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Chapter 14 Glamour
Harry's first lesson was with Dumbledore the next morning. He was surprised to hear Dumbledore suggest that they practice Harry's glamour charms for a while. Harry obliged by changing himself back to the tall blonde boy, he now thought of as Thomas. Dumbledore aimed and muttered, "Finite incantatum." Harry's disguise melted away.
"You see how simple it is?" Harry nodded, feeling slightly ashamed of the previous day's adventure.
Dumbledore explained various ways for Harry to enhance the charm, making it more difficult for someone else to remove it. By the end of the lesson, Harry managed to keep his bright red hair, but lost his blue eyes, as Dumbledore penetrated his 'Weasley' glamour.
"That was actually much better Harry, it took a much stronger spell to change you back the last time," Dumbledore complimented him.
"Thank you Sir," Harry replied. "Is it possible to make it any stronger?"
"Yes, in time you could. Like most things practice makes perfect," Dumbledore smiled. "Though no charm is completely unbreakable, that is why polyjuice potion was invented."
"But polyjuice only makes you look like someone else, is there one like it to change your features?" Harry asked.
"Several actually, but each holds its own dangers," Dumbledore replied. "Some are so permanent that the only way to get your own physical appearance back is to spend years trying to imitate the potion with others like it, each dose changing one feature at a time. Quite popular with criminals I believe."
Harry laughed and decided against asking where he could buy such a potion. "Can I ask you something?"
Dumbledore smiled, and Harry knew he was resisting the urge to say, 'you just did,' then he nodded.
"What colour do you see my aura?" Harry asked.
"Blue with a silvery outline," Dumbledore replied.
"What colour are the rest of the students?"
"Blue with a pinkish haze."
"Then why is mine different?" Harry asked.
"I believe it is a sign of your elemental magic," Dumbledore said. "How did you know that I could see yours differently?"
"Because Neville told me the same thing, after he learned to meditate, and I wondered why I should be different from everyone else." Harry paused for a moment, and then asked, "Is that how you knew it was me under my invisibility cloak those times?"
Dumbledore merely smiled. The bell rang signalling the end of first period, and Harry grabbed his bag and thanked the head master for the lesson. Halfway along the corridor he remembered he still had red hair and muttered the counter spell.
Transfigurations class was hard work, but Harry felt a little twinge of satisfaction that he could now perform most tasks quicker than Hermione. She didn't seem too worried about it, though Ron occasionally muttered, 'bloody brilliant, there are two of you now." They trooped down to lunch and after Harry and Hermione made their way down to potions.
"Settle down," Snape burst in with his usual swish of black robes, "your potions are as you left them last class, continue your work. This is required as part of your NEWT test, so you must complete them before tonight's full moon." They students bustled around collecting their ingredients and cauldrons and set about making the complex potion.
There was a quiet knock on the door and a very nervous first year Slytherin boy came in. "Professor Snape, Sir, Professor Dumbledore asked if you could send Harry Potter to his office immediately. He said it was an emergency." The small boy was clearly afraid of his own head of house, which made Harry shake his head, McGonagall could be fearsome but they were not afraid of her…that much.
"Potter, go and see the headmaster. But be warned, if you do not return to finish your potion before tonight, it will be worthless." Snape smiled his thin lipped smile at Harry, as though relishing the idea of Harry failing a portion of his NEWT exam.
"I'll come back after class to finish it," Harry replied, then followed the first year out of the door.
As he entered the headmaster's office, he received a nasty surprise. Narcissa Malfoy was sitting in a chair in front of the headmaster's desk. "Come in Harry," Dumbledore repeated, "This is Mrs Malfoy, Draco's mother."
Harry looked again at the witch as she rose to greet him politely. He noticed that her once blonde shiny hair was now a dull grey colour and her face was withered, as though she had not slept in a long time. "Good afternoon Mr Potter," She said in a quiet voice. "I have come to beg you for my son's life."
Harry stared in surprise at Dumbledore and managed to ask, "They're going to execute Draco?"
"No Harry, he has been sentenced to life in Azkaban," Dumbledore explained.
Harry shivered, even without the dementors the idea of spending his life in a prision made him cold all over. He tried to remember that Draco had earned his punishment, but he still couldn't feel happy about it.
