Chapter 35: Electricity

Hermione spun her time turner, using up the last 90 minutes. It was now 3:35 pm. Her stomach growled as she raced up the steps. She had finished the last of her assigned work for the day, and she could have just gone to dinner, but the Bayesian Conspiracy was meeting. She really wanted to see Harry.

Over the past few days, he had turned into an elusive creature that only appeared for a few seconds at a time before vanishing. She couldn't even catch him at meal times. And, on top of that, her schedule was about to become insane, now that Madam Bones was bearing down on the Aurors. At Thursday's third meeting of the day, she'd chewed out Auror Lee for taking so much time off before the lake attack. "If this had happened 200 years ago, you'd have been drawn and quartered for your negligence, then I would have fed your remains to the pigs."

Hermione's feelings were mixed on the issue. Madam Bones was a hard task master, but at least now some actual work was getting done. The school needed protection, even if it did wipe out all her free time. So, in one of her last free hours for the foreseeable future, she thought it would be nice to see her best friend.

She opened the doors for the Bayesian Conspiracy, and found Harry and Dean locked in an intense argument.

"Harry, I've thought a lot about this." Sweating, Dean banged a fist on the table. "I know this is the right way to go, so I'm just asking for a little help."

"I've also considered the experiment you mentioned." Harry, hands in his pockets, seemed perfectly calm. "And I'm telling you, it's a waste of time. If you're looking for the source of the electrical interference, you might as well consider the moving staircases, or the various enchanted magical items in every room, or the large population of wizards in one area."

Harry glanced over at Hermione standing in the doorway. He blinked and quickly looked away.

Dean countered, "But it makes just as much sense to consider all the portraits lining the hallways. And all my experiments show that they seem to be causing EMF spikes more than any other object in Hogwarts, including the wizards."

"You're talking about the EMF detector you bought for ten pounds at the store?" Harry shook his head. "Those things are notoriously unreliable. Listen, there's an observed phenomenon in psychology called confirmation bias, which makes you likely to cherry pick information from experiments to support your theories. So, while you might not have done it on purpose, you probably set your EMF detector a little closer to the portraits, or jiggled it more in your hands in excitement. This, by the way, is why it's imperative to perform double blind studies."

Hermione frowned. Usually, Harry wasn't so dismissive when his group had an idea he disliked. He didn't like to hamper their creativity. What was different this time?

"Harry," Padma countered patiently. "I'm not sure Dean is on the right track either, but this is worth considering. I've performed my own tests as well using a few volunteers, and the portraits do show spikes in EMF readings. Dean can't do anything more to test with the equipment he has. Why won't you help him with this?"

"Because you haven't given me a sufficient reason yet, my time is valuable, and honestly? The hypothesis behind your deductions doesn't sit well with me. The theory behind why ghosts cause EMF spikes is that they are alive, an imprint of the spirit turned into magic. This is a pernicious lie that I don't need to provide further fuel for, regardless of what little information we might glean from studying them."

Well, that explains it, thought Hermione. Anything to do with the afterlife always made Harry a little pig-headed.

Dean went red. "But I'm not trying to do that!"

"You are, even if you don't realize it. Your natural inclination is to veer towards your predilections, and everyone wants to believe in life after death." He folded his arms. "But trust me, I did the research. The Hogwarts portraits are no more alive than a moving picture. If you can give me some evidence that there is a soul or partial spirit within them that is animating these objects, anything more than a rudimentary parlour trick, then I'll gladly help you. Otherwise, you'll need to ask someone else."

Harry spoke without raising his voice at all, in a firm, emotionless tone that tended to irritate people. Dean was glaring at him in frustration, when suddenly Hermione realized something.

"Harry," she said. "Think of it like this. Humans use a tremendous amount of energy, and one of the greatest energy consumers is their brain. Conscious thought requires a lot of effort."

"Right," said Harry, looking at her warily.

"Well," she said. "It may be less than human, but the portrait is still mimicking human thoughts and activity. But it doesn't eat, and it doesn't even have a body to transmit electrical impulses. Where is the energy coming from?"

