Title: Legacy of the Father (14/?)
Spoilers: First four books; contains some elements introduced in the 5th book, but is set during Harry's 5th year.
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Chapter Fourteen – Tea with Talio
With the star charts finished and homework done for the time being, Ron and Harry began to discuss the tryouts over wizard chess. Hermione was absorbed in an old Charms textbook, but occasionally she would glance around the common room.
Angelina and Katie came down from the girls' dormitory during Harry and Ron's second game. As promised, Angelina posted the choice of Keeper, while Katie posted the practice schedule.
"Hermione, I'm Keeper!"
Hermione quickly congratulated Ron on his appointment to the Quidditch team. He was so ecstatic he could barely stand still. Then Ron looked a little to the right at the practice schedule. His heart dropped.
"Harry, have you seen the practices she has lined up?"
Harry looked through the schedule. Angelina had obviously taken lessons straight from Oliver Wood. There were practices in the very early morning and early evening, and no day was sacred.
"We'll never get a wink a sleep without missing practice or not doing some homework."
The portrait hole opened to admit the Weasley twins, who were grinning wildly as they walked. Two guesses what they were so happy about, Harry thought. They stopped their march to their room just long enough to congratulate their little brother on making Keeper.
"It's about time," Hermione whispered as she raced over to the twins.
She took them aside and the three of them whispered excitedly, especially Fred and George. When she finally finished her conversation with the twins, she returned to her seat near Ron and Harry.
"What was that all about, Hermione?"
"Just initiating a part of my plan."
"Your plan? With Fred and George?" Ron knew there had to be trouble when Hermione's brains conspired with Fred and George's.
"I was simply arranging a diversion for you, so you can get into Dawlish's office. Fred and George are the best, you know, so I asked them if they would mind causing some real commotion tomorrow, just for you. They were thrilled with the idea and asked me to tell you 'good luck' on your venture."
Harry caught the twins' eyes; they winked and grinned mischievously. Harry nodded, a small smile revealing itself.
"Thanks, Hermione."
Hermione nodded.
"Well, you're going to need help to get around Dawlish, if what Dumbledore, Remus and Sirius say about him is true."
Harry nodded absently, his thoughts more focused on what he needed for tomorrow.
The diversion Hermione had asked for and the Weasley twins were merrily engineering was planned for today, and Harry knew he would have no time between the ending of his last class and the beginning of the commotion to return to the dormitory. He had packed his Invisibility Cloak into his bag just before he went to bed, so he only had to dress and head for breakfast when he awoke the next morning.
"All set to go?" Fred asked as Harry situated himself just down the table from him.
"Should be. How about you?"
"Been ready for a while. Just needed the proper motivation, if you know what I mean," George piped in between bites of toast.
"Motivation to do what, I ask, Mr. Weasley?" asked Professor Dawlish, sweeping behind the twins.
"To study, of course. We're going to help a few of the Gryffindor fifth years study for their O.W.L.s and such."
"I've heard a number of reports about the Weasley twins, so give me one reason why I should believe you."
"It's true, Professor Dawlish. They have agreed to help us."
"Mr. Potter. Not exactly the best witness to call to your defense, Mr. Weasley, especially given his talent for lying."
"I'm not a liar!" Harry stood, despite Hermione's efforts to the contrary.
"Not a liar? Who said that You-Know-Who had returned without any evidence? Who couldn't even conjure up the memory of what had supposedly happened when You-Know-Who was supposedly returned from the dead? I believe that would be you, Mr. Potter."
"I didn't lie. Voldemort (a collective shudder resounded through the Great Hall) was never truly dead, and he has returned. He ordered Barty Crouch Jr. to change the Triwizard Cup into a Portkey; he ordered Peter Pettigrew to kill Cedric Diggory; and he is out there right now, probably recruiting new members without the Ministry even acknowledging he is back. All of this is true."
"You will come to my office today, right after classes end, and we shall discuss your detention."
Harry was forced to sit as Dawlish left. He was already planning on being in Dawlish's office this afternoon but for a different reason entirely. Fred and George looked up the table to Harry, smiling.
"Well, you may as well call it off, guys."
