Before the reading could begin,a flash of light appeared in the hall,and Mad-Eye Moody, Kingsley and Tonks appeared.
"Alastor?Kingsley?Tonks?What are you three doing here?",asked Dumbledore.
"We were going about our jobs when suddenly we were transported here,with a note stating that we had to read about our future.",said Kingsley.
"Very well.Take a seat,you three.",said McGonagall.They sat down.Dumbledore explained them about the first chapter of the book and they listened to it.
"The name of the next chapter is called 'THE ADVANCED GUARD'",said the voice.
"I've just been attacked by dementors and I might be expelled from Hogwarts. I want to know what's going on and when I'm going to get out of here."
Harry copied these words onto three separate pieces of parchment the moment he reached the desk in his dark bedroom. He addressed the first to Sirius, the second to Ron, and the third to Hermione.His owl, Hedwig, was off hunting; her cage stood empty on the desk.Harry paced the bedroom waiting for her to come back, his head pounding, his brain too busy for sleep even though his eyes stung and itched with tiredness. His back ached from carrying Dudley home,and the two lumps on his head where the window and Dudley had hit him were throbbing painfully.
Up and down he paced, consumed with anger and frustration,grinding his teeth and clenching his fists, casting angry looks out at the empty, star-strewn sky every time he passed the window. Dementors sent to get him, Mrs. Figg and Mundungus Fletcher tailing him in secret, then suspension from Hogwarts and a hearing at the Ministry of Magic — and still no one was telling him what was going on.
"Why does it look like there's a time skip or something?",asked Neville.
"Because there's a time skip between this chapter and the previous one.This chapter must be set right after my expulsion from Hogwarts was rescinded and a hearing was scheduled.",said Harry, remembering how he had been expelled before Dumbledore had convinced the ministry to schedule a hearing in front of the Wizengamot.
"Wait,wait,wait,you were expelled?!",asked Dean.Everyone else gasped in disbelief at the ministry's actions.
"Yeah.But Dumbledore convinced them to keep a hearing for me.",said Harry.
"Yikes!The ministry really is sinking!",said Katie.She had never sided with the Ministry when they refused to believe the Voldemort was back,but to directly expel someone for using magic in self defense was going too far.
There were similar expressions of disapproval and alarm towards the Ministry's behaviour.
Amelia glared at Fudge and Umbridge; Dumbledore gave a sad sigh.He had not expected the ministry to simply expel Harry.
And what, what, had that Howler been about? Whose voice had echoed so horribly, so menacingly, through the kitchen?
"Howler?",questioned many students.
Harry snickered.Everyone looked at him.
"My aunt got a howler after she and my uncle were about to make me leave their house for good.They thought I had attacked their precious Dudley,so they wanted me to leave.But then this howler came,and I guess it forced Aunt Petunia to make me stay.",said Harry.
"They wanted to throw you out?!",snarled Ron and Hermione.
"It's all right.The howler made sure that they wouldn't throw me out.",said Harry.
Up at the staff table,Dumbledore slightly froze up at the mention of the howler.He had been the one to send it,to make sure that Harry wouldn't be thrown out by the Dursleys,especially since it could have potentially destroyed Lily's blood protection.
Why was he still trapped here without information? Why was everyone treating him like some naughty kid? Don't do any more magic, stay in the house. . . .
Most of the order who knew Harry well shot each other guilty,ashamed looks.Admittedly they wanted to keep Harry safe,but Harry had a point:he deserved to know something rather than being cut off completely.
"I'm sorry,Harry",said Sirius,looking ashamed.He never wanted Harry to stay uninformed.
"It's all right,Sirius.",said Harry.Dumbledore had specifically wanted them to not tell him anything for his and their safety.
He kicked his school trunk as he passed it, but far from relieving his anger he felt worse, as he now had a sharp pain in his toe to deal with in addition to the pain in the rest of his body.
Everyone winced.
Just as he limped past the window, Hedwig soared through it with a soft rustle of wings like a small ghost.
"About time!" Harry snarled, as she landed lightly on top of her cage. "You can put that down, I've got work for you!"
Everyone looked shocked.Never had they seen Harry snarl.
"You didn't have to tell at Hedwig,Harry.",said Hermione sadly.
"I know.I'm gonna apologize to her once the reading is done.",said Harry,rubbing his head.
Hedwig's large round amber eyes gazed reproachfully at him over the dead frog clamped in her beak.
"Come here," said Harry, picking up the three small rolls of parchment and a leather thong and tying the scrolls to her scaly leg. "Take these straight to Sirius, Ron, and Hermione and don't come back here without good long replies. Keep pecking them till they've written decent-length answers if you've got to. Understand?"
"Harry!",his friends yelled,shocked.At the same time,the professors said,"Mr Potter!".
Everyone was shocked that Harry asked Hedwig to attack Ron,Hermione and Sirius.
"I'm sorry!",said Harry,truly ashamed."I was furious,I didn't know what was going on!I was being kept in the dark about everything,I had 2 Dementors attack me and my cousin,and on top of that everyone was outright ignoring me.What was I supposed to do?",asked Harry.
"Mr Potter,as much as I understand your frustration,which is justified,it does not give you the right to attack your friends.Please refrain from attacking them next time onwards.",said Professor McGonagall sternly.
Harry nodded."I'm truly sorry",he said,looking towards Ron,Hermione and Sirius.
Ron,Hermione and Sirius nodded."It's alright",said Ron,"We forgave you for it earlier.And had we been in your place,I'm pretty sure that we would've probably done the same.",Hermione nodded.
