Harry Potter and the Wizard of Ashenbenford

by Arthur Hansen

AU Order of the Phoenix, with a twist.

3. To the end of the year!

Harry Potter and the Wizard of Ashenbenford: Part 3

-

Orel was finding that a good teacher in Defense Against the Dark Arts was actually very entertaining. He was currently sitting behind Harry and Hermione. Ron had looked discomfited when they had pushed him out slightly, but had just straightened his shoulders.

"Now we have a lot to make up still at this point. With all the work we'll be doing, you'll wish that I was less nice but you shouldn't be worried about your grades," Professor Lupin stated sharply as the class started. "Now what spells would you use to defend against the Unforgivables?" he finally asked.

"But-" Seamus got out, then stopped. "There is no way to stop the Killing Curse. And you have to have a really powerful will to throw off the Imperious! And the Cruceatus Curse... that can't be stopped either."

Orel raised his hand just as quickly as Hermione and Harry.

Lupin nodded. "Mr. Maresk first."

"Translocative spells!" he called out.

Hermione responded when the teacher called on her with, "Summoning spells to put things between you!"

"Spells to keep your opponent moving, to spoil their aim!" Harry said said with a grin.

Orel raised his hand again, which Lupin acknowledged with a raised eyebrow. "Potions to enhance your willpower or deaden you to pain. Or even make you faster."

"Very, very good! I want all of you to write five feet about means and ways to counter all of the Unforgivable curses-" Professor Lupin cut off his remark as the door the DADA class opened.

"Hem hem," went Inquisitor Umbridge as she waddled in.

"Inquisitor Umbridge. You are little later than I was expecting. I was just assigning the essay and then we were getting to some basic spellwork," the professor said with a cool demeanor.

"Was there something wrong with my school plan, Professor Lupin?" she asked in a sickly sweet tone.

"Not at all, Inquisitor. It just doesn't fit my style. I'm much more of a hands on person. Always have been, of course. I just brushed up on my class notes from a few years back and I'm working to get all of my students ready for their OWLs and NEWTs," he replied calmly.

"These children do not need to be taught to cast impractical jinxes and curses of the Defense Against the Dark Arts!" Her smile was turning even more toad-like by the moment.

Lupin looked disconcerted, obviously trying to weigh his words carefully. He was interrupted though.

"Professor Lupin?"

"Yes, Mr. Maresk?" the ex-werewolf said even as he thought frightfully fast.

"I had just been reading the Daily Prophet's medical section and I was wondering about the curses that were used in that fight at the Hogs Head? I understand that the young witch is still in St. Mungos' due to the damage the curse did to her, but they really are being vague about it," Orel asked blandly.

Harry noted that Hermione's eyes were almost twinkling in a mischievous way. "Please do, Professor! I understand it was a very nasty, dark curse that she wasn't able to defend herself against the attack that crippled her legs."

"Ahem! I haven't heard of any fights with curses. What nonsense!" Umbridge suddenly said nervously.

"You are right. The fight never made it into the Daily Prophet for some reason..." Orel drawled.

"See? Nothing to those rumors then at all!" the Inquisitor said just a little too quickly, an ugly, smug smile on her face.

"No, for some reason the Auror's were too busy keeping the poor witch from the reporter at St. Mungos. Quite odd, I'd say. You'd think that someone didn't want any news about dark witches or wizards appearing anywhere in print." Orel's was looking directly at her, his tone entirely too bland.

The rest of the class sucked in a breath at that challenge to the High Inquisitor. What else wasn't being printed then?

"It must have not been a very memorable fight then!" she replied, suddenly a bit nervously.

"Oh? The bartender at Hog's Head was saying that it was the biggest brawl in the bar in six years! Vampires, hags and even a veela were involved!" Hermione interjected.

Umbridge almost spun towards the girl. She looked around at all the students that were now watching her very closely.

"I hope I'm able to defend myself if something like that happened while I visit Hogsmeade!" Harry said with just a touch too much force, hiding a smile as much as possible. "Good thing I'm taking DADA!"

The Inquisitor started working her jaw. "Well. Ahem. We will just have to make sure that you are following prescribed teaching lessons."

"The exact same ones that Hogwart's has been using for years!" Lupin said with a smile that did not touch his eyes.

-

Harry walked into the Great Hall, groaning. The dream last night had been vivid. Orel looked up from his book that he was reviewing while eating a piece of toast. "Problems, Harry?"

"Just a dream," the other boy replied testily.

"Considering you look like you just lost a fight with a monk, I think it's a little more than just a dream. But you can talk to me when you want help rather than just push me away," the Dalelander replied back just as testily. He turned back to his book.

"Harry? Are you all right?" Hermione asked as she sat down next to him. The boy mumbled a reply, even as Hermione squeezed his hand. "When you want to talk, I'll be here."

"Finally started dating your mud-blood, Potter?" Draco drawled as he was walking past, his two goons in tow.

"Yes, we are going out," Harry shot back. He settled back down as his girlfriend squeezed his hand in reassurement.

"You know, insulting a man's girlfriend in some cultures is a deathly insult," Orel noted, turning a page. "I've heard of feuds started for less."

Draco just sneered. "And what do you care?"

Orel closed his book and stood up. "I stand by my friends. An insult to them is an insult to myself." His expression was hard and cold.

The three Slytherin boys almost flinched. Draco finally tilted his nose up and walked away.

"Stupid prat," Orel said as he sat back down.

-

"Orel Maresk! A moment of your time, if you don't mind?" called out Professor Trelawny. The professor looked distraught and overcome with emotions.

"In private?" he offered. He waved off Harry and Hermione as they turned towards their next class. They turned off into a disused classroom that might have once taught astronomy. Orel's dark eyes looked over the distraught teacher. "This concerns the High Inquisitor and her attempts to have you removed as a teacher, isn't it?"

Trelawny nodded jerkily. "Yes. While the Inner Eye can not be taught, your divination magic from your lands are very... useful. If I could learn them and then teach them to the students, I could maintain my place at Hogwarts." Her bulbous eyes were near tears, visible through her glasses.

The foreigner looked at her curiously. "I think I could. But I would ask that you owe me a favor in turn."

"Yes, anything!" the teacher said hurriedly.

He nodded in acceptance. "Very well, I think the first thing you should do is learn the basic defensive divination magics." Orel pulled out his wand and cleared off an old table with a wave. "How to divine poisons, undead, secret doors and traps on top of the magical aura detection I've already shown you. How far in your Arithimancy did you get?"

"I managed an Acceptable Owl, though my skill is quite out of practice."

"Good enough. Then we can work on scrying using a mirror and then detecting being scryed upon." His demeanor turned wolfish, the grin almost a snarl. "And we can set up Professor Umbridge. I suggest saving a very impressive divination for when she shows." Orel tapped his chin as he continued writing. "Perhaps you could have the students bring some very mild poisons to class to identify among other potions?"

The tension melted off of the batty professor. "This might work out very well."

-

Harry dragged himself back to the library after another Occulemency lesson, where Ron, Hermione and Orel were working on a homework assignment.

"How did it go?" Hermione whispered, and then, looking concerned at his haggard appearance, asked, "Are you all right, Harry?"

"Yeah- fine- I dunno," said Harry impatiently, wincing as pain shot through his scar again. "Listen- I've just realized something!" And he told them what he had just seen and deduced about the strange door in his dreams.

"So... so are you saying..." whispered Ron, as Madam Pince swept past, squeaking slightly, "that the weapon... the thing You-Know-Who's after... is in the Ministry of Magic?"

Harry nodded.

"Why a weapon? And why these dreams, over and over?" Orel thought aloud. "Harry, you said Snape mentioned that you had a connection? Through your scar?"

"So what's in the Department of Mysteries?" Harry asked Ron even as he nodded at Orel's question. "Has your dad ever mentioned anything about it?"

"I know they call the people who work in there 'Unspeakables,'" said Ron, frowning. "Because no one really seems to know what they do- weird place to have a weapon."

"It's not weird at all, it makes perfect sense," said Hermione. "It will be something top secret that the Ministry has been developing, I expect... Harry, are you sure you're all right?" For Harry had just run both his hands hard over his forehead as though trying to iron it.

"So it's a secret Ministry run laboratory. It might not be a weapon. It could just be dangerous," Orel murmured to himself.

"Yeah... fine..." he said, lowering his hands, which were trembling. "I just feel a bit... I don't like Occlumency much."

"Describe what you feel, please?" Orel suddenly asked slightly louder, getting a admonishing shush from the librarian.

