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A/N: Alright! This is where HP & the Lost Phoenix begins. From here on out everything will be seen from Harry's POV. If you haven't read The Prologue...please go back and do so. There are things you won't understand if you don't!
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Harry tried to be as silent as possible outside the door. Ginny's sudden departure had caught him off guard, and he nearly toppled over. He shrank back into the shadows and hoped against hope that Ginny hadn't seen him. He heard her heavy running footsteps on the stairs and then the slamming of her bedroom door. He wondered if anyone would follow, but apparently everyone was at a loss of what to do. He heard a small voice and strained his ears to listen.
"Hermione, were you able to get any sense out of her on holiday? She's been like this for ages." Molly spoke in a shaky voice.
"No, Mrs. Weasley. She wouldn't tell me a thing. She's been like this since...well since the end of the Triwizard Tournament. I don't know what's wrong with her."
Harry felt his blood begin to boil. "So, they think I'm losing it and they think Ginny's gone off the deep end with me." He had heard every word that they had said about him. He was nearly to the point of marching into the room and telling them all off, but Ginny had beaten him to it. He had stood in silence as she ranted and raved at them all. She had said everything he had been feeling at the moment.
When he heard the scraping of chairs, he realized it was time for him to head to his room. He climbed the stairs as silently as possible, thinking about how much he hated being in this house. Everything in it reminded him of Sirius. Just like Ginny had said; they couldn't understand how much Sirius had meant to him.
He pushed open the door to his bedroom. It was the same room that he had shared with Ron the previous summer. This year however it was much different. The room was cleaner and looked more inviting. Harry, however, hated every inch of it. After changing into his pajamas, he climbed into the large comfortable bed and fell asleep.
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"Harry! Come on, Mum says that you have to come down to breakfast. She wants you down in ten minutes!" Ron's voice ripped Harry from his sleep. He groaned and rolled over. If his stomach hadn't given a grumble, he would have been quite content to ignore Ron and go back to sleep.
Ten minutes later, everyone was grouped around the table again. Mrs. Weasley was filling their plates and Harry noticed that she had given him at least twice as much as everyone else. He looked across to see Ginny sitting with her head in one hand and pushing eggs around with a fork in the other hand. Her eyes were puffy and red-rimmed. Harry looked around in time to catch Hermione's gaze shift from Ginny on to himself. She gave him a little smile, but he did not return it. He was still furious at her from the night before.
Hermione looked away and unrolled the paper lying in front of her. She had only just glanced at the front page when she gave an excited squeal and smoothed the paper in front of her.
"Hermione, what on earth is the matter with you?" Mrs. Weasley had dropped a pile of toast when Hermione had shouted.
Hermione waved her two hands frantically for them all to gather around her. "I can't believe they did it! Well they should have done it long before, but at least they've done it! Oh, Harry this is wonderful!"
Harry looked down at the headline of the Daily Prophet:
Minister issues public apology to Dumbledore and Potter
During a press conference held inside the Ministry of Magic; Minister Fudge issued a long awaited apology to Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter.
"After much reflection and thought on the matter, I would like to issue these two my deepest apologies. Headmaster Dumbledore and Mr. Potter have claimed for the past year that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had come back from his presumed death. Members of the Ministry, me included, have spent much of the past year trying to assure people that these rumours were simply unfounded. However, in the light of recent events, it has come to the Ministry's attention that You-Know-Who has indeed returned." The Minister looked slightly embarrassed as he spoke these words to select members of the Wizarding Press.
The editor of the Daily Prophet has also issued an apology to Harry Potter regarding certain comments and stories that were run about him in the past year.
"These stories were simply printed based from the accusations of the public and the Ministry. We would like to apologize for any inconvenience these stories may have caused Mr. Potter."
Also in related news, Dolores Umbridge has been placed on administrative leave without pay. Madame Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister, enjoyed the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and High Inquisitor at Hogwarts School for the past nine months. She also served as temporary Headmistress in the absence of Albus Dumbledore for the last few months of school. Accusations of unjust punishments and cruel treatment of pupils have been flooding the Ministry for weeks. Parents were horrified when their children returned home with the horror stories of Madame Umbridge's nine month reign of terror over Hogwart's staff and students.
One letter from the mother of newly graduated student Lee Jordan cites that her son returned home with scars on the back of his hand. "During a detention, she forced him to write with some sort of quill that cut open the back of his hand and used his own blood as ink." Mrs. Jordan writes. Many other muggle parents, like Mrs. Jordan were in an uproar that their children could have been so highly mistreated in a school that has sworn to protect them.
Also there have been several reports that Umbridge ordered Dementors to attack Harry Potter late last summer near his home in Surrey. Though there have been no witnesses to verify this claim, one source reports that Umbridge attempted to use the Cruciatus Curse against one of her pupils. Madame Umbridge's hearing will take place in front of the Wizengamot; which Umbridge was removed from when the accusations began, on August 7th. The Ministry encourages any student or staff member of Hogwarts who feels they were unjustly treated by Madame Umbridge to come forth at this hearing.
