Ok. Everyone knows the drill. Still here goes nothing -
Harry Potter & the other characters of J.K. Rowling are strictly hers (though this plot here is mine :)). I am not the original writer (though I wish I could be) & I do not wish to make money from this. Most Importantly, I DO NOT want to get sued. So if anyone has any problems with anything I write, then just tell me.
There's plenty more...blah blah blah....forget it & let the story begin :).
Note: US English has been used here.
HARRY POTTER & THE POWER OF HOGWARTS
Chapter 16 - Who Am I? (Part I)
"Do I even know who you are Harry?" Tonks said with tears in her eyes and then walked away towards her room.
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Who am I? This question has been plaguing me ever since Tonks questioned my intentions and methods. I had dinner with Remus and Tonks but I couldn't dare to meet anyone's eye. Why? I couldn't even ask Remus about what had happened in the Order meeting and I bet Remus noticed the tension between me and Tonks.
I don't know why Tonks reacted the way she did. Have I made any mistake? Have I tried to harm anyone? No. All I ever tried was to help others. Simon tried to help others. Harry Potter tried to help others and is still trying to do so to the best of his limits. But is Harry Potter wrong in his approach?
Doesn't the end justify the means? No, I don't think so. I mean, if tomorrow Voldemort was killed but the whole of Hogwarts got devastated and everyone died in trying to kill Voldemort, then would it be right? I mean, the end result would have been achieved but the means, which leads to such devastation, cannot be correct. So I guess that the end doesn't justify the means.
I don't know what to think. I understand a certain portion of Tonks behavior as I had been kept in the dark last year too. Keeping secrets from someone can have devastating effects but my secrets would never have ended up taking a persons life as was the case with Sirius. But what if Tonks had cursed me as Simon? In that way I could have landed in a lot of trouble. So, was I right in keeping the secrets or not?
Is there any right or wrong in keeping these secrets? I was Simon before Remus and Tonks had become so close to me. I mean, they too must have some secrets which they never told me. Does Tonks expect me to tell her each and everything about my life? I never asked her to tell me everything; then…
Could I have dealt with Fudge differently? I could have got him fired and another person could have become the minister, but who could have guaranteed that that person would be on the light side? I have blackmailed Fudge and somewhere deep down I am ashamed of doing it but I have only tried to help others.
Or did I? I mean, I have a great control over the ministry workings now and I can force Fudge to do as I wish. Does this mean that I want power? Like Voldemort? NO. I AM NOT LIKE THAT. This can't be the reason. I mean, I CANNOT be like that…that…thing.
Harry put down his quill and put his face in his hands thinking of what he had just written. He didn't want power; but he knew he had to have some power so that he could defeat Voldemort. After a few minutes, he picked up his quill again and continued writing in his journal, albeit at a slower pace.
Fate has put me against Voldemort, not against his death-eaters. I can't take them all head-on. I need support and that's why I am using Fudge. If I have to take on Voldemort, then I have to have some things done my way. I have to use Fudge and I have to somehow convince Tonks about this.
Tonks said that I pitied everyone and hence gave away money! How could she? I have never…damn it…I know I would never do something out of pity. Enough people pity me for not having parents and I absolutely hate that stare, that sad look, that…argh
No Tonks, I don't pity others because they have less money than me. Rather I pity myself for having so much and not having the capability of doing some good with this money. I don't know how you said it Tonks, but you know what Tonks, it hurt - it hurt very badly.
Harry put down the quill for a second time and wiped away a bit of moistness from his eyes. Only one thought rang through his mind - how could she? How could she think of him like that? She had known him for so long and yet she had made an accusation like that! Was it so bad in asking Fudge to reward the light wizards? After all, he had not hand-picked the 'poor light wizards' for the rewards. He didn't even have an idea as to how rich or how poor the aurors and the others were, but what he knew was that if the ministry wanted to keep the others motivated during these dark times, some rewards were needed.
Maybe Tonks didn't mean everything she said. Maybe she was just too upset to care about what she said. Harry started to write in his journal again. This was proving more difficult than the other journal entries and it seemed an even more emotion-draining experience than his experiences about Ron and Hermione. With a sigh, he continued.
Yes, I have changed. I also don't like some of the things I do but I have to do them. I am not a kid anymore; no one ever remains a kid forever. I am walking a path which is leading me to my destiny and I can only hope that Remus and Tonks are still there with me when I fulfill my destiny. I just hope that these misunderstandings get cleared up as soon as possible and we don't go away too far from each other due to the road I have chosen.
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"Hi Ron"
"Hello" Ron said grumpily as he took his seat beside Hermione in the great hall. Breakfast nowadays was not what it used to be as most of the times Ron was grumpy which, Hermione knew, had something to do with Harry.
"So..." Hermione said after a few moments. "...have you finished your DADA essay?"
"Yes" replied Ron.
"What's the matter Ron?" Hermione said despairingly. "How long will you be like this?"
"Like what?" Ron asked, knowing fully well what Hermione was talking about.
"I mean...like this" Hermione said as she threw her hands up in the air. She was already very worried about Harry and now she had Ron on her hands too.
"I can't understand what you mean" Ron said without even looking at his girlfriend.
"When did you ever understand what I ever said" Hermione replied, sadness filling her voice. "You don't even talk nicely to me. You are always so…so…" Hermione's voice trailed off at this.
Ron slowly turned his head and said slowly "I - am - always - so - what?" The look in his eyes dared Hermione to speak any ill of him.
Hermione looked at his hardened eyes and felt quite frightened. She knew Ron was a very hot-headed person and she knew he would blow his top if she said anything which he didn't like. But she had never been afraid to speak the truth and, hardening her face, she said "Grumpy. You are so grumpy nowadays"
Ron's eyes narrowed at this comment from Hermione and Ginny, who had joined in on the last part, knew that Ron was about to scream at Hermione. Hermione, on the other hand, was mentally preparing herself about not being on talking terms with Ron for another fortnight and she also told herself she wouldn't comment on anything Ron said now. But, to the utter surprise of both Ginny and Hermione and a few other onlookers, Ron got up and left the table, without making a single sound.
"Oh my god" Ginny covered her face with her hands as she saw Ron disappear. "Oh my god"
"What's the matter Ginny?" Hermione asked in a quavering voice as her eyes shifted to and fro between the disappearing form of Ron and that of Ginny standing in front of her. She had not expected such a response from Ron and was breathing quite heavily due to tension.
"He is angry" Ginny said. "He IS really angry"
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, her eyes widening in fear as she saw the fear in Ginny's eyes.
"When Ron gets very angry, that is when he is at the extreme most position of his temper, he shuts up" Ginny said, her voice quavering a bit too.
