Chapter 1 â The Summer Work

Harry Potter sat behind his desk. This was formerly the desk of the greatest wiz
ard of the
age. Albus Dumbledore was the Head Master before Harry. It was June and Harry wa
s
sitting there getting his plans and ideas ready for the new school year that was
to begin on
September 1st. With the aid of the portrait of Albus, as well as the assistance
of long time
rival, turned friend Severus Snape, Harry considered himself to be fortunate. A
rustle
behind him told him that Hermione or Draco was browsing his private library for
information on the different founders of the school. Turning his head, Harry saw
Hermione
coming down the stairs. Her arms were heavy with books.
"Hermione" he said "I thought we agreed that you would only borrow a few books a
t a
time."
"Well you know me Harry" she replied "I'll have these finished within the week.
Before you
ask, I am sleeping. So please do not worry. Did you receive my class set up sche
dule? I
wasn't sure how much to teach. I talked with Professor McGonagall and she said w
hat I did
should cover as much if not a bit more than Professor Flitwick."
"Hermione, I am sure that you will do just fine" said Harry. "What I really need
for you to
do is to relax. You are one of the brightest people I have ever met in my life.
You will do
this school proud. Now please put some of those books back and only take a few.
You
need to enjoy yourself just as much as study. Draco is doing a wonderful job of
pacing
himself. He is even getting some of his NEWT training in potions done. Just plea
se relax a
little and have a little fun."
Hermione hesitated for a moment. Then she realized that Harry was correct. She h
ad
been worried that she would not do a good job at being a professor. Leave it to
Harry to
make her feel better. With an embarrassed grin, she gave him a hug and then retu
rned
half the books to their proper place. She took the five books still left in her
arms and hastily
made her way out of Harry's office before he could make her put a few more back.
Harry gave a soft chuckle as he contemplated an idea that was going through his
mind.
Finally making the decision to go through with his thought he stood. Giving a qu
ick turn on
the spot, Harry apparated to the yard of his Aunt and cousin's house. Knocking o
n the
door, Harry waited for one or the other to answer the door. Petunia answered the
door.
"Harry" she exclaimed. "How are you? It has been some time since I have last see
n you.
What brings you here today? Do come in and have some tea. Dudley is out in
Hogsmeade doing a bit of shopping for me."
Harry made his way over the threshold and made his way to the area she indicated
.
Sitting himself down, he waited for her to pour the tea before beginning.
"Aunt Petunia" he started "I know that you and I had a very rough relationship.
You were
burdened with me when you did not want me. Vernon made it more difficult as I gr
ew up,
causing you to be in as much physical pain as I was. I have an idea that I have
been
toying with for some time. I would like your input as well as your thought behin
d what I am
about to propose."
Petunia looked at Harry curiously and waited for him to continue. She could see
he was
struggling with something that was making him a bit nervous. She gave him a soft
smile
and a reassuring pat on the arm.
"I wanted to know if you would like to go to work at the orphanage?" asked Harry
. "Molly
has her 2 youngest living there with her, the twins that are a couple of years o
lder than I
am, and other members of the family popping in and out all the time. There are c
urrently
8 youngsters who are not old enough to come to Hogwarts yet. I am sure Molly wou
ld
enjoy the companionship of another female adult. Plus I am sure she would love t
he
assistance in caring for the youngsters. I know it is a lot to ask of you, but I
thought that
since you and I have worked through everything and I now know the reason why you
had
to treat me the way that you did, that you would not mind helping other children
that are in
the same situation that I was in. Dudley can earn some extra pocket money by hel
ping out
on the grounds and such. He has matured a lot and I like the new Dudley. He no l
onger
thinks of us as freaks. All I am asking is that you think about it."
Petunia looked at her nephew with amazed eyes. The depth of emotion that was run
ning
in those green eyes that was identical to the sister that she loved and missed s
o much.
She sat there for a few moments thinking about his proposition. She knew his fee
lings
would not be hurt if she turned him down. However she knew that he had the right
idea. If
anyone could help the Weasley Matriarch it would be she. She also knew that it w
ould
help her with something to do. She was in no need of money. Harry made sure of t
hat.
However she thought that it would be nice if she could earn her own way and for
that of
Dudley. She knew that she could always count on her nephew if she needed somethi
ng,
but the idea of being able to do something for herself, made her smile.
"Harry I think that is a wonderful idea" she stated. "I have been wondering if t
here was
something I could do to help out in the community. This would be the perfect way
for me
to give back to the community that is helping me so much. I have seen Molly Weas
ley
and I think she and I would get along great. Of course I would need transportati
on to and
from. However I would like to do this."
Harry got up and gave Petunia a hug.
"Thank you Aunt Petunia" he said. "It means a lot to me to hear you say that. I'
ll contact
Molly at once. May I borrow your fireplace?"
Petunia gestured towards the fireplace. She watched as Harry conjured a fire and
then
threw some powder into it. She did not flinch when the flames turned green and h
e put his
head in the fire and called out "the Lily Potter Orphinarium".
"Molly" Harry called.
"Harry dear" came the reply. "How wonderful it is to see you. Is there something
that I can
help you with?"
"Yes Molly" he said. "How would you like some help at the orphanage. I know with
all the
people coming in and out that you have your hands full. I have the perfect perso
n that has
agreed to come and help you."
"Harry that would be lovely" said Molly. "Having so many all at once plus my own
lot is a
handful. I would welcome the help. Who did you have in mind?"
"My Aunt Petunia" said Harry. "She wants to help out the community. Plus it woul
d giver
her something to do. She has very little to occupy her time now that it is just
her and
Dudley. Also Dudley can help out with the lawns and such. I will give them payme
nt from
my own funds. Would this situation be ok with you?"
"Of course dear" she said. "May I also say that I am pleased to hear that she is
better
here than with that horrible man she was married too. I assume you will teach he
r how to
floo?"
"That is my idea. She is blood related after all. So she may have enough magical
energy
in her to be able to floo" claimed Harry. "I have read in a book that non magica
l relatives
can use some of our ways as they have a hint of magical blood in them. I will ar
range
everything with Albus. How about we say she starts on Monday?"
"That will be fine with me Harry" said Molly. "Thank you and I thank her."
"My pleasure Molly" he said. "Have a great day."
He pulled his head out of the fire and returned it to its normal state. He made
his way to
the table and sat with Petunia. She was a little nervous about the magical aspec
t, but she
was pleased all the same. Harry sat with her for a few hours and explained in de
tail how to
travel by floo. By the time he was done, she no longer felt nervous. He promised
her that
for the first few times, he would come with her to make sure she arrived safely.
When he
finished with that he pulled out a jar from a pocket. Handing it to her he expla
ined that just
a pinch was needed. He showed her exactly what to do. She nodded in understandin
g.
This part of it she understood perfectly. Harry promised her that he would suppl
y her with
floo powder. When their conversation was over, Harry made his way to the front d
oor. He
gave a final hug to his aunt and apparated to the Ministry of Magic. He waited w
hile his
wand was checked and then made his way to the Minister's office. Quickly he outl
ined his
idea to Albus who gave his full permission. For a little while after that, both
men chatted
about this and that. Harry made his way down to the Department of Mysteries. He
visited
the basilisk. The serpent was thrilled to have Harry visit him. This meant that
he was not
bound at the eyes for awhile. Plus the serpent could enjoy a conversation with s
omeone
other than himself for a little while.
A few hours later, Harry made his way back to the castle. He had a few other thi
ngs he
needed to get accomplished that day and wanted to make sure he had the time to g
et it
done. The rest of the staff was getting their ideas and class schedules ready fo
r when the
new school year began. Even Professor Trelawney could be seen wandering the hall
s.
June faded into July, and Harry felt apprehensive as his 17th birthday approache
d. He
had never had a proper birthday until last year. Uncle Vernon made sure that he
never
got anything but hand me downs and things like a toothpick or a tissue. He count
ed his
blessings that he even got that. His years at Hogwarts saw his first presents be
ing given to
him. He sat behind his desk and remembered the wonderful presents that his frien
ds had
gotten him. He was also remembering fondly the year that they rallied to his aid
when
Dudley had to go on a diet. He missed being able to hang out with Hermione and R
on just
as another teenager. Duty came first in the castle. Harry had more duty than any
one else.
He knew that Voldemort was still out there somewhere. He knew he had to stay ahe
ad of
the game when it came to making sure that the castle stayed protected. Once a we
ek, saw
Harry strengthening the wards on the castle as well as the charms that Filius ha
d put on
the tunnels. Severus and Minerva worried sometimes about Harry. They could sense
the
melancholy in him. However when they broached the subject, Harry would give them
a
warm smile and tell them that their concerned was appreciated, but not necessary
.
Finally July 31st came. Harry woke up not sure how to approach the day. Part of
him
wanted to just hide away in his office and a part of him knew he had to face the
rest of the
staff. He did not want to cause them unnecessary worry. He even thought to himse
lf that
he was being silly for dreading his own birthday. He made his way down to the Gr
eat Hall
for breakfast. When he entered the hall he heard the yells of "SURPRISE". Harry
blushed
as he made his way to the table. Molly and the children were sitting there. Aunt
Petunia
and Dudley had come to the castle. The rest of the staff was all sitting there s
miling at him.
Even Albus had come to help Harry celebrate his birthday. The table in the corne
r was
piled high with presents. The tables were set with all of Harry's favorite break
fast dishes.
Even the house elves could be seen setting a small trinket on the table in honor
of the
master they all loved so dear. While Albus had been a generous man and good to h
ouse
elves, they all adored Harry who made sure that each and every elf was taken pro
per
care of. Dobby and Winky approached Harry with a worried look on their face.
Immediately Harry got concerned. Kneeling he looked at the elves in the eye.
"What is wrong?" he asked. "What are you two looking so scared about?"
"Winky and I is wanting to give you a special present Harry Potter Sir" said Dob
by.
Winky nodded her agreement.
Harry breathed a sigh of relief.
"I would be happy to accept anything that you two give me" he said kindly. "The
two of you
take such great care of me. You are the best friends any wizard could want with
their
elves."
Both elves gave Harry a big hug and handed him a long package. When Harry opened
it
he almost dropped it in surprise. Inside was the new model of the Firebolt. He l
ooked at
the two elves in surprise.
"How could you two afford this?" he asked.
"We is collecting from all the elves" stated Winky. "Everyone here has been savi
ng their
money you is giving us Harry Potter. We is all getting together to buy this for
you. You is
not flying that much anymore and we is wanting to give you a reason to. We is ho
ping that
you like this Harry Potter Sir."
Harry reached out and gave Winky and Dobby a hug. Both elves accepted this with
tears.
They loved Harry beyond words. To make him this happy was the best day for the e
lves.
They shed even more tears when Harry asked them to join the staff at the table f
or
breakfast.
Minerva was near tears herself at the show of emotion between Head Master and el
f. She
conjured two chairs for the elves that were the right height and such for them t
o sit
comfortable at the table. When everyone was seated, the rest of the elves served

breakfast. Harry thanked each an every elf by name for their contribution to his
birthday
feast. After breakfast, Harry tore into his packages with gusto. He had received
a new
broom service kit from Ron. Hermione had bought him a book on wand lore. Albus
brought him a relic that he had found in his travels that once belonged to Rowen
a
Ravenclaw. He felt Harry would appreciate the circlet that once adorned the brow
of the
founder. Severus and Draco had given Harry books on potions. Petunia had baked h
is
cake. Harry also received new robes from other staff members. Molly had knitted
him a
new jumper with the Hogwarts coat of arms on it. With tears in his eyes he thank
ed each
and every member present for getting him all these wonderful gifts. Dobby and Wi
nky had
gathered up everything and with a small pop apparated to his rooms to put his it
ems
away.
Later that day Harry was making his usual rounds in the castle. He came across
Hermione sitting in a window seat studying as usual. She smiled at him when he p
assed.
He smiled back and continued on his way. He noticed that there was a new door. H
e
wondered at once, where it led to. Calling to Hermione, he tried the handle. Not
hing that
he did however would get the door to open. Intrigued, Hermione gave it a try. Ne
ither
could get the door to open. Harry made a mental note as to the location of the d
oor was.
He and Hermione decided to keep this a secret for now. Together they made their
way
back up to the entrance hall. Watching as the sun went down they were both glad
that the
new school year was starting on the morrow.
With a smile and a small sigh, both reentered the castle and made their way to t
heir
respective rooms. Tomorrow would be an interesting day for both.
Chapter 2 â The New School Year, The woes of Hermione
Harry sat at his desk basking in the wonderful birthday surprise the staff had g
iven him. He
watched as Winky and Dobby made room for his new robes as well as the new gadget
s
and devices that came from other professors. Watching as the elves worked, Harry
had
the inspiration to go flying. Grabbing his new broom, Harry opened a window of h
is office
and flew out into the crisp evening air. The elves paused in their work long eno
ugh to give
him a smile. The feel of the wind on his face made Harry feel invigorated. Remem
bering
his days on the Quidditch team, Harry had to smile at the antics of the team. Th
e fun and
the worries that they all had. In first year, Harry became the youngest Seeker i
n the
century. In second year, Professor Lockhart removed the bones from Harry's arm i
n
attempt to fix it when a stray bludger that Dobby had enchanted broke the bones.
In third
year, Harry had fallen off his broom when the Dementors had attacked. In fourth
year,
Harry summoned his broom to help him retrieve the golden egg from a nesting drag
on
mother as part of the Tri Wizard Tournament. In fifth year, Harry remembered his
ban
from playing by Deloris Umbridge. Of course Harry had not flown since, as he was
busy
with teaching and now running the school. He thought for a moment about what to
do with
his original Firebolt. He thought about donating it to a member of the student b
ody, but felt
that would be showing favoritism. Harry could not afford to favor one student ov
er the rest.
He remembered fondly of Sirius when he looked at his Firebolt. From there he dec
ided to
just showcase it in the trophy room. It would be a memory for the school. "The f
irst ever
Firebolt to come into the school" would make a great saying on the plaque.
Pulling himself back to the present Harry circled the Forbidden Forest. He watch
ed as the
trainers in charge of the dragons worked with them. Harry was not certain when V
oldemort
would attack again, but he would be ready when he did. He smiled as he watched H
agrid
working with Norberta. Hagrid loved dragons and thanks to Harry he now had the
opportunity to work with them all the time.
Flying back into his study, he saw that Dobby and Winky had finished and moved o
n to
other parts of the castle with their work. Sitting down at his desk Harry picked
up the stack
of papers that would tell him the class schedules and plans of the teaching staf
f. Harry
picked up the first piece of parchment and began to read.
The month of August went by with alarming speed. Harry and the rest of the staff
started
getting anxious as they were so many staff appointments and such that needed to
be
called to attention. Finally the day arrived and Harry along with the rest of th
e staff waited
as Hagrid brought in the first years. Minerva got the stool and the sorting hat
ready.
Severus and Hermione could be seen directing each year to their new tables. Fina
lly
when the older students sat, the sorting ceremony began. The rip in the brim of
the hat
opened up in song.
In my days when I was born
There lived four who worked along
They built this school for all to learn
Their place in history they did earn
All through the years, students come
And to each house I give some
For those who are brave and courageous
I will send you to Gryffindor
For those who are intelligent
I will send you to Ravenclaw
For those who have heart
I will send you to Hufflepuff
For those who are sly and cunning
I will send you to Slytherin
This year is different as you will see
The headmaster is young
He is bound by duty
Heir to the founders he has learned
His place in history he has earned
Things are changing you can bet on that
Now place me on your head for I'm the sorting hat.
The students applauded as the Sorting hat became silent. There were forty new st
udents
this year. Harry watched as the roll call went on. He applauded for each student
.
Hermione was there to escort each student to their table. When all the names wer
e finally
called, Harry stood up.
"Welcome" he began. "A new school year is upon us. I have a few announcements to

make before we tuck in. To all students please note that the seating arrangement
has
been changed. No longer will the houses sit separate from one another. Also I wo
uld like
to remind you all that the Forbidden Forest is off limits. I would also like to
point out a few
staff changes this year. First off Professor Hermione Granger will be taking ove
r Charms.
Professor Rubeus Hagrid will resume Care of Magical Creatures. Professor Remus
Lupin, will be taking over Defense against the Dark Arts. Assistant Professor Dr
aco Malfoy
will be assisting in Potions. One last thing and then we can eat. Each house wil
l have a
Head Boy or Girl in it. Please show respect to these people. I know things are d
ifferent
from normal tradition, however times change and so do other things change to mat
ch it.
For now however, please DIG IN"
With a wave of his hands all the tables filled with food. All the students tucke
d in and
conversations broke out between the students. Each was determined to get along w
ith the
others. Gryffindor students could be seen chatting with Slytherin students. Harr
y was
determined to weed out any feuds between the different houses. After awhile Harr
y could
see the other professors relax as they too observed the companionship between th
e
houses. After dinner was done and all the plates cleared, Harry stood up once mo
re.
"As some of you know" he began. "We lost some of our students with the end of la
st year.
We will now be training new people for the SFG as well as the DA. The students b
etween
fifth and seventh year will be allowed to sign up. Anyone below 5th year I ask y
ou to
indulge me. Training is more rigorous as you get older. However anyone from any
year
may sign up to join the DA. Also please remember that being out of your dorms af
ter
curfew will result in loss of house points. Getting caught to many times will re
sult in
detention. This year we are making things little more severe as it is our priori
ties to not
only teach you, but to keep you safe. Thank you, that is all. It is time for bed
. Prefects I will
ask you to escort the younger students to their dorms. Good night to you all."
Turning, Harry swiftly conferred with Remus on a topic he had been meaning to ad
dress.
After a moments thought, Remus nodded in affirmation, and they left the hall tog
ether and
headed towards Harry's office. Severus and Minerva wondered what was going on.
Apparently this was not the time for them to find out. Hours later their curiosi
ty got the
better of them. Together they made their way to Harry's office. Upon reaching th
e landing
the door opened and Harry gestured for them to sit while they finished their wor
k. Both
senior staff members sat quietly and glanced at each other with a look that said
"He is up
to something".
"Eureka" said Harry.
Turning, he proudly handed both Severus and Minerva a piece of parchment. Severu
s
knew at once what Harry was presenting him. Minerva, never having known about th
e
marauders map, glanced at Harry with questioning eyes. Harry touched his wand to
the
parchment and said firmly "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." Minerva wa
tched in
amazement as a finely detailed map spread out over the parchment. She got very e
xcited
when she saw where all the students were and such. She followed a couple of pref
ects as
they made their rounds in the castle.
"I take it this is the secret of your mischief as a student?" she asked.
Harry laughed and nodded at her.
"I have the original" he said. "Remus, Peter, Sirius, and my dad made the origin
al. I
figured this way we could all keep an eye on the students. I have one for Hermio
ne and
Pomona as well. Only a handful of students know about this. Therefore we can ass
ist the
prefects and Head Boys and Girls by also keeping a lookout. I know that if I cou
ld get
passed you all when I was a student so can others. Patterns of the prefects can
be studied
and such. This will help us keep the students in line as well as tell us if ther
e are any
trespassers on the grounds. Even if one is under an invisibility cloak it will t
ell us. Also it will
help us keep an eye on the secret tunnels in and out of the school."
"This is ingenious" said Minerva. "It will definantly help out a lot. Oh look. M
r. Finnegan is
heading to the kitchens."
"Sonorus" said Harry. "Five points from Gryffindor Mr. Finnegan. Please return t
o your
dormitory immediately. Quietus."
Harry and the rest present watched as Seamus changed course and headed back to t
he
Gryffindor common room. The rest of the school now knew that they were being wat
ched.
Harry would be surprised if anyone else tried that tactic this night.
Smiling the rest of the staff bade Harry a good evening and left. Harry himself
made his
way down to Hermione's room and knocked. At first he did not hear anything. Grad
ually
he became aware of the sound of crying. Without waiting for an answer, Harry ent
ered the
room. Upon entering, Harry discovered Hermione sitting at her desk crying. When
she
realized Harry was there, she sat up quickly and tried to wipe away her tears.
"Hermione" asked Harry. "Why are you crying?"
"I had a run in with Terry Boot" she replied. "He told me that he doesn't like t
he fact that I
am a teacher. He said you had no right to appoint me as such. He said that I am
too
young. Harry he was just rude about it. How am I going to be an effective teache
r, when
the students will not accept me as a teacher?"
"That is easy Hermione" he answered. "We will do it the same way that we did it
when I
first started teaching. I will be present for your first few classes and help to
squash the
negativity about you being a professor. If they do not like that we can always h
ave Severus
present. That will shut up most students with just that threat."
"Oh Harry" she said excitedly. "Would you do that for me? That would be so wonde
rful. I
really think that it would help out a lot. I am also worried about Draco. As he
is not teaching
any but first year, I think he will be ok. However we might want to get Severus
to make the
same offer to him."
"Hermione" he said. "That statement is the very reason why I wanted you as teach
er in the
first place. Also let us not forget that Albus had a lot to do with your appoint
ment as well.
From here on out, it will be my duty. I miss him."
Hermione got up and gave Harry a hug.
"You are going to be just fine Harry" she said. "We all have faith in you. There
is a reason
for everything."
"Thanks Hermione" he said. "Now let us go to Ravenclaw tower. Before I forget, h
ere is
your own personal marauders map. It will help you to know when students are out
of bed.
It will keep Filch happy."
Hermione grinned at this statement. She led Harry out of her rooms and they went
to
Ravenclaw tower. As they approached the door, it opened and a harassed looking L
una
Lovegood fell out.
"Oh" she exclaimed. "I was just on my way to get Professor Granger."
Harry helped to steady her and the trio made their way into the common room. Har
ry
could see Terry Boot pale at once. All of Luna's belongings were thrown all over
the floor.
"JUST WHAT IN THE NAME OF MERLIN DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?" thundered
Harry. "FIRST YOU INSULT A PROFESSOR. THEN I COME TO THE DORMATORY TO
FIND YOU ASSAULTING ANOTHER STUDENT. HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?
EXPLAIN YOURSELF IMMEDIATELY."
Terry looked awed at the fury on Harry's face. He tried to come up with a defens
e and
faltered. He tried again and failed a second time. Finally Harry cut him off. Ha
rry strode
over to the fireplace.
"Severus" he called. "Would you be so kind as to come to the Ravenclaw common ro
om?
I'll move aside for you to come through the fire."
Harry moved over and Severus entered. Severus took a glance around and looked at

Harry questioningly.
"It would appear that Mr. Boot here has a problem with the new head of Ravenclaw
house.
He also appears to have a problem with Miss Lovegood. I am in need of your
assistance."
"What do you need of me Harry?" he asked. "You know all you have to do is ask."
"Thanks Severus" he said. Turning to Terry Boot he continued. "You are hereby on

detention. You will no longer be the Head Boy of Ravenclaw House. You will do a
month's
worth of detentions with Professor Snape in the dungeons. When you are done with
that
month, you will do a second month with Professor Granger. If I hear of you even
missing
one detention, or giving any type of negative feedback, you will serve a third m
onth. Every
time you even sneeze wrong you will get an extra week."
Terry Boot started to protest, but Severus cut him off.
"You will report to me at 7:00 sharp every evening" sneered Severus. "I promise
you that
you will never do this to another teacher or student again.
"Does anyone else have a problem with Professor Granger or Miss Lovegood?" asked

Harry.
A collective shake of the head confirmed that no one else wanted the taste of Ha
rry's
wrath.
"Justin" continued Harry. "Pick two gentlemen to help you clear out the Head Boy
's room
of Mr. Boot's belongings. He will no longer need those rooms. Mr. Boot please re
port to
your old dormitory."
Harry turned and pointed to three young ladies.
"You three will help Miss Lovegood clean up her belongings. When the boys are do
ne
you will move Miss Lovegood's belongings into the new Head Girl's room."
The three girls nodded and walked over to Luna. A quiet conversation of decorati
ons for
the room soon followed.
Harry turned to look at Hermione. "Is that ok with you Professor?" he asked.
Hermione smiled and nodded her agreement. Luna smiled at them and made her way t
o
her belongings that were scattered all over the room.
"Luna" said Harry. "If you have any more trouble, please send a house elf to me
at once. I
will not tolerate bullying in this school."
Severus, Hermione, and Harry made their way out to the hallway. Hermione felt lo
ads
better after witnessing the fire that came from Harry. She knew immediately that
the
founders and Albus made the right choice. Severus congratulated Harry on his
outstanding performance and made his way to his rooms in the dungeons. Harry and

Hermione made their way to Pomona's rooms. After delivering the map to her and
explaining how to use it, he and Hermione made their way back to Hermione's room
.
"Thanks for supporting me Harry" she said. "I really appreciate the way you stoo
d up for
both me and Luna. You are such a nice guy. Just remind me to never get on your b
ad
side."
Harry laughed and relaxed. After bidding her good night, he made his way to the
kitchen.
He entered the kitchen and looked around. Of Dobby and Winky there was no sign.
He
figured they were probably in his rooms doing something. Harry flagged down two
house
elves.
"Pinto and Rose right" he asked.
With a bow and a smile, both nodded yes.
"I have a special job for both of you. Pinto I need you to keep a special eye on
Professor
Granger for me. She ran into a bit of trouble with a student. Had I not needed t
o go to her
rooms I would never have known. If she is having any trouble that she is not abl
e to
handle herself, I want you to come to me immediately. Rose I need you to do the
same
for Luna Lovegood in Ravenclaw Tower. Can I count on you to help me with that?"
Both elves gave another bow.
"We will do it for you Head Master" said Rose. "I is liking Mistress Lovegood. M
istress is
always nice to Rose."
"Very good" said Harry. "I thank you both. Just remember if they can not handle
it
themselves, come get me immediately. I will not tolerate mistreatment of a livin
g being in
this school."
All the elves in the vicinity that were listening all applauded Harry for his ki
ndness and care
for all living souls. Harry made his way to his office. He had a letter to write
to Terry Boot's
parents. He wanted to get it done before he turned in. When he finished the lett
er, he
sealed it and tied it to the leg of Hedwig. She gave him a loving nip on the fin
ger and flew
out the window.
Chapter 3 â A Meeting of the Minds
Harry started the next day with a positive outlook. Thus far there were only a f
ew incidents
which required his attention. Harry watched as the Heads of House went through t
he Great
Hall handing out their class schedules to the students. Ginny smiled at Harry as
she took
the schedule that would allow her to study to become an Auror. Harry glanced ove
r at
Severus with a smile. The potions master decided to allow certain members of the
DA as
well as the members of the SFG into his N.E.W.T.S class with and E. Severus look
ed
back at Harry and returned the smile. As the students were starting to gather th
eir
belonging and head off to their first classes, Harry approached Hermione.
"Hermione what is your first lesson?" asked Harry.
"Oh!" she exclaimed. "I have first year Slytherin and Hufflepuff. I do not think
I will need you
for my first or second year classes Harry. However, I will send Pinto to you if
I have any
problems. Thanks for asking him to keep an eye on things with me. That was very
sweet
of you."
Harry shrugged his indifference.
"I have to watch out for all of you, don't I?" he asked.
"Yes I guess you do," she replied.
With that she headed off for her first class. Harry saw Pinto trail behind her.
With a smile
and a wink to the elf, Harry turned around and headed in the other direction. Ha
rry
watched as students made their way to different parts of the castle. Filch could
be seen
cleaning near the front door. When he saw Harry watching him, he scowled and mov
ed to
another section. It was knowledge among the staff that Filch did not approve of
Harry
being the Head Master. He still thought of Harry as a, snot nosed little kid. Ha
rry scowled
back and returned to his office. Upon reaching his office Harry saw Hedwig sitti
ng on his
desk preening her feathers. When he approached she held out her leg for him to t
ake the
letter that was attached to her leg.
"Thanks Hedwig," he said.
He gave her an owl treat and watched as she went sit on her perch near the windo
w. Now
that Harry was Head Master, there was no longer a need for her to go to the Owle
ry. Harry
stopped long enough to whisper words of encouragement to Apollo and went to his
desk.
He opened the letter and began reading.
Dear Harry,
I hope things are going well for you at the school. I need you to come to the Mi
nistry of
Magic at your earliest convenience. There was a problem here, and I need to disc
uss
certain matters with you regarding Peter Pettigrew. Please let me know when we c
an set
up a meeting.
Yours Sincerely,
Albus Dumbledore
Harry set the letter down and made his way to Severus' office. He knew that Seve
rus had
this free period and was keeping an ear out on Draco's first class. With a smile
he
remembered the deep blush the blond Slytherin gave when Harry and Albus gave him

the post of Assistant Professor. Upon reaching the dungeons, Harry gave a soft k
nock on
the door. Putting his head in, he saw Draco standing at the front of the class.
"Pardon me Professor Malfoy," he began. "I was wondering if I might have a word
with
Professor Snape."
Draco smile at Harry and gestured him to the office where Severus sat. Harry qui
ckly
passed through the classroom and gave a soft knock on the door. Severus waved hi
m
inside. Once in, Harry shut the door quietly behind him.
"Severus, I received a letter from Albus this morning," he said. "He wants to di
scuss
something with me about Wormtail. Therefore I will be leaving the castle for a f
ew hours.
Hermione will be ok today as she only has first and second years today. You seem
to
have things well in control with Draco. I was wondering if you could keep an eye
on the
school for me so that I can meet with Albus."
"Harry you don't even need to ask," said Severus. "I know that you are still not
used to the
idea that you are in charge of this school. You don't need my permission every t
ime you
want to do something you know."
Harry blushed, a bright red, at this statement. He still felt like a child somet
imes when he
thought about his status in the school. He still could not believe that at 17 ye
ars of age, he
was Head Master of the school. He gave a nervous smile to Severus.
"I still have a little trouble remembering that I am of an age where I do not ne
ed
permission to go where I want, when I want." Harry replied. "The idea that I can
just go
somewhere when I want to still makes me nervous."
"Well Harry," said Severus. "I am sure that you will get past what you are feeli
ng soon
enough."
Harry smiled his thanks and quietly made his way back through the class room int
o the
hall. Slowly he made his way to the entrance hall.
"Pinto and Rose," he called. "May I have a moment of your time please?"
With two small pops the elves appeared before him.
"What can we do for you Head Master?" asked Rose.
"I will be leaving the school for a few hours," stated Harry. "If either of your
charges is in
need of assistance, please send word to Professor Snape immediately."
"Yes Head Master," replied both elves with a bow.
Harry grinned at the two elves and with a quick turn on the spot he apparated to
the
Ministry. After handing his wand over for inspection, Harry made his way to the
office of
the Minister of Magic.
Things had changed in the Ministry since the death of former Minster, Arthur Wea
sley.
Albus went through such extremes with the security of people going in and out of
the
ministry. At any given time, one could see a patrol of Aurors circulating among
the
visitors. The procedure was to keep the Aurors alert to possible danger. Albus w
as
implementing the same type of rounds here that he had with prefects and the Head
Boy
and Girl at Hogwarts. At 175 years of age Albus was still a very powerful wizard
. His mind
was sheer intelligence. Harry was grateful for such a wonderful mentor. Were it
not for
Albus, Harry would have been lost so many times in the years. Every trial and su
ch that
Harry had gone through made him stronger, for the support of his old friend and
former
Head Master. It was still spread that Albus Dumbledore is the only man Voldemort
ever
feared. Harry knew this to be both true and slightly misleading. Voldemort did n
ot actively
seek out a fight with Albus, however during Harry's fifth year the two powerful
wizards did
battle right here in the Ministry of Magic. That was the first and only time Vol
demort ever
tried to possess Harry. The power of Harry's emotions kept Voldemort from attemp
ting
that again. For Harry possessed such an innocent and loving heart, that Voldemor
t could
not possess him without sustaining damage to himself.
Harry finally made it to the door of the Minister. Knocking softly, Harry was as
ked to enter.
Once more Harry wondered how Albus always knew who was on the other side of the
door. Entering, Harry made his way over to the desk that Albus was standing behi
nd. After
clasping hands with the old wizard, Harry took the offered chair and sat.
Harry, I am sure you are wondering about the cryptic message that I sent to you,
" began
Albus. "It seems that Peter was able to escape from prison last night."
"WHAT?" exclaimed Harry. "How did he manage that?"
"From the information that I have gathered," continued Albus. "It would seem tha
t when his
door was opened at feeding time, he changed into his Animagus form and escaped t
he
prison. We have not been able to find him as of yet. I want to assure you that w
e are doing
everything in our power to locate him. He is not an easy person to catch up to."
Harry stood up and began to pace back and forth in front of the desk.
"What are we attempting to do to catch him?" he asked.
"Everything we can," answered Albus.
"Trust me Harry, we are doing everything in out power to catch him and keep him
away
from Voldemort. However it would not surprise me to learn that he is with his ma
ster
already," said Dumbledore.
Harry nodded his acceptance at this. If Albus said it was so then it must me so.
Harry had
no reason to doubt him. Turning he sat down in front of Albus.
"There is a way to see if he is there," said Harry. "I can always venture into V
oldemort's
mind and see. If you come to the castle this evening we can do this. It is time
for me to
make a trip into his thoughts anyway. This way I can see what he is up to and we
can get
information on Wormtail."
"That is an excellent suggestion Harry," said Dumbledore with a nod of his head.
"I will
come to the castle around 8:00 if that is ok with you. Also we can get Severus a
nd
Minerva to sit with us for this."
Harry nodded his agreement. He stood up and shook hands with Dumbledore once mor
e
and made his way out of the room. He made his way to the street. After looking a
round to
make sure he would not be spotted Harry apparated back to Hogwarts. He walked to
the
transfiguration classroom. With a quick knock on the door, Harry entered the cla
ss.
Minerva was a bit surprised to see Harry there, but she smiled and beckoned him
over.
"Minerva," he began. "I need you to come to my office at 8:00 to meet with me an
d Albus
this evening. There was a problem and Albus wants you and Severus to join in the

meeting. I am also going to ask Hermione and Pomona to join us."

"Of course Harry," said Minerva. "I will be there."
With that Harry made his way out of the classroom and headed to the dungeons to
give
the news to Severus. Severus' reaction was the same as Minerva's. However he
promised to be there at 8.
Harry made his way to Hermione's classroom. As he was about to enter he could he
re a
second year giving Hermione a bit of attitude.
"That will be 10 points from Hufflepuff, Stebbins," said Hermione. "I am not goi
ng to
tolerate cheek from you. I am no longer a student. I am a Professor in this scho
ol and you
will treat me as such. If I hear one more word from you I will give you a detent
ion."
Harry smiled as Stebbins lowered his head and mumbled and apology. Harry knocked

on the door and entered.

"Hermione I need a quick word if you do not mind," said Harry.
Hermione nodded and walked over to him.
"Please meet me in my office at 8 this evening," said Harry.
She nodded her acceptance with a questioning look.
Harry smiled at her and left. He sent a house elf with the same message to Pomon
a. He
did not feel like walking all the way down to the green houses. The elf appeared
a few
moments later and gave Harry her affirmation. When the elf disappeared with a sm
all
pop, Harry slapped himself on the forehead. He could just as easily apparated to
the
green house himself. He kept forgetting that he could do things here at Hogwarts
that no
one else could. With a glance at his watch Harry realized that lunch time was in
5 minutes.
He entered the Great Hall and made his way to his place. Dobby appeared next to
him
and handed him a glass of juice. Harry accepted it with a smile. It never ceased
to amaze
him that this little elf took such great care of him. Five minutes later, the be
ll rang for end
of lesson, and the students and staff started making their way into the Great Ha
ll for lunch.
After everyone was present and seated, Harry stood up.
"I have a small announcement to make," he said. "It seems that some students hav
e a
problem with Professor Granger being a Professor. Twice in as many days I have
witnessed a student disrespecting her. From now on if a student disrespects her
they will
automatically serve a week's detention as well as the loss of house points. It i
s getting
rather tiresome that some of you older students are not setting a better example
of
decorum and behavior to our younger students. For every student who disrespects
a
teacher in this school, they will serve their detention with Professor Snape, Mc
Gonagall, or
myself. I promise you that they will not be pleasant detentions either."
With that being said, Harry sat down and the tables filled with food. Harry glan
ced over and
he could see Hermione and Minerva with their heads together discussing what had
happened and Harry's new idea about punishment. Harry did not like being so hars
h with
the students, but things were starting to get out of hand with the students disr
especting the
staff. Finally, lunch was over and Harry filed into Hermione's class room to obs
erve the
rest of her classes that day. After his announcement at lunch no other student w
anted to
try the patience of the Head Master. This pleased Harry. The day wore on and fin
ally
dinner came. At a quarter till eight, Harry left the Great Hall with the Heads o
f House in tow.
They made it to the entrance Hall just as Albus was approaching the great doors.

