Thicker Than Water: Year Six

Chapter 21 - Easter Break

March passed with the usual damp grey of early spring. Students could be seen huddled in hallways with newspapers in their hands, sharing the latest calamities from the wizarding world. The Dementors, who had left Azkaban the previous June to join Voldemort, were sighted with increasing frequency. Fudge's defence-pamphlets - now staples in most magical homes - were of little use to the magical community, as few wizards could produce corporeal Patronuses when faced with real Dementors.

Equally disturbing was a spate of attacks on muggles that occurred throughout the month. A family of muggles had been tortured by Death Eaters. The surviving father and son had been in St. Mungo's for a week and, in the end, their drastic memory charms led to the need to relocate the pair to a new life in a new community. Death Eaters had also kidnapped and raped several teenage muggle girls on their way home from school; the girls were later released and found by policemen, wandering in a ravine and branded with the Dark Mark.

That last attack led Harry to corner Ginny and Hermione, and suggest that they had to meet as soon as possible, without Ron. He said he had a couple defence moves to show them. Ginny got out of that evening's Quidditch practice by faking an injury and insisting she had to go see Madame Pomfrey. Ron went off to practice without her, grumbling about the lack of team cohesion.

The two Gryffindor girls met Harry and Luna at the Room of Requirement at seven o'clock. Harry had recalled the previous year's D.A. room, and paced around while Hermione perused the bookshelves eagerly.

"What's so urgent that I had to skive off Quidditch?" asked Ginny.

"Those attacks - you know the ones on the muggle girls?" said Harry. Ginny nodded, while Luna looked on appraisingly, her large eyes shining with curiosity. "Well, see, Tonks showed me this - thing. This transformation. I'm not very good at it, but I think you should learn it. Just in case, you know..."

"What sort of transformation? I've been reading ahead in the Transfiguration text books, and I know most of what they're going to teach us up to our NEWTs," said Hermione with unwitting pretension.

"Er... I'm pretty sure we won't be learning this one with McGonagall," said Harry. "It's called the Peos Reducto, and it will, er... maybe I could show you. But you can't tell anybody you learned this from me - the other guys will kill me!"

He conjured a small statue as Tonks had done, but it didn't resemble the one by Michelangelo that the Auror had managed. Instead, Hermione and Ginny tittered as Harry tried an Engorgement spell on the statue to prepare it for the lesson. The spell went awry, leading to over-engorgement and uproarious laughter by the girls. Even Luna stood gaping, her eyebrows raised in admiration.

"Um, yes, the Peos Reducto spell will fix that problem," muttered Harry, flushing with embarrassment. He tried the transformation as Tonks had shown him, but didn't meet with much success.

Hermione nudged Harry out of the way, and took her own stab at it. After three tries, she got it, and shrank the statue's privates to half their normal size. Ginny's eyes had gone wider than Luna's, and she said, "I've definitely got to learn this one!"

Harry edged away from the girls who, under Hermione's tutelage, were progressing quite well without him. He started moving towards the door, wondering if they'd notice if he left. Hermione did, and asked, "Is that all you were going to show us?"

"Yeah, yeah it was."

"What? Don't we get some live target-practice?" asked Luna innocently, her wand turned towards Harry. Harry's hands shifted across his robes as a look of mortification crossed his face.

Ginny, choking with laughter, said to Luna, "You're actually prepared to shrink the crown jewels?"

"Actually, I wanted to have a go with that Engorgement charm," Luna replied evenly, looking directly at Ginny. She whipped around suddenly, wand pointed at Hermione's chest, and shouted, "Mamifera Engorgio!"

Hermione was not generally taken unawares. Her eyes widened in alarm as her hands flew to her chest. As she patted her robes, though, a slow smile spread over her face and she asked Ginny, "When did you say that Quidditch practice was over?"

Harry winced at the implications and decided the time had come to beat a hasty retreat. Ginny rounded on him and asked mischievously, "What? Done teaching us already?"

"Er... Actually, you're doing fine without me... I'm tired, my head..." stammered Harry, rubbing his temples with one hand, the other fast on the doorknob.

"None tonight, dearies, our boy has a headache!" sang Ginny. The other two shrieked with laughter, Luna doubled over with tears streaming from her eyes. Harry looked at them in alarm then fled for his life... and the general maintenance of his physique.

*

Another visit to the Manor came and, again, Remus was not around to meet him. Tonks relayed his apologies and told Harry that, with Diggory as Minister of Magic, they had much more work to do in their battle against Voldemort.

"He's pulled out all the stops, has he?" Harry asked, settling down for his cosmetics.

Tonks handed him the acrid potion for his skin, replying, "Yes, he has, but that's not what I meant. Now, instead of simply combating Death Eaters, we're putting out the Minister's fires as well."

Surprised, Harry twisted around to look at her. "But I thought that Amos Diggory was doing a great job! They're always going on in the Daily Prophet about his bold initiatives and pre-emptive strikes."

"Sure they are! People are thrilled that we now have a Minister who isn't hiding his head under a rock. They all think that action translates to greater safety and hope for the wizarding world," said Tonks, the disillusioned sarcasm ringing clear in her voice. "But being an elite law-enforcer, let me tell you, the way he's going about things is just plain stupid; stupid and dangerous!"

