The Boggart and the Dementors

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

~oOoOo~

Harry was getting more relaxed and he and Professor Lupin were on good terms. He was enjoying his Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

Professor Lupin had a Boggart and was teaching the class how to defend against it.

No one knew what a Boggart looked like as it was a shape shifter assuming what ever form suited it.

Lupin had one in a wardrobe. It was Neville Longbottom's turn first.

Neville was the most afraid of Professor Snape. Lupin whispered instructions to Neville. He made the Bogart come out and it appeared as Professor Snape.

"Riddikulus!" chanted Neville. The class howled with laughter as the Snape Boggart appeared dressed in Augusta Longbottom's clothing. They loved seeing Boggart-Snape humiliated.

Ron tried it and got a huge Black Widow Spider. After he chanted "Riddikulus!" it had roller a roller skate on each leg and fell to the floor. It could not stand up.

Parvati had the next turn. The Boggart transformed into a gigantic cobra. "Riddikulus!" turned it into a huge jack in the box. The class was really laughing.

Harry's turn came next. The Boggart assumed the form of a Dementor! Lupin immediately ran in front of the Boggart-Dementor, shouting "HERE!" to attract its attention to himself. It took the form of a full moon complete with clouds around it. Riddikulus turned it into a released untied balloon. Lupin used his wand to put it back into the wardrobe. He ended the lesson. Everyone was curious about the reason for his action. even though they did enjoy the extra free time.

~oOoOo~

Saturday was the first Hogsmeade weekend. Professor McGonagall refused to sign Harry's permission slip. Though she did say it was the rules it was really to keep him away from Sirius Black. Harry was hurt and tired of being treated like a child. He walked into the castle dejected. It was unreasonable. This was a school, not a prison.

Eventually Harry ran into Professor Lupin. They stood on the footbridge and Harry told him how he felt. Professor Lupin listened. The conversation went on to the Boggart-Dementor. Why had the Professor stepped up and stopped the Boggart? Lupin never fully answered. The conversation drifted to Harry's parents.

"Your mother, Lily, was an exceptionally gifted witch," said Professor Lupin. "Blood status is a false concept and should be erased from our laws. Lily was the most talented witch in the school. She was an exceptional student and was desired by many wizards. She could make a person see beauty in themselves even when that person could not see it themselves. There was a time when I needed someone, not in the romantic sense, but there came a very hard time in my life. She helped me through that time."

"Your father, James, however, though a gifted wizard, had a nose for trouble. He broke the rules a lot. He liked Lily very much and she settled him down."

"Sometimes when a student is having it rough Professor Dumbledore will appoint them as a prefect. In my case I feel I did poorly. I was the prefect but I was a miserable prefect. I did not do my duty to make James and Sirius toe the line as I should have solely out of fear of losing their friendship. This was not right."

"Lucius Malfoy went through a hard time when he lost a sister. She was taken to Azkaban and died there after about four years. Professor Dumbledore appointed Lucius prefect to get his mind off his sister. Lucius was probably a better prefect than I was although he ended up going dark. His father Abraxes was a terrible wizard and abused Lucius."

"During his time here Lucius was very kind to Severus Snape. He gave him some robes he'd out grown and that made a difference. Lucius took care of his things. The robes looked so much like new they fooled everybody, including me. It made a difference to young Severus. After Lucius finished school it got so hard for Severus he almost left."

"Professor," asked Harry. "Are you good with confidential things?"

"Yes, you can tell me something in confidence," said Lupin.

"Melody Malfoy is alive. I traveled to Azkaban to ask her a question. She was there because Abraxes Malfoy had her sent there for becoming engaged to a Muggle-born wizard. Abraxes then drove the wizard out of the country. Lucius, Amelia Bones, Minister Fudge, myself and Draco know. She was removed from Azkaban to St. Mungo's. She was dying. With the help of chocolate and I.V.s Melody is now in a wizarding safe house."

"How did you get around Azkaban? The Dementors really bother you?" asked Lupin.

