******

Chapter 12

New Faces, Old Names – Part 1

Disclaimer: I own Dumbledore's family, Marty and Circe. Everything else is the figment of JK Rowling's talented imagination.

AN: Well, here's the reunion (of sorts) with Sirius. Harry and the others will be meeting up with the rest of the school in the next two parts – first the teachers, then their friends and the students.

I know this is a little later than I would usually update, but I went to see my Grandma for Mother's Day. Other than she kept telling me not to sell my car (she thinks its worth money, but only rust is holding it together) it was nice to see her and the rest of my family. Not to mention we had KFC! (Mm. I think its time for another biscuit with honey.)

Thanks to everybody who has reviewed!!! *jumps for joy* It's greatly appreciated. ^_^

******

  Harry opened one eye wearily as he felt his shoulder nudged. It was still dark out, and dawn had yet to approach by the looks outside the small window on his right.

  "Harry?"

  The other eye opened as he saw Aeryn standing by the side of his bed. He sat up as he saw the worried look on her face.

  "What is it?"

  Aeryn gestured at the bed and Harry nodded before she sat down on the edge. "Um..."

  Harry looked over at the other bed in the room to find it empty. "Where's Draco?"

  "That's what I have to tell you." She gave a soft sigh before she gave him a considering look. "You were sleeping so hard you missed a lot of excitement, Harry."

  He raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything.

  "Marty had another of those attacks about half an hour ago."

  "Another one?" Harry asked. "How bad was it?"

  Aeryn shook her head. "Not as bad as the first one, but Draco and Aedyn took her down to see Madam Pomfrey. You were sleeping so fitfully, but none of us could wake you up."

  Harry looked at the window for a brief second before his eyes went back to Aeryn. "Where's Dumbledore?"

  "One of the order members called about an hour after we went to bed. A couple of death eaters were in Muggle London." She shrugged her shoulders in a sleepy gesture. "The Ministry was there with some Aurors, but it'll take a while to straighten everything out. The only reason that they stopped was because Arabella was nearby."

  He nodded his head. "Did they need any help?"

  "No. Granddad wanted me to wake you up to see if you had any dreams..." She hesitated at the look on his face. "I didn't want to, but he wanted to know if Voldemort had anything to do with the attack tonight."

  Harry looked at her in astonishment. "You said his name!"

  She gave him a look that said he wasn't quite all there. "Yes. Why shouldn't I?"

  He scowled at her. "Because Dumbledore and I seem to be the only ones around here who can actually say the name." She opened her mouth to say something but he continued, "Oh, everybody in the order is getting used to hearing his name - at least nobody flinches at the sound of it anymore - but it's not the same as saying it."

  Aeryn frowned. "But I also didn't grow up under the threat of him. Voldemort rarely had anything to do at all in the States, so it wasn't such a big deal over there as it was here. And, by the time I was seven, he was gone."

  "And then he comes back..." Harry sighed at the thought. "But no, Voldemort was nowhere in my dreams."

  A friendly pat on his shoulder pulled his thoughts back to Aeryn. "Cheer up! Things will look better in the morning," she reassured him with a smile.

  He gave her a considering look before nodding. "Maybe I'll get to see Ron and Hermione then."

  A cough from the doorway interrupted them and they both turned their heads quickly in that direction to find Draco lounging in against the doorjamb.

  "Dumbledore says that we should wait a little bit before we see any of our friends," the blond man said as he entered the room.

  "Why?" Harry asked as he shifted on his bed, disappointed at the news.

  "To see if we don't have a reaction like Marty's been having," the blond man replied. "It makes sense, since our powers have changed. I don't think that he wants to take the chance that something could go wrong and somebody will get hurt."

  Harry and Aeryn nodded their agreement.

  "How long do you think we'll have to wait?" the black haired man asked as Draco climbed into the previously empty bed and sat stiffly against the headboard.

  "From what he and Madam Pomfrey were talking about, probably a week."

  "Good. From what Madam Pomfrey usually wants, it would have been more like a month than a week." Harry couldn't wait to see his friends. He just wondered what they would think of his new appearance. For that matter, he just hoped Sirius and Remus wouldn't be too freaked out that he looked more like this mother than his father now.

