Disclaimer: I own nothing, it all belongs to J.K Rowling.
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The next morning Harry woke up, got ready for class and went down to the common room. There was a crowd of Gryffindors huddled around the message board. They made a path when they saw Harry coming so he could see the notices. Harry didn't think she would make this play so soon, but it's not like he didn't know it was coming.
There were seven educational decrees on the board, most were about dress code and noise, but one detailed Umbridge's role as Inquisitor and the other disbanded all clubs. Harry could hear angry grumbling around him.
"Not the study club-"
"I'm doing so much better in Charms-"
"What's the point of that-"
"I'm owling my parents-"
"That woman!"
Harry hid a smirk. This was exactly the response that Harry wanted. He really did mean it when he said he started this club to help everyone. He knew from the books that Fudge was so addled-minded that he thought the school was Dumbledore's rebellion headquarters and that teenagers were his army. Honestly, that man shouldn't be in charge of a popsicle, let alone a magical nation. Harry knew that any attempts to start the DA in secret would be met with harsh punishment by Umbridge because every future in which he did so ended up with them eventually being caught.
He didn't know what to do for a while but with Voldemort out there and the future changing with every thought, the students had to know how to defend themselves. The books changed all the time but one of the things that remained the same was Voldemort's attack on Hogwarts. The bastard was obsessed with the place! He would lay siege and the students would be sitting ducks! Harry stayed up for a week at Grimmauld Place trying to think of a solution when it finally came to him!
The club was brilliant! Well, having to teach the Death Munchkins wasn't ideal, but this way the students could learn and he could piss Umbridge off at the same time. The plan was that if the club became popular and Umbridge shut it down, then the whole school would make a fuss like it was no one's business! The student body, their parents, the teachers! Everyone would be all over her, wondering why someone that was there to bring the school back to its former excellence, was standing in the way of a club that was doing just that!
And while Umbridge and Fudge were suffering under the weight of suspicious scrutiny, with all eyes on them they would be sure to screw up too big for people to ignore. Fudge was a moron and Umbridge was a sadist, wizards and witches may like to keep their heads in the sand, but even they would get riled up if someone messed with their kids. He put away his thoughts and turned around to expectant faces. They immediately stopped talking to hear what Harry would say.
"I don't know what's going on guys, but I'll speak to Umbridge and see about getting the club back up and running."
Dean spoke up, "Not by yourself, mate. She hates you for some reason. She could say no out of spite."
People were nodding in agreement, "Well…how about I get some people from the Houses to come with me, like as representatives. To show her that the whole school wants the Club back." Harry queried.
Lavender suddenly said, "How about the Houses each circulate a petition and get everyone to sign! So she'll know the House representatives speak for everyone!"
Everyone stared at her in amazement. Something came out of her mouth that wasn't in an article of Teen Witch. The poor girl was starting to look uncomfortable so Harry said, "That's a great idea, Lavender! I'll get started on that right now."
Hermione was sitting in one of the armchairs. She got up as Harry made to leave. She ran over to him and said, "Hey Harry, I'll help you put together a draft petition." She abruptly became hesitant, "…if you want me to."
Hermione was a smart girl and she had been picking up on the fact that Harry was becoming annoyed with her always harping on him. Not that he enjoyed it before, but it seemed like a part of him liked to be mothered so he let it slide. That didn't seem to be the case anymore though and ever since Harry told her that she needed to think for herself and be her own person, she had been trying to let him do the same.
Harry beamed, "Thanks! That would be great! I'll get some parchment and we can work on it over breakfast."
Hermione smiled and followed him up to his dorm, she walked in and said, "Hey…where's Ron?"
Harry shrugged, "I don't know. He was gone when I woke up, his stomach probably didn't want to wait for us."
But when they entered the Great Hall, they saw that Ron was sitting at their usual spot gnawing on some sausage and perusing a textbook.
"Ehhh…Ron…what's going on?"
Ron looked up at him, "I'm studying, mate. Speaking of studying, what are we going to do about the club?!"
Harry and Hermione were still staring at him like he had grown an extra pair of ears.
"Ronald…you've never taken such an interest in studying before…" Hermione's words dropped off when Ron turned pink. Ron had been going to the study club every night but they thought it was just because Harry and Hermione were always there and he didn't want to be alone. Either way, they were too wrapped up in tutoring or being tutored to pay him any mind.
Ron motioned for them to sit. When they did, he took a deep breath, lowered his voice and said, "I didn't…want to tell you guys... McGonagall wrote my parents over the summer and told them that I was in danger of failing my OWL year and being expelled if I didn't start taking school more seriously." Ron's eyes were stuck on his plate, "My mom freaked out of course, and they told me that if I didn't bring up my grades, they would pull me out and homeschool me themselves. I've been sending my graded assignments back home to my dad so that they can see that I'm doing better."
