Harry Potter and the Secrets of Dumbledore

Harry Potter and the Secrets of Dumbledore

Chapter 17

The Message

After making an appearance for breakfast in the Great Hall, Harry had a short meeting with Minerva. They discussed the events of the past few days and found no reason to change anything at Hogwarts yet. Naturally, the staff would keep a sharp eye out for even the smallest hint of a problem.

The conversation turned to the subject of Aunt Petunia. "We will not go any farther with the magical infusion. I believe we have brought her up to her natural abilities and I don't want to chance causing her any harm. All we need to do at this point is refine her skills and help her to obtain the confidence to use them properly." Harry paused and allowed a large grin before continuing. "Uncle Vernon would be turning every shade of red and purple ever imagined if he were here to see this. Anyway, she seems to be doing well, and just needs practice. I want to thank you again for all the time and patience you have put into helping her."

"I am glad to have been able to assist in this endeavor. I must confess that I was skeptical at first, but it does seem to have all been for the best. I am glad that the two of you have been able to put the past behind you and that you are now the family you should have been from the beginning."

Harry turned and stared into the fireplace; the reflection of the yellow flames dancing in his green eyes. "Yeah, she's really a decent person now that she's not under Uncle Vernon's influence. She actually seems to be able to enjoy life in a way that I've never seen her be able to do before. Most importantly, she's able to show the affection that appears to have been bottled up for decades."

"If you don't mind me saying, Harry, I think it's done a world of good for you too. You have always possessed a great amount of love, but have held back on being open to it. True, you have always been close to the Weasley family, to Hermione, and especially to Albus, but it was always restrained. I believe the reason you kept that wall around your feelings was because you had grown up being rejected by the only family you had ever known." She paused and examined Harry's face as he continued to stare at the fire. Satisfied that he was listening and not taking offence, she continued, "Now that you have finally found each other, you have destroyed that wall. You have found a woman with whom you are deeply in love and have even asked her to marry you. If you hadn't been able to drop that wall, I doubt you would ever have become engaged. Don't get me wrong. You have always cared for everybody else and made many sacrifices for not only your friends, but the entire wizarding world. The only difference now, is that you are finally able to accept love in a way you have never known before."

After a long silence, Harry turned and faced his long time teacher and friend. A weak smile, and thoughtful expression told her everything. Sighing, he said, "You're right, Minerva. I guess I've known that for a long time but simply refused to admit it, even to myself. It's a shame that it took forty years to for me to realize and accept it."

"Enough of Professor McGonagall's insight into the mind and heart of Harry Potter," she mused with a smile of satisfaction. "Is there anything else?"

"As a matter of fact, there is one more item." He went on to explain the story about Harold and the plans to release his magical abilities.

"Harry, how many people do you plan to do this to? Do you really think it wise to change what nature has given them?"

"What are you talking about? You knew Aunt Petunia was a witch long before I was born. She gave up her magical life because of some stupid jealously of her sister and the love of a muggle who had no tolerance for the wizarding world. All we did was bring her up to where she'd naturally be if she had taken a different course of action those many years ago. As far as Harold goes, he has the gift of magic. I don't know who, how, or why those abilities were shoved so far into his being that they were almost impossible to find; but as long as he has them, I see no reason not to allow him to realize the magical world he was supposed to be a part of from the beginning."

Minerva shook her head, watched the flames, and said, "It's not that I don't think he should brought into our world if he was truly meant to be a part of it. I just can't help but wonder why this was done to him in the first place, and what the repercussions might be. I also have a strange feeling that there is something familiar about this, but for the life of me I just can't put my finger on it."

"I guess we'll find out in time." Harry checked his watch and said, "Speaking of time, Evan has a class in fifteen minutes. I've got to collect Harold and take him to Diagon Alley to buy a few things. So if you will excuse me, I'll be on my way."

*******

While Harry sat at his desk making a list of things to pick up in Diagon Alley, Harold occupied himself by examining the many strange objects on display around the office.

"That should about do it, at least for the time being," said Harry as he placed the quill in its' holder.

Harold walked over and took the list from Harry. "I don't know what most of this stuff is, but I'm sure it is going to cost money. I hate to mention it, but we're going to have to go to Minnesota before we go on this shopping spree. I wasn't expecting to be moving here and don't have all that much money with me."

"That's not a problem. We can make a quick detour on the way to Diagon Alley. In fact, if you want to withdraw a sizable amount we can open an account at Gringotts' for you."

"Gringotts?"

"That's the wizarding bank. They will exchange your muggle money for wizard money."

"Naturally, you have your own monetary system."

"Well, if you moved to England you'd have to use the pound, or to the continent, the euro and various other currencies around the world. At least wizard currency is uniform world wide!"

"Harry, it's about time you made an appearance in your office," Dumbledore said, with a hint of irritation in his voice. "I've heard bits and pieces through the network, but have been waiting for you to fill me in on what has happened."

"Sorry, Albus, but the past few days have been hectic to say the least." Harry filled him in on the entire Las Vegas disaster and what the wizarding world was doing to help. "It started as an idea that Neville had at headquarters, and has spread through wizarding communities around the world. They are making remarkable progress while staying incognito at the same time."

"I'm glad to hear our world is doing everything possible to help. It will certainly go far with the muggle leaders to know that we are here to help and that most wizards mean no harm to the rest of the world. How were you able to keep the muggles from knowing what caused this catastrophe?"