"The past is the past now,Harry,look towards the future",said Sirius,putting a hand around Harry.
Hedwig gave a muffled hooting noise, beak still full of frog.
"Get going, then," said Harry.
She took off immediately. The moment she'd gone, Harry threw himself down onto his bed without undressing and stared at the dark ceiling. In addition to every other miserable feeling, he now felt guilty that he'd been irritable with Hedwig; she was the only friend he had at Number four, Privet Drive. But he'd make it up to her when she came back with Sirius's, Ron's, and Hermione's answers.
Harry made a mental note to provide Hedwig something she would like once the reading was over.
They were bound to write back quickly; they couldn't possibly ignore a dementor attack. He'd probably wake up tomorrow to three fat letters full of sympathy and plans for his immediate removal to the Burrow. And with that comforting idea, sleep rolled over him, stifling all further thought.
But Hedwig didn't return next morning. Harry spent the day in his bedroom, leaving it only to go to the bathroom. Three times that day Aunt Petunia shoved food into his room through the cat flap Uncle Vernon had installed three summers ago.
Harry's face darkened,as he remembered how Dobby had tricked the Dursleys into believing that he had ruined there meeting with the Masons,which had promoted his uncle to lock him up in his room and install that catflap to give him meals in his room itself.
Every time Harry heard her approaching he tried to question her about the Howler, but he might as well have interrogated the doorknob for all the answers he got.Otherwise the Dursleys kept well clear of his bedroom. Harry couldn't see the point of forcing his company on them; another row would achieve nothing except perhaps making him so angry he'd perform more illegal magic.
"Good",said Susan."Stay away from them,don't get into more trouble with them."
So it went on for three whole days. Harry was filled alternately with restless energy that made him unable to settle to anything, during which he paced his bedroom again, furious at the whole lot of them for leaving him to stew in this mess, and with a lethargy so complete that he could lie on his bed for an hour at a time, staring dazedly into space, aching with dread at the thought of the Ministry hearing.
What if they ruled against him? What if he was expelled and his wand was snapped in half? What would he do, where would he go?
"I assure you Mr Potter,that we would not have let that happen",said Dumbledore. McGonagall,Snape and the other professors,except Umbridge nodded.
Harry nodded in relief.He hadn't been expelled,but heading Dumbledore assure him personally was more comforting.
"And even if you were to be expelled,I would've found a way to keep you with me",said Sirius firmly."I already failed you,James and Lily once,I wasn't gonna do it again.".
Harry smiled at Sirius' words.
He could not return to living full-time with the Dursleys, not now that he knew the other world, the one to which he really belonged.
. . . Was it possible that he might be able to move into Sirius's house,as Sirius had suggested a year ago, before he had been forced to flee from the Ministry himself?
"Yes",said Sirius grinning.
Would he be allowed to live there alone,given that he was still underage? Or would the matter of where he went next be decided for him; had his breach of the International Statute of Secrecy been severe enough to land him in a cell in Azkaban?
"No,you wouldn't have fallen into Azkaban for defending yourself.I would've ensured that you wouldn't be jailed.",said Dumbledore firmly.
Whenever this thought occurred, Harry invariably slid off his bed and began pacing again.
On the fourth night after Hedwig's departure Harry was lying in one of his apathetic phases, staring at the ceiling, his exhausted mind quite blank, when his uncle entered his bedroom. Harry looked slowly around at him. Uncle Vernon was wearing his best suit and an expression of enormous smugness.
"We're going out," he said.
"Sorry?"
"We — that is to say, your aunt, Dudley, and I — are going out."
"Fine," said Harry dully, looking back at the ceiling.
"You are not to leave your bedroom while we are away."
"Okay."
"You are not to touch the television, the stereo, or any of our possessions."
"Right."
"You are not to steal food from the fridge."
"Okay."
"I am going to lock your door."
"You do that."
Uncle Vernon glared at Harry, clearly suspicious of this lack of argument, then stomped out of the room and closed the door behind him. Harry heard the key turn in the lock and Uncle Vernon's footsteps walking heavily down the stairs. A few minutes later he heard the slamming of car doors, the rumble of an engine, and the unmistakable sound of the car sweeping out of the drive.
Harry mentally snickered,remembering that it was Tonks who had tricked the Dursleys into leaving the house.
Harry had no particular feeling about the Dursleys leaving. It made no difference to him whether they were in the house or not. He could not even summon the energy to get up and turn on his bedroom light.The room grew steadily darker around him as he lay listening to the night sounds through the window he kept open all the time, waiting for the blessed moment when Hedwig returned.
The empty house creaked around him. The pipes gurgled. Harry lay there in a kind of stupor, thinking of nothing, suspended in misery.
And then, quite distinctly, he heard a crash in the kitchen below.
"But the Dursleys had left,right?",asked a first year.His friends nodded,equally confused.
He sat bolt upright, listening intently. The Dursleys couldn't be back, it was much too soon, and in any case he hadn't heard their car.
There was silence for a few seconds, and then he heard voices.
Burglars, he thought, sliding off the bed onto his feet — but a split second later it occurred to him that burglars would keep their voices down, and whoever was moving around in the kitchen was certainly not troubling to do so.
"That's true.They can't be burglars,otherwise they would've tried to be stealthy.",said Theodore Nott at the Slytherin table.
He snatched up his wand from his bedside table and stood facing his bedroom door, listening with all his might. Next moment he umped as the lock gave a loud click and his door swung open.
The tension in the hall had gone up.
