Inevitable 68: Dumbledore's Man
May. 22nd, 2006 03:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mhalachaiInevitable Sixty-Eight: Dumbledore's Man
by Mhalachai
Disclaimer: Laurell K. Hamilton owns all things Anita Blake. J.K. Rowling owns all things Harry Potter. Only the story is my own.
Note: This chapter is for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
iamabee_buzz, who is awesome and might need a bit of a pick-me-up this week. Two things are made clear in this chapter to those people who have read Half Blood Prince, even if it's not clear to our protagonists. 7,659 words.
Previous parts here.
~~~~~~~
"He did what?" Harry's appalled words echoed through the library, earning him glares from the surrounding students, but Harry didn't care.
Ron rubbed the back of his neck, not looking at Harry. "Look, Harry--"
"Don't you dare 'look Harry' me!" Harry hissed. "You can't sit there and tell me that Michael Corner told Luna he was going to blackmail her about her diary by making her do things, and not expect me to be a bit upset!"
He sat back in his chair, wishing Corner was there so he could wring the little bastard's neck. He spotted Madame Pince swooping toward them, and quickly grabbed his books off the table. Ron scrambled to his feet at the same time and followed Harry's sprint out of the library.
Madame Pince closed the library doors behind them with a thump. Harry made a rude gesture at the closed door, then continued running down the hall, just in case the librarian could see through solid oak.
Ron dragged Harry down a hidden staircase that opened into the old rose gardens. The enforced walk bled away most of Harry's hot anger, leaving in its place a much more dangerous resolve. According to Ron, Corner had tracked down Luna on the same morning that Dumbledore was hurt, and said horrible things to her.
Isn't it bad enough that he told Ginny about Luna's diary? Harry thought furiously. Ron said that Corner said he would have made Luna do things other than his homework, and he wasn't talking about cleaning his shoes! Even the though of Corner laying a hand on Luna, groping at her, made Harry sick to his stomach.
Ron put his hand on Harry's arm and tried to push him over to a stone bench. "Harry, sit--" Ron broke off abruptly as Harry whirled on him, knocking his hand away. Whatever Ron saw in Harry's face made him take a step back. "Harry, you need to calm down."
Harry dropped his book bag to the ground, kicking it to the side. "I'm not going to fucking calm down, Ron! You told me what Corner was going to do to Luna--"
"Did you hear me when I told you that Luna stood up for herself?" Ron demanded. "She stood up to him! You know how good she is at hexes and stuff, she'd turn Corner into sludge before he could touch her!"
"That's not the fucking point!" Harry shouted. "She shouldn't have to deal with any of this!"
"She told Flitwick, remember?" Ron shoved Harry down on the bench. "I've never seen him so mad, Harry, it was downright scary."
Harry buried his head in his hands. "Damn it, Ron, I need to do something, I can't just let him-- I have to do something! What would you do if it was Hermione?"
Ron took his time in answering, although Harry stared at him expectantly. "I know Hermione would be able to take care of herself," Ron finally said, "But I'd probably hurt him myself."
"So you know what I'm talking about!"
"Yeah." Ron looked out at the rose bushes, a few hardy petals clinging to the dying wood. "Have you told Ginny?"
"You told me she already knows," Harry replied. "Frankly, I'm surprised that she hasn't hung Corner up from the ceiling herself."
"I'm not talking about that."
Harry frowned. "Then what are you talking about?"
Ron's face was getting red. "I mean about you and Luna."
Harry blinked a few times before Ron's meaning sunk in. "What about me and Luna?" he demanded coldly.
Squaring his rather broad shoulders, Ron said, "You're acting like she's your girlfriend, but last week you were acting like Ginny was your girlfriend. I know you're my best friend, but Ginny's my sister and if you do anything to hurt her, I'll... I'll have to..."
Harry's heart sank. How was he going to explain his relationship with Luna and Ginny to Ron, when he didn't understand it himself? "I'm not going to hurt Ginny," he said hesitantly.
"Yes, you are!" Ron exclaimed, springing up off the bench. "You can't change girlfriends like that, like they're interchangeable! People aren't like that!"
"They know, okay?" Harry burst out. "They both know what's going on, so it's not like anyone's keeping secrets!"
Ron gaped at him, rather like a fish. "That's..."
"That's what, Ron?" Harry demanded. He remembered what Luna said about the wizarding world's opinion of girls who liked other girls. If Ron was going to be like that, Harry was going to hit him, friend or not.
As Harry watched, Ron swallowed hard. "That's good, then."
Stomach unclenching, Harry slowly got off the bench. "I'm not sure what's going to happen, but above everything else, Ginny's my friend. Nothing's going to change that."
"Good," Ron said awkwardly. He handed Harry his school bag, not making eye contact. "You're Luna's friend too, right?" Harry gave a stiff nod. "Then that's all right."
Harry wasn't quite sure what to make of that cryptic pronouncement, and to fill the silence he rooted through his bag, looking for something to eat. "So, um, are we going to go back to the library?"
"Do we have to?" Ron pushed his hair back from his face, making it stand up on end. "The girls are in class, and I can't go looking through books for information on horcruxes that's not there any more. And you can't tell me you're having any more luck with Dumbledore's notes."
"I'm not." By common consent, Hermione had made five copies of Dumbledore's notes on the spell to destroy the horcruxes, for everyone to work on in their spare time, and bespelled the parchment to change into an old History of Magic essay if anyone but the five of them looked at the notes. It was an impressive combination of spells, and Harry had noticed Luna looking at Hermione with a great deal of respect after that spell.
"Then let's go see Hagrid," Ron said. "Just forget about the horcruxes for a little while."
They didn't have a little while, and Ron knew that. There had been no word on Dumbledore, Tonks was in the hospital wing recovering from the poisoning, and Harry still had no idea who had tried to kill Dumbledore. Even thinking about it made Harry bone-weary. "Yeah, let's go see Hagrid."
The gate on the rose garden was rusty and squeaked when Ron pushed it open, letting them out onto the Hogwarts lawn. A few students sat on the lawn, taking advantage of the clear but chill weather.
"Hey," Ron said halfway down the slope. "Is that Reece?"
Harry looked where Ron was pointing. "Yeah, it is. Come on." Harry veered toward where the little Hufflepuff werewolf was sitting in the lee of a large oak tree. "Hey, Reece."
Reece looked up for a moment. His eyes were puffy, as if he'd been crying, and his jaw was set stubbornly. "Hi."
"Where are your friends?" Harry wanted to kick himself the moment the words were out of his mouth, as Reece's face threatened to crumple. After a moment, the boy pulled himself back together.
"They had something else to do."
Harry and Ron exchanged a glance. "What are you doing?" Ron asked, pointing at the black quill in Reece's lap.
Reece pulled back on himself a little, ducking his head shyly. "You've met my friend Ron, right?" Harry said, sitting on the ground, motioning to Ron to do the same. "You met him on the train."
Reece nodded, glancing sideways at Harry. When Harry smiled encouragingly, Reece's face broke into a huge grin. "I do."
"Good, I'd hate to think I was forgettable," Ron grumbled. Reece grinned wider. "So, did you break your quill?"
Reece shook his head, picking up the quill from his lap. "I wanted to practice the transfiguration spell we got taught in class, but it's not working."
"What are you trying to change it into?" Harry asked, taking the quill from Reece and running his fingers over the feather. It smelled faintly of the sky, and Harry wondered where on earth Reece had found a raven-feather quill.
"A paintbrush."
"Oh, I remember that one!" Ron exclaimed. "Go on, try again, we'll see what you're doing wrong."
As tactless as Ron's comment was, Reece obliged by setting the quill on the ground. His forehead furrowed in concentration, he spoke the incantation and waved his wand. The feather didn't even twitch.
"See?" Reece stabbed his wand at the feather in disgust. "Nothing!"
"You're saying the spell wrong," Ron said. "You're saying the last word like 'lee'. It has to be like 'lay'."
"Why?"
"Because that's the spell."
"But why does that matter?"
"I, uh..." Ron looked lost, so Harry stepped in.
"It's just the way it's done. It's the spell, if you say it a different way, something different will happen."
"But why?" Reece demanded. "The teachers say the magic's in us, that we're the magical ones, and our wands just channel that. What does it matter how I say the spell when my magic's going to be what's important."
Harry closed his mouth. He hadn't ever thought about it that way before. Reece had a point, one that Harry had no idea how to address. "That's just the way it is."
Reece rolled his eyes. "Adults always say that and it just means they don't know," he said scathingly. "The people around here say that lycanthropy is magic, but it's not, it's a preternatural disease and it's got rules. There aren't any rules on magic!"
The boy's soft Welsh accent danced over the large words as if they were nothing, making Harry even more impressed. When he was Reece's age, he hadn't ever heard the word 'preternatural'. But then, if his whole life was centered around being a werewolf, he might have been able to spout off knowledgeably. "There are rules here," Harry said weakly.
"But there shouldn't be," Reece protested.
"Vampires!" Harry exclaimed, snapping his fingers. "They're magic, and their power is constrained by rules."
Reece's eyebrows shot up. "So I can't do this spell because of vampire magic?"
"Stop being daft," Harry said. "You know what? You're going to talk to Hermione, the Head Girl, and she'll explain exactly why you need to say the spell right."
Reece let out a long-suffering sigh. "Fine."
"Now try the spell again, and say it right," Harry ordered.
Aiming his wand once more, Reece tried the spell. Even though he said the incantation perfectly, the feather didn't change. "Bugger."
Harry ignored the swearing child, and picked up the feather. "Where did you get this?" he asked, bringing it close to his nose. Under the feather smell lingered a faint familiar smell.
"I borrowed it from a third year in my house," Reece said. "I didn't have any quills at the start of the year, only pens from my mum."
Harry lifted his eyes to meet Ron's puzzled stare, and something clicked in his head. Now he remembered why the smell was familiar. "Hold on." Harry set the quill on the ground and pulled out his own wand. How did that spell go again? Harry pointed his wand at the feather and said, "I'm bored."
In the wink of an eye, the quill expanded outwards and became a whole, live raven. Reece squealed and scrambled back against the tree. "What is that?" he demanded.
"Blimey!" Ron exclaimed. "It's one of the twin's trick quills!"
"Ron's brothers have a joke shop in Diagon Alley," Harry explained to Reece. "They brought out a line of in-class pranks for last Christmas. This," he indicated the puzzled-looking bird, "Was one of them."
"They made live animals into quills?" Reece sounded horrified.
"No, not at all," Harry said. He reached out and carefully picked up the bird around the middle. It looked around, but didn't try to fly off or peck at Harry's hands. "It's just a raven feather, but it's enchanted to be transfigured into a bird and pretend to be alive. It's not alive. Smell it."
Very slowly, Reece crawled toward Harry and the bird, sniffing the air. He smiled, a little shakily. "I guess it's cool."
"You should have seen the pig line," Ron said. "Our mum chased a three-hundred-pound sow out of the kitchen and almost walloped the twins into next year."
Reece giggled as Harry set the raven down and said, "I'm busy." The bird changed back into a feather quill and fluttered to the ground.
"There's your problem right there," Ron told Reece, digging in Harry's bag for another quill. "You can't transfigure something that's already under a transfiguration charm, not at your level. Try this."
Reece tried the transfiguration spell on Harry's quill. It changed into a paintbrush easily, and he clapped. "Thanks!"
"No problem," Harry said. "Hey, want to see Hagrid?"
"He's the gamekeeper, right?" Reece said, jumping to his feet with a werewolf's grace. "Yeah, that'd be really cool."
Ron and Harry stood and the three of them began to walk across the lawn toward Hagrid's hut, Reece chattering in restored good humour. After a minute, he spotted something and darted away.
"Harry?"
"Ron."
"You noticed the kid used the wrong incantation and the wrong hand movement on that spell, right?"
"I noticed."
"Why?"
"Maybe he expected it work like that?"
"Or maybe it's something to do with what he is."
Harry shot Ron a warning glare. "This isn't because he's a werewolf. Remus was a werewolf at this age, and you don't see him doing weird spells."
"But Remus wanted to fit in, didn't he?"
Harry spun around. "What the hell does that mean?"
Ron kept walking. "It means none of his friends, like your dad or Sirius or-- or anyone knew he was a werewolf. If he could do different magic to start with, would he have kept it up?"
