Okay, here it is! Chapter Eight! Hurray! Hope you enjoy everything! Tell me what you'd like to see.
Chapter 8- Meetings with Dumbledore
*********************************
Dumbledore looked at Harry for a long time, but never lost the smile on his face or the twinkle in his eyes. So Harry wanted to help him, -everyone-, in the capture of Voldemort? Well it was no surprise. After what Voldemort had done to his parents, and thus his life, it was no wonder that he wanted revenge. And after Harry had learned exactly what the Dractnoxes could do for him, it was only a matter of time that he had come to see Dumbledore. The Dractnoxes were indeed all-knowing, and there were some rumors that they could even see into a possible future, but Albus wasn't sure if he could trust the information he could get from them. Harry was trying to be helpful, but any endeavor could cost many lives, and have many consequences. And it would be tough to catch Voldemort off guard. Surprise would be the only thing in their favor. And he always had Severus to spy for him, but he didn't want to risk the boy's life.
//The end could be nearer than we had hoped,// Albus thought. //You could well be the key to unlocking Voldemort's secrets...but at what cost?//
"Sir?" Harry spoke first out of curiosity, and then to break the silence. Dumbledore smiled and poured Harry some more tea, seeing his cup less than full.
"Harry, I think you are right in your intentions. And for coming to see me when you did. But I wonder if this is really what you want?" Dumbledore quite knew that Harry would love to dish out some pay-back, but he didn't think the boy had thought things through properly.
"Of course it is, Sir! I don't know why I didn't think of it before, like when I first found out, but, I mean, I could ask the Dractnox right now and tell you exactly where he's hiding!" Harry was getting a little excited by the fact that he could finally bring the one who murdered his parents down, and it was only out of respect for the man in front of him that he didn't ask away.
"Harry, I have no doubt that you wish to help find Voldemort, but there would be consequences to your actions that I think you may want to consider before you commit to anything." Dumbledore didn't think Harry understood what consequences might sprout up in Harry's life if he revealed himself to be a seer of Dractnoxes. Should Voldemort ever find out what Harry was, then he might launch an all-out war against Harry himself...to capture him, torture him for information, kill him if he was feeling merciful...And Voldemort would use any means necessary to make Harry do whatever he wanted. With veritaserum, he could make Harry tell him true answers to Dractnox-related questions, and know if he lied. He could kidnap students, torture Harry's friends...It was a very delicate matter.
"Sir...this -is- what I want. I have the means to get rid of him! We-we can stop him. Finally. Forever..." Harry couldn't understand why Dumbledore didn't want his help. He had power like no one else had: he could know the exact location of Voldemort's hideout. Why wasn't Dumbledore more eager? "Sir, I really want to bring him down," //and if you don't want my help, I'll ask the Dractnox and go for him myself//, "I was looking into a career as an Auror anyway, and he -must- be brought down. I'm not afraid of him. Now is as good a time as any."
Dumbledore looked at him hard, and Harry wondered what he was thinking. //Don't tell me.// he made a mental note in case the Dractnox was picking up on what he was pondering again. Harry would risk everything he had to bring down Voldemort, and he couldn't comprehend why Dumbledore wouldn't ask him to tell him where Voldemort was.
"Harry," Albus looked older and more tired to Harry than he had ever seen him before. He wondered why it was today that he was suddenly taking notice of such obvious things in his current life. "Do you realize what could happen if Voldemort finds out you are a Dractnox seer?"
//Fine then, I'll hunt him down and kill him myself. It's either me or him//
"It's a very dangerous road for one to travel, alone, Harry." Harry looked up at the man in front of him. He decided that Dumbledore could read minds, regardless of what the Dractnox told him. "And I know your Gryffindor nature would have you see this through, to the end, but I must advise that if you so choose to go through with this, you should allow me to thoroughly prepare you...for the worst."
"Professor Dumbledore, I've never wanted anything this bad in my entire life. I have the chance to see him brought to justice, and I would see it done if possible. There's no time like the present, and the longer I have this ability, the better the chances could be for him to find out." He waited for Dumbledore to give him proper permission to tell the information he oh so badly wanted to let the powerful wizard before him know.
"Harry...There will have to be conditions made. You must learn to fine-tune your new ability. There are things you must learn, proper skills and talents you wouldn't be familiar with until you undertake Auror training. Some that could keep you safe when need be..."
"I want this, Sir."
