About half of the newspapers appeared to be Muggle papers from
allover England: Kent, Bristol, Manchester, London, there were even a few
from his own hometown. But what were they all doing here?
Harry continued searching. There were wizard newspapers too, but they weren't from the Daily Prophet. Harry picked one up and began to read it.
The Order has been working tirelessly to keep peace and yet we
are faced with another tragedy. In service to the Order our brother
John Figg died. Following her husband's death Arabella Figg re-swore
her allegiance to the Order. She is now stationing herself disguised
as a Muggle in a Muggle town. If you wish to contact her residence
will be on number 12 Privet Drive. She is posing as an ordinary Muggle
so if anyone from the Order needs to see her to relay any business
messages pertaining to the Order tell her in advance if possible and
be sure to appear as normal as possible to any Muggle who happens to
see you.
--Starliner
Harry looked to the top of the paper. The date was December 2.13 years ago! Who was Starliner? That didn't seem like a real name, probably a pseudonym. Harry looked to the name of the paper "Chickadee Press." Harry picked up more papers and looked through them. Some of the papers went back twenty years. The newest ones were no newer than fifteen or fourteen years.
Harry had intended to read a Muggle paper next to discover why they were there but left the Muggle papers where they were for the time being and continued with the wizard ones. The Chickadee Press papers appeared to mostly be written by Starliner, Featherflyer, Newhope, Bumblebee, and Dreamer. Harry picked up another by Starliner, October 11, fourteen years ago:
Things are becoming dangerous. Several members of the Order may
go into hiding soon. Some already have, those who know where any
brothers or sisters belonging to our Order are please, tell no one. If
their secrets are kept we can all continue to keep working. If we all
do our part peace can and will be restored to the wizarding world, if
not even the Muggles will know. Please, everyone keep up your work and
do your assignments to keep the others from coming to more harm. --
Starliner.
Harry looked up as he heard faint footsteps. The only other way out was the window, twenty feet up. Harry took out his wand and desperately tied to gain at least a few feet with a levitation spell, but nothing happened. With no other choice Harry ducked behind a stack of papers. He waited as the footsteps grew louder and he could hear muffled voices.
"Follow me."
"Why now? After so long."
"I wouldn't have called you all if it wasn't absolutely necessary."
"Hear that Fletcher? Listen to Albus."
"Thank you. Everyone, try not to breathe for a moment we are likely to encounter much dust." The Headmaster opened the door and didn't receive as much dust as he had expected.
Peering around from the newspapers Harry saw Dumbledore stick out an arm to stop someone from entering.
The man being held by Dumbledore asked, "What is wrong with you, man? Do not hold me back." He coughed. "Why haven't you kept this room clean? Its no more work than the twitch of a wand."
Someone behind him spoke. "Mundungus Fletcher, I'm surprised. Don't you remember that for the safe keeping of everyone here no magic can be used in this room?"
"I thought that was just a rule," replied Mundungus Fletcher.
Dumbledore spoke quietly. "No, the last spell successfully performed in this room was one that allowed no magic to work here. I stopped you all here because I wanted you to take note of something."
Silently Harry hoped no one had seen him.
"Do you see the footprints here in the dust? Do you see the dust that is missing from several newspapers? Someone was or is here. Wait." Dumbledore stepped inside. He followed the footprints to the stack of newspapers that Harry was behind.
Harry knew he would be found so he stood up. He put his wand down as a sign that he wasn't trying to hurt anyone.
The others had stepped in the room, eleven in all, Dumbledore included. Someone from the back spoke up, "He's a spy!"
Another spoke, "That's no spy! That's Harry Potter."
"Harry Potter?" asked another doubtfully.
Harry nodded.
Dumbledore looked to Harry, "What brings you here, Harry?"
"I was just looking around the school, walking. Then I found the room and I came to sit down for a while."
"Very well Harry. You may stay. Help us turnover these chairs."
Together the twelve of them each turned over a chair and they all sat down. Harry looked around at all of the solemn faces and was surprised at the number of them he recognized. There was Dumbledore, Sirius, Lupin, Mrs. Figg, Professor Delano, McGonagall, Snape, and the man that they had called Mundungus Fletcher. The other three he had never heard of or met.
Dumbledore cleared his throat. "You all know why we are here."
Harry looked up meekly, "I don't."
Sirius looked at him, "Harry, from the looks of it you've read a few of the papers from here. Didn't you understand them?"
Harry thought a moment. "I only read a few but the papers were from the dark days. They talked about going into hiding and deaths." He understood.
"Yes Voldemort has become powerful again Harry. You know this already though." Dumbledore went on to explain the escape of the prisoners of Azkaban, the departure of the Dementors, the attack on Harry and the capture of Neville. "Six of you have been members of the Order since before the end of the dark days. You other three are new."
Harry spoke up, "What is the Order?"
"We are the Order of the Phoenix, Harry. Sworn against Voldemort we work to restore peace."
"You said some members are new. Who are the others that aren't here now?"
"Were, Harry." Corrected Lupin. "Lily and James Potter, John Figg, the Longbottoms and Rosemarie."
"Who was she?"
"My sister," answered Snape.
Harry was shocked. He wasn't aware Snape had any sisters.
"Rosemarie was beautiful. She was kind and honest too. But because of this she easily deceived by black-hearted Death Eaters. Her husband never forgave himself for not being home when she was attacked. I wish I had been there for her, or one of us." Snape's voice was cold at the memory of his sister being tortured and killed.
Mrs. Figg patted his back. "Argus and you both need to forgive yourselves Severus."
"Alright, we must make some decisions," declared McGonagall. "Otherwise it will be necessary to meet again sooner than we planned."
One of the women spoke up. "That's right. Who's going to do the writing for the paper? Our two main journalists are no longer with us. Bella, will you continue writing? Albus? Jen?"
Arabella Figg nodded. "I'll do some of the writing but I can't do most of it."
Dumbledore shook his head, "I can't, not now. Maybe an occasional message or so but I am undergoing several projects for the Order."
"We understand," answered Professor Delano. "I can manage some but I was never as inspiring as Lily. Couldn't you do any of the writing Sirius? You were always good with words."
"I will. For the Order, for Lily and James, for Harry, I'll do it."
"Thank you."
"We need to update the list of people to send the papers to. Who can we trust?"
"No one," muttered Mundungus.
"Fletcher, if you're going to be negative we can manage without you, you know." Mrs. Figg gave him a severe look.
"Yes," said Snape. "Be careful with whom you trust because everyone's dangerous."
"I know that Severus, and some people shouldn't even be here," retorted Mundungus.
Severus snarled, "Fletcher I know you have your secrets."
Mrs. Figg stared at them bother severely. "Both of you cut it out. We all have our secrets, revealed in due time, should any of us choose to divulge them. Second chances exist; they should and are given so just deal with it. Now if neither of you can get back to the matter at hand you may both leave." Neither moved. "That's what I thought. Now, who do we know is trustworthy?"
