Chapter 14 – Constant Vigilance!


'It's good to see you again' Lupin said warmly as he put his hand on Harry's shoulder.

'Yeah looking good Harry' a blonde-haired Tonks grinned from behind him.

At the sound of their voices Mrs.Weasley came out of the kitchen and gave Ron, Ginny, Hermione, and himself a big hug.  

'Oh you've all grown so much! I'm sorry you couldn't come for Christmas, but we've all been so busy … well let's all go into the kitchen dears, the others have just arrived.'

She ushered them all through the door of the kitchen where the entire order sat staring at them, with the notable exception of Snape. Dumbledore introduced Dean, Seamus, Luna, and Cho to the other members of the order, which made them look even more nervous than before, before settling down himself.

'I have summoned this meeting, and invited our young friends along, because I have important news to share with you.'

He paused for a moment, making sure he had everyone's undivided attention before continuing.

'As most of you already know, Voldemort had been planning the escape of his deatheaters for a long time, but thanks to Harry we were able to seriously thwart him.'

He felt embarrassed and tried to avoid their stares, but he thought he saw Tonks wink at him.

'However, most of his deatheaters did escape or perish in the process, leaving him to focus on his next goal. Reliable sources have informed me that all of Voldemort's effort will now be focused on destroying Harry.'

Several people gasped, including most of his friends, and it was Kingsley who eventually spoke first.

'But Dumbledore, that doesn't make sense … Surely he has more important plans than settling a personal grudge?'

'Are you positive about this Albus?' McGonagall asked with a shocked tone, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Dumbledore simply remained calm and continued speaking slowly and clearly.

'As I said, the sources are reliable, and they all confirm the same thing. Furthermore, if you knew what Harry and I know you would not be so surprised.'

Everyone at the table now stared curiously at Harry, making him feel awkward and look down at his hands on the table. He had been in denial about the burden he carried since last June, too busy enjoying what had been the best few months of his life, but suddenly he was reminded of it and he felt some of his old misery. Dumbledore continued speaking, and to Harry's relief he focused the attention of everyone back on himself.

'Voldemort tried to gain possession of a prophecy last June at the ministry, a prophecy that concerns Harry and himself, but luckily he failed. After it was destroyed the only remaining record of this prophecy existed in the mind of the person it was told to, and that person is none other than myself.

They were all staring wide-eyed at Dumbledore now, and it was Lupin who first broke the silence.

'Can you tell us the prophecy?'

'Only Harry and I know the full prophecy, and since anyone of you could be captured and tortured, I will not tell you the part that continues to elude him. I can, however, tell you the beginning of the prophecy, which a spy overheard when Sybill Trelawney predicted it to me seventeen years ago.

'Sybill made the prophecy?' McGonagall snapped with a tone of disbelief.

'Indeed she did, the blood of her ancestor still runs in her, though it has been somewhat diluted' he said with a smile. He paused for a moment to clear his throat, before reciting the first part of the prophecy to them.

The one with the power to vanquish the dark lord approaches … born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies … and the dark lord will mark him as his equal.

That is all I can tell you.'

'You're obviously sure the prophecy refers to Harry?' Lupin remarked after he had recovered from his initial shock.

'Yes, there is no doubt that he is the one. Voldemort transferred many of his powers the night he tried to kill Harry, the scar bears testament to that.'

'So we must protect Harry at all costs, he should be the focus of all our efforts too' Lupin said.

Dumbledore simply nodded but remained silent. Many of them were looking at him with renewed awe. McGonagall finally spoke and broke the silence.

'But Albus, shouldn't our efforts should go towards defeating you-know-who?'

'No, our hope lies in Harry. We must protect him until he is ready to face Voldemort.'

'But surely he's safe at Hogwarts?' Diggle asked

'I'm afraid not. During Harry's first year Voldemort was actually at Hogwarts possessing one of the teachers. During his fourth year a deatheater infiltrated our staff and posed as a teacher. Surely you can see that if Voldemort puts his mind to it, we cannot guarantee impenetrable security at Hogwarts'

'Are you saying he should come and stay here?' Mrs.Weasley asked cautiously.

'No, he should remain at Hogwarts. No matter where he hides, we cannot keep him absolutely safe. At Hogwarts he is surrounded by powerful teachers and – ' he paused to look at the rest of his friends with the trademark twinkle, '- his loyal friends.'

'Perhaps I should assign some extra aurors at Hogwarts, in case he attacks with his army.' Kingsley said in his slow calm voice.

'I do not think he will dare try a direct assault as long as I am at Hogwarts, and I would rather not draw attention to the fact that we know of his plans. Our plan should be to actively try and thwart his efforts.'

'Someone has been awfully quiet tonight' Moody growled as he looked at Harry, 'don't you have anything to say Potter?'

Harry returned his stare but remained silent for a moment, reflecting.

'I think one of my friends should stay with me at all times when I'm not in class. They will attract less attention than an adult watching me.'

'And we will be' Cho said fiercely, grasping his hand firmly as she spoke. She had been in shock when she heard the prophecy, almost on the verge of tears, but now she showed determination he could not have foreseen. It gave him strength to know that she would risk her life for him, and he spoke with renewed confidence.