Harry gaped at her in astonishment and said, "Tell me!"

"Well, his initiatives may look good on paper, but they're often rash and not well thought-out," said Tonks. "There are plenty of good people gathering information about Voldemort's movements and patterns in Death Eater assaults. That's what Aurors and especially members of the Order are all about. We know when certain attacks are likely to take place, but instead of focusing on intelligence reports, Diggory is going for reactive - and often highly ineffective - strikes. He'll send us out in force, but often in situations where our operatives' lives are in danger, or the Death Eaters have the advantage. Also, Diggory shows a surprising willingness to resort to Voldemort's own tactics to fight him.

"For instance, we've all seen what the Dementors are about, and yet he's talking about getting them back on our side. Imagine cutting a deal with those soulless monsters, just to lure them away from Voldemort! What we need to do is destroy them, drive them out like we did with the giants so many years ago. Trust me, Harry, a deal with the devil is a fickle one that can turn on you in the blink of an eye. I'm surprised Diggory hasn't figured that out yet, as least where the Dementors are concerned!"

Harry thought about the pea-brained and innocently aggressive Grawp, and wondered if Tonks was correct in labelling him amongst the monsters that Dementors embodied. Hagrid would certainly disagree, but Harry recognised that she had a point. Playing with fire was a dangerous thing, and you could always get caught up in explosions of your own making.

Harry shook his head ominously, disturbing Tonks' attempts to firm up his dark curls. "I honestly thought Diggory would be so much better than Fudge! After losing... I mean, since Cedric died... I would have thought that Amos Diggory would be a really formidable opponent for Voldemort."

"Diggory's loss is always on people's minds. It's righteous anger, yes, but a personal vendetta is not always the best foundation for good judgement or leadership," said Tonks sadly. They both silently consulted their own thoughts as she continued to work on Leo's features.

"There, done!" Tonks declared after a while. "Now I have a surprise for you. For your defence-entertainment, a special guest will be arriving shortly to show you his magical slight-of-hand and honourable tricks of the trade!"

"Who, Dobby?" asked Harry enthusiastically. "Will I learn to pull a rabbit from a hat?"

Tonks obviously got the muggle reference, and laughed appreciatively with Harry. "I'm afraid it's bigger and scarier than that! Mad-Eye's going to come by soon, to teach you Disillusioning and test your Apparition skills."

"But I can Apparate just fine, Remus taught me," said Harry with a frown.

Tonks shrugged. "He insisted on putting you through the paces personally. Humour him, Harry, he's a very knowledgeable man and a good teacher."

"Yeah, I know. His twin-double taught me how to throw off the Imperious curse!" muttered Harry sarcastically.

"Judge not the man by his captor and evil- impostor!" Tonks sermonised. They chuckled some more, and Tonks conjured a pitcher of pumpkin juice for the wait. While passing the time until Moody's arrival, Harry asked Tonks if she had seen Kingsley lately.

"Sure, I see him nearly every day," Tonks answered evenly.

Harry rolled his eyes and said, "That's not what I meant. Have you seen him as Mrs. Evangy?"

Tonks' strawberry lips twisted into an embarrassed smile. "Well, yeah. I suppose I've consented to meeting him a couple of times. But he just kept writing, and he was so glum at work when Mrs. Evangy didn't write back. He' s a nice man, I just couldn't stand to see him down like that..."

"So you've gone out twice more?" Harry's eyebrows were raised questioningly.

"Er... maybe double that," replied a blushing Tonks.

"I thought men weren't your thing!" snorted Harry in amusement.

"It's not like that!" said Tonks defensively. "We're just friends. I mean, I see him at work a lot, but when he's with Mrs. Evangy, he just opens up and talks more. Shack's an interesting guy, really into the arts, and he knows all these great galleries and theatres in London..."

"You're leading him on," Harry said quietly, but Tonks didn't have a chance to reply to the accusation. Just at that moment, a green fire flared up in the drawing room grate, and Mad-Eye Moody stumped into the room.

Though the Manor was a secure location, Mad-Eye looked around suspiciously and gave the room a quick going-over with his wand to make sure there were no dark-devices embedded in the curtains or hidden beneath sofa cushions.

"All right there Potter, Tonks?" the vigilant ex-Auror asked gruffly.

"Peachy," murmured Tonks, still smarting from Harry's last comment.

"Sir, er, can I ask you something? Can your magical eye see through disguises?" Harry asked.

The grizzled old man surveyed him, and answered, "Not through Tonks' magnificent transformations, it can't. But I can see that extra wand you have tucked inside your robe. You're lucky my eye is a one-of-a-kind creation that isn't likely to be reproduced; otherwise, all Voldemort's supporters would be walking around peering at you through one of these!"

Harry didn't remind Moody that one of them already had, throughout his fourth year at Hogwarts. He also didn't point out that most wizards wouldn't be too keen to gouge out their eyes, simply for the sake of re-inserting a magical one in place of the original. Not even Voldemort supporters were that crazy, thought Harry, but then he remembered Peter Pettigrew and the bleeding stump where his hand had been...

