Through the Barrier

"Ha! I knew you were telepathic!"

"Looked under my pillow?" Emily eyed Harry in case he was joking, but decided that he was not. "No, I can't say I have. Why?"

"And what's with the love-letters?"

"It was a joke," she added when she saw everyone's blank faces. "Haha?"

"I summoned you here tonight, because of Voldemort."

Chapter 7.

It was early morning, and Emily had just woken up. She smiled to herself. She had been at Hogwarts for almost a month, and it was now the end of September. The time had passed so quickly. It seemed only yesterday she had her first potions class.

----**** Flashback ***---

Snape stormed in to the classroom as usual, as if trying to make a grand entrance. He looked like he was in a bad mood, no news there. He looked out over the class. It was now not only the Slytherins and Gryffindors, but also the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws.

"Welcome to another year. I have only accepted those with the highest OWL's in this class. With some exceptions." He looked at Harry and Ron. "I will expect much from you all, not that I do think that is possible. We also have two other students in this class this year who have not been here before. Miss Williams and Miss Shipley. One of them who never has had potions before..." He crossed his arms over his chest. "Miss Williams," he barked, "What do I get if a add a powdered root of Asphodel to an infusion of Wormwood?"

Emily smiled. This sounded familiar. "It creates a Sleeping potion so strong that it's called The Draught of the Living Death, sir."

"Beginners luck. Where can you find a Besoar?"

"Why, in the stomach of a goat, sir."

"Mention one way in which the Mandrake-root can be useful in potion-making."

"Well, it is one ingredient in the potion that un-petrifies petrified people. Sir." This was a new one. Harry didn't get this one, Emily was certain of it.

"Well Miss Williams, it looks as though you've got all right. Very good. Very good indeed. Are you perhaps telepathic?"

"No sir. I've just read the books."

"Very well. So, could you now tell me, miss know-it-all, what we are doing today?"

"The Polyjuice-potion, sir," Emily answered.

"Ha! I knew you were telepathic!"

"No, sir. It's written on the board behind you."

"Five points from Gryffindor for your cheek, Miss Williams." He turned away from the students, facing the board. He waved his wand and a list of ingredients and instructions appeared. "Split into pairs, everyone. We are going to begin on a project that will last for about two months. The Polyjuice-potion is highly advanced. I do not expect you, small, stupid 6^th-years to be able to brew it properly. Begin."

---*** End flashback ***---

Emily smiled again. It wasn't too bad. She had paired up with Hermione, Harry with his new-found almost-sister (that was how she said it) Helen and Ron with Justin Finch-Fletchley from Hufflepuff. The potion would be finished in a couple of weeks and then Snape would try one potion, picked out randomly, and the grades of the whole class would depend on that single potion. So everyone were bit nervy in class, but, thankfully, neither Crabbe, Goyle, or Neville were still in it.

But today was an all Snape-free day. Actually it was an all teacher-free day, since it was Saturday and on top of it all, the first Hogsmeade trip of the year. but that wasn't until later. She could still lie in the bed for a couple of hours, relax and...

"Tap tap tap."

What on earth? It came from the window, so it had to be an owl, but who would send an owl this early?

Emily got up from the bed, went over to the window, and threw it opened.

"Harry?!" She had almost screamed it, but hey, who wouldn't have?

"Shhhh! Not so loud!" Harry Potter hovered right below the window on his broom. "Emily, I want you to do something for me."

"Sure, but why didn't you come up the usual way? The stairs, you know? Do you want me to wake Hermione for you?"

"The stairs don't let boys go up. And no, I don't want you to wake anyone for me. I want you to do me a favour. Have you happened to look under your pillow today?"

"Looked under my pillow?" Emily eyed Harry in case he was joking, but decided that he was not. "No, I can't say I have. Why?"

"I want you to go and do that. And I want you to look under the others' too, without waking anyone."

"But why?"

"This is the thing," Harry begun. "You see, Neville has some trouble sleeping, don't ask me why. This means that some nights, he wakes up now and then. This night, he did so, and, doing that, he happened to catch a House Elf, putting red envelopes under his, Ron's and my pillow. And we wonder if anyone of you girls have gotten one too."

"Hang on, I'll go check mine."

Emily went to her bed and lifted the pillow. And indeed, there was a red envelope.

"I've got one!" she whispered to Harry.

"Good! Now check under the other pillows too!"

"Hermione's got one!... Lavender hasn't! Nor has Parvati... But Helen does! What do I do now?"

"Go and check out if Ginny's got one, we suspect she does. If she does, wake her up silently, then wake Hermione and Helen. Then go down to the common room and bring the envelopes with you."