Harry stood motionless, staring through the open door at the dark upstairs landing, straining his ears for further sounds, but none came. He hesitated for a moment and then moved swiftly and silently out of his room to the head of the stairs.
His heart shot upward into his throat. There were people standing in the shadowy hall below, silhouetted against the streetlight glowing through the glass door; eight or nine of them, all, as far as he could see, looking up at him.
"Lower your wand, boy, before you take someone's eye out," said a low, growling voice.
"So whoever it is,is a wizard.",said Ernie.
Harry's heart was thumping uncontrollably. He knew that voice,but he did not lower his wand.
"Professor Moody?" he said uncertainly.
Everyone looked at Moody,who glared back especially with his blue eye,causing the looks to be redirected towards the book.
"I don't know so much about 'Professor,' " growled the voice, "never got round to much teaching, did I? Get down here, we want to see you properly."
"What does he mean,never got to teaching?Didn't he teach us the previous year?",asked Michael.Everyone had the same confusion, except Harry, Ron, Hermione, McGonagall, Snape and Dumbledore.
Harry lowered his wand slightly but did not relax his grip on it, nor did he move. He had very good reason to be suspicious. He had recently spent nine months in what he had thought was Mad-Eye Moody's company only to find out that it wasn't Moody at all, but an impostor; an impostor, moreover, who had tried to kill Harry before being unmasked.
"WHAT??!!",exclaimed everyone who didn't know about the fake Moody saga.There were looks of outrage and alarm.
The teachers who didn't know about this were alarmed.They didn't know that the Moody who had spent a whole year alongside them had been a Death Eater in disguise.
"Are you telling me,that the Moody who taught us last year,wasn't Moody?!",exclaimed Lavender.
"It's true.The Death Eater who taught us disguised as Moody was Barty Crouch Jr.",said Harry darkly.
"Wait,isn't Crouch Jr dead?",asked Amelia.
"Crouch Jr's mother had managed to get his son sneaked out of prison.Crouch Jr spent a long period of time being under the Imperius Curse of his father.At one point,Crouch Jr joined Voldemort and his Death Eaters,and they formed a plan to capture me,which involved the Goblet of Fire.He disguised himself as Professor Moody and amanged to enter Hogwarts,fooling all of us.",explained Harry.
"Harry is speaking the truth,Amelia.When we questioned him under Veritaserum,Crouch Jr told us about his plan.He admitted to enchanting the Goblet of Fire to accept Harry's name under a different school.He admitted to putting Harry's name in the Goblet of Fire.It wasn't until the very end when I figured out that Moody was an impostor and we captured him.",explained Dumbledore,who looked older than his actual age.
Everyone was alarmed by Harry and Dumbledore's explanations.The fact that a Death Eater had managed to disguise themselves as a teacher and stay hidden amongst the whole of Hogwarts was terrifying.
At the Hufflepuff table,the students were not only alarmed about Harry and Dumbledore's explanations,but also guilty about how they had shunned Harry and believed him to have put his name in the Goblet of Fire.They all planned to apologise to Harry after the reading was over.
Moody growled angrily.He was furious that Crouch Jr had managed to get the advantage on him and trap him in his own belongings.
"Why wasn't I informed about this,Albus?",asked Amelia incredulously.
"I was under the impression the Cornelius had informed you,considering that he not only witnessed Crouch Jr,but even brought along a dementor to give Crouch Jr the Kiss.",said Dumbledore,shooting a look towards Fudge.
"Excuse me,Cornelius?Who gave you the authority to bring in a dementor without my permission?Have you forgotten that every criminal needs a proper trial and should be sentenced to Azkaban before giving them the Dementor's Kiss?",asked Amelia in a dangerous tone.
Fudge was sweating.He was in big trouble.
"We are going to have a proper discussion about your running of the Ministry, Cornelius.",said Amelia.Fudge nodded, completely pale.
"So are you telling me,that the one who bounced me around and transfigured me,was a Death Eater?!",said Malfoy,who was furious.
Everyone shot him incredulous looks."You're more worried about being transformed into a ferret by a Death Eater,which you deserved that day,than the fact that said Death Eater could've easily killed anyone?!",said Ron.
Everyone nodded in approval at Ron's words.Malfoy had the decency to keep quiet,though he shot a withering glare at Ron.The voice continued to read.
But before he could make a decision about what to do next, a second, slightly hoarse voice floated upstairs.
"It's all right, Harry. We've come to take you away."
Harry's heart leapt. He knew that voice too, though he hadn't heard it for more than a year.
"P-Professor Lupin?" he said disbelievingly. "Is that you?"
Everyone cheered at the mention of Remus,who blushed yet smiled.
"The best DADA professor we've ever had!",said Cho Chang.
Umbridge sneered.
"Why are we all standing in the dark?" said a third voice, this one completely unfamiliar, a woman's. "Lumos."
A wand tip flared, illuminating the hall with magical light. Harry blinked. The people below were crowded around the foot of the stairs,gazing intently up at him, some craning their heads for a better look.
Remus Lupin stood nearest to him. Though still quite young, Lupin looked tired and rather ill; he had more gray hair than when Harry had said good-bye to him, and his robes were more patched and shabbier than ever. Nevertheless, he was smiling broadly at Harry, who tried to smile back through his shock.
"Oooh, he looks just like I thought he would," said the witch who was holding her lit wand aloft. She looked the youngest there; she had a pale heart-shaped face, dark twinkling eyes, and short spiky hair that was a violent shade of violet. "Wotcher, Harry!"
"Yeah, I see what you mean, Remus," said a bald black wizard standing farthest back; he had a deep, slow voice and wore a single gold hoop in his ear. "He looks exactly like James."