Moody started Harry off with a strange sort of apparition-tag game. He would tell Harry where to apparate, and instantaneously follow him to different rooms in the house before calling out another location. Harry performed admirably, though Moody kept prodding him to disappear faster. Finally satisfied that Harry could apparate with ease around the Manor, Moody declared, "Now let's see how well you do with distances and less familiar locations!"

They apparated from the Manor to the Shrieking Shack to a Welsh field to Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes and back to the Manor again. Harry enjoyed the identical fleeting looks of shock on Fred and George's faces as he winked into their shop, followed closely by Mad-Eye, before winking out again almost instantaneously afterwards.

When they returned to the drawing room, Harry was breaking into a sweat after the rapid-fire demonstration of his transportation-abilities. Fortunately, Moody gave his whole-hearted approval and said it was time for Harry to learn a couple of good Concealment tactics.

The first thing Moody tried to do was show Harry an invisibility cloak. Harry laughed out loud when he saw the long, shimmering cloak in Moody's hand, and Tonks snorted at him, "Mad-Eye, Harry's been using his father's cloak since he was eleven!"

Harry was going to say that Moody had seen him in it then recalled that that had been Barty Crouch.

"So you know how to use one of these, do you, Potter?" Moody asked argumentatively. "Tell me, boy, what happens when you turn an invisibility cloak inside-out?"

Harry was stumped by the question, and even Tonks looked puzzled. Moody proceeded to turn his cloak inside-out and touched his wand to it, saying, "Reveal me!"

He then used his gnarled old hands to throw the cloak around his shoulders. Harry and Tonks gasped as Moody became a shimmering apparition, much like the watery-texture of the cloak itself, and appeared simultaneously in a dozen places around the room. Moody began to walk about, and so did the identical shimmering apparitions of himself: all moved in exactly the same way, though in different directions. Some of the clones appeared to be mirror images of Moody, identifiable by the wooden leg and asymmetrical gashes that marked his battle-scarred face.

From the midst of the milling Moodys, Mad-Eye said, "Can you tell which is the real me? Touch my shoulder!"

Harry ignored the obvious mirror-images, and stepped towards the apparition closest to where the real Mad-Eye had disappeared. He reached to touch the man's shoulder, but his fingers went straight through it into thin air.

"Now duel with me!" demanded Moody.

Harry whipped out his wand and fired in the direction the ex-Auror's voice had come from. Mad-Eye didn't even lift his wand, but the apparitions all gave lopsided smiles as the jet a yellow light flew through an incorporeal form and hit the drawing room wall.

Mad-Eye then took aim, and gave Harry the most challenging duel he had ever had in a training session. The old man kept moving in circles, and the apparitions of him kept pace with the real thing. Harry never knew where the next spell was coming from, and hardly managed to dodge the hexes or shield the correct side of his body. Most of his own hexes were wasted on intangible Moodys. When he actually got it right, Moody would put up a shield and the action would be mirrored many times over around the room. The simultaneous motions were wildly distracting and disconcerting in the middle of a fight. Tonks had flattened herself against a wall, partially obscured by a cabinet, desperately trying to keep out of the way while at the same time fascinated by the multi-faceted duel.

As Harry jumped away from a blast of blue light, he turned with lightening speed and sent one back in the direction it had come from. Mad-Eye moved partially out of the way, but he didn't block the hex and allowed it to graze his arm. The many Moodys grimaced at the pain and Harry lowered his wand in alarm.

Mad-Eye said clearly, "Now find me! Remember, a ghost doesn't bleed."

Harry turned towards the sound of his voice and the direction of his last spell. Though there were four Moodys in his line of vision - three of which were symmetrically correct, all of which had dark, red patches spreading on the robe arm - only one showed the glistening flow of real blood.

Harry walked over to the real Moody, and the old man pulled off the cloak as he approached. He became a solid mass once more, the many other shimmering forms around him disappearing instantaneously.

Tonks hurried over to check Moody's arm, a look of awe still on her face. "You okay, Mad-Eye? How badly did that last one hit you?"

"I'll be fine, but I think we'll save the Disillusionment Charm for another day," Moody said, rolling up his sleeve to check his arm. "You might want to take out that invisibility cloak of yours and give this a whirl in private one day. Don't forget the lesson about the blood: it's a dead give away in battle."

"Can all invisibility cloaks be used this way?" asked Harry, unsettled.

"Yes, they can," replied Moody. "But I don't reckon too many other wizards know about it. I don't generally go showing off that little trick, not even in battle. The couple of times I've resorted to using it, my opponents were not in any state to share the secret after the battle. Don't go showing too many of your friends - you never know who will tell whom. Constant vigilance, Potter, especially where talk is concerned!"

Moody departed shortly thereafter, to tend to his arm and change out of his bloody robe. Harry and Tonks discussed the duel at length, and then Tonks said that it was time for Harry to get back to Hogwarts, for dinner. Harry's stomach agreed whole heartedly, and he gave the young Auror a quick hug before reaching for the portkey she had prepared.

*

Harry noticed that Ginny and Dean had been spending more time together. As they walked down from Gryffindor Tower to meet Luna in the library one evening, he decided to ask her about it.

"So, you're with Dean again. I take it you've resolved that other... issue?" asked Harry.

