Chapter 49

The footfalls faded away. Harry sighed gazing around at his cell. He sat down on the cot and found it a bit hard compared to his four poster bed at Hogwarts. But Harry stretched out his full length and yawned widely. Not having slept much last night and the stress of the trial was catching up to him. Even before last night he had been a month short of sleep so Harry closed his eyes and drifted off.

When he awoke a few hours later, Harry lay for a moment in confusion, wondering where he was. Then he remembered, solitary confinement. He stayed on his back looking at the dark ceiling. A patch of light blue could be seen through the small window and the same size square of light shone on the stone floor. Still must be day, Harry thought. He was glad Dumbledore had insisted on the window.

A small snort escaped Harry as he remembered how confused Fudge had looked. Even Dumbledore and Remus seemed puzzled by the ease Harry accepted his sentence. But this would be a breeze, Harry thought. They had no idea. Well, Dumbledore must have had a small idea of what head experienced at the Dursleys. Sure, he would miss his freedom but Harry was quite used to entertaining himself for long periods of time.

He sat up on the edge of his cot and glanced at the thick wooden door wondering when a meal would be served. Harry got up and got a drink from the sink next to the toilet. Actually this was much better than the Dursleys. There, Harry had to wait to use the bathroom. Only, Harry considered, he wished he had asked for something to read. Maybe he could ask when his meal arrived.

It wasn't very long when a familiar voice outside his cell door called. "Wotcher Harry."

"Tonks!" Harry jumped up and peered out of the barred window. Tonks normally cheery face looked concerned and had a smile forced on to it.

"Are you hunger?" Tonks asked. "I'll send for your meal if you are."

"Starving. Didn't feel much like breakfast." Harry said. "You're guarding me?"

A different voice Harry didn't recognize answered before Tonks could. "He's in solitary. No chit chatting with the prisoner."

"Leave off Williamson. I'll talk to him if I want." Tonks answered angrier than Harry had ever heard her. "Harry do you need anything?"

"Something to read would be nice." Harry said briefly so not to irritate Williamson too much.

"There should be some reading material in there." Tonks gazed in to the cell and pointed to the bed. "Check the other side of the cot, near the wall. I'm sure Dumbledore said he gave you something."

Leaning across his bed Harry saw the small space between the cot and wall held three books, a roll of parchment, a bottle of ink and a quill. "Yes, I didn't notice it before. Excellent."

"Your meal is on its way." Tonks said. Harry could tell her teeth were clenched. She must not like Williamson much, he thought.

Shortly a clunking noise could be heard coming down the hallway. Harry looked out the small window and saw Mad-Eye Moody stumping along after Kingsley Shacklebolt, who carried a tray of food. Shacklebolt's deep voice echoed in the passage way. "There you go." He pushed it through the wooden flap at the bottom of the door.

"Thanks." Noting the position of the tray was correct Harry picked it up and carried it to his bed.

"Shove the tray out when you're done lad." Moody said through the door.

"I will." Harry called back, a bit preoccupied with what was on the tray. The smell of fried chicken made Harry's mouth water. He grabbed a drumstick and tore into it. Yes, this was much better than the Dursleys.

Over the past month Harry had become so worn down that it felt good to lie on his cot and do nothing. But Harry noticed, like most times he had been injured, the magic in him accelerated the healing of his body with the good food and rest.

Except for last summer Harry considered. He had been sick for three weeks. Scrofungulus. Harry said the word slowly in his mind. Where had Neville say it was from? Harry searched his mind for the name of the place and was pleasantly surprised when he managed to remember it, Burkina Faso. Wonder where that is? He didn't have a clue.

