Letters and Maps

LETTERS AND MAPS

[Harry reads.]

Dear H and R,

Well, I'm not really supposed to be writing you, but I think I can get
this to Hogwarts safely and besides, one letter in three months can't
possibly do any damage. I still have to make sure I don't talk much
about what I'm doing or where I'm going, so I have to call everyone by
intials. Stupid, I know, but if I'm going to send a letter at least I
can make it as safe as possible.

I hope you are doing well at Hogwarts and Gryffindor isn't giving you
too much trouble. It must be a big responsibility being Head Girl and
Quidditch Captain but I reckon you're managing. I hope G's okay too.

When you really think about it and sit down to write a letter and
can't talk much about yourself I guess there isn't much to say. I'm
working hard on the Things, but not making much headway so far. I
think about my parents a lot. R says that isn't very healthy but I
can't help wondering how they managed all this. I guess it was easier
for them.

Oh yeah, R was here for a bit, but he's gone off again. He's actually
here about every month but he never stays for long. M and A come more
often to "cheer me up" as they put it. R will you please write them
more often, M never stops talking about how few letters she gets. You
can't write me so you might as well write someone, you know.

It must be snowing in Hogsmeade by now and I guess the tree must be up
in the Great Hall. I think it's smarter to stay at Hogwarts for
Christmas, I really do. Even without Dumbledore around it's still
safer than here and --

Well, T and M (the other M, M-E-M) say that they have enough to worry
about with me and I have enough to worry about, but I'm supposed to
worry about you, you're my friends. Still, I can't argue too much,
they give me pretty free rein when they aren't around. I've seen
things you wouldn't believe. I wish I could tell you about them.

Have a very happy Christmas if I can't write again. I'll try to send
you a present.

HJP

***

[rustle of paper]

[voices speak in whispers:]

Ron: He sounds miserable.

Hermione: He sounds lonely.

Ron: Yeah, 'cause that's so much better.

Hermione: Ron, you know he can't help it.

Ron: Who said he could help it? I'm just saying, he sounds miserable.
Ginny! Psst! Ginny!

Ginny: What?

Ron: Pay attention, I can't shout at you in the classroom.

Ginny: Sorry. Dean's doing a drawing of Professor Slughorn and it's
brilliant --

Ron: Well, this is more important than Slughorn. It's from Harry.

Ginny: [loudly] Really?

[Ron and Hermione make shushing noises.]

Ginny: [quiet] Sorry. Does he ask about me at all? I mean. What does he say?

Hermione: He says hello and hopes you're okay.

Ginny: That's nice of him. What else? [pause] What're you looking at
each other like that for?

Hermione: Well, it's just not really a very cheerful letter. He's
fine! He's fine. He's just, you know, I think he misses us.

Ron: Course he does.

Hermione: It's not easy being away from school.

Ron: Wish WE were.

Hermione: You don't mean that. We've got to study for NEWTs, you know,
they're what our careers are riding on.

Ron: Sod careers.

Ginny: Ron!

Ron: I miss Harry.

McGonagall: Mr. Weasley.

Ron: Erh -- Professor!

McGonagall: This is a study class. That implies studying, not
conferencing with your family.

Ron: Sorry, Professor, it won't --

McGonagall: What's this?

Hermione: Nothing, Professor --

McGonagall: May I see your nothing, Miss Granger? [rustle of paper]
Ah. Hm. [rustling] I see. Yes.

Hermione: Sorry, Professor, it won't happen again --

McGonagall: I should hope not. [a pause] May I borrow this?

Ron: You're not going to just...confiscate it?

Hermione: Ron --

Ron: Right, okay, of course, sure, yeah.

McGonagall: It will be returned to you tomorrow evening when you
report to my office for detention after class.

Hermione: Yes, Professor.

Ron: Yes, Professor. [muttering] Detention my arse.

McGonagall: What did you say, Mr. Weasley?

Ron: Detention after class!

McGonagall: Indeed. All right class, I believe it's time for lunch --
pack up your things, off you go...

[door closes]

McGonagall: What a mess. I don't see how they can possibly strew so
much parchment about...

[Knock on door] [door opens]

Tonks: Professor?

McGonagall: Ahh, Nymphadora. We are several years from being student
and teacher, you might call me Minerva.

Tonks: Old habit. When you start calling me Tonks --

McGonagall: Point taken. I'm glad you've come; I have something I'd
like you to see.

[paper rustles]

Tonks: Mmhm...mmh...hm. Hmm.

