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 19 - Thoughts
With a hissing voice, the dark lord said "I want the Power of Hogwarts destroyed"
&&&&
"Mr. Potter…Mr. Potter". Harry was brought back to the reality by the sharp voice of Professor McGonagall. "It seems you are not too much interested in transfiguration"
"That's not the case ma'am" Harry replied without meeting the eyes of his professor. "I am sorry"
"Do you have any idea of what I have been saying for the past 10 minutes?" McGonagall asked gravely. Even though she wouldn't admit it, she was more worried about Harry's well-being than his grades.
"No ma'am" Harry replied, still unable to look straight into McGonagall's eyes. Hermione and Ron, who were sitting in a desk adjacent to Harry's, looked at each other in a concerned manner. Both knew that Harry was thinking about something grave, otherwise he wouldn't be so inattentive. After all, in the past few months, Harry had given Hermione a run for her grades and it was only through sheer hard work and additional study sessions that Hermione had been able to maintain a slender lead over Harry in some of the subjects.
"I thought so" Professor McGonagall said. Coming close to Harry so that only he could hear her, McGonagall said "Mr. Potter, I hope to see you here after everyone has left. We will go through the portions of the class which you missed out". Harry gave a slight nod of his head and sighed inwardly. This was going to be one long day.
"What is the Power of Hogwarts?" this question seemed to be haunting Harry for the past 24 hours. This couldn't have been a false memory implanted by Voldemort because Hagrid had also mentioned about some 'power'. Also, even if Hogwarts had been subject to many attacks in the past, Harry didn't think it was possible that the frequency of attacks had been so great. 2 attacks in 3 months, that also when the final war had not started, seemed quite odd.
"Why does Voldemort want it destroyed?" this was another of his queries. This 'power' had not been unable to prevent any of the attacks nor had Dumbledore been warned by this so-called 'power'. What was the use of a 'power' of some kind which didn't prevent anything? Also, this power was not something which Voldemort wanted for himself but it was something which he wanted destroyed. That could mean one of the two things - either he feared that Harry would be able to use it against him or he would be unable to handle it himself and wanted it destroyed forever. The longer Harry thought about this, the more confusing the situation seemed to become.
"Who was that hooded death eater?" thought Harry about the person who had said that the power would be destroyed 'soon'. Harry could swear that it was the same wizard with whom he had fought at Azkaban and, from what he had heard from Macnair, this guy seemed to be the new Bulgarian recruit. He didn't look too much of a recruit to Harry and he seemed to have become Voldemort's most dependable servant along with Bellatrix. If only Snape had still been spying for them, Harry thought with a sigh. Even though he hated Snape, he knew that Remus had a point when he said that he trusted Snape with his job. Snape was like a calm cold-blooded person who would do anything to reach his goals. After all, it was Snape who had worked for Dumbledore so efficiently for so many years with his heart in his hands. God only knew how many times he might have encountered life-threatening situations but right now, Harry dearly wished that Snape had been still spying for them.
"Class over" Professor McGonagall's voice seemed to bring Harry out of his day-dreaming. As he looked at his professor, he saw that she was surveying him closely. One by one, Harry saw everyone leave the room while he remained seated at his place.
"I would like you to speed up your work Mr. Weasley" Professor McGonagall said to Ron who seemed to be the last person remaining in the class apart from Harry. Ron was taking an incredibly long time to get the parchments and books into his bag while Hermione was waiting nervously at the doorway. "I won't start talking until Mr. Potter is the only student remaining" McGonagall made it clear to Ron that there was no point in trying to listen to what she had to say to Harry. Ron got the hint and quickly cleared out his desk. Soon, Harry and McGonagall were the only remaining people in the classroom.
"I am sorry ma'am" Harry spoke before McGonagall had a chance to say anything. He knew that if he wanted to save himself from another thirty minutes of transfiguration lectures, then he had to do something quickly. "I will read up the portions tonight and will be prepared for it tomorrow. You can question me tomorrow if you like" Harry added.
"Good" Professor McGonagall said in reply and Harry seemed to relax a bit. "And no..." McGonagall said just when Harry had started to get up to leave you please tell me what is bothering you Harry?"
Harry, who was standing now, sat down again as he realized that transfiguration class was not the important thing here. McGonagall had stopped him to interrogate. Reading the look on his face, McGonagall conjured a chair opposite to Harry and sat down.
"Harry, would you like to hear a story?" McGonagall asked in a most un-McGonagall like way. Gone was the steely voice, the cold mask and everything which made her one of the strictest but fair professors of Hogwarts. In its place, Harry now saw an elderly concerned woman...a woman who seemed as much concerned about him as a grandmother is concerned about her grandson. Slowly Harry gave an affirmative nod in reply.
"There was this student in Hogwarts who had come here with his fate already written" McGonagall started with her 'story'. "It was a terrible fate for anyone; but for a child so small, so innocent..." McGonagall gave a shudder at the thought. "Well...he knew about his fate and knew that only death could end his ordeal. I even think he might have tried to kill himself but I don't know for sure. He used to have terrible nightmares about what might happen to him. Anyway..." McGonagall paused as she seemed caught in a wave of emotions. "...anyway, he reached out for help. Help from his friends, his teachers and everyone who were sympathetic to him. This help was mainly emotional in nature because no one could do anything to change his fate"
After a long pause, in which Harry was thinking who the person might be, McGonagall started talking again "Harry, it must be very tough on you. I can't even begin to imagine what it must feel like when there is a dark wizard trying to kill you. But I assure you that we are here for your help. Anytime you need anything, just ask, ok?" Harry looked long and hard at his transfiguration teacher as if he was trying to get to the real meaning of her words. At last he gave up his attempts and took the words at their face-value. It was obvious that McGonagall was very worried about him and wanted to help him out if he needed it.
"I will keep your advice in mind ma'am" Harry replied politely. He knew he had to talk about his problems with someone and, after this advice session, he sure was going to talk to Remus and Tonks. They might be able to figure out something.
"Ok Mr. Potter" McGonagall seemed to be back in her normal behavior. "You might go now. From the next class onwards, I would like you to be more attentive"
"Yes ma'am" Harry replied and started to walk out of the room when he realized he had something to ask. "Professor, this student you had been talking about...who was it?"
"He was a close friend of you father Mr. Potter..." McGonagall replied without even looking up from the work at hand. She seemed busy in gathering all the books and parchments and, for some reason, she was doing it in the old muggle-way. "...A friend whose boggart turns into a full moon"
&&&&
Remus and Tonks kept glancing at each other as they saw Harry fidgeting around with his food. It was quite obvious that he was in deep thought but it seemed to be more intense than usual. As they kept stealing glances at Harry in between eating, Harry seemed to have come to some sort of a conclusion.
