Chapter 11
That same day, Harry went back to Greengrass Manor and sat down to have a conversation with Rupert. He dropped a bombshell, "I just found out today that Dumbledore's master plan has been for me to be killed by Voldemort, so that he can ride in and save the day. He wants to be the hero of the wizarding world once again."
Rupert replied, "That doesn't surprise me. How did you find out?"
Harry answered, "He apparently confided in Molly Weasley that he intended to allow Voldemort to take over, so that I would be cut off without support, which would guarantee that I would go down fighting. She also insinuated that Dumbledore told her that Voldemort couldn't be killed unless I died, too."
Rupert frowned, "That would lend credence to our Horcrux theory, but that would mean that you are a Horcrux as well."
Harry nodded grimly, "The thought had crossed my mind. The question is, how do we remove a Horcrux from me without me having to die?"
"I don't know, Harry. This is magic beyond my understanding. I'll contact Daryn, and have him look into it. He can put the American equivalent of the Department of Mysteries on it. He also has some connection in the Far East, which is where the Horcrux ritual was actually invented."
Harry sighed, "Well, then, I guess I will just have to wait for an answer."
Rupert patted him on the back, "Don't worry about it for now. If there is a solution, you can count on Daryn. Now, there is a conversation that you and I need to have." "What about?"
"Daphne?"
"What about Daphne?"
"I don't think you are putting in enough effort to get to know her better. I realize you have had a lot on your mind, and you have attempted to include her in our plans, but you have to do more than that. You need to go on a date."
Harry paled, "I just don't know what to say. I've only been on one rather disastrous date, and I'm a little unsure of what to do."
Rupert grinned, "Why don't you have the house elves put you together a picnic basket tomorrow, and invite Daphne to have lunch with you out on the grounds. It's going to be a beautiful day tomorrow, and you can relax and get to know each other. The longer you wait, the harder its going to be for the two of you to find common ground. Remember, you will be married once she reaches her majority."
Harry straightened with resolve, "I understand. I'll go and ask her right now."
Rupert chuckled as Harry headed for the den, where he knew Daphne to be. Harry walked in and said, "Daphne, could I talk to you for a moment?"
She set the book she was reading aside, and focused her attention on Harry, "What do you need, Harry?"
Harry took a deep breath and then plunged in, "I would like to know if you would be interested in accompanying me on a picnic tomorrow for lunch."
Daphne smiled, while Astoria giggled from across the room. She replied, "I would be delighted to have a picnic with you." She stood, while giving Astoria a dirty look for giggling, "I will be ready for lunch at half past noon."
Harry attempted a suave bow, and said, "I will be awaiting that moment most heartily."
The next day, the two of them danced around each other throughout the morning, with Daphne giving Harry a slight smile once or twice. Just after noon, Harry went to the kitchen and picked up the basket that the house elves had prepared. He met Daphne at the front door, and held out the arm that wasn't holding the basket to her. She grinned and linked arms with her, and the two of them took a stroll out onto the grounds. They found a spot under a shade tree that Daphne particularly liked, and Harry spread the blanket for the two of them to sit.
As the two of them pulled the food out of the basket, Harry began, "I owe you an apology, Daphne. Yesterday, it was pointed out to me that I wasn't putting in enough effort for us to get to know each other better. I would like to do what I can the rest of the summer to correct that, but I have to warn you that I have no clue what I'm doing."
Daphne smiled, "I don't see how that could be possible given all the girls that brag about having had you in a broom closet."
The blood drained from Harry's face as he protested, "But, I've never been in a broom closet with a girl."
Daphne giggled, "I didn't figure any of it was true, given what I've seen of you the last few weeks. It doesn't change the fact that according to the Hogwarts rumor mill, you are quite the ladies' man."
Harry reddened, "I must have been born under an unlucky star to have such a life."
"I don't know. If you weren't who you were, you wouldn't be getting me as a wife, and that would be a shame."
As Daphne intended the remark caused Harry to chuckle ruefully, "I suppose that is true. However, I wish I could dodge all the other garbage and just enjoy being a teenager."
Daphne shrugged, "Sometime being a teenager is overrated. You have several advantages from being declared legally of age, and you will just have to deal with the limitations that places on you in return for the benefits."
Harry nodded, "True, but I didn't invite you out here to discuss being an adult, or to talk strategy. I invited you out here to learn a little more about you, so I propose a trade."
Daphne eyed him suspiciously, "What do you mean, a trade?"
"I suggest that I tell you something that you don't know about me, and then you reveal something about yourself in turn. I think that we will get to know each other that way."
Daphne nodded, "I'm impressed. Very well, you go first."
For the next three hours, Daphne and Harry traded anecdotes and stories about themselves until they packed up the remains of the picnic, and walked back into the house hand in hand, which was a far cry more intimate than the formal escort position that Harry had adopted on the way out.
The rest of the month of July passed quickly with Voldemort finally intruding on their thoughts. The Death Eaters resumed raiding the relatives of Muggle Borns, which had been their Modus Operandi during the first war. A few members of the Order of the Phoenix attempted to make contact with Harry at the Greengrasses, but they were quickly rebuffed, except for Remus, who informed Harry that several of the members of the Order had quit over what Dumbledore had done to him. He also confided in Harry that several more had considered it, but had decided that remaining in the Order to watch Dumbledore would be a better use of their time. Harry informed Remus that he still wasn't prepared to entrust anyone in the Order with information about himself, and that they would just have to do what they thought best. Harry and Daphne continued to get to know one another better, with Astoria quickly becoming a beloved little sister by Harry.
Harry used the fact that he was now no longer bound by the underage magic laws to practice magic. He smirked as he remembered something Daryn had told him, "Harry, the average witch and wizard have some bizarre view that there are powerful spells that only the truly elite amongst us can cast, and nothing could be further from the truth. The only difference is in the power that we can put into those spells, which allows us to achieve some spectacular effects. However, they are still the same spells. For example, a flame spell by someone with average power will produce a small jet of flame, but I can use that same spell to produce a gigantic ball of fire to hurl at my enemies. Most would assume that I cast a spell that they don't know or aren't magically powerful enough to cast, when in reality I used the incantation Incendio."
So, with his power unbound, Harry practiced with controlling his spell work to receive the desired result. It took him the better part of a few weeks, but getting it down to an instinctual level finally came. Something he knew to be necessary before returning to Hogwarts, so that he didn't accidentally obliterate someone.
Before they knew it, it was time for the Board of Governor's meeting, and he and Daphne prepared to go to it with Rupert and Eleanor. Upon arriving they were greeted by Augusta Longbottom, and shown to a witness room. She said, "I will have you summoned when it is time for you to present your request to the Board. I can't guarantee it will pass. I know we don't have the votes to have him removed yet because it takes ten votes without me or eight votes including mine to remove a sitting Headmaster, and I can't guarantee more than four. I only have to have five votes to put monitoring in place or fire a teacher. So, you only have to persuade one."
When it was time, the Greengrasses and Harry were called into the room. Augusta asked them to be seated and then continued, "It has come to my attention, Lord Greengrass and Lord Potter that both of you have concerns about Albus Dumbledore as Headmaster."
Rupert stood, "Yes, Governor Longbottom. Several deficiencies in the quality of education and the safety of the students at Hogwarts have come to my attention. Since, I only know of these problems second hand, I have brought my daughter to give her impressions of the occurrences of the last five years, and Lord Potter is here as well to give an accounting since most of the events in question surrounded him."
