts to the bitter man. I have to protect myself... shields... mental shields...
Harry, again, reflexively put up a mental shield, blocking the force that was poking into his head. Snape was taken aback slightly, but continued to stare at him. Harry was unable to break his gaze, and felt a more directed force in his head. Sirius... how did Sirius escape... The words edged inwards, prodding his barriers. Thoughts of Sirius and Buckbeak began to rise to the forefront of his mind, but Harry quickly quashed them down. He wasn't going give an inch. He was determined to leave Snape empty-handed. He finally managed to break eye contact with Professor Snape, who stumbled back a step.
"Potter! You insolent little boy, I'll have you..." began Professor Snape, enraged.
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