"Except the eyes," said a wheezy-voiced, silver-haired wizard at the back. "Lily's eyes."
The people who knew James and Lily and their appearances nodded.Harry looked a lot like James,but he had Lily's emerald green eyes.
Mad-Eye Moody, who had long grizzled gray hair and a large chunk missing from his nose, was squinting suspiciously at Harry through his mismatched eyes. One of the eyes was small, dark, and beady, the other large, round, and electric blue — the magical eye that could see through walls, doors, and the back of Moody's own head.
"Are you quite sure it's him, Lupin?" he growled. "It'd be a nice lookout if we bring back some Death Eater impersonating him. We ought to ask him something only the real Potter would know. Unless anyone brought any Veritaserum?"
"Good.Make sure it's really him before taking any action.",said Amelia,nodding in approval.
"Harry, what form does your Patronus take?" said Lupin.
"A security question.Good.",thought the Aurors and Amelia.
"A stag," said Harry nervously.
"That's him, Mad-Eye," said Lupin.
Harry descended the stairs, very conscious of everybody still staring at him, stowing his wand into the back pocket of his jeans as he came.
"Don't put your wand there, boy!" roared Moody. "What if it ignited? Better wizards than you have lost buttocks, you know!"
"Easy,Alastor.No need to scare the kid now.",said Kingsley,whow as amused.
"He's right though.Better to be on your guard.You never know when someone could come out of nowhere.",said Harry.
Moody nodded in agreement to his past self's and Harry's words.
"Who d'you know who's lost a buttock?" the violet-haired woman asked Mad-Eye interestedly.
"Never you mind, you just keep your wand out of your back pocket!" growled Mad-Eye. "Elementary wand safety, nobody bothers about it anymore. . . ." He stumped off toward the kitchen. "And I saw that," he added irritably, as the woman rolled her eyes at the ceiling.
Lupin held out his hand and shook Harry's.
"How are you?" he asked, looking at Harry closely.
"F-fine . . ."
Harry could hardly believe this was real. Four weeks with nothing,not the tiniest hint of a plan to remove him from Privet Drive, and suddenly a whole bunch of wizards was standing matter-of-factly in the house as though this were a long-standing arrangement. He glanced at the people surrounding Lupin; they were still gazing avidly at him. He felt very conscious of the fact that he had not combed his hair for four days.
"I'm — you're really lucky the Dursleys are out . . ." he mumbled.
"Lucky, ha!" said the violet-haired woman. "It was me that lured them out of the way. Sent a letter by Muggle post telling them they'd been short-listed for the All-England Best-Kept Suburban Lawn Competition. They're heading off to the prize-giving right now. . . .Or they think they are."
Everyone laughed.
"So the Dursleys were fooled into thinking that they were selected for some competition?",asked Lee between fits of laughter.
"Seems like that",said George,who was laughing madly.
Harry had a fleeting vision of Uncle Vernon's face when he realized there was no All-England Best-Kept Suburban Lawn Competition.
The laughter which had managed to stop,came back roaring again.Even the professors were amused.
"We are leaving, aren't we?" he asked. "Soon?"
"Almost at once," said Lupin, "we're just waiting for the all-clear."
"Where are we going? The Burrow?" Harry asked hopefully.
"I really love the Burrow.It's warm and cosy there.",said Harry.Hermione agreed with him;she too loved the Burrow.The Weasley kids grinned at them.
"Not the Burrow, no," said Lupin, motioning Harry toward the kitchen; the little knot of wizards followed, all still eyeing Harry curiously. "Too risky. We've set up headquarters somewhere undetectable.It's taken a while. . . ."
Mad-Eye Moody was now sitting at the kitchen table swigging from a hip flask, his magical eye spinning in all directions, taking in the Dursleys' many labor-saving appliances.
"This is Alastor Moody, Harry," Lupin continued, pointing toward Moody.
"Yeah, I know," said Harry uncomfortably; it felt odd to be introduced to somebody he'd thought he'd known for a year.
"And this is Nymphadora —"
"Don't call me Nymphadora, Remus," said the young witch with a shudder. "It's Tonks."
"— Nymphadora Tonks, who prefers to be known by her surname only," finished Lupin.
"So would you if your fool of a mother had called you 'Nymphadora,' " muttered Tonks.
"Why don't you like to be called by that name?",asked a random third year.Tonks didn't answer,which made it clear that she simply didn't like that name.
"And this is Kingsley Shacklebolt" — he indicated the tall black wizard, who bowed — "Elphias Doge" — the wheezy-voiced wizard nodded — "Dedalus Diggle —"
"We've met before," squeaked the excitable Diggle, dropping his top hat.
"When did you two meet each other?",asked Hermione.
"Back in my first year,when I visited Diagon Alley with Hagrid for the first time.",said Harry.
"— Emmeline Vance" — a stately looking witch in an emerald-green shawl inclined her head — "Sturgis Podmore" — a square-jawed wizard with thick, straw-colored hair winked — "and Hestia Jones." A pink-cheeked, black-haired witch waved from next to the toaster.
Harry inclined his head awkwardly at each of them as they were introduced. He wished they would look at something other than him; it was as though he had suddenly been ushered onstage. He also wondered why so many of them were there.
"A surprising number of people volunteered to come and get you," said Lupin, as though he had read Harry's mind; the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.
"It might be because considering you're You-Know-Who's prime target,every Death Eater out there would be aiming to get you,so your protection and safety is clearly their topmost priority.",said Ron.
