Disclaimer: Harry Potter and his world belong to J. K. Rowling.

Chapter 31 :

Harry was relieved that there was no immediate condemnation of him for daring to apparate, but instead, they were willing to allow him time to explain. They were certainly different from the Dursleys. Even McGonagall was apt to ignore explanations and go straight to punishment. He finished with, "I'm very sorry, sir. I should not have gone with him. I know that."

Brandon said, "Godric's Hollow is where Dumbledore's family lived long ago. I wanted him in custody before exposing you there."

"Yes sir."

Sonia asked softly, "You disarmed him, Harry?"

"It was a fluke. I threw a knife and it hit his wand arm. No-one saw me doing magic, not even disapparating, so I won't be in trouble for that."

"But you would not be home so quickly if you had not apparated."

Brandon said, "You revived Bill Weasley from the stun spell."

"Yes, but he would not know I did, and then I said I was going home and made sure to be out of sight when I disapparated."

"Well, that was well done."

Harry looked at him in surprise. "I lost the knife and I disobeyed you, sort of, even if I didn't mean to. I'm very sorry."

There was a sound from the floo room indicating that someone had arrived, and Sonia said, "Arthur Weasley, do you think?"

Harry said quickly, "He may not be himself," but Sonia smiled warmly at him, "Trust us to handle that threat."

Brandon said, "If it is him, you can listen, but keep out of sight. We don't want him knowing that you can apparate."

The Greaves were cautious, both with wands in hand when they went to the reception room that adjoined the floo-room, and Brandon checked the security see-through window. "Not Arthur. His oldest son, I think."

He glanced at Harry, who nodded. "That's Bill. Someone stunned he and Ron before I even knew there was something wrong."

"So he was not involved?"

"Mr. Weasley said that it would only be himself and me to begin with, but Bill said he'd come as well, with Ron."

"Just behind the door then," and once Harry did as he said, he admitted Bill Weasley, whose formal greeting was rushed, and then he said, "House Weasley is shamed, but there is something more urgent. Your Harry is missing."

"So what happened?"

"My father was under Imperius. Dumbledore attacked us. I didn't see him, but Harry said and then I was able to extract more information from my father, who is terribly distressed. I was stunned, and revived, but Harry just warned me quickly and said he was going home. By the time I'd tended to my father and my brother, he was out of sight. We looked, but couldn't find him."

"Harry is safe. He made a phone call just a little while ago."

Bill seemed to sag. "Thank goodness. I was so worried."

"Harry knew he should not stray from the home. I am surprised he disobeyed me."

"He was reluctant, I think. It was only when Father acted as if he'd been insulting that he agreed. It was out of character and I should have realised then that there was something wrong. So it is not the boy's fault, or not much."

"If he somehow managed to defeat Dumbledore, he did very well indeed."

"Father took no part in the actual attack, and was under Imperius, so his memories are blurred. We don't quite know what happened."

"Harry hasn't told me much. He didn't have many coins on him to operate a public phone box."

"It's a good thing he knows about them. And that you have a phone."

"It's rarely used, but since our floo is in a separate room, it is almost useless for communication."

"I must return and reassure everyone. Again, I am dreadfully sorry. Our Head of House will no doubt want to apologise in person, but right now, he is too distressed."

"I understand."

"I will return shortly with Harry's possessions."

"The Ministry has not been informed?"

"Not yet."

"Then maybe we will keep it quiet. I don't want to draw attention to Harry, and you would not want your father in trouble, even though it was not his fault."

Bill gave a brief smile. "That is true. Thank you. I am so glad he is safe."

Once he was gone, Brandon said to Harry, "Well, you should not have gone with him, of course. You know that."

Harry said, "I was wrong. He did act as if he was insulted, but I was tempted, as well. Are you going to punish me?"

"I think your fright is punishment enough."

Harry said vengefully, "I hope the old man's arm is hurting him. And maybe he can't heal it with magic. I have his wand."

"You said you thought he had an ally, though."

"There were two cracks of disapparation, but they were close together and I might be wrong. But also, I think that Ron and Bill must have gone down very close together, as there was no outcry. So probably two."

"There must still be those who worship him."

Sonia smiled at him. "You defeated the one who defeated Grindelwald. You defeated the only one whom Voldemort is supposed to be afraid of. And you did it without magic. We will not boast, of course, but all the same, that is an achievement!"

Harry grinned. "His wand; it feels really good in my hand. It's mine by right of conquest, isn't it? So I can keep it?"

"You can."

Brandon said, "We will not tell the other children. It's just lucky they are all out."

"Can I tell Charlie? I'd like to tell someone."

"If you like. Ron is your particular friend, isn't he? He'll know as well."

