Disclaimer - This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
A/N: This chapter is dedicated to hkanekar (HK), wowsergirl (Lizzie), nightstone131302 (nightstone), Nutty Albus, Silverscale, loopy dane, Egyptian Flame, atlantis-rob (Rahl), HermioneGreen, darkdanny (Daniel Senger) and Flaming Tsunami for being my first 11 reviewers. Special thanks to HK for posting the first one (I practically forced him). Special gifts: Hugs to the guys and Kisses to the gals. See note below.
Chapter 3 - Meeting with Dumbledore and a Plan
The next morning came early for Harry. After a fitful night in which he was awakened twice by nightmares, he realized that he may as well wake up now. He checked the clock on his desk to see it was only 5:30 am. One good thing was that he had not received any visions from Voldemort from that day at the ministry. His sleep was instead haunted by the various nightmares. Sirius made a regular appearance along with Cedric; both had their own special nightmares. The others were hybrid ones where his friends would be killed or tortured by the Dark Lord. He decided to ask Professor Dumbledore what Voldemort was up to and why he wasn't receiving any visions.
He scrambled out of bed to get ready for the day. After a quick shower, he decided to go through the remaining entries in the journal to pass the time and to see if he could get anything more to tell Dumbledore. After an hour of perusing through the entries he went down to have breakfast. The Dursleys totally ignored him once again and he vowed to thank the Order for scaring the hell out of them. He ate up a light snack and once again went up to his room to browse the journal.
He kept reading for a couple of more hours but the lack of sleep caught up with him forcing him to doze off.
Remus had decided to visit Harry today and so arrived at the front steps of the Dursleys at 11 am. He rang the doorbell and waited for gaining entry. The door was opened by Petunia Dursley whose facial expressions on seeing him were such that he would have kept laughing for half an hour. Instead he smiled pleasantly at her.
"Hello, Mrs. Dursley. I am here to meet Harry."
She stepped back and pointed to Harry's bedroom without saying a word. She had not forgotten how these… freaks had threatened them on the platform.
"Thank you." he said politely.
Remus stepped inside and went up to Harry's room. He knocked on the door and waited but received no reply. He gently turned the knob and poked his head inside. Harry was sleeping on his bead with a book in his lap. He smiled and decided to wait till he woke up. He stepped inside and made his way in. Must not have got enough sleep, he thought. He took the journal Harry was reading and began to skim through it. A smile slowly started to play on his lips as he saw the entries concerning Tonks. It seemed that Harry was just as attracted to her as she was to him.
Almost ten minutes had passed since Remus arrived that Harry woke up. He immediately realized that someone was in his room. The next instance all the drowsiness had disappeared and his wand was in his hand and pointed at Remus who had an amused expression on his face and the journal in his hand.
"You know something Harry, if I had wanted to harm you, I would have done that by now."
Harry still wasn't convinced and so didn't lower his wand.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"Remus Lupin, also know as Moony to some. Pleased to meet you." he said extending his hand.
"Where is the Headquarters of the Order?"
"No. 12 Grimmauld Place."
Harry sighed and lowered his wand.
"I'm sorry, Remus." he said shaking the proffered hand and pulled Remus into a hug.
He returned the hug saying, "Its alright kid, it's alright."
Harry felt all the emotions he had kept bundled inside him rise as the tears began to flow freely down his cheeks on Remus' shoulder. Remus gently guided them to the bed and sat holding him to let him release the pent up emotions. After some time when the tears had stopped flowing, Harry gently extracted himself from the embrace and looked up at Remus who had not been able to stop his own tears. He saw that he was not the only one who had suffered Sirius' loss; there were others to whom he was as important as to him.
"I'm sorry Remus. I'm sorry for taking him away from everyone."
"Harry, how many times do we have to tell you that it's not your fault? I agree that to a certain degree you hold the responsibility but you did not kill him. It was Bellatrix that fired the curse not you. You should also realize that it was not his nature to lay low. Part of the blame also lies on the Order for curbing his freedom."
