Hi, It's been a while, again, and I got some bad new and some more bad news…
First bad news, which is perhaps good news to you, is that I got chucked of college… Not good for me, except I guess I now have more time for writing.
Second bad news, which is bad for you, is that Fayetahl, the co writer, has had to stand down from her position due to a heavy schedule. Therefore after this chapter, until I announce her possible return, none of it will be by her, though she did a great job on the many chapters she was around for. She shall be missed.
Thirdly, this is a short chapter… Only 4587 words… one of the shortest chapters so far. However this is because it had a very distinct cut off point, and I didn't want to write more for the chapter. Anyway hopefully you shall enjoy it as much as we did writing it.
Mp and Fayetahl
"Good. Good. Although I feel I need a word with you about your behaviour during the meal. You naughty boy!"
Voldemort gulped.
Back at Beauxbatons, everything was peaceful. The fire was burning, thought not so fiercely as before. Everyone was happy, full from to much food, and in a lot of cases, rather sleepy. Serenity had fallen asleep on one of the logs, and was now slumped against Alexanda, who had tried to slide away from her, but realised such a thing would not be possible with her not waking up.
Dumbledore, Olympe, Mr. and misses Weasley, and Professor Moody all stood round talking. Mostly they discussed the good old times, meaning times when they were younger and currency was different. Times when they were young enough not to be considered old by children. They also discussed the match, including the high and low points, and for a few seconds they brushed on the fact that it had passed without a death eater in sight.
Remus was sitting with an eye on Harry, who was sitting on the other side of
the fire with Ron and Hermione, playing a game of snap, though all to tired to
really be bothered by the outcome.
"Snap." Said Ron as he placed a card down with a bang.
"What?" asked Harry.
"Um… I got snap." Said Ron sleepily as he tried to
remember.
"When?" Asked Hermione.
"They look tired." Tonks said with a yawn that caused her hair to grow a few
inches.
"You're one to talk." Said Remus as he rubbed her back.
"We should probably be getting them to bed soon. Early
morning and everything." With that he got up and walked over to the
other children, each sitting round in small groups. He rounded them up and sent
them off to bed in the Golden Pegasus, to which they were surprised.
"We were going to leave tonight, but things have gone on for longer than we
planned, So Dumbledore says we are going to sleep here tonight, and will leave
tomorrow morning." He explained to Blaise who was remarkably, acting her usual
self. Apparently she wasn't hindered by normal ailments such as tiredness
hunger or pain.
Shortly later several or the other adults retired for the night, except for
Dumbledore who was expecting a visitor any minute now. He sat by the dying
embers of the fire. He had cast several silencing charms and protection charms
around the area in preparation.
There was an owl on a nearby tree, which had returned to its branch now it was no longer being smoked to death. Dumbledore was watching it when he heard footsteps approaching behind him. He heard them approaching for the last two minutes, but it was only now that he was able to identify who it was without looking. He stood up and turned around to great Sera.
"Good, you have returned and are alive." Dumbledore said happily. He looked
down at a red line on the earth he had drawn. "And it would seem you are also
not under control of the imperious curse."
"No, all went well, I'm glad to report." Said Sera as she thought about what
had happened over the meal, missing out small remarks from Voldemort which
related to pleasure, not business.
"So
what did you learn of, if anything?" Dumbledore asked as he threw a glance over
his shoulder, as if expecting someone to sneak up on him.
"Well firstly, I learned that our estimates of his forces were well above what
he actually has." Sera began. Dumbledore looked up at her at this point.
"But how can that be possible? Over one hundred and fifty Death eaters were
reported at the attack last week? Do you think perhaps Voldemort altered the
minds of the witnesses, in order to give himself a bark worse than his bite?"
Sera shook her head. "No, I'm sure there were that many death eaters there, but
whilst I was at dinner I heard something which I'm sure will be of great
interest to you. Do you know anything of Voldemort's hierarchy system?"
"A little, from what Severus told me." Dumbledore said. "Though
not enough."
Sera took a flask out from her coat, and took a drink of it before continuing.
"Well Voldemort is unable to supervise all aspects of his business, as he has
learned from such a large command. Therefore he has senior Death Eaters
supervising newer Death Eaters."
