Harry Potter and the Elements of Valor

Chapter Three -Coming and Going

In Harry's opinion, Godric's Hollow had turned into an especially appealing place now that Ginny was here. He didn't like the reason she had been brought here but he was happy she was close by. Dumbledore had dictated that she had to stay for the time being as the Order wanted her whereabouts kept quiet. There was too much risk that Voldemort would try to take her again, or anyone close to Harry who might have known the prophecy. Dumbledore assured Harry that Ron and Hermione were under guard, unbeknownst to them, in France. He did not seem too concerned that they were likely to be kidnapped. He reasoned that Voldemort had probably gotten the prophecy from Ginny, even though she maintained she hadn't told it, so the risk to Ron and Hermione was now minimal. With the death eaters focused on Britain, Dumbledore did not think it likely they would pursue an attack so far from home base.

The most difficult thing was avoiding any mention of the events of the past several days in the letters Harry sent to his friends. He found himself wasting a lot of parchment, trying to keep his comments general and not divulge any information that could risk someone's safety if a post owl were waylaid.

On the day following Ginny's recovery, Harry gave her a real tour of the house and grounds. Even though it was a short tour, she seemed to enjoy it all the same. Harry was keen to show her Sirius's old motorbike, which was still stored in the little stone shed behind the house. After they had peered into all the rooms in the cottage, except for Aunt Petunia's, and strolled past all the flowerbeds and trees, Harry and Ginny were standing in front of the weathered wood door to the shed. "You're not going to believe this," Harry was saying as he wrenched the old door open. It creaked complainingly on its hinges as Harry swung it fully open. Inside the small building the light was dim. A dusty stream of sunlight cut through the space diagonally and glinted off the chrome of the motorbike.

Ginny stepped inside followed by Harry. The room was cool and dry. "Isn't it fantastic?" said Harry, stroking the leather seat. "I can't wait till I can just get on it and fly it where ever I please." In his head, he pictured himself, perhaps dressed in very cool leather pants and jacket, with Ginny tight behind him on the seat of the bike, flying through a starry night sky.

Ginny admired the bike and then began to look around the tiny shed, whilst Harry polished a smudge on the handlebars with the tail of his shirt.

"What's this?" she asked, pulling him back from his daydream.

"Huh?" Harry asked.

"This old trunk," she replied, "what's in it?"

Harry came around to where she was standing and looked where she was pointing. In the corner, under an old potting bench and nearly out of sight, was a small dusty leather trunk. It had old, worn straps and buckles holding it shut. Harry was interested, and got to the floor, pulling the trunk out into the room. "I wonder what..." he began undoing the buckles and raising the lid. Inside were a stack of what looked like old textbooks and some loose papers. The book on the top made Harry stop. The cover was dusty, but the worn gold letters still showed through. LILY EVANS, was spelled across the cover.

Harry sat cross-legged in front of the trunk, picked up the book and turned it over in his hand then opened the cover. Inside, on the first page, and written in a fine flowing hand he read, Arcane Forms of Magic - Notes.

The notebook was nearly full of the same fine handwriting. Sometimes the ink color changed, sometimes the notes had dates, sometimes there were names of books referenced, or quotations with references. Harry set the book aside and pulled out the rest of the trunk's contents. The books looked deadly dull for the most part; the kind of thing Hermione would enjoy, he thought, fanning the pages of a particularly large volume. The papers seemed to be more notes, but they were not organized. The entire thing looked like a random compilation of information with no real point. Perhaps it was his mother's old school things. Harry sighed.

"Do you think these were all your mums' things?" asked Ginny as she flipped through the first notebook.

"Could be," said Harry. He was surprised at how excited he had felt, suddenly finding something that belonged to his mother, and how let down he now felt that it was no more than some random notes and old moldy books. Still, he thought it might be interesting to sift through it all sometime. He decided he would carry it back to the cottage and put it away. He stuffed everything back into the trunk and as he laid the last piece of parchment inside, Ginny knelt down next to him and set the notebook back on top.

