Greetings my rabid readers. As you notice I'm posting somewhat earlier than usual, well time constraints and all that if I want to maintain posting before Wednesday, but I doubt that anyone's complaining with the slight boost of time. Well, Year Six is about to draw to a close, and I myself am nearly finished writing Year Seven, which is a great thing for those of you who love this series. Please, keep leaving those wonderful reviews, and look for the new story that'll come out in 2 weeks along with the epilogue of Six. Till then, Enjoy!
Chapter Seventeen
Picking up the Pieces
Harry awoke groggily, a small pile of rubble rolling off of him as he slowly sat up.
"Ha…Harry!" someone coughed near him, and the green eyed boy turned slightly to see Faykan crawling toward him in the near darkness, a soft glow from his staff illuminating the immediate area around them. The ceiling was also frighteningly close to them, and somewhere far off the sound of grinding stone could be heard.
"I'm here!" he called, sputtering as dust entered his mouth. Harry reached for his wand to light it as well, but the wood felt very different from when he last held it. "Lumos…" he said, but nothing happened. Trying two more times, Harry started to grow desperate when his wand refused to function.
"Why won't it work?!" he said angrily, beating the holly wand against his leg. Not even sparks would shoot out of the end.
Faykan finally reached him, and in the light from the staff, Harry got his first good look at what befell his holly and phoenix feather wand. The wood was charred, with porous hole all over the length of it, which accounted for why it felt so much lighter than before. "My wand…" Harry said in confusion and mounting despair, "what happened?"
"I'm not certain," Faykan admitted, "It's too dim for me to make out for certain, but I know you overdid your spell, the backlash from that portal was enough to collapse the room and knock out the ward preventing the castle from suffering structural damage. This'll take quite a while for anyone to repair…" he added blandly, glancing around.
Harry started to examine the ruin of the storage room. The doorway back to the corridor was completely blocked, but the air smelled fresh, which meant that they were in no danger of suffocation. Three of the walls seemed to have survived, but the ceiling seemed to have given way where the portal had stood, crashing upon into the rear wall and taking it down with it.
It seemed that both wizards had luckily been spared the worst of the cave in, but Faykan was concerned with trying to move any of the stone by magic. Who knew but with one wrong shift the whole lot would fall the rest of the way and crush them to death.
"We may be stuck here for a while until the last of the orcs are disposed of and someone comes looking for us," Faykan concluded, settling in for a long wait, when sounds from outside in the corridor started.
"Hello? Is someone in there?" young voices called, and Harry heard the slight grind of stone as the people outside moved away some of the smaller pieces of rubble from the entrance.
"Yes, we're in here, we need the Professors help. Please hurry!" Faykan called in response, and many feet went dashing away. Harry shifted to try and crawl closer to the entrance, when pain shot through his body, radiating from his legs. Apparently he hadn't escaped injury as he had first presumed. Gingerly inspecting the limbs, Harry determined that he had a shattered thigh on his right side, and a crushed ankle on the left. Now that he had agitated them, the pain rushed through his system.
"Harry?" Faykan said urgently as Harry cried out at the agony.
"My legs…" Harry said through gritted teeth, trying to prevent himself from crying out again. Every inch was on fire, and as Faykan drew closer, Harry started to make out the blood seeping out from under his pants.
"Keep still; I'll see what I can do to stabilize this until we can get out of here." Faykan said calmly, shrinking his staff to a wand's size and slowly drawing it back and forth over Harry's legs. His spell was silent, but Harry felt a peaceful numbness crawl up both limbs.
Faykan didn't look overly pleased with his work, "Well, at least you're not in pain at the moment, and they're immobilized now so that nothing happens until Madam Pomfrey can look at them."
For several long minutes they sat in silence, with only the small light from Faykan's wand illuminating them. Harry wondered momentarily how long it would be until the Professors made it to help them out of here.
"Well," Faykan said optimistically, glancing in the direction that the door to the corridor lay, and then back at Harry, "I suppose we have nothing better to do for a while, and you've had a lot of information dumped on you in the last few hours. Is there anything I could clarify while we wait?"
Harry couldn't help but laugh at the blasé manner that Faykan had about their situation. He did indeed have many questions, but one underlay everything that he ever wanted to know concerning the strange life he had led since meeting Faykan nearly a decade ago.