"There are several of these, though no exact number was said. Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange, even Peter Pettigrew. Now I happen to hear something exceedingly interesting, something I'm sure we can use to our advantage. Apparently Voldemort is planning an attack on an Alchemist Facility in Russia tomorrow at sunset, there sunset. He is sending out three seniors with their teams, whilst two more are currently out on patrol. That means that Voldemort will be on his own with an army of around twenty to thirty five.
Dumbledore nodded as he heard all of this. There was a lot to be done, if she
was suggesting what he was thinking.
"And you propose we storm his secret castle are you?" He asked with a clenched
fist of triumph.
"First of all, I don't know where it is, and secondly its
so heavily guarded I was practically torn apart on my way in." Sera said as she
remembered the spells trying top repel her. She would have a splitting headache
in the morning.
"Then what is the good news, that makes what you're
telling me so interesting?" Dumbledore enquired.
"Voldemort is planning on leaving his house as well. With the remaining forces
he is going to go and kill a family in Cornwall, who happen to have displeased
him in some manner. The only ones at his castle will be working staff, such as
chefs.
"Voldemort has a chef?" Dumbledore asked in surprised jealousy.
"Yes," said Sera simply.
"I always thought his Death Eaters just took turns…"
"So anyway, said Sera, getting back on subject." I propose we take a force and
attack Voldemort. We could do it couldn't we?" She asked hopefully. With an
army of thirty-five they could ambush the dark lord. It should be like giving
candy to a baby, which is a damn site easier than taking it back.
"You are proposing we kill Voldemort?"
"Yes, you could do it my sir. I know your power and I know you could kill
Voldemort." Sera said earnestly, as she looked up at him like a child to a
grandfather.
"I'm afraid I cannot. The prophecy says so, and my age is taking a toll, I
might not act like it, but every year I grow weaker Sera, I can't take the life
of Voldemort, no one can, except for Harry, and he is not ready. If we were to
make him now it would be like sealing our fate."
"Then we could kill his death eaters, maybe trap him. No such prophecy exists
against this act, with the ministries best we could trap Voldemort, until such
a time when Harry Potter is ready, even if that should be years?" Dumbledore
considered this for some moments. "My Lord, do you give permission?" Sera
asked. Victory was on their side, she could taste it.
Dumbledore Hesitated for a moment. He Wouldn't have thought that Voldemort would be so easy to beat, yet a paranoid mind can cause someone to overlook an opportunity, and a missed opportunity is a great crime, as Dumbledore had learned.
"You are absolutely sure of this information, that it is true?" He asked as he stared at Sera. At times, he wished he were not a leader of a resistance group. It would be so much nicer to sit down in front of the fire with some crumpets, maybe some sherbet lemons, and read non educational books about wizards rescuing young maidens from evil dragons.
There was time for that later, that was what he told himself when such doubt came to his mind.
"I am positive of the information. I heard very well, I used a listening charm I invented personally." She explained as Albus looked back at her, still unsurely. "If I am wrong then by god I will give my blood as payment. Please Lord, Albus, please don't deny the world this shot at safety." Dumbledore looked into Sera's eyes. They twinkled in the moonlight, they showed innocence and purity. In a way, although he had only met her a few days ago, she reminded himself of a granddaughter he had never had.
"Very well. Sera, give the orders to those within your contact, I shall inform those who aren't. Don't however, take the situation light-heartedly. Just because we know Voldemort's intentions and we can plan our attack, does not mean he will be easy to capture." He said, as he explained what she already knew. After a minutes silence in which no one had said anything, and he had paced backwards and forwards several times he said. "I shall assist with the Charms. If that will be all, then I would like to retire, for it will be a long day tomorrow."
The night went on, as the remnants of the once great fire crackled into a near nothingness, and by the first wisps of the foggy sunlight, the last few embers died. Arthur Weasley woke up happily. There was nothing greater than waking up, and being richer than the previous day. (Actually it was greater to weak up and not have molly shout at him about the alarm clock, but this was not a secret he dare let pass his lips. Bill would be round for dinner later. Should be exciting. Bill came round every week, since he had joined the order, and he always had some entertaining stories made at another's misfortune. The best kind of story really.
Harry and the others awoke, and after a dull morning, and a few half hearted goodbyes, they departed France, and started their journey back to Hogwarts. In fact, most of the day was pretty uneventful, in Harry's eyes. He had expected a massive applause and a big party when they got back, but after some strict shouting from professor McGonagall about enough time being wasted already, they went back to concentrating on their lessons.