"The Diggorys," replied Professor Delano firmly.
"What about the Diggles?"
"Yes, and the Brocktrees?"
"Most certainly. Of course the Ferrills as well."
Lupin stood. "This isn't going to get us anywhere. We're just coming up with random names. You could easily miss people. Start with the families of people from the school, then Ministry Officials, and on like that or we'll miss people."
"Absolutely," Mrs. Figg said. "Who do you recommend from school keep in mind that these should be families you have known and met so you know they can be trusted?"
"The Weaslys. And, if Muggle families are allowed, the Grangers," suggested Harry.
"Muggle contacts with wizard relatives are always helpful."
They spent hours running through the lists. Finally they were through. "Harry, don't talk to anyone about this."
"What about Ron and Hermione? Their families will know. Can't they? And what about Renata?"
Uneasy glances passed among the adults. "We hadn't intended for any students to know, Harry."
"The last time students discovered us we gained several members to the Order."
"Which turned out to be good."
"But at the same time, unfortunate."
"Yes, but back to the question."
"Potter," Snape said. "How do we know your friends can keep secrets?"
Dumbledore answered for him. "Severus," he stared hard at the potions master. "Ron and Hermione are loyal, as is Renata in addition to the fact that she the daughter of a member of the Order. They can be trusted. Is anyone hungry?" He instructed anyone who was hungry on the way to find the kitchen and whispered to Harry, "We missed dinner but you will find the house-elves are extremely helpful."
Not many members of the Order felt like staying around and those who did stay were teachers at Hogwarts and just decided to eat in their studies. So Harry was given time to think as he made his way down to the kitchens. He tickled the pear in the giant picture of fruit and stepped inside. Harry asked for a sandwich and something to drink and left with a sandwich, roasted corn, a brownie, a plate of chocolate cookies and a flagon of juice; the elves also wanted to add tea, biscuits, scones, and some other stuff but Harry said they had already given him more than he could eat.
Harry made the long trek back to Gryffindor Tower and was glad there was no Quiditch practice that night. He only had four hours before he had to meet the centaurs and he desperately needed to think. His walk had given him more to sort out rather than easing his mind.
He reached the common room and before Hermione and Renata could stop him Ron asked, "Where've you been Harry? It's been hours."
"Thinking. Talking. Listening."
"A little plainer please," said Renata.
He shook his head. They tried several times to get him to say what was on his mind but he refused to. Eventually they stopped bothering to try and talked about anything else. At last the appointed hour drew near.
"Harry you don't have much time until you need to go down to the forest," reminded Hermione.
"Are you sure you don't want us to come?" asked Ron.
"I need to go by myself," Harry told them firmly.
Renata sighed. "Then we'll be waiting here for you."
At eleven thirty Harry left the emptying common room to retrieve his invisibility cloak. Once up there he decided to take the sweater Mrs. Weasly had given him for Christmas as well, it would be cold outside.
He went back to the common room wearing both the sweater and the cloak. As they had agreed Renata was gone and would open the portrait door for him in a few minutes.
Harry waited by the door and when it opened he slipped past Renata as she whispered, "Good luck, Harry."
Harry walked the familiar paths out of the castle to the forest on the grounds. He came to the forest's edge with only two minutes to go until midnight. He waited. With only a minute to go and no lights on in Hagrid's hut Harry removed the invisibility cloak.
It wasn't long before a centaur came he stood there a moment. "Are you the one?" He asked Harry.
"Yes, I am."
"Follow me then. Stay close behind and do not stray. I am Nemacco"
Harry followed the dark brown centaur along the path, deeper into the forest than he had ever gone himself. They came upon a clearing.
There were already five centaurs in it: Aursula, Ronan, Bane, Firenze, and another female wearing a wreath of flowers around her neck.
"Welcome Harry Potter. Tonight you shall hear the true tale of our coming to this forest and of your fate."
Six more centaurs joined the six there; the females wore garlands around their necks and they had flowers braided in their hair. When they were all present they assembled in a circle, with Aursula standing in the center. She beckoned to Harry and the circle opened to let him through.
She spoke in a clear voice. "It is time for you to know the tail that brings us here tonight."
"I know the story, you told it in class."
"That is not the true story. The true tale begins with the coming of the founders. We were already here but prepared to move when the founders arrived. Godric Gryffindor came to our leader of the time saying he wished us to stay guarding the forest from those unfriendly. In those days the forest itself was safe, a haven to unicorns and any other animal with no defense. We agreed to stay. Years later Godric came to us again. Trouble had been rising within the school and the forest and the lake. He was planning to do something within the school to help ease the danger though he would not tell us what. In the lake a guardian had been summoned from the deeps, a Kraken was called and given the task of protecting the lake and those who dwelt beneath its waters. But the forest was growing steadily dangerous from forces growing within it and others coming in from outside.
"Godric pleaded for our help and we could not refuse. We promised to forever stand guard here watchful for all time, never ceasing in our vigilance. When we agreed he told our leader there would be times of peace but also times when we would be called upon for aide. Five times, would we said he: himself, Godric; twice during the wars; then by a young man with many cares on he shoulders; and another young man. He told us of the fifth time. The young man would be of his bloodline, appearance in resemblance to his own, and with the weight of the world on his shoulders at such a young age. Thus was the fifth part of the prophecy."
"What did the stars say about me?" Harry was beginning to feel nervous.
"Patience. It is not one of your virtues but something you must indeed learn young one," came the gentle voice of another centaur, an older one.
Aursula looked to the centaur that had spoken. "The very words I would have spoken, mother." She turned back to Harry. "You are playing with a double edged sword here, Harry Potter; if you're not careful you'll be sliced to pieces. You must be very careful.
"The stars predicted one would come who seemed almost able to outsmart death itself. Some here felt you should meet Death to see if you could beat it, him, or her whatever the case may be and see if you would win the battle of wits. Do not fret, we have decided against that at such a time. You will have trials ahead of you. Do not turn down the help of those who care for you. Remember also: Keep your friends close, your enemies closer, and your true friends closest. Help those who cannot help themselves. In this world no one is ever truly alone but when danger is near it must be the sound of your own voice that soothes you. Go now in peace. Amicari will guide you safely back."
"You said you would speak to me of my fate laid out by the stars?"
"I have told you overmuch already but for the sake of you and the others I shall look to the stars and see what I may." All twelve centaurs looked to the sky. They stared for moments never blinking. At last Aursula and the others lowered their heads. "Peculiar. The dragon and the dog are both unusually bright tonight. And the serpent is shaking violently. Mars seems to glow contently. War is to come. This is all I can say for now. Good luck stay with you."
The centaur known as Amicari, the youngest of them there, walked with Harry. When they were out of earshot the centaur turned to him. "Are you scared? I would be. I'm not brave like my Aunt Aursula or my dad or uncles. Do you have friends? The only other centaur in our group that's my age is really mean and she doesn't like me at all. She wasn't here tonight, a lot of centaurs from the forest here weren't." He appeared to be quite the chatterbox.
