Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

Half-Blood Blessing

Chapter Twenty-Five: A Warning

None of us took the train back to school. The six of us apparated to before the gates before the train was due to arrive, while there was still light in the sky. Remus had decided to take the job of Defense against the Dark Arts teacher. Sirius was coming because he absolutely refused to be left at the cottage, and Grimmauld Place had enough bad memories that he was not going to go back there anytime soon. He had more or less handed over the keys to Dumbledore and the Order. The Weasleys practically lived there now; it was significantly safer than The Burrow and roomier besides.

We walked through the gates, security seemed to be non-existent. None of us believed that for a second, but we passed through with no hindrance all the same. The school grounds were still covered with rows of wizard tents. Most looked more like miniature castles themselves but each one showed signs of wear. The inhabitants did not show the same tiredness as their homes, just the fear that accompanied being driven from their proper residences. As we walked up the main road through the tents, people showed us as much fear as they might Death Eaters. I didn't know what had been going on in the world outside our summer home, my father would be shamed by my ignorance, but it seemed like our company had seen a fall in public favor. Harry was usually oblivious, well as far as he showed, and today was no different. His stance and stride were sure. Not a labor up the hill to the entrance to Hogwarts castle but a stroll. Remus had taken to a cane, Sirius walked slightly behind hand ready to catch any stumble and one assumed Harry had given him a different face for the onlooker's. Neville was hunched, against a cold wind, or maybe the cold stares. Vox was the only one that had not changed. What a contrast it was from even yesterday. We were weaker here it seemed, or maybe the world was just too close, too present.

I heard snippets of conversation. "He shouldn't be allowed here," "He's not stable what if he attacks the students?"

It seemed Harry was not ignorant of the people around us. He was amplifying their voices so that at least I could hear if not the others. He still looked untouched but his shoulders twitched, a sign of irritation, something barely there. I was beginning to guess that we had been treated harshly in the paper all summer long. The question then was why and by whom? If it was the Ministry that posed a few problems, Harry could be forced to leave Hogwarts. The decrees from Umbridge's reign, while mostly repealed, still held sway in the most important points of power; including the expulsion of students, especially if the student could be convicted of a crime, (though normally their expulsion from Hogwarts would be automatic for that offense.) Harry certainly could; though it was unlikely that he would allow that to happen if he did not wish it. The second source of the bias could be from the media, who only ever had half the facts, and had more influence on the public than any other single entity.

We were leaving the last few lines of tents when a woman of thirty years marched towards our group. She got ahead of us and stopped in Harry's path. Harry walked right up to her, she held her ground though, and he was forced to stop or walk through her. Something I didn't doubt he could do, but he did stop. She was close to crying, mouth quivering. She raised her hand and slapped him across the cheek.

I was a little stunned that someone would slap me. It made me wonder if I deserved it. I did not know the woman though and had no clue as to how I had offended. I wasn't sure how to react, my face remained carefully blank but doubt nudged in.

"Excuse me," I said.

"Excuse you? Never, not for what you've done, there is no excuse for that."

I wondered briefly what the paper was saying now, I had not bothered with it for some months, but clearly the rest of the world had and it was apparently not supportive.

I decided not to deal with it. I'd had enough of this before to know that anything I did would not help. "Please, you're on the path…"

She screamed and lifted fists towards me. She beat helplessly against the barrier that suddenly surrounded me, yelling, "my boy, my baby boy,"

I wondered how old he had been. I remained motionless waiting for her to quit but she did not until grey robed members of the law enforcement seized her. "Seize him," she cried still flailing in my direction, "he's the reason my son is dead."

She was taken from the path, and I wasn't sure if I should move on. Did all the people camped here feel like this? Did they all hate me? I didn't care except for the force sitting at the edge of my home. Neville gave me a little push forward starting me into a moving stride again.