Ginny nodded. "Dean and I are back together, I guess. He's been interested all year, and hasn't just let me go. I'm grateful, I suppose. I do like him, but... no, that other issue isn't totally resolved. I still hear Tom Riddle's voice, goading me."

Ginny looked up, scared and defiant at the same time. "But I'm fighting him, I am! I can't let imaginary lies control my life... I just wish I could let go of that past..."

She shivered uncontrollably then regained her composure. A smile tugged at her lips and she said playfully, "But maybe you want to hear about my latest beau?"

Harry raised one eyebrow at her tone, and indicated that his curiosity had been piqued.

"I humiliated Malfoy a couple weeks back, in the courtyard during a morning break. He was teasing me in his immature, malicious way and I brought him down a notch or two. Even the Slytherins were laughing at him."

Harry looked at her warily. "And...?"

"Malfoy can't stand to be made a fool by a muggle-loving blood-traitor Weasley. He's been following me around, probably looking for an opportunity to hex me! As if that ferret is any match for me - I won't let him forget those bat-bogeys anytime too soon!"

Though he didn't say it aloud, Harry could see how his feisty redheaded friend had just the temperament to excite the slimy blond - to revenge, or worse.

"You watch out for Malfoy, Ginny. He may be an evil git, but he's not stupid or harmless. I also saw him in Hogsmeade on Ron's birthday. He met his mother there, and I'm sure he's got the backing of all his dad's old friends. Let him alone - you don't need to be causing trouble for yourself, not the way things are these days," Harry warned her.

Ginny just shrugged as if to say, he's no match for me!

Harry decided he'd talk to Luna about keeping an eye on her. He didn't want to say anything to Ron and Hermione - he didn't like to think what the consequences would be if Ron found out that Malfoy was trailing Ginny.

They arrived at the library, and found Luna waiting at the usual table. Her books were already open around her, but she was staring blankly at a list of potion ingredients on a parchment. Her lips were parted slightly and, by way of an acknowledgement, she looked up and said, "I think I have crustaceans in my brain; I can't make heads or tails of this! They're just trying to teach us too much for our OWLs - there's no way on earth all of this is going to come up in our exams!"

"Information overload," agreed Ginny, nodding sympathetically.

"But you're here now," Luna addressed Harry. "How about giving us a potions tutorial?"

"How about we ditch the library and just work on chemistry?" Harry asked hopefully, but both Luna and Ginny gave him serious, disapproving looks. He sighed heavily. "You know I despise the subject... why does it have to be Potions?"

"Because it's keeping you well grounded in the subject," Luna explained as though the answer were obvious. Harry opened his mouth to complain, but she cut him off with a whisper. "And don't tell me it isn't necessary. That's exactly what you were doing all of first term with Neville and Defence!"

She was absolutely right, and Harry found he had no grounds for protesting that argument. Sighing again, he pulled out a chair and immersed himself in the fifth-year Potions curriculum. Though he'd never admit Luna was right, Harry found that explaining last year's material from the perspective of his sixth year course work did actually ensure that he understood the use of various potion ingredients, and the processes that occurred during brewing. Whatever kept him up to speed in Snape's class and prevented him from being a target of the potion master's abuse had to be a positive thing. So Harry stifled a yawn, and launched into a detailed description of hydrophobic potion ingredients, and how to tell them apart from the hydrophilic ones.

*

Before they knew it, Easter break had arrived providing the students at Hogwarts with a much-needed respite from the continual routine of attending classes. The week of the break started off cold and rainy, and Harry looked forward to a spending more time with Luna. He also had to face an increasing load of schoolwork and essays that needed catching up on. He was therefore surprised to find a note from Dumbledore delivered onto his breakfast on Sunday morning:

You are wanted at home on a family matter. Please pack a bag for three or four days' absence, and come to my office by 10 am. (signed) Professor Dumbledore

Puzzled, Harry quickly finished his breakfast and hurried back to Gryffindor Tower to pack. He wasn't due to meet Tonks for his cosmetics that weekend, and as he had no family to speak of, he couldn't help but being intrigued by the message.

Harry finished throwing the last of his clothes into a bag, making his excuses to his roommates that an aunt from America had arrived to visit on short notice. Hurrying to Dumbledore's office, Harry was surprised to find Sean Lupin standing in the corridor looking around in slight confusion; the younger boy asked him, "Do you know where the Headmaster's office is?"

Beckoning for Sean to follow, Harry led the way to the stone gargoyle and gave the password. They found Dumbledore sitting at his desk, coughing over a cup of tea. When the fit passed, he waved a hand for the two boys to come in, apologising, "I just can't seem to shake this cold!"

Holding up the note, Harry asked, "Is everything all right? At first I thought you were sending me to the Weasleys, but Ron knew nothing about it, and I found Sean instead..."

"Yes, I believe Remus has a little treat planned for the two of you," said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling. "You do like Quidditch, don't you, Sean?"

Sean nodded, a bit awed at being addressed by the Headmaster. Dumbledore indicated the small golden snitch that lay on his desk, and Sean reached out to touch it. Experienced with Dumbledore's portkeys, Harry smiled and intercepted Sean's hand, saying, "Pick up your bag first."

