A/N: On the second day of Christmas, Royari gave to you... (see profile for more info)
Harry Potter and the Guardians of the Mindspeakers
Chapter Eleven: Good Days Only Last So Long
Early the next morning, Harry was cornered by Ginny. She took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for the question she was about to ask. For a moment, Harry thought he was going to explode from embarrassment. Thank Merlin Ron was asleep…
"Yeah," he muttered. "That part of the dream was true." His eyes found the floor very interesting at this point.
Ginny's grin blossomed almost immediately. "Good," she said, her voice deceptively casual.
Harry's head shot up as she walked away. A grin spread across his face that was almost as large as the one Ginny wore.
Of course he was distracted by thoughts of Ginny when the next wave of the spell hit him. Something flickered in his chest and he began coughing, his eyes anticipating the panic he was about to endure. His cough worsened, getting hoarser and deeps, and then his breathing slowed. His eyes flitted around and he gave one last deep cough; a trickle of blood flowed from his scar. Suddenly his eyes flew open; his body locked into position as though he had been petrified. A fait green aura pulsed from his body, emitting a lightning bolt that exploded and cast the room into darkness. Harry's body was raised into the air, hanging vertically, and was slammed into the wall by a gush of magical wind.
He was alone, but as soon as Ginny felt her connection to him blocked, she screamed for help and ran back the way she'd come.
Harry didn't wake up for three days. When he did, it was to his friends sitting around his bed and Ginny gently brushing his hair out of his face. Madam Pomfrey, who had been called back from Hogwarts, tolerated their presence for a while but too soon shooed them away.
Ginny firmly planted her feet down and refused to move.
"I'm not leaving him," she insisted.
Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips. "Young lady, Mr Potter needs his rest, and your presence will not help. I've given him a potion to help his magical exhaustion, but he needs lots of rest. Think of it as though I am reenergizing him. If the two of you were to have contact with each other" – Ginny's lips twitched at the possible meaning that could have – "like holding hands, the potion would start working on you, too. And that would not be good for either of you."
Ginny frowned slightly, as if she were trying to figure something out.
"Now if you will excuse me," said an irate Pomfrey as she pushed the redhead out the door.
Something dawned on Ginny. "But that's not –" The door slammed in her face as she finished her sentence. "– Possible." The girl stared at the door, shook her head, and wandered off. Maybe she could tease Ron about Hermione; that was always fun.
Harry was allowed up the next morning, and he quickly made his way to the kitchen. Once he'd been hugged or had his back clapped by everyone present, he loaded his plate with food. Ginny had repositioned herself so that they sat next to each other while everyone else was distracted.
Mrs Weasley retrieved their OWL letters from the counter and passed them out. "Here you are everyone. The letters arrived the day – the day you were attacked, Harry, but the children wanted to wait and open them with you."
Hermione tore open her envelope and beamed. She had, of course, earned perfect marks.
***************
Dear Ms Granger,
Congratulations on successfully completing your OWLs! You are at the top of your class, tied with Mr Zabini.
Ancient Runes – O
Arithmancy – O**
Astronomy – O*
Care of Magical Creatures – O
Charms – O
Defense Against the Dark Arts – O
Herbology – O
History of Magic – O
Muggle Studies – O
Potions – O
Transfiguration – O
*Due to the unfortunate events of the night that the testing took place, the Ministry has decided to award students a grade higher than they earned on their incomplete exam. This decision was based on the grades achieved by the students and the belief that, had they been able to complete the exam, this is the grade they would have received.
**Congratulations! You have received the highest score of your year in Arithmancy. Please consider that there are several jobs involving Arithmancy and this award will speak for you if you wish to consider them.
Sincerely,
Griselda Marchbanks
***************
Harry read through his scores. He had to swallow a cry of disappointment; he had done quite well overall, but not enough to get him into one particular class.
***************
Dear Mr Potter,
Congratulations on successfully completing your OWLs!
Astronomy – E*
Care of Magical Creatures – O
Charms – O
Defense Against the Dark Arts – O**
Divination – P
Herbology – EE
History of Magic – D
Potions – EE
Transfiguration – O
*Due to the unfortunate events of the night that the testing took place, the Ministry has decided to award students a grade higher than they earned on their incomplete exam. This decision was based on the grades achieved by the students and the belief that, had they been able to complete the exam, this is the grade they would have received.
