Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, and you know what….NEITHER DO YOU!
Take that!
Chapter 25 – Good cop, Bad cop
"…"
Harry's eyes continued to stray about the room haphazardly. The two Order Guards by the door stood stonily. They kept their silence like Bob once had.
Harry was currently seated in the Citadel's boardroom. The windows had been covered by curtains.
The only light was unnatural; coming from fixtures scattered around the room.
Harry doubted they worked on electricity… though the light was as steady and unchanging as any bulb.
That bothered him. It added to the silence. Personally, he would have preferred the lit flame of wall sconces or something, anything, to add character to the bland room.
He needed the distraction.
His left hand drummed an unfocused tune on the table top. His other pinned to his side in a magical sling.
Apparently the piece of wood that had pierced it had nicked a nerve cluster. Harry felt he was lucky... a difference of even a fraction of an inch and he might have lost any possible chance at retaining control of the hand. He could have even lost his entire arm.
As it was, the healers felt he would be back to one hundred percent after the multiple potions that permeated the bandage did their work. Magic was a wonderful thing… Now if only that luck would hold.
Remus had protested on Harry's behalf, citing his injuries and the fact that today was Christmas of all days, but really there was no putting it off. Harry had been a central figure in a major event.
Harry had used magic in front of Muggles, and he had used magic to kill…
He was not worried about being punished; well not much. Even though his actions were much more severe than using a Patronus had been the year before… He had the assurance that the people in charge nowadays would see reason.
The Order was going to handle the situation… so he hoped that he wouldn't be put through the standard circus of the wizarding legal.
But that did not mean that there weren't procedures and other formalities that had to be followed. Harry had learned during his recovery yesterday that the Order reported directly to the international confederation; and as much clout as Dumbledore had, in the end he would have to submit to their will.
That meant that Harry was to be interrogated. His every action was to be exposed and picked apart. Every word from a "but" to an "if" would be scrutinized. He had to be careful with what he said.
Harry wasn't even sure how he was to explain his wings… Dumbledore had only a brief moment to explain to him what would happen while the healers were swarming over him.
Then he had been shunted aside as the men and women doused him with potions and spells. A stunner being one such spell; something for which he was grateful. Thinking of the healers working on his ribs while he was awake…. It was not a pleasant thought.
He had been secluded from everyone save Remus. Had he been an adult; Harry wondered if even Remus would have been excluded.
Boring as it was Harry was a little relieved at the seclusion. He was dreading the reactions of his friends and family. How does one go about explaining… that?
Somewhere in his mind, a small voice constantly whispered a reminder of how freakish he truly was. No other voices objected and he was left to the whispers of his own self doubts.
Suddenly there was a creaking and Harry turned to watch as the doors slowly opened.
In walked two men. One very prime and proper man wore dark robes, was clean shaven and unfamiliar. The other man was someone Harry knew; he had a very familiar long beard and half moon glasses, Albus Dumbledore.
Harry was relieved… he had hoped that Dumbledore would participate in the interrogation, if only because he trusted the man more than some impartial third party.
The order Guards stepped aside to let the men enter. Dumbledore waved his hand in dismissal and after a brief stiffening, and an almost unnoticeable bow, they walked outside while closing the door; presumably to guard the entrance to the room.
Harry pulled away from the table and stood, more out of needing something to do than anything.
"Sir…" Harry said in greeting.
"Mr. Potter, how are your injuries fairing…" Dumbledore asked in an odd tone of voice.
It was strained in a way that was unnoticeable to most people who did not interact with the man as much as Harry had.
"Better sir…" Harry was a bit put off with the man's uncharacteristic behavior. For one thing he had called him "Mr. Potter". Harry had gotten used to being referred to by his first name. The sudden shift into propriety reminded him uncomfortably of the year before, when the headmaster would refuse to look him in the eye. Harry didn't think Dumbledore was angry with him… or disappointed, if anything Harry felt the man was more upset with what he was being forced to do.
"I am pleased to hear that… Let me introduce you to, Director Roderick, he will be our witness on behalf of the ICW." Dumbledore stated in greeting.
"Mr. Potter…" The Director Roderick said by way of greeting; a small nod of acknowledgement, and then… Harry might as well have been a gnat; So far beneath his the director that he was more of a nuisance to be dealt with than anything else. Harry was a tad more wary of the bland man.
"Director Roderick…" Harry nodded back to the man.
"Director Roderick. Might I have a word with Mr. Potter…?"
The man turned to stare at Dumbledore… seemingly waiting for an explanation for his request.
"Remus Lupin, Mr. Potter's Guardian has appointed me as Mr. Potter's council, through these matters and I must first explain to him his rights. I would appreciate a private moment." Dumbledore explained… his polite words; a mask concealing his command.
The man stared at Dumbledore, an almost suspicious tone to his eyes.
"Is there a risk of a conflict of interests…?" The man asked more in warning than anything.
"I should hope not… but if you would director Roderick." Dumbledore answered in a tone that did not hide his command.
"As you wish Warlock Dumbledore." The man nodded… taking a swift and precise turn, he exited the room to wait outside.
Dumbledore seemed to sag a little in relief before focusing his attention on Harry.
Leaning forward with his fingers clamped together Dumbledore stared at Harry earnestly.
"I must first impress upon you Harry. That you are not in trouble and no matter what is said by either I or Director Roderick, there will be no punishment to be dolled out."
Harry had not known how much he needed to hear that until the words had left the man's mouth.
"I am sorry to put you through this Harry but we do not have much time… I do need to explain some things to you." The man apologized while walking forward and taking a seat directly adjacent to Harry.
"I am afraid though… That I, as a 'warlock', can not offer you any advice during the questioning, lest I be ruled an inappropriate questioner and replaced with another. I will ask that you be very wary of what you say, In no way does Director Roderick have any command or control over you, and as such, you are free to refuse any 'requests' the man makes." Dumbledore said significantly.
Harry stared at the man in slight confusion. He was trying to tell him something… but he wasn't telling him directly. Suddenly a wave of information splashed across his mind.
'Your secrets are your own… no one else's; we are being watched even now… your secrets are your own… no one else's; we are being watched even now…" A grandfatherly voice echoed in Harry's mind over and over.
Harry's eyes widened a fraction of an inch, and Dumbledore smiled in relief at the received message.
Deciding to try and help the man in helping himself, Harry asked a question; to Dumbledore's great relief.
"What can you do for me during the meeting sir, as my council…?" Harry asked.
A wide smile spread across the man's face as he stared at Harry.
"An excellent question; should you ever be concerned... turn to me, and ask me directly these exact words. 'I request my council's advice'."
"By international law, I am granted permission to then pause the questioning, to give you further options. At all other times… I am obligated to remain an 'impartial' questioner." The man explained.
'There was a law to cover this type of situation?' Harry wondered in confusion.
"How are you my council…?" Harry asked. The situation was completely bizarre to him.
"It is a tad complex; there are certain loopholes in the law that have been left by other parties for various purposes… I simply decided to…" Dumbledore started.
There was a sudden knock at the door and without invitation the Director entered again.
Harry was a little off balance… he had hoped to ask more questions but apparently his time was up.
