Disclaimer: I own nothing, and thank my beta FreelanceBum for the decrease in silly errors.
Chapter 11: The Unforeseen Attack
Uncle Vernon's face purpled as he glowered at the smiling woman. Aunt Petunia gasped and covered her mouth while Dudley's hands flew to his fat bottom. Harry's eyes merely narrowed.
'Why do I have a very bad feeling about this?' he asked Justice grimly.
'Because you are an intelligent young man,' Justice said.
"Look," Uncle Vernon growled when he found his voice. "We've taken the boy, we don't want any–"
"Yes, well, I'm afraid there's been a change of plans," Umbridge said, her sickeningly sweet voice laced with cold steel. "You see, due to… recent events… Mr. Potter has been deemed–"
"What's he done this time?!" Uncle Vernon hissed, his beady eyes flicking around Privet Drive, obviously nervous that the neighbors would be watching and start asking questions.
"That is unimportant," Umbridge said. "What is important is that I have an order from the Ministry that you are no longer fit to be the guardians of Harry Potter, and I am here to take him away immediately."
She obviously thought that Uncle Vernon would argue about this, but the fearful look on his face faded as she said these words. "Wait, you're taking him away?" Harry's blood chilled at the calculating tone of Uncle Vernon's voice.
"I am," Umbridge said. "There is nothing–"
"There's nothing to say," Uncle Vernon said, a smirk slowly spreading as he shoved Harry towards her. "Take him, he's all yours. May he never darken our doorstep again." With that, he gestured Aunt Petunia and Dudley to go into the house.
At these words, Harry got the feeling that something very important had just broken.
Umbridge blinked before smiling again. "Thank you for seeing reason, Mr. Dursley. If we both have our way, neither of us will see the other again." She turned to Harry. "Come, Mr. Potter, get in the car."
Harry glanced back at Uncle Vernon, who paused on the doorstep and waved mockingly at Harry before snapping it shut.
"Well, Mr. Potter, get in the car," Umbridge said again, her lips widening into a smirk as she gestured towards the vehicle.
"I think I'll pass, thanks," Harry said, grabbing the handle of his trunk.
"Mr. Potter, that was not a request," Umbridge said, her smile fading. "By the order of the Ministry of Magic, get in the car. Now."
"How do I know you actually work for the Ministry?" Harry asked, his eyes flying around the neighborhood. He had no friends here, and he had no means of contacting or reaching Dumbledore or the Weasleys. "You could be working for Voldemort, couldn't you?"
"He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is dead, Mr. Potter," Umbridge said coldly. "All his followers were rounded up after his fall. You have nothing to fear."
"He's not dead, and most of the Death Eaters bribed their way out of Azkaban," Harry shot back. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be going,"
'Where?' Justice asked quietly.
'I was hoping you'd have some idea!' Harry thought.
"Mr. Potter, please stop this childish delusion and get in the car!" Umbridge snapped. "If you do not, you will be in direct violation of the law, and we will be forced to arrest you."
"Not on a street surrounded by Muggles, you won't," Harry said. "I'd be surprised if several of them haven't called the police already." That was a lie, Umbridge was far too well dressed to attract suspicion on Privet Drive, but hopefully she didn't know that.
Umbridge simply smiled as she raised her clipboard, showing off an official-looking piece of paper. "This is a legal document which places you under our guardianship, Mr. Potter. The Muggle police will be forced to allow us to leave with you, and will all conveniently forget what happened afterwards."
'I strongly recommend not going with them, Harry,' Justice said quietly. Harry bit back his first retort; he and Justice needed to work together to get out of this mess. 'I sense three mages spread out around the area. You're looking right at one, but it seems they've made themselves invisible.'
'Damn,' Harry muttered mentally as he turned his glare on Umbridge, who was still smirking at him.
"What's going on here?" a slightly shaky voice asked. Spinning, Harry realized it was Mrs. Figg, the woman who had watched him several times when the Dursleys were out.
"Nothing you need concern yourself with, ma'am," Umbridge said, sounding annoyed. "We're just collecting Mr. Potter, here."
"On whose authority?" Mrs. Figg demanded, waving her handbag. "I didn't watch this boy grow for fourteen years just to let some strangers drive off with him!" Harry felt a surge of respect for Mrs. Figg rush through him. She may have fed him cake that had been around for a year while showing him pictures of all her cats, but at this moment, he could think of very few people in the world he would rather be with.
'We do have friends here,' Justice said quietly.
"I'm afraid this is not your decision, ma'am," Umbridge said, showing her the paper. "This clearly states–"
"I'm no lawyer, so that could all be codswallop for all I know!" Mrs. Figg snapped, reaching out a hand for Harry. "Come with me, Harry, we'll get this sorted out." Harry happily complied, grabbing his trunk and dragging it towards Mrs. Figg's house.
"Yes, let's go," Umbridge said. "If we can just step inside–"
'They can Obliviate her…' Justice hissed.
'…and take us by force, since there would be no witnesses…' Harry finished, his mind racing. He had to keep the Ministry officials out of the house without alerting Mrs. Figg to their presence.
"I don't remember asking you to come!" Mrs. Figg snapped, glaring at Umbridge. "Come on, Harry!" As Harry and Mrs. Figg retreated, Umbridge subtly signaled one of the Disillusioned wizards, keeping her eyes on Harry.
'Which way does Mrs. Figg's door open, Harry?' Justice asked quietly as they climbed her steps, closely followed by the invisible wizard.
'Inwards,' Harry answered as Mrs. Figg fumbled with the doorknob, keeping her gaze on Umbridge. Suddenly catching onto Justice's plan, he stepped past her. "Let me get that, Mrs. Figg, and thank you."
"Think nothing of it, Harry," Mrs. Figg said, smiling slightly. Harry quickly pushed the door open and shoved his trunk in before holding it for Mrs. Figg.
After the old woman was inside, Harry made to slam the door. As expected, the invisible wizard had tried to follow them inside, but was knocked back by Harry's sudden move. Fortunately, his pained grunt was too soft for Mrs. Figg to hear.
"Lock the door, Harry, quickly!" Mrs. Figg said, desperately rushing through the sitting room to get the back door. Harry complied, but jerked as a flash of magic emanated from the sitting room. He spun around in time to see a single scarlet feather floating down onto a scroll of parchment that certainly hadn't been there a few moments ago.
"Fawkes…" Harry breathed in horror, dashing forward to grab the feather before Mrs. Figg saw it, she must be suspicious enough as it was without feathers from mythical birds appearing in her sitting room.
"What's going on, Harry?" Mrs. Figg asked as she returned, looking around wildly.
"I don't know," Harry said. "The Dursleys and I had just returned when they drove up, demanding that Uncle Vernon hand me over to them."
"What did he say?" Mrs. Figg asked. "Did Vernon agree to their demand?"
"Yeah," Harry said, glancing around. Justice could sense the wizards prowling around outside, probably looking for a way in.
"Oh no, oh no…" Mrs. Figg whispered, wringing her hands. "Dumbledore's going to have his work cut out for him on this one. Did that fool Vernon think before he acted? Of course he didn't, that bloated…"
"Wait, wait… you know Dumbledore?" Harry asked, stunned.
"Of course I know Dumbledore, who doesn't know Dumbledore!?" Mrs. Figg snapped. "We have to get you out of here, I'm a Squib, I can't hold them off if they decide to break in, and you can't use magic…"
"Were you expecting a message from Dumbledore?" Harry asked, holding up the letter that had come with Fawkes' feather. Mrs. Figg started.
"When did that arrive? Never mind, give it to me, quickly!" Harry handed it to her, still looking stunned. "… Dumbledore knows something's wrong, and wants me to check on you before he arrives! Well, since I already have you, we just have to wait, and he'll sort everything out."
Less than a second after Mrs. Figg had finished her sentence, another flash of flame filled the room, and Dumbledore was there. Fawkes the Phoenix flapped to stand on the railing of the stairs, letting out a single note.
"Harry?" the headmaster said, looking Harry up and down. "Good, you're unharmed. What happened? Why have the wards gone down?"
"The Dursleys threw him out!" Mrs. Figg said desperately. "Handed him over to the Ministry, agreed that they had legal rights to him!"
