Once again everything is Ms Rowling's!

Chapter 36

A/N: I know I normally put my AN at the bottom of the chapter but I just realized that I didn't say where Hagrid is. So I'm hoping to get it taken care of in this chapter.

Remus stayed in his office to calm down before heading to McGonagall's office to deal with Mr. Finnigan after a bit he decides how to handle it; shutting and warding his office and classroom door.

Knocking on Professor McGonagall's office door.

McGonagall answers, "Come in."

Seeing Seamus still in the office he asks, "Professor McGonagall have you found out anything?"

"Yes I have! It seems that Mr. Longbottom wasn't the target of the spell."

"I take it that Harry was?"

"That is quite right, it seems that Mr. Finnigan was taking it upon himself to punish Harry for getting special treatment."

"Mr. Finnigan, I would like to hear the reason you chose my class to do this in since you know that only a handful of students were permitted in there."

"Professor, I owe no one any explanation as to why I did this."

"That is where you are wrong Mr. Finnigan; as the Deputy Headmistress and your head of a house I have every right to know why you would attack a student behind his back.

He restates, "Professor, I owe no one any explanation as to why I did this."

"As of right now you have all privileges suspended and you will write a 6-foot parchment on the danger of casting spells you haven't learned. I will expect you to show up to my office tonight for detention; you will until the Christmas break to change and reconsider your behavior at which time I will re-evaluate your punishment. You will also lose 20 points from your house as it was uncalled for. You will return to your rooms as soon as this meeting is over; I will send your dinner with a house elf and you will eat it in your dorm room. If I find out you were put up to this you will be in even bigger trouble then you are now. Are you willing to tell me if anyone told you to do this?"

"Professor no one told me or asked me to do this! I know that because of Harry that my Aunt lost her position on the school board."

"Mr. Finnigan your Aunt lost her place on her own; she was doing something illegal and unethical. Other details aren't up for discussion as everyone in the meeting was sworn to secrecy: how you found out any of this is beyond me. Apparently she still isn't following the guidelines set for her by the Ministry. All I can think is that she was talking when she should have been keeping her mouth closed. Now as soon as Professor Lupin is finished you will go back to your dorm and hope that what you did to Neville has no lasting effect. I would also advise you to not do anything else that will make you get in trouble here at school for the rest of the year. I will let Professor Lupin handle your punishment for his class on his own. Professor Lupin."

"Mr. Finnigan I'm going to talk to Madam Pomfrey to see if she will allow you to work in the infirmary, something like community service, I want you there at least 10 hours a week and since you are no longer allowed to attend Hogsmeade or Quidditch games I don't see why you can't do these hours on weekends. I am going to remove you from my advance class; you can join in the regular sixth year class. The condition on you being allowed back in any of my classes is you will hand me your wand before class if we aren't going to use them, If we are having a practical lesson you will obviously need to use it but you will be watched carefully. If for whatever reason Madame Pomfrey doesn't want you to work in the Infirmary then I will talk to Professor Snape, I'm sure he could use help in the potions room. Now I want a 4 foot essay on the spell that you used and what would have happened had we not known the reversal spell or been able to find it quickly enough. Professor McGonagall will hand you your adjusted schedule tomorrow morning; let's just hope that you can take it because I will not allow you back in my class with the students that care to learn and not carry out petty revenge. Goodnight Mr. Finnigan."

Seamus turns and leaves.

"This is going to be an interesting year isn't it? Remus asked

"It seems that it is going to be; maybe only the first few weeks will be bad."

"Minerva, has there been any news from Hagrid?"

"I got an Owl from him this morning; it seems that Albus sent him to talk to the Giants about not siding with Voldemort. He doesn't seem to be having much luck with them since he is only a half-giant. The main problem we are going to have with some of the creatures, I believe, are the restrictions that the Ministry is placing on them. Look at the trouble you had finding work before Harry bonded with you. If we could get the Ministry to lift some of them we might have more luck."

"I can ask Harry, what he thinks now that Fudge is being a little more understanding; maybe he can get a few things changed. I will talk to him tonight I have a feeling he isn't going to be eating dinner in the great hall after today, I just hope he doesn't blame himself for it."

"How was Mr. Weasley's behavior in class today?"

"He didn't do anything or get the chance to do anything today since Mr. Finnigan seem to have handle that just fine on his own."