Dumbledore stood from his seat and nodded at the man once more…
"Shall we begin Warlock Dumbledore?" The man questioned.
"We shall."
Director Roderick immediately stepped forward and pulled out a manila folder and placed it in front of Harry.
"Please sign the forms where indicated, Mr. Potter."
Almost at once, the space directly in front of him on the table recessed and a quill and ink set were provided to him.
Harry cautiously opened the folder and saw the small scripted text and notations. At the very bottom of the very wordy document was a blinking signature line, indicating where he should sign.
Harry started to read the document… but had not reached the second sentence when he could hear the slight thumping of a pair of shoes as the director impatiently waited for Harry to read the document.
Harry blushed a little at the man's impatience… feeling stupid for taking so long. He idly thought about just skimming the document but knew that he had to know what he was signing… the piece of paper could be much more than what it seemed. Hermione's own little contract for the D.A. came to mind as proof of that.
Feeling foolish for even doing this so early Harry turned directly to face Dumbledore and asked. "I request my council's advice."
Harry got a sense of relief from Dumbledore and knew he had been right to ask as the man immediately said. "I would advice against signing the document Mr. Potter, you are in no way required to sign any documents or contracts until you have reached your majority."
Almost immediately Director Roderick objected.
"Mr. Potter was granted his wand rights during the month of June. Such an act indicates he is to be considered an adult in the eyes of the law." The man stated.
"Are you addressing me as council to Mr. Potter, or as the warlock to the British Order.?" Dumbledore asked.
"Both…" The man said bluntly.
"As Mr. Potter's council I am obliged to point out that Mr. Potter did not sign any documents accepting the waiver and was offered the privilege granted. As such he is not to be considered obligated to waive his rights as an underage wizard. And I am not allowed to comment further as a warlock until Mr. Potter dismisses me as his council for this part of the questioning..." Dumbledore stated professionally.
"He has used his wand during the summer holidays without repercussion… that indicates his acceptance."
"We could argue the matter but as Mr. Potter's council, I am advising him not to sign the magical contract as an unnecessary waiver of his 7th and 12th rights under the wizard's charter. If you wish to argue the matter of semantics, then I can arrange for a tribunal to book a court date after reviewing the information." Dumbledore offered.
The stoic man offered Dumbledore a frosty stair before replying in the negative and pulling the manila folder away from Harry.
"Mr. Potter, Do you require your council further or could you please dismiss him so we may continue with our meeting."
Instead of answering the man immediately, Harry turned to stare at Dumbledore…
Dumbledore nodded his head in confirmation. "I believe you may dismiss me for now; until you require my services again." The man stated.
"Um… alright… I dismiss my council until I require him again…" Harry paraphrased Dumbledore.
Apparently his words were very important here… he was going to have to be doubly careful.
Dumbledore nodded and Director Roderick indicated a seat directly opposite Harry for Dumbledore to seat himself in.
Harry was almost disappointed that Dumbledore didn't conjure up his own chintz chair like he had so many times before.
When the director sat himself down, he put the stone pensieve on the table and slid it over to Harry.
"Mr. Potter, Please provide a pensieve memory of the events of December 24 1996." Director Roderick ordered.
"Um… I don't know how sir…" Harry said. He had seen Dumbledore do it often enough but he had never taken a memory from his own head before.
"Simply touch your wand to your head, while concentrating on the memory, and then when you have selected the memory, pull it out with your wand." The man instructed.
Harry was about to proceed, when he looked over at Dumbledore… he was staring at Harry carefully.
Remembering the mental warning Harry had derived out of the man the earlier before… Harry decided to ask.
"Am I required to provide a pensieve memory by law…?" His wand inches from his temple.
Director Roderick seemed to stare at Harry agitatedly, splitting his stare between Harry and Dumbledore before haltingly answering.
"No… but it will be noted by the International Confederation that you were unwilling to provide proof of your own recollection of events." The man stated in warning.
"Am I being charged with something…?" Harry asked. Remembering Dumbledore's assurance of no punishment.
"No…" the man said unwillingly.
"Then I respectfully refuse to provide a memory… sir." Harry said in his most confident tones… needless to say he was no where near as confident on the inside.
"Very Well Mr. Potter; dually noted." Dumbledore said in acceptance while pulling the pensieve away.
"Then shall we begin with the questioning." Roderick stated in a much less pleasant tone than before.
"Did you Mr. Potter willingly use magic in front of muggles?" The man asked.
"I had no choice, Death Eaters were attacking."
"A simple yes will suffice." The man stated while making a note on a piece of paper.
"Were you aware that the muggle's present, were recording the event?" Dumbledore asked next.
"No…" Harry asked, thankful that Dumbledore would ask that question. Roderick didn't seem like he wanted to hear Harry's side of the tale… only confirmation on his own theories.
"Were you not aware of the presence of such recording equipment earlier in the day?" Roderick asked.
"I saw them earlier but I was not aware that they would still be recording…." Harry defended.
"Again Mr. Potter, I would ask that you limit yourself to a yes or no answer unless directed otherwise." Roderick stated briskly, while jotting down what Harry thought was a simple yes on his piece of paper. Thankfully, Harry could see Dumbledore's own notes writing the conversation word for word.
"Are you aware of the secrecy act… and how it would apply to muggles?" Dumbledore asked.
"I haven't read the act, but I do know muggles in general are not supposed to know about magic." Harry said haltingly. Harry had hoped that Dumbledore would continue to give questions to balance out Roderick's more biased ones, but he supposed that Dumbledore had to at least make an attempt at an interrogation.
"Very well…" Dumbledore stated, thankfully not reprimanding Harry for his wordy answer.
"Did you instigate the attack upon the Death eaters?" Roderick asked.
"They were holding a man at knife point and had been able to perform magic… I acted in defense …" Harry justified.
"That is not what I asked Mr. Potter, Were you the one to first attack the Death eaters…." Roderick asked while looking at Harry carefully.
"Yes…" Harry stated reluctantly; feeling like he had already condemned himself.
Looking over at Dumbledore he noted the blank stare… Harry mentally reminded himself that he should have asked Dumbledore for advice for that question.
Hindsight was 20:20 after all.
"What spell did you perform…?" Dumbledore asked.
"I levitated objects at them."
"How did you perform a levitation charm while the muggles were still suppressing magic?" Roderick asked.
Harry paused… he had used his wandless skills for this instance…. But the death eaters had performed a levitation charm… deciding, Harry told a half truth.
"I watched Bellatrix Lestrange levitate an object moments before… I don't know how she did it but she did." Harry stated after a moment.
Roderick stared at Harry suspiciously.
"You realize Mr. Potter that we will check Bellatrix Lestrange's wand for evidence of this…" The man said in warning, detecting Harry's deception.
"I do now…" Harry stated a little belligerently. He didn't like this man.
"Do you wish to change your statement…?" The man asked.
"No"
"Very well…Mr. Potter, what happened next?" Dumbledore asked, breaking the silent feud between the two.
"I heard an explosion and I could feel the suppression go down…" Harry stated, skipping past a few moments conveniently.
"How were you aware that it was the muggle suppression? No witch or wizard has ever reported being able to perceive the suppression field." Roderick asked immediately.