Harry looked put upon, but finally nodded. "My scar is hurting and I've got a bit of a headache."

Hermione and Orel considered this. Hermione finally said, "Well, I suppose you would feel like that if your brain was being attacked constantly."

"No, that isn't right. He should feel fatigued but not in real pain and his scar that binds him to Voldemort should not be acting up. I think we should make sure that you know enough to learn this Occulemency right. Snape is rubbish as a teacher, never explaining anything he is doing." The Dalelander frowned. "He's almost making it harder on you on purpose. Did you ask any questions on how to do the clearing of your mind?"

"Yes, but he just started saying that I was wearing my emotions too much upon my sleeves like a good Gryffindor and then even accused me of wanting this connection to You-Know-Who!" Harry retorted angrily.

"I know a weaker form of mental reading... Would you mind if Hermione and I helped you with this? It would be terribly useful to be able to mask our thoughts if needed," Orel asked.

Hermione nodded her head forcefully. "Of course we will. But I'm not sure where to get a book that will help."

Orel just gave her an odd look and stood up to walk over to Madam Pince. He came back a few minutes later and answered their querying look with, "She says the book was checked out a week ago by a professor. Any bets that it was Professor Snape?"

Harry shook his head. "But he didn't give me any reading to do. And he's supposed to be very good at Occulemency-"

"So why does he need a book?" Ron asked in confusion.

"Honestly, Ron. He might have needed to refresh his mind on how to teach it," Hermione replied with a huff.

"Or he didn't want someone else to read it to check out his teaching." Orel gave a look to Hermione as if to dare to counter his argument.

"But he's on our side," she replied finally.

"No, he's on the Headmaster's side. He hates us," Orel retorted.

"That's a good point," Harry said slowly. "He barely tolerates us in class." He stood up and started packing his books away he'd barely pulled out.

They were almost back to their common room when Harry experienced a pain so severe he thought that someone must have sliced into the top of his head. He did not know where he was, whether he was standing or lying down, he did not even know his own name.

Maniacal laughter was ringing in his ears... he was happier than he had been in a very long time... jubilant, ecstatic, triumphant... a wonderful, wonderful thing had happened...

"Harry? HARRY!"

He heard chanting and then the insane laughter was punctuated with a pain. The happiness was draining out of him, but the laughter continued...

He opened his eyes and, as he did so, he became aware that the wild laughter was coming out of his own mouth. The moment he realized this, it died away; Harry lay panting on the floor, staring up at the ceiling, the scar on his forehead throbbing horribly. Ron was bending over him, looking very worried.

"What happened?'" Ron asked.

"That was a form of possession. He should be fine for now. I enchanted him with a short lived spell to repulse the spirit," Orel explained.

"I... dunno..." Harry gasped, sitting up again. "He's really happy... really happy..."

"Oh, Harry!" Hermione cried hugging him tightly.

Harry felt his throbbing headache dim as he became aware of how close he was being held.

"You-Know-Who is?" Ron asked with a gulp.

"Something good's happened," mumbled Harry. He was shaking as badly as he had done after seeing the snake attack Mr Weasley and felt very sick. "Something he's been hoping for." He noted dully that there was a ring of silvery powder around him.

"And that can't be good at all for us," Orel noted. "This protection won't last long, but hopefully it broke the connection for now."

And the next morning, the picture of ten Deatheaters proved them right. Broderick Bode was also found murdered in his bed in a buried article, prompting Harry to remember that he was an Unspeakable that worked in the Department of Mysteries.

His gruesome death by poison was quite a mystery. Why would anyone go to that much effort?

-

Orel had found a book on Occulemency and he and Hermione had devoured it. While Snape was technically training him correctly, Orel noted that he was doing it in such a bad way that it was almost useless.

The pair studied the problem and then started training with Harry on other days, in between Quidditch, Occulemency and studying for their OWLs; their days were filling up rapidly. Orel was also still researching magics from his own lands, adapting them to use with his new wand.

That was on top of the rumors and the new decree against teachers discussing anything outside of their classes and teachings. And Umbridge even disbanded all extra-curricular activities, including their now very illegal defense training that everyone decided to keep up, in spite of the High Inquisitor. Or to be more accurately, to spite her even though they had a very competent teacher. It took a week to get the Quidditch team reinstated, but Umbridge really didn't have a good reason to not do so. So she'd finally reinstated all the teams.

Umbridge had also taken to attending Professor Trelawny's class, hoping to trip her up, but the sudden addition of divination magic had her baffled. The minor magic to detect a poison in different cups was far too valuable and most of her students were suddenly very, very interested in making sure they were following her words in class. At least after Ron poisoned himself with a puking and pustules poison.

Poor Hagrid was not doing nearly as well. He wasn't bringing anything more dangerous than a crusp, but he wasn't able to focus on the class past Umbridge's omnipresence. Hermione and Harry both tried to help him, but he really didn't do well under pressure.

Harry was throwing himself into his DA studies in retaliation, teaching everything he could. Orel had been shocked at the transformation of the pudgy Neville Longbottom into a focused terror intent on learning every jinx and counter that Harry was throwing at the group. He got the feeling it had something to do with his parents and some of the escaped convicts, but no one was talking to him about that.

Snape was still teaching Harry as horribly as ever, but under Hermione's and Orel's tutoring, his shields were improving by leaps and bounds. Hermione's opinion of Snape's teaching skills was plummeting; he really was sabotaging Harry's work. They were also picking it up slightly themselves, using a charm that Orel researched that allowed a person to read the mental 'voice' of the target. The professor seemed slightly baffled at Harry's improvement.

And the mind reading charm was very handy, having let them catch a hint or two about something up about Draco's father. He was definitely involved again with the dark lord.

Orel visited Hogsmeade along with Harry and Hermione; they were going on a long over-due date. He had to remind Harry to get her something nice that she liked before he teleported to London. He spent the day at St. Mungos, getting poked and prodded. Once he made it back, Hermione let him in on the secret interview that was going to be published by The Quibbler.

The Dalelander had taken a minute to check in with the cursed witch that had lost the use of both of her legs. It was the least he could do for the young woman that had let them know how much the Ministry was controlling the Daily Prophet's release of information.

The next week, the Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff Quidditch game was a taut affair, with the Slytherins still singing their 'Weasley is our King' song, but it produced slightly different results than they were expecting, as all it did was make Ron mad and sloppy for a few minutes before he got his head on the game.

Harry caught the snitch fifteen minutes later, letting the Gryffindors have a fairly decisive win. Hermione's kiss raised the boy's spirit immensely.

Then the day after the article came out was quite an eye-opener for the double-duo. The High Inquisitor banned the lot of them from Hogsmeade during the school year, which just caused Orel to roll his eyes. He'd been going to Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley, not Hogsmeade when he had to go to St. Mungos. He'd had bought the book on Occulemency on one of those trips.

Hermione couldn't stop beaming a smile after the toad-like woman banned The Quibbler from the school. As she was wont to say, "This just made everyone want to read it even more." She was proven correct, as the periodical was now the hottest item to read in the school, though it was jinxed to always appear as something else when Umbridge showed up.

After the celebration held in the Gryffindor common room due to the High Inquisitor's bungling, Harry finally wandered up to bed with a blinding headache. He woke up Orel, who had gone to bed earlier, screaming "NOOOOOOOOO!"

"What?" called out Ron as he was getting ready for bed.

"It's another vision I bet," Orel said softly as he sat up.

Harry flailed around madly, became entangled in the hangings and fell out of his bed.

"Will you stop acting like a maniac so I can get you out of here!" Ron wrenched the hangings apart and Harry stared up at him in the moonlight, flat on his back, his scar searing with pain. "Has someone been attacked again?' asked Ron, pulling Harry roughly to his feet. "Is it Dad? Is it that snake?"

"No... everyone's fine..." gasped Harry, whose forehead felt as though it were on fire. "Well... Avery isn't... he's in trouble... he gave him the wrong information... Voldemort's really angry."

"Harry, he shouldn't be able to get past your Occulemency shields. I think we are going to have to try something different to block him out. This isn't working," Orel said. He cast the charm to detect thoughts, not getting far into Harry's mind before he was blocked.

"So all that effort was for nothing?" Harry said, almost crying from the pain and frustration he was feeling.

"No, I think it's a very useful skill, but for keeping Voldemort out of your head, it's not the right lock. And I don't think it has anything to do with your own skill or effort."

The next morning, they went over Harry's dream and Orel's theory in a corner of the courtyard, which Hermione had to finally agree to the fact that Harry's Occulemency wasn't failing, it was just not the right way to block him out.

