(A/N: Dear friends, I'm happy to hear that you like my story! I need to tell you that there will be 35 chapters in total, so, there is still a lot to read!! In the next chapter we're going to know Prof. Mark Evans a little more… are you curious? Here we are then.)
Chapter 15. THE VEIL OF DEATH
...
In my heart,
In my soul
There is a ground which nobody
Has never crossed, nobody,
If you'd like
To know it
Walk slowly because,
In my silence,
Even a smile can be noisy....
...
"In my heart, in my soul" by Lucio Battisti
Another month had passed by, and in about two weeks, Christmas holidays would start. Harry had been very busy with homework, Quidditch practices twice a week, and weekly Occlumency lessons with Snape; almost every night he dragged himself back to his bedroom like a zombie.
Ron was also very busy; he was always behind with his homework and was also taking advantage of any free time to go out and practice Quidditch. On top of this, he still had prefect duties and meetings, along with Hermione, which were taking place at least twice a week.
Hermione, who was always caught up with her homework, spent her free time making more funny house-elf hats that she left in every corner of the common room, hoping to set free as many house elves as possible. Harry hadn't had the heart yet to tell her that Dobby was taking them instead.
They didn't even have time to begin extra practices for Defense Against the Dark Arts, as Hermione had wanted to to help Harry survive the prophecy.
Lupin hadn't come back to school yet, but Professor McGonagall had told the class that he was already out of the hospital, though he still had to spend some time resting at home. In the mean time, Professor Evans was still teaching, and most of the students were very happy with his lessons.
Harry really wanted to spend a bit of time with him, to talk about his parents, but he hadn't yet managed to find the right occasion. After every lesson, Professor Evans was practically assaulted by groups of girls, all with the excuse to ask a few questions about the latest lesson. Harry had to admit that Professor Evans had become quite popular at school!
"For once, it isn't you that's the center of everybody's attention, Harry! That isn't so bad, is it?" asked Ron one morning, while looking at poor Professor Evans, completely surrounded by a huge group of fourth year girls who had stopped him in the corridor to give him their Christmas presents in advance.
***O***
It was a Friday morning and Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting in the Great Hall for breakfast. The following day, Christmas holidays were going to start, and the students were all very excited.
"Do we have to help Filch patrol the corridors this year too?" asked Ron, very worried.
"Of course, Ron! It's one of our prefect duties, and we'll also have to inspect the Christmas decorations to make sure they're in the right place, and check out the students going home for the holidays," answered Hermione in a professional tone; Ron didn't seem very happy about it.
"Good morning to you all! Nice day, isn't it?"
The three friends turned to face who had just spoken; "Loony" Luna Lovegood was staring at them with her large blue eyes, round like two ping-pong balls, and her usual dreamy look.
That day she was odder than ever; in addition to her usual necklace of butterbeer caps, she was wearing a curious pair of earrings in the shape of little broomsticks that were flying around all by themselves and a huge red hat, with its tip folded up on its side.
Harry glanced at Ron and Hermione; they were still staring at her with their mouths open, not yet able to recover from the shock, so he decided to answer her first.
"Hi Luna, how are you?"
"Fine, thanks... are you going home for your Christmas holidays? I'm going to join my father in an expedition to Bulgaria. He's going to search for the Tercaput!"
"For heaven's sake, Luna! How can you believe such a thing really exists?" Hermione asked, horrified.
Luna angrily answered her back. "It exists! And that's why my father's organizing this expedition. When you see thousands of pictures of it, you'll come to me apologizing!"
Then, she turned to Ron and stared at him for a moment, but seeing that he wasn't interested in the topic, she stormed away from them, without even saying goodbye.
Harry was still looking in Luna's direction, a puzzled look on his face.
"What's a Tercaput?"
"It's an imaginary beast with three heads and... oh, well, it doesn't matter! I simply don't understand how that girl accepts such silly things!"
"Maybe because they make sense to her!"
Harry and Hermione turned abruptly toward Ron, showing their deep surprise from his comment. Ron used to ignore Luna, or made fun of her like most of the other boys.
