Harry Potter and the Mind Mage
By James Milamber
A/N: As always, please review. Reviews feed my muse, and make him work harder. Lazy git…
The fan mail kept coming for the next week or so, but after a while it slowed to a trickle. Ron, Hermione, Alex, Cassie, Isabelle and any other Gryffindor's present dutifully went through every letter, only saving the better ones for Harry and Ginny to read. They were both immensely grateful for the help, as over the first few days there were literally hundreds of owls swarming over the Gryffindor table at breakfast. The 'Postal crew' was also very careful to destroy the large amounts of hate mail directed at Ginny, for taking Harry 'off the market'.
Harry started Quidditch practices every second night in preparation for the first match of the season, which was the following weekend. Malfoy had taken to swaggering through the Halls wearing his team captain badge and loudly announcing his intentions to have the Quidditch Cup in Snape's office by the end of the year. Harry pointedly ignored him, although the Slytherin's loud mouthed bragging did earn him a couple of nasty hexes from the Milton twins when his back was turned, which in turn earned them both a detention with Snape when he caught them. Alex said later that it was worth the time they spent scrubbing some unidentifiable potion from Snape's classroom floor, however; when Malfoy was finally let out of the hospital wing, he still had a nose twice the size as usual, and his hair was vaguely green and lumpy, reminiscent of seaweed.
Ginny had quickly recovered from the Howler, stating that her mother was just displaying a bout of Weasley temper and that she would get over it. 'She'll be happy for us, trust me,' she told Harry the next day at dinner, taking his hand and squeezing it. 'It's my fault for not telling her straight away, that's what she'll be mad about.' Harry, who had been trying hard to understand what Mrs. Weasley had said, could only nod.
She was proved right when, two days later, Errol crash landed spectacularly onto the Gryffindor table bearing a letter from Mrs. Weasley, telling Ginny she was sorry for her outburst and she was quite alright with her dating Harry, so long as they took proper precautions and informed her of any developments. Harry and Ginny exchanged a wry smile at that; there wasn't really much more they could do that hadn't already been done, and Harry was quite sure he didn't want to know just exactly what Mrs. Weasley meant by 'developments'.
Harry had been concerned about their brief trip to the Forbidden Forest, but after checking a map of the school he had discovered that they had remained well within the outer boundaries of the wards, and Ginny should be safe. He supposed that, strange as it may sound, his Basilisk familiar was concerned for her safety as well. It was somehow a comforting thought.
The next week flew by, and Harry found himself filled with a mix of apprehension and dread as the first Quidditch match which he would captain came ever closer. He was beginning to understand Oliver Wood's constant obsession with Quidditch as he spent more and more time closeted with various team members, devising strategies and counter strategies. Finally even Ron, who could normally talk about Quidditch until blue in the face, had had enough, and firmly told Harry to relax and stop worrying.
'I'm still not sure about that last play,' Harry fretted late one night in the common room, grabbing a parchment from the stack in front of him. 'I don't know, the defense seems too weak here. Hi Gin,' he added as he felt her come up to stand behind his couch.
'Its only Malfoy,' Ginny said soothingly, rubbing Harry's tense shoulders. They, Ron and Hermione were the only one's still up.
'I'm sure you'll do just fine,' Hermione agreed, lifting her head slightly off Ron's shoulder to see him better. Ron made a small noise of protest and Hermione lay back down immediately. Ron's fingers entwined themselves into her hair, and he smiled briefly at Harry.
'Yes, well that's all well and good for you, you're not captain,' Harry mumbled, sinking further back into the lounge and dropping the parchment back onto the pile. Ginny was really very talented with her fingers, he could quite literally feel the tension draining out of him as she gently massaged his neck and shoulders. 'Maybe I should just look at that last one again,' he murmured, but made no effort to reach for the sheet of parchment.
'Quit worrying, mate,' Ron advised, nodding decisively. 'We've got the best team in the school, we're going to win. Don't worry about it. I'm not letting that greasy git take the Cup away from McGonagall.'
Harry chuckled, and pushed the parchment sheets covered in Quidditch strategies away from him with his foot. 'You're right,' he admitted. 'Besides, I suppose it matters more what happens on the pitch than what we plan here, anyway.'
'Exactly,' Ron nodded again. 'The best laid plans can come to naught on the field when the opposing force surprises you,' he quoted.
'Where on earth did you learn that, Ron?' Hermione asked curiously. Harry was amused to see Ron's ears going pink.
'Well, it's not like I never read,' Ron said defensively. 'One of my chess books at home says that's the first rule of strategy.'
Harry hid a grin with one hand as Hermione smiled up at Ron and he went even pinker. 'That's really rather profound, don't you think Harry?'
'Sure,' Harry said, struggling not to laugh at the look of pride that flitted across Ron's face.
Ginny came around the lounge and took a seat next to him, burrowing into his arms and letting out a contented sigh. Harry smiled softly down at her, brushing his thumb along the line of her jaw.
