Harry Potter and the Magic Within

Harry Potter and the Magic Within

Chapter 17: 'The Hall'

Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk and looked rather concerned about something. He had been reading some parchment, which he put inside his desk when he saw who it was.

'Ah, you are up again, Harry,' said Dumbledore, his eyes sparkling.

'Yes, Professor,' Harry said, 'so I wondered if perhaps you could tell the school that I am back? Just so they aren't too shocked to see me?'

'Yes, of course, I think it is time now,' said Dumbledore. He stood up and walked over to the fireplace. He stood in front of it for a few moments. Harry, Ron and Hermione wondered if they were meant to leave.

'Minerva? Can you come in here for a moment?' he called in to the fire. A second later Professor McGonagall had appeared through slightly green flames and stepped out in to Dumbledore's room.

'Yes?' she said.

'Could you get all the students in the Great hall so that I can inform them of Harry's return?' Professor McGonagall jumped at the sight of Harry.

'Potter? When did you get back?' she said looking absolutely dumbfounded. Harry wondered if he should say he had not long been back or that he had been in the hospital wing.

'Not long ago, Professor,' he answered, a moment later.

'Well, I will have the school assembled in the hall in one hour,' she said, regaining her calm composure. Then she left through the fireplace.

When Harry, Ron and Hermione had spent an hour sitting in Dumbledore's room and stroking Fawkes, the phoenix, as Dumbledore sat at his desk, questioning Harry gently about the kidnapping, McGonagall appeared in the fireplace again. She informed them that the whole school was now assembled in the Great hall, awaiting Dumbledore's announcment. 'Good,' said Dumbledore. 'You go through there first, Harry. Then Ron and Hermione, then me,' he finished. Harry walked in to the flames

then found then himself in a small room which he recognised as one positioned off the side of the Great hall. A minute later, Ron came in followed closely by Hermione and Dumbledore and McGonagall appeared last.

'You wait here, Harry, until I open this door, that will be when I have told everyone you are back. Then you may come out.' Harry nodded and Dumbledore went out in to the Great hall, from which came a great clamour of curious voices. Ron and Hermione waved to Harry and left after Dumbledore and McGonagall.

For some reason Harry felt slightly nervous. The door was slightly ajar and so he peered through the gap. He could see Dumbledore standing in front of the teacher's table, addressing the hall.

'I have a rather important announcement to make,' he started. 'It concerns Harry Potter -'

He stopped for the Great hall's doors had, seconds before, opened and Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle had slouched in. Harry realised that they were most certainly going to be very amazed to see him.

They probably think this is a meeting to tell them I'm dead, thought Harry.

Harry saw Ron and Hermione looking worried at the Gryffindor table. He felt the same. What would they do when he came out? Surely they would realise it was a trick. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle sat down at the Slytherin's table but Malfoy didn't look nearly as smug as usual.

He still looks a bit shaken, thought Harry with a smirk.

'Ahem. As I was saying, I have an announcement to make regarding Harry Potter who, as you all know, has been missing,' continued Dumbledore.

The crowd murmured in curiosity. Then Malfoy stood up.

'Professor Dumbledore,' he sneered. 'I already know that Potter is dead, so may I go?' There were cries of shock all through the hall. The teachers looked as shocked as any of the students.

Harry gripped the edge of the door. He and Ron should've listened to Hermione. Malfoy was already causing trouble and he didn't even know it had been a trick yet.

'Calm down everyone, please,' said Dumbledore's raised voice. The voices died down in the hall.

Harry's eyes wandered over the tables. Most of the Gryffindors sat in a stunned silence with their mouths open, not knowing what to do or say. There were Hufflepuff's and Ravenclaws who looked confused or nervous and most looked shocked. The Slytherin's looked wary. Hagrid was staring at Dumbledore, his face still red, with a look on his face that matched the stunned Gryffindors. Harry's eye caught sight of Cho at the Ravenclaw table. She had her hand over her mouth and looked just as upset as many of the Gryffindors. Harry felt rather peculiar as he looked around at all the faces.

'What makes you say such a thing, Mr Malfoy?' said Dumbledore calmly. Malfoy looked back in to Dumbledore's sparkling eyes.

'Well, it just so happens that I have seen Potter's ghost, sir,' he answered. 'Only an hour or so ago,' he added. Dumbledore's eyes seemed to flicker over to Ron and Hermione, then to Harry's door.

'And you are certain you saw Harry Potter's ghost, Mr Malfoy?' said Dumbledore coolly. Malfoy nodded. 'Well, please sit down, Mr Malfoy,' said Dumbledore, as he walked behind the teacher's desk and opened the door in front of Harry. He took Harry's arm and led him to stand in front of the teacher's table.

The whole hall gasped. Then, as their shock wore off, they cheered very loudly and clapped and stood up from their seats. Harry grinned slightly. He looked around the ecstatic crowd and caught sight of Malfoy who was still standing but looked as though he had been slapped in the face with a stupid stick.

