Author's Notes
Hello All! I hope everyone had a good Easter. This was a tricky chapter for me, lot's I wanted to include but after editing several versions I settled on this as the best of a rough bunch. I hope you enjoy it and let me know if I missed anything or made mistakes. As always please Review, Favourite and Follow, it's really the only metric that works on now so please leave a Review if you liked this chapter!
Reviews
griffin blackwood - Thank you, I'm glad you liked it!
littleemberlou - Thank you for your patience! I'm glad you like it, I agree that Moody probably would have hexed (or cursed) first and asked questions later (or never) but Sirius isn't in his right mind after a dozen years in Azkaban so you will have to forgive him his hopeful delusions!
spicyanimechick - I hope this one lives up to your expectations!
Guest - The first three years definitely follow the canon more, but I promise the rest of this year and then fourth year and onwards will diverge more and more. Little ripples lead to large waves.
Chapter 26
Rain lashed against the old stone walls as the Great Hall filled with excited students gorged on breakfast in preparation for the Quidditch match that afternoon. The weather was enough to make Harry wish he hadn't agreed to attend the game, but Susan was insistent that all of them show support for Hufflepuff.
"I'm only doing this because I want the Lion's to lose, I'm burning this damn thing after that." Terry grumbled as he picked at the yellow scarf he had been forced to wear.
"You'll do no such thing. That's mine and I'm generously lending it to you." Susan growled as she pointed her fork in Terry's direction aggressively. "You'll clean it and return it neatly folded."
"Alright calm down…"Terry mumbled as he slumped in his seat, elbowing Harry as he chuckled at his friend's defeat.
"I think you look good, Boot." Cedric Diggory's genial laugh sounded from behind Terry as the Hufflepuff Captain and Seeker walked past the group. "And I love the badger Luna."
"Thank you Cedric." Luna smiled broadly as she did her best to eat a bacon sandwich without losing the precariously balanced badger head she had created that perched on top of her own head.
"Y-yes thank you Cedric." Susan stammered as she waved at the Hufflepuff Prefect.
"Ooh is that why we have to support the Puff team then? Cos pretty boy Diggory is the Captain?" Terry asked, Susan's blush gave him a burst of fresh confidence but it faded quickly when the red-head pulled her wand out threateningly.
"We should make a move if we want to get decent seats." Harry said in an attempt to placate the two. Hannah and Luna helpfully stood and nudged Susan to move as well and the moment of tension thankfully dissipated.
The walk down to the stadium was fraught with near misses as several students slipped on the slick cobble path, Harry did his best not to slow the group but none showed any care that they were slowly being overtaken by many of their classmates. The first Quidditch match of the year always drew a large crowd, even with the foul weather the school was out in force. Harry doubted there was anyone left in the Castle besides Madam Pince, the Librarian never left her charges.
The stairs within each of the stands were thankfully enchanted to repel water so the climb up to the seats was much better than the walk down had been. Unfortunately, the open seats were not enchanted in this way and the heavy downpour had already soaked the wooden benches, but a little magic worked wonders and Harry quickly had a section of the bench warm and dry for them to sit on.
Harry still couldn't encompass the entirety of the Quidditch pitch with his sight, but with some effort he could expand it to cover almost all of it. Oddly the rain seemed to make it easier as he brushed against the drops falling from the clouds above, he thought he could probably reach the bottoms of the clouds with his sight if he really tried. But he could observe enough to enjoy the match and that was plenty, it strained his concentration to be aware of such a large space with so much going on within it.
"I don't know how they can fly in this, let alone hold a Quaffle at the same time." Terry half-shouted as he did his best to cover his eyes from the stinging rain. The storm had only grown more vicious since the start of the match and the wind threatened to tear the banners free of the stands filled with cheering students.
"A few of them have charms on their goggles to help, but it's certainly impressive." Harry replied as he struggled to resist the urge to draw his wand and use it to repel the rain and wind. Spells weren't allowed to be cast during a match in case of interference, if he was seen with his wand out he'd likely be lynched by the Hufflepuff's or Gryffindors.
