Harry paced the Gryffindor common room during lunch. He was trying to figure out how had done what he had. He felt about it and wished he could fix what he had done to Percy and Dumbledore. Knowing that he couldn't Harry hoped that Percy and Dumbledore could be sorted out and put right.
"Harry, we brought you some food." Said Hermione as she Ron, Ginny and the twins walked through the portrait hole.
"Thanks. How are Percy and Dumbledore?"
"Percy has been sent to St. Mungo's." Said Fred and George.
"McGonagall is working on Dumbledore." Said Ginny.
"I didn't mean for it to happen."
"Relax Harry. You were really pissed at the time." Said Ron.
"Your parents are going to flip out. If they can't be sorted out and put right I'm going to be in so much trouble."
"One thing for sure is that if anyone pissed you off again they get what they asked for." Said Fred and George.
"Actually I hope that can't fix Percy."
"Ron! That's a horrible thing to say."
"No it's not Hermione. If they can't fix Percy, when he's being a prat all we have to do is zip his mouth shut."
Harry, Ginny and the twins started laughing. Hermione had a very appalled expression on her face.
The rest of the weekend passed without Percy or Dumbledore present. Harry was getting scared that the damage was irreversible.
It was lat Sunday night and Harry could not sleep so he was down in the common room. Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Fred and George were the only other people in the common room with Harry. As they heard the portrait hole opening and someone walking through they all looked up to see who it was and prepared to explain why they were still up.
"Percy, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to do it." Harry said quickly
"Hrumph." Was all that Percy said as he stopped off to the prefect's dorm.
Harry was relieved that St. Mungo's was able to straighten out Percy. He was hopeful that Dumbledore would be back to himself in the morning.
The following morning Harry woke up feeling like dung. He had a restless night. He feared that Dumbledore was stuck as a donkey and that he would be expelled. He got up and got dressed, dreading going down to the dinning hall. As much as he would rather stay up in the dorm he knew couldn't sip all his class.
As Harry entered the dinning hall he immediately checked the staff table. To his delighted relief he saw Dumbledore sitting at the table eating. Harry made his way to the Gryffindor table. He barely ate anything and was going to apologize to Dumbledore and accept the consequences for what he had done.
Once the dining hall cleared of student Harry got up and approached the staff table.
"Professor Dumbledore, I'm really sorry about happened. I shouldn't have…I don't understand how it could have been possible for me to have done that."
"No harm done Harry. You were really upset and lost control. I forgive you. Ron along or you'll be late for your first class."
"That's it? I'm not in trouble?"
"No you're not in trouble. I know you didn't mean to."
Harry didn't know what to say so he turned around and ran out of the dinning hall all the way to his first class of the day. He has just made it in time to his first class.
Before Harry knew it, it was lunchtime.
"Potter. What did you do to avoid getting in trouble? IF it had been anyone else, he or she would have probably been expelled. Then again you are 'precious Potter' to Dumbledore. One of these days you're going to do something and Dumbledore won't be there to save your neck. Honestly you shouldn't even be here, you're unstable."
"Piss off Malfoy." Said Ron
"I'd rather be unstable than pathetic like you."
"How dare you." Said Draco as he pulled out his wand.
"Mr. Malfoy! Put that a way! Detention and ten points from Slytherin." Shouted McGonagall as she pulled Draco by the arm down the hall towards Snape's office.
"I am so glad McGonagall showed up when she did. If she had shown up seconds later…who knows what she'd have walked into." Said Hermione.
"Come on. Lets go. Lunch is half over." Said Ron
They three of them quickly headed to the dinning hall. They ate as much and as quickly as they could before trotting off to afternoon classes. The rest of the day passed by quicker then the morning did for Harry.
After dinner in the common room Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting at a table with their books, quills, parchment and inkbottles strewn across the table.
"Harry, focus. It won't be much longer until end of year exams are here." Said Hermione.
"Harry everything is fine, Dumbledore is back to himself. Percy is back, though I still wish they hadn't been able to fix that. The zipper for a mouth was an improvement. Hermione does have a point. End of year exams will be here before we know it."
"Don't remind me."
"But, Harry…"
"I don't want to think about it."
"You should be…"
"Hermione you don't understand."
"I am sure I understand more than you think. Since you seem to feel that I don't understand, why don't you explain it to me then?"
"End of year exams means the end of the school year which means I have to go back to the Dursley's. This has not worked out how I hoped. Sirius being proven innocent and set free was supposed to make it so I'd never have to go back to the Dursley's, ever again."
"Maybe this summer will be better."
"Not likely. Nothing will change at the Dursley's, at least not for the better any way. The only change that could ever happen there is that it progressively gets worse."
"I'll see if Mum and dad can spring you this summer."
"But, aren't the Dursley's scared though? Do they know you're not allowed to use magic out side of school?" Asked Hermione.
"So what if they don't know that I'm not allowed to use magic out side of school?"
"Harry, think about what Hermione is saying. The Dursley's don't know you can't use magic out side of school. You could terrorize them, or at least your cousin."
"I don't think you should terrorize them…wait a second. Harry you can use magic out side of school. You have. Don't you remember when I came over and stayed for a while? I think as long as you don't use your wand no one would know, out side of the Dursley's house any way."
"Hermione you're right. I was apparating all over the house."