Harry stood as Rupert sat and addressed the Board, "I come before you asking at the very least that some sort of system to keep Albus Dumbledore's excesses in check during the following year. He has done many things concerning me that are questionable, as anyone aware of the most recent Wizengamot meeting can attest. He has had the proverbial rug pulled out from under him in the last month, and numerous newspaper articles vilifying his deeds have been published. While I am at the center of the events that brought about this deterioration in his reputation, I am not solely responsible. However, the Headmaster deems this to be my fault, and is obsessed with having me under his influence. It is this that I am addressing, and why I wish for him to be monitored more closely than in the past. To give the Board a better understanding of why I feel this way, I will give a short recap of the occurrences of my years at Hogwarts, and how I have been in mortal danger every year, most of which occurred because the Headmaster was more concerned with me being tested than he was with the safety of the student body." What proceeded from then was a summary of the events of Harry's first five years with Daphne lending an outsiders point of view on the events, and the reactions of the students and staff to the incidents. The Board interrupted constantly, and questioned Harry and Daphne vigorously, but in the end the testimony came to an end.
Augusta Longbottom banged her gavel, "We will now have a vote." She looked to the guests, "We'll be raising a privacy shield, so you may stay and await the results of the vote." The shield went up, and the Board appeared to be arguing for several minutes before they finally calmed. Approximately, twenty minutes later, the privacy shield came down, and Augusta summoned a house elf, and handed it a note to deliver. She said aloud, "We will wait for the Headmaster, Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, and Professor Sprout before revealing the ruling of the Board."
The four professors entered the room, and Dumbledore inwardly cringed when he saw Harry Potter in the room. They were seated and then Augusta banged the gavel again, "Headmaster Dumbledore, the Board has heard some disturbing things about occurrences in this school over the past five years. It has led us to the conclusion that you may not be the best choice as Headmaster for Hogwarts." Dumbledore started as heard this, but calmed as the next sentence left Augusta's mouth, "However, we have decided to place you on probation. Have you found a replacement for the Death Eater, Severus Snape, as Head of Slytherin?"
Dumbledore answered her, "Yes, I have procured the services of Horace Slughorn to return as Potions teacher and Head of Slytherin. We have also hired Nymphadora Tonks as the Defense Teacher."
Augusta perused the Board with her eyes, and they all nodded, "That is good, since you now need to find two more teachers. The Board has achieved the votes necessary to fire Professor Binns and Professor Trelawney."
Dumbledore protested, "That only leaves me with three weeks to fill both positions. Can't the two of them be placed on probation?"
Board member Davis shook his head, "No, that is out of the question. We should have taken action on those two members of the staff long ago. The only reason that we haven't is that we accepted your word that the complaints against them were unfounded as their only failing was being uncharismatic, but the testimony that we have heard today along with the events of the last month leaves us with little reason to trust your judgment on such matters."
Augusta continued from there, "The terms of your probation are as follows. You will handle no disciplinary measures. You are not allowed to deduct points or issue detentions. All those matters will be dealt with by the Heads of House. Also, any changes to rules must be approved by the Deputy Headmistress as well as at least one of the other Heads of House. If they don't approve, the matter may be brought before us. Is this acceptable, Headmaster, or do you wish to resign?"
Dumbledore was tempted to tell her exactly where she could stick her probation as he was seething inside. He managed to keep the grandfatherly expression on his face as he replied, "I have little choice but to acquiesce to the Board's demands, and I look forward to the day when I have the full trust of the Board once again."
The rest of the meeting dealt with minutia about the budget, and other day to day affairs. Then, the meeting broke up, and as Harry was heading for the door, he was stopped by McGonagall. She said, "Mr. Potter, as you have been unreachable by owl, I need to know what classes you will be taking into N.E.W.T. level."
Harry nodded, "I would be happy to oblige you, Professor McGonagall, but as I don't know what my O.W.L. scores were, I don't know what I am eligible for."
"Of course, Mr. Potter. I have your scores in my office. Since, owls were coming back early in the summer with your mail unopened, I didn't even attempt to send them out. If you would follow me, we will retrieve them." Harry followed her, while the Greengrasses trailed behind, and spotting the possible problem, several members of the Board descended on Dumbledore to keep him busy.
After receiving his scores, and being informed of the lowered requirements for admittance into Potions, Harry decided to continue with Charms, Transfiguration, Potions, Herbology, and asked if he could add Arithmancy.
McGonagall appeared puzzled, "I'm sorry, Mr. Potter, but you haven't taken Arithmancy before. You would have to start in the class with the third years."
Rupert Greengrass inserted himself, "That's not entirely correct, Minerva. The by-laws allows him to take a proficiency test to get into the fifth year class. Assuming, he scores well enough on the O.W.L. at the end of the year, he could take another placement test at the beginning of next year, and be in the N.E.W.T. seventh year class."
Harry nodded, "That is what I would like to do. I was tutored earlier in the summer somewhat, and it was discovered that I have somewhat of a knack for it. I'm positive that I could pass the proficiency test."
McGonagall nodded, "I will set everything up with Professor Vector, but you need to have a back-up as you must continue with five classes."
"Put me down for Care of Magical Creatures, just in case then."
After that, Harry and the Greengrasses beat a hasty retreat from the castle to avoid encountering Dumbledore.
A/N: Next chapter will have the last bit of summer, and then the train ride. Then, its back to Hogwarts. To all those that review, I appreciate it. For those of you that ask questions for clarification, I answer if the answer won't give anything of the future story away. So, if don't answer a review it is because I can't do so without compromising the story.
Chapter 12
Several days after the meeting with the Board of Governors, Rupert knocked on the door to Harry's room. Harry looked up from the book he was reading, "What can I do for you?"
Rupert motioned for Harry to follow him, "Daryn is here. He's been looking into our little problem, and has brought someone from the American MIA."
"MIA?" echoed Harry.
"Magical Intelligence Agency. You have to keep in mind that the magical government in America is just a department of the Muggle government rather than an autonomous entity. They make their own laws, but are also bound by muggle laws as well," replied Rupert.
The two of them entered the parlor, where Daryn and another man were waiting for them. Daryn introduced the stranger as he slapped Harry on the back, "Harry, this is Agent Smith from MIA. He's going to do a test to determine if you are a Horcrux."
Harry shook the man's hand and asked, "If I am a Horcrux, is there anything we can do about it?"
The man shook his head, "If you are a true Horcrux, then the only way to remove it is to destroy the container, in this case, you. However, I highly doubt you are an actual Horcrux, due to the complexity of the ritual, and how the container must be prepare. If Voldemort had intended to make a Horcrux that night with your murder, then he would have had something else prepared to be the vessel. If you will sit down, and close your eyes, I will perform the scan on you."
Harry sat down, and shut his eyes, "I'm ready." Daryn and Rupert backed away, while Agent Smith began incanting in a low voice in a language that none of them were familiar with.
After several minutes, some glyphs appeared above Harry's scar in a bizarre psychedelic color. Agent Smith studied them for a few moments, and then cancelled the spell. He spoke, "Well, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that you are not a true Horcrux. The bad news is that you are the victim of an attempted possession by the soul fragment that was supposed to go into the prepared vessel."
Daryn asked, "Is that any better?"
The Agent nodded, "The extraction process is complicated and painful, but certainly not deadly. However, the fact that you have a portion of Voldemort's soul trapped inside that scar gives us a way to locate any Horcruxes that he may have made."
Rupert asked, "How does that work?"
"The American Ministry has a device that when a soul fragment is placed inside it, will tell you if there are any other such fragments within a five hundred mile radius, and where they are. So, if we do the extraction somewhere in the center of Britain, the device will be able to tell us if there are any more and how many."
Harry grinned, "Brilliant. So, when can we do this?"
Agent Smith replied, "We will have to have the device transported, and we will need authorization to operate it on British soil."
Rupert turned to Daryn, "Is it possible to get such permission?"
Daryn chuckled, "Easy as pie. We don't have to get permission from the Ministry of Magic, but the Muggle government. All we do is have it treated as an experiment, and have the President assure the Prime Minister that it will put no one in danger, and that it will ultimately save lives, because of the threat of Voldemort, then he will approve a covert op in a heartbeat. I'll have everything ready to go by the 20th at the latest."
Harry shook the agent's hand, as well as Daryn's, "I can't thank you enough. This gets rid of a huge weight on my mind."
