Chapter 20: Dreams and Schemes
"Hello, Professor Lupin," Harry said, his voice neutral.
"Hello, Mister Potter," the prematurely aged professor returned, his voice calm and respectful. "I was surprised to get your letter. You have a beautiful owl, by the way."
"Thank you. Hedwig was a gift from Hagrid when I first learned about the Wizarding World. The first gift I ever received, in fact, given that the relatives on whose doorstep Dumbledore dropped me during the middle of the night without so much as a by your leave were not terribly enthused at the prospect of raising a… 'freak' like me, as they were fond of saying." Harry took no small amount of joy in the expression of regret and anger that crossed Lupin's face. "But that's not what I wanted to talk with you about," the boy finished.
Harry walked out of the doors, and began to make his way over toward the Whomping Willow. "You see, I've been giving quite a bit of thought to the story that you told me about when Sirius Black tried to get Snape killed, and it occurs to me that there are a few problems with it." He smiled grimly. "Things that just don't make sense, and, in my opinion, really change your perspective on what happened, if you take the time to think about it."
The boy turned to face his teacher. "To start with, you seem to have a great deal of respect for Dumbledore, probably because he allowed you to attend Hogwarts. Is that correct?"
"Yes," the man said, sounding almost fervent. "As a werewolf, there was no hope for me to attend, but the headmaster made arrangements, going to great lengths to make it possible."
"I checked, and from what I can tell, this tree was brought here the year you began. Quite a costly endeavor, to transplant such a large and, frankly, ferocious tree."
"It was necessary to guard the entrance to the tunnel," Lupin explained. "So you see how much Dumbledore did for me."
"I think there could have been easier ways to guard the entrance, but that's not my point. You were a werewolf before you began Hogwarts, which means that you must have had a safe place to transform before you came to school, right?"
"Yes, my father built a secure room in the basement," Lupin replied, confused.
"And the school is connected to the floo network," Harry pointed out. "It would have been much easier, not to mention less expensive, for Dumbledore to just have you floo home at the full moons. But that's not what I really wanted to talk about."
Lupin opened his mouth to respond, but Harry cut him off. "You said that Snape was an adversary during your time at Hogwarts. Could you please clarify that statement?"
The professor seemed taken aback for a moment, before gathering his thoughts and responding. "There were pranks, of course, on both sides. Severus also frequently tried to get us in trouble by revealing some of our, uh, extra-curricular activities."
Harry nodded. "I suspected as much. Now, you said that Madam Pomfrey escorted you to the Whomping Willow each full moon, correct?" The professor nodded, and the boy continued. "So, it obviously wasn't an, as you put it, extra-curricular activity that you were engaged in. You were being accompanied by a member of the school's faculty."
Lupin seemed a little confused. "Yes, I suppose that's true, but it doesn't change what Black did," he pointed out.
"We'll get there," the younger Gryffindor assured the elder. "But first, let's consider Snape for a moment longer. Snape is a Slytherin. Cunning, of course, being one of their primary traits. And do you feel that Snape embodies that particular trait?"
"I suppose so," Lupin replied, his voice thoughtful, but a bit bewildered.
"And would you describe Black as being particularly cunning?"
"No, he was probably the most brash of all of us," Lupin replied immediately. "Even more so than James," the professor finished with a fond smile.
"And Black and Snape were enemies," Harry asserted. "There was no possibility of them secretly being friends?" Lupin shook his head. "They weren't allies of any sort?" Again, the professor shook his head. "Star-crossed lovers?" Harry suggested. This time, Lupin actually scoffed at the notion.
Harry pressed on. "So, I'm wondering what Black could have possibly said to Snape to convince him to leave the Slytherin dorms in the middle of the night, come all the way out here, and go into the secret tunnel all by himself. What was Snape expecting would happen? Even without the presence of a werewolf, the best the greasy git could have hoped for was to spend the rest of the night hanging upside down while you all drew embarrassing words or pictures on his face. And Snape, being a cunning Slytherin, really should have known that. Even if you were doing something inappropriate, he would have found himself outnumbered four to one."