Harry closed the trunk. He turned smiling to Ginny and then on impulse, he put his arm around her and kissed her. She leaned into him and kissed him back. Just then a small grey rat scurried across the floor next to them, making Ginny jump to her feet with a gasp. Harry laughed as he got up and hoisted the trunk, "Saved by a rat," he said to her.

Ginny scrambled back out into the sunshine, looking shaken. Her face had gone ashen and Harry noticed tears forming in her eyes as he closed the door behind them. "Ginny, what's the matter?" asked Harry, now concerned.

Ginny hastily wiped her eyes. "It's nothing...silly really."

"Come on now, what is it?" he persisted.

She looked at him taking a shaky breath. "Wormtail. When I was in that place, in Knockturn Alley, he would sometimes turn into a rat and I'd wake up with him crawling over me or sitting next to me. It was sort of frightening is all." She shivered slightly, then forced a smile and set off towards the cottage. Harry stared after her. The thought of what they had put her through made him sick. She was trying to throw it off, but the nightmare was still too fresh. The difficult thing to take was that it was all do to him, and that damn prophecy.

A few minutes later, the trunk was stowed under a writing desk in the parlor and they were eating lunch in the dining room with Mac and George. George was going to be Harry's dueling partner today. He had gotten a good night's sleep and was egging Harry on in a cocky and hilarious way. Even Ginny got a good laugh. It felt good to laugh again after so many days of tension and worry.

After lunch, Mac and George headed for the front garden with Harry for dueling practice, while Ginny had a nap. Harry had gotten very fast, and neither of the twins were now able to keep up with him for very long. Harry could even tell which twin he was fighting by little differences in the way they moved during a duel.

Harry and George squared off and began to duel. Harry ducked, spun and rolled away as George shot hexes in his direction. He was stung a few times, but he kept moving as Mac had taught him, and kept his shields up. "Fight till you drop. Make every practice count. Pretend that every duel risks your life." Those were Mac's constant reminders.

After twenty minutes, Mac called for a break, as George tried to stop the nosebleed he'd got from Harry's Impedimenta spell. Mac ambled over to a stone bench by the azaleas. He beckoned to Harry to join him. Harry plunked down next to his teacher, breathless and sweating. "Well now boy," said Mac who was gazing out toward the beech trees, and not looking at Harry, "how do you think that went?"

Harry glanced over at Mac, shrugged and said, "I guess I could have moved a bit faster on that last spell."

"I see," said Mac, still not looking at Harry. A few moments passed in silence. Harry had the uncomfortable feeling that there was a problem. "Young Harry," said Mac, turning to him at last, "you are not putting a full effort into your practice time. I won't tolerate slacking off."

Harry raised his eyebrows and looked at Mac as he continued. "You are holding back when you duel with the twins. You know you are quicker than they are, although they are deadly fast. You hold back when you know you could beat them."

In the back of his head, Harry knew this was true. He began to explain, "Maybe I could go at them harder, but I don't want to hurt anyone. I mean, they're my friends and it's really good of them to help out."

"Well, at least you are conscious of the fact that you are holding back. That's something," Mac said sternly. "I don't really fault you boy, but we must design a situation where you will feel able to fight as hard as you can if we are going to hone your very considerable skills." Mac considered for a moment. Then jumped up and strode into the house without a word.

Ten minutes later, Mac emerged with a broad grin on his face and his wand in his hand. George was walking behind him, grinning. "Back on the mat, young Harry," said Mac, gesturing to him. Harry climbed to his feet and joined them. "Let's get at it boys." Harry shook out his arms and turned to face George, but jumped back with a shock. He was facing Severus Snape.