Harry stared at the man in confused horror. Had he already said too much…?
"I was only aware of it when it went down... I was never aware of it before." Harry said in truth.
Roderick made a lengthy note on his papers before looking up again.
"Were you responsible for setting the building on fire…? " The man asked.
"Not directly…"
"But you were responsible… "The man asked for confirmation.
"I set fire to a death eater who then set fire to the church."
"So you admit to arson…?" the man asked.
"I do not." Harry said in outrage.
"Did you not just admit to initiating the fire spell that set fire to the building?"
Instead of answering Harry decided to be direct with the man. "Under no circumstances do I admit to arson… that is final." Harry said in anger. The man was looking for a crime… suddenly the interview felt much more dangerous than it had before.
The man grimaced, apparently Harry had somehow averted that trap with his statement… he wasn't entirely sure how but the man moved on from the fire questions.
A few minutes passed as Harry explained his perspective as best as he could. Roderick was frequently trying to confuse him by twisting his words about, to accuse Harry of something anything. Dumbledore throwing him less irritating questions, but still, there were one or two damning questions that Harry had no choice but to answer with a 'yes' or 'no'.
"Did you or did you not physically assault an order member?"
Dumbledore too turned a surprised eye at the man. Apparently they weren't working from the same scripts.
"What… no I never." Harry defended.
"Did you not, pierce the shoulder of your bodyguard with a shard of wood?" The man asked.
"I banished the portkey at him to save his life… A beam was about to fall and would have killed him." Surely Bob did not think otherwise?
"The force with which the portkey was shot could be considered lethal…"
"I was more concerned with getting the portkey to him as fast as possible otherwise he would have died."
"So you admit to reckless endangerment of a trained officer…" the man stated.
"Does he plan to press charges….?" Harry asked a little worried; more at what Bob thought of him than anything else.
Roderick paused. "Not that I am aware…" he admitted.
Harry paused himself. "Then why are you asking me that…?" Harry asked back a bit angrily. The man was playing on his own guilt complex, that did not make Harry a happy wizard; not a happy wizard at all.
"I will be the one to ask the questions here Mr. Potter." The man stated stiffly.
Harry noted that he did not ask about Bob again as well.
"What happened next Mr. Potter?" Dumbledore asked.
"I banished the priest outside…"
Harry could see Director Roderick's mouth opening, but cut him off while he continued to answer.
"I shielded him and banished him outside just before the balcony above collapsed sealing the exit. Unfortunately Bellatrix had thrown her mask out as well, which I would later discover had been a booster to keep any wizards from entering the area." Harry stated while staring at Roderick daring him to find something to fault with his statement.
He did…" How did you manage two spells at once?"
Harry slapped himself mentally for forgetting that tid bit. Bellatrix had even tried to figure that out during their fight.
Telling another white lie… "There were a few death eaters who had died within the building… there were plenty of wands around for me to cast two spells at once. "
Harry was glad for the fire, having probably turned the wands to ashes soon after.
"And then…" Dumbledore asked.
"I dueled Bellatrix for a few minutes…."
"Are you asking us to believe that you had managed to out duel Bellatrix Lestrange, at your age… Mr. Potter" The man asked derisively.
Harry stared at him angrily. 'So he was one of them…' the man was a denouncer. He sought to reveal the truth behind famous individuals… bringing them down a peg, for some kind of ego boost. Harry had read enough hate mail from last year to recognize the type.
They were the ones who liked to make sure he knew that they were not swayed by his celebrity. They wanted him to realize that they were waiting to pounce at any and all of his mistakes, condemning him for the fraud they thought him to be. Harry had no love for these vultures… they were a despicable breed.
"I never said I 'out dueled' anyone Director Roderick. On the contrary, I was extremely lucky to stay alive….Bellatrix had managed to steal my wand later on and tried to kill me with it herself. I only survived by rolling out of the way in time." Harry stated mockingly at the man… wanting to make sure he knew how little respect he had for him.
The man frowned agitatedly at Harry but did not comment.
Harry was about to continue his story when he realized this was the point where he had killed Bellatrix with a his wandless magic… How was he supposed to keep this a secret?
Keeping his silence... Harry waited for the next question which unfortunately turned out to be "And then…"
"I… managed to get my wand back and escaped the building…" Harry stated; a remarkable job at understatement if he thought so.
"You escaped the building…" Roderick stated unbelieving that Harry had the gall to even call what he did that.
"Yes…"
"We have eye witness accounts that say you had wings attached to your back as you flew out of the building."
The only comment Harry could make to that was….
"I did not fly out… I believe I fell." Harry only remembered flying inside the building… he clearly remembered trying to slow his fall the rest of the time he was airborne.
"How did you attain your wings?"
Deciding now was a good time as any…"I request my council's advice…"
Roderick agitatedly grunted at the request.
Dumbledore already knowing what Harry needed did not fail to ask.
"Mr. Potter is your condition known by others within the order. You are not required to state names." The man asked pointedly.
"Yes…" Harry stated.
"Were there security precautions taken…."
"Yes…" Harry stated again, trying to see where this was going.
"Did those precautions entail secrecy…?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes…"
"Are these precautions still in effect?" The man asked.
Harry paused. He wasn't sure… was he supposed to say yes or no.
"I don't know?" Harry stated cautiously.
Dumbledore smiled and Harry felt like he had just dodged a bullet.
"Then as your council, I would advise against commenting on certain aspects lest you reveal too much."
"Now really, I am a representative of the ICW. I demand full disclosure." Director Roderick argued in agitation."
"If you had sufficient clearance you would have already been briefed on Mr. Potter's Wings, like you had been about his training." Dumbledore stated with a twinkle in his eye.
"Then give me clearance Dumbledore…" The man demanded.
"I never said that I had clearance either…" Dumbledore stated calmly.
Harry stifled the urge to laugh at the situation. Director Roderick fumed in his seat at being toyed with by Dumbledore.
"Then how are we to interrogate Mr. Potter, as much of what happens next is documented with him and his wings or performing unusual abilities." Director Roderick asked angrily.
"We will just have to ask our questions, and should Mr. Potter be able to answer, he will, otherwise he will have to decline for fear of revealing classified information." Dumbledore stated pleasantly.
"That is unacceptable… this is an interrogation, Mr. Potter must answer the questions asked, he can not simply pick and choose.
"That is unfortunate, but surely you would not suggest that classified information that might be dangerous, be spread. Causing Mr. Potter to face possible legal repercussion as severe as treason…." Dumbledore stated solemnly.
"I…" Roderick's mouth opened and closed but he could not find the words to suitably express his speechlessness.
The man suddenly snarled and raged. "Warlock Dumbledore, I am formally requesting you leave as you are hindering this investigation." The man ordered.
Dumbledore turned steely eyes toward the man.
"I am still representing Mr. Potter as his legal council, as appointed by his guardian so I am not capable of addressing your accusation as a warlock… but I warn you Director Roderick, I have not only been recording Mr. Potter's answers but also your interrogation style. I will contest your allegation and be warned, I will have more than enough evidence to prove a few allegation of my own." Dumbledore stated with an unfamiliar distaste in his words.
