Harry Potter and the Power of Time

Chapter 14 – Turning Fudge & Honeydukes

As the crowd's whispers grew in volume over concern what Harry had said, he couldn't help but rest his hands on the podium and look over the crowd with a smile on his face. Harry had wanted to do this for a long time, and now he was finally getting his chance to put straight some things that the public had been misinformed about.

Fudge was getting nervous over to the side, but he couldn't very well interrupt the Boy-Who-Lived after he just got finished giving the mic up to the young wizard. Fudge may not have a problem with censoring newspaper articles and press releases, but he couldn't control what anyone said in public. Harry knew this of course, and had been planning on it since the meeting in Dumbledore's office a week ago. The fact that Harry had a magnificent white phoenix perched on his shoulder helped too. Half the crowd was still admiring Hedwig since her arrival, and wondering if she truly belonged to the Boy-Who-Lived. Harry only momentarily thought about introducing her, but decided not to. Her presence remaining mysterious would cause a much greater effect.

"With the exception of the interview I gave the Quibbler last year," Harry said loudly over the noisy crowd, "which was only to clear up events which had been improperly reported on, I've not had much contact with the wizarding public. In fact, with the exception of Hogwarts and a few Ministry officials, I don't think I've met anyone outside of brief encounters I've had while school shopping in Diagon Alley. It surprises me how much you people put pictures of me in your newspapers, and report on my actions, when you can't possibly have enough information to know even half of what goes on with my life.

"Last summer it was reported almost daily that I was an emotionally and mentally unbalanced child, whose false claims of Voldemort's return was only believed by an equally crazy and senile old man, Hogwart's Headmaster Albus Dumbledore."

If Harry thought the nine young Slytherins had reacted bad to the name, that was nothing to how the assembled crowd of over a thousand wizards and witches now reacted. The whispers and soft conversation turned to screams of fright and terror, and even the very stage Harry stood on rocked as the Minister and his team shuttered in their seats. Even with Dumbledore's policy of always using the name Voldemort, Harry doubted it had been said to such a large crowd before.

"Please, settle down!" The crowd was still in an uproar, and could barely hear his magically amplified voice. Hedwig helped out with that by gaining everyone's attention with a short burst of Phoenix song. Once the crowd quieted, so did she. "I'm sorry if my use of his title upsets you, but I've never used the silly names you people have come up with."

This spawned its own discussion among the people, but at least now it was quiet enough for Harry to continue.

"Ever since I first met the man the summer after my second year at school, Minister Fudge has done nothing but act the pompous and foolish politician I know him to be. He's more concerned with his public image and the benefits of being Minister of Magic than what really matters; serving our people. I agreed to this press conference today not to accept any award, but to have the chance to voice my concerns, and show the public once and for all what type of man our leader really is."

Most of the people on stage looked extremely uncomfortable, and tried as much as possible to sink into the shadows. It was obvious to all that Harry was about to start a harangue against their boss, and none of the Ministry officials wanted to stand against the famous Harry Potter in such a public setting. Even Percy Weasley, whose ambition and single mindedness within the ranks of the Ministry paled to so many others, shed away from his boss as if to say, "Sorry, you're on your own with this one!"

Only Fudge was left to defend himself, which he tried to do uncertainly. As the crowd continued to sputter in indignation, Fudge nervously approached Harry's side and whispered in his ear.

"Potter! What do you think you are doing?"

Not feeling the need to hide their conversation, Harry didn't bother whispering his return answer. It was heard by all.

"What do I think I'm doing, Minister? Why, I'm telling the public my side of the story, so they know what really happened. You didn't really think I would want to accept any type of award from you of all people, now did you? Anything coming from you would be worthless in my opinion. As if I care about some stupid medal anyway. I've got more important things on my mind presently."

"You can't do this Potter!" Fudge yelled. It seemed like he forgot over a thousand of his voting constituents were listening, not to mention the countless reporters. "This press conference is over. You're clearly under some spell, or still crazy like that old bat you call a professor! You're to return to Hogwarts at once, and await my arrival while I try to clean up this mess."

"Sorry Minister, but I plan to finish my story. I think the public would like to hear it after all. And as how just a moment ago you were bending over backwards to accommodate me, I think it only fair that I be allowed to say what I want."

"Absolutely not! I'm the Minister of Magic, and you'll do as I say! I will not be ignored by a mere child!" Fudge was coming apart at the seams, and the fact wasn't lost on the crowd. Some of them were eagerly looking forward to whatever Harry had to say, none more than Rita Skeeter.

Harry replied. "I say let the public decide. If they want to hear what I have to say; hear how you've been lying to them for as long as I've known you, and how you're still underemphasizing the public threat from Voldemort; than I'll stay and speak. If however they believe you; and think I'm just some raving teenager who's let his fame get to his head, and doesn't know the real threat even when you admitted yourself I was present at the Ministry battle last June; than I'll leave. How about that?"

"Let him stay!" A call came out from the crowd.

"I want to hear the truth!" Another followed.

All throughout the assembly, the public voiced their decision in Harry's favor. Some were even calling shouts and insults to the Minister, as long as they were far enough back and couldn't be identified. "It's really quite humorous!" Harry thought as he watched Fudge try uselessly to regain control of the crowd. "If we were in the muggle world, they'd be throwing rotten cabbage right about now."

After a minute of uneventful pleading, it was clear to Fudge that he wasn't going to regain the favor of the public, and that things could only get worse. That's when he turned his tail and marched over to the side of the platform.

"Where's this boy's chaperon?" He yelled. "I want Potter escorted back to school immediately! And detained until I figure out what to do with him! Potter! Who'd you come here with?"

Harry would have answered, but didn't need to. The huge figure of Hagrid was hard to miss, as was his booming voice.

"I'm Harry's escort! You remember me, don't you Minister Fudge? I'm the fellow you had thrown in Azkaban a few years back. Without a shred of proof, either!"

The crowd of course heard what Hagrid had to say, and quieted to hear what other delightful details they might learn about their elected leader. Hagrid's temporary imprisonment had been kept under wraps, and it wasn't common knowledge he had ever been accused of opening the Chamber of Secretes. Being jailed without a proper trail was a serious offence, and not many of the people present thought it fair of Hagrid. He had been the Hogwart's groundskeeper for almost fifty years after all, and none present except Harry had experienced his odd teaching methods in CoMC. To most who knew him, Hagrid was just a pleasant, if slightly large, failed wizard who wouldn't hurt a fly.

"That's not the issue!" Fudge screamed. He had lost complete control by now, and physically grabbed Harry around the arm and dragged him to the side near Hagrid. "I won't have this boy telling lies! You're his escort, and I demand that you remove him at once!"

Hagrid just smiled as he rested his considerable weight on an extra sturdy chair. Even seated, his head was still far enough above the ground, enabling all others to see. "I was told to escort Harry to a press conference, to accept his award and give a speech. Until his speech is over, I ain't going nowhere!"

Hagrid gave a huge grin to Harry as he said that, and Harry gave a thanks nod back. This was going better than he planned. Fudge had lost all interest in Harry now, and let go of his arm as he continued his argument with Hagrid. He had to, because no other Hogwarts staff was present. The few Ministry personal he could have asked for support were few, and had wisely moved as far away from the soon to be ex-Minister as possible. With Fudge down off the platform, Harry made his way back over to the podium to continue his speech.

