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Harry Potter and the Wish of Life
Chapter 37
Calling to Order
They hadn't had much time to act, and the speed at which his friends put his plans in motion made Harry proud. Ethan had suggested telling Dumbledore and having him administer Veritaserum to Melissa Runcorn, but James' words about the headmaster having to a balance a thin line with the ministry rang clear enough to make Harry concerned that such an action, if Harry was wrong, could lead to disastrous consequences.
No, they'd have to handle it.
So, as dinner hour approached, Harry sat waiting in an empty classroom. Ron walked in and nodded at him, "She's in there. Go get 'er, Mate."
A case of firewhiskey bottles in his hand, Harry rumpled his hair and stumbled into the hospital wing, "Well, I've just gotten spectacularly told off! Let's drink!"
"Harry?" Parvati looked up from the conversation she had been having with Draco, "What are you doing? Pomprey will be here any minute –"
"Nope, I just saw her and Sprout leave to have tea in the gardens. We'll be fine. Besides, just blame it on me – I'm already in enough trouble." He dropped the case on a nearby tray, the harsh clanging of bottles ringing around the Hospital wing.
"What'd you do?" Draco asked, tearing away some of the hard cardboard to pull out two of the bottles.
Harry smirked, "Dad found the stash we kept hidden in their suite. We better finish these now so they don't get found or I'll never be allowed out this summer."
"You won't be allowed out anyway, or have you forgotten Voldemort?"
"Oh nooo, I've not forgotten! I'm never allowed to forget. Merlin, years battling a dark wizard and Dad still thinks I'm too young to drink? Arse."
"Harry, I think you're already drunk." Parvati commented disapprovingly while still taking a small swig of the bottle Draco had handed her.
Harry shrugged carelessly, "I'll probably die soon, so might as well live life!" Glancing over at the Ravenclaw beside Theodore's bed, he called out, "Hey! Runcorn! Wanna join?"
Melissa looked up at him with a start, "What?"
"Want to join?" He held out a bottle, "Just because your boyfriend isn't well doesn't mean you can't have any fun." Harry winked at her, flashing a smile he had long since copied from his Godfather.
"He's not my boyfriend. And I don't think so-"
Draco and Harry shared a look, "Ravenclaws."
"Excuse me," She snapped, standing up, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Leave her alone – honestly –" Parvati sighed. "Don't worry Runcorn, just don't listen to them-"
"No, it's fine. You know, you'd be surprised what Ravenclaws are capable of," Runcorn grabbed the bottle Harry dangled playfully at her, "Quite a lot of things really."
"Why, Runcorn! Are you coming on to me?"
She took a swig back of the drink and the three friends expertly avoided eye contact with eachother.
Ten minutes later, Sally-Anne Perks appeared at the doorway and all four sat up, guilt splayed across their faces. "Whoa –" She peered around the doorway, "Oi, you guys better sober up fast because Dumbledore's just summoned you all. Well, not you, Malfoy."
"For what?" Parvati asked.
"He wanted to get our personal account of what happened the day Granger was attacked. Apparently Lovegood had come in here at some point? I was unconscious but 'protocol' rules, I guess."
"Is this a Ministry thing?" Harry asked Melissa.
The girl looked mystified, "I don't know."
"Probably," Parvati supplemented.
Draco looked amused, "Harry is SO going to get beats! I wish I could see this-"
"Screw off, Draco. Alright, come on, let's get this over with."
Melissa curled her lip, "Oh god, I feel sort of….foggy, I don't know if I can-"
Harry cursed, "It's okay, let's all go together. Just don't act weird and we won't get caught-"
The walk to Dumbledore's office was quick. Draco accompanied them, supporting Parvati who still found it difficult to walk, while Harry lectured the girls on how to act 'not drunk'.
"Only answer if he asks you things directly, okay? And don't breathe on anyone-" Harry finished as they walked up the spiral staircase to the Headmaster's office.
