RELATIONS

Chapter X

Friday, August 30, 1996

Harry had experienced a very intensive August. Edward, with some help from Remus, had Harry practicing advanced fighting techniques every morning. Every evening, Edward and Carole checked his summer work. Harry had surprised himself by gaining 8 of the 11 O.W.L.s he had tried for ('E' in Defense and Care of Creatures, 'O' in Charms and Transfiguration, 'A' in Herbology, Potions, Astronomy, and one of the two Theoretical areas -- which included Transfiguration, Charms, and part of Defense -- but he received a 'P' in History, Divination, and the other Theoretical area -- which covered Potions, Herbology, and a few related areas of Defense*). He decided his hope of being an Auror was not an empty one after all and had set to work.

He also wrote to Luna and Ron everyday, and alternated every three days writing to Ginny, Hermione, and Neville. Hedwig was completely recovered from her injury of the previous year, and Potter Place had a small owlery of its own, so Harry was never caught short. Everyone except Ron wrote by return owl (Ron wrote nearly everyday, but did miss a few -- Ginny had him tending goal every afternoon).

Luna's letters tended to be three to four pages long, and 80% what Ron would have called nonsense and Hermione, if she felt charitable, would have called stream-of-consciousness. Harry didn't mind, although they were at times hard work to understand. They included excerpts from her dream diary, her meals, lessons, 'interesting' tid-bits that were sent to The Quibbler, observations on life in Diagon Alley and on life in general. As Harry untangled the letters right after breakfast every morning (Luna wrote every night before going to sleep), he understood that he was coming to know Luna in just under four weeks almost as well as he knew Ron and Hermione after five years. And, by trying to respond at least somewhat in kind, he revealed more of himself, to himself as he wrote as well as to Luna, than he'd ever done before.

And, at the end of every one of her letters, there would be a straightforward paragraph or two, answering any fears his own dreams and feelings had brought up and showing Harry an affection that he'd certainly never knew existed before, especially not from Cho.

Harry went to his cousin and inquired if there was any magical parchment that would allow them to continue the exchange at Hogwarts without everyone knowing, as they would if they passed the letters between them or sent them by owl or elf. Edward thought about it, and produced two diaries one day in late August. Whatever was written in one would appear in both. They could not be activated until both wrote passwords into them.

Luna was overjoyed by the idea. She didn't want the letter exchange to stop either. While a very self-sustaining person by nature, she'd been fairly isolated at Hogwarts during her first three years. The previous year had brought her out to a degree, and she now knew she wanted Harry's companionship as well as sharing affection with him.

Luna also sent along a gift to Harry one day. Four dyed leather thongs, in Gryffindor and Ravenclaw colors, had been wrapped around a hair from a lion's mane (since they were both Leos). It had been magically treated to resist wear and washing. Harry wore one, and Luna wore another.

July and August had also seen darker news. Young Crabbe and Goyle had not even made to August; they had been killed the very evening after they'd been taken into custody. Their murderer had not been identified, let alone located.

Four of the five Muggle-borns in the up-coming First year, along with their families, had been attacked in August. Two sets were murdered by Death Eaters leaving the Dark Mark in early August; two sets had been successfully attacked by Dementors in mid-August. The one who was not attacked was a foster child who had been transferred to magical parents in late June.

15 wizarding homes (including the Lovegood cottage outside Ottery St. Catchpole) in Britain and Ireland, all empty at the time, had been wrecked or burned. So far, all the activities were confined to the British Isles. Voldemort's campaign of terror was therefore still in its first stages.

While the known Death Eaters had escaped from arrest in early July, their assets (at least the known legal ones) had been frozen. Both of Draco Malfoy's parents were in hiding, and Draco himself was making himself scarce. Thirty-three additional ministry employees were accused of being Death Eaters, although only six were successfully held. Another sixty were secretly listed as 'suspect,' including Percy Weasley (although he was fairly low on the list).

