AN: I've rearranged the story a bit to make it more easy to be read, but I'll probably rewrite part of it, a least to correct the mistakes. If I don't update before the HBP is released then it won't be for at least 2 weeks, because I'm waiting for the book to be delivered (it takes so long!). And once again many thanks to those who reviewed.
Chapter 1: The Summer Holiday
Harry Potter was a fifteen-year-old wizard, spending his summer holiday at the house of
his uncles at 4 Privet Drive. He was special even by wizarding standards because of the
lightning shaped scare he has on his forehead. When he had been one year old the most powerful
dark wizard ever, Lord Voldemort, murdered his parents but when he tried to do the same to
Harry the curse backfired and Voldemort lost all his powers. But several months ago
Voldemort regained his power and dark days are about to come. Yet the Ministry of Magic
di not want to acknowledge this fact.
Harry hated his summer holidays especially because of his Muggle relatives and more
important now, he did not know what was happening in the wizarding world. He often wished
he'd receive a letter from his friends where they'd tell him what was happening, or from his
godfather, or even the Daily Prophet, but nothing. Their letters were always short and they
said they were all fine but not able to say more. That's why Harry was beginning to wonder
why Voldemort hadn't made a move yet. Speaking of Voldemort Harry had a very weird
dream about him. The strange thing was that the action was taking place along time ago,
fifteen years more precisely. Somebody was predicting Voldemort that the heir will defeat
him. Just as he was about to hear more, was awaken by Aunt Petunia voice calling him to get
down. In one way was happy to be awake because his scare was hurting him very bad but
he'd liked to know more about his dream.
'Get down right away! Enough with sleeping!'
While getting up from his bad, Harry was wondering what happened that could have
annoyed so much his aunt because he realised she was in a bad mood. When he finally got
down in the kitchen, he found all the three Dursleys sitting at the table with a red faced Uncle
Vernon and a white faced Aunt Petunia.
'HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO SAY THAT I DO NOT TOLERATE ANY MAGIC UNDER MY ROOF!' blew Uncle Vernon.
'But I haven't done anything' Harry answered.
Just then Uncle Vernon showed him a barn owl that was sitting on the kitchen lamp.
'I forgot to let the window open' said Harry 'it is a letter from school' and went to take the letter.
There were actually two letters. One was from Hagrid the gamekeeper, and the other from professor McGonagall. The letter from Hagrid said.
Dear Harry,
I'm sorry I couldn't write until now, so Happy Birthday. I'll give you the present as soon as we'll meet at Hogwarts. Olympe and me are doing great. I hope you're OK and that the Muggles are treating you good.
Bye for now,
Hagrid
Hagrid's writing is getting worse, Harry thought. Then he took the other letter that had the Hogwarts seal. In fact it contained several pieces of paper.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc. Chf Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. Of Wizards)
Dear Mr. Potter,
We inform you that this year is beginning on September the first. You will be taking the train from the platform 9 and ¾, at eleven o'clock. We are adding the list for the supplies you will need this year. Congratulations for becoming a school Prefect and also the Captain of the Gryffinfor Quidditch Team. The other Gryffindor Prefect is Miss Granger. We are also adding the list of Passwords, the pin and a guide for the Prefects where you will be told what you have to do and when.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGongall
Deputy Headmistress
Set Books
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 5) by Miranda Goshawk
Fantastic creatures from our land by Albert Pegasus
The next Day by Phoebe Hollyspell
The Encyclopaedia of Potions from A to Z by Robert Fungus
From the Stars to the Moon by Lucero Starling
The Most Advanced Transfiguration by Annabelle Witchcraft
Magical Herbs from the sea level to the mountain peaks by Flora Faunis
A Century of Magic: the XIX Century by Silvius Cursed
When your friends turn to be your enemies, surrounded by Dark Magic by Katherine Blackcat
Dear Harry,
The Weasleys are coming to get you today at nine o'clock in the evening.
Albus Dumbledore
'I can't believe this' said Harry excited forgetting about his Muggles relatives that were staring at him.
'What's going on boy!' asked Uncle Vernon.
'I've just been made school Prefect, Quidditch Captain and the Weasleys are coming to get me this evening!'
Uncle Vernon might not understand the other things, but a thought was clear in his mind: some wizards were coming tonight at his house.
'They better not blow my living room again!' he said.
