Summary: When Harry made up his mind to do anything to destroy Voldemort, he had no idea it would include werewolves, elves, the Veil, the Chamber of Secrets, wandless magic, Azkaban, unimaginable power, his own army, and… a secret identity?
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter! Sheesh! How many times do I have to repeat myself to you people?
"Hey guys, I think I know how to get Fudge to let us into the Department of Mysteries…"
His mischievous grin reminded Remus way too much of James Potter.
Chapter 7: Past Predicaments, Present Ideas
"Well spill it then," Remus grinned, "I know that look; you're on to something. And unless I've missed my guess, it's illegal."
Harry feigned shock, "ME, do some thing illegal? How dare you suggest such a thing? I've only broken, well… I've lost count of all the laws I've broken."
"Me too," Ron sympathized, getting a very disapproving look from Mrs. Weasley, "So what's the plan? Any chance I could get in on it whatever it is?"
Harry smiled; he didn't think he'd smiled so much in ages. But now, a plan was getting underway, a plan that could save Sirius's life. It felt so good to actually be out there doing something. He had taken way too much of being shoved to the side in the past.
"Blackmail," He stated.
Snape, who was at the moment taking a drink from the goblet in front of him, nearly chocked on his wine, "And you actually expect it to WORK?"
"Sure, it could. All we need to do is threaten to take this little Blood Quill episode to court."
"And if blackmailing Fudge doesn't work," Ron excitedly added, really getting into it, "We have like, a ton more dirt to threaten them with! We should get Neville and Luna in on this too, even more witnesses for when she tried to put the Cruciatus Curse on you! And that time she forced you and Hermione by wand-point into the Forbidden Forrest… And how she was reading our mail… And how she kept spying on us… And how she kept threatening us about…"
Ignoring the incredulous stares around them, Hermione rolled her eyes, "Ronald Weasley! She did not force us into the forest, we lead her there!"
"Well you were still at wand-point," Ginny pointed out, "So you have all the evidence pointing against her. Do you think if we showed the Ministry people an edited version of my memory of it, you know, just watching you guys, it could make it look like she was taking you off to murder you in a secluded spot?"
"I don't know…" Harry started.
This was going better then he thought! Then Dumbledore cleared his throat…
"So basically your plan is to go behind the backs of all the wizards of England by illegally making deals under the table and using blackmail on respected Ministry officials?"
Harry slumped in his seat, "It sounds less immoral when Ron and I say it."
McGonagall rolled her eyes while Molly Weasley started banging her head against the table muttering about where she went wrong as a parental guardian. Lupin, on the other hand, looked as if he was highly disappointed in Dumbledore's decision, and Snape, who had let his guard down and had been leaning forward and listening intently, slouched back in his chair with the usual scowl on his face, trying to look like he didn't care.
"Indeed it does," the Headmaster chuckled, "Indeed it does. I suppose I may be able to arrange an appointment with the Minister and Dolores Umbridge. I'll let you do most of the talking but I think it best if I accompany you, just incase plans backfire."
This time it was Harry's turn to gap in shock.
"You're actually agreeing to this?"
"Yes, I believe so."
Reactions varied greatly around the room. Lupin grinned happily and Snape leaned forward, a malicious grin playing along the edges of his mouth. Elaina's grin was more conniving then malicious, and Tonk's was more playful. Kingsley Shacklebolt looked on the verge of laughing; many other Order members did as well. The rest, well… they had no idea what to think of this particular turn of events. Harry punched the air with his fist with a gleeful "yes!" and gave Ron a high-five. Dumbledore chuckled again before speaking.
"Well now, why don't you kids," Harry flinched once again at being called a kid (and in front of people!); "go upstairs so Harry can get settled. If he's going to be staying here he's going to need a place to sleep. We'll figure out the details. And no 'buts' Mr. Potter, you won't miss anything. We just need to go over some reports and explain some things to Miss Lafina here. Including who Sirius is and why he needs to be rescued. Off you go."
Harry sighed, there really was no use arguing. He, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny all left the table and started upstairs. Through the hallway, up some more stairs, and through some more hallways they went before finally closing the door to the same room Harry and Ron had stayed in last summer. All four teens immediately flopped down on one of the two king-sized beds in the room and kicked off their shoes. Harry gave a contented sigh. There was just something about flopping down onto a comfy space with his friends that made him feel his age.