--------------------------------

Life with the Dursleys passed through Harry's thoughts frequently because he remembered the many time he had been locked in the cupboard under the stairs, imprisoned as he was now. Except, that small boy had no friends to think about. No happy times to help keep his hope alive. Still, Harry remembered how his young self had spent the long hours alone. An active imagination had helped a lot. His mind had been able to take him anywhere he had read about or had seen on television. But most of the time Harry had fantasized about having a family, a mother and father who loved him. At the time he had no clue to what either had looked like. In his imagination his father always looked a lot like himself, similar to the way Uncle Vernon and Dudley looked like each other. But even though he knew they were sisters Harry never imagined his fantasy mother looking like Aunt Petunia in any way

Now that he knew what they looked like and had heard their voices, Harry occasionally allowed himself to think of what his life might have been like if his parents had not been killed. The image of a happy family came easy, easy to imagine but difficult to look at too closely. Unbidden an image of him and his father entered his mind and Harry was sickly remind of Lucius Malfoy and Draco, indulgent father and spoiled brat son. Would he have been an arrogant echo of his father? Harry wouldn't allow himself to believe it. Lots of kids grew up with nice parents without being obnoxious.

Many times Harry felt he was watching someone else's life when he thought of his childhood. But those times when found himself feeling sad for the little boy with no hope in the cupboard under the stairs and the old resentment toward Dumbledore rose, Harry got off his cot, dropped to the floor and did as many push up as he could. That argument was over and Harry didn't want to dwell on bad feelings of any sort.

Almost in deference to Malahide, Harry set up a routine of exercises and kept a log of how he progressed. At first he did push-ups, jumping jacks and ran in place then he looked around for something to use for pull-ups. His shower head proved solid enough, although Harry was sure it was because it was magical. By the third day Harry had a schedule down and only deviated from it when he started feeling sad or guilty. Then he would drop to the stone floor and again do push-ups until his arms gave out. The physical activity helped Harry in two ways. The exercise helped him sleep at night and it kept Harry from sinking into a pool of self-pity and guilt.

Besides keeping track of his exercises Harry made a mark for each passing day on the roll of parchment that had been in the cell. Which Harry had read in one of the books left 'A Prisoner's Rights by Claudine Bona' was standard issue to all prisoners of the Ministry of Magic. Although the parchment was normally used for a prisoner to write his or her will.

To keep his mind busy Harry tried to recall lessons from his early years at Hogwarts. He was amused by how hard those basic spells had seemed at the time. But it annoyed him greatly that he couldn't remember the twelve uses of dragon blood without using the snake speak potion. And Harry was sure that wasn't on the list when he had learned them.

-------------------------------

Harry counted three sets of guards; Tonks and Williamson, Moody and Dawlish and Shacklebolt and Jones. There always seemed to be someone he knew with someone he didn't. Only Tonks, Moody and Shacklebolt every brought his meals to him. Tonks made sure Harry got the Daily Prophet at least once a week. Although to his embarrassment he was just stepping out of the shower when her face appeared at the window in the door one time to hand it in to him before Williamson got there.

"Sorry Harry." Tonks had quickly looked away but Harry heard her snort a bit.

"What do you want?" Harry had quickly wrapped his Hogwarts robes around his middle and peered out.

"I got this for you. Take it quick." Tonks glanced down the hall and shoved the paper through the bars of the window. "Williamson is coming. Better hide it."

"Hey great! Thanks." Harry put it under his covers and came back to the window.

"You're looking pretty good with all the exercising you're doing." Tonks gazed at his still wet shoulders and gave him a sly smile.

"Thanks. Not much else to do here." Harry felt his face flush then he heard the disapproving mumble of Williamson.

-----------------------------------

It had been a long time since Harry had fantasized about his life or about anything. Now his mind drifted to the images of Ron and Hermione he had seen after Fudge had announced his sentence. For some strange reason Harry felt those images were, and he cringed at the thought, a real prediction. Maybe he did have seer blood in him. His mother had called it muggle intuition. But Lupin had said Lily knew things.

Often when he thought of his friends, memories he hadn't visited in a long time came back to him and Harry once again enjoyed his first Christmas at Hogwarts with Ron, becoming friends with Hermione after the mountain troll incident and many other little things he had long put away from his conscious thoughts. But again the thought of who would be alive in ten years time came to his mind. Not wanting to dwell on anything negative, Harry would rolled off his cot and began his regime of push-ups.