"WHAT!" Hermione exclaimed. "You mean…you mean that…but why…why would he just shut up?" Hermione looked desperately at the girl who was one year younger than her.
"It happened when I was only three years old" Ginny said, fear playing on her face as she tried to remember the occasion. "He got very angry with me and cursed me and then mom got angry with him"
"What do you mean he cursed you?" Hermione asked regaining her logical senses. "He was only four then. How could he curse you?"
"I don't know and neither does he. He just mumbled some words and something happened" Ginny exclaimed. "I don't even think it was any spell. I mean, when wizards get angry, they can do weird things without casting spells or without wands. He gave me boils all over my body and mom was so angry with him. She punished him severely. From that time onwards, when he gets very angry, he just shuts himself up and burns inwardly in his own anger"
"Oh my god" these words came from the mouth of Hermione this time. "What should I do Ginny? What should I do?" she asked frantically.
"Talk to him" Ginny said, knowing that the sooner her brother got out of this mood, the better it was for everyone. "Talk to him NOW"
With a nod of her head, Hermione rushed off towards the Gryffindor tower, not even bothering to finish her breakfast. On her way there, she met Neville who asked her what was wrong with Ron. Not knowing what to say, as she herself didn't know why Ron was like this for so many days now, she just told the plump boy that they had an argument. Neville just shrugged his shoulders at this comment as it was a common thing for Ron and Hermione to have an argument nowadays.
"Ron" Hermione said as soon as she caught sight of her friend sitting at his usual place near the fire. "Ron…I am sorry" Hermione said softly. Slowly she took her position in her favorite chair, maintaining a steady gaze on Ron's face. Even as seconds trickled by, no response came from Ron, which was very unlike him.
"I am sorry" Hermione said again.
"For what?" Ron finally spoke which caused Hermione to breathe a sigh of relief.
"For saying whatever I did" Hermione replied.
"For being grumpy?" Ron spat back but somehow Hermione managed to control herself. "For being a git, for not talking to anyone, for going around alone, for being…"
"Please stop Ron" Hermione said with glistening eyes. "Please don't say all this"
"Hermione, this is what I am now" Ron said in an angry hiss. "This is what you will have to deal with now and…" Ron stopped at this point and Hermione, following Ron's gaze, saw Harry coming down the boy's dormitory stairs. "And…" Ron said in a bitter and hatred filled voice "…this is what he has made me". Harry, who had not looked at his friends, stopped dead in his tracks when he heard Ron's words and looked around to see Ron pointing a shaking finger towards him.
"This boy has changed me" Ron burst out. "I thought of him as a friend but he doesn't care, not even for you Hermione. He thinks he is above everyone else" Ron said as he stood up and took a step towards Harry. "He thinks we are not worthy enough to be his friends anymore. I was jealous of you Potter…" Ron said, talking to Harry directly for the first time "…I was jealous of you but you showed me that there were things beyond jealousy. You showed me that I was wrong and I was happy about that. I was happy for the FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE to be proved wrong" Ron shouted.
Harry stood stunned as he heard Ron's words. He knew that there must have been some altercation between Hermione and Ron but he had never expected Ron to behave like this. Least of all, he had never expected Ron to talk directly to him after the cold war, as he liked to call it, which was going on between them.
For a moment Harry felt grateful that Ron was happy to be proved wrong. He knew that Ron knew that he had been wrong in being jealous of Harry but he had always thought that Ron would never have admitted it so openly. But here he was, standing in front of Hermione and Harry and admitting his mistakes.
"Yes Potter…" Ron continued in a more civil manner "…I was happy to have been proved wrong but now…" Ron paused for a moment as he surveyed Harry from top to bottom before he lashed out "Now I hate everything about you. No Potter, I am not jealous of you anymore" Hermione, who had been too shocked to even get up from her seat, looked on in even more shock at the scene which was unfolding in front of her. "Rather I would hate to be so selfish like you Potter, you who doesn't care about his friends anymore. You have changed me again"
Turning back towards Hermione, Ron said "Why don't you ever say anything to him Hermione? Why do you keep asking me? Why does everyone keep asking only me? WHY ME?" Ron was now shaking in anger. "I AM GRUMPY. I AM BAD. BUT I AM NOT…NOT LIKE HIM"
Harry could take it no more. The past couple of days had already been a nightmare for him and today Ron was rightfully accusing him. Without waiting to listen to anything more which Ron had to say, he left the common room.
"LOOK AT HIM" Ron shouted as Harry went out of the portrait hole. "Look at him Hermione. That is what Potter is like now and you all keep asking me why am I like this". Hermione had got up from her seat and was trying to stop Ron but he seemed out of control and kept on talking hysterically.
"You all want to know why I am like this, don't you?" Ron said as he looked Hermione directly in her eyes. "I am like this because of him. He taught me a lot about friendship and LOOK AT HIM NOW" Ron shouted. "LOOK AT HIM DESTROYING HIS LIFE AND LOOK AT ME WHO CANT EVEN HELP HIM. I - CANT - BEAR - IT - ANYMORE."
Hermione looked shocked beyond reason. She had been assuming all along that Ron was angry because Harry was avoiding all of them but what she had just heard was what she had least expected. She had been expecting another bout of jealousness from Ron but this Ron spoke differently. This Ron was angry because he couldn't help out Harry and not the Boy-Who-Lived.
"I miss him Hermione" Ron said in a whisper and Hermione saw tears in the eyes of Ron for the first time in her life. "I miss him very much but that doesn't mean that I can't stay away from him. If he is happy staying away from us then I wont say anything but…but…HE IS NOT HAPPY Hermione, he is not happy" Ron said as he slumped down in his chair, oblivious of the fact that their classes were scheduled to start within another 10 minutes. Hermione, on the other hand, was too shocked to notice that they had been alone all this time.
"He is not happy Hermione" Ron repeated once again. "I keep seeing him all day long and I can tell that he is not at all happy with all that is happening. If I had not known him better, I would have said that he is under the imperius curse" Ron said in a whisper, his head in his hands. Hermione couldn't be sure but she thought she saw him blinking back tears. "Don't ask me what is wrong…" Ron continued "…ask him what is wrong. Once he is ok, I will be fine too"
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Tonks was sitting by the warm fire in the trunk when she saw Harry come in and disappear into his room without looking around even once. One look at his face and Tonks knew that Harry was in great distress but she couldn't go up to him and help him out, at least not now when her ego stopped her.
The past couple of days had been very tense in the trunk. Though all the occupants had had their meals together as usual, there was a chill in the air of the trunk which wasn't hard to notice. Remus had raised the topic only once but after getting no response he had let the topic drop. He was far too experienced in life to know about the little arguments which went on between friends and families and he knew that it was just a matter of time before everything became normal again.
