Disclaimer: See Chapter I

Also, I'd like to thank those of you who have taken some time to read and review my work (you know who you are). Your kind words have been felt and hope the wait hasn't been too long for this next installment as I'm trying to update my work every three chapters or roughly once every ten days. One final bit of thanks to the Harry Potter Lexicon that is quite the resource for anything Harry Potter related. Hopefully, I can beat the clock before JK Rowling and BK. V hit the streets, though considering how long it took to type this chapter, I may have to call my story an AU (alternate universe) pretty soon. Hopefully, that won't be disappointing to anyone.

Chapter XV: Dilemmas

Following the dinner, the houses retired to their separate dormitories. Harry, after a quick briefing with Bladvak informing him that the security aboard the Hogwarts Express had been flawless, went into the Gryffindor Common Room to discover that the Weasley twins had called together an ad hoc meeting of the Quidditch Team, to include Lee Jordan (the announcer) and a host of assorted fans such as the Brothers Creevey and several radically crazy sixth years (one of whom had the 'distinguished' claim of being a professional football hooligan since age eight before coming to Hogwarts). When Harry had entered the common room, he found a scene of pandemonium and loud profanity that was only settled when Fred yelled, "Over here, Harry."

"Yeah, Fred?"

"Harry," Fred explained, "we had planned to put you in as Quidditch captain, but since you got that new post, congratulations by the way, we need to ID a new captain and fast. After that, we need to figure out a reserve team quick like or else it is all over for us." Harry looked around, and decided to follow his instincts on this. "Right…I want to get this straight though, you wanted Ron to be Keeper right?" George nodded, "Yeah, as Ron over there has a hide tough enough to take a good deal of punishment."

Harry decided to drop the bombshell then and there. "Then I say we use Ron as the Keeper…and as team captain." It looked as though the room was about to break up in pandemonium when Harry slammed a hand down on the table, and told them, "Let me explain. I have solid reasons behind my madness so bear with me." Holding up his right hand, he ticked off a finger as he made a point. "One, I together with the twins got the chance to see Ron in action and have to admit he would make a splendid keeper. Two, the keeper is the only one who spends the most time not chasing a ball of some sort, allowing the Keeper to watch the whole picture, not just chasing the snitch or beating bludgers, meaning the keeper position is the ideal team captain position. Third, quite frankly, Ron has the best eye for tactics I've ever seen, and while I'll grant he doesn't have much experience, he is a fast learner when it comes to Quidditch." Harry paused as everyone laughed and George spoke, "Yeah, that is too true."

"One final reason: Ron over there is new, so he will be thinking in terms of what is best for the team based on what he sees, and any input you give him while the rest of you would to do things based on your experiences in your position, myself included I should say. This means Ron won't just turn anything down right away, he'll think things through. Can you people live with that?" Fred thought for a moment and then motioned to the Quidditch squad to huddle. It seemed like an eternity as they talked in the far corner of the common room, but they quickly reached a decision. All of them seemed settled on it, and George spoke for them, "Harry, we talked it over and have to admit you made your case." Fred looked over at Ron, "So how about it, Team Captain? You game?" Ron stared at both of them open-mouthed, then shut it and nodded, obviously not trusting himself to speak.

The room broke into cheers as bottles of butterbeer were placed in the hands of Ron, but things were cut rather short as Fred called out, "Still, that leaves us without a Seeker. Any contenders?" Harry was saved a response when the newest Gryffindor, Doc Detibedeux, came up and spoke in his drawling Louisiana accent, "Seeker you say? What would if I were to tell you that I played Seeker for the past two years for my house in New Orleans? And that we lost only two games out of close to thirty played?" Harry looked at Fred and George, who nodded, and then turned to him, "Right we'll try you on for a couple of games. If you work, we'll use you. If not, we got at least two other candidates: their sister, and her boyfriend." Ginny and Colin both went red at this.

Laughing, Harry pulled the badge he wore out of the pocket he had had sewn and called it a night, though Ron was seemed to be in a bit of shock over becoming team captain and making Keeper.

 His sleep was undisturbed, a pitch-black tunnel.

