The Awakening of a Magus

The Awakening of a Magus
Chapter 48 - Tue-Wed, Aug 8-9 - Day 19-20

Torn Apart

While the ritual team was relaxing with their visitors in the Great Hall at Hogwarts, another team was beginning a major operation of its own.

At Azkaban, everything seemed to be normal. The prisoners were miserable and/or mad. The Dementors were drifting through the dark corridors, 'snacking' on the emotions of those same prisoners. The warden and the few human guards on duty were bored, and prepared to hand off to the night shift.

Then, every Dementor stopped, appeared to listen to something no human could hear, then began purposefully moving to key locations in the prison. Four Dementors approached the warden's office. Suddenly, the warden and the night-warden were both assaulted by two Dementors each. Before they realized they were under attack, each wizard was grabbed from behind by one Dementor, while a second began to administer the Kiss, breaking off just before the process was complete. Then the two teams of Dementors carried the mostly soul-less bodies over to a supposedly secret area of the office ... the emergency shutoff for the prison security wards. To disable the prison wards required that two high-ranking prison officials holding their wands touch spots about 10 feet apart. Sadly, a loophole in the mechanism meant that the deliberate intent of the two parties was not required. The wands, the physical bodies, and the sparse soul-remnants were enough to satisfy the parameters of the spell.

As the wards fell, the Dementors in the warden's office finished off their victims, dropping the bodies and departing for their next task. As dozens of Death Eaters apparated to various locations on the island, both indoors and out, other Dementors finished off the human guards. As the Voice of the Dementors appeared just outside the gates of Azkaban, alongside the creature known as Lord Voldemort, still other Dementors guided Death Eaters to the unlocked cells of their comrades, or gathered together those prisoners who they might be allowed to Kiss. As Azkaban fell without an offensive spell being cast, Voldemort laughed.

While dinner was being served at Hogwarts, Voldemort departed Azkaban with those prisoners who had given or renewed their loyalty to him, accompanied by most of the current Death Eaters and the Dementors. Two Dementors and two Death Eaters would take half-day shifts at Azkaban, waiting for the prison break to be discovered, so that the Voice and Voldemort could have that information promptly.

This, of course, just had to be the night that Cornelius Fudge decided he needed to secretly visit Azkaban to question some of Voldemort's supporters, hoping to discover how to locate the Dark Lord.

An ancient one-eyed wizard steered the magical dinghy across the channel that separated Azkaban Island from the mainland. The Minister of Magic sat at the front of the boat, stifling the urge to yet again ask how much longer the trip would take. Erasmus Trelawney was sitting in the middle, wishing he could have joined his friends for dinner instead of accompanying their illustrious idiot-Minister and his idiot-lapdog-of-an-Auror, Dawlish. Dawlish glared at Erasmus, irritated that the only reason he was brought on this 'important mission' with the Minister, was because the Obliviator's partner 'needed to rest' after that attention-grabbing ritual going on at Hogwarts.

Dinner at Hogwarts had finished and people were heading off to make an early night of it when the dinghy was secured at the prison docks. The boatman assisted the other three wizards out of the boat, then the wizard known only as 'Old Man' sat down to wait. Facing the stone stairway that led from the docks to the gates of Azkaban Prison, the wizards froze as two voices from above screamed, "Avada Kedavra!" Green light flashed as Erasmus and the boatman died, barely realizing that they died. Moments later, a terrorized Minister of Magic and a quaking Auror fell limply to the ground, having been quite thoroughly Kissed by the two Dementors who had remained.

And at Hogwarts, Darius screamed.

As the echoes of that scream faded, Poppy Pomfrey shook off the wave of pain and loss and guilt that had washed over her like a storm-tossed ocean. Her attention was focused on the Magus lying limply on the floor of the Great Hall, except when small seizures caused his body to twitch for a few moments at a time. "Albus, what in the name of all that's Light was that all about?" When there was no answer, she looked around the Hall at the others to find the headmaster. He was standing near his usual seat at the head table, but appeared dazed, in a state of shock. She noted others in this condition, though not all. Those that were ... "The Magus Circle ... what could have ..." Thinking of the emotions that had engulfed her, her instincts gave her the answer. She noticed that Filius Flitwick had been thinking along the same lines when their eyes connected. "One of the Circle is lost," she whispered. He nodded in agreement. "Who isn't here?" she muttered.