Tonks had thought very hard about what had happened over the past few days and wondered as to why she had reacted the way she did. She knew that what Harry had done was right in a way. Well, if she was truthful to herself, she liked the idea of Fudge working under someone for a change but still, somehow, Harry didn't fit the picture of a blackmailer.
The more Tonks thought about the Fudge issue, the more problem she had thinking of Harry blackmailing him. Maybe, she reasoned, she had somehow put Harry's image on a pedestal so high that she couldn't expect him doing anything wrong. Maybe Harry was as human as they all were but she still thought of him as someone more than a mere mortal. He was different than the others. True, everyone is unique in their own way but Harry was more different than normal.
The past few months for Tonks had been spent in getting to know Remus and Harry better and the more Tonks saw of them the more special she felt to be a part of their family. Remus was always the cool headed elder of the family who stepped in only when it was required but Harry was a person with whom you could have loads of fun. Tonks had enjoyed each and every moment she spent with Harry and, in their teasing moments, had come to know the human side of the Boy-Who-Lived.
For the past couple of days, Tonks had spent most of her time thinking of her interactions with Harry and, somehow, she couldn't think of him as a mere boy anymore. Harry had grown up though no one knew his exact age anymore, but what was even more important was that he had grown up to be a mature young man. He had a lot of burden on his shoulders and yet he didn't show signs of being under pressure, which was quite an amazing thing. Gone was the innocent boy who had known nothing except for the small world he lived in, who hoped for nothing else than a loving family, who wanted nothing more than having a cute girlfriend.
That innocent kid had now been replaced by a young man, in his late teens, who now wanted only the happiness of others, who would give up on his own life if it could make the difference between the war between good and evil. This person now lived every moment preparing for a fate which was written even before he was born, living every moment as if it could be his last. This person had given up on his happiness to try to protect others and stayed away from his friends in fear that they might be harmed. This same person now no longer wished for any relationship with anyone else except for 2 others and an elf. This person now no longer wished for a cute girlfriend anymore.
Tonks had seen most of this development in front of her eyes and she knew that the burdens of Harry's life had made him do what he had done but still, she wished it had not been him. She couldn't bring herself to grip with the fact that the innocent boy she had known was not so innocent nowadays. She liked the new person but she had loved the older one even more.
Love? Tonks had initially laughed at herself when she had thought of this word. Love was something which seemed forbidden for a girl like her. After all, all she was worth was the fact that she could be anyone's dream girl but she knew that Harry would never ask her to do anything like that.
Wait! Why did the question of Harry asking her to change her shape even come into the picture? This question caused a lot of confusion in her mind. Along with this one, another question also bothered her very much - why was she jealous of Rita? Tonks knew that Harry deserved a nice girl and not some early-thirties witch like Rita but that still did not help her understand why she was angry with Harry because of Rita.
Tonks had spent a lot of time thinking of how she felt about Harry. She didn't know when but somewhere in the past few months, she had developed a soft corner for Harry. She wanted him to like her and to be always friends with her. She wanted to know everything about him and wanted to take away all his pain. But she had pushed away all these thoughts to the back of her mind as just friendly feelings. But this time, during her altercation with Harry, she had found that the image of Harry she had crafted so delicately over the past months was flawed. She didn't know everything about him and hence the image had developed gaping holes in it. But still, her feelings for him had not diminished a bit.
But didn't she know a lot about him, this was the question which Tonks asked her countless times in the past 72 hours, and the answer to this was - yes. She knew Harry well enough to like him a lot and with the new findings, somehow she liked him even better. Maybe it was because it made Harry a human too, maybe it was because she could now guide him in some ways or maybe it was because he had shared some of his secrets with her. She couldn't pinpoint the exact cause of her liking him more than before and was also not too keen on finding the reason because of another important question which was looming in front of her - what did Harry mean to her?
Tonks spent loads of time at work and at home to decide her feelings about Harry. Harry was after all the Boy-Who-Lived and who was soon going to be either have to kill or be killed but she wasn't interested in all that stuff. She knew that he was a kind person who cared for others and she liked him for that. Adding this to all the other things she knew about him, she couldn't deny one single truth, the truth which was the real reason for her jealously of Rita - she had fallen for Harry the person and not the Boy-Who-Lived and she had fallen hard.
&&&&
"Why does Ron have to blame me for everything?" Harry said to himself as he threw away his books on his bed. "Why doesn't he just stay away instead of blaming me? Tonks blames me, Ron blames me, Hermione blames me…"
Harry sat down in the corner of his bed thinking again about what had happened in the past 72 hours. It seemed like his whole world had changed for the worse even without a dark lord in his sights for the moment. After sitting in the dark for quite a long time, Dobby entered and informed him that dinner was ready.
"Any news?" Harry asked hesitantly as he sat down at the table. Remus saw that neither Harry nor Tonks were looking at each other and came to the conclusion that their differences were still not dealt with.
"The ministry caught 3 death eaters today" Remus said. "They had all come to escort certain people for recruitment"
"Why would the death-eaters escort new recruits?" Harry asked. "All they have to do is send portkeys and the recruits will reach the targeted places"
"You are right about that" Tonks replied this time but her voice was quite professional, as if she was explaining something to a new recruit. "Actually it seems that the ministry had obtained a list of names of people who were going to be recruited. Many of those people had been contacted by the ministry and they were told that they would be provided with ministry protection. While some of them refused, others agreed to take our help. Out of the total 13 people we had contacted, we have been able to protect 8 of them"
"What about the others?" Harry asked, forgetting that he was not on the best of terms with Tonks right now. After all, personal differences had no place when there were people's lives at stake.
"It seems that the others willingly went on to join the dark forces" Tonks replied with a sigh. She knew that the more the number of death-eaters around, the more was the threat on everyone else, including Harry.
"I see" Harry replied thoughtfully. Pausing for a minute, in which he didn't even touch his food, Harry asked his next question "What happened at the Order meeting about Percy?"
Remus looked sad at this question and Harry assumed that it had gone as worse as it possibly could. Tonks also looked at Remus in anticipation as she had not been at the meeting that day due to other Order duties.
"It didn't go well" Remus said. "I had told Dumbledore about the situation initially and he had asked only Arthur to come to the meeting. When we told him the news, he didn't believe it"
"And?" Tonks prompted Remus after he had remained silent for quite a few moments.
"Well, he thought that this was some kind of a joke" Remus said. "It was very hard for him to even believe it. Ultimately, when he was sure that we were not joking, he broke down completely"
"I feel so awful" Harry whispered. He loved the Weasleys very much and Mr. Weasley was one of his favorites because of his down-to-earth attitude and also because of the fact that he provided the stability factor to the Weasley household. If Mr. Weasley broke down, then who would provide the required support to Mrs. Weasley?
