Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter!
Rated M: For Safety Again
Updated 05/25/09
Harry De Vie
Chapter 9: Evidence, Grades, and Hogwarts
Several senior aurors were sitting around a Pensieve after reviewing all the memories from the battle in Diagon Alley with awed and incredulous looks on their faces. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement's Director Bartemius Crouch, along with the Head Auror Mad-Eye Moody were both equally impressed with the young Harry De Vie. They both felt the Ministry was too soft on Death Eaters and it had allowed them to go unchecked for too long now. Finally, here was a person doing something about it and there were not about to get in the young man's way for doing things they could only dream about.
The other Senior Aurors, including Justin Bones, Jonathan Potter, and Rufus Scrimgeuer were all in agreement. Only Marcus Tallart, the arrogant and loud mouthed brother-in-law of Minister Millicent Bagnold stood in opposition and wanted the young wizard brought up on charges. Moody had to point out that they had no evidence of the spells he used or any traces of magic on the deceased minus the one Death Eater who was killed by his fellow's killing curses. All in all, they overruled their most junior member and applauded the savior of the day, sending him a detailed report of their findings along with a letter expressing their thanks, and guaranteeing no future action taken against him for defending Diagon Alley.
Moody, Bones, and Potter managed to make copies of all the evidence, and after the meeting broke up very late into the night, the trio left to meet up with the Leader of the Order of the Phoenix. The group apparated to the gate of Potter Estate in Godric's Hollow, unaware that the person they were discussing was in the castle next door to them as they made their way into Jonathan and his wife Sarah's home that had been converted to Order Headquarters over a year ago. They arrived to a lot of activity despite the lateness of the hour, as everyone seemed to gather to find out what happened at the battle of Diagon Alley that the WWN had been reporting about non-stop without giving any actual information like most wizarding news outlets.
All talking came to an abrupt end however, as the three senior aurors and Order members entered the kitchen with hopeful smiles on their faces to relay their news. Dumbledore immediately called everyone to sit down so the impromptu meeting could begin. Jonathan and Justin each gave their wives a kiss in greeting as Moody pulled out a Pensieve and set it in the middle of the large table. He told everyone to watch everything in its entirety, and that the memory belonged to Mr. De Vie, and would be discussed afterwards.
The whole thing lasted maybe ten minutes tops, and by the end everyone had the same glazed over look in their eyes after watching the way this Harry De Vie tore through the Death Eaters and saved the day. Some wore a more disapproving look with his tactics, and that several Death Eaters were killed, but nobody could deny his skill or that he fought for the light. Dumbledore was easily the most intrigued, having met the young wizard briefly, and not even being able to get a surface scan of legilimancy on him had left him a puzzle to be solved. The three aurors also confirmed that one of the captured Death Eaters was none other than Shawn Pinkston, next years Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, news that did not go over well with only two weeks left of the summer holidays, and what could have happened if Pinkston wasn't found out and had entered the school.
The large meeting table quickly reverted back to the original object of interest, and was filled with talk about this new wizard, where he was from, and what were his goals. Moody, McKinnon, Bode, Fletcher, Hagrid, Flitwick, the Potters, the Bones', the Prewett's, the Weasley's, all agreed to give the young wizard a chance. The only real dissenters were McGonagall, Sprout, Diggle, Figg, and the Abbott's who wanted to wait to gather more information before accepting the young unknown wizard.
It didn't take long for talk to lean towards inviting the young wizard to at least have an interview meeting to gage his responses, and to see if he would be a part of their group. Only those few argued that he might be too young, or too ruthless, but that contradiction alone swayed all those in the too young camp, while the presence of his own phoenix took care of the rest. It was decided that Dumbledore would invite the young wizard to Hogwarts to meet him, and if everything went well, give him the Fawkes test and introduce him to the Order.
Harry had returned home with Guinevere, who then flashed out to return most likely to Father Time. He flopped down on the sofa and let out a few deep relaxing breaths that settled his frazzled nerves and rushing adrenaline that was quickly wearing off. He knew if he stayed inside the time chamber, it would be days for him until the outside world contacted him, but that suited him just fine. He wanted to think things through after the long day, and felt good that he was finally doing something positive in the fight against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. If nothing else, hopefully he saved Bellatrix a years worth of being under the imperius curse of her future Father-in-law, and could hopefully now keep her away from Voldemort's clutches.
