Disclaimer- All Harry Potter type things belong to J.K Rowling.
Permission
"Please complete this work for Monday. Class dismissed." Professor McGonagall shuffled her papers and placed them neatly in her desk drawer. Harry glanced at Ron, who gave him an encouraging nod before following Hermione out of the classroom. He approached the teacher's desk.
"Can I help you with something Mr. Potter?" Asked McGonagall calmly without looking up at him. Harry took a deep breath. "Um, Professor, I need to see Professor Dumbledore." He said quickly. Professor McGonagall looked at him sharply.
"Is there something wrong?" she asked worriedly. Harry shook his head. "No, but I…I need to ask him something, that's all." He said quietly. Harry watched anxiously as Professor McGonagall looked out of the window, down towards the lake. She seemed to be thinking. Finally, she sighed and turned back to him. "Alright Mr. Potter." She said, picking up her books. "I will take you to him now."
Harry didn't say anything as they walked towards the stone gargoyle that guarded the secret passageway leading to Dumbledore's office. Professor McGonagall gave the password, (Fizzing Whizzbees), and turned to Harry as the gargoyle sprang to one side and the magical staircase appeared.
"I'll leave you here Mr. Potter, I need to prepare for my class after lunch." She said briskly. Harry nodded. "Thank you Professor." He said. With a brief nod, Professor McGonagall turned and walked off in the direction of the staff room.
Harry stepped onto the staircase, which moved smoothly upward, carrying him up to the polished oak doors with a brass knocker in the shape of a griffon. Harry took a deep breath at the top and hesitated before knocking. Now he was here, Harry felt incredibly stupid and a bit annoyed at having to ask permission to go to his friend's house. And deep down, Harry knew he wouldn't be allowed, and he knew that he'd be really bitter. And then Ron would stay to keep him company, and he'd be bitter too. Harry shook his head to clear it of all these thoughts and knocked determinedly on the door.
The door opened magically by itself, and Harry took a tentative step inside. Dumbledore was sitting at his desk as usual, but there were also a lot of other people in the room. Remus, Sirius and Professor Snape stood by the fire, all of them looking very tired. Apart from them there was also Mr. Ollivander, Alastor Moody, and another man Harry didn't recognise sitting in front of the desk.
"Harry, are you alright?" Harry whipped around to see Arthur Weasley standing in the corner, where he seemed to have been stroking Dumbledore's pet phoenix, Fawkes. Harry opened his mouth to answer, but was distracted by the old woman sitting in a chair near the door. Harry's mouth fell open in shock.
"Mrs. Figg?" He gasped. Harry couldn't believe it. Mrs. Figg was at Hogwarts, and if she was at Hogwarts that meant that she was a Witch. Harry shook his head in disbelief. All those times he had gone to her house… she was a really good actress.
Mrs. Figg smiled at him. "Hello Harry, how are you?" She said pleasantly. "Um…I'm fine." He managed. "Harry?" Harry spun around to face Dumbledore. He looked very tired and worried. "Did you want to talk to me about something?" He asked.
"Are you alright?" Sirius repeated Mr. Weasley's question anxiously. Harry sighed. "I'm fine. Really. I just…" Harry stopped. All these people were going to think he was a right idiot. Harry gritted his teeth and forced himself to talk.
"Professor Dumbledore, um…I need to ask you something." He said. Dumbledore sat back in his chair and smiled. "Go ahead." He said kindly. Harry hesitated for only a second this time. After all, he was a Gryffindor, and he knew most of these people anyway. They wouldn't laugh at him.
"Well," he said. "I know you don't really want me going anywhere, but Hermione's invited us all to her house this Christmas, and I was wondering if I could…"
"Absolutely not." Said a voice from near the fireplace. Harry looked over at Sirius, who was standing with his arms folded and a dark look on his face. Harry was more than a little shocked to say the least. He knew that Sirius worried about him a lot, but Harry had never thought he would just blatantly refuse him without even listening to his reasoning first. And Harry hadn't even been asking him anyway.