"But then how is Reece doing it?"
Ron gestured helplessly with his hands. "Both Reece's folks are muggles, right?"
Technically, his father was a werewolf, but that wasn't really any business of Ron's. "Yes."
"Remus's folks were magical. He grew up seeing how magic works, right? He probably never asked the kind of question Reece did."
Harry wasn't sure what to say at first. Asking Ron when the hell he got so smart seemed a little rude. "Why did you think of that?" he said instead.
Ron shrugged. "Got to thinking about Hermione."
"But Hermione's muggle born and she never wondered about changing magic like that."
"Hermione learned everything about magic out of books," Ron corrected. "If it's in a book, it's real to her. That's the way it goes. Reece is more like you."
Harry stumbled over the grass. "What about me?" he demanded.
"Magic works weird for you," Ron said, going bright red. "You're really good at some things, like Defence Against the Dark Arts and Charms, but bad at other things."
"You're completely mental!"
"You're missing my point!" Ron shouted. "Would you have been like that if you'd grown up in the wizarding world? Harry, you made a Patronus in third year, that's NEWT level magic!"
"There were Dementors after me! I had to learn it!"
"You shouldn't have been able to! And look at what you did this year with your Animagus!" Ron brought his voice low. "I know you said it was because of what happened in St. Louis, but did you ever think that it just happened because of this?"
Ron had put too much thought into this, and it was making Harry uncomfortable. "Look, doing a few spots of difficult magic has nothing to do with how I was raised," he said firmly. "It also has nothing to do with Reece's messing up that spell so spectacularly. So drop it!"
"Are you talking about me?" Reece asked, popping up at Harry's side. "Why?"
"Because you're so interesting," Harry said.
The boy stuck out his tongue. "I heard that the Auror lady ate some bad eggs at breakfast yesterday and her head swole up and her toes turned green."
"Where did you hear that?" Harry demanded as they started down the steps.
"Around. Is it true?"
"No, it's not true." Then Harry reconsidered. He couldn't very well tell the boy what really happened to Tonks, but he might be able to spread a bit of misinformation to change the rumours. "She ate something that was bad for her, but she's going to be fine."
"Good." Reece hopped along. "Is she going to be in the infirmary for long?"
"Don't know."
"Maybe you should take her flowers," Reece said. "When my mum was in hospital, my da took her flowers and she was happy."
Privately, Harry wondered what Tonks would say if she knew an eleven-year-old werewolf had a crush on her. "Yeah, she might like flowers," he said.
"Good." Reece jumped down the last step. "Are we going to be bothering Mr. Hagrid?"
"Nah, Hagrid likes it when we come by," Ron said. "And if he offers us tea, just nod and smile."
The hut door swung open, and Hagrid lumbered out, carrying a big bucket in his hand. "Hey, you there!" he called, waving. "Come t' see me?"
Harry had barely opened his mouth to respond when Fang tore out of the hut, barking his head off. He raced over the grass, straight for Harry and Reece.
Not thinking, Harry grabbed Reece by the shoulder and pulled the boy behind him. He planted his feet and drew himself up to his full height. "Fang, stop!"
The enormous boarhound pulled himself up a few feet from Harry, growling. Behind him, Harry could feel Reece's beast responding to the threat.
"That's enough!" Harry exclaimed, to both Fang and Reece. He glared at Fang until the dog stopped growling, and ducked his head. Harry squeezed Reece's shoulder, and after a tense moment, the boy relaxed against Harry, gripping Harry's robes hard.
Hagrid bounded up the hill, moving remarkably fast for someone so large. "Fang, what're ye doin'?"
"We're fine, Hagrid," Harry said, watching Fang to make sure the dog's act of submission was genuine. "We just wanted to come down to see you, and brought Reece along."
The boy crept out from behind Harry, watching Fang warily. "I'm sorry, sir," he said awkwardly. "I didn't know you had a dog."
"Why're ye sorry?" Hagrid asked, thumping a large hand against Fang's ribs. "He's usually not so loud. Sorry if he scared ye."
Harry walked over to Fang and held out his hand, hoping the smell of Reece on a familiar person would be enough to calm the dog. Fang sniffed Harry's palm, then licked him wetly. "Come here, Reece."
Looking as if he'd rather eat his quill, Reece edged over to the dog. He made some serious eye contact with the beast, then let the tension slump out of his shoulders. "Hi Fang."
Fang licked Reece's offered hand, then bent down to sniff his trainers.
Hagrid looked relieved. "Don't know what's up with 'im," he rumbled. "He ain't never done that with a student. Well, twice."
Harry really didn't want to know who those students were, and if Remus was one of those instances. The last thing they needed was Hagrid making the mental connection that Reece was a werewolf. "Hagrid, we thought we'd get some flowers for Tonks," he said quickly. "Know where we can look?"
"Flowers?" Hagrid repeated, surprised. "Yeah, there's a bunch o' wild flowers by the pumpkin patch. You going to get some for D--"
Ron coughed loudly, and luckily Hagrid shut up. Reece didn't seem to notice what Hagrid had been saying, he was too busy playing with Fang.
"Just some flowers for Tonks," Harry said. "Reece?"
"I'll get them!" the boy shouted, and ran toward the flowers growing wild against the fence, Fang in hot pursuit.
Once the boy was far enough away, Harry turned to Hagrid. "Have you heard anything about, um, you know?"
Hagrid shook his head. "Ain't heard nothing new. But that's good, right? He can't be gettin' worse."
"Hagrid's right, Harry," Ron said. "Come on, it's-- you know. He'll be fine."
Neither Ron nor Hagrid had seen the large hole in Dumbledore's chest, and Harry couldn't share their optimism. "He has to be," Harry said, half-wishing. No matter if the five of us figure out where to find the horcruxes and how to destroy them, what chance do we stand against Voldemort without Dumbledore?
Reece raced back over, a messy handful of flowers clenched in his fist. "Got them!" he exclaimed. "Let's go!"
"You can't go givin' 'em like that," Hagrid said kindly. "Got to tidy 'em up, make 'em look pretty."
"They are pretty," Reece countered. "I got her a bunch of daisies and some lupins."
"Some what?" Ron demanded.
"Lupins," Reece repeated patiently as he pointed at the alarmingly robust pink flowers. "That's what my mum calls them, and she should know."
"Why would she know?" Harry asked as Hagrid pulled a length of string out of his pocket and helped Reece bundle the flowers into a bouquet.
"She sat botany at Oxford!" Reece said proudly. "I did a project on flowers you can eat, at school last year, and she helped me." He held out his bouquet, and Harry obligingly admired it.
"Now, what's that?" Hagrid said, looking up the hill. "More visitors?"
Harry squinted up the hill, then pulled his glasses down to get a better look. When he finally figured out who was making his way down the hill, he let out a small growl.
"Who is it?" Reece demanded, instantly alert. "Is something wrong?"
Harry shook himself. "Nothing's wrong."
"So who's that?"
"That's the Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour." Harry squared his shoulders. Why the hell was Scrimgeour doing at Hogwarts, so soon after Dumbledore had been hurt? Had he heard something was wrong?
"What's that?"
"What's that?" Ron demanded incredulously. "How do you not know what the Ministry of Magic is?"
"He's muggle born, Ron," Harry said, not really paying attention. " Scrimgeour is like the Prime Minister."
"Oh," Reece said, finally sounding awed. "Why is he here?" he asked as he edged closer to Harry
"I don't know."
The Minister of Magic strode down the steps on the slope, his limp barely slowing him down, followed closely by a strange Auror. When he spotted Harry, Scrimgeour gave a wave.
"Look, Reece, why don't you run on up to the hospital wing to see Tonks?" Harry suggested. "Now."
Reece gave him a look. "Okay," he sighed, then bolted up the slope, not bothering with the stairs.
"Ah, I remember being so energetic," Scrimgeour said as he came closer. "Harry Potter, just the boy I was looking for."
Fuck. Harry glanced at Ron, who only shrugged. He didn't know what was going on, either.
"You must be Ronald Weasley," Scrimgeour said, nodding at Ron. "Arthur's youngest boy?"
"Yes, sir, that's me," Ron said.
Scrimgeour turned to Hagrid. "And Rubeus Hagrid. I understand you're a teacher now?"
"Yeah," Hagrid said rather flatly. "Teachin' Care of Magical Creatures."
Scrimgeour nodded. "Well, Mr. Potter, may I have a few minutes of your time?"
Double fuck. Was there any way Harry could avoid this talk? He didn't want to talk to Scrimgeour at all, not with Dumbledore hurt.
However, he didn't seem to have many options. If he left Scrimgeour with Hagrid, the half-giant might let something slip about Dumbledore's injuries, and Harry couldn't think of a reason to have Ron come along for the talk.
"Sure," Harry said with all the joy of having detention.
"Hey, Harry, I'll run your stuff up to the castle," Ron said, holding out his hand. "Meet you at lunch?"
If Ron had been a girl, Harry might have kissed him. "Yeah, thanks," Harry said, handing his bag, which contained his notes on the Horcruxes, to Ron. The tiny metal box with the portkey to the Horcrux cavern was in his trousers pocket, but Harry wasn't letting that out of his sight for anything. "See you then."
Ron nodded sharply, then headed up the steps. Harry watched his friend for a moment, then his eyes slid back to Scrimgeour. "You wanted to talk, sir?"
Scrimgeour raised one bushy eyebrow, and indicated that Harry was to follow him. Hagrid waved goodbye as Harry followed the Minister up the slope.
Once they were on the flat part of the lawn, Scrimgeour waved his Auror away. "So, Harry," he said conversationally, "I hear I have you to thank for saving the life of one of my Aurors yesterday."
Harry bristled, not able to sense the trap, but knowing it was there, ready to snap closed on him. "Tonks really wasn't that bad," Harry lied, trying to remember if they had agreed upon any particular untruth for her injuries. If she was hurt bad enough to have her life in danger, she should have gone to St. Mungo's. She didn't, so I have to pretend it wasn't that bad. "Just food poisoning, I heard."
Scrimgeour's step never faltered. "Is that so?" he asked. "I wasn't aware that the Hogwarts house elves would ever serve bad eggs."
It seemed as if Scrimgeour had been listening to Reece's informant. "You'll have to talk with them."
"What I find interesting, Harry, is how Dumbledore is unavailable for consultation," Scrimgeour continued. Harry tensed. "According to Assistant Headmistress McGonagall, he is in the school but too busy to talk with me. Considering that one of the school's protectors was injured yesterday, I find that... interesting."
Fleetingly, Harry wondered if Scrimgeour was a Legilimens, and decided to slap up his mental Occlumency walls, just in case. "Dumbledore doesn't clear his calendar with me," Harry said, trying to sound politely puzzled. "I'm just a student."
"But you're not just a student, are you?" Scrimgeour asked, turning to face Harry. "Have you given any thought to what you're going to do after you write your NEWTs at the end of this year, Harry?"
Harry desperately wanted Scrimgeour to stop calling him by his first name, it was throwing him off. Which is probably his point. "No."
"No?" Scrimgeour's gaze bored into Harry. "I heard a rumour that you were considering becoming an Auror?"
There it was, Scrimgeour dangling Harry's dream in front of his eyes. But what was the cost? Harry suddenly felt sick, that Scrimgeour thought he could buy Harry's loyalty like this. "I'm not in Potions," Harry said, making every effort to stay calm, in control. His Occlumency was helping, but not enough. "I can't be an Auror without a Potions NEWT."
Scrimgeour inclined his head. "But there are other things you can do at the Ministry, if not as an Auror. Perhaps as a consultant?"
Harry slowly counted to ten in his head. This isn't getting me anywhere! "Why do you want me at the Ministry?" Harry asked. "What does it matter to you what I do at the end of this year?"
The corner of Scrimgeour's eye twitched. He regarded Harry for a long minute. "You're a symbol in our world," Scrimgeour finally said. "In the fight against Voldemort."
"And you want that symbol under your control," Harry said coldly. "It doesn't matter what I can do, or how well I can fight dark wizards."
"You won the Tri-Wizard Tournament, and your OWL results--"
"Cedric Diggory also won the Tri-Wizard Tournament," Harry interrupted. "Before he was murdered by Voldemort."
Scrimgeour clenched his jaw. "I'm offering you a chance to fight Voldemort, from inside the Ministry."
