Once again, I own nothing except Fiona and the basic plot lines.....
Major thanks to: Lydia and dreamermarie- my amazing betas and to ToConfused247 and ravens dragon wing for reviewing- thanks so much!
Chapter 3: Order Meetings and OWLs
"Damned Ministry," Moody grumbled in between bites of Mrs. Weasley's vegetable stew.
"Who tipped them off?" Tonks asked.
"No one's sure," Kingsley answered. "But it wasn't anyone from my department, I can assure that."
"Someone leaked information about the attack," Tonks told Mrs.Weasley, as she dropped her fork, which was now half buried in mashed potatoes. "So, the Ministry just shows up out of nowhere and totally takes over- making most of the battle much worse than it needed to be. In addition, the Italian Ministry is all pissy because they think that we've gone back on our agreement. All because Fudge is a blubbering, idiotic git!"
"Now Tonks," Mrs. Weasley started, more out of concern for Tonk's use of vocabulary than the Minister of Magic.
"No, she is quite right. We had things under control, or very close to it anyhow. Dumbledore will have to see Fudge again! And that's after he gets back from the Italian Ministry!" Kingsley protested, slightly annoyed.
"I don't mean to intrude," said a small man from the very end of the table, "but perhaps the Ministry has an explanation..."
"Oh stuff it Lovegood. Dumbledore was in agreement with the Italian Ministry of Magic that he would administer to this attack, not Fudge. There is no explanation for invading another country without their consent or knowledge!" Moody interrupted.
"Dumbledore is already in a meeting with the Italian Ministry. Essentially- this whole thing has left Minerva handling Hogwart's by herself. And with Arthur in charge of refugee camps, there isn't much left to do but rebuild," Kingsley put in. "Except recruit. We always need new recruits- especially medi-witches. Many of them were injured in this attack alone and several are unwilling to continue. And Fudge is practically refusing support- he won't even send reinforcements."
Everyone was quiet for several minutes after Kingsley's outburst.
"Lovegood, make sure you write this article right," Moody warned. "And think of some way to mention this medi-witch business without making us look vulnerable. That's the last thing we need." His magic eye was absentmindedly rolling around in his head- checking up on Harry and the rest of the Weasleys upstairs. The roaming eye seemed to affect Lovegood, because it looked as if he was shrinking in his chair. Ever since The Quibbler had first published an interview with Harry, the Order had been using the newspaper to print articles that they felt wouldn't be put in the Daily Prophet.
"Of- of course," Lovegood stammered out. "Well- I best be going. Thanks for dinner, Molly." He seemed much less jumpy when approaching anyone who wasn't Moody, which was a little confusing because Lovegood's newspaper 'The Quibbler' boasted oddities much worse than Moody's eye.
"Your welcome, Phillip. You provide an excellent service to us. Just try not to wake any of the paintings up in the hall-"Mrs. Weasley began to warn, but it came too late. Bloodcurdling screams were already coming from the front hall.
"UNWORTHY SCUM! HOW DARE YOU INHABIT THIS HOUSE! MUDBLOODS! ALL OF YOU- TRAITORS TO THE COMMON GOOD OF OUR PEOPLE! FILTHY, UNPURE-"Apparently, Kingsley made it to the portrait and yanked the curtains shut because the hallway was suddenly as eerily quiet as before. Lovegood stammered some quick apologies before quickly exiting the house. Kingsley quietly shut the door behind him.
"No one's figure out a silencing charm yet?" Tonks asked.
"I'm sure I could find something," Mundungus offered with a sly smile as he sloppily ate more stew.
"You definitely will NOT. None of your 'merchandise' will ever be allowed in this house!" Mrs. Weasley said, nearly shouting.
"Molly," Moody said, in a vain attempt to calm Mrs. Weasley. "He did bring back the girl- safely too."
"Yes, but he neglected to tell me that she spoke English or who she was to begin with! I had no idea. I wake up one morning to find a young girl sitting in my kitchen. She was totally alone. She wouldn't even talk to Ginny! I thought she was a ghost until she drank a glass of water that had been left on the table!" Mrs. Weasley said, clearly more embarrassed then annoyed.
"I received an owl from Dumbledore this morning," Tonks interrupted guiltily. "Perhaps I should have left it to you. It explains Fiona's situation. He said that there are too many painful memories left for her in Italy, and he'd like to keep her under his care for now. We know they were attacking Diso to get to her, so she will be carefully guarded, like Harry. Apparently, she is the same age as Harry, Ron, and Hermione; sixteen years. Dumbledore feels that the best thing for her would be if she attended Hogwart's for the next two years. In two days time, she will start the O.W.L.s so that she can be placed in proper classes." Everyone remembered their own experience with the O.W.L.s and seemed rather alarmed by this. Moody's eye once again circled to Ron's room.
"She hasn't got a wand anymore, it was destroyed," Mundungus put in.
"-And she hasn't even studied, the poor dear. Anyhow, are we absolutely sure that this is the girl?" Mrs. Weasley asked.
"It's her alright- just look at her. Anyway, I sense restlessness upstairs- it's time to set up for the birthday party," Moody ordered.
"She'll be fine, Dumbledore informed me that I'm going to instruct her," Tonks said to Mrs. Weasley, who had already stopped thinking about Fiona.
