Harry Potter and the Power of Time
Chapter 9 – Birthday Surprises
Harry and Hedwig arrived a moment later in the narrow hallway of the thirteenth floor of the apartment building he had spotted earlier in the summer, right in front of the lift. Harry hadn't been to this floor before, and it was a little different from the others he had seen. Instead of three apartments on either side on the hallway, for a total of six on the whole floor, there were four doors on the east side of the building. A quick peek inside the unlocked doors told him why.
The four flats were smaller, yet more elegant than the others he had seen. Although it was largely a waste, as Harry would have to tear down most of the walls and change the entire floor plan, he thought some of the appliances might be salvageable. All the flats, not just the nicer ones, were at a state of near completion. The walls hadn't yet been painted, and some of the carpets weren't installed, but those were the only things missing as far as Harry could tell. He felt once again extremely lucky to have found such a nice place to live, and at such an opportune time.
"Well Hedwig," he turned to his pet phoenix, "time to get started, huh?"
Hedwig hooted in agreement as Harry took out his miniaturized trunk and enlarged it. He opened the second compartment to retrieve Hedwig's perch, and set it out for her. Now that Hedwig had her "supervisor chair" to use, he could begin the real work.
"Dobby! Winky!" Harry called. "We're here. Are you ready?"
Two small pops announced the arrival of the house-elves. Even though they were inside his trunk, their unique brand of magic allowed them to enter and exit without using the trunk lid or portals. Winky was still a bit shy around her new master, but Dobby had no such qualms.
"Yes Mr. Harry Potter sir, we is both ready! Dobby has plans all set, and Winky will be helping Dobby sir. Is there anything sir wants added before Dobby begins?"
Harry thought for a moment. The plans he had discussed with the elves were a guideline at best, and could easily be changed. The entire floor was much larger than Harry needed, or could even imagine using, so a last minute change wouldn't mess up his plans.
"Yes Dobby. Please leave that corner flat as it is." Harry took the time to point out one of the lavish flats to the excited house elf. "We'll work on it later, but for now leave it. I'm going to work on the Fidelius Charm, but you and Winky can go ahead and start with the modifications. I'll be about a half hour I suspect."
Dobby was bouncing with excitement. "Oh, Dobby is so happy that Mr. Harry Potter sir is trusting Dobby and Winky to make changes themselves! A great wizard indeed. Dobby will not disappoint Mr. Harry Potter, Dobby and Winky swear."
Winky nodded and clapped her hands as well. Even though she wasn't as strange as Dobby himself, she had over the years been infected by his quirks. Harry supposed that she was rubbing off on Dobby herself. The elves seemed to be a good influence on each other, and each had different talents and traits that complemented the other. Once again, Harry praised himself for thinking of hiring the two to work for him. Without their help, things would be much more difficult.
"I know you won't disappoint me; I trust you both." Harry pressed the down button to call the lift. "Go ahead and start, and when I come back, we'll finish up together."
The two elves nodded their teary-eyed heads, and each took off into a separate door. A minute later the lift appeared, and Harry took it to the floor below to begin the work that would make him a secret keeper.
The Fidelius Charm, as Harry had already found out, wasn't as difficult as he thought it would be. In fact, with the exception of being time consuming and obscure, it was almost too easy. And as Harry had already completed the most difficult parts, all that was left to do was placing the runes and casting the spell.
The first thing to do was find the four corners of the twelfth floor, right below the area Harry wanted to hide. In each corner, where the walls met the ceiling, Harry used his wand (not his new one) to trace the outlines of specific runes in the air. Weeks ago Harry had completed the Arithmancy formulas for the apartment floor, taking into account total cubic footage, magical interference, and other factoring measurements. The output of the Arithmancy problems corresponded to a chart of ancient runes in one of the Fidelius books Harry had found in his family's belongings, and that's what he was carving out now. Each rune combination; a different set for each of the four corners of the building related to direction; appeared in the air in red and silver writing. Once done with all four corners, Harry returned to the lift.
A short ride later, Harry repeated the process on the ground corners of the fourteenth floor, casting the same four rune sets in the corresponding corners. The idea was that the charm would hide the total area between the sets of runes. Since Harry had placed the runes on the twelfth and fourteenth floors, the floor between them would be targeted. The doors on this floor were locked for some reason, but four simple 'Alohamoras' granted Harry access. His work was almost complete, and Harry made one more visit to the lift.
This time, instead of pressing any buttons, Harry turned to the mirrored wall inside the small lift, and raised his wand to his own head. Tracing a fifth design, this one tying together the other four, Harry touched the wand to his forehead, and runes appeared. Harry was careful to avoid his curse scar because he didn't know if there would be any side effects, but the left side of his forehead had plenty of room for the small rune.
The fifth design wasn't red like the others, but was as black as night, with silver glitters. With one last deep breath, Harry pointed the wand to the side of his head, and while concentrating on the thirteenth floor he wanted to hide, spoke the incantation to the Fidelius Charm.
"Occulto Fidelius Invisus!"
At first he didn't think anything had happened, but slowly the black rune marking faded from his forehead, until soon it was gone. If Harry needed any more convincing, he got it. When he went to press the ground floor button of the lift, he noticed with amazement that the thirteenth floor button was indeed gone.
'Well I'll be damned!' He thought to himself. "It worked! It really worked!" Although he had practiced the charm at the Dursleys', there was a huge difference in hiding a door and hiding an entire floor of a building. Casting a quick glamour on himself, one that unfortunately only worked on muggles, Harry made his way to the front office, and was greeted once again by the same woman manager he had met before.
He pretended to be interested in leasing a flat, and was presented with the same facts he had already heard. The building's opening date had changed some, but otherwise the speech was the same. Harry asked if he could see a model, and the two made their ways back to the lift.
For his part, Harry didn't really need to see the model again; he just wanted to see if the manager noticed anything wrong or suspicious with the number of floor buttons in the lift. She didn't. The model tour was quick, and almost verbatim what it was before. On the lift ride down, Harry asked if a unit on the thirteenth floor was available. He said it was his lucky number.
"Thirteenth floor? Sorry, but as you can see we don't have one. That's pretty common. But if you're interested in the fourteenth floor, which is really the thirteenth of course, I may be able to...."
Harry tuned the woman out. He struggled to keep a straight face, but inside he was grinning like a mad man. It really had worked, and he didn't even need to use a memory charm on anyone. The Fidelius Charm hid all knowledge of the thirteenth floor, not just its physical representation. And if it worked on the building manager, it had probably worked on everyone else as well.
To be sure, Harry followed the woman back to her office and cast a sleeping charm on her while she wasn't looking. While she slept, Harry had a quick look around the office. In the file cabinets, in the computer files, and everywhere else in the office, there was no mention of the seven apartments on the thirteenth floor.
The lobby too was affected by the Fidelius Charm. Several mailboxes had gone missinging, and left no trace of their existence. Harry ran to the basement, and found more good news. There were no meters for the missing floor. Electric, water, gas; all the meters were gone. Harry knew that if he concentrated hard enough on them they would appear, but he was too excited to focus.
After running back upstairs, and remembering to cancel the sleeping charm on the building manager, Harry made his last trip of the day to the elevator. Once the doors closed, Harry thought of his two small friends.
"Dobby? Winky? Can you come down here please?" Although the two elves weren't in the immediate area, Harry had learned that house elves had a sixth sense about their masters. If they were close enough, and their masters called, the elves would come.
Two "pops" later, Dobby and Winky appeared in the lift with Harry. This time Winky spoke.
"Yes Mr. Harry Potter sir? Winky and Dobby are almost done with first part of plans. Is there something you be needing from Winky, sir?"
Harry almost laughed out loud. While Winky was doing her best to be a good house-elf and serve her master, Dobby was busy making faces at himself in the mirrored wall, and was ignoring them both. His bat-like ears and long pointed nose made for some interesting poses.
Once he got the giggles out of him, he began to speak and Dobby turned to face him. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I need your help testing something."
Dobby lunged for Harry's knees, which Harry had come to expect at least once a day. "Oh, Mr. Harry Potter is too good a wizard to need Dobby's help! But Dobby and Winky will do whatever Mr. Harry sir says!"
