Harry Potter and the Simulacrum Seal

Chapter Eleven: Kitty York

Harry found Remus in the basement kitchen staring at the clock on the wall. He turned at the sound of Harry's footsteps on the stone. 'Harry,' Remus greeted him, smiling a little too much. 'Decided to hide with me down here, have you?'

'Er, sort of,' replied Harry. 'I was wondering when you wanted to start training. Not today, but soon?'

Remus nodded. 'I was thinking some time next week. I'll see when Moody is free.' His eyes twitched back toward the clock. 'I suppose it isn't too early to pick up Tonks.'

Harry could relate to Remus' desire to leave the house. He noticed movement near the wall behind Remus; a glance behind Remus' shoulder revealed that Charlie's hand on the Weasley family clock had switched to 'travelling'. Harry noted sadly that Mrs Weasley hadn't taken long in moving the clock to Grimmauld Place - but at least she wasn't carrying it around with her.

Then he noticed a piece of parchment pinned up beside the clock; Harry couldn't remember it being there before. 'What's that?' he asked as he stepped around Remus. He glared as he recognized it. 'Who put that up there?' said Harry, anger boiling to the surface as he tore the parchment off the wall.

'Mrs Weasley put it up,' said Remus mildly. 'She thinks it would be a good idea to keep that bit of parchment around, and I agree with her.'

'Why?' demanded Harry, waving the parchment. It was the list of names Voldemort had drawn up; Harry's eyes fixed onto those that were already crossed out. 'So we can all come down here and stare at it, waiting for another person to be declared dead?'

'The enchantment upon it may prove useful to us. At least we'll know when one of our comrades is dead, so we won't waste resources trying to rescue someone who is beyond rescue.'

Harry set the parchment down on the countertop and glared. 'That's cold, Remus.'

'I don't know how Dumbledore did it,' Remus said by way of agreeing with Harry's sentiment, and Harry was slightly relieved, 'but I know he would have kept it. We've been given an advantage by the enemy, however small the advantage is. I can't throw that away for sentimental reasons. I owe more to the dead - and to the living - than that.'

'I hardly come down here at all, anyway,' mumbled Harry. He would be sure to come down even less now.

After Remus had left, Harry found himself awkwardly alone again. With little else to do, he wandered the house and tried to stay out of everyone's way.

Ron caught up with him in the living room; Harry was surprised to see that he was carrying several gifts. 'We almost forgot about these,' said Ron. 'I found him!'

Shortly after, Hermione, then Neville, then Luna trailed into the room. 'This isn't necessary,' said Harry, truly wanting to leave his birthday forgotten behind him.

'We've already bought the presents,' said Hermione sensibly. 'There's no point in leaving them wrapped. Besides, we could all use a pick-me-up today. Remus left his here; it's the one on top, in the red wrapping.'

Opening presents was a good distraction for a while. Afterwards Hermione swooped up one of the books and curled into an armchair, Neville and Luna investigated Fred and George's gifts (from their own shop, of course), and Ron challenged Harry to a game of wizard chess.

***

The next day, to no one's surprise, Hermione snapped up the morning newspaper as soon as the owl arrived with it. Even as she looked hurriedly through the first few pages, she rattled off, 'We need to know if Harry's wanted by the Ministry or not. Scrimgeour might not have been making an empty threat. And they might have some explanation about Voldemort's attack, but probably not since the Ministry won't want to release any details that makes itself look less competent, but really, they should know that it's even more frightening not to know how it happened.'

Some moments later, Hermione looked up smugly and said, 'It looks as though Scrimgeour's not pressing the point - for now, anyway. I suppose it would worry people if Harry were arrested, and the Ministry has enough panic to assuage already.

'Oh, and there are some details about the attack on the Ministry; it looks as though Voldemort killed someone on the fifth floor and another two people on the fourth floor, and then somehow got the head of the Magical Law Enforcement Squad to destroy the Auror Office - they're speculating that it was Imperius.'

'Why did he kill those other people?' asked Ron. Harry nodded by way of seconding the question.

'It doesn't say,' replied Hermione, her lips pursed. 'But the one on the fifth floor was Facinus Bork, who worked in Shipping and Inspection for the International Magical Trading Standards Body, and the other two worked in the Being Division of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. None of them seem to have been important; they were just regular Ministry workers with no connection at all to the Aurors or to the Order of the Phoenix.'

'We should investigate them. It doesn't make sense for Voldemort to have gone after them. There has to be something more to it,' said Harry.

'We have no business looking into it at all,' said Hermione, folding the paper up neatly.

'Why not?' asked Ron.