"But still if I had just checked the mirror the whole thing wouldn't have happened."
"Harry, now listen to me; and listen good. Sirius died doing what he had always wanted to do, what he had promised your parents the day he became you godfather. I don't think he would want you to spend the remaining of your life moping after him. It's not bad to feel sad or angry, in fact if you had not been doing so I would have thought you were mad. What you should realize that it was not your fault and so feeling guilty would be a terrible thing to do. You should remember the good days that you spent together and cherish them instead. As a wise man once said, 'It does not do to dwell on past mistakes'. What you did shows just how much you cared for him. You would have sacrificed your life for his, but remember that he would have done the same for you. Be happy for him that he is now free from the bondages of this world and meeting his old friends. I'm sure he would have roped James by now to play some pranks on Lily and the others. Think how sad he will be if he sees you like this."
Harry sat contemplating this for a while.
"Thanks Remus. You don't know how much that helped."
"I am glad I could be there for you, Harry. Okay, now that we have it cleared, what's the matter between you and a certain metamorphmagus?"
Harry felt his cheeks competing for the colour with the Weasleys hair and began spluttering.
"What?" he finally choked out.
"That's the second thing Sirius had said that has come true in as many days." he said to himself.
"What are you talking Remus? There's nothing between us."
"Until now, that is."
"Shut up Moony. Why do you think that something will happen between us? She is older than me for Merlin's sake." And more beautiful, smart, intelligent too, he added internally.
"And that concerns you?"
"Well, no. But…"
"Then there is no problem."
"But I'm not good enough for her."
"Who says so?"
"I say so."
"Well then your opinion of how good or bad you are doesn't matter. It's the others' opinions that count."
"But…"
"No if's and but's Harry. If you really think you like someone then you should not hesitate to carry on. This does not mean that you should jump on her the next time you see her. You should rather play safe and see how the other person acts towards you. Try to judge their feelings. You would know what to do and when to do it. Flirting also helps to make matters easy. "
Harry had been listening to this but not all of it made sense to him. He remembered that girls were the most difficult thing one would aspire to comprehend. He thought he could at least give it a try.
"You know Remus; it is impolite to read someone else's journal?" Harry remarked as an afterthought.
"Err… I didn't know it was your journal. I thought it was some other book you were reading when you fell asleep. I wasn't going to peek, but the entries seemed rather… interesting."
"Please don't tell her Remus or I'll have to kill you."
"Sure Harry. Your secret's safe with me." And risk one of the two death threats on my head in just two days?, he asked internally.
"What was the first thing about Sirius?" he asked suddenly.
"What? Oh, that. That's someone's secret. I will tell you only if said person gives me permission to or I feel that there are no more conditions for it to remain a secret."
"Um… okay. Professor Dumbledore is coming today at 2 pm."
"Why?" he asked in alarm.
"I have to tell him something. I cannot tell you now but I will if he approves the whole thing."
"It's not dangerous, is it?"
"No Moony, its not. Yesterday I had an idea and so I wrote to him to meet me. He doesn't know it either. It's something important but definitely not dangerous. I think he should agree with it."
"Okay."
"Why didn't you wake me up when you came? How didn't I wake up?"
"I came through the front door. I knocked on the door but you were sleeping and did not respond. So I came in and thought it was better to let you sleep. I had nothing else to do so I decided to wait."
"Okay. So how is everyone else?"
"Everyone is fine Harry. I'm just worried about you. You're having nightmares?"
"Yeah."
"Everything will be alright Harry. See its almost past lunchtime. I will leave now. Why don't you go have a bite? Then you can be ready to meet Dumbledore. Okay?"
"Yeah, okay."
"Take care Harry." Remus said giving him a hug.
"You too, Remus" Harry said as he returned it.
After Remus disapparated with a soft crack, Harry headed downstairs to eat. Another light meal and he was done and waiting in his room for Dumbledore to arrive.
Dumbledore arrived exactly at 2 pm and was greeted with a wand pointed at his chest. He chuckled slightly.