"It wasn't me. Apparently Benedict has found a way to use muggle transmission lines to send some sort of perception spell around the world. The muggles think it was a major earthquake and the effects thereof. It seems Benedict was giving a warning to wizards alone. I haven't been able to figure that out yet. Everyone in the world saw the object in Chile when the volcano erupted, as well as the logo in almost every city around the world with the destruction of the Christmas decorations!"

"I sincerely doubt that Benedict has figured out a way to use those transmission lines. I have a feeling that a different power did that to avoid a world wide panic."

"You mean, The Four?"

"Precisely. I suggest you not try to contact them about it though. Wait until the next time it becomes imperative to speak with them and ask then."

"Fine with me," Harry replied. "It is rather daunting dealing with that kind of power anyway. I do have one question though. While the television transmission was used to block muggles from seeing the truth, what about the Air Force pilots and the people in Las Vegas itself?"

"Ah, yes... well, as far as the military goes, it was another unexplained instance that is being kept from the public. That area is full of new, secretive planes, weapons, and all that sort of thing. With one agency never telling the others what they are up to, this was just another instance of government secrecy run amuck. The general population is used to seeing strange things in the sky in that area. With everything else they suddenly had to contend with, the object became the last thing on their minds and simple survival instincts took over. Those instincts, combined with a mass bewilderment charm, kept their minds off the object. Those that may remember it later, will still be confused as to whether of not their minds are playing tricks on them or not."

"Guess, only time will tell if that actually worked," Harry said in a doubtful tone.

Dumbledore changed the subject. "Sorry to have eavesdropped earlier, but what is all this about your friend Harold moving here and a shopping trip to Diagon Alley?"

"I was getting around to that. We have discovered that Harold is a wizard!"

"Indeed! And how, pray tell, did you come upon this discovery?"

Harry explained about what Harold had seen in the destruction of Las Vegas, the test with the feather, and the mind probe.

Dumbledore thought for a moment, the twinkle leaving his eyes. "I see. Both of you come over here, please." They did as he asked, looking questionably at each other. "Now, stand next to each other and face me." Albus gazed at the two of them together, then separately, then, together again. He closed his eyes for a moment and sighed. Eyes open again, he looked over the top of his half moon glasses and asked, "Harold, are you absolutely sure you want to do this?"

"Yes sir. I've discussed it with Harry and some of the others, as well as my fiancée. I've also spent a great deal of time alone weighing the pros and cons, at least as I understand them. It comes down to the fact that, if I was born a wizard, I feel I should be living my life as one. I have no idea why this ability was denied me, but now knowing the truth, I wish to claim it."

Dumbledore lowered his eyes and slowly nodded his head. "So be it," he said in a remorseful tone. "Both of you listen to me carefully. Take this slowly and cautiously. This is a more complicated procedure than the procedure used on Petunia. Furthermore, you must both be prepared for the consequences of your decision in this matter."

"Consequences?" Harold asked with a great deal of angst in his voice. "What consequences? What aren't you telling us?"

Changing his tone to that of an understanding father, Dumbledore said, "Relax, dear boy. Physically you will be fine, and your magic will allow you to experience an entirely new life. I have every confidence in Harry and his staff to carry this out properly. Other truths will be revealed as the procedure progresses and you both will have to deal with those in your own way and time."

Gesturing with his hand toward the portrait, Harold turned to Harry and asked, "Does he always explain things this way?"

Standing with his arms crossed over his chest and shaking his head, Harry sighed, "Yeah, he does this a lot. I have the distinct feeling this involves another one of his secrets."

"Yes, Harry, it does. This situation is quite unexpected and will have to unfold naturally. I can share no further details at this time."

"That's it?" Harold asked.

"Yep," replied Harry. "When Albus decides to end a conversation...that's it!"

"Harry, there is one item you will need before you go to Diagon Alley."

"What's that Albus?"

"One of Fawkes' tail feathers."

"Why do I need that? And furthermore, how do I get it?"

"Never mind why, right now; you will know why when the time is right. Introduce Harold to Fawkes. If Fawkes approves, he will take care of the rest."

Harold looked at Harry, who simply shrugged his shoulders, and said, "Well, come on." The two of them approached the phoenix and stood before him. "Harold, this is Fawkes. Fawkes, this is Harold."

Fawkes took his time studying Harold. He looked at Harry, cocked his head, and returned his attention to Harold. Ending his scrutiny of Harold, Fawkes turned so that his tail was facing the men. A moment later, he wiggled his tail feathers and one lone feather let loose and started drifting toward the floor. Harry carefully caught the feather and said, "Thank you, Fawkes." The phoenix faced them again, letting out a single note and gave a reverend nod. Harry carefully positioned the feather in an inside pocket of his robe.

*******

Remus and Mad-Eye were in the media room at Grimmauld Place keeping abreast of the slow, but steady progress of the Las Vegas clean-up. All other news items were carefully being scrutinized for even the slightest inkling of interference by Benedict.

"You heard that Harry is taking Harold to Diagon Alley today to buy a wand and other supplies? I guess they plan to start on that procedure in the next day or two." Remus drank some tea before continuing. "Do you think they are ready for what is about to happen?"

"Don't know," Mad-Eye grumbled. "Just goes to show you that it doesn't matter how carefully something is planned out, or how powerful those that carry out the plan are, you can never be totally confident of the outcome. We certainly didn't need this happening in the middle of this damn war! We're going to have to have several contingency plans ready."

