Harry Potter – Hunter
By : Andor Swiftblade
Disclaimer : Harry Potter belongs to the beautiful blonde lady famously known as J K Rowling. No monetary gain is being made from this story. Any non-Canon characters belong to me. Certain creative terms which have been used probably belong to some of my brilliant fellow fan fiction authors. (I don't really know to whom, so please forgive me.)
Summary : After the DoM Mayhem, Harry decides that he is tired of the Dursleys and figures that he wants to take a unique summer job. Follow him as in his bid for freedom, he has the adventure of a lifetime. Post OotP. Probably AU. Might include crossovers.
Comedy is tragedy that happens to other people.
Nothing in the world is free – everything has its price.
People always encourage creativity. The urge for destruction is also a creative urge.
People ask for criticism, but they only want praise.
Children throw stones at frogs for fun, but the frogs don't die for 'fun', but in sober earnest.
Be ready to fight for what you believe until you drop dead. That's what keeps you alive.
Even a mouse can kill a cat if the cat doubts itself.
* * * * * Chapter 8 * * * * *
*|* Death & Dumbledore *|*
In the Wizarding World, there were many types of people. Some were rich, others were poor. Some lived in ramshackle cottages while others lived in huge, handsome and elegant manor houses. Some people lacked common sense while some were intelligent. Some worked in offices while others owned businesses. Some were hard workers while some were thieves. Some were magically weak, some were powerful and there were very few who were extremely powerful.
In the Wizarding World, power was in three forms : political, monetary, and magical. Some had none of these, some had one of there, some had a combination of two of these, but there were very few who had all of these.
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore was one such person. Considered by many as a genius, the greatest wizard of the generation, and by some as the second coming of Merlin, everyone thought about Albus Dumbledore; either with the intention to praise him or to curse him. The man was magically powerful, he had political clout nationally as well as internationally, and though he was known to be rich – he had worked with an Alchemist, after all – no one knew the exact amount of money in his Vault.
Currently, Albus Dumbledore was sitting in his office located inside the Headmaster's Tower of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was early morning, nearly 8 : 20 p.m.. Usually during school days, he would be occupying his throne-like chair in the Great Hall, listening to the morning hustle-bustle of the students who had just woken up and were very hungry. But fortunately for him, the school was not in session since it was the summer holidays.
For that reason only, Albus had woken up rather late. First he had brushed his teeth with his favorite lemon-and-mint flavored toothpaste. Then he had taken a bath in his huge bathtub filled with rose-scented water, after which he had to decide which robes to wear for the day – there was a mental clash between an orange robe covered with little brooms and a pink robe with yellow flowers. Finally he had decided to wear a purple robe with varieties of sweets on them, which were constantly moving all over the robes. Then he had brushed his silvery beard while meditating – during which he had been trying to decide whether to braid it or not. Deciding to leave it as it always was, he put on a matching purple hat covered with shooting stars and also put on his half-moon glasses to cover his twinkling blue eyes. Then he had moved to sit in his comfortable office chair.
Sitting in the enchanted office chair, Albus noticed the sunlight coming in through the open windows, and he noted that he was running rather late than his usual schedule. Deciding to head to the Great Hall for breakfast, he quickly closed his office doors - which locked themselves automatically once he tapped them with his wand – and quickly stepped on the revolving staircase to his office.
As he calmly walked to the Great Hall, Dumbledore reflected on what had happened near the end of the previous school year. They had lost Sirius in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, and Nymphadora had been injured and had to be admitted to St. Mungo's Hospital due to the seriousness of her injuries. And because of Sirius's death, the Order Headquarters of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place had been compromised. It was no longer a suitable base of operation, so they were required to find a new place for their meetings.
Then there was the Ministry. For an entire year, they had been denying the return of Lord Voldemort and they had launched a smear campaign against himself and Harry to discredit both of them. They had tried to take control over Hogwarts and had been successful for some time. But when the Dark Lord had finally made an appearance in the Ministry Atrium, with the Minister and several Aurors as witness, the Ministry had been forced to admit that the Dark Lord had returned.
So after that revelation, Dumbledore had been reinstated as the Hogwarts Headmaster and the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, though he had not been reinstated to his position as the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards.
Now there where talks in the Ministry about Fudge being ousted on the grounds of his incompetence, though the Minister was still holding his ground. Dumbledore had decided quite earlier on that he would take a "no comments" non-interference policy in this debate. Because he knew that even a word from his mouth would change the flow of tide for Fudge.
Voldemort and his loyal Death Eaters were lying low at the moment. It was obvious to the old sorcerer that Voldemort had been badly injured during his attempt at the possession of Harry Potter.