Aunt Petunia instead was looking on the window as though expecting some neighbours to eavesdrop and find about the wizards that were coming. But she saw something else.
'Mrs. Figg is leaving' she said.
'How come?' asked Uncle Vernon.
'Well she hasn't sold the house, so I guess she going on vacation because she carries two enormous trunks' she explained.
Harry looked on the window too. His old babysitter was leaving in a taxi and was carrying two trunks. Something was odd about this, Harry thought but had no idea.
After breakfast the day went on so slowly that Harry thought that all the clocks had stopped working. Finally, after what seemed an eternity to Harry the evening drew by. It was five to nine and everybody was gathered in the living room. Uncle Vernon was staying as far away as possible from the fireplace, but Harry was not sure of how they were getting here. Besides the clock striking nine o'clock they also heard another strange sound. It was like hitting on the glass. Aunt Petunia immediately ran to the window but there was nothing. However the sound kept repeating so they finally realised it was coming from Harry's room. They quickly dashed to his room, Dudley being the only one to hide into the kitchen, out of fear or maybe hunger. Harry was about to reach the first his room if it weren't for his Aunt who made him trip and fall to the ground. So Uncle Vernon entered the room first but what he so made him quickly withdraw a step. Outside the window, in the middle of the air several members of the Weasley family were sitting on a flying carpet. Harry ran to the window and opened it but the first question was:
'Weren't they banned?'
'Well actually' Mr. Weasley began to explain ' since last year many people were buying them illegal, so the Ministry decided to reconsider the mater and in a couple of weeks they will be legal. Meantime some of the Ministry employees are testing them.'
'Great then', answered Harry, 'I'll go get my stuff, it's downstairs and we can live.'
'Don't bother, Fred and George will bring it upstairs or we can fly down', said Mr. Weasley, 'yes it's better we get down.'
And after that the carpet landed on the ground in the backyard, to not attract looks from the other Muggles. Harry quickly went downstairs, followed by his Aunt and Uncle who seemed to have lost their ability of speech. He opened the back door so that Mr. Weasley, the twins and Ron come in.
'It's nice seeing you again,' Mr. Weasley told the Dursleyes who were looking frightened.
'If any of our neighbours see this flying carpet you'll regret this dearly!' Uncle Vernon spat angrily.
'Oh, don't worry about that Mr. Dursley. If anything happens we'll just do some memory charms,' answered Mr. Weasley perfectly calm. 'Is that the kitchen?' he asked walking towards it. 'And it has so many interesting objects. How do you call this Harry?
'Microwave oven and the other is a toaster.'
'I've never seen such devices but I surely like them.'
'Dad we got the trunk,' said the twins.
'All right I'm coming,' he answered a little upset.
'Where's your cousin Dudley?' asked Ron.
'He was supposed to hide in the kitchen but I think he's…there!' pointing at a form of a baby elephant hiding behind Aunt Petunia because it was driven out of his hiding, but was still clutching a piece of roast meat.
'What about his diet?'
'Well they've dropped it because the school nurse decided to keep him on diet at school during holidays. Of course he made a big tantrum not being able to spend the Christmas and Easter holidays on Privet Drive, but it was no use. He is way too fat. Meanwhile they are taking him to the tailor.'
'Let's go lot,' said Mr. Weasley. 'Say goodbye to your relatives Harry.'
'See you next summer!' and he dashed outside happy to be in the wizardring world again.
'Just sit on the carpet and it will take us to our destination,' said Mr. Weasley.
They quickly took off playing over the clouds to avoid Muggles although Mr. Weasley had cast an invisibility charm on the carpet. Harry had a lot of things that he wanted to talk with Ron, especially because he hasn't seen him for seven weeks.
'So what's going on with Voldemort?' Harry asked, 'has he done anything yet?'
Everybody flinched at the name, but Ron answered.
'He is very quiet so Fudge doesn't believe yet, but I think he is plotting something. Professor Dumbledore is working against him, but I have no idea how, and Dad won't say a word.'
'Better not interfere in dangerous things Ron,' said Mr. Weasley.
