The Portkey Solution

CHAPTER 6 - A Long-Overdue Party

Harry curled up in one of the hammock chairs to watch the sun set. He was holding a plain Muggle notebook in his hands, along with a biro from Staci's desk. He had added the notebook to the pile of groceries from the market and she had paid for it along with everything else without a word.

Now she was inside, chopping vegetables and steaming rice for a Chinese stir-fry meal. Staci enjoyed cooking without magic and claimed to be especially good at Mexican food. Harry was looking forward to trying it all--Aunt Petunia had stuck to roasts as if experimentation of any kind would be punished and even the Hogwarts house elves didn't get too crazy with their offerings unless asked.

He opened the notebook and uncapped the biro, then hesitated. "Dear diary" or "Dear" anything felt absolutely wrong. Finally he simply wrote the date and began.

We had a terrific afternoon when we got back from the shopping. We got into bathing things, Staci Transfigured part of the deck into a pool and by the time we were through I was doing a pretty good crawl and a really good breaststroke. No gillyweed in sight! She grew up on a lake and doesn't even remember learning to swim.

I like her. I really like her. She treats me as an equal...well, all right, not quite an equal, but she treats me like I've got a brain and some wits to offer. Sirius is being awfully parental since the tournament, not telling me anything about the plans to fight Voldemort. Dumbledore might tell me if I asked, but it feels like I'd be pestering him if I sent an owl asking for the latest news. And of course the Weasleys are going to see me as a child, since they're Ron's parents. But Bill's another possibility (I still don't know why he started helping Staci, ought to ask).

Turns out she and Bill met during his training program for Gringotts--she called it an internship. She was at the Patterson site in Cairo for a summer during her university years. She also spent two years as a "support agent" in the United States department on that card, but when her sister had twins and decided to stop working at Patterson, Staci joined the family business.

It's odd--Staci has got this amazing balance between being a witch and being a Muggle. She knows magic and really knows how to use it, but she doesn't unless she needs to. It sounds like her whole family is like that. They work all over the world--Staci's visited four continents so far. They all learn two or three languages the hard way, so they don't have to use magic in front of Muggles to communicate. Well, not exactly the hard way--Staci learned Spanish from her mom as a baby. Her mom is part Hopi and apparently does things a LOT differently than what we learn in class, like using incense the way Snape uses potions. Animagi are a lot more common in that culture as well.

Staci has promised that I'll get to meet the rest of the family, though she's not sure how it will happen yet. She said something about Christmas in the States--that would be brilliant!

***

Sunday morning, Harry woke to a rhythmic thumping sound coming from another room. He got up quietly and plucked his wand from the open trunk. The sound was coming from one of the extra bedrooms across the cottage from his. Harry looked for Staci, but she was nowhere in sight.

He edged to the open door, still hearing that sound, and peeked in.

It was Staci. She was dressed in loose sports clothes and was tumbling from side to side, her hair flying behind her in a ponytail. He heard her counting under her breath, and when she got to twenty she changed from going forward to back rolls without missing a beat. He watched as she repeated the move to twenty again, then rolled to her feet and began twisting her wrists in odd positions as she caught her breath. She noticed him in the door and smiled.

He stepped into the room carefully; the floor was covered with padded mats, vacant of the furniture it had held yesterday. "Er...what are you doing?"

"Practicing. I do aikido; it's a martial art from Japan." She moved from her wrists to her shoulders, stretching out the joints.

"Where did you learn that?"

"I started my freshman year in college. A good friend of mine was attacked on campus and decided to learn self-defence. She wanted company and I thought it might be useful since I was already thinking about joining one of the wizarding agencies as a career." Staci stopped stretching and shook out her arms and neck. "Oddly enough, she stopped when she got to blue belt. I guess she felt she knew enough for her needs. I'm a first kyu brown belt. That's one level below black belt. If I could stay put near a dojo long enough, I could probably make black belt inside a year."

Harry watched as she began exercising again, a move where she spun on the balls of her feet while bringing her hands up, ready for an attack. "Is it hard to learn?"

"I don't think so, not if you apply yourself. I've seen students come in who were totally clumsy and awkward at first, but they picked it up with dedicated practice. And it's a perfect style for people who aren't muscle-bound jocks; it's all about taking the force the attack gives you and redirecting it. Want to learn a few moves? It's much easier to practice with a partner."

Harry grinned a bit, imagining tossing Crabbe or Goyle around when they didn't expect it. "All right."

They spent a pleasant morning. Staci started by showing him how to take falls without hurting himself, then did a few careful demonstrations with a wooden knife, showing some ways to physically disarm an attacking wizard, even one much bigger than himself. By lunchtime, Harry was hooked.

