Just Plain Harry

Chapter 11 Hogsmeade

Dear Sirius,

How are you and Professor Lupin doing? What are you doing? I wish people would tell me what's going on - it's very hard to be stuck here and have no idea what's happening in the outside world, and I'm not a kid anymore, you know.

I'm really enjoying the Auror classes - Professor Moody is trying to teach us how dark wizards think, so we can decide which spells to use fighting them. And Theo and I are starting to scare Professor Vector - the amount of power we're putting out is unreal! The only thing that's annoying is that neither Ginny nor I have been able to produce any kind of vision, but Miss Stuart says that's to be expected. She mentioned that she knew you years ago - Miss October Stuart. She said to tell you hi.

Ron still hasn't beaten Professor Dumbledore in chess, and the only person he'll play in the common room anymore is Ginny - he says she's the only one who actually gives him a game. At least he made the Quidditch team - what with chess and Hermione, he would have been unbearable if he hadn't.

Do you have any idea how to break the Furious Curse? Professor Moody won't tell us - he says that we have to work it out for ourselves, or it won't work. Hermione and Brenna can both do it, but the rest of us are still having problems.

See you!

Harry

Harry -

Moody's right - that one you have to work out for yourself. Listen to him - he's one of the best Aurors ever.

Remus and I are going to come to see you on the first Hogsmeade weekend. Send me the date. I think Remus wants to tell you off for not telling him about your dream, either.

See you then.

Sirius

Harry had to grin at Sirius' first paragraph. He knew he had to work the Furious Curse out himself, he had just hoped to get a few hints. The Furious Curse was just what it sounded like; it made you so angry that you couldn't think straight. It didn't surprise Harry that Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny couldn't break it, because the Weasley temper was legendary. And Theo Black, though he seemed so laid back and easy-going, could certainly be roused to anger - Harry had seen it in their classes with Professor Vector, when things weren't going well. But Harry was surprised that he himself couldn't fight it, and he had no idea how to work on it.

Harry lost his grin, though, when he read the rest of the letter, and when he showed it to Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, they were as taken aback as he was.

"What, is he crazy?" Ron said. "Anybody could see him in Hogsmeade!"

"Ron, calm down," Hermione said, though she looked just as concerned as he did. "He'll come as Padfoot, I'm sure, and the teachers will all be there this time-"

"That's what I mean!" Ron said. "Snape will be there! You know he hates Sirius - he'd like nothing better than to let slip about Padfoot - he did it about Professor Lupin being a werewolf, didn't he?"

"I wonder why Professor Lupin is going along with this," Ginny said. "It's not like him to let a friend go into danger."

That was a good question, Harry thought. While he disagreed with Ginny that Professor Lupin wouldn't let a friend go into danger, he thought that there would have to be a pretty good reason, but he couldn't think of what that might be. Then he remembered a part of his letter that Sirius had totally ignored. Maybe Sirius really wanted to see Miss Stuart again, and Professor Lupin, knowing how lonely Sirius was, and wanting to cheer him up, agreed to do it. Harry looked over at Ginny, about to say something about it, but she smiled at him and shook her head. She obviously knew what he was thinking, and she either didn't agree or didn't want to talk about it. Harry would just have to wait until Hogsmeade to find out what was going on.

On the way into Hogsmeade, Ginny asked Harry if he had visited Dobby yet this year.

"I've been down in the kitchens visiting Winky, and I think Dobby misses you," she said.

Ron snorted. "You've been down in the kitchens? Taking over spew, are you?"

"It's not spew, Ron," Hermione said. "And why do you think Ginny has to take it over?"
"Because you haven't been bugging us about it," Ron said. "Giving up? Willing to admit that house-elves live to serve?"

Hermione looked furious, but Ginny put a hand on her arm.

"Hermione is just really busy, Ron," she said, glaring at her brother. "Besides, I haven't been going down there to agitate for S.P.E.W, I've just been visiting Winky. She still hasn't recovered from last year." She turned to Harry. "Dobby would really love a visit from you."