"That's why we gotta get Umbridge to let us form the club again!" Ron said insistently, "Doing homework is so much easier now that I can get help to rea-…help to study."
Harry and Hermione looked at each other, they caught that slip, "Ronald…were you going to say help to read…?"
Ron's face closed up and he suddenly became focused on his breakfast, "Mate," Harry said softly, "We're your friends, we just want to help."
Ron looked like he was going to respond, but at that moment a group of Ravenclaws descended on Harry to urge him to speak to Umbridge and get the club back. When Harry turned back to Ron, he could see that the moment was gone and that he would have to try to get Ron to open up another time.
Harry and Hermione scarfed down a quick breakfast and then got to work on the petition. They had cobbled together a quick draft when their Head of House strolled over to Harry.
"Mr. Potter," McGonagall said, "The Headmaster would like to see you in his office after breakfast. And don't forget his fondness for Chocolate Globules."
Harry nodded. He wondered what Dumbledore wanted now. But before he wasted his time with him, he had a little something for Luna.
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Harry left the final draft of the petition in Hermione's capable hands and made the trip to Dumbledore's office. He pushed the door open to see Dumbledore gazing at the person in front of him with his disappointed look going full force. Said person didn't seem too concerned though because they turned to Harry with an amused smile on their face.
"Se…Sebastian?!" Harry gawped.
"Hello again, Harry," Sebastian said pleasantly.
Dumbledore steepled his fingers and leaned forward.
"So you have already met." It was a statement, although he said it like a question.
"Yes, we have. Now it was lovely chatting, but we must get on. Harry and I have much to discuss," Sebastian said smoothly. Dumbledore looked stunned by the sudden dismissal.
'The old man has had people kissing his butt for too long,' Harry thought, fighting a smirk.
"Oh yes, of course," Dumbledore recovered, "You are welcome to use my office. I'll leave and give you some privacy."
Sebastian said nothing. He just looked up at all the nosy paintings staring down at him, then he cocked an eyebrow at Albus.
Dumbledore's eyes narrowed at the insinuation, true or not, then waved a hand at them and tried to say cheerily, "Please, wander the grounds to your heart's content, but your business must be concluded within half an hour. Harry has classes to attend."
Sebastian got up, put a hand on Harry's shoulder and led him out of the room. When they were a safe distance away from Headmaster's office, Harry burst out, "What happened?! Is it Sirius?! I only saw him yesterday!"
"No! No, it's not Sirius! His condition is unchanged. No, I'm here because there is more we need to talk about." Harry cocked his head at him, confused. "Before…before Sirius was attacked…he appointed me…to be your Advocate and temporary guardian in his place if something were to happen to him."
"What?! But…but I don't-"
"You don't know me," Sebastian finished for him. Harry jerked his head in agreement. Sebastian sighed, "I know. I know this is strange for you, but I care for Sirius and Sirius cares for you. As such, I care for you and I will do whatever it takes to see to your well-being. I'm taking a position at Saint Mungo's and renting a flat near Grimmauld Place in Magical London. There are things that Sirius set in motion that I plan on continuing. Lessons in advanced dueling and estate management, things like that. I won't get into all of it now because you have to head to class, but I want you to know that I am taking this very seriously and that you are my first priority."
Sebastian said this with complete sincerity, looking Harry in the eye, well up until Harry got embarrassed and looked away, "Um…okay…thanks."
Sebastian's lips quirked up into a smile, "I have one of those ingenious mirrors that Sirius and his friends made, so if you need me just use that to contact me."
Harry nodded with his eyes on his feet, so he was too slow to escape before Sebastian was on him. Sebastian had scooped him up into a hug and let go so fast that Harry had barely gotten out his "OI!," before it was over.
Sebastian let out a musical laugh at Harry's flustered face and threw over his shoulder as he walked away, "I'm off to see a Madam Pomfrey about your new diet. I'll see you on Saturday for your medical check-up."
Harry sputtered in surprise, the leggy old git didn't waste any time. He had only been Harry's guardian for less than 48 hours.
Irate for no good reason, Harry was stomping his way back to his first class when he saw Ginny a few feet ahead of him, chatting with some girls.
Harry thought back to his concussion-induced dream, if Dream Ginny's intentions weren't real, then why did the real Ginny dislike him?
Harry steeled himself and walked over to the group, "Excuse me. Ginny, can I talk to you for a sec?"
Ginny looked him up and down, considering, then she broke away from her friends and followed Harry to a quieter spot in the hallway.
Harry spun on her and said, "Ginny, what's up?! Why have you been acting so weird lately and treating me like dung you scraped off your shoes?! I thought we were friends?!"
Ginny reeled back. She wasn't expecting Harry to be so blunt about it.
