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The Refiner's Fire | ||||||
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Category: Post-OotP, Buried Gems Characters:All Genres: Action/Adventure, Fluff, General Warnings: Death, Sexual Situations, Violence Story is Complete Rating: R Reviews: 618 Summary: In the summer before his sixth year at Hogwarts, Harry Potter learns to come to terms with the death of Sirius. As he heals and grows emotionally, he learns how to enjoy life again. But there's a war on, and Voldemort's primary objective is to kill Harry Potter, by any means necessary. As a result, Harry and his friends have a very adventurous sixth year at Hogwarts. Canon-based with some OC. HG, RHr, RT. Hitcount: Story Total: 381573; Chapter Total: 15187 |
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DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Author notes: When Harry signs an autograph below, “Magic rocks!” — that was inspired by an incident in Dan Radcliffe’s life. On MTV’s TRL, he met one of the contestants who was trying to win an internship on GoF and they talked about music for quite a while. When they parted, Dan signed an autograph for the young man (who was the eventual winner), “Magic rocks! Dan Radcliffe.” I thought Harry might do the same thing under the right circumstances, which I’ve tried to depict below. Many thanks to Kelpie, my brilliant Brit-picker, and to Blakevich, Starfox, Shawn and Pilar for beta-reading! And to Rich Streeter on my Yahoo group — thanks for the giggles! Are you happy now? Heehee You can join the Yahoo! Group for this fic at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPR efinersFire “Harry? Harry, Dumbledore has to leave soon, and he needs to talk to you,” Ron called, walking uneasily toward the hippogriff again. Harry kissed Ginny tenderly, then helped her get her clothes straightened out properly before pulling his own sweater back into place. When they were tidy again, he stood up. “I’m here, Ron. What’s he want now?” “Dunno, mate, but he says it’s important. You did take off in the middle of the meeting, y’know.” Ron smiled a bit. There was no reproach in his voice at all. “You OK?” “I’ve been better,” Harry acknowledged, “but I’ll be all right. Your sister has this healer thing completely under control,” he added as he and Ginny emerged from behind Beaky’s wing. Ginny was blushing. “I really don’t want to know what you mean by that,” Ron said with a grin. “I’m just glad to see you looking better. I know it’s going to take a while for us to be back to our old selves again, especially you, but you seem to be feeling better than before.” “Yeah, a bit,” Harry agreed. They walked back to the cave in silence, Harry’s arm tight around Ginny’s shoulders, his face taut. He didn’t want to think about what had happened, but he knew Dumbledore would want him to face it again and again until he’d accepted it as part of his life and moved on despite those awful experiences. “Ah, Harry, I’m glad to see you,” Dumbledore greeted him when they arrived back at the cave. “I’m sorry to spring so much on you at one time. I’ve been in a terrible rush ever since I got your news yesterday. I should have taken more time with you, made certain you were feeling quite well, before going on like that. Please accept my humble apologies.” “No apology necessary, Professor,” Harry said seriously, trying his best to do the right thing. “I surprised myself with that outburst. I’m sorry. I know the Order of Merlin is a tremendous honour. Thank you for thinking I’m worthy of it.” “You have earned it. I’m sorry I upset you. I wanted to talk to you again before I left. I have a great deal of unfinished business to do at home as a result of this battle. The Ministry is in an uproar over British wizards fighting on foreign soil. The French Ministry of Magic has been screaming about this ever since they learned of the attack this morning.” “How did they hear about it? We only told you,” Harry asked, amazed. “Just as our Ministry has ways of immediately discovering the use of magic by an underage wizard, for instance, the French Ministry has similar guards in place. They discovered massive amounts of magic being used in this small area, some of it by underage wizards,” he said, nodding at Harry and Ginny, “and sent a team of Aurors to see what was going on. They saw Voldemort here and fled, reporting back to their Ministry. Both those Aurors and the French Ministry refused to send help to you. As a result, our Ministry and the French Ministry are at odds with each other now. I’m hoping to be able to build some cooperation between the two Ministries, rather than letting them go on burning bridges as they’re attempting to do.” “Why would they not want to help us?” Harry was astonished that trained Aurors, seeing wizards under attack from Voldemort and his Death Eaters, would not leap into battle. He knew he would assist anyone facing such odds, and he was certain Tonks, Moody and the other Aurors he knew would do the same “A lot of it is political. The French in general don’t want to be involved in other countries’ problems. Unfortunately, some of them are Voldemort’s supporters, and some of them don’t want to believe he’s back. Most of them think the British should deal with him because he’s a British wizard, and they’re very upset there was a battle on their soil.” Dumbledore shook his head. “Some people. . .I just don’t know. They just blind themselves to the truth and think things will turn out all right with no effort on their part.” Harry steeled himself. He could see something coming. “What do you want me to do?” “Bless you, my boy, you have such a good soul,” Dumbledore said, smiling affectionately at Harry. “I appreciate your offer, and I will let you know if I do need your help. Right now, we need to move this camp elsewhere for safety’s sake. Alastor was right — you shouldn’t stay here, but I realize many of you were too badly injured for you to be able to move immediately after he left you.” “Is he all right? Have you heard from him?” Harry asked, worried that no one had mentioned hearing from the old Auror since he’d left with the prisoners. “Yes, he’s fine. He delivered the prisoners safely and will be going back to Order Headquarters when he’s finished with his paperwork up there at Azkaban. By the time he’s done and returns to Headquarters, you lot should be safely finished with the delivery of Buckbeak and on your way home.” “That much paperwork, eh? No wonder he was complaining about it,” Harry said with half a smile. “Now, Harry,” Dumbledore continued, “I’d like you to allow me to do a strong Cheering Charm on you. I think it will help you through this rough patch.” “OK.” Dumbledore performed the charm and asked, “Feeling better?” “Yeah,” Harry said with a trace of his normal cocky grin. “I tried to do one on myself earlier, and Ginny tried too, but they didn’t work.” “You needed a very strong one, one we normally don’t teach until Seventh Year at Hogwarts. I will teach you how to do it another time. And you, too,” he added, pointing to Ron and Ginny, “as well as Miss Granger. It will do all of you good. Shall I do one on you two as well?” “Yeah, I think it would help,” Ron said. Doing the body count was harder for him than the battle itself. “I don’t honestly think I need one,” Ginny said. “I’m pretty happy as it is.” She was bouncing on her toes at Harry’s side, her eyes dancing, her normal youthful energy back in full