The agent took his leave, and then the three of them continued to talk strategy over a drink, and as Daryn was leaving he said, "Oh, by the way, Harry, I've secured you a tutor that should be able to get in and out of Hogwarts without being detected by Dumbledore. His name is Aaron Packard, and I have officially loaned him out from our Auror corps. He's a high level Grand Sorcerer, so he can channel magic at your level and above, so the tutoring should be quite informative."
Harry chuckled, "Good, I didn't want to take Defense at Hogwarts given the track record for teachers, and it turns out to be a good thing that we planned this. A member of Dumbledore's Order is the new Defense Professor."
"Well, that sucks. Keep your head up, though, and you'll get through fine. I have faith in you, Harry."
Rupert inserted, "We all do."
Harry smiled, "Thanks. I need that sometimes. Anyway, since it seems I have some free time before dinner, I think I will go spend some time with your daughter."
Daryn and Rupert laughed as Harry went traipsing out to look for his betrothed. Daryn looked at Rupert, "So, do you regret having your memory restored?"
Rupert shook his head, "Not a chance. I've only been around Harry for a little over a month, and I'm already quite fond of him. It won't be long, I expect till I will start referring to him as the son that he will be one day."
Several days passed with Harry practicing on his own, and spending time with Daphne and the rest of his soon to be family. He took the time to write a letter to Hermione in the hopes that she wouldn't be in quite a snit for the lack of communication come September First.
Hermione,
I'm sorry that I haven't written you, but I had to make sure that it was safe for me to do so. I'm also sorry that you can't write back, as in order to keep Dumbledore from tracking me, I've had wards placed to keep owls from finding me. I can't explain much in a letter, but rest assured that I am having what is easily the best summer of my life. I promise that I will explain more of what has occurred when I see you at Hogwarts.
Harry
Harry attached the letter to Hedwig's leg, and said, "Drop the letter to Hermione, but don't come back here. It will be too easy for them to track you. Go hang out with Hagrid, he'll take care of you until I can retrieve you."
Hedwig hooted and then cuffed him on the head with her wing as she flew out the window. Later that day, his tutor Aaron showed up, and the two of them began dueling practice. Aaron showed him techniques to better use his power, but most of all they practiced using their powers dueling in a specially prepared chamber, so as not to destroy the manor.
Soon enough it was time for the August Wizengamot session, and Rupert and Harry had made an appointment with Rufus, who was now the Head of the DMLE. The two of them walked in to the office and shook hands. Rufus began, "So, what can I do for you, Lord Potter and Lord Greengrass."
Harry took the lead, "We have charges to file against former Senior Undersecretary to the Minister Dolores Umbridge."
"What charges would those be, Lord Potter?"
Harry waved him off, "It's just Harry, Director Scrimgeor. I only use the Lord thing when its necessary. I know that I supported your rival for Minister, but that was because I thought the Ministry would be a much better place with her as Minister and you heading the DMLE, than the other way around. I hope that won't make it difficult for us to work together."
Rufus chuckled, "You certainly get right to the point, Harry. I would be happy to work with you, and I certainly won't hold not being Minister against you, since I've seen the mess that Amelia inherited. I don't exactly envy her. Now, what is this about Umbridge?"
"She forced me to use a Blood Quill during detention to write lines."
Rufus looked shocked, "That shouldn't be possible. The wards at Hogwarts would have sounded an alarm to the Headmaster if she was doing actual harm to a student."
Harry shrugged, "That makes sense. Dumbledore is all about making sure that I turn to him for advice. Letting Umbridge torture me sounds like something he would allow to make me distrust the Ministry, and trust him."
Rufus pulled out a quill, and set to writing, "How many times did she make you use the Blood Quill?"
Harry shrugged, "I lost count. It was usually for several hours a day, and I had detention with her for at least six weeks of the year. Probably more."
"What did she have you write?"
Harry held out his hand, and showed Rufus the scar. Rufus queried, "Why did she have you write that particular phrase?"
"She was trying to make me stop saying that Voldemort had returned."
Rufus' face set into a grim line, "You will need to be called as a witness. The judiciary is in place now, so the trial could take place with them directly after the legislative session of the Wizengamot."
Rupert nodded, "That's why we waited until now to make the accusation. We didn't want to tip our hand until the judiciary was ready to proceed with trials."
Rufus nodded, "Very well. I will have Umbridge arrested this evening, and the session is tomorrow. Are there any other people she used it on?"
Harry answered, "Lee Jordan is the only one that I know of for sure."
"We'll be sure to have him at the Ministry to be called as a witness. Once we have her guilt established, we'll be able to question her under Veritaserum."
Rupert asked, "Has Snape been interrogated, yet?"
Rufus shook his head, "Dumbledore is using what is left of his political power to block us from doing so."
Harry snorted, "That figures. Snape knows as much about what the old man is up to as he does Voldemort. Hopefully, after tomorrow we can put enough dents in Dumbledore to keep him out of your hair."
Rupert and Harry shook hands and left.
The next day the two of them put on their Wizengamot robes and headed for the Ministry building. After the initial formalities of the session were dealt with, Albus Dumbledore rose and asked the question, "As Chief Warlock, I, Albus Dumbledore, call this, the eighth session of the Wizengamot in the year 1996 to order. Now, before we begin this month's agenda, does anyone have any preliminary business?"
Amelia stood, "We have an addition to the judiciary schedule. One, Dolores Umbridge, has been charged with the torture of a minor through the use of a Class III forbidden artifact known as a Blood Quill. The Ministry is also charging you, Albus Dumbledore, as an accomplice after the fact, since as the sitting Headmaster the wards of Hogwarts would have warned you what was going on, and you did nothing to stop it."
The chamber went into an uproar as Dumbledore zeroed his gaze directly onto Harry with unmitigated anger in his eyes. As the chamber quieted, Rupert stood, "I would like the chamber to note that Chief Warlock, Albus Dumbledore, immediately looked at Lord Potter. This implies knowledge of the events in question."
Lord Longbottom stood, "Since the Chief Warlock has been implicated in a crime, I move that he be suspended from duty for the duration of this session, and that Lady Bones act in his stead."
This was quickly voted on and Albus was relegated to the visitor seating as he had no sitting votes, and Narcissa Malfoy stood as representative of the Malfoy votes until Draco came of age, "I move that we take the trial of Dolores Umbridge into consideration before the full Wizengamot rather than the judiciary subcommittee. This trial will be of critical import to the trial of the Chief Warlock that must take place before the full chamber, anyway."
Lady Bones called a vote, which passed almost overwhelmingly. While she sent for Rufus to bring in the accused and his witnesses, Harry and Rupert exchanged glances. This was going more to their benefit than they ever could have hoped for. Rupert leaned over, "Don't get cocky about it. This is just going to make the old man even more desperate."
Harry nodded, "I know. I almost dread returning to Hogwarts. The Board's ruling that he isn't allowed to institute disciplinary measures is the only reason I'm bothering.
Rufus called Harry to the stand. He went through the story with Harry and then called Lee Jordan up. Then, he called Justin Finch-Fletchley and Terry Boot, both of whom he had discovered had been on the receiving end of one session each. They each had the same message carved into their hands, as well. I shall respect and show deference to my betters. The fact that both of them were Muggle-Born made a serious impact on their testimony. Then, Dolores Umbridge was put on the stand.
Rufus asked, "Now, Dolores, did you bring a Blood Quill into Hogwarts?"
"No."
"Are you in possession of a Blood Quill?"
"No."
"Then, how would you explain the fact that upon searching your manor, we found no less than six Blood Quills, and upon testing found the blood residue of all four of the witnesses as well as 14 other as yet unidentified samples?"
"They must have been planted."
"Then, how would you further explain the presence of your fingerprints on the quills in question?"
Umbridge hesitated, "I don't know."
Rufus turned to the Wizengamot, "I believe that we have shown that Umbridge is culpable for her crimes. Now, it remains for us to show that Albus Dumbledore was complicit as well. As such, we request that we be allowed to dose him with Veritaserum."
