Harry Potter and the Old Believers

Chapter 08

Late Saturday afternoon, Pwy and the four teens sat outside to talk and get acquainted. Pwy had asked permission to call them by their first names, and told them simply to call him "Doc" -- which would be easier for them once they got to Hogwarts than if they were used to calling him Titus.

"Let me be clear about the things we'll be doing over the next few weeks," Pwy told them. "Part of what we'll be doing will be hexes and counter-hexes, curses and defense. All four of you have done brilliantly in Defense, and all do from well to brilliant in charms, so that part will be work, but work you should enjoy. Part of what we'll be doing is physical conditioning, which probably none of you will be crazy about, but it's work you need and work you'll need to keep up. We'll be doing some flying, and there'll be chances for potions, research, and lots of other sorts of learning and information, and time for fun, too, I promise." He looked at them. "Still interested?"

Pwy noticed that all three teens looked at Harry, although Harry didn't notice. "I'm going," Harry said simply. Ginny took his hand and simply smiled.

"If Harry's going," Ron said.

"We're going," Hermione finished. "Flying?" she added, in a not-too-pleased voice.

"Do heights bother you?"

"No, but I wasn't very good at it," Hermione admitted.

"You weren't bad, Hermione," Harry told her. "You'll never play competitive Quidditch, but you should have kept up your flying."

"Okay," Pwy broke in, "here's the rough plan for Monday. We'll floo into the Leaky Cauldron before Nine thirty; earlier if we can get around by then. We have some shopping to do in Muggle London, so wear Muggle clothing. Back to eat a little after Eleven. Unless anyone wants to visit Ollivander's with me, I'll leave you off getting fitted at Malkins."

"I wouldn't mind learning more about wands," Harry said.

"I'd like to as well," Ginny added.

"We really won't be doing much of that at the shop, but if you're really interested, we'll do some wand-making work starting next week." Both Harry and Ginny eagerly agreed.

"You three each need good brooms, so that will be somewhere on the list. We also have to visit Gringotts. Albus gave me your school lists, so we'll finish with that. We might change the order of the agenda, but that's what we'll be doing, alright?"

"Sounds good," Ron said.

"All right, off you go!"

Harry, Ginny, and Ron ran off to join Fred and George in playing flying tag. Hermione stayed behind.

"Question, Hermione? Or should I say 'questions'?"

"Harry wrote about his vision where Professor Snape informed Voldemort. Do you know about that report?"

"Yes, I do."

"Well, was his hypotheses about your longevity correct, was there some other reason, or is this an elaborate ruse to fool Voldemort away from Harry?"

"This isn't a ruse. I really am the same Titus Pwy that was born a hundred and twenty three years ago. I spent a few years after the fall of Grindelwald helping to clean up the mess, then spent about a decade doing research. Some of it was archival, some of it was field work with Australian shamans and Hindu and Buddhist mystics. Then I arranged for a Muggle identity and decided to lead a Muggle working lifetime. Even though I age slowly, I still do age, so this was my one chance to live a normal lifetime. I went back to college and did a BA in Classics in two years -- quite easy since I'd gone all the way through a PhD just after the turn of the century -- and then did an MA and PhD in Egyptology, with a minor in Mesopotamian studies. I spent the last thirty years teaching at a Muggle university, appearing to age, if age very well, using glamours. I had planned to teach another seven to ten years and then have that Muggle persona die."

"Why live as a Muggle?"

"Well, to outward appearance I lived as a Muggle, even if I still practiced magic of all kinds. I met and married a witch just over twenty-five years ago. Fortunately, the children are old enough to understand. The man I was for over thirty years is now legally dead."

Hermione gasped.

"Hermione, barring sudden death, I may live another thousand years, although more likely around seven or eight hundred. I may love a lot more women. And, with my old persona dead, if we do. . .have difficulties, there is no way to trace me to who I was. If we win, then at least I'll have a place in their lives."

"Will we win?"