Lupin's frowned. "Well, obviously Sirius was more convincing than I would have expected," he replied, but it was clear that he didn't entirely believe his own words.
"Was Snape a prefect?" Harry asked. He didn't need to wait for Lupin to shake his head to know the answer, so he continued. "And he didn't bring a member of the faculty, so how was he planning on getting you in trouble?"
Lupin said nothing, but his frown deepened.
"Now, you said that the tunnel was under the Whomping Willow. There must be some way to stop the tree and open the tunnel, then, correct?"
"Yes, you press one of the knots on the tree," the grey-haired man stated.
"No spell?" Harry was surprised. "That makes this even more suspicious. Look around," he instructed, and Lupin did so. "There's the Whomping Willow," the boy said, pointing. "And look how much cover there is around here," he continued, gesturing to the ample foliage that surrounded them. "It would be very easy for someone to hide and find out how to open the tunnel. You said that Snape was always trying to get you in trouble, right?"
Lupin didn't answer for a moment. "Yes, he was…" his voice trailed off as he stared into the distance. "He was always interested in where I went each month."
"And that doesn't seem suspicious?" Harry pressed. "I figured out that you were a werewolf without even trying," he lied, "but you think Snape couldn't work it out after years of trying to figure what you were up to?"
"But then, why would he come down into the tunnel? If he knew what I was, he would have known how dangerous it was," Lupin argued.
"I think you know the answer to that question," Harry said calmly. "It's not illegal to kill a transformed werewolf, especially if it poses a threat to yourself or another person. Snape could have killed you without any punishment."
Despite it seeming so obvious to Harry, it seemed that Lupin had never actually considered this possibility. "No," he replied immediately. "There would have been some sort of punishment," he said.
"From who? The Wizengamot wouldn't have punished him. It's stated in the law. It's not illegal to kill a transformed werewolf," the boy repeated.
"Dumbledore would have…" Lupin began, but Harry cut him off.
"Snape claimed that Black led him there as part of a prank. Tell me, who was punished, Snape or Black? Snape chose to sneak out at night without alerting any proper authority. Did he receive any sort of punishment for that?"
"Dumbledore made him agree to keep my secret," Lupin replied.
"It would have been far safer to go with obliviation, but either way, that's not a punishment. So, I'll ask again. Did Snape receive any sort of punishment?"
"To the best of my knowledge, no," came the response.
"And was Black punished?"
This time, there was a pause. "A month of detention," Lupin finally answered, his voice little more than a whisper.
"So, why would we assume that it would have been any different had Snape been successful?" Harry asked hotly, his anger growing at Lupin's refusal to see the unpleasant truth staring him in the face.
"You think Severus was trying to kill me." It was a statement, not a question, but Harry answered anyway.
"Yes, I think he was," the boy said bluntly. "Now, is it possible that Black really intended for Snape to be killed? Yes, it is. But it's equally possible that Snape made some sort of comment about you and your regular disappearances, and Black was worried that he was close to discovering your secret," the boy theorized. "So, he mentioned the tree, hoping that when Snape explored it, you all could prank him, and then he would think that the whole thing had been just a set-up to lure him out. After all, at any other time, it wouldn't have been a problem for Snape to go into that tunnel. And when Black told my dad what he had planned, my dad realized that if Snape explored that very night, he would run into you, something that Black hadn't considered."
Lupin made no reply, instead continuing to stare out across the grounds. His face, however, made it clear what he was thinking.
"I find it amazing that you are so quick to believe the worst about your friend, and yet you completely ignore the obviously suspicious actions of a known enemy," Harry concluded. There was still no response, but Harry wasn't really expecting one. "I'll leave you to your thoughts," he said as he began to walk back to the castle.