Harry collapsed back onto his bed that night, and after rereading the highlights of the Quidditch match in various different newspapers and sporting magazines, Harry fell asleep. Tat night however was more eventful than the day. He had dreams of screaming, of blood, and of Voldemort in the middle of it all.
Harry awoke with a start, it was the middle of the night, and it was still very dark outside. He was cold with sweat, and his heart was beating fast in his chest. It took him several long moments before it sunk in that it wasn't real, and in which Harry had to convince himself he wasn't going to die (except perhaps of fright, although the worst had passed).
He was tempted to get out of bed, and check that everything was alright, for as chilling as the dream was, he couldn't get himself to believe it was so, to believe it was just a dream. In the end it was Ron's loud snorting snoring sounds which convinced him that it had just been a nightmare. After all, Harry couldn't pick up Voldemort's mind, not through the magical protection barriers that had been placed.
Harry yawned as he rolled over under his bed covers, before realising it was a school day, and deciding to get up. A quick look outside as he pulled his socks on, told him it would be a cold cloudy day, with perhaps some rain around lunch time. That was to be expected at this time of year though. Everyone else was still asleep, which again, was nothing out of the ordinary.
He had transfiguration later, and McGonogall would no doubt make Harry catch up on the homework he had missed whilst he was away, even if the teacher was away as well. All in all it appeared it was going to be a very regular day, a day no different from any other, yet this was not to be so, for as Harry was shortly to learn, It wasn't a regular day. It was the kind of day that he would remember for the rest of his life.
Harry finished dressing, woke Ron up, and a few minutes later they set off down to the great hall, for the first proper breakfast they had had in a week.
"You know, I think food is the thing I missed the most whilst I was gone." Ron said as he ticked of a mental list of what he was going to eat today. He was one of the few people in the entire school who knew what they were going to have for each meal, before even the house elves had decided what to prepare.
"More than Luna?" Harry asked devilishly with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes, probably." Ron replied to Harry surprise. "She has been a bit weird lately." He explained. Harry was greatly tempted to ask if he meant more than normal, but managed to resist his urges and reply with
"Is that so?"
"Yeah, she was a bit strange before we went away to Beauxbatons. She seemed to think I was abandoning her, and now she seems to think I had some sort… well some sort of affair!" He spluttered. Harry considered this for a moment.
"Is it even possible to have an affair when your not married to the person?"
"I don't know. I can't sya I have ever heard of it, although I suppose it is possible. Perhaps it's just that it doesn't happen. You know like you only realise what a big mistake you have made, after you say I do?" Ron tried to imagine it, for rather along time.
"That's besides the point though isn't it." Harry said, as him and Ron neared the great hall. "Haven't you explained that you didn't, you know, betray her."
"Yeah I have," Ron explained angrily. "She just doesn't seem to believe me."
"Who does she think you had an affair with anyway?" Harry asked in bemusement as he considered Blaise.
"Hermione." Ron replied glumly. There was a seconds silence before Harry burst out laughing, the thought that Hermione would allow someone to have an affair with her was ridiculous enough, but Ron?"
"And there is no way she will believe you?" He asked as he finally regained his more sensitive side.
"Not that I can see. I think she decided we should just take a break for now, don't know how long though. What do you think Harry? A break like a week or a quick break, like a Kit Kat?"
"Probably the latter." Harry lied
"Also, probably best not mention this to Hermione." Ron said, as they walked into the great hall.
However, even if Harry had been planning on mentioning any of it to Hermione, he would have forgotten about it, because upon entering the hall, he realised something was rather wrong. Several members of staff had injuries, Moody in particular had a big bandage over his magical eye, where it had either been injured, or stolen. They also looked rather tired, and a quick mental comparison caused him to realise, that they members of staff were those form the Order, and that they seemed in a rather sorry state.
"What happened to them?" Ron asked as he followed Harry's gaze. Harry didn't need to give an answer however, as Dumbledore rose from his seat, and with a small head gesture for them to follow, left the great hall. Harry gave Ron a dark glance, he knew something bad must have happened. Voldemort had probably managed to steal another relic or herb that would allow him to complete his ritual, whatever it was.
"Sir. What happened?" Harry asked as they walked along the corridor.
