Chapter 3: A Mungo of Troubles

Since Harry had already broken the law and apparated once that day, Remus thought that it would be better to draw less attention to himself. Instead, he suggested flying with brooms using Harry's cloak. To Remus's shock, Harry shed tears at the very suggestion. Memories flocked his brain where he had last used his cloak. Hidden underneath of it inside the tower, unable to help Dumbledore as he died by Snape's hands. He could not shake the thoughts from his head.

"I'm sorry, Harry," said Remus realizing what had happened. "Here, have some chocolate."

Harry took the sweets quickly, quite hungry from skipping lunch and now dinner. As he chewed the chunks of dark morsels in his mouth, he tried to fill his thoughts with different memories. Memories of Dumbledore when he was happy and alive. This helped only slightly, because every time he thought of him, he realized he was dead. The shock seemed like it would took forever to fully absorb.

"But I still believe that flying would be the best mode of transportation, given how the Floo network is still being watched."

Harry nodded, although apparation seemed a bit better to him, now that he had successfully done it over such a long distance. He did not really want to speak at all to Remus at the moment, nor any members of the Order for that matter. He thought with all Harry had done even since discovering his wizard abilities would be enough to prove he could be told anything. Apparently, he was still a young naïve wizard to their eyes and this infuriated Harry to no end.

"I left all my stuff at the Dursleys," Harry mumbled just as he finished his delicious chocolate.

"No matter. You can call for them."

"From this distance?"

"Of course!"

"Won't Muggles notice my trunk and broom flying over their houses?"

Remus Lupin smiled. "Not if your cloak is on top of them. All you must do is think it, and it will happen."

Harry did not know how imagining his invisibility cloak on his objects would do any good, but he trusted Remus. And so, he concentrated hard on his trunk and broom; he saw his cloak float on top of them both and wrap them snuggly, as if glued to each of them magically. Accio Trunk Accio Broom Accio Cloak Harry thought as he pointed his wand, the only thing he actually brought with him.

"That's a good lad. Won't be long. No, don't open your eyes yet. Just a little bit longer," Remus encouraged him.

Before long, Harry heard the loud shatter of glass. He opened his eyes in terror of what he saw. His broom and trunk, still invisible, had arrived through the Weasley's kitchen window.

"Oh!" Remus shouted. "I should have warned you! Well, nothing I can't fix."

With the flick of the wrist, Remus repaired the window without chanting a word. Relieved, Harry grabbed the cloak and tossed it aside. He grabbed his broomstick, and inspected it, making sure it survived the long journey.

"Amazing. It only took minutes," Harry said.

"Yes, well, objects can travel quite fast if needed to. I'll have Mrs. Weasley take your trunk to Fred and George's old bedroom. Are you ready?"

"No."

"What?"

"I want Ron to come with us," said Harry. He knew it wasn't fair excluding Ron, especially when he would be left at home with a very angry mother.

"I'm sorry, Harry, but I can't risk it. He can't come with us."

"As long as he knows…."

"Yes, fine. I'll inform Ron of our plans and we'll be off."

St. Mungo's looked the same as the last time Harry had set foot in it. An old-fashioned, red brick department store called Purge and Dowse Ltd stood before them. Remus whispered to a manikin in the window about visiting and then, after checking around him, he walked through the glass. Harry followed accordingly, like he had done before.

"He's on the fourth floor."

"Isn't that for, you know, uncurables?"

"Not everyone, Harry," said Remus. "Wish I could tell you more, but well…"

"Yeah, you don't trust me, I understand completely," mumbled Harry.

"You know that's not true!" Remus turned around. A few Healers stopped in their tracks, lifting their big heads from their clipboards. "If it were up to me, Harry, I'd tell you everything that happened that dreadful night, but I can't! Please, just trust me when I say it's better than you don't know."

"Why should I trust you, when you're the one being dishonest?"

"Sometimes, even when there isn't any truth to believe, you just have to believe."

"Right! Just like Dumbledore trusted Snape! Now look! He's DEAD!"

Harry stormed away from Remus Lupin with more rage than when he had received Ginny's letter. Several watchers gaped at the scene. A few clipboards were dropped. Remus shook his head, apologized to the Healers around him, and followed Harry slowly with his head down as if someone had knocked a big sac of air from him.

"To whom are you seeing?" a receptionist asked Harry as he stepped onto the fourth floor.

"My cousin, a muggle named--"

"Oh, Harry Potter! I didn't recognize you with all that, well, facial hair. Yes, your cousin is down the hall, fourth room on the left." She pointed Harry in the right direction.

Not long after Harry found the room did he see from the corner of his eye Remus stepping onto the floor. Harry, somewhat ashamed of bringing up Dumbledore in such an ill manner, decided not to say anything to Remus until he said something first.

Harry entered the room, hoping that Dudley was asleep. To his reassurance, he was. A big, tall boy lay with his eyes closed on a hospital bed. There was another patient in the room, but Harry could not see because a curtain divided the two apart.