"Mrs Malfoy has made an interesting offer to The Minister of Magic," Dumbledore continued. "She will hand over Malfoy Manor and all the information she has on Voldemort and his followers, if we agree to find another way to deal with Draco."
Harry looked at her in disbelief; she was one of them, widow of one of Voldemort's loyal followers. Her husband then her son had both tried to kill him, yet deep down he knew he felt sorry for her, if Draco was put in prison, she would be alone.
"What other way would you deal with him?" Harry asked coldly.
"Well, firstly his memory would be partially altered, he would no longer remember attacking you, or anything about Voldemort and the death eaters," Dumbledore explained. "He would then be given one year to prove himself a worthy member of society, before having his original memories restored to him."
"What good would that do? He would just march right back and sign up again," Harry snorted.
"Actually, he would be questioned thoroughly under the influence of veritaserum, to determine his true feelings. Then if he no longer proved a danger, he would be left with his original memories, as a punishment." Dumbledore looked at Harry in question.
"And what would he do in his year of freedom?" Harry asked.
"He would return under a different identity here, so that I could monitor him," Dumbledore explained.
"I know you have a great many reasons to hate me and my family, Mr Potter. But I beg you to consider it, if Dumbledore could remove the negative influence that my husband had upon our son, then he could genuinely stand a chance of becoming a good man." Harry had to strain to hear Narcissa's whispered statement.
"Thank you Mrs Malfoy, I would ask you to wait downstairs for a few moments while I talk to Harry," Dumbledore rose and opened the door for her. Closing it and turning to Harry, he indicated that Harry should sit. Sitting in the now vacant chair of Narcissa Dumbledore was on Harry's eyelevel when he said, "Harry, I cannot even offer you my opinion, this is your decision."
Harry closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them to pin Dumbledore with his sharp green eyes. "Do you believe a person could change like that? Is it not entirely possible that the minute he returns to Slytherin house, his old buddies will reawaken any memories he has?"
"That is why he would attend Hogwarts as a 6th year student who moved here from America. He will be sorted in private and if he is still placed in Slytherin, then for once I will over rule the sorting hat and place him in Gryffindor anyway." Dumbledore returned Harry's stare as he said, "Do you remember the conversation we had about Potions to alter a persons image? Draco would have to agree to take one, so no one here would know him."
"So basically he gets a clean slate?"
"Almost, he still loses most of his memories of his father, and is deprived of all his friends. And I believe there is a kind of justice in placing him in Gryffindor house," Dumbledore smiled.
"Do you agree to this?" Harry asked.
"I will not agree or disagree, until you do."
"Can I speak to him before?" Harry asked.
"Yes, I can have him brought here if you like, though I think it will make the decision harder for you."
"No, I think it will make it easier," Harry concluded.
Harry left Dumbledore's office without even glancing at Narcissa Malfoy on his way back to the dungeons. He had just reached the door when the bell rang and the rest of the students started to pour out. Harry waited and then went inside, Hermione was waiting for him with a worried look on her face, promising to tell her later, Harry set to work finishing his potion.
Dinner was almost over when Harry arrived, having completed his potion, labelling it and putting it in a vial on Snape's desk. He also had a vial of it in his pocket, just in case Snape had any ideas about failing Harry's potion.
"What did Dumbledore want? Is everything okay?" Hermione asked.
"Yes I guess so, he wanted to explain something from my lesson this morning," Harry said. He wasn't ready to tell his friends about Dumbledore's suggestion. He felt that he could predict their reactions to it anyway. Hermione would agree to the procedure, because she believed everyone should get a second chance. Ron would think he was nuts for even considering it. Harry wondered if maybe he was nuts for considering it, after all Malfoy had made all their lives miserable at one point or another during the last seven years.
But as Harry looked about the Great Hall, he saw all the students divided into their four houses and began to remember what the sorting hat had sang for the last three years. They must unite to survive, or let Voldemort and anyone like him fan the flames of hatred, making them weak. Could he really say that he hated Malfoy? Or did he just hate what Malfoy had become? Did he want to become like Snape, a bitter man who would hold a grudge forever, or did he want to become like Dumbledore, willing to give everyone a second chance.