"No…" Dumbledore whispered, seeming to gaze through the walls of the house at Number 4. "I was quite explicit in my letter…" He shook his head. "We'll deal with that at another time. The most important thing is to get Harry back to Hogwarts as soon as possible, before the Ministry can interfere." He turned to Harry. "Go with Fawkes, Harry, and when you reach my office, stay there! Someone will be with you shortly."
"Sir, what's going on?" Harry asked as he walked towards the phoenix.
"I'll explain later, Harry. For now, go quickly!" A firm knock came on the door.
'Umbridge,' Justice hissed.
"Go!" Dumbledore said as he walked towards the door as slowly as he could. Taking his cue, Harry reached out and grabbed some of Fawkes' tail feathers. The massive bird spread his wings, and Harry felt a flash of heat and heard a rushing noise.
After a few seconds of confusion, Harry's feet slammed into the floor of Dumbledore's office. Fawkes patiently flapped his wings, pulling his feathers out of Harry's grip before flying over to his perch and settling down.
"What's going on?" Harry muttered as he looked around the round office. Nothing seemed to have changed since he was last in here, but somehow it seemed darker than usual.
'Nothing good,' Justice said.
Suddenly, the door burst open causing Harry to jerk his wand out. He was on the verge of using a Stunner when he realized that it was Professor McGonagall.
"Sorry, Professor," he said as he lowered his wand. She simply waved it off.
"Never mind that, Mr. Potter, What is going on?! Professor Dumbledore only had time to tell me to come here!"
"I don't really know myself, Professor," Harry said. "I had just reached Privet Drive when some people from the Ministry showed up and demanded that the Dursleys give me to them."
"And did they say yes?" Professor McGonagall whispered, her face paling.
"Yes. Mrs. Figg was able to get me away long enough for Dumbledore to send me back here. He's trying to sort everything out now." 'Without us.'
'I think it best we leave this matter in his hands.' Justice said quietly. 'I'm sure he knows what he is doing.'
Professor McGonagall, meanwhile, was muttering to herself furiously. Finally, she looked up. "Did Professor Dumbledore have any instructions?"
"No, Professor," Harry said. "He just told me to stay here." After a moment of silence, Harry asked the question he and Justice dreaded the answer to. "Professor, will I have to go with the Ministry?"
"I certainly hope not, Lucius Malfoy would buy you as quickly as possible and hand you over to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Name, and everything we've done will have been for naught."
"Professor McGonagall!" one of the portraits shouted as she rushed back into her frame. "Professor Dumbledore's back, and he brought that Umbridge woman who works for the Ministry! They're coming here!"
"Is that good or bad?" Harry asked, gripping his wand tightly. Professor McGonagall noticed and shook her head.
"Put that away, Mr. Potter. If it comes to a duel, Professor Dumbledore and I will handle it," she said crisply. Harry slowly nodded and slipped his wand into his sleeve, where he could get it easily, just in case.
A few minutes later, the door opened again and Dumbledore and Umbridge stepped into the office.
"Please, everyone, take a seat, I think we might be here a while," Dumbledore said, smiling as he stepped around his desk and waving his wand to conjure three squishy armchairs in front of the desk. Harry immediately sat down in one of the two edge seats while Professor McGonagall claimed the middle one.
Umbridge, however, did not sit down. "I fail to see why this will take long," she said in that sickeningly sweet voice of hers. "It has become clear to the Ministry that Harry Potter is simply not well enough to live anywhere where he is a threat to the International Statute of Secrecy. Thus, in order to protect this most important Wizarding law, we are–"
"Mr. Potter is right here," Professor McGonagall said coldly.
Dumbledore silenced her with a glance before turning to Umbridge. "While I am sure that you have the best of intentions…" Harry snorted quietly, but didn't comment. "…I must remind you that, as per the will of Lily and James Potter, in the event that something should befall both themselves and Sirius Black, Harry Potter's godfather, I would be the one to see to Harry Potter's future. Thus, the Ministry should have informed me of any change in plans."
"Perhaps," Umbridge said smoothly, but Harry saw her jaw tense. "I must point out, however, that you gave guardianship rights to the Dursley family. They have now transferred those rights to the Ministry. Therefore, we have legal rights."
"Perhaps," Dumbledore retorted, "but the will remains in effect. Legally, I retain the right to have a say in what happens to Harry."
"I would remind you that the Ministry has claimed children in the past when they were too great a threat to the Status of Secrecy, as per the Huntsman Directive," Umbridge said. "There is precedent for this series of events."
'What did she just say…' Justice whispered; his voice shaking with barely suppressed rage. Harry swiftly tried to calm the spirit before he did something they would regret later and almost missed Dumbledore's retort.
"That law hasn't been invoked for almost a hundred years," Dumbledore said, his eyes hard. "And even so, the claim can be formally challenged."
"Are you going to challenge it?" Umbridge said quietly.
"Though I shouldn't have to, yes, I will." Umbridge forced a smile.
"Very well, we'll set aside time on our schedule to deal with the matter. Until then, Harry Potter will be–"
"At Hogwarts," Dumbledore said firmly.
"I'm afraid not, Dumbledore," Umbridge said. "He will be in custody at the Ministry–"
"Custody!" Professor McGonagall snapped. "Mr. Potter has committed no crime! I think that he should have the right to decide where he stays while waiting for the hearing on the matter!"
Everyone turned to Harry, and he was about to say "the Burrow," when Justice stepped in.
'Harry, we should stay here,' he said. 'This place is a fortress, if the Ministry attempts another kidnapping, they will have a harder time breaching these walls than the Burrow.' He sighed. 'Besides, there will be less potential for… collateral damage.'
The mental image of Ron or one of the other Weasleys being hit by a stray spell made up Harry's mind. "I want to stay here, at Hogwarts," he said. Dumbledore smiled warmly.
"I must point out that Harry Potter is a child, and–" Umbridge snapped.
"That does not mean that he has no rights," Dumbledore said. "If it is his wish to remain at Hogwarts until this matter is decided, then that is his choice to make." He smiled at Harry. "I'll see to it that your trunk is brought here, as well as any other belongings you might have left at Number Four Privet Drive."
"There's nothing there I want," Harry said bitterly.
Finally, Umbridge shook her head. "This isn't over, Dumbledore," she said warningly. "You're making a serious mistake." Turning on her heel, she stomped to the door of the office.
"Professor McGonagall, would you kindly walk Madam Umbridge to the gate?" Dumbledore said pleasantly. Neither woman seemed to be happy with this, but neither spoke, so they left together.
"What happens now, Professor?" Harry asked after a moment. Dumbledore sighed.
"I'll have to contact my friends and allies in the Wizengamot," he said. "I should also talk to Madam Bones, she leads a rather large faction, and has a strong sense of fairness." Seeming to be lost in thought, the Headmaster pulled a piece of parchment from his desk and started writing. Harry waited for a while before speaking up again.
"Do you think Voldemort's behind this, sir?" Harry asked. After a moment, Dumbledore looked up.
"Perhaps, but this isn't his style," he said. "No, I think that the Ministry wants you, or more accurately, you, Justice." His eyes met Harry's, and after a moment Justice spoke.
'You told him about me?' he asked, sounding hurt and angry.
"I did not," Dumbledore said firmly. "What I meant was that he was asking about the symptom that he saw, Harry's defeat of Crouch Jr. I believe he wishes to discover for himself what is going on."
"So he wanted to run tests on us?" Harry asked, a swooping sensation coursing through him.
"Yes, I believe that is the Ministry's plan. They would then give you to a Pureblood family, believing that would silence you from speaking out about Voldemort." His eyes hardened. "Of course, I am quite certain that the likes of Lucius Malfoy would be the families consulted, especially if gold changes hands." He looked back to his parchment.
Harry stayed seated, deciding to give Dumbledore some time. Finally, the Headmaster finished the letter, sealed it with a tap of his wand, and gave it to Fawkes, whispering a few words in the Phoenix's ear. The bird gave a soft cry before spreading his massive wings and soaring out the window and into the darkening sky.
"What do I do now, Professor?" Harry asked.
"For the moment, you may return to Gryffindor Tower. The password hasn't changed. We'll work out a more permanent schedule tomorrow. Good night, Harry." He paused. "Before I forget, I would ask that you keep your Invisibility Cloak with you at all times for the immediate future, just in case. I don't believe the Ministry will try anything overt, but fear causes people to do strange things."