A noise from the portrait hole made them all crane their heads to see who was entering. As far as they knew, every Gryffindor was already accounted for. There was a marked drop in tension when James climbed through the entrance, crossing the room to the fire in a few long strides.
'We need to talk,' he announced, dropping onto the free couch. He raised his hand, twisted it in a peculiar gesture, and seemed to mutter something. A moment later Alex and Cassie descended from their respective dorms, rubbing sleep from their eyes and wearing pajamas.
'You rang?' Cassie asked dryly as they joined their father on the couch.
'Yes, I have to talk to you all,' James glanced around the room as if looking for hidden listeners. 'Dumbledore doesn't approve,' he said suddenly, making Harry sit up as straight as he could under Ginny's weight and stare at the Defense Professor intently, all thoughts of Quidditch forgotten.
'What's going on?' Isabelle came down the girl's stairs, fully dressed and holding her wand. Her eyes narrowed when she saw the gathering before the fire.
'You should hear this too,' James motioned for her to sit. 'You're involved as deeply as the rest of us.' Looking a little startled, Isabelle obediently took a seat next to Alex.
'Now,' James said quietly. 'There's still a lot that the Order has decided you don't need to know, and I disagree, so I'm going to tell you myself and there isn't shit they can do to stop me.'
'Dad!' Cassie smacked him lightly on the shoulder. 'Language!'
'But first thing's first,' James ignored his daughter, and raised his hand again. He flicked his wrist, and Tonks appeared suddenly, standing off to one side of the fireplace. Her invisibility cloak pooled about her feet as she shot a resigned look at James.
'You're really going through with this, aren't you?' she asked, sitting on the armrest of Ron and Hermione's lounge.
'Absolutely,' James said grimly. 'This isn't right, they have a right to know.'
Tonks sighed. 'I know,' was all she said, before turning to Harry. 'I have a confession to make,' she said, looking straight into his eyes. 'On Dumbledore's orders, I've been following you since the start of school. 'I'm very sorry, but I was forbidden to tell you.'
'I know,' Harry shrugged.
Everyone stared at him.
'What?' he demanded, glancing at James, who was fighting not to smile. 'Of course I knew you were there, Zith could smell you. I just didn't say anything, that's all.'
James stared at him for a long minute, then suddenly burst out laughing. Everyone else seemed to be in varying states of shock, disbelief, or amusement. Hermione's expression was dark, and she suddenly shot to her feet.
'How could he?' she demanded, stilling James' laughter instantly. 'How could he do this to Harry? Again?' She began to pace angrily, waving her arms in the air as if to emphasise her point. 'I mean, honestly, he didn't tell us things last year and look what happened! We never would have gone to the Department of Mysteries if Professor Dumbledore had just been honest in the first place! We were nearly killed last year, and he's still keeping things from us! It's just not fair, it's –'
'Hermione!' James shouted over her rant. 'Chill, okay?' Hermione stopped pacing and stared at him, her mouth working furiously. 'Before you yell at me, can you at least let me finish?'
Hermione seemed to think for a moment. 'Fine,' she said shortly, dropping back into her seat next to Ron, who was looking just as angry as she was.
'As I was saying, Tonks was set to follow you, and protect you, in case Voldemort tried anything underhanded.' James smiled slightly. 'She was really very put out at you when you transported to the forest and she couldn't follow.'
Tonks stuck her tongue out at him.
'Charming,' James murmured, then cracked a full smile. Tonks grinned back. The pair smiled at each other until Harry cleared his throat loudly.
'Next week, there are going to be some new measures put into place to protect Hogwarts from direct attack,' James continued as if he had never stopped talking, looking perfectly calm. His eyes strayed to Ginny. 'Tell me, when was the last time you saw your brother Charlie?'
'When we went to St. Mungo's just before term started,' Ginny said, thinking the question odd since James had been there at the time.
But a horrible suspicion began to creep into Harry's mind. 'Please tell me he's not going to do what I think he is,' Harry almost begged.
James nodded, a smug expression on his face. 'Come next Tuesday, Hogwarts will be the official home of one Norwegian Ridgeback.'
A Dragon?!? That's Dumbledore's brilliant idea to protect the school? A bloody Norwegian Ridgeback…hang on…
'The Dragon doesn't have a name, does it?' Ron asked slowly, his thoughts obviously mirroring Harry's own.
'Oh yes,' James's smile widened. 'His name is Norbert.'
'Oh brilliant,' Ron muttered, 'after everything we did to get rid of him, the sodding thing's coming back.'
'Am I missing something here?' Isabelle asked, one eyebrow raised.
'Our first year,' Harry said shortly. 'Mine and Hermione's and Ron's. Hagrid got hold of a dragon's egg from a dodgy bloke down at the pub, and it hatched a few weeks later. He called it Norbert. We managed to get it out of Hogwarts by giving it to Charlie – he breeds them in Romania.'
