CHAPTER ELEVEN: Harry again.


CHAPTER ELEVEN: Harry again.

Harry didn't sleep very well the rest of the night. There was too much on his mind and the lingering dread of awakening with his scar burning kept him restless until shortly before dawn. Fortunately, the next day was Saturday and no one tried to awaken him until lunch time. Harry, Ron, and Hermione found a place at the end of the Gryffindor table, away from the ears of the other students. But none of them found themselves much in the mood for talking, so lunch passed in silence.

Afterward Harry told Ron and Hermione he'd catch up with them later and headed for a part of the castle to which he had been only infrequently: Dumbledore's office. Soon he found himself facing the stone gargoyle which guarded the entrance to Dumbledore's office and realized he didn't have the password. He was pretty sure the ones he had known in the past, "Lemon Drops" & "Cockroach Cluster," would not work. Harry named several sweets, including "acid pops" and "levitating sherbet balls" to no avail. Finally, his mind hit upon the last Care of Magical Creatures lesson. "Fizzing Whizzbees?" he said and jumped back as the gargoyle slid aside. He entered and stepped on the spiral staircase which moved on its own and carried him to Dumbledore's office door.

Harry knocked tentatively and was relieved to hear Dumbledore call "Come."

"Ah, Harry. Have a seat." he said when he looked up.

Harry slid into one of the seats in front of Dumbledore's desk. Now that he was here he wasn't sure what to say or ask. Dumbledore folded his hands in front of him and waited patiently.

Finally, Harry stammered, "About last night, sir. Have you thought any more of what the Dementors were after?"

Dumbledore paused, "I don't think we can know that with any certainty, Harry. I suspect, however, that the Dementors were sent to see how difficult it would be to penetrate our campus. I do not, however, think they were sent for you."

"Oh, no, I didn't think that. At least not seriously. I guess I wondered why they went after Hagrid."

"It is possible they specifically targeted Hagrid, although it seems more likely that Hagrid was merely in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Harry thought about this for a moment then cleared his throat, asking,

"This means Azkaban is unguarded, doesn't it.?"

"It is or will be soon."

"Sir?" Harry asked, "Did Madam Clay not lose consciousness because she's a muggle?"

Dumbledore looked surprised, but only mildly so.

"I don't believe so. Here a muggle should be affected in much the same way as a wizard."

Harry nodded but said nothing, waiting.

"Who, besides yourself, Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger, is aware of the fact that Isabel Clay is a muggle?"

"No one that I know of."

"And you discovered this, how?"

"We've suspected it for a while now. But we weren't sure-"

"Until just now, I suppose." Dumbledore interrupted with a wry twinkle in his eye.

"Well, yes. But we figured that you didn't want the students to know and we haven't told anyone. Honestly."

"Of course. I expected that some observant students would eventually grow suspicious. I had hoped to forestall that, but no matter. Harry, I appreciate you and your friends not telling your fellow students, and would ask that if you hear of any of them knowing about Madam Clay you would tell me."

"Yes. Sure. Can, er, may I ask about why she is here?"

"You may ask, but there isn't much I can tell you right now. When the time is right you will know."

"When the time is right you will know." How many times had Harry heard that? Still, there was a finality in Dumbledore's tone and Harry knew it was best not to protest. Instead he realized it was time he took his leave.

He hadn't gone very far down the corridor away from Dumbledore's office when he sat down upon the plinth of a suit of armor with a sigh.

What, exactly, had he gone to Dumbledore for? What did he want him to say? Did he want him to say everything would be alright? Did he want him to say Voldemort wasn't after him? Harry doubted it. He knew Dumbledore couldn't honestly tell him either of those things. What did he want then?

He thought about Hagrid and the Dementors... but Hagrid would be alright - so would Madam Clay. Madam Clay. She had held the Dementors off. Harry had driven back a group of dementors once, as well. But, truth be told, he wasn't sure he could do it again. He wasn't sure of much, come to that.

