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Author: Sssith Story: Prelude to the Hunt Rating: Young Teens Setting: Pre-DH Status: WIP Reviews: 17 Words: 27,120
A/N: My apologies about the insane delay to the posting of this chapter. Lots of things happened to cause this delay. So many that I started to think that the chapter was cursed. So take care when reading this. If you have a football helmet or any other protective gear you might want to put it on before you start reading the chapter. I would hate to think that any readers might be injured because of the curse. Finally, I would like to thank RinnaMarie for her excellent beta work.
Hedwig flew through the darkening sky. She kept close to the clouds, knowing that doing so made it difficult for searching eyes to spot her. She had learned her lesson two years previously when an eagle attacked her en route to Hogwarts. After that, she ignored the discomfort of flying through the dampness of the clouds and learned to use them to her advantage. Sensing that she was close to the Burrow, she spiralled down. When she felt the familiar ripple of the Burrow's wards, she spread her wings to their full extent and swooped into a dive. At the last possible moment, she pulled up and flew gracefully through the kitchen window, carefully settling herself in the middle of the Weasleys' dinner table. The family, assembled for their evening meal, watched in amusement as Hedwig held out her leg to Mr. Weasley. Once relieved of her burden, she slowly turned her head to each Weasley before hopping into the air and landing on the back of Ginny's chair. With an affectionate hoot, she nipped Ginny's ear. Laughing, Ginny turned in her seat. "Hi, Hedwig. You're in a playful mood tonight. Here." She handed Hedwig a piece of ham. Turning back to the table, she saw her father hand Ron a letter while looking at one of his own. In a flash of irritation she realized that there was no letter for her. "The prat," she muttered to herself. Hedwig hooted comfortingly to her, and Ginny leaned gently back, placing her head against Hedwig's soft feathers. "What the..." Ron exclaimed, examining a sheet of parchment with a perplexed look on his face. "It's blank." He looked back at the other sheet and went back to reading. Ginny smiled slightly as she watched the emotions play across her brother's face. There's not a single duplicitous bone in his body, she thought. He's as easy to read as a book. I bet that's why Hermione is so fond of him. It certainly can't be for his charming manners. As Ron finished his letter, Hedwig hopped off Ginny's chair, snatched the blank paper from Ron's grasp, and dropped it on Ginny's plate. "Bloody bird," Ron said as he shook his fingers. "I guess that's for you." Ginny took the parchment. "Well, I would've thought the 'Dear Ginny' at the top was a dead giveaway," she replied, rolling her eyes. "What are you on about? That page was blank," Ron said, snatching the letter back to once again look it over. "Give it!" Ginny grabbed the letter. George reached out and tugged it out of his sister's grasp. "Look, Fred," he said, showing the letter to his brother. "That's a nice bit of magic," Fred replied in appreciation. "Should we clue in our clueless younger brother?" "Harry charmed this letter so only little Gin-Gin could read it." "Very impressive. How long do you think it would take to break the charm?" "I don't know, brother mine. But I think it would be worth it to find out about a Saint's love life. Never realized they could have one. It should be very educational!" Ginny's eyes narrowed dangerously as she watched the twins fawn over her letter. Whipping out her wand, she commanded, "Give. It. Back. Now." "Ginevra Molly Weasley! Put your wand away," Mrs. Weasley exclaimed. "Not until they give my letter back. Any move other than putting the letter on the table will earn them a reminder of what my Bat-Bogey Hex is like." "Easy there, Ginny," Bill laughed. "The wonder duo is just winding you up." He walked around the table to the twins, who were warily eying Ginny. Taking the letter from George, he handed it back to his sister. "Thanks, Bill. This family is too much sometimes." With a last glance around the table, Ginny marched up to her room. Ensuring that the door was firmly closed, she threw herself onto the bed. She took her time reading the letter, imagining Harry writing it, trying to understand what he was thinking and feeling. His words surprised her. She was relieved that Harry was thinking things through and reconsidering his actions during the funeral. She couldn't deny that part of her was glad he was miserable. Why should she be the only one? Thinking back to the funeral, she was glad she hadn't let her disappointment and hurt get the best of her. At that point Harry could not have been forced to see reason. She had decided that Harry needed to figure things out on his own. She wanted Harry to open up to her; she wanted to be someone on which he could rely. Harry was used to making decisions on his own and acting decisively on them. Ginny couldn't blame him for this outlook. Harry had encountered a lifetime's worth of adults he couldn't trust. Thinking on this, Ginny realized that even Dumbledore fell into this category. She had no doubt that Harry loved his late mentor. But that did not change the curious chain of decisions that Dumbledore had made concerning Harry. It was no wonder that Harry mainly relied on himself. Looking at the letter again, she began to hope that Harry might be starting to understand that he needed people on which to rely. While it had been both difficult and painful to watch him walk away from her, Ginny was starting to think that she had been right not to force the issue. All week she had been second guessing herself and wondering if she should have done things differently. Now that she knew Harry wanted to talk, she could wait for that to happen. "Ginny! Come down here please," she heard her mother yell. Sighing in exasperation, she pushed herself off the bed and threw her bedroom door open. "What?" "Come down to the kitchen. Your father and I want to talk to you." "Coming," she yelled. She carefully placed the letter in her desk and made her way down the stairs. Entering the kitchen, she saw that Ron was still seated, looking at his letter. She noticed that Ron's ears were red, a sure indication that something Harry had written embarrassed her brother. Her curiosity piqued, she tried to glance over his shoulder at his letter. Ron astutely folded it over until she sat down at her seat. "What do you want, Mum, Dad?" "Well, we all received letters from Harry, and your father and I wanted to know how you both thought he was handling things," her mum responded. "We don't mean to pry, but we're concerned for him now that he's back with those awful Muggles." Looking at her mother and father shrewdly, she said, "There is more to it than just that, isn't there? What has he written that has you concerned? Does this have something to do with the Order? Ever since the funeral you both have been shuttling off to who-knows-where at all hours. What's going on?" Her father sighed. "Well, everything Harry does is of concern to the Order. But that's not why we are asking. We don't mean to alarm either of you. Harry wrote a very touching letter thanking us for all that we have done for him over the years." Ginny watched as her father reached out and patted her mother's hand in a comforting manner. "While the letter was nice, it also had the feeling that he is trying to put his affairs in order. We wondered if either of you got the same impression from your letters?" Alarmed, Ginny glanced at her brother. Ron was frowning in thought and was idly fingering his letter. "Well, he did thank me for being his best mate. Don't know why he did that; he doesn't need to thank me for something like that." He paused and looked at his father. "But he also asked me to get some things done, and I don't think he would've done that if he was planning on running off alone." "How about you, Ginny?" "He wants to talk to me about things in general, which is good. But until it actually happens...." Ginny shrugged. Looking at her brother, who was once again rereading his letter, she asked, "So what did your letter say?" In a distracted voice, he muttered, "To use my famous Weasley charm." "I hope that you are thinking of using that 'Famous Weasley Charm' on Hermione and not Harry," she