**Congratulations! You have received the highest score of your year in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Please consider that there are several jobs that involve DADA and this award will speak for you if you wish to consider them.
Sincerely,
Griselda Marchbanks
***************
Harry blinked. He'd known he would do well in DADA, but he had never expected this. Wordlessly, he handed his letter over to his friends. Ron and Harry exchanged half-disappointed, half-relieved looks; neither of them had received the O needed to get into NEWT-level Potions.
Ron's scores read:
Astronomy – EE*
Care of Magical Creatures – O
Charms – EE
Defense Against the Dark Arts – O
Divination – P
Herbology – A
History of Magic – P
Potions – A
Transfiguration – EE
Lastly, they looked at Neville's scores. He, too, had done quite well.
Astronomy – A*
Care of Magical Creatures – EE
Charms – A
Defense Against the Dark Arts – O
Divination – D
Herbology – O**
History of Magic – A
Potions – P
Transfiguration – A
Ron was slightly disappointed that his three friends had all received special recognition in something and he hadn't. However, he realized that he was neither naturally adept at a subject like Harry and Neville nor obsessively studious like Hermione. All the same, he resolved to work much harder – or to at least make an attempt – for the next two years. He didn't want to be the weak link.
"I'm so proud of you. All of you," Mrs Weasley said tearfully. Each of them received a bone-crushing hug; Ron's was extra long.
"Oh, wait until I tell Arthur. Seven OWLs! Over twice as many as the twins earned." She released the dazed boy.
Mrs Weasley smiled inwardly as the teens exchanged congratulations. It gladdened her that Hermione and Ron were finally admitting feelings for each other; as for Harry and Ginny, he deserved someone who loved him in his life. Although she didn't know Luna and Neville as well, she could tell that they were also very close.
"Now, don't forget about our trip to Diagon Alley," she reminded them. Ron's face fell at the mention of school, but Hermione lit up.
"That's wonderful. I've been dying to get down to Flourish and Blotts for ages. The last time I was there I saw a new book. I hope someone hasn't bought it already," she exclaimed.
Harry and Ron smirked, turning their expressions innocent when Hermione regarded them suspiciously.
A few hours later, as the Mindspeakers waited impatiently for Mrs Weasley, Remus, Tonks, and Sean (their guards) to come down, Harry pulled Ginny aside and handed her a package.
'Keep this with you,' he mindspoke.
In answer to her questioning look, he said, 'There's something odd going on. There haven't been any attacks in far too long. Keep this with you incase we get separated.'
They rejoined their friends to see Hermione pacing.
"Where are they?" asked Hermione impatiently, hurrying over as Ginny stuck the mirror in her bag.
Ron rolled his eyes. "'Mione, the books aren't going to get up and walk away, you know."
She scowled. "Clearly you've never read A Walking Guide to Wizarding Culture," she said primly.
Luckily, their guards arrived and prevented an argument from breaking out. They portkeyed to the Leaky Cauldron and were soon in Diagon Alley.
The most eventful occurrence of the outing occurred when Tonks, chatting with the girls and paying no attention to her surroundings, tripped and stumbled into a shop's doorway. Her hair altered between bright blue and its normal pink the rest of the way to Gringotts, where it only returned to pink after Ginny's casual reassurances.
Ron went slightly pale as he took in Harry and Ginny's entwined hands.
"My sister," he moaned. He put his hands out at his sides, palms up, and looked at the sky. "Does anyone have any idea how weird this is? My sister and my best friend. Can anyone guess how disturbing this could get?" he grumbled.
His outburst was greeted with silence.
"I thought you were fine with this," said Harry, frowning.
Ron smirked. "Oh, I am now."
He then proceeded to skip up the stairs of Gringotts and waited impatiently for them at the top.
"Has he ever done this before?" Harry asked Ginny, keeping his eyes firmly planted on his best friend.
"Never," Ginny replied, regarding her brother with equal shock.
Hermione seemed to be the only one unfazed.
"Oh, come one!" she snapped, dragging Harry and Ginny up the stairs.