Together, they made their way to Harry' office. Once inside, Harry gave his desk
to Albus,
who graciously accepted. Eyebrows lifted at this, but Albus was ready to get thi
ngs
underway.
"I am sure you are all wondering why we are gathered here, "he began. "It seems
that
Peter Pettigrew has escaped from prison."
The cries of outrage started up at once. Albus however, was ready for them.
"Let me assure you," he continued. "That we are doing everything in out power to

recapture him. Once we do so he will be unable to transform into his Animagus fo

rm
again. He will not be able to escape us again."
Nods went around the room.
"The other reason you are here," said Harry. "Is that I am going to probe the mi
nd of
Voldemort."
The shudders went around the room. Harry and Albus ignored this.
"With you all being here," he continued. "You will be able to hear what is going
on. Albus
and Severus have experience with guiding me back to myself, from these little jo
urneys.
This way I don't get trapped by Voldemort in my own mind."
Again the shudders went around. Again Harry and Albus ignored them. Albus conjur
ed a
small cot, and Harry laid on it. Severus and Albus each took a chair and placed
it near
Harry's head and sat. Both placed a comforting hand on each of Harry's shoulders
. Softly
Apollo started his song. This was the song that allowed Harry to focus his thoug
hts and go
into the mind of the darkest wizard to ever have walked the planet. Harry always

considered these journeys a form of astral projection. However, he knew he was n

ot really
leaving his body. He was just using the link that Voldemort himself established
16 years
ago. With a small shudder Harry plunged into Voldemort's mind.
"Wormtail," said Voldemort. "I see you have made it back. The rat in you has fou
nd a way
of making it back to my service. I congratulate you on your thinking. I would no
t have
thought it possible that you possessed the brain power to pull off such a stunt.
"
"Thank you my Lord," whimpered Wormtail. "I got the idea from Black when he esca
ped
Azkaban."
"Wormtail," laughed Voldemort. "I know you didn't come up with the idea all on y
our own.
However, your honestly is admiral. You will be rewarded however. I have a specia
l job for
you to do that I will only trust to someone such as yourself. Your rodent abilit
ies will serve
you well in this endeavor. I need you to sneak into Hogwarts for me. There is so
mething
behind the green and silver doorâ ¦."
Harry came to with a start. He glanced around at Hermione. They both registered
the
shock together. They had found that same green and silver door. Now Harry knew h
ow to
get into the room beyond. Parseltongue was how to open the door. The rest of the
heads
of house was confused about the door. Even Albus was giving Harry a questioning
look.
I can not explain it to you all yet," said Harry. "I know where that door is. He
rmione and I
found it over the summer. I committed its location to memory. We can lead you al
l there."
Harry and the rest of the staff stood up. Harry wanted to get into that room qui
ckly.
Chapter 4 â The Secret Door
Harry got up from the cot and the rest of the staff stood with him. They had see
n the
stricken look on his face. Harry knew without a doubt what was hidden in that ro
om. The
question was; how did Riddle create the room. Furthermore, how did he acquire so
many
of the items that were hidden within? Albus and Severus both helped Harry steady
 himself.
The alarm in both wizards' faces at the stricken look on Harry's face was eviden
t to
everyone else present.
"Severus," said Harry. "Send for Draco and Artemis please. The rest of you follo
w me."
As Severus sent a patronus to Draco asking for him and his phoenix to join them,
the rest
of the staff all rose and followed Harry out of his office. Within a few moments
, a sleepy
looking Draco with Artemis on his shoulder appeared in the entrance hall.
"What's going on Harry?" he asked.
"Just follow me and please stay alert," said Harry. "Albus we need to do a meld
again. I
want to strengthen the wards on the castle. Wormtail will be here shortly. This
is one
rodent I wish to capture for good."
With a nod Albus escorted the rest of the staff to the focal point of Harry's wa
rds. Albus
knew without looking that these were some powerful wards that Harry had erected
around
the school. The fact that certain people were recognized by these wards, made th
em
more powerful than even Albus could have called up.
Harry walked to the spot and placed his hands carefully on the wall. He started
quietly
intoning the incantation to erect even more wards on the castle itself. The rest
of the group
watched in amazement as the castle responded to Harry's touch. Albus nodded to t
he rest
of the group and he slowly drew them into the meld. Having melded with Minerva b
efore,
he knew her patterns. Hermione and Draco had done this before, so Albus sent the
trickle
of magic required to pull them in. Pomona and Severus stood for a moment wonderi
ng
what to do, when all of a sudden they felt the equivalent of a magic knock on th
eir shields.
Looking around they saw the expressions on the faces of their comrades and immed
iately
let the visitor in. When Albus had them all in the meld, he slowly sent the ener
gy of the
group to Harry. Harry carefully constructed the barrier around them and let the
energy
flow into his conjuration.
"Repellus intruders. Repellus Dark Mark. Repellus dark creature." 3 times Harry
repeated
this incantation. Slowly but steadily pulling on the energies of the others stan
ding with him.
Harry was careful this time to not pull so much that the others would collapse i
n the strain.
What intrigued him the most was the feel of the two phoenixes. As Harry sent mor
e energy
into the spell, he could feel the two birds add their own power to the spell. Sl
owly Harry
began to unravel the others from the meld. He started with Draco and Hermione. T
hey
being the youngest and least experienced, he felt their safety was a higher prio
rity. Slowly
he let Pomona and Severus out of the meld. He knew that they could withstand the
longer
amount of time in the magic. Last, he let Minerva and Albus out of the magical f
low. Harry
felt that the two phoenixes would let themselves out. It was with a soft flurry
of feathers that
the phoenixes left the meld. Without even wasting a thought, Harry ended the inc
antation.
When they all looked around, they could see the flow of energy surrounding the c
astle.
They stood there amazed at the flow of power that was circulating. Slowly Harry
took a
deep breath and turned to the others.
"We need to get to that secret door," he said.
The others all nodded and followed. Only Draco had a confused look on his face a
s he
was the only one in the group that was not in Harry's office and therefore had n
ever heard
about the door. They made their way swiftly through the corridors to the third f
loor. Harry
and Hermione led the way unerringly as they remembered where they were when the
door came into view. As they approached the door, they could feel the wards on t
he castle
give a twitch.
"Wormtail is here," said Harry.
Immediately Severus and Minerva departed to search for him. Pomona went to alert
the
other professors as to what was happening. Draco looked at Harry with a fierce l
ook on his
face.
"What is this door you are talking about?" he asked. "Also I thought that they c
aught
Wormtail."
"During the summer," began Harry, "Hermione and I were walking together through
this
corridor when we spotted a green and silver door. Having wandered the halls sinc
e I was
11, I knew that this was something that I had not come upon before. Hermione and
I could
not get into the room beyond though. No spell we tried would open the door. At t
he time I
had other things on my mind, or I would have thought to use parseltongue to open
the
door. Now that I have just come from the mind of Voldemort I know how to get int
o the
room and I know what is inside. We should proceed there immediately. Oh and I fo
rgot
you do not know that Wormtail escaped the other day from prison. The ministry is
trying to
recapture him."
With that they set of for the door. Within a few moments, Harry and Hermione fou
nd the
door. With a hiss and a click of his tongue, Harry commanded the door to open.
"You have to teach me to speak parseltongue," stated Draco.
The door opened and everyone present made their way into the room.
"Amazing," said Dumbledore. "I never knew that Tom had this kind of skill. Much
less,
him hiding this room from me in the way that he did. The amount of energy it mus
t have
cost him to shield this door and this room from being found by anyone. I wonder
how he
has been reinforcing the shields on it however. There must be a way into this ca
stle that
we do not know about. I think a thorough search of the castle would be prudent t
o find out
how he has been getting in and out without notice. Having taught Tom I know is m
agic.
This is not something that he would trust to anyone. His signature is all over t
his."
Harry stopped dead in his tracks at this thought. How was Voldemort getting into
the
castle? That was an interesting question indeed. With a murmur he lit the tip of
his wand.
The rest of the group did the same. When all the wands were lit they all gave a
gasp. It
was a nesting ground. What lay before them was nothing short of the deadliest mi
racle
around. By this time Minerva, Severus, and Pomona had rejoined the group. With t
hem
were Remus and Hagrid. When they all entered the room and lit their wands as wel
l, they
too gave a gasp. Hundreds of eggs were in nests on the floor. Apollo and Artemis
were
thrilling nervously.
Albus and Remus approached an egg and bent to examine it. Albus looked over to H
arry
with the same expression on his face that Harry had when he came out of Voldemor
t's
mind.
"Basilisk eggs," he stated with as much calm as he could. "These are not normal
eggs
though. There is something wrong with the embryos inside. They are magically alt
ered.
Seems Tom has been playing with the natural order of things again. It would appe
ar that
he no longer just wishes to rule the world. He now wants to play God."
With that statement the rest of the party looked dejected. Harry in particular l
ooked furious.
It was one thing to want power, but another to want to destroy innocent life. Al
bus stood and
walked over to him. It was as if the older mage could read his thoughts.
"We can fix this Harry," he assured. "Everyone please use fire. We need to destr
oy these
eggs."
Albus turned and sent a fireball at the nearest egg. With an exclamation of surp
rise, he
ducked as the spell rebounded off the shell and flew right back at him.
"STOP!" he called as the others made to attempt to send the same spell.
"These eggs are spell protected," he said flatly. "Please give me a moment as I
try to
unravel what has been done here."
The others waited patiently as Dumbledore made a few wand movements and tried a
few
different means of destroying the eggs. Harry, who was standing next to the wall
, leaned
back and watched as the former headmaster worked. When he leaned against the wal
l,
the warning came through to Harry immediately. It was as if the castle could fee
l what was
going to happen.
"Everyone OUT," he suddenly yelled. "There is fixing to be a problem here."
The rest of the group did not doubt Harry in the least. They rushed out of the r
oom. Harry
stood in the doorway and watched. Slowly one of the eggs hatched. With a furious
shriek,
both phoenixes flew at the serpent and started to destroy it. Harry pulled out t
he wand of
Slytherin and decided to try something small.
"STUPEFY," he called.
Slowly the second egg that had been starting to hatch stopped in mid hatch. It f
roze with
just a moment to spare as the head of the serpent was starting to come out of th
e egg.
"Basic spells," he exclaimed. "Nothing at all difficult or advanced needs to be
used.
Voldemort did not think we would try something so first year. Let's try again. F
or now just
stun them. Don't do anything else."
With that the group reentered the room and everyone started sending stunners at
the
eggs. When every egg was finally stunned and unable to finish hatching, Harry st
ood back
for a moment and gave the situation a bit of thought.
He gave a small twitch of his wand and conjured a shovel. Walking over to the ne
arest
egg, Harry brought the shovel down hard on the egg and it's hatching fiend. With
a
sickening crunch, the egg and embryo were smashed and destroyed. With a sigh he
turned to the others.
"Well," he said. "If we can not destroy them with magic, we will just have to do
it without
magic. Hagrid, do not even think about stealing one of these eggs. I know exactl
y how
many there are."
Hagrid blushed at this remark. Albus chuckled before turning to Harry.
"I would like to take one of these to the Ministry for observation and testing,"
he said.
Harry nodded his affirmation. With a wave of his wand, Dumbledore created a sack
.
Hagrid picked up the egg with a longing look them placed it in the sack. Albus t
ied the
sack to his belt and proceeded to conjure shovels for everyone. As each member
grabbed his or her shovel, they set to work destroying the eggs. Harry could fee
l Wormtail
still trying to get inside the castle. He knew that if they did not hurry, then
he would succeed
in getting around the wards. He motioned to Severus, and the two men stood to th
e side.
Hermione and Draco were disgusted at the loss of life as were the others, but th
ey knew it
had to be done. These were the most dangerous things they could have found in th
e
castle.
"Severus we have to find that entrance," said Harry. "Wormtail is attempting to
get inside
the castle. I'll ask you to summon the rest of the staff as well as the DA and S
FG. They can
help."
Severus gave a nod of his head and made his way into the castle. Harry went back
to
work destroying the serpents. Within a few more moments, the rest of the eggs we
re
destroyed. They were all tired from the physical work, but they looked decidedly
content
that they were finished with such a disgusting task. They all left the room, whe
re Harry
waved his wands and cleaned everyone up. Each gave a smile of thanks and went to
sit
on the window boxes to catch their breath.
"Gwen, Randal, Dinky," Harry called.
With a few small pops the three house elves appeared. Dobby and Winky appeared a
s
well even though they were not called.
"What can we do for you Head Master?" asked Gwen.
"I need you to gather a dozen elves and clean this room," said Harry. "Hagrid wh
en they
are done, I need you to put Fluffy in this room. He ought to deter Voldemort for
a bit. I do
not want a student wandering into this room by mistake."
The elves and Hagrid all agreed. Hagrid left to go get Fluffy as nine more pops
announced the arrival of the house elves. Harry watched the shocked expressions
on
their faces before they began to work.
"It was a necessary thing for us to do," said Harry.
"We is not knowing that these foul monsters were here Master," said Gwen. "For t
hat we is
sorry."
"This was NOT your fault," said Harry. "Even Albus did not know this was here. H
owever
we need to make sure that there are no more like this anywhere. When you are don
e
here get the elves to search every section of the castle. There is also a secret
entrance in
this castle that we have been unable to locate."
Gwen looked thoughtful for a moment.
"We will get right on it as soon as we is finished here," she said.
"Thanks Gwen," said Harry. "Dobby I need you and Winky to make p a room for the
Minister. He will be staying the night in the castle. I am sure it will be a lon
g night."
"We is going to get right on it Harry," said Dobby.
As the house elves disapparated, Harry registered the fact that Dobby had finall
y called
him Harry. Not Master. Not Harry Potter Sir. Just, Harry. He gave a smile at thi
s. Finally
the elves were starting to relax and consider themselves a part of his family. B
y this time
Severus and the rest of the staff had assembled. Shortly there after, the DA and
the SFG
were there.
"Lets all go down to the Great Hall," said Harry. "We have some work to do."
With that everyone made their way downstairs to the Great Hall. As everyone ente
red,
other house elves brought out light refreshments for them. Thanking the elves fo
r their
thoughtfulness, Harry started the discussion.
"There is a secret passage in this castle that we did not know about," he began.
"We need
to find it. Therefore I am enforcing the following. All prefects that are making
their rounds
will be escorted with at least one member of the SFG or DA. By now, most if not
all the
prefects are part of one or the other of those groups, but I need the security o
f the castle
tightened. Next, those that are not on duty will take turns to search the floors
and such for a
secret passage that is somewhere on the premises. Somewhere in this castle there
is a
way that Voldemort is getting into our school. We need to find it. I want every
where
checked. I even want the green houses searched. I want all the teachers to pick
a team
and we will give it 2 hours this evening to search. If we do not find it this ev
ening we will
work on our free periods and search the castle. It is important that we find thi
s secret
passage. The team that will accompany me will be searching for Wormtail who is o
n the
grounds at this moment trying to get in. We have just finished destroying some o
f
Voldemort's pets. Now we want his spy caught so that he can not report back to h
im any
time soon. With that being said, Ginny, Luna, and Draco, please come with me. Th
e rest
of you go with any professor that calls your name."
Harry got up and the 3 students made their way to his side. Harry led them out o
nto the
grounds. Hagrid was walking up the way with Fluffy. As none of the other student
s present
had ever seen the dog, they all stopped with wonder on their faces. Each wondere
d about
the three headed dog.
As they made their way to the grounds, Hedwig flew to Harry's shoulder. Apollo m
ade a
welcoming noise that Hedwig returned. Looking at his owl, Harry had a sudden tho
ught.
"Hedwig," said Harry. "Girl I need you to get the rest of the school owls to hel
p us search
for a rat that isn't a rat. Can you do that for me?"
Hedwig hooted a reply, nipped his ear affectionately and flew off into the sky i
n the
direction of the Owlery. Harry watched her go with affection. Harry turned to Dr
aco and
looked at Artemis who was perched on Draco's shoulder.
"Artemis," he said. "I need you and Apollo to scout out the forbidden forest. We
need to
know if anyone is trying to get in that way as well."
Both phoenixes flew into the sky and headed towards the forest. About an hour la
ter,
Hedwig came back with a squirming rodent in her claws. Harry quickly stunned the
rat and
put him into a cage that would prevent him from transforming. Harry had no probl
em what
so ever in identifying the rodent in the cage. This was the one person who cause
d Harry to
lose his parents at such an early age.
"Thanks Hedwig," said Harry. "That was quick."
Hedwig hooted happily.
Harry was standing there with a surprised look on his face at the swiftness of h
is owl, when
Hermione's silver otter Patronus appeared.
"Harry," it said in Hermione's voice. "Come quick to the Room of Requirement. We
've
found it."
Chapter 5 â The Passage that was Unknown
Harry, Draco, Luna, and Ginny rushed to the seventh floor. Having spent most of
their
time in the Room of requirement when Umbridge was a professor, they had no troub
le
what so ever in getting there at top speed. As they approached the door, Hermion
e was
standing there with an awed look on her face. The rest of the professors as well
as Albus
were approaching from different parts of the castle. They all gathered around th
e door.
Some of the professors looked shocked at seeing the door. It was after all, not
common
knowledge that it even existed. Hermione opened the door and beckoned everyone i
n
side. Upon entering she led them to a door that was not present when the DA was
in the
Room of Requirement training. Harry took in his surroundings and quickly formatt
ed his
plans.
"Ok,' said Harry. "This is what we will do. Albus, Severus, Remus, Ron, Hermione
, Ginny,
Luna, Draco and I will go through the door and find out where it leads. Pomona,
Minerva,
Sybil, Hagrid, and the rest of the SFG will stay here and guard the door. I want
the rest of
the professors as well as the DA and all remaining prefects and Head Boys and Gi
rls to
patrol the corridors. Neville I want you to get one person from each house and g
et all
students to the great hall. From there set up a watch over the students. Some of
you
professors can assist him in that. Are we all agreed?"
There were nods all around and professors and students alike all made their way
to do
what Harry asked of them. They all knew that if Harry was going to do something
then the
student body as well as the school needed to be defended.
"Alright then," said Harry. "Wands out I think. Please do not get separated from
the group.
Stick together until we can figure out where this door goes."
Albus paused for a moment long enough to send a patronus to the Ministry of Magi
c
summoning Aurors to the castle to help defend it in case it was attacked while t
hey were
gone. Once he was done, he and the group proceeded carefully.
Hermione was the one to open the door. Albus and Harry stepped through first. Th
ey did
this to make sure that they were the first ones to deal with trouble or unwanted
persons
before they got to their destination. The tunnel was long and dark. As each memb
er of the
party entered the tunnel they lit their wands. Dumbledore gave his wand a twirl
and sent
the light ahead of them by about ten feet. The tunnel seemed long, and traveled
little.
Apparently Voldemort did not come to the castle that often to check on his pets.
There
were however lots of rodent footprints in the dirt on the floor. This told them
that Wormtail
was the one that came into the castle more than Voldemort. With this bit of info
rmation,
Harry and Albus led the group further down the tunnel. Hermione and Severus brou
ght up
the rear. After a few moments they could here the dragging of limbs as they enco
untered
the inferi. Albus and Harry both sent streams of fire down the tunnel to inciner
ate the
corpses. Apparently Voldemort did not want others in this tunnel if he could hel
p it. After
defeating the inferi, the group made their way cautiously down the tunnel. Withi
n a few
more feet, Harry was lifted upside down and hanging in the air in what seemed li
ke a
plastic bubble. Quickly Remus and Albus cast the counter charm that set Harry ba
ck on
his feet. Giving them a grateful smile, Harry stood up and he began to move furt
her down
the tunnel. The next trap was the one Albus got caught in. As he stepped in a po
rtion of
the floor, a hole opened beneath his feet. Hermione quickly muttered "WINGARDIUM

LEVIOSA" and Albus slowly rose back to a place where the others could grab him a
nd get
him back on solid ground. After this episode Albus called a halt to the progress
of the
group. Three times they had either been ambushed, or almost had an accident. He
started muttering charms and incantations. The rest of the group realizing what
he was
doing joined in. IN a matter of moments four more traps were discovered and the
appropriate actions were taken to alleviate the threat.
As they neared the end of the tunnel, Harry saw another door that looked identic
al to the
one from Hogwarts. They listened carefully for sound from the other side.
"Gather round," whispered Harry.
When everyone had approached the door he waved his wand in an oval pattern and p
ut a
disillusionment charm on everyone. When he was done, he gestured to Albus to ope
n the
door. Albus did so carefully. He did not want to alert anyone or anything on the
other side
of the door to his presence. When he finally had the door opened he looked aroun
d swiftly
to get his bearings. When he saw no one he gestured everyone inside. When they a
ll
entered the room, each extinguished their wands. There was no need for the light
. It
looked as if they entered into an office. With quiet steps, Harry and Albus appr
oached the
office door and opened it. Their shock was evident on their faces. The others lo
ok
questioningly at the other two and entered the hallway outside the door. As the
party
entered the hallway, Harry pointed at the name plate on the door. Gasps soon fil
led the air
as they all read the name "Delores Umbridge".
"I knew she was a death eater," exclaimed Ron.
"Control yourself, Mr. Weasley," said Albus in a voice that slightly shook with
anger. "As of
yet we have no proof. However, we will get to the bottom of this soon enough."
Harry quickly muttered the countercharm for everyone to become visible again. Th
ere
was no need for invisibility. They were in the Ministry of Magic. Here is where
Dumbledore
ruled. With that finished, Albus led the group to the Auror Office. There were s
till a couple
dozen Aurors in there. Dumbledore made his way to Alastor Moody. Moody had come
out of retirement to work as the Head Auror. Dumbledore bent over and whispered
something into Moody's ear. With an outraged expression, Moody got up and motion
ed
for about 10 Aurors to join him. Once gathered Dumbledore made a portkey and the
group left. Within a few moments, they returned with a severely outraged Delores

Umbridge.
"What is the meaning of this?" she screamed. "How dare you drag me out of my hou
se
and bring me here when I have done nothing wrong."
She looked around and saw Dumbledore standing there.
"You," she breathed. "What is the meaning of this Minister? Why am I being appre
hended
in such a manner?"
Albus nodded to a couple of Aurors who each took their place on either side of D
elores.
"Madam Umbridge," he began. "It has come to my attention that you are not playin
g on
the side of the law. You have allowed Death Eaters into the ministry. Also we ha
ve proof
that you have let those same death eaters into Hogwarts. What have you to say fo
r
yourself?"
"I do not know what you are talking about Minister," she said. "I would never al
low death
eaters to come into the ministry much less allow them access to Hogwarts. I am a
fraid I do
not understand what you are implying."
She tried her little girl laugh, but failed miserably. Sweat could be seen on he
r brow. She
was also looking around as if looking for a means of escape. At a nod from Albus
, Moody
confiscated her wand.
"I am afraid that the evidence is against you Delores," said Albus. "Please foll
ow us to your
office and I will show you the proof of my allegations against you. Scrimgeour,
would you
please escort the remaining Aurors to the office of Madam Umbridge. I am going t
o need
you all as witnesses of what I am saying. This way it can not be said that it is
my word
against hers."
Scrimgeour nodded his affirmation and began rounding up the Aurors into a tight
functioning group. When he was done, Albus turned and he and Harry led the group
s
back to the office of Umbridge. When they entered the room, the door was no wher
e to be
seen.
"See," said Delores. "I told you that this was inaccurate Minister. I demand tha
t you
release me at once. I will be protesting a formal complaint against you."
Albus looked sharply at her and she fell silent.
"Harry, if you would be so kind as to open the door," stated Dumbledore.
Harry walked up to the wall they had entered and knocked on it. He wanted to mak
e sure
that the others could see that he was not performing magic. This was so that no
one could
accuse him of creating the door himself. He rapped on the door three times. Slow
ly it
opened to reveal Draco and Luna standing there.
"You have no proof that I created this," began Delores. "For all we know you cou
ld have
put this here and tried to plant evidence against me. You have never liked me si
nce I was
almost Head Mistress of Hogwarts. Ever since then you have had it out for me Alb
us
Dumbledore."
She turned to the gathered Aurors and pointed her finger at Albus.
"I demand that you arrest him on grounds of fraud and having me abducted from my

house," she screamed. "This is an outrage. I have served the Ministry faithfully
for years.
Cornelius never accused me of such nonsense. I do not understand why you would A
lbus
Dumbledore."
Albus finally had enough and his tempter came to the forefront. While he never r
aised his
voice, the energy could be felt rolling off of him in waves. Everyone around the
m could
feel the anger pouring off of him.
"If you are such and innocent individual Delores," he said. "Then you would not
mind
admitting your innocence under the influence of Veritaserum. If you are innocent
then I will
make a full public apology to you. Also if you are found innocent I will give yo
u a
promotion and move you to a better office. However, if you are found guilty I wi
ll arrange a
trial and you will be sent to Azkaban. If you refuse the Veritaserum, then you w
ill be held
until your trial and you will have no choice but to do so for your trial. As to
what you have
done for the Cornelius I am sure I can find a dozen more laws that you have brok
en.
Need I remind you that it was YOU who sent the Dementors to attack Harry Potter?
Need I
also remind you that it was you who that tried to use the Cruciatus Curse on Har
ry? It was
the quick thinking of Professor Granger that saved Harry from that. So what will
it be
Delores? Will you cooperate or do I have to have you arrested and add more charg
es to
your already growing list?"
"You can not make me take Veritaserum," she said. "It is against the law to forc
e
someone to take it. You would not want to get yourself into further trouble now
would you
Albus?"
Delores was still trying to make her case against Albus. Harry was tempted to us
e the
silencing charm on her. However he did not want to interfere with the law.
"On the contrary Delores," replied Albus. "Under the law I have full right to us
e
Veritaserum on you if you are suspected of illegal activities which possibly inv
olves
Voldemort. Now I suggest you cooperate or you will just hurt your own case. As i
t stands
now, your refusal is leading us to believe that you have something to hide. If y
ou continue
to refuse you will be placed into the holding cell and a trial will be set up. A
t the trial you will
have no choice in the matter. You WILL have to take the potion. The choice is yo
urs
Delores. Speak quickly."
"No," she said. "I will not subject myself to this unfair brutality. You have no
right and no
proof of these ridiculous allegations. You can not hold me."
"Actually Madam Umbridge," began Scrimgeour. "We can. You are now under arrest f
or
the suspicion of dark activities. You will be placed in a holding cell until you
r trial. From
there a jury of your peers will decide if you are guilty or not. There are 2 doz
en witnesses
here, as well as the Head Master and Staff from Hogwarts, which will testify to
the
whereabouts of this door. If I am not mistaken, from there you will be forced to
take
Veritaserum, whether you want to or not."
With a wave of his hand he indicated that Delores be placed under arrest. The Au
rors
immediately conjured manacles for her wrists and she was led away still professi
ng her
innocence.
Harry looked over at Albus. The old wizard gave him a warm smile.
"Harry," he began. "This means that each of you may have to attend the trial of
Delores. I
apologize for the inconvenience of this, but it is necessary. For the time being
I think we
can just have you, Miss Granger, and Severus testify. If we need the rest of the
party to do
so we will contact you. I will actually try and see if the jury will believe tes
timony from me
and the Aurors present rather than disturb you at all. Also I will have this doo
r under close
observation and guarded heavily until the trial is over. I will see to it myself
 that the charms
and such are placed by my hand so that Voldemort can not have access to this doo
r or
the entrance to Hogwarts again. Once the trial is over I will personally see to
it that the
tunnel and the door leading to Hogwarts is destroyed permanently."
"That would be great Albus," replied Harry. "The last thing I need right now is
Voldemort
having free reign to get into my school."
Albus nodded his agreement. He also smiled at Harry's usage of the words my scho
ol.
"I suggest that you all head back now," he said. "I will send an owl to you if I
need you or
anyone else for the trial."
Harry nodded his affirmation and headed back into the tunnel. The rest of the Ho
gwarts
group followed him. As they entered the tunnel and lit their wands, they could h
ear Albus
saying his incantations. With a bright light the door shifted and seemed to move
. When
Harry went back to the door he could not approach it. Nodding his relief, he tur
ned and
began walking back down the tunnel and made his way back to the castle.
Once they all returned safely to the castle, they were set upon by the waiting s
taff and
students that were eager to hear what happened. Briefly Harry told them what had

transpired on the other side of the tunnel. Gasps and shocks of outrage could be
heard
from those present.
"I need the heads of house to set up notices that anyone caught using the Room o
f
Requirement will face detention and possible suspension from the school. From th
is point
on we will not allow the student body to use the room without express permission
from me
personally," said Harry.
Severus, Hermione, Pomona, and Minerva all nodded their heads in agreement. From
there Harry sent the students to their dorms and he and a couple of the other te
achers
made the rounds of the castles. After he was satisfied that the castle was safe
he made his
way to his office where Peter Pettigrew who was still in his rat form and in the
enchanted
cage was sitting on his desk.
"Dobby," he called.
"Yes Harry Potter?" asked the elf.
"I need you to take this to Albus for me if you would," he said. "Please make su
re that
nothing happens to this cage. We do not want this rodent to escape again."
"I is getting right on it," said Dobby.
With a small pop the elf disappeared. Within a few moments, Dobby reappeared.
"Harry Potter, I is handing the cage with the rat directly into the hands of the
Minister," he
said.
Harry walked over to the elf and gave him a hug.
"Thanks Dobby," he said.
With a smile the elf went back upstairs to Harry's library where it was obvious
he was
working before Harry called him. With a yawn and a stretch, Harry made his way t
o his
bed. He laid down and was asleep immediately. Dobby gave Harry a smile and made
his
way to his new room. He enjoyed being able to sleep in a small room off of Harry
's
chambers. He hoped for Harry's sake that tomorrow would be an easier day for him
. He
loved Harry with every ounce of being his little body had. He did not like to se
e Harry so
overworked or tired. He would make sure that Harry at least got enough to eat. S
ince
becoming Head Master, Harry was eating three meals a day and he no longer looked
so
malnourished. The elf also noticed that Harry was no longer having nightmares. T
hose
stopped when Harry had him set up quarters next to his chambers. Dobby wondered
briefly what Harry would say if he asked to marry Winky. With that thought in hi
s head the
elf retired to his rooms to rest.
Chapter 6 â The Aftermath, Argus gets Fired
Within a weeks time Harry and the rest of the staff at Hogwarts had fallen back
into their
usual routine. Time seemed to flow in the castle. Before Harry knew it, the holi
days were
fast approaching. With Hufflepuff in the lead so far for the quidditch cup, Harr
y was thrilled
with the prospect of a house other than Gryffindor or Slytherin winning. However
that was a
long time in coming. The students were all getting ready for the upcoming holida
ys. Plans
were being made and the staff could be seen getting the castle ready. Harry was
content
with the way things were going. He knew that Ginny and Ron would be going to the

orphanage to be with their mother for the holidays. Hermione would be going home
to
spend time with her parents. Harry and Albus had set up the floo network to incl
ude
Hermione's parent's fire. This way she did not have to worry about a form of
transportation. Apollo and Artemis had their first burning day. Draco who had ne
ver
experienced it before ran to Harry in a panic. When Harry explained that it was
a
necessary thing for them to do so, the blond Slytherin relaxed. Harry had spoken
with
Albus regarding the trial of Delores. The trial was set for January second. That
would be
plenty of time to get everything in order at the school before the trial took pl
ace. Albus had
informed Harry that his presence would be required at the trial. It was also sta
ted that
Severus and Remus would also be required to attend. As of yet however, they were
not
needed to testify. As the days approached, Harry saw a change in two of his clos
est
people in the world. He could feel a difference in the way Hermione and Ron look
ed at
each other. However when he looked around, they were not the only ones to been s
een
staring at each other from a distance. It seemed that Dobby had the same express
ion on
his face that Ron did when looking at Hermione. It could also be noted that Wink
y blushed
every time she looked at Dobby. Harry made a mental note to ask Albus what the p
olicy
was for house elves marrying one another.
Finally the day came when those students that were not staying at Hogwarts for t
he holiday
departed. When the majority had left, Harry noted that there were only about 10
students
left in the school for the holiday. Therefore he arranged the Great Hall with on
e table
rather than the students sitting apart from the staff. Harry had made a special
trip into
Diagon Alley and purchased a gift for each and every student in the school. The
shop
keep was delighted by the business. Harry held the gifts aside so that those tha
t were
remaining behind would get theirs on Christmas morning. When the other students
returned there would be a gift waiting for them. As money was not an issue for H
arry he
delighted in doing small things for the students and staff alike. He also made s
ure that all
the house elves received something special as well. When the holiday finally arr
ived, it
was noted that Harry had spent close to 250 thousand galleons on presents. Harry
had
enjoyed getting the gifts. For each student he got them each a small statue of t
heir house
emblem in their respected stones. For each staff member he bought them a new set
of
robes. For Severus, Harry got him a new potions kit complete with basilisk venom
. For
Minerva, Harry got her a new and remodeled suite of rooms. For Draco, Harry had
the
remaining elves at Malfoy Manor come to work for the blond here at the castle. H
e even
bought Draco a new gold perch for Artemis. For the house elves Harry bought them
each
a new quilt for their beds with their name and the Hogwarts crest embroidered on
it. For
Petunia and Dudley, Harry bought them each a ring that had the Evan's Coat of Ar
ms
engraved in it. For Albus Harry had gotten him some new gadgets for his office.
For Molly
he bought her a new diamond necklace.
He enjoyed watching as each person opened their gifts and was delighted by the o
bject
inside. Tears were shed by the women and the men blushed slightly. All in all ev
eryone
had a great day. The house elves made a delicious Christmas feast. Staff and stu
dents
could be seen chatting happily with one another. After the meal the students mad
e their
way back to their dorms. Harry apparated to his office and watched to make sure
each
student got their safely. He had been watching the marauders map nightly for a f
ew hours
to make sure that there were no trespassers on the property. So far nothing out
of the
ordinary happened. Harry began to wonder what Voldemort was doing. Harry knew th
at
the only way to find out was to enter his mind through the link that they shared
. With that
thought Harry made his way to the dungeons. He knocked on Severus' door and wait
ed
patiently for him to open it. When he was granted access to the room, he was not
all that
surprised to see Draco sitting there. Many a time he would see the two potions p
rofessors
talking and working together. He even, from time to time saw Hermione with them.
Harry
wondered briefly what the three were working on. As Severus loved potions and Dr
aco
and Hermione were the best in their fields, Harry suspected they were working on

something.
"Severus,' he said. "I want to make a trip into Voldemort's mind. I would like t
o see what he
is up to. Would you and Draco help me with that please?"
"I was wondering when you would ask," replied Severus. "It has been some time si
nce
you last ventured into the Dark Lord's thoughts. To answer your question, yes we
would
be willing to help. I am assuming that there is no time like the present?"
"That is what I was thinking," he replied. "That is unless you guys have somethi
ng else
planned for this evening."
"Not at all," replied Severus. "We were just going over some potions notes anywa
y."
With a wave of his wand, Severus conjured a small cot for Harry to lie on. When
Harry
was comfortable, Severus and Draco each took their position near Harry's head. T
hey
knew that if something went wrong one of them would need to be there to keep Har
ry from
doing damage to himself. When all was ready, Draco gave a nod to Artemis. The ph
oenix
slowly started to sing the meditation song. Having worked with Harry before in t
his manner
both Draco and the phoenix knew what was expected of them. Slowly Harry relaxed
and
let his mind drift through the link. When he got there he was a bit surprised at
where he
was located. It was not a place Voldemort had visited that much anymore. Harry s
aw
Voldemort pacing back and forth in front of the hearth. He was muttering to hims
elf about
the lack of devotion of some members of his circle. Harry took a closer look and
saw that
Voldemort looked a bit aged. In his thoughts Harry guessed that the destruction
of his
horcruxes had done this to him. Suddenly there was someone knocking on the door
to
the room. Harry waited tensely to see who it would be. Slowly the door opened an
d an
elderly man hobbled in. Harry could not really tell who it was, as the man had a
cloak over
his head. All his facial features were hidden. However there was something famil
iar about
the walk. Harry could not put his finger on what it was.
"What is happening?" asked Voldemort. "Where is Wormtail and why has he not repo
rted
to me yet. I need to know about the eggs. I need to know if they have hatched ye
t or not."
"My Lord," said the man. "Wormtail was captured and the eggs have been destroyed
. As
a squib there was nothing I could do to stop the Mudblood lover and the half bre
ed from
destroying them."
"WHAT," shrieked Voldemort? "They have destroyed years of work. That old muggle
loving fool has arrested Umbridge and has made it impossible for me to gain acce
ss to
the door that would allow me entry into the school. Now I have lost Wormtail as
well. While
he was not the best employee I had, he was loyal. Go back to the school Argus. I
will call
you if I need you. Keep an eye on Potter. I want to know what he is up to at all
times. Now
go!"
Slowly Argus shuffled out of the room and into the night. Voldemort continued to
pace for a
few moments before he turned on the spot and disapparated.
Harry sat up in a fury.
"That TRAITOR," he snarled. "He is in so much trouble that he will be long dead
before he
ever gets out of it."
"Harry," stated Severus. "Please calm down and tell us what you saw."
Harry took a deep breath and continued a little more calmly.
"Filch is in league with Voldemort," he said. "Apparently he left the castle and
somehow
got to Voldemort. Now Voldemort knows that Wormtail has been captured and that t
he
eggs have been destroyed. I want him arrested and out of this castle by sunrise.
I also
found out where Voldemort has been hiding. He is at the old Riddle Manor."
Severus made a gesture and Draco handed Harry a glass of meade. Harry thanked hi
m
and sat down and sipped his drink. Severus in the meantime walked over to his fi
replace.
"Albus," he called. "Your presence here is required. Please bring a couple of Au
rors with
you as well. We have a situation here at the castle that requires your attention
. Harry will
remove the wards on the dungeon for you and the Aurors to come directly to my pr
ivate
rooms."
"Very well Severus," came the reply. "We will be there shortly."
Severus gave Harry a nod. Harry stood up and lifted his hands to the ceiling. Sl
owly he
brought them down in and odd gesture. Being the heir and the Head Master he was
the
only one who could do this. When he was done there were three small pops and Alb
us,
Scrimgeour, and Moody apparated into the room. Quickly Harry filled Albus and th
e
Aurors in on what he had just witnessed.
"Apparently," stated Harry. "You don't have to have the dark mark any longer to
be in the
employ of Voldemort. Either that or you can't brand a squib. Also I would keep a
n eye out
on the old Riddle Manor if I were you. That is where all of this took place."
"I think," said Albus. "I think that Voldemort has caught on to the fact that yo
u have wards
on the castle to recognize the dark mark. He now is sending his servants to the
castle that
are not branded so that you do not know who is in his employ and who isn't."
"That makes sense," said Harry.
"Let us go and apprehend Argus," said Albus. "We shall also post Aurors around t
he old
Riddle Manor to see if we spot Tom."
With that they all stood up and made their way to the entrance of the school. Wh
en Argus
wheezed his way into the foyer, He was grabbed by the two Aurors.
"Argus Filch," began Moody. "You are hereby under arrest for the crimes of being
in
league with the Dark Lord. You have been seen in the presence of the Dark Lord p
assing
on information about the Ministry and the school."
"You will all pay," said Argus. "You and the old fool, as well as the Potter bra
t, and all the
other brats in this school. I hate all of you. The Dark Lord will destroy you al
l."
"Get him out of my sight," said Harry. "Albus I will provide you with the memory
so that you
can use it in the trial."
Reaching into his robe, Harry withdrew his wand. He placed the tip to his temple
and
pulled away a long silvery thread. He placed it into the bottle Albus had conjur
ed and
Albus sealed it. Placing the bottle in his pocket, Albus assured Harry that this
would be all
they needed.
"You will now need a new caretaker," said Albus. "I can hire one for you if you
like."
"Thank you Albus," said Harry. "I have someone in mind for the job. If however h
e
refuses, then I would like for you to ask Mrs. Figg if she would like the post."
"That is who I was thinking of Harry," said Albus. "Just let me know if your oth
er person
declines."
With a nod of his head, Albus and the Aurors with Filch in custody left the cast
le and made
their way to the gates. With a turn, they all disapparated. Harry gave a small s
mile to
Severus and Draco, and then he too turned on the spot and disapparated.
Harry apparated directly onto the front steps of the orphanage. With a somewhat
calmer
hand, Harry knocked on the door. Within moments, he was met by Petunia.
"Harry," she exclaimed. "What a pleasant surprise. Please come in. What can we d
o for
you?"
"Hello Aunt Petunia," said Harry. "You are looking well. I came here to talk wit
h Dudley. I
have a job proposition for him. Now that he is of age we can give him a decent p
aying
salary as well."
"Dudley is in the den," Petunia replied. "Come in please."
"Hey Harry," said Dudley. "I overheard part of what you were saying. What job ar
e you
talking about?"
"Well my old caretaker Argus Filch has just been fired. I need a new caretaker f
or the
castle. The pay is 200 galleons a week plus room and board. Mainly you would be
helping the staff and house elves around the castle with keeping up with the hal
ls and
entry way of the castle. You would also be in charge of helping with detentions
and a few
other things. If you are interested, I would like to offer you the position. If
not then I will
understand."
"Harry I would love to," said Dudley. "However they need me here at the orphanag
e to
help out on the grounds here. Plus being here I can stay near mom. I am sorry Ha
rry, but
I am going to have to turn you down at this time."
"I totally understand," said Harry. "I also respect your decision. I will just o
ffer the job to
Mrs. Figg."
"Thanks for understanding Harry," said Dudley. "Wait Mrs. Figg? You mean that ba
tty old
lady with all those cats?"
Harry nodded then continued with what he was going to say.
"No problem Dud," said Harry. "I have to return to the castle now and write a le
tter. No
need to show me out."
With a small pop, Harry disapparated. Within seconds he was back in his office.
He sat at
his desk and wrote the invitation to Mrs. Figg. Giving the note to Hedwig, he ba
de her swift
journey and made his way to his bed. Sleep was long over due for Harry.
The next morning Harry woke with a start. Looking around he saw immediately what
had
woke him up.
"Hello Hedwig," he said.
She hooted her welcome and stuck out her leg for Harry to get his letter.
Taking the note from her, Harry gave her a treat and walked down to his desk to
read the
reply.
Dear Harry,
I would be honored to work for you at Hogwarts. I can be there in two days. It w
ill take me
that long to get my things packed and my cats gathered. I will need a portkey ho
wever. I
would appreciate it if you sent me one. Thank you again for the job.
Arabella Figg
With that being done, Harry quickly created the portkey and sent it with Hedwig.
She
hooted and flew off immediately.
Harry made his way to the Great Hall for breakfast. As he sat in his chair he no
ticed once
more the looks that Dobby and Winky gave to one another. With a nod at Minerva,
he
quietly pointed at the two elves. She looked over and then gave Harry a smile th
at told
Harry what he suspected all along. The two elves loved one another. As they were
 the
favorites of the school, Harry decided that it was time to help them plan for th
eir wedding.
"Minerva," Harry whispered. "I think it is time for a wedding here at Hogwarts.
Don't you?"
I agree with you Harry," she replied. "I would be happy to assist you in that pr
oject."
Harry nodded his thanks and began to eat his breakfast. He kept a close observat
ion of
the two elves. Yes it was time for these two beloved elves to tie the knot.
Chapter 7 â The Trial of Delores Jane Umbridge
The days went by swiftly for Harry and the rest of the Hogwarts staff. The stude
nts were as
lively as one could imagine. Harry was especially proud of the students who had
finally
come around and accepted both Hermione and Draco as teachers in the school.
Hermione was looking a lot less ragged now that the students were cooperating. H
arry
was sitting at his desk going over a few reports of some minor misdeeds of stude
nts when
there was a tap on the window. Harry looked over and immediately recognized his
beloved, snowy owl, Hedwig. He immediately got up and opened the window to let h
er in.
She settled on his desk and waited patiently as he untied the letter attached to
her leg. He
gave her an owl treat and she hooted happily as she flew to her perch near the w
indow
that was nearest the picture of Albus. He sat happily and watched her for a mome
nt and
then opened his letter with a tap of his wand.
Dear Harry,
This is to inform you that you are required to be here at the Ministry of Magic
at 10:00 am.
Please inform Severus and Remus that their presence is also required. However yo
u will
be the main one to testify. Also due to other allegations that were made at the
time,
Professor Granger is in fact needed here at the Ministry for the trial. I thank
you for your
cooperation in this matter.
With kind regards,
Albus Dumbledore
Minister of Magic
Harry rolled the letter back up and apparated to the dungeons. He would speak wi
th
Severus first. When he knocked on the door, there was a curt answer from the oth
er side.
Harry assumed that a student was feeling the displeasure of Severus at that mome
nt.
When Harry entered, Severus looked over and quickly gave him a warm smile. Harry

