Chapter Twelve

The Strangest of Strange

"A Pensive?"

"Wow!"

"That is so amazing, Harry!"

"Absolutely spiffing!"

"I wonder how it works."

"Hermione, I think that I could ask Dumbledore, what do you think?"

"That is a very good idea, Harry, why don't you ask me?"

The room fell silent. For there, standing in the entrance of the room, was none other than the Headmaster himself… Albus Dumbledore.

"Do you know who sent this to me, sir?"

"You are looking at him, Harry."

"You mean, to say, that you gave me this? You should not have… I mean, thank you professor."

Albus Dumbledore did not say anything during this outburst; he simply waited for it to subside, before speaking up again, a twinkle in his eyes.

Yes, Harry, I did, indeed give you that pensive. And do not worry Hermione, it was a spare that I have had around my rooms of accommodation for about, ah, let me see, for about fifty years or so."

"Yes professor. When do you want me to see you? I need to tell you about something important that happened early this morning. I think that it is important, and very strange.

"What is it, Harry?"

"I had another vision."

"Then I must see you at once. I was afraid that this would happen again. If this does not go unchecked, then something truly dreadful could happen, whether it would happen today or tomorrow, or any other time Tom Riddle, known as Voldemort, decides to use his newfound ability against us. Harry, I believe that Voldemort implanted that vision, as you called it, into your mind, whatever it might actually be. I also believe that this pensive might be of use in more ways than one. I have found it useful for getting some of the harder things of my shoulders with the help of mine. I am sure that you could have that same use. There are certain things that you may know, that we all may know, which could become crucially important in the war against Voldemort. Several of those things, he may already know about, but there are several others of which I do not want him to know about quite yet. For your sake as well as that of the entire wizarding world. And Molly? Arthur? Could you notify the order members? I believe that we may need to have an emergency meeting. Again."

An hour later, Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione could be found sitting in a small room in the second floor of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place.

"Who is up for a game of Wizarding Chess? Anyone? Oh, Come on, It is fun."

"Oh, all right, Ron, but just give me a chance at winning, ok? It is not as if I am good enough to beat you as it already is."

"You are on Harry, but I will not be that easy on you, you have had, what, six years of experience against me. Some of it should have rubbed of by now, right Ginny?"

"Yes, of course Ron. But I bet he never beat you, though. Even I cannot beat you, and I am good at chess! Let Harry have some fun playing against you, ok?"

Ron did not answer, but simply started setting op his chessboard.

"Here, you can use Percy's set. He never was that good at chess. He gave it to me third year. They will not take orders from me. I do not know why, but they do not. We are… were in the same family."

"You still are Ronald!" Hermione broke in hotly, "Just because someone does not believe in the same things, does not mean that you can forget that they were ever in your family!"

"But he left the family first!"

"That does not matter Ronald! Let me tell you something! And you too Ginny. I am absolutely positive that Percy will come back to your family. And I would almost be willing to bet on the chances that he would come back before Christmas! So there!"

"Wow, Hermione! You have not sounded like this in a long time? And since when did you stand up for Percy? I mean he is an inferable know-it-all."

That was the wrong thing for Ron to have said.

A horrified expression came upon his face, as he realized that fact. He had just called Percy an inferable know-it-all, just like he had called Hermione one once, back in their first year.

At Ron's remark, the room became deathly silent. Why had Ron used that exact phrase in describing Percy? Everyone knew that Hermione hated to have it used against anyone, no matter if they really were what they had just been called.

Harry and Ginny looked between Ron and Hermione, half expecting one of them to blow a fuse, and also glad that they had not called Percy a know-it-all, even if he actually was one. But nothing happened. Hermione simple pursed her lips, in a fashion so like professor McGonagall that everyone else in the murky room sat up straighter before remembering that their head of Gryffindor house was not in the vacancy.

As both Ron and Ginny gave a sigh of relief, a small giggle was heard just outside the room's door. When the occupants of the room looked to see who or what had caused that, everyone was surprised to see a little old man who looked as if he could never in his life have given off such a noise.

"Who is that?"

"I don't know... maybe he is a new member of the... well you know, of the order."

But suddenly, Harry realized something… he knew this person. How he knew it, he did not know, but… suddenly he realized it. He stared intently at the old man, who in turn gave a small, but subtle wink. Suddenly, Harry realized who it was.