Harry seemed to come out of his shock and he grinned ruefully. "Never try to keep Hermy from her books," he advised over his shoulder.
The rest of the group was trailing behind, trying to keep up with Hermione's fast pace. She grinned in determination.
"That's right," she said sweetly and sped up.
Ginny and Harry stumbled along, but when Ginny was nearly trampled he wrenched his arm out of the bushy-haired girl's surprisingly strong grip.
"Enough, Hermione!" he snapped, exasperated. "Slow down! I've got enough people trying to kill me, and the last thing I need is for my best friend to do the job for them."
Grudgingly, Hermione slowed her pace. Although she was obviously impatient, she waited without a word of complaint.
After everyone had gotten their money, they headed straight to Flourish and Blotts, lest Hermione explode. Once they had purchased their school books, Harry found himself wandering around the Defense Against the Dark Arts section. He was flipping through a book (101 Ways to Detect Dark Objects) when an idea struck him. Quickly, he called his friends over to him.
'Let's get a bunch of these books. We should each get some from every subject, including Potions. It'll be good to have books to study from."
They separated and each collected an armful of books. Hermione's was the largest, with Harry's a close second. Surprisingly, even Ron had found quite a few books; though some of them were about Quidditch, he had gotten others, mainly on DADA and strategy.
When Remus came across the Mindspeakers sorting through the selection they had compiled, he looked bemused. "Either you're building a library or you've taken a sudden interest in subjects. Especially," his eyebrows shot up as he looked at the book Neville was holding, "Potions?" He shook his head. "I don't want to know." He retreated quickly to Tonks and the safety of oblivious ignorance.
They made a quick stop at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor and Sean shrunk their bags for them before they moved on to Madam Malkin's.
After much arguing, the girls finally convinced Harry to purchase forest-green dress robes with gold trimming. Ginny's dress robes were gold with the green of Harry's robes as the trimming. Ron's were dark red and white. Hermione's were a dark purple with silver trim. Luna's were a surprisingly gently turquoise with golden stitching. Neville's robes were midnight blue with light brown stitching.
While the girls were tried on their robes, Harry pulled Madam Malkin aside and asked about ordering robes for the DA (though, obviously, he didn't actually mention the robes' purpose).
"I'm not sure how many I'll need, but I want them to be black battle robes with this design on the cloaks." He showed her a smaller, less-ornate version of the Mindspeakers' symbol. "I'll probably need about 50 robes. How much will that cost, approximately?"
Madam Malkin added up a few figures in her head and then paused. "I'm going to guess that you'll want some protection spells but on the robes," she said slowly.
"I hadn't thought of that," he admitted.
Madam Malkin gave him a queer look, as if she wondered exactly what he was up to, and summoned a piece of parchment, making a quick sketch.
"If we change the shape of the robes here…here…and here, we can add protection and shield charms…deep pockets on the inside that only the owner and one other keyed person can reach into… If we get ride of that bit, movement will be easier…" she explained.
When she finished the design, she presented it for Harry's approval.
"It's perfect!" he praised.
She nodded and arranged for Harry to pay when he picked up the robes. "Good luck with the DA," she whispered.
Harry stared at her. "How do you – I mean –," he spluttered.
She laughed. "People talk. The robes should be ready by the second week of September."
Harry inclined his head. "Thank you for your help."
"You're welcome, Mr Potter. Come back anytime."
Their next stop was at Quality Quidditch Supplies where Ron looked longingly at a display of Chudley Cannons things. Harry observed Hermione looking uncomfortable in a Quidditch environment and resolved to teach her how to fly. Pretending to have seen a Cannons player down the street, Harry distracted Ron long enough to order a selection of Chudley Cannons things for Ron's Christmas gift.
Almost as soon as they stepped into Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, they were spotted by Fred and George. The twins hurried their shoppers out of the store, telling them they "had business to attend to. But come back tomorrow!" With the customers gone and the doors locked, Fred and George turned to face their guests with identical maniacal grins.
"So, our distinguished guest has come, but it –"
"– took him long enough. You'd think our financial backer would have more of an interest in our shop, but no."
"Too good for little ol' me?"
"And me?"
"Well, you're here now –"
"– and the party can get started."
