Chapter 6. Scars and Spells
Before Melinda and Draco could return inside the castle their path was blocked by three certain figures cloaked in white. Draco's reaction was instantaneous, he pulled out his wand and stepped before Mel in a defensive pose.
However, the cloaked figures didn't attack, in fact they did something very different.
"What the hell do you think you're doing Melinda Prudence Halliwell?" One of the cloaked individuals, a male, asked, he sounded annoyed.
"Exactly what I was supposed to do." Mel replied calmly. "Help him."
"You mean help a murderer?" The same man asked. "I thought you knew better than that."
"He's not a murderer and you have no right to judge him, none of us do." Mel stated coldly. "Now you either stand out of my way or I'll have to move you."
"Wha…" The male seemed really shocked at her words.
"Calm down everyone." Another of the cloaked figures, this a woman said. "We're both on the same side, I think; there's no reason to fight amongst ourselves."
"Wha…" The first male again got annoyed. "You mean you support her decision?!"
"I mean I trust her judgment." The woman remained calm. "I know Mel, and she's neither immature nor insane. If she trusts Malfoy there must be a reason. I do believe we can at least wait until we know what that reason is."
"I can't believe this." The man hissed. "Hello? Does anyone else notices 'History-repeating-itself' in all this?"
"Come on." The woman seemed to be loosing her patience. "That's ridiculous."
"That's right." Mel stepped in again, resolution noticeable in her face. "I'm not Aunt Phoebe and Draco is certainly not Belthazor…"
"I seem to remember reading that most of the time he looked like a common human…" The man was very stubborn.
"Still!" Mel cried out. "Draco is not a demon!"
The term certainly surprised Draco, but before he could say anything at all the last cloaked person, a man who had remained silent until then, decided to speak.
"Stop it." The man called in an authoritative tone that certainly shut them all. "We shouldn't be having this kind of conversation out here. Anyone could walk out, see us, and blow our covers. We somehow managed to go through the battle without being discovered, we can't ruin it now."
They all nodded.
"Now." The man turned to Draco. "I want to know Draco Malfoy, if you're fully conscious of what being helped by one of us entails…"
'One of us…' The phrase repeated in Draco's face.
"Yes, Melinda is one of us." The man repeated. "By accepting her help, by getting related to her, you're getting related to all of us. It certainly might be helpful for you considering the situation you currently are in; yet it won't be easy. I can tell you our lives are certainly a lot more complicated that what's going on here. If you accept to receive our help, I'm afraid our problems will be included in the package. Are you sure you can handle that?"
"I'll figure out a way." Draco replied sincerely. "Anyway, it's too late now for me to go back with the DE and I doubt being with you can be any worse than that."
"You dare compare us…" The other cloaked man began.
"Calm down Henry…" The woman began.
"Henry?" Draco asked, not able to hide his shock. "As in Henry Mitchel?"
The cloaked man growled.
"Calm down." The woman ordered. "He was bound to find out sooner or later. And the sooner the better, we've been in the open for too long."
"Hermy is right." The calm man nodded.
"Hermy is always right." Mel added as-a-matter-of-fact.
"True enough." The other man nodded.
"Ok so, costumes off everyone so we can begin with our little charade." The calmed man said as he ditched his own.
"Charade?" Draco asked.
"Yes." Hermy nodded as she did the same. "We need to give a logical answer as to why we're out here, what we've done the last hours and why you're here. And the truth really doesn't fit in there, believe me."
"Well, let's get going." The one who seemed like the leader, the calm one, declared.
It was until then that Draco took a good luck at him and he couldn't keep in the shocked gasp. It was…
"Harry Potter?" Draco said.
"Surprised?" Harry asked with a small smile. "I should have placed a bet on that one. I'm sure you might have expected anyone, even my brother, to come from beyond that cloak; anyone but me."
Draco nodded.
"That's the good thing of being discreet on your doings." Hermy said confidently. "No one knows really what to expect from you."
Draco saw her then, Hermione Granger, he couldn't have said he wasn't expecting that one, especially after seeing who the others were. He was under the distinct impression that he had just gotten in the biggest mess of his whole life, and couldn't help but think it was going to be really interesting and exciting.
.---.
It was really a bit difficult to explain to the Headmaster and all the Professors what the quartet was doing outside the castle at such hours, even more so when they returned inside followed by Draco Malfoy. Two or three of the students that had been helping Harvey's friends actually tried to attack the Slytherin boy but Melinda quickly blocked their path and left clear that she wouldn't let them hurt his friend; which left everyone even more confused and not too trusting of the girl.
