Harry Potter and the Mind Mage
By James Milamber
A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Alima, who has reviewed EVERY CHAPTER (and somehow managed to review chapter 7 before it even appeared on FF.net…)
Also, since I have no idea how JK is going to do it, I'm not going to make a big issue about the OWL's. Just assume Harry passed everything, and I'll slip in more info when I can.
The next week passed quickly. They didn't see much of Tonks, who wouldn't be officially staying at Hogwarts until term started. Hermione and Ron spent most of their free time in the library looking for anything useful, although Harry privately suspected that studying was not very high on Ron's list of priorities.
Neville and Luna seemed to be spending a lot more time together, too, although Neville seemed to be of two minds about this. It was common knowledge among the group that he had a crush on Ginny, although at times she herself seemed oblivious.
Harry couldn't help but smile at the thought of Ginny. He found it hard to believe that he had been dense enough to ignore her for so long. Now that they were friends – and Harry was privately willing to admit that he sometimes felt far more than friendship for the youngest Weasley – she seemed to glow with an inner radiance he had never noticed before. Every time they touched it was as if a spark jumped between them. Increasingly he had found himself watching her as she went about her day, admiring the way her hair shifted colours in the differing light of the common room, be it firelight or sunlight.
Unfortunately for his ears, he saw the other side of her usually gentle personality up close when she got riled up at Ron one day. The two were arguing so loudly that a harassed looking Professor McGonagall appeared and told them both off.
'Stupid git,' Ginny muttered darkly as Ron left the entrance hall, the scene of the argument, with Hermione.
'What was that all about?' Harry asked, having come in halfway through, by which point the argument had degenerated to name calling.
Ginny took a deep breath to steady herself. 'He was asking about Michael,' she said shortly.
'Ah.' Harry knew her well enough by now not to press the issue. 'Oh, that's right,' he said, suddenly remembering the reason he'd been looking for her. 'Professor Milton wants to see us.'
By the time they had reached James' office, Ginny had more or less regained her composure. They entered the office to find James seated behind his desk, scribbling furiously on a piece of parchment. Opened in front of him were several large books, all bound in black leather.
'Ah, Harry, Ginny, please sit,' he said, pausing from his writing and indicating two comfortable looking chairs in front of his desk.
'Lesson plans,' he said when he noticed Harry's curious glance at the parchment. 'Honestly, how any of you have any knowledge in this subject is beyond me. Your teachers so far have been hopeless. Except Lupin, of course,' he added hastily when Harry looked furious. 'But he still had a bit of a one sided approach, didn't he?'
'But that's not the point of you being here,' he continued before either students could speak. He looked directly at Harry. 'Professor McGonagall informs me that you have decided not to take Potions this year, even after Professor Snape said he would accept you into his class. May I ask why?'
Harry sighed heavily. 'I all honesty, sir, I don't think I could put up with Snape for another two years.'
'You realise that this will affect your chances of becoming an Auror, don't you?' James looked at him intently.
'The way I see it, this is going to end two ways,' Harry said. 'Either I kill Voldemort, or he kills me. In the second option, I doubt very much I'll be in need of a job. In the first, do you really think they'd turn me down just because I didn't have a passing Potions grade?'
James smiled briefly. 'I doubt it,' he said. 'Alright, since you're not taking Potions, can I ask what subjects you are taking?'
'Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Charms and Care of Magical Creatures,' Harry answered promptly.
'That's only four subjects,' James noted. 'What about the fifth?'
Harry hesitated. 'Professor Dumbledore told me to keep one subject free,' he said finally. That was true – he had mentioned it when they had spoken a few days after Harry arrived at Hogwarts.
James nodded almost to himself. 'Yes, that what I expected,' he muttered, then smiled. 'Alright then, Dumbledore has decided that you can all go to Diagon Alley to get your school supplies, but you are not all going together. You two will go tomorrow with me and Tonks, Ron and Hermione are going the day after with Professor McGonagall and Lupin, and Neville and Luna will be the day after with Professor Snape and Kingsley Shacklebolt.'
Harry winced at the thought of Neville being forced to spend the day with Snape, but he couldn't help but think that it was better Neville than him. At least he'll have Luna, he mentally smirked.
Ginny seemed to be thinking the same thing. 'Poor Snape,' she murmured as they made their way back to Gryffindor Tower.