"I have something to tell you guys" Harry said nervously, not daring to meet the eyes of either of the two sitting near him. He shivered from the very thought of what their reactions would be when they heard that he had been keeping his visions a secret from them.
"Spit it out" Tonks said after over a minute's silence. Whatever was coming their way was not going to be good news and one glance at Remus's features confirmed her fears that he was thinking along the same lines.
"Shut u..." Harry cut off his agitated tone and offending words and held up his hands in a sign of apology. "Sorry...I didn't mean to shout. I am just slightly disturbed"
"What is the matter Harry?" Remus asked in a soothing voice while at the same time he glanced at Tonks to indicate to her that it was best if he did the talking. Tonks gave a sigh and gave an acknowledging nod.
"Well...you see Remus..." Harry glanced from Remus to Tonks, who had a hurt expression on her face "...I...I have been having some..." Harry gulped visibly and seemed unable to finish the sentence.
"Visions?" Tonks asked sharply. If that was the case then it was too important for her ego to get in her way. Harry gave an affirmative nod which caused Tonks to let out an audible gasp.
"How long?" Remus asked in a stern and cold voice and Harry felt as if a whip had grazed his back.
"Not for long" Harry answered quickly. At this, Remus gave a slight cough to indicate that he was not satisfied with the answer. "A few months...?" Harry's words came out more like a question than a statement and it seemed that he was trying to check which answer would satisfy Remus. Getting nothing other than a cold stare from Remus, Harry decided it was best to do what Tonks had said - to spit it out.
"Ever since the summer holidays" Harry said as fast as he could manage without being incomprehensive.
"Wha..." Tonks question got stuck in her throat as she understood that Harry had been having these nightmares for many a month. After all, the trunk provided him with loads of time to have nightmares.
"I see" Remus said without any expression in his voice. "Since you haven't told us any of it till now, I think that you have had a more-than-interesting vision this time around, right?"
"REMUS...HOW COULD YOU BE SO INSENSITIVE?" Tonks was trying her best to not shout but couldn't help it. "He has been having nightmares for god knows how long and you are asking him about what he saw? You-Know-WHo could be showing him visions this time around too"
"No" Harry tried to speak in a confident voice but lowered his gaze as the piercing eyes of Tonks dug deep into his. This was going to be trouble.
"No?" Tonks asked slowly. "NO? Oh...I forgot, you are the mighty Potter whose name is mentioned in some damned prophecy. How could you be wrong? You must have used your extra gifts to know what is real and what is fake"
"Tonks...I..."
"You what?" Tonks got up from her chair and circled around the table to come closer to Harry. For a temporary moment Harry saw a beater club appear near Tonks and he shivered at the thought of what Tonks might do. "You what? And you...don't try saying anything" Tonks pointed at Remus as she came to a standstill behind Harry's seat.
"You are his godfather, right? Don't you think he needs a lesson...a lesson which he would remember all his life?" Remus went back to his food since his assessment of the situation read 'critical'. "And you..." Tonks started pacing behind Harry. "You hide things from us initially - forgiven. You stay away from your friends - no comment". Harry knew that Tonks was about to count out all his mistakes to him. "You duel with some duplicates...no...triplicates...no n-licates and get bloodied - forgiven. Oh...I forgot...you acted a hero in Azkaban - forgiven. You also went up against some giants - no comments. You went after the dementors - forgiven. And now...now you tell us...forget that old man...now you tell me that you…". At this, Tonks stopped her pacing while Harry gritted his teeth and closed his eyes in anticipation that something dreadful was coming his way. And he was right. The next moment, Tonks had thrown a full-blooded punch at Harry's face which threw him out of his seat and he crashed near Remus's feet.
"That will teach you not to meddle with me anymore" Tonks said as she got up. She had lost her balance and had tripped over but her anger was so great that she had still managed to hit Harry with her full force. "Now..." Tonks stuttered slightly as she saw a small gash near the left side of Harry's lips. She had been driven so much by her anger that she had completely forgotten about the ring she was wearing on her right hand middle finger. It was a ring which had once belonged to Sirius and she had found it in the box of items which Remus had given to her on her birthday and the ring had cut across Harry's face.
"Now...now..." Tonks seemed unable to finish her sentence and soon her expression changed from one of anger to one of shock. Remus, in the meantime, was helping Harry to his feet and was shaking his head in disappointment. "Oh my god..." Tonks finally managed to say as she rushed towards Harry with tear-filled eyes. "I am so sorry Harry" Tonks said even as she took out her wand. "What were those healing charms...what do you do...damn it!" Tonks threw away her wand in desperation and returned to her seat almost on the verge of tears. Dobby, who had been seeing the whole thing, quietly placed the wand near Tonks and went back to the kitchen again.
"Now that Harry has confessed something important to us...yet again..." Remus said in a normal manner. "...and that you have given him his punishment..." Remus looked at Tonks for a moment before continuing. "...I think we better listen to what he has to say". With that, Remus waited patiently as Harry sat down in his chair and muttered some healing spells on himself.
"I am sorry Harry" Tonks said in a whisper but Harry waved it off. After all, getting punched was much better than been hit by a beater club.
"This thing has to remain only between us" Harry told the other two who nodded in response. With that, Harry began to tell them about all the visions he had had starting with the first vision he had after returning to Privet Drive.
"Are you sure that You-Know-Who is not doing this to you?" Tonks asked in a hesitant voice after Harry had finished his account. Remus looked deep in thought while Harry answered in the affirmative to Tonks.
"Voldemort cannot detect your presence?" Remus asked in a thoughtful voice. To him, that was the most befalling of all the things which Harry had said that evening.
"No" Harry replied confidently. "At least I don't think so"
"Accidental legilimency" Remus said, more to himself than to the others.
"What?" Harry asked in a puzzled manner at which Remus understood that he had been heard by the others also.
"Oh...I was just thinking whether this is some kind of accidental legilimency or not" Remus said. On seeing the blank look on Harry's face, he went on to explain. "You can perform legilimency only on the person in front of you, right?" Harry nodded in reply. "Does that mean that you cannot perform legilimency on the people you can't see? Well...no one knows the answer to that for sure. Many great wizards have had these kinds of visions but mind you, they were not seers. They did not see the future but only the present". Once again a nod came from Harry.
"You and Voldemort have a relation between yourselves and he used this to great effect last time" Remus continued with his explanation. "Both of you could see some important events happening. Now, consider this..." Remus said as he started to look more of the DADA professor which he had been. "...What happens if both of you are good at Occulmency? I am not saying that you are as good as Voldemort...it's not feasible...but still, you are better than most people of your age. Over such a great distance, even Voldemort wouldn't be able to penetrate your mind now. Maybe if he was standing in front of you..." Tonks gave a sharp kick to Remus from under the table which effectively caused him to resume with the topic on hand.
