Harry Potter
and the
Oracle of Four Seasons
Chapter 2
Once Again
by Ri-kun
Harry's eyes fluttered open slowly. Professor Lupin's face blurred in front of him for a moment before coming clearly into view. A grim expression covered his face as he leaned down over him.
"Harry!" Lupin said rather loudly. "Harry, can you hear me?"
"I believe he will be alright now, Remus," said another voice somewhere behind him. "You may move away from him now."
Harry found he could somewhat move his arms and legs. Raising up slightly, he spotted Professor Dumbledore standing a few steps away, observing him. "I only meant to break the Disillusion Charm around you," Lupin said, sadly. "Tonks was supposed to be here with you when I arrived, so I needed to be sure."
He glanced down at his wand in disgust. "Forgive me, Harry."
"It's alright," he told him, standing up the rest of the way. Professor Lupin did not meet his eyes. Dumbledore was keeping a safe distance from Harry, as well. The last time he had been alone with either of them had not gone very well. Harry had shouted at each of them in kind about different things, but it was obviously making the air between them tense.
"Obviously, Remus," Dumbledore said gently. "Things did not go so well at the Burrow. I am guess that is the reason you came all the way out here by yourself, Harry?"
"Yes... sir," Harry ammended. "The Minister of Magic showed up while Tonks was trying to explain things to me. She took my place and left with them. I hope that was alright."
"I shouldn't be surprised," Dumbledore mused. "The Ministry is devoting every bit of their energy towards keeping you contained. I fear they may see you as much of a threat as Voldemort himself. I gather Tonks was the one who placed the Disillusionment Charm over you?"
"Yes, sir." Lupin still wasn't looking at him.
"Very well," said Dumbledore, stepping foward finally. "You did the right thing, Harry. Now we must ensure that nothing severe occurs to her while she remains in the Ministry's hands for now. I trust she will find her own means of escape. After that, we will deal with the problem as best we can. Remus, thank you for coming all the way out here on such short notice."
"Right," Lupin said, smiling grimly. Dumbledore was clearly dismissing him, and he seemed relieved to be going. "I should be getting back then."
Professor Lupin was suddenly gone with a loud crack. Dumbledore placed an arm around Harry's shoulders as he led him on a space. The headmaster did not say a word for several minutes, during which time Harry wondered where they were going. He had assumed Dumbledore meant to take him directly to King's Cross, or if not that, then straight on to Hogwarts. Neither seemed to be the case, though, and finally Harry could stand it no longer.
"Professor Dumbledore," he said, looking down at the shriveled hand. "Where are we going?"
"Hmm," replied the headmaster almost absentmindedly. The gnarled hand gave a twitch as he raised up. It might have been just Harry's imagination, but he thought for a moment that Dumbledore had been staring in the same place.
"Forgive me, Harry," Dumbledore said, looking tired for a moment. "I was lost in my own thoughts. I'm sure you are curious as to our destination, correct?"
"Yes, sir."
"Only natural, after all. To be sure, the plan was to take you directly to King's Cross, but since things have already gone slightly ary this morning, I was wondering if you'd be willing to do me a rather large favor before we head on?"
Harry couldn't imagine what Dumbledore might need from him, but he nodded his assent. "There is someone I would like for you to meet, Harry," Dumbledore went on, leading him down through an unseen path in the woods. "An old colleague of mine from back before I took over as headmaster. I've been trying for the time to convince her to return to her former post. As I'm sure you've guessed, we once again have a vacancy in the Hogwarts staff. So far, she has declined the chance to be reinstated."
Dumbledore paused as he stepped over a tree root. "I'm hoping you might be able to tip the scale towards my advantage."
Harry wasn't sure how, but continued walking along down the path. It looked as though no one had been through here in some time. Trees stretched out overhead where they walked, almost completely blotting out the sun. There were leaves scattered everywhere, making it difficult to spot holes in the ground. More than once, Harry lost his footing, and only Dumbledore's secure arm prevented him from falling.
Finally, they came upon a small cottage. Harry had to stare at it for a moment to make sure it was really there. The whole place looked as though it had been jammed into the woods as far as it could go. The forest likewise was on a mission to eject the invader as soon as possible. There was practically no front lawn, or for that matter, a lawn of any kind encircling it. The cottage stood at a full two stories, yet the wood around it gave off the impression that it was smaller. It had the look of a place that had once been quite upstanding, now slightly gone to seed from lack of care.
