Disclaimers…
The Harry Potter world is not mine. J.K.R. planted this garden, I am just adding a few weeds of my own. Any similarities to any real people alive or dead, is either a total accident, or was with their consent.
Chapter 14
Harry woke when a bar of sunlight streamed in through a tower window and onto his face. The bright light penetrated his dreams and dragged him from sleep. His body felt stiff and he couldn't feel his left arm. Harry tried to block out the light by covering his face with his right hand, and was surprised to feel his glasses on his face. With a foggy brain he tried to remember what had happened before falling asleep. All he could come up with were a few fuzzy images of a party.
With some effort he tried to sit up. It immediately became evident to Harry why he was so uncomfortable. Still in his now rumpled new robes, he had spent the night crowded up against the back rest of a couch in the common room. The couch was not the cause of discomfort, but rather the bodies on it. Cuddled up next to Harry and clinging to his left arm with a smile, slept Ginny. He was acutely aware of how his hand was trapped between her thighs. That alone was bad enough to make Harry want to escape from the couch. Unfortunately Harry was also trapped by the body of a girl that was sleeping between Harry's legs and using his stomach for a pillow.
Trying to find a way out the situation pushed the fog from Harry's brain. First he had to get the girl off of him. From somewhere Harry remembered the Girl was a second year Gryffindor named Natalie McDonald. With a levitation charm, Harry moved her to another couch as gently as he could. He was relieved when she didn't wake up from being moved. Escaping Ginny proved to be a difficult task by its self. Even fast asleep, she was apparently aware of who she was sleeping next to. Every attempt to pull his arm free was answered by her tightening her grip until Harry relaxed.
Harry finally decided on a way to solve the problem. Instead of trying to leave Ginny undisturbed he thought it would be more effective to disturb her a lot. Before he said anything Harry gathered himself to make a quick escape. When he thought he was ready he took a deep breath and spoke in a clear and firm voice.
"Good morning Mrs. Weasley."
"Mum!?" Ginny came awake with a squeak and sat bolt upright.
As soon as Ginny let go of him Harry launched himself from the couch. He was half way to the stars before Ginny realized what had happened.
With a face turning a shade of red to match her hair Ginny turned her attention to Harry's retreating back.
"Harry Potter you get back here!" Ginny's indignant shout followed Harry up the stairs to the boy's dorms.
The school was almost deserted for the Christmas holiday. With no big events happening this year there was little reason for the students to want to stay. Parents also wanted to make sure their children were doing all right by having them come home. It doesn't matter how many letters are sent home, mothers always worry when they can't see their children.
Harry managed to avoid everybody until he headed down to the great hall for lunch. Only one long table was in the great hall. So few students had stayed for the holiday, they could all share a single table with plenty of elbow room to spare. Counting heads, Harry slowly remembered who had said that they would be going home for the holiday. The Weasley's were all staying. Dean and Seamus had gone home for a few weeks of television and comic books. Neville had stayed and was grateful to have escaped his Grandmother. Hermione had had to go home because she had missed Christmas with her parents the last three years in a row. Harry wasn't sure who had stayed from the other houses. He did remember Cho saying last night she would be going home. It was, Harry realized, going to be a very quiet holiday.
After lunch Harry spent the day in the Gryffindor common room. With the same macabre fascination people have for tragic auto accidents, Harry and Ron were the center of attention as they played chess. Harry was soundly beaten three times before he gave up for the day. Shoving his chessmen into their box Harry made room for the next person that wanted to have their arse whipped.
"Hey George," Harry said as he stood up. "Anybody ever do anything with a chess board?" Harry almost doubled over with the effort to suppress laughter.
At Harry's words the twins lit up like a Christmas tree. You could almost see the cogs and wheels spinning in their heads. The twins started brain storming in hushed voices and headed for their dorm room. Harry decided that he should avoid any chess boards for a while.
Harry was considering ether going down to dinner or hitting the books for his report for McGonagall when an Owl started tapping at a window of the common room. Neville let it in and it flew to Harry. The unremarkable brown owl dropped a note at Harry's feet and flew back out the window. Curious who would be sending an owl at this time of the evening Harry picked up the note
"Harry," The note was in an untidy scrawl of heavy blocky letters. "Need to see you at my cabin. Come down when you get this.
Hagrid."
The note made Harry wonder what might be going on and decided it would be worth checking in with Hagrid. It must be important. The letter looked like Hagrid had made some effort to making his normally crude penmanship more readable.
"Hay, Ron." Harry looked to see where his friend was three moves into a chess match against his sister. "I'm going down to Hagrid's."
"Right, fine." Ron's attention was on the chess board with little interest for anything else. He waved absentmindedly to Harry without ever taking his eyes from the it.
