Chapter 26:

At the Ministry

The Order of the Phoenix met the night before Harry's trial. Most of the members were extraordinarily upset. Bill Weasley was the first person to finally ask, "Professor Dumbledore, what do you think Harry's chances of getting off are?"

Dumbledore sighed, "I really don't know, Bill. Harry is confident that they wouldn't dare convict him. However, now that they have added the charge of murdering Percy to the list, I just don't know."

Moody inserted, "If Potter isn't worried, then I'm not going to worry. He's got something up his sleeve, you mark my words. There isn't a situation that boy can't get out of."

Snape remarked coldly, "I think that you need to realize that Potter is just a boy, Moody. He isn't a superman."

Kingsley Shacklebolt stood up, "I don't know how the rest of you feel about Harry, but I know this. If Harry is convicted tomorrow, I'll be one of the first in line to break him out of prison."

"You don't know Potter very well if you think that he will need help to break out." growled Moody.

Tonks grinned, "You're not kidding. The kid broke through all the enchantments surrounding the Sorcerer's Stone when he was only eleven. Imagine what he can do now."

Dumbledore raised his hands, "You don't have to imagine, Tonks. I have had a discussion with Harry, and he has decided that it is time for the rest of the Order to know of his hidden abilities."

Tonks leaned forward eagerly, "Let's hear it."

"First off, Harry is an Animagus. Some of you are aware of his forms or some of them."

Snape was the first one to ask, "What do you mean forms?"

Dumbledore smiled, "Harry has three different Animagus forms. He can change into a black panther, a golden phoenix, or a chameleon."

Snape snapped irritably, "That's impossible."

"I assure you that it is not." Harry's voice rang out from behind Snape. Several people had noticed that Harry had suddenly appeared behind Snape, but had been too shocked to actually warn him.

McGonagall was the first to recover, "Potter, you are supposed to be in the hospital wing. You have not been given permission by the Ministry to be out. If they catch you.."

Harry interrupted her, "Relax, Professor. I made an illusion of me sleeping in the bed. Ginny is sitting in the hospital wing right now pretending to hold my hand. Those two lummoxes they have guarding the door are terrified of upsetting her, since they know upsetting Ginny is a good way to piss me off. Considering the fact that I still have my wand, they aren't in any particular hurry to make me mad. I'll be safely tucked back into my bed before they ever know that I was gone. I expected there to be disbelief at the idea of a wizard having multiple Animagus' forms, so I decided to come and demonstrate." Harry proceeded to cycle through all three of his forms.

The gathered witches and wizards gasped. Molly asked gently, "Harry, what else can you do?"

Harry grinned, "Well, it should come as no surprise to anyone that I can Apparate. I made it plainly obvious at the Ministry the other night that I can make my own Portkeys. I can make myself invisible without my cloak now." Harry went invisible and then returned. "I guess that's about it."

Kingsley broke in, "No, that's not about it. I want to know where you came up with that spell that defeated all those Dementors at the Ministry on Thursday."

Harry shrugged, "The spell is written in several of the ancient texts of Merlin's day. As you all should know if you paid attention in History of Magic, the Dementors were originally created by Morgan Le Fay. Merlin was the first wizard to battle them. He was the one that created the original Patronus Spell. However, it was quickly discovered that most witches and wizards didn't have the magical power or the physical stamina to actually cast the spell. Another group of wizards created a much simpler spell that could drive Dementors away, but not actually harm them. This is what we use as the modern day Patronus Charm."

Tonks asked, "So what you used was the original Patronus Spell created by Merlin, right?"

"Ten points to whatever house you were in, Nymphadora." answered Harry cheekily.

The other adults laughed as Tonks turned red and shook a fist at Harry, "I told you not to call me Nymphadora. I'm your professor, now. I should get some kind of respect."

Harry nodded, "I agree, and I'm always respectful in front of the other students, but I jumped in front of an Explosion Hex for you. I think that I should get some kind of perk for that."

Arthur leaned over, "You know, Tonks, the man does make a good point. I would tell you to give him a kiss, but I don't think that my daughter would appreciate that too much."

