Harry Potter and the Book of Magical Maladies

Harry Potter and the Book of Magical Maladies

CHAPTER 2 - Holidays at the Dursleys

---

Harry didn't go back to sleep. He never did after one of his dreams. In the ten days since he'd returned from Hogwarts, he hadn't had a single full night of sleep. He was still haunted by dreams of the Department of Mysteries, but they were quite a bit different than they were that spring. There was no locked door anymore. All the doors were open, but he only ever went through one. He recognized it well, just as well as the veil over the arch.

He always saw the same thing, and he always woke up and stayed awake, struggling with the decision either to put it from his mind or to try to remember it forever. He'd never had a dream on top of the Astronomy Tower. It had felt different; it felt more real and less escapable than his normal dreams. It was usually easy to recognize when he was having a nightmare. He simply always chose not to wake up. He didn't think he'd ever wake up from this most recent dream.

It was deeply troubling. It had been a while since he'd had any nightmares about Cedric, and yet he had been there. He wasn't in the normal nightmares, anymore. It was just Sirius now. Sirius was always alive in his dreams, even if for only a short while. That was the only thing that made them bearable.

Harry knew Sirius was gone. He'd been Harry's best hope for something of a family. Now he had only the Dursleys, and that wasn't a comforting thought. They wanted Harry about as much as Sirius' mother had wanted him.

Of course, just like Sirius, Harry had a friend whose family would take him in. The Weasleys treated him like a son, or at least a close cousin. If Harry had anything like a family, they would be it. Yet, here he was, stuck with the Dursleys for another summer.

Arthur Weasley had come to visit him the day after he'd arrived back at Number Four Privet Drive. At first, Harry was glad to see him there. The Order had threatened Harry's uncle that they would be checking on him, and Harry had hoped they would follow through. When he saw Arthur standing at the door, he wondered for a moment if he would be taking him to Grimmauld Place, or even simply leaving for the afternoon. He didn't cherish the thought of two months spent with his 'relatives'.

However, Arthur's visit was entirely business, and he'd immediately asked to speak with Harry privately. Vernon and Petunia had shown every bit of hospitality that Harry had expected, and he and Arthur were soon standing behind the house discussing the outcome of an Order meeting the previous night.

Harry learned very little of the meeting except that, most importantly --and shockingly-- Harry and the rest of the younger wizards at Grimmauld Place were to be invited to join the Order. Neville and Luna would have been as well, but neither Neville's Gran nor Luna's father were willing to allow them to join. Still, Harry saw this as a good sign.

"I'm not going to say that we were wrong to not tell you about the Prophecy, Harry," Arthur explained. "But I won't say that it was right, either. You shouldn't be kept in the dark about things that concern you so closely, and we're going to try and change that."

"So, you're going to tell us everything?" Harry asked skeptically. "Even Ron and Hermione?"

"Of course not, Harry," Arthur answered with a frown. "No one knows everything, except perhaps Dumbledore. Only a handful of us know what the Prophecy even says. Oh, the rest knew there was one --little point in hiding that-- but they didn't know what it said. Also no one knows how Snape gets his information except Snape and Dumbledore, and no one really knows what contacts Mundungus Fletcher has."

"Everyone in the Order has a job," he explained to Harry. "And we help each other do those jobs, but some information is too dangerous for everyone to know."

"Like the Prophecy, or what Snape's been doing, or anything else that Voldemort might read from my mind?" Harry grumbled with annoyance.

"We're not worried about that, Harry. That was the first message I was to give you: Practice your Occlumency. Voldemort cannot possess you, and he will not be able to read your thoughts like a book, but you will need to learn to control the sensations you send and receive from your scar."

Harry wasn't sure how he would be able to do that. It wasn't like he had anyone around to help him practice. Arthur didn't seem to think it would matter. He told Harry that Snape had told him everything he needed to know to successfully control the pains from his scar.