The younger boy gave Harry a surprised look, and picked his knapsack off the floor, slinging it over one shoulder.

"On three..." said Harry, nodding at the snitch and counting down under Dumbledore's approving smile. Touching the snitch, both boys were whisked quickly away. They reappeared in front of a fireplace in a warm, panelled room. Harry reached over to steady Sean as they stumbled onto the hearth rug.

"What on earth was that thing?" gasped Sean, regaining his balance and looking up to the corner of the room where the snitch had flown.

"A portkey," grinned Harry, remembering that his first experience with one was also Quidditch-related, when he had joined the Weasleys at the Quidditch World-Cup. "But where are we?"

"In the lounge of a wizard-owned caravan in northern England," came a voice from behind them. Both boys whirled around to see Remus lounging comfortably in an easy chair facing the fireplace. "Welcome to Appleby-in-Westmorland: picturesque town in the heart of English wilderness, site of the famed river Eden, and home to the Appleby Arrows!"

"Remus, you're too much!" laughed Harry in delight, as Sean leapt at the man shouting, "Dad! Are we going to see a real Quidditch game?"

"We sure are!" said Remus, catching Sean in an embrace and winking over the boy's shoulder at Harry. "Hope you don't mind being dragged along, Har-- uh, Leo. I know how important Easter break is, for studying and what not..."

"The studying I don't mind missing," grinned Harry, "and I suppose the what not can wait a day or so..."

Remus raised his eyebrows and replied, "One, I don't want to know; and two, I don't want to know!" He pointed at Sean and said cryptically, "But we can have the discussion about what and not some other time."

Sean looked mildly indignant, and Harry said, "I'm afraid Bill's beat you to the talk, old man! Thank goodness..."

"You know, I'm old enough to know what you're talking about!" Sean declared.

"Right now, I'm not talking about anything! And when you're ready for this conversation, I've just decided to appoint Mr. Harry here for the task. Apparently, I'm an 'old' man and, as such, my opinions are bound to be of very little use!" Remus said snidely. "Anyway, let me show you to your room and then we'll do some sightseeing. I think you'll both enjoy the wizard's tour of Appleby."

Harry and Sean left their bags in a shared bedroom, and spent the afternoon exploring the town. As Remus had said, Appleby was picturesque: he pointed out the market and Gypsy fairgrounds. When they came to the local castle - which wasn't nearly as impressive as Hogwarts in scope - Remus launched into its colourful history, which included a historic feud, a couple of murders, and wizards secretly occupying hidden chambers unbeknownst to muggle owners.

After an early supper at the local inn, Remus led them back to their rented holiday home in Wild Rose Park. They all grabbed warmer clothing for the evening's Quidditch game and headed back across the darkening park to a more secluded section, far from the lodges and rented habitations. Other occupants of the caravan park were also casually strolling in the same direction as them.

At a ring of trees, Harry caught sight of tiny, dim lights that seemed to shimmer in the branches, marking off a subtle boundary. When they crossed it, the sudden brightness was blinding, causing Harry to blink and Sean's mouth to drop open in disbelief. They could see bleachers ahead, witches and wizards flocking to them en masse.

"How do they do that?" asked Sean, awed.

"Those little lanterns on the trees, outside the perimeter, absorb the bright lights of the Quidditch pitch. Concealment charms on the area help keep muggle visitors from exploring this part of the park too closely." Remus went on to explain the theory behind establishing anti-muggle Distraction charms to keep muggles away. Harry - who had previously seen similar spells at work at the Quidditch World Cup, still listened with interest to Remus' explanation about the complex magic used to bamboozle the senses of non-wizards.

They took their seats in the ample stands, Sean bouncing with excitement at attending his first professional Quidditch game. The Appleby Arrows were playing Puddlemere United; Harry was eager to see his former team-mate Oliver Wood in action. The game got underway, a streak of navy robes whipping into the air to take on the pale blue ones of the home team. Harry and Remus filled Sean in on some of the more obscure rules and fouls in Quidditch, while the commentator droned loudly as the play intensified.

"...Yonge , just back from her honeymoon, passes the Quaffle to Dundas; looks like he's going to score... nice save by Keeper Wood; Oakley in possession of the Quaffle for P.U., dodges a bludger, he's heading across the pitch... Foul! Foul for P.U. for a nasty interference by Spadina; he's been playing dirty this season... Chaser Forage takes the foul and - Scores! That's forty-ten for Puddlemere United! The Arrows have called a time-out... They're back, and it looks like they're going to try a Middleton formation to get back on track... P.U.'s not having any of it; they're diving right in... Good pass to Yonge, he's ahead of the pack... Scores! Ten more points for Appleby... Forage in possession, drops the quaffle... Oh! Nasty collision between Forage and Eglinton; Forage spiralling to the ground, and Eglinton has the quaffle... Seekers Bathurst and Twigg in a dive, they've spotted the snitch; it's changing directions now... Great swerve away from the bludger... and Bathurst has the snitch!! Appleby Arrows win the game with 210 to 90!"

The home crowd erupted into cheers of excitement, Harry and Sean shouting with the pack. Sean said, "That was amazing! Maybe I'll try out for Quidditch next year... I'd love to play Keeper. Those were some awesome saves!"