"I've got friends but I would never put them in danger by taking them anywhere if I thought someone was after me."
"Must be great to have friends. Always looking out for you. Wanting to help you. Share secrets. Must be great."
He had never really thought about it before. At the Dursleys he had no one but at Hogwarts he was always used to having friends around. "I guess you're right."
"You guess I am? I am! I wish I had friends. My uncles are great company but they don't really understand me that well. Do you have any uncles?"
"One, and he's rotten."
"I've got two. Bane and Firenze. They are really different from each other. Bane- Wait!" he stopped Harry. "Look the castle is right up there and I was supposed to go back when we got to the edge of the Forest. Goodbye Harry!" He waved cheerfully back then galloped off into the woods.
Harry put on his invisibility cloak and thought about Amicari for a while. He was different than the other centaurs. He seemed speak more freely. Everything the other centaurs said sounded so formal. He also seemed lonely.
It reminded him of what Aursula had said. But Harry knew that as willing as they would be to face anything that came by Harry he couldn't let them help him. Harry yawned and stumbled on in exhaustion. He was nearly at the Tower and he pulled off the cloak. He approached the Fat Lady. "Fish wings." He had to say it several times before the Fat Lady woke up and heard him. Then she was very grumpy and demanded to know if he was aware of the time. He wasn't and he didn't care, he stepped inside.
He looked over and saw his friends asleep in the armchairs where they had been waiting. Harry smiled, fell down, and fell asleep.
"Harry!" whispered a voice. "Wake up!"
"Wha-?"
"Sssh! You'll wake them up." Ron jerked his head at the other crimson beds where evidently Seamus and Dean were sleeping. "I'll talk to you later but put your pajamas on before you fall back to sleep." Ron crept back over to his bed.
Harry looked at his watch and realized it was three in the morning. He put on his pajamas. The last thing he remembered was coming in the common room late and finding his friends had fallen asleep waiting up for him. Then he fell asleep in the common room too. So why was he in the dorm. He was still tired and decided questions could and would wait. He pulled the blankets back over his head.
When Harry woke up again, at a much more reasonable hour he sought out Ron. He found him downstairs in the common room.
"Okay so what happened last night?" asked Harry.
"Why are you asking us?" Hermione frowned. "I think we were all asleep when you came in."
"You were."
"Then how did we all get upstairs?" asked Ron.
Renata smiled. "We were all asleep, Harry. You didn't come in until nearly three in the morning, after all. When you came in you must have been tired. You fell on the floor and immediately started snoozing. The noise woke me up. I used a mobilizing spell. Mobilicorpus actually, quite handy too; its a favorite of mine. When I woke up and saw that all three of you were asleep, Hermione and Ron on chairs and you on the ground I couldn't very well leave you all there. One by one I used the spell to bring you all up to the dorms. Then when I was done I used a calling charm on Ron to make him go to the door, he'd wake up, see that he was in his robes, change and tell Harry to change. When I brought Hermione upstairs I told her to put her pajamas on. Now I've got questions. What happened with the centaurs?"
Harry told them all about the conversations he had had the night before.
"Amicari seems interesting. Poor thing's got no friends though," Renata commented.
"He was the only one who didn't talk so formally."
"Hmmm.you should be honored you know."
"Why is that, Hermione?"
"Well they didn't trust the rest of us the real story of why they were in the forest but they told you."
"They told Harry because they think he's part of a prophecy."
"Don't you think he's part of the prophecy?"
"I think he could be."
"I'm not so sure that he is. Renata?"
"Its always a possibility."
Harry's face colored. "I'll come back when you've all finished deciding who I am!"
"Aw don't take it so hard Harry," Renata chuckled grabbing his arm pulling him back down to his seat. "Okay now what did they mean when they were talking about you and death?"
"Something about me outsmarting it, or him or her, or whatever the case may be." They all gave him weird looks. "That's how Aursula said it last night. Then she said that some of them that were there thought that I should face Death in a battle of wits but the majority of them said I wasn't ready to."
"So the way they are putting it Death is an actually being and not an event or concept," Renata remarked.
"Er-I guess," answered Harry.
"And for this temporary time that you are agreeing with me I would like to point out that Aursula said you should accept our help," Renata told him.
"What do you mean 'temporary time I'm agreeing with you'? Forget it. I'm not going to let any of you get hurt because of me."
"Harry," Renata looked at him with an odd amusement in her eyes. "To quote the great Meriadoc Brandybuck. 'We're coming with you or following like hounds.' And as Peregrin Took told Elrond, 'Master Elrond you will have to lock me in prison or send me home tied in a sack, for otherwise I shall follow the Company.' Replacing 'Master Elrond' with 'Harry' and 'the Company' with 'you' that is of course."
"Merry and Pippin, followed and they were trouble makers," Harry pointed out.
"Useful trouble makers," pointed out Renata.
Harry sighed, not saying anything.
Renata straightened in her seat and smiled. "Good. I win."
Hermione and Ron were feeling left out, "Let's go down to breakfast and then take a walk around the lake."
"Alright."
"Sure."
"Fine by me."
"Great then let's go." They went down to breakfast. On the way they passed Alicia, Angelina, and Katie.
Harry told his friends. "I forgot to tell them we've got practice this afternoon."
Renata laughed. "Scatterbrain."
Harry went over to the girls. "We've got practice today. Which is better for the three of you? After lunch or after dinner?"
"After dinner, Harry."
"Thanks for asking, Harry."
"See you later Harry."
"Bye!" Harry went back over to where Renata was standing with Ron and Hermione. "Remind me to tell Fred and George about practice."
"Didn't you tell anyone when practice was?"
"I think I told you."
"No you didn't."
"Be happy I don't have Saturday practice at the crack of dawn like Wood used to."
"What's wrong with early morning flying? That's how I started most of my days back home. But then again you can't have an early practice when don't come in until three thirty in the morning."
"I thought you said three."
"Same-diff." Renata shrugged.
Ron and Harry simultaneously asked, "What do you mean 'same-diff'?"
"Different but close enough to be counted as the same when you don't t really care to much about accuracy when you talk. It's a saying of mine from home."
Three quarters of an hour later the four of them were circling the lake. "Well my guess is the lake guardian, the Kraken they talked about is the giant squid."
"And the centaurs guard the forest."
"So what's guarding the castle, Hermione?"
"Why do you ask me, Ron?" she blushed slightly.
"You've read Hogwarts, a History so you know more stuff than we do about the school."
"Oh. Well, the school is unplottable so it can't be put on a map. You can't Apperate in or out of it. The enchanted ceiling in the Great Hall mirrors the sky outside so an air departure or entering could be seen. What else is there.well that's all I can think of but none of those seem likely to be what Godric did to guard the castle. At least, they aren't what the centaurs were talking about. Whatever they were talking about had to have come at a great personal sacrifice from Godric himself."
