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Author: Gridley Story: Harry Potter and the Grand Alliance Rating: Young Teens Setting: Pre-HBP Status: Completed Reviews: 5 Words: 33,314
Chapter 3 - Meetings and Journeys The Finch-Fletchleys were found two days later. The Ministry investigated carefully, but all they could establish for sure was that Justin had tried to fight the Death Eaters (his wand had been recovered), but had only delayed the inevitable. For those who remembered Voldemort's first rise to power, the story was all too familiar. Voldemort had come out of hiding, and had unleashed his Death Eaters to do whatever they wanted. There was a second attack, but Dean Thomas wasn't the target. A family with two children at Hogwarts that Harry had never met vanished, and again their bodies were found several days later. The Ministry put all Aurors and MLES personnel on overtime, brought recent retirees back to service, and began recruiting heavily, especially among recent graduates of Hogwarts. Unfortunately, despite the Ministry's efforts, there was no immediate effect. No Death Eaters were captured or killed, and the fear of the Dark Lord continued to grow. ********** On September 1st the Weasleys, Renes and Harry all made it to platform nine and three-quarters without incident and under heavy guard. The usual crush of students and parents greeted them, and Harry noted that sharp-eyed Aurors were positioned about the platform. As the students put their trunks aboard, David took Harry aside. "Harry, I want to ask you to do me a favor," David's tone was very serious. "Err… what?" "Keep an eye on Roger for me, alright? Do what you can for him?" Harry was confused. "Why me?" "First, because you'll be there. Second, because you had to make the same adjustment he'll have to. Third… well, you've had to shoulder an adult's burden these past few years, Harry. You and Ron and Hermione and Ginny all have, but you most of all. You know what the world can throw at people, and you've survived. I'm not asking you to take responsibility for him, just to do what you can. Will you?" Harry started to object, but something in David's eyes stopped him. He knew how Harry felt, and he was asking him anyway. "Alright," he heard himself say. "Thank you, Harry." David offered his hand, and Harry shook it firmly. Harry turned and boarded the train. He found himself checking for Roger, and stopped himself. He was acting like Roger was his little brother… and it wasn't a bad feeling. Roger didn't worship him like the Creeveys did, just… looked up to him. Like Ron looked up to Bill. Maybe I should make sure Roger has found a space all right, Harry thought. ********** As the Hogwarts Express pulled away, David turned to Arthur and Molly. "Thanks again for letting us stay with you these last few weeks." "Oh, it was nothing, dear." Molly smiled at him fondly. "Well, it meant a lot to us. I'm off for my job interview, and then I may do some apartment hunting. I'll Floo back from The Leaky Cauldron." "Be careful, dear. We'll see you back at the house." The Weasleys disapparated. "Be careful." David shook his head, and continued softly, "As if anything in this world is safe." He turned to look in the direction the train had gone. He stood there for a long time, thinking of everything that had changed in the last three months. He had learned of wonders and terrors, heroes and villains. Just as in his old world, there was darkness as well as light. Just as in his old world, there were those who tried to hide from the darkness and those who supported it. Then there were those who fought it, in whatever way they could find. "Unless we make it safe." He spoke half to himself, but now his voice was determined. He turned, and walked back through the barrier. ********** Ron and Hermione were up in the Prefect's carriage, Roger was chatting with a group of first years, and Harry was out of excuses. He'd wandered the corridors for a while, waiting for the Prefects meeting to end, but the first part was over now. Ginny had told him on her way to find a seat that the fifth year prefects had been released, but that the sixth and seventh years would be at it for a while – something about new security arrangements. Harry could see through the window that there was a space right next to Ginny, just across from Neville and Luna. They were talking about Justin. Harry stood just outside the doorway and listened. Partly, he was uncomfortable because of the conversation. He had a hard time convincing himself he was blameless in Justin's death, but even if he had taught Justin to fight better… it wouldn't have