This chapter includes scenes from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince which is not mine, obviously.
Chapter 12
A Helping Echo
The D.A. meeting was all the members could talk about the following morning. Sirius had covered quite a bit of material and told them that it was up to them how fast they progressed. Members were already scheduling meetings throughout the week to practice. Sirius' tactic of making learning fun had certainly paid off by demonstrating how the simplest of skills could save one's life. Unfortunately, Ron had been Sirius' assistant and was nursing a few faint bruises because of it.
The meeting had concluded with a review of what was covered last year which Harry and the Council had taken over for Sirius to prepare everyone for next week where they would begin covering new material. Sixth and seventh years would be covering nonverbal spells while fifth years and younger would be concentrating on Patroni and other spells that they hadn't learned yet. Since the majority of the Council was in their sixth or seventh year, Sirius volunteered to help Ginny and Luna instruct the handful of students who were still struggling with their Patroni.
All of the excitement ended up causing quite a stir among nonmembers, especially when nonmembers discovered what the D.A. was covering. The most persistent was Cormac McLaggen who once again was doing everything in his power to convince Harry that he deserved special consideration which really irked Harry. McLaggen was everything Harry didn't want to be, grasping onto fame and actually believing that he deserved special treatment because of who his relatives knew. McLaggen actually enjoyed Slughorn's parties and had the audacity to ask Harry not to schedule Quidditch practice during any of the parties. Harry, of course, informed McLaggan that Quidditch was a responsibility that came before any parties or other recreational events and if he didn't like it, he was welcomed to quit the team.
McLaggen left Harry alone after that but he didn't quit the team. Harry wasn't sure how he felt about that. McLaggen was a good player but his personality left little to be desired. It really wasn't a surprise that McLaggen and Slughorn got along so well. They were really two of a kind.
Harry wasn't surprised when he was asked to stay after in Defense Against the Dark Arts. With all of the hassle, Harry had expected to be cornered by a teacher. He was just surprised that Professor Snape had been elected to do it. Perhaps it was because Professor Snape was the Defense teacher or perhaps it was because Professor McGonagall was too busy covering for a missing Professor Dumbledore. Harry wasn't sure. All he knew was that this was probably going to be an extremely trying conversation.
Professor Snape stood in front of his desk, sneering at Harry like he always did. After the discussion they had two weeks ago, Snape had gone out of his way to avoid Harry completely. "There appears to be a problem with your little group, Potter," Snape said coolly. "Several students have voiced their dislike for not being allowed to join although I can't imagine why."
Harry seriously doubted that. Snape was well aware that Harry hated the entire 'boy-who-lived-to-be-the-chosen-one' nonsense. "I can and I'm sure you can too," Harry said honestly. "Tell me something, Professor. There are other groups here. People can do exactly what we did and make their own group. Why do they have to join mine?"
Snape glowered at Harry before snorting. "Because it's yours," he said in disgust. "Everyone wants to be around 'The Chosen One'."
"Exactly, sir," Harry said softly. He hated how Professor Snape could make any title bestowed upon him sound like an insult. It wasn't like he had asked for it. He never had. Sometimes Harry wondered if Snape had him mixed up with McLaggen. "The people you're talking about don't care of the risk everyone in the group took last year by joining a group that was going against Umbridge's teachings. The D.A. believed in me when everyone else was questioning my sanity. They didn't pester me for information on what happened with Umbridge or that night at the Ministry. They are who I trust. They see me for who I really am."
Harry couldn't believe he was revealing so much to Professor Snape of all people. Maybe it was all of the frustration finally getting the better of him. Maybe it was because even though Snape was a greasy git and had too much hatred for James Potter, he still kept an eye on Harry in his own snarky, sarcastic and reluctant way. Snape was still Snape. There was really no other way to explain it and Harry really didn't know if he wanted to.
"And what is that?" Professor Snape asked although it was clear that he could really care less.
"A human being," Harry said evenly and turned to leave. There was nothing else to say. Both of them knew this was more of a formality than anything. Harry wasn't going to give in and Professor Snape didn't care either way. Walking towards the door, Harry fought the urge to reach out to see what Snape was feeling. He had done it before and been shocked but reading the emotions of someone like Snape was like reading someone else's mind. It was so tempting but so wrong.
Harry was nearly at the door when he was suddenly overwhelmed by waves of concern, urgency and fear forcing him to his knees. Panic coursed through him as he tried to think of some way to block it all out but that had been something he had never been able to do. The fear was increasing until he could feel nothing else only to be gone a moment later and be replaced by a strong sensation of protectiveness. Someone was in danger. Someone was in pain. Someone needed him.
"My child…the leader…needs you…"
Harry knew that voice. He had heard the strange echoing voice before during times of great need only this time it wasn't his own need. It was someone else's. Slowly, Harry rose to his feet. He didn't know where he was going as he turned and stumbled towards Professor Snape's office which had the nearest fireplace. It was almost like someone else was controlling his body, urging him to move despite the pulsating emotions surrounding him. With each step, his stride grew more stable until he was able to rush into Professor Snape's office, grabbed a pinch of floo powder, threw it into the fireplace, and shouted, "Headmaster's Office, Acid Pops!"
With a roar, the fire turned emerald green and grew in height before Harry stepped into the flames and instantly felt like he was being sucked down a large drain. He was spinning and spinning but barely aware of it. He didn't really feel anything until the spinning stopped and he stumbled into Professor Dumbledore's office. The sensation of being controlled vanished as Harry hurried around the desk to see Professor Dumbledore on his knees and holding his right hand that looked almost black in extreme agony.
Acting on instinct, Harry hurried to help in anyway he could but ran into some sort of barrier which sent him flying into the nearest bookcase. He landed on the floor with a thud, his back and head screaming as the bookcase fell over on him. His mind was a clouded mess. He thought he heard voices but they were too distorted to make out. Groaning in pain, Harry tried to regain his senses and pull himself out from underneath the bookcase. Professor Dumbledore needed help. He needed to get to Professor Dumbledore.
