Nonstandard Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to these characters, I do not claim to own any rights to these characters. I do not claim to own anything. I'm dirt poor, but in another life I was emperor of the known universe! Really! What? Don't you believe me?
I'm hurt!
Harry the heartthrob…
The next few days for Harry were some of the most trying in his life. He continued to regain his strength, but occasionally it would all catch up with him and he find himself suddenly dozing, at meals, in class. Most of his friends, and his teachers for that matter, knew what was going on and did what they could to help him. But the simple fact was, Harry was getting frustrated. The Valentine's Ball was only five days away and he wanted to take Ginny. The problem was, he was worried he'd collapse in a chair and fall asleep on her during the dance.
Ginny continued to make Harry take his potions. Fortunately, he was done with most of them; he was down to just a strengthening potion, which he hated, that he took three times a day. He actually took Ginny's role pretty well. He was fairly sloppy when it came to remembering to take his potions. He was honest enough to admit to himself that he liked her taking care of him, even if it did mean drinking something vile.
Ginny was sitting on her bed, writing, just before supper. It was only five days 'til the ball, and Harry was getting much better. The ball probably won't be a problem for us, she thought, so long as we don't try to dance every dance. I know Harry's worried about it, but I'll make sure I don't tire him out.
Ginny looked up at noise coming from the end of her bed.
"Ginny?"
It was Lavender Brown. Behind her stood a cluster of Gryffindor girls, ranging from second years, all the way up to seventh years. Hermione stood next to Lavender, a pained look on her face.
"What is it? What's gone wrong now?"
Lavender shoved a magazine under her nose. Ginny took the magazine from Lavender and scanned it, scowling.
It was Teen Witch Weekly's annual list of the most eligible bachelor wizards in the country. Flipping open the magazine, she turned to the relevant page and groaned. Harry had been listed down at the bottom of that list for the past year, but with him coming of age this year, the editors had decided to move him up. TO THE SECOND MOST ELIGIBLE BACHELOR! (Gilderoy Lockheart was still number one, despite being confined to the psyche ward at St. Mungos.) The caption under the photo read.
This year, the Boy-Who-Lived comes of age. Listed as one of the wealthiest wizards in the country, with an estimated wealth in excess of 100 million galleons, Harry Potter is currently attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This handsome, greened eyed hunk will reach his maturity this summer. According to our sources, Mr. Potter is athletic; he enjoys early morning jogging and playing Quidditch with his friends. He played on his house team as Seeker his first year through his third year, helping them to win the House Cup. Sources describe him as artistically talented, quiet, and almost painfully shy with people he doesn't know. This bachelor is ripe for the plucking ladies. Excellent husband material for the lucky witch! Go get him girls!
Ginny groaned and dropped the magazine. The Gryffindor girls all knew about her promise ring and how the couple felt for each other. But Ginny hadn't run around showing the ring to people and bragging about it. Few outside Gryffindor knew, and there were a number of girls in the school that considered a promise ring to mean nothing. To them, it was merely a token of friendship.
Ginny glanced at Hermione and asked her, "Where's Harry? He has no idea what's about to hit him."
"He and Ron left for dinner a few minutes ago…"
Ginny gasped.
Suddenly Lavender clapped her hands to get everyone's attention.
"Ladies! Our sister here needs our help!"
Ginny looked up gratefully. As a group, nearly fifty Gryffindor girls went to dinner.
Upon reaching the Great Hall, Ginny could see Harry and Ron sitting at the table. Ron looked confused, while Harry seemed to be trying to hide under the table. More than a dozen girls, all of them trying to talk to him or offer him something to eat, surrounded him. Many other girls sat at their tables giving Harry a hungry looks. Most of the teachers watched with amusement as the spectacle unfolded before them
The Gryffindor girls formed up around Ginny. Like an avalanche, the formation descended down the aisle of the Gryffindor table and collided with the pack of predatory females, sending them scattering.
Ginny looked down at Harry. At first, she thought she would be angry with him, but he actually looked relieved to see her. Laughing inwardly she thought, He's not afraid to take on dragons, he'll offer his life to protect a child, but he's actually afraid of other girls. Merlin, he's so clueless!
She reached down and grabbed his hand, pulling him to his feet. Harry still didn't have a clue what was going on, but he relaxed a little now that Ginny was there. Lavender shouted a command to the group.
"Ladies, to the front!"
With Ginny leading a bewildered Harry, the group of girls marched up to the head table and formed a solid line. Ginny and Harry stepped out in front of that line. Harry still didn't know what was going on. Dumbledore sat back in his chair holding his goblet and smiling. His eyes were twinkling with amusement.
Conversations in the Great Hall hushed, as all eyes turned to watch. Ginny, still holding Harry's hand, spoke in a loud voice. "Ladies of Hogwarts…" She thrust up the hand with her softly pulsating ring for all to see. She paused as several girls in their seats spotted the ring. Several gasped, a few looked furious; many looked at the ring with a sigh of longing, one girl fainted!
"This says he's mine… and so does this!"
Ginny turned to Harry and kissed him, not a gentle sweet kiss, but one designed to set Harry on fire. Harry, caught off guard, stiffened for a moment. He still wasn't sure what was going on, but if his Ginny wanted to kiss him, that was fine by him. He returned her kiss, giving her as well as he got. The boys at the Gryffindor table erupted in wolf howls and whistles.
When they finally broke their kiss, Harry was breathing heavily and Ginny looked flushed. Ginny finally regained some measure of composure and turned back to the on-looking student body.
"Back off girls, this man is taken!" She said in a steely tone that brooked no argument.
Ginny led a stunned Harry back to his seat. She ignored the icy stares some of the other girls were giving her. She had made her point. She had laid her claim, proven it, and then, in that secret witch talk no wizard could ever understand, made it clear that she'd fight to defend her property. The rest of the Gryffindor girls followed Harry and Ginny back to the table. By standing up there with her, they also said they would stand with Ginny if she needed it.
Once back at their table, Harry turned to look at Ginny, saying, "Gin, umm… are you going to explain what just happened?"
Ginny touched his cheek fondly, but said, "Harry, I love you dearly, you're incredibly smart when you want to be, you're brave, you're an incredible wizard, but there are some things you'll never understand and this is one of them."
Harry raised an eyebrow at that. Had he just been gently insulted? Why were women so hard to understand? He shook his head in wonder and, turning to fill his plate, was dismayed to find yet another potion vial before him. The damn things tasted so bad and made everything he ate afterwards taste horrible.
Ginny gave him that look. Shrugging in surrender, he reached for the potion while Ginny filled his plate for him.
Near the end of the meal Harry borrowed Hermione's copy of the Daily Prophet. Scanning over the front page he moved on to the Quidditch scores, the Chudley Canons were still losing he saw. After that he idly flipped through the paper, reading whatever caught his interest. Something snagged his eye; he froze, then he paled. He dropped the paper on the table.
Harry stood up quickly, his movements slightly jerky. His three friends turned to look up him inquisitively. He mumbled, "I've got to go" and walked out of Great Hall.
Hermione glanced over to a worried Ginny. "What do you suppose that was all about?"
"I don't know, 'Mione. He seemed fine until a minute ago."
Ron spoke up, "He was fine. He was just reading the paper."
Hermione mused, "Maybe he read something in the paper?"
Ginny pulled the paper to her and started to read the open pages aloud. "Hmmm… An article about a new cauldron shop opening on Diagon Alley, some advertisements, legal notices? I don't see anything here 'Mione."
"Check the legal notices again Ginny. They use really small print." Hermione suggested.
Ginny looked at the notices more carefully this time. Gasping suddenly, she held the paper out to Hermione with trembling hands.
Hermione took the paper and, finding the correct spot, read aloud in a small voice.
"The Ministry of Magic, Department of Magical Law Enforcement, announced that last week, as ordered by the Wizengamot, it carried out the legal execution of Vernon C. Dursley, muggle. Dursley was an escaped convict from Azkaban. A convicted child abuser, he was apprehended after a vicious assault on an underage wizard at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Dursley was retried and convicted of assault with intent to kill, and of being in league with Dark Wizards. Dursley was sent through the veil last week leaving no surviving kin that we are aware of…"
"Oh Harry," Hermione breathed.