Harry Potter, now that was another interesting topic for him. That boy was really amazing. Even in the face of certain death, the boy had not quailed and his courage had not failed him. Even though his friends had been injured, he had continued to fight and not once had he faltered. And even though he had looked dead tired, the boy still had the power to throw Tom out of his mind during the attempted possession. And he still had energy left after foiling the attempted possession to destroy half his office and yell at him. Simply put, the child was . . . he couldn't find the proper word for it.
The boy had had a sad aura around him when he had left the school for the train platform, but Dumbledore had seen the glint of determination shining brightly in his emerald eyes. That had comforted him to some extent. Most people lost the will continue with their lives when they lost someone dear to them, but Harry was not like that. He had been knocked down a lot of times, but he still had the courage and fighting spirit left in him to stand back up and push forward. He knew that if push came to shove, Harry Potter would not go down without a fight.
Dumbledore had always believed that the power mentioned in the prophecy was love. He believed that it was Harry's ability to love that set him apart from creatures like Voldemort. Love had protected him when he was a child, love had saved him during the possession, and Albus believed that love would also save him when he fought Voldemort for the final time. Because love was one of the greatest mystery of life, and it was the most powerful emotion that any human being could feel. It was love that would save the Wizarding World, he was sure of that.
Albus Dumbledore did not realize how apt he was. Love would indeed save the world, but it would be because the one man who could save the world would take up the weapons so that he could protect his loved ones from death, even at the cost of his own life. Just like his mother had done for him.
Everything had been going smoothly and quietly for a while now. Even though the Ministry had declared the return of Lord Voldemort, there had been no attacks. The Ministry claimed through the Daily Prophet that the peaceful atmosphere was maintained because of its Auror forces which were conducting regular patrols all over Britain, whether on foot or on brooms. The war was in a state of unresolved conflict. Now one knew how long the stalemate was going to last, but everyone knew that the war had indeed begun. There were signs everywhere that Darkness was on the rise once again.
As Dumbledore turned around the corner of the last corridor he had been traversing to reach the doors of the Great Hall, he thought of the one important piece of information that Mundungus Fletcher had managed to procure for him. He had been informed that the activity in Knockturn Alley had increased. There were hags and other unpleasant people roaming around the alley even during day time without fear of Ministry prosecution. The shopkeepers of Knockturn Alley had also started stocking up on many illegal and non-tradable substances, less used, precious, costly and potentially dangerous potion ingredients, as well as quite a large number of artifacts that were considered to be enchanted with Dark Magic. There was quite a stir in the dark alley now a day. But nothing seemed to imply Death Eater involvement in them, so Albus considered them to be an acceptable reaction, as there would have to be a commotion in Knockturn Alley due to the sudden announcement of the Dark Lord's return.
When Dumbledore reached the Great Hall, he noticed that the daily newspaper had not yet been delivered. Not that he read it; he had his subscription cancelled last year. Taking his regular seat at the middle of the Head Table, Albus filled his plate with as much as he could of the delicious breakfast made by the Hogwarts House Elves. There were few teachers present for breakfast, which he noted. He knew that some had left for their vacation, while there were others who decided to eat in their quarters, since breakfast was no longer mandatory for Staff members. (During school days, it was compulsary for every teacher to attend the breakfast, lunch and dinner; unless they had a valid reason not to.)
Currently seated at the Head Table along with him were Professor Flitwick, Professor McGonagall and Hagrid. Albus knew that Severus and Poppy were in their respective quarters, and Sybil was probably holed up in her residence in the North Tower reading tea leaves and gazing into Crystal Orbs. Other than those sitting at the table, they were the only Staff members still at Hogwarts. (Binns did not count, as he was dead and was taken into account as a ghost.)
"Good morning, Minerva. How are you today?" asked Albus jovially as he began eating his breakfast.
McGonagall swallowed the food in her mouth slowly before answering slowly, "I'm quite well, Albus. The castle seems different, a bit more peaceful rather than its usual hectic self, though one can sense the absence of the students."
Albus nodded happily, knowing that it was true. The children had always been the life of this castle.
"Do you want to hear a new joke I recently heard, Minerva? It's about the mermaid and a sailor. . . "
"Not now, Albus. I have to return to my office for grading some extra credit papers," said McGonagall briskly.
Dumbledore just sighed and nodded. 'No one wants to hear my jokes anymore,' he thought petulantly.
As breakfast continued, there was suddenly the sound of wings fluttering and Dumbledore looked up from his plate to see the post owls entering through the upper windows of the castle. There were three of them; all of them brown medium-size barn owls. The three owls held the rolled up Daily Prophet in their talons and were heading for Filius, Minerva and Hagrid. Not interested in finding out what the latest controversies and rumors discussed by the populous were, Albus once again turned his attention back to his food.