The laugh that issued from Snape's mouth was that of George Weasley. Harry looked questioningly at Mac, but kept his wand raised. "It's a type of disguise charm," said Mac. "I thought if you were facing Snape, you might put in a full effort." To prolong the workout, Mac had also given George an extra shield of protection that Harry could hit with spells, but not penetrate easily.

At first, Harry found himself holding back, but soon he could imagine Snape was there and began throwing everything he had at George. Finally, with Snape/George down on the ground and panting hard, Mac called him off. "Now that was more like it, boy. I can see that my old friend Severus really makes you rise to the occasion."

"Ya," said Harry, pulling George to his feet, "him I'd like to hurt."

Harry was still charged with checking Ginny's mark several times each day. There was a definite difference in checking the mark location now that she was conscious. He was surprised how easy it had been when her life was in immediate danger and when she was limp as a rag doll, compared to now, when he had to ask her to lower her jeans for him to inspect the spot. Ginny asked him if they couldn't arrange to do it away from the others. She seemed rather self-conscious about the entire thing. Dumbledore had assured her that there was nothing she could have done to stop it, or fight it, but she remained a bit touchy on the subject.

Harry had seen no recurrence of the mark, but Dumbledore still seemed apprehensive. On the third night after Ginny had recovered enough to get out of bed, the headmaster arrived at the Hollow with an ancient book in his hands. Dumbledore called them all to the dining room where he placed the book on the table. "I had some difficulty locating this particular text," he said. "Remus discovered it after some searching." Harry, Ginny, Fred and George crowded around as Dumbledore turned the brittle, yellowed pages. Finally he reached a page that was entitled Stigma Servitium, which Harry recognized as part of the counter curse he had used on Ginny. The text was all in Latin but there were pictures showing a wizard with a wand, pointing at a person who was being restrained, then a depiction of the person kneeling to the wizard with a round mark upon his chest. At the bottom of the page, the mark was drawn as Harry remembered it.

Dumbledore was reading through the text and muttering to himself. Fred and George stood looking at the headmaster while Harry tried to decipher the inscrutable writing. Finally, Dumbledore straightened and faced them. "It is as I feared. Although I remembered the curse and its counter curse, I did not trust my memory concerning the details of the Stigma Servitium, or Mark of Domination. It appears that although the mark has disappeared, the wizard who invoked the curse can reactivate it. It takes a powerful wizard to over come the counter curse but it can be done. In the event that this happens, the counter curse must be tried again. Time and distance can lessen the potency of the curse, but only the death of the wizard who placed the curse will remove it forever." Dumbledore looked sadly at Ginny, "I'm very sorry this has happened to you. We WILL find a solution, I promise..."

Before anyone else could react, Harry turned to Dumbledore, "What do you mean....I thought the mark might just come back on its own, but you're saying Malfoy might bring it back? He could try to make her do...something?"

Dumbledore looked at him. "So it seems, Harry," he sighed. "This is a very ancient curse and as I told you, a very powerful one. When Percy was cursed, we assumed it to be the Imperious curse but nothing we tried seemed to break him free of it. We did not understand why, for even a weak willed wizard should be able to overcome even a very strong Imperious curse, given enough time."

"This spell," he said, glancing down at the book, "is altogether another matter. A person with a very strong will might fight it, but the caster can still get the victim back under his control. Lucius Malfoy is certainly a powerful enough wizard to reactivate the curse. If he is aware of this, and I am sure that he is, he will certainly try to control her again. We can not know when."

"We'll kill him, then," said Fred and George at once. "Then it'll be over," finished Fred.

Dumbledore shook his head. "I do not want you looking for Lucius Malfoy. He is highly dangerous and will probably not be alone. We do not want more marked victims to be dealing with. I need to study this situation. I will look for another way to remove the curse permanently. In the meantime Ginny, Harry will have to continue to check the site of the mark. Do you agree?"

Ginny stared unseeing at the book upon the table and shook her head yes. "Sir," she said her voice sounding far away, "perhaps you ought to lock me up...so I don't hurt anyone as Percy did."