"Was this task of guiding and guarding me your only motivation for first befriending me?" he asked gently, trying to convey the question without accusation. It must have worked, as Faykan only gave him a small smile before he answered softly.
"At first it was, long before you remember meeting me at least. I was there when Albus deposited you at the Dursleys you know, watching from the shadows. The Valar had guided me to you at that moment. When I first saw you I knew already the amount of pain that you would pass through, physical and emotional, and it pained me greatly to know that I would watch passively as you went through it all.
But, I could not leave it at that, my heart would break if I was to allow you to suffer so needlessly. Even as I stood there, becoming familiar with your magical signature so I could locate you at any time I needed to, the words of a spell formed in my mind, I am certain now that the Valar themselves inspired it in me. Without a second though I cast it upon you, and only afterward did I realize the supreme mercy of my masters."
Faykan paused, and Harry could see the glistening of tears in his best friend's eyes reflecting the wandlight. "The spell bound us together," he said a few moments later, "Our magic became shared, and even in their plan they knew what would occur. My power would slowly undo all the enchantments that held you down, upsetting the game that Dumbledore initially designed to play with your life, while at the same time, I was touched by the gift of humanity, able to know what it was to care for another more than life itself…"
Pausing again, Faykan shook his head. "I never was the most personable of the Istari, you see. So many years walking the earth, watching those I grew closer to grow old and die while I remained the same, it changes one, hardens their heart somewhat, in self preservation. The Valar gave wondrous gifts to us both that Halloween night, a guide and protector for you, a softening of my hardened heart, and the beginnings of true friendship between us."
Chuckling to himself, Faykan smiled, "That bond between us grew daily, and I can honestly say that I've never had a greater friend than you, Harry, and I thank you for your kindness and example."
Harry smiled as well, grateful for the honesty in Faykan's voice as he told the tale of how they were drawn to each other. From there they talked about old times, in both Harry's lifetime and before, and Harry decided that his questions could hold off for a little while longer, until they were safe and rested to be able to accurately share and process the information.
As he thought this, Harry heard the sound of feet slapping stone approaching from the corridor. "Harry! Faykan!" Hermione's voice called from outside.
"We're here!" Harry and Faykan replied quickly.
"Professors! Over here!" she called, and the sounds of more people approaching could be heard. The grinding of stone returned, as well as the sounds of incantations. The ceiling groaned in protest at the shifting of rubble near the entrance. "Wait, stop! Listen!" a voice that Harry recognized as Professor McGonagall, commanded. All work ceased as the shifting of rock above continued.
"Harry, Faykan!" Hermione yelled, "We need you to support the rubble with magic while we clear away this spot, or the whole lot will collapse on you!"
"We can try!" Faykan shouted in response. Raising his wand as much as he could, Faykan began speaking in elvish while flicking his wand outward, casting levitation and lightweight charms over and over in quick succession. Harry assisted as best as he could in his condition, using wandless magic to back up Faykan's direction, and together they heaved upward. The rock ceiling slowly shifted a few inches away from them.
"Alright! Hurry!" Harry shouted, and the work outside began in earnest. Soon, torchlight from the corridor could be seen through widening cracks. The ceiling started to become very heavy, and Faykan reinforced his spells, relying on the extra strength that Harry freely offered.
Finally, with a mighty splintering of stone, the hole was wide enough for them both to see Professors Sprout, McGonagall and Flitwick, all of whom had their wands directed at the stone barricading the rooms apart.
When the rubble was cleared enough, Professor Flitwick darted inside, adding his strength to supporting the ceiling. Faykan wrapped his free arm around Harry, and slowly began scooting backward toward the corridor, dragging Harry as gently as possible toward freedom, with the diminutive Charms Master bringing up the rear.
When they were in the clear, Harry relaxed at last, and the ceiling crumbled down upon where they had been trapped with a resounding crash. "It'll take a lot of spell work to repair that damage," Flitwick said resolutely, eyeing the destruction. Hermione appeared, wrapping her arms around them both as she spoke a mile a minute, declaring how worried they were when the explosion happened, among other questions and explanations, far more than Harry could understand, let along respond to
Eventually, Ron pulled her off, and Faykan stood, working together with Draco to conjure a levitating stretcher underneath Harry to support him up to the Hospital Wing. The first thing Harry noticed from his strange perspective, lying flat on his back as they walked, was that all of his friends were favoring injuries, although none of them seemed to be overly serious or debilitating.