"Oh oh I think they've seen the Snitch!" Susan pointed in the direction of two figures flying down the pitch, weaving between Chaser's, and circling one of the hoops on the Gryffindor end of the field. Harry could just about detect a tiny glint of magic and wings leading the two Seeker's on a merry chase, but it was hard to keep track of with so many things moving through the space.
"I wonder if Diggory will be able to catch it before Bell." Terry mused as the pair of Seeker's split to avoid a heavy Bludger and then resumed their chase. "She's a great Chaser and she's small and light enough for a Seeker, but Diggory has the experience and reach."
"Cedric will definitely beat Bell, he's the best Seeker Hogwarts has seen in years." Hannah stated defiantly as she stood with Susan and cheered, the Hufflepuff Keeper had saved another goal, though only just.
"Maybe I heard- oh wow they're really going up there?" Terry cut himself off in disbelief as both Seekers climbed higher and higher until both disappeared from Harry's awareness and quickly from the view of others going by the muttering of the crowd.
Thunder rolled across the sky as the rain grew even colder and harsher, the North Sea had birthed a truly monstrous storm for the match and Harry kept a tight grip on his cane as the wind tried to carry it away. He couldn't think of much worse than being stuck in the sky in this kind of weather, he didn't even want to be outside let alone several hundred feet in the air. With the Seekers out of view, most of the crowd focussed on the Chasers as they fought for possession of the Quaffle.
"Damn Wood is just unreal, did you see that catch? How did he stay on his broom!" Hannah sounded conflicted between annoyance at the opponent Keeper and impressed with his skill.
"He's definitely better than Fleet, Diggory needs to catch the Snitch or the Puff's are screwed." Terry had no such conflict and grinned broadly at Hannah and Susan's angered faces.
"I'm not sure why they're still up there, I'm pretty sure the Snitch is down by the commentator's box at the moment." Harry pointed with his free hand towards the flicker of magic he could sense hovering just above Jordan Lee's head.
"Wha-" Terry and Susan whipped their head's towards the Gryffindor commentator even as the older boy seemed to notice the tricky winged ball.
"OI BELL GET BACK DOWN HERE! THE SNITCH IS IN FRONT OF ME NOT IN THE CLOUDS – IGNORE THAT CEDRIC JUST JOKING!" Lee Jordan's magically enhanced voice echoed throughout the stadium and a large swathe of the Hufflepuff supporters shouted and jeered at the Gryffindor commentator.
"Oh I think they're coming back down, they must have heard Jordan." Susan pointed up into the sky and Harry strained his focus to shift his awareness to include more of the air above the stadium. He couldn't stretch his sight far enough to include the Seekers but as they were flying down he should at least be able to see them soon.
"Er Susie I don't think that's Cedric…" Terry muttered as he stood and leaned forward, hand raised to shield his eyes as best he could from the rain that stung any exposed skin it could reach.
"What do you – oh no!" For a moment Harry couldn't tell what the others had seen, he feared someone had fallen from their broom and drew his wand as he desperately thought of spells to help catch someone falling a hundred feet. But the first figure to appear in his awareness wasn't one of the two Seekers. It wasn't even a human. Patchwork limbs of screaming magic and a hungry void in place of a head, all wreathed in a miasma of frigid agony and terror. Soon it was followed by another. And another. Dozens of the demonic creatures descended like an unholy army from above. Dementors come to feed.
They were more than seventy feet above the stadium but they were floating down quickly, drawn in by the veritable feast presented to them. A piercing scream sounded from the sky above and a slim figure appeared in the midst of the swarm, falling between the creatures was one of the Seekers, grazing the Dementors and slowing as it passed each one and they drew deeply from it.
And then the figure was past the Dementors, hurtling towards the ground without a broom or way to slow their fall.
Harry didn't know whether it would work, but he pointed his wand and summoned as much focus and magic as he could.
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
His magic thrummed, a thundering rush as he forced it into the familiar shape of the Levitation Charm, but he had never tried to cast it across such a distance or on something moving so fast before. His emerald light surrounded the falling body and latched onto the robes they wore, bleeding off the momentum as he fought against the sudden weight bearing down on his magic. He felt lightheaded and his sight retracted, shrinking as he focussed his entirety on the spell.