Dumbledore raised a hand to quiet the school and gradually the noise subsided. With an arm round Harry's shoulder, he said:

'As you can all see, Harry is no more a ghost than you or I. Once again, he has managed to escape from a very sticky situation and we are delighted to see him safe at Hogwarts again.' The students all clapped as Harry made his way to the Gryffindor table. He was intercepted on the way by Hagrid, who gave him a bear hug before letting him get to his seat. Fred and George patted him on the back as he passed. He eventually sat next to Ron and Hermione, feeling very self-conscious.

'In light of this happy occasion,' said Dumbledore, smiling, 'there shall be no more work today!' The students, and teachers, clapped very loudly at this. At that moment, Harry was popular with the entire school, except for Malfoy and his cronies, of course, who had realised by now that they had been duped, and looked as though they were already plotting their revenge.

The rest of the day was spent outside and in the common room. After the initial excitement, Hermione was in a terrible state at the thought of all the work they had missed while Harry had been away and lessons had been cancelled. She gave Ron and Harry pages to revise from and she read all through her books' revision pages.

'But Dumbledore gave us the afternoon off!' protested Ron.

'Haven't you had enough days off, Ron?' retorted Hermione. 'The exams are only ten weeks away, you know!'

Ron and Harry exchanged looks of resignation and began to glance through their pages, but soon got sidetracked into a discussion about the Quidditch game (Ravenclaw versus Gryffindor) that was now only two days away. Hermione glared at them, but soon couldn't help joining in. While they debated the finer points of goal keeping, Harry thought how of how glad he was to be back, once again at Hogwarts with his friends.

Harry went to bed that night feeling both very happy and very tired. He fell asleep instantly.

Harry Potter and the magic Within

Chapter 18: 'The Guardian'

Harry lay awake in his bed for a moment when he woke up next morning. For a second he had thought that his return to Hogwarts had been a dream and that he was still being watched over by Wormtail.

The sun came through the window as he got changed and woke up Ron.

'No, don't, I said no!' yelled Ron as he came out of what sounded like a not-too-pleasant dream. He sat bolt upright as he awoke. 'Oh, Harry,' he gasped.

'What on earth were you dreaming?' asked Harry startled.

'It was scary!' said Ron, 'but I can't remember exactly what happened,' he said, looking puzzled, then he got up and changed.

They wandered down to the Great hall. They sat by Hermione and Harry, who had lost track of days a little, asked what they were having first.

'Well, I am having Arithmancy,' she said as she buttered her toast, 'and I think you are having Divination.' Harry and Ron exchanged grimaces.

They set off for the seventh floor with heavy feet. When they entered the perfumed room, Professor Trelawney was sitting in her favourite armchair by the fire. The fire wasn't needed as it was almost March and the weather was not cold at all but it was always burning and today was no different.

'Good morning, class,' she said in her misty voice. The Gryffindors sat down. 'Today we shall be trying something that, in all my years at Hogwarts, no one has ever managed to do successfully.'

Harry and Ron looked at each other for a moment as they both imagined that this class would be no different.

'You will need all your concentration if you wish to read your partners palm correctly,' continued Trelawney. Harry, who had been expecting to hear something very challenging, yawned.

Professor Trelawney glided through the tables and chairs as Harry tried to search for the meaning for the long line, which ran across Ron's palm.

'According to this,' he said, 'you will live a very long life and live in a great deal of happiness - lucky you!' Ron looked at the book and stared at Harry's hand.

'This line,' he said pointing, 'is supposed to mean power.' He bit his lip, 'but I can't see anything else in your hand at all. None of these lines' - he pointed at the page - 'look like any on your hand.' He shrugged.

The rest of the class were finding it hard to decipher each others palms as well. Lavender Brown and Pavarti Patil, who took Divination very seriously and hung on to Trelawney's every word, found no meanings at all.

They left the classroom not long after when the bell rang, feeling very stupid and sleepy after being in the stifling scented room for a very confusing lesson and walked towards History of Magic, the most boring of all their lessons. They met Hermione on the second floor corridor.

'Good lesson?' she said pleasantly.

'Terrible, you?' said Ron, shaking his head.

'I had a wonderful lesson,' she grinned.

Harry was just about to say something to stop them getting in to an argument, when something caught his eye. He was passing Professor Argent's classroom when he saw her talking to someone he didn't think he knew. He stopped, letting Ron and Hermione walk on arguing in front.

The door was only open a crack, but Harry, as he paused in front of it, could see that the stranger was wearing a tatty traveling cloak. Argent was standing between him and Harry's view.

'It is so difficult,' Argent was saying, 'because he is hardly ever alone. How am I supposed to do my job when I can never get close enough to do it?' Harry then watched them leave that room through the other door on the far side to Argents office. He slipped in to the deserted classroom and crept silently over to listen by the other door.

This door had also been left open slightly and so Harry could see who the stranger was when the cloak was taken off. He knew the person well. He had been his favourite teacher when Harry was thirteen!

It was Remus Lupin! Harry's jaw dropped. Lupin stood in front of Argent and spoke.

'Genevieve, I think you had better find Harry quickly,' he said softly.

'You're right, Remus, I wonder which class he would be in at the moment.' Harry took a step back. His brain was having trouble digesting all this. He had thought Lupin was good. He had not imagined this even in his craziest dreams.

