Prospect of War

Chapter 3

The next few days were boring. The healers took off his cast and attempted to fix his arm, which worked, but it still hurt more then when it was broken. His recovery was going slow. So slow that a few people in his ward came in and left already. He had a bandage over his scar, which seared with pain every now and then and bled. It now was a daily thing.

Dumbledore came and went a few times over this period... And every time he'd reassure Harry that he'd get out of the hospital soon. His trial was cancelled, Dumbledore assured the Minerstry that it was an accident and they agreed to let him off "under special circumstances."

Dumbledore was made the Minister of Magic, the whole Wizarding community agreed that Dumbledore would run the magical world better then Fudge. And it never ceased to amaze Harry how Dumbledore found time to be Headmaster at Hogwarts and Minister of Magic.

About three weeks after his collapse, he was going home... And actually going home... to Hogwarts where he belongs. That morning Dumbledore stopped by and told him to get his things for Hogwarts together and as he did so pain seared across his scar, making him feel dizzy. He clung onto his bed for support so he wouldn't fall face down. He shook it off and returned putting his books away, but he couldn't get rid of his dizzy feeling. He changed into a red shirt with the Gryffindor logo and a pair of jean cut-offs.

He looked in the mirror and a skinny boy with messy black hair and a white bandage with a bloodstain over where his scar resided. There was blood through out his hair, because he didn't have a chance to take a shower since he arrived. His right arm was heavily bruised and cut. There were few scars from the surgery at the muggle hospital. As he looked up he saw Dumbledore and a few other wizards and witches following him.

"Harry if you are ready, come here," He said not making eye contact with Harry. Did he expect to see Voldemort looking back at him?

Harry stood and still felt dizzy. He knew some of the people as Tonks, Mr. Weasley, Lupin, Mad-Eye Moody, and a lot of other people that were apart of his advanced guard and other people who Harry didn't recognize.

"Hello, Harry!" Tonks said cheerfully. Her hair was now bubble gum pink and spiked.

"Hi, Tonks," Harry replied not so cheerfully. His head was still spinning and he felt light-headed.

"Are you ready to go, Harry?" Dumbledore asked kindly.

"Yes, Professor" replied Harry who was feeling nauseous. "Er- Professor, how are we getting to Hogwarts?"

"I was going to attempt to teach you how to apperate to get there... It really isn't a hard thing to do," Dumbledore replied blissfully.

"Er- don't you have to be seventeen?" Harry inquired.

"Not since I've become Minister of Magic, Harry. I think all students thirteen and up should be allowed to apperate as long as their parents want them. And any student may do magic outside of school... As long they're not in sight of a muggle," said Dumbledore calmly.

"Oh," Harry said.

Soon they were walking out the doors of St. Mungo's and back into the real world. The sun was blazing and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

"OK, Harry concentrate on my office. Then say to your self 'pperat-ay Hogwarts,' It's as simple as that."

"Ok," Harry said and concentrated hard on Dumbledore's office and muttered, "pperat-ay Hogwarts!" There was a little 'pop' and he was gone with in a blink of an eye. He landed instantly right in Dumbledore's office. The paintings stirred. There were about thirty tiny 'pops' and all of Dumbledore's guard appeared in the office.

"Very good Harry! Here," he said and flicked his wand and a tiny card appeared out of mid-air. He handed it to him and there was a picture of him and it had a lot of information about him, like his eye colour, date of birth, hair colour, etc. "Harry if you're wondering what this is it's your apperation license. You must have one to apperate."

"Ok," replied Harry and took it and quickly put it in his pocket.

"Now, I think you should get some rest Harry, you look pale still," Dumbledore said, sitting down behind his desk. "Nymphadora, show Harry to his sleeping quarters."

"What I'm not staying in the Gryffindor common room?" Harry asked looking at Dumbledore.

"No, Harry. I want you to stay somewhere closer to my office. So you shall be staying in a room down from my office, it's behind the portrait of Godric Gryffindor. It will only let you in or if you tell Godric that you invited them. You are to stay there during the school year also. Ron and Hermione may stay with you.

"It isn't a punishment, but for your safety, because if Voldemort attacks he'd go to the Gryffindor Common Room, I put an escape chute that leads to a room above the Ravenclaw common room.

"Also I'm going to make you head boy for this year, which will make you the youngest head boy Hogwarts has ever seen.

"I am going to teach you to duel for when the final battle comes you will be ready-"

Mr. Weasley spoke up, "Final Battle? What does Harry have to do with this?" He asked shacked.

