Chapter 20: Stepping Closer

The creatures behind him were staring around in wonder at the place around them. A centaur reached out a hesitant hand and touched a leaf on a tree, jerking it back in surprise and touching it again, as though unsure he had felt it right the first time.

Firenze stepped forward his face filled with such wonder and joy that Harry felt an anger welling in him at the people who had taken the peaceful race out of their home.

"I thank you more than you can know," Firenze said. "And if there is anything either of you ever wish and it is mine to give, you shall have it."

Harry shook his head. "There is nothing I gave you that you did not deserve by right. I ask nothing of you and if there ever is, I shall ask it of you on even footing, a deal for a deal, and not demand your service for this long overdue act."

The centaur nodded. "If there is nothing you wish, then know only that you have the alligence of the centaurs behind you on your mission, whatever that may be."

"I thank you," Harry said. "And know that if you ever again need help, you have only to call."

Firenze nodded and he and Harry shook hands.

"I will be on my way," Harry said. "I wish you well."

"And I you," Firenze said. Harry turned and walked into the forest, Grander grabbed the two brooms and followed.

They had not gone long before Grander said, "I had no idea they were in there. If I did, you would have known sooner."

"I didn't even think about it," Harry said. "If I had, perhaps we could have found them before now." He paused thoughtfully. "But those were not even close to all the species of magical creatures that were in the world in my time. I shall have to ask the Minster about the rest."

Grander suddenly stopped, his hand going to his pocket for his wand, apparently on instinct, Harry was pleased to see.

"What is it?"

"I heard something behind us," Grander said. He appeared to be listening hard. Suddenly a small creature leapt out of the woods behind them. Harry had a defensive charm on his lips before he realized what it was.

The Kneazle that Grander had carried earlier came walking out of the trees, crouches low on its cat-like paws. Grander looked at it in wonder. "What is that thing?"

"It's a Kneazle," Harry said. "You know, big ears and spots. You've never heard of them?"

Grander looked at him with raised eyebrows. "Apparently the Ministry has been keeping them locked up for years. How was I supposed to hear of them? What do you know about them?"

"Not much," Harry admitted. "Their teeth weren't sufficiently long enough for our Care of Magical Creatures teacher to pay much interest to."



"What's Care of Magical Creatures?" Grander asked.

"It was a class I had in school," Harry said. "I suppose if the Minstry locked the Magical Creatures up, it wouldn't have made an interesting class. They probably scraped it."

"But what does the Kneazle want?" Grander asked, bending down to look at it. It purred and swated playfully at his nose. Grander yelped and jumped back. Harry laughed. Grander looked horrified for a breif instant before seeing Harry laughing as hard as he was. "He attacked me!" he said indignantly.

Harry started laughing again, harder this time. "That look..." he said through fits of laughter. "was completely...priceless! If I had...a camera...I could taunt...you with it... for years!"

"That's a ferocious animal!" Grander protested, pointing to the Kneazle who had laid down on its belly and put its paw over its face as if in apology. That only made Harry laugh harder.

"I'm sorry," Harry said when he had regained breath. "It's just that, you were so scared!" He started laughing again and Grander seemed to decide he was done waiting on Harry for help. He bent down to the Kneazle again and reached out his hand. The Kneazle inched forward as though wary and sniffed it. Then, just as carefully, it placed a paw in Grander's hand and looked up at him, as if in question.

Harry stopped laughing, though barely, and watched the sceen with amusement on his face. Grander seemed to have recovered from his shock. He bent down and picked the Kneazle up. It purred contentedly in his arms.

"Looks like you've got a new friend," Harry said, his eyebrows raised in amusement. Grander didn't seem to notice. His eyes were fixed on the cat with a look of amazement on his face. "Why do you think it wanted to come with us?"

"Kneazles are supposed to be very good judges of character," Harry said. "Maybe it decided you were a nice person."

"Maybe," Grander said. "No matter. I'm keeping it."

Harry looked at Grander doubtfully. "What do you know about Kneazles?"

"They're good judges of character," Grander said, echoing Harry's words. "And they look like cats."

"Okay," Harry said. "But don't kill it. From what I can tell, it's an endagered species."

Grander looked at Harry in astonishment. "Kill it? That's about the last thing on my list of things to do!"

"Well, come on then. We don't have all day. Voldemort could be attacking the castle as we speak."

Grander rather panicked at this and insisted they go faster. Harry only shook his head and continued at the same place, knowing that Voldemort would not attack twice in the same week.

Finally he got tired of listening at Grander saying to go faster and said, "If you're so insistant on going faster, maybe we should fly."

Grander went very pale. "I--I don't think we should go that fast..."

"No, let's go," Harry said, grabbing his broom. "Let's go. I'll teach you how to fly as we go."