Upstairs in the room, Dumbledore sat at his desk. Beside him, Sirius stood, stone faced and imposing.
"Hello, children. Please come in. Curfew is soon and we must get you back to your common rooms."
"Hey, Poppa. Look, I thought we did this already-"
"Protocol, Harry." Dumbledore cut him off quickly, "Now, where were you each when Miss Granger was attacked?"
"In the hospital wing," said Harry.
"Me too," agreed Parvati.
"In the corridor," admitted Runcorn.
And there was the win. The Veritaserum spiked firewhiskey had done its job.
"Do you think Luna Lovegood purposefully attacked Hermione Granger, Miss Runcorn?"
"No."
"And how do you know that?"
"Because I made her do it."
Harry leaned back in his chair and shared a victorious smile with Sirius. In his original timeline, Harry had been so used to being on his own that Dumbledore's earlier dismissal of his claims would've resulted in him embarking on a foolhardy mission, thinking he had no source of help. Here however, he had come up with a plan that after telling his friends had been immediately shared with his family. Together they had brought it to fruition. Lily and Ethan had gotten Veritaserum from Slughorn, Ron had borrowed the firewhiskey from his brothers (it had to be authentic!), and Dumbledore had interviewed Sally-Anne Perks and Eloise Midgen to make the rouse complete.
It was rather refreshing to collaborate with adults who loved you.
"Who gave you the orders to do that?" Dumbledore asked gently, though the frigid blue of his eyes was so intense it hurt to look aW
"My father."
"Is he a deatheater?" It was Sirius' turn to question.
"Yes."
"Why did he ask you to carve Mudblood in their arms?"
"So that when they take the school they'll know who deserves to be killed first."
Harry turned to look at the girl fully. Wholly ordinary, she could have been considered pretty if it wasn't for the type of starving madness in the curve of her face. "Do you really believe they deserve to die, Melissa?"
"Yes." She responded.
"Harry, Ms. Patil, you may go." Dumbledore said firmly, "We're going to be here awhile."
A part of Harry wanted to stay. He wanted to listen to the rest of Runcorn's crimes, to hear some sort of reasoning for why a young woman would follow the path she had, but it was then he realised that life was too short to spend another second in the company of people who were beyond despicable.
Nearby, his friends and family would have gathered in the hospital wing, hopeful to celebrate a successful mission. And those were the people that he wanted to spend time with. All his time. Forever. Until the end.
The days went fast. Melissa's confession under Veritaserum had been enough evidence to have her taken into custody. Her father, a high ranking official was arrested as he arrived at the school to pick up Luna. Luna herself was freed, but due to her many weeks under amateur Imperius, she was barely lucid as her mind had been addled so much. St. Mungo's had admitted her for care and the prognosis was mixed but hopeful.
No longer being drugged by Runcorn, Theodore Nott regained consciousness after two days. Due to the injuries he had sustained during the Ministry Attack, he'd have to be on a cocktail of 12 different potions a day for the foreseeable future. His eyes had turned a very solid green from the spell that had hit him, to which he dryly joked that his heroics had imprinted a 'little of the boy-who-lived' onto him.
Parvati was also finally released from the Wing, and despite having been battered both physically and emotionally, was doing well under Draco's constant caretaking.
Draco himself was holding up well given the circumstances. Though the Werewolf Ban prevented Remus from being on school grounds, his father figure was in constant correspondence with him. Sirius and the wheelchair bound Tonks also provided him with a surplus of support. He had lost that haunted quality in his eyes, and slowly, very slowly, he was healing.
Two weeks of pseudo classes had given Harry and his friends a lot of time to puzzle over the remaining 'lost' horcrux: Ravenclaw's diadem. Dumbledore had had a telling conversation with the Grey Lady that had revealed Voldemort's pursuit of the artifact. James and Sirius had made a few excursions to areas linked with Voldemort and his rise to power, but it was all for naught. The horcrux remained hidden in places unknown.