Hearing a whizzing sound coming from somewhere, Albus looked up to identify the source of the noise. As soon as he looked up, what appeared to be a small, grey, feathery ball collided with the side of his head.
"OUCH!" exclaimed the old Headmaster, clutching the side of his head in pain.
The other Professors who were about to untie the thread binding their rolled newspapers looked up at the sudden exclamation. They looked up to see the Headmaster trying to catch a small owl that was zooming around his head twittering madly, dodging the old man's swiping hands, becoming even more excited at every unsuccessful attempts by the Headmaster's to catch it.
Shaking their heads at the Headmaster's attempts to make a fool out of himself, the Professors once again turned to their previous job of untying the newspaper.
Finally Dumbledore managed to catch the small midget-owl and untied the parchment from its legs. The parchment was faded yellow and a bit crumpled, but otherwise he could recognize the familiar writing of Molly Weasley, though it appeared that the letter was penned in a hurry.
Quickly opening the letter, Dumbledore read the very short letter, which was very untypical of Molly. It read :
READ THE DAILY PROPHET, ALBUS!
IMMEDIATELY!
Frowning that Molly was urging – or rather commanding – him to read his hated periodical, Dumbledore decided to acquiescent her request.
Just as he turned to McGonagall to borrow her copy of the Daily Prophet, Dumbledore heard Hagrid gasp loudly as he looked at the newspaper clutched in his hands in shock and horror. McGonagall too appeared to be shocked by something as she was covering her mouth with her hands as her normal strict composure fled. Filius was scrambling on the floor, from where he had fallen off his piled-up cushions, in surprise.
Wanting to know what news had caused such an adverse reaction from the most composed individual at Hogwarts (apart from himself and Severus) and from the normally unflappable Dueling Champion, Dumbledore was about to inquire the cause of their dismay when he found the Daily Prophet shoved in his face.
As he gripped the newsprint and unfolded it to read it properly, Dumbledore read the headline of the article and his face tightened as the twinkling in his eyes dimmed slightly. Printed in large words on the front page was the worst news he could receive right now.
Dead Body Found Near Borgin and Burkes
Today, early in the morning, a body was found near a shop known as Borgin and Burkes in the premises of Knockturn Alley by the owner the shop, Mr. Oliver Borgin. The shop offers confidential valuation service for unusual and ancient Wizarding artifacts, such as may have been inherited by the best Wizarding families.
The Department of Magical Law Enforcement has issued an official statement about the identity of the dead person, and also about the cause of death. The man's identity has been confirmed to be Mundungus Fabian Fletcher, 42. Auror Investigators who investigated the crime scene briefly revealed that the man did not have any traces of magic being used on him.
But in an official report filed in the publicly-accessible Room of Records at the Ministry of Magic, it has been found that the man's body was fully covered with large yellow boils from both inside and outside. It has been stated that a sufficient quantity of undiluted Bubotuber pus had been found inside the body's stomach. It is not known whether the man was intentionally fed the pus or whether he accidentally ingested it; though the Investigators are inclined to believe the latter reason because of the large number of alcohol bottles (Firewhisky, specifically) that have been recovered from the man's cloak.
It might be possible that the man was drunk and accidentally consumed the very dangerous undiluted Bubotuber pus directly. This theory may be true, since the man is a known heavy smoker and drinker, and also a thief who has been arrested by Aurors for various petty thefts.
Mr. Fletcher has no known family or friends, but even so, the Daily Prophet would like to give our condolences to people who knew him well.
Proper ways of handling undiluted Bubotuber pus (Cont. page 2, column 1)
Uses of diluted Bubotuber pus in Beautifying Potions (See page 8, column 4)
Sacharissa Tugwood, who is she? (See page 8, column 1)
Dangers of Drinking (See page 11, column 9)
Albus was saddened at the news, though it did not fully show itself on his emotionless outer façade. He had his own suspicions and speculations as to what might have been the true cause of Mundungus Fletcher's death. The main – and most plausible – one was that the poor man must have been snooping around Knockturn Alley and poking his nose where he should not have. He might have intervened on some important dealing and someone must have caught him. And so to prevent him from spilling their secrets, they must have fed him the pus.
Dumbledore knew that there were many apothecaries in Knockturn Alley where undiluted Bubotuber Pus was sold. And one of those shop owners might have been involved in Dung's murder. And the scenario that was published in the Daily Prophet was also a distinct probability, one that could not be dismissed, as Dung had been known to steal a lot of things and might have mistaken the pus for Firewhisky. (Firewhisky was orange and Bubotuber pus was yellowish-green – to a drunken man, there would not be much difference as he would be in stupor due to his drinking.)