Harry nodded, bade the Headmaster good night, and left, walking to Gryffindor Tower. The Common Room hadn't changed a bit since he had last been there, and he carefully made his way up to his dormitory.
When he arrived, he wasn't really surprised that his trunk was already waiting for him, as well as Hedwig's empty cage. A cursory check confirmed that nothing had been moved or taken, so he pulled his pajamas out and got ready for bed.
"Well, look on the bright side," he said to Justice later on in the dream room. "Now we don't have to stay with the Dursleys."
The next day, Harry made his way down to the Great Hall, wondering what was going to happen now. He arrived to see Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Snape talking quietly at a small round table in the center of the room.
"Come in, Harry," Dumbledore called warmly as Harry hesitated at the door. "We've already prepared a seat for you." Snape looked sour, but didn't speak as Harry sat down. "I was just telling Severus what transpired yesterday," Dumbledore continued.
"Thank you, sir," Harry said, trying not to look at Snape too much as he ate. After a few minutes of silence, he asked what he was supposed to do.
"That depends a great deal on you, Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall said curtly. "If you are wondering about classes, then no, you don't have any, since most of the professors are off on… other business." She looked sternly at him. "Of course, assume that any and all rules that are in place during the school year also apply now." Harry nodded. "If you wish, you can spend time in the library, preparing for your O.W.L.s–"
"Can I go out on the grounds, Professor?" Harry asked. Professor McGonagall's nostrils flared.
"Not without supervision, I'm afraid. It's simply too dangerous."
'So no Quidditch, then,' Harry thought morosely as he nodded again. He didn't particularly want to spend all his time in the library, but if that was the only option they were giving him…
'There are other things in the library,' Justice said. 'And perhaps we can explore the school. This place is so infused with magic… I've never seen anything like it in a mortal realm.'
"Have we heard anything from the Ministry, sir?" Harry asked Dumbledore, who shook his head.
"Not yet. They are likely still reeling from the failure yesterday. Likely they will have some response by the end of the week, but until then we'll be gathering support from the rest of the Wizengamot." He chuckled slightly as Harry opened his mouth eagerly. "I'm afraid there is not much for you to do yet, Harry. I know you must be frustrated, but your safety is the most important thing." He rose to his feet. "Now, I must go to a meeting. If you have any needs, Harry, I'm sure Professor McGonagall or Severus will be happy to help you."
Snape looked like he would rather curse himself than help Harry with anything, and quite frankly Harry felt the same way. He'd talk to Professor McGonagall if he had to. Dumbledore studied him for a long moment before sweeping out of the Hall. Snape sprang to his feet the second the door shut and hurried away himself.
Harry and Professor McGonagall sat awkwardly at the table for a minute longer before she slowly got up. "Well, Mr. Potter, the day is yours. Please remember what I said."
"I will, Professor," Harry said, standing himself as the plates vanished from the table.
As he left the Hall, he realized with a flash of guilt that he should have sent a letter to Ron and Hermione as soon as he had gotten away from Dumbledore's office last night. Darting back up to the Gryffindor common room, he grabbed a piece of parchment and started writing.
Ron
How are you doing? I know this is a bit early to be writing to you, but something happened yesterday that you should know about.
When I got back to Privet Drive with the Dursleys, a witch from the Ministry showed up and tried to kidnap me (legally, of course). Her name was Umbridge, and she looked like a gigantic toad.
Fortunately, it turned out one of the neighbors was an undercover Squib placed there by Dumbledore too keep an eye on me, so she got me away from Umbridge long enough for Dumbledore to arrive and he brought me back to Hogwarts. Right now, there's going to be a hearing at the Wizengamot about what to do with me, and until then I'm staying at Hogwarts.
Say hi to everyone for me.
Harry
'Think I should say anything else?' Harry asked Justice as he read the letter over.
'There is not much else to say; we do not really know what's going on beyond this,' Justice said. 'I did like your description of Umbridge, though. She reminds me far to much of… others.' Harry nodded, having an idea about what the spirit was alluding to.
Harry re-wrote the letter to Hermione, rolled them both up, and jogged his way up to the Owlery. Hedwig pulled her head out from under her wing and fluttered down, holding out a leg.
"Take this one to Ron and this one to Hermione, okay?" Harry said as he tied the two letters to her leg before stroking her head. She hooted softly before swooping out the window and flying into the distance, heading south.
Harry simply stood at the top of the tower for a long time, taking in the air. It seemed that, when he was at Hogwarts, he was always rushing somewhere, whether it be class or some strange adventure. It was rare that he just had time to just stand around and relax.
But he shouldn't be relaxing, Harry thought in annoyance. Voldemort was back, he should be out there doing something, not sitting back and waiting.
'Sometimes, waiting is the best thing,' Justice said. 'Anders often said that, while we were planning. However, in my arrogance and haste, I never listened to him.' The spirit's voice became pained. 'Looking back, that was among my greatest mistakes…'
'Justice, stop it,' Harry said gently, turning his attention inwards. 'We've already decided you made mistakes, but you don't need to keep beating yourself up over them. We'll do better.' He smiled wryly. 'Besides, whatever happened seems to have given you the wisdom to temper my impulsiveness.'
'…I have never thought of myself as wise,' Justice said quietly. 'I am a spirit of Justice, not Wisdom.'
'That doesn't mean you can't be wise as well,' Harry said. Justice chuckled quietly, and after a moment the pair decided to head to the library and find something to do, hopefully nothing related to homework or exams.
However, as they slowly walked along the seventh floor, past a tapestry of a wizard being beaten to death by trolls wearing tutus (having had to detour around Peeves), Justice stopped Harry.
'There is something here,' he said, directing Harry to walk to the opposite wall. To Harry, it looked like almost every other wall in Hogwarts: cold grey stone, set with torches. 'No, there is something else here, something powerful…'
'You want to take control?' Harry asked, causing Justice to flinch.
'…I am still… not ready,' he said after a moment.
'We really need to work on that guilt of yours,' Harry said as he carefully pressed his hands against the stone. Now that Justice pointed it out, he could sense something, something magical. They just needed to figure out what it was.
After a moment when nothing happened, Harry pushed himself away from the wall and started pacing, thinking hard.
"Some clue," he muttered as he turned. "Maybe it needs a password…"
As he turned again, the energy from the wall flared, and a large, gilded door popped into existence.
'That was… unexpected,' Justice said.
'Well, let's see what's on the other side,' Harry said as he pulled the door open.
An almost empty room greeted him. The only thing in it was a single table with a slim book on it. Harry quickly walked over and picked the book up.
"The Room of Requirement," he read out loud as he opened the book.
This room is one of the greatest creations of the Four Founders, the book read. It was designed to fulfill the wishes of whoever entered it to the best of its ability. To enter the room, one must either be let in, or pass the room three times, focusing on the desire they wish fulfilled. Once inside, that desire can be changed, and the room will continue to grant the user what he or she needs, shifting it's perceived shape and size as necessary. (For other abilities, turn to page 2)
The room, however, has limits. It can create certain objects, but these cannot be taken out of the room, since they are magical constructs, and the room must obey all laws of conjuration. (For other restrictions, turn to page 3)
Also, the room has a hierarchy of obedience, beginning with the first person to enter the room. That person, know as the Prime User, can cancel out any other desire with their own. The title of Prime User is lost when the bearer leaves the room…
Harry flipped through the rest of the book, which was quite technical. He doubted even Hermione would understand most of it. He was also too excited to care.
"So this room can give me almost anything?" he asked no one in particular. Deciding to test it, he focused his mind on a Quidditch pitch. Obediently, the room swelled, grass grew under Harry's feet, and stands rose around him.
'Impressive,' Justice said as Harry looked around. 'The amount of skill it must have taken to make this place…'
"No kidding…" Harry murmured, gazing around the pitch. "Now all I need is…" As he said this, he saw a Firebolt hovering nearby, waiting for him. With a grin, he rushed over, mounted, and kicked off into the air, leaving his worries behind.
Harry didn't know how long he spent in the Room of Requirement. After some free flying, he brought a Snitch into existence and started chasing it.
