The Owlery was a good ten minute walk from the chamber, but Harry hoped he could run it in just a couple. Marietta had been about a minute away from the tower when he had found her, so he should make it in time if he hurried.
Sprinting along the corridor, he chose to slide down the rail of the stairs rather than run and risk falling into a trick step in his haste, but the stairs shifted away from where he needed to go. Cursing under his breath he cast a Cushioning Charm on the steps below and jumped. The impact jarred his knees painfully, and he winced as pain lanced up from the bottom of his feet, but he had made it onto the stairs he needed to be on and ran on regardless of the discomfort.
Classrooms flashed by. Ancient Runes passed in a blur, the Advanced Arithmancy class he intended to go to next year went past in single snatch of Professor Vector's strict voice, then he was past Trelawney's lair and gasping by the entrance to the Owlery.
In the moments he needed to catch his breath in the empty corridor he dispelled his disillusionment to check the Marauders Map for nearby names.
We're the only two.
He reapplied his invisibility, just in case someone checked Marietta's memories or attempted to use legilimency on her.
The red-haired Ravenclaw was humming to herself as she watched her owl fly from the window, probably to her mother in the Ministry if what he had overheard about her from Cedric and Neville was true.
Stepping close behind her he flicked his wand into his palm and pointed it at the back of Marietta's head.
'Imperio,' he whispered, even though the silencing charms prevented her from hearing him.
She stopped humming immediately, absorbing the desires he had focused on while casting the charm, and freezing upright.
Harry watched curiously as she smiled to herself, relaxed and then turned to leave the tower. He couldn't tell whether she was under the influence of his spell or not, so he followed her at a distance.
Her route led straight to Umbridge's office and Harry turned away with faint smile. The first of his dominoes was falling, now he just had to get back to Gryffindor Tower in time for the Pink Professor to come and round up those she deemed ringleaders after she found the list.
He ended all the spells he had cast upon himself, sneaking around was the last thing he needed to do now.
Harry wandered swiftly back towards the common room, trying to ignore the excitement that was growing within him. He'd been waiting so long for this to happen, and now it would finally begin.
Fleur had advised him to be patient, after berating him for not mentioning anything during the last week and a half while she had had exams. It hadn't felt fair to distract her from something so important to her. This was Harry's plan, she didn't need to be worrying about it while taking the most important tests of her life.
She had at least promised to not try and accompany him to the Department of Mysteries. The last thing he needed was her getting caught or hurt in Britain where she would be vulnerable to the bigotry of their society.
He smiled at the Fat Lady, cheerfully announcing the pass phrase and ducking through the passageway.
The study tables were full, and Harry spied Neville, Ron and Seamus labouring at one, all pestering Hermione for her assistance.
Harry chose to sit with Katie, Alicia and Angelina instead, just to make a statement about how he felt over them forcing Katie to avoid him. Their identical boyfriends were also present, but when Harry sat down they nodded at him stiffly rather than greet him as warmly as they had used to.
'Hi, Katie,' Harry smiled, squishing in next to her so they were pressed together from knee to shoulder. 'That doesn't look very interesting,' he commented, glancing at her transfiguration essay.
'It isn't,' she agreed, perking up at his arrival much to the irritation of Angelina and Alicia who sighed and shook their heads. 'Hush you two,' Katie remonstrated. 'You're leaving at the end of this year, and Harry will be my closest friend.'
'Am I not already your closest friend?' Harry asked, wiping away imaginary tears.
'No,' Katie beamed, patting him on the cheek. 'You're not cute or female enough.' 'Well that seems sexist,' Harry remarked. 'Do you want help?'
'With NEWT level transfiguration,' Alicia smirked, 'that's sweet of you Harry, but Katie's one of the best in our year.'
Concentrating very hard Harry flicked his wand out and conjured a black butterfly out of the air, sending it to flutter around the heads of the three girls. Angelina and Alicia looked shocked, but Katie just eyed the insect warily.
'Sure?' Harry grinned, directing the butterfly to land on Katie's face with his wand.
'Get it off, Harry,' she growled, swiping at it until it burst into a wisp of black smoke. 'Did you conjure that from the air?' Katie asked, once she was sure the offending insect was definitely dead and gone. 'Yes,' Harry answered with a touch of pride. 'Figured out how last year.'
'I remember,' Katie scowled, 'you showered the table in them at lunch. They couldn't fly properly.'
'That was then,' Harry smiled. He conjured another pair wordlessly, summoning the full swarm non-verbally was still beyond him, but he could manage a small scatter. 'What shall I turn them into?'
'Earrings,' Angelina suggested.
'A boyfriend for Katie,' Alicia joked pointedly, earning an angry look from Katie.
Harry briefly considered listening to Angelina's sensible, non-provocative idea, then decided that Alicia probably deserved something for being cruel to his friend and turned them both into large spiders that just happened to fall onto the girl's lap.
Ron swore loudly from the other side of the room and Alicia shrieked, brushing them off and leaping out of her seat, which Katie promptly stole half of.
He laughed, then transfigured them into a pair of glass earrings in the shape of broomsticks. 'They'll vanish in a few hours,' he told Angelina, who had picked them up to admire them, 'but until then they're yours.'
'Will you turn them into spiders if I put them on? She asked, as Alicia squished back in where she had been sitting.
'Not as long as you don't try and do anything Katie doesn't want you to,' Harry answered amicably.
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