"Next, I should tell you that the Daily Prophet has put restrictions on its distribution. It is only going to recognized wizard households and establishments. We're still trying to keep this place somewhat secret, so I'm afraid we had to cancel the deliveries." Harry felt a little disappointed by the news. The Daily Prophet had been his only reliable source of news. Arthur promised that some member of the Order would be in touch with him to give him any urgent news.

"Now, if you need to get in touch with any Order member, you can still use your owl, but use one of these." With a little rummaging, Arthur pulled a small wooden box from his pocket. It opened like a miniature chest to reveal a small crystalline ball, which shimmered as if filled with a swirling metallic liquid.

"This," he said as he picked up the ball, "is an Obscuring Orb. You simply touch it to the piece of parchment you've written on, and it will hide its contents, as such--" Arthur pulled a scrap of parchment from his pocket and touched the orb to it. The scrap swirled with color and a second later, it had become a small visitors map of Diagon Alley. "If you want to see what was written, you have to use another the same way." Arthur fished another orb from his pocket and touched the map, making it dissolve back to the scrap of parchment.

"They aren't meant for heavy use," Arthur warned, "and while they will work for years, they become a little... er... troublesome to use after a short time. We are only using them until we can find some better method for you to use." Harry took the Orb and covered it with his hand.

"Finally, there is some news you'll need to know." Harry felt surprise and a little relief. They really were going to tell him more. "Cornelius Fudge disappeared sometime yesterday. There was a note in his office. Amelia Bones has assumed the position of Minister of Magic for now, pending official approval. Remembering your trial, she has very quietly suspended the rules against underage magic."

Harry perked up at that news. Arthur went on to explain the new rules. All students enrolled in a magical learning institution would be allowed to practice and perform magic so long as they did not violate the rules on exposing magic to Muggles.

"She did this so you and the others would be able to protect yourselves, not so you can torment Dudley, though I daresay he could do with a bit more torment in his life."

Harry felt himself smiling. The Dursleys didn't really count as Muggles as far as the law was concerned. They weren't any different from Hermione's parents. At least, they already knew about magic, though they had quite different opinions on it. If nothing else, this news would keep the Dursleys from treating him too terribly over the next two months.

"Finally, I have news from Dumbledore that your O.W.L. results won't be delivered until August, instead of mid-July." Harry stared at Arthur in annoyance and confusion.

"You know," Harry started to say, "I don't think I really care if they show up next year. I'll never be an Auror. What is the point of--?"

"Sirius was so proud when he heard that you were going to become an Auror," Arthur said in a soft voice. Harry stopped talking abruptly and stared at the grass.

"It'll never happen," Harry said. "Snape will never take me. He only takes the best scores."

"Well, I can't say much about that," Arthur replied. "I only know that Dumbledore told me to give you this." Arthur pulled a small book from his pocket and handed it to Harry. Harry squinted at the text, but couldn't make it out.

"Hold on, Harry," Arthur said as he pulled his wand out. He tapped the book lightly and it grew to three times its size in Harry's hand, making him drop it to the ground with a loud thump.

Harry stared in wonder and dismay at the text scrawled across the cover of the book: Potions of Power by Shalorian Firecombe. He gave Arthur a quizzical look.

"I don't really know either, Harry," he said honestly. "I do know that Severus Snape can only keep you out of his classes. He cannot keep you from studying and taking the N.E.W.T. If you still want to be an Auror, I'd say that book is your best shot."

Harry stared at it with determination. If that is what it would take to become an Auror, then he'd give it his best try. Now, he didn't know if it was more out of desire to please Sirius, or to defy Snape. Both reasons seemed adequate.

After Arthur had left, his uncle had been much surlier than he normally was. Harry had spent the rest of the day cleaning his room and avoiding all of the Dursleys. For the most part, they avoided him. Starting the day after Arthur left, every day followed the same pattern. Harry would wake before sunrise, sweating and shaking after watching his godfather slip through the veil and hearing Voldemort's hissing laughter in his ears. He would stay awake and watch the sunrise, wishing that someone would come and take him from the Dursleys, but they never came.