"Well…since you asked…" Ginny looked around to make sure no one was listening in, then she looked him in the eye, "You're just so…so infuriating! For years you have walked around with that 'woe is me' poor, little famous rich boy routine! I mean honestly, sporting oversized rags when the whole world knows that the Potters were loaded and you could have done something about it anytime! It took an escaped criminal to buy you a new wardrobe! "
"But-"
"Scuttling away from the spotlight like a cockroach! Your famous, Harry! People actually care when you speak! They lean in to listen! Do you know what kind of influence you have?! The positive things that you can do with it?!"
"But I-"
"Refusing to take the credit for anything you have done! 'I got lucky' or "I had help," Ginny's voice had taken on mocking tone, "You fought a basilisk and lived to tell the tale! You went up against dementors, dragons, and Dark Lords! But will you admit it?! No! Not without down-playing your role so much, you might have well have not been there!"
"Just-"
"You don't appreciate a whit of what you have! And I'm not talking about money! I'm talking about power! Power to…to change! To change our world for the better! A power I would give anything for! The power to make our world a better place for people like my parents, for Luna, for Hermione! Anything! And you have that power and YOU DON'T CARE!" Ginny's chest was heaving, it seemed she had been holding that in for a long time. "So…there's your answer… I know that things have been rough for you Harry, but wake up! Life is hard for everyone. The only difference is that you can do something about it, even if it's not much, you can still do something! The Wizarding World wants to know what the Great Harry Potter has to say, so why don't you say something that matters!" With that, she stomped off and left a deflated Harry in her wake.
Harry stumbled to his first class in shock. Was Ginny right? Why had he worn those rags for so long when he knew since he was eleven that he had money? Why did he feel this all-consuming need to never take credit for anything? Was he really so deep into his own angst that he didn't realize the kind of influence he had? He had let those foul cretins, or his relatives, tell him that he was worthless for so long that he started to believe it. Ginny was a bit harsh, but he did need that wake-up call. His only thought so far has been to survive past the last chapter of the books, but instead, maybe he should be thinking about what he was going to do with his life if he still had it after Voldemort was through with him.
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Harry and Hermione were standing outside the Hufflepuff Common Room after dinner. They were ready to deliver a petition and discuss their plans for getting the study club back.
"Why couldn't we hand these out at dinner?" Harry whined for the fifth time.
Hermione gave him an exasperated look, "Because we can't pass these out under Umbridge's nose! We only want to pull out the petitions if your talk with her doesn't seem to be going well. Now come on! We have two other Houses to see before curfew."
"But we can't get in! We have to wait for a Hufflepuff with the password," Harry said confused. But that didn't seem to be slowing her down. She walked to the portrait and said to Harry.
"Honestly Harry, why won't you read Hogwarts, A History?! We don't need the password."
Harry was looking at her like she was crazy, but she ignored him and turned to the portrait. "Parley," she said authoritatively. The man in the painting raised an eyebrow at her but otherwise said nothing.
"Hermione Granger and Harry Potter from the House of Gryffindor." The man inclined his head and the portrait swung open to reveal the passageway into Hufflepuff House.
Harry hurried after Hermione and hissed, "What just happened?!
"'Parley' is the password that students can use to enter another House. It's not used much because many students don't know about it. And because people tend to not make friends with anyone outside of their House and act like the common rooms are sacred or something."
"It's a good thing it's not used! Can you imagine anyone being able to tromp in and out?!"
"It's not like that, Harry. The password won't work after curfew and everyone who uses it has to state their name and House like I just did. So there would be no point in making trouble because the teachers would know it was you."
They were free to have their discussion because the hallway they were in was long and winding and they had yet to make their way out of it. 'It must be like a badger's hole.' Harry thought in amazement.
He put his attention back to their conversation and said, "But couldn't someone just lie about who they were?"
"Not by using "Parley." That's why the House passwords are such a secret because if you have a password you will be let in no matter who you are, hence the hullabaloo with Sirius in third year. A suspected mass murderer was able to stroll right in because Neville left the passwords lying around. But the 'parley' password is meant to keep us safe from other people just wandering in and causing mischief. It can only be used by students because adults need permission from the Head of House and if those students lie about who they are, even if they were Polyjuiced, they wouldn't be let in. The portraits are connected to Hogwarts and Hogwarts can't be fooled."
Hermione fondly rubbed her hand against the passage wall and Harry gifted her with his patented 'Have you gone mental look?' But then all of a sudden a warm breeze washed over them when the air was still and dead before. Hermione gave him a smug look and continued through the passage and out into the common room.
Creeped out, Harry practically ran after her. They stepped through into the common room and everything seemed to freeze. The common room itself was…cozy. That was the only way to describe it. The room was round and earthy like a Hobbit Hole. Almost everything was made of wood and the doors and passageways were all circular. There was a bright and airy feel due to the multitude of round windows that surrounded them. The theme seemed to be yellow, black and green. The various shades of yellow and black were showcased by the walls and furniture and the green could be seen by the dozens of plants that were all over the room.