answered with a smirk. "WHAT? Of course I am thinking of Hermio...." Ron looked up at his parents in horror. "AH HA!" Ginny shouted as her face lit with glee. Pointing her finger at Ron she continued, "About time you admitted that you think of Hermione along those lines. Now you just need to find your inner lion and tell her." She smiled wickedly at her brother. Ron's face drained of colour as he quickly got up from the table. "Bloody woman," he snapped as he stormed out of the room. "And don't you forget it," she laughed at his retreating back. Slumping in her chair she muttered, "Boys." Looking up at her mum, Ginny noticed a myriad of emotions playing across Mrs. Weasley's face, finally landing on amused. "Mum, why do we have to beat them over the head with things?" She turned to face her father, who was smiling so widely it was a surprise that he was not laughing out loud. "I should probably be asking you this question, not Mum." "Well, Sweetheart, there is no simple answer. Each young man has his own set of issues," he answered gently. "Ron, for example, has been best friends with Hermione for six years. I imagine he's worried that he might lose that friendship if she doesn't return his feelings. It's a very painful thing to consider. As much as he's accomplished over the years, he still hasn't reached the level of self-confidence his older brothers have." Mr. Weasley paused to take a sip of tea. "I need to have a sit-down with him soon. I've let too many other things get in the way of paying enough attention to Ron." Mrs. Weasley went and stood behind her husband, and hugged him gently. Smiling up at his wife, Mr. Weasley continued, "Harry, on the other hand, is a completely different story. He has more burdens than are reasonable, and if that wasn't enough, we should never forget how he was raised. It's a wonder how well-adjusted he is, given the fact that he grew up without any loving influence." Mr. Weasley smiled sadly at his daughter. "You have chosen a difficult path in Harry. I approve of your choice; I think the world of him. He is a fine young man, full of compassion and strength. But like you, he can be stubborn at times. The fact that he wants to talk things over is, I think, a large concession for him. "If I've any concern about you and Harry, it'd be that you're not always true to yourself when he's concerned," her father stated softly. Frowning, Ginny asked, "What do you mean, Daddy?" "You're our little fireball," he answered with fondness in his voice. "You were always pursuing your own interests despite having six older brothers that wanted to be in charge of you. You never compromised and always fought for what you believed in, and persevered for the things you wanted." "A right difficult child you were to raise," her mother said in amusement. "Then Harry came into our lives. If we had a cat, I would've thought it had run off with your tongue. It took a while for our little fireball to re-emerge, and we were glad when she did. I think it is the fireball version that captured Harry's eye. If you want to be with Harry, you might have to fight for it, Sweetheart." "But Daddy, he was the one who broke up with me. He should be the one who should decide if he wants to be in a relationship." "Ginny," her mother interrupted. "Being in a relationship is not about taking turns doing the right thing. You need to help each other, and when you have problems, you need to work them out together. Do you think he still cares for you and wants to be with you?" "Yes. But he thinks I'll be safer if I'm not his girlfriend," Ginny sighed in exasperation. "These are dangerous times," her father whispered. Looking at his daughter, he added, "Harry doesn't have anyone who can knock sense into him. If you don't do it, it might not happen. Could you live with that?" Ginny rocked back in her chair as she thought the question over. Pulling her long hair into a ponytail, she folded it over so it lay incongruously on her head. "What are you going to do, Sweetheart?" her mother gently prodded. Ginny let her hair fall loose. "I thought I would wait until he gets here before the wedding. We should be able to talk then." She looked up at her mother. "He is going to come, isn't he?" "I'll try to make sure tomorrow when I take Ron over to see him. I'll find out what his plans are then. Could you go up to your brother's room and tell him that we will be leaving first thing in the morning? You chased him off before I could tell him," her mother told her with a slight smile. Ginny got up and moved around the worn table to give her mum a fierce hug. "Thanks, Mum." Leaning down, she gave her father a kiss on the cheek. "Good night, Daddy." With that she quickly made her way to the top of the Burrow where she knocked on her brother's door. "Ron? Can I come in?" She waited a moment before she could hear the shuffle of feet approaching the door. Ginny took a step back as the door opened and she saw her brother's face. Ron eyed his sister warily. "What do you want? Need to take the mickey out of me some more?" "Oh, just let me in so we can talk." Not waiting for an answer she forced her way past her brother and settled herself at the foot of his bed. "You boys can be such daft prats at times." "Am not," he mumbled indignantly. Ginny just rolled her eyes at his pronouncement. "You do realize that everybody knows that you like Hermione? It's not a secret. Why, I'm willing to bet that even Harry figured it out years ago." Ron looked down at the letter he was holding in his hands. "I'm sorry that I teased you earlier. You do know that it is okay admit how you feel?" She waited to see if he would respond; when he didn't she added, "Mum is taking you to Harry's first thing in the morning." Ron tilted his head as he regarded Ginny. "You want me to take Harry a note or tell him something?" Ginny just shook her head no. Smiling, he continued, "Do want me to brain him? The funny thing is that he probably wouldn't argue the point." Ginny snorted at that thought. "No, Ron. Harry's been a prat, but he is still my prat. I'll sort him out when he gets here." "He's my mate, but you're my sister." "Thanks, Ron." She jumped up from the bed and gave Ron a hug. As she headed out the door she called over her shoulder, "Don't take forever to tell Hermione. And have fun tomorrow." With that she headed into her room for the night.
Harry awoke with the certain knowledge that something was not right in the house. It took him a couple of moments to realize the sense of strangeness came from the sound of laughter originating from somewhere downstairs. He couldn't remember the last time he had heard that sound in the Dursleys' home. The only laughter that he could remember was his uncle and cousin laughing at his expense. Shaking the last cobwebs of sleep from his system, he took a quick look around the room and saw that Hedwig was sitting on her perch. "Good morning, Hedwig," Harry said softly. "Are you ready for another trip?" Hedwig hooted and presented her leg. Smiling at his owl, Harry tied Hermione's letter in place. "Please take this to Hermione." With one last hoot Hedwig launched herself out the window. Harry turned when he heard a second round of laughter emanating from the downstairs. Frowning, he pulled his wand and quietly left his room. With the refrain of Constant Vigilance resounding in his head, Harry made his way down the stairs. As he got closer he heard a voice talking, and it took a second before he recognized it as Ron's voice. Lowering his wand he rushed into the kitchen to find Ron, Remus, and Mrs. Weasley sitting around the table. All three looked up and smiled when Harry entered. "Morning, mate," Ron exclaimed as he got up. But it was Mrs. Weasley who got to him first, sweeping him into a motherly hug. "It's good to see you, Harry. Now we just need to get some meat on your bones," Mrs. Weasley said as she released him. "Come, sit down and eat some of the breakfast that I've prepared. I offered some to your family, but they chose to go out for breakfast instead. They seemed to be in a rush to leave." She made her way to the stove and fixed a plate of bacon and eggs. "I had to have Remus help me with cooking. Only he knew how to work this Muggle stove. How Muggles manage is a mystery at times." As Harry sat at the table he said, "It's good to see you all. I didn't expect any of you this soon. Well, except maybe Remus." Mrs. Weasley returned to the table and placed the