Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling does. It's pretty simple.
Chapter Fourteen
"Mr. Potter."
Harry stopped just short of the staircase. Something innate kept him from turning to face the person who had addressed him.
"Yes, perhaps it would be best if you kept your back to me."
A black envelope was gently laid on the banister, alongside Harry's right hand.
"Please owl this back when your decision has been made. One of Professor Dumbledore's owls should know where to bring it. Pity about what happened last night. Good day, Mr. Potter."
Harry opened the envelope and caught a small piece of paper that fluttered out.
— Mr. Potter. Concerning Peter Pettigrew's trial. Defendant pleads innocent. Under Imperious curse. Believed the Potters to be living in Welsdale as of day of murder. Staying with Arthur Hemmings night of murder. Does not remember Black's attack. Remained in illegal animagus form out of grief. Movement to imprison for ten years. Movement to imprison for life. Movement to administer kiss. Movement to release free of charges. Please reply with vote or movement promptly. —
"Harry, mate."
Harry turned to Ron.
"Is Hermione going to be okay?"
Harry pocketed the black envelope as he spoke, "Yeah, she...she kind of is. I didn't talk about the casualties when I was in the hospital wing with her. It's like...she remembers what was happening, but she doesn't remember how...bad it was."
"What do you mean?" Ron asked as they began to make their way to Dumbledore's office.
"You saw her."
"Only for a second. She couldn't speak when she first woke up, Harry."
"Like...she knows the helfdares attacked, she knows what happened to her. She even knows that thirty-seven students died, but she's acting as if everything's normal. Madam Pomfrey said she's probably in shock or something. I mean, she did wake up in the hospital, with us bleeding and hanging over her. I dunno. I tried to be normal too, but I'm used to Hermione having it together. I even lied a little bit."
Ron halted in front of the gargoyles, searching his pockets for the password, "What'd you tell her?"
"That you had detention with Snape because you set his robes on fire and that she and me are supposed to have dinner with Remus and Tonks tomorrow."
"Hey, how come I wasn't invited — sugar quills."
The gargoyles sprang apart to admit them.
"Ginny's already up there – with Percy," Ron added bitterly.
It had been twenty hours since the helfdares had attacked. Most of the students were locked in the dormitories. Still, many were being treated for minor injuries in the Transfiguration classroom where beds and chairs had been set up. Dumbledore, wise as he was, thought it would be best to leave only Hermione in the actual hospital wing due to her fragile condition. The arrangement was supposed to keep things as normal for her as possible. Harry was baffled as to her weird reaction to the attacks. She had been completely normal after she woke up from the first seizure. In the meantime, Dumbledore had been receiving people, trying to smooth over the whole affair ("Yeah, real smooth, Dumbledore," Ron had chided, "forget to mention the thirty-seven bodies in the potions dungeon.") Ron, Ginny, and Harry were only allowed free roam of the castle because they knew about the Order. Harry gathered that Ron and Ginny had been flooing to Order members and explaining what had happened. Remus, Shacklebolt, Mundungus, and Mr. Weasley were already on the grounds. Ron just couldn't figure out where.
"I don't know what Dumbledore's planning to do about this," Ron told Harry as they neared the landing outside Dumbledore's office, "He's not telling the ministry anything. He actually said that everyone was fine. Fine! Huh, not the first years though."
Harry grabbed Ron by the arm, holding him outside the doors.
"Woah, what—."
"They were all first years? All thirty-seven?"
"Yeah," Ron replied roughly.
"Were they in the same part of the castle?"
"No. That's the weird thing. They were scattered. I guess they just couldn't make good enough shields. Makes sense, doesn't it?"
Harry let go of Ron, "Yeah. That's...that's probably it."
Ron reached for the door handle.
"Were any Slytherins?"
Ron sighed, "I wasn't checking the color of their sweater emblems when I was levitating them to the dungeons."
"Right, sorry."
The door swung open, "C'mon."
Ginny guided Harry and Ron into the office. Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk, staring into his pensieve resolutely.
"He's been staring at that bowl for twenty minutes," Ginny whispered with concern for the headmaster as Harry and Ron passed by her to sit across from the desk.
"Oh, he's just watching his memories," Harry said, dismissively.
"Harry, hello," Dumbledore muttered, not looking up from his pensieve, "Will you come and look at this, please?"
Confused, Harry stood from his chair and crossed to Dumbledore's desk.
"Come around."
As Harry neared Dumbledore's side, he could see the swooping figures of the helfdares reflected in the liquid .
"Do you see this one? Just here," Dumbledore pointed out a helfdare that repeatedly flew into the wall, passed through the wall, and returned from the other side, "Did you see one do this?"
"No," Harry shook his head, "I've never seen one act that way before. As far as I know they can't pass through something solid."
"Yes, well...."
Dumbledore trailed off and returned to his pensieve. It was then that Harry noticed a leg sticking out from underneath Dumbledore's desk. Checking to make sure the headmaster was enthralled by his memories, Harry knelt and peered under the desk. He jerked himself up, stiff as a board.
"Sir, Percy Weasley is unconscious under your desk," Harry informed him hesitantly.
"Yes," Dumbledore stirred the liquid around with his fingertip, "Unfortunately, we had to subdue Mr.Weasley."
Ginny snickered, "We found him behind the draperies, trying to listen in on Dumbledore's correspondences after the attack."
"Uh...well," Harry stammered, "as long as...do you...is he going to be all right?"
"Certainly," Dumbledore mused, rising from his chair and returning the pensieve to it's cabinet, "Harry, if you would take a seat. Now would be an excellent time to discuss our present course of action."