'If you see our house,' Ron continued, 'it's mayhem. Looks like the Ministry has moved into our kitchen. You can't stay calm when your home because every second now people, the one that are trustworthy, stop by. The fireplaces are so crowded that sometimes they come out in my room. No to mention how many times Ginny was frightened. It's common knowledge to hear her scream. Imagine being alone and in the next moment wizards and witches Apparate next to you. Even I bumped into several wizards that Apparated in the same place I wanted to go. And all of them are working against You-Know-Who.'
'What about Percy?' asked Harry remembering that last year his boss died.
'Well he got Crouch's place but you see, he still believes in Fudge although he doesn't interfere in Dad's business. He is somewhere in the middle. Sometimes he even helps us…you know Bill and Charlie are here too. They are staying for a week before they are off with other business. I'm happy with this because I'm not alone in this mayhem to which the twins are helping.'
'Us?' they asked innocently, 'what have we done?'
'Jokes!' answered Ron and Mr. Weasley exasperatedly.
'Well of course we have to invent jokes if we want a joke shop,' they said, sounding perfectly normal. 'Plus, we have a late birthday present for you Harry.'
'Really?' he asked.
'Sure but we can't give it to you right away until we figure out how it works. Don't worry it'll take less than a week, if not we can ask our brainy Hermione.'
'By the way where is Hermione? I've got only on letter from her all summer.'
'She's at the Burrow. Just came back from Bulgaria yesterday. She spent a month with Viktor Krum,' said Ron.
'And aren't you mad?' asked Harry.
'Not if you've seen what she brought. It is actually your birthday present, but she let me see it before she packed it. You're going to love it.'
'What it is?'
'It's a surprise but it's a lot better than my present. It was Mum's money so I had to obey her about the gift. I wanted a Quidditch book but she said it was more useful that book about curses.'
'But I liked it very much Ron. Although at the beginning it was very creepy until I've figured out about that blood on the cover, it is very interesting. I've started reading it.'
'Wow! Mum gave it to me to have a look but I don't fancy reading so I just packed it.'
'You don't know what you are losing Ron. There are curses long forgotten, plus about the magic of other beings like ghosts, elves, fairies, how to handle the curses for them and lots of interesting things. As soon as I have time I'm going to start practicing them. They are very useful on the Slytherins, and even on Peeves mostly because they aren't so used so the counter curse is not wide known.'
'In that case mate, I'm with you,' said Ron.
While talking they haven't realised that it was almost morning, so at four o'clock in the morning they landed in the backyard of the Weasley's waited by a sleepy Mrs. Weasley. Without further ado they went to bed. But after only four hours of sleep, Hermione woke Harry and Ron.
'Happy late Birthday!' she cried. 'And here it is your present.'
Harry rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and looked at his present. It was covered in red paper with snitches. And when it opened he couldn't believe his eyes. It was like a diary but on every page there was the autograph of a famous Quidditch player. They were all saying they were happy to give an autograph for him and that they have found out he was playing Quidditch very good. There were still blank pages for other autographs. It seems that while visiting Krum in Bulgaria he helped her get autographs of famous players. They were very happy to sign an autograph for Harry Potter and some of them made Hermione promise that Harry too will give them an autograph.
'Me? An autograph?' asked Harry bemused after Hermione told him. 'But I'm not a famous player.'
'First you will become, and second you are already famous,' she said to him.
But soon after they headed to the kitchen to have some breakfast. Mrs. Weasley was busy making breakfast and calling everybody to eat. The wooden table was crowded with food, wands, and even owls demanding some treats. Harry gave Hedwig some so she flew outside, but there were still Eroll, Hermes, Pig and some other owls, which belong to Ron older brothers. When they set down Percy and Bill were already there. Mr. Weasley and Charlie soon followed them. The last to arrive were Ginny and the twins. Mrs. Wesley must have cast an engorgement charm on the table so that everyone could have a sit, Harry thought. But no sooner had they started eating that someone's head and torso appeared in the middle of the flames from the fireplace. It was a woman in her late forties dressed in yellow robes with a pile of papers in her hand.
'So good to find you home Bill,' she said ' I wanted to go to the Ministry, plus yesterday I looked for you all day but every time I arrived too late. I brought the papers you needed and I also spoke with Mr. Topsy-Turvy. He is waiting you this afternoon.'
'Fancy a cup of tea and toast Beatrice?' asked Mrs. Weasley the woman.
'I had breakfast in a hurry so I wouldn't mind,' she answered.
'I'd like you to meet Harry Potter,' Bill said introducing Harry.