'I think I know where he is,' said Lupin mildly. 'I think he is outside that door,' he added looking at Harry through the gap. 'Come in Harry!'

said Lupin, as he opened the door wide. Harry stood as still as stone. He wanted to run but he couldn't.

Lupin took him by the arm and led him in to the office.

'What's the matter, Harry, you don't seem very glad to see me at all?'

said Lupin as he motioned Harry to a seat.

'I know who she is,' Harry muttered, looking at Argent, 'and I can't understand how you can be on her side,' he added hotly. Lupin eyed him with a look of great surprise.

'Perhaps you should explain, Genevieve,' he said. Argent walked up to Harry, who sat tensely in his chair.

'I don't think I am who you think I am, Harry,' said Argent slowly.

'I know who you are!' Harry said loudly, 'you're his supporter!'

Argent looked at him quickly.

'His supporter?' she said blankly. 'I assure you I am anything but that,' she said. 'No, I am your Guardian.'

Harry stared at her in silence for a moment. Then Lupin came forward.

'As you may have realised,' he said quietly, 'she has not been doing this long and doesn't have much experience. She felt terrible when you were kidnapped. Dumbledore was even starting to worry and he is one who believes in you most strongly,' he paused, 'so when you came back, Genevieve sought counsel. I had the pleasure of knowing you rather well and Genevieve and myself know each other from our school days. I was happy to come here and advise her to tell you who she was and what her purpose was.'

Harry's mouth dropped. He looked from Argent to Lupin.

Then, who is the supporter, he thought to himself. 'In a dream I had, Voldemort said he had a supporter here at Hogwarts!' he said out loud to Lupin and Argent. They exchanged a look then Argent came forward and sat on the desk in front of Harry's chair.

'Well,' she started, 'Severus Snape has been acting as a spy for us since the end of last year...

'Voldemort believes him to be faithful and we can hear of all of his plans. Remus and Sirius have been heading the Death eaters off everywhere. The minute Snape reports a plot to Dumbledore, Remus, Sirius and a group of Wizards and Witches who, unlike Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, have starting working against the dark side as soon as possible, beat the Death Eaters to their planned locations.'

Harry was amazed.

'So,' he said slowly, 'you're my Guardian? Why do I need one exactly?' Argent looked a little uncomfortable. 'I haven't done too badly looking after myself,' he then added.

'Harry,' said Argent, softly, 'you have done amazingly well by yourself, but times will be harder now. You have reached a change in your magical skills as you proved in your first class with me. I will be here to help you use your new found power and hopefully, protect you in any way I can.'

Harry nodded in understanding.

'Will you be staying?' he asked Lupin, who shook his head with a wry smile.

'I'm afraid I can't,' he said. 'I am needed to help Sirius with a few things. He will be glad you are safe again,' he added, 'he was very worried. I will have to tell him when I have found him. I set off at once to do so.'

With that, Lupin wished Harry and Argent farewell and left wrapped in his tatty cloak. A thought struck Harry.

'Professor?' he said.

'Call me Genevieve, Harry,' she said kindly.

'Well, Genevieve, if you were at Hogwarts with Lupin, you must have known my parents?' he said slowly.

'I did,' she said, smiling. 'I was your mother's very best friend.'

Harry smiled a little. Then he left Argent to get ready for her next class. He had only just realised that he had missed half of his History of Magic class.

He was glad that he knew who his guardian was. He was also very happy to have met Lupin again. It made sense that Snape was the spy, it explained the way he had hardly bothered Harry at all this year.

Harry was just going down one of the smaller winding staircases when he bumped in to something that came hurtling up the other way. He fell backwards, disorientated.

'Ron! What are you doing?' he gasped, rubbing his back where he had hit the stone step.

'Harry! Thank goodness I found you. Me and Hermione saw you were gone and we have been looking all over the place,' he panted.

'Well, I'm here. I was just on the way to History of Magic,' Harry said.

'Where did you get to?' Ron demanded, as they walked down the staircase together, and set off to find Hermione.

'I saw Argent talking to a stranger in her office,' Harry began, then he told Ron about overhearing part of their conversation and how the stranger was Lupin. He told him how Argent was in fact his guardian and had been his mother's best friend, as well as Lupin and Sirius' work against Voldemort.

Ron was bowled over by the news.

'You know what?' he said at length, 'I never have a dull moment as your friend, do I?'

'No,' laughed Harry.

'Harry!' shrieked Hermione as she ran towards them. 'Harry, where were you?' Harry then re-told his story from the beginning for Hermione to hear. By the time he had finished they were in front of Professor Binns boring classroom.

They went inside and started copying from the blackboard like everyone else who was still awake.

From dinner to past eleven o'clock, Harry, Ron and Hermione did nothing but revise for their tests. The rest of the Gryffindors were also trying hard to catch up on what they had missed. Not even Fred and George could be distracted from their work, in spite of the fact that Gryffindor played against Ravenclaw in the Quidditch match the next day.

When Ron and Harry finally made their way up to their dormitory, they lay down and were asleep in the blink of an eye.