"Like I was saying, what happens when you are both good at Occulmency?" Remus asked Harry whose reply came with a shrug of his shoulders. "Sometimes...well, very few times, one has a vision of the other. This is completely involuntary in nature and it comes at rather odd times. Even if you tried to break into Voldemort's mind, you will not be able to do so but suddenly…zap...something hits you...and you have a vision"
"It means..." Harry started to talk in a slow manner but Remus didn't seem to have heard him.
"This is what is known as accidental legilimency. It was something..."
"...Voldemort can be having visions about me too" Harry said in a slightly raised voice as he tried to understand the consequences of what Remus had just said.
"What did you say?" Remus asked, slightly wondering why Harry had cut him off.
Getting no response from Harry, it was Tonks who spoke up, albeit in a low, fearful tone. "He said that You-Know-Who could also be having visions..."
"Yeah" Remus said slowly as he understood Harry's fears. If Voldemort really had visions of Harry, then it would be really difficult for Harry to fight him. After all, all Voldemort needed was a vision and he would know that Harry was preparing himself for a final showdown.
"Harry..." Tonks said "...you don't have to worry about that"
"Nice try Tonks but I won't laugh at such a stupid joke" Harry replied sarcastically. All three sat silently for a few moments as they tried to assess the situation and they all knew that it was a really sticky one. It was Harry who spoke first and, quite unexpectedly, his voice seemed quite normal.
"You know what..." Tonks was surprised to see Harry smiling wryly at them. "...someone once said to me - What is going to come will come and I will have to meet it when it does. So, I think, we don't have to worry too much now"
"That's true" Remus said. "But you have to be extra careful from now onwards. Even then...anyway, what did you say about the Power of Hogwarts?"
"Voldemort is trying to destroy it" Harry said. "I think that Wormtail tried to sneak in many times to get it but failed. But that wouldn't explain the dementor attack"
"In fact it does" Tonks said this time. "Dementors are one of You-Know-Who's most prized fighters, if I may say so. They are not effected by most of the curses and yet they can destroy armies of wizards and witches"
"Yes..." Remus said, picking up the thread of conversation. "They could have got the better of the people at Hogwarts and gone to Dumbledore's office easily"
"And then?" Harry asked.
"And then...hmmm...that is the point here. What happens next?" Remus pondered aloud. "Dumbledore is not foolish enough to leave his office unguarded if there really is something that important here. Everyone would go to his office first"
"Right" Tonks agreed. "I don't think it is something physical. Rather..." all of Tonks mental sensors seemed to be working overtime. "...can't it be some magic spell?"
"It could be" Remus replied. "But what is the use of a magic spell unless it keeps Hogwarts safe?"
"What if it is not meant to keep Hogwarts safe?" Tonks asked suspiciously which caused Harry's head to snap in her direction. The current tone of Tonks voice was like that of a detective nearing his (or her) target.
"What do you mean Tonks?" Remus asked.
"What if the spell is being used to keep Harry safe?"
&&&&
"Great" Harry thought as he made his way towards the charms classroom. "What else can one ask for in life? Orphan from the age of one year; brought up by dreaded relatives; marked by a dark lord as equal or semi-equal or god knows what; will either kill or get killed; and now, one of the greatest sorcerers of all time is protecting me with some unknown power". Harry shook his head in despair. "I think I will leave all this studying and stuff and will start writing a novel or two. Or maybe Voldemort can fight me in some fund-raising wizard duels". Harry snorted at this thought and drew some stares (in addition to the normal ones).
The whole day passed by in a blur as Harry thought about nothing other than what he had started calling as the Power. Every turn he took, every tree in the grounds, every hidden passage in the castle, every corner, everything seemed to be of suspicious nature to him. It was as if he would find himself in some field of energy generated by the Power and he would be indestructible. At least, that was what Tonks had said and, in a way, she could be right. After all, Harry had come out unscathed in the two battles at Hogwarts and this couldn't be a coincidence.
But what if Tonks was wrong? After all, Dumbledore may be setting up some kind of an army to protect Hogwarts. Or maybe even attack Voldemort. Anything was possible. Maybe 'Power of Hogwarts' was some kind of code language being used by Voldemort. No, Harry thought, Voldemort wouldn't resort to code languages. At least, there was no such record of him ever using code languages or signals and there was nothing gained by thinking that he would be doing so. Then what was this thing which Voldemort wanted to be destroyed?
"Hi" came a familiar sound when Harry was leaving the library in the evening.
"Oh...Hi Cho. How are you doing?" Harry asked with a smile in spite of his overall bad mood.
"Ok I guess" Cho replied as she fell in step with Harry. "So, how come you are always in the library?" Cho asked.
"I don't think it says anywhere that only Ravenclaws should use the library" Harry replied.
"I see" Cho replied. "So Harry Potter is giving Hermione Granger a challenge in some subjects with intensive study"
"Word does get around here fast, doesn't it?" Harry asked without even bothering for a reply. Cho just smiled at this.
"Harry, don't you miss flying?" Cho asked a bit uncertainly.
"Why do you ask?" Harry questioned in reply.
"Well...no one sees you around on a broomstick anymore" Cho replied. "And everyone knows that you love flying more than anything else"
"Maybe some day I will make up for it all" Harry replied. He did miss flying a lot. The more he thought about it the more he felt that he didn't have the words to describe just how much he missed his favorite activity. All for the greater good, he consoled himself with these words.
"You know Harry..." Cho said. "...it was nice seeing you in the opposition team and competing against you. But now, with you hardly ever coming to the grounds...well..."
"Why do I have a feeling that I will be flying soon enough?" Harry asked mockingly. "Maybe I require some practice"
With a smile on her face, Cho said "A lot of people would love to see you back in practice. No one can have enough of you on your Firebolt"
"But I have heard that Malfoy has got one for himself. Isn't it true?" Harry asked Cho.
"Oh yeah" Cho rolled her eyes. "We sometimes forget it is a Firebolt and mistake it for a Nimbus 2001"
"That bad?" Harry made a peculiar face to show his distaste for Malfoy's flying abilities.
