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Author: Gridley Story: Harry Potter and the Price of Freedom Rating: Teens Setting: Pre-HBP Status: Completed Reviews: 9 Words: 30,601
Harry leaned back into the armchair by the common room fire and tried to relax. He was at Hogwarts, Ginny was curled up in his arms, classes didn't start until tomorrow, and, in short, life was good. Ron's voice startled him. "Harry, can I borrow the Map?" Harry looked up. "What for?" Ron shrugged. "One of the first-years is missing and Hermione wants to track him down." Harry shrugged. "Well, go ahead. It's in my trunk." Ron frowned. "Are you sure?" "That's the last place I saw it." Ron frowned harder. "I just looked through your trunk. It wasn't there." Harry sat up, helping Ginny to stand. "You must have missed it. C'mon, let's go find it." "No, wait." Ginny slapped her forehead. "I took it to look for you… last spring. Dean must have it." "I wonder why he didn't give it back?" Harry wondered. "He was probably a little distracted," answered Ginny dryly. "He's already asleep," put in Ron. "We can ask him at breakfast." He paused. "You didn't show him how to use it, did you?" Ginny thought for a moment. "He might have heard me activate it, but I doubt it. I was pretty far ahead of him. I remember I wiped it as soon as we were near you, and he probably heard that." "Let's hope he remembered it was more than just a piece of parchment, then." Harry yawned. "Good luck finding that first-year, mate. I'm for bed." ~~ Harry came down to breakfast and immediately headed over to Dean. Post had already come and several students were reading letters or opening packages of things they'd forgotten to pack. Neville was just opening a rather large package, revealing his cauldron. Harry suppressed a laugh, not wanting to embarrass Neville any more than he already was, and stopped behind Dean. "Dean? Have a moment?" Dean looked up. "Sure, Harry." He was showing a piece of paper to Seamus, who was chuckling. Harry glanced at it, but couldn't understand why a rabbit was using a telephone. He shrugged and decided it wasn't worth asking about. "Do you remember the, ah, piece of parchment you borrowed last term?" Dean looked puzzled. "Parchment?" Harry lowered his voice. "The Map. Ginny used it to find me." Dean's face changed. For a moment, Harry thought he saw a flash of fear but it passed before he could be sure. "Sorry, Harry. I haven't seen it since that day." Something's not right here. Quiet alarm bells were ringing in his mind. Moody's training kicked in and Harry backed against the wall, his fingers closing on his wand. "Ah, do you have any idea what happened to it?" Dean's face was blank, his voice expressionless. "Sorry, Harry. No idea." "Right. Well. Thank you." Harry walked over to where Ron was sitting, rapidly devouring a stack of toast. "Geh ih back?" Ron asked. Harry shook his head. "Something's not right." "What's not right?" Hermione sat down, looking exhausted. Harry quietly filled her in on what had happened. Hermione's face was grave when he finished. "I think you're right, Harry, but I don't think you realize what this means." "Whah?" Ron asked. Hermione didn't even reprimand him for speaking with his mouth full. "Dean's lying to you. Now that I think about it… he's almost been following you around this past year. At least he seems to be around you more than he was before. Didn't you say you ran into him on the Hogwarts Express just after Crabbe and Goyle tried to attack you?" Ron swallowed. "Maybe he's working for Dumbledore. Keeping an eye on you, mate." Harry didn't like that idea, but Hermione dismissed it. "He hasn't finished school; he's not even of age, and the Order won't take anyone who hasn't finished Hogwarts. If they were going to, don't you think they'd start with Harry, first thing?" Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You're not suggesting Dean's a spy?" "He might be," answered Hermione grimly. "But he's a Gryffindor!" Ron whispered fiercely. "So was Wormtail," pointed out Ginny, softly. Ron stared at her, open-mouthed. "Now that I think about it… Dean was the one who wanted to play football the night the vampires attacked, wasn't he?" Hermione added thoughtfully. "You think he knew they were coming?" Harry asked, horrified. "When else have there been more than a handful of students out after dark?" Hermione replied. "It wouldn't have been much of a diversion if we hadn't all been there." "We've got to tell Dumbledore," whispered Ron. "I mean, we sleep in the same room! He could murder Harry in his sleep!" Harry looked up at the head table, and bit back a curse. Dumbledore wasn't there. "He could be in his office." Ginny suggested, following Harry's gaze. "Let's go check." ~~ "I'm