Over the next two weeks, Harry saw little of Dumbledore or Flitwick. The both seemed to disappear before breakfast, Flooing away to the Weasley's home to do their work, not returning until well after Harry went to bed. He was able to overhear some of the other resident teachers gossiping about the project, and so gathered some of what was going on.
A day or two after he had gotten the letter, William Weasley had sent a reply to Professor Flitwick with records of the Weasley land's Deep wards, which, from what little Harry knew, were powerful wards tied both to a ley line (or several ley lines) and to a certain family's bloodline. As long as a member of the family lived, the Deep wards would remain, strong and healthy, but they would interfere with any area spell cast by someone not a member of the family, by blood or by marriage. That was why the wards Dumbledore and Flitwick were crafting had to be built carefully around the Deep wards without overlapping.
Harry learned most of that by asking Hagrid, who, as it turned out, had thought to become a wardcrafter before his expulsion. Of course, that was now impossible, but he still kept up with the wardcrafting community.
"Deep wards are very important in noble families, Harry," the huge gamekeeper explained. "There aren't any great families I know of without Deep wards over their lands – not the Noble Houses, not the Lesser Houses. Even some of the Minor Houses have them." He frowned. "All of the families still living have them, anyway. The Founder's houses are all gone, obviously, and I'd be willing to bet that the Tau wards collapsed as well." Hagrid shrugged. "Anyway, because Deep wards are so important and powerful, to become a cursebreaker or a wardcrafter, you have to study a set in depth. That's why most of them are from noble families themselves – they can just look at their own."
But Harry also paid attention to the conversations about the wards which were held nightly between Professors McGonagall and Vector.
"Obviously the Silver Frame is working for them," Vector told McGonagall earnestly, "but I really do think that for what they're doing a simpler delimitator would be better – the Black Cage strikes me as a good example."
"No no no, Victor," McGonagall said, shaking his head. "The Black Cage might work well for a rigid set of wards like my own family has, but the Weasley's wards will surely be far more flexible. I understand that the ley line in that region is a strong Water line, as well, so the wards will definitely be fluid and changeable. The Black Cage is simply too unmoving. The Silver Frame, though, can flex and shift with the Deep wards to maintain the protection."
"True," Vector allowed, "but the Black Cage can be made more flexible with a relatively simply modification in the fourth line. Look, let me show you…" and then they were scribbling complicated Arithmantic expressions in the air with their wands and arguing over them, and Harry was lost.
Although he didn't fully understand the process of warding, Harry was able to overhear the date that the new wards would be completed – the day of his birthday, July 31th.
"I'm 12 today," Harry whispered to himself as he woke up the next day. "And I'm going to go visit Ron's house today. What a great present!"
At breakfast, one of the house-elves presented Harry with a delicious cupcake, complete with candle. It said "Happy Birthday" in tiny golden icing over Gryffindor red frosting.
"Do all students get cupcakes on their birthdays?" Harry asked the elf, Foddy.
Foddy nodded, ears flopping to one side. "Mostly though, we just puts it on their plates, Harry Potter sir."
That would explain why he hadn't noticed any house-elves appearing during the year. "Why didn't you just do that for me?"
"You is the only student here now, Harry Potter sir!" Foddy said earnestly. "Happy birthday Harry Potter sir!" with a gentle pop, he disappeared.
After finishing the oatmeal Healer Dane had mandated and savoring the cupcake, Professor Flitwick brought him to his office to Floo to the Burrow.
"Now, as you arrive, you'll probably feel the new wards," Flitwick told him. "It will feel like cold water running over you for a moment, then you'll feel normal. If the cold feeling turns into a hot feeling, turn around immediately."
"How do I turn around in a Floo connection?" Harry asked, confused. "I didn't know it was even possible."
"It is when you're entering a Deep ward," the diminutive professor assured him. "If you clearly declare your intentions not to enter – just say 'I will not enter the home of the Weasleys, you don't even have to say it out loud, just in your head – you'll bounce off them."
Harry mouthed the words, then nodded. "Got it. So a hot feeling means that the new wards are rejecting me?"
Professor Flitwick nodded. "It shouldn't happen, but it just might. Be glad that the Deep wards will let you return without being fried."
Harry gulped. "Okay, let's get it over with." He stepped into the green flames and shouted "the Burrow!"
Harry spun through the system, doing his best not to think about what might happen, and felt a wash of cold water slam into him. It was cooler than he had expected, and left him gasping for breath. A moment later, the cold began to warm up again, and he swallowed in fear, hoping, worrying… it stopped warming, and he felt normal again. Moments later, he was spat forth from the fire, fell onto his knees, and, gasping in relief, heard a multitude of voices shout "SURPRISE!"
Harry blinked, and looked around. The room, cluttered with decorations and wonderful-smelling food, was surprisingly small, but there were lots of people in it all the same. Ron and Ginny were both there, along with Fred, George and Percy. There was an older couple, one slightly balding and the other shorter and rounder – they could only be Molly and Arthur, the parents of the Weasley clan. Hermione was there too, leaning against a brown-haired man who must be her father. The centerpiece of the room was a cake, perfect a model of the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch, complete with must be a glamour of players in red and green, playing with flying candy versions of the balls.
Harry felt a grin spread over his face as Ginny stepped forward to help him up. A moment later, he as engulfed in a hug by Ginny, Hermione, and Molly.
