Chapter 18
Harry and Tonks were sleeping in the chair holding each other when Healer Crabtree walked in. She was pleased that Dumbledore was still alive. She was surprised that Dumbledore was awake. She was even more amazed that he was staring and smiling at the two young people.
Crabtree asked, "How do you feel Professor?"
With amazingly little effort for a 150 year old man who had been in a coma thirty minutes earlier, Dumbledore replied, "I am grateful to be alive and most likely feel as good as I ever will again. If you would be so kind, Healer Crabtree, please summon Director Bones for me. Also, if you could send an aid in, I would be happy to get dressed. Please let my young friends sleep for an hour and have someone make them a portkey to return them to the castle."
Sitting up in his bed, he said, "Thank you, Healer Crabtree. I am grateful to have received your excellent care."
She smiled at him. "You are welcome Professor. I'm delighted to see you in as good of a condition as you are, though I believe it is only temporary, as you may already know. In reality, almost all of the credit belongs to Professor Potter over there. He had already treated you by the time I saw you. You may have as long as a month, but the end-of-life's wheels have been set in motion."
Dumbledore nodded. "I understand. It is my responsibility to spend the time carefully. Please have someone find Amelia now."
-
An hour later, Harry and Tonks awoke, slightly embarrassed to have been so tangled up around each other. The door was closed and someone had covered them in a light blanket. Dumbledore's bed was empty.
Tonks immediately thought the worst, but Harry held her for a moment and smiled. "He's probably back at the castle by now. Thanks for helping me, Tonks. I couldn't have helped him much by myself."
She smiled at him and kissed his cheek. "Harry, I don't know what you did. I don't know how you did it, but whatever you did, thank you, and however I helped, you're welcome."
He set her on her feet. Let's get going. There was a note on the bed from Healer Crabtree, along with a portkey for them to use to go back to Hogsmede station. They read the note and each touched the portkey. A moment later they were in northern Scotland walking to the castle.
-
Dumbledore amazed the students as well as the staff by appearing at dinner. Assisted by Tonks, he made his way to his seat. In reality, he didn't eat much, but in this instance, appearance was everything. He guessed that 450 letters would be going home this evening from the students to their parents. He was right. By 7:00 PM the Owlery was empty. Little Hanna Smith had found Harry and Tonks. Colin had taken a photo of the three of them together. The little witch was ecstatic. Harry let her borrow Hedwig to send a copy home to her mum.
Harry had asked Ginny to give the DA members some practice at casting spells while riding their brooms. It was much harder than it looked, and she started by having them cast sparks at balloons in strings tied to the ground. At the moment, they would be in nearly as much danger from falling off of their brooms as they would from getting hit by a spell. They would need to practice more, but it was a start.
At 7:30 Harry, Tonks, the apprentices and Katie received the call to go see professor Dumbledore in the hospital wing where Poppy had insisted that he spend the evening. The ancient Wizard looked smaller than Harry remembered seeing him. Dumbledore asked Harry to wait outside while he talked with the witches for a while.
Harry waited outside the private room on his own reserved bed. He made a point of not listening to what they might be saying. After twenty minutes, the door opened, and Susan waved him in. Harry could see that they each had tears in their eyes. He assumed that Dumbledore told them that his time was quite limited.
"Good evening, Professor."
Dumbledore smiled at the young man he so proudly considered his friend. If the truth was to be told, it was Dumbledore who was in awe of Harry. "Good evening Professor. First I need to properly say thank you to the two of you for giving me a month to set my affairs in order. I am truly grateful for everything that you have done for me, but I formally request that you do not attempt to repeat your loving and selfless act. A month is truly long enough."
Dumbledore placed his right hand on Harry's shoulder. "I am sorry to say that I must curtail the afternoon visits that we've had each day. I did so enjoy them. I understand Harry that you had the foresight to ask Filius if he would consider leading the apprentice program. I think that an excellent idea and will formally ask him in the morning. I would like to contribute more to your effort, but I believe that many of the lessons would best be communicated via pensives. Harry, I know that you have one. Miss Bones, perhaps you could…"
"I'll order one for everyone in the morning Professor. They will be here by noon."
He smiled at the very capable young leader. "Very good, Harry. That will make things much easier. If you could, try and get the solicitor variety. They do not have the same capacity as the traditional model, but it is easier for more than one to view the memories. I will share many things with each of you, and simply ask that you use appropriate discretion when re-sharing them."