Harry gently took Dobby by the shoulders and pushed him away so he could face the elf. "Dobby, I just need a small favor. Can you and Winky go back and bring me my trunk? I need something from it, and you can pop much quicker than I can get there."
Winky spoke for them both. "Yes Mr. Harry sir, Winky and Dobby will pop and get your trunk, and be back soon." She then grabbed Dobby's hand and the two disappeared with a snap of her fingers.
Harry waited patiently in the lift, hoping that the house-elves wouldn't be able to find his trunk. If his research was right, not even house-elves would be able to break through the charm. And sure enough, about a half minute later, the two returned, worry clearly written on their faces.
"I is sorry sir, but Winky cannot find your trunk. Winky not know how, but can't get back home!" Dobby was bashing his head against the wall, and Harry had to restrain him from further damage.
"Don't worry Winky, Dobby. I didn't expect you to be able to get back, I was just testing the charm. It seems that I cast it correctly, I just had to make sure. Listen up, and I'll show you how to get back."
Harry turned to face the bank of floor buttons by the lift door. And concentrated. He didn't have to read from a slip of paper since he was his own secret keeper, but he still had to think of his home's location. And for Dobby and Winky's sake, he spoke the catchphrase aloud. "Harry Potter lives on the thirteenth floor."
And just as the building of number twelve Grimmauld Place had sprung into existence the summer before, a button appeared out of thin air, nudging the others out of its way, labeled "13."
"See guys," he said as he pushed the button, "all you have to do is to concentrate. Both stairwells work the same way. It you stand between the twelfth and fourteenth floor doors, and concentrate or read 'Harry Potter lives on the thirteenth floor,' a door will spring up in the wall. For you two, before you pop, make sure you're thinking about it in your minds, and you should be able to get there."
Neither house elf look much convinced.
Harry laughed. "Just try it. Pop back home, and I'll be there in a sec. Just don't forget to concentrate."
Dobby and Winky nodded, and took each other's hands again. Both elves closed their eyes and squinted their faces, and this time it was Dobby who snapped his fingers. The two disappeared, and greeted Harry with smiling faces when the lift door opened up.
The elves had been busy while Harry was gone, and the floor was hardly recognizable. The one posh flat still stood in the far right corner away from the lift, but that was the only enclosed unit on the entire floor. The rest was all open space, with no walls or support beams in sight. The two elves had removed all the inner structures, and charmed the ceiling to not cave in. With no walls in sight, and the eighteen foot vaulted ceilings, the flat now had a loft feeling to it. Actually, Harry didn't know what to call it. It was too big to call a "flat," but because it was part of a larger building, it couldn't be called a "house" either. Home was the best Harry could come up with.
The elves hadn't stopped at removing the walls either. They had also removed all the carpeting, so now the whole area was done in hardwood flooring to match what was already in the kitchens. All the window treatments had similarly been removed, as well as the hanging light fixtures. All the electric appliances (stoves, ovens, dishwashers, etc.) had been grouped together in the middle of the space, and for the first time Harry wondered what he was going to do with six each of the muggle appliances.
Harry turned to Dobby and Winky. "Very good guys, you did a great job." And they had, for now Harry could begin work. He had wanted to make the space his own, as it would be his first real home. The elves had provided him with a blank canvas, now it was up to him to create.
Taking off his shirt and holsters, Harry removed the heavy dragon hide vest he always wore underneath. The pants and boots he only wore once in a while to break them in, but the vest was now a part of him like his glasses had once been. Over the past couple months it had grown soft and flexible, and contoured to Harry's torso like a second skin. The tight parts had stretched out, and the loose areas had been filled in with the little muscle Harry had put on. In public he never would have removed the vest, but in the confines of his new home, with a lot of work ahead of him, Harry wanted to be as comfortable as possible. Besides, without the air conditioning on, it would get hot! When Dobby and Winky had removed all the walls, they had temporarily removed all the electrical wiring as well. Studying the building's plans had taught them a little about electricity, gas lines, and plumbing. Harry wouldn't be able to reattach all the electrical appliances until the new walls were up.
Before he put his shirt back on, Harry caught a quick glance at the tattoo of Prongs over his shoulder. Since he got the marks, his guardian tattoos had shown very little behavior. Sometimes they visited each other, but most of the time they just stayed in their own place, and didn't do anything. Harry had stopped long ago trying to figure out what type of magical properties they might have. Since all three tattoos were on his back, Harry had no problems putting them out of his mind, and sometimes forgot about them altogether.
One he put his shirt back on, he started the real work. Using his wand to mark lines along the floor, Harry began to mark off rooms according to the plans he now held in his hand. The majority of the area was left opened aired, only bed and bathrooms were to be separated. In each marked off area, Harry wrote the name of the room, and checked off his list as he went along. The elves erected walls in the appropriate places, and worked their magic to rearrange water pipes, electric wiring, and air ducts in the newly formed walls. One of the many advantages of living in the muggle world was access to electricity, and Harry had no plans to ignore it. And because his new home wouldn't be as saturated with magic as Hogwarts was, it would work properly too. Many hours later, and after a few redesigns, the floor plan was complete. There was no furniture or decorations yet, but that would come with time.
Right in front of the lift door was a comfortable sitting area, elevated above the main floor level. Two steps down opened into what Harry began calling his "great room." It ran a third of the length of the building, was the entire width, and had no walls anywhere. So many years of living in a claustrophobic cupboard had left Harry with the want for big, open spaces. The middle area, right in front of the lift, would be left empty, sort of as a front hall. The left side, against the near wall was an intact kitchen.
Dobby and Winky had salvaged the kitchen hardware and cabinets, and had rearranged them so that both Harry and themselves could reach everything. A full set of stainless steel, industrial-sized kitchen appliances were set into the cabinets, and a large island floated in the middle of the space, with a butcher's block countertop. A small pantry was at the end of the kitchen cabinets, but was charmed to be much larger. The kitchen was separated from the front hall area with a long bar-like counter, about four feet high, that ran the entire length of the kitchen. There was access at both ends, along the elevator wall and opposite, and Harry planned to transfigure some barstools later to finish the effect.
Beyond the kitchen, again along the left wall of the building, was an informal eating area. With easy access to the kitchen, Harry pictured himself eating most meals there, and wanted it to be cozy. He had marked off a space for a circular table and five chairs, and made sure to leave enough room for additional furniture he might want to add later. The space that was left over was marked off by Harry as a small room, but he wouldn't tell Dobby and Winky what it was for.
Opposite the kitchen, along the building's right wall, Harry left space for the main living room area. There would be plenty of room for armchairs and comfortable sofas, as well as low tables, cabinets, and anything else Harry might want to include. The space he marked off was nearly double the size of the living room in his trunk, and even that was large enough to be extravagant.
Besides the living area, Harry left room for a formal dining table. He marked it off like he had the circular table, only this one was long and rectangular, and could seat up to ten people. He had no plans to use it anytime in the immediate future, but he might need to entertain a large group one day. Even if it was only the entire Weasley family, Harry would need the room. Like before, he made sure to leave space for a few cabinets and serving tables, so the area wouldn't ever be cramped. There was no divider between the dining table and the living room area, but Harry decided to figure that out later. When he was done, the dining area and living room together was the same length of the kitchen, eating area, and small room along the other wall.
In the middle of the room, directly facing the lift door, Dobby and Winky had crafted a gigantic fireplace. It had to be large enough to heat the entire room, as well as tall enough to allow floo travel. If there was one thing about fireplaces Harry hated, it was small ones that he bumped his head on when exiting. No, his home would have a massive hearth. The fireplace also broke up the room a bit, as it's gigantic frame blocked the dining room's view from the informal eating area, and vice versa. The fireplace was crafted in dark grey flagstone, but otherwise left plain. There was no mantelpiece yet, but Harry would make one later.