once again marveled at the friendship that he had with the potions master.
"Pardon the intrusion Professor," said Harry. "However I have something importan
t to tell
you. Could I please have just a moment of your time?"
"Of course Head Master," said Severus.
Harry looked around at the stricken face of Neville and the melted cauldron in f
ront of him.
At once Harry knew the reason for Severus' displeasure. Even the new and friendl
y
Severus had his limits when it came to students not following the directions in
potion
brewing.
"I received a letter today from Albus," said Harry. "We are to report to the min
istry of
magic at 10 in the morning."
"I will be ready Harry," said Severus. "I do not wish to rush you, but I need to
get back
inside. That potion has probably eaten through the table by now."
Harry gave a nod and a chuckle and apparated to Hermione's door. Harry knocked o
n
the door. Hermione came forward red faced and angry. Harry took a step back in
confusion. When he looked inside, he saw an immobile Terry Boot.
"Harry I want him out of my class permanently," raged Hermione. "I am so sick of
his
attitude. He jinxed me as I was reprimanding him for talking to another student
while I was
teaching."
"Not a problem," said Harry carefully. "I will take care of it at once. However
I need you to
be ready to leave at 10 tomorrow morning. We have to go to the Ministry for Umbr
idge's
trial. So cancel your morning class."
Hermione looked stricken for a moment.
"I did not think that I had to be there at all," she said.
"Well the allegations of her almost using the Cruciatus Curse on me in our 5th y
ear might
have something to do with it," said Harry.
He pulled out the letter from Albus and handed it to her. She quickly scanned th
e
parchment and handed it back to him with a nod.
"No problem Harry," she said. "I will leave a note on the door. As far as him, I
have taken
points, gave detentions, and he is just not understanding."
"Leave him to me," he replied. "I will take care of it. I promised you I would m
ake sure you
were alright and I meant it. Now breathe and go back to your class. I will take
him with me
now."
Harry quickly cast the countercharm. Terry Boot fell to the floor in a heap. Har
ry grabbed
him by the collar of his robe and marched him forcibly to his next location. Har
ry made
his way to the transfiguration department. Knocking on the open door, Minerva lo
oked up
and waved him in. Harry pointed to a chair near her desk and bade Terry to sit i
n it.
"Minerva," Harry began. "Tomorrow Severus, Remus, Hermione, and I have to go to
the
Ministry of Magic for Umbridge's trial. I will need you to keep and eye on the s
chool for
me while we are gone."
She nodded her head.
"What is going on with him?" she asked pointing at Terry Boot.
"Well, when I got to Hermione's door and knocked, she came out in a rage," he
explained. "Apparently while she was teaching class, Mr. Boot here decided to no
longer
pay attention and start another conversation while she was teaching. When she we
nt to
discipline him, he jinxed her. I am thankful that it was nothing serious and not
hing that she
could not handle herself. However, she is adamant that she wants him out of her
classes
for good."
"Would you like me to deal with him?" Minerva asked angrily. She shot a glare th
at Harry
knew well having been on the other side of it more than once.
"Yes please," said Harry. "I am also going to ask that he serve detention for th
e remainder
of the year. Both at his regularly scheduled time in charms as well as after all
other
classes are done.
Tuning he gave a glare to Terry.
"You will serve your detentions with Professor McGonagall.," he instructed angri
ly. "You
will also not be passing your N.E.W.T. in charms. I will be informing the commit
tee of your
actions. I have no doubt that they will agree with me. As you will be missing ha
lf the year,
you would more than likely fail them anyway."
"You can't do that, claimed Terry Boot. "That isn't fair."
"Oh no?" countered Harry. "What isn't fair, is you disrupting Professor Granger'
s classes.
What isn't fair, is you jinxing her when she was trying to reprimand you. What i
sn't fair, is
that once again I am forced to come to the aid of a professor in this school bec
ause of
people like you. You are actually lucky not to be expelled."
Terry shook his head in mute appeal. When he didn't get sympathy from either tea
cher or
Head Master, he hung his head in shame.
"Furthermore," continued Harry. "You will write a 1000 word essay of apology to
Professor
Granger on top of the detentions you will be receiving from Professor McGonagall
. Do I
make myself clear?"
"Yes Sir," said Terry.
Harry turned to Minerva.
"He is all yours Professor," he said.
With a curt nod of her head, Harry turned and walked out the door. As he was lea
ving
Harry could hear Minerva giving Terry Boot a piece of her mind. Harry was once a
gain
grateful that he was not on the receiving end of that lecture. Apparating quickl
y, he
appeared outside of the Defense against the Dark Arts classroom, Harry knocked a
nd
received a warm welcome from the last remaining marauder. Harry smiled at him an
d
the students, and quickly made his way to Remus.
"We have to be at the ministry at 10 for the trial," whispered Harry.
Remus gave him a nod and promised he would be ready. Harry once again gave him a

warm smile and to the delight of the class, he turned on the spot and apparated
out of the
room.
The next morning came quickly for those that were due to be at the Ministry. All
three
professors ate breakfast with Harry in his office. When they were done eating, H
arry
walked over to the fireplace and threw and handful of powder into the fire.
"The Ministry of Magic," he exclaimed.
Within moments he and the rest of the group were standing in the ministry. Harry
and his
group were met by Albus. He led them to the elevators and down to the dungeons.
They
walked to courtroom ten and entered. Albus gestured to four chairs that were set
up
especially for them. Harry sat and remembered his day of trial here in this same

courtroom. That was the day he was being tried for using magic in front of his c
ousin. How
well he remembered the night he cast his patronus at the two Dementors that were

attacking him and his cousin. That very act had almost gotten him expelled. Mrs.
Figg
and Albus had managed to get him off with a warning. Harry would still get angry
when he
remembered that it was Delores Umbridge that had sent the Dementors after him in
the
first place. She was trying to get Harry out of the picture. Now he knew why. Sh
e was in
league with the Dark Lord. Harry and his party sat quietly waiting for the start
of the trial.
Albus made his way to the section that marked him as the prosecutor. There were
no
defense lawyers, as this trial was mainly for the sake of protocol. There were t
oo many
witnesses to this trial that saw the door in her office. There were too many tha
t heard the
allegations against her. They all heard her refuse the Veritaserum. This time sh
e would
have no choice but to either explain her actions, or be forced to take the potio
n. The door
opened on the side of the room, and Harry jolted out of his thoughts. He watched
as two
Dementors escorted Umbridge to the chair. He watched as the chains lit up and sn
aked
their way around her and bound her in it.
Amelia Bones entered the room. She would be the presiding judge at this trial. B
ehind her
50 members of the Wizengamot entered and took their places. At last everyone tha
t was
needed to be present was accounted for and the trial got underway.
"We are here today to give trial to Delores Jane Umbridge," began Madam Bones. "
She
is accused of being in league with He-Who- Must- Not- Be- Named. Further accusat
ions
are that she knowingly and willingly sent Dementors to Wisteria Lane to attack a
nd
administer a kiss to Harry James Potter, current Head Master of Hogwarts. She is
also
accused of willingly attempting to use an Unforgivable curse on Mr. Potter. She
is also
accused of using a dark item on students during her time as Professor at Hogwart
s."
The jury gave audible gasps at the charges. Turning to the prisoner, Madam Bones

continued.
"On the charge of using a blood quill on students at Hogwarts," she said. "Delor
es Jane
Umbridge, how do you plead?"
"Not guilty," said Umbridge in a simpering manner.
"On the charge of sending Dementors to attack and administer the kiss to Harry P
otter,"
continued Madam Bones. "How do you plead?"
"Not guilty," said Umbridge again.
"On the charge of attempting to use and Unforgivable curse on Harry Potter," con
tinued
Madam Bones. "How do you plead?"
"Not guilty," said Umbridge for a third time.
"On the final charge of being in league with the Dark Lord and allowing him into
both the
Ministry as well as Hogwarts," said Amelia a little disgusted. "How do you plead
?"
"Not guilty," said Umbridge yet again.
"Very well," said Amelia. "We will take each of these four accusations one at a
time. We
would like to call to the stand, Harry James Potter."
Harry stood up and walked to the bench and stood waiting.
"Are you Harry James Potter, Head Master of Hogwarts?" asked Amelia.
"Yes I am," replied Harry.
"Do you have proof that a blood quill was used on you in school?" asked Amelia.
Harry raised his hand and showed Amelia and those sitting nearest her the back o
f it. The
scars there still be visibly read "I must not tell lies"
Those sitting in the back stood up and all looked down at Harry's hand. Quite a
few
muttered in astonishment, while other spoke out in anger.
"There is no proof that it was anything that I did," simpered Delores.
Harry took out his wand and placed it to his temple. He pulled out a long silver
y thread. He
handed it to Amelia, who placed it into the pensive before her. With a wave of h
er own
wand, she brought forth the memory. Sitting at the desk with his hand bleeding w
as Harry.
As Harry looked around in the memory, the rest of the jury saw the garish kitten
plates that
currently hung in Delores' office. When Harry looked back at his parchment the w
ords "I
must not tell lies" were clearly written in blood. Amelia waved her wand and the
memory
sank back into the pensive.
Harry quickly scooped his memory out of the pensive and placed it back in his mi
nd.
"Thank you Head Master," said Amelia. "That is all we wish to know. Next we call
up
Professor Hermione Granger."
Hermione got up and went to the bench. She stood and waited.
"You were the one that help prevent Madam Umbridge from using the Cruciatus Curs
e on
Mr. Potter weren't you?" asked Amelia.
"Yes Ma'am I was," said Hermione.
She too pulled out her wand and extracted a memory from her head. She placed it
into
the Pensieve and once again Amelia waved her wand causing the memory to be shown
to the whole room.
"you are forcing me, Potterâ ¦.I do not want to," said Umbridge still moving restl
essly on
the spot," but sometimes circumstances justify the useâ ¦ I am sure the Minister w
ill
understand that I had no choiceâ ¦."
Malfoy was watching her with a hungry expression on his face.
"The Cruciatus Curse ought to loosen your tongue," said Umbridge quietly.
"No!" shrieked Hermione. "Professor Umbridge â it's illegal" â
"The Minister wouldn't want you to break the law, Professor Umbridge!" cried Her
mione.
"What Cornelius doesn't know won't hurt him," said Umbridgeâ ¦."
Amelia and the rest of the jury sat there with outraged looks on their faces. He
rmione
scooped up her memory and stored it back in her head.
"Thank you Professor Granger," said Amelia. "You may step down."
Hermione quickly took her place once more next to Harry and the others.
By this time Amelia was disgusted with everything she had seen so far. She turne
d to
Delores who sat with a smug look on her face.
"After witnessing those two memories," she said. "We will now use Veritaserum on
you.
We want the truth of these matters and we want the answers now. Gerard, please
administer the potion."
Gerard came up from his spot near the door and quickly administered the potion.
Delores
tried to spit out the potion, but Gerard held her nose and mouth closed until sh
e
swallowed. When he was sure that she had taken enough of the potion, he went bac
k to
his place near the door.
"We will now ask questions again," said Amelia. "Is your name Delores Jane Umbri
dge?"
"Yes," replied Delores angrily.
"Did you attempt to use the Cruciatus Curse on Head Master Potter?" she asked.
"Yes," said Delores. "The brat had it coming to him and more."
"Did you use a blood quill on Mr. Potter as well as other students in the school
during your
time as Professor?" asked Amelia.
"Yes," spit Delores.
"Did you send the Dementors to attack and administer the kiss to Harry Potter th
at night as
he claimed?" asked Amelia.
"Yes," said Delores. "Someone needed to shut him up and no one would do anything

about it. So I did."

"Are you in league with the Dark Lord?" asked Amelia. "Have you been allowing th
e Dark
Lord access into the Ministry and then into Hogwarts, through the door in your o
ffice?"
"Yes!" shrieked Delores. "The Dark Lord will rise to power again and he will win
this war."
"Why did you do it?" asked Amelia.
"Because Cornelius told me to," was the reply.
At this statement, pandemonium broke out in the courtroom. Delores sat there wit
h a
horrified expression on her toad face. She had just ousted the only man she had
ever
loved. She had just testified against the man she admired, Cornelius Fudge. With
a few
bangs from the end of his wand, Albus had order restored in the courtroom.
"On the charge of attempting to use an Unforgivable Curse on a student, all thos
e in favor
of conviction raise your hand" said Amelia.
Every hand on the jury rose.
"On the charge of using a dark item on students, all those in favor of convictio
n raise your
hand" said Amelia a second time.
Again every hand on the jury rose.
"On the charge of sending Dementors to attack a student without permission, all
those in
favor of a conviction, raise your hand," said Amelia.
For a third time, every hand on the jury rose in the air.
"On the final charge of being in league with the Dark Lord and allowing him acce
ss to both
the Ministry and Hogwarts, all those in favor of a conviction, raise your hand,"
said Amelia.
With a finality, that made Delores shudder, every hand on the jury rose in the a
ir for a
fourth time.
"First I would like to say to Harry Potter, that your record will be cleaned of
that
indiscretion," said Amelia. "As we now have proof that your story is both accura
te and
completely true we are hereby clearing your name. Also we will clear your name o
f the
incident involving the floating pudding. Having spoken with the house elf in que
stion, he
admitted that it was his magic and not yours that cause the pudding to levitate
and explode
that night. Therefore it is with a happy note that you are hereby cleared of all
charges that
were marked on your record for the use of underage magic. Congratulations Mr. Po
tter."
Harry nodded and smiled. Hermione gave him a hug. Remus and Severus each gave
him a pat on the back along with their congratulations.
"A formal apology as well as a written document will be sent to you," said Ameli
a.
"Second, I would like you 6 Aurors to go and arrest Cornelius Fudge."
Turning she faced Delores.
"For the crime of using the blood quill, we herby sentence you to 50 years in Az
kaban
Prison," said Amelia. "For the crime of attempting to use an Unforgivable curse
on a
student we hereby sentence you to 50 years in Azkaban Prison. For attempting to
have a
student attacked and kissed by the Dementors, we sentence you to 75 years in Azk
aban
Prison. For being in league with the Dark Lord and allowing him entry to both th
e Ministry
and Hogwarts, we hereby sentence you to 75 years in Azkaban for each location. M
ay the
pain you have caused on so many, be remedied by the pain that you will suffer in

Azkaban. Take her away."

The two Dementors made their way to Harry. Everyone stood still in horror as the
y
approached. Wands came out quickly and pointed at the Dementors. Harry however,
was
not disturbed. He watched as both Dementors bowed to him and made their way back
to
Delores. The chains loosened and they each grabbed an arm. As they left, they co
uld
hear Delores crying. She understood that she had just received 325 years in pris
on. She
also knew that the Dementors at Azkaban would make her life even more miserable
than
they did to the other prisoners. Death would not be a welcome remedy to her prob
lems
now. Nor could she count on the Dark Lord to save her. Azkaban was even more
protected now than when Sirius or the ten death eaters had escaped.
Albus walked over to the Hogwarts quartet and gave them a tired smile. The other
s all
smiled in return. It was time to go back to the castle. The teachers had classes
and Harry
wanted to relax after a long ordeal that was finally over. With a quick smile an
d a nod at
Albus, Harry grabbed two teachers, who in turn grabbed the third and apparated t
hem
back to the school. When they arrived each went their own way. Harry called over
to
Hermione to have her explain to the other teachers what had happened. When she
nodded her affirmation, he went up to his rooms and went lay down for a nap. It
had been
a very tiring morning for Harry. Dobby placed some lunch on a tray for Harry and
placed
it on the bed next to him. Harry ate his meal in silence and went through everyt
hing he just
witnessed. He wondered what would become of Cornelius Fudge. After all that Corn
elius
did to Albus, what would be the outcome of his trial be. Harry shrugged his thou
ghts back
to the here and now. As he came out of his reverie, he noticed that look pass be
tween his
two elves. Smiling to himself, Harry got up and wrote a quick letter to Albus. G
iving it to
Hedwig, he watched her fly out the window. Harry returned to his meal and waited
for the
reply.
Chapter 8 â For Love of Winky
For the next few days Harry watched silently, the love that Dobby and Winky had
for each
other grow. He was waiting on a response from Albus about the ability for two el
ves to get
married. When he received a letter from Albus he was a bit disappointed. Albus h
ad no
answer to his question. Therefore he went to the only person he knew who could h
elp him.
At lunch that day, he approached Hermione.
"Mione'," he began. "I need some help and you are the only one that can do it. I
know
how much you love the library; therefore I need you to research something for me
."
"What do you need me to look up Harry?" asked Hermione curiously.
"I need to know everything you can find out about elf weddings," he said. "I nee
d history,
as well as past elves who have gotten married. I also need the laws about how to
go about
getting two elves married."
Hermione sat back for a moment chewing on her lip as she so often did when she w
as
deep in thought.
"Harry," she said. "I do not believe it has ever been done. However, I will look
for you and
check in a few places. I want to get this right. Who are you planning on marryin
g anyway?"
For an answer Harry pointed at a blushing Winky. When Hermione found the source
of
her blush a sudden inspiration filled her.
"Oh Harry!" she exclaimed. "How wonderful if we can start a tradition that allow
s elves to
marry one another legally. With you as Head Master and Dumbledore as Minister of

Magic, I am sure we can get this started. It would be great for the elves to kno
w that people
are actually interested in their well being. You can count on me to find out eve
rything I
can."
Without even finishing her breakfast, Hermione jumped up from the table. She mad
e her
way to Luna, who was sitting with Ginny, Ron and Neville. Hermione collected the
quartet
and they all left the Great Hall. Severus and Minerva looked at Harry with a cur
ious look
on their faces. Harry grinned at both before he finished his breakfast and left
the hall. He
knew he could count on Hermione.
"Rose and Taboo," called Harry. "May I have a word please?"
With small pops both elves appeared in front of Harry.
"Yes Master Harry?" said Rose. "What can we do for you?"
"Please bring some food to Professor Granger and the 4 students in the library,"
said
Harry. "I know for a fact that none of them have eaten a decent meal. Also, if t
hey are still
there for lunch and dinner, please bring them something then also. Tell Madam Pi
nce
that I said it was ok for them to eat in the library. She should know by now tha
t Hermione
would never do anything to harm the books in the library. But just to be safe, I
think it is
best if we inform her that they have permission."
"We is taking care of it Master Harry," said Rose.
With two small pops the elves left. Harry made his way to Minerva's rooms. He kn
ocked
on her door. She answered and was a little surprised to see him there.
"Harry," she said. "What's wrong? Please tell me that we do not have another pro
blem
student to deal with."
"No Minerva," he replied. "It is nothing like that. Albus sent me a reply. So fa
r he has
found nothing on elf marriages. However, I have our best information finder on t
he case."
"Is that why Miss Granger left so quickly from breakfast?" she asked.
"Yep," he answered. "I have two house elves on call to make sure they eat. I als
o sent a
message to Madam Pince to not be upset if she and the four students she grabbed
eat in
the library."
"Good thinking Harry," said Minerva. "The last thing we need is for Madam Pince
to ban
anyone from the library. That is after she has done them serious damage for havi
ng food
near the books."
Harry chuckled at her remark. He remembered all to well the day that he and Ginn
y had
chocolate eggs near the books. Madam Pince had used Harry's own school supplies
to
hit him and Ginny over the head all the way out of the library.
"I think it is time that you and I talk to Dobby and Winky," said Harry. "That i
s, if you have
time. If not I can get Hermione to do it or even Pomona."
"I have time Harry," she replied. "Don't even think about denying me this. I can
't
remember the last time I was so excited about two individuals getting married. I
am so
fond of those two elves."
"Well that is settled then," said Harry. "Give me your arm. Knowing Dobby and Wi
nky they
are in my rooms cleaning things that don't need to be cleaned."
Minerva chucked as she held out her arm for Harry. He grabbed it and with a slig
ht turn,
apparated them to his office. When they appeared they were surprised to see Seve
rus
sitting there waiting for them patiently.
"Severus," said Harry. "What brings you here?"
"If you think you are leaving me out of this you are nuts Harry," said Severus.
"I had a
suspicion of what was going on when Miss Granger grabbed students and left the H
all. I
also assume that since Minerva is here it is time to talk to the elves?"
"You would assume correctly," said a laughing Harry. "Dobby and Winky can you tw
o
please come down here?"
The two elves came in and saw the trio sitting there. Fright passed across both
faces and
Winky began to punish herself. Harry ran to prevent her from doing harm to herse
lf, as
Severus grabbed Dobby from doing the same.
"Would you two relax?" asked Harry. "Neither of you have done anything wrong. We
want
to talk to you about something else. Something wonderful that is making us all v
ery happy.
Please have a seat."
Dobby and Winky looked relieved and sat on the couch next to Minerva. Minerva sm
iled
fondly at the two elves and looked to Harry.
"Something has come to our attention," began Harry. "It would seem that every ti
me you
two are near each other, one or both of you start to blush. It would also appear
that when
the other of you is not looking the first is watching with puppy dog eyes as wel
l."
"We is sorry Harry," interrupted Dobby. "We is not meaning to cause problems for
you."
Winky nodded her agreement as tears fell from both elves eyes. Both felt they we
re doing
something wrong.
"Hey," said Harry. "We think it is great. Now I want you to listen carefully. Ca
n you do that?"
Both elves looked up at Harry and nodded.
"The three of us in this room are only some of us that are VERY happy for you bo
th," said
Harry. "We have Professor Granger looking into the laws about elf marriages. She
is
taking that project very seriously. We want to assist you in getting married. Yo
u have all of
our support as well a Dumbledore's. In fact I have something for both of you."
Harry reached into a desk drawer and pulled out a small box. He handed it to Win
ky who
opened it. Inside the box lay two rings that were identical to each other. They
were made
to fit the elf fingers.
"I don't know how we can get you a suit and a dress without accidentally freeing
you from
service to me," said Harry. "I know that you two want to be bonded to me. If you
know of a
way that we can get you a suit and dress without breaking the bond please tell o
ne of us.
We want you to be happy. You know how much I care for you."
Winky got up and approached Harry. She bowed low to him and then turned to Miner
va
and Severus. She gave a second bow and started crying again. This time it was te
ars of
happiness that was falling from her face. It was Dobby that gave them the answer
they
were looking for.
Master Harry," he began. "We know you is wanting to help us. Things are differen
t with
you than most wizards. We is not wanting to break the bond with you. Winky and I
is
wanting to get married. We knows how to do it. All you is having to do is gift u
s the dress
and suit. It is not the same as we is getting paid and such. We is accepting the
gifts and we
can still be bonded to you."
"Dobby," said Minerva. "That is brilliant. Winky and I can go shopping for her d
ress this
afternoon. Severus and Harry can go with Dobby to get his suit."
"That is fine with me Harry," said Severus. "I have nothing planned for today an
yway. We
can bring Draco with us. Miss Granger can go with Minerva and Winky."
Harry looked around the room with a happy smile on his face.
"Now we just need a date," said Harry. "I was thinking Easter would be a good ti
me. What
do you and Winky think?"
Both elves looked at each other and burst out crying. Both ran to Harry and each
gave
him a hug filled with happy tears.
"You is a wonderful wizard, Harry Potter Sir," sobbed Winky. "We is accepting th
at time."
"Great," said Harry, still holding both elves. "I will perform the ceremony. Dra
co and
Severus can stand with Dobby, and Minerva and Hermione can stand with Winky. I t
hink
we will start a tradition here at Hogwarts with house elf weddings. I wonder if
there are other
elves here that are interested in getting married."
Winky nodded her head.
"There is two other couples that would like that as well," she replied. "I is th
inking we can
all get married at the same time. I can go ask them if you is wanting Harry Pott
er Sir."
"You do that and let me know immediately," said Harry.
With a small nod and a smaller pop, Winky left for the kitchens. Harry sat at hi
s desk and
wrote out the invitation to certain people outside of Hogwarts that he wished to
attend the
weddings. At the top of the list was Albus, Molly, the twins, Aunt Petunia, and
Dudley. He
added Bill and Charlie to that list.
"Minerva here is a small guest list," he said. "If you can think of anyone else
who would
appreciate what we are doing here add them to the list. I figure that most of th
e staff will be
there if not all. Also I think a lot of the students would like to stay and see
this as well."
A few small pops announced that Winky had come back with the other two couples.
Harry
quickly told them what they were planning and the other four elves were astonish
ed at
having someone care for them in this manner. They like Winky and Dobby cried and

gave Harry heartfelt thanks. It was decided that the females would go with Winky
and her
party and the males would go with Dobby and his party.
Harry cast a quick patronus to Hermione. It was a matter of moments when she
appeared.
"Harry," she stated. "I was on my way up when your patronus showed up. I have go
od
news. There are no laws that state elves can NOT get married. It just wasn't som
ething
that was done. Most wizards do not think like we do and they never approved it.
However
there is no law saying that they can't get married."
Hermione took a breath and then looked around. She was embarrassed that she blur
ted
all this out in front of a room full of people that she had not noticed in her h
urry to tell Harry
her news. Everyone in the room burst out laughing at the look on her face. She t
urned red
and poked her tongue out at Harry and sat down in her chair.
"Hermione," said Harry. "If anyone could find that information out, it was you.
All three of
the elf couples will be getting married on Easter morning. You will be going wit
h Minerva
and Winky to pick out the three female elves' wedding dresses. Severus, Draco an
d I will
be going with Dobby and these other two to get them suits."
"Oh Harry!" she exclaimed. "This is so exciting. We need to get the guest list g
oing and
the food decided and so many things. Do you realize that Easter is only three we
eks
away?"
Harry and the others started laughing again.
"Hermione the guest list is being handled by Minerva," said Harry. "We will leav
e you to
discuss with the other elves about food. That is unless you want to hire caterer
s. I will pay
for that of course. In fact I think that is a good idea. Let the rest of the elv
es come to the
wedding as guests. Now I think it is time to collect Draco and all of us make a
special trip
to Diagon Alley. Severus, please inform Pomona and Remus that we are leaving for
a few
hours as you grab Draco. After that we will all meet in the entrance hall. Sever
us nodded
and everyone left to get what they needed. Harry had all six elves stay with him
. He went
to the fireplace and called out to Gringotts.
"Griphook," he called. "Are you free?"
"Yes Harry Potter," came the reply. "What can I do for you?"
"There will be a ticket signed by Minerva McGonagall for three wedding dresses.
Please
take the money out of my account to pay for it when it arrives. I am giving her
permission
to sign my name to the ticket. Is that alright with you?"
"That will be fine Harry Potter," he said. "I will take care of it. May I ask wh
o is getting
married?"
"I will be having a wedding here on Easter morning for six of my house elves. Yo
u are
more than welcome to attend if you wish," said Harry.
"Once again you mark yourself as a remarkable and unique wizard Harry Potter,"
Griphook said. "I will be there. Just have my invitation sent to the bank."
"No problem," said Harry. "I'll see to it personally."
With a quick flick of his wand, Harry conjured up a wedding invitation and passe
d it
through the flames to the goblin. After a quick thank you, Harry and all six elv
es made
their way to the entrance hall. By the time they arrived the rest of the party h
ad made their
way there as well. After a quick word, they all clasped hands and Harry apparate
d them to
Diagon Alley. The ladies made for the Bridal shop as the men made heir way to Ma
dam
Malkin's.
The effect of so many people apparating with six elves did not seem to affect th
at many
people. Apparently the sight of Harry Potter in the company of house elves was c
ommon
knowledge for most and those that didn't know about it really didn't care. The r
esults of
Harry's efforts in the war against the Dark Lord had won their loyalty. Upon ent
ering the
shop, Madam Malkin herself came up to Harry and the group. When she was told wha
t
was happening, she lifted an eyebrow in surprise for a moment. However, she real
ized
who was asking for this and knew that Harry was the one to make changes in the w
orld.
With a smile at the elves she began to take measurements. After about two hours
she was
finished. Each elf had a tuxedo in the color of black with a red shirt. Their co
rsages we
silver with blue roses set in them. Each elf also had a cover robe with the Hogw
arts
emblem on the lapel. The robes were made to enhance the suit, not hide it. Final
ly the
elves were all given shoes that would fit their feet. Harry went over and signed
the ticket.
He ordered a set of white robes for himself with the Hogwarts crest on it and ar
ranged to
have it sent to Hogwarts. He paid extra to have a rush put on it. He wanted to m
ake sure
that all was ready for the wedding. When the men were done, they all apparated b
ack to
Hogwarts to await the women. It was not long before small pops could be heard ou
tside
his office. Winky came in followed by the other elves and the rest of the staff.
Quickly it was
established that the gowns would be held in Minerva's room where the female elve
s would
get ready. The men would get ready here in Harry's office. With that arrangement

complete, the elves all bowed to the quintet and went back to work. Harry quickl
y drew his
wand and conjured two more sets of rings for the other elves. With that being do
ne all that
was left was up to Minerva and Hermione. Severus would see to it that the Great
Hall was
decorated for the wedding. When everyone had their ideas written down and the
arrangements started, they slowly started trickling out of Harry's office. Harry
sat down with
a smile on his face. To be able to make the lives of other living beings happy w
as a gift
that he enjoyed giving.
Finally the day arrived. Many students had stayed to witness the event. After al
l it was not
often that humans did something so spectacular for any other living being. There
were
many exceptions to this line of thought in the castle. Harry was grateful that a
good portion
of the SFG and the DA did not take the elves for granted. Many acted as ushers f
or the
guests that were arriving. Albus arrived with about 30 members from the Ministry
.
Griphook and a date arrived and were sitting quietly talking with other people w
ho had
accounts at the bank. Madam Rosemerta brought the meade and butterbeer. The
caterers had done a wonderful job under Severus and Hermione's instructions with

regards to the food and such. Finally it was time to begin. Minerva in pale blue
robes
stood at the front alongside Hermione who was resplendent in pale turquoise robe
s.
Draco stood beside Dobby in bottle green robes and Severus was next to the other
 elves
in robes of navy blue. That in itself, made people look at him in wonder. Severu
s never
wore anything other than black. To see him in any other color was a wonder. Harr
y stood
at the front of the Great Hall in robes of white with silver and gold cuffs and
with a black and
blue collar. The doors to the Great Hall opened and Ron entered leading Winky.
Following Ron was Neville who was leading Grace. Coming after, was Seamus who wa
s
leading Tiffany. All three female elves were wearing dresses of pale gold. All t
hree were a
marvel. Harry knew for a fact that Dobby was wearing the sock that had broken hi
s
enslavement to the Malfoys all those years ago. As the three female elves made i
t to
where Harry was standing Ron, Neville and Seamus all went to their seats.
"Who gives these three females away?" he asked.
"I do," said Albus, to the astonishment of the crowd.
"Who stands for these three ladies?" asked Harry.
"We do," said Minerva, Hermione, and Luna.
"Who gives these three males away?" asked Harry.
"I do," said Moody.
"Who stands for these three men?" asked Harry.
"We do," said Severus, Draco, and Remus.
"Very well," said Harry. "Let us begin. The left hand is the hand of the heart.
I ask each
female to place her left hand in the left hand of her male spouse to be."
Harry watched as Dobby, Drew, and Randal grabbed the hands of Winky, Grace and
Tiffany.
"We join left hands that the love in the hearts that these elves have to combine
to form
something greater as two streams join together to form a mighty river," said Har
ry. "The
river flows through the land, branching off into tributaries, exploring new ways
, yet ever
drawn to the eternal sea. Receive their love, Merlin; bless it and grant them pe
ace at least
in the hearts, if there is no peace in this shattered land."
Turning to the males elves Harry smiled and then nodded to Severus, Draco and Re
mus
to produce the rings. Turning to the female elves Harry smiled and then nodded t
o
Minerva, Hermione, and Luna to produce their rings.
"Do you Dobby take Winky to be your wife?" asked Harry.
"I does," said Dobby.
"Do you Drew take Grace to be your wife?" asked Harry.
"I does," said Drew.
"Do you Randal take Tiffany to be your wife?" asked Harry.
"I does," said Randal.
Turning Harry looked to the female elves.
"Do you Winky take Dobby to be your husband?" he asked.
"I does," said Winky.
"Do you Grace take Drew to be your husband?" he asked.
"I does," said Grace.
"Do you Tiffany take Randal to be your husband?" asked Harry.
"I does Sir," said Tiffany.
"Dobby, Drew, and Randal place the ring on your lady's finger," said Harry.
Harry watched as all three male elves took their rings from the wizards and plac
ed them
on their lady's finger.
Winky, Grace, and Tiffany place the ring on your man's finger," said Harry.
Harry watched as all three female elves took their rings from the witches and pl
aced them
on their man's fingers.
"With the power invested in me," intoned Harry. "I now pronounce you married. Yo
u may
now kiss your wife."
All three male elves grabbed their new spouse and kissed them gently. Harry rais
ed his
wand and shot images of phoenixes in the air.
The audience applauded as the elves were pronounced married. For the first time
in
history a witch or wizard took into consideration the feelings of an elf. Tears
were shed as
the guests happily congratulated the couples. Dobby and Winky had a special plac
e in
most people's hearts. As the party started people would occasionally approach on
e of the
elf couples and shake their hands or kneel to give them a hug. The other house e
lves
were a little uncomfortable about not being part of the work, but Harry assured
them that
they could do the clean up. This brightened the faces of the elves and soon the
party was
in full swing. Occasionally one could see an elf helping to serve food. At other
times you
could see elves bringing in their own flavorful foods to serve the guests. It wa
s close to
midnight when the reception ended. Harry personally saw most of the guest out an
d gave
thanks to everyone who had come to the wedding. Molly and Petunia wanted to stay
and
help clean up, but the elves made it clear that they would handle all of it. Wit
h a smile to
them the rest of the guests left. Harry had the three married couples take the n
ight off and
as a special gift the next day as well. Harry made his way to his rooms. He turn
ed down
his own bed and climbed in. He lay there for awhile and reviewed the highlights
of the
wedding. The elves looked wonderful. Also it was wonderful to see so many witche
s and
wizards come and show their support. Finally Harry drifted off into a light slee
p. With a
smile on his face he drifted into pleasant dreams. Around the castle others were
in the
same state of euphoria that he was. Others were dreaming about their own wedding
s.
Each wondered if Harry would preside over their wedding as well.
Chapter 9 â Hermione's Discovery
As the students and staff settled down after the weddings, things at Hogwarts se
emed to
return to normal. The Easter Holiday ended and classes resumed. The fifth and se
venth
year students were feeling the pressures of the approaching exams. More than one