"I have the Kneazle to think about," Grander protested. "I can't take it up."

"The Kneazles are like cats," Harry said. "Excellent sense of balance. I can take it if you want."

"I don't think so," Grander said, clutching the cat to him defensively. "It probably doesn't like you."

Harry reached over and held out his hand for the creature to sniff. "We're flying," he said to it. "Grander's going to have to use both hands if he wants to get it right. You can come with me. We're going to the same place." The Kneazle looked at Harry mistrustfully for a second before looking to Grander for permission. Grander hesitated. Harry raised his eyebrows. Frowning stubbornly, Grander nodded to it and the Kneazle accepted Harry's invitation.

Carrying the Kneazle carefully, Harry casually said, "Up!" and the broom leapt into his free hand and he mounted. The second he kicked off from the ground, he grinned. It was wonderful. He was back in the air, the one place that he had always belonged, despite everything. He was itching to take off and just fly, but he was carrying the Kneazle in one hand and forced to instruct Grander at the same time.

Sighing sadly, he turned to face Grander. "Put the broom on the ground, put your dominant hand over it and say, 'Up'."

Grander did as he was told. He placed his right hand over the broom and said, "Up!"

His broom rolled over on the ground.

Harry shook his head. "Forget it. Just grab and mount, like I did."

Grander grabbed the broom and mounted, hesitating before kicking off.

He was the clumsiest person on a broom that Harry had seen in his entire life. It was hard for Harry as they flew toward the castle, to comprehend how anyone could be that bad. They would have to be trying to be so, but Grander's face had a look of determination mixed with unease as he flew so far off the ground. Harry forgot himself at one point and flew too far ahead. He doubled back quickly when he saw what he was doing and apologized to Grander, but after that Grander redoubled his efforts. With his renewed determination, Harry had to keep a close eye on him. He was being rather careless in his attempt to keep up.

When they finally arrived at the castle, Harry was quite sure that it would have been faster to walk, but he said nothing to Grander, who looked at his broom with an expression that stated clearly that he would never get on a broom again.

"Don't worry about it," Harry said. "One of my friends never liked brooms either."

"That was amazing!" shouted a voice. Harry looked up to see Hannah and Ricky running up to them at full speed. He suddenly remembered what Grander had said about Hannah being on the Quid team. The skidded to a hault in front of them, eyes wide.

"Can I go for a ride?" Hannah asked. Ricky stepped on her toe, though it was hard to see under their robes. "Ow! What? I was just asking!"

"Maybe another time," Harry said, dismounting and giving the Kneazle to Grander.

"What's that?" Ricky asked.

"Kneazle," Harry said. "It's like a cat--"



"I've heard of those!" Hannah interrupted. "I've read about them!" Harry did not miss Ricky's eye roll. "They're supposed to be a really good judge of character and have a near perfect sense of direction! They are intensely loyal if they meet a person they take a liking too!"

"How do you remember stuff like that?" Ricky asked, staring at her with an incredulous expression on his face.

"When I found out about the wizarding world, I was completely fasinated and read everything about it I could."

"Yeah, but that was years ago. Surely you've forgotten something by now!"

"What are you doing out here?" Harry asked, cutting into the conversation. "Don't you have classes?"

"Cancelled," Hannah said, shrugging. "Not sure why. Headmistress Chiden called a staff meeting."

"What?" Grander yelped. "Why wasn't I informed?"

Hannah looked at her teacher very seriously. "In all honesty, Professor, I think you were not invited because the meeting is about you."

"What?" Grander asked again. "I haven't done anything wrong! Headmistress Chiden told me to take the next few days off to recover!" Suddenly it seemed to dawn on him. "Well I'll be da--"

"We should go to the castle," Harry interrupted quickly.

"I don't think you should go," Grander said. "She's probably discussing my hanging around with you and you being there will make it worse."

Harry couldn't deny that point. He directed his next question at the two students in front of him. "How long have they been in there?"

"Quite a while," Hannah admitted. "All classes before lunch have been suspended for it." Harry looked vaguely at the sky and saw that the sun was a little less than halfway across the sky. If the first classes started at nine, they had been in there for ages.

"You should hurry," Harry said to Grander. "And take the Kneazle with you. It can tell you who you can trust."

Grander nodded. He started off across the lawn at a run. Cursing at Grander's slow speed, Harry mounted his broom and kicked off in one fluid moment. He slowed to Grander's speed when he reached him seconds later.

"Get on."

"No way! Never again!" Grander said, running a little faster.

"Don't be an idiot!" Harry snapped. "It's the fastest way and I'll be flying. All you have to do it hold on!"

Grander hesitated for a moment before nodded. He stopped and hopped onto the broom.



