Chapter 6

The first Quidditch game of the year featured Slytherin house against Gryffindor. Neither team bore much resemblance to the teams that Harry had played on or against.

Gryffindor was led by seventh year chaser, Katie Bell. She had found a second and third year witch for the other chaser positions. Dennis Creevey also had been designated as the new seeker. The two pathetic batsmen from the last game of last year had somehow remained on the team. Dean Thomas was playing keeper. Katie had also assembled a full squad of reserves consisting of first through fourth years. It was a building year, but with the exception of keeping the two weak beaters, Harry thought that Katie had made good choices.

The Slytherin team had been completely decimated. Four of the players expected to start this year were dead or in prison. The others had graduated last year. As a result, it also consisted of second and third year students. As Professor Daily had no personal interest or previous playing experience playing Quidditch, the team was captioned and coached by Graham Pritchard, a third year playing keeper.

Harry sat by the witches. Madam Hooch asked the two captains to shake hands and the game began. There was no dirty rivalry between the two houses, rather fourteen players, each trying not to look like fools in front of the rest of the school. The Gryffindor chasers were largely having their way with the Quaffle, not because of any amazing passing ability, rather because Pritchard couldn't effectively play his position and marshal the team at the same time. As a result, he was blocking only about a fourth of the shots. Bell was being double or triple teamed, leaving the other two chasers wide open to take shots.

After two hours the score was 280 – 90. Harry had seen the snitch a half dozen times, but neither seeker had seen it. Both kept looking in the same spots over and over, not realizing that they would have limited success if they kept searching the same ten percent of the field area over and over. In both cases, their searches were two-dimensional and they kept looking in front and below them.

A few minutes later Dennis saw the snitch fly right past him. He started in an obvious pursuit. The Slytherin seeker saw him chasing the snitch, and was soon following. As luck would have it, the snitch flew in a straight and level direction for a few seconds, and Dennis having the faster broom was able to grab it. Gryffindor won the game 440 to 100, one of its largest wins.

As unbiased as Harry was supposed to be, he was very happy for Katie, and glad that no one had gotten hurt. With a win of that many points, they will be in a better position when they played the more experienced Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw teams, especially if the Slytherin team improved, and kept the rest of their matches closer.

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In early November, Harry decided that he wanted to really celebrate Christmas this year. He invited, Molly and Arthur, Bill, Charlie & guests, Fred, George & guests, Katie, Poppy, Flitwick, McGonagall, Dumbledore, Hagrid, Tonks & her father, Mrs. Figg, Moody, Lupin, Susan & Amelia, Hermione and her parents, and of course Ginny. He decided to send out an invitation before too many of the people that he wanted to invite had made other plans.

Dear

I am hosting a Christmas Eve celebration this year and would be honored if you would consider attending. If you can, please arrive at noon. You are welcome to stay the night if you would prefer. Please bring one extra gift to pass around. Please wear whatever you would be most comfortable in.

RSVP

Harry Potter

Christmas had never been an exciting or particularly pleasant time of the year for Harry. Growing up watching the Dursleys and Marge exchange scores of gifts with each other while pointedly ignoring him had largely soured Harry on the event.

Afterwards, he'd gotten the cast-offs in a cruel variation of Boxing Day. Petunia had always left the best items outside (possibly in an attempt to impress the neighbors) leaving Harry with the really terrible things.

Then came life at Hogwarts. He'd received his first new clothing ever – a hand knitted sweater from Mrs. Weasley. Someone had thought enough of him to spend hours (even magically) to make him a gift. She'd only met him once at the time, when she found him standing alone in the train station, and got him on the train. Fred and George carried his trunk onto the train when he was too small to lift it himself.

Dan and Emma Granger had helped him select and set up everything for his new home. Hermione had always stood by him. Always. During the times when almost everyone had called him a dark wizard, a fame seeking git, or a nutter, she had stood by him. Dan's words I married my best friend kept coming back to him.

Amelia Bones had freed him, getting him a magic license while overlooking the serious infractions that he'd committed. Susan was so kind to him. There was no hero worship. He was just Harry to her, and she let him know it. Like Hermione, she knew him and liked him anyway.

Hagrid had rescued Harry, twice. Harry would never forget him standing down Vernon who was holding a loaded rifle to get Harry away from them.

Remus had opened up knowledge of Harry's parents to him, and like the Weasleys, done what he could to help him.

While he hadn't always respected Dumbledore's methods Harry did respect his skills and his intent.

Tonks had shown him – Tonks had taught him (he smiled as he corrected himself) the art of Morphing. She'd always treated him with respect, even when he'd been a moody brat and hadn't deserved it.

Poppy had helped him out of a self-destructive funk. After Sirius was murdered, Harry had been in a fragile emotional condition. She had helped him feel a lot better about himself, and he knew that she hadn't simply been doing her job. She genuinely cared about him.

