CAUTION: Coarse language, boy kissing.
SUMMARY: Harry begins learning how to apparate, and gets a few birthday presents, which includes the return of his Firebolt; John gets a flying lesson… plans are made to tackle two Horcruxes… and John realizes something he already knows…
12: POINT OF NO RETURN
"Ok, Harry, let's try this again," said Travis.
"Three Ds, right then," said Harry. He stood three feet away from a circle Travis had drawn on the beach.
"One… two… THREE!" Travis cried. Harry twisted on the spot, lost his balance, and ended up flat on his behind.
"What… Harry, what… what are you tryin' to do?" Harry looked toward the cottage to see John standing on the deck, laughing so hard he was holding his midsection.
"Shut up," Harry groaned, picking up a loose pine cone and tossing it at him.
"S-sorry dude, it… that was too good!"
"He's trying to learn how to apparate, and YOU aren't helping matters," said Travis. "Ok, Harry, watch." Travis took a step forward, turned on the spot, and vanished with a loud CRACK, only to appear directly behind John. "See, it's fucking easy once you get the hang of it."
"Easy for you to say, you've had four years of practice," Harry groaned, standing and dusting himself off.
"Yeah, but remember, I had Bartlett and his cronies up my ass. All right, Harry, one more time." Travis popped back beside Harry. "The three Ds. Destination, Determination, and Deliberation(1). They're all important. Look, it took me many tries just to get any movement at all." Harry groaned, and once again tried to focus on the circle Travis had drawn. Doing exactly as Travis had done, he took a step forward, turned on the spot… and vanished with a noisy CRACK, to appear in the circle, wobbling around on one leg. The other had failed to follow its owner, and now stood on its own, on the spot from which Harry had left.(2) Harry had a horrified look on his face. It matched the look of shock on John's face. "What… how…"
"Is everything—" Lisa stopped, having seen Harry's very awkward situation. "Let me get—"
"No, mom, it's okay," said Travis, waving his wand. There was a loud bang and a purple puff of smoke, which then revealed Harry, reunited with his missing leg, a horrified look still plastered on his face. Lisa only rolled her eyes, then went back into the cottage.
"Okay, okay, that was pretty good, other than the fact that you splinched yourself."
"I did what… I mean, why?" asked Harry. He looked back and forth between John and Travis—John was still shocked at what he had just seen.
"You weren't determined enough. You leave pieces of yourself behind… and end up with nasty fines if you're caught by the ministry."
"Why?" questioned John.
"It's just like driving without a license."
"Oh."
"So does that kind of thing happen a lot?" questioned John.
"To people less experienced, yeah. I mean, I did it enough times, and I've got the fines to prove it. I finally learned how to reverse it myself… but Harry, promise me you won't try this without someone else around, just in case." Harry only nodded. "Great. Let's try again, then." Harry nodded again, and focused carefully on the circle Travis had drawn on the beach.
As he turned on the spot, his focus slipped from the circle, to John, who was again busting up with laughter. Harry vanished with a loud CRACK, to appear behind John.
"Um, right, and wrong," said Travis. "Excellent that you apparated in one piece, but you missed your target."
"Thank you for stating the obvious," Harry deadpanned, "SOMEONE'S being a distraction."
"And do tell, exactly what are you trying to do?" Severus sneered, stepping out onto the deck.
"Teaching Harry to apparate, professor," answered Travis.
"Perhaps you should have more experienced supervision when doing such a thing," the potions professor drawled, "I strongly doubt you hold a license, let alone the experience."
"I don't bloody care WHO teaches me, just as long as I learn this shit!" Harry snapped, "At least he's not gloating and berating me and—just go. Just get lost, SIR." Harry turned on the spot, focusing on the circle on the beach, and vanished again, with a noisy CRACK.
That precise moment, John had reached out to give Harry's shoulder a squeeze in support. So, both he and Harry popped into the circle. Although it had been virtually instantaneous, John had felt Harry's magic crackle with excitement as it happened. It was something that was almost addictive, in a way. It was as if his own spirit was greedily drinking in the intense amount of magical energy Harry was throwing off. A nagging voice still echoed in the back of his head, 'Am I in too deep?'
