The Return of the Griffin

Chapter Eight

Harry was standing on the deck of Severus' sailboat. The sky was murky black and the light from the stars seemed even fainter than usual. He closed his eyes as he felt the gentle up and down motion of the water and listened to the syncopated slap of the waves hitting the bow. The air around him was brisk, but not cold.

"Harry Potter." He heard a voice call. He turned around, looking for the source. "Harry," he heard again. He peered into the darkness and saw his sister, Jamie move toward him.

"Jamie!" he exclaimed, wrapping his arms around her when she approached. But something didn't feel right. Jamie would have squeezed him back and giggled. Holding the girl by her shoulders, he pulled her far enough away to look her in the face. Her face had a gaze of dispassionate observation. "You're not Jamie."

"No, I'm not. But you have not listened to my children. Perhaps you will listen to me." As she spoke her body lengthened and burnished scales erupted from her skin. She slithered over the side of the rail, and fell with a splash into the salty water.

"This is my home, Harry Potter. This is the real me. You must listen. You are closing yourself." The face of a large water dragon looked him keenly in the eye. "My sister in these many thousand years has never seen the like of you. You have impressed us with your abilities. But you must stop. Balance cannot be kept, and my children weaken. You must find a way to speak with my sister. She can explain better than I." Harry watched as the dragon's large golden eyes welled up in tears. "I should hate you, Harry Potter, for killing my children." She paused, her tears falling to the deck and splashing up onto Harry's robe. "But I understand you know not what it is you are doing. And I know you are trying to fix it. My son, Mushussu told me you have spoken with him. Keep speaking with him. He will help answer the questions you do not remember the answers to." She looked at him again, "Goodbye, Harry Potter." Harry gasped as she dove beneath the waves.

Harry woke sharply. Tiamat was reaching out to him again. He sighed, and realized as he breathed he could still smell the salt air.

* * *

The next morning, Harry was sitting at the table eating sausages while Davey questioned him.

"Daddy, why didn't you wake me up?"

"Why would I do that, pumpkin?" Harry smiled back at his son.

"I wanted to meet Dumbledore," he pouted.

"You will, you will. But it was far past your bedtime when he came. You will have other chances."

Just then a rather official looking owl flew in the open window over the sink. It dropped a heavy parchment envelope onto Harry's sausages, then left immediately.

He opened up the envelope and took out a card.

St Mungo's Hospital For Magical Maladies

Patient: Harry Potter

Appointment: 24 June 2005, 9 AM

Mediwizard: Healer Andersen

Notes: Please bring your wand for the practical portion of your tests.

Harry dropped the appointment card as Ginny entered, with a bright smile on her face, carrying a still sleepy Victoria. Harry grinned back at her.

"Lovely morning, isn't it?" she practically sang.

Harry chuckled. "Someone woke up in a fine mood," Molly answered from her seat. Ginny put Tory in her high chair, and went to the stove where a pot of porridge was bubbling. Harry noticed Ginny was blushing as she turned away from her mother.

"Well, I'm glad you two got things settled," Molly said, "By the way, Harry, dear. Maggie flooed this morning. Asked if you had any dreams last night. Said to floo her back."

Harry nodded. "I had one, so I think the best thing is to floo to Hogwarts, since they have my pensieve anyway. Otherwise, they'd have to bring it back here anyway." Harry decided to be pragmatic about it. He'd have to see Hogwarts again sometime. He finished up his sausages, and went to the fireplace. He turned back to the table sheepishly. "Will someone floo Maggie for me?" Molly stood up before Ginny waving her hand back at her. "I'm finished anyway." Ginny settled back into the chair to feed Tory. Molly looked and shook her head. She took a pinch, and called out, "Maggie Snape." Quickly, she turned to harangue Ginny, "You'll never finish anything if you don't make things easier for yourself. Didn't you ever wonder how I did it with nine children?" She waved her wand, and enchanted the spoon to feed Tory on its own. "Isn't that better?" Ginny nodded, but gave Harry a please-save-me-from-my-mum look. Harry smiled and shrugged as Maggie's face appeared in the grate.