"So, do you all want to hear what I have to say?" He asked the crowd. A large cheer was his answer. One single "Noooooo!" was the only opposition.

"Ok then. As I was saying, Fudge and others in the Ministry have been lying to the public for many years now. The reports made by the Daily Prophet last summer weren't even the worst of them. Even now the Ministry controls and censors what the major news sources report, which is why I chose The Quibbler for my interview last year. They may have some interesting conspiracy theories printed in their pages, but at least I can trust them to print the truth of what I say."

Harry joke about the Quibbler elicited a few chuckles in the crowd. The paper had long been discounted by respectable readers until Harry's article last year, which had tripled its subscription. Since then, he'd been informed by Luna, the paper had turned more serious, and the factual and more absurd news stories were divided into separate sections of the paper.

"Fudge had those articles about Dumbledore and me printed up because we both admitted to Voldemort being returning to the wizarding world. Fudge didn't want to deal with the fact that his happy little society was about to encounter some dark times, so he ignored the problem, and tried to discredit those who opposed him. That's no way to run a government. Earlier today Fudge mentioned previous Headmistress Delores Umbridge, still under review for alleged abuse of power. Do you know how she abused her power? She was part of the plot to cover up what really happened last June. First as defense teacher and High Inquisitor, and then as Headmistress in Dumbledore's place, she used her contact with the students to spread Ministry propaganda. She even had my own dormmates thinking I was bonkers. And what happened to me and anyone else who would get in her way, or answered questions that contradicted her story? I'll tell you want she did. She physically abused the students during detention to condition them into silence!"

The crowd was shocked faced with the truth, and Fudge to the side was trying to hide from the angry outbursts. He had already given up trying to control either the crowd or Harry, and could now only stay and watch the damage inflicted, and try to counter it once Harry left.

"See this?" Harry asked, raising his hand. "I had to spend two weeks detention carving lines on the back of my hand at Umbrige's direction, simply because I wouldn't agree to spread her lies. You know what else she did? She was the one who sent Dementors after me and my muggle cousin last summer, hoping to get me expelled for using underage magic. She admitted it herself! She never said Fudge had anything to do with it, but I wouldn't put it past him. I was dragged in front of a full Wizengamont court simply for defending myself against a pair of Dementors, and I almost got expelled for it thanks to Fudge. If it wasn't for a squib eye witness, he would have done it too!"

Harry couldn't even see Fudge in the angry crowd anymore. He must have either left completely, or hidden himself behind Hagrid. The Dementors' defection from Azkaban and Ministry control was only a few months old, and more people were frightened of them now than ever before. Harry's tale of facing two with no Ministry support was a frightening possibility for them all.

"Fudge's whole speech today was a lie. We haven't been working together to fight against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. If anything, Fudge had been making the work more difficult. Just a few weeks ago he let some walk free, proclaimed 'innocent of all charges' without even a trial. I've seen Lucius Malfoy and the others in Death Eater masks and robes. Hell, they were arrested wearing them! How could they simply be in the wrong place at the wrong time, as Fudge claims. He just let them off because they make substantial campaign contributions, and help keep him in power.

"And that whole thing about Voldemort being weak and not as powerful as before is complete rubbish! From the second he was reborn he was as strong as he's ever been. I should know, seeing as how I had to duel him at the time! He might even be stronger now, seeing as how the Ministry has completely ignored him for over a year, giving him time to do god knows what. I have no idea what that stupid prophecy said. It was destroyed in the fight before anyone heard it. I don't know what Fudge's "crack team of investigators" could have possibly found out, seeing as how me and the others present during the fight were never even questioned. It's obvious, to me at least, that they just made up their whole findings report. Fudge told them what to say, and they wrote a report accommodating his wishes.

"And someone did die that night, no matter what Fudge says! Only me and about a dozen other people saw it happen! My godfather died that night, fighting for a cause that he believed in, even when he had every right not too. He was a good man, who was wrongly accused of a crime he didn't commit, and paid nearly 15 years of his life for it. Again, jailed without a trail. He never deserved what happened to him, and Fudge shouldn't dare try to omit his death or show the lack of respect Sirius deserves!"

Harry was getting a little emotional by now, and had to slow down from the fast paced accusations he was making. A reporter from the crowd took advantage of Harry's slight pause.

"Sirius who? Harry, who was your godfather?" Rita Skeeter asked. She knew damn well who Harry's godfather was, but couldn't turn down the public opportunity to get face recognition.

Although loud before during Fudge's public humiliation, the crowd had been calm all during Harry's truth telling tirade. The noise level dropped almost to nothing as they eagerly awaited Harry's answer. Hedwig nipped his earlobe in comfort, pushing him forward to answer the question.

"He is Sirui....was, Sirius Black." He expected screams and more questions, but got none at all. The silence was deafening. Obviously, the crowd believed him enough to hear the rest of his story, and for that Harry was encouraged to continue.

"Sirius Black never was the secret keeper for my parents, and he never killed a street full of muggles either. He was sent to Azkaban where he spent 12 years of his life, and another three years on the run from the Ministry. I found all this out over two years ago, when I met him face to face along with the real criminal responsible. The criminal eventually escaped, but I still told Minister Fudge all this, and even had eye witnesses besides myself to testify. But Fudge once again claimed I was making up a story to gain attention, and didn't spend more than a few moments listening to what I had to say before dismissing me completely.

"Many of you think Sirius Black is the worst criminal this country has seen in years. You all think he's the right hand man of the enemy. You think he's the biggest Death Eater of them all. Well I'm here to tell you that's all false! Sirius was killed fighting against Voldemort, and was actually fighting his own cousin Bellatrix Lestrange at the very end. I may not be able to bring him back to life, but at least I can finally prove his innocence and clear his name. I've captured the real criminal this past summer, and I've been keeping him locked up until now. I would have turned him over to the Ministry normally, but I've learned they can't all be trusted. Fudge, or the Voldemort supporters who work there, would have made it all too easy for his escape or death before questioning. While that may still happen, in front of you all I think there will be enough witnesses so that this can't be swept under the carpet again."

While he left the audience to digest what he had just said, Harry reached into his robe pocket and grabbed his evidence. It was a bold move he was about to make, but Harry felt confident he had enough support from the crowd to warrant such a risk.

"Ladies and gentleman, let me introduce you to the real culprit of Sirius Black's crimes. This is the man whose actions led to the death of my parents. This is the man who killed 14 muggles and framed Sirius Black just to protect himself. This is the man who cut off his own hand to bring back Voldemort over a year ago, and who'd been his most faithful servant ever since. You all thought he was dead, but he's not. He's just been in hiding. Here he is, Peter Pettigrew!"

Harry thrust the petrified rat form of the former Marauder up in the air, for all the world to see. Harry didn't know exactly what to expect, but hardly anyone in the crowd made a move or said a word. What were they to think, faced with a rodent who was supposedly responsible for some of the worst crimes in wizarding history? Harry could see the doubt in their eyes, but wasn't concerned. He knew what the truth was, and he could prove it.