Tonks grinned, "I don't want her mad at me. So, if the idea of me kissing Harry ever comes up again, I'm telling her it was your bloody idea."

McGonagall coughed disapprovingly of the behavior that they were displaying, but most of the rest of the Order were chuckling or smiling at them. Dumbledore interrupted with his eyes twinkling, "I think that it is time for us to return to serious matters. Harry, do you have a plan for your defense tomorrow?"

"Sure. Fudge is my accuser. He's also going to be one of my examiners is he not?"

Dumbledore nodded, "Yes. Technically any member of the Wizengamot may ask you a question, but Cornelius, myself, and Madam Bones will do most of the questioning."

Harry nodded, "Okay, then my defense will be simple. I'm going to really piss Fudge off and scare the hell out of the rest of them. They would be crazy to convict me. If they are that crazy, I'm going to rip the entire courtroom down around their heads."

Dumbledore shook his head, "Harry, I'm afraid that I can not allow you to do that."

Harry snorted, "Professor, I have the greatest respect for you, but I wouldn't suggest that you attempt to stop me from doing anything, tomorrow."

"Why is that, Harry?" asked Dumbledore, with a glint of steel in his eyes.

"Simple. A duel between the two of us, would tear up a whole lot more that just the courtroom. If you let me do it my way, no one will get hurt. If you try to interfere, then I can't make any guarantees. The two of us would bring the whole building down. I could just see it. Front page of the Daily Prophet on Wednesday. Headmaster of Hogwarts and the Boy-Who-Lived dueled yesterday at the Ministry of Magic. There is no official count of the number of dead bodies that have been found in the rubble that was once the Ministry of Magic. Voldemort would piss his pants from laughter. His two greatest enemies taken out in one fell swoop. Don't try to stop me, Professor. You can't change my mind. If I have to run the war against Voldemort outside the law, I will."

Dubmbledore and Harry locked eyes for several minutes. The other witches and wizards in the room could feel the tension build as the two most powerful wizards on the side of light gathered their magical auras about them in a contest of wills. Dumbledore was the first to break the eye contact and look down at his feet. "Very well, Harry, you win."

Harry stepped over to Dumbledore and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry, sir. I only mentioned it as a worst case possible scenario. It won't come to that. Trust me."

Dumbledore nodded, "I do, Harry. We all do."

Moody barked, "Damn right. Some of us here would follow you to the end of the Earth."

Harry grinned, "Let's hope that it doesn't go that far. I'm going to go back to the hospital wing. I'm tired and I will need my strength for tomorrow. Good night all." Harry suddenly disappeared.

McGonagall looked at Albus, "What just happened, Albus?"

Kingsley nodded, "Yes, I must say that I am rather curious myself."

Dumbledore sighed, "Harry and I just gathered our magical auras to ourselves in a battle of will. The stronger won."

Tonks asked breathlessly, "Are you saying that Harry is stronger than you?"

Dumbledore shook his head, "Not yet. His power isn't quite a match for me yet. However, it is close. His will is much stronger than mine, however."

Molly asked, "Were we sensing your total power, Albus? It was a little disconcerting."

Dumbledore shook his head, "No, I gave up before it went that far. I didn't want Harry to draw all his power into himself. I could have overwhelmed him if I had drawn all my power to me, but Harry knew that I wasn't willing to do that. Just as I knew he was. That was why I had to give in. Had the two of us drawn our full magical auras around us at once, the sight would have been far more than disconcerting, it would have been downright terrifying."

Snape queried, "Why is that, Albus? Most of us have seen your true power at one time or another."

Dumbledore nodded, "True. You haven't seen my power in contest with one nearly equal to it in measure, though. Harry and I combined have the power to rip this entire castle to shreds. That is terrifying."

McGonagall paled, "Does Potter really have that kind of power?"

"You don't know the half of it, Minerva. When Harry unlocks his true power, it will be truly unfathomable. I can't even begin to imagine what he will be capable of doing."

"What do you mean unlock it?" asked Bill.