                        *          *          *

The next morning Harry was shaken awake by a red-coated goblin. After being informed that Moody and Figg required his presence, Harry quickly went to the bathroom, washed, and threw on a set of school robes. The goblin had waited patiently for him and led him to a room on the first floor close to the dungeons. Hogwarts was still asleep at four in the morning Inside was a guarded room filled with dwarves and goblins manning what looked liked various sensors and information machines while Ironhammer, Bladvak, Moody, Figg, Snape, and Alex sat around a rectangular table in the rear of the room. Moody saw him and waved him over.

"Morning in Harry, care to tell us about…"

"Why you suddenly felt the urge to draw a wand with hostile intent upon another student?" That was the voice of the Snape Harry knew after four years of Potions with the bastard: cold, sneering, anything but warm and fuzzy. Bladvak looked amused as Ironhammer explained, "The sensors we installed indicated wands were drawn and that there was a slight increase in negative magical energy. We were concerned that something was about to happen, but Bladvak had us wait a minute in case…"

"It was merely a student scuffle, one best left to the school Prefects and/or Head Boy to break up."

Harry looked over at Snape, "I can explain, but I think Snape might prefer that I…" "No need for that, just tell us what happened." Alex waved him off, even though Snape glared at him angrily. Apparently the list of people actively loathed by Snape was far larger then Harry had previously thought.

Harry had a sudden vision of telling Snape just what was going through his mind: You're fair-haired boy and his goon squad were trying to cop a feel on your little girl, and if it weren't for me, Nev, and Doc Detibedeux he would have undoubtedly got quite an eye and a handful. Resisting that urge, Harry explained, "I walked in on Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and two second year Slytherins as they were in one of the compartments along with Neville Longbottom and…Katrina Snape." Snape's eyes popped briefly before becoming narrowed, but any comment was cut off as Figg motioned for Harry to continue. Harry explained, as professionally as he could, "Malfoy had pinned Miss Snape against the wall and whilst his companions had Neville on the ground subdued. Mister Malfoy then stated his intention to use an Undressing Charm called Linenius Expectarom. Following which…" Harry then explained the whole scene afterwards, excluding the whole drama in the rain with the bronze knut.

When Harry finally finished, Snape looked as though he were ready to kill someone, but then merely glowered at Harry. This is bullshit, Harry thought. "Professor Snape, if you have an issue with me, then please do me the favor of spitting it out on the table." Harry told Snape coldly. Snape eyes blazed, but only for a minute, "No, Potter, I have nothing against you for the moment, the problem I have is…" As though each word hurt him, Snape croaked, "Thank you."

Harry was about to ask a couple of questions about Katrina when Alex, obviously wanting to shift the topic, started to speak, "Well, first priorities. Since there is a fresh batch of students, and older ones are here as well, so security for the Hogwarts Express has proven to be adequate. Any issues, anyone?" Bladvak raised a finger, "One issue, Ironhammer's sensors picked up two unknown targets on brooms shadowing the train on the section between Northumberland and the Coldstream River. When we moved to intercept, they went to earth, and disappeared. Probably Disapparated." He paused, "The targets were emitting the magical energy signature of invisibility cloaks also." Moody and Alex looked at each other, "Sounds like the incident of '79." Moody said. Alex shrugged, "Probing no doubt. Still, the fact they haven't actually attacked or destroyed anyone yet worries me. Constant…"

"Vigilance!" Harry quipped. After Moody's (Crouch's) tenure as DADA teacher, Harry knew that saying by heart. Alex laughed, and then grew serious as he turned to Snape, "Any new intelligence, Severus?" Snape replied, "Very little which he tells us even in the inner circle. For the most part, he has taken his time punishing those whom he felt lacked faith in him," Snape's eyes seemed guarded as he said this, "besides which, he has been on the move constantly, slowly bringing into the fold those who once served him, and sending envoys out as well. I know the last is certain for Lucius Malfoy made a trip to Russia quite recently, and Avery was sent to Italy on unknown business as well."

This confirmed Harry's suspicions over the summer: Severus Snape had gone back to Voldemort. From what he had been able to figure out, Snape was playing a treacherous game of double agent. Voldemort thought Snape was undoubtedly his man in Hogwarts, while in fact he was working for Dumbledore. Or so Harry hoped, for if Snape weren't then things would probably get very messy. Despite his dislike of the man, thought, Harry had to admit he admired him somewhat as the very deadly game Snape was playing ensured the fact he could face death at any given moment, and since Voldemort didn't fuck around, the death of his daughter as well.