"Yeah" Cho replied. "If Ginny had one, Malfoy would end up getting some lesson's in flying a Firebolt properly. And the way he flaunts it, you would think that he is Victor Krum"
"Well, that means Malfoy hasn't changed too much" Harry said carelessly as they turned another corner. "Good for all of us that he is still acting as stupid as last year"
"But he is not" Cho corrected him. "Malfoy has been very quite this past 2 months. We suspect he is planning something"
"With whom? Crabbe and Goyle?" Harry raised an eyebrow as he said this. "No...he wouldn't do that. Maybe his father has asked him to lay low for a while"
"But why?" Cho questioned him. "I don't know what has happened but Malfoy doesn't seem like the one we knew. He is avoiding trouble as much as possible"
"Good news for all of us, isn't it? After all, my first five years were spent worrying about him; otherwise I would have beaten Hermione in the O.W.L's". Cho giggled at this comment from Harry.
"Well, here we are" Cho said as they reached the fork in the passage.
"See you around Cho" Harry said with a smile as Cho said a quick 'good night' and left. It was already past 8:30 pm and Harry wanted to be back in the trunk to have dinner with Tonks and Remus. Quickly making his way towards the Gryffindor Tower, he turned around a corner and stopped dead in his tracks seeing the figure in front of him.
"Harry Potter, I need to talk to you"
"Rowena, what are you doing here now?" Harry asked in bewilderment. "Shouldn't you be in the great hall eating your dinner?"
"But our talk is more important" Rowena said urgently while casting fervent glances around. "Should we go to the room?"
"Hmmm..." Harry said as he made a mental calculation as to whether there would be D.A. members present or not. Rowena seemed to have read his thoughts and put his doubts to rest.
"There is no one there now. I checked it a few minutes ago"
"Ok" Harry said with a shrug of his shoulders and led the way to the room of requirements. On reaching the room, he found that it was indeed empty.
"So..." Harry said when he was alone with the little girl. "...what did you want to ask me?"
"If I am in danger, will you protect me?" Rowena's voice was very calm as she posed this question to Harry.
"Excuse - me?" Harry seemed slightly stunned at this blunt question. "Are you in some kind of danger now?" Harry asked earnestly as soon as he had recovered his senses. "If you are then we will be..."
"No" Rowena cut him off. "I just wanted to know if you would help me if I got into trouble. The other Slytherins don't like me too much"
"I am very sorry to hear that Rowena" Harry said. He knew how it was to feel being hated by others and he didn't want this little girl to withstand such a situation. Kneeling in front of her to come down to her eye level, Harry said "Look Rowena, anytime you are in trouble, you can go to the D.A. members. They will always help you"
"And you?" Rowena sounded slightly disappointed that Harry had not mentioned his name in his statement just now.
"Me too" Harry said as he ruffled the hair of the little girl. "If you don't want to go to the D.A. members, then you can always come to me"
"Anytime?" Rowena asked, her black eyes burning like charcoals in delight.
"Anytime" Harry replied, much to the delight of Rowena. "But tell me something, has anyone threatened you?"
"No" Rowena replied. "But they don't like me ever since you saved me"
"I am sorry for that" Harry said regretfully. "I didn't want to create a barrier between you and your house members"
"Don't worry about it" Rowena replied casually, much to Harry's surprise. "It's better to have Harry Potter on your side than some dim-wits who only follow orders of their seniors"
"Whoa...you are quite the modern, independent woman" Harry said with a smile which caused Rowena to blush. "Oops...sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you". Harry knew that winning the trust of a Slytherin was very difficult but losing it was very easy. It was necessary to maintain a very diplomatic relation with all of them irrespective of their age.
"No problem" Rowena replied with a smile. "I should go now before anyone misses me" she added with a look at her watch. With her cold demeanor back in place, she waved at Harry and was gone. Harry waited for a few minutes and then exited from the room himself. On his way back he felt good about the fact that a Slytherin had come to a Gryffindor with the prospect of a friendly relation. At least there had been some progress in the inter-house relations.
&&&&
"Any progress on the Power?" Harry asked as soon as he entered the trunk. Tonks and Remus were spending as much of their free time as possible on trying to find out something about this unknown power and it had become Harry's habit to ask this question as soon as he entered the trunk.
"Nothing yet" Remus replied without even looking up from a dusty old book which he had open in front of him. There had been no progress ever since Harry had told them about his visions a few days ago.
"Hey Harry..." Tonks called out from her room. "Doesn't You-Know-Who mention anything about what this power is all about? Maybe he could give the name of a book which mention's it."
"I will try to ask him the next time I have a vision Tonks" Harry shouted back while throwing down his bag on the couch. He had a lot of homework to do but that was the last thing on his mind.
"Hey, maybe I can turn into Dumbledore and go to meet Hagrid" Harry's eyes widened at this sudden thought. "And then..."
"And then..." Tonks cried out from her room. "...you can say to Hagrid that you had a memory loss and Hagrid should tell you all about the Power, right? Great idea. You know, these kind of ideas will really help you beat You-Know-Who"
"Shut up Tonks" Harry shouted back. What Tonks was saying was the truth. Even Hagrid wasn't dumb enough to fall for a trick like that.
"It's cheating Harry..." Remus added. "...and believe me, you will feel miserable if you cheated Hagrid. He is too good a guy to be cheated and he loves you dearly"
"You are right" Harry said despairingly. It was true that Hagrid loved him dearly, maybe as much as Remus if not more, and Harry couldn't possibly cheat him.
"What do we do now?" Harry thought aloud as he stretched himself. "Only if it had been Hermione instead of you two, then she..."
"SHUT UP" Tonks shouted from her room. "How dare you try to compare my intelligence with Hermione's?"
"Sorryyyyyyyyyyy" Harry replied. "I didn't know you were that intelligent"
"I sure am intelligent" Tonks shouted back while Harry tried to visualize the picture of Tonks reading book after book during her school years. "I was the best in my class"
"I know" Harry replied. "Professor McGonagall told me that you were the only person studying in Hogwarts that year". Remus snorted at this while Harry was sure he heard a grunt coming from Tonks's room.
"By the way Tonks, which house had the privilege of having you?" Harry gave a wink at Remus as he asked this.
"I won't tell you" Tonks replied defiantly.
"Please Tonks..." Harry asked in a pleading voice. "I really want to know. Please...please...please..."
"Ok...ok. No need to say any more please's" Tonks replied. "I was in Gryffindor". At this, Tonks heard a strange gurgling sound coming from the hall and a second later she heard Remus laughing like mad. Going out to inspect what had happened, she found Harry...no...another Tonks sitting on the couch, with a replica of Gryffindor's sword in one hand and a huge pile of books in front of her (or rather him).
"Oh Remus..." The other Tonks said in a girlish manner. "Could you please pass me my brain-enhancing potion? You know, I have to...oh my...look at that girl. She looks just like me"
"Argh. Potter..." the real Tonks bared her teeth as she said this.