'Because we can't solve every mystery at once and we've got quite enough on our plates as it is. I'm sure the Order will put someone on it.'

Neville asked awkwardly, 'So what are we doing?'

Ron cringed. 'Er, well, it's not so much you as the three of us. Not that you can't help,' he added hurriedly, but it did little to brighten Neville's crestfallen look, 'but you can help with other things...like, um -'

'We ought to leave that up to the Order,' Hermione piped in. 'Next time Remus comes around you can ask him how to make yourself useful. We don't run things, you see, and we're not authorized to share the details of our mission with you. It's nothing personal.'

Harry looked at Hermione askance, not entirely happy with the implicit lie that they were on an Order-sanctioned mission. But Hermione wasn't even looking in Harry's direction, and he didn't think it was worth arguing about, so he was fine with dropping it when Ron tugged on his sleeve.

'Remember how we were going to take our Apparition Test soon?'

'Er, yeah,' Harry replied.

'Maybe we could do it tomorrow? I mean, if we're not busy -'

'You're taking the Apparition Test?' said Neville, inserting himself enthusiastically into the conversation. 'Are you ready for it? I've been practicing the wand movements all month! Even Gran thinks I'll pass! Well, maybe not on my first try, but she says I should manage to scrape a pass some time before the next school year!'

'All month?' said Ron faintly. 'I haven't practiced at all! Harry!' he turned toward his best friend anxiously. 'You'll help me today, right? We've got to work out Apparition or else Hermione'll be spending the rest of her life shuttling us around!'

'I certainly will not,' said Hermione, crossing her arms. 'But I'll help you both practice today if you like.'

'And me too?' asked Neville.

Hermione smiled at him. 'Of course. But none of you ought to feel ashamed if you don't pass it your first time,' she added, as though she would be very cross with them if they were ashamed.

'It's my second time,' whined Ron.

'You almost passed last time,' Hermione reminded him. 'Don't be so negative.'

'Where's Luna?' Ron asked to change the subject, looking as though he wasn't taking Hermione's advice on negativity very seriously.

'Still in bed,' said Hermione. 'She was stargazing last night looking for some...something.' At first Hermione was stiff, but then, as though realizing that Luna really wasn't there, she rolled her eyes and shook her head as though she had been waiting to do so for hours.

They found a fairly large and utterly deserted room in Grimmauld Place to practice in and were not disturbed except for the occasional request by one of the Weasleys to talk to Ron. Ron always came back from these sessions looking pale and grim, but he also took his Apparition training very seriously for at least fifteen minutes afterwards until he became discouraged again.

It seemed as though Neville really had been practicing; he and Hermione together spent the first hour or so getting Harry and Ron back up to speed on the basics. But only Hermione had Apparated successfully out of controlled conditions before, and her practical advice was the most helpful. None of them actually tried to Apparate, since it wasn't technically legal without a certified instructor and they didn't know how to fix an accidental Splinching, but Harry could still feel that he was doing it right - and in fact ended up Apparating across the room accidentally, to Ron's clear dismay.

They took a breather from their crash course for lunch and were surprised by how quiet the house was. 'Everyone left,' said Luna, coming out from behind them as she descended the stairs. Talking to Ron, she said, 'Your two twin brothers said they were reopening the shop this afternoon, and Mrs Weasley went down to the Ministry to discuss Mr Weasley's pension. I don't know where everyone else went, but they're gone.'

'Thanks,' said Ron. 'I guess we'll go help ourselves in the kitchen. Want to come?'

Luna smiled brightly and followed along. When they went back to Apparition they took Luna with them; Harry, having an idea, cajoled Ron into showing Luna a few things about Apparition. He figured that it might help Ron learn if he were to teach what he knew to someone else, and indeed, Ron's spirits picked up, and he started doing far better with his own practicing. Hermione, who was becoming frustrated with Ron's mood, also became a better teacher.

Then the door opened without so much as a knock, and Ginny, her face blank, announced, 'Tonks is here,' and shut the door behind her. They followed her path into the living room, where Remus and Tonks were seated together on the couch. Harry was relieved to see that Tonks looked completely healed, though she was paler than usual. Her long, black hair and sunken, tired eyes made her presence smaller and quieter than usual.

'What are you lot moping around about?' said Tonks. She smiled, and Harry smiled back, happy to see that she was feeling better than she looked, though he wondered how much of it was for show.

'How are you feeling?' asked Hermione, her tone heartfelt. 'You look so much better than you did in St Mungo's.'

'The doctors say she'll be completely recovered in a few days,' said Remus, his hands holding hers in her lap.

'And I'll be staying at my mum's house until then,' she said firmly, as though she and Remus had quarrelled about it.

