Chapter 12:
Harry watched as the bird released its grip on Tonks and landed a few feet from where he and Remus were now lying on the ground, unwilling to move in case they provoked an attack from the abnormal sized bird.
It cocked it's head to one side, blood-red eyes meeting Harry's emerald ones as it sought identification of the correct target. It seemed satisfied after the briefest of moments and quickly dropped a parchment envelope to the ground before flapping it's great wings and taking off, dodging the curses sent by those who were running up and escaping quickly into the bright summer sky.
"Tonks!"
The weight above Harry disappeared as Remus rolled off him and raced to his loved one. But even though he was also concerned that Tonks was hurt, Harry was unable to take his eyes off the envelope on the ground in front of him.
He slowly reached out and lifted the envelope, ignoring the shouts of his friends as they descended on them, most going to help Remus with Tonks who was still conscious but was holding her shoulder as it bled.
"Who's it from?" Ron asked from behind Harry's left shoulder as he sat up.
"Who do you think?" George replied, kneeling down on one knee in front of Harry, his wand still out.
"It's typical that Mouldywarts wouldn't want to use traditional owl-mail to wish us all a happy day." Fred added bitterly, still scanning the skies as if he expected the monster mail-carrier to come back.
"What does it say?" Ginny asked softly.
Harry sucked in a sharp breath and snapped out of his trance, everything speeding up to true time as he gripped the envelope tighter.
He stood up and started walking down the slope to the water's edge. A number of people started to follow him until they were stopped by Moody, the one-eyed wizard indicating they should hold back whilst he followed the boy.
Harry stood at the edge of the lake, a few meters from where Dumbledore's tomb stood, clutching the envelope as if it were the only thing keeping his feet attached to the planet.
"What did he send you boy?"
Harry turned his head slightly to see Moody limping up to him.
He looked down at the envelope, and with one quick glance at the Auror standing next to him slit the parchment open with one finger, opening the missive and wincing as he started to read the spidery red handwriting.
"My dearest Harry" the letter read. "I apologize for my tardiness in wishing you the happiest of birthdays, but I have had much to organise recently, the most time-consuming of these being the progression of my plans now that Dumbledore has finally passed away.
"I am sending this letter as the final chance to take up an offer I extended to you several years ago. As you come of age, I am sure you are aware that many are requesting your loyalties, a devotion to their causes, and I'm sure you know how much I hate to be left out of such things. But now you have lost your mentor, I am once again offering you the chance to learn under the greatest wizard alive. Come, join me and I can promise you things that you can only start to dream of.
"Failure to respond to this letter will be taken as a rejection of my offer, and in consequence I would assume that your chosen cause will become one that may have an effect on the outcome of my own. Because of this, rest assured that your death is next on my list, followed quickly by those of your friends.
"I wish you the happiest of days, Harry Potter. Lord Voldemort."
Harry frowned as he read the letter, the anger building so deep within his chest that he was finding it hard to breathe, and it wasn't until he felt a large hand on his shoulder that he noticed the corners of the letter smouldering between his clenched fingers.
It was several moments before Moody took his hand away from his shoulder and started to speak.
"That wasn't a recruitment letter." he told the younger man. "He won't be waiting for a response from you."
Harry looked at him, still angry enough to feel tears in his eyes. "How do you know that?" he asked through clenched teeth.
"I've dealt with evil wizards like him since I started out as an Auror." the scarred wizard went on to explain. "This letter is sent to remind you that he knows you are now a man and responsible for your own actions. He's hoping it will make you mad enough to make a mistake, to make you think that as a man you can attempt to take him on alone, without your friends."
"But isn't that what I'm supposed to do?" Harry asked, and gasped as his legs were taken out from under him by Moody's cane, and looked up to see the Auror's wand pointing at him.
"I think enough people have told you what I'm about to say and I am going to tell you for the last time Potter." Moody said, barely controlling his voice. "Lord knows I've heard him talk about it since the war started up again." he jerked his head to the tomb beside them. "You are not alone in this fight, Potter. You were never meant to be. We have to work as a team if we are ever to beat this bastard."
"You can tell me that as often as you like." Harry retorted. "It doesn't change the fact that I nearly got you all killed again."
"All of us?"
Harry glared at Moody, but some of the fight went out of him. "Well, Tonks." he admitted.
Moody turned slightly and shouted over his shoulder. "TONKS!"