"Oh, yes- yes of course. Tonks, go call Ginny down, will you?" Mrs. Weasley asked. "And don't forget Fiona!" She added, almost as a side note to herself. As Mrs. Weasley levitated a cake onto the table, Kingsley conjured a tablecloth. Mundungus carried a bag of packages to the table and began to set them on the table. He pinched and rattled each one before setting it down.
"I'm just foolin'!" He shot at Mrs.Weasley with a smirk. Mrs. Weasley had trained herself to keep one eye on Mundungus Fletcher at all times.
"Hey mum, thanks for saving us. Fred and George kept going on and on about business! It was super boring!" Ginny griped as she walked into the room. Fiona slinked in after her, but her eyes lit up when she saw Mundungus, who was currently pocketing one of Harry's presents.
"MUNDUNGUS FLETCHER YOU PUT THAT BACK RIGHT NOW!" Mrs. Weasley boomed. "Don't think I don't see you, and put back all the others you took too. Honestly, stealing from a sixteen year old boy!"
"Good row mum- really. Superb job you're doing today. Don't worry though, we've told Ron and Harry to come down in a little bit," Fred said as he and George pointed their wands to the ceiling and large balloons in many shapes floated out. There was a loud thud on the stairs behind them.
"And there is the clumsy git with the birthday boy now," George added, as a balloon in Harry's form popped out of his wand and began doing cartwheels around the room.
"George! Don't call your brother a git."
"That would be clumsy git, mother dearest," Fred reminded her. She glared at him until she noticed Fiona chuckling behind him.
"It's good to see you looking better dear- what with the color back into your face and all," Mrs. Weasley said kindly.
"Uhh, thank you," Fiona said timidly. Mrs. Weasley let out a loud laugh, which caused Fiona to take a few steps back.
"Surely you're not scared of me now," Mrs. Weasley said, still laughing.
"Mrs. Weasley- she's as good a lady as any- treat ya like one of her own," Mad-eye said.
"When she's not blamin stuff on ya," Mundungus added.
"Mundungus Fletcher, I have never blamed anything on you that you haven't done and you'd better empty your coat pockets right now! Don't think I didn't see you. Now, dear- what Moody says is true, no use getting worked up over me. And if you see any red-heads, well they're my children," Mrs. Weasley said warmly, despite the look she was giving Fred and George.
"Just don't get on her bad side," Fred warned with a smirk, defying his mother's glare.
"Shh! Harry's coming!" Tonks said as she walked in the kitchen. When Harry and Ron walked through the kitchen door everyone screamed, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HARRY!" Fred and George set off their new and improved filibuster fireworks that hovered above everyone's heads and bursted out phrases like, 'Happy Birthday!' 'The big 1- 6', and 'Harry's number one!' among other things.
Harry stared in awe for several seconds. His frustration over being locked up at 4 Privet Drive, his lack of owls, and his lost O.W.L. scores were temporarily forgotten. It was his first birthday party ever and he couldn't wait to enjoy it. He shut down the part of his brain that constantly reminded him of the prophecy and Sirius.
"Well, don't you want some of mum's cake?" Fred asked.
"Unfortunately you can't get any if you stand in the doorway like a blubbering idiot," George added. Mrs. Weasley picked up a spoon from the table and smacked George on the back of the head to remind him to watch his language. He pretended it didn't hurt to stop Fred from laughing at him.
At Harry's first birthday party he got sung to for the first time in front of his first official birthday cake. Then he opened his first pile of birthday presents. Harry smiled the most he had in- well a very long time.
Mrs. Weasley beamed down at him as proudly as if he were her own son. Tears welled in her eyes when he opened her gift and declared 'It's wonderful, thanks'. It was a photo album she had made for him. Inside the photo album were many pictures of Harry and the Weasleys. Harry was grateful for the gift; the Weasleys were the closest thing to family that Harry ever knew.
Harry's very last gift was an envelope. Not just any envelope, any extremely LARGE envelope.
"Before you open that, there's two things you should know," Moody said. "Dumbledore wanted to apologize for the lack of information sent to you, but drastic times call for drastic measures you know. I am not sure you were aware that Ron's owl was the only owl that could send you packages besides Hedwig and my personal owl sent your Daily Prophet. What you are holding there are you scores from the O.W.L. tests. Why don't you go upstairs and look them over?" Harry nodded in response to what Moody said, trying to take in every last detail. He got up to leave and noticed Mundungus Fletcher cross the room and begin talking animatedly with Fiona.
Harry walked to the room he shared with Ron and sat on one of the beds. He looked down at the envelope he held in his hands. 'Well, here goes nothing.' Harry thought as he opened the envelope.
A long piece of parchment fell onto Harry's lap. The Hogwart's seal was stamped on top and a long, long letter ensued. He began to read the letter.
'Dear Mr. Potter,
Congratulations on finishing all of your examinations-'
Harry stopped reading at this point. It was just a boring introductory letter anyways- nothing of real importance. It continued on explaining how he was to choose his courses based on the type of work he planned to do after Hogwart's- something he'd already talked to McGonagall about in his previous year of schooling. As he skimmed he noticed that the letter appeared to be getting shorter and shorter. When he got to the end and read Dumbledore's signature, the letter disappeared entirely and was replaced by a large stack of envelopes.
He spread out all the envelopes and picked one at random. He tried to tear open the first envelope, but nothing happened. He stared at it in disbelief for a few seconds before he tried again. This time, the envelope flew out of his hands and landed on the floor across the room.