"Do you really think it might come to that?"

"Don't know. Never thought we'd live long enough to witness what is about to happen. Of course, it was never supposed to have happened in the first place!"

Remus dropped his head into his hands, "I'm getting too old for this."

*******

First stop after opening Harold's account at Gringotts was Ollivander's. The small bell tinkled as they walked through the door. Mr. Ollivander wandered out from his workroom in the back of the store. "Professor Potter, back again so soon?"

"Mr. Ollivander, this is Harold Porter. He needs to purchase a wand."

"Nice to meet you Mr. Porter. Was your old wand damaged in some way? Maybe lost?"

"I've never had a wand before," Harold replied nervously.

"Never?"

Harry explained, "We just found out that Harold is a wizard and we need to start his training."

"I see. Well, stand still, please." He walked around Harold, looking at him from all angles, top to bottom. He held up one finger and disappeared down one of the rows of boxes containing his hand crafted wands. He returned with six boxes and placed them on the counter. He handed the first wand to Harold, who took it and just stood there. Almost frustrated, Mr. Ollivander said, "Well, give it a wave." Harold waved the wand and a picture on the wall crashed to the floor.

"I'm sorry," said Harold. "I didn't try to do that."

"Don't worry about it. It happens all the time. Try this one." This time, he shattered a vase. And on it went. The antique chair in the corner of the room had been reduced to splinters, files toppled, papers all over the store, shelves overturned, and the front window blown out. After trying over eighty wands, they had still failed to find the proper match. "In all my years I've never seen anything like this," Mr. Ollivander mused as he viewed the remains of his store.

"I don't understand," said Harold, gazing at Harry. "When I used your wand the other day, it seemed to work just fine."

"Did you say that you used Professor Potter's wand with no problem?"

"Yes."

"Professor, may I see your wand please?" Harry produced the wand from his robes. Mr. Ollivander examined it and handed it to Harold. He gave it a wave and immediately red and gold sparks shot out the end. "Curious...extremely curious."

Harry furrowed his brow. "What is it Mr. Ollivander?"

"It would appear that the solution to your friends wand problem, would simply be to make a duplicate of your wand, Professor."

"Is that a problem?"

"The wood and all would be no problem. If you remember, the core of your wand is phoenix feather. That phoenix gave only two feathers. One is in your wand, and the other...well."

"Voldemort's wand was destroyed along with him." Harry paused, smiled, and continued, "In that case, I think this should work very nicely!" He carefully pulled the feather out of his robe and handed it to Mr. Ollivander. "Fawkes gave us this feather this morning."

"Excellent, though very curious. If you want to go have lunch and finish your other shopping, I should have this ready by the time you are ready to depart."

"That will be fine, thank you. Oh, before we leave, allow me to clean up a little." Harry waved his wand and said, "Reparo." In less than a minute, the store was back to its' usual form, minus the dust.

They picked up potion ingredients, a couple of robes, and a few other necessities. A short stop at Florean Fortescue's for some hot chocolate to take the chill off. As they watched the shoppers traverse the alley, Harold said, "There is certainly an interesting variety of...'people' around here!"

Harry smiled, "Yeah, you'll get used to them. There is quite a variety of people, creatures, and animals that you will start to encounter as you integrate into the magical world. Anyway, it's not like there aren't unique muggles out there."

"Harry, muggles...that feels strange to say...anyway, muggles don't have anything like those goblins at the bank, or the house elves, or even Hagrid. How did he get so big anyway?"

"Hagrid is a half giant."

"Half giant. You mean there are larger ones?"

"Full giants are at least twice his size. Unfortunately, their numbers have been dwindling for decades. Many of those remaining were killed in the war with Voldemort. There are only a handful left, and I fear they will soon be extinct."

Harold noticed a couple kids walking past the window with broomsticks. "Hey, do I get to learn to fly now?"

Harry chuckled, "I was wondering how long it was going to take you to ask about that."

Sheepishly, Harold said, "To tell you the truth, it's been on my mind since I first agreed to all this."

"I have many brooms at the castle that you can borrow while you learn. It will also help you decide what kind to buy when you are ready."

"Okay, as long as you don't mind."

"Guess we should get going. We'll stop in to say hello to Fred and George before returning to Ollivander's."

"Wait a minute." Harold paused as his expression took on a more serious guise. "I really appreciate everything you are doing for me, allowing me to live in your house and all. But I feel I should be paying rent or something."

"Why? The house is paid for and Aunt Petunia has insisted on buying and cooking the food as her contribution."

"The house is paid for? I didn't know headmasters were paid that well."

Harry blushed slightly and said, "Well, the truth of the matter is simply that my parents left me a sizeable amount of money in their will. That was increased when my godfather died and left me another generous amount. I also have a very good investment counselor, who has done an excellent job over the years."

"I assume you've received reward money for many of the things you done over the years too."

"As much as I tried to refuse that type of thing on the occasions when it came up; I eventually learned that people were actually insulted when I tried to declined. So, I started the Sirius Black Educational Fund. It's for Hogwarts students whose families have enough trouble making ends meet, much less having to worry about the added costs of school supplies."

"Sounds great. Who is Sirius Black?"

"He was my godfather."

Harold got the feeling that it was best not to go any farther on that subject. "That's great Harry, but I still don't feel right not contributing anything while I'm living in your house."