force. “And you look it, my dear,” Dumbledore said with a knowing nod and a twinkle in his eye. “Harry, I may need you to talk to people in the Ministries of both England and France. Not only will you be a help because of what you went through these two days, but your name will make the French authorities pay closer attention to what we’re saying. I know you don’t like to use your fame in any way, but in this case, it will be for the greater good.” “I understand. Just let me know when you need me.” “Good lad.” “Albus?” Arthur said suddenly. “Would you take Ginny back with you? Her mother. . .” “NO!” Ginny snapped. “I’m not going back! I’m going with you!” Harry’s face fell, but he turned resolutely to her and said, “You’ll be safer, sweetheart. You weren’t supposed to come anyway.” “Maybe not, but who’s the one who’s been able to cheer you up?” she said, her face determined. “I fought as hard as anyone else! I can take care of myself! And who’s going to take care of you if I’m not here?” “We can take care of Harry,” Arthur began. “NO! I’m going with you! If you try to make me go back, I’ll just follow you again!” Her body was vibrating with rage, her eyes brown fire. Arthur gazed at her sadly for a long moment, then turned back to Dumbledore. “You’d have to Stun her and tie her up to keep her from trying to find us, I suspect. She’s her mother all over again. Just leave her here, we’ll manage, I suppose.” “Thank you, Dad!” she said, launching herself at her father and wrapping her arms around him in delight. “I can take care of myself. You’ll see.” “I know that, baby girl,” Arthur said fondly as he returned her embrace. Harry breathed a sigh of relief and wrapped his arms around Ginny when she moved back to his side. He bent down and kissed the top of her head. “I’ll look after her, Mr. Weasley.” “I know you will, lad,” Arthur said, smiling fondly at the boy, then looking at his wilful daughter with eyes full of love and concern. “You have to follow orders, Ginny. If you don’t, you could endanger all of us.” She nodded her understanding. Dumbledore noticed the change in Harry’s face, from stony but heartbroken resolve when Arthur said Ginny couldn’t go, to a mixture of relief and concern when he agreed to let her go. The old wizard smiled at the young couple, who were already more like two halves of a whole than simple boyfriend and girlfriend. As long as she stayed safe, Harry truly would be better off with her close by. “All right then, everyone, I’m going back to Hogwarts. You have a safe journey, and give Charlie Weasley my best regards when you see him, all right? Goodbye,” Dumbledore said, then mounted his waiting thestral and flew away. It didn’t take long to pack up the camp and get ready to go. Harry and Remus examined Beaky, trying to decide if the hippogriff was strong enough to fly. “It looks to me as if Beaky’s injuries have healed enough so that he can fly safely,” Remus mused. “He still seems a bit sore,” Harry said, his face concerned as he moved around the animal, touching him here and there, trying to complete the healing process quickly wherever he could. “It might be best if I ride him by myself.” “You’re probably right. It’s a good idea to conserve his energy as much as possible. Ginny’s lightest, but she hasn’t flown a hippogriff before, has she?” “No, she hasn’t. Beaky seems to like her, but flying him isn’t at all like flying a broom, and his flying may be rough or unsteady given that he’s injured. Since she’s not used to him in the first place, she probably shouldn’t be the one to ride him,” Harry commented. He looked over toward the cave and called, “Oy, Ron!” “Yeah?” Ron replied, straightening up from packing the rest of his supplies in his bag. “Beaky probably shouldn’t carry two. You and Ginny will need to ride brooms. Can you get my Firebolt out for her, since her broom’s gone?” “No problem,” Ron replied, taking both brooms from his pocket and restoring them to full size. “Here you go, Gin,” he said, handing her the Firebolt. “Thanks, Harry!” Ginny said with a huge grin. “You know how much I love riding this broom!” She mounted the broom gleefully and was about to take off when Arthur said, “Ginny, no!” “No what, Dad?” she said in surprise. “Don’t go anywhere. We need to put Disillusionment Charms on all of us before anyone takes off. There may still be Death Eaters in the area, and who knows where You-Know-Who’s gone.” His face was worried. He was very concerned about having to face more unknown dangers with two of his children and Harry along to look after. Harry seemed to read his mind. “Mr. Weasley, we may be students, but we’re good fighters,” he assured his friend. “Oh, I know that, Harry, but. . .” “Yeah, they’re your kids. I understand.” “You’re as good as one of my kids, as well. I worry about all three of you.” “I suppose asking you not to worry won’t do any good then?” Harry said with a wry smile. “No, it won’t.” Arthur shook his head ruefully and smiled sadly. “It’s my job to worry about you lot.” “OK, then,” Harry replied, waving his hand grandly, “worry away!” He laughed. The Cheering Charm had done him a lot of good. He was almost giddy at times now. He walked over to Ginny, pulled her into a tight embrace and kissed her tenderly. “Fly safely, baby!” He was so concentrated on her, he didn’t seem to notice he was kissing her right in front of her dad and everyone else. He gently rubbed noses with her, making both of them laugh. Ginny was blushing like mad but looking at him fondly. “You too, sweetheart.” With another laugh, Harry got on Buckbeak and performed the Disillusionment Charm on the two of them. He pointed his hand at Ginny and said with a small but formal bow, “Please allow me Disillusion you, m’lady,” then performed the charm wandless, since he’d insisted Ginny keep his wand for protection. Ginny and the Firebolt now matched their surroundings as well as Harry and Beaky. Harry started to Disillusion the others, but they were already at work on the charm. Soon the entire group took off, planning to fly as far as Beaky could manage in the remaining daylight. A few hours later, they landed and made camp, after an uneventful flight. Beaky was tired but seemed to be feeling well enough. After Harry finished getting Beaky settled in and as the others made camp, Arthur called to Harry. “May I have a word?” “Of course!” Harry replied, smiling. “Let’s go look for that stream we saw as we were flying in,” Arthur suggested. The others, Harry included, looked at him in confusion. Arthur knew very well where the stream was. Ron and Ginny exchanged an uneasy glance. Arthur had that “parental talk” look on his face. When they were alone, Arthur turned to Harry. “Are you feeling better now, lad?” “Yes, I’m fine,” Harry replied, wondering why Arthur was acting so oddly. His Cheering Charm had mostly worn off now, and he was feeling rather wary of anyone acting strangely. “Your wounds are all healed?” “Yes.” “Your reaction to what happened up there was quite understandable, Harry. Being distraught after a battle is normal. I want to be sure you understand that. It’s especially true after you kill someone for the first time.” “Have you killed very many people, Mr. Weasley?” Harry asked seriously. “Not until today, but only two, and I knew they well deserved it. I’ll be fine, don’t you worry about me,” he said to Harry’s sudden look of concern. Arthur hadn’t told anyone that he’d never killed anyone before, or that he’d killed two men