Chapter 10 Learn Something New
Disclaimer: I wish I owned Harry Potter
A/N: I don't know if I had this in previous chapters, but here it is just in case. It is already December and getting closer to Christmas, enjoy.
Albus Dumbledore Responsible for Boy-Who-Lived Being Abused
By Rita Skeeter
Albus Dumbledore is known to many as you the Greatest Wizard of the Century, but this reporter has heard from reliable sources that Albus Dumbledore is responsible for putting Harry Potter, yes The-Boy-Who-Lived, in a home where he was physically and mentally abused for eleven years. Mr. Potter was not available for comment on the matter, however Albus Dumbledore was. "I suspect that this is all the product of a child's overly active imagination," he told this reporter during an interview. Several of my sources have told me that Mr. Potter apparently has several scars and burn marks all over his right and left arms. Several of Mr. Potter's friends were available for comment. "Harry has never really told me anything about his home life, we're usually busy playing chess, or quidditch," Ronald Weasley told me when asked about Mr. Potter's home life. See more on page 5.
"Well this is just wonderful, isn't it," Harry said sarcastically while putting down the latest issue of the Daily Prophet.
It had been one week since Harry's home life had been exposed to the entire Wizarding World. Articles like Skeeters had been a constant in every single news outlet except for one, The Quibbler.
"I told you Harry, the Prophet only publishes-"
"Snorkack dung, I remember Luna, and remind me to thank your dad for not publishing anything," Harry said with a light smile.
"Well I suggest that we-"
"Prank the living daylight-"
"Out of Ronnikins over there," the twins said sending death glares at their younger brother.
"How could that prat do that, just sit there and say that he's your best friend when you have not even spoken ten sentences to him," Neville asked to no one in particular, while shaking his head.
"It's the wackspurts," Luna said while shrugging.
"Well it's obvious-"
"That two people in this-"
"Hall need to be-"
"Ruthlessly-"
"Swiftly-"
"Pranked."
"I agree. Fred, George where are we on the boil potion," Neville asked.
"With Snape's help done by tonight," the twins said together.
"Well, let us go and check," Neville said as he stood is and left with the twins not noticing that Harry and Luna did not get up," Oh do you think that Susan can come with us?"
"How long do you think before they notice that we aren't following them," Harry asked.
"I suspect until they get to the dungeons," she said with a smile," Are you okay Harry?"
"No. No I'm not."
"Why?"
"You know why Luna," he snapped at her.
"Yes I do, but you need to hear yourself say it," she said softly.
"Your right. Sorry."
"It's ok Harry; sometimes you just can't help but let the Wackspurts get to you. Now what's bothering you," she said turning very serious.
"It's just... I wish I knew why he did this to me. Not telling me about my parents , not telling me about... well me, but most of all, I'm angry that he let the Dursley's beat me for ten bloody years," he said, tears threatening to spill from his eyes.
"It's obvious, why he did it Harry."
"What do you mean?"
"He wants you to feel isolated and cut off. He wants you to feel as if no one cares about you," she said putting her hand on Harry's.
"But why?"
"To make you fit his plan for controlling you,"
"You seem to have some knowledge about this," Harry joked.
"Well I'm just saying what I would do if I was Dumbledore. Because if I was that's how I would want you to feel... because if it's just you alone, you're not as much of a threat. You would be desperate for someone to reach out that the first person that did, you would see them as your savior, enter Dumbledore," she said simply.
"How did I get so lucky to have an amazing friend like you," he asked with a rather large grin.
"You walked out of a wand shop at the perfect moment, and saw girls making fun of me," she said bluntly.
"Oh, yeah. Who would have thought that bullies would be responsible for an amazing friendship?"
"Wackspurts," she said while shrugging.
"Well for once, let us thank the bully's, because that is what brought us together," he said lifting his goblet in a toast.
"Here, here," Luna said smiling while doing the same as Harry before they both downed their pumpkin juice.
"So while we wait for our amazing friends to notice our absence what shall we talk about," Harry asked putting more juice into his goblet.
"What are you going to do over the break," Luna asked putting pancakes on her plate.
"Oh well, I'm probably going to stay here at Hogwarts. How 'bout you?"
"Oh I'm going home and celebrating Christmas with daddy."
"That sounds nice. Sirius is still trying to 'cleanse' his house," Harry said with a smile.
"Would you like to spend Christmas with me and daddy," Luna asked with an excited look on her face.
"That sounds really fun; I think that Sirius will let me go."
"He can come to, if he wants to."
"Will your dad be okay with us going over?"
"Oh yes I'm sure that he will be very happy that I'm having friends over. The only friend that I had over when I was little was the twins little sister, Ginny," Luna said with a smile still on her face.
"Oh, well as long as he's ok with it then consider this invitation accepted," he said extending his arm to shake her hand.
Luna squealed and pulled Harry into a hug ignoring his hand which caused him to go red.
"When are we leaving," Harry asked when he was released from the hug.
"We're leaving the 20th of December, so be prepared," Luna said while drowning her pancakes in syrup.
"I'm surprised that you're not adding pudding to that," Harry joked.
