Boggarts ch2
For a little over three days, the golden trio had been cleaning the drawing room. They were only allowed to stop for meals, bathroom breaks and assigned breaks. If Harry hadn't gone through Woods training regimen for Quidditch, he'd be in major trouble. Well, maybe not, the Dursley's had given him pretty good practice with doing loads of chores without food or breaks. He supposed he'd resent Mrs. Weasley like Ron and, surprisingly, Hermione did. But despite the glares and not too subtle complaints and jabs, Mrs. Weasley did not let up. Harry supposed having five kids and a husband who was utterly fascinated with muggles, one had to be able to put their foot down and not have a weak…er…heart? Harry had never been punished before…at least not productively, outside of school. It was a very foreign concept to him. Both Ron and Hermione had to explain that this was the normal way, well for the wizarding world, to punish their kids. Hermione had to also reassure that getting beaten or food with held all day or more was NOT an okay punishment and was considered abuse and neglect. Harry was still expecting the blows though, every time Mrs. Weasley or Mr. Weasley came in to check on them. But they never came and Harry was inclined to believe his friends.
Doxy's…little fairy like bastards that were blue and like to lunge and bite- which was venomous mind- was what the twins wanted when they found out that there was an infestation of the things in the drawing room. Mrs. Weasley had provided them when doxicide. One squirt and the buggers was out for at least an hour. Harry took way too much pleasure in this though. Ron and he had started a competition to see who could get the most. Hermione was just contented with keeping score rather than being dragged into it. She said something about 'boys' but neither 'boys' could hear the rest of what she had said. The buckets that they filled were secretly transported to the twins. Mrs. Weasley was non the wiser as she didn't actually know how many they had to begin with. As long as they gave her a few buckets, they were good to go. Ron could have been a Slytherin- so could the twins and Percy if one actually thought about it [ambition was pretty strong in all of them]- because Ron decided he was going to gain something from the twins for the Doxy's. The twins refused to give him discounts on their products, money or their old brooms, which Ron had wanted since Christmas of third year. No, Ron didn't even want that.
"Since the three of us got you all those Doxy's, you owe us. We don't want your money, pranks or your brooms. What we want is for a prank pass for the rest of our Hogwarts years." Ron stated with his arms crossed looking absolutely determined. Harry didn't know which one of them was more shocked. The twins for the 'absurd' idea that they'd agree to such a thing –which they did- or Hermione who couldn't believe Ron emphasized their own Hogwart years rather than the twins. Od knew that the twins could and would hire help if it meant getting back at such a forced deal.
They, the golden trio, were still cleaning the drawing room. It was almost noon so almost time for lunch. Which was a good thing because Hermione and he were actually worried that Ron might start eating the desk. The room looked pretty good, they just had the desk to sort out. It was the last thing they were going to do because it happened to be the cleanest…sort of. There were piles of parchment, objects and books scattered unorganized on the top. Harry and Ron were all for just torch the stuff and chucking the evidence. No evidence, no crime. Hermione didn't agree and took it as a personal insult that they thought she would ever torch a book…not the whole no evidence no crime thing. They wouldn't have gotten into nearly as much trouble as they had if they had been careful enough not to get caught. The whole troll thing though, there was no way they could have foreseen the prof. dashing into the bathroom seconds after they defeated the troll. There had been no escape possible…Bloody hell, they could be Slytherins!
"Guys, did you hear that?" Hermione asks drawing Harry out of his thoughts. Ron and Harry stilled and listened. A rattling sound came from a drawler in the desk. The trio gathered around the desk and gazed at it warily. Again, the desk rattled, but a bit more violently.
"I thought we got all the doxy's" Ron bemoaned. Harry fetched the spray bottles of the doxicide and handed them out. Hermione looked unsure.
"What?" Harry questioned his hand inches away from the handle. Hermione just shook her head, believing that she was just being paranoid. Harry shrugged, and at the other two nods, he ripped the drawl open.
The Order had been in full session when a scream pierced them. It sounded like Hermione. Members who knew the house well enough had immediately sprung into action. Sirius was literally running up the stairs in his mutt form to get to his Godson, Hermione and Ron faster. Even Snape, who normally would have scowled, merely picked up his pace. On the second story floor, however, they ran into the rest of the Weasley children who were headed up to the third floor where the drawling room was, where the golden trio was, where the Hermione's scream had echoed the house not a minute before but was now eerie silent.