Harry sighed, "Alright, how about taking care of the utility bills and allowing me to use the spare bedroom in your house in Minnetonka whenever I need to get away for a few days? That way I won't have to impose on Evan."

"Deal!"

They entered Weasley's Wizard Wheezes to find Fred going over paperwork and George on a ladder restocking shelves. The place was the emptiest that Harry had ever seen it. "Did you two finally manage to scare away all your customers?"

Fred looked up, "Look George, it's the new twins!"

"What are you on about now?" Harry asked with a slight annoyance in his voice.

George grinned, "Well, you two do resemble each other."

"Don't be such a git," Harry said while rolling his eyes. "Back to the original question...why is this place so empty?"

"The holidays are over. We did a bang up business before Christmas, and you could hardly move in here before New Year. Your students took advantage of the after Christmas sale and almost emptied the store. Hogwarts might not survive the new term!"

"It has survived over a thousand years of students; I'm pretty sure it will survive one more term."

"Well, don't say we didn't warn you! What are you two doing here anyway?"

"Had some shopping to do and thought we'd drop in and say hello."

"Anymore on Benedict?"

"No. I suspect he's letting fear sink into the wizarding world as to what is next. I'll let you know if anything develops. Anyway, we need to pick up Harold's wand and get back to the Hillside before everyone gets back from school. See you later."

*******

"Ah, perfect timing Professor," Mr. Ollivander said looking quite pleased with himself. "I just finished Mr. Porter's wand a few minutes ago. This is the first time I've made an identical wand and am anxious to see how it performs." He handed the wand to Harold who immediately gave it a small wave. Just as with Harry's wand, red and gold sparks erupted from the end.

"That's good...right?" Harold asked.

"Yes, Mr. Porter, this wand should serve you well. I must say though, this situation is very curious indeed."

Harry stared at the new wand and said, "Mr. Ollivander, I've grown very fond of my wand over the years. Since this looks exactly like mine, how will we be able to tell the difference between them?"

"Not to worry Professor, I took that into consideration." He took the wand and held it on its' side revealing a small number 'two' engraved in silver.

"Excellent! Thank you very much, Mr. Ollivander, we appreciate your patience and craftsmanship."

Harold thanked Mr. Ollivander and paid for the wand. The two of them headed off to The Leaky Cauldron.

"Hello, Harry. Can I get something for you and your friend?"

"Thanks, but not today, Jeff. We need to borrow your fireplace, and you, for a few minutes if you don't mind."

"Sure, no problem."

Looking rather puzzled, Harold asked, "Why do we need a fireplace?"

"Lesson one in traveling by floo powder."

"Huh?"

"Some witches and wizards can't, or don't like to apparate. Others hate to fly, not to mention that an area like London is not a place you want to fly as there is too much of a chance of being seen by muggles."

"Who wouldn't want to fly?" Harold asked, not comprehending such an idea.

"Hermione, for one. She will fly only as a last resort. Anyway, this is another way to travel. I'll go first, so you can see how it's done. Then Jeff will help you get on your way. By the way, it helps to keep your eyes and mouth closed, and keep your arms tucked in close to your torso."

Harry took most of the packages and tossed the powder into the flames. Once the flames had turned green, he grabbed the rest of the parcels, stepped into the fireplace, and said, "The Hillside." In an instant, he vanished.

Harold looked at Jeff and said, "Is he serious?"

"Of course. Everyone does it. It just takes a little getting used to. Now, if you're ready, just do exactly what Harry did."

Summoning his courage, Harold tossed the power and watched the flames turn green. He glanced at Jeff, who nodded his head. As he opened his mouth to speak, a few errand ashes flew in. He coughed, and said, "The Hillslide." He closed his mouth and eyes and pulled his arms tight to his body and vanished.

Harry had deposited the parcels on the couch and stood away from the fireplace. Suddenly, he heard coughing in the distance. Walking into Aunt Petunia's living room, he found Harold on the floor, coughing subsiding. "You must remember to speak your destination clearly." He offered his hand to help him up.

Harold looked up and said, "You people do this all the time?"

Pulling him up, Harry laughed, "First of all, you had better remember that you are now part of 'you people'. Second, you'll get used to it in time. It will be quite some time before you can even fly, much less apparate anywhere."

After moving the packages to Harold's room, they found a couple beers in the refrigerator and headed to the media room to watch the news.

A short time later, Antonia walked in. "Oh, here you are," she said sounding rather annoyed. "Are you ready to help mama get her things back to Rome or what?"

Confused, Harry asked, "What are you talking about? I didn't know she was leaving today."

"Harry, I told you last night, right after Sophia returned to Minnesota!"

"Toni, once Sophia left, we were alone in the living room...er...otherwise occupied. You then went over to Aunt Petunia's to say good night to your mother, and flooed back the castle from there."

"I'm not going to stand here and argue with you. If you're going to help her, I suggest you get out to the living room." She turned and stormed out of the room.

"What the hell was that all about?" Harry asked as he turned toward Harold.

"I don't know, but I suggest you get your ass into the other room and help Josephine before Antonia really blows up!"

They entered the living room where Harry immediately picked up Josephine's things. Harold stuffed a couple small packages under Harry's arm. "I'll go ahead and will wait in your living room."

"Thank you, Harry, I'll be there in a moment."

Antonia just glared at him. Harry apparated immediately.