"Can Voldemort really take over the world? No, of course not. There are just over twenty thousand of us in Britain right now; Voldemort may have the allegiance of sixty individuals, with another few hundred possible sympathizers, for all of Western Europe. But he can really do some major damage. A true Dark Wizard, as opposed to an evil one, by definition is always powerful; probably Albus, myself, and Harry are the only three in Western Europe at this moment who are significantly more powerful than Voldemort, and none of his followers, not even Lucius Malfoy, is strong enough to be called a true Dark Wizard. And there is a small number of others around the world strong enough to challenge Voldemort if we fail. If Voldemort took over the UK, or even by some miracle Western Europe, that would simply mobilize other parts of the world. But while this is a small-scale terror campaign, the rest of the world can't really help. It's a local problem. Granted, Fudge could ask for and get help from the International, and from other governments, which would make things easier, but in the long run we'll still win no matter what."

"But it won't be easy."

"It won't be easy," Titus agreed. "Why don't you go watch Ron fly?"

"Because they play tag with apples, and have no qualms about hitting bystanders. Especially Fred."

"Good reason."

"You still didn't say exactly why you lived as a Muggle professor."

"Hadn't I? I wanted to live at least one normal lifetime. If I live openly in our world, on a day-by-day basis, I'd become some kind of patriarch. I don't want that. I don't want real power, power over people's every day lives. I don't want people to bow and scrape and kiss my butt. But I already look too old to go through the college life again, and I do love to teach. I grant you, it'll be hard to teach students your age again, but working with you four this summer should help me get back into the teen-mold again."

"No using the thumbscrews and manacles," Hermione teased. "Even though Filch still keeps them polished and on display."

"Who's Filch?"

"He's the Caretaker."

Titus smiled a little. "Those manacles haven't been used on students since the fifteen hundreds, and the thumbscrews never were. I think Caretakers have been claiming readiness to go back to them ever since. I know Goyle and Jackson, those were the two who held the job when I was at Hogwarts, claimed the same."

"Goyle?" Hermione asked, with obvious distaste. "One of the Death Eaters is a Goyle. His hulking idiot son is one of Malfoy's stooges."

"Sounds about right. Max would have been your generation's great great great uncle, although he was nicer than the other members of his family that I've met." Titus gave Hermione a penetrating look. "I'm surprised you thought that degree of corporal punishment was still enforced at Hogwarts recently. We still used caning and transfiguration as punishments when I arrived, although we abolished the first after World War One and Albus abolished the second about ten years ago. You should read a book I helped start; it's still in print, although with other editors keeping it up-dated."

"Really? What book is that?"

"'Hogwarts: A History.'"

"I've read it a few times. I. . .must have thought the corporal punishment they abolished included the manacles." Hermione was blushing. 'Thank God Ron didn't hear this,' she thought. 'I'd never hear then end of it!'

Monday morning dawned cloudy and cool. Arthur had invited them to go to Diagon Alley via the Ministry floo when he went in at 8:50. They were discharged in a long, well-guarded basement with a row of tall narrow fireplaces. This is where Harry should have ended up the first time he flooed. The row of fireplaces was one of the few perks allowed Ministry officials.

They made a quick stop at Gringotts, to deposit the box of deeds and jewelry. Harry made out a transfer form to Lupin and picked up a bag of sickles and one of galleons. Titus made a withdrawal as well, and then led them to Ollivanders; since they were early all the teens wanted to accompany him.

"My goodness," Ollivander said, "I'm not used to a crowd of repeat customers this early in the day. May I help you, sir?"

He watched Titus set a soft bundle on the counter. "You do know, sir," Ollivander said, "we only sell wands, we do not buy."

"Not even Pwy Wyvern Wands?" Titus untied the packet and revealed the two dozen wands.

Ollivander looked both the wands and at Pwy, a little shocked and more than a little interested. "I haven't seen. . . ."

