Harry's Future

by swissdog

A possible continuation of the last book of the Harry Potter series suggested by event in the last chapter and the epilogue

27. Chapter 27

Harry's Future, Part 27

The Aurors' break room had once again been commandeered to serve as a conference room. On this occasion Harry was having a staff meeting. Seated around the one old battered table were himself, Maxwell, Milligan, Tom Medford and Reggie Phillips. The task of taking notes had fallen to the two administrative assistants.

"I wanted to get us all together so I could bring you up to date on what went on at the conference in Paris last week and then we'll all get up to date on what's been going on here at home. On a personal note I'm happy to say that I managed not to fall off the stage or knock over the podium," Harry said with a crooked smile. "There seemed to be some interest in how we've been organizing things here and a good deal more on what was going on as part of the investigation. The other presenters all included some mention of that problem in their briefs along with their own local issues. I brought back a copy of the presentations so anyone who's interested can get a look at it. It appears that we all have some common problems but there are also some highly unique ones. I, for one, am glad we don't have giants occasionally dropping in from their mountain homes."

"I'm glad our smuggling friends hadn't managed to acquire the services of any of them. Most of the giants seem to be in that same general area," Maxwell commented.

"At least as far as we know," Milligan added quietly.

Harry nodded then continued,

"There were a number of side discussions after the presentations were finished but not much in the way of specific information was exchanged. The general idea seemed to be that that was best left to the professional investigators and the bosses were better off keeping their noses out of it," he finished with a chuckle.

"Why do I have a feeling that you were one of the ones pushing that idea," Milligan said.

Harry just gave him a 'who? me?' look and then shook his head.

"The one other thing that was agreed was trying to set up an efficient way to exchange information across the different national departments. The concept is for each department to spend some time over the next three months coming up with ideas and then a separate working level conference will convene to try and hammer a system out. So give it some thought and we'll sit down in a couple of weeks and see what we can start sorting out. That's about it really. Like I said there wasn't a great deal of specifics but at least it's a start. So what's been going on around here of late?"

Maxwell went first,

"There hasn't been much of a change in the level of problems in either of the Alley's or Hogsmeade. Most of it is the usual public disturbances in Hogsmeade Friday and Saturday nights. We have noticed an uptick in activity involving reports of dark magic. It's similar to what happened after Voldemort had his first run in with you. Once his influence was gone the lesser witches or wizards involved in the dark arts started to surface. When Riddle was strong he either attracted them to work for him or suppressed those he saw as competitors. With him gone I guess they see their way clear to start causing their own trouble. We're investigating the reports and we'll gather them in as appropriate."

"Ok, but remember what we've discussed. Make sure the information is good and that we understand the situation. I don't want us getting blindsided like the last time. The one thing I did come back with from Paris was the knowledge that we still don't know how far that old wizard in Romania had reached," Harry said.

"You know, chief," Milligan began. "I've been given this all some thought. Now, I'm not going to argue with you about how strong this old fellow was. You were there, I wasn't. But I'm not so sure that this character was in the same league as Voldemort. If you look at what went on objectively it was pretty clumsy. Their actions in Knockturn Alley were fairly obvious and lacked any subtlety. What Voldemort did with stealth and subterfuge these guys tried with brute force. The old man even managed to attract your attention when he had several very good examples as to why that wasn't such a good idea. I don't think we have the same level of threat here."

"You might be right," Harry replied, "but let's not be complacent. Let's make sure we don't overlook what's going on in Knockturn Alley and as these reports of dark magic come up let's take them seriously." He turned to Tom and said, "Make sure that as part of your compiling the reports on various incidents that anything related to dark magic is flagged."

"Yes, sir," Tom replied.

"Anything else?" Harry asked them.

"I think that's about it, sir," Maxwell said as Milligan shook his head.

"Alright, the only other thing I have is I'll be back and forth a bit over the next few weeks as the Quidditch camp gets going. In fact I'll be taking a week's vacation for the second week. Bill and Charlie Weasley are doing most of the work but I'll be making a number of trips up there. We also have the dedication of the new mural that Abagail has put together. I understand that will be just before she heads back to school. I'll pass along the particulars when I know them, I'm sure there are a number of the Aurors that would like to be there."

The others nodded and smiled to one degree or other.

"Ok, thanks everyone, let's get back to work," Harry said.

The meeting broke up and they all went back to whatever business awaited them. When Harry got to his office he found a message on his desk. It was from Gringotts. After returning from Godric's Hollow Harry had contacted them about anything they knew about available land in and around Ottery St. Catchpole in particular or Devon in general. He opened the sealed parchment and read. It appeared that there were several properties that might interest him and Gringotts would be happy to contact the owners on his behalf. Harry nodded to himself and would give the information to Ginny, who had taken charge of the search. Her time with the Harpies had ended the prior week and she was anxious to get on with this new phase of their lives.

There was more to the message and Harry continued to read. Had anyone been watching they would have seen his forehead wrinkle as he got to the end of the note. He went back and reread the perplexing section. Gringotts was inquiring if Harry was aware that he was already the owner of a tract of land that had come to him through Sirius. It was located in the north and Gringotts was working to determine exactly where and what the particulars were.

Harry sat back. He had no intentions of building a home that far away from his family but it intrigued him to know that there was more to the Black legacy then the fortune stowed away in the Gringotts vaults. He wondered what else might be out there. Knowing the Black family reputation he shuddered a bit at the thought.

His thoughts returned to Ginny and the prospect of building a new home and starting to raise a family. He smiled a bit at the thought that he was already the head of a household when he considered Abagail but there were whole facets of raising children that had been bypassed when he took responsibility for her. Things like a pregnant wife, birth, first teeth, first steps and all the rest that he was looking forward to. He only hoped that Ginny would be less, well, just less to deal with than Fleur had been for poor Bill. Harry loved his 'big sister' about as much as anyone could but some of the stories that Bill had shared with him in confidence were enough to raise the hair on the back of his neck. This thought also reminded him that he was due for a visit to Shell cottage and very soon.