The prophecy found its way into Harry's reflections often with the accompanying unanswered questions of how and when he was going to accomplish his part. Harry felt sure time was on Voldemort's side. The longer the dark wizard was alive the more followers he could gather and the more protected he would be.

For the first time since hearing the prophecy, Harry realized he would not be fulfilling the prediction all alone. It wasn't just his fight. What had the sorting hat said? 'A force not alone in battle?' Knowing his friends would be at his side was both strengthening and distressing. Harry had ceased to worry about what would happen to him. Dieing wasn't that hard. Surviving took more courage.

Courage to face the world without people he loved. Harry wondered if he had that much strength in him. Then Harry remembered the surge of power he had felt that had forced Voldemort from his mind. A fierce bright force he needed to tap in to some how, Harry was sure of that. And in one dark corner of his mind Harry also knew the dark arts would become essential too.

-----------------------------

At night before he went to sleep, Harry reserved this time of day to think of Ginny. He would sigh often and remember her softness against him on the bed in the hospital wing. And being a male of sixteen with a healthy imagination, Harry often envisaged doing much more than the kissing Ginny would allow. Harry wasn't angry at Ginny for not going further but neither did he feel guilty for fantasizing future encounters. This line of thinking made Harry wonder how far Ron and Hermione had gone with their physical relationship. It wasn't something Harry could ask either of them, especially if Ron returned the question and asked him about Ginny. Like Harry could tell Ron how much kissing Ginny and he had done.

The one thing Harry noticed the absent of the most was the pain in his scar. It was gone. Well almost. A very slight prickling feeling would make it feel itchy but not anything near what he had experienced the last couple months. Curious and a bit bored in the last week of his confinement, Harry went in search of the dark wizard's thoughts. With no strong emotions to follow Harry had a hard time finding a sensation that wasn't his. But eventually Harry followed a hint of a thought not his own.

The mind he entered was tired. Voldemort put up no resistance and if he knew someone was penetrating his mind he gave no indication as Harry cautiously probed the dark mind. An unsettled feeling crept to him but Harry felt hopeful as he pulled away from Voldemort. He knew Voldemort had been greatly disturbed by possessing Harry. And Harry also knew the contact had taken a lot out of the dark wizard. Before Harry drifted off to sleep he hoped Voldemort felt at least a little pain, similar to what his scar gave him.

For Harry the month of confinement went surprisingly fast but the last two days went dreadfully slow. He was tired of exercising in the confined space of the cell. Pacing back and forth, Harry couldn't imagine how Sirius managed in Azkaban. One month was long enough for Harry and there weren't any dementors here to drain all the happiness out of him.

His full strength and power had come back to him and Harry felt the need to use his magic both mentally and physically. It took all the self-control he had not to change into his phoenix form. That's all he would need, a charge of underage magic violation just when he would be getting out. Hopefully if he still felt good, Harry could be seeker for the last quidditch match of the year.

Finally as Harry was sitting on the edge of his cot staring at the door, he heard footsteps and familiar voices coming down the corridor. Resisting the urge to jump up and look through the bars, Harry waited. He heard a key being fitted into the lock and turned with a loud click.

"Harry?" Dumbledore's voice came through the door as it was pushed opened.

"I'm still here." Harry said gripping the cot tightly to keep from running out and making a fool of himself.

"You may come out." Fudge's silhouette appeared at the doorway. Slowly Harry stood and walked to the door and the minister of magic stepped back to let him out. Blinking from the brighter light in the hall Harry felt Mrs. Weasley's arm around his neck and bent to hug her.

"Ohhh, Harry. Are you alright?" Mrs. Weasley gripped him so tightly Harry was glad he had practiced holding his breath.

"I'm fine Mrs. Weasley." Harry managed to squeak as she loosened her hold just bit to look at him.

"You look fitter now than when you went in." Mr. Weasley said patting Harry on the back then ran a hand across his shoulder to Harry's arm. "My word. Feel the muscle in you."

