Review Response(s):
MinorMistake99: I'm glad that she's appearing to you as I'd hoped. Personally, I don't like Diega either, but, as you said, she is a good character, even if she isn't very...understandable, for want of a better word. Hope to hear from you again, and thank you for reviewing.
Sylvia Snape: Thank you for your idea on the vampire/werewolf enmity theory, it wasn't something I had considered, but perhaps I can put it to greater use later in the story. Also, thank you very, very much for reminding me about Emma Vance, I'd completely forgotten about her death in the sixth HP book. I fixed it in the previous chapters, but if I make a similar mistake, please, let me know. You'll get your wish the more the story progresses, I plan to put Diega into the plot more in the future (not all at the same time, I hope), and so the readers might make their own opinions and/or conclusions about her. Thank you for reviewing!
Archer: Alex will not be in this story; all OC characters from the Challenger of Fate trilogy will remain in that series, they will not appear in this one. Thank you very much for reviewing.
This chapter will be a little longer than the previous ones due to test description.
A. S. Leif
Chapter 7: Apparation
Harry was still fuming as they waited for Diega Prince at the entrance to her house. How in Merlin's name did she know about Sirius when she didn't even know about Dumbledore? He paced angrily in the hall, his shoes clicking somehow on the marble floor. However, he wasn't angry enough to not notice that the senior members of the Order were angry as well. Diega had insulted all of them in one way or another. Well, perhaps not Bill and Charlie as much as the aurors, Remus, and Harry, but still,it just convinced himDiega was not someone Harry planned on trusting.
Well at least I won't have to be dealing with her, Harry thought, I'll be gone, searching for information about horcruxes at that university Dumbledore mentioned. I won't have to deal with her at all.
They'd given Diega half an hour to 'rest', and no more. She merely gave a mocking sigh and took it as a compliment. Harry had asked the Order members why such a short time and Moody had made it quite clear that they weren't risking her doing a vanishing act again. Personally, Harry still thought that they'd be better off without her, but, naturally, everyone else disagreed.
"Were any members of the Sect ever captured?" he asked absently, trying to get his mind off his anger.
"One," Kingsley answered. "And he was given up by Voldemort himself, after he was punished by him."
"Who was it?" Harry inquired.
When Remus opened his mouth to say, Moody barked, "Not here, Lupin, too many ears about." The other members shook their heads at the old auror's paranoia, but Remus obliged and did not answer.
Finally, Diega came gliding out of the front doors, the sunset casting her pale, lethally charming features in a blood red glow. How appropriate for a part vampire, Harry thought bitterly. She stopped for a moment to talk with one of the gardeners who were still outside; the pale man replied and bowed before continuing his work. That done, Diega came over to her waiting escort. "Very well, let us go and see the proof of a portrait," she said in her cruel drawl. She received several glares, and merely smirked in reply. Mad-Eye brought out the piece of rope from his pocket and everyone took hold. "What are you doing?" Tonks demanded as Diega wrote a dark rune in the air with her glittering finger.
She raised an eyebrow. "Do you really think a portkey will work on my property? Surely as a tried auror you would have noticed the wards." Tonks' reddening face was hard to see in the sunset, but it showed that she hadn't noticed. "Or perhaps not," Diega commented softly, and finished the rune.
Everything she says is an insult, Harry thought angrily, then gave an inner snort as he thought about Snape.I guess it must be hereditary...
"Transport," Moody barked, and they were once again whisked away to the opposite side of the world.
They reappeared in front of Hogwarts, and found McGonagall waiting for them at the entrance stairs. For a moment, Harry had a flashback of the first time he'd come to Hogwarts, six years ago. She'd been standing there, waiting for Hagrid to deliver the first years. A fleeting smile twitched at the corner of his mouth, but it was quickly extinguished when he remembered all the changes that had occurred since then.
McGonagall watched them come up the stairs, or rather, she watched Diega come up. In the new Headmistress' eyes was a spark of contempt, yet her features remained politely blank. Harry got the feeling that no one really like Diega. A good thing too, he thought, she won't be trusted so easily. She'd better know that...
"Albus is waiting for you in my office," McGonagall told the newly-recruited spy.
Diega smiled. "What has the world come to?" she asked softly, "When objects are thought of as people?" Once again, the others made for their wands, and once again she accepted the thought of a challenge with her icy smirk.
"Come," McGonagall ordered briskly, and led Diega through the doors.
"I hate that woman," Tonks muttered as the doors shut.
"You're not alone on that one," Harry replied.
"Well Harry," Remus sighed, "I think it's about time for lunch; care to join me?"
"Yeah," Harry replied, thinking, I don't want to be within a mile of Diega... So they bid the others good-bye and returned to their house in London, where they ate their meal in relative silence. "Hey Remus," Harry began as they cleaned their plates.
"Yes?"
"Do you know where I can test for an Apperation License?"
"At the Transportation Department in the Ministry," he replied, "Have you ever apperated before?"
Harry nodded. "Yeah, we had a class on it last year. Hermione and Ron got to take the test there, since they'd already turned seventeen."
"How'd they do?"