Harry looked from one to the other; it was easy to tell who was happier in his life. And Harry knew, he would talk to Malfoy and then he would probably agree to the procedure. His decision made, Harry followed the others to the common room, opting to go straight to his room.
The next day Harry received another summons from the headmaster, and this time when he entered his office he found himself confronted by Narcissa Malfoy and Draco. Draco was standing in the corner of the office, his usually perfect blonde hair hung limply at his shoulders, his eyes were heavily shadowed, giving the impression that he had not slept for a long time.
"Harry, you wanted to talk to Mr Malfoy," Dumbledore interrupted Harry's thoughts.
Harry nodded and turned to face his now broken enemy, "Malfoy, do you want to go through with this procedure?"
Draco nodded.
"Do you know that you will return as a Gryffindor?" Harry received another small nod. "Do you think that you will be able to change, to actually live amongst us? Muggle borns and half bloods?" Harry's voice held a note of challenge.
"I think that I have made many mistakes since I came here, I do not want to be your best friend, but I do not want to kill you either," Draco said in a quiet voice. "I will not beg you though, if that's what your waiting for," a hint of his normal arrogance flashed in his tired face.
"I don't want you to beg, I just want to know if you understand what you're agreeing to," Harry replied. Draco nodded once more and looked down at the floor.
"I agree," Harry said.
"Very well, the procedure will be carried out at the Ministry, and Mr Malfoy will join the school after the Christmas Break," Dumbledore declared. "Thank you Harry, I will let you return to class now." Harry couldn't escape the office quickly enough, he was afraid he would change his mind and he was just as afraid that he wouldn't. Malfoy would return to Hogwarts.
The next few days passed in a bit of a blur for Harry, he went to all his classes and completed his homework. But in the back of his mind a picture of Malfoy, with his dirty hair and tired face, burned brightly. Harry still wasn't sure if he had made the right decision, yet somehow he knew he didn't really have another choice. It had felt wrong from the beginning to send Malfoy to jail, but now Harry was desperate to talk to someone about it, but the only other person who would know about the procedure was Dumbledore.
So in his next lesson with the headmaster Harry decided to ask, "Do you think I made the right choice?"
Dumbledore looked at Harry closely then replied, "Does it feel like the right choice?"
Harry sighed, he didn't want to play games, he just wanted a straight answer. "What would you have done, in my place?"
"Ah but Harry, I was not in your place," Dumbledore replied, then as though sensing his students frustrations added, "what did his aura tell you about him?"
Harry thought back to the meeting and tried to picture Malfoy's aura, it had been blue tinged with purple, "he was afraid."
"Yes he was, but the question is, what was he afraid of? Was he afraid you would say no and that he would go to prison," Dumbledore said, "Or was he afraid you would say yes and he would be forced to forfeit his memories?"
"There is no way to know that," Harry replied.
"Actually, his aura betrayed him," Dumbledore smiled sadly, "He was more afraid when he spoke of the memory charm and returning to school than he was when he spoke of imprisonment."
"But he said he wanted to try the procedure, that he didn't want to go to jail," Harry asked in confusion.
"True, but I think he is also afraid of losing his personality, his sense of self," Dumbledore replied. "It is a person's memory that shapes their personality, the loss of them changes the person forever."
"So you think that the procedure is worse punishment than spending the rest of his life in prison?"
"It would be to me," Dumbledore admitted, "But perhaps Mr Malfoy feels that the possible gains outweigh the risks."
"So do you think I made the right choice?" Harry asked again.
"I think you chose the option that you needed to," Dumbledore replied. "Mr Malfoy will arrive during the Christmas break. He will be aware of the fact that his memory has been altered, but not of what his crime was. He will also have a different name and appearance. You do not need to be friends with him, yet I think you may be surprised by what this would achieve if you tried."
Harry couldn't imagine being friends with a Malfoy, even one that didn't know who he was. Time would tell if he had chosen the right option and Harry knew it was pointless to question Dumbledore further. Dumbledore's strange logic could give you a headache if you weren't careful, Harry thought.
Ron had finished his week of detentions and they sat in the common room playing chess that evening. Ron said suddenly, "Harry, I'm sorry, but Mum expects me to go home for Christmas this year." He looked up at Harry with a sad expression, "It will be the first one since Percy….died, and she wants the rest of the family to be together. I don't suppose Dumbledore will let you come?"