"Harry if you're worried about food, can't you call Kreacher? Doesn't he obey you?'
"Ron, you're right."
"Hold on. Did we hear you right?" Asked Fred.
"You can apparate? How?" Asked George.
"Not to worry…" Said Fred
"We were nearly here when we heard you talking. No one else heard though." Said George.
"What am I? Frog spawn?" Asked Ginny.
Harry looked around to be sure that no one else was within hearing distance.
"Apparating is fairly simple as long as you are completely focused and concentrating on what you are doing. Oh and remembering the three D's…"
"The three D's?"
"Ron shut it and listen. The three D's are: Destination, Determination and Deliberation. You have to fix your mind firmly on the Destination, in other words visualize where you want to be. Then focus your Determination to occupy the visualized space and then you turn on the spot feeling your way into nothingness and moving with Deliberation. If you're not completely focused you'll splinch."
"Splinch? That doesn't sound good." Said Ginny
"It's horrible really. It's when you leave part of your body behind. Not that I have ever splinched, but I've seen it happen. It looks real painful."
"What do you mean?" Asked Ron.
"The separation of random body parts. Okay, your apparating form point A to point B. If you splinch a part of your body will remain at point A while the rest of you is at point B. It could be any body part, a leg, an arm, an eyebrow or your dangly bits. It would be as though the body part was chopped off."
Fred, George and Ron grimaced as they protectively clutched their groins.
"Who needs bits? They're only needed for when you want to have babies." Said Hermione.
"I won't get into that as you four are too young." Fred said.
"How does splinching occur?" Asked Ginny
"When the mind is insufficiently determined. You have to concentrate continuously on your destination, move without haste but with deliberation."
"Okay Harry you can apparate. You could always just go to Sirius….." said George
"Or have Sirius apparate into your room." George and Fred said together.
"What are you two getting at?"
"You could have Sirius put a detection charm on your room."
"How would that help, Fred?"
"Have the charm linked to a necklace or your watch so that if a witch or wizard…." George began.
"Or Dumbledore were to check up on you it would oh I don't know vibrate, glow…"
"Heat up or chime to let you know…."
"It's time to get back." Finished Fred and George together.
"That's brilliant." Said Ron.
"Look Harry, I know you don't want to live there. Maybe you don't have to. This weekend ask McGonagall if she can take you or arrange for you to go to Gringotts so that you can pull out some money. Pull enough money out so that you can send the Dursley's on vacation for nearly the whole summer holiday. They've left you behind before. They call it home. I don't think you actually have to live with them to 'charge the wards'. As long as it's where they call home and allow you to return it should be okay."
"Harry, I think Hermione is on to something. You'd actually have a decent birthday party."
"Not what I was meaning…."
"To be honest I'd actually have a decent birthday. I could actually have a party for the first time ever at the Dursley's. No matter what, if they were gone it would be the best birthday I ever had at their house."
"I was only meaning it so that Harry wouldn't be around the Dursley's."
"Hermione, it would be perfect. With the Dursley's gone I'd be able to have my friends over. Do really want me to spend the whole summer all alone? With no one there to make sure that I didn't do something stupid because I was bored. Are you saying that you wouldn't visit? It didn't stop you from visiting lat time the Dursley's were out of town."
"Of course I'd visit. I just don't think it would be a good idea to have a party."
"Why is that Granger?" Asked the twins.
"Because the tow of you would be there."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"When have the two of you ever done anything calm and discreet? I'm not worried about what the wizarding community might do. I am however concerned about if the Muggle Police were called out to the Dursley's."
"And why would that be a problem?"
"Ron are you really that thick? If the Muggle police were called…"
"They'd take me away, track down the Dursley's and throw them in prison and who knows what to Dudley."
"They wouldn't do that! Would they?"
"Yes they would Ron. It happens a lot in the Muggle world. If a parent does not properly take care of their child the Muggle police put the parents in prison and never see their kids again. No that I think about it, I can't ask to get money out of Gringotts. It would be suspicious. Dumbledore would know that something was up."
"Harry you should still try. You'll think of something that will convince McGonagall."
"Ron it won't work. Dumbledore will still have to approve it."
"I still think you should try. You never know what could happen?"
"Harry, if it's a weekend and school is still in session and Sirius okayed it McGonagall wouldn't be able to say no. Hell, why not talk to Snape. You keep saying that he's one of the good guys. I'm sure he'd take to get some money out of your vault at Gringotts. You have an invisibility cloak, sneak into someone's office and go to Gringotts. You should be able to leave grounds on the weekend and spend it with Sirius. Loads of students get to every once in a while."
"Ginny you have a point, Dumbledore can't stop Harry form going on an outing with Sirius as long as it doesn't interfere with school." Hermione said.
"What are the six of you doing? Do you realize what time it is? Off to bed, all of you."
"What does it matter to you? Who do you thin you are bossing us around? We're not doing anything wrong Percy."
"I. Am. A. Prefect. Ron."
"Percy we're trying to figure out a way that Harry doesn't starve this summer. His relatives starve him, you feed Hermes more than the Dursley's feed. What has Harry ever done to you….on purpose? You can't use the stupid zipper because that was an accident and Harry has apologized. Mum would not be pleased if you kept a grudge and let Harry starve nearly to death." Said Ginny.
"Percy shuddered and said, "Okay, okay fine continue your discussion and leave mum out of it."