"Alastor would be very proud of you Harry."
"What did you give me in my first year for Christmas?"
"Your father's Invisibility Cloak."
"I'm sorry Professor."
"It's quite alright Harry. How are you feeling?" he asked and drew up a squashy chintz armchair with a flick of his wand. Harry was once again reminded of a similar experience in the courtroom.
"As well as can be expected. Professor I wanted to apologise to you for…err…breaking your things. I…err…was not feeling myself and…"
"Quite understandable Harry and apology accepted. I dare say it was nothing a little bit of magic couldn't repair. If you can give an old man a chance to redeem his past mistakes then I will gladly help you break all of my possessions. I would say I have quite a few that were left unbroken. Now, I believe you would like to know what's going on."
"Yes Professor, I was wondering the same thing. Ever since… that day, I did not have any pain in my scar or visions from Voldemort."
"That may be due to the fact that possessing you proved to be quite injurious to his health. Professor Snape has reported that he was quite weak, though he is recuperating. Perhaps in another week, he would be up and about. His Death Eaters are also keeping a low profile. None have been sighted since that day though the Order is currently keeping tabs on all the likely places. The ones arrested that day are held in special high security cells in Azkaban. Anything else, Harry?"
"Yeah. I was wondering about the affairs of the Ministry. If the newspapers are creating so much hype then surely it won't take much time for the government to fall. I do not care if Fudge is kicked out. His government has already made too many mistakes. I was wondering that if it falls would we be able to have a Death Eater-free government."
"True Harry. I am worried about the same thing. If Cornelius cannot maintain this government then our worst fears will be realised. We do not know for sure how many of the ministry employee's work for Voldemort, but in case of a fall we surely won't be able to form a Death Eater-free government as you eloquently put if. The newspapers are fuelling many allegations against it and the nature of the reports prevents the people from seeing the future. You and I know how the newspapers handle the matters. One moment they will praise you and in the next your value will be worse than filth."
"Perhaps if we announce our support for the government, we will be able to hold it."
Dumbledore surveyed him over his half-moon spectacles.
"What do you have in mind, Harry?"
"Since the fiasco at the Ministry, our public opinions have changed. I am no longer the deluded, attention-seeking tragic hero and you are once again the wizard that Voldemort most fears along with your foot-long titles. If we support the government, the people will remain quiet, if only for a limited amount of time. This will give us time to settle down and rearrange our forces and reform our tactics."
"You never cease to amaze me Harry. This is definitely a viable option. Our fame and status will certainly force the people to rethink and calm down for the time being. But there is something else, isn't it."
"Well, um… I was thinking if we support Fudge, we can twist his arm a little bit."
"How little, Harry? It won't be better to twist it so much that it breaks."
"Well, we can tell him to raise my lifelong ban on quidditch. Also if I get a waiver to practise magic I may be able to learn more things over the holidays. So if I have to face Tom then I may have a little more knowledge and practice. I also wanted to lodge a complaint against Umbridge. She used the illegal blood quills and was going to use the Cruciatus curse on me. The decrees that she issued would also have to be removed."
Dumbledore was patiently listening to what Harry was saying. When he mentioned the part about the blood quills and the Cruciatus curse, his expression changed to livid in a matter of seconds. He was the perfect example of controlled fury as Harry had seen him only once when the impostor Moody was caught. He understood immediately why Dumbledore was feared by Voldemort.
"She used blood quills and the Cruciatus on you?"
"She just threatened to use the curse but Hermione prevented her from doing so by telling her some rubbish and leading her in the Forbidden forest. She used the blood quills quite freely."
Harry rolled up his sleeves and showed the words carved on the back of his right hand to the Headmaster. I will not tell lies.
"Does Professor McGonagall know about this?"
"Err… no."
"Why didn't you tell her; or me for that matter?"
"I didn't want to give the old hag the satisfaction that she got to me. You had a terrible last year running here and there and managing the Order and everything. I didn't want to bother you with my problems. And I didn't want to get Professor McGonagall in trouble. She has done a lot for me already."
