Unsurprisingly, the message that Hermione's parents were going to be obliviated set both Harry and Ginny off. Even though Ron agreed with Harry and Ginny, he just saw it as yet another fucked up thing that happened.
However, they were forcefully forbidden by Mr and Mrs Weasley, and Remus, from acting on it. The Order would take care of it, they'd said, as far as they could. The problem was that the Grangers were going to be victims of a law that had been on the books for centuries. And the fact that it was indeed a policy, was wat made Harry even more furious. Sure, he could understand it, if he were to accept the Ministry of Magic's framework for such things.
Problem was, he vehemently opposed this framework.
Mr Weasley explained that due to the Statute of Secrecy, the Ministry's policy in cases like Hermione's was to obliviate the parents. This was because they did not want Muggles without a living connection to the Magical World to remain aware of the existence of magic. While Mr Weasley did not say it directly, he did give Harry the impression that the Obliviators usually didn't care that much about how they left the obliviated muggles.
Harry could see several problems with that policy. How many people did they have to "treat" to remove all memories of a person? How many people would have their memory tempered with, including all the risks that came with it? Or, did they only "treat" the parents, who would then most likely encounter problems with people that did remember they used to have a child? Both cases were very problematic, albeit for different reasons, and once again infuriated Harry.
The rest of Christmas Harry spent hanging out with Ginny and Ron. But because Ron still spend much time in bed, staring out the window, or stuffing his face with various baked goods from Mr Weasley, Harry spend much time talking with Ginny about many different things.
One of those subjects had been Luna. A couple of days after Christmas an Owl had come to the burrow carrying a Howler. But as opposed to Harry's previous experiences with Howler this one didn't come bearing bad news. At least, not yet.
After Ginny, to whom it had been addressed, opened it, Luna's characteristic tones filled the kitchen at the Burrow. Ginny explained that Luna rarely simply wrote back, but often send Howlers instead. Apparently, Luna didn't like the fact that emotions were so hard to read on paper. Howlers allowed the use of things like sarcasm, without it resulting in misunderstandings. Harry didn't think he had ever heard Luna be sarcastic.
Luna wished everyone a Merry Christmas and enthusiastically told Ginny about what she and her Dad were up to (they were going on a short expedition, but Luna didn't say to where). Rather alarmingly, Harry thought, Luna also said, in a throwaway line, that she had told her father about what Dumbledore had told the HA about Voldemort's past. Mr Lovegood was now planning to write an article about it in the Quibbler.
This was dangerous, Harry thought. It was one thing to tell members of the HA, who were safe behind castle walls, about who Tom Riddle was, but publishing it in a nationally distributed newspaper seemed too risky to Harry.
When he voiced his fear that something might happen to Mr Lovegood, who he learned was called Xenophilius, the Weasleys all agreed that it was dangerous. But, as Mr Weasley and Ginny, both said: Xenophilius Lovegood was not someone you could easily convince to stop researching something. But Mr Weasley said that he would drop in to warn him against publishing the article.
A day or two later Ginny approached Harry as he was working on his homework.
"Harry? Can I talk to you for a second?"
"Sure, what's up?" Harry said distractedly, trying to find whether the correct wand movement for a Bubble-Head Charm pointed up or down.
"It's the last day of the year," Ginny said sweetly, "don't you think it's time to fulfil your promise? Go into 1997 with a clean conscious?"
That made Harry look up. He looked at her questioningly. "What are you talking about?"
Ginny put her arms on her hips. "Last summer you made a promise to me, and you still haven't delivered, Potter,"
"I did?" Harry said stupidly.
"Yes!"
Harry tried to think back to last summer. What could she be talking about? Then Ginny's voice echoed through his mind: "I tell you something about the aftermath of the Chamber, and you tell me something about living with the Dursleys."
Oh. Shit.
"I see you finally remember," Ginny said, rolling her eyes, "I don't want to press the issue, even though I think it would do you good to talk about it, but I also want you to keep your promise. A promise is a promise, after all."
That was probably the most effective thing she could've said to him, Harry thought. A direct challenge to his sense of honour. Of course, he would always try to deliver on his promises, but there was a reason he had hoped Ginny had just forgotten about it.