Harry had stilled completely before Hermione screamed. Screaming was very much unlike Hermione, gasping in shock was more her style, not screaming. Ron had gone unearthly pale, while not uncommon, was a bit worrisome when it was accompanied by shaking. Harry stared at his boggart. For some reason, the boggart was able to fixate on him instead of being confused, as it should have been with the three of them in equal distance of the dark creature. It transformed, of course, into Harry's fear. Harry couldn't help but stare, as did the other two. Really, it wasn't every day that you saw yourself with red eyes now was it?
"So…" Harry swallowed, trying to get his glands to work so that his mouth wasn't so damn dry.
"Yeah" Ron whispered.
"We should…" Hermione trailed off still staring at the boggart who looked rather creepy now that the morbid fascination had worn off.
"Yeah" Harry agreed. His boggart self was staring at him with a cold smirk. A smirk that Harry had formed when he had thought of fighting his cousin before he actually did. It was an expression that promised pain. The boggart tilted his head just so, to match Harry's current stance. Creeeeppppyyyy…Harry didn't feel afraid of the image though, just what it represented. He was not blind to his similarities that he had with Tom Riddle. It had worried him further when he found out that Riddle had grown up in an orphanage and his uncle always threatening to carry out said threat of putting Harry in one. Would he have been the next dark lord if his uncle had? Better question was, 'would he have if he hadn't met Hermione or Ron?' Hermione had showed him that not all muggles were like his relatives and Ron had shown him love (like a brother) from a world that had 'abandoned' him to his relatives.
Harry was so lost in thought that he didn't notice himself being shaken or the worried voices calling his name until a painfully familiar hand slapped him.
"What was that for Ginny?" Harry asks rubbing his cheek.
"GINNY!" Mrs. Weasley yells in her own shock at her daughter's action. Ginny merely smiled.
"You were sort of out of it, Harry. Sirius couldn't get you to respond and Merlin knows he's been shaking you like a rag doll." Ginny informed rather cheerfully. Harry mock glares at her.
"I think you just enjoy slapping me for what ever reason you can get away with" Harry retorts. Ginny grinned even bigger.
"Now why would I do that to you Harry?" Ginny asks innocently.
"I'm telling you, woman, I DIDN'T kiss Cho!" Harry exclaims throwing his hands out in exasperation. Ginny scrunches her face in consideration.
"I don't believe you" Ginny whispered a bit too brightly. Harry pouts.
"Ah…pup, not to break in here but you sort of had us worried." Sirius breaks in. Harry actually turned to look at his godfather who was still latched onto his shoulders with a worried expression. It was only then that Harry realized that his professors, the Headmaster, the aurors, the Weasley's and several other Order members he didn't know were crowding the room and hallway. Tonks snickered when she saw Harry blush. Harry glared at her.
"I'm fine" Harry mumbled crossing his arms and doing his best NOT to look at anyone.
"Here, eat some choc. It'll make you feel better," Remus says spontaneously producing a bar of Honeydukes chocolate.
"Moony, you're addicted to chocolate." Sirius sighs shaking his head slightly.
"OI!" Remus replied offended.
"Well, it does produce…in….brain…RON!" Hermione yelled through the hand that covered her mouth. Ron grinned at her shamelessly.
"Practice dominatrix some other time" a voice in the hall uttered, making everyone that mattered give the guy a weltering glare or in the Headmasters gaze a stern twinkling of his eyes.
Harry took the offered chocolate anyway and munched on it. It melted in his mouth like-
"Mr. Potter, would you please explain to me why your boggart has changed since third year" Emily Van- something asks him with a stern upright look. As if he dared?! Harry raised an eyebrow at her, doing a rather good impression of Snape by the glare he got from said person and the looks he got from others that included snorts and flinches alike.
"Besides the obvious, you mean? How do you even know what my boggart was?" Harry asks sounding slightly condescending.
"Ah, yes, well, Harry, that would be my fault. I thought it would be prudent if the Order was aware of what you fear" Remus looked awful guilty. Harry looked at him incredulously.
"Giving my greatest fear out like its lemonade, Moony! How the hell was that a good idea! Anyone could have slipped it on to Moldieshorts and bam! I'm frozen in my tracks like a bloody deer in headlights waiting to be shot! And no, if you're too dense to realize that a boggart can change form at anytime, I'm not going to waste my breath!" Harry yelled. Despite the confusion of Harry's analogy, what was said was understood.
"Are you suggesting that one of us would go and tell you-know-who information!?" A scandalized reply echoed many thoughts.
