Saturday - 10 August
Harry got up on Saturday and had breakfast ready by the time Ron opened his eyes. He never failed to marvel at the amount of food that Ron could consume. After breakfast, Remus cleaned the dishes as usual, and said that he had to spend some time at his cottage, taking the whole day.
Harry sat down on the big chair across from Ron to talk. Ron started. "Harry, you had warned me, didn't you?"
"What?"
"That day you came to visit at the joke shop. You warned me about the blood and screaming of a Death Eater attack. I thought it sounded so cool when you told me about the attack at Hermione's." Ron took a steadying breath. Harry waited silently for Ron to collect his thoughts and continue. "Harry, it wasn't. When they walked in, I went and hid. Bellatrix found me. She mocked me and c, cast the C, Cruciatus curse on me. I had no idea of the pain it would be. Then George came in and the building was on f, fire. I had woken up. I was so scared. George carried Fred out. Then he carried Lee out. I was so scared that he wouldn't come back for me. I lost it. I was screaming for him. Finally he came for me. The building blew up a minute later. I was sure that I was going to die Harry." Ron was breathing hard. "I'm not strong, like you."
Harry shook his head. There was no reason to let Ron begin a series of self-depreciating comments. "No one said that, Ron. You lived through it. Your brothers lived through it. The kids in the store lived through it. Everybody was scared. Who knows what would have happened if you guys had started some sort of duel in the shop? It could have turned out a lot worse. Next time you might be the one kicking their arse. Bellatrix won't bother you again. You survived. Keep that in mind. Okay?"
Ron thought about what Harry had said for a moment and nodded his head. "Thanks Harry."
"Cheers. Let's go find Luna and Hermione. Okay?"
"Harry…"
"Huh?"
"I don't want to be an Auror anymore."
"That's all right. Maybe you'll be a professional Quidditch player. I think I'd like to go and watch you play on Saturdays."
Ron grinned slightly, wiping the tear from his eye. "You'll get the chance pretty soon, won't you?"
Harry smiled at his friend and replied, "Right. Let's go."
They walked downstairs and met Hermione and Luna. Hermione had a pair of tan shorts on with a skinny top that fit her very well. Harry noticed that she looked really good in them. Luna was dressed about the same. She was a bit more muscular than Hermione with sun bleached blonde hair that fell below her shoulders. Harry thought that it must have been the result of the various outings with her father. Away from the weirdness of her usual outfits, she really was a pretty girl. Harry and Hermione sat on one side of the booth. Ron and Luna sat on the other side holding hands. They ordered their lunches.
"It's good to see you up, Ronald," declared Luna. "You look like you're feeling much better than when I saw you at St. Mungo's."
"Thanks. I like seeing you here better than looking up from a hospital bed."
Luna smiled. "Well thank you, Ronald."
They finished their lunch. Harry paid Tim and they walked over to the Grangers. Emma was home for the afternoon, and very happy to see the four teenagers. "It's nice to finally meet you Ron and Luna. Hermione has said such nice things about both of you. What are your plans for the afternoon? How about if I take you either to the mall or the zoo?" Everyone (except Harry) wanted to go to the zoo, to watch Harry talk with the snakes. The boa in the zoo seemed to remember Harry. He had been put back in his cage an hour after Harry had set him free. It was the only time that he'd been out of his cage, as he had been bred in captivity. Harry reminded him that it was almost fall, and he couldn't survive outside in the winter in the cold. He said goodbye, swayed his head at everyone, and asked them to come again. Harry remembered the time that the glass disappeared and how the snake had gotten out. He thought about how Dudley ended up in the cage with the glass back on. Part of him missed his cousin. Part of him remembered how Dudley had acted towards him the other 99 percent of the time.
Hermione saw his introspective look, walk over and held his hand. "Are you all right?"
Harry kissed her forehead. "I was just thinking about when I was almost eleven. I did a pretty good show of accidental magic in this room. I vanished the glass, apparated Dudley into the cage, let the boa out, and replaced the glass."
Luna nodded. "I put out a fire when I was nine. I'm not sure if it was accidental or not. I may have seen my mother or daddy do it, and have known the incantation."
"Hermione asked, "Was that when…?"
"Yes. My mother had blown up the kitchen. It was awful. It was an hour or so until daddy came home. Mum had died by then. I didn't know what to do."
Hermione hugged her tightly. She thought about how awful it must have been for a barely nine year old girl to sit and helplessly watch her mother die of injuries. "You were with her. Maybe that was enough."
Luna wiped the tears from her eyes. "I never thought of it that way. Thank you."
They spent the rest of the afternoon just being sixteen – holding hands, making faces at the animals and having a great time. Mrs. Granger picked them up and dropped them off at the Leaky Cauldron. "I'll pick you up in an hour and a half," she said. They had ice cream at Fortiscues, and then Ron and Luna used the floo at the pub to get back home. Harry found a seven-lock trunk like Moody's in a shop. He ordered two trunks with their names engraved on the little brass plates that were on the front of the trunks. Hermione asked him why he was getting two trunks.