"Well, I guess that one's for last," he muttered aloud, before he dove into the other envelopes. 'Charms' was written in elaborate cursive on the front of the next one. The back was sealed with the Hogwart's crest. Harry tore open the envelope and looked down at the paper that lay in his hands. It was another letter that started with 'Dear Mr. Potter'. He quickly ignored the whole thing and looked to the large lettering in the very center of the paper.
'It is our pleasure to inform you that you have received a mark of Exceeds Expectations on your Charms exam.' Harry hooted in delight and ripped open the next envelope. Again, he ignored the whole letter and focused his attention to the very center portion.
'It is our pleasure to inform you that you have received a mark of Exceeds Expectations on your Transfiguration exam.'
'It is our pleasure to inform you that you have received a mark of Exceeds Expectations on your Herbology exam.'
'It is our pleasure to inform you that you have received a mark of Outstanding on your Defense Against the Dark Arts exam. Congratulations on receiving highest marks in this area.' Harry smiled proudly at this. He was sure that all the other members of the DA had gotten the same grade on their exams as well. His smile quickly faded however because the next envelope he picked up was Potions. The ink on the outside of the envelope shined a deep black. He stared at the front of the envelope for several seconds wondering whether or not he really wanted to open it. He finally tore it open, shoving the envelope aside.
'It is our pleasure to inform you that you have received a mark of Exceeds Expectations on your Potions exam.' Instead of the excited feeling Harry should have felt at a passing grade in Potions- he didn't receive them too often- Harry's heart stopped. His dream of becoming an Auror was slipping through his fingers. Exceeds Expectations was not a high enough mark to get him into Snape's N.E.W.T. Potions class. 'Not that I'll even live to be an Auror,' Harry thought. "It was stupid of me to expect an Outstanding on Potions.' He could almost see Snape gloating at him already. He threw the paper aside angrily. It landed on top of the unmarked envelope that was lying in the midst of the floor.
"Well, I might as well continue. The rest can't possibly be as bad as this! Besides, I need to know all my grades if I'm going to pick a new occupation anyway," Harry thought aloud.
'It is our pleasure to inform you that you have received a mark of Outstanding on your Care of Magical Creatures exam. Congratulations on receiving highest marks in this area.'
'It is our pleasure to inform you that you have received a mark of Acceptable on your Astronomy exam.' Harry stared in disbelief. He, along with most of the other students, had been too distracted to even finish his exam! Yet he somehow passed. He guessed that the Astronomy exam was graded extremely leniently because there was no logical way that he could have passed. Most of the exam was left undone. If Harry had bothered to finish reading the letter, he would have known that the Astronomy exam was indeed graded much easier than the others.
'Unfortunately, you have received a mark of Poor on your Divination exam.' Harry looked at the paper. "No loss there,' he thought. 'Although a poor is kind of a rough mark.'
'Unfortunately, you have received a mark of Troll on your History of Magic exam.' TROLL? He, Harry Potter had received the mark of Troll? The lowest mark that you could possibly get- its existence was considered a rumor- and yet he, Harry James Potter, had gotten a Troll on his History of Magic exam. Granted he didn't do most of the exam, but he did have a good reason. After all, it wasn't his fault if Voldemort was causing him to see visions and then pass out in the midst of his exam! Apparently the O.W.L. board did not know, and Dumbledore obviously chose not to tell them. Still, the Troll stung- even if it was History of Magic.
Harry sat in stunned silence. He could not believe it. He had once again achieved the impossible- in the worst way possible. A mark of Troll was considered gossip, a joke, a you're-so-dumb-you-probably-can't-read-the- exam-paper. And he had just gotten one.
Harry's eyes gravitated to the spot where the tenth envelope lay on the floor, partially covered by the opened Potions letter. It was glowing red. He deeply wished for the simple 'Accio' spell that would propel the letter off the floor and into his outstretched hands, but instead he grumbled as he climbed off the bed and crossed over to where the envelope lay on the floor.
"Hey, Harry! How'd you do?" Ron asked, as he barged into the room.
"Alright," Harry answered curtly. "The letters are on the bed if you want to look at them. Well, here's Potions, Exceeds Expectations."
"Really? Congratulations! You can take the N.E.W.T. class now," Ron said.
"Ron, what are you talking about? You need an OUTSTANDING to get into Snape's class. He said so himself," Harry said irritably. Ron was beginning to annoy him.
"What? No you don- oh, read the letter first," Ron said and went over to the bed to look through Harry's other scores.
'Dear Mr. Potter,
Congratulations on your O.W.L. scores. Few students have scored as well as you have. Below are the listed classes that you are qualified to take. Please return this letter with an owl detailing which classes you have decided to take. This owl should arrive not later than the First of August. Please take the time to look over these classes and select the ones you feel are most necessary for the line of work you are interested in. Also, it has come to our attention that you had some disadvantages on the day of your testing for History of Magic. Your score of Troll is pending you take a make-up exam to be administered the Third of August at one in the afternoon. Please include your decision to retake the examination as soon as possible.
All of these are N.E.W.T. level: Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Care of Magical Creatures.
All of these are Advanced level: Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Care of Magical Creatures, Astronomy.