"We'll leave that to the Slytherins, thanks!" another voice cried angrily. Harry didn't even have to look at Snape to see that the man was on the verge of hexing his comrades.
"Dumbledore recruited idiots" Ron muttered under his breath. Snape and Minerva who were standing next to the golden trio heard and minutely nodded their agreement, only seen, of course, by the headmaster and the twins.
"Peter Pettigrew was in the Order, was a Gryffindor and is considered one of Voldemorts most loyal, though a bloody cowered." Harry sneered. "Save your prejudges for Death Eaters and Voldemort, not on bloody houses! With your sort of logic, it's no wonder blood purist rose to power" Harry snapped stepping forward, not even realizing he had his wand out.
"Potter" Snape hissed, as he was the first to notice. It was then that those in the Order who were anti Slytherin realized that the head of Slytherin and their sole income of information- that happened to be a Slytherin AND former D.E- was standing in the same room as them. The reaction was instantaneous. A whole groups pales, silenced and took a step away from the dark man and mini hell spawn that had Lily Evans-Potter temper. Harry sheepishly stowed his wand but glared at the idiots.
"Now that we've all calmed down, perhaps we should talk, Harry, about your boggart" Dumbledore states. His dismissal of unneeded Order members was clear and took effect immediately. It was of no shock that Ron nor Hermione budged, not even when Mrs. Weasley insisted.
"Honestly, I don't know why she bothers" Tonks muttered to Mad-Eye who banged his staff and grunted for her to have 'constant vigilance' when she jumped a good three feet.
"How did you NOT see-"
"That one coming?" The twins ask as they settle out of their mothers' sight despite being of age. Their mother had issues. Tonks, being the mature adult she was, stuck her tongue out at them.
Harry had been here less than a week and already he was stuck having long ass 'chats' that felt more like an interrogation. He gained no information but Dumbledore gained more 'cards'. And it was with this thought that Harry brightened considerably, but made his too best friends in the whole wide world look at him with wary expressions.
"Please don't tell me you have another plan," Hermione groaned. Harry cheerfully dismissed her bemoaning's with a wave of his hand.
"And people wonder how we manage to lose so many house points. They have no idea how determined our fearless communist leader truly is" Ron sniffed dramatically. Harry glared at him.
"I'm not a communist," Harry growls.
"No? Either we go with you or you go without us, not much of a choice is it? Communist you are then." Ron explained his logic. The Professors look at each other, they couldn't decide whether they should be amused or worried.
"Anyway" Harry dismissed Ron, causing the red head to spread his arms out like 'see?'.
"If you want to know about my boggart, then you'll need to trade as well. Information for information" Harry stated staring confidently into Dumbledore's eyes. Dumbledore, despite the reaction the remaining Order members, peered over his half moon glasses calmly. And to the surprise of everyone, Dumbledore actually smiled and nodded.
"I can't believe your plan actually worked" Ron stuttered slightly as he and Hermione both openly gaped. Harry felt the urge to smack both of them upside the head's their lack of faith.
"It happens" Harry claims with a sniff.
"Mate, NONE of your plans have ever worked out" Ron stated the obvious making everyone present nod their head.
"Although, they are rather good plans you just…" Hermione trailed off unsure of how to word it.
"Have incredulously bad luck." Minerva states for her current brightest student. Snape glanced at his colleague and friend as if she had grown another head.
"Don't encourage them," Snape hissed to her under his breath. With cat like hearing, Minerva only sent him a small smirk before inwardly enjoying the stunned looks sent her way. Dumbledore seated himself comfortably on a conjured pink chair that had a bit too much fluffiness as the headmaster sank a bit…deeply in. Eventually, everyone followed suit, except for the golden trio who –despite using magic under camouflage being in a house that wizards and witches alike lived in that masked their own signatures, they were banned from using it during the summer. Using magic in front of the headmaster, parents, aurors and Professors just didn't seem like a good idea. - Had to get chairs conjured for them. Once everyone was settled, Dumbledore waited patiently for Harry to go first. Harry shifted a bit before settling.
"If this somehow gets out, I will hunt all of you down and slaughter you whether your sleeping or taking a shower or not…" Harry voices gaining collective raised eyebrows, which turned to wary glances at each other, when the golden trio seemed to be serious.
"There are a few things you don't know. In order to get my questions answered and for you to waste a few questions, I'll give you a few hints. The first is this: Trelawney has made a total of three real predictions. They are all considered self-fulfilling. One is currently going, one has been fulfilled and the third has yet to happen." Harry begins crossing his leg over his knee and leaning back.
