Harry Potter and the Mind Mage

By James Milamber

Hmm…I seem to have lost quite a few of my regulars along the way somewhere. Merusa, CQ, Dree, Joshling (hah:p), shotgunn, Shorty, Evansk (and anyone else that I've forgotten) …where are you all :'(

'Percy!' Ron stared at his estranged brother in astonishment. Harry noticed the youngest Weasley male's ears growing steadily redder, a sure sign his temper was heating up. He glanced around at the rest of the family – Ginny wore a set expression he'd seen many times, Fred and George looked dubious, Charlie was openly smiling. Mrs Weasley looked like she didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and Mr Weasley's expression was neutral.

'Err…hello, all,' Percy said nervously.

'Go on, Perce,' Bill poked him in the back hard, sending him stumbling forward until he righted himself. 'They're your family, you silly twit.'

Percy glanced over his shoulder at his older brother, then swept his gaze about the room helplessly. Finally it came to rest on Harry.

'I'm sorry, Harry,' he said heavily. 'I didn't believe you when you were brave enough to come forward and tell the truth, and I'm sorry. Can you ever forgive me?'

Every member of the Weasley family had their eyes on Harry now, waiting to see what he'd do. Harry suddenly felt very uncomfortable – he knew, in a very direct way, that he was responsible for Percy's estrangement from his family. He suddenly had an image of Percy in the Headmaster's office the previous year, ink splattered all over his nose, joyfully informing the Minister for Magic that he had Dumbledore's confession on record. Then the image was superseded by the one he had imagined earlier – in his first year, Percy being frog marched about the common room by the twins in his Weasley jumper.

'It's not me who has to forgive you, Percy,' Harry said finally, glancing around. 'You didn't do anything to me that countless others haven't already done. It's your family that deserves an apology, not me.'

Percy nodded unhappily, and turned to his parents. 'Mum, Dad…' he trailed off, then shrugged helplessly. 'I'm an idiot. Can you forgive me?'

Tears standing out in her eyes, Mrs Weasley rushed forward and embraced her son in a hug. 'Of course we can, you silly boy,' she said, as Percy gratefully wrapped his arms around her.

'Welcome back, son,' Mr Weasley said simply, placing one hand on Percy's shoulder.

'Good enough for us,' the twins said, rushing up to Percy after their mother finally released him and clapping him on the back so hard his horn-rimmed glasses were dislodged and nearly fell off his nose.

Ginny didn't say anything; she simply hugged him fiercely. When she pulled back, she gazed at him for a long moment, carefully removed his glasses, and slapped him as hard as she could. The heavy sound seemed to echo through the common room.

'I deserved that,' Percy winced, gingerly touching his stinging cheek.

'Yes. You did,' Ginny said with a steely glint in her eye.

'Just be grateful she didn't curse you,' Ron advised his brother. 'She's been training with Harry, and she's getting good.'

'I'll keep that in mind,' Percy smiled faintly, replacing his glasses. 'So, Ron, you're the only one left. What say you?'

'Charlie hasn't said anything,' Ron pointed out.

'I forgave him a long while back,' Charlie shrugged. 'It was me who told him to send that letter to Harry over the summer.'

'So, little brother,' Percy suddenly looked nervous as he chewed on his lower lip. 'Do I have your forgiveness?'

Ron stared at Percy hard for a long moment, then glanced at Harry. 'Harry, mate, what do you think?'

'I think it's your decision to make, not mine,' Harry replied quietly.

Ron sighed heavily, running one hand through his hair distractedly. 'I knew you'd say that,' he muttered. 'Alright, you great prat, I suppose I can forgive you.'

'Thank you,' Percy said simply.

'Group hug!' Fred yelled, pouncing on an unsuspecting Percy. George followed, pulling Ron with him, and the four went down in a tangle of long limbs and red hair.

'Completely mental,' Bill laughed as Fred and George held Percy and Ron together by the simple expedient of sitting on them.

'I've missed you two,' Ginny laughed as she pounced on her brothers.