After looking this over, you may realize that you previously do not meet the requirements for the N.E.W.T. level Potions class, but do not worry. Due to certain circumstances, this year the N.E.W.T. level Potions class is offered to all students who scored Exceeds Expectations and have shown interest in the class. Of course you will be required to complete an extra summer assignment –"
Harry didn't bother reading the rest just yet. What kind of circumstances caused Snape to change his mind? But then, did Harry really care? With the Potions class, he was allowed to become an Auror. Surely Hermione would help him; at least he assumed she would.
"Finish reading yet?" Ron asked. "Hey I thought that Troll was some made up grade they used to terrorize us with? That's pretty funny- wait till I tell Fred and George!"
"No, Ron. No it's not funny at all. It's pathetic."
"What a shame. I got a Dreadful on that one myself. Mum made me clean bathrooms for a whole week for that one."
Harry scowled at Ron's grade, "Trying to rub in your better grade. Don't worry too much though- my letter says I get to take it over anyways."
"I wasn't trying to be mean- I was just saying- I mean look, we both failed miserably right? So, you taking Potions?" Ron asked quickly to cover up his 'mistake'. He could never tell when Harry was going to have a row at him. Apparently now looked like just a good a time as ever and Ron was wishing that he could think of some excuse to leave the room before Harry really blew up.
"Of course I am, it's the only way that I can become an auror. What do you think happened that forced Snape to lower the prerequisites for the class?"
"According to Ginny- who is nosier than Fred and George put together- only four people got an Outstanding on the Potions exam and two of them were from Ravenclaw. I'm assuming the other was Hermione," Ron said rather proudly. "Anyways, Dumbledore said that Snape simply couldn't have a class for only four people and that he HAD to allow other students into the class on the basis of fairness. Seeing as you got an Exceeds Expectations, I understand why," Ron said.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry asked defensively.
"Nothing really, just that it helped you is all- you should be happy," Ron said.
"Well- it helped you too didn't it?" Harry shot back rudely. He really wished that Ron would just leave.
"Actually Harry, I was the fourth person to get an Outstanding."
"WHAT? YOU got a WHAT? How?" Harry said in shock and disbelief. Ron was always extremely nervous in potions. "Were you planning on keeping that from me? Why, so that you could feel better than me?"
"No! Harry what are you saying? You're not making any sense! You know, for someone who acts so alone and put upon, you have an awful lot of people on your side. This might be a hard time for you, but it's a hard time for everyone else too. Maybe you should think about that before you go around ripping everyone's heads off! It's not fair that I should have to guard what I say around my best friend simply because he's pissy all the time!" Ron screamed, before he turned and walked out the door. Harry stared at Ron's empty spot before he walked over to his bed and sat down. It was the first time Ron had really yelled at him. It had always been Hermione that was quick to call him on his behavior- Ron always just dealt with it. Harry sat confused for several seconds.
'What was his problem anyway?' Harry thought, totally overlooking the fact the effect that having both of Weasley parents in the Order had on the Weasley family- especially how uneasy it made Ron. 'HE hasn't got his own prophesy! It's not HIM that's practically fated to die- well, it's either death or murder.' Harry let his mind race and he shuddered. He got up and paced the room. There HAD to be something else to think about, there just HAD to.
"Classes!" Harry shouted. He went to the bed to retrieve the rest of the papers. He quickly wrote the letter, stating that he would like to take all the N.E.W.T. preparatory classes on his list and that he agreed to retake the History of Magic exam. 'As long as Hagrid is the Care of Magical Creatures Professor, that class shouldn't be too bad,' he thought. 'Besides, Hermione dropped out of Divinations in the midst of third year, so I should be able to drop whatever I choose as well.'
"Knock, knock!" Fred said, bursting into the room- without even attempting an actual knock.
"Ron said you were in a nasty mood- something about getting a Troll on one of your exams. We wanted to say good job old chum! We thought that it was IMPOSSIBLE to get that grade!" George said.
"Until we managed it ourselves! Apparently if you predict that you will die more than twice in one month in Divinations, they automatically fail you- which is totally unfair," Fred said.
"So, we have decided to come talk to you about business!" George put in.
"There's more?" Harry asked in disbelief. The twins had practically gone over every sale they had ever had with him before- and the twins weren't lying- they had a TON of sales.
"Not really- although we know you're disappointed," Fred said smirking.
"We were just wondering, what do you know about this Fiona?" George asked.
"Actually, I was just wondering," Fred said. George looked at him. "Ok, ok so we were BOTH wondering."
"I have no idea- I just got here! She's from Italy and her name's Fiona. That's about it."
"Yea, we know that. Dad's there right now," George said. "We were just hoping you knew something about her."
"Like where she's living would be nice," Fred interrupted. "What she's doing? Her favorite color, maybe? How about her favorite flower? Does she prefer fudge or something else- like Fizzing Whizbees? How about- "
"I have no idea!" Harry interrupted loudly. "And what do colors and flowers and candies have to do with her anyway?"
"Nothing special. We're just, er, recruiting people to test out some possible merchandise," George offered. Harry looked at him skeptically. He had known Fred and George for a long time, and although they DID try to get other people to test their products (Hermione had yelled at them countless times when she was a Prefect)- they also liked pretty girls. He bet they were more interested in the second than the first, although they would never admit it to him.
Ok, well I should be posting chapter four on Friday! Please review and tell me what you think- flames are ok too. If you would like to read another story, one of my betas dreamermarie has an excellent story posted on !