"This was bound to happen" Remus said in a consoling voice. "You couldn't have done anything about it. Anyway, Arthur recovered well after that and he has promised to inform the Order of all of Percy's activities. It seems Percy had visited them only once around 3 months ago to collect all his remaining things. After that, there has been no word from him"
"Fits in with the scene perfectly" Tonks commented.
"What else happened?" Harry asked Remus in his guilt-filled voice.
"Dumbledore has personally set up wards around the Weasley home" Remus said. "We just hope that Percy keeps in mind that they are his family"
"It's all my fault" Harry said. "If I had informed everyone earlier, then perhaps we could have taken these precautions earlier. I had almost messed up their whole lives"
"Better late than never" Remus said in a soothing voice.
"Remus, I have something else to confess too" Harry said while Tonks seemed to tense slightly. "I gave the list of names to Fudge"
"You?" Remus looked startled while Tonks looked as if her suspicions had just been confirmed.
"Yes" Harry replied and looking Remus in his eyes, Harry added "And I want to tell you something more also"
"So..." Remus said after he had patiently listened to everything which Harry had to say "...you are Simon and you did a lot of this. Hmmm...I must admit that I am a bit startled at all this"
"I know" Harry said before asking tentatively "Are you angry with me?"
"Angry?" Remus looked even more startled at this. "In what sense? If you ask me whether I am angry with you for getting Fudge to do some good work, then my answer is no. But if you ask me if I am angry with your tactics, then I am slightly upset. Not angry but upset because you can land in great danger because of your methodologies. Have you ever thought what could have happened if Fudge ordered Simon's arrest?"
"But he wouldn't" Harry replied. "He is too afraid"
"But what if tomorrow someone places him under the imperious curse?" Remus queried. "That person could use legilimency to read his mind and can see the importance of 'Simon' in Fudge's life"
"Maybe you are right" Harry replied thoughtfully. "I had never thought of this thing"
"Another thing is that..." Remus paused a bit before saying "...that I don't like you doing all this blackmailing stuff. I mean..." Remus raised his hand to stifle Harry's protest "...what I mean is that it is ok when you are in school or playing pranks with friends but in real life, it can get murky sometimes"
"Then tell me what I should do?" Harry said in a frustrated voice. "Tell me what you would have done if you had been in my situation."
Remus looked thoughtful for while as he went over everything which Harry had told him. "To tell the truth, I don't know what would I have done" Remus said. "Maybe I would have gone to Dumbledore, maybe I would have given this to some leading newspaper, maybe...well…there could be so many things which could have been done. I really don't know what I would have done but what I know for sure is that the path you have chosen is a risky one."
"Maybe" Harry said as he got up and slowly walked towards his room.
&&&&
The next few days at school passed in a blur for Harry. In a way he was learning quite a lot of things but it was also a fact that most of the time he was lost in other thoughts too. Ron seemed to have quitened down a lot in this time and he seemed to be avoiding Harry too. What Harry didn't know was that Hermione had stepped in and had asked Ron to leave Harry alone for some time. She had managed to convince Ron that Harry would get back to being normal and that maybe he was waiting for something.
Hermione herself was very busy in her own way. She had taken on a self-imposed duty to find out what was wrong with Harry and for this she had started interacting a lot with Neville, Cho and Soha. Neville and Cho told Hermione that Harry always talked to the point nowadays and did not beat around the bush. Neville also added that Harry had given him tips from time to time as to how to run the D.A. and Cho also added that Harry seemed to be there for them when they needed his help. All this seemed quite puzzling for Hermione as, on one hand, she found Harry to be very co-operative while on the other hand, he was keeping his interactions to a minimum.
After talking to Neville and Cho, Hermione talked to Soha in detail. Soha told her how helpful Harry had been initially and how he was the main source of her gaining confidence on the people at Hogwarts. She told her that Harry seemed very normal most of the time but whenever she had asked him about Ron and Hermione, he seemed to just shut up. In fact, he had once even told her that he didn't want to talk about them.
"You mean he didn't even tell you how he became best friends with me and Ron?" Hermione asked in puzzlement.
"No" Soha replied. "He never brought up the topic involving the three of you. It seemed to upset him or something"
"But Harry doesn't get too upset nowadays, does he?" Hermione said thoughtfully based on one of her observations.
"He never got upset in front of me" Soha replied thinking that Hermione had posed the question to her. "I mean, sometimes he is a bit moody but he has never been upset so much that he wouldn't even talk to me or something like that"
"Why did you guys break up?" Hermione asked.
"Break up?" Soha seemed somewhat irritated by this question. "What do you mean by that?"
"I mean..." Hermione hastened to add quickly "...that you two had some kind of an argument. At least that's what we all heard"
"I see" Soha said. Harry had asked her to maintain the argument story so that trouble didn't brew up between Soha and Malfoy and Soha had promised that she would do her bit. "Yeah, we had an argument but I don't want to discuss it with anyone"
"But Soha..." Hermione said "...this could be very important for me and Ron. I mean, we have to know what is wrong with Harry and if I don't get all the facts then I will never be able to unravel the truth"
"I understand what you are talking about" Soha replied. "But what I don't understand is what my argument with Harry has to do anything with this. I mean, he must have some other problems with you people. Why drag our problems into this? Believe me, our problem has no connection with any other person"
"Soha, I have to..." Hermione was cut short by Soha this time.
"Enough Hermione" Soha said in an irritated voice. "I am not the kind who discusses my private life in public. I have some problems with Harry and he has some problems with me. I think this is enough for both of us. I can't tell you anything else". Hearing this, Hermione's face fell. Soha's tone has spelled out very clearly that this was the end of their discussion, at least on this topic. With a shrug of her shoulders, Hermione said "Ok. But if you ever think you can be of some help to Harry's two best friends, then please do so. This is a request". Soha gave an affirmative nod and both the girls headed in different directions.
"Have you made any progress?" Ron asked as soon as Hermione had entered the common room and settled in the chair beside him.
"Not much" Hermione said in a disappointed voice. "I have talked to many people and all of them say that he helps them if they require it. Apart from that, he always remains in an almost neutral state"
"Neutral state?"
"I mean, he doesn't talk much to anyone anymore. Cho had asked him to go with him to Hogsmeade and he had refused it too" Hermione explained. "He doesn't have any girlfriend unlike most other people his age. He sits around in the library reading in his free time. I mean, he has changed. I don't know what happened but he has undergone some massive change"
"Is it good or bad?" Ron asked. Seeing Hermione's questioning look, Ron asked "Is it doing him any good or is it harming him? If it is harming him then I will give him a beating"
"Ron" Hermione glared at him before continuing in a calmer tone "It's not harming him now but no one can tell what may happen"
"Yes" Ron agreed. "No one can tell when he might be facing death and we would have no idea about it". With that, Ron got up and headed towards the boys dormitory while Hermione stared at the retreating figure.