Dumbledore rose, "I protest. It has not been shown that I have committed a crime severe enough to warrant a truth serum."
Rufus continued, "Normally, I would agree, but with such a crime the only way to determine the truth of the matter is from the accused, as there could be no other witnesses. I will swear an oath on my magic before the Wizengamot not to ask any question that does not pertain to the specific charge."
After some debate, the Wizengamot narrowly voted to give Dumbledore Veritaserum. Once he was on the stand and dosed, Rufus asked, "Were you aware that Dolores Umbridge was using a Blood Quill on students?"
"No."
Rufus seemed surprised but rallied, "Were you aware that she was torturing students?"
"Yes. The wards warned me, but they aren't specific enough to identify the implement being used."
"Why did you do nothing to stop her?"
"The Ministry was bent on making sure that I was removed from Hogwarts, and I was attempting to stave off that occurrence for as long as possible."
"Was that the only reason?"
"No. I wanted Mr. Potter to look to me for guidance, since he is important to the war against Voldemort."
Dumbledore was given the antidote, and the Wizengamot began to confer on its judgment. Both were found guilty. Umbridge was sentenced to life imprisonment in Azkaban, and as the last heir of the Umbridge line, her fortune was confiscated and added to the Ministry coffers. Dumbledore was fined 10,000 galleons.
Bones stood, "Does anyone else have preliminary business before the Wizengamot?"
Harry stood, "I call for a vote of No Confidence in Albus Dumbledore as Chief Warlock, and petition for his permanent removal from this body."
The vote was so one-sided as to be almost unnecessary. Only 14 votes were cast in Dumbledore's favor, who once the vote was finished, gave Harry a look of unadulterated hatred before stalking from the room.
From there, the choice for a new Chief Warlock was debated. Ultimately, Lord Diggory was elected to be the new Chief Warlock. He was a choice that placated the Light side, and that the neutrals could get behind after Harry came out in his favor, and his refusal to run for Minister on Dumbledore's nomination.
A/N: I know I said Harry would get back to Hogwarts in this chapter, but there ended up being more material to cover than I thought. I'm still trying to keep the chapter size down, so I don't have to change my posting schedule.
Chapter 13
A few days after the Wizengamot session, Daryn was back with Agent Smith and a few other people. He placed his hands on Harry's shoulders, "Are you ready for this?"
Harry nodded, "As ready as I'm going to get. Do we do it here, or do we need to go somewhere?"
Agent Smith answered him, "We have to get relatively close to the center of the island for all of it to be in range of the detector."
Rupert pulled out a Portkey, "I have already found a secluded spot that fits close enough to the coordinates you gave me. Its within the margin of error that you allowed for, so we should be good."
All of them grabbed the Portkey, and Rupert tapped it with his wand. Once they landed from the Portkey, Daryn asked, "So, has Dumbledore attempted to make contact with you?"
Harry shook his head, "Not directly. He just keeps sending his lackeys. I think there are a few of them that I can trust, but I'm not quite ready to make that leap, yet. Luckily, one of them is McGonagall, and that will give me an ally against the old man at Hogwarts if I'm right."
"That would be handy." Agent Smith signaled. Daryn continued, "I do believe that they are ready for you. Good luck."
Harry clenched his jaw and walked over to the American agents, "So, what do I do?"
Smith replied, "Nothing, Mr. Potter. All you have to do is stand there. The spell will hold you up until it is completed. I apologize in advance, but this is going to hurt." He began to chant as he waved his wand, while the others operated the device that they had set up in the forest.
Suddenly, Harry clinched in pain, and stood rigidly as the spell took hold. Then, there was an unholy screeching sound, and an ethereal shape funneled out of Harry's scar. The other wizards immediately began chanting and the soul fragment was forced into the device. Once the spell ended, Harry slumped to the ground and groaned. Rupert and Daryn rushed to him as Agent Smith commented, "I am highly impressed, Mr. Potter. Given the nature of that spell, I fully expected you to scream. Your tolerance for pain will stand you in good stead."
Rupert asked, "Harry, are you alright?"
Harry nodded, and said weakly, "Yeah, but that hurt something fierce. Even worse than when Voldemort touched me. Not as bad as his attempted possession in the Ministry, but it was still up there."
Daryn chuckled, "Only you, Harry, would measure pain in terms of a Dark Lord's capacity to inflict it." The three of them laughed until Agent Smith interrupted them. He motioned for them to follow him back over to the device.
"The machine cannot tell us what the Horcruxes are, but it does tell us where they are. One of them is at Gringotts, one is at Hogwarts, one is at these coordinates which is right outside the town of Little Hangleton according to the map, and there is another just nearby, and the last one is in central London at these coordinates." He handed a slip of parchment over with the coordinates. "It will be up to you to determine what the objects are, but this at least gives you a starting point."
At this list, Harry, Daryn, and Rupert paled. Daryn said, "Can you imagine anyone being perverse enough to make six of those vile things?"
One of the agents asked, "What do you mean six? We only detected five."
Harry replied, "I destroyed one already."
"How did you destroy a Horcrux? They are almost impervious."
"I stabbed it with the fang of a Basilisk that I had just killed."
"How would you have killed a Basilisk?" asked the agent in derision.
"I stabbed it through the mouth into its brain with the Sword of Gryffindor."
"Do you expect us to believe that?" scoffed another agent.
Agent Smith inserted, "Nevertheless, it is all true. More so, he did it when he was 12."
The other agents stared at him with incredulity, before one spoke to a smirking Harry, "My apologies, Mr. Potter, but such a tale was somewhat farcical."
Harry shrugged, "Don't worry about it, I'm used to people not believing me when I say something."
The agent shook his head, "You still shouldn't have to deal with that simply because your experiences have exceeded that of most people. I should have thought before I spoke."
"Apology accepted. I want to thank all of you for your help. If there is nothing further, then I believe we should get back to the manor, and figure out what we are going to do about these Horcruxes. The two near Little Hangleton worry me, because that means that Voldemort is keeping them close to him."
Another agent spoke up, "One other thing, Mr. Potter. One of the two Horcruxes near Little Hangleton read as a living being rather than an object."
Harry paused for a moment, "That means Voldemort made Nagini a Horcrux."
Daryn echoed, "Nagini?"
"His pet snake, or familiar if you prefer."
All of them left for their respective destinations, and upon returning to the manor, the Greengrasses all gathered around Harry in the parlor. Between the three of them, they brought the Greengrass women up to speed on the Horcrux locations.
Rupert finished the story and said, "Now, we need to brainstorm about how we are going to be able to destroy the Horcruxes."
Harry began, "Well, we know that Nagini is most likely the living one, which would mean she is the one with Voldemort in Little Hangleton. However, the other one is on the other side of the town according to the coordinates, and the map. So, where else in Little Hangleton would he hide a Horcrux?"
Rupert spoke up, "Daryn and I have had someone digging into the past of Tom Riddle, without letting them know that he is Voldemort, and Tom is actually the son of Merope Gaunt, whose home was just outside Little Hangleton."
Harry nodded, "So, he could have possibly hidden it there. I doubt he would have his servants guarding his Horcruxes, so that means traps. How are we going to get around those?"
Daryn grinned, "I have taken a leave of absence from my duties at the Legislature, so I can go with you and help disable traps. So, what about the one at Hogwarts? Where in the castle would he hide a Horcrux?"
Harry mused, "Maybe the Chamber of Secrets. I didn't do much in the way of poking around down there after the basilisk. We'll have to search it."
Daphne interjected, "Harry, what about the Room of Requirement? From what you told me about the room, that would be the perfect hiding place, since no one would be able to find it unless they knew what you were thinking when you created the hiding spot."
Harry turned to Daphne in surprise, "You're brilliant, Daphne."
She smiled, "I try. We, Slytherins, might just surprise you with our intellect."