The bookcase was extremely heavy making any sort of movement extremely difficult. With a flick of the wrist, Harry had his wand in hand, made the smallest swish and flick with it while thinking, 'Wingardium Leviosa'. The bookcase slowly lifted in the air allowing Harry to carefully pull himself out while continuing to point his wand at the book case. His back flared in pain with every movement and his head was throbbing. It seemed to take forever before he had moved far enough to release the bookcase which fell to the ground with a crack.
Shaking away the confusion in his mind, Harry instantly looked to where Professor Dumbledore had been and saw that Professor Snape had followed him and was now helping an exhausted Dumbledore (who was clearly still in an immense amount of pain) sit down in a nearby sofa couch. As quickly as possible, Harry shakily pulled himself to his feet and staggered over to Dumbledore and Snape, the latter of the two sneering as Harry fell to his knees in front of Dumbledore.
"Leave, Potter!" Professor Snape snapped.
Harry shot Snape a glare before he raised his wand and cast the spell Madam Pomfrey had showed him to check a patient's condition. The news wasn't good. Without sparing Professor Snape a glance, Harry hurried to the fireplace and fire-called the hospital wing hoping against hope that Madam Pomfrey was nearby.
She was. A moment later, Madam Pomfrey's head appeared in the middle of the flames. "Mr. Potter!" Madam Pomfrey cried in surprise. "What's wrong?"
"Something's happened to Professor Dumbledore," Harry said quickly. "I need to you bring a strong pain relieving potion, a Calming Draught, a Restorative Draught, some Soothing Salve, and anything you have to regenerate tissue."
"Has anyone else been injured?" Pomfrey asked urgently.
"Nothing that requires immediate attention," Harry said evasively. His own injuries were the farthest thing from his mind at the moment.
Madam Pomfrey stared at Harry for a brief second before nodded. "Very well," she said but didn't take her eyes off of Harry. "I'll be there soon. Try to make him as comfortable as possible without aggravating the injuries." Without waiting for a reply, her head vanished with a small pop.
Harry hurried back to Professor Dumbledore's side, ignoring the surprised look on Professor Snape's face. Professor Dumbledore was awake but clearly unaware of what was happening around him. Slowly, Harry coaxed Dumbledore to lie down and grabbed a nearby footstool to place Dumbledore's injured hand on for Madam Pomfrey to examine. Everything he had learned from Madam Pomfrey and his time at the hospital was influencing him now. It was the only way he could keep himself from panicking.
The fireplace roared to life as Madam Pomfrey entered the room and hurried over to Harry's side. She took one look at Dumbledore's hand before looking directly at Professor Snape. "I trust you removed whatever object caused this?" she said as she set her bag of potions down and pulled out her wand. "Pull out the pain reliever, Mr. Potter."
Harry did as he was told, moving out of Madam Pomfrey's way in the process. He reached in her bag and pulled out a correct potion, removed the cork and handed it over. He did the same for every potion she asked for, watching as she continuously waved her wand over Professor Dumbledore's injured hand. Professor Snape was completely silent the entire time with an impartial look on his face. Harry once again fought the urge to reach out and find out what Snape was feeling out of fear that he would be overwhelmed by the pain Professor Dumbledore had to be in.
Madam Pomfrey finally lowered her wand and let out a long, tired breath. "I'm afraid there isn't much else I can do," she said wearily. "This is dark magic at its worst. I suppose we should be grateful that it is only your hand, Headmaster. If it had gone any further…"
Harry quickly looked up to see Professor Dumbledore looked tiredly at Madam Pomfrey. His gaze shifted to the blackened hand that was now resting on Dumbledore's chest. It looked dead, as if it had been stuck in an actual fire for hours. Harry bit his lower lip nervously. Could he possibly do something when potions and salves failed? He tentatively reached for the blackened hand only to have Madam Pomfrey grab it and help Harry to his feet.
"Excuse us please," Madam Pomfrey said and pulled Harry towards the fireplace. "Mr. Potter, I know you want help the Headmaster but I can't let you attempt something of this magnitude. Dark magic is completely different from silver poisoning. You could very well kill yourself for even attempting such a task. Do you understand?"
Harry reluctantly nodded. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew Madam Pomfrey was right. Dark magic was different from silver poisoning and muggle illnesses or injuries. Until he learned more about his abilities and his limits, he was too risky to try to heal such an injury blindly. He had to stop jumping into situations without thinking. Like I just did. If Professor Snape hadn't followed me…
After Madam Pomfrey took a look at Harry's back, he was given a few potions for his aches and bruising before he had been dismissed with a warning to not speak of what happened to anyone. To say that Harry had felt hurt was an understatement. He understood that Professor Dumbledore needed rest but to be dismissed without any sort of explanation or gratitude (not that he had been expecting any) left Harry feeling incredibly empty, something he hadn't felt in a very long time.
The rest of the day passed in a blur. Harry didn't tell anyone what happened. He really didn't say much at all. He was too caught up in his own thoughts to really pay attention to anything. There had been nothing else he could have done to help Professor Dumbledore. He would have only been in the way. As far as an explanation went, what right did he have to demand answers? Since when did Dumbledore tell him everything that was going on? He never has and it's wrong to think he ever will.
The problem was logic didn't do anything to dampen any of the worry or fear that came every time Harry remembered seeing Professor Dumbledore so helpless. If it could happen to Dumbledore…
Over the next few weeks, it was almost like nothing had happened. Professor Snape was his normal snarky self, Madam Pomfrey never mentioned what happened and Professor Dumbledore was rarely seen. In fact, he had only been seen a few times, his injured hand looked as black as ever. Harry avoided Professor Dumbledore's gaze and tried to ignore the fact that he could feel Dumbledore watching him. He figured that Dumbledore had questions too, especially concerning how Harry had known Dumbledore had been in danger.