Then Harry mentioned the fact that Sturgis had been forced to try to open the door to the Department of Mysteries, which was surprising. This brought them all back to the other person involved in the Dept. of Mysteries, Bode. The only thing that Orel wondered about, was why the Broderick Bode, an Unspeakable, wasn't able to get the weapon or tell them how; that he was unable to access it without addling his mind.

"I think there's more to this we've been told," Orel finally said. "Perhaps only certain people can access the weapon or secret. Not just any Unspeakable."

"You could be right," Hermione said, thinking hard.

"Now we have to figure something else out to block the scar," Orel complained as he stared up into the sky.

"Well, I am able to tell that it wasn't my own dream at least, so that's something," Harry said in explanation.

"I'm just worried that Voldemort will be able to actually reach through the connection and attack or charm you, Harry." The Dalelander frowned in thought. "We'll have to look at crafting an amulet with some wards I know. It won't stop him from reading your mind, but it will stop him from exerting mental control over you."

"Mate, I'd want one of those for myself!" Ron said with a laugh.

"That's not a bad idea. You'll use that charm you cast on Harry that other night as the basis?" Hermione asked.

"Right," Orel explained. He and Hermione started going over the enchantments that would be needing, though Harry tried to hide his jealousy as much as possible.

The rest of the week went horribly for Harry, as it was quite obvious that he was worried about Hagrid and his potion scores. Snape was once again shocked at how strong Harry's Occulemency was becoming, demanding to know if he was using any potions or other charms, which Harry denied. He was able to keep Snape out most of the time.

Other than that, nothing else came of the evening, as Harry was able to hide the fact that he was still having dreams from the professor.

At the end of the week, Orel had a silver and onyx amulet for him to wear. The dreams still came, but Harry was no longer feeling compelled by the feelings of want and curiosity within the dream.

The fact that there had been some sort of compulsion worried them. These dreams were not random.

-

The DA was meeting again, going over the Patronius charm which some people were having a problem manifesting. Harry had decided that this spell was imperative to learn, as the Dementors of Azkaban were likely not under the control of the Ministry. They had pared down to a core group, as several had dropped off after Lupin became the DADA teacher.

Orel was finding it very hard to come up with a really happy memory and was seriously looking at researching a different spell. From the description of the Dementors, they had the appearance of undead, so he was thinking of specific positive energy spells to bring up. He'd only gotten the filmiest of the silver mists to appear out of his wand when the door was opened. Harry looked over and finally spotted the strange House Elf; Dobby.

Harry finally extracted from Dobby's incoherent words that High Inquisitor Umbridge was planning on catching them doing 'something incriminating' and he sent the House Elf off. Harry then shouted for everyone to run.

"Stop!" Orel bellowed. "That's a stupid reaction." He looked over the group. "Quickly! Everyone gather. As soon as I cast an invisibility charm, head off to your dorms." He started to rapidly cast the charm, starting with the more frantic students first. After about ten students, Hermione and Harry joined in, casting the spell with varying success.

By the time Orel was ready to cast the spell upon himself, he was sweating profusely. His hand was shaking fiercely. "No, not now. This is rotten timing." The sick student then collapsed, twitching uncontrollably.

"Hermione, I'll take Orel. I think he's about to have another fit," Harry ordered even as she cast the invisibility charm on herself. The door then opened with a bang. He heard Hermione gasp, but she was quite invisible. He shook his head in her direction, to let her know that she shouldn't do anything.

High Inquisitor Umbridge and a few Slytherin prefects entered the Room of Requirement, taking in the training mats, dark wizard detectors and other sundry items of a dedicated classroom to teach defense against the dark arts. That was when she heard Orel's heels slapping against the floor. Orel's fit was starting to pass.

"Harry Potter! Well, this is just perfect!" the toad-like woman said with a twisted smile. "You will come with me to the headmaster's office to discuss this breach of rules. Help him up and we'll be on our way."

Orel listened muzzily to Marietta Edgecombe betrayal of the DA in the headmaster's office, though for some reason she wouldn't or could not speak after just a bit. It might have been related to Hermione's jinx on the paper they signed, but he had thought that was just for the sores on her face. Umbridge suddenly revealed the list of Hogwarts' students that were part of 'Dumbeldore's Army,' which the headmaster accepted full responsibility for, forcing a fight in the headmaster's office between Dumbledore and Minister Fudge and his Aurors. The bright lights and amazing speed of Dumbledore were shocking, but he still fled after winning using his Phoenix to translocate out after a quick discussion with his deputy.

McGonnagal then escorted Orel, Harry and Marrietta out after Umbridge and the Aurors awoke and went rushing down the stairs thinking that Dumbledore had fled on foot. Harry helped the woozy Dalelander down the spiraling steps.

"You, boy, why did you not inform me of Dumbledore' plan?" the toad-like woman snarled at Orel when she spotted them just a moment later. "The Minister of Magic is going to be very upset at your betrayal!"

Orel glared at her, though his weakened condition lost most of the force of his anger. "It was not Dumbledore's plan."

"But the paper with the name of Dumbledore's Army? That could not be a coincedence!" she retorted.

"No, that was picked because it would tweak you, and the Minister's, sensibilities... by the students when they were not being trained to defend themselves.I told them it was a stupid name, but they voted to select that name. I bet they are regretting that now," he retorted. "Oh, I do believe that resisting arrest is illegal, so Dumbledore just broke the law."

Harry goggled at the shorter boy. He was telling her that now? Umbridge seemed to think the same thing.

"Are you trying to be funny?" she asked dangerously.

"No, but you wanted to be informed whenever Dumbledore made an illegal move against the Ministry, so I'm informing you now."

"And his actions before hand?" she screeched out, her thick wands shaking in her hand.

"I'm not aware of any illegal actions he's taken before today. I don't even understand why he decided to accept the blame up there," Orel replied seriously. After all, preparing to defend yourself against a Dark Lord wasn't illegal, he noted to himself.

"Get out of here!" she screamed.

Harry just shook his head as he helped his dorm-mate back to the Gryffindor common room. "You like to live dangerously, don't you?"

"Harry, I really didn't care about the Ministry's antics before, but now they've made me an enemy by their actions. They shall reap what they've sowed," the sick wizard vowed. "I won't rest until I've gotten my revenge upon Umbridge."

The Boy-That-Lived winced. And with Orel's temper, who knows when that would happen.

-

The next few weeks turned vicious as Umbridge was named Headmistress, though she had to use a new office as Dumbledore's was closed off to everyone. She revoked all of the Prefects and instituted an Inquisitorial staff, made of only Slytherins that were loyal to her. Some students, notably Fred, George and Jordan started to rebel against Umbridge and the Inquisitors Juniors. The rest of the school joined in quickly as she in turn started to hand out new decrees.

It was turning out to be a war and Umbridge was losing badly, as most of the teachers were avoiding any sign of helping her. Even though the DA was basically defunct, Orel was more than willing to give out some of his more interesting spells.

Advanced illusions started to bedevil Hogwarts alongside magical fireworks, marauding nifflers in Umbridges office, stinkbombs, dungbombs and other sundry tricks. Umbridge couldn't seem to handle anything and her Inquisitors started to suffer dangerous mishaps and ended up in the infirmary on a regular basis. Her office, locked and sealed, was broken into so regularly that she had a guard troll posted outside.

That didn't do a thing to stop Fred, George and their friend Lee from opening a dimension door after levitating invisibly to her window from outside of the castle, however.

School continued, even Harry's 'remedial potions,' though between Orel and Hermione; Harry's potions and Occulemency were very solid. Then, suddenly, Harry said that Snape didn't think he needed any more lessons, which Orel and Hermione didn't argue with, though they knew there was more to it than that. Hermione kept at Harry (as gently as possible) to continue expanding his Occulemency, as the books Orel had bought said they were only half way through the training.

The very next potions class, Hermione and Orel both knew something was up, as Snape was pointedly ignoring Harry as if he didn't even exist. The Dalelander immediately used this to his advantage, as Harry and he were both left free to brew their potions with freedom.

Orel had been experimenting with dragon's blood, as he had a few suspicions about its uses and the alchemist Nicholas Flamel, who was a good friend of Albus Dumbledore. When he was able to purify the blood into a crystal, he smiled thinly. He pocketed the stone the size of a small fleck of blood. After potions, he grabbed Harry and pulled him to his side.

"Harry? I want your first impression of something I've been working on," Orel said casually. He turned to his side and cast an enlarging charm upon something in his hand, increasing his purified dragon blood to the size of a small pebble. "What do you think this is?"