student ended up in front of Madam Pomfrey to get potions to calm their nerves.
The staff
was going through their routines as usual, helping students who needed it and pu
shing
them harder than ever to get their work done. Harry was interested in a few stud
ents in
seventh year. Draco would be graduating this year and Harry wanted him to do wel
l.
Hannah, Neville, Seamus, Blaise and quite a few of the SFG and DA were graduatin
g this
year as well. Harry wanted them all to do extremely well in their grades as quit
e a few
were offered to further their training to be Aurors. Their excellent performance
s during the
attacks had secured them a spot in the training classes. Many would not need the
full four
years, as Harry and the other founders of the DA had taught so many more than mo
st
Aurors knew. Harry was always around the castle helping out anywhere he was need
ed.
Many of the teachers as well as the student body were grateful for this assistan
ce.
Hermione was doing better as she no longer had to worry about misbehaving studen
ts.
Those that thought about it just had to remember what was being done to Terry Bo
ot.
When they did, they no longer felt the need to disrupt class in Charms. Hermione
was
flourishing as a teacher. It was wonderful to see her doing so well. Teaching wa
s what
Hermione was meant to do. She never passed up a chance to sit and study and lear
n
new things. She was always going to the bookstores to see what new books they ha
d out.
She kept up in her other courses so that if there was a need she could assist an
other
professor in their classes. Ron was working hard as well. He knew that there wer
e a few
teachers retiring this year, and he wanted to be included in those that were eli
gible to fill in
those positions. Ginny and Luna were still doing well in their studies. Of cours
e they were
in sixth year and were not feeling the stress like they had the previous year. H
owever,
Harry wanted them to do well all the same. They would be the ones he would have
in
charge of the new students for the DA and SFG. Harry sat at his desk and thought
briefly
about the future.
As it was late that evening he was sitting in his office with Draco and Hermione
and things
were as usual. Draco had become such a good friend that not very many cared that
he
was Slytherin. Also many did not care that he used to be such an arrogant prat.
He was a
great person to hang around with and Harry was grateful for that friendship. Sev
erus and
Minerva were with Harry and the others this evening. They were going over the up
coming
summer.
"Draco," said Harry. "Are you sure you don't want to return to Malfoy Manor? It
is your
home after all."
"No Harry," he replied. "I will stay here with you at the castle. In fact I spok
e with a real
estate agent the other day. I am selling the manor. I will be taking up your off
er of staying
permanently here in the castle. I am sure that after I graduate my talents will
come in
handy around here somewhere."
"My offer stands true Draco," said Harry. "You will not have to leave so long as
I am alive
and Head Master of this school."
"Thanks Harry," he replied. "That means a lot to me."
Harry smiled at Draco and turned to Hermione.
"What about you 'Mione?" he asked. "Are you staying here or going home to be wit
h your
parents for the summer?"
"I will be going home for a few weeks at the beginning of summer," she said. "I
will be
coming back here though, after a few weeks. There is so much here for me to do a
nd I
want to make sure that I have enough time to get caught up on my studies and rea
ding
and such."
"Hermione you read too much," said Harry.
Severus and Minerva chuckled at this. Hermione blushed slightly but decided not
to
comment.
"Most of the staff will be heading out for the summer Harry," stated Severus. "I
will remain
here at the castle however. Minerva and Pomona will be going home as well as
Professors Sinistra and Vector. Sybil will remain in her tower as she usually do
es. Hagrid
will remain here. Remus wishes to go home permanently. He says he would like to
spend
more time with his wife."
"Yeah," said Harry. "I figured as much. I know that Tonks misses him a lot when
he is
here at school. So I guess we will have to go with the plan I had thought about
earlier in the
year."
"What plan was that Harry?" asked Minerva.
"Well, we can have Draco take over as potions professor and Severus can take ove
r
DADA," said Harry. "Hermione is doing well enough with charms. And you are a par
t of
the wood work Minerva."
"Gee thanks," said Minerva. "I appreciate your innuendo about my age."
"I was not referring to your age," said Harry in a shocked voice. "I would never
do
something like that."
That's when Harry saw the tell tale sign of humor going around her eyes and knew
that
she had just fooled him with a well placed joke. Grinning at her, he stuck his t
ongue out at
her and made to shift the conversation to a different subject.
"Now that is mature of the Head Master of the school," interjected Minerva with
a laugh.
"Hmph," said Harry. "Maturity does seem to come and go with some of the senior c
itizens
of this castle."
The rest of the group started laughing heartily at the banter between them. At l
ast Harry
and Minerva couldn't resist and joined in. Even some of the portraits started la
ughing with
them. All present loved the camaraderie that existed between them. It was like h
aving a
family here at school. A family that everyone knew Harry valued more than all th
e gold in
his vault. Severus and Minerva were very pleased with the way Harry was handling
the
school. He ran it with the efficiency that any other Head Master did in the past
. The fact that
he did not hesitate to ask for help when he needed it made him all the more ende
aring to
the rest of the staff. Harry was not afraid to admit when he made a mistake and
listened
with his fullest attention when advice was offered to him. The maturity of Harry
made the
rest of the staff happy. His age was no longer a concern for many of the staff.
For the one
or two that still felt he was a bit young to be Head Master wisely kept it to th
emselves. After
all, Harry had saved them and this school many times over his 6 years of attendi
ng. No
one forgot Harry saving the Sorcerer's Stone and battling the Dark Lord in his f
irst year.
Nor did they forget him discovering and killing the basilisk, and facing the Dar
k Lord in his
second year, as well as saving the life of Ginny Weasley. Many remembered his tr
iumph
in battling the Dementors and saving Sirius in his third year. Of course no one
in history
would ever forget his outstanding performance in the tri- wizard's tournament. T
here were
those that still got angry when they remembered what he had gone through in his
fifth
year. Harry also proved himself a worthy teacher the previous year by passing al
l of his
N.E.W.T.S with high marks and then filling in as DADA Professor. Harry had also
engineered many battle plans that saved the school from vampires, werewolves, gi
ants,
inferi and many other dark creatures. The capture of Fenrin Greyback and Bellatr
ix
Lestrange was the icing on the cake for most. As Head Master, no one had any dou
bt to
Harry's loyalty to the school or its inhabitants. Harry was generous and caring.
His
concern for the students and staff was admirable even by those that felt he was
too young.
However age did not always have a part to play in life. Harry had proven himself
worthy of
and equal to any task set before him.
"How is Terry Boot coming along with his detentions, Minerva?" asked Harry.
"He seems to have accepted his punishment and is not causing any troubles," she
replied.
"He is not causing any more problems in Ravenclaw tower either," said Hermione.
"He
truly seems to realize he went too far and is determined to behave himself. He e
ven went
as far as to defend Luna against someone from another house the other day. I was
so
thrilled I awarded him 20 points."
"Let me guess," said Harry. "You have been sneaking him lessons in charms haven'
t
you?"
Hermione blushed, but nodded.
"Yes I have," she admitted. "I felt rather bad for him. I would like to see him
graduate with
all his scores and such."
"Well if you want him to come back to class, I will allow it," said Harry. "Howe
ver, he will still
continue to do his detentions with Minerva for the rest of the year in the eveni
ngs."
"Thanks Harry," she said. "I am sure he will like that and agree to those condit
ions."
"Then I will leave it to you then," said Harry.
It was a little after 10:00 when Severus and Draco bade everyone good night and
left.
Minerva and Hermione were not far behind. Harry sat at his desk and read some of
the
reports on minor things that needed to be addressed. Harry reached over and pick
ed up
the cup of tea that had been placed there beside him by Dobby. By now Winky and
Dobby
shared a room. Harry had the castle arrange itself for the other two married cou
ples as
well. He briefly thought about Remus and wondered what his life would have been
like had
he been able to be with someone. His interest in Ginny would have been wonderful
.
However the luck of the draw was not with Harry. There came the summer of his in
juries
at the hands of his uncle. Then, there was the position as DADA professor. Now h
e was
Head Master of the school. Harry never had a normal childhood. Now all of his du
ties had
taken away his teen age years as well. Harry did not complain. He knew he was ma
rked
for a long time. He sighed, shrugged his shoulders, and picked up the next docum
ent to
read.
The school year was rapidly closing. April ended with a bang and it was time for
the
quidditch cup to be awarded. For once in many years Ravenclaw won the championsh
ip.
Harry delighted in handing the cup to Hermione. Minerva, Pomona, and Severus all
gave
her hearty congratulations. That evening Harry watched as Ravenclaw house had a
victory party. Finally around midnight he sent a patronus to them to tell them i
t was time to
end the party and to head to bed. He watched as the students made their way to t
heir
dorm rooms. Laughing to himself Harry turned to make his way to his own bed. As
he
was about to leave he noticed that the dot labeled, Professor Granger, was headi
ng back
for his office. Harry waved his hand and had the gargoyle step aside as she appr
oached
the stairs. He opened the door for her and she came rushing in.
"Harry!" she exclaimed. "You have to come with me right now. I have found the mo
st
amazing thing in my rooms. Come on you have to come right now."
"Ok Hermione," he said. "Just calm down. What have you found?"
"I am not sure yet Harry," she said. "It will not let me touch it. I have alread
y sent word to
Remus, Pomona, Severus, and Minerva."
Harry raced after Hermione and came to her suite of rooms. There they met the ot
hers
and they all entered Hermione's rooms. Hermione led them to a section of her wal
l that
held a shield with the Ravenclaw coat of arms on it. Raising her hand she shifte
d the
shield. A portion of the wall disappeared.
"I was going to move this to another part of the room," she said. "All of a sudd
en when I
shifted the shield this panel opened up. I was so excited that I let the shield
go and the
panel closed again. I tried again and when I went to reach for what ever that is
in it, it would
not let me. I think you have to be a descendant of Rowena to be able to remove i
t."
Hermione held the shield aside for Harry. Harry tentatively reached towards the
opening.
When his hand entered, he felt a small tingle in his flesh. However, he was able
to access
the compartment. When he pulled his hand out, he was holding a piece of very old

parchment. He quickly cast a spell to see if it contained dark magic. When none
showed
up, Harry felt relieved. Muttering a preserving spell, Harry carefully opened th
e scroll of
parchment. It was written in a language that Harry was not familiar with.
"That's Latin," said Hermione.
Harry looked over at Hermione and gave her an odd look.
"I studied this in grade school," she said.
"Can you translate it?" he asked.
"I am a little rusty, but I will work on it if you leave it with me," she said.
"I could have it for
you in a few days."
"Good," he said. "I will leave it to you then. The rest of you check your rooms.
Remus,
have the house elves start searching the castle for any more of these little sur
prises. Also
have Arabella start searching the portraits tomorrow. I want to know if anyone f
inds
anything else unusual in the castle. Hermione please inform the rest of the staf
f about what
has happened. This way all teachers can assist in the search. Minerva, have Ron,
Ginny,
Neville, and Luna get the rest of the SFG and the DA to help as well. However we
don't
want this to interfere with their studies. Severus, tomorrow we will go down to
the Chamber
of Secrets with Draco and see if we can find anything down there.
The rest of the assembled teachers all gave their nods of affirmation and everyo
ne
headed out to get a little bit done while there was a little time. Harry then tu
rned on the spot
and apparated back to his rooms. He had a quick conversation with the portraits
of the
former Head Masters. After he was done he spent a couple of hours giving the Hea
d
Masters rooms a thorough search. Harry discovered a few secret compartments. The
y
were all empty. One had an old manual of geneology in it. Harry cast the preserv
ing
charm on it and read a few pages. Harry saw many familiar names in it. He could
in fact
trace his family tree to well past Godric and Rowena. It seemed that Harry had a
stronger
back ground than even his ancestors knew. He traced his lineage all the way back
to
Merlin himself. Now he fully understood why this book was hidden. He wondered wh
y
Godric or any of the other founders never told him this.
"We did not feel the need to give you more than you were already going through,"
said a
voice behind Harry.
Turning quickly Harry saw the ghostly figures of the four founders standing befo
re him.
"I think you are correct in that," said Harry. "Reading this it says that I am f
rom the oldest
blood there is. It traces us back to Merlin's grandparents.
"Correct," said Helga. "You are indeed a rare individual. You blood is traced al
l the way
back to the founding of the British Isles. We only have records of the time of M
erlin and
just before him. Written records were not available then, as most just passed th
e
information verbally from one to the next. Merlin had the inspiration to start r
ecording his
finding and teachings. From there he taught others who had similar gifts. Now we
have
very few of those old records left. What you hold in your hand is probably the o
ldest book
in history. A good thing that you cast the preserving spell, or else the book wo
uld have
disintegrated in a matter of hours."
Harry sat at his desk and surveyed his ancestors. He found Rowena looking at him
with a
thoughtful look on her face.
"How many more secret compartments are in this castle," asked Harry. "We found t
he
one behind the Ravenclaw coat of arms. Hermione will decipher the script and tel
l me
what that scroll says."
Godric shuffled a bit closer to Harry.
"There are hundreds of those compartments all over the castle," said Godric. "Ve
ry few
have anything in them, but there are several that have things still in them."
"The new head of Ravenclaw House will find an illuminating discovery in that scr
oll," said
Rowena. "I had hoped that no one would ever find that scroll. However, I passed
away
before I could destroy it."
"What does it say?" asked Harry.
"I will let Miss Granger explain it to you," said Rowena with a smile. "I would
not want to
spoil the surprise for her. I hope you understand."
Harry nodded. "Hermione would be disappointed if she could not tell me herself w
hat is
written in that scroll. She is one intelligent young lady. If only she were of y
our blood
Rowena. You would be proud of her."
"I already am," she replied.
With that, the founders faded from view. Each gave Harry a bow of respect before
fading.
Harry sat at his desk and read well into the morning hours. Finally at about 3 i
n the
morning, he put the book down and headed to bed.
Later that day Hermione came into his office. She held two scrolls in her hand.
One was
the one Harry pulled out of the compartment. The other was one that had Hermione
's
unmistakable handwriting on it.
"Harry this is the most amazing thing I have ever seen," she said. "This is the
spell
Rowena Ravenclaw used to make her diadem. It is of her own making. Only an heir
of her
bloodline can cast this spell. That means Harry, that only you can cast this spe
ll."
What does it say?" asked Harry.
"Sapientia est key ut scienta. Per meus cruor quod mens, tribuo mihi sapientia,"
intoned
Hermione. "It means; Wisdom is the key to knowledge. By my blood and mind grant
me
wisdom. When you are casting this spell you have to spill three drops of your bl
ood on the
diadem. All your wisdom will then be amplified by tenfold. Harry, you are the on
ly one
alive that can cast this spell."
"Hermione," Harry said. "How much do you love me?"
"Harry," she said. "What are you talking about? You know I love you a lot. What
does this
have to do with the scroll?"
"Nothing," said Harry. "However I thought you might like to read this."
Harry pulled the book he found the previous night out of his desk drawer and han
ded it to
her.
The shocked and awed look on her face was priceless to him.
"You can borrow it," he said. "After I have the rest of the group see it as well
as Albus."
Hermione nodded and handed him the book back. From there she sat and helped Harr
y
write letters to all that mattered in their lives as an invitation to come to Ha
rry's office and
view the book. Hermione handed the letter for Albus to Hedwig who hooted and few
out the
open window. Harry meanwhile, handed a couple to Apollo to deliver and the rest
to
Winky and Dobby. They set it up that the meeting would happen at 8:00 this eveni
ng.
Together Hermione and Harry made their way to the Great Hall. Smiling they made
their
way to their seats and started eating their lunch.
The time for the meeting arrived and all those that were requested to be present
had
accepted and appeared at the castle. They all sat in Harry's office and waited p
atiently for
him to explain what he and Hermione found out. Hermione went first telling the r
est of the
staff and Albus what she had discovered in the scroll. Harry showed it to Albus
and the rest
of the staff that had not seen it. Harry then proceeded to show them what he fou
nd in the
Head Masters office. Albus was astonished at this discovery.
"Indeed it seems the castle is working well with you Harry," he said.
"Godric and the rest of the founders came to me last night and spoke with me," h
e replied.
"It would appear that there are compartments like this everywhere in the castle.
"
The others nodded. About 30 had been found so far. Nothing of importance had bee
n
found in any of them. There were a couple of old goblets that had no magical pro
perties to
them, but other than that they were antiques. Harry had the staff continue to se
arch.
"If I am not mistaken there will be something of importance of Helga and Godric
somewhere in this castle," said Harry. "I think it is safe that Salazar's secret
will be in the
Chamber of Secrets. A few of us will go down there tomorrow after class."
"I would like to go as well," said Albus. "That is if you don't mind."
"That is fine with me," said Harry. You, Severus, Draco, and I will be the ones
to go.
Please bring Fawkes with you. Draco, please bring Artemis. I will also have Dobb
y and
Winky go with us."
With nods all around the group started to disperse. Albus decided to stay the ni
ght in the
castle. Rose and Toby made up his rooms for him.
The next day dawned bright and Harry and Albus could see certain members of the
DA
and SFG that were not in class working in different corridors. Arabella could be
seen
checking behind each portrait in the castle. When she saw Albus and Harry she wa
lked
over.
"I have only found four compartments so far," she said. "Nothing was in them."
"Thanks Arabella," said Harry. "Please keep looking."
She nodded and went back where she left off. As the day progressed, Harry could
see no
reason to put off the trip to the Chamber. He knew that Severus and Draco were i
mpatient
to leave. The quartet made their way to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Dobby and Win
ky
were already inside cleaning.
"Hey you two," said Harry. "Come on. It is time to go into the chamber. Who know
s maybe
we can use it for some other purpose one day."
Harry walked over to the sink and hissed in parseltongue. The Chamber door start
ed to
open. With a phoenix on their shoulders, Harry and the group made their way down
.
When they got to the second door, Harry opened it as well. They entered and star
ted
searching immediately. Winky went with Severus as he was the only one without a
phoenix. Dobby of course followed Harry. Harry went to the statue of Salazar Sly
therin.
There would be something near here. He was sure of it. He started searching. Fin
ally after
an hour of searching and finding nothing, Harry started to admit defeat. He sat
on the toe
of the statue and a grating sound told him that he set off the trigger to open t
he
compartment. There was a room inside the statue. Sending Dobby to get the others
,
Harry made his way into the room. Apollo trilled from his shoulder. Harry lit hi
s wand for
light. He noticed a candelabra hanging from the ceiling. With a gesture, he lit
the candles.
Inside were jewels piled high to the ceiling. There was another door that led do
wn into the
floor. Harry waited until the rest of the group arrived. Severus opened the door
and the
group followed Harry down. It seemed that they walked forever when all of a sudd
en,
Harry saw another door. He knew immediately that they had found something import
ant.
The door alone vibrated with magical power. Harry walked calmly to the door. Pla
cing his
palm on the door, he waited. He blood flowing in his veins acted as they key. Wh
en the
door opened the rest Harry and the rest of the group went inside. Lying on a sto
ne altar
was a body. Upon approaching the body, Harry looked down and gazed into the face
.
Behind him a ghostly figure appeared. The others stood transfixed as the apparit
ion
headed towards Harry. It solidified as it neared him. Harry was not afraid. He f
elt in his
bones that this person was an ancient relative of his.
"I am Merlin'" said the man. "Who are you that has discovered my tomb and distur
bed
my rest?"
"I am Harry James Potter," he replied. "I am the current Head Master of the Hogw
arts. I
am also a descendant of yours."
The man reached out and placed both hands one Harry's temples. He looked deep in
to
Harry's eyes. Harry felt his very soul being examined. When the man finished, Ha
rry
knew without a doubt that he was something special.
Merlin looked around at the group and nodded.
"Please keep what you have seen here a secret. If the descendants of Morgan Le F
ey find
me, the very fabric of magic can be torn," said Merlin. "Do not fear that alone,
young
Harry. For these people standing with you are also relatives. Their blood may no
t be as
pure as yours, but they are none the less, relatives. It will be your burden to
keep my body
safe. Take this wand Harry. You will have need of it to beat the one called Vold
emort."
With that being said, Merlin started to fade. Soon he disappeared all together.
The 3 other
wizards just stood there in shock. Harry pulled himself together. He looked at W
inky and
Dobby, they seemed to know what he wished and disappeared with a small pop each.

Apollo flew to Severus' shoulder. With a trill all three wizards reacted togethe
r and grasped
the tail feathers of the phoenix on their shoulder. With a flash of flame, all t
hree
disappeared. Harry slowly made his way to the door. He placed his hand on the fr
ame
and felt the power infuse the security on the mausoleum. He left the gems where
they
were. He was the only one that could get here and he had no desire to deal with
them
anyway. With a quick glance around, Harry picked up a silver scroll case and the
n he left
the room. After touching the toe of Salazar, Harry felt the door seal shut. With
a quick turn
on the spot, Harry apparated back to his office.
Chapter 10 â Excalibur
Those that had been with Harry during his discovery soon put the ordeal behind t
hem.
The last thing they wanted to do was to harp on something that could not be help
ed. Albus
returned to the ministry and started researching everything he could about Merli
n. Harry
did the same in the Hogwarts library. Hermione was a slight problem as she was a
lways
suspicious of those that spent more time in the library than she did. One day sh
e
cornered him and demanded to know what was going on.
"Harry," she demanded. "What are you looking for? You have spent a lot of time i
n the
library for the last couple of weeks. If you are having a problem with something
maybe I
can help you."
"Hermione," said Harry. "I am doing a small project for myself. I would love to
have you
help me, but I am only able to tell you so much. If you really want to help me,
then just pull
out as many books on Merlin as you can for me. I want to know as much about him
and
his enemies as I possibly can. Keep this between us. I do not want any students
to know
what is going on. In fact have Minerva, Pomona, and yourself come up to my offic
e later. I
will fill you in on certain things. You all have a right to know, but I am only
allowed to tell
you so much."
Hermione looked at Harry a bit odd.
"Ok Harry," she said. "I will do as you ask. For now I will not press you any fu
rther. Now,
why don't you go take a break and let me find what you are looking for?"
"I think that is a good idea," he replied.
Harry stood up and turned with a small pop and disapparated. Hermione tried to c
ast a
spell that would tell her where he went, but her spell was cancelled as soon as
she cast it.
"That's odd," she mumbled to herself. "I can usually cast that spell to see wher
e he goes.
This time it isn't allowing me to. I wonder where he went."
With a shrug of her shoulders, Hermione started pulling books off the shelf. She
knew this
library almost as well as Madam Pince did. When she had about twenty books on Me
rlin,
she sent them up to Harry's office. She went back to her own office to ponder ov
er the
cryptic information that Harry had given. Curiosity was eating at her.
Meanwhile, Harry had apparated down into the Chamber of Secrets. He walked up to
the
statue of Salazar and pressed down on the toe. Once again the door opened and Ha
rry
walked inside. There were still piles of emeralds sitting everywhere. Harry walk
ed over to
the other door and opened it with a silent wave of his hand. Harry walked the le
ngth of the
tunnel until he got to the door of the room that held the body of Merlin. Placin
g his hand on
the door, he felt the magic expand and the door open. He walked into the room an
d
waited. Before long the image of Merlin appeared.
"What troubles you today Harry?" asked Merlin.
"I was wondering if it were acceptable to bring in more people to help protect y
our resting
place," he stated. "I have a number of trustworthy staff members that I believe
deserves to
be told the truth. Each of these people has stood by me to help defend the schoo
l from
Voldemort and his Dark legion. I hate lying to them."
"Yes I was wondering when you were going to ask me that," said Merlin. "I have s
een into
your mind young one. I know you are one that will stand by your word. You feel t
hat
Professors Granger, McGonagall, and Sprout should be told. You also feel that yo
ung Mr.
and Miss Weasley and Miss Lovegood should be part of the special group. Mr.
Longbottom would do well in this endeavor. I grant your request. I ask that they
be sworn
with a wizard's oath to keep silent about this."
"Of course," said Harry. "I would have done that without you having to ask."
"I know," said Merlin. "What else troubles your mind young one?"
"Who do those emeralds belong to outside the tunnel?" asked Harry.
"They are yours of course," said Merlin. "Salazar himself found each one of them
. There
is one emerald out there that you should give to someone special. That person wo
uld
benefit from it. It is a magical emerald. Once you give it to this person, a dup
licate will
appear. It is called the Gryphon Emerald. These special emeralds were a creation
of
mine. They can not be mined. They can only given by one such as you. They are fo
und
every so often in the nest of a gryphon. Instead of a hatchling they produce the
emerald.
Choose wisely whom you give that emerald to."
"You know already who I will give it to don't you?" asked Harry.
"Yes I know your heart Harry," said Merlin. "There are two candidates for that e
merald.
Both of them are equally deserving of it."
"Very well," said Harry. "How do I know which emerald it is?"
"It is not green Harry," said Merlin.
With that being said Merlin faded from sight. Harry sighed and went out the room
sealing
the tomb shut behind him. He quickly conjured some bags for his emeralds and set
about
filling them. When he had approximately 50 sacks filled Harry noticed a golden l
ight
seeping through the remaining emeralds. When he sifted through the remaining
emeralds, he found an emerald that gave off a golden color. He quickly pocketed
the
emerald. With a wave of his wand, he quickly bagged the rest of the emeralds. Wh
en he
was done, he waved his wand again and all the emeralds shifted to his office. Ha
rry gave
a quick turn on the spot and apparated to his office. He quickly conjured a smal
l trunk and
placed all fifty five sacks of emeralds into it. He shrank the trunk and placed
it into his
pocket. Quickly, he apparated to Gringotts. Harry opened the doors and entered t
he bank.
Griphook came out of his office chatting with a co worker. When he spotted Harry
, he
quickly excused himself and walked over to Harry.
"Mr. Potter," he said. "What can I do for you today?"
"I need to visit my vault," said Harry.
Nodding Griphook led Harry to the door that led to the vaults. Quickly he summon
ed a
cart that would take Harry to his personal vault. Prior in the year, Harry had a
ll of his vaults
combined and placed into the Potter family vault. Upon reaching his vault, Harry
got out
and opened the door and stepped inside. He motioned for Griphook to follow him i
n.
Harry pulled the trunk out of his pocket and cast the charm to make it grow to i
ts normal
size. He opened the trunk and showed Griphook what was in the sacks.
"I need to know how much these are worth," said Harry. "If you could make a coun
t and
send me word at the school I would appreciate it."
Griphook nodded and was quickly doing a tally.
"I should be able to have this finished in a matter of a few days Mr. Potter," h
e said.
"That's fine," said Harry. "Also I was wondering if Merlin had a vault here at t
he bank."
"Yes he does Mr. Potter," said Griphook. "Why do you ask?"
"It seems I am a relative," said Harry.
"Well there is only one way to enter that vault Mr. Potter," explained Griphook.
"Only a
descendant of Merlin can open the door. Even we goblins can not enter the vault
in
question. If you like I can take you there."
"Yes I would like that," said Harry.
Together goblin and wizard climbed into the cart and made their way down to the
very
bottom. Harry knew that they were in the oldest part of the bank. He knew withou
t a doubt
that Merlin's vault would be down here. He also knew that no one but a blood rel
ative
could approach the vault. The goblins could only get close enough to keep the ar
ea
outside the vault clean. Even they did not know what was in the vault.
"If you are in fact a descendant Mr. Potter, you will be able to walk right thro
ugh the door,"
said Griphook. "Merlin himself placed the wards on the door."
Harry walked to the vault and passed right through the door. Upon entering the v
ault, he
gasped. There was no gold or jewels here. Inside were Merlin's personal spell bo
oks, his
staff, and his other personal artifacts. Merlin did not need wealth. He was the
greatest
wizard to have ever lived. Harry knew without a doubt that the Holy Grail would
be in this
vault. Harry was also looking for one other artifact. He located it in the back
of the vault.
Grabbing the handle, Harry lifted Excalibur into the air. Without touching anyth
ing else in
the vault, Harry made his way back to the door. He cast a concealment charm on t
he
sword and exited the vault. Griphook was on the outside pacing back and forth ne
rvously.
"Thank goodness you are ok Mr. Potter," stammered the goblin.
"I am fine," said Harry distractedly. "Can we go back up now?"
"Of course Mr. Potter," said Griphook.
Together they made their way to the cart and out of the tunnels. Harry said good
bye to
Griphook and quickly left the bank. He quickly apparated to the Ministry of Magi
c. He
walked to Albus' office and knocked. Upon getting an invitation to come in he op
ened the
door and made his way to Albus.
"What is the matter?" asked Albus alarmed at the look on Harry's face.
Harry shook his head and quickly cast the counter charm on the sword.
"Harry is that what I think it is?" asked Albus.
"Yes Albus," he replied. "This is Excalibur. I took it from the vault of Merlin.
I do not know
why I did so, but I did. It felt right that I do so. I think we will need this s
word in the near
future. It will be just as important as Gryffindor's sword."
"Harry I do not doubt you on anything," said Albus. "I had heard rumors of Excal
ibur, but
nothing more. To actually see it in person is amazing. May I examine it?"
Harry nodded and handed over the sword. Albus took it gingerly and closely exami
ned
the blade and the handle.
"You went to see Merlin again I take it?" asked Albus.
"Yes I did," replied Harry. "He told me that it was ok to tell Minerva, Hermione
, Pomona,
Ron, Ginny, Luna, and Neville about his tomb. I was wondering if you could come
to the
castle this evening and help me."
"I will be there Harry," stated Dumbledore handing him back the sword. "I also t
hink it is
time for me to return to the school. Not as Head Master, but as a teacher. This
is
something that is too important for us to not work closer on."
"We can talk about that this evening," said Harry.
With a nod to Albus he stood up and with a quick turn apparated back to Hogwarts
. Harry
quickly summoned a few house elves. Giving instructions to them, he watched as e
ach elf
went about delivering his message to the people that he needed to have a meeting
with.
He sat down and Winky placed a plate of food next to him.
"Winky," said Harry. Could you please put this sword behind the glass case of Go
dric's
sword please?"
"Of course Master Harry," said Winky.
Harry watched as she gently picked up the sword and carried it over to the secre
t
compartment behind Godric's sword. With a snap of her fingers the door opened an
d
Excalibur flew into it. She closed the door with another snap of her fingers.
"Thanks Winky," he said.
The elf smiled at him and went about her chores. Harry reached over and picked u
p one
of the books that Hermione had obviously found for him in the library. He starte
d to read it
to pass the time. He nibbled on the food Winky had brought him as he read. Befor
e he
knew it he had consumed the whole plate of food. Harry continued to read for a f
ew more
hours. Finally he knew it was about time for dinner. Harry had already missed on
e meal
in the Great Hall. He did not want to panic his staff by not showing up for anot
her. He
quickly made his way down to the Great Hall and entered. He noticed that it was
rather
subdued. It took him a few moments to remember that the students were either stu
dying
or reviewing their notes with fellow class mates. O.W.L.S and N.E.W.T.S were fin
ally upon
them. Harry made his way to his place at the staff table and sat down. Hermione
looked at
him with a bit of concern, but he waved her off. Severus and Minerva as well as
other key
members around the Great Hall were also looking at Harry. Some with curious look
s,
other with concerned looks. Harry didn't notice. He was still thinking about eve
rything he
had learned that day. He also was wondering why it was necessary for him to remo
ve
Excalibur from the safety of Merlin's vault. He could not fathom what impulse it
was that
made him do that. He knew it would be safe here in the castle, but he felt that
it should go
with a particular person. He also wondered about the Gryphon Emerald in his pock
et.
Merlin had said there were two people close to him in his heart that would both
be worthy
of the emerald. He wondered what people would think of him for giving it to eith
er of these
two people. Harry shrugged himself out of his thoughts and surveyed the hall.
Harry stood up and quickly made his way out of the dining hall and back to his o
ffice. He
sat at his desk and waited. He looked at the marauders map and watched. Slowly p
eople
started to move in his general vicinity. Albus appeared at the gates and entered
the
grounds. Severus and Minerva got up and headed for Harry's office. Hermione went
to
the table where Ron, Ginny, Luna, and Draco were sitting and together the group
headed
for Harry's office. Pomona and Neville came from the greenhouse where Toby infor
med
him that they were working with some plants and ate dinner there. Harry waved hi
s hand
and the gargoyle stepped aside. He waved his hand a second time and the door to
his
office opened. He waited until everyone had come in. Winky and Dobby were gettin
g
everyone comfortable in their seats and had refreshments sitting on a side board
. As the
two elves were with them when they found the body of Merlin, Harry gestured for
them to
sit.
"We are here for a serious discussion," began Harry. "Before I tell you what is
going on, I
want each and every one of you present to give me a wizards oath or an elf oath
that what
you hear will go no further than this room."
The group looked a little taken back by this statement, but they none the less g
ave their
vow that they would not tell anyone else about what would be said in this room.
Harry
stood up and started pacing.
"As you know, we have found all the hidden compartments in the castle," Harry st
ated.
"What many of you don't know is that Albus, Severus, Draco, and I found the one
in the
Chamber of Secrets. As all of you know, there are only two known parceltongues l
eft in the
world. Voldemort is one and I am the other. If there are any more out there we d
o not
know of them. Therefore, that means that only Voldemort or I can access the Cham
ber of
Secrets. What Voldemort doesn't know is that there was another room down in the
Chamber. We found it the other day. In this chamber was another door. We followe
d the
door and found a body lying on a stone altar."
"Who was it?" asked Hermione.
"I think I will take it one step further," said Harry. "Everyone stand up and ho
ld hands.
Severus and Albus please give me the assistance here."
Both older wizards nodded and Harry shifted on the spot and apparated the whole
group
into the Chamber of Secrets. Those that had never been in here before, stared ar
ound in
awe. Ginny started trembling a little. She didn't have a pleasant experience the
previous
time she was here. Harry led the group to the statue of Salazar and pressed on h
is toe.
The group entered the room lighting their wands as they went. Harry led them une
rringly
to the door in the floor and opened it for them. He led them down the tunnel to
the door
that held the body. Here he went no further. He let them all look at the body fr
om the
outside of the doorway.
"Inside lays the body of Merlin," he said. "The reason I know is that he told us
. Now I am
passing that information to you. Please do not ask to go any further. Only those
of us that
were here the first time should have access."
Harry had everyone grab hands again and he apparated them all back to his office
. As
they sat down each had a look of wonder on their faces. Harry watched them for a

moment before he began his tale again.

"For what ever reason, the four founders built this castle on top of the remains
of Merlin.
When I went to the bank today to bring in another part of my inheritance, I spok
e with
Griphook. He took me to Merlin's vault. Being a blood relative I was able to gai
n access
into the vault. I came back out with this."
Harry walked over to the sword of Godric Gryffindor and opened the secret compar
tment
behind it. He reached in and pulled out Excalibur. Slowly he walked to Severus a
nd
handed him the sword.
"You are the one meant to carry this Severus," he said. "I don't know how I know
it, but I
feel that the sword is meant for you."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the Gryphon Emerald. He walked over to
Draco
and Ginny and stood there between them. He knew that both would understand what
was
happening. Quietly he knelt down in front of Ginny and handed her the emerald. A
s she
grabbed the stone, a flash of gold mixed with green surrounded them. When the gl
ow
died down, Ginny was holding one stone, and Harry was holding a duplicate.
Albus stood up and waved his wand in a complex pattern. Slowly two chains appear
ed
and the emeralds set themselves into the links.
"Draco,' he said. "I was told that you would be a wise choice as well. However,
you and I
share a bond already through the twin phoenixes. Please forgive me for not givin
g you the
other emerald."
Draco did not say anything. He just stood up and gave Harry a hug. Soon they wer
e
joined by everyone else in the room. Harry felt their strength enter his being a
nd he
appreciated it.
"To continue with why I called you all here," he said. "Merlin's spirit still pr
otects his body.
There are descendants of Morgan Le Fey that would love to have access to his bod
y and
the few possessions that are still in the crypt with him. He has given me his wa
nd and I
have given Severus Excalibur. We are now the group that must protect his secret
from
ever leaving this castle."
Harry looked over their heads and pointed. As each person looked over, they coul
d see
the four founders standing in attendance of the meeting.
"We never told future Head Masters of the school," said Rowena. "This is due to
the fact
that until Albus and Harry, one of our bloodline was never Head Master or Head M
istress.
Now that this information is out, it is your duty to protect the secret. The des
cendants of
Morgan Le Fey are as powerful as you are. However you have one thing that they d
o not.
Trust! You all trust each other. None of you are power hungry. You all work well
as a
team. Please continue to work as a team. For if you fail, the fabric of magic as
we know it
could be devastated. Voldemort is not the only evil out there."
As she finished, the founders faded from sight. Harry sat down in his chair and
waited until
everyone had reseated themselves. Dobby and Winky poured them all some wine and
handed the glasses around.
"I am the last of Merlin's direct descendants," said Harry. "Albus, Severus, and
Draco are
descendants, but their blood is not as purely related as mine is. Together we mu
st protect
what Merlin has created. I would like to know if I can count on all of you.
Almost as one, everyone in the room including Dobby and Winky gave their affirma
tion.
"We are a team Harry," said Luna. "We were a team in the Department of Mysteries
, and
we will be a team again. We will ALWAYS be a team."
The rest of the group chorused Luna's words.
"I knew I could count on you all," said Harry. "OK then this is what we will do.
Draco, you
will take over for Severus as Potions Master. Severus you will take Defense agai
nst the
Dark Arts. Ron you will take over as flying instructor for Madam Hooch. She is r
etiring this
year to get married. Hermione, I need you to take over Ancient Runes. Professor
Vector
also is retiring. Albus I need you to take over Charms. Neville you will work wi
th Pomona
next year as assistant Herbology Professor and assistant COMC Professor. That wa
y
each of you can stay here at the school. Now this will take affect starting with
the new
school year. Ginny and Luna, when you graduate, you will be given a job here as
well. I
am not sure what yet, but we will figure out something."
"Wait Harry," said Hermione. "I am confused as to why you are moving me to Ancie
nt
Runes and having Albus teach Charms. How can Albus be Minister and teacher at th
e
same time?"
"Ah yes," said Albus. "We did forget to mention that I am turning over the Minis
ter position
to Amelia Bones, and coming back to teach at Hogwarts. We feel it necessary for
me to
be in the castle with you all."
"Oh," said Hermione. "That makes sense then. I did enjoy teaching Charms though.
"
"Hermione you got a 200% on your Ancient runes NEWT," said Harry. You are the be
st
candidate for that job. Please I need you for this."
"You can count on me Harry," said Hermione. "Will I get to stay Head of House fo
r
Ravenclaw?"
"Of course you will," said Harry. "That will remain with you. Now are there any
more
questions about staff appointments for next year?"
Everyone shook their heads. Harry knew that some of them would still be wonderin
g about
a few things.
"Hermione," said Harry. "Over the summer I need you to research everything on Me
rlin
for me. Albus can help you. For those that are leaving the school, please come b
ack at
your earliest convenience. I think those of us that are staying can defend the s
chool, but I
do not want to take any chances."
Each person in the room gave a nod to Harry.
"Harry, I will ask my father if I can stay with you here in the castle this summ
er," said Luna.
"He will not mind too much, and I can assist Hermione in the research. Besides I
am the
Head Girl of Ravenclaw Tower."
"OK," said Harry. "Let me know as soon as you can. Ginny you will be Head Girl o
f
Gryffindor Tower. Severus, please choose someone for Slytherin and Pomona please

choose someone for Hufflepuff."

