Mysteries

Chapter Four Peabody's Error

"Dumbledore didn't send me to watch you, Harry," Peabody said. "He sent a message asking for my services. I simply ascertained that you would wait too long and be taken by Voldemort's Deatheaters. I've whisked you off just in time and now you are safe." Peabody shuffled to a high-back chair near an empty fireplace. "I'm afraid Dumbledore would be put out if he knew that you were here. He'd think you were being misguided."

Harry watched as Peabody dropped into the well-worn chair, the tip of his balding head the only thing that was visible.

"You knew that Voldemort was going to capture me?" Harry asked in awe. "I thought Forecasters could only know events that would take place within a twenty-four hour period of time."

Hannah smiled weakly at Harry and watched the two of them. Peabody remained hidden by his chair. "Harry, Rolly is a special Forecaster. He's very accurate over long periods of time. Albus Dumbledore knows that and wanted a preview of what would happen once you were free of your Aunt's house. Rolly knew that you'd be captured and so prevented that from happening." She rounded the table and sat the cup down carefully. Harry looked up at her. "Harry, this is the first time in my history with Rolly that he has taken an action to intervene in an event." She leaned in to whisper, "He saved your life."

"Nonsense!" The top of Peabody's head reddened. "I'm doing a study, field research if you will!" The little man stood and faced them. "Let's just say I've grown tired of these four walls and needed to get out a little." The room remained silent and Hannah and Blackmoore watched their friend. "Whose going to do the job? Dumbledore? A fine mess he's made of things so far!" Peabody bellowed.

Harry set down his fork and stood. He spoke to the man's balding head. "Professor, I'd really be honored if you could help me...teach me how to defend myself."

Hannah's smile grew wider and even Blackmoore seemed to relax his posture, although Harry couldn't really see any change in the vampire's expression. After all, Harry thought, anyone who has a vampire and a gypsy witch for a friend; who is also a Forecaster, well...better that then nothing. I'll take it!

They all resumed their places at the breakfast table and continued in silence. Peabody returned to his paper supplemented by several more daily papers slipped onto the table by Blackmoore. Hannah sipped her tea and daintily picked at her food with impeccable manners. Harry munched away until he'd had his fill. As usual a month at the Dursleys had left him underweight.

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"You have to understand, Harry," Peabody said later. They were walking through the loft and Peabody was giving Harry a guided tour. "People think that we are bad news. They think we're involved just as deeply as Voldemort is in the black arts. But it's rubbish!" The little man talked excitedly as he showed Harry around. Hannah wandered behind them like a ghost, barely making noise and not speaking at all. "One must be aware of everything, even delve into the dark arts if necessary. To be prepared my boy, to be prepared."

"How is it that Voldemort doesn't come after you?" Harry asked as they rummaged through an art studio. There were abandoned easels and half-done pictures gathering dust. In one corner he noticed a pile of strange items stacked to one side to make a clearing for a coffin. This was not dust-covered.

"Don't touch, dear boy," Peabody said as Harry approached the coffin. "That's Blackmoore's and he's very sensitive about his things being disturbed."

Harry backed away and looked at some of the paintings. He was surprised at the subjects and the quality. He noticed as he leaned in to examine one, a picture of Hannah, that it was done by Blackmoore. It was a nude study.

"I guess you could say Voldemort would hesitate to come around a forecaster. You see he has focused on the Dark Arts with a fervor. But he has erred in not taking everything into account and has not the skill or adaptability to use information well."

"What Rolly is trying to say Harry," Hannah broke in, "is that Voldemort is a stupid man. His strength is in terrorizing people, not out-thinking them; using brute force, the Cruciatus Curse and the killing curse. It's effective for killing in small numbers, for controlling small populations of people. But he ignores information that would make him a very frightening person if he were to attend to it. He would truly be a monster then, a power that would be unstoppable." She spoke from behind the painting. "And, he HAS tried to persuade Rolly to help him." Hannah came around the edge of the painting and Harry was looking at two Hannahs instead of one; the one in the painting and the living one looking at him with her dark flashing eyes. "He would be a formidable enemy if he had Rolly helping him."

The two of them stood looking at the picture and Harry turned to her. He saw something in her eyes that was not there before, something that the picture had not caught. He knew in that instant that she was a dangerous person. He didn't feel threatened; just fascinated. And, very glad that she was on his side.

They walked on through the unused side of the extensive loft and Harry was shown the door to Knockturn Alley. He knew about the portals into the wizarding world. He knew about the one at the train station that he passed through every Fall, Platform 9 3/4s. He also knew about the one through the Leaky Cauldron, the one at St. Mungo's and the Ministry. There were probably dozens.

Peabody taught him the password and cautioned him to not use the door until they went through it together. "I don't want you wandering in Knockturn Alley by yourself," he said. "It's paramount that we try and keep this door a secret. I've lived here for many a year and have never been discovered."

Harry nodded.