"John? Hey. Mate, you okay?"
"Uh, yeah," John answered, snapping back to the present. It still nagged at him, however. Was he falling in love with Harry?
"Damn, Harry, side-along on your second try. Most impressive," Travis praised. Severus only sneered again, and walked back into the cottage, muttering something about 'stupid, arrogant Gryffindors'.
"Well… err… it wasn't intentional."
"Sorry, I… I didn't mean to," John apologized.
"Not your fault, I mean, you didn't know I was about to do it," said Harry.
"Harry, you know how long it took before I could do that? A year, easily."
"Well, once I learn how to do something… it's just… I catch on quickly. Hermione's usually the one to do it first, but I usually do it better, once I get the hang of it."
"Right, this coming from a guy who drove off a hundred or so Dementors in his third year," said Travis.
"He's had to learn fast," said John. Both Harry and Travis nodded. It was something they all shared: being forced to learn, and learn quickly. It was that—or death.
"Travis? You guys have sunscreen on, I hope," said Lisa, stepping out onto the deck again. The sun was high in the sky, and the temperature had soared now that the early morning clouds had burned off.
"Let's go inside, guys," said Travis, and the trio went back into the cottage.
"Remus!" said Harry, seeing his former dark arts defence teacher sitting at the table. He still looked haggard, it being the day immediately following the full moon.
"Does he always look that rough after, well…" questioned John.
"Unfortunately, yes, although this is not as bad as had I not obtained wolfsbane," said Remus, "Happy birthday, cub."
"Thanks," said Harry.
"Indeed, Harry, although I gave you my wishes yesterday," said Albus, standing. He and Minerva, along with a few other familiar faces had been seated around the fireplace. "I know I do have a lot to make up for to patch up our relationship, Harry, and perhaps this will be a good start." He gestured with his wand, producing a long thin box.
"Thank you, professor," answered Harry, accepting it. He opened it, and his face broke out in a wide grin, as he pulled out a very familiar object. "My Firebolt!"
"One of a few things I was able to correct. Given Delores is no longer a professor at Hogwarts, I was able to recover your broom, as well as get your lifetime Quidditch ban lifted."
"If you should return to Hogwarts in the fall, the captaincy of the Quidditch team is yours," said Minerva. "For the immediate term, you and your friends will find these rather useful, I should expect." Minerva gestured with her wand, producing a box of her own, and handing it to Harry. He opened it, casting a questioning look at the transfiguration professor.
"Reusable emergency Portkeys," she explained, "You will need to set the location, and the activation phrase."
"Both Minerva and Filius worked quite hard on those, Harry," said Albus, "They can bypass anti-Portkey wards."
"Thank you, professor."
"Potter… these… you should find them useful… or not," said Severus, passing two books over. One, he had seen before. "'Most Potente Potions'… and 'Advanced Potion-Making'?"
"Yes," answered Severus, "I do believe you are familiar with the first one—at least miss Granger seemed to be… the second… was my copy. You might share it with Fisher, he may make more sense of it than you…"
"Now, Severus, do leave that sort of thing behind," Albus admonished, which got a sneer from the potions master. Harry flipped through the text book, then said, "But sir, there's writing all over the page…"
"I KNOW, Potter, it was I that put it there."
"Oh."
"Harry, don't look a gift-horse in the mouth," said Travis.
"Thank you, sir," Harry murmured, getting a curt nod from Severus. Just then, there were two distinct POPs, and two identical boys appeared on either side of Harry.
"So, ickle Harrykins," said one.
"How does it feel to be sixteen?" said the other. George, Harry remembered.
"Great, guys," Harry grinned, "How's business?"
"Smashing," said Fred, "A little slack right now, but it'll pick up."
"Pre-Hogwarts rush and so on," George reminded.