Feeling better about himself and his situation in the past, Harry knew he had to continue to improve if he wanted to really be able to affect change. Over the next several days, he continued his study of magic with the Founders focusing mostly on Battle Magic with Godric, Parcel Magic with Salazar, Healing with Helga, and Runes and Warding with Rowena. He was just waking up on his fifteenth day in the time chamber, when Guinevere appeared in a flash of flames with two letters from the Ministry and a third from the Order.
Looking at the clock and calendar he had set up to the real world outside time, he realized it was only ten in the morning on Friday the 19th, the day following the Diagon Alley attack. That was pretty quick of a response then wasn't it? Deciding he wanted to know what became of the attack, he first opened the letter from the DMLE, which basically just thanked him for his heroics, and promised that no future action would be taken against him, that was a relief. The other Ministry letter contained his NEWT exam results which he was quite pleased with.
Harry De Vie (NEWT Scores)
Ancient Runes, Written O, Practical O (With Honors Distinction)
Arithmancy, Written E, Practical E
Astronomy, Written O, Practical O
Care of Magical Creatures, Written O, Practical O
Charms, Written O, Practical O (With Honors Distinction)
Defense Against the Dark Arts, Written O, Practical O (With Honors Distinction)
Divination, Written A, Practical A
Herbology, Written E, Practical O
History of Magic, Written E
Muggle Studies, Written O
Potions, Written E, Practical E
Transfiguration, Written O, Practical O (With Honors Distinction)
Harry really couldn't believe he had done so well, and his guardians were all quite proud of his accomplishment. He transfigured the letter the scores arrived in, into a beautiful wooden frame in which he mounted his results and hung on the nearby wall in the time chamber's common room. He finally got to the last letter, an invitation from Albus Dumbledore to meet with him at his earliest convenience, and that he would be expecting him at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry whenever he was available. Harry's smile never left his face, as more good news after the other continued to come. He knew the invitation was for more than just a chat, as Albus Dumbledore never did anything without a whole slue of intentions and agendas.
Nevertheless, Harry was really looking forward to returning to his school, even more so now with the Founders inside his head and the connection he had with them. He decided that there was no time like the present, and after a quick breakfast and change of clothes, Harry was leaving the Godric's Hollow castle and apparating to Hogsmead where he walked the rest of the way towards Hogwarts. He used the time to relax and plan how much to tell Albus about himself, and wondered if he would want to join the Order if asked. He would have to be careful though, Albus didn't become a legendary wizard by being a naive pushover.
His magic told him the moment he approached the castle gates, as it sung inside of him in celebration, and filled him with a great feeling of peace and power. He could probably bet that Albus felt the magic up in his office as well, but figured he could pass it off as something else hopefully. The gates opened of their own accord, and now he realized it would probably be a bit more difficult to explain that one away to coincidence, but continued on nevertheless to the front doors of the school. He knocked several times despite hearing the locks click open at his touch, and waited to be let into the school properly since he did have an appointment with the Headmaster.
Of course, it was Argus Filch the caretaker who met Harry at the school's door, and after explaining his appointment, was led the familiar path to the Headmaster's office. Upon arriving at the Gargoyle, Filch whispered the predictable password of 'lemon drops' thinking Harry couldn't hear him, and left him to enter the rotating stairway. The steps quickly took him to the top where the large wood door of the office separated him from his one time mentor. Before he could even knock, the familiar voice of the Headmaster bid him entrance.
"Ah, Mr. De Vie, thank you for coming so promptly," spoke Albus as he rose to shake the younger wizard's hand.
"Thank you for inviting me, Hogwarts is legendary even in South Africa," replied Harry easily as he quickly surveyed the very familiar room with its spinning and whirling trinkets, before his gaze settled on the Headmaster's and he produced a friendly smile that was returned.
"I hope you don't mind me inviting you here, but I hoped to ask you a few questions about yesterday?" asked the twinkling and tranquil blue eyes of the Headmaster as they studied the young wizard both over and through the aura reading half-moon glasses he wore.
"Not at all sir, ask away," replied Harry openly, knowing that Dumbledore couldn't get through his Occlumency shields, and Harry would only reveal what he wanted to.
"Would you care for a lemon drop before we get started?" he asked offering the candy dish that Harry always suspected of being laced with something, but now knew better after talking with Dumbledore in the Realm of the Dead.