"Exactly!" Dean pounded a fist on the desk, turning to Harry. "That's what I've been trying to tell you! It might not have a soul, but that's not the point. It's a human consciousness that's sustained entirely by magic. Imagine what we could learn from studying it!"

Harry's gaze turned inward then, as he examined all the information. Finally, he sighed. "Very well, then." He glanced at Hermione before turning to Dean. "I'm not certain you're correct, but I'll see if I can help you. However, I don't know if we'll be able to perform the experiments here."

"You mean in the lab?" asked Dean.

"No," he said. "I mean in Hogwarts."

On the 3rd floor there was a rarely frequented corridor that was full of portraits. The portraits were created recently enough that they spoke recognizable English, but far enough back that they were mostly forgotten, and it was for this reason Dean started his search here.

"Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen," he said, "But are any of you interested in an adventure?"

"Me!" declared a knight, his horse rearing up. "I'll do it!"

Several others also expressed interest, more than Dean expected.

"But I must warn you," said Dean. "It is quite dangerous. We will have to leave the safety of this corridor."

"We don't care," said another portrait, a lady in blue. "I haven't seen anything besides 14 year olds snogging each other for centuries. It's indecent, and if I'd known this would be my eternity, I would have demanded a different corridor. No one listens to portraits, though."

"Well, if you're sure," said Dean. "Then let me take your names."

Minerva was reading a correspondence at her desk when someone knocked on her door.

"Come in," she said.

Dean Thomas entered the room.

"Headmistress, I'd like permission for myself and a group of friends to leave Hogwarts for the weekend."

Dean handed in the appropriate paperwork, and Minerva looked it over. Most students asked for permission when they wanted to see their families or attend a special event. On Dean's permission slip, it said the destination was, 'University of Oxford.'"

"What will you be doing?" asked Minerva, reaching into her desk for the official stamp.

"We're performing an experiment on enchanted objects with a professor who works there. Speaking of which, I have a requisition form for borrowing magical objects, and the names of several portraits who have agreed to participate in the experiment."

Dean handed these to Minerva, and she glanced down at the long, long list of names. "Dean, I can honestly say no one has asked to borrow a painting before." She wasn't even sure it was legal, though according to ancient statutes, the portraits of Hogwarts weren't actually property, as ghosts or magical imprints couldn't be owned. The frames they were encased in, however, were another matter.

"I wouldn't ask," said Dean. "Except that we really need these for the experiments. We will be very careful to return them intact."

It wasn't necessary, but it was polite, to inform the Ministry of any magical objects being removed from Hogwarts by students. Minerva tried to think of a way this could backfire, anything that could get her in hot water with the Ministry, but then decided that with everything going on right now, she didn't think they'd care about a missing portrait from a forgotten corridor in Hogwarts.

She stamped the document, and passed it into her file folder, which automatically created a copy. "You have permission to take 3 portraits, after I have taken them out of the frames and applied the appropriate protection charms. You will return them within seven days."

"Thank you," said Dean, taking the copied file.

"Who will be coming with you?" asked Minerva. She assumed Harry, at least, but his list of companions had been left blank.

"Well," said Dean. "That's something I wanted to discuss with you."

"I have to say, I'm impressed," said Harry the next morning. "I didn't think you'd be able to pull everything together this quickly."

Dean shrugged artfully. "What can I say, I get things done." The two of them stood in the Great Hall, waiting for the others. It was still dark outside, the dawn at least an hour away. Dean scuffed the ground with his trainer. "To be honest, I was worried if I waited more than a week, it would never happen."

Harry nodded in understanding. There had been times, when he'd had an idea, where he just had to test it right away. "My dad said he'll be here by 6:30 am to pick us up."

"Great," said Dean. "I spent all last night planning for this. I've got a few ideas for things I'd like to try first."

Harry wasn't going to admit it, but he had also spent a good deal of last night planning. It had occurred to him that this experiment could shed some light on his own research goals. If they really could detect a unique form of energy within the portraits, then it could lead him closer to discovering the force that powered the source of magic.

But besides that, he couldn't show his father a half-baked plan, that would be embarrassing.