"Let's keep an eye on him anyway after last night I don't think it will be a good idea to relax any on him, I hated to do this but last night I asked Neville to keep his ear out and to report to me or you if they were plotting anything against Harry and he agreed to help us. Remus I'm worried about the state of my house this year! It is hard on us knowing exactly what to do with the Ministry knowing that Voldemort has returned and then finding out about Albus and all he has done to Harry and Sirius."

"Minerva I agree with you, I think that Harry has been handling it well, we had a few episodes this summer with Molly and everything but he is determined to live and to defeat Voldemort and then live his life how he wants to."

"Remus, what about Molly? I know that Arthur gave him a hard time this summer I didn't hear anything about Molly." Minerva said shocked.

"Oh!"

Remus went on to explain to Minerva about the letters and what happened with the twins. How Molly demanded that Harry apologize to her and her family. He also went on to tell her about how Hermione keep reacting to the things Harry had been doing and the library at the Manor.

"Did you know that Harry was never told where James and Lily had been buried?"

"They were at Godric's Hollow." Do you want to take him there on Halloween?"

"Minerva, Harry found their graves this summer, all on his own. It seems that after Hermione's little fit he went flying and landed in a clearing and found them. If he would like to go there on Halloween I will take him I think that it would be good for him. I know that Halloween has become some what difficult for him these last few years. Voldemort seems to treat it as an anniversary of sorts."

"Talk to him and I will set it up. Now I think we need to go to dinner if Harry isn't there I want you to go find him ok?

"I planned on it. I'm not going to let him skip meals he did that this summer with training and then he wouldn't sleep."

Not seeing Harry in the great hall Remus goes to their private room.

"Harry?"

No answer he heads to the Room of Requirement to see if he is there.

Mean while in the Hospital wing Neville and Harry are eating dinner.

"How are you feeling Neville?" Harry asked him.

"Tired and confused; I have a feeling that I know why I was hexed but I didn't think it would happen so fast, I mean Dean only warned me this morning."

Harry looking confused at that moment.

"Neville, what are you talking about?"

"Dean cornered me outside of History of Magic and told me that if I valued my place in the dorm, I would stay away from you. I guess they saw me talking to you and Seamus chose then and there to make good on the threat."

To say Harry was a little shocked would be like saying Voldemort is a pussy cat.

"You need to tell someone about that; they can't get away with it."

"Harry, I don't think they are going to get away with it. I don't think the Professor's are going to let it go. Ron lost points the first night back because of his attitude and behavior. I'm going to hate to see the Points tomorrow morning."

"I know me too; let's just hope that we do well with Quidditch to make up for all the points being lost. Hey Neville if you need any help let me know and we can study together whether, it's in the library, my room or the common room I will always help you no matter what, that is what friends do for each other. It means a lot to me that not once have you gotten jealous or mad at me because I didn't or couldn't tell you something. I don't even think you see me as the Boy-Who-Lived, I think you see me as just Harry, not Harry-Potter-Savior-of-the-Wizarding-World. You weren't paid to be my friend either. I think you are the only person my age I can truly count on. I have a few adult friends but not many our age; the twins are really about it." Harry couldn't believe he was telling Neville all this.

"Harry, what about Hermione, she is your friend. You can count on her."

"No, I can't; Neville, she gets upset to easy at things I have little to no control over. I had her over this summer and she got mad because she couldn't read any of the books in the study, then she was there for my birthday and found out that I was going to get some special training that didn't include her and some other things and she got all 'tell me', 'why the secrets' and mad when I couldn't tell her anything; I can't deal with her being like that. I don't need petty people around me I need people that I can trust to support me. Oh! Neville I'm sorry I didn't mean to dump all this on your tonight. I was going to tell you it in private, it just came out."

"Harry, it's alright. I started to understand things: in 3rd year when I overheard the twins tell Ron that it isn't right to use people the way him and someone else was I never heard who that was, nevertheless after today I think I know who that person is. And can I assume that is the reason you aren't talking to Ron this year and the real reason you don't live in the dorm with us?"

Laughing, "Who ever told you weren't bright was sadly mistaken. You are right in the Ron area and since I don't know about what happened earlier unless you are talking about Seamus, I can't say other wise."

An unseen shadow turns and leaves the infirmary.

Seeing Lupin says, "Hello, Professor."

"Are you alright?" Remus asked.

"I will be I just heard something I didn't want to hear is all. I think I have hurt someone more than I ever thought possible. I have a lot of making up and begging for forgiveness to do; more than I ever thought possible. Things aren't always black and white are they Professor?"