It would be so easy, to just give Scrimgeour the notes on the Horcruxes and let the Ministry deal with it. To have someone else take up the fight against Voldemort, to let Harry had a bit of a life.
It would be easy, but it would be so very wrong. The Ministry would never be able to comprehend the danger the Horcruxes posed, would never be able to mount a force in time to stop Voldemort. If they had, then Harry didn't doubt Dumbledore would already have gone to them.
"No."
Scrimgeour's glare grew hostile. "So you stay at Hogwarts? With Albus Dumbledore?"
"Albus Dumbledore has been fighting Voldemort for years," Harry said. "I'm staying here."
"Dumbledore's man until the end."
In that moment, Harry forgot all the doubts he'd ever had about Dumbledore. "There are worse things I could be," Harry said. He didn't finish the thought.
An air of anger began to gather around Scrimgeour. "Where is Dumbledore, Harry?"
"I don't know."
"Yes, you do." Scrimgeour leaned a fraction closer. "I think something has happened, and that by not telling the Ministry, both you and Dumbledore are placing everyone in this school, all these children, at risk."
"Dumbledore would never put anyone in this school in danger!" Harry exclaimed.
The unmistakable beginnings of the anger on Scrimgeour's face were wiped away when from across the lawn came the call, "Minister!"
Harry whirled around. It was Dumbledore, and he was walking toward them.
What? How? Harry could only stare. It was Dumbledore all right, standing upright and striding like he hadn't a care in the world. When the man drew near enough, Harry breathed in deeply. There was no smell of polyjuice, nor the girl smell that Tonks hadn't been able to mask. This person smelled like Dumbledore. How could he be better?
"Rufus, I hear you have been looking for me?" Dumbledore asked, stopping beside Harry. He laid one thin hand on Harry's shoulder in warning. "Terribly sorry, I was unavoidably detained."
Scrimgeour narrowed his eyes.
"Harry, will you please excuse us, the Minister and I have much to discuss." Dumbledore said. "I'll speak with you later."
"Okay," Harry muttered, even though it was anything but okay. How the hell was Dumbledore standing upright and looking so merry? Giving Dumbledore one last look, Harry walked away.
~*~
"So he just walked over?" Ron asked, shaking his head. "I knew he'd be up and around in no time!"
"You don't understand, Ron, he was hurt too badly for that!" Harry protested. He bit savagely into his sandwich. "I wasn't supposed to let anyone know he was hurt, because if they knew, then the Ministry might come take over the school! So the Minster of Magic shows up, and all of a sudden Dumbledore's better?"
"If it keeps the Ministry out of Hogwarts, then fine," Ron said with a shudder. "You remember how bad it was with Umbridge here?"
Out of nowhere, Luna appeared and sat on the grass next to Harry. "Why are you talking about her?" she asked, pulling her robe primly over her ankles.
Scrimgeour forgotten, Harry stared at Luna. "Are you all right?" he asked urgently. "You're fine, right?"
Luna looked at him with amusement for a moment, but then the expression changed to worry. "The Minister didn't put a Tannite in your head, did he?"
"A what?"
"A Tannite," Luna repeated. "It's a tiny creature that lives in your ear and controls your thoughts. Are your ears safe?"
Ron cracked up. "She's fine, mate."
Harry punched Ron in the arm. "Shut it." He turned back to Luna. "But you're really all right? And how did you know I was talking to the Minister?"
"Ron told Ginny before lunch, and Ginny told me," Luna explained, unwrapping her lunch of half a sandwich and an apple. "They'd be out here right now, but Ginny wanted to talk to Hermione about something."
"About what?" Ron asked with interest.
"They didn't tell me." Luna took a tiny bite of apple. "They said they would be along shortly."
Harry frowned down at his roast beef sandwich. "This has been a very strange morning."
"With Scrimgeour?" Ron asked through a mouthful.
"Yeah. He knew Tonks had been hurt, and I don't think he bought the food poisoning thing."
"But she was poisoned with food," Luna reminded them. "I spend some time this morning in class thinking about that."
"What about it?"
"We decided yesterday that whoever poisoned Tonks, thinking it was the Headmaster, chose yesterday morning because Professor Snape had left the castle," Luna said.
"Yeah, and we couldn't figure who it was," Ron said.
Luna nodded. "I think it was a Slytherin."
Harry froze mid-chew.
"Students from other houses wouldn't necessarily know he was gone, on a weekend," Luna continued. "And I don't think a teacher or another adult, like an Auror, would try poisoning him in the Great Hall. They could just as easily do it in the staff room, or in his office, or some place where Dumbledore wouldn't be easy to find."
Ron's jaw was hanging open. "Wow," he said weakly. "Better be careful to treat her right, Harry, so she won't poison you in the night."
Harry turned on Ron, ready to yell at him, but Luna stopped him by laughing. "I wouldn't poison anyone," she said.
"You wouldn't?"
Luna shook her head, her face losing its smile. "I can't imagine I would ever be so afraid of someone that I would poison them."
"Afraid? You mean hatred, right?"
"No, I mean afraid," Luna said, looking up as Ginny and Hermione sat down on the grass. "If I hated someone, I would attack them to their face. If I poisoned someone, it would be because I was afraid."
Ginny gave Luna a quick sideways hug. "I can think of someone I'd like to poison," she said darkly.
"I don't want to talk about him," Luna said.
"Of course," Ginny said.
Hermione gave Ron and Harry a questioning look. Ron mouthed something to her, that looked to Harry like 'Corner'. An understanding expression crossed Hermione's face.
"So, um, what Slytherin would try and kill Dumbledore?" Ron asked into the awkward silence. "More importantly, why?"
"Voldemort?" Harry suggested. "Can you think of another reason?"
"How many have of the Slytherins have parents who are Death Eaters?" Ron asked.
"Oh, we can't go by that!" Ginny exclaimed. "It's not an inherited title! Remember Wormtail?"
"Oh, you mean the rat that spent years in our house? Who betrayed Harry's parents to Voldemort? Yeah, Ginny, I faintly remember him!" Ron shouted, ignoring Hermione as she tried to hold him still.
"Don't get mad at me!" Ginny yelled back. "I'm trying to tell you that it could be any of them!"
The siblings glared at each other.
"Unless we have any more information on who tried to kill Dumbledore, I have something to say about the Horcruxes," Hermione said tentatively
"What's that?" Harry asked, eager to have Ron and Ginny stop fighting.
"I think I know what the fifth Horcrux might be."
Harry stopped breathing for a moment. "You what?" he squeaked.
Hermione pulled a roll of parchment out of her bag. "It's not in the notes on the spell," she said nervously as she unrolled the parchment. Harry could see that it was the original of Dumbledore's notes, not one of the copies Hermione had made. "It's in this mess, here."
Everyone crowded around to look at the tiny scribbles on the edge of the parchment. Words were written in spidery handwriting, some crossed out or written over. "How can you make any of that out?" Ron asked, squinting.
"With this." Hermione pointed her wand at the words and spoke the words to an unfamiliar spell. A few of the words glowed gold, making it easy to read. "I found it in the library to help with the notes I made in preparation for our OWLs."
Harry took off his glasses and knelt in the grass to read the glowing words. "Ravenclaw... cherry and unicorn hair... Ollivander." He frowned. "What does that mean?"
"Don't you see?" Hermione exclaimed. "Cherry wood and unicorn hair are two things you find in a wand! It must have been Rowena Ravenclaw's wand, made of cherry and unicorn hair, and Ollivander must have had it before he vanished!"
"Are you sure that's what that means?" Ron asked. "Dumbledore might have been talking about something else entirely."
Hermione sat back and glared at Ron. "Because you have a better idea of what the fifth Horcrux is?"
"She's right, it's the best thing we have to go on," Harry said quickly, to diffuse a fight between his friends. "But how the hell are we going to find out? Ollivander's been gone for a while now."
"If it was Ravenclaw's wand, Ollivander must have either hidden it or taken it with him," Ginny mused. "Even if it wasn't the Horcrux, the wand of a Hogwarts founder would be a great treasure."
"We need to find out," Harry said.
"How?" Luna asked. "We can't leave Hogwarts, and if we ask anyone else, there is the risk that someone will learn what we are doing."
"So we need someone to look for us." Harry bit his lip. Remus was still undercover with the werewolves, Tonks was out of commission, and asking any of the adults in the Order of the Phoenix would be a bad idea. Unless... "Are the twins still in their Diagon Alley shop?"
Ron looked surprised. "I guess."
"They are," Ginny said. "Mum sent me a letter yesterday with family stuff in it. They're in Diagon Alley all week."
"Do you think we can ask them?" Harry looked expectantly at Ron and Ginny. "They're already in Diagon Alley, no one's going to wonder if they are poking into things, it's what they do. And we can trust them!"
Ron rubbed at his cheek, thinking hard. "Yeah, I say we can," he finally said.
"Exactly," Ginny agreed. "But if you ask them this, you're going to have to tell them it all."
"Fine," Harry said.
"I don't know..." Hermione looked helplessly at Ron. "I'm sorry, but it's the twins!"
"They're wicked smart," Ginny snapped, quick to defend her brothers. "They're sneaky and loyal and they'd help us stop Voldemort in a heartbeat, you know that!"
"They would," Ron said quietly, putting his arm around Hermione. "And Harry's right, they're already in Diagon Alley."
"I'll send them an owl," Harry said, digging in his bag for parchment. "Just ask them to look around."
Hermione, of course, objected to this course of events. After much discussion, Harry wrote the note and Hermione charmed it so only a Weasley could read it.
"That sort of spell borders on blood magic," Luna pointed out as Hermione finished the spell.
"Desperate times call for desperate measures," Hermione said, her voice high and defensive.
Luna shrugged gracefully. "I don't disagree.”
Harry held the parchment up. "I'll send this to Fred and George, and we'll see what they can find."
"I'm still not sure this is a wise idea," Hermione confessed. "What if someone intercepts the letter and only finds a blank piece of paper?"
They hadn't thought of that. Ginny solved the problem by plucking the paper out of Harry's hand and scrawling a quick note on the surface. "There," she said as she handed it back to Harry.
"What's a Tongue Twister?" Harry asked, taking a quick look before folding the paper up.
"New product," Ron said. "You eat it, and you start talking in rhyme for about an hour. It's right annoying, that is."
"And they taste like strawberry," Ginny added blithely. "Come on, Luna, let's go owl this."
"Shouldn't I--" Harry began.
"No, you shouldn't," Ginny interrupted. She softened the order with a smile. "It'd look rather shifty, you sending a letter from me to my brothers." With a giggle, she ran toward the castle, Luna right behind her.
"Things certainly do move quickly when those two are around," Hermione muttered.
"I have to go find Dumbledore," Harry said abruptly. "Scrimgeour has to be gone by now, and I have to make sure Dumbledore's all right."
"Do you want us to come with you?" Hermione asked.
Harry shook his head. "I don't even know if he'll see me. You two shouldn't waste your time. I'll be back in a bit."
He was on his feet and about to head off, which something hit him. I'm an idiot, he told himself. "Hey, Hermione?"
"Yes?"
"That was brilliant work, with the Horcruxes and the wand and all that."
Hermione flushed, a grin spreading across her face. "Thank you."
Harry grinned back, then took off across the grass for the castle.
~*~
"Why are you so down?" Ginny asked Harry that night in the Gryffindor common room.
Harry dragged his gaze up from his homework. "Madam Pomfrey wouldn't let me see Dumbledore, and all she told me was that he was making progress," he said in a low voice. "And we haven't heard from the twins, and there's a Slytherin in this school who's trying to kill everyone, and I've got this stupid Magical Creatures essay due tomorrow and I'm not anywhere near being done!"
Ginny gave him a sympathetic smile as she reached across the table to pat his hand. The light touch was like a lightening bolt across his skin, and Harry had to shift uncomfortably in his chair.
"You'll be fine," Ginny said. "You usually are."
"But not like this," Harry protested. "Before, there was a point to doing my homework, but now I don't even know if I'll live long enough to take my NEWTs-- Ouch!"
Ginny's grip had tightened painfully on his hand. When he cried out, she let him go. "Don't say that!" she said fiercely. "That is not going to happen!"
"Ginny--"
"Shut up!" She sat back in her chair and glared down at her Potions homework, ignoring Harry.