Ginny bit her lip and she grinned at him. "If you want to we could try to sneak some firewhiskey? I've heard it makes it easier to talk about uncomfortable subjects."
Harry laughed, "My experiences with firewhiskey aren't that great, I wouldn't want to ruin it any further," He sighed and looked at Ginny, who he knew could be as stubborn as he was.
"You're not going to let this go, are you?" he said. He would be lying if he said he wasn't a bit annoyed at the moment.
"I'm willing to let you come to me, if you'd prefer that," Ginny said, patting his shoulder. Then she pointed her finger at him. "But you better make sure you do come to me at some point in the next months, otherwise I'll perform a sticking charm on your arse and force you talk to me!" she threatened good-naturedly.
Harry laughed with her and went back to his homework. But he couldn't concentrate anymore.
- In Her Memory -
Harry knew he shouldn't be surprised. Here he stood, on the landing before Ginny's door on New Year's Eve. He could hear the Twins being raucous down the stairs. Harry had needed the loo and when he came back he saw the door to Ginny's room.
So there he stood again, a couple of months after he had entered there to talk to Ginny about the Chamber. She wasn't there at this moment, of course, she was downstairs celebrating the end of a terrible year and hoping the next one would be better.
The Twins had made a point of sneaking firewhiskey to him, Ron and even Ginny again. Harry wasn't sure why the Magical World didn't seem to have its own beer. People seemed to mostly drink either butterbeer, which had an alcoholic content too low to get really buzzed, except if you were Luna or a Elf, or stronger stuff like the firewhiskey. In any case, after a couple of glasses of butterbeer mixed with firewhiskey, Harry did feel a bit buzzed.
And like the last couple of times, he wasn't sure he enjoyed the fact it made him feel so merry. He could certainly understand how people could get addicted to it.
"Harry? What are you doing here?" Ginny's voice said, drifting up from the staircase where she was making her way to the landing where Harry was still standing.
"Oh, hi, Ginny," he said. "Wanna find out whether firewhiskey actually makes uncomfortable conversations easier?"
Ginny giggled "Sure! But I need the loo first." She opened the door to her room while walking past it and Harry entered.
He felt it would be wrong to sit down while Ginny wasn't there so he just kind of stood there waiting for her.
He could hear the laugh in her voice when she said from behind him: "You can sit down, you know."
He turned around. "Oh, I know, I just…" he waved his hand haphazardly around the room.
"Of course," Ginny said sarcastically. "I'm guessing you hoped I had forgotten about our little deal?" she said sitting down on her bed. Harry sat down in the same chair he had sat in the summer before.
"I guess," he admitted, looking at the ceiling. When was this supposed to be getting easier?
"Is there anything specific you want to say?" Ginny asked softly.
There was. Harry had thought about it, and he had concluded that what Ginny assumed had gone on at Privet Drive was mostly likely wrong, so he wanted to set the record straight.
"I think it is important to note upfront that they never hit me or anything like that," he blurted out. Maybe the firewhiskey was helping.
"Oh, well, that's good," Ginny said in surprise. Harry wasn't sure whether she was surprised at the content of what he had said or the way he had said it.
"So, you know, it wasn't all that bad," he continued but stopped when Ginny held up a hand.
"Tom never hit me, either," she said dryly, "I would never say that meant it wasn't all that bad,"
"That's completely different, though," Harry said confused.
"Maybe," Ginny shrugged. "But the point is, abuse doesn't always have to be physical."
Abuse? Ginny thought he had been abused?
"What do you mean, abuse?" he said, "It's more like the opposite to that, to be honest."
Ginny raised an eyebrow, "Most people would say locking a child up in his room with bars on the window and just a catflap is a form of abuse. You don't think so?"
Harry shrugged, "Well, it wasn't fun, but at least they left me alone."
Ginny sighed, rubbed her hands over her face and looked up.
"Did they do that a lot? Leave you alone?"
"They liked to pretend I wasn't there, so yeah," Harry answered. "Sometimes I got to watch TV while they were gone, other times I was locked in my cup-ROOM," Harry hastily corrected himself but he knew he had been too obvious with it.