"Don't let go!" Harry yelled over his shoulder. Bending closer to the broom, Harry kicked it to go faster. He heard Grander yell behind him and he honestly couldn't blame him. This broom went as fast as his Firebolt at top speed and Harry wasn't even pressing the broom's limits. He released the broom with one hand and Grander yelled again. Doors flew open as they passed and people were picked up gently and placed out of the way. They reached the staffroom in record time. Harry slowed the broom quickly and felt Grander slide forward. He brought the broom to a full stop and the History of Magic teacher fell off. The Kneazle jumped away with a hiss. Harry dismounted as well and help Grander to his feet. He looked rather green.

"Never again," Grander muttered. "Never."

"Glad to be of service," Harry said, grinning despite himself. Students were crowding into the hall to see what had passed them by in such a blur. They all looked quite shocked to see Harry standing there with a broom.

"I better make myself scarce," Harry said. "Good luck." He hesitated a minute, wanting very much to join Grander in the room, but deciding that it would be better if he didn't.

Slowly the crowd began to disperse. Grander had already disappeared into the room with the Kneazle right behind him so Harry was left alone. He bleatedly remembered that he had left Grander's broom outside so that was the direction he took. He decided to waste some time so he walked around to the area the greenhouses still stood, taking a round about route. He realized as he was walking by them that he would have to walk through the graveyard to get to the broom. Deciding that that wasn't where he wanted to be, he again changed his direction and then stopped suddenly when he heard voices.

"This is completely crazy." It was Ricky by the sound of it.

"What's crazy?" Hannah's voice responded.

"You!" Ricky said. "Would it really be such a big deal if you told someone? I mean, what if it could help?"

"How could it possibly help?" Hannah asked scornfully. "It wouldn't make the slightest difference." Harry matched the voices with a location. They were inside Greenhouse One.

There was silence for a moment and then Ricky said quietly, "He's going to get suspicious."

"About what?"

"About how you keep showing up all the time where he's at without anyone knowing how you knew where he was at!"

"That's ridiculous!" Hannah scoffed. "It's nothing more than coinicidence as far as he's concerned!"

"He'll figure it out!"

"How?"

"He's Harry Potter! He always figures it out!"

So they were talking about him. Harry listened closer, hoping for some more clues as to what they were talking about.



"That's not true," Hannah responded. "You haven't read as much about him as I have. He didn't always figure it out! He's not Sherlok Holmes!"

"Who?"

"Never mind," Hannah said. "Listen, my point is, he'll never know unless someone tells him and the only people who know about it are me and you." There was a pointed pause.

"I wouldn't say anything!" Ricky said suddenly, his voice sounding highly affronted that she had even suggested it. "You know me better than that! I'd never do anything of the sort!"

"I know," Hannah said, sighing. "Just try not to be a baby all the time."

"I'm not being a baby," Ricky said grumpily. "I'm just being careful, like I wish you would be sometimes."

"Don't worry about me," Hannah said reassuringly. "I'm always careful. Besides, it only happens when there's trouble."

"So why did it happen just now?"

Hannah paused. "I don't know."

"Maybe something happened just then that is going to cause trouble in the future," Ricky suggested.

"Whatever it is," Hannah said. "It was stronger this time then it has been before. It's like I knew that something terrible would happen."

"Nothing did."

"Really?" Hannah asked so quietly that Harry had to strain to hear. "Just because we didn't see it doesn't mean it didn't happen."

Harry had heard enough. Surely they weren't going to be in there forever and when they came out, they were sure to spot him. He needed to be away before that happened.

Very carefully he inched out of the way and soon was out of both sight and hearing range. He was just breathing a sigh of relief as he approached the brooms when suddenly his forehead twinged. He froze, listening hard. His scar had never twinged just for the sake of twinging and he doubted it would start now.

Perhaps Voldemort was just angry. No, Harry would know if he was sensing emotions. Voldemort was getting closer to him. He knew it. Harry stood there for a moment trying to uncover what it was that was that had caused the pain.

It had gone as quickly as it had come. Perhaps it was a warning. Something was coming. Voldemort would attack. But he already knew that Voldemort would attack...

Harry grabbed the broom on the ground and turned away. What would come would come.

Right now he had something else to worry about and she went by the name of Hannah.



Grander was fuming when he met Harry after the staff meeting. "That horrible woman!" He practically yelled. "Do you know what she was trying to do? Do you?"

"I have a vague idea," Harry said truthfully.

"She was trying to turn the teachers against you and make them kick you out of the school! That filthy cow! Who does she think she is?"

"Headmistress?" Harry guessed. Grander was not amused.

"You would think that you'd take this a little more seriously!" He said. "Seeing as how it's your head on the chopping block!"

"She had them in there for hours," Harry reasoned. "Surely they would have already left if she had convinced them. What did they say?"