The fireplace essentially split the big room in two, and intentionally created a fork in the road. To either side of the fireplace was a long hallway, which both ran the remainder of the length of the floor. To further accentuate the split path, Harry marked off a Y-shaped hallway on the ground, and conjured some tile for it. Soon the tile path started at the lift entrance, and sloped down the steps into the front hall area. It enclosed the space around the fireplace's hearth, and branched off to the two separate hallways. The kitchen, dining area, and living room still all had their original hardwood floors; only the path was covered in Harry's conjured tiles.
The right hallway, along the east side of the building, became Harry's personal domain. He marked off walls that ran the entire length of the building, so the hallway became a long straight one. Eventually, the hallway was completed, and Harry began calling it the east wing to not confuse himself. The east wing had three doorways on the right side of the hallway, and four along the left.
The first room on the right side of the wing was what Harry would come to call his "muggle room." It was empty so far, but Harry had plans to put all things muggle inside, some of the joys he was never allowed at the Durselys'. He knew right away that he wanted a large television, stereo, and billiard table, but otherwise hadn't any plans.
The muggle room had a connecting door to the next room along the hallway; Harry's master suite. It was just a little larger than the bedroom in his trunk, but Harry planned to set it up the same way. He'd come to like the large room, as his multiple selves had been sleeping there for over three months.
The last door on the right side of the hallway was the posh apartment he had the elves leave standing. The two bedroom flat had much smaller rooms than the rest of his new place, but Harry thought it might be nice to have a private guest house. Plus he could always use magic to enlarge the rooms. It was totally separate from the rest of the place, had its own kitchen and living quarters, and even had its own entrance. Right outside the flat's door, at the end of the hallway, was the door to the first of the two stairwells.
Along the opposite wall, were four smaller rooms and one huge space. Each of the rooms was half the width of the space between the two hallways, and the four small rooms were pushed back towards the north side of the building, opposite the elevator. The far room Harry used for storage, and that's where he put all the extra appliances and hardware he hadn't used. The next room Harry would make into an exercise/weight room. He didn't know whether to get more equipment or to just move the stuff already in his trunk, but the room was there. Likewise, the third small room he would set up as a Dueling chamber, an almost exact match to the one in his trunk. The only difference was the lack of practice dummies hanging from the walls. The forth room, because he couldn't think of anything, Harry left empty for now.
The huge space that remained, behind the large fireplace and spanning the remainder of the length of the building, Harry made into his library. It was twice as wide as the four small rooms, because Harry wanted it opened to both hallways, so he could pass through if he wanted. There were no doors, but one large archway in the middle of the east side of the library.
The other hallway lined in tile, along the west side of the building, Harry only had a few plans for. He knew he wanted some guest rooms in case of future company, but didn't know how many to make. Because he could always change them later, and because he had a ridiculous amount of space to work with, Harry decided on six. The six guest rooms, each with their own en suite bathroom, lined the west wing of the building, also pushed back against the north wall. There were three rooms to a side, with the second stairwell at the end of the hallway just like in the east wing.
The library took up the remaining space along the left side of the hallway, and was accessible by two small open archways on either side of the room. It was a nice contrast to the single larger archway on the opposite wall.
The remaining space, between the kitchen area and the three guest rooms along the building's west side, Harry didn't have much use for. He still wouldn't tell the elves what the small room he had made next to the eating area was for, and ordered them not to enter it. Behind that room, the first door on the left in the west wing, was a nice sized laundry. There was plenty room for one of the washer/dryer combinations that came with the building, with enough room left over for some cabinets, and space for the two house-elves to bunk for the night. There was also a slop sink for messy clean-ups, a broom cupboard for mops and brooms, and a laundry line for hanging clothes to dry. Seven years of helping his Aunt Petunia with the laundry had taught Harry that not all things could be machine washed. He hadn't made permanent arrangements with the elves yet, and wanted to be able to do his own laundry if needed.
The rest of the space, a bit larger than the guest quarters (but not by much), Harry dived into two smaller rooms and left empty. Like the single room in the east wing, he didn't know what to do with it yet, so he left it for later.
All in all, Harry was very pleased with his new home. And that's what it was now, not just "the thirteenth floor" of some apartment building. It was still very empty and needed much work, but the start was good.
After the many hours of hard work, Harry, Dobby, and Winky retired to the smaller kitchen in Harry's trunk to have dinner. Now that all the water pipes and electrical wiring was hooked up again, the kitchen appliances were all running properly, but there was still no food. Winky could have conjured them up a meal, but all three were exhausted after a full day of creating a new home. So the elves made a quick meal, and Harry was thankful. Since their arrival the meals had been much improved. They weren't up to Hogwart's standards, but were close. And Harry was no longer limited by the few staples Leeds had been able to stock the pantry and icebox with. Dobby and Winky had frowned at the lack of foodstuffs, and had been quick to re-charm the kitchen to provide whatever foods Harry wanted.
After the filling meal, the three left the trunk, and admired their handy work. With Harry's permission Dobby and Winky retired for the night, and made themselves comfortable in the laundry. Harry himself conjured a modest daybed in the living room area, and leaned up against the wall as he surveyed the large room.
It still didn't feel like his. Prior to his new home (it was too large to be called a flat), his Firebolt was the most expensive thing Harry had owned. It had taken weeks for him to get over the surreal feeling of owning a top-of-the-line racing broom. He wondered how long it would take for him to accept that the home was his. And with these thoughts, Harry drifted off to sleep.
"Wormtail, let them in!" An evil high-pitched voice spoke from a large ornamental chair, ordering the short plump man who kneeled on the floor. Although he sat facing the room, his face was shrouded unnaturally in shadows.
"Yes master, right away." The short man, once known as Peter Pettigrew, now called the lackey of the Dark Lord, sniveled his way to the door to let the Death Eaters in. These four had been missing from the fold for weeks now, but had finally come home.
The leader of the four, a tall man with wisps of long blonde hair showing behind his white mask stepped in front of the others, and kneeled before the man, while kissing the hem of his robes.
"My Lord; you called for us, and we come to serve."
Voldemort, for that is who he was, paused before he spoke. "Yes, I can see that Lucius. But why haven't you come before? This isn't the first time I've called for you."
"I apologize master, but although we have been found innocent of our crimes, Dumbledore and his allies still keep a close watch on our actions. I though it would be prudent to lay low for awhile, especially until the trials were over."
Lucius Malfoy was perhaps the only Death Eater with enough nerve to go against the Dark Lord's wishes, and he hoped Voldemort would surely see the logic in his actions.
"You're lucky I need you alive Lucius! Because of you and your men, not only did I not get the prophecy, but six of my most faithful servants are back in Azkaban; though not for much longer." Voldemort was working up a full head of steam now. "If not for the facts that I need your money, and you still have some pull with that idiot Minister, I would have done away with you by now!"
Lucius Malfoy knew enough to look ashamed. Even though the fiasco at the Department of Mysteries was only partially his fault, to argue now would be asking for a death sentence. "Yes master. I'm sorry, I won't fail you again."
Voldemort sneered. "You better not. Nott, Avery, Macnair! You three also didn't answer my summons. What is your excuse?"
The other three Death Eaters looked at each other quickly, each conveying that none wanted to answer. Finally Macnair stepped forward. To keep Voldemort waiting would be worse than answering any question.
"My Lord," he said, "we too thought it best to wait. We wanted to come serve you, but were followed until the trials ended last week. This has been the first summons we received since."
Voldemort didn't look pleased. "So you let a few of Dumbledore's men bother you and kept me waiting? Why didn't you just kill them? I may need Lucius, but you three don't have that excuse. Don't disobey me again! CRUCIO!"
Faster than they noticed, Voldemort had drawn his wand, and now had it trained on the three screaming wizards. Although the spell's strength was weakened from being cast on more than a single person, Avery, Nott, and Macnair suffered in indescribable agony for nearly two minutes. Lucius's face remained empty of emotions, but inwardly smiled with relief that he wasn't part of the group.
When Voldemort ended the spell, he turned his attention back to Lucius while the others composed themselves. Wormtail just quivered in a corner.
"I still haven't heard all the details of that night. Bellatrix told me most, but I understand you split up at some point. Tell me what you saw. And Lucius, pray tell that what you say pleases me."