Ginny's voice was icy. Harry had never heard her speak like that and he imagined the expression she had now was the one you saw a second before you were attacked by your own flying boogers.
"What did you say?"
Harry sighed. He didn't want to explain but luckily he had an idea.
"Wait, I'll just show you, give me a moment."
He stood up and made his way to Ron's bedroom where his trunk was. He opened it and shifted the contents from here to there, making his way through 5 and a half years' worth of parchments and knickknacks, until he found it.
He had found it when he came back from his first time in Diagon Alley with Hagrid. It wasn't that surprising that his Uncle had missed one, considering the obscene amount of letters that had made their way into the house. Ironically, this one had somehow made its way into the cupboard on the stairs. This one said he resided in the "smallest bedroom" but it would have had to do.
He made his way back to Ginny, who had waited impatiently, and handed her the letter. She looked at it non-plussed.
"The first one I received said, Mr H Potter, The Cupboard under the Stairs," he said, his simple delivery belying the content of the statement.
Ginny just blinked at him for a moment. Then she kicked into gear.
"Okay, first of all," she said, her tone still relatively normal, "does that mean what I think it means?"
"Probably," Harry answered with a smirk. He wasn't sure why he was smirking, but that seemed the better route than getting all sad on Ginny.
"You slept in a cupboard. Under the stairs." The way Ginny said it made it sound more like a statement than a question. Harry assumed that was because she couldn't believe what she was hearing. He couldn't blame her, he was quite aware of how fucked up his life was. He was just used to it by this point. And this just went to show him that it was better to spare others the details of his fucked up life.
Apparently, while Harry had been thinking, Ginny had slowly become more irate.
"AND THEY KNEW?!" she yelled. Harry startled at the sudden increase in noise, while at the same time becoming aware of a sudden lull in sound from the Burrow living room. When Ginny looked like she was going to yell again, he hastily stood up and put his hand over her mouth.
"Shh! It's bad enough that you know, I should've never told you, please don't let the others know," he begged of her.
When she nodded, he released her and sat down again.
"I'll come back to that later," she whispered outrageously, "but you really mean to tell me that Dumbledore knew they kept you in a fucking cupboard and he still insisted you return during the summers?"
Harry shrugged again. "I guess," he said nonchalantly. It wasn't like he had never realized that before. "It's because of the blood protection," he explained.
"Bollocks," Ginny answered firmly.
"Bollocks?" Harry said stupidly.
"Yes. You have your own house know, right? Two even?" Ginny continued.
"Er, yeah?" Harry said, not understanding what she meant.
"You mean to tell me you'd be safer with the Muggles next summer when you could spend it a house that at this point only two people and two House Elves know to find?" she asked, her voice showing the fact that she was convinced she knew the right answer to that.
"Well, that wasn't the case before last summer," Harry said, feeling the need to defend Dumbledore.
"Maybe, but the point still stand doesn't it? In any way, I don't think there is a reason to return to the Dursleys next summer," Ginny said.
Harry thought about it. Two months on his own in Potter House? Free to visit the Weasley's whenever he wanted? That… sounded great!
"You know, I'll propose that to Dumbledore, let's see what he says about it," he said with a smile.
"You could just do it, you know. Dumbledore doesn't control your life, ," Ginny said, raising an eyebrow.
"Ginny!" Harry said a bit taken aback. "I know he doesn't, but that doesn't mean he doesn't give good advice," he explained.
"I guess," Ginny said, shrugging. "but back to the Dursleys," she said, and Harry sighed.
"What do you want to know?" he said, almost rolling his eyes.
"Well, I can guess a couple of things," Ginny said slowly. "Like, I know you don't really like being touched unexpectedly or without reason, so I imagine you never had much friendly physical contact."
Harry snorted derisively. Ginny didn't continue talking so they just sat in silence for a moment.
Harry wasn't sure why, but like Robards had tried, this silence also made him want to talk. First, he started retying his shoelaces. And then he did talk.
