Disclaimer: I told you all before, I don't own anything related to the Harry Potter franchise nor am I making any money off of this fic.
AN: I based the OWL scoring on the system SS Idget used. If it is not correct, I don't care.
Chapter 12:
Finding Ted
Harry rolled himself out of his bed as Hermione handed him his walking cane. With a wave of his hand, he transfigured his robes into tan slacks and a black T-shirt. Hermione, who was already wearing muggle clothing, waited patiently for Harry to get himself ready before asking him to explain himself.
"What is it, Harry? What do you mean you 'forgot about Ted?'" Hermione asked as she followed Harry down the stairs, cane clunking dully against the carpeted floor.
"What I mean Hermione is that…" Harry stumbled as he tried to descend the stairs, interrupting what he was going to say. Hermione reached and grabbed his arm to support him, preventing him from tumbling down the stairs. "Thanks", he mumbled. He took a moment to regain his balance before continuing. "What I mean is, I left my magical construct, who, as I told you, I have been calling Ted, somewhere in a muggle neighborhood."
"Harry," Hermione reprimanded, "what were you thinking, leaving such a thing in a muggle neighborhood? From what I heard of Professor Snape's description, it's not something that would go unnoticed."
"I know Hermione, I know! But my options were somewhat limited!" Harry said as he limped as quickly as he could down into the sitting room, still using Hermione and his cane to support himself. "I didn't expect to be out of it for three days!" Hermione just nodded her head in acceptance as she walked next to Harry into the sitting room.
Upon entering it, they were once again confronted with Hermione's family. Hermione's grandfather looked up from the game of chess he was playing with John Granger.
"Hello there Hermione, Mr. Potter. Is everything okay?" He asked, seeing the slightly panicked expression Harry was wearing.
"Actually Grandpa," Hermione responded, "we need to see Headmaster Dumbledore. Do you know if he is still around?"
"I am right here Ms. Granger," came the grandfatherly voice of Albus Dumbledore. Both Hermione and Harry (though not as quickly as Hermione) turned around to find the old man standing in the entrance to the sitting room. Harry raised his eyebrow questionably at the old man.
"I heard you thumping down the stairs," he said, responding to Harry's unasked question while he gestured to the cane Harry was leaning on. "Now, what seems to be the problem?"
"He left his magical demon construct in a muggle neighbor hood, sir." Hermione replied. This in turned resulted in Dumbledore giving Harry a questioning look.
"I'll explain why later, sir." Harry replied. "Just right now, I need to go remove it."
"Very well Harry. Do you remember where you left it?"
"Yes sir." Harry then told the Headmaster the name of the street he had last seen his creature.
"I need to make some floo calls," the Headmaster said. "I will have some Order members meet us there. We can be on our way in about a half hour."
"Thank you sir." Replied Harry. "The sooner the better." Dumbledore just nodded his head and swept out of the room. Once the headmaster was gone, Harry turned to Hermione.
"Hermione, do you know where my wand and sword are? I don't really want to go outside without them."
"They're back in your room, Harry." Said Hermione. "We put them in the first compartment of your trunk. Do you need me to go get them?"
"Would you?" Harry asked. "The security measure on the trunk won't allow me to summon things out of it and I really don't want to go back up those stairs. And how did you get into my trunk?"
"You had your keys in your pocket when you stumbled in," she replied as she dashed up the stairs, leaving the young man alone with Hermione's family. Harry stood there; the silence that had descended upon the room was tad awkward. 'Think, Potter, your best friend's family is sitting in this room, most likely waiting for you to do something.'
"So, um," he said hesitantly, "how has your stay here?" Apparently the others had felt the awkwardness and were all too happy to have the silence broken.
"It's been wonderful Harry." Mrs. Granger said. "Thank you for allowing us to use your house." With that, Harry looked around the room, now really noticing the dark walls and god-awful pink carpeting.
"You're too kind Mrs. Granger." He said, now glancing at the old furniture. "But you can be honest. I think it is fairly obvious that this place really needs to be renovated." 'And get that carpet replaced' he added under his breath. Anne Granger was rescued from responding when Hermione walked back into the room, sword and wand in hand. Harry took his weapons from Hermione, placing his wand in his pocket and strapped his sword around his waist.
"Thanks, Hermione. Did you get my knife, too?" At this Hermione gave him a look he didn't quite understand.
"You didn't say that you needed your knife Harry." She responded. "But," she said as she pulled the blade from her back pocket, "I did think ahead and thought that you might appreciate it."
Harry reached to grab but Hermione quickly pulled it away from his grasp.
"Don't I get a thank you, Harry?" She said, still giving him that look. The more he looked at her; it seemed to him that she was almost calculating. Mentally Harry shook his head. Hermione could be persistent, downright bossy, and maybe even devious but very rarely was she calculating, at least not in the way she was being right now.
"I'm sorry Hermione." Harry replied sincerely. "Thank you your getting my things for me, especially my knife since I forgot to ask you for it."
"That's better." She replied, allowing her lips to form a smile as she handed him the blade. Hermione had seemed a bit off ever since he had met her here at Headquarters (not that he had thought it that strange, since he had only been awake for a few hours), though now he understood what had been off about her. He knew he could have used his legilmency to figure out what was going on with her specifically, but he had decided long ago not to use it unless it was necessary. After dealing with Snape, he had come to feel that it was a sort of invasion of privacy to use it just because he wanted too. Besides, he trusted Hermione to always look out for his best interests. She had never given him reason not to.
The two of them chatted for a few minutes with Hermione's family, a discussion which mostly consisted of Harry confirming or clearing up the stories Hermione had told them. Harry was definitely beginning to get uncomfortable with all the attention that was being given to him and was finally freed from the conversation when Dumbledore returned.
"Well Harry my boy, Ms. Granger," Dumbledore addressed the two teens, "shall we go?" Harry merely nodded his head to acknowledge that indeed he was ready. Dumbledore held out an old newspaper for them to grab. Harry was about to grab it when Anne Granger spoke up.