'I should be glad Oliver never discovered this room,' he said as he caught the Snitch for the seventh time. "He'd have had us in here every minute he could!" Justice simply "smiled."
"Harry Potter, sir!"
Harry spun in mid air, looking around for the source of the tinny voice. Finally, he spotted Dobby jumping up and down in the center of the pitch, waving his arms.
"Dobby!" he called, soaring to the ground. "What are you doing here?"
"Professor Dumbledore sir told Dobby Harry Potter were here, and Dobby thought he would see if Harry Potter is needing anything!" He looked around the pitch, blinking his wide green eyes. "Dobby looked high and low for Harry Potter. He is not knowing that Harry Potter knew about the Come and Go Room!"
"I just found it today," Harry said, looking around. "It's amazing, isn't it?"
"It is, Harry Potter, it is!" Dobby said, his ears flopping as he bounced on his feet. "Dobby uses it often, he was intending to ask it to help Dobby find Harry Potter!"
"It can do that?" Harry asked. Dobby smiled, and a table appeared next to them, carrying what looked like a rough copy of the Marauder's Map. "Wicked…"
"So, is Harry Potter needing anything?" Dobby asked, clapping his hands excitedly.
"What time is it?" Harry asked, since he had lost track sometime during his flight.
"It is half past three, Harry Potter!" Dobby said, clapping slightly. Harry blinked, he must have lost track of time. "Harry Potter did not come to lunch, but if he needs food, the kitchens will be happy to help."
"Well, I am kind of hungry…" Harry said, finally noticing the empty feeling in his stomach. Dobby beamed.
"Then Harry Potter must come with Dobby!" he cried. "This way!"
'This Dobby certainly is excitable,' Justice said quietly as Harry followed the bouncing elf down the stairs towards the kitchen.
'Yeah, he is,' Harry thought. After a moment of silence, he got the spirit's attention again. 'What are you thinking?'
'I am simply considering your friend Hermione's quest to liberate the house elves,' Justice said.
'And…' Harry asked.
'It is… curious,' Justice said. 'On the one hand, their fate reminds me of what mages in the world I come are forced to accept, and I still wish to see justice. On the other hand, they seem… accepting. Even Dobby…' He fell silent, but Harry understood what he was thinking.
'I guess that sometimes there aren't any clear answers.' Harry's thoughts were interrupted on the third floor.
"Mr. Potter!" Harry jerked at the voice, almost a shriek, before realizing that it was only Professor McGonagall.
"Yes, Professor?" Harry asked, turning towards the irate woman.
"Where, might I ask, have you been?" she whispered, her lips thin and her eyes flashing dangerously.
"Here and there, Professor," Harry said. "I simply lost track of time." Professor McGonagall stared at him for a long moment before nodding sharply.
"Mr. Potter, please try and remember to check in every now and then. The situation remains too… volatile, for you to be disappearing every day."
Harry nodded. ""I'll keep that in mind, Professor. Sorry for worrying you." Professor McGonagall muttered something under her breath.
"Does Harry Potter still want lunch?" Dobby asked nervously, bouncing on his feet.
"Yes, Dobby, that would be brilliant." Harry said. Dobby grinned and continued leading Harry down to the kitchens. After a few minutes, Harry spoke up again. "How have you been, Dobby?"
"Dobby is doing well, Harry Potter!" the excitable elf said. "The house elves do not have much to do, now that all the students are gone." He blinked, "Well, Harry Potter is still here, but Dobby doesn't mind, since Harry Potter is such a great wizard!"
"Thanks, Dobby," Harry said.
"Dobby merely speaks the truth, Harry Potter!"
The pair finally arrived at the painting that led into the kitchens. Harry carefully tickled the pear, opened the door, and stepped back to let Dobby in first. By the time he had entered the kitchen himself, the rest of the house elves were already bustling around, making a quick lunch for him.
"Thank you," he said to the cluster of elves that handed him a tray. The retreated, smiling and bowing as they went.
Harry saw Dobby crouching down near Winky, who was sitting at the fireplace, sobbing to herself. Deciding to try and avoid drawing attention to the despondent elf, Harry turned his attention inwards to Justice.
'So, have you thought any more about how we're going to overcome your fears?' he thought. Justice was silent for a long moment.
'Slowly,' he said finally. 'We should start small, for both our sakes. You might not remember it, but our battle with the imposter took a toll on your body.'
'How does that work, anyways?' Harry asked.
'Magic has to be channeled through your body,' Justice explained. 'Your mana channel, however, is relatively small compared to what I've seen.' Harry sighed before Justice continued. 'That is not an insult, nor is it anything wrong with you. The world I come from is awash with magic, while this world is not. Humans in this realm have not evolved the larger, stronger mana channels needed to use the excess mana.'
'So, wizards here are weaker than where you come from?' Harry asked.
'Yes, but that is the same as saying a dagger is weaker than a greatsword. What you lack in raw power you make up for in precision and control. From what I've seen of our enemy, Voldemort, he could likely defeat the vast majority of mages I have met, simply because he has such fine control and mobility.'
'Not to mention ruthlessness,' Harry thought grimly. 'So, how do you factor in?'
'Whenever I manifest, I force more power through your mana channel than it can handle. Therefore, it tears.' Justice chuckled slightly at the flash of horror in Harry's mind. 'That is not a bad thing, unless the damage is so severe that your body cannot repair it. If it can, it rebuilds the mana channel to be larger and stronger.'
'So it's like we're working out our magic?'
Justice nodded mentally. 'Yes, that is an accurate summary. Therefore, we should take our practice slowly, both to avoid damaging your body and… for my sanity's sake.'
'Okay, Justice,' Harry said after a moment. 'So, maybe once a week, we slip off somewhere private and practice. The Room of Requirement seems like a good place, don't you think?'
'It does,' Justice nodded.
'So, you want to give it a try after we're finished here, or should we wait for a bit?' Justice thought for several seconds before giving an affirmative.
'If war is coming, then we must prepare as soon as possible.'
Harry finished his lunch in silence, thanked the house elves again, and quietly left, rushing back to the Room of Requirement.
'We need someplace to train,' he thought as he paced. 'We need someplace quiet.' As his eyes opened, the door to the Room of Requirement appeared. Rather than a magnificent, golden door, however, it was made of rough wood that seemed to blend into the wall. Harry simply pushed it open and stepped in.
As expected, the Quidditch field was gone, replaced by a small, dim room. There were thick cushions on the floor. A crunching sound came from the wall behind Harry, and when he turned he realized that the door had disappeared.
"Well, I guess this is as private as we're going to get," he said as he settled himself carefully onto the nearest cushion. 'So, is there anything in particular we should do?'
'A moment,' Justice said, his voice shaking slightly. Harry waited, and finally Justice spoke again. 'Simply open yourself, Harry,' he said. 'I will as well, and hopefully we will meet in the middle.'
'Okay,' Harry said as he closed his eyes, focusing. After several long moments, he felt Justice's presence reach out for him.
They joined, and the world went white.
As his vision cleared, Harry could feel Justice, not just hear him. Every errant thought, every subtle twitch, everything. They were one being, in a way that Harry had never thought that he would experience.
He could also feel pain. Second only to the Cruciatus Curse, it was almost enough to cause Harry to black out. It took him a moment to realize that there were actually two sources: his own body, and Justice.
They lasted less than a second before the rising pain and panic caused a feedback loop, and Justice wrenched himself away from Harry, who promptly fainted.
Harry didn't know exactly how long he was out, but it had to have been at least a few minutes, since his left arm was sore from being crushed under the rest of him.
"That was… intense…" he gasped.
'It was, wasn't it?' Justice said. 'I had… almost forgotten… just how much of a drain it was.'
'Why didn't it hurt that much during our fight with Crouch?' Harry asked. His memories of that fight were fuzzy, but he thought he would remember that kind of agony.
'It did, we just did not notice. Adrenalin is an amazing pain inhibitor.' He paused. 'I think that's enough for now.'
'There has to be something else that I can do to improve,' Harry said.
'You can push your magic by casting many spells in a short period of time,' Justice said. 'That will allow you to strengthen your mana channel. That should dampen the pain, which will lead to less of a fear feedback.' He sighed. 'Other than that, there is not much to do other than brace ourselves and keep going, no matter how much it hurts.'