"Good morning, Maggie. I have another dream to add to the pensieve for you."

"I know. Do you know when you are supposed to go to St. Mungos?"

"Yes. 9 am. Nita owled this morning with the appointment."

"All right then. That works, I have a Divination exam for sixth years at 9. I'll bring it over shortly."

"That is silly, Maggie. You have to get ready for your exam, and I have to go out anyway. I'll floo to your office, or Dumbledore's, wherever the pensieve is. Then it will take just a moment for one of you to pull the memory out of my head."

"Actually, Harry, only I can do it. Dreams can't normally be put into a pensieve. We found out a few years ago accidentally that I could do it. I had pulled a vision out of my own head. We studied it some and it seems I can pull dreams from others."

"I had wondered about that, Maggie," Ginny said from behind Harry.

"Well, now you know. But you're right, Harry. The pensieve is being kept in Dumbledore's office. I'll have him floo you when he is ready for you, and I'll meet you up there."

"Very well then."

With a pop, Maggie's face disappeared from the grate. Harry turned to Ginny, "I'm going to need my wand for St. Mungo's...Do can you find it easily enough?" Ginny nodded mutely, surprised.

"You sure I can't give you a bit of a hair cut before you leave off, Harry? You're getting a bit tatty," Molly admonished.

"No, Mum, I'm fine. Really." He turned and rolled his eyes, mentally laughing about all the times she'd gone after Bill for his long hair. He really HAD become one of the family.

Ginny came back down the stairs, carrying Harry's wand and the holster he'd kept it in. He pulled his robe sleeve up and clipped it securely. He pulled it out of the holster, looking to make sure it was properly polished. He blushed in remembrance of how embarrassed he'd been the last time it had officially been inspected, at the beginning of the Triwizard tournament. Such a long time ago. The holly wood shown, polished to a high gloss. It had been a while since he'd looked at it.

Dumbledore's head popped up in the grate.

"Ah Harry, nice to see you with your wand again. Ready for St. Mungo's then?"

"Yes, sir. Are you ready for me?"

"Yes, we won't keep you long. Know you have that appointment today. You do know it will take most of the day, right?" Harry nodded, and checked his pockets to make sure he had some galleons on him the holstered his wand.

"I'll be there in just a moment, Albus, and I'll leave directly for St. Mungo's from there."

"Professor Dumbledore!!!" A small flash jumped in front of Harry.

"Well, hello there, young man!"

"Davey! Stop being impertinent!" Ginny pulled at his arm.

Dumbledore chuckled. "Ah, to be young again." Albus looked at the boy. "Would you like to visit Hogwarts someday soon? After exams of course..."

"Would I!" answered Davey, who was tugging against his mother.

"Well, we shall set that up later. Harry, I shall see you shortly. Ginny, Molly," he nodded, then disappeared with a pop from the grate.

"Do you have enough to be going on with today?" Harry asked Ginny.

Ginny flushed and answered, "Of course, Don't worry about me, I have plenty to do." She rushed him into the living room, "Now you don't want to keep Albus waiting, Harry." She sprinkled the fire, then called out, "Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore's office," and pushed Harry through the fire after pecking his cheek.

Harry toppled into Dumbledore's office. Not much had changed, though many of the portraits who would feign sleep when he was in the office as a student were now looking down at him, smiling and giving very cheery hellos. There was also a new portrait, one of Dumbledore himself, his eyes twinkling merrily over his spectacles standing next to Fawkes on his perch. The real perch was beneath the painting with Fawkes sleeping with his head beneath his wing.

Albus himself rose from behind his desk which held the pensieve, "Harry, so good of you to come."

"No, no, don't bother yourself, professor. Sit down." Harry smiled.

Dumbledore smiled, "And here I thought we had finally gotten past your calling me professor." He gave a heavy sigh, but his eyes twinkled in merriment. "Maggie will be here momentarily."

"That's fine. Lovely new portrait."

"Ah, yes. Well, we've been discussing my retiring from this post. I'm not as young as I used to be, so we thought it might be a good thing to have a portrait painted before the case. You know the artist, actually. Your classmate, Dean Thomas did that, beautiful work, eh? Made me look 40 years younger," he chuckled as the door to his office opened.