"If you'd like, we could go down to the change rooms and I'll introduce you to Oliver Wood. We played together during my first three years of school," Harry offered.

"Not likely, Leo. I don't know who you played Quidditch with in America, but I think you've received too many bludgers to the head!" said Remus in a cautionary tone. Harry frowned with disappointment. He had wanted to catch up with his former team-captain again, but Remus was correct: that was impossible for Leo.

They trudged back out the muggle-repellent barrier and into the dark night that enveloped the park. Sean continued to babble about Quidditch to Remus, while Harry daydreamed of the day when he would be able to play on a team again. He missed the game, the wild exhilaration a diving after a snitch, the joy of camaraderie on the pitch...

They soon returned to their caravan, and Remus heated a kettle of water for tea. It had been a long day, and Sean promptly fell asleep when he lay down. Harry, a habitual night-owl, wasn't ready to sleep and Remus perched onto the foot of Sean's bed to keep him company.

"I haven't seen you for a while, what with the full moon and my work for the Order... in fact, I think it was before you received your blood protection that we last met. How'd that go for you, anyway?"

"Oh, fine. It was a little bit... strange, actually. But the mood swings have settled down since then," Harry said, recalling the ordeal. "Hey, Remus, Bill told me that Dumbledore added Re'em blood to the whole concoction. Apparently, Re'em blood is responsive to the lunar cycle, and it made me a little bit nuts at the last full moon. Looks like you and I have something in common now, Moony!"

Remus laughed and said, "Yes, I know all about the Re'em blood! Sirius once threatened to drink a pint to prove a point to an old girlfriend; she used to get very nasty during her monthly and he thought that would give her some attitude she couldn't beat!"

"Attitude? That's one way of looking at it," murmured Harry, envious as Remus enjoyed his recollection of being young with Sirius. Harry wished he had more memories of his own of the man he had come to think of as a surrogate father.

"Remus, What did Sirius do when he finished school? And my dad?"

Remus looked sadly at him and said, "What? Has nobody ever told you?"

Harry shook his head and Remus explained that James had started his Auror training, but never completed it. "Your grandparents were killed by Death Eaters when he was in his second year of Auror schooling. James and Lily arrived at their home shortly after it happened and they met Voldemort there. Your grandfather was ardently outspoken against Voldemort's pureblood-domination agenda, and made a personal enemy in him early on. That night was the first of three when your parents faced Voldemort. After that, James dropped out of the Auror program. He insisted he could be more effective working for the Order, and he was probably right. Lily continued to work as an archivist at the Ministry of Magic. She was a very useful mole for extracting information from the Ministry for the Order when there was need."

"What about Sirius? Was he studying to be an Auror too?"

Harry was surprised when Remus let out a hearty laugh before replying. "Auror? With Sirius' temperament? No way! He had inherited a mound of gold from his uncle and decided to live a little after school. He grew his hair long, bought a motorcycle, and became a roadie for a muggle rock and roll band. I seem to recall that he was in love with the lead singer and she was teaching him how to play the guitar around the time you were born. He called your parents the 'old married couple' and made fun of them for being settled so young while he was always on the road and on tours... But he still found time to visit James and Lily, to come see you after you were born, and to work for the Order on a regular basis."

"Muggle rock and roll band?" said Harry suspiciously. "He didn't by chance go by the name Stubby Boardman, did he?"

"No, but he got quite the kick out of that article!" laughed Remus. "Anyway, it's too bad you weren't told about your parents or grandparents sooner. We've all been remiss in that respect; they were really good people, and you deserved to know that. Unfortunately, I can't say the same about your aunt and uncle!"

"Good people, bad people, it doesn't mean anything where the future is concerned," murmured Harry, thinking of his parents' and Sirius' untimely demise, and of his own prophesied fate.

"No, you never can tell what tomorrow will bring," said Remus in a serious tone, gazing at his sleeping son. "Harry, I want you to promise me something. If anything should happen to me, take care of Sean, will you? He's already got Sinéal and her family, but he'll need another wizard, a role model to guide him... Liam will have an older brother, but Sean - he's got a lot of suppressed anger that he needs to learn how to channel; in some ways he reminds me of you. Promise me you'll look after Sean if something ever happens..."

"Nothing's going to happen - Remus?" said Harry in a scared voice, and the older man just shrugged sadly. Then Harry got angry and spat out decisively at Remus, "Nothing is going to happen to you!"

"I can't make any promises, but... I'll try my best, Harry." Remus reached over and stroked the side of Harry's face with the back of his hand; he then placed his hand in a comforting grip on Harry's shoulder. Harry sat still, an angry scowl masking his attempts to keep his emotions under control.

They sat that way, and the silence lengthened. Remus finally said quietly, in a distracted voice, that he was beat and they had a busy day ahead of them tomorrow. Harry felt relieved when the man left the room and he could allow the inevitable tears to trickle down onto his cheeks. Moving mechanically, he changed and lay down on the second bed, listening to Sean's light snores. He lay awake and thought about the parents he had never known: a young couple only a few years older than himself, with close friends and dreams for a future together. Eventually, his eyes closed and his visions of a young James and Lily blurred, becoming the basis for his own dreams.