So Malfoy told his master all that he could remember, about how Potter had more then just his two friends with him. That was a large part of why the plan fell apart. Lucius and the other Death Eaters had planned on Harry showing up alone, or at most with only Ron and Hermione. Draco hadn't told his father that Potter was close with anyone else, so it surprised all the Death Eaters that instead of three, six students had shown up.
Lucius also told of the problem caused by the prophecy sphere. Because Potter waived it around in his hand like a toy, it was hard to attack the boy. Lucius had been told at all costs not to let the prophecy be destroyed, so he took great pleasure in telling Voldemort that it was Bellatrix that had finally caused it to be broken.
"Yes," Voldemort retorted, "I have already punished Bellatrix for that. She's recuperating right now, but might be strong enough to rejoin our efforts in a few more days." Lucius didn't want to think of the torture the woman had gone through to render her incapacitated. "Did you recognize any of the others with Potter?"
"Yes master, but only two. One of the other females had red hair, so I suppose it was the youngest Weasley. It would make sense, since her brother was there as well. I believe the Longbotom boy was with them as well. Bellatrix took great pleasure in teasing him about his parents. The last female I did not recognize. It was too dark, and I was concentrating on Potter."
Voldemort turned to the three other wizards, who had just regained their composure from the pain curse. "How about you three? Did any of you recognize the remaining female?"
Macnair, Nott, and Avery shook their heads, and by the angry look on Voldemort's face, they began to prepare themselves for another round with the Cruciatus.
"Incompetent; the lot of you! Six teenagers go up against ten fully trained Death Eaters, and not only do you fail to best them, but you get captured as well! And now, you can't even tell me who all of them were!"
The three thought it best not to argue about the Order members being present. Voldemort reached for his wand once more, but this time he was interrupted.
"But Lord, I have some news you might like!" Lucius cried out over his master's rage. "The prophecy! Before it was lost, I found out some interesting news."
Voldemort lowered his wand at mention of the prophecy, and forgot about cursing the wizards again. "What Lucius? What did it say? Bellatrix said none of you heard it?"
Malfoy had been waiting for this moment. Although he had failed in the mission of bringing the prophecy back to his master, he had learned some valuable information that might be important. He only hoped that Bellatrix was either too stupid, crazy, or afraid to realize how valuable the information was.
"Sorry Master, but I didn't hear what the prophecy said." He would have paused to explain, but Voldemort looked mad enough to kill. "But I did learn something else! No one else heard the prophecy either! This whole time we thought that Potter knew of it, but he had no idea. The only reason he came to the Ministry that night was to rescue his godfather! It looks like your plan of infiltrating his mind worked! He didn't even know that the Ministry kept records of prophecies, or that one was made about him. When I first confronted him, Potter was as ignorant as a muggle! And he didn't hear the prophecy either when it broke, I'm sure of it." Lucius was speaking to save his life now. If he could convince Voldemort that it was valuable information; that he had accessed Potter's mind successfully, and that the prophecy was still unknown to him; then maybe he could garner some favor with the Dark Lord.
And he was right. Although Voldemort wouldn't admit it, least of all to his subordinates, he had not known that his plan had worked perfectly. When he planted the images of Sirius in the Ministry in Harry's dreams, he only felt a base connection, and hadn't known how successful the image transfer had been. Throughout the year the connection had gotten stronger, and Voldemort had even been able to somewhat control Potter's actions and emotions a few times, but Lucius's information was the only proof at how successful he had been. The news did indeed calm him down.
"So you're saying Lucius, that Potter has no idea of what the prophecy speaks of?" Voldemort raised his hairless eyebrow in question.
Malfoy smiled. He had gotten through. "No Master, he doesn't. He didn't even know the prophecy existed till that night. And although Dumbledore could tell him at any time; if he hadn't before, why would he tell Potter now?"
Voldemort joined Lucius in his smile. "Why indeed? Even if the old fool does tell Potter now, the information will be so new and unsettling that I might be able to pry it from his weak mind. And if Dumbledore decides to keep the information secret, there are other ways find out about it."
Voldemort was happy. Things hadn't gone as planned, and he had wasted almost an entire year of his time planting false visions in Potter's head, but things were looking up. The prophecy might still be unknown to Harry, and as long as it was, Voldemort's plans remained unchanged. Without knowing what the prophecy spoke of, Voldemort was cautious of taking a more public role in the wizarding world. His ambition and overconfidence had caused his downfall before, and he wouldn't let it happen again. Yet, if Potter didn't know what was prophesized either, than things remained hopeful. He would still be cautious, but Voldemort now knew that his enemy lacked information as well. And as information was power, the playing field was leveled once again.
"Lucius, new plans," he ordered. "Keep watch over Potter's residence and that of his friends. Don't make yourselves known, but watch closely and gather information. Dumbledore's men should be around as well, so be careful. Intercept some owls if you can, and send Wormtail in to spy if possible. I want to know if Potter knows of the prophecy, and who the other mystery student is. If your son thinks he can help, then let him. He's proved useful before. Report back as soon as you know something. Walden, Avery, Nott; you're with Lucius. You should thank me for allowing you a final chance to prove yourselves." Voldemort was eager to restart his campaign to cleanse the magical world of muggle blood, but until he knew for sure that the information contained in the prophecy was no longer an issue, and could not be used against him, Voldemort decided he should bide his time. He had learned much patience in the past decade, and a little while longer wouldn't jeopardize his ultimate plans.
The three nodded and mumbled thank yous. Malfoy bowed once last time to his master, kissed his robes again, and turned to leave. He had much planning to do.
"Oh, and Lucius," Voldemort called out to him halfway to the door. "Don't fail me again. CRUCIO!"
"Ahhhh!" Harry woke to his own screams, with a palm pressed to the burning scar on his head. By his watch it was past three in the morning, and Harry remembered every word of the recent vision.
In fact, the dream was more vivid than any other he had had before. Not only did he know the words spoken and Voldemort's emotional state, but Harry almost had a sense of what he was thinking. It was kind of like what he felt when Hedwig sang to him, but with a much darker taint.
So as not to forget one detail, Harry quickly conjured a piece of parchment and muggle pencil, and wrote down the dream as best he could remember. While he wrote, he considered why the dream had been so vivid. It was possible that his connection to Voldemort was growing in strength, like the dark wizard had suggested, but Harry didn't think so. All last year, his insight hadn't grown any, only Voldemort's influence towards him. Harry thought rather it was his Occlumency training. By having a greater understanding of his own mind, Harry thought that it only made sense he would also have a heightened sense of awareness about images that didn't belong in his head. Foreign thoughts if you will. The little he had read about Legilimency confirmed his opinion, but it was still too early to tell. Once Harry studied Legilimency more in depth, he would know for sure.
As he finished writing down his dream, he noticed a small tapping noise behind him. It was too dark to see anything, so Harry fished his wand out of his holster and cast Lumos. Directing the light against the glass window, he was surprised by a flock of owls trying to get inside. Most were strangers, but Harry did recognize one tiny owl in the dim light as it tried multiple times to fly through the glass pane.
"Pig you stupid bird!" Harry wasn't angry, but was amused instead. In the excitement of redesigning his new home, he had forgotten that it was now his birthday. He looked to find a way to open the window, but found they didn't open. Being on one of the building's top floors, that made sense, but it didn't help the tired groups of post owls flapping in the wind. "Hang on guys! I'll figure out something."
Now fully awake, Harry went to the wall and flipped on the overhead lights. Dobby and Winky had removed all the hanging light fixtures, but they had left the spotlights in the vaulted ceiling. They didn't provide much atmosphere, but there was sufficient light to see. It seemed all the windows in the big room were the same, so Harry couldn't manually open any of them. Magically though, he could. With a wave of his wand, the glass pane disappeared, letting in eight owls.
Right away Harry grabbed Pig out of the air and untied his parcel. The tiny owl was always easily excitable, and Harry wasn't in the mood to have him upset the other owls while waiting for replies.
"Sorry Pig, but you got to go home now. I'll send my reply with Errol. Bye!" With that said, Harry threw the small owl back out the window, and replaced the missing window pane with another wave of his wand. It would take awhile to open all the letters and parcels, and then to write responses. Harry didn't want to leave the window open to the early morning draft in the mean time.