With the exception of the floo network, a very difficult spell called the patronus charm, or rare and expensive magical objects, communication in the magical world was surprisingly slow. Harry had begun trying to learn the patronus charm, but wasn't having much luck, which is why he was so grateful for Chad's enchanting abilities. The American may have a bit of an odd sense of humor, but he certainly came through for them. And as he studied this latest piece of technomagery, Harry couldn't help but think that the man had gone above and beyond.
The small black device was about the size of Harry's pinky, with a little bud that was obviously meant to go in the ear, and a plastic loop to secure the object. He put it up to his ear, fiddling with the loop for a bit to ensure that it was held comfortably in place.
"Connect group," he said clearly. And within just a few seconds, he could hear the other members of his little organization.
"Good morning, everyone," he began. "Let's do a quick check to make sure that we're all here, and everyone's communicator is working. Peter?"
"I'm here, and can hear loud and clear," the man responded.
"Chad," Harry said.
"Here," the technomancer said.
"Henry?"
"Here," came the gruff reply.
"Excellent. Thank you all for joining me today, especially at such an early hour. Or a late one, I suppose, for Peter over in New York. I don't want to take much time, but we do need to get a report from Peter on the auction for the basilisk carcass, and I'd like us to have a plan for what we do over the summer. I'm heading home today, and I don't know what my situation will be like back at the Dursleys, which is why we're having the meeting now. Peter, can we get your report?"
Peter's voice came through crisp and clean, revealing his excitement as he spoke. "As I had previously said, in order to ensure that the basilisk was as fresh as possible, a special auction was held for the carcass. In fact, rather than selling off the whole carcass as one unit, it was rendered down, with individual organs and fluids such as the blood or venom sold independently. Given that it ended just a few hours ago, I have not yet received full payment, but the total amount, after the auction house takes it cut, comes to the equivalent of 1.92 million galleons."
For a moment, a complete, almost deafening silence reigned, with exclamations of shock following soon after.
"1.92 million…" Harry choked out.
"Yes," Peter confirmed. "But, I should point out, the actual payment will be in a wide range of currencies, with less than one hundred eighty thousand of it in galleons. We can, of course, convert it all to galleons, but that will be very noticeable. It may draw the attention of the ministry, so I think that, for now, we should keep the currencies that we are given, and look for opportunities to buy anything we need in foreign markets. It helps to ensure that our efforts go undetected."
"That's a good idea," MacArthur stated. "The ministry does keep an eye on currency exchanges."
"Okay, we'll do that," Harry agreed. "Out of curiosity, what currency will we be getting the most of?"
"American magicoins," Peter promptly replied. "Not surprising, given that the auction was held on short notice here in New York."
"Good to know," Harry said. "And this ties in to the next thing I wanted to talk about, our plans going forward. We've got plenty of money, so what are we going to use it on?"
"I think we need to start a newspaper," Chad said instantly. "We obviously can't rely on the Prophet, and smaller newspapers and magazines like Teen Witch Weekly and the Quibbler aren't sufficient. If we had a paper of our own, we could inform the citizens directly anytime we discover proof of corruption."
"Telling the people is good," MacArthur began, "but it's not going to be enough. You want to change the government, you'll need to have force on your side. And that's not considering the threat of You-Know-Who's return. Start hiring and training people now. Build yourself an army."
"Are we allowed to create a private army like that?" Harry wondered.
"No, of course not," the old hitwizard said. "But you are allowed to create a private security force. You could claim that it is an elite bodyguard service. There's no restriction on how many people you could employ, as long as you pay the appropriate taxes on your earnings. Create one company that handles your assets, and another company that is employed to protect those assets. Even if you own both, the companies are still independent. Magical law relating to businesses is an absolute mess."
"Which brings up another idea. We need more people in on our conspiracy. Someone with experience with magical law, and perhaps business law in particular, would be very helpful," Peter suggested. "I'd also like to increase the number of contacts we have in the ministry. With the fiasco over the Hogwarts students, Fudge lost a lot of support even inside the ministry itself."