"You haven't seen me since I sold you and your father a set on August fifteenth, Nineteen thirty eight. An even dozen, wyvern feather cores in three oak wands, six elder, and a rosewood, a mistletoe, and a holly."

"I see. Welcome back, Doctor Pwy. Two galleons, three sickles each?"

"Two galleons each, plus give the wands of these three a good inspection. Ginny, your great-aunt's old almond and unicorn hair wand doesn't really suit you as much as I'd like a wand to. We need to get you another."

"Two galleons and inspections? And a good price on Miss Weasley's? Agreed." He gathered the three wands and looked at them and tested them for about five minutes each. "Mister Potter's wand is in excellent working order, although he should clean it a bit more often. Mister Weasley's oak is in similar shape, although much newer. Really, boys! Miss Granger's hazel is in perfect condition. Now, I wonder what we should try for Miss Weasley. . . ."

"I was thinking about starting with some ivy with unicorn, or perhaps dragon heartstring," Titus suggested.

"That was a rhetorical question," Ollivander said with a smile. "You're about the only person I'd take advice from, Doctor." He turned to the back. "Sean!"

A young man in his twenties came out. "Yes, Grandfather?"

"This is the man that made your wand. Why don't you catalogue these while I fit young Miss Weasley here?" The young man's eyes widened, but he made no comment.

Ginny reacted to the third wand, an ivy and dragon heart-string combination. Ollivander sold it to Pwy for 5 galleon 3 sickles.

The quintet took their leave and went into Madam Malkin's. She measured them and also translated their measurements into standard British Muggle sizes. Pwy ordered them and himself three sets of Hogwart's robes, a set of dress robes, and three sets of casual robes each. They'd pick up the casual robes that afternoon.

It was a little before 10:30 am when they made it to a Muggle department store. Titus had them buy two pair of trainers and a pair of sturdy hiking boots, more socks and underwear than they thought they'd ever need (all four teens blushed when he made the girls buy athletic jogging bras), three pairs of jeans, bathing suits ("Unless you want to swim in the pond and river naked," he teased, making them blush again), three pairs of shorts, six American-style t-shirts, five more casual shirts, light jackets (they all opted for denim, copying Pwy), and sports caps.

They lugged all that back to a small parlor in the Leaky Cauldron. Titus produced a small box which he enlarged. This proved to be much larger inside than out, and all their purchases of the day would fit into it easily. After lunch, they went back to Madam Malkin's, and packed their robes into the box as well.

The brooms took less time than the robes, but everyone except Hermione showed more interest. Titus first bought them all special shrinking brooms. These could be reduced in size on command to fit into a small case some three inches long. They weren't the greatest brooms, but they would be handy to have.

Hermione was finally bought a Clean-sweep All Weathers; it wasn't fast but it was steady in all conditions. Ron selected a Nimbus Pro-1830, 'Designed for the Quidditch Keeper,' since he hoped to try-out for the Gryffindor keeper slot. Ginny selected the Nimbus 2001 Pro-Seeker, as she hoped to make the reserve team the remaining House players had agreed they'd create the year before. They'd hoped to select the reserves and choose the keeper the last week of school, but Cedric's death had canceled those plans.

They made quick stops for potion ingredients, writing supplies, and pet treats before going into Flourish & Blotts for books. In addition to their school purchases, Titus bought each copies of the new edition of 'Defending Yourself: A Guide to Fighting those Who Fight Dirty without Soiling Yourself.' They laughed when Hermione pointed out that while the current editor was an American named Lee Fu, the original author was Titus himself, and the first editor was Flitwick. Titus also bought the three Fifth years 'Surviving the O.W.L.s while still getting more than Five Hours Sleep a Night and Leaving Your Week-Ends (Somewhat) Free.' Again, this was a new edition of an older work -- the original author was McGonagall.

"Well," Titus asked as he packed away their books, "any place else to go before ice cream?"

"How about Knockturn Alley?" Ron asked.