The second day of his vacation in Appleby dawned cool, crisp and sunny. Harry could have managed a couple hours more sleep, but Sean and Remus were up and ready to go so Harry had to haul himself out of bed.

The plan was to grab breakfast in town, then catch a muggle bus for a day trip to some of the ancient Stone Circles that dotted the land near Appleby. After Harry and Sean ate their fill - Remus just nibbling on one piece of toast and relying on the coffee for sustenance - Remus went to purchase the bus tickets. Harry and Sean stayed outside, enjoying the cool air and the magnificent view of the surrounding mountains.

Remus rejoined them, and they whiled away the time until the bus' departure window-shopping in the quaint village. An ample woman came out of the bakery with a large black dog on a leash; she gave them a pleasant smile as she passed. Sean suddenly caught sight of the expression on Harry's face, and gasped, "Leo, are you okay? Dad!"

Remus looked over and his expression instantaneously changed to one of alarm. He grabbed Harry's shoulder and followed his line of vision: it lingered on the retreating backside of the big woman. Remus whispered, "What is it, Harry? Did you see something? Is it the dog?"

It was probably a logical assumption on Remus' part, that the large, black dog may have triggered memories of Sirius. Instead, Harry pointed a finger at the woman and croaked, "Aunt Marge!"

His breath was short and Harry felt numb, taken off guard by the sudden sighting of Vernon Dursley's malevolent older sister. A plethora of memories assaulted him, from the explosion that claimed his family's lives last summer to being chased up a tree years back by that very same dog; Marge's ringing voice belittling Harry and his parents that night several summers back when he lost control and blew her up.

Remus shook him, and Harry fought back the memories, concentrating on his friend's voice. "...Just breathe deeply, Harry. She's gone, and she had no clue who you were. It's just an anxiety attack... I want you to breathe..."

Harry managed to calm down, prompted by Remus' concern. In a touching childish gesture, Sean slipped a hand into his and said, "What I said to you, over Christmas, about your parents - I'm so sorry. I guess I just didn't realise what it must have been like."

Harry swallowed past a lump in his throat. Remus insisted he sit on a bench with Sean, and went to get a drink of water for him. They didn't make Harry talk about Marge or the Dursleys, but Remus kept throwing worried glances at him anyway.

By the time they boarded the bus and started to roll out into the mountainous countryside, Harry was feeling better. Quieter than usual, he nonetheless enjoyed seeing the Stone Circles. Remus would isolate them from the few other tourists at the sites, and showed Sean and Harry how to reveal runes on the surfaces of the stones, hidden there in antiquity by wizards of old.

The third day of their holiday included a longer trip out to the Lakes District. Harry found the sea very exhilarating, and spend long periods just staring out across the water, inhaling the salty sea air that whipped across his face.

And then his vacation ended. Remus was returning to Ireland with Sean, so they could spend some time together as a family, with Sinéal and Liam. He prepared a portkey for Harry and said, "I told Dumbledore to expect you this morning, he ought to be there when you arrive. I hope you had a good time, getting away from the school for a bit."

"I can't begin to thank you enough, Remus. It's the only real vacation I've ever been on, other than to Sinéal's with you last summer. Thanks for taking me along," Harry said, reaching over to give the man a brief hug.

Remus returned it with a squeeze and said, "I'll be seeing you pretty soon, Harry."

Harry took hold of the portkey and, with a terrible yank, was whisked back to the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts.

*

Harry got back to school refreshed by the change in scenery, and glad to have had some time away with Remus and Sean. He had missed Luna enormously, and was very happy to see her and his other friends again. There were still a few more days of Easter break, and he would have to get working to finish the backlog of schoolwork. Neville also extracted a promise from Harry to fit in a couple extra defence training sessions. With his own wand and new-found self-confidence, Neville had made great strides over the course of the year, especially since he had begun working with Harry and Bill on a regular basis.

The week was passing too quickly for his liking, mused Harry as he joined his friends in the Great Hall for lunch. Ginny hurried in some ten minutes later; she helped herself to sandwiches and carrot sticks which she began to eat at top speed.

"What's the big rush?" asked Ron, his mouth half full of the double-decker sandwich he had created by stacking two regular ones together.

"Oh! I've got careers advice in fifteen minutes," she replied between bites.

"So, Ginny, what do you want to do after Hogwarts?" Hermione inquired.

The redheaded girl just shrugged and said, "No clue. I'll probably just tell McGonagall I'm following in Ron's footsteps."

"Doing what?" asked Hermione sceptically.

"Why, picking fame and fortune by way of a career as a professional Quidditch player," declared Ginny in an offhand manner.

"You're kidding!" laughed Hermione. Ron, on the other hand, looked as if he had just been struck by a bolt of lightening. He looked at Ginny in wonder and then stared off into space.

"...really don't think Ron would pick such an uncertain profession as that," Hermione was saying, "Would you, Ron? Ron? Ron!"

The wonderstruck Weasley came to with a jolt. "Huh? What?"

"You'd never go after a career in Quidditch!" Hermione said.

Ron shook his head and looked thoughtfully at his sister. "Actually, that isn't a half-bad idea. If I can keep my keeping up, and study some strategy..."