It was the dawning days of June when the six children and all the adults were summoned to a room at Hogwarts that Harry had never been before. It was a stunning piece of architecture, with a cathedral ceiling and huge windows that let streams of light in. Dumbledore hadn't arrived yet and so, James and Sirius took the chance to recreate the latest in an escalating series of meetings between Dumbledore and Minister Fudge.
"Dolores claims Imperius, Albus – and surely, after –" James gestured with his hands. A chair had been transfigured into a bowler hat that sat askew his messy hair as he pretended to be Fudge.
"Is that what you plan to claim, also? When asked about your raging stupidity?"
Their audience was appreciative and the surprised gasps rang out in the room. "Did he really say that, Sirius?" Arulbella laughed, "I can't believe it!"
"Merlin, you have no idea how hard it was for me to keep a straight face!" Sirius lamented amidst a bark of laughter, "Poppa let him have it!"
James chimed in quickly, "I was certain we were five minutes away from some old man fisticuffs!"
"And Cornelius would have deserved it; for being so blind," Dumbledore's serene voice came from behind them and embarrassedly the two marauders turned to face the patriarch of the family. "Thank you for the dramatic pantomime, James, Sirius, if you may, take a seat. And please, Sirius, never consider a beard when you're old. It doesn't suit you."
Cheeks hot, Sirius rubbed off the bubble spell he had used to imitate Dumbledore's beard as both men slunk toward the extremely long table in the center of the room.
"The bowler hat on the other hand? Fitting, James." Remus grinned as he appeared behind Dumbledore.
"Moony!"
Draco stood, his eyes lighting up for a second before he hesitated, only to be grabbed in a fierce hug by the werewolf. "Hello, Son," Remus greeted purposefully.
"Hi-" The blonde mumbled back. "How are you here?"
Remus gestured toward Dumbledore with a tired smile, "That's the first discussion on the list today."
The room filled quickly as more people arrived behind Remus. Ron's parents were first in, followed by his elder brothers. Then, a smattering of Hogwarts Professors in-between a large number of familiar and unfamiliar faces.
Harry scanned the room, rolling his eyes as he witnessed Mundungus Fletcher try to pry a small painting off the wall. His theft was averted by a sharp rap to his kneecaps by Arabella Figg's walking stick. Harry quickly averted his gaze from his own Aunt's squib Aunt. While he hadn't had much interaction with Arabella in this timeline, he certainly remembered the stench of cabbage all too well.
In the corner, Ratnam Patil stood speaking in low tones to Slughorn while Alice Longbottom greeted a tiny man with a purple top hat.
"Oi, Harry, isn't that Aunt Emmy?" Ethan nudged his brother, pointing toward the willowy hot-tempered witch who had dated their Godfather on and off when the boys had been small, and Sirius had still been a rogue. "Why is she here?"
Emmeline Vance waved at the boys, while Sirius kept his back turned to her general direction, an awkward expression on his face. Aunt Arulbella gave him a sympathetic smile and affectionately brushed his hair out of his eyes.
It was then Harry realised who all these people were, "I think … I think it's because this is the Order of the Phoenix."
"That's right, Harry." Dumbledore boomed from the head of the table, a sparkle in his blue eyes as he gazed at his descendant, "We are the Order of the Phoenix."
The conversations hushed and everyone turned expectantly toward the Headmaster. Harry wanted to ask a million questions, the least of all which was if they were here, did that mean they were part of it as well? He glanced at his friends, strong after so many battles. They might all be weary but they were capable. He was sure his Great-Great-Grandfather had noticed.
"Welcome everyone," Dumbledore greeted, "To our old members and our new. Our agenda today is varied. The most pressing issue is for everyone to get familiar with the Castle. Grimmauld Place is no longer our headquarters as it was compromised yesterday."
Murmurs of shock rippled through the group.
"Deladus, Hanalei and I barely escaped with our lives," Emmeline supplemented, "Minerva had just arrived for a meeting when they attacked. If Kreacher hadn't warned us – I don't know what would've happened."
