QUICK AN:
I normally don't write AN's before the chapter, but I have to address two quick issues that a lot of people seem to have concerns with. First of all, the last chapter was named 'Part II' because it's a kick ass Rambo movie, no other reason. If you're looking for justification, then Hedwig dying was technically Part I (the first time blood was shed.) Secondly, if you go back and read Remus's talk about explaining the Dementor killings, he says that 'all evil souls were destroyed with the original dark wizard spirit.' So for all those wondering about Barty Jr. and others, forget about them. They're toast! - Ross
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Harry Potter and the Power of Time
Chapter 11 – Summer Days, Drifting Away
The next morning was as close to normal as Harry Potter could seem to get. Never having known the true meaning of the word, it was a fine start of day for him.
The elves seemed to know that Remus had spent the night, and when both wizards woke up to smells of frying bacon and the strong oriental tea Harry had taken a liking to, they were greeted with enough food to feed all six guest rooms; had they been used. Dobby and Winky were still a little nervous about eating with their master as he insisted, but the four found enough to talk about during the short meal.
Remus for his part took comfort in the fact that Harry hadn't been completely alone. Very unlike another house-elf he knew, these elves seemed to be perfect company for Harry. Kreacher was still bound to serve the Black family, now through Tonks, but was now even less helpful than he had been before Sirius's death. The truth was, no one in the Order knew what to do with him. So Remus admired the relationships Harry had with his elves. When he made the mistake of mentioning how refreshingly different they were from Kreacher, he came to like them even more.
"Kreacher is bad house-elf to tell master's secrets." Dobby had a feral look on his face. "Kreacher will pay for what he's done!"
Winky nodded in agreement, and Harry thought it best to steer the conversation away from the touchy subject. He let Remus know that he had built a small cell in one of the empty rooms, and that it was solidly constructed to not even allow a rat to escape. Wormtail now occupied an eight by eight foot cell, furnished with nothing but a bucket, a few muggle paperbacks, and a thin mattress pad and blanket. From the inside the walls were solid and soundproof, but on the outside they were transparent and allowed even the tiniest whisper to be heard. It was decided that Wormtail would be visited by Harry or the elves twice a day to be feed and to have his waste bucket emptied (by a spell of course), but that would be his only outside contact.
Remus only took a quick look in the room to satisfy his curiosity, and noted it would be impossible for Wormtail to escape. He thought the accommodations a little extreme, but they were still a far cry from what Sirius had spent twelve years in. Remus could live with that, and he kept his mouth shut.
It was half past eight when he was finally ready to leave the Hideaway, and Remus still had reservations about how he was going to handle Dumbledore and the Order. It appeared Harry had the same concerns, because he took the older man aside before he left. Harry wanted to make sure his secret, and not just the location of where he was staying, was kept safe.
"Do you have any idea what you're going to tell them?" Harry asked.
Remus thought for a moment before answering. "I'll tell them the truth, at least as far as I'm able too. Dumbledore will know if I'm lying to him, so I'll just tell him I promised you that I wouldn't tell anyone else. I'll assure them that you're fine and that you're perfectly safe, but I'll avoid any specific questions."
Harry wasn't so sure it would be that easy. He knew that Dumbledore, and to a lesser degree Snape, both had the experience to hack their way into Remus's mind, and find the answers they wanted. He didn't put it past either of them. When he voiced his concerns to Remus though, Harry was put to ease.
"It's true, both Dumbledore and Snape are master Legilimens. But that doesn't work on me, so don't worry. I never bothered to learn the art, because it's incompatible with werewolves. You see, however the curse changed my body, it also affected my mind. However slight or drastic the change was, my brain chemistry is now different than other wizards. I suppose it's possible to break into a werewolf's mind eventually with enough study, but it's never yet been done. And I don't think that Dumbledore or Snape are willing to spend the hours trying either. It would take weeks of trial and error."
Harry was surprised, as he hadn't read anything about this in the Legilimency books he had bought. While his own skills at Legilimency were so far amateur at best, he had already read massive amounts about the subject. The few preliminary attempts he had performed, against his other selves and the Dursleys, each came with varying degrees of success. Just out of curiosity, Harry asked Remus if he could try and enter his mind.
Remus thought the idea novel. "Sure, but I don't really know what will happen. What do I do?"
"Just sit there and I'll try to access your memories about last night. Don't try to fight me off, as I want to see how your mind differs from others. If you sense that I'm getting in, then try and block me out. OK?"
Remus agreed, and Harry drew his wand. "Legilimens."
Unlike the times when he had cursed the Dursleys, or even himself, Harry felt no initial penetration. It was usually very quick, and the hard part came in sifting through foreign thoughts, and searching for certain memories. He had been most successful cursing himself so far, but Harry feared that was because he was intimately aware of his own mind. The Dursleys had proved to be much more difficult, but he had managed a limited success after long efforts.
With Remus however, the experience was much different. Instead of the penetration that occurred right away, Harry felt the spell rebound off an invisible barrier. The mental shield had a dark and untamed taste to it, and he assumed that it was tied to Remus's lycanthropy. Harry probed the barrier for awhile, and came to the conclusion that it couldn't be broken. He guessed that the werewolf curse reformed the mind just as Harry had spent hours doing to himself, but it was done at a much more primal and instinctual level. Subconscious even, so that not even Remus could tear down the walls erected around his own mind. Harry certainly had nothing to fear from others trying to learn secrets from Remus.
After the futile exercise, the two parted company after promising to keep in touch. Harry invited Remus to supper that Saturday night (it was then Wednesday, the second week in August), and the two agreed to see each other later. It would have been sooner, but Harry wanted to catch up in his training schedule, and Remus feared he'd be having a lot of questions to answer.
Once alone, Harry made his way to shower and get ready for the day. Even though the first thing he did was normally run on the treadmill and workout a bit, he found it almost impossible to begin the day without his morning shower. Since he started using the bathroom in his trunk, Harry had become spoiled by the three shower heads and high pressure water system. The bathroom he set up in his suite was identical, except for the color scheme. In the past few weeks (or months) Harry had really come to enjoy the finer things in life. He wondered if he would ever again use the school bathrooms.
After a second shower, which followed forty minuets in his exercise room, and another thirty dueling against his other selves in the trunk's dueling chamber, Harry made his way to his new library to go over the day's plans. Since it had been set up, the library now housed the majority of his books. Only the texts his doubles were currently reading were left in the trunk. The vast room was still mostly empty, but Harry liked having his books on display for easier access. He briefly wondered how long it would take to fill every shelf in the huge room.