Remus eyed Sirius patiently. "Sirius…" He began, but Sirius cut him off. "No. It's too dangerous. He should stay here where it's safe."
"Harry's not some kind of pet you can just lock up in a cage. He should be allowed to go to Hermione's house." Remus said.
Sirius turned to Remus, his eyes flashing dangerously. "Do you honestly think that I regard Harry like that? Don't be stupid! And anyway, who was asking you Moony?" He said darkly. Remus frowned and also folded his arms. "Well, who was asking you? I was under the impression that Harry was talking to Dumbledore." He replied.
Sirius looked furious, and Remus looked equally angry. Harry was surprised at the looks on their faces. Remus and Sirius were supposed to be good friends, but they were looking at each other as though they were bitter enemies.
"Don't worry about those two Potter- the pressure of living together is getting too much." A voice growled quietly. Harry looked over at the owner of the voice. It was Alastor Moody, whom Harry had never heard speak before. Not the real one anyway. Moody was regarding Harry with interest with his biological eye, but his magical one was unceasingly swivelling around in his head, checking every corner and wall of the room for possible spies, -Harry assumed it was for spies anyway.
Harry looked back over to his Godfather when he started speaking again. "I forbid it. And that's final." He said in a don't-even-try-to-argue-with- me tone of voice. But Harry wasn't standing for it. "Excuse me Sirius, but Professor Lupin is right. I wasn't asking you." He said angrily.
Sirius' eyes flashed again and a look of fury passed over his face. He looked like he was about to explode, but instead he raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Fine." He spat. "What do you say Dumbledore? Is it safe for Harry Potter to go and stay in a Muggle household with no magical protection whatsoever, at a time when there are more than a few dangerous, powerful people around who would like nothing more than to see him dead?"
Harry swallowed. 'Oh great. Just great. Now Sirius has just made it impossible for me to go. Thanks a lot.' He thought bitterly. He turned to look at Dumbledore, waiting for the solemn shake of the head and the heavy sigh that will tell him all he needed to know. But Dumbledore was looking quite cheerful. He smiled at Harry. "Harry, you must understand how dangerous it is for you at the moment, and I think that you should listen to your Godfather." He said, resting his head on his hands.
Harry sighed heavily and chanced a glance at Sirius, who was looking very smug. Harry nodded and turned to walk out, but Dumbledore spoke again. "However," he said, his eyes twinkling as Harry turned around again. "I think that this time, you should go to Miss Granger's house." Harry would have grinned, but he was in shock. Had he heard right? Was Dumbledore really giving him permission to go to Hermione's house? To leave Hogwarts? There must have been some kind of mistake.
Sirius seemed to think so anyway. "Headmaster!" He spluttered, sounding astounded. "You can't….I mean…"
Dumbledore held up a hand to silence him. "Go Harry and have a nice time." He said, his eyes twinkling still. Harry glanced at Sirius again. His godfather looked outraged, and very confused. Harry knew that he'd be better off not saying anything, so he nodded and turned to walk out. But Sirius wasn't finished.
"Headmaster, surely you know how dangerous…" He started determinedly, but Dumbledore cut him off again, this time sounding a bit impatient. "Nowhere is safe Sirius. Especially now. Harry is going to Miss Granger's house with his friends, and I don't want to hear another word about it. Understood?"
Harry looked at Dumbledore in surprise. He had never heard him lose his temper like that. He glanced at the other people in the room, all of whom seemed to be finding the floor very interesting at that moment in time. Harry swallowed and walked back out of the door.
~*~
"Well? What did he say?" Ron asked as Harry walked over to the Gryffindor table, moving over to allow him room to sit down. Harry sat down and picked up a roll before answering. He looked at Ron and Hermione, taking in the hopeful expressions on their faces, and sighed heavily. Their faces fell, and Harry shrugged hopelessly. "He said I could go." He said in a sombre voice.