Figg asked him quietly, "What is your evaluation, Severus?" Snape grimaced, "Honestly, I don't know. The only thing I know is that he is moving more slowly, more cautiously, and more thoroughly then previously."

"What of Mueller?" Alex asked. Harry could tell something was wrong for instead of his usual cheerful or unemotional voice, this time it was sharp-edged with a quality that distinctly sounded of rage, hatred, and pain. Snape looked over at Alex, "No, we haven't seen him, and to be quite blunt, I believe I already told you the thing is dead."

Harry looked over Alex, "Who is Mueller?"

Alex shook his head, "Later, later. For now, though…"

Alex stared at Harry, "Harry, this afternoon, after your last class is complete, I want you to meet me in the History of Magic classroom, where the next stage of your training shall begin."

Harry asked, "What training?" He was intrigued by the prospect.

Moody spoke instead of Alex, "Auror training. Normally, we only train people who have graduated, and had at least five years in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, but…" He shrugged, his magical eye darting left and right. "We plan using as much of the standard program as possible, but considering your youth it will have to be modified. Not that we don't believe you can handle it, just the way facts are."

The next hour and a half were spent going over the basic run down of security arrangements in Hogwarts and Hogsmead. Harry was surprised to learn that just about every area of the school was monitored, though Bladvak and Ironhammer were quick to point out that the sensors were attuned primarily to indicate either Dark Magic, or violence of some sort.

"After all, the last thing I want to do is send in a platoon of my men to break up a couple in the exchange of carnal knowledge." Bladvak explained.

Mrs. Figg called the meeting then to order and told Harry, "Now, since there really isn't anything else, I suggest you head over to the Great Hall, I believe breakfast will be served shortly. Oh, and have a good first day."

Harry nodded, said goodbye to everyone, and proceed to the Great Hall. It was now a little past six in the morning, and people were starting to filter in. Entering, he saw Doc Detibedeux lounging at the Gryffindor table munching on an English muffin and a bowl of chicken soup with a tall glass of iced tea at his elbow. "Morning, Doc." Harry called to him as he grabbed a seat across from him. Doc looked up and grinned, "Morning, Harry. You wouldn't by chance know what our first class of the day is by any chance would you?" Harry shook his head, "Nah, leave that to Ron. Trust me, it's worth it just to watch how he acts when he finds out we a class with Slytherins. Speaking of which…"

Looking left and right, Harry asked, "Where's Katrina? For that matter, where is Neville?" Doc laughed, "Yes, Neville is obviously infatuated, though judging by how Katrina acts around him, it appears mutual. Judging from the stories told of him, by him, it seems a woman is just the sort of thing he needs to ensure he doesn't trip over his own two feet. Often." Harry started laughing for a bit, and then noticed Cho with her friends at one of the other tables. Harry watched her for a second, and looked down at his food when she turned to see him.

Doc noticed this, and remarked, "Who is that lovely cup of tea, Harry?" Harry, who had just grabbed a piece of toast, bit into it idly. Doc looked over at Harry, and asked quietly, "You and her an item?" Harry coughed as a crumb of toast got caught in his throat, "No, but I…" "Go ahead, I'm a man who keeps things said to him to himself if you understand me?"

Harry found himself unwilling to talk, and shrugged it off, "I had a crush on her, but after what happened last year…" "That cat Diggory was an item with her, eh?" Doc asked. Harry looked at him, and Doc told him, "I heard the story last night as people were wondering what was going to happen this year, and some of the girls were still talking about how he bought the farm." Harry glanced at him and bit at his toast before replying, "Yeah, I suppose he was, and…you hear the part where I brought back his body?" Doc nodded, "Well, I suppose I'll have to talk to her about it, but…I don't think I have the guts." Harry was surprised he was telling a guy he barely knew about such deep things, but reminded himself that this guy risked his ass to help him out when the odd had looked pretty goddamned dismal.

Doc listened thoughtfully for a moment, then shrugged, "I've always found honesty to be generally the way to go on serious issues such as this. My suggestion to you is that, when you get the chance, ask to meet her somewhere private and talk to her about it. Oh, and try to do it before asking her out, or if you do make sure you do it carefully and with a bit of class."