Harry gave a little sigh as he crossed the common room to the portrait hole. Even though it was not very late the castle was quiet. It wasn't until he reached the entry hall that Harry saw any other students. A handful of people in school robes were scattered along the table in the great hall. Without a backwards look, Harry set off across the grounds for Hagrid's. The sky was overcast with thin clouds that were back-lit by the moon. The snow on the ground made the illusion of it being a bright night.
"Evening, Harry." Harry was almost to Hagrid's cabin when he heard his name called. Turning, he saw Garry and Hagrid walking towards him.
"I got your note Hagrid." Harry called out as he started towards the two men.
"Wha' note, 'Arry?" Hagrid was close enough that Harry could see the puzzlement on his bearded face.
"I just got an owl with a note asking me down to your place."
"I thin' somwat is tryin' ter pull a fas' one on yeh 'Arry." Hagrid said.
"Well as long as you're here," Gary began, but he was interrupted before he could finish the thought.
"Now!" Somebody yelled. "Grab him!" All three turned to see a mob rush out of the forbidden forest.
Harry was stunned by what he saw. Because he was close to Hagrid's place he was near the edge of the forbidden forest. He new the forest was filled with all kinds of dangerous creatures. Nothing in his experience could have prepared Harry for this. A full two score of men were rushing out of the forbidden forest right at him. They were all dressed in muggle clothing.
"'Arry!" Hagrid yelled. "Look out!" Gary and Hagrid rushed past Harry to intercept the mob
The area was quickly covered with an amazing brawl. The muggles trying for Harry wanted to avoid the giant figure of Hagrid. Hagrid however just reached out and grabbed them as the tried to pass. A single blow from his huge hands was enough to send a man sprawling across the ground. A few tried to attack Hagrid directly, and were left slumped in the snow for their trouble. Gary was not staying out of the fight ether.
The muggles didn't see Gary as much of a threat and he was happy to prove them wrong. The mild man Harry had come to know was in the middle of the brawl. It was almost like watching a child play with a stack of rag dolls. Gary didn't just fight, he had fun doing it.
"Morning," Gary greeted one man cheerfully as he tried to run past. Gary grabbed the front of the man's shirt and, there was no other way to describe it, chucked him back the way he had come. "Catch!" Gary yelled just as the man landed on top of some of his fellows. Gary was like a mad man. He chuckled and joked as he fought. With what looked like no effort at all he tossed muggles around the way Harry had helped the Weasley's de-gnome their garden. He even tossed a few towards Hagrid.
Hagrid was more then a match for the muggles he faced. He even had snatched one up by his ankles and was using him to knock down others. This became a very unfortunate arrangement for the man Hagrid was holding. Gary pitched a man in Hagrid's direction. Hagrid swung the man he was holding to knock away the one arching through the air. The two bodies met with a sickening crunch. Watching the brawl Harry almost forgot how serious the situation was. Not wanting to abandon his friends, Harry Twisted his hand and his wand whipped out.
"Stupify!" Harry yelled. Using magic Harry stunned any of the muggles that looked like they were going to get away from Hagrid and Gary. "Stupify!" It was not a fair fight. "Stupify!" Harry really felt sorry for the muggles. "Stupify!"
"Stupify!" A voice behind Harry said and he felt his body fall to the ground.
In a haze, Harry returned to conciseness as he traveled through the forbidden forest. Somebody was carrying him. Harry felt the arms around him and could hear their ragged breathing. As soon as he was aware of his surroundings Harry started to squirm. He managed to get his feet to the ground where they caught on a tree root. The action surprised his captor and Harry fell from his grip.
"Harry?" Somebody was yelling.
"Damn!" The man that had been carrying Harry swore. It was too dark for Harry to see more then shadows and rough shapes. There was a crashing sound near by and Harry had a glimpse something silver above him. His captor's voice was harsh as he spoke "Avada Kaa-a-a-a-a." The killing curse turned into a blood curdling scream as something flashed by Harry.
""Arry!" Then Hagrid was there with Fang and a lantern. The lantern provided enough light to show the face of Harry's captor. The light lasted only as long as it took for the lantern to crash into the chest of Peter Pettigrew. The short exposure of light made the forest seem even darker once it was gone. Fang was barking, Hagrid was swearing, and Wormtail was screaming. Harry struggled to his feet and tried to look around.
"All right there, Harry?" It was the voice of Gary. He was next to Harry and was pressing something into his hands. "See if you can give us some light." It was a cigarette lighter.
Gary moved away and Harry was left to fumble in the dark. After a moment of searching Harry found Hagrid's lantern. The glass was shattered and the frame was bent. Shaking it, Harry could hear kerosene sloshing around in it. Careful not to burn himself or start a forest fire Harry used the lighter to reignite the lantern.
