Disclaimer: you know the drill. I don't own stuff written by other people.
Beta: psychotoo
Chapter 10 Adventures in Babysitting
Harry woke up with a slight headache. He yawned and got out of bed to get ready for the classes he was to teach today. Harry left his room late and didn't know if he should head to the hall for food or see if Susan was still in the infirmary. He decided that he would check the medical wing before making his way to lunch.
He entered the medical hall and looked around. One student was sleeping soundly with someone sitting with him for company, but there was no sign of Susan. Harry closed the door quietly to not disturb the two students.
He noticed that many of the staff were not at the head table. Susan looked at him and smiled. When he sat down there was already a owl sitting on his plate. The letter was from the Confederate of Goblins and Harry was irritated to see that the letter was address to Harry Potter.
Mr. Potter,
We have investigated the incident that you spoke of, and found a goblin by the name Garmok whom is responsible for the tampering of the documents in question. He is currently held in custody. Given the nature of the Inquiry and the expectations given to the Confederation, we await your instructions.
We have conducted our own investigation including questioning the goblin. However, we were unable to gain much information. We ask for your presence to proceed further in this Inquiry. As well as for you to take custody of Garmok prior to his trail.
Sincerely,
Kartom, Head of Gringotts, Head Council of The Confederate of Goblins
Harry read over the letter three times. He then sighed. He saw that Alice was eating and talking to Owen at the Griffindor table. He smiled faintly at that. A few Griffindor students were glaring at them. But Owen and Alice happily ignored them. Harry wondered how to get everyone together, then just smiled.
"Alice."
The poor girl almost screamed.
"Albus, Susan." Susan took another bite of her lunch then set down her fork. "Would you three please meet me in the class room next to the dinning hall?"
, Susan took another bite of her lunch then set down her fork. "Harry stood up and walked out the room. He saw Alice already excusing herself from the table. Owen just stood there gawking, surprised at being left behind at the table. Pam rushed to his rescue and began chatting with him about how she met the young second year.
Harry waited a few minutes and the three people slowly walked into the class room. He held up his letter and Alice and Susan looked up surprised. "Sorry Susan, Alice. I didn't tell you that I started an Inquiry with the Confederate of Goblins." They both felt their jaws drop. He quickly started before they could say anything. "They tracked the forged document Alice signed, but the goblin in question is a little less than cooperative. I have been asked to see if I would like to question him myself." Susan was still not able to say anything.
"Wait a second, how did you pull that off?" asked Alice. "No one is allowed to speak to a person in custody for an inquiry by the goblins."
Harry just smiled then looked to Albus, "I am going to visit Gringotts this afternoon, but I think I should have someone accompany me as a second. No offense Alice, but you can't, you're too young. Susan can't either, you are needed here with the student in the infirmary." Both ladies shut their mouths. "Albus I don't know if you have the time." He said uncertainly.
Albus smiled, "The letter arrived with good timing, I was having a meeting with an old friend who might be willing to help you."
Albus already started walking to his office. The three followed quietly. Harry changed back when they entered the hallway past the gargoyle and stretched. He smiled to Susan and Alice when they saw him walk around as his normal self. Albus bade them to enter the conference chamber where his guest sat. Harry was the last person to enter. He chuckled when he saw the visitor. The wizard's dark hair was slicked back by grease and his curved nose pointed to Harry. His expression held a sneer when he greeted the Professor.
"Potter."
"Snape"
"Brat"
"Git."
Harry and Severus sneered at each other for a moment longer before they both smirked. "Its good to see you Severus." Harry offered his hand. Severus took it.
Albus was amused by the exchange then waved for everyone to sit. Each person took a seat at the couches surrounding the fire place. "I have asked Severus to aid me in some matters dealing with your curse Harry." Susan and Alice both looked to Harry. He merely nodded. "I am afraid that I am unavailable for your trip today but maybe Severus would be interested?"
"In what Albus?" Asked the old potions' professor.
Harry spoke up before anyone else. "I have a goblin who is in need of persuasion. Your interrogations skills would be most helpful. The goblin is the only clue to Alice's assassins."
Severus looked over to Alice. His voice held a slight amount of contempt when he said. "Alice Niete? Or Potter?"
Alice looked dumbfounded. She didn't know. "Um- Alice Potter." He looked down at her and she managed to squeak out, "If you please." She then added uncertainly "sir."
Severus chuckled. "She certainly takes after you in the manners department Potter." Harry smiled.
"I am pleased you think so."
The old potions master turned back to the original conversation. "Interrogating a goblin?" Harry nodded. "Well that is interesting. I will accompany you then."
