Chapter Seven – Godric's Hollow

The next day Hermione and I practiced spells with Mrs. Granger and Harry in the Room of Requirement. I felt foolish to be surprised by the question Harry asked Hermione: Was there a trick between you and your mother yesterday. She didn't even vocalise a spell and she lifted your weight like she had been practicing Corpus Leviosa for years?"

Ever since we learned silent spells and McGonagall spoke about magic without wands and raised the question of why Sectumsempra worked for you, I've been wondering if spells are even needed. I didn't teach Mum spells for yesterday's demonstration. I just tried to direct the wild magic I knew she had. I thought that she likely had decades of bottled-up wild magic inside her. I taught her to think what she wanted to happen and to just use my wand to indicate the direction in which it was supposed to happen. I also experimented with charging up the wand a little before I lent it to her."

I saw Harry's sceptical look directed at her. I was standing right next to Harry and literally felt him questioning Hermione's statement.

"Really, I only cheated a very little. I used a wandless spell to lift myself, but I'm nowhere good enough yet to be able to lift myself. The most I could do would be to possibly halve the weight Mom had to lift."

Harry wasn't satisfied. "How did you even know that your mother would be called on to perform that little demonstration?"

"The Minister whispered to me when the rest of you went off for your first meeting. He didn't say what Mum should do, just that he might call upon her for a little demonstration of magic to shock the good doctor into speaking. What? The Minister knew that Doctor Sprout had done bad as soon as his assistant put up such a big fuss. Why else would he be so outspoken to the Minister? I chose the trick I did by asking Mum what tricks she had performed for Mr. Black. Maybe Mum's unconscious mind has been studying what Mr. Black taught her for the whole time she was confounded. Who knows how deep a level that works at? Maybe a lingering memory is the reason she allowed me to come to Hogwarts. She was more accepting than Dad was."

All I could do was stare at Hermione and softly mouth: "Oh!"

As we began to practice, I could tell immediately that Mrs. Granger had considerable natural talent. When I glanced at Hermione, she spread her empty hands wide and turned her back on her mother as proof that she wasn't cheating this time.

The surprise of the morning was that Filch had heard that we were instructing Mrs. Granger and asked if he could participate in the lessons. It was surprising that he had the confidence and trust to approach us, insisting that we tell nobody, but even more surprising that he showed a tiny amount of magical talent. Mrs. Granger easily outstripped Filch but Filch was able to do minor things such as levitating a feather and a small piece of paper and even producing a noticeable faint glow at the end of a wand with a 'Lumos' spell. All in all, he didn't do much worse than the average First Year during the first week of class. Mrs. Granger was a far above average First Year. Filch said he had been practicing on his own. Harry suggested that if he continued to show improvement, he might want to see Seamus about getting a wand that was better suited to his person. He was all smiles as he departed, and a stranger could have been forgiven for mistaking Filch and Harry as great old friends.

After Filch and Mrs. Granger departed, we spent an hour testing Harry on 'Expelliarmus', the Bat-bogie jinx, and 'Petrificus Totalis'. I was concerned that Hermione was being a little pedantic and that Harry might think she was talking down to him. She kept saying perfectly correct things, such as "remember, Harry, Bill taught us to plan out our responses to an attack in our heads. That's not just apparating to a safe spot from which to fight back, it's also rehearsing the spells that you will use. He told us to practice until the responses were automatic. I think you should start with one plan and then build up. I have three responses memorised. If you memorised and practiced a response like 'Petrificus Totalis', then you wouldn't automatically go to 'Protego' when we're attacked. I understand why 'Expelliarmus' is still a problem for you. Don't let McGonagall force you to dwell upon that one spell. It isn't even all that useful. Your opponent can dive and recover his wand or have a spare wand in his boot. 'Petrificus' gets the job done a lot better and you don't have bad associations with that spell. You just need to practice that response until it becomes automatic. There is no danger. Even if you accidentally used it on a friend, there would be no harm done."

Harry frowned at the last and Hermione responded with "this REALLY is important Harry." I thought Hermione was spot on in telling Harry that he should just forget about 'Expelliarmus'. I reinforced what Hermione told Harry, even though it risked him linking me to her strong criticism. "It really isn't needed. 'Petrificus Totalis works better and it's a perfectly safe curse, which your mind has never associated with causing harm."

I thought Harry showed improvement, although Hermione was certainly correct in observing that he still had a way to go. Hermione ended the session by attacking me, so Harry could practice the 'Protego' charm. I was not surprised to hear Hermione say it was the most effective 'Protego' she had ever seen. As an afterthought, she asked him to produce his Patronus. Again, she said it was the strongest Patronus she had ever seen him produce, and she was with him when he drove off a whole swarm of Dementors.