The tussle-haired boy frowned, but then blinked in astonishment. "That looks like a sorceror's stone. But that's impossible. Dumbledore destroyed it!"

"Yes, he did. I've been working with dragon's blood for a while, as it was something that he was working with on with his old mentor, Flamel. Strangely, no one had thought to try and purify dragon's blood to its most magical basics... an opaque red crystal." Orel smirked. It had taken many hours of reading in the library to get all the pieces together.

"You can make a sorceror's stone?" Harry exclaimed in shock.

"Well, I think I can, but it looks like I need a huge, purified cauldron filled with dragon's blood to even make a decently sized one. But this might be a way to possibly save my life... if I can come up with several thousand galleons to spend on it." Orel sighed. "It's too bad you really don't have any monster lands or ancient ruins from fallen civilizations. This world really is far too explored."

"Well, perhaps in the wilderness of Africa or the Americas. But that's a long journey."

"So, Harry? When were you going to let us know that you got in trouble with Snape?" Orel asked casually as he pocketed his experiment.

Harry glared, but nodded in resignation. "He banned me after I did something. And I can't really say I blame him." Then he wouldn't say anything more to Orel.

-

Orel was reading a pamphlet with a confused expresion. 'HAVE YOU GOT WHAT IT TAKES TO TRAIN SECURITY TROLLS?' This career counseling was probably one of the silliest things he'd ever heard of. He was on a quest to save his life from a magical ailment, not a useless dead-end job.

"Hey," said a voice. Harry looked round; Fred and George had come to join them. "Ginny's had a word with us about you after the last Quidditch game," said Fred, stretching out his legs on the table in front of them and causing several booklets on careers with the Ministry of Magic to slide off on to the floor. "She says you need to talk to Sirius?"

"What?" said Hermione sharply, freezing with her hand halfway towards picking up, 'MAKE A BANG AT THE DEPARTMENT OF MAGICAL ACCIDENTS AND CATASTROPHES.'

"Yeah..." said Harry, trying to sound casual, "yeah, I thought I'd like-"

"Don't be so ridiculous," said Hermione, straightening up and looking at him as though she could not believe her eyes. "With Umbridge groping around in the fires and frisking all the owls?"

"Well, we think we can find a way around that," said George, stretching and smiling. "It's a simple matter of causing a diversion. Now, you might have noticed that we have been rather quiet on the mayhem front during the Easter holidays?"

"What was the point, we asked ourselves, of disrupting leisure time?" continued Fred. "No point at all, we answered ourselves. And of course, we'd have messed up people's revision, too, which would be the very last thing we'd want to do."

He gave Hermione a sanctimonious little nod. She looked rather taken aback by this thoughtfulness.

"But its business as usual from tomorrow," Fred continued briskly. "And if we're going to be causing a bit of uproar, why not do it so that Harry can have his chat with Sirius?"

Orel sighed. "Or how about us teleporting there in five minutes and Harry can have a small chat, instead of a reckless and dangerous plan that will likely get you two expelled?"

"Oh, but that's not nearly so fancy and fun!" George complained.

"You two sound like you are trying to get expelled," the Dalelander noted.

"Well," Fred said, sharing a quick glance with his twin. "We sort of are, actually."

"You do realize the worst thing you could do to Umbridge would be to pass your NEWTs with high marks, right?" he mentioned casually.

Harry grinned at that. "He's got a point. She'd hate to admit that your grades were good despite not being controlled by the Ministry."

"But we skivved off all of our revising," the twins exclaimed. "Bloody hell," Fred then complained.

"Now we have a whole lot of studying to do," his twin remarked sorrowfully.

Hermione just started laughing at their expressions. "You'd better remember this, Ron. You don't want to be like this in two years."

"Hey!" he protested.

-

Harry, Hermione and Orel appeared within the kitchen of Number 12 Grimauld Place with a soft pop. "Let's not take too long and just find Sirius," Orel said. He walked up the stairs, with Harry and Hermione following him up. So he was quite surprised to find himself blasted with a stunning hex as he turned the corner.

"Orel!" Harry cried out even as he pulled out his wand.

Sirius Black blinked in surprise at his godson. "Harry? I thought I heard someone moving around!" Sirius then smiled. "I guess I did hear someone moving around. Er, sorry about stunning your friend. How exactly did you get here anyways?"

"Orel teleported us." Hermione suddenly grinned, even as she awoke him with a charm. "While you may not be able to apparate into or out of Hogwarts, other translocative spells work perfectly fine. Ore's been teaching us, though I haven't mastered this long range teleport."

"That was mean and uncalled for," Orel complained as he sat up. "But my own fault. I should have expected you to be twitchy. All right, Harry, you can have your talk with your godfather. I'm going to grab a snack."

After a very disagreeable meeting punctuated with blood-purity put-downs with the House Elf Kreacher, Orel only had time to eat one sandwich and some pumpkin juice before Harry and Hermione came back down.

"Really, Harry, why didn't you use the mirror?"

"I forgot. I think I suppressed it when you made that comment about Sirius living vicariously through me and then it just kind went out there somewhere," Harry replied uncomfortably.

Hermione's expression changed to horror. "Oh, I'm sorry Harry. I didn't mean to keep you from talking, just to, well, explain where Sirius is coming from." She sniffled a little bit. "You must think I'm awful, suggesting not talking to your godfather and letting him be a part of your life."

"No, I don't think that. I was hurt earlier... but I realized you were correct too. And I didn't want to get him caught. Fudge would just have the Dementor's kiss him," he replied looking uncomfortable. He was fidgeting like he wanted to do something to relieve Hermione's anguish.

"Dementors. Nasty creatures those. I bet they are a form of undead. Wouldn't surprise me that their 'kiss' is actually how they create new Dementors." Orel scowled at that thought. He still wasn't able to get much further on his Patronius because of his block. Did he really have no happy memories of any worth?

Harry frowned, going over the information he knew on the monsters. "You know, I wouldn't be surprised."

"Most people just destroy soul-sucking monsters on general principle. The more I hear about your Ministry, the less I like it," the foreigner said.

Hermione nodded in agreement, looking sad. "It is far too true. It is just horrible the things I hear."

"Well, let's get back to Hogwarts before we are missed. What classroom should we use that nobody will be in?" the brown-haired boy asked.

Harry produced an odd piece of paper. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good!" he said with a flourish while tapping the paper. "It looks like the 5th year boy's dorm is clear right now."

"Now that's right handy!" Orel said, very impressed. With a pop, the three students appeared back in the castle.

-

Hermione and Orel were sitting up in the Quidditch stands, cheering the Gryffindors on as they contested against Ravenclaw in the last game of the year. That was when Hagrid carefully sidled up to Hermione and asked her to follow him. Orel just followed along curiously, though Hermione did have to vouch for him.

Hagrid was explaining that the centaurs were very upset and why the presence of his weapon was needed.

"Do you mind if I cast an invisibility spell, then?" Orel offered. "If they don't see us, they aren't likely to get as upset."

"Now at's a right good idea," Hagrid said. Once they got sorted out and holding hands so they wouldn't get lost, Hagrid led them deeper into the forest.

That was where they were introduced to Hagrid's half-brother, the full giant Grawp. After nearly scaring Hermione to death, she promised that she would see about keeping an eye on him if the Care of Magical Creatures professor got fired.

They turned themselves invisible and headed back to Hogwarts, just in time to see Ron being carried back to the castle to the resounding cheer of, "Weasley is our King!"

"I somehow think that Ron finally over came that block on his playing skill," Orel noted.

"He wasn't that bad last game," Hermione said in defense of her friend.

"No, but he wasn't at ease or on the top of his game. Good for him! I guess he took my words to heart and used that righteous anger against the Slytherins instead of letting them fluster him!"

But that was the last reprieve before OWLs. They seemed to barely have enough time to let Ron and Harry know about Grawp. Everyone then buckled down to study, especially Hermione. Ron was starting to get worried and really was looking at the potions and draughts that were being offered to enhance people's concentration.

"They are all a load of rubbish. None of them work!" Hermione said to Ron hotly, while Harry watched on with amusement.

"Really? You don't have the equivalent of potions of cunning?" Orel asked. "It's pretty much the same magic as my headband in potion form."

The bushy-haired girl opened her mouth, stopped to think a moment, then glared a second. "Well it wouldn't be fair. It would be cheating!"

"You are right. Using items during the exams is considered cheating. Taking a potion before the exam is not. Nor is enchanting yourself!" Orel was just grinning.

"But not everyone knows about how to cast that," she responded weakly.