Harry proceeded to outline what had occurred in the attack and the change in the documents that were signed by Alice. Severus nodded, seeing what really happened. "I am surprised that you were able to gain such custody."
"So was I, but I am not going to turn it down." Harry paused there. He sighed then looked over to Alice. "But I am concerned that releasing the goblin to me means that there is no information to be gained." Harry looked back to Severus. "Lets prove them wrong." He finished with a smile.
Snape laughed and stood up with Harry.
"Albus we might not be back until late evening. May I have a room to rest for the night when I return?"
Albus nodded, "Of course Severus."
The two professors left Hogwarts and entered a carriage already waiting for them at the entrance. When they sat down, Harry changed from Professor Dursley to Harry. "So Albus thought that you might be able to help me?" Harry asked.
Severus stayed quiet for a moment before he said, "It's an interesting problem. And I can see why you left." He remained quiet until they reached Hogsmeade. "I think that there is a few magic draining potions that might work for a while. They were made to drain magic from captured enemies and slaves. I don't know how we can target the curse rather than you."
Harry nodded. "I have tried several ways for draining magic from the curse. It works, but the curse is still there. Right now the curse is just sitting by itself. We might be able to see what you can do with just the curse with no magic."
The potions master smiled. "Yes, potions are the way to go."
They stepped out of the carriage and immediately apparated to Diagon Alley. When they entered Gringotts, they were escorted to a room in the upper floor. A surly goblin stood there waiting for them. "Hello, I am Kartom. We will use this portkey."
Harry and Severus took the portkey and it activated when Kartom reached for it. When Harry looked around his new surroundings, they were in an enormous cavern. He briefly wondered if they were still under Gringotts, but decided that they were not. There were no cart tracks.
They entered another cave that was shaped into a room. Kartom closed a door Harry didn't notice before and walked towards the back. "He is being held here." Kartom pointed to the door then walked to the shelf next to it. He pulled out a stack of papers and continued. "We were able to get a date and some information about where the change was made, but the incentive to break such a law and to allow himself to be coerced are both punishable by our laws. His punishment is pending your own investigation."
The two humans nodded and entered the room with a single goblin. He looked very young by their standards. Few wrinkles and hairless ears. Harry looked at the goblin and walked over to face him. The goblin was in a prisoner chair, legs and arms were bound. The goblin looked wearily at the two humans who had entered.
"Hello Garmok." Harry's voice held no warmth. Snape was behind Harry going over what the Inquiry found. "What do you think Severus?" Harry said coldly.
Snape sneered at the two people in front of him. "They conducted several interrogations with veritisurem. Whatever this goblin knows, he is very smart to not let the identity of his employer be revealed."
"Very well." Harry conjured a chair and sat in front of the goblin. Garmok shivered slightly when he saw that the black wearing scary man sat next to him too. Harry gave a cold smirk while he said, "You know, I never had the privilege to invade a goblins mind before."
Snaped nodded. "It's usually forbidden and their minds are not well equipped for a strong invasion even if their mental barriers are decent. Only strong Legilimens can penetrate a goblins mind."
Harry grinned, "It's also painful for the goblin. I personally heard its almost as bad as the cructicus curse. Which is why its not done very often." Harry showed a paper from the file on Garmok. "You see this paper Garmok?" The goblins eyes widen. He started struggling against his cuffs. "I am glad to see that you recognize the goblin court has allowed us to perform our own interrogations with no repercussions."
"Don't worry goblin. This won't take long. We are only looking for whatever your master wanted you to do. It shouldn't take longer than an hour."
The goblin had a flash behind his eyes that Harry and Snape recognized as a memory of the incident. They both immediately shouted "Legilimens!"
"When can I expect payment? The job you're asking has very serious dangers." Garmok stated as fact.
"I don't think you are in a position negotiate, goblin. We arranged to see you this meeting. Just do your job and you will have your reward." said a woman in black robes.
"I was not talking to you woman. I am talking to the man."
The woman snarled then looked to the man she sat with. Harry recognized him as William Catton.
"You are aware that you are wasting time. Do your job. You will have your reward."
They said the meeting was arranged before hand. Harry looked deeper for another memory. Garmok had just opened a letter and looked quickly to see if anyone was around. Harry reread the letter twice over his shoulder before Garmok closed it and began to write the contract Alice would sign. Harry let himself out of the goblins mind.
The goblin Garmok had just finished his first scream and began shivering in his chair. The echo of the Legilimens still bounced off the walls. Harry stood up and walked to the far corner. Severus joined him. "That was easier than I thought, but I don't like this. From what I saw, it looked like Catton was under an imperio."