Both heads of house gave a nod.
"Great," said Harry. "If no one has anything further to add, then may I suggest
we call it a
night? It is almost midnight. I know you three seventh years will want to rest u
p. Monday
the NEWT exams start. Albus, do you want to stay here or go back to the Ministry
?"
"I will stay here," said Albus. "Amelia will get sworn in a couple of days from
now. After she
is sworn in, I will have no need to be at the Ministry. I can always assist arou
nd the castle
until term starts next school year."
"Great idea," said Harry.
With that everyone started to make their way out of the office. Harry watched as
Draco
made his way to the Slytherin common room and then to his bed. He watched all hi
s
Gryffindors as they made their way to Gryffindor Tower. He watched as Hermione a
nd
Luna went to Ravenclaw Tower. Finally Harry and the two elves were alone. Harry
bade
them goodnight and went to his bed. He fell asleep instantly.
Chapter 11 â End of the Year, A Gem of a Battle
The fifth and seventh year students were really feeling the strain. Their exams
were finally
upon them. Harry could not help himself but to pace back and forth as the studen
ts sat
their exams. Albus chuckled at this.
"Do you know Harry," he said. "I did the exact same thing every time you sat for
your
exams. I was more proud of you than I can say with the results of your tests."
Harry paused in his pacing and looked at his mentor and friend.
"I did not know that," he said. "I feel a little better knowing I am not insane
about this then. I
just can't help but to feel nervous. I want Draco, Ginny, Ron, Neville, and Luna
to all
succeed in their exams."
"Harry you need to relax," Albus said. "They are all intelligent young men and w
omen.
They will do admirably. By the way, Amelia is sworn in as Minister of Magic now.
She
seems to be doing well. From what I am to understand, she will continue where I
left off.
The way that I set up the Ministry this past year has helped for future Minister
s. Alastor
and Rufus will be acting as Co Heads of the Auror department. They seem to be do
ing
well together in that aspect."
"Well that is great news," said Harry. "At least something good came out of all
this
madness at the Ministry. Are they still going to take care of my pet?"
"Yes Harry," Albus chuckled. "Your pet will be just fine and Amelia has mentione
d that you
are still welcome to visit it at any time. You are very good with the serpent. Y
ou are the
only one that can extract venom from its fangs without causing damage to yoursel
f."
"I did not know this," said Harry. "All I have to do is lift the bottle and Dais
y just kind of
presses on the lip and fills it for me. She is quite cooperative."
"Daisy?" asked Albus.
"Well yeah," said Harry. "She has to have a name."
"So she does Harry," said a still chuckling Albus.
The bell rang and Harry looked at his watch. Albus had succeeded in what he was
attempting and had distracted Harry from his worry about his friends. It was now
time for
lunch. Harry wanted to be present for the Defense Against the Dark Arts practica
ls. He
wanted to watch the students as he had taught most of them the previous year. Al
so he
wanted to see the faces of the examiners as each student showed their skill. Alb
us and
Harry made their way down to the Great Hall. Students were milling about talking
about
their exams and such. Harry walked over to Draco, Ginny, Ron, Neville, and Luna.
"Well how are you all doing?" he asked. "How were the tests?"
"Thanks to Hermione I am sure that I will pass Charms with an O," stated Ginny.
Luna nodded her head in agreement.
"With all the training you have given us in DADA I am sure we will all pass that
exam," said
Ron.
The rest of the group all chuckled at this.
"Albus has been in my office all morning distracting me," said Harry. "I have be
en pacing
back and forth in my office since your exams started. I want you all to do well.
I am
worrying to much I guess."
"Harry you need to relax," stated Draco. "We are all going to be fine. Look, why
don't you
sit with us for lunch and we can all help put your mind at ease."
"That is an excellent idea," said Harry.
He sat down as the plates were beginning to fill. Harry noticed that some of the
other staff
members were smiling at him and he smiled in return. It was common knowledge tha
t
Harry enjoyed spending time with the students. This was not the first time that
Harry sat at
a students table. Harry noticed that Minerva and Albus occupied seats at another
student
table and were chatting amicably with them. Severus sat at the staff table to he
lp keep an
eye on the students. More than one a fight broke out and Harry was to far away t
o deal
with the miscreants.
"I have an idea," said Harry. "I will be back in a moment. For this idea to be f
un I will need
the help of Albus."
The rest of the table gave Harry a curious look, but Harry gave an impish smile
and
made his way to the table where Albus sat. He bent down and whispered something
in the
old wizard's ear. At first Albus looked surprised at what he was hearing. The mo
re Harry
talked to him the more his blue eyes started twinkling like mad. Finally Albus a
greed with
him and he made his way to the staff table.
"Attention please," called Harry. "I know that many of our fifth and seventh yea
r students
are working extremely hard to pass all of their exams. I know that many of them
have not
had fun for quite some time as they have had their noses pressed into books. The
refore, I
have an idea that Professor Dumbledore will help me with. I think it is time tha
t we have
some fun before you all have to go back to your exams."
Chattering broke out as the students and the staff wondered what Harry had in mi
nd. They
did not have to wait long to find out. Harry waved his hand and a whole bowl of
mashed
potatoes rose into the air and made a beeline for Severus. Severus ducked and lo
oked
extremely surprised. However he was not as surprised as Minerva was when Albus
picked up the gravy bowl and poured it over her head.
"Harry," exclaimed Severus. "What are you doing?"
"I have two words for you all," called Harry. "FOOD FIGHT!!"
With that Harry picked up a flagon of pumpkin juice and poured it on Hermione. S
he
shrieked and started throwing food back at Harry. Some of it missed and Severus
got a
face full of potatoes. After a moment of shock Severus picked up a pie that was
in front of
him and walked over to Hermione. Without batting an eyelash he squashed it full
in her
face. She sat there with the most stunned expression on her face. The entire sch
ool was
just as stunned as Hermione was. Never before was Severus seen doing anything fu
n. All
of a sudden food started flying everywhere. Minerva was seen chasing Albus aroun
d the
Great Hall throwing boiled eggs at him. Pomona was using her wand to send bits o
f
capers at the students. She was laughing until a group of Hufflepuffs decided th
at she
deserved a taste of her own medicine. Hagrid thought it was great fun until he g
ot hit in the
face with the chocolate cake from the table. About an hour into the fun, Harry w
ent up to
the podium. He raised his wand and gold sparks flew out of it. The hall settled
down.
Some of the teachers were out of breath. Some of the students were rolling in th
e pudding
on the floor wrestling. However, when the sparks went up everyone stopped and wa
ited.
"I think we all needed that," said Harry. "Laughter is great when you are all to
o worried
about other things."
Albus started clapping at Harry's words. Soon other teachers joined in. After a
few
moments the entire student body joined in. They all knew that Harry had their be
st interest
at heart and had staged this to help them through this trying time of exams.
"Scourgify," said Harry waving his wands.
In a matter of moments the Great Hall was spotless. Clothes and hair were neat a
gain and
there was no trace of the food fight that had just been going on. With a second
wave of his
wand, sandwiches and pumpkin juice appeared on all the tables.
"I suggest we eat these as we have destroyed the meal the elves made," said Harr
y. "I
think that we should take it easy and eat light. Please continue to do well in y
our tests and
such. Just know that I am proud of each and every one of you."
Harry sat down in his chair and grabbed a sandwich. Soon everyone was grabbing a
bit of
food and eating. When lunch was over, the fifth and seventh years went into the
side
chamber to await their practical exams. The rest of the student body made their
way to
their classes still chatting about the food fight. Harry sat down to wait for th
e examiners.
Every now and then a small chuckled could be heard from him as he remembered the

peas in Severus' hair or the turnips that was unceremoniously dumped down Minerv
a's
robe. However Harry had a complete breakdown of laughter when one of the examine
rs
walked in and was still covered in food. The man looked extremely put out. The r
est of the
teachers that were in the Great Hall joined in the laughter. Hermione took pity
on the man
and through her tears of mirth cleaned him up with a cleansing charm. The man ma
de a
face at Harry as he passed by and Harry laughed that much harder. Finally the ma
n
could not resist and started chuckling along side Harry.
When Harry finally got himself composed, the examiners called the students in to
start
their practical exams. He watched as Draco and Ron did every single counter curs
e and
such. Ginny and Luna were fantastic with their wand work as well. Neville being
the typical
shy person he was made a slight mistake on one of his counter curses and the hal
l had to
wait for a few minutes while Harry put the fire out. It seemed that every time w
ater was
used on the fire, the flames got bigger instead of smaller. A blushing Neville c
ould be
seen near collapse in the corner. The examiner took pity on him and acted as if
nothing
had happened. Harry was fairly certain that everyone had passed their defense ex
ams.
Finally the gruesome exams were over. Each person had to wait until summer to fi
nd out
their results. All too soon it was time for the end of the year feast. When it c
ame to tallying
up the points, Hufflepuff won the house cup this year. Gryffindor and Slytherin
right behind
them with Ravenclaw coming in a close fourth.
"I am very proud of each and every house," said Harry. "There was only a margin
of
about 20 points from the winning house and the house that came in last. Each stu
dent
present today has worked hard. You all deserve every single point you received.
I thank
you for showing pride and care of the school. To you seventh years, I thank you
for your
hard work and dedication. I know that we had a few issues, but everything worked
out in
the end. For those that are leaving the castle and not returning next year, know
that we will
all miss you. For those that are returning next year, we say good luck for the s
ummer and
we will see you soon."
With that Harry dismissed the Great Hall. The students milled about chatting and
talking or
else hurrying to their dorms for some last minute packing. Harry, along side the
staff stood
there. Some of the teachers had tears in their eyes and others were just standin
g there
with a strange look on their faces. They knew all things must come to an end, bu
t this was
hard for some. Certain colleagues were leaving as well. Severus and Madam Hooch
would ride the train to help out with the students.
Harry and Draco made their way to his office. As they were sitting there, Harry
stood up
rigid. His eyes became unfocused and he was stiff as a board. Draco stood up
immediately and came to his side. He grabbed Harry as he began to fall. Holding
on to
Harry was a chore as he was squirming and chocking. Draco grabbed Harry's wand a
nd
sent for help. Immediately Albus, Minerva, Severus and Madam Pomfrey were rushin
g
up the stairs. Draco was crying hard. He had never seen Harry in this state befo
re and he
was frightened beyond thinking. He knew that Harry had a link to the Dark Lord,
but he
had never seen Harry act like this before. It was as if something had grabbed hi
m and
was struggling with him. The older professors rushed in and took over. Harry how
ever
refused to let Draco's arm go. It was as if he sensed the blond there and needed
his
support. Albus bent down and grabbed Harry's other arm. Harry was still struggli
ng and
fighting. Madam Pomfrey ran a check on him. The next thing she knew Draco also w
as
caught up in the madness. His eyes rolled up into the back of his head and he co
llapsed
across Harry.
"What in the hell is going on here?" shrieked Minerva.
"We do not know at the moment," said Albus. "It seems something has their minds
and
will not let them go. The only thing I can think to do is to meld with Harry. We
know each
others patterns. Maybe I can enter his mind and help them escape from what has t
hem."
"I will do it with you," said Severus.
Albus nodded and sent the trickle of energy to Severus. Severus felt it and latc
hed on to it.
Together they entered the mind of Harry. What they saw floored both men. Harry w
as
running around in his own mind. He was desperately trying to help what looked li
ke a
dragon being attacked. Draco was there with Harry trying desperately to lend the
young
man a helping hand.
"Harry hold on," called Albus. "We will be right back with more help."
"Hurry Albus," he replied. "Something is going on that I can't explain at the mo
ment. We
must save this dragon. HURRY!"
Albus pulled Severus and himself out of Harry's mind.
"Send for Mr. and Miss Weasley, Miss Lovegood, and Professor Granger immediately
,"
said Albus. "If we are to save Harry and Draco's lives we must have more power.
Quickly
now."
Minerva and Poppy never questioned. Together they stood and sent patronuses to t
he
Gryffindor and Ravenclaw towers. Severus sent word to Hermione and she stepped o
ut of
the fireplace and rushed to Harry's side.
"What is going on?" asked Hermione looking stricken at the prone figures lying o
n the
floor.
"No time for explanations Miss Granger," said Albus.
In a few moments the rest of the party were all in the office. Albus quickly tol
d them what
they needed to do. Each student and teacher sat in their allotted places and wai
ted.
Hermione and Luna had done this before and they knew what to expect. With a quic
k
explanation, Albus explained to the rest of the students what was going to happe
n.
"Just trust us," said Albus over the whimpers of Draco and Harry. "No harm will
come to
you."
They just nodded at Albus and waited. Each closed their eyes and felt as Albus g
rabbed
them one by one and pulled them into the meld. When they opened their eyes, they
saw
Harry and Draco battling the most horrifying beast imaginable. Severus, Albus, H
ermione,
and Minerva took action immediately. Within moments, the students joined in and
rushed
to Harry or Draco's side.
"This dragon is being attacked in the forest," called Harry. "Unless we can figu
re out how
to make it let us go, we are stuck here."
"What do you mean," asked Ron.
"It caught me on the moon light with something like telepathy," said Harry rushi
ng to jab at
the beast in front of him.
"You mean this dragon pulled you into this nightmare with its mind?" asked Ginny
rushing
to aid Harry.
"Yes," replied Harry. "I was the only one it could find that would come to its a
id. I did not
mean to pull Draco into this."
Harry ducked as a tentacle swung at him. Albus and Severus were pulling out thei
r wands
and trying different things.
"Oh for Pete's sake," said Hermione. "STUPEFY"
All at once the creature vanished. Harry and Draco were thrown out of Harry's mi
nd. Albus
and Severus pulled the rest out just in time. Harry rolled over and vomited on t
he carpet.
Madam Pomfrey rushed over and gave him something to settle his stomach.
"Everyone grab each other's hand," said Harry. "You come too, Poppy. We need to
get to
that dragon. It is dying."
No one questioned him. When everyone was holding on to someone else, Harry shift
ed
and all appeared in a clearing in the forest. They rushed to the side of the dra
gon and
Harry knelt next to it. Albus and Severus were busy checking the perimeter.
"Where are you Tom?" asked Albus. "I know you did this. Magic always leaves a tr
ace.
Why did you hurt this dragon? Show yourself."
A menacing laugh sounded in the forest.
"Dumbledore," said Voldemort. "It is nice of you to join my little party. Howeve
r, I was not
expecting anyone to know what I was doing. Did you use the link Potter? I have b
een. I
know all about Salazar's wand. You will be handing it over to me. Also I have be
en
searching for the heirs of Morgan Le Fey. No doubt they will join me to see your

destruction."
"I did not use the link to know that you were here," replied Harry. "You can get
anyone you
want to help, but you will still lose. Hogwarts is mine and it is for the side o
f the light. As far
as the heirs of Morgan Le Fey go, what makes you think they will succeed any bet
ter than
you in defeating me?"
"I will be victorious Potter," snarled Voldemort. "You and your batch of misfits
can do
nothing to protect Merlin."
"As his descendant, I can and I will," replied Harry. "Release this dragon immed
iately."
"As you wish," sneered Voldemort.
The dragon gave one more ear splitting shriek and stopped breathing. Furiously H
arry
stood up and with a twitch of his wrist, he brought forth his wand.
Voldemort took one look at the wand and backed up a pace.
"That is not possible," he said. "That is why you are so powerful. You are an he
ir to all the
founders. Also you are claiming to be the heir of Merlin. I say PROOVE IT!"
Harry twitched his other arm and a second wand appeared. Lifting it he showed it
to
Voldemort.
"Is this proof enough Tom?" he asked.
"That is the wand of Merlin," breathed Voldemort. "How did you get that?"
"It was given to me by Merlin himself," said Harry. "Would you like to test its
powers
against your own wand?"
Immediately Harry sent a flaming sphere at Voldemort. Tom ducked and moved to th
e
side, and sent razor sharp shards in return. Albus quickly conjured a shied to p
rotect the
others as Severus conjured one to protect Harry. Harry however lifted his hand i
n the air
and froze the shards in mid air. A look of shock appeared on Voldemort's face. H
e tried
everything he could to counter act the charm. Nothing he did made a difference.
With a
quick gesture, Harry sent the shards flying back at Voldemort. Voldemort disappe
ared
and reappeared at another location. He sent a fiery serpent at Harry. Hermione q
uickly
countered with a serpent of water at the same time Draco sent one of earth. Toge
ther both
serpents smothered the one made of fire. Voldemort was not quite ready to call i
t quits yet.
He disappeared. Everyone looked around trying to figure out where he went.
"Where am I now Potter?" mocked Tom. "Which of your friends will pay the price t
his
evening for your interference of my fun?"
Harry quickly conjured the strongest shield around the group that he could. He w
aited with
baited breath to see which of his friends would fall this night. All of a sudden
Draco
collapsed on the ground. Harry immediately sent out tendrils of magic to Albus a
nd
Severus who caught it. Together the trio entered Draco's mind. There they saw Vo
ldemort
using the Cruciatus Curse on Draco. Harry quickly sent a stunner at Voldemort.
Voldemort countered and the battle raged. Unfortunately Draco was the one to suf
fer.
Albus and Severus sent a number of spells at Voldemort to no avail. Voldemort wa
s using
a necromantic power that neither could stop. Finally, Harry had an inspiration.
He walked
over to Draco and bent down. Albus seeing Harry make his way over kept Voldemort

busy.
"Draco," said Harry. "Do you trust me?"
"Yes Harry," he replied. "I trust you with my life. Get this bastard out of my h
ead."
Harry nodded and stood up. He concentrated all his power into the core of his be
ing. He
pulled energy from everyone. The teachers in the castle were feeling the effects
of Harry's
pull. Remus and Tonks were also seen thrashing on the floor as Harry pulled from

anyone and everyone he could. When he had the power he needed, Harry sent his co
lors
out to everyone. The sudden release of energy was enough to knock everyone out o
f
Draco's mind. Draco was unconscious, but at least he was free of Voldemort.
"I suggest you run now Tom," said Harry. "Now I am very angry. You attempted to
hurt
someone from my family. Someone I care deeply for. You will never hurt anyone I
love
ever again."
Harry centered his thoughts and pulled one more time. This time he felt the colo
r patterns
of each and every person he loved or cared for. Each pattern was identifiable by
their
unique combinations. Ginny was ruby, garnet, and sunstone. Draco was Emerald,
moonstone, and amethyst. Albus was diamond, sapphire, and topaz. The list went o
n.
Harry felt them all. He stood and gathered power for a final strike. Voldemort r
ealizing
what Harry was doing decided to flee. Harry collapsed from the strain of feeling
so much
power come through him.
"You may have won tonight Potter," said Voldemort. "I will win another day."
With that the presence of Voldemort was gone.
"Bring Draco to my chambers and tend to us there please Poppy," he said.
Albus and Severus conjured stretchers for both and floated them to the castle. T
he rest of
the group followed along. Hermione and Minerva hung back and gave the dragon's
corpse a quick burial.
Harry insisted that Draco stay with him in his room. Both young men were exhaust
ed and
both were asleep within moments. Albus motioned the rest of the group down to Ha
rry's
office.
"I suggest that we let them sleep," said Albus. "There will be plenty of time ov
er the
summer for Harry to explain what has happened here tonight. Something tells me H
arry
has changed the pattern of magic. However I will ask you all one question. Did a
ny of you
see the bright colors that were surrounding everyone this evening?"
Everyone was a little nervous, but they all gave a nod.
"What has Harry done, Albus?" asked Minerva.
"I can only speculate Minerva," he replied. "However I think Harry has just made
it
possible for us to contact one another in a completely different way. Notice als
o what is
lying here on the desk."
Everyone looked around and gave a small look of concern. Instead of three wands
on the
desk, there now lay six. Harry's wands had separated. Albus indicated each wand
separately.
"These are the wands of all four founders," he said. "This is the wand of Merlin
. This one
is Harry's own wand. Something tells me Harry has a lot to tell us when he is fe
eling
better. For now I suggest that we take shifts to keep watch on them until they a
re better. I
would venture to say they will be weak for a few days."
"Professor Dumbledore," said Ginny. "May we stay here in the castle this summer
as
well? I don't know about anyone else, but I would love to learn how to use this
new power
that Harry has given us."
"What do you mean given us, Miss Weasley?" asked Severus.
She did not give a reply. She just stood there for a moment and concentrated. Al
l of a
sudden her colors of Ruby, Garnet, and Sunstone were visible to him. She gave a
small
sigh and collapsed on the carpet.
"I would suggest that no one else try that until Harry explains how," stated Dum
bledore.
"Until we understand the concept I believe we will all have thing like this happ
en to us."
Ron picked up his sister and made his way to the door.
"I will bring her to her room," he said. "Can someone stop the stairs from preve
nting me?
Also someone will need to write a letter to mum explaining what is going on."
"I will see to both personally Mr. Weasley," said Dumbledore.
Chapter 12 â Summer Training, School begins
Severus and Madam Hooch saw the students off. Severus was the only one to
accompany her as there was so much still going on at the school. She assured Sev
erus
that she understood. She also asked that he relay her well wishes for both Harry
and
Draco. Back at the castle both young men were starting to come around, but were
still
extremely tired. Draco looked a bit surprised to find that he was lying in Harry
's bed, but
quickly concealed his confusion.
"Harry felt it better that you be near him in case of another attack," explained
Albus
correctly interpreting the look that passed over Draco's face.
"What in the world did Harry do?" asked Draco. "The colors were so beautiful. I
have
never seen anything like that before in my life."
He shifted slightly so as not to disturb Harry, who had an arm draped over Draco
. Even in
sleep Harry was determined to protect him. Draco smiled down at Harry and carefu
lly
arranged him into a more comfortable position. Albus walked over to the bed and
gave
him some assistance. Draco stood a little shaky, but upright. Albus steadied the
young
man and gently led him down the stairs. Dobby walked over and placed a plate of
food
and something to drink in front of Draco. Poppy meanwhile had pulled out her wan
d and
gave Draco a once over.
"You seem to be alright Mr. Malfoy," she said. "I do suggest that you take it ea
sy for a few
days. We still do not know what Harry has done, so we won't know if you get hit
with
another wave of fatigue or not."
Draco nodded and began to nibble on the food that Dobby had given him. He looked
over
and saw the happy look on Dobby's face. He called the elf over.
"Dobby," he began. "I want to apologize to you for the way I treated you when yo
u were my
house elf. It was wrong of me to do that to you. I am glad that you are now bond
ed with
someone as wonderful as Harry. If you ever need anything please know that you ca
n
count on me to help you."
Dobby looked at Draco with tears in his eyes. He walked up to the youngest of th
e Malfoy's
and spoke quietly.
"You is forgiven," he said. "Dobby is happy that Master Harry has you in his lif
e now. You
and his Wheezys. Dobby is glad that you are happy now Master Malfoy.
Draco did not know what to say to this. He was a bit confused as to what a Wheez
y was.
He looked to Albus for an explanation.
"I think he is referring to Mr. and Miss Weasley," said Albus. "During the tri w
izard's
tournament, Dobby referred to Ronald Weasley as Harry's Wheezy.
Draco nodded and went back to eating his food. A few moments later Harry appeare
d on
the stairs. He looked around frantically. When he spied Draco in the chair eatin
g, he
smiled and walked over and sat in the chair next to him.
"That gave me a fright," said Harry. "I did not know where you went."
Madam Pomfrey came over and ran her wand over Harry.
"Same as with Mr. Malfoy," she said. "Take it easy for a few days. You did some
extensive magic and you are a bit drained. Your reserves however are full. I don
't know
what you did, but we all felt it."
Dobby brought Harry some food. Harry smiled at the elf and winked.
"Albus I think it is time to gather everyone together for an explanation," he sa
id. "We can
wait until this evening so that I only have to explain it once."
With a piece of toast in one hand and a glass of milk in the other Harry made hi
s way to
his desk. He looked down and nodded to himself. He saw all six of his wands pres
ent on
the desk.
"Looks like my ancestors will be here this evening as well," he said. "Seems tha
t even
though they told me they can't help me anymore, they show up with more help."
Albus chuckled as Draco sat there looking confused.
"Severus is on the train with the students," he stated. "Mr. and Miss Weasley wi
ll be
remaining here at Hogwarts this summer. They are eager to learn how to use what
you
did last night. I think that everyone that was present would like to know what y
ou did and
how to use it. That is a very powerful thing you did."
"As I said Albus," Harry replied. "I will explain it all when everyone is gather
ed together."
"No rush Harry," said Albus. "You have been asleep for about 14 hours. Severus s
hould
be back in a bit. I shall go and gather the rest of the party now and meet back
here."
Harry nodded and walked back over to the table and sat down with Draco.
"Are you alright Draco?" he asked. "I hope I did not hurt you with what I did."
"You knocked me out cold with that much power," said Draco. "In the end you succ
eeded
in doing what you set out to do. You got that bastard out of my head. Why did yo
u have
me put in your bed? I'm not complaining or anything, but I am a bit curious."
"I wanted you near in case of another attack," said Harry. "My fear is that Vold
emort will
target you as a way of getting to me. By having you nearer me, I can protect you
better."
"That makes sense," said Draco. "I was a bit confused as to how you pulled me in
to the
attack with the dragon. How did you know I would be able to help you?"
"I didn't at first," said Harry. "I felt your colors and I knew I could access t
hem. I have never
done anything like that before, but I knew I could. Does that make sense to you?
"
"A little," replied Draco. "I still don't understand this whole color thing, but
I will wait until
everyone gets here so that I can hear the explanation. Now you better eat. Madam

Pomfrey looks like she is fixing to force feed you."

Harry looked over at the nurse and smiled. He quickly picked up another piece of
toast
and bit into it to show her he was eating. She gave a defeated shake of her head
, but
smiled at him none the less.
An hour later all those that were in the clearing with Harry had assembled. Harr
y had
Albus send for Remus, Molly, Pomona, and Hagrid. He had Dobby and Winky provide
a
meal for everyone. Soon the added participants were seated. Harry walked to his
desk
and sat down. He surveyed the group for a moment.
"I have a few things I want to cover this evening," he began. "Our four final gu
ests should
arrive any moment."
The others look confused at what Harry was talking about. Silently he pointed be
hind
them. Albus and the rest turned to look and the four founders were standing ther
e. The
glided over and stood behind Harry and waited patiently.
"May I introduce, Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Sal
azar
Slytherin," said Harry pointing to each in turn.
The rest of the group just sat there. Most had seen the founders before, others
knew their
history.
"I take it you all approve of what I am about to do," he asked Godric.
"We know and we approve," stated Godric.
Before Harry began there was another presence in the room. Slowly the figure of
Merlin
appeared and walked over to Harry.
"I too approve of what you are going to do," said Merlin.
"For those of you that don't know," said Harry. "This is Merlin."
The group was stunned by the appearance of the founders. Now they were speechles
s at
the appearance of the greatest wizard in history.
"As I stated before I have a couple of things that I will be talking about," sai
d Harry. "First I
have something to do."
Harry picked up the wand of Helga Hufflepuff and walked over to Albus. With a sm
all bow
to Albus, he presented the wand to him. Albus silently took the wand. Harry made
his way
back to the desk and picked up the wand of Rowena. He made his way over to Hermi
one.
With a small bow to her, he presented the wand to her. Hermione took the wand wi
th a
question on her lips. Harry gave a shake of his head and walked back to his desk
. He
picked up the wand of Godric Gryffindor and made his way to Ginny. With a small
bow to
her, he presented the wand to her. Like the others she took it and said nothing.
It was plain
they all wanted to know what he was doing. Harry smiled and made his way back to
the
desk. With a look at Salazar he sent the question to the founder with a look. Sa
lazar
bowed to him and smiled. Harry picked up the wand of Slytherin and made his way
to
Draco. He gave Draco a low bow and presented the wand to him. Draco smiled at Ha
rry
and accepted the wand. Harry made his way back to his desk. He picked up his wan
d and
the wand of Merlin and held them up. He looked pointedly at Albus, Ginny, Hermio
ne,
and Draco and indicated that they should do the same. Harry then turned to the f
our
founders with Merlin standing with them and nodded. Each founder made their way
to
their respected wand. Merlin stood behind Harry. Each ghostly figure placed thei
r hand on
the shoulder of the one holding their wand. Harry brought the two wands he was h
olding
together and watched them fuse. He looked at Draco, Ginny and Hermione. They all

followed suit. Once they raised the two wands they were holding, they fused. The
y all
turned to look at Albus.
"Unfortunately Harry," said Albus. "This will not work for me."
"Why not?" asked Harry.
Albus looked down for a moment as if making a hard decision. Finally he nodded t
o
himself and stood up. He turned to Helga Hufflepuff and gave her a bow. He hande
d her
wand back to Harry. Albus went up to Harry's bedchambers and came back down a fe
w
moments later with his invisibility cloak. He reached into his pocket and pulled
out the ring
that once belonged to the Gaunt's. Next he placed his wand next to these items.
"Before you," he began. "Is the Deathly Hallows. The Potters are the keepers of
the cloak.
Voldemort's ancestors were the keeper of the stone. I won the elder wand."
Hermione gave a gasp of understanding. Ginny and Ron also seemed to have an idea
of
what Albus was talking about.
"What I am trying to say is," continued Albus. "Is that my wand will not merge w
ith Helga's.
I think you and Helga should choose someone else for her wand. The elder wand, a
lso
known as the death stick will not merge with anther wand."
Harry stared at the three items lying on his desk. He had never heard about the
Deathly
Hallows before.
"Hermione," he stated. "I will need a condensed report on the Deathly Hallows on
my desk
as soon as you can. I am sorry that you can not use Helga's wand, Albus."
Harry took the wand and approached Pomona. He glanced over at Helga who smile an
d
glided to stand behind her. When Pomona held Helga's wand to her own, they fused
like
everyone else's had. With that being done, Harry went to stand back behind his d
esk.
Albus picked up his wand, but left the cloak and the ring on Harry's desk. Harry
handed
the cloak to Dobby who carried it back upstairs.
"To go into what happened yesterday will take some time to explain," he said. "A
s you all
know each person had their own distinct aura. This is the force field that surro
unds the any
living thing. Animals and plants have them as well. In the case of humans, we se
e them
more as gem colors and rainbow hues. What I have accomplished with the aid of th
at
dragon, is to establish here and now with those of us present how to travel sunl
ight or
moonlight to talk with one another. It is a good way for us to send to another w
hen we are
in trouble. The dragon did that to me. I was standing here in the moonlight and
the dragon
used a rougher form of this gift to pull me into its weave. For those of you tha
t have
melded with Albus and I, the concept is the same. The big difference is that it
is definably
easier in sunlight or moonlight. To do so out of either will have an impact on y
our ability to
stay conscious."
"But how does it work Harry?" asked Ron.
It is a simple enough process once you get the hang of it," he responded. "Ron,
come
here by the window in the moonlight."
Ron walked over to Harry who was standing by the window. When Ron was standing i
n the
pale moonlight Harry continued.
"Remember when Albus pulled you into the meld?" he asked.
"Yes," said Ron. "That was an amazing bit of magic."
"Well the concept is the same," he continued. "The difference is instead of sear
ching for
magic, project your own."
Harry watched as Ron relaxed and started to project the magic. When Ron succeede
d
Harry grabbed it and pulled him back to himself. Ron staggered, but stayed uprig
ht.
"Why did you do that?" he asked.
"I wanted to show you a variation," said Harry. "The only way to get your attent
ion was to
push you back into yourself. Now I want you to try it again, but this time I wan
t you to reach
for me with your colors. Your colors are Sunstone, Amethyst, and Topaz. Find tha
t color
pattern within yourself and then push it to me. Let me invite it in."
Ron concentrated for a few moments then he nodded at Harry. Harry backed away a
few
steps and waited. Ron centered himself and found the colors. From there he threw
them
to Harry. Harry caught the colors and wove himself into the pattern. From there
he talked
with Ron a bit more.
"It is easier in the moonlight or sunlight," said Harry. "I do not recommend you
try it when
you are not in the light. Stay away from the dark. Once you master what you are
doing,
you will be able to do it at anytime. From there you will be able to do it at an
y distance.
Brace yourself. I am about to throw you back into yourself."
With those final words Harry felt Ron tense and then Harry gently tossed Ron bac
k into
himself.
"Harry," said Ron. "That was amazing."
Harry smiled at Ron and then proceeded to teach the rest of the room what he had
just
taught Ron. It took a matter of moments for Albus, Severus, and Draco to master
it.
Hermione and Ginny were quick to follow. Slowly one by one the teachers and the
rest of
the students all caught the basics.
"Albus," said Harry. "I will need you to go and teach this to Neville. Please ma
ke sure he
understands that he is not to try to contact us using this gift until he comes b
ack to
Hogwarts."
"I will see to it shortly Harry," said Albus.
"I will ask that the rest of you do the same," said Harry. I do not want any acc
idents using
the gifts. If you are having trouble, or you are uncertain, please come to me, A
lbus,
Severus, or Draco. The four of us know each others patterns very well."
The rest of the assembled party all nodded.
"I think a practice session once a day would be beneficial," said Severus.
Collective nods went around the room.
"Very well," said Harry. We shall start at 1:00 tomorrow. That way we can do it
in the full
sunlight. I would rather you practice with sunlight first as it is the stronger
of the light."
"Harry why do you have 4 colors and we only have three?" asked Ron.
"That is because of his heritage," said Merlin.
The others in the room jumped. They had totally forgotten that Merlin and the fo
unders
were present.
Harry will yet acquire one more color when it is all said and done," continued M
erlin. "A
true and complete Master will have 5 colors. Many of you will function just fine
with 3. I
believe that Albus, Severus, and Draco will end up with 4. Miss Granger will mor
e than
likely end up with 4 as well. However I suggest to you all to listen to what Har
ry has said.
Many students of mine became shadow lost due to not following instructions. To b
e
shadow lost means certain death."
No one said a word at this proclamation. They all sat for some time pondering th
e abilities
and the effects as well as the disastrous failure if they did it wrong. Merlin's
words sealed
the fact that none would try this alone until Harry said it was ok. Even Albus w
ould work
until Harry said it was clear for him to try on his own.
Turning Harry stared long and hard at Dobby and Winky.
"House elves can already do this right?" he asked.
Yes Master Harry," said Dobby.
"I thought so," said Harry. "Well I suggest that we all go get some rest. Draco
I would
appreciate it if you stayed here from now on."
Draco nodded. The rest of the group got up and made their way to the door.
"I will have a list for everyone tomorrow about whose colors are whose," said Ha
rry.
They all nodded and headed out. Harry sat behind his desk and began writing. Dra
co
came up behind him and started reading what he was writing. His eyebrows rose a
little at
the different combinations that were being listed on the parchment. When Harry w
as
finished, Draco lifted his wand and made a unique gesture with it. Copies appear
ed and
the lists were stacked on the desk.
"Thanks Draco," said Harry. "I am going to bed. Please do not stay up to late."
"I am right behind you Harry," he replied. "Harry, thank you for all that you ar
e doing for
me. It means a lot to me."
Harry smiled over at him and headed up the stairs to bed. Draco was not far behi
nd him.
Dobby smiled to himself and with a wave of his hand, doused the lights. From the
re he
and Winky made it to their room and to bed. Tomorrow he and Winky would gather
Draco's things and move them to Harry's rooms.
The following weeks saw a flurry of activity among the people who were living in
the castle.
It was not long before Albus, Severus, and Draco could contact Harry at any time
of the
day from anywhere in the castle. It was also easy for them to contact the others
. Every
once in awhile Harry had to rush to unravel someone from their own colors as the
y got
caught, but those accidents were few and far in between. Hermione, true to her n
ature,
had a condensed report on the Hallows on Harry's desk in a few days. He and Drac
o sat
reading the report with a thoroughly fascinated desire. By the time July rolled
around just
about everyone had managed to contact someone else from some where. Albus made
daily forays to the Longbottom Estate where he taught Neville. Harry and the res
t of the
teachers were going about regular life in getting the castle ready for the follo
wing year.
Harry's birthday rolled around and there was a party in the castle for him. Once
again he
marveled at the love that each of these people had for him. His favorite gift th
is year came
from Draco. It was a beautiful ring with a lion, badger, eagle, and snake circli
ng the band.
Each animal had the proper gem stone set in its eyes. It was a beautiful piece o
f work and
Harry loved it.
Slowly August arrived and with it the activity from the teachers in preparation
for the new
school year. Heads of House were all sitting together writing letters to the stu
dents. Albus
and Harry went about making sure that the muggle borns and their parents fully
understood what was going to be happening. Finally September 1st approached. Har
ry
sat in his chair and waited for the first years to arrive. They came in the boat
s with Hagrid.
He briefly thought back to his own ride in the boats. Shaking himself out of his
reverie,
Harry looked around the Great Hall. Students were already seated and chatting am
icably
about what they would learn this year. Severus was standing there with the sorti
ng hat and
stool and the parchment with all their names on it. Slowly Hagrid led the group
into the
room. He left the students with Severus and made his way to his chair at the sta
ff table.
When I call you name," said Severus. "I want you to come forward and put this ha
t on your
head. It will sort you into your house. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravencl
aw, and
Slytherin. Your house will be like your family. You will earn points by doing go
od things.
You will also loose points if you break the rules."
Severus opened the roll of parchment and began calling names. There were a good
many more students this year than in previous years. With the threat of the Dark
Lord not
hanging over people's heads, parents were not opposed to sending their children
to the
school. This year there were 67 new students to e admitted. Harry looked and saw
2 of
them from the orphanage. He gave them each an encouraging smile and a tip of his

glass. When all the names were called, Harry stood up and started his announceme
nts.
"First years are to know that the Forbidden Forest is out of bounds," he began.
"a few of
you older ones would do well to remember this rule as well. I would hate to have
to give
detention to anyone getting caught out of bounds. Now I would like to point out
a few staff
changes. First I would like to announce your New Defense Against the Darks Arts
Professor. Please give applause to Professor Severus Snape."
The students applauded at this. They knew that Severus was one of the teachers t
hat were
involved with the SFG and the DA. Many wanted in those coveted groups.
"Next," continued Harry. "I would like you all to welcome your new Potions Profe
ssor.
Professor Draco Malfoy."
Again there was polite applause. Many of the students knew Draco.
"Professor Vector retired at the end of last year," continued Harry. "I am delig
hted to say
that Professor Granger will be taking over for him. She will be your new Ancient
Runes
Professor. Also Madam Hooch has retired. I am delighted to announce that the pos
t will
be filled by Professor Ronald Weasley. Charms will be taught by Professor Dumble
dore.
Last but not least we will have a Professor that will be an assistant for both P
rofessor Spout
and Professor Hagrid. Please make welcome our assistant Professor, Professor Nev
ille
Longbottom."
There was applause as all the professors were announced.
"I have the great pleasure of announcing this year's Head Boys and Head Girls,"
said
Harry. "This year for Gryffindor, Ginny Weasley will be Head Girl. For Ravenclaw
, Luna
Lovegood will be Head Girl. For Hufflepuff, George Radcliff will be Head Boy and
for
Slytherin, Bryon Rhodes. Please remember to show respect to the Head Boys and Gi
rls.
Our caretaker Mrs. Figg has asked me to kindly remind you that magic is forbidde
n in the
corridors. Also not that anyone caught outside of their dorms after curfew will
be punished
severely. This is for your own protection. Prefect and Heads are to bring me the
ir rotation
schedules no later than Friday. All those wishing to try out for the house quidd
itch teams
should give their names to their Heads of House as soon as possible. Please chec
k your
notice boards for dates of events and such. Now I have two words left for you al
l. TUCK
IN!"
With that Harry waved his hands and food appeared on the plates. He sat down and

engaged Severus in polite conversation. Scanning the hall periodically he notice

d that the
new students were still a little nervous, but they were starting to relax more.
Prefects and
the head boys and girls were making their rounds giving encouragement to all. Ha
rry
smiled at the scene before him.
Chapter 13 â Shadow Lost, Harry to the Rescue
The staff and students that stayed in the castle for the summer were seen period
ically
standing in a patch of sunlight or moon light deep in conversation with another
person.
Merlin's prediction came true. Albus, Severus, Draco, and Hermione all ended up
with a
fourth gem color. The view of ones colors was absolutely amazing to those that w
ere
conversing with them on the light. Harry finally got his fifth color marking him
as a master
weaver. When one spoke to Harry on the light, they marveled at the brightness of
his
colors of Ruby, Emerald, Onyx, Sapphire, and Diamond. Neville was still having t
rouble
with weaving in moonlight. He was perfectly fine weaving in the sun, but for som
e odd
reason that Harry could not fathom, he could not get the patterns to work on the
moon
light. Harry was at a loss as to how to explain that. Help was not coming forth
either. For
neither the founders, nor Merlin had put in another appearance since that night.
One evening the staff was all sitting around in the Great Hall discussing plans
of what
could be done to stop Voldemort.
"Every time we get close to him, we lose him," stated Harry a bit angrily.
""It would appear that he doesn't like to stay in one spot for very long," agree
d Albus.
"Have you tried the link to see if you can get an insight to his future plans?"
"I tried last night," said Harry bitterly. "No sooner did I get a glimpse of wha
t he was up to,
he pushed me back out. All I know is that he is working with someone new. He is
training
this person. However, I can never get a clear sight of the person. Voldemort is
using such
powerful Occlumency that anyone would be hard pressed to attempt to gain access
to his
thoughts."
"That is because he is scared of you Harry," stated Draco. "He knows he has a go
od
reason to run. "Look at what you did to him the last time you faced him. I am fo
rtunate that
you are on my side."
Harry blushed, but did not say anything. The feelings he had for Draco were star
ting to
confuse him a bit. Draco noticed the blush on Harry's face, but did not elaborat
e. The ever
watchful Hermione noticed the looks that passed between the two men that she was
so
close to. However for once she said nothing. Harry and Draco were close friends
and she
wished for them what ever happiness they could find in this life.
"The last time I was able to get anything from him, he was recruiting some type
of half
man, half cow looking creature," said Harry.
"A minotaur?" asked Minerva.
"Is that the proper name of it?" asked Harry.
"Honestly Harry," said Hermione. "Don't you ever pick up a book and read? It was
in our
COMC book."
"After half the things Hagrid brought around here I was scared to really delve i
nto it," said a
sheepish Harry.
Ron, Draco, and Hermione all laughed at this.
"So does this mean you will be in the library looking for ways of stopping a Min
otaur,
Hermione?" teased Harry.
"Oh be quiet Harry," said Hermione sarcastically.
The rest of the group all laughed. Each one present knew that Harry had hit the
proverbial
nail on the head. Hermione poked her tongue out at them and crossed her arms ove
r her
chest.
"Yeah," drawled Draco. "If I had that ugly thing in my mouth I would not want to
keep it in
either."
Hermione sat stunned for a moment before she too started laughing with the rest
of the
group. She leaned over to whisper in his ear. What ever she said effectively shu
t Draco
up. It was not common knowledge that Draco had any romantic feelings for anyone.
How
she figured out who he was interested in was food for thought to him. Then again
, all knew
Hermione knew more than one person had a right to know. Harry, who did not notic
e a
thing and kept on with the discussion they were having.
"I guess we do need to figure out what to do about that," he said. "If Voldemort
is recruiting
dark creatures again in other countries there is no telling what he will come up
with. Why
doesn't he just give up? There is no way possible he can ever have access to the
castle
again."
"I don't think he wants the castle anymore," said Severus. "I think our total de
struction is
what he is after now. Also let's not forget what lies beneath the castle."
"Good point," said Albus. "I know he would do anything to get at Merlin's tomb.
Harry,
have you moved all of Merlin's possessions into his vault?"
"Yes Albus," he said. "I took care of that the other day. I wish I could move hi
s remains to
someplace safer. I just don't feel right about moving his body though. I guess t
hat they are
as safe as they can be where they are located."
"I would think so," said Minerva. "It is not like Merlin will let the Dark Lord
get to his
remains."
"Ah," said Albus. "It is not just Voldemort we have to worry about now. The heir
s of
Morgan Le Fey will soon be told where to locate their ancestor's enemy. Thus it
will put
Harry back into danger once again."
Harry sighed at that statement. His life was always in danger.
"Don't worry Harry," said Draco grabbing his arm. "We are all here with you. Plu
s we have
this new ability that the Dark Lord doesn't."
"That is true," said Harry grabbing his hand. "However until one or more of the
heirs of
Morgan Le Fey come out into the open, we don't know what kind of powers that the
y will
have."
Draco gave his hand a squeeze and stood up. Hermione watched closely thinking.
"Harry," she began. "Have you stopped having nightmares?"
"As a matter of fact I have," he said. "Why do you ask?"
"I think it has something to do with Draco and you sharing a room," she replied.
"If I am
not mistaken, Draco is sleeping better himself."
"Now that you mention it," said Draco. "I have been sleeping a lot better since
Harry
moved me into his room. What does this have to do with anything?"
"Well Harry," continued Hermione ignoring Draco's question. "Luna, Ron, and I wi
ll begin
a search on dark creatures from Greece. If he decides to use other serpent type
creatures, you can always use Parseltongue with them. Also I will begin my resea
rch on
Morgan Le Fey herself."
"I have been doing something more with the light as well," said Harry. "I find t
hat I can use
starlight just as easy as sun or moon light."
"I would imagine that it will not be quite so easy for the rest of us," said Min
erva.
"I guess not," said Harry apologetically.
"Well if we have nothing more to say this evening I suggest we call it a night,"
said Albus.
The rest of the group all nodded and rose. Harry looked down at the marauders ma
p and
watched a couple of third year Slytherins sneaking out of their common room.
"Sonorus," said Harry. "That will be 10 points from Slytherin Edwards and McCoy.
I
suggest you return to your common room immediately. Quietus!"
Severus leaned over and looked at Harry's map. Both boys were not listening to w
hat
Harry had said. He excused himself and made his way to where the boys were. Harr
y
watched as the dot that labeled him approached the boys. Within moments the dots
that
were for the boys were seen running quickly for their dorm. Harry looked over at
the hour
glasses that held the gems that represented points. 20 more emeralds flew up to
the top
signifying that Severus had docked more points.
"I guess some students will never learn," said Ron.
"I guess not," said Harry.
He and the rest of the teachers got up and left the Great Hall. The use of the m
arauders
map was a blessing to the staff of Hogwarts. Harry had figured out a way to dupl
icate the
map and each professor had their own copy. Many deeds of misconduct were caught
before anything serious could happen. The students were still wondering how the
staff
knew where they were at all times.
The next morning came bright and cheery. Harry and Draco dressed and headed down