full plate in front of Harry. "We all thought that there is no time like the present for taking your Apparition test," Mrs. Weasley answered. "What was the laughter about?" Harry asked. "Well, Ron here has been regaling us with some of your misadventures at school." Remus took a long drink from his coffee before he continued. "Not the stuff that everyone has read in the papers, but the small, everyday things that have happened to you over the years. I must say that Ron has a nice catalogue of humorous anecdotes." "Thanks, mate," Harry muttered to Ron. "Before you get too comfortable, Harry, I need a quick word," Remus said. Getting up from the table, he walked into the formal dining room and held the door open, waiting for Harry to follow. When Harry entered, he closed the door. "Stuffy, pretentious room. Fits the Dursleys perfectly. Anyway," Remus continued, "I need you to cancel the Confessor charm on me." "Oh, right." Pulling out his wand, Harry cast a quick Finite Incantatum. "Sorry about that." Smiling, Remus answered, "It's not a problem, Harry. I was happy to do it, and you were in no condition to lift the charm at the end of our session. We just need to be careful in the future to cancel the charm when we are done. Later today when, or if, we need it, we'll put it back in place. Now let's get back in the kitchen before we completely perplex the Weasleys." Entering the kitchen, Harry looked sheepishly at Mrs. Weasley and Ron. "Sorry about that, needed a quick moment with my confessor." Ron turned his head in puzzlement while Mrs. Weasley ushered Harry to his seat. "Quite all right, dear, just tuck in. We have a full day ahead of us." The group amicably chatted as Harry ate his breakfast. The four wizards then quickly returned the room to its normal level of cleanliness before Remus stated, "We are going to side-along Apparate to the ministry Apparition point. From there we will go straight to the testing centre. We'll have to try and move quickly. There is no easy way past the atrium, and it is likely someone might recognize Harry." "Why not use a Glamour?" Ron asked. "We could, but they are easy to detect and dispel. I would rather Harry not get caught using one in a frivolous moment. If it becomes widely known that he uses Glamour charms, it would be easier for someone to catch him in one. Glamours are most effective when seldom used." Standing, Remus pulled his robes over his threadbare clothes. "Ready? All right, let's go." As Harry reached out for Remus' hand he asked, "I don't suppose you'd let me drive?" "No." With that pronouncement, they Disapparated from the Dursleys' kitchen, only to reappear a moment later in the vast atrium of the Ministry of Magic. Stepping from the Apparition point, Harry took his time to take in the sight of all the witches and wizards scurrying from one unknown point to another. This was his first unhurried glimpse of the heart of the British Wizarding world. The previous times he had been there included some of his worst memories – though being unjustly tried before the Wizengomott paled in comparison to the loss of his godfather. Harry pushed those thoughts aside as he joined the queue of people waiting to pass through the security checkpoint. He noticed that the people looked harried and seldom took time to greet each other or look each other in the eye. "Depressing," he muttered to himself. "Very," Remus answered. Harry look at him in surprise. "Come now, Harry, surely you remember Snape's essay from your third year? The one that you had to do about werewolves? One of few benefits of being a werewolf is having heightened senses. Don't expect to whisper around me and get away with it. I hear all. It was a useful trait when I worked as a teacher. Back to the point – yes, the Ministry is very subdued these days. As is Diagon Alley. Only to be expected in a time of war. Come now, let's have our wands checked." Harry turned to make sure that Ron and Mrs. Weaseley were still following. "Wand, please. State your name and purpose of visit," a sullen voice in front called. "Potter, Harry Potter; here for my Apparition test," he stated as he handed over his wand. "Right," the security guard answered as his eyes snapped to Harry's forehead. "Mr. Potter. Good to see you; here's your wand." As Harry made his way past the security point it seemed as if he could hear his name echoing through the atrium. A quick glance confirmed his fears, as he saw people stop what they were doing and glance his way. "Great." Turning to Ron, who was still on the other side of the checkpoint, he quietly said, "I've got to get out of here before a crowd gathers. See you at the testing centre." With that Harry turned and swept through the atrium following Remus. With minimal fuss, they made their way to the lift and then the Office of Apparition. Entering the small office, Harry settled himself in a waiting chair as Remus checked in with the secretary. Moments later, Ron arrived with his mum. "I'm sorry I left you, but I thought it best if I got out of there," he said apologetically. "No need to explain, dear," Mrs. Weasley answered. Ron laughed. "It was a great sight to see you striding through everyone and having them all watch you pass." He continued more sombrely, "Though I reckon it will be more difficult to get out of here." Harry sighed and leaned back against the wall. These are the people who are expecting me to save them, he thought. He thought more about the prophecy and his task. Looking out of the side of eyes he saw that Ron was fidgeting. "No worries, mate. You'll be fine. 'Twas a fluke you didn't pass the first time." Ron snorted. "'Twas? What have you been reading?" Ron turned to look at his friend. "You haven't been sneaking behind Ginny's back to see Hermione, have you?" Harry snapped forward fully awake. "No, Ron, that headache is all yours. Don't get me wrong. I love Hermione and all, but I have never seen her that way." "Good," Ron stated. "Though I think you are mental." Harry looked over at Remus and Mrs. Weasley, who were happily chatting at the counter. "Did Ginny get my letter?" Harry asked. "Yep." Harry waited, expecting to hear more. When Ron wasn't more forthcoming he burst out, "Well? How did she take it? What did she say? She burnt the letter without reading it, didn't she?" Harry slumped in the chair and banged his head against the wall. Ron looked over at his best mate and shook his head in amused disgust. "You dug your own grave, mate. I'd be more sympathetic with you if it weren't for the fact that you are talking about my little sister. Divided loyalties, you know. I asked her if she wanted me to slug you, but she said no." Ron shrugged his shoulders. "She read your letter; aside from that, you'll get nothing from me." "Stop tormenting Harry," Ron's mum chided. "Harry, dear, they are ready for you." Harry glanced up at Mrs. Weasley and realized that she must've heard a good part of their conversation. Scowling, he jumped up and made his way to a grinning Remus. "Shut it," Harry said pre-emptively. Remus just smiled and turned to the woman behind him. "This is Jacinda Howard, Harry. She'll take you through your test." As Remus stepped away, Harry stuck out his hand to the woman and shook hers. "Nice to meet you. What do I do now?" "Well, Mr. Potter," she started nervously, "we have to Apparate to another point with which you are familiar. First though, please step into this room. This is one of the Ministry's set Apparition points." Harry took a moment to consider where he wanted to go as he stepped into the new room. He knew that he did not want to go to the gates of Hogwarts – the memories of the battle were too fresh. Nor did he want to go to Diagon Alley, the other common point in Wizarding World with which he was familiar. He decided that he would try for the cliffs overlooking the ocean where Dumbledore had taken him to find the locket. While he didn't want to think about what was hidden beneath the cliffs, he did want to see the ocean again. He could only remember the vast darkness that the ocean had presented to him that night. He had often wondered what it would've looked liked during the light of day. "Okay," he said, looking at the dark-skinned witch before him. "I think I'm ready." He reached out to grasp her arm. As he gathered his energies, a look of surprise crossed his tester's face. "Mr. Potter, n...." Her voice cut off as Harry Apparated them both to the distant