"I know you have more stuff than will fit in the normal school trunk that you have in your room," he said. "Besides, I like getting you things."
"Oh…thank you." She kissed him.
"Thank you."
The merchant showed him how to magically shrink the trunks, and re-expand them. They carried both trunks out in Hermione's bag. They had dinner at the Granger's. Hermione showed her parents their new trunks. She was quite a bit more excited about the idea than Dan. He said, "Your other trunk was heavy enough." Harry then charmed the trunk, so it weighed less than a pound. Dan said, "That's a brilliant idea, Mr. Potter. Thank you!" Hermione went to put her trunk away.
It occurred to Harry that he wouldn't be taking the train on the first of September this year. Dan said to him, "Hermione said that you would be leaving for school in a week. How do you feel about teaching this year?"
"I hope that I can help some people learn the skills to be able to defend themselves."
Dan nodded. "I wish you a lot of success, Harry."
"Thanks, Dan."
"That's better."
"Harry, can I ask you a personal question?'
"Of course."
"Do you really love my daughter?"
Harry said without hesitation, "Yes sir, very much."
"That's good to hear. You do treat her very well. Please do everything that you can to keep her safe this year." Dan was certain that Harry had no idea how hard it was for a parent to calmly plead for him to keep his daughter out of harm's way.
"Yes sir. You know I will."
"Harry, sometimes the best reaction to an attack is to run away. You can always fight back when the odds are in your favor. My worry is that I don't think it's in your nature to run away."
"I understand your concern sir, but I respectfully disagree. Hermione and I are here tonight because we initially ran away that night in June."
"Harry, I'm just pleading with you to do what you can to keep a young lady that we both love very much and would die for out of harm's way. Just do what you can."
"I understand. You can count on me sir."
"You're a good man Harry. It's a nice night outside. Why don't you go for a moonlight stroll with your girlfriend?"
"Thank you, sir."
"Harry…"
Harry smiled at him. He had really come to like spending time with Hermione's dad. "Good night, Dan. Thank you for dinner."
"Always a pleasure."
They walked for a long time talking about how much better Ron had seemed. Harry pointed out that Diane had helped him a lot. She probably had done the same for Ron. Hermione suggested that they invite her to a Quidditch game after school had started. They walked back to her house and kissed good night for a very long time.
When Harry got back, he found Remus up reading a book. "Hi Harry. How was your day?"
"Good. Ron seemed better. Dr. Turnbull is very good at what she does." Remus nodded, waiting for Harry to continue. "She helps you realize that everything doesn't have to be perfect, or always have a reason. She's good at helping people shed guilt that they are carrying over things that aren't their fault." Remus nodded. He wasn't sure if Harry was talking about her having helped him, Ron, or both.
Remus spoke. "It's too bad that the wizarding world doesn't have that kind of resource available. I could have used it myself. That's another good reason for you to keep a tight hold on your lovely girlfriend. She has useful friends. Did you decide when you want to go back to Hogwarts?"
"I'd like to go Saturday morning. How about you?"
Remus was dreading telling Harry this. "I won't be living there, just coming one day a week. Other days, I'll be staying in my cottage in Notts County. This has been the best summer that I can remember, but I miss my own home."
Harry tried to hide the disappointment from his face, and nodded.
Remus asked, "What will you need to do to shut down your home here?"
"Empty the refrigerator, I suppose, and lock up good. That's probably enough. I don't have any plants to give away."
"I need to leave on the morning of Friday 20 August. I'll also need to be gone for parts of next Wednesday and Thursday, to go get my potion. Could you stay at the Grangers that Friday night?"
"I think so…Remus?"
"What?"
"Where are my parents buried?"
This was not a question that Remus was expecting. Harry had never asked about where his parents had been buried. "Not too far from Neville's Grandmother's house in Kent? Would you like to go there tomorrow?"
"Could we?"
Realization hit, and Remus felt bad for his friend. "Sure. Maybe you would like to bring Hermione along? I take it that you have never been there?"
"No. I'm embarrassed to say that I haven't even thought about it for years."
"Don't be. We'll leave as soon as she comes over."
The drive over the next day was anxiety filled for Harry. He somehow hoped that he would measure up to his parent's expectations. They got to the property, and walked a ways until the found the marker under a tree very similar to the one that Harry had seen in Snape's pensive. He pictured James playing with a snitch. The Marker read James and Lilly Potter. Good friends, Loving parents. There were date of births and deaths. It occurred to Hermione that they must have been married right out of school. She held Harry tightly. They walked around the wooded grounds past the stream that ran alongside the trees for half an hour. There was no one else there. Remus showed them where the Potter cottage once stood. "This is where it was. No one has built here since."
Hermione asked, "I wonder who owns the property now?"
Remus replied, "I don't know. Harry, did you ever hear back from Griphook?"
