Band of Gypsies

Chapter Seventeen

Harry woke to a new day and found, when he opened his eyes, that the ever present anger and regret was gone. Something about having overheard Ron and Hermione's conversation had drained away the venom that remained inside. He woke with new resolve. He needed to focus on his job.

He was looking forward to the day. Classes were ending early so that everyone could watch the first Quidditch match of the year. It was going to be Hufflepuff against Gryffindor. Harry had mixed feelings about not being out there himself. It would be his second year since he had been banned from the team the prior year. He missed his Firebolt and the feeling of flying out on the pitch. It was going to be a perfect day; one in which he would get to watch Ron and Ginny playing for the first time. The sad reminder was that he was no longer in Gryffindor but in Slytherin. He would have to look like he was cheering for Hufflepuff.

Harry entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts class behind everyone else thinking about this. He expected to see Snape's tall dark presence standing at the head of the classroom. He was not there. Instead, Dumbledore stood at the front of the class. And beside him stood a little witch, dressed in muggle clothing. At least Harry thought she was a witch. She looked like someone's grandmother.

He heard several people mumbled around him. Malfoy, his ever present snitch leaned over, 'There he goes again. Dumbledore picked another loser. I should have stayed home this year. When father returns he could have taught me all I need to know."

"Shut it," Harry said to him simply.

Malfoy looked at him with a little fear in his eyes and beat a retreat to another desk across the room.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats quickly," Dumbledore smiling. When the room had quieted, he turned to the diminutive woman and said, "I would like you to meet Professor LeClair." The little grandmother smiled charmingly through her half-glasses. "Madam LeClair comes to us from the Ministry of Magic," Dumbledore said bowing slightly. When he did this Harry noticed another figure slightly behind both of them, it was Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic.

There were many in the class now that were groaning. Harry understood their misgivings. Fudge was the person responsible for having made their lives miserable the previous year.

"Minister?" Dumbledore stepped aside and let the portly man step to the front.

"Yes. Thank you Dumbledore," he nodded nervously. "Yes, yes you all have a treat, I do say. Madam LeClair comes from our Department of Mysteries and is quite a capable witch." The hairs on Harry's neck rose when he listened. "I am here to give my personal voucher for Madam LeClair. Professor Dumbledore and I agree that this year's class will be exceptional in that the Ministry has given permission for you all to actually learn the Dark Arts." Cornelius looked over to Dumbledore as if for support. It was clear Cornelius had lost a lot of his pomp and pretentiousness.

"Perhaps Minister, we should let the teacher carry on," Dumbledore said. He smiled benignly at the class and waved his hand to the door.

"Yes. We should. Well," Cornelius bowed slightly to Madam LeClair, "good bye everyone." He preceded Dumbledore from the room. The class followed their exit and then in unison swerved back around to study the little lady.

"Hello, hello!" Madam LeClair smiled ingratiatingly and walked down the aisles. "Yes we have lots to learn, lots and lots. Things to do, places to go and so." Harry noticed several students raise their eyebrows. He was beginning to think people would be calling the Defense Against the Dark Arts job, Dumbledore's Folly.

"Let's talk about these things shall we? Professor Snape has discussed several of them with you. Of course, we'll want to learn lots of jinxes, spells, charms, potions and lotions and fiddly-dee. Ha!" She laughed. " Lots and lots of Stealth and Tracking," she did a spin to show her muggle clothing, "camouflage, concealment, death traps, torture and all kinds of lovely things like that. Everybody, WAND OUT!"

She impressed the class by immediately blasting away chips of the classroom ceiling when she shot stunning spells at black buzzing flies. "A good Stunning spell of course does not blast their guts all over, "she instructed, graphically. "But of course we can't expect much with flies. For a really excellent effect we must have something bigger. I like to practice on... eggs." She drew her wand through the air and produced a basket of eggs. "Alright everyone, pair up. Someone will levitate the egg and the other to blast it out of the air. Hip-Hip Hooray! I say, hurry, hurry along."

Harry was mildly amused at the egg practice. It wasn't just that everyone got soaked in egg yoke and that they then practiced Scourging Charms, but that the little Professor chose such a benign object. He thought sure he would see her practicing on something a little more challenging. If they were going to be soldiers in an army, they needed to face something a little more frightening then egg in the face. Still, Harry was satisfied when he left the classroom and started down the hall. They were headed in the right direction, he thought.

Hermione was the first to find out who he was.