When Harry arrived home that evening he found Ginny and Abagail sitting side by side at the kitchen table pouring over a number of sketches scattered across the table. He leaned down to receive hugs and kisses from both and then he began to look at the drawings. Most were of various views of houses as well as a couple of floor plans and landscape layouts.

"I see you two have had a busy day," he said.

"It started right after breakfast, sweetheart," Ginny replied with a smile. "Abagail and I were talking about the new house and we were tossing around some ideas and when I mentioned I was having trouble visualizing one of hers, she dashed off and came back with a sketch pad and some pencils and we've been at it all day. What do you think?"

"First of all, the sketches are terrific. I'll have to look them over carefully to see what you ladies are coming up with but I think it will make the whole process a lot easier. Oh, by the way, here's what Gringotts found in the way of land," Harry said as he handed over the message about the properties.

Ginny read it through and then looked up at her husband and said,

"You never mentioned anything about land up north."

"That's because I didn't know anything about any land up north. Sirius and I never really talked about what the Black family holdings were. Never got the chance I guess. What information I got originally from Gringotts had to do with money and where it came from. I knew the Blacks had some properties that generated income but not any specifics like where and how big. I suppose I'm going to have to have it all looked into," he concluded.

"Wow, Harry," Abagail began, "just think, you might own some spooky old castle with dungeons and ghosts and stuff."

"Hey, yeah," Harry replied, feeling like teasing his ward a bit, "that would be great. I could start my own school of witchcraft and wizardry there."

Abagail's eyes widened then narrowed and she stuck her tongue out at him as he laughed. Their discussion was cut short by a meaningful cough from Kreacher indicating that he wished to serve dinner. The three quickly gathered the sketches up and set them aside and then sat down to another expertly cooked dinner. As they ate Harry gave Abagail a look and said,

"Since you spent the whole day sketching do I assume correctly that you finished your paintings for the Ministry?"

"Yup, last night," she replied.

"Do we get to see them or do we have to wait for the grand revealing at the Ministry?"

"Of course you get to see them, Harry. Right after dinner if you want to."

"I most certainly do," he replied.

And they did. As soon as dinner was finished Abagail led Harry and Ginny up to the third floor and the spare bedroom where she had placed each canvas as it was finished. They were lined up side by side against the long wall of the room. Harry assumed that either Abagail or Kreacher had levitated them into the room for the canvasses looked cumbersome. The paintings on the canvasses were anything but. Each figure seemed so lifelike as to be ready to step out of the painting. Harry was half expecting to be able to converse or interact with the figures but then realized since they were not portraits of actual beings but representations of each race they didn't posses the personality of real persons to animate them.

He was particularly drawn to the witch and wizard. While not actually portraits of his parents, they suggested them so strongly that Harry felt a lump form in his throat. He finally made the effort to examine the other three figures and he was amazed at how accurately they reflected the beings he had become so familiar with. There would be no mistaking that these were creatures of strong personality and a purpose of their own. Even the house elf looked more like a resolute and capable worker as opposed to an obsequious slave as had been reflected in the original fountain sculpture.

"Amazing, Abagail. Absolutely amazing," Harry said.

"Thank you, Harry. I think it's the best I've ever done," she replied, barely above a whisper.

"Yet, Abagail, yet. I think you have a future of many amazing paintings ahead of you," Ginny said, practically in awe.

"I'll let the Minister know tomorrow and he can make arrangements to have them picked up," Harry said as he put his arm around the little artist.

"Ok, Harry, thank you."

As expected the Minister was very pleased with the information that the mural was completed and he immediately dispatched a van and several members of the Ministry building engineering department to transfer the canvasses. He went to great lengths to explain the importance of the mural and the dire consequences of any damage incurred during the move. Shacklebolt surprised Harry with the announcement that there would be no unveiling ceremony. The Minister thought the painting would have more impact if it was just there at the start of the new work week.

This wasn't such a bad thing since that day would also be the first full day of the Quidditch camp at Hogwarts. The participating students were scheduled to arrive via a special run of the Express on Sunday and they would have their first session on Monday morning. The elder Weasley brothers had been working furiously to finalize schedules and confirm who would be available to conduct sessions during the two weeks. The one thing they didn't have to worry about was a lack of talent on either side. Nearly eighty students had signed up which was a very respectable number out of a student body of approximately three hundred. As for instructors and demonstrators both Bill and Charlie were to be full time. A full dozen retired professionals had likewise pledged to be there for at least one full week with several promising a full two weeks. Nearly twenty current pro players were expected to make appearances of at least a full day to conduct special sessions or just pitch in and help. The entire Holyhead Harpies team was scheduled for a one day visit during the second week to serve as a 'red' team to play against make-up or 'blue' teams of students.

Harry would be popping in and out during the first week as his schedule permitted and Ginny was intending to spend as much time as possible there as well. George and Angelina were also going to be putting in a full day each week. While Ron's patroller schedule would limit his time there he was perhaps the most nervous of any of the adults supporting the camp. At Harry's insistence and with the support of all the family he was going to make the welcome and introductory comments on the morning of the first day.

So it was on a sunny, warm August morning Ron stood with his back to the railing looking up at eighty young witches and wizards dressed in a variety of Quidditch team colors. He glanced to the side where he saw his best friend smiling encouragement. Ron gave a little cough and then let his gaze sweep over the students.

"How does Harry do this?" he thought to himself and then after another cough began to speak.

"Good morning, my name is Ron Weasley. I can guess that I'm not one of the Weasleys that you were expecting to see this morning but don't worry. The famous ones are waiting in the wings to teach you all kinds of amazing things, but my best mate thought it would be a better idea if you heard from me first. You see, I'm more like most of you then my brothers or sister are. Most of you won't be professional Quidditch players. A lot of you won't even have the chance to play for a house team. Like me you'll just be playing the game for the love of it. To fly and have a good time with your mates," Ron said as he looked at the different faces that were looking back at him, noticing the few nods or half smiles.