'Alright,' Harry said, pushing himself to his feet. It felt as if he hadn't just eaten. 'Do you know what time it is?'
A clock appeared next to him, indicating that it was now a quarter to five, meaning that dinner was still more than an hour away.
'If you don't mind, could we go to the library for the remaining time?' Justice asked. 'I wish to know more about this new world.'
"Sure, Justice," Harry said, smiling.
Madam Pince looked up as Harry entered the library (Harry hadn't really expected the librarian to leave her precious books undefended). He nodded politely before heading into the history section and grabbing a general guide to Wizarding history.
'I still find it incredible that the mages of this world have been able to so completely isolate themselves from non… Muggles, that would seek to harm them,' Justice though an hour later. 'I suppose the lack of abominations helped.' Harry simply nodded; despite Justice's enthusiasm, he still found history to be more tedious than interesting, probably a result of reading everything as if it came from Professor Binn's mouth.
The pair headed back to the Great Hall, followed by Madam Pince, who had been keeping a close eye on Harry the entire time he had been in the library under the guise of dusting. When they arrived, they found Professor Dumbledore, speaking quietly with Professor McGonagall and, surprisingly, Remus Lupin.
"Harry!" Lupin said, smiling as he pushed himself to his feet. "How are you?"
"Fine, Professor," Harry said, taking the offered hand. Lupin chuckled.
"I'm no longer a professor, Harry, so you don't have to call me that anymore. You can just call me Remus, if you want." He grinned at the surprised look on Harry's face. "Or, if you're not comfortable with that, you can just use Lupin."
"Alright," Harry said. "If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing here?"
"Dumbledore told me about what happened," Lupin said, his smile fading. "I've never heard of the Ministry attempting anything this… absurd… before."
"It is born of fear," Dumbledore said. He then turned to Harry. "The Ministry is moving more swiftly than I had imagined. They've decided on a date for the hearing: next week on the 9th of July. It seems they want this over with quickly."
"Is that good or bad, sir?" Harry asked.
"While I would have preferred more time to rally support, the same could be said for the likes of Lucius Malfoy. The less he gets involved in the matter, the better."
Harry nodded, and the meal proceeded in relative silence for a few minutes. Finally, Harry decided to bring up the question he had been considering for some time.
"What's Voldemort up to?" he asked.
Everyone was quiet for a time before Dumbledore spoke gently. "That isn't your concern at the moment, Harry. Suffice it to say that he has gone underground and is preparing himself for the coming war." The headmaster then turned back to his plate, clearly considering the conversation over. Harry glanced at Lupin, who shook his head and went back to his food himself.
'What's up with them?' Harry thought. 'It seems as if they just… don't want to tell me anything.'
'Yes, it is odd, is it not,' Justice responded, and Harry got the feeling that if the spirit had eyes, they would be narrowed right now. 'What is it they hide?' In the end, Harry and Justice agreed that now was not the time to push for more information, and instead Harry answered a few vague questions about what he had done that day, carefully avoiding mentioning the Room of Requirement and the brief practice with Justice. Finally, Dumbledore excused himself, mentioning something about sending another letter to Madam Bones. Professor McGonagall and Madam Pince left soon after, giving Harry some time to talk with Lupin.
"Sirius wanted me to say hello, Harry," Lupin said as he pulled his cloak on in the entrance hall. "He really wishes he could have come, but Dumbledore suggested that he stay at Hea… at home."
"Can I send letters?" Harry asked, trying not to let his frustration show. He clearly didn't do very well, since Lupin's face took on a sympathetic glow as he patted Harry on the shoulder.
"I know this must be hard for you, Harry," he said gently. "But realize that our first priority is to keep you safe." He sighed. "To answer your question, it would probably be best if you didn't send anything to Sirius for the moment, since those letters could so easily be intercepted. And even when writing to Ron and Hermione, be careful what you say."
"Well, tell Sirius I said hi, won't you?" Harry said.
"I will. Take care, Harry." With that, he turned and swept out of the massive front doors and down towards the gate. Harry watched him go for a few moments before turning and heading up towards Gryffindor common room.
When he arrived, the first thing he saw was that Hedwig was back, with two scrolls tied to her leg. Quickly striding across the empty room, he gently removed the letters, receiving a soft hoot of gratitude from Hedwig as she spread her wings and soared back to the Owlery.
Quickly opening the first letter, Harry recognized it as Hermione's. Her normally impeccable handwriting was rough, indicating that her hands had been badly shaking when she hastily wrote it.
Harry
Are you alright? Oh, I just don't believe this! Bad enough that the Ministry's denying that You-Know-Who's back, but now this! This is outrageous, that they feel entitled to show up and take you away without so much as a by your leave! How do they have that much power? It's ridiculous; it seems more like a dictatorship than a representative government! No wonder house-elves have such a poor lot, it seems even humans who don't have money or blood purity or other such nonsense get trampled! I hope that Professor Dumbledore can beat them at their own game!
But Harry, I'm worried. It strikes me that, if they were desperate enough to try to silence you like this, they might be desperate enough to try again. You must be so, so careful; do everything the professors tell you, and keep your head down. I know you must be worried and frustrated, but there isn't much you can do without putting yourself more at risk.
I hope to see you soon.
Love
Hermione
Harry couldn't help but chuckle as he read. He could almost imagine the bushy-haired witch's face turning beet red in indignation. Still laughing, he opened Ron's letter. His handwriting was almost illegibly, but Harry was able to decipher it after a few moment.
Harry
I heard Mum mention that Dumbledore had come by last night, and I guess it was about this. I (Several words were scribbled out) don't know what to say. Maybe the Ministry's gone completely mental; kind of makes me worry about Dad and Percy working there. Hope they haven't gotten caught up in this mess.
Well, I'm sure that Dumbledore knows what he's doing, he's got to have a plan of some sort.
Hope you're well
Ron
PS: I asked Dad about Umbridge, and apparently she's pretty close to the top in Fudge's office (Senior Underseer or something like that). If she came personally, then things are really bad.
'Well, that was interesting,' Justice said as Harry rolled the letters up. 'I wonder why Dumbledore went to the Weasleys last night.'
'Dunno,' Harry thought back, 'but I hope it helped. I wonder what happens if we win. I don't want to go back to the Dursleys, no matter what kinds of wards are there.'
'We will see, Harry, we will see.'
The week passed slowly for Harry. He didn't see much of Dumbledore, who appeared only occasionally at meals. Lupin told Harry that he was spending his time at meetings with various members of the Wizengamot, trying to rally support, though Harry got the feeling that his former Defense Against the Dark Arts professor was holding something back.
Professor McGonagall and Snape were often away as well. Professor Flitwick had returned from wherever he had been before this all started to keep an eye on Harry.
'Snape's probably still spying on Voldemort,' Harry thought as he and Justice were practicing spells in the Room of Requirement a few days later.
'Or for Voldemort,' Justice reminded Harry, who nodded grimly. Dumbledore may trust Snape completely, but Harry was going to remain wary for the time being, which was one of the reasons he was glad that Snape wasn't around Hogwarts much.
Harry and Justice split their time between the library; looking up bits of wizarding history as well as new spells that might come in handy, and the Room of Requirement, where they practiced the spells they had learned. To avoid any potential trouble of underage magic, Harry and Justice had spend some time in crafting a room that acted like magic was being cast from a fake wand while not actually doing all that much. It was a poor substitute, but they had decided that it would be better to avoid giving the Ministry any more accusations to throw at them.
During this time, Harry asked more questions about how magic worked in Thedas, the land Justice came from. Rather than having a spell that did one thing really well, most magic was simply reaching out and using power to reshape the world directly, though there were a few branches (such as Creation,) that did use something similar to what Harry would consider spells. While this played to mage's strength: the amount of raw power they had to throw around, it did tend to drain them very quickly. Wizards, meanwhile, used smaller amounts of energy very efficiently, but they were vulnerable to being overwhelmed by raw power if they weren't careful.
'That's what happened to Crouch,' Harry mentioned after he realized this. 'We just hit him so hard and so fast that he couldn't bring his greater experience to bear before the fight was over.'