During the Quidditch match, Harry felt a tug on his sleeve and a First Year student from Slytherin was signaling that Harry should follow him. Harry was on the edge of his seat watching Ron as Gryffindor Keeper and Ginny as Chaser. Together with the rest of the team they were giving Hufflepuff a good run. Harry's reluctantly had to admit that Gryffindor's almost all-new team was not bad. George and Fred had left the year before and were now replaced by Lavender Brown and Pavarti Patil.

Harry slipped away from the box and followed the boy into the castle, where he was instructed him to go to Dumbledore's office. Harry had not been in the office since the previous year and hesitated for a few minutes. He knew his way there and found it easily enough but stood at the entrance. Harry regarded the door with some misgivings; it brought back painful memories. He also had no idea what the password was. It seemed that Dumbledore was in the habit of letting people guess the password.

"Chocoballs... Fizzing Whizbees...Pepper Imps...Fudge Flies...Lemon Drop," Harry was naming every candy he could think of and the doors did not open. Dumbledore! Harry thought furiously, How am I suppose to get in? "Chocolate Bonbons!" At last! The door opened silently.

Harry stepped onto the stairs and let them carry him to the entrance to Dumbledore's office. He wondered what would cause Dumbledore to send for him. He entered the outer room with its customary silver instruments whirring on tables, the claw-footed desk and other assorted familiar items. He recalled the room exactly as he had left it the year before. In a fit of rage and grief he had smashed furniture and instruments. They now stood in order, repaired and back in their places.

The room was empty with the exception of a red-plumed bird that perched behind the desk. Setting a small distance away was another bird perch, this one occupied by a large white, snowy owl.

"Hedwig!" Harry burst out. She ruffled her feathers stretched and in one swoop flew to his arm. Her happy squawking noise brought Dumbledore into the room from behind a large tapestry.

"Ah, Harry, I see you've found your friend. Good. I think Hedwig has missed you almost as much as you have missed her."

"Thank you for taking care of her for me, Professor," Harry said.

"My pleasure," Dumbledore said, " Now come this way. We are having tea in my private quarters."

Harry followed with Hedwig now riding on his shoulder pecking away at his ear. He had never been in Dumbledore's private quarters and was surprised at the invitation. He entered a large sitting room with very beautiful furnishings. The ceiling was very high above them and tall windows let in sunlight onto the polished emerald-tiled floors. The room was warmed by the abundance of plants that grew in pots placed around the room. There were tall bookcases filled with books, and tables stretching out into open spaces with all kinds of parchment scrolls laid out on them.

Harry glanced over to the large fireplace and saw two people sitting waiting for them; Jolie and Snape. He joined them as Dumbledore led the way and waited for him to sit. Harry smiled at Jolie but pretended to be stroking Hedwig rather than look at Snape.

"Harry, we thought it best if we had this meeting when others would not miss your presence," Dumbledore began.

Harry waited. He knew it must be very important for the three of them to meet him in this way.

"We think it is time to give you information," Dumbledore handed him a cup of tea. "To fill you in on how things are going. I have invited Mr. Pulani to join us because he will play a major role in what is or is not to come later."

Harry glanced at Jolie who looked at him with a serious expression on his face. Gone was the smile with the flashing tooth.

"Go ahead." Harry said, bracing himself.

"Several things concern us, Harry," Dumbledore began. "Voldemort and his followers have done nothing...nothing, that tells us they are active. Following your 'demise' , we thought perhaps he believed he'd cleared the way and could pursue his endeavors. The members of the Order have reported nothing; no suspicious deaths, or disappearances. All of these acts alerted us to his intentions before." Dumbledore stirred his tea thoughtfully.

"We have two choices before us, Harry. We can wait and see what he does or we can try and bring him out into the open."

Harry swallowed with some difficulty and nodded.

"Either way, there is a possibility of danger. If we wait, then he chooses the time and the place and the people. He has time to build an army and, so on. There are many disadvantages in allowing that to happen. There are advantages in that we can do the same. As you're aware, people now believe that he is alive." Dumbledore stopped and watched Harry. "We are drawing people to our side even now."

"Harry, Tom Riddle thinks that the only thing that stands in his way now is, me." Dumbledore sipped at his tea, once again staring into the cup. "At least that is what everyone tells me." He sighed, and said, "And it's probably true. For that reason I am particularly concerned about being here at Hogwarts and endangering the students."

"But you can't leave, Professor," Harry said. "What good would that do? Besides Hogwarts is suppose to have all kinds of enchantments and protections. Can Voldemort penetrate those?"

Dumbledore looked up. "I don't know, Harry. I don't know the extent of his powers since he's been revived. I realized, once again, how very little I did know when Death Eaters entered your Aunt and Uncle's house this past summer."