"But maybe, just maybe, a chance will come along when you don't expect it and the things that you learn here during the next two weeks will have you ready to step in and step up and maybe, just maybe, your name could wind up on a Quidditch cup plaque like mine did. There are going to be a lot of pretty special people here over the next two weeks and you may think that you could never play at their level. The good news is you don't have to. The only thing you have to do is try hard and be better at the end of the two weeks then you were at the beginning," he concluded with a half smile and red cheeks as the students applauded loudly for him.

Harry stepped forward and came to stand next to Ron and said,

"There's another lesson you can learn from Ron. His stepping in and stepping up wasn't an easy thing to do. He took a lot of grief and ribbing from some of the other students while he tried to get his game together. But he never gave up and when the time came he dug down deep and came up with a brilliant performance as keeper for Gryffindor and played a big part in winning the Cup that year. I may be a little biased but I think what he did was one of the most courageous things I've ever seen," Harry finished with a smile as he threw his arm around Ron's shoulder, which was a bit of a reach, and shook his best friends hand.

Ron blushed more this time but with a big smile he gave Harry a one armed hug and then with a wave he moved off to the sound of more applause. Harry let it go on a bit and then held up his hands. When the students had quieted down he looked up at them and said,

"Ron said a lot of good things just now but I want to emphasize what he said about flying and having fun. There just may be a future professional or national team player out there, maybe not. It doesn't matter. What's important is that you have fun when you play the game and we're here to help you play it better and have more fun doing it. If we discover a rare talent, so much the better but if that doesn't happen to be you don't worry about it. You'll get just as much attention from the instructors and coaches and hopefully you'll have as much fun as we will. Unfortunately, I won't be able to be here for the whole two weeks. However I have managed to squeeze a full week's vacation out of my boss so I'll be here all next week. But it shouldn't matter because we have a long list of former and current pros as well as former Hogwarts stand outs that will be here to provide plenty of instruction. We will also have some representatives from various equipment manufactures who will be conducting some seminars on how to care for and get the most out of your brooms and other equipment. And we also have a few surprises in store as we go along so I'm sure you'll all have a great time," Harry said with a smile.

"So, now that the introduction is over I'm going to hand you over to two of the finest players ever to graduate from Hogwarts, Bill and Charlie Weasley, who were instrumental in setting up this camp and who will be here for the full two weeks to make sure everything runs smoothly," Harry said as he turned and motioned for his two 'brothers' to come forward. "Bill, Charlie, they're all yours."

"Thanks, Harry," Bill began as he faced the students. "Yes, believe it or not I used to fly for Gryffindor house and if you dust off some of the older Quidditch cup plaques you'll find Charlie and mine names on a few of them."

This got a laugh from the students as Bill and Charlie were well known for their prowess on the pitch and particularly among the Gryffindors their exploits were often discussed when Quidditch was the topic. The camp began with the mundane matters of calling the role to make sure everyone was accounted for and then the introduction of additional 'staff' members. More then a few of the names brought applause as a well known flyer was recognized. The first day was given over to basics with each 'camper' put through various flying drills to establish levels of proficiency. Harry sat in the stands for the morning and watched as the students were put through their paces. He was pleased to see that his idea had come to fruition and he was even more pleased that it had happened largely through the efforts of others. It bolstered his earlier realization that he didn't have to be the one to do everything.

As promised it was a very busy two weeks. Once the 'campers' had been evaluated and split into groups by skill level the real work began. Because the intent was to improve the skill level of all the flyers particular attention was paid to the basics. It was interesting to note how even the most accomplished of the students found ways to improve something as simple as how you sat and handled your broom. These basic reviews progressed into more detailed work on the individual positions. This was where the visiting professionals, past and present, really shined. The small groups and the individual attention that the students received, once they got past the awe factor, helped improve skill levels dramatically.

It wasn't all hard work though. By the end of the first week, short practice matches were held and students and instructors alike enjoyed themselves immensely as they battled in the sky above the Hogwarts pitch. And as Harry had promised the first big surprise came at dinner time on the Thursday of the first week. As had been the practice since the beginning of the camp, the tables in the Great Hall had been rearranged so that the campers weren't divided by houses and they were closer to the dais where the 'staff' sat. On this particular night things were a little different. The tables were rearranged by position with the appropriate ball as a centerpiece to indicate which was which. There were also designated seats left open.

As Charlie Weasley walked up to the podium he could see the students in animated conversation, looking at and gesturing towards the empty seats and the centerpieces. He inwardly smiled as he was well aware of what was to come. He rapped on the podium with his knuckles and began to speak.

"Alright, everyone. Can I have your attention please? I can see you've all noticed the changes in the seating arrangements. That's because we have something rather special for you this evening. Several weeks ago, while we were working on the last details for the camp, I received a message from a group of individuals who had heard about what we were doing and wanted to be a part of it. However, they didn't have much time and we had to really think about how we could include them in the program. Tonight's special dinner is what we came up with. So, without further delay allow me to introduce our special guests for the evening. I give you the Quidditch World Cup champions from Ireland, Troy, Mullet, Moran, Ryan, Quigley, Connolly …and LYNCH."

As Charlie introduced each of the champion flyers they strode into the Great Hall smiling and waving. It took until Moran's entrance before the stunned students could recover enough to begin a raucous greeting of cheers and clapping. All the students were standing and a few, apparently from Ireland themselves, were standing on their benches. As each of the famous flyers reached their prearranged seats they began to shake hands with their table mates. It was clear that this would be an evening that none of the students would ever forget. Charlie allowed the noise and introductions to continue for a few moments and then using the gavel rapped for everyone's attention. When he had it he said,

"Ok, everyone enjoy your dinner. Afterwards, our guests have been gracious enough to agree to stay for a question and answer period."

To say the least the evening was a success. Those watching from the table on the dais couldn't tell who was having the most fun, the students or the champs. Each table was a hive of conversation punctuated with gestures and laughter. On numerous occasions hands were seen weaving through the air, describing various aerial maneuvering not unlike that which might be seen at a muggle fighter pilot school. After the meal was concluded the question and answer period served as an expanded venue allowing those at other tables to interact with the other flyers and vice versa. By the time Charlie announced that the evening had come to a close it was apparent that everyone involved had just made memories for a lifetime.