"I have the utmost respect for Slytherins, I just refused to be in the same house as Malfoy. That's why I told the hat anything but Slytherin."
Rupert gave him a look, "What do you mean, you told the hat? The Sorting Hat decides where you should go."
Harry shook his head, "You can influence its' choice if you're dead set against a certain house."
Eleanor spoke up, "That leaves the ones in Gringotts, and in London."
Daryn said, "The one in Gringotts has to be in one of the Death Eater vaults. The question is whose, and how do we get it?"
Harry answered, "Bellatrix, and we don't. Breaking into Gringotts is suicide."
"We could get the goblins to destroy the Horcrux. Goblin law prohibits the storage of Class V forbidden artifacts within their vaults. If we inform them of what is in there, and where we suspect it is, they will destroy it," inserted Rupert.
"We'll have to set up a meeting with Runetooth, then. Daphne and I can handle that tomorrow. Now, onto the one in London. Unless anyone else has another idea, the only thing I can suggest is that we go there and see what area of London it is. Maybe that will give us a better idea of what to look for, and where it is."
Daryn nodded, "Why don't you and I go do that right now, Harry. We can pop over there and be back before anyone knows we were there. Grab your invisibility cloak, and we'll go incognito."
Harry ran and grabbed the cloak, and swirled it over himself while, Daryn grabbed his arm, and then went invisible himself. The two Disapparated, and appeared on a street in London. Daryn asked, "Do you recognize this area?"
Harry replied, "Yes, and I know where the Horcrux is based on that, but it is going to be somewhat problematic to get it."
"Why?"
"The location it is in is under the Fidelius Charm, and just happens to be the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix."
"Who is the Secret Keeper, and who cast the spell?"
"Dumbledore to both."
"That's not possible. The caster has to designate someone else as the Secret Keeper."
"Then, I don't know who cast it, but Dumbledore is the Secret Keeper."
"Very well. Let's get back to the manor, and we can figure out how we are going to get it later."
They returned to the Greengrasses, where Daphne asked, "Well?"
Harry replied, "Its at my house. Unfortunately, the Order has the house under the Fidelius Charm, and uses it for its headquarters."
Eleanor inserted, "You should bring up the property with the goblins, tomorrow. They should be able to serve Dumbledore with an eviction notice requiring him to remove the charm. Then, you could establish the wards under your control and search the house at your leisure."
Harry responded, "Well, I guess that means that we have a plan. I'll send a note off to Gringotts for a meeting with Runetooth, and we'll be on our way."
The next day, Harry and Daphne were walking through Diagon Alley towards Gringotts, when a hand landed on Harry's arm. He turned and saw Sturgis Podmore, who said, "You're coming with me. Dumbledore wants a word with you."
Daphne drew her wand, but Harry waved her off, "I don't think you will be capable of doing that. If you would look down, you would see that you have put yourself in a precarious position."
Sturgis looked down to discover that Harry's wand was out, and pointed directly at his crotch. Harry continued, "If you value your ability to reproduce, I suggest you let go of me, because if you don't a Bludgeoning Spell will take your equipment right off."
Sturgis paled, "Dumbledore is right, you're going Dark."
Harry shook his head in disgust, "I see that you are one of his mindless followers that can't think for themselves. You are the one serving a Dark Lord. I'm just sticking up for my rights. Now, I suggest you leave."
Sturgis gulped and backed away, while Harry and Daphne continued on their way to Gringotts. Daphne looked over and saw how pale Harry had become, "Are you alright?"
"No. That conversation just gave me a thought. The prophecy says that I am the only one that can beat the Dark Lord, but the question just occurred to me that that doesn't necessarily mean Voldemort, since by his actions we can all agree Dumbledore is one as well."
Daphne wrapped an arm around his waist, "You will have to deal with that as it comes. For now, let's assume it still means You-Know-Who and continue as planned."
Harry smirked, "You know, if you're going to be my wife someday, you're going to have to practice saying Voldemort. We can't be making the Boy-Who-Lived look bad."
Daphne laughed and smacked Harry's arm lightly, "Prat."
A few minutes later, Harry and Daphne were seated in Runetooth's office, "What can I do for you, Lord Potter?"
"I need to have a notice of eviction sent to Dumbledore, so that I can get back into my home at Grimmauld Place. He has a Fidelius Charm up on the property that needs to be removed as well."
Runetooth made a few notes, "Was this all, Lord Potter? I could have easily taken care of this by owl."
Harry nodded, "I know. This was just a pretense for getting in to see you without causing suspicion, although I still want that taken care of. However, I must ask, are you familiar with a Horcrux?"
Runetooth frowned, "I am. I'm surprised that someone like you knows what those vile things are, though."
Daphne inserted, "My dad said it was against goblin law for a wizard to keep one in Gringotts."
"It is."
Harry took a deep breath, "Then, I have some bad news. There is a Horcrux containing a piece of Voldemort's soul in this bank."
"How do you know?"
"The Americans have a device that allows them to locate Horcruxes if they have a piece of the same soul. They extracted the piece that was in my scar and used it to locate the rest. One of them is here."
"He made more than one?"
"Six to be exact. We don't know for sure which Death Eater is harboring the Horcrux for him, but I would be willing to wager that it is Bellatrix Lestrange. She's his most trusted lieutenant."
Runetooth made a few more notes, "You can rest assured that Gringotts will find that object and destroy it. I will notify you when it is done."
Harry and Daphne stood and bowed, "You have done your race credit today, Runetooth. I am honored to know you."
Runetooth nodded, "One day, perhaps, goblins and wizards can even call one another friend."
"I don't think that day is upon us yet, Runetooth, but when it comes I would be honored to be the first wizard to call you friend."
"You do your race credit, Harry. Gringotts is honored to know you."
Then the two of them left. The rest of summer passed with nothing of consequence being done on either side. The Death Eaters were still using random attacks on Muggle Born families and the Ministry was almost always too late to catch them. The Death Eaters captured from the Department of Mysteries were sentenced to the veil under the new leadership in the Ministry, Snape was finally questioned and determined to know nothing of importance that they didn't already know, and was sent back to Azkaban. The note from Gringotts arrived, stating that the Cup of Hufflepuff had been discovered to be the object in question, and had been destroyed. This brought up a conversation between Harry and Daryn.
Harry said, "Daryn, if one of the Horcruxes was a founder's item, wouldn't it follow that the others could be as well?"
"I would think so, but we can't count on that. He may not have been able to locate enough of them."
"True, but based on that, I think I know what the Horcrux at Grimmauld is. When we were cleaning the place up, we found this locket that we couldn't open. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but it had the crest of Slytherin on it."
"That would make sense. We should hopefully be able to find it quickly. However, I think you and I are going to have to go get the one from Little Hangleton. I have had a few operatives snooping around, and they have located the shack where the Horcrux is, but the place is guarded by some enchantments that they can't break, which means we're going to have to do it."
"When do we go?"
"Tonight. That way you will have tomorrow to rest before heading back to Hogwarts. Are you sure you're prepared for that?"
Harry shrugged, "I doubt it. I'm going to be on his turf for the first time since I started to rebel. We've done everything we can to hinder him, but I don't know if it is going to be enough, but I can't just leave my friends to the mercy of Dumbledore and Voldemort. I have to be there."
"I know. I was just showing concern. Anyway, get a little rest. Tonight could end up getting nasty."
A/N: They will definitely go back to Hogwarts in the next chapter. The only thing left before the train ride is getting the ring. Happy reading.
Chapter 14
That night, Harry and Daryn were preparing to leave, when Daphne came into the parlor and gave Harry a pointed look, "Just where do you think you're going?"
Harry and Daryn exchanged a glance, and then Harry blurted, "We're going after a Horcrux."
"Without telling me?"
"Er, we didn't want to worry you."
Daphne gave him a dirty look, "I expect better than that, Harry, and Daryn, you're supposed to be an adult."