mattered in the end. The other reason he was uncomfortable was because, despite all the hours he'd sat next to Ginny on the lawn, he felt nervous about sitting next to her now. There were other people watching now. What if he made an idiot of himself? What if he had only been a substitute, and these were the people she had really wanted to confide in? The conversation inside moved on to Hogwarts, and speculation about whom would teach Defense Against the Dark Arts this year. Luna was noting the increasingly widely held belief that the position was cursed, and Neville was hoping that Professor Lupin might come back. Harry mustered all his Gryffindor courage, walked resolutely into the compartment, and sat on the seat next to Ginny. Right on her hat. It hadn't been a total loss, Harry reflected to himself. He'd never seen Ginny laugh so hard. ********** Their good mood didn't last, as it was not long afterwards that Draco Malfoy entered the compartment with Crabbe and Goyle. "Well, well. The loon, the idiot, the scar-head, and the weasel girl. I guess misery does love company." Malfoy seemed to have recovered from the cursing he'd received the last time he had tried to ambush Harry. "Shouldn't you be at the prefect's meeting, Draco? Oh, I forgot. They took away your badge because of your little tricks with the Inquisitorial Squad, didn't they? What a shame." Ginny's words stopped Harry halfway out of his seat. Her voice seemed pleasant, as if she were chatting with a friend. Of course, in that case she probably would have sounded less pleased, not more, when she got to the end. "I hear those mud bloods your father loves so much nearly killed you and your worthless parents, little weasel. What a shame you lived." Malfoy had his usual sneer in place, but it vanished as Harry snapped out his wand faster than he'd ever drawn it before, pointing it right at Malfoy's face. "Well, at least my father is at home, unlike some people's." Ginny had maintained her cheery tone, and once again Harry felt her words tugging him back from the brink of doing something stupid. "Don't ever talk about my father, you little scum," Malfoy hissed, his attention diverted to Ginny. He reached for his own wand, but halted. Ginny had snapped out her wand even faster than Harry had – so fast Harry would have sworn it had just appeared in her hand, pointed right at Malfoy's face. "Remember last year, Draco? You and your friends had us helpless, all the advantages on your side, and I beat you anyway. Care to try again?" Ginny's tone was almost the same, but it had hardened, and the tip of her wand remained fixed on the point between Malfoy's eyes. "Come on," Malfoy muttered to Crabbe and Goyle, and the three left the compartment. "Wow," Harry whispered. His wand arm had dropped limply to his side. Ginny lowered hers far more purposefully and slid it into her pocket. "You shouldn't let him get to you Harry; he's not worth it." Harry just nodded mutely at Ginny's words. He'd never seen anyone draw that fast. ********** "Praider, Kacey!" "HUFFLEPUFF!" "Rains, Claudia!" "SLYTHERIN!" "Rene, Roger!" Harry held his breath. The Sorting Hat clearly wasn't in a rush. It had taken several seconds already. He hoped it would decide on Gryffindor, or at least any house but Slyther… "HUFFLEPUFF!" The Hufflepuff table clapped loudly, and Roger walked quickly to join their ranks. Harry tried not to be disappointed. After all, not everyone could be in Gryffindor. At last Roderick Walker became a Gryffindor, and Professor McGonagall took the Sorting Hat away. Professor Dumbledore stood. "It is a pleasure to see all of you here again. I am sad, however, that three who should have been here can not join us. I refer, of course, to Lenore and Angus McClintock and Justin Finch-Fletchley, who, along with their families, were murdered by agents of Lord Voldemort." There was the customary ripple of reaction at the name, but Dumbledore continued, "I ask for a moment of silence in their memory." Harry bowed his head with the rest. He didn't want to see if the Slytherins did or not. "I have said before that we are as strong as we are united, and so our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is doubly welcome, for he comes from America. Please join me in welcoming Professor Dorfomt, both to Hogwarts and to England." A middle-aged wizard in ordinary black teaching robes rose and bowed slightly to Dumbledore, then the students, and resumed his seat. Harry looked at him closely. He looked completely ordinary – clean-shaven unlike many wizards, with neat, but not overly tended brown hair cropped short under his wizard's hat. He