"Why? You're going to have the perfect excuse. If Dawlish is calling you there for detention, you don't have to worry about him finding you there. In fact, you'll want to be found there. No schedule change, Harry."
Harry was suddenly happy again. The twins were right. If the timing worked out right, and Harry was sure the twins had good timing, Harry couldn't be fingered as the culprit for the diversion nor could he be guilty of anything if he was found in Dawlish's office. After all, he was waiting for the good professor to give him his detention.
Harry couldn't wait for this afternoon; it was going to be a good chance to get the Welling Mirror back and settle the score with this spying Ministry git.
Malfoy was the first one to congratulate Harry on his afternoon appointment. Before Professor Fletcher arrived in the classroom, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle found themselves calling to Harry from their table.
"My family knows Talio Dawlish personally. I'd say Potter is in for more than just cleaning. Loads more. But it was an absolutely beautiful speech that earned him this honor, don't you think, Granger? How about you, Weasley?"
"Put a cork in it, Malfoy."
"Now, now, everyone," murmured Professor Fletcher, as he entered from the storage room. He flipped the chalkboard over to reveal the instructions for today's potion.
"I want to call your attention to step 3; the color should be a very pale blue and it should be barely boiling when you put the lionfish spine in."
Harry was too excited to be mindful of the potion. If it had not been for Hermione, Harry's potion would have been ruined. When they turned in their potions and left, Harry was grinning from ear to ear.
"Harry, can you be a little less enthusiastic about today? I mean, you're supposed to have detention today. That's not something you go around smiling about, you know?"
"She's right, mate. You'll give them away, acting like you are. Look more depressed about your absolutely fabulous luck."
"Ron, how can Harry be so happy and someone not think it's weird? Honestly. Anyway, you two need to get to the North Tower. Trelawney has already predicted your slight tardiness. Wouldn't want her to be wrong, now would you?" Hermione giggled as she walked off to Arithmancy.
"All jokes aside, Hermione's not far wrong. Just think about everything else but this afternoon, like where we are headed right now."
Harry's grin disappeared. Trelawney was so certain of Harry's impending death that it was more out of a sense of seeing what she would "predict" next than out of a genuine want to learn that Harry continued to go to Divination. Though, Harry mused silently, a few of this year's classes had proved incredibly interesting and useful.
If thoughts of Trelawney made it easier for Harry to fake a slightly depressed mood, the massive load of homework given by both Professor Fletcher and Professor McGonagall made it real. Each professor had given 14 inches of essay work, due in only a few days.
Harry's only satisfying thought at the moment was this afternoon's events. Even so, Harry had to drag himself into Dawlish's office.
"Well, Mr. Potter, I had my reservations as to whether or not you would show up on your own. I'm surprised. Well, sit there. You have a detention to work off. But, before you do it, I want some information. I know that you were speaking to someone in the Gryffindor fireplace. Who was it? And, I'll warn you, I have been authorized to use Veritaserum if I find it necessary. So, speak the truth."
"I was speaking to Remus Lupin. He was a professor here. I wanted to ask him about some things."
"What things?"
"I wanted to know how to make my Patronus stronger."
"Fifth years can't do Patronus Charms. That's N.E.W.T. level magic. Hence, you're lying. Again."
"I'm not lying. I'll prove it to you."
"Very well, then. Try."
Harry pulled up the memory that had resulted in his life-saving rescue of Sirius at the lake: the thought of living with Sirius and not with the Dursleys. He let the warm feeling fill him before even he pulled out his wand.
"Expecto Patronum!" It took but the briefest of pauses before the silvery strands burst forth from Harry's wand and formed the stag that was his father's signature form. It stayed only a moment, but it was enough. Dawlish returned to his seat.
"You say you were asking this Lupin to help you make it stronger? And why him? Why not your current Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, this Professor Fletcher?"
"Well, sir, it was Professor Lupin who taught me the Patronus Charm during my 3rd year here. I trust him a bit more with this Charm work than I do anyone else."
Dawlish remained seated and gestured for Harry to return to his seat.
"Mr. Potter, it is indeed extraordinary that you can do this level of magic, but it does not prove that your previous lies were anything more than that: lies. Now, your first detention with me will be..."
