Harry Potter and the Guardians of the Mindspeakers

Note: A very big thank you to Geo, Molly, and Apurva - especially the latter two - for beta'ing this chapter. I initially hated this chapter and now I quite like it. Personally, I think it's the grapefruit - read on to find out what I mean!

oOoOo

Harry Potter and the Guardians of the Mindspeakers

Chapter Two: An Unexpected Visitor or Two

When Harry woke, he still felt the remnants of the unease caused by his dream. Blinking his eyes, he stretched, and the nightmare came rushing back into his mind, along with the full force of his concern. The question that had been bothering him since his return to Privet Drive came back as well: did they hate him? Harry couldn't blame them if they did; he wasn't sure he deserved anything less.

He lay there, staring at the ceiling, until he heard a loud crash come from downstairs.

Holding out his wand, Harry cautiously headed down the stairs. While he did his best to keep his tread silent, he only managed a few steps before the floor underneath him creaked. Harry winced, wondering if he'd just given away his presence. He needn't have worried: any sound the intruders might have heard was immediately eclipsed by a second loud crash.

"Tonks!" he heard an exasperated voice call out. Relieved, Harry grinned and slipped out the back door. Remembering Moody's warning, he kept his wand ready as he padded over to where Tonks was being helped off the ground by a bemused Kingsley.

"Morning," Harry called out softly, making the two Aurors jump.

"Who's there?" asked Kingsley suspiciously as Tonks squawked, nearly tripping over her feet.

"Me," said Harry, stepping out from the shadows.

"Bloody hell, Harry! Don't do that to me!" said Tonks crossly, holding a hand over her heart. Her hair quickly changed back from a startled red to its normal spiky pink.

"What's the matter, Nymphadora? Getting old?" said Harry wickedly, taking advantage of the inadvertently-lighthearted situation to distract himself, however briefly, from thinking about his reoccurring nightmares.

Kingsley let out a rueful laugh as Tonks glared at Harry. "Good to see you're alert, Harry. As Moody would say..."

"CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" they chorused.

Harry gave them a small but genuine smile. "Why are you back so soon?" Quickly, he added, "Is everything all right?"

"Everything's fine," Kingsley assured him. "There haven't been any more attacks since yesterday, and Dumbledore has requested we move you back to Headquarters."

Harry frowned. Much as he wanted to leave Privet Drive, he had no desire to return to Grimmauld Place and face constant reminders of Sirius's death. But, as he saw the understanding in Kingsley's eyes, Harry knew voicing his unease would change nothing. If they were returning to Headquarters, that meant Grimmauld Place was still Unplottable and, in the Order's eyes, the safest place to be - physically, at least.

"Unless you'd rather stay, Harry," Tonks said, interrupting his musings with a grin that was just a little forced. "I'm sure Ron and Hermione would understand if you'd rather spend the summer bonding with the Dursleys."

Harry glared at her and Tonks laughed, this time with nothing forced in her expression.

Kingsley spoke up quickly to prevent the two from getting into a full blown argument - or teasing session, or whatever it was called these days. "Go get your things, Harry, and Tonks and I will talk with your aunt and uncle. They'll be up now for breakfast, won't they?"

"Do I want to know how you know about that?" Harry asked, arching an eyebrow. He resisted telling Kingsley it was unlikely his aunt and uncle cared enough about his whereabouts to need an explanation.

Laughing, Kingsley said, "We have someone watching your house at all times. Let's just say that certain guards are more enthusiastic than others."

Tonks sniffed. "A grapefruit is not a meal!" she declared, tossing her head.

Harry eyed them warily. "Tonks, what did you do?"

Blithely, Kingsley answered for her. "One morning, a few days before your arrival, Auror Tonks noticed she'd left her morning snack at home. With her usual brilliance, she decided the best course of action was to 'borrow' something from the Dursleys - until the only thing she could find was grapefruit."

"I like grapefruits," muttered Tonks, pouting.

Kingsley eyed her, and then continued in the same tone. "When she realised that's all they were planning to feed you for the summer, she went into a right fit and stole all but two of the grapefruits. These she labeled as 'For Dudley.' Then she called me in, pretending there was an emergency, told me to guard the kitchen with my life, and disappeared. When she came back, her arms were full of groceries, which she then labeled 'For Harry.' She's kept a particularly close eye at mealtimes ever since. It's the closest I've ever seen Nymphadora come to having maternal instincts."

Tonks scowled and hit Kingsley none too gently on the shoulder. Harry decided not to mention the grapefruit faze had begun the previous summer - and not to tease Tonks, as she was blushing and looking anywhere but at her companions. Instead, he laughed. Loudly.