Harry saw Ron giving Ginny a grin, and looked down at his feet, trying not to blush. Ron obviously thought that Ginny was doing this to spend more time with Harry, but Harry knew that wasn't the case. He did feel bad, though, about neglecting Dobby, so he said that he would go visit him soon.

As they wandered around Hogsmeade, Harry thought about Winky and Dobby. They had reacted to freedom so differently, and yet they had both needed to find something to obsess about once free - Winky was still hung up on Mr. Crouch, and Dobby...well, Dobby was hung up on him. When Ginny and Hermione went into Gladrags Wizardwear to buy a new blouse for Winky, Harry bought new socks for Dobby. Dobby loved socks.

When they emerged from Gladrags, the four friends looked at each other.

"Sirius didn't say where we were to meet them, did he?" Hermione asked Harry, while searching the crowded streets with her eyes.

"No," Harry said. "Well, let's go to the Three Broomsticks - they're sure to find us there."

They found an empty table in the Three Broomsticks, and settled down with their butterbeers. They were so tired from all the extra classes and studying, that it felt good to just sit there and hang out with friends. Ginny asked Ron a question about the chess game he had played against Professor McGonagall's giant chess set in first year, and he was more than happy to give her a blow-by-blow account, though he grimaced at the memory of some of his moves. Harry spotted Lavender Brown and Seamus Finnigan alone at a table in the corner. They were quite oblivious to the rest of the crowded pub, and Harry couldn't help but watch, slightly envious. Not that he was interested in Lavender, but... He heard Hermione sigh, beside him, and turned to see her watching them, too. Ron, of course, was oblivious, and if he did notice, he certainly wouldn't just watch. Harry was about to say something to Hermione, when he saw Professor Lupin enter the pub, leading a large, black dog.

Ron and Ginny stopped talking, and all four friends watched Sirius and Professor Lupin make their way across to them, all four of them grinning widely. Even knowing how dangerous it was for Sirius to do this, the sight of the two friends in this situation couldn't help but make them smile.

"Hi, Professor Lupin," Harry said as soon as they were near enough.

"Harry, since I'm not your professor anymore, I think you can all call me Remus."

Ginny was having a hard time keeping a straight face as she looked down at Sirius, who stood in between her and Harry, ears perked and tail wagging. She reached out to pet him, almost as though she couldn't help it, but he turned her head towards her and gave a slight yip. She withdrew her hand, but lost control of herself, going into silent giggles.

Remus chuckled at her, but before he could say anything, Harry heard another laugh behind them.

"Oh, Remus, what an adorable dog!" Miss Stuart said, coming around the table and patting Sirius on the head. "It's so good to see you again and - can this be the same Padfoot?" She knelt down to tug on Sirius' ears and looked up at Remus, her eyes alight with mischief.

Hermione gasped, but Harry, Ron, and Ginny couldn't help it - they burst into laughter. Miss Stuart obviously knew exactly whom she was petting. Even Hermione lost it when Sirius gave a little growl.

"Yes, Toby, this is the same old Padfoot," Remus said. He wasn't laughing, but his eyes reflected Miss Stuart's mischief. "I think he's missed you, haven't you, Padfoot, old man?"

Sirius whipped his head around to growl at Remus, which just mad everyone laugh harder.

"Well, it's lovely to see you all in such wonderful spirits," Madam Rosmerta, the owner of the Three Broomsticks, said as she approached the table. She put a large picnic basket down, puffing a little as she did so. "Here's your picnic, Remus. I hope you enjoy it - oh, and I included some treats for your dog." She patted Sirius on the head, then walked away, her turquoise heels winking.

"I think we'd better get outside before someone decides that they want Padfoot for stud," Remus said. He was the only one who could still talk. "Toby, will you be joining us on our picnic?"

"Oh, yes, Miss Stuart, do please come," Ginny said, in between gasps of laughter.

Miss Stuart looked sharply at her, but Ginny preserved her best look of angelic innocence - she was really good at that look. So Miss Stuart agreed to come, Ron grabbed the picnic basket, and they all trooped outside.