He'd slip down to breakfast early, sometimes wordlessly helping Petunia in the kitchen. After breakfast, he'd return to his room and find something to occupy his time until lunch, when Petunia would usually come to fetch him. If he were lucky, he'd have only minor chores to do after lunch, like rearranging boxes or cleaning the table. He'd already spent one afternoon cleaning and polishing all of the Dursleys' silver. Lately, however, Petunia had barely been willing to talk to him.

That was acceptable to Harry. He had enough to worry about without having to deal with his aunt and uncle. After dinner, he'd return to his room, where he'd once again search for ways of occupying himself. He spent quite a bit of time practicing Occlumency. Without having Snape to attack him, he had to settle for simply forcing himself to push as much emotion from his mind as possible.

He thought he was doing quite well, but it was difficult to tell. His scar had been hurting or tingling daily since he'd returned from Hogwarts, but the Occlumency seemed to dull most of the sensation. It didn't get rid of the nightmares though, and Harry often remained awake late into the night hoping that exhaustion would prevent him from dreaming.

---

"I don't care if there's a meeting," Ginny said defiantly. "We're never going to hear what they're saying and I'm busy trying to enlarge this room."

"We don't have to try and listen in, they've invited us," Ron said impatiently. "Come on! It's starting soon!" He turned and left without waiting for her.

Ginny held her wand at her side and looked around the room. She'd taken the smallest room in Grimmauld Place, but it was better than having to share a room with Hermione or one of the adults. She managed to enlarge the closet enough that she could fit all of her clothes in it, but the room was a little more resilient. It still barely fit her bed, her trunk and a large desk.

She didn't understand what Ron was so excited about. The Order had made it quite clear what the Holidays would be like: nose out and keep quiet. They had spent most of the previous evening in the new parlor holding a huge meeting with more members than she, Ron or Hermione had known were in the Order.

They had argued that they should at least be able to listen in, but her parents had been firm and Mad-Eye Moody had scolded them when he found her trying to sneak an Extendable Ear through a crack in the wall. If they were inviting them down to a meeting now, there could be only one topic: rules and punishments. She was in no hurry to get a good seat just so Moody and her parents could give her a list of things she wasn't supposed to do.

She gave her wand another looping swish and a quick wave at the wall. It shuddered and scooted back another inch. Behind her, she heard footsteps walking toward her. "I know, Ron. I'll be down in moment." Disgustedly, she started looping her wand again.

"You'll find that a sharp jabbing motion is much more effective."

Ginny twirled to face Albus Dumbledore, who was standing serenely in her doorway. He smiled and gave his wand a swirl and a short jab, and the wall quietly moved back almost a foot. Ginny gave him a smirk. "Thank you, sir."

"You're quite welcome," he replied with a laugh. "Indeed, your progress was quite impressive. However, I believe there is something you would be much more interested in learning if you would join us in the parlor."

"Right," Ginny said unenthusiastically. "I think I'll just let Ron and Hermione tell me about it."

"I'm afraid they won't be allowed to." Ginny turned to look at her headmaster in confusion. He simply smiled and continued. "You see, Miss Weasley, there is a strict ban upon Order members telling non-members what is said in any of the meetings."

"But you won't let Ron and Hermione join--"

Ginny's eyes grew wide as she looked into Dumbledore's smiling face. She jammed her wand into her pocket and followed closely behind Dumbledore as he walked down the stairs to the kitchen and parlor.

She didn't know whether she was anxious or scared. Her stomach felt a little uneasy, but it seemed mostly because she was sitting with Ron and Hermione and facing about twenty other Order members including Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Remus Lupin. Lupin was the first to start talking.

"Good evening, again," he announced as he rose. "I assure you that tonight's meeting won't be as long, or as interesting as last night's, but it is perhaps just as important. Before us, are three of the four new members of the Order of the Phoenix. Along with Minister Bones' proclamation, this is an important point in the upcoming war. It's been decided that--"

"Hold on," Ron said loudly, "Three of the four? Who's the fourth?"

"The fourth could not be with us tonight," Dumbledore replied formally. "He is a Mr. Harry Potter. A fine boy --pretty good with a broom-- about your age. Perhaps you've met him?" Nymphadora Tonks laughed and shook her head in a nearby chair.