'I should also have a way of contacting you in an emergency.'

'We can arrange something' Moody growled, 'but you should be on your guard at all times from now on! Constant vigilance!'

'I think what Moody means' Lupin said with a smile, 'is that perhaps you shouldn't have any late night adventures from now on.'

'And keep your wand with you at all times!' he barked, 'You never know who's trying to ambush you!'

'I think Moody wants you to become as paranoid as he is' Tonks said, trying to break the seriousness. 'Maybe we should get you a magical eye while we're at it…' and she winked at him.

'You know that's not a bad idea' he growled, 'have you considered giving up one of your regular eyes Potter?'

'Oh err … I think perhaps I'll wait until I really lose one in a battle before I replace it…'

They spent the rest of the meeting going over parts of their strategy and giving Harry advice. When the meeting was finally over he was pulled aside by Lupin who wanted a private word. He had felt so suffocated by all the attention on him that he was glad to follow him into another room.

'How are you Harry? I mean, how are you really?'

'I'm ok, I still miss Sirius sometimes but … I feel a lot better these days.'

'Thanks to a certain attractive young lady?' he smiled.

'Well I suppose' he said awkwardly, wondering where Lupin was going with this conversation.

'Well I just wanted you to know that if you ever wanted to ask me advice on anything, you know, personal, please do.'

Harry looked at him with a puzzled expression.

'I mean, you're a young man now, and, ah, you want to be careful about certain things' he said awkwardly, 'I mean, it helps to talk to an adult about these things sometimes, get a different perspective …'

'Are you giving me the birds and bees talk Remus?' he asked with half astonishment and half laughter.

'Well yes!' Lupin said eagerly, glad that Harry had finally understood. 'I mean I'm not an expert or anything, James or Sirius would have been much better at giving advice, but they're not here and somebody has to, err, point you in the right direction.'

'Right, thanks Remus. You'll be the first person I ask if I have any questions' he said trying to cover up his amusement.

'Great, great, well let's go back to the living room' he said with what seemed like relief.

They stayed for another hour at Grimmauld place, chatting with the rest of the order about everything from dementors to the latest fashion. Cho got along fabulously with Tonks, who was showing her various hair styles using her metamorph abilities. Dean and Seamus were listening in awe to Moody describing how he got one of his scars. He decided to sit down next to Kingsley, who smiled at him and seemed pleased to talk to him.

'Minerva tells me you'd like to be an auror when you graduate Harry, we'd certainly love to have you aboard.'

'Oh thanks, I've been working extra hard in potions this year to make it. I understand nobody has been accepted into the program for several years?'

'That's right, but I imagine that will all change starting this year. We'll be needing more aurors now than ever, and we've already lost two good people in the attack on Azkaban.'

'Do you think I have a good chance of getting in then?'

'Just keep up your good grades and they'll be knocking on your door to try and get you in. Besides, I know at least a dozen important people who would give you personal recommendations for the position, myself included.'

'Thanks' Harry grinned. This was good news to him, and he started asking him about the auror training program.

Finally Dumbledore got up and insisted they go back to the school, and that they not tell anyone where they had been if someone asked.

His classes the next day were - thankfully - very uneventful. He managed the work in both charms and transfiguration with ease, and he couldn't help noticing that McGonagall was uncharacteristically giving him encouraging smiles. It made him feel uncomfortable but at the same time it was a pleasant change from her usual stiff demeanor. After class he quickly ate dinner and then dragged Hermione to the library with him. She was his official escort for the day, leaving him alone only when he was in the Gryffindor tower or wanted to use a washroom. During the time in between dinner and his lesson from Dumbledore, only a couple of hours, he decided to get some studying done in the library. They settled down into a corner of the library and took out their potions homework.

'I can't believe Snape gave us three feet of parchment on the properties Jobberknoll feathers, it's going to take us hours to finish!' Hermione said exasperatedly

'Well he gave it to everyone, so the Slytherin's are no better off than we are.'

'Yeah but still … say Harry, isn't that Marietta over there?'

Harry turned around and saw Cho's friend sitting with a pile of books, engrossed in her studies at the other side of the library. Even though he had been going out with Cho for over four months now, he had never taken the time to try and mend things with her.

'Should I go and talk to her?'

'Your choice. She might still be peeved about that jinx we did, but then again it would make Cho happy if you two buried the hatchet.'

'Yeah maybe I will, be back in a few minutes then.'

Slowly he approached the table she was sitting at, trying to think of how he could open up dialogue with her. He wasn't exactly eager to befriend her, but Hermione was right; it would mean a lot to Cho.

'Excuse me Marietta, do you have a moment?'

She looked up and raised her eyebrows in a frown when she saw him, her expression inviting him to keep it brief.

'Well I know we didn't exactly see eye to eye last year, but I thought perhaps we could put it behind us you know?'

'I don't want anything to do with you Potter, or your friends. That … that jinx on my face was horrible!'

