Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

A/N: Finally, here is yet another chapter for your enjoyment! Well, that's the theory, anyway. Umm…yes. Sorry, I was going to post this last night but I was busy getting pissed. You know how that goes.

Melindaleo: Thanks for reading! Wow, I didn't think you'd go quite so full out with the reviews…not that I'm complaining. Hope you enjoy the rest of the story (and don't let it distract you from your own!!!) As to Michael and Cho…let's just say, I have hankering for some Michael torture…stupid git…

siriusblack08: (blinks) erm…no, Ginny's task is not to have children with Harry. Not that she'd complain, I'm sure, but they're just a little too young to be thinking about that, and Ginny has already started her task (although it's not what you'd think…)

Alima: You are seriously weird.

windsweptstars: Boring? How dare you? (Stalks off muttering to himself and gesturing wildly) ;)

Evansk: Of course Australia is better, everyone knows that. ;) Seriously though, I usually update a couple of times a week (more if I can) so fear not! I know what you mean about long waits…

There were more, but I don't have time to answer now! Sorry! Next chapter…

Their search for James proved fruitless, as they had barely walked into the castle when Ron and Hermione came sprinting down the stairs with calls of, 'Harry! Ginny!'

'Where have you two been?' Hermione demanded, noting the long bloody scratch along Ginny's forearm where a stubborn bush had grabbed her as she and Harry had made their way out of the forest. The bush no longer existed; the Basilisk had overreacted at seeing Ginny in "danger" and turned it to dust, taking the sleeve of Ginny's robes with it. Harry could tell already that this would take some getting used to.

Ginny rolled her eyes. 'You wouldn't believe it, Hermione,' she shook her head ruefully. 'Honestly, you wouldn't.'

Ron looked at them suspiciously. 'Have you been out in the forest snogging?'

Harry almost choked on that but Ginny just smiled sweetly. 'Oh course not, dear brother,' she said in honeyed tones. 'That's what we're going to do now!' She turned and pulled Harry into a kiss, much to his surprise. His arms flailed about for a few seconds before settling around Ginny.

'Get a room, you two,' Alex said as he and Cassie came out of the Great Hall. Ron had turned around and was now resolutely staring at the far wall, muttering to himself while Hermione was trying not to laugh.

When Harry and Ginny parted, she was wearing a sly smile and he a silly grin.

'It's all right now Ron, they've stopped trying to suck each other's tonsils out,' Cassie said, obviously with a great effort not to laugh as she spoke. Ron half-turned and glared at her as Harry and Ginny blushed.

'Oh, grow up Ron,' Hermione said exasperatedly.

'Before this turns into a full scale riot,' Harry said pointedly, turning to Alex and Cassie. 'Do either of you know where your father is?'

'Nope,' Cassie shook her head.

'Not a clue,' Alex agreed. 'Vanished this morning, funnily enough about the same time as you two. Care to comment?'

Harry and Ginny glanced at each other. 'Later,' Ginny said shortly.

'Fair enough,' Cassie said.

'Now if you'll excuse us,' Alex grinned evilly.

'We have a ferret to torment,' Cassie finished with an identical grin, and the two slipped down the stairs leading to the dungeons.

'What's Malfoy done now?' Harry asked as the remaining four headed for the marble staircase.

Ron scowled. 'When you, Ginny and Professor Milton vanished at the same time, he said something stupid about a threesome.'

'What?' Harry asked, startled.

'McGonagall overheard though,' Hermione added. 'He got a detention and lost twenty points.'

'Did Slytherin even have twenty points left?' Ginny asked with a half smile.

'Nope,' Harry said serenely. 'For some reason, they keep losing them. Oh wait, that's Malfoy too.' So far to date, Harry had taken almost a hundred points from Malfoy, and it was only the fourth week of classes. The four Gryffindor's shared a laugh as they headed up to Gryffindor Tower.

They spent the afternoon telling Ron and Hermione everything that had happened on the Dream Plane. It was to their credit that they accepted the story without comment; they had seen too much to doubt Harry's word.

When they finished, Hermione was deep in thought. 'I wonder if we could get our hands on a copy of the first Prophecy,' she mused.