"No. I was going to stop in and see him a couple of weeks ago. I guess that I got distracted." Harry gave Hermione a wink. She hugged him. Harry conjured two yellow roses, and placed them on the ground in front of the headstone.
Hermione looked surprised at what she had just seen. "Harry, when did you learn to conjure roses?"
"Just something that I was practicing."
"Oh."
Remus found a moment to say, "If you're ready now, we should go."
On the way back Harry asked Remus if he was planning on going to the joke shop re-opening.
"Yes. I believe that almost everyone from the Order will stop by."
"Harry replied, "Excellent. I'll stop by Gringotts and see Griphook that day too."
… - …
On Monday fifteen minutes before the scheduled re-opening of their shop, George looked out the window. "Merlin Fred! There must be five hundred people out there." Molly, Ginny, Ron, Luna, and Neville had been recruited to stock the shelves, tag items, and the other tasks associated with retail. They must have received two or three hundred owls from people wishing them well. Many of them had orders for items to be sent owl order. Ginny, Molly, and Neville were working at filling those orders. Fred and George opened the doors and walked out. Fred talked to the crowd as best he could. "Thank you for coming to our re-opening. We want to thank Auror Tonks and Harry Potter for saving us, along with the mediwitches, wizards and others who came to our aid two weeks ago. Without their help, we wouldn't be here. Thank you. Please come in, have a butterbeer and a biscuit." Molly had apparated over to the Leaky Cauldron, and bought every butterbeer that Tom had in stock. The day was fabulous. They sold out almost every item that they had in stock, and took orders for half again more. Rita and Bozo took pictures, assuring them of another front-page story in the Prophet. Deep down, both Fred and George knew that Harry was responsible for the majority of their success.
After a half hour of saying hello to people that he didn't know, Harry and Hermione made their way over to Gringotts. Harry had spent most of the 5,000 galleons that he had taken out of his account a month ago, and wanted to make another withdrawal. He still had about 15,000 pounds left after furnishing his flat, and buying everything that he needed over the summer. Hermione knew that he had spent a lot of money over the summer, and the equivalent of 55,000 pounds was a lot of money. On the other hand, she remembered looking in his closet at Privet Drive and seeing only rags. So what if he had done a bit of catching up? They visited his vault before going to see Griphook. The enormity of his wealth crept into Hermione's conscious. Harry had never really told her that he had given half of his money away within hours of having received it. They withdrew 2,000 galleons, and got back in the cart to go see Griphook. He was waiting at his door for them, and showed them in. "Ms. Granger, Mr. Harry, it is good to see both of you again. Please sit down."
"Thank you, Griphook."
"You had asked me to look into your parent's estate and any Will that they may have left. It turned out to be something of a complex matter. There were three parts, the Potter Trust, your parent's personal estate, and the trust that they had set up for you. While the ownership of the Potter trust is not disputed, the control is somewhat more complex. To a lesser degree, the same could be said for your parents' estate. The Potter trust was most recently in the direct control of your grandfather. Control would have been granted to your father had he reached the age of twenty-five. Unfortunately, he never did. As his direct heir, the same would apply to you. The Potter trust consists of direct ownership and partial ownership of some properties, businesses, and other secure long-term investments. At this point, it is under institutional control, and not really a concern for another nine years."
Griphook continued, "Your parent's estate is somewhat simpler. Your Godfather, Sirius Black was the primary trustee of the estate. You of course are the sole named heir of the estate. The estate includes a forty-acre property in Kent and some cash and investments in a vault. At one time, it probably was equivalent in size to the Black estate that you and Mr. Lupin inherited earlier this year. The loss of the building fifteen years ago diminished the value somewhat, but the property itself has substantial value. That property can be titled to you now, as well as the contents of the vault. I will send you a detailed inventory of either or both accounts if you wish." Harry indicated that he would like the contents of his parent's vault inventoried, and sent to him before he left next Saturday. Griphook asked Harry if he would like the same distribution made for this account documented in his Will as his original account. Harry nodded. Griphook asked them to wait for a few minutes while he had the paperwork drawn up. Harry signed the documents, and they were on their way.
… - …
While Harry was at Gringotts, Professor Dumbledore had gone to see Director Bones. Percy knocked on the door. "Professor Dumbledore is here to see you."
"Show him in, Percy."
"Good morning, Professor."
"Yes. It is a lovely day. I've come to talk with you about Voldemort. It is my belief that with his recent setbacks he will look elsewhere for his followers. Most likely, he will attempt to persuade the dementors that he will offer them much more freedom than the Ministry. I believe it critical that the prisoners currently residing in Azkaban be moved elsewhere and the dementors dismissed. I believe that he will make his move in one or two days. I apologize for not being able to provide more notice."
Amelia was in awe of this man. "Thank you for your insight, Professor. I will request that Minister Fudge come down. I need his approval to permanently move a prisoner who has been sentenced."
"Percy. Please have Minister Fudge come down. It is a matter of some urgency."
Fudge arrived a minute later. "Amelia. You look lovely today. How nice to see you again." He noticed Dumbledore and the flirty smile vanished from his face. "Dumbledore. What are you doing here?"