He zoned back out just as Luna walked up to the Gryffindor table. Hermione - who had been staring at Ron in surprise - turned to greet the Ravenclaw girl.

"Have you had your careers advice yet?" she asked.

Luna looked pleasantly at her and answered, "I've actually got to study Herbology this afternoon."

Hermione was obviously nettled by the lack of a clear answer. She repeated, "Yes, but careers advice, you know: what job you want after graduation!"

"Yes, of course," said Luna serenely. "I think I'll be a healer."

Ginny's eyebrows arched. "That's a pretty ambitious choice!"

"Oh, but... I always thought you liked magical creatures! said Hermione, puzzled.

"They are just different shades of the same living organism, our earth," Luna replied. "Besides, I'm interested in alternative muggle healing."

"You mean, like acupuncture or Echinacea?" Hermione asked.

"No, more like surgery," Luna said.

Hermione looked very taken aback by the answer. Ron said, "Oh no, don't go messing with those muggle remedies! My dad tried one last year, it was a nightmare!"

"Oops! I've got to run!" Ginny helped herself to another carrot stick before dashing from the Great Hall.

"I've got to go study for my OWLs," Luna said. Harry promptly volunteered to join her.

"How about you, Hermione?" Ron asked. "Would you like to go visit Pigwidgeon with me?"

"Why?" she asked.

"That way we can study my Owl, too," Ron replied. Hermione laughed, swatted his shoulder and consented to go to the Owlery with him.

Harry and Luna went to find an empty classroom. En route, Harry asked, "Will you heal me if I get injured when I'm an Auror?"

"Only if I actually get to be a Healer, and for that I need good OWL grades. Which means we're going to study now, right?"

Harry agreed and they settled down in the empty Charms classroom. Luna plunged right into her Herbology notes while Harry tried to slug his way through an essay on Merpeople for Hagrid. He soon lost interest, though, and reverted to watching Luna study instead.

Her dirty-blond hair fell like a curtain against the sides of her face as she bent over her notes. After a while, from a combination of curiosity and boredom, Harry asked, "Could I do Legilimency on you while you study?"

"Do what?" Luna asked.

"Legilimency - it's like reading your mind," Harry said.

She gazed at him for a moment then replied, "That's okay, I guess. You're already wearing my heart around your neck; you can't get much more intrusive than that, I suppose."

They looked at each other for a moment until Luna turned her attention back to her notes. Harry raised his wand to her lowered head and murmured, "Legilimens!"

A stream of disjointed thoughts about the properties of various Greenhouse-Two plants was interrupted by flashes of strange creatures, images of Luna's father, and visions of himself. Harry was fascinated by the way Luna saw him in her mind's eye: jet black hair sticking up at odd angles, pale face with green eyes partially obscured by his glasses, the lightening-bolt scar prominent on his forehead. Delighted that Luna viewed him as the real Harry, and not simply in his guise as Leo, Harry focussed more closely on these visions. As a result, they occurred with increasing frequency while Herbology took a back seat in her thoughts.

"Definitely intrusive," said Luna softly. "You're distracting me from my work."

Harry held her gaze, all the while concentrating on maintaining the Legilimency. Wand still raised, he leaned over and kissed her. The wonderful taste of her lips was exacerbated by her own enjoyment of his, which Harry detected in Luna's mind. He kissed her more passionately and felt the jolt of her emotions as her nerves fired rapidly in response to the extra pressure. With utmost concentration, Harry detected her excitement which further spurred on his own. It was a double dose of enjoyment; Harry became aroused as never before. He kissed her harder, pulled her closer, groped her more urgently than he ever had. At a certain point, Harry couldn't maintain the Legilimency anymore, but by that time, he no longer needed it.

Herbology notes were scattered, books lay forgotten, as Harry pushed Luna flat onto the desk, hungry for the taste of her flesh. This was definitely what Bill would have called "losing control". Fortuitously, Peeves entered the room, unheeded by the two teens. The poltergeist joined the fray, blowing into their ears as they tussled on the desk. For a moment, Harry's arousal seemed to come near the breaking point until he noticed whom it was blowing warm gusts in his ear.

He jumped back with an alarmed shriek knocking over the desk behind him, while Luna leapt to her feet and quickly straightened her robe.

"Oh, yes! Yes! Peevsie can have a little fun too!" cackled the poltergeist gleefully. He then zoomed towards the door, jerked it open and shot into the corridor hollering, "Horny buggers! Horny buggers in class!"

Harry sank weak-kneed into a chair as Luna tried to catch her breath.

"What just happened?" she panted.

"I... er, I read your mind and got carried away," Harry said apologetically.

"Yes, but somehow, you transmitted your thoughts to me, and I got carried away too."

Harry looked sincerely abashed and said, "I'm sorry, Luna. These blood surges, reading your emotions, I just - lost control! I won't let that happen again."

"Okay," Luna said, patting down her mussed-up hair, "Just promise me: no more Legilimency, all right?"

Harry promised, and he left to her to do her studying on her own. He hadn't completely come down from the intense physical encounter, though. As he headed back to his dorm room, Harry decided it was time to heed Bill's advice. The Silencing charm worked wonders.