Flitwick approached her. "They are all here at Hogwarts except for the Weasleys and Erasmus." He looked around the Hall to see who remained and were functional. "Arial, Victoria, check on Arthur and Molly at the Burrow. If they are like these others, bring them here. Kingsley, Tonks, we need you to check at the Ministry. It is most likely that Erasmus is the friend we have lost tonight, and since he was with the Minister ..."

"We're on our way," Kingsley answered, jogging toward the doors with Tonks close behind. "If something took out Erasmus without warning, Fudge wouldn't stand a chance." He glanced in sympathy at his fellow Auror, seeing that Sylvia Forester was in the same dazed state as the other Circle members at the loss of her partner.

As she examined Darius, looking for clues on how to treat him, Poppy noticed that the tremors decreased when she was touching him in some way, and increased without that contact. "We need to get them together with each other, establish some physical contact between them for reassurance. Let's see. Help me bring them all to the lounge. Guide them over gently now." Pointing her wand at Darius, she said, "Mobilicorpus," and guided the Magus to a couch while trying to keep her left hand in contact with her patient.

Flitwick suddenly remembered the students who had already left the Hall. Using the Hogwarts linkage, he awkwardly sent, /* Miss Dragonrider, Mr. Longbottom, can you hear me? */ When he felt an acknowledgement, he continued, /* Something has befallen the Magus Circle. I need you to find Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley. They will likely be in a very dazed condition. Please guide them to the lounge off the Great Hall. And check on Miss Weasley as well, please. Though she isn't bonded to the Circle, she is an empath, and may have been affected. */ Having accounted for all those who might have been affected, he guided a barely-responsive Minerva McGonagall to a couch to sit beside Sylvia Forester. Then one last person came to mind. "Oh dear, poor Sibyll!" Anastasia Sinistra immediately volunteered to check on the Divination teacher. Even though she was half-fraud, this was her brother they believed was lost. She might be in a similar condition, and even if not, she should be notified.

The first person to slowly return to his senses was the headmaster. He began trembling, and tears were streaming down his face. His gaze locked on Darius and he fell to his knees beside the couch, embracing the young unresponsive Magus. "Oh my child, you are not to blame. There was no way you could have saved him. It was too quick, too sudden." Dumbledore's voice was broken and unsteady in his grief.

"Albus, please, I need to know. Is it Erasmus?" Poppy gently but insistently asked. Dumbledore nodded. "Albus, I need your help. Is there any way with your Mentor bond that you can force Harry back to his natural form? It will help me to heal him better. Can you do this?" After a moment, she asked again, "Albus?"

Dumbledore rose from his knees, wiping at the continuing tears. He whispered, "Raise him up a bit so I can sit, then lay his head on my lap." Once he was settled in place, he laid his right hand over the young man's heart, his left across the forehead after brushing aside the long dark hair. Closing his eyes, he reached along the Mentor bond, trying to reach the mind of his apprentice. He reached toward that reservoir of magical energy that he once thought he might be able to access. Touching there ever-so-gently, he teased a small tendril of purple energy loose, then looked for the part of Harry's mind that held the shapeshift in place. Finding it finally, he directed the tendril of energy there, willing the shift to let go. He felt a short wash of energy, and a change in the body beneath his hands. Smiling weakly at his Harry's troubled face, he glanced at the mediwitch, as though to say, 'Mission accomplished', then slipped into a natural doze.

The sound of uncontrolled weeping began to fill the room. Rachel and Neville were leading two dull-eyed figures, Ron and Hermione, and one distraught girl, Ginny Weasley. Moments behind them, Serif and Vector led in Arthur and Molly Weasley, accompanied by Bill and Charlie. Charlie immediately went to his sister as the Weasleys and Hermione were gently settled in a group of seats together. Bill searched the room, finally finding Poppy, and approached her. "What's happened, Madame Pomfrey? Is it some kind of attack? I left Percy and the twins at the Burrow until I knew more."