'Maybe there's one in Dumbledore's library,' Harry said doubtfully. Hermione just nodded, obviously distracted.

'Wonderful,' Ron muttered sourly. 'First my best friend is in some Prophecy, and now my sister?'

At dinner time James had still not appeared, and Harry was staring to get worried. They filed into the Great Hall with the rest of the students, taking their usual seats, where they were joined by the twins who had evidently spent the day doing Merlin-knows-what down in the dungeons. Isabelle shot Harry a curious glance from across the hall, to which Harry just shrugged.

About halfway through dinner the doors sprang open and James strode in, looking distinctly the worse for wear. He was smiling, however, as he made his way to the Gryffindor table.

'We need to talk,' he said quietly. He then left the hall as abruptly as he had entered. Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione shared a look and followed quickly.

When they reached his office, James closed the door and placed a Privacy Charm on the room with a wave of his hand. 'Now we can talk,' he said, then raised his voice. 'Here boy! Come here Padfoot!'

A massive bear-like dog that Harry recognised immediately bounded out from behind James' desk and immediately leapt at Harry, hitting him in the chest and knocking him to the ground where it proceeded to lick every part of his face it could reach. Laughing, Harry tried to push the dog off, but it was rather like trying to dislodge a boulder.

Finally he pushed it off, and lay on his side, panting. The dog sat nearby, his tongue lolling out in canine laughter.

'Sirius?' Harry said in wonder. 'Is that really you?' he reached out to touch the dog's face, hardly daring to believe. The dog barked sharply and nuzzled Harry's hand.

'Unfortunately, that is indeed your Godfather,' James said wryly. 'The one and only Sirius Black. Apparently someone spoke to the Powers That Be and pushed their timetable forward a bit.' He made a face. 'They also have a very warped sense of humour. They dumped the both of us on the far edge of the forest, and we had to walk back. That's what took so long.'

Harry said a silent prayer of thanks to his ultimate grandfather as he scratched Sirius' ears. Ron and Hermione each gave him a pat, but when Ginny scratched his muzzle he looked at her sharply, then back at Harry. His tongue lolled out again and he barked what Harry would almost swear was laughter.

'What?' Harry asked, looking at Ginny in puzzlement. 'What's wrong with her?'

'Thanks Harry,' Ginny said with a half smile as Sirius looked pointedly between Harry and Ginny and then licked his lips and sniffed exaggeratedly.

'Oh,' Harry said in sudden understanding. 'You can smell me on her?'

Hermione and Ginny burst out laughing at his choice of words, and even Ron cracked a smile. Sirius rolled over onto his back, his whole body shaking, and started making odd little whining noises. Harry just stood there wondering what he'd said wrong.

'So!' James called them to attention when they had calmed down a bit. 'The reason I asked you here, Harry, is simple. How much have you told these two?' He indicated Ron and Hermione.

'Everything,' Harry said immediately. 'What I know, they know.'

'Alright then, what about the rest of the DA? And the school?'

Harry considered. 'We'll tell the DA a little,' he conceded. 'But I don't think the rest of the school needs to know.'

'Fair enough,' James nodded. 'Just thought I'd let you decide. How much do you think we should tell them?'

Harry thought a moment, absently scratching Sirius' ears. 'We'll tell them something vague about the extra power, but I think we can leave the bit about being the Heir of Gryffindor out of this.' He made a face. 'I'm getting enough hero worship as it is.'

'It's your call,' James shrugged. 'We're all just flunkies.'

'Sidekick,' Ron corrected, coming to stand beside Harry.

'Girlfriend,' Ginny said firmly, taking Harry's hand possessively. Sirius' tongue, Harry noticed, was once again lolling out of his mouth. They all looked at Hermione, who shrugged.

'What the heck, I'll be a flunky,' she smiled, eliciting laughs from all present.

'Thanks, guys,' Harry said, his eyes catching each person's in turn, including Sirius'. 'I couldn't have done this without you.'

'Of course you could,' James said with a grin. 'It'd just take a hell of a lot longer.' That got more laughs.

'On a more serious note,' James said when the room was quiet again. 'Harry, have you had any more visions?'