"I'd love one, thank you," he responded happily popping two into his mouth and waiting for the Headmaster's first question.
"Nobody has ever accepted my candy before, why did you?" asked a stunned older wizard with a happy smile on his face, liking this young man already.
"I could hardly imagine the great Albus Dumbledore, internationally revered Leader of the Wizengamot, Warlocks Confederation, Defense League, and all Light wizards, teacher and Headmaster for over seventy years, would be lacing candy in a school full of children," answered Harry with a lopsided grin, to which Albus could only laugh slightly in amusement before Fawkes appeared in the office in a flash of flames directly in front of the young visiting wizard. "Aren't you a beautiful bird?"
"That is Fawkes, my very loyal familiar," answered Albus glad to see the young wizard's interest in the Light creature despite seeing the white phoenix with him earlier.
"Another reason, I knew I would be safe eating your candy, You have a phoenix as a familiar," laughed Harry after Fawkes carefully studied him for several moments, and then sang a short tune and retired over to her perch to watch over the rest of the meeting.
"Still, it shows a great deal of trust in me by eating my offered candy, and I hope to repay that," answered the Headmaster shortly after controlling his amusement at the scene. "Let me return the favor and be completely up front about this. I have friends in the auror department who showed me yours and other people's memories of yesterday's battle, and it was most fascinating. I don't want to lecture you or question your motives or actions, I was just wondering if you could first tell me where you studied and learned to perform that level of magic."
"I've had some teachers, mostly at the beginning, but am primarily self taught," answered Harry maintaining his identity. "My story's not that uncommon where I'm from. I grew up in a poor area of Johannesburg, South Africa. I never knew my parents or my birth name, and was raised by an old couple where the husband, James Rissik was a squib, and named me Harry. When I was nine, after his wife died, he started to occasionally bring over the one wizard friend he knew to teach me the basics and get me started, but then James died before my eleventh birthday. His one wizard friend, and my first teacher was simply called Smythe, and I never knew if it was his first or last name. He gave me a wad of money, a beat up old wand, and his old school trunk and told me to bugger off after coming to him with nowhere to go."
"I didn't meet another wizard until three years later, and had already taught myself everything I could from the few books in the trunk," continued Harry after a slight pause to gather himself, and remember where his story went from here. "He was not a kind man, but he taught me none the less, and allowed me access to his library. Mr. Letum, as he was known to me died last year after my seventeenth birthday without an heir or will. I took what I could and left South Africa by boat and arrived in Marseilles. I had my name legally and magically declared Harry James De Vie about six months ago. Since then I have started looking for work, but quickly encountered problems not speaking the native language in France, and traveled here where I was told I would need to take NEWT exams before I could have any hope of employment," finished Harry tiredly, and hoping he gave enough information that the goblins had assured him they planted in both Marseilles and Johannesburg to provide the proper back story.
"That is quite a life," answered Albus slowly and methodically as he continued his study of the young wizard, and found no deception in him, only a real need to prove himself to others. "And have you managed to schedule your NEWT exams?"
"Taken and aced," Harry replied with a happy smile, hoping to be past the history telling for now.
"Which exams did you take?" asked Albus now very interested in the young wizard before him for even more reasons than an Order spot.
"All twelve, and even got Honor Distinctions on four of them," replied the smiling teenager.
"Really …which four?" asked a stunned Albus who had only received three such distinctions himself?
"Defense, Charms, Runes, and Transfiguration," answered Harry proudly.
"That is very impressive, I only received three myself. One in Transfiguration, Defense, and Potions," responded a smiling Headmaster. "Have you ever considered teaching?"
"I wouldn't claim to be an expert in anything, nor am I much older than some students," answered Harry vaguely.
"If you received those Distinctions, then you are more than qualified to teach one of those subjects, and age is not a factor," continued Albus not missing a beat, or wanting to lose the chance to get this young wizard to teach for him. "As a matter of fact, our current Defense teacher was among those captured yesterday bearing the Dark Mark, and it puts me in the position of finding a suitable replacement on very short notice. I would like to ask you to be that replacement?"
AN: I know Harry as the Defense teacher is totally cliché, but I promise to do something different, and guarantee he won't be the Marauder's best friend. Please be patient, there is still a long way to go.