"I had Amelia Bones' Dementor control bracelet on," said Harry. "They spoke to me. One settled to the floor and demanded an audience. It insisted it was once a man who wanted to do dark magic and a wizard granted his wish. He cursed him so he became a Dementor."

"Dementors often claim they were once men but we only have their word for it," said Lupin. "They are sometimes less than truthful. You have to take what they say with a grain of salt."

"The Dementor went on to threaten me," said Harry. "It said my parents were meddlesome fools and if I continued to be like them I'd have to be done away with. Lucius Malfoy said almost the same thing to me at the end of last year. I do not know how much of the conversation Minister Fudge overhead but he released Melody Malfoy and we took her to St. Mungo's."

Lupin was in shock.

"Maybe I told you too much professor. I've upset you," said Harry.

"It's alright," said Lupin. "I'm more astonished than anything else. I don't know whether to be happy or sad but I am happy that Melody got her freedom. There are other people locked up there without trials. I don't have much influence. Sometime I have to be away for a few days. It's an illness that comes every few weeks and the Healers have not learned how to fix it yet. Harry, let's go down to lunch."

~oOoOo~

Harry and Lupin joined first and second year students in the Great Hall. Only a few of the older students had not gone to Hogsmeade. After lunch Harry retired to Gryffindor Tower for a nap and to do homework.

Later his friends came back. They had enjoyed themselves. Harry felt cheated. He had to live with Muggles no one should have to live with and he was deprived of the enjoyments most of the other students had.

He sent an Owl to Madam Bones and demanded that she order that he be allowed Hogsmeade weekends.

~oOoOo~

No reply came from Amelia Bones all week. It was Friday and Professor Snape had replaced Professor Lupin for the day. When Professor Snape asked what the difference between an Animagus and a werewolf was no one offered an answer but Hermione. Snape refused to call on her. She finally offered the answer. She was rewarded with a loss of House points. The whole class was ordered to turn in a two parchment essay on the werewolf with particular emphases on recognising it. It was due on Monday morning on Professor Snape's desk.

Professor McGonagall set this aside. Hermione having already done it was mildly annoyed.

The next day Gryffindor and Hufflepuff played Quidditch in a storm. The game was supposed to be with Slytherin but Draco had been injured by a Hippogriff he had insulted after being warned by professor Hagrid not to insult the creature.

Lucius was making an awful fuss and demanding the Hippogriff be killed. Draco played it up for being much more hurt than he was.

The Quidditch schedule was changed and Gryffindor played Hufflepuff instead of Slytherin. They would play Slytherin when they were originally scheduled to play Hufflepuff. Harry and the Hufflepuff Seeker, Cedric Diggory, chased the Golden Snitch. The storm made play cold and difficult. Harry finally caught sight of the Golden Snitch.

Some unwelcome visitors filled the sky above the stadium, Dementors!

Harry tried a fast feint to get to the ground and relative safety. Failing that he was going to pass out, he wrapped his legs around his broom as tightly as he could. He had hoped the broom would take him to a softer landing. When he passed out the Dementors pulled the broom away and threw it into the Whomping Willow. Harry was falling in a free fall toward the ground. The Dementors grabbed his body and threw it down to make him hit the ground harder. It was obvious to a fool they were trying to deliberately murder him!

Professor Dumbledore was able to use the Arresto Momentum spell to break Harry's fall and keep him from being killed or injured. He and other professors used Patronuses to send the Dementors off.

Dumbledore was beside himself with anger. Cedric was above Harry and caught the Golden Snitch. He wanted to take back his catch as Harry had not been able to compete for it.

Dumbledore went into his office and send a Howler to Cornelius Fudge using Fawkes to carry it. The Howler exploded with Dumbledore's words in Fudge's home.

Fudge did not reply.

~oOoOo~

Harry woke up in the hospital wing and asked who had gotten the win. Not only had Gryffindor lost but the Dementors had thrown Harry's broom into the Whomping Willow.

After Harry's friends left Harry asked for Professor Dumbledore. He yelled at the Professor for fifteen minutes and then told him to get out.

