Chapter 40: Speaking in Riddles - Sept 1994

The Gryffindor and Slytherin fourth-year students settled into the dungeon for their first Potions class of the year.

A familiar wizard with a mustache greeted them heartily, "Welcome, welcome everyone! I will be your professor for this calendar year only, white the talented, young Mr. Snape conducts some terribly exciting research. While our time together will be short, that doesn't mean that we can't have great fun!"

Harry noted that Neville looked lighter than he'd ever seen him. Harry realized that the other Gryffindor never had Slughorn for potions in the previous timeline.

Neville even smiled when Slughorn knew his name without asking, though his smile faltered when the professor brought up his parents.

"Excellent students of mine. Tragic, what happened."

Neville of this timeline had already told his classmates about his parents. After a quick glance at Hermione and Harry, Neville looked like he'd recovered. Harry resolved to check in with him later.

Their first class required no brewing. Instead, Slughorn delivered a repetitive-yet-entertaining lecture on antidotes.

Neville even answered a question. "Bubotuber pus." After the professor's praise, the student qualified his success, "We've just had that Herbology class."

As they were packing their things, Neville remarked, "That was my favorite potions lesson ever."

"Dear boy, you flatter an old man!" Slughorn gave a jolly chuckle. "Harry, might I have a word?"

"Of course, sir." Harry hadn't spoken at all that lesson, but he didn't expect to get away with that indefinitely.

Professor Slughorn explained about his dinner parties. "You're perhaps a bit young for it, but I'd like to have you there all the same."

The terms of the invitation felt… different than the ones Harry had declined (through avoidance) in the previous timeline. Then, Slughorn had been influenced by the recent newspaper reporting that Harry was the Chosen One. He had also mentioned Lily Evans at their first meeting in the other timeline.

But Harry was also different. Almost certainly due to Ron's influence, Harry felt like a promising individual on his own merits in this timeline. Harry was more popular and confident, particularly with people he didn't know particularly well. He still wasn't particularly academic, but his marks were quite good in all classes except his electives. No one but Ron and Hermione would ever know that he'd completed those courses before. When Harry looked at himself, he saw someone that could be invited to the Slug Club.

But the final factor that solidified his acceptance: both Ron and Hermione had expressed interest to Harry about the kinds of connections their temporary potions professor could give them.

Harry told Slughorn, "Well, I'm certainly flattered to even be invited. But I might be more comfortable if there were a few other fourth-years there, like Hermione, Ron, and Neville."

With a knowing smile, Slughorn agreed to extend his friends an invitation to secure Harry's attendance.

"I think we should try to finish off Voldemort as soon as possible."

Hermione's eyebrows raised at Harry's declaration in their first secret meeting of the year.

Ron seemed relieved. "What do you have in mind? We talked about laying a trap but we never agreed on the specifics."

The trio had talked about luring Voldemort to the ministry using the prophecy, but that was too public. They didn't want to risk others' lives in the cross-fire. Diagon Alley and Hogwarts were out for the same reason.

Godric's Hollow was their best idea for a location, but they still needed a way to get Voldemort there without making him suspect a trap.

As though it were simple, Harry said, "I'm going to go visit my parents' graves on Halloween."

Hermione bit her lip with worry about her friend confronting Voldemort. While it was the plan all along, it seemed too soon! Instead of saying that, she pointed out, "But we don't want Sirius or Remus there. They might both expect to be invited along on that sort of trip."

Ron said, "We can make it seem like a spur-of-the-moment thing? You appear to sneak off alone and then take the Knight Bus?"

"I like it," Harry declared.

Hermione said, "I think you should make sure Professor Wicket knows when you do that. I think he's Barty Crouch Junior in disguise."

Ron put a hand on his chin as Hermione explained her reasoning. Ron added, "There is something up with his face, magically." He tapped on the edge of his glasses frames.

Harry sounded skeptical. "I'm not sure that he's the same guy who impersonated Moody for a year, but I promise to be on my guard around the new professor at least."

"Too bad you can't ask Snape." Hermione regretted the words as soon as she said them.