Dumbledore took a long sip of his tea, looking very old, but never losing the twinkle in his eyes. "Harry," he started more than a little resigned. "Can you tell me where exactly Voldemort is hiding?" Harry grinned and relayed the question the dark shadow behind him.
***********
Later that evening Harry and Dumbledore left his office to the Great Hall for dinner. They had had the house elves send up snacks as Harry relayed questions and information from the Dractnox to Dumbledore and back again. The hours passed like seconds as Harry could barely get the questions out fast enough for his liking. It's exciting knowing that you are taking part in changing the world.
They had found the exact longitude and latitude of each of Voldemort's lairs, which he had in abundance, all over greater Britain and even in parts of France. He was currently in an underground hiding place, one he had been using for some time. As far as Harry was concerned, it was the perfect place and time to strike as Voldemort was, according to the Dractnox, "...feeling sssafe and protected againssst anything the wizarding world hasss to offer." They had poured over maps of Britain, and studied the location's strengths and weaknesses all evening. Dumbledore never questioned the answers Harry gave him, as they were all well within where Albus had suspected Voldemort was holding up. People had been passing in and out of his office all evening. Teachers like McGonagall and Snape had been called in almost immediately, and various members of the Order of Phoenix had been notified as the history of the Wizarding World was being changed forever in Albus Dumbledore's office. In a nutshell, Harry was anxious about what was to come.
"Harry, I would like to see you again tomorrow afternoon, if you don't mind," Dumbledore said with a secretive wink as they reached the Great Hall. He had already made it clear that Harry could tell no one about what had transpired concerning Voldemort, for his saftey, and for the safety of others. It was a huge responsibility, but he had readily accepted.
"Yes, Sir." And with that they separtated, Dumbledore heading for the teacher's table, and Harry taking his seat between Ron and Hermione at the Gryffindor table. Harry grinned in thinking that his information was indeed helpful, and that Dumbledore found him useful in bringing down Voldemort.
"Where have you been all evening, Harry? We were getting worried." Hermione had stopped eating her baked chicken and was watching him with relief. Ron, on the other hand, looked completely frazzled and exhausted from either worry for his well being, or worry from Fred's payback. Harry seriously doubted it was from the former.
"I've been in Dumbledore's office," he said helping himself to some chicken. He shot Ron a concerned look, who was sort of staring off in to space. He wasn't sure if Ron had even noticed he was there. "Hermione," he whispered to her, "what's wrong with Ron? Did someone hex him?"
She leaned over the table to peek at Ron, and then leaned back and whispered to Harry. "He found out that Ginny is going steady with Neville. He's been a wreck all evening." She took a drink from her goblet, and then leaned in closer to Harry. "He fainted when he saw them in the common room."
"How did that happen?!" Harry's eyes were huge as saucers at his astonishment.
"Well," Hermione started, leaning in conspiratorially, "we went looking for you after an hour or so after you left. When we couldn't find you, we went back to the common room, and Ginny and Neville were there on the couch. But honestly, I don't know why he fainted. They were only kissing, and Neville's a great guy. At least according to Ginny." She paused to take another drink of her juice and a bite of her green beans.
"Wait a minute, you knew?" Harry was incredulous. "How come you never said anything?"
"Ginny didn't want Ron knowing, and swore me to secrecy."
"But why didn't you tell -me-? I can keep a secret." //Boy is that the truth//
"She told me not to. And don't you rebuke me, Harry Potter. You knew about it too, apparently, and you didn't tell me, either." She returned to her abandoned chicken.
//Okay, she definitely has a point. She always has a point.//
"Ron?" Harry waited for a response. "Ron? Are you alright?"
Ron turned his head in a sort of trance and looked at Harry with glazed, tired eyes. Harry was pretty sure that someone -did- hex Ron. Ron made a motion to say something, but only slightly opened his mouth and then shut it, producing no words. Harry studied Ron's tired face, and decided that he needed a sleeping potion. He'd ask Hermione to make one later, and judging by the lack of eaten food on Ron's plate, she'd easily comply.
***********
For the next few days, Harry met with Dumbledore over his information on Voldemort, and plans were being made for an incursion. And all the while this was going on, Harry could not tell Ron or Hermione anything except for where he went each afternoon. Lessons were going more smoothly than ever. In fact, Harry was getting better marks than usual -even in potions class- and after only three snide remarks, Malfoy had completely backed off Harry. He was even being halfway decent to him, at least as decent as a Malfoy could be. If it was possible, they were even civil to one another.