We entered the castle and saw the headmaster in the entrance hall. He was not the only one standing there; more grey robed law enforcement wizards stood about, two flanked us. Dumbledore looked strained; he was talking to one of the wizards in a slightly darker grey and an emblem denoting rank on his breast. He looked at me briefly, and I felt a piece of parchment take shape in my hand. I nodded and led the herons up the stairs the two guards that flanked us falling behind at a gesture from the ranked officer. Remus and Sirius followed. Sirius' hackles were raised and Remus seemed all the more wary, yellow eyes flitting about, catching every one of the wizards.

After entering the castle the air grew heavy and hostile. It was suffocating. Sirius and Remus obviously felt it as we went up the stone staircase. Draco and Vox were pressed shoulder to shoulder and Harry looked like a cat that was trying to look as big as a dog which was the strangest part, for he always looked as if nothing unfavorable was happening. The tension did not ease from the party until we were well out of sight of the grey-robed figures.

Our feet beat the path to the room of requirement, the path too familiar to us to need to think about it. I knew it would be our home for this year, Draco could not go alone into Slytherin, and Harry would not go back to Gryffindor. Remus would likely stay as close to us as possible, and for that so would Sirius, though since he was almost unknown as an Animagus he could go as he pleased in that form. For that matter so could we, though admittedly a horse and a fox would likely bring comment inside the castle. Vox too was unprotected, both sides wanting him gone, either dead or far away from their homes, to go anywhere without one of us. When we arrived in our corridor, however there was practically an army standing there waiting for us. I counted five red robed aurors and at least 20 greys standing before the portrait of the trolls in tutus. "and today is but the first day of term, light, this year…" My step faltered and I saw the hesitation in the others, except Harry who hardly noticed the force arrayed before our door. He walked towards them and then through them like a ghost when they did not back up. He turned the handle to the large door that had appeared and opened it. The party of law enforcement agents parted shivering. I followed though the gap, it was as cold as death. Harry held the door open until the last of us had entered. Then before the aurors could make a move the door shut.

I was ready to collapse on the sofa before the lively fire but I waited.

The others moved about but Harry too had paused.

"Light, what have they said against us?" It was a whisper that I didn't think anyone was supposed to hear. Then Harry straightened and removed a folded piece of parchment from his pocket. He unfolded it and read the loopy handwriting of the headmaster, distinctive enough to recognize from where I was standing.

Harry,

This is to warn you of dangers that stand now within Hogwarts. The Ministry continues its quest to discredit you, it uses legal avenues; there is a warrant for your arrest as an illegal Animagus and several counts of assault. They count you as a fugitive and I am afraid I cannot officially permit you to attend classes or live in Hogwarts. Due to the encampment on the grounds there are law enforcement agents living in Hogwarts for the protection and peace of the students and refugees. They have orders to arrest you on sight. Since the battle in Hogsmeade, fear has been a bargaining chip used by anyone one sly enough to see self-benefit, and it does not take much wit to see it and more than most have to reject the temptation. There has been much confusion over the end of that battle and where you went after, especially because a few people recognized the still fugitive Black. Indeed, they have not revoked their judgment on him. The media has not treated you kindly and I regret that you will likely experience more events like the fight with Nott of last year but they will not be from Voldemort's followers alone. I am sorry that I cannot offer more support, I'd lose all the positive influence I have within the ministry, something I cannot afford, something we cannot afford. My official stance must be that you are the renegade that the ministry has named you though I will do everything in my power to convince them that the more dangerous threat is from Riddle, I can do no more until he is dead. Unofficially I offer my advice as feeble as it might be. I know you will be discrete. I would still like to talk to you directly.

Albus

"How very interesting." I muttered. "I have dropped into shadow."

I summoned parchment from one of the desks and a quill.

Albus,

I started unsure of what to say to him.

Thank you for the warning. I hereby formally withdraw from classes though I will keep the castle and grounds as my residence during the school term. I have already experienced hostility and an attempted arrest and weathered both. This is the end.

Harry

The last statement had written itself. Though I felt the truth of it, a resignation that came from somewhere unidentifiable, not my mind, I still fought the prophecy, and my heart was full of dread, but from somewhere resolve settled on me.