Peabody wandered back the way they had come, chattering about different things. Harry tried to listen but found his mind wandering.

"Harry," Hannah slipped her hand around his arm. They strolled behind the man who was wandering around the rooms haphazardly and talking as he went. "I just wanted you to know that calling Rolly 'Professor' was really the right touch. He was very badly hurt when they let him go from Hogwarts. He is such a brilliant man, you know." She walked easily at his side, towering over him slightly.

Harry stopped her, "Hannah, I thought I knew Dumbledore pretty well. He's not the kind of man that isn't easily prejudiced. He even has a centaur teaching classes. What could Peabody possibly have done that would make Dumbledore dismiss him from teaching?"

The sensuous lips turned up in a sad smile and she squeezed his arm, "Are you sure you want to know, Harry? It could be painful to hear and I want you to trust him...to trust us."

Harry nodded nervously.

"He told Dumbledore that Sirius would not be the secret keeper for your parents. That he would pass that information to another and that the man who was secret keeper would betray your parents. He did not know the man's name at the time. Dumbledore dismissed what Rolly told him, sure that his own information was correct. Your parents died as a result. Dumbledore was furious with Peabody because he failed to act. Rolly did try and warn your parents, but didn't contact Sirius m and didn't try and stop Voldemort. After that, Dumbledore couldn't stand to have Rolly around and Rolly was devastated by their deaths. He took responsibility and blamed himself." She pulled him closer and breathed, "It wasn't so much that he was dismissed, Harry, Rolly wanted to leave."

Harry felt anger rising and the woman across from him knew it instantly.

"Harry, you must understand something. Rolly interfered once in another situation. He was forecasting and knew what was going to happen and he stepped in to change the course of those events. It was almost to his ruin and that of many others. Since then he has refused to act. He's been afraid to act," she said, reaching over to caress his cheek with the tips of her fingers. "Until yesterday. You know what it feels like. I know you do."

Harry nodded and could feel his own guilt about Sirius rising into his chest. She noticed the change in expression and turned him away from their close embrace. They continued to stroll.

"Dumbledore has since forgiven him. Has even asked for his help on occasions; like yesterday. But I think Rolly knows that Albus still distrusts him. Albus believes in his abilities, but abhors his reticence to act. And so...Albus asked about what was going to happen to you, fearing that Voldemort would take advantage the moment your family's protection lifted. He was right in doing so." Hannah let go of his arm.

Harry felt mild regret. Walking with her was like walking with a dancer. He could feel the sensuous way her body bumped his as she walked. "If Peabody was so accurate, why didn't Albus believe him and take things into his own hands? Why did he wait for Peabody to do something?"

Hannah stopped and watched the long white curtains on an open window blow inward with the breeze from the summer's day. The dozen windows, all with blowing curtains, resembled a line of laundry floating, turning and twisting in the sunlight. Peabody was ahead of them and disappearing through a doorway, headed towards his study.

"I don't know Harry. Albus didn't like the fact that Rolly studied the Dark Arts. He... they weren't friends. I just don't know," she answered. "But you see, what is important is that Rolly miscalculated. He should have known that Albus wouldn't believe him and ignore the warning he gave him. He didn't calculate that into the forecast. It was an obvious thing to do and he didn't do it. It was a part of the calculation a child could make." She caught one of the curtains and pulled it around her like a veil, looking at him through the gauzy material. "It was as if his eyes were blindfolded and he couldn't see. It was as if... it was meant to be."

Harry stared at her. He couldn't feel anything; not anger or sadness. He was telling himself that he couldn't keep reliving his parent's death and the circumstances surrounding it; the people involved in it. They were dead and he couldn't bring them back. He had to stop searching for someone to blame. There were so many who were responsible, even Sirius. And he was dead. Am I going to start blaming the dead? he asked himself and realized that there were people who were probably thinking the same thing about him.

His mind took a different path. How do I know that the same thing won't happen again. Why should I trust him? He could get me killed, Harry's mind wandered over the possibilities.

The veil dropped and Harry learned what Hannah's special gift was. "He won't make the same mistake again, Harry. You can trust him because he will have me to help him. We will work together to keep you safe," the dark eyes softened.

Legilimency?

he questioned, testing her. He'd felt Snape reaching into his mind and knew what it felt like. This was different. There were no probing mental fingers.

She smile brightly and laughed, the whiteness of her teeth contrasting against the red lips. Harry smiled back. He suddenly realized that he liked Hannah.

"No Harry, not Legilimency, although I did see someone for a time that was an adept Legilimens. I think you know him. His name is Severus Snape." Hannah watched him and burst out laughing again at Harry's face when he heard the name.

"You...you dated him?" Harry's stomach lurched.

Hannah turned and walked ahead of him, taking long graceful strides. "You'll see him soon. He will be here to help instruct you," she said over her shoulder.

Harry stopped cold. Oh no, not Snape! he thought, with a bitter taste in his mouth.