"Did you convince Padma to come?" asked Harry.

"Yeah, she's coming," said Dean. "Seamus isn't feeling well, so he's staying at Hogwarts. I also invited a couple more people."

Harry's heart leapt with an unexpected thud. Hermione? Probably, I mean, who else would have a stake in this experiment? Why am I acting so surprised, of course she would come, she wouldn't miss out on—Woah woah, wait, will we be sleeping at my place together? I haven't cleaned my room in ages, and—hang on, how am I supposed to do science when I'm thinking about Science?!

The door to the Great Hall opened, and Harry turned slowly.

Luna stepped in, wearing a polka dot lab coat. "Good morning, boys," she said in her lilting, dreamy voice. "Ready to do some science experiments?"

"Always," said Dean, beaming. "You're looking festive this morning!"

She shrugged, adjusting her massive goggles. "I thought I would get into the spirit of things."

Seconds later, Padma entered the room, carrying a bag of luggage behind her.

"Padma!" said Dean, waving her over. "Glad you could make it. Where's Hermione?"

"Not coming," said Padma, re-shouldering her bag. "Madam Bones didn't clear her to leave."

"Oh," said Dean. "That…kinda sucks. I was hoping she'd join us."

Harry, in that moment, couldn't decide if he was relieved or disappointed. On the one hand, he was clearly in better control of his mental facilities when she wasn't around. On the other, he'd spent half the night lying awake and thinking of her, almost giddy at the thought of doing another experiment together.

After walking a short distance off the grounds, past the apparition wards, Harry's father arrived with the car, glaring at everyone as he loaded their bags. By unspoken agreement, Harry got the front seat next to his dad, while everyone else crowded into the back, silent as church mice. "Don't be alarmed," explained Harry. "He's not angry, that's just his morning glower. Here Dad, drink some coffee." His dad scowled, drained the mug, and got onto the highway.

They went straight to the university, then climbed to the third floor of an old, brown building. Morning sunlight streamed in as they entered a barren lab room, with empty cabinets and a few small items on the table.

"This is your workspace for the weekend," said his father, setting down his messenger bag. "I couldn't take the newer and more expensive items from the physics and electrical department, since you said your portraits cause electronics to fritz out. We'll use these until we know what we're dealing with."

Harry examined the available items. They would suffice for now, but he was hoping he could convince his dad to bring in more later. His dad watched the group, his arms folded. "So, what is your plan for today?"

Harry turned to Dean, who was holding the three, rolled up paintings. Dean cleared his throat, "Well, Mr. Verres, as you know, I've been doing some tests to figure out why electrical appliances don't work well around magic. My EMF detector registered high electrical readings from the paintings at Hogwarts, but it's hard to test them without better equipment and a more stable environment. So, today I would like to examine these paintings to figure out everything we can about the type of energy being emitted."

Dean, reaching into his pocket, and almost dropping the portraits, pulled out a paper and handed it to Harry's dad. Mr. Verres read the paper and nodded. "Ambitious goals, but very well. Go ahead."

Once they'd done all the preliminary reading checks and calibrated their instruments, they got started.

Harry unfurled the first painting, which broke the sleep charm on the portrait. They'd placed it on to make sure they didn't wake up in the car and cause an engine malfunction. The painting of an old wizard holding a blue globe yawned, and then said, "Unusual choice of décor. Why would you paint everything white and grey? It is quite boring."

"It's not supposed to be interesting," said Harry. "It need only be functional."

"Quite," said the wizard, nodding. "Well, let's get started with this experiment, as you call it."

Harry turned to his classmates, and noticed his dad giving the painting an odd look. "Is he talking to you?"

"Yes," said Harry. "You couldn't hear it?"

Harry's dad shook his head. "I see a stationary portrait of a wizard holding a blue globe." He paused for a moment. "That beard is quite impressive, though."

The wizard nodded with satisfaction, stroking his beard. "Took me seven years to grow it out this long, and twelve charms to keep it well groomed. Most people don't notice, so tell him I appreciate that, even if he is just a Muggle."

