Chapter 7 - Sixth Year
Ok, before I start in on the trials and tribulations of my sixth year, allow me to do a bit of explaining.
My publisher and editor both want to say that they had nothing to do with the last chapter. Oh I assure you they both had piles of ideas on how to "tidy up" the chapter. Tough. My book, my rules.
The fact remains that even now a number of years after the fact that year feels EXACTLY like that chapter reads. Disjointed, difficult, and to the most part I feel as if I am missing something.
Now, dear reader, you know how I feel.
The summer with the Dursley's was, as predictable enough (well to me at least), dull and yet filled with inane tasks. Actually, I almost thanked Vernon. If he had left me to lay about all day the depression would have sunk in so deep it would have never come out.
On July 23rd I was weeding the damn garden. I don't have a garden. I have a lawn. A big one. Ginny would like a garden, bit it is the one thing I refused her in all the time we have been together. No damn garden. Stupid things wind up being my responsibility to weed and de-gnome. Anyhow, on July 23rd I was told via owl to pack my things. I was leaving the Dursley's for the summer.
I stood up, wiped my forehead and walked into the kitchen, explaining that I was leaving that afternoon for the rest of the year. I packed and was quite surprised when two hours later Ginny Weasley arrived at the front door dressing in, might I add a quite fetching muggle outfit.
What surprised me the most was when I opened the door, she hugged me and for the first time in my life it occurred to me. Ginny Weasley was a lovely young lady. You could have knocked me over with a feather.
She helped me carry my things out to the car and I spent the next hour listening to her talk about the summer so far finding that there was nothing even slightly as enchanting as staring into her eyes and listening to her talk.
It wasn't until we arrived at the Burrow that I noticed Bill had been driving, and was smirking at me.
The summer went quite well actually, I discovered that Ginny had been having one on with Ron about Dean. I learned that it's really quite hard to ask your best friend's sister to go out with you. I also learned I am a dismal failure on my own as a boyfriend. Ginny helped though, she was patient and actually quite forgiving. Still is really.
Hogwarts has not changed, not one stone in hundreds of years. It's the same school Nearly-Headless Nick went to in his time, and it certainly didn't change much after I left.
So I shouldn't be amazed that it was the same place when we returned September 1st. The one difference was I had no sooner set my foot on the steps than Dumbledore had me whisked to his office for a 'little chat'. In retrospect, I assume that he had meant to have this little chat as a way to show he was available to me as before. He even gave me the password to his office and indicated that I should use it whenever I felt I needed him.
That was the critical mistake. I learned last year that there were few times that I truly 'needed' him, and when I honestly DID have need of him, he wasn't around. Arguably one could say the same for Sirius I guess, but Sirius was on the run from both sides of this stupid war. The Death Eaters still wanted to kill him, many for their own reasons, some just because it would get to me. They never did pardon Sirius, not until Arthur was Minister of Magic. Fudge 'didn't want to have the Ministry appear to be in the wrong in our darkest hour.' The man was so full of shite his hair was brown.
Dumbledore on the other hand was a free man, and had always had a free hand to do pretty much as he pleased. Yet, he never showed me half the respect Sirius Black did. Role model my ass. He was an old man who knew his time was drawing near.
There is a statue, and ugly piece of artwork, in the main entrance to the Ministry of Magic. It is a horrible edifice to the lasting memory of the wizard's greatest sin. Pride. Now, it's good to take pride in what you do. It's not to allow that pride to blind you to the other people.
This statue was destroyed in my fifth year fighting Riddle, just before I learned the contents of the prophecy. It shows a manly wizard, and a voluptuous witch being looked at with sappy adoration by a centaur and house elf. Well, ok, the house elf is appropriate, but the centaur is a travesty. They are a proud race, and very wise. Problem is, the wizards and centaurs will be at loggerheads until the end of time I believe. Both sides are too damn stubborn to realize they are both wrong.
The statue was rebuilt two days later, I know because I had to go to a tribunal on the return of Voldemort, and swear in my testimony. Yeah, the same one I had given as a warning a year earlier.
It went something like this:
"Mr. Potter, we understand you claim to have seen the rebirth of You- Know-Who?"