"No, I doubt it; anyway you should be with your family. They don't need an outsider butting in," Harry replied.
"Don't be stupid, you are family," Ron replied, "But I spoke to Hermione and she said she would stay at Hogwarts with you."
"Don't you want her to go with you?" Harry asked, "I mean she is almost your wife." Harry grinned at Ron.
"Well I don't know about that," Ron spluttered, his ears turning a bit red.
"I don't mind honestly, you two should go together," Harry said as lightly as possible, "Besides maybe Dumbledore will let me visit Moony at Redwood."
Ron visibly brightened, and Harry knew he had been afraid to mention the holidays for fear of hurting Harry's feelings. "Well if you don't mind, I would like Hermione to come home with me."
"Of course I don't mind, you will still send me a Christmas present won't you?" Harry asked cheekily.
"Well I don't know about that," Ron laughed, "maybe if you help me with my transfigurations homework."
And so it was decided, Ron and Hermione left for the Burrow two weeks later with the rest of the students and Harry stayed behind to await the arrival of Malfoy. Harry had spoken to Dumbledore and asked permission to visit Hogsmead one last time, to buy Christmas presents. Dumbledore had agreed, but only if Harry went with Hagrid and wore his glamour the entire time.
So the holidays began in the castle, the festive decorations and suits of armour singing Carols couldn't stop Harry worrying though, what if Malfoy was just as annoying and dangerous as before. What if he slid back to his old ways and put someone else's life in danger. Harry continued to worry.
There were only three other students staying for Christmas, Neville, and two first years. A Gryfiindor called Craig Hutchinson and a Slytherin called Reiss Warrington. Harry was surprised to find them all sitting at the Gryffindor table for dinner that evening. What was even more surprising was the fact that Warrington and Hutchinson appeared to be friends. Harry sat down next to Neville and allowed himself to be introduced.
Hutchinson said shyly, "You were great at the last quidditch match Harry."
Harry muttered his thanks, and then looked up to hear Warrington add, "Yes, I wish our seeker was a good as you."
Harry managed to say, "Well it was only her first game, but she is a really good flyer though." This was the second time he had received a compliment from a Slytherin about that game. Maybe the Sorting Hat was right; maybe separating the students was what caused a lot of the problems in the past.
Dumbledore held Harry back after dinner to ask him to come to his office the next morning at 11am. The new Gryffindor, Charles Blake, would be arriving and Harry could show him around. "Did the procedure work?" Harry asked.
"Yes, but it will remain a secret, if Blake is to receive a second chance, then he must not be linked with Malfoy." Dumbledore replied quietly.
"Yes Sir, I will come meet him tomorrow," Harry replied.
Harry went up to the common room to find Hutchinson waiting outside the door with Warrington. "What up, did you forget the password?" Harry asked.
"Um no, I was wondering if it would be alright for Reiss to come in, it's just he's the only one left from his house, and we wanted to play chess." Hutchinson asked.
"Sure, I don't see why not, but he's not allowed to know the password Okay?" Harry replied. Then he stepped close to the Fat Lady to say, 'Truffles.' The portrait swung open and they all went inside. Neville looked up in surprise as the Slytherin robes climbed through the portrait hole last. He looked at Harry with his eye brows raised in question but Harry shrugged at him and said, "It's Christmas."
Neville smiled at this remark and went back to reading his book, Harry stood watching the others for a moment then went up to his room to wrap his Christmas presents. Harry had already wrapped Hermione's book and Ron's broomstick servicing kit. He took the others out now and laid them on the bed, for Mr and Mrs Weasley he had bought a gnome repelling stone, which Hagrid promised would stop the Gnomes from invading the Weasley's garden, if they buried it in the flower beds.
Fred and George had a pile of goodies from Zonko's, to keep them up to date with the competitions latest products. For Hagrid he had bought a furry frame which he put a photo of fang in. and knowing Neville would be here for Christmas he had bought him a book called, 'Improving your concentration, by finding your core.' It was a less complex version of the book Dumbledore had given Harry the year before. He finished wrapping the last of the presents then went for a 'swim' in the prefects' bathroom before bed-time.