Bodies lined the corridors, mostly orcs, but Harry's heart fluttered every time he saw a human among the dead. It broke his heart at the number of Hogwarts uniforms were strewn about along their way. Thankfully, the student casualties were low, all things considered, but it still hurt to know that any of them had lost their lives in this attack that was directed at Harry himself.
By the time they reached the Entrance Hall, Harry had already counted five fallen students, along with several of the castle guards and numerous enchanted objects. Neville stood with his grandmother, who must have flooed in at the close of the battle who knew how long ago, and they were talking in relative whispers with the leader of the Beornings, who looked ready to throw himself around each of them in delight.
"I see Beornhelm found his lost family…" Harry commented tiredly, to which everyone around him grinned.
Many students stopped and stared as they passed, gawking at Faykan just as much as Harry. It reminded him greatly of their first full day at the castle, and the thought made him chuckle a bit at the silliness. Hermione and Ron broke off at some point to help direct the idle students away to return to the work of returning the castle to a near normal state, which had little effect on those who were nearest their precession up the stairs. Even Faykan had to chase a few younger years off when they started to follow behind like a sort of honor guard.
The castle was in a state of near devastation from the attack, but already Filch was hard at work sweeping rubble away into piles to be vanished by the next professor to walk by. Harry smiled to himself as he saw several students volunteer to help the old caretaker in repairing some of the more superficial damage to the corridors.
When they finally arrived in the hospital wing, Faykan and Draco help maneuver Harry onto one of the few open bed, ironically the same one that he had used for six years in a row now, and he was just getting settled when the Matron appeared from behind a curtained off area in the back, her eyes brimming with tears.
It didn't take too long for Harry to guess that Dumbledore's body was on the bed hidden behind those curtains.
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Draco knew he needed to be out assisting in the aftermath of the battle, but he felt that important information was about to be shared from his two close friends, and everyone else was away with other duties, so Draco felt that it was down to him to make sure that whatever they needed to know was transmitted to Ron and Hermione.
The rest of the Wealseys were present, huddled around their eldest brother, who had been attacked by Greyback shortly before the final push to the Entrance Hall. The man had jagged cuts along his face that would never heal perfectly, but his status as an infected werewolf remained to be decided, as the Fenrir was not transformed when he attacked the red headed man.
Harry seemed out of it somewhat, head lolling as Madam Pomfrey quickly bustled about, pressing Skelegrow to the boy's lips and mending the damage to his legs as quickly as she could. "You need to sleep Mr. Potter, so that the potion has time to work through your system. I'll get you dreamless sleep to help."
"Very good Poppy," Faykan said, "but not just yet. There's important information yet to be discussed, but I assure you he will take it within the hour." The Infirmary Matron glanced at the Istari with a confused stare, and nearly looked as though she would dispute the request.
"Yes," Professor McGonagall agreed quickly, "and you have much to explain, Mr. Undol, chiefly as to your continued survival…"
Faykan nodded at her solemnly as Madam Pomfrey departed to retrieve the potion. "Of course, Minerva, of course, but firstly we need to know what happened of the battle, how many lives have we lost, what damage to the castle?"
Over the course of several long minutes, the three Professors told of the students coming to wake them amid the chaos of the attack, and of the massive charge from the Astronomy Tower all the way down to the dungeons. In total, twenty three students had lost their lives in combat. Draco was relieved to hear that none were of the Weasley clan, or any of their closest friends, but they silently mourned the deaths none the less.
The school was to have a memorial the next day for those who fell, and the Hogwarts Express was to be summoned within the following week to transport all students home. Once those details were explained and well concluded, Professor McGonagall returned her attention to Faykan and Harry with a desperate plea in her eyes.
"Now that you've had your recount, I implore you both to explain all these strange happenings. How is it, Mr. Undol that you are alive after we witnessed the aftermath of your murder two years ago, and what has happened that you both were with Albus when he... when..." she fell silent at that, and Faykan placed a hand on her shoulder for comfort.
"While we cannot speak of what we were accomplishing with the Headmasters before this dreadful business began, I will glad tell you, and all of you," Faykan announced, grabbing the attention of Madam Pomfrey and the Weasley family nearby. He then launched into the tale that Draco, Harry and their friends had learned the previous year, of the miraculous rebirth that had occurred when Professor Snape had taken Faykan's body back to be burned in his ancestral home.