Ron had also changed. His change may not have been drastic but, for the first time in many months, he was talking to Hermione about what might be good for Harry. Hermione assumed that for these past months he must have had a terrible time without his best friend and some kind of a volcano of emotions had been building inside him. This volcano had erupted the other day in front of Harry and after that, Ron had settled down a bit. Sharing his feelings with Hermione had been a great release for him and at least now Hermione knew that he was not acting out of jealousy but rather out of anger - anger at being sidelined when his best friend needed him the most.
&&&&
October 20'th came and went and Harry's miserable feeling grew even more. It had been 9 days since he had talked to Tonks normally and these 9 days seemed like 9 months to him. Each moment he passed in the presence of Tonks, unable to talk properly to her, was like an eternity to him. He had never expected this to be so stressful for him. To tell the truth, his relationship with Remus and Tonks over the past few months had been like a honeymoon period for all of them. Yes, some minor disagreements had been there but all each of them could remember was the numerous happy times they had spent together. Harry reasoned with himself that this was too good to last for longer periods of time but what made this situation so painful was that he was the source of all the tension.
The more he thought of the situation, the more helpless he felt. Finally, after thinking continuously for over 3 hours, he decided he would have to take the first step and try to normalize his relation with Tonks. With this on his mind, he walked out of his room to find Tonks sitting at the dining table and having her midnight snack but to his surprise, she seemed to be wide awake and fully dressed. An awkward silence followed as Harry took a seat opposite to Tonks and tried to formulate a sentence which could initialize a discussion. Finally, finding nothing else to say, he began with the only thing which came to his mind.
"Hi". Two voices chorused the same words. Harry guessed that Tonks had been thinking something similar to him and had come to her decision at the same time as himself. Tonks seemed to be fidgeting in her seat but Harry didn't notice it as he was more concerned with his own squirming.
"I am sorry". Two voices chorused for the second time. Both Harry and Tonks couldn't help but smile at the second coincidence and this seemed to have a relaxing effect on the whole atmosphere in the room.
"I wanted to say something" Harry said, raising his hand simultaneously to avoid a third coincidence. Tonks gave a slight nod in acknowledgement and Harry continued "I should have apologized earlier but…well…anyway…what I wanted to say was why I am doing all this"
After taking a deep breath, Harry said "Tonks, I am not that innocent little kid you met at Privet Drive. I have changed and this is what I am now. I mean…" Harry paused for a few moments in which his attention was greatly focused on his palms "…you know what, maybe I would have liked to live at Privet Drive my whole life. At least, in that case, I wouldn't have been responsible for all that is happening here. I can't just leave all these people to Fudge. And if someone else replaced Fudge, is there any guarantee that they will help us? I don't think so. I…"
"Please stop" Tonks said in a whisper. Harry looked up at Tonks and saw that she was looking strangely at him. "I shouldn't have said all that I did"
"No Tonks, you were..."
"Will you let me speak for a moment" Tonks said forcefully which caused Harry to shut up. A few moments of silence passed before Tonks said "I said some things to you which can't be very nice to hear. I myself wouldn't have liked to hear all that stuff. But what was more important for me was to figure out what I feel about you...r...your actions" Tonks suddenly looked panic stricken at this and stammered along. Relief washed over her features as she noticed that Harry had not been able to figure out anything from her words. With a inwardly sigh of relief, she continued "To tell the truth Harry, maybe I would have done the same thing as you but then, I might have ended up hating myself for it...maybe not...I really don't know"
"But I hate myself for it" Harry said in a whisper. "I am a blackmailer but do I have any choice Tonks?" Harry looked at Tonks dead in the eyes and Tonks, for the first time in many months, saw the little kid she had known initially. There was the same helplessness in his eyes, the same fear, the same insecurity which she had seen when she had first met him and she wanted to reach out and take away all the pain and sufferings and yet, she was unable to do so.
"Tonks" Tonks was brought out of her thoughts by the strange strangled voice of Harry. "I might be everything bad which you can think of but I do not pity others. I swear I do not pity you or anyone else regarding money. Never..." Harry choked off at this and turned his gaze away from Tonks but not before she had seen some moistness in his eyes. She now understood the full impact of what one of her particular statements had caused.
"I am sorry Harry" Tonks said as she reached out to hold his hands. A shiver went through her body but she tried everything in her will power to prevent Harry from noticing any strange behavior. "I...I didn't mean it like that. I...I wanted..." Tonks couldn't bring herself to complete the whole sentence. How could she say that she wanted to hurt him because he had hurt her? How could she say that she wanted to get even with him because she was jealous of seeing him and Rita together? How could she say why she was jealous of Rita in the first place?
"I am sorry for everything I did" Harry said as he regained his voice and gripped Tonks hands strongly. "I will accept any punishment you give me but I can't stay without talking to you for days on the end. Just don't ask me to change my ways with Fudge and all because it is too late now"
"I understand Harry" Tonks replied, her eyes fixed on Harry's hand holding hers.
"I missed you Tonks" Harry said in a whisper.
"I missed you too Har" Tonks replied, hoping that Harry would understand what her words really meant while simultaneously fearing his reaction. Oh, if only he knew how much she had missed him these past few days.
&&&&
"You look very 'appy today 'arry" Fleur Delacour said to her student who was busy in an extra class which his professor had arranged for him. Harry had been so happy at the normalization of his relation with Tonks that he had been practically skipping though his classes and everything else for that matter.
"Yes Fleur" Harry replied, referring to his professor by her first name because they were alone in the classroom at that moment. "I have had some problems over the last few days and it was sorted out yesterday". Harry's face broke into a grin as he said this.
"Nice to know that 'arry" Fleur replied with a smile. "But what 'bout your potion problemz?"
"I know professor" Harry had a hurt look on his face. "You can fail me if you want"
"I wouldn't do zat to you, would I?" Fleur said as she dwindled a quill in her fingers. Harry saw that she was marking essays and the one in front of her was his own.
"Now, did I say something about failing me if you want?" Harry asked with a slightly nervous look on his face. "I had meant it as a joke"
"I zee" Fleur said in an off-handed manner as she continued to mark Harry's essay. "Hmmm...Unicorn 'air in Flobberworm mucus...zeems to be an interesting recipe"
"It's correct" Harry said confidently.
"When did I zay it waz wrong?" Fleur asked with a smile. Harry looked stunned for a moment and then felt himself turning red in embarrassment. Quickly he went back to his potion and added the required ingredients while Fleur continued to grade his essay. After a while, Harry remembered something.