"They mostly just made me do chores and then it was back into the cupboard, you know. And, of course, I never did the chores well enough. I sometimes think they would've been angrier if I did do everything exactly like they wanted, I would have deprived them of their favourite pastime. Well, not for Dudley, of course, he could always amuse himself with a good, old-fashioned game of Harry Hunting." He snorted, lifting his other leg to start retying those laces as well.
"Nobody ever wanted to spend time with me at elementary school. Dudley made sure of that. And then I didn't receive any letters my second year because Dobby was keeping them from arriving. Every bad thing I had thought about myself was just, I don't know, proved? And then, there your brothers were, breaking me out of not only a physical prison, but also one I was building in my head as well," he said, coming to that conclusion as he was telling Ginny all this.
"You were raised to think nobody wanted you, and when that idea was reinforced after making friends, that must have been very hard to deal with," Ginny said softly. "But, it's like I said last summer, our brains are constantly feeding us information about ourselves, and it's always biased. Only for some people, the bias is negative for whatever reason."
"Should I also start calling my brain Snape?" Harry laughed darkly.
Ginny grimaced. "I'd choose another name if I were you, you didn't seem to like having him in your head last year."
That shut him up quickly.
"But yeah, I do think that would be good exercise for you," Ginny continued. "but it is difficult, and I don't feel comfortable trying to teach you. I'm not a mind healer,"
"You aren't? So, that's why I'm not lying on a couch right now," Harry muttered.
"What does a couch have to do with it?"
"Never mind," Harry said, waving it away.
Ginny sat up and looked at him earnestly. "You do know you are wanted, right?"
Harry looked away, he didn't dare to think she was right. He shrugged.
"No, Potter!" she said, hitting him on the shoulder. "Don't just shrug that away! I know you may not have noticed but those ten minutes you spent dancing with Luna? Even platonic, I haven't seen her that happy in a long time, not even with Lily! The people that you let in, do actually like you, you know!"
He rolled his eyes, "Well, yeah, at least I'm good for entertainment purposes."
She threw a pillow at him. "Oh, shut it, now you're just being melodramatic. You did enjoy the evening, right? Even with what happened?"
"It was fun to just let loose for a moment, I guess. I hadn't danced like that before, but it's kind of hard not to when Luna's there to get you out of your shell." Harry confessed.
"Great, then we'll have to do that again!" Ginny said enthusiastically.
Harry groaned. Ginny grinned at him, grabbed his hand and squeezed it. Harry smiled half-heartedly at her and retracted his hand from hers.
"There was actually something I wanted to ask you," Harry said, "Now we're talking anyway?"
"Sure?" she said.
"Why did you get so mad at Ron when he complained about you and Dean snogging? So mad you told him about Hermione snogging Krum, when you knew it would hurt him," he hastily added when Ginny looked like she wanted give him the same talking to she had given Ron.
"The git should mind his own business," she shrugged.
"It was a bit much at times," Harry said carefully.
Ginny smirked at him. "You jealous, Potter?"
"I have always thought Dean looked nice," Harry said sarcastically.
"Well, then you were right, weren't you," Ginny beamed.
They both chuckled. Then Harry asked: "Does it have to do with what you said to your mum yesterday?"
Yesterday, after dinner, Mrs Weasley had, in a throw-away line set Ginny to go do the dishes. Ginny's lips had thinned and her eyebrow had risen. "Mum?" she'd asked coolly. Apparently, Mrs Weasley knew exactly what the problem was, because she apologized and then asked whether she'd do the dishes. Ginny had smiled at her mother, had said "sure!" and then went to indeed do the dishes.
"A bit," Ginny said, "I really don't like people demanding or telling me what to do," she explained. "Especially when, when it, you know…" she said softly.
Harry cottoned. The Diary. Of course, it was the diary. She didn't like people "controlling" her, no matter how non-abusive it was meant. Clearly, she had come a long way, to be able to remind her mother with just a raise of an eyebrow. But then again, maybe she hadn't if she was still so annoyed? Harry wasn't sure which of the two was true.
"It's not like I don't enjoy these little bedroom conversations of ours," Ginny said, snapping him out of his reverie, "but we'd better head downstairs, it's almost midnight!"