Other special events during the camp included a flying exhibition by representatives of the Nimbus broomstick company that included a display of aerial acrobatics that had everyone gaping as well as the red team/blue team competitions with the Holyhead Harpies. These occurred during the second week and Harry was in attendance for the entire time. He, like the others, sat open mouthed and wide eyed at the amazing maneuvers that were being demonstrated. The last aerialist to perform came to a hover in front of the audience who were still applauding loudly. She raised her arms to signal for some quiet and when the noise had died down she said,

"Thank you, everyone, for your attention and appreciation. Just as a reminder, please don't try anything you've seen today without strict supervision. We've been doing this for a long time. Now, there's one maneuver that we would like for you to see today but despite a lot of trying no one on the team has been able to master it. But we're lucky in that the originator and apparently only practitioner of this unique move is here with us today," she said with a smile as she looked at Harry. "What do you say, Mr. Potter? Would you be willing to demonstrate the Potter bootleg for us?"

The crowd went wild and with a few nudges from various members of his family that he was sitting with he agreed with a nod and shrug. As he stood up he turned and said,

"It's been a while so I'm not sure how well this is going to go."

This got a few chuckles and some shouts of 'show 'em how it's done, Harry'. He walked down to the pitch and retrieved his Firebolt from a rack and mounted. He took a couple of slow turns around the stadium and once he felt comfortable he added a bit of altitude and really leaned into it. He made a sweeping high speed turn over the goals at the far end and rocketed back over the field until he was at center pitch directly in front of the spectators. As he had in the past he pushed down, pulled hard left and pushed the image of the final position into the broom. In less than a heartbeat he was facing the other way and heading down at a shallow angle. He felt a minor twinge in his left knee as it was forced to absorb some of the momentum of the abrupt change in direction but other than that it went off perfectly. He swooped in and landed and to the sound of applause from the audience and the members of the demonstration team he climbed back up into the stands.

"Thank you, Mr. Potter," the aerialist witch said. "You make it look so easy but I can tell you all from sad experience that it is an incredibly difficult maneuver. Thank you all again and good flying," she said by way of concluding the exhibition.

Two days later the Holyhead Harpies arrived to take part in the day long series of practice matches. Ginny made sure she was there and there was a very enthusiastic reunion with her former teammates, not that she had been gone all that long. After several minutes of intense conversation she was persuaded to don her old team flying robes and take part in some of the games. The Harpies would be the red team, using a mix of regulars and reserves while the students were divided into a series of blue teams. Each match was to last no more than a half an hour with some time at the end given over to critique by the Harpies and the camp staff. Lunch was provided at the stadium and the matches didn't finish until the sun went down.

That evening at dinner there was a special guest speaker. Glynnis Griffiths, the seeker for the 1953 Harpies team that played a seven day long match against the Heidelberg Harriers, considered by many Quidditch experts as one of the finest matches ever played, gave a talk on this marathon event. Although well into her seventies her memories were crystal clear and she gave a fascinating lecture that had the audience enthralled. After her presentation she was quite gratified at the number of students who approached her from autographs.

The last Saturday was given over to student on student competitions. Friday was used to draw up four teams and give them time for some practice and familiarization. Two teams competed on Saturday morning and the other two in the afternoon. It was evident to all who were in the stands that the individual levels of performance were greatly improved and as made up teams they performed very admirably. Ron was sitting next to Harry during the afternoon match watching the two sides battle back and forth, the guest referee being Ginny. Ron leaned toward Harry and said,

"You know, Harry, it really is amazing how much some of these kids have improved. It's a shame they all won't be able to play on a house team."

"I know, Ron, but even with reserves there isn't enough room in the house programs."

"I was thinking. Do you remember how Dean Thomas used to go on and on about that muggle sport football?" Ron asked.

"Oh yeah, how could I forget," Harry replied with a smile.

"Well, one time when he was trying to explain it all to me he mentioned that there were lots of amateur clubs for adults and in schools they kind of had the same thing where students who weren't playing on the official school teams could put together their own and play against each other. What was it called, something like intra..intramuriel or something like that. Maybe they could do something like that here at Hogwarts."

"Sounds interesting, Ron, but if you had that many more games to play, I don't know how you'd fit them in," Harry replied.

"Why not do what we did during the camp? Limit the playing time to two hours or so and you could fit in two or three games on a Saturday," Ron suggested.

"Hmmm, it's an interesting idea. It would sure give the other students a chance to play. Let's mention it to Bill and he can discuss it with the Head and Madame Hooch."

Ron just smiled in response. The camp came to an end with a final dinner on Saturday night. All the students and staff were there as well as a fair number of the guest instructors. For this event everyone was seated at the student tables and the meal was almost secondary to the conversations that took place. Betty Hapnafl was having a serious discussion with a soon to be seventh year witch who had shown exceptional skill as a keeper. In general, however, the conversations tended toward storytelling and anecdote swapping. By the time Charlie Weasley called the evening to an end it was universally agreed that the two week camp had been a resounding success and that it needed to be an annual event.

Sunday was something of a free day as the rest of the students weren't due to arrive until Monday. Harry had decided to remain and do a few bits of business. Ginny had gone home early that morning so she could help Abagail pack and get her to King's Cross station on Monday morning. After a quick breakfast Harry took a walk down to Hagrid's hut. As had become the norm Harry was met by the bounding bulk of Norbie as he got closer. The big dog came to a halt and waited until Harry gave him a few well placed scratches around his ears eliciting some happy growls. Then Harry continued walking on with the Mastiff happily trotting alongside.

"Harry, how ya doin'? From what I could see ya had yerself a great time with the kids," Harry's friend said with a big smile hidden behind his scraggly beard.

"Yes, we did, Hagrid," Harry replied. "It was really great. I think Charlie and Bill had the most fun, though. I don't think they realized how much they missed Quidditch."

"I know what ya mean, Harry. Them two used to live that game. It always amazed me that they did as well with their school work as they did. C'mon in and have a cuppa."

"Thanks, Hagrid, that would be great," Harry said as he stepped inside. "How have things been around here? Have you heard anymore from the Centaurs?"