His actions over the past few days had caused Harry to go off schedule, and he had to find a way to resolve the problem. True he only lost two days at the most, but even that was the furthest Harry had fallen behind so far, and he didn't want to slack off. He was hoping to take a vacation the last few days of summer, but now wondered if it would be smart to scrap those plans. He had to keep an eye on Wormtail now; plus Remus wound be around more often. The four day trip he had planned (he was thinking of surprising Hermione with a visit) would have to wait.
With the trip cancelled. Harry actually figured he would be ahead of schedule with the extra days of training at the end of summer. True, the schedule would be pushed back, but he would still be where he wanted by the start of term. That being said, Harry decided to take the day off. It had been a long while since Harry had enjoyed any personal time. The five days spent decorating his Hideaway had brought him into muggle London many times, and had given him a break from his physical training, but that week had been just as draining as any other. Besides, Harry also needed to restock on some potion ingredients and other supplies; it was time for another trip into Diagon Alley.
This time thankfully, the trip didn't require so much preparation. No extra trip to buy muggle disguises. No flagging down the Knight Bus at early morning hours. And no worrying about being recognized in the streets. Now being able to use magic, Harry prepared in less that a minute. He quickly changed his eye color to brown again, conjured a wizard hat to pull over his scar that matched his robes, and a second later Harry was standing in the apparation site of Diagon Alley. "Merlin," Harry thought, "that was so much easier!"
As Harry began down the street, and idea struck him to see if Amber from the robes shop would be available for lunch. It would have to be in muggle London to avoid being spotted, but he didn't think she would mind. For a brief moment Harry considered ignoring the idea altogether, but he pushed that thought aside. Even if it would be safer for them both, he had promised her he'd come to visit if he was ever in Diagon Alley again. Besides, he had enjoyed her company, and had enjoyed the quick peek under her robes even more. How could he not ask to see her?
Amber indeed was working at Madam Malkin's that morning, and was delighted to see Harry again. Even with the brown eyes and changed looks she recognized him, and was smart enough to not call his name out loud. After she informed him that her lunch break wasn't for another three hours, Harry left the shop so she could get back to work.
With three hours to spend, Harry couldn't figure out how to kill his time. The quick stop to the apothecary wouldn't take longer than fifteen minutes. Harry debated what to do.
His first intention was to visit Mr. Olivander to tell the story about the basilisk he promised, or to go see Walter Whiggman so he could give an initial report of the little flying he had done on his new broom. But Harry wanted to remain out of sight, and both those options required him to enter the very busy shops of either gentleman. With the start of school only three weeks away, Diagon Alley was much busier than the last time he had visited.
So to kill three hours, Harry decided to visit Griphook and his family vault yet again. It would be his third trip, but now that he had time to kill, and wouldn't be emotionally distracted, Harry thought he could get a lot done.
Griphook was surprised to see Harry, but very happy as well. It seemed that since the last visit when Harry had complimented on his helpfulness to the bank managers, Griphook had been doing very well for himself. He was awarded with a promotion, and was no longer required to escort account holders to their vaults. For Harry though, he didn't mind.
A short stop at Harry's original vault informed him that nothing had changed, and in fact his money was already starting to replace itself. The interest accumulated for whatever investments his remaining money were tied up in had been deposited into his account. While it didn't make up for all the money he had spent and transferred, it did replenish a sizable dent. Griphook informed Harry that by Halloween his trust fund should be back to the same value it had been at the beginning of the summer.
In his family vault, Harry took more time to carefully go through some of the furniture and portraits. All were very nice, but not many matched the comfortable feeling his new home had. The furniture was much too formal, and the wizard portraits too medieval. Harry thought they might look good on the stone walls of a castle like Hogwarts, but not on the plaster walls of his new home. Besides, even the newest painting was of a relative at least five generations older than Harry, and Harry had no wishes to cut into his training schedule to learn all about his dead distant relatives. It might be interesting to do one day, but it wasn't a priority now. There were a few landscapes and still lifes that Harry liked though, and those he shrank and put in his pocket.
The six crates full of paperwork and investment information were harder to sort through, but Harry found a few things that he thought might come in handy. Apparently he owned stock in both magical and muggle companies, and even had partner status in a few. Harry pocketed a few parchments that he vowed to read over more carefully later, and moved on.
The stacks of jewels Harry hadn't given much notice to before, as they seemed too unreal to him. He had experience with money, even if there was a large amount of it. But what does one do with dozens and dozens of cut and polished jewels? Remembering his promise to Hedwig, Harry pocketed a few, but only took some of the smaller, less expensive selections.
Five minutes later, with less than an hour before Amber got off for lunch, Harry left his family vault. On the cart ride back to the Gringott's lobby, Harry and Griphook traded polite conversation. A wizard and a goblin don't have much to talk about, but they found a few common topics that both could appreciate. Harry asked about Griphook's new job as an assistant supervisor for wizard tellers. In turn, Griphook asked how the Weasleys were treating him after they discovered the extra money in their vault.
"They finally discovered it?" Harry exclaimed. They hadn't said anything in their birthday letters to him, and Remus hadn't said anything either. He wondered when they had made the trip. Griphook let him know.
"Yes, late yesterday afternoon actually. I wouldn't normally know about such things, but I asked to be informed in case there would be some problems with them excepting the money. You mentioned that the family is remarkably proud, almost to the point of being stubborn. I took the liberty of seeing that things ran smoothly for you. As it turned out, there wasn't a need."
Harry didn't understand. Wasn't a need for what? He imagined the look the Weasleys must have shown at discovering the money, and he was sure that they would try to give the money back no matter what he had wrote. Harry asked Griphook to clarify.
"I simply mean that there wasn't a need for me to be notified, as the loud scream the woman let out could be heard two vault levels away in either direction. By the time I was officially informed, the family had already been escorted back to the lobby and given a private floo connection home. The mother had fainted in the family vault, and still hadn't been revived. I believe she had three children with her, twins and a young woman. They looked equally shocked, but there was something else on their faces. If I was to take a guess, I'd say that all three had been laughing." Griphook laughed himself. "I thought by now they would have contacted you, either to show their appreciation or their disapproval."