"Ron, we need to find Harry. Go check the dorm. If he's not there, check the Quidditch pitch and the surrounding areas. Ginny and I will check the castle."
Harry's breakdown…
Harry stood in the living room of #4 Privet Drive. His breath came in shuddering gasps, his eyes unseeing. In his mind he could see them all, he could see the big meaty fist of Uncle Vernon hitting him, the bony thin foot of Aunt Petunia kicking him, Dudley and his goons pinning him to that wall in the alley behind the school and beating him.
The rage, which built up in him, had nothing to do with magic. It was pure, primal, it was the beast contained within us all. Harry howled in fury and started throwing the furniture about. He was screaming. He couldn't control it. He didn't even understand it.
He pounded his fists against a wall, shattering plaster and cutting his hands. He flipped over the couch, then grabbed Petunia's rocker and hurled it through the window screaming, "YOU FUCKING BASTARDS! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO ME!"
Intervention and help…
Ginny and Hermione had checked several places where Harry was known to go when he wanted some solitude, before trying the Room of Requirement. They paused outside the door, looking at each other in concern. They could clearly hear the sounds of yelling and crashing from within the room
"'Mione, I'll go in. I don't think he's going to want a big crowd. Go alert the DA members that tonight's meeting is cancelled, then see if you can get a calming draught out of Madam Pomfrey without her causing too much fuss."
Hermione nodded, saying, "If necessary, I'll make it myself. I'll tell Ron to steer clear of the room. I don't think he'd mind you or me there. But Ron would make him really clam up and we don't want that."
Ginny thought that was a good idea. She started to turn to go into the room when Hermione placed a hand on her arm. The two girls looked at each other for a moment before going in different directions.
Ginny opened the door to the Room of Requirement and slipped quietly inside. She didn't recognize what she saw. The place was a wreck. It looked like it had been a typical muggle house. But furniture was overturned, broken. Someone had thrown a rocking chair through the window. Suddenly, there was a crashing sound from another room and she could hear Harry yelling.
"I DID EVERYTHING FOR YOU BASTARDS! I COOKED! I CLEANED! I PICKED UP AFTER YOU! WHY? WHY? WHY! I DIDN'T ASK FOR MUCH!"
Harry stormed back into the living room, his eyes not even noticing Ginny standing there.
"GOD DAMN YOU DURSLEYS MAY YOU ROT IN HELL!" He howled.
Ginny gasped as Harry plunged his fist into the wall over the fireplace, breaking through the plaster. Harry withdrew his bloody fist and stood there for a moment, his chest heaving in shuddering gasps. His hands were bloody, the stains making designs on Petunia's white carpet.
"WHY YOU BLOODY BASTARDS?"
That final yell seemed to pull all of the fight out of him. He pitched to his knees and began to cry. This was what Madam Pomfrey had warned them about. Ginny approached Harry slowly, she knew he had to cry this out, he couldn't keep suppressing it, but this was a dangerous time for him. Pressed too hard, Harry would fight it all back down, only to have it explode again more violently than before.
Harry was kneeling on the floor. His were shoulders heaving controllably. Ginny knelt in front of him, she wanted to touch him, but she didn't. She had to wait for him to see her. Her heart ached to see him like this, so vulnerable; lost within the pain his own memories were causing him. She ached for him, how could he stand this? How could anyone stand it?
Harry slowly looked over at her, his eyes filled with a terrible pain. She returned his look, trying not to let the anguish she felt at this point show on her face. He collapsed against her, his head on her shoulders. Still crying, he tried gasping out the questions that had haunted him for years.
"Why… why couldn't they… love me even… just a little? What did I do wrong? Am I a freak, a bad person? What is wrong with me?"
Ginny tightened her grip on him. Her own tears starting. "Let it out Harry… you have to let it out," she said softly.
Harry held her like he was afraid she'd vanish if he let go and he cried.
It was the cry of a three year old sitting in a dark cupboard with no one to chase back his fear of the dark.
It was the cry of a five year old getting beaten because he asked for a birthday present.
It was the cry of a lonely nine year old, sitting in a sweltering cupboard in the middle of the summer, locked in there for nearly a week.
It was the cry of a fifteen year old, learning that he had to kill or be killed.
It was the cry of a soul that had seen a thousand injustices heaped on it, and knowing that there was more, much more, to come.
He clung to her like a lifeline. His bitter tears of rage and anger slowly changed to soft sobbing against her. She rocked him gently, soothingly, her hand holding him while another hand ran through his hair.
Through her own tears she noticed Hermione and Serena Snape standing by the door. Harry paid them no heed.
Serena had found Hermione running around the potions lab trying to brew the potion she needed. Hermione explained the situation to her and Serena had decided to come help. She pulled one of the ready-made potions from a locked cabinet and followed Hermione back to the Room of Requirement.
Hermione had her own tears running down her cheek. Serena looked like she was torn between wanting to be angry and wanting to help Ginny sooth him. Serena had come to greatly admire and like Harry. She held the calming draught in her hand. Madam Pomfrey had explained to the staff that this might happen to Harry. Serena was angry; this boy had given of himself to so many and rarely complained about how unfair life had been to him.
Hermione and Serena approached Ginny. Harry still clung to her, still crying. Serena knelt down beside the couple and helped Harry drink the potion. Between the potion and not being fully recovered from his attack, he calmed quickly into an exhausted state. He held onto Ginny still, as if afraid to let her go.
Serena surveyed the wreckage around her and suggested they help him back to the Gryffindor common room, since it was the closest.
Professor McGonagall and Ron met them at the portrait of the Fat Lady. Seeing his condition, Minerva cleared the common room as Harry was helped to the couch. Ginny sat down beside him and encouraged him to lie down. With his head in her lap, and her fingers running through his hair, he was asleep in seconds. He never noticed Hermione and Professor Snape healing the cuts on his hands.
Sensing it was one of those times for her rare, frank discussions, Professor McGonagall conjured a chair for herself and Professor Snape. Ron headed up to bed, and the four women sat for a long time, talking softly about the effects of abuse and human nature. The group broke up when the two girls started yawning. McGonagall seriously thought about telling Ginny to go up to her dorm, but decided against it. Harry was too exhausted to try anything funny.
Some people won't take no for an answer…
Harry awoke the next morning, feeling totally rested and refreshed. He was warm and quite comfortable, but something wasn't right. For one thing, he was leaning against something enticingly soft, and there appeared to be an arm wrapped around him.
He blinked at a bright flash of light and he heard the unmistakable sound of a camera, followed by several snickers.
He reached out for his glasses, lying on the table in front of him, and put them on. Glancing over his shoulder, he spotted a mass of red hair. Deciding that sometimes you had to pay the piper, he opted for the dignified approach. Ignoring the snickers and whispers, he gently lifted Ginny's arm from around him and carefully stood up. He turned around, still ignoring the others and, carefully tucking the blanket around her, kissed her on the forehead, before turning to the others.
Placing one finger to his lips, he motioned everyone away from the couch. Ron and Neville were grinning at him. Ron held Collin's camera. Hermione was grinning like mad, but she was also searching his eyes carefully, her eyes asking the question.
He smiled a little, seeing the question. "I'm better Hermione. I'm sorry about last night. I didn't mean to scare you, but I think I needed that."
Turning to Ron he said, "Well?"
"Oh nothing, mate," he smirked. "It's just good blackmail material if you ask me."
"Ron, you're my bloody brother! You know you'd only have to ask and I'd get you whatever you needed."
Ron's face fell at that. Obviously Harry wasn't about to be cowed by blackmailing. "What good is having blackmail material when I can't blackmail you? If you weren't already planning on marrying my sister I'd knock your block off!"
Harry grinned. "Well, do me a favor. Make me two copies of that photo. I'm sure Ginny might want one. I know I do. First time we slept together… pity nothing happened."
Ron didn't know if he should laugh or slug him at that. Hermione's eyes widened for a moment before she broke out into a fit of giggles. Neville blushed and snickered.