today. He thought his children and Harry had enough to be concerned about, but with Harry asking directly, he couldn’t lie to him. He gathered his thoughts and went on. “What I cannot imagine is what you’re going through, as young as you are, trying to deal with all of this, trying to put it into perspective. I know Remus is here for you to talk to, but if you ever need to talk to someone else, I’d be pleased to help you in any way I can.” Harry nodded and smiled, warmed by his friend’s concern. “Thanks.” Arthur sighed. He didn’t want to get into this discussion, but he knew Molly would expect him to deal with the situation somehow. “Harry, Mrs. Weasley and I love you as much as we do our own children. I hope you know that.” Harry was touched. “Thank you, Mr. Weasley.” “We enjoy your company, and we have the highest regard for you. Truly.” “Thank you.” Harry was beginning to worry about where this conversation was going. “Having said that, I do need to talk to you about Ginny.” Uh-oh, here it comes, Harry thought, his throat suddenly dry and his nerves on alert as if he were about to go into battle. “Yes?” “She’s our only daughter, and our baby. You know that. We want her to be happy, healthy and safe. I know the two of you are becoming close. . . .” Harry gulped. He’d been afraid for a long time that the Weasley parents would come to this conclusion at some point. “And she’s. . .not safe around me. I understand. Do you. . .erm,” Damn, this is hard, “want me to stop being friends with Ron as well?” “No! You misunderstand me. I know there’s no way for us to break up your friendship with any of our children, and I honestly wouldn’t want to. You’re good for them, and I can see that they’re good for you. I just want to be certain that she’s . . .um. . .safe.” “What do you want me to do, then?” Harry was flummoxed. Arthur sighed. He loved Harry very much and didn’t want to be saying these things, but he had to. Being a father wasn’t much fun sometimes. Hmm, that might be a good way to get into it, he thought. “Harry, being a father isn’t much fun sometimes,” he began. “Sometimes we have to say and do things we’d rather not have to say or do. This is one of those times.” Harry shook his head, completely confused. “Sorry?” Arthur took a deep breath. Right, then. Just get into it, he thought. “Ron tells me you and he have compared notes on what he called the ‘little wizards’ talk.” Harry shifted his weight uneasily. So that’s where this is going. Great. Best to act normally; just follow the conversation where he leads it. “That’s what Sirius called it. Remus called it the ‘little Harrys’ talk.” Harry laughed uneasily, trying to make the term seem as humorous as it had when Remus had said it. “Yeah, Ron and I compared notes.” “Having a baby in wartime, or while either of you is still in school, is a bad idea, Harry,” Arthur said seriously. “I hope you two are being careful. Ron says you are, but as her father, I . . .” “We haven’t actually. . .erm. . .but yeah, we’re being careful.” Harry was blushing furiously. What an embarrassing conversation to have with your girlfriend’s father! Arthur was beet red as well. “After six sons, you’d think I’d be more comfortable having these talks, but I’ve only had them with my own sons,” he said apologetically. “We do love you, Harry, honestly. We couldn’t be happier about her choice of boyfriend. And if things do . . . develop . . . in the future, we’d be delighted to welcome you to the family.” He stopped a moment, realizing how what he’d just said must have sounded. “I’m don’t mean to be putting any pressure on you, lad, I just . . . .” His voice trailed off uncertainly. Harry blushed even more. “Thank you, Mr. Weasley. I’m . . .honoured that you think I’m. . .that Ginny and I . . .that you’d welcome me to the family,” he said uncomfortably. He took a deep breath, tried furiously to control his blushing and went on. “Erm . . . I’m taking life one day at a time right now, actually. I don’t know that I really have a future to look forward to, you know?” He shook his head in frustration, searching for the right words. “I don’t want to endanger Ginny’s future in any way, but she simply refuses to be pushed away. I’ve tried loads of times, believe me. I don’t want to break her heart or get her hurt or anything. After what happened to Casey. . . .” He stopped, his face bereft for a moment. Arthur quietly studied the trees around them as Harry regained his composure. When he could speak calmly again, Harry said, “Just after the battle, when Ginny and I were sitting with Buckbeak, I thought of Casey and the fact that she and her family probably died because of me. I don’t want that to happen to Ginny or any of your family, but I just can’t seem to get her out of my life.” He paused, sighing heavily. “And honestly, I don’t really want to.” He looked at Arthur with heartbroken eyes despite the remnants of the Cheering Charm. His face grew resolute, his shoulders held stiffly, braced for what he feared was coming, but he said what he felt had to be said. “If you tell me you want me to leave her alone, I will.” “No, Harry,” Arthur said fondly, putting his hand warmly on Harry’s shoulder, “Molly and I don’t want you to leave Ginny alone. For one thing, Ginny would never put up with such a thing. She’s her mother’s daughter, all fiery temper combined with a sweet, loving spirit. Ginny’s good for you, and you’re good for her. I trust you to look after her the best you can. We can’t ask for more than that.” “I will,” Harry promised, his face just as resolute as before. “Thank you, lad.” Arthur looked around and breathed deeply, smiling as he stretched a bit. “I’m so glad that’s over with!” Harry heart lifted, realizing what a difficult situation he’d just survived, and with his romance not only intact, but approved by his girlfriend’s parents! He laughed in relief. “Me, too!” “Molly would skin me alive if I hadn’t talked with you. Now I can honestly say I did my duty as a father. I’m sorry for making you uncomfortable, Harry. Thanks for taking it so well, and for making things easy for me.” “I should be saying those things to you,” Harry replied sincerely. “Thanks for being so understanding.” Arthur looked at Harry for a moment, studying his face, those brilliant, intelligent, haunted green eyes, the wild shock of black hair, and currently, that pirate’s beard Ginny so loved, with the narrow white stripes down either side of his chin. The exhaustion and emotional upheaval he was still working through made the boy look quite different than usual — older, battle-weary, worn. But the eyes — they spoke of a strong spirit that knew how to appreciate joy and love, as well as how to deal manfully with sorrow and heavy burdens. Harry didn’t look at all like a Weasley, but Arthur couldn’t imagine life without this extraordinary young man involved in the family somehow. He reached out and drew the boy into a hug. “I’m so proud of you,” he said, giving the boy a fatherly pat on the back before releasing him. As they walked back toward camp, Arthur put his arm companionably around Harry’s shoulders, then said, “My goodness, Harry, what kind of exercises are you doing to build up your shoulders this way?” “Well, it’s supposed to be a secret, but I don’t think there’s any reason not to tell you,” Harry said, then began telling him about his Animagus transformations. After Harry had told him about the variety of animals he could become, Arthur stopped and stared at him. “How