Meters from the sodden grass the robes his spell had latched onto finally tore, the weight he had forced them to hold proving too much and the body fell to hit the ground with a wet splash. Harry slumped and let the spell fade. He was glad, and somewhat surprised, the robes hadn't given way sooner, but then Quidditch robes were likely armoured and padded to help with Bludger hits he supposed.
As his awareness expanded again his jaw dropped at the blazing inferno of magic that burned in the middle of the stadium. A winged creature made of white light shone like a small sun, waves of radiant light burst from it and each wave pushed the Dementors back, forcing them up and away from the stadium. It was a spectacle of magic he had never seen the like of before and the faint lines of purple and black that drifted from the Phoenix's wings like foxfire solidified his belief that their Headmaster was a terrifyingly powerful wizard. The Patronus' fury was palpable as an angry cry sounded from it's glowing beak, the sound doing what the last waves of light couldn't and banishing the Dementors back to the sky.
Harry accepted the mug of steaming hot chocolate with a grateful nod as Professor McGonagall moved back to her own seat. It was his first time in the Transfiguration Mistress' office and he found it suited the Head of Gryffindor's stern but kind demeanour. The fireplace was large and filled the room with a comforting warmth, the chairs were simple but homely, no needless extravagance. There was only one bookcase, though it did sag from the weight of the thick tomes stacked upon it, and one cabinet filled with picture frames and in pride of place at the front the previous year's Quidditch Cup sat.
"Miss Bell will need some time in the Hospital Wing for her exposure to the Dementors and to treat her broken shoulder, but for a girl who fell over a hundred feet she will recover remarkably quickly." Professor McGonagall sipped from a glass and peered at him with a small smile. "Your actions were not missed. Fifty points to Ravenclaw for superb spellwork, had you not caught Miss Bell one of the faculty would have needed to and we were sadly preoccupied with the incursion. It is very likely she would have suffered worse injuries, you should be proud of yourself Mr Potter."
"What about the rest of the school? The other players? The Dementors … they got close to the stands." Harry didn't dare voice his concern, he had read of the dreaded 'Kiss' when he researched the Dementors. It was a cruel fate to befall anyone, to lose your soul, the very essence that makes you who you are. To have it mangled and torn, until there was nothing left but fuel for the Dementors cruel existence.
"There are some cases of dangerous exposure, most of the Quidditch players will be in Poppy's care for several days, but the Dementors were repelled before anyone could be Kissed. The Castle Wards have been raised to keep them out for now and Professor Dumbledore has gone to the Ministry to try and talk some sense into the Minister." McGonagall's expression spoke volumes as to how she thought that would go.
"Couldn't you keep the Wards up to keep the Dementors out all year?" Harry knew some of the basics on Warding from his talks with Pervical and the Cursebreaker had mentioned on more than one occasion that Hogwart's protective enchantments were some of the strongest and oldest in the world, moreso even than the Ministry's defences.
"Sadly no, while the Castle's enchantments can keep out almost any force they are not without drawbacks. To keep the Wards up we must restrict access to the school, no owls can leave or enter, even the Floo is blocked. As it is, tonight we will have to keep a careful watch to make sure no students try to sneak out, or any fools from Hogsmeade venture too close. Anything that attempts to cross the Castle boundaries will meet with a grisly end." Harry gulped at the Deputy Headmistress' words and yet a small part of his mind couldn't help but wonder what he would see if he were to approach the dangerously powerful wards.
"Oh I suppose that makes sense, I'm sure the Headmaster would have already tried that if it wasn't so dangerous to us." Harry reasoned as he put his, now empty, cup aside and did his best to smother the yawn that threatened to erupt. Professor McGonagall had pulled him from the Ravenclaw common room a few hours after they had been herded into their House dormitories and he had worried he was going to be punished for something at first.
"Indeed." She smiled softly at him and gestured towards the door with a sigh. "I can see the day has exhausted you so I will let you go, but thank you again Harry. Without your efforts today I might have lost one of my Lions."