"See!" Came a mad yell from the crowd. "He's nothing but an attention seeking crackpot! A rat, honestly! We're to believe a frozen rat is an evil wizard responsible for killing so many people? Everyone knows Sirius Black is a murderer, and nothing you can say will prove that he's not!" Apparently Fudge hadn't left, and he made his appearance at the time he thought he might have a chance to turn the tides back against Harry.

"This isn't just any rat Minister Fudge, this is a animagus in the form of a rat." With that, Harry threw the rat down to the floor of the erected stage and used the same spell Remus had used years ago in the Shrieking Shack. The spell caused Wormtail to turn back to his human form, and the crowd went wild in response. Woman and children in the front rows screamed, while men and others voiced their unbelief. While he had never been the most popular of people, Peter Pettigrew was still a very familiar face from the countless articles written about him and Sirius. Three years ago during Sirius's escape, the many photos had been published again. While the still petrified form of Wormtail looked much more haggard and worn than the photos of himself 15 years earlier, he was still very recognizable.

"Peter Pettigrew, also known as Wormtail, has been an illegal animagus since his own Hogwarts days. He was my parents' secret keeper, and it was him who turned the information over to Voldemort, and has served him ever since. You all thought him dead, but he's really been living in disguise all this time, only appearing human to his fellow Death Eaters. Fudge, if you still think I'm lying, I'm sure the Dark Mark on what's left of his arm will prove me right."

"It's an imposter I tell you! It must be an imposter! Peter Pettigrew is dead. The man's a hero, and I won't have you tarnish a good man's name!" Fudge just wouldn't give up.

Harry didn't care though. If anything, Fudge's arguments just made his job easier.

"If the man's an imposter, than how'd I do it? I'm just a sixth year student, after all? And if the man's been dead for fifteen years, than how'd I do all this? I know, let's ask him. Finite Incantatum!"

The strong body bind Harry had placed on Pettigrew before transforming him into a rat was broken with Harry's spell, and Peter began to move in a very different environment from before he'd been cursed. Instead of a dark stone cell, he now found himself on a stage in front of hundreds of people, all focused on him. Before he could even think of a way to escape, Harry cast another spell. This one conjured a pair of restraints, which prevented any type of transformation, and tethered the man to the ground. He wouldn't be escaping this time.

"Before coming here today, I administered a mild truth serum to Pettigrew, which is still in his system." Harry explained. "It's nowhere near as strong as Veritaserum, but it should allow a few simple questions. Peter, what's your full name?"

The look on his face showed he didn't want to answer, but Wormtail didn't have the magical strength to fight even such a mild truth serum. A stronger wizard might be able to, but without his silver hand, Peter was once again reduced to a sniveling weakling.

"Peter Pontificus Pettigrew." The answer wasn't loud, but Harry had steered him in front of the macical amplifier.

"Did you betray by parents to Voldemort? Do you still serve him?"

"Yes."

The crowd was shocked, and rightly so. They had long ago believed the man a hero, and Harry was very neatly ending that belief. The questions could have gone on forever, but Harry had made his point. He only had one last thing to ask.

"Peter, to the best of your knowledge, has Sirius Black ever been in league with Voldemort or any of his supporters, or committed any of the crimes he's been accused of?"

Again you could see Wormtail fight the potion within him, and lose once more. His answer came in another weak reply.

"No. My master once sought out the services of Sirius, but was refused. Sirius has never done any of the things he's been accused of, especially not side with the Dark Lord. He's innocent of his crimes."

Harry was happy with the answers, and now went to end his speech. He had said more than enough that day already, and it was time to wrap things up before he gave away anymore of his secrets.

"A few days ago I gave another interview to Rita Skeeter, which will appear tomorrow morning exclusively in a special Sunday edition of The Quibbler. In it I describe in detail the facts surrounding Pettigrew's crimes, and Sirius Black's innocence. I know how Sirius escaped Azkaban, and I know why. I know where Pettigrew's been hiding for 15 years, and I know how he was discovered. All this, and more about Fudge's policy of lying to the public, will be addressed in the article, and I encourage everyone to read it. Is there an auror in the crowd anywhere?"

Three men and two woman stepped forward, one of which Harry recognized. Kingsley Shackelbolt was an Order member, and was probably present on their behalf. Probably to guard Harry, no less. And while Harry certainly had his issues with the Order, he knew at least that the man could be trusted with this task.

"Auror Shacklebolt, isn't it?" Harry couldn't give away the fact that he knew the man personally. "Weren't you the auror in charge of recapturing Sirius Black?"

"Yes, I was. If what you say is true, then I guess I can stop putting in those extra hours now."

His response broke up the seriousness of the crowd, and even caused a slight smile on Harry's face. He'd never known the large black auror to have a sense of humor before.

"I'll leave Pettigrew in custody with you then. Please remember that he's an animagus, and can easily escape normal cells and restraints. I trust it you'll make sure he faces proper interrogation, and is charged for his crimes, as well as clears Sirius Black of those falsely charged against him."

Shacklebolt nodded and took the reigns attached to Wormtail's restraints. On stage surrounded by able bodied wizards, he never had the opportunity to even move, much less attempt to escape. Now he was Ministry property, and there had been hundreds of witnesses.

Once Wormtail was off the stage, the rat was assaulted by reporters, and questions from the crowd in general. Much to Harry's amusement, and totally not part of his plan, the truth serum still wearing off caused him to give more complete answers than he would have liked. As the attention was momentarily diverted from him, Harry took the opportunity to jump into the small tent erected behind the stage to get out from the public eye. Hagrid and the Weasleys saw where he went, and they were the only ones who followed.

"Blimey Harry," Hagrid congratulated him, "good show! Nice to see Fudge get what he finally deserves. This all came as a shock though. Didn't think Dumbledore would go for something like this."

Harry didn't have a chance to correct the half giant before he was assaulted by his super human strength. Hedwig flew up to the tent rafters for a more stable perch as Hagrid continued to pound Harry's back in admiration. Hagrid was still hammering him into the ground when the Weasley's peaked into the tent, not a moment too soon.

"Hagrid mate, let on up Harry." Charlie was the first face through the tent opening, and thankfully stopped the semi-beating Harry was taking. "You're gonna pummel him to death! Let my mum have a turn before you do, would you?"

Harry couldn't help but think he'd rather contend with Hagrid's garbage pail lid sized hands than suffer a stern verbal thrashing from Mrs. Wesaley. However, he had avoided her for far too long, and had already decided to confront her today. Hopefully, she wouldn't be too bad, and time had softened her up a bit.

Bill was next through the tent, followed by his parents. Bill gave a thumbs up signal to Harry as well as a smile, but didn't have time for anything else before his mother shoved him aside, on her way to ambush Harry. Before he knew it, he was enveloped by a trademark Molly Weasley hug.

"Harry dear! Oh, you're all right! You had us so worried this summer. Where have you been?"

Harry wouldn't answer her question. But even if he wanted to, he couldn't. Although now taller than the matronly woman, she had pulled him down into one of the strongest grips he knew of, and his face was pushed quite embarrassingly between two ample breasts. His muffled voice was the only response heard.