Shaking a finger at the teen, Kingsley said, "You laugh now, but you wouldn't if you'd been eating grapefruit for three weeks. Every day I curse the wizard who invented preserving charms."

Tonks cleared her throat. "We'd best be heading on; it's past seven already."

Harry and Kingsley exchanged a look, but followed her lead. When they were but a few feet from the house, the door swung open, and Harry winced. Petunia and Vernon were standing in the doorway and scowling.

"Get inside," Vernon hissed, eyes darting from one side of the yard to the other in the fear that a neighbour might be watching.

The Dursleys ushered the others inside, quickly shutting the door behind them, and into the living room. Vernon hurried over to the windows and, after peering through each one to make sure their actions had remained unnoticed, he pulled the curtains shut.

"I don't believe it," Harry heard Vernon mutter. "Out in the garden - anyone could have seen - what would the neighbours think?"

Harry kept silent. Whatever had caused Vernon's uncharacteristic politeness the past few weeks had apparently lead the man to reach levels of paranoia of which the Vernon of five years ago would have been proud.

As Vernon tried to stuff a cushion under the door, Harry was fairly certain his uncle had gone round the bend.

Petunia pursed her lips; Vernon must have caught her expression, for he immediately came to stand by her. He said nothing, but he twitched as his gaze rested on his nephew.

"We apologise for the inconvenience," Kingsley said smoothly, showing no sign that he was disconcerted. "We had hoped to gather Harry and his things with the least trouble for you and your family, Mr Dursley, but that seems not to be the case."

Vernon muttered under his breath, and Petunia place a hand on his arm. "I can't imagine," she said coldly, "why you would think it's acceptable to appear at our home so early. How are we supposed to explain this morning's disturbance to our neighbours? I don't know where you come from," she said, shooting Tonks' hair a distasteful look, "but on Privet Drive, we have standards to maintain. One of those is respecting our neighbours."

Tonks snorted. "I'm sure it is," she said loudly. "And I suppose you respect your family just as much as your neighbours?"

Harry eyed them and slowly stepped backwards until as much room as possible was between him and the proceedings. He stayed quiet.

Vernon's head swiveled to face Tonks - he'd been eyeing the fireplace suspiciously - and he looked furious. "What's that supposed to mean?" he roared. "Been poking your nose around, have you? Trying to find out our dirty secrets? Well, we haven't got any." His arm briefly rose as though he were about to point at Tonks, but he shuddered and snatched it back. "Ask the boy, if you want; he's been writing to you all summer, never mind that the neighbours must've thought they'd gone mad, with owls flying about all hours of the day."

"Yes, we understand the difficult situation you've been placed in, Mr Dursley," Kingsley soothed, attempting to intervene. "As I've said, we're only here to pick up Harry, not to-"

"You were there, at that platform!" Vernon interrupted. "Threatened us, didn't they, Petunia?"

Petunia nodded stiffly. The lines around her eyes deepened as she frowned, and she appeared to hesitate. "Is her presence entirely necessary?" she asked, looking at Tonks as though she were the most unpleasant thing in the room. "It's vulgar enough to be questioned in one's own home, but I refuse to have our affairs aired out in front of a - a trainee." Petunia wrinkled her nose as she saw the dirt clinging to the hems of Tonks' robes - dirt that had caught, in more than one place, on the fibers of the cream carpet.

Tonks scowled but, before she could get a word in, Vernon picked up where his wife had left off. "My thoughts exactly, Petunia, dear. I'd like a word with your superior, girl!"

Flushing, Tonks snapped, "I graduated at the top of my class, thank you very much. And if you'd like a word with him, my superior is right - there," she said, jabbing at Kingsley as she enunciated each word.

Kingsley sighed. "Mr Dursley -"

"So!" Vernon boomed. "You're the man who lets his inferiors bully and threaten good, decent people."

Kingsley's eyes flashed, but quickly turned blank. "I'd hardly call Tonks my inferior," he said coolly, "and so far as I know she's never threatened a good, decent person in all her life. Could you describe the people in question? I'd best get their statements."