many can you do?” “I’ve lost count. I think seven or eight now.” “Tell me what they are,” Arthur said, greatly intrigued. “Let’s see. Cat, Labrador, thestral, phoenix, damselfly, wolf, raven. . .I did a partial transformation when I went after Ginny in that lake, giving myself gills and finned hands and feet — it wasn’t exactly a frog or a fish. I don’t know what it was, actually. I remembered how the gillyweed worked during the Second Task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament and just did that. I think that’s all.” “Harry, that’s remarkable! I don’t think anyone since Merlin has done so many!” “Actually, Dumbledore can do a lot, but he won’t say how many. I think it’s the Refiner’s Fire that makes it possible, but I’m not sure. It could just be that I have a knack for it, I don’t know. Once I managed the first few, the rest of them came fairly easily.” They talked animatedly about his transformations the rest of the way to camp, Arthur laughing in excited amazement at Harry’s stories. “Whew,” Ginny said in quiet relief to her brother as she saw them approach. “Whatever it was, it must have gone well,” “Yeah. That’s pretty amazing. Actually, I think Dad took Harry off to talk to him about you.” “That’s what I was afraid of,” Ginny replied, still a bit nervous. “He and I were talking about it earlier. . .” Ron began. “You were talking to Dad about me and my boyfriend?” she demanded, her temper flaring instantly. “Easy! Calm down! I told him you and Harry knew how to be careful — that’s what he wanted to know. He said he didn’t think it would be long before — well, you know — if you hadn’t already. I couldn’t believe he was so understanding about it.” “You’re kidding, right?” “Nope. Don’t expect Mum to be like that, though. I have the feeling he talked to Harry because Mum would expect him to. At least it looks like they worked everything out OK.” “Yeah,” Ginny said, a smile crossing her face as she gazed at Harry. He was still talking to her dad, his face lively, excited, telling a funny story, waving his hands around wildly in some kind of explanation. Her dad looked astounded, laughing along with Harry as the boy talked, apparently asking a question once in a while. They were having a really good time together. Her heart lifted, glad they were getting on so well, especially after the talk Ron suspected they’d just had. When Arthur and Harry reached Ron and Ginny, Arthur leaned in to speak to his children confidentially. “You both knew about Harry’s Animagus forms and managed to keep them secret? I’m amazed! I can’t wait to see him change into something! Do you know how rare a talent he has?” He was so excited, he was nearly trembling. Ron and Ginny laughed. “Yeah, Dad, we’re pretty good at keeping secrets, especially Harry’s,” Ron said with a cocky grin. “It’s simply remarkable! And the stories he has to tell! The raven bringing more ravens to chase Draco Malfoy and his gang away? What a fantastic story! Someday, you’ll have to write a book about your adventures, Harry. And a ‘how to’ on the Animagus transformation, as well.” “Me, write a book? I dunno. Maybe I can talk Hermione into that job,” Harry said with a smile. “You’ll get your own chapter in ‘Hogwarts: A History,’” Ron chortled. Harry snorted with laughter. “Then nobody will ever read it!” “Oy! You lot!” Tonks called from across the clearing. “Hot food coming up! Pull up a rock or something.” Remus had been busy preparing dinner from supplies Dumbledore had brought, with Tonks doing her best to help, but mostly making Remus laugh at her silliness. She wasn’t terribly domestic, but she was a lot of fun. The group tucked in eagerly, chatting casually about anything but the battle they’d had the day before. Harry seemed to be doing well, but there seemed to be an unspoken agreement in the group to be cheerful and upbeat. Before long, they turned in for the night. “I’ll take the first watch,” Remus offered. “Wake me in a few hours,” Tonks said. “No, I won’t. You still don’t have your full strength back,” Remus replied. “I can take second watch,” Ron offered. “And I’ll take third — and that should get us through the night,” Arthur said, putting a quelling hand on Harry’s shoulder just as Harry opened his mouth to volunteer. “Good night, everyone!” The camp soon quieted. Ginny had put her bedding next to Harry’s and Ron’s. Both Weasley children wanted to know what Arthur had talked to Harry about. “Well?” Ginny said nervously as she performed a Cushioning Charm under her bedding. “What did Dad want?” “He wanted to tell me how much he loves and admires me,” Harry said, grinning, as he finished arranging his bedding and added a Cushioning Charm. “Really?” she replied, certain that he was teasing. It wouldn’t make sense for her dad to take Harry somewhere private to say something like that. She sat down cross-legged and stared at him in the darkness. The moonlight reflected on Harry’s glasses and made her and Ron’s hair shimmer. Ron sat quietly on the other side of Harry, listening to the conversation avidly. “And he said if I ever wanted to talk to someone besides Remus about anything, he would be happy to help me in any way.” Harry smiled, sitting up and pulling his knees up toward his chest, wrapping his arms around his legs comfortably. “I thought that was very kind of him.” “Yes, it was,” Ginny replied, not certain if she was being teased or not. He sounded sincere enough. Ron was beginning to chuckle. He had the feeling Harry was winding Ginny up. “Was that all?” she pressed. “Well, no. He wanted to know if I’m going to make an honest woman of you,” he said mischievously. “WHAT?” she exploded, then put both hands over her mouth as the adults all murmured “quiet down” or “go to sleep.” Harry burst out laughing. “I’m sorry, but I’ve had a rather difficult day. I just needed to play a bit.” “Play what?” “Tease you. I’m sorry.” Harry sighed. “You aren’t going to give up until I tell you, are you?” “No!” “He wanted to know if we were . . . being careful. He said he can see we’re ‘getting close’ and he felt it his fatherly duty to speak to me.” “Oh no!” Ginny said, horrified. “How awful! What did he say? What did you say?” Harry told Ginny and Ron all about his and Arthur’s conversation. “Satisfied?” Harry asked when he was done. “Yes. Wow. I never thought he’d be so understanding about that — not with me, anyway.” “Yeah, I was rather relieved he didn’t try to thump me or something,” Harry said with a wry grin. “C’mon, I’m tired. Ron’s got second watch and needs his rest. Let’s go to sleep.” The three of them lay down, gazing up at the stars a while before their eyelids grew heavy. Just as Harry was nearly asleep, Ginny wiggled into his arms, put her head on his shoulder and her arms around him tightly. She looked up at him and said rather nervously, “You would have given me up if he’d asked you to, wouldn’t you?” “I did offer. I thought it was the right thing to do.” She sat up and looked at him in shock. ”You could just . . . give me up?” “No, sweetheart. It would have ripped the soul out of me, faster than a Dementor’s kiss. But if he thought it was best for you. . .well, you are only fifteen. I would have to respect his wishes, at least until you’re an adult.” She relaxed into his embrace again. “I’m glad he didn’t want you to do that,” she said, her eyes shining in the moonlight. “Me too.” He kissed her softly, then whispered, “I love you, Ginny.” “I love you too.” They sighed contentedly and fell