But the wonder of the common room isn't what made time stop, it was the sudden intrusion of two Gryffindors into the Hufflepuff sanctuary. Don't get me wrong, Hufflepuffs were an easy-going lot and they didn't mind visitors from other Houses, but usually, those visitors were escorted in by a member of their House. They didn't just walk in without so much as a by your leave!
A fourth-year, Zachariah Smith, leaped out of the armchair he was reclining in and shouted, "OI! What do you think you're doing?! How did you get in here?!"
The sixth-year prefect, a tall weedy little waif that went by the name Karl Limpley, got out of his seat and said to Smith, "I'll handle this, Zachariah, thank you," he turned to them and gave them a harsh look, "What are you doing in here?" He said simply.
Harry stepped forward and cleared his throat, he made sure his voice would carry and stated, "We aren't here to cause trouble, we are here about the study club." The room perked up and all the hostile faces were replaced by interested ones. "There have already been students that have gone to Umbridge today about their clubs and groups and she turned them down for being 'superfluous'. But we figured that if we made a united front before Umbridge then we'll have a better chance. We have drawn up a petition for your House members to sign if they want the club back, and we are hoping that you'll choose a representative for your House who'll come with me to speak to Umbridge on Wednesday. We'll make our case, show that the whole school supports the club, and hope that we can be back up and running within the week."
Hermione was silent during Harry's speech but she spoke up now, "We will be going to Ravenclaw and Slytherin, yes Slytherin!" The Hufflepuffs were looking at her in disbelief at that, "At the end of the day, our studies are more important than any immature rivalries. As I was saying, we will be speaking to the other Houses and trying to get their support as well. The Great Hall was full to bursting every night and I, for one, was thankful to have a place to study that wasn't as loud as the common rooms and gave me chance to collaborate on my homework without Madam Pince breathing fire on me." There was a chuckle at that. "So we are both hoping that you will join us in getting our club back. If you will, have your chosen representative meet Harry at eight o' clock on Wednesday night outside of the Great Hall. Thank you."
She gave Karl the petition and she and Harry turned to leave. The Hufflepuffs let them go without further comment, they were too busy sitting down to discuss what action they wanted to take.
Harry and Hermione went to Ravenclaw Tower and made their presentation without much fuss about their unannounced presence. The Ravenclaws knew that Harry and Luna were friends and that Hermione was brilliant so figuring out the password wouldn't be difficult for her. They didn't listen in silence though, they asked loads of questions and wouldn't let them leave until they were answered to their satisfaction. Ravenclaws tended to stay under the radar, their studies and grades the most important to them. They didn't want to mar perfect records by getting under Umbridge's skin. They knew she was a Ministry stooge but since many of them had hopes of working for the Ministry one day, they didn't want to get on the bad side of the Minister's Undersecretary.
But even with all that being said, the club was a godsend to them. Harry's godfather had spared no expense and had gifted the club with the most high-end, top quality study materials. They had the best cauldrons, rare and expensive potion ingredients, top-of-the-line, professional Herbology tents that had Professor Sprout salivating, and test study guides that students usually had to pay for themselves because the library didn't supply them, and these guides weren't cheap. They were like kids in a bookshop when they entered the Great Hall the night the study club opened. They waved the Gryffindors away and sat down to discuss the pros and cons of signing the petition and going to see Umbridge.
Hermione and Harry scurried away and began the trek down to the dungeons. Slytherin was the last House that they had to see. They had decided to go alone because Ron was studying and because they didn't want to show up with a posse of Gryffindors and make it seem like an ambush. But this could still go very badly.
Hermione spoke softly but her voice seemed to echo throughout the empty hallway, "Don't worry Harry, the portrait will keep a record of the fact that we were there. It has to when someone uses the parley password. Even if they murder us and dispose of our bodies, they most likely won't get away with it."
Harry stumbled alarmed! He sputtered, "Oh thanks, Hermione! You made me feel loads better!" He said sarcastically. Hermione smiled at him but her lips were doing a nervous twitch.
They got to the portrait, said 'parley', gave their names and hesitantly stepped into the common room. It took about four seconds for the inhabitants of the common room to register who they were and five seconds before about twenty wands were pointed at them.
Harry threw up his hands to show that they were wandless, "Woah Woah Woah! We come in peace!" Not a single wand dipped. "We are here to talk about the study club. That's it." Now a few wands dipped. Harry gave his speech and handed the petition to a first-year that was obviously befuddled by all the hostility.
"So that's the plan and we'll leave and-"
"How did you get in here?!" Someone in the crowd shouted.
"We used the parley password," Harry said simply. Some of them still looked nonplussed, but understanding dawned on a few faces.
"Why should we sign this?! Or do anything you just said, Potter?!" Theodore Nott hissed.
"Whatever you guys do is up to you. We made our case to the other Houses as well and we hope that you'll all join us to give our request more weight, but if you don't want to, that's fine. So that's all we have to say. Good night."