Harry's face fell. "Honestly, I don't want him involved at this point. You were right months ago when you pointed out that he won't go along with our plans." Harry spoke with more gravity, "Ending this is more important to me, our most important task. We have a real opportunity, now that the horcruxes we know of are gone. We don't want to give Voldemort the opportunity to create more, cause more suffering."

Harry really knew how to give a pre-battle speech.

Hermione thought about her fellow muggleborns, both students and adults. Many had been cut down by the first war with Voldemort, and many more had been killed or driven from the UK by the resurgence of that war in the other timeline.

She thought about her parents, with whom she had a loving and more honest relationship with. She hoped they were safe and happy at home in London at that very moment and that they stayed that way.

She thought about her friends and classmates, like Lavender, who had died last timeline in the Battle of Hogwarts.

Hermione was reluctantly persuaded. She blinked back tears of desperate fear for Harry as well as her anticipated relief from the burdens of the war of the previous timeline. "How about sneaking away on Halloween?"

A young student that Harry didn't know handed him a scroll one day in September.

It was an invitation from Dumbledore to come to his office a few days later. I wonder if he's going to show me memories of Voldemort and tell me about horcruxes, like in my sixth year in the other timeline.

Putting away the scroll, Harry put the upcoming appointment out of his mind easily. He hadn't talked to Dumbledore once in the past 12 months, although the headmaster's interest in Harry came up in the Shrieking Shack confrontation the previous Spring.

Once the appointed hour arrived, Harry made the familiar trek to the stone gargoyle.

Dumbledore spoke first, "Welcome, Harry. Please take a seat." He sounded both warm and a little distracted to Harry's ears.

"Hello." Harry felt as close to nothing as he ever had around the man. He didn't want to impress him or even have a conversation. Harry sat in the chair opposite the headmaster.

"As you learned a few years ago, Voldemort is still alive. You are a powerful symbol, and he would seek to use that to show his own might. Do you understand?"

"I suppose."

"I fear that so long as you live, he will continue to chase you. As such, I would like to arm you, not with spells but with information."

"To help me survive?" Harry asked, to break his own heart.

"I sincerely hope so. But hidden in the facts and stories I present lies what I believe to be the key to Voldemort's defeat. I ask that you limit your questions in our time together and listen closely."

Harry stood up in an attempt to hide his face while Dumbledore began to explain the histories of Tom Riddle, Bob Ogden, and the Gaunt family.

When Dumbledore showed him Ogden's memory, Harry understood the sibilant hissing of Parseltongue but let Dumbledore translate the Gaunts' words for him. Dumbledore didn't express any suspicion that Harry was feigning a lack of comprehension.

However, a few intense looks punctuated ideas about sacrifices and "true victory". These led Harry to believe that Dumbledore still knew that Harry housed a horcrux, when he reflected upon the "lesson" later.

Harry also noted that Dumbledore did not use this opportunity to talk about the prophecy at all. As far as Dumbledore knew, Harry wasn't aware of its existence.

A pride of Gryffindors walked together to Hogsmeade village on a drizzling day in late September. Ron along with Dean, Seamus, and Neville were toward the front of the group. Harry, Hermione, Lavender, Parvati, and honorary Gryffindor Luna trailed behind.

They had almost made it to Honeydukes when Ron felt an inexplicable sense of dread.

"Dementors!" Harry shouted. A shining stag materialized. Ron's terrier followed quickly. It took Hermione several tries to summon her patronus, but she eventually succeeded.

They were able to push the pair of horrible creatures back while the students with them fled into the candy store. The streets were already empty because of the rain.

Ron wanted to let the Hogwarts professors know about the dementors, but it seemed a little flashy to use a patronus messenger when they had the situation under control. Ron told Harry, "Run back to the school and let someone know, will you? Hermione and I'll stay here in case the dementors come back."

Before Harry made it far, shopkeepers and village residents flooded out into the street.

"Was that a dementor?!"

"— In broad daylight!"

"Our quiet little village, haunted by two monsters! You two are heroes."

Ron told the last speaker, "Harry Potter helped, too. He went back to the school to warn the staff."

"Harry Potter, here?"

Harry returned with Professors Sprout and McGonagall. The latter witch used a voice-enhancing charm to announce to the village, "All Hogwarts students in Hogsmeade village are to return to the school and wait in the Great Hall."