Harry obeyed silently.
"I have already met with the other professors. Those in the Order advised that I inform you three also...well, Professor Snape had some doubts — ."
"Naturally," Ron grumbled.
" — but nonetheless, here we go. As of now — we have no idea what location the helfdares were released from, if we should expect another attack from these creatures or any other dark creatures, how the helfdares were bred in such great number – they're very rare, how many managed to escape with a significant amount of magical energy, or the ramifications of this attack on the school's establishment. We do, however, have a very good hunch it was Voldemort's doing."
"Really?" Ron said, sarcastically, "Because I thought it was mail delivery gone haywire."
"Ron," Ginny hissed.
"That's quite all right, Miss Weasley. Mr. Weasley has every right to express his opinion — ."
"What do you mean 'ramifications on the school's establishment'?" Harry interrupted.
Dumbledore folded his fingers together and sighed before responding, "I know you have been in the hospital wing with Miss Granger for most of yesterday evening and this morning, but I am sure you were informed of the death of thirty-seven students — ."
"Thirty-seven first years."
"—Yes. In the past, the ministry has not looked favorably upon deaths among Hogwart's student body."
"What does the ministry want to do?" Harry said, rising from his chair.
"I have not spoken with the ministry on that matter...yet."
"I bet the ministry's not looking too favorably upon that either," Harry said, brazenly.
"You do get wittier as you get older," Dumbledore sighed.
Ginny cleared her throat, "Professor, what can Harry, Ron, and I do now?"
Dumbledore softly nodded his head and reached for a stack of envelopes on his desk, "I need to make sure one of these is personally delivered to each member of the staff, and one of these," Dumbledore handed them each a red piece of paper, "is read to each common room. The passwords are on the back of each paper, with the exception of Gryffindor's, of course."
Harry, Ron, and Ginny headed for the door.
"Oh!" Dumbledore exclaimed, "Thank-you for your help, and Harry, I'm sorry that I could not answer your question today."
"Hang in there, Professor," Harry smiled, "...And you might want to check on Percy every once in while."
Slytherin. Of course. Dumbledore handed Harry the red piece of paper with the Slytherin common room's password. He was also given the envelopes for Snape and McGonagall. He passed reverently by the potion's classroom, where the thirty-seven students were, and moved on to the long, twisting corridor that ended in the Slytherin common room.
"They're imbeciles," Harry muttered as he read their password, "Gryffindor bites."
The portrait swung open. The dark common room fell silent – at first because everyone wanted to see who entered and then because they indeed saw who entered. It might have been his hatred causing hallucinations again, but Harry was pretty sure he heard one of the larger Slytherins bark for his machete, so he speeded up the process.
"Dumbledore sent me to deliver a message," Harry called over the common room.
"Get on with it then," a familiar voice drawled, slithering from the back of the common room to the foot of the stair that led from the portrait hole.
"Read it yourself," Harry snarled, throwing the red paper at Malfoy.
Malfoy labored over unfolding the paper, flourishing it in front of him and then reading it to himself first.
"Potter," Malfoy said in a low voice, "have you read this?"
The rest of the Slytherins were becoming restless with the exchange.
"No, I have not," Harry replied, grasping his wand in his robe pocket in case Malfoy started being smart.
"You might want to."
Malfoy held out the paper. Harry snatched it from him.
Say: Professor Dumbledore would like you all to know that everything is under control. Classes have been cancelled for at least a week, and yes, most of your time will have to be spent in the dormitories. Please take this intermission to remember the sacrifices made by those placed in the path of evil and prepare yourself in case such a horrid event should happen again. You, of course, will be able to contact your families as often as you like, but be careful about what you write.
Know: Professor Snape will not be with the Slytherins because he will be leaving tomorrow to do a favor for me and several others of whom you know well. Remus Lupin, who cannot travel at this time, will be keeping an eye on the Slytherins. Harry, please remain calm when you encounter any Slytherin student this week. Remember the importance of unity, and do not misjudge a certain personal opponent of your's. Get some rest tonight and come to my office in the morning.
Harry looked up from the letter.
"Bad thing to hand to me, huh?" Malfoy sneered, "Turns out you and Dumbledore are even closer than I thought."
"Could I speak with you for a moment – outside?" Harry requested through gritted teeth.
Malfoy turned to smile gloatingly at the other Slytherins and allowed his cloak to billow as he shoved passed Harry into the hall. Harry closed the portrait.
"Fine, you know more about me. You be would shocked to know what I know about you," Harry said threateningly.
"You don't scare me, Potter," Malfoy drew his wand.
"Put your wand down," Harry spat.
"Not up for a little duel?" Malfoy mocked, poking out his bottom lip, "Afraid of what might happen...."
"You know what, Draco, I am afraid of what might happen. I don't want to be injured, and I really don't want to explain why your head is in the Forbidden Forest while the rest of your body is at the bottom of the lake."
Draco shoved his sparking wand into Harry's chest.
"Quick question before you obliterate me," Harry said, calmly, "If you have three circles, two rings, and wavy line that passes through them, and you want them to say 'Your Servant, Lucius Malfoy'what request must you make?"
Malfoy's wand shook as he dug it into Harry's robes, "I don't know what you're taking about, Potter."
"Wand fall," Harry said.
Malfoy released his wand after it shocked his hand. It fell to the floor. Malfoy held out his wand hand and the wand sprang into his grasp, "I see you know how to reveal yourself."
A/N: Well, there it is. Hermione returns in the next chapter and hopefully it will be a bit more humorous. Anyway, thanks for reading! Please review! God bless!