Carefully setting down the suitcase and large package on the floor, he let the smaller things slowly float onto the couch.

Josephine appeared a few minutes later. "Grazie, Enrico. I appreciate the assistance."

"Oh, no problem. Do you know what is wrong with Antonia?"

"No. It certainly isn't like her to act like that for no reason. I hope you don't get the impression that she acts like that often."

"Considering the fact that I've never seen her act like that without provocation, I could hardly consider it normal behavior." Harry paused and looked around the room. "Well, if you don't need any more help, I'd better be getting back."

"No, I'm fine. Thank you for having me and I hope you will visit again soon. If for no other reason, than to take a break from everything involved in the war." She looked up into his emerald eyes and said, "I must tell you; I look forward to having you in the family!"

"I look forward to it too, mama." He leaned over, kissed her cheek, and said, "I'll be in touch. Take care."

When he returned to his own living room, Harold was sitting by the fire drinking his beer. He held out the other one for Harry. "Thanks, but I'd better see Antonia first."

"Uh...not right now. That's why I brought this out here. She's in the kitchen talking with your aunt. I suggest not interrupting them."

Taking the beer, Harry sighed, "I guess you have a point. I just can't figure out what came over her." A knock on the front door broke his concentration. "Now what."

He opened the door and instantaneously grabbed his wand. "Malfoy, what the hell are you doing here?"

"Relax, Potter, and put that thing away. In case you've forgotten your own precautions, do you think I could have put one toe on this property if I had any intention of harming anyone around here?" He opened his jacket and said, "Look, I don't even have my wand with me." Harry set his wand on the table next to the door. "Aren't you going to ask me in?"

"Don't push it Malfoy, the porch will do just fine." He proceeded to walk toward Draco, forcing him away from the door.

"But it's cold out here."

"Well, I advise you to be right quick with whatever it is you came here for."

Harold walked out, leaving the door only slightly ajar. "Problem Harry?"

"No. Just an unwelcome guest."

"Potter, I didn't know your brother was visiting."

"Malfoy, you know damn well I don't have a brother. Except for my aunt, the only other relative I have is Dudley. Since he has become part of your sick little band of no-minds, I have less feeling for him than ever."

"Oh, then this must the muggle you're trying to turn into a wizard."

"Draco, didn't you learn anything in all those years at Hogwarts? No-one can turn a muggle into a wizard. Harold is a wizard. Listen, I don't have time to give you lessons in basic wizard genetics. Now, what the hell are you doing here?"

"I have a message from my master."

"Really. Well, before you give me Benny boy's message, why don't you tell me what he looks like?"

"He prefers his appearance to stay as secret as possible."

Picking up on what Harry had in mind, Harold pointed out into the yard, and said, "What's that?"

Draco quickly turned his head and said, "What?"

Harold gave Harry a quick wink, and said, "Sorry, guess it was just a squirrel or a rabbit, or some such thing."

As he turned back, Harry made eye contact. Draco was frozen as Harry probed his mind for a picture of Benedict. As long as he was in the neighborhood, he checked out a few other things that might be useful. As Harry broke eye contact, he waved his hand over Draco's head. Malfoy had no knowledge that anything had taken place.

"Okay, Malfoy, as you said, it's getting cold out here and I'm sure dinner is almost ready. Get on with your message."

"You don't expect me to tell you with him standing here do you?"

"Well, I guess we could talk in another language, though I should warn you that Harold speaks a fair few languages himself."

"I only speak one language, Potter. If you want to hear this, I suggest you tell your friend to go inside."

Harry chuckled, "Harold isn't going anywhere. Now, we can do this in English or in Parsel-tongue."

"I'm not a parselmouth."

"You will be when I turn you into a snake!"

"You can't do that."

"You're trying my patience, Draco. I can and will, if you don't start talking. You were such a cute bouncing ferret during our fourth year at school. Are you sure you wouldn't like to add a snake to your resume?"

"Okay, okay, you win." Draco closed his eyes to collect his thoughts. "The Dark Prince sent me here to offer you a deal."

"Hurry up Malfoy, I'd like to get this over with before the spring thaw!"

"If you and the British Ministry, along with the American and Canadian Ministries surrender, Benedict will stop his attacks around the world."

"And if we don't?"

"Not only will the attacks continue, but he'll let the muggles see what is really happening. Then, all he has to do is sit back and watch the world wide war between the muggles and the wizarding world. Once all you bleeding hearts have destroyed so many of each other on both sides that you can no longer stand it, the Dark Prince will simply step in and take over anyway."

Harry took a deep breath, and let it back out. Shaking his head, and crossing his arms, he asked, "Is that it? The entire message? That's what he sent you all the way out here to tell me?"

"Well...yes."

Antonia walked out to porch to investigate Harry and Harold's prolonged absence. Noticing Draco, she put her arm around Harry's waist and asked, "What is he doing here?"

Harry reciprocated with his arm around her shoulders. "He said he was sent to deliver an important message. We ended up hearing a joke instead."

Facing Draco again, he continued, "You tell Benny boy that it will be a cold day in hell before the decent people of this planet would ever consider such an outrageous offer. He has no idea of the power he is dealing with."

"Think rather highly of yourself these days, don't you, Potter?"

"I'm only a small part of something much larger. You know, Benedict is actually worse off than his father was. At least Voldemort grew up as a human and had interacted with us. Benedict hasn't. His mindless band of followers are people like you and Dudley, whose hearts are so full of hate and a desire for revenge, that you've all managed to shove any shred of human decency you ever had straight out of your beings."