"Ron!" Hermione and Ginny exclaimed.

Titus looked at them "There's only one store I know of I'd let you into, and that's Hare's. That's mostly a bookstore, with some curios. You don't touch ANYTHING but the books without my permission, and you don't buy anything on your own without my permission. In fact, if there's anything appropriate, I'll buy it."

Even Hermione admitted she was interested. Pwy had them pull out their new everyday robes. Their Muggle dress was certain wrong for Knockturn Alley.

"'Everett's Ever-Losing Gob-Stones'? Why would you want those? Or more accurately, to whom are you going to give them?" Pwy asked Ron with amusement in his voice. The gob stones would ensure that whomever touched them would roll badly. And, no matter whomever the stones were given to, any person that touched them earlier would lose to someone who'd touched them later on and the stones would also bring bad luck at the game to the first player that touched them.

"Fred is the. . .House gob stones champion; he claims he can't be beat," Ron answered.

"Fine, go ahead," Pwy told him, rolling his eyes a little. Edmund Hare, the store owner, had been shocked to see his first Defense instructor enter his store, looking quite young. He had been almost as shocked to realize that the teens under his supervision included Harry Potter and two Weasleys. He was glad to be rid of those stones; not many customers would pay 3 galleons on a hexed children's game.

"What does a ward-detector do exactly?" Ginny asked, looking up from a display case.

"It will do just that. That's an older model, they came in in the Sixties; that's a good model from the early Seventies. Dark Wizards use them to find weak spots and in preference to detecting spells, since those can sometimes trigger very sensitive wards. Aurors use them for the same reason. We'll use them in Defense class to test the ward spells during the practical N.E.W.T.s." He examined and tested it. "That's in nice condition; the Muggle displays make it easy to use. These aren't supposed to be in general circulation."

"May I?"

"Of course." Hare smiled, another 3 galleons 12 sickles.

"What are you looking at, Harry?" Pwy called towards the back of the store where the rows of books concealed Hermione and Harry.

"I can't decide between these books," Harry admitted.

Pwy walked towards the voice. "Let's see . . . 'Controlling Ghosts and Poltergeists,' that's a good one; feel free to use it on Peeves if you get that! Just don't use it on Binns or the other resident ghosts; they're registered and protected. Poltergeists can't be. 'Fighting Darkness without Losing your Soul'. . .no, that's as likely as to hurt you as your opponent. It's badly researched and written. 'Hex Scars'. . .this is an old book in excellent condition. It won't help with yours, but would be good background if you still want it. 'Wands that go Bad: Warning Signs,' that's good. How about if we leave the 'Fighting Darkness' and get the others -- the other two can be part of your birthday present."

"Thanks, Doc!"

"Doctor Pwy!" Hermione called from even deeper in the back of the book shelves.

"Coming!"

A few minutes later, as they watched Hare wrap their presents, the trio in front heard a very disliked drawl. "Well, Father, look who we have here; Scarhead and two Weasels."

"Yes, I see. My, my; what are three proper young Gryffindors doing here," Lucius Malfoy said sarcastically.

Harry turned and sneered at them. "Nice to see you, too, Mister Malfoy. It's been almost a month since I saw you kissing your Master's filthy robe."

Malfoy drew his wand, but then both Malfoys froze. Dr. Pwy walked into the front of the shop, followed by Hermione and a pile of books. Harry had seen him approaching all along. "Mister Hare, could you wrap the young lady's purchases, please?" Hare merely nodded and complied.

Pwy looked at the elder Malfoy. "Attempting to hex a witness protected by the International, Mister Malfoy? You are already classed as a certain supporter of the returned Dark Wizard Voldemort." Hare dropped Hermione's books at that. "Still, Mister Fudge is still protecting you to the extent that we can't execute you while you stay in Britain -- for the moment. Step outside the borders, though, and we'll try you and convict you and execute you. For now, however, you have been caught in a major infraction." He slipped Malfoy's wand from his hand, and snapped it. "You are banned from using a wand for three years. If you're caught with one, that's a year in the Old Believers' Sorrowful Halls. If you'd like wand use restored, that's three months in our prison instead. You may arrange that through your friend, Minister Fudge. I hope you can borrow some floo powder to get home."