Draco noted that while Faykan told only the truth, he kept many details generalized to shroud the full implication of his words. "I always wondered how such a transfer of an upper year student had been allowed..." McGonagall had said, when Faykan mentioned his impersonation of the character Will Stanton, "But I would never have suspected this."
After this, Faykan slowly explained the events of what occurred when he, Harry and Dumbledore returned from their mysterious journey, including the battle with Bellatrix, Nott and a pair of Death Eaters on top of the Astronomy Tower.
The Metamorphmagus Tonks and Professor Lupin arrived during this part of the story, and Draco noticed that the pair were subtly holding hands as the story progressed. Harry took up the narrative as they arrived. "And Nott did it, he fired the Killing Curse at me, and Dumbledore stepped in the way. No yell, no spell, he just walked right into the path of it. And then..." Harry glanced at Faykan, who had taken great measures to avoid mentioning his status and abilities as an ancient Istari sent from the Valar, and he took Harry's shoulder as he continued.
"Harry must have broken what blocks were upon his magic from Voldemort's attack, as he unleashed such powerful magic that it sent the Death Eaters running. Severus arrived and grabbed Nott, I suspect that he wanted to save the young man in spite of the evil that tainted the boy's heart already. I felt such anger at the attack, that I saw a blinding light... and I can't remember anything until we wound up on the grounds where the Death Eaters had escaped out of the castle wards."
Somewhere outside in the dark night, Draco heard phoenix song; a stricken lament of terrible beauty and pain, and he felt the song reverberate within himself, giving his own grief a magical personification for all to hear across the grounds and through the windows of the castle.
"Are you certain there is nothing you can tell us about where or what you both were doing with Albus?" McGonagall implored, and Draco saw Faykan concede slightly in the small sigh he gave.
"All I can say is that we are furthering the defeat of Voldemort, and the victory of the Light in this war. There is little that you can do to help us in this task, but your support and desire to help at all warms our hearts. It is for you that we fight, and we will overcome the Darkness in the end. By the might of the Valar I swear it." Harry explained slowly.
That seemed to be enough to satisfy the Professors, who mentioned that they needed to prepare for the eventual arrival of the Minister and took their leave. The Weasleys, along with Madam Pomfrey also returned to the eldest boy across the room, leaving Draco, Harry and Faykan alone. "Drink your potion now Harry, and rest. You have a massive amount of magical energy to recover, and little time to do so in." Faykan urged, pressing the vial into Harry's hand.
The boy took without protest, and quickly fell into a deep sleep. Faykan watched the green eyed boy for a moment, before turning toward the curtained off area where Dumbledore's body lay. Draco, curious, slowly followed as Faykan approached, walking around the partition to see the Headmaster's body, peacefully arranged upon the bed, with spectacles and wand lying on the bedside table, along with a small locket of gold.
"I'll tell you, along with Hermione and Ron, the full truth of our adventure and quest when its time Draco, but for now you need to be as in the dark as the rest, just in case the Minister gets jumpy about wanting to know more than he needs." Faykan explained as he took the golden locket. He also lifted Dumbledore's wand from the table, and placed it gingerly in an inner pocket of his robe. "Some things should never have been gifted to the race of men," Faykan said absently, and Draco was unsure if the Istari was speaking to him or to empty air.
With a small look of sadness, Faykan turned his back on the body of the greatest Headmaster of Hogwarts, and departed with Draco in tow.
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All lessons from the night of the battle on were suspended, and their examinations postponed or outright cancelled. Before even the following day a great many students were taken by their parents from the castle grounds. Many, including the Patil twins and Michael Corner left without a word of protest, yet there were many more such as Seamus Finnegan who fought with their parents to remain till the service for Dumbledore and the others who fell during the battle.
The parents of these had to scramble to find lodging in Hogsmeade or nearby, and the small village quickly turned into a bustling way station in the days leading up to the services.
Hermione watched as many of the Professors, after being filled in somewhat as to the nature of Faykan's identity as the Light Lord of Germany, deferred to him as to the particulars of the memorial and funeral for Dumbledore, and the Ministry officials that constantly swarmed the school sought him out for a plethora of tiny issues that seemed to wear on the Istari's already thin patience.
For their part, the five Gryffindor friends tried their best to stay aloof of the explosion of activity in the days leading up to the funeral, with some exception for their friends and the occasional important issue that arose. Messages arrived daily by Crebain for Harry, Draco and Faykan, tallying the movements of the enemy after being driven back from Hogwarts. Apparently the knowledge that Harry was a Lord, while next to unknown by the wizarding world at large, was spread throughout all the ranks of the Death Eaters, and Voldemort was raging in his desires to eliminate him by any means necessary.