"Is that a threat…?"
"No it is a warning… As such you will have to provide suitable evidence before you may dismiss this nations Warlock from an interrogation, and I assure you I have been acting within legal parameters for both the ICW, and the Order of the Phoenix." Dumbledore warned.
Harry stared between the two in slight incredulousness. All this was happening because of him. It was like watching a badly scripted legal battle.
Harry would have to give it to Director Roderick… the man had nerves if he could stare down Professor Dumbledore the way he was.
"Mr. Potter, Please dismiss me…" Dumbledore instructed as he continued to stare down the man in front of him.
"I… dismiss you…?" Harry stated unsurely.
"Director Roderick… as a member of the ICW, I am halting this investigation and I am calling for an impartial investigation into your conduct through out these proceedings. You have displayed unprofessional behavior and inappropriate bating of an under age witness… You are suspended from your duties for the remainder of your time in Britain." Dumbledore stated. "I will conclude the investigation without you."
Director Roderick himself said nothing… seeming to have been expecting this turn of events.
That did not however, stop the man from staring hatefully at Dumbledore and then at Harry; clear warning laced within his frigid stare. Harry preferred the unreadable mask with which he had started. The man collected his papers and in a dignified manner exited the boardroom.
Harry stayed silent as he tracked the man's progress.
'Ass…' Dumbledore's voice stated resentfully.
Harry's head whipped about to stare at the man, unsure whether Dumbledore had thought that, or said it aloud… or whether he had imagined it himself. He was leaning to toward the latter
Dumbledore himself stared at the door a moment longer before turning back to Harry and visibly let himself relax once more.
"On behalf of the ICW. I formally apologize for Director Roderick's behavior." Dumbledore stated.
"Um, no problem sir..." Harry was still a bit unsure about what was going on here…. Everything seemed so unreal. Just yesterday he had battled death eaters and exposed magic to the entire world… today he was dealing with what appeared to be pureblood politics on an international scale. What would happen tomorrow?
Dumbledore stared around the room for a moment before standing up and pulling a sock from his pocket.
He tapped it, causing it to flash a bright blue before he offered it to Harry.
Not questioning the behavior, Harry took a hold of the sock and found himself being whisked away to Dumbledore's office at Hogwarts.
Dumbledore waved his wand about the room once, creating that shimmer effect to indicate the room was secure before he smiled more freely.
Plopping down in his chair, he slid a bowl across the table…. "Vegemite toffees…?"
Harry looked at the black cube like candies and concluded that he would rather not taste the rather sinister looking sweets.
"No thank you sir…" Harry stated as he took a seat in his usual chair opposite the man.
Dumbledore seemed to pout a little. Harry noted that he didn't take one either.
"Well Mr. Potter, I must congratulate you. You handled yourself splendidly." Dumbledore praised.
"I did?" Harry asked slightly incredulous.
"You did, those questions were meant to provoke a reaction out of you as you might surmise. I fear Director Roderick reports to a sect of the ICW, which is more traditional in its approach to wizard/muggle relations." Dumbledore stated.
Harry thought that that was a euphemism for pureblood bigots but didn't want to ask for confirmation.
"They are very unhappy with current affairs and you have not been a favorite topic amongst them…" Dumbledore added in slight praise… as if that was to be congratulated.
"What will happen now…?" Harry asked after taking a moment to ponder the man's words.
"Much Actually… But I'm afraid I must first see to my ICW responsibilities… Harry, this is not a command but may I see your memories of the event. You may also choose to verbally confer what happened…" Dumbledore asked.
Harry had no objections to that and had already put his wand to his head and started to recall the events of the day before. Starting with the Cab ride from the store and ending with the portkey.
Harry felt a snap within his mind… as if a rubber band had been flicked in his brain. Suddenly the memories of the event seemed to appear in duplicate, seeing that as a good sign, Harry pulled his wand away from his head and felt the oddest sensation.
It was as if his head was being drained of liquid. He could feel the memories pour out of him.
Harry watched as the strand of memories hung fragilely from his own wand tip. Harry could still remember the event… although it was slightly blurry to him now. Faces were a tad more indistinct, and words were a bit more jumbled, but it was all there. Harry couldn't understand why, but warning flags rose at that. As if his mind was trying to tell him something…
"Excellent Harry, I had expected you to take a few more tries before you managed." Dumbledore praised, quite pleased.
He had already gone to his cupboard and brought back his pensive. Once the pensive was in front of Harry, he automatically dipped the tail of the memory into the bowl, he gave his wand a little flick and watched as the memory separated and dropped into the bowl only to merge and expand. Small scenes of snowfall, and children singing were visible.
"If you would accompany me…" Dumbledore asked. He and Harry both leaned their heads into the large bowl, and Harry could feel the falling sensation as he tumbled through his memories.
Although this was different than his previous trips down pensive lane…
…He felt, connected here? He wasn't afraid of his landing, as if he was in a dream and knew that he could make himself land on his feet if he wanted to… which he did.
Landing, Harry looked around the scene. He was watching himself walking toward the cabby.
Dumbledore was standing to his right, smiling benignly.
"I suggest we follow…" Dumbledore stated.
"Um how… the cabs cab's not that big?" Harry asked
Dumbledore smiled…" In a pensive the owner of the memory can control the environment, simply will for us to be able to do something and it is possible."
Seeing where this was going and knowing the truth of Dumbledore's statement, Harry simply willed Dumbledore and himself into the cab. Somehow despite the physics saying contrary, they both sat comfortably beside the memories.
Harry and Dumbledore listened in on the conversation the two had. Dumbledore smiled in amusement when Harry warned the man about jewelry.
They were approaching the church when suddenly the snow plow drove by. Dumbledore immediately asked. "Harry please stop the scene."
Startled at the sudden command, Harry immediately complied on instinct and watched as the world around them paused.
Dumbledore got up and slid through the walls of the cab toward the snow plow driver. Unsurely, Harry walked behind the man.
It was hard to see as it was snowing so heavily, the particles stopped mid fall in this eerie silence.
"I see…" Dumbledore stated in comprehension.
Dumbledore turned around and faced Harry. With his right hand he raised it and pointed it at the snow plow driver.
The man was staring at the cab leeringly.
Was Dumbledore confirming the cabbies proclamation… was the man just a git, who wanted to spread misery on Christmas
"The man's name is Isaiah Morison… he is part of the French Morison's, his father was suspected of being a death eater for quite some time but died in a fire a few years back." Dumbledore explained.
Harry stared at the man in comprehension…
"It was a set up… they trapped us here?" Harry asked.
"It would appear so… I suspect you had been spotted and the death eaters had planned for you to become trapped in the street." Dumbledore said absently as he turned around on the spot seemingly searching for something.
"Ah ha… "He said victoriously.
He waved Harry to follow and proceeded to walk toward a familiar alley.
Hanging from the fire escape, was a death eater who was climbing down to the ground. Under his robes he wore what appeared to be acid washed jeans and trainers…
There were three other death eaters above. They were coming out of an apartment. Willing himself to be able to see it. Dumbledore and Harry found themselves being pulled upwards to the window height.