"Yes, yes," The man with the purple top hat nodded, "It was a close call. Severus didn't hold anything back-"
Harry's spine straightened at the name, "It was Snape?"
Deladus nodded, "It was indeed."
"Nearly took my arm off!" Hanalei Mills remarked, her arm bandaged in orange strips of cloth.
"The simple truth is we shouldn't have continued to use Grimmauld Place after Severus betrayed us," McGonagall sighed, "It was obvious he would find a way to release the secret."
Dumbledore nodded calmly, "We had no other option then. Now, however, we do. Hogwarts will be the Order's headquarters."
It was Remus who spoke, "But surely the Ministry will lose their heads if they even sense that we're meeting here?"
"We are no longer aligned with the Ministry."
This statement elicited only stunned silence.
"I had hoped to stay united for as long as possible. Yet, it is now no longer feasible. Minister Fudge's actions can no longer be accepted. He has taken a head in the sand approach as things have worsened and I cannot condone it for it will cost us dearly. We have direct evidence of Death Eater operatives in all areas of the Ministry and even when confronted with it, he has proven too cowardly to take a stand."
"I have lived through a war before, and I see the same amplification that happened in Austria, Poland, France … all of Europe as Grindelwald used his spies in each Ministry to infiltrate his way in. Voldemort is not nearly as tactful and so I expect that it is only a matter of time … weeks, if I was to estimate, before a coup for the Ministry will take place. The school term is ending and I will not allow children to be released into the war fields. We are going to take what little time we have to fortify this school and these lands and we will operate as a stronghold in the absence of any true government."
James stood up with a straight back and his shoulders set. As always, Harry admired his Father in full auror-mode. There was no inch of give in his Father's features, and the wizard seemed almost unstoppable. "Am I to take it that we will implement Directive 32?"
"Yes," Dumbledore's eyes settled on each member of the room in turn, "Our resistance plan will begin. You will all be given your own missions and orders, and if things go sour, you will all be taking residence here in Hogwarts."
"Oh goodie," Old Mrs. Figg said bitterly, leaning on her cane with a huff, "does this mean I finally get to get sorted? I hope it's Slytherin. The rest of you seem like a lot of pansies."
Feeling very important indeed after being included in the Order, Harry and the others were riding high as they walked back to the dorms following the mass meeting. The rest of the Order had divided into their tiered teams for classified discussions, and so the junior members had been sent off with a wave.
"I still think they should've included us a bit more-" Ron grumbled.
Hermione rolled her eyes, "Ron, we're way more in the know about the situation with Harry and Voldemort - I don't think we need to get offended. That's our directive."
"It's true. I mean, we can't really help with wards or missions, and we have our hands full with figuring out the last hiding spot." Harry's little brother was a good voice of reason.
Held beneath Draco's protective arm, Parvati twisted her lips, "I stopped taking my dreamless sleep potion, actually. I figured that if I wake up at night, its all the better – more time to think on it."
"Parv –" Draco groaned, but his girlfriend interrupted before he could scold her.
"No, really. I mean, what's a bit of suffering now? You heard Dumbledore – I don't think it'd be very easy for people to go in and out of the school to search once the Ministry goes."
"Yeah, you're right," Harry agreed, "I mean even I have my doubts of us just sort of fortressing ourselves in here. Maybe it'd be better to scatter."
"No," Ethan shook his head, "If the worst happens then there has to be a safe house, or else so many more innocent people will suffer. If we scattered then they'd just torture even the most faintest of acquaintances for info. While we what? Scour the countryside like vagrants?"
Hermione gave a big sigh, "Can we not talk about all the worst case scenarios? I mean, look, we have only one missing link. One. Then; the snake. Dumbledore will keep us safe here until they're all gone, and then he'll kill Voldemort. It's simple."
"Man," Ron smiled, "I can't wait till it's over. Just think about what it'll feel like –" He glanced at each of the others in turn, "We'll all be just … so … happy. No more attacks."
