CHAPTER 36: The Meeting
For the next hour Harry helped the DA members clean up the room of requirement and make it look like no battle had ever taken place. This was extremely easy due to the fact that any cleaning products that would be needed was provided by the room. Harry found that Hermione had been hit with a curse, but no lasting harm was done. Ron and Ginny were both unharmed, and besides Neville there was no serious injury. Harry still had no idea what curse could have done that to Neville, but was sure the jet of blue light that had just missed him had been the cause.
Harry noticed, with some satisfaction, that every person that had attacked them had been hit pretty hard. A few of them didn't wake up after the stunning spells were lifted, but Harry wasn't going to worry about them until his people were healed. Noticing that his work was pretty much done and that Blaise had already escaped Harry made his way towards the door.
"Potter!" Harry whipped around to see Ryan Johnson sauntering over to him. "I never thought hanging out with you would be so fun." Harry smiled.
"I never thought a Slytherin would be so fond of battle." It was Ryan's turn to grin, but it was soon replaced by a determined look.
"This is my school, I'm not letting someone take it over no matter who they think they are." Harry shook his head and couldn't help but laugh.
"A gung ho Slytherin? Now I've seen it all." Harry paused and looked around. "You remember what to say when they question you?" Ryan nodded.
"You were pretty clear on that, no giving away that we enticed them. If it comes to it though we'll have to let them know we were tipped off." Harry nodded glumly.
"I know, but we weren't tipped off until it was too late to go for a teacher, it was just lucky that Nick happened by." Ryan smiled.
"A calculating, manipulative Gryffindor? Now I've seen it all."
Harry made his way to the hospital wing before going to Dumbledore's office. He wanted to check in on everyone, especially Neville. When he got there Luna was sitting next to Neville, holding his hand. The Gryffindor looked very pale and had what seemed to be a muggle IV in his arm. Harry looked around for Madame Pomfrey but didn't see her.
"What happened, Luna?" The Ravenclaw girl was still in shock and barely took notice of Harry.
"They don't know what spell he was hit with, Madame Pompfrey and a few teachers are trying to figure that out now. None of the healing charms they cast are working, so they set up this machine to feed him a blood replenishing potion. He just won't stop bleeding." Luna began to sob again and Harry held onto her shoulders. "It should've been me." Harry noticed that Luna had completely lost that dream like quality.
"Neville makes his own choices, you didn't make him jump in front of you."
"I as good as made him! We started…he and I…we-" Harry suddenly understood.
"You didn't make him like you, Luna. He felt strongly about you and sensed you were in danger so he acted. That's no fault of yours. He'll pull through, I evn have a few ideas that might help him." It was as if a lightbulb went off in Harry's head. He dashed out the door and to Dumbledore's office. The gargoyles sprang aside at the sight of him and Harry rushed up the spiral staircase.
"Professor Dumbledore I need to speak with you." Harry panted.
"Yes and I need to speak with you, however your news seems to be more urgent, please go on."
"Neville still hasn't stopped bleeding. Nobody seems to know what curse it was, all I know was that it was bright blue and just missed me."
"Bright blue, you say?"
"Yes, but that's not important right now. What is important is that you contact Augustus Pye at St. Mungo's. He was the assistant healer for Mr. Weasley, the one who used the muggle stitches on him. I think it might work for Neville, or atleast buy us some time to find a counter to it." Dumbledore nodded and said something to the portrait of Dilys Derwent who disappeared from the frame.
"Now Harry, can we speak about the attack?" Harry nodded. "How did they come after you?"
"In a group, kind of stupid really. As they went into a line to get through the door they were easy targets." Dumbledore nodded.
"And how far in advance did you know of the attack?"
"A few minutes. I was given a message from Blaise Zabini who was with the group attacking us." Harry hadn't hesitated before answering. He knew that if he had it would look like he had been trying to hide that fact and Dumbledore would become immediately suspicious.
"I did not see Mr. Zabini among the captured."
"Well he wouldn't be, as we let him go. He has been working with the DA, as you know, for a few weeks now. I knew he was only with them because he wasn't able to get out of the situation. It would have been dangerous for him to tell thirty people that he was against them when he had no back up."
"Did you stun him?"
"Somebody did. It was kind of hard to tell who was who with the masks on, you know." Harry said impatiently. Aside from the fact that it was stupid question he wanted it to seem like he was annoyed with having to spend so much time answering questions on such a basic matter. He soon felt Dumbledore's presence in his mind. He knew the old man had little chance of getting through his occlumency barriers but was mad none the less. Harry summoned the memory of his parent's deaths. He showed Dumbledore exactly what he saw and heard everytime he saw a dementor. The old man winced and pulled back. "Don't do that, you said it yourself, a man has the right to keep his secrets."
"You admit to having secrets on this matter?" Harry frowned.
"Who said anything about this matter? I only admitted to having secrets. But obviously you have something in mind so why not just say it?" Dumbledore gave him an appraising look.
"I believe you somehow tricked those students into being there tonight."
"You mean you think I told a bunch of people that hated me to dress up in robes and masks and meet me by the door, and then ambushed them?" This time Dumbledore frowned.
"No, I mean you knew the whole time what would happen once the students found out about Malfoy, so you spread the story around. You intended to weed them out the entire time." Harry was impressed with the wizard, he knew the he was smart, but hadn't realized he would catch on so easily. Harry, however, didn't really care.
"Your point being? Whether I knew they were going to attack or not doesn't matter. The bottom line is that they dressed up as death eaters and attacked a bunch of students and that merits dismissal." Dumbledore thought for a moment before trying to speak.