"Why isn't he here?" Ron asked.

"We'll explain all of that if you're patient, Ron. Arthur has already spoken to Harry about this." Lupin took a minute to quickly introduce the members that the three of them hadn't seen quite as often, and then quickly moved on to much less interesting topics.

Lupin seemed bored by his own speech. He was simply saying all the things that Ginny had guessed would have gone with being a member. Most of the things were simply a list of things they shouldn't do. Some were fairly obvious, like not mentioning they were members of the Order in public, some were less obvious, like not mentioning they hadn't been at home over the holiday, and some were inexplicable, like the rule against borrowing cauldrons from another Order member.

"I know it seems there are a lot of rules," Lupin said apologetically, "but this is quite serious. If you haven't considered it before, understand now that by joining us, you are accepting some increase in the danger you're already in. That danger will increase for all of us if you act irresponsibly."

"That means you tell no one what goes on here, unless they're a member, understand?" growled Mad-Eye Moody. "It's no use telling one of you something without telling the others, but if I catch you telling anyone else about the Order, you'll be lucky if you wake up before you're fiftieth birthday."

"Yes, I think I explained that, Moody," Lupin said quietly.

"No one, understand?" Moody said in his rough voice. "Not your roommates, or your favorite professor, or the local ghost, or any enchanted diary you find in your trunk," he added while glaring at Ginny.

Ginny returned the sour look, but felt a chill run down her spine at the realization of what she'd agreed to. She'd agreed to join the fight against Voldemort, the same Tom Riddle she'd been utterly enslaved to for months in her first year at Hogwarts. What hope did she have of helping?

She barely listened to what Lupin was saying as she scanned the room. It was filled with Aurors, Ministry officials, Hogwarts professors, professional healers and charmers, and wizards twice as old as her parents. They were some of the most talented and clever witches and wizards in all of Britain. She hadn't done anything. Even Ron and Hermione had done more than she had. She hadn't even fought at the Department of Mysteries. She ran until a Death Eater broke her ankle, and then waited, hoping for someone to save her.

That was all she'd ever done. She had always been the one who needed to be rescued. She would never get Tom's words out of her head, but a new voice had joined his: the voice of Bellatrix Lestrange offering to torture her until Harry handed over the Prophecy. Was that all she'd ever be? Was that all she had to look forward to?

She turned her attention back to the meeting and tried to listen as Mrs. McGonagall explained the changes in the rules about underage magic. Ginny decided at that moment that she'd have to start practicing. Even if Harry didn't continue with the D.A., she'd practice, and improve.

When McGonagall was finished, Mad-Eye Moody stood up slowly. "I've heard quite a bit about the lot of you," he growled. "You've got quite a bit of talent spread between the four of you, but not enough in the way of respect for authority." Hermione looked slightly offended.

"Dumbledore has entrusted the Order to Remus and I, and there isn't a scrap of information that you can't tell us. So--" he barked, making Ron jump, "--while you're here, anything you see, or hear, or learn, you tell to one of us just as soon as you can, understand? When you get to Hogwarts, that will be a different matter."

Ginny, Ron and Hermione all nodded immediately.

"So if you get any ideas, or see anything odd, you tell the two of us. If you want to have any discussions with strange books--" his magical eye swiveled to point directly at Ginny "--you ask us first. And if you have any secrets--" He stared at Ron and Hermione, and walked slowly and jerkily forward. "--If you have any secrets at all, you tell us. Any secrets, mind you, especially of the Potter variety."

Ron and Hermione said nothing, but gave each other concerned looks. Ginny tried to understand what he'd meant by that. Why was he so eager to get them to tell the Order any of Harry's secrets? What did Harry know that he wasn't telling them? Or what made them think that he wouldn't tell them once he was part of the Order?

"I think that's good enough, Moody," Tonks announced as she stood up and walked toward the three of them. "Now, if you still want to be in the same group as cranky old Alastor, I have some gifts for you." Tonks removed three wooden boxes identical to the one Arthur had given Harry. She explained the use of the Obscuring Orbs and even let them try them out on three rolls of parchment.