Harry turned his back on them and strolled out the passage with Hermione. He acted all confident but he was sure they weren't going to make it out of their without being cursed at least twenty-six times.
When the portrait closed behind them they let out a relieved breath. "See! We have all of our limbs and we weren't even maimed!" Hermione exclaimed.
They fell into a fit of giggles. They were feeling pretty proud of themselves when a thundercloud of rage and pitiful bitterness rounded the corner at lightning speed. Never one to miss an opportunity to take the slimy bastard down, Harry quickly took his wand and turned on the Recording Quill hidden in his pocket. He had a few of them and he kept one on him at all times.
"HOW DARE YOU?!" Snape bellowed, "HOW DID YOU GET IN THERE?!"
"H-How d-did you kno-?" Hermione stammered. She was completely taken aback by Snape's fury.
"HA! You didn't think anyone would find out did you, Potter?! Thought you could just traipse in, cause a ruckus and make your escape! STUPID BOY! All these paintings report to me! Just like the filthy excuse for a man that spawned you! No doubt you set up some asinine prank! But I caught you! I'll have you expelled before you can say Pumpkin Juice!" Snape looked like he was about to wet himself with glee, "Now how did you get the password?!"
Harry forced a smile on to his face and said happily, "We didn't, Sir. We used the parley password." He couldn't hold back his smirk when he saw the wind go out of Snape's sails.
He knew how 'parley' worked, not even Potter would be foolish enough to try anything when there was a record of his coming and going.
Frustrated, he spun on Hermione, "You insufferable little know-it-all! Why am I surprised that you have managed to ferret out more information that you have no business with?! Now what you were doing in there?!"
"We were just checking it out. We wanted to know what the other House Common Rooms looked like," Harry gave him a beatific smile, but Snape actually snarled at him. Snarled!
"You! You little-! GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!" Snape screamed, showering them with spittle
Harry and Hermione didn't waste time in doing just that and Snape shouted the password at the portrait and stormed into the Common Room to question his Slytherins.
But, surprisingly, he got nowhere with them. His House just gave him bland, non-committal answers and he left in a mood that was even more foul than normal. But the Slytherins were unrepentant, they still needed time to decide what part, if any, they would play in trying to get the study club back. And if their Head of House knew about the petition or any of it, he would make it his mission to stand in their way. They had already been yelled at numerous times because they dared to go to club meetings and participate. One fourth-year Slytherin had even sat down to listen to one of the Potions tutorials and Snape had given her detention for two weeks, and he never gave them detention! He was usually always on their side, but when it came to Harry Potter he just couldn't seem to think clearly. At first, they thought it was funny but now…now it was just kind of sad.
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Harry cornered Ron the next day during their free period. Ron had been avoiding him and the topic of his studying difficulties since his slip.
"Ron! Come on! I'm your best mate!" Ron stubbornly refused to look him in the face. Harry sighed, "Is it dyslexia?" He said softly, "Because it's okay, I've heard if it before, Dudley has it too. I-"
"Wait," Ron said in surprise, "Is it what? What did you just say?"
"Dyslexia," Harry repeated, "You said 'help to read'. I mean, I know that you can read, so if you're having trouble-"
Ron interrupted again, "Dislexia?...Your cousin has it? What does he have exactly?"
Harry was a bit baffled by the urgency in Ron's voice but he explained, "Ugh…all I know is that it makes reading difficult for him. I heard him say once that the letters dance and change around and sometimes the words crowd together…So yeah, you didn't have to hide it from me. You know I would never have made fun of you."
"Mate, I never heard that word before in my life."
"Oh…" Harry said shocked, did wizards have another name for it? "Well, what did the doc-...I mean what did the Healer say about it?"
Ron's eyes got all shifty again.
"Ron, you did tell a Healer, didn't you?! Or your parents?!"
Ron gave him a defiant look, but Harry wasn't having any of it. "Right then, I'll talk to Sebastian and get you an appointment." Ron and Hermione knew all about Sebastian of course. He told them everything about what happened with Sirius except his suspicions about who was responsible.
"What?! But-" Ron cried.
"No buts! You have to see someone about this, at least so they can properly explain things to you. Besides, what if there is a potion or something that can help you?"
All of Ron's arguments dried up at that. He, reluctantly, nodded and followed Harry up to their dorm to mirror-call Sebastian.
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Harry was a bit jittery the next day. The words had appeared again before his chat with Ron, but when he climbed into bed last night to do a little skimming, they were gone again! It was blank more often than not nowadays, things must be changing and happening too fast for even the future to catch up.
Today was the day that they would speak to Umbridge and Harry still hadn't heard from the other Houses. But there was nothing that he could do but what he was doing right now, standing outside of the Great Hall waiting for the others to arrive. There was still five minutes to go but he was antsy.