Harry nodded sheepishly and made his way to the door with a wave and mumbled goodbye. He hadn't done all that much in his mind, it was a first-year spell after all. He stepped through the door and as it closed, he missed the stern Transfiguration Mistress's sad glance in the direction of the photo cabinet, her eyes fixing on one picture in particular where a pretty red-headed girl and a tall dark haired boy stood posing with their Head badges proudly displayed on their robes.
The British Ministry of Magic had one entrance for visitors, a nondescript phone booth in central London, a series of fireplaces in the atrium for Floo travel and an Apparition point, also in the atrium. These three points were designed to converge in the atrium so any visitors would have to pass the security checkpoint where their identity could be confirmed and logged for security. However over the years other, less well known, entrances were created. The Minister for Magic in 1868 was a rather paranoid fellow and instructed the Department of Mysteries to create a secret escape route for him, this entrance could supposedly only be opened from within the Minister's office and led to an undisclosed location along the Underground railway. The Department of Mysteries used their carte blanche directive from the Minister to create several other secret entrances to the Ministry, though most were discovered and closed by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement over the following decades when knowledge of them spread.
Albus Dumbledore could have used any of these entrances, he knew of two hidden entryways that the Department of Mysteries still maintained, but his anger at the events of the Quidditch match and the Minister's continued attempts to avoid him were enough to convince him that a reminder was in order. The events of the past few years individually could be disregarded as coincidence, but when taken together they led him to two irrefutable conclusions. First, Tom Riddle Jr was returning to power. Slowly but surely the whispers of missing people in Albania had made their way to Dumbledore's ears and the sheer number of them was enough to concern him, there were many foul rituals that required the spilling of blood but there were far less that required the vast quantity that had disappeared. Over forty from Albania alone, Romania and Bulgaria had also reported a dozen young women missing that Albus suspected were related.
It was the second truth that caused Albus Dumbledore, Transfiguration Master, Defeater of Grindelwald and last Apprentice of Nicolas Flamel, to apparate through the wards that covered the Ministry. People had forgotten who he was. Peacetime had given figures like Lucius Malfoy and Tiberius Nott time to gather strength, and they had deluded themselves into thinking they were untouchable. That the doddering old Headmaster was past his prime, no threat to them. A demonstration was needed.
So Albus apparated from his office, forgoing Fawkes' offer to transport him. Contrary to popular belief, there were multiple techniques that could be used to perform apparition, the most common involved forcing one's physical body through space to travel across great distances very quickly. This method was the easiest to learn, it had limits on the distance a person could travel and could also be blocked easily as space could be enchanted to be unbendable which made apparating through it very difficult. However Albus and Gellert had discovered another method many years ago, much more difficult and exceedingly dangerous, it required him to force his body to break apart while using his magic to keep his collective essence intact. If done correctly there were nearly no limits to how far he could travel as he was no longer forcing his physical form through space, instead he could just move his magic and that required far less effort, although any slip in concentration could result in him losing control of his essence and losing himself amidst the magic that flowed constantly across the world. It required a level of skill and focus that few could muster, and even fewer would be willing to risk the potential outcome should their attention lapse. But Albus Dumbledore was never one to let fear hold him back, so he wrenched the fabric of reality and tore into the space above central London. He had to spend several long minutes discorporated as he carefully weaved between the various enchantments that protected the Ministry, slowly moving closer to his target, but he had breached Gellert Grindelwald's protections many times and they were far superior to these. He had been told by the always polite Miss Goldbloom, Fudge's receptionist, that the Minister would be in meetings for the rest of the day. As he pushed through the last of the wards and began to gather himself, he could tell that his suspicions had been correct.