"Are you mad?" Emily whispered. "Harry, it's like, what? 5 o'clock? On a Saturday."

"Just do it, will you? It's important."

"Fine! But I'll blame you!"

It took a while, but a fifteen minutes later, the girls finally got down the stairs, Ginny included. She couldn't stop apologising to Emily, whose nose was starting to swell, thanks to her.

"I am so sorry! It wasn't anything personal, really! It was just instinct! Fred and George used to wake me up with some stupid prank of theirs, and sheer violence then works much better than magic! I just did it out of habit! I am really really sorry!"

"I'm telling you, I'm fine... Well, kind of... I will be fine, just calm down. I'll try to get hold of some ice to put on it,"

"Your nose is red," was the first comment that met the girls as they entered the common room.

"Thanks, Ron, I hadn't noticed," Emily said sarcasticly.

"So what is all this about?" Helen said grumpily, tired as she was. "And what's with the love-letters?"

"They're not love-letters, Helen," Neville explained. "You haven't read yours, have you? It's some kind of an invitation to a meeting, held by Professor Dumbledore."

"Fine then! So we'll go to this meeting, end of story. Now I'm going to sleep. Don't you dare bug me!" Helen laid down on the sofa by the fireplace.

Hermione opened her letter and read it out loud.

"Dear Miss Granger. Your presence is required at a meeting on personal security. The meeting will be held today, Saturday the 27^th, at 8,45 p.m., in the Transfiguration classroom. It is very important that you bring this letter, because it, and it only, will allow you access to the room. Since it is a matter of personal security, I ask you to please keep this letter to yourself. Sincerely Albus Dumbledore."

"Does anyone understand anything?" Ginny asked.

"Well, I think it has to be connected with Voldemort's return," Harry said.

"What do you mean?"

"Personal security. Maybe they have developed some kind of system to protect us against him."

"But why us seven?" Ron asked. "And is it only us?"

"I don't know," Hermione said. "But I've got an idea. He want to stop the next generation of good wizards and these people are high on Voldemort's "Most wanted teens"-list, if I can put it like that. Firstly, there's you, Harry, and I don't think I have to go deeply in on why he want to get you, I think we all know already. And then there's Helen who's mother fought against Voldemort the first time, and Neville, who's parents stood very bravely on the good side. They might want to follow their parents' footsteps."

Neville blushed over the compliment on his parents. Hermione smiled at him and took another breath.

"Ron and Ginny's parents are very known Dumbledore-supporters. I... I'm one of Harry's best friends, together with Ron. Get to us and you have perfect victims for kidnapping and blackmailing to get to Harry."

"But what about me?" Emily said. "I doubt Voldemort even knows of my existence."

"I don't know," Hermione admitted. "But before I do anything else, Neville!"

"Yes?"

"Give me your letter, so you won't lose it or forget it somewhere."

"Okey."

"But let's get back to Emily," Harry said. "Why her?"

"Maybe it's because I hang with you guys," Emily suggested. "You're known for getting yourselves into dangerous situations. And hey! I've got red hair, so someone might mistake me for a Weasley!"

"It was a joke," she added when she saw everyone's blank faces. "Haha?"

"Dumbledore must have developed some kind of...," Harry begun, but Ginny interrupted him.

"Harry, it's like 5.30. Let's go to bed, shall we? We will have a little over fifteen hours to ponder about that meeting. I don't care if you stay up, but I think the rest of us are going to go to bed and sleep for a couple of hours. Okey?"

"Fine. Have it your way then."

"Thank you." And to everyone's amazement, she gave Harry a small kiss on the cheek.

"Can you check if Helen's asleep, Ron?" she then said with a smile. "And wake her if she is."

"She is asleep," Ron said after a quick look. "And she's snoring."

They decided to go to the meeting together, in case, as Ron feared, it was a trap or a joke. Hermione thought he was just being silly.

"The letters were sent in red envelopes with golden writing and had Dumbledore's signature at the end. Oh, yeah, and they were delivered by a Hogwarts House Elf. What more do you need?"

After breakfast, they all went to Hogsmeade, to Helen's and Emily's delight. It was the first time for the both of them, and they wanted to see it all. Helen's favourite turned out to be Zonko's and Emily enjoyed Honeyduke's the most. They returned to the castle with a lot less money and much heavier bags.

And then came the evening. At 7,30, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Emily and Helen left the common room and headed down to the Great Hall, where they met up with Neville and Ginny. The topic at dinner revolved around Quidditch.

"So let me see if I can get this straight," Helen said. "You're captain this year, Harry, but was banned from Quidditch for life, last year?"

"Yep. Angelina left the job to me when she left last year."