"Ah, Margaret. Here you are. Don't want Harry to be late for his appointment, or you for your exam."

"Hello, Harry," she said then hugged him. "We'll do this quick and painless, shall we?"

Harry focused on the memory of the sailboat and felt Maggie put her wand up to his temple. Another silver thread pulled loose, and she gently led it to the pensieve.

"I haven't finished going through this, yet, Harry. But I suspect I shall be seeing you in a day or two, and we'll discuss some things then," Albus said as he poked through the shimmering liquid, picking up images of the new dream. Albus looked at Maggie who nodded. Harry got the feeling there was something else going on that he was unaware of, but had learned patience. They would share what they knew when the time was right.

Dumbledore had never let him down before.

"Well, I've got an exam to give. I'll give you a push through the floo, Harry," she added when Harry looked to interrupt. Just as he stepped through the flames, he heard them murmuring together...the only word he picked up though, was Dumbledore's baritone murmuring "belief".

* * *

St. Mungo's had changed since the last time Harry was there. The walls were brighter and the whole feeling was cheerier. Exotic plants crowded the entry hall that was flooded with sunlight from high above. Harry wasn't sure if it was enchanted or if it was an atrium. To the left of the entrance was a desk labeled "Information" where a smiling witch sat.

"Where'cha need ta go, luv?" she asked cheerily.

"I have an appointment for some testing with Healer Andersen," replied Harry.

"Ah. Well, you'll be lookin' for the sixth floor then. Healer's offices and examinashun rooms.." The witch handed him a badge. "Now clip this on. If ya get lost, jes tap it, an' it 'll point ya in the right d'rectshun."

"You don't need to weigh my wand?" Harry asked, surprised.

"Ah, no, luv. New charms were put in three years ago. Automatically record a wand an' its owner when ya walk in the door. Rather handy, that, eh?"

Harry nodded then responded with a thank you before turning toward the lifts. As he entered, he noticed that they too, had been changed. There were no buttons on the sleek black walls. The door slid silently shut. He looked around to see how to make it go, when he noticed his badge glow green. The lift barely felt as though it had moved when the door slid open again.

"Harry! So glad to see you!" Nita exclaimed, hugging her brother-in-law. "Sorry I didn't get to say much more than hello the other night. The problem with coming from such a large family." She grinned as she led him down a long pale green corridor. Harry nervously followed her. "Don't worry, Harry. Most of this is just going to be going over your history, and your reactions to certain events. Very simple really."

"I'm only doing this since Dumbledore asked. I'm a squib. Been living with it for years," he muttered.

"Yes, yes, of course. Lets pop into this room here." She opened a door to the right, and they entered a rather plain room, painted sort of a gray green. A largish table sat in the center with a few chairs.

Nita sat down in a chair and pointed to one across the table for Harry. "Lets get through these questions first, shall we?" Nita licked the tip of a quill, then put the tip on the parchment. A flick of her wand, and it stood upright. "A recording quill," she added when she saw his glance. "Now then. Name?"

"Harry James Potter."

"Age?"

"24"

"Birthdate?"

"July 21, 1980."

"The date of the start of your magical inconsistencies?"

Harry sighed, "June 19^th, 1998."

"Your magical education occurred where?"

"Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry; from 1991 until 1998."

"Your wand specifics?"

"Holly wood, 11 inches, phoenix feather core."

"Very well. That is the basics. Now. We are going to ask you questions about what you have been able to do, and what you have not been able to do. Some things a squib should be able to do, some things a squib simply can't do. You will not be told which you should be able to do."

Harry nodded, fidgeting in his chair.

"Righto. Okay. Currently, have you been able to use your wand?"

"No."

"Accidental magic to your knowledge?"

"Nope."

"Have you been able to see magical creatures of any sort? Pheonixes, crups, dragons, hippogriffs, pixies or the like?"

"Yes."

"Please list the creatures you have seen during this period."

Harry thought for a moment. "I saw Fawkes, we have a Dryad friend, Seirah, spoke with a Dragon...oh, and Davey was playing with a bowtruckle recently." He paused, thinking, "Had garden gnomes in America, and I've seen Boulder Guards at Cresheim. Think that covers it."