Finally they all had a talk with Professor Dumbledore. Harry explained that he sometimes had insomnia (which wasn't exactly a lie), Hermione had been keeping him company that night, until they saw the Dark Mark (which wasn't completely impossible with the location of each tower in the castle). When seeing the mark Harry had feared for his brother, Hermy had gotten their other friends to help look for Harvey, because they hadn't found him in the Gryffindor Tower, and ended up in the middle of the battle that had taken place of the invading DE vs. students, professors and aurors.
Melinda then explained that she had gone after Draco when seeing him pass, the two had been frequenting each other recently, when finding they had so much in common (like their talent at Potions for example). Mel had suspected something was wrong with Draco but hadn't known what exactly (until that night).
After some more questions Dumbledore had accepted what the teens told him (which doesn't necessarily means he fully believed them). He had also fulfilled what he had offered Draco before and managed to get his mother out of the Malfoy Manor and to a safe location before any DE found her and used her to get to Draco. However, when he was about to offer the same to Draco himself something surprised him. It was a letter addressed to him. In it he could read that Draco would pass the summer in a 'safe place', where he would be helped in overcoming anything the DE might have told him, he would be back in Hogwarts in time for the next term. Dumbledore had really not way of replying to the writer, or even knowing of the legitimacy of the letter, but he for some reason trusted it, especially when seeing the signature: 'Truly yours, A Friend.' it said.
Draco agreed with what was written in the letter, knowing that, somehow, the four teenagers standing next to him were related to it.
.---.
However, that wasn't the end of it, because right as the quarter-now-turned-quintet left the office they could hear a great commotion in the medic-wing. Ever so slowly they approached the place and peeked in to see what was going on.
"That's Bill Weasley…" Hermione informed the others.
"My god…what happened to him?" Melinda asked worriedly.
"The werewolf bit him." Henry told them. "And even if it wasn't during the full-moon, there are bound to be some consequences with such a wound."
"Isn't there something you can do about it?" Draco asked.
It was a big surprise, though none of them said a thing about it, to see Draco Malfoy actually worrying about others was certainly a change. Even if it was unlikely he would ever admit having been worried at all.
"Maybe…" Henry began.
"I'll do it." Harry informed them.
"Are you sure?" Hermy asked him with a tinge of worry. "I think you're the one who has done the most from all of us this night."
"I don't think that." Harry refused modestly. "You and Henry did a lot, and Mel too. And we have to be rational. We can't afford being discovered right now, not when we were lucky enough to go through the battle mostly unnoticed. And from all of us I'm the only who can manage to get in there, heal that man and back out without them noticing me."
"I could help." Mel declared immediately. "I know you feel you should do this on your own Harry, I know how serious you take that anyone is injured because of the Dark Lord, but if I too have means to help that man, I'm not going to stop."
"Just be careful, both of you." Hermy told them.
Both Melinda and Harry nodded.
Ever so slowly Mel extended her hands and waved them, making everything and everyone in the hospital-wing 'freeze'. Then she and Harry stepped inside and walked to the injured man silently and calmly. They knew they didn't have much time, they would have to be quick.
"What just happened?" Draco asked to the ones who had stayed behind.
"It's one of Melinda's powers." Henry explained. "It's call temporal stasis. In simple words we can say she just 'froze' the room."
"Amazing…" Draco admitted.
Hermy and Henry just turned to look at each other. It was quite curious actually, to see Draco acting in such a different way than before. Anyone would believe he was an entire different Malfoy, and maybe he was…maybe in a sense he was finally letting his real self surface.
Harry and Mel worked fast and sure, healing Bill's wounds to the best of their capability, yet without overexerting themselves too much. In the end they managed to heal him almost fully, though some scars were due to remain there.
"You did it the best you could." Hermy assured the both of them. "At least now we know he won't have to suffer any kind of consequences from that werewolf. We certainly don't need anyone else to suffer the way Mr. Lupin does…"
Draco didn't comment on that, he knew he was one of those who hadn't treated their former DADA Professor very well.
"Besides, scars aren't always that bad." Henry replied.
"Yeah, sometimes they serve to 'mark' you…" Harry commented bitterly.
Draco gasped at hearing that, quickly relating it to the so-called prophecy the media had been talking about since the past summer.
"Just don't say anything…" Mel stopped him from talking. "He really doesn't like talking about it. Though, if you need reassurance; yes, he means what you're thinking."