"No more deaths!"
"No more fear-"
"No more need for dreamless sleep potions!" Harry jumped in.
Draco smirked, "Except after Slytherin thrashes Gryffindor in seventh year Quidditch. You'll have nightmares for years, Potter!"
Everyone rounded on him in mock-anger, "Oi, you're so deluded!"
In a flash, the blonde reached across and snatched Harry's glasses from his nose, "Anddddd Malfoy's got the quaffle! Look at him go – I've never seen such moves, the Gryffindors are stunned stupid! Or… is that how they always look?"
"Draco!" Harry yelled through his laughter, taking off after the boy who was now only a blonde and black blur, "You git! Give them back!"
The Slytherin swooped back around and tossed the glasses to Ron, "He passes!"
Slowing to a stop, Harry panted, "Thank Merlin. Ron, give it here-"
Ron blinked slowly at his friend, "I'm not Ron … I'm the new young Slytherin Chaser: Daphinius Wigglewum!" And then he too was running ahead, "Eager to prove himself, look at him go! He'll make no impression against star Keeper Ron Weasley, but he can definitely fly circles around the Potter brothers!"
"Oh ho, that's it!" Ethan caught Harry's eye and grinned, his canine glinting in the light. "Let's get them, brother!" They shot after them.
Parvati and Hermione laughed merrily as they jogged to keep up with the endlessly swerving, leaping and running boys.
"What's all this? Both the Potters are after Wigglewum? Ha!" Ron crowed, "Harry Potter may have defeated Voldemort two years ago, but he won't defeat Daphinius! Ow! Ethan!"
Ethan bodychecked Ron into a wall, and grabbed the glasses, hopping over a banister to land on a staircase just as it moved, putting him closer to the girls. "The youngest and best looking Potter has got the quaffle!"
"ETHAN!" Harry roared, taking the chance to slap Draco upside the head as he ran by him.
Ethan ran up to the girls and grabbed Parvati by the waist, spinning her to his side, so he stood in the middle of them, "HE SCORES! Clearly so much better than those gits he's forced to play with!"
Harry was the first to dive at him but in seconds the other boys piled ontop. Squashed somewhere between his brother and Ron's elbow, Harry felt the air being pushed out of him as the girls also added to the pile up.
"You guys are such morons!" Parvati giggled.
"My spleen!" Ethan lamented.
After taking a good five minutes to untangle themselves, the six lay in helpless laughter on the corridor floor as the portraits nearby shook their heads in amusement.
"When Voldemort is dead, life will always be like this." Draco said quietly.
"Yeah," Ron agreed.
Harry was terrified. Apprehensive. But here, he got a taste again of what exactly they were fighting for. A future that was bright and happy, where his friends and family could enjoy life without the terror of loss constantly threatening them. A future where these wonderful friends of his could be kids again.
"I'll make sure of it," Harry promised.
That night, Eloise Midgen, more broken out than ever before, appeared at Gryffindor tower. Expressing gratitude for Harry's bravery during the Ministry attack, she had come to impress upon him that her lack of defence ability had scared her. It seemed that some students had been wondering if perhaps he could teach them things.
Neville, overhearing the conversation, nodded.
"You know, Harry. We've been lucky to be raised by auror parents. With all the attacks maybe it would be a good idea."
And so, the DADA club began.
Busy with preparations for war, Dumbledore had absently approved its establishment, and Harry's parents had allowed the use of the DADA classroom after school hours. Tonks, with her jimmying leg preventing her from any active duty, signed on to be their faculty chaperone. The news spread fast.
The first meeting they had 25 members.
The second they had 60.
A bit disconcerted over how his classmates looked at him with such unending awe, Harry found himself growing flush everytime he addressed the club. He had been initially worried over the meetings being a drain on time, but found the club to be engaging and a good distraction. As Directive 32 continued to run behind closed doors, the older generation was extremely busy. As such, Harry's own training was mostly instruction and very little practice time. The club gave him time to try out the things his father and Sirius taught him, and so it seemed it helped him just as much as it helped the others.