Harry wrote Amelia Bones another letter and demanded to know why the school was so determined to give him responsibilities and no privileges. No answer came. He wrote another letter and said he was leaving Hogwarts and Britain unless he got some satisfactory answers.

He said little to his professors. He was more angry than he had ever been.

"I'm sorry, Professor Lupin," said Harry. "Please leave me alone. I don't want to end up yelling at you."

The next week Harry opened up to Professor Lupin and demanded that he be taught how to magically repel Dementors. Harry pressured Lupin until he agreed to teach him after the Holidays.

There was no way to fix Harry's broom. It was too badly damaged.

Amelia Bones came home from a holiday to find angry letters from Harry Potter waiting for her.

~oOoOo~

Harry was on speaking terms only with Professor Lupin.

Numerous angry parents had demanded the removal of the Dementors. The town of Hogsmeade was also demanding the removal of the Dementors. Cornelius Fudge came to Hogsmeade to discuss the grievances with the Hogsmeade residents.

On a Hogsmeade Saturday Harry was determined to go to Hogsmeade. He was sneaking out to join the students under his invisibility cloak. Fred and George had been banned from Hogsmeade for many misdeeds. They spotted Harry's footprints and dragged him back into the school where they presented him with the Marauder's map.

Not even Fred and George realized that one of the makers of this map was Professor Lupin. The map showed where everyone at Hogwarts was and a number of tunnels leading from Hogwarts to Hogsmeade.

Harry used this and his invisibility cloak to sneak into Hogsmeade.

He was surprized to see Minister Fudge at the Three Broomsticks.

Madam Rosmeta was complaining about Dementors coming into her pub every other night. The conversation was a shocker for Harry. He discovered Sirius Black was still his godfather!

Harry left the pub crying and wandered to an area where Ron and Hermione were sitting. Hermione gently lifted the invisibility cloak off the sobbing Harry.

"He was their friend and he betrayed them. He is still my godfather. I hope Sirius Black finds me and when he does I'm going to kill him!" yelled Harry.

Hermione slipped the cloak back over Harry and she and Ron slipped Harry quietly back to Hogwarts.

Amelia was waiting for them in Gryffindor tower.

"Harry I can understand your anger. I was not being negligent. I was on holiday. When I found out about the attack on you I came home. I can't get Cornelius to take the Dementors out."

"I'm never going back to Four Privet Drive!" said Harry. "Unless I do not have to go back there I will leave Great Britain. I was treated terribly at Four Privet Drive. I think Professor Dumbledore put me there knowing I'd be abused so he could be a savior and I'd do anything for him. I won't talk to him."

"My first year here was mostly good except when I had to go back to the Dursleys. I'm going to tell you everything they did to me and I hope all three of them go to Azkaban."

Harry proceeded to give a detailed account of his treatment at the Dursleys. When he was finished he said, "Now I cannot go back. Uncle Vernon would kill me for telling."

"You'll go back Harry, but one of us will be at the Dursleys for the entire time you are there," said Amelia. "They cannot be trusted alone with you. You will not be alone with them for one instant. Take your mind off it. Do your studies. I'll talk to the professors and get one of them to go with you to Hogsmeade. Until Black is caught please don't leave the grounds without permission."

~oOoOo~

Harry settled down and did his schoolwork. He got on speaking terms with his teachers again. The last was Professor Dumbledore. He told Harry he should have put wizards in at Four Privet drive before Harry even came to Hogwarts.

Professor Dumbledore was revolted by the news.

"I thought the sister of Lily Potter would have more character than to allow that. I'm going to have a talk with her alone!" said a displeased Professor Dumbledore. "I thought I had worked things out with the Dursleys. I can see I have not. I have to talk to all of them again!"

During the Middle of the day when Professor Dumbledore knew Petunia would be alone he put on Muggle clothing and Apparated to number Four Privet Drive.

Petunia was not happy to see him. Not wanting the neighbors to talk she spoke with him inside her home.

"I intend to visit with all of you," said Professor Dumbledore. "I'll start with you. You are Lily Potter's sister and you cannot say you do not know better than to allow a child to be treated as Harry has been. He's afraid to return to your home so there will be a wizard or witch here the entire time he is here this coming summer. They will dress as Muggles and will not interfere with your routines as long as Harry is not mistreated."