"Hermione passed, but Ron didn't, because his examiner noticed that he'd left behind his eyebrow."
Remus chuckled. "You know, I think James did the same thing." He smiled. "He was furious about it for weeks, not that Sirius was helping, mind, since he kept teasing that he'd gotten it right."
Harry grinned. "How did you do?"
"Oh, alright, I suppose." He said evasively. "Practice makes perfect, after all.
"How many times did you take the test?"
"Er... a couple."
"How many?" Harry prodded, his teasing voice having an innocent tone to it. Remus muttered something inaudible. "What was that?"
"Five times," Remus repeated, looking at his wet plate as a blush crept up onto his face. Harry laughed. "Well wait until you take it!" Remus said defensively. "Let's see how long it takes you!" But nothing he said could stop Harry's amusement.
They went to the Ministry later that afternoon. It was plain to anyone with half an eye that security had been increased. There were aurors at each entrance to each hall; there were more detailed wand-checks as well as screenings of visitors for any dangerous items or curses on their person. After fifteen minutes, they reached the Transportation Department and found the person in charge of apperation sign-ups. It was a young witch on duty, and she looked rather bored, absently curling a lock of her blonde hair around a finger.
"Hello, I'm here to sign up for an apperation test." Harry said after flattening his fringe of hair.
The witch looked up, gave an automated smile and pulled out a logbook. There were no other appointments listed, but she asked. "Name?"
"Harry Potter," he replied.
Her eyes widened and she looked immediately at his forehead. Harry felt annoyed as she stared. Remus coughed meaningfully and she snapped out of her daze. "Oh—I-I'm sorry Mr. Potter...um...age?"
"Seventeen."
"Occupation?"
"Er...I don't have one."
"Okay, please wait here." She got up from her desk and went through another door, but not before glancing back at his forehead.
"I hate it when they do that," Harry muttered; Remus smiled sympathetically.
A moment later, the young witch came back out. "Miss Carson will see you now, Mr. Potter." She said nervously.
"Good luck," Remus told him.
Harry smiled. "Hey, as long as it doesn't take me five tries, I'll consider myself satisfied." Remus blushed and gave him a rough nudge towards the door. Still smiling, Harry entered the door. There was another witch waiting for him, she had a stern face, light brown hair that was streaked with grey, light grey eyes, and was wearing light blue robes.
"Good afternoon," Harry greeted.
"Good afternoon," she replied, looking at a paper on her desk. "Please have a seat." Harry sat. "You are here to test for an Apperation license?"
"Yes Ma'am." He answered.
"Have you taken a class previous to this date?"
"Yes Ma'am."
"Where?"
"Hogwarts."
"Very well. Now, before we begin, I will need you to sign this release form." She handed him a form attached to a clipboard along with a quill. "If you sign this, you are agreeing that the Ministry and/or its personnel are not responsible for any injuries you might sustain, nor for any inconveniences you might cause to another citizen, be they of the magical or muggle community. You would also be agreeing not to divulge any information regarding this test to those who have yet to take it, and that you are of age, doing this of your free will, and take full responsibility for anything that might occur during your testing."
Harry nodded to show he understood, quickly read over the form, and signed his name at the bottom of the parchment, which he then handed back to her. She got to her feet, "Alright, follow me."
Harry followed the instructor out a door next to the window, and found himself in a large square room. There were a few of the old-fashioned wooden hoops like the ones used when they'd just been learning spaced throughout the room, though they were all one of three colors: red, yellow, and blue. Miss Carson stationed herself to the right of the door, and motioned for Harry to step in the only odd-colored hoop (which was black) that was laying a few paces in front of the door.
"Now, before we begin, I will refresh your memory on what was instructed during your class in Hogwarts." She cleared her throat quietly. "There are three things you must keep in mind when apparating. They are known as the three D's: destination, determination, and deliberation. Do you recall those?"
"Yes Ma'am." Harry replied.
She nodded. "Good. Now, for the first stage of this test, you must apparate from hoop to hoop judging by color, ending in the hoop you are currently standing in. You will start with the blue hoops, and for this stage there is no time limit. Your score will be determined by technique: which includes movement and sound; accuracy: which is judged by where you land; and speed, which is self-explanatory. Got all that?"
"Yes Ma'am."
"Then you may begin."
Harry closed his eyes and relaxed for a moment, then concentrated on the first blue hoop, about fifteen feet to his left. He then felt a small fizz beneath his skin: his desire to be in that hoop. Turning on the spot, Harry imagined himself fading into nothing, then reappearing in the hoop. He did not hear a crack, but when he opened his eyes, he found himself in the hoop, a little right of the center. Concentrating on the next hoop five feet in front of him, he did the same thing, this time reappearing in the center of it. He did this three more times until at last he reappeared in the black hoop a good thirty feet away from his last blue hoop.
Miss Carson nodded, taking a quick note on her clipboard. Her stern face did not give any impression as to how well he'd done. "Now for the next stage. This one will include apparating from each yellow hoop to another. The scoring is the same, however, there is now a time-limit. You will be informed after you finish whether or not you were within it, and be given your time. Ready?" He nodded. "Begin."