"Do you still remember spells, incantations and potion recipes?"

"Yes."

"Would you consider this to be a pathetic number, under 10, a questionable number, under 50, a barely acceptable number, under 100, an acceptable number, under 300, or an extensive number, more than 300?"

"Extensive."

Nita nodded and continued. "Have you had any use of, or luck with, wizarding commodities? For example, cleaning with Mrs. Skower's Magical Mess Remover?"

"Couldn't get dragon dung for love or money. Mrs. Skower's is miserable to begin with, but I have used Spot-off Spray. American product."

"Foods?"

"Well, Bertie Botts all taste like liquorice. Chocolate frogs don't jump. Butter beer tastes the same."

"You are here, so obviously you can see magical buildings. Can you witness people doing magic?"

"Yes."

"If people have performed magic on you, does it work?"

Harry struggled to think of magic being performed on him, then he remembered Ginny's "Induco Maculo" spell, and nodded.

"You need to answer Harry, the quill doesn't have eyes you know," Nita chuckled.

"Sorry, yes. Magic has been performed on me successfully."

"Have you attempted to make any potion?"

"No."

"Okay, we'll skip that question then. That will be part of your practical test."

"Have you been able to grow any plant that is considered magical. Do not include plants known within the muggle world."

Harry closed his eyes, thinking. So many plants were common in both worlds, he had to concentrate on which ones were only known in the magical world.

"Worked with some Asphodel when I was working with Aberforth that first summer. Had a flutterby bush in America ummm. Ruth gave us a fanged geranium one year. I think that's it." Harry watched as the quill quickly moved from one side of the parchment to the other.

"Have you been able to use magically charmed objects?"

"Yes."

"List as many as you remember, please."

"I've used portkeys, The Slytherin medallion that Ginny gave me. I've had a charmed key that would take the magical lock off as well as the mechanical and Ginny had charmed the stove so that nothing would ever burn..." Harry chewed his bottom lip in thought, "Oh! The pocket sneak-o-scope Ron gave me years ago. Handy in the classroom, let me tell you! I'm sure there is more, but that's all I can think of at the moment."

"Okay, we'll do some further study in your practical tests."

"Magical travel?"

"Well, mentioned the portkeys already. I can floo, but only by holding on to someone else or pushed through, I've never tried by myself. Can't fly."

"Can you use the floo for communication?"

"Well, I can't call someone, but if someone else calls, yes, I can talk to them."

"What do you see when someone uses floo powder?"

"The fire turns green. Then either we go through, or someone's face pops in the grate."

"How about psychic episodes?"

"What about them?"

"Any divinations, dreams, being able to talk to someone inside their head, things of that sort."

"I spoke with Maggie inside my head when I was blind. And the last few months I've been having very vivid dreams. I found out yesterday that at least a few things from them have been..." Harry stopped for a moment, focusing hard on the top of the table. "have been true," he finished quietly.

"Okay. That's enough to be going on with for now I think. Would you like a drink Harry?" Nita waved her wand, and a pitcher of water and glasses appeared.

Harry nodded appreciatively.

"Why don't you move around a bit. I know that was just a rather long session. I have to get some things ready for you next test." Harry stood up in response, wandering to the one window that brightened the room.

"Okay Harry, I'm ready." He turned to see a number of items on the table. "What I need you to do is wear these, Harry." Nita handed him a pair of blackened goggles. "Keeps your reaction to purely magical, rather than intellectual. Remember how some people have problems seeing Stonehenge properly because they've seen pictures of the ruins? Same concept," she paused as he pulled the goggles over his head. "This is what we're going to do, Harry. I'm going to put different things in your hand and record what happens. Some things have been charmed to work regardless, as controls, so you won't know what should work, and what shouldn't."