Chapter 12 Padfoot's Cave

"It's a bit chilly for a picnic," Remus said, as they left the village and headed out into the countryside. "But we thought it would be better to be outside than in, considering."
He led the way up to the cave where Sirius had lived the year before. Hermione and Ron unpacked the lunch, and Sirius transformed with a pop. He glared at them all, then turned to Miss Stuart.

"Yes, it is nice to see you again, Toby," he said, practically spitting his words. "Do you mind if we go somewhere and talk?"
Harry was disappointed, but he knew that this was a conversation that had to happen, so he didn't say anything to keep Sirius back. When Miss Stuart sighed and nodded, Harry just watched them go, before turning to Remus.

"So, I understand you want to tell me off for something," he said, smiling at his old teacher.

"What?" Remus said. "Oh, the dream. No, Harry, I understand wanting to keep things from people in order not to hurt them."

"Remus, what has been happening out in the world?" Ron asked.

"Yes, why haven't there been any attacks?" Hermione added. "Or have there been, but we just haven't heard about them?"

Remus shook his head. "No, there haven't been. From what we have heard, Voldemort doesn't trust his Death Eaters - he is testing them very strenuously before letting them back into his confidence."

"Get that from Snape, did you?" Ron said, grinning. "I wonder what he had to do to prove himself - I'd like to have seen that."

Remus just looked at him. It was a mild look, but it made Ron stop grinning and drop his eyes to his plate. Before anyone could say anything else, though, Miss Stuart stalked back into the cave.

"You'd better go to your friend, Remus," she said, her face set. "He might need some help."

Remus gave a small sigh, but he got up and left the cave. Harry followed him - if Sirius was in trouble, he wanted to be there to help. Remus walked quickly, though, so it took Harry a few moments to catch up, and he came to the edge of the clearing to find the conversation already started.

"She's changed, Moony," Sirius said. He was sitting on a tree stump, his head in his hands.

"We've all changed, Padfoot," Remus said. He stood in front of his friend, looking down at him.

Sirius shook his head. "She has matured, you have matured - your experiences have changed you. You've both had fifteen years to live, and I've spent twelve of those in Azkaban."

"That's matured you, too," Remus said.

"Not in the same way. I didn't live those years, not really. I wasn't out in the world, making decisions and living with the consequences. Sometimes, I feel so old, because of everything that has happened, but then sometimes, I feel so young."

Harry stood at the edge of the clearing, frozen to the spot. He knew he shouldn't be here - it wasn't his place to be listening to this. They obviously didn't know he was here, or they wouldn't be talking like this. He turned to leave, but not before he heard Remus ask, "What did she do?"

"Well, first she slapped me," Sirius said, his voice growing fainter as Harry moved away. "And then, she-"

But Harry could hear no more. He couldn't help grinning, thinking of the possiblities, but he knew it was best that he didn't know for sure.

When Harry reentered the cave, he heard Ginny say, "I wonder why one of Voldemort's "tests" wasn't killing Muggles?" She was lying on her stomach, nibbling on some crisps.

"That would probably be too easy a test," Ron said. "Anyone who wants to be a Death Eater must have no problem killing Muggles."

"Exept Professor Snape," Hermione said. She and Ron had been sitting very close to each other, and now she leaned against him slightly, without seeming to notice what she was doing. Ron's ears turned bright red, but he, too, tried to act like he hadn't noticed. Ginny stared at them both, then seemed to notice that Harry had come back.

"What do you think, Harry?" she asked.

Harry sat down next to her. "I think that if the only way Snape could prove to Voldemort that he was really a Death Eater was to kill a Muggle, he would do it."

Ginny nodded, but Hermione looked shocked. "Professor Snape would never-"

"He'd have to, Hermione," Ron said, which made her lean away from him. "His mission as a spy is more important - in a war like this, you have to make sacrifices."

"Is that what Professor Dumbledore is teaching you?" Hermione asked, glaring at him. "Because I have a hard time believing it."