Out of an electric fireplace there was a jet of green flame and a man's upper torso captured mid floo travel. There was an elderly Indian man on the floor… he was dead.
"And now we know how they have been moving about." Dumbledore stated solemnly as he observed the scene.
"I suspect there may be a death eater or sympathizer working in floo control, I shall have to have their logs confiscated…" he stated absentmindedly.
Harry continued to stare at the elderly man… he had no idea who the man was… he apparently lived alone… the Television was on and a TV tray lay forgotten on the coffee table.
It felt wrong to just watch him… strangers seeing the man in his own home, just intruding to see how the mans evening had been interrupted by a visit with death.
Snapping out of his morbid conundrums, Harry decided to voice a question.
"How are we seeing this? I never even set foot in the alley, how can we see this in my memory." Harry stated, unnerved that he had the memories of a dead man in his own head that he had never seen before. He probably had the moments of his death as well if he rewound time.
"The mind is an amazing tool Harry…" Dumbledore stated while he clinically observed the fireplace and the death eaters. "You are more aware of the environment around you than you perceive… Muggles as well, locked within each moment we perceive is a multitude of information and events we are never consciously aware of… intuition, gut feelings… these are all ways that our brains try and tell us something significant is happening. Consciously we can not accept the information we can not see or hear…. But our brains can." Dumbledore explained. Taking one last look at a death eater and noting their wands… Dumbledore waved a contemplative Harry out to join his memory self.
Allowing the memory to proceed they watched as Bob and Harry went into the church… and the cabby went off to meet with the death eater.
As soon as the giant doors to the church shut… the world around them shifted and they were thrown into the building.
"Then again… there are limits to the mind as well… you can not perceive everything all the time…" Dumbledore added as he took in the scene of the church.
He smiled at the sight of the children and parents, and stood beside Harry as he listened to the music.
For a moment… Harry felt silly for appreciating this moment. Dumbledore was as much a friend to Harry as Voldemort was a nuisance. Dumbledore was like an unspoken grandfather… always there, willing to dole out advice in a heart beat. The man's appearance didn't hurt matters either. While his memory self contemplated family and the holidays… his true self relaxed at the companionship as they watched a children's choir on Christmas day.
Scolding himself for getting caught up in the moment, Harry refocused on the scene around him. The choir had just finished and the father was shooing everyone home.
Harry watched as everyone left and the father led Harry up to the room to take in the scene below.
"I see the death eaters there…." Harry stated, moments before his other self pointed them out.
Dumbledore nodded and watched critically each action. Harry could see his face pause for a moment as Bob spoke for the first time before snapping out of it and starting to argue with the man.
"Needless to say, I am not supportive of you arguing to fight death eaters Harry…" Dumbledore lightly chastised as the memory Harry showed Bob his wandless skills and stormed off.
Harry reddened a little knowing it was reckless but seeing as Dumbledore didn't seem all that upset by it, he didn't think the man was angry with him.
Willing the two down below, Dumbledore came face to face with Bellatrix Lestrange…
"I start to get flashes of Bobs and Bellatrix's thoughts about now… Bob is planning on dieing for me and Bellatrix knows she will be able to perform magic soon…." Harry commented absently as his eyes locked on the soon to be dead women.
He still had her wand on him… he expected someone to take it away, but he had found it side by side his regular wand when he had woken up this morning.
Dumbledore watched as Harry sprung into action and praised Harry for using his wand as a distraction for his wandless skills. Commending that kind of deception as a wise move on his part.
The battle continued and Dumbledore visibly winced as the shard of wood pierced Harry's arm. Harry had not realized he had screamed in pain when the wood had entered and exited his flesh.… it all being a blur during the explosion.
Dumbledore watched as the priest attacked and Harry retrieved his wand… he congratulated Harry on saving the man's life with the shield… though when the moment Harry had comprehended Bob was missing… things started to turn weird.
Suddenly the world slowed down and the world around them turned less blue, the colors becoming more like that of how it truly happened.
Harry yelped in pain as his hand burned from the flame as it licked at his fingers in slow motion.
That was not normal…
Dumbledore took all this in with a surprised eye; motioning for Harry to come close, he erected a shield around them.
"We shall have to investigate this issue further…" Dumbledore stated in confusion as he took in the scene.
"Are you consciously doing this Harry, or is this part of the memory?" Dumbledore asked.
Harry took a moment and thought of making the memory less intense… but nothing happened. He could pause and rewind and move them about but he couldn't make it all go back the way it was before.
"No…"
"Then I suspect this has to do more with your perception of events…be wary of spell fire" Dumbledore said.
Looking where they were… Harry pulled Dumbledore back, remembering that this was an area that had a multitude of spells firing between everyone.
Harry watched his memory self take in all the factors and then banishing the portkey back at Bob. Suddenly the world returned to normal blue… and time sped back up again.
The beam collapsed where Bob had been and Dumbledore cautiously released the shield.
The room was back to normal temperature so that was a good sign.
They went back to watching the scene unfold… to the priests escape to Bellatrix's messy end…
Then the world changed again. The memory seemed to fade in and out of existence as memory Harry transformed…. It started to loose cohesion before everything returned with a snap, as if nothing had ever happened before.
Dumbledore gave Harry a strange look before turning to watch the scene again. Harry had his own theories…. Maybe his transformation had caused this… but he remembered something like this happening before… when he had unwittingly destroyed Dumbledore's office just a few months ago… he hadn't transformed then?
Harry automatically willed them up to memory Harry's level and watched as Harry crashed through the window.
The rest was fairly standard, though Harry had to admit… he thought he looked much more intimidating than he truly felt at the time… every now and then Harry would spot a camera and cringe as it captured his fight.
In the end a pensive Dumbledore instructed Harry to pull them out of the memory and watched Harry as he returned to the office.
"It seems, like always, I have more questions to investigate…." Dumbledore stated in amusement. Harry smiled a half smile… letting the events of what happened seep in again.
Re-watching the scene, everything had been so surreal… he had caused all that…. It was too much to comprehend.
"What now sir…" Harry asked, his secret was out… how were they to damage control that.
"What would you like to happen…?" Dumbledore asked.
"Sir?"
"This is your secret to tell Harry, I'm afraid it would be pointless now to hide the fact that you have become slightly different. As we speak the video has circulated around the world through the muggle news, and I believe just as quickly through the wizarding. I believe they have taken to photographing the muggle's televisions as they displayed scenes from your fight.
At this Dumbledore reached across his desk and passed Harry a rolled up Daily Prophet.
Curiously Harry unrolled the paper and stared slightly incredulous at the full page moving picture of a muggle television replaying Harry's fight sequence. He was tumbling out of the church and landing on the ground with his wings clearly visible…
The words "Exposed" branded above the article.
Harry didn't even bother to read it… turning to Dumbledore he asked… "How bad?"
"Actually not as bad as the wizarding paper would have you believe…"
"Its not?"
"No, now had this happened last year, I believe that would have been a different matter all together, but with the Muggles recent exposure of our kind, you can be considered a member of the'7800' thus not exposing magic." Dumbledore stated benignly.
"The 7800 don't have wings sir…."