Harry left them standing there as he went upstairs to take a shower and change. When he returned to the Common Room, he found it empty. Ginny was gone, as were his friends. Harry had not resumed his morning jogging and if he did, it probably would be around the Quidditch Pitch and not the lake. So he opted instead to head down to the Great Hall for breakfast, where he caught up with his friends.
Classes that day went fairly well, but Harry was uneasy. Every time he switched classes he seemed to run into Cho Chang. Cho had been his off again on again girlfriend in his fifth year. He had broken up with her because she had never really seemed all that interested in Harry. Today however, she kept shooting him strange looks. She'd brush up against him even in a nearly empty hall, and then stop him to talk to him while he picked up his books. Harry tried hiding from her. He tried waiting until the last minute to go to class. No matter where he went, she was there, following him. Hunting him. And he was beginning to get mad.
Ginny…
Ginny was working on one of her essays for charms in the common room. Ron and Harry were playing a game of wizard's chess. She felt a presence behind her. Placing her quill down, she turned to spot Lavender, Hermione and about thirty other girls standing there, grinning like mad.
Lavender muttered the magic words, "Excellent Gossip"
Ginny immediately packed up her essay and followed the girls up into the dorms. Everyone changed into their pajamas and followed Lavender into Ginny's room.
Lavender turned to Ginny. "Wait to you hear what a little birdie told me! You're going to love this!"
"It seems a certain Cho Chang decided to poach into your territory today. Her assault was precise and overwhelming. No matter where Harry went, he ran into her, literally! She finally managed to corner him late in the day, just after his last class. It seems my birdie had a front row seat for what occurred Ginny. Here's what I was told happened…"
As Harry walked by the empty classroom he felt an arm tug on his, pulling him in. He groaned. NOT CHO AGAIN!
Cho had taken the time to change out of her uniform. He blouse was too tight and it was obvious she wore no bra, Harry stood stiffly as she pressed herself against him.
"Harry, I think maybe we should give us another try…" She breathed seductively at him.
Harry disengaged himself from Cho and stepped back, his hands crossed over his chest.
"Cho, it didn't work the last time and there's no reason why it would work now. Besides, I'm perfectly happy with Ginny."
Cho carefully unbuttoned a couple buttons on her blouse, enhancing her cleavage, her breasts very noticeable in the tight blouse. "My it certainly is warm in here. Tell you what Harry; take me to the Valentines Ball. I'll make it worth your while. You'll see there are advantages to going out with me. I'm sure I can offer you things Ginny doesn't."
"I already have a date for the ball Cho, and in case no one's told you, I've asked Ginny to marry me! I'm not going to the ball with you and that's final!"
Cho tried another tactic. "But Harry, you can do so much better than that mere slip of a girl. She's from a poor family Harry, all she wants is your money! My family has money; I'm not after yours Harry. She's just a gold digging waif!"
Harry's eye's flared with an icy green fire and he literally glowed in a nimbus of light in front of Cho's eyes. She stepped back in surprise. He caught her in a spell that pinned her against the wall, binding her there.
He walked up to her and said in an icy tone, "That 'slip of a girl' is worth a million of you Cho Chang. I'd die for her. I hope to marry her and raise a family with her. And if I hear you say one bad thing about her, or her family, which by the way is also MY FAMILY, I will make sure you regret it…"
He released her from the binding spell and she slumped to the ground, her dark eyes turning hard.
"Good day to you Miss Chang. For your sake, I hope you don't annoy me again."
Harry stormed from the room, his magic still flaring ominously while Cho shouted curses at his retreating back.
Lavender leaned back after telling her tale. All the girls sighed. One commented, "Man he's got it bad. You are so lucky Ginny!"
Ginny grinned and glanced at the clock. Harry should be in his dorm by now, she thought. Leaving the girls to their animated conversation about guys in general, she threw on a robe and purposely marched down the stairs and right up into the boy's dorm.
Harry was stepping out of the bathroom, having finished his shower, with only a towel wrapped around his waist, when Ginny appeared in the dorm room. Ignoring the protests from Ron, Neville, Seamus and Dean, she grabbed Harry around the neck and pulled him into a passionate kiss. She kept at it until she had achieved the desired effect, then without a word, she turned and left the room, leaving a stunned Harry, his towel starting to slip, standing there in bewilderment.
Ron piped up, "Oy Harry! Are you sure you want to marry that? She's barking mental if you ask me!"
Harry shot back, "Oh, and you would be upset if 'Mione did the same thing to you, eh mate?"
Wisely, Ron held his tongue.
Once back in her own dorm, she noticed the other girls had left just as a hand grabbed her arm. Jumping, she turned to see Hermione staring at her.
"Ginny? What did you just do?"
Ginny blushed. "I ran up to Harry's dorm. He was coming out of the shower wearing nothing but a towel. I grabbed him and kissed him before running back here. Let's just say I made sure I had his attention before I left."
"Ginny, that's cruel! Funny, but cruel!"
Ginny nodded. "I know. He didn't really deserve that and I'll find a suitable way of rewarding him."
Hermione leaned forward. "You know what else this means, Ginny?"
Ginny looked confused for a moment before answering. "Cho must die?"
"No, no. Besides that! Think about what was said! Lavender gave away the secret of her source of gossip Ginny. I'll bet you five galleons she's an unregistered Animagus! And her form is a bird!"
Ginny sat in shock for a moment and then the two girls started to laugh. It was funny, but it should be noted that both girls would carefully look around for birds before doing something they didn't want anyone to know about from that point on.
The next morning, ALL of the girls at the Gryffindor table spent their time split between smiling at Harry and glaring at Cho Chang. The pretty raven-haired Ravenclaw sat nervously at her table. Something was up, but she wasn't sure what. She knew Potter well enough to know he'd never complain to anyone about her actions yesterday.
She was distracted when the morning owls started to arrive. There was a gasp in the hall when a raven flew in. No one used ravens to deliver mail! They were the most unreliable of birds for mail delivery!
Cho felt something wet land on her head. She looked up as several more ravens flew into the hall. She trembled as she felt the impact of several more moist objects. She was afraid to see what was happening. More ravens flew into the hall. By now, there was a small flock of them, a flock that was continuing to grow with more and more arrivals.
Cho stood quickly at the sound of the first snickers. Turning from the table, she started to walk out of the hall. As the ravens followed, and the snickers grew louder, Cho started to run. The students finally gave up and laughed outright as Cho reached the entrance to the Great Hall, trailing a flock of ravens who dive-bombed the now shrieking girl.
The girls of Gryffindor snickered at the fleeing girl. Harry eyed Ginny suspiciously; she gave him an innocent look and calmly asked, "More bacon Harry?"
Conversations and Confrontations…
"You know, there are times I question my mental state," Serena Snape told her husband that evening. She was pacing again. Something she did a lot of now that she was married, and it was all his fault. Well, that wasn't exactly true, but he didn't need to know that!
At his questioning look, she continued. "You're sneaky, like to intimidate people and enjoy reducing small children to tears. What I'm trying to figure out is what possessed me to marry you!"
"Would you like me to list the reasons?" He asked, sardonically.
When she shot him a scowl but remained silent, he went back to his book, or tried to. Before meeting Serena, his evenings were spent alone, grading papers and going over his lesson plans. Since their marriage however, he found the quiet evenings with his wife to be the best part of his day. Oh, he still enjoyed terrifying students caught out after curfew, knocking off house points and giving out onerous detentions, but he'd found life was now made up of more enjoyable pursuits. Reading was one, but then, so was watching his wife. Pacing, sitting in front of the fire reading, angrily shouting at him, it didn't matter. Gods, he was going soft!
Realizing he'd been staring at her, he gave up, put the book down and asked her what was wrong.
"Severus, I know you want to find out what's going on, but you can't grill him! He'll clam up and shut you out if you do."
"What, you think I'm going to rack him and demand answers?"
"If you thought you could get away with it…" She broke off at his incredulous look. "Ok, ok, so that wasn't fair. But still, you can be intimidating when you want to be. And you usually do! You'll need to be gentle."
At his snort, she stomped her foot. "I mean it, Severus! If you drive that boy away, I'll slip you so many potions, you'll think you were a eleven-year-old Hufflepuff girl. You'll be skipping down the halls with your hair in braids, thinking it perfectly normal!"