to the Great Hall for breakfast. They sat at the staff table and waited for thei
r colleagues to
join them. Soon the hall was filled with chatter and laughter. When breakfast wa
s over
Harry watched as the Heads of House handed out the class schedules. When all stu
dents
had their course schedules they left. The teachers were not far behind them. Har
ry
decided that for today he would go and sit in a few different classes under an i
nvisibility
charm and watch. Having never been taught by Albus formerly, he went there first
and
watch in amazement as Albus did things with a wand that Harry had once upon a ti
me
only dreamed about. Harry had an inspiring idea. He stood up to leave Albus' cla
ss.
Leaving so soon?" asked Albus suddenly.
Harry was so surprised that he dropped out of invisibility with a shocked look o
n his face.
The students were just as surprised to see Harry there as Harry was that Albus k
new he
was there.
"How did you know that I was here?" asked Harry.
"You were subconsciously weaving colors," said Albus.
"I am so embarrassed," said Harry. "I did not mean to disrupt your class Profess
or."
"Not to worry Head Master," said a chuckling Albus. "Incidentally I think that t
he idea you
had is a good one."
Harry blushed again and thanked Albus. Quietly he left the room. He was met in t
he
hallway by Hermione. She had a flushed look on her face.
"Harry," she started. "That is a great idea. I think you should only have 6th an
d 7th years
in the class though. Plus I think those members should be part of the DA or SFG.
"
Good grief," said Harry. "Did I broadcast to everyone with the ability to weave
colors?"
"I would say that you did Harry," said Neville coming up behind them. "I was com
ing to
look for you anyway Harry, when I got hit with the weave."
"You were?" asked Harry. "What is wrong?"
"Professor Sprout sent me to get you," he answered. "We have an issue in Greenho
use 5
that needs your attention."
"Lead the way," stated Harry.
Together with Hermione in tow, they made their way to Greenhouse 5. When they ar
rived
they found the students waiting outside and Professor Sprout anxiously waiting f
or them.
When Harry approached her she rushed up to him.
"Head Master," she began. "Thank goodness you came so quickly. Something has
happened here."
"What is going on Professor?" asked Harry. "Is anyone hurt?"
"No nothing like that," she said as she led him over to the door. "It is empty."
"What?" asked Harry and Hermione at the same time.
"Just what I said," replied Pomona. "See for yourself. Someone has stolen all th
e
dangerous plants from this greenhouse."
Harry quickly looked inside. As Pomona stated it was empty. Every plant that the
y dealt
with was gone. Harry quickly stepped into action.
"Professor Sprout," he began. "Please dismiss your class with instructions to he
ad to their
dorms."
Pomona and Neville approached the students and gave them instructions. The stude
nts
were a little bewildered at first but agreed. Harry meanwhile stepped into a pat
ch of
sunlight and began to weave. He sent a message to Albus, Severus, Draco, and Min
erva.
He explained the situation on the light and when he got affirmation of their att
endance he
withdrew. Neville looked a little envious at Harry's ability with the light, but
did not say
anything. Harry really was a remarkable person.
"Neville," said Harry. "I need you and Hagrid to keep the students away from thi
s area.
Get Poppy to help you."
Neville nodded and left immediately. Harry, Hermione, and Pomona all walked into
 the
greenhouse. Harry walked over to the center of the room and sat on the floor. He
rmione
recognizing what he was preparing to do sat opposite him and opened her channels
.
Pomona waited until the other professors started arriving. She let them have a q
uick look
around before she escorted each personally to their spot. Chairs were quickly co
njured for
the older staff members who sat down immediately and opened their channels for H
arry.
Harry quickly grabbed on to everyone's colors and began to channel the energies.
After
pooling enough he opened himself to the visions that swam before him.
Voldemort slowly approached the door. He knew he could not get into the castle.
Harry
had it warded to well against him. He was looking for something in particular. S
pying the
plants inside, he opened the door with a quick incantation and entered. Followin
g him
were about 3 dozen Minotaurs. He motioned to each to start taking the plants. Th
ere was
another mysterious figure present also. When that figure sensed Harry examining
it, it
pushed Harry out of the weave.
Harry hit the floor and the others were just as dazed as he was. Never before ha
d anyone
been able to disrupt a weave before. Harry sat there stunned. He started to rise
to his feet
when he felt the first signs of panic. Quickly he looked at the other Professor
with him.
They were all stunned but no one was in any danger. Then Harry realized who it w
as.
"Neville," whispered Harry. "Let's go now."
The rest of the group all stood and locked hands. Harry grabbed them all and shi
fted
slightly. He brought the group to the entrance way. Neville was lying on the flo
or
convulsing. Hagrid was standing there with him. Madam Pomfrey struggled to aid N
eville,
but nothing she was doing made it any better. The rest of the group did not unde
rstand
what was going on. Harry however knew. Neville had tried to enter the weave on h
is own
and he was becoming Shadow lost. Quickly, Harry sat down and opened his channels
.
The rest of the group sat in the floor around Neville and opened their channels
to him
again. Harry quickly banished Poppy, Minerva, Pomona, and Hagrid from the meld.
This
was something that the ones with four or more colors had to do. He did however l
eave a
small trace open in case he needed them to fuel his power. Harry quickly grabbed
the
colors of Albus, Hermione, Draco, and Severus and wove them into a different pat
tern.
Together the quintet entered Neville's mind. Neville was surrounded by his own p
ersonal
demons. Nothing he could do would break the flow that surrounded him. His colors
were
getting weaker by the moment.
"Albus," began Harry. "You head for his topaz. Draco, you go for his emerald. He
rmione I
need you to anchor."
The others nodded and headed for the like colors. Harry quickly pulled Minerva i
nto the
weave.
"Minerva," he said. "Help us by getting his garnet loose. Severus and I will try
and
dampen the demon activity."
Minerva nodded and headed quickly for the dimming garnet color. Quickly she flun
g a
branch of energy at it to hold it in place. Harry and Severus meanwhile, were me
rging
their colors into something just short of a tornado. Together they sent their fl
ow at the
demons that were terrorizing Neville. Slowly the images of Bellatrix, Voldemort,
and his
grandmother faded. When that got closer they headed for Neville's sorrow. Togeth
er they
smashed into the vision of Neville's parents dying. When they were done with tha
t, they
smashed into his imaginary fears. Together they dispelled the fear of not being
able to
protect Harry, Ginny, or Luna. Together they broke apart the fear of not being g
ood
enough to do anything.
By this time Harry and Severus were both crying at the hurts and imaginary hurts
that
Neville was witnessing. When they finally got to passed the last demon, Harry re
leased
Severus from the weave. Slowly he approached Neville's three colors. Carefully h
e
smoothed over the emerald color, securing it into place. He released Draco from
the
onslaught that Neville's green color was giving him. Next he concentrated on Nev
ille's
garnet. With delicate care he fixed this brilliant dark red back into place and
released a
shaking Minerva from the weave. Finally he turned to the topaz. Albus was doing
a good
job of containing it and keeping himself apart from it, but Harry had to fine tu
ne it. Slowly
and carefully they worked the yellow brown color back into place and secured it.
Together
they pulled away. Harry then grabbed energy from everyone and wove a healthy bri
lliant
light back into Neville colors. When Neville was breathing normally again, Harry
and the
others withdrew from his mind. Carefully Harry released the others from the meld
. Neville
opened his eyes and quickly Poppy was beside him. He smiled weakly at the group
of
people before him.
"Thank you all for saving me," he whispered. "I now know better than to intrude
upon
something that I am not able to do. You guys saved my life."
With that being said Neville passed out. Hermione was on the verge of doing the
same,
but she held herself together. Harry grabbed her and with a quick turn apparated
her to
her rooms. He laid her gently on the bed and told her to get some rest. She was
tired and
did not argue. Within moments she fell asleep. Harry apparated to the infirmary.
He sat
next to Neville. Draco stood behind him with his hands on Harry's shoulders. The
rest of
the group stood around there watching Harry with an awed look on their faces.
"That was some impressive work," said Albus. "How did you know how to do that Ha
rry?"
"To be honest Albus, I don't know," he replied. "I knew I had to do something to
save
Neville. There was no way I was letting someone close to me get shadow lost."
Harry turned his head and started to cry. Draco quickly wrapped his arms around
Harry
and started rocking him gently back and forth. Severus came up to them and wrapp
ed his
own arms around both and stayed with them. Minerva and Pomona were both wiping
tears from their eyes at the scene. Poppy shot a questioning glance at Albus who
quickly
shook his head.
"Harry just had a big fright is all," said Albus. "I think he needs to go lay do
wn for awhile.
Poppy would be so kind as to go see to Professor Granger? I believe Harry brough
t her to
her rooms. Minerva, would you see to Hagrid please? I will see to the students.
Draco I
think it best if you get Harry to your rooms and stay with him until he calms do
wn. Severus
I need you to stay with Mr. Longbottom. When he wakes please lecture him on the
importance of not entering a weave when he doesn't have the power to do so. Also
lecture
him on the importance of the risk we took to save his life."
Minerva and Poppy nodded and headed out of the infirmary. Severus nodded and sat
in
the chair next to Neville's bed. Albus left to go tend to the student body. Drac
o encouraged
Harry to stand and with the help of Pomona helped Harry up the stairs and to the
ir room.
When they had Harry there, Pomona gave them a tearful look and withdrew. Harry
proceeded to lie down on the bed and start sobbing. After a moment Draco climbed
in
next to him and held him. Draco did not understand quite what Harry was going th
rough,
but he was determined to do what ever it took to see him through this. About an
hour later,
Albus found the two young men sound asleep. He quickly gave suggestions to Dobby
and
Winky that the two not be disturbed and quietly closed the door.
Chapter 14 â Give a Little, Take a Little
A thoroughly abashed Neville came down to the Great Hall a few days later. With
a small
smile, he sat in his chair at the staff table and began to eat. Harry noticed th
at he seemed
a little withdrawn. Then again, Neville always acted this way when he felt the d
ispleasure of
Severus. Severus was known to have Neville in tears during his time as a student
of
Hogwarts. Harry wanted to apologize to Neville for what was said, but knew that
Neville
needed to understand the importance of staying out of a powerful weave. To becom
e
shadow lost was just as serious as is Voldemort used Avada Kedavra on someone. W
hen
breakfast was over, Harry pulled Neville to the side.
"Neville," he began. "Come to my office please. I would like to talk with you. I
think you will
understand a few things better when we are done. I think it will help."
Neville gave Harry a small nod and followed him up to the Head Master's office.
With a
genial wave of his hand, Harry indicated that Neville should sit. Neville sat in
the chair that
Harry indicated. Harry could tell by his countenance that he was very uncomforta
ble.
Harry quickly went through his mind of how to explain what he wanted to tell Nev
ille as
delicately as possible.
"I know you are a bit depressed," began Harry. "Severus and I saw what you were
battling
when we were in your mind. What I will add to what Severus told you is this. You
are NOT
inferior to anyone. You are just as important and just as gifted as any one of u
s here. Your
talents differ from others."
How so?" asked Neville. "I am not that powerful of a wizard. I can't even brew a
potion
without melting my cauldron."
"Do you think that at one point I was any better?" asked Harry. "I may never hav
e melted
my cauldron, but until the founders visited me, I was not that great of a potion
s maker
myself. We can not all be Hermione. We are each unique in our own way. For examp
le,
you are very gifted when it comes to Charms and Herbology. I know that if I have
a
question about some type of plant, that all I would have to do is ask you.
"Big deal," said Neville. "You at least can do many things that I can't."
"So what," said Harry. "Neville I would not have asked you to teach if I thought
you were
anything less than a good person and teacher. You are the only one to have score
d
higher in Herbology than Hermione when we sat our O.W.L.S if you care to remembe
r.
Also I want to point out that you did better than your grandmother in charms. Th
at is why
Minerva asked you to continue with it. We can not all be super wizards Neville."
"Yes," said Neville. "I know Harry, but you are a super wizard. You can do anyth
ing. I am
mediocre at best."
"Let me let you in on a secret Neville," said Harry. "I may have all these power
s and be
able to do many things. However, I would trade them all to be just like you. I d
id not ask for
all this power. Most of the time, I don't even want these powers. I do what I ha
ve to do, just
like you do what you have to do."
Neville sat there with a stunned expression on his face. To hear Harry say somet
hing like
this was the last thing he ever expected to hear.
"Another thing," said Harry. "We expressed our concerns to you because we care a
bout
you. Do you know what it would have done to me if you had become shadow lost? We
ll let
me tell you. It would have crushed me. As it was it took everything that Draco a
nd the
others had to calm me when we knew you were safe. You are one of my best friends
. You
stood with me at the Department of Ministries, when not many others would have e
ven
considered it. You were there to help console me when Sirius died. To me you are
a
VERY important person. I don't want to lose you. That is why we pressed so hard
on the
issue of you being more careful. Do you understand? Also, I want you to understa
nd that
Bellatrix and Voldemort can not hurt you anymore. Voldemort is only after one pe
rson
right now; ME! No one has to worry about him until he can get passed me. I do no
t see
that happening any time soon."
"Thank you Harry," said Neville. "To hear you say that makes me feel better. I a
m sorry
that I attempted to enter the weave. I now know that I need to wait to be invite
d before I
attempt to enter one. Thank you for making me feel better about myself. I know t
hat it must
be hard having all these responsibilities thrown at you when you are so young."
"Yes," Harry sighed. "All I ever wanted was to be normal. Someone has to do the
job and I
would rather it fall on my shoulders than on anyone else's. Just never forget th
at we care
about you. Even Severus and Minerva care about you."
Neville raised an eyebrow at this. Harry had to fight hard to not laugh. One of
Neville fears
was Severus.
"Thanks again Harry," said Neville. "I had better go. I have a Herbology class t
hat I am
teaching in about 10 minutes."
Harry gave him a smile and a nod. Neville got up. When he reached the door, he l
ooked
back one more time at Harry and then walked out. Harry sat there for a few momen
ts
hoping beyond hope that he had gotten through to him. Harry stood up and walked
into
the sunlight that was streaming through his window. With ease, he wove the sunli
ght and
glided along the rays. He checked on Hermione and Minerva. From there he sought
out
Albus and Pomona. Albus was in the charms classroom and Pomona was in the teache
rs
lounge. Coming back to himself, he gave a slight turn and apparated to the loung
e.
Pomona dropped her glass. She glared up at Harry as she waved her wand to clean
up
the mess.
"You do know that I hate it when you do that, right?" she asked.
Harry chuckled at sat down in a chair opposite her.
"Well my friend, it saves time," he said. "I want to talk with you about Neville
. He still seems
very down on himself. You are one of the few people that ever praised him when h
e was a
student. I was wondering if you would talk to him for me. He doesn't feel that h
e is good
enough to be here. I tried talking with him, but I am not sure if I got through.
"
Pomona sat there and listened to Harry for a few moments. She chewed her lip as
she
pondered the dilemma. Finally she nodded to Harry.
"I can talk to him," she said. "I have some experience when it comes to boosting
his moral
levels. I know that Severus was hard on him. I will talk to him for you and see
if I can't
boost him back to at least where he was before his failed attempt at entering th
e weave. I
can understand his feelings though. I know I would be just as frightened as he i
s if I were
almost shadow lost."
"So would I," admitted Harry. "Also I would like for you to help him realize tha
t he can still
sun run. When we were in his head I noticed that his topaz was really out of ali
gnment. I
think that is the reason that he is having so much trouble moon running."
Pomona nodded.
"I will do my best," she said. "However I think you should have Albus work with
him on
aligning that particular gem as they share that core."
"That's a good idea," agreed Harry. "I'll talk to him when his class is over."
Harry and Pomona sat for a little while longer chatting amicably about things ha
ppening
around the castle. Harry was enjoying the conversation. All of a sudden he felt
the colors
of someone that he had not had the opportunity to weave with. Pomona seeing the
look on
Harry's face, immediately opened her channels in case he needed them. Harry ente
red
the weave. He came face to face with the unknown person that was assisting Volde
mort.
The dark colors of onyx, garnet, carnelian, and jet were all dark. This was in c
omparison
to the Hogwarts staff whose colors were bright and comforting.
"Know that the heir of Morgan Le Fey is watching you Harry Potter," said the voi
ce on the
weave. "I may not be a match for you yet, but it is just a matter of time. I wil
l be coming for
you and I will finish the work that my ancestor started."
Harry was thrown back by the power of the emotions that were in the weave. Insti
nctively
he grabbed Pomona and Hagrid and wove a defense. In a matter of moments, he had
separated himself from the onslaught of the unknown person's sun running attack.
When
he finally disrupted the weave, he sat their breathing heavy. Pomona was sitting
there with
her eyes closed. Harry got up to check on her. She opened her eyes and waved him

away signaling that she was fine. With a small turn, Harry disapparated to Hagri
d's hut. He
entered and saw that Hagrid was slumped over in his chair. With a small turn on
the spot,
he apparated a second time. This time he apparated into the infirmary. He walked
over to
Madam Pomfrey who was sitting in her chair. She was a little shaken, but she see
med in
control of herself.
"Hagrid took a direct hit," said Harry.
Poppy nodded and picked up her bag. She walked over to Harry and grabbed his arm
.
He apparated them back to Hagrid's hut, where she started to do an exam on him.
Hagrid
grunted wearily. Harry raised his hand, and levitated Hagrid over to his bed. Po
ppy smiled
her thanks and continued to run a diagnostic on him.
"There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with him physically," she said. "His ma
gical
reserves are low, but that is about all I can find wrong with him. He will need
to sleep for
the rest of the day and probably tomorrow as well. I will keep an eye on him. Yo
u should
go check on the rest of the group and make sure that no one else got caught by t
his
person."
Harry nodded and walked outside. Once in the sunlight, he quickly wove the sunli
ght into a
pattern that would allow him to check on the others. Albus and Severus were both
still
lecturing their classes. Hermione felt him as he approached her, and waved him a
way.
Draco did the same when he checked in the dungeons. Ginny, Luna, and Ron were al
l
moving about as if nothing had happened. Neville was a bit shaken, but he was pu
tting up
a good front to the class. When he felt Harry brush his colors, he smiled. Harry
left him to
check on Minerva, and Molly. Both witches were working as usual. Harry last chec
ked on
Remus. The colors were a bit dim. Harry started to worry until he remembered tha
t the full
moon was the night before. Remus' colors were always dim the day before, during,
and
after the full moon. Quickly Harry came back to himself and went back into the h
ut.
"Everyone seems to be ok," he reported to the nurse. "Neville was a bit shaken,
but when
he felt my colors, he smiled and stood a little straighter. I think he will be o
k. He was just a
little scared after what happened to him the last time."
Poppy nodded her head.
"Well everything seems to be ok here," she said. "I think that we should just le
ave him to
rest. As I said, I will check up on him periodically in case he needs something.
"
Harry smiled at her and walked back out into the sunshine. From there he made hi
s way
to the greenhouse where Neville was teaching his class. Harry quietly entered th
e room
and stayed out of the way. He listened intently as Neville went around the room
and was
helping the class with the bubotubers. Harry smiled to himself as he watched Nev
ille.
When Neville caught sight of Harry's encouraging smile, he finally let it sink i
n as to what
Harry had been telling him. With a grateful nod to Harry, Neville turned back to
the class.
There was a slight bounce to his step. Harry laughed quietly and exited the gree
nhouse.
He made his way back to the castle. He proceeded to the charms corridor. Again h
e
quietly made his way into the class and took a seat at the back. He did not want
to disturb
the class. Albus gave a smile and continued with the lesson. When the bell rang
and
Albus had dismissed the class, Harry stood up and approached his mentor and frie
nd.
"Albus I need a big favor," said Harry.
"Of course Harry," he replied. "What can I do for you?"
"You and Neville share a gem color," said Harry. "I was wondering if you could w
ork with
him to strengthen that color. His topaz is totally out of sink. I thought that a
s you two shared
that particular core, you could help him sort of fine tune it so that he can obt
ain moon
running abilities."
"I would be delighted to assist Mr. Longbottom," said Albus. "I think it would a
lso help with
some of the other things I have been working on. So who was that person that hit
us with a
weave?"
"I have no idea," confessed Harry. "I was sitting with Pomona in the lounge and
he or she
just caught me in the weave. Thanks to Pomona and Hagrid, I was able to break th
e hold
on me."
"I think that Voldemort has finally found and Heir of Morgan Le Fey," said Albus
. "I wanted
to tell you something else Harry. When I look at your colors now, I can sense an
other one
trying to open up within you. It has the feel of amethyst to it. You may be the
first to acquire
a sixth color. I did not think that was possible. However you have always been a

remarkably unique person."

"To be honest, I think you are right," said Harry. "It is as if there is one mor
e little thing I
need to do to completely open it up. I guess when the time is right for it to do
so, it will."
"I think you are right there," said Albus. "I will talk with Mr. Longbottom. How
ever, it is time
for my next class."
Harry nodded and left the room. He smiled at the students and made his way back
up to
his office. He was wondering if other people had the abilities to weave the ligh
t. He never
thought to check others to see if they had the gift. He wondered if it was possi
ble to open
up the gift in others that had potential. He would just have to wait and find ou
t. Harry made
his way to his office. Once Harry reached his office he walked to his fireplace
and flooed to
the Ministry of Magic. He asked if Amelia was available. When he was informed th
at she
would see him, he went to her office.
"Head Master," said Amelia. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Madam Minister," replied Harry. "Has Albus told you yet about the new gifts tha
t some of
us at the school have acquired?"
"Yes," she said. "He mentioned something about weaving sun and moon light. He al
so
told me that in your case, you can weave star light and communicate with people.
"
"That is correct," he said. "I was wondering if you would permit me to run an ex
periment. I
think the best person for this would be you and maybe Alastor and Rufus."
"Is this experiment dangerous in anyway?" she asked.
"No Madam Bones," he said. "It is merely a test to see if one carries the possib
le abilities
that allow us to talk on the sunlight. If the person does have the ability, I ca
n enter their
mind as it were, and help them get acquainted with their colors. If however, the
y do not
possess the gift, then you will not even know that I have done anything at all."
She thought about what Harry said for a moment and then nodded her head in
agreement. She turned to the fireplace and called to the Auror Department. 15 mi
nutes
later, Alastor and Rufus presented themselves in her office. Both wizards gave H
arry a
handshake. Harry quickly outlined what his idea was and what he wanted to try. A
lastor
made no qualms about letting Harry try. He trusted the young man with every ounc
e of his
being. Amelia also said she would like to try. Rufus after a few moments nodded
his
acceptance of the experiment.
"Ok," said Harry. "The first part is relatively easy. What I want you to do is t
o concentrate
and open your minds to something very much like telepathy. When you have done th
at I
will weave a pattern of colors. If I am successful, and you have the gift you wi
ll be able to
see all of my colors. I have five of them."
The three of them all nodded in understanding. They sat and relaxed in a chair.
Slowly
Harry weaved a tendril of pattern to each of them present. Moody was the first t
hat Harry
approached. He saw immediately that he had the gift and quickly grabbed his colo
rs and
wove himself into Moody's mind. Moody gasped at the entrance and then marveled a
t the
beauty that was surrounding him. Harry delicately showed Moody which was his col
ors
and how to access them. With ease, he probed Moody's colors and clicked them all
into
place. When Moody gasped out loud, Harry knew that he could see his own sunstone
,
moonstone, and amber gem colors. Harry quickly withdrew pulling Alastor with him
. Harry
turned to Rufus who had opened up his mind. Harry saw immediately that Rufus did
not
have the gift. He quickly nudged the Auror and brought him back out of his medit
ation.
Harry quickly shook his head to him and turned to Amelia. Harry wove his colors
again
and went for Amelia. He noticed that her colors were a bit sluggish, but she did
in fact
have the gift. Being a master weaver, Harry quickly sent the weave to Moody who
allowed
Harry to pull him in. From there, the two wizards set to work in helping Amelia
recognize
her own colors. Something odd kept happening. Every time Harry would click her s
moky
quarts and her opal into place, and he would pull away, they would shift back ou
t of
alignment. He quickly explained to her that she would only be able to receive me
ssages,
but not be able to send them at this time. He also pointed out that she would on
ly be able
to send tendrils of thought on the sunlight. When they were done, they pulled ou
t of
Amelia's colors and directed her to a chair. She was amazed at the beauty of wha
t Harry
had just done.
"I will, with your permission, test each Auror for you to see if any have the gi
ft," said Harry.
"It will make things easier in the future to have as many Aurors with this gift
as possible. I
will come up with some way of working your colors into place."
Amelia gave her permission immediately. Harry set it up that over the next few d
ays,
Alastor would start come to the castle every other day with five Aurors at a tim
e. While he
was testing them, he would pull Moody into the weave and show him how to test ot
her for
himself. That way, Harry would not have to do it for long. Everyone sat there fo
r a few
moments as what they had just witnessed sank in. Harry rose to his feet and bade
the trio
goodbye. With a quick turn on the spot, he disapparated back to Hogwarts. The da
y had
been very prosperous. Harry hoped that more than a few of the Aurors would posse
s the
gift. It would make things easier when communication was needed to contact the s
chool or
the Ministry from the opposite location. Harry gave a tired smile and headed dow
n the
stairs to the Great Hall. He entered just as the dinner bell rang. He made his w
ay to the
staff table and sat down to eat. When the rest of the staff was present, he told
them what he
learned at the Ministry. Albus leaned back for a moment and gave a slight weave.
"Harry," he said. "Your sixth color is now in full view."
Harry quickly looked into himself and saw that Albus was indeed correct. He came
back to
himself with a happy smile on his face. From there he began to eat his dinner. T
he rest of
the staff was all chatting with one another about the upcoming events.
Chapter 15 â Christmas at Hogwarts, Tonks Revisited
Harry sat in his office. The weeks had flown and the Christmas holidays were upo
n them.
Harry sat and scanned the list of each of the students. He would buy each of the
m a little
something to acknowledge that he cared for and respected each of his students. H
e
scanned the list of his special people in his life. He wondered what to get for
some of the
more important people in his life. He already bought a gift for Draco. The emera
ld ring sat
in a box in his desk drawer. Harry had it special made for him. It was a silver
serpent
holding the emerald with its tail and mouth. He had an inscription put in inside
of the band.
For Remus he got a chain in gold with the Gryffindor lion and a Wolf talisman. H
e knew
that Remus would appreciate the symbolism. He wondered what in the world to get
people
like Albus, Severus, and Minerva. He gave an exasperated sigh. Draco coming down
the
stairs behind him heard the sigh.
"What's wrong Harry?" he asked.
"I have no idea what to get for the rest of the group for Christmas," he replied
. "I have your
gift and Remus' gift, but I have no idea as to what to get Albus, Severus, or Mi
nerva.
People like Ginny, Hermione, Ron, Neville, and Luna are going to be relatively s
imple.
Plus I have no idea as to what to give the students."
"Why give the students anything at all Harry?" asked Draco. "I mean no disrespec
t to
them, but you give them a lot already by keeping the Dark Lord away from the cas
tle."
"It is just the principle of the thing," said Harry. "I get paid for being Head
Master. We both
know that I do not need the money. You and I are probably the richest men in Bri
tain right
about now. I guess I just want to give them a token of appreciation or something
. To let
them know that we care about them."
"Well get them all a gift certificate," suggested Draco. "With a gift certificat
e they can either
get something they want or something that they might need later. This way they h
ave that
extra money in their pocket."
"You know," said Harry. "That is a great idea. Thanks Dragon."
Draco laughed at Harry's nickname for him.
"No problem Harry," he said chuckling. "Have you thought about what you are goin
g to
get your cousin and Aunt?"
"I have that already taken care of," said Harry.
He reached in the drawer next to him and pulled out a set of keys.
"I promised them I would buy them0 a house," he said. "Here is the house and the

paperwork that goes with it. Plus, it is not that far from the orphanage. For Du
dley, I got
him his own car."
"Wow," said Draco. "You have been busy haven't you? I was wondering where you we
nt
the other day. It is a good thing we can locate each other on the sunlight. Else
I would
have been worried that you were in trouble somewhere."
While Draco was talking, Harry was quickly writing a letter to Flourish and Blot
ts. When he
was done with the letter he went to Hedwig. Handing it to her, he told her who i
t was for and
she flew out the window with a hoot of assurance.
"Well that takes care of the students," said Harry. "Now, what should I get for
Albus?"
"I think you should get him some small personal things," said Draco. "How about,
some
wand holsters and a wand polishing kit?"
"Now that is a thought," said Harry. "I can get one for Pomona as well."
Pulling out another sheet of parchment, he quickly wrote his interest. When he w
as done,
he handed the letter to Apollo. After asking the phoenix to wait for a response,
the bird
disappeared in a flash of fire.
"Oh I have a great idea," said Harry. "I know what to get everyone of you. I wan
t to give
each of you a little something special and I just figured it out. But for now I
need to know
what to get Severus and Minerva."
Draco and Harry thought about it for a few moments. Draco was looking at the mar
auders
map.
"I have to go for a moment," he said. "It looks like we have trouble in the dung
eons. You
write what you need to. I can handle this."
With that he left the office. Harry quickly pulled out a piece of parchment and
started writing
his request to the jewelers. He was going to get each sun runner a ring with the
ir colored
stones that matched their weaving colors in it. By the time he completed his let
ter, Apollo
was back. Harry grabbed the letter from him, and handed the new letter to him. W
ith
instructions to once again wait for a response, the phoenix disappeared in a fla
sh of fire.
Also by this time, Hedwig came back. Tied to her leg was a box. Harry quickly re
lieved the
owl of her burden. He always had a bowl of treats on the desk for her. She grabb
ed one
with a happy hoot and flew to her perch by the window. Harry watched her for a m
oment
and then turned to the box. He opened it to find the gift certificates inside. W
ith a complex
wave of his wands, the envelopes started writing the names of each student on it
. Harry
turned his attention to the marauders map. He noticed that there was a commotion
in the
dungeons. With a slight turn he apparated to the location of the disturbance.
Upon arriving, Harry noticed that Draco had gotten hit with a stray stunner. Qui
ckly casting
the countercharm, Harry turned to the duel. Raising his hands he cast his own ch
arms.
"Expelliarmus," he muttered.
The wands of everyone in the room zoomed to Harry. With a wave of his hand, he
directed them to arrange themselves in a neat pile at his feet. He reached down
and
picked up Draco's wands and handed them back to him.
"Do you mind telling me why I am in the middle of a war zone down here?" he aske
d in a
quiet voice. "Also I would like to know which of you hit a professor of this sch
ool with a
stunner."
Not a single student answered. They were all stunned at the fact that Harry had
apparated
in the school. Most did not know that Harry could do that. Those that did know h
ad
apparently forgotten this.
Harry quickly wove a message to Severus. Apparently Sev was away from his own ma
p.
The students still did not answer Harry's question. Within a few moments Severus
 Snape
appeared. He was livid.
"What is going on here?" he snarled. "What are you doing that would cause my nap
to get
interrupted?"
Harry waved his hands and muttered an incantation. Two wands floated into the ai
r and
into his hands.
"Prior Incantato" he muttered.
Harry watched as the stunner spell appeared. He looked around at the assembled
students.
"Who does this wand belong to?" he asked.
No one said anything. Each of the twelve students assembled before him was too t
errified
of the Head of House to say anything.
"This is the wand of Valerie McNair," said Severus. "Why do you ask Head Master?
"
"This is the wand that sent the stunner that hit Professor Malfoy," he replied.
"Is that true Miss McNair?" asked Severus.
Harry and Severus already knew the truth. Both had used Occlumency and looked in
to
the minds of the assembled duelers. However they both waited for her to answer.
"It was an accident Professor Snape," she replied. "I did not mean to hit Profes
sor Malfoy.
I was aiming at Gardner. Professor Malfoy just got in the way."
"What reason are you all dueling in the first place?" snarled Severus.
"Gardner was picking on me because of what my father did," she replied. "I got s
o
aggravated that I tried to stun him. I am tired of getting picked on. I am NOT m
y father."
Severus turned to the rest of the students.
"What about the rest of you?' he asked. "Why were you all dueling? Make no mista
ke that
I already know the answer to that."
Gardner decided that he was going to be brave enough to risk the wrath of Severu
s.
"The death eater's daughter should not be here," he said disgusted. "She should
be sent
to prison like her dead beat father."
"That's enough!" snapped Harry. "The sins of the father will not be passed on to
the
children."
Draco rested his hand in the small of Harry's back. He could feel how angry Harr
y was.
He knew much about Harry's life. He knew that Harry was remembering that Severus
did
the same to him because of the rivalry between James and Severus. Harry felt Dra
co's
hand and started to relax. Severus glanced at Harry with an apologetic look on h
is face.
Harry nodded his head to let him know that he was ok. Severus turned back to the

students.
"Miss McNair," he began. "You will serve a week of detention with Professor Malf
oy for
your stunner that hit him him. I will take five points from Slytherin for your b
ad aim. Mr.
Gardner you will serve a month's detention with the Head Master for your stupidi
ty. I will
also take 50 points from Slytherin for your abysmal thinking. When you are done
with the
month you will be serving with him, you will serve another month with me for dis
respecting
a fellow student. I will also take 100 points from Slytherin for your stupidity.
For the other 10
of you, I will take 5 points each for disturbing the peace. Be lucky that I do n
ot have you all
serving detention as well."
With that being said, Severus turned and left the dungeon. Harry levitated the w
ands into
the air and waited for each student to come and claim it. Draco and Valerie were
quietly
talking in the corner.
"You will come see me for 1 hour in the evening starting Monday," said Draco. "Y
ou will
also join the DA. It is time for you to learn how to aim correctly. You will als
o practice
often."
Valerie nodded her head in acceptance.
Gregory Gardner walked over to Harry a little fearful.
"You will start in the trophy room. You will report to me for two hours each day
. Weekends
are included. I will have Mrs. Figg come up with some very disgusting jobs for y
ou.
Tonight you will start in the infirmary cleaning bed pans. Do NOT bring you wand
. No
magic will be allowed in your detention. If I even suspect that you are behaving
like this
again to any other student in this school, I will not hesitate to expel you. You
are to report
to Madam Pomfrey at 8:00 this evening to start your detention. If you finish wit
h her, then
report to Mrs. Figg."
Harry did not even wait for a reply. He grabbed Draco by the arm and disapparate
d back
to the Head Master office. Harry sat down with his head in his hands.
"Are you alright Drake?" he asked.
"Yes Harry," he replied. "I am fine. Please don't worry."
Harry sighed. He realized then that Apollo was back. He looked on his desk and f
ound the
scroll. He scanned it quickly and signed it and handed it back to the phoenix. A
pollo left in
a flash.
"Shall we get back to Christmas?" he asked. "I still need an idea as to what to
get for
Minerva and Severus."
An hour later, it was decided to get Severus a set of encyclopedias that pertain
ed to DADA
and Potions. For Minerva, they ordered her a couple of sets of dress robes and h
er
favorite supply of biscuits. Harry even made sure that each of the house elves g
ot a bonus
for Christmas. For Winky and Dobby, they ordered a new bedroom set for their bed
and
such. Molly was given a gift certificate as well, just in a larger amount than t
he students.
Madam Malkin sent an amused letter to Harry when they requested a new suit for H
agrid
and Grawp.
Hagrid and Grawp brought the traditional 12 Christmas trees. The students watche
d as
Minerva, Albus, and Hermione gathered around and started decorating them. Harry
allowed the younger students go to Hogsmeade for that particular trip. The Yule
Ball was
planned by Harry and Draco.
Finally Christmas arrived. Many of the students stayed in the castle for the hol
iday. The
house elves were busy making sure that each person got their gifts from Harry. A
t
breakfast that day, students and staff alike approached Harry with gratitude for
his
thoughtfulness. Molly, Petunia, Dudley and the children at the orphanage were du
e later
that day. Remus and Tonks would also be arriving for the ball.
Around 8:00 that evening the students and staff entered the Great Hall for the b
all. The
staff had their marauder maps just in case a student was somewhere they did not
belong.
Harry had his map at the table and it was open. He sat there and watched as stud
ents and
staff all came in. Molly, Petunia and their lot approached the main gates. Albus
was there
to greet them. Shortly after that Remus and Tonks approached the gates. This tim
e they
were met by Draco. When everyone entered, Harry stood up.
"Let the Ball begin," he stated.
All at once balloons filled the air. Music entered through the doors. Food appea
red on the
banquet tables. Gifts appeared to the people who did not live in the castle. In
front of Harry,
16 little black boxes stood. He watched as those he cared most about came near h
im.
When each one passed by, he handed each a box. Finally all fifteen people had th
eir box.
Harry gestured for them to open them. Hermione squealed in delight at the conten
ts of the
box. She and Ginny ran over and gave Harry a huge hug. The rest of the group all

thanked Harry profusely for their gifts.