The Aurors looked at Ron,impressed by his reasoning."This boy can do really well if he were to be trained about strategies",said Moody.Kingsley and Tonks nodded.
"Yeah, well, the more the better," said Moody darkly. "We're your guard, Potter."
"We're just waiting for the signal to tell us it's safe to set off," said Lupin, glancing out of the kitchen window. "We've got about fifteen minutes."
"Very clean, aren't they, these Muggles?" said the witch called Tonks, who was looking around the kitchen with great interest. "My dad's Muggle-born and he's a right old slob. I suppose it varies, just like with wizards?"
"Er — yeah," said Harry. "Look" — he turned back to Lupin — "what's going on, I haven't heard anything from anyone, what's Vol — ?"
Several of the witches and wizards made odd hissing noises;
Dedalus Diggle dropped his hat again, and Moody growled, "Shut up!"
"What?" said Harry.
"We're not discussing anything here, it's too risky," said Moody,turning his normal eye on Harry; his magical eye remained pointing up at the ceiling. "Damn it," he added angrily, putting a hand up to the magical eye, "it keeps sticking — ever since that scum wore it —"
And with a nasty squelching sound much like a plunger being pulled from a sink, he popped out his eye.
"Ew",said a few people.Moody scowled,while Tonks laughed.
"Mad-Eye, you do know that's disgusting, don't you?" said Tonks conversationally.
"Get me a glass of water, would you, Harry?" asked Moody.
Harry crossed to the dishwasher, took out a clean glass, and filled it with water at the sink, still watched eagerly by the band of wizards.Their relentless staring was starting to annoy him.
"Cheers," said Moody, when Harry handed him the glass. He dropped the magical eyeball into the water and prodded it up and down; the eye whizzed around, staring at them all in turn. "I want three-hundred-and-sixty degrees visibility on the return journey."
"How're we getting — wherever we're going?" Harry asked.
"Brooms," said Lupin. "Only way. You're too young to Apparate,they'll be watching the Floo Network, and it's more than our life's worth to set up an unauthorized Portkey."
"Remus says you're a good flier," said Kingsley Shacklebolt in his deep voice.
"He's excellent," said Lupin, who was checking his watch. "Anyway, you'd better go and get packed, Harry, we want to be ready to go when the signal comes."
"I'll come and help you," said Tonks brightly.
She followed Harry back into the hall and up the stairs, looking around with much curiosity and interest.
"Funny place," she said, "it's a bit too clean, d'you know what I mean? Bit unnatural. Oh, this is better," she added, as they entered Harry's bedroom and he turned on the light.His room was certainly much messier than the rest of the house.
Those who had messy rooms in their houses chuckled.
Confined to it for four days in a very bad mood, Harry had not bothered tidying up after himself. Most of the books he owned were strewn over the floor where he'd tried to distract himself with each in turn and thrown it aside. Hedwig's cage needed cleaning out and was starting to smell, and his trunk lay open, revealing a jumbled mixture of Muggle clothes and wizard's robes that had spilled onto the floor around it.
Harry started picking up books and throwing them hastily into his trunk. Tonks paused at his open wardrobe to look critically at her reflection in the mirror on the inside of the door.
"You know, I don't think purple's really my color," she said pensively, tugging at a lock of spiky hair. "D'you think it makes me look a bit peaky?"
"Er —" said Harry, looking up at her over the top of Quidditch Teams of Britain and Ireland.
"Yeah, it does," said Tonks decisively. She screwed up her eyes in a strained expression as though she were struggling to remember something. A second later, her hair had turned bubble-gum pink.
"How did you do that?" said Harry, gaping at her as she opened her eyes again.
"I think she's a Metamorphmagus.",said Luna.
"I'm a Metamorphmagus," she said, looking back at her reflection and turning her head so that she could see her hair from all directions.
Luna smiled.
"It means I can change my appearance at will," she added, spotting Harry's puzzled expression in the mirror behind her. "I was born one.I got top marks in Concealment and Disguise during Auror training without any study at all, it was great."
"Wasn't that unfair on those who didn't have Metamorphmagus abilities?",asked Seamus,frowning."Not that I'm against anyone having such abilities,but it would be kinda unfair to the others.".
Amelia couldn't he'll but feel that Seamus had a point."We'll look into it and try to make some amendments.",she promised.
"You're an Auror?" said Harry, impressed. Being a Dark wizard Catcher was the only career he'd ever considered after Hogwarts.
"Being an Auror isn't the only career available after your education,Mr Potter.",assured Professor McGonagall."There are other careers available too.".
"Yeah,you could consider playing for any Quidditch Team out there.",suggested Ron.
"Or maybe you can take on the role of a journalist or something like that",suggested Ginny.
"There are other jobs such as becoming a professor too.",suggested Hermione.
"Thanks a lot,guys.I'll look into them when I get time.",said Harry.
"Yeah," said Tonks, looking proud. "Kingsley is as well; he's a bit higher up than I am, though. I only qualified a year ago. Nearly failed on Stealth and Tracking, I'm dead clumsy, did you hear me break that plate when we arrived downstairs?"
"Yep,we did.",said a few people with chuckles.
"Can you learn how to be a Metamorphmagus?" Harry asked her, straightening up, completely forgetting about packing.
Tonks chuckled.
"Bet you wouldn't mind hiding that scar sometimes, eh?"
Her eyes found the lightning-shaped scar on Harry's forehead.
"No, I wouldn't mind," Harry mumbled, turning away. He did not like people staring at his scar.
Everyone looked at Harry,surprised by his words."It's true,I don't like it when people stare at my scar.",said Harry.