"That's an amazing idea Harry, why didn't I think of that before," Luna said mentally scolding herself, and reaching for the vanilla pudding.
"I was just- ah well why not."
The two friends sat in a the Hall eating breakfast for ten minutes before Neville came up to them.
"Oh so much his is where you two ran off to," Neville said with a grin.
"We never left, it was you and the twins that did," Harry told him.
"Don't forget Susan," Luna said preparing another pudding pancake.
"Is she putting pudding on a pancake," Neville asked tilting his head.
"Yes she is. She has the largest sweet tooth that I have ever seen."
"Thank you Harry," Luna said looking up from her creation.
"You're welcome, Luna."
"Well I just came to tell you that the boil potion is ready, no thanks to you two," Neville said with a mock sneer.
"I thought it wouldn't be ready until tonight," Luna asked looking puzzled.
"Well when Snape heard what we wanted to do he decided to help us. But still why weren't you two there?"
"Well we just had so much faith that you and the twins,-"
"And Susan," Neville added.
"Right, and Susan, could figure it out on your own that we felt that we weren't needed," he said sarcastically.
2:00 am the next day.
A hooded figure stood in front of four others in a dimly lit room. There was a map of the school in front of the man. The map was lying on a small table, along with several compasses and a picture of Dumbledore at his seat at the Head of the table.
"You all know why we're here. We are here to perform a highly dangerous and potentially life threatening mission. I am going to offer an opportunity to get out of it, this is a onetime deal. Take this opportunity and there will be no hard feelings, accept this mission and you will be putting your very lives at risk, however the reward will be great. If any you wish to leave, you may do so now... no takers, well let's get started. We will infiltrate here under the cover of night, careful not to trip any alarms. Once inside we will pour the potions into the goblets that have already been set up. Before you ask the potions evaporate quickly however what remains will still do the job that we require of them. The next morning when our target arrives for their morning meal... it will happen. And once it does we will just sit back and let the laughter roll over us like a sea of happiness. Any questions," Fred Weasley asked his fellow Mischief Managers after outlining what they needed to do on a diagram of the Great Hall. Their purpose to perform their latest prank on Albus Dumbledore, Supreme Prat.
"I have a question why are we hooded and in a dimly lit room," Harry asked removing his hood.
"I like the feeling it provides," Fred told him removing his hood, followed by the rest of the Managers and Susan, who was now an initiate.
"Yes, I also have a question, how is this mission life threatening," Neville asked.
"Well you see it isn't but I just wanted to add a little drama for our newest initiate," Fred said gesturing towards Susan.
"Oh well I guess now would be a good time to tell you that I don't really like drama," Susan said with a nervous smile.
"Well then you obviously haven't met Harry," George said with a rather large grin.
"Thanks George," Harry said sarcastically.
"I'm Fred-" George started
"No you're not, don't even try to pull that one with me, Fred has a small mole above his right eye," Harry said with a smug look.
"Our own mother can't tell us apart and she gave birth to us-"
"Yet you can and you've known us for four months-"
"Despicable-"
"Pitiful-"
"I suggest that we prank her-"
"I second the motion-"
"Alas she will be in Romania for Christmas-"
"Rats, we must look into this further," The twins said in their playful banter.
"Well if you two are done with planning a future revenge then I suggest that we focus on the current revenge," Neville told them.
"Yes of course-"
"Silly us to get-"
"Caught up on plans of the future-"
"Let us initiate project DUMBLEDORK!"
"I still don't think that he's worthy enough to be named after one of our projects," Harry told the twins.
"I'm going to have to agree with Harry," Luna told the twins.
"It was the only thing-"
"That we could come up with-"
"On such short notice," they said with shrugs.
"We really need to take the creation of project names away from you two," Harry said with a sigh.
They four pranksters and one initiate made their way to the Great Hall using the map to remain undetected by Filch; man did they hate that guy. They made their way to the head table where the silverware, plates, and goblets had already been placed for breakfast, Those elves love to keep busy don't they, Harry thought as he pulled a vial out of his robe. Harry uncorked the bottle and poured it into the Professors multiple goblets since he did not trust drinking from the same one too often.
Susan came up behind Harry and did the same thing with a different vial. When they were finished they snuck back to Ravenclaw Tower to mentally prepare for the amount of laughter that would happen the next day.
When the sun rose the Mischief Managers rose with it. Despite getting up at two in the morning earlier that day they were determined to be there when the potions did what they were supposed to do. Oh what a glorious day it would be.
The five Managers met at the Ravenclaw table which drew some stares from the other students, mainly due to the fact that a Hufflepuff was sitting with four Ravenclaw pranksters. From the staff table three Professors watched the new development with great interest, these Professors were, Snape, Flitwick, and Sprout.
"Looks like a unified Hogwarts might finally be a reality," Flitwick said to Sprout who was sitting to his right.
"Yes hopefully it will finally happen. This new batch of students look very promising," Sprout said with a rather large smile.