He had begun the school year before this feeling fairly confident he could face just about anything. After all, before his fourth year he had twice faced Voldemort and prevailed. But it had been a close call both times. Plus, both of those times Voldemort hadn't been at full strength. Harry's mind returned to the scene in the graveyard, the helplessness, the horror of seeing Voldemort rise again not being able to do anything about it... of escaping only by the merest chance that his and Voldemort's wands would not work properly against one another...

Suddenly he realized what he wanted Dumbledore to tell him. He also realized he couldn't bring himself to ask: "Will I be alright? Can I handle what is to come?"

Harry got up and began to walk as he brooded on this realization. He tried to reason with himself that the third and last time he had faced Voldemort, the evil wizard had been at full strength - wand problem or no - and he had STILL escaped. But that thought kept giving way to the memories of the confrontation in the graveyard, of Cedric's dead face, of the menacing circle of death eaters... Now that Voldemorts supporters... and the Dementors... had returned to his side Harry was anxious he was over-matched. If he faced Voldemort again, Harry feared the evil wizard would win at last.

Still, even when Voldemort was at the height of his powers Hogwarts had been safe. He had heard Hagrid say, "I'm not worried so long as we have Dumbledore" and his godfather Sirius Black had said many times he was safe under Dumbledore's protection. But Harry couldn't stay here forever. A colder, more frightening thought crept, unbidden, into the corner of his mind: And Even Dumbledore can't live forever.

This stopped Harry in his tracks and he repressed a shudder. It was then he noticed he was on the marble staircase in the Entrance Hall. He caught sight of the large front doors he Ron and Hermione had held open the night before and decided to go down and check on Hagrid. Harry squinted as he stepped into the bright sunlight and a soft breeze ruffled his hair. It was a gorgeous day... nature seemed to have no idea of the turmoil in his world. With a sigh he set off down the hill toward Hagrid's cabin at the edge of the wood.

Hermione answered his knock, apparently she and Ron had the same idea. Harry thought he saw a look of relief cross her face when she answered the door and saw him, but he couldn't be sure. Anyway, he was more worried about Hagrid. For his part Hagrid seemed back to his old self. He sat at his table with an overlarge cup of tea and a plate of rock cakes. While Ron and Hermione had clearly been sharing the tea Harry noticed they had not touched Hagrid's rock cakes - which lived up to their name. Fang, Hagrid's large boarhound, sat with his head in Hagrid's lap slobbering happily all over his master.

"'Arry!" Hagrid cried cheerfully, "Come in and have a cuppa!"

Harry smiled and did just that. For a while it was like old times, the three of them chatting with Hagrid in his cabin. After a while Harry couldn't help saying,

"I'm glad you're alright, Hagrid."

Hagrid blushed and his eyes grew bright, "I don' deserve friends like you three. Never had folks worry over me so." Harry smiled but also looked down not knowing quite what to say. Ron, also was at a loss for words. Hermione, however, was not at such a loss.

"You do deserve it, Hagrid. We're lucky to have you, too."

Good thing she's a girl, Harry thought, at least they know what to say when it gets emotional. Further thoughts were forestalled as Hagrid swept all three of them into a bone-crushing bear hug. Harry was just beginning to see stars when, thankfully, Hagrid let them go. Once released, Ron, Hermione, and Harry, tried to rub feeling back into their limbs without being too obvious.

"Well, who wants to go check on Nestor?" Hagrid said rising, "Ah wan' to make sure he's alrigh' after runnin' into the Dementors."

"Sure" Harry and Ron said together and Hermione nodded.

As they set off she said, "Nestor ought to be alright, oughtn't he? I mean the Dementors have crossed the lake before and it hasn't hurt the Giant Squid, has it?"

"No, but I wanna' be sure, jus' the same." Hagrid said

He needn't have worried. As they came around a bend of the woods and caught sight of the lake they could see someone standing on the shore flinging something out to Nestor who was gamely, but unsuccessfully, trying to catch whatever it was.

"Isabel!" Hagrid said as they drew closer. Sure enough, it was her and she was winging slices of bread out to the Kelpie. She stopped and turned at the sound of her name and, catching sight of Hagrid, came forward to meet them. Seeing Harry, Ron, and Hermione she stopped a bit short and blushed.

