Will You Ever Return to Me?

LunaIsCool

Story Summary:
AU from HBP. The war is a much bigger disaster, so is Harry's relationship with Ginny. When Voldemort is defeated, Harry returns home to find Ginny engaged to his worst enemy. Meanwhile, a new Dark Wizard plots in secret...

Chapter 14 - Episode 2--Chapter 4

Posted:
09/04/2008
Hits:
648


Chapter 4.

April 2002, Salem, Massachusetts.

Harry was extremely grateful for two facts: first, that he defeated Voldemort several years ago, and there were fresher news, and second, that rather few American wizards paid attention to the war in England, anyway. All he had to do was disguise his scar, and he could blend into crowds, talk to strangers who didn't regard him like an exotic animal, and even flirt with women, if he was so inclined. He wasn't.

The American wizarding community was larger than the British one, and it was more connected to the Muggle world. America was no stranger to the Dark Arts, but here, this wasn't generally linked with pureblood supremacism. There have been a number of Muggle-borns practicing the Dark Arts here. Since the name wasn't in any genealogy, he concluded that Hund must have been one of them. But no one Harry met had ever heard the name. Since Hermione didn't contact him, it looked like she didn't find out anything, either.

But in the past few weeks, Harry felt happier than at any time since he dated Ginny. Of course, given what his life consisted of in between--war, jealous rage, Azkaban, and living on the brink of starvation--this was hardly unexpected. Still, Harry was amazed that he could feel happy at all.

He never stayed in one place for too long--though this wasn't because he was hiding. He just wanted to find out about Hund, and pay him and Bellatrix back for all the suffering they inflicted on him. On purpose, he avoided American wizarding schools and the American magical government. They were likely to know about Hund, but they were also likely to know about him. He was afraid he'd be recognized.

Walking through the forest on the outskirts of Salem, Harry wondered where he should go next. Salem had a fascinating history--Hermione would probably love to come here. But despite a sizable magical community, no one Harry talked to could point him to Hund. So Harry planned to go elsewhere... although he wasn't sure where.

"Hey, you! Hold it right there!"

Harry looked up. Three young women appeared, seemingly without a sound, and were pointing their wands at him.

"Uhm..." Harry began.

"The Salem Witches' Institute is a women's only school. Everyone knows that," one of the witches, a tall black woman, said. "You've got some explaining to do for trespassing here."

"Now, look, I didn't know this belonged to your school. I'll leave--"

"English," one of the other women, a chubby blonde, said, noting his accent.

"Doesn't matter," the third woman said. "The Headmistress will--"

Harry had no intention of being taken to any Headmistress and interrogated, perhaps being handed over to the American magical government as a result. He couldn't Apparate--just like Hogwarts, this place was covered by wards.

"Look, I don't want to hurt you--"

"Then you will come with us," the black woman insisted. "Stu--"

Harry's own stunner hit her before she finished. The other two jumped out of the way, but Harry managed to hit the blonde. The third woman, whom Harry didn't get a good look at, was able to get a spell off, but Harry blocked it and sent two stunners in rapid succession her way. She dodged one, caught the other on her shield... and failed to notice a third hitting her with full force. She dropped.

"Sorry," Harry whispered to no one in particular.

"Good thing you are," another voice said.

A woman stepped out from behind a tree. She was much older than the three witches he stunned, and, despite her short stature and graying hair, Harry had no illusions that she would be as easy to take down as they were.

"I'd appreciate if you didn't hurt my students," she said. "Mr--?"

"Evans," he said, using the name he'd been going under everywhere--including the bank accounts Hermione set up. "James Evans. I didn't intend to either attack or trespass here, I just didn't know--"

"I believe you, Mr. Evans," the woman said. She pointed her wand at the bodies on the ground. "Enervate."

The three women rose, shaking. "Megan, I've expected better from you," the old woman said. "If you were going to fight, you should have cast the spell non-verbally--like he did. You also should have realized this man could do some serious damage to you, and you're quite lucky that he wasn't so inclined. You're planning a career as an Auror, aren't you? Maybe you should rethink that--"

"What could--"

"Contact me! Contact Miss Lyman! Anyone! Or if you really had nothing to back up on, attack first, without warning!" Seeing the shock on the women's faces, she shook her head. "There's a difference between dueling and combat, and you're old enough that you should know what it is. You're dismissed. I'll handle Mr. Evans myself."

As the girls left, the woman looked at Harry. "Follow me, Mr. Evans."

She began walking uphill. "Do you disagree with what I told them?"

"No--" It was then that he realized he had no idea who this woman was.

She must have gotten the same realization, and laughed. "Diana Clarence," she introduced herself. "Headmistress of the Salem Witches' Institute."

"Your students tried to scare me with you," Harry said.

"I guess I'm just not scary enough," she replied. They came to the top of a hill next to large oak tree. "I'll let it slide once, but please don't attack my students in the future, Mr. Potter."
"What?" Harry said. "My name is--"

"When a lie no longer serves a purpose, it's time to stop telling it," Clarence said sternly. "Now, unlike some, I follow news from abroad, so I know your official story. But of course, you being here doesn't fit in with it."

"Are you going to hand me over to the Aurors?" he asked, still clutching his wand.

"No," Clarence said. "You're here for a reason. I want to know what it is first."

He stared at her for a long time. "I'm looking for revenge."

"On whom? Voldemort is dead, thanks to your effort, I take it?"
"But not all of his followers are. They set me up to go to Azkaban. Do you know someone named Hund?"

Harry got the answer from the reaction on Clarence's face. "Let's go inside," she said. Touching the oak tree trunk with her wand, she revealed a large opening. Harry followed her, and almost immediately, he stepped out of a wardrobe in a well-lit room.

Another woman, younger than Clarence, sat at a table in front of them. "Thanks, Melissa," Clarence said.

The woman smiled. "No problem." Seeing the look on Harry's face, she chuckled. "Mr. Potter. We don't like people coming to us under fake identities, and we have ways of finding them out." She showed him a piece of parchment. Harry gasped. It was clearly the Salem Witches' Institute version of the Marauder's Map. And right there were three dots labeled Diana Clarence, Melissa Lyman, and Harry Potter.

"The Marauder's--"

"I know about that. I helped them make it," Lyman said. "And then, I created my own version."

"But--"

"Sirius and I were pen pals. I even planned an exchange trip, but it didn't work out."

Harry shook his head. This was too much. "Good thing we have this. It's the second time in three months someone comes to us under a fake name," Clarence interrupted them.

Harry turned to the Headmistress. "Who was the first?"

He got his answer when the door opened in the next moment. His mouth opened and he dropped his wand. For several seconds that felt like years, they stared at each other, not believing what they saw.

"Hi, Harry," Ginny finally managed to say.