Draco gazed at Antonia, "We never should have let you get out of Romania alive."

"GET-OUT Malfoy, before I turn you into that snake just for laughs."

"This isn't over. Not by a long shot." Draco turned and disappeared into the darkness of the night.

Harold yelled after him, "Nice meeting you, scar face!"

Harry turned and just rolled his eyes.

"Sorry, it just seemed like the thing to say at the time."

"Shall we go inside before we freeze to death?"

They gathered around the fire to expel the chill from standing outside for so long.

Antonia spoke softly into Harry's ear, "I'm sorry about earlier, I don't know what came over me."

"Don't worry about it," he said as he kissed her forehead. "We'll talk about it later." Standing up, he said, "I'll be right back." He then headed off to the kitchen.

Grabbing a couple more beers, he said, "Aunt Petunia, you might want to join us for a few minutes and hear this."

"But the corn."

"We can re-heat it. Come on." He took her hand and led her into the other room. Handing Harold one of the bottles, he returned to Antonia's side.

Antonia shivered, "I don't like that Draco person, or the way he looked at me a few minutes ago."

"You're not alone. Did you ever see Benedict when you were abducted?"

"I only saw Draco and Severus, and I think I saw your cousin twice. Benedict may have come to my room once, but I was under a spell where I couldn't see anything for an hour or so."

A concerned expression enveloped Harry's face with that last bit of information. He was pulled back to the present when Harold asked, "Did you get a picture of him when you probed Draco's mind?"

"Oh yeah. If you ever see him, you'll have no trouble recognizing him...to say the least. He has a long narrow face with deep set, almost maroon eyes. His skin is very pale with a yellowish hue. Crooked teeth that appear too small for his mouth, which is not much more than a horizontal opening set low on his face. A long nose...vertically, but lies close to his face. His hair is thin, straight, sandy brown in color and hangs almost to the top of his shoulders."

Petunia realized her mouth was hanging open when she said, "He sounds absolutely horrendous!"

"Believe it or not, he's better looking than Voldemort was after his re-birth. This guy is thin, but his father was practically skeletal! He also doesn't know that we figured out that he had nothing to do with the television transmission; though he has a good idea who was responsible for it."

"Were you able to get any other details of what Benedict has planned?" Harold asked.

"No. Seems he isn't even telling his followers any of his plans until he wants something done. Apparently, he's afraid of defections or what would happen if someone were taken prisoner. This way, if they know nothing, they can reveal nothing."

"Harry," Aunt Petunia started in a slow and shaky voice. "Were you able to find out any more about Dudley?"

Harry got up, slowly walked over, and knelt down in front of her. He took her hand in his and looked into her eyes. His emerald green eyes and facial expression filled with as much compassion as he could summon. "Do you really want to know?"

"Want to know? No. But for better or worse, he is still my son, I need to know."

Harry gulped and started slowly. "I'm sorry, Aunt Petunia, but any remaining traces of human decency that he had left has been replaced by pure hate for the two of us. He is obsessed with the idea of making both of us suffer as much as possible before killing us."

Her eyes glazed over as she stared at the fire, slowly rocking her body. Tears started to slowly roll down her cheeks. With a slight twitch of his finger, Harry summoned a box of tissues to the table next to the chair. He pulled a couple tissues out of the box and handed them to his aunt. Still rocking, and not breaking her stare, she took the tissues with her free hand and dabbed her eyes and nose.

Harold caught Antonia's eye and gave a slight jerk of his head. The two of them headed to the kitchen to finish dinner. Harry stood up and sat on the arm of Petunia's chair. Without a sound, he pulled her close and held her as the flood of tears finally let loose. Although Dudley had never been one of his favorite people, he was still a relative. The realization that he and Petunia were now all that was left of the family, caused a sorrow in his heart that he had never felt before. He laid his cheek on the top of her head as he continued to hold her. The two of them sat in silence, holding each other, staring at the fire, lost in their thoughts and memories.

*******

Dinner was an unusually quiet meal. When they had finished, Harry said, "I've got to go to headquarters to confer with Remus and Mad-Eye. I don't know how long I'll be, so don't wait up."

"Let me wrap some of this food and you can take it to them," Antonia said.

"Thanks, I'm sure they'll appreciate it." Harry continued, "As for you two, I suggest getting as much sleep as you can tonight. Aunt Petunia, I want you to increase the intensity of practices on what you have learned...especially in Defense of the Dark Arts. Harold, tomorrow we start bringing your powers to your conscious mind. I hope you are a quick study, as we're going to need all the help we can get!"

Antonia brought the wrapped food to Harry and gave him a quick kiss. He disappeared without another word.

Petunia shook her head and mused, "I worry about him. I don't care how powerful he is, one person can only deal with so much."

*******

"I can appreciate, even admire, the idea of working on one or two contingency plans; but a total of six plans! Are you two that bored, or am I missing something here?"

"Calm down, Harry," Remus said. "You just said it yourself, Benedict isn't even telling his followers what he has in mind. He could have several plans himself, which would enable him to counter whatever we may come up with. We have to be as ready as possible for anything that arse may come up with. To be honest with you, I thought Mr. Constant Vigilance over there was a bit cracked when he first mentioned the idea. After listening to his explanation, it made a lot of sense."