"Time well managed." Harry gave him a small smile. He had one eye on Fudge who looked a bit put out nobody was paying him any attention. Lupin hung back as if he knew there was more to be said by the minister.

"Minister." Harry nodded to him. This put the portly man in a better temper but Fudge still puffed up when he started speaking.

"Now then." Fudge cleared his throat. "Here are your release papers." Fudge handed Harry a large pale green envelope. Fudge rocked on his heels a bit. "And I must remind you Harry that you are on probation. Any hint of an incident like last month and you will serve out your ten year sentence." The man shifted a bit under the angry glare Mrs. Weasley gave him. "Do you understand?"

"Yes sir." Harry nodded, squaring his shoulders and standing up straight. To Harry's surprise he was as tall and perhaps a bit taller than the minister. Harry kept his thoughts on Voldemort's state of mind to himself. He would tell Dumbledore and the others later.

"Very well, you are released in the custody of Albus Dumbledore." Fudge said. "I hope this matter is settled. Good-day." He gave Dumbledore a slight nod and strode down the passage way to the stairs. The whole group standing outside the cell door sighed as one, including Harry.

"My turn." Remus grabbed Harry and hugged him before Mrs. Weasley could reclaim her hold on him. "It was a long month Harry."

"It wasn't so bad." Harry said and he almost added that he had done worse but out of the corner of his eye he saw Dumbledore with a very guilty look on his face. "Can we get out of here?"

"Of course." Dumbledore patted Harry's back. "I thought you could have dinner at headquarters and then we will return to Hogwarts in the quiet of the evening." Mr. and Mrs. Weasley started walking down the corridor with Lupin and Dumbledore followed alongside of Harry.

"Sounds good." Harry said then stopped when the Weasleys did, right before the stairs to the ninth floor of the ministry. He glanced at the adults curiously then saw Dumbledore pull out a small empty flower pot and hold it out to everyone.

The port key took them to the huge stone kitchen of number twelve Grimmauld Place. Fred and George greeted him so enthusiastically Harry was immediately suspicious. Mr. Granger shook his hand as Mrs. Granger gave him a hug.

"I can't believe they put you in jail." Mrs. Granger wiped her eyes. "After all the good you've done."

Mrs. Weasley immediately started on dinner and Mrs. Granger hurried to help. Harry sank down on a chair at the kitchen table glad to be out of the musty cell, despite his insistence that the time spent there wasn't so bad. Lupin put a butterbeer in his hand and Harry took a long drink. "Ahhh, that tastes good." Harry sighed.

"Thought you said it wasn't bad in that cell." Remus prodded giving Harry a smirk.

"Not bad but this is definitely better." Harry grinned and glanced at Dumbledore who sat with a pensive look on his face. "What?"

"I think the 'what' on everyone's mind is; did you have any contact with Voldemort?" The headmaster asked.

"Not on his part." Harry took another draw on the bottle of butterbeer relishing the taste. Not that the food in solitary had been bad. In fact he had recognized the flavor of Mrs. Weasley's cooking quite often. "I was bored so I went in search of him." A dead silence filled the kitchen.

"Another foolish attempt to take matters into your own hands, Potter." Snape's voice drawled from the doorway. "When will you ever learn?"

Harry gazed insolently at the sallow faced man leaning against the door frame. "Seems taking matters into my own hands has saved a few people, deserving and otherwise."

There was a snort from Fred and George. Snape returned Harry's stare with a sneer of his own. "I have no doubt most would agree with you Potter but the fact remains, you have an atrocious habit of acting before thinking."

"I suppose there are some that would agree with you Professor." Harry didn't break his eye contact with Snape. "Why are you here?"

Glaring contemptuously at Harry, Snape sighed as if imposed upon. "I was cleaning up the lab I use to brew the wolfsbane potion for Lupin and restocking the ingredients for next month."

"Harry, you were saying" Dumbledore interrupted to draw the conversation back to his topic. "About Voldemort?"