'Nice to meet you Harry, I'm Beatrice Meriden working for the Ministry of Magic, Department of Magical Trade and Treasures. I thought I recognize you but I couldn't imagine bumping at eight o'clock in the morning at the Weasley's house with Harry Potter.'
She and Bill started discussing some businesses but Harry couldn't follow them because the next moment another person came out of the fireplace. She was about twenty years, wearing Muggle clothes (a short red dress), long blond hair and black eyes.
'Hope I didn't disturb you with the tea Beatrice,' she said looking very tired, 'but you would better not stay there for long because others are coming too, later.'
Then she turned to the others.
'Hello Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Weasley! Nice to see you.'
'Hello darling. You prefer Butterbeer right?' asked Mrs. Weasley.
'Yes but this morning I'd like a cup of tea,' she answered and set down next to Percy. 'Hello Percy!'
'Hello Nina I wanted to ask you…' but he chocked with his tea when he saw her.
'Are you OK Percy?' she asked a bit worried.
'Why have dressed like this!'
'You don't remember?' she asked him.
'Forgive Percy,' said Fred, 'he's getting old.'
'Yeap,' George said also, 'old and rusty.'
'Shut up you two,' Percy scowled at the twins, 'tell me Nina what are you doing here?'
'If you had a better memory you would have known that I went last night getting information from the Death Eaters and I had to get dressed like this. And you told me yesterday to drop by and tell you lot what I have found.'
'I remember now,' said Percy, 'so what have you find out?'
'Aren't you going to introduce me to Harry Potter?' she asked seeing Harry.
'Well yes, Harry, this is Nina Corodyllera my personal assistant, she speaks thirty two languages and she has been Head Girl at Beauxbatons.'
'Nice to meet you Miss Corodyllera,' said Harry, 'so did you find anything from the Death Eaters?'
'Quite a lot, but call me Nina. They were really stupid to believe I was on run from the Ministry so told me some things. Imagine Lucius Malfoy even offered me a hiding place.'
Harry didn't have time to think about Draco's father because the next moment someone Apparated, and it turn out to be professor Dumbledore and McGonagall.
'Oh just in time for breakfast,' said Dumbledore, but the room was already at its full capacity. They started to talk with Charlie and Mr. Weasley who were the only ones available. Harry thought that no one could come now, but was wrong. After five minutes the bell rang and Ginny went to open the door. In the house entered two young women and an older one who seemed to be their mother. She was very upset and she wanted to speak with Mr. Weasley right away.
'Arthur I do not agree with this plans,' she said.
'Could I give you something?' asked Mrs. Weasley.
'A cup of tea would do it Molly. Ah professor Dumbledore I hope you agree with me…'
'I have a better idea Mrs. Moron,' suggested Mr. Weasley, 'why don't we go in the living room and discuss this matter, Molly could you bring the food there.'
Mrs. Weasley who was already very busy brandished her wand and a tray with food flew into the living room. Hermione and Ginny offered to help her with the breakfast because there were way too many persons to feed to do with. While eating Harry looked around. He couldn't understand much of the conversations near by because like Ron had said, it was mayhem. But he could hear an angry voice coming from the living room. It appeared that Mrs. Moron didn't agree with her daughters sneaking around the Death Eaters to get information.
'But Nina did all right,' the voice of Mr. Weasley was saying.
'No Arthur it's too dangerous.'
When Harry thought that nothing could go wrong now, he was mistaking. Fred and George seemed to believe that the atmosphere needed to be cheered so they placed some fake wands on the table and other sweets they had bewitched. As soon as Mrs. Weasley tried to use the new wands there was a small explosion and Beatrice was covered in ashes, dust and was bruised.
Unfortunately for Mrs. Moron she took some of the sweets and immediately transformed into an oversized hen. Now it was really mayhem. Mrs. Weasley was furious. She sent the twins in their room, promising a good yell. Under this circumstances the guests began to leave. The first to go was Nina, she Disapparated. Next to follow was Percy, than Charlie. Mr. Weasley put Mrs. Moron into one of the bedrooms and left. The two girls took the Knight Bus and Professor Dumbledore and McGonagall after a quick word with Harry left by means of Floo Powder. The last to leave was Bill after checking the report Beatrice gave him. Now the kitchen wasn't so full. Mrs. Weasley went to scowl the twins upstairs and Hermione and Ginny were left to deal with breakfast.