"Harry has told me that he can sense the power that the Prophecy spoke of him having. He just can't touch it. He says that it is as if it is locked behind an invisible door that he can't open. Until he does, he can't defeat Voldemort."

Arthur Weasley sighed, "That child has entirely too much to deal with. I hope that this is over soon or I think that he will crack, and the results of that could be catastrophic. I think that we all need to wish Harry good luck for tomorrow."

Fred and George spoke up for the first time, "Here, Here."

Later that night, when Harry returned to the hospital wing. He kissed Ginny good night and told her that he would see her when he got back from the Ministry. Then, he settled himself on his bed. With a little concentration and focus, he was inside Voldemort's mind.

"Hey, Tom. I hope you're enjoying yourself. How many of your precious Dementors did I kill anyway?" taunted Harry.

"Potter, I wouldn't be laughing if I were you. Your precious allies are going to throw you in prison tomorrow for killing my Death Eaters." laughed Voldemort.

Harry snorted, "You know that is bull. Cornelius and few of his close cohorts may vote against me, but you know that the majority of witches and wizards on the Wizengamot think that as long as I'm only killing the bad guys, that I haven't truly done anything wrong. I'll get off easily, tomorrow and you know it, Tom."

"I've told you to stop calling me that, boy. I am going to enjoy killing you and your precious friends."

Harry laughed out loud, "Like your last attempt to take Ginny from me. That worked great. Remind me, Tom. What was it? Four dead Death Eaters and three more captured. Some dead Dementors. I'm not sure exactly how many, but there were quite a few. The casualties on our side were, wait a second, I remember now, zero. Good try though, Tom. Kudos."

"Get out of my mind, Potter. I am going to kill you."

"We'll see, Tom. We'll see." Voldemort shunted enough energy into the connection to shut it off after that statement. Harry laughed quietly to himself as he laid down to prepare to sleep. "That was a lot of fun. I need to do it more often." mumbled Harry to himself as he drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Harry got up and dressed for his hearing. He put on his dress robes that he had had Ginny bring down for him the night before. The Aurors stepped into the hospital wing when it was time for Harry to leave for the Ministry. The lead one held out his hand to Harry, "Mr. Potter, I must ask for your wand."

Harry laughed, "You can ask all day. That doesn't mean that I'm going to give it to you."

"Mr. Potter, I can't take you before the Wizengamot for a criminal trial without confiscating your wand." protested the Auror.

Harry plopped back down on his bed, "Good. I didn't want to go anyway. When Fudge calls to have a fit about me not being present, you can tell him that you refused to bring me to the trial." Both Aurors drew their wands. Harry snorted in contempt, "I wouldn't recommend it, gentlemen. I don't intend to resist. I'll go docilely, but you aren't taking my wand."

"I'm going to contact the Minister and see what he says." The lead Auror stepped out of the room and went to the nearest fire to contact Cornelius Fudge.

"What is it?" bellowed Fudge when his head appeared in the fire.

The Auror began, "Sir, the prisoner refuses to relinquish his wand."

"Well, then, take the bloody thing from him."

The Auror gulped, "That might be a problem. The Potter boy isn't exactly easy to take out."

Dumbledore walked into Fudge's office. "Is there a problem, Cornelius?"

Fudge pulled his head out of the fire, "Yes, there's a problem. That damn Potter boy refuses to give up his wand."

Dumbledore shrugged, "You can hardly blame him. He has done nothing, but spend his life fighting against Voldemort and his minions, and all you and your administration has done for the past two years is persecute him for it. I, for one would not test him right now. The young man is perfectly capable of killing your two Auror guards and making a run for it. Do you really want Harry as an enemy?"

Cornelius paled, and then stuck his head back in the fire. "Let the boy keep his wand. Just get him here."

The Auror nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. He stepped back into the hospital wing, and said, "Mr. Potter, the Minister has given permission for you to keep your wand."

"Really. I'm amazed. Cornelius might actually be growing a brain, but I somehow doubt it." Harry walked up to the door and motioned with his hand, "Shall we?" He walked out the door into the corridor, and down to the fireplace to take the Floo into the Ministry.