"Your faith in me is touching," he replied in an offended tone.
"I know you, Severus. You may not mean to, but you can be a rather daunting person sometimes. Oh, who am I trying to kid? Of course you mean to. We both know you enjoy it! Look, what I'm trying to say…badly from the look on your face…is that the history between you and Harry can make things a little awkward. He's starting to trust you, Severus. Don't do anything to break that trust, please," she finished gently.
As a knock sounded on the door, she sent him a pleading look. Sighing, he stood and hugged her. "I'll be careful. But certain things need to be explained, Serena. We both know that."
Rising on her toes, she kissed his cheek. "Warm up the tea while I get the door."
A few minutes later, Harry found himself seated in the dining room in the Snape's apartment, being plied with tea and small talk. Serena Snape sat next to him, while her husband sat across the table, facing them both and shooting him calculating looks. Something seemed off in their behavior. He didn't figure out what it was until Severus started to speak.
"Harry, for nearly twenty years I spied on Voldemort for Dumbledore's. One of the things I learned was how to observe and piece together facts that seemed unrelated and how to put those unrelated facts together to form a picture of the truth. I've done this for so many years now, that's it's become an ingrained action on my part.
Over the last few months, I've made several observations, and would like to share them with you. If I am correct, I will require answers as well. Before I start however, I should probably tell you that I have not told the Headmaster about the things I have observed and I probably won't," he continued ominously, "so long as you are honest with me."
"I'll try to tell you what I can, Sir," Harry replied, nervously, "but as I don't know what you're talking about at the moment, I can't promise anything."
"Very well, let's begin. First, there is a group of students running around the school, all wearing phoenix rings similar to your own. Some of these students are at the top of my defense class. Second, on the day of your attack, I watched a group of students move about in a coordinated, precise manner. Students from different house, I might add. Even you will admit that, with the house rivalries, this is not a common occurrence?"
Harry nodded stiffly. He knew where this was going now, or at least had a good idea, and didn't like it. He wanted nothing more than to get up and leave, but knew he couldn't. When he opened his mouth to comment, Snape stopped him with a raised hand.
"Third," Severus continued, "in reviewing Serena's memory of Malfoy's attack on her in a Pensieve, I noticed several unusual things. Mr. Longbottom cast a shielding spell that I've never heard of, and rather than dissipating like most shields do, he had to remove it.
In addition, Miss Lovegood cast right through that shield, yet Malfoy's hex splashed harmlessly against it. As you know from your DADA classes, the shields taught to students block in both directions. You cannot cast through your own shield, which is why they dissipate, allowing you to cast at your opponent between shield spells.
And in an interesting twist in an already bizarre puzzle, both Longbottom and Lovegood cast wandlessly."
When Harry's eyes dropped and refused to meet his again, Severus sighed inwardly. He took in the young man's rigid posture and fisted hands on the tabletop. He didn't want to make Harry uncomfortable, but he intended to get some answers.
"And finally, I've noticed that almost the entire Physical Fitness club wears a phoenix ring, except for a few Quidditch players here and there. But I'd be willing to bet those Quidditch players are camouflage.
My conclusion, Harry, is a simple one. You've formed a secret society here at Hogwarts. You've taught students advanced techniques and are clearly training them for a purpose. As I said at the beginning, I have not taken any of this to the Headmaster, but I think it's time for an explanation, don't you?"
Harry leaned back heavily in his chair and reached up to grab the locket hanging around his neck. He need help and desperately wished he could ask his parents. Could he trust the Snapes? Dare he trust them? The locket thumped against his hand once, before warming in approval.
That was interesting, he thought. I guess the thump was Sirius. He never liked Professor Snape. I wonder if Mum hexed him? She doesn't seem to have a problem with the Snape's. I'd have thought Sirius would have learned not to argue with her by now.
His reverie was interrupted when Serena started speaking.
"Harry, my husband and I are hoping you'll trust us enough to tell us what is going on."
Harry stood up, pacing back and forth for a moment. Finally, he turned to them and said, "You're right. I have reactivated the DA from last year, but in an entirely new form. I'm counting on your discretion on this matter. Our fighting method is unlike anything you've seen before, and I'm hoping that goes for Voldemort's forces. We've invented some new spells, and new techniques. All of the DA members recognize and accept the danger they're placing themselves in. What most of the adults don't seem to realize is, it's our war too. I know that the teachers like to think that the students are protected at Hogwarts, but we all know that's not true. The castle's been breached before. And while some think we have nothing to offer, we intend to change that.
"But Harry, you're just children! You can't be expected…" Serena protested.
"With respect Professor, I have to disagree with you," Harry interrupted her harshly. "I haven't been a child in a long time. I've faced Voldemort five times and survived. I've held my friends and watched them bleed, unable to help them. Two years ago, I watched as a young man was killed for no better reason than being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Last year, I watched my Godfather murdered before my eyes.
Every one of my DA members has lost friends or family to Voldemort and his followers. None of us have been untouched by this war. Are those the experiences of 'children', Professor? I think not!
Gods, I'd give every galleon I own for a normal life! Do you know what it's like to look at the person you want to spend your life with and know, KNOW, that you'll probably not live long enough to marry her?
Voldemort brought the war to me. I didn't ask for this! I was thrown into this war and told to fight or die. If I have to do this, I'm not going to play by his rules anymore!"
He stopped and raked a hand through his hair. Looking into her horror stricken face, he grimaced and said, "I don't mean to snap at you Ma'am. I have tremendous respect for you and your husband. This past year has seen our relationship alter dramatically and I need your help. But please don't call us children anymore. We don't have time to be."
Serena looked like she wanted to say more, but Severus reached across the table and touched her on the arm, halting her.
"Harry's right," Severus said quietly. "We both know what he's facing. If he's preparing the student body to defend themselves, he's doing them a favor. We both saw the vision in Harry's Pensieve. Most of the Order was downed, including a number of Hogwarts teachers. If that happens, Hogwarts will be defenseless. I think, Serena, that at this point, we need to be asking Harry how we can help him."
Serena nodded in agreement. It was one of those arguments that you hated to lose, but logic clearly ruled.
Severus turned back to Harry. "I promise you, none of this will be told to the Headmaster. Now, the real question is, how can we help?"
Harry grinned at the two. "Someday I hope we'll be able to all sit down over dinner and look back at this moment as a fond memory…" then added, sotto voce, "if I survive…"
Serena's eye's blazed and she shook a finger under his nose. "Listen to me young man! I'm not going to allow you talk like that. You're going to survive and you're going to live to a ripe old age with your Ginny and a houseful of children…" Softening her tone, she continued. "Harry you need to have confidence in yourself. You inspire other people and give them confidence, have some in yourself. Besides," she said, with a devilish grin, "you can lose now that Severus and I are on your side!"
Harry and Severus both rolled their eyes at that. When she glared at them, they both grinned back at her.
"But seriously Harry," Severus asked, "What can we do to help?"
"Sir, my biggest concern lies with the security of the castle and, I hate to say this, but your house is our biggest problem area. I'd really like to find out whom in Slytherin I can trust and rely on. But I can't just approach them. It's not like I'm their favorite person. I'll have enough trouble when I bring Slytherins into the DA. But I really want to force this issue of reaching beyond house boundaries. If you can recommend ten Slytherins we can trust, from the fifth year up, I'd appreciate it."
This surprised Severus. Harry was not only asking a great deal, he was putting a great deal of trust in his opinion.
"I have other things I'd like both your help with. But right now, that's the biggest thing I can think of," Harry stated.
When Harry left the apartment an hour later, he felt a lot lighter. As he walked down the corridor, he thought about the people he'd just left. He respected the Snape's greatly. He still had a difficult time adjusting to all the changes Serena had made in her husband, true, but he trusted the man.
He stopped and grinned. He felt too good to be walking around dim corridors! Transforming into Wings, he flew down the corridor then, in a flash of flame, he was high about the castle, soaring, diving and circling the towers. For some reason, tonight's conversation left him feeling upbeat and lighter than he had in ages!
Revealing in the freedom of flight, his song burst forth, reverberating off the castle's walls. A few lights came on, as people wondered at the noise.