But the major setback was that his one and only informant in the seedier circles of the Wizarding World had died. Though Dumbledore felt sad for the loss of Dung's life, he knew that certain sacrifices had to be made for the Greater Good. And though he had not intended to sacrifice Dung at the moment, Albus knew that the thief would have certainly met his end soon one of these days because of his unlawful profession.
Quietly mourning for the loss of his Order member and informant, as well as the loss of life of a human being, Dumbledore folded the newspaper and kept it on the table. Looking at the other Order members present at the moment, Dumbledore noticed that McGonagall had wiped off her tears and Hagrid was currently making a good use of the table cloth of the Head Table as a handkerchief. Filius's face was solemn but his eyes were showing his anger. Dumbledore did not have to think for long before he gave new orders to be carried out.
"Call all the Order members. We are having an emergency meeting in my office. Tell them to arrive within an hour," said Dumbledore, his tone commanding, before standing up from his seat and leaving the Great Hall, moving towards his office with surprising speed for someone so old.
The sun had risen early as it was wont to during the summer season. This early in the morning, there was no indication of the sweltering heat that would be felt later in the day; now it was cool and there was even a pleasant morning breeze, making the atmosphere quite pleasant.
In Privet Drive, the atmosphere was the same. There were several people who were jogging on the pavements and were enjoying the surprisingly cool breeze as they continued their morning activities. Some residents had risen early and were currently watering their lawn. Others were cleaning their cars and getting ready for work.
In the lawn of Number Four Privet Drive, Elphias Doge was currently doing his work, which was guarding the Boy Who Lived, Harry Potter. He had been here since three hours after midnight, when he had relieved his good friend Dedalus Diggle, and he would be here till noon, which was when he would be replaced by the thief Mundungus Fletcher.
There had been no disturbances during his shift, and today's morning had been especially good, what with the weather being so pleasant. There was a breeze blowing and it was soothing to his old body, since he had been sitting under the window sill keeping watch from the time he had arrived and for the entire time, he had not vacated his post. The hiding spot was slightly uncomfortable because of the ornamental bushes, but now that he could feel the cool breeze, he felt a bit more comfortable. Everything was so peaceful and silent.
The peace and silence was disturbed when his Order Pendant began vibrating. Quickly removing the pendant from within the folds of his cloak, Elphias held the vibrating Phoenix pendant in his hands. After a few moments, the vibrating stopped and Elphias could hear the voice of Minerva McGonagall issuing from the charmed pendant.
"All members of the Order are recalled immediately. There is an emergency. Report in an hour at Hogwarts. The emergency meeting is in the Headmaster's Office. Password for admittance : Fizzing Whizzbees. Make haste."
The order was repeated twice more, but Elphias had already stuffed the pendant in one of his many cloak pockets and he was quickly moving out of Privet Drive, hidden under his Invisibility Cloak. Just outside the approximate range of the Wards around Privet Drive, Elphias turned on the spot and vanished in a swirl of robes; not that he was visible to anyone before he had vanished.
» Next Chapter : Harry gathers his ammunitions and prepares himself for his Hunter Qualification Tests. But where to find the equipment? A trip to Diagon & Knockturn Alley? Maybe a quick stop at Grimmauld Place?
» The contents of the flask have been finally revealed. So, how did you like my way of killing Dung? I know that this chapter is short, but I couldn't just cram everything I wanted in it. It's somewhat like an interlude.
» AN : Sacharissa Tugwood is a known Potter verse character. She is mentioned in Chocolate Frog Cards in the games.
» Dumbledore may come off as a fool, but that's how he is like in the books. He becomes serious if the situation calls for it; otherwise he is happy and gay. (Pardon the pun.)
» I'm going to introduce the Ancient Healing Device from Stargate in a few chapters. It's also going to be somewhat related to DH. Any guesses about how I'm going to do it?
» The poll is still going on, and the last time I checked, Daphne Greengrass is in the lead, followed by the beautiful Fleur Delacour. The third place competition has been tough with Narcissa, Hermione and Tonks fighting for the position. But there's still time, so you can still vote for your favorite girl.
» Thank you, all my readers and reviewers! I hope you like this chapter, and that you are anticipating the next one. (It may take some time because I'm still undecided if I should include some more action in it or not.)
» This is my special thanks to an anonymous reviewer A Stern Critic. I thank you for your advice. But the Knife sentence was Harry's contemplation of the basic uses of a weapon, not my description. The story will be picking up pace in the next few chapters, but the descriptions are somewhat necessary for the future plot. I know that all my readers have read HP books, but this information is not just a complete rehash of the canon. It is important for the explanation of the story.
May your sword stay sharp!