Harry led the two Aurors from the Floo junction at the Ministry down to the lower courtrooms where he knew that the trial would be held. He walked into the room with his head held high. He sat down in the chair before the assembled members of the Wizengamot, and the shackles attached themselves around Harry's wrists and ankles.

Davis Weatherby spoke up in protest, "This is outrageous, Cornelius. There is no reason to have the shackles on."

Fudge cleared his throat noisily, "I beg to differ. The boy has refused to give up his wand to the Aurors that brought him in. Therefore, he must be considered dangerous. I have engaged the shackles to ensure the safety of the members of the Wizengamot."

Harry laughed, "It's okay, Davis. I'm not worried about the shackles. As a matter of fact it's a compliment. I didn't realize that poor Cornelius was this terrified of me. I find it highly entertaining."

Fudge's face grew red with anger, "Let's get on with this. Interrogators for this session will be myself, Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister of Magic. Amelia Susan Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, and Headmaster of Hogwarts."

Dumbledore leaned forward, "Mr. Potter, do you understand the charges that have been made against you?"

Harry nodded, "Of course."

Amelia asked the next question, "Do you intend to bring witnesses for your defense?"

"No, madam, I do not. I have no witnesses, since I was alone in the forest at the time. There were a few centaurs that witnessed part of the battle, but I think that it would have been quite difficult to get any of them to appear here in this courtroom."

"Why is that?" asked Davis Weatherby.

Harry grinned, "I'm not exactly for sure, but I believe that they said something to the effect that Cornelius needs to take a bath more often. Something about not being able to stand the smell."

Fudge slammed his fist down onto the table as several of the jurors covered their mouths to hide the smiles. It was a well known fact that Fudge enjoyed his rum, and he often smelled of spirits. "I won't have it." he thundered. "The boy is attempting to make a mockery of this courtroom."

Harry responded, "Nothing of the sort. I was asked a direct question and I answered it. I was not expressing an opinion on what you smell like myself. I was merely relating the opinions that I heard voiced by the centaurs that dwell in the Forbidden Forest that surrounds a great deal of Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Fudge could think of nothing to say to this, so Madam Bones stepped in with the next question. "That was only for one of the incidents with which you have been charged. What about the death of the Junior Aide to the Minister, Percy Weasley?"

Harry replied easily, "The major witnesses to that event were Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Hermione Granger, and Luna Lovegood. As I am sure all of you know, two of those I just mentioned were Percy's younger siblings. I have no inclination or intention of asking them to relive such a traumatic experience. So, the answer to your question, Madam Bones, remains no."

Dumbledore jumped in with the next question, "Tell us in your own words what happened on these two occasions."

Harry nodded, "On the evening that Percy Weasley died, he had come to Hogwarts at the behest of Cornelius Fudge. He was there to question myself and the five previously mentioned students on the events during the attack on Hogsmeade. When I came into contact with Percy, I knew immediately that he was a Death Eater. We had known that there was a spy within Fudge's office for a short period of time at that point, but we had no idea who. I confronted Percy with his deception and we dueled. He cast the Killing Curse on me, and I conjured a mirror to reflect it back on him. He didn't dodge fast enough."

Madam Bones nodded, "Now, tell us about what happened on Thursday evening."

Harry continued, "It had come to the attention of myself and the Headmaster that Voldemort was planning an attack on the Ministry. We had a reliable source with information that the attack was to be a diversion. The real goal was for a select group of Death Eaters to sneak into Hogwarts and take Ginny Weasley."

Davis Weatherby interrupted, "Why were they trying to take Arthur's daughter?"

"That has been Voldemort's goal since Christmas. He believes that Ginny has information that would prove to be my undoing. He wants her because he believes she is the key to killing me. He's wrong, of course, but that doesn't stop him from trying. So, on Thursday evening when news of the attack at the Ministry reached us at Hogwarts, Dumbledore and several of the other professors came to the Ministry to help. I left the castle and went into the Forbidden Forest. I knew that was where the Death Eaters would be waiting. I attacked them, and defeated them. Four of them were killed in the battle, and the other three were stunned."