"Mr. Dumbledore sir! Do you think I could come with you? I take it that since you are bringing Hermione with you that it is not dangerous where you are going. Hermione has told me so much about Portkeys and I think it would a lovely learning experience, now that I am not trying to flee my home or anything." The woman sounded excited at the prospect of experiencing magic again. Dumbledore looked at Harry, who met the old mans eyes and projected his thoughts on the matter to the elder man, who then nodded in understanding.
"I am afraid Ms. Granger that you need to remain here for securities sake." The woman's face dropped at this, though she nodded in understanding. Seeing as how none of the other muggles were going to ask, the two wizards and the young witch grabbed the newspaper and Dumbledore counted down.
"Three, two, one."
Harry felt the now familiar tug behind his navel, as he was whisked away to a muggle neighborhood not too far from Privet Drive. He landed shakily, having to once again grab onto Hermione for support. After Harry had regained his balance, with Hermione's help, he looked around. They were currently in a cluster of trees in a park that he did not recognize.
"Where are we?" Harry said. "I don't recognize this place."
"This, Harry, is a park near the location you gave us." Dumbledore explained. "We merely came here so that our arrival wouldn't been noticed by the muggles." Harry thought the point would be moot if the muggles had found Ted before he did, though he felt it best not to voice this concern. 'I'm sure Dumbledore must have thought of that,' Harry thought 'he usually catches most things.'
"What do we do now sir?" Hermione asked, addressing Dumbledore.
"Well, Ms. Granger," the aging man responded, "we wait for the Order members to report in, and then it's up to Harry." Both Harry and Hermione nodded their head.
Looking around, Harry found a bench bathed in sunlight and took a seat. The weather was much more pleasant than the one of the attack. The temperature was still a bit cool for being the middle of summer and though the sun was shining high in the sky at that moment, there was still a significant number of clouds in the sky. He closed his eyes and lay back, enjoying the warmth of the sun, something he hadn't experienced in quite a few months.
Hermione stood back and watching him enjoy the simple pleasure of sitting out in the sun. Only now, as she watched his face relax as he basked in the warm rays of light, did she truly appreciate how much Harry had sacrificed in his life for the rest of the world. He had no childhood to speak of, having to remain at the Dursley's for protection ('not that it did him any good in the end,' she thought bitterly.), his entire family had been killed, and now he was expected to stop one of the most powerful dark lords in the history of the wizarding world. A sudden popping sound brought her out of her musings as Order members arrived.
"Sir," Tonks, who was one of the Order members out searching for Ted, said, addressing Dumbledore. "We haven't found anything out of the ordinary and the muggles we talked to haven't said anything."
Dumbledore just nodded his head, a thoughtful look on his face. He seemed to consider something for a few moments before turning to Harry, who was still reclining on the bench, blissfully unaware of the people around him.
"Harry." Albus said gently, as if he was almost afraid of disturbing the young man.
"What sir?" Harry grunted out, not bothering to get up or open his eyes.
"How long can your creatures last?"
"I tested them for up to a month in one of my spare rooms, but had to remove it because I needed the space for another project." Harry fell silent for a moment before continuing. "I was a bit distracted when I created it, so this one might not last as long. So sir, the only answer I can give to your question is that I don't know."
"Harry!" Hermione spoke up, in her 'that's not possible voice,' the voice Harry recognized every time Hermione had to point out things like apparation being impossible in Hogwarts . "That's impossible. Magical creations can't last that long. It's a physical impossibility. Magical energy eventually leaves magically created objects, making them disappear."
"Well Hermione, then perhaps you should re-define your rules. Besides, I don't know what it is exactly anyway." By now Harry had opened his eyes and was looking at Hermione. In the background there was the popping sound of someone apparating, but neither Harry or Hermione paid it any attention. She raised her eyebrows at him when he said he didn't know what they were.
"How can you not know what it is?" Hermione asked, starting to sound flustered. "You created it, didn't you?"
"Well, yes, I did create it, but it is odd, really." Harry replied. "I mean, it's not exactly a natural animal, is it? It wasn't even created in what would be considered 'normal' transfiguration procedure. I was planning on looking into it when I got back to Hogwarts."
"As interesting as this is Harry," Albus said, interrupting the two, "from what you have said, we could easily assume that it is still in existence and thus needs to be taken care of."
"Of course sir, I'll get right on it." With that, laid back onto the bench and closed his eyes, not noticing the vexed looks on the others faces.
"Umm, Harry, what are you doing?" Apparently it had been Remus who had apparated in when Harry had been talking to Hermione. Harry sighed mentally. 'Remus' he thought in frustration, 'you're a good man, but right now leave me alone.' However, when he spoke, he voiced none of his frustrations.
"I need to try and 'sense' him Remus. After spending so much time to myself, I have come to identify my own magic and, seeing as how Ted is a magical creation of mine, I find that if I concentrate hard enough, I can feel his presence. And no, I don't need to be standing up to do it." With that said, Harry blocked everything from his conscious except for his magic. He felt his magic flow out of him and spread out like a thing net into the surrounding area. Unlike when he had done this during the attack at Privet Drive, he had no idea where Ted was so he had to spread out his search in a larger and wider area. Had Harry been looking at those around him (which included, Tonks, Remus, Hermione, and two others that Harry didn't recognize), he would have seen surprise and awe in their eye's as they felt his energy lightly wash over them, like a warm breeze. The only one who didn't seem surprised was Dumbledore, whose eyes were twinkling merrily at the unintentional display of power.
After a few more moments, Harry's magic receded back into him and he opened his eyes. He was a bit surprised when he saw all of the shocked faces looking at him.
"What's going on?"
"Oh, nothing Harry." Hermione said, being the first one to recover. "So, did you find him?" Harry gave her a look that clearly said he didn't believe that it was 'nothing,' but he had a job to do.