Harry laughed too. He could see why Fred, George, and Ginny would find the situation funny. The three shared a perverse sense of humor that would have enjoyed watching their mother faint dead away at such a sight. Harry was glad it was those three who had escorted Mrs. Weasley, and not Ron. Ron would have just been jealous, and would need time to get over the fact. As he exited the mine cart and said goodbye to Griphook, Harry wondered why Ron wasn't with them. It wasn't like him to miss a trip to Diagon Alley.
There wasn't enough time left to visit the apothecary, and Harry didn't want to be burdened with smelly potion ingredients anyways, so he made his way back to the robe shop. Amber was ready and waiting, and had no problem leaving early. She was a little surprised however when Harry drew his wand and changed their robes into muggle clothes. He now wore a pair of slacks and a light blue shirt, and Harry transfigured Amber's robes into a form flattering red dress, which was neither too revealing nor matronly. She complemented the dress, and Harry directed her to the Leaky Cauldron and out the other side.
Amber didn't mind the foray into muggle London; in fact she seemed to really enjoy the experience. She admitted that she was a Pureblood who had little experience with muggles. Not that she thought bad of them, it's just that the few times she had spent in their part of London had been in large groups, and had been very brief as well.
She especially enjoyed the lunch they had together. She thought the whole experience of having a server wait on them to deliver the food and drink was a bit strange. She only understood the reason once Harry explained that there were no house-elves or magic to do it. The food was superb nevertheless, no matter how it had been prepared. The nearby restaurant Harry had picked was well known for its selection of soft cheeses and aged balsamic vinegars, and both had a salad to take advantage of each. Amber had a Greek salad with freshly pressed feta, while Harry had a roasted almond-encrusted brie served on top a bed of baby greens. They even shared a bit of their salads with each other, and as far as dates go Harry thought it went pretty well. Certainly better than that tea shop business had gone the year before.
As the two walked back to the wizarding side of London, they talked about a few things, and Harry had to again explain why he wasn't around much. He didn't tell her the real reason of course, but she accepted what little he did say. He also knew it was probably the last time he would see her, and said he would write her from school if she liked. For her part, Amber understood that Harry couldn't be in a serious relationship, even a long-distance one. She did want to remain friends though, and promised to write Harry at school as well.
In the Leaky Cauldron, Harry transfigured their clothes back into robes and escorted Amber back to work. Just as he said goodbye and turned to walk away, he was grabbed from behind by his lunch date. The shop was empty except for them, so no one saw what happened next.
Before he had a chance to think, Amber pressed her lips against Harry's, and wrapped her arms around his waist. At first Harry was a little shocked, and pulled away slightly. But the strong grip Amber had on him didn't allow much room for retreat. As Harry fully came to realize what was happening, he began to give in. The kiss deepened and Harry placed his own hands on her shoulders, and tilted his head for comfort. He kissed her back, and fought hard not to let his hands roam. As willing as she may seem, Harry knew that the kiss couldn't go anywhere. It was a spur of the moment thing, which he didn't want to take advantage of. But Amber's enthusiasm, not to mention the mental pictures of her seen through his magical lens, tempted Harry to do just that. With a last nibble of his lower lip, Amber finally pulled away.
She must have sensed Harry's caution, because she spoke to address it. "Thanks Harry, today was great. Just remember, not all relationships have to be as serious as you think." With a quick wink and a sly smile, she turned and walked through the back door, leaving one very confusing teenager behind.
Harry made short work of visiting the apothecary to purchase the supplies he needed. Not wanting to chance a meeting with Cho, he visited the shop in Knockturn Alley instead of the other. He replaced in bulk the NEWT level potions kit he had already worked through, and selected a few extra expensive and rare ingredients as well. Harry planned on working ahead of his classes if possible, and had plans for some advanced potion making. He wanted to be prepared and have the supplies on hand.
For the same reason Harry picked up another full set of cauldrons. Some potions required multiple days to brew, and this way he'd still have his classroom set for use. Plus having a new, top of the line cauldron set would keep Snape away from him. Not even he could find fault with a student being well prepared.
With his purchases shrunken and packed into his various pockets, Harry apparated back to his Hideaway, with still the afternoon left for training. He didn't get much accomplished though, as he couldn't get Amber's kiss and last statement out of his head. What had she meant? While doing his nightly meditation Harry finally figured it out, and hit himself over the head. He shouldn't have left so early.
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Little had changed in the two years since he had taught there, but Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was still as awe inspiring as ever to Remus Lupin. No matter how long it was between his visits, the castle always had the same effect on him. He remembered happier times of his youth, when he and his three closest friends gallivanted around like they owned the place. Even with the sufferings of all the pranks gone wrong, and the consequences of ones gone right, his memories were mostly pleasurable and lighthearted. This trip however, was not to be so.
Remus had spent the whole night dreading the long flight of stairs he was now climbing to the Headmaster's office; to report on what he had discovered. Since the whole meeting with Harry had been scheduled rather quickly the night before, there wasn't enough time to come up with a detailed plan. But Remus was fairly certain that Albus Dumbledore had expected him back later that night, not a full day later. How could he explain the large amount of time he spent with Harry, while not giving any of the information Dumbledore would no doubt want to know. Remus had thought about that the whole morning, and would have continued except that the spiral staircase to Dumbledore's office came to and end. With a heavy sigh, Remus knocked on the door.
"Come in, Remus."
A small chuckle escaped his lips as he opened the heavy door that separated him and what lay beyond. Remus only hoped that Dumbledore would be as understanding as he believed him to be, and that he wouldn't be asked to betray Harry's trust. As he entered the office, empty thank Merlin except for the two men, he muttered the punch line of a muggle joke he once heard. "Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition."
Dumbledore gave a genuine smile at Remus's appearance, and greeted him thoroughly. "Ah, good afternoon Remus! I daresay I expected to see you earlier than this, but no matter. I trust that you have much to tell? Sit, sit please. Would you like some tea?"
Before Remus even got a chance to answer, Dumbledore conjured up a pot of tea with two cups, a pitcher of milk, and a small bowl of what looked like candy.
"I've recently taken to using lemon drops in my tea instead of sugar. I find them just as sweet, and the hint of lemon flavor goes nicely. I highly suggest trying it."
Remus smiled at the oddity of the man before him, but politely declined. The next few minutes would be very delicate, and might even put his membership in the Order of the Phoenix in jeopardy. Remus hoped not.
The two spent a few moments trading small talk. Remus had already been offered the role of advisor to the new D.A., and discussed with the headmaster what he had in mind. He hadn't discussed it with Harry yet, but felt the two could work things out well enough. And after what he saw Harry was already capable of, Remus felt that if anything, he might be holding the students back. Of course he didn't mention any of this to Dumbledore, but the two found enough to talk about.