Fudge asked quickly, "Did you cast the Killing Curse on one of the Death Eaters?"

"I did." replied Harry.

Madam Bones asked, "Why?"

"It was seven to one, Madam. I felt that it was necessary to even the odds."

Fudge put in, "Did you kill all four of the Death Eaters that were dead?"

"I did." answered Harry simply.

Madam Bones removed her monocle for a moment and pretended to be polishing it, "I find that difficult to believe, Mr. Potter. Three of the Death Eaters were obviously killed by an animal of some kind."

"They were."

Madam Bones eyes widened for a moment before she asked, "Would you care to explain that?"

Harry nodded, "Of course. I am unregistered Animagus."

Fudge sensed a victory here, "Why aren't you registered?"

"The Headmaster and I both felt that it would be prudent to keep my form a secret so that we could use it against Voldemort." explained Harry.

Another wizard in the back piped up, "What form do you take, Mr. Potter?"

Harry smiled, "I am a black panther. Perfect for stealth."

Davis Weatherby stood up, "Well, that settles it. He was outnumbered, and used an Unforgivable Curse on people that were trying to kill him and abduct his girlfriend. No major crime there. Percy Weasley killed himself, basically. No crime there. As for being an Unregistered Animagus, I feel that we should convict Mr. Potter and then abscond punishment in light of the fact that he was correct and it was prudent to keep that information secret. All in favor." Everyone present raised their hands except Cornelius Fudge.

Fudge stood, "Very well. However, Mr. Potter, do not expect to continue in your blatant disregard for the law. The next time I have you in those shackles, I am going to take your wand and break it before I send you off to prison."

Harry laughed, "You couldn't take my wand if you tried, Cornelius."

"You are restrained by the shackles, Mr. Potter. It would be easy to take your wand from your possession." stated Fudge.

"Is that so?" asked Harry. He jerked his arms up and out, shattering the shackles that bound his arms in one fluid movement.

Everyone on the panel paled at the idea that Harry could have broken free at any moment. Fudge stammered, "How? How..?"

Harry smiled and bowed to the members of the Wizengamot. Then, he ripped his legs loose from the leg shackles. "I have my ways. I'm heading back to Hogwarts. I'll see you all at a later date."

Harry walked outside into the corridor and Apparated to Hogsmeade. He walked into the village, and bought Ginny some flowers. He carried them up to the castle and headed for the Great Hall. He knew that the other students would be coming in for lunch shortly.

When Ginny walked in with Hermione, Ron, Neville, and Luna, she saw Harry and gasped. She ran over to him and grabbed him in a hug. "Careful, Ginny. You're going to crush the flowers." admonished Harry.

Ginny looked down at the flowers in Harry's hand. "Are these for me?" she asked. Harry grinned, "Of course. I saw them as I was walking through the village to the castle. I figured that you needed some flowers."

Ron looked askance at Harry, and then began to speak, "Look, Harry, we need to talk. I know that Hermione and I have been coming to visit you in the hospital wing the last couple of days, but we still haven't really talked about what happened."

Harry waved a friend at Ron, "Don't worry about it. Its in the past. Let it stay there."

Ron shook his head, "No, I need to tell you this."

Harry turned his gaze away from Ginny and said, "Okay. Say what you have to say."

Ron nodded, "I want to say that I'm sorry for the way I've treated you throughout this year. I wanted to be involved, and make a difference. I've been jealous of you for a long time. I want you to know that I don't blame you for what happened to Percy. I need to thank you for saving my sister's life, and my life, and Hermione's life, and everyone that has ever been around you. You've always been willing to sacrifice yourself for the good of others, Harry. I want you to know that I admire that. If you think that I'm too hot-headed to be in on the Order business, then, I respect your decision, and I promise that you won't hear another word about it from me."

Hermione nodded, "I guess that I want to say that I'm sorry as well. I feel the same way Ron does. I just hope that you can find it within you to forgive us."
Harry laughed as he looked at Ginny, "So, what do you think? Its about time they figured it out."