They made their way out of her room but Ginny stopped before descending the stairs. She turned and looked at him earnestly. "I know there's more to your life with the Dursley than you've said tonight, but thank you for at least telling me something. I hope it'll help you too, in the long run."
Harry nodded. Ginny smiled at him and together they made their way downstairs, just in time to save Ron from the Twins.
- In Her Memory –
The rest of the holiday went by in a rush of homework, chess, and multiple other talks with Ginny. Remus, Tonks, Bill and Fleur and the Twins all came by from time to time, Harry taking the time to talk with all of them.
They returned back to Hogwarts by Floo, entering through Professor McGonagall's office, just in time to join the other students for a Hogwarts Dinner. As Harry, Ron, and Ginny made their way into the Great Hall, Harry's eye searched the Head Table, curious to see whether Dumbledore had managed to find a new potion's teacher.
He stopped so abruptly that Ron walked into him.
"Bloody hell, Harry," he cursed, while Ginny laughed at them.
"Who is that," Harry said gruffly pointing at the new face at the Head Table. Ron and Ginny looked as well, Ron sucking in a breath. "Bloody hell, she looks like…" he said, Ginny nodding her agreement.
"Hey, Harry, Ron, Ginny!" a voice said from within the Great hall. Harry looked over to Neville, who waved at them and beckoned them closer.
He smiled tightly at Harry as the three sat down. "I know what you're thinking, she looks a lot like Bellatrix Lestrange, right?"
"She does," Ginny said with a frown. Harry looked at Neville in concern.
"It's okay, though, Dumbledore actually visited my Grandmother and me over the holidays to explain, even though I'm not taking potions. Apparently, she's Bellatrix's sister, Andromeda," he explained.
Ginny made a noise of comprehension. "Oh! That's Tonks' mum!" she said with a big smile.
"That's Tonks' mum?" Ron said in disbelief, as he turned around to look at the head table again, "They don't look alike at all!" he exclaimed.
Ginny cuffed him on the head, "Of course not, you dolt, Tonks is a metamorphmagus! Who knows what she actually looks like,"
"Oh, right," Ron said in embarrassment, as Harry laughed at him.
"She's Tonks' mother?" Neville said in thought. The two of them had met a couple of times when she visited their defence self-practice sessions. "So she's married to a Muggleborn? Tonks is a half-blood, right?"
"She ran away from home to marry him, actually," Harry explained, remembering what Sirius had told him about his favourite cousin. "She and Sirius liked to dub themselves the 'white sheep of the black family'", he said to Neville.
Neville made a thoughtful noise and then shrugged. "Still, I'm glad I won't have to take potions with her," he said, turning back to his potatoes.
When most people had finished eating, Dumbledore stood up and silence rolled over the students.
"Welcome! Welcome back to Hogwarts!" he said with his trademark tones. "Now as you have by now all undoubtedly heard, tragedy struck us yet again, the night before the Christmas holidays started. Even with all the safety precautions we have taken, one of our professors fell victim to what the Aurors are ruling an assassination."
At these words, murmurs started up again. Harry could hear people wondering how the assassin had smuggled the potion into the castle.
"The Auror investigation has not yet concluded," Dumbledore continued, the murmurs quieting, "but we have managed to conclude that Horace, rest his soul, most likely carried the poisoned mead into the castle himself."
He remained silent for a moment, peering over the students. "I would like us to have a minute of silence for Mr Horace Slughorn,"
As the minute passed by, Harry looked down at his folded hands in his lap. He thought of Hermione, of Sirius, of his parents. All those he knew and loved, uncertainty shrouding their futures. As always when he thought like this, he felt his anger stir, like a sleeping volcano waiting to erupt.
"Thank you," Dumbledore said, and Harry looked up again. The Headmaster wiped a tear from his eyes and he visible had to ground himself.
"For the rest of the year, the potion's position will be filled in by Andromeda Tonks, who has graciously accepted the role for the remainder of the year only," he said and people applauded as she stood up.
Harry looked over at the Slytherin table. No one clapped there, most seemed disinterested. Some of the students Harry knew had relations with the Death Eaters scowled. He looked for Malfoy's reaction but he didn't seem to be there.