Luckily, Harry didn't have much time to worry about it all. The never ending classes, Quidditch, training, healing sessions, and D.A. meetings meant very little time to do anything other than schoolwork. There was Quidditch practice three nights a week leaving everyone on the team extremely sore and exhausted. The sixth and seventh year Council members were still working hard to master nonverbal spells in addition to Muggle defense so they could help Sirius and Harry out during meetings. Ginny and Luna had also tried casting spells without saying the words but neither of them had much luck so they focused on Patroni. Training under Sirius had moved up a notch since Harry was slowly getting the hang of castings simple spells without an extreme amount of effort. Madam Pomfrey had also increased the difficulty by teaching Harry how to handle patients magically. By the end of each week, Harry was so mentally and physically exhausted he couldn't bring himself to care what was going on with Dumbledore, Voldemort or the Ministry.
Remus was slowly making progress and by the time October arrived he was able to venture to the library and back to the Marauder Quarters without feeling any sort of tiredness. This allowed Remus to expand his research for the Order along with the endless search to discover who the Half-Blood Prince was and searching for any information about empaths, especially after learning how Hogwarts had overwhelmed Harry…again. Harry hadn't gone into detail about what happened but he had told them the basics since he had vowed never to hide anything from them again. He owed them that much.
To Harry's greatest relief, Professor Slughorn had only cornered him once to ask about the Potions book Harry had borrowed. Harry really had no choice but to reveal that he had lent the book to Remus who had been helping Harry with the subject. Professor Slughorn had clearly been surprised to hear one of his top students was actually someone being tutored but he covered it up by commending Harry for having the initiative to ask for help. It seemed that Harry could do no wrong when it came to Professor Slughorn which was something that annoyed him immensely.
As the second week of October drew to a close, the arrival of the first Hogsmeade weekend gave the majority of the student a reason to cheer. With all of the security restrictions, everyone was eager to get away from it all…everyone except Harry who was still 'grounded'. He would be spending the day with Sirius and Remus catching up on his schoolwork and finishing up any final preparations for the D.A. meeting that evening.
Truthfully, Harry was grateful for the excuse to stay back. Although he could use the break from the security, he wasn't exactly eager to go out where there were bound to be people staring and whispering. It had finally begun to calm down at Hogwarts. Why would he put himself through it again?
When the morning arrived, Harry was up early for training with Sirius only to have it relocated to the Room of Requirement because of the horrible weather outside. They spent two hours on ways to recognize nonverbal spells in order to defend one's self properly then retreated to the Marauder Quarters for an early lunch with Remus. Remus had been waiting for them with a rolled up piece of parchment for Harry with a familiar slanted writing on it. His next lesson with Professor Dumbledore was scheduled for Monday evening which was met with mix reactions. Harry knew he needed to continue these lessons but he wasn't sure if he could handle sitting across from Dumbledore, acting like nothing had happened. But that's what Dumbledore wants.
After a quick lunch, Harry dived into his Transfiguration homework, periodically asking for an explanation when he reached something he didn't understand. It was quite entertaining to see Remus fall into 'teacher mode' with Sirius silently mimicking him behind Remus' back. It was a challenge like no other to refrain from laughing, something that Remus picked up on and ended up jinxing Sirius to have a rather familiar looking, long, crooked nose.
That was the start of the strangest duel Harry had ever seen. By the time they called a truce, Sirius looked like a mixture of Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall which was bound to give Harry nightmares for quite some time. Remus didn't fair any better and was currently looking like a female version of Lockhart, another sight that was guaranteed to give Harry nightmares. There were just some things you should never actually witness and that duel had been one of them.
Once everything had been righted, Harry was able to put the finishing touches on his essay before joining Sirius and Remus for a walk through the halls. The hallways were rather empty which was actually surprising considering the decreasing weather conditions. It was now raining sleet and the bitter wind didn't look inviting either. Harry had to wonder how Ron and Hermione were fairing at Hogsmeade. He could imagine them in the Three Broomsticks sipping butterbeers as they bickered about differences in opinion or maybe they were talking about Lavender Brown's new interest in Ron…or perhaps not. Whenever Lavender had made her giggling presence known, Hermione suddenly became extremely quiet and ill tempered.
They were near the library when Harry was once again overwhelmed by a familiar sense of fear and panic, causing him to stumble. Once again, Harry felt that someone was in danger…someone was in intense pain…someone needed him. Dizziness forced Harry to reach out for something to hold on to. He bit back the urge to fight against the intense emotions since it hadn't worked in the past even though he wanted nothing more than the pain to end.
"My child…danger…help…fellow lion…village…"
There was a flash of flames as Fawkes appeared; causing Harry, Sirius and Remus to jump back in surprise. Fawkes let out a quick trill before he flew over to Harry's shoulder and landed. Harry suddenly had a strange feeling of déjà vu. It was clear that Fawkes was supposed to take him to whomever needed him but the last few times Fawkes had taken Harry anywhere by fire-travel had ended up with disastrous results.
"Harry, what's going on?" Sirius demanded.
Harry rubbed his forehead before meeting Sirius' gaze. "A Gryffindor's in trouble at Hogsmeade," he said wearily. He had a feeling that Sirius wasn't going to like this at all. "Hogwarts wants Fawkes to take me to them…to help them."
"Absolutely not!" Sirius protested as he grabbed hold of Harry's arms. "You're not going anywhere."
Remus grabbed Sirius by the arm and pulled him away. "Sirius, calm down!" he said forcefully and waited until Sirius looked at him angrily. "If someone—especially a child—is in trouble and we can do something to help then we will. Go with Harry. I'll notify Poppy and Minerva." Remus then turned to Harry as Sirius moved to Harry's side and grabbed his arm. "Be careful, cub. Listen to Sirius."
