DISCLAIMER: The tallest oak tree on the planet could grow till it reached the sun and I would still not own Harry Potter.
STORY: PRE-HBP! FORGET EVERYTHING YOU READ IN THAT BOOK! EVERYTHING!
Big Thank You's to Ashley who goes back and fixes all these chapters for me because I'm too lazy to check them myself.
Chapter 7:
"We got her."
"Did she put up a fight?"
"Yes."
"Good. I would have been sorely disappointed if she hadn't."
"Crabbe and Goyle Sr.'s were guarding her. Obviously, you-know-who knew better than to let her go out on her own or he's just overly protective of her."
"May be both. Did you take care of them?"
"Remus is taking care of them as we speak. The other girl that was with her is in the other room adjoining this one along with that little beast."
There was a chuckle. "She has excellent taste in pets it seems. It was very loyal to her though it seemed hardly old enough to form any immense bonds."
"Yes, though it gave me a bit scare when it just popped out of the bag."
"It was scared. Any living creature will lash out when to cover it's fear."
"It certainly didn't look afraid when it was clawing at me and growling."
Another chuckle then a pause. "Did anyone get hurt?"
"Moody got a good kick to the shin from the girl, other than that no."
"Good, good. Ah, I believe she is awakening."
Kamaria blinked against the bright light after spending the past five minutes in darkness listening to the two men. She had wanted to find out as much as possible about them and why they had taken her, but she couldn't lie still any longer as her leg inevitably fell asleep.
"Good afternoon Kamaria," an old cheery voice said from beside of her. Kamaria turned her head to meet the smiling face of a very old man with twinkling blue eyes.
"Who are you?" Kamaria asked a bit rudely but she wanted to know who her captor was. Maybe it would help her understand why they had taken her.
"Forgive me, I sometimes forget that greetings and introductions are proper. I am Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
Kamaria felt her mouth fall open. Was it really possible that this was the same man that had visited her when she was just ten years of age?
The old man nodded as if he could read her thoughts. "Yes Kamaria, it is I. I admit I've been hoping to see you again for some time now."
Kamaria's expression hardened. "I, for one, cannot say the same. Now, where am I and why am I here?"
The man behind Dumbledore shifted impatiently and Kamaria turned her heated gaze to him. He appeared to be a middle aged wizard.
"Do not tell her anymore than she needs to know, Albus," the man warned. "She could use it against us or spread it on to you-know-who."
"Unless I am mistaken in my first opinions of Dumbledore," Kamaria said coldly, "then I'm sure he has taken every precaution so that neither I nor any other harmful information can get out. I am also sure he has taken the necessary steps to stop Voldemort from locating me here or anywhere else for that matter."
Dumbledore chuckled. "You are, of course, right. You always were an exceptionally smart girl, rather like Hermione Granger actually."
Kamaria resisted the urge to ask who this Hermione Granger was and nodded her head curtly in the other man's direction. "Who is he?"
"Kamaria, this is Kingsley Shaklebolt, an Order member as well as an auror for the Ministry of Magic."
"Invisibility cloak?" she inquired.
"What?" Kingsley asked.
Kamaria let out an exasperated sigh. "Were you or were you not one of the two under the invisibility cloaks today that grabbed me and stunned my two bodyguards?"
"Yes," he replied simply.
Kamaria nodded. "I thought so. Now, are you going to answer my previous questions?"
"you are at Order Headquarters," Dumbledore answered. "As to why you were taken, you should know the answer to that one."
Kamaria nodded. "I could determine the outcome of this war," she stated simply with a small shrug as if it didn't matter though they all knew it did.
She turned and stared deep into the headmaster's blue eyes. "You want to know whether I've told Voldemort about the full extent of my powers."
Dumbledore gave a brief nod in answer.
"I may be young but I am not stupid," she growled.
"No," Dumbledore agreed softly, "you never were one to be stupid."
Dumbledore smiled at her and withdrew a tiny gold key from his striking violet cloak for the chains around her wrists and ankles. "You say you are not stupid, now will be the true test of that."
"I don't think….," Kingsley started but Dumbledore merely waved him off with a wrinkled hand.
He leaned forward and unlocked the chains which slivered down to the floor with a 'clank.' Dumbledore stared bravely at Kamaria, daring her to escape."
"I will not escape for I know I cannot succeed at it. But don't make the mistake, Dumbledore, that I am submitting to you for I am not. I am Queen and the Dark Lord's lady. That, I will remain. Now, you better run along, the house's other residents have returned."
Sure enough, the door opened followed by the very loud screams of Mrs. Black announcing their return and Tonk's clumsiness.
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"What just happened?"
Remus turned to face Harry. He had just bound and gagged the Sr. Crabbe and Goyle and hid them where they wouldn't be found for hours. Now he had to deal with a demanding Harry James Potter. Like father like son, Remus thought in bitter irony.
"Lupin?" Harry inquired.
"Nothing Harry," Remus lied.
"Don't lie to me."
Remus sighed. "I'm sorry Harry, I cannot tell you, not yet."
"Why?"
"Dumbledore will explain it all."
"When?"
"When he feels that it is time to tell you."
"Am I supposed to accept that?" Harry asked angrily.
"For the time being," Remus said patiently, "yes."
"After what just happened here, I would like some answers."
"I can't give you all the answers, I don't even know all of them. I can just go by what Dumbledore has told me and the Order."
"The Order?" Harry asked confused. "Did you guys have a meeting?"
Remus mentally slapped himself for the slip up. "Yes."
"When?"
To tell or not to tell, Remus debated. "This morning."
"This morning!" Harry cried. "So you knew she was going to be in Diagon Alley today all along. That was why Kingsley and Moody were with us."