"Everything," Dumbledore replied. "He, Harry, is the only person that can bring Voldemort down again."

"Even if he gets killed? Albus, this is a huge burden for Harry to have-"

"The greatest of all," Dumbledore said.

"Harry's only sixteen!" Said Mr. Weasley furiously.

"Harry has faced as much as you or I, probably more. Harry understands what he must do." The conversation was over. Tonks walked forward and inclined her head to Dumbledore and then walked out the door with Harry following. They went down the spiral staircase in silence. They turned left and after taking about ten steps they came to the portrait of Godric Gryffindor.

"Who are you?" The painting asked.

"Harry Potter" replied Harry in a small voice.

"What form does your patronus take?" Godric asked, obviously making sure he was the real Harry Potter.

"A stag, it's always a stag," replied Harry. The portrait swung forward to reveal a large room. The walls shone like the moon and the floor was wooden. In the main room there was a black carpet with the Hogwarts crest in the middle and the house symbols around it. The fireplace was crackling merrily and there were two leather couches facing the fireplace with two chairs on the sides. There were a few tables with large puffy black chairs. There were bookshelves lining the walls, so many that it looked as if there were more books here then in the library. To his left was a door that led to the dorms. He walked up fascinated and Tonks followed.

The dorms looked even bigger then the common room. The walls were a light blue almost white; there were three beds in each of the ten dorms. Each of the beds was four posters with black hangings and silver sheets. He saw that his trunk had been brought up. He walked back down, Tonks once again followed.

"This was supposed to be one of the houses, but the founders kicked out the fifth when she was still in construction, so last year, Professor Dumbledore found it, and he fixed it up. Dumbledore might have told you, I wasn't paying attention, but Ron and Hermione are coming and also the people who would be in danger of Voldemort."

"Ok, Are they coming over the holiday?" Harry asked.

"Yes, They all should be arriving here in the next couple of days."

"Ok," Harry said and then sat down on his bed.

"Oh yeah, if you ever need to see the Head Master, there's a secret hatch down in the common room." Tonks paused; she heard the portrait open.

"Where do you think Harry could be?" One of the voices, the voice of Ron Weasley asked, what seemed to be Hermione.

"Probably upstairs, lets go see," said Hermione, there was the sound of footsteps coming up the steps and then....

"HARRY!" Hermione shrieked as she wrapped her arms around Harry. "When did you get here? Isn't this place great? We get to share it with the rest of the D.A.! Because we're all in danger of Voldemort, Draco told his father and his father told Voldemort! We're still doing D.A. right?"

"Can't-Breath!" Harry gasped. Hermione released him, muttering sorry. "It's all right. Yeah, we're still doing D.A. as long as the rest of us still want to."

"Yes!" Hermione shrieked. "Oh, Harry how are you feeling? I felt so bad when Dumbledore brought you to St. Mungo's."

"I'm fine, really. So I guess we're staying here for the rest of this year?" Harry said looking at Ron.

"Yeah, mate, Hannah, Cho, Ernie, Luna, Justin, Parvati, Pandama and Neville, the rest will be here tomorrow." Ron said looking Harry in the eyes.

Tonks walked downstairs and out the portrait. Harry felt a sharp pain in his scar; he fell to his knees, clutching it.

"It's getting worse," he muttered to himself.

"Mate, What's getting worse?" Ron asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Scar," was the only word Harry was able to get out before he passed out.

The night was falling over the town of little Hangleton. And in the graveyard, there stood many black cloaked men. All of who had wands pointed out. It was eerily cold for a summer night as this. The coldness was due to the presence of Dementors.

A man stood in the centre, hood down red eyes gleaming in the night.

"The prospect is war, Deatheaters. Now the final step is being taken and soon I will be immortal. All there is, is one more step and then my path to Harry Potter, is complete, all you must do is kill Albus Dumbledore."

"HARRY! Mate wake up!" Ron was yelling.

Harry saw that he was lying on the floor in the dorms still, yet, he had no memory of ever falling to his back, and he bolted upright.

"Wha-What happened?" Harry said looking up, confused.

"You blacked out and you were muttering, stuff like, 'Deatheaters, now the final step is being taken and soon I will be immortal. All there is, is one more step and then my path to Harry Potter is complete, all you have to do is kill Albus Dumbledore.' What was that about?"

"I dunno, It could be-, no. It couldn't... I have to talk to Dumbledore!" Harry said, alarmed.