Snape and the Slytherins stared at him subtly with surprise. "Maybe Potter's not so arrogant as we thought",they thought.
"Well, you'll have to learn the hard way, I'm afraid," said Tonks.
"Metamorphmagi are really rare, they're born, not made. Most wizards need to use a wand or potions to change their appearance. . . .But we've got to get going, Harry, we're supposed to be packing," she added guiltily, looking around at all the mess on the floor.
"Oh — yeah," said Harry, grabbing up a few more books.
"Don't be stupid, it'll be much quicker if I — pack!" cried Tonks,waving her wand in a long, sweeping movement over the floor.
Books, clothes, telescope, and scales all soared into the air and flew pell-mell into the trunk.
The first years,second years and third years were all in awe at the spell,and made notes to mark down every spell they would learn about in this book.
"It's not very neat," said Tonks, walking over to the trunk and looking down at the jumble inside. "My mum's got this knack of getting stuff to fit itself in neatly — she even gets the socks to fold themselves — but I've never mastered how she does it — it's a kind of flick —"
She flicked her wand hopefully; one of Harry's socks gave a feeble sort of wiggle and flopped back on top of the mess within.
"Ah, well," said Tonks, slamming the trunk's lid shut, "at least it's all in. That could do with a bit of cleaning, too — Scourgify —" She pointed her wand at Hedwig's cage; a few feathers and droppings vanished. "Well, that's a bit better — I've never quite got the hang of these sort of householdy spells. Right — got everything? Cauldron? Broom? Wow! A Firebolt?"
Harry and the Gryffindors grinned at the mention of his Firebolt.
The Gryffindor Quidditch Team cheered,while the other teams grumbled about fast brooms.
Her eyes widened as they fell on the broomstick in Harry's right hand. It was his pride and joy, a gift from Sirius, an international standard broomstick.
Harry and Sirius grinned at each other."Thanks again!",said Harry,as Sirius hugged him.
"And I'm still riding a Comet Two Sixty," said Tonks enviously. "Ah well . . . wand still in your jeans? Both buttocks still on? Okay, let's go.Locomotor Trunk."
Harry's trunk rose a few inches into the air. Holding her wand like a conductor's baton, Tonks made it hover across the room and out of the door ahead of them, Hedwig's cage in her left hand. Harry followed her down the stairs carrying his broomstick.
Back in the kitchen, Moody had replaced his eye, which was spinning so fast after its cleaning it made Harry feel sick. Kingsley Shacklebolt and Sturgis Podmore were examining the microwave and Hestia Jones was laughing at a potato peeler she had come across while rummaging in the drawers. Lupin was sealing a letter addressed to the Dursleys.
"Excellent," said Lupin, looking up as Tonks and Harry entered.
"We've got about a minute, I think. We should probably get out into the garden so we're ready. Harry, I've left a letter telling your aunt and uncle not to worry —"
"They won't," said Harry.
"That you're safe —"
"That'll just depress them."
"— and you'll see them next summer."
"Do I have to?"
Everyone frowned at the mention of the Dursleys.By now it was clear that Harry hated them;and with good reason.
"I can assure you Mr Potter,you won't be returning to the Dursleys ever again.",said McGonagall,glaring at Dumbledore and daring him to disagree.
Lupin smiled but made no answer.
"Come here, boy," said Moody gruffly, beckoning Harry toward him with his wand. "I need to Disillusion you."
"You need to what?" said Harry nervously.
"Disillusionment Charm," said Moody, raising his wand. "Lupin says you've got an Invisibility Cloak, but it won't stay on while we're flying; this'll disguise you better. Here you go —"
He rapped Harry hard on the top of the head and Harry felt a curious sensation as though Moody had just smashed an egg there; cold trickles seemed to be running down his body from the point the wand had struck.
Everyone nodded.Better to have Harry disillusioned and covered up to avoid him getting caught by any Death Eaters.
"Nice one, Mad-Eye," said Tonks appreciatively, staring at Harry's midriff.
Harry looked down at his body, or rather, what had been his body,for it didn't look anything like his anymore. It was not invisible; it had simply taken on the exact color and texture of the kitchen unit behind him. He seemed to have become a human chameleon.
"Come on," said Moody, unlocking the back door with his wand.
They all stepped outside onto Uncle Vernon's beautifully kept lawn.
"I wonder how your uncle would feel if he ever found out that a bunch of wizards set foot into his lawn,considering that he hates us lot.",Ron whispered to Harry.
Harry snickered at the thought,drawing a few people's attention his way,but he shook his head,motioning for them to ignore him.
"Clear night," grunted Moody, his magical eye scanning the heavens. "Could've done with a bit more cloud cover. Right, you," he barked at Harry, "we're going to be flying in close formation. Tonks'll be right in front of you, keep close on her tail. Lupin'll be covering you from below. I'm going to be behind you. The rest'll be circling us.We don't break ranks for anything, got me? If one of us is killed —"
"Is that likely?" Harry asked apprehensively, but Moody ignored him.
"— the others keep flying, don't stop, don't break ranks. If they take out all of us and you survive, Harry, the rear guard are standing by to take over; keep flying east and they'll join you."
"Stop being so cheerful, Mad-Eye, he'll think we're not taking this seriously," said Tonks, as she strapped Harry's trunk and Hedwig's cage into a harness hanging from her broom.
"I'm just telling the boy the plan," growled Moody. "Our job's to deliver him safely to headquarters and if we die in the attempt —"
"I'm gonna take a guess and say that no one died,considering that almost everyone here seems to be alive.",said Zacharias Smith.