"Fleur, I need some help" Harry said.
"What 'ave you done this time?" Fleur asked in a professor like voice.
"No! The potion is coming along fine" Harry replied quickly and was relieved to see the professor being replaced by the person he had come to know about a little bit. "I wanted to know what gift I should give to a girl on her birthday"
"Who is ze lucky girl?" Fleur asked, though Harry saw that she wasn't as enthusiastic as he had seen her previously.
"She's not a girl" Harry replied. "I mean, she's a woman"
"Oooooooo" Fleur said in a teasing voice. "Harry Potter likes only women"
"Hey, shut up" Harry hissed but, to his dismay, saw that his words had no effect on Fleur's mischievous look. "It's Tonks. Her birthday is on the 25'th of this month"
"I zee" Fleur replied a bit more seriously this time. "So you want to give 'er a present?"
"Of course I do" Harry replied. "What should I give her? I mean, she's an auror and all. Should I give her something like an auror shield or..." Harry was cut off here by Fleur.
"You don't 'ave any brainz, do you?" Fleur asked Harry in a rather irritated voice which was quite unlike here and then said in a comical mock of Harry's words "Zhould I give 'er something like an auror shield..."
"Sorry" Harry said as he put up his hands in surrender. "See, that's why I am asking you. So, what do you think I should give her? You have talked to her somewhat and you must know what she would like"
Fleur looked lost in thought for some moments and Harry thought it best not to interrupt her chain of thoughts. "You know what 'arry..." Fleur said finally "...you zhould give 'er something which will make 'er remember you". Harry nodded at this because he too wanted his gift to be unique. The only problem was he didn't know exactly what girls liked. "Give 'er something which iz green in color..." Fleur continued thoughtfully. She was also at a loss here because Tonks was not the conventional woman added to the fact that she had very limited interaction with her. "Give 'er a..."
"HOLD" Harry screamed out. "This has to be unique from my side, right? So, if I want to truly give her a good gift, it should come from me. I mean, I should think of it, right?" Fleur only nodded her head in reply. "Something green...yes, I can borrow that concept" Harry said with a smile. "How about an emerald ring?" Harry asked enthusiastically while Fleur looked slightly stunned.
"You know what 'arry, I waz also about to suggest that when you stopped me" Fleur said. "It will be a great gift"
"You think she will like it?" Harry asked with even more enthusiasm.
"She will love it" Fleur replied with a smile.
"Thanks Fleur" Harry said, unable to wipe the satisfied grin from his face. Finally he would be able to give Tonks a present which she might like. At least, if Fleur thought it was a good gift then it should be one, he reasoned.
"Now Mr. Potter" Harry was brought out of his thoughts by a stern voice. "Would you mind cleaning up ze mess which your potion 'as created at your table?" Harry slapped himself on his forehead because he had forgotten everything about the potion he was brewing which had spilled over onto his desk. Quickly he muttered some cleaning spells and the whole desk looked as good as new. Taking his leave for the day and promising his teacher that he would finish the potion tomorrow, a happy Harry walked back to his dormitory saying "Only 3 more days, only 3 more days..."
&&&&
Two days passed in a haze for Harry whose mind was occupied only by the thought of the ring which he had ordered for Tonks. Finally, as the whole family gathered for dinner on the night of October 24'th, Harry saw that Tonks looked slightly nervous while Remus looked very calm and was happy that things had returned to normalcy.
"Both of you remember why tomorrow is special, right?" Tonks spoke up for the first time since they had started dinner.
"Yeah" Remus said in a very important fashion. "How can we forget what day tomorrow is"
"Yeah" Harry added in a similar tone. Tonks seemed to relax at this as she thought that at least this time someone would wish her on her birthday.
"So Harry, have you decided what to do tomorrow?" Remus asked while Tonks looked quite excited at hearing this, thinking that Harry had something planned for her.
"I really don't know" Harry said with a helpless look on his face. "Maybe Tonks can help me out with it"
"Yeah...yeah...I can" Tonks almost started bouncing up and down on her seat.
"So..." Harry started slowly, looking at the happy face of Tonks "...do you think I should..." at this point, Harry's voice trailed off.
"You should what?" Tonks asked expectantly. "Tell...tell...I will help you decide"
"Do you think I should go out with Ginny or Cho tomorrow?" Harry asked, suppressing a guilty grin. After all, both Remus and Harry knew that Tonks loved to be surprised and that was exactly what they had in mind. At hearing this question, Tonks looked like a balloon whose air had just been let out and both Harry and Remus exchanged guilty looks.
"Both of them asked me for tomorrow's Hogsmeade weekend" Harry tried to explain his situation to a crestfallen Tonks. "But I have to meet you guys in the afternoon..." Tonks brightened up slightly at this "...because you promised me a party on the second Hogsmeade weekend". Tonks face fell again as she heard this. "So you see, I am in a fix now. What do you think I should do?" Harry asked Tonks very seriously.
"Go out with McGonagall" Tonks replied in an irritated voice and stomped her way out of the room. Both Remus and Harry burst out laughing the moment they saw Tonks enter her room and slam the door shut.
"You know Remus, I think we overdid it" Harry replied once he had got his breath back.
"Good for her" Remus replied looking every bit the marauder he was. "Just think of how happy she will be tomorrow"
"Yeah, that's right" Harry agreed. "Hopefully she will forgive us later on"
"Don't worry" Remus replied, trying to convince Harry. "She will forgive us the moment we wish her. By the way, you have made everything ready, haven't you?"
"I brought everything and Dobby set up the things nicely" Harry replied.
"And how are we getting there tomorrow?" Remus asked. "You still haven't told me yet"
"Portkeys" Harry replied with a wink.
&&&&
"Bye you guys" Harry said as he rushed towards the door of the fifth compartment on the 25'th of October. "I will meet you guys in Hogsmeade later today" Remus waved him while Tonks looked very sullen. "Hey Tonks..." Harry cried out before he left. "...I think I will go with Luna". With this Harry quickly turned around and rushed out so that Tonks didn't see his mischievous smile.
"I will kill him one day" Tonks said in a low whisper as she saw Harry rush out. "How could he do this to me today?"
"Yeah" Remus agreed which caused Tonks to turn around in surprise. Maybe Remus had remembered after all. "He should have gone to Hogsmeade with us and shouldn't have left alone. In that way..."
"Argh" Tonks grunted as she got up and went to her room, not noticing the look of utter glee on the face of Remus. Tonks had taken the day off as was her yearly routine but she had never imagined that this would be her worst birthday ever. In a way, this birthday was just like the one's before – alone and without any excitement - but this time around, she had expected something, at least from Harry. With a sigh, she slumped down on her bed and the next moment she felt a pull behind her navel. But before she had the time to even think, she landed with a bump in a dark room. As soon as she drew her wand, she heard something which she had been hoping to hear for the whole morning today.