"What happened?" Harry whispered to him.

Dudley, still fat, seemed rather pale. His hair was dark and thick, a little longer than Harry remembered it. He had stubble under his nose, as if trying to grow in a mustache. Harry was disgusted to see that it made him look very much like Vernon.

Harry searched the bed for a chart of any sort that could help explain what happened to Dudley without anyone from the Order finding out. It was his only chance really of finding the truth. Quickly, he searched the bed, but alas, there was nothing.

"Looking for this?" Remus held a chart in his hands that had been on the door, the one place Harry was going to look next.

"I get it, I'm not supposed to know how this happened. But why? Does this have to do with Voldemort? Were you after him that night?"

"SHH! NEVER mention his name, Harry. Not now. And even if that were the case," Remus said, coughed slightly, and continued, "I couldn't tell you. Now, I've known you now for too long, Harry. You're going to come up with some scheme to find out what happened. Let me save you time. There's only one person whom you know tends to speak too much. If you had any hope, I would go see him whom I am speaking of."

Harry knew who Remus meant, but did not understand why he wouldn't say his name. He supposed this secretiveness was because somebody could overhear them. It felt silly, but at least he had something to go on.

"I think I understand… How should I get to the place where that person is? I am sure security is increased and--"

"I'd suggest you find a nice train, and take your friends with you. A vacation to an old favorite hang out would do you good. Someone is there waiting for you as it is."

Harry nodded his head. He knew Remus wanted him to speak to Hagrid. And to get to Hogwarts, well, the Express must be the only train available. Hopefully, the train was still running in the summertime, but if Remus suggested it, then it must be true. Harry wondered though whether or not he should even bother relying on his old Professor's advice. He wasn't being very honest, so how did Harry know that he could trust him? Harry shook the negative thoughts from his head. Sirius and his father trusted him, and he trusted him for so long too. He couldn't forget about that.

KNOCK

"I'm sorry to interrupt," a tall lanky boy said from the hallway. "But I heard voices from the room across the hall. And nobody ever visits this area at this time of day."

The boy was pale and awkward looking with two protruding front teeth, slightly discolored. He wore a too short maroon robe with large sagging pockets, with a wand sticking out of the side. His hair was short and messy, with front wavy bangs that fell into his thick eyebrows.

His eyes were diverted to the floor below, as if he were embarrassed to look at them, or thought it to be rude. As he lifted his eyes, shock and joy overwhelmed his face.

"Oh, Harry! I should have recognized it was you!"

"Neville!" Harry hugged his good friend. "How are you? Last time I saw you, well, you weren't the handsomest."

"Bruises are gone at least. Got a small scar on my side," said Neville as he lifted his robe and shirt. A small, half moon scar whisked across his third rib. "We're almost matching now!"

"Oh yeah, twins," laughed Harry. "I'm glad to see you're alright. I didn't see you at Bill and Fleur's wedding."

"Couldn't make it," he said glumly. "Luna was disappointed."

"Don't tell me you two, are, you know…"

"Oh no!" said Neville. "She's a great girl, don't get me wrong. We're just friends. What I meant is that I was supposed to go with her, as friends. She had to go alone I think, poor girl. Anyway, I was still mending my heroic battle wounds."

Remus smirked as his choice of words. "Yes, I heard you, along with your fellow friends, put up quite a fight."

"Yeah, they did!" said Harry.

"A very lucky feat."

Harry had almost forgot about the Felix Felicis his good friends all used. He refused to believe, however, that it was sheer luck that got his friends through. He knew deep inside that they were all true heroes that day.

"Harry helped us a lot!" Neville said, cheering Harry up. "If it weren't for our lessons, we wouldn't have stood a dragon's chance."

"Quite right," said Remus. "But I'd rather not discuss such things of that nature here."

Again, he was being secretive. Harry wondered who was listening and became slightly paranoid. He looked around the room, shifting his eyes from plant to table.

"Who's that?" Neville shouted.

"My cousin, Dudley."

"Your Muggle cousin? But, but, but, what--" Neville was at a loss for words.

"He's all right now," Remus jumped in. "Don't worry. Harry, why don't you go talk to your friend about what I advised you to do?"

"Fine," said Harry shortly and walked toward Neville.

He grabbed him by the arm and dragged him out of the room before he could say goodbye to Remus. Neville, looking a bit like a lost child searching for an adult, tried to turn his head back into the room for a better look at Dudley. But Harry pulled him along quickly and down the corridor toward the end near a boxed window.

Harry made sure no one was around before letting go of Neville's elbow. "Sorry about all that."

"What's going on, Harry? Am I missing something?"

"Yeah, and so am I." Harry stopped, and made sure again no one was round, still paranoid that someone was listening or watching. "Look, are you busy?"