'Well look, I mean you did betray us. I thought maybe we could start over, you know, for Cho's sake?' he said, his voice showing a hint of frustration.

'For Cho's sake, I wish you would leave her alone. I don't like you, and I know you will only end up hurting her.'

'What? I would never do anything to hurt her! Surely you don't think I would harm her?' 'Can you same the same for all your enemies? Can you say that they won't hurt her to get to you?'

Harry was furious, but at the same time he knew there was truth in her words. It was possible for Voldemort to use his friends to get to him.

'So you think I should leave her then, is that it?' he said coldly

'I know you Potter, everyone thinks you're some kind of hero, but I know what you really are. You're just a little boy trying to impress everyone, craving for attention and fame.'

'You don't know anything about me, but I can see I'm wasting my time here. Goodbye!'

He marched back to where Hermione was sitting, who saw the look on his face and knew better than to ask what had happened. Suddenly his potions assignment didn't seem so unfair in comparison.

The next few months passed by quickly. After the initial success he had in his private tutoring from Dumbledore, it seemed he had hit a wall. No matter how hard he tried to pour his emotions into his spells, he was unable to notice any difference. Furthermore he still couldn't manage even the most basic wandless magic, not even with extensive practice in his free time. His frustration was apparent in everything else he did too, which only led him to become more frustrated. Snape, sensing weakness, had been fully restored to his previous vindictive state. He would stalk Harry the entire potions class, trying to throw his concentration off or spot mistakes, and then proceed to sneer at him when he did.

The only thing keeping him happy, indeed making this his best year ever, was Cho. Even when Ravenclaw trounced Hufflepuff 250-20, he couldn't help but feel happy for her. It meant of course that Gryffindor would have to beat Slytherin by 230 points, a seemingly impossible task, but that didn't stop Ron from resuming his brutal training. Harry would have to catch the snitch when they were up by at least 80 points, and Slytherin weren't that bad.

They also held regular guardian meetings, usually on a weekly basis since time was sparse. Hermione had used another protean charm to imbue some silver sickles with, so any member of their group could alert the others to their location if they needed help. The silver sickles would all vibrate if someone used it, and they all vowed to keep it with them at all times.

There were also some other bright points. McGonagall had personally held him after class to congratulate him. Thanks to his relentless hard work over the summer and his increased motivation he had become the second best student in his year at transfigurations and charms, behind only Hermione, and he was still the best at DADA. Professor Vladislav always asked him to help with practical demonstrations. He had become more of a teacher's assistant these days than a student, thanks to his advanced level relative to the other students. His grade in potions was rather abysmal compared to the rest, but despite Snape's best efforts to derail him he was still passing, and that was all he could hope for.

It was now the end of May, the night before the last quidditch game. Ron had been drilling them harder than ever, even with the impossible odds it seemed he wasn't going to go down without a fight. Harry felt exhausted as he walked with Neville, his escort, from the Gryffindor tower.

'Hey Neville, I'll meet you back at the common room later on ok?'

'What? You know the rules Harry, you don't go anywhere without me!'

'Look, I'm meeting Cho. Do you really want to watch us snog?' he grinned

Comprehension slowly dawned on Neville's face, and he reluctantly agreed to give them some privacy.

'Right, gotcha Harry. She's a member of the order too, so I suppose I can leave you with her. But I'll walk with you to where you're meeting her, just in case.'

They walked together to the library, which was now largely empty, and he found her there absorbed in her books.

'Right, well see you Harry' Neville said to him and left.

She still hadn't seen him, so he snuck up behind her and whispered softly in her ear.

'Does the book teach you anything about neglected boyfriends?'

She turned around with her eyebrows raised

'I think it says to make them work for you. So why don't you make yourself useful, and give me a shoulder rub.'

'Stressed?'

'You have no idea; NEWTs are ten times worse than OWLs'

He firmly grabbed her shoulders and rubbed his thumbs over her muscles, trying to relax her.

'OW! You're too rough Potter!'

'Potter? Are we on a last name basis now Chang?'

She stood up and turned around, grinning at him

'Only when you try to paralyze me' and she kissed him, 'come on, let's get out of here.'

She packed her books and slung her bag over her shoulder, then proceeded to drag him by his hand out of the library.

'Where are we going? We shouldn't go outside; it's much safer to stay in the castle. Besides, it's too cold anyways.'

'We'll just try to find a cozy spot, I think there's a fireplace on the third floor where we can sit.

They arrived and sat in the sofa chair by the fireplace; it was warm and cozy and the chair was big enough for both of them to snuggle up.

'So are you going to wish me luck for the game tomorrow? If we win by enough points we can take the cup.'

'Well then, break a leg!'

'Thanks, it's nice to know you care.'

'It's not that I don't want you to win, it's just that I don't want to lose. But perhaps I can persuade you that I do care …' and she leaned in to kiss him.

He could feel her warm breath on his lips as they parted, and he realized that for the first time in his life he felt close to someone. Intimate.

'So this is your plan? To keep me up all night and tire me out, so we'll lose the game tomorrow?' he joked at her

'Hey, that's a great idea!' Cho replied as her lips moved towards his.