shoreline. Arriving, the tester stood in shock before looking over herself to see if she was missing any parts. Sighing in relief, she turned to Harry. "Mr. Potter, are you in one piece?" She turned Harry about, ensuring that he too was in one piece. "Honestly, I don't know if I should be congratulating you for a successful side-along Apparition, or failing you for not waiting for instructions. You weren't supposed to Apparate yet, and you certainly shouldn't have Apparated me with you to your destination. I think the fright took ten years off my life." As she paused to catch her breath she took note of their location. "Where in heavens are we?" "The shore," Harry replied unhelpfully. "I don't really know where in England we are." She looked at him in shock. "Please tell me you just didn't randomly Apparate us to this shore point. That would have been very dangerous." "Oh, no. I've been here before; Professor Dumbledore brought me one time at night. I just wanted to see what the ocean looked like during the day. I'm sorry about this; I didn't mean to frighten you." Ms. Howard looked Harry over shrewdly. "Given who you are and what you have already done, I guess I shouldn't have been so surprised. Side-along Apparition takes more skill and power. People generally do not bother learning how to do it until they have a special need. It's a separate license, you see. Well, we had better be getting back before people worry about our absence. Can you picture the starting point in your head?" she asked. At Harry's nod, she continued. "I might as well let you get the side-along Apparition license, as it is obvious that you are capable. When you are ready, take my hand and bring us back to my office." Harry took her hand as he gathered his energies and pictured the destination in his head. Closing his eyes, he released his power, and he felt the familiar squeezing sensation. When he opened his eyes, he saw that he was once again back in the Apparition office. Ms. Howard smiled at him as she said, "Well done. It looks like we are both intact. Let me go change the paperwork so that it reflects that you have your side-along certification. It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Potter." After shaking her hand, Harry exited and smiled at Remus and Mrs. Weasley. Noting his smile, Remus asked, "I take it that you passed your test?" "Yep. Actually, I got the side-along Apparition license as well. I side-along Apparated Ms. Howard." Remus let out a bark of laughter and motioned Harry to continue. "Well, I asked her what I was supposed to do, and she told me to pick a spot. So I did and just took her there with me. If we had a Pensieve, I could show you her expression when we got there. She was very nice not fail me on the spot, and once she realized we had made it one piece she let me Apparate us back to complete the test." "Only you, Harry." "Honestly, Harry, you should know better than to do side-along Apparition," Mrs. Weasley interrupted, frowning. "I'm just glad you made it in one piece." The door to the test area flew open, and a jubilant Ron emerged. "No missing bloody eyebrow this time!" "Ron! Watch your language," Mrs. Weasley scolded. "Good one, mate!" Harry responded. "Ron, I need to go to Gringotts. I'll probably be busy with that for a while. Could you come by sometime in the next couple of days with Hermione? There is a lot we have to talk about." Harry turned to Mrs. Weasley and gave her a hug. "Thanks for taking us on such short notice." "It's my pleasure, dear. And Harry, don't forget that the wedding is on 26 July. You are going to be there, right?" Mrs. Weasley asked, looking up at him. When he nodded, she smiled and released him from the hug. "Good. Make sure you arrive a couple of days before the wedding. The house will be packed, and it might be a little crazy, but it wouldn't be the same without you there." "I'll make sure he gets there, Molly," Remus interrupted. "Now when we leave the office, I want Ron to go first. Use that tall, lanky body of yours to push your way through the crowd." "What are you talking about, Remus?" Harry asked. "There is a group of about eight reporters who have gathered outside. When we leave, move quickly and don't stop, but also keep your head up." Looking at the group Remus could see that Ron was curious, Molly apprehensive, and Harry annoyed. True to form, he thought. "All right, let's go." Ron pushed the door open and took a step forward before he stopped. "Bloody he...." He turned and looked back at the group. "Looks like the crowd has tripled." Squaring his shoulders he started forward again. "Excuse us, coming through." As Ron not so gently pushed a path open, the others followed. When the crowd of reporters spotted Harry, there was an explosion of noise as each reporter vied to get Harry's attention. The questions were so overlapped that Harry had difficulty understanding them. After a minute of being shouted at he began to pick out the pattern of questions. 'Mr. Potter! Did you just take your Apparition test? If so, how? You're not of age.' 'Are you in hiding?' 'What are you going to do about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?' 'Harry! Over here! How do you feel about the death of Albus Dumbledore?' It was with great relief that they reached the Apparition point. He turned to Mrs. Weasley and Ron and waved a hurried goodbye. Leaning to Remus, he whispered, "Meet at the Apparition point outside Gringotts." With one last look at the reporters, he turned on the spot and Disapparated. When he reappeared he took a quick look at the sights of Diagon Alley. Casual shoppers were no longer present; instead, the street was sparsely populated with people who moved with a clear purpose in mind. Like in the Ministry atrium, people avoided eye contact and hurried to reach their destinations with no trouble. Sign of the escalating war, no doubt. At least this way chances are people won't notice me. Turning, he quickly made his way up the steps of Gringotts and ducked into the shadow of a pillar. Remus appeared and, like him, took a moment to assess the area. Unlike Harry, Remus took a deep breath and then turned and looked directly to Harry's hiding spot. Smiling, he ascended the steps. Harry stepped out of the shadows. "I did bathe last night," he said in a slightly affronted tone. "Did you really spot me by sense of smell?" Remus laughed. "Yes, I did. I told you, heightened senses. Most werewolves can cultivate this skill. Besides heightened senses another benefit is that I heal more quickly." Harry looked at the heavy, ornate doors of the bank. "Well, let's get this over with." Grabbing Remus by the elbow they started to make their way into the bank. "I didn't tell you what I wanted to get accomplished here. You might find it disturbing." Remus just raised an eyebrow at Harry and waited for him to explain. "Well, I wanted to find out how much money I inherited from Sirius. I have some ideas that could use a serious cash flow." Remus smiled wanly at the joke. Harry sighed. "Sorry, I couldn't resist. I still miss him. Anyway, I want to draw on the money to support the Order and everything that needs to be done." "I think Sirius would appreciate the irony of the Black fortune being spent fighting Voldemort." Remus paused and turned around to survey the crowd. "We are being watched." It did not take them long to spot the diminutive form of a goblin making its way to them. The goblin was immaculately dressed in an elegant dark suit, the very picture of a Muggle banker. The goblin's high-pitched voice startled him. "Mr. Potter, if you and your companion would please follow me." Without waiting for a reply, the goblin turned sharply on his heels and start moving away. Harry glanced at Remus with a perplexed look, but Remus just shrugged his shoulders. "Well, let's see where this leads." With that, Harry and Remus hurried to catch up to the retreating goblin. The goblin led them on a merry chase before they finally entered an ornate and richly decorated office. The goblin took his seat behind a large chestnut desk, opening a drawer and pulled out a stack of folders and documents. Looking up, the goblin noticed that both Remus and Harry were both still standing in the doorframe with perplexed looks on their faces. His lips parted and slowly crept upwards in what Harry hoped was a smile. "Please sit. You would be Mr. Lupin, would you not?" At Remus' nod, the goblin continued, "You both may call