Until…yes! Karl Limpley appeared at the end of the hallway and strode over to him. 'One down, two to go!' Harry thought relieved. Dean was right when he said that if Harry went alone he would probably be laughed out of the office. He would need back-up and witnesses. Karl's face was as sour as ever and he said nothing to Harry, just stood next to him and waited. Harry couldn't blame him for being angry all the time. He was teased mercilessly about his last name. Insinuating that he was limp, floppy, flaccid…that kind of thing.
The silence was beginning to get awkward when a tall, burly fellow made his arrival. Harry had never spoken to him but he had seen him around the castle sporting the infamous green and sliver. He was pretty sure that he was a seventh-year. The newcomer had brown hair, brown eyes, and brown skin. He was handsome and had a surprisingly kind face.
He gave them both a friendly smile and introduced himself as Dorian Gamp.
'Wait, Gamp?!' Harry had seen that surname on the Black family tree. He wondered if there was any relation, and in a fit of insanity, he decided to voice that thought out loud.
"Why, yes," Dorian said kindly, "My great-great-grandmother married Sirius Black the second, who I believe is your godfather's direct ancestor and namesake." Harry looked at him in astonishment, "There's no need to look so surprised. All pure-bloods learn their family tree before they even learn the alphabet, it's so we know exactly who to bump off to get the Head of House title."
Harry lurched away from him and Dorian laughed out loud, "Come now, I was only joking! Not all Slytherins are evil!"
Harry chuckled back weakly, but still took a few careful steps away from him. Harry almost cried in relief when Luna rounded the corner and skipped over to them.
He greeted her warmly and they set off to Umbridge's office. They didn't have to make an appointment because she kept saying dribble about 'being here to help' and that they could come and speak to her anytime.
When they made it to her office, Harry knocked and they all waited in silence. She opened the door and a flicker of surprise flashed across her face at seeing them all together. She quickly smoothed her face and invited them in. She waved for them to sit and poured them all tea without asking if they wanted any. Harry didn't even look at the cup placed in front of him and thankfully neither did the others. Harry wouldn't drink anything that that woman gave him, even if all she put in it was sugar.
She sat down and they went to business. Harry explained why they were there, why Gryffindor House wanted the club back and gave her the list of signatures. The others did the same, speaking for their House and handing over their petitions.
Umbridge listened without comment but she didn't bother to glance at the papers in front of her. When Karl finished saying his piece, they stopped and waited for her response.
Umbridge gave them another one of her patronizing smiles and said, "Now I must commend you on your organization and well thought out arguments. I'm impressed you were able to get all of these signatures so quickly. I don't believe you said, but who was the leader behind these petitions? Hmm?"
They all gazed back her silently, they knew what she was trying to do and they weren't going to let her punish Harry for fighting to get the club back.
Her face tightened when she realized they wouldn't speak, but she kept her voice pleasant, "Well, while I am glad that you all enjoyed this little club, I'm afraid I cannot give permission for it to be reinstated. It would be incredibly irresponsible for me to do so, with students reading books that are not Ministry approved, being tutored in an unstructured and dangerous environment, and being taught inappropriate spells! No, I'm afraid I had to put a stop to it for your own safety. As children, you can't be expected to understand this but people older and wiser than you are charged with looking after your welfare, even if it upsets you in the process. Now, students have excelled at Hogwarts for centuries before this 'study' club and they will continue to do so. There is a perfectly good library at your disposal, I suggest you start utilizing it." She gave them what was supposed to pass for a sweet smile, even though the faces looking back at her were nowhere near kind. "Good night, children."
They stood up to leave and Harry quickly summoned the petitions to him. Umbridge let out a shriek and demanded them back, but it was too late. Harry had already performed the spell that Hermione had taught him in case things didn't go in their favor. Every name on the petitions disappeared. He wasn't going to risk the chance of Umbridge harassing the people who signed their names.
Umbridge gave him such a look of fury that a lesser man would have high-tailed it out of there, but Harry just smiled at her, "Oh! I'm so sorry professor! I thought that you wouldn't need this now that you denied reinstating the club."
The pretense was gone. "Back to your dorms! All of you! Immediately!" She screeched.
They left her office, but before they went their separate ways, Dorian clapped him on the back and said, "Well done, Potter! You clearly have some Slytherin in you!"
It was meant to be a compliment, so Harry said, "Uhh…Thanks…"
Even Karl was looking at him as if seeing him in a new light. They both said goodbye and left for their Houses.
"I have to go as well, Harry. The Ravenclaws have to hear about Umbridge's rejection so that we can decide what to do next."
She placed a feather-light kiss on his cheek and floated away.
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It was Saturday morning. The week had gone quickly after Umbridge refused to let them reform the club, but even though he wanted to be sick at the smug smirk that constantly adorned Umbridge's face of late, he wasn't too worried because things were still going to plan. The Owlery looked practically deserted according to Luna. Which meant that the students had to be contacting their parents. Fudge cared about nothing but his approval rating, if the parents freaked out about Umbridge he would fall all over himself to appease them.