"So," he began, "Pretty interesting day, huh?"
Ginny, who was lying to the left of him giggled, "I think that would be a serious understatement."
"Yeah," Ron agreed, his head directly across from Harry's, "it's not every day you get to sit in on a secret meeting and talk to dead people! I wonder if Dumbledore will let me come along on that blackmail thing…"
"All that information…" Hermione almost whined from Harry's right, "all that information hidden away! Just full of powers and knowledge the world can only dream of! Probably some that no one's even thought to dream of!"
"Should've known that's all you'd be worried about," Ron laughed with almost an affectionate air, "books, books, books! Typical!"
Harry and Ginny grinned as Hermione kicked Ron with her foot. People were always calling her a know-it-all, but Harry suspected she was really just curious, like he was now. Some of the books and Ministry reports he'd been reading lately had brought on more questions then answers. There was so much he didn't know, and he was starting to develop a burning desire to learn more. Well, there was one thing he did know, and that was the fact that he'd bet his Firebolt Hermione felt the same way about this kind of stuff that he did.
"So Harry," Hermione inquired, "what was it that Dumbledore said to you about that prophesy? I thought it had been destroyed."
"I really don't want to talk about it Hermione. I may tell you guys someday but not now."
"Whatever you say, mate," Ron responded with a worried look.
The four of them just sat in silence for awhile. Harry: soaking up the moment of just being with his friends; the rest: getting lost in their own thoughts. Until Ron decided to bring up the latest on Quidditch that is…
When Mrs. Weasley came upstairs a few hours later, she nearly cried from joy. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were all lying on there stomachs on a bed and laughing jubilantly over something or the other. The subject had gone from Quidditch to old games to past adventures to schoolwork to homework to making fun of Snape to television to books to tacos to giraffes to Professor Trelawney to motor scooters to sports then back to Quidditch again before Hermione somehow pushed the conversation towards the subject of OWLs. How she got any school related subject out of sports was a mystery to Harry, but then again, he had no idea how they'd ended up talking about tacos earlier either, or giraffes for that matter. Those things just seemed to pop up somehow.
"Dinner's ready," Mrs. Weasley chimed fondly, "Come on you four, especially you Harry. You need some meat on your bones, you hear me?"
Harry and Hermione gave a polite, "Yes Mrs. Weasley," as Ron and Ginny replied, "Sure Mum."
The group tip-toed downstairs but as soon as the basement door closed they all took a mad dash down the stairs.
"Kids these days," Moody growled when they reached their given destination, "sounded more like a stampede of rabid squirrels!"
"Rabid squirrels?" A woman by the name of Hestia Jones asked skeptically, trying hard not to snicker.
"Rabid squirrels," was the only reply.
"Oh, quit complaining Mad-Eye," Arthur chuckled. "You're not the one with sensitive hearing!"
Remus joined in, "I actually wouldn't be surprised if I go deaf one of these days. If I hang around Harry anymore I probably will."
"Why is everyone always picking on me?" Harry asked dramatically, "First Voldemort and his Death Eaters, then Fudge and Umbitch, now you guys too!"
Ron laughed at his friend's embellished plight, his plate was topped with so much spaghetti it was a wonder how Ron could eat so much and still be as thin as one of those noodles. Ok, so maybe that was exaggerating, but still…
"So why is everybody staying for dinner this evening?" Hermione asked as she went to join Lupin, Mr. Weasley, Harry, and Ron.
"Why, to get to know Miss Lafina of course!" Mrs. Weasley answered, as she and Elaina herself joined the little group, "Arthur, Ron, introduce yourselves properly!"
"Delighted to meet you Miss Lafina; and you may call me Arthur if you like," Mr. Weasley said promptly.
"Imf Romn," was all Ron could manage with a mouth full of spaghetti.
Elaina's laughter, thankfully, cut off any lecture Mrs. Weasley had for her youngest son, "Call me Elaina, everyone, please!"
"Sorry about that," Ron apologized for his earlier introduction as his parents left to talk to Dedalus Diggle.