With a little more urgency, Harry concentrated on the yellow hoop on roughly the other side of the room. His heart-rate sped up as he imagined himself in that hoop. His nerves hummed as he apparated from hoop to hoop, growing slightly more nervous as time went by. Stop it, when he felt his palms sweating. It's just a test, and I can retake it too. As he forced himself to calm down, he continued to apparate through the yellow hoops, until at last he was back within the black hoop, though he was nearly standing on the edge of it.
Once again, the instructor nodded. "You are within the time limit, your time was two minutes and three seconds." Harry's shoulders relaxed as he let out a small breath of relief. "Now you will go through the red hoops. Location is important on this one, and the time limit is lower; you may begin when you are ready."
Harry nodded and then faced the room to let her know he was starting. Once again, his nervousness returned and he had to force himself to concentrate on only the red hoop, not the images of himself leaving behind a leg, an arm, his hair, or his head. But it'd be nice to leave my scar behind, he thought with dour humor, and he apparated to the first hoop.
He continued to apparate, trying to remain calm as he went through the ten hoops, eleven including the black one. As he finished, he thought he felt a twinge in his scalp; he'd probably left a hair or two behind; how much would that count against him for?
Miss Carson once again wrote something down, her face expressionless. "You are once again within the time limit, you time was one minute and fifty-seven seconds. Now we are done with the first half of this exam. Please follow me."
A door appeared in the left wall, and Harry followed her through it. His eyes widened in surprise as they appeared in the middle of a muggle street. It was filled with people coming in and out of stores, driving through the street, honking, talking, and creating all manners of sound and movement. How was he supposed to concentrate in this?
"There is a concealment charm on this spot where we are standing," explained the witch, "However, there are none on the rest of the street. Your goal is to apparate next to the following places," she pointed them out and named them; five of them were stores, two were parked cars, and one was a lamp post. "You must not attract the attention of any of the passing muggles, if you do, your score is affected. Once again, there is a time limit. It begins in ten seconds, starting now."
Harry's mind scrambled for a solution. How was he supposed to not get their attention? He was dressed in robes, and would make a loud crack as he appeared out of thin air! Even a blind person would noticed something out of the ordinary! As he heard the examiner say: 'begin', his nerves got worse. How could he do it? He fingered his wand for comfort, and then it hit him: a silencing and notice-me-not charm. He thought the proper incantations as he pointed his wand at himself, and then concentrated on his first goal: the shoe store across the street.
The noise made it nearly impossible for him to direct all his attention on the store, and he couldn't close his eyes to concentrate, otherwise he might end up landing on someone. What could he do? He felt like a complete dolt, just standing there. He licked his lips, and slowed his breathing, trying to remain calm as his mind slowly ticked away the time. He'd probably spent at least a minute standing here...
That won't help! He scolded himself. I need to concentrate on apparation only! Nothing else. As if that was all it had been waiting for, his mind completely blocked out the distractions caused by muggles, and he focused on the store. Turning on his heel, Harry felt himself vanish and reappear across the street. He smiled, I can do this!
He focused on his next target. The noise and excess movements of the muggles were dull, as if he was surrounded by a glass bubble, keeping him calm. With this 'bubble' around him, Harry apparated from point to point, and nearly collided with a bicycler at the second-to-last point. After apparating to the space where the examiner waited, Harry removed the charms on himself.
Once again, she wrote something down, and nodded, revealing nothing. A lump of nervousness formed in his gut. Oh come on, he chided, it's just a test, not even for an actual grade. An image of how Hermione would react to his saying it was 'just' a test caused a small smile to appear on his face.
He followed Miss Carson back into her office, where she told him to wait outside while she completed his score. "How do you think you did?" Remus asked from his seat in the hall.
Harry shrugged. "Dunno really, I guess we'll find out."
A few minutes later, Miss Carson came back out. She handed Harry the parchment with his scoring on it, which he thanked her for and quickly read over it:
Apparation Test for Mister Harry Potter
Age: Seventeen
Occupation: n/a
Examiner: Jorja Carson, Dept. of Trans.
Stage One:
Technique: Good
Accuracy: Acceptable
Speed:Above Average
Stage Two:
Technique:Acceptable
Accuracy:Good
Speed:Good
Stage Three:
Technique:Good
Accuracy:Good
Speed:Acceptable
Stage Four:
Technique:Above Average
Accuracy:Above Average
Speed:Good
Comments:
Overall, your accuracy is your strongest suit. For technique, your movements could be more subtle and the sound decreased; the charms you used in the final stage were clever, but not useful for day-to-day apparation. You do well with speed, in fact, you were three minutes below the time limit in Stage 2, two minutes below in Stage 3, and four minutes below in Stage 4.
Overall Score: Pass
Harry breathed a sigh of relief, then grinned at Remus. "See? Not five times after all!" Remus blushed and the stern examiner gave a small smile.
"Congratulations Mr. Potter, here is your license." She handed Harry a laminated card. It had a picture of him, his name, and an official-looking stamp above the signature of his examiner and the head of the Apparation Department.
He smiled. Not bad at all, he thought to himself.