Ron and Hermione grinned. "Yes!" Ron said, his grin becoming so wide it almost split his face in half. Hermione looked equally happy as she ladled some casserole onto her plate. It seemed that they had been waiting for Harry before starting to eat.
"So what happened then?" She asked before taking a bite. Harry started to help himself to casserole as well. "Well, there were loads of people there. Mad-Eye Moody, Remus, Snuffles, this other guy I don't know, Snape, oh…and your Dad." He said, looking over at Ron.
Ron's eyes widened. "Dad's here? Why?" He said, looking up at the staff table as if expecting Dumbledore and Mr. Weasley to suddenly appear. Harry shrugged. "It looked like a council of war." He said, remembering the tired, determined looks on all their faces.
Hermione and Ron looked slightly less cheerful at this, but laughed when Harry told them about Mrs. Figg, to relieve the tension. Ron picked up a slice of mushroom pizza and bit into it hungrily. "So there was no trouble at all then? I'd have thought that Snuffles wouldn't have wanted you to go." He said, licking his lips. Ron loved mushroom pizza.
"He didn't, but Dumbledore overruled him. He actually seemed quite anxious to get rid of me to tell the truth." Harry replied with a frown. Hermione and Ron looked at him in surprise, and Harry continued. "He said that nowhere is safe, especially now."
"But Hogwarts is, isn't it?" Said Ron worriedly. Harry merely shrugged, which didn't seem to make Ron feel any better. Hermione sighed. "Well, anyway. Let's try and forget about it all. This is going to be a perfectly Muggle Christmas. I might even take you both to a football match." She added, winking at Ron who rolled his eyes. Harry laughed and started eating. He had got his permission after all, so there was nothing left to worry about right now.
This has taken me so long to get up, and I am so sorry. I haven't started the next chapter yet, but I will soon, I promise! And hopefully it won't take as long as this one did.
Love ya- sparkley
Permission
"Please complete this work for Monday. Class dismissed." Professor McGonagall shuffled her papers and placed them neatly in her desk drawer. Harry glanced at Ron, who gave him an encouraging nod before following Hermione out of the classroom. He approached the teacher's desk.
"Can I help you with something Mr. Potter?" Asked McGonagall calmly without looking up at him. Harry took a deep breath. "Um, Professor, I need to see Professor Dumbledore." He said quickly. Professor McGonagall looked at him sharply.
"Is there something wrong?" she asked worriedly. Harry shook his head. "No, but I…I need to ask him something, that's all." He said quietly. Harry watched anxiously as Professor McGonagall looked out of the window, down towards the lake. She seemed to be thinking. Finally, she sighed and turned back to him. "Alright Mr. Potter." She said, picking up her books. "I will take you to him now."
Harry didn't say anything as they walked towards the stone gargoyle that guarded the secret passageway leading to Dumbledore's office. Professor McGonagall gave the password, (Fizzing Whizzbees), and turned to Harry as the gargoyle sprang to one side and the magical staircase appeared.
"I'll leave you here Mr. Potter, I need to prepare for my class after lunch." She said briskly. Harry nodded. "Thank you Professor." He said. With a brief nod, Professor McGonagall turned and walked off in the direction of the staff room.
Harry stepped onto the staircase, which moved smoothly upward, carrying him up to the polished oak doors with a brass knocker in the shape of a griffon. Harry took a deep breath at the top and hesitated before knocking. Now he was here, Harry felt incredibly stupid and a bit annoyed at having to ask permission to go to his friend's house. And deep down, Harry knew he wouldn't be allowed, and he knew that he'd be really bitter. And then Ron would stay to keep him company, and he'd be bitter too. Harry shook his head to clear it of all these thoughts and knocked determinedly on the door.