Daryn shrugged, "I didn't know that he didn't tell you. The Horcrux needs to be taken care of, and this is probably the last opportunity to do it for awhile. Harry and I are the only ones that can go after it with a minimum of danger. The rest of you would increase the difficulties exponentially."
"Well, if you're going to go and be logical, I guess I can't fault the mission, but Mr. Potter, I can fault you not telling me beforehand."
Harry hung his head, "I'm sorry. I guess I'm just so used to running off without a plan, that the idea of telling someone that wasn't going ahead of time didn't occur to me. I promise I didn't do it out of any negative intent."
"You're forgiven, but do come back in one piece. I've heard enough about your numerous injuries over the years, I'm not particularly keen to see it."
Harry lifted his head with a grin, "You've got it. I'll even try to bring Daryn back in one piece as well."
Daryn snorted, "Your confidence and concern astound me."
The three of them shared a laugh, and then Harry grabbed Daryn's arm and the Disapparated away. Daphne sighed and sat down on the couch with her legs curled under her. Rupert entered the parlor and said, "So, they're on their way."
"Did you know about it?"
Rupert shook his head, "Not until just now. I knew that Daryn had a couple of people checking the place out, so I figured it was just a matter of time. You have to keep in mind that there are so few people that have a level of magic that can threaten Daryn that he sometimes forgets to keep other people in the loop. He's very gung-ho, and Harry is similar. I sometimes wonder if it isn't a side effect of having so much power available. Everyone I have ever met that was Sorcerer class or higher is either like that or some kind of megalomaniac like You-Know-Who." Daphne chuckled, "Harry told me that if we were going to be around him that we were going to have to practice saying Voldemort."
Rupert looked shocked, "That's the first time I have ever heard you say the Dark Lord's name."
"I've been practicing saying it out loud in my room for several days. I didn't want to stutter over it the first time I said it in front of Harry." The two of them settled down to wait for the two intrepid young men to return.
Harry and Daryn appeared outside the Gaunt shack in Little Hangleton. Daryn said, "This is about as close as we can get before we have to start taking down protective enchantments. Do you still remember what I taught you about ward breaking?"
Harry nodded, "Yes, but I haven't practiced the diagnostic charms to determine what kind of ward we're combating."
"I'll cast those and then the two of us can work in tandem taking the wards down. That will give you some practice and keep us from overworking ourselves. Voldemort used ward stones to anchor these, so they are more powerful than anything he could have cast by himself, and we don't have any idea how many layers there are to the enchantments surrounding this place."
Daryn took out his wand and began casting spells that made the ward barrier become visible. Then, letters and numbers began to appear in the air. The two of them studied the diagnostic, and then began casting spells to break the ward down. Harry began a power drain, while Daryn began hammering it with a brute force attack. The combination of the two methods had the ward collapsing in just over a minute. They moved forward slowly as they cast detection spells one right after another to find the next layer of protection.
They found the next ward layer, and used the same method to collapse it. This one took nearly two minutes, and the two of them backed off a few steps and sat down.
Harry huffed, "That really takes a lot out of you."
Daryn chuckled, "You still haven't gotten used to channeling your magic at this level of power. Once you do, you will be able to use it with impunity. So, how are your practice session with Aaron going. I've been in and out and we haven't talked about it."
"Good. He's been teaching me a lot about using my power in duels. I've also been put through my paces with dodging exercises. He's determined to make sure I don't have to waste time and energy shielding."
"That's a good way to duel. You still have to be practices on your shields as well. You don't want one to fail at the wrong moment because you did it wrong."
"Don't worry. He's had me doing it that way, too. I alternate duels where I shield or where I dodge. He said in a few weeks, he will start letting me do both, and test me on my instincts of which to use."
"That's good. Have the two of you worked out how he's going to sneak into the castle?"
Harry nodded, "I sent him to Honeydukes with instructions on using the passage from there into Hogwarts. He's already been in twice to make sure he won't trip the wards."
"Good deal. Are you ready to tackle this again?"
"I'm ready. Let's get to it."
The two of them got back to their feet, and inched forward flinging detection spells everywhere. They found the third layer of wards just outside the door. This ward was much smaller and far more concentrated, so both of them began draining the ward, until it began to flicker, and then Daryn switched to assaulting the ward until it collapsed. When it did, Harry sagged, "That one was rough."
"I know. I was beginning to worry that you weren't going to be able to hold up to that one. Here, I brought some Pepper-Up Potion. I figured we might need it."
Harry took a dose, and then they made their way into the shack. They discovered no other protections until they found a trap door in the floor. Once, they opened it, there was a box that was shielded by a trigger ward. Daryn perused the diagnostics, "We can't drain this one. It will set it off."
"Is there any way around it?"
"Short of finding the ward stone, which could very well be inside the box, the only thing to do with this one is trigger it and deal with the trap."
Daryn stood up and cast a shield over himself. Harry copied the action, and then Daryn triggered the ward. A rush of flame came out of the hole and set the entire shack ablaze. Daryn and Harry quickly worked in concert to extinguish the flames, but by the time they had done so, most of the shack had been consumed, and the structure was groaning as it began to topple. Harry grabbed the box from the hole, and the two of them dove out the door just as the shack crumpled to the ground. They could hear the Muggle fire engine in the distance, and they quickly apparated back to the manor.
When they arrived, Daphne rushed over to Harry, and began to examine him. She exclaimed, "You're not hurt, you're just dirty."
Harry laughed, "I know. We protected ourselves from the trap, but didn't exactly protect the shack." Then he sobered, "The only problem with this is that now Voldemort will know we know about his Horcruxes. I have to get the Horcrux in Hogwarts tomorrow, before he notices and retrieves it. We don't have to worry about Grimmauld, since Voldemort can't get in there until the Fidelius drops anyway."
Rupert nodded, "You can worry about that tomorrow. The two of you should get cleaned up, and get some sleep."
Daryn shook his head, "We need to take care of the Horcrux, first. I don't think any of us would be able to sleep knowing that was in the house."
They all went outside with Astoria and Eleanor joining them, since the commotion had woke them up as well. Harry managed to open the box by speaking Parseltongue to it, and Daryn set up a force shield and let Fiendfyre loose inside it. Very shortly, a piercing scream was released, and then Daryn allowed the spell to fade away. Harry checked the Horcrux, and then stood, "That one is done, and I hate to suggest this, but Hogwarts is going to be a beehive tomorrow as the professors gear up for the students returning the day after, so I think we need to get the Horcrux tonight."
Daryn nodded, "I agree. Let's go."
Rupert inserted, "I'm going with you. The one in Hogwarats can't be warded like that one, since they would have been triggered by nosy students long ago."
"Alright, but let's get going. I want this over and done with." The three of them Apparated to Hogsmeade and snuck into Honeydukes, placing a sleeping spell on the owner to insure that he didn't wake up. They made their way into the school, and Harry used the Marauders Map to dodge anyone that might be wandering the halls, as he led them to the Room of Requirement. He walked back and forth in front of the blank wall three times, thinking of a place to hide his Horcrux. The door appeared, and the three of them made their way inside.
Upon seeing the gigantic piles of old junk Daryn cursed, "Damn, this is going to take forever." The three of them began making their way through the room, casting detection spells for cursed artifacts. Over the course of two hours they identified numerous cursed objects that weren't Horcruxes, until Rupert found a tiara.
He shouted, "Guys, I think this is it. If I'm not mistaken, this is Ravenclaw's diadem."
Daryn and Harry inspected it, and then Harry said, "I believe he's right. I'm surprised, though. There isn't a single layer of protection on it."
Daryn mused, "He must have hidden it here when he didn't have a lot of time, and decided to depend upon the odds against anyone finding it in this mess."
Rupert clapped both of them on the back, "Well, its found. Let's get it out of here, destroy it, and sleep in tomorrow."
The three of them returned to the manor, and destroyed it in the same manor as the previous one, and while Daryn and Harry finally got cleaned up the rest of the house drifted into the blissful realm of dreams.
