The Forging of the Bonds

Chapter 3. The things we knew.

Rumors and whispers had flown around the school since the welcoming feast. The chief subjects this year were the Triwizard tournament and Potter. Potter was famous for defeating the darkest wizard in recent history, Lord Voldemort... but since then, no one knew where he had been or what he did. Until now that is. So everyone was curious, as evidenced by no one being late to their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

Michael, Dave, and Kate entered the classroom. "With the Slytherins," Mike muttered. "Again!"

Then he glanced ahead and gasped. An enormous black panther was lying on the professor's desk, looking at them. Since they were the last to come in, the only free desk was in the front row, right next to it.

The three Gryffindors sat down, quite nervous. Mike looked at the panther.

The panther turned its head towards him and... yawned, showing brilliant white fangs.

It stared at him with its enormous green eyes.

"Panthers aren't supposed to have green eyes," Kate whispered.

"Very good observation, Miss Longbottom," Professor Potter said. Mike blinked. The panther was gone, replaced by the new Defense teacher. "Two points to Gryffindor."

"You're an Animagus!" Dave exclaimed.

"Indeed, Mr. Jordan. Now," he continued, "What you've just seen does have bearing on the subject of this class, and that is that many things aren't quite what they seem to be."

"Like anyone doesn't know that," Mike blurted out.

Professor Potter turned to him. "What was that, Mr. Weasley?"

"N-nothing, sir," Mike said.

"A great deal of people, in fact, do not know that," he emphasized.

"Yeah, Muggles," Elizabeth Malfoy said quietly.

"Explain yourself, Miss Malfoy."

"Sir?" She stared at him.

"Your reasoning. You claimed Muggles are less observant than wizards and witches."

"Aren't they? Everyone knows--"

"Ninety percent of what 'everyone knows' is wrong. I'll have a two-foot essay from you on why you think wizards are inherently more aware than Muggles. Due Friday."

"What?!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

"One point from Slytherin for that outburst, Miss Malfoy. Now," he said, looking over the class, "you really should speak up. If what you have to whisper to your neighbor has any bearing on the subject, it's worth telling the whole class. If it doesn't," Professor Potter stared at the back row where Robert Goyle and Patricia Nott were whispering in each others' ears, "you shouldn't be saying it in the first place. One point from Slytherin from each of you, Miss Nott and Mr. Goyle."

Potter resumed the lecture. "Many people do not, in fact, know that appearances can be deceiving, or forget this fact when it is most prudent to remember. A great many lives were lost in the war against Voldemort due to such failures." Several expressed shock at the mention of Voldemort's name. The only person Mike knew who used the name without having to struggle with it was his mother, and even she usually hushed down when saying it. Professor Potter was the first person he knew who used it casually.

"Let me give you an example," Potter said. "Do you know what was the most common method used by Voldemort to keep Ministry Aurors away from places he was going to attack? Yes, Mr. Jones?"

"Well, sir," the boy began, "I know that many of You-Know-Who's people infiltrated the Ministry..." he stopped.

"Go on. It actually was fewer than most people think--the results were far more damaging than pure numbers suggest. But in essence, you're right."

"But they put others under the Imperius Curse..."

"Thank you, Mr. Jones. A point to Gryffindor for daring to speak up. The Imperius Curse was widely used. It's not widely known, but for almost a month, they controlled the Minister himself." Mike stared at the professor in shock, and he wasn't the only one.

Potter didn't seem to notice. "The most common method, however, was much simpler. Voldemort's agents sent out fake Ministry orders, establishing wild goose chases. It almost never prevented Aurors from getting to the real attack site, but it delayed them. Often, the delay was enough for them to kill whomever they were after, or steal what they wanted." He paused. "All because someone, somewhere, didn't check that the order they received was genuine. Was that a question, Miss Zabini?"

She coughed nervously. "Uhm, sir, don't Ministry orders always have magical signatures?"

Professor Potters smiled at her. "They do."

"But magical signatures can't be faked," she stated.

"Yes they can." A good deal of the class fell into silence.

Mike was among them, but he recovered quickly. "No, they can't!" he declared.

Professor Potter paused. "Two points to Slytherin for your question, Miss Zabini." He turned to Mike. "Now, Mr. Weasley, where did you get that information?"

"My uncle," Mike said, reluctantly.

"Which one?"

"Percy," he whispered.

"I see," Professor Potter said, as if that explained everything. Maybe to him, it did. "Well, he's wrong. Magical signatures can be faked. And you'll learn to recognize the fake ones," he added just as the bell rang. Students filed out, but Mike stayed behind. "Professor Potter?" he said.

"Yes, Mr. Weasley?"

"Why did you ask me about that? I mean, it's considered common knowledge that--"

"'Common knowledge' is something that you absorb without specifically learning it, from immersion into society. Kind of like saying Voldemort's name. Parents are afraid of it, and their children pick it up without knowing anything about who Voldemort was. I wouldn't be surprised if there are people still afraid to say the name two hundred years from now, when everyone who actually lived at the time of Voldemort is long gone. In your case, however, I was certain that it wasn't your parents who told you that magical signatures are unfakeable."

"Why is that?"

"Because your mother was the first to suggest the idea, and then devised a quick method for recognizing the fake signatures."

"You knew my parents?"

Professor Potter sighed. "They were my best friends."

"What happened? What came between you?"

"What else? Voldemort. Go on, Mr. Weasley. You'll be late."

Mike left the classroom. He'd heard of Harry Potter, of course, but never, not once, did he remember any mentions that his parents knew him personally. Something strange is going on here, he thought.