The day of the service, many eyes widened as the powder-blue carriage of Beauxbatons came soaring over the forest toward the school. As it landed with a thunderous crash on the grounds, Hermione smiled as she spotted Madam Maxim exit and throw herself into Hagrid's waiting arms.
At about the same time, a delegation from the Ministry arrived to witness the funeral, including Minister Scrimgeour himself. To avoid him in particular, Harry and Faykan had them all meeting either in the Room of Requirement, or visiting the hospital wing for hours at a time. Bill Weasley, who had been attacked by Fenrir Greyback, was being well taken care of by his fiancé Fleur Delacour, and Madam Pomfrey said that she fully expected him to make a full recovery, and that his personality seemed to have remained unchanged from the werewolf's bites. The only thing different seemed to be that Bill had suddenly taken a great liking to very rare meat.
Draco and Ginny were together often as well, nurturing their relationship whenever they had the time between Ginny's exams, which hadn't been cancelled, and the large number of people that would approach Draco for questioning, as he had been the largest force of leadership throughout the battle.
Hermione and Ron hadn't minded the credit that Draco was receiving for the number of lives saved that night, it wasn't very important that they be in the spotlight. Ron had even said that Draco deserved much of the credit anyway, because a leader on the front lines was always more of an inspiring force than the leader that stood in the back and gave orders.
Voldemort's forces seemed to have quieted down after the Hogwarts Skirmish, as it was beginning to be called by the Ministry, and many were now on the lookout for those Death Eaters that had survived, including Professor Snape.
Hermione had asked Faykan about Snape, and whether he could still be trusted, but the boy had simply smiled at her with his piercing blue eyes sparkling in a fashion that reminded her of Professor Dumbledore. "Dear Hermione," he said, "I trust Severus Snape with my life, and he would not betray any of us, whom he considers his friends, for all the riches and power that Voldemort could or would ever offer him. He is the bravest and most loyal man I had ever met, until I met Harry and the rest of you."
They briefly discussed the locket that Faykan, Harry and Dumbledore had gone in search of, and were greatly disappointed to find that it was not a Horcrux at all, merely containing a note to the Dark Lord from someone marked R.A.B. Whoever it was had taken the real locket and hidden it away in hopes of destroying it themselves. It was while they were pondering who the mysterious R.A.B. was that Hermione recognized the locket, and where she had seen it once before.
He remembered vividly as she had slapped the very same locket out of Faykan's, then Will Stanton's, hand as it seemed to mesmerize him. It was decided to be their first important act after the school term ended, to discover what became of the locket after Sirius had thrown it out of Grimmauld Place along with the rest of his family's old dark objects.
They all rose early the day of the memorial, needing time to pack for the train ride back to London. The Hogwart's Express had been called in specially to take them all home an hour after the service concluded. Dress robes were to be worn, and the mood in the Great Hall for breakfast was very subdued.
Faykan had appeared in his guise as Lord Zemar, staff clattering on the stone with every step he took. Many of the students looked curiously at him, and none even noticed that Will Stanton was missing. Hermione smiled as she recognized that the disguise of the mysterious round-faced boy had always served the purpose of being able to disappear easily, allowing Faykan to melt from sight and reappear as needed.
Along with the shrouded Istari, a delegation of the White Council had come. Ceolwulf of Rohan and Cælin, Marshal of the Westfold, were foremost in attendance, along with a dozen of their soldiers and their wives. The Dwarves had come, led by Borin II, as did the goblins of Gringotts, represented by Gornuk and his band of warriors. Even Firenze appeared to represent the centaurs and their allegiance, the bright dwarven armor upon his back gleaming in the sunlight. The Beornings made the greatest stir, surrounding Neville and his grandmother and towering over all present, Hagrid and Madam Maxine excluded.
Madam Zabini was present; her hands on Blaise's shoulders, and these allies of the Light took their places once the call to assemble out on the grounds had been given. The students filed out after their Head's of House, Slughorn taking the place of Professor Snape for Slytherin.