Andromeda waved regally and sat down again.
As the students began making their way to their various dorms, Harry told Ginny, Ron, and Neville that he'd see them in the common room. He wanted to talk with Dumbledore.
As he walked up to the head table, he caught Dumbledore's eye.
"Ah, Harry, I was hoping you'd have the time to meet tonight," he said, before gesturing to Andromeda. "Harry, this is Andromeda Tonks, who, as you have no doubt understood, is Nymphadora's mother."
"Hello, Professor Tonks," Harry greeted, shaking her hand.
Professor Tonks, Harry smiled inwardly. That sounded strange. The new potion professor clearly thought so too, because he saw a twinkle in her eye that reminded him of Tonks, even if her stern and regal expression didn't change. From up close, Harry began to see more differences between the three Black sisters he knew. Of course, Bellatrix Lestrange bore the visible scars of being in Azkaban for years. But he was quite sure that neither Bellatrix nor Narcissa would age with laugh lines around their mouths and eyes. It made Professor Tonks look a lot kinder than her sisters ever would. And her eyes…
They were Sirius' eyes. Or rather the other way around. The kindness and love of life that were apparent on her face, were also embedded in her eyes. But there were differences as well. Professor Tonks clearly held on to some of the manners instilled into her by her family. Sirius hadn't had much manners at all.
"Hello, Mr Potter," she answered politely. "I was wondering whether you would be able to visit my office sometime next week? I was hoping to speak to you,"
"Uh, sure," Harry said, "I can come around on Wednesday evening. Quidditch has started up yet,"
"That would be fine, Mr Potter, thank you,"
- In Her Memory -
Only a couple of minutes later Harry sat in the now quite familiar office. Before he could say anything however, Dumbledore had told him some good news.
"Harry, I want you to know that we managed to prevent Mr and Mrs Granger from being obliviated. They were understandably upset when Minerva informed them off the danger they were in. I believe Mr Granger said something along the lines of them wishing we had never told Hermione about her magic."
Harry sighed, "I can only imagine,"
"Indeed," the Headmaster said sadly. "We did, however, manage to convince them to flee the country. They are currently preparing to move to Australia."
"Will they be safe there?" Harry asked.
"I hardly believe Voldemort nor his forces will bother chasing them there," Dumbledore said.
"What about the Ministry?" Harry said with a scowl.
"I hardly think they can allocate the sources needed to track them to Australia," Dumbledore explained.
Harry nodded. "Do you think they'll want to know when it's all over?"
The Headmaster smiled, "I'm sure they do, my boy."
They were silent then, just taking in how messed up the situation was.
Then Harry said, "I think it was Malfoy that gave Professor Slughorn the poisoned mead, professor."
Dumbledore didn't say anything for a minute. Harry wondered what he would say.
Then, the Headmaster sighed heavily. "I'm afraid, you are correct, Harry."
"I – what?" Harry said flabbergasted
"Yes, I think Malfoy did kill Professor Slughorn," Dumbledore said carefully.
"You do? Why?"
"The greatest reason is that Mr Malfoy has decided not to attend Hogwarts this term," Dumbledore said sadly. "Which hopefully was his decision."
"So, that why I didn't see him tonight…" Harry said, wondering out loud.
"Indeed," Dumbledore nodded.
"So, he's with Voldemort?" Harry asked
"I assume he's with his mother, Mrs Narcissa Malfoy," Dumbledore said slowly.
They were silent for a long moment, Harry thinking about where Malfoy might be right now. After shrugging away every small amount of concern for him, he asked Dumbledore: "How did you get Mrs Tonks to take the position, Professor?"
"She was actually the first person I thought to ask," Dumbledore answered thoughtfully. "She's already a target for Voldemort's forces because of who she is and who she married. And, as she'll undoubtedly explain in your first lesson with her, she is a trained healer with years of experience brewing potions for the Apothecary."
"I imagine it is hard to find someone willing to take a position at Hogwarts in this day and age," Harry mused.
"Alas, yes. Like I announced at dinner, I could only convince Professor Tonks-," the Headmaster's moustache twitched. Harry imagined he also thought that sounded funny, "- to teach the remainder of this semester. There'll be a new potion professor yet again next year."