Pwy turned to Draco. "I see that while you might have been reaching for your wand, you didn't actually touch it. So, no punishment; being slow on the draw has worked to your advantage for once. We'll have to work on that in the fall, if you return to Hogwarts."

Pwy looked into the elder Malfoy's eyes. "Take care, Mister Malfoy. You chose the losing side. If your great aunt Jane, uncle Gaius, or uncle Draco are still alive, ask them about me." He looked at Hare. "Wait at least ten minutes before you release them." He flashed three fingers to Hare, and Hare acknowledged with a nod that he could release them in three minutes instead. That would no doubt lessen any chance of Hare's getting in the way of their wrath.

Titus quickly led the teen quartet back to the Ministry, where he filed a report on Malfoy. Malfoy himself came storming in some five minutes later. However, there was nothing the Ministry could do with someone with Titus Pwy's status. The three year ban would no doubt be successfully appealed, but that alone could take months.

Titus watched the younger quartet floo out before he went and got them some ice cream to go. Only then did he follow them.

Once back at the Burrow, the students set to packing their new purchases in their new trunks, which had been delivered that morning. These were magical trunks, each with six compartments (each turn of the key set a new interior). At 5:00, they all said goodbye to Mrs. Weasley. Titus opened the entrance to a magical corridor, and he led them through to his permanent home.

"I didn't know these could still be created," Hermione said in surprise.

"Links that can be activated are doable for many powerful wizards," the Doctor answered leading them down the plain corridor. It had a door on each end and five doors on each side. They had come out of the door on one end and were heading to the one at the other end. "You can make them permanent with runes. Corridors like this, however, can really only be done by about six wizards alive today, and two of them are older than I am, without my. . .condition." He led them through the door.

They walked into a dark room. Titus flipped a light switch, and fluorescent lights flickered on overhead. Ginny and Ron were startled.

"Just electric light," Hermione muttered.

"It's not incredibly hard to get into this room, but it is hard to get out, unless you're me." Titus simply opened the door.

"Master is home!" A small House elf grabbed Titus around his knees. Hermione was pleased to see that, despite the 'Master!' the elf had clothes.

Titus introduced Arwinni and the teens, before describing the house. "Now, the main house has three floors plus this basement. The second storey had my suite and two large bedrooms and three baths. The top storey has six bedrooms and three baths. You can pair off for the second floor or take four bedrooms up on top. I do have one guest, who will be back in a few hours. He's up on the top floor."

"Second floor?" Hermione asked.

"Are you asking Ginny or Ron?" Harry teased.

"Harry!"

"That's also up to you, too," Titus teased in turn.

"Doctor Pwy!" they all cried.

"Come on, Ginny!" Harry said, holding out his hand.

"Harry!" Ron objected in turn.

"What?" Ginny asked innocently.

"Take their things up to the second floor, Arwinni," Titus said. "I need to show them the house."

The size of the basement showed that this was a very large house. There was a large library in the basement, which took up less than half the area. There was also a large wine cellar, weight room (with Jacuzzi), a utility/wash room, a pantry, a billiard room, and an entrance to a corridor that led out of the basement to the rest of the manor.

The main floor had a huge living room/library taking up half the floor. The other half had a large kitchen, a dining area, and part of an enclosed porch that then extended off on the north side of the house. To the south of the stairs and kitchen exit was a set of green houses (including a drying shed), where herbs and vegetables were growing. Connected to the green houses was a potions lab, followed by a wood shop.

"This is where I turn wands. I store them in the lofts, along with wyvern feathers for the cores. I'll show you how to match them later this week or next week."