Draco just nodded, maybe he would be able to understand more some other time.
"And no." Henry said seriously. "I meant they sometimes serve to remind yourself and those around you that you'll always fight for what you believe in, no matter the dangers, no matter the possible consequences…you're a true fighter…"
A true fighter…yes, that's what Bill Weasley was, that's what many of those involved in the previous wars were…what those who would be involved in the upcoming war would be.
Fighters…that's exactly what they were…
.---.
The end of the school-year finally arrived and the train ride was the last chance the group had to be all together. They had taken a compartment near the end of the train and practically sealed it with magic, so they wouldn't be spied or overheard.
"Well, they seemed to buy the story, didn't they?" Melinda asked.
"Not Dumbledore." Harry denied. "I have a feeling he knows there's something going on, it may even be possible that he has always known it, but never paid it enough attention. He will now. He, and I'm sure some others as well, will be on the look out from now on, watching our every movement. They'll be waiting until we commit a mistake, until we reveal ourselves, they probably feel they need to know what's going on."
"It's my fault…" Draco began.
"Not really." Harry shook his head again. "We knew this was due to happen sooner or later. Ever since Hermy and I accepted the invitations to this school, and Henry and Mel decided to accompany us, we knew there was a good chance we wouldn't be able to remain undercover forever; sooner or later someone was due to find out the truth about us."
"Sooner or later the wizarding-world, maybe even the whole world, will know exactly who we are." Hermy added.
"But wouldn't that be dangerous?" Mel asked unsure. "I mean, just remember what mom and the rest told us of the times others found who they were. Even if time always changed so they would all forget it, so those things never happened; I'm sure you still remember what they told us happened one of those times…"
"Yes." Henry nodded. "Aunt Piper was killed, Aunt Phoebe was trapped in the Underworld and Aunt Prue was about to be shot by FBI Agents because they thought she was dangerous."
"And still, even when time was changed, one of them still died…" Hermy added.
That was true, and they all knew it, it had been then that Prue had been killed. The Charmed Ones hadn't been able to turn time backwards a second time, so there had been no way of bringing her back to life. But on the other hand, that had been also the time when Paige had entered their lives…
"So, what now?" Draco asked.
"Well, as soon as we get to King's Cross Harry will go to his parents, like he always does." Henry explained. "Then you'll come with us to a nearby café, from where I'll orb all of us to the Halliwell Manor."
"Orb? Halliwell Manor?" Draco hadn't yet fully understood everything about them.
"To orb is sort of like teleporting, or like what some call Apparating." Henry put it simply. "Except those of us who can do it are rather…special…to put it in easy terms; we also don't need to pass an exam to be allowed to do it, because this isn't something we learned to do, we were born with this ability."
"And about the Halliwell Manor." Mel added. "That's my family's home, in San Francisco."
That was enough to leave Draco speechless.
.---.
When the Express finally arrived to King's Cross Harry had to say good bye to his friends.
"Hopefully I'll be able to visit you in San Francisco." Harry said with some hope. "Though just considering what just happened in Hogwarts, I don't know what attitude my parents will be taking. They can be rather unpredictable at times."
"We understand Harry." Mel assured him. "And I know mom and the others do too. In any case, we'll be seeing you in Diagon Alley, the week before term begins, right?"
"Right." Harry nodded.
They were about to leave already when Hermione went and hugged him tightly.
"I'll be visiting you…" she whispered in his ear.
And without any explanation whatsoever she gave Harry a peck on the cheek, smiled at him and ran after the others.
Harry just stood there, on a daze, almost forgetting he was suppose to be searching for his twin brother and parents. And it was that suddenly the summer didn't seem that dreadful…
.---.
Not even a week had passed since the summer break began when Harry was violently awoken by a lot of rattle in the room next to his. For the sounds he could only suppose that someone was trying to be quite about something, and failing miserably. It was until a couple of seconds later that Harry's mind registered to whom the bedroom next to his belonged.
"Harvey!" He cried out and ran out his room at full speed.
Lily and James had been called to an important late-meeting of the Order of the Phoenix that very night, and as Sirius Black and Remus Lupin were also members of that Order, Harry and Harvey had stayed at home alone. There were supposed to be a lot of spells and incantations protecting their house there, at Godric's Hollow, but no one could be sure enough.
When Harry finally entered the other room he could see his brother quite flustered, before him was his trunk; and it looked like he had just thrown a lot of things inside it. Maybe that had been the noise Harry had heard.