"Well, I know what direction it is, and that it is stationary." Harry said. "So, if you will follow me, I shall lead you to it." With that, Harry grasped his walking cane firmly and hoisted himself off the bench before he started hobling deeper into the park. The rest of them watched him for a moment before shaking themselves out of their stupor and quickly caught up with him. They would walk for a few dozen yards before Harry would stop and focus again before they would continue on. Hermione walked at Harry's side just in case he should loose his balance again. Harry, who felt his pride had been damaged by the fact that he had almost fallen twice that morning plus he hadn't noticed Dumbledore sneak into the kitchen when he was cooking, was putting out extra effort so as to maintain his strong image.
He soon learned that the park they had taken the port-key into was either quite large or was at the edge of the town, for it seemed that there was no end to it. It took them almost fifteen minutes before they finally reached a river. At the edge of the water, Harry once again stopped and focused. When he opened his eyes, there was a mixture of surprise and pride in his face.
"Well Harry," Dumbledore said, seeing as that Harry apparently had not intention of continuing on with their little trek, "I would assume you have found Ted?"
"That I have sir." Harry replied. "And he is a hell of a lot smarter than I gave him credit for." He said the last part quietly, but was still heard by all. "Do we have some non-detection charms we can put on the area? I doubt we want any muggles that stumble upon us." Remus and Dumbledore nodded their heads and went to work. Meanwhile, Hermione approached Harry.
"You didn't study those charms?" At Harry's confused look, she clarified, "non-detection wards, anti-muggle charms?' She asked Harry quietly as she stood next to him.
"No." He replied. "I really hit the basics of attack and defense, plus some personal stealth charms and the like and whatever came up as needed. Didn't have much time for anything else." Hermione huffed a little at what Harry considered 'basic' defense, but nodded in acknowledgement and said nothing more.
It was only a few moments later that the two men had stopped waving their wands and had nodded at Harry, indicating that they were done. Harry returned the gesture and turned to face the small group of witches and wizards, a slight grin gracing his face. Now that he knew where Ted was, he could focus on it and give it specific commands. He heard the water ripple behind him and his grin grew as he watched the looks of surprise and horror come spread across the assembled Order members (except Albus of course). He continued standing there until he felt his creature standing right behind him.
"This, Hermione, Remus, and the rest of you lot, is Ted. The Headmaster has already been introduced." Harry said as he gestured behind him to the creature that he knew was towering over him. "He was my back-up during the attack. You can probably guess why he was so effective."
"H-Harry," Remus stuttered, "is that thing dangerous?"
"Not at all Remus. He, well I should call it it to be more precise, has a very limited intelligence, but an intelligence none the less. I can assign it specific tasks and it seems pretty capable. In fact," he said, gazing behind him at the creature with something akin to pride on his face, "I'm surprised that it thought to hide in the river. All I told it was to stay away from the muggles."
"You said that you transfigured him." Hermione, who had apparently gotten over her fear once she realized that, unlike Hagrid's dangerous creatures, this one was under complete control. "What did you use as a base object?"
"Oh, here, let me show you." Harry replied as he dug around in his pockets, eventually pulling out a small pouch. He opened it and pulled out one of the glass marbles he used for transfiguration. "These were Dudley's, but since he wasn't using them, I found a use for them."
"Umm, Harry?" It was Tonks now who now spoke up. "You are aware that creating new creatures is a violation of the laws governing illegal magical breeding, aren't you?"
"Well, um, actually, no." Harry said, looking directly at Tonks. "Besides, I don't even know if it is alive." Tonks, Hermione, Remus, and the other two Order members, both of whom seemed ready to flee at the first sign of aggression from the imposing creature that stood before them, all diverted their attention away from Ted and looked at him with an air of incredulity.
"What do you mean it might not be alive?" Remus asked. Harry was about to respond when Hermione responded first.
"It's like a golem, isn't it?" Hermione said, taking a large breath before continuing. "It's really just a bunch of magically animated mass working in conjunction with a magically induced intelligence! Its absolutely brilliant Harry!" With that, Hermione gave Harry one of her bear hugs as congratulations, knocking the breath out of him as she put pressure on his still sore body.
"Uhh, thanks Hermione." Harry said, trying to catch his breath while in her vice-like grip. He looked up at Remus and mouthed 'Did you understand a word she said?' Remus just shook his head in the negative, apparently still trying to sort through everything the young woman said. Hermione released Harry and stepped past him to examine the magical construct.
"This is amazing Harry." Hermione said as she approached the flank of the creature. Even in her excitement, Hermione was still unwilling to stand directly in front of the creature's mouth. She placed a hand on the hard carapace. "Is he spell resilient?" she asked.
"I think so, as that was our intention when we created him." Harry responded.
"What do you mean 'we'?" one of the other Order members asked. "We were under the assumption you had been working alone."
"Oh, yeah, that was the other Harry's I had worked with." Harry said idly while the Order members looked at him as if he were insane. "Anyway, it seemed to get through the battle okay, though he is looking a little chipped…" Harry trailed off as he struck upon an idea. "Hermione, would you mind stepping away from it?" Hermione complied and moved away from the creature. Harry also backed up and, everyone else seeing him do so, followed his lead.
"Harry my boy," Dumbledore said with curiosity, "what are you planning?"
"A test sir." He replied simply and drew his sword.
"What type of test?" Hermione asked, a little concerned that Harry had drawn his weapon.
"This type." With that said, he gave the creature the command to walk slowly towards him slowly. He raised his blade and pointed it at Ted.
'Avada Kedavra!'
No one had time to protest as a bolt of green energy leapt from the blade and slammed right into Ted's torso. Small chips of the creature's carapace flew through the air, causing everyone to turn away. When they turned back, what they saw surprised them. There stood Ted, still moving slowly towards Harry, who still had his sword pointed at the creature. Harry then commanded it to stop, and ignoring the looks of surprise that were pointed in his direction (whether because he had used an unforgivable or because Ted was still standing, he wasn't sure), approached the creature and began to examine the point of impact. A rather large chunk had been blown out of the construct's torso, but he had missed its appendages so it was still standing.
"Well," he said more to himself than to the others, "I guess that solves the question if it is a living creature. It still works, so it must not be." He examined the damage some more, and could not help but feel a little sad at damaging Ted like that. He comforted himself by reminding himself that Ted couldn't feel pain and that he wasn't even living, but the sentimental part of him couldn't help but remember how the creature had really come through for him earlier.