"Ahh...look at her" the other Tonks said in an astonished manner. "She seems bad"
"Ok...ok..." Tonks put up both her hands and tried to calm herself while Remus seemed to be having difficulties in getting himself under control and was almost rolling on the floor in laughter. "I am not required here. I think I better pack up and go". With this, the real Tonks turned around and walked into her room, banging the door behind her.
"Tonks!" Harry shouted as soon as he had transformed back. "Sorry...I am sorry. Open the door". Harry shouted and started to bang on the front of Tonks door. "Open the door". Harry kept shouting and banging the door. At this moment, Tonks opened the door and Harry's fist landed straight on her forehead, causing her to stumble backwards.
"Ouch" Tonks said as she pressed her hand on her forehead. "Why did you hit me?"
"Oops...Sorry" Harry said in a frightened manner. "I was banging the door and you suddenly opened it"
"But that's what you were asking me to do, isn't it?" Tonks asked in an enraged manner. "You asked me to open the door and..." Tonks stopped talking as she saw Harry coming closer towards her. All her anger melted away when Harry pressed his hand on her forehead and started rubbing it slightly.
"Sorry Tonks" Harry said hesitantly. With Tonks, you never knew when a punch was coming towards you.
"Ah...n...no prob...lem...no problem" Tonks was having slight difficulties in making herself clear which only led Harry to think something else was wrong too.
"You ok?" Harry asked concernedly. "Why are you sweating?"
"Nothing" Tonks replied quickly. Not wanting Harry to fuss over her any longer, she quickly added "Don't worry, I am not going anywhere. Just leave me alone for some time. I have to...err...check out something more on this power thing". Tonks pointed at some books which were open on her bed and was relieved to see Harry nod in reply.
"Ok. But hey, I am sorry for what I did" Harry stopped at the door way to say this. "I didn't mean to..."
"No problem" Tonks replied. "Don't you have anything to do?"
"Oh yeah..." Harry smiled gratefully at Tonks. This time he had got off easily. "I think I will take a shower and get my homework done". With that, Harry left the room. Tonks rushed to close the door but her hasty actions were noticed by Remus who was passing by her room towards his own.
"Hmmm..." Remus had a naughty grin playing on his face and Tonks blushed at this.
"What?" Tonks asked. "Stop bothering me, ok?" With that, Tonks banged the door on the face of Remus who was still grinning.
&&&&
"Hi Sarah"
"Hi" Sarah smiled at seeing the disguised Harry enter the store of 'Sknoher Security Services'. Because there were some customers present in the store, she dared not call him by his name.
"Where is Norman?" Harry asked.
"There" Sarah pointed out Norman Woods who was giving a demonstration of some devices to a family of four. Norman looked very busy in his work and Harry didn't want to disturb him.
"So, what are you doing here?" Sarah asked.
"Nothing much except for an interview with the goblins" Harry replied.
"Goblins?" Sarah looked surprised. "They asked you for an interview?"
"Let me re-phrase it" Harry said. "I have to give a report of a new product of the goblins to the press"
"I see. Is it the galleon-purse you carry around?"
"How did you know?" It was Harry's turn to look surprised.
"We have had lots of wealthy customers but none of them has it" Sarah replied. "My guess is that you are the first person to use it"
"Well...yeah" Harry replied, thinking of the circumstances in which he had got the purse. "It will be soon open for everyone"
"Rather, for those who can afford it" Sarah corrected Harry who nodded in reply. It was true that this purse was not a common man's item.
"Anyway, I sh..." Harry paused and looked around cautiously. The wizard radar had just started thumping on his chest and that was not a good thing. "See you later". Harry said quickly and left the shop leaving behind a bewildered Sarah.
"Now, who is here?" Harry murmured to himself as he stood near the doorway of another shop and scanned the area. "And..."
"If you don't have anything to do then get out of my way" Harry heard a cold voice speak from behind. Turning around, he was face-to-face with Severus Snape.
"Please move. You are blocking the exit" Snape repeated again. It then stuck Harry that he was still in disguise and hence Snape had not recognized him. In fact, if he had not heard wrong, Snape had used the word 'please'.
"Sorry" Harry said and quickly moved away. Snape looked suspiciously at Harry for a millionth of a second and left. As Snape went out of sight, the thudding against Harry's chest reduced and finally disappeared, taking along with it the hope of capturing a death eater. Giving a last look at the shop from which Snape had exited, 'Rare Potions Ingredients for Professionals Only', Harry proceeded towards Gringotts.
&&&&
"How did it go?" Tonks asked when Harry returned from his interview with the press.
"Part of a Sunday wasted" Harry said as he entered his room to drop off some of his things.
"I see" Tonks said.
"I met Snape there" Harry called out.
"What?" Tonks asked. "Snape?"
"What was he doing there?" Remus was always concerned whether Harry would be able to maintain his cool if he was face-to-face with Snape in a place where there was no one to stop him.
"Buying some ingredients" Harry said as he came out of his room. "Seems like he is not satisfied with his job as the DADA professor"
"Actually making potions is Snape's hobby" Remus said. "Whenever he used to be free in school, he used to dwindle with potions"
"Why can't he make a killing potion and taste it?" Harry asked so seriously that it took Tonks a second to understand that he was joking.
"Did he recognize you?" Remus asked.
"No" Harry replied with a wave of his hand. "You know what, he asked me to 'please' step aside"
"He did?" Tonks seemed delighted. "Damn...his mommy taught him some manners after all"
"Tonks!" Remus shook his head at the girl but to no avail. "Anyway Harry, I hope you did nothing stupid"
"I was thinking of killing him..." Remus's eyes widened in horror as Harry said this. "...but then I thought I should do that after the war is over. After all, if I am able to kill Voldemort, then I need some motivation to carry on with my life"
"Harry!" This time the glare from Remus pierced the Boy-Who-Lived. "Why do you always pick on him? As for motivation, you might find enough motivation if you look around yourself" The last sentence was said in a much lighter tone by " Tonks gave false coughs at this. "Harry, have you finished all your homework?"
"No" Harry replied, looking a bit curious. Something seemed to be wrong somewhere. "I will do it later on. By the way..." Harry turned towards Remus "...what did you mean by the motivation thing?"
"Forget it" Tonks hurried on to interrupt Remus. "Do your homework now and we could practice some dueling later on. Remus has agreed to take a part in today's lessons"
"Really Remus?" Harry sounded excited while Remus looked daggers at Tonks. Tonks, on the other hand, was almost rubbing her hands in glee.
"Hmmm..." was the only sound that came out of Tonks throat.
&&&&
"Hello Professor"
"'ello 'arry" Fleur replied with a smile. The attitude of Fleur had changed considerably over the past few days and she had slowly regained her former self and interaction ability. "It's your extra potions class, right?"