"Oh, right." Harry shifted in his seat and turned to look at the headmaster. "He's tired. Possessing me took a lot out of him. I really don't think he'll try something like that again unless all odds are in his favor."

"A situation we will work hard to avoid." Dumbledore said relieved. "Severus, please join us for dinner." The silence in the room was amplified by Mrs. Weasley clanking a pan.

"Thank you headmaster." Snape gave a slight bow to Dumbledore. "I do not think my company is what Potter would like for a homecoming."

"If you want to stay." Harry couldn't believe this was coming out of his mouth. "It won't bother me." When Snape's eyes widen in surprise Harry added rolling his eyes. "I've had dinner with you in your quarters, I can keep things down."

Another snort came from the twins. Snape's dark eyes darted to them then back to Harry. "The question is; if I can Potter?" He smirked.

"Sit down Severus." Lupin pulled out a chair beside him. "I doubt if you'll get a better invitation." Snape eyed Lupin then slowly moved to the seat offered. His gaze went to the twins.

"I warn you now." Was all Snape had to say to them as he sat down.

Before Harry could jump and help set the table Remus put a hand on his shoulder. "You sit and rest."

"I've been resting for a month." Harry snorted and got up to help anyway.

Soon the table was full all of Harry's favorite foods and the twins probing questions of what Harry did for a month all by himself. As best he could Harry answered in general terms and avoided anything embarrassing or awkward for either himself or Dumbledore.

Out of the corner of his eye, Harry watched Snape eat, saying very little to anyone. Lupin and Dumbledore were the only ones who tried to include him in any conversation. After a large piece of Mrs. Weasley's rhubarb crumble, Harry felt a bit more disposed in having Snape at the table, especially when he remembered the runespoor.

"Professor Snape," Harry shifted in his chair. "The headmaster said you were there when the runespoor disappeared?"

"Yes, Potter." Snape gave a nod and a scathing glare. "And I understood that was not to be general knowledge." He glanced at the rest of the room.

Harry flushed. He had forgotten in his haste to find out about the runespoor. "I forgot." He glanced at Dumbledore to see if he was angry but the old wizard gave him patient gaze.

"It was bound to get out sooner or later." Dumbledore said.

"Later would have been preferable." Snape quipped.

"We're not going to tell anyone." Fred glared at Snape.

"Perhaps not, but there is still the matter of a spy being present in this house waiting for information such as this." Snape said condescendingly.

"Could Wormtail get information to Voldemort?" Harry started mentally berating himself for his blunder.

"It is possible." Dumbledore said soberly. "We have reason to believe he was the one who informed the Daily Prophet of Ginny being an empath."

"Me and my big mouth." Harry muttered.

"Yes, Potter, now what was so important as to risk the spreading of significant information?" Snape sneered. Harry took a couple of deep breaths, reminding himself he needed Snape's cooperation for the next question.

"Did she say anything? Before she disappeared?" Harry asked Snape quickly.

"Since I do not have the ability to speak with snakes I wouldn't know." Snape sneered.

"Yes, you would." Harry insisted. "Did she hiss or make any noise before she vanished?"

For a moment Snape sat thinking then slowly nodded. "Yes, she was very agitated and the two heads were hissing quite a bit." Then he drawled. "But I can not repeat it so you would understand, I'm sure."

"But your memory would recall exactly what she said." Harry leaned toward Snape. "Maybe she said what was happening. If I heard those hissings I could understand what she was saying and maybe find out where she went." Harry finished excited by the prospect of finding the runespoor.

Snape nodded thoughtfully for a half a minute before the hint of what Harry was suggesting came to him. His eyes narrowed and Snape seethed. "Solitary must have addled your brain Potter to even think of such an idea."

"We have to find her." Harry said almost desperately and he actually felt a fear mounting that Snape wouldn't help.

"It is important Severus." Dumbledore said quietly. "We can not afford to let Voldemort acquire the shield." Snape looked at Dumbledore as if the headmaster had totally lost his mind. But the old wizard held the potion master's gaze for a long moment then Snape cast his eyes to the table, his teeth clenched. "We can do it in my office Severus. I will be there too." Harry was sure this offer was for his protection as well as insuring Harry only saw what Snape wanted him to see.