Harry looked around the common room, to see almost everyone watching their little fight with interest. A good many people hastily tried to look busy as Harry glared at them.
Harry went back to his essay. How the hell was he supposed to know why an Augurey's quills repelled ink?
"Oy, Ginny!" Seamus called across the room. "Ain't that your owl out there?"
Craning his neck around, Harry saw tiny Pigwidgeon, Ron and Ginny's owl, perched on the edge of the windowsill, tapping at the glass with his miniature beak.
Ginny scrambled up and jumped over a few students on the floor, ignoring their protests. Within seconds, she had opened the window and grabbed Pig, then snatched the tiny roll of parchment out of his claw.
"Here," said a nearby second year with a cat on his lap. He held out his hand. "Try this."
"You can't give an owl cat treats!" another kid interrupted.
"It's an owl treat!"
"You're feeding your cat owl treats?"
"I just tell him they're made of real owls, he doesn't know the difference!"
Shaking her head, Ginny tossed Pig back out into the night and shut the window. She tried to be calm as she walked back across the room to Harry, but he could see the tiny vibrations of excitement in her hands.
"Look at this," she murmured as she sat back down and tossed the parchment on Harry's essay.
Harry flattened the note on the table, and began to read.
Dearest sister, of course we would love to deliver to you a sample of Tongue Twisters. In light of your interest, we'll only charge you the employee rate--
Harry looked up. "They charge you for their stuff?" he demanded incredulously.
She nodded. "What do you expect? They're in business."
Grumbling, Harry went back to the note.
-- as well as throw in a complimentary sample of the new Christmas line, but only if you use them at school as advertising.
We would be happy to deliver the package to you in person in Hogsmeade, next Sunday. Don't be late! We'll have so much to tell you.
Love,
Fred and George.
PS: May as well invite Ron alone, elsewise he'll whine.
"Did they get my message?" Harry asked uncertainly.
"Of course they did," Ginny said, taking back the note. "They didn't say they 'have' a lot to tell us, they said they 'will' have a lot to say!"
Harry raised his eyebrows.
"And even if they don't, we can get them to buy us tea in Hogsmeade," Ginny continued.
"Are you sure there's a Hogsmeade weekend?" Harry asked. "I haven't heard anything."
"McGonagall told us at dinner on Sunday, when you weren't there." Ginny gave him an odd sideways glance. "We can go like last time."
It took Harry a moment to figure out what she was talking about. "You mean, you and me and Luna?"
Ginny nodded.
Harry tried very hard to sound nonchalant as he asked, "Have you talked to Luna about... you know, stuff?"
"If you mean the diary, then yes," Ginny said, concentrating very hard on her book. "I can't... I mean, I'm not like that. We talked about that."
"Are you two okay?" Harry blurted out, even though he knew it was a silly question. Ginny and Luna had been acting like normal around each other all day.
"Yeah." Ginny gave him another odd look. "We've still got a lot in common, though, so we're going to keep on like this."
Harry desperately wanted to know what Ginny was talking about, what it was that she and Luna had in common, but before he could ask, Jack Sloper came over to ask Harry about Quidditch practices.
When Harry finally got rid of Sloper, Ginny had gone up to bed. Harry stared at her empty seat for a long time.
It's not fair! he railed. I finally find someone who might be my girlfriend... well, two someones, and I've got Voldemort after me on one side and the Ministry on the other! I can't ever be normal!
Well, he'd be as normal as he could. In between working on the Horcruxes and going to class and Quidditch, Harry vowed he'd spend time with Luna and Ginny, doing whatever it was that a boy did with girls.
Only problem was, Harry wasn't sure what the hell that was.
by Mhalachai
Disclaimer: Laurell K. Hamilton owns all things Anita Blake. J.K. Rowling owns all things Harry Potter. Only the story is my own.
Note: This chapter is for
iamabee_buzz, who is awesome and might need a bit of a pick-me-up this week. Two things are made clear in this chapter to those people who have read Half Blood Prince, even if it's not clear to our protagonists. 7,659 words.Previous parts here.
"He did what?" Harry's appalled words echoed through the library, earning him glares from the surrounding students, but Harry didn't care.
Ron rubbed the back of his neck, not looking at Harry. "Look, Harry--"
"Don't you dare 'look Harry' me!" Harry hissed. "You can't sit there and tell me that Michael Corner told Luna he was going to blackmail her about her diary by making her do things, and not expect me to be a bit upset!"
He sat back in his chair, wishing Corner was there so he could wring the little bastard's neck. He spotted Madame Pince swooping toward them, and quickly grabbed his books off the table. Ron scrambled to his feet at the same time and followed Harry's sprint out of the library.
Madame Pince closed the library doors behind them with a thump. Harry made a rude gesture at the closed door, then continued running down the hall, just in case the librarian could see through solid oak.
Ron dragged Harry down a hidden staircase that opened into the old rose gardens. The enforced walk bled away most of Harry's hot anger, leaving in its place a much more dangerous resolve. According to Ron, Corner had tracked down Luna on the same morning that Dumbledore was hurt, and said horrible things to her.
Isn't it bad enough that he told Ginny about Luna's diary? Harry thought furiously. Ron said that Corner said he would have made Luna do things other than his homework, and he wasn't talking about cleaning his shoes! Even the though of Corner laying a hand on Luna, groping at her, made Harry sick to his stomach.
Ron put his hand on Harry's arm and tried to push him over to a stone bench. "Harry, sit--" Ron broke off abruptly as Harry whirled on him, knocking his hand away. Whatever Ron saw in Harry's face made him take a step back. "Harry, you need to calm down."
Harry dropped his book bag to the ground, kicking it to the side. "I'm not going to fucking calm down, Ron! You told me what Corner was going to do to Luna--"
"Did you hear me when I told you that Luna stood up for herself?" Ron demanded. "She stood up to him! You know how good she is at hexes and stuff, she'd turn Corner into sludge before he could touch her!"
"That's not the fucking point!" Harry shouted. "She shouldn't have to deal with any of this!"
"She told Flitwick, remember?" Ron shoved Harry down on the bench. "I've never seen him so mad, Harry, it was downright scary."
Harry buried his head in his hands. "Damn it, Ron, I need to do something, I can't just let him-- I have to do something! What would you do if it was Hermione?"
Ron took his time in answering, although Harry stared at him expectantly. "I know Hermione would be able to take care of herself," Ron finally said, "But I'd probably hurt him myself."
"So you know what I'm talking about!"
"Yeah." Ron looked out at the rose bushes, a few hardy petals clinging to the dying wood. "Have you told Ginny?"
"You told me she already knows," Harry replied. "Frankly, I'm surprised that she hasn't hung Corner up from the ceiling herself."
"I'm not talking about that."
Harry frowned. "Then what are you talking about?"
Ron's face was getting red. "I mean about you and Luna."
Harry blinked a few times before Ron's meaning sunk in. "What about me and Luna?" he demanded coldly.
Squaring his rather broad shoulders, Ron said, "You're acting like she's your girlfriend, but last week you were acting like Ginny was your girlfriend. I know you're my best friend, but Ginny's my sister and if you do anything to hurt her, I'll... I'll have to..."
Harry's heart sank. How was he going to explain his relationship with Luna and Ginny to Ron, when he didn't understand it himself? "I'm not going to hurt Ginny," he said hesitantly.
"Yes, you are!" Ron exclaimed, springing up off the bench. "You can't change girlfriends like that, like they're interchangeable! People aren't like that!"
"They know, okay?" Harry burst out. "They both know what's going on, so it's not like anyone's keeping secrets!"
Ron gaped at him, rather like a fish. "That's..."
"That's what, Ron?" Harry demanded. He remembered what Luna said about the wizarding world's opinion of girls who liked other girls. If Ron was going to be like that, Harry was going to hit him, friend or not.
As Harry watched, Ron swallowed hard. "That's good, then."
Stomach unclenching, Harry slowly got off the bench. "I'm not sure what's going to happen, but above everything else, Ginny's my friend. Nothing's going to change that."
"Good," Ron said awkwardly. He handed Harry his school bag, not making eye contact. "You're Luna's friend too, right?" Harry gave a stiff nod. "Then that's all right."
Harry wasn't quite sure what to make of that cryptic pronouncement, and to fill the silence he rooted through his bag, looking for something to eat. "So, um, are we going to go back to the library?"
"Do we have to?" Ron pushed his hair back from his face, making it stand up on end. "The girls are in class, and I can't go looking through books for information on horcruxes that's not there any more. And you can't tell me you're having any more luck with Dumbledore's notes."
"I'm not." By common consent, Hermione had made five copies of Dumbledore's notes on the spell to destroy the horcruxes, for everyone to work on in their spare time, and bespelled the parchment to change into an old History of Magic essay if anyone but the five of them looked at the notes. It was an impressive combination of spells, and Harry had noticed Luna looking at Hermione with a great deal of respect after that spell.
"Then let's go see Hagrid," Ron said. "Just forget about the horcruxes for a little while."
They didn't have a little while, and Ron knew that. There had been no word on Dumbledore, Tonks was in the hospital wing recovering from the poisoning, and Harry still had no idea who had tried to kill Dumbledore. Even thinking about it made Harry bone-weary. "Yeah, let's go see Hagrid."
The gate on the rose garden was rusty and squeaked when Ron pushed it open, letting them out onto the Hogwarts lawn. A few students sat on the lawn, taking advantage of the clear but chill weather.
"Hey," Ron said halfway down the slope. "Is that Reece?"
Harry looked where Ron was pointing. "Yeah, it is. Come on." Harry veered toward where the little Hufflepuff werewolf was sitting in the lee of a large oak tree. "Hey, Reece."
Reece looked up for a moment. His eyes were puffy, as if he'd been crying, and his jaw was set stubbornly. "Hi."
"Where are your friends?" Harry wanted to kick himself the moment the words were out of his mouth, as Reece's face threatened to crumple. After a moment, the boy pulled himself back together.
"They had something else to do."
Harry and Ron exchanged a glance. "What are you doing?" Ron asked, pointing at the black quill in Reece's lap.
Reece pulled back on himself a little, ducking his head shyly. "You've met my friend Ron, right?" Harry said, sitting on the ground, motioning to Ron to do the same. "You met him on the train."
Reece nodded, glancing sideways at Harry. When Harry smiled encouragingly, Reece's face broke into a huge grin. "I do."
"Good, I'd hate to think I was forgettable," Ron grumbled. Reece grinned wider. "So, did you break your quill?"
Reece shook his head, picking up the quill from his lap. "I wanted to practice the transfiguration spell we got taught in class, but it's not working."
"What are you trying to change it into?" Harry asked, taking the quill from Reece and running his fingers over the feather. It smelled faintly of the sky, and Harry wondered where on earth Reece had found a raven-feather quill.
"A paintbrush."
"Oh, I remember that one!" Ron exclaimed. "Go on, try again, we'll see what you're doing wrong."
As tactless as Ron's comment was, Reece obliged by setting the quill on the ground. His forehead furrowed in concentration, he spoke the incantation and waved his wand. The feather didn't even twitch.
"See?" Reece stabbed his wand at the feather in disgust. "Nothing!"
"You're saying the spell wrong," Ron said. "You're saying the last word like 'lee'. It has to be like 'lay'."
"Why?"
"Because that's the spell."
"But why does that matter?"
"I, uh..." Ron looked lost, so Harry stepped in.
"It's just the way it's done. It's the spell, if you say it a different way, something different will happen."
"But why?" Reece demanded. "The teachers say the magic's in us, that we're the magical ones, and our wands just channel that. What does it matter how I say the spell when my magic's going to be what's important."
Harry closed his mouth. He hadn't ever thought about it that way before. Reece had a point, one that Harry had no idea how to address. "That's just the way it is."
Reece rolled his eyes. "Adults always say that and it just means they don't know," he said scathingly. "The people around here say that lycanthropy is magic, but it's not, it's a preternatural disease and it's got rules. There aren't any rules on magic!"
The boy's soft Welsh accent danced over the large words as if they were nothing, making Harry even more impressed. When he was Reece's age, he hadn't ever heard the word 'preternatural'. But then, if his whole life was centered around being a werewolf, he might have been able to spout off knowledgeably. "There are rules here," Harry said weakly.
"But there shouldn't be," Reece protested.
"Vampires!" Harry exclaimed, snapping his fingers. "They're magic, and their power is constrained by rules."