"Yes Professor" Harry replied quite formally and proceeded towards his seat. Harry, on the other hand, had maintained a very formal relation with Fleur for the past few days so that no further misunderstandings took place.
"What are you going to prepare today 'arry?" Fleur asked.
"The feather-weight potion" Harry replied. He had placed his books and other stuff at his desk and proceeded to collect a cauldron and the required ingredients.
"It's quite cold, izn't it? Better start a fire" Fleur stated and, with a spell, a bright fire started burning in the fireplace. In the meantime, Harry had quietly returned to his seat and was working on the potion.
"Christmas iz coming nearer" Fleur said. She was also in a bit of bother for the past few days as she felt a barrier between herself and Harry. It was as if they never knew each other well enough and she could only guess what it must be for Hermione and Ron if Harry did the same to them. Ok, she had helped build the barrier but it was mainly due to what had happened on Halloween night.
"Yes" Harry replied just for the sake of it. Somehow he had a feeling that Fleur wanted to strike up a conversation to lighten up the mood but he didn't want to push it. After all, he had never been good at understanding girls, let alone women and veela's.
"Look 'arry..." Fleur said with a hint of guilt in her voice. "...I know I 'aven't been in ze right state of mind recently and 'ave been acting strangely..."
"It's all right" Harry interrupted her while he kept on slicing the ingredients in front of himself.
"It's not all right" Fleur said in anger. "You are going to be our guests and I am not even talking to you properly. Don't - interrupt - me". Harry stopped his effort to say anything since Fleur seemed to be in a volatile state of mind. "Ze dementors effected me and I waz afraid of ze consequences. I waz afraid of ze losses. That's why I 'ave been behaving weirdly this past month and a 'alf"
"I understand" Harry stopped his work and looked up at his professor. Fleur, who always seemed ever so calm, seemed to be struggling to keep her composure. "Profe...Fleur, no need to worry. You needed some space so I didn't think I should bother you"
"But you act so...strangely" Fleur looked slightly hurt as she said this.
"Look...like I said, I thought you needed some time to sort out things so I didn't bother you" Harry replied. "I do the same thing with Tonks and Remus. Hell...I don't want anyone to disturb me when I am in a bad mood or worried over something"
"That'z it?" Fleur asked cautiously. It seemed that all her fears of their friendly relation breaking up could be wrong after all.
"Yeah!" Harry exclaimed loudly to emphasize his point. Fleur gave Harry a bright smile and seemed quite satisfied with his explanation. After all, Harry never lied unless he was caught in some kind of a drastic situation.
"How'z Tonks?" Fleur asked mischievously but Harry seemed to have missed the twinkling in her eyes.
"Excited" Harry said grumpily. "Don't know why she keeps talking about Paris and other things"
"She will calm down" Fleur replied. "It's 'er first trip after all"
"So what? It's the first trip for me and Remus too but we are not talking all day about how nice this would be...how romantic that would be". Harry rolled his eyes to make his feelings known which only caused Fleur to grin. "What?" Harry asked when he saw her grinning.
"Nothing" Fleur replied and went back to her work. Harry too concentrated on his potion and it was a good twenty minutes before any of them made another sound.
"Fleur...aren't you too young to be a professor?" Harry asked casually. After all, Fleur could be no more than 19 or 20.
"Yeah" Fleur replied.
"Then how did you...?" Harry left the sentence incomplete but the meaning was clear to Fleur.
"I needed a job and 'ogwarts needed a professor" Fleur explained without even looking up. "Professor Dumbledore saw my zesis and liked it; said I would be perfect for zis job. I spent a lot of time training under a professor in France and zen only did I take up zis offer"
"Zesis...oh...you mean thesis" Harry recovered quickly to prevent causing any embarrassment to his professor. "What was your thesis on?"
"Vampirez" Fleur replied off-handedly.
"Vampires!" Harry seemed to be caught off-balance at this but then he thought that, for a thesis, one would obviously have to do something new or out-of-the-ordinary. "Whoa...you studied vampires. But what relation does it have with potions?"
"Vampirez are said to drink only blood" Fleur turned to face Harry and explained. "But zere are certain potions which can be used to produce ze same effect"
"Really? But they have never taught us anything like that" Harry seemed confused.
"You will learn next year" Fleur replied. "As to why no one talks about zese potions...well...I invented it"
"Wha..." Harry's voice seemed to have betrayed him for a second or two as he tried to understand the implications of what Fleur had just said. If she could do something like that then, of course, she had every right to be a professor. As Harry came to terms with this, he gave a low whistle.
"Now now Mr. Potter, why would you whistle in front of a lady professor?" Fleur asked with a smile which made Harry blushed furiously. At least, both of them were happy that the ice between them had been finally broken.
&&&&
"Hi Hermione. All ready to go?" Ron asked as soon as Hermione came in sight. This year they were going to spend Christmas at The Burrow and Ron was very excited about the whole planning.
"Yeah" Hermione replied but her enthusiasm level was not at its highest.
"What's the matter?" Ron asked noticing Hermione's behavior. "Anything wrong?"
"What about Harry?" Hermione asked after a slight pause. In a strange coincidence, Harry entered the common room at the moment and headed straight for his friends.
"Telepathy" Hermione said in a low murmur as she watched Harry come towards them.
"What?" Ron asked in a surprised manner.
"Oh…nothing" Hermione replied. "Just a muggle word used to describe legilimency"
"They can do that stuff?" The more Ron heard about what muggles could do, the more puzzled he got. They had such a variety of ways to lead lives without magic that sometimes he wondered whether he should try it for a day or two.
"Yeah…shh" Hermione cut short any of Ron's further questions.
"Hi" Harry said just as Hermione had caused Ron to shut up. Both Ron and Hermione smiled at him and said their respective greetings.
"I am going to France for this Christmas" Harry watched Ron's eyes widen at this but he quickly got a control over his features. "I will be staying at Fleur's place and will be safe"
"Nice to know that" Ron said, although a bit sarcastically. He would have loved it if Harry had come over to his place for Christmas but then again, it would mean that he would get very little time to spend with Hermione alone.
"Have a great holidays Harry" Hermione's smile was much more satisfying.
"Same to both of you. Have you seen Neville?" Harry asked. At this, Ron informed Harry that Neville was in his room and Harry, after exchanging a parting word with his friends, left to inform the chubby boy about his leaving the castle for the Christmas break, or at least a part of it.
&&&&
"Remus, what is today's date?" Tonks asked in a bright and bubbly voice. Remus noticed the tone and looked up from the book he was studying.
"22'nd December" came the reply.
"2 more days" Tonks muttered to herself but in her excitement, her muttering turned out to be much louder than she had wanted it to be.