After Hermione departed, Harry lapsed into a visibly down mood. "I can sense that Hermione has added concerns about me, since my failure during the fighting at Beauxbatons. I think you do to. Heck, I doubt myself. I don't know why I just automatically use 'Protego' instead of something stronger. I keep promising myself that the next time will be different. After we stopped that first Giant, I was feeling confident, then at the first test, all I can say is 'Protego'."

"Beauxbatons ended well. We killed two Giants and helped protect the students. You have nothing to feel ashamed about. Madame Maxime sees you as her hero. I know that she annoyed you, but Hermione is correct that you must forget 'Expelliarmus'. That was your go-to response. Now your mind rejects it. That is really the only spell that you can't do well. You should practice a new go-to spell until you stop trying to 'Expelliarmus' by instinct. Hermione still trusts you in a fight. That was clear at Beauxbatons."

"She doesn't know exactly what happened under the landing. We know. I could have killed our attacker, before he had a chance to fire a curse. Because I was squeamish, you could have been killed. It's not safe for you to be with me."

"I keep telling you, I can protect myself. I did for half a year under the Carrows, without any help from you. I can protect you too, if you'll let me. You don't have to kill people. Dumbledore never did. You didn't need to kill the guy under the balcony. It was better to Petrificus him, so we had somebody to question. That might have saved Mum and Neville from being kidnapped. I know I used some 'Avada Kedavras', but I am not proud of it. I was pulled that way by Ron. We are both still way too angry, because of Fred. There are times when I really want to kill our opponents. There are lots of times when Ron does. That is not a good thing. I'm trying to change. The aurors try hard not to kill. For now, let me protect you. When 'Petrificus' comes more naturally to you, you'll be fine."

"That's not your job! Ron can protect Hermione. I can't protect you."

"If we are to be partners, then it is as much my job to protect you and our friends as it is your job to protect me and our friends. We're a team. You should learn to accept my help. You are in a better place than Ron is right now. You are also naturally a gentler person."

"I don't want to be a gentle person!"

"I'm fine with you being a gentle person. I like it. Dad is a gentle person - turns out Mum is by far the better fighter. You've done what was need of you as a fighter already. As McGonagall says: more and different is expected of you now. You saw how much the workers in the Ministry like, respect, and trust Dad. I'm sure that none of them have ever seen him as some sort of great fighter. He's smart, loyal, honest, brave, works hard, and treats people well. He's a gentle person!"

I won't say Harry huffed off, but he did leave me alone in the Room of Requirement. I didn't see him again, until it was time to depart for Godric's Hollow. I have no idea where he went, or what he did, but he had nearly two hours to do it. When he returned, he was holding a wrapped parcel, about the size of one of the old paintings of the Hogwarts stables. I was pleased to see that he was smiling.

"Same plan as before, but at my parents' house," Harry told the group, just as our first wave was about to Apparate. Just a little added protection, in case Bill tries to use a Muggle bomb. I've arranged for Bathilda's house to be watched by Kreacher and a pair of Hogwarts kitchen elves. The kitchen elves will undoubtedly tell Professor McGonagall about this little adventure, but that will be after the fact. The elves left with Kreacher, without any time to find the headmaster."

At 2:00 P.M. four Harry Potters and a Ginny Apparated into the church graveyard in Godric's Hollow, concealed beneath the Peverell invisibility cloak and another far less valuable knockoff purveyed by my brother as the top end of his new line. They all had pockets stuffed with 'Whacky Weasley Wonders', just in case they were needed.

One cloaked trio ambled over to see if the wand hidden by 'real Harry' was still hidden beside the grave. It wasn't. They then began a careful amble over to the Potter homestead memorial. Precisely at 2:45, another Harry and a Ginny apparated at the front gate of the Potter home. I know, because I was under the Peverell cloak with 'real Harry' and Neville, standing watch. I watched Harry and Ginny open the gate, holding it so the rest of us could enter and then do the same with the front door of the house. They sat on the divan and waited. We leaned against the far wall, facing the door and window. It was nice to see that someone in the village maintained the shrine. I'd have to ask Margaret who the responsible party was. It was certain to be meaningful to Harry, but of more immediate importance, a layer of dust on the floor would have given us away. We waited and at 3:10, Bill Apparated just inside the doorway.

"I'm glad you came. I accept your diverting me from the location I proposed to this house as more a reasonable precaution than a sign of distrust. I'd do the same in your place. As your tutor, let me say that if you were worried about a Muggle bomb, that your parents' house was an obvious spot to divert me to, but it is certainly safer than coming to the Bagshot wreckage.