"No one's going to die," said Kingsley Shacklebolt in his deep,calming voice.
"Mount your brooms, that's the first signal!" said Lupin sharply,pointing into the sky.
Far, far above them, a shower of bright red sparks had flared among the stars. Harry recognized them at once as wand sparks. He swung his right leg over his Firebolt, gripped its handle tightly, and felt it vibrating very slightly, as though it was as keen as he was to be up in the air once more.
Harry and all the Quidditch lovers smiled.It was a totally different feeling of excitement when you were about to ride on a Quidditch broom,especially the Firebolt.
"Second signal, let's go!" said Lupin loudly, as more sparks, green this time, exploded high above them.
Harry kicked off hard from the ground. The cool night air rushed through his hair as the neat square gardens of Privet Drive fell away,shrinking rapidly into a patchwork of dark greens and blacks, and every thought of the Ministry hearing was swept from his mind as though the rush of air had blown it out of his head. He felt as though his heart was going to explode with pleasure; he was flying again, flying away from Privet Drive as he'd been fantasizing about all summer,he was going home. . . . For a few glorious moments, all his problems seemed to recede into nothing, insignificant in the vast, starry sky.
All the Quidditch lovers,including Harry smiled widely.There was no better feeling than flying on your Quidditch brooms in the air.
"Hard left, hard left, there's a Muggle looking up!" shouted Moody from behind him. Tonks swerved and Harry followed her, watching his trunk swinging wildly beneath her broom. "We need more height. . . . Give it another quarter of a mile!"
Many people nodded.They couldn't afford to be seen by the Muggles.
Harry's eyes watered in the chill as they soared upward; he could see nothing below now but tiny pinpricks of light that were car headlights and streetlamps. Two of those tiny lights might belong to Uncle Vernon's car. . . . The Dursleys would be heading back to their empty house right now, full of rage about the nonexistent lawn competition. . . and Harry laughed aloud at the thought, though his voice was drowned by the flapping of the others' robes, the creaking of the harness holding his trunk and the cage, the whoosh of the wind in their ears as they sped through the air.
Everyone laughed at the mental thoughts of the Dursleys getting angry that they had been tricked.
He had not felt this alive in a month,or this happy. . . .
Harry was shot many sympathetic looks from the rest of the hall.
"Bearing south!" shouted Mad-Eye. "Town ahead!"
They soared right, so that they did not pass directly over the glittering spiderweb of lights below.
"Bear southeast and keep climbing, there's some low cloud ahead we can lose ourselves in!" called Moody.
"We're not going through clouds!" shouted Tonks angrily. "We'll get soaked, Mad-Eye!"
Harry was relieved to hear her say this; his hands were growing numb on the Firebolt's handle. He wished he had thought to put on a coat; he was starting to shiver.
They altered their course every now and then according to Mad-Eye's instructions. Harry's eyes were screwed up against the rush of icy wind that was starting to make his ears ache. He could remember being this cold on a broom only once before, during the Quidditch match against Hufflepuff in his third year, which had taken place in a storm. The guard around him was circling continuously like giant birds of prey. Harry lost track of time. He wondered how long they had been flying; it felt like an hour at least.
"Turning southwest!" yelled Moody. "We want to avoid the motorway!"
Harry was now so chilled that he thought longingly for a moment of the snug, dry interiors of the cars streaming along below, then, even more longingly, of traveling by Floo powder; it might be uncomfortable to spin around in fireplaces but it was at least warm in the flames. . . . Kingsley Shacklebolt swooped around him, bald pate and earring gleaming slightly in the moonlight. . . . Now Emmeline Vance was on his right, her wand out, her head turning left and right . . . then she too swooped over him, to be replaced by Sturgis Podmore. . . .
"We ought to double back for a bit, just to make sure we're not being followed!" Moody shouted.
"ARE YOU MAD, MAD-EYE?" Tonks screamed from the front.
There were a few snickers,but Tonks glared around the hall,making everyone shut up.
"We're all frozen to our brooms! If we keep going off course we're not going to get there until next week! We're nearly there now!"
"Time to start the descent!" came Lupin's voice. "Follow Tonks,Harry!"
Harry followed Tonks into a dive. They were heading for the largest collection of lights he had yet seen, a huge, sprawling, crisscrossing mass, glittering in lines and grids, interspersed with patches of deepest black. Lower and lower they flew, until Harry could see individual headlights and streetlamps, chimneys, and television aerials. He wanted to reach the ground very much, though he felt sure that someone would have to unfreeze him from his broom.
"It's sort of true.The cold was too much.I really should've worn a coat while flying.",said Harry.
"Welcome to London.",said Hermione.
"Here we go!" called Tonks, and a few seconds later she had landed.
Harry touched down right behind her and dismounted on a patch of unkempt grass in the middle of a small square. Tonks was already unbuckling Harry's trunk.Shivering, Harry looked around. The grimy fronts of the surrounding houses were not welcoming; some of them had broken windows, glimmering dully in the light from the streetlamps, paint was peeling from many of the doors, and heaps of rubbish lay outside several sets of front steps.
"Where are we?" Harry asked, but Lupin said quietly, "In a minute."
Moody was rummaging in his cloak, his gnarled hands clumsy with cold.
"Got it," he muttered, raising what looked like a silver cigarette lighter into the air and clicking it.
The nearest streetlamp went out with a pop. He clicked the unlighter again; the next lamp went out. He kept clicking until every lamp in the square was extinguished and the only light in the square came from curtained windows and the sickle moon overhead.