"True… but that is the most rational explanation any one that does not know magic will be able to come to. At the moment, the wizarding world is still reeling from the incident and I fear, panicking; as I'm sure you can understand… but I've released an official letter that is to be circulated within tomorrow's paper denouncing some of the hysteria." Dumbledore stated.
Harry felt a little relief at that. It appeared as though Dumbledore was on top of things. He was glad…
"But this brings us to an important question… how do you want to handle this." Dumbledore asked.
"I still don't understand sir… how am I supposed to handle this…?" Harry asked.
"Well, we have been quite secretive as of late… with the proverbial cat out of the bag, are we to take a different route or will we continue as we are? What I'm asking is, do you still want to keep such things a secret or not." Dumbledore asked.
"I don't know sir… What would you suggest?" Harry asked.
"I, Mr. Potter…. "Dumbledore stopped to consider his response.
"Normally I am an advocate of the truth. The saying is quite accurate, it does set you free. I believe you have already experienced your share of personal issues related to the secrecy we have been keeping." Dumbledore stated sympathetically.
Harry kept silent, trying to avoid thinking of the incident in question
"In this case, I would advise some disclosure. We do not tell specifics like how you received the skills but you do not have to deny you have them. Although I would advise that you continue to keep you wandless abilities to you self as much as possible. It is still possible to make the general public believe that you can only perform that feat while transformed." Dumbledore suggested.
"What about Voldemort…"
"I had not believed this secret would have been secret till you faced him. I had anticipated that you might have had to reveal your powers for this type of scenario…."
At Harry incredulous look Dumbledore corrected himself.
"Not this exact scenario… and certainly not to the scale to which you have been exposed of course; but I did believe that you would be forced to reveal your wings at some point." Dumbledore stated.
Harry let the man's words wash over him.
On one hand, it was a relief… he had hated keeping all the secrets like that, but on the other… he was terrified. He would have to deal with his friends now... what was he to say. What about Luna, they had kissed, it had meant quite a bit to him, but now in light of recent developments… would she see it the same way? Would she be repulsed that she had been that intimate with Harry, Was he a person even… or was he a thing? Something that was unclassifiable.
Taking a deep breath Harry tried to calm himself.
"Can I go home sir?" Harry asked. He was tired; he just wanted to go and enjoy as much solitude as he could, at home with the only other person he was sure would accept him.
"Of course Harry." Dumbledore said sympathetically. Standing up, he reached out and directed Harry toward the fireplace and floo pot.
Harry was about to reach in for the powder when he felt Dumbledore's hand on his shoulder.
Looking up into his eyes Harry came face to face with his half smile.
"Everything will be alright Harry… you are a remarkable young man, and you surround yourself with other remarkable individuals. They are more accepting than you may think." Dumbledore stated consolingly, seemingly reading Harry's mind.
Harry gave a non committal nod, as he let the man's words wash over him. He was feeling too numb to feel grateful for his consoling.
Reaching into the pot Harry seized a good handful of the powder and spent the next few moments twirling toward his home. All he wanted to do now was crawl into his bed and hope it was all a bad dream.
… .. … .. …
Harry spent the remainder of his holidays locked indoors.
Remus had seemingly understood Harry's need for seclusion, or at least most of it… He fussed over Harry's wounds but otherwise pretended the incident had not taken place at all; trying to inject holiday cheer directly into Harry's veins, trying to make up for all the madness.
Harry had tried to accommodate the man, but he wasn't exactly in the festive mood anymore. He felt sorry for ruining the man's holiday, but he felt that Remus, at least understood He did not push Harry into socializing or such… though he seemed to want Harry to make an effort, if only because the grownup in him told him it was the right thing to do….
Harry had often heard the floo activate and heard Remus turning away various Weasley's who had wanted to check up on Harry.
Harry had even heard the doorbell ring once and spotted his neighbor Laura through his bedroom window. Harry had hoped that he had not ruined Remus's personal life by his exposure. Remus did not mention it, so Harry was unsure.
He had received more letters within the next week and a half than he had received in all his day's since entering the wizarding world.
Much of it had been from the Daily Prophet, requesting interviews, or from various angry wizards and witches condemning him for exposing magic. In the end Remus had to ask Dumbledore to have the mail intercepted as the amount of owl traffic had been abnormal at best.
He still received letters from his friends however…
Harry couldn't work up the courage to really open the letters. He planned to lie and say that he couldn't find their letters in all the hate mail that he had received. This was entirely possible as he had gotten enough to fill two garbage bags. Harry suspected that Remus knew but he never called Harry on it; he would always hand Harry the screened letters and stare at him significantly as he said that his 'friends' had written him.
Harry tried his best not to feel to guilty with his actions…
Harry was to avoid the train this year as Dumbledore did not want to expose him to the parents in such a public location as platform nine and three quarters. At least at Hogwarts, Dumbledore could turn people away.
All this resulted in was a very nervous Harry who sat uncomfortably in his living room while waiting for his escort.
Harry had been able to sleep in; the train should have left the station hours earlier.
Remus was currently running about the place thinking of different things Harry might like to take with him.
It didn't matter so much to Harry as he wanted to travel light this year. He was only taking his clothes school supplies, map invisibility cloak and other necessities.
He was going to leave his gifts behind in his room, not having to fear that when he returned they would be trashed by his intolerant relatives.
He was making an exception for Luna's gift… he had derived quite a bit of comfort from it through out his solitude. When he listened to it, he almost believed everything would be alright in the end after all. Almost... years of experience had taught Harry that life rarely worked out so perfectly; often giving you what you wanted, then snatching it away when you needed it most.
The solitude also served to make Harry slightly cynical; having only his thoughts to keep him company did very little to make him anything else.
Remus, finally after listening to Harry turn down an extra set of mittens from that strange drawer of his for the third time, plopped down on the couch next to the teen.
Turning his head to stare at the young man Remus asked. "Nervous?"
Something about how the man had said it and the ludicrousness of the question could only make Harry snort in laughter.
Remus smiled at the response.
"Thought as much…"
"It's not a big deal I suppose; I mean I've dealt with worse…" Harry said in general, not really focusing on any one aspect of his situation.
Remus stared at Harry for a moment in silence before remarking. "I suppose you have…"
It was almost as if a little piece of Remus died when he said that, Harry sometimes cursed his mental powers.
Some of the insights he received only served to depress him. He wished he could figure out how to control it… if only to be able to block out such streams of insight.
There was a moment of silence as Remus turned away from Harry and stared at a hanging garland above the entry way to the kitchen. They had put off taking down the decorations and Remus would now have to, while Harry was gone.
Harry suspected that had been Remus's plan as the man had been trying to keep Harry from doing too much work around the house, causing Harry to feel slightly lazy as he watched the man do the chores. He didn't want to laze about like Dudley while someone else cleaned after him.
Harry had eventually changed the routine where he would at least do his own laundry and vacuum. Neither had wanted to cook too much so they had ended up ordering in mostly. Something Harry was sworn to never tell Mrs. Weasley.
All in all, not including the 'incident' it had been one of the best holidays Harry had ever had. He was even considering coming back for Easter break, a short holiday that was more useful for catching up on the impending finals… But Harry wouldn't mind coming back if only to spend some time with Remus.