Meanwhile, the sound of Harry's voice brought everyone out of his or her stupor, and it was Remus who spoke up first.
"Harry! What the hell do you think you are doing, casting an unforgivable like that! In front of an Auror no less!" Remus practically screamed at him while gesturing to Tonks. "If you were anybody else and she was anyone else, you would be arrested right now! How can you be so foolish!" Harry just stood there, letting Remus rant. As soon as the werewolf took a breath to continue his tirade, Harry butted in.
"Are you finished yet, Remus?" Harry said in a very bored tone. "I have read the laws, and the curse is only illegal if cast on another living human. Since Ted here is neither human nor living, I have broken no laws." This shut Remus up as he realized what Harry had said.
"It's not alive?" He asked Harry, who merely tip his head to confirm the statement. Remus looked between the creature and its creator. "D-does it still work then?"
Harry smiled and gave it a mental command. One of Ted's tentacles whipped out away from its body and grabbed Remus around the waist and lifted him off the ground.
"Does this answer your question Remus?" Remus just nodded and Harry threw the old werewolf a cheeky grin and turned his attention back to the others. Harry took this moment to look at the reaction of the others. Tonks was actually starting to look amused at Remus's plight, Dumbledore also seemed highly amused, while the other two Order members still had that look of fear in their eyes, though now Harry suspected some of that fear was directed at him now instead of at Ted. Hermione, however, kept her face neutral and wouldn't meet his eyes. 'Bloody hell,' he thought, 'of all the people who shouldn't jud… well, that's not important. I should probably talk to her.' With that in mind he walked over to his best friend.
"Look Hermione," he said, facing the other teen, "I know what you are thinking." Despite her discomfort at the situation, she couldn't help but look at him like he had three heads. "Alright," he conceded, "I probably don't know exactly what you are thinking, but I have a good idea. You are concerned that I, by demonstrating my use of an unforgivable, am turning evil, no?" Hermione didn't respond, so he continued. "You are also probably concerned that I may have killed someone already using an unforgivable. Am I getting close yet?" With that, Hermione looked up at him, her eyes sad.
"What concerns me Harry," she said, her voice sounding hurt, "is that you are even capable of casting such a curse. I've read about the unforgivables and I know what kind of emotion you need to have to use it." Harry looked at her, comprehension dawning on him as he realized that, as much as Hermione knew about, well, everything; her knowledge was still bound to the contents of the texts she read. A smile crept its way back onto his face, confusing Hermione.
"Hermione," Harry said, "first of all, let me thank you for showing concern, but really, the killing curse is nothing to be concerned about." At this she looked at him flabbergasted. "You see Hermione," he continued, placing an arm around her shoulders and talking to her as if he was explaining some great fact of life to a younger person, "when you actually read on the practical applications of the unforgivables, you find that the killing curse is really the easiest of them all. All you need is the desire to kill, which" he held up a finger from his free hand to silence her, "which is not inherently evil. The necessity of killing warrants the desire to kill, even if that desire is only to get the filthy business out of the way. The ones you really need to be concerned about are the Imperious and the Cruciatus. However, take great heart in the fact that I am currently incapable of casting the other two. And before you ask, no, I did not even try to cast them over the summer, though I did study how to do so. Now," he took his arm from her shoulder and faced her directly. "Do you feel better or do we need to discuss this more?"
"Well," she said, her voice not so sad anymore, but still cautious, "I still think we need to talk about a few things, this being one of them, but it is nice to know that you are incapable of using the other two. Speaking of which, how do you truly know you are incapable of using the other two curses, not that I am complaining or anything?"
"Oh!" Harry was caught a bit off guard by that last question. "Well, I have studied how to cast them and know I do not have those emotions in strong enough quantities, and you see Hermione, I, uh, sortatriedtouseone before."
"Excuse me Harry?" she said, indignation now replacing her concern and worry. "Did you just tell me you tried to use an unforgivable on someone?" As strong and as powerful as Harry was, he knew Hermione could be as formidable in a rage as he was and knew he did not want to push her right now. 'Seems to be the my motto for the day,' he thought wryly, 'don't antagonize Hermione.' He was still thinking about how he was going to respond when Hermione's voice penetrated his thoughts.
"You know what Harry, lets not discuss this right now." She said in a tone that gave no illusions that this discussion was over. "Ill just add it to the list of things you need to explain when we get back to Headquarters." Harry just nodded in acceptance, thanking whatever deity there was that he had dodged that bullet for now.
Together, the two of them headed back to the rest of the group, who had given the two teens space to work things out. Harry flicked his wand, dispelling Ted and inadvertently dropping poor Remus, who Harry had forgotten was still being held by Ted, to the ground.
"Well sir," Harry said, addressing Dumbledore, "jobs done. Lets head back." The old man gave him a nod and pulled out the old newspaper and the three who had used it get there grabbed a hold of it again and were soon back at Grimmauld Place as the other Order members apparated away.
They had arrived just in time for lunch, which was being prepared by both Dobby and Winky. Harry left Hermione to talk with her family while he walked into the kitchen.
"Master Potter sir!" Dobby squealed, grabbing Harry's legs in a hug. "I was not aware that Harry Potter sir was awake, as Dobby has been very busy cleaning! Dobby is a very bad house elf for not checking on Master Potter." With that, Dobby began to bash his own head against the kitchen table. Harry was almost inclined to let him continue, but he quickly discarded that idea knowing that Dobby wouldn't stop unless he told the elf to.
"Dobby, stop it." Harry said, sounded frustrated with the houself's antics, as he grabbed Dobby around the shoulders and preventing the small creature from harming himself further. "As long as you are under my employ, which as far as I know, you still are, you will not punish yourself. Is that understood Dobby?"
"Yes Master Harry Potter sir," the elf said morosely. "Dobby understands."