Reece's eyebrows shot up. "So I can't do this spell because of vampire magic?"
"Stop being daft," Harry said. "You know what? You're going to talk to Hermione, the Head Girl, and she'll explain exactly why you need to say the spell right."
Reece let out a long-suffering sigh. "Fine."
"Now try the spell again, and say it right," Harry ordered.
Aiming his wand once more, Reece tried the spell. Even though he said the incantation perfectly, the feather didn't change. "Bugger."
Harry ignored the swearing child, and picked up the feather. "Where did you get this?" he asked, bringing it close to his nose. Under the feather smell lingered a faint familiar smell.
"I borrowed it from a third year in my house," Reece said. "I didn't have any quills at the start of the year, only pens from my mum."
Harry lifted his eyes to meet Ron's puzzled stare, and something clicked in his head. Now he remembered why the smell was familiar. "Hold on." Harry set the quill on the ground and pulled out his own wand. How did that spell go again? Harry pointed his wand at the feather and said, "I'm bored."
In the wink of an eye, the quill expanded outwards and became a whole, live raven. Reece squealed and scrambled back against the tree. "What is that?" he demanded.
"Blimey!" Ron exclaimed. "It's one of the twin's trick quills!"
"Ron's brothers have a joke shop in Diagon Alley," Harry explained to Reece. "They brought out a line of in-class pranks for last Christmas. This," he indicated the puzzled-looking bird, "Was one of them."
"They made live animals into quills?" Reece sounded horrified.
"No, not at all," Harry said. He reached out and carefully picked up the bird around the middle. It looked around, but didn't try to fly off or peck at Harry's hands. "It's just a raven feather, but it's enchanted to be transfigured into a bird and pretend to be alive. It's not alive. Smell it."
Very slowly, Reece crawled toward Harry and the bird, sniffing the air. He smiled, a little shakily. "I guess it's cool."
"You should have seen the pig line," Ron said. "Our mum chased a three-hundred-pound sow out of the kitchen and almost walloped the twins into next year."
Reece giggled as Harry set the raven down and said, "I'm busy." The bird changed back into a feather quill and fluttered to the ground.
"There's your problem right there," Ron told Reece, digging in Harry's bag for another quill. "You can't transfigure something that's already under a transfiguration charm, not at your level. Try this."
Reece tried the transfiguration spell on Harry's quill. It changed into a paintbrush easily, and he clapped. "Thanks!"
"No problem," Harry said. "Hey, want to see Hagrid?"
"He's the gamekeeper, right?" Reece said, jumping to his feet with a werewolf's grace. "Yeah, that'd be really cool."
Ron and Harry stood and the three of them began to walk across the lawn toward Hagrid's hut, Reece chattering in restored good humour. After a minute, he spotted something and darted away.
"Harry?"
"Ron."
"You noticed the kid used the wrong incantation and the wrong hand movement on that spell, right?"
"I noticed."
"Why?"
"Maybe he expected it work like that?"
"Or maybe it's something to do with what he is."
Harry shot Ron a warning glare. "This isn't because he's a werewolf. Remus was a werewolf at this age, and you don't see him doing weird spells."
"But Remus wanted to fit in, didn't he?"
Harry spun around. "What the hell does that mean?"
Ron kept walking. "It means none of his friends, like your dad or Sirius or-- or anyone knew he was a werewolf. If he could do different magic to start with, would he have kept it up?"
"But then how is Reece doing it?"
Ron gestured helplessly with his hands. "Both Reece's folks are muggles, right?"
Technically, his father was a werewolf, but that wasn't really any business of Ron's. "Yes."
"Remus's folks were magical. He grew up seeing how magic works, right? He probably never asked the kind of question Reece did."
Harry wasn't sure what to say at first. Asking Ron when the hell he got so smart seemed a little rude. "Why did you think of that?" he said instead.
Ron shrugged. "Got to thinking about Hermione."
"But Hermione's muggle born and she never wondered about changing magic like that."
"Hermione learned everything about magic out of books," Ron corrected. "If it's in a book, it's real to her. That's the way it goes. Reece is more like you."
Harry stumbled over the grass. "What about me?" he demanded.
"Magic works weird for you," Ron said, going bright red. "You're really good at some things, like Defence Against the Dark Arts and Charms, but bad at other things."
"You're completely mental!"
"You're missing my point!" Ron shouted. "Would you have been like that if you'd grown up in the wizarding world? Harry, you made a Patronus in third year, that's NEWT level magic!"
"There were Dementors after me! I had to learn it!"
"You shouldn't have been able to! And look at what you did this year with your Animagus!" Ron brought his voice low. "I know you said it was because of what happened in St. Louis, but did you ever think that it just happened because of this?"
Ron had put too much thought into this, and it was making Harry uncomfortable. "Look, doing a few spots of difficult magic has nothing to do with how I was raised," he said firmly. "It also has nothing to do with Reece's messing up that spell so spectacularly. So drop it!"
"Are you talking about me?" Reece asked, popping up at Harry's side. "Why?"
"Because you're so interesting," Harry said.
The boy stuck out his tongue. "I heard that the Auror lady ate some bad eggs at breakfast yesterday and her head swole up and her toes turned green."
"Where did you hear that?" Harry demanded as they started down the steps.
"Around. Is it true?"
"No, it's not true." Then Harry reconsidered. He couldn't very well tell the boy what really happened to Tonks, but he might be able to spread a bit of misinformation to change the rumours. "She ate something that was bad for her, but she's going to be fine."
"Good." Reece hopped along. "Is she going to be in the infirmary for long?"
"Don't know."
"Maybe you should take her flowers," Reece said. "When my mum was in hospital, my da took her flowers and she was happy."
Privately, Harry wondered what Tonks would say if she knew an eleven-year-old werewolf had a crush on her. "Yeah, she might like flowers," he said.
"Good." Reece jumped down the last step. "Are we going to be bothering Mr. Hagrid?"
"Nah, Hagrid likes it when we come by," Ron said. "And if he offers us tea, just nod and smile."
The hut door swung open, and Hagrid lumbered out, carrying a big bucket in his hand. "Hey, you there!" he called, waving. "Come t' see me?"
Harry had barely opened his mouth to respond when Fang tore out of the hut, barking his head off. He raced over the grass, straight for Harry and Reece.
Not thinking, Harry grabbed Reece by the shoulder and pulled the boy behind him. He planted his feet and drew himself up to his full height. "Fang, stop!"
The enormous boarhound pulled himself up a few feet from Harry, growling. Behind him, Harry could feel Reece's beast responding to the threat.
"That's enough!" Harry exclaimed, to both Fang and Reece. He glared at Fang until the dog stopped growling, and ducked his head. Harry squeezed Reece's shoulder, and after a tense moment, the boy relaxed against Harry, gripping Harry's robes hard.
Hagrid bounded up the hill, moving remarkably fast for someone so large. "Fang, what're ye doin'?"
"We're fine, Hagrid," Harry said, watching Fang to make sure the dog's act of submission was genuine. "We just wanted to come down to see you, and brought Reece along."
The boy crept out from behind Harry, watching Fang warily. "I'm sorry, sir," he said awkwardly. "I didn't know you had a dog."
"Why're ye sorry?" Hagrid asked, thumping a large hand against Fang's ribs. "He's usually not so loud. Sorry if he scared ye."
Harry walked over to Fang and held out his hand, hoping the smell of Reece on a familiar person would be enough to calm the dog. Fang sniffed Harry's palm, then licked him wetly. "Come here, Reece."
Looking as if he'd rather eat his quill, Reece edged over to the dog. He made some serious eye contact with the beast, then let the tension slump out of his shoulders. "Hi Fang."
Fang licked Reece's offered hand, then bent down to sniff his trainers.
Hagrid looked relieved. "Don't know what's up with 'im," he rumbled. "He ain't never done that with a student. Well, twice."
Harry really didn't want to know who those students were, and if Remus was one of those instances. The last thing they needed was Hagrid making the mental connection that Reece was a werewolf. "Hagrid, we thought we'd get some flowers for Tonks," he said quickly. "Know where we can look?"
"Flowers?" Hagrid repeated, surprised. "Yeah, there's a bunch o' wild flowers by the pumpkin patch. You going to get some for D--"
Ron coughed loudly, and luckily Hagrid shut up. Reece didn't seem to notice what Hagrid had been saying, he was too busy playing with Fang.
"Just some flowers for Tonks," Harry said. "Reece?"
"I'll get them!" the boy shouted, and ran toward the flowers growing wild against the fence, Fang in hot pursuit.
Once the boy was far enough away, Harry turned to Hagrid. "Have you heard anything about, um, you know?"
Hagrid shook his head. "Ain't heard nothing new. But that's good, right? He can't be gettin' worse."
"Hagrid's right, Harry," Ron said. "Come on, it's-- you know. He'll be fine."
Neither Ron nor Hagrid had seen the large hole in Dumbledore's chest, and Harry couldn't share their optimism. "He has to be," Harry said, half-wishing. No matter if the five of us figure out where to find the horcruxes and how to destroy them, what chance do we stand against Voldemort without Dumbledore?
Reece raced back over, a messy handful of flowers clenched in his fist. "Got them!" he exclaimed. "Let's go!"
"You can't go givin' 'em like that," Hagrid said kindly. "Got to tidy 'em up, make 'em look pretty."
"They are pretty," Reece countered. "I got her a bunch of daisies and some lupins."
"Some what?" Ron demanded.
"Lupins," Reece repeated patiently as he pointed at the alarmingly robust pink flowers. "That's what my mum calls them, and she should know."
"Why would she know?" Harry asked as Hagrid pulled a length of string out of his pocket and helped Reece bundle the flowers into a bouquet.
"She sat botany at Oxford!" Reece said proudly. "I did a project on flowers you can eat, at school last year, and she helped me." He held out his bouquet, and Harry obligingly admired it.
"Now, what's that?" Hagrid said, looking up the hill. "More visitors?"
Harry squinted up the hill, then pulled his glasses down to get a better look. When he finally figured out who was making his way down the hill, he let out a small growl.
"Who is it?" Reece demanded, instantly alert. "Is something wrong?"
Harry shook himself. "Nothing's wrong."
"So who's that?"
"That's the Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour." Harry squared his shoulders. Why the hell was Scrimgeour doing at Hogwarts, so soon after Dumbledore had been hurt? Had he heard something was wrong?
"What's that?"
"What's that?" Ron demanded incredulously. "How do you not know what the Ministry of Magic is?"
"He's muggle born, Ron," Harry said, not really paying attention. " Scrimgeour is like the Prime Minister."
"Oh," Reece said, finally sounding awed. "Why is he here?" he asked as he edged closer to Harry
"I don't know."
The Minister of Magic strode down the steps on the slope, his limp barely slowing him down, followed closely by a strange Auror. When he spotted Harry, Scrimgeour gave a wave.
"Look, Reece, why don't you run on up to the hospital wing to see Tonks?" Harry suggested. "Now."
Reece gave him a look. "Okay," he sighed, then bolted up the slope, not bothering with the stairs.
"Ah, I remember being so energetic," Scrimgeour said as he came closer. "Harry Potter, just the boy I was looking for."
Fuck. Harry glanced at Ron, who only shrugged. He didn't know what was going on, either.
"You must be Ronald Weasley," Scrimgeour said, nodding at Ron. "Arthur's youngest boy?"
"Yes, sir, that's me," Ron said.
Scrimgeour turned to Hagrid. "And Rubeus Hagrid. I understand you're a teacher now?"
"Yeah," Hagrid said rather flatly. "Teachin' Care of Magical Creatures."
Scrimgeour nodded. "Well, Mr. Potter, may I have a few minutes of your time?"
Double fuck. Was there any way Harry could avoid this talk? He didn't want to talk to Scrimgeour at all, not with Dumbledore hurt.
However, he didn't seem to have many options. If he left Scrimgeour with Hagrid, the half-giant might let something slip about Dumbledore's injuries, and Harry couldn't think of a reason to have Ron come along for the talk.
"Sure," Harry said with all the joy of having detention.
"Hey, Harry, I'll run your stuff up to the castle," Ron said, holding out his hand. "Meet you at lunch?"