"Minister Fudge, Voldemort returned to power over a year ago. I already explained this to you, but YOU were far too short sighted and just wanted to see me ridiculed in the Daily Profit. Shall I read from one of these articles then?" I asked brandishing a stack of clippings over an inch thick.
"I - I don't see the relevance."
"I do you pompous ass. I warned you over a year ago that Voldemort was back and YOU tried to make me into a raving lunatic. You knew damn well he was back, and yet YOU let him have free reign because it wasn't popular." I threw the stack at the feet of the Wizengamot.
"Harry, please." Dumbledore said. "We just want to hear the story again."
"You know what Professor? How in the hell can you sit there calm as this? You were there damn it. You fought him in the very entrance hall to this building. The most secure are in the wizard world and a small handful of students managed to not only get in, but get to the very core of the Department of Mysteries, followed by Voldemort and half the bloody Death Eaters too." By now I had lost what shred of self control I had and just wanted to scream in frustration. "How in the hell can you people sit on your fat arses while Voldemort STILL has free reign over Europe and England. How DARE you.
"This is what you need to know. He's back. He killed Cedric Diggory, and Bertha Jenkins over a year ago. Last year he killed Sirius Black."
"Bloody good for him, saved us the trouble." I don't know the name of that wizard. I have looked for him too. If he's lucky, he died in the war.
"Don't you EVER dare say that about Sirius Black again. He is innocent and that bastard knows it." If you can't guess, I was pointing to Dumbledore. "Peter Pettigrew isn't dead, and he sure as hell isn't a hero. He's a low-life scum who turned the only people who liked his miserable hide over to Voldemort."
"We aren't here to discuss Sirius, Harry." Dumbledore's voice was soft, and for a moment I forgot that I hated him.
"He's dead Professor. He - he died because of me." The anger flared up again quickly. "I'm through with you. You can all rot in hell."
I left the Wizengamot, and was returned to the Dursley's.
I don't really care what they thought of me. Still even. Yup, I'm a member but to be honest, I never go to the meetings. I heard from Ron that they have considered having me removed from the council. Honestly I could care less, but I am after all the most powerful wizard in the world apparently, and that means a seat on the council of wizards.
I'd like to write about the great adventure I had this year, but there wasn't one. Not really. Not like the kind books are written about. Well, I did catch Pettigrew, and I did face Lestrange, but it really wasn't like I tried to get into trouble.
I had a girlfriend, and just before I headed out that night to catch Pettigrew, she told me a great secret. She loved me. I found myself saying that I loved her too before I even realized what I was saying. It just kind of fell out, you know?
Then she got all teary, and said I didn't have to say it if I didn't mean it. She got even tearier when I told her I meant it. Women, what are you going to do?
So Ron, Neville and I caught Pettigrew that night. It's not like it was all that tough really. Pettigrew is a worthless rat. Literally. Ron even agreed while he was a pet he was worthless. He is damn near a squib. I swear he only made it through school because of my dad and the rest of the Marauders.
He was pathetically easy to catch. Even with the silver hand Voldemort gave him. He's still a useless piece of filth. He's lucky he was alive when I turned him over to the Ministry.
We caught him after he escaped Azkaban three years later. God only knows how he managed to escape though. We returned the body to the Ministry the next day. Stupid git actually thought he could use an unforgivable. The story goes we caught him on a roof top, and he lost his balance when I disarmed him. Ron will back me up, he was there.
Sadly, Bellatrix decided she would not come quietly. It really was a shame the way that she fell from that bridge. You'd think Voldemort would have a talk with his people to stay away from high places. She might have lived if she hadn't got caught in a freak gust of wind that ensured she hit the pilings. Ron and I agree, it was the strangest thing either of us ever saw. Ginny and Hermione were with us, they will back up the story too.
Ron and Hermione really hit it off that year. Apparently all that extra "study" time Ron and Hermione had been up to last year was in biology. I caught them in a, uh, compromising position just before the end of the year. Let's just say I never knew she had it in her and leave it at that.
Well then, shall we continue on to the action packed seventh year?
I'm sure it's why most of you are reading. After all not much was written in the papers about it.