"Was it hard to convince her?" Harry asked, "I don't really know her yet."
Dumbledore made a thoughtful noise. "It was easier than I had expected. I imagine it was a boon to my asking that her daughter is around Hogwarts often."
Harry thought so too.
"So, Harry," the Headmaster said, clapping his hands together. The sound sounded off and Harry was once again reminded of the fact that Dumbledore's hand was not healing, "I asked you here for two reasons. We still need to discuss the memory you acquired. Secondly, I wanted to ask how your conversations with the Head Auror and the Minister went."
"Oh, they were okay," Harry said, waving them away. "They didn't ask me anything I didn't expect, although Scrimgeour did threaten "to make my life difficult" if I were to be in the Ministry's way."
"Nymphadora and Kingsley tell me that they haven't changed their view on your innocence. I had conversations with both Robards and Scrimgeour as well. So, I think that part is over and done with. Now, Harry, when we met that fateful Friday night, I forgot to ask you one important question."
"Oh?" Harry said intrigued.
"Did you enjoy your date with Miss Lovegood?"
Harry stared at him.
"I have been informed that you were seen having a great time." Dumbledore smiled at him. "I know Miss Lovegood is currently dating Miss Moon but the papers tell me something different!" he continued, clearly taking the mickey.
"And we should always believe what the papers say!" Harry agreed sarcastically.
Dumbledore chuckled. "Ahh, young love! No, but seriously, my boy, I'm glad to hear you managed to forget about everything for a moment and just danced with a pretty girl, or two," he added with a wink.
Talking about Luna reminded Harry of something. "I don't know if you've been informed, sir, but Luna's dad is currently planning on publishing a story about Tom Riddle's background."
Dumbledore turned serious. "I have been informed. I haven't personally met Xenophillius that many times, but I agree with Arthur that it is highly unlikely we can convince him to change his mind. But we have decided to add him to the list of people that might be in a heightened state of danger. Alas, we don't have the manpower to protect everyone," the Headmaster sighed.
"What do you think Voldemort will do if he does decide to publish it? Granted the story is factual," he added, remembering that it was the Quibbler they were talking about.
"What do you think? I imagine you have given it some thought?" Dumbledore asked him instead.
"Well, some of the information might be damaging to his reputation with his followers, especially the part about him being a half-blood, right? So he wouldn't want to have that out there. At the same time, if he were to attack the Quibbler, that might make people think there's something to it? But then again, people who believe in him will think they're lies, and they might expect him to attack some spreading these 'disgusting lies'," Harry said. "So, I don't really know," he concluded.
Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, I agree. At the same time, it might not even be Voldemort himself attacking the Quibbler. There are many within his following that wouldn't think twice about how an attack might look to potential followers who are on the fence."
Harry scoffed and raised an eyebrow. "You really think there are people out there that are still on the fence?"
"I'm afraid that there are many out there that would rather choose to not think about it at all. It is the easy thing to do, after all."
"And we must do what is right," Harry finished.
They looked at each other for a moment.
"Now, the memory. At long last, we have confirmation of the theory of seven." Dumbledore said.
Harry nodded. "Which is good because that means we assumed the right thing. Which, in turn, hopefully, means your other theories are true as well. And as you once said to me, they usually are," Harry said with a grin.
Dumbledore chuckled. "You flatter me, Harry."
"So what now?" Harry asked.
"For now, I'm afraid there's not much for you to do," Dumbledore sighed. "We have our theories on what the Horcruxes are, but not on where they are. Seeing as you do not have the luxury of leaving the school, searching for them is, for now, out of the question."
Harry sat up. "Wait! There is something I can do!" he told his headmaster. "Luna asked me if I was willing to accompany her into the Chamber of Secrets, for her Parseltongue Project. Have you searched the Chamber for Horcruxes?" he asked excitedly.
"I haven't," the Headmaster said slowly, "but I doubt Voldemort would hide one there, considering he had already created the Diary by that point. But," he continued, when Harry had frowned disappointedly, "that doesn't mean we can't venture down anyway. There might still be some secrets left to discover within the Chamber."