Dumbledore sighed. "Percy's curse was never blocked as Harry has done to yours. I feel we will get some notice if Malfoy attempts to control you again."

The group was somber with each person lost in their own thoughts. Harry, for his part, was imagining what he'd do if he ever came face to face with Lucius Malfoy again.

In addition to everything else, poor Ginny had been reduced to sharing Harry's wardrobe until they could obtain some clothes for her. Since Dumbledore wanted to maintain total secrecy about Ginny's location, he refused to allow Fred and George to collect her clothes from the Burrow and bring them to Godric's Hollow. There was a fear that a bundle of clothes or trunk leaving The Burrow could tip off the death eaters and also cause the twins to become targets. Dumbledore said he would arrange for some appropriate attire for Ginny, but he seemed extremely busy and so after a few days, Harry took charge of the matter and slipped a leather pouch full of galleons into Fred's hand. "I know the Order doesn't want any hint of where Ginny is to leak out. Can you figure out how to buy her some clothes? She's not complaining, but she can't be happy wearing my old stuff," said Harry.

Fred slipped the pouch into his pocket. "I don't know why we didn't think of that Harry. Leave it to me. I'll get it handled with no one the wiser."

"Thanks," said Harry gratefully. Then he added, "I don't know her size or anything."

Fred returned hours later with a large and battered cardboard box under his arm. Harry and Ginny were sitting on a bench in the front garden as he strolled in. "Hi ya, Ginny, Harry," he said gaily, heading for the house. Just as he passed, he gave Harry a quick wink. Harry excused himself a minute later and headed for the house. He found Fred in the twins' room.

"What is it?" asked Harry as he entered.

"Got the stuff here," said Fred, pointing to the box now sitting on the bed.

"You mean the clothes for Ginny?" Harry asked. "No offense Fred, but I meant new clothes."

"You idiot," said Fred, "This is camouflage. Open it up, why don't you."

Sure enough, when Harry opened the cardboard box, he found several fancy shopping bags that read Glad Rags Wizard Wear on the outside in shiny gold letters. The bags were filled with all sorts of clothing items. "But Fred, Glad Rags isn't in Diagon Alley, it's in Hogsmeade," said Harry.

"Actually, London, Paris and Hogsmeade... according to a very attractive shopkeeper. I thought it best not to be seen buying clothes for a teenage girl in Diagon Alley. Someone might become suspicious, so I used a disguise and I apparated to Hogsmeade. I let Bridget, the shop clerk, pick this all out for me," said Fred. Then he added with a wink, "We have a date next weekend."

Harry laughed, "Thanks Fred."

"Don't thank me, your supply of gold is seriously diminished," Fred laughed, as he dropped the pouch on to the bed.

Harry told him it was worth every galleon. Then he pulled the shopping out of the box and carried it all into the room that Ginny was using. He deposited the bags on the bed and then went back down to the garden without a word to her about it.

Later that night, Harry was sitting in the parlor, about to lose spectacularly in a game of wizard chess with George, when he heard a squeal of delight that carried through the entire house. Mac looked up from his book curiously and Fred and George exchanged smiles. Aunt Petunia poked her head out of her room, scowled and then ducked back inside like a tortoise retreating into its shell.

A moment later Ginny came flying down the stairs, with an armload of brightly colored clothes and threw her arms around her brothers. "It was Harry who did it, sis," said Fred quickly. "I just carried out the plan."

Ginny turned to Harry, an entirely different look on her face. "Oh, Harry," she began, haltingly, "I can't accept this...it's too much."

"Don't be silly," said Harry, blushing a bit, "You're going to hurt yourself tripping around here in jeans that are too long for you."

Ginny looked like she was going to cry. "That's the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me." Then she bent and kissed him before turning to go back off to her room. Harry knew his face had turned red owing the fact that it felt hot. Fred and George were cat calling and Mac shook his head as he studied his book, but Harry could see the shade of a grin there.