'Why poor Snape?'
Ginny smirked. 'In my third year, I had Potions with the Ravenclaws. Luna drives Snape absolutely mad.'
Harry laughed. 'I can imagine.'
Ginny grinned. 'The worst part is, she does every Potion perfectly, so he can't even complain about her without looking really silly,' she said gleefully.
And so it was that they found themselves Portkeyed into the store room of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes the following morning, with Harry wearing his "Prong's Jr." cap to hide his scar. Fred and George were there to greet them.
'Harry!' Fred was grinning as he leapt forward, taking Harry's hand and shaking it vigorously. 'Absolutely corking to see you again, old boy…'
'Simply spiffing!' George grabbed his other hand, and Harry found himself being shaken like a rag doll.
'Help!' he looked over his shoulder at Ginny to see her doubled over with laughter.
'That's enough, you two,' Tonks said, trying to conceal her own smile. The twins let go, and Harry rubbed his shoulders.
'Is that any way to treat a shareholder?' Harry demanded, flashing the card he had received for his birthday with a grin.
George laughed delightedly. 'Ah, the first visit to our store by a shareholder!' he declared, putting his arm around Harry's shoulder and leading him into the front of the store. Fred preceded them, opening the door with a flourish and a grand bow. Harry couldn't help but laugh. He couldn't imagine a year at Hogwarts without the twins.
The shop wasn't large, but it was filled to overflowing with all the twin's latest products, which for the most part, Harry and Ginny had seen in the bag the twins gave Harry for his birthday. Lee Jordan was manning the front counter and gave them a wave in between customers. Fred asked them if they wanted to see their experimental items, so they spent an enjoyable half-hour in the Development Room, which was built with plain concrete covered in scorch marks and odd coloured stains.
Finally, and with promises to return at the end of the day, Harry, Ginny and Tonks escaped the shop. James had left some time ago, but now they saw him striding up the street towards them.
'Seems clear,' he said when he reached them. 'A few unsavouries, but nothing unusual.'
'Unsavouries?' Harry asked.
'It's an Auror term,' Tonks said, looking at James quizzically. 'It means someone that's suspicious.'
'C'mon, Gringott's first,' James said, pointedly ignoring the question implicit in Tonk's gaze.
As they made their way to Gringott's, James leaned down and whispered in Harry's ear, 'I'd advise you to take out a significant amount of gold today.' When Harry looked at him blankly, James smirked. 'Trust me,' he added.
Harry shrugged, and when he got to his vault he filled an extra bag full of Galleons and tucked it into his robes. He noticed that, although he had been steadily spending it since his first year, there actually seemed to be a lot more money in his vault than before.
When he commented on this to Tonks, she smiled sadly.
'What do you think happened to the Black family fortune?' was all she said.
Harry felt a wave of grief crash over him. He had tried to put Sirius to the back of his mind, tried to forget that the closest thing he had to a parent was now dead. He took a deep, shuddering breath and felt tears well up in his eyes as his mind once again replayed those last moments in the Department of Mysteries.
An arm snaked around his waist, and a head rested on his shoulder. Harry's nostrils filled with the scent of Ginny's hair, something subtle that he couldn't quite place. His arm almost automatically went around her waist in return, and with his free hand he dashed away the tears. Together, they left Gringott's, with Tonks and James trailing behind, the later with a mysterious smile on his face.
Harry and Ginny stayed in their half-embrace all the way to Madam Malkin's, where they parted reluctantly. Harry opened his mouth to thank her, but she pressed a finger to his lips.
'Don't,' she breathed, shaking her head slightly before being pulled away to try on some new robes by Tonks. James was still smiling mysteriously.
'I'd just like to point out that you're not the only one who has a birthday in the summer holidays,' James said, but shushed Harry when he tried to speak. 'Robes,' he commanded.
Harry was still trying to work out the meaning of James' comment when they had finished at Madam Malkin's and had moved on to Flourish and Blott's. If it was a hint that James' birthday was coming up, it was horribly obvious. No, he must have meant something else.
It was only when Harry saw Ginny looking wistfully at a broom display in the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies that it finally clicked. He had never noticed that Ginny didn't celebrate her birthday while she was at school, so it must fall on the holidays, and from James' comment, it must be soon.