"So, you want to come along?" Harry asked.
"I would, yes. I'm curious, though, what does Miss Lovegood hope to find that might help her with her project?" he asked.
"She mentioned hoping to find evidence of Parsel Runes. She figured if there would be a place to find it, it'd be down there," he explained.
"A sensible deduction indeed," Dumbledore mused.
"Ron will probably want to come as well, he hasn't seen the actual Chamber itself," Harry said.
"And Miss Weasley?" Dumbledore enquired.
Harry thought about it, then speaking slowly he said. "I'm… not sure. I'll definitely tell her what we are planning to do but whether she'd like to come with," Harry made a gesture indicating he didn't know.
"Well, let me know, and I'll schedule. If Miss Weasley wants to come, tell her her brother William is welcome to accompany us. If we encounter anything Horcrux-related, he might be a helpful addition to our little expedition," Dumbledore finished, indicating his blackened hand.
"Before we say goodnight, Harry, there is something else I wanted to discuss with you, I just remembered. I promised you we would go to Godrics Hollow and to see whether we could visit your vaults."
"It's okay, professor, I understand why we had to postpone that trip," Harry said honestly.
"Yes, I wanted to propose we do so anyway on a Saturday, say February the 1st?"
Harry looked at his Headmaster with surprise. "You're giving me permission to leave the school?"
"Only on that day, in my company," Dumbledore said sternly.
"That sounds good, professor."
Then Harry hesitated, remembering the conversation he had had with Ginny about him not returning to the Dursleys. Should he ask Dumbledore?
"Anything on your mind, Harry?" Dumbledore asked politely.
"Yeah," Harry said slowly. He looked at the headmaster. "I don't think I'm going back to the Dursleys next summer," he said seriously.
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. "Indeed? May I ask why?"
Harry didn't think the headmaster sounded like he disagreed or anything, mostly curious.
"Well, the past summers I went back because it was safer, right? But I hardly think it is safer at Privet Drive than at Potter House, of which only we two know the location, right?"
"I agree," Dumbledore said simply.
"You agree?" Harry said in surprise, as he received his second unexpected answer of the night.
"Indeed, I do. As a matter of fact, I was considering the same thing as well. You'll have to be moved during the summer anyway as the protection there will fail once you turn seventeen. But that would put us at a strategic disadvantage."
"Because Voldemort would know, roughly, when I'll leave?" Harry guessed.
"Indeed," Dumbledore smiled. "It would therefore be safer, both for you and for those who would act as guards, to not have you return there at all."
"That does make sense," Harry said. Dumbledore inclined his head.
Then he looked up again, "But if that is to be the case, I would recommend letting someone else in on the secret. I assume you'll be wanting to visit the Weasleys?"
Harry nodded, "Yeah, but won't I just be able to go with Dobby or Kreacher? Is it possible to side-apparate with an elf?"
Dumbledore smiled brightly. "It is, but most witches and wizards wouldn't trust an elf to do so. I'm glad to see the younger generations leaving those antiquated ideas back in the past, where they belong. Having said that, do you trust Kreacher to do so?"
Harry frowned. To be honest, he wasn't sure but he could always ask Dobby- but no, he had had Kreacher ward Potter House against House Elves that weren't bonded to him.
"I'm not sure," he said honestly. "He has stopped insulting me, so that's a start," he shrugged.
"I know what Kreacher has done, but I suggest you keep working on your relationship," Dumbledore said seriously. "I have a feeling he might turn out to be quite valuable for you,"
"I have," Harry said, "I gave him Cygnus Black the Second's family ring."
"Oh, have you? I imagine he was quite pleased with that gift," Dumbledore smiled.
"He couldn't believe it. Dobby said he thought I made Kreacher very happy."
"Good, good," Dumbledore said, then his eyes twinkled. "And if all else fails, there's currently an emergency law being discussed the Wizengamot. I hope to be able to announce its ratification no later than this weekend."
"What is it?" Harry asked curiously.
"You'll see, I'm sure it'll be a popular law among the students."
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Please leave a comment if you're still following along! I'd like to know what I can improve in my writing and story/world-building!