Neville shrugged. "Well, I'm almost done visiting my parents with my grandma. Oh, Harry, they'd love to see you! Please, would you come? It wouldn't take very long, I'm sure."

"Of course."

The room looked somewhat the same as Harry had last seen it, along with the odd smell of bubble gum. The walls had been painted a brighter, sunflower yellow color which cheered up everything just as you walked in. A planter full of rainbow painted roses sat nicely on a new coffee table in the corner, opposite of the Longbottoms' beds.

A tan corkboard was nailed to the right side of the shaded window, covered in bubble gum wrappers. Harry then remembered vividly how Neville had last time slipped the gum wrapper his mother had given him into his pocket. Now Neville seemed no longer ashamed of his mother's crazy gift, hiding them at home, but instead embraced them by displaying them proudly. Neville had greatly changed in the past few years, and was much stronger and prouder than ever.

His grandma seemed prouder as well ever since Neville joined Harry at the Ministry over a year earlier. She grabbed Neville as he entered the room, hugged him and then noticed Harry at the doorway.

"Oh, Mister Potter!" she squealed. "Come here!"

Harry obeyed and approached a much happier grandmother who hugged Harry right away, making him catch a woof of her old lady's perfume and moldy fox fur coat.

"Goodness gracious, you've grown!" she exclaimed, then slightly released her death grip on the boys. "My my, still handsome as ever. But Neville's got even better looking. I wouldn't be surprised if he's the most popular boy at Hogwarts next year."

Harry's heart pounced. "Hogwarts? Next year?"

"Of course! Now that Headmistress McGonagall has decided to reopen the school! I'm delighted she read my letter. I knew she wouldn't deny an old lady her probably last, dying wish."

"Grandma, stop saying that," whispered Neville. "She's not dying."

"I'm old, of course I am!"

Neville rolled his eyes.

Harry couldn't believe it. "When did she decide?"

"It was in the Daily Prophet this morning," said Neville. "But we knew she wouldn't close down the school!"

"Yeah," said Harry.

For some reason, he felt disappointed. If the close had been closed, Harry would have no problem completing his mission, finding the Horcruxes and defeating Lord Voldemort once and for all.

But with Hogwarts reopened, he'd have to drop out in his final year. McGonagall, nor would his friends, would be happy with this. And what about Hermione? She wanted to come with Harry, but with the school opened, she'd be torn between her best friend and school, the two things she loves the most.

"You look sick, dear boy!" Grandma Longbottom said. "Do you need a Healer?"

"No, no, I'll be fine," said Harry.

Harry sighed and looked over at Neville who seemed just as confused as his grandmother.

"Um, do you still want to see my folks, Harry?" Neville asked politely.

"Oh yeah, I'm sorry."

Harry couldn't let his sudden feelings of disappointment get in the way of bringing hope to Neville's parents. Harry turned to see Alice Longbottom in bed, with a magazine in her hands upside down.

"She's not really reading. I think she likes to look at the colors," said Neville. "Mom! Mom… Harry, Harry Potter is here to see you."

To Harry's surprise, she lifted her eyes at the sound of Neville's voice. He didn't know whether she understood a word he said, but it didn't matter. She gave a smile, and then looked back down at the Muggle magazine named Vogue.

Harry turned to see a small tear from Neville, apparently overjoyed to see his mother smile. To the right of Alice Longbottom was Frank Longbottom, sleeping soundly in bed. Harry didn't want to wake him, but that didn't stop Neville's grandmother from wacking him with a rolled up newspaper.

"Rise and shine! Your son and his friend are here to see you!"

Frank Longbottom opened his left eye, then his right, and squinted in the direction of Harry and Neville. Harry knew that he had recognized them, for he too grinned.

"Hi," said Harry, unsure of whether or not he should even say anything.

"This is Harry Potter, dad. Go on, Harry, shake his head, it's alright."

Harry hesitated, but then leaned forward attempting to touch Frank's left hairy hand. But the old man looked a bit scared, pulled his fleece blanket over his arms and shoulders, and pretended to go back to sleep.

"Must not be a good day," said Neville. "He does that… Well, at least he got to see you. I'm sure he'll remember it."

Harry nodded. "Yeah. Well, um," Harry paused, not wanting to rush his visit, but he didn't have much choice. "Neville, are you ready?

"Sure, let me just tell grandma."

Harry waited in the corridor for Neville, staring at all the doors and Healers running about. Neville was right. Nobody seemed to visit this area, because not a single guest walked through. Harry wondered whether Remus had left or not, but before he could go check, Neville came out.

"What are we doing?" Neville asked right away.

"I'll tell you once we leave. First, we need to contact some people, " Harry said, and paused. He just thought of a brilliant idea, one that would time and ensure some secrecy. "Do you still have your D.A. coin?"

"Of course!" Neville reached into other pocket and pulled out the golden communicator. He probably checked it everyday just in case.

"Excellent. Let's hope the others have theirs too."