Harry watched as two figures turned from the crowd milling by the marquee.
"Are you dead yet?" Moody called.
"Not by a long shot!" Harry heard his friend call back, and watched as her hair turned back to it usual pink colour. "But I'll be needing another new set of robes!"
"Listen, lad." Moody said, turning back and reaching his hand out to Harry to help him to his feet. "She knows what she's getting herself into. We all do. It's part of what we agreed to do when we joined the order. And Tonks is even more aware of it than most, as she sees this sort of action most days in her line of work as an Auror. What one person does is not going to make a difference in a war like this."
"Yeah? Well that's not what Dumbledore thought." Harry muttered. "Not to mention the prophecy that practically mentions me by name." He turned away from Moody and started walking following the slight path that followed around the lake.
"Even the best Auror has a team behind him, Potter." Moody called after him. "A wizard who tries to take on the world by himself is liable to fail. Believe me, I know. Just look at me! I learnt that lesson the hard way."
Harry stopped and cocked his head to the side to show he was listening. He heard the tell-tale clipping of Moody's wooden leg on the stones as he came up behind him, and felt the knurled hand land once more on his shoulder. "Voldemort cannot begin to comprehend how lucky you are to have friends like you have. And that, my boy, is what will cause him to fail."
"You really think so?" Harry asked, a spark of hope returning to his chest.
"I know so, Potter." Harry had never known the seasoned Auror speak so softly. "The Order know you were planning on setting out on whatever quest it was that Dumbledore has left you, but McGonagall, myself and several others have a proposition for you that we'd like to go through in more details later."
"And that is?" Harry said, hoping beyond everything that they weren't going to turn politician on him and try to turn him into some sort of Hogwarts golden child.
"To help you train." Harry stayed silent, unsure what to make of such an offer. "We know you're eventually going to head off and do your own thing. And no doubt you are going to take your two friends and meet trouble head-first along the way. McGonagall has suggested to stay enrolled here at school, but to remove you from normal classes and let us train you privately. We can teach you things you are more likely going to need to know when in a dog-fight with Death Eaters, not to mention curse identification and ward manipulation. What do you think?"
Harry thought a few moments. "And Ron and Hermione?" he asked. "Can they join me?"
Moody hesitated a few moments. "This is where McGonagall starts pulling the strings that old codger used to." he said, once more indicating the tomb with his staff. "The training is opened primarily to you, but with the hope that you'll continue training your army, including your closest friends. This way you can cement your learning by teaching your friends what you know…"
"Not to mention that they'll tell their family and friends that they can see I'm training hard to defeat Tom." Harry said, and was surprised to see Moody grin at him.
"There'll be no fooling you, Potter!" he said with a laugh. "But you're right. Once word spreads that you are actively engaging in the war, then we can only hope that others will rise to the cause. We are planning on running external training groups, private meetings to help people learn how to protect themselves and their families. Knowing that you are willing to fight will be reason enough not to submit to Voldemort and his twisted intentions as they have something better to fight for."
Harry rubbed his eyes behind his glasses, feeling the start of a headache forming. "Why do I feel like such a pawn in a losing game of chess?" he muttered.
"But you aren't." Moody reminded him. "You've chosen to be the strongest piece on the board, and will rise to the challenge. You always have done, Potter, and you know deep down inside that you always will."
Harry walked up to the white tomb of Albus Dumbledore and placed his hand against the cool stone, remembering the conversation they had had in his office where Harry had openly admitted that, even without the prophecy, he would want to be actively involved in the fight.
He nodded and turned to face Moody, pulling his shoulders back and raising his chin. "But I have the freedom to leave the grounds whenever I choose." he said, laying down his conditions. "I still have things to finish."
Moody nodded. "We wouldn't have it any other way, Potter." he said. "Though I'm sure you'll appreciate that any one of us would be there to help you should you ask it."
Harry nodded again and breathed deep, semi-relieved that he would have opportunity to practise all the theory he had learnt over the summer before jumping head-long into the Horcrux hunt.
"Come, then." Moody said, turning to head back up to the castle. "We'll talk details later. No doubt the party will continue, though maybe within the shelter of the castle walls itself to prevent the possibility of other uninvited guests."
Harry nodded slightly and walked slowly alongside the older man as he struggled up the slope in the heat. By the time they had reached the main steps of the school building, Harry was grinning to himself at the number of curses the scarred wizard could make against the accursed British Weather.