Diving towards the Astronomy tower, he pulled up, flared his wings, landing next to Fawkes, who eyed him in amusement.
It does well sometimes to stretch ones wings and fly for the fun of it, does it not Fledgling?
It does indeed, Fawkes!
You did extremely well tonight, but enough talk. Let us add some of our magic to this place. Let's fly!
The two phoenixes sprang aloft, circling each other, singing their song of the light as they spiraled up over Hogwarts.
Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts…
Albus Dumbledore couldn't help but be wistful as he watched his long time friend and Harry Potter circling high above Hogwarts, singing their song. The wards of Hogwarts shimmered slightly, as the powerful phoenix magic strengthened them. He could see other people staring out the windows, looking up at the glowing wards and listening to the song.
Let them take heart from this, he thought. Dark times may be coming, but the light still shined bright. What joy it must be to be able to fly! He wasn't sure what kind of connection Harry had with Fawkes, but clearly they could communicate some how. I have to remember to ask him about it sometime. I'd like to know what Fawkes thinks.
Albus once dabbled in Ani-magic, but he quickly gave it up. There was no fun in being a goat…
WE SURRENDER!…
This was supposed to be a Hogsmeade weekend but, because of the last attack, the school had been opened to visitors instead of allowing the students free reign of the town. Tomorrow would be the Valentines Ball for the students.
Remus Lupin waited nervously in front of the Three Broomsticks for his guests to arrive. This had been planned for a while, and only Harry's attack had postponed it. He smiled warmly when Fred and George apparated in.
"Gentlemen! I'm so pleased you could attend. And my friends will be even more pleased."
"If you'll follow me please, we'll meet with my friends on what they consider to be both neutral and sacred territory. I do regret that, once we hit a certain point, I'll have to blindfold you. My friends are most concerned about their personal security. Now, unless you have any objections, shall we proceed up to the school?"
"Objections?"
"Of course we have…"
"…no objections. We just…"
"…want this war to end!…"
"Very well Gentlemen, follow me. Regrettably, I cannot stay, as this is a secret ceremony. But I will be nearby if you need me."
Remus led the two men from Hogsmeade up the road to Hogwarts. The two Weasley twins were so nervous, they barely paid any attention to ex-classmates as they followed him.
Fred and George were sweating at this point. The amount of secrecy that Remus had talked to them about was extreme.
Upon reaching Hogwarts castle, Remus pulled out two black silk hoods and handed them to the twins, with instructions to put them on. With trembling fingers they pulled the hoods over their heads. Remus placed one twins hand on the other's shoulder and led them deeper into the school. He walked them up stairs, and down. He walked them down long corridors and short ones before reaching his destination.
Remus stopped at a door and tried not to grin. True, the twins couldn't see him, but it was the principle of the matter! The door swung open and a deep menacing voice came from the dimly lit chamber within.
"WHO DARES DEFILE THIS SACRED GROUND?"
"It is I, Remus Lupin. I bring two supplicants who ask for the ritual of surrender."
"BRING THE SUPPLICANTS FORWARD!"
Remus brought the twins forward into the room. He then quickly grabbed a black hooded robe and stood with several other hooded figures.
"REMOVE THY HOODS SO THAT WE MIGHT GAZE UPON THEE!"
As the twins removed their hoods, they both gave a squeak of fright and grabbed each other.
The room was dimly lit. There were few torches visible. A group of several men stood facing them, dressed in black from head to toe. Their faces hidden, made invisible by their hoods, the group stood silently. Behind them was a huge, bare-chested man, standing by a large iron gong and holding a hammer. Another group of five black robed figures stood off to one side.
In front of the twins lay a small stone table, dripping with entrails and blood.
One of the figures in front of the twins spoke in harsh tones. "Do thee, of thy own free will, agree to undergo the ritual of surrender?"
The man in the far back hit the gong.
GONG!
It was an eerie sound; it seemed to be part metal and part human scream.
"Y… Y… Yes!" Stammered Fred.
"W… W… We want to surrender!" Gulped George.
GONG!
The figure spoke again. "Very well, produce the instrument of surrender!"
From the back of the room came the creaking sound of a massive door opening. A fifteen-foot troll shuffled out, carrying a parchment. The twins cowered back from him. The troll looked at the gore-dripped table and, leaning over, licked it clean. Once he was done, he placed the parchment, a quill and a small knife on the table. With that, the troll shuffled back to its room and the door closed again with a massive boom.
The figure spoke once more. "Sign the instrument of surrender, then deposit one drop of blood upon it!"
GONG!
Fred quickly signed his name without bothering to read it. George followed suit, then the two deposited a drop of blood on the document.
GONG!
"You have proven yourselves capable adversaries, worthy of our attention. Now we have but one more thing to do to complete the ritual. REMOVE THY OUTER GARMENTS!"
GONG!
Fred and George quickly started to strip. They were so frightened they were making a mess of their clothing. Fred pulled his shirt off, causing buttons to fly in every direction.
The door in the back of the room swung open once more. Again, the troll shuffled forward. This time the troll carried a huge flaming branding iron.
George fainted dead away. Fred grabbed his brother by the arms and, dragging him, bolted for the door. When the door closed behind him, the scene flickered and faded, revealing Hogwart's Great Hall.
Fred gaped. The five hooded figures remained, but everything else was gone, replaced by tables filled with students and teachers, enjoying the lunch and a free show. When the laughter, wolf whistles and catcalls started, a blush enveloped his body. Damn! He was standing in the Great Hall in his underwear!
Molly and Arthur sat with Dumbledore at the head table, each smiling at their offspring. The Headmaster waved at the pair, his eyes twinkling, and asked if they'd like to get dressed and join them for lunch.
The five remaining hooded figures bowed to the head table and marched stately out of the Great Hall, carrying the magical contract the twins had signed, agreeing they would never prank any of them again. A copy of the contract appeared in Fred's hand.
As the last hooded figure passed from the room, every banner in the hall changed to read, "MARAUDERS RULE!"
The Ball…
Harry woke to the sound of Ron cursing a blue streak. His friend was sitting on his bed, a huge pile of sticks beside him, and a very small pile of sickly looking flowers in front of him.
Ron was trying to transfigure the dead sticks into flowers. Harry chuckled. Ron shot him a hateful glare.
"Would you like some help mate?" Harry asked.
"No! Its not the same if you do it Harry," Ron replied heatedly.
"Ron, I'm not offering to do it for you. I'm offering to help you do it."
"What? How's that?"
"Ron you're just going about it wrong. Here, do what I tell you. Close your eyes. Then take a few deep breaths to calm yourself. Picture the flower in your mind carefully. Imagine each petal, the stem, and each leaf on your flower. Now, hold the picture in your mind Ron, see it, and imagine how happy 'Mione will feel when you give her the flower. Keep that feeling in your mind while you let the magic out slowly, just a little bit at a time and say, 'Floris Transfigcontatus'"
Ron's wand tip slowly lit up to a flaring light as he muttered the incantation. When the light cleared, Ron looked down at a perfect white rose with just a hint of blush red on the edges of the petals. Ron looked astounded; he snatched another stick from his pile, closed his eyes and repeated the process. It worked! He shot a grateful look at Harry, who smiled back.
"See mate, its easy once you know how to do it. Like I said, I wasn't going to do it for you, but I'll help you anytime you want to learn how. Now, if you want to be a little more creative, start changing the flower slightly so they aren't all the same looking."
While Ron made his flowers, Harry pulled out his notebook and started to sketch something. Curious, Ron walked over to see that Harry was drawing another jewelry pattern.
"Harry?"
Harry looked up from his notebook. "Yeah mate?"
"I was thinking… well… you know that ring you made for Ginny?" Ron was blushing furiously.
"You'd like to give something similar to 'Mione?" Harry couldn't help but smile broadly. Hermione is going to be so pleased with this, he thought.
"Yeah, but I don't want you to make it. But I don't have a lot of money either…"
"Ron how about this. Do you have a ten galleon piece?"
"Yeah I have one. It's in my trunk."
"Don't bother getting it now. Do you know what galleons are made of Ron?"
At Ron's confused look, Harry chuckled.