"Then all's well then!" Harry said happily, trying to cheer Dobby up. "So, you said you have been cleaning. I take it then, that you or Winky are responsible for the new carpeting?"
"Oh yes sir Harry Potter sir!" Dobby replied, quite happy that Harry wasn't going to berate him. "Winky chose the color. Does Harry Potter sir like it?" At this, Harry glanced over at Winky who was still cooking, though he could tell from her ears that she was listening in on the conversation, if his dialogue with Dobby could be called that. Of course, this brought up a moral dilemma. He absolutely hated the carpet, but he also knew that Winky wasn't the most mentally and emotionally stable elf out there, and any criticism would probably send her into a fit of depression. Mentally sighing, he decided that a small lie was probably better than the truth.
"It's nice, really." He said neutrally, trying to sound cheerful, but failing miserably. Luckily, neither of the two house elves seemed to take notice. "Of course, anything is better than that ratty old carpet that was in here before," he continued as he heard the kitchen door open.
"Kreacher was a bad elf," Dobby quickly responded, his happy demeanor now replaced with anger, something Harry was unaccustomed to seeing in his small, insane friend. "He did not take care of his house properly and betrayed his master!"
"And luckily we don't have to deal with him ever again," a tired voice said behind them.
"You should be careful Harry," he responded, sounding slightly amused. "Moody would like nothing better than to catch you off guard. Seems that after your little run in with the Death Eaters, he feels you may be a worthwhile opponent." Inwardly, Harry slightly cringed at the mentioning of the attack on Privet Drive ('Though,' he thought, 'it really should be considered a slaughter.'). Though his mental training had allowed him to move his feelings of the matter out of the way so that he could analyze them later, allowing him to concentrate on the here and now' he could not help but feel a little sadness when he was reminded of the number of people who had lost their lives that evening. Outwardly, though, he did not flinch. He was also surprised that Remus would speak of it so lightly, though he figured Dumbledore must have talked to the rest of the Order not to treat him like glass so as to facilitate his emotional healing. Or something like that.
"Well, unlike you Remus," Harry replied, matching Remus's jovial tone, "Moody has that clunking wooden leg of his to warn me of his presence. Besides, you people need to give me a break! I'm wounded here."
"Too true Harry, but you know Mad Eye doesn't like excuses," the other man replied with a chuckle.
The young man and the werewolf chatted idly for a few minutes until Hermione and her family sat down with them for lunch, along with various other Order members who had stopped by. Dumbledore was not in attendance, as he had to go take care of some business at the ministry. The topics of conversation were varied, though none of them caught Harry's attention. The meal was just finishing up when two owls flew through the window, dropping off two thick envelopes on the table.
"Oh!" Hermione practically squealed as she grabbed the envelopes, "I think they might be our OWL results!" She handed Harry the envelope addressed to him, and upon inspecting the envelope, he figured Hermione was probably right. "Come on Harry, let's open them at the same time."
"Do we have to open them now Hermione?" he asked as he looked at his envelope disdainfully. "I mean, if I did poorly, I don't want to be opening this" he shook the envelope to accent his speech, "in front of everybody."
"Oh come on Harry, I doubt they are as bad as you think." Hermione said impatiently. "I'm sure you did fine. I figure you would have to know what you are doing, considering all that you have done this summer."
"Yeah, this summer, which happened to be after the bloody tests." He grumbled. Hermione, however, was merely staring at him, as if willing him to open his test results with just her eyes. "Fine!" He said, throwing his arms up dramatically, "I'll open the stupid envelope." With that, he broke the Hogwarts seal and pulled out the sheets of parchment. There were four sheets in the envelope. One was a list of classes he was allowed to take, another was a letter describing his options, the third was a general letter to all students and parents trying to reassure them of the security and safety of Hogwarts. The last sheet of parchment was what Hermione, and thus Harry, was really interested in; their test scores. Tossing the other three aside, he unfolded his score sheet.
OWL SCORES FOR HARRY JAMES POTTER
Grading Key: (Final score rounded up)
O: Outstanding - 2
E: Exceeds Expectations – 1 ½
A: Average - 1
P: Poor – ½
D: Dreadful - 0
Astronomy:
Written: A
Practical: P
Total OWLs: 1 (A)
Care of Magical Creatures:
Practical: O
Total: 2 (O)
Charms:
Written: E
Practical: O
Total: 1.5 (E)
Defense Against the Dark Arts:
Written: O
Practical: O
Total: 2 (E)
Divination:
Practical: D
Total: 0 (D)
Herbology:
Practical: A
Total: 1 (A)
History of Magic:
Written: P
Total: .5 (P)
Potions:
Written: E
Practical: E
Total: 1.5 (E)
Transfiguration:
Written: E
Practical: E
Total: 1.5 (E)
TOTAL OWLS EARNED: 11 OWLS
Congratulations Mr. Potter on your eleven OWLS. You now need to fill out what classes you plan on taking this upcoming year. You must choose at least three of the NEWT level classes that you qualify for and you may take up to two new electives. The electives offered this year at Hogwarts are:
The Art of Enchanting, which focuses on enchanting everything from portraits to brooms. Magical Theory, a course on the development of magic through the ages and the various theories on the very nature of magic.
Wizarding Law gives students an in-depth look at laws and policies of the Ministry of Magic.
Please reply with your class selections post-haste.
Sincerely,
Minevra McGonagall
Deputy Hedmistress, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
He though he heard Hermione yell in excitement, but he couldn't be sure. All his attention was focused on the bottom of the sheet. 11 OWLS. He was actually quite proud of his scores. True, he absolutely failed divination and Astronomy wasn't that great, but he was happy none the less. After reading through his scores again, he handed his sheet off to Hermione as she handed hers to his. Hermione had, of course, done much better than him, getting O's is pretty much every thing except for the E in her Astronomy practical and an E in Ancient Runes.
"Wow Hermione, you really do know what you are doing, don't you?" He said in awe as he handed Hermione her score sheet back. She blushed slightly at the compliment given in front of a room full of people.
"Well you didn't do so bad yourself Harry." She replied proudly. "11 OWLS is nothing to be ashamed of."