"Come now, Harry." Dumbledore marched on ahead of him. "Let us see if anyone is home at the moment."
Harry followed suite. Dumbledore rapped his bony knuckles against the heavy-laden door and waited. He seemed to be using his injured hand as little as possible. Harry wondered guiltily for a moment if it could ever be repaired. There didn't seem to be much chance of that, since he was sure Dumbledore would have found one by now.
Dumbledore knocked once again, and hummed patiently. Harry wasn't quite sure what they were waiting for. It was obvious no one was home at the moment, but the headmaster merely winked at him and drew out his wand.
"I suppose there's no other way of doing it," he said, waving it slightly. "Might you step back just a bit? Molly would have my hide if you came to injury, even the slightest, while in my care."
Harry complied, and Dumbledore nodded his thanks before pointing at the doorway. He expected it to swing forward without so much as a creep, but the headmaster promptly blasted the obstruction right off it's hinges. Pieces of wood came splintering off, just barely missing him. Harry raised up in alarm as Dumbledore observed his handcraft with a satisfied smile.
"That should let her know we're here, at least," he muttered softly. "Now then, Harry. After you, if you'd please."
Harry swallowed, and watched Dumbledore closely for a moment. He realized that he hadn't checked to make sure if this was indeed his real headmaster. Dumbledore was just standing there, infinitely patient as always, waiting for Harry to make the first move. Mad-Eye Moody would have called him careless. Still, if he was standing next to a Death Eater, they were doing a poor job of keeping themselves hidden. Whatever Dumbledore had in mind, he wasn't going to find out just standing there.
The inside was much better kept, if slightly cluttered. Magical objects of all sorts were lying around left and right, hanging from the walls, and even whizzing overhead as they coughed, sputtered, and banged quietly. This was clearly the home of a powerful witch, given the level of pink and purple decor. Silk drapers hung overhead and around the walls. The furniture was very elaborate, and kept changing hues each time he looked away. Yet the room had the feel that no one had lived here for months. A plate of biscuits had been left on the coffee table, half-eaten. Next to it was a cup of tea, grown ice cold.
"It appears we've arrived too late," Dumbledore said mornfully, coming up behind him. "Looks as though she's already taken off."
Harry drew back as Dumbledore motioned for him to stand at his side. "Who lives here, Professor?" he asked, unable to reign in his curiosity any longer.
"Mika Darkholme," the headmaster said at once. "She and I both taught at Hogwarts together. The year I was promoted to Headmaster, she left and fled to parts unknown. I've only just recently tracked her down. But it would appear she beat me to the punch. I fear I am getting slow in my age, you see."
Dumbledore seemed to be trying to tell him something. Harry just nodded, at waited for some kind of signal. "Well, we might as well be off," said Dumbledore after a moment. As he turned, the headmaster pointed his wand towards a corner. There was a gust of wind, and suddenly a woman was standing there looking quite harried.
"I should have known you wouldn't give up so easily, Albus." The woman, Harry assumed it was Darkholme, give Professor Dumbledore a glare as he smiled knowingly at her. Harry spotted an Invisibility Cloak lying not far away, and put it together.
"You knew I was there the whole time, I assume," she went on, folding her arms.
"It was always your axium that the best places to hide are right in plain sight," Dumbledore replied. "I knew if you hadn't fled just yet, there was only one part of the house you could be in."
"Nice job with blasting down my door. The Ministry is going to have a field day when they get wind of this."
Her mentioning the Ministry got Harry's attention. As she stepped out of the corner into proper lightly, he realized just how beautiful she was. Her hair was a greyish color, not really silver or white, but something rather akin to slade. It hung freely down to her waist, framing her entire body like a wide cloak. There was an ageless quality to her as she moved, as though she had seen far too much, yet remained largely unaffected by it. Harry felt his throat run dry as she came closer towards him.
"And who do we have here?" she said, looking his way. "I don't recall you being the sort to play favorites, Albus. That was really more..."
Her eyes widened as they landed on his scar. Harry forgot that his new haircut left it displayed for all the world to see. It was going to take some getting used to, but he still hadn't gone back to laying his hair flat yet. Unconsciously, he raised a hand to smooth it flat, but then stopped himself. The woman named Darkholme narrowed her eyes shrewdly for a second, then turned back to glare at Dumbledore once more.
"I suppose I should offer you a seat, at least. Come!"
