Chapter 13 – The HQ
Harry Potter and the Valeru
By Lady Urquentha
PG – 13
Disclaimer: All characters belong to J. K Rowling, the exception being any OC characters that might wander in. The plot is my own, and even that may have been influenced by stories I have read in the past, and if so, I apologize.
RiverSongDreamShadow: Sandrilene and Briar come from reading the Circle Opens too many times in one day, but no, they are no relation. I just happen to like the names.
Terris1: I didn't notice that, where was it again?
Lilian Marie Potter: how long did that take you to do? Was quite amusing to see that as soon as I opened up the review sheet. LOL
Aishwarya: Well, they would initially, but they'd get over it pretty quickly. Ron's enough of a strategist to see why he did, and Hermione's smart enough to figure it out. This is fanfiction, and all characters will, by necessity, be slightly OOC.
Lady of Masbolle: Spell-crafting, he's not really going to be focusing on that, but I might be able to work something in. At any rate it's not going to be a major part of the story, I think. I liked Nicole too; she'll be featuring quite a bit in here.
Thanks to Chavia, Sirius009, pinaygrk3123, flashfirephoenix, HecateDeMort, x-revolution, starryone21, darkepyon, gina87, Evergreen Sceptre, Tmctflyboy and Aria-Chan
Telepathic speech
Beast speech
Chapter 13
Harry appeared in the front of Weasleys Wizard Wheezes. Carmen was covering for him back at Hogwarts while he spoke with Fred and George.
"Fred? George?" he called. The twins hurried out to meet him.
"Harry! How wonderful…" Fred began.
"To see you, old boy," and George continued,
"But what are you doing here?" they both finished.
"I'm here to speak with you, privately," Harry answered, "I sneaked out of class."
He was ushered into a small room, and Fred sealed it magically,
"Shoot."
"You remember the DA?" Harry began. The twins nodded.
"I'm continuing it, but I'm turning a part of it into a fighting force," Harry explained quickly, "so that Hogwarts has some sort of defense. Problem is…I don't want Dumbledore to know about it." George grinned,
"Sneaky!"
"Of course," Harry smirked, "and I wanted to know if you two would be willing to do some research for us? Develop new weapons and stuff?" Fred looked thoughtful as George grinned.
"I'm sure we can find some very interesting things for the Death Eaters to encounter," Fred mused.
"And we're part of the Order, I'm sure you'll want us to poke around and see what we can find?" George added, mischievously. Harry grinned,
"Perfect! I'll arrange with Gringotts to fund you with whatever you need." Fred shook his head,
"No need. The joke-shop's doing really well, we can do it by ourselves, especially since you funded this shop too," he argued. Harry opened his mouth to refuse, but George jumped in,
"But if we need help, we'll come look for you." Harry nodded reluctantly.
"We'll keep you posted, but you'd better get back to school."
"Order!" Harry called, as the group of over thirty students milled around the advanced room. A number of Slytherins from various years had joined them, and Harry had already tested them before the meeting. They had a total of forty-three student members, including themselves.
"I have some news for you," he declared when all had quieted down, "first, that we have managed to secure some inside spies in Voldemort's armies, but they wish to remain anonymous." He paused for cheering to quiet.
"Second, we have found some people to do research for us," he added, "they are all graduates, so they won't be attending our meetings. Fred and George Weasley are sharing positions as our Research Commanders, and are spies inside the Order of the Phoenix. "
"And we have decided upon another post in the Council, Nicole Renner, as the Spy Commander," Harry continued, "we are still looking for someone to be the Healing Commander."
"But we're going to start with team building stuff, because we have to learn to work together, regardless of friendships, houses etc." Harry informed them, "once we've figured out each other's strengths and weaknesses, you'll be divided into battle groups, but that'll take a few weeks."
"I don't care if you hate the guts of everyone else in the DA, you will work together and trust them. I'm not asking you to become best buddies, but you must trust each other," Harry explained, "we'll be playing a muggle game called Trust. You will blindfold someone and then stand in a circle around them, pushing them gently between you. The blindfolded person can't move their feet from the middle, and needs to trust the people in their group. You must catch them or they'll injure themselves. Any questions?"
"Yes," Seamus called out, "how long are these meetings?"
"Our meetings will be between two and two and half hours long, and we'll meet as often as possible," Harry answered, "so we'll be more prepared. Now, I'll split you into smaller groups for this."