***

He had written more in his journal, getting dozens of things he hated about the Dursleys and his life with them on paper. He didn't feel ready to write about Cedric, but covering the pages with justified complaints he'd never voiced before had felt wonderful. Staci taught him a new spell, Compactus licet signum, that he could use at Hogwarts to lock the journal with a password. Harry chose Jarvey, an animal he'd picked at random from his Care of Magical Creatures texts.

He could barely contain himself when he went to bed, he was so eager for it to be Monday and his birthday. He remembered seeing the clock sometime after midnight and getting a thrill at realizing he was fifteen years old, but finally fell asleep soon after. He woke blissfully to the smell of bacon frying and waffles baking.

They spent the morning tidying the place and preparing for a large influx of guests. Staci magicked up extra chairs. She took a batter she'd prepared the night before and proceeded to bake an interesting-looking red layer cake and ice it with a white frosting. Once done, she and Harry went to the room lined with floor mats and practiced three specific disarming moves until he could do them reliably, each time winding up with her "wand" in his hand.

"The thing is, Harry, that most wizards get to rely on magic too much. It takes just as much energy to perform a moderately hard spell as it does to run a lap around this house, even with a wand to focus one's power. Yet time after time, they reach for the wand rather than do something without it. Take away the wand, and you paralyze most wizards long enough to get away or disable them."

At last it was two in the afternoon. Staci put fifteen gold candles on the cake and hung a rainbow-coloured banner that spelled out "Happy Birthday". Harry fidgeted, teasing the Quidditch figure on the computer by throwing Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans at it. Finally he felt a shiver down his skin, like when a storm was coming. Staci grinned at him.

"Their Portkey is set to this room, so we feel it when it's being activated." Just as she finished, the room was suddenly full of people, in a circle so that everyone could lay a finger on the Portkey in the centre.

With a yell of delight, Harry caught Ron in a flying tackle and sent them both to the floor. Fred and George whooped and dove in, creating a hugging, pummelling and tickling fray that caught Ginny by surprise. She fell over a twin's outstretched leg and took Neville with her, grabbing frantically for his arm as she lost her balance.

Harry noticed Hermione edging away with the adults and managed to snag her ankle. Ron helped pull her in. The ruckus might have gone on for some time, but Staci cried "Enough! Or I'll create another swimming pool under you all!"

Laughing, they slowly untangled themselves, still tripping over one another. Harry got his feet caught and grabbed onto whoever was next to him. As he mastered his balance once more, someone cleared a throat and Harry realized he'd draped himself over Hermione...

And that his hand was squarely on her breast. A breast that was much more developed than he remembered from seeing her in her Hogwarts robes.

He pulled away, feeling his face burn deep red and turned to try and hide it. Blessedly at that point, Staci had turned out the lights and was lighting candles on the cake. While she took votes whether to sing "Happy Birthday", he collected himself. When he dared look at Hermione again, as the song ended with the twins' hideous attempt at harmony, she seemed perfectly calm. And of all people, Remus Lupin was watching him. He gave Harry a wink and suddenly Harry felt much better.

Harry managed to blow out his candles and start cutting the cake. Staci called it a "red velvet" cake and it was delicious: hints of chocolate and other flavours topped by a tangy frosting. She shared the recipe with Mrs. Weasley while the youngsters wolfed it down and rushed out to the pool.

***

Staci looked around at the adults that remained behind. "I suppose now is as good a time as any for a conference." She got Dumbledore, Sirius, Remus, and the Weasley parents arranged around the dining table, with herself, Bill and Charlie on stools from the bar. She nodded at Dumbledore in a silent cue for him to take charge of the discussion.

"I will admit I did not approve when Anastacia took matters into her own hands and removed Harry from his aunt and uncle. However, I can see that he is indeed happy here and better cared for by his cousin, while still under the protections I created. And this turn of events may provide us with an opportunity to trap or even destroy Voldemort before he can expand his power base beyond the Death Eaters."

Staci raised her eyebrows at the last part while admiring Dumbledore's ability to answer probable questions before they were asked.

He continued, "My sources tell me that Voldemort is extremely frustrated with the fact that no one seems to know Harry's location since he left the Dursleys'. I have arranged to pass enough information to Voldemort to lead him to a place of our choosing: Diagon Alley. Harry will need to go there and purchase his books and supplies for Hogwarts as usual. If we can lure Voldemort into attacking him there, we can be in a position to counter and possibly capture him.

"Unfortunately the only way such a plan will work is for Harry himself to be there. Voldemort is easily powerful enough to identify and remove any illusions or magical disguises we might create. Now, I intend to protect Harry should we do this. Every witch and wizard that supports us and can be there will be on hand. And Harry will carry at least one Portkey to Hogwarts or here or other places of safety."

The faces around him were all solemn or worried, but in agreement. Staci leaned forward.

"It sounds like a promising plan, but I would like to do one more thing in carrying it out. I want Harry to have one more option for escape even if all of us should be killed and if he loses the Portkeys in a melee. I want to teach him to Apparate."