"Yeah, but the problem is figuring out how to find out what it is."
They sat beneath a tree, silent for a time.
Throwing a stone into the lake Ron asked, "Harry, are you going to tell us what yesterday was about, so we can help you?"
"No, I don't want any of you hurt. I want Voldemort dead." His words weighed heavily as he spoke but he meant every one of them. "He has torn apart too many families, he has ruined too many lives, and he has killed too many innocents." Memories and visions once known to him passed through his mind's eye: his parents, Sirius's torturous years in Azkaban, Neville's parents, Neville, Cedric, Snape's sister, Filch who would never forgive himself for his wife's death, the twelve Muggles that Peter Pettigrew killed, Bertha Jorkins, Frank Bryce, all the victims. "It stops here! He won't get away with anymore of it!"
For two hours Harry sat in silence, his friends not moving or speaking either. Harry's expression was grim. He was worse than angry. Leaning against the tree fuming, he fell asleep.
He woke to almost inaudible whispers an hour later. He kept his eyes shut and listened.
"We know what's on his mind now. Let's talk to him," Renata reasoned.
"He can't know we listened to his thoughts while he was asleep, he's our friend; we shouldn't have, it's not right," Hermione said.
"Why not? He doesn't need special treatment. Besides two hours of silence watching his seething face is not pleasant."
"Its wrong to listen to people's thoughts! If he wanted us to know any of this he would have said something, Renata. I'm sure he had reasons for not telling us about yesterday."
Harry didn't hear Ron's voice but knew he must have taken part because the girls didn't know how to perform the mind reading spell.
"So what do we do now? Pretend we don't know what we heard?"
"No, that won't work."
Ron's voice came in at last. "Shut-up! He just blinked, he's awake."
"Spying on us, Potter?" asked Renata crossly. She kicked him on his side. "Yes I know you listened to conversations in the hospital by pretending you were still asleep. You don't trust us. Why didn't you tell us anything about yesterday? Why don't you trust us? Why not? And another thing, do you think we don't understand? You aren't the only Voldemort's caused pain but I guess you know that too. Yeah, see if I want to be on your Quiditch team. We're your best friends and you can't just not talk to us like that.
"Well you know what? You can't afford to lose us because we are your friends. That's why we can talk to you like this and tell you the truth, because we are your friends! Being alone or hanging out with other people, the ones you trust even less than you trust us is your only other option. So go on! Choose! But if you choose us it doesn't necessarily mean we'll take you back, Harry, because d' you know what, Harry? We might not forgive you. You are untrusting, impatient, and pigheaded! And arrogant!" With an angry flare in her smoldering eyes she stormed away at a deliberately slow pace with her head high.
Harry reached for his wand, perhaps to use the Impediment Curse (a spell he learned last year to slow things down), or perhaps he wanted give her jelly legs and make her fall over. Maybe he would stun her so he wouldn't have to listen to her. All three options had appeal, however he did not get a chance to test any of them. As he reached out for his wand Ron grabbed it and stepped aside.
Harry was so upset his patience was completely gone. He lost it and the ground around them and Renata shook. He was unnerved for a minute. The last time he had lost his temper and done magic like that without meaning to and without his wand.it was never good. The last time he had done that he had blown up his aunt after having shattered a glass in her hands only a few nights before. Renata, may have been a bit shaken up seeing as the ground beneath her had just had a large upheaval but she didn't let it show and she walked on indifferently as she had before.
Harry started yelling, at no one in particular, but because Ron and Hermione were the ones still standing there they were his targets. "Who does she think she is? Telling me what to do! She had no right to go listen to my head! Of course I trust my friends but it doesn't mean I tell them everything! What am I supposed to do keep paper with me so I can write notes on everything anyone says to me and hand out copies to everyone? Of course I care about my friends! Who does she think she is? Ron, why did you tell her how to read minds?"
"I didn't! I didn't know this until today but she read you Divination book when you were in the hospital," Ron yelled back.
"Why didn't either of you try to stop her? I thought you were my friends."
Hermione responded. "Harry, we are your friends and so is she. If you." She didn't finish the sentence.
"What?" Harry barked.
"Harry, we couldn't stop her once we realized what she was doing. If we did try you could have seriously been hurt," Ron tried to keep his voice level.
"Really, Ron? Would you like me to tell Hermione what you think of her? Oh, and Hermione, I heard you and Renata talking the night after I was out of the hospital."
Hermione and Ron were both upset now. They took their wands, and his, with them and left; turning back to him just long enough to send Harry into the topmost branches of the tree and to take his wand with them.
Harry couldn't do anything and waited in the tree. Harry, at this point discovered that unfortunately hindsight is usually 20/20. All his friends were now mad at him, he didn't have his wand, and he was stuck in a tree. Although, considering his present mood maybe it was a good thing he didn't have his wand with him. It was Harry's misfortune that the first people to pass by the tree were a group of Slytherins.
"Potter! What are you doing in a tree? Look everyone! Potter here thinks he's a birdie!"
"Sing us a song, birdie!"
"Tweet, tweet!"
The jeering calls went on for nearly ten minutes. Fred and George came out of the castle. "Halloo! Who's that in the tree?"
George answered his twin's question. "Its Harry!"
Harry had been ignoring the Slytherins but he couldn't help feeling hopeful that Fred or George would get him down.
"A little help would be nice," called Harry.
"Where's your wand?"
"How did you get up there?"
"Hermione and Ron played a trick on me and took my wand and sent me to these branches. Will you help or not?"
"What do you think, Fred?"
"I don't know, George? Should we help the bloke out?"
"I think so."
"Alright you feather brains out of the way." They shoved aside the Slytherins at the base of the tree.
"Go on now."
"Harry, how exactly do you want us to help you down? You're pretty high up you know."
"Gee, I hadn't noticed," he called sarcastically.
"If you're going to be like that we can invite your Slytherin buds back over here."
"Sounds fine with me," said Fred. The walked away and told the Slytherins they could go back then stood around the tree themselves.
It was another ten minutes before Hagrid came out of his hut and came over, seeing the group huddled around the tree.
"What's this?"
"Hagrid could you help me down? Please?"
"Harry? Alrigh'. You lot, get!" He shooed away the Slytherins. Fred and George were leaving too but he grabbed them by the collars. "No yeh don't!" He grabbed one of them and hoisted him on his shoulders so he could get to Harry. Fred helped to pull Harry down. Hagrid then told the twins to get going to dinner. Harry said he'd rather stay outside. "C'mon we'll go have some tea." They walked back. "So what was that about?"
"I got in a fight with Ron, Hermione, and Renata. Renata stormed off and then Ron and Hermione took my wand and sent me into the tree."
"Must've been bad ter make 'em all mad at yeh."
"I guess."
"Yeh wanna talk about it, Harry?"
"Not really right now, Hagrid."
"'kay, jus' askin'. Always open down here if yeh need an ear, Harry."
"I know Hagrid. Thanks."