'Do you think it was altogether wise bringing those two back to Hogwarts?' James asked aside to Molly as Bill and Charlie grinned at each other and joined the pile of Weasley's on the floor.

'Probably not,' she sighed, watching in somewhat amused resignation as Fred and George rolled free of the tangle and started to throw balled up wrapping paper at the Milton twins, who quickly upended a couch to hide behind and returned fire.

'You four will never grow up, will you?' Isabelle sighed. She subsequently yelped in surprise as Fred and George started to target her instead. She dove behind the nearest couch, resisting the urge to start swearing. From his vantage point, Alex got a clear view of her face, and he suddenly laughed.

'I hope you two have your Wills organized,' he called to the other set of twins.

'Of course,' Fred and George chimed.

'Good…cause you're going to need them in about two seconds.'

Fred and George's reply was cut off when Isabelle suddenly stood from behind her couch, holding her own wand in her right hand and surprisingly – or perhaps not – Cassie's in her left. She aimed both at the twins and said calmly, 'Obvolvo'

The Weasley twins had time to glance at each other before the spells hit. In an instant both were completely mummified in a thick layer of duct tape. They let out muffled cries as they toppled to the floor, and the whole room started laughing. Even Molly's lips twitched as she fought down a smile. All that could be seen of the twins as they rolled on the floor was their bright red hair and their noses.

'There is a lesson to be learned here, gentlemen,' Alex said urbanely as he strolled across the room. 'Never attack a Slytherin, especially this one, unless you're prepared for retaliation.'

'Mo vee maverd.'

'What was that?' Alex knelt down and removed the tape from around the mouth of the twin that had spoken.

'I said, so we gathered.'

'You know, I think I like them better this way,' Charlie grinned. 'How about we just unwrap their heads and leave the rest of it on?'

'As amusing as this is,' Bill interceded, 'Dumbledore's set a room up for us downstairs, so can we move this down there?' With a quick flick of his wand, he removed the layers of tape from the twins.

'Spoilsport,' Charlie grumbled good-naturedly.


'Harry, could I have a word?'

Harry turned to face Mr Weasley, surprised to be approached by the Weasley patriarch. 'Of course,' he answered, and the two of them allowed the rest of the group to move ahead of them. When Hermione, the last in the group, rounded a corner, Mr Weasley stopped Harry with a gentle hand on his shoulder.

'I need to speak to you about Ginny,' he began seriously. Harry's eyes widened almost unnoticeably, then narrowed. He'd expected a talk along these lines sooner or later – he'd rather hoped, however, that it would have been later. 'Now, Dumbledore has informed Molly and myself of the circumstances surrounding your relationship, so I can understand why it's necessary. I do need to know, however, that you're going to be responsible with this.'

'Of course,' Harry said instantly. 'I'd never do anything to hurt her, or take advantage of her.' He suddenly had an odd sinking feeling in his stomach. Arthur Weasley was a man he certainly didn't want to be on the bad side of, being Ginny's father, and he found himself desperately wanting the man's approval. He waited apprehensively, almost fearing what the response to his heartfelt statement would be.

His fears proved unfounded, however, when Mr Weasley clapped Harry on the shoulder. 'Good man. In that case, and I'll hold you to your word, by the way, I have no issues with you dating Ginny.' He smiled a bit indulgently. 'You have my blessings, Harry, and also my sincere wish that you are both extraordinarily happy with whatever events lay ahead for you.'

'Thank you, Mr Weasley,' Harry said sincerely, a wave of relief washing through him.

Mr Weasley chuckled. 'Harry, my boy, call me Arthur. I'm not going to call you "Mister Potter", so I see no need for you to call me "Mister Weasley" all the time.'

'Thank you…Arthur,' Harry smiled.

'The pleasure is mine, I can assure you,' Arthur beamed. 'I can think of no better match for Ginny than you. Now, we'd best catch up with the others before the twins completely destroy everything.'

'Fred and George, or Alex and Cassie?'