Doc paused and then drank from a glass of grapefruit juice at his elbow and continued, "Now, to a more happier topic, there any rules about inter-house dating?" Harry laughed and shook his head before asking; his thoughts on Cho tucked away, "Why see any you like?" Doc smirked and replied, "There are some rather nice looking women out there, might try my hand at a few." Harry laughed again and wondered whom Doc had the hots for when Ron and Hermione came down. Ron had a slip of parchment in his hands and sat down.

"Guess what Harry?"

"What, Ron?"

"Our first is with your Uncle, History of Magic. Guess who is right after that class, and doubled with Slytherins?"

"Who, Ron?"

"Potions."

Harry indeed realized today was going to be a strange day indeed.

                        *          *          *

Following breakfast, the Gryffindors moved into the History of Magic classroom. Harry took his usual seat between Hermione and Ron and looked over at his uncle. Eschewing the kind of robes Snape, Flitwick, and other wizards wore, Alex wore his black suit he had bought from Hartwell and Hayes, and the only concessions to the wizard world were his the 'judges' robes (the kind Harry had seen in the old photo of him, Moody, and Longbottom) and the somewhat faded red and gold silk tie around his neck, ensuring he looked not unlike a student. Beyond that there was very little changes to the classroom, with its textbooks, and tables. Indeed, it looked the same as it had the day Harry had last left.

Alex had been examining the homework assignment Binns had given to them when they entered, and as they finished taking their seats he stood up and smiled. Looking at each of them (this was a leadership trick Alex had explained to Harry once, and the trick was to never settle on one person, but to slowly scan the room, making it feel as though each one was looked at in the face) Alex spoke, "Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen, I trust you have had a good summer as from here on, I expect you to pay attention diligently. Punishment for dozing off in my classroom will be punished not by such trivialities of losing house points. No," Alex was grinning manically, "one can instead discuss, via three rolls of parchment, how Hogsmeade figured in the Great Goblin Rebellion of 1612." He laughed then, and everyone joined in. Picking up a really old, scruffy looking piece of parchment, he passed it around the classroom.

"I don't mean to malign a teacher, but that parchment proves that dear old Binns may have went a tad too far with the Goblin Rebellion lessons." Harry looked at the paper, and while the title was that of the homework assignment Binns had given them before Summer Break, the name and date were very unique: Alex S. Evans, Gryffindor, 1977. Alex smiled briefly as everyone passed it around before continuing, "Now, let me introduce myself: my name is Alexander Evans, formerly of the Ministry of Magic's Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and Department of Mysteries, as well as formerly of Her Majesty's the Queen's Royal Parachute Regiment, Royal Military Academy, and Royal Green Jackets. My mission here, for those of you who are wondering, consists of two portions. The secondary is assist in the creation of a new Dueling Club, with a twist in the form of classes on Muggle Defense. Dumbeldore feels that service as an auror as well as in two muggle wars and several stints in the land of Northern Ireland qualifies me for that job."

Alex's face now hardened, "The primary focus of this class, however, will be the study of Magical history in regards to the Dark Arts, and the combating thereof. Your Defense against the Dark Arts Class will teach you counter-curses, and curses, hexes and countless ways to magically combat the enemies. Here, you will learn about the enemy. The motives, the methods past and present, and all the myriad details that go into it. Some of you are no doubt wondering what the whole purpose behind all of this?"

The class looked at him, and Alex looked angry for a moment, "Well, what are you waiting for? I asked a question, I expect an answer. And do give me the courtesy of taking notes as this is a classroom in case none of you have noticed."

Everyone scurried to pull forth parchment and quills as Neville raised his hand, and Alex motioned to him, "Ah, yes, the redoubtable Mr. Longbottom. Tell your peers what your idea of why it is wise to know thy enemy? Do stand, by the way, when you speak."

Standing, Neville looked uncomfortable, but seemed in control of himself. "According to the muggle philosophies on warfare, if you know your enemy, the easier it will be to identify strengths and weaknesses, using them to your advantage by finding ways to lessen his strengths, and preying upon his weaknesses." Alex nodded, "Very good, five points for Gryffindor. So tell me, what do you suppose is the ultimate end goal of the Dark Lord and his minions?" He was asking the class in general. Seamus raised his hand, "Dominion over the Wizard and muggle worlds."

"Indeed, but that is but a mere portion of what he wants. Any others?"