Vernon spluttered, but Kingsley's words didn't hold him back for long. "You've no right to threaten us! We've done everything those ruffians asked - we let the boy do his schoolwork, didn't make him pull his weight around the house, even let him eat whatever he wanted. But you don't care about any of that, do you? Oh no, you don't care what it's like having a freak in the house, having to fend off questions about him all the time." Vernon pitched his voice higher as he mimicked his neighbours. "'Where's that nephew of yours, Dursley?' 'Not causing trouble again, is he?' 'You just send him round and we'll straighten him out.' We never wanted that boy, do you hear me? We never wanted the trouble your world always brings, but we took him in. I've never had any of your kind offer to take him off our hands, so I don't see what right you have to go poking your nose around now!"

"Enough." Kingsley's hand shook ever so slightly around his wand. "Enough," he repeated.

He gestured towards the chairs, but the Dursleys remained standing, silent and indignant. "Mr and Mrs Dursley," Kingsley snapped, "you will kindly sit down."

The Dursleys reluctantly complied. Kingsley guided Harry over to the couch and put just enough pressure on the wary teen's shoulder that he sat; Kingsley himself took the space to Harry's right, facing the fireplace.

Tonks did not join them. Her eyes were hard, though she'd fixed a polite smile on her face, and Kingsley recognised the object she held in the hand not containing her wand.

"Nymphadora Tonks, don't you dare!"

Ignoring him, Tonks cast an Engorgio charm on the round object, and she held it out towards the Dursleys. "Grapefruit?" she asked sweetly.

Vernon's eyes bulged. "YOU!" he bellowed, launching himself towards her. "How - dare - you - break - in - to - my - house!"

Tonks easily dodged his outstretched arms. "Shall I take that to mean you're refusing my hospitality, Dursley? What was that about respect?"

Vernon lunged at her, but Tonks again moved out of the way easily enough. Kingsley gave them a sharp look before turning his attention to the teen next to him. Harry seemed even more wary than he had before, his eyes guarded, and Kingsley again squeezed his shoulder.

"Harry, go upstairs and get your things," Kingsley murmured. "Nymphadora is a highly trained Auror," he added when Harry hesitated. "She'll be fine. Go now."

As soon as Harry was out of the room, Kingsley moved. "Stupefy. Expelliarmus." Once he had Tonks' wand in hand and everyone's attention, he said, "Auror Tonks, go upstairs and help Harry. Now." As she passed him to leave, he handed her back her wand and took the grapefruit from her other hand.

Once Tonks, too, had left the room, Kingsley narrowed his eyes at the Dursleys. "Is there anywhere I can dispose of this?" he asked, holding up the grapefruit.

Vernon twitched.

"In the kitchen," Petunia said stiffly. "If you'll follow me."

As they walked towards the kitchen, they heard a thump from upstairs, and Vernon scowled.

"I need to use the loo," Vernon said. "And make sure they don't break anything," he muttered darkly, already turning towards the stairs.

"This way," Petunia said to Kingsley, holding the door open for him and leaving him no choice but to turn his eyes from Vernon and enter the room.

In the meantime, while Vernon was thumping up the stairs and Petunia was pointing out which rubbish bin Kingsley would be allowed to contaminate with his corrupted grapefruit, Harry had given up trying to get Tonks' attention the fair way. Whilst she was in the midst of her rant, he threw a pile of clothes at her, and with a startled yelp she somehow ended up entangled in a pile of clothes and linen. As she fought to get Harry's shirts off her face, she wrapped the sheet more and more tightly around her torso. It was only when she stopped flailing, however, that Harry heard his uncle's footsteps.

"Bugger," said Tonks, her voice muffled.

"Boy!" Harry heard his uncle snap. "What's going on in there?"

Harry sighed, scowled at Tonks' half-hidden form, and padded out to the landing to mollify his uncle.

"Where's that girl?" Vernon immediately demanded. "She's not doing anything freakish, is she?" he asked, trying to peer over Harry's shoulder into the room.

Harry rolled his eyes and stepped further out onto the landing. "I think she's got rid of all the newt eyes," he said, "but you can never be sure."

Vernon glared and took a step towards Harry. "You will never," he growled, taking another and then another step as Harry moved backwards, "say such a freakish thing," he continued, striding forwards, "again!"

He leant forward at the last word, his nose almost touching Harry's, and Harry jerked backwards.

But they were closer to the stairs than either of them had realised and, as Harry wobbled and tried to get his footing, he found nothing there to support him. His eyes widened as he fell, and he let out a hoarse cry. Vernon's arms, which had been so quick to raise against Tonks, remained frozen by his side.

It took just a few more moments for Tonks to extricate herself from Harry's old clothes and for Kingsley to rush out of the kitchen, but those few seconds were enough: Harry landed with a jarring, sickening thump.

oOoOo

When Harry awoke, he found himself in a dark room, lit only by a few sconces whose blue flames cast strange shadows around the room. He was groggy, which was probably why he wasn't particularly bothered that he couldn't see the face of the man sitting by his bed.