Out on the grounds a beautiful marble table was set near the lake, with hundred of chairs set in rows facing it. The aisle between was large enough for Hagrid and Madam Maxine to walk side by side down it, although they, along with the Beornings took up the rearmost row, everyone else filling the seats from back to front. As they walked, Hermione spotted the majority of the Order of the Phoenix in attendance, along with many others she did not recognize, from all walks of life.
It truly seemed that most arrived especially because of Dumbledore's death, and it was astounding how many lives the aged wizard had touched. There were many eyes filled with tears, and quite a few that were dry as well.
Their group, including Harry, Ron, Draco, Ginny, Hermione, were given special honors of a front most row, on the lake side. A space was saved on the aisle side for Faykan, but he was taking charge as the master of ceremony, as well as giving the oration for all those who had died.
Across the aisle from them, Hermione frowned as she spotted Cornelius Fudge, the previous Minister of Magic, along with the venomous toad Dolores Umbridge in the same row as the Hogwarts professors and Scrimgeour. Looking over the lake, Hermione even spotted merpeople just below the surface.
A song started from behind the assembly after the last person was seated. All turned to watch as the warriors of Rohan march toward them down the aisle, spears and shields forming a large stretcher, upon which was Dumbledore's body, arranged to appear as if asleep. The women of Rohan walked behind, long veils over their faces as they sang a mournful song in their native language.
"Bealocwealm hafað, fréone frecan forth onsended,
Giedd sculon singan, gléomenn sorgiende, on Meduselde,"
The realization that the beloved Headmaster was truly gone seemed to hit the crowd like a wave, and Hermione felt the great pain of loss as the delegation of Rohan paid their respects to Dumbledore. They gentle laid the man's body upon the marble table, removing spears and shields with such fluidity that it didn't so much as jostle Dumbledore from his position.
The women also departed, taking seats near the rear, as Faykan approached down the aisle, grim determination and sorrow upon his face. Turning to face the assemble people, Faykan planted his staff into the ground and extended his hands toward them.
"This day we remember those who gave their blood to defend this castle. Hail the victorious dead!"
"Hail!" shouted those from the rear, and most of the wizards followed suit, although many were confused at the declaration.
"Among all those who we've lost," Faykan continued, "We must make special recognition of one, who gave his life to others, not only in death, but in the way that he lived. Lists could be made, songs could be written, and still they could only detail a fraction of what Albus Dumbledore accomplished in his lifetime. I am not here to speak of the great wizards, nor his accomplishments, but to speak plainly about a man who sacrificed himself for the safety of others."
"Albus Dumbledore was a great man, who had nothing but good in his heart for those under his care. Even in his mistakes, the evidence of his intent was well founded. And even as we weep for his loss, we must remember what he gave it for. Our enemy has struck a heavy blow, but we must stand and fight back. For the memory of the dead, and for the lives of the future, we must stand and fight the darkness that seeks to swallow this world. We must carry on, holding in our hearts the memory of our fallen. I bid you all remember Dumbledore as you knew him: as a mentor, a great warrior, and a dear friend."
Everyone turned at that moment as the snap of bowstrings was heard. From the direction of the forest a volley of arrows sailed toward them, striking far short of the crowd. In the trees Hermione spotted the armored form of the centaur herd. It was a fitting war-time tribute to the aged Headmaster.
Faykan sat, and for a short time there was silence. Several people cried out in shock as white flames erupted around Dumbledore's body, and the table on which he lay. In a moment the fire was gone, revealing the white marble tomb that had materialized over the body and table, forever marking the place where the great wizard laid to rest.
A cry from above sounded, and many looked up to see a phoenix soaring down to them, crying in mournful acceptance. The bird sailed gracefully on the air as it came to land directly on Harry's shoulder, surprising them all with its sudden closeness.
"Fawkes?" Harry asked it, and the bird nudged the boy's face with its head, crooning slightly in muted affection.
After several more moments of quiet astonishment, the crowd began to depart. Hermione watched as Faykan and Harry walked off around the lake, Fawkes still on Harry's shoulder, but she felt that it was time that the two needed by themselves. However, she didn't like spotting Minister Scrimgeour starting after them as the ministry delegation passed by.
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"Harry!"
Both he and Faykan slowly turned, and Harry sighed as he saw Rufus Scrimgeour limping his way toward them. Harry and Faykan had been discussing the beginning of their plans to fight Voldemort over the summer, and Harry was expressing several of his great concerns to Fay, especially the damage that had been done to his wand, and he wasn't too pleased with the unwanted distraction.