'You said you would stay here for dinner and see if you felt up to going there afterwards,' replied Remus calmly.

'I will,' she assured him. 'How have you all been? I heard you were in the hospital, too, Harry. I hope everything is all right now?'

'Er, yeah,' said Harry, not wanting to discuss it. 'We're going to get our Apparition licenses tomorrow - me, Ron, and Neville.'

'That's great,' she said sincerely. 'I'm sure you'll all do fine.' Neville stood up straighter at the compliment. 'We should tell them what you found out, Remus.'

'Later,' Remus said. 'I'm going to go help Molly with the cooking. Will you stay with her?' he asked the room at large.

'Of course,' said Hermione.

'I refuse to be any trouble, and I don't need to be watched at every moment.'

'We're not watching you; we're keeping you company,' said Hermione sternly, taking Remus' spot as he vacated it, Ginny moving to Tonks' other side.

'Thanks,' said Tonks kindly. 'It's been a rough few days.'

She looked over to Ginny, whose smile did not reach her eyes. 'Yes,' Ginny said quietly. 'We've just got to take everything one day at a time.'

***

During dinner Remus mentioned to Harry that he and Moody were free to start Harry's extra lessons in two days, and afterwards told them what the Order's sources had managed to find out about Voldemort's attack that the newspapers hadn't mentioned. The Auror Office had been destroyed by an explosive, not by a spell. The explosive used was believed to be a rare powder from Nepal.

Since the substance was strongly reactive to magic, it was too dangerous to be transported through Apparition or through the Floo, so it was believed likely that he had acquired it from within the Ministry building. This, believed Moody and the others in the Order who were investigating the incident, had been acquired from the dead fellow who worked for the International Magical Trading Standards Body, who had happened to have a fairly thick criminal record under the name Rex, but who had been impossible to fire because of his uncle's high position in the department.

But the reason for the targeting of the two Being Division employees was still inscrutable. 'Their supervisor couldn't say much about what they were up to except that they had been meeting with the Unspeakables in the month leading up to their deaths. If this has something to do with them, we'll probably never know.'

'But how would Voldemort know then?' asked Hermione. 'Unless he has a spy.'

Remus sighed. 'It wouldn't be the first time. It's an easy place to put a spy; their actions are never scrutinized. But I hear that Scrimgeour is aware of the possibility and has been investigating it personally. Whatever else one can say about the man, he did head the Auror Office, and he was highly efficient at his job there. I suppose he probably knew many of the victims of the attack personally; perhaps that will serve as extra motivation.'

Harry stared down at his plate, feeling a twinge of guilt about how he'd treated Scrimgeour when they had met in St. Mungo's. After all, if the man had been grieving about lost friends...well, Harry couldn't fault him for having been on the offensive in that case. But he accused me of being in league with Voldemort, Harry reminded himself. And he seemed more concerned with public opinion than with the lives of those in his old department.

Any trace of guilt was buried.

***

Harry, Ron, Neville, and Hermione left for the Apparition Testing Centre in London in the early morning. Harry was very confident, as he had Apparated before, and had even Apparated Dumbledore with him on that awful night, but Neville's confidence from the day before had crumbled, and he walked the rest of the way to the exam with his eyes fixed on the sidewalk, biting his lip. Ron was a little less obvious about his discomfort, but Harry could tell from his fidgeting and mumbling of material from the Ministry Apparition pamphlet that he was nervous also.

Harry was uncomfortable for another reason. Before they had left, Hermione had made the insightful observation that it might not be a good idea for Harry to be wandering around out in the open, even if it was just for a couple blocks. Harry really hadn't want to go so far as a Disillusionment Charm, and had pointed out that Remus hadn't raised any such objection when they had told him of their intention to take the Apparition Test that day.

Hermione wasn't too happy that Harry was telling her she was paranoid and had almost refused to take them to the test. So they had compromised, and Harry was wearing a heavy woollen cloak as a result, with the hood up to hide his face. Even though it was morning, it was starting out as a very hot day, and Harry was sweltering. Harry thought it was much more eye-catching to be walking around in a winter cloak than to be walking around as himself, and he'd told Hermione as much, but she'd just replied that he still didn't realize who he was.

As a result, none of them were in the best of spirits when they reached the Test Centre. To show Ron her confidence, Hermione left, saying that she was entirely sure that they could all make it back to Grimmauld Place without her. 'I guess you'll have to be our transportation, Harry,' Ron said bitterly after she left. 'You'll pass for sure.'