Ron's ears turned red again. He never talked about what Dumbledore was teaching him, except chess. Luckily, before he could get Hermione even angrier at him, Sirius and Remus returned.

"Did Toby leave, then?" Remus asked, as he looked around and saw she wasn't there. Everyone else just stared at him.

"I wanted to talk to her about her interpretation of your dream, Harry," he continued, apparently unaware that everyone else thought he was crazy. "She wrote me that she was going to try to help you relive the memory. Did she?"

Harry had been sitting cross-legged, but at this question he swung his legs around and lay down on his stomach like Ginny. He looked down at the ground.

"Yeah, she did," he said. This was not something he liked to think about. Neither he nor Ginny had succeeded in inducing any new visions, so Miss Stuart asked them if they would mind being put into trances so that she could help them relive the visions they had had, to try to get more details. Ginny hadn't seemed to mind, though she hadn't remembered any more details, so Harry hadn't liked to refuse, though he had wanted to. He had actually managed to remember more - he now recognized Wormtail's laugh, and Lucius Malfoy's, and Snape's, amoung the laughter at Voldemort's threats against him. But since they knew already that those three were among Voldemort's closest supporters, that didn't tell them much. Harry also remembered that there were two other people there whose laughter he didn't recognize. He really didn't think that this information was worth the way he came out of the trance, though.

The first thing he had realized wasn't Miss Stuart on one side of him, one hand on his shoulder to hold him down, and the other holding his hand so he couldn't reach his scar. It wasn't even the pain in his scar, so intense that he thought his head would split. No, it was the fact that Ginny was on his other side, one hand on his shoulder, and the other holding his hand, just like Miss Stuart. When he realized what was happening, Harry froze, staring up at Ginny. All he could see in her eyes was concern for him, so he was able to pull himself together and convince both of them that he was all right. But he still didn't like thinking about it.

While telling Remus and Sirius about the trance, Harry didn't mention how he came out of it, and he didn't look at Ginny. She didn't seem to notice, and she entered into the subsequent conversation about who those other two men might be with no problem. Harry tried to follow her example, and once Remus mentioned that Snape being there didn't mean that Voldemort completely trusted him, he didn't have any more trouble.

"Why not?" he asked.

"Harry, everyone knows that Voldemort is after you," Sirius said. "So, letting Snape know that he is doesn't hurt him at all."

"And letting Snape know that he's going after you by going after us isn't a bad idea, either," Ron said.

Harry must have looked confused, because Hermione added, "First of all, it might change what Sirius and Remus do - make them more cautious, and less likely to trust. Then, too, if he does succeed in...getting to one of us, when we know he's trying and are on our guard, it could really hurt our morale."

"But we won't let it, will we?" Ginny said.

Everyone was quiet for a moment after that. Of course, they would try to keep the loss of someone they cared about from bothering them, but how could it not? This was a war, and they knew it, but they were human, too.

"When do you think Voldemort will decide he trusts his Death Eaters enough to make a strike?" Ginny asked, breaking the silence.

She had directed the question at Sirius and Remus, but Ron shifted slightly, so Remus indicated that he should answer.

"Professor Dumbledore and I have been talking about that," he said, not looking at anyone. "The most obvious day would, of course, be Halloween." He cocked an eyebrow at Remus.

"We don't think he'll be ready quite that soon," Remus said, smiling slightly at him. He was obviously enjoying being lectured to by an old student.

"Well, then, the next time, if he's aiming for Hogwarts, would be the first Quidditch match. If he's not, there's Guy Fawke's Day, though that's not terribly likely. It really could be anytime after he thinks he's ready, but..." he took a deep breath. "The most likely day is Christmas."

Harry thought about that, about the Dark Mark floating above some house on Christmas Day. The air in the cave seemed colder all of a sudden. He noticed Ginny shiver, and reached out to touch her hand.

"We'll just have to have a vision to tell us what he's going to do," he said, which surprised a reluctant giggle out of her. They had had such luck with that so far.