afraid Potter suspects me." "I had hoped he would not make the connection. Retrieving the Map was a risk, but a worthwhile one." "I did take it, then?" "Yes. Another of our agents Memory Charmed you as a precaution after killing Draco Malfoy." "Oh." "From now on, it will be quite easy to keep an eye on everyone at the school. However, we must deal with the fact that your cover is blown. With the Map at stake, Dumbledore might ask your permission to try to reverse the charm, and it would be highly suspicious if you refused. Until the hunt is given up, I will have to alter your memories and give you some new ones; you know the identities of too many of our agents at this school." "I… understand." "I'm glad you do. Don't worry – you're a very valuable agent, and I will restore your memory as soon as possible. Aedifico Obliviate!" ~~ After a somewhat chaotic explanation from Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione, Dumbledore sighed and leaned back in his chair. "On one point, at least, I can give you definite information. Mr. Thomas is not working for the Order. No student here is." "So he is working for Voldemort." Harry was pale with fear and rage. Dumbledore placed the tips of his fingers together. "There is another possibility." He looked at Hermione. "I am surprised you have not already thought of it, Miss Granger." Hermione's brow wrinkled and then her eyes went wide. "The Company of Tebo?" Dumbledore nodded. He stood, took a pinch of Floo powder from the jar over his fireplace, and tossed it in. "Anthony, a word please?" After a moment, Tony Dorfomt stumbled as he landed in the Headmaster's office. "You wished to speak to me, sir?" "Is Dean Thomas one of your agents, Anthony? We have reason to believe he is a spy." Dorfomt glanced quickly at the four students. "Headmaster, as you know, we prefer not to reveal…" Dumbledore cut him off, harshly. "Is he one of yours, Lieutenant? If he is not, then he must be one of Voldemort's." Ron winced, but Dumbledore's eyes were locked on Dorfomt. "And we can ill afford to have confusion on that point." Dorfomt clenched his teeth for a moment. "Mr. Thomas is not one of our agents." He finally bit out. "If you will excuse me, sir, I have classes to teach." He stomped to the fireplace, anger apparent in every stride, and Flooed out. Dumbledore watched him go and then threw more powder into the fire. "Minerva, please find Mr. Thomas and bring him to my office." ~~ "I have placed an advanced Memory Charm on Dean Thomas. Until I reverse it, he will remember nothing about us. This is a drastic step, but under the circumstances a necessary one. You are not to contact Mr. Thomas beyond your normal interactions with him." "That won't be hard. Stuck-up Gryffindors – I'm surprised we even managed to recruit him." "What if Dumbledore breaks the Memory Charm?" "He would break Mr. Thomas first. Casualties of war, Mr. Zabini." ~~ "My Lord, the latest report from our agents at Hogwarts." "Summarize it quickly. I have much to do." "They have replaced our lost agent, Master." "Commendable. I hope they have chosen someone more worthy of being my servant." "I think you will not be displeased, my lord." The two shadows touched briefly as a piece of parchment was passed over. "Commendable indeed. Our seed bears fruit." "Shall I order the pace stepped up, Master?" "It is worth consideration. This plan proceeds well. My servants infiltrate every proud House, and watch every move that old fool Dumbledore makes. It amuses me." ~~ Harry and his friends had been gently dismissed when Dean arrived and were now outside the stone gargoyle, waiting to hear what Dumbledore had discovered. Harry was pacing, Hermione had produced a book and was studying, Ron was playing Solitaire Snap, and Ginny was watching Harry. Almost an hour had passed when Professor McGonagall came down to them. All four students instantly began asking questions, but she held up her hand for silence. "The Headmaster has examined Mr. Thomas very carefully. He believes that he has been placed under a very advanced Memory Charm. However, at this time there is no evidence that he is an agent for anyone." "But, Professor," Hermione gasped. McGonagall cut her off. "Innocent until proven guilty, Miss Granger. I remind you that it would be very much like You-Know-Who to cast suspicion on an innocent student. I must ask you to treat Mr. Thomas no differently than you have in the past." She grimaced and relented. "Mr. Thomas will be watched. If you see any suspicious behavior on the part of any student, do bring it to our attention." She sighed, seeming very old and tired. "Now, back to class." ~~ "Mr. Potter. Miss Granger. I am honored that you have deigned to grace my class with your presence. However, as a penalty