"Yet! I'm sure after this year, it will become very popular!" he said cheekily. "Besides, you still have to know your school work. It doesn't magically put the information in your head. It just allows you to use that knowledge slightly better," he noted.

"I suppose..." Hermione looked conflicted.

"Would you be able to teach us that charm? I don't think we have enough time to brew enough of those potions," Harry asked while thinking aloud. He was obviously thinking over his chances to become an Auror, which required a very high grade in Potions.

"Sure. It's really not that tough of a charm. There's actually several variations. Ones that make you more personable; another that makes you stronger or more nimble. And so on. It should last long enough to get past the tests." (1)

"Strength? That doesn't seem that useful," Ron noted disparagingly. "Why both with your strength when you can just magic things around."

"You cast it on your non-magical warrior friends, Ron. It can push a topnotch warrior into the realms of superhuman feats if needed. And being nimble is very, very handy!"

-

The tension on the 5th years students was increasing exponentially. Students started buckling under the pressure due to the stress and lack of sleep. All of them studied frantically, going over all of their notes. Orel was had his own advantages, but had his own disadvantages also. Having to go over years of studying that he wasn't at Hogwarts was being terribly brutal, but he could do most of the spells.

He figured he'd be lucky to pass with Acceptable in anything.

They were handed their exam schedules for Monday. When the examiners showed up, everyone's tension doubled. Charms, creatures, defense and history, all across the week crushed the 5th years.

The most exciting thing that happened during the exams was actually during Astronomy, when they were being tested at night. Headmistress and High Inquisitor Umbridge attempted to arrest Hagrid just as they were finishing up their test. Hagrid managed to flee, but when Professor McGonnagal was downed by a stunner and a leg-breaker hex, Hermione had held back enough.

She opened a dimensional doorway down to the side of her head of house, even as she cried out, "Professor!"

Dawlish blinked. "It's not possible to apparate at Hogwarts!"

"Hermione Granger! You are interfering in official business!" Umbridge scathingly called out as she waddled over.

"She didn't even have her wand out! And why did you bring Aurors for firing a teacher! He wasn't a criminal!" the bushy-haired girl shouted back as she held her favorite teacher's head up off the ground, tears in her eyes.

Harry, Ron and Orel appeared with a snap near her. "We need to get her to the hospital wing," the raven-haired boy said. With a wave of his wand, McGonnagal floated up.

"That's not possible!" the lead Auror exclaimed again. He even attempted to apparate just five feet, not moving at all.

"Er, don't ask me!" Ron said, following Harry and Hermione quickly back up to the school's main entrance.

"And what about you, boy?" Umbridge sneered at Orel who was watching her and her people.

"We are just worried about Professor McGonnagal. I hope that isn't illegal yet," he snapped back. "But at the rate you are going, I'm sure it will be." He was surprised to note that a few of the Aurors had the decency to look abashed at that. With a final pop, he disappeared.

-

After their final exam on history, Harry looked very agitated after they were back in the yard outside. "Sirius is in danger," he whispered to Hermione and Ron. He quickly explained how he had fallen asleep during class.

"How do you know, Harry?" Hermione asked worriedly.

The tussle-haired boy was very agitated. "I had another vision and Sirius was being tortured by Voldemort when I passed out during the test!" He was rubbing his forehead, as if he could massage his scar into inactivity.

"Harry, where is your amulet?" Orel asked casually. He was slipping his headband back on.

"Oh, I took it off so that no one would accuse me of cheating." He had been working very hard over not being expelled or invalidating his schooling.

The Dalelander and Hermione sighed. Orel pulled out his wand and cast a spell on Harry. "That better?"(2)

Harry blinked, then frowned as he pulled out his wand. "That... he was altering my emotions again. I can feel that he was changing things now. Lowering my suspicions and increasing my worry and fear of Sirius. Accio amulet!" After the amulet appeared, he settled it back on his neck.

"What ever you do, Harry, don't take off that amulet. It can only block external control while you wear it. You are technically charmed right now. So the moment you take it off, it will start affecting you," the Dalelander explained.

"Right, you explained that before. Now I'm conflicted. Is Sirius really in danger?" Harry asked. His brow was creased heavily.

"Call him on your mirror, Harry. It's the only way to be sure." Hermione seemed very determined.

They all trooped up to his dorm and watched as he pulled out the hidden mirror, activating it. "Sirius? Are you there? Are ayou all right?" He waited a minute, but the person that answered was surprising. "Kreacher? What are you doing?" Harry asked.

"Kreacher heard nasty, filthy half-bloods asking for nasty blood-traitor. But he's no longer here. He's been taken!" the crazed elf said, then blanked out the mirror.

"I've got to-" the Boy-Who-Lived started to say when he was interrupted.

"-think a second." Orel said coldly while thinking very, very hard. "Did that seem odd to you?" He looked over to Ron and Hermione, then Harry.

"It was," Hermione finally said. "Kreacher loves to berate us and call us mean names. That was very abrupt."

"Yeah, it was like he was trying to get rid of us," Ron noted.

"And Kreacher hates all of you?" the Dalelander asked.

Harry was nodding. "Orel, could you take us Grimauld Place again?"

"Ah. Time to check his story? All right, put your hands on my shoulder," Orel ordered. Just as he was about to cast his spell, the door opened.

"Wait!" Ginny called out. "We were just on our way to warn you that Umbridge was searching for you. But if you are leaving, we want to come with you, just to make sure everything is all right." Behind her, Luna Lovegood and Neville nodded.

"But-"

"Harry, it would be churlish to refuse their offer. They are choosing to stand behind you. And we'd better leave. Grab a hold of a hand," Orel ordered. With a pop of displaced air, they appeared in the kitchen of Grimauld Place.

"You aren't supposed to be here!" screeched Kreacher, just before Orel stunned him.

"Orel?! Why did you do that?" Hermione exclaimed loudly.

"He doesn't trust Kreacher. And neither do I. Something is up," Harry said, even as he moved up the stairs while levitating the elf behind him. He was just at the hallway where Mrs. Black's portrait used to reside when Sirius appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Harry? What are you doing here?" the startled escaped convict asked. He was carrying bloody bandages in his hands.

"Checking on you, of course. I've just been receiving these awful visions that you were captured by Voldemort and being tortured to get something from the Department of Mysteries," the young man said with abject relief in his voice.

"No, I've just been stuck here," the older man replied. "Buckbeak was injured and I was tending to his wound."

"Which means Voldemort is planning a trap when we try to 'rescue' you from him there. Harry has been receiving these visions for months. Obviously this has all been planned, but this may be an opportunity," Orel said.

Hermione was nodded. "A chance to trap the trapper. Sirius, how long would it take to get some members of the Order here?"

"Not long at all. Go into the sitting room." The last heir of Black looked much like his name, cold and grim.

-

Dumbledore frowned slightly at the gaggle of children sitting ill at ease, not back at Hogwarts where it was safest. "So you have been having these dreams for months now? And you didn't bother to mention this fact?"

"Snape knew about it, calling my inability to block out these dreams to be a failure on my learning Occulemency. Which, professor, is pure hogwash. Hermione and Orel read over several books and have been helping me greatly. While my shields aren't perfect, they aren't weak," Harry explained hotly.

"It's a soul link, not a mind link. Occulemency can only block the mental powers of that connection, not the link to his soul due to that curse mark," the Dalelander explained. "Is there a problem, Professor?" he asked when Dumbledore's gaze bore into him. He raised his markedly weak Occulemency shields. They were still better than nothing.

"How did you come to this supposition?" Dumbledore asked, even as the other order members present blinked in astonishment. Tonks and Sirius then just shared a confused look. Moody was staring at Orel with distaste and suspicion.

"It's the distance. Pure mental powers could not work without eye contact and at such distances. But soul bonds can," he explained.

"And with Orel's amulet to block his ability to manipulate my mind, I can tell he's trying to force me to act rashly," Harry explained. He expelled a breath, the continued. "And as long as I'm awake, he can't even do that much."

"So if he thinks that Harry is being pushed into acting rashly because of his dreams and Kreacher's betrayal, then we have an opportunity to trap him. This is a golden chance!" Hermione said. Kreacher was now bound up in the strongest magic that Sirius and Dumbledore could conjure up due to his actions.

"The Order will handle this. You should all return to Hogwarts now," the ex-headmaster said, still not looking at Harry directly. "Kreacher will be sent off with modified memories that you are rushing to Sirius's aid. And then we will ambush them ourselves."