The owls he did recognize, beside Pig, were Errol, Dumbledore's small bird, and a well known school owl. The others weren't known to him, and there was even a hawk in the group. At first Harry had mistaken it for a black owl, but upon closer inspection the dark bird was much larger and more predatory than any owl could ever be. 'Must be from Hagrid,' he thought.
One by one the owls (and hawk) landed on Harry's outstretched arm to deliver their messages. Errol almost fell in his lap, and released assorted gifts from the Weasley family. A medium sized tawny owl must have been rented from a post office, because Hermione's neat handwriting was on the outside of that envelope, and Harry knew she didn't have her own owl. The hawk did indeed come from Hagrid, and carried a large square parcel for him. A distinguished looking horned owl surprised Harry, as it had a letter and small package from Neville with it. The school owl had a thick envelope which he assumed must be his Hogwart's letter, and Dumbledore's small owl likewise had a similar package. The last bird, a tired looking barn owl, was the only one Harry couldn't figure out. It was that package Harry decided to open first.
After conjuring a few perches and water bowls for the birds, and summoning the last of Hedwig's owl treats (she wouldn't eat them anymore), Harry sat on the floor amidst the many parcels and parchments to go through them all. The tiredness he had felt at waking up from Voldemort's vision was now entirely gone.
The first letter turned out to be from Remus, and a light went off in Harry's head as he noticed how tired and worn out the owl that had delivered the letter looked. It was amazing at how some people resembled their pets. The letter read....
Dear Harry,
I know we just saw each other, but Happy Birthday! Sorry I couldn't get you much, but I've been busy these last few weeks, and the gift I had planned on needs some more work still. It was something that Sirius and I decided to give you together months ago, but now it doesn't seem right without him. I haven't totally given up on it yet, I just need to change some things. In the meantime, enjoy the chocolate I sent, and I suspect I'll be seeing you again in a few days.
Remus
Harry was pleased to find a large bar of Honeyduke's Finest Chocolate, and remembered the first time Remus had given him a piece. It was on the Hogwart's Express during third year when Dementors had searched the train. He sure had come a long way since then.
Harry had no idea what gift he and Sirius had planned on getting him, but was touched that the two had thought about his birthday as far back as a few months ago. He would just have to wait and find out, as Remus said that he hadn't given up on the idea of the gift. Harry also wondered what Remus said about seeing him in a few days. It probably meant that he was planning on visiting Harry again, and boy would he be in a surprise to find an empty Privet Drive!
Hagrid's package was the largest, so Harry decided to open that next. Wading through his horrible handwriting, Harry managed to make out that Hagrid was traveling abroad again, and wished him a happy birthday from the road. He had sent his normal batch of rocks cakes, and a large wizard painting he had found in a small town in Germany. It was a portrait of a thestral, and was quite artfully done. Many thought it bad luck to be able to see a thestral properly, but Harry knew that wasn't so. He had even flown one from Hogwarts to the Ministry building, and Hagrid must have heard about it. Leave it to him to give Harry a gift having something to do with "dangerous beasts." Still, the painting was a nice one and Harry planned on letting Hagrid know he liked it.
Neville's note was short and to the point. It sounded much like his previous letters, and again thanked Harry for his extra help the past year. To show his appreciation, he had sent Harry an advanced book on defensive dueling techniques which he thought Harry might like. In truth, Harry was already very familiar with most of the spells in the book, but the thought was nice. Remembering that it was his birthday too, Harry made a mental note to wish Neville a belated happy birthday, and to send the book he had bought with his return letter. Harry had originally planned on giving it to the boy at school, but thought as a birthday gift it would be more thoughtful.
Ron's note was next in line, and it was amusing in a childlike manner. It read....
Dear Harry,
How's it going mate! I know it must be dreadful to have to spend your birthday with the muggles, but I'm sure a few gifts will ease the pain. In case they're not feeding you enough, Mum is sending some meat pies. Everything's the same here, and the whole family is going back to the place from last summer a week from now. I'm trying to get Mum to convince Dumbledore to let you stay with us, but he hasn't said yes yet. Have you heard from Hermione at all? She's starting her trip in a few days, and won't tell me where she's going. Do you reckon' she's finally going to visit Krum? I'd bet ol' Vicky would just love to see his "Her-my-own-ninny" again. If you hear from her, tell her to keep away from that twit! I still think he's bad news. Anyway, Happy Birthday! See you soon.
Your Best Mate,
Ron
The small parcel he had grabbed from Pig earlier contained two gifts. One was a rolled up Chudley Cannons poster in a particularly awful shade of orange. The other was a box of chocolate frogs, with one missing. It had a small note in it that said, "Sorry mate, but I got hungry! I owe you one. – Ron" Harry laughed. The day Ron wasn't hungry would be the day that he kissed Malfoy.
Hermione's letter didn't mention anything about visiting Krum, but she did have a few choice words to say about Ron.
Dear Harry,
Happy Birthday. I'm sorry if I sound in a bad mood, but I just got done reading a letter from Ron, and that boy drives me crazy! Do you know he actually demanded I give him an itinerary of the vacation I'm going to take with my parents? It's like he thinks I can't look after myself, and I need him to check up on me. Argghhh!
Anyway, sorry to ramble on, but my parents don't know what Ron's like, and they just agree with whatever I say. I hope you've been having a good summer so far, and that you're really studying those books you bought. Because you said you were, I decided to forgo my usual gift of a book, and get you something else instead. I hope you like it. I'm sorry I won't be around to get anymore letters from you this summer, but I leave for my trip soon, so I'll see you on September first. Please do me a favor though. The owl that delivered this letter is due back at the post office by noon of your birthday. Please see that he gets on his way in time. Thanks again, and enjoy your gift.
Love,
Hermione
The small wrapped gift she sent did look like a book, but when Harry unwrapped it, he found out how wrong he was. It was a miniature chess board, and the second Harry removed the last piece of wrapping paper, it automatically expanded to a more normal size. The board itself was made of blue and grey marble. There was a velvet lined case included with the board, and Harry found the chess pieces inside. They were the traditional black and white in color, and oddly enough, they didn't move or speak. Harry found out why when he read the small note taped to the bottom of the chessboard.
Harry,
I don't know about you, but I find wizard chess sets loud and obnoxious! This muggle set is much more relaxing without the pieces yelling at you, just like chess should be. I don't think I ever told you, but I was actually in the chess club at my primary school, and became quite good. Then wizard chess came along and turned me away from it. Maybe now we'll be able to play a few games together. Who knows? You may even beat Ron without his pieces helping him. Save me the first game!
Hermione
The gift was fun and entertaining, and yet still very practical and educational. 'How Hermione!' Harry thought. Because he couldn't send her a thank you note, and the post owl was due back at whatever post office it came from, Harry quickly let the owl fly out the reopened window. It was a strong and young specimen, and didn't need the many resting hours like some other owls needed.
Speaking of Errol, Harry opened up the large parcel from the other Weasleys next. There were three separate packages inside. One from the twins, one from Ginny, and one from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Harry opened the latter first.
Like Ron had said, they had forwarded her special mince meat pies, along with some homemade fudge as well. The note was short and sweet, and Harry felt much love from the whole Weasley clan. Bill and Charlie didn't write separate notes, but told their parents to wish Harry happiness on his birthday. They also mentioned asking Dumbledore for permission to have Harry visit, and said they would write when he agreed.
Opening anything from Fred and George was always a gamble, as it had a fifty percent chance to blow up in your face. Luck was with him this time though, and Harry got through the next few minutes with all his hair intact. A note was accompanied by an assortment of candy, none of which Harry would be eating anytime soon. Their note read....
Dear ickle Harrykins,
Happy Birfday! Our boy's all grown up now, what are we to do? We thought about flying out to steal you away again, but we couldn't very well repeat that. Besides not having a car anymore, we'd have to dock ourselves points for unoriginality. Anyways, enjoy the sweets, and make sure our favorite cousin of yours doesn't get into any of them (Wink wink, nod nod!)