"I have come to warn you of an impending breakdown of the Azkaban prison system. I believe that Voldemort will soon make his move to get the dementors on his side. I do not believe that we can stop it from happening. We can, however put the thirty or so significant prisoners who currently reside on Azkaban Island elsewhere. I recommend splitting them into several groups, so they do not represent as tempting of a target. I recommend placing them in the country's private prisons after their areas have been warded against apparation or portkey use."
"Absolutely not Dumbledore. I told you over a year ago that the public won't stand for it."
In an even voice, Dumbledore replied, "I will observe that if you do nothing, you will be out of office, dead, or both by the end of the week." He got up to leave.
Fudge looked like he had been punched in the stomach. "Dumbledore, wait… Are you certain of this?"
"Yes. Amelia, how many holding cells are there?"
"Ten. I think that each could hold three at least people on a temporary basis. Minister, it is within my authority to bring a prisoner back for up to thirty days for additional interrogation. I am exercising that authority for all of the prisoners at this time. After two weeks, we can evaluate the situation and either return them, switch the guards, or disburse them, as Professor Dumbledore has recommended."
Dumbledore spoke. "Cornelius, you may survive politically if the dementors leave the Ministry's service. You wouldn't if there was a massive jailbreak. As such, no one must know that the prisoners were returned here. You must not mention it to anyone. I can not stress the importance of this enough."
Amelia cancelled all leaves and within a half hour had rounded up sixty of the Aurors, almost the entire department. They were assembled, and were on the boats that would take them to Azkaban Island. Three hours later, the Ministry holding cells were full. By the next morning, Azkaban Island was deserted. The dementors had almost all left to join Voldemort on Skye Island in Northwest Scotland.
The next day the pair of Aurors assigned to check the status of the island found it to be deserted. Amelia Bones sat at her desk marveling at Dumbledore's insight. He had predicted within hours an event that was previously considered unthinkable.
Fudge did not survive politically. Within an hour of the announcement of the dementor desertions, a partition of no confidence had been circulated, and by noon Fudge had been removed from office. Both Dumbledore and Bones had been approached to take the position. Dumbledore and Bones both suggested similar alternative choices. Amos Diggory was named Minister of Magic, and Arthur Weasley was named undersecretary. This left the Order well represented within the government.
… - …
Harry was spending every waking moment that he was not with Hermione studying. He had read through the sixth year transfiguration, and charms books. He was able to do most of the charms, and much of the transfiguration. Not really having the setup for potions, he at least read through the first half of the books. By Thursday, he thought that he was ready. He had packed his trunk, and sent it over to Hermione's. He thanked Remus for spending the summer with him. They locked the doors and Harry rode his motorcycle to the Grangers. Dan had said that Harry could keep it in their garage for the school year. Emma was home for the afternoon. Hermione had gone to the grocery store for a few minutes.
"Hello Harry. Come in." She smiled at him and handed him a Coke and led him to the back garden.
"Hi Emma. Thank you. How are you?"
"Fine Harry. Did you enjoy your summer?"
"I'm not sure that enjoy is the right word. I survived it. My life changed a lot. I fell in love. I acquired a lot of money. I met some really nice people. I grew up. I killed two people. Do you see what I mean?"
Emma smiled sadly. "I think so. I'm really glad that you and Hermione have gotten to… I think I'm trying to say welcome to the family, Harry. We're glad that you're here."
"Thank you, Emma."
She smiled at him and asked, "What would you like for dinner tonight?"
"I'd like whatever your favorite dish is. How could I help?"
"You don't need to. If you want to do something, you could set the table for four."
"I'm happy to help. Emma?"
"What is it dear?"
"I just wanted to say thanks for all of your help and concern this summer. You're the kind of person I always envisioned my own mother would have been like."
Emma smiled at him, meeting his emerald eyes. "Thank you, Harry. I can't think of a nicer thing that you could have ever said. Spend some time with Hermione. I think she's home now."
… - …
On Friday, the Gringotts owl arrived. True to Griphook's word, Harry's parent's estate was about the size of the Black family estate. Harry was only mildly interested in the numbers. He told Emma, "For normal life is there really any difference between having one million galleons or three million? I don't need that much stuff. For good or bad, I grew up without having much of anything. I like the stuff that Hermione bought me the best. I don't need a hundred different sets of robes in my closet or a huge house. I don't know or really even care about the Potter family trust. Nine years is a long time from now, and a lot can happen." He was more interested in the inventory listing that said 'and some miscellaneous personal items.' He really didn't have anything of his parents other than his father's invisibility cloak and a few photos that friends had given him.