"And you, Ron, play?..."

"Keeper." Ron looked proud.

"Right," Helen said, still confused. "Ginny, you do nothing this year, but was 1^st Seeker last year, which was originally Harry's position?"

"Yes, but I'm going to try out for Chaser this year." Ginny smiled.

Helen shook her head.

"But you're Seeker now again this year, aren't you Harry?" she then said.

"Of course," Harry said. "I'm one of the best ever."

"Well aren't you modest," Helen commented sarcasticly. "But what about Hermione, Neville and Emily?"

"Oh, I don't like flying," Hermione said. "Too... practical. I'm a theoretic."

"Neville?"

"I've been on a broom once in my life and I will never do it again."

"What happened?" Helen asked.

"I broke my arm."

"Oh... Emily?"

"I don't fly either. Scared of highs. Really scared of highs."

"So what about you, Helen?" Ron said. "Do you play?"

"Yeah I do. And I think I'll try out for Beater, if you don't mind."

"Ron's older brothers were Beaters for Gryffindor last year," Hermione said. "But first they were banned just like Harry, and then later they left school. Andrew Kirke and Jack Sloper took up after them, but Jack reassigned after the last match last year, saying that it was no fun and harder than he'd thought it'd be. You should take the chance. If you're any good."

"I think I'm a decent player. But hey, who knows? I might screw up completely.

"I'm sure you won't," Ginny said. "Does anyone know what the time is?"

"It's 8,25," Emily informed. Maybe we should get going?"

"You're right," Harry agreed. "Everyone done? Good. Let's go then!"

The time was 8,35 when they arrived to the Transfiguration classroom.

"Hold it!" Hermione cried when Harry made a movement towards the doorknob. "Does everyone have their letters? Here's yours, Neville. Everyone? Excellent. Now we can enter."

They opened and walked in, single file, Ron with his wand out.

When each person went through the door, a puff of red and yellow smoke shot out from the top of the doorframe.

"Welcome," Dumbledore said, who sat on McGonagall's desk with a bunch of small packages next to him. "Come further in. We will not begin for another ten minutes. Take a seat.

The tables were set in a "U" so that everyone had a clear view at McGonagall's desk. The group sat down. Helen waved to her mother, who sat on a chair by the blackboard, together with McGonagall.

There were only three other students there yet. Justin Finch-Fletchley and Susan Bones , Hufflepuff, and a little girl the group couldn't place, also Hufflepuff judging by the badge on her chest. But soon more people came. Often one by one or sometimes two together.

Ginny gave a little wave to Anthony Goldstein when he arrived, together with another, smaller boy, also Ravenclaw. One more Hufflepuff came and another Ravenclaw, but no Slytherins, Emily stated. Maybe they weren't welcome.

But at 8,44, with only one minute to go, the door opened and this time, the puff of smoke coming from the doorframe was green and silvery-grey.

It was a boy. About 5 foot 8, rather well built, light brown hair down to his shoulders, and with a green letter in his left hand - Good looking, was Emily's first thought.

The boy nodded towards Hermione, who smiled and nodded back.

"Who is that?" Ron wasn't very happy and continued, whispering; "He's a bloody Slytherin! Why did you greet him?"

"That's Blaise Zabini, Ron," Hermione answered, also whispering. "he's in my Arithmancy class. He's nice. Not all Slytherins are scumbags you know."

When Blaise had sat down by the remaining table, Dumbledore rose to begin the meeting.

"Thank you all for coming to this meeting with such a short notice. I suspect everyone wants to know why I summoned you all here tonight. And I will tell you. Soon. But before I do that, I want you all to look around."

Everyone did so, all confused.

"Tell me what you see... Mr Weasley?"

"I see fourteen students, fifteen with myself, from four different houses, sir."

Dumbledore nodded.

"A very exact description, and a very right one. But that is not what I see."

He begun walking around the room, with everyone's gazes at him.

"What I see," he said, "is friendship. A beginning friendship. A friendship that rises above houses, old alliances, old grudges, and most importantly, parental ideologies and hatred. Most of your parents grew up learning to hate other people. Hate people because of their house, their parents, their friends, their beliefs, their blood. Did you hear the Sorting Hat's song last year? This has to come to an end. All of you are strong individuals, capable of making a difference. I summoned you here tonight, because of Voldemort."

A shiver went through the group of students.

"He has shown special interest in all of you. I shall not go in much deeper on the subject, because I suspect each of you know why he's interested in you specifically. It can be who you are, who your parents are or were, relatives, friends, you know the reason yourself."

Emily looked around and saw that many people were nodding, Susan Bones was trying to comfort a little girl from her house, who was silently crying. Blaise Zabini was clenching his fists, looking grim.

