Harry Potter and the Light of Avalon
Chapter One: The Man Who Lived
For the first time in three months, the man with the lightning shaped scar awoke in a cold sweat, his hand groping blindly in the dark for his glasses and wand. Heavy drapes hung over the windows, not allowing a streak of sunlight into the dark room.
"Lumos" Harry said, his voice choked with sleep. His wand tip ignited on his nightstand. He grasped the wand that he had bought on his first trip to Diagon Alley. Like most things in his life lately it had never failed him, even though it had been snapped in half. Harry sat forward pushing his glasses up on the bridge of his nose. He looked up at the old grandfather clock that stood in the far corner. It was half past nine, he groaned softly as he scrubbed sleep out of an eye. Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place hadn't changed much since the Order was here, nor when his godfather Sirius had been here, the only difference now was that it was Harry's house. Harry stood and walked over to a desk by the window, parchment covered every inch of space, broken quills and half filled ink bottles stood haphazardly close to the edge.
Out of many things in his life Harry regretted, one was that he never kept a record of his own thoughts. In the past eight years Harry had fought off numerous attempts on his life by the dark wizard Lord Voldemort, survived a swarm of dementors and had even gotten past a three headed dog named Fluffy. Harry knew that all wizards knew his woeful tale, even his friends Ron and Hermione were there for most of his adventures, but even they didn't know all of it. Making this descison rather quickly he had sat at this desk for almost a week, scribbling on scraps of parchment, maybe he would throw it all in a notebook for the future Potter's to know the truth, or better yet maybe he would just throw it into the fire that evening. He stared down at his work, he should just use Occlumency instead of writing everything down, he thought, writing it down on paper just made him feel more right with the world.
A knock on the door shook Harry from his thoughts
"Who is it?" he asked
"It's, it's Kreacher sir"
Harry sighed as he thought of the house elf's watery eyes, not exactly the best wake up call he had ever gotten, there had been a time when Fred and George apparated on to his knee caps. A jolt ran up Harry's body, he hadn't thought of Fred in a while, maybe he should make a trip to the Burrow soon
"Come in"
The heavy door swung open on rusty hinges, the sound made Harry wince slightly. Kreacher hobbled into the room carrying a serving tray filled with sausages, bacon, eggs, toast and pumpkin juice. The elf passed his hand over Harry's bed and it magically remade itself
"Good morning master Potter" Kreacher said sitting the tray down
"Good morning Kreacher, I thought we talked about calling me Harry"
"Right you are Master Harry, Kreacher will punish himself"
"No, no there is no sense in that, just Harry will be punishment enough" Harry said as he sat down and ate a sausage hungrily.
"It seems Ma" Kreacher started, Harry raised his eyebrows sharply "I mean, it seems that you were up all night again"
Harry shook his head
"No just till about three thirty this morning. By the way, I've been meaning to ask Kreacher, can you fix those hinges on the door, I've been trying to use magic but…"
Kreacher nodded his small headed knowingly
"Yes Mistress Black added that particular charm to most of the doors in the house, said that it gave the house a certain dark ambience. But I believe I can break the charm if it is what you want"
Harry nodded, house elves had their own type of magic, some would say that it could best even the most powerful dark wizard, but the species was hindered by the fact that it was illegal for them to carry a wand. Harry had seen house elf magic firsthand before, but he was still amazed at how easily Kreacher had handled some of the charms that he, Harry, had problems with. The terrible picture of Mrs. Black that hung in the entryway and screamed obscenities at anyone that dared woke her up, had finally been taken down and now she screams at rats in one of the lower root cellars.
"If you don't mind Kreacher"
"I live to serve ma…Harry" the elf said as he backed towards the door, but he stopped suddenly "Kreacher almost forgot to give you the post" he said as he pulled a news paper and a few envelopes out of the long tunic the elf wore. He passed them to Harry and with a CRACK, the elf had vanished.
Harry tossed the Daily Prophet aside without glancing at the front page; he looked at the three brown envelopes in his lap. A pang rang through him looking at the envelopes; he knew that none of them contained a school list or a letter from Hogwarts telling him the day that he was to be at King's Cross to catch the Hogwart Express. He opened the first letter without looking at the sender. It was in fact from his friends Hermione and Ron, who had finally professed their love for one another during the battle of Hogwarts. He looked down at the neat script and read:
Dear Harry,
It has been almost a month since the last time either Ron or I have spoke to you. You have to realize that you have friends who will listen to you and help you; you would figure that with our past together you would do well to remember that. Last night I introduced Ron finally to my parents, who automatically took a liking to him, although we ended the night early as George had followed us and set off a loud display of fireworks in front of out house, a quick Mufflato charm from myself saved a lot of questions we could have received from the neighbors.
Ginny has asked nonstop about you, did you send an owl, have you popped in to say hello yet. Oh and by the way, Mrs. Weasley does not approve to the fact that you haven't been over in a while. Ron says good job on that mate. Bill and Fleur are (shockingly) still married, so I guess I was wrong about her, Viktor came by about a week ago to let us know that Drumstrong has been shut down, you have to hand it to Kingsley's no dark magic stance is working.
Speaking of which, have you spoken to him, he sent word with Mr. Weasley that you should contact him. I'd do it Harry, they just made him the full Minister of Magic.