"Ron, a galleon is mostly gold, five ounces to be exact, with a little base metal thrown in to give it extra strength. If you'd like, we can melt down your Galleon and I'll help you turn it into a ring like the one I made for Ginny. I'm afraid you'll have to let me conjure a stone or two for it, but I'll keep them small if you want. You'll make the basic ring; I'll add some finishing touches and a few stones to it. The bulk of the work will be yours. What do you say mate?"
He looked at Harry gratefully and nodded in thanks.
When Ron went back to making his flowers, Harry returned to his drawing. It was Valentine's Day and he wanted to make something special to give to Ginny. Looking at the design, he thought about it. It looked simple enough, but the making of it was quite complex for only two stones. Harry shut the curtains to his bed to gain some privacy before starting the process of making his gift.
Later that evening, Harry and Ron waited anxiously for their dates to come down from the girl's dorm. Ron had gone overboard with his transfiguring that afternoon, but he didn't care. He stood there with an armful of flowers.
Harry's gift was sitting in a small box in his pocket. He felt uncomfortable giving it to Ginny in front of Ron, so he planned to pull her aside while Hermione confronted Ron and his small flowery jungle.
When Hermione and Ginny came down the stairs, Harry's heart caught in his throat. Ginny was wearing a new dress robe; Harry had picked up another robe also over the holiday. Between his training and his age, he had already outgrown his old robes by nearly an inch. Molly said she could fix them, but in the meantime new robes were in order.
Hermione and Ginny walked over to Harry. Hermione looked around trying to spot Ron.
"Harry, where's Ron?"
"Oy! I'm right here!" Said the two arms holding the flowers. Hermione's eyes widened.
"Ron?"
"Here 'Mione, I made these for you!" He tried to hand them to her, but couldn't see her with all the flowers in the way. Ginny giggled. Hermione took a step back from Ron in consternation. He was holding 200 long stem roses in his arms!
Harry took Ginny's hand and led her to a corner, away from Hermione and Ron as they struggled with hundreds of flowers.
"Did he really make them Harry?" Ginny asked.
"I showed him how and helped walk him through his first one. After that, he was on his own…" Then Harry's look turned sly and he whispered, "He also asked me to help him make 'Mione a promise ring!"
Ginny laughed, saying, "I hope he does a better job on the ring than he did on the flowers or Hermione won't be able to lift her hand."
"Ron?" Hermione questioned.
"'Mione, where are you?"
Harry and Ginny both snickered, listening to the over-flowered couple trying to find each other.
Harry suddenly turned shy as he hesitantly slid a box across the table to Ginny. "I made this for you, but I didn't want to give it to you in front of Ron. He worked so hard on those flowers."
Ginny opened the box and gasped. Inside the box sat a small, heart shaped clear crystal. Embedded inside it was a red heart shaped stone. The whole thing was attached with a delicate silver chain.
Harry murmured, "The outer stone is diamond, the inner one is a ruby. I hope you like it."
Ginny immediately turned around, lifted the back of her hair and told him to put it on. He did so with trembling fingers, fumbling with the clasp a few times.
Harry looked at her anxiously as she turned around and looked at the heart now resting around her neck. "Do you like it Gin? I know it's not much… but when I drew that design I thought for sure you'd like it."
Ginny stopped him with a gentle finger to his lips. She gave him a shy smile in return and flowed into his arms to kiss him. They stayed like that for a while until Ron tapped Harry on the shoulder. Hermione, in her ever-practical way, had solved the problem of so many extra flowers by handing out dozens of them to the other boys to give to their dates. She looked quite pleased with herself.
The two couples left the common room and headed down to the Great Hall. There, they met up with Neville and Luna. Dumbledore had, by popular demand, brought back the Wailing Wizards as the band. The hall was decorated to match the holiday, even down to illusionary cherubs flying around shooting arrows at people.
Ginny planned on taking it easy with Harry. He was well recovered, but he still pushed himself occasionally into exhaustion if he wasn't careful. His one attempt to train had been a complete disaster. Ginny had insisted on watching over him during that attempt. Harry had started out well enough, but had been badly defeated by his simulated opponents very early on. After conferring with Hermione, they decided that Harry would work on building up his endurance for a while, before restarting his combat training. To Harry, it was a humbling experience.
The three couples sat around the table enjoying drinks when the band finally started to play. Harry wanted to dance with Ginny, but she insisted they wait until the band played a slower dance. In a total reversal of roles, this time it was Harry that watched the dancing couples wistfully. After another fast paced song, the band finally started up a slow ballad. Ginny allowed her self to be led out onto the dance floor.
Ginny and Harry didn't really dance. They held onto each other and spent most of their time shuffling their feet while looking into the eyes of the other. When the dance finally ended and a more spirited song began, Ginny started to lead him back to the table. He pulled her back to him to dance some more. She was annoyed that he overrode her plans for him, but he told her that he'd rather tire himself dancing with her than training.
As the dance progressed, Ginny finally stopped worrying about Harry tiring himself out. They spent an enjoyable time, occasionally switching partners with Ron, Hermione, Neville and Luna.
It wasn't until the dance was nearly over that it happened. Harry and Ginny were in the middle of the dance floor when the Great Hall was plunged into darkness. The crowd gasped in surprise and someone screamed.
A voice shouted, "Look at the ceiling!"
The enchanted ceiling had changed. Among the stars now floated the Morsmordre, the death mark of the Dark Lord!
When the lights had went out, a number of students pulled out their wands. The sound of "Lumos" could be heard all over the hall. All of the DA members had their wands out, ready for the expected attack. The torches in the Great Hall flickered and returned to normal.
Dumbledore strode up to the stage. With an amplified voice he spoke. "Quiet please. Prefects gather your students and hold them here, until a teacher comes to relieve you. Teachers, we must search the castle. Start with your houses and work out from there. Each Head of House will take a head count of their students. Make sure all of the younger students are accounted for. In the meantime, I will seal the castle."
As the teachers hurried from the room, the booming sound of the great doors could be clearly heard, as could the sound of the massive beams locking them.
Harry steered Ginny back to their table. No one felt like dancing anymore. Everyone knew the mark signified someone's death.
Harry and the rest sat at their table not saying much. A good many of the students were upset and the prefects had their hands full trying to keep everyone in the Great Hall. Harry sat silently for a moment longer, and then he started waving some DA members over to his table. Once everyone arrived, they all stared expectantly at him.
Harry spoke in a low tone. "Find all our members that attended the dance. Have them circulate among the students and help calm them. Let's post four members by the main entrance and another two by the northern entrance. The rest of us," he said, indicating Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Neville and Luna, "will start banishing tables and conjuring sleeping bags. We have no idea how long it will be before the teachers return, but I suspect it will be number of hours. Let's get them calm and bedded down. There's nothing else we can do for now."
It was nearly four hours later when Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall returned to the Great Hall. He was surprised to see the hall lights dimmed, and the room filled with sleeping students. Everyone had a sleeping bag, and the tables were gone from sight. Four students stood watch over the door. They relaxed and pocketed their wands when they saw it was Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall. A few prefects and some students wandered up and down the rows of sleeping students. Every so often, they would stop to speak with someone in hushed tones. Two other students stood near the northern door to the hall, talking with a third. Finally, the third one broke away from them when he noticed the teachers standing at the entrance.
Dumbledore and McGonagall walked up the central aisle between the sleeping bodies. He noted that Ron and Hermione were sharing an oversized sleeping bag, as were Neville and Luna. Ginny was asleep, alone in an oversized bag, which identified the student walking up to them.
Dumbledore said softly, "Is this your doing Harry?"
"Not just myself Sir. We just figured that this is what you would have wanted, get everyone calmed and bedded down."
"Quite right Harry. I think you too should get some rest. I fear the next few days will be most trying for all of us."
"Sir? Can I ask… who…"
Dumbledore walked away wearily, but Professor McGonagall stayed a moment longer. She placed a hand on his arm and said in a choked voice, "It… it was Nigel Goldsmith, one of our Gryffindor first years."
Impulsively, Harry hugged her. McGonagall stiffened for a moment before hugging him back. "We'll get through this Professor. We're Gryffindors."