He was still smiling as his closest friends walked forwards to meet him, all the others had obviously already made their way into the castle.
"Is everything okay?" Hermione asked, as Moody gave one more pat on Harry's shoulder before limping his way into the castle.
"It will be, one day." Harry replied, taking hold of Ginny's hand and giving it a quick squeeze of reassurance.
"What did the letter say?" Ron asked.
"Just what you'd expect. Wishing me a very unhappy birthday, hoping that today is a disaster. The usual!"
"If you're getting regular correspondence from the darkest wizard of the century, I would be rather concerned!" Hermione said, realising that Harry was trying to make light of the situation.
Harry shrugged. "Well, if I'm spending so much time with all of you, who else am I supposed to write to?" he said, but sobered up slightly at his next question. "How is Tonks?"
"She's fine." Neville assured him. "Madame Pomfrey has taken her up for a proper check over, though Tonks was arguing that it was just a scratch all the way up the main staircase."
"C'mon." Ginny said, tugging gently on his hand. "Everyone else has made their way into the courtyard where we had your party yesterday. They figured it would be nicer to have the wedding photos taken there instead of the great hall."
"But where it is safer." Harry muttered.
Ginny glared at him. "Don't start that again, Mister Potter." she said firmly. "You are going to enjoy today, even if I have to hurt you." and she leant forward to kiss him smartly on the lips.
"Like that is really going to hurt him." Ron muttered when they hadn't broken apart for a few seconds. "C'mon you lot." he said to the others. "They'll follow soon, but I don't need to see this."
"Think you're missing out on something, eh Weasley?" Neville said, a cocky grin on his face as he held an arm out to Hermione and escorted her through the main doors.
"Don't you even think it, Longbottom." Ron growled as he followed them up the stairs.
Harry grinned into Ginny's kiss, and she pulled away with a question in her eyes.
"You think they're ever going to get together?" Harry asked, putting an arm around her shoulders and walking into the school building.
"They will, one day." Ginny replied. "Though whether or not they can stop bickering all the time will remain to be seen."
Harry nodded in agreement, and before long the two of them were being greeted by the other wedding guests as they entered the smaller courtyard.
Harry was unsure for a few moments how his appearance would be taken, but it seemed that Moody had been right and the wedding was continuing as if nothing had happened.
Ginny was called pretty much straight away to stand next to her brothers in a family wedding photo, and gave Harry a quick kiss before she walked away.
The photographer was just lining up his lenses when there was a call from the posing Weasleys. "Hey, Harry, you're in this one too!"
Harry blushed slightly and shook his head, wrapping his arms protectively around himself.
"No thanks."
"But it's a family photo!" one of the twins called out.
"And I'm not a Weasley!" Harry replied.
"Oh, dragon dung!" came a familiar voice behind him, and he turned to see Ron's Aunt Muriel standing there. "Get in that photo, boy. It won't kill you to be part of a proper family for once." and she raised her twisted walking-stick, pushing the end of it into his back between his shoulder blades and forcing him forward where he was welcomed by the arms of Molly Weasley.
Within seconds he found himself standing next to Ginny, her hand wrapped tightly around his own. He ducked forward slightly as he felt his hair being ruffled and turned with a frown to see Fred and George staring at him innocently.
"What?" George said, raising his hands to show they were empty.
"We just wanted to make sure you were recognised." Fred said.
"Hey, you think if we get a signed copy we can auction it off?" George asked his brother.
"Be quiet you two." their mother said, adjusting her wide rimmed hat, "and smile for the camera."
Harry stood smiling shyly as several photo's were taken, and erupted in laughter with everyone else when Ron suddenly turned into a canary, bright yellow feathers flying into the air as he rushed his two identical brothers in attempt to get revenge.
"Haven't he learnt not to eat anything they give him yet?" Harry asked Ginny as they watched the chase.
"Oh, that wasn't a canary cream." the youngest Weasley replied with a laugh, referring to the treats the twins had invented back in their earlier school years at Hogwarts. "That was the icing of the wedding cake. Ron must've stuck his finger in it as we passed the buffet table."
Harry laughed with her and watched as the Delacour family posed around the newly-married couple and had their photos taken, trying hard not to laugh at the moulting yellow feathers that were flying around the courtyard.