An interesting tidbit of information, was that Dumbledore admitted he still hadn't filled the post of defense professor yet. He said he had a few ideas, the leading one which would give the position to Snape.
"Really, Professor?" Remus blanched. "I was under the impression that Severus has coveted the position for some time now, but for some reason you wouldn't allow him. Was I mistaken?"
"No Remus, not exactly. The popular opinion amongst the students that Severus has been after the position for years is not entirely true, but I digress. It's a personal matter that is more complicated than you could possibly imagine. Still, he is the best potions master I have seen in many years, and it would be a shame to lose him in that capacity. It's a problematic issue for sure, but let's get down to business. What can you tell me about Harry?"
Remus was surprised at the sudden change of topic, but was relived at getting to the matter at hand. The two had been dancing around the issue of Harry so far, and it was getting tiring.
"Simply put Headmaster, Harry is fine. He's perfectly safe, well protected, and has no intentions of leaving where he is till the start of term. In fact, Harry's taken more precautions than I even thought possible. I expect he'd even surprise you." Remus smiled at this last point.
"Well that's good to know, and I don't doubt I would be very surprised. In fact, I already have been on more than one occasion. Like last night for example, when the two of you used an illegal portkey to leave the meeting point. What can you tell me about that? Where did the portkey come from?"
"And just how do you know that we left the meeting place by portkey sir? I was the only one present to meet Harry as agreed, wasn't I?" Remus already knew the answer of course, but wanted to see Dumbledore's reaction. If all the things Harry had told him were true, there was more to the old wizard in front of him than he previously thought.
Dumbledore didn't bat an eye though. "Simple. After a period of time when you didn't return, I sent Alastor after you to see what happened. He detected a portkey having been used, and was a bit surprised, as were we all. Since I know that you are not currently able to program a portkey, it must have been brought with Harry. So now among other things, we need to know who Harry's been in contact with, and where that portkey came from. Whoever made it must be highly placed in the Ministry, and that's not necessarily a good thing at this time."
Amazing, Remus thought, that Dumbledore could work around the small elements of truth in his statement so efficiently. What little doubt about Harry's accusations about Dumbledore telling lies and half-truths was put to rest.
"Sorry Professor, but I know you're lying. I'm quite aware that not only Moody, but also Tonks and Severus followed me to the park last night. They were concealed under invisibility cloaks, and they could only have been there to either spy on me and Harry, or attempt to take him against his will. And what's more important than me knowing, is that Harry knows. In fact, he's the one who spotted the three and told me about it. When I said he was taking extreme precautions in his safety, I meant it. He saw right through the invisibility cloaks, having practiced against his own, and portkeyed us out of the park before any of the three knew what was happening. I myself wasn't aware what happened until I picked myself up off the ground from where we arrived."
"And where was that exactly?" Dumbledore's face hadn't yet revealed anything. It was a blank slate.
Remus didn't fall for the old trick though. By asking such a short, seemingly harmless question, Dumbledore hoped to have an answer before Remus even had time to think about what he was saying.
"Sorry sir, I can't tell you that. You need to understand how damaged your influence is with Harry. The whole Order knows that he isn't on the best terms with you at the moment. With what happened last night, I'd imagine that's truer now than ever before. Harry needs to trust someone, and for whatever reason he chose me. I don't plan on betraying that trust unless he gives me a reason to, or unless he's in danger. So before I answer any of your questions, I think I'm entitled to some answers of my own. You didn't just lie to Harry last night; you lied to me as well. You agreed that I could meet with him alone, and then you turned around and broke that promise, and jeopardized my already strained relationship with Harry."
A much older Dumbledore took a long sip from his tea, and considered his answer. When he finally did, it seemed to be almost a statement of defeat.
"Remus, I did not lie to either you or Harry, so much as I omitted parts of the truth. I've already had a discussion like this with Harry, and I expect he told you some of the things that have been bothering him this summer." Remus nodded an affirmative, and Dumbledore continued.
"I don't know the whole of what Harry has decided to share with you, but let's just say that the prophecy that speaks of he and Voldemort has serious implications. It's a huge burden to bear, no matter what the age of the person holding it. And more importantly, it's imperative that the information remains secret, at least for now. Voldemort or his people learning about the information could cause horrific things to happen. And as much as I trust Harry do to the right thing, he's still a boy. A boy who not always thinks with his head; but instead with his heart. Truly, it is an endearing quality, but in his position it is one we cannot afford.
"Whether he knows it or not, he needs the protection that I and the Order can provide. And so, even though it breaks my heart, sometimes I must do what is in his best interest, instead of what he wishes for himself. He can't be allowed to fend for himself this summer. It's as simple as that. So I sent Severus and the others to bring him back to headquarters, where he'll be safe. I know that he doesn't like it there, and that he's upset at not having a say in the decision, but the situation is too far beyond his understanding to entertain his wishes.
"I have done many things I'm not proud of in my long years; but all for the greater good. This is one of those times that I wish I could find another way. But I know that's not the case. Harry must be looked after, at all costs. And you must help me. So please I ask again, where is Harry?"
Remus thought long and hard about Dumbledore's confession, and what he would say in response. Obviously he was expected to give up Harry's location, so that a team of Order members could go and retrieve him, like a lost pet. But Harry and Remus both knew already, thanks to some truth serum, that that wasn't going to happen. Remus still had to convince Dumbledore that Harry was safe though, as it was at least a part of his responsibilities as an Order member. In fact, Harry was probably safer than the rest of the Order members, but he couldn't let on about that. His answer would be a difficult one. While composing it mentally in his head, Remus drained the remains of his tea, and pored himself another cup.
Finally Remus put down his cup, and popped a lemon drop into his mouth. He hoped the sour look on his face would partially disguise the division of loyalty he was experiencing. No matter who he sided with, someone would feel betrayed.
"Professor, I'm sorry, but I can't help you as you wish." Dumbledore's face fell.
"Harry's trust has been broken. The trust he had with you, and with the other Order members as well. He didn't say, but I'm not even sure that he fully trusts Ron and Hermione anymore. And while I do see the reasons that you took the actions you did last night and in the past, I can't fault Harry for wanting to get away for the summer.