"This is why," Dumbledore continued," Professor McGonagall, Professor Shipley, and I have developed a method to protect you even further than you already are."

Dumbledore now walked up to the desk in the front, and fifteen confused faces followed his every move. He picked up one of the parcels lying there.

"Do you see this parcel? There's one of these to each of you. Inside, there's a necklace."

"A necklace?" Harry said. "But Professor, how on earth is a necklace going to protect us from Voldemort and his followers."

Dumbledore smiled at him. "Patience, Harry. All will be revealed. Now, this is important for you all to know. Only I can put on and remove these necklaces. They are charm, spell, hex, and curse repellent, but they do not make you repellent of any of these. When I call your name, please come up here, so that I can put on your necklace. They're all designed to fit each of you, your characteristics, and to not stand out. Stewart Ackerly."

The boy who had entered together with Anthony Goldstein stepped forward.

Dumbledore opened one of the boxes, and took out a golden chain with a tiny broomstick hanging from it. He put it around Stewart's neck.

"There. Susan Bones."

A silver star.

"Owen Cauldwell."

A golden hawk

"Justin Finch Fletchley."

A four-leaf clover in gold.

"Anthony Goldstein."

A golden owl.

"Hermione Granger."

Hermione bounced up and received a golden chain, a small quill hanging from it.

"Neville Longbottom."

A frog. A golden one.

"Laura Madley."

The little girl who had cried earlier now got her necklace; A small heart, hanging from a gold chain. She smiled at Dumbledore.

"Harry Potter."

Almost everyone craned their necks to see what Harry would get and everyone had their own guess. It turned out to be a golden Snitch. No big surprise.

"Helen Shipley."

Dumbledore fastened a silver dragon around her neck. Her mother, who saw the connection with Slytherin and, if not with a certain Malfoy, opened her mouth to protest, but Dumbledore just shooed her silent with a "Can you think of that else better represents her personality? I'd think not, no."

"Lisa Turpin."

A golden apple.

"Ginny Weasley."

She got a beautiful rose. Golden. And it had a small stalk with tiny tiny thorns on. She only smiled when Dumbledore put it round her neck. "You won't be able to hurt yourself on those, they're charmed," Dumbledore said. "But I thought they were fitting."

"Ron Weasley."

It was a silver chain with two letters on it, CC.

"To match that favourite Quidditch team of yours," Dumbledore said.

"Thank you." Ron shined.

"Emily Williams."

A gold cat.

"Blaise Zabini."

Blaise was the last and he received a silver snake. He was a Slytherin, after all.

Dumbledore looked out over the fifteen students and began to speak again. His voice was very serious.

"You are all now members of a group and I want you all to look out for each other. If you see anyone of the group being cursed, or anything dangerous at all happening to the person, I want you to either help, or get a teacher, preferably myself, Professor Shipley or Minerva here. This applies specifically to you older students. Help each other. We have members from all houses in this group, so it shouldn't be too hard."

He smiled. "Now I need a volunteer to help me show what these necklaces do. Anyone? Ah, Miss Shipley. Come up here, please."

Helen rose and went up and stood besides Dumbledore.

"What shall I do?" she asked. "Are you going to curse me?"

"No, nothing of such sort," he answered. "What I want you to do is to rotate the dragon, two times forwards, and one time backwards."

"Okay. Now?"

"Just wait for a second." Dumbledore reached into one of his many pockets and brought out something that looked like a silver pyramid, about four inches on each side, and about the same height. He put it on the desk. "Now you may begin."

When Helen had done what Dumbledore had told her, a little smoky copy of Helen appeared over the top of the pyramid, and over it a text. It said "Transfiguration classroom, Hogwarts. Unharmed."

"Cool!" Helen stated. She waved once, and so did the little copy. "Double cool!"

"You all see," Dumbledore said, "that these necklaces tells us your location and your status, when rotated, the right amount of rotations. This could be very useful, if you were to be captured by, for example, Death Eaters. If you get hit by one of the three Unforgivable Curses, the necklace activates automatically. Any questions? No? Good. Then you are all free to leave. But I ask you too to keep everything that have been said here tonight for yourselves. And I will know if someone have babbled about this to outsiders." He looked at Hermione, who blushed. "Goodnight, everyone, and please go to your common rooms immediately, so that you don't brake the curfew. Enjoy the rest of your weekend. Goodbye!"

And then he left the classroom, followed by Professors McGonagall and Shipley.

The students sat there for a couple of minutes, confused, but then began to leave too.

"Come on, then," Hermione said to her fellow Gryffindors. "You heard him. Let's get going."

And they too, left.