We've also got to tell you that the company is doing well. After leaving school last year we got a little impatient, and decided to open a shop in Diagon Alley. Needless to say, it was a bit more expensive than we thought, and we had to close down after a month. No worries though, we kept all the signs and decorations we made, and production levels are still climbing. We figure after a few months of mail order sales, we'll be ready to try Diagon Alley again. If only Hogwart's had a business class, we might have actually paid some attention in school. There's a lesson for you Harry, pay attention in school. I suspect you'll be getting your OWL results soon, so keep at it. And whatever you do, don't ever throw one of the yellow taffies into a potion with boomslag skin. The results would be hazardous for a certain potions master. (Do we have to do the wink wink thing again?) But if by some chance something does go wrong, make sure the whole school knows that Yellow Yelling Yummies are only seven knuts a piece, and offered in our WWW catalogue. Later.
Gred and Forge
For his sake, Dudley should be thankful Harry and his sweets were no where near Privet Drive. Last time he had found only a single Ton Tongue Taffy, and pandemonium ensued. With an entire box of the Weezes, he wouldn't have stood a chance.
The last letter was from Ginny, and it didn't have an attached parcel. Opening the letter, Harry discovered why.
Dear Harry,
Happy Birthday! I hope you've gotten a lot of nice things so far, at least from other people. I saw the poster Ron sent you, and on behalf of the Weasley family, I'm sorry for his horrific taste in gifts. We don't know what's wrong with him, but he insists you love the Cannons just as much as he does, and would love nothing better in the world to get their latest team poster. I hope Hermione has better taste that Ron, so you at least get something decent for your birthday.
I couldn't buy much either, but I remembered how you felt last summer, being left out of the loop. I hope Professor Dumbledore doesn't mind, but I paid for a one month's subscription to the Daily Prophet for you, so you can keep in touch with the news. I know the paper's not great lately, and tells more lies than truths, but at least you can read what everyone else does. You said Hedwig should be better by now, so she can pick up your paper every morning, or you can pay extra to have it delivered by owl. Sorry I couldn't afford that.
You'll be glad to know I've spent most of the summer practicing Quidditch. Whether you can play as seeker again or not, I've decided to try out for chaser now that there are openings on the team. Going up against Ron, I can now score six out of ten shots! I almost broke out in a rendition of "Weasley is our King" I was so happy. We're going back to HQ in a week, and Mum says we might see you there. I hope so. Bye!
Love,
Ginny
Harry was surprised at the thoughtful gift Ginny had gotten him. It was true that last summer he had felt more alone than ever, and had risked his uncle's wrath just to listen to the muggle news. And even though he had had a subscription to the wizard paper the previous summer, Harry had never read past the front page headline. A lot of good that had done him! This summer, he promised himself he'd read more carefully. Even if they told a bunch of lies and half truths, Harry could keep his eye out for any suspicious attacks. From his dream Harry knew that Voldemort and his minions would be laying low for awhile, but they had to be doing something soon. And if anything happened, Harry could now find out.
He did wonder briefly how Hedwig could pick up his paper without being seen, but would worry about it later. He still had two more letters to read.
The school owl's thick envelope had both his school letter and his OWL results inside. Excited about his scores, Harry read his OWL results first.
Dear Mr. Potter,
Enclosed are the results of your Ordinary Wizarding Level exams. We apologize for the delay in grading the tests, but several unprecedented events forced us to reevaluate grading criteria. As it affects you, your Astronomy Owl has been curved one whole letter grade, to compensate for the unfortunate incident that occurred. The possible scores are as follows:
O Outstanding
E Exceeds Expectations
A Acceptable
P Poor
D Dreadful
T Terrible
A score of an O, E, or A is worth a total of one OWL. Scores of P, D, or T receive no credit. If you have any questions about your exams or scores, please feel free to write one of my assistants.
Sincerely,
Griselda Marchbanks
Wizarding Examinations Authority
OWL scores for Harry James Potter are as follows:
Astronomy – A
Care of Magical Creatures – O
Charms – E
Defense Against the Dark Arts – O plus
Divination – A
Herbology – E
History – D
Potions – O
Transfiguration – E
(A score of O plus marks a perfect score, which only occur on average every seventeen years. You earned one of two perfect marks this year. A perfect score of O plus is worth two OWLS.)
Total OWLs Nine
Nine OWLs; and a perfect score to boot! Why, that was essentially a score of one owl for every class he took! Harry couldn't believe he had done so well. The curved grade of an A in Astronomy made sense, and Harry had expected his scores of O's in CoMC and DADA, but he hadn't expected the one in Potions. He thought he could possibly get an E, and with McGonagall's help be able to take the advanced Potions class. Now Snape would have to take him on his own merit. Ha! If only he hadn't fallen asleep in History, he might have even gotten a passing grade in that class too.
Harry wondered how many OWLs Ron and Hermione had gotten as well. Ron wasn't as good of a student, but had to have at least scored well on DADA. And Hermione had probably set some new records; including that other perfect score. If he could get nine OWLs himself, she must have done so much better! Maybe even more than the traditional twelve possible, like Percy had done.
Harry folded the letter back up, and read the other one from Hogwarts. It was the standard letter naming the texts and supplies he would need, but there was an added note from McGonagall.
Dear Mr. Potter,
It pleases me to see you score so well on your OWLs. I must say, I was very shocked to see such remarkable scores, and many of the staff feel the same way. Congratulations of dedicating yourself to the career path of an auror; you're well on you way. Please send back a reply with the school owl on which NEWT preparatory classes you wish to enroll in. You qualify for all classes except History. Ten is the maximum number of NEWT classes you can take, but as you only qualify for eight that won't be a problem. If you would like to try Muggle Studies as an elective, I might be able to place you in the class if you pass an equivalency exam; as you've grown up in a muggle household.
On another matter, I'm pleased to inform you that your lifetime Quidditch ban has been lifted, as well as those other ridiculous rules. I have your broom safely locked in my office, and will return it back to you at start of term. I look forward to your performances this year, as I've become fond of housing the Quidditch Cup in my office.
Professor Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
The good news kept on coming. Not only did he score well on his OWLs, but he could play Quidditch again! Harry was so far having one hell of a birthday.
The last letter was from Dumbledore, and it was one Harry was not looking forward to. The headmaster had never sent Harry anything for his birthday before, so it had to be something else. During his visit Remus had mentioned that Dumbledore was going to give Harry a little space, but he knew it wouldn't last.
"Well," he said out loud, "I may as well see what the old man wants."
The thick envelope contained a long letter written on almost three pieces of parchment. But that's not what caused it to be thick. A metal badge was the cause, and it fell onto Harry's lap as he ripped open the letter. It was a prefect badge. Harry thought, 'Great, now he's trying to buy me off.'
Dear Harry,
I hope everything finds you well on your birthday. The age of sixteen is a very important milestone for a young man. I remember my own sixteenth birthday as if it was only yesterday, but I digress. I have a few things to discuss with you, and thought it best to present them to you as early as possible, so they won't come as a surprise in September.
The first issue is to offer my congratulations, for you've been named a Gryffindor prefect. As I mentioned last year, you were already entitled to it, and I've decided to correct my past mistake. Even with the extra burden which I had previously feared, I have no doubt you will be a most effective role model for others. Unfortunately Mr. Weasley is unable to continue in his capacity as prefect, so you will be taking his place.
I would also like to ask if you plan on continuing with the defense classes you set up last year. I believe you called it the D.A.? As you no doubt know from Professor McGonagall's letter, your lifetime Quidditch ban, as well as the other "Education Decrees" have all been revoked. As such, I'd be pleased if you would continue the lessons, and perhaps even expand them. I was thinking that you could offer two levels of study; one for beginners and one for more advanced students. In these perilous times, our students need all the extra help they can get. If you agree, you may still direct the meetings as you see fit, and may even award and subtract house points, within reason of course. Whether you or another student decides to head the new defense club, I've asked a former professor to oversee the lessons; strictly in an advisory role. I do believe you remember Professor Lupin? As his affliction makes it difficult to attend a full month's worth of classes, this type of loose appointment much better suits him than tenure as a fulltime professor. It would also allow Remus to be near Hogwarts, where he will be doing some extra work for me and the Order.