"How dare you!" hissed Petunia.

"Would you rather have us turn what you have done over to the wizarding affairs branch of the British Secret Service?" asked Professor Dumbledore. "It could result in the loss of your custody of Dudley. Their usual policy is that if they remove the wizarding child, they remove all of the children. What I am going to do is much kinder. It is time you see us as we truly are, much like you."

"Harry will have some money and will be buying Muggle clothes that fit him. The wizards think you would be good at helping them select Muggle clothing. It won't be so bad. I need to talk to Dudley and your husband so if you will excuse me I will quietly Disapparate."

Professor Dumbledore vanished with a soft pop.

~oOoOo~

Professor Dumbledore's next stop was Smeltings. A very arrogant Dudley was brought in by his Squib teacher.

"Dursley you are to have a talk with Professor Dumbledore from Hogwarts. Because I am a Squib I know about wizards. Anytime you have a question about them ask me. If I don't know the answer I will contact a wizard and get it."

The Squib teacher left. Professor Dumbledore cast silencing Charms about himself and Dudley.

"Good Afternoon Dudley," said Professor Dumbledore. "I want to talk about Harry."

"What did I do wrong now?" said Dudley.

"Harry has had a difficult year. Do you remember the story Sirius Black on the television?" asked Dumbledore.

"Yeah he's a lunatic. There are pictures of him here at the school but what's Sirius Black got to do with Harry?" asked Dudley.

"Dudley Sirius Black is a very bad wizard. We have our own prison for wizards like him. It's called Azkaban. Sirius escaped from Azkaban. He is Harry's godfather. I don't know why he turned dark. He was an Auror and Harry's Dad's best friend."

"You mean he was a cop gone bad?" asked Dudley.

"That would be a fair assessment in Muggle terms." answered Professor Dumbledore. "Azkaban is on an Island in the North Sea and it is Charmed so Muggles cannot see it. It is guarded by vicious creatures called Dementors. They are at Hogwarts watching for Sirius Black. They have attacked Harry twice. Harry is very upset. I want the Dementors out of Hogwarts and out of Azkaban. So do many of us including Amelia Bones."

"What do they look like, asked Dudley?"

"Oh, you cannot see them, as you are a Muggle. Most Squibs cannot see them but a few can," replied Professor Dumbledore.

"If I could what would I see?" asked Dudley.

"They look very frightening," said Professor Dumbledore. "They wear ragged black cloaks and float through the air the have a face with a mouth like a sea lamprey. They don't have any eyes and they are blind. They have arms but no legs. They make you feel hopeless. That is why I want them out of the school and out of the prison. The prisoners have done bad things, yes, but the use of these creatures is positively evil."

"We are going to have a wizard at your home the entire time Harry is there. They won't interfere accept if Harry is mistreated."

"Professor How do I defend against Dementors?" asked Dudley.

"Harry is learning a spell that will send them away," said Professor Dumbledore. "Chocolate should be eaten by anyone who has been exposed to a Dementor."

"I need to see your father Dudley. Your Squib teacher, Mrs Smith, will answer any further questions. Dudley study hard."

Professor Dumbledore vanished with a soft pop.

~oOoOo~

Vernon was relaxing in his private office. Professor Dumbledore Apparated in with a soft pop.

"Sorry for the interruption, Vernon we need to talk," said Professor Dumbledore. He cast Silencing Charms."

"This is my world!" barked Vernon. "I don't want you in it."

"I have a choice, Vernon, I can involve the wizarding affairs branch of the Secret Service or I can post a wizard in your home while Harry is there. If I involve the Secret Service Harry and Dudley will both be removed from your home. I know you care a great deal for Dudley and he likes you for a father. Therefore I will post and adult wizard in your home for the entire time Harry is with you. He will dress a Muggle and appear to be a guest. I have a school to run so I will take my leave of you."

Professor Dumbledore vanished with a soft pop.

~oOoOo~