Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By CreativeQuill

JM's Note: Well, here we are, chapter fifty. To begin this chapter, I'd like to thank everyone who's stuck with me for this long – you're all incredible. The more observant of you will have noticed a slight variation in my customary chapter heading – to celebrate 50 chapters of HPMM goodness, I asked my good friend and Beta CreativeQuill to write a guest chapter, and I for one absolutely love what she's done. So, without further ado, I'll hand you over to her more than capable hands. Enjoy!

CQ's Note: I don't believe that James actually let me do this. I'm feeling like a little kid who's been playing with her mom's makeup – or her dad's tools – without permission! When James approached me to write a guest chapter for Harry Potter and the Mind Mage, I think I may have surprised him with my reaction. I couldn't wait to get started, and it just kind of flowed out of me... I hope that what I've come up with is what he was looking for when he approached me! Thank you, so much, James. You have no idea of how thrilled I am to have contributed in this small way to your amazing fic.

Albus Dumbledore surveyed the room. The War Room at Grimmauld Place had been used as a headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix for several years now, and he was getting used to it's grubby charm.

Not to mention the rather beguiling scent of Molly Weasley's cooking that had permeated the house. The woman was a first rate cook. Her apple pie alone...well, perhaps that was just his years of living alone, eating school meals – or perhaps it was just an old man feeling sorry for himself.

Regardless, there were a fast-congregating crowd of Order members to be addressed. Several topics were on the agenda for the night, but only one was of true concern to the elderly wizard. Well... perhaps 'concern' was the wrong word.

Apprehensive. Anxious. Shaking in his size tens.

Why had he agreed to be the one to break the news to Molly Weasley that her two youngest children had joined the Order?

He sighed. He knew why. He had made some monumental mistakes in his dealings with Harry, and young Ginevra could be as intimidating as her mother. For some reason, he felt the need to make amends, in some small way, for his past transgressions. He had a sneaking suspicion that Harry may not care,may simply get on with what he had to do without paying any further attention to an old wizard. But Miss Weasley... well, he wouldn't care to cross her. Not when it came to Harry, at any rate.

He watched as Order members filed in and took their seats. Not all of them were there, of course. Hagrid never attended the meetings held here at Grimmauld Place. Nymphadora, too, had been excused... and several other members were off seeing to Order business. The twelve who were now assembled in the long room which could easily have sat twice that many were all looking at him expectantly.

Dumbledore sighed again.

Emmeline Vance cast him a cryptic look. Dumbledore smiled. Emmeline had run most things in her life with an iron fist for many years, crossed only by those who either were ignorant of her acid tongue, or who didn't particularly care if she took offense. Personally, he thought Ginny Weasley fell into the latter category. Seeing her confront the older witch at the last meeting at the school had brought a rather satisfied smile to the old wizard's face. Emmeline hadn't been put in her place properly for years.

"I'm glad to see you all here tonight..." he began. "We have several matters of Order business to take care of. Many things have been happening which I wish to make you all aware of."

"Albus?" Mad-Eye eyed him with his one good eye,what passed for aconcerned look on the old Auror's face. His magical eye spun in it's socket.

"Alastor, we must make the other Order members aware of what has been going on around Hogwarts."

"Are you certain that –"

"Yes, I am," Dumbledore nodded. "It is time."

"Very well," Alastor nodded, leaning back in his seat, his head turning as his magical eye took in everything around him, coming to settle on Mundungus Fletcher, who suddenly seemed very uncomfortable.

"Several months ago, during the Hogsmeade weekend, young Miss Weasley was possessed by Voldemort."

Gasps around the room. Dumbledore didn't take his eyes from Molly. She was paper white, her hand at her throat.

"Harry, somehow... exorcised him from her. The sheer force of magic that the boy used was... alarming, to say the least. He would not allow anyone near her, even myself, and carried her back to the castle himself.

"The level of magical ability he has developed is quite astounding, actually. When Ginevra awoke, the light from the windows apparently was irritating her... Harry somehow sealed the room without the use of his wand – and without, apparently, even thinking about it very hard. It took me an entire day to remove the spell which had covered the windows – blocking the offending light – with a layer of stone. Harry has developed a level of magic... it is truly amazing. According to James Milton..."

There were several snorts of derision around the table, and Dumbledore paused. "Despite what many of you may be feeling about James... he is a man with his own demons. I have every faith in his loyalty, to Harry and his children if no one else."

There was silence in the room. No one dared question the Headmaster's faith in someone – nobody but Harry, of course.

"This power, Albus..." asked Sturgis Podmore. "How is it... how is Harry dealing with it?"

"I feel confident that, despite a few hiccups, Harry will easily control it. The power itself is being overseen by a Familiar..."

"A Familiar?" Arthur looked at him, his brow furrowing in thought. "But Hedwig..."

"Hedwig was merely pet and friend to Harry... the Familiar has taken form as a basilisk..."

More gasps.

"Yes... the spirit of the basilisk from the Chamber has chosen to align with Harry. As well, he now carries with him a corporeal servant in the form of a serpent..."