McGonagall: I think you must agree something has to be done.

Tonks: I don't know what you expect me to do about it, Professor. I'm
aware of the situation but it can't be helped. He chose this, you
know.

McGonagall: If they could send him letters, perhaps...

Tonks: Too dangerous. And before you ask, Harry's asked me about
carrying them, but he knows the risks. If I'm caught with a letter to
Harry Potter in my pocket, there are going to be more questions than I
have answers for. It endangers the whole Order.

McGonagall: And if another student had caught them with Harry's letter
in their pockets? We know from experience that being a student is no
proof of innocence anymore.

Tonks: I don't know what to do.

McGonagall: How is he?

Tonks: He works, he goes out, he comes back and sits in front of the
fire and picks at his shoelaces. He takes stupid risks, but who's
there to stop him? I can't mind him all the time. Moody helps
him. He gets him all sorts of polyjuice potions and teaches him
disguising charms -- Harry goes where he pleases, and we can't even
say he shouldn't. I don't know what he's looking for, he won't tell
me. When I tell him I'm going with him, he spends hours wandering
around the junk shops in Knockturn Alley, just...loitering, really.

McGonagall: He carries a lot on his shoulders. Albus fretted about that.

Tonks: Hard to imagine the Headmaster fretting about anything.

McGonagall: He had his own ways. The first time I met him he was
mooching around, as you say, loitering with the magical armourers in
Hogsmeade. It didn't look like much, you know, just a young professor
wasting time. But he learned a lot from them.

Tonks: I don't see what junk shops are going to teach Harry.

McGonagall: Perhaps we're not meant to see yet. In any event, there's
only so much loneliness a boy his age can be expected to bear.

Tonks: I can ask Kingsley about it.

McGonagall: I suggest you do. Someone must take Harry under their wing.

Tonks: Even if he doesn't want to go?

McGonagall: He will. We must simply discover the right way of going about it.

***

Tonks: HARRY! I'M BACK! [crashing noise] Hwoof. Sorry. I'll fix it.

Harry: Hiya Tonks, I didn't expect to see you here.

Tonks: I thought you might be out. Harry, you're covered in mud.
Where've you been?

Harry: Can't say, you know that.

Tonks: Junk shops, huh.

Harry: That's as good as anything. Any news?

Tonks: I've just been from Hogwarts.

Harry: [eagerly] Really?

Tonks: Yes. I had chat with Professor McGonagall.

Harry: Oh.

Tonks: She's passed on a message for you. She said to tell you that
Hermione and Ron got your letter, and send their love.

Harry: [embarrassed] Uh, thanks.

Tonks: Sorry I couldn't bring more.

Harry: It's fine.

Tonks: You know you're not supposed to send letters, Harry.

Harry: It was one letter!

Tonks: Yes, and now the damage is done, but if you do that again I'm
going to have to tell Kingsley and I doubt he'll be pleased.

Harry: So.

Tonks: So.

Harry: Nothing else?

Tonks: From Hermione and Ron?

Harry: Oh, just in general.

Tonks: Sorry, Harry.

Harry: It's fine. You know, I reckon if I wanted I could get myself up
in one of Moody's disguises and just walk right up to Hogwarts one
morning --

Tonks: You know it's --

Harry: Yes. I know.

Tonks: I wish you'd let me help you.

Harry: I wish you'd let me visit Hogwarts.

Tonks: It's too dangerous.

Harry: Likewise.

Tonks: I'm an auror, you know. I know the pink hair doesn't really
scream "authority figure" but I'm pretty sure I could handle my own in
a fight better than -- oh. Harry, I'm sorry.

Harry: Nah. It's true, isn't it? I didn't do all that well, did I.

Tonks: You did all you could.

Harry: Sirius did all he could.

Tonks: It won't last forever, Harry.

Harry: Feels like it right now.

Tonks: I know. Listen, I'm going to go upstairs, I have some
correspondence of my own, okay?

Harry: Sure. See you for dinner.

***

[Tonks reads.]

Professor,

I've had a word with our mutual friend and I'm hexed if he'll let me
do anything to help. I don't really think anyone else could get much
more out of him. Even if he weren't carrying around some secret AD
gave him, he's...well, he's seventeen. You know what everyone's like
when they're seventeen.

You're right, I guess. We do have to do something. I'll ask KS but I
don't think he'll know what to do any more than I do, and MW just
thinks he needs more food in him. He probably does. I don't know when
he eats.