"Quite alright, Ron, quite alright," Elaina replied giggling, "I absolutely hate formalities. And I've had enough of them to last a lifetime! In fact, I should be apologizing, to everyone. First I go off on outlandish tangents, and the next thing I know, I'm having a giggle fit." She blushed heavily then turned somber, "I guess the Dark Lord being back has really been getting to me. I thought I'd go mad last time he was in power. But this time, I don't intend to end up getting shipped to the United States while the war's going on."
"I know what you mean," Lupin sympathized. "It's always hard going through something like this. You just have to have something to hold onto, to fight for. That's what'll keep you sane, keep you from giving up."
"What are you holding onto, Remus?" Elaina asked in a whisper.
"Hope," came the answer. "Hope that maybe, just maybe, humankind still has some good in it, that children still have a future, no matter who they are, that when I wake up in the morning, I can look out the window at a new day, knowing that those I care for are safe, and perhaps some hope for a miracle." He looked at the ceiling and sighed, "The world may need one very soon."
Then, giving Miss Lafina a polite nod of his head, turned heel and walked upstairs.
"I think," Elaina said, watching Remus leave, "That Mr. Lupin is a very wise man."
Harry silently agreed. The world did need a miracle, but he had a feeling one wouldn't just pop up on its own. He had a sudden urge to help his former professor. He wanted to know that a miracle could happen, that there was still hope. He'd think about it later though.
Harry turned to Elaina, who was still watching the stairs, even though Remus was gone, "I can definitely understand what you mean about being locked away while a war's going on. Actually, it's happening to me right now! At least I get to go save Sirius now, but it's not like it'll involve Death Eaters or Voldemort or anything."
Elaina smiled at him, "Well you're young, and you still have a lot to learn. Don't look at me like that, Harry! I know you're eager, but your job right now is to learn everything you can; I have a feeling you're going to need that knowledge soon. Your time will come Harry. Believe me, your time will come."
The rest of the evening passed with little more then idle chit-chat compared to what went on earlier. They talked of what the veil may be like inside, Quidditch, and OWLs (Harry REALLY wanted to get off that subject). Hermione even got everyone into a rousing discussion over politics. Elaina laughed and chatted with the others, yet she kept glancing at the stairs.
"Worried about Professor Lupin?" Harry asked her about an hour later after she had glanced at the stairs for about the sixtieth time.
Elaina jumped, "Well I… He just seemed to be a bit upset…"
Hermione joined them, "I'm a bit concerned as well, to tell you the truth."
Ron just rolled his eyes and swallowed a huge piece of Mrs. Weasley's spice cake, "Women, can't stop worrying about the stupidest…"
He was cut off by Ginny's plate breaking over his head, "Well then, let's go check on him," she said, marching towards the stairs.
Ron rubbed his head as the two women and Harry snickered. All four of them then proceeded to follow Ginny up the stairs.
"Maybe he just went home," Elaina suggested as they made their way through the deserted mansion.
"That," answered Hermione, her face darkening, "would be impossible."
"How so?" Elaina and Harry asked at the same time.
"Because," said Ginny, "Professor Lupin doesn't have a home! I was using some of those extendable…," she glanced at Elaina, "I mean… I accidently overheard some of the adults talking and it turns out he's been kicked out of every apartment he's had the money to live in because it's the law to tell the owner about his condition. He's even had to sleep outside some nights! So right now, he's been living at Grimmauld Place. His will hasn't been read yet, but according to Dumbledore, Sirius gave this whole place to the Order. So Lupin is staying here."
Elaina looked quite murderous for a moment, "I hope Umbitch drops dead."
"As do I," Harry answered seriously.
Harry then saw an open door that, according to the others, was where Lupin had been sleeping for the past few months. It was not glamorous, evil, or gaudy like the other rooms. The room contained a large bed, a dresser, and a small nightstand. But the thing that caught Harry's attention most happened to be Lupin himself. He was staring at what appeared to be a small mass of brown fur. His face was emotionless, and he appeared to be thinking.
"Um… Professor Lupin," Hermione asked cautiously, "What are you doing?"
"I'm trying to figure out whether or not to blame the bear," was the only reply.