"Oh. Guys. This is John, and Travis," Harry introduced, "John, Travis, this is Fred and George. Whatever you do , DO NOT accept anything edible from these two." He gave the twins a devilish smirk.
"Now why would our esteemed business partner say something like that?" questioned Fred, a mock look of horror on his face.
"The nerve!"
"Just for that, I think we should keep Harry's gift."
"Quite right, George, sell it to an appreciative customer, perhaps."
"Maybe an ickle firsite," George chimed in.
"Right, guys," Harry smirked again. "Hey, Travis, how many students are at Nipigon?"
"About a thousand or so?"
"A thousand potential customers for Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes… hmmm." Harry smirked again.
"Never mind that. I think there might be a couple shops available in Baldwin Alley, come to think of it. Ever think of expanding, guys?" Travis added.
"Err… on second thought," said Fred, producing a box. Harry smirked again, and opened it. "A custom kit by yours truly."
"And his identical twin, of course!" George chimed in, "Careful with those, some still haven't been thoroughly tested."
"Thanks, guys."
"No, thank you, Harry," said George, still smiling broadly.
"We couldn't have done it without you," Fred added, he too, smiling.
"Right." Harry glanced at the box of pranks, then back at his Firebolt. "I hope no one is offended, but I haven't been on a broom since last fall."
"Not at all, Harry," said Albus, still amused by the twins' antics.
"Great! John, coming?"
"You… you really fly on that," John questioned, as they stepped outside onto the deck.
"Yeah, it's loads of fun… and you don't get that feeling like you're being squeezed through a tube."
"Is it safe?"
"I'm a good flier," answered Harry, "Trust me. Here." He held out his broom.
"Huh?!"
"Just, take it… now straddle it… it's like riding a horse… perfect," Harry instructed. Seeing that he had correctly mounted the broom, he then corrected John's hands. "Great. Now…" he stood behind John, the broom between both their legs. "Now, we pitch up on the broom like this—hold on…" The broom lifted off, picking both boys off the ground. John was surprised to find it was actually comfortable, nothing like he expected. "Now stick your feet in the stirrups… exactly. Hold on tight…" Harry pitched the broom up again, and they lifted up, quickly clearing the tree tops. "Ever flown before?"
"Um, not like this… but I've been in a plane before."
"Okay, great. Now, to go forward, we do this…" Harry guided John's hands, and pitched the broom down a bit, and leaned forward. The broom responded effortlessly, and they picked up speed. "Great, great. You're a natural. Now, to turn, we do this…" he guided John's hands again, and the broom quickly veered to the left. "The harder you twist, the sharper the turn… but don't go too sharp… yes, great!"
"How do we go up and down?"
"Like this…" Harry again guided John's hands, and they lost a bit of altitude. "And to go up is the other way…"
"Right. Now, to stop… pull back on the broom—great! Exactly. All right, it's all yours—"
"What?!"
"I trust you," Harry answered, wrapping his arms around John's midsection. John only nodded, and pushed forward aggressively.
It was as if they had been shot from a cannon. The ground instantly became a blur, the wind whipping sharply at his hair and roaring in his ears. It was the most intense thing he had ever done, and for John, that was saying something. He instantly felt the two arms wrapped around his midsection squeeze a little tighter.
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Derek, Sarah, Cameron, and Bill had gone into the woods a short distance from the cottage, to set up some sort of practice range. At present, Cameron and Bill were engaged in a competition to see who could clear the most trees: magic versus machine. So far, Bill was leading, although only by a small margin.
Suddenly, the activity was interrupted, as an object shot overhead, along with a cry of "YEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHH!" that seemed to follow.
"John!!!??" Sarah burst, seeing her son aloft, along with Harry.
"It's all right," Bill began, "Harry's a great flier—err… blimey!!!"
"Oh God, all that's missing is the crooked nose, and the cackling," Derek groaned.
"Derek! John's flying the fucking broom!" Sarah exclaimed. Cameron only watched the broom and its occupants, while doing some quick calculations. 'Altitude 128 meters. Result of fall from height… 83% chance of fatality.' Flickered up on her HUD. "It's not safe," she declared.