"Anytime yeh know."
"Thanks. I'm going back to the castle now."
Harry continued searching. There were wizard newspapers too, but they weren't from the Daily Prophet. Harry picked one up and began to read it.
The Order has been working tirelessly to keep peace and yet we
are faced with another tragedy. In service to the Order our brother
John Figg died. Following her husband's death Arabella Figg re-swore
her allegiance to the Order. She is now stationing herself disguised
as a Muggle in a Muggle town. If you wish to contact her residence
will be on number 12 Privet Drive. She is posing as an ordinary Muggle
so if anyone from the Order needs to see her to relay any business
messages pertaining to the Order tell her in advance if possible and
be sure to appear as normal as possible to any Muggle who happens to
see you.
--Starliner
Harry looked to the top of the paper. The date was December 2.13 years ago! Who was Starliner? That didn't seem like a real name, probably a pseudonym. Harry looked to the name of the paper "Chickadee Press." Harry picked up more papers and looked through them. Some of the papers went back twenty years. The newest ones were no newer than fifteen or fourteen years.
Harry had intended to read a Muggle paper next to discover why they were there but left the Muggle papers where they were for the time being and continued with the wizard ones. The Chickadee Press papers appeared to mostly be written by Starliner, Featherflyer, Newhope, Bumblebee, and Dreamer. Harry picked up another by Starliner, October 11, fourteen years ago:
Things are becoming dangerous. Several members of the Order may
go into hiding soon. Some already have, those who know where any
brothers or sisters belonging to our Order are please, tell no one. If
their secrets are kept we can all continue to keep working. If we all
do our part peace can and will be restored to the wizarding world, if
not even the Muggles will know. Please, everyone keep up your work and
do your assignments to keep the others from coming to more harm. --
Starliner.
Harry looked up as he heard faint footsteps. The only other way out was the window, twenty feet up. Harry took out his wand and desperately tied to gain at least a few feet with a levitation spell, but nothing happened. With no other choice Harry ducked behind a stack of papers. He waited as the footsteps grew louder and he could hear muffled voices.
"Follow me."
"Why now? After so long."
"I wouldn't have called you all if it wasn't absolutely necessary."
"Hear that Fletcher? Listen to Albus."
"Thank you. Everyone, try not to breathe for a moment we are likely to encounter much dust." The Headmaster opened the door and didn't receive as much dust as he had expected.
Peering around from the newspapers Harry saw Dumbledore stick out an arm to stop someone from entering.
The man being held by Dumbledore asked, "What is wrong with you, man? Do not hold me back." He coughed. "Why haven't you kept this room clean? Its no more work than the twitch of a wand."
Someone behind him spoke. "Mundungus Fletcher, I'm surprised. Don't you remember that for the safe keeping of everyone here no magic can be used in this room?"
"I thought that was just a rule," replied Mundungus Fletcher.
Dumbledore spoke quietly. "No, the last spell successfully performed in this room was one that allowed no magic to work here. I stopped you all here because I wanted you to take note of something."
Silently Harry hoped no one had seen him.
"Do you see the footprints here in the dust? Do you see the dust that is missing from several newspapers? Someone was or is here. Wait." Dumbledore stepped inside. He followed the footprints to the stack of newspapers that Harry was behind.
Harry knew he would be found so he stood up. He put his wand down as a sign that he wasn't trying to hurt anyone.
The others had stepped in the room, eleven in all, Dumbledore included. Someone from the back spoke up, "He's a spy!"
Another spoke, "That's no spy! That's Harry Potter."
"Harry Potter?" asked another doubtfully.
Harry nodded.
Dumbledore looked to Harry, "What brings you here, Harry?"
"I was just looking around the school, walking. Then I found the room and I came to sit down for a while."
"Very well Harry. You may stay. Help us turnover these chairs."
Together the twelve of them each turned over a chair and they all sat down. Harry looked around at all of the solemn faces and was surprised at the number of them he recognized. There was Dumbledore, Sirius, Lupin, Mrs. Figg, Professor Delano, McGonagall, Snape, and the man that they had called Mundungus Fletcher. The other three he had never heard of or met.
Dumbledore cleared his throat. "You all know why we are here."
Harry looked up meekly, "I don't."
Sirius looked at him, "Harry, from the looks of it you've read a few of the papers from here. Didn't you understand them?"
Harry thought a moment. "I only read a few but the papers were from the dark days. They talked about going into hiding and deaths." He understood.
"Yes Voldemort has become powerful again Harry. You know this already though." Dumbledore went on to explain the escape of the prisoners of Azkaban, the departure of the Dementors, the attack on Harry and the capture of Neville. "Six of you have been members of the Order since before the end of the dark days. You other three are new."
Harry spoke up, "What is the Order?"
"We are the Order of the Phoenix, Harry. Sworn against Voldemort we work to restore peace."
"You said some members are new. Who are the others that aren't here now?"
"Were, Harry." Corrected Lupin. "Lily and James Potter, John Figg, the Longbottoms and Rosemarie."
"Who was she?"
"My sister," answered Snape.
Harry was shocked. He wasn't aware Snape had any sisters.
"Rosemarie was beautiful. She was kind and honest too. But because of this she easily deceived by black-hearted Death Eaters. Her husband never forgave himself for not being home when she was attacked. I wish I had been there for her, or one of us." Snape's voice was cold at the memory of his sister being tortured and killed.
Mrs. Figg patted his back. "Argus and you both need to forgive yourselves Severus."
"Alright, we must make some decisions," declared McGonagall. "Otherwise it will be necessary to meet again sooner than we planned."
One of the women spoke up. "That's right. Who's going to do the writing for the paper? Our two main journalists are no longer with us. Bella, will you continue writing? Albus? Jen?"
Arabella Figg nodded. "I'll do some of the writing but I can't do most of it."
Dumbledore shook his head, "I can't, not now. Maybe an occasional message or so but I am undergoing several projects for the Order."
"We understand," answered Professor Delano. "I can manage some but I was never as inspiring as Lily. Couldn't you do any of the writing Sirius? You were always good with words."
"I will. For the Order, for Lily and James, for Harry, I'll do it."
"Thank you."
"We need to update the list of people to send the papers to. Who can we trust?"
"No one," muttered Mundungus.
"Fletcher, if you're going to be negative we can manage without you, you know." Mrs. Figg gave him a severe look.
"Yes," said Snape. "Be careful with whom you trust because everyone's dangerous."
"I know that Severus, and some people shouldn't even be here," retorted Mundungus.
Severus snarled, "Fletcher I know you have your secrets."
Mrs. Figg stared at them bother severely. "Both of you cut it out. We all have our secrets, revealed in due time, should any of us choose to divulge them. Second chances exist; they should and are given so just deal with it. Now if neither of you can get back to the matter at hand you may both leave." Neither moved. "That's what I thought. Now, who do we know is trustworthy?"
"The Diggorys," replied Professor Delano firmly.