"Still, his safety remains my top concern, and I promise that he's as safe as can be. I'll continue to have contact with him for the rest of the summer, but I can't promise that I can tell you anything about what he's up to. I hope the conflict of interests that the Order has doesn't interfere with this, but if it does, than my decision is already made. I'll drop out if it means protecting Harry.
"I still don't think you realize the gravity of what you have done. If I too betray Harry's trust, it won't matter if he's physically safe or not. Emotionally he's already been mistreated more than one deserves. Merlin knows he loves being a wizard, but I wouldn't put it past him to leave England and go live among muggles if he's continued to not be given choices about his own future. In fact, I'd bet he's already thought of it."
Dumbledore's head snapped up at Remus's warning. Live among muggles? "Remus, I think you exaggerate. Harry is a wizard, and I only take these precautions to ensure his safety."
Remus however shook his head. "I'm sorry headmaster, but I don't exaggerate. I don't know if I completely agree, but I can see where he's coming from. In Harry's opinion, it's better to live even as a muggle, than to live no life at all. Right now you'd have Harry going to school most of the year, and then locked in a house the rest of the time. He'd be given limited contact with the few friends he does have, and be unable to make new friends because of his fame. It sounds to me that you're the one exaggerating what you claim to be his normal life, with only a few limitations. To me, it sounds like a lonely existence. And coming from a werewolf, that's saying a lot.
"So I'm sorry, but I can't tell you anything about my day with Harry except that he's fine. We talked about you and the others briefly, and you can at least take comfort in the fact that he doesn't hate you as so many of the members thought. He just doesn't trust you anymore. He said that you have a long way to go to regain that trust, but he's willing to try on his end. For my part, I'll try to convince Harry when we meet to let others know about his whereabouts and what he's been up to this summer." Remus cracked a sly grin. "I don't think it would hurt to let you know that Harry's accomplished some truly remarkable things so far, and he still has three weeks left in the summer."
Dumbledore smiled back, for the first time since their meeting had begun. "Yes, I imagine he has. Very well, then. Seeing as I have no choice in the matter, I'll not push you further. I agree that it's better for one able wizard to know Harry's location and be able to protect him then none at all. However, I hope you understand Remus that I shall not give up searching for Harry, and that I might not be able to tell you everything about what all Order members are assigned to. It's obvious you're loyal to Harry and me both, but Harry doesn't need to know everything that goes on here. I'm afraid this is all going to put a large strain on you."
"Sir," Remus promised, "you have my word that I won't discuss Order business with Harry. Just as I won't discuss his actions with you. But if he asks me a question having to do with him, and I know the answer, than I'll tell him that. I won't lie, it's the least he deserves, even if it means telling Harry something that you might not want him to know. For what it's worth, I think Harry's a more capable and understanding person than you give him credit for. From just spending one day with him, I already know that he can be trusted with almost anything. I hope that I get the chance to prove that to you this school year."
"So do I Remus, so do I."
The two wizards switched back to small talk, and Remus was entertained with stories on how the three spies had reacted when he and Harry had escaped from the park meeting place. Moody had been impressed more than anything, Tonks was surprised and found the situation hilarious, and Snape was angry at them both. He thought it was Remus who had brought the portkey, until Dumbledore told him that he wasn't capable of it.
Remus also heard about the large sum of money transferred into the Weasley's vault, which he had some knowledge of. He admitted that Harry had told him about the gift, but said nothing about Harry discovering the safeguards set up to track his funds. Dumbledore likewise didn't ask anything further about Harry's trip to Gringotts. He either respected Remus's decision to remain quiet about what Harry told him, or he thought his safeguards remained intact and unfound.
Because of the whole "so long, sucker" comment, Dumbledore suggested that Remus avoid Snape as much as possible the next few days, especially until the next Order meeting when Dumbledore could give a report on Lupin's findings. It was agreed that Remus wouldn't be present as he would undoubtedly be peppered with unanswerable questions by the various members. Only once the Order had sufficiently calmed down, and Molly Weasley been put to ease, would Remus rejoin the regular meetings.
An hour and a half after he entered, Remus Lupin left the circular office and made his way to Grimmauld Place. He was supposed to be avoiding it, but wanted to give the Weasely's a quick confirmation that Harry was indeed alright. Besides, he had a few personal things to pick up. As he walked down the changing hallways and staircases of Hogwarts castle, Remus wondered what Dumbledore and the others could possibly imagine Harry had been up to. Where do they think he was living? What do they think he was doing with his time? Remus laughed out loud, even when Peeves dropped ink pellets on him, at the thought. No matter what they suspected, it couldn't be further from the truth.
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The remainder of the summer flew by for Harry; what with his intense training schedule and all. Just like the month before his birthday, he completed all the tasks he had set out to learn, plus a few he didn't count on. In fact he hardly left his Hideaway at all, and only a few times ran in to other people. The apartment building did finally open up, and Harry tried to keep away from the other tenants as much as possible. The few times that he called the elevator to the thirteenth floor, and other people were in it, he simply obliviated them to think he had gotten on at a different stop. No one ever suspected the truth.
His mastery of Occlumency was now complete, as he had finished reorganizing his mind. His nightly meditation sessions were cut much shorter as Harry had stopped identifying new memories, and the routine of sifting through the day's actions was becoming a familiar process. Harry guessed that once he returned to Hogwarts the time would increase again, but that was to be expected. There was a large difference between the life of a teenage boy away at boarding school, and that of a self exiled man who did nothing but read and practice all day long.
Defensively, Harry judged himself to be capable of outlasting a duel with up to three attackers; perhaps even more. That's not to say he could beat all three, but at least he could defend himself from them. It amazed him how far he had come from the simple shield spell he had learned only the year before. Now Harry knew a multitude of more complex shields, his speed and dexterity had increased from the physical exercise he had endured, and Harry even had limited success using transfiguration in fights. He could summon objects in the way of a curse, or even animate a small object to protect him, but only with immense concentration. The down side was that he was still unable to cast his own offensive spells while using transfiguration. It simply took too much concentration to do both.
The most interesting defensive skill however was the wand binding spells he had discovered, which Harry had never heard of before. Apparently they weren't taught at Hogwarts, but in the old tomes and texts he found among his family vault, Harry came across a series of books that listed a number of spells referred to as "Diffusements" that could be used to block a wand's performance. For instance, if Harry successfully cast a Diffuse Disarming spell, an opponent's wand would be unable to cast Expelliarmus for a short period of time. Of course it was impossible for Harry to learn every Diffuse spell listed, and not all spells could be successfully prevented, but he had acquired the ones he deemed most important. By the end of summer, Harry was able to successfully prevent an enemy from casting a disarming spell, a stunning spell, a leg locking curse, a severing charm, a body bind, the impedimenta jinx, and a summoning charm.