Major thanks to: Lydia and dreamermarie- my amazing betas and to ToConfused247 and ravens dragon wing for reviewing- thanks so much!
Chapter 3: Order Meetings and OWLs
"Damned Ministry," Moody grumbled in between bites of Mrs. Weasley's vegetable stew.
"Who tipped them off?" Tonks asked.
"No one's sure," Kingsley answered. "But it wasn't anyone from my department, I can assure that."
"Someone leaked information about the attack," Tonks told Mrs.Weasley, as she dropped her fork, which was now half buried in mashed potatoes. "So, the Ministry just shows up out of nowhere and totally takes over- making most of the battle much worse than it needed to be. In addition, the Italian Ministry is all pissy because they think that we've gone back on our agreement. All because Fudge is a blubbering, idiotic git!"
"Now Tonks," Mrs. Weasley started, more out of concern for Tonk's use of vocabulary than the Minister of Magic.
"No, she is quite right. We had things under control, or very close to it anyhow. Dumbledore will have to see Fudge again! And that's after he gets back from the Italian Ministry!" Kingsley protested, slightly annoyed.
"I don't mean to intrude," said a small man from the very end of the table, "but perhaps the Ministry has an explanation..."
"Oh stuff it Lovegood. Dumbledore was in agreement with the Italian Ministry of Magic that he would administer to this attack, not Fudge. There is no explanation for invading another country without their consent or knowledge!" Moody interrupted.
"Dumbledore is already in a meeting with the Italian Ministry. Essentially- this whole thing has left Minerva handling Hogwart's by herself. And with Arthur in charge of refugee camps, there isn't much left to do but rebuild," Kingsley put in. "Except recruit. We always need new recruits- especially medi-witches. Many of them were injured in this attack alone and several are unwilling to continue. And Fudge is practically refusing support- he won't even send reinforcements."
Everyone was quiet for several minutes after Kingsley's outburst.
"Lovegood, make sure you write this article right," Moody warned. "And think of some way to mention this medi-witch business without making us look vulnerable. That's the last thing we need." His magic eye was absentmindedly rolling around in his head- checking up on Harry and the rest of the Weasleys upstairs. The roaming eye seemed to affect Lovegood, because it looked as if he was shrinking in his chair. Ever since The Quibbler had first published an interview with Harry, the Order had been using the newspaper to print articles that they felt wouldn't be put in the Daily Prophet.
"Of- of course," Lovegood stammered out. "Well- I best be going. Thanks for dinner, Molly." He seemed much less jumpy when approaching anyone who wasn't Moody, which was a little confusing because Lovegood's newspaper 'The Quibbler' boasted oddities much worse than Moody's eye.
"Your welcome, Phillip. You provide an excellent service to us. Just try not to wake any of the paintings up in the hall-"Mrs. Weasley began to warn, but it came too late. Bloodcurdling screams were already coming from the front hall.
"UNWORTHY SCUM! HOW DARE YOU INHABIT THIS HOUSE! MUDBLOODS! ALL OF YOU- TRAITORS TO THE COMMON GOOD OF OUR PEOPLE! FILTHY, UNPURE-"Apparently, Kingsley made it to the portrait and yanked the curtains shut because the hallway was suddenly as eerily quiet as before. Lovegood stammered some quick apologies before quickly exiting the house. Kingsley quietly shut the door behind him.
"No one's figure out a silencing charm yet?" Tonks asked.
"I'm sure I could find something," Mundungus offered with a sly smile as he sloppily ate more stew.
"You definitely will NOT. None of your 'merchandise' will ever be allowed in this house!" Mrs. Weasley said, nearly shouting.
"Molly," Moody said, in a vain attempt to calm Mrs. Weasley. "He did bring back the girl- safely too."
"Yes, but he neglected to tell me that she spoke English or who she was to begin with! I had no idea. I wake up one morning to find a young girl sitting in my kitchen. She was totally alone. She wouldn't even talk to Ginny! I thought she was a ghost until she drank a glass of water that had been left on the table!" Mrs. Weasley said, clearly more embarrassed then annoyed.
"I received an owl from Dumbledore this morning," Tonks interrupted guiltily. "Perhaps I should have left it to you. It explains Fiona's situation. He said that there are too many painful memories left for her in Italy, and he'd like to keep her under his care for now. We know they were attacking Diso to get to her, so she will be carefully guarded, like Harry. Apparently, she is the same age as Harry, Ron, and Hermione; sixteen years. Dumbledore feels that the best thing for her would be if she attended Hogwart's for the next two years. In two days time, she will start the O.W.L.s so that she can be placed in proper classes." Everyone remembered their own experience with the O.W.L.s and seemed rather alarmed by this. Moody's eye once again circled to Ron's room.
"She hasn't got a wand anymore, it was destroyed," Mundungus put in.
"-And she hasn't even studied, the poor dear. Anyhow, are we absolutely sure that this is the girl?" Mrs. Weasley asked.
"It's her alright- just look at her. Anyway, I sense restlessness upstairs- it's time to set up for the birthday party," Moody ordered.
"She'll be fine, Dumbledore informed me that I'm going to instruct her," Tonks said to Mrs. Weasley, who had already stopped thinking about Fiona.