Still, the upcoming hearing at the Ministry remained in the back of Harry's mind. No matter how many times people assured him that there was nothing he could do, he had the feeling that he was missing something. It didn't help that, every time he looked at the Daily Prophet, he found some small reference to himself as some sort of deranged, attention-seeking liar.
Finally, on the ninth, Harry came down to breakfast (Dressed in Muggle clothes but with his robes in a bag,) and was surprised to see Mr. Weasley sitting at the table, talking with Professor McGonagall. Both of them fell silent before Harry could hear what they were talking about.
"Harry, how are you?" Mr. Weasley asked, looking nervous himself.
"I'm fine," Harry said. "Where's Professor Dumbledore?"
"He went in early for one last meeting. He asked me to come by and bring you to the Ministry."
"When is the hearing?" Harry asked.
"It's at half-past one, and it's taking place down in the old courtrooms." Mr. Weasley shook his head. "Those rooms haven't been used since the end of the war, why they're using them now is beyond me."
'Fear and intimidation,' Justice said grimly. 'They want to put on a show of strength.'
"Well, we should probably get going, Dumbledore mentioned that we should be early, though I'm not quite sure why," Mr. Weasley continued. "He said that you should bring your cloak, just in case."
"I've got it," Harry said, patting his bag again.
"Good luck, Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall said, her voice shaking just enough to betray her worry.
As Mr. Weasley led Harry down to Hogsmead, Harry spoke up. "Can't we Floo to the Ministry or something?" Mr. Weasley shook his head.
"I'm afraid you can't, Harry. Since you don't work there, you have to come in through the visitor's entrance. It's one of the rules, and we can't afford to bend even a single one of them now. It would give a bad impression, and the situation is delicate enough without putting anything at risk." He looked around as they passed through the gate, lowering his voice. "No, we're taking the Knight Bus."
They had reached the road, and Mr. Weasley held out his wand. With a BANG, a bright purple triple-decker bus appeared, and a thin man hopped out. "Welcome to the Knight Bus…" He stopped when he recognized Harry. "Oi, Ern, it's Neville! Or Harry Potter, whatever name you're going by now!"
"Take us to the Ministry visitor's entrance drop-off point," Mr. Weasley said curtly, pushing the money into Stan's hand.
"Oh, right, right. Well, that's actually the next stop, 'nother lady wanted to go there."
With another almighty BANG, the Knight Bus was suddenly roaring through London, causing cars and signs to leap out of its path. After only a few seconds, the bus pulled into a deserted parking lot and the doors hissed open.
"Well, here's the stop. I hope you all have a good day," Stan said, still staring avidly at Harry's scar. Forcing himself to look straight ahead, Harry hopped off the bus, followed by Mr. Weasley and another witch.
"Wotcher, Arthur," she said, nodding politely. She had steely grey hair, yet the rest of her looked fairly young, maybe in her early twenties.
"Hello, Tonks," Mr. Weasley said, glancing around. "Odd to see you here."
"Things happen, Arthur, things happen." Harry's eyes narrowed slightly. On the surface, the pair's conversation looked strictly polite; two co-workers who happened to meet on the bus. However, his instincts were telling him that there was something else going on.
This suspicion was strengthened when Tonks looked down at him, a small smile on her face. "This must be Harry Potter," she said, glancing briefly at his scar. "Here for that hearing?" She winked.
"Yes," Harry said, carefully keeping his own voice neutral. The witch's smile widened.
"You're good at this," she whispered. "Well, I'll see you later, Arthur," she said more loudly, speeding up as she walked past an old, out-of-order phone booth.
"In here, Harry," Mr. Weasley said, pulling the door open.
'There is magic here,' Justice said. 'It's subtle, but it's there.' Harry didn't comment, keeping his eyes on Mr. Weasley as he studied the crooked phone box.
"I haven't used this thing in ages," he muttered. "What was that number again… six, I think, then a two, a pair of fours, then another two…"
As he finished punching in the numbers, a cool female voice echoed through the booth. "Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business."
"Arthur Weasley of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, escorting Harry Potter for a Wizengamot hearing," Mr. Weasley said, gingerly pressing the mouthpiece of the phone to his ear.
"Thank you. Visitor, please take the badge and attach it to the front of your robes."
As the voice said this, there was a clunk from the change dispenser, and a single badge fell out. Harry picked it up.
Harry Potter: Wizengamot Hearing
The voice had continued while he was examining the badge. "Visitor to the Ministry, you are required to submit to a search and present your wand for registration at the security desk, which is located at the far end of the Atrium."
Suddenly, with a clunk, Harry and Mr. Weasley sank down (Harry sincerely hoped that the Muggles walking around outside couldn't see this, as it would raise all sorts of questions.) As the lift descended, Harry whispered to Mr. Weasley.
"Who was that woman on the Knight Bus?"
"That was Tonks, a friend of Dumbledore's," Mr. Weasley muttered back. "We wanted to get you off the street as soon as possible, so she got on ahead of us to get the destination at the top of the list."
"Surely Voldemort wasn't going to try to kill me on the Knight Bus."
Like most wizards, Mr. Weasley jumped when Harry said Voldemort's name, but he pressed on. "You-Know-Who is a violent and unpredictable lunatic, Harry, there's no telling what he will or won't do when it comes to you. Best to not give him the opportunities." He straightened as light appeared at the bottom of the lift. After a moment, Harry got his first look at the Ministry of Magic.
It was a beautiful room, brightly lit and filled with witches and wizards. Hundreds of fireplaces lined the edges of the room, and the flashing green flames were reflected onto the dark, oaken floor. The various people who were expelled from these Floo entrances merged into a general flow leading deeper into the building (or whatever this place was). In the center of the bustle was an enormous golden fountain that depicted a goblin, a house-elf, and a centaur all gazing adoringly up at the much larger witch and wizard.
"Come on, Harry," Mr. Weasley muttered, pulling Harry through the crowd towards a desk overlooking a bank of elevators. The tired looking wizard sitting there looked up as the pair approached.
"I'm escorting a visitor," Mr. Weasley said, and the guard grunted.
"Stand there," he muttered, rummaging through the drawer of his desk for something as he gestured to a small circle carved into the floor. Harry warily stepped into the marked place, half expecting some sort of binding spell to grip him at any moment. However, nothing happened, and the wizard rose wielding a long, thin golden rod.
As he passed it up and down Harry, the young wizard, or more accurately Justice, felt an odd tingle pass through their shared body; clearly an active scanning spell of some sort. It didn't seem to detect anything incriminating, however, as the guard put it away without comment.
"Wand," he said, holding out his hand. Harry slowly placed his holly wand into the waiting hand. The guard tossed it carelessly onto a set of brass scales, which wavered for a moment before a slip of parchment was ejected from the base.
"Eleven inches, phoenix-feather, four years, yes?" the guard said, reading off the parchment. Harry nodded. "I'll keep this, and you get this," he continued, sticking the parchment on a small golden spike before thrusting Harry's wand back into his hand.
Harry glanced around as Mr. Weasley ushered him into a crowded elevator. For once, everyone appeared to be so busy with other things that they didn't notice him at all. Two wizards in the back were seriously discussing a case they had apparently just gotten back from about someone's Hippogriff getting spotted by some Muggles because it hadn't been properly Disillusioned. A witch was reading the Daily Prophet, and Harry spotted a picture of a Common Welsh Green on the front (Harry wondered mutinously what the paper had said about him this time.) Another wizard was dubiously studying a top hat, which would have looked perfectly ordinary except for the flapping white wings that extended from its base.
"Level Six, Department of Magical Transportation, incorporating the Floo Network Authority, Broom Regulatory Control, Portkey Office, and Apparation Test Center."
The lift slid open, and another witch pushed inside, scanning a roll of parchment so fast that her eyes were a blur. She was followed by a group of paper airplanes.
"Interdepartmental memos," Mr. Weasley said quietly as he noticed Harry staring. "We started using them after enough people got fed up of owl droppings all over their desks." Harry chuckled slightly at the image that statement produced.
"Level Four, Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, incorporating Beast, Being, and Spirit Divisions, Goblin Liaison Office, and Pest Advisory Bureau."
The two hippogriff wizards and the Daily Prophet witch left, along with several of the memos. Another wizard slipped in after the group had left, but Harry was so busy looking up at the memos to recognize whom it was before someone addressed him.
"Harry?"