Harry was having one of the best weeks of his life, if that was possible. He was communicating more and more with the Dractnoxes, being a part of the force that was going to bring down Voldemort, and as if it was a miracle, Draco Malfoy didn't even look at Harry wrong. Even Ron was acting his cheerful self again, like when he hadn't know about Ginny and Neville. Everything was going great in Harry's opinion.
Eager as he was to help, Dumbledore'd had Harry take Saturday off, and so Harry was thus in the Gryffindor common room with Ron and Hermione, playing Gobstones with Ron as Hermione was deeply engrossed in a book called -Mind Over Matter-.
"Go, Harry. You're about to get squirted, so I'd watch it if I were you!" Ron wasn't that good at Gobstones, but Harry was pre-occupied with his thoughts concerning the upcoming attack, and was thus squirted right in the face with an inky purplish substance.
"GAAAH!" He spat the foul-tasting substance onto the common room floor, where it magically scrubbed itself away. Ron was laughing hysterically, and Hermione transfigured a piece of paper into a cloth for Harry to wipe off his face. "AH! It's everywhere! It's not coming off!"
"Victory never tasted so sweet!" Ron laughed. "How does it taste to you Harry?"
"Inky..."
Ron laughed even more, and Harry caught his case of the giggles. It was pretty funny. Now he knew what Ron went through whenever he lost to Harry. Wizard chess was the only way Ron usually got Harry back, and it always resulted in Harry's chess pieces booing him.
Through the ink on his glasses, Harry saw a blur jump through the common room door.
"Harry! There you are!" Neville's shaky voice met Harry's ear.
"Hello, Neville. What's up?"
"You're wanted outside the common room..."
"By who? Is it Dumbledore? Why didn't he just come in?"
"It's not Dumbledore...It's S-Snape."
"What does he want?"
"I don't know, but I wouldn't keep him waiting if I were you." Neville wasn't sure which was worse: Being in the common room with Ginny's homicidal brother, or being outside with Snape. He quickly made his choice. "I'm not going back out there."
Harry tried to wipe the ink off his face, but it wouldn't budge. //Oh well. It's not like he cares what I look like// He thought. //But he'll probably deduct me twenty house points...stupid bat//
Harry jumped through the common room picture, and practically fell into Snape.
***********
Okay, so that's chapter 8. What did you think? reviews please.
PhoenixPadfoot89: I love you! Thank you for reviewing! I always look forward to your reviews!
Chapter 8- Meetings with Dumbledore
*********************************
Dumbledore looked at Harry for a long time, but never lost the smile on his face or the twinkle in his eyes. So Harry wanted to help him, -everyone-, in the capture of Voldemort? Well it was no surprise. After what Voldemort had done to his parents, and thus his life, it was no wonder that he wanted revenge. And after Harry had learned exactly what the Dractnoxes could do for him, it was only a matter of time that he had come to see Dumbledore. The Dractnoxes were indeed all-knowing, and there were some rumors that they could even see into a possible future, but Albus wasn't sure if he could trust the information he could get from them. Harry was trying to be helpful, but any endeavor could cost many lives, and have many consequences. And it would be tough to catch Voldemort off guard. Surprise would be the only thing in their favor. And he always had Severus to spy for him, but he didn't want to risk the boy's life.
//The end could be nearer than we had hoped,// Albus thought. //You could well be the key to unlocking Voldemort's secrets...but at what cost?//
"Sir?" Harry spoke first out of curiosity, and then to break the silence. Dumbledore smiled and poured Harry some more tea, seeing his cup less than full.
"Harry, I think you are right in your intentions. And for coming to see me when you did. But I wonder if this is really what you want?" Dumbledore quite knew that Harry would love to dish out some pay-back, but he didn't think the boy had thought things through properly.
"Of course it is, Sir! I don't know why I didn't think of it before, like when I first found out, but, I mean, I could ask the Dractnox right now and tell you exactly where he's hiding!" Harry was getting a little excited by the fact that he could finally bring the one who murdered his parents down, and it was only out of respect for the man in front of him that he didn't ask away.
"Harry, I have no doubt that you wish to help find Voldemort, but there would be consequences to your actions that I think you may want to consider before you commit to anything." Dumbledore didn't think Harry understood what consequences might sprout up in Harry's life if he revealed himself to be a seer of Dractnoxes. Should Voldemort ever find out what Harry was, then he might launch an all-out war against Harry himself...to capture him, torture him for information, kill him if he was feeling merciful...And Voldemort would use any means necessary to make Harry do whatever he wanted. With veritaserum, he could make Harry tell him true answers to Dractnox-related questions, and know if he lied. He could kidnap students, torture Harry's friends...It was a very delicate matter.