Pausing for a moment, he said, "Harry, if this is your chosen team, I would ask that you share the prophesy with each of them this evening, if you have not already done so. Also, if your schedule permits, I would like to spend an hour or so with you before breakfast. Would 5:30 in my office be too early?"
Harry nodded in agreement. Dumbledore smiled and asked Harry to rest well and enjoy his evening.
-
That evening, as Harry was sharing the prophesy with the others, Dumbledore was making arrangements with Amelia Bones to have Tonks assigned to the school as long as Harry would have need of her. They talked candidly about the future and about the past. She knew that he was staking the future of the wizarding world in Britain on her niece and the five others.
She asked about Harry and his stated ability to throw off the Imperius curse. Dumbledore suggested that she have Moody try it on him tomorrow afternoon, and she could judge for herself.
Dumbledore knew that Crabtree's estimate of a month was simply an estimate. He didn't know how steep the decline in his health would be, but decided to plan as if he had two workable weeks remaining. He mentally decided to allocate half of the time to Harry, a day with Minerva, a day with Diggory, a day with Aberforth, a day with the rest of the staff, a day with the board of governors and the Wizengamot, a day at Gringotts and Diagon alley, and a day in the forest and Hogsmede. If he was given additional time, he could see what needed to be done.
-
While Dumbledore was planning his week, Riddle was planning his. Believing that Dumbledore was already dead, or at least on death's very door, Riddle was planning a massive attack on Hogsmede. He would throw the remaining dementors at the town then have the Death Eaters sack and burn the village after they had left. He would need a few days to make the arrangements to ensure a victory.
-
Ginny was a torn bundle of emotions. On one hand, she wanted to hex Harry into oblivion for leaving her outside the courtroom. On another, she wanted to rip his robes off and ravish him. On another, she couldn't believe that he double apparated a dying Dumbledore to St. Mungo's and somehow healed him. On another, Dumbledore pleaded with the five witches to put aside their individual differences and give Harry whatever assistance he needed in the coming months. She felt like Dumbledore had read her mind and looked into her very soul searching for her innermost feelings.
Harry knocked on her door and asked if they could talk for a bit. She invited him in. He asked about the DA meeting and she told him that they needed more work. Harry asked her to call another meeting for the weekend so they could practice.
She realized that she felt starved for his individual attention, but was certain that he had more on his mind than he could handle as it was. Hearing the prophesy for the second time seemed to have had more of an impact on her than it did the first time. The first time, it had terrified her. An hour ago, it filled her with hope.
Dumbledore had requested that they not discuss his health with anyone, stressing the importance that the illusion of his health would have strategic importance in the upcoming month.
Harry thanked her again for helping with the broomstick squad. She gave him a hug and he went back to the common room.
A few minutes later, Tonks came up to Harry, whispered something and left. Ten minutes later he met her in his classroom. She had conjured several mirrors. She asked him to seal the door and walk over to the mirrors. When he did, she said, "Close your eyes, Harry."
Half a minute later, Harry felt a poke on his back. Harry turned around, only so see a barely dressed Ginny Weasley! Tonks was nowhere to be seen.
She motioned for him to close his eyes. As she kissed his lips, and felt the warmth of her lithe body, Harry could breath in the faint smell of strawberry.
"Good try Tonks," he said as he opened his eyes, except he was facing an equally underdressed Susan. The little things that Tonks had been wearing looked like tiny things on Susan.
"Get dressed Tonks," said Harry, somewhat annoyed.
"Harry, you missed the point," said Tonks playfully. "You were too busy staring at Susan's fabulous bits to realize that I could have fooled anyone in the school if I'd wanted to. Now I want you to think very hard and show me your best Dumbledore. I'll turn around until you're ready."
Despite her unconventional means of teaching, Harry knew that Tonks had a point. He thought about Dumbledore. The hair was easy but the extra height was a bit harder for him. His weathered look was harder yet. After a few minutes he was satisfied and said, "Miss Tonks, you may turn around now."
She looked closely at him and nodded. A moment later, she transfigured his gray robes onto a passable purple set that Dumbledore owned. After a minute, she asked, "Can you hold that form?"
Harry flexed his hands a bit and said, "I think so."
"We'll see. Spar with me a bit. No Reductos or unforgiveables please. Cor, I still want to be standing at the end of the duel. Walk to the other side and fire the first shot." As Harry was walking to the other side of the room, she vanished the mirrors and the other furniture. Harry walked to the other side, turned around, bowed and fired a stunner at the floor. It bounced and nearly hit Tonks. She cast several stunners back one on either side of Harry who didn't move as they passed harmlessly by. Harry conjured several snakes and set them on her. As she was dodging them, he conjured a dozen bats to fly at her. She disillusioned herself and moved to the side thinking that he wouldn't hear her.