"Why did you choose to take this action, Harry."
"Because no one else was doing anything. You and the sorting hat have been preaching that we must stand united or fall. It was impossible to unite the school with those students causing trouble, so I put a situation in front of them and they acted on it. I did not make them do it, they chose to attack us of their own free will. It still merits dismissal." Dumbledore nodded solemnly.
"Yes, I fear that it does. But you may be putting too much importance on this school. Voldemort will certainly attack the ministry and other wizarding places before coming here." Harry nodded.
"I'm sure that's what he wants to do. I'm not going to let him, however. I'm going to be such a nuisance to him that he will just have to get rid of me. If he comes after Hogwarts first than we can get the ministry and foreign wizards here, behind the wards and have a structured defense. If we allow him to attack his own targets he will pick off our allies one by one. Basically I plan to do the same thing that I just did, I'm going to make sure he chooses the target I want him to choose."
"And how do you plan on doing this?"
"That, Professor, is none of your business. I would suggest that you begin to prepare for war." Harry finished and walked from the room before Dumbledore could respond. He knew the wizard was about to call an Order meeting. He would just have to hear from his spies what was said.
When Harry returned to the Gryffindor common room he saw most of the DA members sitting with concerned faces.
"Neville is going to be ok. I've spoken with Dumbledore and they are going to try a muggle treatment on him until the spell is discovered." Nobody really looked up but they all nodded. Obviously nobody really believed that it would work. Harry was trying to think of something to say when Ginny approached him.
"Harry, Dobby needed to see you. He told me that he would be in the kitchens and that it was urgent." Harry nodded and set off for the kitchens at a jog. He was just about to tickle the giant pear when he heard a soft pop.
"Dobby is looking for Harry Potter, sir!" Harry turned around and saw a frightened looking Dobby.
"What happened, Dobby? What's the matter?" Harry asked quickly.
"Dobby has found He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He is discovering a spy, Harry Potter. He plans to kill a teacher!" Harry's eyes went wide with shock.
"Snape? Severus Snape?" He whispered harshly. Dobby nodded his head vehemently. "Where is Voldemort?" Dobby flinched at the name.
"He has gone to Malfoy Manner, Harry Potter sir." Dobby squeaked.
"But Malfoy Manner has been raided twice!"
"And it wouldn't be raided a third." Harry suddenly understood. Voldemort had returned to a house that was suspected to be cleaned out. He was hiding right under the ministry's nose while they were out scouring the country for him.
"Dobby, do not go to any more of these meetings until we speak again. You've done more than I could possibly ask you for."
"Thank you, Harry Potter, sir!" He squeaked, giving an awkward sort of bow. He then disappeared with a pop. Harry looked around to make sure nobody was watching and apparated to the dungeons.
"Snape!" Harry yelled, banging on the door. The door didn't open and Harry knocked it in.
"Potter! What is the meaning of this?" Snape was dressed in a black robe and held a white mask in his hand.
"You've been found out." Snape's face went even paler than usual.
"How do you know this?"
"I have a source that found the meeting place. He tipped me off that Voldemort had found a spy and he was a teacher." Snape dropped the mask.
"I must go to the headmaster." He said, pushing his way past Harry.
"No, I have a better idea." Snape turned and looked at Harry questioningly. "Severus Snape will be at the meeting."
"Surely you're kidding, Potter. I am no match for the Dark Lord if he wishes to exterminate me." Harry smiled.
"I never said you would be going. Give me your robe and mask and run me through how the meetings work." Snape's eyes went as wide as saucers but surprisingly didn't argue.
"You understand that I will be telling Dumbledore that you ambushed me and stole the robes from me, don't you?" Harry grinned as he got dressed.
"If all go as planned he won't have to know I attended. Just tell him that I tipped you off. Can you do me one favor though?"
"Seeing as you saved my life I guess I owe you as much." He sneered.
"Dumbledore's not exactly on my good side and vice versa. I need you and Mudungus to let me know what is going on during the Order meetings. Don't tell anyone what I'm up to yet, just listen and report back to me." Snape's lip curled but he nodded.
"Now tell me what I need to know about the meeting, if you would." Harry said in a businesslike tone.
"I see that you have returned to me, faithful Death Eaters." Voldemort hissed in a high pitched voice. "I have many things to discuss with you tonight, but there is something that I must take care of first. Severus, come before your master."
Harry got to his knees and crawled towards Voldemort in the manner that Snape had showed him. When he reached him he kissed the hem of his robes and bowed his head. Harry controlled his breathing and waited for the sound of a wand being drawn.
"Severus, I had my doubts about you when you failed to return to me after my body was restored. But I was willing to accept your story about not being able to apparate off Hogwarts grounds. I was also willing to accept your story that you did not know Quirrel was under my control. As you can see I am a…forgiving man." Harry almost laughed when he heard that but stayed silent and alert. "But what I cannot understand is how the Potter brat seems to allude destruction even from my most faithful followers. Then it occurred to me, you were telling him." Harry remained silent, his eyes closed and his remaining sense alert. "I command you to speak!" Harry slowly lifted his head and stared at Voldemort through the slits in the mask.
"Snape said nothing about the attacks." Voldemort's red eyes went wide for a second after realizing what the phrase implied. "I'm just too good for your pathetic attempts." Harry whipped off the mask and raised his wand. "Perforus!" The piercing spell shot out of Harry's wand and struck Voldemort in the shoulder but it simply bounced off him.
"Kill the half blood!" Voldemort shrieked. Harry shook his head.
"Hypocrite." With a crack he dissaparated.