"Nah, not a word. Makes me a little edgy. Feels like the whole forest is holdin' its breath."

"I don't think I like the sound of that. I guess I'm going to have to keep my eyes and ears open," Harry said thoughtfully.

Later on he stopped by to visit Neville and Professor Sprout. They were both busy getting the instructional areas of the greenhouses ready. Neville was the first to notice him.

"Harry! It's great to see you mate. How did the Quidditch camp go?"

"It was great, Nev. I'm not sure who had a better time, the students or the instructors. We're hoping to make it an annual event. How are things going here for you?" Harry asked.

"We're doing good, Harry. We've been busy the last couple of weeks getting the greenhouses ready for classes but we've also been working on the medicinal plants. I know I've said it before but your support has been a wish come true for us."

"I'm just glad I can help, Nev," Harry said with a small smile.

His next stop was the Head's office. Even though it was a Sunday there was plenty of work to do getting ready for the students' arrival the following day. The entrance up to the Head's office was open and Harry climbed the spiral staircase. When he reached the top he was met by Professor McGonagall.

"Harry, it's good to see you. I understand all has gone well with your camp?"

"Yes, ma'am. I think we're going to see a lot of improved players flying this year. It should be interesting to see how each house makes use of the extra talent. That reminds me, ma'am. Ron and I are going to talk to Professor Weasley about an idea Ron had. It might give the students who don't make the house teams a chance to play some organized Quidditch," Harry said.

"Sounds very interesting, Harry. I'll be looking forward to hearing about it once you talk to Professor Weasley. Is there anything else you wanted to talk about, Harry?"

"Yes, ma'am, I'd like to talk to you and Professor Dumbledore if I could. Privately."

"Alright, Harry. I'll go speak to Albus. You meet us at the Room of Requirements," the Headmistress replied.

Harry smiled and then turned and started to make his way to that most versatile of rooms. With the original warning combined with Hagrid's disclosure that the Centaurs, the entire forest in fact, had gotten so quiet was a source of great concern so he was sure the room would respond accordingly. He was correct. When he opened the door there were the two comfortable chairs, the empty fireplace and the equally empty portrait frame. Harry stepped in and faced where the former Headmaster should be.

"Um, hello?"

"One moment, my boy," came a voice from one side of the frame.

After a moment the familiar visage of Professor Dumbledore walked into view. He regarded Harry with his calm eyes and gentle smile.

"Congratulations on the success of your instructional camp, Harry. I'm given to understand it went very well."

"Yes, sir, it did. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and the students learned a great deal. I even picked up a few pointers that would have been useful when I flew," Harry replied with a half smile.

"A number of your guests stopped by to pay their respects. It was a treat to see so many familiar faces. Quite a few of the old heads were very impressed especially when the Irish National team paid us a call. There were also many kind words on your behalf, my boy. They were quite happy that you persevered despite the lack of help from the Ministry Sport office," Dumbledore said with a grin.

"Well, most of the credit should go to Charlie and Bill Weasley. They did the lion share of the work getting everything organized," Harry said but before he could go further Professor McGonagall arrived and Harry took the opportunity to change the subject.

"Sir, Ma'am, the reason I asked to talk to you was that something is going on in the forest. When I was here earlier in the summer Hagrid told me he overhead the Centaurs talking about me. They were calling me the Serpent King. Apparently they know about my other self. I wound up telling Hagrid about it. I even showed him."

"You showed Hagrid, Harry?" Professor McGonagall asked in amazement then her fast turned shrewd. "Hmm, that would explain why Hagrid spent so much time with that odd little smile he had all during the summer. Having a dragon as one of his closest friends would suit him to a 't' and that's a fact."

"Yes, ma'am. Anyway, the Centaurs were saying that they 'saw' that I was headed for some kind of big fight with one of my kin. We assumed they were talking about another dragon and not one of the Weasleys. Hagrid and I thought it might have something to do with the Department of Mysteries trying to come up with their own hybrid dragon like that one I fought. We've gotten some information to support that idea at the Ministry. On top of that, Hagrid just told me that since the beginning of summer things have been very quiet all over the forest. Like the whole place is holding its breath waiting for something to happen. I was wondering if either of you have heard or sensed something," Harry concluded, his voice concerned.

"As for me," the Headmistress said, "I don't have much contact if any with the forest or its occupants. Hagrid is the most knowledgeable one there. I'm afraid I can't be of much help in that respect, Harry."

"As for me, my boy," Dumbledore began, "there have been some strange undercurrents in the Ministry building, at least what I can feel during my times near the Wizengamot chamber. I will do my best to try and sort through it and determine if there is any information there. I will enlist the aid of my predecessors that share the wall, they spend more time there and may know more."

"Thank you, sir. I may have to make a concession and begin to experiment as you've suggested with the dragon. I can't afford to be caught by surprise if something comes of any of this," Harry said thoughtfully.

"I think that would be wise. Why don't you and Minerva have a seat and we'll discuss that a bit," Professor Dumbledore said.

'A bit' as the Professor put it lasted for several hours. After their conversation concluded Harry was making his way down towards the Great Hall for no particular reason but it proved useful since he ran into Bill and Ron Weasley, who were having an animated discussion sitting at the senior end of the otherwise unoccupied Gryffindor table.

"Harry, good timing," Bill said. "Ron was just filling me in on his idea for the club Quidditch games. It's a brilliant idea, but we were going over some of the details. Depending on how many teams we could come up with we might have some trouble with officiating. I'm not sure if Madame Hooch would want to cover them all."

Harry had taken a seat by Ron, more out of habit then by conscious decision, and looked at Bill.

"Well, I guess the first thing is to ask her, then if we find we need extra officials we could look to other members of the faculty that might be interested. Maybe even seventh years from the house teams might like to do some and we could put the word out and see if any of the folks that were guests during the camp might be interested, especially among the retired pros," Harry said.

"We might have something there, Harry. We would probably just have to have Madame Hooch give a little lesson or two on how to do it. Just because someone has played the game doesn't mean they know all the ins and outs, but it's a good start. I hope you realize this isn't something we could set up for the first term but we could probably do something for the Spring. I'll have a talk with Charlie, I'm sure he'd like a hand in this," then Bill laughed. "It's likely to annoy some of the old school purists who think that Quidditch should stay more exclusive but I think most people will find this really fun. I'll see you two later."