Unlike transforming with Polyjuice potion, Harry still had the hearing and reflexes of a teenager. As she carefully moved to the side to take a shot at him from behind, Harry fired a stunner and hit her solidly in the hips.
Catching her before she hit the ground, Harry carefully laid her on the floor and revived her.
She blinked several times and rubbed her hip. "Cor Harry. That was some stunner. I was out like a light."
The old wizard nodded. "Yes, Miss Tonks. Mr. Potter told me about your little duel. You have been unconscious for two hours now."
Dazed, Tonks apologized. "Sorry Professor, I was trying to teach Harry." After a moment, she saw the grin on his face.
Tonks was a little mad, a bit embarrassed and quite impressed, all at once. "Good one Harry. Help a girl up, would you?"
Harry carefully picked her up and set her on her feet. "Very good, Harry. We'll try this again tomorrow and see what the Professor thinks. I'll turn around and you can change back."
Thirty seconds later, Harry was standing in front of her wearing his own gray robes.
She smiled at him. "Goodnight Harry. You did really well. I'm proud of you." She kissed his cheek.
"Thanks Tonks. "You always provide better encouragement then McGonagall. Dinner tomorrow?"
The offer delighted her, even if she had lost against little Hanna. "Please. Wear your gray muggle suit. You look great in it. I'll surprise you with a venue."
"OK. Goodnight."
She walked to the door, tried it and said, "Harry, you need to unseal the door."
-
Wednesday after breakfast, Harry went to Paris to find six pensives. He changed his appearance and thought it quite unlikely that he would be recognized. Twenty four thousand Galleons later, he was on his way again.
His time with Dumbledore was well spent. The old wizard had explained his plans for disseminating his estate and his vast knowledge. Against Harry's protests, Dumbledore told him that he was to be the primary beneficiary of his estate, except for the items that he would have personally given away by the time of his passing.
He also explained some of the differences in pensives. Dumbledore explained that the solicitor models would allow the memory to be projected much like a hologram, so more than one person could view it. They were typically limited in their storage capacity. He quipped that you could never have too much memory or storage capacity.
Harry returned about noon and had lunch with Ginny and Susan. They told him that since the weather was nice that day, they would ask the DA to go and practice their broom work again after the last class that afternoon before it got too dark.
-
Dumbledore found Harry and Tonks after lunch and asked if they could accompany him to the ministry. They visited with Minister Diggory and Director Bones for a few minutes. Dumbledore requested that Harry be given a permit to create portkeys and to set wards. Bones asked if he knew how to do either. Dumbledore replied that he intended to teach him both that afternoon.
Diggory explained that he had been unable to find anyone who could help with the Imperius curse. Harry suggested that he and Moody could show the Aurors the next two evenings if they could come to his classroom. He scheduled four evenings over the next two weeks.
Dumbledore asked if he could be allowed to visit Auror McKinney. Neither Bones nor Diggory objected. Harry and Tonks volunteered to come with, but Dumbledore insisted on going alone. As Director Bones filled out the paperwork for the portkey creation, she explained that they were regulated and tariffed, so he would need to report on a monthly basis how many he had created.
As Dumbledore went to the holding cells he considered the damage that the caster of the Imperius spell had done. Not only had they mortally wounded him, but ruined the life and career of a very capable Auror. Aware of what she had done, she was terrified when she saw him, until he insisted that she was in no danger. Using Legilimency, he found what he was looking for and assured her that she would not be in a cell much longer.
Dumbledore returned to Amelia and advised her that it had been Narcissa Malfoy who had placed Auror McKinney under the Imperius curse. For their own sense of closure, he suggested that a small panel Wizengamot hearing be convened the next morning, McKinney be given Veritaserum, questioned, and released following the expected results.
-
At five, Harry met Tonks at the front entrance. She was wearing a simple black dress and flats. The dress looked fabulous on her and matched Harry's slate gray suit quite well. They portkeyed to the back of an Asian restaurant in Birmington. It was a very safe choice. No one would recognize them and it was quite enough that they could properly visit.
Tonks started as they were served their Tiger beers. "You did a good thing yesterday with the professor. I'm really proud of you for taking such good care of him. I want you to know that I know that you did everything that you could for him." Her crystal blue eyes met his for a moment. "Harry, it's his time. You and I don't have our own philosopher's stone to give him, even if there was such a thing.