She nodded weakly at him before following Dumbledore. Harry crawled into his sleeping bag, but he didn't sleep. NIGEL! He thought. I barely knew him. He was just another first year. Harry felt an anger begin to burn in him, Voldemort's payment, when it finally came due, was going to be expensive, he vowed to himself. As hard as he could, he couldn't remember Nigel's face. That shamed and angered him even more.
Harry lay there a long time before falling to sleep, so absorbed in his own thoughts he barely even noticed as Ginny rolled over and snuggled up to him. Running his fingers through her soft hair, he eventually drifted off.
The next day it was announced that all classes were cancelled for several days. Everyone was told to come to the Great Hall for the noon meal; no one would be permitted to skip. In the Gryffindor tower, older students spent a majority of their time comforting the first and second years. They were understandably frightened. Serena Snape mixed up a large batch of calming draughts, and sent them to the house prefects to be given out as needed.
It was a much-subdued Gryffindor house that went down to the noon meal. They had assembled everyone in the common room and went down to the Great Hall together. Apparently, they weren't the only houses to travel enmass that day. All of the houses arrived in a similar manner.
Sitting down at their table, Harry noted a group of strangers off to one side. The house banners had been removed from the Great Hall, as had the Hogwarts Banner. Replacing these were black banners. Once the students had all entered the hall, Dumbledore stood to speak.
"I'm sure by now many of you are aware of the events of last night. In an attempt to find out who did this, we have with us today several Aurors who will be checking your wands. When your name is called, you will come up to the small table you see here, to have your wand checked. Once you have it checked, you will be given a slip that will allow you to return to your common rooms.
The process of checking wands lasted a long time. Ginny and Ron had been checked and were waiting for Hermione and Harry when Dumbledore approached them.
"Harry, Mr. and Miss Weasley, I would like to have a word with you in my office tonight, after the evening meal."
The three nodded their heads in acceptance.
Family Reunions and Surprises…
After dinner, Harry, Ron and Ginny left the Great Hall and went to Dumbledore's office. Harry knocked and the door opened.
Inside the office were Dumbledore, Minister Fudge, Percy Weasley, and a gray haired, tall man.
Fudge spotted Harry, and Harry's immediate scowl at seeing him. Turning to Percy, he said in a loud voice, "I'll leave this in your capable hands, Weatherbee! Remember what I said Dumbledore. Make him agree!" With that Fudge made a quick exit using Dumbledore's floo.
"Ah Harry, come in. Sit down please. You too Miss Weasley, Mr. Weasley."
Turning to the two Weasleys he said, "I've asked you here because I thought you might want to visit with your older brother, and because it does concern your family." His tone hardened as he looked at Harry.
"Harry, the Minister of Magic has decided that you are not being properly trained here at Hogwarts and has decided to remove you from the school. The minister says that he intends to overturn the custody rights of Mrs. and Mr. Weasley and have you assigned as a ward of the state. I have told him he had no legal basis for such a move, and the Wizengamot would not stand for it."
"Take me away from my family, sir?" Harry asked in a weak voice. Ginny gasped and grabbed his hand while Ron shot a murderous look at Percy.
Percy broke in. "Come now Harry, it's not like we're really your family you know, whatever my parents say! Besides, our finest hit wizard in the Dark Arts will train you. Then, when we feel you're ready, we'll issue a formal challenge to V-V-Voldemort and it will be all over."
Harry started to get angry, but instead of lashing out, he fed his anger into his determination. He could feel his magic broiling up within, checked, controlled and massive. He turned to Percy, eyes flaring brightly.
"What would you know about family Percy? You abandoned yours to spend your days licking the ass of that sorry excuse for a Minister. Who's going to train me? YOU? You couldn't cast your way out of a paper bag!"
Percy sputtered, "Don't you talk about Minister Fudge like that. He is a great man! And of course I'm not going to train you. Hit Wizard Schanne here will train you, with me overseeing that training."
Harry looked over at Schanne. He was a tall, lanky man with graying hair. He looked like he had spent too many mornings staring into the rising sun, as fine wrinkles extended from his eyes.
Then the absurdity of what the Minister was trying to do hit Harry, and he started to laugh. It was a deep and derisive laughter that caused Schanne's eyes to darken with anger. This impudent pup! He thought. This kid! So he thinks he's that good eh? Let's see about that.
Schanne's hand twitched slightly then moved towards his wand. Before he could touch it however, he froze. Harry held his own wand under Schanne's chin, pushing so hard his chin was forced upward. The young man had closed the distance between them so fast that the hit wizard never even saw him move. One moment, the kid was sitting in his chair, the next moment he was digging his wand into the man's neck!
Schanne's Adam's apple bobbed nervously as he stared into those emerald eyes. His body was bound using a technique he didn't know. He could read the message in those eyes and, for the first time in his long career, Schanne had doubts about his own abilities. GODS! I never even heard him say the incantation! Schanne thought. He tried to flinch back from the raw power dancing in those eyes.
"Do it." Harry hissed at him. "Do it if you think you're good enough."
"Enough! Harry, release Mr. Schanne please." Dumbledore asked.
"As you wish Headmaster," Harry replied in a conversational tone. He wasn't angry, he could feel the magic pouring through him, but held it in check and tightly controlled. He marveled at the fact that he wasn't angry. He knew he should be, but he wasn't.
Harry turned away from Schanne, who staggered sideways.
Schanne turned to Percy, who had been watching everything, and told him, "Mr. Weasley, I seriously doubt there is anything I could teach this wizard. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to discover he could teach me a few things."
Turning to Harry, Schanne continued. "Mr. Potter, I hope you will accept my apologies. Minister Fudge and Mr. Weasley here led me to believe you were inadequately prepared and under trained. I can see now that's not the case. When you graduate, I'd be happy to personally vouch for you, if you should choose Auror as your career path."
Harry sat back down and nodded to the Hit Wizard saying, "Thank you Mr. Schanne."
Schanne nodded to Dumbledore and Percy, then stepped into the floo, leaving Percy standing there in the wreckage of his and Fudge's plan.
"Ah yes… well… I see… I will return to the Minister and report this turn of events to him."
Percy turned to leave when, in an icy voice, Harry said, "Percy, the time is coming when I will be forced to break Fudge and all who stand with him. For the sake of our family, quit him now before you get hurt." Harry's tone softened. "We miss you Percy and our family hurts because of it, especially your Mother and Father. For your sake, and for your family's sake, come home before it's too late. Think on it Percy, we want you home and safe."
Ginny and Ron gaped at Harry, but Dumbledore peered over his half moon glasses with an approving look.
Percy looked like he had been punched in the gut. He stepped into the floo and left the office without speaking.
The four of them sat for a moment, then Dumbledore broke the silence. "Harry, that was a generous gesture, considering what he was trying to do. I'm not sure I could have said that, if I had been in your shoes."
"I had to make the offer sir. It wouldn't have been right not to do so."
Ron broke in. "But Harry, he wanted… He tried to…"
"Ron, you don't turn your back on your family. Percy hasn't learned that lesson. But just because he hasn't learned it, doesn't mean we have to do it."
Ron sat there, thoughtful. Ginny grinned and nodded at Ron. She didn't like what Percy had done to them, but she wasn't ready to give up on him either.
Then Harry frowned. He could still feel the magic in him, just a hairsbreadth away, like it was coiled and ready to strike out. Normally, he could feel the magic ebb and flow within him, but this time was different. He had felt the magic rising up within him, but there was no sign of it returning to normal.
Harry stood up and walked over to a mirror on the wall. He looked almost normal, no glowing light, no flaring nimbus of raw energy. The only difference was in his eyes; he could see the flicker of magic illuminating his eyes. His eyes swept the room; there were no exploding windows, no rumblings. Nothing!
Dumbledore watched him carefully while Ginny and Ron gazed at him in puzzlement.
"What is it Harry? Something has obviously disturbed you."
"Sir, I'm not sure how to explain this… it's not going away…" He said with a confused look on his face.
"Sit Harry, and try to tell me what is happening."
He returned to his seat, "Always before, I could feel the power increase tremendously when I got angry. It would rush into me and, as I calmed down, it would ebb away. But it's not ebbing away Headmaster. I can still feel it! It's just sitting there, waiting for me to tap into it."