Snape nodded. "I agree. This won't be so easy then. I don't recognize the woman either."
"And the author of the letter didn't leave a name or signature, just instructions." They both looked to the goblin still expecting to feel pain. Harry left the room and came back with another goblin. "We are done with him, but we need an artist to render a few pictures of faces we saw. And I think you should investigate the reasons why Garmok was allowing transactions with someone who he suspected was under the imperius spell."
The goblin nodded for the artists then snarled at Garmok when he heard another charge was being brought up. "I'll pay for trial. No sense draining his family's money on his own stupidity." The goblin looked at Harry, surprised at his generosity. He quickly bowed and escorted a cuffed Garmok out of the room.
"That was very generous of you Potter. Any reasons?"
"If he was being bribed enough to break such a heavy law, his family would likely be broken from the financing of his trial. If I pay it would give the family a chance to survive. Besides it will most likely leave the family indebted to humans. Anything that is heard from other people would say that at least one human is generous and may hopefully lead to one less goblin war."
Severus sneered. "Of course. You must put in one more noble act before you go back to hiding in a cave right?"
Harry snickered. "Of course."
-o-
After the goblin artist rendered a picture of the woman and William Catton, Harry paid for the total of the inquiry and the pending trial of Garmok. He looked at the price for several charges to his account and whistled. Many of the conversion surcharges were not placed. He briefly wondered if they did it for being nice or as a thanks in their own way for how he took care of Garmok.
Harry felt that the slight drain in his fortune was worth it. He would have most likely used the money for a new home if he did not have the curse. He waved to a few goblins late that evening as he and Severus were leaving. Many goblins gave him a look of respect when he left their doors.
Harry yawned and said, "Hungry? I didn't even have lunch when we left. Just a quick snack."
When they were alone Severus asked, "Do you plan to change back before or after we get to Hogwarts." He eyed several people who walked by staring at Harry.
"I'll wait till we are on the carriage. Too many people saw me with you today and saw that I left Hogwarts." Severus grunted.
They apparated from Diagon Alley to Hogsmeade and entered the Three Broomsticks. When they ordered their dinner Harry cast a silence spell around the booth and pulled the file the Confederation of Goblins gave them on the case. "Something still bothers me Snape."
Severus finished his fire whisky. "What is it?"
"If this was about money, they would never need a middle man. I wonder if it would have been easier for whomever did this to just make a polyjuice potion to look like William Catton."
"The Ministry has already arrested William Catton and are currently investigating to see if he was under the influence of the obliviate and Imperius curse." He poured himself another glass and cleared his part of the table when the food arrived.
Harry waited until the waitress left. "That's what I am worried about. What if they don't find that he was under the influence at all. Like this was a set up by someone to get rid of the next inheritor of the fortune after getting rid of Alice and her Aunt."
Severus perked up at that. "There's an idea." The two wizards ate for a time before Severus said, "If that is true the images of the woman may be fake as well. Which leads us to a dead end again."
"Not necessarily but I don't like what I am about to say." Harry paused before continuing. "When I was fighting the three wizards or witches, I saw how they fought. They attack how we attack Severus. Not just any team of the Order's Raiders. I mean us. Our team. You, Tonks, Susan and I are the only ones who know this much of our team. And I can't imagine how any of us could leak this information. Even Susan is a competent Occlumens…" Severus was disturbed by the news as well.
"I'll talk about this with Albus. But you are right I don't like it either. A few Order members might have seen us fight, or heard us discuss this, but I don't think anyone would ever betray this kind of information. And we know already that anyone who was our target never knew what happened when we were done." The two men both sat in silence for a second.
"I don't think whoever made the strike will attack again for at least a month. If they are patient they just might wait till the holiday, summer break or even next year when Alice Potter is going out for Hogsmeade."
There was a thought that didn't sit well with Harry. "Unfortunately I agree. I can't control Alice and I rather I wouldn't. From what I have heard from her, she planned on visiting Pamela Johnson's residence for the Christmas holiday and she would return to Hogwarts to spend Christmas Eve and day with me and Susan. But she said that Owen Yellow was going to visit them for three days; the nineteenth, the twentieth and the twenty-first." Harry felt the insecurity crawl on his face.
Severus gave a deep chuckle. "I take it you are not sure if you want to countermand that order?"
Harry gave a frustrated grunt. "I am concerned she might just get angry at me and not speak to me or something. Owen being with her during vacation. Then with Miss Johnson and whoever else they invited encouraging them is not something I want to think about. They are way too young."
Severus let out laugh. "You are already thinking like a dad." Harry nodded and looked around the bar. He had many evening with Severus and Tonks here.