Ginny nodded, "I told them some things the other day."

"That's okay. I think that its about time for them to know the whole story."

Ron looked puzzled, "What are you talking about?"

Harry locked his gaze on Ron, "You are ready."

Ron's eyes widened, "Are you serious?"

Harry nodded, "I'm sure that Professor Dumbledore will want to speak to me later about the occurrences in the Ministry. I want all of you to come to his office with me. There you can ask all the questions that you want. I intend to tell you everything."

Hermione asked, "What made you decide that we were ready?"

"You did."

She shook her head, "I don't get it."

Harry sighed, "You will soon enough."

Dumbledore came striding into the Great Hall and walked directly up to Harry at the Gryffindor Table. "Harry, I believe that the two of us need to talk."

Harry snickered, "Yes, I know. I was just telling the others that you would want to speak to me. I think that it can wait until class is over at the least. I want all of them to be present. It's time that they knew the whole truth."

Dumbledore nodded, "If that is your wish. I will be waiting in my office for all of you at four-thirty."

"Thank you, Professor." said Harry.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as a smile spread across his face, "Don't mention it, Harry."

Later that evening the five Gryffindors and their lone Ravenclaw companion walked up the revolving staircase into Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore smiled as they entered, "Ah, I'm glad that you have arrived. It is time for us to talk."

Harry took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "This is going to be a long afternoon. If you don't mind, Professor, I'd like to get them caught up to date before we discuss the Ministry hearing."

Dumbledore nodded, "How much are we going to tell them?"

Harry shrugged, "Pretty much everything. I guess we need to start with the Prophecy."

Dumbledore removed his Pensieve from the cabinet and sat it on the desk, "Harry, would you like to do the honors, or should I?"

"Go ahead, sir. The memory is first hand when it comes from you."

Dumbledore placed his wand to the side of his hand and drew out a strand of thought. He placed it in the basin and drew it up to be seen. The image of a young Sybyll Trelawney emerged and began to speak.

THE ONE WITH THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE DARK LORD APPROACHES … BORN TO THOSE WHO HAVE THRICE DEFIED HIM, BORN AS THE SEVENTH MONTH DIES … AND THE DARK LORD WILL MARK HIM AS HIS EQUAL, BUT HE WILL HAVE POWER THE DARK LORD KNOWS NOT … AND EITHER MUST DIE AT THE HAND OF THE OTHER FOR NEITHER CAN LIVE WHILE THE OTHER SURVIVES … THE ONE WITH THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE DARK LORD WILL BE BORN AS THE SEVENTH MONTH DIES…

The vision sank back down into the Pensieve, while the majority of the room sat in shock. Hermione finally said, "I presume that the Prophecy refers to Harry. Is there anyone else that fits the prerequisites?"

Harry nodded and pointed at Neville, who sucked in a long breath and exclaimed, "Me?!!"

"Yes, Neville, you. We were both born on July the 31st. Both of our parents had escaped Voldemort on three occasions. Both of our parents were in the Order of the Phoenix." said Harry.

"Why did You-Know-Who try to kill you and not Neville, then?" asked Ron.

Luna sighed, "It's obvious, isn't it?"

Dumbledore's eyes widened, "How is it obvious, Miss Lovegood? Until Voldemort tried to kill Harry and marked him with the scar, it could have been either of the two children."

Luna shook her head, "No, it couldn't. You-Know-Who would have tried to determine which of the two babies would be more dangerous to him. He was bound to have discovered that Harry was the Heir of Gryffindor. Being the Heir of Slytherin himself, he would see Harry as a much greater threat than Neville."

Dumbledore smiled, "Very perceptive, Miss Lovegood. It has never occurred to me that Voldemort would have known about Harry's lineage at the time. However, it is extraordinarily likely that you are correct."

Hermione pouted for a moment since she wasn't the one to have come up with this information. She recovered quickly, however. "This is why you let Harry into the Order of the Phoenix."

Dumbledore nodded, "Yes, it is. Although it isn't the only reason."

Ron asked, "What else is there?"