No one spoke as they read the article. They all simply looked at one another.
Harry couldn't fight back the sensation that was creeping through him. They had apologized. They now believed him, and they had even apologized for treating him like some mad lunatic. And Umbridge was getting exactly what she had deserved. Harry smiled a little as he lifted his head and met Hermione's eyes.
"You did it Harry; you made them believe." She slid from her chair and wrapped her arms around him.
He knew that he had been mad at her, but it all melted away. "No, Hermione. We did it; all of us." He felt several more pairs of arms wrap around him.
"Well, do you think we should go down on the 7th and testify against that old bag? I mean it was Harry that she nearly tried the Cruciatus against. I say the more they have against her the better." Ginny's face was lit up with a devilish smile. Her eyes were still swollen and red, but they held a manic glint.
Ron laughed. "Not me. You guys go right ahead; if I never see that old toad again it will be too soon. Besides, I'll bet McGonnagal will have quite enough to say about her!"
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The day wore on and the house seemed to reverberate with the excitement that the Daily Prophet had brought. Harry laughed and talked more that afternoon than he had in weeks. The article seemed to light a new fire inside of him. A fire that told him that perhaps, even if it came down to one final battle between him and Voldemort, that there was a sliver of hope that he would come out on top.
As the four sat around the fire in the drawing room, discussing who might possibly testify against Umbridge, Mrs. Weasley's voice carried up the stairs. "Ron, Hermione, Harry! You should come down here; I think you're O.W.L. scores have arrived!"
Harry felt his heart plummet to just behind his knee-caps. This was the one thing he had been dreading. The contents of that envelope would determine his future as an Auror.
Hermione bounded from her seat and raced from the room before anyone else could even stand. Harry and Ron exchanged dark looks and headed for what would surely be the worst letter of their lives. Ginny gave a small giggle and took them both by the hand and pulled them faster down the stairs. Harry was shocked by her sudden and very bold move.
Hermione was holding a thick envelope in her hand and bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. Mrs. Weasley handed Harry and Ron their own envelopes and watched the trio with excitement and apprehension.
"Well, shall we?" Harry looked from Ron to Hermione, then slid his finger under the wax seal and broke it. He shook out the yellowish piece of parchment, and heard the others do the same. Ignoring the squeaks of delight form Hermione, and the groans from Ron, he looked down at his scores.
Transfiguration: Written-E
Practical-E
Charms: Written-E
Practical-E
Defense Against the Dark Arts: Written-O*
Practical-O*
History of Magic: Written-A
Care of Magical Creatures: Written-O
Practical-O
Astronomy: Written-A
Divination: Written-P
Practical-P
Potions: Written-E
Practical-O
Herbology: Written-E
Practical-E
The Wizarding Examinations Authority would like to congratulate you on joining only a handful of people in history to have achieved a perfect score on your Defense Against the Dark Arts examination.
Harry stared at the paper. He had done much better than he had expected. However his Potions marks worried him. He had received an E on his written exam, but an O on his practical. Would it be enough to secure him a spot in Snape's N.E.W.T. class?
"Well, how did the two of you do?' Hermione's eyes were shining.
Harry smirked at her. "You tell us first; get the gloating out of you system."
She threw him a filthy look. "Well, thanks for the encouragement Harry." She held out the parchment for them to read. Ron grunted in disgust. She had received O's in every subject, except for Astronomy.
"How come you only got an E in Astronomy?" Ron asked with a certain amount of smugness in his voice.
"Well, I wasn't able to concentrate properly, was I? How did you do Mr. Smart-Pants?"
Ron's face fell. "Well not bad. I won't be in the Auror training program any time soon. I got O's in Defense Against the Dark Arts and Care of Magical Creatures. E's in Transfiguration, Charms, and Herbology. A's in Potions and Astronomy. And..." Ron's voice trailed off as his mother eyed him. "P's in History of Magic and Divination."
"That's not bad, Ron. We both knew that we would fail Trelawney's. At least we don't have to step foot in that ridiculous room again." Harry gave a laugh as Ron watched his mother for signs of impending doom.
"Well, not as good as I would have hoped, but you did fairly well Ron. I was never great shakes at History or Divination either." Mrs. Weasley smile and turned to Harry. "How about you dear? How did you fare?"
Harry smiled and turned over his paper for everyone to read. Ron let out a whistle and Hermione looked almost pleased with him. "Wow Harry! You got a perfect score in Defense Against the Dark Arts? That's amazing! Do you think Snape will let you in Potions next year?"
Harry shrugged. "Dunno. If I didn't really need it for Auror training, I would say I hope not."
Ron laughed. "Well I guess I don't have to worry about him now."
Harry spent the next few days wondering about his fate as an Auror. If Snape denied him entrance to his Potions class, then he would have to find another career. The morning of his birthday though, Harry awoke to his Hogwarts letter. Inside laid the answer to the question that had been knawing at him.