"Molly dear, you're suffocating the poor boy. Let him breathe a little, would you?" Thank god for Mr. Weasley's sensible head. Unless there were muggles around, Harry could always count on him to help control his overbearing wife. After another few pats on the back, Harry was finally released.

"Harry, where'd this phoenix come from? Me and Bill have been wondering during the whole speech." Charlie was off in the corner talking to his brother and Hagrid, while admiring the feathered bird cautiously. He and Bill already knew of the money, and wanted to give his parents some privacy to discuss the matter. Hagrid had wanted to talk more about Fudge's embarrassment, but at the chance to see such a magnificent creature up close, he joined the Weasley brothers. He was the Care of Magical Creatures professor after all.

"The phoenix can wait Charlie. We have some more important things to discuss." This came from Mrs. Weasley. "You can surely entertain yourselves for a few moments, can't you?"

Her sons nodded, and turned back to admire the bird. With a questioning look to her master, Hedwig hopped down out of the rafters to Charlie's outstretched arm. Harry had given her permission, seeing as how the conversation with the Weasley parents was going to take more than a brief minute.

"I'm sorry I didn't get the chance to see you this summer; Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley. But I've been real busy, and I'm sure you've heard by now I've been making my own decisions lately. I was thinking of visiting the Burrow, but didn't believe it safe. How have you been? Ron and Ginny said not much happened this summer."

"Not much except you running away from home, you mean! Honestly Harry, what were you thinking? Until Remus came back from his first visit, I don't think I slept more than a few hours at a time the week you were missing! And Dumbledore not knowing where you were! I don't think I've been so scared in years! Why didn't you come to live with us at headquarters if you wanted to leave the Dursleys?"

She wasn't the first one to ask the question, and Harry had to remember that she was only worried about him to prevent answering the same way he had Hermione's question. Harry didn't want to blow up at the Weasley's for just being concerned.

"Mrs. Weasley, I left the Dursleys not just because I wanted to leave them, but because I also wanted to get out on my own. I know Remus has told you this already, so please just try to accept it. If I was at headquarters with the Order all summer long, I never would have had the chance to do the things I wanted. Dumbledore would never have allowed it. Do you think he would have let me go capture Wormtail if he had control of me? Never. Sorry if you worried, but it's just something everyone's going to have to accept."

"But Harry, there must have been some other way. Dumbledore only has your best...."

"Now Molly," Arthur interrupted, "I don't think we're going to convince Harry otherwise. From what we've heard from Remus and his letters, it's obvious Harry has some pretty strong feelings about all this. We may not agree, but Harry's old enough to start making some of his own decisions. Besides, we've got some other business to discuss. Like the sudden appearance of 300,000 galleons in our family vault. Harry?"

This was the part Harry was dreading, but at least the admonishing was over with. Harry expected to be scolded at for avoiding them on the train platform as well, but so far that hadn't been brought up.

As expected, the Weasleys wanted to return the money, with no exceptions. Harry resisted though, and reintroduced the reasoning he discussed in his letter to them. Now more than ever, Harry was comfortable with the material wealth his family had left him, but a whole summer with only two house-elves left him hungry for more human contact. The Weasleys had always taken him in, he explained, and gave him what he had sorely lacked the first decade of his life. And it wasn't just the food, or the lodgings, or the attention he got. It was the little things too, like the hand made jumpers every Christmas, and the chores he had to do like clearing the yard of garden gnomes. Harry didn't feel like a charity case with the group of red heads, he felt like part of the family.

Arthur wasn't as hard to convince as Molly was, but she finally gave in to keeping the money with one final promise from Harry. He had to promise that he'd never go missing again like he had last summer, and cause her to worry. With a final last hug Harry agreed, and even invited the whole family over for the holidays.

"Nonsense Harry." Mrs. Weasley said as she wiped her wet eyes. "We always spend Christmas at the Burrow if we're able. Why don't you come home with us this year?"

Harry didn't think it was safe, and besides wanted to spend some time in his new home. He already planned on getting a huge tree for the living room area. The Weasleys understood his caution, and spending the break at Grimmauld place was out of the question as far as Harry was concerned, so the Weasleys finally gave in. They did agree to spend Boxing Day with Harry though, even if Molly was concerned with where they would all be staying. None of them had any idea about where Harry was living, and Harry wasn't about to tell them. It would be a great surprise!

"Done over here yet?" Bill asked, walking over to the others with Charlie and Hagrid in tow. Hedwig flew the short distance over to Harry, and perched on his head. The others laughed at the sight, because Hedwig had caused Harry's long hair to flop down over his eyes, and he couldn't see a thing.

"Oh Harry, you really do need a haircut! You want me to give you a quick trim while you're here? I do all the boys' hair."

"Not all of them." Replied Bill. "Don't let her Harry; I like the long look. I've been trying to convince Ron to grow his hair out for ages now. At least someone is carrying on in the tradition, even if the owner doesn't have red hair. Maybe we can give you an earring as well?"

Mrs. Weasley would have no more teasing, and ordered Bill to go fetch Percy for the return trip home. While still at odds with his family, Ginny let Harry know that her parents were trying to patch up their relationship. Percy now spent weekends back at the Burrow, but otherwise had no contact with his family. He wasn't privy to any Order of the Phoenix knowledge, nor could he stay at Grimmauld Place when the Weasleys were spending their time there.

Once the good news about the Weasleys keeping the money spread around, and Bill left to find his ostentatious brother, Charlie brought the conversation back to Hedwig.

"So Harry, where'd you get the phoenix from? I've never seen a white one before."

"No one has, Charles. To the best of my knowledge, there hasn't been a white phoenix in over 900 years." No one had seen him enter, but the jovial voice of the Headmaster couldn't be mistaken. He must have slipped into the tent when no one noticed, and now stood behind Harry and the others in bright green robes with purple sunbursts.

"Professor." Harry greeted him with a slight nod to the head. The two had both been on their best behavior in each other's presence since their last meeting, even if they were cautiously wary. The meeting with Snape after his Friday class had been one for the history books, but at least Harry was able to show he was a responsible person, and hadn't taken his safety this summer lightly. Dumbledore hadn't approved of Harry's methods, but the two were no longer arguing about the summer. They had simply agreed to disagree.

"You remember Hedwig, don't you Charlie? I know she was an owl when you last saw her, but it's still the same old girl. She had an accident this summer, and got hurt pretty bad. It looked like she died even, but then a few moments later, she and almost the whole room went up in flames, and I started to hear phoenix song. I don't know how long it lasted, but when it was all over, Hedwig was as you see her now. She had a burning day right before I left for school, so that's why she hasn't been around till now. It was just good timing that she showed up when she did. Hedwig never could stand to ignore any attention she could get."

Hedwig chipped in agreement, which made everybody laugh. No one understood how such a transformation had happened, but they didn't get a chance to ask any questions. Harry had one first.

"Actually Professor," he asked, "I've been meaning to ask you about what happened. I still don't know how this is possible, and no one seems to believe me unless they see Hedwig for herself. Remus tried looking in a few books, but couldn't find anything outside of fairy tales. And people seem to make a big deal out of her being a white phoenix as well. Do you know what that's about?"