asleep. “Charlie! Good to see you, son,” Arthur called as they landed. “Wait a second,” Harry said. “Charlie, I’m sorry to do this, but I need you to tell me something only you and I would know, so we’re certain it’s you. Or you can tell Ron or your dad something. But we need a password.” “A password? What’s something only you and I would know? I can’t think,” Charlie said, scratching his head as he thought. “Oh, I know. Norbert.” “That’ll do,” Harry said with a grin. “Good to see you, mate.” “You, too. You’ll have to fill me in on what happened on your trip. Your Adfero was a bit brief.” “That’s the best I could do at the time. I thought Dumbledore might have explained everything to you.” “No. He sent a brief message to find out if I was here or had gone to meet you, and told me a little bit, but honestly, there has to be a lot more to the story.” Charlie looked around expectantly at the group, his eyes finally landing on his father. “We’ll tell you everything, but we can’t stay long,” Arthur said, trying to keep Harry from having to tell the story again. He’d seen the young man wince when Charlie said he wanted to hear more. “Albus said he wants us home as soon as possible. I’m sorry, lad. I know Ron and Harry were really looking forward to their visit, and once I ended up on the trip, I was hoping to spend a little more time with you as well.” “Can we see Beaky’s herd?” Harry said hopefully. A change in topic would suit him just fine. “Yeah, come on. He looks a bit battered. . .” Charlie began. “He was injured when the boys were attacked,” Arthur said in a tone that clearly said, Drop it for now. I’ll tell you more later. Charlie went over the hippogriff carefully. “Somebody did a good job of patching him up.” “That was Harry,” Ron said. Charlie smiled approvingly at Harry. “Well done, mate! You’d be good at caring for magical creatures. Ever consider studying dragons?” “Not really, although I do think they’re interesting. I’ve grown rather fond of Beaky, and I like phoenixes a lot, as well. I’m planning to be an Auror, though.” “I’m sure you’ll do well at that too. What about professional Quidditch? You and Ron will both probably be scouted next year.” “That sounds very tempting,” Harry said with a grin. “If an offer came along, I just might take it.” “Yeah,” Ron added, his face alight with rapturous dreams. “Imagine. Us on professional Quidditch teams — or on the same one! That would be brilliant!” Still talking about Quidditch, the group walked with Charlie as he put Buckbeak in a roomy paddock with every comfort a hippogriff could want: a pile of dead ferrets, a soft deep bed of straw under a shelter, several shady trees as well as bright open patches, plenty of room to play and a big trough of clear, fresh water. Beaky trotted around the paddock, inspecting the accommodation and enjoying himself immensely. Harry’s heart lifted to see his delight. No more dark bedrooms or caves for Buckbeak! And he’d have a herd, mates, days full of sunshine and fresh air. What a great life. “Charlie, thanks for this. Beaky deserves it.” “He’s a wonderful hippogriff, well built, good attitude, good manners. He’ll be a great addition to the gene pool we have here,” Charlie said, smiling as he watched the hippogriff cavort around his paddock. “C’mon, I’ll show you his herd. We’ll let him settle in here for a day or two, see that his injuries are completely healed, and then introduce him to a few new friends at a time, rather than all at once, to make certain nobody gets hurt.” The group walked over a ridge, and stopped on top of it. In a lush green valley below was a herd of about twenty hippogriffs lazing in the sunlight or munching on the piles of dead ferrets and other small animals scattered across the field. Bay, dun, palomino, chestnut, roan, black and other coat colours glistened with health. A few raised their heads to look at the intruders. “These are all females. We have a couple of other herds elsewhere with other breeding males. We don’t want the males to fight, so we picked these out to be the start of Buckbeak’s herd.” “They’re beautiful!” Ginny exclaimed. Ron elbowed Harry. “Wouldn’t Hagrid love to see this?” Harry nodded. “Charlie, may we see the dragons while we’re here?” Ginny said. “Sure, sis, follow me,” Charlie said cheerfully. As they walked to the dragon enclosure, Arthur put his arm around Charlie’s shoulders and walked with him a little ahead of the others, so he could tell him what they’d been through. Charlie’s normally happy countenance grew more and more grave as Arthur talked. He glanced once over his shoulder at Harry and Ginny, who were walking holding hands. Harry was keeping his eyes down, knowing what Arthur was telling Charlie. Suddenly a man stepped up beside Harry and said, “As I live and breathe, aren’t you Harry Potter?” Startled, Harry had to stop himself from reflexively throwing up a shield against the man, who was one of Charlie’s co-workers and staring at him avidly. “Erm. Yeah.” “Rufus Mallory, Mr. Potter, so very pleased to make your acquaintance,” the man said, sketching half a bow and offering his hand excitedly. Harry shook it, wondering what the man wanted. “I knew you were a friend of Charlie’s family, but I never thought we’d be honoured with a visit from you in person! I’m that flustered. Wait’ll my wife hears I met you today. My kids have your Famous Wizard cards and your Quidditch posters. Would you mind signing an autograph for them?” “Rufus, leave Harry alone,” Charlie chided the man. “I was just trying to make his acquaintance,” the man said defensively. “My apologies if I bothered you, Mr. Potter. I have the greatest admiration for you, always have. What a treat to meet you!” Harry just stood there smiling politely, unsure what to do next. Being polite but distant was the safest thing to do most of the time with these fan types. “About that autograph, Mr. Potter?” the man said, pulling out a dirty scrap of parchment and a quill. “Would you mind?” Harry looked at Charlie, trying his Legilimens skills to see what Charlie thought of the man. Charlie seemed to understand Harry was asking for his opinion of the man and stared steadily back at him, leaving his mind completely open to the boy’s inspection. Studying Charlie’s impressions of the man using Legimency, Harry decided that Charlie thought the man was harmless, a normal bloke who was star-struck by Quidditch players, famous wizards and celebrities. Harry was all three of these things rolled up into one, without even trying. No wonder the man was being so silly. Harry sighed, then dropped his bag off of his shoulder, opened it and began rummaging around inside. “I have some clean parchment here. What are your children’s names?” “Harry,” Ginny interrupted, “I have an extra one of your Famous Wizard cards — would you like to sign that instead?” ”Oh, that would be lovely!” the man enthused. “OK,” Harry agreed, then signed the card as requested, “To Declan and Donovan — Magic rocks! Harry Potter” “Thank you, Mr. Potter! This will mean so much to them. Thank you!” Mallory said, bowing several times as he backed away. Harry’s friends watched the scene in amusement. Every one of them knew how much such things bothered him, but they had to admire the way he held his temper and was kind to people like this Mallory fellow who were Harry’s ardent admirers. “We should get moving,” Arthur said. “We need to start back soon.” “C’mon, then,” Charlie said. “The dragons are just over there.” As