Harry grinned, "Well, you know that I am an Animagus."

Ron waved his hand, "We know that you have two forms."

"Three, Ron. A black panther, a golden phoenix, and a chameleon. I also have the ability to tap into Voldemort's mind, and discover things that he knows. This has been cut off lately, since Voldemort discovered that I was doing it."

Comprehension dawned on Hermione's face, "That's why you have been doing everything in class as if you already knew it. You did."

Harry grinned, "Precisely. The connection is how I learned how to sword fight, and its how I learned the Animagus transformation so easily. Now, I have another bombshell for you. I'm not the only Animagus in this room."

Dumbledore's smile faded, "What do you mean, Harry?"

"Show them, Ginny."

Ginny transformed into a falcon, and then flew quickly around the room. She landed beside Harry and then transformed back. Even Dumbledore appeared to be in shock.

Fawkes trilled *My brother, your mate is a most magnificent looking bird. She is also quite talented.*

Harry grinned, "Thanks, Fawkes. I'm sure that she will appreciate the compliment."

Ginny grinned impishly at Harry, "What did he say?"

Harry replied, "He said that you were a magnificent looking bird."

Ginny blushed slightly, "Thank you, Fawkes."

Neville looked confused, "Harry, were you just talking to the phoenix?"

Harry nodded, "Yes, Neville, I was."

"I thought that was supposed to be impossible." chimed in Luna.

"Technically it is. However, since my Animagus form is a phoenix, I can understand his trilling." answered Harry.

Hermione asked, "What about this power that the Dark Lord knows not business in the Prophecy? Is that why you are so strong at such an early age?"

Harry shook his head, "No. The power that the Prophecy speaks of is locked away. I don't know how to release it."

Ron gulped, "Do you need that power to defeat You-Know-Who?"

Harry sighed and then nodded, "Yes, Ron, I do."

"What happens if you don't unlock the power?" asked Ron.

Harry shrugged, "I die."

Ron placed his head into his hands, "Damn, and to think that I have been jealous of you. Bloody Hell!"

Hermione patted his back, "Are there anymore surprises?"

Harry shook his head, "I don't suppose. I guess all that remains is to discuss the trial from this morning."

Neville leaned forward, "Yeah, what happened? It's obvious that you got off, but I don't even know what you were being put on trial for?"

Harry began, "Last Thursday night, the Ministry was attacked by a force of about one hundred of Voldemort's enhanced Dementors. The attack was a diversion for a group of Death Eaters to sneak into the castle, and kidnap Ginny. I knew about it ahead of time, so I went into the Forbidden Forest to deal with them before going to the Ministry. I killed four of them, and captured three more. I was forced to kill one of them with the Killing Curse, and that was what Fudge pressed charges against me for."

Hermione asked, "Were you acquitted of all charges?"

Dumbledore shook his head, "No, he wasn't. Mr. Potter was found guilty of being an Unregistered Animagus and then given time off for the prudence of keeping such information a secret given the knowledge of spies within the Ministry."

Ron looked at Harry, "You've got to be kidding me."

Harry grinned, "No, Ron, its not a joke. Now, Professor, if there is nothing else that we need to discuss, Gryffindor has the Quidditch pitch booked until seven, and I wouldn't mind getting some flying in before dinner."

"One last thing, Harry. How did you break the shackles?" asked Dumbledore.

Harry grinned, "I cast a Transfiguration spell to alter the molecular density of the metal to that of glass. The physical strength of the shackles was then quite easy to overcome."

Dumbledore chuckled, "Those shackles are protected from just about every type of enchantment that the creators could think of. They must not have thought of that one."