Harry and Ron were walking over to the Headmaster's office to use his Floo for their appointments at Saint Mungo's. Ron was a bundle of nerves, five times he had gotten this look on his face like he was going to run, but he seemed to pluck up some Gryffindor courage every time. Dumbledore wasn't there when they arrived, only McGonagall was. Sebastian had told him that Dumbledore had made a huge stink when Sebastian told him that Harry would be coming to Saint Mungo's for a check-up. He kept going on about Madam Pomfrey being perfectly capable of doing the check-up herself. But seeing as it was his right as a guardian to choose the Healer who would be in charge of his ward, Dumbledore could do nothing to stop him.
Harry could see the urge to flee settle on Ron's again as McGonagall grabbed a fistful of Floo powder, but he squashed it.
They piled into the enlarged fireplace and for some reason, McGonagall followed in after them. She saw their questioning looks and said, "You are both minors, a professor must escort you if you are leaving school grounds without a parent or guardian."
They accepted that explanation and whirled away when she called "Saint Mungo's!"
They stepped out or staggered out in Harry's case, and McGonagall briskly strode off leaving them to follow. "I am told you will be seen by the same Healer and both your check-ups will be in Examination Room Six. As the Healer in question is Mr. Potter's guardian and Mr. Weasley's parents are already here, I will be leaving you in their hands and returning to Hogwarts."
"My parents are here!?" Ron squeaked.
McGonagall gave him a severe look, "Of course they are! You cannot see a Healer without their knowledge! And they weren't likely to let you go alone."
Ron looked wretched so Harry gave him a reassuring pat on the back.
When they reached the exam room, McGonagall waved them inside and gave them a supportive smile as the door closed on her.
Sebastian and Ron's parents were already in the room. Molly leaped up and squeezed Ron into her bosom. Healer Dunham refused to tell her what was wrong with her baby. He said that he preferred to have all the information first.
Sebastian stood up and said, "Now we may begin. Harry, I will be examining Mr. Weasley first."
"You can call me, Ron," His friend interjected after he escaped Molly's death grip.
"Ron it is," Sebastian smiled, "Harry you may stay with Ron's permission, but if not, there is a canteen around the corner. I have already ordered some breakfast for you, so just tell them your name and they'll give it to you."
Harry nodded gratefully, he was starved, but Ron said, "Oh, Harry can stay, I-"
"No," Shockingly this refusal came from Arthur. "Personal things may be revealed, it's better that Ron gets the chance to decide what he wants to share."
Harry nodded awkwardly and left to eat that promised breakfast. The nerves returned full force when Harry left the room. Ron looked around. The room was small. There was an examination table, a few chairs, and a desk squeezed into the light blue room.
Sebastian motioned for him to sit down on the examination table. When Ron did so, Sebastian said, "Now why don't you tell me what has brought you here today?"
"Harry Potter," Ron said crossly, his mother almost smacked him over the head for not taking this seriously.
"Yes," Sebastian said, holding back his laughter, "Well, other than him."
Ron described his symptoms. How when he was reading the words seemed to bunch together or blend into one.
"I see, and how long has this been happening?" Sebastian said kindly.
"For…" Ron hesitated, knowing that his parents wouldn't take this well, "For as long as I can remember…"
His parents gave him twin looks of shock. For as long as he could remember?! Why didn't Ron say anything?!
Molly echoed this thought out loud, "Why didn't you say anything, Ron?!"
"I…At first I thought that everyone read that way, but when I realized that wasn't normal…there were…I never heard of anyone reading like me…I was scared…Scared that something was really wrong with me…and that if it was…we…couldn't afford…"
Arthur almost collapsed at those words. That Ron would rather suffer than…tell them…because of money?!
"Ron, it's okay. It's not your fault. You didn't know what was happening to you, I would have been scared too." Sebastian's voice was gentle, "I'm going to run a few diagnostic spells now, so just lay back and take deep breaths."
Ron complied and Sebastian got to work. Arthur and Molly were watching the Healer like hawks, so they grew concerned when it seemed like he was performing the same spell three times.
Sebastian kept his face blank, but he had just performed that spell three times. It was a spell that essentially performed an x-ray and allowed the castor to see into a person's body. After the fourth time, he turned and pulled a notepad and quill out of his desk.
"What is it?! What's going on?" Arthur said, getting worried. But Sebastian ignored him and did a spell that made the quill take notes on its own. He did several more spells and Molly fought the urge to shake answers out of him.
When he finished casting spells, he took his wand and tapped a small white orb that was floating just above his desk. A mediwitch came running in not two minutes later, startling the Weasleys.
Sebastian started barking orders, "I want this script filled within three days and no later! I want these people contacted and these items ordered! Now, thank you!"
The mediwitch was staring at the notes in disbelief, but snapped to attention and scurried away.