The bear? Harry wondered what the heck Lupin was talking about. The five of them moved into the room and Harry got a closer look at what the werewolf was staring at. It was an old Teddy Bear, a very old Teddy Bear. Its fur was mussed and it was missing an eye. All around it pieces of fluff stuck out and one leg looked like it had been torn.
"What does the bear have to do with anything?" Ron asked, extremely confused.
Lupin sighed, "I mentioned earlier today that the night I was bitten, I was trying to recover my Teddy Bear. Well this is him, Mr. Isaac Fuzzy-Winkles."
Ron started cracking up but was silenced by the glares of the three girls. Harry just looked and felt confused.
Lupin's mouth twitched at he corners, "Don't gang up on Ron you guys. It is kind of humorous. The night after I was bitten, I stayed up all night trying to figure out if it was all his fault for 'hiding' from me in the woods, or mine for going to get him." He gave a bitter, strangled laugh, "I knew it was my fault though. It was just nice to blame things on something else." Another bitter laugh, "Every time Sirius got mad, he'd do something destructive, Peter would whine, and James would plot. Me, I'd build everything up inside myself, then stare at the bear, I've taken my anger out on it a few times as well."
No one knew what to do; they all just stood there, so Lupin continued.
"Your plan, Harry, was excellent. Looks like you definitely have some marauder in you after all, Prongs Jr."
Harry grinned, "Prongs Jr.?"
"That's what we used to call you! Quite amusing really, especially since after a week of trying to get you to say 'dada', a few hours with me, and everything in the house was 'Moony'."
Gales of laughter filled the room at this. Harry vaguely remembered himself saying 'Moony', and hearing laughing like this. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but it seemed so real…
"You must be really good with kids then, huh?" Elaina smiled, then shook her head, "What am I thinking? Of course you're good with kids! Your students all seem to adore you. And I must say, you seem to have a great sense of humor as well."
"Yeah," Ron agreed, "and where did that 'Moldy-shorts' thing come from?"
"James made that up," Remus said, "It was incredibly funny, until he said it to Voldemort's face of course…"
Reactions were mixed. Lupin looked as if he was remembering something exceptionally enjoyable and started laughing. Harry, picturing the look on Voldemort's face, burst into laughter as well. Hermione, on the other hand looked disproving and the color drained out of the faces of Ron, Ginny, and Elaina.
"I bet he loved that," Harry choked out, "I've insulted him to Death Eaters and they wanted to kill me for it! I'd love to see what would happen if I ever insulted him to his face! Speaking of his face, you guys should've seen it when I escaped him in my fourth year."
"You, Harry," Lupin scolded, "should never have had to see his face ever! Though I do admit it was pretty funny. Of course, those types of things are always funnier afterwards."
"You're saying," Elaina breathed deeply, "that you and your friends insulted You-Know-Who to his face and got away with it?"
"If getting away with it means evading him then landing on the 'top ten' part of his hit list… then yeah."
"Do tell," Harry encouraged, jumping onto the bed and getting comfortable.
The Prophesy had said his parents had lived though three encounters with Voldemort and survived. And maybe he'd learn something useful that he could use next time he was attacked.
"Well…" Lupin started, "it was very late at night, and Sirius and I had been visiting Lily and James. How the Death Eaters got past the wards, I have no idea, but they did. And with them, came someone none of us expected to see, Voldemort himself… We were outnumbered about 5 to 1, but we kept fighting. We all dueled with Voldemort at one point, but not for long. Lily had sent out a mayday but no one came, and pretty soon, we were all being flanked by at least two Death Eaters. I had a rifle full of silver bullets pointed at my face, which was just plain typical. Voldemort told us about how we were such a pain in the ass and how we were all going to die. He then proceeded to call Lily a mudblood, at which point James lost it. Prongs hurled insults and a few words I'd never heard before at the Dark Lord. He also told him, oh, what was it? 'We're a pain in your ass? Good! Cause I plan to be a lot more of a pain when I take that stick out of your ass and whack you in the head with it, Moldy-Shorts!'; I thought for sure Voldemort would loose it as well and just kill us all."
"How in the world did you get out of that?" Elaina asked, her eyes as round as saucers.
"A good question. Well, we had a distraction."