me Ravenspear. We have been expecting you, Mr. Potter, since we learned that you came into your majority. I have been asked to help you with your three vaults, if you deem me fit." He paused and gave Harry a chance to ask any questions. When none were forthcoming, he continued. "I have been managing the Black family vault for the last fifty years. Since the Black vault is the largest of your three vaults, it naturally became my province to manage your school vault, as well as the Potter family vault." "What are you talking about? I only have the one account," Harry said. Turning to Remus, he asked, "Do you know what this is about?" "No, Harry. I'm afraid I have little banking experience to draw upon." Remus looked back at the goblin. "Ravenspear, are you implying that the vault that Harry has been using is not the main Potter family vault?" "Indeed not, Mr. Lupin. The vault that Mr. Potter has been drawing from was a trust account for the purpose of taking care of his schooling." Ravenspear shuffled through some papers, before sliding them to Harry. "Please excuse my next question. We, of course, know that your parents and Mr. Lupin were close. But are you sure you want him privy to all of your business?" When he saw Harry nod he started to explain the documents. "The first details all the activity of the account that you have been using. The second details all the transactions made against the Potter account. I am afraid that the goblin responsible for that account did not do nearly so well." Harry picked up the pages while Remus leaned over his shoulder. After a moment he pointed to a figure midway through the page. Harry looked up at Ravenspear. "I have over half a million Galleons in the Potter family vault?" "Yes, and I am terribly sorry about that. There has been little appreciation over the last fifteen years. You also own two properties in the town of Godric's Hollow." "Two?" Harry questioned. "I think I can explain that one, Harry," Remus answered. "I am guessing that one belonged to your parents, and was destroyed the night they died. The other would be the actual Potter family homestead. I haven't been there in so long. I think you will love it there, Harry. I have fond memories of my visit." "Why has no one told me about this before?" Harry asked. The question caused Remus to collapse back into his chair. Frowning he replied, "I don't know the full story, Harry. I mean, in terms of why you don't know more about your family. I can only tell you my story and how I failed you." Harry took note of how Remus was looking down at the ground and how agitated Remus sounded. "I will answer any questions you have to the best of my ability." Harry reached out and grasped Remus' forearm and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "That sounds fine; I can wait till later." Looking back to Ravenspear he asked, "What about the Black account? Where do we stand there?" Ravenspear's unsettling smile appeared once again. "I took full control of Black investments when the Black matriarch passed away and her legal heir was imprisoned in Azkaban. Since then, I have been most successful in my investment strategies. I have invested the Black fortune almost exclusively in the Muggle World." At this pronouncement Remus burst into laughter, and the contagious laughter quickly spread to Harry. It took a while for Remus to calm down. Wiping the tears from his face, he said, "I don't suppose Sirius ever found out how you investing the Black fortune?" When Ravenspear indicated no with a small shake of his head, Remus continued, "Pity. He would've loved it. I'm sorry to have interrupted, Ravenspear; please carry on." "Yes, well, the investments have been most successful." He paused to push a third document across his desk. "As you can see from this tally sheet, the combined assets of the Black account have reached over eighty million Galleons. It has been most pleasurable to take care of this account. The question of how we proceed from here needs to be addressed. Officially, I have to relinquish management of the accounts. You are free to manage them yourself or hire anyone you deem worthy to manage the accounts." "Can't you continue?" Harry interrupted. "It would be a pleasure to continue, but understand for an account this size the fees for management are steep. Gringotts takes six percent of all profits, or two thousand Galleons per year, whichever is greater. Of that amount, I personally receive two percent as a bonus to my salary. If you find that acceptable then I would be glad to continue in my present role." Harry ran his hands through his hair, feeling very overwhelmed by everything that he had already discovered. Harry glanced at Remus looking for help. "Not sure what to tell you, Harry. Never had these issues to worry about. The fees seem high, but at least they are only on the profit." He shrugged. "Up to you." "Fine. Mr. Ravenspear, I would like you to continue to manage my accounts." Ravenspear smiled again. "It will be a pleasure to work with you, Mr. Potter. But please call me Ravenspear – I prefer not to use your human honorifics. First order of business, do you want your accounts consolidated? I, of course, will collapse your education trust into your main Potter vault. The question is do you want to combine the Black and Potter accounts?" "No. I would like to keep them separate. I would like to be able to give a couple of other people access to the Black account. I will soon be travelling with my friends Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley. I want them to have both Muggle and Wizarding money available to them. Also, I would like to have a means of getting money without having to visit the vault. In addition, I want Mr. Remus Lupin to have full access to the Black account." "Harry, no. I can't accept," Remus immediately interrupted. Harry continued as if he hadn't heard a thing. "So whatever you arrange for Ron and Hermione, I want Remus to have as well. Can that be arranged?" "Harry, I said 'no'. It's not right that I can access your account," Remus responded with a tinge of anger. Harry turned to face Remus, his eyebrows climbing into his fringe. "I have many reasons for doing this, and I promise you can yell at me later." As he turned back to Ravenspear he muttered to himself, "Almost as bad and annoying as Ron." "I heard that, you whelp." "Anyway. Can you do this?" he asked again. "It is unusual that someone gives such access to anyone who is not kin, but it can be done. I am sorry to say that you have to be tested by one of our people to ensure that this decision is not the result of coercion or Dark magic." When Harry nodded in resignation, Ravenspear pulled a tube with a mouthpiece from the side of his desk and proceeded to shout things in Gobbledegook. He looked up from the mouthpiece and asked them, "Would you care for some tea and biscuits while we wait?" At their nods, he shouted once again into the mouthpiece. "Once we have the unpleasantries resolved, giving access to those people should not be difficult. We have pouches that allow money to be debited from your account and magically deposited into the pouch wherever you are. Likewise, we can issue you Muggle credit cards. This is done through a transfer account that we have with Barclays. Barclays is a Muggle bank with which we have a long-standing arrangement. This card will allow you to withdraw Muggle money from their machines and pay for goods in their stores. Will this be acceptable?" Ravenspear asked. "All that sounds fine," Harry answered. At that moment, the door opened, and two goblins bustled in and promptly served them tea. These goblins were followed by two more goblins wearing what looked like long green lab coats. Between them, they carried an odd bowl-shaped device that seemed to be made from pottery. The two goblins looked at Ravenspear for direction. He, in turn, extended one long sharp fingernail in Harry's direction. In a dry, raspy voice, which was in sharp contrast to Ravenspear's, the goblin on the left spoke. "I will place this device on your head. Your kind finds this unpleasant, but it will last only a short moment." When the device was dropped on his head, Harry suddenly felt as if every part of his body was disconnected from him. The numbness left him feeling disoriented. When the device was removed, he lost his balance as his senses came back to him. Remus deftly caught him before he landed on the floor. "You all