"Indeed Harry." Dumbledore answered. "Just as Fawkes is decorated, mostly all phoenixes are colored red and gold. The only exceptions are those who are white, like Hedwig here. White phoenixes are believed to be something of a myth, but as you now know, one that is very much true. There are tons of stories describing them, mostly bedtime tales for young children. Some talk about a white phoenix familiar of the great wizard Merlin, others talk about them belonging to the forest elves, who have long since passed from our world. The true story, as much as I know, isn't as glamorous as these, but is equally interesting."

"Do you mind telling it?" Harry asked. If he finally understood what happened to Hedwig, that would be one less thing Harry had to research. He still had to find out about the golden patronus he had cast.

"Not at all Harry. I even suspect Hagrid and the others would care to listen in as well, as it truly is an interesting tale." Dumbledore explained. "But it will take some time. Why don't we continue this back up at the castle?"

Harry didn't have a problem with that, but a quick peek outside the tent caused him to reconsider. There were still people everywhere, and it looked like the Minister and his team were trying to work some damage control. The crowd would still be around for awhile, and Harry didn't want to show himself if he could help it.

"How about we stay here instead? It's looking busy out there, and I'd rather stay out of the way. I think I've given the press more than enough to write about for one day." With a wave of his wand, Harry conjured up cozy armchairs for the group, and a pitcher of lemonade and glasses to drink. Even Hagrid was accommodated, his chair looking more like an oversized love seat. Molly Weasley served the drinks while Dumbledore raided his eyebrow in Harry's direction. Multiple conjuring was extremely difficult work, but Harry was tired of hiding his skills. Besides, he doubted the furniture would last more than an hour. He hadn't been concentrating that much on it.

Once everybody had a cool glass of the citrus drink, and Arthur and Hagrid showed their like of the sweet and sour muggle beverage, Dumbledore continued with his story.

"Well, as you all know phoenixes by nature are very rare. I myself came about Fawkes as a hatchling more than ninety years ago, and he's only been the third phoenix I've ever seen, until now. One of the others belonged to my dear friend Nicolas Flamel, and it's him I've learned most of my knowledge about phoenixes from. As Hagrid and Harry already know, Nicolas was over 750 years old when he died, and had seen much in his lifetime.

"Anyway, at any one time there are approximately four to six dozen phoenixes alive in the world, maybe about a dozen of them residing in Britain. It's a common misconception that phoenixes live forever, but in fact they don't. They live on average 200 years, perhaps longer if they've led a quiet life. Ashcroft, Nicolas's phoenix, died at the ripe old age of 263 just a few years before Nicolas himself passed on.

"During their lifespan, phoenixes mate for life, and only have one offspring, no mater what the circumstances. Fawkes is actually Ashcroft's son, and one day Fawkes will find a mate and have a son or daughter of his own. As you can see, over a period of years the phoenix population decreases. A pair will only have one offspring, and their offspring will only have a single as well. When you take into consideration the number of phoenixes who die prematurely, before they mate, the population becomes even less."

"But Professor," Harry interrupted, "how can phoenixes die? I saw Fawkes take a killing curse straight to the head, and he turned out fine."

"Well Harry," Dumbledore continued, "normally, they die like everything else. They get old. Certainly you know wizards live to be older than most muggles. Likewise, phoenixes live to be much older than most other birds. Their burning days are part of their life cycle, but not the only part. As a phoenix gets older, their burning days come closer together. Let me ask you this, Harry. How much time passed between when Hedwig first became a phoenix, and when she had her first burning day?"

"About two months."

"Well, that makes sense then, as she's very young. I stopped counting long ago, but it shouldn't surprise you that Fawkes has little more than a month between episodes. As you can see, the older the phoenix, the shorter the time span between burnings. Eventually, they'll only have a day or two between burnings, and shortly after that only a few hours. Then one day, the phoenix will simply go up in flames, and never be reborn again. And so concludes their life."

"But Professor," Charlie asked, "you haven't said how a phoenix could die prematurely. If a killing curse won't do it, I can't imagine what would."

Dumbledore just smiled. It was conversations like these that reminded him how much he missed teaching. Speaking of teachers....

"Let's ask our resident Care of Magical Creatures professor that question. Hagrid?"

"Well," Hagrid exclaimed, "I don't specialize in phoenixes, as they're too tame for my likes, but I seem to remember something about them being overexposed to death being unhealthy. Like, they could face one killing curse, but not ten. Or something like that."

"Correct Hagrid!" Dumbledore beamed. "Very good! Perhaps you can include all this in a future lesson, if Harry is kind enough to lend Hedwig to the class. Yes, anyways, as Hagrid explained. A single killing curse, or any means of death, can neatly be handled by any phoenix. They can survive a fire, be shot by a muggle gun, or even survive starvation I've heard. But when the phoenix dies, it's reborn right away in its juvenile form. Another death so quickly after the first will shock the phoenix further, until enough deaths in a row can actually cause a permanent death. The younger the phoenix, the more trauma he or she can survive. A phoenix over 200 years of age could probably only survive one or at most two violent deaths. Hedwig, being as young as she is, could probably survive 5 or more killing curses in a row, although I hope she never has to go through that."

Hedwig shrilled a positive concurrence from Harry's lap. He had been gently stroking her chest during Dumbledore's tale.

"So, that's how a phoenix dies prematurely. It doesn't happen often, but occasionally a phoenix will die before it had the chance to sire an offspring. If it weren't for white phoenixes, the number of total phoenixes in the world would constantly diminish, until none were left. White phoenixes such as Hedwig repopulate the species, to make up for decreased numbers."

"How so Albus." Even Mr. Weasley was interested enough to be paying attention. The subject of phoenixes wasn't as fascinating as rechargeable batteries, but few subjects were.

"Well Arthur, white phoenixes are the only ones capable of birthing multiple children, in multiple litters. While a normal phoenix can only have a single offspring, white phoenixes, which are always female, can have a countless number. Their offspring replenish the low numbers as needed, and bring the population back up to a strong number. No one knows for sure, but I think the most phoenixes ever being recorded alive at one single time is 81. I doubt more than a hundred have ever existed at once."

"But Professor," Harry argued, "that still doesn't explain how Hedwig became a phoenix. I mean, she was an owl for Pete's sake. She was a great owl and all, but I don't think there was anything special about her really? So why'd this happen to her?"

"Ah, therein lies one of the largest questions in the magical world, Harry. As they only show up once in a millennium, it's hard to answer that question. Not even I am that old. There have been many theories of course, and the one I believe is the one speculated by Nicolas himself. In his youth, his mentor told him tales of a pure white phoenix, who was made from a familiar cat. The tale says, the cat was drowned by an enemy of the witch she belonged to, and was found moments after her death. From the story you told, it sounds like much the same thing happened to the cat as did Hedwig. A great fire consumed the body, and phoenix song could be heard, until the familiar was reborn in the form of a phoenix. Be it cat or owl, it looks like white phoenixes are made from recently deceased pets. Unlike normal phoenixes which are hatched from eggs, white ones are born of hardship and death."

Well, that didn't answer anything. Harry was getting frustrated now, and didn't think he'd ever get an answer. Apparently, Charlie was getting just as discouraged.