Harry passed by what looked like a stone bowl with runes carved in it. It looked much like a Pensieve, but the contents were water rather than the silvery mist that contained people's memories. As Harry peered into it, he thought the water shimmered for a moment. There was an image of something he couldn't quite make out. He blinked, and it was gone.
"Harry..." Dumbledore called out.
"Sorry, Professor!" he said, jumping back.
"I see you've taken an interest my collection," Darkholme noted as he took a seat in the nearest armchair. "You're a curious one, aren't you?"
"I'm really sorry," he began, but Darkholme waved a hand at him.
"I would have expected nothing less of one of his pupils," she replied, glancing Dumbledore's way. "It's called a Gazing Bowl, just in case you were wondering. People who look into it can gain insight into their true character. I sometimes use it when decisions are weighing me down."
Harry glanced back over to where the Gazing Bowl rested on the table. "It can show you the future?"
"Not the future," she assured him, offering him the plate of biscuits. "Just insight into who a person truly is. Mind you, Divination is a facinating subject for me, but I've never had the talent nor the gift to be a true seer. The Gazing Bowl just helps a person find perspective with themselves."
Harry bit into his biscuit and thought for a moment. It had surely just been his mind playing tricks on him. Hermione would have thought he was being silly, trusting something like that. And Ron would most certain laugh.
"So," she said, turning back towards Dumbledore again. "I suppose you're here to make me the same offer as last time."
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "I haven't the slightly idea what you mean, dear. Young Harry here needed an escort to King's Cross, and since the Ministry is so tied up with Death Eater leads, I volunteered. We had a little time to spare, so I thought I would stop by. This is nothing more than a humble social call."
"Humble social callers do not blast down somebody's front door," Darkholme snapped at him. "And from what I've heard, all the Ministry cares about these days is spending their waking moments tracking down this one!"
She pointed straight at Harry. "And you've been buggering me day and night with Owls demanding I take up my old position. How did you manage to find me after all this time? The Department of Relocation doesn't even know where I am!"
Dumbledore shook his head. "No, they do not at the moment. But think on this for just a bit, if you would. If I could find you this easily, then so could the Ministry eventually. And the moment they know, so will others. As I recall, you've kept yourself hidden this long so because of a certain person's unhealthy interest in you. What do you think will happen once word gets out that your location has been compromised?"
"I'll just have to move," she replied curtly.
"Lord Voldemort will follow you to the ends of the earth if he must. You know that."
"And you're here to offer me my old job back after what happened before out of the goodness of your heart. Is that it?"
"Hogwarts is perfectly safe," he assured her. "And there are new security measures being placed at this very moment to ensure the safety of both the students and faculty. You will be under my complete protection."
Darkholme eyed him suspiciously. "And the price?"
"My dear," Dumbledore sighed. "I merely need you to fulfill a vacant position. Nothing more."
"There's always something more with you, Albus." She paused then, as though about to say something else, but then glanced Harry's way. "What do you suppose people will say when word gets out? Wizards have long memories, as you should well recall. No one will want me around their children once that old scandal comes out again."
"People have much larger things to worry about these days," he responded flatly. "In fact, I dare say your particular brand of bad news will be a welcome change!"
It was Darkholme's turn to cock an eyebrow at him. "Let me ask you one thing," she said, glancing Harry's way again. "And I'm not saying I've agreed to anything yet! But, why is it you want me back so badly? Surely there are others qualified enough to fill in."
"Mayhaps," said Dumbledore. "But out of everyone I ever knew who encountered Lord Voldemort, you were the only one who remained completely unafraid of him. If there is anyone brave enough to return to Hogwarts now, it is you, Mika."
Darkholme stared straight at Harry now without pretext. There was a sad look in her eyes now, as though she were remembering something from long ago. "You're wrong, Albus," she whispered. "I was afraid. Very afraid."
Silence followed, in which no one attempted to speak. Finally, Darkholme set down her cup and stood up. Harry watched as she drifted over to the window and peered outside. "You both need to leave now," she said curtly, not facing them. "I have a lot of packing to do before nightfall. It will be tight, but I expect I can be there before the Sorting begins."
Darkholme turned to stare where Dumbledore sat. "You remember how much I always enjoyed seeing that."
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled then, and he smiled triumphantly. The seriousness that had hung around him a moment ago evaporated as he stood up. "Thank you, Professor Darkholme. We shall be on our way now, so you can tend to things. Come along now, Harry!"