"Very well." Snape snapped and stood up. "I will be at Hogwarts." Without giving Dumbledore or anyone a chance to say another word Snape strode to the kitchen fireplace and from a small pot on the mantle took a bit of powder and threw it into the small fire. The flames turned emerald green and Snape crouched as he stepped into them and said quickly. Hogwarts, potion master's quarters."

"Interesting." Dumbledore commented at Snape's hasty departure.

"What is?" Lupin asked curiously.

A smile flickered on the headmaster's lips and his blue eyes twinkled brightly. "Severus must be extremely fond of the runespoor for him to have given in so quickly." The old wizard explained.

"She liked him too." Harry said still worried of what might happen with his slip of the tongue.

"Well being a Slytherin, it is understandable." Fred said.

"Yeah, snakes of a scale slither together as they say." George smirked in a way that made Harry think Snape would find a surprise, sometime, somewhere, before the night was out.

Dumbledore and Harry went back to the headmaster's quarters by floo powder. Being after curfew, the halls were empty and dark as Harry walked back to Gryffindor Tower. Only a month had past but things seem strange to Harry. Perhaps it was merely the absence of people that gave him an odd feeling, Harry thought.

When Harry arrived at the Fat Lady's portrait before he could say the password Dumbledore had told him, the painting swung open and hands dragged him through the portrait hole. If Harry thought Mrs. Weasley's grip strangled it was nothing compared to Ginny's and Hermione's, although Mrs. Weasley had not kissed his face rapidly as Ginny was doing.

"You're back! You're back!" Ginny said between kisses. "I missed you so much."

Hermione just buried her head on his shoulder and Harry could hear her crying as she seemed determined to squeeze all the air out of him. "I can't believe they put you in jail." Her muffled voice sobbed. Harry patted Hermione and Ginny then looked up to find Ron staring at him with an odd expression. Their eyes met and Harry understood. He grinned at Ron rolling his eyes at the girls then up at the ceiling. A slight smile replaced the seriousness on the redhead's face then widen as Ron gave a nod.

There was no need for words between Ron and him. They understood one another and as the girls fussed over him, Harry and Ron communicated what they needed from each other just by meeting each other's eyes.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's notes: Reviews!!! I love them!! Thanks bunches!!!

Someone who reviewed last chapter wanted to translate this story into French. I'm not sure what this involves if you want to email me feel free to do so.

I do not mind any links to my story. I think you'll really like the chapter after this one and I like chocolate frogs...yummm.

The mistake isn't:

Neville's birthday. I found out after I had written that his was the 30th but being so close I didn't think it was so ill-conceived that their parents would celebrate together.

No godmother. Again I found this out after I had written one in but Alice Longbottom is hardly a 'real godmother' being how she's mentally gone, so that isn't it.

Harry's patronus is a stag not his animagus form.

If Hermione's parents take a magical port key into the castle I pretty sure they could see it.

Mark Evens being at Hogwarts, I guess I should have read more of JK's interviews. But that isn't the mistake I'm talking about.

It isn't that Dumbledore didn't go to Hogwarts the same time as McGonagall. The age thing was in an interview too.

The video they watched at Christmas, video cameras were around in 1981 and being wizards of course they could get it to play on today's VCRs even if it wasn't the same format.

Neville's Gran did send him a howler in fact we know of at least two. Before Ron opened his Neville said he had gotten one once and waited and it was horrible. And in PoA when Neville left the list of passwords lying around his gran sent another howler.

Did I write that Fudge sent Sirius to Azkaban? I re-read things (scanned it) and couldn't find where I had written this. If I did that is a mistake but not the one I found. LOL But I'll say you are warm to feeling a bit sweaty about the information coming from the third book.

Mistake clue for this chapter: Let's narrow it down a bit. It involves someone who has been to number twelve Grimmauld Place