I'm afraid you will not want to hear this next bit of news, but it must be said. You must continue with your Occlumency lessons come fall. I know a tension exists between you and Professor Snape, but you must put that aside to learn to block Voldemort out of your mind. I've talked to Professor Snape, and he's agreed to make a clean start with you, and to hold no grudges over what might have happened in last year's lessons. As we can no longer use the excuse of remedial potion lessons because of your impressive OWL scores, another excuse will be implemented. I haven't yet decided what, but I do have a few ideas in mind. It's important now more than ever for you to learn this, so we'll be increasing your lessons to twice a week. The information I told you about the prophecy must not fall into the wrong hands. I still keep the secret, but I encourage you to share the information with those you trust.
You'll also be glad to know that Molly Weasley has been quite persistent in writing me about letting you visit, and I've finally agreed. A month has passed, which renews the blood bond between you and your relatives, so you can now leave home. In five days a team will arrive to escort you back to HQ, and you will remain there for the rest of the summer. I understand you already have many of your school things, so we'll send for the rest of your supplies. Please be ready by 11:00 pm, and have all your belongings packed.
On a personal note, I have tried my best to respect your wishes Harry. Your last letter was most surprising, and I must admit that I had hoped you would have seen past an old man's mistakes. I will be very busy the rest of the summer, as I still haven't found a DADA professor, but if you would like to set some time aside to talk, please let me know. Unlike last year, with some necessary precautions, I will make the time to see you.
Yours truly,
Albus Dumbledore
Headmaster, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
The next couple of days flew by for Harry. After opening all his gifts and reading his letter, he finally fell back asleep. He managed a few hours rest before the sun woke him again, and immediately replied to all his friends. He didn't mention specifics, but he let Remus, Hagrid, and the Weasleys know that Voldemort would be trying to intercept owls, and therefore he couldn't write again, nor should they. He did send Neville the career book he had bought him, and hoped the boy would like it.
Harry wrote back to Professor McGonagall, and thanked her for informing him about his Quidditch ban being lifted. He also signed up for his class load, but didn't choose anywhere near the nine classes he was offered. The only NEWT prep classes he signed up for were Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, DADA, and Arithmancy. He didn't even know if he could get into that last one, but assured McGonagall he had been studying, and that by the end of the summer he should be at a sixth year level. Harry knew that five classes wasn't considered a lot, but he informed his head of house that with Quidditch practice, D.A. meetings, Occlumency lessons, and prefect duties back in his schedule, he'd be very busy. He had no intention of taking the extra lessons with Snape, but didn't think it would help to mention that.
All his response letters and thanks yous were normal, except for the one to Dumbledore. Harry's note was just as blunt and to the point as the old wizard's had been.
Dear Professor Dumbledore,
I accept the position of prefect, but only because Ron has given it up. But if this is an attempt to buy my forgiveness, please know that it didn't work. I'm only accepting the role because I think I can do a good job, and I think I've deserved it. Regardless of my feelings towards you, I promise to do the best job I can as Gryffindor prefect. I also agree to continue with the D.A. Honestly I was going to keep up with it anyway, but I'm glad I can with school authorization. Having Remus around will be very helpful too. I think appointing him advisor is a great idea.
That was the only part of this letter I think you'll like, but turn about is only fair play. You wrote me that a team will be coming to retrieve me in five days, where I'll be spending the rest of the summer at HQ. Well, you might as well tell the team to stand down, because that won't be happening. I've left Privet Drive, and don't plan on ever going back. Even if I were at "home," what makes you think I would ever want to go back to HQ again? It's the last place I want to be, and I don't appreciate you ordering me there.
All you have to know is that I'm fine, and that I've taken precautions so that no one can find me. In truth, I'm having the best summer ever, and for the first time I'm not counting down the days till school begins. I warn you now, I don't want to be punished for going missing when I see you next. I never asked to be looked after, and I'm even telling you now not to waste your time looking for me. I doubt you go through so much trouble for any other student. It's nice that you care, but you're not my guardian. Sirius was, and now he's gone. As I see it, next in line for guardianship are the Dursleys, and they could care less about me. So I'm looking after myself, and I promise that I'll be aboard the Hogwart's Express September first.
I had a vision of Voldemort last night, and I'll summarize it quickly for you. He met with Malfoy, Nott, Aver, and Macnair, and punished them for not answering his summons earlier. They said they were trying to avoid detection, and that you had people watching their actions until the Death Eater trials were over. Lucius recounted the events of the DoM to him, and told him how the existence of the prophecy came as a surprise to me. Voldemort ordered the Death Eaters to stake out Privet Drive, Hermione's house, and the Burrow, to try and intercept letters and gain intel. He wants to know who the other student with me was (he knows about Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Ginny), and he wants to know if you told me about the prophecy. By the way, Draco is helping his father, and Voldemort even made a comment about how he's been helpful in the past. Voldemort's assuming and hoping that I don't know what the prophecy says, and I say let him believe that. He doesn't want to make any public move until he either knows what the prophecy says, or is sure that I don't know. I appreciate you keeping quite about it, and would like for you to remain so. I don't know if I'll tell anyone yet, but I'm thinking about it.
I've told all my friends that they can't write any more letters this summer because of Voldemort, but they don't know I've left Privet Drive. Feel free to tell them whatever you want, but you'll be the one having to explain. I know I wouldn't want to face the Weasley temper if they were told I went missing. I suggest you tell them I didn't want to spend any time at HQ, and leave it at that.
As you can guess, I've been more active this summer than I lead you to believe. I guess I should feel sorry that I've had to deceive you, but I'm not. If I was honest, I never would have had the chance to do half the things I wanted. I'm tired of having my life dictated, and so far this summer has produced nothing but good things for me. If I have anymore visions I'll be in contact, otherwise see you at school.
Harry Potter
Once Harry had sent out all of his replies, the first thing he did was cast a magical anti-detection ward. The Fidelius Charm would take care of most of his problems, but Harry remembered that owls could still find their way to Grimmauld Place. He didn't want to risk someone following an owl to find him, so had to cast a ward to prevent it. The anti-detection ward muffled a person's magical signature, so owls and location spells wouldn't be able to pick him up on radar. Harry had also originally planned on casting anti-apparition wards, but those weren't needed with the Fidelius Charm. As long as he didn't tell anyone about his location, no one could appear in his new home. Besides, the anti-apparition ward was one of the most difficult spells he'd ever seen. Currently, Harry wasn't able to perform it.
Harry then made his way into muggle London to purchase new furnishings. He bought a big screen TV, a high tech video system, a top of the line stereo, speakers and wiring, some clocks and timepieces, and a few other things as well. Electronic equipment couldn't be conjured or transfigured, so it was among the few things that Harry had to pay for. The rest of the morning he spent conjuring toothpicks, pieces of metal, and scraps of leather, and them transfiguring them into furniture.
Harry left his afternoons open for exercise and offensive training. Even though he was having fun decorating his new place, he didn't want to fall behind the schedule he had set for himself. Harry did end up getting a whole new set of exercise equipment, so he could leave the other in his school trunk.
By the end of the week, Harry had completely furnished his new home. The strips of dark brown leather he had conjured eventually became comfortable couches and armchairs, and they also made fine dividers between the areas of his great room. Harry used the same type of leather throughout the whole house, as well as wrought iron and a light colored maple wood for all the tables, chairs, and cabinets. The three materials tied the house together, and Harry was glad he took the time to pick up a few decorating brochures at a muggle furniture store.
The master suite ended up being the same style as in his trunk, just with different colors. Harry loved Gryffindor and all, but sometimes did get a little sick of the constant red and gold. Instead he decorated his bedroom in navy and cream, as well as most of the great room. With the exception of the two long tiled hallways, the house was covered with hardwood floors. So Harry conjured a variety of large plush rugs, most of which carried the navy/cream theme throughout. He did add a small fireplace to the master suite, but only for atmosphere and warmth. It wasn't large enough to floo from, but could be used to firetalk.