right, Harry?" Remus asked, as he helped Harry to steady himself in the chair. "That was the very definition of unpleasant," Harry muttered to Remus. At that point, Ravenspear spoke again, "Unfortunately, the test was inconclusive. My associate thinks you are not being coerced, but he also states that there is an aura of Dark magic about you. I'm sorry." "It's probably this," Harry said, pushing his fringe off his forehead, exposing his scar. The goblin promptly leaned in to examine the scar, pulling out a stout piece of wood, which was vaguely reminiscent of a wand. He pressed it against Harry's scar before he could react. The wood began to sizzle, and Harry pulled back in pain. The goblin looked at the stick in surprise and then nodded at Ravenspear. Gathering their things, the two goblins swept out of the office. "What just happened?" Harry asked while holding his palm to his forehead. "I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Potter. He should have told you what he was doing. The wood that he pressed against your scar comes from a sequoia tree. Goblin spell weavers have imbued it with magical properties. As you might guess, it reacts adversely to cursed objects. In this case your scar." "I've never heard of a sequoia tree. Does this mean that I can't give any others access to my accounts?" "We will be happy to do as you asked. My associate was satisfied that the Dark magic was originating from your scar and that you are not being coerced in this matter. Please finish enjoying your tea, while I complete this paperwork." "You know that I am not very happy with you," Remus stated in a low voice. Harry just smiled and picked up a biscuit. As he took a sip from his tea, he looked at Remus and arched an eyebrow at him. "You look like the cat that swallowed the canary. Feeling awfully proud of yourself, aren't you? Well, don't think this is over, Mr. Potter." Harry just smiled at this declaration. They continued to ignore each other and just sat there sipping tea. After ten minutes of silence, the door to the office opened, and another goblin entered and deposited a package on the table. "Very good," Ravenspear stated. "We are ready to conclude things." From the box, he extracted three small pouches and two keys. He passed one key to each of them, Remus once again giving Harry an annoyed look. Ravenspear then closely examined the pouches before handing one of them to Harry. "With this pouch, you will be able to withdraw any amount of money. As I explained before, this amount will be deducted from the Black vault. If you examine the clasp on the pouch you will see that it can be twisted. A small needle will extend from the clasp when you do this. Please prick yourself with this needle, and the pouch will be sealed so that only you can withdraw money from it. These other two pouches work in the same manner. The main difference is that you can only withdraw a maximum of 100 Galleons per day from them. When you give it to your friends, make sure they also bind the pouch to themselves." He watched as Harry took the pouch and pricked his finger on the clasp. With that done, Ravenspear handed Harry the other two pouches. Then he gathered up a pile of documents, turning them to face Harry and Remus, and he gave each of them a quill. They spent the next couple of moments signing documents as Ravenspear explain each document to them. "I believe that this concludes our affairs for the day, gentlemen. Unless you have any questions?" Ravenspear paused and looked at each of them. At this question, Harry spoke. "Two things. I'm expecting that we will start making large withdrawals from the Black account. I hope that will not be a problem?" "Not at all. I will make the necessary arrangements and adjustments to ensure you have the funds you need. You should also receive Muggle credit cards by owl in a couple of days. Do you have a question about how to use them?" When Harry shook his head he asked, "Anything else?" "If you don't mind me asking, I am surprised at how you dress. You look like a Muggle banker." Ravenspear smiled widely. "Thank you, Mr. Potter. As you might be able to tell from how I have invested the Black fortune, I have a fascination with Muggle financial institutions. Because of my success, my superiors have allowed me this eccentricity. If it bothers you, I can go back to the traditional goblin dress?" he asked uncertainly. "Absolutely not. It doesn't bother me in the least. One day, I will have to introduce you a friend, Mr. Weasley. He has a love of all things Muggle." Harry got up and shook Ravenspear's hand. "Thank you for your time." As they made their way back to the lobby Harry asked, "Do you think we could get some ice cream?" "You find out you are a millionaire, and the first thing you want to do is eat ice cream? Well, Fortescue's is still closed, but I do know a fantastic Muggle place. We can easily Apparate there. Before we go, is there anything else that you need to do here?" "I need to go to Quality Quidditch Supplies to get Hermione a broom, and to Flourish and Blotts to set up some accounts for a bunch of people. I am going to ask a couple to people to work on a research project. You're one of them," Harry said with a smirk. "Well, Flourish and Blotts is just a couple of doors down. Might as well go there," Remus stated. Harry wasted no time when they made it into the open air. Keeping his head down, he quickly made his way into the bookstore. "This might take a couple of minutes, Remus. I'm sure that you'll find a way to amuse yourself here. I'll meet you back here when I am done." Harry made his way to the register and waited until one of the workers had a free moment. "Excuse me, could you help me." Without looking up from her receipts, the witch responded in a disinterested voice, "What can I do for you?" "Well, I would like to set up a couple accounts for some friends of mine. How do I do that?" "You'll need to talk to the manager. His office is down the Divination aisle, then behind the Ancient History section." "Thanks." Harry turned and made his way to the Divination section. When he got to the end of the row, he started looking for the Ancient History section. Spotting it, he turned down another row and made his way into the bowels of the bookstore. It was obvious from the layer of dust on many of the books that this was an infrequently visited part of the store. The row ended at another set of bookcases. Turning to his right, Harry saw a sign that indicated he had arrived at the manager's office. He was about to make his way to the door when the sound of quiet whispering caused him to look over his shoulder. The shock of red hair surprised him. Recognizing the distinctive Weasley trademark he called out, "Percy?" Percy's companion immediately turned and disappeared down another aisle. Harry approached Percy slowly, a sense of wrongness cautioning him to be careful. "Mr. Potter. To what do I owe this dubious pleasure?" Percy asked in a voice laced with derision. "Wow, Percy. That was a dead on imitation of Snape. I'm impressed." Percy frowned at this obvious rebuke. "Well, I guess he and I are both in agreement about you, Potter. Now is there anything that I can do for you? If not I'll be on my way." "Whom were you talking to?" Harry asked. Shaking his head, Percy responded, "Not your business." "Right. Well, are you going to be at the wedding? Your mother would love to see you there, I'm sure." "No. I don't see the point of catching up with that rabble." Anger surged through Harry. The desire to throttle Ron's older brother led him to carefully place his hands in his pockets. "All right, you arrogant berk. What would it take to have you show up and behave like a civil person?" Percy just smirked at this. "Anger management is still an issue, I see. All right, Potter, if you agree to meet the Minister in a public setting and to meet with him in private, I will go to the wedding." "Fine. Just remember that the deal is off if you are not civil at the wedding. Act as you are now and you can forget me meeting your precious Minister." Percy nodded and then turned and began walking away. He looked back at Harry once and called over his shoulder, "I guess I'll see you at the wedding." Harry took a moment to calm his nerves and then knocked at the manager's door. It turned out to be a simple matter to set up the necessary accounts. In the end he decided that in addition to Ron, Hermione, and Remus, he would also add