"Oh, yes- yes of course. Tonks, go call Ginny down, will you?" Mrs. Weasley asked. "And don't forget Fiona!" She added, almost as a side note to herself. As Mrs. Weasley levitated a cake onto the table, Kingsley conjured a tablecloth. Mundungus carried a bag of packages to the table and began to set them on the table. He pinched and rattled each one before setting it down.
"I'm just foolin'!" He shot at Mrs.Weasley with a smirk. Mrs. Weasley had trained herself to keep one eye on Mundungus Fletcher at all times.
"Hey mum, thanks for saving us. Fred and George kept going on and on about business! It was super boring!" Ginny griped as she walked into the room. Fiona slinked in after her, but her eyes lit up when she saw Mundungus, who was currently pocketing one of Harry's presents.
"MUNDUNGUS FLETCHER YOU PUT THAT BACK RIGHT NOW!" Mrs. Weasley boomed. "Don't think I don't see you, and put back all the others you took too. Honestly, stealing from a sixteen year old boy!"
"Good row mum- really. Superb job you're doing today. Don't worry though, we've told Ron and Harry to come down in a little bit," Fred said as he and George pointed their wands to the ceiling and large balloons in many shapes floated out. There was a loud thud on the stairs behind them.
"And there is the clumsy git with the birthday boy now," George added, as a balloon in Harry's form popped out of his wand and began doing cartwheels around the room.
"George! Don't call your brother a git."
"That would be clumsy git, mother dearest," Fred reminded her. She glared at him until she noticed Fiona chuckling behind him.
"It's good to see you looking better dear- what with the color back into your face and all," Mrs. Weasley said kindly.
"Uhh, thank you," Fiona said timidly. Mrs. Weasley let out a loud laugh, which caused Fiona to take a few steps back.
"Surely you're not scared of me now," Mrs. Weasley said, still laughing.
"Mrs. Weasley- she's as good a lady as any- treat ya like one of her own," Mad-eye said.
"When she's not blamin stuff on ya," Mundungus added.
"Mundungus Fletcher, I have never blamed anything on you that you haven't done and you'd better empty your coat pockets right now! Don't think I didn't see you. Now, dear- what Moody says is true, no use getting worked up over me. And if you see any red-heads, well they're my children," Mrs. Weasley said warmly, despite the look she was giving Fred and George.
"Just don't get on her bad side," Fred warned with a smirk, defying his mother's glare.
"Shh! Harry's coming!" Tonks said as she walked in the kitchen. When Harry and Ron walked through the kitchen door everyone screamed, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HARRY!" Fred and George set off their new and improved filibuster fireworks that hovered above everyone's heads and bursted out phrases like, 'Happy Birthday!' 'The big 1- 6', and 'Harry's number one!' among other things.
Harry stared in awe for several seconds. His frustration over being locked up at 4 Privet Drive, his lack of owls, and his lost O.W.L. scores were temporarily forgotten. It was his first birthday party ever and he couldn't wait to enjoy it. He shut down the part of his brain that constantly reminded him of the prophecy and Sirius.
"Well, don't you want some of mum's cake?" Fred asked.
"Unfortunately you can't get any if you stand in the doorway like a blubbering idiot," George added. Mrs. Weasley picked up a spoon from the table and smacked George on the back of the head to remind him to watch his language. He pretended it didn't hurt to stop Fred from laughing at him.
At Harry's first birthday party he got sung to for the first time in front of his first official birthday cake. Then he opened his first pile of birthday presents. Harry smiled the most he had in- well a very long time.
Mrs. Weasley beamed down at him as proudly as if he were her own son. Tears welled in her eyes when he opened her gift and declared 'It's wonderful, thanks'. It was a photo album she had made for him. Inside the photo album were many pictures of Harry and the Weasleys. Harry was grateful for the gift; the Weasleys were the closest thing to family that Harry ever knew.
Harry's very last gift was an envelope. Not just any envelope, any extremely LARGE envelope.
"Before you open that, there's two things you should know," Moody said. "Dumbledore wanted to apologize for the lack of information sent to you, but drastic times call for drastic measures you know. I am not sure you were aware that Ron's owl was the only owl that could send you packages besides Hedwig and my personal owl sent your Daily Prophet. What you are holding there are you scores from the O.W.L. tests. Why don't you go upstairs and look them over?" Harry nodded in response to what Moody said, trying to take in every last detail. He got up to leave and noticed Mundungus Fletcher cross the room and begin talking animatedly with Fiona.
Harry walked to the room he shared with Ron and sat on one of the beds. He looked down at the envelope he held in his hands. 'Well, here goes nothing.' Harry thought as he opened the envelope.
A long piece of parchment fell onto Harry's lap. The Hogwart's seal was stamped on top and a long, long letter ensued. He began to read the letter.
'Dear Mr. Potter,
Congratulations on finishing all of your examinations-'
Harry stopped reading at this point. It was just a boring introductory letter anyways- nothing of real importance. It continued on explaining how he was to choose his courses based on the type of work he planned to do after Hogwart's- something he'd already talked to McGonagall about in his previous year of schooling. As he skimmed he noticed that the letter appeared to be getting shorter and shorter. When he got to the end and read Dumbledore's signature, the letter disappeared entirely and was replaced by a large stack of envelopes.
He spread out all the envelopes and picked one at random. He tried to tear open the first envelope, but nothing happened. He stared at it in disbelief for a few seconds before he tried again. This time, the envelope flew out of his hands and landed on the floor across the room.