"Eleven Harry?" Remus said, joining in the conversation. "That is quite impressive."
"Thanks Remus. Didn't get an Outstanding in potions though, which means no more Snape!"
"Harry, I thought you wanted to be an Auror?" Hermione asked. "You need potions for that."
"The thing is Hermione, I'm not so sure an Auror position is right for me. As an Auror, I have to follow the orders of the Ministry, who, at this moment, I can't see any reason why I would want to be associated with them." Harry took a stab at his food with his fork before continuing. "Besides, after everything is said and done, I don't really know if I want to keep fighting dark wizards, at least, not in any official capacity."
"Then what do you plan on doing Harry?" Remus chimed in, curious at Harry's change in plans.
"Well," Harry replied thoughtfully, "I was thinking of trying to become the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor. I could also do some freelance work, like Lockhart, except not be a charlatan. Probably wouldn't write books either." Remus and Hermione merely raised their eyebrows at this but held their tongues. They sat their silence for a few moments before Harry began speaking again.
"I wonder what Ron got?" He then addressed his question specifically to Remus. "Um Remus, do the Weaselys know about the attacks?"
"Arthur does, and I think Bill and Charlie do also," the werewolf responded. "It was decided, after consulting Arthur, that it would be best if we were not to tell Molly just yet."
"Why?"
"Come on Harry, I'm sure you can figure that out." Remus replied. "After all, you did get eleven OWLS," he finished teasingly. Harry was quiet for a moment, staring at a point on the table as his mind rushed through all his memories of the Weaselys.
"She is on an Order mission and she is also a bit too protective of me." He said as he raised his eyes to meet Remus's. "You don't want her to lose focus of her mission, since she would most likely insist on coming back here to make sure I am alright. However, do Ron and Ginny know?"
"No they do not. It was decided that if Ronald knew, he would most likely tell Molly, and we could not have that, now could we? Arthur decided not to inform Ginevra merely because there is no reason for her to know." All heads turned to the origin of the new voice, only to see Albus Dumbledore standing there in the doorway. Just like he had in the morning when Harry had been cooking breakfast. This annoyed Harry only slightly.
"Tell me headmaster," Harry said in a sickly sweet voice that was reminiscent of Umbridge. "Do you go out of your way to try and make these dramatic entrances? Because really, that is the third time today, that I am aware of. People might get the impression that you are trying too hard."
"Well you see Harry," the old man responded in a slightly patronizing tone, though there was an underlining hint of humor to it, "as people seem to be under the impression of me being the most powerful wizard of our time, there are certain things that are expected of me, certain behaviors, to be more precise."
"In other words, you feel it is your duty to make a grand entrance because of your position." Harry replied in the same, sweet voice. "So tell me, when you do it here, are you practicing or do you really think we are impressed? By the way, didn't you have business at the ministry to take care of?"
"Yes," was all Dumbledore said as he sat down at the table and began helping himself to the food that was there, a small smile hidden under his long beard. Harry wanted to ask whether that was 'yes' to all the questions he asked, or if it was just for the one about his duties at the ministry. Either way, Harry knew he wouldn't get anything more out of the Headmaster if the old man had decided he wanted to be vague. Ignoring all the amused grins sported by the adults in the room, Harry turned his attention back to his letters, though his thoughts were on the Weaselys at that moment.
He couldn't help but feel uneasy about the red headed family's return. He sometimes had a hard time reading them, and he was unsure how they would react to the news of the attacks. On the one hand, they might accept his actions and merely be concerned about his health. On the other hand, they may shun him for having killed so many people. He felt that second probability was unlikely, considering the reactions of everyone else. The one thing he was certain of was that Molly Weasley would not be happy. He knew the Weasley matron practically considered him one of her sons and would no doubt be in a right state when she found out he had been attacked and she had not been notified. 'I would hate to be Mr. Weasley when Molly finds out,' Harry thought with slight amusement. So lost in his thoughts he didn't realize Hermione was trying to talk to him until he felt something prodding him in the shoulder. He looked up to find Hermione leaning across the table with her wand outstretched, which would explain the prodding feeling.
"Sorry Hermione," he said a bit sheepishly. "What were you saying?"
"I was saying Harry," Hermione replied, sounding a bit annoyed at being ignored, "that you need to decide what classes you will be taking next year."
"Oh, well that's pretty simple, isn't it?" Harry said nonchalantly. "DADA, charms, transfiguration. Herbology, and Care of Magical Creatures. I'll probably also take The Art of Enchanting. Tack onto that my private studies and the DA, and I have a pretty full schedule."
"Are you not going to play Quidditch Harry?" Remus asked. "I thought you loved playing?"
"I do Remus, but as Dumbledore here," at this Harry gestured to the Headmaster who was silently listening to the conversations around the table, "has informed me recently, I have other more important things that I need to do. Basically, I had to sort out my priorities and Quidditch got bumped off of my list of things to do."
"Harry," Dumbledore spoke up, "you said that you were planning on starting up the DA again. Perhaps you would be interested in making it an official club?"
"No I wouldn't Headmaster." Harry replied quickly. "While I won't have the inquisitorial squad tracking me down, I would prefer to keep the organization low key, which is something I can't do if it is announced as a club. I also want to keep membership selective."
"I understand Harry, but what about the other students? Surely they should be taught to defend themselves also?"
"Then have your Defense teacher start a dueling club," Harry said. "I will be trying to recruit more members for the DA, but the more people that join, the less one-on-one help I can give."
"I may be missing something here," John Granger piped it, "but it sounds more like you are recruiting for an army than for a club, what with all the talk of secrecy, selective membership, and advanced defense." Harry, Hermione, and Dumbledore shared a knowing grin before breaking out in laughter, utterly confusing poor Mr. Granger an consequently the rest of Hermione's family. It took a few moments for them to compose themselves, and Hermione being the first, proceeded to explain the DA to her father.