"Oh, hell it isn't," Bill scoffed, "Harry's broom is the best you can get, and like I said, Harry's a great flier. Youngest seeker in a century, he's only been beaten once at Quidditch, and that was because of an accident. At least, so my youngest brother says. Your son is in very capable hands, Sarah."
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"All right, best slow down," Harry said, almost having to yell so John could hear. They slowed down. "Holy shit that's fast!" the other boy exclaimed. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, and his hands were sweaty, the adrenaline coursing through his veins. He could also feel Harry's heart thumping loudly, as Harry had pressed up against John's back, his head resting on his left shoulder, both arms still wrapped securely around John's midsection.
More so, he could again feel the magical energy radiating off Harry, easily projecting the mood of its owner. This time, it was all about euphoria, excitement, and… freedom? The feeling of being completely free, unchained. John easily understood all of those things, emotions that he had instantly shared and experienced, aloft above the trees. "You like flying."
"Yeah. The best. It's the most… it's like, leaving all the dragon shit sitting on your shoulders, down there, on the ground. Up here, it's like I'm in control."
"I get it," John agreed, "Thanks… for bringing me up here."
"Thanks for trusting me. Cedric and I did this once. It was just after Easter. We stayed out until after curfew… professor McGonagall wasn't happy about it, but… Cedric was a prefect, so…"
"You didn't get in shit for it."
"Well, the professor did give us a lecture about being more responsible."
"Afraid you might get hurt and not be able to do your 'save the world' thing," said John.
"Something like that. It's one of the things that bothers me. Cedric was killed, and everyone looked at his death like an unfortunate thing. No one ever asked me how 'I' felt about it! It was like his death didn't matter!" John could feel the broom start to vibrate, as Harry's anger started to rise.
"Harry. Just… don't do that to yourself. Don't lose it up here, man."
"S-sorry."
"Besides, I think if I died… just—"
"Do NOT finish that sentence, Mr. Connor," Harry hissed, "Bloody hell! Last thing I need is for you to… to be killed… because of me!!"
"Harry…"
"No! John! I know how… I feel it, you know, when… when you lie next to me… or the times you have… and it's… it's strange, when I'm not beside you at night."
"Ditto."
"So I just… I think I've fallen in love with you."
John almost lost control of the broom. There it was, confirmation of what he practically knew. The thing was, it truly terrified him. Sure, love wasn't an alien feeling to him; he had people who did love and care about him. So perhaps, it was more the fear of being rejected. The fear of being hurt.
Yet, at the same time, he knew, somewhere over the past day or so, he had crossed the point of no return. He needed the boy behind him more than anything in the world. It was only now, he truly realized it. "I think… no, I know… I feel the same way." There was no response, other than him feeling Harry shift, and a soft kiss being planted on his neck.
"Awwwww, ickle Harrykins has found wuv again!" a voice cackled. Harry turned around to see Fred and George coming up to flank him on their own brooms.
"What are you guys doing up here?"
"Well, John's mum's about to go spare, we think," said George.
"She's using some rather colourful language in describing what she wants to do to Harry," said Fred, with a smirk.
"You guys know you're a real kill-joy, right?" said John.
"John… hang on tight," Harry whispered, closing his hands around the broom. John quickly tightened his grip on the broom.
"Oh Harry, you're not," said Fred, quickly guessing what Harry was planning. He only got a wicked grin in response. Harry pushed down sharply on the broom, as they came over the beach in front of the cottage. "Harry?! What the hell?!"
"Trust me!" Harry only answered, as they entered a steep dive, "I've done this many times!"
John's mother, Derek, Travis, and a number of others that happened to be at the cottage were then watching, as Harry put the broom into a nose-dive. Those who were magical knew EXACTLY what Harry was doing. Those who were not, on the other hand, did not. Sarah promptly fainted, while Lisa turned away. Derek watched with morbid curiosity. His nephew was about to die, and there really wasn't much he could do about it.