Arthur Weasley protested automatically, "He's too young for an Apparating license!"

"Who said anything about a license, Dad?" Bill stepped in. "Staci said it would be a last resort. And I trust Harry not to fool around with Apparating. I know I'd feel a lot better about him being the bait to trap Voldemort if he were able to get himself away at any point, no matter what."

"Exactly," Staci continued. "No matter how you look at it, if we go with this plan we are putting Harry at extreme risk. Not that he hasn't faced other risks just as grave, but he's never been the bait of a deliberate trap before. We can count on most of the Death Eaters being there and a lot of innocent bystanders to protect. If Harry can Apparate as well as use a Portkey, then we can at least reduce the proposal from Out of the Question to Really Dangerous But the Best We Can Do."

Remus looked at Molly Weasley. "And we have to take into account that your children and Hermione will almost certainly hear about this plan from Harry, and will want to be involved. And I must admit having some of them there will be a convincing detail to lull any suspicion Voldemort might have. But we need to decide now how to handle it."

Molly paled considerably but Dumbledore reached over and patted her hand.

"I agree with both of you. If asked, I think Harry would keep this plan a secret from them, but we should let the parents think about what they want to do. Arthur, I will be happy to take responsibility if the Ministry chooses to charge Harry for Apparating to escape Voldemort. Now, we need a day when we can all be in Diagon Alley. Sirius and Remus, we need the rest of the group: Kingsley, Mundungus, whoever can come. I will contact Alastor Moody and see if he will arrange to be training his most advanced Aurors in an on-site lesson. Arthur, Molly, what about Percy?"

Bill shook his head, a tiny gold coin flashing from his earring, while the other Weasleys traded looks. "My instinct is to leave him out of this. Ever since the Ministry learned the truth about the Crouches, Percy has been playing lapdog for Fudge. He wants Crouch's job so badly he can taste it, never mind that he's the youngest in the department. Anything we tell Percy will go straight to Fudge, and I for one don't trust Fudge to handle this situation at all well. He's still not completely convinced that Voldemort's back, even with the new attacks on Muggle-borns this summer."

Arthur nodded reluctantly. "You do notice that Percy didn't want to lose a day at the office by coming to Harry's party. I'm afraid I have to agree. Much as I hate to admit it, it was a relief when Percy moved into his own flat last month--all we would hear from him when we discussed the Vo-Voldemort problem was that the Ministry needed our help in controlling baseless rumours." Bill, Charlie and Staci let out identical snorts of disbelief.

"Very well," Dumbledore said. "I will try to get in touch with Hagrid, maybe a few others. And of course whichever professors that can be there. Staci, is there a day in particular you would choose?"

She glanced at a wall calendar littered with notes. "August 23. An ordinary weekday, but far enough away from now for planning and soon enough before school to allow the kids to recover before leaving for Hogwarts..." she absently knocked on the wooden desk. "And arithmantically it's a five, which is Harry's character number. Can't hurt."

The others started reaching for pocket calendars and magical Sched-Lights.

***

Thanks to Harry's notes, everyone had known to wear or bring bathing outfits and soon they were splashing about. All the Weasleys were comfortable in the water, but neither Neville nor Hermione could swim. Lessons commenced, and Harry took the opportunity to lead Hermione through the steps Staci had used with him while the others worked with Neville and kept him from the deep end.

"Hermione, I'm sorry about...back there..." He felt his face warming again and splashed water on his cheeks. Even without his glasses, he couldn't look her in the eyes and was desperate not to look below her neck, though she was in a practical not-very-revealing costume. He settled for concentrating on the fuzzy outline of her chin.

It moved and dimpled as she smiled. "It was an accident, Harry. It's not like you were deliberately groping me or anything. And if it helps you remember that I am a girl and prevents that mess over the Yule Ball last year from happening again, it was worth it." She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek, the same way she had when they were leaving King's Cross for the summer. "Friends first and always. Promise me?"

Harry smiled, took a deep breath and returned the kiss. "Friends first and always. Now, try putting the arms and legs together on the crawl..."

***

The afternoon wound down pleasantly. Hermione had mastered the crawl in the same efficient way she learned most things, and Neville could be trusted to tread water and dog-paddle even when pushed in, as George demonstrated. The adults drifted out after a while, and Staci, Bill, Sirius and Charlie joined them in the water. Despite their encouragement, Remus only hiked up his robes, rolled up his trouser legs, and dangled his feet in the water. Harry noticed that he was looking shabbier and more peaked than when he had been at Hogwarts.

For the evening, Staci had planned to prepare steaks and vegetables on the grill. While they cooked, everyone brought out gaily wrapped parcels and piled them up in front of Harry, who simply stared at them for several minutes. He snapped out of his reverie and reached for the first one when Dumbledore playfully conjured paper birthday hats for everyone.