Bill got up and after giving his youngest brother a clout on the shoulder he strode off in search of the flying instructor. Ron watched him leave and then turned to Harry with a funny smile. Harry knew that Ron had always felt like he had been growing up in a shadow, either his brothers' or Harry's. Now that he was a Patroller with the likelihood of becoming a full Auror on the Special Tactics Squad and having just impressed his oldest brother with his idea for the club play Ron was feeling like he was coming out the shadows and standing on his own two feet. Harry gave his best friend a knowing smile and added his own slap on the shoulder.

Ron had to leave after a quiet dinner since he had duty the next morning. Harry chose to stay one more day and meet the students and witness the Sorting Ceremony. He spent a fair portion of the day talking with Bill about potential subjects for some lectures for the upcoming year. During a lull in the conversation Harry asked how Fleur and Victoire were doing.

"They're both doing very well, Harry. The little one has started to sleep through the night so that's a big help and even though things were kind of hectic during the summer planning and running the camp I was still able to be around a lot. In fact, Fleur was starting to complain I was underfoot too much. I get the feeling she's one of those mothers that think fathers aren't much use around an infant. Of course with school starting up I'll be away more. I suggested we rent a house in Hogsmeade but Fleur wouldn't even consider it. She said 'theese ees our 'ome and thees ees where our daughter weell be raised'," Bill said in a horrible imitation of his wife's accent. Harry did his best not to burst out laughing at his older 'brother' but it was a hard thing.

"Besides, Mum is spending a fair amount of time at the cottage so Fleur doesn't want for help when she needs it," Bill said, then gave Harry a sidelong look. "She did mention that she was a little miffed that a certain wizard was neglecting his duty to visit more often."

"Yeah, I know, Bill, it's just that I figure I'd be in the way and all," Harry replied a little shame faced.

"Harry, you and I know that's no excuse as far as Fleur is concerned. I strongly suggest you stop out there this week. I think it has more to do with how much she worries about you. She wants to see for herself that you're in good shape."

"Ok, Bill, if you say so," Harry said with an odd emphasis on the 'you'.

"If I say so, Harry?" Bill said curiously.

Harry looked embarrassed and said,

"Well, I dunno, Bill. Doesn't it bother you that she makes such a fuss over me?"

"I suppose it would make sense if it did, but all things considered it really doesn't. I know what her reasons are. We've had several long talks about it over the years. The first was while I was recovering from the attack that got me these," Bill gestured to his scarred face. "We talked a lot about the fight against Voldemort and how you were involved in it. It got a lot more intense after you finally beat him and then had your collapse," Bill said then paused and looked thoughtful for a moment before he continued.

"I don't know if you realize it, Harry, but Fleur lived a very pampered life. Her parents are pretty well off and with the veela heritage and her magical ability she was pretty much the queen of the student body at Beauxbaton. But when she came face to face with you and the reality of your life and all you had been subjected to and the sacrifices you made and were willing to make it really affected her world view I'd guess you'd say. She's absolutely committed to the idea that you deserve a quiet and peaceful life full of family and joy. You know she still absolutely hates the fact that you're the Chief of Magical Law Enforcement even if it's mostly an administrative job now. You should see her face any time she finds out you've been out doing field work. She thinks you should be here at Hogwarts living with Ginny in a house in Hogsmeade teaching and raising a family," Bill said smiling then adding, "If she ever thought someone was a threat to you she be after them like all the demons of hell."

Harry had been listening to all of this with a very mild expression on his face even though his guts were twisting in a knot. He knew that his decisions affected other people but he forgot how intense some of those peoples' feelings could be. He let out a long sigh and was about to respond when they were interrupted by a voice from behind them.

"Ah, Professor Weasley and Mr. Potter. Just the two I was looking for," said Professor McGonagall. "Mr. Potter, unbeknownst to you I trust, I've been engaged in a conversation with your superior, Director Grimsson, this summer, by owl of course, about his idea of you taking a sabbatical from your position at the Ministry to teach here. From what we have agreed to, if you are likewise agreeable I'd like to offer you that opportunity for next year. I would wish it to be this year but the Director feels you have certain, shall we say, irons in the fire that need to be attended to. Would you be agreeable, Harry?" the Headmistress asked.

Harry was wide eyed. He knew that this was something that he and Grimsson had spoken about but with everything going on it had slipped into a deep place in his mind. Now it came boiling back to the surface.

"Of course, I'd be agreeable ma'am. Would it be like before, as Bill, I mean Professor Weasley's assistant?" he asked.

"Not as such, Mr. Potter. I've given this a great deal of thought. Under normal circumstances we would be inclined to grant Professor Weasley a leave of absence and have you fill that position for the year. But with all the issues we've had in the past with DADA and it finally getting to be a stable program now I'm not inclined to do so unless the Professor has other ideas."

"No, ma'am," Bill replied, "I'm not interested in changing my situation but I'd really like to have Harry on board."

"I thought as such, so here is what I'm proposing. Since Harry has done such an admirable job these last few years teaching how the various aspects of magic tie together when it comes to Defense Against the Dark Arts I'm going to suggest that he takes on the assignment of Professor-at-large of Magic. Harry, I'm going to ask you to spend whatever time you can over the next year to work with Professor Weasley, Professor Flitwick, myself and any others as you feel appropriate to establish a year long program of study. Your one fixed duty will be to take the DADA first years again. Bill has been steadfast in his praise of how your original first years have been doing and the other professors have commented that most of them are stand outs in their courses as well. As to the rest we will work this year to structure something, most likely as an elective. I imagine it would prove to be much more worthwhile than divination or runes but to each their own. What do you think, Harry?"

"I think it's brilliant, Professor. This is fantastic, thank you," Harry said with great enthusiasm.

"Excellent. I'll pass that along to Mr. Grimsson and the Board of Governors. I daresay they'll be quite pleased to have you on staff even if it is for just the year, but it is a start," the Headmistress said with a sly smile.