Harry smiled. He'd previously held one in his hand. "I know that you're right, but…"
"You don't need to say anything else. Let's talk about something else. Have you got any more duels planned, or are you just going to opportunistically keep chipping away at Voldemort's forces?"
Harry smiled for a moment. "Dumbledore told me that he thought that Riddle resorted to having someone cast the Imperious curse on McKinney because he was running low on able-bodied flunkies of his own. I can't see getting into a fight with him and a bunch of dementors at the same time, but I don't know how to engineer a dementor battle in a contained area."
She looked into his emerald eyes and tried to picture him as a twenty five father of a half dozen beautiful little witches and wizards. Steeling herself, she said, "Harry, I think you know how I feel. Whatever you decide to do, I will go with you. I will fight beside you. I will die beside you if we have to. Hopefully we can grow old instead. I won't abandon you, and I won't refuse you. You're a good leader. I believe that you'll become a great leader. All I ask of you is your continued honesty. Tell me what I can do to help you."
Harry understood the level of sincerity and self exposure that she had just displayed. Like a precious egg, he held it carefully in his hand. He replied, "Tonks, I need you to always be honest and candid with me, even if it's in private. You made corrections and challenged my original ideas about the duel with McNair. As a result, we had a safer plan that involved less risk."
Like little Hanna had a day earlier, she beamed at him. Very few people in her life had taken the time to acknowledge her planning skills or efforts. She knew that he valued her much more than just a rack with a variable face.
They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes. They'd had a wonderful meal. Finishing his Tiger beer, Harry said, "I'm losing one mentor. I'm just lucky to have so many great ones. Thank you, Tonks. What can I do for you?"
She smiled at him. "For now, one dance would be great, then we should get back to the castle. The next few days are going to be rough."
-
Moody, Dumbledore, and Flitwick still had licenses from the last war to use the unforgivables in training purposes. Dumbledore doubted that he still possessed the stamina to repeatedly perform the curse. Flitwick really didn't have the stomach for it, leaving the most of the dirty work for Moody and Potter. However, the two worked very well together. Thursday evening, they began their lesson in Harry's classroom.
"Watch his eyes," said Moody to the class of nearly thirty Aurors who had gladly come for some additional training. "You can see him fight it and beat it. Watch." He pointed his wand at Harry and said "Imperio." Silently, Moody commanded him, Harry I want you to kiss Shacklebolt. Go kiss Shacklebolt.
After a second, Harry, thought, Why? He is good looking, but he's really not my type. He walked over to McKinney and kissed her on the cheek. "Sorry Kingsley, but Auror Karen here has a much prettier smile." They all laughed, and applauded. Few of them had ever seen the curse beaten, let alone with such ease.
Flitwick explained that the wash of good feeling from being exposed to the curse was designed to have the victim forget their consciousness. Harry then explained that the easiest thing to do was remember the word why, allowing you to find your self again and begin the fight for control of your own mind.
Moody cast the charm twice on each of the thirty Aurors in attendance. By the second attempt, a few of the Aurors could beat it. They decided to go a third round. Either because Moody was tiring, or the Aurors were getting better, more than half could beat the spell within a minute. The few that had beat it twice were excused from the next evenings session.
Karen beat the curse on the third attempt. She stayed after the class, thanking Harry and Moody for helping her. Harry told her that he was certain that she would do much better the next evening. After she left, Moody said, "Good work tonight, Potter. You have a real knack for teaching people how to take care of themselves."
"Thanks," said Harry, rearranging his classroom. "I do like it."
"You should consider it as a career. A lot of people can be Aurors. There are damn few really fine teachers. You're one of them," he said, shaking Harry's hand. "You did a good thing tonight making McKinney feel a little better about herself. She's a decent Auror. It would be a damn shame to have her throw it away because she got beat once."
Harry nodded. "Good night, Moody."
The old warrior smiled at the young man with so much heart. "Goodnight Potter."
-
Friday morning, Tonks went with Harry as he demonstrated his morphing with Dumbledore. He was quite impressed when Tonks told him that Harry had dueled with her Tuesday evening while in his form.
Carefully considering what he had just seen, Dumbledore suggested that it might be advantageous if Harry made an appearance on Sunday as him. He suggested that Diagon Alley might be a good choice as he knew some of the shopkeepers.
-
A/N
It's going to be a busy month for Harry. Please review.