We do have to do something, but it'll be dangerous. RL can help, he'll
be back for the holidays and he knows more about sneaking round
Hogwarts than I imagine anyone else does. He doesn't look the sort,
does he?

I'm hatching a plan. Don't worry, it won't be sixth-year Potions all
over again, I'm much better at planning now. Besides, it's not my
fault the cauldron exploded.

I'll be in touch. Tell HG and the W siblings to be ready.

NT

***

Remus: Good morning, Harry! Sleep well?

Harry: Remus, Merlin.

Remus: Not quite. Sausage?

Harry: You scared me. People have to stop coming in here like they own
the place.

Remus: [mouth full] Sorry, I was going to tell you I was here but you
were asleep when I came in. [swallows] Happy Christmas! Is this
marmalade still good?

Harry: Christmas was a week ago. I thought you'd be here earlier.

Remus: Couldn't get away. Here now though. Happy New Year, too. [mouth
full again] Rhmmmf fmmh mmh.

Harry: Don't you eat? Ever?

Remus: Not much. Sorry. You're out of bread. Did you get the present
from Tonks and me?

Harry: You wanted to get me a book, huh.

Remus: Tonks said you'd probably rather have the new Wyrd Sisters
album. Oh, and there's post for you.

Harry: For -- for me?

Remus: It was on the table when I came in. I thought maybe Mad Eye
left it, looks like his handwriting.

Harry: But nobody's allowed to write to me.

Remus: Don't look at me, I'm just making breakfast.

Harry: You know something.

Remus: I do not.

Harry: You do.

Remus: Read your post, Potter.

Harry: It's a map.

Remus: Is it?

Harry: From Grimmauld Place to....[paper rustles] this is some kind of trick.

Remus: Let me see.

Harry: No, it's mine.

Remus: You are -- [exasperated] I changed your nappies, you know.

Harry: Good, find someone else's to change. It's a treasure map.

Remus: Sounds harrowing and dangerous.

[door slams]

Tonks: Harry? It's me -- Remus! I thought -- mmf.

Remus: Hi.

Harry: Get a room.

Remus: Don't mind if I do.

Tonks: What's that there, Harry?

Harry: It's a treasure map.

Tonks: Really? To where?

Harry: It's not finished, see? [rustle of paper]

Tonks: [reading from paper] Map will be...completed at...nine o'clock
on...December thirty-first. Well, that's tonight, you shouldn't have
to wait long.

Harry: Who's it from?

Tonks: Search me.

Harry: I ought to. You two are smiling too much. What's this all about?

Tonks: Better wait until nine and find out. Want us to come along?
Bodyguard, sort of thing? Stop looking suspicious, Harry, I don't know
a thing about it. Honestly. Maybe it's from Moody.

Harry: Guess I'll see tonight. I'm going back upstairs, I have work to do.

***

Tonks: Where are we already? My feet ache.

Harry: It's not my fault the map told us to walk everywhere.

Remus: We did get to take the tube.

Harry: For two blocks! And now we've backtracked completely. I wish
this thing would just pop up the whole route instead of showing us
piece by piece how to get there. Wherever there is.

Tonks: I'm completely lost.

Remus: I think the river's that way.

Harry: Oh no. Are we going to the river next?

Tonks: No, it says -- huh. It says walk one block north, then turn left.

Remus: This looks familiar now...

Harry: Bother.

Tonks: What?

Harry: The twins must have done this. Look, there's Grimmauld Place.

Remus: Not a moment too soon. It's nearly midnight already, I'd like
to spend the rest of the year out of the cold. What's the map say?

Harry: Let me see it, Tonks.

Tonks: Well?

Harry: It says, Go Home. Told you it was the twins.

Remus: Well, here we are anyway. Up and in...

[door opens]

Entire Cast, Except Harry: HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Ron: Harry! You look frozen.

Ginny: Hi Harry!

Remus: Surprise.

Tonks: Happy New Year, Harry.

Harry: What --

Remus: Well, the twins did help quite a lot with the map. We had to
get you out of the house for a little while. It was Nymphadora's idea.

Tonks: Not entirely mine. Just mostly.

Ron: Sorry about Christmas.

Harry: [faintly] No, that's...fine.

Ginny: Did you have fun on the tube? That bit was dad's idea.

Harry: Erm...well, yes.

Hermione: Happy New Year, Harry.

Ron: Yeah, Happy New Year.

Harry: Yeah...it is.

END