'Both,' Arthur said wryly. 'Molly and I spent some time at Grimmauld Place with James and his children after you left last Christmas. They're almost as bad as Fred and George.'

'They stayed at Grimmauld Place?' Harry asked curiously. This was news to him.

Arthur nodded. 'After James' house in Australia was raided by Death Eaters, he relocated to England to work for Dumbledore, who gave him the provisional position of Defense Professor this year. Looking forward to the removal of that Umbridge woman, I'm sure. He had nowhere to stay, so Sirius offered them sanctuary at his house until they managed to find a place of their own. The Milton twins spent quite a bit of time with my twins – they even worked at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes for a time, to earn a bit of money on the side.'

'I never knew that,' Harry said quietly, sobered slightly by the thought of his Godfather. Dumbledore had collected the black dog that now housed his consciousness some weeks ago, and Harry had not seen hide nor hair of him since. The Headmaster had said it was necessary, and Harry had decided to trust him, but he was beginning to worry.

As Harry and Arthur neared the room Dumbledore had set up for them, Hermione suddenly bolted out the door and sprinted down the corridor towards them. 'Harry!' she gasped, out of breath after her mad dash. 'Come on, you have to see this!' She grabbed his arm and tugged hard, almost pulling him over in his haste. Harry stumbled after her, wondering what on Earth had her so worked up.

As they entered the room, Harry suddenly stopped, his eyes wide. The room was a fair size, as large as a fair sized classroom, and a long table ran down the middle of it. A fire burned merrily in the fireplace, doing it's best to stave off the winter chill. A large decorated tree stood in one corner, and several as yet unopened presents rested underneath. Seated on the back of an oversized lounge chair by the fire, sending a calm gaze around the room, was a large, royal blue phoenix.

Harry blinked.

'Ah, Mister Potter, there you are,' the phoenix said in clipped English. 'I've been waiting a long time for this moment.'

'You have?' Harry's natural curiosity overcame his amazement, and he edged closer to the bird.

'Indeed.' The magnificent creature cocked its head slightly, and almost seemed to chuckle. 'You'll forgive me if you're not quite what I was expecting. From all I'd been told, I was expecting someone…larger.'

'I'm not that short,' Harry objected.

The phoenix gazed at him. 'Quite right, you're not. Forgive me if I seem impolite, but I am for the most part unfamiliar with your kind.'

On the other side of the room, Ron was staring at his best friend with a look of stunned incredulity on his face. He leaned closer to Ginny. 'Is Harry having a conversation with that bird?' he asked in a hoarse whisper. All he could hear was the trilling song of the phoenix, but Harry seemed to be answering it when he spoke.

'Seems that way,' Ginny agreed, not looking the least bit bothered. Her last encounter with a phoenix had meant both Harry and herself had survived the Chamber of Secrets, and she was curious to see what would come from this one.

'Ah…' Harry floundered, not entirely sure what he should say. 'Why are you here?'

'I suppose it might be best to explain myself, at that,' the phoenix nodded, a curiously human gesture. 'Some time ago, I was approached by a man who claimed to be the Headmaster of a large Wizarding school. That school was Hogwarts, and the man was –'

'Dumbledore,' Harry finished, a thoughtful frown on his face.

'Quite,' the phoenix agreed. 'To make a long story short, he told me of a prophecy that had to be fulfilled, and of my role within. I was skeptical at first – I had no real reason to trust the word of a human, even one so powerful as Albus Dumbledore. But he eventually convinced me to come to Hogwarts to meet the receptacle of the prophecy – which would be you yourself.'

'But…why?' Harry asked, confused. 'What role are you supposed to play?'

'That I cannot tell you, I'm afraid.' The phoenix cocked its head to the side, studying Harry intently. 'You are fit,' it said finally. 'I agree to the terms your Headmaster offered.'

'Terms?' Harry struggled to keep up with the information the phoenix was giving him. 'What were these terms?'