Flitwick had helped him see people for the person that they really were, not their size or shape. He'd also gone a long way to ensure that Harry would be a success as an Instructor.

Harry smiled as he thought about Ginny. She was his auburn haired angel. Just thinking of her stirred his senses. Those eyes, those lips, those… Harry smiled as he shook himself back to reality.

Christmas should be about family and loved ones. He realized that he now had a lot of family. We vowed to do everything that he could to keep them safe.

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At about the same time that Harry was reflecting on some of Ginny's fine assets, Remus was visiting Dumbledore, McGonagall, Moody, Pomfrey and Flitwick prior to one of the Order meetings. "What's next for Harry's training?" asked Remus. A part of Remus felt that Harry's own training had been sidetracked by his teaching and DA leadership roles.

McGonagall filled Remus in on what had happened when Hermione's transfigured the marble shield on Halloween. Being unconscious at the time, he'd never really understood what had happened. Flitwick had described the blood staffs that the Apprentices had made. Moody described the skills that Harry had helped the nearly 200 students that he'd been helping in his different functions

Finally Dumbledore described the other training that Harry had acquired. "We don't know what he can't yet do, but we know these things; Harry has somehow acquired a natural healing ability." With a twinkle in his eye he added, "It seems to be most effective on women that he has some sort of bond with."

Pomfrey added, "He spent less than an hour with that young Auror who'd been attacked by those horrors in Hogsmede. She was catatonic when she was brought in. I expected that she would have spent a month or more at St. Mungo's getting sorted out, and six hours later, I saw her up, and on the dance floor. I'm positive that he saved Tonk's life that day he saw her in St. Mungo's. I won't go into specifics, but I'm positive."

Flitwick added, "We did spell strength testing a few weeks ago. He is as powerful with his wand as I am with my blood staff!!!"

McGonagall added, "He blew a hole in that burning building big enough to drive two automobiles through side by side. I couldn't do that on my best day. From what I saw on Saturday afternoon, if he and Susan had tried it together, they'd have blown up the whole building."

Not having seen the display that they'd done for Director Bones, Remus asked, "What do you mean?"

Dumbledore replied, "It would appear that somehow if Harry and one or more of the young women that he has grown attached to cast the same spell together, the results of their combined effort far exceed their individual contributions. It is as if their power is somehow multiplied, rather than added."

Flitwick agreed. "That makes sense. Say that Susan could cast at a spell power level of 1 with her wand and 2 with her blood staff. Harry can cast at about a level 3 with his wand, and at a level 6 or 7 with his blood staff. Together that would put them at about 13 times a normal wizard's spell strength."

Moody said, "That would explain how they were able to kill those sixteen dementors. No one has ever done that before."

McGonagall replied, "Heaven help the person who went after all four of them at once."

Dumbledore thought about her words but didn't say anything. Instead, he asked, Remus "Does that seem to be a sufficient rate of progress to you? He's probably happier now than at any time in his life, He's passed half his NEWTS a year and a half early, and has made some interesting discoveries of his abilities."

Remus replied, "That's my concern. I could have taken him to OWL or possibly NEWT level myself, but where does he go from here? What level does he need to be at to do what he needs to do?"

Dumbledore nodded in agreement. "That is difficult to say. None of us can say with certainty that Riddle will be put down from a specific spell or circumstance. Much of our insight into Riddle's current plans was lost with the passing of Severus."

Remus replied, "Seeing as Harry and the witches are fighting a war while you are waging one, perhaps it would make sense to ask them what they would like to learn for the next term. They may have some insight s to what would be the most help for themselves."

Dumbledore replied, "Indeed, the torch is nearly ready to be passed. The question on my mind is are they ready to join the Order, or are we ready to join his group?"

If he would even have us, thought McGonagall. She'd heard from Molly the week before asking about the events at Hogsmeade. Ginny and Remus had both made good points. The Order had probably done as much to impede Harry and his friends in the last year as help him.

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"Harry please?"

"We're just not ready. That doesn't mean that I don't love you."

"I know. I just want to. I love you too."

"I know. Thank you so much."

"OK. Close your eyes then."

When the lithe Witch had finished, all Harry could do was catch his breath and say, "Thanks."

"Don't mention it, and I thank you too."

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"Remus, I need your help."

"Anything."

"I need to go shopping tomorrow, and I can't bring the others."

Remus was amused at Harry's apparent embarrassment. "Where do you want to go?"

"London, Paris, Brighten, St. Andrews, Detroit, and Bermuda. I'll need portkeys to Paris, St. Andrews, Detroit, and Bermuda."

So much for walking him across the street to go to the park, thought Remus. "OK. What else will you need?"

"Passports. I was hoping that you'd come with me."

"I'd be happy to spend the day with you. What time?"

"Seven or eight, if that wouldn't be too early."

"I'll meet you by the front door at seven."

"Thanks."

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