"What?" Molly asked, stunned.

"I believe that she calls herself 'Zith'," Albus smiled. "And I understand that she has taken quite a shine to her master... and mistress."

"What 'hiccups'?" asked Bill Weasley.

"I'm sorry?" Dumbledore turned to him.

"You said, 'despite a few hiccups'. What has happened?"

Dumbledore looked at the younger wizard for a moment, then nodded.

"There have been two... unfortunate... incidents. Both are easily explained... the first was by far the most serious, of course, so I feel that Harry is learning to control..."

"Albus," Emmeline Vance glared at him. "What happened?"

"Young Draco Malfoy made the unfortunate decision to... harass... a few of Harry's friends. Mister Malfoy does not learn easily, apparently. One would think that after all these years he would tire of... well, Harry rather lost control. Mr Malfoy and two of his peers were pinned against a wall with a force of magic so strong that... well, they spent several hours in the hospital wing, and I understand that Poppy Pomfrey had to use more than one cleansing charm on the young men in question... Harry put quite a fright into them."

Bill couldn't help but smile.

"Unfortunately, that incident ended with Harry teleporting himself and Miss Weasley away... we were quite concerned for an hour or two..."

"Apparating?" Kingsley interupted, fixing his gaze on the Headmaster."You can't Apparate within Hogwarts."

"Yes..." Dumbledore smiled at him. "But I said 'teleporting', not Apparating. It would appear that Harry's…ability is very different to what we term 'Apparition'. It was while they were in the forest..."

"The forest!" Molly said, her voice cracking.

"... that they were approached by Zith... I have not quite worked out yet what this creature's role is to play... but I will."

"Ginny needs to come home..." Molly began.

"Molly..." Dumbledore looked at her. "When your daughter is away from Harry, or upset with him... Voldemort is able to access Harry's mind."

"What?"

"Ginny is somehow... blocking Voldemort's access to Harry. But when she is physically not present, or upset with Harry," Dumbledore smiled at this – Ginny Weasley had a temper similar to her mother's, "Voldemort immediately takes advantage."

"But..."

"We will speak further to this later..." Dumbledore nodded to the Weasleys. "Suffice to say, that more happened when Harry brought Ginny from the Chamber than merely the saving of her life."

"But..."

"When Ginny is outside the wards of Hogwarts, she is vulnerable to Voldemort, as well. When Harry transported them to the forest, Voldemort took advantage. I am sorry to say that the second possession was almost the end for Harry..."

"What?" Molly demanded. "Albus... the second..."

"Miss Weasley physically attacked Harry a few days later. He will have a rather permanent scar... but his loyalty to her has not wavered. In fact, I believe he blames himself for not thinking of the wards..."

"But she's..."

"She's fine now, Molly. If rather pained at the thought of having hurt Harry."

"And Harry?" Arthur asked quietly.

"He will be fine," Dumbledore said. "As a matter of fact, with the advent of the young Milton twins, we have a return of... I believe they are calling themselves 'the new Marauders'."

Twinkling eyes glanced down the table at Remus Lupin, whose grin was startling. The werewolf seldom smiled. Dumbledore was immediately put in mind of the young man who had come to Hogwarts all those years ago, and been befriended by James Potter and Sirius Black.

"And the second incident?" asked Bill.

"Yes…well, at the Halloween Ball, a rather silly young man made... inappropriate advances towards Miss Weasley," Dumbledore smiled at Bill's wince. "It did not go over very well at all."

Charlie chuckled, "Harry nearly put the little prat through a wall."

"Needless to say, Mr Malfoy and Mr Corner are... in general… learning to avoid Harry's wrath. Mr Malfoy, however, may require a reminder shortly. His activities with concern to Miss Lestrange appear to be overriding his common sense."

"Lestrange?" Molly paled. The Lestrange family had caused her own family much pain in past.

"Yes," Dumbledore nodded. "To my great surprise, and delight, the group seems to have adopted young Isabelle Lestrange into it's ranks..."

"A Death Eater?" Hestia Jones asked, shocked.

"No, Miss Jones," Dumbledore glanced at her. "A student. A student who was originally sorted into Slytherin, more than likely on the basis of her family history. Miss Lestrange, however, requested to be resorted this year... she is in the fifth year... and miraculously, was resorted into Gryffindor."

"A trick?" Kingsley asked. "I've been thinking about this, Albus. It's possible..."

"No, Kingsley, no trick. I think the events during the attack on the school more than proved Miss Lestrange's loyalties."

"She..."

"As you know, Kingsley... a student killed Bellatrix Lestrange during the attack on the school. That student was Bellatrix's own daughter... Isabelle."

There was a moment of silence around the table while they all took this in.

"Harry generates great loyalty," Dumbledore said quietly. "And this both inspires me and frightens me."

"Why?" asked Arthur.

"Because the boy has his own personal damned army, that's why," the gruff voice of Alastor Moody came from the far end of the room. "And he's beginning to question other people's loyalty to him."

"What does that mean?" Molly asked.