George leaned over, "Going to run off after her and help her try on her new things?" he asked mockingly.

Fred cuffed George with a pillow. "That's your baby sister you're talking about."

"Sorry, I couldn't help it. Harry was looking so love sick for a minute, I thought I'd just ask," replied George.

Harry busied himself with collecting up the remains of his banished pieces so he didn't have to look at any of them. Soon Ginny returned to the parlor dressed in a new blouse and some Ginny sized jeans. Everything seemed to fit quite well.

Later that evening they all played several rounds of exploding snap. The twins were brutal players, as was Ginny. Harry and Mac finally bowed out of the game and let the Weasley's fight for the win. In the end, Ginny beat her brothers, to loud groans and reminders that they had, after all, taught her how to play.

Mac had gone to bed, and Fred and George flipped a coin for guard duty. George got to go off for a sleep, while Fred took his turn out at the gate. Ginny came over to the sofa where Harry sat, and curled up next to him.

He put his arm around her. "Do you think we're really likely to be attacked here?" she asked.

"Dunno," said Harry, "Dumbledore is pretty firm about the guard situation, particularly at night."

"You must get so tired of it," she replied.

"Ya, it seems like I've been watched most of my life, but it hasn't stopped loads of things from happening anyway."

They sat silently for a time as the warm night breeze made the candles flicker.

"What do you want most, Harry?" Ginny asked quietly.

Harry turned toward her. He could see the chain of the necklace he had given her, and now repaired, laying against her skin. He knew exactly what he wanted, but he was afraid to tell her that. "Oh, I don't know..."

Ginny looked at him appraisingly. "So you won't tell me then?" She looked at him for a moment, "Well, if I tell you what I want, will you tell me what you want?"

Harry gave her a crooked smile and nodded his head. "Well then," said Ginny looking off across the room, "Tom Riddle possessed me and made me do his bidding, then Malfoy marked me and now he could control me if he pleased. My entire family is fighting Voldemort and the one who didn't fight him is dead. It would be foolish to think that we can all come through this unhurt. I have to believe that you'll win out over Voldemort, Harry. So, even though we'll all have to fight against him before the end, I want to come to a time when no one I love is in danger. That's what I'd like."

Harry swallowed, "That's all I want too. If I could just shut out the world and live here...I mean there are things I'd like to do, but what I'd really like is a place I could call home, without guards and without a load of spells protecting it." Harry paused, not looking at her, "And if you were here with me too..."

Ginny laid her head on his shoulder. "That would be nice," she said softly. "But...could Dobby stay too?" asked Ginny, "I really hate doing dishes." Harry laughed and held her tighter.

At the end of the week, on a particularly fine morning, Mac came into the cottage calling Harry's name. Harry jumped up from a chair in the parlor. "What?" he asked. Ginny looked up from her book.

"You'll want to come out by the gate, I think," said Mac with a smile. Harry and Ginny followed Mac out into the front garden and down the stone path to the gate. Once there, Mac looked out into the road then said, "In just a minute I think."

Harry looked quizzically at Ginny who shrugged back at him. Then there were three quick pops, and Dumbledore, Ron and Hermione apparated in the road. They looked around and then at Dumbledore, who handed them a small scrap of parchment to read. Harry grinned broadly as he waited for them to see his house materialize in front of them. Mac pulled open the gate for them and Dumbledore shunted them forward.

Hermione gasped delightedly and waved to Harry. Ron smiled and said, "Hello Harry, Hi Ginny."

They each had a suitcase in their hand. Once Hermione had crossed into the yard, she dropped her case and enfolded Harry and Ginny in a huge hug. "I'm so glad you're safe," she said, looking Ginny over. "We were only just told the whole story last night."

"Ya," said Ron, "Some death eaters tried to take us, but Tonks rescued us."

"What?" asked Harry incredulously.