'Again, you are not permitted to know. What you can know, however, is that you have made a powerful ally today, Mister Potter. You have but to call, and I will come.'

'Call? How do I do that?'

'My name will suffice, Mister Potter. Simply call my name aloud, and I will hear and come to your aid.'

'And your name is…?'

The phoenix seemed almost to smile. 'I am known by many names…but my true name is Hermes.' So saying, there was a flash of bright blue fire – and the phoenix vanished.

Harry stared at the place the phoenix had been sitting, his mind struggling to understand what had just happened. The encounter had lasted only a few minutes, but it had seemed to raise a few thousand questions – which he intended to get answers to.

'Harry?' Hermione asked tentatively after a long silence, snapping the raven haired boy out of his reverie.

'Huh?' He blinked. 'Oh, sorry. Got a bit distracted.'

'We noticed,' Isabelle said dryly. 'So what the heck was all that about, exactly?'

'I'm not sure,' Harry frowned. 'I need to talk to Dumbledore.'

'I'm sure that can wait, Harry dear,' Mrs Weasley said. 'This is supposed to be Christmas! You can speak with the Headmaster later.'

'Yeah, I'm starving!' Ron announced.

'Big surprise,' Fred muttered to his twin. At the same instant, a mass of food appeared on the table, which creaked alarmingly under the sudden weight.

'Christmas breakfast is provided,' the Milton twins said together in a monotone.

Fred and George exchanged a mournful look. 'We're being replaced, Forge,' Fred said, placing one hand over his eyes dramatically.

A/N: This is the revised version of this chapter, as the previous version was very weak in several places. I'm much happier with this one.

Review Responses:

MssrBlaze: Sirius will make his return next chapter.

doggstarr: Cheers for the nice comments! Hopefully this should stave off your withdrawal symptoms. :p

MarvinIsMyIdol: If I read the books anymore than I already do, I'd never get ANYTHING done. The problem is, I don't write either Ron or Hermione very well, so out of necessity they take a bit of a backseat. I'm trying to bring them in a bit more, but it's not easy. As to your suggestion…hmm…that could be entertaining…(evil grin)

potterbrat: None taken. :)

tadah: Why is everyone threatening to kill me for that cliffie? It wasn't even a BIG cliffie! And you're perfectly welcome. :)

shell: That's an interesting question – as you know, you can't Apparate inside Hogwarts grounds, so I'm assuming they usually go to Hogsmeade to learn. With the threat of a Death Eater attack, I really can't see Dumbledore authorizing that.

Lourdes: Nope…not abandoned. I'm aiming to have it finished by the time HBP comes out…but I can't see it happening. I figured out the other day I have about 30 more chapters to go…

charmingly-holly: (blinks) Ahh…right, where to begin? You're supposed to hate Hayden – that's the entire point I made him. Annoying little shite, isn't he? Just be glad you weren't reading through that particular cliffie – I left everyone hanging so long I had a mob of pitchfork wielding reviewers laying siege to my house. Gods, I love my work…:p As for the cake…I'm quite partial to cheesecake, actually.

Magickk: Mean evil bugger wagger? You're lucky it's you and not someone else who called me that, sister dearest… ;)

tabasco: Heh…cheers.

Jenni: It annoys the heck outta me when I read stories with constant spelling mistakes – so I try my best to minimize them in here. Glad you're enjoying it.

Saerry Snape: That's a bit rich…you can't accuse MY cliffies of being evil. I did read NM almost from the start, remember…some of THOSE drove me nuts waiting for an update, so at least I can return the favour. :p

Priestess of Dan: You'd be surprised how often I get that. Still, I suppose it's understandable – the ratio of guys and girls on this site is something like 10:90. Still, I thought the name "James Milamber" gave it away…apparently not.

Iron Spirit: Thanks, although I can't really take credit for it – it's a modified version of something from one of Jeconais' stories.

dress-without-sleeves: Nutter.

MsMissProngs: You're as bad as her! (points upwards)

Larna Mandrea: Aww…come on, admit it, you still love me. :p