Poppy quickly explained how the death of Erasmus Trelawney had devastated the Magus Circle. "So far, only Albus has come out of the daze, but he's asleep now after dispelling Harry's shapeshift." Looking around at the various groups, she continued, "They seem to be less anxious if they have some contact with each other." She smiled, seeing Rachel and Amelia sitting with Draco and Severus, holding their hands, murmuring reassurances. Then, "Excuse me, Bill," as she saw the tears begin to fall down the faces of both Slytherins. "I think Draco and Severus are coming out of it."

Flitwick was sitting with Sylvia and McGonagall, glancing over at Addie Periwinkle, who was sitting with the two Marauders. Sirius and Remus were not yet responding to her gentle comfort, and their state had brought tears to her eyes. Then he heard Sinistra's mindvoice, /* Filius, I'm with Sibyll. She was quite hysterical when I found her, weeping, smashing things. I finally had to knock her out. Has anyone in the Circle revived enough to apparate here, or will I have to try to bring her down this blasted ladder? */

Catching the eye of Madame Hooch, Flitwick sent, /* Would you take over for me here, Rolanda? */ As soon as he was relieved, he scurried over to the couches where the Slytherins appeared to be relatively alert. "Severus, are you recovered enough to apparate up to Sibyll's rooms? Ana had to subdue her, as she apparently was also affected by her brother's death. You know how awkward it would be to Mobilicorpus down her ladder."

It was a sign of how affected they all were, that Snape made no comment, only nodded once, gingerly stood, weakly gestured at Poppy who protested his using magic so soon, focused on his Astronomy colleague, and went to assist his least-favorite colleague who shared in the Circle's loss.

As Kingsley and Tonks hurried to the Minister's Office, they felt a sense of dread. Partly due to the probable loss of a colleague, and partly due to the chaos they knew would follow if the Minister was also lost. He was an idiot, but this wasn't the way any of them would have wanted him out of office.

At the desk of the Minister's secretary, Esmeralda, could be found a 'status orb'. It functioned somewhat like the Weasley clock that told where or in what state a person might be found. They had seen the orb report such things as 'home', 'traveling', 'in the office', and with a password known to the secretary, it could show more details on the Minister's location, such as 'Hogwarts' or 'Courtroom 10'. In a crisis situation, apparently, that password was no longer needed. As Tonks slipped into the secretary's chair, she paled as she saw the orb alternately blinking the phrases: 'mortal peril', 'lost', 'Azkaban'.

"Praise heaven that vile toad-woman is still out of the country on holiday," she said fervently, referring to Dolores Umbridge, who would have been called to be interim Minister if on British soil. "Contact Madame Bones, now!" she told Kingsley, who was already reaching for the floo powder for a firecall.

Without going into details on how profoundly the Magus Circle had been affected, the two Aurors explained how they knew of trouble with their Obliviator friend, and in turn, with the Minister. "The only possible conclusion is that Azkaban has fallen, and the Minister is dead or Kissed. The second might explain why both 'mortal peril' and 'lost' are showing on his status orb," Kingsley concluded. "It's vital that you take the reins immediately." He thought she understood the need to bypass the currently-unavailable next-in-line Special Assistant to the Minister of Magic.

Amelia Bones nodded and gestured for the Auror to step aside as she flooed into the room. With a quick spell, she unlocked the door to the Minister's office, heading directly for a hidden safe. Using two murmured spells and three passwords, she opened the safe and extracted a large gold medallion. Sitting at the Minister's desk, she reached across to a status orb, identical to the one in the outer office, balefully reporting the same sinister words. Holding the medallion in her right hand, and laying her left over the orb, she intoned, "The high seat is empty; another must hold the reins or the nation will fall to chaos. I, Amelia Susan Bones, legitimate successor by law as the highest ranking candidate present on British soil, do hereby accept the responsibility as Interim Minister of Magic for Britain until such time as the current Minister is restored, or, failing that, until a new Minister is chosen by due process." A bright white light suddenly blazed from both the orb and the medallion, surrounding the new Minister.

As the light slowly faded, both Aurors stood at attention. Kingsley, as senior partner, spoke for them both. "Madame Minister, may we be the first to pledge our support as you begin your term of office. Your orders?"