Dumbledore broke in, "Even though this entire property is protected, still I would prefer that you kept this discussion for inside the house. I'm sure you all have a lot to catch up on. Harry, I'm afraid you will have to find more beds for your friends here, as Ron and Hermione will have to remain here until the end of the summer."

He continued, "Ron, Hermione, you may not send any owl post and you must remain within these garden walls, and house, as I explained. I must leave immediately, but I will return tonight." Harry couldn't have been happier.

Ron spoke up, "I can kip anywhere, mate. No matter what, it'll be better than worrying about being attacked in your sleep."

They made a noisy group as they entered the cottage. As Harry stopped to think a minute in the front hallway, Dobby came out from the kitchen and began asking in an animated manner what they would all like for dinner that evening. The commotion flushed Aunt Petunia out of her room. "Pipe down the lot of you," she shrilled over the top of them. "A person can't think with all that jabbering."

Everyone was looking at Aunt Petunia now. Ginny turned to Ron and Hermione, "Why don't we all go up to Harry's room," she suggested quietly. Ron and Hermione started up the stairs after her.

Harry said, "I'll be up in a minute."

He turned to face his aunt. "It's not up to you to tell my guests to be quiet," he said evenly. His eyes, however, were boring into his aunt. He'd had enough of her. Since the night of Ginny's arrival and her refusal to help him, he had done what he could to avoid looking at her or conversing with her. He knew that if he did, he was likely to blow-up. Dumbledore wanted her here until August so he had made a serious effort to avoid her for the past week or so. Then a click in his head made him aware of something he had overlooked. Today must be his birthday. Yes, it had to be July thirty-first today. He mentally counted out the days. Godric's Hollow had somehow masked the passing of the days, or made him unconcerned about them. Yes, today was his birthday. He looked at his aunt with renewed venom. "If you don't like it, then get out of my house," he said in a low menacing voice.

"I'd like nothing better," she spat. "When I leave here I don't ever want to see or hear from you again. And if that Dumbledore character harms my son, I'll...I'll," she went silent.

"You'll what?" yelled Harry. "You'll lock him in a cupboard under your stairs? You can get away with stuff like that when it's you against a little boy. You're right up to bullying a child aren't you? You'll leave an innocent girl to die just so that you're not inconvenienced. You'll treat people rudely that you don't even know, because you think you're better than they are. Just don't think for a minute that you can take on a grown wizard," Harry sucked in a breath. "You don't deserve the chance Dumbledore gave Dudley. You don't deserve to be called my mother's sister..." He had a lot more to say to her, but as he stood there, he felt decidedly empty. All he ever got from her was coldness and rejection. There was no point in going on with his tirade.

As this realization hit him something like acceptance replaced his anger. Harry suddenly felt sorry for her. She was no match for him or for any of the people in this house. She was just a woman, scared for the safety of her son. Certainly she'd had her chance to show him even a small amount of the love she displayed for Dudley, but she never had. Nothing could change that now. "Dumbledore will not remove the charm on Dudley. He'll be safe as far as that goes." Harry said with a sigh.

Aunt Petunia swept back into her room, slamming the door. Immediately the sound of drawers opening and slamming could be heard.

Harry turned and trotted out to the gate, where Mac was sitting on guard. "Can we send Aunt Petunia home? I've just had a row with her and she's packing."

Mac looked slyly at Harry. "About time young Potter," he said with a twinkle in his eye. "I've know muggles of all kinds in my life, some good, some bad, some who are friends. That woman...well all I can say is it will be good riddance as far as I'm concerned." Mac looked out to the road. "I'll call the Knight Bus and send her packing then, and I hope Stan and Ernie give her one devil of a ride home." Harry smiled at him and then went back into the house.