Mad-Eye interjected at this point. "Didn't you want us here to watch, plan and advise? I do believe that is what you said when you re-activated the Order. We're just trying to do our part and be of as much help as possible. You can't do it all yourself. You're supposed to be running a school, or at least making the major decisions regarding it. You're at least in contact, if not meeting with, both wizard and muggle leaders around the world. Then you've been involved in that procedure on your aunt and now I understand you're going to start another one on that friend of yours. Somewhere in all that you try to spend some time with that beautiful fiancée of yours. You've got to slow down and let other people help in any way they can. It's not only good for you; it allows others to have more of an interest and feel like they are making a real contribution to the war effort. The more others are allowed to participate, the better and stronger the Order will be. Hopefully, this will be the last time it will have to be re-activated."

"Mad-Eye, I don't think I remember you ever saying so much at one go," Harry said with a smile.

"Yeah...well...you got me riled. Did any of it get through that thick skull of yours'?"

"Yes, I understand, and I'll try. You must realize my side of it though. Somehow it always seems to come down to me in the end and that is why I need to know as much as possible. It's not an ego thing; it's just been the way it's been for almost thirty years now. You have no idea how often I've wished that I was just an average wizard, with an average job, and a wife and a couple of kids."

Quietly, Remus said, "We know that, Harry. We're just worried about you and are trying to help in the only way we know how."

"I know that. Why don't you show me these plans of yours?"

About an hour and a half later, Remus said, "That's about it so far."

"That's only three...you said you had six."

Mad-Eye grunted, "Not ready yet, just general idea's."

Remus glanced at Mad-Eye, and then at Harry. "You'd better go home and get some sleep. You're going to start a procedure tomorrow that I dare say is something that no one in that gallery in your office ever even considered. All I can say, is take it slow, be cautious, and be prepared for the unexpected repercussions that this might lead to."

"What repercussions? Do you know something about all this?"

"Er...all I meant is that you will be doing something that hasn't been recorded in any books that anyone has found. Yes, there is the book which contains the procedure, but none has been found documenting an actual case. We don't know what is going to happen or how it may affect either you or Harold."

"Don't worry, it will be fine. Well, I'm out of here. Good night."

Once Harry had disapparated, Mad-Eye, whose electric-blue eye was spinning in its' socket, turned toward Remus and said, "Nice recovery!"

*******

Petunia had gone to the castle early to get some practice in with Evan before breakfast. Harold was sitting at the table drinking coffee when Harry entered the room. He poured himself a cup, sat at the table, looked at Harold, and said, "Well, are you ready for this?"

"As ready as I can be. I still don't know what to expect. Exactly what is going to happen?"

"I can't tell you exactly what is going to happen, because I honestly don't know."

A look of controlled alarm enveloped Harold's face, while an anxious tone crept into his voice, "What do you mean you don't know? I thought you knew what the hell you were doing here! If this is just some kind of personal experiment, I suggest you find some other guinea pig." By now, his look of alarm and anxious tone had turned to anger. "Did you think that you had found some guy with no family ties; who has a job where he could be killed and never heard from again; who was gullible enough to believe all this hocus pocus and that he could actually end up having magical powers of his own; and then decide to have some fun with him?"

After almost chocking on his coffee, Harry could contain himself no longer and burst out laughing.

"WHAT THE HELL IS SO FUNNY?" Harold roared.

"You!" Harry paused while he tried to catch his breath. "I think you've watched too many of those muggle horror movies! Have you finished your panic attack yet?"

"I find no humor in the situation. What do expect when I've trusted you and now you tell me you don't know what is going to happen?"

"You need to listen more carefully. I said I couldn't tell you EXACTLY what is going to happen. I've been studying the procedure very thoroughly. It is a valid procedure and is in an ancient book. On the other hand, we haven't been able to find a book or any type of record of it actually having been carried out before. So, I can't tell you exactly what is going to happen. We are going to take this very slow in the beginning, only ten or fifteen minutes per session, which will start off at only one per week until we are sure it is working properly. It will take place in my office with only the two of us and Madam Pomfrey. She will monitor you during each session and give you a complete checkup each time we finish."

"Only fifteen minutes per week. What do I do the rest of the time?"

"Go to the classes. You have a lot to learn in order to perform all this magic."

"Sorry, but I'm still nervous."

"I guess I can understand that. Just remember what Professor Dumbledore told you yesterday. Physically you will be fine, your magic will be released, and you will enjoy an entirely new life!"

Harold drank some coffee, then thoughtfully asked, "What about those truth's that will be revealed? What are we going to have to deal with in our own way?"

"Haven't a clue. Guess we'll find out in due time."

"Aren't you even a little nervous; or at least curious?"

"Sure I am. I've also dealt with Albus long enough to know that whatever is going to happen will not harm us. He would never have allowed us to proceed, if that were the case."

"Harry, I don't mean to be disrespectful, but, how could he stop us? I mean...he's dead!"

"True, there is nothing he can physically do to stop anything anymore. But, I have developed a great trust in his counsel over the past thirty years, and he would be able to stop this if it posed a danger to either of us. The magical world is full of surprises and secrets which have a nasty habit of being revealed at the most inopportune times. God knows I've had more than my share over the years. Looks like I'm in for another one."

"Guess I have no other choice than to trust you."

Checking his watch, Harry said, "Don't worry about it...it will be fine. You'd better put on your robe or we'll be late for breakfast."