Before Harry could respond, his vision was blocked by flames. As the flames vanished, Harry was instantly hit by intense icy wind and sleet. Sirius quickly pulled out his wand and with a wave, a barrier formed above them allowing them to see Katie Bell hovering in the air, screaming. Her arms were outstretched in an extremely unnatural position. The pain from her screams were all the incentive Harry needed to refrain from reaching out to the emotions around him. Ron, Hermione and another girl were also there, trying to grab Katie by her ankle to pull her down, alerting Harry and Sirius that they needed to act fast.
Harry quickly pulled out his wand and pointed it at Katie as they rushed towards the Gryffindors. Liberacorpus. The nonverbal spell worked. Katie fell just as Sirius pushed the three Gryffindors out of the way to catch her. Katie was thrashing and screaming in Sirius' arms as Harry knelt beside them and preformed the diagnosis spell. The high amount of dark magic in her system was startling. Harry quickly turned to Ron and Hermione. "What did this to her?" he asked urgently.
Ron, Hermione and the Gryffindor girl pointed at the ripped package on the ground only a few paces away. Harry hurried over to it and crouched down. There was an ornate opal necklace poking out of the paper. A rush of familiarity hit Harry but he ignored it. Now wasn't the time to worry about where he might have seen it before. Looking around, Harry saw Katie's scarf on the ground, picked it up and wrapped it around the object. He then hurried back to Sirius, who was still trying to hold onto Katie, and called for Fawkes.
The Phoenix let out a trill as he landed on Harry's shoulder again. Sirius quickly looked up at the three shocked Gryffindors. "Hurry back to the castle," he ordered. "Professor McGonagall will be waiting for you. Do not speak to anyone else, do you understand?"
The three Gryffindors nodded as Harry, Sirius and Katie vanish in a tower of flames only to reappear a moment later in the hospital wing in front of a waiting Madam Pomfrey, Professor McGonagall and Remus. Chaos quickly broke out as Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall tried to get answers that no one knew while Sirius and Remus held Katie in place on a bed. Harry handed over the necklace wrapped in Katie's scarf to Professor McGonagall before he began retrieving whatever potion Madam Pomfrey asked for. Professor McGonagall was the first to leave in order to meet up with the three witnesses followed by Remus, who took the necklace to Professor Snape.
Harry didn't know how long they tried method after method to cure Katie. All he knew was one moment the hospital wing was filled with natural light and the next Madam Pomfrey was lighting the lanterns. Professor Snape had even come in and tried a few things when Madam Pomfrey ran out of options. Katie had finally stopped screaming and her thrashing had lessened significantly but it was obvious she still wasn't in the right frame of mind. It seemed hopeless that Katie would ever be completely healed again.
Glancing at his watch, Harry noticed that the D.A. meeting was supposed to be starting soon and groaned. He really wasn't looking forward to the sea of endless questions that were bound to come. Everyone was going to want to know how Katie was and what happened to her. Madam Pomfrey had informed Harry about Healer/patient privilege which meant Harry was forbidden to talk about anyone he tended to. However, that didn't mean people would care about the rule. The students at Hogwarts had a knack for being nosy.
All it took was a shared glance and Sirius left the hospital wing to inform the D.A. that the meeting would be canceled unless the Council wanted to instruct the meeting. Both Harry and Sirius were too exhausted to do much of anything. Collapsing in a chair at Katie's bedside, Harry stared at his classmate…his teammate…his friend. Once again he had been ordered not to attempt in healing someone because dark magic was involved. How was he supposed to know his limits if he was never allowed to try? How was he supposed to learn how to control it?
The mouthwatering smell of roasted chicken pulled Harry out of his thoughts just in time to see Remus approach with a tray of food. Harry rubbed his face tiredly as Remus sat down on a nearby bed and motioned for Harry to join him. "You look like you could use a well earned break," Remus said as he handed the tray over. "I talked with Professor McGonagall. Apparently, Katie was acting strange after a trip to the bathroom in The Three Broomsticks with the package in her hands. Katie told her friend, Leanne, that the package was a surprise for someone here and she had to deliver it. Naturally, Leanne found this suspicious and tried to argue with Katie. They fought over the package causing it to rip open, exposing some of Katie's skin to the necklace."
Harry thought for a moment before he let out a sigh. "So someone, most likely female, put Katie under the Imperius Curse to bring a dark artifact to school," he concluded as he picked up his knife and fork. "How did they expect her to get past Filch and his Secrecy Sensors?"
"A very good question," Remus said with a tired smile. "Whoever gave that necklace to Katie either wasn't aware of the new security or hadn't thought their plan through—"
"—or needed a distraction," Harry offered and was instantly hit with a suspicious look from Remus. "One of the guys I worked with in the hospital—J.J.—did anything he could to make the job fun. There was one time he broke into a doctor's office, stole their stethoscope and tried to see how many girls would let him listen to their heart but in order to do so he needed to create a distraction to get the doctor out of his office. It caused quite a bit of trouble and J.J. ended up getting suspended for two days but he said it was worth it."
Remus grinned and ruffled Harry's hair. "That sounds like something Sirius or your father would have tried when they were your age," he said then eyed Harry critically. "I trust you had nothing to do with that little adventure?"
Harry shook his head as he swallowed a piece of chicken. "He pulled that a few days after I started working," he said truthfully. "J.J. claimed that I had a lot more to lose if I was caught but I think that was his excuse because he realized I didn't want anything to do with it. J.J. was like that. He always used euphemisms. If he was suffering from a hangover, he claimed that he was experiencing the aftereffects of a memorable night. If he was caught for pulling a prank, J.J. claimed that it was all a learning experience for future reference. Life with J.J. around was never boring, I'll tell you that."
Remus smiled as he rested a hand on Harry's shoulder and squeezed. "You miss them, don't you?" he said softly.
It was more of a statement than a question but Harry felt the need to answer anyways. "J.J. and Dr. Rolands made that month more bearable," he said truthfully. "I'm glad I met them and saw the Muggle perspective of things. They are no different from us and certainly don't deserve any of the havoc Voldemort creates." Harry looked over at Katie and let out a sigh. "So many people have been hurt and killed because of him. I just don't understand how Voldemort can enjoy this."