"Borrowed it from Dumbledore," growled Moody, pocketing the Put-Outer. "That'll take care of any Muggles looking out of the window, see? Now, come on, quick."
"It's called a deluminator,Harry.",said Dumbledore chuckling.
"What does this deluminator do,sir?",asked a first year named Derek.
"Well Derek,my deluminator can be used to absorb and release any light from sources of light such as lamps.",said Dumbledore.
The first year nodded while everyone else mentally filed the information for later reference.
He took Harry by the arm and led him from the patch of grass, across the road, and onto the pavement. Lupin and Tonks followed, carrying Harry's trunk between them, the rest of the guard, all with their wands out, flanking them.
The muffled pounding of a stereo was coming from an upper window in the nearest house. A pungent smell of rotting rubbish came from the pile of bulging bin-bags just inside the broken gate.
A few students wrinkled their noses in disgust.
"Here," Moody muttered, thrusting a piece of parchment toward Harry's Disillusioned hand and holding his lit wand close to it, so as to illuminate the writing. "Read quickly and memorize."
Everyone leaned closer in interest,while all the Order members shot looks at each other.The Order of the Phoenix was about to be revealed.
Harry looked down at the piece of paper. The narrow handwriting was vaguely familiar. It said:
The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London.
"The Order of the Phoenix has been revealed",was the thought going amongst all the Order members.Suddenly another flash of light appeared,and disappeared to reveal Molly and Arthur Weasley,along with Bill,Percy and Charlie.
The Weasleys exchanged greetings with their children and they all say together.Rom filled in Molly,Arthur,Bill and Charlie,while Percy went over to sit alongside the minister.
"What's the Order of the Phoenix?",asked Terry.
"The Order of the Phoenix was a group established during the previous war against Lord Voldemort.", began Dumbledore, ignoring the flinches at Voldemort's name.It was established with the intent of fighting Voldemort and his Death Eaters.Many families and Aurors joined this group with the intent of fighting the Death Easters and ending Voldemort's reign of terror.
"Sadly We lost many good people in the war.Familues such as the Bones,the Longbottoms,the Prewetts,the Potter's and other families lost members to the war.",said Dumbledore,looking his age.
The mentioned families' members looked down sadly,the memories of that darkness becoming clear in their minds.
"Which families lost their people,sir?",asked a timid second year.
Dumbledore closed his eyes painfully."Fabeon and Gideon Prewett,two of our bravest members,were murdered by five Death Eaters,led by Antonin Dolohov. We lost Elgar Bones and his wife.Frank and Alice Longbottom,the only two people who defied Voldemort at least three times alongside the Potter's,were tortured into insanity by Bellatrix Lestrange,Barty Crouch Jr,l and the two Lestrange brothers: Rabastan and Rodulphus."
At the mention of the Prewett brother,the Weasleys looked down sadly,and Molly was in tears,remembering how her two brothers had given their lives.Arthur out a hand around her,and comforted her.Many people looked towards them in sympathy.
Amelia and Susan were equally sad,and Susan was being comforted by Hannah,Justin and the other Hufflepuffs.
At the reveal of Neville's parents being tortured into insanity,everyone looked towards Neville in shock,horror and sadness.Neville looked down in sadness,tears in his eyes and his mind full of bitterness for the Death Eaters,especially Bellatrix Lestrange.He vowed to avenge his parents.
Hermione put an arm around him,comforting him."It's alright,Neville",said Hermione.
Around the hall,there was a feeling of quietness and sadness,as the full impact and repercussions of the First Wizarding War hit the minds of those who hadn't known anything.
The younger students,including the first years and the second years were horrified.The third and fourth years who knew very less,were just saddened by how many people they had lost.
"Those were extremely dark times.It was hard to tell whom to trust and whom to not. There were times when a person would return to his house only to find the Dark Mark right above his homeland everyone from his family murdered.",said Amelia darkly.
All the adults nodded in agreement,with equally dark looks on their faces.The First War would always be a dark memory which they wouldn't forget.
"Which is why we have to be prepared for this war more than ever.",said Dumbledore, gaining the hall's attention.He looked grave.
"As much as many of you may not believe,Voldemort is back.And this time he would be stronger than ever.We have to be united."
"HE'S NOT BACK!",bellowed Fudge angrily,but that was when the voice spoke up in a dark voice.
"Minister,I would take my words back if I were you.These books will prove to you that he's truly back.You have spent a lot of time carrying out smear campaigns against Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore,who have been speaking the truth.If I were you,I would stop this nonsense at once,and I would actually investigate the claims they're making,instead of keeping our heads in the sand.",said the voice in a dangerous tone.
Fudge gulped,but said nothing.
"How dare you speak against our minister?!",snarled Umbridge.
"Ah,Dolores Umbridge.You don't have much time,considering that you'll probably be in Azkaban by the time this book is done. Not after what you did to Harry gets revealed.", said the voice.
Unbridge paled,as everyone looked at her.
"Dolores,what's this I am hearing about you and Mr Potter?",asked Professor McGonagall in a calm,deadly voice.
"N-nothing,Minerva.The voice is lying.",stuttered Umbridge,but the voice snorted.
"Don't worry,professor McGonagall.I believe the next few chapters will include some of her dirty actions.",siad the voice.
"Very well",said McGonagall."We shall see.".
Umbridge was sweating on the inside.She was done for.Once the information about her detentions with Harry came out,there would be nowhere to run.
"Let's take a break for now,everyone.Tuck in!",said Dumbledore,as lunch appeared,and the students and adults began to eat.