Once they'd started, Harry wandered among the group, watching as it was done. Lots of laughter soon filled the air, as very few people managed to trust their group enough and most were soon stumbling around. At eight-thirty, Carmen, Ron and Hermione slipped in to join them. They'd dismissed their groups already, and were coming to help him out. They were not part of a battle group; they'd make their own with just four. While they'd help the others out in battle, their main target would be Voldemort or other high-ranking Death Eaters.
"All right, that's enough," Harry called a halt to the game. By the end of it, people were only just starting to trust their groups. At some point he'd have to find a way to force them to bond and co-operate.
"We'll move onto actual dueling now," Harry informed them, "you all have a reasonable range of spells, reasonable accuracy and power otherwise you wouldn't be here. But we'll start simply, on improving our aim. You're going to go in your battle groups, and you'll have to work together to defeat and destroy the attacking targets." Blank looks met his statement. He sighed,
"In the middle please," he requested, gesturing to one of the groups. The eight students moved into the centre, and Harry snapped his fingers. About twenty metal orbs that shot bright red light appeared, hovering around them.
"You have to disarm and disable every one of these things," Carmen explained.
"Activate," Harry said sharply. The orbs started moving, randomly firing.
Harry shook his head in resignation as they did not work together, and were quickly chopped down. It took barely five minutes for them all to fall.
"Learn to work together," Harry snapped as soon as he awoke them all. He gestured for the next group to go in, and they started off again.
This group was slightly better, working more together. But that could have been because they'd seen what happened when they didn't, or because Chantal Doran was in control, and she seemed to be able to keep them all in line. Harry noticed that the Slytherins were always the last to fall, being better at working together in all the groups, especially where it was one of the Slytherins leading.
Once all the groups had gone, he stepped up,
"Horrible," he said flatly, "you barely worked as a group. You have to work as a single cohesive unit. Watch." He motioned for Carmen to join him in the middle.
"Activate!" Instantly, they moved back to back. Harry erected a shield spell around the two of them, and Carmen hexed the first one down. Moving quickly, they picked their targets and got one each time. They'd worked together like this many times, and knew how to work with one another, even without their telepathic bond and their other abilities.
Soon all of the orbs lay on the ground, inactive.
"We've worked together for a long time, true," Harry acknowledged to the stunned audience, "but that's what you're aiming for. That sort of partnership levels."
"We've run out of time," Hermione continued, "so we'll leave it there for now. Our next meeting will be Tuesday? If that suits everyone?" After a round of nods, Harry spoke again,
"Between then and now, if you have the time, could you see if you can practice some shielding charms?" he suggested, as they were leaving.
His attention was caught by Nicole and the two Slytherins, who were speaking quietly in the corner. Without him consciously deciding to, he drifted slowly closer, just enough to hear what they were saying.
"Why were you being so harsh on Carmen last night?" Nicole was demanding.
"You know what it's like for us," Chantal sighed, "you know who my parents are, and I've never been all that trusting. It comes from having parents like mine and being what I am."
"Yes, but still…"
"We can't risk being overheard by others being nice to her," Samara answered, "we'll be dead the moment it reaches our parents. Not to mention she's hiding something, it's obvious."
"We all have our secrets," Nicole argued softly, "we know that…" The trio was out of listening range, and Harry couldn't listen anymore. More confused now then ever, Harry returned to his girlfriend and friends.
Harry sat in the common room, writing his most recent essay for Valatros University. He recalled what had led up to his friends discovering what was happening with him.
Harry and Carmen had been writing essays for their degrees, both on subjects that they technically shouldn't have known about at this stage in their education. Hermione and Ron had come over, and he hadn't been discreet enough to charm his work. Hermione had noticed, and immediately confronted him about it.
FLASHBACK
"What are you trying to hide from us, Harry?" she looked at him sternly. Harry's thoughts raced as he tried to stall for time,
"Nothing. What are you guys doing?" But Hermione had seen straight through it,
"Don't do that, Mr. Potter. What were you hiding?"
"Nothing, I said," Harry repeated. Hermione flicked her wand,
"Finite Incantantem." Harry had watched in horror as the illusion peeled back on it, revealing the work below. He sat, frozen, as Hermione picked up the essay.
Oh dear, looks like we've been found out, Carmen murmured, as she discreetly cast a wandless privacy spell around them.
"Veritiserum, the most potent truth serum currently in existence…used often in Ministry trials…Case 774 of Mrs. Josephine Landall…Case 1231 of Mr. Jacob Brown…Case 2254 of Ms. Anna Anguifer…requires Jobberknoll feathers…stir four times in clockwise direction…Harry, how do you know all this?" she demanded, shocked.