"Just a moment!" Darkholme called out as Harry headed after him. Harry turned back around as his new Professor took him by the shoulders. His body stood rigid as she gazed into his eyes. Her own were black pools deep enough to reflect himself in them. Harry suddenly felt a little warm.
"You are a handsome one, aren't you?" she said, running a hand down his face. "I suppose Albus does know me too well."
She looked past him to where Dumbledore was watching from the doorway. "Well played, Professor."
Dumbledore merely nodded. "I suppose we'll be seeing one another all too soon," she said, looking back at Harry again. "Take care of yourself until then, and keep an eye out for that one. He's a tricky one!"
"Indeed," Dumbledore said, nodding. "Mika, your servant."
Harry followed after the headmaster out the front door, feeling more than a little bit confused. He had certainly missed something very big between the two of them, but also suspected that Dumbledore wasn't going to tell him about it just yet. Dumbledore walked ahead of Harry as they traveled a little ways back down the path that had led them here, and stopped.
"This will do," he stated, extending an arm towards Harry. "I'm sure you've never Apparated before today. As you haven't taken your exams for it yet, I shall be assisting you. Simply take me by the arm and hold on tightly. Our next stop will be King's Cross. I'm sure you would prefer to travel the rest of your journey with your friends, rather than listen to an old codger."
Harry took hold of Dumbledore's arm and waited. "Got a firm grip, Harry? Good!"
What followed next was a sensation rather like swallowing a bottle of SkeleGrow before being turned inside out. Harry opened his mouth to gasp for air as the pain hit him, but his lungs felt flattened and full of sharp needles. The forest had gone black all around him, and the only thing he could do was tighten his grip on Dumbledore's arm.
And then, as suddenly as it came, the pain was gone. "We're here," Dumbledore said gently. "I must apologize for the rough trip, Harry. It has been some time since I aiding another in Apparating over a long distance, and the first trip can take some getting used to."
Harry's mind was little more than mush. How could wizards travel this way if it felt so horrible?
"It will pass," Dumbledore assured him. "Give it a minute or so. The effects vary from one person to the next."
Gradually, Harry did feel a little better. "Where are we, Professor?" he asked, gazing around aimlessly.
"King's Cross," Dumbledore answered at once. "Hagrid should be arriving any second now with the remainder of your school things, if I have timed everything right."
As if on cue, a massive, lumbering figure came towards them wheeling a cart. Among the haplessly stacked items was an owl's cage, from which a pale Snow Owl let out a shriek as she spotted Harry.
"Hedwig!" Harry said happily, rubbing her beak through the wire. "Hagrid!"
Hagrid's arms nearly crushed Harry as he was swept up in the half-giant's hug. "Good to see you again, Harry. Hope yer been staying out of trouble this time around?"
"Sure," he nodded, grinning.
"Evrything's ready to go," Hagrid told Dumbledore. "'Ere's your train ticket. Ron and Hermione should be already on the platform, waiting for you. I already told 'em Dumbledore would have you here before the Express leaves."
"Thank you, Hagrid," Dumbledore said sincerely. "I'll be off now, Harry. Have a safe journey!"
Dumbledore was suddenly gone, leaving Harry standing there alone with Hagrid. "I must be off, meself," Hagrid said. "Dumbledore's needing me to take care of some things around before the start o yer term and all. Top secret, but I suspect you could still come round to see me, if ye'd like."
"Sure thing," Harry nodded.
"Listen to me jawing about. You've got a train to catch!"
Harry waved one last time as Hagrid walked away. The barrier that led to Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters was just up ahead. He fumbled for the trunk tucked away in his pocket, still shrunk down by Tonks. It occured to him then that he had no way to unshrink it before reaching Hogwarts, not without breaking the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Magic. It could stay in his pocket for now, though. Hermione would probably know how to undo it. Making a mental note to ask her, he built up a head of steam as the barrier drew closer. Closing his eyes, he waited to pass through the stone wall.
Instead, his trolley slammed hard into it, rocking to the side and spilling it's contents as he himself was thrown off. Hedwig's cries rang through the train station as he struggled to untangle himself and get to her. Picking himself up, Harry tried to remain inconspicious as he gathered together his things. It took several minutes to calm Hedwig down. During that time, a number of people paused to stare at him as they passed by.
Harry couldn't believe this was happening. It seemed like a strange sort of joke, but pressing his hand against the stone wall confirmed it. The barrier to Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters had sealed itself.
Again!