Ok, before I start in on the trials and tribulations of my sixth year, allow me to do a bit of explaining.
My publisher and editor both want to say that they had nothing to do with the last chapter. Oh I assure you they both had piles of ideas on how to "tidy up" the chapter. Tough. My book, my rules.
The fact remains that even now a number of years after the fact that year feels EXACTLY like that chapter reads. Disjointed, difficult, and to the most part I feel as if I am missing something.
Now, dear reader, you know how I feel.
The summer with the Dursley's was, as predictable enough (well to me at least), dull and yet filled with inane tasks. Actually, I almost thanked Vernon. If he had left me to lay about all day the depression would have sunk in so deep it would have never come out.
On July 23rd I was weeding the damn garden. I don't have a garden. I have a lawn. A big one. Ginny would like a garden, bit it is the one thing I refused her in all the time we have been together. No damn garden. Stupid things wind up being my responsibility to weed and de-gnome. Anyhow, on July 23rd I was told via owl to pack my things. I was leaving the Dursley's for the summer.
I stood up, wiped my forehead and walked into the kitchen, explaining that I was leaving that afternoon for the rest of the year. I packed and was quite surprised when two hours later Ginny Weasley arrived at the front door dressing in, might I add a quite fetching muggle outfit.
What surprised me the most was when I opened the door, she hugged me and for the first time in my life it occurred to me. Ginny Weasley was a lovely young lady. You could have knocked me over with a feather.
She helped me carry my things out to the car and I spent the next hour listening to her talk about the summer so far finding that there was nothing even slightly as enchanting as staring into her eyes and listening to her talk.
It wasn't until we arrived at the Burrow that I noticed Bill had been driving, and was smirking at me.
The summer went quite well actually, I discovered that Ginny had been having one on with Ron about Dean. I learned that it's really quite hard to ask your best friend's sister to go out with you. I also learned I am a dismal failure on my own as a boyfriend. Ginny helped though, she was patient and actually quite forgiving. Still is really.
Hogwarts has not changed, not one stone in hundreds of years. It's the same school Nearly-Headless Nick went to in his time, and it certainly didn't change much after I left.
So I shouldn't be amazed that it was the same place when we returned September 1st. The one difference was I had no sooner set my foot on the steps than Dumbledore had me whisked to his office for a 'little chat'. In retrospect, I assume that he had meant to have this little chat as a way to show he was available to me as before. He even gave me the password to his office and indicated that I should use it whenever I felt I needed him.
That was the critical mistake. I learned last year that there were few times that I truly 'needed' him, and when I honestly DID have need of him, he wasn't around. Arguably one could say the same for Sirius I guess, but Sirius was on the run from both sides of this stupid war. The Death Eaters still wanted to kill him, many for their own reasons, some just because it would get to me. They never did pardon Sirius, not until Arthur was Minister of Magic. Fudge 'didn't want to have the Ministry appear to be in the wrong in our darkest hour.' The man was so full of shite his hair was brown.
Dumbledore on the other hand was a free man, and had always had a free hand to do pretty much as he pleased. Yet, he never showed me half the respect Sirius Black did. Role model my ass. He was an old man who knew his time was drawing near.
There is a statue, and ugly piece of artwork, in the main entrance to the Ministry of Magic. It is a horrible edifice to the lasting memory of the wizard's greatest sin. Pride. Now, it's good to take pride in what you do. It's not to allow that pride to blind you to the other people.
This statue was destroyed in my fifth year fighting Riddle, just before I learned the contents of the prophecy. It shows a manly wizard, and a voluptuous witch being looked at with sappy adoration by a centaur and house elf. Well, ok, the house elf is appropriate, but the centaur is a travesty. They are a proud race, and very wise. Problem is, the wizards and centaurs will be at loggerheads until the end of time I believe. Both sides are too damn stubborn to realize they are both wrong.
The statue was rebuilt two days later, I know because I had to go to a tribunal on the return of Voldemort, and swear in my testimony. Yeah, the same one I had given as a warning a year earlier.
It went something like this:
"Mr. Potter, we understand you claim to have seen the rebirth of You- Know-Who?"