"Oh please, Potter is only trying to do this in order to gather more fame," Snape told them. Although Snape didn't really believe that, he felt as though he had to keep up appearances for the Headmaster,I'm no use to Harry if I'm not here to protect him.
"Oh please Severus, put your petty rivalry with James away for a second and see that he is only trying to make friends," Flitwick said with a nod from Sprout.
"The Potters were always up to no good, what makes you think that this one is any different," Snape asked.
"He is a very good student and is almost at the top of his year, he is only behind Ms. Lovegood and I suspect that it is only because he was raised by muggles . I can certainly see as to why the Sorting Hat placed him in Ravenclaw," Flitwick declared proudly.
"Say what you will Filius but I can guarantee you that he is going to be exactly like that... horrid James Potter," he said, That should be enough to keep my cover for today.
Harry pulled out the mirror that Sirius had given him just as Dumbledore came into the Great Hall. He waited a minute before Sirius' face showed itself on the mirror.
"Harry, are you okay? Is there a problem," Sirius asked with a worried look on his face.
"Sirius, calm down. Nothing's wrong, but you're going to want to see this," Harry said with a rather large grin.
Harry turned the mirror and pointed it towards Dumbledore's spot at the staff table. Dumbledore sat down and filled one of his goblets with water but not drinking from it.
"How much does he have to drink again," Neville asked the twins in a whisper.
"One sip-"
"One tincy-"
"Tiny-"
"Itty-"
"Bitty-"
"Sip is all it will take," The twins said with eager eyes.
The stared at him for what seemed like an eternity, but in reality had been five minutes. Dumbledore finally took a sip of water and as soon as he swallowed regret immediately appeared on his face.
Large red boils began to appear on his face spelling out 'HOT STUFF' before puss squirted out of them. His cheeks began to become enlarged before he was forced to open his mouth making his tongue roll from the staff table to the entrance of the Hall.
"Fred use the spoil charm on the milk," Harry whispered.
Fred preformed the charm on a goblet of milk and 'accidentally' spilled it on Dumbledore's tongue, which could still taste everything that it touched; in fact it was even more sensitive than before. When the milk touched Dumbledore's tongue he gagged and began to roll his tongue back towards the staff table.
"In all my years at Hogwarts not even I had the guts to do something like that... you make me so proud," Sirius said through the mirror while brushing fake tears away.
"Calm down you dramatic dog," Harry told him.
"Well I think that this lovely prank has been a success," Neville said with a look of pride on his face.
"HERE, HERE" the other pranksters shouted in agreement.
"Well if that is all you called me for then I really must be getting back to purging my home of my mother's influence," Sirius said with a very large grin.
"Oh ok Padfoot see you at the Lovegoods," Harry said before putting the mirror down.
While this was happening, the entire Great Hall was in hysterics. In fact most of the staff was laughing at an angered Albus Dumbledore, who was still trying to roll his extended tongue back to his mouth.
I sincerely hope that that blasted three headed dog eats those damn Weasly twins, the Headmaster thought, while narrowing his eyes towards the Ravenclaw table. He tries to look into the mind of the Longbottom boy to see how they managed to perform the prank only to find out that the boy had Occlemancy shields, granted they were not very strong, but they were strong enough that he couldn't find what he needed without hurting the boy. He tried this with the Lovegood girl only to be met with the same resistance, and again with the twins from hell. He then moved over to the Bones girl and she had the strongest shields out of the four, although that was not very surprising due to the fact that her aunt was the head of the DMLE and did not trust Dumbledore one bit. As for the others, Dumbledore could only assume that since they were from pure blood families that their parents had done some training with Occlemancy, which left Harry, Surely he won't have any shields, since he was raised with muggles who were opposed to anything magical. Oh how mistaken our dear Headmaster was.
He tried to look into the child's mind only to find that he was pushed out almost immediately. Dumbledore sensed how strong the shields were and decided to push a little harder, causing Harry to look around sensing that someone was tapping into his mind. Dumbledore decided that it was too risky to try to peer into any of the children's minds... at least for now.
"Did good ole Dumbles try to take a peek inside your minds also," Neville asked his friends.
"He tried it with me," Luna told him.
"Me to," Harry told him.
"Us to," the twins informed him.
"Me to," Susan told him.
"Did he get to see anything," Neville asked Susan.
"No I have pretty strong Occlemancy shields," Susan told the Managers to their surprise.
"You have Occlemancy training," Neville asked Susan with a look of shock.
"Yeah, my Auntie doesn't really trust Dumbledore too much so she made sure my shields were strong before I came here," she explained to her friends.
"Oh, and here I am thinking that I should have you start learning Occlemancy from Snape," Harry told her.
"Wait, Snape has been teaching you guys Occlemancy," she asked with a shocked look.
"Every Tuesday and Thursday," Luna told her with her usual dreamy look.
"From everything that I heard about Snape… well let's just say I didn't think that he was the nicest person in the world," she told them.
"Yeah we thought the exact same thing when we first met him-"
"But as it turns out he is a very nice and reasonable person," the twins told Susan.
"Learn something new every day," Susan muttered.
Tell me what you think, and tell your friends about it… please-Pacco1