"Actually dad, it is sort of an army. Last year the ministry was being paranoid that the Headmaster was trying to usurp the Ministries power, and thus stuck us with an ineffective teacher. Remember me telling you about Umbridge?" John Granger merely nodded his head to indicate that he did indeed remember Hermione's stories about the woman. "Well, me, Harry, and Ron started the DA to not only teach the other students, but also as a sort of act of defiance against the Ministry."
They spent the rest of lunch discussing the DA and Harry's plans for it. The group eventually dispersed and Harry headed up to his room. Hermione had made to follow him but he told her that he was planning on taking a nap, saying something about how the mornings activities had tired him out. However, after having two full meals and getting plenty of sleep, he was far from ready to sleep. As soon as he got to his room he locked the door with a half a dozen locking charms and put up a silencing charm. Hobbling over to his trunk, he unlocked it and opened it to one of the compartments he stored his books in.
He sifted through about a dozen of them until he found one on healing. He was tired of having to lean on a cane and was impatient in allowing his now pseudo-natural healing ability deal with it. Finding the book he was looking for, he began skimming it for diagnosis charms and their accompanied healing spells. He had not spent much time with healing spells, seeing as how he usually didn't need them during his training.
After finding what he was looking for, he cast a diagnosis charm on his leg, taking care to memorize the feel of the magic so he could do it later on. Once the charm was complete, his leg was enveloped in brown and blue light. Referring back to the test, he found that to mean that he had some minor muscle and ligament damage, which was hardly surprising. He then found the relevant healing spells and putting more energy into them than Madame Pomfrey was even capable of, cast them on his leg. Immediately feeling better, he stood up and walked around the room. It took a few minutes for him to get adjusted to having full mobility of his leg back, but now he felt as good as new. He placed his healing book back and, grabbing a book on basic wards, went back to his bed to read until it was time for the meeting of the Order of the Phoenix.
As he headed down the stairs later that evening to the kitchen he could hear the throng of Order members mingling in the entranceway to the house. Walking through the throng, which, surprisingly, parted for him, he made his way to the kitchen, where he was greeted by Dumbledore.
"Ah Harry, I was about to go send someone up to get you. Please, take a seat." With that, the old man gestured for Harry to sit next to him at the head of the table. "I think you will be able to stay for the entirety of the meeting, seeing as how we will mostly be discussing the events of three days ago and Voldemort's current plans." Harry merely indicated that he heard and sat down in the proffered seat. There was a pop as Dobby appeared and handed Harry a bottle of chilled butterbeer, which Harry gratefully took. Before the elf left, Harry quietly informed him that he would need his fourth meal again and that Dobby should try to do it quietly. Dobby happily agreed and told Harry he would go ahead and prepare the meal in the kitchen in his tent.
The minutes passed as the Order members made their way into the kitchen. Many of them threw Harry glances, some of them suspicious or cautious, while others showed nothing short of respect. The last one to enter was none other than Severus Snape. When he noticed Harry sitting at the table, he immediately sneered in his direction.
"Albus, what is Potter doing here?" the Hogwart's Potions Master all but spat out.
"Harry is here at my invitation," Dumbledore responded evenly.
"Potter is still an underage wizard and is still attending school," Snape responded. "You should not have made him an Order Member."
"I'm not a member, Snape," Harry responded tersely. Severus's eyes narrowed at this use of his last name without a title.
"Then you should not be attending the meetings!" He then turned his attention to Dumbledore. "Why is he here Albus?" Not giving Dumbledore a chance, Harry answered.
"It's simple really Snape, I am here because I should be here." At this Snape glared at Harry.
"Such impudence and arrogance, believing that you are above the rules, just like your father," Snape spat out. "Really Albus, the boy can't possibly be responsible enough to attend these meetings! Its bad enough that he got Black killed, now you want to let him in on war secrets? The boy is a failure at Occlumency and will in all likely hood will spill vital information to You-Know-Who!"
"I'll have you know a few things Snape," Harry replied in a quiet, deadly tone, "that one; I am not my father. Two, you and Draco need to come up with better insults because, damn, they are getting repetitive. And three, I have very right to be here because of my actions, unlike you who I have learned partook in the slaughter at Privet Drive and know only a little of what happened!" By this time Harry was getting riled up and his magic had started to flow. "You should also know that, without your useless help, I have gained more skill in mental defense than I have ever achieved under you pathetic tutelage!"
"Do not blame your failings and inability on me you incompetent child! I sacrificed my personal time to teach you. You, however, were an unwilling pupil and did not practice nor take seriously the skills I tried to pass onto you!"
"Don't give me that crap Snape! You used those lessons to satisfy your own twisted vendetta against a dead man! To say that you 'taught' me anything is a complete joke! One of these days you will open your eyes and realize that you are nothing but a bitter, pathetic excuse of a man who has no future except to die alone!"
"You ignorant, self-centered whelp!" the greasy haired man replied. "You have no idea the sacrifices I have made for our side or the danger I put myself in as a spy. You are nothing but a spoiled little brat so absorbed in your own self-importance that you are unwilling to or unable to comprehend that the world and this war does not revolve around you!" Albus could see that neither Harry nor Severus were going to back down and that, if left to their own devices, it would come down to a fight, and Albus really didn't want to loose his spy. Sighing deeply, he spoke up.
"That is enough! Both of you!" as he said this, he glared at both Harry and Snape, as if daring them to contradict him. "You both are on the same side and thus must work together! Severus, if you can not help but to antagonize Harry, then you are to remain silent when speaking of him. Harry, please do not antagonize Professor Snape and, as I told the Professor, if you feel like speaking ill of him, do hold your tongue. We are here to get business done, not listen to you two bicker."
Both Harry and Severus broke the glares they were shooting at each other and only then seemed to realize that they had an audience. Harry cheeks turned red in embarrassment and he quickly sat down, muttering an apology. Snape merely gave Albus a glare before sitting down and crossing his arms in front of him. Both of them threw the other a look that clearly said 'this isn't over.'
"Very good. Now, onto the meeting." Dumbledore said, assuming a very business like tone. "Mr. Shacklebolt, what do you have to report?" With that Kingsley stood up and addressed the gathered witches and wizards.