Remus wrapped an arm around Harry and pulled him close. "Hate is a very strong motivator, cub," he said softly. "For those who feel the need to prey on the weak to make themselves feel powerful…well, I suppose the deaths of people who are viewed as unimportant rarely matter." Remus tilted his head so it was resting on top of Harry's. "Voldemort doesn't care, Harry. I doubt he's ever cared for anyone other than himself in his entire life and that is what makes him so dangerous."
Harry's shoulders slumped forward as he continued eating. It made sense if you thought about it. Voldemort never cared about anything except his quest for power. Harry couldn't imagine what that must be like. He was the exact opposite. He cared about everything, no matter how much he tried not to. What could have happened that would cause someone not to care?
"So how are you doing?" Remus asked, breaking the silence. "Seeing a friend like this can't be easy."
Harry shrugged his shoulders. He really didn't want to begin a long discussion which he already knew what the conclusion would be but he had a feeling that Remus wouldn't let the subject go unless they talked about it. "I just wish I could have done more," Harry said softly. "I know I could have done more but Madam Pomfrey wouldn't let me. She wouldn't let me try—"
"—I know, Harry," Remus said sincerely. "I know this must be hard for you but unless you know exactly what you're doing, you could be in the same state she's in. Do you want that? Are you willing to take that risk? I know you're frustrated but you need to start small, like you did at the hospital. If you want to keep this a secret, we need to be discrete. We can't have a repeat of what happened when you healed me, all right?"
Harry nodded and grudgingly returned to eating his dinner. He understood why Madam Pomfrey, Sirius and Remus didn't want him trying to heal Professor Dumbledore and Katie Bell. That didn't mean he had to like it.
Katie Bell was indeed moved to St. Mungo's the following morning. Harry had spent the night in the Marauder Quarters which meant everyone had sought him out at breakfast. Everyone wanted to know what happened to Katie, where he had found a Phoenix and how he had been able to stay in the hospital wing when everyone else would have been kicked out. Harry didn't say a word and eventually had to leave the Great Hall for a moment of peace.
As a result, Harry spent the majority of the day in partial solitude. He had his session with Madam Pomfrey in which they spent with Remus going over his research on natural healers followed by Harry trying to access the ability with Remus as the test subject. It had taken Harry nearly half of an hour to finally feel the flash of warmth that always came before the healing began. Once the healing started, Harry had to concentrate on Remus' headache and tiredness only. It had been extremely difficult and tiring since Harry had never had any sort of control before. He had no idea whether it was working or not and had to pull away after a quarter of an hour when he felt like he was going to pass out. He ended up being partially successful but it was clear that controlling and focusing the ability was certainly going to take a while.
After the exhausting session, Harry and Remus retreated to the Marauder Quarters where Sirius, Ron and Hermione were waiting for them. Ron and Hermione had kept the conversations to Quidditch and schoolwork which had been a welcomed surprise. Katie had only been brought up when Ron expressed concern of Dean being an adequate replacement. Both of them knew Katie had been their strongest Chaser and also tended to act as an Assistant Captain at times to help Harry out. Without Katie, Harry would have to rely on Ron who really wasn't up to the challenge of additional pressure.
The only laugh Harry really had was when Hermione informed him that Slughorn's next party was scheduled for Monday night, which Harry would luckily have to miss due to his lessons with Dumbledore. Once again he had avoided being paraded around like a trophy by a stroke of luck. Hermione had tried to convince Harry that the parties were actually quite interesting but stopped when she noticed the jealous looks on Ron's face. As a result, Ron had been extremely quiet for the rest of the day.
When Monday night arrived, Harry had begun to wonder whether turning down Slughorn's invitation had been a mistake. What was he supposed to say to Dumbledore? How could he just act as if nothing had happened? It had been easy when Dumbledore had been away but during the lesson Harry would be in that room, sitting across from the man Hogwarts had feared was in mortal peril. He had understood Dumbledore's need for privacy and had been ready to obey it until the incident with Katie Bell. Once again, Hogwarts had called on Harry to save someone who had been in mortal peril, reminding Harry how close Dumbledore had been to being shipped off to St. Mungo's just like Katie had been. Harry couldn't bring himself to think about it.
It was eight o'clock exactly when Harry entered Professor Dumbledore's office through the fireplace only to see Dumbledore waiting for him, looking extremely tired. It was a struggle for Harry not to stare at the blackened hand as he bit back the urge to ask the questions that had been in his mind for weeks. It's none of my business. I haven't told him everything about my life so I can't expect him to tell me everything about his.
"Good evening, Harry," Professor Dumbledore said pleasantly as he motioned for Harry to take a seat. "It appears we have quite a bit to discuss tonight."
Harry took his usual seat in front of the desk and noticed the Pensieve was already out on the desk, casting spots of light on the ceiling. He fought to push away the anticipation and nervousness that was currently making his stomach twist into knots. Just because Dumbledore wanted to talk didn't mean he wanted to talk about that.
Professor Dumbledore sat down behind his desk and looked at Harry for a moment before he let out a long breath. "I owe you an apology, Harry, and my gratitude," he said sincerely. "I apologize for not speaking to you sooner about what happened. If it hadn't been for you and Severus, my injury could have proved fatal. I made an old man's mistake in believing I was prepared for the consequences of my actions. I assure you, I will tell you more when the time is right since this does relate to what we are doing."
Harry stole a glance at the blackened hand before returning his gaze to Professor Dumbledore's face. "Is there anything that can be done, sir?" he asked curiously. "It looks painful."
"I'm afraid not, my boy," Professor Dumbledore said in a serious tone. "Dark magic has a tendency of leaving something behind that can not be removed although not all remnants are visible. I believe you witnessed that with Katie Bell. She is also fortunate you acted as quickly as you did. I have spoken to your guardians about this so I am aware that Hogwarts informed you of these events, not your empathy. I am please that Hogwarts trusts you so and I am grateful for what your connection with her has done but I can not help feeling worried about this. Your guardians and Professor Snape have told me that you were completely 'overpowered'. I realize Hogwarts most likely wanted to grab your attention but I fear the consequences if this were to continue."