"Too bad we didn't get Tonks. She would have liked this reunion stuff."
Snaped smiled, "She still owes you that drink doesn't she?"
Harry stopped in mid thought and looked at him. "She's still trying to weasel out of it too. I saw that woman right after the attack on Alice. She just owled me to goof off with her sometime." Severus chuckled and took another drink.
Harry smirked then asked. "You and Samantha have any luck with a family? I know you two tried really hard not to be obvious about it during those last two years."
Snape gave Harry the signature scowl but said happily, "Our daughter Gwen will be one year old this November. But I must say that you missed out on all the fun parenting and went strait to the rebellious teenager handling." Both professors chuckled.
They raised a glass in salute and finished their meal.
-o-
By Monday morning, Harry's suspicions were confirmed. Every relative of the three families who might have been able to make the attack had no signature of spells placed on them and could give witnesses to where they were at the time. Harry also noted that while greedy, all of them lacked the magical ability to fight as well as the ones Harry described to the Aurors and to Hermione. Harry scratched his chin thinking about the report he received that morning. "O.k. what do I know?" He mumbled to himself. He placed the papers on his small table in his room. "Someone wants Alice dead. Her relatives are not involved. The attackers consisted of two people who most likely were under the Imperius and one leader. Alice's aunt who is now dead thought they were her relatives looking for money. Whoever wants Alice dead, most likely wants her money." Harry scratched his head now that there were no leads. "Damn, time to eat breakfast and teach those classes." The professor got up, dressed and then left his room.
Harry arrived at Remus's classroom only to find that the class was already at the door waiting excitedly. He looked at them and asked as he was unlocking the door. "You do know that class does not start for another thirty minutes, right?"
Several girls just stared at him longingly and the guys were giving him an appraising look. He caught everyone's reaction and opened the door, suppressing a sigh. This is going to be a long day. The class filed in and sat down staring at him intently. He looked at them and wondered briefly if he should just start the class now. Harry looked at the class and just noticed that all his sixth years were in the NEWT DADA class. They all grinned at him stupidly.
Finally he said, "Well, since sixth years double NEWT Defense Against the Dark Arts class doesn't really start for another twenty five minutes why don't we do something to pass the time. What have you been covering in this class so far?"
A timid Hufflepuff raised her hand. "We have been studying defense tactics." Harry smiled at that. The girl blushed and added. "Um, Professor?" Harry nodded, "How old are you?" She said in one brave breath. A few girls giggled and the guys plainly just laughed, he heard someone in the back say 'some people never learn'.
Harry smiled, "I am twenty-two years old."
A young looking student asked, "Did you attend Hogwarts?" Harry shook his head no. "Where did you go to school?"
"I was under an apprenticeship before I graduated during the war."
"Did you fight in the war?" asked someone else.
Harry grinned. "I worked with Nymphadora Tonks and Professor Severus Snape on hidden ops. I am currently retired."
The sixth years from his Advanced Magics class were almost laughing out loud now from the girls reactions. Harry ignored the 'he's so brave' comments and pointed to Pam who was trying hard to hold in her laughter when she said, "What did you think of Harry Potter?" That got a gag from the Advanced Magics students. The other students saw the barely repressed laughter. A few expected it to be an inside joke.
Harry grinned, "Harry Potter was a damn good fighter. A little snobby, a hair boorish, more than slightly ignorant of the magical world, and lets please not forget the fact that he was very stupid around his girl friend and using a muggle term, undeniably whipped." That got a few chuckles from the class, but the Advanced Magics students were rolling on the floors with laughter.
"Is it true that you are teaching wandless magic?" Asked a male student. There was a sudden turning of heads from Harry's AM class towards the student who asked. Everyone looked at Harry and shrugged.
Harry almost gave an exasperated sigh. "There was one skill I taught that was wandless. But as to what the spell is and what it does is something I can not say. The information in the class is confidential for a reason."
A different student wasn't satisfied with the answer and asked, "But I heard that some of the things that you are teaching is dangerous. It must have taken a lot of magic to be able to wander around blindfolded."
Harry frowned at the young man. Several girls gave indignant cries in Professor Dursley's defense. Harry spoke evenly, "I don't know what rumors have gone around the school about the activities of my own class, but I have come to an understanding that rumors can lead to disastrous consequences." Harry looked at the student dispassionately. "I have had friends who lost their lives to rumors. Gossip is something I do not particularly appreciate." Harry looked to the rest of the class to give the squirming student a break. "I have nothing further to say about my class or any rumors that you may have heard. Does anyone else have any questions? We still have time to waste until class starts."