"But Professor, why does that happen?"

Again, he smiled. "I was getting to that. Forgive my ramblings. I admit, without Minerva to keep me in check, I sometimes wonder off a topic. As I was saying, my suspicion, and that of Nicolas's, is that Hedwig became a phoenix because of you Harry."

"Me?"

"Yes. Let me ask you this. What were you feeling as you watched Hedwig die, and the moments right afterward as well?"

Harry tried to remember the painful memories, but it was hard to do with Hedwig preened on his lap. Her close proximity made him feel better even without her beautiful song.

"I guess I was sad." He admitted. "More sad than I've ever been. Her death reminded me of Sirius's death, and that of my parents too I guess. Hedwig was my first friend ever, and only she ever spent time with the Dursleys. She was the only one I had to keep me company, no matter where I was. More than anything, I wanted her back. I didn't want to believe that she was dying.

"Yes, you see! You were very emotional, and wished for more than anything in the world for Hedwig to come back to you." Dumbledore was almost dancing in his seat with glee. "And Harry, what usually happens to witches and wizards when they become very emotional? Think back to your childhood."

He preferred not to, but saw what Dumbledore was trying to get at.

"You mean accidental magic?" That was the obvious answer, but Harry couldn't believe Hedwig becoming a phoenix was caused by him. "Are you saying that I...I willed Hedwig back to life?"

"Yes!" The old wizard really was bouncing in his seat now. "Of course it's all speculation, but I can't see any other way this could happen. Consider this. Phoenixes by nature are animals of inherent good. They detest anything evil, and their song is even harmful to evil beings. You Harry, who have suffered numerous times at the hands of one of the world's most evil wizards, are the same. You're inherently good, just like the phoenix. It's my belief that a person with such good intentions and morals is the only one possible to create a white phoenix. It doesn't happen all the time, but in the grand scheme of things, every thousand years or so when the universe is ready for one, I believe white phoenixes are willed into being by light wizards through accidental magic. Only such powerful emotions could bring to life such a creature."

"Errrr....OK." Harry didn't know what to say, but his stammering caused the others to laugh. Dumbledore's belief was a lot to take in, that's for sure. But if it were true, which Harry still wasn't sure of, than at least he knew that he was a good person, and was doing the right things with his life. That was a worthy thought.

The next five minutes were spent passing Hedwig around so everybody could have a pet, and swapping some of the more ridiculous white phoenix tall tales. Mrs. Weasley was just telling her favorite about a magical princess being cursed to spend her nights as one by an evil witch, when Bill finally returned with Percy. Neither was looking too happy. In fact, once he spotted Harry, Percy looked enraged. He didn't even notice the others seated in a circle, sipping the last of their lemonade.

"You!" Percy spat, pointing his finger at Harry. "Do you have any idea what you've done? Minister Fudge was kind enough to nominate you for one of the Ministry's most prestigious awards, and you don't even have the decency to graciously accept it. Instead, you insult not only me and my team of investigators, but Minister Fudge himself! Not to mention all those lies you told. The Ministry is perfectly capable of deciding how to best rule the population, thank you very much. It's obvious you're still in league with Dumbledore to overthrow the Ministry."

Harry wasn't going to have any of this, even if Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were present.

"You don't know what you're talking about, Weatherby!" Harry didn't use the wrong name accidentally. "If you spent one minute actually investigating like you were supposed to, instead of just blindly following what Fudge said, you might have learned the truth of what happened that night. I haven't told a single lie, which is more than I can say about some. Fudge has been wanting to discredit me for years, and now I got the chance to defend myself. It's you who should be ashamed, not me! You've been ignoring your own family for choosing to side with Dumbledore, correctly I might add, and now you're not even man enough to admit when you're wrong. Tell me Percy, have you even apologized yet for being such a prat last year? Ginny told me what your idea of an apology was. I heard you got a good talking to from Bill at work because of it too."

Hedwig had flown back into the rafters the moment the loud shouting began, and the others made their presence known before the situation could escalate further. Dumbledore was quietly sucking on a lemon wedge, and seemed to want to stay out of the conversation. It was family business, after all.

Percy had more to say in his defense, but with so many others pitted against him, he turned his back and left the tent in a huff just as quickly as he had entered.

"Oh my!" Dumbledore finally spoke up. "I'm afraid Percy seems rather upset at all this. Perhaps you should go after him Molly. Never leave a conversation in anger, I always say. That doesn't always happen of course, but I do try."

Mrs. Weasley couldn't have agreed more, and exited after her son with one last hug from Harry. He promised to write them soon, and the rest of the Weasley clan followed in her wake grudgingly.

With Dumbledore's permission Hagrid excused himself, as he had lesson plans to attend to. He wanted to squeeze in a lesson about phoenixes while it was all fresh in his mind, and that meant he had to do something with the adolescent chimeras he had grazing in a locked pen. They would have to wait for another week.

"Why don't we walk back together Harry? I have a few things yet to discuss."

Harry agreed to Dumbledore's proposition, and both found that the center of town had cleared out much since the end of his speech. There were still a few people milling around, but they were only the normal townsfolk going about their business. The reporters and photographers seemed to be gone.

"A most enlightening day for the wizarding world, I must say. I had a feeling it would be in my best interest to attend today's festivities, and I was indeed proven right." Harry and his headmaster made their way slowly to the train station. Hagrid had taken the carriage, and that left only the well worn trail for the two to travel by. From the train station, it was maybe a twenty minute walk to the castle gates, and Harry hoped he could spend the time without arguing.

"You were there? Funny I didn't see you?" It was hard to imagine he could have missed Dumbledore in his bright green and purple robes, but if anyone could have done it, it was most certainly him. There are ways to make oneself invisible after all, other than using an invisibility cloak.

"I didn't wish to be seen, as I'm sure you can appreciate. In my position I would have drawn unwanted attention, and I can't appear to choose sides between my students and the Minister. While Cornelius and myself may not agree on many issues, at least in public we must appear civil and cooperative, to maintain the public image. It would not do well to have the public panic, after all."

Harry didn't wholeheartedly agree, but kept his opinion to himself. It wasn't really needed after all, what with the speech he had just made. His opinion of the Minister was now very much a matter of public record.

The two continued in comfortable silence for a bit longer, until they reached the train station which lay dormant most of the year. It appeared the mass number of reporters and photographers hadn't left after all. They had simply moved to a new location, one which was sure to be visited by the Hogwarts student.

"Oh brother! They must have noticed me gone missing, and have been waiting here since!" Harry didn't like the prospect of wading through so many reporters, only to be followed on the long hike back to the school. Dumbledore could certainly provide him some protection, but there was only so much the old wizard could do. If it were an army of Death Eaters on the other hand, then they'd have no problems.

"We could go around them if you like?" Dumbledore suggested. "As you are aware of the passage already, I don't see the harm in returned back to school via the Shrieking Shack. I myself have not used the tunnel in many years, but I'm sure I would enjoy the experience.

Harry would have taken him up on the offer in an instant, if it weren't for the fact that the shack was already occupied. The moment the words came out of Dumbledore's mouth, Harry remembered that he still had close to fifty wondering souls waiting for a visit, and he was already overdue in his promise. He wasn't yet ready to share that bit of information with the Headmaster.