If Ron had been a girl, Harry might have kissed him. "Yeah, thanks," Harry said, handing his bag, which contained his notes on the Horcruxes, to Ron. The tiny metal box with the portkey to the Horcrux cavern was in his trousers pocket, but Harry wasn't letting that out of his sight for anything. "See you then."
Ron nodded sharply, then headed up the steps. Harry watched his friend for a moment, then his eyes slid back to Scrimgeour. "You wanted to talk, sir?"
Scrimgeour raised one bushy eyebrow, and indicated that Harry was to follow him. Hagrid waved goodbye as Harry followed the Minister up the slope.
Once they were on the flat part of the lawn, Scrimgeour waved his Auror away. "So, Harry," he said conversationally, "I hear I have you to thank for saving the life of one of my Aurors yesterday."
Harry bristled, not able to sense the trap, but knowing it was there, ready to snap closed on him. "Tonks really wasn't that bad," Harry lied, trying to remember if they had agreed upon any particular untruth for her injuries. If she was hurt bad enough to have her life in danger, she should have gone to St. Mungo's. She didn't, so I have to pretend it wasn't that bad. "Just food poisoning, I heard."
Scrimgeour's step never faltered. "Is that so?" he asked. "I wasn't aware that the Hogwarts house elves would ever serve bad eggs."
It seemed as if Scrimgeour had been listening to Reece's informant. "You'll have to talk with them."
"What I find interesting, Harry, is how Dumbledore is unavailable for consultation," Scrimgeour continued. Harry tensed. "According to Assistant Headmistress McGonagall, he is in the school but too busy to talk with me. Considering that one of the school's protectors was injured yesterday, I find that... interesting."
Fleetingly, Harry wondered if Scrimgeour was a Legilimens, and decided to slap up his mental Occlumency walls, just in case. "Dumbledore doesn't clear his calendar with me," Harry said, trying to sound politely puzzled. "I'm just a student."
"But you're not just a student, are you?" Scrimgeour asked, turning to face Harry. "Have you given any thought to what you're going to do after you write your NEWTs at the end of this year, Harry?"
Harry desperately wanted Scrimgeour to stop calling him by his first name, it was throwing him off. Which is probably his point. "No."
"No?" Scrimgeour's gaze bored into Harry. "I heard a rumour that you were considering becoming an Auror?"
There it was, Scrimgeour dangling Harry's dream in front of his eyes. But what was the cost? Harry suddenly felt sick, that Scrimgeour thought he could buy Harry's loyalty like this. "I'm not in Potions," Harry said, making every effort to stay calm, in control. His Occlumency was helping, but not enough. "I can't be an Auror without a Potions NEWT."
Scrimgeour inclined his head. "But there are other things you can do at the Ministry, if not as an Auror. Perhaps as a consultant?"
Harry slowly counted to ten in his head. This isn't getting me anywhere! "Why do you want me at the Ministry?" Harry asked. "What does it matter to you what I do at the end of this year?"
The corner of Scrimgeour's eye twitched. He regarded Harry for a long minute. "You're a symbol in our world," Scrimgeour finally said. "In the fight against Voldemort."
"And you want that symbol under your control," Harry said coldly. "It doesn't matter what I can do, or how well I can fight dark wizards."
"You won the Tri-Wizard Tournament, and your OWL results--"
"Cedric Diggory also won the Tri-Wizard Tournament," Harry interrupted. "Before he was murdered by Voldemort."
Scrimgeour clenched his jaw. "I'm offering you a chance to fight Voldemort, from inside the Ministry."
It would be so easy, to just give Scrimgeour the notes on the Horcruxes and let the Ministry deal with it. To have someone else take up the fight against Voldemort, to let Harry had a bit of a life.
It would be easy, but it would be so very wrong. The Ministry would never be able to comprehend the danger the Horcruxes posed, would never be able to mount a force in time to stop Voldemort. If they had, then Harry didn't doubt Dumbledore would already have gone to them.
"No."
Scrimgeour's glare grew hostile. "So you stay at Hogwarts? With Albus Dumbledore?"
"Albus Dumbledore has been fighting Voldemort for years," Harry said. "I'm staying here."
"Dumbledore's man until the end."
In that moment, Harry forgot all the doubts he'd ever had about Dumbledore. "There are worse things I could be," Harry said. He didn't finish the thought.
An air of anger began to gather around Scrimgeour. "Where is Dumbledore, Harry?"
"I don't know."
"Yes, you do." Scrimgeour leaned a fraction closer. "I think something has happened, and that by not telling the Ministry, both you and Dumbledore are placing everyone in this school, all these children, at risk."
"Dumbledore would never put anyone in this school in danger!" Harry exclaimed.
The unmistakable beginnings of the anger on Scrimgeour's face were wiped away when from across the lawn came the call, "Minister!"
Harry whirled around. It was Dumbledore, and he was walking toward them.
What? How? Harry could only stare. It was Dumbledore all right, standing upright and striding like he hadn't a care in the world. When the man drew near enough, Harry breathed in deeply. There was no smell of polyjuice, nor the girl smell that Tonks hadn't been able to mask. This person smelled like Dumbledore. How could he be better?
"Rufus, I hear you have been looking for me?" Dumbledore asked, stopping beside Harry. He laid one thin hand on Harry's shoulder in warning. "Terribly sorry, I was unavoidably detained."
Scrimgeour narrowed his eyes.
"Harry, will you please excuse us, the Minister and I have much to discuss." Dumbledore said. "I'll speak with you later."
"Okay," Harry muttered, even though it was anything but okay. How the hell was Dumbledore standing upright and looking so merry? Giving Dumbledore one last look, Harry walked away.
"So he just walked over?" Ron asked, shaking his head. "I knew he'd be up and around in no time!"
"You don't understand, Ron, he was hurt too badly for that!" Harry protested. He bit savagely into his sandwich. "I wasn't supposed to let anyone know he was hurt, because if they knew, then the Ministry might come take over the school! So the Minster of Magic shows up, and all of a sudden Dumbledore's better?"
"If it keeps the Ministry out of Hogwarts, then fine," Ron said with a shudder. "You remember how bad it was with Umbridge here?"
Out of nowhere, Luna appeared and sat on the grass next to Harry. "Why are you talking about her?" she asked, pulling her robe primly over her ankles.
Scrimgeour forgotten, Harry stared at Luna. "Are you all right?" he asked urgently. "You're fine, right?"
Luna looked at him with amusement for a moment, but then the expression changed to worry. "The Minister didn't put a Tannite in your head, did he?"
"A what?"
"A Tannite," Luna repeated. "It's a tiny creature that lives in your ear and controls your thoughts. Are your ears safe?"
Ron cracked up. "She's fine, mate."
Harry punched Ron in the arm. "Shut it." He turned back to Luna. "But you're really all right? And how did you know I was talking to the Minister?"
"Ron told Ginny before lunch, and Ginny told me," Luna explained, unwrapping her lunch of half a sandwich and an apple. "They'd be out here right now, but Ginny wanted to talk to Hermione about something."
"About what?" Ron asked with interest.
"They didn't tell me." Luna took a tiny bite of apple. "They said they would be along shortly."
Harry frowned down at his roast beef sandwich. "This has been a very strange morning."
"With Scrimgeour?" Ron asked through a mouthful.
"Yeah. He knew Tonks had been hurt, and I don't think he bought the food poisoning thing."
"But she was poisoned with food," Luna reminded them. "I spend some time this morning in class thinking about that."
"What about it?"
"We decided yesterday that whoever poisoned Tonks, thinking it was the Headmaster, chose yesterday morning because Professor Snape had left the castle," Luna said.
"Yeah, and we couldn't figure who it was," Ron said.
Luna nodded. "I think it was a Slytherin."
Harry froze mid-chew.
"Students from other houses wouldn't necessarily know he was gone, on a weekend," Luna continued. "And I don't think a teacher or another adult, like an Auror, would try poisoning him in the Great Hall. They could just as easily do it in the staff room, or in his office, or some place where Dumbledore wouldn't be easy to find."
Ron's jaw was hanging open. "Wow," he said weakly. "Better be careful to treat her right, Harry, so she won't poison you in the night."
Harry turned on Ron, ready to yell at him, but Luna stopped him by laughing. "I wouldn't poison anyone," she said.
"You wouldn't?"
Luna shook her head, her face losing its smile. "I can't imagine I would ever be so afraid of someone that I would poison them."
"Afraid? You mean hatred, right?"
"No, I mean afraid," Luna said, looking up as Ginny and Hermione sat down on the grass. "If I hated someone, I would attack them to their face. If I poisoned someone, it would be because I was afraid."
Ginny gave Luna a quick sideways hug. "I can think of someone I'd like to poison," she said darkly.
"I don't want to talk about him," Luna said.
"Of course," Ginny said.
Hermione gave Ron and Harry a questioning look. Ron mouthed something to her, that looked to Harry like 'Corner'. An understanding expression crossed Hermione's face.
"So, um, what Slytherin would try and kill Dumbledore?" Ron asked into the awkward silence. "More importantly, why?"
"Voldemort?" Harry suggested. "Can you think of another reason?"
"How many have of the Slytherins have parents who are Death Eaters?" Ron asked.
"Oh, we can't go by that!" Ginny exclaimed. "It's not an inherited title! Remember Wormtail?"
"Oh, you mean the rat that spent years in our house? Who betrayed Harry's parents to Voldemort? Yeah, Ginny, I faintly remember him!" Ron shouted, ignoring Hermione as she tried to hold him still.
"Don't get mad at me!" Ginny yelled back. "I'm trying to tell you that it could be any of them!"
The siblings glared at each other.
"Unless we have any more information on who tried to kill Dumbledore, I have something to say about the Horcruxes," Hermione said tentatively
"What's that?" Harry asked, eager to have Ron and Ginny stop fighting.
"I think I know what the fifth Horcrux might be."
Harry stopped breathing for a moment. "You what?" he squeaked.
Hermione pulled a roll of parchment out of her bag. "It's not in the notes on the spell," she said nervously as she unrolled the parchment. Harry could see that it was the original of Dumbledore's notes, not one of the copies Hermione had made. "It's in this mess, here."
Everyone crowded around to look at the tiny scribbles on the edge of the parchment. Words were written in spidery handwriting, some crossed out or written over. "How can you make any of that out?" Ron asked, squinting.
"With this." Hermione pointed her wand at the words and spoke the words to an unfamiliar spell. A few of the words glowed gold, making it easy to read. "I found it in the library to help with the notes I made in preparation for our OWLs."
Harry took off his glasses and knelt in the grass to read the glowing words. "Ravenclaw... cherry and unicorn hair... Ollivander." He frowned. "What does that mean?"
"Don't you see?" Hermione exclaimed. "Cherry wood and unicorn hair are two things you find in a wand! It must have been Rowena Ravenclaw's wand, made of cherry and unicorn hair, and Ollivander must have had it before he vanished!"
"Are you sure that's what that means?" Ron asked. "Dumbledore might have been talking about something else entirely."
Hermione sat back and glared at Ron. "Because you have a better idea of what the fifth Horcrux is?"
"She's right, it's the best thing we have to go on," Harry said quickly, to diffuse a fight between his friends. "But how the hell are we going to find out? Ollivander's been gone for a while now."
"If it was Ravenclaw's wand, Ollivander must have either hidden it or taken it with him," Ginny mused. "Even if it wasn't the Horcrux, the wand of a Hogwarts founder would be a great treasure."
"We need to find out," Harry said.
"How?" Luna asked. "We can't leave Hogwarts, and if we ask anyone else, there is the risk that someone will learn what we are doing."
"So we need someone to look for us." Harry bit his lip. Remus was still undercover with the werewolves, Tonks was out of commission, and asking any of the adults in the Order of the Phoenix would be a bad idea. Unless... "Are the twins still in their Diagon Alley shop?"
Ron looked surprised. "I guess."
"They are," Ginny said. "Mum sent me a letter yesterday with family stuff in it. They're in Diagon Alley all week."
"Do you think we can ask them?" Harry looked expectantly at Ron and Ginny. "They're already in Diagon Alley, no one's going to wonder if they are poking into things, it's what they do. And we can trust them!"
Ron rubbed at his cheek, thinking hard. "Yeah, I say we can," he finally said.
"Exactly," Ginny agreed. "But if you ask them this, you're going to have to tell them it all."
"Fine," Harry said.
"I don't know..." Hermione looked helplessly at Ron. "I'm sorry, but it's the twins!"