Arthur was a patient man, but he was close to snapping at this point, "What is going on?!" His voice was close to a shout.
"I'm sorry for frightening you, please sit and I will explain," Sebastian said calmly.
Ron's parents didn't move, so Sebastian sighed and continued, "Ron, there is a reason that you have never heard of dyslexia before, it's because it is incredibly rare for a wizard or witch to have it. That is because of their magic, the pure untouched magic that runs in their veins has extraordinary healing abilities, and as such, if they are born with dyslexia their magic will soon rid them of that. But your case is different because I don't believe you were born with it, I think you developed it later. Tell me Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, did Ron contract any kind of virus or illness when he was younger?"
Arthur didn't know where this was going but he replied, "He came down with dragon pox when he was fifteen months. I'm afraid he got it from me and we decided to keep him home and nurse him ourselves," because they couldn't afford a Healer went unsaid, "He got better though so why are you asking us this?"
"Because he did not get better." They were staring at him like he was a loon, so he explained, "Are you aware of the fact that dragon pox is almost always fatal to children under three years old? Their bodies usually cannot handle the havoc that dragon pox wreaks. But the older you are the stronger your magic is and it is better able to protect your body while the dragon pox runs its course. Now the fact that you did survive Ron is a testament to your clearly high magical ability-"
"High magical ability?!" Molly interrupted, "We have never seen anything that would indicate that!"
"I'm not surprised, Mrs. Weasley and I'll explain why," Sebastian turned back to Ron and said, "Ron, by all accounts, you should be dead."
Ron blanched. Arthur leaped out of the seat that he just sat in, and Molly let out a scream.
Sebastian kept going, "The dragon pox did severe damage to many of your organs. Your heart, your kidneys, your lungs, your liver and…your brain, hence the dyslexia." If Ron wasn't already sitting he would have fallen down. "The damage to your brain was very slight and not life-threatening which explains what I am going to tell you next. The damage to your organs, especially to your heart, was fatal but, and I never seen anything like this before, your magic stepped in and saved you! It has replaced the function of your organs, it is keeping your heart pumping, helping you digest your food, helping your remaining lung to compensate for the one that has collapsed," The blood was draining out of the Weasleys' faces so Sebastian didn't go any further than that, "That's why you seemed to be an average wizard, because so much of your magic is being used to keep you alive. The fact that you can use magic at all is astounding!"
"But even so the logical thing for your magic to do was to put all of its energy into keeping you going and keeping you from feeling pain, which is why it did nothing about the dyslexia, because you can live just fine with it. It's like when you are cold and you feel pain in your fingers before anything else, that's because your body focuses on keeping the important parts of you warm, like your torso because it houses your heart and it will sacrifice your fingers because they are not as important.
Arthur's head was spinning, "Wait, so his magic is keeping him alive and he is still able to perform spells. So what is the problem?"
"The problem is that his magic can't do this forever," Sebastian said gravely. Ron was stiff and silent on the exam table. His face was completely empty of emotion.
Arthur and Molly gave each other a fearful look. Molly gulped and whispered, "So what are our options?"
"You have two options. You can put him on an international donor list for a new heart, liver, lung, and kidney. But you must understand that Magical Britain doesn't have a donor list because the need isn't that great, but when we are talking about on an international scale, Ron could be on that list for decades before he gets the organs that he will need. Now, your second option is the one that I recommend, it is a potion, a potion that he will have to take four times a day but it will essentially rebuild his organs back from scratch. This treatment isn't well known or used very much, mostly because you don't see many young wizards with internal damage this extensive, it can't be used on people over a certain age, and because…it is very expensive."
"But!" Sebastian said before they lost hope, "I have already ordered a course of the potion and I will be covering the cost."
"Absolutely not!" Molly roared, "We will not take-"
"Mrs. Weasley!" Sebastian said sternly, "I am well aware of your financial state and while I know I am over-stepping my bounds, Ron does not have the time it will take for him to get those transplants! He is Harry's best friend, I cannot sit by and do nothing! This potion will save his life!"
Molly opened her mouth to refuse again, but Arthur put a hand on her arm, "We will pay you back, every Knut, with interest." Now wasn't the time for pride, he would have accepted money from Lucius Malfoy if it would save his son.
Molly deflated, "You keep saying that he doesn't have time, what do you mean by that? How long does he have?"
Sebastian hesitated, "You must understand that magic is in our bodies but it wasn't meant to be running our bodies. Even while it is keeping him alive, it is causing his body stress, wearing him out, and using a lot of energy. I wouldn't be surprised if he has taken to eating massive quantities of food to compensate or refuel himself." Sebastian took a breath and said, "From what I know of magic and the human body…Ron most likely would…have died within a couple years at most…from a massive heart attack."
Molly Weasley fainted dead away.
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***I want to say that all I know of Dyslexia is what I have read online. I mean no offense to anyone, and I am not saying that what I wrote represents anyone.
So Thanks for Reading!