"Attempt to contact the warden at Azkaban. If all appears to be well there, then obtain his assistance in searching for Cornelius and his party. If, however, all is not well at Azkaban, assemble a team of Aurors to carefully investigate the situation. Issue portkeys to allow quick retreat if needed." Bones sighed, the responsibilities of her new office already weighing heavily. "Bring back Cornelius and the others if at all possible, but do not risk lives to retrieve dead or empty bodies."

As the Aurors left, Minister Bones prepared to begin notifying all necessary parties in the Ministry and at the Fudge residence. To start, she stepped over to the fireplace to initiate a call. "Esmeralda, I need you to return immediately to the office. We've a crisis to deal with. It's going to be a long night."

Two hours later, the clock was striking 10 pm. Though emotionally drained, everyone in the Magus Circle had, for the most part, recovered. Everyone except the Magus himself. Dumbledore had awakened after about a half-hour nap, but refused to leave Harry. Absently stroking the ebony hair beneath his fingers, he listened to the voices across the room at the fireplace, where Amelia Bones was reporting the findings of the Auror team at Azkaban.

By the time the Aurors arrived at the mainland docks, the dinghy was bouncing softly on the waves nearby. The figures had been propped up in the boat in a grim attempt to appear normal. Two were lifeless; two were soulless and the so-called life in those bodies would fade over time without a soul to sustain it. Unfortunately, residents of the town nearest the mainland docks saw the gathering, the boat, and recognized the slack face of Cornelius Oswald Fudge. The press was not long in arriving.

Azkaban was deserted, except for a dozen or so empty husks left by the Dementors. The Morsmordre was emblazoned on the wall between the shutoff points in the warden's office. The two bodies had been propped up against the wall, just under the shutoff points, their wands in their laps. Apparently, the Death Eaters wished to make clear just how the security breach had occurred.

Voldemort and his followers had won another round, and the effects were farther reaching than even the Dark Lord might have imagined.

The Magus Circle and other Order members were now meeting in the lounge, trying to understand what exactly had happened and why. They temporarily put aside their grief and sought to determine how the Circle had been so devastated. Dumbledore was saying, "Nothing in all my research indicated this level of reaction. Losses within a Circle were documented for several of the Magi. Yes, there was grief and pain, but nothing like this disabling effect on us all, nor a reason why the Magus would be so totally incapacitated for hours. The worst reaction documented was at the death of the true Darius Magus. Only one member of his Circle was living, and they had been bonded for over a century. The man went mad and attacked the Wizard Council of the time, blaming their inaction for his friend's death. He killed most of them before he was himself killed."

Draco spoke up quietly, "Harry has said that the bond seems deeper and stronger than he had been led to believe by your research. And I know that, at least for me, it's a terrible feeling being isolated from that connection for any length of time."

Dumbledore remembered back to the night Harry had freed Severus from the Dark Mark, when they had talked about the young man's uncertainties. He projected the memory of Harry's words to those present:

" ... And that Harry is afraid to believe Severus Snape could accept him enough to want to be as close as the Inner Circle will be. And I already know that we're a lot closer than Circles in the past. It's scary how much you all matter to me, and even scarier how much I matter to you."

Everyone was silent for a few moments, as each was reminded of the lonely child hidden within the Magus. Snape, in particular, was filled with regret as he finally understood exactly why Harry had interrupted his first attempt to pledge to the Magus.

It was Remus who seemed to understand best. "Part of it, of course, is that Harry is so much more powerful than any other Magus," he offered. "But I think the depth of the bond is a result of a boy's desperate need to love and be loved, something he lacked for so many years."

More than a few eyes were tearing up as they all thought of the young man they had come to respect and love in various ways. Poppy Pomfrey cleared her suddenly tight throat, then said, "The first thing I think he needs is reinforcement that, one, though he has lost one friend, there are many more who still need him and care for him, and two, that none of you blame him for not being able to save Erasmus. He feels an incredible sense of responsibility to you; you've seen how protective he can be. Erasmus Trelawney was the first to pledge to him as the Magus, and now is the first of the Circle he has lost."

Minerva and Sylvia glanced at each other, remembering that day they also pledged. "I remember the words Harry used," the older woman offered quietly. "We need to remind him ... he said, 'and I pledge to give you all the protection I am able as we go about the work before us.' We need to remind him that sometimes not even a Magus is able to prevent sudden death from an ambush, as this likely was."