they topped the rise, Harry immediately saw the huge black dragon he’d faced in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. “That’s my Hungarian Horntail, isn’t it?” he asked Charlie. “Yes, that’s her. She’s got a new clutch of eggs. The babies from the clutch she had with her then are now almost a year old. We keep the yearlings over there,” he said, pointing with his chin toward another enclosure farther down the valley. “Want to see her up close?” he teased Harry. “I saw plenty of her up close two years ago, thanks,” he said with a grin. “That’s what I thought. She doesn’t like company anyway,” Charlie said, his eyes twinkling as he teased Harry. “Charlie,” Remus said, “do you have any idea who might have used Polyjuice to impersonate you?” “We had a recent Hogwarts graduate here as a temp for a while — fellow named Warrington,” Charlie replied. “I knew he was a Slytherin when we accepted him as an intern, but we don’t get that many applicants, and Dumbledore doesn’t want us to hold someone’s House against them, so we let him in. He left us a week or so ago.” “Wasn’t Warrington’s body on the battlefield?” Remus asked Ron. “Yeah,” Ron replied. “He’s dead?” Charlie exclaimed. “Yeah. He was one of the Death Eaters attacking us,” Ron growled. “He must have got hold of some of your hairs somehow and passed them along to whoever Polyjuiced himself into you, Charlie,” Remus speculated. “Did he ever have visitors here?” “No, but he got quite a few letters. A couple of eagle owls came here regularly.” “The Malfoys use eagle owls,” Harry muttered darkly, his face grim. “Well,” Remus sighed. “Whoever impersonated you may be a mystery we never solve. There were no remains to be identified at the scene.” “There were no remains at all where those three attacked the boys?” Charlie asked, astonished. “Just a bleedin’ great hole in the ground,” Tonks replied. “Most amazing thing I’ve seen in a while, other than watching these kids fight. Cor, you should’ve seen them!” Charlie beamed at his sister and brother, and turned an admiring gaze on Harry as well, but the light in his eyes dimmed when he saw how every comment Harry heard seemed to be dragging him down further and further into depression. His body was actually sagging. “Harry? You all right?” “Yeah,” Harry replied in a low voice. “I’ll be fine.” “I imagine you will, eventually. Thanks for saving my sister and brother, mate,” Charlie said, clasping Harry warmly on the shoulder. “Oh, and take good care of my baby sister, while you’re at it, although you seem to be doing that already,” he teased. “Looks like you two are becoming an item.” Harry blushed and smiled shyly, very much appreciating Charlie’s introducing more pleasant topics into the conversation. “Yeah, she keeps hanging around . . .OW!” Ginny had punched him none too gently on the arm. “Who’s hanging around who?” she demanded defiantly. “Oh yeah. I do follow you around a bit, don’t I?” he said, smiling down at her fondly. “That hurt, by the way!” He spent a few moments rubbing his arm, acting as if he were mortally wounded, leaning to the side, hobbling around, moaning. “Oh, for Merlin’s sake!” she said lightly, then rubbed the spot where she’d hit him, hoping he was just playing with her. “That was a brother punch, taught to me by the twins years ago. I should’ve pulled it a bit. Sorry about that!” “I’ll remember not to cross you in the future!” he said with a laugh, drawing her into a hug. His friends all smiled. Once again, Ginny had managed to pull him back before depression got a firm hold on him. Before they knew it, it was time to leave. Rufus Mallory had gathered some other Harry Potter fans who stood and waved a long time after the group took off, Harry and Ginny riding double on the Firebolt. Once they were out of sight of the dragon study camp, they landed again and Harry changed into a raven, while the others did Disillusionment Charms on each other. Charlie was the only one in the camp who knew why such a large group had come to deliver the hippogriff, or why Buckbeak was injured. Remus, Tonks and Arthur thought leaving in a “normal” fashion would make this trip look like a family and friends vacation, rather than a rescue mission for the two boys who were originally going to deliver the animal. The raven flew between Ginny’s and Ron’s brooms, sometimes landing on their broom handles and riding a while to rest. They were nearly to the Channel when the raven screeched horribly and fell out of the sky, tumbling limply over and over, completely out of control. Like twin red-haired flashes, Ginny and Ron zoomed after him. Ginny caught him with the classic Seeker three finger catch, then pulled him to her chest and held him there as she slowed the Firebolt. Ron was cursing fluently by the time he caught up with her. “Damned slow Cleansweep! Nothing can catch that Firebolt! That was some brilliant flying, Gin,” he said, pushing her cloak aside so he could see the bird she held tightly to her chest. “How is he?” “I can barely hold him,” Ginny squealed. “He’s fighting so hard. . . .” Remus had reached them by this time. “Let me have him, Ginny. I can hold him. Your hands are just too small to hold that large a bird in one hand,” he said kindly, stretching out his hand for the raven that was his godson. Ginny held on to the struggling bird as well as she could while Remus tried to untangle its claws from her cloak, then he took it from her hand. “What do you suppose happened? Is he injured?” Ginny said, finally past the adrenalin rush of racing to catch the falling bird. Reaction was setting in, making tears stream down her face. “I don’t know. We need to land right away,” Remus replied. “There’s a clearing over there,” Tonks said, leading the way to the landing spot she’d found. Under the trees was a family of Muggles picnicking. The Muggles looked up when they landed, for, despite their Disillusionment Charms, the edges of their brooms and the bright Weasley hair reflected a bit of the bright sunlight. “Bloody hell, Barney,” the stout woman said. “What in blazes was that?” “Dunno,” said Barney. He shushed his children and pushed past the brush between their picnic spot and the area where the glittery whatever-it-was had landed. They hadn’t heard any sound when it landed — no crash or thud. But there was something there. “UFO! UFO!” cried their eight-year-old son, dancing around their picnic spread. “Hush, Michael,” his mother said. “What do you see, Barney?” Barney laughed. “A bleedin’ great chunk o’ blue ice. Must have fallen out of a plane, although I didn’t hear one go over.” “Blue ice? What’s blue ice, Da?” Michael cried excitedly. “Is it good to eat?” “Nah, it’s nasty. It’s some sorta rubbish from an aeroplane,” his dad answered dismissively, coming back to their picnic. “They usually dump it in the Channel, I suspect. We’re only a couple of miles from the coast, so I reckon they missed.” “Whew, that was quick thinking, Arthur!” Tonks said breathlessly. “Blue ice?” “I’ve read about it in the Muggle press. It’s something that falls out of their aeroplanes sometimes. I thought we might get away with that,” he murmured, glad he was able to think of and conjure it so quickly. “Let’s move farther away from the Muggles. It’s a shame we didn’t notice them there until we were nearly on the ground! Good thing we were all Disillusioned.” “How’s Harry?” Ginny asked, standing on tiptoes to peek inside Remus’s pocket where he’d tucked the still-struggling bird. “I