"Sometimes Harry, you are too good for your own sake."
Harry just shrugged.
"So what do you think should be done about Cornelius?"
"What do you think are his opinions now? If he is seeing the truth as good as we are seeing it, we can and should support him. If he is still acting like a bumbling fool or has joined Tom, I will hex him so badly the next time I see him that Madam Pomphrey will have to wipe what will remain of him with a mop."
"Ah… yes, I believe you are progressing quite well at human transfiguration. I saw the three… slugs that you left in the luggage compartment." he said eyes twinkling madly.
"Um… that was not my fault Professor, they were attacking me and…"
Dumbledore held up his hand and said, "I know the story Harry. That has already been sorted out. I was just praising your efforts. But we are drifting from the main subject of discussion. Cornelius' opinions about us and Voldemort have certainly changed now Harry. I don't think he ever was a part of Tom's ranks, nor is he now. I will talk to him and arrange a meeting with you so you can discuss matters freely with him. If you can convince him that whatever you are requesting is not unnecessary then he will agree."
"But Professor, I was thinking that you should talk to him."
"I will talk to him today Harry. But he must hear the truth from the proverbial horse's mouth. I will arrange a meeting only if he is trustworthy. I will tell him my views and advice him to take your help in exchange for whatever you require. I dare say he will agree with whatever you request. But I will also advice you not to overdo it Harry. Twisting his arm to a certain degree will be fine but do not, and I repeat, DO NOT break it."
"Okay Professor. Also what about my training for defence? Can anyone from the order help to train me?"
"Currently most of the Order is on lookout for the Death Eaters. But I believe young Nymphadora will be good for the job. She is closer to you in age than anyone else and you will require her help sooner or later."
"What do you mean Professor?"
"Everything in time Harry. This is not a big secret I am keeping from you. I believe you will discover this in a few days without my help. Also I believe you should talk to Cornelius regarding Miss Tonks' appointment as your Trainer-cum-Personal Bodyguard. Currently she has a desk job at the Ministry but both of you can be certainly helped with a little bit of change. You don't have any problems with her, do you?"
"I… err… um… that is… not really, but I… err…"
"Ah… yes your little problem with her, of course. Don't worry about that Harry. Normally I don't encourage such a relationship, but you are in no way normal. Your maturity outweighs your age. You underestimate yourself the most Harry, perhaps except Professor Snape, but remember that you are a Gryffindor and try to act like one."
Harry was by now doing a very good impression of a tomato and stumbling for the proper words.
"I am not in any relationship with anyone, Professor."
"Who says you won't in the future?"
"I really don't know what to do Professor."
"Take help from your heart and not you brain Harry, it will certainly make matters easy. But I believe I must go now to catch Cornelius. You will get an official Ministry letter informing you of the time. You would prefer the afternoon right?"
Harry just nodded.
"Okay. Good-bye, Harry and do take care. Try not to think too much about the prophesy. What will come, will come and we will face it together. Everyone will be alongside you Harry. Remember that you are not alone."
"Thank you and good-bye Professor."
With another flick of his wand the armchair disappeared. After Professor Dumbledore disapparated away, Harry began thinking about the negotiations with Cornelius Fudge. He would well be damned if he would let that man have his way ever again. He remembered the parting words of the Headmaster.
You are not alone.
A/N: OK, just reposted the chapter to clear some mistakes. Thanks to all who pointed them out. Have to blame it on my PC since MS Word was not working and had to use another editor without a grammar checker. Also, English is not my first language. I was actually amazed there weren't many. But now I've got Word under control, so no need to worry. But if you find them, feel free to point them.
Next chapter will be posted within a week, most probably early. Once again thanks to everyone who has reviewed and I urge them to continue doing so. I will answer the reviewer's questions next time.
Constructive criticism is always welcome. As for the Harry/Tonks stuff, it won't be there for a couple of chapters. I can't see them jumping on the bed the first time they see each other. It has to be a gradual thing. Please bear with me. Thanks for encouraging a poor soul.