There was silence until class began. The time for class had started and everyone came to attention. "You have been doing tactics, so none have you had practical fighting tactics yet in dueling situations?" There was a collective no. "I think we might as well do some exercises then. Any one want to volunteer for a demonstration?"
Every single girl raised their hands happily at once and then glared at each other. Harry looked at the scene amused. A single Griffindor male saw the scene and no doubt saw the inevitable riot as Harry saw it. He reluctantly raised his hand and Harry thankfully chose him to a simultaneous groan from the girls. The seventh year volunteer named Mr. Allswan, pulled his wand out at the ready facing the substitute professor. "Alright, what is one of the most import part of dueling?" Harry asked the class. Several hands went up.
"Power." Harry nodded,
"Variety." Harry smiled and pointed to another student.
"Aim." Harry grinned wider still not hearing what he was looking for. He almost stopped when he heard a few girls sigh at him.
"Physical fitness?" asked a young looking Ravenclaw.
"Those are all good reasons but I am looking for control. If you can learn precise control you can actually defend against almost any curse or hex thrown at you." Harry realized he probably shouldn't do this wandless and looked to the student closest to him. It was thankfully a guy. "Can I borrow this?" He plucked the student's wand. "Mr. Allswan, can you please throw as many curses at me as you can, you are free to move as if this is a duel."
The Griffindor grinned, and threw several curses. When they were half way to Harry a few girls gasped. Harry raised the borrowed wand and said confidently, "Wingardium Leviosa."
Several students just gawked that the chosen charm. A large rock on Remus's desk flew and blocked the path of each curse aimed at Professor Dursley. The demonstrating student began firing curses and moving in a wide circle. Harry blocked each spell with the rock. The Griffindor almost snarled as he launched seven hexes in quick succession at different targets on Professor Dursley's body. Harry barely moved the wand and the rock moved forward slightly and began moving back while taking the hit of each spell. Harry flicked the wand making the rock fly towards the students stomach where it hovered for a painful second a few inches from the students abdomen. "Thank you Mr. Allswan, ten points." There was a round of applause. "Does anyone know why that worked with so many spells? Even ones designed to destroy a target?"
A Ravenclaw raised their hand, "Its because the spell was focused on you, not the rock." Harry gave her a winning smile that turned her red.
"Good. This is an excellent defense against all curses. This strategy forces someone to destroy the rock first. It's a hard target that can move very fast with the floating charm. Also, when someone has to destroy the rock, it leaves you open to attack them. It is not well known, but every single spell including the three unforgivable can be blocked when it hits something before a person. However, this technique requires a lot of control."
Harry raised for everyone in the class to stand. "I am going to have each of you float a rock through a set of rings." He conjured several rings in different angles around the room, then handed back the wand back to the student. The student looked at his wand in wonder. "This is just to make you all see how well you can control any spell." The class lined up and each one took their turn trying to float the rock through the set of rings around the classroom. He smiled when he saw many of the students were able to get most of the way around the class before the rock missed the last five rings. The bell rang, "No homework for today, enjoy it." There was a series of cheers.
Harry saw a few furtive looks cast in his direction before the whole class left. Harry walked into Remus's office to look to see what he had the third years cover. When he didn't see anything he sighed and made his way out of the office. He paused just before he opened the door.
"Stop it you jerk." Harry recognized Owens voice immediately. There were several grunts. Harry turned himself invisible and closed off his aura. The only way for anyone to notice he was in the room now was by using both sight and sensation and Owen was too occupied to perform the spells. Harry walked into the classroom and saw several larger Slytherins cornering him.
"Its bad enough that we had to be taught by that half breed, now we have to be taught by some muggle loving fool too. We are already disgraced by having a traitor in our own dorm." Spat the larger Slytherin. "Maybe those Hufflepuffs had the right idea on how to handle your girlfriend." He grinned. Several other Slytherins laughed. Several students in the class stayed clear of the scene and Harry noticed that no one was willing to stand up for Owen. Harry looked at the Slytherins sadly. "I wonder what kind of scream she will make when I grab her." Said the Slytherin.
"You lay a finger on her and you're a dead man." Hissed Owen. Harry eyes went wide when Owens aura suddenly extended to several meters. It was close to Susan's fighting aura. Owen pulled his wand. Several enemy Slytherins pulled their wands and aimed at Owen.