As he watched her admiring the brooms with an air of one who knows they will never own one, he also realised why James had told him to withdraw so much money, and he found himself liking the idea immensely.
Harry pulled James aside quickly. 'When is it?' he hissed.
James shook his head. 'Took you long enough. Honestly, I'd thought you were smart.'
'When?'
'Next Monday,' James glanced at Ginny, who was now chatting with Tonks about the brooms, but still had a sad, wistful look about her.
'Thanks,' Harry said gratefully. He raised his voice. 'Come on James, I need some new Quidditch gloves, mine are almost worn out.'
'Okay Harry,' James winked at him, then turned to the girls. 'Why don't you two go get something to eat, and we'll meet you in the Leaky Cauldron.'
Tonks got the idea quickly enough and dragged Ginny off, who stared longingly back over her shoulder at the brooms. James tugged at Harry's sleeve.
'Come on then,' he said, ushering Harry inside the shop.
It didn't take long to pick a broom. Harry remembered Ginny saying that she would be trying out for Chaser this year, which made him immediately gravitate to the all new Lightningbolt, a new, Chaser specific version of his own Firebolt. He didn't even balk at the price; it was Sirius' money anyway, and he didn't want nor need it. Far better that he use it to spoil Ginny a little, who had never really had a lot of money.
Harry paid for the broom and told the clerk to send it to Hogwarts, care of the Headmaster. He would get it from Dumbledore on Sunday night, and until then there would be no chance of Ginny accidentally stumbling onto it. Feeling very pleased with himself, he followed James from the shop.
When they arrived at the Leaky Cauldron they found Tonks and Ginny sitting together on the far side of the room. Ginny waved to Harry, who waved back, a rather silly grin on his face. He began threading his way through the tables towards them, when suddenly someone grabbed his arm.
'Hello Potter,' Draco Malfoy breathed.
'Fuck off Malfoy,' Harry snarled, wrenching his arm free of Draco's grip.
'Language Potter,' Draco smirked, and for the first time Harry noticed Draco's wand in his left hand, pointed discretely at Harry. 'So easy,' he murmured when he saw the object of Harry's gaze, 'to make it look like an accident. So many people…'
'Mister Malfoy, I presume?'
Draco spun to find James standing behind him, arms crossed and eyes flashing dangerously.
'What's it to you?' Draco said loftily.
'What's it to me?' James mimicked. 'What do you think you're doing, threatening another student?'
Draco glared coldly at James. 'I was merely –'
'I know exactly what you were "merely" doing, Mister Malfoy,' James cut him off. 'If you do it again, I'll see you expelled.' Draco looked at him incredulously. 'Oh yes, did I forget to mention? It's "Professor Milton", Draco.'
Draco's gray eyes went dangerously flat. 'You will both pay for this,' he hissed, then turned and stalked away.
Harry shook his head. 'What a jackass,' he said scornfully.
James smiled wryly. 'I could think of a lot worse things to call him.'
They finally made it to where Ginny and Tonks were seated. As Harry slid into a seat next to Ginny, she frowned.
'What did Malfoy want?' she asked.
'Who cares?' Harry shrugged. 'It's just Malfoy. I'm not going to let him ruin my good mood.'
'What brought this on?' she asked curiously.
Harry just grinned. 'Secret,' he said. She pouted, which distracted Harry significantly and he was on the verge of telling her when James cleared his throat loudly.
'You'll find out, Ginny,' he said. 'Soon, I should think,' he added, with a glance at Harry's face.
A/N: Ahh, the first appearance of the Amazing Bouncing Ferret! In case you couldn't tell, I'm not very fond of old Draco, so expect him to come out with the short end of the stick at some point in this fic.
Also, after reading 'Colours of the Forest' by gpotter (great story, I'd recommend it), I've decided that bad things need to happen to Michael Corner. I can't wait for term to start...
Okay, just so there's no confusion, I've put Ginny's birthday on the 10th of August, which makes it ten days after Harry's (if you'll remember, they arrived at Hogwarts the night of Harry's birthday). I'm placing Ron's birthday near Christmas sometime, which makes him about 18 months older than Ginny, and Hermione's is in September (that's mentioned in the books, when she buys Crookshanks).
Next Chapter: Ginny's birthday, oh goody!