for failing to grace it on time, thirty points from Gryffindor." Harry ignored Snape's comment and took his seat, pulling out his Potions supplies. "Perhaps, Mr. Potter, you would care to explain to the rest of the class how to make a blood-thinning solution?" Harry took a deep breath and tried to recall his reading from last night. He and Hermione had learned the hard way that Snape expected them to know the day's material before he covered it. Reading ahead was standard for both of them as a result. "Begin by burning eight ounces of heartwood to a fine ash…" "Incorrect, Mr. Potter. Five points from Gryffindor for your inadequate preparation." Snape smirked. Hermione's hand shot up. "Professor, he's right; it's in the book." Snape's smirk remained. "Five points from Gryffindor for interrupting, Miss Granger. The correct first step is two ounces per dose. It merely happens that four doses are made at the same time." Harry seethed inside, but he kept himself under control. Lashing out would only make things worse. Though it would make me feel better. Hermione managed to finish her potion before the end of class, but Harry, in his rush to catch up, forgot to add his grape leaves on time. Snape obviously took great pleasure in assigning him a zero for the class, and Harry was boiling as he walked out. Pansy Parkinson was just ahead of them as they left the dungeon. Just as she was about to walk up the stairs outside, she stopped abruptly, slapping her hands against her pockets as if she were searching for something. She had just turned around when Snape came out, scowling and holding a piece of paper. "You forgot your notes, Miss Parkinson. Please see that the mistake is not repeated." Pansy went white as she ran back to Snape. She grabbed the parchment and shoved it quickly in a pocket. Snape, still scowling, swept back into the classroom. Pansy fled back towards the stairs, almost running Harry down as she did. Harry started to follow her up the stairs, but stopped when he realized Hermione wasn't following him. "Hermione?" "It's just… odd." She said, quietly. "What's odd?" "Pansy wasn't taking notes. She never takes notes; not for years now." "You think it was something else?" Harry asked, becoming interested. "Well… it seemed rather important. She seemed like she was scared when she realized she'd forgotten it." Hermione was frowning in concentration. Harry was still trying to make sense of it all. "So… what was it, then? What could be so important?" "I don't know," Hermione answered grimly. "But I think someone should find out." "Professor McGonagall did say to tell her if anyone was acting strangely," Harry offered. "If we hurry, we can stop by her office before she leaves for her third-year Transfiguration class." Harry started to follow, but froze. "You have every professor's schedule memorized?" Hermione blushed. "Well, how else am I supposed to know when they're free for questions?" Professor McGonagall, however, seemed more annoyed than interested. "Really! When I asked you to let me know if anyone was acting oddly I hardly expected reports on members of the Order!" "But Professor, why would Professor Snape be sending Pansy a message?" Hermione protested. "Miss Granger, you don't even know that it was a message! It could easily have been her notes from some other class." "But then why would she have been so scared when she realized she forgot them? And why wouldn't she have looked for them in her school bag?" Professor McGonagall huffed impatiently. "Well. This can be resolved easily enough." She threw a pinch of powder into her fire. "Serverus! A word please." A moment passed with no answer. She frowned and threw another pinch. "Serverus! Are you there?" Frowning deeply now, she threw more powder into the fire. "Albus! Do you have a moment?" Dumbledore's head appeared in the fire. McGonagall quickly explained the situation. Dumbledore's brows furrowed. "Miss Parkinson, you say?" "Yes, sir," Harry answered. Dumbledore frowned, clearly considering something. "Miss Granger. Mr. Potter. Please remain with Professor McGonagall. I wish to have a word with Professor Snape, and I may wish to speak with you afterwards." He took a deep breath and turned to McGonagall. "You see, Minerva, Serverus has not informed me of any contact with Miss Parkinson beyond the usual. "And she does not take notes in any of her classes." End Chapter 4 Author's Note: This chapter contains the first of several Sluggy Freelance references that will be in this story. Sluggy started running in 1997, and comics will be referenced on the day they first appeared on the web. From Notre Dame's online Latin dictionary: aedifico [to build, erect, establish; to create, frame].
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