*******

After breakfast Harry, Harold, and Madam Pomfrey headed to Harry's office. Madam Pomfrey examined Harold in order to have information to compare to subsequent exams. Once finished, she nodded and sat down in a chair near Dumbledore's portrait.

Harold sat in the chair in front of Harry's desk. Harry opened the ancient book and placed it in the center of the desk. He glanced over at the gallery, who were all watching with intense interest. Silently, Dumbledore gave a slow nod.

"Should I do anything?" Harold asked nervously, his heart racing between his chest and throat.

"No, just sit still." Harry replied in a soothing tone. He stood in front of Harold, extending his left hand. Wand in his right hand, he started the ancient incantation. Changing the movements of his wand as he switched between the words of the incantation and the required chants.

A few tiny ivory spheres of light appeared and started circling Harold's head. Harold started a mild panic as his breathing became heavy and labored. He looked up at Harry, who glanced down and slowly shook his head, trying to calm the other, while not breaking his concentration.

As the chanting slowly ceased, the spheres faded away. Harry leaned against his desk, feeling drained. "Are you alright, Harold?"

"Yeah, I guess so. What were those lights?"

"They were the physical manifestation of the magic being released from where its' being held to where it's being transferred to."

Madam Pomfrey not only examined Harold, but Harry as well. "Except the for the obvious fact that you are somewhat drained, Harry, you are both fine. I suggest lunch and some rest. May I also say, that was exhilarating to watch! Now, when is the next session?"

"Next week, same time, same place. Thank you Madam Pomfrey. We'll talk soon."

As she closed the door behind her, Albus said, "Well done, Harry. I have to ask your permission on a certain matter."

"My permission?"

"Yes, I need to speak to Minerva."

"Why do you need my permission for that? Albus, you can talk to her anytime you desire."

"You don't understand, Harry. I need to talk with her alone. Now, we in the gallery can talk with you anytime you are here. We can include others in a conversation, as was the case with Harold yesterday. But, in order to talk to anybody beside the headmaster or headmistress, alone in this office, we need the occupant's permission."

"Didn't you talk to Hermione, alone, on the night of the Welcoming Feast?"

"Well...yes...I did. You must remember that I was new on this side of things. I do apologize for that. It won't happen again. It is imperative that I speak with Minerva though."

"When do you want to see her?"

"At her earliest convenience."

"I'll give her the message at lunch. I believe she has a couple of hours free before her late afternoon class."

"Thank you, Harry. Oh yes, welcome to the magical world, Harold!"

Harold walked over and stood in front of the portrait. "Thank you, sir. To tell you the truth, except for some nervousness during the procedure, I don't feel any different."

"You won't either. It's the same for any witch or wizard that was raised in a muggle household. Take Harry, for example. He was born a wizard, but he didn't even know our world existed until he was eleven. He had to learn how to use his powers, just as you must now learn how to use yours. You'll do just fine."

"Do you still have that medal I gave you in Minnesota, Harold?"

"Sure." He pulled the chain out of his shirt and let it hang from his neck.

Harry held the medal in one hand and passed his wand over it. "There you go, it now has an added feature. It's now a personal portkey which will transport you between the castle and the Hillside. Just press your finger to it and away you go. I only ask that you not use it in front of the students though. Well, if you're ready, let's get some lunch."

*******

"Over here," called Evan, as he pulled out his usual chair next to Harry and sat down in Antonia's usual chair.

As they reached the table, Evan looked at Harold and said, "Well, look at you! How did it go Mr. Wizard?"

Sporting a big grin, he shrugged his shoulders and said, "So far, so good!"

Harry furrowed his brow and asked, "Where's Antonia?"

"She said she had to make Remus a new cauldron of his potion and that it couldn't wait." Evan lowered his voice, "Just as well though, she didn't seem in a very good mood."

"Again?" Harry whispered.

"How did things go this morning, Harry?" Minerva asked.

"Smoothly, so far. I don't think he'll be able to do much for awhile at this rate. According to the book, we may be able to increase to twice a week if no problems develop. In the meantime, he'll attend classes and start learning as much as he can."

"I certainly wish you both the best."

"Minerva, this being Tuesday, I believe you don't have a class for a couple of hours. Is that correct?"

"Yes, that is correct. Why?"

"Albus has asked permission to speak with you alone."

"Do you know what he wants?"

"Not a clue. He did say it was imperative though."

"In that case, I suppose I had better see what is so important."

When lunch ended, Harold accompanied Professor Flitwick to his Charms class, while Harry and Minerva went up to his office.

"Okay Albus, one Minerva McGonagall here to see you," Harry teased.

"Harry, I don't mean to be rude, but I did request to speak to her alone."

"Yes, Albus, I'm aware of that. I had to come up her in order to go home and apparate to Grimmauld Place and check how things are going there. I'll see you both tomorrow." He picked up the paperweight, leaving Minerva alone with the gallery.

"Minerva, please close and lock the office door, then be seated in that chair in front of Harry's desk."

Using her wand, she closed and locked the door, than sat down and faced the gallery.

Half an hour later, Minerva slowly walked out of the office stunned. Walking through the corridors in a daze, she cancelled her afternoon class and proceeded straight to her quarters. She sat in an old, rose colored, overstuffed chair. Her elbow resting on the arm of the chair, her head supported by her open hand. She stared into the dancing flames and whispered, "Oh-my-God."

23