Hermione raised her hand.

"Miss Granger?"

"Power and control over all."

Harry raised his hand and spoke, "Pleasure derived from inflicting suffering."

Alex said, "All three good reasons, and all three are undoubtedly true. Power and control indeed make up the cornerstones of Dark Wizardry. Much of the practices of the Death Eaters involved inflicting suffering on others, and deriving pleasure out of it, and the two principles go in hand with their objective of dominion over the magic world, and eventually the muggle one. The so called superiority of the Wizard race to the muggle one."

Alex snorted, "As though they tend to forget that the Dark Lord himself, indeed all wizards and witches, came from muggle stock at one point or another."

Alex walked around the classroom slowly. "Now, the question I place before you is: are all Death Eaters inherently evil?" Most of the class seemed to be nodding in agreement when Alex looked at them critically and asked, "Very well, let me pose this question to you. We all know the three Unforgivables: the Control, Torture, and Killing Curses. Those are dark magic through and through. Yet let me ask you, do you consider Wingardium Leviosa a form of dark magic?"

The class was looking at him as though he had sprouted horns, which was when Alex grimaced, and waved his wand. "Wingardium Leviosa." He levitated a book and placed it on his desk. Alex then levitated another book, only this time dropping it between Lavender and Parvatti, who gave him a dirty look. Alex smiled as he saw their look, "A common spell, yet depending on the motives of the caster can be used to devastating effect for if that were, say, a tureen of hot soup Ms. Brown and Ms. Patilly, excuse me, Ms. Patil, would be enjoying the finer points of second degree burns."

He walked around the classroom, his magical eye roving. "All magic, with the three exceptions of the Unforgivables, is gray. They are neither good nor evil; only the caster makes that choice. All of you have, perhaps without realizing it, used the Dark Arts in some form or fashion. You may disagree that you have but tell, look me in the eye and tell me this: if the choice came between defending someone you loved or losing that someone, just how far would you go?"

Leaving them with that thought, Alex began going over a detailed lecture over the early years of Voldemort's reign of terror, including the early inefficiencies of the Ministry of Magic's Magical Law Enforcement Department. The class listened with rapt attention as Alex described how it had felt with no one knowing whom to trust and how it seemed every time Voldemort was about to be captured, the trail would be lost and more lives were lost. Finally, after finishing his lecture up to the point where Bartemius Crouch, Sr. had been appointed to become Head of the Department of Law Enforcement, and the authorization by Minister of Magic Appscott to bring in suspects dead or alive.

Hermione raised her hand, and Alex pointed to her, "Yes, Ms. Granger?" Hermione, stood (for one of Alex's rules had been for people to stand when they spoke), and asked, "Sir, was it wise to issue those orders? Weren't there any concerns that…"

"The innocent would suffer with the guilty? Ms. Granger you are asking the wrong man those questions, as I am a very biased observer."

"How?"

"One: I was an auror recruited from this school, in school, and was an auror until I was about nineteen and a half. The second reason is more personal, but nonetheless…I felt, believed in, that when dealing with the sort of scum such as the Death Eaters, there was no such thing as too evil when dealing with them, and that it was better for one innocent to be wronged then to allow a guilty one to go free." Alex looked at them, "No matter, both the ones for or against it have their points. The ones demanding the harsh approach were, are, correct in that one cannot fight a dirty war of this sort without casualties. As for the ones against the harsh approach, they are correct in that taking down the innocents with the guilty undermines the whole effort are correct as well. So what can be done?"

Getting up from the chair that he had been occupying for much of the period, Alex looked around, "The fact of the matter is, nothing can be done. War, the war against the Dark One must be won, for what other options are there? Submitting to the views of the Death Eaters, the principle of so-called purebloods, would result in a wizard population that leads to eventual inbreeding and extinction, yet their point makes sense if the wizard world is to continue surviving, then safeguards must be put in place for while a person may be smart, there are many peoples out there who are not, and regard magic as something to be feared, which is why the so-called Dark Arts are actively taught at places like Durmstrong, Falcon's Keep in the Middle East, and Khankush in southern Asia. Now, for your homework…" The homework assignment was an essay describing their thoughts on the use of Dark Arts, and whether or not their use historically had been, overall, good or bad. Alex's sense of timing proved to be quite good for as soon as he got done telling them about their homework the bell rang, and the class started to pack up and leave. Ron, and Harry were quite surprised as this was the first time that they hadn't fallen asleep in the History of Magic class.