"Looks like we had the same idea, about Nestor, I mean," she said.

"He looks alrigh'" Hagrid said nodding out toward the water.

"None the worse for wear, as they say."

"Yup."

They both sifted uncomfortably for a moment until Hermione suddenly said, "Ron, Harry, why don't we finish tossing out that bread?" Then more pointedly, "Shall we?"

"Oh, right, yeah. Maybe we can get him to catch a slice, Comon Harry." Ron replied pulling on Harry's arm. As he followed Ron, Harry just caught Hagrid saying, "You weren't in hospital this morning."

Harry looked glanced back over his shoulder and saw Isabel Clay speaking earnestly to Hagrid. When he got caught up with Hermione she, too, was looking back with bright eyes and a strange smile.

"I'm so happy for him." she said. Harry nodded silently then noticed Ron looking at Hermione with an odd expression on his face.

"Just remembered," he said suddenly, "Got to go. See you later." and he turned on his heel and jogged off before Ron or Hermione could say a word. He wasn't sure how he felt about the way Ron and Hermione were beginning to feel toward one another. One thing was sure, however, he just didn't feel like being present when they finally worked it out.

When Harry stepped back into the Entrance Hall he was greeted by the sound of Alastor Moody's uneven gait on the stair. Step Clump. Step Clump. Step Clump. The sound of his wooden leg echoed around the empty Hall. Harry had been avoiding Moody outside of class and would rather have ducked away. It was too late, Moody had seen him. Harry couldn't read the expression on his grizzled and scarred face as Moody hailed him.

"Potter. Can I have a word?"

Harry stopped in his tracks and swallowed hard, "Certainly Professor Moody." Just what I need right now, he thought. He stared at his shoes as he waited for Moody to clump his way down the remaining stairs. He was startled, therefore, to feel Moody's hand upon his shoulder. Before he could stop himself he flinched and was immediately sorry. He looked up quickly at Moody and mumbled an apology.

"That's alright, Laddie," Moody growled, "Come on, share a cup of tea, will ye?"

Harry nodded thinking, not more tea, and followed Moody into the deserted Great Hall, sitting across from him at the nearest table. Before Harry could wonder about where they would get the tea, a house elf appeared bearing a great tray of tea. She set it on the table happily and squeaked, "May I be getting yourselves anything else Misters?"

"No, thank you." Moody rumbled and the elf gave a bouncy little bow and left them.

Moody poured Harry a cup in silence and filled his own cup from the ever present hip flask. Harry sipped the scalding tea, wondering what Moody had to say to him.

"Laddie," Moody started after a long sip from his cup, "I think it's time you and I had chat about last year."

Of course, Harry thought, I suppose it's better to just go on and talk about it. But he didn't look forward to it, there was too much bound up in it for him. He had trusted and admired the Moody imposter. He knew that what he trusted and admired was, in fact, the imposter doing a very good impersonation of the real thing, but when the imposter betrayed him...

"Aye, I can see the trouble o' it in your face." Moody sighed, "And I thought it best I clear the air. Laddie, don't think I can't understand how difficult this must be for ye. It's a strange situation to be sure."

Harry found himself nodding in agreement, but unable to look Moody square in the eye, real or magical, either one.

"I wanted to let you know that I dinnae fault ye nor do I expect anything of ye. I may be my own self, but from where you're sitting I look like someone who betrayed ye and tried to kill ye and a body doesn't get past that easily."

Harry felt a touch of relief. He hadn't expected this and it was good to know that Moody understood. "Thanks," He said gratefully. Then, on a whim added, "I don't mean to, you know. It's just-"

Moody said nothing but when Harry looked up he was nodding. Finally, he said, "Well, Laddie I have a great deal to do and your Saturday afternoon is slipping away. I don't expect you fancied spending it sitting sipping tea with a teacher, eh?"

Harry felt himself grinning as he stood up. "Ah, no sir, but thank you sir."

With that, Harry left Moody. That hadn't been as bad as he had thought. Maybe it was a good sign. In any case he made his way quickly to Gryffindor Tower, hoping he wouldn't run into any more teachers before he got there.