"Minister Fudge, Voldemort returned to power over a year ago. I already explained this to you, but YOU were far too short sighted and just wanted to see me ridiculed in the Daily Profit. Shall I read from one of these articles then?" I asked brandishing a stack of clippings over an inch thick.
"I - I don't see the relevance."
"I do you pompous ass. I warned you over a year ago that Voldemort was back and YOU tried to make me into a raving lunatic. You knew damn well he was back, and yet YOU let him have free reign because it wasn't popular." I threw the stack at the feet of the Wizengamot.
"Harry, please." Dumbledore said. "We just want to hear the story again."
"You know what Professor? How in the hell can you sit there calm as this? You were there damn it. You fought him in the very entrance hall to this building. The most secure are in the wizard world and a small handful of students managed to not only get in, but get to the very core of the Department of Mysteries, followed by Voldemort and half the bloody Death Eaters too." By now I had lost what shred of self control I had and just wanted to scream in frustration. "How in the hell can you people sit on your fat arses while Voldemort STILL has free reign over Europe and England. How DARE you.
"This is what you need to know. He's back. He killed Cedric Diggory, and Bertha Jenkins over a year ago. Last year he killed Sirius Black."
"Bloody good for him, saved us the trouble." I don't know the name of that wizard. I have looked for him too. If he's lucky, he died in the war.
"Don't you EVER dare say that about Sirius Black again. He is innocent and that bastard knows it." If you can't guess, I was pointing to Dumbledore. "Peter Pettigrew isn't dead, and he sure as hell isn't a hero. He's a low-life scum who turned the only people who liked his miserable hide over to Voldemort."
"We aren't here to discuss Sirius, Harry." Dumbledore's voice was soft, and for a moment I forgot that I hated him.
"He's dead Professor. He - he died because of me." The anger flared up again quickly. "I'm through with you. You can all rot in hell."
I left the Wizengamot, and was returned to the Dursley's.
I don't really care what they thought of me. Still even. Yup, I'm a member but to be honest, I never go to the meetings. I heard from Ron that they have considered having me removed from the council. Honestly I could care less, but I am after all the most powerful wizard in the world apparently, and that means a seat on the council of wizards.
I'd like to write about the great adventure I had this year, but there wasn't one. Not really. Not like the kind books are written about. Well, I did catch Pettigrew, and I did face Lestrange, but it really wasn't like I tried to get into trouble.
I had a girlfriend, and just before I headed out that night to catch Pettigrew, she told me a great secret. She loved me. I found myself saying that I loved her too before I even realized what I was saying. It just kind of fell out, you know?
Then she got all teary, and said I didn't have to say it if I didn't mean it. She got even tearier when I told her I meant it. Women, what are you going to do?
So Ron, Neville and I caught Pettigrew that night. It's not like it was all that tough really. Pettigrew is a worthless rat. Literally. Ron even agreed while he was a pet he was worthless. He is damn near a squib. I swear he only made it through school because of my dad and the rest of the Marauders.
He was pathetically easy to catch. Even with the silver hand Voldemort gave him. He's still a useless piece of filth. He's lucky he was alive when I turned him over to the Ministry.
We caught him after he escaped Azkaban three years later. God only knows how he managed to escape though. We returned the body to the Ministry the next day. Stupid git actually thought he could use an unforgivable. The story goes we caught him on a roof top, and he lost his balance when I disarmed him. Ron will back me up, he was there.
Sadly, Bellatrix decided she would not come quietly. It really was a shame the way that she fell from that bridge. You'd think Voldemort would have a talk with his people to stay away from high places. She might have lived if she hadn't got caught in a freak gust of wind that ensured she hit the pilings. Ron and I agree, it was the strangest thing either of us ever saw. Ginny and Hermione were with us, they will back up the story too.
Ron and Hermione really hit it off that year. Apparently all that extra "study" time Ron and Hermione had been up to last year was in biology. I caught them in a, uh, compromising position just before the end of the year. Let's just say I never knew she had it in her and leave it at that.
Well then, shall we continue on to the action packed seventh year?
I'm sure it's why most of you are reading. After all not much was written in the papers about it.