The next class was Potions, with the Slytherins. Going into the dungeon, Harry noticed that Malfoy and his goon squad were strangely quiet, only staring at Harry and his friend malevolently. Snape had been waiting for them, and things seemed to be somewhat normal as he greeted them, "Well, if it isn't Mr. Potter, our head of student security. Tell me, do you know what happens when you mix fire salamander blood with night roots harvested during a new moon?" Harry, who had been rigorously, tutored in Potions, smiled, and replied, "Yes sir, you get the primary base for the Eros potion. In order to complete the potion you need to mix ground up dragon bone with blood moss and brew it in order to complete it." Snape, raised an eyebrow, and asked coldly, "What is the purpose, since you are so well informed, then of the Eros potion, and be so kind as to tell us what the aftereffects of this potion are?"

Harry replied, deadpan, "The purpose of the potion is to protect against veneral diseases and pregnancy. It is best used if both parties partake of it, though it can work if only one of them take it. The side-effects are principally a major headache eight hours after the potion is ingested, indicating that the potion has lost its potency."

Snape smiled coldly, "It seems you know quite a bit of such a Potion? As though, you had had to use such a potion for a long, long time." Harry looked at him just as coldly, "I've had to make quite it a few times as part of my summertime Potions tutoring. To include ingesting it, I might add." Snape decided to leave it there as he turned to the class and laid out the first lessons. Apparently, they were going to review all their healing potions (to include poison antidotes as well as the usual ones that involved curing minor blisters, cuts, scrapes, and the like) and then move on to several ones that involved mending bones, stopping blood loss, and even ones that caused the heart to start beating once again.

For once, trouble didn't seem to be occurring in the classroom as Malfoy (whom Harry noticed was desperately avoiding Snape) kept to himself, and just as miraculous as Neville. Neville had partnered up with Katrina, and Snape, while acting towards the whole class in a cold, but professional manner, had seemed to lessen his usual harassment of the poor man. The miracle had been the fact for once Neville didn't suffer a Potions disaster, and had actually completed his project, if not greatly, then adequately enough that nothing was destroyed in the process.

                        *          *          *

Following lunch, and Divination (Harry wasn't surprised in that Madam Trelawney predicted his demise, and Harry had followed through predicting he was going to die a slow, painful death involving wild animals), Harry made his way back to the History of Magic classroom. Entering, he saw Moody, Alex, and Figg waiting for him. Figg motioned for him to get closer, then pointed her wand to the door. "Hamora" Harry heard the clicking of the door as it locked. Alex cast the kind of silencing charm.

Figg explained to him, "Harry, the next phase of training will involved curses and hexes that are frowned on by both Albus and the Ministry. The curses can cause death indirectly, but have their uses in medicine and industry, which is why they are tolerate. Any questions before we begin?"

"Does the Headmaster know of this?"

"Indeed, he does, Harry."

Harry whirled to see Dumbledore standing in one of the corners of the classroom. He wasn't smiling, and his tone was all business. "I don't approve of the whole student body learning these curses, but the fact remains these are going to be trying times, and we will need every advantage we can muster. That includes training in arts of magic that normally wouldn't be used." Albus had what Alex had called the steel, the way a commander looked when he was forced to do something which was unpleasant to those he commanded, but necessary.

Looking over at Harry, "However, due to the onerous nature of the training which would be undertaken, the choice is up to you. Again, if you have no wish to undertake this training, then by all means you may leave, and none of us will think the less of you."

Harry looked around at the faces looking at him expressionessly, yet his mind had already been made up. Even though he had better control of his facilities, the nightmares had plagued him during the summer holiday in Wales and at the Burrow. In his mind, Harry remembered the sight of Diggory, and imagined people whom he was attached to going out like that, and in his ears he could almost hear Voldemort laughing at him right now.

Steeling himself, he looked at Albus, "I'll stay, and I'll learn."

Albus nodded, and said, "I wish you then the best of luck, for upon your shoulders rests a great duty, and a great responsibility which I have every confidence that you will carry out successfully."

Dumbledore turned, cast Alahomora, walked out the door, and closed it. Harry heard it lock once more, and then turned to the business ahead.