"Wh…" Harry jumped slightly before recognizing the young wizard. "Cedric?"
"Yeah," Cedric said, a smile brightening his face as he held out his hand. "I must say, I'm surprised to see you here, Harry. What brings you into the heart of Magical Britain?"
"Nothing in particular," Harry said, not exactly wanting to go into detail when there were other unknown Ministry employees around. "How about you?"
"Job interviews," Cedric said. "Dad got me in touch with the head of the Goblin Liaison Office. He offered me a place in the House Elf Division, but I would prefer not to work in the same office as my father if I can avoid it." Cedric glanced around. "In fact, I really want to do something for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, since they're likely going to need all the help they can get before too long."
Harry raised his eyebrow slightly, it seemed that Cedric still believed that Voldemort had returned, for which Harry was grateful, since he was sure that some people had let the Prophet change their mind.
"Well, I wish you luck, I think the Ministry's going to need people like you," Harry said.
"Thanks, Harry."
"Level Two, Department of Magical Law Enforcement, including the Improper Use of Magic Office, Auror Headquarters, and the Wizengamot Administration Services."
"This is us, Harry," Mr. Weasley said. Harry quickly said goodbye to Cedric as the door closed between them, and then turned and followed Mr. Weasley.
"Professor Dumbledore should be around here somewhere…" Mr. Weasley muttered as he walked down the corridor. Harry glanced through the various doors that were open. One set, large and made of oak, lead into a large room that looked like it was divided into cubicles.
"That's the Auror's offices," Mr. Weasley said when Harry asked. "My office is also through there, but we're going to the Wizengamot section right now." After a few moments, he opened another set of massive double doors and walked in.
"Arthur," Dumbledore said as he looked up from what looked like a Muggle magazine he had been reading (none of the pictures were moving.) "I hope you didn't have too much trouble."
"No," Mr. Weasley said. Dumbledore nodded before turning to Harry.
"I'm afraid that the Ministry has seen fit to change the time of the hearing," he said quietly as he gestured Harry to follow him back towards the elevator. "It's now in twenty minutes."
"What…" Harry asked, wondering briefly what the Ministry would have to gain from it before an idea came to him. "They were trying to prevent us from attending by switching at the last second."
"That is a likely theory," Dumbledore said as he slipped into the next elevator that arrived (everyone who had been in it quickly left.)
'Dumbledore mentioned that we should be early, though I'm not quite sure why,' Mr. Weasley's voice drifted back to Harry. "You expected them to do this, didn't you Professor?" he said quietly. "That's why you had Mr. Weasley bring me early."
"I considered it a possibility," Dumbledore nodded, looking down at Harry. "How are you feeling, Harry?"
"Fine, sir," Harry said. "Do we have a plan?"
"I believe I have the support of a fair portion of the Wizengamot already," Dumbledore said as the elevator opened, showing a dark, rough stone corridor that led to a single door. "However, we must still be careful, since we do not have an iron-clad majority." He nodded towards a flight of stairs leading deeper into the earth. "The most important thing for you to do is to avoid losing your temper. Can you do that?" It was clear that Dumbledore was talking to both Harry and Justice.
"Yes, we can." Harry said, causing Dumbledore's eyes to twinkle.
"Then we have a very good chance of pulling through this."
Finally, the pair came to a stop outside one of the wooden doors.
"Let's get this over with," Harry muttered as Dumbledore opened the door for him politely.
Harry immediately recognized the massive, high-ceilinged room that he entered, since he had been there in a memory. It was the same room that Barty Crouch Jr. had been condemned in, the same one that Karkaroff had betrayed Voldemort to save his own skin.
Almost all the surrounding benches were packed, and as Harry's eyes traced the assembled crowd, he felt a swooping sense of anger at the sight of Lucius Malfoy, sitting near the central, more raised bench area that held the Wizengamot proper.
The chained chair used for criminals was still present, but there was a table set up behind it with several chairs pulled out, which Dumbledore immediately walked to, his face a calm mask. Harry carefully followed him.
"Is everyone assembled?" a woman said, her voice loud yet calm and even. Harry's eyes flicked to her, noting the strong, square jaw, the old fashioned monocle, and the expression of a woman who was not to be crossed lightly. Harry briefly wondered if she was related to Professor McGonagall in some way.
"I believe so, Madam Bones," Dumbledore said, smiling.
"Then we can begin," Cornelius Fudge said roughly from the center of the front row, right next to Madam Bones.
As the various people around the room settled, Harry looked over the rest of the court. He obviously didn't know most of the purple-robed witches and wizards, but he did recognize Umbridge, sitting on Fudge's other side and smirking that horrid little smirk of hers.
"The Wizengamot will now hear the official challenge of the implementation of the Huntsman Directive in the case of Harry Potter," Fudge said. He glared at Dumbledore. "Are you Albus Dumbledore, the challenger?"
"I am," Dumbledore said mildly.
"On what grounds are you challenging the Ministry's decision?"
"I am challenging on the grounds that I believe the Huntsman Directive was illegally implemented," Dumbledore said. A sudden hush fell over the court; whatever they had expected, it had not been that.
"Hem hem," Umbridge coughed, her smirk widening. "Do you mean to say that you believe that the Huntsman Directive is illegal?"
"I did not say that," Dumbledore retorted, smiling up at Umbridge. "The directive itself is the law, and was passed by the full Wizengamot. However, the directive clearly states in Section IV that it can only be used when there is a valid reason that the child is a threat to the Statute of Secrecy. Furthermore, Section VI asserts that, if the guardians are versed in Wizarding law, they must be consulted before any action is taken."
The members of the Wizengamot murmured among themselves for a few moments before Fudge called for silence.
"Unless our information is very much mistaken," he said, his voice making it clear that he considered this absurd. "The Dursley family, with whom Harry Potter has been living since the… unfortunate death of his parents, are Muggles. Thus, they can never be truly knowledgeable of Wizarding law, and thus Section VI does not apply." He smirked at Dumbledore, obviously thinking he had the upper hand.
Dumbledore's eyes, however, continued twinkling. "You are correct, Minister. Vernon Dursley and his family are, in fact, Muggles. However, I remind you that, as per the Last Will and Testament of Lily and James Potter, I, Albus Dumbledore, was named the guardian of Harry Potter. And I like to think that I am, in fact, knowledgeable about Wizarding law."
Fudge gaped at Dumbledore for a moment. Umbridge muttered something to him as she pushed a single piece of parchment from the stack she had in front of her over to the Minister. He looked at it, coughed, and nodded to Umbridge.
"That may be, Dumbledore," he said. "However, you granted guardianship to the Dursley family. Therefore, it is their knowledge of the law that matters, not your own."
'Isn't this the exact same argument that Dumbledore and Umbridge went through after the attempted kidnapping?' Justice mused.
'I guess they couldn't come up with anything better,' Harry thought back before turning his attention back to Dumbledore.
"While I did send Harry to live with his relatives, I never did completely relinquish the right to have a hand in his future, as is mentioned in the file I filled out when I informed the Ministry of my decision. In fact, it was one of the conditions for Harry being allowed to live in the Muggle world; the Ministry felt that it would be prudent for a wizard to keep an eye on the Boy-Who-Lived."
Harry's eyes narrowed slightly as memories from his childhood drifted through his mind. Dudley's gang, the cupboard, the endless chores, the feeling that he was never, ever good enough… was Dumbledore saying that he knew about all that and did nothing?
"…besides," Dumbledore continued. "The issue of Section IV has not been addressed at all. Why does the Ministry believe that Harry Potter is a threat to the International Statute of Secrecy?"
"You know as well as I do, Dumbledore," Fudge growled. "He almost killed a man in a blind rage, and if someone hadn't yanked him back from the edge, who knows how many more could have been hurt. If he'd been at his Muggle home when that rage hit him, who knows how much damage he would have done; how much it would have taken to cover it up! It would be like the Ilfracombe Incident all over again!" Dumbledore opened his mouth to respond, but Fudge beat him to it. "And that's just the time I know about! I wonder if you've been keeping other incidents covered up, like you did with the little fact that he's a Parselmouth and collapsing all over the place!"