Control of Hogwarts was securely in the hands of Dumbledore and a slightly revamped Board of Governors. Professor Trelawney was rehired to teach the Third, Fourth, and Fifth years, while Firenze would handle the few Sixth and Seventh year students. Hagrid was of course returning, but Professor Grubbly-Plank was splitting the work. (Edward told Harry it was because Hagrid had been assigned extra work in the Forbidden Forest, which Harry understood to mean dealing with Grawp and the Centaurs). Remus was returning as the Defense teacher, with a special exemption from the Ministry while it tried to undo some of its recent legislation. Edward was therefore the only new faculty member.

Harry, Carole, and Edward arrived at the Leaky Cauldron a little after 4:00. Harry wasn't certain what kind of meal they were likely to get later that evening, but he didn't feel right making any excuses ahead of time.

While Carole and Harry checked in, Edward stepped out to Madam Malkins. Although Harry had had new clothes since early July (robes as well as Muggle), he still often wore his Dudley hand-me-downs when grubbing about the Dursleys in July and on the estate in July and August. The quality of the dress robe Edward brought back amazed Harry. Like his new Hogwarts robes, the dress robe had secret pockets, including space for extra wands (Harry was up to nine spare wands, of various quality).

At 5:15, the trio presented themselves at the private entrance next to The Quibbler. Mister Lovegood opened the door, and they climbed the stairs in the presence of some wonderful odors. Edward presented Mr. Lovegood a bottle of French rosé wine, and Mr. Lovegood gave Edward a copy of the first edition of The Truth.

Dinner, when they got to it an hour or so later, turned out to be a nicely done but, to Harry at least, oddly-seasoned roasted chicken. Harry had already learned that Carole could and would eat nearly anything, and that while Edward was a somewhat fussy eater, he still had a wider tolerance than many people Harry knew. He therefore wouldn't have eaten the under-done asparagus no matter how it was prepared, and Edward complimented Luna on her seasoning of the chicken and seemed to eat the soggy fried potato wedges with gusto. Carole ate as she usually did, and as far was Harry was concerned, it was better-cooking than Aunt Petunia usually achieved, and there was much more of it than he ever got at Privet Drive. The wine certainly didn't hurt, and neither did the ice cream from Fortescue's.

Harry would come pick up Luna at 9:00 the next morning, and they would spend the day together, meeting Harry's other friends back at the Leaky Cauldron around 11:45 for lunch. As the trio made their way back to the Leaky Cauldron after dinner, Harry waited for someone to ask him the question he had been fearing since his birthday . . . why Luna? She'd just sat during the dinner, with her usual semi-detached, dreamy expression on her face. Somehow, when he was with her, it made Harry feel at ease, both with himself and with the world. Out of her presence, he wondered what others thought of them as a couple.

Then Harry remembered Edward had really asked that question, and hadn't thought her weird at all. If anything was strange to Edward, it was that Harry had the good sense to appreciate her. Harry was glad it was dark, because he blushed with shame. Luna was not anyone to be ashamed of; her oddness marked her honesty. In response to his letter where he had mentioned his O.W.L.s and yet generally-bad 5th year marks, she had sent a piece torn off the bottom of his letter saying 'Well done!' and sent her grade sheets, marked, 'if you're curious.' Her grades over four years hadn't been as high as Hermione's (few students' ever were), but all of them had ranged between 90 (usually Potions and History) through as much as 111 (Defense, which didn't surprise him now). She, like Hermione, carried three extra classes (Runes, Divination, and Muggle Studies) rather than two, like most students. She had merely replied to his comment about it that most Ravenclaws carried one more than most students, and then asked about radio frequencies and if it was true they could connect to Muggle dental work.

'No,' Harry thought, 'Luna might have reason to be ashamed of me and the way I act, but I certainly will never have reason to feel that way about her.' Harry remembered the Muggle saying, 'Marching to the beat of a different drummer' -- Luna didn't even hear a drummer, just the stirring of her soul.

"Have you spent much time in Diagon Alley?" Luna asked the next morning.

"I spent about two weeks here three years ago," Harry said. "It was about the nicest two weeks I ever had, before this summer."

"You can't escape the past, but you shouldn't dwell there, either, Harry," Luna said as they walked slowly past Ollivander's. "You have to keep the past and future in perspective, but we dwell in the present."