Harry cut off his charm and stood between the two fighting parties. He looked to Owen reassuringly who lowered his wand. Harry sighed in relief when the young man's aura returned to normal. Harry looked over to the other Slytherins who suddenly tried to hide their wands. "You are very lucky for a number of reasons." He said quietly so only the angry Slytherins would hear. "One, Owen Yellow had been storing so much magic into the first spell he would cast you would all most likely be in the hospital wing for the remainder of the year. Two, you have been threatening my students. If you had carried out any of those threats, you would wish that you were in that hospital wing for the remainder of the year. Three, I don't see a point to deduct house points since the same amount of points I would have deducted from your house for this incident would have been given to Mr. Yellow for sheer self control." The whole class cringed by the tone. "Now please be seated we are about to start class."
The class passed with a tense air and only lightened up with Harry allowing them to move around the class to practice curses that repelled ghouls. Two classes later, Harry looked at the schedule and smiled, he had second year Griffindor and Slytherins after lunch and that was it.
-o-
Harry dropped down to his seat at the dinning hall table. "How is it so far James?" Harry turned to see Susan standing there smiling at him. He grinned back.
"I have a new respect for what Remus has to put up with. I am just thankful that I only need to teach for his classes one day." Harry just let himself down a moment before he added. "a month." Susan grinned then went to her seat.
Fleur tapped his shoulder quickly. "Hello, is Remus doing ok?"
She nodded, then said, "Yes, he just wanted to have me thank you for covering for him."
Harry smiled. "Any time." Harry finished his meal and headed back to Remus' office and waited for the students for his last class to walk in.
The second years began to timidly walk into class except for Alice. She walked right up to him. Harry thought it amusing when several students gasped at her boldness. "How are the classes coming Professor?"
Harry smiled. "As well as can be expected. Have Miss Johnson tell you what she did before class though. She was laughing her head off after the students started to interrogate me." Alice laughed at the prospect and went to her seat.
Harry wondered if Alice knew what Owen took from his own house for being friends with her. Harry suddenly realized that he didn't mind Owen chasing after his little Alice so much. He shook off the idea and began his lesson. "All right class, today we are going to continue the study of pixies…"
-o-
Harry walked down from the dinning hall and entered his own classroom. It had only been for a few days, but he missed being in it. He cleaned up a few books students left behind from study sessions they held in there during the weekend. He saw several sixth years walk in and look at him before breaking out laughing. "Sorry Professor, but that was hilarious!" Pam walked in with her head held high and several of her year mates cheered for her.
Harry smiled and finished cleaning up. "Miss Johnson, it was very entertaining what you subjected me to, but remember that turn around is fair play." He said it lightly. She stopped in mid chuckle and looked at him warily. The rest of the class laughed.
She perked up and said, "You bet it is! That's for the whole pretending you were Owen hiding thing!" That brought another round of laughter.
A pure blooded student asked, "Professor Potter, your girlfriend didn't really whip you did she?" That got many more laughs before two muggleborn's tried to explain the term to him. There was no progress when Harry started the class.
"All right. Before we start the next stage of the class, I want to show you all some dangers with using conditions." The class paid attention and Harry raised his arm. "Right now I have no condition. But if I really try and work a condition that is unstable for my mind." Harry closed his eyes and felt the skin of his left hand begin to burn. He opened them to see the skin peel off and the flow of magic began to illuminate his hand. The burns began to slowly crawl up his arm until he stopped. He panted slightly before he healed it. "That is called a magic burn. It happens when your body is exerting more magic than it can physically handle. It is very dangerous and can actually be fatal if you leave it. Believe me." The class was stunned at what he did. He just injured himself to show them something.
"Remember that while you do conditions. You all must understand that while your magic may have limits that you can break, your body doesn't." Silence ringed through the room before Harry continued with a more composed voice. "Class please stand." They did so and the desks suddenly moved to the back wall and stacked themselves. Many of the students looked back and forth between themselves. Harry looked to Alice, and she caught his smile. She grinned. She knew what was coming next.
"Let me remind you what you have learned so far in so few weeks of this class." Harry stood from his desk and the desk backed away from him and sat against the wall. "You have learned meditation to calm and organize your mind. You all learned a decent amount of Occlumency to aid in keeping your thoughts strait and your control of magic in check. You have learned both sight and sensations giving you a basic idea of wandless magic and an appreciation for 'condition'. You were able to learn condition to allow yourself to cast stronger spells with a great deal less effort. Now I am going to show you what you will be working on for the rest of this semester and most likely the rest of your lives."
Harry looked at the class. He was glad that these students were so earnest with this class and were the most excellent students he had ever seen, from his own classes as a student, DA training or as a teacher today. While Alice and her friends stuck out in his mind, many of these students impressed him with their Occlumency. Their ability to endure many of his attacks astounded him and he was glad they would still be honest with him and themselves. The private memories that he had seen of his students and the images they saw of him when they countered his mental probes allowed a closeness to his students he had never thought possible.