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY" Two male voices and an elfish voice shouted as soon as they heard the thump. With a wave of his wand, Harry said the counter-spell to the darkness charm he had cast. With another spell, this time from Remus, the room in which they were present was filled in a mixture of darkness and light and smoke clouds filled up the floor. Tonks, who had returned her wand to its holster, looked awestruck.
"Where are we?" Tonks finally managed to splutter out after she had finished checking the decorations and other things. If she didn't knew better, she would have thought she was in heaven.
"We are in the Shrieking Shack" Harry answered.
"WHAT!" Tonks looked alarmed as she thought that she might not have come to heaven; rather this could be hell. "There are ghosts here" Tonks said in a trembling voice.
"No Tonks" Remus said and explained the history of the shack to her. After listening to Remus for 5 minutes straight, Tonks finally let out a sigh of relief.
"Now that I know the truth about this place..." Tonks said "...I want to finish all of you for the anguish you caused me. Have you any idea about how bad I was feeling?"
"Don't you feel better now?" Harry asked meekly.
"That I do" Tonks said softly before her voice returned to its earlier majestic tone. "But that doesn't excuse you people. That was no way to treat a lady". Tonks closed her eyes and lifted her nose up in the air in a mocking gesture. Harry took the opportunity and gave a slight cough.
"Who coughed?" Tonks eyes snapped open instantly. "You don't think I am a lady, do you? Let me tell you something, I have had tea with Queen Elizabeth herself" As Tonks said this, she took a step forward towards both Harry and Remus and stumbled slightly, causing both the guys to burst out laughing.
"That's enough for today Tonks" Remus said in short gasps as he tried to regain his breath. Apparently, even though he didn't know too much about the muggle world, he was still familiar with the Queen's name. Tonks had a look in her eyes which would have run shivers through any other person present but both Harry and Remus knew it was a fake look. Finally Tonks gaze rested on Dobby who seemed to be laughing as well.
"You little elf, how dare you laugh at me?" Tonks said in an angry tone at which Dobby shut up instantly.
"Dobby is sorry for causing you trouble, Harry Potter's Tonkie" Dobby said in a meek voice.
"Argh..." Tonks grunted. "When will you stop call me that?"
"Dobby is not knowing, Harry Potter's Tonkie". Both Remus and Harry were now rolling on the floor in laughter.
"I - didn't - ask - for - an - answer" Tonks said through gritted teeth. Finally, after Harry had regained his breath, he managed to calm down Tonks.
"Hey, we are all sorry" Harry said in an apologetic voice. "We didn't mean to anger you"
"Who said I was angry?" Tonks asked with a smile and approached Dobby. Finally she patted the trembling house-elf on his head and said "Call me whatever you want to Dobby". If someone had listened a bit more carefully, they would have noticed a hint of hope in Tonks's voice. "I just thought that I would help you guys to have a laugh" Tonks said finally. "But, that doesn't mean you are forgiven for treating me so badly today morning" she said before adding "AND yesterday night"
Remus and Harry exchanged a knowing look. This was the way in which Tonks asked for her presents or whatever she had in mind. Remus was the first one to speak.
"Can this mere werewolf offer you this small gift?" Remus said as he held out a box for Tonks. With trembling hands Tonks opened it and instantly broke into tears. Inside were all the toys and pictures and everything else which Sirius had given to Tonks.
"Oh Remus..." Tonks said in between wiping her tears "How can I ever thank you? I have...been searching for all this for so long now. Don't worry about the tears. These are happy ones"
"We don't want to see you cry Tonks" Harry said and both Dobby and Remus nodded their heads in agreement. "Never ever"
"Will try Har" Tonks said as she closed the box. She would have to take a good look at it tonight when she had some free time.
"And this is Dobby's gift for Harry Potter's Tonkie" Dobby said and gave Tonks an electric-blue colored hand-knitted sweater which had a black lighting streak cutting across it. Harry looked slightly shocked at seeing the plain color combination which was looking quite good and he couldn't help but wonder why Dobby couldn't give such a gift to him. As if reading his thoughts, Dobby said to Tonks "Dobby is thinking Harry Potter's Tonkie is colorful enough and so Dobby making a plain color sweater for her. Is Harry Potter's Tonkie liking it?"
"I love it Dobby" Tonks said in delight and Dobby's face broke into a toothy grin. "Did you knit it yourself? How long did it take?"
"2 months" Dobby said in an embarrassed manner. "Dobby is sorry he isn't able to give more time to the sweater"
"You knitted a sweater for 2 months!" Tonks exclaimed. "Whoa, you have patience. Don't worry Dobby, this couldn't have come out better. I just love it". This seemed to help Dobby regain his cheerful mood once again.
"What about my present?" Tonks asked indignantly to Harry.
"Here you go" Harry said and enlarged a tiny box which had been in his pocket all the time. When the box was fully enlarged, Tonks saw that it was big enough for a TV to fit inside it.
"What did you get me?" Tonks cried out enthusiastically, not daring to touch the box.
"You have to see it for yourself" Harry replied and made himself comfortable in a chair. Tonks saw that she had no other option but to open it herself. Slowly, she opened the box only to find that it fell away, making its way for a smaller box inside. Opening the second box also went the same way and there was a third box inside. After she had done this for 14 boxes, she grew really impatient.
"Is this another of your tricks? What is this – a box in a box in a box? It would be better for your health if you have got me something or else..." She said without taking her eyes off the box. After the 25'th box had been opened, Tonks had a look at the 26'th one and slumped down on a nearby chair. The box in front of her was small enough to fit in her palms and she just couldn't visualize anything so small which Harry could have got her.
"C'mon Tonks, you can't let it get to you NOW" Remus encouraged her.
"Yup" Harry agreed. "Let me see, only 3 more boxes to go"
"Really?" Tonks asked, her child-like exuberance back in its place and she started opening the boxes again. True to Harry's words, after the third box fell, a small ring box stood in its place. Tonks looked stunned at seeing what was before her and sat down in her chair.
"C'mon, pick it up" Harry cried out. With trembling hands, Tonks reached forward and picked up the box. Opening it slowly, she found a small ring with a beautifully cut green emerald positioned on the top. The ring itself was quite plain in its design and overall look, but to Tonks it was priceless.
"Tha...y..." was all that came out of Tonks mouth but Harry understood enough to know that Tonks had liked it. That was all that mattered in the end. For a long time Tonks kept looking at the ring but finally she put it away, much to Harry's astonishment.
"Hey, why don't you wear it?" Harry cried out again.