"So," Poppy continued, "first, to help Harry recover, I think you all need to take turns trying to reach him, not just with surface mindspeech, but with your very hearts along that bond. Comfort him, reassure him. Help him begin to heal. Once he wakes, then the next step is to work together to develop a way to protect the Circle from this depth of reaction. At least some of the effects on all of you resulted from the uncontrolled grief that Harry projected. Even I felt it, and we know Ginny Weasley was nearly as devastated as you all were, though not dazed. I even wonder if Sibyll's reaction was not due to her own sensing of her brother's death, but of learning through Harry's emotional wave." The Divination professor lay quietly on the other side of the room, resting under the influence of Dreamless Sleep potion.

Looking around the room, the mediwitch concluded in a trembling whisper. "If V-Voldemort ever learned that he could disable a Magus and so many of the most powerful forces of the Light by killing only one of the Circle, well, it just doesn't bear thinking about."

Approximately 12 hours after the sudden death of Erasmus Trelawney, Albus Dumbledore was back on the couch after an enforced break, gently stroking the troubled face of the heart of the Magus Circle. His niece, Sylvia, was currently sitting beside the couch, holding Harry's hand, projecting both love and forgiveness to the young man who couldn't forgive himself. From other seats around the room, those of the Circle who were currently awake sent their own messages of comfort and, in some cases, need for his return. "Yes, Harry," she murmured, "I'm going to miss 'Ras terribly. We were partners for many years, but no one blames you. We need you back, Harry, dear." She was startled to see a heavy sigh go through him, then the tears began to seep from his eyes. "Uncle Albus," she asked urgently, "is he coming out? Can you find him?"

Harry seemed to be walking through an all-encompassing darkness. Time had no meaning. Harsh voices surrounded him, saying, 'He's gone, and you failed to protect him,' and other such admonitions. But eventually there were scattered lights around him, from which came gentle, murmuring voices. The words finally resolved to phrases like, 'No one blames you.' 'We need you back.' 'You aren't alone.' 'Come home, Harry.' 'We love you, dear.' The lights began to overcome the darkness of loss, to soothe the torn part of his mind and soul. The comforting voices began to drown out the harsh voices. He felt his eyes fill with tears that demanded to be shed, so he opened them, blinking furiously. Looking up from his prone position, he saw the immensely sad yet relieved face of the man he secretly considered a grandfather. Yet he felt unaccountably ashamed, and weakly tried to scramble away.

"Oh no, you don't!" came the voice he dreaded most of those he knew ... the voice of Erasmus Trelawney's partner. He was about to declare his regret and guilt, knowing there could be no forgiveness for his failure. He was cut off by the sudden fierce embrace of that same young woman, who kissed him gently on the forehead. She whispered words of comfort and forgiveness, not anger and accusation.

Seeing that Sylvia would be the most effective comfort at the moment, Dumbledore slipped out from behind Harry and helped Sylvia shift her sobbing burden into a more comfortable position. Then he signaled the rest of the room to follow him out of the lounge to find some much-needed breakfast.

"I've been taking your calls, as you requested, Albus," reported Addie Periwinkle, passing over a stack of messages. "Nothing truly important except that Minister Bones asked to meet with you later this morning. Some were rather insistent, but I in turn insisted that the Circle be allowed at least some time to grieve in private. I indicated the closeness of the Circle without conveying the condition of the Magus and Circle. They are under the impression that Trelawney's death has had a strong, yet still normal effect."

"Some of those messages," she pointed at the pile, "are parents who insist on speaking with you before they bring or send their children here today. About a dozen have arrived already and are settling into their dormitories. Flitwick and Sprout have gone with students from their houses, Neville and Ginny are seeing to a couple of Gryffindors, and Trevor and the girls are helping several Slytherins settle in, even though the girls have already been moved to their new dorms. Under the circumstances, Trevor," she smiled, "insisted on giving Savannah and Michaela the current Slytherin password so they could help, saying they must surely qualify as Honorary Slytherins. The boy is taking charge well in the temporary absence of Draco and Severus." She glanced in the direction of the two Slytherins. "The worst is over for now, I take it?"