Harry looked at his class and thought back to the morning and afternoon. The rest of the school had good students, good kids, good friends, but these few that he met and taught had become good people. Ones he could trust with anything. Harry felt the movement of fur against his back and a silver wolf walked from behind him to sit next to the professor.
"Class this is Argent. Argent this is my class." The class gawked except for Alice. She waved at the silver wolf. "He is the end result of this class. By the end of the year I am expecting everyone to be able to summon their own guardian." Harry looked to Argent who just scowled. Harry laughed.
"So this is it then?" Argent began to walk around in front of Harry and spotted someone familiar. "Hello Alice." said Argent in a deep voice. Several students turned to Alice who just shrugged.
Harry continued. "For the next few weeks until vacation you are going to meditate and find several aspects of your mind that are the strongest for you. Start with abstracts to help you get started, then you can narrow it down to a few specific ideas. Think of which of those right now off the top of your head and think if those are truly who you are. I want you to meditate on them for this class. Don't expect to make any real progress for several weeks, it took me months to do this. But I never knew where I was going with this training. Hopefully you will all be able to do this faster."
Argent walked around the class and got used to the students. He sniffed a few of them and nipped playfully at Alice's ear. Several students found it hard not to stare at Argent as he walked around them sniffing them or growling a comment to someone across the room. The rest of the week continued in that fashion. Meditation, a few quick questions and a small explanation of summons are based of an aspect of the casters mind made the week pass quickly. Before Alice knew it, Griffindor tower was alive with a birthday party for her on Saturday afternoon. Several students were allowed into the common room from other houses and Professor Dursley's classes were again cancelled for the weekend.
Alice felt it was one of the happiest days of her life. Alice was surprised she got a few birthday gifts since she only received one from Owen the previous year. Bruce gave her a book on meditation. Pam gave her a photo album with a few pictures of the four of them together. Owen gave Alice a necklace with a single blue crystal. "It's the color of the aura we both have." He said embarrassingly. She gave him a quick hug in thanks. Owen, being the daring man that he was, gave her a peck on the cheek. A few Griffindors almost started a riot before Pam told them in a very threatening fashion to be quiet. Then they shouted ecstatic cheers. There were a few chuckles at the antics of the Weasley Wizarding Weezes that were smuggled into the school. Alice was still held in high regard for her outburst against her upperclassmen at the beginning of the year and the party went well into the night.
The next morning found her in the company of Susan and Harry. They had pulled her from the breakfast table before she could even eat a thing and dragged her to Susan's office where she was presented with her first birthday gift from her adopted father. The one piece muggle dress fit perfectly and a long coat that matched was a gift from Susan. The couple found a perfect fit pair of shoes that were both comfortable to walk in as well as being a perfect match to the rest of her ensemble. Alice quickly went to the back and changed.
Susan and Harry took her outside of Hogwarts and into Muggle London. Harry had asked Albus for permission and it was granted for Alice's birthday. They had just finished their breakfast at a small restaurant and were walking around the shopping center looking for muggle clothes for Alice. Harry smiled as both girls were eagerly trying on different clothes and styles. "Give me another minute then we can go to the next store!" Alice ran back in with another pile of clothes. Harry grimaced as he remembered the last time he took two ladies shopping earlier in the year.
"What do you think dad?" Alice emerged from the dressing room with blue jeans and pink frilled blouse. She grinned at Harry who was holding a stack of clothes that Alice had already chosen for her father to buy.
"You look great. Susan doing all right in there with you?" Susan had been going in and out of the fitting room bringing in more clothes for her to try on before discarding the ones Alice didn't like.
Alice nodded and ran back inside before Susan came out with the clothes that the young second year had just tried on. "She is so excited. It's adorable." Said Susan as she gave Harry the clothes she brought out. Harry had to do a slight juggling act when several hangers caught against each other.
"I am happy to see she is having such a good time." Harry commented. He stood from his seat and set down the clothes he was holding. "Do you think she would wear any hats?" Asked Harry. He had been glancing at some nice ones that might go well with a few dresses Alice had chosen. He picked up three and looked around the corner to Alice who had just emerged with a long silver dress. Harry grinned and picked up a wide brimmed one. He held it behind him as he walked up to her. Alice did a twirl for him laughing. Harry grinned and placed the hat firmly on top of her head. She grinned underneath it.
Susan smiled and took the hat off and placed it on the pile of clothes. Harry looked over to the stair well that led to several floors below them. Harry held a curse to himself. He looked over to Alice smiling. "Alice tell me what you see?"