Fang was standing next to Hagrid and growling at the whimpering figure of Wormtail where he rolled on the ground. Gary was kneeling beside the Death Eater wrapping a tight bandage around the ruined stump of an arm. Just below the shoulder, something had sheared off Wormtail's right arm. When Gary stood up he was holding the detached limb. A wand was still held in the grasp of the silver hand Voldemort had given Wormtail.
Harry stood looking at Wormtail. This was the man that had betrayed his parents to the dark lord. The creature that was responsible for returning Voldemort to power. Harry stepped carefully over to where he lay on the ground so that the lantern shoed his face clearly. Wormtail lay whimpering in pain as he looked up at Harry. His eyes were filled with a silent plea for mercy.
"Don't worry Peter," Harry said. "I won't let anybody kill you." Wormtail's face looked calmer at those words. Harry smiled reassuringly at the man on the ground, then stomped his foot down. He smashed his shoe into Wormtail's crotch. "You will clear my godfather." Harry stomped down again. "You will confess to everything you did to help Voldemort." A third time Harry's foot landed. "You will stand trial for the murder of my parents and for Cedric Diggory." A forth impact hit Wormtail's groin. "Then you will spend the rest of your life in a cage." . With a last look at the creature that had once been Peter Pettigrew Harry yelled. ""STUPIFY!"
Harry could not imagine a better Christmas. He had finally collapsed into bed at half past two in the morning. After the capture of Wormtail, Harry, Hagrid, and Gary had brought him back to the castle. Harry had found his wand where he had dropped it next to a large number of moaning and unconscious muggles. With his own wand in his hand Harry levitated the limp body of Wormtail.
Harry had used his Will to stun the Death Eater and he knew he could do it again, or worse, but he felt better feeling his wand in his hand. At the entrance to the castle, Dumbledore met Harry and his party. Peter Pettigrew was stored safely in a magic proof cell in the dungeons under the guard of a pair of gargoyles and under the direct care of Madam Pomfrey. All of the heads of house had been notified of the capture of Wormtail.
It was nearly midnight when a very upset Minister of Magic arrived at Hogwarts. With him came Cedric's father, Amos Diggory. Cornelius Fudge had not wanted to bring him along but the headmaster had not asked before contacting him by floo. With Amos Diggory, the minister of magic, and the faculty of Hogwarts all as witness, Professor Snape gave Wormtail Veritaserum. The truth serum went to work instantly.
Harry had not expected the minister to look so utterly defeated. Fourteen years ago Peter Pettigrew was counted as a hero. Now he was a prisoner, a confessed Death Eater, and under powerful truth serum provided proof of the return of Voldemort. To complicate matters his testimony could condemn prominent members of the ministry and respected pure blood families. The minister had been presented with proof of how foolish he had been and could see his position crumbling out from under his feet.
Finally, Fudge left the school. He promised to send Aurors to collect Wormtail. He also said he would do what he had to do to set matters right. Harry accepted the vague promise with a triumphant smile. Then Professor McGonagall, at the headmaster's direction, escorted Harry up to his dorm. She spent the long walk impressing upon Harry how she felt about his actions that evening. The words 'foolish' and 'rude' were the mildest she used. It was with a final order to think things through in the future, she watched Harry pass through the portrait hole.
Nobody was in the common room when Harry came in. Everyone had long ago gone to bed. Harry made an attempt to clean the blood and mud away before going to bed himself. His last thought before falling asleep was that Sirius was in for a really big Christmas surprise. Exhaustion swept over Harry and he fell into the embrace of nightmares.
"Crucio!" The voice of the Dark lord rang out. Screams of pain filled the semi darkness of the study.
"Master," The voice of Lucius Malfoy cried out, filled with pain. "I don't understand." Voldemort released the curse and aimed his wand at another figure.
"Crucio!" One after another, the assembled Death Eaters felt their master's displeasure. The voices of men and woman screamed in pain. Trapped as an invisible witness, Harry could hear every cry for mercy. He could see each writhing shape on the floor. For over an hour Voldemort systematically tortured everybody present. Finally his temper cooled enough for him to speak.
"You lent your aid to him Lucius," Voldemort hissed. "I am disappointed in you. Crucio!" Again the air was ripped by a scream of pain. "You will find a way to resolve the problem." Voldemort released the curse and stormed out of the room. The vision faded into darkness.
With a light swaying sensation, Harry became aware that he was in motion. Foot steps echoed off of stone walls and voices murmured too low to understand. Harry was aware that he was being moved on a stretcher. As he was carried through a doorway the walls became white and the smell of antiseptic hit his nose.
"Damn," Harry groaned. Nobody commented on his choice of language as Harry was tucked into his usual bed in the hospital wing.