"He has awakened," Dumbledore answered quietly, "and Sylvia is with him. It seems that as Erasmus' partner, she is most effective just now in convincing Harry he bears no fault."

Her eyes shone for a moment with unshed tears. "Even I felt that wave of emotions when it happened. Do you have any ideas on preventing that ... profound an effect in the future? I mean, we are again at war, are we not? Another loss is far more likely than not, no matter how powerful you all have become." She noticed then that Sirius and Remus were arguing about something.

"Mooney, you're a fool if you think that will help him," said Sirius sharply. "He'll assume you don't trust him."

"But," Remus was obviously wavering, "it's because I don't want him to hurt himself that I would suggest he wait and try next month."

Addie moved over to squat between their two chairs as she addressed Remus. "If I'm hearing right, you're thinking of postponing your try for a cure tonight," she said softly. "I have to agree with Sirius, this one time," with a weak smile at the weak joke. "Remus, he needs this even more than you do. He needs to have a success to replace his perceived failure."

"But if something goes wrong, and he fails, wouldn't that hurt him even more?" the werewolf pleaded.

The three weighed that point carefully. "Ok, how about this," decided Addie. "See how he's doing over the next few hours. Then, both of you sit him down for a quiet talk. Start with telling him you are more than willing to proceed tonight, but are concerned that he may need more time to recover before something so obviously complex. Assure him that you won't be upset if he isn't ready just now to be sure of the results. Tonight, or the next full moon, depends only on how he, ah, and Draco evaluate the extent of his recovery. Tell him you trust his judgment, and will go ahead if he feels able. Make him believe that. Personally, I think we'll have a new unregistered animagus shortly after moonrise tonight."

Over at the end of the Gryffindor tables, Ron was uncharacteristically picking at his food. His parents were sitting with him and Hermione now that Harry was safely awake. Molly Weasley's mothering instincts were in overdrive, and though she knew Sylvia was a fine woman, still felt she needed to be there for Harry. Finally, she sent gently, /* If you need a break, Sylvia dear, I can take over. Do you think I could speak with Harry for a moment? */

Sylvia Forester had come to know Molly Weasley quite well, and smiled, sending a quick /* Give me a moment. */ Harry's tears had finally stopped, but he didn't make any effort to move away from her. He wasn't sleeping, just remarkably still. Almost as though he was waiting for the other shoe to fall, she thought to herself. It tore her heart to see such a fine, strong young man appear so damaged and vulnerable. She gently released her hold on him, whispering, "Harry? How are you holding up, champ? Molly would like some time with you, if you're ready." The young man finally raised his head slowly, and she was rewarded with a small, sad but definite ghost-of-a-smile. "Good, then. She'll be right here, and I'll go off for some breakfast. Should I bring a plate back here for you? I can ask Hermione what you like." This brought a slightly stronger smile and nod, and a wordless, mental touch of thanks. She sent a brief, /* Your turn, Molly, */ and laughed to see that the woman had been standing just outside the door, waiting for an 'all clear'.

Breakfast had been cleared, but one of the lower head tables held a light buffet since people were arriving from various time zones throughout the day. At some point during the morning each member of the Magus Circle had taken a charmed nap for an hour or so. The 'open house' would go on as scheduled after lunch. About an hour after he had awakened, Harry shifted back to Darius and resumed furnishing some of the new areas, particularly the newly-created staff suites for the constantly arriving newcomers.

"I need to keep busy, you know," he had said. He frequently thanked those in the Circle that had spent the night helping him through 'the darkness' as he called it. Sometimes, it just popped into a conversation out of nowhere, then he continued with whatever he had been saying earlier. He also remembered to send packets of energy to each of them, to help replenish them after the lack of sleep and the shock of their mutual loss.

When Sibyll Trelawney had awakened from her Dreamless Sleep dose, Harry bravely went to the hospital wing to find out where he stood with his late friend's sister. She didn't blame him at all, but was in a bad state, filled with regret that she and her brother hadn't been closer. "Never doubt that he loved you dearly," Harry assured her. "You didn't see how he looked that day you passed out after your last prophecy. And he knew you cared deeply for him as well, even if your paths had gone separate ways." When he left, he awkwardly patted her hand, and she thanked him for his kind words.