"Not now Harry, this isn't the place." Dumbledore said sharply to them as he strode up the staircase. A minute later they passed Draco Malfoy, who looked at Ron and Harry, and their relatively grim expressions.
"Oooh landed yourself in trouble?" He asked with a laugh. Tonks however, who had come up behind him, puffy eyed and messy looking didn't find it at all funny.
"Not as much trouble as you. Detention." She snapped in uncharacteristic anger.
"What?" Draco protested before he was quickly silenced with a swish from her wand.
"Two!" She said, and stormed off down to the great hall. Dumbledore did not stop for this, nor did he pay it the slightest attention, as he continued to lead the way, to his office.
Hey Norman, said Harry as the gargoyle stepped aside for them. Norman didn't reply, either because it generally wasn't supposed to talk, or because it knew something was going on. A minute later Dumbledore sat down behind the desk, with Harry and Ron opposite him. He was playing with a quill, whilst deep in thought. After a minutes silence Harry even began to wonder if Dumbledore remembered they were there, but as he made a few false starts it was obvious that whatever Albus was going to say, he had been putting a lot of thought into it.
"Harry, I haven't been honest with you."
"You haven't?" Asked Harry, already knowing this wasn't going to be a good kind of surprise, such as finding out that he had won a brand new car from his chocolate bar, or that Dudley had had an early demise.
"No Harry. I haven't, but I shall have to be now. I, that is we, The Order, felt that you should no longer be allowed to attend the meetings, or the missions." Harry sat in silence, with anger building up.
"But why sir? I have never got in any real danger before. I helped didn't I?"
"Yes Harry, you have helped, and I wish you could stay, but safety is an issue here, one that needs to be considered."
"But I am safe with you around." Harry protested as he looked at Dumbledore in disappointment. He could never think of someone who could protect him better than the headmaster. To think Dumbledore had so little faith in his abilities…
"Harry, it's not your safety that bought about this, it's the safety of others, I'm afraid you are a danger to them."
Ron looked at Harry, as if he were about to explode, before subtly sliding to the far side of his chair.
"What danger could I possibly be to anyone? If your saying I'm to noisy or something then that's stupid. I was dead quite at Azkaban."
"No Harry it's not that." Albus said as he put his quill down, and for the first time that morning, looked Harry in the eyes.
"Then what?" Why am I a danger? Why chuck me out of the Order? If you really hated me being there that much you could have transferred me to a different division, the Information division. When I have dreams they are useful aren't they? Aren't they!" Harry asked as he rose his voice. Dumbledore did not reply for a moment.
"Why am I here sir?" Ron asked curiously. "Not that I don't like to be informed, but you have never seen fit to tell me something personally, normally Harry tells me."
Dumbledore nodded, before replying.
"We shall get to that in a minute Ronald, if I may ask your patience." He turned his attention back to Harry, and with a sigh, began to explain what he had hoped he would never need to say. "Harry, I'm afraid for you to be involved in any Order business, is a risk itself. Not only could you accidentally give away information… You could, also hurt members of the Order…" He said dryly. He waved his wand and a large jug of water appeared, before he poured himself a large glass, and offering the jug to Harry, who sat fumingly.
"You don't trust me?" At this question Albus raised his eyebrows in surprise, and said, as if it were obvious.
"Of course I trust you Harry, I do so implicitly. However the problem is, the problem which causes your expulsion from the Order, is no fault of your own. You see It is Voldemort." Ron gasped at this statement before turning his attention to Harry, who looked rather non surprised.
"And how does his existence cause a change in my situation, what is different now about him, from when I joined? He has more minions, So what?"
"No Harry, you don't understand. Voldemort does have more minions, but that isn't his main power. His main power, one that he is desperately trying to tap into, and is nearly succeeding is you." Albus said with wide eyed fear. Harry sat back in his chair, as goose bumps ran down his arms and his spine, causing him to give an involuntary shudder.
"What do you mean me? How can he use me? Hogwarts is guarded against his mind penetration magic."
"So I thought Harry, so I thought." Dumbledore said whilst shaking his head. Whilst you are still sound of mind Harry, I regret to inform you that Voldemort gnaws ever closer, to controlling you, to getting into your mind, to controlling you, like a puppet for his deeds."
Harry sat in silence letting the information sink in… Voldemort was controlling him? No, that wasn't the case, but he was trying, and was succeeding, or going to succeed.