"What about the Diggles?"
"Yes, and the Brocktrees?"
"Most certainly. Of course the Ferrills as well."
Lupin stood. "This isn't going to get us anywhere. We're just coming up with random names. You could easily miss people. Start with the families of people from the school, then Ministry Officials, and on like that or we'll miss people."
"Absolutely," Mrs. Figg said. "Who do you recommend from school keep in mind that these should be families you have known and met so you know they can be trusted?"
"The Weaslys. And, if Muggle families are allowed, the Grangers," suggested Harry.
"Muggle contacts with wizard relatives are always helpful."
They spent hours running through the lists. Finally they were through. "Harry, don't talk to anyone about this."
"What about Ron and Hermione? Their families will know. Can't they? And what about Renata?"
Uneasy glances passed among the adults. "We hadn't intended for any students to know, Harry."
"The last time students discovered us we gained several members to the Order."
"Which turned out to be good."
"But at the same time, unfortunate."
"Yes, but back to the question."
"Potter," Snape said. "How do we know your friends can keep secrets?"
Dumbledore answered for him. "Severus," he stared hard at the potions master. "Ron and Hermione are loyal, as is Renata in addition to the fact that she the daughter of a member of the Order. They can be trusted. Is anyone hungry?" He instructed anyone who was hungry on the way to find the kitchen and whispered to Harry, "We missed dinner but you will find the house-elves are extremely helpful."
Not many members of the Order felt like staying around and those who did stay were teachers at Hogwarts and just decided to eat in their studies. So Harry was given time to think as he made his way down to the kitchens. He tickled the pear in the giant picture of fruit and stepped inside. Harry asked for a sandwich and something to drink and left with a sandwich, roasted corn, a brownie, a plate of chocolate cookies and a flagon of juice; the elves also wanted to add tea, biscuits, scones, and some other stuff but Harry said they had already given him more than he could eat.
Harry made the long trek back to Gryffindor Tower and was glad there was no Quiditch practice that night. He only had four hours before he had to meet the centaurs and he desperately needed to think. His walk had given him more to sort out rather than easing his mind.
He reached the common room and before Hermione and Renata could stop him Ron asked, "Where've you been Harry? It's been hours."
"Thinking. Talking. Listening."
"A little plainer please," said Renata.
He shook his head. They tried several times to get him to say what was on his mind but he refused to. Eventually they stopped bothering to try and talked about anything else. At last the appointed hour drew near.
"Harry you don't have much time until you need to go down to the forest," reminded Hermione.
"Are you sure you don't want us to come?" asked Ron.
"I need to go by myself," Harry told them firmly.
Renata sighed. "Then we'll be waiting here for you."
At eleven thirty Harry left the emptying common room to retrieve his invisibility cloak. Once up there he decided to take the sweater Mrs. Weasly had given him for Christmas as well, it would be cold outside.
He went back to the common room wearing both the sweater and the cloak. As they had agreed Renata was gone and would open the portrait door for him in a few minutes.
Harry waited by the door and when it opened he slipped past Renata as she whispered, "Good luck, Harry."
Harry walked the familiar paths out of the castle to the forest on the grounds. He came to the forest's edge with only two minutes to go until midnight. He waited. With only a minute to go and no lights on in Hagrid's hut Harry removed the invisibility cloak.
It wasn't long before a centaur came he stood there a moment. "Are you the one?" He asked Harry.
"Yes, I am."
"Follow me then. Stay close behind and do not stray. I am Nemacco"
Harry followed the dark brown centaur along the path, deeper into the forest than he had ever gone himself. They came upon a clearing.
There were already five centaurs in it: Aursula, Ronan, Bane, Firenze, and another female wearing a wreath of flowers around her neck.
"Welcome Harry Potter. Tonight you shall hear the true tale of our coming to this forest and of your fate."
Six more centaurs joined the six there; the females wore garlands around their necks and they had flowers braided in their hair. When they were all present they assembled in a circle, with Aursula standing in the center. She beckoned to Harry and the circle opened to let him through.
She spoke in a clear voice. "It is time for you to know the tail that brings us here tonight."
"I know the story, you told it in class."
"That is not the true story. The true tale begins with the coming of the founders. We were already here but prepared to move when the founders arrived. Godric Gryffindor came to our leader of the time saying he wished us to stay guarding the forest from those unfriendly. In those days the forest itself was safe, a haven to unicorns and any other animal with no defense. We agreed to stay. Years later Godric came to us again. Trouble had been rising within the school and the forest and the lake. He was planning to do something within the school to help ease the danger though he would not tell us what. In the lake a guardian had been summoned from the deeps, a Kraken was called and given the task of protecting the lake and those who dwelt beneath its waters. But the forest was growing steadily dangerous from forces growing within it and others coming in from outside.
"Godric pleaded for our help and we could not refuse. We promised to forever stand guard here watchful for all time, never ceasing in our vigilance. When we agreed he told our leader there would be times of peace but also times when we would be called upon for aide. Five times, would we said he: himself, Godric; twice during the wars; then by a young man with many cares on he shoulders; and another young man. He told us of the fifth time. The young man would be of his bloodline, appearance in resemblance to his own, and with the weight of the world on his shoulders at such a young age. Thus was the fifth part of the prophecy."
"What did the stars say about me?" Harry was beginning to feel nervous.
"Patience. It is not one of your virtues but something you must indeed learn young one," came the gentle voice of another centaur, an older one.
Aursula looked to the centaur that had spoken. "The very words I would have spoken, mother." She turned back to Harry. "You are playing with a double edged sword here, Harry Potter; if you're not careful you'll be sliced to pieces. You must be very careful.
"The stars predicted one would come who seemed almost able to outsmart death itself. Some here felt you should meet Death to see if you could beat it, him, or her whatever the case may be and see if you would win the battle of wits. Do not fret, we have decided against that at such a time. You will have trials ahead of you. Do not turn down the help of those who care for you. Remember also: Keep your friends close, your enemies closer, and your true friends closest. Help those who cannot help themselves. In this world no one is ever truly alone but when danger is near it must be the sound of your own voice that soothes you. Go now in peace. Amicari will guide you safely back."
"You said you would speak to me of my fate laid out by the stars?"
"I have told you overmuch already but for the sake of you and the others I shall look to the stars and see what I may." All twelve centaurs looked to the sky. They stared for moments never blinking. At last Aursula and the others lowered their heads. "Peculiar. The dragon and the dog are both unusually bright tonight. And the serpent is shaking violently. Mars seems to glow contently. War is to come. This is all I can say for now. Good luck stay with you."
The centaur known as Amicari, the youngest of them there, walked with Harry. When they were out of earshot the centaur turned to him. "Are you scared? I would be. I'm not brave like my Aunt Aursula or my dad or uncles. Do you have friends? The only other centaur in our group that's my age is really mean and she doesn't like me at all. She wasn't here tonight, a lot of centaurs from the forest here weren't." He appeared to be quite the chatterbox.