Harry frowned, thinking about it. He had a feeling that Ron would not like it that he'd defeated Dumbledore. Maybe he'd just say he escaped Dumbledore, and emphasise that it had been luck. After all, he would not have wanted him in the power of the old man. And he would not have wanted his father disgraced. And besides, there had to have been a very strong element of luck in it. He would surely have been defeated without the slightest effort if he hadn't been dead lucky.

He pulled Dumbledore's wand out again, and inspected it. A dark wood, much shinier than his own. Maybe he polished it, while he never had thought of polishing his own. And his own was a simple length of wood, the same as almost every other wand he had ever seen. But this one had intricate designs carved into it, and it had narrow raised parts that stood out a little. It would still clear the wand holster easily enough. Above all, it felt good to him, beautifully balanced, and friendly.

xxx

Dumbledore regarded the knife that was still buried in his wrist. He felt sick, but didn't dare pull it out. It hurt like fury, but Kingsley was taking his time getting to him. With any luck, he'd have the boy with him. It was his own fault; he'd been too merciful. Just a stinger to bring him down when he should have used something a lot more powerful. And now the rotten kid had his wand, the undefeatable Elder Wand, one of the Deathly Hallows. He wouldn't know what he had, of course. And anyway, if it was undefeatable, how had it been defeated? With a knife, of all things. Maybe the Deathly Hallows was a myth after all, and the undefeatable 'Death Stick' was just a wand, even though a powerful wand.

Albus Dumbledore had always expected total loyalty from his subordinates, and Kingsley Shacklebolt was one whom he'd regarded as his subordinate. If he'd been a Dark Lord rather than the Leader of the Light, he might have thought of him as a 'minion.'

But two hours later, he finally acknowledged that Kingsley was not coming back to help him. He didn't know much about Muggle healing, but he did know that wounds should be thoroughly cleaned. He organised clean cloths, bandages and a large bowl of water before gritting his teeth and pulling out the knife. So much blood! The old man fainted.

Kingsley Shacklebolt felt that if his old master was truly a 'great wizard,' then he could not possibly have been defeated by a mere boy. And Dumbledore's face was badly discoloured, as if he had some foul disease. It was obvious now that he was not going to return to greatness, and if he could be defeated by a child of twelve, he was irrelevant in the struggle against Voldemort - if Voldemort ever became a threat again.

And yet there were those continuing rumours that he was a spirit haunting Azkaban. It could explain how he'd been influenced to take those uncharacteristic actions to help Bellatrix - and her sudden attack of apparent sanity. But that had been months ago, and nothing had happened since that he knew about.

It was only when he remembered that the boy had taken Dumbledore's wand, that he supposed he'd best check on the old man, just in case. If he had no wand to cure the wound, he could be in trouble. All the same, he was startled to find Dumbledore on the floor and nearly dead from loss of blood. The knife lay next to him. Since it was obvious that Dumbledore was so far from what he had been, Shacklebolt first disposed of the knife that might have linked his injury to Harry Potter, the Harry Potter, who might one day be the next 'Great Wizard.' Then he turned to the old man, who was wanted by the Aurors.

It took some time to revive him sufficient for the obliviation - he didn't want it known that he'd helped him, and then he took him to St. Mungo's and claimed the reward. He'd lost his job because of Albus Dumbledore, and while the reward was not great, it would be some compensation. He needed a new career.

xxx

Harry was thrilled with his new wand. It was as if it wanted to do exactly what he wanted. He could forget incantations, forget prescribed wand movements, and yet do exactly as he wanted to do. And power. It was like it had no limits, and he had to take care not to visualise too powerful a hit at whatever he was trying to do.

And yet when Charlie wanted a try with it, it tended to make bangs and sparks instead of giving the results intended. Mick Larkin tried, and yelped and dropped it. He cautiously picked it up and returned it to Harry. "Olivander always says that the wand chooses the wizard. This wand has obviously chosen you and only you."

Harry caressed it. He could almost feel it purring, as if it was a pet happy in its owner's care.

He would have liked to practise with it all day, but in the afternoon, he and Brandon were to return to the Weasleys to receive a formal apology, and Brandon warned him that they'd be expecting more details on what exactly had happened, and how he'd returned home.

Harry said, "Potential witnesses appeared and he disapparated? No knife, no defeat, just that he didn't want witnesses? And then I ran in case he came back."

"That doesn't contradict what you said to Bill, does it? And what happened to the witnesses?"

"I was running, so I didn't see. But when Dumbledore was gone, and I peeped out from behind a gravestone, there was no-one else there, just Mr. Weasley who was still not thinking, and Bill and Ron on the ground."