"What're you looking at? I'm not allowed to have an opinion of my own?" added Ron, turning stubbornly to his porridge bowl.
Hermione sighed deeply and got her school bag full of books.
"Come on now, or we're going to be late for Defense Against the Dark Arts."
Harry and Ron got up and followed her in silence.
***O***
"For today's lesson, we won't need wands."
Professor Evans was slowly walking around the class, staring at every student in turn. This time, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting directly in front of the teacher's desk.
"We're going to have a theoretical lesson."
The teacher had just reached his desk, and had started to stare directly into Harry's eyes.
"The subject is: The Veil of Death."
Harry felt his blood freezing in the veins, and looked at Professor Evans with his mouth open. Finally, he was going to know what exactly had happened to Sirius in the Department of Mysteries after his fall through the Veil. He had always wondered, but he never had the courage to talk to Lupin or Moody about it, even thought both of them were present when it happened.
Harry realized that Hermione was craning her neck in order to better hear the explanation.
"In the ancient Celtic tradition, it was believed that the world of men was separated by a thin veil from the world of the dead... that veil was called the Veil of Death."
Mark Evans was still staring at Harry, as if he was talking only to him.
"It's said that when a wizard goes beyond the Veil, he will never be able come back again to the world of men, but he will remain trapped in the world of the dead. Only the most powerful Seers would be able to communicate between the two worlds through an ancient ceremony. Seers also have the power to free those trapped souls, and enable them to find peace in the next world."
Hermione raised her hand in the air.
"Yes, Miss Granger?"
"That ceremony... what is it all about?"
"I was just about to say, Miss Granger... it's ancient, really difficult to accomplish, and only a true, powerful Seer would be able to do it. You'll find more information in your text book on page 234... Yes, Mr. Potter?"
This time Harry had raised his hand.
"I don't understand, sir. When a wizard goes through the Veil, there's no way he'd be able to come back?"
Professor Evans became extremely serious before he spoke.
"I'm sorry, Harry, but as I said before, nobody may come back from the world of the dead."
Harry felt this last glimmer of hope, which had been lit at the beginning of the lesson, fading away. In his heart, he had always thought that Sirius would come back to him one day. His godfather had left in such an illogical and unexpected way.
When Mark Evans had finished with his explanation and assigned a long essay to prepare during their Christmas holiday, all of the students slowly left the class. Harry remained back, making a sign to Ron and Hermione to wait for him outside. Then, he went over to Professor Evans, who was still sitting at his desk, writing on some papers.
"I knew that you'd find this subject particularly interesting, Harry," said the teacher, lifting his gaze with a thin smile on his face. Harry remained serious; he absolutely had to have more information.
"Sir, I wanted to ask... erm, do you know what happened that night? I mean, in the Department of Mysteries?"
"Yes, the Headmaster told me about that. That's why I chose such a subject. I'm sure you have some questions to ask me!"
Harry didn't waste any time and got to the point.
"I can't believe that nobody has been able to come out from the world of the Dead... there should be a way! Has anyone ever tried to..."
"Harry, listen to me. I fully understand your resentment and your anger, but unfortunately nobody has ever succeeded in such a thing. You have to realize that it isn't possible to call back someone who is gone forever, but I'm sure that you may find this comforting: it is still possible to communicate with someone who has gone through the Veil. Well, I just told you that a really complex ceremony is needed, and that only a true Seer may accomplish it, but it's still a consolation. It's rare that a wizard would be able to have such a chance in his life."
Mark Evans was talking as if it was the easiest thing in the world, getting inside the Ministry of Magic without being noticed, reaching the Department of Mysteries and completing the ceremony in front of the Veil of Death, to say nothing of finding a true Seer! The image of Professor Trelawney immediately floated into his mind, and he felt really hopeless.
"You were saying that you met my parents..."
"Yes, I had the great pleasure and honor to meet them. They were two wonderful people, always ready to help their friends, and they loved you so much. You were everything to them. I still remember the last time I paid them a visit. You were just a newborn. Your father was so proud of you and infinitely happy. He used to always hold you tightly in his arms... and he was also really protective of you. He didn't want anyone to come closer to you than himself!"