Remus continued to ponder the garland… until he suddenly remarked.
"Laura stopped by earlier…."
Harry stared at the man in surprise, if only because he had not expected the man to talk about it.
"Oh…" Harry said nervously. He wasn't sure what to say to that.
"She saw the news and recognized you immediately…" Remus stated calmly.
Harry was worried. Did she shun Remus because of Harry's abnormality? Was she worried about the killer next door coming after her daughter?
"I had told her that you wanted to be alone for a while… that you wanted some time to yourself after what had happened." Remus explained. "She was quite worried…"
Harry could feel his doubts proclaim victory at that.
"She had seen your wound on your arm and wanted to make sure you were okay…" Remus finished.
Harry stared at Remus in surprise.
"She was worried about me?" Harry asked unbelievingly.
Remus turned away from the garland.
"Don't be so shocked Harry… Laura's a good person, and good people tend to be very accepting." The man said with a warm smile.
Harry knew what the man was trying to say, and he appreciated the thought… but he wasn't quite yet ready to put his fears to rest.
Harry heard the fireplace light and turned just in time to spot his escorts arrive through emerald flames.
Harry's eyes squinted as he spotted his bodyguard. The man himself turned and stared at him with a stare as well.
Harry and Remus stood together; one in greeting, the other for a very different purpose.
Bob walked forward and met Harry half way.
Before Tonks or Remus could say anything each had laid into the other.
Bob with a smack on the upside of Harry's head, Harry with a punch to the mans right shoulder.
"Suicidal idiot!" Both cried in sync.
"Me!" they replied in stereo….
"You're the one who…" One said
"Trying to …" The other said at the same time…
"Stop that!" They both cried at once
Remus and Tonks stared at the two, watching the strange meeting in confused amusement.
Harry and Bob glared at one another for another moment before they heard a muffled cough emanate out of Remus.
Both turned to stare at Remus.
"Is there something you'd like to share…?"
"No." They both stated again. They paused to stare at one another in accusation for continuing the odd chorus.
Tonks snorted, before walking forward and linking an arm around Bob's elbow and ruffling Harry's Hair.
"Wotcher fly boy…" Tonks greeted.
Harry groaned… "You're not going to call me that all year are you…?" Harry asked resigned to knowing that Tonks would probably create more nicknames than any other person he knew.
"Of course not; I would never make fun of such an angel." Tonks said while pinching Harry's cheek mockingly.
"I'll tell everyone your first name…" Harry said while swatting at her hand.
"I'll give you detentions until you graduate!" She warned.
"It'll be worth it." Harry stated while staring at Tonks challengingly.
Tonks stared Harry down for a moment. "This isn't over…"
Harry felt her ominous proclamation seep in… he was sure it wasn't.
Remus chose that time to pop back into the scene, after observing the three from the sidelines.
"Nothing crippling Nympha…" Remus started.
"Watch it Remus…" Tonks warned with a raised finger.
He stared at the girl in amusement, and then motioned the three towards the fireplace.
Bob went in first… It seemed like tight security for a floo jump from Remus's to Hogwarts but Harry guessed there were other reasons for the body guards.
"Take care Harry, and don't forget to write…" Remus said in farewell. Pulling Harry into a hug.
Harry hugged the man back… "You too Remus."
Harry let go and took a pinch of floo powder before activating the floo and sailing through the familiar dizzying whirlwind, only to land in McGonagall's classroom once more.
McGonagall was present at her desk, marking papers like the year before. Bob was over by the fireplace again, his wand touching the mantle with an odd blue discharge emanating from where the two met.
Soon the fire lit once more and Harry could see Tonks stumble out as gracefully as she could.
Tonks had just stood up before the fire lit once more and Harry heard Remus's voice whisper…"Nymphadora" before the fire died out entirely leaving a cursing Tonks behind…
Harry could see that McGonagall was seemingly engrossed in her work but a slight smile played at the corners of her mouth.
Tonks Led Harry out in a surly fashion grumbling to herself in agitation about applying pepper spray to the man's food and other such malevolent ideas.
Bob stayed behind in the office; Harry wasn't sure when he would see the man again.
Harry split from Tonks side unnoticed as she continued her war path.
The train shouldn't arrive for another hour at least so he wouldn't have to deal with more than a few stares.
Harry dragged his trunk towards the Gryffindor Common room.
Reaching the fat lady he was forced to bear witness to the painting's relief that he hadn't died… having misinterpreted the rumors to mean he had died while fighting death eaters.
Getting into the common room Harry was pleased to note that it was bare of any living presence.
Walking up the stairs, Harry opened his door to his room only to meet emptiness as well.
Unpacking his things, Harry started to get nervous. He had not run into anyone yet. Harry wondered if he would turn a corner only to be ambushed by everyone at once. There were always a few individuals that stayed in the castle during the holiday's it wouldn't be long before he was confronted with them as well.
Finishing his unpacking, Harry secured his trunk and peered outside the window.
He could just barely see the path to Hogsmead. On the horizon he could see where the train tracks would round the lake to Hogsmead village.
Deciding to wander away, as just waiting for them would drive him mad… Harry made his way down to the common room and made his way to the great hall.
He might as well get it over with, there were bound to be other students there.
Not being disappointed Harry wandered into the great hall, only to have every pair of eyes, which were about a dozen, swivel on to him.
The dead silence was foreboding before Harry continued his trek forward to the Gryffindor table.
Flitwick and Sprout were at the head table, with Sinestra on the other side.
All around him various students continued to stair, often talking to each other in whispers.
Thankfully, Harry didn't know any of the students personally, so he wasn't as affected by their whispers as he would have been by others.
So far he wasn't receiving any glares so that was a good sign at least.
Harry ignored the whispers and sat at the table.
It wouldn't be long now… maybe within the hour and he would have to face his friends.
Suddenly sitting in the great hall seemed like a bad idea. He had nothing to do but sit and wait for it.
Getting up just as quickly as he had sat, Harry exited the great hall to more whispers at his odd behavior. He was sure the crazy rumors would start again… he couldn't really blame them.
Thinking about some place he could go… Harry came to only one conclusion.
Making his way to the courtyard, Harry, looked about for any wandering eyes, before activating the fountain and following the tunnel to the green house.
Feeling only remotely at ease when the entrance had closed above him, Harry continued his trek in silence. Finally reaching the other fountain, Harry opened it and re-entered the green house.
Harry felt his lungs release a sigh in relief at the complete and utter silence.
The garden wasn't as lively as it had been before. The floor was littered with red and yellow leaves, the roof littered with snow, and the bushes seemed to be devoid of life. It might have looked nice if the snow had been permitted to fall inside. Harry wasn't too bothered by the garden at its worst,
The floor was clear of any feathers, so Harry had assumed that Dumbledore had collected any remaining ones for study.
Walking toward the balcony, Harry cast a warming charm on himself and looked out over the ledge towards Hogwarts. Harry could just make out the line of black carriages being dragged to the castle gates. They were here.
"Amazing how small everything appears from up here…"
Startled Harry turned around only to find Dumbledore, not more than an arms length away.