"I researched it," Harry answered.
"Harry, you haven't been near the library in the last few days," Hermione pointed out, "and we haven't received this essay from anyone. It's a paper for a Potions or Defense Specialist in a university." Harry blinked at her.
"How do you know all that?" Ron demanded. Hermione brushed the question aside,
"I've studied the papers. Now, why are you writing it?"
"Why? Because I'm studying for a degree from Valatros University," Harry drawled sarcastically. And it was half effective; Ron burst into laughter instantly. But Hermione looked pensieve, as though she were taking him seriously.
"All right, games up, Harry," she said, "explain everything."
"It's a long story, Hermione," Harry told her, exchanging a resigned look with Carmen.
"We have time, now explain," she ordered, seating herself comfortably. Sighing, they began.
END OF FLASHBACK
It had taken them nearly four hours to explain what had been going on, starting with Harry's new powers and finishing up with the university degrees, because Ron and Hermione had kept interrupting with questions and laughter. They'd left out some more sensitive information, like the fact that the BSS was a school, making it sound as though they'd been taken away by someone. They also kept it a secret that Gregorio and Ingrid were the ones who had taken him.
Late that night, he was with Carmen in Ingrid and Gregorio's rooms. Ron and Hermione already asleep, as it was past curfew. Harry and Carmen were supposed to be practicing, but had ended up talking in the teachers' rooms.
"I'm thinking we need a bigger space for the DA," Carmen commented, "there's only so much that the Room of Requirement can do."
"But where to go?" Harry asked, "where could we go where Dumbledore wouldn't be able to find out what we're doing?"
"The Phoenix Chambers," Ingrid replied, "it's warded well, and there are ways to hoodwink even Dumbledore."
"You're suggesting I take students, including Slytherins, into Godric Gryffindor's personal room?" Harry exclaimed. Ingrid shrugged,
"Why not? You could even use Rowena's library, and the Chamber of Secrets," she suggested, "re-open the internal floo-link between them, and you've got a perfect training grounds." Harry stared into the fire, thinking.
"And what about Dumbledore? What if he comes looking for us?" he inquired after a moment.
"A few minor spells would lock the Room of Requirement, and alert you when he approaches it," Gregorio suggested, "you could turn it into your headquarters."
"We'd need things like a dueling room, a hospital wing and an armory," Harry argued, "which we don't have."
"Convert the Chamber of Secrets into a dueling room, it's certainly big enough, and it's enough of a warren so that you can have mock battles in there," Gregorio explained, "with a small armory perhaps. You could create magical walls in the Phoenix Chamber and convert it into a hospital wing and headquarters?"
"Gryffindor Cottage?" Carmen suggested. Gregorio shook his heads,
"The private apartments of the Founders will open only to the four heirs," he reminded her, "unless you want crisped students."
"We've got until Tuesday, which is two full days, to alter the rooms," Ingrid added, "so it won't be too much of a rush. We could head down there now?"
"All right," Harry relented, it would make everything a lot easier.
The three of them reached out and jerked slightly on Ingrid's powers, and then they all vanished, to reappear in the Chamber of Secrets. A stinking smell filled the still air, and they all coughed.
"What is that?" Carmen choked out.
"The Baslisk," Harry gasped. Gregorio shook his head at them, and flicked his hand. Oxygen bubbles appeared around their heads, and Harry breathed a sigh of relief.
"I would have expected you to think about that," Ingrid chided. Harry grinned,
"well, I didn't. Now, let's go see this rotting carcass."
The enormous baslisk was lying just as it had been when he left it four years previously, in a pool of blood, water and ink.
"Gather the teeth and skin to use for ingredients," Carmen suggested. Harry flicked his wrist, neatly jerking the fangs from the mouth and placing them in conjured jars. Another swish and flick stripped the hide off, and rolled it into a ball that was placed in his pocket. Ingrid teleported the rest of the carcass back to the BSS, where the next person to come along would get a nasty shock. They would then, once recovered, dispose of it as necessary.
Harry flicked his wrist to remove the smell now that it would not be constantly be replaced, and then Gregorio dissolved the oxygen bubble.
"This is going to take a lot of work," Carmen remarked, staring around.
"You can say that again," Ingrid agreed.
"Lets get started then," Harry said, almost cheerfully, as he focused on the water and Vanished it. Only to find it replaced almost at once as new water gushed in.
"Oh dear," Ingrid looked down at her soaked feet, "I think we need to find the cracks first."