was neither unusually fat nor thin. In fact, Harry realized he had no distinguishing features at all. However, he was an American. Had no one in England wanted the job? ********** Daily Prophet, September 2nd , 1996 Third Family Attacked Early this morning, ministry officials announced that members of another Muggle family are missing. Their son, Dean Thomas, is a sixth year student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and sources confirm he is still at Hogwarts. A Ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that the odds of the parents' survival are very low. The victims of both prior family attacks were found dead two days after being taken… Harry didn't bother reading the rest of the story "continued on page two." He looked down the table to find Dean, but there was no sign of him. Hopefully a teacher had broken the news to him earlier. His eyes did catch on Ginny, who was sitting alone, staring at her plate. He remembered her reaction to the first attack. He didn't want her to be alone now, though he had no better idea of what to say than he had before. As the anxious conversations flowed around the table he got up, leaving Hermione and Ron buried in their papers, and went to sit beside her. She didn't say a word, but shifted to press her side against him. He took her hand under the table and gave it a quick squeeze of reassurance, and let go. Around them the room hummed with conversation. ********** The Gryffindor common room was a scene of chaos when Harry came down just before 8:00AM. He had been awakened by shouting, and finally grabbed Ron, who grumbled at being woken fifteen minutes early, but came down anyway. Harry was surprised. Usually Hermione could be counted on to quell any disturbance quickly. It seemed Hermione had attempted to calm things down, but was currently being crushed by Dean in a massive hug. He was babbling incoherently, several other students were talking excitedly, and a number of Express Owls were darting around. Most of the students were watching the rest with sleepy curiosity. Ron quickly pried Dean off of Hermione, only to find an early edition of the Daily Prophet being shoved into his face. Daily Prophet, September 3rd , 1996 Thomas Family Rescued! At twenty minutes past five AM today a message arrived at the Auror Division at the Ministry of Magic saying that the Thomas Family, missing since yesterday, could be found just outside the Leaky Cauldron, Diagon Alley. Aurors immediately responded and transported Harold and Denise Thomas to St. Mungo's Hospital. Officials state that both had been subjected to the Cruciatus Curse, but were expected to make a full recovery. Ministry officials also state they have no knowledge of how the Thomas family managed to escape, or who might have assisted them. Officials at St. Mungo's stated that the Thomas family would be unavailable for comments for several days. Hermione, over exclamations from Ron as he read the Daily Prophet, managed to pry a semi-coherent story out of Dean, who had been woken half an hour ago by Professor McGonagall. An impromptu party was starting when Hermione shooed everyone off to breakfast, reminding them that rescue or not, it was the second day of classes. Dean went to St. Mungo's with Professor McGonagall to see his parents, but returned just after breakfast the next day in good spirits. His parents remembered very little of their ordeal or their rescue, but they were optimistic and recovering well. "Let's go see what this new DADA teacher has for us, shall we? I'm ready for anything!" Dean was bubbling with relief. "Given what the last five teachers have been like, ‘anything' is just what we have to be ready for," muttered Ron. "He can't be any worse than Umbridge," put in Hermione, clearly trying to look on the bright side. "Or Lockhart," added Ron, pointedly. "Though at least we can hope people will have enough sense not to send valentines to him, can't we?" Hermione flushed, but shot back, "Really Ron, that was years ago. I'd think you'd let it go. Of course, if you want an example of someone missing the point, we can always talk about the Yule…" "Wonder if he'll give us homework right off?" Harry intervened hastily, but it was no use. He dropped back a few paces behind Ron and Hermione and hoped neither one of them would ask for his support. Their bickering was getting out of hand. Author's Note: There's a Robert Heinlein reference in this chapter. Can anyone spot it? Many thanks to Delylah, my beta, for perseverance in the face of vanishing emails, numerous re-writes, and Microsoft Word.
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