The family spent the next day in quiet relaxation, with the three students packing their trunks in order to return to Hogwarts. Daphne came into Harry's room and sat on the end of his bed, "Are you ready to go back?"
Harry shook his head, "Not really. I have always looked forward to the end of summer, so that I could get back to Hogwarts, but now for the first time, after the events of last year and this summer, I honestly don't want summer to be over. I can't wait to see Neville, Hermione, Luna, and Ginny, but that is tempered by the dread for seeing Ron, Draco, and Dumbledore. Not to mention, being in separate houses is going to make it hard for us to spend time together."
Daphne patted Harry's hand, "Don't worry. No one in Slytherin will bother me about it. They won't like it, but as soon as they hear that it was a betrothal contract from our ancestors, it will appeal to their Pureblood pride and they won't object out loud. You will probably have far more difficulty getting the Gryffindors to accept it."
"I don't look forward to that explanation, either. Especially to Hermione. She already thinks most of the wizarding world practices are barbaric. Her reaction to the idea that House Elves are slaves gave plenty of evidence of that."
Daphne stood, and leaned over and gave Harry a peck on the cheek, "Well, we'll deal with it tomorrow, together."
Harry took her hand and kissed it, "Together."
The next morning, Harry and Daphne arrived on the platform early, and stowed their trunks in a compartment. Astoria said goodbye to her parents and wandered off to find some of her friends. The first encounter they had was with Tracey. She came up to Daphne, and they hugged, and then Tracey asked, "So, has he been treating you right?"
Daphne smiled, "He has."
"Good, I guess that means that I don't have to hex him."
Harry interjected, "I am standing right here. You don't have to talk about me. You could just talk to me."
Tracey held out her hand, "I'm happy to finally meet you in less hostile surroundings."
Harry chuckled, as he took her hand and kissed the back of it, "The pleasure is all mine."
Tracey eyed Harry for a moment before turning to Daphne, "You've been training him. He wasn't this smooth before."
"Actually, my mum's cousin Daryn and my dad gave him some tutoring on manners and charm at the beginning of summer. He's been practicing and is finally getting the hang of it," said Daphne.
At that moment, Hermione came onto the platform, and stopped dead when she saw Harry. The next instant, she dropped her trunk and raced forward to grab Harry in a hug. She began talking quickly, which was undecipherable except for a few random snippets that involved calling him a prat, and a few other names that you wouldn't normally hear out of the mouth of one, Hermione Jane Granger.
Harry patted her on the back, "Its okay, Hermione. I'm fine. Now, if you'll release me, I can introduce you to my betrothed."
Hermione jerked back in shock, "Betrothed? What have you been up to this summer?"
"You have no idea. Hermione, this is my betrothed, Daphne Greengrass, and her best friend, Tracey Davis. Behind us is her mother, Eleanor, and her father, Rupert. Astoria is already on the train, so you'll have to meet her later. Everyone, this is my best friend, Hermione Granger."
They all greeted Hermione warmly, who stood there gaping like a fish out of water, before finally managing to compose herself and say, "Hello."
Harry laughed, "I think I have struck Hermione speechless. This is one for the record books."
Hermione smacked his arm, and said, "Don't make fun, I was surprised. How and why would you get betrothed?"
Harry held up his hands, "I promise I will explain everything that I can, but not now. Wait until we are on the train. I'm waiting for Neville, Ginny, and Luna to get here."
"What about Ron?"
"That is a long story. Suffice it to say, Ron will not be hanging around me this year. If you want to still talk to him, that is your decision, but you will have to keep him away from me."
Daphne spoke up, "And me. Although, once you hear what that fool No-Name did, I doubt you will want to talk to him either."
Neville appeared through the barrier and walked over as Daphne was speaking, he inserted, "I take it we are talking about the former Weasley."
Harry nodded, "Yes, but we haven't clued Hermione in on details, yet, so she's somewhat confused."
Arthur came through the barrier with Ginny and Luna in tow. The twins and Bill following a few steps behind. They congregated around the others, and greetings were exchanged. Hermione was about to ask where Ron was, when Harry caught her eye and shook his head with a stern look on his face. She subsided, but you could see here bursting with curiosity, which was never a good thing for her. The train whistle blew, and all of them said their goodbyes, and piled on the train. At the last moment Ron came through the barrier with Molly, and upon sighting him, Harry said, "Let's get into our compartment. I don't relish a confrontation if we can avoid it."
Chapter 15
Once the seven of them were secured in a compartment, and Neville and Harry had finished stowing the trunks, Hermione led Ginny and Neville, who had taken over as prefect from Ron, who had been ousted due to his grades, to the prefect meeting. Upon returning Hermione cast a locking charm on the door, and said severely, "Now, I want answers."
Harry opened his mouth to speak, but Daphne waved him off and leveled her wand in Hermione's face, "Let's get one thing straight, Granger. Harry does not answer to you. You are not his mother, or his keeper. If he decides to clue you in on what's up, then it will be his decision on what, when, and where to tell you. If you don't like that you know where the door is. If you start with your little demand that I've seen evidence of over the last five years, you will face me in a duel, and the loser will leave Hogwarts forever."
Hermione began to swell up with indignation, when Neville deflated her, "Hermione, if you want to have a friend left in Hogwarts after today, I suggest you sit down and shut up. I, for one, will not tolerate another one of your tirades without retaliation."
Hermione settled slightly and asked, "Are you going to let them talk to me that way?"
Harry replied, "I happen to agree with everything they said, so I see no reason to chastise them for it. You have to understand something, Hermione, you aren't entitled to information just because it exists, or because you're my friend. If you can live with the new standard that they have outlined, then we can continue to be friends, if you can't then I'm afraid five years is at an end, and though it will hurt me deeply, if you force me to choose between you and them, it will always be them."
Hermione sat, "I don't know what to say."
Ginny butted in, "For once in your life, Hermione, don't say anything. You'd be surprised by what you can learn if you listened to someone besides Dumbledore and his band of sycophants."
Hermione asked, "That's the main thing that I don't understand. What happened between you and Dumbledore? He's a great man, and he saved us at the Department of Mysteries."
Daphne snorted, "Of course he did. He had to keep up his image."
"I don't get it, and what's up with Ron?"
Ginny's face darkened, "Ron, along with Molly have been cast from the Weasley family."
Hermione looked perplexed, "What do you mean 'cast' from the family?"
Tracey explained, "Granger, when a pureblood head of house casts you from the family, it means that you can no longer claim the name or heritage of that family. It is basically the worst punishment that can be inflicted, short of Azkaban."
"Why would Mr. Weasley do that?"
Harry replied, "Because Molly and Ron were stealing from me, while Molly had signed an illegal betrothal contract between Ginny and myself, that upon my death would give her half the Potter fortune, and the rest to Dumbledore."
Neville continued, "Now, you begin to see why we don't trust Albus Dumbledore. It was a simple choice for me. Harry wins over that old man. Can you say the same, Hermione."
Hermione struggled with indecision for several moments, when Daphne intruded on her thoughts, "Is it so difficult of a choice, Granger. What is more important to you, Harry's friendship, or some misguided loyalty to an old man that you don't really know anything about?"
Hermione's face cleared, "Harry, of course, but I still don't understand why Dumbledore would do this?"
Tracey inserted, "He's crazy?"
Harry chuckled, "I think I could deal with that better than the truth. No, Albus Dumbledore knows exactly what he's doing, and it is in his plans for me to die, and he wants the Potter fortune in his hands after I'm gone."
"Why?" asked Ginny.
"He wants to be the hero of the wizarding world again. At least that is my best guess based on what we know, and what Molly told us. He wants me to die fighting Moldyshorts, so he can defeat his weakened form. That is one of the reasons that he bound my core as a child. I'm assuming that he didn't want me powerful enough to defeat him outright."
Hermione protested, "But Dumbledore is the strongest wizard on Earth. He may even be as powerful as Merlin was."
