Thanks to everyone who reviewed:
Where'd the chapters go and spelling freak – figuring you are the same person. Kinda strange.
Fallenstar2 – reading your story Harry Potter and the Slayers Crusade. Really liking it!
Foxyloxy – you don't review too much, I like that you review that much. Keep doing it!
KelinciHutan – thanks for the mega long review!
Bill_w
Angestone
Frida the hell goddess
Chapter 24 – Compassion
Dumbledore called
a meeting the very next morning, and to Harry's delight he was included in the
participants. He went up to Dumbledore's office and knocked on the door.
Opening it, he found it full of people, though strangely enough not crowded.
The office appeared to have expanded itself to fit all the people comfortably.
Harry saw that his parents were present, as were Sirius and Buffy. The rest of
the order was there too. Dumbledore smiled at Harry when he entered, and Harry
saw that he looked tired, probably from having to be at the Ministry all of the
previous day. He clapped his hands and the room quietened down, people taking
seats in the various chairs littered around the room.
"Thank you all for coming," Dumbledore
said, looking round at all of them. "You must be wondering what is happening
with regards to the Ministry. It is true that Cornelius Fudge was killed by a
death eater. Though fudge and I didn't always see eye to eye, I mourn his
passing." Harry looked around the room and from the incredulous looks on some
people's faces, could see that they didn't agree.
"However out of the tragedy we have some
hope," Dumbledore said gravely. "Arthur Weasley was this morning sworn in as
the new Minister for Magic." The group in the room broke out into applause and
Dumbledore smiled and waited for it to subside.
"I am very happy with the appointment, I
think Arthur will make a fine Minister and may be more….comfortable in the job
than Cornelius was." Many people around the room were nodding.
"Our troubles are far from over,"
Dumbledore said seriously. "Despite the new influence the Order now has in the
Ministry, there are many that are still loyal to the old ways. The Order must
remain secret and must remain in action. The firepower of the ministry will be
a powerful weapon, but the order I feel holds even more." Harry felt a swoop of
pride that his parents and his godfather had been original members of the
Order, and had worked hard in the first war and were still continuing to do so.
"I think that is all I have to say,"
Dumbledore said, frowning slightly. "Any questions?" Buffy stood up.
"What's the news on the Voldy
situation?" Buffy asked.
"We haven't got much information of
late," Dumbledore replied. "Professor Snape, perhaps you would care to take the
floor." Snape stood up, pale and greasy haired, scowling at Harry when he
caught his eye.
"I have been able to infiltrate the
outer circle," Snape said. "I am not well trusted, understandably, and so I
have not much knowledge of Voldemort's plans. However I have been able to keep
a track of his movements." Tonks stood up.
"What are the plans regarding
Voldemort?" she said.
"We are waiting for further
information," Dumbledore said in reply. "What he's doing, what he is planning
to do. Until then, we cannot take any action. Any more questions?" There was
apparently none so people began to file out the room and Harry followed.
"Harry?" Dumbledore said and Harry
turned around.
"Yes Professor?" he said, approaching
Dumbledore.
"I wanted to ask how your lesson with
Willow went yesterday," Dumbledore said kindly, eyes twinkling at Harry. Harry
grinned at him.
"Really well," Harry replied
thoughtfully. "We talked about the issues around killing someone and then we
meditated. It was really relaxing." Dumbledore moved round to the back of his
desk and sat down, motioning for Harry to do the same. The final person left
the office and there was silence.
"I also wanted to speak with you Harry," Dumbledore said, putting his hands in the arched shape Harry was so familiar to seeing. "Time is short, the prophecy is nearing. You will not graduate from Hogwarts before facing Voldemort I fear."
"That soon?" Harry said nervously. Dumbledore
nodded gravely.
"I have no doubts of your abilities,
your magical ability to kill Voldemort," Dumbledore said, surveying Harry over
the top of his half moon glasses. "I just wanted to make sure that you are
confident."
"I guess so," harry said uncertainly,
twisting his hands in his lap. "I mean, I know what Voldemort did, what he will
do and that makes me angry. But I remember in the Ministry, after Sirius died I
tried to do the Cruciatus curse on Bellatrix Lestrange, I was so angry. But I
couldn't. She said I had to mean it, that I had to really want her to suffer.
And when we caught Pettigrew in the shrieking shack. I wouldn't let Sirius and Remus
kill him, I wanted to show him mercy and look where that got us, to the
beginning of the second war. So what if I get there and find I can't do it?
Then Voldemort wins because he has no trouble killing me." He broke off
uncomfortably, feeling he had said too much.
"No one can predict how things will
happen," Dumbledore said, not ruffled in the least by what Harry said. "I have
told you before that what you possess, compassion and love, is something beyond
Voldemort's comprehension. It is the most powerful weapon in the world,
stronger than all that we do here. And in the end, your heart will lead you to
victory. Do not fear failure, it is that feeling which brings failure ever
closer. Have faith."
Harry looked into Dumbledore's pale blue eyes, wizened, and filled with more knowledge than any could comprehend.
"Thank you Professor," he said quietly. "We'd be lost without you."
"Oh that I doubt," Dumbledore said with a
chuckle. "I'm just an old man, trying to keep up with a world that keeps
escaping from me." He smiled at Harry who returned the gesture. Harry stood up
and made to leave the office.
"Bye Professor," he said as he walked
out.
"So what happened at the meeting then?"
Ron asked as Harry caught up with him, Hermione and Dawn.
"Dumbledore filled us in on the news,"
Harry said nonchalantly. "You know, that we haven't got much news on Voldemort,
stuff about the order, how your dad is Minister for Magic, what Snapes been up
to." Ron's eyes nearly bulged out of his head.
"My dad's Minister?" he said, looking
rather green and sickly again.
"Apparently so," Harry said, still
nonchalant. "Everyone's really happy about it, means we can finally get some
changes in the Ministry." Ron feel silent, and clutched onto Hermione who had
top help him walk down the hall. Harry slung an arm around Dawn's shoulders as
they walked down the corridor.
"Was there really much news?" she asked
Harry.
"Not really, other than that," Harry
said, gesturing to Ron's green pallor. "No news on Voldemort, other than his
movements. But Dumbledore reckons I'm going to have to face him soon."
"Soon?" Dawn said worriedly. "How soon?"
"Before the end of Hogwarts," Harry said seriously.
"And how do you feel about that?" Dawn
said, looking up at her boyfriend.
"I don't know," harry said honestly. "Scared
I guess, but not so much of a permanently terrified thing. More a numbness, I'm
trying to keep it out of my mind. The whole 'if I don't see it, it can't hurt
me' mentality. It's working quite well." Dawn laughed.
"Well if you ever need anyone to talk to,
you know where I am," she said more seriously.
"I'll be alright," Harry said sighing. "That's the breaks of being the boy-who-lived."