Hermione's mother offered to take him to Diagon Alley to go have a look. The three of them got in the car. The ride up was quiet. Harry was in an introspective mood again. Emma and Hermione could sense it. They let him be. Emma offered to wait in the Leaky Cauldron, as Harry's finances really weren't her business. Harry insisted that she come along. Emma had been in the lobby at Gringotts before. Since they didn't have an account there had she never been down to the vaults. Harry picked up the account key from Griphook who took them to the vault. Emma had never seen anything like it in her life. Between the cart ride, the tunnels and the sudden bursts of light that Hermione said was dragon fire, the ride was amazing! They got to the vault, and Harry gave Griphook the key. The enormous piles of galleons dumbfounded Emma. Harry had seen his own vault before he had given half of his money to Tonks, so there really was no surprise. She said "It's one thing to say that you have several million pounds in your account, it's something else to see a pile of five pound notes that's as tall as you!"
Harry's attention moved to the seven-lock trunk that was in the vault. It was very similar to the ones that he had purchased for himself and Hermione. It shrunk the same. He charmed it to be light, picked it up, and put it into his robes pocket. Griphook asked him if he needed anything else. Harry asked him to transfer the account balance into his own vault. They took the cart back up to the lobby. Harry thanked Griphook for his help, and signed the account transfer document. He also thanked him for his help with the Sirius Black trust fund disbursements. Griphook replied, "We wish you well, Mr. Potter."
On the way back, Emma commented that it was a good thing that Professor Dumbledore had arranged for Harry to take a business finance course. Harry incorrectly commented that since lots of wizard families probably had similar situations, he was surprised that it wasn't a standard course. Hermione had never had any reason to think of Harry as a wealthy individual before. She was glad that the news that he was hadn't seemed to change him. Emma announced that she and Dan had been invited to friends for dinner, and the kids would have to fend for themselves that evening. Harry offered to order pizza to get delivered, as it wasn't something that they served at Hogwarts. Dan and Emma left at 6:30 and said that they would be home around midnight. Hermione snuggled up to Harry, and they sat quietly for a while holding each other. Hermione repeated her offer. Harry snogged her breathless, drew on all of his self-control and said that they should wait until the Christmas holiday. He didn't want to violate her parent's trust in him by sneaking around with their daughter in their home. Hermione made a comment about what Harry could expect to find under his Christmas tree this year. They spent a very enjoyable evening snuggled up on the couch, watching a movie.
Harry got up first on Saturday. He finished packing his trunk, and went to make coffee. An owl was waiting outside the window for him. It had the note from Dumbledore along with a portkey that would activate when tapped with a wand. He made breakfast for everyone. Dan and Emma wished him a very good year. Hermione kissed him good luck. At nine, he brought his things out to the back garden and told Hedwig to fly to the Owlery at Hogwarts. Harry had shrunk both trunks and put them in his robes. He shook Dan's hand, hugged Emma, kissed Hermione, touched the portkey and vanished.
He arrived at Hogsmede station, and began the walk to the castle. Fifteen minutes later, he arrived at the large oak doors. Professor Dumbledore greeted him. "Professor Potter, come in. Allow me to be the first to welcome you to Hogwarts in your new role. I will show you to your quarters. He took Harry past the kitchens and down a hall that Harry had not been to. Yours is number sixteen. You can set the password for your door by saying "Professor Potter sets the password to be," followed by whatever you like. Students are normally not allowed down here, but we shall make an exception for your good friends. Please continue to exercise good judgment with regards to Miss Granger. Should you require anything, I am certain that Dobby or Winky would be more than happy to accommodate you. I am also certain that they will want to ask you sometime during the year about staying with you next summer and beyond. You of course have my blessing. The current password to my office is Canary Creams. You are welcome at anytime. There will be an Order meeting tonight at eight. Meals are available in the Great Hall at the normal times." He smiled and said, "You know where the kitchens are should you want something outside of the normal hours. I would ask you to eat at the staff table during the week."
He continued. "Please set your living quarters up as you wish. Your tutoring sessions will begin tomorrow. Decorum states that you would address the other staff members as Professor in front of the students, or as you feel comfortable other times. After hours, we are all on a first name basis. If you have your door open, expect company to come by. If you have it closed, you can be assured that your colleagues will respect your privacy, except for urgent situations. You will be paid on the last day of the month, either deposited into your account, or in cash, as you prefer. Minerva is responsible for those details. Please look into your classrooms. Alastor will be by tomorrow for part of the day. Let Minerva know whatever you would require. Our budget is not unlimited, but we will try to provide whatever you request. What questions can I answer for you?"
"Professor, do you know of any ways to kill a dementor?"
"You have asked a very timely question Harry, whether you knew it or not. I have considered transfiguration and transportation as possible methods. During most of my lifetime, wizards and dementors have had an acceptable co-existence. It is possible that a sufficiently strong Patronus charm might permanently damage them. The dementors will be the subject of the Order meeting tonight. You have more experience with them than most, so allow yourself to take an active role in the discussion."
"Professor, what's in the trunk that my parents left me?"