"Um, I'd prefer not if you don't mind. Too many bad memories." The lie didn't sound convincing, but it must have been, because Dumbledore didn't object. It was the first place he had met Sirius after all, so Harry supposed it could be a realistic excuse.

"Very well then. I guess we'll just have to manage."

"How about something else?" Harry had an idea. Dumbledore so far had been treating him very well that day, as he had the day before. Harry felt like he could share a few things with the old man, as an act of good faith. "Do you trust me?"

Dumbledore looked perplexed, but nodded with a smile. In return, Harry led the two back into town, and headed for Honeydukes. So close after the end of the press conference, the shop was almost empty, and that was just the way Harry liked it.

"Ah! Any alternative that involves a trip to the sweet shop is an excellent plan in my opinion. I could do with researching a new password anyways. I'm ashamed to admit I've started to reuse some old favorites, even to the point that Minerva has noticed. I do desperately hope some new candies come out soon, or I may have to resort to muggle sweets. Not that I have anything against them, but I prefer to keep muggle sweets as password to my personal quarters, as opposed to my office. In my old age, I have to keep these things straight in my head, you know." Dumbledore rambled on about some of his favorite treats until they reached the shop doors.

Once inside, Professor Dumbledore headed straight for the front counter, but Harry grabbed his arm and directed him towards the back. There were only two customers inside with them, and both were in discussion with the shop owner about the advantages of sugar quills over sweet sticks. Dumbledore almost spoke aloud and broke their cover, but Harry managed to push him into the back room before he could.

"Harry, what are we doing here? I hardly think hiding out in the sweet shop storeroom will make the reporters go away, although I daresay we won't go hungry."

"Just follow me Professor." Harry instructed. "And stay quite. We don't want to be disturbed. Besides, I think you'll enjoy what I have to show you, if you don't already know about it." After that, it didn't take a lot to convince Dumbledore to be led down the stairs to the basement.

The cellar hadn't changed much since Harry's last visit, his third year at Hogwarts when he had snuck in during the first Hogsmeade weekend. There were a few new candies that were stocked in abundance, and the room looked tidier than last time, but there were no other visible changes. Dumbledore kept near the staircase as Harry crossed the room, but came to investigate when Harry pushed back a rug to display the hidden trap door.

"What's this now?" He asked. "And how do you know about it?"

Harry only smiled. "Surely you don't expect me to give away all my secrets, do you Professor? This is another passageway into school. It comes out behind the statue of the hump backed witch, on the fourth floor. There are more passage ways to the school than just the one under the Shrieking Shack."

"Indeed there appear to be Harry, but I was not aware that you knew about them. I myself discovered one as a student many years ago, but it has since caved in. I was unaware of any others "

"You mean the one behind the mirror?" Harry asked.

Dumbledore couldn't hide his surprised face at hearing this, and nodded. "It seems you know more about the subject than you let on. I still have been unable to deduce how you managed to identify Minister Fudge last weekend when he showed up outside my office door. I wonder what else you know about the castle and its surroundings that you shouldn't. I can only imagine how much this particular passage must be used. If I had access to such a supply of sweets in my youth, I shutter to think of the false teeth I might now be wearing."

"Don't worry." Harry reassured him. "I haven't used this passage in years, and I never took any candy. I know some other students have, the ones who told me how to get here, but they always left money behind for their purchases."

While not mentioning the Weasley twins by name, as Harry and Dumbledore climbed down into the trap door, Harry recounted some of the more spectacular Gryffindor parties they had supplied food and beverages for. Both wizards lit their wand with a Lumos spell, and headed in the opposite direction of town as they continued their conversation.

As he knew would happen, Dumbledore only talked about candies and parties for a little while longer, before he switched to a more serious subject. The speech Harry had made, and the possible ramifications it could have, was a great concern for him. Dumbledore did admit that he thought Harry might be up to something when he so eagerly agreed to accept the award, but had no idea Harry was going to share so much.

Just the subject of Peter Pettigrew and his unmasking alone took nearly half the trip. Harry let the other know that he had captured the sniveling wizard the night of his floo message with the help of Remus, but would say no more. He told Dumbledore Remus would fill him in of the details later. He just had to make sure he warned Remus not to say anything about the Dementors.

One thing that Dumbledore did mention, which Harry hadn't considered, was the possibility that Fudge would be voted out of office. That was Harry's intention of course, but what Dumbledore brought up was the fact that someone even more useless and ignorant could be the person to take his place in office. Maybe even someone with solid ties to Death Easters, or Voldemort himself. Electing a proper Minister after all wasn't guaranteed.

Harry's reply? He wasn't too concerned, although he was grateful for having the possibility pointed out to him. He just told Dumbledore, "Well, that's the kind of thing the Order of the Phoenix should be looking into. It doesn't make sense to just go along with a mediocre Minister, and not risk the chance of finding a better one. Instead, you should be looking into possible candidates, and try to find the best person for the job. With all the connections you and the others have, not to mention the respect, I'm sure you could help nearly anyone get into office. Concentrate on electing a better Minister of Magic, rather than worrying about a worse one."

The trip in the underground tunnel didn't last much longer, and Harry took a quick peak with his x-ray lens to make sure the hallway was deserted before whispering the password to the entrance. It wouldn't do any good to be seen coming out of a secret passage with the Headmaster as him accomplice. The student population still didn't know about the press conference just held, only Harry's close friends did. But even they didn't know what he had planned. Tomorrow when the papers were delivered, it would come as a huge shock to everyone.

"Well Harry," Dumbledore said as he brushed off his robes, "here is where I must be leaving you. My last minute decision to attend the ceremony today caused me to miss lunch, and I'm afraid visiting Honeydukes has done nothing but further my appetite. Would you care to join me for a small meal in the kitchens? Perhaps I can show you a secret or two about the castle in return for sharing your knowledge of this most useful tunnel."

"No thank you sir." Harry politely declined. "I ate an early lunch before the ceremony, and I'm due to meet my prefect patrol partner in the library soon. We don't know each other well, and we're going to spend some time getting to know one another.

"A very good idea. I wish more of the students would break house boundaries to develop friendships. Who is your partner, may I ask?"

"Cami Mitchell, from Hufflepuff. That's about all I know about her though." Harry admitted. "I guess that's why we're meeting."

"I'll leave you to your plans then. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and I'll see you tomorrow morning for brunch. I don't know about you, but I can't wait to see the school's reaction to what I have no doubt will be a very exciting issue of The Quibbler. Until then."

"Goodbye Professor." Harry waved as the elderly man passed around a corner. "Give the pear an extra tickle for me!" From around the corner, Harry heard the distinct sounds of the Headmaster laughing.