  A gigantic yawn broke his thoughts. "Draco, did Aedyn leave?"

  Harry looked at Aeryn as the other man nodded. "An owl came for him while we were down in the infirmary. The Ministry was calling him to help down in London."

  "Oh." She looked defeated. "I was hoping to spend a little more time with him."

  "Aeryn," Harry softly said. "You'll get to see him soon. He'll be back for the next meeting if he can, and probably sooner if he gets the chance."

  She gave a small smile. "Thanks, Harry." She gave another yawn and pushed off the bed. "I'll see you when it's a little lighter out, guys."

  Harry slumped back into the sheets as she left the room.

  "Harry?"

  He looked over at Draco, who was still sitting up in bed. "What?"

  "How long do you think it'll take for You-Know-Who to find out about us?"

  Harry sighed. "I have no idea. But, I think it will be soon."

******

  "What is this, Albus?" McGonagall's voice was raised as she paced the office of the headmaster two days later. "You're telling me that this is Harry Potter and that's Draco Malfoy?"

  Dumbledore nodded as he plucked a lemon drop out of the small container at one corner of his desk. His eyes twinkled at the two young men who were seated before him as the deputy headmistress walked back and forth within the small space. "I assure you that they are, Minerva. They will be staying on and helping us with our efforts against Voldemort."

  A shiver ran down McGonagall's spine, all three men noticing it. "Have you explained this to the governors, then?"

  The old man nodded once more as he offered the small dish to Harry and Draco. As both shook their heads in the negative, he sat back in his plush chair and folded his hands in a thoughtful gesture. "I have, and none of them objected to the terms I put forth."

  "What were those, sir?" Harry asked.

  Dumbledore smiled. "You don't have to call me that anymore, Harry. Please, call me 'Albus.'" Another twinkle sparked through his eyes as he watched the younger men shift uncomfortably at this notion. Most of his former students reacted the same way when he invited them to see him as an equal rather than a teacher or parent-figure.

  He saw McGonagall's face and hurried on. "Both gentlemen have been granted their wizarding licenses, as well as having passed twenty NEWTs for both of them."

  "Twenty?" Three voices chorused together in astonishment.

  "Twenty?" McGonagall repeated. "That is a new record. They beat your record of eighteen, Albus."

  Dumbledore nodded, obviously pleased with the results of the tests he had given the day before. "Yes. Still, I think that Ms. Granger, when the time comes later this year, will tie my score and try for theirs."

  "I can see Hermione doing that," Harry agreed.

  "What is the rest of that?" Draco asked. "There has to be more than just the tests you gave us."

  "Yes," the headmaster agreed. "I would like both of you to help with a dueling class I would like to offer. The older students will definitely need to use such skills as the battles against Voldemort and his Death Eaters increase. It's with the hope that they can defend themselves against such situations as what has happened within the last week that the governors feel such a thing is necessary. Granted, with the scores you boys got on your NEWTs impressed them as well."

  Harry and Draco smiled at each other before the blond asked, "You said to help. Who else is going to be teaching?"

  "I've already asked Aeryn and Marty to teach. Marty, though, is to take her NEWTs three days from now, as the governors requested she take the OWLs earlier today. Once she has been granted her license, everything will be set. At that time we will re-introduce you to the school."

  Draco's eyes narrowed slightly as Harry nodded. "So, what do the governors really feel about this?" the blond asked.

  McGonagall raised an eyebrow. "I would like to know that as well, Albus."

  Dumbledore gave each a steady look. "Now that the Ministry has accepted that full war has been declared by Voldemort, as well as the fact that Arthur Weasley will probably be the next Minister, the governors wish for the students to learn all they can to help. They are also hopeful that many of the seventh years will train to help the fight when they leave in June. They also feel that the dueling class will help them learn more things than they normally would in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Steele will help all that she can, but she will often not be here."

  "Why won't she?" asked McGonagall.