Isabelle's eyes widened slightly, and her eyebrow rose even more. 'Are there any rumours about you three that aren't true?'
'Yeah,' Harry said, 'the one about me and Hermione dating. Oh, and the one about me being a delusional delinquent. Other than that, they're actually pretty accurate.'
Isabelle looked at him shrewdly for a moment, then dropped her eyes and sighed. 'What the bloody hell have I got myself into?'
'Look, Harry, I'm really sorry I couldn't tell you,' Tonks said, catching his eyes. There was a pleading look on her face. 'I wanted to, I swear, but I couldn't go against the Order.'
'I'm going to ask you a question,' Harry said suddenly, his eyes locked onto Tonks'. 'This goes for you all,' he added, but his eyes never left Tonks' face. 'If Dumbledore gave you an order, and I gave you a contradictory one, which would you follow?'
Tonks winced visibly, but held Harry's gaze. She knew the question was a double edged sword; it was directly questioning her loyalties.
'No question, mate,' Ron leaned over and touched Harry's shoulder briefly. 'You don't even have to ask.' Hermione nodded her agreement, and Ginny squeezed his hand tightly, her face unreadable.
'We're with you, Harry,' Alex said after a moment's silence, and Cassie nodded to confirm. Isabelle sighed and nodded as well.
'James?' Harry asked, his eyes still on Tonks' face, watching her expression become trapped as everyone agreed with Harry.
James thought a moment. 'I honestly can't tell you, Harry,' he said finally. 'I'd follow my instincts, just as you would.'
'Fair enough.' Harry's eyes bored into Tonks. 'Well?'
Tonks squirmed a bit, then sighed heavily and straightened. 'Harry, it's not that simple. I have a commitment to the Order that is not as simple as following orders. Besides, Dumbledore –'
'Has made mistakes before,' Harry said flatly.
Tonks winced, and caught Harry's eyes again. 'Honestly? I don't know, Harry. I really don't.'
'You might want to decide,' Harry said quietly, gently disengaging himself from Ginny, kissing the top of her head and standing. 'I can't afford to take chances.' Without a backwards glance, he climbed the dormitory stairs and disappeared.
'It seems young Harry is growing up,' James observed, glancing at Tonks.
'You know I have to report this to Dumbledore,' she said, her expression oddly pleading.
'It's your choice,' James said quietly, standing and walking over to her. She stood as well as he approached, and to the surprise of the students present she fell into his arms. They had both apparently forgotten they had an audience.
'I don't know what to do,' Tonks whispered, burying her face in James' robes.
James' expression was unreadable as he held the Metamorphmagus close. His blue eyes were unnaturally bright, seeming almost to glow in the flickering light from the fire.
Ron and Hermione glanced at each other, both trying to comprehend just exactly what was happening.
On the other side of the fireplace, Alex and Cassie shared a similar look. Isabelle just stared into the fire, her Slytherin honed mind already working towards the answer behind this strange turn of events, and Harry's odd question. Something was coming, every instinct screamed at her that something was terribly wrong, and she was determined to be prepared for whatever it was.
A/N: I hope this chapter answered some questions, and raised a few hundred more? Good, that was the whole point. My work here is done. The next one might be awhile, it's going to be a whopper, I reckon about three times the size of this one, maybe. If you're all good.
Review Responses:
gpotter: Oh believe me, I hate the pretty bugger. And wtf does every female on the planet apparently have again Keira Knightley? Honestly…
Saerry Snape: What do you mean, popular following? More like cult.Oh yes, my own muse somehow escaped from the cupboard where I had him locked up. I blame Atra, for no reason other than he's a short ass. Actually, I got out on my own. Whatever. This is Milamber, by the way. Hi! Oh shut up. Go ahead and maim Atra, if you really want to. But don't do anything to Saerwy, at least not that can be traced back to me. I'd really like to be alive in a few days time. I'd protect you. Yeah, right. Against a pissed off she-wolf with a scythe. Nice try. Good point…
Melindaleo: Oh no, don't say that, I'll never be able to shut him up. Yay! I did good! Bloody hell, what did I do to deserve this?
pyro-briar: What mistakes? Could you tell me please, I couldn't find any, but then I wrote them, so I'll probably miss them.
Heart Of The Phoenix: A very good point and rectified in this chapter. Cheers!
James And Lily 4eva: Like I said, she was just over-reacting. She didn't really mean it that way.
Phoenix of the Elements: All shall be explained in the next chapter or two.
texasjeanette: Another good point, also rectified in this chapter.
Riina: I can't threaten her with the junkyard (or the wreckers as they're called here), because she knows I'd never go through with it. Grr…
Rednal29: Trust me, Milamber is a complete nutter. And he's a lazy bugger, too. Am not! Shut it, you.
harryptaxd204: They're temperamental, willful, vain, bitchy, and not a little bit concerned about anything but themselves. Believe me, they're female ;) Not that all females are like that, of course…(coughs nervously)