"What's happening Harvey?" Harry asked, between confused and worried for his brother.
"I have to leave." Harvey replied simply.
"What?!" Now Harry was definitely worried. "To go where? And why exactly?"
"I don't know where." Harvey answered honestly. "But I gotta go. For your own safety, and mom's and dad's."
"What about your safety?"
"That doesn't really matter right now. Things are just so wrong. With everyone believing all that st about me being the boy-who-lived and the 'Chosen One'; it's all just wrong. They don't see it's because of all that that Voldemort is after me, after my whole family! And then they keep praising all my survivals, all the times I've supposedly fought Voldemort and won. They have no idea what they're talking about." He sighed. "Harry…how can anyone praise for something I didn't really do?"
"Are you sure of that?"
"How can I not? They talk to me about great fights, magic duels; yet I can't remember a thing. And the one time I've had to fight Voldemort, in the Department of Mysteries, I was in panic. Really, if Professor Dumbledore hadn't arrived then I would be dead!"
Harry was conscious that after he had jumped through the veil, after Hermy, his brother had awoken and been forced to fight the DE and even Voldemort to survive.
"But then if you didn't fight those battles, who did?" Harry asked innocently.
"I don't know." Harvey replied, his distress quite obvious. "Maybe some clone of mine, or someone who took my appearance, or maybe even you! We're practically identical twins, no one would notice the difference unless they knew us pretty well."
"What makes you think I would fight the Dark Lord?" Harry asked again.
"I'm not sure." Harvey suddenly seemed to stop and think hard about something. "Now that I think about it, it's so strange. It seems almost as if some times you just didn't exist. Everybody underestimates you, in Hogwarts you're like a shadow, along with your friends from SF. And, I know it will sound harsh, it's almost as if you some times didn't exist at all…"
"I know…" Harry sighed melancholically.
"I didn't mean to hurt you, brother. I don't know why it happens…It's almost as if something happened to everyone the moment you're away…as if everyone just forgot you even exist if you're not in the same room as them…I don't know what causes that…"
Harry just sighed, he didn't know either. But at least he wasn't the only one who felt like some times others jut forgot he existed at all.
"Still, Harvey." Harry returned to the previous topic. "You can't just leave. You would just be putting yourself in more danger. What if that's what Vo…the Dark-Lord wants? For you to be unprotected, vulnerable? As long as you stay here we can help protect you. I know mom and dad would never let anything happen to you, and I wouldn't either."
"Thanks brother…" Harvey nodded in thanks.
.---.
Even if for him it was past midnight, Harry knew that in SF it was only late-afternoon. That's why it didn't really surprise him when Hermy, in her astral-form, was waiting for him in his room as he arrived. He just greeted her and then explained her what had happened with his brother and the conversation they had had.
"So you mean that they may not be ignoring you on purpose, but they actually don't notice?" Hermy was quite shocked at that.
"Apparently that's how it is." Harry nodded. "I know it sounds strange, but what if it's true? Maybe I'm just hoping for too much but…"
"No Harry, it's alright." Hermy assured him. "I too thought it was just too strange. What we need to know now is: what's causing this? It's not normal, but it obviously must be magical so that must mean…some very high leveled incantation."
"Is such a thing even possible?" Harry asked.
"In theory…yes." Hermy said slowly. "Though it would require someone with a very high level of power…someone maybe like…"
"Voldemort?" Harry offered.
"No…" Hermy seemed even afraid to add the following. "Someone like…us…"
Cliffhanger!! And it'll take a while to solve this one. Though you may place your bets now, who do you think has the power to do that to Harry's family?
As you've seen the Potter's aren't really bad, and everything has a reason in this story (I just can't take the idea of them being cruel to a son of theirs, considering how in the original version they both died for him…).
And Draco is now one of the good guys! The way he changed sides may not seem too logical to some, but here I'm considering that he wasn't really going to Voldemort for his own free will, so when he was given a way out, he took it. Like any wise one would.
Now people, time to get serious here. After much thinking I decided to update even when I received one less review than on previous occasions, but this shall be the only time. If the number of reviews continuous growing smaller, the time I take to update will become longer. I hope that motivates everyone to leave review!
Next Chapter: Seventh year is coming! First of all the summer: some of you may freak out when you the 'real' Draco (according to me of course). You'll get a glimpse of what DE are capable of doing to those who betray them, the Charmed-children will have their second big fight against the minions of the Dark Lord and…of course a new DADA professor! (you may make your bets on who that one is as well).