Grander brightened slightly. "She wasn't getting support from those who were possessed by the portraits. They saw what they were up against and they thought you were the school's best chance. She told them that she was the headmistress and she knew quite well what the school's best chance was. She said that if you left, Voldemort would leave the school alone."

"Idiot," Harry muttered.

"My words exactly."

"You said that?"

"What else could I say?" Grander said. "Every person in there knows that I know more about Voldemort than anyone other than yourself! That's probably why she didn't want me there. She knew that anything I said would go against her and everything I said carried weight with everyone in there. She kept insisting that she knew what was best for the school. She had supporters, Harry. I managed to quench some of them, but she's planted a seed of doubt now, Harry. You'll have to watch your step."

Harry nodded. Of course, he had heard nothing there that he did not already infer. He stretched and glanced at the clock. "Shouldn't we be going to bed?" It was very late. All classes had been canceled that day due to the meeting. Harry was quite sure that Grander's being there was the thing that had prolonged it. Still, it was late and Harry would be needing sleep. He wasn't in good enough condition to stay awake all night. He would need sleep to regain energy. Grander was too. He was injured as well in the last attack.

Harry pointed this out to Grander and he scowled but agreed.

"I hate being ill," Grander mumbled as they got up from their dinner table to leave. They walked together in silence until they split up to go their seperate ways.

"I'm naming the Kneazle Hermione," Grander said suddenly as Harry said good night. Harry stopped and stared at him.

"It's a girl," Grander explained. "I thought it was fitting that I should name her after one of your friends since you're the reason I have her."

Harry grinned. "It's a good name."



Grander nodded. "Well, good night then."

"Night," Harry said. They split up and went their opposite directions.

Most of the portraits were asleep when Harry entered. Dumbledore was not, however. He nodded silently to Harry when he saw him and when he settled down to go to sleep, Harry was sure he had been waiting up for him.

Harry couldn't bring himself to care. He silently opened the door to the headmaster's bedroom and went inside, feeling the peace of being surrounded by magic. He changed hastily into his night clothes and laid down. It did not take long for him to fall asleep.

Harry was sitting alone at teacher's table of the Great Hall. He turned and saw that Hermione was sitting next to him at the previously deserted table, but it did not seem odd. It was as though he was expecting her to be there.

"I know you," Harry said to her. She nodded, pleased.

"Who else?"

"Is she me?" Harry asked. Hermione grinned and nodded again.

"You've figured out more than I thought you would. I'm very impressed."

"Thanks for your beleif in me, Sirius," Harry said, talking to his godfather who had appeared across from him. Suddenly he frowned. "But who are you?"

Sirius grinned. "You've already met me. You know you have. You just haven't known me yet to be who I am."

"And what about me?" Ron asked.

Harry nodded. "But you're all alone."

"Times are tough," Ron said, shrugging.

"Who else is there?" Harry asked. Sirius grinned. "There are enough. Still, some you won't know until you meet them."

"Who are you?"

"Who do you think I am?"

"I don't know!" Harry said, getting frustrated. "Why don't you just tell me?"

"I can't," Sirius said, shaking his head. "You have to figure it out on your own."

"But how do I use it?" Harry asked. "I don't understand."

Hermione looked at him, willing him to comprehend. "You do understand. There's only one way."

"Then Voldemort did it?" Harry asked, not believing.



Ron shook his head firmly. "Voldemort cheated. But his is more permenant."

Harry mulled it over in his mind. "So I can't awaken, only bring?"

"Bingo," Ron said.

"And how do I do that?"

"You use what you have," said a voice. Harry looked over to see Dumbledore sitting across from him.

"Who are you?" Harry asked. Dumbledore smiled beninely. "I am no one."

"Oh," Harry said, understanding. "And who are you?" He asked Remus, who was sitting across from him.

"I am with him," Remus said, gesturing to Ron.

"Oh," Harry said. "Which one?"

Remus just smiled at him and Harry knew that he would not tell him. Harry turned again to Sirius. "Who are you?"

Sirius shook his head.

In the corner, a grandfather clock struck midnight.

"You know who it is," said a voice behind Harry, one he didn't recognize. Harry turned around and found himself standing in a ruined Hogwarts with Death Eaters all around him. He was unafraid. None of it was real.

"Who are you?" Harry asked the person. The person who had his face.

"I'm you, genius," said the person, rolling his eyes.

"Then who is Sirius?" Harry asked.

A Death Eater from the circle stepped forward. It lowered its hood and Harry saw Wormtail standing there. Harry's eyes narrowed. Wormtail raised an arm, the bloody stump.

"I am Sirius." He said.

Harry understood. "No..." he whispered.

Harry sat up straight in bed. "That's who Voldemort has."