'You could at least give us a hand,' Hermione said.
'I'm ready with breakfast,' Harry answered, 'but I only now to wash dishes in the Muggle way.'
'Any help will do us good.'
After breakfast they headed for Ron's room where they could get a little privacy to talk. At the beginning they talked about their holiday so far. Ron didn't know much about the things that Dumbledore was planning because his Dad kept it most secretly. While speaking about this an owl flew through the window with the Daily Prophet. Sirius's birthday present for Harry was a subscription at the Daily Prophet. There wasn't anything about Voldemort or an attack. Harry was getting suspicious at this lack of activity. After that he opened the book Ron gave it to him to Hermione's delight. It was really an interesting book. But Hermione was the one who found it had a hidden section. It looked like the cover, but it was a whole chapter about the 1000 Curses.
'What are these?' Ron asked bewailed.
'If you bother to read you will see that they are a huge category that contains even the Unforgivable Curses. Look how many alike there are. The Unforgettable Curses, the Secret Charms, the Unseeing Curses, the Untraceable Curses and the Unbelievable Curses,' Hermione said.
'But what do they use for?' Ron asked.
'Wow! Harry! Look at this,' Hermione said pointing at some page in the book. 'Remember the Fidelius Charm?'
'How could I forget it?' he answered.
'Well here says that it belongs to the Secret Charms. They are three: the Arcanum Charm, the Fidelius Charm and the Vaticinatio Charm. Plus there is a description of each of them, how to use them, it's so…' she sounded very pleased.
'Wicked,' said Ron.
'You know which is the best part?' asked Harry after skimming the text, 'none of the curses are banned, except for the Unforgivable, so we can learn them and being so old there are a few who know them.'
'No Slytherin can up stand us now,' Hermione said very proud.
'But what exactly do they?' asked Ron.
'I can't believe that not even in such a moment you bother reading,' Hermione cried exasperated.
So Harry told Ron.
'The Arcanum is used to find out secrets, the Fidelius you know and the Vaticinatio to discover prophecies.'
'I really like them,' Ron said grinning broadly.
But just then Ginny came in and they hid the book not sure if they wanted to tell anybody yet.
'Mum says that tomorrow we are going on Diagon Alley,' she told them.
'I haven't been for two years,' Harry realised, 'I haven't seen the Quality Quidditch Shop or eaten some icecream from Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour.'
'Have you seen how many books we need this year?' Hermione asked, 'and the one for Defence Against Dark Arts has two thousands pages.'
'How come you know?' Ron said to her.
'Well I've seen that book before at Flourish and Blotts but it is expensive.'
She then went to her and Ginny's room and pulled a list with books.
'They are really expensive,' Hermione repeated.
'Yeah,' Ginny said too, she was writing her Charms homework, 'they asked us for another book of Katherine Blackcat, and there will be very expensive for both of us for Mum and Dad to afford, but I believe they'll do something about this.'
But Ron wasn't paying attention. He saw a small black box in Hermione's trunk that she was doing the impossible to hide. But Ron was faster, took the box and opened it. Inside there was a small Prefect pin.
'You're a Prefect?' he asked.
'Well yes,' she replied.
'Congratulations Hermione!' cried Ginny.
'Why didn't you tell us?' Ron asked once again clearly upset she hadn't said anything.
'I-I…'
'Aren't you going to tell her anything Harry?' Ron said to Harry.
'Well…I…I-I kind a…knew,' he answered awkwardly.
'How come she told you and me not?'
'I haven't told anyone yet!'
'I-I…I was announced in the Hogwarts letter,' Harry finally replied.
'Why you…'
But then he ran into his room were Harry's trunk was lying. He opened and picked the Hogwarts letter. After a minute he turned to Harry, Ron and Ginny who were waiting in the door for his reaction.
'When were you going to tell me?' he asked in a whisper but perfectly calm. 'At Hogwarts or when I would found out that you are Prefects and you Harry Quidditch Captain?' the last word he said it with bitter in his tone.
'Ron!' answered Harry suddenly upset on his friend's reaction, 'when have you preferred to tell you, last night or during the mayhem from breakfast! Reason for God's sake and don't act like a jealous child!'
'I'm sorry Harry,' Ron finally said, 'you're right.'