"I've got friends but I would never put them in danger by taking them anywhere if I thought someone was after me."
"Must be great to have friends. Always looking out for you. Wanting to help you. Share secrets. Must be great."
He had never really thought about it before. At the Dursleys he had no one but at Hogwarts he was always used to having friends around. "I guess you're right."
"You guess I am? I am! I wish I had friends. My uncles are great company but they don't really understand me that well. Do you have any uncles?"
"One, and he's rotten."
"I've got two. Bane and Firenze. They are really different from each other. Bane- Wait!" he stopped Harry. "Look the castle is right up there and I was supposed to go back when we got to the edge of the Forest. Goodbye Harry!" He waved cheerfully back then galloped off into the woods.
Harry put on his invisibility cloak and thought about Amicari for a while. He was different than the other centaurs. He seemed speak more freely. Everything the other centaurs said sounded so formal. He also seemed lonely.
It reminded him of what Aursula had said. But Harry knew that as willing as they would be to face anything that came by Harry he couldn't let them help him. Harry yawned and stumbled on in exhaustion. He was nearly at the Tower and he pulled off the cloak. He approached the Fat Lady. "Fish wings." He had to say it several times before the Fat Lady woke up and heard him. Then she was very grumpy and demanded to know if he was aware of the time. He wasn't and he didn't care, he stepped inside.
He looked over and saw his friends asleep in the armchairs where they had been waiting. Harry smiled, fell down, and fell asleep.
"Harry!" whispered a voice. "Wake up!"
"Wha-?"
"Sssh! You'll wake them up." Ron jerked his head at the other crimson beds where evidently Seamus and Dean were sleeping. "I'll talk to you later but put your pajamas on before you fall back to sleep." Ron crept back over to his bed.
Harry looked at his watch and realized it was three in the morning. He put on his pajamas. The last thing he remembered was coming in the common room late and finding his friends had fallen asleep waiting up for him. Then he fell asleep in the common room too. So why was he in the dorm. He was still tired and decided questions could and would wait. He pulled the blankets back over his head.
When Harry woke up again, at a much more reasonable hour he sought out Ron. He found him downstairs in the common room.
"Okay so what happened last night?" asked Harry.
"Why are you asking us?" Hermione frowned. "I think we were all asleep when you came in."
"You were."
"Then how did we all get upstairs?" asked Ron.
Renata smiled. "We were all asleep, Harry. You didn't come in until nearly three in the morning, after all. When you came in you must have been tired. You fell on the floor and immediately started snoozing. The noise woke me up. I used a mobilizing spell. Mobilicorpus actually, quite handy too; its a favorite of mine. When I woke up and saw that all three of you were asleep, Hermione and Ron on chairs and you on the ground I couldn't very well leave you all there. One by one I used the spell to bring you all up to the dorms. Then when I was done I used a calling charm on Ron to make him go to the door, he'd wake up, see that he was in his robes, change and tell Harry to change. When I brought Hermione upstairs I told her to put her pajamas on. Now I've got questions. What happened with the centaurs?"
Harry told them all about the conversations he had had the night before.
"Amicari seems interesting. Poor thing's got no friends though," Renata commented.
"He was the only one who didn't talk so formally."
"Hmmm.you should be honored you know."
"Why is that, Hermione?"
"Well they didn't trust the rest of us the real story of why they were in the forest but they told you."
"They told Harry because they think he's part of a prophecy."
"Don't you think he's part of the prophecy?"
"I think he could be."
"I'm not so sure that he is. Renata?"
"Its always a possibility."
Harry's face colored. "I'll come back when you've all finished deciding who I am!"
"Aw don't take it so hard Harry," Renata chuckled grabbing his arm pulling him back down to his seat. "Okay now what did they mean when they were talking about you and death?"
"Something about me outsmarting it, or him or her, or whatever the case may be." They all gave him weird looks. "That's how Aursula said it last night. Then she said that some of them that were there thought that I should face Death in a battle of wits but the majority of them said I wasn't ready to."
"So the way they are putting it Death is an actually being and not an event or concept," Renata remarked.
"Er-I guess," answered Harry.
"And for this temporary time that you are agreeing with me I would like to point out that Aursula said you should accept our help," Renata told him.
"What do you mean 'temporary time I'm agreeing with you'? Forget it. I'm not going to let any of you get hurt because of me."
"Harry," Renata looked at him with an odd amusement in her eyes. "To quote the great Meriadoc Brandybuck. 'We're coming with you or following like hounds.' And as Peregrin Took told Elrond, 'Master Elrond you will have to lock me in prison or send me home tied in a sack, for otherwise I shall follow the Company.' Replacing 'Master Elrond' with 'Harry' and 'the Company' with 'you' that is of course."
"Merry and Pippin, followed and they were trouble makers," Harry pointed out.
"Useful trouble makers," pointed out Renata.
Harry sighed, not saying anything.
Renata straightened in her seat and smiled. "Good. I win."
Hermione and Ron were feeling left out, "Let's go down to breakfast and then take a walk around the lake."
"Alright."
"Sure."
"Fine by me."
"Great then let's go." They went down to breakfast. On the way they passed Alicia, Angelina, and Katie.
Harry told his friends. "I forgot to tell them we've got practice this afternoon."
Renata laughed. "Scatterbrain."
Harry went over to the girls. "We've got practice today. Which is better for the three of you? After lunch or after dinner?"
"After dinner, Harry."
"Thanks for asking, Harry."
"See you later Harry."
"Bye!" Harry went back over to where Renata was standing with Ron and Hermione. "Remind me to tell Fred and George about practice."
"Didn't you tell anyone when practice was?"
"I think I told you."
"No you didn't."
"Be happy I don't have Saturday practice at the crack of dawn like Wood used to."
"What's wrong with early morning flying? That's how I started most of my days back home. But then again you can't have an early practice when don't come in until three thirty in the morning."
"I thought you said three."
"Same-diff." Renata shrugged.
Ron and Harry simultaneously asked, "What do you mean 'same-diff'?"
"Different but close enough to be counted as the same when you don't t really care to much about accuracy when you talk. It's a saying of mine from home."
Three quarters of an hour later the four of them were circling the lake. "Well my guess is the lake guardian, the Kraken they talked about is the giant squid."
"And the centaurs guard the forest."
"So what's guarding the castle, Hermione?"
"Why do you ask me, Ron?" she blushed slightly.
"You've read Hogwarts, a History so you know more stuff than we do about the school."
"Oh. Well, the school is unplottable so it can't be put on a map. You can't Apperate in or out of it. The enchanted ceiling in the Great Hall mirrors the sky outside so an air departure or entering could be seen. What else is there.well that's all I can think of but none of those seem likely to be what Godric did to guard the castle. At least, they aren't what the centaurs were talking about. Whatever they were talking about had to have come at a great personal sacrifice from Godric himself."
"Yeah, but the problem is figuring out how to find out what it is."