Only a fraction of a second before what would have been a violent impact with the ground, Harry pulled up aggressively on the broom. John could feel it vibrate, as it struggled to respond to the abrupt change in direction, and swore he felt the bristles brush with the ground, as they began to climb.
"They're gonna kill us," said John, as Harry levelled off the broom.
"But, was that fun?"
"Yeah… scared the shit out of me, but yeah, otherwise."
"Good. I guess… just… my life is just like that."
"And mine ain't? Harry, I've got a bunch of psycho machines hunting me. It's no worse than you being hunted by Voldemort."
"I guess."
"We better land, and face the music."
"Don't worry," said Harry, "It was my idea, right?" They touched down a short distance from the deck, and were immediately accosted by Sarah and Derek, while most of the others went back inside.
"Mr. Potter! What in God's name were you thinking? My son could have been killed!"
"Mom."
"No! I don't know what's gotten into your head, but you can't—"
"MOM!! I wasn't hurt, he knows what the fuck he's doing!"
"By letting you, um, fly. Yeah, right, very safe," Derek snorted.
"If I were the flying instructor, John would get his license easily," Harry smirked.
"Oh, you think this is funny?" Sarah snapped, "My son is important to our future!"
"And I'm not?! Miss Connor, TRUST me. I'm just as important as John. Lighten up a bit. I promise you, I won't do anything to intentionally put him in danger. I'll swear on my magic if you want, but the thing is… I won't… ever try to hurt someone I love."
"Love? What… you two…" Sarah sputtered, as the realization sunk in. John only nodded, saying, "It's something that I just realized… something I already knew."
"So… Harry… when do we plan the engagement party?" questioned George, floating down on his broom, to just hover off the ground. His twin floated on the other side, opposite Harry and John.
"C'mon guys, this is serious," said Harry.
"Only grilling the happy couple," Fred teased, gesturing with his wand, causing it to spout confetti. Harry only groaned, shaking his head.
"They don't look all that happy at the moment, Fred."
"Quite right, George. Tickling charm?"
"If you guys do anything, I swear…"
"Now boys, let them be." Both twins turned to see their mother standing on the deck.
"Mum, when did you get here?"
"Right after your father got off work," answered Molly, "He's been working late hours these days, with all the seedy profiteers at work these days."
"Right." Both twins dismounted their brooms, and walked inside, Fred humming the wedding march all the while. Harry rolled his eyes again, while Molly looked at the two teens, curiously.
"You don't want to know," said Harry.
"What, that sounds like… like you quemmmmph…" John was silenced when Harry locked lips with his.
The surge of magical energy that jumped the gap between Harry and John was almost overwhelming. There was no doubt, this was the person he would spend the rest of his life with. His mind was awash with euphoria for the second time that day, and he knew, somehow, this was only the beginning. There was no going back, John had crossed the point of no return.
Cameron had observed John and Harry on the broom since first spotting them earlier. Now, she watched, as the two kissed. Knowing now what to look for, she could easily see the explosion of ambient magical energy surrounding both boys. To her filters, it was like a person looking into a bright light. She already counted Sarah and Derek as critical to her primary mission. She now added Harry's name to that short list. She had a basic understanding of what the word 'family' meant, and it was obvious Harry Potter fit that description. Surely as the sun rose in the east, in the future, SkyNET would quickly add his name to the list of primary targets. Very likely, the next time machines would be sent, Harry would be targeted.
"As wonderful a moment this might be, I do need to chat with you about tomorrow, Harry." The two of them separated to see Albus standing with Molly.
"Sorry."
"Oh, not at all, Harry," said Albus, his eyes twinkling merrily. "Won't you boys come back inside?" Harry nodded, and they stepped back into the cottage.
"Err… John, I think we broke your mum," Harry smirked, as they took seats at the table. John only laughed, while Albus and Minerva also sat down. Sarah and Derek remained standing, still seeming to be at a loss as to what to say.
"Right. Tomorrow," said Harry.