Harry found each of his arms grabbed by one of the twins. They dragged him around the shop, pointing out different items. When they passed by the Hogwarts' Houses section, Harry let out a groan, which caused Fred and George to grin in a rather evil way and take the chance to tease him.
"We've heard that you've had an experience or two with our Slytherin products."
"You know, Harry, I can see you as a Malfoy." George stuck out his tongue as Harry mimed strangling him.
Before long they were off again, telling Harry the name of some of their new products.
"Over there we have the Muddling Melodies – sings songs that drive you crazy –"
"– Got the idea from Ginny's valentine in her first year."
"Skivving Snackboxes, which you know, of course –"
"– Melting Marshmallows –"
"– Stinging Nettles –"
"– Frog Juice Gummies –"
"– and of course, our famous Harry Potter section."
Harry faltered. "You wouldn't! Would you?"
They smirked. Harry glanced frantically around, trying to find any evidence of Harry Potter products. To his relief, he found none.
"Don't worry. We don't really have any Harry Potter products," Fred assured him.
"Yeah," George agreed, "but it's not because we didn't try. We had some up the first week we opened, but when Ginny found out…" He shuddered. "We looked like Malfoys the rest of the week and had to have Lee come in to handle the customers. Business would've been ruined had they seen us like that."
When they returned to the rest of the group, Arthur and Molly turned to face Harry.
Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Financial backer?"
Harry cringed, expecting to be rebuked, but was surprised when the Weasley patriarch clapped him on the shoulder and uttered a quiet thanks.
"Arthur!" Molly screeched. "What do you mean? Fred and George are going to pay Harry back as soon as they can! We –"
"Molly," Arthur interrupted gently. "The boys were always going to go into the pranking business; it's all they've ever dreamed of doing." He raised his hands to stop his wife's protests. "I'm glad that they're doing something they enjoy. I know we never really thought a joke shop would generate a decent income, but look around. The boys' business is going so well that they might even overtake Zonko's. If Harry's money helped this happen, then I have no problem with what he did," he said softly.
Mrs Weasley nodded tearfully. "You're right, of course, Arthur. But I'm just so proud of them!" she wailed, flinging herself on her two sons and giving them one of her famous bone-crushing hugs.
"Uh, mum?" said Fred a few minutes later. "I can't breathe."
Mrs Weasley quickly let go of her boys and rolled her eyes as they sunk to the floor, thrashing around and clutching at their throats. These movements reminded the Mindspeakers of the twins' time at Hogwarts, and they exchanged tales as they were led to the flat above the shop.
One of the twins – George – waved his wand and a dainty tea set appeared, complete with tea and biscuits. When Harry asked about the tea set, George shifted and snuck a glance at his mum.
"I wanted to try summoning objects when we were in our third year, and all I could find was an old catalog of mum's that had a bunch of tea sets in it. I picked one – the one you see here – and summoned it. It took a few tries to get it, but I've never been able to get rid of it since." He scowled at the tea set. "Ruddy flowers."
The conversation drifted from subject to subject as the twelve talked about everything from there to Pluto. Finally Mrs Weasley set down her tea cup and regretfully reminded the group that they should be returning to Grimmauld Place.
After they had gathered back in the shop and prepared to leave, Sean turned to the twins.
"I started Hogwarts a year after your brother Bill. My friends and I loved going around pretending we were the Marauders. We came up with quite a few pranks, and I think there might be some you don't know. Maybe we could meet up sometime and I could tell you about them?" he offered.
The twins looked almost worshipful. "Perfect," they chorused, and the three pranksters shared a grin.
Cloaks were put on and good-byes said. The doors were unlocked and the twins handed Harry a small package with instructions "to open it later". They even got in a few parting shots about Harry and Ginny. Harry didn't mind; clearly they weren't against whatever relationship he and Ginny had.
A laughing Remus opened the door, and before it had opened even an inch, they heard something that erased all amusement: screams of pure, tortured agony, of pain and death and overwhelming anguish.
"Wait here," Remus ordered grimly. He ducked outside and returned almost as quickly as he had left. His face was ashen with grief, disgust, and fear and it told them everything they need to know.
"Death Eaters."