Dumbledore leaned forward, clasping his hands together in front of his face and stared intently at Harry. Ron and Ginny sat silently, watching the exchange between the two.
"How does this make you feel, Harry?"
Harry looked thoughtful for a moment before replying, "At first it was good, like I was powerful. But it's a little frightening, Sir."
"Do you feel any temptation to use that power, Harry?"
"I don't think so, Sir. I suppose someday it might be interesting to see what I can do, but I don't feel any need to rush out and start casting spells. It's a strange feeling however, like something massive is sitting on my shoulder, waiting for me to call on it. And I'm not sure I like what its done to my eyes."
Ginny turned sharply, reached up and, grabbing his chin, turned his head towards her. She stared into his eyes for a moment. She could see the light in them and the power they suggested. Then she smiled and shrugged. "I like it Harry. It makes you look good and besides, now I'll be able to find you in the dark."
Dumbledore chuckled at this, but broke in saying, "Harry, what were you feeling when you felt the power surge in you?"
"Well, I was angry. But instead of letting the power lash out, I sort of…well, I let my anger feed into the determination I had. I wasn't going to let Fudge take me out of school or take away my family. The anger didn't last long either. I don't know. It's strange and a little hard to explain," he finished in frustration.
"Well Harry, I am pleased you've reached this point. It was an important step for you."
"You knew this would happen Sir? And you didn't tell me? Why?"
"I couldn't tell you Harry, because everyone in your situation learns how to tap their power differently. I am relieved that you feel no temptation to use it. And with your permission, I think it's time for me to take a more personal role in your combat training. I think you're recovered enough that you can resume your training, and I'd like to come observe, maybe even offer some pointers, if you will allow me."
"I think I'd like that, Sir," Harry said with a smile.
Jacks Owl…
It had been a week since the meeting in Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore had attended two training sessions, and his advice was turning out to be useful.
Harry and his friends were enjoying the morning meal when the owls came in. A pretty Tawny owl swooped down to Harry.
When the Tawny owl swooped down to Harry, he cried, "Hoots! I hope Jack's okay!"
After removing the letter from the owl, Harry fed her bits of bacon. After offering the owl water, which was refused, Harry sent her on her way and opened Jack's letter.
Harry,Hey kid! How ya doing? How's your pretty little redhead? I've looked over the plans Ron sent me, along with the map of the town. It's not a bad plan, but you could improve it.
Ron has a good head on his shoulders, but he's planned for a single axis of attack, plowing up the middle of the town, Harry. You need to be more flexible. Ideally, you should have several plans; each designed to address several areas of attack.
Outline your goals; first and foremost, you need to buy time to allow for the civilians to escape. Then, you need to be able to hold long enough for reinforcements to arrive. There are five major roads into town; you need to plan to defend each road, depending on the direction the enemy strikes from.
If you can manage to surprise your enemy and stall him you, stand a good chance of allowing your friends to evacuate the civilians. Then they can link up with you. The key, of course, is getting there before the bad guys enter the town.
Remember kid; every plan gets thrown out the window when you first hit the dirt. That's where your training will pay off. Damn, I wish I could join you! Keep up with the training Harry. Work them hard and you'll knock'em dead! Oh, and take good care of your little witch.Jack
Harry read Jack's letter several times before handing it to Ron. Ron looked it over carefully his brow furrowed in thought before commenting.
"Makes sense Harry. I'll start drawing up plans for five possible actions. And we'll pass them out to everyone tonight at the meeting…"
The DA, near the end of February…
Harry watched the door tensely. He expected company tonight and even though his friends knew to expect it, the rest of the DA did not.
The door slid open and Professor Severus Snape stepped into the room. Everyone froze. A PROFESSOR! THEY HAD BEEN CAUGHT! Snape held the door open while ten Slytherins, led by Blaise Zabini, walked in. Wands whipped up and everyone tensed.
In the silence that followed, Harry's voice cut through everyone present. "The first one to cast a single spell will have to deal with me. Now put your wands away!"
Heads whipped up to stare at Harry, incredulously. Harry stood on the raised dais and repeated in a softer, more dangerous tone. "Put Your Wands Away. NOW!"
Reluctantly, wands slipped back into holsters. Harry looked over at Blaise, one eyebrow raised. When Blaise nodded, the Slytherins tucked their wands away as well.
Harry waved everyone to come a bit closer to the dais. "Professor Snape and his house members are here by my invitation. I trust them…"
"But they're Slytherins!" Someone in the crowd shouted.
"They are students!" Harry snapped back. "Just like you and I. It's time to put away the house rivalries. We've learned to work across house boundaries already. There isn't a single squad here that consists of a single house! I asked Professor Snape here because, of all the teachers that I trust, he alone has intimate knowledge of Death Eater tactics and operation. He's offered to share that knowledge with us and I've accepted.
Blaise and his fellow Slytherins will form a sixth squad with a slightly different mission than our own. His group has a lot of catching up to do and they can't possibly do it in time we have, so they will have a different mission than everyone else's. What I want to make clear here is that Blaise and his group are not supporters of the Dark Lord. They are here because they want to make a difference and their presence proves that not all Slytherins are bad. Make them welcome people.
Blaise if you will see me in a moment, I'll give you holsters to hand out, along with the rings. Hermione also has a oath she'll need you to swear."
The tall Slytherin nodded at Harry, a slight smile playing about his lips.
Harry and Ginny…
Ginny was feeling a bit put out. Harry wasn't ignoring her, but the demands of school and training had seriously eaten into their time together. Dumbledore had told him about a hidden study lounge near the Room of Requirement, and she and Harry had taken to doing their homework there. It was quiet and few knew about it. The problem was, there was always some sort of work to do.
Ginny had asked Harry for help with her charms essay. Harry was very good with charms and he didn't mind helping her. Being her OWL year, she had a big workload on top of everything else.
They sat close together, Harry reading her essay while she wrote it. She wanted to get this essay done so she and Harry could spend some time together.
Harry was having trouble concentrating. Ginny's essay was hard enough, but she had worn a perfume tonight that was distracting him. Ginny was scribbling another paragraph on her parchment when it happened. Harry leaned over, slid his arms around her and nibbled gently on her earlobe. She shivered delightfully. He moved a little lower to kiss the nape of neck and slid one hand up to cup her breast gently. She turned into him and kissed him passionately.
I'll have to thank Lavender for this perfume! She thought gleefully. For Harry, this is aggressive behavior. Next, I want to borrow that book of hers. Ginny knew Harry wouldn't allow them to do that, but according to Lavender the book described other things they could do.
Ginny felt Harry's hands reach for her, touching her, her last rational thought was, Oh screw the charm essay, this is so much better!
Author's Notes:
Part of the recurring theme of this story revolves around the abuse issue. I won't go into a lot of detail, but I will say that if you seriously think anyone that has suffered as Harry did in the Canon and expect him not to be scarred by it, you're mistaken. If you don't like a weepy Harry I suggest not reading a story that is categorized as containing ANGST.
Finally I'll add, JKR has her own vision of Harry, we have ours. :D
This chapter is a lot lighter in tone than the previous one. We had our serious moments, but we wanted to balance that with some humor as well. The last chapter was very serious and needed to be so.
To those wondering about the increase in Harry's powers I'd suggest rereading chapter ten. There is an explanation there. Hint: Reread the section on where they have a meeting revealing the coming Hogsmeade attack.
Harry's powers are NOT powered by emotion. Or rather, let's say emotion may be a trigger, but not the key factor. In this chapter you'll see the beginning of Harry's mastery of that.
I realize the Vernon scene was somewhat brutal; I deliberately kept it vague and ambiguous. It wasn't necessary to catalog every blow.
The scene on the train was not, I repeat not, a heavy group groping session. It was, on the other hand, a heavy kissing session. Now its been a long time since I was a teen male (sigh…) but I know that if I spent enough time just kissing my body is certainly going to make me wish I could do more. Heck, it still does. Harry is far too private a person to do more than hold and kiss his girl in public. Despite that, he's still a teen with the hormonal rushes. Hell, I was a stick in the mud when I was younger, but even I'd get involved in a heavy kissing session in front of friends.
Please keep the reviews coming.