'Don't think that way,' Harry replied, unhooking his winter cloak as quickly as he could now that Hermione wasn't around to argue. 'You'll do fine. Buck up.' Harry wondered idly if it would be illegal for Ron and Neville to take Felix Felicis before their exams...

'Take these,' the old wizard at the front desk said without looking at them, focused on adjusting the time on a large pocket watch. He tapped firmly on a pile of registration papers.

Each of the boys took a sheet to fill out and grabbed a Self-Inking Quill. The office was small, but there were enough chairs for all of them, so they sat down and filled out the application. There was nothing very complicated required: name, address (Harry put the Dursleys'), gender, age...

When they were done, they went back up to the front desk. The man there was no longer distracted from them, having fixed his pocket watch, and cheerfully took their papers. He held a monocle up to one eye as he read the names. 'All right, we'll take you first, Mr Longbottom, then you, Mr Weasley, and then Mr...' The man trailed off; he was having trouble flipping the page. Disgruntled, he put his monocle down, pulled out Harry's application violently, and put his monocle back on. 'Mr...'

The man frowned, put down the application, and scrubbed his monocle with the hem of his shirt. Then he put it back on, and frowned even deeper as he looked at the application again. 'Mr Potter? Harry Potter?'

Harry's face went red; everyone else in the office was looking his way. 'Yes, sir.'

The man lifted his head and stared owlishly at Harry. 'You're here to apply for your Apparition License?' he said in disbelief.

'Yes, sir,' said Harry again.

The man smiled. 'Well, Mr Potter, I don't think you and your friends will really need to go through the formality of testing. It's not as though I could fail you, could I!' He chuckled and pulled some papers out from his desk as Harry stammered, Ron gaped, and Neville looked as though Christmas had come early.

'Here you go,' the man said, pressing a large stamp into the right-hand corner of three pieces of parchment and filing them away. 'That takes care of that. Now, you boys go on and...and...well!' He stood up at full attention and saluted.

Harry stared at him blankly until Ron tugged on his arm. 'Let's go,' he said, grinning. 'Quick, before he changes his mind!'

Still feeling shell-shocked as he was walked out by his two giddy friends, Harry forgot to put on his cloak and garnered a few stares from observant passers-by as he was dragged up the lane. 'That was brilliant!' said Neville. 'I can't believe we're all allowed to Apparate, just like that!'

'Butterbeers at the Three Broomsticks for all of us, on me! We can Apparate there now!' said Ron, striding so quickly that Harry could hardly keep up with his longer-legged friend without running. They moved fluidly through the trickle of passers-by until they noticed a small space between two buildings. The three gathered between them, and Ron said sheepishly, 'Er, Harry, I don't suppose you could do the Apparating, could you?...'

'Er, yeah, that would be great,' Neville agreed.

***

Harry was resigned by the time they reached the Three Broomsticks. After all, he really did need an Apparition license, and he could have passed it even if he'd had to take the test. Ron and Neville might have been a different story, but Harry supposed that Splinching must be curable...

They each sat on a stool at the bar and Ron ordered the Butterbeer. 'Fantastic,' Ron murmured as they waited for Rosmerta to return. 'Bloody fantastic. You're a great friend, Harry.'

'Thanks,' replied Harry sarcastically. Rosmerta returned with their drinks, and Harry swallowed a mouthful right off the bat. 'That hits the spot.' Ron couldn't reply; he was busy chugging down his drink. Neville nodded, sipping appreciatively.

Someone tapped Harry shoulder and he yelped in surprise. He craned his head around, his hand buried in his pocket and closed around his wand, and saw a woman that he vaguely remembered from the Apparition Testing Centre. She was wearing a black headscarf and large black sunglasses, and he thought she was smiling, but it was hard to tell whether it was sincere without being able to see her eyes.

'Here,' she said, setting down a small, folded piece of paper on the bar. Her voice was deep for a woman's and full-toned. Without another word, she turned away and walked quickly out of the bar.

'Don't touch it, Harry,' said Ron. 'It might be something dangerous.'

'I'll do it,' volunteered Neville. 'I'm expendable.' Before Ron or Harry could protest, Neville had snatched up the note and was unfolding it.

'"Meet me at Godric's Hollow in three days. Come alone. Don't contact the Ministry." And it's signed "Kitty York".'

'Never heard of her,' said Harry.

'If she wants an autograph she'll have to wait in line with everyone else,' said Ron sternly. 'You know this is probably from--'

'Voldemort. Yeah,' Harry agreed, 'that's what I thought at first, but isn't this a little...cryptic for him? He could walk right in here and challenge me if he wanted to. Dumbledore's not around anymore; he doesn't need to hide. He proved that.' Harry took the note from Neville and stared at it. The text was wide, loopy, and hard to read in places. 'I don't know. I don't think it's him. It doesn't fit.'