When she had left Harry and Bill dove into an intense discussion of the possibilities. Late that afternoon Harry began to make his way down to the train station. He wanted to meet Abagail when she arrived. He hadn't seen her in a week and he realized he missed the diminutive witch a great deal. The sun had just set when the locomotive's exhaust became visible and in less then ten minutes it chuffed to a halt at the Hogsmeade station.

As students began to pour out onto the station platform there were many waves and shouted greetings to Harry, or more accurately, Mr. Potter. He waved and smiled back as he scanned the mass of students for that one special face. He could hear Hagrid calling out to the first years to assemble around him for their trip across the lake. Finally Harry caught sight of Abagail at the same time she saw him and he watched as she dodged between her classmates to reach him. Apparently she had been taking lessons from Ginny since she hurled herself at Harry and he caught her up in a hug.

"Hello there, little one, how are you doing?"

"Hello, Harry, I'm mean, sir, umm…oh heck, hiya Harry," she said with a laugh as she tightened her grip on him.

Harry squeezed back and then set her down on her feet. He looked down into a bright smiling face with those big dark eyes and thought of how that frightened first year had grown into an intelligent and apparently happy young woman. He smiled back.

"It's so good to see you again, Harry. Thanks for meeting me. Are you coming back up to the castle?" she asked in that breathy voice.

"Yes I am. I'll be going home after dinner. I wanted to see the Sorting Ceremony. I'm going to ride up with you if you don't mind."

"Of course not," she said as they began moving towards the waiting coaches.

"Your painting has been up a couple of weeks now, what's the reaction been?" Harry asked.

"Sort of mixed, Harry. Pretty much everyone thinks the painting itself is really good. I've gotten a bunch of messages congratulating me. The Aurors, Tom and Reggie and a bunch of others at the Ministry. They even did an editorial about it in the Prophet. They said something about the painting being the work of a true talent but they questioned the Minister's wisdom about trying to push his agenda for change within the Ministry onto the greater magical community. Something about offending traditional sensibilities or some such. It was almost as dumb as that thing they wrote about you being near dead," Abagail said with some heat.

"I'm sure he knows what he's doing and that he expected to have some problems. He had more then a little bit of resistance when he started to reorganize things," Harry said as they climbed into a carriage.

Since many students were already at the school thanks to the camp there was room to spare but two more students piled in behind them. Harry recognized them as new fifth years who had started out in his DADA class. He nodded and smiled,

"Hello Miss Wellington, Mr. Smythe. I hope you had a good summer."

"Yes, sir, Mr. Potter," the young witch responded then looked at Abagail. "Hi Abagail, I didn't get to see you on the train but I just wanted to say it's so cool about you and that painting in the Ministry Atrium. I read about it in the Prophet and my dad saw it just the other day when he was there. He said if was fantastic."

"Thanks," was all she said as she blushed rosily.

Harry just smiled and listened as the three students exchanged some small talk as they rode up to the castle, pulled by the spectral thestrals. It wasn't too long before the carriages discharged their passengers and the Great Hall began to fill with the sounds of excited students. Harry gave Abagail a last hug then made his way to a seat at the head table that had been set aside for him. Once the students had been seated and settled down Professor McGonagall welcomed them from the podium and then asked Professor Sprout to bring the first years forward to begin the ceremony.

As usual there was the mix of expressions, awe, anticipation and fear. Harry couldn't help but smile and in one or two instances when a pair of eyes would cross his he would nod and try to smile a little encouragement. They all listened to the song of the Sorting Hat that spoke of the qualities of each house but emphasized that the strength of the school lay in the melding of those qualities and the sharing of experience. Harry thought it wasn't just the Minister that was looking for change. By the time he had left for home that evening he was feeling very much at peace.

When he reported for work on the following morning he found that he would be spending most of the day catching up on what was going on around the building and the wizarding community at large. He spent close to an hour with Tom Medford going over reports and a list of items that required his action or approval that had accumulated in his absence. When that was done he met with Maxwell to discuss the progress of their investigations and whatever new had come up.

"Before we get started, sir, how did things go? Any stars in the making?" Maxwell asked.

Much to Harry's surprise, when the idea of the camp first got some public attention, he discovered that his deputy was quite the avid Quidditch fan. He realized he missed the hint when he was first introduced to Maxwell the day he was going to assist in the arrest of the 'source' and that his exploits as a flying phenomenon were well known to the Aurors.

"There were a few bright spots, one or two that might make it to the pros. Some of the younger ones show some promise too but it will likely take some years of playing and more camps to know for sure."

"So you'll be doing it again then?" the deputy asked.

"Oh yes, that's the idea. Bill and Charlie Weasley are already working on next year's event," Harry said with a smile.

Maxwell simply nodded and then moved on to brief Harry about what had been going on. Nothing new had emerged about the situation in Europe. The muggle authorities apparently were working on the theory that it was some sort of radical terrorist activity. The magical side of the law enforcement community was searching for any junior leadership of the smugglers but had come up empty handed so far. Those that were in custody had offered up quite a bit of information but it only went up so far and then stopped dead. Apparently they were only privy to low to mid level operational efforts and nothing beyond that. Closer to home several dark arts practitioners were under surveillance but they didn't appear to be anything more then common trouble makers.

"There is one thing that we are starting to hear about, Chief. Between Milligan and his people and things that are being reported by the patrollers, we're picking up an undercurrent of, I don't know, tension, I guess you'd call it about this whole equality business of the Minister's. Around mid-summer word must have gotten out about what you and Miss Granger, I mean, Mrs. Weasley were doing and then when the new painting was put in the Atrium it really became noticeable. It would appear to be a small but very vocal minority of 'traditionalists' that are making all the noise. Right now I'd say it was something to keep and eye and ear open for but not to worry too much about."

Harry nodded and said,

"Yes, I saw Abagail last night up at Hogwarts and she mentioned the editorial in the Prophet. She was thrilled about what was being said about her work, but she was really annoyed at the attitude about the subject matter. Despite the hardships in her life she still sees people mostly as 'good' and she's not all that familiar with the idea that even good people can have some pretty nasty thoughts in their heads."