Albus Dumbledore appeared with a thunderous CRACK in the doorway of the Minister's office and smiled pleasantly at the startled and stunned occupants. Cornelius Fudge sat behind his desk, pale and damp from the whiskey he had just spilled across himself at the sudden noise. Lucius Malfoy had half stood and his wand was drawn from it's cane-sheath, his reactions had not dulled since the war, but at seeing who had appeared so suddenly he too had paled slightly and lowered his wand, though he did keep it firmly in his grip. Dolores Umbridge had actually fallen from her chair at the sound and was embarrassedly righting herself, her face flushed and angry. The final occupant of the room was the calmest, Tiberius Nott, a short man with a barrel-chest and balding head, had remained seated and took a sip of his own whiskey. Nott's dark eyes were fixed on Dumbledore and his left hand was resting comfortably on the arm of the chair, hiding the wand he kept tucked up his sleeve but ready to draw it if necessary.
"A-Albus w-what are you doing?" Fudge stuttered as he dabbed at his face with a handkerchief, partly to wipe away the whiskey and partly to dab at the sweat beading upon his forehead.
"My apologies Cornelius, I had intended to apparate into the Atrium but my attention must have lapsed, old age and all that." Albus's smile shifted to a colder, harder expression as he stepped forward. "However, thanks to this fortunate accident I suppose now we can have that meeting I requested. About the Dementor incursion during the Quidditch match earlier today?"
"We were just discussing that very event Dumbledore, Tiberius here came up with a very logical explanation for the whole … debacle." Fudge coughed awkwardly at the Headmaster's piercing stare and gestured to his companion to explain.
"The Dementors were given strict orders to only hunt for Black. He must have been at the stadium during the match and the Dementors approached to apprehend him." Nott's voice was smooth and his tone polite, but Albus had dealt with the man before and knew him to be a dangerous opponent. "Of course you cannot be blamed for preventing them from capturing Black, Headmaster, you only did what you thought necessary to protect your students. An admirable reaction, if perhaps misguided."
It was a clever explanation, it shifted any blame from the Ministry and could even be used to disparage Albus as interfering in the hunt for Black. It was exactly the sort of political finesse that he had come to expect from Nott and Malfoy, the two were a dangerous foe when allied.
"Ah, I see. And you have some evidence of Sirius Black's presence at the match?" Albus had spent several decades dealing with the Wizengamot, he could also be a formidable political animal when needed. "No? In that case I am sure that the Prophet will not be reporting on such unsubstantiated rumours in tomorrow's edition."
Nott didn't react but Malfoy frowned, he had been intending to leak the story to Cuffe at the Prophet to besmirch Dumbledore and shift the blame further from the Minister. Fudge was a useful tool so long as he was handled properly, donations and assistance with the media was a part of that.
"N-no of course Albus, just a-a theory is all." Fudge finished mopping his face and settled for fidgeting with the sodden handkerchief, twisting the silk between his fingers nervously.
"Good. Now as for the Dementors, clearly they are not suited for guarding a school. Does this not explain why I have pushed for them to be returned to Azkaban, Cornelius? The Aurors are more than capable of finding Black." Albus felt a brief moment of hope but the false simpering that came from his left quashed that hope.
"I'm terribly sorry Headmaster, I must have misunderstood, but surely you aren't advising the Minister for Magic to stop hunting for a dangerous criminal?" Madam Umbridge's sickly sweet voice dripped like poison in the ear and Fudge straightened at her words, the sycophant feeding his ego and steeling his spine.
"Dolores is right Albus, I can't be seen standing down the Dementors with Black still at large. No I will pull half of them away to search the rest of Scotland, but you will keep the other thirteen to guard the castle." Fudge looked determined, much of his previous nervousness gone as his allies nodded along to his words.
"Very wise Minister." Tiberius stood and bowed in Fudge's direction before turning to the doorway. "Now if you will excuse me, I have a meeting at Gringotts I must attend to. Good evening Minister."
Nott walked up to Dumbledore and paused momentarily as the Headmaster eyed him seriously, his eyes lacking their distinctive twinkle more reminiscent of cold ice than their usual sky blue. The moment ended and Albus stepped aside with a genial smile to let the shorter wizard pass.
"In that case I must leave as well, the school wards are currently raised and I would hate for any young fools to test the old castle's defences." Dumbledore dipped his head respectfully to Fudge and then turned, not to face the door but in a full circle as he gathered his magic and disapparated.