"You will teach me what to do and what not to do with a ring?" Tonks asked, narrowing her eyes as she looked at Harry. "I will decide it for myself when to wear this ring"
"Ok" Harry shrugged his shoulders. "It's your gift and you can do whatever you want to". After that, all three of them plus Dobby settled down in their respective positions.
"Thank you very much" Tonks said to no one in particular but went on to add "to all of you"
"Enough 'thank you's'" Remus said. "Now, what do we do today?"
"We eat, talk and sleep" Harry replied. "And then we eat, talk and sleep again. Just the routine Tonks follows"
"Hey..." Tonks gave a glare at Harry. "You forgot stumbling". At this, all of them burst out laughing. How could someone ever forget Tonks stumbling around?
&&&&
"Fle...Professor Delacour" Harry called out to Fleur on the corridors of his school. Two days had passed since Tonks had had her birthday and he had yet to tell Fleur about how much Tonks had liked his present. After all, he owed Fleur a report since she had suggested something green to give to Tonks but he always kept forgetting to tell her.
"Yes 'arry?" Fleur said as she turned around to face Harry.
"I forgot to tell you something" Harry said as he caught up with his teacher. Many students around them were giving them jealous looks and it was no secret that many rumors had spread in Hogwarts due to the jealousy of such students. "Tonks liked the present" a grinning Harry informed the veela.
"That's so nice to hear" Fleur said with a genuine smile. She absolutely loved the way Harry was always happy when he could make someone else happy. "You must 'ave 'ad a great time with her?"
"Yeah" Harry replied as he fell in step with his teacher. Both of them had some common corridors to cover before their paths led them in different directions. "All of us had a great time"
"All of you?" Fleur gave a questioning glance towards Harry but quickly understood. "Oh, you mean your friend Remus was there too. So stupid of me"
"No problem" Harry replied. "The bottom-line is that we all had a great time and Tonks liked her present"
"'ope you 'ave a good time during Christmas too" Fleur said hopefully. "To tell the truth, I am quite scared"
"Nah" Harry replied in a very informal manner. "Just make sure that Tonks has her 14-hour beauty sleep during the holidays and the whole world will be able to live in peace"
Fleur smiled at this comment but reprimanded Harry instantly. "You zhouldn't speak of a lady like zat. Everywhere it iz considered bad manners"
"Hey, I am not talking about just any person" Harry protested. "I am talking about a friend of mine. It is just sheer coincidence that she is girl"
"Really?" Fleur questioned Harry. "We will 'ave to see about zat"
"See about what?" Harry asked curiously.
"Well, we 'ave to go on our different ways from 'ere on. See you later 'arry" Fleur said and went away on her way even looking back.
"That's not fair" Harry said as he stood at the cross-section. "She didn't explain what she meant. Oh well, I have to go to my classes now"
&&&&
31'st October came and Hogwarts was full of excitement. The whole place was decorated with all the stuff that was usual for Halloween plus some extra additions had been made this year. But for Harry, this day was always the worst in a year since he had got to know the effect it had had on his life. As everyone was having breakfast at the table in the trunk, Tonks exchanged a glance with Remus who gave an acknowledging nod.
"Harry" Tonks said. "We know how tough it is for you today. Anything we can do for you today?"
"No Tonks" Harry said in a voice filled with sorrow like they had never heard of before. "I will have to fight out this day every year myself. No one can help me in this"
"We know Harry" Remus said. "But if you want us to do anything which would make you feel better then we would be pleased to do it"
With a rather heavy sigh, Harry began toying with his food again. This day brought many questions with it out of which the main question had been answered a few months ago by Dumbledore. Still, Harry had so many things to know about, so many things about...
"Remus, can you tell me about my parents?" Harry asked hopefully. Remus gave a weak smile and nodded.
&&&&
Harry entered the great hall in a much better mood than he had been in the morning. Getting to know about his parents and their antics from Remus had been a great thing for him and it felt like he had got back some of the missing years in his life. Tonks had also taken the day off and all three of them had spent time talking about all the good things about Harry's parents and Remus provided the much needed laughter by telling tales of James's naughty pranks on Lily.
The great hall was bustling with activity as Harry took his seat. He was greeted along the way by many nods and he duly acknowledged them. None of the Gryffindors tried to engage him into a chat as all knew that he had a lot on his mind today. Hermione and Ron seemed full of misery themselves as they couldn't be at Harry's side today but Harry avoided their looks as had become his habit.
As Harry took his seat, he noticed that Dumbledore was not present at the teachers table. This struck him as a little odd because, though Dumbledore had missed many a breakfast and lunch, he always made it a point to be there during dinner time. Thinking quickly Harry came to the conclusion that Dumbledore must be busy in some Order or Council business.
Soon after, McGonagall made the Halloween speech and a terrific feast appeared in front of all of them. As Harry started eating slowly he felt something in his mind. Quickly he strengthened in mind's defenses and looked around in alarm to see who was trying to penetrate in his mind. Snape seemed busy in a chat with McGonagall and that ruled him out of the picture. As an alert Harry looked around, he saw a smile plastered on the face of Malfoy as he seemed to be looking right into Harry. For a moment Harry contemplated whether Malfoy was trying to breach his mental defenses or not. But then Harry felt it.
Harry knew that none of the others could feel it – yet. But from his personal experience, he knew that it was just a matter of a few seconds till everyone detected the feeling. This time however, Harry was not very confident of how he will be able to fight against them because, from the sheer amount of stress his mind was in, he knew that this time around there were a lot of them. Maybe 5…maybe 10…maybe 100. But the time had come for everyone to face one of their worst fears apart from Voldemort.
Dementors.
&&&&
A/N:
Ok guys, here's the 16'th chapter. I know it's late but just as my work pressure lessened, I got a severe bout of fever. Hence the delay.
Well, to all you Ron-Haters out there, I apologize. I don't hate him on impulse and I have tried a different approach with him. Hope you like that. Am I asking for too much? ;)
The Dark Avenger – All I can say is this wont be a H/G.
hattuteline – Thanks for your reviews. I would like to point out one thing though. Harry is not better than the aurors. Rather it is his speed which puts him in a different league. Another thing is that I believe Dobby is more important than we are led to believe. Since house-elves use a 'special' brand of magic which hasn't been described, I am going to exploit it fully. And about chapter 1 – well, all I have to say is that this is the first time I am EVER writing anything, so I needed a starting point. That's why it is the way it is.
Stikye - Interesting review. By the way, where is Carman San Deigo? :)
TimGold – Thanks for pointing out my mistake. Hopefully you liked this chapter.
Avarie – Thanks for your encouragement.
To all those people whose names I don't mention here - Thanks. Each and every word you write in your reviews is of great importance to me and I always take your suggestions/comments very seriously.
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