A door slammed followed by the click of heels across the floor. The voice of Aunt Petunia shouted to no one in particular, "This is a mad house. I am leaving and I don't want to see or hear from you again!" Harry watched her from the window in the kitchen as she approached the gate. Mac opened it for her and took her bag for her as they stepped out into the road. In a matter of seconds, Harry glimpsed the edge of the purple Knight Bus as it wheeled into view and then disappeared. Mac came back inside after it had left. Harry had the feeling of a door closing on the whole of the muggle life he had known. The feeling was bittersweet.

Harry turned and nearly collided with Dobby who was standing behind him. "Harry Potter could put the young ladies in the bedroom of the aunt, sir. I is cleaning very quickly sir. They is having their own bathroom too, Harry Potter."

"Great idea Dobby," said Harry a bit tiredly. "Let's do that."

Harry climbed the stairs and tried to throw off the nagging feeling of loss at never having connected with his mother's sister. It was a strange feeling that had suddenly engulfed him. He set a smile on his face as he entered his room and his chattering friends.

"Harry," said Ginny tentatively as he entered the bedroom, "is everything all right?"

"I've chucked her out," he said despondently. "I guess I'm finally rid of the Dursley's."

"You should feel happy for that," said Ron. "Those people were horrid. You should hear my mum on the subject; only she never wanted to say anything around you. When she found out how you were being treated by them, she nearly laid an egg. This was right after we came to get you in the flying car. She and dad went to see Dumbledore and told him they wanted to take you in straight away. Of course, he wouldn't let them. Now we all know you had to stay with them."

Harry sighed. It was reassuring to know that he had a real family, even if they weren't related to him and it lifted his spirits. "So, tell me about the death eaters that attacked you. What happened?" Harry asked.

Hermione opened her mouth, but Ron started speaking first. "We snuck out of the house one night, you know, to have a bit of a walk on the beach by ourselves. We found a spot and we were a...sitting on a blanket in the dark." Harry saw Hermione color a bit, and he suppressed a grin. "Suddenly, we heard a popping sound. I looked up and there were two death eaters in black robes and those masks. I was grabbing for my wand when this old man came running toward us and tripped in the sand. But as he hit the ground, I saw he had a wand and he hit one of the death eaters square in the chest with a stunner. By then I had my wand and I was able to block the curse the second one sent at us. But he was fast, wasn't he Hermione?"

"Yes," she said, taking up the story. "I couldn't find my wand in the dark, but the old man had got to his knees and it was really Tonks. She sent a second stunner at the one standing, but she missed. He started to back away."

"I tried to get him too, but he ducked," said Ron, excitedly. "Then Tonks was running at him and they dueled back and forth. I got up and ran to help Tonks, but she took him down with a Blasting Curse, before I got there."

"Ron and Tonks tied them up," said Hermione, "and she left them on the beach while she took us back to the house."

"She had more Order members come to guard the house that night and in the morning we were to make up an excuse to leave with her. Tonks told us how Mum and Ginny had been attacked, but she wouldn't give us the details," Ron paused for a breath. "We told Hermione's parents that my mum had taken ill and that I had to go home and that Hermione wanted to come too. Then we apparated to Hogsmeade with Tonks this morning," said Ron.

"She took us to the Hogs Head and that old bar keeper, Dumbledore's brother, isn't he Harry?" asked Hermione. Harry nodded. "He took us downstairs to a secret room and Professor Dumbledore talked to us there, then he brought us here."

"Dumbledore told us more about the kidnapping, Ginny," began Ron, "He said mum is doing better, but he wouldn't say much about you, just that you were safe." Ron looked at Ginny. "Exactly what happened?"

Harry could tell that Ginny did not want to re-tell the story just now, even to her brother. Still, she looked her brother in the eye and told him about the death eaters surrounding her bed and waking up on the stone floor. She glossed over the details, but told them that Voldemort had been after the prophecy. Then she told about waking up here. She did not mention the mark.