"Well, I guess that one's for last," he muttered aloud, before he dove into the other envelopes. 'Charms' was written in elaborate cursive on the front of the next one. The back was sealed with the Hogwart's crest. Harry tore open the envelope and looked down at the paper that lay in his hands. It was another letter that started with 'Dear Mr. Potter'. He quickly ignored the whole thing and looked to the large lettering in the very center of the paper.
'It is our pleasure to inform you that you have received a mark of Exceeds Expectations on your Charms exam.' Harry hooted in delight and ripped open the next envelope. Again, he ignored the whole letter and focused his attention to the very center portion.
'It is our pleasure to inform you that you have received a mark of Exceeds Expectations on your Transfiguration exam.'
'It is our pleasure to inform you that you have received a mark of Exceeds Expectations on your Herbology exam.'
'It is our pleasure to inform you that you have received a mark of Outstanding on your Defense Against the Dark Arts exam. Congratulations on receiving highest marks in this area.' Harry smiled proudly at this. He was sure that all the other members of the DA had gotten the same grade on their exams as well. His smile quickly faded however because the next envelope he picked up was Potions. The ink on the outside of the envelope shined a deep black. He stared at the front of the envelope for several seconds wondering whether or not he really wanted to open it. He finally tore it open, shoving the envelope aside.
'It is our pleasure to inform you that you have received a mark of Exceeds Expectations on your Potions exam.' Instead of the excited feeling Harry should have felt at a passing grade in Potions- he didn't receive them too often- Harry's heart stopped. His dream of becoming an Auror was slipping through his fingers. Exceeds Expectations was not a high enough mark to get him into Snape's N.E.W.T. Potions class. 'Not that I'll even live to be an Auror,' Harry thought. "It was stupid of me to expect an Outstanding on Potions.' He could almost see Snape gloating at him already. He threw the paper aside angrily. It landed on top of the unmarked envelope that was lying in the midst of the floor.
"Well, I might as well continue. The rest can't possibly be as bad as this! Besides, I need to know all my grades if I'm going to pick a new occupation anyway," Harry thought aloud.
'It is our pleasure to inform you that you have received a mark of Outstanding on your Care of Magical Creatures exam. Congratulations on receiving highest marks in this area.'
'It is our pleasure to inform you that you have received a mark of Acceptable on your Astronomy exam.' Harry stared in disbelief. He, along with most of the other students, had been too distracted to even finish his exam! Yet he somehow passed. He guessed that the Astronomy exam was graded extremely leniently because there was no logical way that he could have passed. Most of the exam was left undone. If Harry had bothered to finish reading the letter, he would have known that the Astronomy exam was indeed graded much easier than the others.
'Unfortunately, you have received a mark of Poor on your Divination exam.' Harry looked at the paper. "No loss there,' he thought. 'Although a poor is kind of a rough mark.'
'Unfortunately, you have received a mark of Troll on your History of Magic exam.' TROLL? He, Harry Potter had received the mark of Troll? The lowest mark that you could possibly get- its existence was considered a rumor- and yet he, Harry James Potter, had gotten a Troll on his History of Magic exam. Granted he didn't do most of the exam, but he did have a good reason. After all, it wasn't his fault if Voldemort was causing him to see visions and then pass out in the midst of his exam! Apparently the O.W.L. board did not know, and Dumbledore obviously chose not to tell them. Still, the Troll stung- even if it was History of Magic.
Harry sat in stunned silence. He could not believe it. He had once again achieved the impossible- in the worst way possible. A mark of Troll was considered gossip, a joke, a you're-so-dumb-you-probably-can't-read-the- exam-paper. And he had just gotten one.
Harry's eyes gravitated to the spot where the tenth envelope lay on the floor, partially covered by the opened Potions letter. It was glowing red. He deeply wished for the simple 'Accio' spell that would propel the letter off the floor and into his outstretched hands, but instead he grumbled as he climbed off the bed and crossed over to where the envelope lay on the floor.
"Hey, Harry! How'd you do?" Ron asked, as he barged into the room.
"Alright," Harry answered curtly. "The letters are on the bed if you want to look at them. Well, here's Potions, Exceeds Expectations."
"Really? Congratulations! You can take the N.E.W.T. class now," Ron said.
"Ron, what are you talking about? You need an OUTSTANDING to get into Snape's class. He said so himself," Harry said irritably. Ron was beginning to annoy him.
"What? No you don- oh, read the letter first," Ron said and went over to the bed to look through Harry's other scores.
'Dear Mr. Potter,
Congratulations on your O.W.L. scores. Few students have scored as well as you have. Below are the listed classes that you are qualified to take. Please return this letter with an owl detailing which classes you have decided to take. This owl should arrive not later than the First of August. Please take the time to look over these classes and select the ones you feel are most necessary for the line of work you are interested in. Also, it has come to our attention that you had some disadvantages on the day of your testing for History of Magic. Your score of Troll is pending you take a make-up exam to be administered the Third of August at one in the afternoon. Please include your decision to retake the examination as soon as possible.
All of these are N.E.W.T. level: Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Care of Magical Creatures.
All of these are Advanced level: Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Care of Magical Creatures, Astronomy.