Harry smiled, trying to imagine the scene.
"And your mother... she was the true image of happiness!"
Then Mark Evans stared deeply into Harry's eyes and smiled.
"You must be proud of your parents, Harry. They loved you more that anyone else in the world, and they showed you this when they sacrificed themselves to save your life. I'm sure that you are going to follow in their footsteps and become a loyal and brave man - even though, as I know, you have already proven this!"
"Why have you never come to me? Where have you been during all these years?"
The smile on Mark Evens face suddenly vanished, and he turned to stare at the floor.
"You see, Harry... during these past years, I've been really busy... and for this reason, I've been forced to stay far away from you, even though I didn't want to... but now I'm back, and ready to help you, if you ever need my help."
The bell rang, and Harry realized that he was going to be late to his next class.
"It's best if you go now. Your friends are waiting for you," said Professor Evans, pointing his finger at Ron and Hermione, who were peeping in from the door.
"Thank you, Professor Evans."
Harry turned on his heel and quickly reached his friends.
***O***
"Now at the end of this term, you are all now able to apparate and disapparate objects... well, more or less!"
Adding these last words, Professor McGonagall glanced at Neville from above her spectacles, and he lowered his gaze.
"As I already told you at the beginning of our school year, in the next term we will start learning how to apparate and disapparate animals, and then, we will move on to humans. At the end of the school year, all of you will be able to apparate and disapparate yourselves at will, and will be able to pass the examination in June. When you turn seventeen, you will get your official license from the Ministry of Magic. Oh, there is no need to worry Mr. Longbottom, I am sure that you will pass the examination with no problems at all. You just need constant practice!"
Neville wasn't very convinced by her reassuring words.
"Since it's your last day before Christmas holidays, we are going to go over a few last things we already know. Please split up into groups and start the exercise."
At McGonagall's orders, all of the students stood up and got ready. Before the start of the lesson, she had surrounded the room with a special magical net to allow practice; it was necessary to bypass Hogwarts' security measures, which did not permit apparition.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione went over to a corner of the room far away from the teacher's desk. First, they had to disapparate a few objects in turn, and then they had to apparate them in a specific place, several meters from where they were.
Before the beginning of the lesson, Harry had quickly told his friends about his conversation with Mark Evans, causing Hermione to get angry.
"I can't believe that! Professor Evans was provoking you!" She then angrily pointed her wand at a large hat on the floor in front of her, and said the incantation.
"IMMANIFESTUS!"
Her hat disapparated with a resounding CRACK.
"He told you everything, even the tiniest of details... maybe if you'd have asked for more information, he'd have agreed to show you to the Department of Mysteries himself, or he would have recommended you a good Seer to contact, or maybe...."
"Hermione, calm down! Aren't you exaggerating a bit?"
Harry tried to reassure her, meanwhile, with a little swish of his wand, he made his pin cushion apparate about three meters from where it was before, but unfortunately not into the place assigned by Professor McGonagall.
"Yeah, just a bit!" commented Ron sarcastically, while trying for what seemed the thousandth time to disapparate his feather without success. But Hermione couldn't calm down.
"Not at all! You are talking like two irresponsible children! Harry, I really hope that Professor Evans didn't give you any bad ideas!"
"NO! Please don't worry! Besides, I wouldn't even have the slightest idea of how to do it!"
"Anyway, Professor Evans told you something about your parents, right? MANIFESTUS! Ha! I did it!" said Ron happily, after having successfully apparated his feather a short distance from the assigned place.
Harry stared at his pin cushion, which had just apparated onto his left hand.
"Well, yes... it was strange hearing those things. I really imagined how life with my parents would have been."
Harry got lost in his thoughts, recalling what Mark Evans had told him before, himself as a baby, held tightly in his father's arms, and his mother staring at him, smiling.
"Mr. Potter! Do you really find your pin cushion so interesting?"
Professor McGonagall's comment brought Harry back to earth again.
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