'Maybe he just wants to get you alone,' suggested Neville. 'I agree with Ron; you can't go.'

Ron smirked. 'Oh, Harry's not stupid, he's not thinking of going...' Then he saw the expression on Harry's face, and his smirk vanished. 'Harry, you really aren't thinking of going, are you?'

Harry stared back at him, determined. 'I want to find out who Kitty York is. We can ask the Order.'

Ron and Neville both slid off their chairs, clearly intending to do just that right away, but they paused and waited for Harry, who didn't move, but instead looked seriously at both of them. 'Neither of you can tell anyone about this,' said Harry.

'I don't take orders from you,' replied Ron immediately. 'Okay, I do sometimes, but I don't see why we shouldn't at least tell Hermione.'

'Because she wouldn't let me go.'

'That's the point of telling her, isn't it? It would be stupid to go.'

'I'm not set on going,' said Harry hastily, trying to reassure his friend. 'We should find out who Kitty York is before I make any decision either way.'

***

'Kitty York? Never heard of her,' said Mrs Weasley as she scrubbed the floor by hand, probably to keep her mind off recent events. 'Why do you ask?'

'I read her name in the paper, Mum,' Ron replied, shuffling uncomfortably.

***

'Kitty who? York? No, I don't know her. Haven't ever heard a thing about her.' Hermione narrowed her eyes. 'What do you need to know for?'

'Er, she's...a friend of Gran's, she is. I thought you might have heard of her. I know she did something important, but I just can't put my finger on it,' said Neville breathily, his chest constricting. 'Thanks...thanks anyway, Hermione...'

'Sure, Neville,' replied Hermione, sinking back into a book on famous European wizards and witches, having decided that R.A.B. must be foreign.

***

'York? No,' said George, weary and distracted.

***

'I don't believe so. Excuse me, Harry,' said Ginny, leaving the room.

***

'No,' said Tonks, frowning at the question. 'Why?'

Harry made up an excuse not to answer and left the room. He took the refusal as a good sign, though; if Tonks hadn't heard of Kitty York, at least she probably wasn't a wanted Death Eater. But who is she? he wondered.

***

'Kitty York?' said Remus, his expression thoughtful. 'I vaguely recall her. Why do you ask?'

'What do you know about her?' asked Harry, hoping he didn't sound too desperate.

'I think she was a girl at Hogwarts. She wasn't in my year, though. Yes, I remember now!' Remus' eyes lit up, and a small, nostalgic smile spread over his face. 'She was the Quidditch commentator for a few years, and she was quite good at it if I recall correctly. Her first time was the legendary Gryffindor versus Slytherin match in which your father scored one hundred points. He never let any of us forget it.'

'Really? That's great!...Er, do you know anything else about her?' Harry would have preferred to hear more about his father's Quidditch career, but...

'She was a Ravenclaw. A half-blood, I think. She was a year ahead of your father and me in school. I probably didn't exchange more than a half-dozen words with her in all my time there.'

Harry frowned. 'But you still know her blood status even though you hardly talked to her?'

Remus tilted his head wryly to the side, looking at Harry as though proud that he had picked up that detail. 'I recall some of the pure-bloods putting up a fight about her becoming commentator,' he explained. 'They were pushing for one of their own. All the important positions in the school were about blood to some extent in those days - Prefects, Head Boy and Girl, Quidditch captains...until my father's day being a pure-blood was oftentimes a requirement, with few exceptions, just like in government. There still hasn't been a Minister for Magic who isn't a pure-blood...and it was especially bad in my time, with Voldemort stirring up trouble.'

'So she wasn't the sort to make trouble, then? Trouble of the blood purity sort, I mean.'

'I don't think so - but as I said, I didn't know her very well...is there a reason that you're curious about someone I haven't seen or heard of in decades?'

'Er, nothing, really. I heard she was, um, a friend of my mum's, that's all,' Harry lied. If Remus knew she wasn't, Harry could always shrug and say he'd been misinformed.

'I wouldn't know about that,' replied Remus, sounding guilty. 'I'm sorry to say that I didn't know your mum that well - certainly not well enough to know who she spent her time with, aside from James. Your father was enthralled with Lily, so I ended up hearing things about her secondhand, but she and I didn't talk often. She had her own friends to spend time with, and James had us.'

Kindly, he added, 'If you're interested in knowing more about your mother, maybe you ought to talk to this Kitty York. If she was your mother's friend, she could tell you a great deal more about her than I ever could.'

'Thanks,' said Harry. 'I think I just might.'