It was lunch time when Ron was finally allowed to visit Harry in the hospital wing. He found him wide awake and sitting up in bed, with an angry scowl on his face. Standing on a chair next to the bed an anxious house elf was trying to feed Harry spoons full of chicken soup. Fighting heroically to keep from laughing, Ron rescued his friend.
"Master Potter must eats it all!" Dobby's last order was nearly a shout, and then he disappeared with a pop. Harry sighed with relief.
"Thanks." Harry said to his friend. "I've had two bowls of that already."
"Harry, what happened?" Ron settled himself into the chair and set the soup on the night stand. "You didn't come to bed until after mind night. Only way I know you made it to bed at all is 'cause you started screaming." Ron looked concerned. "Were you down at Hagrid's all night or something?"
"I never made it to Hagrid's," Harry said. He went on to give an account of what had happened at the edge of the forbidden forest. Harry was half way through the story when Madam Pomfrey checked in on him.
"It looks like you are well enough to leave," The school nurse said after a brief examination. "But you are to rest. Do I make myself clear?" When both students promised to take it easy for the day Madam Pomfrey left them. "Merry Christmas." She said in parting.
The Two made their way back to Gryffindor tower. Harry finished his story before they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. Ron started asking questions as soon as Harry finished his tale. Ron wanted to hear all the details about the fighting. The Two went all the way up to the fifth year's boy's dorm. A pile of unopened presents was at the foot of Harry's bed. Ron had stopped asking for details just long enough for Harry to get dressed. Then it was time for Harry to sit down and open his presents.
Harry was not a greedy person, and the idea of actually getting presents was new enough that he would never complain about not getting very many. This year however, looked like a record hall. The traditional Weasley sweater always made Harry smile. Ron would help him with the traditional tin of fudge and other things meant to fatten Harry up. Mrs. Weasley just could not resist the urge to feed the people she cared about. There was nothing from the Dursley's and Harry was just fine with that. Dobby had given Harry a nice pair of miss-matched socks. From Ron came a Quidditch book called "Cloud Seeking: Weather and the art of Flying." Hermione's gift was a muggle book about how to write a successful school paper. Normally that would have been the lot, but this year was different.
Harry was rather amused at the number of things left to open. There was an official office holiday card sent to every member of the ministry that looked like it was bought in bulk. Thomas Johnson had sent a nice set of Pheasant quills. John Thomson had sent a spill proof ink well. From Tiffany De'Fay came a small nativity scene that glowed in the dark. From a number of people, including Ian Smith, there was a collection of holiday cards wishing Harry a Happy Christmas.
The last present, because Harry was dreading what might be in it, was from Terrie Shire. In tiny writing on the wrapping paper were the words 'For your eyes only.' With nervous fingers Harry unwrapped the gift. Inside was a small glass sphere two inches across.
"Pretty." Ron commented in a clipped tone. Harry had to agree. Sitting in a nest of wrapping paper in his hand the sphere was filled with soft swirls of color. Harry set it down, paper and all, on his bedside table. With the presents out of the way the two headed down to the common room to relax until the Christmas feast.
Harry spent the afternoon retelling his story of the night before. The Weasley twins wanted to hear it. Neville wanted to know what had made Harry wake up screaming. And anytime somebody new walked in, Harry would have to start from the beginning. Finally it was time to head down to the Christmas feast in the great hall. The Gryffindors made their way in a loose, talkative pack.
"I want to know how those muggles were involved," Ginny Weasley wondered aloud.
"An excellent question, Miss Weasley." Everybody jumped when they heard the voice of their headmaster. None of the students had noticed that Professor Dumbledore had fallen into step behind them. "It appears that Mr. Pettigrew recruited them with a few rounds in a pub while telling a tragic story. They were under the impression that they were helping rescue a boy from his estranged mother so that he could spend Christmas with his father."
"But how did they get here?" Ginny pressed for information.
"We are still investigating," Albus Dumbledore explained. "But it appears that some very creative use of Portkeys to transport them. Each one was also carrying a charm to help them past the anti-muggle protections around the school grounds."
The group arrived at the great hall and conversation ended in favor of eating. One long table was being shared by the staff and all the students. As was to be expected, the great hall was decorated in holiday splendor. Food at Hogwarts was always delicious but the feasts were the crowning glory of the Houselves in the kitchens. With ravenous appetites; the students launched into their Christmas dinner.
When the feast was over Harry joined the other well fed Gryffindors as they trudged their way back up to their common room. Harry was looking forward to a long nights sleep. With a full stomach and a feeling of accomplishment at Wormtail's capture Harry was sure he would sleep well. When his head finally met his pillow pleasant dreams were only moments away.