Even the heavy jars on the floor shook when the first of the Weasley's contraptions went off. The second and third were quick to follow. Dawlish eyed Harry for a moment.
"You are to stay precisely as you are."
Harry watched as Dawlish flew out of his office towards the disruption. Harry waited just long enough to know Dawlish was well on his way before starting after the Welling Mirror. He started with the desk, the cabinets, and the chest in the corner. Nothing. The storage room? Full of nothing but clothes. Harry was about to close the door when he saw a glimmer of light. In Dawlish's coat pock was the mirror. Ron was right; he had some incredible luck. No locks or Charms or anything around the Mirror.
Harry placed it near the bottom of his bag and returned to his seat. He made sure everything was as it had been and tried as best he could to be as unhappy now as he had been a several minutes ago. It took thinking about all his homework to remind Harry of his previous unhappiness. He focused on his present workload and tried to forget about the Mirror he had gotten back.
Dawlish returned with Fred in tow, who winked at Harry as walked into the office. Harry was a bit surprised; usually if someone caught one Weasley twin, they got the other one too.
"Well, I think this is quite a coincidence. This morning, you two were all about a plot and this afternoon there is a massive magical fireworks display in the hallways. Oh, don't give me that face, Mr. Potter; I know that you have something to do with this most recent disruption. Well, what say you?"
"Professor, even if I told you the truth, which is that I didn't have anything to do with this, you wouldn't believe me."
"He's right, Professor Dawlish. Harry didn't do a thing. It was me alone. Even George didn't know, surprising as that may be. What Harry said this morning was a bit off, though."
Harry was tempted to shoot him a vicious glare but though better of it. Fred knew what he was doing after all.
"Is that right?"
"Sure is, Professor. Truth is that Harry and I were going to practice some new Quidditch moves. He was going to show me the Wronski Feint."
"And why would such instruction need to be secret?"
"Because, Professor, the Wronski Feint is very dangerous. Only truly great players like Victor Krum and Harry can do it right the first time they try it. I was just hoping that if Harry did it a few times for me that I could learn it too."
"You must take me for a fool, Mr. Weasley. I don't believe you. You have been caught red-handed, but I know there had to be others, including your twin and Mr. Potter here. So, boys, detention for the both of you. You will meet me here tomorrow at noon. I deduct an hour of work for every name I confirm was involved. They will work in your place. But, in order to cash in on this deal, you have to tell me the names now."
"Well, there are no others, so I guess I'll be doing detention alone."
"Cheer up, Mr. Weasley. Mr. Potter here has a detention to do for his outburst this morning. You two can do it together. Mr. Weasley, you will remain in the Infirmary until noon tomorrow. Mr. Potter will join us then. Back to your room in Gryffindor Tower, Mr. Potter."
Fred and Dawlish were right behind Harry as he started his walk back to his room. Harry turned to look back at Fred, who smiled viciously back at him. Harry was silent until he got to Gryffindor Tower. There not 20 feet inside the common room was Hermione, Ron, George, and, much to Harry's shock, Fred.
"But I just..."
"Dawlish is going to be hard-pressed to figure out how he could blame me for something Lee did. Besides, he saw Lee far away from the scene not moments before it happened, so Lee can't be blamed. I mean, like he said, he caught the perpetrator red-handed. He just thought it was me. His mistake."
Fred and George were both in stitches over how clever they were. But Harry was even happier.
"Did you get it?" Ron asked.
Harry nodded, quite pleased with the plan's triumphant outcome.
"Now we only have Dumbledore's office to invade. And we can't have Fred or George do anything. They're going to be in enough trouble over this," Ron whispered as they headed over to the couches by the fireplace.
"Gee, Ron, you make it sound so much easier."
"Both of you, I think we need to be model students for a bit," cautioned Hermione.
"There's work to be done now, Hermione. I still have to get the next clue from the Sorting Hat. Oh, and I have detention tomorrow at noon. Quidditch practice is in the early evening, so I need to do whatever it is for detention quick as I can."
"You'd better." Angelina had crept up behind them. "Still, I think we can get a fair practice in, even without you there. Just make sure it doesn't happen again."
"I'll try my best." Harry smiled slightly. Angelina nodded.