Offensively, Harry had mostly concentrated on honing his attacking abilities. He still hadn't learned very many new spells and curses, but he had a few tricks up his sleeve. Instead he concentrated on improving and learning new ways to use common and well-known spells more effectively in fights. Harry practiced shooting curse from all types of positions, at all types of angles, and during all types of circumstances. He even practiced casting spells with his left hand just in case something happened to his right. The spells weren't nearly as strong or effective, but Harry had at least gotten his aiming right. In a worse case scenario, he wouldn't be totally buggered if his right arm was injured.
More than just studying offensive spells, Harry also studied strategy. Some of the texts he bought outlined basic auror attack formations, and explained about the advantages and disadvantages of each. It almost surprised Harry that they published the information, as dark wizards could easily look through the same books he was. If that were so, than dark wizards would have the advantage, because their own attack patterns weren't well known. At least, Harry assumed so. He himself spent most of the time studying strategy, concentrating on the actions of Death Eaters. And how he was able to do so came as a complete accident.
It was all in his pensieve, actually. When Harry finally brought out the green marble basin after finishing his training sessions early one day, he never expected to find the memories of a Death Eater. It was pure luck he even took the time to look through the memories at all. Harry's original intention was to dump the silvery liquid stuff down the drain, and start depositing his own thoughts straight away. But a quick consideration about the thought strands floating around in the muggle sewer system prevented him from doing that, so Harry took a dive into E.R.'s memories for a quick peek. What he found enthralled him.
The whole pensieve, each and every one of the many memory strands, was of Death Eater attacks. Sometimes they were against helpless wizard families, sometimes they were fighting aurors and the elite hit wizards. Most of the time the group was a small number of dark wizards, but a few times they numbered more than twenty. The only man who was common to all the memories, the man who was obviously E.R., was unfamiliar to Harry, at least at first. But after spending five one hour sessions in the pensieve, Harry finally figured out who E.R. was.
It was Evan Rosier, a Death Eater long ago killed by aurors. Not before he had cut a chunk out of Mad-Eye Moody's nose though, which was how Harry finally pieced together all the information he'd seen. Rosier must have kept all his memories dealing with Death Eater attacks in the pensieve, perhaps to keep the information safe against Occlumens and truth serums. But then he had gone and died in an attack, and the pensieve was left behind. Harry figured that a family member got rid of the thing, either by selling it or throwing it out, without even realizing the damaging evidence it held.
At first the memories sickened him, as they were just as detailed and disturbing as the vivid visions Harry had been plagued with since Voldemort's return. But he couldn't turn away. It was like looking at a car accident. No matter how gruesome or appalling, Harry had to not only watch, but study each Death Eater attack recorded in the green stone bowl. From the pensieve, he learned the tactics Death Eaters used most often, and their favorite spells as well. Not surprisingly, the Cruciatus was a personal favorite among many.
And that proved to be another huge part of Harry's training schedule; attempting to overcome the Cruciatus. According to the whole wizarding world, it was impossible to block or shield against. But in a rare first edition text, Harry discovered that the Cruciatus was related distantly to the tickling charm; Ricusempra. Both spells effected nerve endings in the body, only each stimulated a completely different sensation. One caused an extreme amount of pain, the other pleasure. The book went on further to speculate that the curses could be mentally overcome with enough practice, but very few wizards were willing to go through the paces to achieve the desired results. Harry decided that he would be one of the few.
So for each day the second half of summer, for an hour in the afternoon right before he ate dinner, Harry and his doppelgangers did nothing but curse each other and try to block out the false sensations. At first he only used the tickling charm, until he was satisfactory able to ignore the charm long enough to cast a spell of his own. The feeling never went completely away, but Harry was able to mentally dull the sensation to a mild itch. Once he retaliated by disarming his attacker, or using something else more creative, the Riscusempra spell would be broken and end completely. That took almost three weeks.
The first day Harry tried the same process using Crucio, it was back to square one. It hurt like a bitch! Theoretically the same concentration techniques should have worked, but Harry discovered the big difference between theory and reality. In reality, the Crucio hurt just as much as he remembered. Telling his brain that the pain wasn't really there; that it was only an illusion of real pain didn't seem to help any. Even by holding the curse for only a few seconds at the most, Harry constantly fell to the ground. Once he even lost consciousness, as he had cursed himself more than five times within an hour.
It was lucky that Harry had practiced making a potion to counter the effects of the Cruciatus, otherwise he never would have survived. The mustard colored potion he had once seen Burkes drink in Knockturn Alley wasn't as sweet as the red potion he had taken himself, but it was very effective. Five minutes after drinking the potion, the only lasting side effects would be dull aching and dryness of the mouth. The down side was that the potion couldn't be taken with any others, but that didn't bother Harry. It might be a problem for Madame Pomfrey who had to administer multiple potions to injured patients, but Harry was only training. He currently wasn't taking any regular potions.
By the time August ended, Harry made only slight progress in working with the Cruciatus. It wasn't called an unforgivable for nothing! Still, it was a favorite of Death Eaters everywhere and Voldemort himself, so Harry vowed to keep at the practice. He had so far managed to twice fight through the pain and cast a spell of his own, but both times took an extreme amount of energy and mental fortitude. But it proved that the curse could be fought using sheer willpower, which was something that Harry had in spades.
His magical tattoos hadn't shown any progress in revealing their magical properties, and Harry was starting to question if he had been ripped off. The few times he took to stop what he was doing, and stare at his back in the mirror, the three small marks only moved a few inches at most, and rarely at that. They still remained a puzzle.
As did the whole golden patronus issue. As Remus suggested, Harry practiced conjuring a patronus at odd intervals, and was never able to reproduce the results he had shown the night they captured Wormtail. His patronus was certainly larger than he remembered, and it did sometimes look like it had gold tints to the mostly silver color, but it never approached the solid gold animal he had summoned to kill the Dementors. If he had more time Harry would have experimented more with the spell, but again, it wasn't a priority. Besides, Harry thought the new development was probably caused by being used in a real situation; in the presence of Dementors. He figured if caught in the same type circumstance, he'd once again see the golden form of Prongs.