They sat beneath a tree, silent for a time.
Throwing a stone into the lake Ron asked, "Harry, are you going to tell us what yesterday was about, so we can help you?"
"No, I don't want any of you hurt. I want Voldemort dead." His words weighed heavily as he spoke but he meant every one of them. "He has torn apart too many families, he has ruined too many lives, and he has killed too many innocents." Memories and visions once known to him passed through his mind's eye: his parents, Sirius's torturous years in Azkaban, Neville's parents, Neville, Cedric, Snape's sister, Filch who would never forgive himself for his wife's death, the twelve Muggles that Peter Pettigrew killed, Bertha Jorkins, Frank Bryce, all the victims. "It stops here! He won't get away with anymore of it!"
For two hours Harry sat in silence, his friends not moving or speaking either. Harry's expression was grim. He was worse than angry. Leaning against the tree fuming, he fell asleep.
He woke to almost inaudible whispers an hour later. He kept his eyes shut and listened.
"We know what's on his mind now. Let's talk to him," Renata reasoned.
"He can't know we listened to his thoughts while he was asleep, he's our friend; we shouldn't have, it's not right," Hermione said.
"Why not? He doesn't need special treatment. Besides two hours of silence watching his seething face is not pleasant."
"Its wrong to listen to people's thoughts! If he wanted us to know any of this he would have said something, Renata. I'm sure he had reasons for not telling us about yesterday."
Harry didn't hear Ron's voice but knew he must have taken part because the girls didn't know how to perform the mind reading spell.
"So what do we do now? Pretend we don't know what we heard?"
"No, that won't work."
Ron's voice came in at last. "Shut-up! He just blinked, he's awake."
"Spying on us, Potter?" asked Renata crossly. She kicked him on his side. "Yes I know you listened to conversations in the hospital by pretending you were still asleep. You don't trust us. Why didn't you tell us anything about yesterday? Why don't you trust us? Why not? And another thing, do you think we don't understand? You aren't the only Voldemort's caused pain but I guess you know that too. Yeah, see if I want to be on your Quiditch team. We're your best friends and you can't just not talk to us like that.
"Well you know what? You can't afford to lose us because we are your friends. That's why we can talk to you like this and tell you the truth, because we are your friends! Being alone or hanging out with other people, the ones you trust even less than you trust us is your only other option. So go on! Choose! But if you choose us it doesn't necessarily mean we'll take you back, Harry, because d' you know what, Harry? We might not forgive you. You are untrusting, impatient, and pigheaded! And arrogant!" With an angry flare in her smoldering eyes she stormed away at a deliberately slow pace with her head high.
Harry reached for his wand, perhaps to use the Impediment Curse (a spell he learned last year to slow things down), or perhaps he wanted give her jelly legs and make her fall over. Maybe he would stun her so he wouldn't have to listen to her. All three options had appeal, however he did not get a chance to test any of them. As he reached out for his wand Ron grabbed it and stepped aside.
Harry was so upset his patience was completely gone. He lost it and the ground around them and Renata shook. He was unnerved for a minute. The last time he had lost his temper and done magic like that without meaning to and without his wand.it was never good. The last time he had done that he had blown up his aunt after having shattered a glass in her hands only a few nights before. Renata, may have been a bit shaken up seeing as the ground beneath her had just had a large upheaval but she didn't let it show and she walked on indifferently as she had before.
Harry started yelling, at no one in particular, but because Ron and Hermione were the ones still standing there they were his targets. "Who does she think she is? Telling me what to do! She had no right to go listen to my head! Of course I trust my friends but it doesn't mean I tell them everything! What am I supposed to do keep paper with me so I can write notes on everything anyone says to me and hand out copies to everyone? Of course I care about my friends! Who does she think she is? Ron, why did you tell her how to read minds?"
"I didn't! I didn't know this until today but she read you Divination book when you were in the hospital," Ron yelled back.
"Why didn't either of you try to stop her? I thought you were my friends."
Hermione responded. "Harry, we are your friends and so is she. If you." She didn't finish the sentence.
"What?" Harry barked.
"Harry, we couldn't stop her once we realized what she was doing. If we did try you could have seriously been hurt," Ron tried to keep his voice level.
"Really, Ron? Would you like me to tell Hermione what you think of her? Oh, and Hermione, I heard you and Renata talking the night after I was out of the hospital."
Hermione and Ron were both upset now. They took their wands, and his, with them and left; turning back to him just long enough to send Harry into the topmost branches of the tree and to take his wand with them.
Harry couldn't do anything and waited in the tree. Harry, at this point discovered that unfortunately hindsight is usually 20/20. All his friends were now mad at him, he didn't have his wand, and he was stuck in a tree. Although, considering his present mood maybe it was a good thing he didn't have his wand with him. It was Harry's misfortune that the first people to pass by the tree were a group of Slytherins.
"Potter! What are you doing in a tree? Look everyone! Potter here thinks he's a birdie!"
"Sing us a song, birdie!"
"Tweet, tweet!"
The jeering calls went on for nearly ten minutes. Fred and George came out of the castle. "Halloo! Who's that in the tree?"
George answered his twin's question. "Its Harry!"
Harry had been ignoring the Slytherins but he couldn't help feeling hopeful that Fred or George would get him down.
"A little help would be nice," called Harry.
"Where's your wand?"
"How did you get up there?"
"Hermione and Ron played a trick on me and took my wand and sent me to these branches. Will you help or not?"
"What do you think, Fred?"
"I don't know, George? Should we help the bloke out?"
"I think so."
"Alright you feather brains out of the way." They shoved aside the Slytherins at the base of the tree.
"Go on now."
"Harry, how exactly do you want us to help you down? You're pretty high up you know."
"Gee, I hadn't noticed," he called sarcastically.
"If you're going to be like that we can invite your Slytherin buds back over here."
"Sounds fine with me," said Fred. The walked away and told the Slytherins they could go back then stood around the tree themselves.
It was another ten minutes before Hagrid came out of his hut and came over, seeing the group huddled around the tree.
"What's this?"
"Hagrid could you help me down? Please?"
"Harry? Alrigh'. You lot, get!" He shooed away the Slytherins. Fred and George were leaving too but he grabbed them by the collars. "No yeh don't!" He grabbed one of them and hoisted him on his shoulders so he could get to Harry. Fred helped to pull Harry down. Hagrid then told the twins to get going to dinner. Harry said he'd rather stay outside. "C'mon we'll go have some tea." They walked back. "So what was that about?"
"I got in a fight with Ron, Hermione, and Renata. Renata stormed off and then Ron and Hermione took my wand and sent me into the tree."
"Must've been bad ter make 'em all mad at yeh."
"I guess."
"Yeh wanna talk about it, Harry?"
"Not really right now, Hagrid."
"'kay, jus' askin'. Always open down here if yeh need an ear, Harry."
"I know Hagrid. Thanks."
"Anytime yeh know."
"Thanks. I'm going back to the castle now."