"WHAT!?" was the general outcry of Harry's first hint.
"Why didn't you tell the headmaster about this!?" Snape snapped, his complexion was rather pale…well paler than usual. Harry raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, that's a question" Molly cuts in before someone could contradict her. Dumbledore seemed to want an answer as well, and well, as did the entire Order present. Harry thought that the answer was quite obvious, but then, he did know the answer so it might just seem that way.
"We realized that if one player held all the information, we'd be nothing more than pawns. No offense, sir." Ron quickly added when his mother and Professors sent him a cold glare at the mere suggestion that Dumbledore would play them like chess pieces. Dumbledore nodded, a slight curve in his lips let them know that all was well.
"There's also the bit about where we realized that the third prophecy…may make people in better and more…influential positions react…rashly. Despite our trust in the Order, we realized that there was a possible chance of liability if one of you were…compromised" Hermione furthers. Harry nodded in agreement while Dumbledore frowned at the indication of the third prophecy being possibly more important than the first two, one of which he heard personally. The second, being heard by Harry only, and meaning he could have altered or with held part of the prophecy. Snape sneered at the implication that it would be him they considered liable.
"Wasn't referring to a certain resident spy who happened to be best friends with my mother whom trusted said person so much even in the end that he was keyed into the wards and blood wards" Harry stated not looking at the Potion Master who seemed to choke, on what, no one knew. Harry rubbed his hands together after a moment when the startled cry of shock lowered.
"My turn!" Harry announced needlessly.
"Voldemort has made horcrux's. No, that's a statement, not a question. (Harry sighed and waited for the yelling to stop and now for Dumbledore to stop choking on his lemon drop) I know where four are. There are seven in total. My question is, is have you found any and when were you going to tell me" Harry asks giving Dumbledore a pointed look. No one in the Order had ever seen Dumbledore look his age as much as he did right then. Nor had any of them seen the man looked shock and speechless, but here he was…
"All of you, out" Dumbledore spoke just above a whisper.
"Ron and Hermione stays" Harry abruptly cuts Mrs. Weasley from trying to get them out. Dumbledore nods his consent, knowing that Harry would just tell them anyway IF they already didn't know.
"NO, I absolutely forbid it! They're underage! There not part of the Order! OUT FRED, GEORGE. RON, now. Hermione dear, you too. Harry-" Mrs. Weasley looked like she had a list of things she considered reasons for why none of them should be here. Luckily, Mr. Weasley was one of those people that believe power came with knowledge and since his son, his sons best friends- who he had made an honorary Weasley- and hopefully future wife of his son (Merlin that Man hadn't missed a beat when he said that the first time. Caused both parties to spew their drinks all over him!) had merely hushed his wife with a look and started to try and talk some sense into the woman while leading her out of the room. The adults hadn't been so slow to obey Dumbledore; his tone sort of spoke volumes.
"Minerva, Severus, please, stay" Dumbledore invites his unofficial advisors. Harry actually smiled softly at this. Both had seemed slightly shocked to be included in something that was obvious need to know, something that the Order who Dumbledore had absolute trust in, wasn't allowed to hear.
"We can continue the charade of 20 questions if you'd like, Harry, but I'd prefer that we be straight up with each other. I have tried to shelter you, so that you may have what little is left of your childhood, but it seems I have yet again failed you" Dumbledore spoke so gravely that Harry almost felt guilty for not allowing Dumbledore to look after him. Harry nodded his consent, however, and his face seemed to have aged a considerable amount.
"First however, you might want to cast a ward on the door. Fred and George are using their extendable ears to try and listen in" Ron pointed out. Minerva waved her wand with an irritated look.
"I wondered why they didn't put up a fight about not being let to stay" Minerva muttered. Harry snorted softly.
"I assume that you want to know about the hints, prophecies, my boggart and the horcrux's…the full story?" Harry asks resting his head in his hand. Dumbledore nodded.
"The hints are pointless, actually, if I'm going to be telling you the whole story. They were something I came up with on the spur of the moment to try to get more information out of you, sir, than you did us." Harry clarified.
"It sounded rehearsed," Minerva uttered grimly. Harry smirked slightly.
"You should no by now that most everything we do is by ear. Apparently when I plan I have rotten luck, spur of the moment: shear dumb luck that seems to like trio's." Harry grumbled. Ron and Hermione nodded their head in mock sadness. Dumbledore allowed himself a small smile.
"I'll begin with the third prophecy," Harry stated gaining his Professors rapt attention.