"T—Tonks? What are you doing here? And—and looking like that! I mean it certainly does not do anything for your appearance, that's for sure!"

With a small exclamation of disgust the old man scrunched up his face, as a familiar face once more graced the room. "Darn it! Harry! How did you know that that old man was I? I thought that I had this disguise down to perfection this time!"

"Well," Harry laughed out, "How many scrawny old men giggle like you just did? Has Dumbledore ever made such a sound, do you think?"

"Well, no, actually Dumbledore has not really giggled… at least not in a very long time that is."

"Yuck! Why would Dumbledore giggle? That would be so weird! And disgusting!"

"Oh, cut it out Ronald! It does not matter whether Professor Dumbledore has ever done such a thing in his life. It should not concern us if we did. Honestly!"

"But, Hermione, don't you think that the fact that professor Dumbledore even used to giggle a bit… well a bit strange?"

"Well…"

"Because, Mione, I do find it an insult to my… to my pride that he would have done any such thing…"

"How can it be an insult to you, Ronald? I have heard you make several un-manly sounds in my time with you."

"But Mione…"

" Watch me. For instance I heard you make a sound, which could be an insult to your manly pride. It was with that boggart back in third year. Back when that happened and you sounded a lot like a…"

"Stop it Mione! Don't you finish what you are saying just now! Or I'll…"

"Or you'll what, Ronald? Scream at me?"

By now, Ron and Hermione were so into their bickering that they did not notice Tonks leaving the room. And they were so worked up that they did not notice the new figure entering, until…

"Hem, Hem."

The room fell silent, as Ron and Hermione had stopped their bickering, very suddenly. Slowly, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny—who had been quiet through Hermione and Ron's' bickering—turned around. What, or rather, whom they saw, made the room all the quieter. They all jumped, fore there, standing in the doorway, was none other then the infamous Defense against the Dark Arts teacher from the previous year… Delores Jane Umbridge. Standing there, in person, in the middle of the doorway of the room they were in.

"Is that really who I think it is, Mione?" came the hushed whisper somewhere in the room. "Because I was so sure that she was still at St. Mungo's." Ron paused. "You know, because of the centaurs… Hermione? Are you listening to me? Hermione?"

Hermione did not answer Ron. She was, instead, staring shell-shocked at the figure in the doorway—unable to mutter a coherent word or phrase. Mutely, she opened and shut her mouth like a beached whale, while Ron and Ginny both looked on in shock, and Harry, in amusement. Hermione had rarely been at a loss for words since they had all known her. Harry had somewhat expected this reaction, for he knew why she would be so shocked. And also why Professor Umbridge was apparently standing in the doorway, with a smirk on her face.

Suddenly, Hermione seemed to come to her senses. She jerked her gaze away from her former teacher, and looked back and forth between Ron and Harry, puzzled t first by the seemingly opposite expressions on both of her best friends' faces.

"Harry? What in Merlin's name is she doing here? Did she join the order or something? I mean, surely…" she trailed off.

There was silence. And then, Harry, much to Hermione's surprise, broke into a wide grin, and then burst out laughing for the first time in a very long time.

"Mione… Ron don't you see? Well, you don't? While you two were bickering, Tonks left the room, and well, she morphed again. She wanted to see what type of reaction you would give, and whither you two would notice the change of her appearance!"

"Harry? Whose idea was it, for Tonks to impersonate that—that old git?"

"Well, Ginny," Harry replied breathlessly, "I guess that I am the git, the guilty one, this time around."

Suddenly, Harry caught Ginny's eye. For a couple of moments they were locked together by their eyes—chocolate brown and emerald green—with neither being able to more, from lack of motivation. Suddenly Harry felt his stomach give a lurch. For no reason whatsoever he suddenly did not feel all that happy anymore. Ginny looked away, as if sensing his gloomy feelings.

With the spell of sorts broken between the two of them Harry turned away, his smile quickly dropping away from his face once more. It was going to be a long evening after all, and Harry was not too sure that he could get through it in one piece.

If Harry had thought that his sixteenth birthday would be boring, then he would have been totally wrong. But, of course, his birthdays had never been what the average person would consider normal. Growing up with a family of the foulest muggles mankind could send his way, never receiving a proper present until he came to Hogwarts, would that be considered normal?