Harry didn't know what to say. He could understand that Dumbledore was concerned but what was he supposed to do about it? Hogwarts was an enchanted castle! He was lucky he had the connection he had with her. It wasn't like he could sit down with her and have a pleasant conversation over tea to discuss more feasible ways to warn someone. "I really don't know what you expect me to do, sir," Harry said honestly. "Hogwarts connects with me when she wants to."
The lighting flickered as Harry was instantly surrounded by gentle waves of protectiveness and guilt. He bit back a smile, silently assuring Hogwarts not to worry about it. They would find a happy medium together. "I think you hurt her feelings, sir," Harry said candidly.
Professor Dumbledore winced slightly. "My apologies," he said then smiled. "Is she speaking to you now?"
Harry shook his head. "I can feel her," he said then decided to change the topic. He really didn't want to continue talking about something he really couldn't explain. His connection to Hogwarts was strange but he wouldn't trade it for anything. "Sir, does Professor Snape know about everything? He hasn't said anything…"
"With some persuasion, Professor Snape does not believe that the episode was anything other than a magical fluctuation," Professor Dumbledore said pleasantly. "He may suspect something is afoot but Severus knows to remain silent until any suspicions are confirmed." Dumbledore leaned forward in his chair with an intense look in his eyes. "However, he was rather irritated that your training with Poppy had been kept a secret. Poppy has never taken a student under her wing unless they have displayed extraordinary ability. Severus knows this so I urge you to be cautious if you insist on keeping your ability a secret."
Harry suddenly had a strange feeling that there had been more to the statement than what was voiced. "I'm being cautious, sir," he said firmly, "but sometimes caution has to be thrown to the wind to help those in need. I put myself at risk but I wouldn't do it any differently if the price had been Katie's sanity and your life."
Professor Dumbledore smiled proudly and nodded. "Well said, Harry," he said pleasantly. "Very well said. You are right. Risks sometimes need to be taken but repetitious behavior can lead to assumptions and conclusions that normally wouldn't be reached. All I am saying, Harry, is to be mindful that you are being watched. If you keep appearing where dark activity is, someone may being asking questions which you would rather not answer."
"I understand, sir," Harry said and he meant it. He would try to be careful in the future. The last thing he needed was the Ministry on his back.
"Excellent," Professor Dumbledore said pleasantly as he pulled out two vials, poured the contents into the Pensieve and began swirling the basin between his hands. "Now, on with the lesson. As I am sure you remember, we concluded last time with Tom Riddle, senior abandoning Merope and his unborn child in London and returning to his family home in Little Hangleton." Harry opened his mouth to comment. "Before you ask, Harry, I know Merope was in London because Caractacus Burke told me. He owns the shop that came into possession of a certain necklace."
Harry watched as Dumbledore gave the Pensive a slight shake then saw a little old man raise from the silvery mass, revolving slowly. The figure was completely silver and solid with a patch of hair that covered his eyes. "Yes, we acquired it in a curious circumstances," the figure said. "It was brought in by a young witch just before Christmas, oh, many years ago now. She said she needed the gold badly, well, that much was obvious. Covered in rags and pretty far along…Going to have a baby, see. She said the locket had been Slytherin's. Well, we hear that sort of story all the time, 'Oh, this was Merlin's, this was, his favorite teapot,' but when I looked at it, it had his mark all right, and a few simple spells were enough to tell me the truth. Of course, that made it near enough priceless. She didn't seem to have any idea how much it was worth. Happy to get ten Galleons for it. Best bargain we ever made!"
Dumbledore gave the Pensive another shake and the figure sank back into the swirling silvery mass. Harry stared at the Pensieve in surprise before slowly shifting his gaze to Professor Dumbledore. "Desperation can depression can make the wisest of the wise agree to anything, Harry," Dumbledore said with a sad smile. "Caractacus Burke was not known for his kindness. Slytherin's locket was all she had and after the loss of her husband, I believe Merope turned away from her magical heritage. After all, being a witch had cost her the love of her life. She refused to raise her wand again, even to save her own life."
Harry knew the revelation was coming since he had already known Voldemort's mother had died giving birth but it was still a shock to hear that Merope wasn't willing to live for her son. "She couldn't bring herself to deal with the constant reminder of what she could've had," he said softly. Dumbledore stared at Harry in surprise. "You see a lot when you work at a hospital."
Dumbledore nodded at the comment. "I suppose you do," he said solemnly. "And I suppose feeling their despair does strengthen one's understanding quite a bit." A moment of silence fell upon the room before Dumbledore cleared his throat and stood. "I believe we should begin, Harry. If you would, we shall enter one of my memories this time."
Harry rose to his feet and approached the Pensieve. After a moment's hesitation, Harry reached in and instantly found himself falling through darkness only to find his feet hit a firm ground a few breaths later. Opening his eyes, Harry saw Professor Dumbledore was already at his side and they were standing on a busy conventional London street. He quickly noticed a younger version of Professor Dumbledore crossing the road in front off a horse-drawn milk cart. This Dumbledore's hair and beard, although still extremely long, were auburn and was wearing hideous plum velvet suit that made Dumbledore stick out like a sore thumb. Harry bit back the urge to comment as they followed the younger Dumbledore through a set of iron gates and past an empty courtyard towards a bleak building that was surrounded by high railings.
The younger Dumbledore continued on, walked up the steps to reach the front door and knocked once. They waited for a long moment before the door opened to reveal a scruffy girl wearing an apron. "Good afternoon," the younger Dumbledore said pleasantly. "I have an appointment with Mrs. Cole, who, I believe, is the matron here."