"While your goal of protecting us is laudable, I do not think it will work. Voldemort or his minions will be expecting Harry with at least Hermione and Ron. So any plan you have of capturing them must include at least those three. I would like to be included also, as I am combat trained," Orel explained even as Ron winced, but nodded agreement.

"He's right. The Death Eaters will be expecting me," Harry said grimly. Hermione expression was set, she was going to be with her boyfriend no matter what.

"We're in! People have to have noticed we are missing from Hogwarts by now!" Ginny piped up. "So they'll be expecting us all."

Luna just nodded dreamily. "I heard Dark Lords are bad for Nafferty Dinglebuvs."

"Er, what they said!" Neville said, throwing Luna a very strange look.

The Order members pulled a bit away to converse. Finally, after a very quiet, yet heated discussion between Dumbledore and Sirius, they returned.

"I would never ask a child to do something so dangerous," the tired seeming headmaster said finally. "But we are not asking, nor are you small children, are you? And all keeping you at a distance this year is cause problems, it seems. You are correct, that if we attempted a trap without Harry's presence, Voldemort's Death Eaters will likely flee. We must awaken the Wizarding world to his return."

-

They appeared with a pop at the little phone box that led to the Ministry of Magic in the early evening on a strangely deserted Muggle street. Harry dialed the number and declared them a 'rescue party' and they were admitted to the empty entrance hall. Hermione opened her mouth, but then closed it without saying anything. She was obviously thinking that this was too easy, which it was!

"Come on. I'm sure that it's behind the door in my dreams," Harry said loudly.

They crossed the atrium and the statue of races and quickly entered the lift. Harry took them down to the level of the Department of Mysteries, which was the same level he'd been put on trial before.

The door was opened by Harry, leading to a room with many doors leading off into many directions. The room seemed to spin around, confusing everyone. Orel, on the other hand, just pulled out a piece of chalk and starting writing symbols just past the doors.

"What? Chalk is dead useful for dungeoneering?!" he responded at the bemused looks. "Keeps you from getting lost."

Ron snickered. "Your world is weird, mate. Why would go someplace where you might be lost forever?" Luna was pouting airily, she wanted to put up magical writing.

"Treasure, of course! Greed is a powerful, motivating force." Orel had a huge grin.

They then started moving forward, following Harry's dream instructions. They past rooms with arcane hour glasses, where Hermione whispered what Time Turners were to those not in the know. Then a room with floating brains, which Orel warned them could be monsters or worse. Then a large amphitheatre with a stone archway draped in a shroud or veil.

"Goddess of the Weave... that thing radiates necromancy of the highest order!" the Dalelander exclaimed. He'd been examining everything with his magical divination spells. "I'd suggest staying far, far away from that if you can. I wonder what it does?"

"Right, avoiding that like the plague," Ron said loudly, Ginny and Neville nodding very firm agreement while pulling Harry and Luna away from the voices they were hearing.

Then, finally, they came to a room with many, many globes on shelves. "This has got your name on," said Ron while they were looking around. Harry moved a little closer. Ron was pointing at one of the small glass spheres that glowed with a dull inner light, though it was very dusty and appeared not to have been touched for many years.

"My name?" said Harry quietly.

He stepped forwards. Not as tall as Ron, he had to crane his neck to read the yellowish label affixed to the shelf right beneath the dusty glass ball. In spidery writing was written a date of some sixteen years previously, and below that:

S.P.T. to A.P.W.B.D.

Dark Lord and (?)Harry Potter

Harry took a hold of the sphere that was slightly warm to his touch.

"Very good, Potter. Now turn around, nice and slowly, and give that to me," a cultured voice said from behind them. Lucius Malfoy slipped from beneath his disillusionment. Death Eaters had the children trapped in the middle of the row.

"Malfoy!" Harry snarled, worried at how easily they would have been trapped had they not known of this ahead of time.

"Give him the prophecy, boy. Then we will be off to the Dark Lord with you. He's expecting you shortly!" Bellatrix Lestrange said, then laughed coldly.

"My, they are rather talkative, aren't they?" Orel noted. "You'd think we'd fallen perfectly into their trap." All of the DA members grinned suddenly at that.

The Death Eaters suddenly looked at each other in confusion, their smiles slipping. Malfoy finally spoke, "What do you mean?"

"He means that you've fallen into our trap," Sirius's voice said from the side of the Death Eaters, causing them to whirl to face the empty air.

"Now!" yelled Harry. All of the students sent out a swarm of red beams, even as the Order of the Phoenix appeared as they sent their own stunners.

The Death Eaters reacted instantly, either shielding or dodging the spells. They were suddenly grim as they realized that their trap had been turned around on them.

Orel launched a bolt of lightning that hit Bellatrix and Lucius, sending them staggering and blowing a hole in the shelves behind them.

"This way!" Malfoy called out, leading his group away from the Order members.

"Good job, kids! Head on out now! We got this covered," Tonks called out, even as she sent her own cutting hex at a Death Eater that was hastily blocked.

Harry grumbled under his breath, but he really couldn't fault the adults. They all kept their wands out and were just passing the Veil when a purple flash struck Ginny at the front, crumpling her to the ground with a cry of pain. Luna tried to catch her as she fell, mumbling something about this not being too good.

"I believe you have something of mine, Harry Potter," a hissing voice said from the other entrance of the black tiled room. The inhuman features of Voldemort stared down at them from above, cloaked in obsidian black. A wave of his wand entrapped the students in red fire.

"Voldemort!" Harry cried out in surprise.

"Scatter!" Orel shouted. With a twist, he disappeared from the ring of fire. Belatedly, all of the students followed with their own pops of displaced air. Luna had taken Ginny, appearing behind the shroud where Orel had also popped to, trying to stop her bleeding.

Neville shouted out his stunner, which Voldemort negligently deflected towards Orel and Luna, causing them to duck. Harry was moving quickly, low and crouching to the ground as he sent a leg-locker jinx that the Dark Lord sneered at and dispelled with his open hand. "Your friends are braver than most wizards, Potter. But I am known as a Dark Lord for no small reason."

Voldemort sent a spell towards Neville that sent the stout boy stumbling, blood leaking down his left arm, leaving it hanging limply. Neville gamely sent another stunner, but his accuracy and power were lacking after being hurt.

Hermione and Ron sent a pair of spell that Voldemort stopped with a wave of blue sparkles and a laugh. "Jinxes again? Pathetic. You truly are children." Silently he sent another spell, this time targeting Ron who started to choke, his face turning red.

"Ron!" Hermione and Harry screamed.

That was when Orel came out from behind the Veil, moving to cover them as they ran to Ron's aid. With a flick of his wand, four duplicates appeared in a whirl, leaving five Dalelanders walking forward while pointing their wands at Voldemort.

"Now that is interesting," Voldemort said, curiosity in his voice. He waved his wand, shattering the four illusions and staggering the real Orel with a wave of pure force.

"Damn it." But he had finally gotten close enough. He raised his wand. With a shout, a black spark jumped from his wand and hit Voldemort instantly, crumpling him to the ground.

With a shake of his head, the Dark Lord stood back up, none the worse for wear. "What was that spell, boy?" he snarled.

Orel looked shocked. "How-? That spell should have killed you... or at least hurt you!"

Voldemort's next spell was a wash of green light, headed straight for the foreigner. He was too shocked to dodge, so when Hermione attempted to tackle him, they landed in a heap.

"Hermione!" Harry screamed hoarsely as he collapsed next to her, shaking her shoulder. "No-no-no-no-no-" he started to mumble, even as Voldemort started chuckling.

Orel blinked as he took in the lifeless eyes of one of the few people that treated him like a person. Energy crackled within him and down his arm, lighting up his wand. Pure willpower rumbled through the air as the Faerunian wizard attempted to cast his latest spell that he had researched. "I wish for Hermione Granger to be revivified from the dead," he said carefully while touching the wand to her sternum.(3)

GONG.

GONG-GONG.

GONG-GONG-GONG!

And with a thunderous crack, a bright, ghostly spirit streamed from the veiled archway, slamming into her with a gasping wheeze of breath even as Orel collapsed from the strain of the life-draining spell.

Hermione Granger breathed again.

Everyone in the room just stared. Voldemort was the first one to react, disarming Harry and Orel in an instant. "You have the secret of life over death!" he shouted, even as he summoned the Dalelander. "I will pluck your secrets from your shattered mind, from your bleeding carcass! Death will never hold sway over me!"

He pushed Orel along, the young teen barely conscious as they passed the rooms within the Department of Mysteries. Soon they were riding the elevator up to atrium, Voldemort pulling him by his arm for just a moment.

