Disclaimer:

J.K. Rowling is the owner of Harry Potter. Stories she has written and characters that she created are not mine. I don't take credit for any of her work. I do thank her for providing such a wonderful universe to dream about and write in.

Harry Weasley and the Reflection of Vengeance

By: Starwin

Chapter 21 – The Unfinished Letter

When they arrived home Harry went straight up to his room, shut the door and leaned back against the smooth wood, closing his eyes. Dumbledore, he was the enemy, that's what his granddad had said. It had been Dumbledore had ordered the attack on Harry and his Army who had carried it out, but why? What reason did Dumbledore have to hate him, to want him dead? What had Harry ever done to him?

His mind reeling Harry tried to think but his brain was just full of buzzing static. There was so much he didn't know, so much that everyone seemed to be keeping secret from him… even one of his best friends, Alex.

Taking the last few steps across his room Harry crashed down face first onto his bed and lay there letting his mind go blank. It was much easier not to think about anything then he would have guessed. Especially now that he was home. It felt good just to be here in his room. This place was far more cozy than the Slytherin dormitories had ever felt.

He turned his head to the side and let his eyes drift over to his desk. Harry's thoughts moved away from the troubles at hand and settled upon Alex. Alex's whole family was his enemy too, just like Dumbledore. Harry couldn't see how Alex could possibly be related to someone who hated Harry's father so much.

A thought occurred to Harry. Rolling off his bed with a great effort, he moved to sit at his desk. Pulling out a couple sheets of parchment, Harry got his ink and quill ready but did not write anything. Instead he sat there looking blankly at the empty paper before him. He had no idea what he was going to write, what he wanted to ask. He dipped his quill point into the ink bottle hopping that fresh ink would put him to the task.

Alex,

He wrote at the top, but that was all he could think of. His quill hovered at the end of the word. Everything he thought of saying sounded stupid in his head. Maybe it would help if he addressed the envelope first, yes that seemed like a good idea.

Harry pulled out an envelope and put Alex's name across it but realized he had no idea where it was that Alex lived. Well maybe his name would be good enough. Unforunitly the act of writing out 'Alex Malfoy' hadn't taken nearly as long as Harry had hoped and he once more found himself looking back at the blank parchment before him still unable to think of any words to write.

What would he say? "Hi Alex, its Harry Weasley, enemy of your whole family, can you ask your dad if you can come visit?" Harry let out a sigh and rubbed his eyes. Maybe this was a task left for another day, after all he was tired. He moved to put his quill away.

"Harry!" called his mothers voice from outside his door. Startled, Harry knocked over the bottle of ink and it began to spread out over the paper and his desk. Harry pulled away quickly so he wouldn't get ink on his robes.

"Yeah," Harry called back to his mother as he watched the ink cover his desk.

"Dinner is ready if you're hungry."

"I'll be down in a minute." Harry pulled his wand out and pointed it at the ink. But before he could speak the ink began to vanish, like it was being absorbed into the paper. Harry lowered his wand and moved back to his desk to examine the unfinished letter. All the spilled ink was gone. Harry looked at the parchment, Alex's name was still written at the top.

He hadn't made the ink vanish, it was like the paper had simply eaten it. But the paper didn't feel like it had any ink inside. Harry put it back on the stack of parchment. He would figure out what had happened after dinner.

---

Harry reached the bottom of the stairs and was surprised to find a man sitting in their living room. Harry recognized him at once, he wasn't only a close personal friend of the family, and of his father's, but he was a senior member of the D.A., and the current Minister of Magic, Neville Longbottom. Spotting Harry, he held up a hand and waved him over. Harry moved closer.

"Good evening Harry," said Neville as Harry came closer.

"Good evening Sir," Harry said politely.

"You don't need to be formal, sit, sit," Neville said and there was a chuckle in his voice. Harry sat in one of the chairs across from the couch where Neville was. "I dropped by give you this." Neville held out a letter addressed to Harry Weasley, Harry took it but did no open it.

The writing looked very official. For a moment he considered not reading it. But Neville had obviously come to give him it, so it must be very important for the Minister of Magic himself to take an interest in delivering it. How could he not read it? Harry opened the envelope and read the contents to himself. The letter did not read itself aloud, as the last official one had done.

Dear Mr. Weasley,

After much careful review, and upon suggestions of many respect wizards, it has been decided that you will not be expelled but shall remain on probation for the remainder of this term. Any privileges restored will be at the sole discretion of your head of house (please see attached note).

Any further acts of disobedience will be treated harshly.

Signed,

Matilda Mulpuft Under Secretary of the Hogwarts School Board.

Harry found a second piece of parchment in the envelope, the text on it was very, very short and scrawled out as though whoever had written it had simply jotted it down quickly. Although the text was very short the person had used a full length of parchment, as though they had intended to write more but decided against it.

It was signed, at the very bottom of the page, by Professor Severus Snape. Harry teetered on the idea of not reading this note either for certainly it had nothing good to impart. But as it was only two lines long Harry could hardly argue against it.

Your wand, club and all other privileges have been restored. Do not take them lightly. You are being watched.

Professor Severus Snape

Again, Harry thought, there were the words. "You are being watched." It seemed to imply that it was Snape who was doing the watching but yet at the same time…

"Harry some of us have been talking," continued Neville as he watched Harry finishing the second letter. Whatever he was about to say Harry knew it must be very important for Neville lowered his voice so that only Harry could hear it properly. "I would ask you to consider, not returning to Hogwarts."

"What?" Harry said reacting before even considering the words. "But the letter says I'm not going to be expelled." Neville smiled, though it was an uneasy smile.

"Of course you haven't been expelled. Fights between students are not unheard of. No, I'm asking you to consider not returning to Hogwarts. Both as a friend and fellow D.A. member."

"Why?" Harry asked feeling a little angry. "I haven't pulled any pranks, I'm doing great in all my classes, I…" Neville's uneasy smile returned and Harry became quiet.

"You've been attacked at school, twice, in fact." Neville put great emphasis on the word school. "Obviously, the current staff does not have the capabilities to put the necessary safeguards in place to protect you."

"But Hermione's…" Harry started to say.

"Hermione Granger was a great witch, perhaps the best of our generation. But after you're father died she… well she changed, Harry." Neville said uneasily then added. "Everyone changed. I don't feel that you're safe at Hogwarts.

"Think about it," Neville said as he stood, Harry stood as well. "Send me your decision by owl before the end of the year."

---

The minister had not been able to stay for dinner, and Harry felt thankful for this though he did not say it out loud. Neither Harry nor his mother spoke throughout the meal. Harry because he was distracted with other thoughts and his mother because she was distracted by hers.

Harry ate quickly, said a quiet thanks and returned to his room barely aware of the walk. The same question kept replaying over and over in his head. Did he really want to go back? It was something he thought he should be able to answer quickly, but yes, just didn't seem right. There were more reasons not to go back than he had fingers to count.

Harry sat down at his desk, his mind spinning. Maybe trying to figure out what the letter to Alex should say would help distract him. Taking a quill he prepared to continue where he had left off, however, he found that the sheet of paper before him was completely blank. He remembered that he had vanished the ink but not all of it. Alex's name had still been at the top. Harry reached for the envelope to see if the ink had vanished from that as well, however the envelope was also missing.

A strange notion crossed his thoughts and slowly Harry turned his head back to his owl's cage. Three for three, his owl was also gone.

Authors Notes:

Thanks everyone who has continued to read and special thanks to everyone who has submitted a review!

I really don't have much to impart about this chapter, or to ramble on about today. So I will just leave you with the thought that the next chapter is coming this Friday.

Enjoy.

Starwin