"Yes. We want to hunt for Ravenclaw's diadem tomorrow in the Room of Requirement," said Sirius, "But given my situation, it's not in my best interest to attend."
"Of course," Harry agreed.
"We'd like you and your friends to come along, as I'm sure there should be some fascinating items to find as well," said Minerva, "Most of the teaching staff will also be present, to both look for things, and to also ensure your safety."
"By the way, where are Ron and Hermione anyway?" questioned Harry.
"Gone to the Burrow, dear," answered Molly, "Arthur's there along with Charlie."
"More like, probably off making out somewhere," Travis smirked.
"You mean, like what you and Bill were doing last night," John said, giving a smirk of his own. Travis' face turned a very bright shade of red.
"We are slightly off topic, here," said Remus, "And seeing as Dobby is almost ready with supper…"
"Right. How early, then?" questioned Harry.
"We would like to start quite early tomorrow, given the time difference," said Albus, "Perhaps get started at nine am."
"That's four am here, sir," Travis reminded.
"Then you boys better make it an early night," said Lisa. Travis nodded in agreement, saying, "We'll need to be up sooner than that, then. Sleeping potions all around tonight, I think."
"When we finish at Hogwarts, we will need to visit Little Hangleton," said Sirius.
"The graveyard?" questioned Harry, discomfort evident on his face.
"No, Prongslet, there's a small shack on the property. Tom hid a Horcrux there."
"Sounds like we should go there first," said Travis, "You remember where it was, right?"
"Which means it won't take long. The Room of Requirement, on the other hand, may take the morning. I wasn't there to recover it."
"Why not?"
"I was keeping Remus company. It was the night of the full moon."
"Right." Everyone understood at once.
"Before you go, Mr. Potter. I didn't have the opportunity to show you how to program your emergency Portkeys," said Minerva. Harry nodded.
As Harry found out, 'programming' them was quite easy. They were charmed to be fused with a personal object, whether it be a ring, bracelet, or other jewellery. Only the wearer could remove it, and was activated by a secret phrase of the wearer's choosing. Harry could instantly see the merits of such a charm. It might save his life one day.
Just as Harry was configuring one for John, the flames in the fireplace turned red, and Tonks' face appeared. "Albus?!"
"Yes, I'm here," answered the headmaster.
"The Wizengamot is holding an emergency session in ten minutes."
"Oh dear, yes, I s'pose I should be there."
"They're going to sack Fudge. Madam Bones may need to be there, her name is being floated around as a successor, as is Arthur."
"My husband, minister for magic?" Molly was both concerned and excited.
"Shacklebolt is also getting a few nods."
"So this is a done deal, then," said Travis.
"None of you have seen the papers over the last few days, I gather," said Tonks, "The Prophet has been calling for the minister's head, to put it mildly."
"We'd best be off," said Albus.
"I'll let Amelia know," offered Sirius, "She's turned her room upstairs into an office."
As Harry watched the headmaster and Amelia vanish in the red flames, he felt something he had not felt in quite some time: relief. Sure, he had not completely forgiven Albus for a number of things, but things were changing. The headmaster was working WITH him, and possibly, within hours, there would be a new minister of magic in England. A minister who would work for interests of everyone, instead of just himself. Harry plopped down in the sofa in front of the fireplace, and blew out a breath. Maybe things would work out after all. He had to grin, as John took the spot beside him.
Sometime later, Harry was awakened by the floo activating again. He smiled briefly, finding John slumped against him, head on his shoulder. Molly hurriedly stepped out of the fireplace, followed by her husband. Both looked very dishevelled.
"Mrs. Weasley… what's wrong?" Harry questioned, growing concerned.
"Death Eaters… attacked the ministry!"
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AUTHOR NOTES: I know, I know. Probably being too easy here with Harry obtaining the 'special' potions text book. Yet, there are some changing attitudes, and perhaps a little arm-twisting going on behind the scenes, right?
(1) Taken from p.360, HBP, Canadian soft cover edition.
(2) In canon, this unfortunate incident happened, of course, to Susan Bones.