"But I would know wouldn't I? There is no way I could be under his control and not know it is there?" Harry asked worriedly. It was a fear he had always worried about, or at least since he had started having the dreams. The dreams of the death and the torture, of his friends bloody bodies laying lifeless at his feet, and him laughing, always laughing, like it was the greatest pleasure in life, even better than toast!"
"Yes Harry, If Voldemort's strength on you grows you will know, it for now it is only subtle, think more of it as breeze in your mind and your actions. It gently blows you one way, so gentle in fact that you don't know your doing it. You think you would go that way on your own, but without that breeze, you would be in a different place, does that make sense?" Dumbledore asked as he looked over the top of his spectacles.
"I suppose it does, but surely now I know I can resist it, and you could stop it couldn't you. If Voldemort is penetrating your magic, then you can stop it can't you, like before."
"I'm afraid it's a no to both of those parts." For the first part, you have no way to resist it for now. To you, it is your own mind, and you think your making your own decisions, when in fact they are being influenced by someone else. I don't suppose you believe in destiny. Some do, I myself believe in a sort. I believe that you will be the one to stop Voldemort." Dumbledore said as he cast a quick glance to Ron, who's look of surprise said that he didn't know of the prophecy.
"It's like that Harry. Its always there, and it knows what your going to do, but unless you can see it, you don't know what to fight. After all, you cannot fight an opponent you cannot see. Remember that saying Harry it might come in use later in life."
"And what about you stopping it? Why can't you stop it, there is no greater wizard than you after all."
"Its not a matter of greatness Harry, it's a matter of objective. It's like a coin on its side. At the moment the magic protecting you is that coin, carefully balanced, shielding you, yet with every passing attempt, Voldemort familiarises himself with this coin, with its shape, its size, until he can knock it over flat. Now I can always put it back up again, and try and stop him doing it again, but it is much easier to knock a coin down, than to balance it."
Again Harry considered.
"So you are saying there are times, when the coin is flat that I wont be protected by your magic?" he asked worriedly. He had stopped Voldemort entering his mind before, but he wasn't confident enough that he would be able to stop Voldemort for long enough. What if he let something slip, then those he cares about could be in trouble. What if Voldemort found out Remus was part of the resistance?, what if he found out about mister Weasley? Their whole family would be in trouble. Harry hate to admit it, but he understood Dubmeldores decision, perhaps he shouldn't be in the order after all.
"No, Harry, not exactly. You see I'm not particularly good with metaphors and such, what it basically means is that there will be times when you will be more susceptible than others, but I should hope that you will always be protected by magic. Its not something you should worry about, for there is nothing really you can do, other than keep practicing your work with Severus, I understand Legilimancy is coming along well?"
"Quite." Harry replied.
"Good, good." Dumbledore responded as he took another sip of his glass of water and cleared his throat. "But I'm afraid this leads us onto more dark news. You see we obtained information that last night Voldemort and a small group of followers were going to be in a certain location. We gathered this from one of our spies in the information division."
"Madam Maxine?" Harry asked curiously. Other than Charlie she was the only person in that division that he knew of.
"No Harry, It was a young woman you don't know of, a relative of madam Maxine. Now it seems the information we obtained was slightly wrong, and so when we made an attack on Voldemort, eh showed up just as planned, but the number of Death Eaters with him was much larger than expected, and so there were many casualties, and one or two fatalities."
Harry felt his stomach convulse, as he considered that there had been death. He always knew it was a possbility, but for it to now be a reality…Dumbledore continued on, looking down at his desk, and not meeting either Ron or Harry's gaze.
"At this point we don't know whether the information we gathered from our spy, was falsely fed to her, having been identified as a spy by Voldemort, or whether she was actually a double spy, working for him. We suspect the former, for she died last night, to an Unforgivable curse."
Harry asked in a choked reply, though he knew he wouldn't like the answer.
"Who else died? You said there was more than one."
"I understand if you will blame me for this, for it was my decision to try and attack Voldemort…" Dumbledore began before he was cut short.
"Answer me!" Harry snapped angrily
"Yes… ok. Well I'm afraid that Kingsley Shacklebolt died last night, along with, Minerva McGonogall, and Bill Weasley. Remus Lupin in also missing and presumed dead." Dumbledore finished in barely a whisper, as he looked up with tears in his eyes.