It was a miniature version of an old cathedral-style radio from Neville. He explained, "It's made to pick up the Wizarding Wireless Network. I remember you saying you'd never heard of some of the popular bands, so now you'll know."

Harry continued unwrapping, sometimes stopping to listen to the explanation, always thanking the giver. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley varied their habit slightly and gave Harry a matching scarf and gloves set that Mrs. Weasley had knitted in green. Sirius gave him a wizard watch to replace his old Muggle one; its hands would spin around to indicate that Harry should be at his next class or at dinner or in bed. Remus had scrounged around and found more photographs of his parents, neatly mounted in a second album. Harry paused, but reminded himself that he would have plenty of time later to look through them.

Hermione and Ron had gone in together and created a survival kit: it included things like a flashlight and compass, a first aid kit and matches, all enchanted to work every time, as well as some magical aids. It was all packed in a moke-skin bag that would shrink to fit in his pocket so he could carry it everywhere. Dumbledore gave him a silver ring with a Celtic design engraved in it and explained that it was a type of tracker; should Harry disappear from Hogwarts suddenly, Dumbledore could use the ring to locate him quickly.

Fred and George lightened the atmosphere considerably, after these gifts designed to help Harry stay safe: they had created an assortment of every Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes item invented so far. Harry's eyes widened at the selection of sweets, fake wands and quills, and other yet-to-be discovered jokes. The twins had been busy over the summer. Mrs. Weasley looked the other way, her mouth set in a disapproving line, but made no comment.

Staci's gift pleased him enormously: a cell phone that was apparently standard equipment for all the Pattersons involved in the transport company and an email address: [email protected]. Bill and Charlie had gone in together and gotten Harry a Chudley Cannons jumper, black with orange lettering.

Ginny's happened to be last, and as Harry began unwrapping it she got steadily pinker around the nose. He pulled the paper away to reveal some kind of stuffed animal, somewhat like a cat but with oversized ears. He bit his tongue while Ron and the twins howled laughter and Ginny turned nearly as red as her hair. Something familiar teased the very back of Harry's mind...

Neville looked at it with interest. "It's a stuffed Kneazle. What made you think of that, Ginny?"

She took a deep breath and replied, "Back in my first year, when I...when I searched your room..." Harry nodded encouragingly. "Well, I found your photo album. The first one. There was a picture of you and your mum and you were holding a stuffed Kneazle like that one. I know we're all getting too old for dolls and such, but I still have the rabbit Mum gave me when I was a baby. Anyway...I thought you might like it..." she looked down, swallowing tears of embarrassment.

Harry looked at the toy again, which purred at him. He remembered the picture Ginny was talking about--his wizard image as a baby usually dangled the poor thing by the tail and chewed on the tuft of fur at the end of it. He set this one on top of the rest of the presents and leaned over and deliberately kissed Ginny on the cheek. "Thank you, Ginny. It's a great gift." With the laughter silenced, he looked at Staci. "So, are you going to feed us anytime soon?"

***

After the meal it was dark and they lit a fire on the beach. Staci handed out marshmallows on sticks, then showed everyone how to create a gooey dessert called S'mores. She also surreptitiously passed a large bag of Filibusters' Fireworks to the twins, who gleefully set them off in a dazzling display.

Harry got Neville off to one side while Ron pestered the twins to give him a turn. They sat on the beach, watching the waves shine in the moonlight. Neville smiled shyly at Harry. "I do hope you like the radio. Gran helped me think of it."

"I do like it, Neville. Thanks again." Harry drew lines in the sand with a stick. "How have you been this summer?"

Neville looked down, almost embarrassed to be asked. "I've been potting about in the gardens at our house. Professor Sprout sent home this letter to Gran telling her how great I am at Herbology and she's let me try all sorts of things. I'm even using some of the plants to make potions and some of them work!"

"Of course they do, Neville. You can make any old potion you want when Snape's not breathing down your neck."

"I've been working on this memory potion for...some people. I hope I can try it before we go back to school..." Harry started suddenly, realizing what Neville must be hoping to do. Neville looked at him. "Harry?"

"Dumbledore told me about your parents, Neville. He was explaining something I'd seen. I'm really very sorry that it happened. In a way you have it worse than me or anyone else whose parents were killed outright by Voldemort and his gang."

Neville looked up at the starry sky. "I just wish they'd come back for a few minutes. Just long enough to see me and smile."

Harry put an arm around Neville's shoulder. "If you don't get it working before, bring it to school. I'll help you. So would Hermione and Ron, if you asked them."

Neville gripped his hand for a moment, then managed in a husky voice, "Thanks, Harry. I think I will."

They stood up and wandered back to the fire. Harry realized Dumbledore was watching them and when their eyes met, Dumbledore smiled in a very approving manner.