Luna, Neville, and Ginny to the list. The manager assured him that he would send them a catalogue of the available material and take care of any special requests. When Harry got back to the entrance, he found Remus sitting in one of the chairs reading a book. "Find something interesting, Remus?" Remus looked up. "As a matter of fact, I found several things. Let's take care of the broom and get going. I have something that I want to try with you." As they walked out Harry told Remus, "I ran into Percy. He was having a meeting of some sort in the back of the bookshop. It was very strange." Harry then explained his agreement. "Your heart is in the right place, but I don't like you being committed in this manner." "Neither do I. Well, we won't have to worry about this for well over a month, and he does have to behave like a regular person. I'm not sure he is capable. I got a really bad feeling from him; something just isn't right." Throwing his arm around Harry and dragging him forward, Remus said, "Come on, Harry, let's get the broom, and not worry about this for a while." Half an hour later, Harry and Remus left Quality Quidditch Supplies, having purchased the latest version of The Lady. The Lady turned out to be 'the broom of choice for sophisticated women,' according to the sales clerk. Harry had been surprised to discover a broom capable of flying one hundred miles per hour without sacrificing its handling or comfort. He arranged to have the broom delivered to Ron, and he wrote a quick note that he attached to the package.
"Hermione is going to hate the name of that broom. She'll make me pay for it, I'm sure." Remus laughed. "Probably, but it is a good broom for the reluctant flyer. I told you earlier that I wanted to try something with you. It is something that Aurors train to do. When they pursue someone, the suspect will many times try to flee via Apparition. Aurors will sometimes be able to follow despite the fact that they don't know the destination." "They Apparate without a known destination? You're kidding me." "No, they can do it. And seeing that you can side-along Apparate, I figure we might was well give this a shot. You do realize that side-along Apparition is not something many wizards can do without practice?" he said. "Well, the way this works is you have to focus on your subject. The things that I have read about this describe it as latching on to the subject." "Latching? You don't mean physically, right?" Harry asked. "No. More emotionally and mentally. The first time someone was able to accomplish this was when an Auror arrived at a murder scene while the killer was finishing up. By all accounts, he was in a towering rage, and all his energies were focused on the killer. He ended up following the killer through four or five Apparitions before he caught the man. The Auror in question didn't even realize what he had accomplished until after the fact. Since then Aurors practice this skill." Remus stopped walking and looked around the street. "All right. I am going to Apparate to the gates of Hogwarts. Except that I will not be Apparating in front of the gates. I want you to focus on me, and then try to follow me and arrive as close to me as you can. Ready?" When Harry nodded, Remus disappeared with a muted crack. Concentrating on Remus, Harry was surprised to feel a slight tug on his consciousness. Harry quickly decided to focus on that sensation, and he Apparated in the direction of the tug. Harry reappeared behind and to the left of Remus. Hearing his arrival, Remus turned and grabbed Harry in an embrace. "Brilliant! I actually didn't think you would be able to do this." Harry laughed at Remus' surprising display of exuberance. Looking around, Harry could see the gates of Hogwarts in the distance. "I thought you said we were going somewhere close to the gates." "Nah. I just said that to be able to give you a fall-back position just in case you couldn't follow me. Now I am going to Apparate somewhere we have already been to today. Let's go." Remus Disapparated with a quiet pop. This time, Harry didn't hesitate to follow the tug that he felt. In the next moment, he found himself in the middle of the Dursleys' kitchen. Harry laughed as he saw Remus repairing a dish that his aunt had dropped in her fright. "Sorry, Aunt Petunia." Remus turned to Harry with a smile on his face, and with a wink and a crack he was gone again. Harry quickly gathered his energies and followed. The two of them went through many different points before Remus stopped in a dingy alley behind a squat brick building. When Harry appeared a moment latter Remus cried, "Enough, I give up! You're too quick for me." Laughing, Harry responded, "Thank goodness. I'm not sure how much longer I could have kept this up." Looking at his surroundings, he frowned. "Couldn't we have at least stopped on that hillside instead of this disgusting alley?" Remus threw his arm around Harry's shoulders and started to drag him out of the alleyway. "So little faith." When they got to the front of the building, Harry found himself in a small street that was lined with Muggle stores. Remus pointed to a weathered store sign that read Sweet Tooth. "This here is the most brilliant ice cream parlour in all the land. Better yet, they also sell all sorts of candies and sweets. I try to come here at least once a month." They quickly settled themselves at a table, having already got their choice of ice cream. Remus watched as Harry devoured the sundae in front of him. He frowned a little as he realized that he so rarely had the chance to watch Harry act like a normal teenager. Sighing to himself, he decided to wait until Harry was done before broaching the subjects they needed to discuss. It didn't take long before Harry had placed the spoon down with a contented sigh. "That was a credible imitation of Ron." "Sorry. I was just a bit of slob there, wasn't I? Great ice cream, Remus. How did you find this place?" "Just happened on this place during my unsettled years." Remus frowned as he thought back. "Well, this touches on some of the things that you asked about in Ravenspear's office. Do you want more ice cream before I begin?" Harry shook his head, but held up one finger to Remus, asking him to wait. Harry looked surreptitiously around the room to ensure no one was minding him, and then he pulled out his wand and muttered a quick Muffliato. Looking at Remus, he added, "That will give us a little more privacy." Remus nodded, then continued where he had left off. "At the bank, you wondered about your properties and why no one had informed you about them. I can't help but feel to blame, as I was your parents' closest friend who wasn't in jail. It should've fallen to me to help raise you and let you know about your parents and family. After that night, when your parents were murdered, I am ashamed to admit that I fell into the deepest of depressions. I trusted Dumbledore to see to your care, assuming that a werewolf would never be allowed to care for a young boy. Honestly, at that time, I was barely doing a sufficient job caring for myself. I lost myself in the Muggle world for many years, wandering from place to place taking on odd jobs. It was towards the end of that period that I ran across this parlour. Well, that's the reason I was never there for you before third year." Remus' voice trailed off as he looked down at his shoes, unwilling to look up a Harry. Seeing Remus' shame Harry reached out and clasped his hand. "I'm glad you're here now." Remus looked up at Harry and smiled wanly. "Thanks, Harry." He squeezed Harry's hand once before letting go to continue his story. "As for the property, the Potters have a manor in Godric's Hollow. Near as I can tell, the Potters have always lived there. It's where your father grew up, and it's where you should've grown up. Peter, Sirius, and I visited there several times. We had grand adventures both in and out of the house. There was a large hill behind the house that led to some cliffs. We used to drive your grandmother to distraction by running through the woods at all hours. We loved to hang out by the cliffs." "Why didn't my parents live at the manor? Why did they have a second house?" "Well, Lily loved the manor, but she also treasured the town. I think she missed the Muggle world to a certain extent, and wanted to live closer to town. The manor itself is on the outskirts of the town, and the house sits in the middle of the property. Not a