Next was a large wood shed, with several cords of wood for the fireplaces and other woods aging for wands. Finally, there was a garage large enough for four cars, although there wasn't one. There was a large collection of brooms, many of them vintage. In all, it was about 120 meters from the north porch to the end of the garage. There was a family of house elves living off the corridor under the area from the greenhouses to the garage.

Titus opened one of the garage doors. He took a rope with a stick tied to one end. He led them out, and they saw the manor complex was set on a low hill in the middle of a mountain valley, some 24 miles long and 9 miles wide. The mountains were high; they made the mountains around Hogwarts look like hills. Hermione knew they were somewhere in the Rockies complex.

Titus started twirling the stick around his head, making a whizzing sound that rose and fell in tone. Three of the teens looked confused.

"It's called a 'bull-roarer," Hermione told them, rolling her eyes. "Aboriginal peoples use it to signal each others. . .Doctor Pwy, are you calling someone?"

"Someone? No."

"Something?" Ginny jumped in.

"Take a look."

The four teenagers stepped further outside and looked around at the scenery in some small amazement. "Look!" Harry called out.

Something was flying towards them. "A dragon?" Ron hazarded.

"Almost," Titus told them.

"A griffin? No, wait, you make wands with wyvern feathers."

"Very good, Hermione."

Less than a minute later, a red and blue wyvern landed near them. "This is Fafner, the leader of the flock that guards the valley." Titus held his right fist out, and the wyvern, looking like a small, stocky feathered dragon, nearly six feet from snout to the start of its three foot spotted tail, and nearly three feet high at the shoulder, came to have his head petted. "Friends, Fafner. Tell the flock." Each student held their fist out in turn for the wyvern to sniff.

"I'm not certain how they communicate to the rest of the flock, but it works," Titus admitted. "Wyverns are much smarter than dragons. They were native to western Europe, but were pretty well hunted out by wizards and dragons by the early Fifteen-hundreds. We saved the remaining ones. They aren't quite wild and they're not quite tame, either. This flock lives in a set of caves on the tallest mountain to the west. Males leave when they're adolescents." He knelt and started stroking the wyvern's back. "The females decide when the leader leaves, and which new head male comes in. There are a few old males and adolescents in north end of the valley to our north-west. They don't violate the flock's territory, which is this valley and the valleys to our east, south, and of course west. It's safe for me to go there, but any other human would likely be attacked."

Four more wyverns landed. "The elegant green and red one is a female I call Velma; although she's not the oldest, she's really the alpha female. The black and blue one is Betty. The two small ones are yearlings; well, just over a year, actually, they usually hatch out in late May or early June. Wait until Fafner signals them."

Fafner made a noise, not quite a roar and not quite a bark. The four females came forward. Each of the teens petted them.

Arwenni appeared, with a wooden crate. "Oh, I thought it unusual for these four to pop up so quickly. How many do we have?"

"Six, Master."

Titus had the students stand back in the garage while he took the crate outside, about fifteen meters. He opened the crate, and six chickens flew out. The wyverns took off, the females each snatching one in their claws, Fafner taking one in his teeth and the remaining one in his claws.

"We feed them a few live chickens a couple of times a week. Helps keep the local fauna intact." He strolled out to the end of the hill, his students following. It was quite a large valley; some six miles across and at least twelve long. About half of it was forested; there were also fields of corn, wheat, potatoes, and medicinal plants. Two small creeks flowed down the sides, before joining to form a small river at the exit of the valley.

"There's a smaller valley off to the south east. A colony of free elves live and farm there, and work the fields here as well. Between the wyverns and the elves, this is a very secure place."

"How long have you owned it?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, I acquired rights to this valley a long time ago, and my family claimed it for the wyverns hundreds of years ago. A direct ancestor of mine mapped out much of western North America in the Fifteen Fifties, long before the European Muggles came along. There weren't even any of the American Indians in this part of the west. Ah, I see my other guest."

It was Harry who recognized the small black dot emerging from the forest first. "Sirius!"