Friends were nice.
For the next hour or so, Harry mostly just chatted with his friends. He as introduced to Hermione's dad, Dan Granger, and to Ginny and Ron's, Arthur Weasley. He played explosive snap with Ron and the tins, losing each time – probably distracted by the silly poses Professor Flitwick was making for Ginny to sketch.
After a small but delicious lunch, the cake was cut. It was even tastier than it looked.
"Smashing cake, mum, absolutely smashing!" Fred, declared, making Ginny giggle.
"Very well done indeed!" George agreed, stroking an imaginary beard. "In fact, it gives me an idea…"
"Who's up for a game of Quidditch?" they chorused.
"I'm in," Ron said instantly.
"I'll play," Harry agreed, smiling.
"I'll play if I can be Keeper," Percy said agreeably.
"That's five," Fred said with a frown.
"I we have one Keeper and to Chasers on each team, we still need one more player," George said, also frowning.
"Don't look at me," Ginny said, looking away. "I'm pants at Quidditch, you all know that."
Hermione shuddered. "Well, I'm not going on a broom when I don't have to."
"I haven't played Quidditch in years," Flitwick said, "but I'll be the sixth man."
"Okay!" George said brightly. "Percy is one keeper. Ron, are you the other?" Ron nodded, and George continued. "Okay, you two can pick the teams."
"I'll take Harry," Percy said before Ron could open his mouth. When Ron glared, he just shrugged.
"Then I'll take the professor," Ron said.
"Fred, over here."
"Then I've got George," Ron said. "Come on, the broom shed is this way."
After the game, Harry was left with three distinct impressions. Firstly, that Ron had a good chance of being the Keeper after Oliver left. Secondly, that he preferred Seeking to Chasing. Thirdly, that Professor Flitwick could've been a professional Chaser.
"That was quite fun," Flitwick said happily as he landed. Towards the end of the game, George and Ron had hit on a winning strategy – get the Quaffle to Flitwick and give him space. "I really should get back to Hogwarts, though."
"You're welcome here anytime, Filius, remember that," Molly said, hugging him.
"Give our regards to Minerva," Mr. Weasley said.
"I will, Arthur," Flitwick said with a smile, and stepped into the green flames. "Hogwarts!" he shouted, and disappeared.
The rest of the summer was almost as fun as the party. Harry hung out with Ron and Ginny, played Quidditch with the twins, and even spent some time with Percy, who turned out to be much more relaxed and less pompous when he wasn't acting as a prefect. It was during a game of Avalon with Percy that the letter arrived.
"Slip," Harry said, playing the card and moving his Guinevere out of the way of Percy's Mordred. Then he shifted his Arthur to threaten Percy's Lancelot. Then he shifted his Arthur to threaten Percy's Lancelot. "So there!"
Percy studied the board for a few moments, then smirked and said "Charge," playing the appropriate card. Lancelot barreled Arthur aside and stepped through the portal that Harry's Merlin had created earlier in the game, ending up right next to Harry's Camelot.
Harry groaned. How he had not seen that and shut down the portal? He had the card in his hand! Now he was doomed, unless Percy didn't see…
Percy shifted his Morgause, allowing his Nimue a straight shot at Harry's Camelot. "I win," he said smugly.
Harry sighed. "I'm still learning, Perce," he complained. "Go easy on me!"
Percy chuckled. "Why, exactly, would I…" He trailed off. "Harry, I think that owl is for you."
Harry twisted around to follow Percy's gaze out the window. Indeed, it was Tantalus with a letter. "Well, I'd better go get it," he said, rising. "You don't mind cleaning up, do you?" He fled before Percy could protest.
Harry stepped outside and caught the letter as the silvery owl dropped it. A moment later, Tantalus landed on his shoulder, and he reached up to stroke his feathers. The old eagle owl hooted happily, then took off to return to Hogwarts. Meanwhile, Harry tore open the letter. There was a short note in it, along with a short note. Harry pulled out the note first.
Dear Harry,
I'm sorry for not telling you earlier, but Albus wouldn't allow it. You have to know no, though – the court hearing is in a week. I'll pick you up an hour before it starts.
Filius Flitwick
Harry furrowed his brow in confusion. Court hearing? What? He opened the muggle letter that Flitwick had clearly forwarded him, hoping it would explain.
Mr. Harrison James Potter,
You are hereby summoned as a witness to the hearing of your guardians, Vernon Gareth Dursley and Petunia Evans Dursley, on two charges of child abuse.
A/N: I made up the rules to Avalon pretty much on the spot, but they've come out as: each player has a team of figurines (Merlin, Mordred, Arthur, Lancelot, Morgause, Nimue, and Guinevere) as well as a Camelot, which is placed somewhere on the board at the beginning of the game. The objective is to use your figures to defend your Camelot while attacking the other player's own Camelot. Nimue, Guinevere, and Merlin are ranged, with varying maximum and minimum ranges, while the others are melee. Each player also has a hand of cards which do various things – moving figures, creating portals between parts of the board, etc. Each turn, you play a card and shift a figurine one space. The game ends when Camelot is threatened twice at the end of a turn.
If any of my readers are lawyers from the UK, specifically with experience in child abuse cases, please contact me.
I'd like to remind anyone who hasn't yet voted of the poll in my profile for the title of this series.