A/N: I am getting a great deal of reviews that are expressing concern over Harry's cockiness. For this many of you to think that Harry is being overtly cocky, I must not be communicating the point of why he is acting the way he is. So, I will spell it out now. To understand you have to put yourselves in the character's shoes, so to speak. Harry has found himself in a position where he has knowledge and powers that even some of the most powerful adult wizards do not have. This naturally would give any teenager a mild superiority complex. However, most of Harry's seemingly cocky attitude is a charade. In war psychology the side with the better attitude often wins despite odds being against them. Harry has to present the image that he does not believe he can lose. If the Order thought that he doubted himself, they would doubt him, and then they would lose the one weapon that they have left against Voldemort, hope. Not to mention, with Draco in the castle reporting everything to do with Harry back to the Death Eaters, the cocky Harry persona is serving to royally piss Voldemort off, which is exactly what Harry wants. The madder Voldemort becomes the more likely he is to make a mistake, and one mistake may be all Harry needs to win. So, don't judge his character too harshly for appearing to be arrogant. It is necessary for what he is trying to accomplish.

TopQuark: Wait till the sequel. You are going to see some of Ginny in action, then. Thanks for the review.

Athena kitty: Yes, Firenze is going to be let back in the herd, but no, I am not going to kill Fudge. His character is far too much fun to infuriate. Thanks for the review.

Hunta: Yes, he does, but the Author's note should explain that. Thanks for the review.

Dragonstorm316: If it wasn't for cliff-hangers, then I wouldn't be able to have any fun reading all of your reviews about them. Thanks for the review.

Josh Potter: Don't expect a sequel of novels. There may be a few short stories set in the Au that I have created, but no more than the two full length novels. I have thought about jumping forward to his children, or going back and doing a James and Lily novel, but those two ideas are up in the air right now. We will just have to wait and see where my imagination leads me. Thanks for the review.

Plasterwork: Using the Killing Curse has nothing to do with being cocky. Did you note the Death Eater's reaction to Harry using the curse. It stunned them. It was as if they were standing there thinking, this can't happen to us. Harry sent Voldemort and all of his Death Eaters a message with that curse. YOU WILL NOT GET AWAY WITH WHAT YOU HAVE DONE. Thanks for the review.

Lourdes: Harry isn't playing politics. He's running a war. The politicians are just getting in his way. Thanks for the review.

GillyLovesSmut: I toned down Hermione and Ron's reaction's to the Prophecy from what Harry expected. I want it to seem as if Harry underestimated them. Yet another sign that he can make a mistake. Thanks for the review.

ExpectoPatronum0: He's not going to get any worse, but don't expect him to get any better for awhile either. Refer to the Author's note for why. Thanks for the review.

Skeeter007: Thanks for the review.

Lucugirl07: Thank you. Thanks for the review.

Blip-dragon: I will do my best. Thanks for the review.

Maria: Can't be done. I need him that way. Thanks for the review.

Christopher: Years of self-doubt combined with suddenly being given the power to correct everything you have felt over the years was your fault would explain arrogance in a hurry, don't you think. Thanks for the review.

Captuniv: Not yet. The war will be over before Harry gets rid of Fudge. Thanks for the review.

Stridergirl: Your sentiments are shared by many. I promise it will all make sense in the end. Thanks for the review.

John: Thanks for the review.

Cocopops: Thanks for the review.

Jeangab057: I agree. Fudge is most definitely a fool. Thanks for the review.

Sarl: As fast as I can. Thanks for the review.

Sassygirl: Thanks for the review.

Piper: Fudge doesn't want to convict Harry. He just wants to put him in a bad political light, so that after Voldemort is defeated, Harry can't take over. Thanks for the review.

James Potter's Lily Flowers: The final chapter of the sequel is going to be a glimpse of fifteen years later. So, you will see their family at the end. Thanks for the review.

Mark-33w: Thanks for the review.

Harryp123: Thanks for the review.

Fair-Faye-Kahlan: Feel free to use the Greater Patronus Spell. Yes, you have said that you love the story. I appreciate it every time I hear it. Thanks for the review.

Mep: The author's note should alleviate some of your concerns. Thanks for the review.

Mrsean: Since, you have read beyond Chapter 18 by now, you know that the two Death Eaters that were hit by the Explosion Hex are very dead. There will be more Death Eaters piled up befor it is over. Thanks for the review.

HP-wannabe69: No, Harry's secret power is not Ginny's love. Although, her love couldn't hurt. Thanks for the review.