"I'll keep my wand inside my robes, so you'll feel safer. It's nice that you're not pointing your wands at me, but I'm quite sure there are wands directed at me from under an invisibility cloak. I'll be quick, because this is risky. You put me at a slightly greater risk by changing the meeting location at the last minute. That's why I'm late. I don't blame you. I'm glad that you're learning to be more careful. I would have set the meeting for here, but I was afraid that you had really bad memories of this place."

"Not nearly as bad as my memories of the Bagshot house." Bill looked toward the corner, in which we still stood under the cloak.

"Anyhow, this is what I discovered - Bron is in league with the Grindelwald groupies in France. I saw Meier Hyack meet him here, in the church graveyard, five days ago. I was suspicious when Bron assigned himself such a menial and unpleasant duty as the night shift in the graveyard, so I followed him. Hyack took the Elder Wand. I'm sorry, but I couldn't stop or apprehend him. The point is, he came to Britain and he knows Bron. I don't know where either of them is now. I overheard Hyack telling Bron that the Grindelwald's are going to have an opposing candidate in our election for Minister of Magic. Since the deadline to declare candidacy is in two days, you'll soon know who that person is. They plan to use the Elder Wand to assassinate Monsieur Delacour. You must warn him. I'd be arrested or killed if I tried to approach him. I know you've doubted me in the past, Harry, and I'm very glad you've changed your mind. I could use a little help. Life on the run is difficult. A little money would help… and some Polyjuice."

Harry stepped out from under our cloak. "I won't give you Polyjuice. If you're bad, you could cause too much trouble with that. I can give you a little Muggle money and I have a place where I can stash you for at least a few days. I'm going to have to tell Arthur that I've seen you, but I promise I'll alert you before telling Arthur where I've stashed you. You won't be alone in the hideout. Is that okay."

"I can't be choosy. You trusted me, and I'll have to trust you and your friends."

"I have a question for you," Harry addressed Bill. "A few days ago, you went on an inspection tour of Azkaban and reported that you personally observed all of the prisoners to still be in place, is that correct?"

"Yes. Bron Turner asked Tom Stowe and me to conduct the inspection. All the prisoners were in their cells and Azkaban was in as good physical shape as could be expected, given the damages during the Death Eater break out a year ago. We interviewed each of the prisoners to determine whether their stay at Azkaban had loosened their tongues, but none was willing to provide helpful intelligence in return for a transfer back to the Ministry basement. I was surprised.

"I thought Cyril Thompson would definitely tell me whatever he knew. He was basically just a thug who hired out to the Death Eaters for money and a Ministry position. I don't think he cared about their politics, although, as a poor pureblood Wizard from a less than Great family, he was bitter about the success achieved by the Muggle-born Hogwarts graduates that he went to school with. He felt his ancestry made him superior and entitled to a better life than the ones that the Muggle-born were living. Why do you ask?"

"Because, two days after you performed that inspection, we saw the dead body of one of those prisoners. That was in France".

"I can't explain that, unless he escaped the day after our visit. We saw all four prisoners. Which prisoner did you see?"

"Yaxley."

"Tom talked to Yaxley, I talked to Thompson and Morgan. That's Marshall Morgan – I thought that I might have a chance with him as well. He's the only known Muggle-born among the Death Eaters. I had to expect that he might have mixed loyalties, possibly even have been Imperiused into helping the Death Eaters. His mind was off: he couldn't admit that Voldemort was dead. Kept saying 'the Dark Lord returned before, he'll return again to punish those who abandoned his cause. I'll be inner circle now, won't I'? It was pathetic. I thought he belonged in St. Mungo's, rather than Azkaban, but that's not my decision. I checked, and he did have the Dark Mark. Thompson didn't."

"So, you didn't both actually observe all of the prisoners?"

"No, we planned fairly intense interviews, so we split the work. Even if you know that you're just visiting, believe me, you don't want to spend any more time in Azkaban than is necessary. We needed everyone's Patronus to keep the Dementors from bothering us. We were there two hours and left so drained, that we could barely apparate back to the Ministry. I'm not sure that I could have lasted three hours. It's for good reason that the Ministry doesn't monitor Azkaban more closely. Tom talked to Yaxley and J. D. Caulfield. J. D's just another Death Eater hanger-on thug, of little danger."

Harry summoned Kreacher, explaining the modified living arrangements to both Kreacher and Bill. Kreacher was hesitant, but Harry gave him permission to attack Bill if he strayed from the deal. I was surprised when Kreacher said to Harry "house still there." Harry seemed to understand, however. He thanked Kreacher and gave a little wave of goodbye and then Kreacher and Bill were gone. Ten seconds later, so were we.