"To be completely honest, I don't know. There were, of course some household items left intact after your parent's home was destroyed. Hagrid had put those things in the large compartment of your father's seven-lock trunk. Hagrid did not look through the other compartments. I didn't mention the other Gringotts account since Sirius was the trustee and you had barely begun able to touch the funds that your parents had set for your school account. With respect to the Potter family trust, you do own some very nice properties in England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Australia, and in the States. You own investments in some businesses. They aren't important at the moment."
Dumbledore continued. "Harry, I do owe you an apology. I had rather hoped that when placing you in the care of your aunt, a loving relationship would have developed. I had hoped that they would have taken to you like the Grangers or Dr. Turnbull did. Once you had been placed, I lost much of the right to interfere with their methods. They did keep you alive, and you are the most solidly grounded young man of your age that I have known. Contrary to Severus' claims, I know that you do not walk around with a princely sense of entitlement, like young Draco did. Harry, I would give you some advice on the next subject if I possessed it, but I don't. You will face many challenges in the coming year. Not least among them is maintaining your friendships with the students. Filius and Alastor may have good advice for you. They both rose very quickly in their careers. Of course you should also listen carefully to the advice given to you by Miss Granger. She is rarely wrong, and always has your best interest in mind."
"With respect to your morning schedule during the year, I apologize for the timing, but there are other schedules to dovetail with. Your day will normally start at six for personal physical training.
Nicolas will be by to help you from nine until noon on Mondays.
I will help you from nine to noon on Tuesdays.
Someone from Gringotts will be by from eight until ten on Wednesdays.
Various Ministry Aurors will work with you on Thursday and/or Friday mornings depending on their schedule.
Minerva has additionally offered to help you with Apparation, Advanced topics, and Human Transfiguration on weekends at times that you two arrange.
From 7:00 until 9:00 PM you will have sessions with the various staff on their subjects:
Transfiguration – Monday
Charms – Tuesday
Potions – Wednesday
Self study - Thursday
Healing - Friday
"Much of what you would have covered in your sixth year will be presented to you in the next few weeks. I would expect to be done with that by mid October, and get through seventh year sometime in January. Afterwards, you will have the opportunity to work on the truly advanced topics. You do not need to go at the same pace with each subject. Ultimately you will set the pace."
He paused for a moment to allow Harry to collect his thoughts and finished, saying, "Harry, I believe that I have taken enough of your time for one morning. Please take the time to get settled in. If I do not see you see you sooner, I will see you tonight at eight in my office."
"Thank you, Professor."
… - …
Harry had lunch that day with Minerva. They talked about regular things, establishing their new relationship. She was very interested in the work that Dr. Turnbull did. Harry said that she would likely come to the first Quidditch match, and invited her to join them.
Harry asked her opinion of Fudge leaving office. She said "If he had been open-minded a year ago, we might have had Voldemort on the ropes and possibly out of the country six months ago. Without your actions, he probably still would be lurking around unnoticed, placing his followers in positions of authority."
Minerva asked Harry about his home. "It's a very good fit for me. I don't miss having a garden to tend. I've done that for much of my life. Remus was very kind to stay with me for the summer to help me get settled."
Minerva smiled at the young man. "Harry, there was a long, long list of volunteers for that spot. There are a lot of people who really do care for you."
"It's nice to have things to wear that actually fit."
Minerva considered his words for a moment and realized that he wasn't being critical. She replied, "Harry, I apologize about that. We didn't know what to do. No one wanted to embarrass you by drawing attention to your cousin's oversized muggle clothing. The only times we did much were when Poppy would mend and resize the things that you wore into the hospital wing during your somewhat frequent visits. I must say however, that your current attire looks fabulous on you. Whoever picked out your current things has excellent taste." She winked at him over her half rim glasses.
She continued. "Harry, on a personal matter, and if I overstep, please say so. I want to thank you for making the wizarding world a safer place this summer. I also want to thank you for your work in establishing the Sirius Black trust fund. It's an exceptionally right thing to do. I've a tremendous amount of respect for both of you. It's a wonderful legacy to give to Sirius. Thank you."
"Prof…Minerva, I'm not proud of killing those people. I won't be proud of killing anyone in the future, regardless of the circumstances. I do understand what you meant. You're welcome."
Minerva looked at him with increased respect. He was right. He would kill again, protecting someone else. "I for one am honored to know you, Harry Potter. I must confess, I do read the articles about you in Teen Witch Weekly, and you probably are aware that at least half of the young witches in this school have posters of you on their walls. I, of course do not." She had succeeded in lightening the conversation, even to the point of his laughter.
"Well, better me than Voldemort." They both laughed together at the idea of an "evil wizard of the month" calendar.
… - …
Harry went back and arranged his things. He hung his Sirius Black wanted poster in his bedroom. He decided to wait on the other trunk until Hermione could be there. He'd been assigned his own classroom. Since it was to be used for the practical portion of defense, there wasn't a lot of classroom furniture. It was fitted more along the line of a school gymnasium. Half of the class had gymnastic mat on the floor. The other half was stone. There were whiteboards on the wall for drawing illustrations and some wooden benches along the walls. Director Bones had sent over a bookshelf full of school age appropriate books that she and the Aurors had gathered when she announced what he would be doing during the year. He didn't know it, but almost the entire department had volunteered to help tutor him during the year on various topics.