The girl stared with wide eyes at Dumbledore, appearing to be in a state of shock from his appearance. "Oh," she said uncomfortably. "Um….just a moment…MRS. COLE!"
A distant voice shouted something and they were allowed to enter. They entered a hallway that was tiled in black and white. Harry took the chance to look around and noticed that even though the place looked clean, it was clearly run down. As the door closed behind them, a skinny, frazzled-looking woman hurried towards them. She looked extremely overworked, talking over her shoulder to another helper. Once she was finished, Mrs. Cole took a good look and Dumbledore with a similar look on her face as the girl who had opened the door. Greetings were traded and they were lead into a small room that appeared to be a combination of a sitting room and an office. It was as run down as the hallway with tattered furniture.
Mrs. Cole invited for the younger Dumbledore to take a seat then sat down behind her desk, still looking at him strangely. The younger Dumbledore appeared to take no offense to the stares. "I am here, as I told you in my letter, to discuss Tom Riddle and arrangements for his future," he said pleasantly.
That got Mrs. Cole's attention. "Are you family?" she asked.
Dumbledore shook his head. "No, I am a teacher," he said. "I have come to offer Tom a place at my school."
Harry watched as the younger Dumbledore explained about Hogwarts to the suspicious woman. He was surprised when he saw Dumbledore using magic to convince her and couldn't refrain from stealing at glance at the older Dumbledore, who kept his eyes on the scene in front of him. Harry's shock increased when he saw a bottle of gin and two glasses appear on the desk. He was well aware that people tended to reveal too much when they were drunk but was it wise to do that to someone who was in charge of a large group of children?
Mrs. Cole eagerly told the younger Dumbledore how Tom Riddle came to reside in the orphanage: Merope's arrival, Tom's birth, Tom's naming and Merope's death. She then revealed that Tom was rather odd and after Dumbledore clarified that Tom wouldn't be turned away from Hogwarts, revealed that Tom scares the other children. Apparently, there had been a few incidents that involved students Tom had conflicts with but Tom hadn't been caught in the act so it was impossible to punish him for it. She had mentioned an incident with a boy's rabbit along with another concerning two students and a cave that made Harry shudder. Voldemort had been cruel even before he entered the wizarding world.
Harry was snapped out of his thoughts when he noticed Mrs. Cole and the younger Dumbledore rising from their seats. He followed them out of the office and up the stone stairs, not listening to the orders and reprimands Mrs. Cole was saying to the helpers and children she passed. Why was Dumbledore still determined to bring Tom Riddle into the wizarding world when it was clear that he was trouble? It's not his decision to chose who's admitted and who isn't. He's just a teacher. He has no choice.
The orphans were all dressed the same, in grayish tunics. They all appeared to be well-cared for but none of them looked extremely happy. Turning off the second landing, they stopped outside the first door of a long corridor. Harry forced himself to focus on the present as Mrs. Cole knocked twice, entered and introduced the younger Dumbledore although it was clear that the large amount of gin she had consumed had affected her more than he had originally thought. She could speak an entire sentence without stuttering.
Harry entered the room with the two Dumbledores and saw a boy sitting on top of bed, covered with gray blankets with a book in his hands. The room was small and bare. Other than the bed, there was only a wardrobe that appeared to be ready to fall apart at any moment and a wooden chair. Harry turned his attention towards the boy and quickly noticed that Tom Riddle looked exactly like his father. There was no sign of the Gaunts in him.
The dark-haired boy stared at the eccentric looking Dumbledore with narrowed eyes. Harry could instantly tell this was going to be an enlightening conversation. At first glance, Tom Riddle didn't seem to be the type of person who would be polite to strangers. He was the type of kid Harry had always avoided when he had been younger.
"How do you do, Tom?" the younger Dumbledore said as he walked forward and held out his hand. Riddle hesitated for a moment before taking the hand and shaking it. Dumbledore pulled up the wooden chair to the bed and sat down. "I am Professor Dumbledore."
Riddle stared at Dumbledore suspiciously. "Professor?" he asked. "Is that like 'doctor'? What are you here for? Did she get you in to have a look at me?" Riddle gestured at the door, referring to Mrs. Cole who had left.
Professor Dumbledore smiled. Any normal person would have thought Dumbledore was finding this humorous but Harry noticed that the smile didn't reach Dumbledore's eyes. "No, no," Dumbledore said pleasantly.
Riddle didn't believe him. "I don't believe you," he said strongly. "She wants me looked at, doesn't she? Tell the truth!"
Harry's eyes widened at the demand. Here was an eleven-year-old child who was treating a grown man like someone inferior to him. Harry was suddenly reminded of his cousin, Dudley, who had always demanded for food, birthday presents and silence for his television shows. Dudley's parents always catered to his needs. Did everyone do the same here for Tom? No, not the adults but maybe the children.
The younger Dumbledore didn't seemed fazed by the order, smiling pleasantly until Riddle calmed down but still had a guarded look on his face. "Who are you?" Riddle asked.
Dumbledore still didn't appear to be fazed by Riddle's attitude. "I have told you," he said in the same pleasant tone. "My name is Professor Dumbledore and I work at a school called Hogwarts. I have come to offer you a place at my school—your new school, if you would like to come."
Harry looked on as Riddle once again jumped to the conclusion that Dumbledore was from a mental institution. Dumbledore tried to calm Riddle down then begun to inform Riddle what type of school Hogwarts really was. The change in Riddle's demeanor was astonishing. He was no longer defensive, only excited. He revealed that he could make things happen if he wanted them to. He could control animals, make things move and make bad things happen to people. The last face made Harry cringe. It was nerve-wracking to hear a child be so excited about hurting people.
What was even more shocking was how Riddle categorized himself. "I knew I was different," Riddle whispered. "I knew I was special. Always, I knew there was something."
For the first time, the smile on Dumbledore's face vanished. "Well, you were quite right," he said as he watched Riddle carefully. "You are a wizard."