"They're wicked smart," Ginny snapped, quick to defend her brothers. "They're sneaky and loyal and they'd help us stop Voldemort in a heartbeat, you know that!"
"They would," Ron said quietly, putting his arm around Hermione. "And Harry's right, they're already in Diagon Alley."
"I'll send them an owl," Harry said, digging in his bag for parchment. "Just ask them to look around."
Hermione, of course, objected to this course of events. After much discussion, Harry wrote the note and Hermione charmed it so only a Weasley could read it.
"That sort of spell borders on blood magic," Luna pointed out as Hermione finished the spell.
"Desperate times call for desperate measures," Hermione said, her voice high and defensive.
Luna shrugged gracefully. "I don't disagree.”
Harry held the parchment up. "I'll send this to Fred and George, and we'll see what they can find."
"I'm still not sure this is a wise idea," Hermione confessed. "What if someone intercepts the letter and only finds a blank piece of paper?"
They hadn't thought of that. Ginny solved the problem by plucking the paper out of Harry's hand and scrawling a quick note on the surface. "There," she said as she handed it back to Harry.
"What's a Tongue Twister?" Harry asked, taking a quick look before folding the paper up.
"New product," Ron said. "You eat it, and you start talking in rhyme for about an hour. It's right annoying, that is."
"And they taste like strawberry," Ginny added blithely. "Come on, Luna, let's go owl this."
"Shouldn't I--" Harry began.
"No, you shouldn't," Ginny interrupted. She softened the order with a smile. "It'd look rather shifty, you sending a letter from me to my brothers." With a giggle, she ran toward the castle, Luna right behind her.
"Things certainly do move quickly when those two are around," Hermione muttered.
"I have to go find Dumbledore," Harry said abruptly. "Scrimgeour has to be gone by now, and I have to make sure Dumbledore's all right."
"Do you want us to come with you?" Hermione asked.
Harry shook his head. "I don't even know if he'll see me. You two shouldn't waste your time. I'll be back in a bit."
He was on his feet and about to head off, which something hit him. I'm an idiot, he told himself. "Hey, Hermione?"
"Yes?"
"That was brilliant work, with the Horcruxes and the wand and all that."
Hermione flushed, a grin spreading across her face. "Thank you."
Harry grinned back, then took off across the grass for the castle.
"Why are you so down?" Ginny asked Harry that night in the Gryffindor common room.
Harry dragged his gaze up from his homework. "Madam Pomfrey wouldn't let me see Dumbledore, and all she told me was that he was making progress," he said in a low voice. "And we haven't heard from the twins, and there's a Slytherin in this school who's trying to kill everyone, and I've got this stupid Magical Creatures essay due tomorrow and I'm not anywhere near being done!"
Ginny gave him a sympathetic smile as she reached across the table to pat his hand. The light touch was like a lightening bolt across his skin, and Harry had to shift uncomfortably in his chair.
"You'll be fine," Ginny said. "You usually are."
"But not like this," Harry protested. "Before, there was a point to doing my homework, but now I don't even know if I'll live long enough to take my NEWTs-- Ouch!"
Ginny's grip had tightened painfully on his hand. When he cried out, she let him go. "Don't say that!" she said fiercely. "That is not going to happen!"
"Ginny--"
"Shut up!" She sat back in her chair and glared down at her Potions homework, ignoring Harry.
Harry looked around the common room, to see almost everyone watching their little fight with interest. A good many people hastily tried to look busy as Harry glared at them.
Harry went back to his essay. How the hell was he supposed to know why an Augurey's quills repelled ink?
"Oy, Ginny!" Seamus called across the room. "Ain't that your owl out there?"
Craning his neck around, Harry saw tiny Pigwidgeon, Ron and Ginny's owl, perched on the edge of the windowsill, tapping at the glass with his miniature beak.
Ginny scrambled up and jumped over a few students on the floor, ignoring their protests. Within seconds, she had opened the window and grabbed Pig, then snatched the tiny roll of parchment out of his claw.
"Here," said a nearby second year with a cat on his lap. He held out his hand. "Try this."
"You can't give an owl cat treats!" another kid interrupted.
"It's an owl treat!"
"You're feeding your cat owl treats?"
"I just tell him they're made of real owls, he doesn't know the difference!"
Shaking her head, Ginny tossed Pig back out into the night and shut the window. She tried to be calm as she walked back across the room to Harry, but he could see the tiny vibrations of excitement in her hands.
"Look at this," she murmured as she sat back down and tossed the parchment on Harry's essay.
Harry flattened the note on the table, and began to read.
Dearest sister, of course we would love to deliver to you a sample of Tongue Twisters. In light of your interest, we'll only charge you the employee rate--
Harry looked up. "They charge you for their stuff?" he demanded incredulously.
She nodded. "What do you expect? They're in business."
Grumbling, Harry went back to the note.
-- as well as throw in a complimentary sample of the new Christmas line, but only if you use them at school as advertising.
We would be happy to deliver the package to you in person in Hogsmeade, next Sunday. Don't be late! We'll have so much to tell you.
Love,
Fred and George.
PS: May as well invite Ron alone, elsewise he'll whine.
"Did they get my message?" Harry asked uncertainly.
"Of course they did," Ginny said, taking back the note. "They didn't say they 'have' a lot to tell us, they said they 'will' have a lot to say!"
Harry raised his eyebrows.
"And even if they don't, we can get them to buy us tea in Hogsmeade," Ginny continued.
"Are you sure there's a Hogsmeade weekend?" Harry asked. "I haven't heard anything."
"McGonagall told us at dinner on Sunday, when you weren't there." Ginny gave him an odd sideways glance. "We can go like last time."
It took Harry a moment to figure out what she was talking about. "You mean, you and me and Luna?"
Ginny nodded.
Harry tried very hard to sound nonchalant as he asked, "Have you talked to Luna about... you know, stuff?"
"If you mean the diary, then yes," Ginny said, concentrating very hard on her book. "I can't... I mean, I'm not like that. We talked about that."
"Are you two okay?" Harry blurted out, even though he knew it was a silly question. Ginny and Luna had been acting like normal around each other all day.
"Yeah." Ginny gave him another odd look. "We've still got a lot in common, though, so we're going to keep on like this."
Harry desperately wanted to know what Ginny was talking about, what it was that she and Luna had in common, but before he could ask, Jack Sloper came over to ask Harry about Quidditch practices.
When Harry finally got rid of Sloper, Ginny had gone up to bed. Harry stared at her empty seat for a long time.
It's not fair! he railed. I finally find someone who might be my girlfriend... well, two someones, and I've got Voldemort after me on one side and the Ministry on the other! I can't ever be normal!
Well, he'd be as normal as he could. In between working on the Horcruxes and going to class and Quidditch, Harry vowed he'd spend time with Luna and Ginny, doing whatever it was that a boy did with girls.
Only problem was, Harry wasn't sure what the hell that was.
to be continued...
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no subject
Date: 2006-05-22 10:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 02:54 am (UTC)I wanted to touch on the magic thing for the sequel, and for when Anita is later told that she can't do something magical, because "that's not how magic works". Hee hee.
H/G/L = confused!luv.
no subject
Date: 2006-05-22 11:18 pm (UTC)One thing I would definitely dislike about being in that situation is the whole 'who can you turn to' problem. Dumbledore pretty much knows all, but he's out of the picture, currently. All the other adults know some bits and pieces about the war situation, but who is supposed to know what classified information? What if you bring up something (like the Horcruxes) with someone who's better off not knowing? *sigh* Thinking about it makes my head hurt. Perhaps its well enough that the teens are so independent from the adults in their work.
no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 02:57 am (UTC)Thinking about it makes my head hurt.
Welcome to Harry's world. It's not easy to do when your only ally has harmed his health more by wandering out to talk to the Minister. Harry doesn't know where to turn, so he's created his own circle. Maybe I should give them a name or something.
Good Chapter
Date: 2006-05-22 11:43 pm (UTC)Re: Good Chapter
Date: 2006-05-23 03:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-22 11:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 04:13 am (UTC)And I'm echoing the role Scrimgeour played in book 6, to the extent of using JKR's phrase, "Dumbledore's man." Harry is, to the end. He may hate the feeling that Dumbledore is using him, but Harry knows in his heart that Dumbledore is a good man who is fighting an impossible war. Harry follows him because Dumbledore is not demanding sacrifice more than he is willing to give.
Ron is awesome. I like writing him as secretly smart, because he's like Xander, in a way. He's not the hero, not the brains, but he's got so much heart. He cares so damned much, wants to help so bad, and loves his friends deeply. He's a good guy, and he's grown up in a way zone to the point where he knows he has to help in his own way.
Oh, man, look at me ramble about Ron. I really like him :)
no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 12:18 am (UTC)"Harry Potter, just the boy I was looking for.” Fuck. – Language Harry, language, ::giggles:: :D
That was an amazing chapter, as always. Reece is really adorable. I loved the discussion that Harry and Ron had about magic. Well the discussion which Ron tried to have, and which Harry was too touchy to participate in. Ron seems to be having a good day, overall. ^_^
I'm surprised Harry didn't catch on though. Reece was convinced that magic was magic, end of story, and Ron was considering the idea that it was all in the mind. That last bit is very much like what Harry had to go through to become an Animagius. Oy. I'll give the poor boy a break I suppose, he's got a lot on his plate. Like two girls. :D
Speaking of two girls, G/H/L action is amazing. Ron still gets uber extra brownie points. And I'm sure Harry has some idea of what boys do with girls.
:)
no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 04:36 am (UTC)Well the discussion which Ron tried to have, and which Harry was too touchy to participate in. Ron seems to be having a good day, overall.
Harry doesn't want to admit that he might be different, in front of his friend. He hates it when people single him out; it's never pleasant (Dudley, or as a Parselmouth, or as a Tri-Wizard participant). Throughout the series, he has always shied away from looking too hard at his own power, even when he does insanely powerful things. Ron has to see it; he sees everything that Harry does, for better or for worse.
Reece was convinced that magic was magic, end of story, and Ron was considering the idea that it was all in the mind.
I really like examining the Reece dynamic. He's a great character to push Harry into new circumstances, making him exercise his new werewolf and protector skills. As well, he's becoming more like Anita, in protecting people that need help. Additionally, in Reece's case, he is experiencing slightly paternal feelings.
And I'm sure Harry has some idea of what boys do with girls.
Not quite like *that*. I mean, Harry gets the tab A into slot B part of it. But I mean the dating part, the spending time, the carrying of books, the walking to class. Harry knows nothing about dating, and frankly, his time in Anita's house didn't quite help him figure things out :D
no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 12:24 am (UTC)I'm curious about Dumbledore. Was that really him? It sucks that so many powerful characters are down right now. Is Harry going to get back to St. Louis in this story? I know you've got a set amount of chapters and are planning a sequel, but how far is this one going to go...through the end of the school year, Christmas, ???
Anyways, I liked that you got Ron and Hermione in this chapter. They are his best friends after all, and they've seemed a bit underrepresented in this story. Though, I understand the character constraint because you've got so many on the table and some of the others are a lot more fun to play with :)
Lastly, the ending was great! Harry spending time "with Luna and Ginny, doing whatever it was that a boy did with girls. Only problem was, Harry wasn't sure what the hell that was." There's so much possibility there...especially for short vignettes or Inevitable!One-shots :) Can't wait to see where we go next and seeing how the Crew back in the States is doing!
Take care!!
♥
no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 04:55 am (UTC)Glad that came across :) The Hogwarts people have a set view of magic, which Harry has seen thrown out the window in St. Louis. Mostly Anita's magic, which seems to change as she needs it.
I'm curious about Dumbledore. Was that really him?
Yup, it's really him. He strapped on the magic corset, as someone said below, and stepped out to meet Scridgmour. He had to stop the Minster from figuring out that Hogwarts was in danger, that he was hurt.
Is Harry going to get back to St. Louis in this story? I know you've got a set amount of chapters and are planning a sequel, but how far is this one going to go...through the end of the school year, Christmas, ???
Sadly, I cannot give out that information, as it's a plot point :) However, only 80 chapters in total. 12 left :D
Anyways, I liked that you got Ron and Hermione in this chapter. They are his best friends after all, and they've seemed a bit underrepresented in this story.