At ten minutes to eight, he found his way to Dumbledore's office, and gave the password to the gargoyle. He found the sidewall of Dumbledore's office open and a large conference room furnished like a corporate boardroom. The table was round. Harry sat down. A minute later, he was joined on either side by Director Bones, and Tonks Kingsley, Molly, Arthur, Fred, George, Mundungus, Hagrid, Minerva, Poppy, Alastor, Hammer, and a dozen others soon joined. Amos Diggory came in with Victor Krum and Molly Malkin, Tom the bartender, and Arabella Figg. Hermione, Severus, and Remus were not present. Dumbledore started off. "There has been a development with the dementors. Amelia will fill us in." She had been invited as a guest. There were no titles used in the Order meetings. Everyone was on a first name basis.
"Albus, thank you for inviting me. On Monday, we moved the Azkaban prisoners to a safer location. A few hours later, the dementors that had been residing on the island left. It's our belief that they've gone to join Voldemort, at his invitation. Most of the wizarding world is defenseless against the dementors. Their only real option is to flee at the first sight of them."
"Thank you Amelia. Your assessment is doubtless correct. Most of the wizarding world is indeed unprepared for such an attack. We need to develop strategies on several levels – ordinary citizen awareness, organized defense in the event of a large scale attack, and the destruction of the dementors."
Victor spoke up. "Everyone knows that there is no defense against more than a few dementors other than apparition. Most people are so shook up, they splinch themselves. Children are defenseless."
Amos spoke. "I tried to fight one once. It was the worst experience of my life."
Arabella replied, "Harry beat two at once last summer." A few people looked at him, having heard the story. Harry said nothing.
Hammer spoke. "No one can fend off more than one or two at a time. What if a dozen attacked at once?"
"I fought off over a hundred one time." The room fell absolutely silent. If it hadn't been for some of Harry's more recent exploits, few would have believed him. "Sirius, Hermione, Ron and I were attacked by the lake in my third year."
Molly Malkin said, "Well I suppose that it is possible that the four of you might have held them off for a few seconds."
Harry shook his head. "I fought them myself. The others were unconscious or on stretchers. I chased them all away."
Dumbledore stepped in. "Harry is, of course, telling the truth. He used the Patronus charm. Few wizards or witches even know of the spell. Fewer still are able to cast it, perhaps one in a hundred. Of those who can, perhaps half are able to cast it in a moment of need. It takes incredible mental focus. Who here can cast a corporeal Patronus?" Surprisingly, Harry, Moody, Dumbledore, Tonks, Minerva, Fred, and George raised their hand.
Fred spoke. "Harry taught George and I last year!"
Amazed at the news, Arthur asked, "Harry, is this true?"
He nodded. "I think I was able to get four people to get a fully defined shape last year before… the lessons had to stop."
Dumbledore spoke. "Perhaps Harry would be able to help some of us sometime. The need is urgent, but now is not the time. Amelia, how many dementors do you estimate were on the island?"
"About two hundred."
Dumbledore asked the Ministry people to identify any sightings and try to finalize a count of who could cast the charm. He asked Harry to begin teaching the charm to as many as he could. He asked Shack to give Harry a schedule of topics that he should study.
Dumbledore thanked them all for coming. Dobby and some of the house elves brought, coffee, tee, butterbeer, and trays of small sandwiches.
They visited for a while after the meeting had adjourned. Amelia was watching Harry. The pieces were falling in place. He obviously was a very powerful wizard based on what he had done to Lestrange. She had tried producing a Patronus herself. The depth of mental focus that he had must be immense. Merlin, to produce a Patronus that would actually drive a hundred of those horrors away was incredible. It was almost beyond her comprehension that he did it at age thirteen. Dumbledore really had found an apprentice.
She kept watching him. Tonks went up to Harry and gave him a hug. She talked to him for a minute, handed him an envelope and kissed him on the cheek. Lucky kid. Lucky girl. Her grand niece Susan had posters of Harry hung on her wall since she was eleven.
An old man that she did not know walked up to him with Dumbledore. She saw Dumbledore subtly cast a silencing charm around them. Dumbledore made the introductions. They shook each other's hand and chatted for a minute. The old man patted Harry on the shoulder and disappeared. She had never seen anyone Disapparate within the grounds before. To her knowledge, it wasn't supposed to even be possible.
Amos Diggory walked up to Harry and shook hands. They talked for a minute. Diggory had none of the pomposity of his predecessor. She remembered the story of Harry being present at the rebirth of Voldemort, and that he had somehow brought back Amos' son's body back. Fudge had told the story implying that it was a load of dung. Amos obviously didn't share that opinion.
Arthur Weasley's wife came up to Harry and hugged him like a mother. If the stories were true, he'd saved her daughter, three of her sons and her husband's lives at different times. They certainly weren't the only ones here who owed him a life debt. Fletcher, Jones, and Tonks did at a minimum.