"Sir...this -is- what I want. I have the means to get rid of him! We-we can stop him. Finally. Forever..." Harry couldn't understand why Dumbledore didn't want his help. He had power like no one else had: he could know the exact location of Voldemort's hideout. Why wasn't Dumbledore more eager? "Sir, I really want to bring him down," //and if you don't want my help, I'll ask the Dractnox and go for him myself//, "I was looking into a career as an Auror anyway, and he -must- be brought down. I'm not afraid of him. Now is as good a time as any."
Dumbledore looked at him hard, and Harry wondered what he was thinking. //Don't tell me.// he made a mental note in case the Dractnox was picking up on what he was pondering again. Harry would risk everything he had to bring down Voldemort, and he couldn't comprehend why Dumbledore wouldn't ask him to tell him where Voldemort was.
"Harry," Albus looked older and more tired to Harry than he had ever seen him before. He wondered why it was today that he was suddenly taking notice of such obvious things in his current life. "Do you realize what could happen if Voldemort finds out you are a Dractnox seer?"
//Fine then, I'll hunt him down and kill him myself. It's either me or him//
"It's a very dangerous road for one to travel, alone, Harry." Harry looked up at the man in front of him. He decided that Dumbledore could read minds, regardless of what the Dractnox told him. "And I know your Gryffindor nature would have you see this through, to the end, but I must advise that if you so choose to go through with this, you should allow me to thoroughly prepare you...for the worst."
"Professor Dumbledore, I've never wanted anything this bad in my entire life. I have the chance to see him brought to justice, and I would see it done if possible. There's no time like the present, and the longer I have this ability, the better the chances could be for him to find out." He waited for Dumbledore to give him proper permission to tell the information he oh so badly wanted to let the powerful wizard before him know.
"Harry...There will have to be conditions made. You must learn to fine-tune your new ability. There are things you must learn, proper skills and talents you wouldn't be familiar with until you undertake Auror training. Some that could keep you safe when need be..."
"I want this, Sir."
Dumbledore took a long sip of his tea, looking very old, but never losing the twinkle in his eyes. "Harry," he started more than a little resigned. "Can you tell me where exactly Voldemort is hiding?" Harry grinned and relayed the question the dark shadow behind him.
***********
Later that evening Harry and Dumbledore left his office to the Great Hall for dinner. They had had the house elves send up snacks as Harry relayed questions and information from the Dractnox to Dumbledore and back again. The hours passed like seconds as Harry could barely get the questions out fast enough for his liking. It's exciting knowing that you are taking part in changing the world.
They had found the exact longitude and latitude of each of Voldemort's lairs, which he had in abundance, all over greater Britain and even in parts of France. He was currently in an underground hiding place, one he had been using for some time. As far as Harry was concerned, it was the perfect place and time to strike as Voldemort was, according to the Dractnox, "...feeling sssafe and protected againssst anything the wizarding world hasss to offer." They had poured over maps of Britain, and studied the location's strengths and weaknesses all evening. Dumbledore never questioned the answers Harry gave him, as they were all well within where Albus had suspected Voldemort was holding up. People had been passing in and out of his office all evening. Teachers like McGonagall and Snape had been called in almost immediately, and various members of the Order of Phoenix had been notified as the history of the Wizarding World was being changed forever in Albus Dumbledore's office. In a nutshell, Harry was anxious about what was to come.
"Harry, I would like to see you again tomorrow afternoon, if you don't mind," Dumbledore said with a secretive wink as they reached the Great Hall. He had already made it clear that Harry could tell no one about what had transpired concerning Voldemort, for his saftey, and for the safety of others. It was a huge responsibility, but he had readily accepted.
"Yes, Sir." And with that they separtated, Dumbledore heading for the teacher's table, and Harry taking his seat between Ron and Hermione at the Gryffindor table. Harry grinned in thinking that his information was indeed helpful, and that Dumbledore found him useful in bringing down Voldemort.
"Where have you been all evening, Harry? We were getting worried." Hermione had stopped eating her baked chicken and was watching him with relief. Ron, on the other hand, looked completely frazzled and exhausted from either worry for his well being, or worry from Fred's payback. Harry seriously doubted it was from the former.
"I've been in Dumbledore's office," he said helping himself to some chicken. He shot Ron a concerned look, who was sort of staring off in to space. He wasn't sure if Ron had even noticed he was there. "Hermione," he whispered to her, "what's wrong with Ron? Did someone hex him?"