Nita put piece after piece in his hand. It felt odd, almost like when he had been blind after bringing Draco back. After getting over the unnerving feeling, he began to concentrate, trying to figure what each object was. Some tingled, some warmed, some did nothing. He heard her jotting down observations for each item before she quickly replaced it with another. After the objects were done, she had him remove his goggles. "Why don't you head down to the cafeteria for some lunch, Harry. We'll finish the test after lunch. I'm just going to clean up a bit in here and I'll meet you down there."

He blinked in the sudden light. He headed out the door, only to hear her whisper quietly, "Revelatio". Harry recognized that spell. It tickled his memory, not quite certain where he knew it from anymore, but knowing it was important. It certainly wasn't a cleaning spell. He shrugged and made his way down one floor to the cafeteria.

He went through the line, picking up some butterbeer, some steak and kidney pie and a treacle tart for desert. He moved forward to the cashier at the end of the line. He felt self-conscious when he noticed the witches eyes flicker from his forehead to his badge and then back up to his face. Her eyes widened, and he quickly dropped a galleon into her outstretched hand, muttering, "Keep the change," in order to get away more quickly. He picked a corner, facing away from the people. Not the best defensive stance, he knew, but it was the best to hide his identity.

A few moments later, Nita joined him. They spent the time catching up, talking about the children, when Nita and Sam were ever going to get married (Nita blushed) and how New Azkaban was coming. Finally, after the last bite of desert had been scooped up, Nita sighed, and said, "Well, back to work, I suppose. You ready?"

"As long as it isn't going to hurt," he answered.

They made their way back up to the sixth floor, this time to a different, smaller stone room, with a fireplace.

"First, we're going to make a potion. We'll do a simple boil curing potion. It's a first year potion, simple enough. After that, we'll do some wand tests."

A fire was already burning beneath a basic pewter cauldron, and the directions and ingredients were laid neatly out on a table next to the fireplace. It's just like cooking, he told himself, and set to it. Another hour later, a silvery gray mist was coming up from the cauldron, as Harry removed it from the fire using dragonhide gloves, and dropped the porcupine quills into it.

Taking a look into the cauldron, Nita said, "Right. Now to try it." She pointed her wand to her other hand and said, " Furnunculus." Angry red boils popped up over her skin. Grimacing, she stuck her hand into the cauldron. A sigh of relief escaped her mouth. "Good potion," she said when she removed her completely normal hand back from the cauldron.

"Now, take out your wand." Harry pulled it of the wand holster on his arm. He held it in classic duel stance, then flipped it over to present it to Nita when she asked to check it. "Lumos" she cried, and the wand lit brightly. "Okay. No problem there. Here ya go. I want you to go through at least 30 spells. Don't stop until you can't remember anymore. Oh. Before I forget." Nita conjured the black out goggles once more. "I don't want you to focus on what's happening, but the spell itself. I will record what happens." She tapped his ears, and everything went silent.

Harry started rummaging thinking of what spells he could do. He started out with simple ones, Lumos, and Alohamora. He continued, spitting out whatever charm or spell that came to mind next. He remembered spells he'd used in the fights he'd had with death eaters, and spells he'd practiced to create special surprises for Ginny. He kept going until his brain seemed to be exhausted of the spells he could remember. He let his wand hand fall, and waited for Nita to uncharm his ears. He was surprised it took a few moments, but then he heard her voice, "You can remove your goggles, now Harry."

The light once again shocked his eyes, and he saw that there were no changes in the room. Good, perhaps now they'll believe me, he thought.

"We'll be reviewing the test results, Harry. There are a few inconsistencies which will need to be looked at more carefully." She looked quite tired. "You know your way out?"

He nodded and gave her a hug goodbye before taking the lift down to the entrance. When he got there, he dropped off his badge with the information witch who smiled cheekily at him. He passed the desk, and saw Charlie there.

"Charlie, is something wrong?" Harry walked quickly over to him.

Charlie looked pale beneath his usual freckled tan. "It's Ginny, Harry. I tried to stop her..." Harry blanched.

"What happened, Charlie?" he panicked.

"After you left, she flooed to Hogsmeade and walked out to the dragon reserve with Sandy. She tried to talk to them, and she was doing okay, until one of the brooding mothers caught wind of her." He paused, highly upset. "I TOLD her women can't be around brooding dragons. I told her!"