"We should find out who leaked that memo from the undersecretary," Harry mused. "Whoever they are, they must have high level access."
"We'd also need someone with knowledge of warding," Chad pointed out. "If we're creating a secret army, they'll need a base, and that requires defenses. Better that we can handle that ourselves, rather than hiring some other company."
"An excellent point," MacArthur agreed. "And not just for the base. Establishing a network of safe houses is just a good idea if we're expecting any sort of trouble, be it from DE's or the ministry."
"I'd like us to explore more with various magical devices," Harry said thoughtfully. "Both for combat, and for daily use. Just imagine how popular these communicators would be."
"The more nodes you add, the more complex the system gets," Chad warned. "But I'm sure I could come up with an alternate system that would allow as many users as you wanted."
"Regardless, if we have cool new products that people want to buy, that will help them to come around to our way of thinking, while decreasing funding for supporters of the status quo," Peter pointed out.
The discussion continued for some time before Harry decided it was time to call a halt.
"So, to summarize. Peter will continue looking for additional people to join our inner group, with particular focus on people with knowledge of magical law and warding, as well as contacts in the ministry. Henry will concentrate on a private security force that can double as a small army if needed. And Chad will be focused on a magical newspaper, and developing some technomancy products for sale," Harry summarized. "Please be prepared to report your progress at our next meeting. Is there anything else we need to discuss?"
A chorus of no's could be heard. "Then thank you all for your time. Given the actions of Dumbledore and the Ministry these past few months, it's obvious that we will face more opposition than just Riddle and his Death Eaters. We need to be prepared, and I think that the items we discussed today will help us on that path."
As Harry climbed out of the trunk and back into the Gryffindor dorm, he paused for a moment to inspect his roommates, ensuring that the other boys were still asleep, before shrinking the trunk and slipping it into his pocket. He hadn't been in Timeland itself, of course, but the access trunk had a small desk that was perfect for meetings like that to ensure that he wasn't overheard discussing his plans.
With a small smile, Harry turned to study the dark room. His time at Hogwarts, while far from perfect, was still very enjoyable. He wasn't sure what awaited him this summer. He hoped that his relatives would still be at least partially under the influence of the Unctuous Unction, making them more kindly disposed toward him. He had already begun brewing more, of course. It would just be a matter of finding a good time to dose them.
He also intended to continue his training, making full use of the opportunities that Timeland allowed him. To that end, he had visited the kitchens, and obtained a shockingly large quantity of food that was being held in status in the time compression vault, freeing him from the necessity of shopping in disguise to get food for himself. He hoped that the elves wouldn't tell Dumbledore, but even if they did, it was unlikely that the headmaster would figure out what he was up to.
Harry suppressed a small smirk. He'd been so irritated last summer when Dumbledore blocked his emancipation, putting the apprenticeship in place instead. But now, it really didn't matter. Harry had plenty of money outside of his Gringotts vault, and skilled adults who were willing to help him. And it was all happening right underneath Albus Dumbledore's overly large nose.
With a sigh, Harry opened his regular trunk and began to pack. Even though Harry tried to stay organized, over the course of the school year, the boys' possessions always got strewn about the room, making it quite a chore to pack them all up for the summer.
After a few minutes of packing, Harry was surprised when one of the other boys woke up.
"You're up already?" Neville asked in disbelief, yawning widely. "It's still early."
"Well, what can I say? I'm excited for summer," Harry replied easily.
"Really?" Neville looked a little surprised. Understandable, given Harry's usual feelings towards being stuck at the Dursleys.
Harry's mouth twisted into a slight smirk. "I've got big plans."
A/N - Thank you all for reading! I hope you enjoyed this story. I especially would like to thank all of you who reviewed. I always like to hear what readers think, be it good or bad. I'm doing this to become a better writer, and reviews help.
Harry's adventures will continue in "Harry Potter and the Inquisitor of Hogwarts", with the first chapter being posted next week.