With nothing to study for aside from routine coursework, Hermione threw herself into sketching out elaborate lesson plans that were mostly ignored by her friends. To balance the work, and to give plenty of time for the others to puzzle over the diadem's location, the children decided to have someone particularly good at a certain spell to head each meeting. Harry took on stunning and disarming spells, Hermione and Parvati; blasting spells, Draco and Ron; Duelling, and Neville; sealing charms.
It was the eve of their third week of club practice and June was coming to a warm end. Fred and George had done a demonstration on exploding incantations while Ginny had followed it up with a good show of the Bat-Bogey hex. Curfew was a half hour away and most of the club members had already scattered though a few continued to duel.
"Draco!" Parvati huffed as Draco sent a few floppy looking winged bogies at her, "You're useless to duel with, you're being much too kind to me, amp it up a little – ook!"
His lips lifted into a smirk before he spelled her quickly, his magic pulling her toward him and into his arms where he returned her squeak of surprise with a hard kiss.
"You two are disgusting." George gagged, slapping Draco on the back of the head before he noticed Fred and Angelina running out of the classroom hand in hand, "Everyone is disgusting – well, at least I have you Ronnie-" He slung his arm so hard around Ron's shoulder that the tall boy stumbled forward, "You're the forever alone type, right?"
Harry hid a grin as Ron fired some expletives at his brother. He turned back to the conversation he was having with Hermione.
"So, no luck with the Graveyard, then?"
"No, they apparently searched every inch of that place. Nothing." Harry shook his head, "We'll have to try and figure out another –"
"What are you two talking about in such hushed voices?" Neville asked, strolling over with a friendly smile on his face. "Will Ron be heart broken?"
Hermione immediately coloured while Harry smiled easily. "Talking about a name for this club, actually. Defense Club is rather uninspired, don't you think?"
"Totally Awesome Club?" Ron offered, having heard his name. He eyed Hermione's red cheeks with interest.
"Dark Dodgers!" Ethan called out.
"Mildly Adequate Mutts!" George nodded.
Neville looked thoughtful, "Defense Allies?"
"Harry's Army," Padma smiled while Harry immediately flushed.
"No, no. That's….it's not my army." He meant it. He didn't want anyone to fight in his name, to die for him … not this time around. "Something else-"
"How about Dumbledore's Army, then?" Ginny called over her shoulder.
"Hey everyone!" Ron asked loudly, "Did you hear that? What do you think about Dumbledore's Army as our name?"
A small cheer rang out and he turned with a smile, "Well, I guess that settles it."
"Dumbledore's Army." Harry rolled the words about his mouth. Yes, it was perfect. A feeling of accomplishment was just passing over his heart when the door to the classroom opened.
Zacharias Smith a fairly stuck up Hufflepuff came barrelling in. "Good, you guys are still here! You won't believe this, but I have terrible news –"
Theodore Nott, obviously having heard the news at the same time came running in so fast he banged into Zacharias, sending him hands first to the floor. "Ow – Sorry, Smith – but, it's insane - Minister Fudge is dead!"
A horrified hush fell on the students.
From the ground, Zacharias looked up solemnly, "The Ministry has fallen."
To be Continued …
Harry: Did Harry surprise you with his surprisingly mature way of handling a potential dangerous situation? How do you feel about the mini-marauders pulling off a rouse? The bruised and battered six are getting more and more capable ….
Runcorn: Mr. Runcorn was the person Harry polyjuiced himself into in the 7th book. It was canon that he had a child at Hogwarts, and so we see that in this world, with more of a dark influence, he went from a dark leaning ministry official to a straight up Deatheater operative. Does the plan to mark the muggleborn children mean an attack is imminent?
Ministry: The big moment has arrived…what will this mean for Hogwarts, for Harry and also for the horcrux hunt?
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