"What kind of distraction?" Harry leaned forward anxiously.
Lupin gave him a mischievous smile, "You should know, the distraction was your doing."
"What?"
"Lily started going into labor."
Even Harry had to drop his jaw this time.
"Anyway," Lupin continued, "it distracted the Death Eaters just long enough for James, Sirius, and I to escape. I'm not sure how those two managed it, but I was able to free my hands, grab the rifle, and render quite a few Death Eaters unconscious with it until I could find a decent wand. We were all about to get into the same predicament we were in a couple minutes ago when Lily screamed, and something totally unbelievable happened. A huge wave of magic just burst out of her, knocking out about half of Voldemort's cronies. That's when the Aurors came. Dumbledore was with them. James rushed off with Lily to Saint Mungo's and Sirius and I stayed to fight. It didn't take long to get everything settled down again. After about twenty minutes of dueling with the Headmaster, Voldie took off. And about an hour later, everything was in tip-top shape! So Sirius and I headed over to the hospital, and as it turned out, we weren't the only ones who'd gotten into a hazardous situation that night. Snape was there as well, which, oddly enough, marked a bit of a turning point for me."
"And how," Hermione asked, "did that happen?"
"Sirius hexed Snape's hair green," Lupin shook his head. "So Snape turned his skin purple… They were about to get into a full blown duel, in which Sirius had the advantage because Snape had broken his arm doing who-knows-what. Anyway, I ended up stopping it, and… well… kind of told Sirius exactly what I thought about the state of his maturity. Which, I will not bother repeating," he added seeing the look on Ron's face, "I always thought that reprimanding him and James would make them not like me anymore. It's a terrible weakness I had, and still have a bit of today. I guess I just like being liked, and am so unused to being liked, that when someone does like me, I give them an awful lot of leeway. What did happen, however, was that Sirius managed to be mad at me for a full three minutes until we discovered the coffee machine in the maternity waiting room… I also gained respect."
Elaina smiled warmly at him, "Ah caffeine, you have to love it."
"Especially since Sirius got the idea to add alcohol to it."
"He didn't!"
"He did."
"I fear the results."
"You should, by the time James came out two hours later we were bouncing off the walls singing Elton John's 'Crocodile Rock' at the top pf our lungs. Thank Merlin for sobering charms."
Everyone was laughing again and had most of the color back in their faces.
"So then what happened?" Harry egged Lupin on.
"So then we got into decent states of mind and walked into room 378 to find the cutest little thing any of us had ever set eyes on. God, Harry, you were adorable! Even Sirius was at loss for words." He laughed, "I've heard most kids come out bald, but you had this mass of messy black hair that you'd have to see it to believe! And your eyes, they looked so much like Lily's it was uncanny. I got to hold you that night, you looked and felt so fragile. I was afraid you might break in my hands. But we all knew in our hearts that you were anything but fragile. From the moment we saw you we knew you were strong… That night had been the last time Lily and James stayed in your house though. You guys kept moving around to evade the so-called 'Moldy-Shorts' until you finally settled at Godric's Hollow and Sirius became your secret keeper."
Harry nodded, not knowing what to say, but ended up saying "OW!" as Fred and George Apparated in and landed on top of him with a CRACK.
"Hello everyone we were just thinking…"
"…About that little conversation with Mr. Potter. And we were wondering…"
"…Why our dear Professor Lupin was continuously called 'Moony'..."
They both stopped, gazing at Lupin suspiciously over their mugs of Butterbeer.
"Well…" Remus said cautiously, "That is my nickname…"
Before he could finish, however, he had to duck with everyone else to avoid getting Butterbeer splattered all over his face as the Weasley twin both yelled, "WHAT!" in perfect harmony.
"The same Moony who helped write the Marauder's Map?"
"The same Moony who's name is carved into the Whomping Willow?"
"The same Moony whose name shall be forever etched as a sign of glory in the Slytherin boy's bathroom?"
They both looked warily at Lupin whose only response was, "I really don't want to talk about the Slytherin Bathroom Incident right now."
Harry tried his best to hold back giggles, but couldn't, "What's the Slytherin Bathroom Incident?"
"It involves cursed toilets. If you want to know details, ask Padfoot if we manage to get him out of the Veil."