She leaned over the table to peek at Ron, and then leaned back and whispered to Harry. "He found out that Ginny is going steady with Neville. He's been a wreck all evening." She took a drink from her goblet, and then leaned in closer to Harry. "He fainted when he saw them in the common room."
"How did that happen?!" Harry's eyes were huge as saucers at his astonishment.
"Well," Hermione started, leaning in conspiratorially, "we went looking for you after an hour or so after you left. When we couldn't find you, we went back to the common room, and Ginny and Neville were there on the couch. But honestly, I don't know why he fainted. They were only kissing, and Neville's a great guy. At least according to Ginny." She paused to take another drink of her juice and a bite of her green beans.
"Wait a minute, you knew?" Harry was incredulous. "How come you never said anything?"
"Ginny didn't want Ron knowing, and swore me to secrecy."
"But why didn't you tell -me-? I can keep a secret." //Boy is that the truth//
"She told me not to. And don't you rebuke me, Harry Potter. You knew about it too, apparently, and you didn't tell me, either." She returned to her abandoned chicken.
//Okay, she definitely has a point. She always has a point.//
"Ron?" Harry waited for a response. "Ron? Are you alright?"
Ron turned his head in a sort of trance and looked at Harry with glazed, tired eyes. Harry was pretty sure that someone -did- hex Ron. Ron made a motion to say something, but only slightly opened his mouth and then shut it, producing no words. Harry studied Ron's tired face, and decided that he needed a sleeping potion. He'd ask Hermione to make one later, and judging by the lack of eaten food on Ron's plate, she'd easily comply.
***********
For the next few days, Harry met with Dumbledore over his information on Voldemort, and plans were being made for an incursion. And all the while this was going on, Harry could not tell Ron or Hermione anything except for where he went each afternoon. Lessons were going more smoothly than ever. In fact, Harry was getting better marks than usual -even in potions class- and after only three snide remarks, Malfoy had completely backed off Harry. He was even being halfway decent to him, at least as decent as a Malfoy could be. If it was possible, they were even civil to one another.
Harry was having one of the best weeks of his life, if that was possible. He was communicating more and more with the Dractnoxes, being a part of the force that was going to bring down Voldemort, and as if it was a miracle, Draco Malfoy didn't even look at Harry wrong. Even Ron was acting his cheerful self again, like when he hadn't know about Ginny and Neville. Everything was going great in Harry's opinion.
Eager as he was to help, Dumbledore'd had Harry take Saturday off, and so Harry was thus in the Gryffindor common room with Ron and Hermione, playing Gobstones with Ron as Hermione was deeply engrossed in a book called -Mind Over Matter-.
"Go, Harry. You're about to get squirted, so I'd watch it if I were you!" Ron wasn't that good at Gobstones, but Harry was pre-occupied with his thoughts concerning the upcoming attack, and was thus squirted right in the face with an inky purplish substance.
"GAAAH!" He spat the foul-tasting substance onto the common room floor, where it magically scrubbed itself away. Ron was laughing hysterically, and Hermione transfigured a piece of paper into a cloth for Harry to wipe off his face. "AH! It's everywhere! It's not coming off!"
"Victory never tasted so sweet!" Ron laughed. "How does it taste to you Harry?"
"Inky..."
Ron laughed even more, and Harry caught his case of the giggles. It was pretty funny. Now he knew what Ron went through whenever he lost to Harry. Wizard chess was the only way Ron usually got Harry back, and it always resulted in Harry's chess pieces booing him.
Through the ink on his glasses, Harry saw a blur jump through the common room door.
"Harry! There you are!" Neville's shaky voice met Harry's ear.
"Hello, Neville. What's up?"
"You're wanted outside the common room..."
"By who? Is it Dumbledore? Why didn't he just come in?"
"It's not Dumbledore...It's S-Snape."
"What does he want?"
"I don't know, but I wouldn't keep him waiting if I were you." Neville wasn't sure which was worse: Being in the common room with Ginny's homicidal brother, or being outside with Snape. He quickly made his choice. "I'm not going back out there."
Harry tried to wipe the ink off his face, but it wouldn't budge. //Oh well. It's not like he cares what I look like// He thought. //But he'll probably deduct me twenty house points...stupid bat//
Harry jumped through the common room picture, and practically fell into Snape.
***********
Okay, so that's chapter 8. What did you think? reviews please.
PhoenixPadfoot89: I love you! Thank you for reviewing! I always look forward to your reviews!