We miss you Harry, and hope to see you soon
Hermione
P.S Happy Birthday
Harry read this last line over and over, could it be. He took a bite of toast and reached for the watch that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had given him on his last birthday. It was in fact his birthday, he stretched, he really should get out of the house today. A shaking envelope was the next to be open, it was a dancing invitation to the opening of a new Quidditch supply store, Harry tossed that one over his shoulder without reading it. The crest on the last envelope caught his eye, it was to stamp of the Minister of Magic, Harry picked it up and opened it pulling a small piece of parchment out.
Harry,
I have sent word with Arthur to have you contact me, I guess if by reading this letter, you have not heard from the Weasley's for awhile now. I would like to meet with you on Friday of this week in my office at the Ministry.
Harry paused in mid-sentence to check the day on his watch, it was Tuesday
I have an offer that I want you to take. Something that Dumbledore wanted you to do.
Yours truly,
Kingsley Shacklebolt
Minister of Magic
Order of Merlin, First Class
Harry lowered the parchment from his face. Dumbledore had another task for him? That man and his plans amazed Harry as he walked from the room to bathe.
The Burrow…
"So besides the fact that we hear nothing from you in a three months, you appear on your birthday with a letter from the Minister, who wants to see you because Dumbledore asked for him to offer you" Ron said breathlessly, his face pink from the strain of speaking so fast
Harry smiled
"Yeah, that's how I took the letter"
Ron grunted
"So what are you going to do?"
Harry shrugged
"Talk to your dad about it I guess, see what he thinks"
Ron nodded as he pulled a sheet from the clothes line
"I wonder what it is" Ron said dreamily "Maybe he asked for you to be an Auror without even having to take the taste"
Harry cocked his head to the side, that was…
"Highly impossible Ronald" Hermione said walking up the grassy hill behind them. Her bushy brown hair tied into a pony tail, making her hair frizz out, giving her a halo like look. "Your mother said if that was the way you were going to take her clean linen down, then to just use magic"
Ron swore under his breath
Hermione's eyes blazed slightly
"What, I didn't hear that?" She asked
"Nothing" he muttered
"So what do you think it is Hermione?" Harry asked, smiling
"Did you even think that he might offer you the Defense Against the Dark Arts teaching position?"
Harry shook his head
"I doubt it, I mean, I don't think Dumbledore would ask Kingsley to make me a professor like that" he said with an emphasizing snap of his fingers "Truthfully, it could be anything really"
By now Ron had pulled out his wand, and with a practiced flick of the wood, the linen pulled itself free from the line, folded itself and went neatly into the nearby basket.
"Hey look at that, I finally did it" Ron said with a laugh "Ronald Weasley, chief of laundry"
Harry stifled a laugh as the three of them climbed down the hill and into the house. Later that night after stuffing himself full of roast chicken and mashed potatoes, and swearing off a third helping from Mrs. Weasley
"I don't trust that elf food, it makes you look a bit peaky dear" Mrs. Weasley said, cupping her hand around Harry's chin and stared into his face
"Really Mrs. Weasley, I'm fine" Harry said, inching closer to Ginny for help
"Don't look at me" Ginny said tossing her long red hair over her shoulder "I am still ticked at you about the disappearing act"
"He is a wizard dear and man to boot, do not let that bring you down" Mrs. Weasley said with a nod "Shame Bill and Fleur could not come, off to Paris to visit her family"
"Fleur was telling me that her parents are pressing them to have a baby" Ginny said with a smile
Mrs. Weasley puffed her chest out as she waved her wand, sending the dirty plates off the table and into the sink "Next you'll tell me that George was still seeing that assistant of his"
Ginny bit her lip tightly and said nothing.
"Ginny I need your school lists, and I'll pick your things up while I'm in London"
"But Mom, I think I'm old enough"
The Weasley women continued their tiff before Hermione could bring it to the end
"Don't let them full you Harry" Mr. Weasley said rubbing his cheek "The house is a lot quieter now, she has the "empty nest" syndrome I believe"
Harry smiled gently
"Oh I don't know, I always kinda saw this as my second home next to Hogwarts"
Arthur Weasley nodded
"And it shall be that for as long as you wish"
"How's the Ministry?" Harry asked taking a sip of butterbeer
"Fine, Fine. About once a month I get a call from a concerned citizen saying that their toilet is haunted by Lord Voldemort"
Harry nodded
"Glad to see you can use his name"
Arthur sighed
"It is just a name, he has taken so much from you and I, friends, family. He's gone for good this time, why not use the name"
"I agree. Can I ask you what the Minister wants with me?"
Arthur smiled
"Kingsley knows I can't resist the ability to gossip on some things, so he gave me the ok to tell you some of the things"
Harry's heart lurched, he never in a million years thought that Mr. Weasley was going to tell him anything. He looked down the table to Ron who was listening in, a flesh colored string hanging from his ear, the other end hiding between a chicken bone, and Harry's dinner knife.
Mr. Weasley smiled
"Harry, what do you know about Camelot?"
Next Up
Chapter Two: The Minister's Offer
Note: Couldn't help myself with this one, been thinking about doing a continuation for a while now, and since my Xbox died, I have the time to do it
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