"If you need to talk to someone, Remus has agreed to be here at all times. Now, if Remus is... er... indisposed--"

"I prefer the term 'feral'," Lupin, corrected with a smile.

Tonks rolled her eyes. "Fine. So if wolf-boy is 'feral', then you should be able to find Moody." She leaned closer to them, and said in a lower voice, "It's probably worth waiting for Remus, though."

"So what are these used for?" Ron asked, turning his over in his hand and watching the cloudy liquid flow around inside the Orb.

There was a loud thunk as Moody's leg struck the floor and Tonks turned to glare at him. "You use these whenever you need to get a hold of any specific person outside the house, whether it's me when I'm at home, or your father when he's at the Ministry."

There was a bizarre noise like the sound of three bullfrogs being strangled.

"Hold on, Alastor," Tonks said over her shoulder. "And of course, you should use these when you send owls to Harry."

"We can send messages to Harry?" Hermione asked excitedly.

"Of course. He's in the Order, now. Just make sure you always use your Obscuring Orb." Tonks glared at Moody. "You can tell him anything we tell you, except for the things we tell you not to or things you might hear, well... accidentally."

"And if he says anything--" Moody started shouting.

"Yes, Alastor, I'm getting to that!" Tonks shouted back. "If Harry ever says anything that sounds interesting, even if it doesn't seem like it matters, let Remus know. Finally, any correspondence with another Order member should be burnt or destroyed as soon as you're done reading it. It's just safer if no one really knows who exactly is in the Order."

The rest of the meeting was an almost infuriating mixture of boredom and amazement. Various Order members gave brief explanations of what they and others had been doing for the last year. Ginny was shocked at how organized it truly was, despite how haphazardly people had been coming in and out of Grimmauld Place in just the last day.

As she walked up the stairs after a long night of listening to more information than she'd heard ever heard in a single night, she felt a surge of pride and purpose. She was going to be part of the fight against the wizard who'd caused her so much pain, and she hoped she'd have the chance to repay Harry for both of the times he'd protected her. She could see similar feelings on Ron and Hermione's faces.

"Are we supposed to remember all of that?" Ron whispered when the got to the top of the stairs.

"I don't think so," Hermione answered. "I don't think Lupin even knew what everyone had been doing."

"How much do you suppose they aren't telling us?"

---

In the week that had followed the Order meeting, Hermione and Ron had exchanged a number of messages with Harry. They didn't have much to say. It hadn't been terribly long since the train home, and there was only so much they could say about joining a secret organization that didn't ask them to do anything.

Harry didn't share much either. It wasn't as if his day-to-day life was even as exciting as Ron's or Hermione's. He certainly had more time to think than either of them, but there wasn't much for him to write about.

In truth, he knew there was more he wanted to talk about, but he didn't know if he could talk to anyone about it. He felt both worried and embarrassed about asking, and he didn't think Ron and Hermione were the correct people to ask.

Something was changing. He knew it. He could feel it. He had tried to ignore it at first, hoping it was just another part of growing up with magic, but part of him knew that it wasn't normal. He hadn't even noticed right away. He had been too preoccupied with the loss of Sirius. He'd been too upset to notice anything. That should have been the first sign.

Ever since those excruciating movements when Voldemort had possessed him, Harry had felt a difference. After he was back at Privet Drive, he found himself unintentionally performing magic, but it wasn't like Hornbying up his aunt or removing the pane of glass at the zoo. He found books and doors opening and closing for him when he was frustrated or angry. Objects he reached for would occasionally make small leaps into his hands at the last moment. Not far, usually only an inch at most, but it was noticeable.

At first, he was quite impressed with his new abilities. He knew little of what he should expect from his magical abilities as he grew up. He wondered if it was a normal thing for young wizards to pick up.