Then he took in the arguing forms in front of him. It was a small crowed of Ministry officials, with Dumbledore in the middle.

"Dumbledore! You will not be able to escape this! Breaking into the Ministry itself! Whatever allies you had on the Wizenmengot will be through with you-?" Cornelius Fudge finally stopped ranting to turn around, his face blanching at the scowling visage of the Dark Lord Voldemort that he had been denying existed for almost a year standing a mere forty feet away.

Said Dark Lord just shook his head. This would set back his plans, but with this stranger's magic, time would never be of the essence again. Dare he try to apparate out with his unwilling prisoner? That could be fatal to the passenger.

"Voldemort! Release that boy!" Albus Dumbledore ordered, looking every inch the powerful wizard that shook the annals of modern wizarding history.

That was when the next elevator dinged, releasing Harry, Luna and a bleeding Neville half-carrying Hermione, Ginny and Ron. They spotted Voldemort and jerked back, three wands at the ready.

Orel wiggled his fingers to cast a spell. "Solus dargur!" he cried out, unleashing five shards of pure force into Voldemort's side, then twisting free of the surprised dark lord. He dove clumsily behind a pillar.

Voldemort snarled, but twisted in a swirl of robes, apparating away.

"That was Voldemort! But Lucius said that you were just making up that rubbish!" Fudge exclaimed. "But-but-but-"

Dumbledore was still scanning the room, searching for his one-time student.

That was when Harry gasped, his wand hand going to his forehead. At his gasp, Hermione looked up weakly in worry. "Harry? Are you all right?"

He smiled through his pain. And suddenly his pain faded away. "I'm all right now."

"As scary Dark Lords of Evil go, he was the real deal," Orel noted from behind the pillar where he had a hand jammed in a pocket. "Is he really gone?" he asked while looking around.

"Dumbledore! I demand an explanation!" Fudge shouted out.

"And you will have it, but at this point, I need to return these students to Hogwarts and the care of Madam Pomfrey," the headmaster said. "I will talk with you in two hours in my office. Good day." He pulled out a pouch of lemon drops from his pocket and enchanted it. "Take a hold, everyone. This portkey will return you to Hogwarts."

-

Orel sighed as he stared at the ceiling. Nope, it had not changed. It had been hours since they'd arrived. Harry and Luna had not been hurt, but the Boy-That-Lived had been whisked away by Dumbledore for a private meeting while Luna had been sent back to her dorms.

So that left everyone else to get patched up as best as possible by Madam Pomfrey. Though she had not been happy to learn of the curses and situation that had landed them in her care.

That was when Dumbledore finally returned. "Orel Maresk, you have unlocked a very dangerous door."

He blinked. "Oh. Yes, I guess you don't have magic to raise the dead back to life. I figured that when Voldemort tried to kidnap me for my knowledge."

"This magic was thought impossible or lost in ancient times. How does this magic work?" Dumbledore was showing himself to be quite worried, thinking hard on the situation.

"What makes you think I would just give up my most powerful secrets for nothing?" Orel responded slowly as he thought this over. "It's customary in my lands for wizards to trade spells that they feel are too powerful to be given freely or just sold."

"What spells do you think I would have that I would offer to trade in exchange?" the old man asked with a raised, bushy-white eyebrow.

"How about the 13th use of dragon's blood for making a Sorceror's Stone?" Orel asked with a grin.

Dumbledore tried to hide his surprise, but failed to totally smother it. "That sounds interesting. What makes you think I know of another use?"

"Let's see; you are friends with Flamel who is the only known owner and creator of the Sorceror's Stone; it is created through alchemy; you personally 'discovered' the twelve uses of dragon blood with Flamel... at the same time discrediting other potion masters' work on dragons blood. Which incidentally keeps people from figuring out that it could be part of the sorceror's stone. But that's only from reading several historical texts and modern works on that. Shall I continue?" Orel was staring at the headmaster carefully.

"That is an interesting supposition," the old wizard replied blandly.

The student pulled out a small vial with a tiny fleck of red crystal within it. "Yes, it is."

"Amazing. I had not thought anyone would figure that out. I will have to talk to Flamel, as it is his secret to give out," Dumbledore said. "Good day, Mr. Maresk." He then exited the infirmary.

Then a voice came from the air. It was Harry as he stepped around the curtain where Hermione was sleeping, turning visible. "I don't have any arcane secrets, Orel. So I don't have anything to trade."

"You really like that invisibility charm, don't you? What makes you think I would require trade between our group?" the fatigued wizard said from his bed.

"I was hoping... You could bring back my parents?" Harry asked, hope catching in his voice.

"Harry, please understand... raising the dead that have been so long murdered is possible, but would require someone far more powerful than I. It's a matter of time. The best I can do is only days back. The best I will ever be able to do when I have become even more powerful is years. But decades? That will be forever beyond my reach, I'm afraid," Orel replied softly.

Harry faded into existence, his face twisted in anguish. "At least you didn't say it was impossible."

"I really wish I could say I could do it, Harry."

"If only we had a time turner," Hermione said as she turned the corner around the curtain. She looked pale and drawn out. "Then we could go back in time. We couldn't stop them from being killed, but bring them back so we don't create a paradox." She set her hand on Harry's shoulder, trying to share his anguish.

"Umm..." Orel looked uncomfortable. He sheepishly pulled out one of the magical artifacts from his pocket. "I snagged one while Voldemort was attempting to kidnap me, figuring I could try to use it to escape him. I kind of forgot it until this moment."

Harry eyes shown in wonder. "So we can do this? I can really bring my parents back?"

Orel seemed to be thinking hard. "We need more information, Harry. Enough so that we don't cause a paradox. Like where you parents were buried. If there are protections on the graves."

"Why don't you talk to Sirius and Professor Lupin?" Hermione asked. "Once we are out of the hospital wing, we can plan things out better."

Orel looked thoughtful while Harry was looking ecstatically excited.

"Harry... be careful. And don't verify things that will make it a paradox, like checking to make sure their bodies are actually in their graves," his girlfriend said carefully.

"Oh. Right." That dampened Harry's mood a lot.

Just that comment alone creeped them all out.

-

Hermione, Orel and Ron were released from the infirmary shortly that next morning. Ginny and Neville's injuries were more serious. "How many people get to say they faced off against Voldemort and lived to tell the tale?" Ginny said with a grin as they left.

Twelve of the Death Eater's had been captured. Cornelius Fudge's hold on his position was quite precarious after Lucius Malfoy was caught by the Order of the Phoenix in Death Eater robes.

Professor Dumbledore had been returned to Hogwarts while High Inquisitor Umbridge had been sacked in a shameful screeching argument. In a show of solidarity, most of the students stood at the headmaster's back, staring her down.

After that, Harry had talked to Professor Lupin about his parents, finding that they had been buried at Godrics Hollow just a day after they'd been killed. Hermione had been researching that time and the travel method they were planning on using. She and Orel both created a special item to track how many turns of their time turner they had gone and how far back they could go at one time.

Harry and Orel both learned that you could only go back about one month before the device needed recharging for an hour on this particular model. It was actually more powerful and advanced than Hermione's original time turner from her 3rd year. After procuring some food supplies and necessary items at great expense, they were ready.

The left Ron and the others to cover for them and set out the day before they had to return 'home' for the holidays (excepting Orel, of course.) They slipped out into the Forbidden Forest, away from the centaurs and other denizens of the forest. Hermione attached the time turner to the contraption that would count out 720 rotations and then talk for an hour or so as they walked through the forest. They would be pushing it to carry five people back into the future they thought.

They traded stories around a while, as they had days of time travel. They grew to hate the little ding of the timer as the counter moved forward, though Harry grew to be able to sleep right through it as they all sat back to back. Subjectively, they spent over a week traveling into the past. Harry and Hermione told stories about growing up in the Muggle world, while Orel told tales of his growing up in the Dalelands. They traded stories of their adventures, then discussed what they wanted to do in the future. Finally, they even just discussed spells.

"Orel, could we learn that spell?" Hermione asked after eight hours. Harry was yawning, but suddenly was wide awake.

"The one I used to bring you back?" He seemed to think aloud. "It's a powerful, universal spell. Neither charm, nor transfiguration nor enchantment. It has no real effect of its own, but allows you to mimic other magics, even ones that are normally under the purview of other domains. It's a bit limited, but very powerful in its own way. It is also terribly draining and can weaken your life force," Orel explained. He reached into his backpack where he had kept his supplies of travel food ready. "I'm hoping that eventually I will be able to use it or it's more powerful version to cure me of my curse." He pulled out a sheath of papers.