The meeting between the headmaster and Minister Bones occurred just before lunch in Dumbledore's office. It also included McGonagall, Arthur Weasley, Darius, and Addie. Amelia Bones immediately promised full unofficial support of the Order, and whatever official support of their goals was possible as the situations warranted. It was agreed that Shacklebolt and Tonks would be indefinitely assigned to Hogwarts as guards and liaisons. The Minister was well aware of their Order connections. Darius decided that they should have apparition privileges at Hogwarts as well, and would be added to the Hogwarts mindspeech linkage.

Once the Order headquarters began operations, Bones would be keyed in to the wards, and she was immediately added to the Order mindspeech linkage, though she wouldn't immediately be an official member of the Order. Dumbledore offered to ask his Ministry secretary, Zoe Flamel, if she was willing to accept a temporary transfer to assist the Interim Minister. Though he was quite pleased with Zoe, he knew her administrative talents were needed more by Amelia Bones. Besides, the late Minister's secretary, Esmeralda, was not handling the situation well at all, and was considering retirement.

Though they invited her to join them for lunch, Minister Bones had to decline, saying she had to prepare for a press conference in another hour or so. The rest headed for the Great Hall for refreshment, and to see just how many people had arrived so far. They decided that Darius would supposedly 'take his lunch in the Magus Tower' so that Harry could relax a bit as himself. Darius would, in fact, keep a low profile for several days and make very few appearances around the school.

The student assistants were collecting at one end of the lower head table. Privacy charms were set up in the head table area to allow for confidential conversations among the staff, at least, confidential from the students. Though the heads of the transferring schools were not privy to most Circle or Order business, they had all experienced that wave of emotion the night before. They were not surprised that Darius reportedly preferred solitude.

All the student assistants had been busy, but Hermione had been researching in the library. "Some of those new references from the other schools are just excellent, Harry. I've been looking for everything available on magical and mental bonds, telepathy, and that sort of thing. Maybe there's something there that can help with buffering some of those effects in the future."

Rachel asked, "Do any of those references cover Mundane ... Muggle psychic ability? That angle could also be helpful."

"No, they only relate to mind gifts and bindings in witches and wizards," reported Hermione.

Rachel sent to her aunt, /* Could you join in on this conversation? I have an idea. */ Rachel sent a quick memory of what had just been said. The students continued speaking aloud, but Amelia Crafter listened in. "A very good friend of the family is a Mundane psychic. He knows people in those circles, as well as wizarding folk with some mind gifts. He may know of some references or people who might have some ideas on buffering the effects of a disrupted mental bond."

Her aunt sent her immediate agreement. /* If you allow, Harry, we can talk to Mike about some of this. Also, I have an off-the-wall thought for another angle of approach. In some respects we're looking at managing and balancing energy. Maybe there is something we can learn from Mundane technology ... the science behind power plants and electrical systems and such. */

"Oh, Harry, that sounds like a wonderful idea," Hermione declared. "There's this couple, my parents' best friends. He is a mechanical engineer, and she is an electrical engineer. Some of the conversations I've heard do talk about things that might translate to the management of magical energies. Though," she finished with some disappointment, "I don't suppose we can ask them for help since they're Muggles and don't know a thing about magic. It would be so hard to explain."

"But," said Rachel triumphantly, "Aunt Amelia and Mike know all sorts of scientists and professionals in the States, and some of them are informed Mundanes, or even wizarding folk."

"And," interjected Draco, "I can Scan you while you experiment, to help you gauge the effects.

"You're talking about very advanced subjects here, guys," warned Harry. "I haven't studied a lick of Muggle science since I was 10."

Hermione airily dismissed his objection, "Oh, Harry! Don't be silly. I've seen how you can learn things now. There is no doubt in my mind that you're a genius. You can learn anything you choose. Just start with the basics and go from there. This fellow in the States should be able to find someone to choose a series of references, or perhaps a collection of texts from some University curriculum."

Their discussion was interrupted by the arrival of midday owl post. One owl carried a package that was about the size of an artist's folio, or oversized manuscript. The attached letter was addressed to 'Harry Potter, Hogwarts', written in violet-colored ink.