Alice looked over to where Harry was looking and said, "Sight. One man, magical, holding something in his hands, most likely a camera." She looked over to Harry who smiled at her but turned grim and he started walking towards the stairwell. Alice grabbed his shirt and pulled him to a stop. "Don't worry about him." She said happily, "This is a great day and it's enough just to be here with you both. We can ignore them today."
Harry smiled at her and nodded. "I won't do anything, I promise."
Susan looked at Harry sympathetically and walked over to the stair well when Alice walked back into the fitting room. Harry grinned when he saw Susan was a little upset as well. The reporter was huddled against the wall and was not expecting to be caught so fast.
Susan rounded the corner and the man holding the camera was indeed a wizard from The Prophet. She sighed and picked up the camera he dropped. He just stood there while she went through the pictures that she had the camera go through. An image formed of Harry and her standing very close and she could imagine the headline already. "Excuse me." She said in a quiet but deadly voice. The news reporter looked at her timidly. She sighed and then promptly erased the pictures taken from the camera. The reporter launched a weak protest. "You know," Susan felt the subtle shift in her own magical aura as she concentrated. "It's people like you who made Harry leave." She handed back the camera and said, "Accio paper." Several notepads flew from the reporter to her hand. She looked through them all and saw several things about their day that made very bad insinuations. She glared at the reporter again before she smiled. "Actually I am glad you're here."
The man looked slightly relieved. "Really?" he asked hopefully.
"Yes." Susan pulled out her wand. "I think you would be a good messenger to all the other reporters who come snooping for a story about Harry." She cast several hexes forcing the young man to have the words 'I am a snoop' emblazoned across his forehead. "Just to let you know, if you breath a word of this 'story' you were making this out to be to any one else, another curse will hit you from those words. Any one who listened will have a curse like yours with the same conditions. If people ask about why you have that on your forehead, tell them that Harry Potter does not like publicity and they will get something much worse if they try and invade his privacy again. The curse you are under should fade in about a year." She incinerated the notes the reporter made and walked away.
She walked back to Harry with a smug smile. "See? I took care of it. Everything is just fine."
Harry smiled, "Do I even want to know?"
"I'll tell you tonight." She winked at him and he chuckled.
"What do you think of this one?" asked Alice as she emerged with a string strap shirt and a low cut jeans. "I think Owen might like it." she blushed.
Harry looked at her then looked away with a shudder. "No."
Alice's face fell and she looked over to Susan, "It was worth a shot."
Susan grinned at Harry. Alice walked back into the dressing room to take off the little-too-revealing-for-Harry outfit.
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Whew another chapter up and going! There are just two chapters left in Part 2: Involvement. I decided to set up a small yahoo group and poll. The poll is what would you like to see as an intermission between part 2 and 3. Go join and vote, I'll set up votes later and give the poll results at the end of Chapter 12.The yahoo group is in my profile since it won't let me post it here. grrr.
I also would like to introduce my grammar beta, (who is my sister, cough), psychootoo. She will help me go over previous chapters and they should all be corrected soon.
zero-skillz: Thanks, I always thought it would be something else to see how a muggleborn reacted to being placed in Slytherin. Owen's muggle born background allowed him to absorb a lot of the things going on there and helped shape himself as some who views himself better as his 'bigoted housemates'.
Dumbledore: Thanks for the review, You will see the twins soon, and more of the rest of the group later in part 3. I don't see so much of a problem with the Remus/Fleur pairing since this particular story concentrates around Harry, Alice, and Susan. And even Remus had problems with the age gap. If they stay together is still up in the air, but with not much information about their relationship written I am not going to say anything about where its going yet. Harry is a natural Metamorphmagus. When he left the wizarding world, he simply did a few cosmetic changes, hair color to brown, eye color, lost the scar, and changed how his hair is actually styled instead of being just a mess of spikes. When he took the job as Professor Dursley he never thought of what he looked like other than hiding from the rest of the world. When he started teaching it was already too late to change how he looked so he was stuck. I am glad my story was addictive enough to read through the night, I have done that quite a few times to stories I have read.
Thraintalonwater: Thank you for the review.
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Preview chapter 11 Making Moves
"It's that kid again." Pam almost spat. "So, what about you and him?" Alice choked on her pumpkin juice.
"What?!"
"You know what I mean. Is there something there? What about Owen? I was going to set you up this holiday break remember?" She almost pouted.
"It's not like that!" Alice almost shouted. She reddened and sat down when she realized she was now standing. "He is just a friend."
"Is that why you disappear for several hours?" Pam asked skeptically.
Alice was beyond red, "I told you before Pamela. It's not like that. He is simply a friend that I met and we like to talk. That is all."
