Chapter 1 – Dumbledore summons

Disclaimer: Characters belong to JKRowling, as do names and places. If all these ideas belonged to me, why would I be writing fanfiction?


A/N: I repeat; this is NOT pre-HBP!

Dear Diary,
I just got a letter from Dumbledore. Which is increasingly strange, seeing as how he is dead. I am scared. I don't understand. Yeah, Dumbledore was a great wizard. He was a VERY great wizard. But, to my knowledge, NO wizard has EVER risen from the dead. Unless you count Voldemort, I suppose. Anyway, Dumbledore told me to go to McGonagall's office. The password is 'Sugar Quill', he told me. Well, I'd better go see what he wants. If he actually wants anything. If he's actually there. Oh no, someones coming! I'd better be off, anyway. I'll write soon!

Harry jumped up off his bed, and quickly stuffed his journal into his broomstick servicing kit box. He hoped no one would find it. That journal held all his secrets. It had all his thoughts about Ginny in there. Even though he new he couldn't go out with her because Voldermort would target her, he still couldn't stop thinking about her. And yeah, he new that it was stupid to write his thoughts down in a journal. Especially after what happened in his second year, with Ginny and Tom Riddle's diary. Still, it wasn't like he could talk to Ron about it, was it? Also, his journal held all his thoughts about Lord Voldemort, and how hemust defeat him. Harry shivered involuntarily at the thought of anyone knowing how scared he was about what must happen.

At last, his thoughts turned back to Dumbledore. What did he want, and why had he summoned him to Professor McGonagall's office? If he really had risen from the dead, surely it would be his office now. But he can't have risen from the dead. No one could. So many questions, whirling round Harry's head. As soon as he banished one thought, another one came jumping into his head.

"Are you alright Harry? You look a bit pale."
Harry jumped and looked up. It was Ron.
"Yeah, I'm OK, I 'spose. Um, I'm going to . . . McGonagall's office." Harry replied. He could feel Ron's puzzled eyes watching him all the way out of the room. He wouldn't tell anybody that he was going to meet Dumbledore. At least not yet. They would think he was mad! Maybe he was mad. Maybe he was imagining it all. Maybe he would be awoken in a moment by Ron's grumbling stomach. Maybe, but Harry didn't think so.

He passed Ginny in the common room. He smiled weakly to her. She frowned at him, and asked him if he was alright. Really, did he look that bad? He nodded and continued to troop out of the portrait door, his heart hammering, head still covered in questions; this time accompanied by thoughts of Ginny.

He walked for several minutes, not really looking, hearing, or caring where he was going. He bumped into several people, including a muscly Slytherin, but apart from that, the corridors were curiously deserted. At last he came to a halt and looked up, pulled out of his day dream. He was infront of the entrance to the headteacher's office. Harry struggled to remember the password.
"Fizzing whizbees, chocolate frogs, flying saucers, sugar quill..."
The gargoyles jumped open as Harry mentioned sugar quills, and Harry stepped onto the spiral staircase. When he reached the top, he knocked politely on the office door and waited.
"Come in, Potter." a firm, female voice called out. Harry opened the door, and immediately saw the picture of Albus Dumbledore hanging on the wall opposite him. Of course! The paintings! How could he be so stupid? Dumbledore hadn't come back to life, he had just appeared in a painting. Harry mentally slapped himself into reality.
"Harry, Dumbledore has a message for you, which he doesn't trust me to pass on to you."
"It's not that I don't trust you Minerva, I simply wish to tell Harry myself, with no one else present."
"Hmm, yes. Anyway, as I was saying Harry, Professor Dumbledore wishes to speak with you. If it was anyone else, I would not oblige, but as it seems so important I will leave you and wait for you outside the gargoyles. And do try and not take too long!" McGonagall said. She left Harry alone with the paintings, and Dumbledore began to speak.
"Harry, I have important news. The Ministry have caught a Deatheater who calls himself the Warrior. He shields his face, we do not know who it is. We need to find out."
"But surely if they put him in Azkaban, the influence will weaken his power and he will not be able to keep his shield?" Harry interupted. Dumbledore's portrait chuckled.
"You always did ask many questions, didn't you Harry? You question is an important one, however, and I will answer it. You see, Azkaban is a place where people can only be held captive if your name is known. That is why so many of Voldemort's followers have code names. Such as the half-blood prince, one you must know. Anyway, if the true name of the person is not known, they cannot be held captive. For example, let's just say Voldemort was weak enough for us to catch and imprison him. We would not be able to hold him captive in Azkaban if we did not know his true name; Tom Riddle. The Ministry believe that the Warrior is a Deatheater which they know. They believe that if they saw his face, they would know his name. They need someone to lift his shield, yet none of the Ministry workers can do it."
"So what do I have to do with this?" Harry interrupted; again.
"Harry, isn't it obvious? You must go to the Ministry, you must lift this man's shield, you must send the Warrior to Azkaban, where he belongs."
"I- I understand, Professor Dumbledore."
"Than GO!" the portrait shouted, and Harry stumbled back out of the office.

Once he got to the bottom of the stairs, he met Professor McGonagall.
"What did he want, Potter?"
"I'm sorry, Professor, but I can't tell you. It is between Professor Dumbledore and me."
McGonagoll snarled, and stormed back up the stairs to her office. Harry heard her shouting at Dumbledore's portrait, but then the door closed and he heard no more.

He walked back to the Gryffindor common room, thinking all the way.