After looking this over, you may realize that you previously do not meet the requirements for the N.E.W.T. level Potions class, but do not worry. Due to certain circumstances, this year the N.E.W.T. level Potions class is offered to all students who scored Exceeds Expectations and have shown interest in the class. Of course you will be required to complete an extra summer assignment –"
Harry didn't bother reading the rest just yet. What kind of circumstances caused Snape to change his mind? But then, did Harry really care? With the Potions class, he was allowed to become an Auror. Surely Hermione would help him; at least he assumed she would.
"Finish reading yet?" Ron asked. "Hey I thought that Troll was some made up grade they used to terrorize us with? That's pretty funny- wait till I tell Fred and George!"
"No, Ron. No it's not funny at all. It's pathetic."
"What a shame. I got a Dreadful on that one myself. Mum made me clean bathrooms for a whole week for that one."
Harry scowled at Ron's grade, "Trying to rub in your better grade. Don't worry too much though- my letter says I get to take it over anyways."
"I wasn't trying to be mean- I was just saying- I mean look, we both failed miserably right? So, you taking Potions?" Ron asked quickly to cover up his 'mistake'. He could never tell when Harry was going to have a row at him. Apparently now looked like just a good a time as ever and Ron was wishing that he could think of some excuse to leave the room before Harry really blew up.
"Of course I am, it's the only way that I can become an auror. What do you think happened that forced Snape to lower the prerequisites for the class?"
"According to Ginny- who is nosier than Fred and George put together- only four people got an Outstanding on the Potions exam and two of them were from Ravenclaw. I'm assuming the other was Hermione," Ron said rather proudly. "Anyways, Dumbledore said that Snape simply couldn't have a class for only four people and that he HAD to allow other students into the class on the basis of fairness. Seeing as you got an Exceeds Expectations, I understand why," Ron said.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry asked defensively.
"Nothing really, just that it helped you is all- you should be happy," Ron said.
"Well- it helped you too didn't it?" Harry shot back rudely. He really wished that Ron would just leave.
"Actually Harry, I was the fourth person to get an Outstanding."
"WHAT? YOU got a WHAT? How?" Harry said in shock and disbelief. Ron was always extremely nervous in potions. "Were you planning on keeping that from me? Why, so that you could feel better than me?"
"No! Harry what are you saying? You're not making any sense! You know, for someone who acts so alone and put upon, you have an awful lot of people on your side. This might be a hard time for you, but it's a hard time for everyone else too. Maybe you should think about that before you go around ripping everyone's heads off! It's not fair that I should have to guard what I say around my best friend simply because he's pissy all the time!" Ron screamed, before he turned and walked out the door. Harry stared at Ron's empty spot before he walked over to his bed and sat down. It was the first time Ron had really yelled at him. It had always been Hermione that was quick to call him on his behavior- Ron always just dealt with it. Harry sat confused for several seconds.
'What was his problem anyway?' Harry thought, totally overlooking the fact the effect that having both of Weasley parents in the Order had on the Weasley family- especially how uneasy it made Ron. 'HE hasn't got his own prophesy! It's not HIM that's practically fated to die- well, it's either death or murder.' Harry let his mind race and he shuddered. He got up and paced the room. There HAD to be something else to think about, there just HAD to.
"Classes!" Harry shouted. He went to the bed to retrieve the rest of the papers. He quickly wrote the letter, stating that he would like to take all the N.E.W.T. preparatory classes on his list and that he agreed to retake the History of Magic exam. 'As long as Hagrid is the Care of Magical Creatures Professor, that class shouldn't be too bad,' he thought. 'Besides, Hermione dropped out of Divinations in the midst of third year, so I should be able to drop whatever I choose as well.'
"Knock, knock!" Fred said, bursting into the room- without even attempting an actual knock.
"Ron said you were in a nasty mood- something about getting a Troll on one of your exams. We wanted to say good job old chum! We thought that it was IMPOSSIBLE to get that grade!" George said.
"Until we managed it ourselves! Apparently if you predict that you will die more than twice in one month in Divinations, they automatically fail you- which is totally unfair," Fred said.
"So, we have decided to come talk to you about business!" George put in.
"There's more?" Harry asked in disbelief. The twins had practically gone over every sale they had ever had with him before- and the twins weren't lying- they had a TON of sales.
"Not really- although we know you're disappointed," Fred said smirking.
"We were just wondering, what do you know about this Fiona?" George asked.
"Actually, I was just wondering," Fred said. George looked at him. "Ok, ok so we were BOTH wondering."
"I have no idea- I just got here! She's from Italy and her name's Fiona. That's about it."
"Yea, we know that. Dad's there right now," George said. "We were just hoping you knew something about her."
"Like where she's living would be nice," Fred interrupted. "What she's doing? Her favorite color, maybe? How about her favorite flower? Does she prefer fudge or something else- like Fizzing Whizbees? How about- "
"I have no idea!" Harry interrupted loudly. "And what do colors and flowers and candies have to do with her anyway?"
"Nothing special. We're just, er, recruiting people to test out some possible merchandise," George offered. Harry looked at him skeptically. He had known Fred and George for a long time, and although they DID try to get other people to test their products (Hermione had yelled at them countless times when she was a Prefect)- they also liked pretty girls. He bet they were more interested in the second than the first, although they would never admit it to him.
Ok, well I should be posting chapter four on Friday! Please review and tell me what you think- flames are ok too. If you would like to read another story, one of my betas dreamermarie has an excellent story posted on !