"Oh! These are the runes and equations that you've been working on all year," Hermione said in delight as she summoned some fairy lights. She frowned as she read through the papers.

Harry mused to himself in deep though. Maybe he really should have taken those classes instead of Divination. "I guess I can't learn it then," he said sadly.

"I'm not really looking forward to casting it very often all by myself," Orel finally said as he looked into the forest night.

The glowing lights bobbled around Hermione. She looked up at Harry. "I think you could cast this, Harry. You don't really need to know the underlying research theory."

"Really?" He brightened up at that thought.

"You do need to know some particulars about what you are trying to mimic. How about a deal? You promise to use the spell to bring me back if my curse kills me?" He had turned away from them. "Maybe... just maybe, if I die the curse will be satisfied."

"Orel, who cursed you so terribly?" Harry finally asked.

"It was not someone. It was a terrible sign at my birth, a dark omen burned in magical fire in the snow around the hut I was born in. They said I was cursed by magic itself. And I can't say they are wrong," he finally replied, his voice harsh with anger.

He finished teaching them the spell, but he would not talk about his curse any more.

-

Harry stood looking at his parent's gravestones just a week after Voldemort had killed them. The single Auror on duty was busy drinking, celebrating the fall of the Dark Lord. He was quite loud in the fact that in his jubilation that he would actually live to see the end of the year. After he finally nodded off, Harry lightly stunned him to leave him unconscious. The wards to block them being detected had been inscribed on rocks in the area by Hermione hours ago.

"I hope they don't mind this," Harry said softly. He and Hermione quickly unearthed the pair of coffins. Harry stared at the lifeless bodies.

"Harry, why don't you cast the spell on your father, while I cast it on your mother?" Hermione said. Harry handed her the ritual items needed as a sacrifice.

Orel was watching them and the area, just in case someone was alerted to their presence. With a dual flash of light, James and Lily Potter opened their eyes as gigantic diamonds disappeared in sparkles.

"Who are you?" James said harshly, pushing the stranger off of him with reactions born of living in a war.

"James? What's going on?" Lilly called out.

Orel's slapping of his forehead was loud in the sudden silence. "Damnation. Of course they would be confused. They've just been murdered by a Dark Lord."

Even weakened and pale, that comment drained the blood from the parent's faces. Lily stood up, screaming out, "Harry!"

"Um, right here, mum," Harry said as he stood up, brushing the leaves from his robes. He had to smile at that. Mum! He liked that sound greatly.

That caused both parents to give him an odd look.

"You are a little old to be my baby!" she retorted through her weakness.

Harry sent a helpless look over to Hermione, though it was the other boy that responded.

"Short version: You died, Harry was raised by his aunt, we figured out a way to bring you back to life but it required traveling back in time, here we are," Orel said firmly. "Now, I'd really like to depart before he cause a paradox and cease to exist."

James and Lily shared a startled expression even as Harry and Hermione helped them out. In moments, they had the graves set back to the way they were. Then they disappeared with a pop of apparation, leaving none the wiser for their nights deeds.

After an hour, deep in the Forbidden Forest, all five of them put the chain on and tried to go back into the future, discovering an oddity of time turners... they only allow travel into the past. They could not figure out how to turn the hour glass 'backwards.'

"Damn it," Harry spit out. "We bollixed this up good."

Orel was thinking about things frantically. He couldn't be stuck like this. He did not have that much time.

Lily and James shared a worried look. "We are going to cause a paradox, aren't we?" James said.

Hermione shook her head. "No. Actually, traveling into the future is quite easy. What we really need is a way to stop time."

"We might be able to do that," Harry's mother said thoughtfully. "You've tried turning it on its one axis, but you haven't tried turning it sideways. But how to control how long we are stopped?"

"How about just slowing time drastically?" Orel asked.

They ended up testing it and did discover that turning the time turner sideways would slow or freeze time. With one person outside the necklace, they tested it and figured out how it would work. Though Hermione did have to unfreeze them twice while testing.

Hermione, Orel and Lily all thought long and hard over a charm to unfreeze them. Finally, the cast some spells to create a little stick man that would be aware of how much time was passing outside of their cave and in the right day, unfreeze them. They then sealed themselves up in a cave with a one-way window, notice-me-not charms and moved carefully into the future. The stick man would unfreeze them each year.

Soon it was the day before they were to leave to travel into the past originally. They decided to just wait out, chatting a little bit.

-

Harry was sitting with all of his friends on the Hogwart's express on the way to London, laughing merrily. The only two people that weren't taking part directly in the conversation were Hermione, Luna and Orel who all had their noses in various publications.

"Potter! Because of you, my father is in Azkaban!" Draco Malfoy shouted as he ripped the door open. He stopped when he found himself facing numerous wands before he could blink.

After about three minutes of jinxes, he and his bodyguards were left a seething, jelly of curses and hexes, leaving Harry to just shake his head in shock. "Um, good work?!" Harry said sheepishly.

"I think that's a rousing endorsement for your training, Harry," Hermione said. She rewarded him with a kiss on his cheek that brought a flash of jealousy and then resignation from Ginny.

The train pulled in to the station and all of the students started unloading. Harry had a half-grin when he saw his 'family' here to pick him up. His aunt and uncle looked as upset as always, while Dudley was busy being worried about being hexed or jinxed.

"Hello, Aunt Petunia. Uncle Vernon. Dudley," Harry said politely while he held Hermione's hand.

"Damn freak. Right then. We'll just be on our way," Vernon said, looking suspiciously at Hermione.

"Well, there's been a small snag..." Harry started to say.

Suddenly, from the side, a loud voice started shouting, "Petunia Evans Dursley! Mother would be so very ashamed of your attitude!" Lily Evans Potter was glaring at her sister from only twenty feet away.

Moody suddenly moved right beside Harry, shouting, "Imposters! Protect Potter!"

"WAIT!" Harry screamed, snagging the ex-Auror's arm before he could fling a hex. "I just got them back!"

"Say what, Potter?" he replied, his artificial eye spinning around.

"I said, I just got them back, so don't you dare hex them." Harry was glaring at the paranoid member of the Order.

"Harry, they were killed. You can't bring them back," Remus said, his voice quite stiff and formal.

Hermione spoke up, "No, we were not able to bring them back before. Now we can." She was giving them all a hard look.

The Order members snapped an incredulous look at her. After all, this was Hermione. She wasn't prone to flights of fancy.

"You can check with Dumbledore if you want. Though he's probably not exactly happy with this situation, he'll understand," Harry said.

Petunia was just starting to recover a bit, her face filled with shock as she took in her dead sister and her husband. "Lily?" she moaned.

"Hello, Pet! I was hoping to ask if James and I could use your spare bedroom for a bit. Just until we can get our affairs put into order." Lily had a soft smile, but a hard glint in her green eyes.

"Now see here! We don't want any more freaks living in our house!" Vernon's face was turning purple.

His wife stepped on his toe very hard. "Sure," she squeaked out. "At least for a while."

Hermione gave Harry a hug and a chaste kiss on his cheek. Ron and Orel waved as Harry and all of his family headed out.

"So, Orel, what are you going to do during your summer?" the red-head asked curiously.

Shaking his head, as the boy had brought him out of a lovely daydream where he had challenged and then humiliated Umbridge at this station, Orel replied, "Oh, my funds are starting to run a bit low, so I'm going prospecting a bit. I did a bit of research on ancient, lost ruins and such. There are supposed to be loads of those in Eastern Europe and Africa. Hopefully I'll be able to afford school again in the fall." Orel seemed to be thinking things through. "I'll be writing Professor Dumbledore a lot."

"Sounds more like work," Ron noted with a grin.

"I've been taking care of myself for years." He shrugged as if to say it was no big thing.

Hermione shook her head. "You really shouldn't have. Both you and Harry with your too hard lives," she said sadly.

The Dalelander stiffened at that. "Well, I'm off." He lifted the hood of his cloak of invisibility, disappearing.

-

The end?

-

(1) Yes, I know that D&D 3.5 d20 only has Fox's Cunning at 1 minute/level. IIRC, D&D 3.0 d20 had it at 1 hour/level. I'm picking the median point between them; 10 minutes/level which is useful enough in a non-combat setting without the 'why don't you just cast that when you wake up?' problem.

(2) Just protection from evil folks. I never understood why people never made rings or amulets of this spell. It's amazingly powerful for such a low level ability.

(3) This is just Limited Wish duplicating the Clerical spell Revivify. He's more than smart enough to know of the spell and as it is 5th level, quite within its ability to duplicate.