Riddle immediately grew defensive again, demanding for Dumbledore to prove it. Harry had thought Dumbledore would refuse but Dumbledore ended up pulling out his wand, pointing it at the wardrobe and gave the wand a casual flick. The wardrobe burst into flames, startling Riddle, who jumped to his feet. The flames vanished quickly, revealing an undamaged wardrobe. Riddle quickly asked where he could get his own wand but Dumbledore side stepped the question for the moment by declaring that something was trying to get out of the wardrobe.
As if on cue, a soft rattling could be heard from inside the wardrobe. Dumbledore took charge, instructing Riddle to take the rattling object out of the wardrobe. Riddle pulled out a shaking box and admitted that there were items inside that didn't belong to him. After removing the lid and tipping the contents onto the bed, Harry was shocked to see a collection of small unimportant items. There was a yo-yo, a silver thimble, and a tarnished mouth organ to name a few. Once the items were out of the box, everything went still. Silence fell over the room for a moment.
"You will return them to their owners with your apologies," Dumbledore said calmly as he put his wand away. "I shall know whether it has been done. And be warned. Thieving is not tolerated at Hogwarts."
Riddle didn't show any sign guilt or seem to think anything of the warning. For some reason, Harry had the feeling that Riddle was going to do what he wanted no matter what Dumbledore said. Dumbledore gave Riddle another warning concerning the way Riddle was using his magic. Riddle didn't seem to be worried about this warning either, even when Dumbledore brought up expulsion and punishment by the Ministry. If Harry didn't know what Riddle would become, he would push assume Riddle was just excited.
But Harry knew. He knew that it was more likely that Riddle didn't care. He would do anything to get what he wanted and there was nothing Dumbledore would say to change that. Therefore, it wasn't a surprise when they discussed school supplies that Riddle declared that he could pick them up on his own. He simply took the offered money from Dumbledore and asked for directions to Diagon Alley. When the topic came up about the Leaky Cauldron and the barman, Harry again wasn't surprised when Tom displayed annoyance at the revelation that someone had the same first name as him. It was clear that Tom Riddle wanted to stand out in a crowd, even at eleven years old.
The questioning then turned to Riddle's parentage. Harry was shocked to hear Riddle assuming his father was a wizard because his mother wouldn't have died if she had been a witch. It was almost like he thought less of his mother because of something that every human faces. The questioning quickly turned to the train ride before Riddle decided to reveal one last thing: he could speak to snakes. It was clear Riddle had been trying to impress Dumbledore but if anything, the younger Dumbledore seemed to be more guarded than before. As they bid farewell, Harry felt a hand on his arm a moment before he was soaring weightlessly through darkness then landing squaring in Dumbledore's office.
Harry's mind was on overload. He didn't know what to think or if he even wanted to think. It didn't make any sense. The more he learned about Voldemort the more confused he was. The orphanage didn't seem to be that horrible of a place to grow up so what had happened to make Voldemort hate Muggles and Muggle-borns so much?
"Harry, please sit down," Professor Dumbledore said gently.
That was the last thing he wanted to do. Still dazed, Harry moved towards the fireplace. "I think I should go, sir," he said softly. Harry didn't want to talk about this. He didn't know what there was to talk about yet. He needed time to sort everything out, to come up with the questions that he was bound to have. He needed to talk to Sirius and Remus first. He needed someone else to tell him that he had every right to be as revolted as he was.
Dumbledore rested a hand on Harry's shoulder. "We need to talk about this, Harry," he said. "Please tell me what has you so upset."
Harry's shoulders slumped as he stared into the flames. Subtle waves of concern brushed against him…Dumbledore's concern. Where should I start? "He was cruel," Harry said softly. "How could someone so young be so cruel? Even Dudley wasn't that bad. He enjoyed hurting people. He used his abilities to cause pain…and suffering."
Dumbledore let out a sigh and gently pulled Harry closer. "Riddle was a bully, Harry," he said as he wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders. "He didn't have people in his life like your Aunt and Uncle who made you fear your abilities. He was able to experiment…to adapt his abilities to do what he wanted. He had already viewed himself as someone above the rest of the children. I noticed this. That was why I kept my eye upon him. His instincts for cruelty, secrecy and domination made me extremely uneasy."
Harry rubbed his forehead subconsciously. "He wanted to be different," he said more to himself than anything. "Voldemort had always said we were alike but I'm nothing like him."
"You two have familiar backgrounds, Harry," Professor Dumbledore said as he ushered Harry towards the nearest chair. "Both of you are orphans and can speak to serpents but the similarities end there. Voldemort realizes that now. That is why he has stopped trying to recruit you. You do not have the desire for power like he has. You are not willing to cause pain to get what you want." When Harry didn't say anything, Dumbledore continued. "There are a few items I need to draw your attention to before we part for the evening. I trust you remember when I mentioned that another shared his first name, Tom?"
Harry nodded.
"Even at the age of eleven, Riddle wanted to be separate from everyone else," Dumbledore continued. "As you are aware of, he dropped his name within a few years and created the identity of 'Lord Voldemort' to hide behind. Also, I am sure you noticed that Tom Riddle depended on no one but himself which included having no friends. He preferred to trust no one but himself and the adult Voldemort is very much the same. Voldemort has never had a friend and has never wanted one. Lastly, Voldemort liked to collect trophies, items from his victims as souvenirs. I know it may seem unimportant now but it will be extremely important later."
Harry nodded again. At the current moment, he probably would have agreed to sell his own kidney if it meant he would be able to leave.
"Very well," Dumbledore said and extended his good hand towards Harry, who took it and was helped to his feet. "I believe it is time for bed. If you have any questions, Harry, please come and see me. If you can not find me, send a message with Fawkes. He has a knack for finding what is missing."
"Yes, sir," Harry said before approaching the fireplace again, grabbing a pinch of floo powder and vanishing in an explosion of green flames. Nothing was said in the office for a very long time after that. Once again Harry had left Dumbledore and the portraits completely speechless.