"For the France trip?" Remus asked. Tonks, who looked surprised for a moment, grinned widely.
"Yeah" she nodded her head in a childlike fashion. "We are going to have a wonderful time, aren't we?"
"I really don't know" Remus replied. "Do they even know I am a on Remus" Tonks said. "I am sure they wouldn't mind you as a guest"
"That reminds me..." Remus said. "...some of my friends will be coming along tonight"
"Really?" Tonks sounded surprised. "I didn't know you had a lot of friends"
"They are more friends out of need". At the questioning look from Tonks, Remus explained. "They are all werewolves"
"What the hell!" Tonks jumped up from her seat and some sweat broke out on her forehead. It was only when Remus had started chuckling that she realized that Remus had been playing tricks on her.
"See. You have lived long enough with a werewolf and still you are afraid of them" Remus said.
"No" Tonks retorted. "I am afraid of werewolf packs"
"C'mon Tonks, you have to admit it" Remus replied. "We are not the most famous of people around here. Well...some don't even categorize us as humans either. So you see..." Remus trailed off at this and went back to reading the book open in front of him.
"Don't worry, they will like you all right" Tonks said reassuringly.
"But Tonks, there is a full moon just after Christmas" Remus didn't sound pleased at all as he referred to the date January 2'nd.
"So what?" Tonks asked in a stubborn voice. "You will be back here in the trunk by then"
"Still..." Remus said. "I won't be in the best of shapes in the later stages and I fear Harry's image will take a beating. I mean, who would want a ragged looking man in his house two days before he turns into a werewolf. And you know how I look a few days before that"
"C'mon Remus" Tonks said in a sympathetic voice. "I am sure Harry has worked it out with Fleur. She is a nice girl and her family must be nice too. They wouldn't mind you present"
"Let's see what happens" Remus replied in a tone of finality making it clear that he didn't want to debate on this any longer. After all, it was Fleur's invitation and Harry had accepted it after he had agreed. It was now only a matter of time before he got to know whether the Delacours would hate him as much as many of the other's did.
"By the way, you will be going to Paris with me, right?" Tonks asked Remus again. Remus felt slightly irritated at all this talk about the trip to France but when he looked up to see the happy face of Tonks, his irritation melted away.
"Why?" he asked.
"Because I want you to" Tonks replied.
"Why not Harry?" Remus asked.
"Well...Har...no...I want you to come. Harry can come if he wants to" Tonks stammered slightly but recovered well enough.
"How long have you liked him?" Remus asked quite bluntly.
"What?" Tonks was surprised at this. "I...don...don't understand"
With a long sigh Remus spoke again. "C'mon girl...I was your age too. I know that look you sometimes get. I know why you get angry when something happens to him"
"Harry is a...a...friend" Tonks stammered.
"Just like he is my adopted godson?" Remus asked presenting one of the worst analogies.
"Yeah" Tonks almost shouted at this. Remus gave another long sigh. If anyone could compare those two relations, after seeing them, then that person could only be Tonks.
"Tonks..." Remus said in an advisory voice. "...there is a time and place for everything. Christmas and France may be the right thing for you to happen now". Tonks didn't reply and started staring at the book open it front of Remus. It was an altogether different matter that she was sitting opposite to Remus and the writings on book were upside down to her.
"Anyway, you are the best judge of your situation" Remus knew that no one should be forced into making any decision.
A few minutes of silence ensued which was broken by Tonks "Am I wrong?"
"What? Wrong about what?" Remus seemed puzzled.
"Harry is younger than me" Tonks said.
"Everyone knows that" Remus said. "But I don't think his being younger should have anything to do with somebody liking him. And now, even if I took a wild guess, he should be around 18"
"And I would be around 22" Tonks said. At this very moment, Harry entered the room and Tonks warned Remus with a look to indicate that no more discussion on this topic should take place, at least not for now.
"Hello guys. Started packing yet?" he seemed to be in a jovial mood. Whatever happened now was immaterial and he wanted to enjoy the festive season as much as he could.
"Why should we be packing?" Tonks asked. "All we need is the trunk"
"Yeah" Harry replied. "Silly of me to ask such a question"
"What about the others at school?" Remus asked.
"School's almost empty now" Harry replied. "Only a few people from Gryffindor have signed up to stay and two girls from Hufflepuff are remaining behind"
"That's good" Tonks replied.
"Yeah" agreed Remus. "Dumbledore had initially thought that many families would prefer their children to stay at Hogwarts. But now, thanks to some of our products, a lot of families feel more secure"
"I see" Harry nodded thoughtfully.
"So Har, when do we leave?" Tonks was back to her best mood.
"When Fleur says so" Harry replied. Seeing the evil look which Tonks was giving him, he added "Tomorrow evening"
"Really!" Tonks was almost bouncing on her seat in joy while Remus looked pleasantly surprised.
"I thought we were leaving on the 24'th" Remus said.
"That was the original plan but Gabrielle changed it" Harry replied with a smile.
"She seems to be the most powerful person in the whole of France" Tonks was feeling very happy about the new arrangement.
"Don't know about France but she surely seems the most powerful and influential person in the Delacour family" Harry said as he slumped down in a chair. It had been a long time since he had truly relaxed, mentally and physically, and this holiday seemed to be the best way to unwind himself.
"Why can't we leave today?" Tonks asked with great enthusiasm.
"Because Gabrielle wants us to go tomorrow" Remus replied and rolled his eyes in despair. If Tonks had her own way, they would be sitting somewhere in Paris (why is it so special?) right now.
"Maybe Gabrielle wants us to come today. Maybe Harry should ask Fleur once more" Tonks was now pacing along in excitement.
"No Tonks" Harry replied. He had his eyes closed and his hands were cushioning his head. "We are going tomorrow"
&&&&
"GET UP"
"Oh Tonks..." Harry said grumpily. It had been a long time since he had slept in late and he really wanted to enjoy that feeling. "Why do you have to do this to me every time?"
"We have to go to France today remember?" Tonks asked; the volume of her voice rising and then fading away slightly and Harry guessed that she must be jumping around in excitement (again!). Harry raised his head slightly to see the time in his watch and was shocked - it was 5:20 in the morning. Gritting his teeth and feeling even more grumpy, he tucked his head under the pillow and went back to sleep.
"And then we..." Tonks was babbling along when she noticed that Harry was trying to get some more sleep. "Harry...don't you dare go to sleep again" Tonks shouted. "Already I am having problems with Remus and now you start acting like a kid". Instantly, Harry's head shot up.