neighbour to be seen for miles. So Lily and James bought a house that was in town, which allowed her to feel connected to the Muggle world. I'm not sure what happened to the manor itself. I imagine that Dumbledore had it sealed. Either way, we should be able to go there once we have time." "I was thinking of going there after the wedding. There is so much to do," Harry muttered as he ran his hand through hair in frustration. Remus laughed. "I know you must get tired of hearing it, but when you do that you look even more like your father." Harry just rolled his eyes and smiled. "Now why did you give me access to your accounts? You better have a damn good reason, or I'm not taking you out for ice cream again." Harry burst out laughing at this. "Okay, Uncle Moony, I promise I'll be good and tell you what you want to know. First, I don't think of it as my money – it was Sirius' money. If anyone should have access to this, it should be you." Harry held up his hand to forestall Remus' outburst. "Let me finish. Whether you like it or not, I want you to spend money on yourself. You deserve it. I think we both could use a complete new wardrobe." Harry reached out and pulled on Remus' threadbare coat to make his point. "I like this coat," Remus protested. Harry just gave him an exasperated look. "You need a new one. On top of that, I told you that I am going to unleash all the Black resources to help the Order in the fight against Voldemort. I can't think of a better way to spend that money. I won't always be available to access the money for the Order, so I want you to have access to the vault." "Fine. But I'm not spending the money on myself." "Oh, for the love of Merlin! You're just as bad as Ron. Why on earth would you not spend some of the money on yourself? I'm not going to run out money any time soon, and I will still have the Potter account. I want you to enjoy the money and take care of yourself with it. It will make me feel better knowing that you are doing just that. You're practically the only family that I have left, and I want you to share the wealth," Harry finished in a rush. Remus pulled Harry into a fierce hug. "That is probably the nicest thing that someone has said to me long time. All right, Harry, I accept." "Good. Now maybe you can also spend some of that money on Tonks. There would be some cosmic justice involved if she also ended up being a recipient of some of her mother's family fortune." "Yes, there would be some justice in that," Remus said. "We have spent enough time here talking. Let's grab dinner before heading back to the Dursleys." Harry and Remus ate a quick meal at a pub down the street from the ice cream parlour, after which they Apparated back to the Dursleys' kitchen. Their abrupt arrival startled the Dursleys during their own dinner, causing Dudley to spill his drink across the table. An angry and red-faced Mr. Dursley pushed himself from the table. "See here, I will not have...." His voice faltered as Harry pulled out his wand and turned to face his uncle. "Will we need to go through this every night? Are you going to bluster about this every chance you get?" Harry asked with a snarl. "Please, give me an excuse to this," he added while casually twirling his wand. When his uncle sank back into his chair, Harry slipped his wand back into his pocket. Turning to leave the kitchen he called back over his shoulder, "Aunt Petunia, Remus might be staying in the guest bedroom. Don't worry yourself about it. If he does stay, I'll set up the room." When they got back to Harry's room, he asked Remus, "Can you stay? I am hoping you could start helping me with Occlumency and a couple other things. Where are you staying these days, anyway?" "I have been staying in one of the rooms at Headquarters, and unfortunately I have to go back tonight. But I will gather some things and stay with you for a while here. I agree that it will more practical to be here in order to get some things done." Harry brightened at the thought of having some company. "Now we need to get things settled in here. We are not going to start with Occlumency per se. Rather, we are going to concentrate on meditation and clearing your mind. Without that, I do not think we will get far with Occlumency. It's a pity I am not better suited to teach you this." Having said this, Remus set about Transfiguring the items in the room. Before long, the old decrepit bed was replaced by a simple mattress that lay directly on the ground. Likewise, the threadbare carpet Transfigured into something brighter and thicker. Other random items became large, comfortable looking pillows, and one became a low table. "What on earth are you doing?" "Trying to make this room a tad homier. I'm also hoping to change it enough so that it doesn't feel like your regular room," Remus replied as he put his wand away. He then pulled the items he had purchased from Flourish and Blotts and placed them on the table he had situated at the centre of the room. "I wouldn't be surprised if all your negative associations with this house is making it more difficult for you to meditate. I want you to get yourself as comfortable as possible anywhere in this room. I am also going to light some incense, as it should also help you disassociate yourself from your surrounding environment. Or so I read." Harry looked at around at his nearly unrecognizable room. Pulling some of the pillows together near a wall, he slowly settled himself on them and shifted about until he reached some degree of comfort. "So you read? Haven't done much meditation, I take it." "None," Remus answered sheepishly. "I have done some research, and I think we might as well try this method. Several books agreed on certain principles. I am going to ask you to close your eyes and simply focus on your breathing as best you can. As you do this, you can expect the day's events to play about in your mind. Work through those memories, sort them and think them through. The idea is that by acknowledging and going over the events, you'll be able to settle your mind and move on to other things. You've already described to me how you have many thoughts that keep intruding. Don't fight them off; rather face them and come to terms with them. I also bought a notebook, a diary if you will, that you can write down things that occur to you. The notebook is spelled to only open and be readable to you. Don't try to write long, flowing prose. Just jot down what you will and move on. The goal is to recognize the things that are bothering you. Many of the books agree that the more time you spend working on this process, the easier it will be to achieve a meditative state. I am hoping that it will be a better starting point to learn Occlumency. Do you have any questions?" "Not really. I'm willing to give this a try." "Good," Remus replied. He moved the small table nearer to Harry and lit the incense. Harry took the book and opened it, flipping through the blank pages. "I'm going to leave you for the night. Work on the meditation. If you start feeling frustrated by the process, break off and write in your diary about what is bothering you. Then try to resume your meditation. I'll be back in the morning, and we can move on from there." As Remus made his way to the bedroom door Harry got up and hugged him. "Thanks for everything." "It's my pleasure. All my pleasure, Harry." Harry settled on one of the larger pillows and contemplated his sparse room. Sighing, he resolved himself to the task at hand. Closing his eyes, he tried to focus his attention on his breathing. It wasn't long before his thoughts spun out of control. Pulling the notebook closer, he started writing. He spent the better part of the next three hours writing. In the beginning, he found writing his thoughts to be difficult and tedious. The more he wrote and meditated, however, the easier the writing became. Putting his diary aside, Harry closed his eyes and once again settled his body into the cushions. This time, he was not immediately assaulted with the usual images that had so often plagued him. Instead his mind settled into numb exhaustion. A tapping noise brought him out of reverie. Looking up, he saw Hedwig perched on the windowsill. He let her in, and she quickly settled on her perch. Harry gently stroked her feathers as she settled in for the night. "I think you have the right idea, Hedwig." He turned off the light and climbed into bed.
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