The door opened magically by itself, and Harry took a tentative step inside. Dumbledore was sitting at his desk as usual, but there were also a lot of other people in the room. Remus, Sirius and Professor Snape stood by the fire, all of them looking very tired. Apart from them there was also Mr. Ollivander, Alastor Moody, and another man Harry didn't recognise sitting in front of the desk.
"Harry, are you alright?" Harry whipped around to see Arthur Weasley standing in the corner, where he seemed to have been stroking Dumbledore's pet phoenix, Fawkes. Harry opened his mouth to answer, but was distracted by the old woman sitting in a chair near the door. Harry's mouth fell open in shock.
"Mrs. Figg?" He gasped. Harry couldn't believe it. Mrs. Figg was at Hogwarts, and if she was at Hogwarts that meant that she was a Witch. Harry shook his head in disbelief. All those times he had gone to her house… she was a really good actress.
Mrs. Figg smiled at him. "Hello Harry, how are you?" She said pleasantly. "Um…I'm fine." He managed. "Harry?" Harry spun around to face Dumbledore. He looked very tired and worried. "Did you want to talk to me about something?" He asked.
"Are you alright?" Sirius repeated Mr. Weasley's question anxiously. Harry sighed. "I'm fine. Really. I just…" Harry stopped. All these people were going to think he was a right idiot. Harry gritted his teeth and forced himself to talk.
"Professor Dumbledore, um…I need to ask you something." He said. Dumbledore sat back in his chair and smiled. "Go ahead." He said kindly. Harry hesitated for only a second this time. After all, he was a Gryffindor, and he knew most of these people anyway. They wouldn't laugh at him.
"Well," he said. "I know you don't really want me going anywhere, but Hermione's invited us all to her house this Christmas, and I was wondering if I could…"
"Absolutely not." Said a voice from near the fireplace. Harry looked over at Sirius, who was standing with his arms folded and a dark look on his face. Harry was more than a little shocked to say the least. He knew that Sirius worried about him a lot, but Harry had never thought he would just blatantly refuse him without even listening to his reasoning first. And Harry hadn't even been asking him anyway.
Remus eyed Sirius patiently. "Sirius…" He began, but Sirius cut him off. "No. It's too dangerous. He should stay here where it's safe."
"Harry's not some kind of pet you can just lock up in a cage. He should be allowed to go to Hermione's house." Remus said.
Sirius turned to Remus, his eyes flashing dangerously. "Do you honestly think that I regard Harry like that? Don't be stupid! And anyway, who was asking you Moony?" He said darkly. Remus frowned and also folded his arms. "Well, who was asking you? I was under the impression that Harry was talking to Dumbledore." He replied.
Sirius looked furious, and Remus looked equally angry. Harry was surprised at the looks on their faces. Remus and Sirius were supposed to be good friends, but they were looking at each other as though they were bitter enemies.
"Don't worry about those two Potter- the pressure of living together is getting too much." A voice growled quietly. Harry looked over at the owner of the voice. It was Alastor Moody, whom Harry had never heard speak before. Not the real one anyway. Moody was regarding Harry with interest with his biological eye, but his magical one was unceasingly swivelling around in his head, checking every corner and wall of the room for possible spies, -Harry assumed it was for spies anyway.
Harry looked back over to his Godfather when he started speaking again. "I forbid it. And that's final." He said in a don't-even-try-to-argue-with- me tone of voice. But Harry wasn't standing for it. "Excuse me Sirius, but Professor Lupin is right. I wasn't asking you." He said angrily.
Sirius' eyes flashed again and a look of fury passed over his face. He looked like he was about to explode, but instead he raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Fine." He spat. "What do you say Dumbledore? Is it safe for Harry Potter to go and stay in a Muggle household with no magical protection whatsoever, at a time when there are more than a few dangerous, powerful people around who would like nothing more than to see him dead?"