"Hey, I know that handwriting," declared Draco. "Amethyst Malkin ... that must be the drafts for your wardrobe!" A wicked gleam shone in the Slytherin's eyes.

"Wardrobe?" Both Hermione and Rachel brightened at that and reached for the package. They quickly retracted their hands as Harry aimed a playful swat at them.

"Hands off! Mine!" he joked. Actually, he was nervous about just what the young witch had designed after all that flirting wordplay and her reactions to the measuring tape's reports. First he opened the letter.

(-letter-)

Hello Harry,

I'm sorry this is late, but I heard that owl post wouldn't get through while those rituals were going on, so I decided to wait until this morning.

Then I heard about what happened last night. I'm so sorry for the loss of your friend. I wondered if I should wait before I sent these. Then I decided to leave it up to you. If you want to wait to deal with this, take all the time you need to review the drafts. But, from what I observed about you, I think you just might appreciate such a frivolous ... oops, I should say 'important' ... it is my livelihood ... well, whatever ... a distraction.

You can send your feedback in a letter, or firecall to set up a time you can come by the shop.

Your designer,

Amethyst

Strange, how perceptive she was. Yes, a distraction would be just the thing right now.

He was pleasantly shocked. The canvas-Harry in the designs looked almost like a totally different person ... an elegant, sophisticated young man that bore little resemblance to Harry's self-image. That saying is right ... the clothes do make the man! he thought to himself. He separated the sheets so he could pass them around to his impatient friends. Several of the adults drifted over to their area in curiosity, including Sirius, Remus, and Severus.

"Bloody hell!" exclaimed Sirius. "The only time James looked that good was when he married Lily."

Remus countered, "Padfoot, Prongs never looked that good. Harry," he turned to smile at the young man, "this girl is a genius. I'm not saying she didn't have impeccable material to work with, but the effect is stunning."

While Harry talked to Sirius and Remus, Draco grabbed the rest of the designs to show Snape. Then both Slytherins started chuckling wickedly. "It looks like Amethyst threw in a few bonuses, Harry." He passed over a small note attached to the last few sheets.

(-note-)

Harry, I know you insisted on subtle, but yesterday evening, while I was reading about the rituals, it all seemed so exciting. I thought up some possible outfits for a costume ball. From what you and Draco said, I'd expect you to attend one or more of those eventually. So, I hope you enjoy the rest of the canvases ... no extra charge, of course (smile). A.M.

Harry paled a bit at what she might have come up with. Then Draco passed the first one over, and he switched from 'pale' to 'full blush' in the blink of an eye.

It was a pirate costume, with Harry as a sexy swashbuckler. Snug pants, a billowing white shirt, and a black vest, both open to display a fair amount of muscular torso. The canvas-Harry waved a sword about, and wore a leather headband across his forehead to hold his swirling black locks out of his face, which bore a wicked grin. It was outrageous!

"It's incredible! It's gorgeous!" gushed Rachel and Hermione. Ron looked torn between jealousy, embarrassment for his best friend, and hysterical laughter. The group caught the attention of Savannah Goyle, since they were closest to the Ravenclaw table.

When she saw what had everyone's attention, she smirked at Draco and asked him, "Hey, Drake! Do you think he'd agree to take me as his date when he wears that?" Even Harry had to laugh at that comment.

The other two costumes were a Rock Star and a Biker, both with deliciously snug outfits that displayed tantalizing glimpses of Harry's above-the-waist assets. The Biker, in particular, wore a sleeveless leather vest with no shirt that showcased Harry's stunning physique. At least Amethyst technically kept it clean. And she had managed to direct the canvas-Harry to move around in ways that were guaranteed to increase a lady's blood pressure.

As Albus Dumbledore watched the young people laughing and joking about Harry's suggested suggestive wardrobe, he was thanking the heavens for the resilience of youth. Harry and his Circle would have their good and bad days, their ups and downs, but they were strong, and could go on with life ... healing but not forgetting.

Harry would never forget those who had fallen, for he felt responsible for every single one, knowing his blood had been part of a monster's resurrection, knowing that he likely was the only one with a chance to defeat this icon of darkness.

But thank the stars he hadn't yet forgotten how to laugh.

(to be continued)