"No they aren't and it hurts to learn that at such an early age but better now than later. Why don't you head back to your dorm I'm sure you have homework to do?"

"Can I come talk to you if I need to Professor?"

"My office door will always be open for any student that needs help or to just talk."

"Thank you, have a good night Professor."

Remus seeing Harry laughing and talking to Neville puts the conversation out in the hallway into perspective.

"Hello, Neville, how are you feeling?"

"Professor Lupin, I feel good: Harry has been keeping me company. Professor, can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Neville you can talk to me anytime."

"Well it just that I didn't think that they would attack me so fast."

"What, do you mean they?"

Neville repeats what Dean told him.

"I will have to talk to Professor McGonagall about this is there anything else?"

Harry looks at his watch.

"Oh I'm late, I have that Prefect meeting I have to be at. Neville I will talk to you later and remember what I said any time you need to talk, study or just some quiet time let me know or even Professor Lupin he can usually find me. Professor I will see you later tonight."

Remus looks to make sure Harry is out of ear shot.

"Neville, Seamus didn't attack you, he was attacking Harry. Starting tomorrow I want you to join me for private lessons. I think things are only going to get worse in your House before they get better, and I want to teach you some basic shields that you can cast that don't require your wand to hold them. I want you protected as much as we can until Ron and crew get it in their brains that they are students and aren't going to get away with anything."

"Ok." Then hesitantly he adds, "Professor, the headmaster came to see me tonight and asked me to spy on Harry for him." Seeing the rage in Professor Lupin's eyes: he quickly continues, "I told him no so don't worry about that, I just don't think he should have asked me to do it. I know that it maybe a little hypocritical of me since I'm sort of doing it for Professor McGonagall with the boys in the dorm but she asked me to let her know if they are planning on doing anything to Harry not to report on anything else. The Headmaster asked me to tell him if Harry did anything out of the ordinary. Tell me when aren't things around Harry out of the ordinary. "

"I know about Professor McGonagall talking to you I was involved in most of the meetings this summer concerning Harry and this is something that not only she asked you to do but the Magical Law Enforcement as well. I see Madam Pomfrey coming and from all my years in here as a student I know she will kick me out" he said with a laugh, "Why don't you get some rest and come by my office after dinner tomorrow and you can work with me and Harry."

"I will do that, thank you Professor. Good night."

"Good night Neville, Madam Pomfrey."

RLHPRLHPRLHPRLHPRLHPRLHPRLHPRLHPRLHPRLHPRLHPRLHPRLHPRLHPRLHPRLHPPRLHP

"Good evening students, there are a few things we need to go over concerning students this year. Do to the return of He-who-must-not- be-named; Harry Potter has a private room this year. The School Board and the Teachers know this year is very hard and we prefer that his nightmares not disrupt the dorms, but he like all of you are required to abide by the school rules."

"Ronald Weasley's Mother has limited what he can and cannot do this year so anyone seeing him at a Quidditch game or in an extracurricular activity is to find a Professor immediately and they not you will deal with him. Contrary to popular gossip, Mr. Weasley's prefect badge was removed because of his grades and not by whim or favoritism. Is this understood?"

Looking to see everyone shaking their heads yes. "On more thing and this is directed at everyone: we will not tolerate anyone attacking another student here is that clear make sure your house mates know and understand this, not only will they get detention but they will also lose points and depending on the hex, jinx or curse they may even get expelled from school is that understood also? That is all I would like the Gryffindor Prefects to stay after if you would. That is all for tonight please return to your dorms or start your rounds."

While waiting for everyone else to leave.

"Now I'm sure all of you know about Mr. Longbottom by now; and most of you know what occurred last night in the common room. Any problems that you have with Mr. Weasley should brought to me immediately. Mr. Finnigan has been removed from Professor Lupin's ADADA class and more House points have been removed he is also banned from all extracurricular activities. He is serving detention with me until Christmas break and on the nights and weekends he is not with me he is going to be doing school service. I will not put up with the students in my House acting like rule less barbarians with petty grudges; I will be making an announcement later tonight about this. I wanted you all aware about this before hand to stave off a lot of confusion. Now go back to what you were doing. Mr. Potter a moment please; I want you in the common room tonight at 9 just before curfew so that I can make the announcement to everyone that even though your room isn't in the tower you are still an integral part of this house and always will be."

"Yes Professor McGonagall I'll be there. I have a Potion lesson tonight until 9 and I'll come there directly after. Thank you."