"What's in that box Harry?" asked Draco.
"Oh this is your last gift for this year," stated Harry.
He handed the Slytherin the box. When Draco opened the box, he gasped. Those tha
t
were standing around him all did the same. Draco slid the ring on his finger and
stared in
awe at the majesty of the ring. He looked at the other ring on his other hand.
"Harry," he choked. "These must have cost you a fortune."
"Price is not an issue for the richest man in Britain," chuckled Harry. "Please
do not
concern yourselves with the price. I wanted this Christmas to be special for eac
h of you."
There were tears in the eyes of the surrounding people. They placed their gifts
in front of
Harry with a happy smile on their faces. Harry opened each of his gifts with del
ight. Once
he had opened the entire pile, he sent Dobby and Winky with them up to his room
to put
them away. He turned to Petunia and Dudley.
"I have something very special for you two as well," he said.
He handed them the deed to the house with the keys and the keys to a brand new c
ar to
Dudley. He blood relatives stared in shock at what he handed them. Both hugged h
im
tightly for his thoughtfulness.
Remus and Tonks were both delighted at Harry's gifts. They approached Harry with
a
delighted look on their faces.
"Harry," said Remus. "I have tested Tonks. She has the gift to travel the light
as well. We
have a very special gift for you this year. I will let Tonks give it to you."
Harry," she began. "I am pregnant. We would love for you to be godfather of our
child
when he or she is born."
Harry sat stunned for a moment. His brain was having trouble moving. All of a su
dden he
was standing and ran to Tonks and Remus. He threw his arms around both and held
on
for dear life.
"I accept," he said. "Thank you both so much for that wonderful gift. This has b
een a very,
very good year for me."
Harry turned and sat down. Draco brought him a glass of juice and some food. Har
ry of
course had forgotten to eat. The rest of the group started to laugh. From there
the party
was on. People danced all evening. Around Midnight, Harry raised his hands and t
he
music slowed and then stopped.
"I am happy that you all had such a wonderful time," he said. "However, it is ti
me for you
all to return to your dorms. Some of you still have studying to do tomorrow. Hom
ework will
not be excused due to the ball. Chop, chop."
The students laughed and made their way to their dorms. Teachers were watching t
heir
maps to watch the progress of the students. When all the students had returned t
o their
dorms, Harry and the rest of the adults had their own small party. Finally at ab
out 2 in the
morning the adults all bade each other goodnight and headed off for their own pe
rsonally
rooms. Remus and Tonks stayed the night in the castle. Albus escorted Molly and
the rest
from the orphanage home. Finally Harry stumbled into bed. Within moments he was
asleep. Unfortunately, troubled dreams started to fill his head. After a few mom
ents, Harry
sat up with a scream. Draco was standing next to him with eyes wide in terror. H
arry had
not had a dream this bad since he moved into the room with him. He wondered brie
fly
what could cause the fear in the bravest person he knew. Quickly he weaved light
to the
other runners. Within moments they were all surrounding the bed. Harry sat there
white in
the face and staring at nothing. Severus and Draco each sat on the side of Harry
and
grabbed an arm. Albus and Hermione sat as close as they could. The rest of the g
roup
stood around and waited. Tonks having never received a fearful message on the li
ght
before was a little shaken.
"Harry," said Albus in his soothing voice. "Harry please, come back to us."
Harry sat there for a minute. He took a deep breath and then looked around. He d
rew
back slightly at the assembled runners around him. He steadied himself. Grabbing
Draco
and Severus' hands he gave a deep breath and steadied himself.
"What did you see?" asked Minerva while Poppy ran her wand over him checking him

out.
"Danger," he said in a hoarse whisper. "Danger will be here sooner than we think
."
With that Harry laid back down and within moments he was out.
"He went back to sleep," said an amazed Poppy.
"I think Severus and I will stay here tonight just in case," said Albus.
Draco gave a shaky nod. He let Harry's hand go long enough to get Dobby and Wink
y to
fix up cots in the room for Albus and Severus. The rest of the runners gave Harr
y a soft
pat on the cheek and left quietly. Each made the others staying, promise to call
for them if
it was needed. Albus quickly assured them they would indeed be called if needed.
When
all the others left, Severus gave a shaking Draco a small hug of encouragement a
nd
helped the younger man climb back into bed.
"That was quick thinking," said Severus. "I am glad you were here Draco."
Draco nodded quickly and lay next to Harry. He stared at the young man that had
so
much riding on his young shoulders.
"How does he do it?" whispered Draco quietly so as not to awaken Harry. "How doe
s he
stay so strong with so much riding on his shoulders? Were it me, I would have ca
ved in by
now."
"He does it because he doesn't want anyone else to have to," replied Albus. "I a
m more
proud of him than words can describe."
"I am too," said Severus. "Lily and James would have been so proud of him."
Draco thought about this for a moment. He slowly nodded to himself. AS he made h
imself
comfortable he made one last comment before he went to sleep.
"I am glad that Harry knows we love him," he said.
With those words he drifted off to sleep.
"I am glad he knows that as well," whispered Albus, tucking the covers around th
e young
men.
Severus nodded his head, but did not comment.
Chapter 16 â Voldemort's Revenge
Harry slept restlessly for the rest of the night. Every little moan would either
wake Draco
up, or send Severus or Albus rushing to the bed. It was a long night for those t
hat were on
duty for Harry. Each knew that Harry would be horrified to know that they stayed
up all
night keeping vigil over him. It would embarrass him to know that something as s
imple as
a dream would send his friends into a panic. However, those that kept watch thro
ugh the
night also knew that Harry had more on his plate than one person deserved to hav
e. They
also knew that if something that powerful could affect Harry, then it was best t
hat he have
all the help at his disposal that he could get in a moments notice. If all it to
ok was to help
him get a good night sleep by watching over him, then they would do it. Each kne
w that
without Harry, there was little that could be done to stop Voldemort, his powerf
ul allies, and
his growing army.
Dawn came and went and those that stood watch snoozed here and there. When Harry

awoke, he looked around. Sighing to himself, he untangled himself from under Dra
co's
ever assuring arms and got up out of the bed. He made his way to the bathroom to
clean
himself up. As he looked into the mirror, he remembered all to well what had hap
pened
the night before. What he didn't understand was how he went back to sleep. With
everything that he saw, he should have stayed awake. Maybe he was so shocked by
what
he saw that his mind just went to sleep to protect itself. As he looked in the m
irror, Severus
came into the room behind him. With a nod, Harry turned and walked over to his f
riend.
"Did you guys get any rest at all last night?" he asked.
"We took turns," replied Severus. "It was needed. Do you want to talk about it?"
"Yes, but I want to tell every one of our group," said Harry. "So I guess we wil
l all meet this
evening after dinner. Now go wake Albus and go get yourselves a couple hours of
decent
sleep. I am sure that I will be fine."
Severus chuckled and left the bathroom. He passed by Albus and woke the older wi
zard.
Albus looked alertly around and then got up. When he saw Harry shooing him out o
f the
room, he left with Severus. Harry walked down the stairs to his office and sat a
t his desk.
"So much has happened so fast," he whispered to the room at large.
"You are very correct in that assessment," said the portrait of Armando Dippet.
"In all the
years I was Head Master, I never witnessed half the goings on that I have seen i
n just 2
years."
"Thank you Armando," said Harry. "I wasn't really expecting a response."
"Well when you talk to the room at large you get one," said a familiar voice beh
ind Harry.
Turning Harry watched a fully dressed Draco come down the stairs. Harry still ma
rveled at
the grace of the other man.
"Thanks for helping me last night Dragon," said Harry. "I am not really sure wha
t
happened when I went back to sleep, but I am thankful that you were there to kee
p watch
over me."
"Phoenix," said Draco. "I care about you to much to let you go through this alon
e. We all
care about you that much. We will be here for you. Now go get dressed. It is tim
e for
breakfast."
Smiling Harry stood and in a flash went upstairs to change. When he was done he
and
Draco made their way out of the office and headed to the Great Hall. Harry pause
d to let a
few students pass him and continued on his walk. He was in no hurry. Draco sensi
ng that
he was lost in thought, kept silent next to him. He knew that Harry would talk w
hen he was
ready. Together they made their way to their places at the staff table. Harry sa
t and did not
pick up anything to eat. As was his custom, he waited for the rest of the studen
ts and
teachers to arrive and seat themselves before he ate anything. Draco watched Har
ry
carefully. He was hoping that Harry would eat period. When he looked around, he
noticed
that he was not the only one. Other runners were looking at Harry as well. Final
ly all the
students and teachers arrived and sat at their places. Draco was relieved when H
arry
picked up his fork and started filling his plate with food. He was not the only
one. Harry
being lost in his thoughts did not notice the looks that were passed around.
When breakfast was finished, the students started leaving in groups. It was a Ho
gsmeade
day, so the third years and above that had permission to go met at the entrance.
Mrs.
Figg was there checking them off her list as usual. Those staff members that had
things to
do left for their rooms. Finally those that were left were runners. They all sat
there and
waited. Harry coming out of his thoughts looked around in amusement.
"I guess you all want to know what happened last night," he said with a sigh.
There were collective nods all around.
"I suggest we go to my office then," said Harry. "This way we won't get over hea
rd by ears
that are not supposed to know too much."
The rest of the staff all understood that to mean that what Harry was going to t
ell them was
severely important. They all stood and followed Harry out of the Great Hall and
up to his
office. Once they were all inside, Harry and Draco quickly conjured chairs for a
ll to seat
themselves.
"Well I was hit in my sleep by Voldemort," Harry began. "He can now weave the li
ght."
There were gasps all around at this bit of information. Harry quickly silenced t
hem with a
weary wave of his hand. He stood up and went to the window. He felt it was neces
sary to
have as much power behind his next weave as possible. Grabbing the light, he qui
ckly
wove the patterns of his colors to every available runner. Being the Master runn
er that he
was, Harry reached all the way to the Ministry of Magic and grabbed Alastor and
Amelia
as well. From there he traveled to the orphanage where he grabbed Molly. When he
had
them and those in front of him, he flung out the onyx, jet, ruby and topaz that
were
Voldemort's colors. He also wove in the colors of the stranger that had been hit
ting Harry
and breaking into Harry's weavings. The onyx, jet, carnelian, and garnet flooded

everyone with the pattern. Harry wanted to make sure that everyone knew this pat
tern as
well. This was a dangerous person that was affecting their lives. When he was su
re that
everyone had the patterns, he pulled back and disentangled the weave. When he sa
w that
everyone was ok, he went back and sat behind his desk. He waited while everyone
adjusted themselves. He knew they were still thinking about what they witnessed.
It was
one thing to be a part of a weaving, but it was entirely something all together
powerful
when Harry insisted they know something on the light. The power that Harry posse
ssed
with the ability of light was amazing to even those that had 5 colors of their o
wn. The
strength that Harry possessed was amazing. Add in the factor that Harry was the
only one
that they knew of that had 6 colors and you have a weaver that can flatten you i
n a single
weave. However they knew that Harry was being hit by more than one person in a w
eave.
Even the power that Harry had would not be able to help him against a group of p
eople
when they were weaving against him.
"What did V-Voldemort want with you last night?" asked Hermione in a shaky voice
. "How
did he break into your sleep with weaving? I did not know that was even possible
."
"It is possible," said Harry. "I did not divulge that because I feel it is an in
vasion of ones
privacy. Also, I choose not to invade your sleep in that fashion. Unlike Voldemo
rt, I have
respect for you all. Besides, he was not alone. This stranger was with him. Forg
ive me for
not telling you all sooner that this could be done. I should not have kept that
a secret from
you all. I was wrong."
"Wait," said Ginny. "You mean that at any time any one of us can break into some
one's
sleep using the light?"
"No," said Harry. "Only those people that have 4 or more colors can do so. Take
Luna for
example. She could try and weave to a sleeping person and it will not affect tha
t person in
the slightest. I could cause serious fright on the light to even someone who is
passed out
drunk."
"Oh," said Ginny. "I am glad that those of us on the light side have scruples th
en."
"Exactly," said Albus. "We have respect for a person's privacy. I am sure that i
n an
emergency we would not care at all that we were woken up on the light. For the r
ecord
Harry, I also knew that it could be done. I felt the same way that you do. So th
e fault is also
with me for not informing you all."
There were nods at this. Everyone knew that Harry would never as much as bother
a bee
much less a person if he didn't have to.
"There is no need to apologize," said Severus. "We know that there are many thin
gs that
Harry can do that others can't. We also know that you are not far behind him in
that power
Albus."
"So what did happen on the light last night?" interupted Pomona. "I can tell you
 right now
that Draco was beside himself with fear."
"That is difficult to explain," said Harry. "I am not so sure that I should say
what he told me
anyway."
"Just spit it out Harry," said Ron a little irritated. "We are all in this toget
her. If it affects you,
then it affects us."
"Well said Mr. Weasley," said Minerva. "Harry you have to tell us. It doesn't ma
tter if it is to
frightening or painful for us to hear. We need to know. We have a right to know.
"
Harry looked at each person in the room. Remus and Tonks were sitting together h
olding
hands. Hagrid was sitting next to Poppy, looking a little out of place. Neville
was sitting next
to Ginny. Luna was in her own zone, but she was no doubt listening. Ron was sitt
ing next
to Hermione. His eyes moved to Pomona, Minerva, Albus, Severus, and then Draco.
He
tried to speak and his throat closed up on his. Tears started falling. He could
not help it.
He was feeling the agony from the night before. It was as if someone was taking
a knife
and cutting off a part of him. Draco and Severus were at his side in a flash. Ea
ch man
grabbed him and held him for a moment. When Harry calmed down enough to talk, th
ey
let him go.
"Voldemort told me that he was going to take one of you from me," said Harry thr
ough his
tears. "He said that I would not know when or how. He also told me that I would
not know
who. One of you sitting before me will be taken and killed."
Harry broke down crying again. Draco and Severus reached out to grab him. Everyo
ne
else sat there with a horrified look on their face. The portraits of the former
Head Masters
were all muttering angrily as well.
"Well," said Minerva after a moment. "Then I guess that it is time for us to mak
e sure that
he can not get to us. I think it is time to start training the DA and SFG harder
than before."
"I think that is a good idea," said Hermione. "I would also like to add that may
be we should
start moving around the grounds together in pairs or more. The more of us that a
re
together the less chance we have that one of us can be taken and hurt."
"Agreed," said Albus. "Harry we are only as strong as we are a team. We will get
through
this just like we always do. He has never been able to win before. He will not d
o so now."
"I can ask Moody to be stationed here at the castle," said Tonks. "That way Remu
s and I
are close."
"Harry I am sure that you can create some new wards on the castle to stop people
from
getting into the castle using the light," said Hermione.
Harry sat and listened as each person spoke what they thought. He knew that he w
ould go
out of his way to protect each and every one of the people present.
After the meeting the group dispersed to get what they needed done. Classes star
ted the
following day; therefore the teachers had to get their lessons prepared. When th
ey were
gone, Harry sat looking out of the window into the sun. He pondered what he was
going to
do to help keep every member of the Light Runners safe. He pulled out a piece of

parchment and wrote a letter to Amelia.

Dear Minister,
I received word from Voldemort that he will be kidnapping and killing one of our
Light
Runners. I think that it is prudent that we raise the security around you. There
are enough
Aurors that can run on the light to accommodate this. I feel it is in your best
interest to
have Moody not far from you at all times. We do not know who he will take. We ju
st know
that he will take someone. Please head my warning. I have sent you and the other
s the
colors of both Voldemort and this mysterious stranger that is in league with him
. Also know
that he has an army of minotaurs in his service. Let me know if there is anythin
g that I can
do. I was wondering if you have a few Aurors that you can spare to help patrol t
he grounds
of Hogwarts.
Sincerely
Harry Potter
Head Master of Hogwarts
Harry quickly sealed the parchment and gave it to Hedwig. She gave him an assuri
ng
hoot and flew out the window to deliver his letter to the Minister. Harry sat ba
ck at his desk.
He was lost as to what to do with himself today. He was too tired to really give
much
thought as an activity for the day. He glanced at his clock and noticed that it
was time for
lunch. He went down to the Great Hall. He was not really hungry, but he wanted t
o keep an
eye on his friends and loved ones as well as the rest of the students. Winky and
Dobby
never strayed far from Harry. They were as worried about him as everyone else wa
s. The
love that they held for Harry was only rivaled by those that were closest to him
.
The day went by slowly for Harry. He wandered the halls until late in the evenin
g. The
prefects that were making their rounds nodded to him, but hurried about their ro
unds.
Harry was not a strict person, but it was clear to see that he was troubled by s
omething.
Somewhere around midnight, Harry was standing by the window in his office. He ha
d just
finished going over the paperwork that was necessary for the running of the scho
ol. He
was facing the portrait of Armando Dippet when out of the corner of his eye he s
aw a light
flash outside. Turning for a closer look he was stunned to see that Hagrid's hut
was on fire.
He quickly wove the light to the other runners and when Draco appeared, he grabb
ed the
blond and apparated them to the grounds. Together they started casting the Aguam
enti
Charm to put out the flames. Harry searched around for a sign of Hagrid. When he
found
none, he quickly wove the light. Racing away on the moonbeams, Harry searched th
e
general vicinity. He noticed that there were minotaurs leaving the forest. He th
ought for a
moment about going after them, but Hagrid was not with them. Therefore, he must
have
been apparated away. By this time the rest of the Light Runners were there. They
looked
in horror at the devastation of Hagrid's hut. They spotted Harry still walking a
round. They
knew he was weaving the light by the look on his face. Unlike most of them, Harr
y could
weave the light and do other things in conjunction with one another. Albus and S
everus
approached Harry, but they were blocked by Draco.
"No," said Draco. "Let him be for a moment. The Dark Lord took Hagrid. Harry is
trying to
find him on the light."
The two older wizards gathered the rest of the Light Runners together and gave t
hem
Draco's explanation. Without even discussing it, they all decided to help Harry.
They all
linked up together and flung themselves at Harry. Draco realizing what they were
doing
grabbed onto the weave and entered himself. Harry felt the weave coming to him a
nd
gathered up the lines of power. He rewove them into the pattern he needed and to
gether
the group flew out into the night searching for their friend. When they got a fe
w miles out
from the school, Harry separated the weave into groups of two and gave them each
a
direction to follow. Together with Draco they headed for the remains of the Ridd
le house.
They were approaching the grounds, when they found a familiar, but offensive col
or
pattern. Harry and Draco repeatedly tried to get around it. Nothing they did how
ever would
make the pattern that was Voldemort move. It took Harry a moment to realize that

Voldemort was being boosted by several other Dark Runners.

"Go back Potter," said the voice of the Voldemort. "I have your oaf of a friend.
You will not
find him. What a great gift of magic this moonlight running is. I thank you for
it because I
will soon be able to beat you Potter. Even when you sleep you are not protected
from me.
I will beat you one way or another. It is too late for your half giant friend. I
have him and
you will not be able to find him in time."
Harry gathered up the strands of light and directed a brilliant white searing li
ght at the
pattern that was Voldemort. Before it could reach him however a beam that was da
rk hit it
and stopped Harry's attack.
"Yes Potter," said Voldemort. "The heirs of Morgan Le Fey will be a match for yo
u. We
WILL beat you and the castle will be mine."
With a mocking laugh, Voldemort's colors vanished. Harry called the rest of the
group
back to the grounds of Hogwarts. He made sure that each person was alright. He k
new
without a doubt that they had to find Hagrid. He also knew that Voldemort told t
he truth. He
had found the heirs of Morgan Le Fey. The new battles would begin all too soon.
Chapter 17 â Death of a Hero
The battle lines were drawn. Those that were part of the Dark Runner group had t
aken its
first hostage. Harry and those that styled themselves as the Light Runners, made
their
way back up to the castle so that they could figure out what they could do about
getting
Hagrid back. The group met in Harry's office. They sat for hours discussing poss
ible
locations and ideal spots that Voldemort could and would be hiding Hagrid. It wa
s decided
that the team would break off into pairs and go in search of Hagrid. Remus and T
onks
would search the forbidden forest. Albus and Hermione would search Greater Londo
n
including the cave where Voldemort hid his horcrux. Minerva and Severus would se
arch
Hogsmeade and the surrounding area. Pomona and Ron would search Godric's Hollow.

Ginny, Luna, Neville, and the rest of the DA would stay and protect the castle.
Harry and
Draco would go to Little Hangleton. Molly, Poppy and Aurors from the Ministry of
Magic
would help guard the school. Once the search was done, each party would head bac
k to
Hogwarts immediately in case this was a ploy to get the Light Runners out of the
school.
Any information found would be directly sent on the sunlight to the other partie
s. Thus the
battle lines were drawn and the plans were made. Within the hour all was set and
the
teams all headed out.
Meanwhile, Voldemort was in his hiding spot. He was torturing Hagrid. Every so o
ften he
would put the Cruciatus Curse on him. When Hagrid would pass out from the pain,
Voldemort would bring him around again and start the torture all over again. As
it stood,
Hagrid had already lost 4 fingers. Voldemort used a severing charm and removed t
hem.
"Tell me what I want to know you filthy half breed," snarled Voldemort. "How is
it that Harry
Potter is so powerful? Where did he find Slytherin's wand? What did he do with i
t? Where
did he learn all these very interesting gifts?
"I'm telling ya, I don't ruddy well know," roared Hagrid. "They don't tell me ev
erything ya
know."
"Very well," sneered Voldemort. "Hold out his hand again. DIFFINDO!"
Hagrid screamed as another finger was severed off his hand. By now he lost all t
he
fingers of his wand hand. He would never hold another wand again. Hagrid cried a
nd
wrenched his hand away from his captives. Holding it tight to his chest he rocke
d back and
forth in pain.
"You are running out of fingers," said Voldemort. "Answer my questions and the p
ain will
stop. Let's break it down into smaller questions shall we? Where is Slytherin's
wand being
hidden?"
Hagrid moaned in pain, but decided to answer.
"It ain't hidden nowhere," he said. "He doesn't have it anymore."
Voldemort stopped and looked at Hagrid in surprise.
"He let a gift like that go?" he asked. "Who did he give it to?"
"I wasn't in the meeting when he gave the wands away," cried Hagrid.
"LIAR," screamed Voldemort. "I can see it in your puny mind where the wand is. Y
ou can
NOT lie to Lord Voldemort. Hold him!
NOOOO!" pleaded Hagrid as Voldemort henchmen grabbed and held out Hagrid's other

hand.
"Too late Hagrid," said Voldemort pointing his wand at Hagrid's hand. "SectumSem
pra!"
With a spurt of blood, Hagrid's hand was dissected from his body. He screamed in
agony.
Voldemort listened to him for a few moments longer and cast a silencing charm on
 him.
Tired of the sport, He used Legilimency on Hagrid. He got he answers to some of
his
questions, but not others.
"So Lucius' son has Slytherin's wand," he mused. "No matter I will have it soon
enough.
All I have to do is locate him and take it from him. It seems this great oaf was
telling the
truth about not knowing where Harry got his power from. Either that or he wasn't
paying
attention and did not hear it or learn it. No matter. In the end I will destroy
Potter and
Malfoy and take what I want."
"Do not forget my Lord," said a mysterious voice. "We get Merlin's body and his
possessions. If you go back on your end of the deal, then we will no longer be a
llies. You
do not scare us. We are as powerful as you are."
"I have not forgotten," said Voldemort. "You shall have what you seek. I have no
wish to
sever our alliance as I did this mongrel's limbs."
Secretly Voldemort did not enjoy sharing the power. When he was done with Potter
and
his rag tag army, he would deal with the Dark Runners as well. There was only ro
om for
one Dark Lord in this world, and he intended to make sure that he stayed at the
top. It may
be true that Dumbledore and Potter destroyed all of his horcruxes, but there wer
e other
ways of making oneself immortal. He would find a way. Right now though, he knew
that he
needed these heirs of Morgan Le Fey if he was going to beat Harry Potter. He had
lost
just about all of his original Death Eaters to Potter. He would get revenge on P
otter if it was
the last thing he did.
"Lock this mess up in a cell," Voldemort ordered his underlings. "The stench of
him is
making me sick."
"Yes Master," said the hooded Death Eater.
Bowing the Death Eaters grabbed Hagrid and dragged him from the room. Others
cleaned up the blood with a cleansing charm. The newly recruited Death Eaters we
re
nervous about the heirs of Morgan Le Fey. The heirs scared them as much as the D
ark
Lord did. It was bad enough with the one Dark Lord. Now there were others with p
ower to
match him. No good would ever come from this.
Back in the Forbidden Forest, Tonks and Remus made a thorough search of the fore
st.
They talked with the centaurs as well as Aragog. Both the centaurs and the acrom
antulas
all agreed to help search for Hagrid. When the discussion was over, Remus and To
nks
finished searching the forest. When they found nothing, they made their way back
to the
castle.
In Godric's Hollow, Pomona and Ron also ran into a dead end. They found nothing.

However they talked too many of the residents and had them all keep a lookout fo
r any
signs of Hagrid. After getting many promises that they too would let Harry or Am
elia know
if they saw or heard anything, Pomona and Ron made their way back to the castle.
Minerva and Severus were having the same problem as the rest of them. They knew
that
the Dark Lord would never hide Hagrid anywhere near the school. However, Harry h
ad
asked them to search and search they did. Aberforth and Rosmerta were on the loo
kout
for anything unusual. Minerva and Severus checked the cave that Sirius had hidde
n in as
well as the Shrieking Shack. When they uncovered nothing, they returned to the c
astle.
Albus and Hermione traveled to the cave that Voldemort had hidden his locket hor
crux.
Together they went in and searched the cave and its hidden area. After a quick b
attle with
some left over inferi, they found nothing else in the cave. They searched all ov
er Greater
London and came up empty handed. With a dejected sigh, they too returned o the c
astle.
Harry and Draco went to the Riddle House. Upon getting to the Gaunt cottage, the
y
stopped and hid for a bit. Harry, using the sunlight, traveled near the Riddle H
ouse. He did
not get to close in case there were and Dark Runners in the vicinity. Harry's ma
in priority
was to see if Hagrid was there. He would fight if he had too, but he was just tr
ying to get
Hagrid out safely. Harry noticed that a muggle repelling charm had been placed u
pon the
grounds making it difficult for muggles to get a clear look at the house and gro
unds. Harry
wondered if there was some kind of alarm in the spell that would trigger if some
one
passed into it. Harry was not a muggle however. In fact Harry was not your typic
al wizard
either. Harry saw nothing out of the ordinary at first. Movement behind the Ridd
le House
caught his attention. When he scanned that area, he saw the Minotaurs. Harry kne
w right
then, that Hagrid was somewhere on the grounds. He pulled back quickly to where
he and
Draco were hidden.
"Dragon I am going to weave the sunlight to the castle," he said. "The minotaurs
are here.
So Hagrid must be here as well. There seems to be some kind of muggle repelling
charm around the area. I'm going to see if I can find Albus and Hermione. Cover
me ok?"
Sure Harry," he replied. "I have got you covered there. I'll leave a trickle ope
n for you to
latch on to if you need it. I will keep watch on the light over the house. Harry
, please hurry.
We need to get Hagrid back. I have a feeling we are running on borrowed time."
Harry nodded in agreement and turned in the direction he knew the castle would b
e. He
quickly wove the light and flew to the castle. When he got there he noticed the
rest of the
teams had all returned. Quickly he launched his colors at all present and told t
hem what
they found and suspected. Albus sent a reply that He, Severus, Minerva, Ron, and

Hermione would be there shortly. Harry let them loose from the weave and hurried
back
to Draco.
Draco looked at him for a moment. He had seen Harry before when he was angry. He

even saw Harry when he was terrified. The look now on Harry's face made him paus
e for
a second and take s step back. The look of deep loathing was etched on Harry's f
ace.
Harry, noticing the horrified expression on Draco's face eased his features. He
gave the
blond a quick squeeze on the arm and smile at him to ease his comfort.
"It is not you Dragon," he said. "Hagrid has been my friend since the night I tu
ned 11. He
was the one that explained to me about Hogwarts and magic and such. He is a wond
erful
friend. I am furious that I did not think to wards the grounds against Minotaurs
."
"I know Harry," said Draco. "I would like to think that you would have the same
look on
your face if it was me V-Voldemort had."
Harry faced Draco and looked him square in the eyes.
"Draco," he said. "I would be crushed if it were you in there. It would hurt if
ANY of my
friends were in there. You have made such an impact in my life over the last 2 y
ears that if
anything were to happen to you, I am not sure how I would deal with it."
Draco gave Harry a smile. Harry could see the relief in the blue eyes of his fri
end.
Forgotten were the days when Harry and Draco were bitter enemies. Harry was no l
onger
the arrogant Gryffindor and Draco was no longer the jerk of Hogwarts. They were
now
Dragon and Phoenix.
Harry came up with a start after that thought.
"That's it," he exclaimed. "When the rest get here, I will use my Animagus form
and go
look. I forgot that I am a multi Animagus. I can turn into a badger, snake, eagl
e, lion, and
a phoenix. I can slip past the Minotaurs and go see if Hagrid is in the house."
"That is a brilliant idea Harry," said Albus coming around the corner. "I think
it wise to not
fight yet. Let us see if Hagrid is there first. If he is we can devise a battle
plan to get him
out."
Hermione and Ron were both nodding at this statement.
"I will be right back then," said Harry.
Quickly Harry transformed into an eagle and flew across the grounds to the Riddl
e House.
When he got near enough he landed and quickly turned into a snake and entered a
hole
in the side of the house. Harry could adjust his size, so he went as a small sna
ke so that
he could have access to more places without being seen. He went to the deepest p
art of
the house first. He checked room after room. Finally he came to a cell that was
in the
back of the cellar. It was magically sealed from entry. Harry raised his head an
d gave a
quick look around. When he noticed no one was there, he quickly transformed back
into
his human form. He looked into the room. Hagrid was unconscious, but still alive
. Harry
quickly examined the magical lock on the door. He raised his wand to unlock it w
hen he
heard a sound behind him. Turning he looked into the snake like eyes of Voldemor
t.
"Well, Well Potter," said Voldemort. "It looks like we meet again. It also looks
like you were
foolish enough to come alone. What would possess you to do something so foolish?
Does
this half breed mean that much to you?"
"Tom Riddle," sneered Harry sarcastically. "I may be alone, but you are no match
for me.
The answer to your questions is YES. Hagrid does mean that much to me."
"I may not be a match to you alone Potter," said Voldemort reluctantly. "However
you are
mistaken if you think that I am alone.
Voldemort raised his wand and cancelled the spell. Harry looked around and saw t
hat
there were 20 Death Eaters and 10 Minotaurs in front of him. Quickly he tallied
the count
in his head. Just to prove to Voldemort that he was not scared, he smiled and wa
ited.
Voldemort was not expecting this reaction from Harry. When he recovered he raise
d his
wand and pointed it at Harry.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" screamed Voldemort.
"One would have thought by now, that you would know you can not kill me with tha
t spell,"
said Harry from behind the group.
"How did you do that?" asked Voldemort trying to get another shot at Harry.
"The secret is in the blood," said Harry with a laugh. "I hate to break up this
little party, but I
must be going for now. Just know that I will be back in a few moments with the r
est of my
group. The Light Runners are here and we will be taking our friend back."
Harry made an obscene gesture at Voldemort and apparated back to the Gaunt cotta
ge.
He quickly told the rest of the group what he saw. He also told them what he did
to
Voldemort.
"It will be a fight," said Harry with a sad look on his face. "Hagrid is hurt pr
etty badly. One of
his hands I missing."
"SectumSempra," muttered Severus with a dark look.
"It would seem so my friend," Harry replied. "Did you bring Excalibur?"
"No," said Severus. "I did not think I would need it."
"No matter," said Harry. "Where is it?"
"Hidden behind my fireplace in my rooms," said Severus. "Why do you ask?"
"I'm going to go get it and Godric's sword," he replied. "If we have to fight, l
et us fight with
every thing we can."
Severus nodded his head in agreement and told Harry exactly where to find the hi
dden
compartment. Harry grinned and told Severus, that he already knew about it. With
a quick
turn on the spot, he disappeared. In 3 minutes, he was back holding out Excalibu
r to
Severus and holding Godric's sword in the other hand. He quickly wove the light
and
showed them the entire outline of the house down to where Hagrid was being kept
hostage. He gave a nod to Ron to start some strategy as to how to get Hagrid out
of the
house alive. When all saw what Harry had to show them, he untangled the weave. R
on
and Severus sat together and went over option and ideas. Albus and Hermione sat
and
went over the charms and incantations they could use on a Minotaur.
Harry was standing with the group in a patch of light when they felt the unstead
y nudge of
someone weaving on the light. Harry quickly gathered the strands and raced to an
swer.
He pulled the rest of the group with him as he went. It was Hagrid. His colors w
ere weak
and he was barely able to hold the weave. Harry gathered some energy and flung i
t to
Hagrid.
"Harry," said Hagrid weakly. "I am not going ter make it. I have lost too much b
lood. I
came ter warn ye that the Dark Runners are laying a trap fer ye. You mustn't com
e back
into the house. They er talkin 'bout tryin ter get you shadow lost."
"We have to get you out of there," said a horrified Harry.
He felt the others nod their agreement in the weave.
"No Harry," whispered Hagrid getting weaker. "It is to late fer me. Save yerself
. And Harry,
please take care of Grawpie fer me."
Harry felt Hagrid's colors getting weaker by the moment. His anger and rage star
ted to
build. The others were just as angry as he was. They were about to pour more pow
er into
Hagrid, when Voldemort's colors infiltrated the weave.
"Ah Potter," he said. "I see you have the key members of your group with you. Th
is will
make it all the more fun for me. Watch this. I have something I want to show you
."
Harry and the group watched in spite of themselves. Voldemort turned and pointed
his
wand at Hagrid.
"AVADA KEDAVRA," screamed Voldemort.
"NO!" screamed Harry.
The weave of light that was Hagrid went out. Harry and the rest of the Light Run
ners felt the
loss of one of their own. Hatred burned in Harry's mind. He looked around at the
rest of
the group. They were a little dazed at Harry's abrupt ending of the weave, but t
hey all
understood why he did it. None of them wanted to see any more than they already
had.
"I will have Riddle's head for this," said Harry through tears and clenched teet
h.
"We will help you Harry," said Hermione. "Now is not the time."
She turned and pointed her wand at the Riddle House.
"Accio, Hagrid's body," she intoned.
Within moments a crash could be heard and Hagrid's body landed in a bloody heap
at
her feet. Albus quickly waved his wand and sent Hagrid's body back to Hogwarts.
"OK," said Harry. "Draco loan me your wand for a moment please. When I am done w
ith
what I am about to do, Albus I want you to get us out of here."
Draco looked at Harry cautiously, but handed him his wand. The wand that was his
own
Hawthorne and unicorn tail combined with Slytherin's Yew and Basilisk venom was
passed into Harry waiting hand. Albus was about to ask what Harry had in mind an
d then
changed his mind. He watched as Harry brought forth his own combined wands of Ho
lly
and Phoenix tail feather and Merlin's, Oak and Gryphon feather. Harry gave a tig
ht smile
to both Albus and Draco and turned to face the Riddle House. He raised both wand
s and
pointed them at the House.
"INCENDIO!" Harry screamed.
Fire flew from both wand tips and headed straight for the house. The power of th
e
incantation was so great that each of the people present in the clearing felt th
e heat as it
poured from Harry. Harry gave the spell every ounce of power that he had. Albus
however was watching closely. He noticed that even as strong as the spell was, t
hat Harry
was directing it where he wanted it to go. He started at the bottom of the house
and held
the incantation until the flames could not be put out in time to save it. Minerv
a, Severus,
and the rest of the group all pulled out their wands. If there was to be a battl
e, they would
be ready. They could hear the screams from the Death Eaters. However, none of th
e
Death Eaters could get near enough to the flame to extinguish it. Harry's power
was too
much for even Voldemort to try and save the house. Voldemort quickly scanned the
area
trying to locate Harry's position. By then it was too late to save the house. He
wanted to do
harm to Harry. When he finally located Harry he cast a spell at him. Harry quick
ly sent the
flames at the spell and negated it. Once the house was totally engulfed in flame
s, Harry
lowered the wands. He looked around at Albus and then slowly hit the ground in a
dead
faint. Draco and Severus both rushed over to Harry. Albus quickly created a port
key and
everyone grabbed hold just as Voldemort came to where they were standing. With a
jerk
behind their navels, the group landed in Harry's office.
"Get Poppy in here immediately," said Albus as he and Draco laid Harry on his be
d.
Chapter 18 - Slytherin to Slytherin Showdown
Minerva and Hermione ran from the room in search of the school nurse. A few minu
tes
later the three women came running in. Poppy pushed everyone aside and quickly r
an a
diagnostic over Harry.
"There is nothing wrong with him that I can see," she said flabbergasted. "It ap
pears that
he just passed out."
There was a collective sigh throughout the room. All of those present dropped we
arily into
chairs. They were worried that Harry had dome damage to himself. After all, that
was quite
a lot of power that he poured into the spell.
"I have Hagrid's body prepared for burial," said Poppy to the room at large. "I
think it
would be appropriate for him to be buried on the edge of the Forbidden Forest."
"I agree with you," said Albus. "However the choice is not up to us. Harry is th
e only one
who can make that call."
"I happen to think that it is a brilliant idea," said Harry startling everyone i
n the room.
"Hagrid spent his whole life here on the grounds. It is only fitting that we bur
y him where he
had family and friends. I have a few things I need to get done. Draco I would ap
preciate
your assistance."
"You are not going anywhere yet Potter," Poppy said sharply. "You just passed ou
t and we
want to make sure that you are ok."
"Poppy," he said. "I appreciate your concern, but I am fine. My emotions just go
t the best
of me. That is all. I really have to get things started. Albus get the SFG and t
he DA ready
for battle. It will be a few days until Voldemort is here. Ron I need you to get
a strategy
going. Hermione and Minerva, I need you to get Tonks and Remus and fill them in
on
what is going on. I want our students protected. Severus, get the prefects and t
he Head
Boys and Girls to double their patrols."
Everyone present nodded and left the room. Harry looked at Draco and held out hi
s
hands. Draco looked at him sadly, but grabbed his hands. Harry gave a slight shi
ft and
apparated them to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. He quickly outlined to Draco
what he
had in mind for the tomb of Hagrid. Together they raised their wands and got to
work. An
hour later, the tomb was ready to receive the friendly half giant who would fore
ver lie in it.
On it, Harry used a permanent sticking charm to put Hagrid's pink umbrella that
held the
broken pieces of his wand over the door. From there Harry and Draco entered the
Forbidden Forest. They made their way to Grawp's cave. Harry sat the giant down
and
told him what had happened. The giant bellowed his anger at the death of his bro
ther.
Harry told the giant that he would get revenge on the person that killed him. Gr
awp
nodded his head and returned to his cave. Sobs could be heard from inside. Harry
and
Draco set out from there to locate Ronan and Bane. When he found the centaur her
d,
Harry quickly told them what had happened.
"We are sorry to hear about the loss of one we considered a friend," said Ronan.
 "We will
do our part to protect the forest. You have the full support of the centaur herd
."
"Thank you Ronan," replied Harry. "That means a lot to me. I too, will miss Hagr
id. He
was my first friend. He was the one that introduced me to this world."
"You have much on your shoulders young one," said Magorian. "Everything will hap
pen
as it is supposed to. Time is fleeting in the world and we are right along side
of it."
"That is only to true my friend," said Harry. "I have a few other things to do.
For now, I will
take my leave. Thank you again for your support."
Harry and Draco bowed to the centaurs and left. They headed deeper into the fore
st than
Draco had ever been before. Harry knew the way. He and Ron had been here before
in
their second year. It was not long before they could here the click of the acrom
antulas that
lived in the glen.
Aragog," Harry called out loudly. "I need to speak with you. It is very importan
t that I get
safe passage to and from you."
"You have it Harry Potter," called Aragog. "What is it that is so important?"
"Voldemort murdered Hagrid," said Harry with tears forming in his eyes.
The anger could be heard and felt as the giant spiders grew agitated. Harry coul
d not
blame them. He was just as angry as they were. Hagrid was loved by many things i
n the
forest.
"What are you planning Harry Potter?" asked Aragog when he calmed down.
"Voldemort plans on bringing and army of Minotaurs into the forest to attack the
castle,"
Harry stated. "I am going to all of Hagrid's friends and asking them to help us
eliminate
this threat. We have the special trained groups at the school who are ready. The
centaurs
will do their part by protecting the forest. Grawp will be at the school to help
with any giants
that Voldemort brings. I am thinking that your family can attack the Minotaurs a
nd start
bringing them in. They would make an excellent meal for your family. I personall
y am
going after the abomination that killed Hagrid. I will have his head this time."
"That is an acceptable plan," stated Aragog. "My family owes a lot to Hagrid. We
will help
you avenge his death. You may count us in."
"I wanted to tell you," continued Harry. "That I own the forbidden forest. As lo
ng as I am
alive, you and your family will be protected by me. I vow the same friendship to
you that
you had with Hagrid."
"Thank you Harry Potter," said Aragog. "Hagrid was correct about you. You are in
deed a
rare human. In turn I vow that no one in my family will harm you or the one stan
ding next
to you."
Harry looked over at Draco. He had forgotten the blond was there for a moment. W
ith a
bow to Aragog he grabbed Draco's arm and they left the glen. Together they made
their
way back to Hagrid's hut. They entered the hut and stood by the bed that held Ha
grid's
body. Both young men were openly crying by this time. They were so lost in their