Within an hour, the deputy headmistress proclaimed that all students were well and accounted for.

When all was said and done, Ron thought that the incident was a bit underwhelming, except for the question of who had ordered such an attack. In the previous timeline, it was Umbridge. Yet, Ron didn't see a reason for her to make this move this time.

Ron would find out more at breakfast the next day, courtesy of a brief, unsigned letter sent to Harry: "Dementors a move by V to herd you into alley for kidnapping attempt. Stay vigilant and protect against portkeys."

Presumably this message was from Lily-as-Snape.

Ron had more to read when Hermione put the Daily Prophet in front of him.

Ron skimmed over fragments: "Terror in Hogsmeade", "Harry Potter (not pictured) and two classmates", "Fudge blames escaped convict Peter Pettigrew".

Harry frowned. "They don't name either of you, even though you were just as helpful as I was."

Hermione was unbothered. "I'm happy to stay out of the spotlight, thanks."

Ron said, "The villagers probably didn't know our names. Neither of us talked to a reporter. I, er, did say your name."

Harry sighed, "Honestly, this story is pretty accurate. It could have been worse."

Ron noted that the author wasn't Rita Skeeter, which probably explained why the only falsehood was the quote from Fudge about Pettigrew, who the trio knew to be dead.

Ron thought about tipping off a reporter. The trio now knew that deaths were magically recorded. Fudge was also a habitual liar and succeptable to bribery.

However, Ron talked himself out of the idea. He had no idea what that would do, and it would probably be years before he'd really understand British wizarding politics enough to want to meddle. He felt a little caught off-guard by the Malfoy family's sudden move, so he wanted to be cautious when his ideas didn't directly relate to the trio's plans.

Harry was still frowning. When prompted, Harry said, "Even if it was Pettigrew, someone at the Ministry might be implicated." Umbridge might still be out there, being evil.

"Tread carefully," was Ron's advice. "Maybe sleep on it before doing anything?" You can explore that angle after we defeat Voldemort.

Harry nodded slowly. "Okay, I'll sleep on it."

Three days later, Harry was again sitting at the breakfast table when Ron shot him a look. Harry walked out to the entrance hall, and Ron followed.

After putting up a silencing spell, the redhead said intently, "I thought you said you'd sleep on it!"

Harry was confused. "I did. I wrote the letter to the Prophet the day after we talked."

"I meant, like, in a month or two." Harry knew when his friend emphasized the last word, he meant after they hopefully ended Voldemort.

Harry grimaced. "I'm surprised that we haven't had more misunderstandings like this, actually. You and Hermione are on another level. From my point of view, what you two do is basically mind reading."

Ron took a big breath and exhaled slowly. "Hang in there. We need to see this through."

Harry stood alone in the entrance hall as he thought about his letter, which was printed in full in the the Daily Prophet:

Dear Editor,

I appreciated the factual article on the Hogsmeade dementor incident of this past weekend. The other two students who assisted in repelling the creatures were Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, close friends of mine. This was a scary event for myself, my friends, and the villagers, and I appreciate your prompt reporting.

But this brings to mind a bigger question in my mind: aren't dementors under the control of the Ministry of Magic? Where's the inquiry into how two dementors appeared in front of schoolchildren? I'm deeply glad that there was no lasting harm as a result of the unprovoked and highly unusual attack, but this story needs further investigation.

I look forward to reading your follow-up report.

Harry Potter

It was the sort of letter Harry wished that he'd written to the Prophet after the dementor attack in the previous timeline. Ron had taught him to use the truth, and this had been a second chance to do that.

While being a method of operation Delores Umbridge was known to have used in the other timeline, Harry could admit that this particular attack could have simply been the result of a forgery or bribe to anyone.

However, that was not a comfort. Whether or not that person knew that they were serving Voldemort, they had to be at least indifferent to human life to send these sorts of monsters anywhere.

Harry was disheartened that both the pink toad and the facilitator of the recent attack were out there, being evil bureaucrats somewhere.

Harry knew that eventually he would have to make choices about which burdens other than Voldemort he would champion on behalf of magical society. But, he wouldn't make those decisions until after the trio defeated Voldemort, which would hopefully be very soon.