The six guestrooms Harry each crafted in a different style. One room was red, another green, and he even made one orange, in case Ron ever visited. The furniture was all made out of the same type of woods and metals, but each also had its own unique style. Some contained four poster beds, one had matching twin beds, and another had a rotating round mattress. The only type of bed Harry left out was a sleigh bed, as that was his. No matter how easy it would be, he wanted to leave the master suite nicer than the others.
The linens, rugs, and bath towels for the bathrooms matched the colors of their respective bedrooms. The six guest bedrooms and baths all had the same layout, so decorating them all was easier than Harry thought.
The Dueling chamber was set up exactly as he wanted it, with the exception of the missing practice dummies. On his next trip into Diagon Alley Harry decided to look into getting more, but for now he brought three of them from his trunk into the room.
The pool table Harry wanted proved to be a great challenge for his transfiguration skills, but he got it done eventually. Again, he had to go out into muggle London to get accurate measurements for the table and cue sticks, but the finished result was a work of art. Harry also finished his muggle room with a dart board, ping pong table, and wet bar. The bar contained no alcohol, but Harry though he might be able to convince Tom to sell him kegs of butterbeer instead of the numerous bottles. Harry had been having at least one butterbeer a day, and found he still hadn't gotten tired of it. It surprised him when the cases he had bought never ran out of bottles, but Harry supposed it had something to do with magic.
Harry left the separate flat just as it was. He did add a coat of paint to the walls, but that was the only change it needed. He didn't want to bother with furnishing it just yet, as he didn't know if he would even use it, or just change it into something else.
The grand accomplishment for Harry, and a great surprise for Dobby and Winky, was the secret room off the kitchen's eating area he had told them not to enter. For an hour each day, for the whole week, Harry had slipped into the room to work on his masterpiece.
On the day he had finally allowed the elves to enter, both of them tackled Harry around the knees and cried in joy. The room was a miniature version of the master suite, with all the furniture resized for house-elves. Harry didn't know how close Dobby and Winky had become, but decided to leave the single bed. He figured if they wanted to change it, they had the ability.
But even though it was the same set up as the master suite, it looked much different. That's because where Harry decided to decorate his room in navy and cream, he used every color of the rainbow for Dobby and Winky's room. The walls were one big continuous mural of color, charmed to move like a wizard painting. And the large mural had only one subject; socks.
For an hour each day, for the entire week, Harry had reached the limits of his imagination in creating every type of sock pattern he could think of. The walls, the bed sheets, the bathroom towels; everything was covered in socks, and not one of them matched.
Harry at first was worried that while Dobby would love the room, Winky might be upset at having clothing being the room's centerpiece, but his fears were in vain.
"Mr. Harry Potter sir, this is being too much! Winky is good house-elf, and good elves sleep in laundry." Once Winky had stopped crying, she became quite articulate.
"Nonsense Winky," he replied, "you and Dobby live hear too, and you should have your own room. With all the extra space I have, it only makes sense. And I won't have any of my friends sleeping in piles of dirty sheets."
"Friends!" Dobby was one happy elf. "Great wizard Mr. Harry Potter sir called Winky and Dobby friends! Oh how happy Dobby is! See Winky, free elves is not bad!"
This brought up another subject Harry wanted to discuss. Once he was able, he led the two elves back out the bedroom door that led to the kitchen, and sat them down at the small round table. It was time for a serious discussion.
"Now Winky, speaking of free elves, we need to discuss your situation. When Dobby originally came to visit me, we made some arrangements. We settled on a rate of pay of five galleons a month for him, with time off each week to be decided later. Since you weren't around then, we didn't know what you would want. And now that you're not living in the trunk anymore, it's time to talk. Are you still opposed to taking clothes? I won't force you to if you don't want to, but I would like you to wear something nice."
Winky looked extremely nervous. Perched in the oversized chair, only her head showed over the table's surface, and she was biting her tiny nails. "But Winky's good house-elf. Good elves no wear clothes!" She was barely making a sound, but Harry knew she thought she was being punished.
"You are a good house-elf Winky, otherwise I wouldn't have wanted you to work for me. But I believe in you having your freedom, just like Dobby has. I'm not angry with you, I'm trying to reward you. The summer's just half over, and already the two of you have done so much."
Winky listened carefully to Harry. He could see she wanted to say yes, but hundreds of years of oppression had conditioned her not to. Harry waited patiently as she wrung her hands, and had a short private conversation with Dobby in hushed tones. Finally she seemed to reach a decision, and turned to face Harry.
"If Mr. Harry Potter wishes, Winky will wear clothes!" The look on her face was priceless. It was the same expression wizards showed when they heard Voldemort's name. "But Winky does not want wages. Winky is good house-elf, and good elves no get pay."
Harry had expected this, and quickly agreed. He was actually surprised he convinced her so quickly to wear proper clothing. Up until now, she had still been wearing the same ratty dress he had last seen her in. It wasn't as dirty as it had once been, in her drunk on butterbeer days, but it still looked like a rag.
"Very good Winky. The last thing I need to talk about is your time off. I already agreed to give Dobby some, and I don't want to leave him lonely, so you get the same time off."
Dobby looked amazed, and Winky looked confused. Harry didn't think she knew what time off was. So he explained.
"Every night after eight o'clock, and the whole day on Sunday, you are free to do whatever you want, as long as it doesn't involve serving me. No cooking meals, no doing laundry, and no cleaning the house. Occasionally I may ask you to work at these times, but I'll make sure to grant you more time off on another day to make up for it. Sunday I'll make my own meals, and if you two are around, you're welcome to join me. The rest of the time, you can do whatever you want." It was sad to think that Harry still knew very little about his two small friends. He didn't know what they would do with their free time, so he made a few suggestions.
"I know in the past Dobby has made some of his own clothes. You can do things like that. Maybe you have family you want to visit? Or some friends back at Hogwarts you want to see? During your free time, you can go and see them if you want. If I'm around, we can play games together in the muggle room, or you can read books from the library.
"You can even explore muggle London if you want, but you must be careful not to be seen. There's nothing you can't do, as long as you keep safe and don't tell anyone about where I live, or that you work for me."
Dobby and Winky looked horrified. Telling about a master's secrets was the worst offense a house-elf could make.
"Don't worry," Harry assured them, "I know you won't tell anyone about me. I'm just being cautious. I met a house-elf named Kreacher once, and he told lies about his master, and disobeyed him. I don't think the two of you would ever do that, I just want you to be careful."
Both the house-elves looked floored. Harry didn't know how Dobby had spent his free time in the past, but he doubted he was granted this much freedom at Hogwarts. He knew both elves would want to argue against so much free time, so before they could say another word, Harry stood up from the table and retired for the night to his room. It was a Monday night, exactly one week from his birthday, and he would be back to his normal training schedule now that his home was completely finished.
That is, if he managed to get enough sleep after he woke up screaming from yet another vision about Voldemort.
AUTHOR NOTES:
This was a quick update, because I'm really writing a lot lately. I know that readers really want to get into the body of the story, so I've been inspired to write. I know I used more painful detail to explain the Fidelus Charm and the design of Harry's new home, but I like details. And it seems that others do to, so Thank You to those that think my story isn't "dragging". I even have a drawing of Harry's floorplan, which is displayed in the "files" section of my Yahoo! Group. A few readers have done their own interpretations, so please log on to take a look. I'm glad that most people understood the time traveling bit, even if it was only a basic understanding. Like I said, it's not overly important to the story, but I tried my best to explain it. It's tough though; when I reread the chapter it makes perfect sense to me, but that's because I've spent weeks planning it out in my head. Chapter 10 should come out fairly soon as well, and for the first time we'll see Harry in action using all his new skills. Also, tune in to see the reactions to Harry's many letters. I'm having much fun writing the Order meeting. Later.
Updated 11/18/04
I know originally my grammar and spelling could have been better, so I've gone through (I had to for the Schnoogle version anyway) and corrected all that I could find. This is the final version, folks! If you would like to reread the entire fic, there's also other stuff I changed to, besides the spelling. Nothing that will confuse a reader if they don't, but just enough to clean up some edges, and fix some mistakes in the mythology I made. Later all!
Ross