"Harry has the devotion of a great deal of the student body. In fact," Dumbledore sighed, "there is an 'inner group' if you will, who I believe would happily follow him into Hell itself, were he to find it necessary to go."

"But he's questioning their loyalty?" Molly asked.

"No, not theirs..." Dumbledore sighed again. "Because he knows he can count on them, he has begun to question the loyalty of... others."

"Such as?" Bill asked.

"Such as members of the Order," Dumbledore said. "He asked Nymphadora Tonks directly if, should she be given an order by me, and a contradictory order by him, who she would obey... Nymphadora came to me, greatly upset by this."

"Why?" asked Bill.

"Because," Dumbledore met the other man's blue eyes with his own. "She didn't know how to respond."

There was a moment of profound silence in the room before Dumbledore continued, changing the subject.

"The attack on Hogwarts was not... serious."

"Not serious?" Molly cried.

"No," Dumbledore shook his head. "It was merely a scare tactic... we saw this regularly during the last war, Molly. You know how he works. But, despite the fact that most of the teachers were spirited away..."

"What? How?" Arthur asked, alarmed.

"We're still trying to work that out," Dumbledore's eyes sparkled. "Suffice to say we were, and the group surrounding Harry – and you can extend that to what is commonly referred to at the school as the DA club – those students who Harry has been instructing... proved to be well capable of dealing with Voldemort's supporters. It was during this battle that Bellatrix Lestrange was killed."

"And that is one of the reasons why..." he took a rather deep breath, then plunged ahead. "I must inform those of you not in attendance at the last meeting, held at Hogwarts, that we have acquired several new members."

"New members?" Arthur Weasley said. "Who?"

Dumbledore thought he saw Charlie Weasley's eyes twinkle. Charlie loved a good fight, and the young wizard was probably going to see fireworks tonight.

"I had the pleasure of inducting several members at the last meeting..."

"Who?" Molly asked, looking confused. The Order had not discussed the admittance of any new members in the near future, unless... "Albus Dumbledore..."

"At the last meeting, we inducted seven new members," he continued softly. "Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Alexander and Cassandra Milton, Isabelle Lestrange, and Ron and Ginevra Weasley."

"Albus Dumbledore!" Molly Weasley jumped to her feet. Dumbledore met her eyes, calmly looking over his half-moon glasses at her.

"Molly, you must listen..."

"I must do no such thing!" she yelled, standing with Arthur holding her left arm, trying to pull her back into her chair. "You dare," she spat. "You dare to go against our expressed wishes to keep them as far from this as possible..."

"Molly," Dumbledore sat forward in his chair, his elbows resting on the table, and his fingers steepled. "It is no longer possible to keep them from this. Harry is aware that something draws near... you know his fate. Ron is, and has been for some years, his best friend. I doubt you could get him to leave his side now, in any case. And good luck getting your daughter away from him. Young Ginevra has made her choice. They've been given the test, and they have all proven worthy."

"Very worthy," Remus Lupin commented from the end of the table.

"Remus?" Bill looked down the table at him. "What do you mean?"

"I was there," Remus said. "Along with Emmeline, and Dedalus, and a few others here. Personally, I have never seen one more worthy than Harry."

"He's too young!" Molly shrieked. "They all are!"

"Molly, the group I've just outlined held off an attack on the school, nearly single-handedly. They may be young, but they are ready. Harry must be made ready, we know that. And if you think that his friends are about to let him do this alone, well..." Dumbledore smiled. "You don't know your daughter or your son very well."

"Molly..." Elphias Doge coughed from the end of the table. "His light was white."

All at the table were silent. Those who hadn't been in attendance at the last meeting seemed rather speechless. "Bright white. Unlike anything I've ever seen. Ever."

Elphias Doge was, perhaps, the oldest Order member besides Dumbledore himself. He had been a member of the original Order, and was a well-respected member of this one.

"White?" Bill swallowed.

"The purest white I've ever seen. And..." Dumbledore smiled gently. "It was paired."

"Paired?" Arthur sat straighter in his seat. "With whom?"

Albus smiled again, and nodded. "Your daughter, Arthur."

"They're children," Molly cried. Arthur placed an arm around her, looking rather surprised himself. "Ginny is barely fifteen!"

"And already giving Harry the strength he needs to wield the weapons he must, if we are to survive," Albus said.

Bill stiffened. "What, exactly, is that supposed to mean?"

"Relax, Bill," Charlie grinned. "Ron and I have already had a little talk with Harry." Bill looked at him quizzically for a moment, then his eyes widened and he smiled slightly.

"I don't understand," Molly said quietly, her eyes still brimming with tears. "Why are my children the ones in the centre of this?"

"I would imagine it's because you and Arthur taught them to fight for what they believe in, Molly," Albus said. "And both Ron and Ginevra believe in Harry Potter."

JM's Note: Well, there you have it. Normal format again for the next chapter, which may be out as soon as tomorrow, if my blasted muses decide to cooperate. Review Responses will be posted in that chapter. Until then, Ciao!