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AUTHOR NOTES:

Before I really begin, I just want to say that I know I promised you'd get a chance to see Harry in action back in time, but the chapter ended up being longer than I wanted, so I decided to split it in two. This is the first half of what I had planned. Next chapter will be the second half, and will deliver all that I previously promised. Now that that's over with, I can continue. Well, I hope everyone liked the Fudge bashing scene. I didn't like it as much as the ones about Snape (the second scene, next chapter, will be even better than the first), but it was still fun to write. The long awaited explanation of Hedwig's condition has finally been revealed, and I hope everyone was pleased with what I came up with. It's not exactly what I had originally planned, but it's damned close. I put a lot of thought into creating a unique idea to explain the transformation, and I hope I didn't let my fans down. I also hope I've laid the fears to rest that Harry will forever hate Dumbledore. As you can see, the two can get along admirably, as long as Harry feels Dumble isn't trying to control his life. A lot more time will pass before Harry will take Dumble's council like he once did. For those of you who haven't joined my Yahoo! group (link on my bio page), I'll be hosting a live chat soon to discuss this latest chapter, and future others. If interested in joining the chat, please join the Yahoo! group (which is free and easy) to find the correct day and time. If it's not already posted, it will be soon. While I'm talking about it, thanks to everyone who's joined already. In less than 24 hours, I already had 100 members. Now I have over 250, and I still can't believe how popular it is. Thanks again.

Whizzy – Thanks for pointing out my "Legilimens" mistake. I corrected it, and a few others that other readers pointed out. As for your second point about Luna being in the Arithmancy class, I don't agree. It never says in Book 5 that she takes the class, and because of her reading the Quibbler constantly, I imagine her taking Ancient Runes over Arithmancy. They're both electives (along with Divination and Muggle Studies), so I think she'd take that class instead. Remember how she reads the runes in the Quibbler upside down?

Frog1 – No, Tonks isn't the DADA in disguise. Rofordit is just a really old witch. Tonks will be around a little though, as one of the roaming aurors. Secondly, I have to keep the sorting hat's plans to myself for now. What will happen doesn't come to be until my sequel, which is a long ways way. Best to put it out of your mind for now.

Holly – Although Harry has far surpassed his peers in Arithmancy and Potions (those are the two he studied this summer), in the other subjects he hasn't done as much work. During the summer, when he did study Charms and Transfiguration (etc.) he never did school work. He went beyond the 7th year curriculum, and looked at advanced magics like the Fidelius and Animagus transformations. So while his theory knowledge is well past that of other students, he still has to learn the spells like everyone else. So he isn't holding back in class, he's just doing a much better job than previous years. You know how he almost managed to beat Hermione in class? He'll stay at about that level for awhile, and then slowly move past her. What Harry's really going to concentrate on is DADA and offensive spells.

Lauren – Prefects being allowed to take off house points is one of those things that JKR has contradicted herself on. In Book 5, the students are shocked when the Inquisitional Squad takes off house points. So in that case, it doesn't seem allowed. But in Book 2, when Harry and Ron are sneaking into the Slytherin common rooms, Percy takes house points off them (posing as Crabbe and Goyle) for wandering the halls. So I think I'm justified in allowing prefects too take off points, by using Book 2 as a reference. Sorry to disappoint you, but Loren is no reference to yourself. I thought of the name because I needed a gender neutral one, and I got the idea from the TV show Angel. You know, the green karaoke demon, Loren? That's where it came from. And Lizzy (short for Elizabeth) was just off the top of my head. If I do put you or your sister in the story, you'll know it.

Fiddy – Although it's true Harry and Ron were issued detentions is Book 2, they didn't serve them until after classes had started. Because my fic starts on a Friday, there's 2 whole days before classes start, and plenty of time to serve detention before then. Snape's threat was "be the first two students to SERVE detention before classes begin." It's just semantics, but I think I am correct with the threat. Good eye though.

Gotta B Writin – I understand your skepticism about Harry being able to overpower Dumbledore in Occulmency, but I was trying to explain the Dumble wasn't expecting a fight from Harry. Think of it as him being caught off balance, and taken by surprise. In time Dumble would have regained his concentration and fought back (and possible won), but Harry ended the onslaught before that could happen. Now Dumble won't underestimate Harry again. About the first years being too respectful to Harry and Hermione, I think it's totally believable. Even though they're Slytherins, it's the first day of school, and they haven't had the time yet to listen to house prejudices. And even if some of them are junior Death Eaters who hate Harry, they can't disrespect him too much. After all, they're just little 11 year olds, and Harry's a 16 year old prefect. I know 5 years doesn't sound like a lot on paper, but try to remember yourself at those ages. The difference between an 11 years old and a 16 years old might as well be the difference between a child and a adult. The Slytherins may go back to the common rooms to talk bad about him, but I don't think they would do it in front of him without older Slyrtherins to back them up.

Oomah Loompah & Iris – For some reason, you're not the only ones to ask for personal info about me this review period. I have some on my bio page, but if you want more, than OK. I'm a 25 year old male (straight) who lives in Charlotte, NC. I graduated FSU with a degree in Communication and Film, but have yet to put my studies to use in finding a decent job. I'm a huge movie buff (I own over 500 DVD's), I only like music dated before 1990 (oldies, 80's, and classic rock), and my screen name is RossWrock because I used to love rock climbing. I don't get the chance much anymore, but if given the opportunity I would still love to go. As it so happens, the NC area has some of the best climbing in the country. If you're really dying to see what I look like, there's a photo on my Yahoo! bio page. I don't schedule when I post new chapters, but the rough estimates I do make are posted on my Yahoo! group site. There's a link on my bio page.

Tombadgerlock – I'm sorry you think I'm predictable, but there are a few things wrong with what you think that I'd like to correct. You mentioned that Harry should have accepted the Order of Merlin b/c there might be some benefits. It doesn't matter if it would let him be emancipated or have the right to own to wands, as Harry already has those things. You don't think Vernon cares where Harry's living, do you, as long as he's not at Privet Drive? And he's already got two wands, so he doesn't need another. You also accuse me of changing the past as well as Harry's character. Why I agree I change his character somewhat over a period of time, I've been very dedicated to keeping with cannon. There's nothing in my story that contradicts Books 1-5. If you think there is, let me know, so I can either fix my story, or provide evidence you're wrong. The reason Dumble doesn't know about Hedwig (before Ch. 14 was written) is because Hedwig hasn't been anywhere near Dumble. She's been in London so far, and Dumble's in Scotland. I know he's powerful and very wise, but he's not omnipresent. And the reason why Moody doesn't notice the trunk or Hedwig is because he doesn't take advantage of Harry's privacy. As long as he knows Harry is present and safe (which he does b/c Harry went jogging everyday), there's no reason for him to take a closer look. Even if he did, he has no reason to suspect that the trunk is new, or that it's enchanted. Even if he did notice an enchanted trunk, so what? Harry's a wizard. I doubt that Moody would pay much attention to something so common place. He doesn't even know that that isn't the trunk Harry's always had. And the detection of magic I've explained already before. Harry's had a counter spell cast on him, as well as drank an antidote to another potion that Dumbledore gives all his students. It's all explained in the Burkes scene in Ch. 5. If you're still confused, reread the section.

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I don't respond to everyone's reviews personally, just those that have comments or questions. Especially now that I'm receiving almost 100 reviews per chapter, I just can't fit them all in. So if you've written to say you liked my story and are waiting for more, than thank you.

I also now have a Yahoo! group addressing new updates my story, as well as pictures, info about live chats, etc. If interested, please visit the site, which is mentioned on my bio page.

Ross