"BLACK IS PADFOOT!" the twins said in union.
"Yes, he is. Is the party over?"
Fred and George bobbed their heads in affirmation.
"Then I suppose I'd better escort Miss Lafina downstairs."
"There is no need really," Elaina replied as she followed Lupin out the door. "I do need to get going though. Work tomorrow is going to be hell…"
Their voices faded as well as their footsteps that made a soft click, click, click, as they headed down the hallway. A faint trace of their echoes lingering in the air.
"Wow," said Fred, "A real Marauder, and right under our noses!"
"Do you guys think he'd help us with the products in our shop?" George asked eagerly.
"Don't you two have work tomorrow, too?" Ron asked, exasperated.
"Indeed we do Ronnikins. And you are keeping us up. How dare you!"
"Me?"
"Don't play dumb with us kid. You're lucky we let you live this long, misbehaving like that…"
"…honestly bro, you should know better…"
"…we'll call the Aurors down on you tomorrow morning."
And with a final "Bye!" they were gone.
"Good riddance!" said Ron, as they made there way back to Harry and Ron's room. "Can those two get any more annoying?"
"If they can," Ginny laughed, "I don't think I want to find out."
"I had no clue your parents were actually face-to-face with Voldemort and survived!" Hermione started ranting, "And Professor Lupin and Sirius too? Did you know anything about this Harry?"
Harry could only shake his head in response, there were many things he didn't know, but he intended to find out about them.
Elaina glanced over at Remus. Conversation had run dry and she was no longer sure of what to say to him. He was so easy to talk to once you actually got him to talk; Remus definitely had a shy streak in him, or perhaps mild-mannered was a way to describe him. She still couldn't get over the fact that he'd nearly been sent to Azkaban, and she desperately wanted to cause harm to anyone who'd hurt him. All her feelings seemed muddled today, and she really didn't know what she felt about anything. She wanted to fight, yet a part of her mind screamed for her to leave the country. She wanted to forget, but she couldn't. She wanted to... Oh Merlin! She definitely didn't want to think about that.
"Ha!" she thought to herself, "The war must really be getting to me if I'm stupid enough to let my guard down like this."
But her defenses were slowly weakening, and it was only a matter of time before she went mad with all the memories she was keeping within herself.
"Well, here you are," Remus announced softly, taking her light, summer cloak of a rack in the hall and gently slipping it onto her shoulders.
Normally, she would have cringed at the thought of a man helping her into her cloak, yet the gentlemanly manner seemed to fit Lupin like a glove, despite the other, mischievous qualities he seemed to possess. And possess them he did, she was sure of it.
"Thank you," was all she could say in response. "Good bye."
Severus Snape watched sourly as Lupin waved goodbye to Lafina. He knew her emotions were in complete disarray at the moment. He could always tell what people were feeling, he could read them in a way. His emotions were muddled as well. He, on the other hand, was not foolish enough to show them. It was a good thing, he figured, being able to keep your emotions in check. It would be an even better thing, he supposed, if emotions ceased to exist at all. They tended to befuddle the mind more than a mind scrambling potion. He, of all people, should know that.
In fact, the only emotion that hadn't ended up hurting him, internally at least, was anger, and he had tried to keep it that. But sometimes, other emotions tended to creep in, no one person could keep them all locked up. Agitation was one, and the agitation was, strangely enough, targeted at his other emotions.
What did he think of Potter? Lupin? Black? Well, maybe not Black, but Lupin seemed civil enough. The problem, however, lay in the fact that not only did he turn into a monstrous beast once a month, but that he was a certified goody-goody and too nice for his britches. Not to mention he was a pushover.
The younger Potter was way to much like his father, yet he was slightly less arrogant. It was only a matter of time before the press got to his head, though. And he had no idea what it is like to make real sacrifices. Sacrifices like those that he himself had to face day after day to help out a world of supercilious, idiot people who had, and continued to make his life a living hell.
"No," he thought to himself, "I'm not saving anyone. I'm not a bloody hero; I do this to get revenge on the Dark Lord. Revenge."