Ron was angry, and was cursing Lucius Malfoy. Hermione looked completely stunned and began asking Ginny if she had been hurt at all. Harry thought how much more upset they would be once they heard the entire truth. He looked at Ginny who was assuring Hermione she was just fine. She gave Harry a warning look as if to say, just leave it for now. Harry did not know what to think. He admired her strength but worried that she was saving the feelings of others at a cost to herself.

The rest of the afternoon was taken up with moving Ginny's things into the room that Aunt Petunia had occupied and settling Hermione in there as well. Dobby magiced a second bed into Harry's room for Ron, and one into Ginny and Hermione's room. Soon enough, everyone had a place to sleep and were settling their belongings in. The last thing Harry did was to sit down and start gathering up the loose notes and the books that he had taken out of his mother's trunk. He thought he would haul it upstairs and put it by the desk in his room. The others had gone out into the garden with Ginny for a look around.

Harry began stuffing books and papers into the small trunk. He had taken everything out earlier in the day to sort through it. He had been slightly bored and thought that if he combed through the contents, he might spot something interesting, or at least something that made sense.

Suddenly he stopped, looking at a sheet of yellowed parchment in his hand. It appeared to contain random notes like most of the others, except for the circled notation near the bottom, which caught his eye.

Magic of the Elements

Harry bit his lower lip. Did that mean Elemental Magic? Like what Dumbledore was teaching him? Harry pulled some more of the notes toward him.

I have decided to do some research (FEAW) on my own. It seems to be a rare gift and really, of all the ancient spells I've read about, this is the most interesting.

He began to notice those four initials on other sheets of parchment. He rifled through them. They could be seen repeatedly in what Lily had written. The notebook and some of the papers slid off his lap and on to the floor. The notebook fell open, and as Harry lifted it, his breath caught in his throat.

I am able to light an occasional candle without my wand. I am reluctant to reveal this talent to any of the teachers. James says that Voldemort is always on the hunt for wizards possessing special gifts. He reckons I should keep it quiet.

Further along, Flitwick has been very helpful in providing me with source materials and has allowed me to do a bit of a project for credit in class - I think that FEAW are the elements the books reference.

F E A W... That could be Fire, Earth, Air, and Water thought Harry.

Harry turned a number of pages ahead. Today, a wizard, (Mr. Bode) called on me from the Department of Mysteries. He read my FEAW research paper. Flitwick must have been impressed to have forwarded it to the Ministry. He wants to meet and talk. He says the Department of Mysteries is always looking for wizards and witches with a good head for research.

Several pages later Harry read, I have a grant to study FEAW. James was very proud of me for being asked to work in the Department of Mysteries... He and Sirius think I might turn them on to some really great stuff. I'm sure I'll be stuck in a dusty library most of the time, but still, it's exciting.

My powers are quite small compared to some wizards who can wield these spells. A bit of fire is all I can manage. I wonder if practice would improve my control. Still, it seems few can manage any wandless magic at all.

An hour must have passed as Harry poured over the notes, trying to sort them, to make sense of them. Often they appeared to be random thoughts, but now that he knew the subject matter, they meant more, were more decipherable. Lily, it seemed, had some ability to perform wandless magic, however, when she discovered this talent, she didn't know at first that it was special, and then, due to the rise of Voldemort, was afraid to declare it to anyone. She realized her ability in this area was limited, but the subject sparked her interest. She became interested enough to research it and to ask Flitwick's help in getting books on the subject. Had Dumbledore known this? Was that why the headmaster had tested him in the first place?

If he could just sort out what she'd done, what she'd found out....perhaps she knew something he could use.

Harry was lost in thought and did not notice at first when Mac called to him from the dining room. "Young Harry, are you deaf boy?"

"Huh?" Harry said, coming back to the present.

"Will you come in here for a moment please," said Mac, insistently.

Harry shoved the notes into the trunk and pushed it aside. Then he walked to the dining room, suddenly aware of how quiet the house was. He was wondering where everyone had got to as he pushed the door open.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!" came a chorus of voices from inside the room.