They spoke a little more, getting stories straight, and they chose a village within a few miles of Godric's Hollow. They would say that was where Harry had found a phone box and he'd been picked up from there. So an escape, not a fight, no story of a boy defeating a renowned duellist, just a bit of luck. No extra notoriety for Harry and no trouble for Arthur Weasley.

Both Harry and Brandon were tense when they flooed to the Weasley house. They were sure that the Weasleys themselves were not a threat. Almost sure. Dumbledore had managed access to Arthur Weasley, so there was always the possibility he could do it again.

But when they exited the floo, it was into a living room with a different atmosphere. The clutter was gone, everything very clean, and Mr. Weasley and Bill Weasley stood side by side, wearing robes. Mrs. Weasley stood back a little, with Percy, Fred, George and Ron standing next to her, all wearing robes and looking unusually solemn.

Mr. Weasley and his oldest son took the lead, stepping forward and bowing, then saying the formal words of apology.

Harry glanced at Brandon, who took a similar step forward, bowed in return, but not nearly as deep a bow, and said the formal words accepting the apology.

Then Mr. Weasley to Harry, addressing him as 'Mr. Potter.' Harry closely copied the words of Brandon as he accepted the apology.

But then formality was dropped as Arthur Weasley said to Harry, "So, so glad you are safe. I could not have borne it if you had been harmed because of me."

"It would not have been your fault, Mr. Weasley. Dumbledore is in the habit of interfering with minds."

"But how did you escape, Harry? If you were in his power... How did you escape?"

"Someone was coming, an old lady, I think, and she called 'Albus, is that you?' And while he was distracted, I ran." He grinned at Ron and said, "Ron can tell you I'm fast."

"Yeah mate," Ron said. "All that running... I thought you were wasting your time."

Harry nodded, "I don't know what he wanted with me, but I didn't think it could be good. So I ran. He did hit me with a spell, but only a stinger or something like that. It bled a bit."

Bill said, "There was a bit of blood, we saw. I didn't see anyone else, so couldn't work out what had happened."

"I only caught a glimpse, and she was gone when I came back out and saw that you were already stirring. And that was good because I was frightened he'd come back and yet I didn't want to leave you on the ground."

"She?"

"It was only an impression. An old woman, I think. But it could have been a man and it could even have been two. There was no time to look."

"Did you revive me, Harry?"

"Couldn't. Not just the rules about underage magic, but I don't know the spell."

Bill looked doubtful, but said smoothly, "It's a good thing I revived so quickly then."

Arthur glanced at Molly, who seemed frozen in the corner, and she said quickly, "I've done some cooking. You'll join us?"

Brandon said, "Of course."

There was general relaxation as they sampled the large and delicious assortment of sweet things that Molly had produced. And then Molly became emotional, seized Harry, and said, crying, "You're safe. I was so worried."

Harry tensed at that sudden hug; he wasn't used to hugs except after a Quidditch victory and that was different. But then he relaxed into it. Hugs felt good. Hermione had hugged him sometimes. Maybe when they were older, she might hug him again, though maybe a different sort of hug.

At last, Molly released him and said, "I would have asked for you if I'd known. Ron said we were cousins."

Harry grinned, "Yes, but if the Greaves are third cousins, the Weasleys would be about thirty-third cousins. It is a long way back."

"How do you know then?"

"Someone sent me a book, and it said."

One of the twins said, "Thirty-third cousin, good enough," and Percy said seriously, "Father thought we should know, you see, Harry? He trusted Albus Dumbledore, and so did we all. So now we'll be very cautious if he approaches any of us."

Harry thanked him and asked whether Ginny knew anything about it.

Mr. Weasley said, "Nothing, and I don't plan to tell her I was so foolish. She's too young," and Mrs. Weasley said, "We thought we'd tell Charlie though, if you don't mind. Since the rest of us know."

Harry looked at Brandon, who said, "Certainly. Tell him if you choose. As long as you remind him to be discreet. As for Ginny, I agree. Eleven is too young."

One of the twins said, "Now we know you're a target, we're going to have to protect you. So don't try and go wandering off by yourself at school, as there's bound to be a Weasley on your tail."

Harry looked around, and said, grinning, "Fred, George, Percy and Ron, all on my tail. How lucky it is I don't play pranks or get into mischief. I'd never get away with it."

Fred said, "You can always join us. We know some excellent pranks."

"I don't think so. Not long ago, I was listening to a couple of idiots talking about the school pranks they'd pulled. I thought they were just bullies."

"But school pranks are funny!"

"Not to the victim, they're not," and Percy said primly, "I've always told you that, Twins," but Fred shrugged and George laughed. They were Pranksters, and they gloried in being pranksters.

xxx