One of the house elves appeared, an odd little fellow wearing yellow short pants mismatched socks and a purple knitted sweater. He walked up to Harry and hugged him. Harry squatted down on his knees and greeted the elf like he was an old friend. She wondered what Harry had done to get a school house elf to display such overt loyalty?
Hagrid came up to Harry, again with an attitude bordering on reverence. She'd heard stories of his actions proving Hagrid innocent and having him freed from Azkaban. There was even talk that he'd slain a fifty-foot basilisk when he was twelve years old. She would have thought it another load of dung if the teller of the tale hadn't been Arthur Weasley himself.
Dumbledore walked up to her. Having noticed her interest in Harry, both tonight and over the summer, he said, "He is quite a fine young man, isn't he?"
"Yes. I was just considering how many people in this room he's been involved with."
"To answer one of your questions, if it involved bravery, a good deed, or rescuing someone, than yes, the story is true. He has been battling Voldemort and his forces on a regular basis since he was eleven. Thank you for coming tonight, Amelia, especially on such short notice. Your insight is always very useful. Thank you again."
Harry made his way over to her. "Hello Amelia. Do you happen to know if there are other dementors in Britain than the ones that had been on the island?"
She smiled at him. He'd asked the very question that she'd pondered that afternoon. "Hi Harry. I don't think anyone really knows. To be honest, we know precious little about them."
"Do you know a way to kill a dementor?"
"Not personally. I'll ask a colleague of mine in the Department of Mysteries. Why do you ask?"
"Using a Patronus is a bit like stunning a Death Eater in a group. They keep coming back. We wouldn't put dementors on trial per say, would we?"
"No. Given their defection to Voldemort's side, it truly comes down to a shoot on sight situation. You're right to consider long-term solutions. Can you really teach people how to produce a proper Patronus?"
"Yes. I would be happy to help you and your department. Can I contact you as I learn my schedule? Perhaps a weeknight could work? Personally, I see two hundred enemy dementors as being a lot bigger problem than thirty Death Eaters. The difference is they might not be able to move very fast. I've never heard of one using a portkey or apparating. Perhaps you could ask your friend if they know?"
Amelia replied, "Thank you Harry. I won't keep you. Please keep an eye on Susan this year." She would follow-up on his questions as soon as she got back to her office.
"I will. Good night."
Tonks came back to Harry, carrying four butterbeers. "Harry, can we go talk for a while?"
"Sure Tonks. Let's go for a walk. It's nice outside." They walked out of the castle and went up to the astronomy tower.
Harry conjured two comfortable wooden chairs and motioned for Tonks to sit down. "What's up?"
"I just wanted to be sure that we're still Okay."
Surprised at her words, Harry asked, "Why wouldn't we be? What's this about?"
"Did you open my letter?"
"No. Too many people came up and wanted to talk after the meeting. Should I read it, or can you tell me?"
"I wrote you back a Gringotts draft for half of the money that you gave me. I'd like you to keep it for yourself, give it to Hermione, or use it for your victims trust fund."
Still confused, Harry asked, "Why are you doing this? I gave that money to you."
Tonks replied, "Harry, I can't begin to describe how much what you did means to me. It was just too much money for me."
Harry understood what she was trying to tell him, and nodded. "I'll hold the draft. If the trust fund needs it within a year, I'll deposit it. If not, we'll do something else with it. Okay?"
Relieved, Tonks replied, "Okay. Harry, I never did properly thank you for saving my life."
"That's not true." He winked at her. "We held hands for almost an hour. Seriously Tonks, I don't really understand this wizard's debt thing. I didn't do anything for you that you wouldn't have done for me. I value your friendship too much to murk it up. I really need a slightly older sister to talk with from time to time. I don't want to ruin anything between us."
Delighted at his words, she teased him a bit. "Thank you, loverboy. Just for the record you realize that you just turned down any woman you could…never mind. Thanks Harry. No other guy has ever treated me with that level of respect. All I can say is that Hermione is one lucky witch."
"No. I'm the lucky one. She sees me, and she loves me anyway."
"Harry, within a few years, a lot of people will just see you or the man that you've come to be. You may be famous, or have saved the world, or be a celebrity. Who knows? Whatever happens, it will be for the things that you're doing in your life, not what happened when you were one."
Harry heard a noise and turned his head. It was Dumbledore. "I'm sorry to intrude, but we lock the castle doors at midnight during the holidays. I did not mean to interrupt you two."
They all walked down the stairs together. "Miss Tonks, you are more than welcome to stay the night. If you need guest quarters…"
"Thank you Professor. I was just leaving. Good night, Professor. Good night, Harry." She walked out the front door and portkeyed home.
"Harry. I did not mean to intrude into your personal life or imply that there is some type of bed check. I simply wanted to avoid having Argus Filch accidentally lock you out."
"I understand. Good night Professor."
"Good night Professor."