At the time, he had still been both angry and sad over the loss of Sirius. He had been trying to practice making things jump into his hands. It was slow work, but it kept his mind off his godfather. Figuring that lighter objects would be easier, he'd been trying to make his quill jump to him. He could only get it to leap an inch or two into his hand, but it was an improvement from earlier that day.

As he focused on trying to get it to jump farther, his door suddenly flew open and slammed against the wall. Harry immediately jumped up, feeling a sharp pain in his forehead.

"Boy!" Vernon bellowed, "I thought I told you to wash--"

Vernon's voice was cut short, leaving him standing fixed on the spot, while his face turned deathly pale. His mouth moved silently, and eventually some sound came out.

"Just-- just put it... down," he mumbled.

Harry looked in his hand and saw his wand pointed directly at Vernon. He remembered feeling the anger coursing through him, and then the fear as he looked to desk across the room where his wand had been. His left hand reached to his scar and found it warm and tender, while his head still throbbed dully.

His wand clattered on the floor.

Vernon's face had remained pale while he closed the door as he backed out of Harry's room and locked the door. Harry had been stuck in his room for two days after that, with only meals delivered by Petunia.

Since that day, he'd never tried to summon or open anything, but it still happened. If he was angry and he unintentionally opened a door, he would feel a twinge in his scar. It became clear to him that this was not his power it was Voldemort's.

After that, Harry spent most of his spare time practicing Occlumency. It helped him deal with the loss of Sirius and prevented most of the unintentional magic he'd been performing. He grew to loathe and almost fear it over the next week.

He concentrated even harder on Occlumency, but it didn't seem to have any effect. It didn't even stop the nightmares, though Harry found that he occasionally slept through them, only to be woken up slightly later, as his mind replayed the same dream repeatedly.

This night hadn't started out any different from any other, and yet Harry felt something different as he drifted off into the dream he'd come to expect.

He found himself in the same round room with doors all around him. It was the Department of Mysteries. He knew this dream. Even in the dream, he knew what was coming. There was a commotion coming from behind one of the doors. Harry could hear voices shouting orders and curses on the other side. He walked to the door. He could hear Sirius shouting and laughing. There was confidence and excitement in his voice. He was enjoying himself. In his dreams, Sirius was still alive.

Harry knew Sirius was gone. He knew this wasn't real. He knew what would happen when he entered the room. He'd seen this many times. However, for a moment he'd get to see Sirius happy and free. He reached for the handle.

Another door sprung open silently. Harry paused, and tried to remember if that had ever happened before. He turned and cautiously walked to the door. He looked in, but saw only darkness. Suddenly two boys popped into existence and fell to the ground. A voice filled the room: "Kill the spare," and the room flashed with green light.

Harry turned away, and found that all the doors were open now. He realized that he had nowhere to go. Everywhere he looked he saw horrible things from his past: Hermione lying on a bed, petrified. Ron being dragged into the Whomping Willow, Arthur being bitten, and Ginny Weasley's lifeless body lying on the floor of the Chamber of Secrets. Then he noticed a soft, warm light coming from one of the doors. As he stepped closer to it, he felt lighter, and suddenly he didn't care so much about the other doors. This door must be his way out.

He walked through the door into a void of gentle light, and felt a cool breeze Hornbying on him. It was a welcome relief from the horrors he had escaped. He tried to see something more of his surroundings, and found that it wasn't a light as he had thought. Looking back toward the door, he saw that now it seemed the light was coming from the room.

The door closed, and he was plunged into a cold darkness.

He panicked, and called out to anyone. He tried walking, or running anywhere but he only found darkness. He lost track of time and where he was. The world was cold and dark and he was alone.

Then, ahead of him, he saw faint figures. It was two people talking. He felt repulsed by them, but at the same time, something else was pulling at him. He felt he was being tugged and stretched toward the figures. The closer he got, the clearer they were. He walked right up to them.

When he got close, he was hit with a wave of revulsion as he recognized the two wizards.

"When will it begin, Master?"

Voldemort paused and smiled, "Soon. Quite soon."

"Who will be the first?"

"Not now, Bellatrix. We have a visitor."

"Is it him?"