His body disappeared with another deafening CRACK but he forced his awareness to linger, it was an incredibly difficult technique and not one he used often but it was possible to halt the apparition process, usually it was used as he had earlier to circumvent enchantments but it could also be used for reconnaissance. It took supreme force of will to hold one's awareness in place after the initial discorporation but it was possible. So he waited, his essence hovering just beneath the enchantments that would prevent such surveillance normally.
Tiberius did indeed leave, making his way towards the atrium, but Lucius and Umbridge lingered. Both seemed keen to talk in private with the Minister, and neither seemed happy the other had remained.
"Madam Umbridge I have some private matters I need to discuss with the Minister, if you would be so kind as to give us the room?" Lucius asked, his words polite but his tone was cold and the request was clearly not optional.
"Of course Mr Malfoy," Dolores stood and smoothed out her pink knitted skirt. "I'll be just outside if you need anything Minister." Umbridge stepped out of the room and closed the door carefully behind her, but she didn't move away. She stood waiting, listening for any morsels of information she could use. It irked Dumbledore that he was essentially doing the same, if with much greater flair, but he pushed that aside to focus on the inhabitants of the room. He needed more information on the relationship between the Malfoy patriarch and the Minister. He needed to know how far Cornelius had fallen into Lucius' thrall.
"Professor McGonagall told me about what happened at the Quidditch match." Professor Lupin made no movement to leave his seat and the heavy trunk that housed the Boggart was still in the corner of the classroom where it was kept when he wasn't practicing, so Harry settled into one of the seats at the front of the room. "Very impressive, to catch a falling body without causing damage by stopping them too quickly or slowly is not an easy task. And with a basic levitation charm as well."
"I shouldn't have used the Levitation charm really." Harry couldn't help the correction from escaping his lips but he had spent the past days going over his reaction to the sight of Katie Bell falling and he knew of two other ways he could have slowed her fall that would have worked better, maybe even preventing her from breaking her collarbone and arm but certainly they would have stopped her robes from tearing and flashing her underwear at the thankfully distracted crowds. "I could have used the Immobilising Charm to stop her for a few seconds, or the Slowing Charm would have been even better but I didn't think. I just…"
"Reacted. You reacted, and you did so quickly enough to save a girl's life Harry. Hindsight is useful for learning from our choices, and perhaps you could have given Miss Bell a softer landing, but you saved her life and that is enough." Lupin leaned backward with a small smirk. "Professor McGonagall also mentioned that you have been avoiding her after she mentioned Miss Bell wanted to thank you in person?"
Harry couldn't help the embarrassed blush that coloured his cheeks and was once again grateful for the tinted glasses that obscured much of upper face, Bell was still in the Hospital Wing but was due to be released the next morning and Professor McGonagall had insisted he visit her before then. He had avoided doing so, mostly because he didn't want to deal with the needless gratitude but also because he didn't want to see the injuries he could have prevented. Should have prevented.
"You look so much like your father sometimes that I forget how different you are." Professor Lupin remarked suddenly. "James was never one to shy away from praise, but then he was also much more likely to be leaving dungbombs in the Quidditch changing rooms than to save one of the players. In his earlier years anyway, he matured a great deal after his parents passed."
"Were you friends with him at school then?" Harry asked eagerly, the Defence Professor hadn't mentioned his parents much after their first meeting and he couldn't help but be curious about them.
"I was close with your father yes, and your mother once we were in our last years here, but I shared a dorm with James and we became good friends early on. He was a great man. I won't lie to you, he had flaws, but he always tried to do good, to protect his loved ones and those who couldn't defend themselves." A shadow seemed to pass over Lupin's face as the man sighed and shook his head. "But we can talk more about him later, I take it you are still keen to practice?"
Harry nodded, though he resolved to bring up his parents again at the end of the tutoring session, and drew his wand as Lupin summoned the heavy trunk across the room and took his usual position behind it. He faced the Boggart six times, each time settling on a different memory to fuel the spell, and each time he failed to produce even a wisp of light. By the end he was exhausted and was sent on his way by Lupin to rest, he only remembered his desire to ask about his parents once he was in bed and by then could do little but groan in annoyance and exhaustion as sleep claimed him.
END