Daphne and Harry laughed heartily. Harry shook his head, "You don't have the information that we have. I'm already as strong if not stronger than Dumbledore, and while I'm not sure if I'm at Voldemort's level yet, I will be soon. A wizard achieves the height of their power by the time they are seventeen, and I'm almost there."
Daphne continued, "We also found out that Dumbledore isn't even in the top 25 most powerful wizards on the planet. We learned a lot about how power is even determined."
Harry and Daphne proceed to explain Hammerstein Indexes to the rest of the compartment. Naturally, Hermione asked, "How do we find out what our score is?"
Daphne replied, "Short of becoming a member of the Wizengamot, or a department head in the Ministry, you can't. However, Dad got the scores for everyone in our class at 15. Do you really want to know?"
Hermione nodded, "Yes, I want to know."
Harry told her, "At fifteen, Hermione, your HMI was 40, which makes you about average for Britain in terms of power, and slightly on the low side for a Muggle Born."
Neville asked, "What about me?"
Daphne grinned, "You were the surprise, Neville. You scored a 74. Tracey, you were a 43."
Ginny cringed, "Do you know mine?"
Harry shook his head, "I'm sorry, Ginny. At the time, you hadn't turned fifteen, yet. I could probably find out as a member of the Wizengamot, if you really want to know."
Ginny replied, "If it isn't a lot of trouble, then I would. If it's a major bother, don't worry about it."
"What about you, Harry?" asked Hermione.
Harry shrugged, "We don't know for sure. I tested as a 60, but that was before the block on my power was removed. The goblins think that the block was holding back another 60% of my power, which would put me around 150. Since, it has been another thirteen months, I'm probably around 225 or 230 by now. Voldie's a 243, so I'm close."
This being a lot of information to digest, the group spoke of less consequential matters for the remainder of the train ride. They only opened the door for the trolley, and thus avoided any encounters with Ron or Malfoy.
The seven of them commandeered two carriages up to the castle with Susan Bones hopping in with Harry, Daphne, and Tracey leaving Hermione to ride with Neville, Ginny, and Luna. Susan looked at Harry, "Auntie told me that you were with the Greengrasses this summer. Judging by the hands, I can see why."
Harry grinned, "That isn't the only reason. I happen to be quite fond of Daphne's whole family."
Daphne kissed him on the cheek, "I guess it's a good thing that they feel the same way about you."
Susan smiled, "This look is good for you, Harry. You've never shown a lot of happiness, before, but your face lights up with it, now. Daphne, I know that Slytherins don't typically mix with the other houses, and a lot of that is our fault for lumping you all in with the likes of Malfoy, but anyone that can put that smile on Harry's face has got to be worth knowing. Auntie likes your Dad, too, so that helps."
Harry raised his eyebrows, "Listen to the consummate politician. I can already see alliance forming in her head in the Wizengamot."
Susan blushed, "Well, I do come of age in January, so I've been tutored in enough politics over the summer that its second nature."
"I know what you mean. I got put through my paces, so that I could take over my seats from the old man."
"That's one thing that I don't get. You've always been an avid Dumbledore supporter. So, what happened to change that? Auntie told me that you had politically aligned yourself against him, but she didn't explain why. She said it was your business. I read the Prophet over the summer, where they trashed his reputation, and then announced that he had been removed from the Wizengamot, and lauded you as a hero for opposing him, but it never gave reasons why your politics shifted."
Harry sighed, "Dumbledore stole from the Potter accounts, and had my parent's will sealed, along with trying to stop me from learning about my betrothal to Daphne. There's far more to it than that, but that's the major points."
Tracey snorted, "I knew something was up, when my Dad came home from the Board of Governors meeting grinning, and said that they finally knocked Dumbledore down a peg or two."
Susan asked, "What happened at the Board meeting?"
Daphne replied, "My Dad and Harry, along with Augusta Longbottom made a play to have Dumbledore monitored for poor performance as Headmaster. This was just the first step to having him removed, but they didn't have the votes in place to do that."
Harry patted her on the knee, "We will. We will."
The carriages arrived at the castle, and the students split up and went to their house tables. As everyone settled down, McGonagall brought in the new first years to be sorted. The Sorting Hat sang a song about unity among the houses in the face of adversity, and then it was time for dinner. Dumbledore stood, "I want to welcome all of you to another year at Hogwarts. We have several new staff appointments this year. Returning after many years, Professor Horace Slughorn will be teaching Potions, and will be the new Head of Slytherin House." The applause that broke out at this announcement was tremendous. Even several of the Slytherins were happy to see Snape gone. Dumbledore continued, "Professor Tonks will be taking over Defense against the Dark Arts, while Professor Beatrice MacMillan will be taking over in Divination, and finally Professor Clement Turpin will be the new History of Magic teacher." The other three new professors received a polite amount of applause, but nothing on the level that Slughorn was bestowed with. "Now, tuck in."
The food appeared on the table and everyone began filling their plates, as conversation abounded. After the feast was winding down, Dumbledore dismissed them to their dorms, and the prefects began corralling the first years, while Dumbledore practically made a beeline for Harry. Susan and several of her Hufflepuff friends formed up around Harry, since Hermione, Neville, and Ginny were all prefects. Minerva also began to hurry over. Dumbledore held a document in his hand, and said, "Mr. Potter, you will follow me to my office."
Harry replied, "I don't believe I will, Headmaster. If you have the need to communicate with me, you can do so in a public setting, or convey your request through my Head of House."
"You will do as you are told, Mr. Potter, or you will be expelled."
Minerva arrived with this statement, and Harry held up a hand to forestall her interference, "Unless Professor McGonagall agrees with that statement, Headmaster, I do believe that this conversation is over."
Dumbledore took several deep breaths as his rage mounted, and then spat out, "What is the meaning of this?" He brandished the document as he spoke.
"As I have no idea what the document is, I can hardly be expected to answer such an ill-thought question."
"You know very well that this is an eviction notice. I want to know why."
"I hardly think that it takes a great leap of logic to understand. You have a Fidelius Charm around a property that I own without my permission. You have 5 days from the serving of that letter to have the charm removed, and all of your squatters out of my home."
Dumbledore almost looked like he was prepared to attack, but then thought better of himself, and said, "I'm afraid that it is impossible for me to remove the charm in such a short amount of time."
"I suggest you figure out a way, since I somehow doubt that you can afford the penalty fees for failure to comply, given that you already owe me nearly half a million galleons. Good day, Headmaster."
By this time, Daphne and Tracey had made their way over, and Harry offered each of them his arm, and escorted them toward the Slytherin common room. As they were leaving the Great Hall, they could hear Minerva giving Albus a dressing down. Once, they arrived in the corridor for the common room, Tracey asked, "How did you know where our common room was, Harry?"
Harry laughed, "We used Polyjuice Potion to impersonate Crabbe and Goyle in second year to get in during the Christmas hols, because we thought that Malfoy either was the Heir of Slytherin, or at the very least knew who it was."
Tracey looked at him in awe, "You're probably the only Gryffindor that has been in there in generations."
"Well, then I say that we break a few traditions. How would the two of you like to visit the Gryffindor common room this weekend. We can sit and enjoy a quiet evening, and since more of us are Gryffindors, it's the logical place."
Daphne answered for both of them, since Tracey was standing there dumbfounded, "We'd love to, Harry." Then, she hugged him, while he leaned his head over and pecked her cheek. They said goodbye and Harry made his way towards Gryffindor Tower.
Tracey eyed Daphne, "So, is that the extent of your relationship?"
Daphne nodded, "So far. We haven't had our first real kiss, yet."
"Shouldn't you get a move on. You'll be married as soon as school is out. You turn 17 in May."
"I'm content for now. Harry hasn't had a lot of luck or experience with girls, and I don't want to rush him. If we spoil this, it could be a long miserable life together."
Tracey replied, "Too true." The two of them entered their common room together in a show of solidarity and braced for the onslaught.