  "I have asked her to request help from some unlikely allies, and it will take some time. In the meantime, Aeryn will be substituting, since she is the most familiar with teaching in a classroom setting. This had been arranged before the four of you disappeared." He looked at Harry and Draco for a moment before he went on. "The dueling class will be different, since there will be the four of you to help teach." He looked at the young men in front of him. "When Marty has been granted her license, I will discuss in more detail what will be expected of you when you teach the class. In the meantime, maybe some practice will take the impatience off that you may experience as you wait to see your friends."

  "Si – Albus," Harry stammered, his tongue tripping over the uneasiness of using the headmaster's first name. "When will Sirius and Remus be back?"

  Dumbledore chuckled. "They will be here tomorrow. Both of them told me earlier this afternoon that they had finished their assignment and were returning for a little rest."

  "Good," Harry stated emphatically. "They need to know as soon as possible."

  Draco fidgeted as the other two men smiled at each other. Next to him, McGonagall showed signs of restlessness as well.

  Pale blue eyes twinkled merrily. "I don't think that there is anything else for the moment," he said as he rose. "Now, I believe that it is almost dinner time." He turned to McGonagall. "Both of these young men will be introduced Friday at the staff meeting after dinner. Until then, I would like only the heads of houses to know about these four."

  McGonagall nodded briskly and left the headmaster's office.

  "While you are waiting for dinner, you may want to explore your quarters a little more. They were once used by one of the headmasters about three hundred years ago."

  Harry looked at him curiously. "Why haven't they been used since then?"

  Dumbledore ushered them to the door. "They were considered too far away from the rest of the castle. I believe it often took both students and teachers twenty minutes for the walk. As well as that consideration, I choose those particular rooms since there are no secret passages anywhere near there. It will be hard for anyone to sneak up on the four of you. Now, I believe that Professors Flitwick and Snape have finished administering the OWLs to Marty, and Aeryn will want to join you in your explorations."

  Harry and Draco looked at each other for a second before they left.

  "What do you think of that?" Harry asked once they were on the other side of the gargoyle. The two men turned to the right and began down a maze of hallways.

  One pale blond eyebrow lifted. "I'd say he had plans and we took too long."

  Black hair fell into his face as Harry shook his head. "Not about that. I mean, what about the fact that the governors are so accommodating?"

  Draco sent a thoughtful stare in his direction. "If you had asked that question before everything happened, I would have said you were actually using your brain for once."

  Harry glared at him as he laughed.

  "No," the blond said as his laughter died down. "I won't go back to that. As to the question, I think that the threat Hogwarts may eventually be attacked has given them some motivation. It also helps that Lucius is not around to 'help' them think."

  "Yes," Harry agreed. "That would make them willing to protect their investment in the school." He turned to Draco as they went down another corridor. "What do you think will happen to Lucius?"

  Draco shrugged his shoulders. "I think that my mother is the only person to handle it at the moment. She is married to him, after all. It also depends on what the Ministry has to say if he is sane enough to stand trial."

  "Sane enough?" Harry asked.

  "Since the move to St. Mungo's, his condition has deteriorated. The last letter my mother sent – while we were still in the room – said that he's been confined to the same ward as Longbottom's parents."

  Harry's eyebrows furrowed. "Poor Neville."

  "Hm. Yes. Now I understand why he's like that." Draco stopped just before the entrance to the corridor their room occupied. "He tries to be as unlike them as possible, unconsciously, so that the same thing can't happen to him."

  "That sounds almost like you've been reading Muggle psychiatry books, Draco."

  The blond laughed. "I guess it might, but there are some things that only a Slytherin would learn. It's tough to survive in that house without learning some the of the weaknesses and strengths of those around you."

  Harry looked at him. "Why, Draco, you sound positively sentimental."

  The other man frowned. "Harry, don't be an ass."

  Harry raised his hands in mock surrender. "You're the one that tries to be one every once in a while."

  Draco really glared at him. "Since when?"

  "Yesterday." Harry laughed as Draco's face fell at the mention of the NEWTs. "See, if you weren't such an ass and trying to compete with me, you might not have gotten so many."

  Grey eyes darted past green for a split second before they returned. "Very well, Harry. Point taken."

  Harry laughed again. "Potter, 1. Malfoy, 0."

  "Oh, shut up," Draco muttered as they entered their room.