A little startled by the question, Harry was even more surprised to realise it had been more than a month since his last vision of Voldemort. 'No,' he said, his voice betraying his puzzlement.

James looked at him piercingly. 'Has your scar been hurting?'

'No!' Harry stood up straighter, his forehead creasing into a frown. 'Why would that be?' he asked, half to himself.

'We have a theory,' James said a little cautiously. 'Will you let us observe a little more before we tell you? Let's not give anything away before we're absolutely certain.'

'Okay,' Harry nodded, still a little puzzled.

'Good,' James clapped his hands together sharply, and the door sprang open. 'Now all of you can get the hell out. I have work to do.' He grinned, an eerie expression that Harry had seen many times on the Weasley twin's faces just before a major prank. Harry decided it would be the course of prudence to leave. Quickly.

========

They were passing through the Entrance Hall when Harry suddenly stopped, his head cocked to the side as if listening.

'What?' Ron asked, realising that Harry wasn't walking anymore, but Harry waved him to silence. Something was telling him very strongly that he should investigate the dungeons. Sirius was also watching the stairs down to the dungeons, and a low growl escaped him.

Cautiously, Harry crept closer to the stairs leading down, until he was against the wall on one side. The others, trusting him without question, followed, all moving as quietly as they could.

Harry started down the stairs, keeping to the shadows along the wall and trying to move as silently as he could. When he reached the bottom, he could hear the voices more clearly, but the echoes in the dungeons made it impossible to make out any individual words. He could tell they were close though, probably just around the next corner. He wanted to swear in frustration.

A hand suddenly touched his shoulder and he turned his head to find Ginny holding several long flesh coloured strings. Extendible Ears.

Smiling quickly in gratitude, Harry took one and inserted it into his ear as the others did the same. The string immediately wriggled around the corner, and suddenly Harry could hear the voices clearly.

'…are disobeying a direct order!' the unmistakable voice of Draco Malfoy hissed. A low growl escaped Sirius, and Harry nudged him with his foot to quiet him.

'So what if I am?' Isabelle Lestrange sounded unconcerned. 'Unlike you, I don't feel the need to bow down to a half blood deluded moron who thinks he can defeat the entire world.'

'News flash,' Draco said bitingly. 'He's succeeding!'

Isabelle snorted softly. 'Hardly,' she said scathingly. 'Hasn't managed to kill Harry or Dumbledore yet, has he? And he's been trying for, what, sixteen years now? Thanks, but no thinks.'

'I think you need to get your loyalties straightened out, Miss Lestrange,' Draco warned. 'The Dark Lord is not lenient when it comes to traitors.'

'How can I be a traitor if I never swore allegiance?' Isabelle said with contempt. 'Not all of us are carbon copies of our parents, Malfoy.'

Malfoy hissed softly in annoyance. 'If you don't stop associating with those Muggle-loving Mudbloods, then I won't be able to protect you,' Malfoy tried, although his anger showed through his words.

Isabelle laughed quietly. 'Like I need a deluded fool like you to protect me. Potter is twice the wizard you are, and one day I'm going to be around to see him prove it.'

'You had best watch your back, Lestrange,' Malfoy said, and Harry could hear the sneer in his voice. 'One day you may just find a dagger between your shoulder blades.' Faint footsteps could be heard as Malfoy walked off.

'What an ass,' Isabelle muttered, before she too walked off – in the direction of the stairs and waiting Gryffindors.

Harry and his friends stood frozen as she strode around the corner. Her eyes widened in surprise at seeing them there, then she smiled slightly.

'I thought it was Slytherins who were supposed to be the eavesdroppers,' she said lightly, looking from face to face. The four Gryffindors stared back, until she shook her head in amusement. 'Come on,' she said, motioning towards the stairs. 'We need to talk.'

A/N: I didn't think it was possible, but this chapter gave me even more trouble than the last. It started out with Dumbledore replacing the Prefects with the DA, but for some strange reason that ended up with Harry destroying the Great Hall (I have no idea where the heck that came from, I assure you!). This version is a little more tame than the last, and I got to put the bit with Isabelle in it, which I've been looking for a way to do for quite a while. I was going to have Malfoy try to hex her, but decided it was far too melodramatic. Oh well.