But the other emotions crept in, and he couldn't help but feel bitter. The entire Order thought they were doing something so… great, fighting against the Dark. Yet none of them knew anything of what it was like to actually work for the Dark. And he knew he would fight a hundred battles for the light, for just one day without the Dark Mark and all it stood for looming over his head, giving him a silent warning as it perched atop his arm.
Then, turning his bitterness into pure hate, Severus marched out the door, shoving Lupin to the side as he went.
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore watched Snape leave with a knowing glance. Severus thought he could keep his emotions in check, but still, they showed. If only to Albus they showed. He sighed and popped a lemon drop into his mouth before disappearing with a swirl of his cloak, and reappearing in his office at Hogwarts. Giving a polite nod to the portraits that decorated the walls; Albus strode over to his Pensive, sat it on his desk, and then took a seat himself, behind it.
Adults such as Severus, Elaina, and Lupin were easy to read. They were set in there ways and predictable. Yes, they could surprise you sometimes, yet you always found the reason for what they were doing eventually. Adolescents were an entirely different matter. They were always changing, shaping into what they wanted to become, and what they didn't want to become yet could turn into anyway. So in short, teens were completely capricious. And unfortunately, the only hope for the world was one of them. And as teens despised authority, Albus knew he was in for a hell of a lot of disagreements. By now he'd gotten used to saying 'frog' and others jumping, but that was not going to work with Harry. Dumbledore hoped with all his might that this would serve well as the boy's one last 'hurrah' before he went back to his Aunt and Uncle's house.
Looking into his Pensive, Albus decided to pull out some of his earlier memories.
A young man stood yelling at another much older man …
"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU THINK! I'M SUPPOSED TO BE ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL WIZARDS OF THE AGE, SO WHY DOESN'T EVERYONE JUST LET ME BE!"
The same young man stood beside a small ten-year-old boy, screaming at an older woman…
"HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT? THEY ALMOST KILLED HIM! THEY WOULD HAVE IF…"
"Albus, calm down please."
"HOW CAN THINGS LIKE THIS HAPPEN? HOW?"
"People," Came the hoarse voice of the boy, "People do these things, and I'm never listening to people again."
"Then who will you listen to, dear?"
"The voices in my head," the boy responded as he walked out of the room.
"Oh dear," was all the woman could seem to say.
"Actually, he has a point."
As the memories went on, Albus could only come to the conclusion that it was probably too difficult for anyone to fully understand an adolescent, even if you're one yourself.
"No," Albus thought, "Especially if you're one yourself."
Harry definitely would have agreed to that statement. But at the moment, he didn't really care about what anyone, especially Dumbledore, thought. He was too busy trying to control his emotions. But that didn't matter as much to him either. He was just glad that for once, he was taking control of something. And no one, not even Voldemort could ruin that feeling. From now on, he was going to make his own decisions, and if it came to it, his own mistakes.
With that thought in mind, Harry, for reasons he couldn't explain, let go, and silently cried himself to sleep.
Don't think that you can tell me what to think
I'm the one who knows what's good for me
And I'm stating my independence
Gonna take the road I'm gonna take
And I'm gonna make my own mistakes
It's my life
I decide
I decide, how I live
I decide, who I love
Choice is mine and no one gets to make my mind up
I decide
I decide where I go, what I need, who I know
I'm the one who's running my life
I decide, I decide
Don't think you're ever gonna hold me down
Couldn't do it then can't do it now
I'm kicking down all the fences
I'm gonna do it all and do too much
And if I mess the whole thing up
It's my right
I decide
I decide, how I live
I decide, who I love
Choice is mine and no one gets to make my mind up
I decide
I decide where I go, where I sleep, who I know
I'm the one who's running my life
I decide, I decide
I'm taking my own chances
I'm finding my own answers
I'm only answering to me
And that's the way it's gonna be
I decide
Ohh yeah, yeah
I decide
I decide
I decide, how I live
I decide, who I love
Choice is mine and no one gets to make my mind up
I decide
I decide where I go, where I sleep, who I know
I'm the one who's running my life
I decide, I decide
I decide how I live
I decide who I love
Choice is mine and no one gets to make my mind up I decide
Next Chapter Includes:
Aberforth Dumbledore
Fudge's office
A suspicious looking playboy magazine
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