"That sounds good," Harry admitted, "but with a past and future like mine. . . ."

"You still live in the present, Harry. Even if you found out what that prophecy was, and it was bad, we still live now."

Harry pulled Luna into Flourish and Blotts, and then into a very secluded corner. He spoke very quietly. "The Prophecy says that either I must destroy Voldemort, or he must destroy me."

"Didn't you do that once?" Luna asked.

Harry smiled grimly. "Almost. I should have said 'killed,' not 'destroyed.'"

"Ah," she said, even more quietly. "It doesn't invalidate what I said, Harry." Luna placed her hand over Harry's heart. "I understand why you can't ignore that Prophecy, but you still have to live a life. If you don't, then you merely become a vehicle for the Prophecy and nothing more. I promise you, Harry, you are much more than that." She leaned her head on his shoulder. "You certainly mean more than that to me."

"I might lose, you know."

Luna smiled. "You might lose in life if you live only for the Prophecy, but you will not lose to Evil as long as you don't panic."

"Three people have loved me and died," Harry reminded her. "They died for me."

"They did," Luna agreed. "Someday, I may die for you, too. And you know what? If I do, I shall do so gladly, with love in my heart, even though you will be angry and hurt should that happen. And if you die for me, or live for me, I will still love you unconditionally. We all die, Harry. It's the rule, not the exception."

"I know, but. . . ."

"Did your godfather's death have meaning?"

"Yes, yes it did," Harry admitted. "Not like Cedric's."

"Then miss him and mourn him, but move on. Otherwise, your present will be dark and lonely and your future will be bleak."

"You're an amazing girl," Harry said.

"We're all amazing," she said. "Do you need anything before we move on?" Harry's school books and other supplies had been ordered and delivered earlier that month. He and his friends should be able to enjoy the day.

"Ah! I need to find Hermione a birthday present."

"That's simple, if I know Hermione."

"Really?"

Luna directed him to a counter, where, it turned out, there was a gift registry. Sure enough, Hermione had her name down for some 300 books. Luna pointed out three Rune books that she thought were excellent, and Harry bought two of them, Luna the remaining one.

Harry let Luna lead him to wherever she wanted to go. She finally settled on a shop called Caroban's, which specialized in objects from Eastern and Southern Europe. Harry was immediately attracted to the Pensieves. While Luna agreed with him that using one might ease his mind, the shop assistant reluctantly pointed out that they were for sale to adults over 21; those younger had to have Ministry permission. The assistant agreed to hold one for three weeks in case Harry could get permission to buy it.

Luna looked at the amber scrying jewels and crystal balls. She told Harry that if she managed her O.W.L., her father had promised her a seeing ball. Harry noted the scrying necklace she had particularly liked, and decided he'd ask Carole to pick it up for him, for Luna's Christmas present.

By then, it was already after 11:00. They walked to Gringotts, where Harry made his first serious withdrawal. He rather liked the way Luna hugged him close on the ride.

Edward had reserved the teens a side parlor. Harry managed a quick word with Carole about the amber necklace, and with Edward about the pensieve. Edward thought it was an excellent idea, but wanted to clear it with Dumbledore before approaching the Ministry. After all, some of Harry's thoughts were such that others shouldn't have access to them. Harry, remembering his experience with Snape's memories, agreed.

It was an enjoyable afternoon. As Harry walked back to the Leaky Cauldron without his four friends, having dropped Luna off at 5:00, he wondered about the others. Ginny had obviously decided to keep up her casual relationship with Neville. Even Harry could see that Neville had fallen deeply in love with Ginny. He hoped Ginny really liked Neville, and was not dating him just because they were part of the same group.

Hermione and Ron were also something of an odd couple. Ron obviously wanted to be affectionate in public, and Hermione, just as obviously, was uncomfortable with it as a continuous experience. That is, she would give him a quick hug, or even kiss Ron's cheek, but wasn't comfortable with holding hands or with long hugs in public.

Other than that, though, they had formed a very happy and friendly group. Today had been a happy day, one that Harry could set against all the bad ones. 'If more days were like today,' Harry thought, 'living in the present would be easier.'