Ron and Hermione are very important to Harry, and nothing should let that fall away. I always dislike HP stories in which Harry is apart from Ron and Hermione in the later years at school. Even if Hermione and Ron hook up, that's no reason for them to lose Harry's friendship. Harry holds his friends tightly. Hermione, even with her large brain, has a huge heart and sense of good. Ron has such a large family, and a large heart on his own, that nothing can push Harry out of their lives. He's family.
There's so much possibility there...especially for short vignettes or Inevitable!One-shots :) Can't wait to see where we go next and seeing how the Crew back in the States is doing!
Oh, that's a great idea! The Harry/Ginny/Luna courtship isn't really part of the story, but some fluffy excerpts could be fun!
Also, the St. Louis crew is coming back on screen in chapter 73 in a major way.
(no subject)
From:Love it
Date: 2006-05-23 01:17 am (UTC)Re: Love it
Date: 2006-05-23 05:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 01:31 am (UTC)Reece is still a little kid, getting to be cool by hanging with the big guys, that was well written and cute as heck..
no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 05:11 am (UTC)Reece is still a little kid, getting to be cool by hanging with the big guys, that was well written and cute as heck.
He's found big brothers, and for a kid who's used to so many older pack members keeping him safe, this is really cool to him. More older brothers! Who will protect him and show him cool magic? It's all awesome.
For now.
(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 02:46 am (UTC)It's certainly coming down to a showdown!
no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 03:41 am (UTC)Nichole
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 02:51 am (UTC)One question, is Reece's Ulfrick gonna contact Harry? I mean Harry's an alpha, a future vagamour, and acting like Reece's part of his pack. Wouldn't an Ulfrick be a little concerned about the influence an other wolf would have?
no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 05:30 pm (UTC)What irritated me slightly about the Horcrux plotline was that Dumbledore wasted so much time making Harry run after things that Dumbledore already knew. So, in the end, they ran out of time. It's taking the literary device of "Show, don't tell" to extremes. I like the way I did it more:
Dumbles: Harry, sit down, I have to tell you everything about Voldemort's evil plan!
Harry: O_o
As for Ginny... I think that the characters can make a good match, but the sudden *glomp* in HBP was a bit out of left field for me. It didn't have as much emotional resonance with me as it could have.
One question, is Reece's Ulfric gonna contact Harry?
I can only say this: If this goes on much longer, then yes, Reece's Ulfric is going to start to worry about Harry's influence. He's in a bit of a bad spot contacting Harry directly, however, as they are all muggle werewolves.
Love It!
Date: 2006-05-23 03:37 am (UTC)Nichole
Re: Love It!
Date: 2006-05-23 05:30 pm (UTC)H/G/L is so much fun. They're coming together so organically, it's working good for me as an author (and by organic, I don't mean like granola and hemp clothes, although it would be funny to see Ginny faced with a tree-hugging, Birkenstock-wearing, granola-munching Harry).
We'll learn more about Dumbles soon.
The twins! I less-than-three the twins. They’re smart, they're quick, and they're fearless. It's probably going to either get them killed, or let them save the day.
no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 03:51 am (UTC)Oh Harry... you make me laugh.
no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 05:31 pm (UTC)You know, his only realm of reference to dating is Ron and Hermione (fighting) or Anita and everyone (lots of sex and action). I think he's hoping for more in the other end of the spectrum, like the holding of hands or carrying of books. He's so adorkable.
no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 03:58 am (UTC)And Dumbledore must have had Poppy tape him up into a magical corset the moment he saw Fascist Boy striding up the path. He must have been glad that Ron and Harry and Reece and Hagrid delayed the jerk long enough to allow Dumbles some time to get cosmetically fixed up.
Meanwhile, Ginny and Luna are comfy with each other and themselves. Hooray! And Hermione's thousand-watt brain is doing its thing -- double hooray!
no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 02:26 pm (UTC)Teehee! :-)
(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 04:01 am (UTC)Knitting, dumbass. Knitting is what they have in common. :eyeroll: Sometimes I just despair.
Great chapter. Twins! Always fun. MoM is an ass, but a canoncal ass. Curious about D., more about Tonks.
What is it with her and werewolves? Is it her shampoo or what?
no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 05:32 pm (UTC)Think how the girls are doing:
Ginny: *Makes eyes at Harry* Hey, you busy? We're alone and no one's going to interrupt us.
Harry: Huh? Oh, yeah, let's talk Horcruxes.
Ginny: *ded*
What is it with her and werewolves? Is it her shampoo or what?
Well, Remus is a special case, but Reece sees this woman with purple hair who's rather sort of punk under her Auror robes, plus she's always on spot when he's in trouble. Plus she belongs to another werewolf, so she's familiar with his kind, which is neat! Plus little boys going through puberty will crush on the oddest people. Not that Tonks is odd. Okay, she is, but still.
no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 04:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 05:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 04:25 am (UTC)Great stuff, this. Expected someone to get beat up, but that's alright, because very interesting concept you've got there about what really controls magical ability and expression. Is it technique and pronunciation, or is it just sheer magical prowess? Me like.
Also, the Potter Scoobies seem to be growing - again. Fun times.
no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 04:28 am (UTC)(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 04:47 am (UTC)And I loved the bit of magical theory - that was brilliant, and a very, very good point.
no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 04:58 am (UTC)No, it was Dumbles. He was sucking it up and dealing with the pain, in order to protect his children. He would do anything to keep Voldemort away from Hogwarts.
And I loved the bit of magical theory - that was brilliant, and a very, very good point.
Thanks :)
no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 04:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 04:55 am (UTC)Or, "How to make a sucky day turn around"
Date: 2006-05-23 05:46 am (UTC)The world as it is sucks, but you make it better! Yay! Chapter!
:)
I love pretty much everything about this, from G/H/L, to our intrepid trio doing their thing, the magical huh? from Reece, Dumbles! *g* Magical corset. *blinks* I think I just saw a very scary Frank'n'furter plot bunny hop past.
Beautiful! Thank you.
:)
Jaydeyn
Re: Or, "How to make a sucky day turn around"
Date: 2006-05-23 06:15 am (UTC)No. I'm cool with furry!sex, twincest, slash, (fictional)snuff, hell, toss in tubgirl while we're there.
But no.
Somethings, you do not do.
:dies a little:
Re: Or, "How to make a sucky day turn around"
From:Re: Or, "How to make a sucky day turn around"
From:Re: Or, "How to make a sucky day turn around"
From:Re: Or, "How to make a sucky day turn around"
From:Re: Or, "How to make a sucky day turn around"
From:Re: Or, "How to make a sucky day turn around"
From:Re: Or, "How to make a sucky day turn around"
From:no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 08:18 am (UTC)Only problem was, Harry wasn't sure what the hell that was.
Harry! Did you spend a summer with Jason or not!? *snurk*
And more Alpha!Harry love! Yay! The Corner anger was lovely, the Fang scene delicious, and the Scrimgeur growl just total love.
Oh! And Ginny's panicked anger at Harry's defeatist attitude was beautiful. I think she and Luna need to work on that boy. *nudge nudge wink wink say no more*
no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 05:37 pm (UTC)Oh, you know Jason was telling Harry stuff that was less than useful. And Harry wasn't about to tell his new worldly friend that he didn't have a clue about dating.
Oh! And Ginny's panicked anger at Harry's defeatist attitude was beautiful. I think she and Luna need to work on that boy. *nudge nudge wink wink say no more*
Oh yes. The only problem is that Harry keeps coming up with new projects to fill their free time, most of them being "save the world" stuff. How do you ask the boy to go for a walk when evil's afoot?
(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From:(no subject)
From: (Anonymous) - Date: 2006-05-24 07:47 am (UTC) - Expandno subject
Date: 2006-05-23 11:54 am (UTC)Amazing chapter, couldn't have been better.
Two things are made clear in this chapter to those people who have read Half Blood Prince, even if it's not clear to our protagonists.
Um, is it terribly wrong that I didn't seem to catch that? Like, I think it's the thing with the wand and Ollivander and why's missing, but I'm not sure. I can't spot the second one.
So, there will be a sequel, yes? Definately? Are we talking as long as this, or shorter? It doesn't really matter, because it'll be great anyway. I am so not ready to say goodbye to such a wonderful piece of writing!
Don't want to push, but when can we see a new update? *puppy eyes*
Thanks for writing!
P.S. I friended you, is that ok?
no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 05:39 pm (UTC)The kind of wand that Hermione was talking about is mentioned in HBP, and it points to a very specific place. We'll learn where that is, in chapter 70.
As for the other point, it has to do with the poisoning.
So, there will be a sequel, yes? Definitely?
Yes, for sure. Not sure how long it'll be, but we'll be seeing these characters again.
Don't want to push, but when can we see a new update? *puppy eyes*
Not sure. I have a chapter of Balancing Act to write, and have to finish Magnolia and maybe start on Promises II. But certainly soon )
P.S. I friended you, is that ok?
Of course! Consider yourself friended back :)
One thing made clear
From:Re: One thing made clear
From:no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 12:12 pm (UTC)You're even managing to make me like the idea of Harry/Ginny, even if it is H/G with a little Luna thrown in as well.
Reading this has destressed me, which I really needed this morning, thank you.
no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 05:39 pm (UTC)There's always a danger in introducing a cute, young OC, in making things seem too cute. I'm trying to keep Reece real, and not always cute... but I think I'm succeeding. He's a kid who got stuck with a bad deal, but is making the best of things. Sounds like another person we know, eh?
You're even managing to make me like the idea of Harry/Ginny, even if it is H/G with a little Luna thrown in as well.
I think anything's possible to write as long as there's proper build-up. A lot of complaints about HBP H/G that I see stem from the idea of it came out of nowhere. (Plus Luna makes everything all right)
Snazzy icon :P
no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 01:43 pm (UTC)I've been eagerly awaiting each chapter, and have been reading it on TTH.
As many have already mentioned, I love the "doing whatever it was that a boy did with girls". And I am totally for H/G/L. It would rock if the series ended that way, with Voldemort defeated and an HGL relationship.
As usual, excellent chapter and I love the way you write. I'm excited about the new Anita book, HP book, and next year's OOTP movie.
Oh, before I forget, we share the same theory about the Ravenclaw wand. In canon, do you think it could be Neville's new wand, or do you think it is possibly Luna's? I guess I'll find out as you finish Inevitable, then. *lol*
no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 05:40 pm (UTC)*friends back*
As many have already mentioned, I love the "doing whatever it was that a boy did with girls". And I am totally for H/G/L. It would rock if the series ended that way, with Voldemort defeated and an HGL relationship.
Harry's so cute and clueless and sweet. H/G/L is quite possibly the most innocent threesome ever written.
And yeah, that would be a nice way to end the series. *sigh*
I'm excited about the new Anita book, HP book, and next year's OOTP movie.
July for the AB book! I can't wait! I'll be finished Inevitable before that one comes out. It's my deadline :) And is OTP out next year? Zounds. Well, good! I can't wait to see who they cast as Bellatrix.
Oh, before I forget, we share the same theory about the Ravenclaw wand. In canon, do you think it could be Neville's new wand, or do you think it is possibly Luna's?
Check out the HP Lexicon for those characters' wands, and you'll see who I think it is :P
(no subject)
From:no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 01:59 pm (UTC)I have to say I'm going to enjoy reading about Harry being normal, because lets face it Harry will never be normal ever. Come on he is a werewolf that doesn't change and the boy who lived, him being normal is just never going to happen.
Loved the chapter update soon please :P
no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 05:40 pm (UTC)It's funny, but yeah, normal for Harry is having two girlfriends and trying desperately to save the world. The boy never can catch a break. At least he's not giving up on any of it.
no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 05:07 pm (UTC)So much is happening now...You know the final showdown is impending when the MoM starts to interfere, and we have Reese, who is just the cutest thing ever, and Ron and Harry aren't being such utter prats to each other anymore, and Ginny and Luna getting in on all the action, and Dumbledore's mysterious "recovery", and horcrux discoveries...dun dun dun
So excited to find out what happens next *big grin*
THANK YOU!
no subject
Date: 2006-05-23 06:36 pm (UTC)You know the final showdown is impending when the MoM starts to interfere
That's for sure. The layers of additional complictions in Harry's life are certainly indicating a finality (that, and we're running out of chapters).
Glad you liked it :D