Speaking of Remus, he did keep in touch regularly with Harry. The two had dinner several times together, and spent one Sunday afternoon showing the elves how to work the telly in the muggle room. Contrary to Harry's guess, it was Winky and not Dobby who became addicted to the thing. She particularly liked watching cooking programs, and especially liked Graham Kerr. She giggled at the way he didn't seem to know what he was doing, but yet all his dishes came out right in the end. Harry was glad that the three people he shared his home with, at least in some manner, were all getting along and enjoying themselves.
Remus had spent the night twice, but did pass up the spare room when the full moon came around. He admitted he felt more comfortable locked away in his own room at home, and would only use Harry's offered space in dire emergency. But the empty room behind the laundry was fixed up by the house-elves to be able to resist the strength of a werewolf, so the room was ready if ever needed.
The only bad thing about the whole second half of summer was Harry's daily trips to visit Wormtail. He could have had the elves feed him, but didn't want to shed the responsibility. Besides, they would have to take care of him once he returned to school.
Wormtail had screamed and cried the first few days, never knowing if someone heard his pleas through the seemingly solid walls that held him in. His food, usually a sandwich or some cold chicken with only water to drink, would magically appear on his plate twice a day, and his waste would magically disappear each evening. Harry thought about trying to interrogate Wormtail, to see what he knew of Voldemort's plans, but knew it wasn't necessary. His visions, especially the third and last one, told him enough to know that Wormtail was never told anything of importance.
The vision Harry had, three nights after capturing Wormtail and destroying the Dementors, was a short and particularly angry one. Voldemort was enraged that the servants he had sent out to find Wormtail were unable to locate him. Voldemort believed that Wormtail ran away, and was hiding in his animagus form as he did for so many years with the Weasleys. He didn't even notice that he must have been missing five Dementors as well, but they admittedly are almost identical in appearance.
The rest of Harry's training followed suit. The practice using his dagger, the wrestling and sparing he did with his doubles, the Potions and Arithmancy work he continued; all of it.
His transfiguration skills got a little better as well. Harry was able to transfigure mostly anything into normal objects. Non common materials and large animal transfigurations still gave him trouble. To keep his promise to Hedwig about making her a jewel-studded perch, he also practiced crafting fine detail into objects. He used a few of the jewels he took from his family vault to further decorate her posh perch, and Hedwig hooted an approval. Or actually, it was more of a chirp.
Only two days before the end of August, Hedwig experienced her first burning day. At first Harry was nervous that something would go wrong. He still didn't know how it was possible that his snowy owl became a white phoenix, and Harry wondered if he'd ever know for sure. The only other person he knew who might have answers was Dumbledore, but those questions would have to wait. Dumbledore didn't even know about Hedwig yet, and Harry was still uncomfortable asking the headmaster for favors when he kept himself so guarded against the man. Maybe later.
The burning however went exactly as Harry had witnessed before with Fawkes, and a little shriveled up Hedwig popped her head out of a pile of ashes. In the two days before he left for Hogwarts, Hedwig only grew a little, and still lacked most of her feathers. She wouldn't be able to make the trip by air, and Harry certainly wasn't willing to carry her on the train with him. That was asking for trouble. If the student population found out that a live phoenix was riding on the train, with Harry Potter no less, pandemonium would break out. He'd have to find another way of getting Hedwig to Hogwarts.
The other transfiguration talent that Harry touched on briefly was his animagus training. There wasn't one definite way to go about finding one's inner animal, but Harry meditated a number of suggested ways to begin the process. So far he hadn't discovered what his animal form would be, but knew the rough size. He figured he'd be a little smaller than his father's stag form. It wasn't until after a wizard visualized their animal form that they could begin the next step of actually transforming, and Harry wasn't even close to that yet. He seemed to hit a block in his meditation, and couldn't get an animal form to visualize. Maybe once he dedicated more time to training he'd be more successful, but again, the animagus ability wasn't a priority. Sure it would be cool, but with a form that size, it wouldn't be good for spying or stealthy escapes. Harry thought it more important to learn about strategy and offensive spells than how to romp in the Forbidden Forrest as an animal.
Finally the morning of September first dawned in Harry's bedroom, the sun shinning full through the eastern facing windows. Harry woke and had breakfast like normal, and even went through his regular training session. While he showered for the last time in his luxury bath, Dobby and Winky packed his magical trunk almost exactly the way it had been when he had first bought it. All his clothes went in the first compartment, his school supplies and broomstick in the second, and most of his books in the small library in the third. The only books he left behind were ones he no longer needed; the ones he had practically memorized.
Hedwig's perch was left out because she still had use for it, as she wouldn't be joining Harry at school until she had regrown most of her feathers and could fly again. Dobby and Winky likewise left all their possessions in their room, as they too would be staying behind at the Hideaway. Harry did tell them he would have work for them to do both at school and at home, but wanted to settle at Hogwarts before giving them their orders.
It was ten past ten in the morning when Harry shrunk his trunk down to size, and left to say goodbye to the house-elves. Now fully dressed with his one piece of luggage shrunk down to size in his pocket, Harry took a last look around what had been his home the past two months, and made sure all the locks and windows were securely fastened. Then he disapparated with a small pop to platform nine and three quarters.
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AUTHOR NOTES:
Sorry this update took longer than I expected, but some things came up that I had to take care of. Still, I don't think the wait was too long, with this being my longest time between updates, still less than 2 weeks. I've read authors who update only once every 3 months, and I know how frustrating that can be. I know this chapter seems a little slow, especially compared to last chapter, but it was necessary to end the summer. Finally, Harry goes back to school, and I get to play with more than one or two characters per chapter. So far, I'm having a lot of fun writing Malfoy, and I can't wait to read some of your responses to what I've put down. Also, as you all know from reading my other AN at the beginning of the chapter, the "First Blood, Part II" title came from a movie. Who can guess which movie this chapter's title came from? I'm guessing all the ladies will know it. And please read my updated bio page, as I now have a picture of Harry's Hideaway posted thanks to HermioneGreen. Later, and thanks for reading.
Linzee Potter – About Harry's power as a wizard. Yes, he's more powerful than an average wizard. Plus, he's been studying the whole summer (9 weeks x 3 = over 6 months), so it makes sense that he knows some advanced magic. Remember that he's purposely studying advanced spells. I admit that the Dementor thing seems a bit much, but I plan on explaining that later in the story. As I've said before, remember that Harry has at least one power that "Voldemort knows not of." And remember that his new wand (from Hedwig) is powerful too. The wand itself doesn't provide magical power, but it had a tight focus that better directs Harry's own powers.