thoughts, that they did not hear the door open. Albus entered followed by Severu
s. Each of
the older wizards walked up to a younger one and held them.
"We shall all miss him," said Albus. "Harry, I have taken the liberty of invitin
g Madam
Maxime to the funeral. I hope that is ok with you."
"I think Hagrid would have liked that," said Harry nodding at Albus. "I went and
talked with
the centaurs, Grawp, and Aragog. All will help us in the battle coming soon."
"The prefects and Head Boys and Girls are already in the process of doubling and
 even
tripling the patrols of the school," said Severus.
"The DA and SFG are also ready," stated Albus.
"The Ministry of Magic has been notified as well," said Minerva entering the roo
m and
joining the group near Hagrid.
"Tonks and Remus are ready as well," said Hermione entering and joining them.
"I have the battle plan all ready set up," said Ron walking in with Ginny.
Together they stood with the group who all linked their arms together and stood.
Each was
remembering their times with Hagrid.
"Remember those awful flobber worms?" asked Ron.
The other former students of Hagrid all chuckled at this.
"Goodness," said Harry. "Remember him trying to raise Norbert here in the hut?"
"That one caused us no amount of trouble," said Draco. "I think most of us lost
points and
got detentions for that one."
"The nifflers were fun though," said Ron.
"I'm sorry I missed that class," said Hermione.
"I remember him trying to wrestle with trolls in the forest when he was a studen
t," said
Albus with a small smile on his face. "Also I remember the time he was trying to
raise
werewolf cubs in his dorm room. That was a fiasco."
The group all laughed. They each took turns remembering some crazy thing that Ha
grid
had done. Others came and went in the hut. Harry never left Hagrid's side. Dobby
and
Winky brought him food at the hut.
Two days later the sky was full of flying horses as Madam Maxime arrived in her
powder
blue carriage. Albus went out to greet her as she and a couple of her graduate s
tudents
got her horses in a paddock and set up. Harry came out of Hagrid's hut and appro
ached
her. She smiled down at him and he led her to where Hagrid was lying. Before the
y went
inside, Harry pointed out to her, where Hagrid would be laid to rest. She nodded
her
approval and went inside. Harry quietly shut the door behind her giving her the
privacy
she needed. An hour later she came out. Her eyes were red and puffy. She walked
up to
Harry and together they made their way to the castle.
The students were all subdued. Many, like Harry and Hermione, loved Hagrid. Most
of
the students would miss the friendly atmosphere that Hagrid had brought to their
lives.
Albus had taken it upon himself to bring Professor Grubbly-Plank in to replace H
agrid for
classes. Harry gave her a pat on the arm as he passed by her. Harry led Madam
Maxime to Hagrid's chair and left her to approach the podium.
"Times are dark once again," he began. "Voldemort is on the move. It will be a f
ew days
before he arrives, but he is coming. He will bring with him anything he can. Our
biggest
concern is the Minotaurs that he recruited from Greece. Last time I looked, he h
ad close
to 300 of them. We do not want you all to panic however. Hagrid had many friends
in the
Forbidden Forest. We have those friends that will help up to avenge the death of
our
beloved Care of Magical Creatures professor. I will ask that each student remain
in the
castle for the next few days. Herbology classes and Care of Magical Creatures cl
asses
are cancelled until the attack is over. I want each of you to write to your pare
nts and let
them know what has happened. Many were friends of Hagrid's as well. They will wa
nt to
know and some may want to come to the castle to help us fight. All Hogsmeade tri
ps are
hereby cancelled until further notice. Also all Quidditch matches and training a
re hereby
cancelled. This is for your own safety. We have already lost one we loved dearly
. I do not
want us to lose anyone else. Members of the DA and the SFG are to assist the pre
fects
and Heads to patrol the corridors. All Heads of House are to make sure that all
students
are in their dorms no later than 9:00."
When Harry was finished he sat down. From there the tables filled with food. Har
ry was not
really hungry, but he picked at his food so that he would not hurt Winky and Dob
by's
feelings. The rest of the staff members were in the same mind thought as Harry.
The next morning Harry and the rest of the Light Runners with Madam Maxime by th
eir
side laid Hagrid to rest and sealed his tomb. It was a somber affair. The centau
rs came
out of the forest and paid their respects. The unicorns also came out. The lead
male
stallion placed his horn to Hagrid's tomb. When he lifted it, there was a glowin
g diamond
there. When the glowing stopped, a type of shell encased the tomb. This ensured
that they
body would never decay.
Three days later, Harry was sitting with all the Light Runners that lived and ta
ught in the
castle. The Ministry of Magic was on alert. Aurors that could and even couldn't
run on the
light were patrolling the grounds of the castle. Moody stayed near Amelia at all
times.
Scrimgeour was the one that was in charge of all Aurors at Hogwarts. Tonks was h
is
second in command. They were the only two Aurors that did not leave the castle.
Members of the DA and the SFG were approaching Rufus with questions about tactic
s
and interests in the Auror program. He answered all of their questions as polite
ly as he
could, but his thoughts were of protecting them and getting them through this ba
ttle. He
referred all the strategy of defending the castle to Ron. During the meeting tha
t night,
Harry was just about to make his statement, when he stood up. Those that could r
un on
the light knew exactly what was going on. The look on Harry's face said that he
was caught
in a weave. Harry was no ordinary light runner. He could weave and move about at
the
same time. He could also talk to others while weaving. However, they also knew t
hat Harry
would never reveal that information to the enemy. So they waited patiently for t
he weaving
to end. When Harry came to, he raised his hands and sent green sparks to every r
oom in
the castle. The forces of Voldemort were seen in the forest not more than 10 mil
es from
the castle. Albus raised his wand and sent patronuses to Hogsmeade to inform key

members that the attack would begin soon. All around the castle, activity could
be seen
and heard. Harry sent a patronus to Aragog informing him that the enemy had been

spotted. Severus wove the light and when he found the centaurs sent them the sam
e
message. Within an hour, the first line of Minotaurs could be heard approaching
the
castle. Grawp and Madam Maxime were on the grounds. Harry and the rest of the Li
ght
Runners got into their positions. Harry, Draco, and Hermione formed one team. Se
verus,
Minerva, and Ginny formed another. Albus, Neville and Pomona formed a third. Eac
h
group stood about 50 yards from the other. They all faced the forest and waited.
They did not have to wait long. Minotaurs that ranged from 7 to 9 feet tall ente
red the
clearing behind Voldemort. They spread out and formed a functional fighting unit
. Each
minotaur carried a battle axe. Harry held the sword of Gryffindor and Severus ca
rried
Excalibur.
"I think you have something that belongs to me traitor," said Voldemort to Draco
. "I want
Slytherin's wand. It is rightfully mine. You have no business carrying it or usi
ng it.
"Actually Tom," said Harry sarcastically. "The wand is MINE and I said he can ca
rry and
use it. If you want to take it from him, you have to go through me to get it. Le
t us be
realistic Tom, you don't stand a chance of getting past me."
"We shall see Potter," said Voldemort with a sneer. "MINOTAURS ATTACK"
The half bull, half men creatures rushed into the clearing. The Hogwarts defende
rs were
ready for them however. Whenever a minotaur would slash at one of the Light Runn
ers,
they would disappear only to reappear somewhere else. Every now and again a mino
taur
would actually find the group, only to be brought down by Harry, Severus, or Alb
us. From
the forest, angry grunts could be heard as the occasional minotaur would disappe
ar into
the tree tops or get dragged away. Harry had eyes for one being and one being on
ly. He
watched as Voldemort gave orders to his army and directed them to the best place
s for
attack. He could not personally come near the castle, as Harry's wards still pre
vented him
from doing so.
"Let us end this POTTER," screamed Voldemort. "Let it be just you and I. Come ou
t and
face me."
"Music to my ears Tom," Harry replied. "Why don't you try turning around?"
Voldemort whirled around and stared in shock. Harry was standing there with a wa
nd in
one hand and the sword of Godric Gryffindor in the other. Harry did not even bat
an
eyelash as he sent the stunning spell at Voldemort.
Voldemort screamed in fury as he deflected the spell. As he was about to summon
a few
minotaurs to come to his aid, he noticed that a force field was forming around H
arry and
himself. When he looked around a second time he could see Godric Gryffindor, Hel
ga
Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin all standing at a corner hol
ding out
their hands to each other. The force field comprised of Godric's red, Helga's ye
llow,
Rowena's blue, and Salazar's green. The flow surrounded the combatants. Those on
the
outside stopped fighting and turned to watch what was going on. Even the minotau
rs
stopped and despite themselves turned to watch the conflict between the two in t
he center
of the clearing. Occasionally a grunt of pain could be heard as a minotaur here
and there
would disappear to become food for Aragog's family. Out of the 300 minotaurs tha
t
Voldemort started with, he had about 175 left. Harry was not that surprised to s
ee the
founders standing there.
"Why are you not helping me?" Voldemort asked Salazar. "I am your descendant. I
am
your only descendant. You should be helping me, not Potter."
"You are NOT my only descendant," replied Salazar. "Harry is also my descendant.
You
are something that I am ashamed of. Let this be the final battle between you."
Salazar said no more after that. He and the rest of the founders continued to fo
rm the
barrier around the two combatants.
"Voldemort snarled and turned to Harry.
"You think you have it all," he said. "You are nothing. I will crush you like I
should have
done when you were a baby. I will be immortal and I will kill you."
"How?" asked Harry. "Your horcruxes are destroyed. The unicorns refuse to go nea
r you.
Nicholas Flamel is deceased and Albus surely won't give you the recipe for the e
lixir of
life."
"There are other ways Potter," Voldemort said. "Once you are dead, I will take t
he castle
and it will be my personal research lab."
"That is a problem for you then Tom," said Harry conversationally. "I do not int
end to die
tonight or anytime soon. I will not be the one who is defeated this night."
'Enough chatter Potter," came the reply. "This time we duel to the finish."
"Agreed," said Harry.
The two heirs of Slytherin circled each other for a moment.
"AVADA KEDAVRA" said Voldemort.
Harry did not respond. He merely flicked the sword of Gryffindor to intercept th
e spell.
Voldemort ground his teeth in frustration
"IMPERIO" he screamed.
Harry just stood there. He was one of the few people that the spell had no affec
t upon.
Again he did nothing to retaliate.
"CRUCIO," said Voldemort.
Harry merely shrugged his shoulders. Bellatrix had tried this spell on him with
unsatisfactory results.
"INCENDIO," said Voldemort getting desperate.
This time Harry decided to act. As the fire spell flew towards him, he raised hi
s own wand.
"Aguamenti," he said calmly watching as his water spell extinguished the fire.
Voldemort was getting really furious by this time. Every spell he threw at Harry
, Harry
would either dodge or counter. Finally Harry had enough.
"EXPELLIARMUS, CONFRINGO, PETRIFICUS TOTALUS," he shouted in rapid
succession.
Harry watched as Voldemort's wand flew into the air. Voldemort was able to dodge
the
blasting curse, but in doing so, he walked into the full body bind. Fear now cro
ssed his
face for the first time in his life. He knew that Harry had beaten him. Harry wa
lked over to
Voldemort and used the levitation charm so that Voldemort could be standing as h
e
watched. He grabbed Voldemort's wand and with a quick gesture, snapped it in two

pieces. From there he raised the sword of Godric Gryffindor. He looked over at G
odric
who nodded. From there he looked to Helga who also gave a nod. Rowena gave her
approval as well. Harry turned Voldemort to each of the founders as he waited fo
r their
approval. Last, but not least, Harry turned Voldemort so that he was facing Sala
zar.
"You are the last founder," said Harry. "You are also our descendant. Is it your
wish that I
destroy this evil person from harming anyone else near the school that you helpe
d to
build?"
"Once before I told you that Tom is no longer my descendant," replied Salazar. "
I am in
agreement with the other founders. End this once and for all Harry."
Harry turned to Voldemort. Tears were falling from his eyes.
"I am sorry that this has to happen," he said. "You took my mom and dad from me.
On
your orders Sirius was killed. On your orders, countless others died. Last but n
ot least,
you killed Hagrid as I watched. For this crime as well as the others, I am your
trial, jury,
and executioner."
Voldemort's eyes grew wide as Harry once again lifted the sword of Godric Gryffi
ndor and
swung it with all his might. All those on the outside of the circle watched as t
he sword
whistled through the air and severed the head off of Voldemort. Harry then raise
d his hand
and summoned his dropped wand.
"INCENDIO," he screamed pointing his wand at Voldemort's body.
The founders dropped their hands and the force field surrounding him lifted. Alb
us and
the rest of the group approached Harry. In the back ground, the few remaining mi
notaurs
shook their heads as the spell that had been cast upon them was lifted. They loo
ked
around at the scene before them and each dropped their axe and dropped to one kn
ee.
"SONORUS," said Harry. "Aragog call your family back. The battle is won. Ronan a
nd
Bane please pull back your forces. For you minotaurs that are left, I suggest th
at you
leave as quickly as you can. For you only have my protection for the next two ho
urs. Any
of you that are left after the end of those two hours are open season for Aragog
and his
family to eat. Now go before I change my mind. QUIETUS."
Harry stood there and watched as Voldemort's body burned. Albus, Draco, and Seve
rus
all stood next to him.
"Harry we have only a couple of casualties on our side," said Albus quietly. "Ru
fus
Scrimgeour is dead. Remus is hurt, but he will pull through. Minerva is hurt as
well, but it
is minor. Severus has a broken arm, but he is getting patched up by Poppy as we
speak."
"Why did I have the weakness to cry?" asked Harry. "Right before I killed him, I
started to
cry."
"That is because of the kind nature of your heart," said Rowena. "The compassion
that
you have for all living creatures good and evil marks you as a caring and loving

individual. The fact that you can feel pain even at the death of your enemy make
s you the
person that everyone loves so much."
"We are sorry that you had to go through all of that," said Helga coming to stan
d beside
her. "If we could have taken and done this task for you, we would have."
"You were the only one that could defeat him Harry," said Godric coming to stand
with the
others. "We knew what we were setting you up for, but there was no other way. It
was
Helga that gave Sybil Trelawney the prophecy that stated you were the one."
"We did what we could to help you through this Harry," said Salazar at last. "We
gave all of
those that could assist you the proper tools to do it with. Then when you were a
bout to
come of age, we gave you all the knowledge we had built up over the last 1000 ye
ars."
"Yet it is not over for me," said Harry sadly. "Now I have to deal with the enem
ies of
Merlin. Will it ever end for me?"
"Sadly Harry," said Helga. "It will not end for awhile. I promise you that one d
ay it will end,
but your hardships are not going to end any time soon. You may lose more of thos
e you
care about. Those you thought of as friends may turn out to be enemies. However,
it will
end one day."
Pomona, Draco, Ginny, and Hermione all came forward. In their hands, each held t
wo
wands. One was theirs and the other was a founder's. Harry reached out and took
the
wands and pocketed them. He would create an unbreakable display case so that the
y
could be safely shown and not locked away. Slowly the rest of the Light Runners
approached. Harry opened his arms, and the group all stood together in a hug. Wh
en
Harry looked around, the four founders were still standing there. When they noti
ced that
Harry was watching them, they all gave him a bow of deepest respect and faded fr
om
view.
The following days saw Harry and the rest of the castle getting things back to n
ormal.
Amelia had awarded Harry with another Order of Merlin 1st class. Of the 300 mino
taurs
that had attacked the school, 122 made it safely out of the forest and was curre
ntly
heading back home.
Harry was standing in the window of his office. He sighed to himself. He wondere
d when
the Dark Runners would strike and where. He also wondered who would take Voldemo
rt's
place.
Chapter 19 â Flight of the Phoenix
The school settled down after the Battle of the Slytherins. Harry was amused at
the name.
He did not think it was common knowledge that he was an heir of Slytherin. Many
families
sent gifts of affection for finally getting rid of the Dark Lord. Quite a few of
the envelopes
had marriage proposals in them. Harry and Draco would chuckle at these. Harry wo
uld
then sit and send a polite letter to the proposer declining. Harry knew that the
lead Dark
Runner was building up his forces. He also knew that eventually they would strik
e and hit
the group fondly called the Light Runners. Harry wondered what to do about the s
ituation.
He had yet to sit down with the rest of the Runners and ask their opinions about
what
should happen. Harry was fairly certain that no one but the Light Runners knew a
bout his
ability with a sixth gem color. He was fairly able to keep that hidden from sigh
t.
"What are you thinking about Phoenix?" asked Draco fondly.
"Do you even have to ask?" replied Harry. "I just wonder where they are and what
they are
planning. I hate not knowing if one of you will be next on their list to try and
take over this
castle and get to the remains of Merlin. It's not like they can harm us if they
desecrate his
body. At least with Voldemort, I could use the link to see what he was doing. I
can't with
these Dark Runners."
"I know what you mean," said Draco. "That is a mystery to me as well. Maybe we s
hould
call a meeting of the Light Runners and discuss our options. I tell you what. Wh
y don't you
transform into your phoenix form and go flying. I'll go talk to Albus and Severu
s for you. I'll
set up a meeting for this evening around seven.
"That is an excellent idea Dragon," said Harry. "I have not gone on a leisure fl
ight in over
a year. Nor have I ever used my phoenix form. I think that Apollo, Artemis, and
Fawkes
would enjoy the flight as well."
"Good thinking," replied Draco. "Now go and relax. I will take care of everythin
g. I'll see
you later."
Harry stood near the phoenixes for a moment deep in conversation with them. When
he
looked up, he concentrated on their agile bodies and with a small pop, he transf
ormed
into a phoenix himself. Draco stood there with a gasp on his lips and surprise o
n his face.
"Transform back," said Draco excitedly.
Confused Harry popped back into his human form and looked over at the blond that
was
running for the fireplace. The twin phoenixes were trilling happily at something
that Harry
could not understand.
"What is wrong with you Dragon?" asked Harry. "What happened that has you so exc
ited
like this?"
Draco waved him quiet and proceeded to call Albus and Severus in the fire. Draco
quickly
called all of the Light Runners that lived in the castle and told them to hurry
to the Head
Master's office. It was about five minutes later that every Light Runner in the
castle was
breathing hard, but had appeared in the office.
"What is going on?" demanded Minerva breathing hard.
"Yeah," chimed in Ron holding a stitch in his side. "You scared us half to death
. We
thought that Harry or the castle or someone was under attack."
"I think you had better explain yourself Draco," said Severus walking up to him.
By this time Draco was all but jumping up and down with excitement. Albus was on
e of the
few that was not mumbling something angry about the abrupt summons. This was mai
nly
due to the fact that Harry was standing there with the most confused expression
on his
face.
"You all just HAVE to see this," he bubbled. "Albus call Fawkes."
Albus looked a little confused, but complied. It was highly unusual to see Draco
in this
frame of mind. With a flash of fire, Fawkes appeared in the room and flew to per
ch on
Dumbledore's shoulder. Draco went over to the double perch and had Apollo and Ar
temis
perch on each of his shoulders. When this was done, he turned to Harry.
"Ok Harry," he said quickly. "Transform back into your phoenix form."
Harry concentrated on his phoenix form and with a small pop and flew to perch on
the
desk. He stood there looking at the rest of the group. In this form he could fee
l their
emotions as well as see their Runner colors. He looked at all of the shocked or
otherwise
dumbfounded expressions on their faces. Quickly he launched into the air and wit
h a pop
transformed back into his human form.
"Would someone mind telling me what is going on," he stated. "This is getting we
ird. Why
are you all so shocked? It's not like others can't transform into a phoenix."
"That is true Harry," said Dumbledore recovering first. "However it seems that t
he laws of
magic once again are different with you. Before I explain what we are so shocked
about I
want to ask you a question. What did you see when you were in your phoenix form?
"
"Well I could see your colors more clearly," stated Harry becoming very worried
and
confused. "I could also sense your emotions as well. Why do you ask Albus?"
Albus did not answer immediately. Instead he turned to Minerva.
"Did you never make Harry transform into his phoenix before?" he asked her.
"No I didn't Albus," she replied. "He could transform into his eagle form and hi
s lion form,
so naturally I figured he could transform into the rest of his forms as well."
"Will someone please tell me what is gong on," demanded Harry getting a touch
impatient.
"Harry, I would like you to only transform your arms this time," said Minerva. "
Just
concentrate on your arms becoming wings."
Harry frowned at his Animagus mentor, but complied. He closed his eyes and pictu
red the
wings of the phoenix. With a small sensation, he knew he was successful. He look
ed down
and finally saw what everyone else was seeing. He quickly shook his arms to tran
sform
them back into human ones. He walked over to Apollo and stared into the phoenix'
s eyes.
Apollo trilled at him. Harry turned to the rest of the group.
"My whole body is the same isn't it?" he asked a little shocked.
"Yes Harry," said Albus. "Your phoenix Animagus form is indeed all silver."
"How is this possible Albus?" asked Harry. "I stand out enough already. Why woul
d this
happen on top of everything else?"
"As to that Harry, I do not know," admitted Albus. "I think that Miss Granger, M
inerva, and I
can start researching it for you if you like."
"Yes," said Harry sitting down at his desk. "I think that would be a good idea."
"You also mentioned that you could see our colors and feel our emotions Harry,"
prompted Severus.
"Yes I could Sev," replied Harry. "Your runner colors were as vivid to my phoeni
x eyes as
if I were in a weave with you."
"I think that it is time for us to visit Merlin and see what he can tell us abou
t this," said
Albus.
"That will not be necessary," said a voice behind them.
Startled, everyone jumped and turned around quickly. Some were grabbing their wa
nds
in the process. The image of Merlin appeared in the room. When he was as solid,
he
walked over to stand beside Harry. Harry looked up from his shocked stare and ga
zed at
his ancestor.
"Are you going to explain this?" asked Harry.
"Yes Harry," he replied. "Everyone have a seat. The explanation is fairly simple
."
Albus and Minerva quickly conjured chairs for everyone. As they were sitting, Ha
rry
walked over to stand in the light of the sun that was streaming through the wind
ow. Apollo
flew over and perched on his shoulder. Fawkes started singing a calming song, an
d Harry
began to visibly relax. He smiled over at the older phoenix.
Merlin sat in Harry's chair behind the desk. He looked around the room and saw t
hat
everyone had their eyes fixed him.
"Animagus training is difficult," said Merlin. "I know that only a few of you ca
n do it. Others
of you have the potential, but have not gone through the training yet. For insta
nce, Draco
and Hermione have the potential to be Animagus. Minerva, Albus, Severus are alre
ady
Animagus. Harry is unique in many ways. He is a multi Animagus. The rest of you
are
not. In the instance of Hermione and Draco, they will be what we call magical An
imagus.
This means that they will turn into a creature that has magic. For instance unic
orns,
dragons, phoenixes, gryphons, etc."
"This young lady is also unique," said Merlin pointing at Ginny. "Like Harry she
will be a
multi Animagus. However her forms will not be that of a magical creature. It wil
l be
something along the lines of a bird, cat, or dog. Are you all understanding what
I am
saying so far?"
Just about everyone in the room nodded their heads in understanding. Ginny, Herm
ione,
and Draco all sat there with an excited look on their faces. Luna and Neville we
re a bit
disappointed, but they hid the looks on their faces.
"Animagus that are creatures of magic will have other abilities that other regul
ar Animagus
will not," said Merlin. "Because they are Runners as well, they can see the colo
rs of other
runners. It will not matter if they are Light Runners are Dark Runners. Harry be
ing such a
powerful Runner is having a completely different effect. His color is not going
to be right as
well as his abilities as an Animagus will be stronger. I would also like to poin
t out one more
thing. Just because a person is a magical creature Animagus, does not mean they
will
have the same type of gifts that Harry, Draco, and Hermione does. You have to be
a
magical Animagus and Runner both to have those gifts."
"Well that would make sense," said Albus nodding his head in understanding. "It
will be
beneficial to us to have these three using their gifts to locate the Dark Runner
s. I assume
that you taught Morgan Le Fey how to run with the light?"
Merlin nodded his head sadly in confirmation.
"Why do I always have to be different," complained Harry. "I just want to be nor
mal."
Draco stood up and walked over to Harry. He placed his hands on Harry's arms and
looked deep into his eyes.
"If you were any different Harry," he said. "You would never have been able to d
o what
you have done for the rest of us. Were you not who and what you are, we may have
fallen
to the Dark by now. You have kept us alive and flourishing through all of this.
We will be
there to the end with you Harry. I promise you that we will always be there with
you. We
like you being unique. It makes us feel special because we are part of your fami
ly. We
love you for you and not what you can do."
Harry smiled at Draco. HE glanced around the room and saw that everyone was nodd
ing
their heads at Draco's proclamation. Harry nodded his head and walked over and
perched on the edge of his desk. Merlin made to get up, but Harry waved him back
.
"This will actually be a blessing for us," said Harry. "With this ability I will
be able to see
who has Runner abilities. I can just fly to different locations and search for t
hose that have
the gift or the potential. It will help us in dealing with potential threats."
The rest of the group nodded at the impact of these words. Each person was think
ing
about how they could pinpoint who was a runner and where they were located.
"Draco, Hermione, and Ginny," stated Harry. "I think it is time to start your An
imagus
training. I know that a lot happened last year and you did not have much time, b
ut it is
imperative that you start your training now. We can use the advantage of having
as many
Animagus on our side as possible. Minerva, will you give them private lessons?"
"Of course Harry," said Minerva. "I think that Sundays for the next few months o
ught to be
enough. You three will need to appear in my office around ten in the morning eve
ry
Sunday until you can all transform. I will need three of those potions. Draco an
d Severus I
think you have some left in your cupboard."
"We will make some," sated Draco. "I will be there for training Minerva."
"So will we," said Hermione and Ginny. "We want to learn this as well."
Merlin stood up and made his way out of the room. The rest of the group watched
as he
bowed low to Harry and then faded from sight.
"Does anyone else find it strange that he bows so low to me all the time?" asked
Harry. "I
feel like he knows more about me than he is telling."
"I am glad you mentioned that," said Albus. "I too get the feeling that there is
more to you
than he is letting on. However he was the greatest wizard to ever walk the plane
t, so like
the rest of us, his council is his own. I am sure he will tell us, or rather you
, when the tine is
right."
Harry nodded his head in agreement. He looked at the three phoenixes and asked i
f they
would enjoy going on a flight with him. All three birds trilled their agreement.
Hedwig
hooted her desire also. With a pop, Harry transformed into the silver phoenix an
d all five
birds soared out of the window.
"Harry is a very remarkable person," commented Severus. "If we lose him, the wiz
arding
world will never be the same."
"Lets not think about things like that," said Poppy, speaking for the first time
. "We all love
Harry and do not wish to lose him. With any amount of luck he will live to be tw
ice as old
as Albus."
The rest of the group all laughed at the joke. It was the first time in a long t
ime, that anyone
heard Madam Pomfrey crack a joke. The fact that the joke was on Albus was not lo
st on
anyone. Albus laughed just as hard as the rest of the group. Draco, Hermione, an
d Ginny
walked over to Minerva, and the quartet made their way down to the Transfigurati
on
classroom. They could at least get the beginnings of explanation today. Severus
made his
way out and headed to the dungeons to begin making the potions required to see w
hat the
forms they would be.
Albus and the rest of the group made their way back to the parts of the castle t
hey were in
before they were called to Harry's office.
Chapter 20 â The New Dark Lord
The days flew swiftly by. Before Harry knew it, spring time was upon them. It wo
uld not be
long before the end of the school year was there. Ginny, who was now in her seve
nth
year, was feeling the pressures of the exams that were right around the corner.
Luna was
another one that Harry was worried about. He knew that both young ladies would b
e ok in
their exams, but they were the last of the party that went to the Department of
Mysteries
with him. The rest of the group was all teachers in the school now. With Hagrid
gone,
Neville took over most of the Care of Magical Creatures classes. Professor Grubb
ly-Plank
just took care of the more advanced classes. The loss of Hagrid still hit Harry
hard. He
had a picture of the half giant posted near the entrance of the Great Hall. He w
ould stop for
a few moments and look at the picture every time he entered. Every now and then,
Albus
or Severus would find him sitting at Hagrid's tomb, talking about things going o
n at the
school. They both knew that Harry missed Hagrid the most.
One evening Harry was sitting near Hagrid's hut and Draco found him there. He di
dn't say
anything. He just sat there with Harry in peaceful silence. Together they sat un
til the
evening came. Finally as the stars started appearing in the sky, Draco broke the
silence.
"I have some good news for you," he said. "Hermione, Ginny, and I all know what
our
Animagus forms will be."
"That's wonderful Draco," said Harry looking fondly over at him. "Let me guess,
YOU will
be a dragon."
"Yes that is correct," said Draco chuckling. "It looks like your nickname for me
was more
accurate than either of us could have imagined."
"Not really," said Harry. "I saw it in a vision. So what are Hermione and Ginny?
"
"You knew already?" asked Draco a little stunned.
"Yes," said Harry. "You did not think that an heir of Helga Hufflepuff would not
have
inherited her gifts now did you?"
"I suppose not," Draco conceded. "Well Hermione will be a Unicorn and Ginny will
be a
Fox and a Horse. Ron is a bit disappointed. He went and talked with Minerva, but
the
potion did not show us an animal form for him. Luna surprised us however. She wi
ll be an
owl Animagus just like Albus."
Harry looked over at Draco and smiled. Good hearted Luna. She talked crazy, but
she
was a wonderful person. Harry had nothing but respect for her.
"Dragon," said Harry. "I really want to thank you for giving up your love life f
or me. I know
that it is hard to meet a nice girl and settle down when you share a room and a
bed with
me. If you want other quarters in the castle, I will totally understand."
Draco draped his arm over Harry's shoulders and pulled him close.
"I was wondering when you were going to broach this subject," he said. "While I
agree that
it would be hard to meet a nice girl and settle down, I want you to know, that I
stay in your
rooms because I want to. I could have moved out at any time. The truth of the ma
tter is
that I am not interested in settling down and having a family. You, Hermione, Se
v, Albus,
and the rest are all the family I will ever need. The only way I will move into
my own rooms
is if you want me too. Besides, who will chase away your nightmares if I am not
there?"
Harry sat there with a small smile on his lips. The thought of a girl to settle
down with just
didn't play out in his daily plans. He had to much to do and not a lot of time t
o do it with.
"I don't want you to move out Draco," he finally replied. "I have gotten too use
d to you
being there for that. Besides, like you, I feel like I already have my family. T
onks is due to
give birth any day now. Hermione is pregnant though she doesn't know it yet. I'm
sure that
Ginny will let us spoil any children she has in the future as well."
"I didn't know that Hermione was pregnant," said Draco. "She is in for a surpris
e. Who is
the father?"
"Ron is of course," replied Harry. "The two of them are inseparable. They came t
o me a
couple of months ago and asked me to marry them in a private ceremony. However I
find
that I have a hard time hiding things from you. We are too connected to each oth
ers
emotions for that."
"I agree with you there Harry," said Draco.
Finally the wind started picking up and Harry and Draco decided that it was time
for them
to go into the castle. When they reached the castle, Harry nodded in the directi
on of
Hermione's room and Draco gave an impish smile and followed him. When they knock
ed
on the door, they could hear an irritable Hermione on the other side. Both Harry
and
Draco was a little stunned by the ferocity in her voice.
"And another thing Ronald Weasley," she was telling him. "The next time you borr
ow my
books, you had better put them back where you found them."
Harry knocked again and Ron answered the door. The relief on his face was eviden
t when
he saw Harry and Draco standing there.
"Is everything ok in here?" asked Harry coming into the room. "I could hear you
yelling all
the way from the hallway."
"I'm sorry about that Harry," said Hermione shamefaced. "I don't know what is wr
ong with
me. I am so grouchy all the time lately. Ron, I am sorry I didn't mean to take i
t out on
you."
Ron walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her. She sighed and leaned in
to
his embrace. Harry looked over at Draco with a smug smile on his face. Hermione
however was quick to pick up on it.
"You told him we are married didn't you," she accused Harry. "You promised that
you
wouldn't tell anyone."
"Hermione calm down," said Harry with a small chuckle. "I don't know why you are
so
worried. People have been expecting you to get married for awhile now. If you th
ink that
people like Albus, Minerva, and Severus won't figure it out then you are crazy.
If anything
everyone will be upset that they were not at the wedding."
"I guess you are right Harry," said Hermione defeated. "But you actually told Dr
aco. Why
did you do that?"
"I find it very hard to keep anything from him," admitted Harry looking down at
his shoes.
"Our emotions are tied up into one another's due to everything that has happened
over
the last two years."
"I can imagine," said Hermione wryly. "When are you to going to pull your heads
out of
your asses and realize that you are in love with one another?"
Realizing she spoke what she had been thinking out loud, Hermione looked in horr
or at
Harry and Draco. The two men in front of her were stunned by her words.
"Hermione," said Draco hesitantly fearing she would blow up again. "Harry and I
are NOT
gay. We just are very close friends. I think of Harry as the brother that I neve
r had, and
Harry feels the same way. Yes we love each other, but not in that way."
Harry stood next to Harry nodding his head in agreement. Ron was looking at Herm
ione
as if she had just cursed them into oblivion.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I don't know what is wrong with me lately. I cry
at strange
times, I get angry quickly, and I flare up in annoyance at the slightest things.
"
Harry and Draco looked at each other with a grin on their faces. Ron was quick t
o spot it.
"What are you two grinning at?" he asked. "What do you know that Hermione and I
don't?"
"Should we tell them Dragon?" asked Harry in an amused tone. "Or should we wait
until
Hermione can't keep her breakfast down anymore?"
"What was that?" asked Hermione jerking her head up. "What do you mean? You had
better tell me right now Harry James Potter or I will hex you."
"Keep your knickers oh Hermione," said Harry laughing. "I am going to tell you.
Draco I
recommend you conjuring some cushions behind Ron. I think he will need them."
Chuckling, Draco pulled out his wand and quickly conjured some soft cushions. Ro
n just
sat there with a confused look on his face. Hermione's mind was working over tim
e. She
was counting the days. She looked at Harry with a look that froze Ron in his sho
es.
"You don't mean?" she asked. "No I can't be. Are you trying to tell me that I am
pregnant?"
"That I am," said Harry with a huge smile on his face.
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, a crash could he heard. True to Harr
y's
prediction, Ron passed out and hit the floor.
"Oh that is going to leave a mark," said Draco. "He missed the cushions."
By this time Harry and Draco were howling with mirth. They were so loud in fact,
that they
did not hear a knock at the door at first. Hermione however did and she went to
answer
the door. Albus, Minerva, Severus, and Poppy all stood there.
"What did you do Harry Potter," said Poppy pushing him aside and rushing over to
Ron.
"I didn't do anything," replied Harry trying to act innocent. "Well not much any
way. Poppy
rather than looking over Ron, I suggest that you look over Hermione instead."
Poppy looked at Harry in confusion for a moment before she ran her wand over
Hermione. The look on her face was priceless. When Harry and Draco saw it, they
dissolved into peals of laughter again.
"I think we are missing something important," said Albus with a smile on his fac
e. "May we
join in on the merriment?"
Harry pointed at Hermione. She glared at him, but decided that the time was righ
t for her
to come clean.
"Ron and I got married a couple of months ago," she said. "It was a small weddin
g that
only had my parents and Ron's mom and Ginny attending."
"What wonderful news," said Minerva delightedly as Poppy made her way over to Ro
n.
"Indeed it is," said Albus. "However that doesn't explain all of this."
"The Head Master," she snarled the word. "Thought it would be funny to come and
inform
me this evening that I am pregnant. The shock made Ron faint. He hit his head on
the
way down. Mr. Malfoy seems to think that is hilarious."
"Oh lighten up Hermione," said Harry still chuckling weakly. "We did after all c
onjure up
some cushions for him to land on. It isn't our fault he missed."
By this time, Minerva, Severus, and Albus were all walking towards Hermione. The
y were
positively delighted by the news. Hermione finally calmed down and admitted that
she too
thought the sight of Ron fainting at the news was a bit funny. They all sat down
after Ron
was roused and had a nice chat. Poppy gave Hermione a list of potions she would
have to
take on a daily basis. It was during the camaraderie that Harry felt the twinge
of a weave
on his consciousness. The rest of the room did not feel it, but they knew just b
y the
expression on Harry's face.
"Did you think I forgot about you Potter?" asked a voice that was familiar to Ha
rry. "We
have not forgotten about you. I have been training hard. I have been building up
my
strength. Like you I am now a five color runner. I will be training my other run
ners so that
when we come for you we will be your match. We will not make the same mistakes t
hat
Voldemort did. This time you will be destroyed."
With that, Harry felt the weave pull back. He knew that he had to figure out who
that voice
was. He knew that they all knew this person, but he could not figure out who it
was.
"I think it is time for us to go to my office," said Harry quietly. "It is time
for us to work
together to figure out who this runner is."
Grabbing Draco, the two young men disappeared with a small pop. Albus sent out a

message to the rest of the runners in the castle and the rest of the group slowl
y made their
way up to Harry's office. When they arrived, Harry and Draco already had chairs
ready for
them all to sit. There was also a screen up. Albus wondered briefly what Harry w
as going
to do with the screen. He then saw that Harry's pensieve was on the table near t
he screen.
The rest of the group quickly filed in and were all seating themselves. Harry wa
s standing
next to the pensieve.
"I have been able to create a spell that will allow everyone present to hear wha
t I heard on
that weave," he stated. "I have also extended that spell so that when I place my
wand into
the pensieve, the images I saw on the weave will appear on the screen. Our myste
ry
weaver still has no idea that I am a six color runner. Nor does he know how many
of you
are also at five colors. He only thinks that it's just me with five."
"Harry," said Hermione ever observantly. "You just called the Dark Runner a he.
Is it
finally established that it is a male?"
"I believe so Hermione," said Harry. "I want you all to watch and listen. Any cl
ue as to who
this person is will be helpful. I know the voice. I just can not place it. Also
this person said
he had other runners that he was training. Maybe if we can figure out who he is,
then we
can find out how many others there are and then we can search them out and stop
them."
"Stop them how Harry?" asked Ginny. "The only way to stop a Runner is to get the
m
shadow lost. I can't see you going around doing that to people."
"You are right Ginny," he replied. "I will not be going around making them shado
w lost. I
am not a killer. However I have been talking with Merlin. There is a way to stri
p them of
their Runner powers. The stronger they are, the more difficult it will be. Howev
er anyone
with 5 colors can rip the ability to weave out of a runner. All of us here trust
and love each
other. We would never do that to one another. They don't. Evil always turns in u
pon itself.
This person is not only trying to destroy your running abilities. He also is try
ing to take the
place of Voldemort. Please draw your attention to the screen."
Harry put the tip of his wand to his head and pulled out the memory of the weave
. He
placed it in the pensive and left his wand in the bowl. Slowly he placed his han
ds around
the edge and started chanting softly. The screen lit up and the voice sounded to
the rest of
the assembled Runners.
"Did you think I forgot about you Potter? We have not forgotten about you. I hav
e been
training hard. I have been building up my strength. Like you I am now a five col
or runner. I
will be training my other runners so that when we come for you we will be your m
atch. We
will not make the same mistakes that Voldemort did. This time you will be destro
yed."
The image on the screen was definantly that of a male. There was no mistaken tha
t.
When the person started to speak, there were a few members of the Light Runners
that
stood up immediately. Those consisted of Luna, Hermione, Minerva, Albus, and Sev
erus.
All of them started talking at the same time. Harry waved his hand for silence,
and then he
looked at Luna. She seemed the most distraught of the group.
"What is wrong Luna?" he asked. "You know who this is. I can tell from your expr
ession.
Who is it and how do you know him?"
"I know him," said Luna. "I know him because he was the one who tormented me las
t
year. He was the one that was making my life so hard."
Harry looked at Hermione for assurance. It couldn't be. There was no way possibl
e that he
got so powerful so fast.
"It would appear Harry," said Albus gravely. "That Terry Boot has the idea that
he will be
the next Lord Voldemort. If you remember, Voldemort only had four running colors
. You
said that this person has five. We recognize that voice Harry. That is Terry Boo
t. There
can be no doubt about that."
Minerva, Severus, and Hermione all nodded their heads.
"Its true Harry," said Minerva. "Boot spent months with me in detention. I would
know that
voice anywhere."
Harry sat down heavily. After it was told to him who the voice belonged to, it h
it him like a
ton of bricks. He also knew the voice. It was he who had given the year long det
ention in
the first place. Terry Boot had a year to train under the Dark Lord. He had a ye
ar to
discover that he is an heir to Morgan Le Fey. He had a year to plan his revenge
on him,
Luna, and Hermione. To make matters worse he had a year to find others that woul
d join
in his cause. Those that had grudges against people like Albus, Severus, and Min
erva.
The new battle had just begun.