They used a wooden easel to set up the portrait in the middle of the room, with several meters of empty space around it. They started testing with the EMF detector once more, marking the points where it started picking up an energy source.

"It's not as strong as in Hogwarts," said Dean, whose reader was almost touching the portrait. "I didn't used to have to get this close to find a signal."

"Too close, in my opinion," said the portrait, and the reader blazed into the red zone.

"Do that again," said Dean.

"What?" said the portrait, and the detector blazed into the orange.

With excitement, Dean turned around and conferred with Padma, who was recording his readings. "Any ideas how we can get it to make a constant stream of energy?"

"Well." Padma glanced over at the painting. "Old men love to tell stories."

The painting glared at her. "I am not old! I'm only eighty-nine."

Harry shook his head. Their test subject was already getting ornery, and they'd only been working for five minutes. Harry was about to suggest rolling him back up again when Luna stepped forward, taking off her goggles.

"Young men like to sing songs," she said, smiling. "Is there one that you like, Mr. Wizard?"

"Please, call me Igneous," said the Wizard. "And yes, I do have one."

"Wonderful," said Harry, who was standing by the table. "If you could, would you please sing it at a slow and consistent volume and pace?"

The portrait stroked his beard, sniffed, and then began singing a tune in French. Once Dean completed his testing with his EMF reader, they switched out to an old analogue detector. After ten minutes of testing with a few different instruments, Harry and his father graphed the results.

"The field of energy extends out into a torus shape," said Harry. "It looks a lot like a magnetic field, but I doubt that's what it is."

"Probably not, but does it react to a compass?" asked Padma.

"Let's see," said Harry, grabbing one from his pouch, then pausing. "Dad, do you have a compass, by chance?"

Harry took the two compasses and tested each one. The one that his father gave him did not react. Neither did the one from his pouch.

"Well, there goes that theory," said Harry. "Or rather, it makes it a lot less likely."

"Perhaps," said his father, folding his arms. "But you had the right idea just now with the compass."

The lightbulb went off in Harry's head when he realized, but it was Padma who answered. "If this portrait is messing with the laws of physics, then we need to figure out how. We have to start from the bottom and work our way up."

It took them an hour to gather up all the materials, and another hour to make sure everything was set up properly. Now Dean was standing in front of the painting, which lay on the table, and covering it with compasses. A few more compasses were placed beside the painting, close to the edge. This was test number 2, as their first test had been with a regular painting, to check the equipment.

Padma was checking measurements, making notes in their experiment logbook, while Harry observed.

"They're all pointing in the same direction, due north," said Padma.

"Looks like it," said Harry. "Okay, let's try the next part."

They turned to Luna, who approached the portrait. "Could you move around a little, like this?" said Luna, doing a simple dance step.

The portrait imitated her, grumpily. At this point, Luna was the only one he listened to. The compasses didn't react to movement, or to speech and singing. Harry asked the portrait if he could leave the painting for another test, and the wizard shook his head. "If I did that outside of Hogwarts, I might not be able to return."

Dean started setting up the next experiment, which was to determine how the painting was affecting electric fields. This time they used electroscopes to measure electric charges around the painting, to see if they were being quenched around the pictures and to what degree. Again, all test readings came back normal, after testing all the same conditions as before.

While they took a break for lunch, which Harry's mother had packed for them, Luna chatted with the painting, asking him questions about his life. Harry's father stood beside the painting, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"Based on the length of Luna's pauses, the painting seems quite loquacious," said Harry's father, turning to Dean and Padma. "What is he talking about?"

"He's talking about his time working in Normandy during the goblin wars," answered Dean. "There was a riot and he stopped it with a very impressive wind spell he says made everyone's hair stick up for days."

"Fascinating," said Mr. Verres. "Have you tested the painting for consciousness?"

"This particular one?" responded Padma. "Not specifically, but they don't act like humans in a box. They have limitations. Over time, they lose their ability to form new memories, and eventually most fade into a normal painting. Even when newly made, they don't grow or change, and they show little inclination to create or learn anything new."