Two Muggle vans took Edward and the six teens to the station the next morning. Edward only knew Harry to any degree, and so had observed the other five at dinner the night before and at the late breakfast that morning, just as he had when they were at Potter Place.

He had thought he understood the Weasleys fairly well since he had first met them; he knew the family and he thought he recognized the general types. Both Ron and Ginny were smart, loyal, brave, stubborn, and magically very talented, but Ron was impetuous and undisciplined. Edward had worked very hard on his chess game while in New Orleans, and once held the rank of National Master. He and Ron had played three games after Harry's birthday, Ron playing white twice. Edward had won once as white and once as black. Edward saw that Ron had much more natural talent that he did, but that Ron had no inclination to study the theories behind the game. If Ron didn't change his style, he might be accepted into the Aurors, in part on the strength of his adventures with Harry, but he was likely to fall hard when one of his improvisations failed to work.

Ginny was not quite as brilliant as Ron, but worked much harder and was slightly more talented magically. As stubborn and loyal as her brother was about everything, Ginny was even more so in her personal relationships. It was that stubborn will that had kept her alive the year she'd been possessed. Harry had probably been the only student then at Hogwarts who would have fared any better.

Hermione, of course, was brilliant, talented, and above all, driven. Edward hadn't believed it was possible for a Muggle-born to be that powerful and talented, and he was very glad he hadn't doubted Harry more than he had. While Hermione was a step down from the level of himself or Harry, she was on the level of McGonagall, Sirius, or Remus, which made her slightly stronger than Lily and much stronger than the average Hogwarts student. He understood now why Snape disliked her so much -- Hermione was everything his family had trained him to hate.

Neville had been a pleasant surprise, considering what Edward had been told about the boy over two years before. Whatever Neville's problem had been, he was obviously fighting his way out it as he was maturing.

Luna, of course, presented her enigmatic, eccentric face to the world. Edward had looked up her records, and had been impressed. She seemed to drift through the world, but proved that she was usually more aware of what was going on around her than most people were. She had obviously decided her life was bound to Harry in some way, and Harry, perhaps amazingly, had decided the same.

Many of the owls exchanged in July and August were about the setting of the Sixth year schedules for Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Neville. While Third though Fifth years had seven required classes and two additional classes (with a third optional), Sixth and Seventh years carried six to nine classes, two theoretical areas, and, in the final year, Apparation.

Harry and Ron, determined to train as Aurors, were continuing Defense, Charms, Transfiguration, and Potions. They would also therefore have Basic Medical Training, another Auror requirement. They didn't have the basics of Runes or Arithmancy, and so had to continue Herbology. Harry went for Muggle Studies and had also been given permission to do Occlumency/Legilimency for his other courses. Ron had little choice but to continue either Divination or Care of Magical Creatures (he decided on Care).

Hermione of course would have loved to have taken everything. She wound up taking Defense, Charms, Transfiguration, Potions, Runes, Arithmancy, Herbology, Basic Medical Training, and Charm Building. Neville was very happy to drop Potions. He would continue Herbology, Care, Defense, and Charms, and would take the Medical Training with his friends. He was also taking the two botany specialties.

All in all, the four Sixth years would not find it an easy year academically.

* Hermione of course received O.W.L.s in all twelve areas she tried for -- 'E' in Transfiguration, Charms, Care, Arithmancy, and both Theoretical areas; 'O' in Herbology, Runes, Potions, and Defense; and, to her horror, only an 'A' in History (it only comforted Hermione a little to know that few Hogwarts students even achieved that) and Astronomy (she blamed the commotion Umbridge had caused). Ron achieved 6 O.W.L.s -- no 'E's, but 'O's in Care and Defense; and 'A's in Divination (to everyone's surprise), Charms, Herbology, and, to his amazement, Potions. He also received 'P's in Transfiguration, Astronomy, and both Theoretical areas, and a 'D' in History. Neville had received an 'E' in Herbology, 'O's in Care and Defense, and 'A's in Charms and the two Theoretical areas, for a total of 6; and 'P' in all his other subjects.