Mutters broke out among the crowd as Fudge finished his rant, panting slightly as he glared down at Harry and Dumbledore. Harry was seething himself, but remained silent as Dumbledore's eyes flicked to him, the piercing blue completely devoid of twinkle. After he was sure he had made his point, the headmaster turned back to Fudge.
"Before I answer your accusations, Mr. Fudge." A shudder passed through the room at the coolness of Dumbledore's voice, and even Fudge looked slightly nervous. "I wonder, are you a trained medical professional?"
"What do you mean by that?" Fudge blustered.
"I am simply curious," Dumbledore answered, his voice slowly slipping back into its normal, mild range.
"I… well, no, but…" The Minister trailed off as Dumbledore stared at him. After a long moment, Dumbledore continued.
"It seems to me that the person most suited to make any judgment on Harry Potter's health, mental or otherwise, would be Madam Poppy Pomfrey, the only official med-witch who has ever had a hand in treating him. If the Wizengamot wishes, I can ask her to come here and give testimony."
"Ah, but can we completely trust her?" Fudge said. "She works at your school, so she is beholden to you."
Dumbledore chuckled slightly. "I think you are quite fortunate that she is not present to hear you say that, Minister," he said. "I can tell you with complete confidence that her first and only real goal is the health of those she takes care of. If she believed that the best way to help Harry was for the Ministry to take custody of him, she would have requested it long ago."
He waited for a moment, but it seemed that Fudge didn't have an answer for him at the moment. "As I informed you the night of the 24th of June, Harry is as sane as any witch or wizard."
"Do you have any proof of that?" Fudge said. "If you're so confident, why is it you're afraid to let your precious Harry Potter out of your sight?"
"There are many who seek to harm Harry, which is the reason he was with his aunt and uncle in the first place," Dumbledore said. "And in answer to your question of proof, please forgive me in answering with another question: do you?"
"Do I what?" Fudge snapped.
"Do you have any proof that Harry is not sane?" Dumbledore asked.
"I… don't know what you're insinuation!"
"I simply find it curious that you find it safe to assume that Harry is unwell. I was under the impression that, though not written into law, there was an understanding of 'innocent until proven guilty.'"
Harry marveled slightly as he watched Fudge squirm. Dumbledore was clearly a master at this dance of words, he had never raised his voice, never become even the slightest bit flustered. Fudge, meanwhile, looked to be on the verge of losing it.
'I think we're winning,' Justice breathed, sounding happier than he had since they had entered the room.
After a few moments of silence, Dumbledore spoke up again. "Unless the Minister or any other member of the Wizengamot has any more questions, I believe that it is time to open the floor to suggestions and debate." The witches and wizards around the room immediately started whispering to each other.
"How are we doing, Professor?" Harry muttered, keeping an eye on the court.
"Better than I had hoped, Harry," Dumbledore said, sounding slightly disappointed. "Poor Cornelius obviously wasn't expecting his first attempt to fail so spectacularly, he would have been better suited spending more time preparing rather than trying to off-balance us by rushing the matter."
'I have a feeling that, even if he had years to prepare, he would still be no match for you,' Justice murmured.
"Why thank you," Dumbledore said when Harry repeated this comment. "It's good to know that I have inspired such confidence in a being such as you."
"Words were never my forte, actions were," Harry said, repeating the spirit's words.
"Who ever said that words and actions were different," Dumbledore said mildly. "I have always believe that words are the most inexhaustible source of magic; capable of both inflicting injury and remedying it."
Before either Justice or Harry could ask for clarification, Madam Bones raised her voice. "Both sides of the debate have brought up valid points, but the time has come for solutions. What are the options that the Wizengamot shall consider?"
Umbridge raised her hand, and got a nod. "Hem hem, I believe the best option is to err on the side of caution and grant the Ministry custody over Harry Potter," she said in her voice of poisoned honey. "As the leading body of the Wizarding World, we are looked to for leadership, and we should grant it rather than shove that responsibility onto… others." Her eyes flashed as she looked at Dumbledore.
"Are there any other recommendations?" Madam Bones called. Harry expected Dumbledore to rise and suggest that Harry be immediately returned to the Dursleys, and in fact he had started to stand before someone else spoke.
"I have a recommendation."
It was one of the elder members of the Wizengamot, a woman who looked even older than Professor Dumbledore. Her eyes still glinted shrewdly, however.
"The Wizengamot recognizes Griselda Marchbanks," Madam Bones said, her voice respectful as she turned in her seat.
"Thank you, dear," Marchbanks said. "I think that Madam Umbridge made some good points," she said, nodding to the toad-faced woman politely. "However, Professor Albus Dumbledore has also spoken a great deal of wisdom. I don't see why they can't both be right."
"Could you please… clarify, Madam Marchbanks," Fudge said, trying to sound calm. She smiled indulgently at him, as if he were a child asking an obvious question to a patient teacher.
"If the Ministry believes that it is no longer safe for Harry Potter to remain in the Muggle world, then perhaps that is for the best. However, I believe that Albus Dumbledore should be the one to decide where in our world young Harry goes."
Dumbledore chuckled quietly before speaking up. "I find that a perfectly acceptable compromise."
"And what of you, Minister?" Madam Bones asked, glancing at Fudge, who remained silent, his eyes flicking from Dumbledore to Marchbanks to the nodding crowd.
'Why would he agree to that?' Justice asked. 'He wants us for himself.'
'Because he doesn't have a choice,' Harry murmured. 'He's trapped. Marchbanks' proposal suits his stated objective: to get me out of the Muggle World. He can't disagree without letting people know that he has an ulterior motive.'
'Brilliant,' Justice said as Fudge's face crumpled.
"I have no disagreement," he said.
"Does the Wizengamot agree to this course of action?" Madam Bones called, getting a general call of consent. "Then it is the finding of the Wizengamot that Albus Dumbledore will decide where Harry Potter will live, so long as he is not returned to the Muggle world."
"Thank you," Dumbledore said, rising to his feet. "If there's nothing else, then I will be taking Harry and letting you all go about your business."
"Was that part of the plan, Professor?" Harry asked as the pair left the courtroom and made their way back to the elevator.
"No, actually," Dumbledore said. "However, I am not surprised that Griselda managed to come up with such a clever solution." He sighed. "I do wish that I could have returned you to the protection of the your relative's house, however, but it was important to guarantee that you did not fall into the Ministry's hands."
Harry shook his head. "No offense, Professor, but I'm not sad to be away from that place."
AN: And the winner of the pairing debate is (drumroll) LUNA
Frankly, I'm not all that surprised, Luna has always struck me as a character that everyone likes on some level. While some might not love her as much as others, she'll be accepted by anyone. I've already come up with an idea of how to bring the interaction about in a reasonable manner, but it won't be for a while.
Jelly340: I'm glad you're happy, and don't worry, other points of view will be rare, generally confined to the end of a "book" so if you don't want to read them, you don't have to.
Andrew MacKenzie: I don't think I'll be splitting it. I mean, S'TarKan had a much more epic story in Nightmares of Futures Past and he put it all together.
zzxxphaser: Sometimes, change takes time, especially when Harry's not going out of his way to change things like in a Peggy Sue (TV tropes if you don't know the definition, it's not a Mary/Marty Sue clone)
narutofan020: What do you mean by "based on the chapter before it?" All the little snippets were from previous chapters, just different sides of the story.
Skelo: I'm sorry, but I'm confused as to what you mean. I said at the start of the chapter that this was showing what other people were thinking at various points in the story, not changing anything.
almostinsane: Wow, someone who actually likes that I didn't throw canon completely out the window within the first chapter. Thanks for the vote of confidence.
Rizaidym: The only problem with that is that Harry and Nagini were on opposite sides. Voldemort would make a better Cobra if he ever figured out how to re-grow his hair.
Kitsune95: Since it's Justice, a spirit, that's inside Harry, he might not be able to get some of the more interesting specializations. I doubt Harry will become a true Arcane Warrior like William from my Flames of the Dragon Mage story, but I've been toying with the idea of him using the Sword of Gryffindor on occasion. Shapeshifting into more than one form will not be easy, unless Justice takes one form and Harry takes another. As for Luna, I've always seen her as a girl with a unique worldview that's based on her willingness to believe without absolute (or in some cases, any) proof. That'll still make her a good partner for Harry, who really needs someone to believe in him at times.