don’t know what could be wrong with him. We’re just lucky he didn’t transform while he was falling or you would’ve never caught him, and none of our brooms are as fast as that Firebolt,” Remus replied, his face creased in a worried frown. The group moved quietly deeper into the woods, away from the shoreline and the British Muggles on holiday in France. When they found a small open area that was densely surrounded by trees, they stopped and Remus took the raven from his pocket. “All right, Harry, you can transform now,” he said as he set the bird on the ground. The bird continued to struggle, going through spasm after spasm of what looked like great pain. “Harry? Can you transform?” The bird looked at him for a second, then its eye rolled wildly away as more spasms racked its body. “All right, I’m going to put a Silencio on you so you won’t attract the Muggles’ attention, and then I’m going to transform you. Ready?” The bird glanced at him quickly again before its eyes rolled wildly once more. Remus performed the charm, then transformed the bird back into Harry, a Harry who was writhing on the ground in agony, clutching his scar, tears streaming down his cheeks, his face contorted in pain. “That’s the longest I’ve seen him go through a scar pain,” Ron commented, his face white with fright. “He usually only has them for a few minutes at the most.” “He needs something cold on his scar — that usually makes him feel better,” Ginny said, then followed her words with action. She impatiently tore a strip off the bottom of her blouse, grabbed a water jug and poured the cool water on the cloth, then pressed it to Harry’s scar. She had to fight to hold it in place, he was thrashing about so much. Remus and Ron tried to hold him still so she could hold the cloth on his scar, the only way they knew to help him. Harry’s eyes rolled frantically, his arms and legs flailing when Ron and Remus released them even for a moment. They could feel continual vibrations coming from him, showing he was groaning, but the Silencio spell was keeping him quiet. Finally, his movements slowed and he put shaking hands over Ginny’s, pressing the cloth to his forehead. Ginny carefully removed his glasses and pocketed them so she could wash the sweat off of his face as Remus removed the Silencio spell. “Thanks,” he whispered hoarsely. He closed his eyes and lay there panting, sweat pouring off his body. “Are you going to be sick, mate?” Ron asked. Harry nodded weakly. “Back up, Gin. When he chucks. . .” he warned, just as Harry rolled over on his side and vomited. Ron had already grabbed Ginny and pulled her out of the way. Tonks cleaned up the sick with a wave of her wand. Remus finally had a chance to do a Cushioning Charm so Harry would be more comfortable. Ginny cleaned Harry’s face with her damp cloth, rewetting it to get it cool again. “I’ll watch out for the Muggles,” Arthur said, walking away from the huddled group. “I’ll help you,” Tonks said. “It looks like things here are under control for now.” The two of them split up so they could monitor a larger area. “Harry? What can we do for you?” Ginny asked, still wiping sweat off his face, then opening his shirt and wiping down his chest. Sweat poured off of him in rivulets. He lay gasping for breath, as if he’d run a marathon. His head rocked back and forth, his expression anxious. He was still in the grip of pain, although it seemed, finally, to be receding. At long last, he relaxed. He lay on his back, his eyes closed, still breathing hard, but his face and body were at ease, no longer knotted up with tension and pain. Remus put his cloak over Harry, whose clothes were soaked through from sweat and Ginny’s ministrations with the damp cloth. “What happened, Harry?” Remus asked gently. “Can you tell us?” “Volde. . .” Harry began in a raspy whisper. “Volde . . .Voldemort.” He lay there panting. “Scar.” He rested a few moments, everyone around him silent, waiting for him to speak again. Finally, he opened his eyes and looked around. Ginny put his glasses back on his face for him. “Thanks,” Harry said with a fleeting smile. “That was a rough one, mate,” Ron said, leaning over and looking Harry in the eye. “You back yet?” “Back?” “From whatever happened to you, wherever you went. That seemed like a lot more than scar pain and a vision,” Ron said. “It was.” Harry lay quietly another moment, then his eyes flew open and he grabbed Remus’s arm. “Snape!” “What?” Remus asked, startled. “Snape! He was torturing him over and over. It was horrible!” Harry’s eyes were wild, seeing things the others couldn’t see. “Is Severus dead?” Remus asked, frowning. “No. At least, he wasn’t when I came out of the vision,” Harry said a little more calmly. “And he didn’t reveal anything that I heard, either.” Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. “Tell us everything you can, Harry. Start at the beginning,” Remus said. He glanced up and saw that Tonks and Arthur had come closer to them, still watching the perimeter, but wanting to hear what Harry had to say. “Do you need a drink of water?” Ginny asked Harry. He nodded and gratefully sipped from the cup she held for him. Remus held Harry up enough that he could drink easily, then laid him back down when he was finished. Harry took a few deep breaths, then rubbed his hands over his face, pushing his glasses up into his hair as he rubbed his eyes. He pulled his glasses back down and looked in disgust at the smears on the lenses from his sweaty hair. Ginny saw the problem and took his glasses and cleaned them for him. As she handed them back, he said, “Thanks,” and looked from her to Remus and Ron. “Where are the others?” “Guarding our perimeter. There are Muggles nearby,” Remus answered. “They’re close enough they may be able to hear you. I’ll pass along what you say in case they can’t hear,” Remus replied. “’K. Voldemort had a small group of Death Eaters gathered. There were some old faces, and some I didn’t recognize and some students from Hogwarts — Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, some girl whose name I don’t know. The Slytherins received their Death Eater brands while I was watching — that made Voldemort happy. I think what pulled me into the vision was that he was absolutely furious at first, then got happier when he had those kids to brand, then got furious again.” He stopped a moment, thinking. “I’m sorry. I’m telling it out of order. I’m still a bit confused.” “Take your time, Harry. It’s all right,” Remus assured him. “Voldemort. . .at the beginning, he had them stand in the circle as they did when they captured me in the graveyard, when he got his body back. He went around the circle and named those who weren’t there, and blamed me for all their deaths. The names he said that weren’t on our list were . . . um . . . McCoy, Williams, something like treacle? I didn’t understand that one. Um . . . McKinney, O’Banyon, and Brosnan. I think that’s all of them. He was in a rage, snarling and cursing. He named the ones who were imprisoned, and vowed to release them. He did a lot more cursing. Then he turned on the old Death Eaters who remained and asked them why they let all this happen, why they didn’t stop it, why they didn’t train the new people better so more would have survived our battle, why had nobody managed to kill me. He was especially angry with Snape, asking why he provided the antidote when I was poisoned earlier this term. Snape said it was expected of him as a Hogwarts’ professor and he was trying to not blow his cover. Voldemort said Bellatrix had all these elegant schemes in place to kill me, each one set to be triggered if the previous one didn’t work. He said she was a tremendous loss to him, and that she still had a few more tricks up her sleeve despite being dead.” He stopped and rested a moment, his eyes travelling worriedly from Remus’s to Ron’s, to Ginny’s face. “I think that means she has more assassins lined up for me.” “You may be right,” Remus acknowledged. “Then he started doing the Cruciatus Curse on Snape, doing it over and over and over again, demanding to know why Snape hadn’t killed me himself. When he let up the curse, Snape said it was his understanding that Voldemort had not wanted Bellatrix’s plans interfered with, that she had a blood feud with me and she wanted to prove herself to him, so he’d given her some amount of time to get me killed. Voldemort went around the circle, doing the Cruciatus Curse on all the old Death Eaters. Then he taught the new ones, the Slytherins, how to do it and had them do it on all the old Death Eaters. Snape got the most of it. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle ganged up on him, all of them doing it at once. They laughed about it, the gits! I don’t know how he survived.” Harry looked ill. Remembering the scene was like reliving it, and it was a horrible thing to witness. “The torture went on a long, long time. I think that’s why I was in pain so long — it felt like I was one of those being tortured.” He shuddered at the memory. “And Snape survived all this?” Remus asked cautiously. “Yes, he was still alive and still seemed to be in his right mind when I left,” Harry replied. “They were stopping the torture when I left.” “When did you leave? I mean, you were fighting us here on the ground for a long time after you fell,” Remus said. “Just before Ron asked if I was going to be sick. He knows how these things go for me. He’s seen enough of them.” Harry started shivering. The air this close to the sea was damp and cool. “Ron, get into Harry’s bag and find his extra clothes. These are soaked through,” Remus said. “There’s nothing there. We packed really lightly, mostly just food and stuff in our bags. We wore most of our layers for flying. He tore up most of his layers to bandage me,” Ron said. “He can have my sweater,” he added, pulling it off as he spoke. “OK. Ginny, can you do a drying charm and a warming spell on the clothes he has on? Once they’re dry, we’ll add a few extra layers of clothes to keep him nice and warm. I’m going to look through the other things we brought with us and see what other clothing I can find for him.” Remus moved off to dig through everyone’s packs, coming back with a couple of extra sweaters. Ron was already busy getting his sweater on Harry. Harry was trying to help, but was still weak. “Harry, I’m sending Dumbledore an Adfero about all this — he will want to know so he can try to rescue Severus. Did you recognize where this happened?” Remus asked. “On a hill. Mountains off to the west. A river with three bends that I could see in the valley. A small stone house with moss on the roof — something green, anyway, not ivy, something growing. The house has two chimneys. Um. . .there were sheep in the valley. A big oak tree hangs over a low stone garden wall. That’s all I can think of.” “Well done. That’s a lot of information. Thanks,” Remus replied with a smile, tugging one of the sweaters he’d found over Harry’s head and pulling his arms through them, as if he were dressing a baby. He chuckled suddenly. “What?” Ginny asked. “I just remembered one time when Lily let me get Harry dressed to go outside when he was a baby. I reached through the sleeves exactly this way to pull his little hands through them,” he said, a sad smile on his face. He sighed, then turned away to concentrate on the message he had to send. Moments later, Remus walked over to Arthur and then to Tonks, telling them what Harry had said and what Dumbledore had replied in his message. He came back to where Harry was still resting, Ginny and Ron sitting beside him. “I contacted Albus,” Remus began. “What did he say?” Harry asked. “He said he was very glad you were able to give him this information. He will do something about rescuing Severus. In the meantime, he wants us to get you home as soon as possible.” “Home where? Hogwarts?” “Headquarters. Molly and Hermione are waiting for us there. He suggested it might be easiest if you were a cat. The fur will help keep you warm, and you can hold on with your claws and not be too large for someone to hold inside their robes. And since you’re registered as a cat, if someone sees us coming in, which may very well happen since our Ministry and the French are at odds with each other and will be watching for us, your secret will be safe.” “OK,” Harry said, struggling to sit up. “When do we leave?” “Bless you, you’re still so weak. I hate to make you fly in this condition,” Remus said, his heart aching for the boy. “I’ll be all right. I’m tough,” he said with a hint of his cheeky grin. Remus sighed. Yes, you are tough, he thought. “Then if you can transform, we can leave right away. Or would you rather I transform you?” “I can do it,” Harry replied wearily. “Just give me a minute.” Remus called Arthur and Tonks over and they reorganized their gear, watching Ron magically pinning a blanket around himself under his cloak to make up for giving Harry his sweater. They all watched as Harry lay there gathering his strength, then changed into the black cat with green eyes and the faintest trace of a lightning bolt marking over its right eye. “Remarkable,” Arthur said in awe, as he’d done when Harry had changed into the raven earlier. “I always wished I could do that.” “Once I get the hang of it, I’ll teach you, Dad,” Ron offered confidently, picking up his pack and his broom. “Can you transform too? You never told me!” Arthur said as he mounted his broom. “I’m working on doing a sable collie, like our old neighbour had, remember? Harry’s turned me into one a few times. I really liked it once I got over the shock. I can do a paw and the ruff,” Ron said proudly. “I’m going to keep working at it until I can do the whole thing!” “Good for you! That’s more than I could ever do,” Arthur said admiringly. Ginny leaned down and picked up the cat, tucking it inside her robes. “Ginny, I don’t think that’s safe,” Remus cautioned. “Why not?” “If he transforms back into Harry while you’re in flight. . .” “Oh, all right,” she grumbled, then handed the cat over to Remus. The cat was limp, not fighting being handled at all. Before putting it inside his robes, Remus looked it in the face. “Harry? Are you all right?” The cat blinked, not moving otherwise. “Does that mean yes?” Another blink. “Or are you just grumpy that I took you away from Ginny?” he teased gently. The cat’s eyes widened a bit and it purred. “You’re safer with me, you know,” Remus said as he carefully put the cat inside his robes, doing a spell to keep the robes from flapping open and allowing the cat to fall. “Comfy?” he asked. The cat just purred, then closed its eyes and went to sleep. “Disillusionment Charm, everyone,” Tonks called, Disillusioning Remus and the cat and their broom, then herself, while Arthur Disillusioned himself, Ron and Ginny. They took off as the sun was setting the crests of the waves on the channel alight with evening colours. |
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