Harry swallowed. 'Oh great. Just great. Now Sirius has just made it impossible for me to go. Thanks a lot.' He thought bitterly. He turned to look at Dumbledore, waiting for the solemn shake of the head and the heavy sigh that will tell him all he needed to know. But Dumbledore was looking quite cheerful. He smiled at Harry. "Harry, you must understand how dangerous it is for you at the moment, and I think that you should listen to your Godfather." He said, resting his head on his hands.
Harry sighed heavily and chanced a glance at Sirius, who was looking very smug. Harry nodded and turned to walk out, but Dumbledore spoke again. "However," he said, his eyes twinkling as Harry turned around again. "I think that this time, you should go to Miss Granger's house." Harry would have grinned, but he was in shock. Had he heard right? Was Dumbledore really giving him permission to go to Hermione's house? To leave Hogwarts? There must have been some kind of mistake.
Sirius seemed to think so anyway. "Headmaster!" He spluttered, sounding astounded. "You can't….I mean…"
Dumbledore held up a hand to silence him. "Go Harry and have a nice time." He said, his eyes twinkling still. Harry glanced at Sirius again. His godfather looked outraged, and very confused. Harry knew that he'd be better off not saying anything, so he nodded and turned to walk out. But Sirius wasn't finished.
"Headmaster, surely you know how dangerous…" He started determinedly, but Dumbledore cut him off again, this time sounding a bit impatient. "Nowhere is safe Sirius. Especially now. Harry is going to Miss Granger's house with his friends, and I don't want to hear another word about it. Understood?"
Harry looked at Dumbledore in surprise. He had never heard him lose his temper like that. He glanced at the other people in the room, all of whom seemed to be finding the floor very interesting at that moment in time. Harry swallowed and walked back out of the door.
~*~
"Well? What did he say?" Ron asked as Harry walked over to the Gryffindor table, moving over to allow him room to sit down. Harry sat down and picked up a roll before answering. He looked at Ron and Hermione, taking in the hopeful expressions on their faces, and sighed heavily. Their faces fell, and Harry shrugged hopelessly. "He said I could go." He said in a sombre voice.
Ron and Hermione grinned. "Yes!" Ron said, his grin becoming so wide it almost split his face in half. Hermione looked equally happy as she ladled some casserole onto her plate. It seemed that they had been waiting for Harry before starting to eat.
"So what happened then?" She asked before taking a bite. Harry started to help himself to casserole as well. "Well, there were loads of people there. Mad-Eye Moody, Remus, Snuffles, this other guy I don't know, Snape, oh…and your Dad." He said, looking over at Ron.
Ron's eyes widened. "Dad's here? Why?" He said, looking up at the staff table as if expecting Dumbledore and Mr. Weasley to suddenly appear. Harry shrugged. "It looked like a council of war." He said, remembering the tired, determined looks on all their faces.
Hermione and Ron looked slightly less cheerful at this, but laughed when Harry told them about Mrs. Figg, to relieve the tension. Ron picked up a slice of mushroom pizza and bit into it hungrily. "So there was no trouble at all then? I'd have thought that Snuffles wouldn't have wanted you to go." He said, licking his lips. Ron loved mushroom pizza.
"He didn't, but Dumbledore overruled him. He actually seemed quite anxious to get rid of me to tell the truth." Harry replied with a frown. Hermione and Ron looked at him in surprise, and Harry continued. "He said that nowhere is safe, especially now."
"But Hogwarts is, isn't it?" Said Ron worriedly. Harry merely shrugged, which didn't seem to make Ron feel any better. Hermione sighed. "Well, anyway. Let's try and forget about it all. This is going to be a perfectly Muggle Christmas. I might even take you both to a football match." She added, winking at Ron who rolled his eyes. Harry laughed and started eating. He had got his permission after all, so there was nothing left to worry about right now.
This has taken me so long to get up, and I am so sorry. I haven't started the next chapter yet, but I will soon, I promise! And hopefully it won't take as long as this one did.
Love ya- sparkley