Maxwell nodded and said,

"Well, they got the talent part right. We knew she could draw, what with some of the things she's shown us but those paintings were amazing."

Harry nodded and they continued on with the business of the day. Next to see Harry was Milligan. He spoke in low tones about his efforts to ferret out more information on the activities of the spooks and their dragon project. It was coming to him in bits and pieces but it was starting to add up. A friend of his in the transportation department confirmed that several shipments had left the lower level 'dungeon' of the Mysteries Department and were taken off to the northwest which seemed to point to the Hebrides as the location of the secret facility. A contact in finance mentioned that galleons had been converted to Euros and were sent to a German University for undefined consulting work.

Harry chose not to mention what he was being told about the goings on in the great forest but a picture was starting to form in his mind and it was not one he was very pleased with. When he returned home that night his mood was a bit somber but as always Ginny was able to brighten his outlook. The dinner that Kreacher had prepared was delicious and they passed the time in pleasant conversation about the Quidditch camp and Ginny's efforts in locating a suitable plot of land for them to build their house. Harry broached the subject of the sabbatical and Ginny thought it was a wonderful idea.

If the house was ready by then he could commute easily enough and if not perhaps they'd find something to rent up that way. After they finished dinner they retired to Harry's study where Ginny worked on her notes for the journal on Harry for a bit while he tried to catch up on his reading. It wasn't too long before Ginny closed her journal and put down her pen. She gave Harry a 'look' and then stood up and took his hand to pull him up out of his chair. She didn't intend to miss the opportunity implicit in a relatively quiet house after his lengthy absence. He smiled and they walked out arm in arm.

Harry left for work the next morning in a decidedly happy mood. It lasted until mid morning when Tom stuck his head in the doorway, his face a mask of dismay.

"What is it, Tom?" Harry asked.

"You've got to come at once, sir. To the Atrium," Tom said all out of breath.

"What's going on in the Atrium?" Harry asked as he stood up.

"It's…I…I can't say, you just have to come, please hurry," Tom said and then he was gone.

Harry followed after and when he reached the lobby, lined with its fireplaces and elevator doors, he saw a large group of apparently very agitated people standing in front of the panels of the mural that Abagail had painted, or more accurately the remains of it. As Harry pushed his way through crowd what he saw shocked and appalled him. The canvasses and the images that had been so carefully and lovingly created upon them were destroyed. There was almost nothing left of the images of the magical species and more then half the canvasses themselves were gone, as if dissolved. Near the bottom were gooey masses of what looked like paint that had run together. On the stone floor in front of the panels was more of the lumpy mess and some spots of an oily looking substance. Harry snapped into 'cop' mode almost immediately.

"Ok, everyone, I'm declaring this a crime scene. No one is to touch anything. Anyone who saw or heard anything to do with this is to remain so that statements can be taken," he said as he looked around and saw Tom and Reggie standing near the edge of the crowd.

He pointed at them and said,

"Tom, go get Milligan, Reggie, get the Deputy."

He then turned his attention back to the crowd and said,

"If you don't have anything to tell us please go about your business. You'll be of more help by not being in the way or contaminating any evidence. Please leave the area."

The crowd began to disperse partly because they had other business to attend to and partly because no one who couldn't be of help wanted to be anywhere near Harry with the look he was currently wearing. It took about ten minutes before Maxwell and Milligan plus several other Aurors hustled up to Harry. Maxwell was the first to speak.

"What in Merlin's name happened? That poor girl is going to be devastated when she finds out."

"Yes, and I'm going to have to go and tell her. I don't want her finding out from someone else. I want this area sealed off. Have someone interview those witnesses and I want samples taken of that gooey mess and that oily stuff on the floor. Get some samples around the edges of what's left of the canvas and anything else you think might help. I want the bastard that did this and I want him now," Harry said in a voice that his subordinates had come to fear.

"Yes, sir, we're on it."

With that Harry stepped away from the group and Disapparated to the outskirts of Hogsmeade. He walked with some haste to the door of the castle and let himself in. It was getting close to lunchtime so he set himself in the foyer and tried to compose himself but for those few who had the less then good fortune to walk by they could see he was very upset. Someone must have alerted the Headmistress for she was hurrying in his direction as the first group of students began to make their way to the Great Hall.

"Harry, what is it? From that look on your face I'd have to think something terrible has occurred."

"Yes, ma'am. It has and I need to speak to Abagail. There she is. I'm going to need an empty room, I don't think this is going to be good," Harry said bleakly.

Professor McGonagall merely nodded and said,

"Take the small classroom that you've used before. I'll see that no one disturbs you."

Abagail had seen Harry from behind and hurried up excitedly.

"Hiya, Mr. Potter, sir," she said with an impish grin but when Harry turned the grin slid off her face and she started to get that vacant look that meant she was going to read someone.

"Stop, Abagail," Harry snapped and startled the little witch back to the here and now. "Not here, not this time. Please come with me."

Taking her by the hand he led her to the small classroom beyond the Hall and closed the door behind them. After taking a few steps inside Harry turned and looked down at her.

"Abagail," he began and then took in a breath. "This morning, someone came into the Atrium of the Ministry and destroyed your paintings. They threw something on it that dissolved all of the images and a good deal of the canvas. There's almost nothing left," he said, trying to hold back the anger that was building up inside him.

"But why, Harry, why would someone do that?" she asked, her soft voice a mix of anguish and disbelief.

Harry went down to one knee so that they were more eye to eye.

"We've been hearing about a very vocal group that is very unhappy with the Minister's ideas about equality and it appears someone decided to do something more than talk. I'm so, so sorry, little one."

He looked into those deep dark eyes and saw them fill with tears but he also saw a little bit of the light go out in them. He reached out and pulled the small witch to himself and held her as she began to cry. As before her crying was louder then her voice had been but unlike the first time he was not hearing the wailing agony of a child fearing abandonment and no future. As a voice in the back of his mind began to roar with the need for vengeance for this attack on his family a calmer portion knew that what he was hearing was the sound of a young woman's heart breaking. As was his.