Mr. Verres looked thoughtful. "Still, they can hold real time conversations with people, close enough to mimic a real human. This is quite exceptional, farther than AI has progressed in the non-magical world. It would be worth looking into to see what level of sentience these paintings can achieve."

Dean frowned. "But wouldn't that make them unhappy? They'll realize they're trapped."

"If magic can create a sentient non-biological life form," observed Mr. Verres. "Perhaps it can also create a body for them."

They wrapped up lunch and got back to their third experiment, testing an electrical current. They had a simple circuit with a battery powering a light bulb, with one extra long wire connected to a voltmeter and ammeter. They brought the wire into contact with the painting, and checked to see if there was any change in the EMF readings. Then, Dean slowly moved the light bulb over, then just the power cell, and finally the entire thing and set it on the painting. They tried it with all conditions again, until the painting complained he was growing hoarse.

"No changes," said Padma. "Looks like there's no electrical circuit disruptions, either."

"Okay, then there's one more test," said Harry. "We're going to look and see if it's affecting energy on a quantum level."

They set up to test the effect on energy when running through a circuit with transistors and diodes, which Harry explained operated on the principles of electrons acting like particles and waves. "If the magical field is disrupting it here, then it could explain why your Game Boy isn't working, but a simple wristwatch like mine can function normally."

When this test came back normal, Harry's father suggested an audio test. "We have a noise cancelling machine that we can program to send in inverted audio signals, and then mix both sounds to check for changes."

"Good idea," said Harry. "Where's the equipment?"

They left the room to go get it, and Dean sighed. "I'm so out of my league. I have absolutely no idea what we're doing."

Padma smiled. "Don't feel too bad. Physics is complicated, and you've only just started studying it. Harry has been devouring it since he was in grade school."

"Do you understand what this experiment is testing for?" asked Dean.

Padma mused quietly for a moment, twirling her pen in her fingers. "Audio signals contain a broad spectrum of complexity, and are useful for analysis of what's happening on a quantum level. I imagine we're going to generate two audio signals, one being the inverse of the other. If we combine them, then they should create no sound. That's how good audio equipment reduces noise interference, by using the inverted sound to cancel it out. It's a small way we can easily see quantum mechanics at work.

"So, if we place the wire carrying one sound near the painting, then we keep the other wire far away. If the painting is causing interference at the quantum level, it could change the sound passing through the wire near the painting. Even if it's affected only slightly, the change will make noise we can hear in a speaker."

"Can we test different types of audio signals?" asked Dean.

"Yes, I'm sure we will be testing quite a few. We might detect an anomaly on one frequency that we can't detect on another. If we do get something, it will give us a clue as to what we should research next."

And then, of course, Dean would be even more lost, like a swimmer on his first lap while the rest were rounding their tenth. Dean sighed, trying to remind himself this wasn't a race.

Harry and his father brought back the equipment, the excitement plain on both of their faces. "Alright, who's ready to rock and roll?" said Harry, throwing up the heavy metal hand gesture.

They set up the sound equipment, testing different signals on the painting. The wizard got bored and looked like he was about to doze off. They were on their ninth test, and they turned on the speaker and listened to the signal. It let off a soft tone.

Harry stood very still. "Did you hear that? Try it again, we need to re-test it."

They retested it, and it made the noise again. Everyone crowded around, Padma scribbling so hard her paper ripped. They retested that same frequency with the portrait moving and making noise. The speaker repeated the same sound.

Dean saw the wonder on everyone's faces, and knew it was reflected on his own.

He didn't know what they had discovered, but it might be something really, really big.

"Don't get too excited yet," said Harry's father, who looked like he wasn't following his own advice. "Let's test another painting, just to be sure."

Dean opened the painting of a yellow-robed witch fanning herself with a white down fan. She huffed a sigh. "Well, that took a while. I've been ready for hours now."

The magnets, still several meters away from the portrait, swirled around. They decided that north had shifted position to her.

Everyone stared at the magnets, the excitement draining into puzzlement. The painting frowned. "Was it something I said?"

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed the chapter! My beta reader is no longer able to read my stories, so currently looking for one. Basically you'd just read the chapters before I post them and give me feedback. Message me if you're interested. :)