******

  Sirius hopped from foot to foot as he and Remus stood in front of the gargoyle that led to Dumbledore's office.

  "Snuffles," admonished Remus as the big, black dog pranced with impatience.

  'Snuffles' growled deep in his throat as the stone rolled back and the steps were revealed. When the headmaster had revealed to them that Harry was safe and returned, the two of them had hurried back as fast as they could to reach the school. In fact, they had made better time than they had estimated, as it was early morning and the first class of the day had just started.

  "Ah, Sirius, Remus. Welcome," greeted Dumbledore as they met him at the top of the stairs. "Please, sit! Harry will be here in a little bit. Right now he's in the library researching a couple of things for the next meeting of the order. I didn't mention that you were here to see him just yet."

  Sirius reappeared and took a seat, looking as if he really wanted to remain standing. He couldn't wait to see his godson again, especially since he'd been missing for just over a month.

  Remus saw that his friend wasn't in the mood for talking, so he went ahead and told Dumbledore the specifics of the mission they had just finished. With the information they had gathered, there was a good chance that one of the camps Voldemort was using to train new Death Eaters would be able to be destroyed by the order.

  Dumbledore looked at the two men in front of him. "I have a couple of things to tell you, though, about what happened to Harry and the others."

  "Is he okay?" Sirius asked. "I know you said that he was fine yesterday, but that sentence just made me worry a little more than I have been."

  "He's fine, Sirius," the headmaster reassured him. The two men seated on the other side of the desk both sighed in relief.

  "Then what is it, Albus?" Remus asked.

  "Harry has developed stronger powers in the time that he was missing. At full strength I should say. Even more that what James would have been if he had lived a little longer."

  All three men were silent at the reminder of the Potters.

  "But," Dumbledore finally continued, "while he was gone, something made him mature a lot quicker than normal."

  "Did something happen?" Sirius asked, anxiety written on his face.

  Dumbledore opened his mouth to answer when the sound of the gargoyle moving alerted them to somebody entering the office. Sirius went back to his animagus form as the stairs could be heard moving up.

  "Albus?"

  Remus started. For a second there it had sounded like James the last time he had heard him. He watched as a tall, black haired man opened the door and walked forward. The man faced him fully and he sucked in a breath.

  It was Harry, but he was quite a bit different than the last time he had seen him during the holidays. He was a blend of his mother's eyes and chin, the green orbs no longer hidden by the glasses so reminiscent of James. But what startled him the most was the absence of the lightning-shaped scar that had been so much of his appearance.

  Sirius popped back into his natural form and gawked for a couple of seconds. The next he was swiftly moving towards Harry. "Thank god you're okay!"

  Harry laughed and returned the embrace of his godfather. He shot a look at Remus, then at Dumbledore. "How many times did he ask if I was okay?"

  Sirius pulled back, a mock-hurt look on his face as the other two men laughed.

  "Too many times, Harry," Remus answered as he stood. The older man found that Harry was now taller than him, an inch taller than what his father had been. The two shook hands before the three men settled down into chairs.

  Dumbledore smiled at them. "I believe that I will let Harry explain everything that has happened. I'm afraid that I would forget something if I told it."

  Harry laughed. "I think that *I* will forget something." He looked at the two men, his green eyes a little brighter now that they were not hidden behind the black oval frames of his glasses. "It started when I felt the chill of Dementors...."

  An hour and a half later, Sirius slumped back into his chair, a totally surprised look in his eyes. Remus looked stunned as Harry finally stopped talking.

  "Wow," Sirius finally breathed.

  Harry gave a small laugh. "You're not kidding." He looked at the desk and found Dumbledore had left sometime during his explanation. A glance at the small clock on the wall told that it was nearing lunchtime, as well as a rumbling from his stomach. Raising a sheepish face, he gave a bashful grin. "I think its time for lunch."

  Sirius and Remus both laughed, breaking the tension that had formed in the room.

  "I think that Albus is probably ready to get his office back as well," Remus said as he stood. He gave a swift glance at Sirius, who rolled his eyes before resuming his doggy form. "Shall we?"

  Harry nodded. "For lunch, I'll show you where I'll be staying and we can eat there."

  "Sounds good, Harry."