"I've been hoping to have a word… do you mind if I walk a little way with you?" Scrimgeour asked as he arrived near them and leaned on his walking stick.
Faykan, still well in his disguise as Lord Zemar, patted Harry on the shoulder, and Harry felt the listening spell sink into his robe sleeve. "We may continue our conversation later. I'll leave you to speak with your Minister, Mr. Potter."
As Faykan walked away back toward the Professors, Ron, Hermione and Draco, Scrimgeour watched him go. "You seemed to have made a good impression on the Lord from Germany. He seems to be our greatest ally against the growing darkness now."
The Minister paused for a moment, seeming to grow solemn, but Harry really didn't care right now. "What a dreadful tragedy. Dumbledore I mean. I cannot tell you how appalled I was to hear of it. He was a very great wizard. We had our disagreements, as you well know, but no one knows better than I…"
"What do you want, Minister?" Harry asked flatly, growing irritated.
At first, Harry thought the man would become annoyed as he had during their previous encounter, but to his mild surprise, Scrimgeour nodded in understanding. "Of course, you were rather close to him this year, so I will go straight to the point. The Ministry wants to help you however it can, but we need to know what you and Dumbledore were up to the night he died."
Harry shook his head sadly. The minister wasn't going to learn, despite his leanings toward the Light, "You know I'm not going to share that information, Sir. As much as I respect some of the things you're trying to do, I cannot trust that through you someone else will get hold of our plans and forward them to Voldemort."
Scrimgeour stopped at that, "So you're set on the path that you hinted at during Christmas, to continue the war even without Dumbledore. From the looks of it you have Zemar on your side, but what do you think you can hope to accomplish?"
"I do believe that I have far more on my side than you care to realize," Harry countered with a wry grin, before turning and walking away from Scrimgeour. The Minister stood there for a moment, before Harry heard him begin limping toward the gates and the rest of the Ministry delegation that was waiting for him.
Ron, Hermione and Draco asked about the man's questions when Harry returned, but he brushed them off. It wasn't really too terribly important in the long run regardless. The Ministry would continue doing what it thought was best, even if it was in fact being as useless as possible. The war was already being fought for them by the White Council and their allies, so they were largely irrelevant in the outcome, so why worry about their meddling.
They started back toward the castle, meeting up with Faykan just inside the entrance hall, once again disguised as Will Stanton, and he smiled grimly as they approached. "Well," he said succinctly, "so much for Scrimgeour's two knuts huh? Seems the Ministry won't be as accommodating as we had hoped at Christmas…"
"Seems so, pity…" Harry responded. The others looked between the two with puzzled expressions, but Harry shrugged it off. "So anyway, before the extended interruption, what do we do about my wand?"
Drawing out the item in question, Harry sadly ran his hands over the blackened wood that had once been his most important tool. Faykan held out a hand for the wand, and Harry handed it over. He hoped that it could be repaired, as he had grown quite attached to the brother wand to Voldemort's, and he had a suspicious feeling that that connection was something significant that he needed to preserve.
"As it stands," Faykan said after attempting to push magic through the implement with no success, "your wand is gone, but I may have the resources to acquire a most powerful focus for you. See here," he pointed to a point in the handle that had a hole boring into the wood, "your magic literally burned the wand from the inside out…"
"So there's no way to repair it?" Harry concluded sadly.
"I'm sorry, but at least it's replaceable," Faykan said. A flash of fire made them all jump, and Fawkes appeared overhead, swooping down to land on Harry's shoulder. The Phoenix seemed far more independent than Harry would have expected, often coming and going at its own whim. The bird looked at each of them, before tilting its head down at the destroyed wand.
With a small croon of concern, Fawkes dug his beak into his wing, and plucked a long feather out, allowing it to drop. With his seeker reflexes, Harry caught it with little effort.
"It seems that Fawkes already has decided what core you need for your new magical focus," Faykan said, smiling slightly. "We'll head back when the train departs and get to work on collecting the other materials we need, and you'll have a magical tool once again."
Harry could only grin at his friend's antics. Sometimes it was almost like he had been planning these sorts of moments since he first met Harry so many years ago. Pausing as they made their way back to Gryffindor Tower, Harry realized that it could be exactly true that Faykan planned this sort of thing from the beginning, among who knew how many other events that had, would, or could yet possibly occur. It was boggling to say the least, he concluded as Harry resumed the trek upward through the castle.