"Duh," Carmen retorted.
Once they'd found and sealed every tiny crack in the walls, Harry once again Vanished a patch of water, and smirked in satisfaction. Meanwhile, Carmen was working on getting rid of the blood and ink that puddle around, and Ingrid and Gregorio were doing major house-cleaning on the walls and floor.
Almost four hours later, long past curfew, they were finished with the Chamber. Spotless white walls were gleaming brightly, the polished marble floor was shining and they had added a few extra touches, like a slightly dipped floor in the centre of the main Chamber and a statue of each of the founders. Without those additional touches, it had been a very bare and depressing place.
"Shall we see if we can open the Floo-paths?" Ingrid suggested, "since they are only open from Gryffindor cottage to the Phoenix Chamber at the moment?" The four of them headed over to a marble fireplace that was crackling merrily with green and silver flames. They knew how to open the paths, but doing it was another matter entirely. Harry and Carmen teleported themselves into the Phoenix Chamber to kneel in front of the fireplace there. Gritting his teeth from the heat, he held his hands close to the flickering flames. He needed to be here as the Gryffindor heir, and Gregorio was the Slytherin heir in the Chamber.
From hearth to hearth, Gregorio recited mentally, echoing his spoken words.
From home to home, Harry joined in, continuing the ritual. He moved his hands till they were hovering just above the flames, and he felt magical power begin to be drawn out through them.
We call upon the power of the flames, Gregorio declared.
To connect these fireplaces, Harry added. Gritting his teeth, he pushed his hands down till they rested within the very tips of the flames, silently thanking the gods that he could not be harmed by fire, as more power streamed away.
And allow all those who are in need.
To pass between unhindered, Harry slid his hands lower, and further into the flames.
To remain unharmed as they pass through the fire.
And appear at their spoken destination, again Harry's hands drew nearer to the centre of the flames, as power poured from him.
Thus we call upon these places of power and fire.
And give them our thanks, Harry's hands were now in the heart of the flames, and strength was flowing from him in a steadily increasing floor.
So Mote It Be! They both spoke, and the last of the necessary strength was drained away.
Harry collapsed as the spell ended, his magical reserves depleted severely. He was vaguely aware of Carmen grasping his hands, and then felt magic stream into him, replenishing his strength. He felt Ingrid doing the same with Gregorio below the school, replenishing the energy that they had lost.
Let's do some alterations in here, and then save the rest for tomorrow? Carmen suggested. A moment later, the two adults stepped through the flames.
"You two sit down," Ingrid instructed Gregorio and Harry, "we'll handle the few alterations." Wearily, Harry sank to the ground to watch as the two females hurried around.
The first things that happened was that Carmen conjured more armchairs, and arranged them around the room in various positions, to be a bit more cozy. Meanwhile, Ingrid was staring at a wall, muttering under her breath and doing something with her hands. Harry watched curiously as he tried to hear what she was saying. She seemed to be making up her own spell, because the way she was weaving with her magic was different to normal.
After a few minutes, an arch was slowly appearing, traced in glittering gold lines. Harry scrutinized it from the distance carefully, wondering what she was doing. It soon became apparent as the stone began to vanish, leaving a perfect arch to another room. She conjured a door and hung it in the arch. Curious now, Harry got up and walked over.
"Where'd that come from?" he wanted to know, peering through the archway at the medium-sized room.
"It's always been there," Ingrid shrugged, "I just opened by the archway. I think it was a storage room at some point, because there used to be an entrance here. I just recreated the arch."
She flicked her wrists, conjuring a dozen hospital beds with curtains hanging around them. Then she added a series of shelves around the perimeter. Harry perked up as an idea struck him,
"you know those spells for the bottomless bags?" he started, "we could use them on these rooms, and create room for storage, wardrobes etc." Ingrid nodded,
"good idea." Another series of spells enlarged the room to almost twice the size, and walled off a substantial area, which was then lined with shelves.
"So that's a Hospital Wing taken care of, and a Dueling Room," she mused, "and the main HQ rooms. Still need to sort out the library and the armory."
"We can do that tomorrow though," Gregorio said firmly, "these two need some dueling practice time, and some sleep."
Harry flicked his wrist, sending the silver case spinning onto the floor, as it leaped up to reveal the rooms. He stepped forward, and vanished into the Training Grounds.
A/N: Completed, here's the thirteenth chapter, I hope you like it.
E/N: This didn't take all that long to write but I think that it's great again. So, what do you think? Not bad huh?