The room was silent. Harry sat watching him, his teacup steady in his hand.

"I do know that we can drive him to us. In that way, we know where his energies lie and perhaps keep him busy. In that way, Harry, the rest of the world remains safe," Dumbledore said.

"What you're saying Professor is that we become the target," Harry began.. "I thought you had agreed to my plan. That you would give me the time to prepare. If you bring him here, I cannot fight him and win."

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, Harry. But I do not suggest we draw him to us so that you can confront him. Hear me out if you will?"

Harry nodded again.

"I think that we can do something that will give us all time to prepare. I did not think it possible until you met your friend, Mr. Pulani. And, I think..." Dumbledore nodded, "I will let him explain."

Jolie stood and walked to Harry's side. He turned to the others. "We will speak in Romani." Dumbledore nodded and Snape sat stiffly staring at the opposite side of the room.

"Harry. Do you remember our words in the dark, of the Kalo Beng?" Jolie asked.

"Yes, of course, I do Jolie," Harry said and sat his tea aside.

"Your Professor Dumbledore has told me many things. He told me of an incident two years ago when this Beng rose from the dead, in the mimori (graveyard)," Jolie said and shook his head.

Harry knew that to talk about these kinds of things was abhorrent to the man and said, "Yes, Jolie."

"He says that The Dark Devil drew your blood?"

"Yes, his servant cut my arm and took my blood to use in a potion. He submerged himself in it and was reborn," Harry recalled the night in vivid detail; his transportation from the Triwizard maze, the death of Diggory, all of it.

"The Romani believe that the blood is life. It is where the soul lives." Jolie's face broke out in sweat and he said, "He was able to be reborn from your living blood. Part of your soul was taken so that he could live." He nodded at Harry's horror-stricken face. "And, before that, your mother gave of her's by her sacrifice for you. Dumbledore says that you share this Beng's feelings and thoughts."

"I haven't. Not since last year. He stopped trying to possess me." Harry turned to Dumbledore and spoke in English. "My scar hasn't hurt. Voldemort hasn't tried to possess me. I thought it was because he thought I was dead.. Is that why I'm here, to learn occlumency?"

"Amal (friend)," Jolie grabbed his arm, "calm yourself and listen to what I have to say."

Harry stopped. His heart was pounding. Where is this going? he wondered.

"I told you once that we gypsies have many magics that the Gadjo do not know. When the Black Devil took your blood with force and used it, he did not know that what he took would also take from him! You are linked to him by a covenant of blood," Jolie's eyes burned when he spoke. He continued in a whisper, "I have the knowledge to brew a potion, using your blood and the ashes of your mother. If he drinks of it, it will steal your soul, your life, back and he will weaken."

Harry sat back in shock. Use the ashes of my mother? he thought in horror. Just like Voldemort did in the graveyard! He had used dust of the bones of his father to bring about his reformation. "Will it kill him?" he asked, stumbling over the words.

Jolie let go of the Harry's arm. "No!" He turned away. "But we can take away his strength. The full force of his actions will circle back on him." Jolie swung around, " Harry, he has much blood on his hands." Jolie stood and walked to a window; he stood staring out for several minutes before finishing, " he will never know why he is in such agony."

Harry realized he was holding his breath. He had to think about all of it. He found it difficult to swallow because his mouth was dry. And then, he looked at Snape. Why is he here?

Dumbledore saw the look, and said quietly, "Professor Snape has volunteered to find a way for Voldemort to drink the potion."

Harry thought his stomach would bring up his breakfast if it hadn't been hours since he'd eaten. He turned and stroked Hedwig who perched on the arm of his chair. He desperately needed something reassuring.

They waited for him.

Harry didn't know what to think. Could he... could the wizarding world go on for two more years if Voldemort started an all-out war? Did they need to be on the offensive? What if it didn't work? Would Hogwarts be in danger? Yes, probably, but not more than anyone else. And maybe less if Dumbledore left. But Dumbledore could protect him and he couldn't if he left. Harry would be vulnerable. That's being selfish, he told himself. How could they draw Voldemort to them unless they let it out that he, Harry, was still alive? That had been the plan, to start rumors over time. But not now! It will be like grabbing a serpent by the tail, Harry thought.

"You have to have the ashes of my mother?" Harry asked quietly, still stroking Hedwig.

Dumbledore stood and walked to the mantel. He took a golden chalice from it and walked over and sat it in front of Harry. Harry gulped. "These are your parents, Harry," Dumbledore said.