"Sir… Sorry, I didn't know you were…."
"Nonsense Harry, as I said before, you are welcome to the garden anytime." Dumbledore dismissed Harry's unfinished apologies...
"It's amazing how tiny everything seems from up here… except Hogwarts. It always maintains that grandeur; that larger than life personality it has... I've often wiled away hours up here." Dumbledore stated fondly.
Harry stared at the man for a moment… was he going to tell him his friends were going to accept him, was he going to tell Harry that hiding himself away was immature?
"The feast will start soon; I suspect you are not planning on attending?" Dumbledore asked.
"I…" Harry started in objection.
Dumbledore gave him an amused look as if tempting him to lie.
Harry sagged in defeat, knowing it was useless to deny it. "I was hoping to avoid it…" He admitted reluctantly.
There was silence as Harry stared out over the balcony, taking one last glance before he was shunted back into the limelight.
"Very well…" Dumbledore stated.
Looking at Dumbledore in confusion, Harry asked "Very well?"
Dumbledore looked at the teen in amusement. "I will allow you to skip the feast this once, but you will have to face them sooner or later. And class starts Monday; even you can't avoid them forever"
Harry stared at the man in surprise… "You're not going to order me to face them… your not going to make me sit in on the feast?" Harry asked in confusion. This wasn't what he expected. He expected that Dumbledore would frown upon Harry's cowardice, citing the responsible thing to face his fears head on…
"I could if you wanted me too, but you are old enough to handle your own social life. As long as it doesn't' effect your schooling…" Dumbledore stated.
Not sure what to say, Harry instead fell back on" Thank you sir…"
Dumbledore spared Harry another amused smile.
"Back to sir again I see…" Dumbledore said in amused reassignment before patting Harry on the shoulder and bidding him farewell. Harry watched as the man went around the tree and vanished. The entrance to his office was probably somewhere in that direction.
Harry stared at the spot he had seen the man for a few moments just wondering if he would ever understand him.
… .. … .. …
It had been a few hours since Dumbledore had left, and Harry had found himself falling into a daze as he stared at the castle… just noting how grand it was in comparison to all the dots from earlier… he was the same size as anyone of those dots. Yet other dots like him had built the monolith of a structure. It was mind boggling…
Harry had almost managed to forget his worries when he had heard the noise of the fountain filling once more.
Turning around Harry came face to face with the person he was the most anxious about meeting.
"I thought you'd be here…" the blonde said emotionlessly.
"Uh hi…" Harry stated awkwardly.
Luna walked forward and sat beside Harry in his seat as he overlooked the castle.
"You didn't come back…" Luna stated blandly, as if she was describing the color of an orange.
"Ya, sorry about that…" Harry stated awkwardly. He felt like he had done something wrong, like he should apologize, but he wasn't entirely what for.
"It's okay…" Luna said in the same tone.
"Are you mad?" Harry asked after an uncomfortable silence.
Instead of answering, Luna turned and looked at Harry.
Her stare made Harry wonder if he had killed a puppy.
"I'm sorry, I…" Harry noticed that her lips were starting to twitch… Staring at the girl for a moment Harry caught their upward turn and the mischief in her eyes.
"Your teasing me, aren't you…?" Harry stated flatly.
Luna's features broke into a smile before she emphatically nodded her head. "Not at all, I'd never…" She said while her head went up and down mockingly.
Harry wanted to pout but he couldn't help the twitch of his own lips.
"You're too easy Harry, You were ready to apologize for god knows what…" Luna mocked while leaning over to Harry and nudging him in the ribs.
"Well what was I supposed to think… you gave me the stare?" Harry defended.
Luna smiled while reaching out with her left hand to entwine her fingers with Harry's right hand.
Harry felt a little relief as the girl willingly made contact. In his mind he had worried the girl would treat him like a diseased rat…
Taking a moment, Luna observed the arm.
"Does it hurt?" She asked cautiously.
"No…" Harry stated quietly. He watched as Luna, ever so gently un-intertwined her fingers and unbuttoned the cuff of his school shirt.
Harry let her pull the sleeve up to reveal the only proof of the wound; a circular scar the size of a Knut.
Luna paused for a moment before she carefully trailed her finger on the scar.
Harry felt a pleasant shudder at the touch.
Luna paused once more and pulled the arm back and turned it over to see the exit wound.
She stared up at Harry with an unfathomable look upon her face.
"Luna…?" Harry asked. He wished he could see her thoughts this once, just to know what she was thinking.
"It's nothing…" Luna said dismissively. Instead she let her features change into one of curiosity.
"I saw the paper; the black feathers, they were from your…" She trailed off for a moment unsure what to call them.
"I've been calling them wings… They're a bit of a recent development for me" Harry answered. Knowing what she wanted, but was unwilling to ask for, Harry stood up.
Wandlessly transfiguring the back of his shirt to have a hole in the back… Harry activated his transformation.
His eye's closed, Harry felt the final sensations of his wings forming before he opened his eyes and stared at the girl.
She stood up with wonder in her eyes. Gently reaching out, she touched the elbow joint, causing them to twitch involuntarily.
"They're pretty…" She stated in awe.
"They are not pretty…" Harry argued; feeling offended that she had not described them in a more masculine way.
Luna gave him an amused knowing look, before running her hand down the wing length.
Running her hand over a particular spot, Harry suddenly retracted the wing.
"What did I hurt you…?" Luna asked in worry.
"No… it's just that it tickled is all." Harry stated. It felt weird to know that he had a ticklish spot on his wings. It somehow took away from their mystique.
"Ticklish?" Luna asked in a deadpan.
Reaching out again, Luna ran her hand down the same spot.
"Quit it…" Harry said when her fingers reached the spot again.
With a mischievous grin, Luna reached out again and grabbed at the end of the wing with one hand while reaching for the spot she had identified.
Harry laughed at the sensation, his wings twitching away from the girl.
Harry twirled out of the girl's reach.
"If the world could see you now… "Luna said in amusement.
Reigning in his smile… Harry stared at the girl, before taking a step forward and having his wings encircle her. Quickly bringing her close to him, trapped in their feathery confines…
Startled Luna stared into Harry's amused eyes.
"If they could see me…?" Harry asked while leaning his head in close.
Luna's own head tilted a little to accommodate.
Harry could feel the girls startled excitement radiate off her; her hand gently leaning against Harry's chest with her other on his waist, giving her just enough room while also bringing her a tad closer. Harry's wings tightened just a bit at her acceptance.
Not waiting for a response, Harry closed the distance.
Needless to say, he wasn't afraid of not being accepted by Luna any longer. . If anything he wished he had told her sooner.
AN: Ok this Chapter Sucked. People have said it before, but it needs to be said once more. I suck at writing politics.
My explanation… wizarding politics is different than muggle. Seeing as I'm not a politically minded person, I made stuff up based on how I thought a realistic Wizarding UN would run with Cannon the way it is.
Hopefully I'll get better at it later on. I really just needed to lay down some hints for later chapters.
Next chapter I promise we will finish the fall out for the wings. I would have continued but this felt like the right place to end the chapter.
Not much to say, comments concerns?
Quazi