"He's awake," the man murmured.

Harry may not have been able to see the man's face, but he could recognise the voice: it was Remus Lupin.

Harry tried to sit up and nearly toppled over; Remus reached out to steady him and, while he did so, another hand reached out to fluff Harry's pillows. The hand moved away, and Harry found himself looking into Mrs Weasley's wan face.

She gave him a small, tired smile, and picked up a glass from the nightstand. Propping herself on the edge of the bed, she leant forward and raised the glass to Harry's lips.

Embarrassed, Harry tried to stop her, but Mrs Weasley gently chided, "I do this for all my children, Harry."

Harry blushed and protested no further. Once he'd drunk enough of the potion for her liking, Mrs Weasley got up and smoothed out the wrinkles in the bedspread.

Clearing his throat, Harry quietly said, "Thank you."

Mrs Weasley gave him another tired smile and placed a kiss on the top of his head. "We're just happy to see you awake."

Harry glanced at her sharply, and then winced as his head throbbed. He looked between the two uncertainly, noticing that each looked exhausted, although Remus was now watching him with alert eyes. "What's going on?"

Lupin and Mrs Weasley exchanged a look. "You explain," Mrs Weasley said.

Remus sighed and studied Harry for a moment. "What's the last thing you remember?" he asked.

Harry frowned, trying to recall. "Kingsley and Tonks came to get me," he said slowly. "Only Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon were waiting for us when we got to the house, and then -" he winced as his head ached at the memory, "- ow." He rubbed the sore spot.

"Yes," Lupin agreed neutrally, "and then ow." He paused to give Harry an assessing look, as if to determine what he ought to say next. "Tonks naturally went mad, and it took everything he had for Kingsley to stop her from killing your uncle. They brought you here immediately - Headquarters," he clarified, seeing Harry's confused look, "and Summoned Madam Pomfrey. While she was tending to you, the four of us and Arthur gathered with Albus so Kingsley and Tonks could show us their memories of the morning." His hands tightened into fists, but he otherwise remained calm. "Madam Pomfrey dosed you with several potions, and Molly and I volunteered to watch over you when she needed to return to Hogwarts. You've been asleep ever since, except when we've woken you to take your potions."

Harry shook his head slowly. "I don't remember that," he admitted quietly.

"Good," said Mrs Weasley, squeezing his hand. "One of the potions Poppy had you on has particularly nasty side effects, and there's no need remembering that experience if you don't have to."

Harry winced as his stomach gurgled in agreement. "Oh. What were the potions for?" He rubbed his eyes. "And how long was I asleep?"

"You broke your wrist. You also fractured a few ribs and your skull," Lupin answered, sounding detached. "As for the other, it's about five in the morning now," he said, casting a quick charm, "so you've slept for close to twenty-two hours."

Harry blinked. "Have you been here the whole time?"

"Yes," said Remus, with a shrug. "Molly did have me rest a few times; if you're wondering, that settee -" he nodded towards the other end of the room, "- isn't as comfortable as it looks. But I've been here, and so has Molly, when she wasn't trying to reign in the cavalry."

"The - cavalry?"

Mrs Weasley clucked her tongue. "Much as we all want to have a word or two with that man, we can't all get ourselves sent to Azkaban for cursing Muggles - who'd look after you children? Don't you worry, dear," she said, catching Harry's alarmed look. "I've made sure Nymphadora can't go off leading any revolts quite yet."

"Best not to ask, Harry," said Lupin, eyes crinkling as he smiled at the teen. "I've already tried, and Molly would only say that a mother never reveals her secrets."

"As it should be," Mrs Weasley said. "I'd never be able to reign in the twins if they knew the counter curse. Now, dear," she said, turning back to Harry as he yawned, "that will be the potion taking effect. It's going to make you sleepy, so don't worry if you find yourself drifting off. We'll be right here until you wake up again."

She helped Harry lay back down and fussed again with his bedding. Then, as Harry's eyes started to close, she positioned a chair next to the bed, across from Remus. Sitting, she stifled a yawn and propped up her head with her hand.

Remus gave her a small smile, his eyes understanding. "Get some rest, Molly. I'll watch over him."

If Molly hadn't been so exhausted and felt her eyelids shutting, she'd have argued. She was asleep before she could remind Remus she'd spent many a long night nursing her own children back to health.

Remus leant back in his chair, folded his hands in his lap, and kept watch.