"Who - is - acting - like - a - kid?" Harry asked. "And my dear Tonks, you will have problems getting up most people at this time. Hey...how did you get up so early?" Tonks opened her mouth to say something when Harry slumped back on the bed saying "Forget it"
"C'mon Harry. Pleeeeeeeeease" Tonks said.
"Ok...ok" Harry said. "Do one thing, ask Dobby to get breakfast ready. I will be there soon"
"Yipee" Tonks shouted in glee. "That's like my...err...our Harry". With that, she went out before Harry could see her red face. No sooner had she left the room that Harry wished the door to shut.
"Hey...open up" Tonks said. "OPEN UP"
It was well past an hour that Harry finally opened the door to find a sullen looking Remus sitting at the table in front of his breakfast, or rather early breakfast.
"Hey Remus" Harry said jovially as he sat down. "You seem to be pretty excited about this trip"
"Harry dear" Remus said through gritted teeth. "Why did you shut the door to your bedroom?"
"I did?" Harry seemed surprised just as Tonks came in. She gave him an evil look and sat down at her usual place.
"Yes dear godson" Remus continued in the same breath. "And then a storm entered my room which refused to leave until I got up. I have been sitting here ever since"
"Oh..." Harry seemed shocked. It was a quarter to seven and that would mean that Remus had been there from a quarter to six onwards. "Thank god that I closed the door...I mean, the door to my room closed itself"
"Oh well...how long have we got to wait?" Remus asked.
"Fleur said we will make a 8:30 start to arrive for breakfast time at her house" Harry answered.
"Oh no" Tonks looked sad at this. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"I had told you yesterday night but you were saying something about French perfumes" Harry said.
"You guys talk while I take a nap" Remus said and got up. Instantly a bed appeared alongside the table and Remus was soon deep in sleep.
"I can't believe he is sleeping" Tonks said in disbelief.
"And I can't believe that you woke him up that early" Harry shook his head in disbelief.
"What could I do? I was unable to get any more sleep" Tonks seemed very upset at being said the same thing over and over again though Harry didn't give much thought to it. All it needed for Tonks to hear was 'its time' and she would be back to her old self.
"C'mon…" Harry said at last. "Don't make that face. We will be on our way soon"
"Yeah yeah" Tonks replied just for the sake of it. Soon no one was making a sound and Harry saw this as a perfect opportunity to do some meditation. Slowly an hour dragged by and soon it was time to leave.
"Hey Remus" Harry shook awake his godfather who seemed to be quite refreshed from his nap. "Time to go"
"At last" Tonks said but her happiness was marred by sadness. In her opinion, they had wasted a year in the past one hour or so.
"C'mon Tonks, no need to act like that" Remus said as soon as a glance from Harry told him that Tonks was slightly upset. "You are the one who keeps cheering us up all the time and during Christmas you shouldn't be looking so sad"
"So what?" Tonks asked stubbornly. "Who cares whether I am sad or not?"
"Santa does" Remus said which caused Tonks to smile.
"Yeeeeeeeeah" Tonks said; her eyes wide in delight. "If I stay happy and keep others happy, then Santa will bring me a lot of gifts, right?"
"Oh…don't you think it is cute" Remus turned around to face Harry. "Our little Tonks is growing up so fast and becoming so clever". Harry snorted at this but it didn't effect Tonks.
"Laugh while you can…" Tonks said "…but I am the one who is going to get the gifts. And then…" Tonks held her nose high in the air "…we will see who has the last laugh"
"Last laugh?" Harry looked around with a puzzled expression, a fake one at that. "Can someone have it? What is it? Is it something to eat or drink or wear or…"
"Shut up Potter" Tonks snapped.
"Santa's watching" Harry said in a sing-song tone.
"Oops. Sorry Santa" Tonks said and smiled. "Shouldn't we go now? I don't like keeping French people waiting". Remus rolled his eyes at this while Harry made portkeys for the others to take them to Fleur's office. The last thing he wanted was Tonks and Remus walking around the castle with him and people pointing their fingers at him.
"Ready to go now" Harry said after a few seconds of wand-work. "This is for you…" Harry gave a black marble to Remus and turned over to hand a white marble to Tonks "…and this is for you. Just…" Before he could even tell them, both had pressed the activation points on the marbles and vanished into thin air.
"I think they have finally got used to my portkeys" Harry said to himself. "Dobby"
"Yes Harry Potter" Dobby appeared promptly in front of Harry.
"Could you please wait for us at the Delacours mansion or castle or whatever it is?" Harry asked.
"Dobby is delighted that Harry Potter's is asking Dobby to make arrangements for him" Dobby squeaked in delight.
"No" Harry stopped him. "No arrangements for any of us". Dobby's face fell at this. "Go to the Delacours and wait for us. We will be there within 5 minutes"
"Ok Harry Potter" Dobby said with a sigh. Though Dobby liked his job at Harry's place, he sometimes missed the hard work he used to do. After all, all he knew was work, work and more work before Harry came into his life (rather, the other way around) and it was hard to get used to such a lavish life.
"Don't worry Dobby, I think I will find some important work for you to do soon" Harry said in a reassuring manner. Dobby smiled at this and, with a crack, disappeared.
"Now I have to come up with something important for Dobby to do" Harry muttered to himself as he started climbing out of the trunk. "Damn, what have I got myself into again? Anyway, I will think of something soon"
Harry came out of his trunk in his dormitory room and shrunk it to the size of a matchbox. Tucking it away safely in his back pocket, he proceeded towards the dungeons while acknowledging the 'good-byes' on the way. Soon he was with Tonks, Remus and Fleur who looked somewhat in discomfort.
"Any problems Fleur?" Harry asked as soon as he set his sights on her.
"No" Tonks replied. "She's just recovering"
"Recovering? From what?" Harry queried.
"From seeing two people appear out of thin air beside her" Remus replied.
"I see" Harry was relieved to hear the explanation. For a moment he had a feeling that there had been some problem at Fleur's home and somehow the trip could be cancelled. But then, if that had been the case, Tonks would have been moping around. Well, Harry thought, his fears had been unfounded.
"Ok. I think we should go now" Fleur said after another few moments. "Please grab 'old of this" Fleur held out a golden bracelet which she had been wearing. After everyone was securely holding the bracelet, Fleur activated the portkey causing everyone to feel the familiar pull behind the naval. Pretty soon, everyone landed in what seemed to be a garden.
"Welcome to ze Delacour Manor"
&&&&
A/N:
Here's the 19th chapter. Lets see, how many more chapters remain...hmmm...around 4-5 for this fic.
shadowmonk – No. Harry is not going to become dark.
Rhian86 – Yes, my POV changes in the battle with the giants was more than required. Apart from that, whenever I change POV's, I do it to show the reactions of the important characters in the story.
To all those people who have reviewed - 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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