"Yes. They were here to protect you and to get her," the werewolf answered truthfully.
"What's going to happen to her?"
"Dumbledore is going to keep her away from Voldemort for starters. She's somewhere safe at the moment and she will remain there."
"How does Dumbledore know he just won't come and take her away?"
"She's somewhere where not even Voldemort has a chance of finding her for a long time."
Harry nodded. "And what does Dumbledore intend to do with her?"
"Like I said before, for right now he just wants to keep her away from Voldemort. Then, he's going to try to get her to fight on our side against Voldemort."
"She's at Grimmauld Place, isn't she?"
Remus sighed. "I can't answer that."
"She is," Harry insisted. "I know she is."
"Who?" Ginny and Ron questioned as they entered the room. Instantly, Remus sent Harry a warning look, telling him that now was not the time nor the place.
Harry looked over at Hermione where she walked in behind Ginny and Ron. Hermione shared a knowing glance with him. She, of course, had already figured out who 'she' was and what had happened earlier as they entered the Madam Malkin's.
"Er….," Remus started, unsure of how to answer.
"Tonks," Harry supplied.
"What about me?" Tonks asked as she entered the room.
"Lupin here was just wondering if you were okay after that fight," Harry answered. Then, "He was worried that you might have got hurt and I was assuring him that you could handle a couple of stunners and a struggling woman."
Tonks, missing the first half of their conversation, believed this and her face when red with fury. "Do you think that I'm not able to take care of myself?" she asked hotly.
The werewolf visibly flinched at her accusing tone. "No, I…"
"Because I can show you right now how capable I am at taking care of myself."
Remus gulped as he stared nervously at the wand shoved in his face. "Er…Tonks,…."
"Don't Tonks me," she said acrimoniously, sending a few sparks out of the tip of her wand at his flushed face. His amber eyes shown with apprehension.
"Er…maybe we should get our robes," Hermione suggested lightly, looking between the two adults.
Tonks, remembering where they were, lowered her wand but refused to let Remus touch her or get remotely near her. Madam Malkin fixed up their school robes in a hurry before quickly showing them to the exit, not that any of them blamed her.
They visited the Apothecary so that Harry and Hermione could pick up some ingredients they would need for Potions. Then, they went and bought extra quills, ink, and parchment before heading back through the Leakey Cauldron to the car that awaited them.
The ride back to the Black House was strained, each thinking of the previous events save Ron who was, as usual, thinking of food.
"Back already?" Molly Weasley asked as soon as they walked through the front door.
"Yes, we….humph!"
The clatter of the umbrella stand to the floor echoed in the silence of the house. Then, the dreaded screaming began as Mrs. Black's face shown from behind the curtain.
Remus instantly rushed forward and began the forceful struggle to fight the curtains close. Tonks, to redeem herself, hurried forward to help. Dumbledore, having just come down the stairs to meet the group, gave a small wave of his hand and the curtains flew shut.
"There now," he said cheerfully, his blue eyes twinkling in amusement, "all peaceful again. Shall we take our discussion that I'm sure we're about to have to the kitchen?"
Molly Weasley looked around the group. She was the only one that did not know what had transpired that very day. "Discussion?"
"Yes," Dumbledore said evenly, "but first, some tea. I dare say some of us need it for our short nerves," he shot a knowing look between Tonks and Remus.
Once they were all gathered in the kitchen, Mrs. Weasley fixed them all a nice cup of tea. They sipped at it, none daring to yet break the silence until Dumbledore was ready.
Finally, Dumbledore turned to them with a smile on his face. "Now, I suppose you are wondering about what happened today in Diagon Alley," he said more to Harry than to anyone else.
Harry glanced quickly over at Hermione and Ron before turning back to the aging Headmaster and answering. "Yes, sir, we would."
Dumbledore nodded. "First, though, I want you each to understand the full extent of the danger this information that I am about to pass onto you could impose. It is not to go any farther than this room. Understand?"
When they all nodded, Dumbledore smiled. "Good. Now, all of you except young Miss Weasley here heard about Harry's dream the other night and the young Kivuli Queen. You also heard the degree of her full powers and the damage she could cause in this war."
He walked around the table slowly, stroking his long white beard with one hand while his other hand was placed behind his back. "She is now in our possession," he continued after a break in proceedings, "which gives us an upper hand in the war against the Dark."
Harry cleared his throat. "So…er…is she going to fight for us sir? Willingly, I mean."
Dumbledore closed his eyes and took a deep breath. After a moment, he opened them, his blue eyes staring intently at Harry. "I'm afraid that she is going to need some convincing before she fights for the Light side Harry."
"And how are we going to achieve that?" Ron asked loudly. His mother glared at him but before she could say anything, another voice joined the conversation.
"I think the better question is," Hermione spoke up, looking curiously at the Headmaster who stared unblinkingly at her, "who's going to do that."
A large smile appeared across the wrinkled face. "Always the perceptive one, aren't you Miss Granger? Knowledge and quick wit is a great gift."
Hermione blushed slightly and looked down at the notches on the table in front of her. Tonks beamed largely at her and patted the bushy haired girl on the back.
"So," Harry said, looking back to the headmaster, "who is going to do it?"
Dumbledore sighed and moved closer to the boy-who-lived, a slight frown playing at his lips. The Headmasters blue eyes met Harry's emerald green ones. Harry could tell that the answer to the question had weighed hard on the old man's mind and that it was thought out.
"Ah, who better Harry than the one who has most at stake in this war?"
A/N: I found out this evening that senior stuff CAN reduce one to tears...ahh...the paper work! So make me happy, click on that little button down there... I promise it won't bite...