"There is not much to report that I have not reported already. Two of the prisoners taken at Privet Drive have died from their injuries, bringing the Death Eater death toll up to fifteen, that we know of. We still have three prisoners alive, though they are relatively low ranking. We still are unsure about what killed five of them, something I hope Mr. Potter here," at this he gestured at Harry, "will be able to explain."
"Thank you Kingsley," replied Albus. "Severus, what do you have to report?" As he said this, Severus Snape stood up, radiating an air of self-importance.
"The Dark Lord is still furious over his defeat at Privet Drive. As I stated last time we gathered, he sent a little over thirty Death Eaters, myself included, to dispose of Potter and only half returned. To add insult to injury, Bellatrix Lestrange is crippled and another has died from his wounds. Currently the Dark Lord is having me brew potions to heal Lestrange, thought they will take at least a month to complete and her recovery will be a long one. He is still trying to figure out what that creature is that defended Potter was, as I am sure we all are." As he finished speaking, he directed his gaze to Harry before continuing. "He is also wondering how Potter gained so much power in such a short amount of time and will most likely expend some resources on that question. Again, something I am sure we would all like to know." He nodded his head to Dumbledore and sat down.
"Very well, thank you Severus. Now, before I have Harry report, I want to make it clear that he is not at liberty to answer your all of your questions. Is that understood?" Everyone nodded or spoke in agreement and Dumbledore indicated to Harry that he should start.
Harry gave his details of the attack, sparing the details of how he had killed the Death Eaters. He also gave a brief description of his magical construct Ted and how he used him to get out passed the wards set up by Voldemort. The rest of the Order remained quiet, listening to Harry speak, their silence only broken by the occasional gasp or the muttered 'oh my!' When he had finished, the rest of the room burst into noise.
Statements such as "Can you imagine the sort of planning that went into making those anti-portkey wards? And the necessary power!" or "So many dead!" or "How can he have achieved that? What happened to our wards?" and so on. Dumbledore let them talk among themselves for a few minutes before he brought the meeting back to order.
"Now that we know all the details of the events of that night, I trust you will all take steps to prevent such a thing from happening again. As it is, Voldemort is undoubtedly planning on new recruitment and will most likely stage another attack soon, so as to send a message that he is not weak. With such heavy losses, he will also began recruiting in earnest, most likely in other countries and also among the various magical beings that are regulated by the Ministry. After this meeting I want you all to go back to your posts and see what you can do about figuring out Voldemort's next move. I want you all to keep an eye out on those groups that are most likely to be approached by Voldemort. Try to get to them before he does. We will convene again in a few days to discuss this issue," Dumbledore said at length.
"Now, we have one more piece of new business to attend to before we end this meeting. As you are all aware, there was an attack on the muggle born student Hermione Granger and her family the same day as the attack on Privet Drive. Thanks to the quick response of some of our members, a disaster was averted and the Granger family remained un-injured. However, it has illustrated the weaknesses in their home's defenses. I will need to assemble a team to go and put up additional wards." Albus then looked at Harry. "Mr. Potter here has agreed to help power the wards and he has come up with some other security measures I wish him to put into place." Dumbledore looked around at the assembled witches and wizards. "I must stress the importance of keeping the Grangers safe and out of Voldemort's hands. We will be putting up the standard alarm wards, but as you are aware, many of the stronger wards are impractical for use sue to their effect on muggle technology. Between now and the next time we meet, I want you to think of any means we can use to protect the Granger family, no matter how unorthodox. Hopefully, we can adept whatever we do to other muggle-born homes." Dumbledore waited for everyone to indicate that they understood their task before he proceeded.
"Good. Now, is there any new business that you feel needs to be brought up or can we conclude this meeting?" When no one spoke up or raised their hand, Dumbledore continued. "Than this meeting is ended. You are all welcome to stay for dinner if you like. Dobby and Winky are fine cooks."
Harry sat there silently as most of the Order members filed out of the kitchen. Dobby and Winky soon began setting the table and the Granger family came in for dinner.
"Harry!" Hermione yelled out when she saw Harry sitting at the table. She had had watched the other members leave and had not seen Harry enter. "Did you sit in on the meeting? Does this mean you are part of the Order now? Why didn't you tell me? What was discussed? Did it have to do with the attack on you?" Harry just stared at her, amazed that she had said all that in one breath, and was saved from having to respond by Dumbledore.
"Worry not Ms. Granger," Albus replied serenely. "Harry is merely here as an outside consultant. He is, after all, too young to join the Order and is still a student."
"I see," the girl replied, giving both Harry and the Headmaster a shrewd look as she sat down at the table next to Harry.
The conversation at the table was light, until John Granger asked about their security.
"Mr. Dumbledore, when do you think it would be safe for us to return home? Its not that I don't appreciate your hospitality Harry, Mr. Lupin," John said quickly looking at Harry and Remus, "but I do miss my home, and I am sure the others would like to get back to their lives also."
"Don't worry sir," Harry replied warmly, "I understand completely." After all, he was always anxious to get to Hogwarts, a place he considered his home. "We have some more wards and other defenses to set up before you move in. From what I gathered tonight, you should be able to move back in a few days."
"What do you mean 'other defenses' Harry?" Hermione asked.
"You'll see Hermione." Harry said teasingly. "I still need to make sure I can pull it off before I make any guarantees." Everyone seemed to accept his answer and the conversation went back to less meaningful conversation. Harry excused himself early, claiming that he was full and headed back to his room. He had turned the lights down low and sat down on his bed, books strewn about him, preparing to begin his round-the-clock training again, this time to find unique ways to protect the Grangers. He had just picked up a book on basic warding when there was a knock at his door. Sighing to himself, he put the book down and waved his hand, opening the door.
Standing there was Hermione, who looked a bit put out at the door opening on its own, but otherwise, unaffected. She walked over to Harry's bed and, pushing some books out of the way, sat down on the other end facing Harry. Harry remained silent, waiting for her to speak, though he knew why she was here.
"I think it is time we had our little chat, Harry."