Lauren – There's not much you mentioned in your last review that I haven't already answered about, but there is one thing. No, I don't plan on introducing souls of familiar characters in the story. The only person we know of who's been kissed by a Dementor is Barty Crouch Jr., and in the last chapter I explained that all dark wizard souls were destroyed in the five Dementors Harry killed. Still, I think the plot point provides excellent opportunity to introduce surprising twists. We'll have to see where the story takes me. And congrats, you finally get to know who "E.R." is. Did you figure it out? It was easy, really. In the whole HP Lexicon (which I use to back up facts in my story) there's only one person with those initials. Hope the answer satisfied you insatiable curiosity.
Abajab – Not Voldy's mum, but that's an interesting guess. Not too many fanfics investigate Voldy's family life, and that would be interesting to look into. And most of the fics that do I find totally unrealistic. It's amazing how once you discount slash, evil-Harry, Severitus challenge, and poorly written stories, how actual little there is out there to read. Thanks.
Mirinaya – Sorry, but Sirius is staying dead in this story. I agree that I would love to see him alive, but it's not meant to be. And since I'm staying with cannon, he's can't come back alive. So no corner flat for him. I do have plans for it though, and so far no one has guessed who the future occupant(s) are. Care to take a gamble?
Bill – You bring up a good point about Dumbledore knowing about Sirius, but it's not what I intended. So for argument's sake, let's say that Dumble did all the rune writing and research, and the secret keeper was the one to activate the spell (the forehead runes). That way Dumbledore still could have done the majority of the work, but not have known who the keeper was. Good catch on my blunder though.
HPFanFicLuvr – You made my point exactly about building a strong base for the story by having a lengthy summer. And actually, after chapter 3 or 4, I even lengthened the summer by 3 chapters to build a stronger base than I originally planned. I've already planned out a sequel to my story, so now I'm building for two. Thanks for the compliments.
Jac – I don't have anything personal against Dumbledore, I just think his character is too perfectly written by JKR. Nobody is that good. So I've trashed Dumble a little, so he doesn't appear god-like. Eventually he and Harry will reconcile, but it will take some time. Stories that have the two fight, than make up a day later aren't believable. I'm trying to be as honest as possible, and the truth is that Dumble really screwed Harry.
AA – I'm trying so hard to stay away from super powers, but finding a balance is difficult. In my defense, Harry only cast three strong spells in the battle scene. Patronus he mastered at an early age, and I plan on explaining the whole golded patronus thing. Impedimenta is likewise a spell he's known for many years, and one which he used his new wand with. The final spell, which melted Wormtail's hand was one he studied especially for that circumstance, and was done in a controlled environment. Wormtail was frozen at the time, and the spell took a long time to eat through the whole hand. With the 6 months of intense training he's had, I don't see any one of these spells out of Harry's reach. I hope you agree.
Whizzy & George – Thank you and fck you for telling me that Katie Bell is still in school. J/K. I'm not angry, it just throws my plot off the path I had chosen. I've been heavily relying on the HP lexicon for accurate info, and I guess it's finally failed me. I haven't decided what to do yet, I might have Katie back at school or not. I don't know. But when I decide, I'm sure you'll be one of the first to recognize it. Thanks again for letting me know, as I could have really dug myself into a hole without knowing it.
Luke Potter – Voldy or Dumbledore's long lost granddaughter? Sorry, but Harry couldn't possible hook up with any such people in my story as they don't exist. I find it next to impossible that JKR would introduce such important characters so late in the series. Now, I think it would be much more realistic if certain characters were revealed to be related to Voldy/Dumble, but I don't think that's likely either. And as for H/G and H/Hr pairings being overused and unoriginal, well, sure they are. They're overused because they are the most likely to happen. Writing a good fanfic is about being as creative as possible while still living in the guidelines the original author has set down. So my story will have slight H/G involvement, as I've said in my summary. Sorry if you don't like it, but I can't imagine something else. While the ideas of Harry/Tonks & Harry/OC are fun to explore, I haven't yet read a realistic one.
InnerInferno – Thanks, and you're right. Read the message above this one. No two wands for Harry though. Besides being supposedly impossible, I imagine it to be too confusing to be able to learn properly. And yes, you're right about the time tuner. It can travel one week back in time, while Hermione's time turner is the one that only allows a few hours travel. Remember that the tuner is a DoM secret, so not many know about it.
Lilywolf – Believe me, nobody realizes the length of my story more than I. I don't doubt it will be one of the longest fics on , (I guess 350,000 words) but it is what it is. I could easily publish it in parts and call them sequels, but I decided to do it in one story instead. When I read fics, I purposely look for the long ones. I hop others do the same, and come across mine. Thanks.
Calimora – Thanks for your review, it's one of the best I've gotten. It praises my work, tells me what was liked, and provides constructive criticism for me to improve upon. I agree I got too detailed with the clothes shopping and the house building, but I got carried away. I actually wrote the first many chapters at one sitting, so that's why all the shopping scenes are so detailed. Hopefully you've seen an improvement with the last 2 chapters. I'm trying, but like I always say, I have very little writing experience. As for the cords, what can I say? I'm a closet hippie, who loves all the things I've added to Harry's character. I wear cords and Birkenstocks, I have a love for fine foods and wine, and I really do buy expensive white tea to drink ($4/oz.) I myself have five pairs of corduroys. Thanks for reviewing.
Comos12 – Harry hasn't furnished his new home with furniture/paintings he found in his vault because it's all old ancestral stuff. I wanted Harry to have a bunch of comfortable and simple looking stuff instead. But he still has access to it all, and a second home might be in his future. Another review once asked if Harry would ever find out if the original Potter Mansion was destroyed. We'll see....but I can imagine the furniture would be more at home there.
Mikito – Harry is only taking 5 classes for a reason, one which I'll explain eventually. D.A. will be renamed; after all, it wasn't always Dumbledore's Army. Wormtail won't be obliviated b/c Harry doesn't want to chance messing with his mind. He's the only one who can prove Sirius's innocence. And lastly, this by no means will be a romance story. It will however have H/G undertones, but nothing approaching a full blown romance. They're only 15 after all!
I don't respond to everyone's reviews personally, just those that have comments or questions. Especially now that I'm receiving 50 reviews per chapter, I just can't fit them all in. So if you've written to say you liked my story and are waiting for more, than thank you.
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Updated 8/8/04
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 al 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