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Author: KEDme Story: Home Alone: Shadow Rising Rating: Teens Setting: Pre-HBP Status: Completed Reviews: 10 Words: 85,731
Disclaimer:
Hermione was woken from a rather pleasant dream (involving Ron, the Hogwarts library, and chocolate ice cream) by Ginny thrashing around wildly at her side. Having slept in the same room with Ginny on countless occasions, she was not especially bothered by this turn of events. Ginny often did this at night, and Hermione knew why. Although they had not discussed it at length, Hermione was well aware that Ginny was still dealing with effects from the Chamber of Secrets. At first Hermione just mumbled for Ginny to quiet down and go back to sleep, but when both Ginny and Harry began calling out and thrashing around, she groaned in frustration. In retrospect, she was ashamed to admit that she was rather put out with the two of them for disturbing her sleep. It wasn't as if she didn't sympathise with them. Hermione was well aware that Harry suffered from nightmares as well as Ginny – and with good reason. Although she was not privy to Harry's sleeping habits, she had heard enough from Ron to know that Harry often had trouble sleeping. She supposed if she had Voldemort running rampant in her mind, and had witnessed even half of what Harry had in his life, she'd have nightmares as well. Besides, even if Ron had not kept her informed of his best mate's sleep patterns – and if she had not known about Harry's past – Dudley had said enough to convince her that Harry's nightmares were serious. Harry's reaction earlier to Dudley's taunts had sealed it for Hermione. Sometimes she was shocked that Harry hadn't yet managed to land himself in the St. Mungo's Psychiatric Ward, with a bad case of post-traumatic stress disorder. Listening to her friends' pain made her sigh in shame. So what if her sleep was being disturbed? At least her sleep was relatively free from nightmares. Yes, she had the occasional bad dream, usually revolving around Voldemort targeting those she loved – her parents, Harry, the Weasleys, or her friends from school. Sometimes she dreamed that Voldemort had won and that Harry and Ron were dead, leaving her alone in a nightmarish world where Muggleborns were tortured and killed, much like the Jews or early Christians in history. Some nights she dreamed of nameless, faceless Death Eaters closing in on her like they had in June. These dreams had only worsened since the incident at the Department of Mysteries. It was small consolation that she had yet to come face to face with Voldemort himself and so, thankfully, he had not invaded her dreams yet. Despite these occasional sleepless nights, however, Hermione was pleased to say that the majority of her nights were peaceful. Tonight's annoyance probably had more to do with being interrupted from an extremely good dream – the thought of which made her blush profusely, even in the dark. To her right, Ginny and Harry were both becoming more and more agitated. Their thrashing was becoming almost violent, and Hermione was even more disgusted with herself when she heard them both moan painfully and call out in their sleep. Curiously, it seemed as if they were having similar dreams to each other, judging from the snatches she could comprehend. Wondering what to do, she gently shook Ron awake. She was slightly amused to see that he had not stirred even once through all the noise and was blissfully ignorant of the goings-on around him in the living room. She supposed he was either a heavy sleeper or he was wrapped up in his own dreams. He did seem to be smiling, she mused, as she took in his tousled appearance and relaxed features. A rush of warmth and affection washed over her at the thought that he might be dreaming of her. "Ron!" she whispered urgently, as Ginny gave another small whimper and Harry yelled out a desperate call. "Wake up!" she said, shaking him gently. Looking at the clock, she realised it was past one. They had been asleep for roughly an hour. "Go 'way, Mum," Ron mumbled. "'Mione and I are busy!" he said, batting her hand away. Hermione smiled devilishly. Inching up closer to Ron's ear she whispered, "And what exactly are we doing that's keeping us so busy, Ronald?" She laughed when his eyes flew open, and he looked at her in horror. Immediately, he began to stutter. Quickly, however, she shushed him with a hand to his mouth, as Harry and Ginny let out another small cry of terror and thrashed around heavily on the floor. His eyes widened even further, and he shot a glance in the direction of his sister and best friend. "What's wrong?" he asked, worriedly. "Nightmares, I think," she replied, looking thoughtfully at the couple clasped together on the floor. Their faces were contorted in terror, eyes squeezed tight against some unknown enemy or memory. Both were sweating profusely. Harry, especially, looked both dangerous and vulnerable, an odd combination on a face so young. Ginny had buried her head in the crook of his arm, and was holding on to him tightly. They seemed to be aware of each other, but neither was conscious. It was all very odd, in Hermione's opinion. "Something strange is going on here, Ron," Hermione stated knowingly. Just as the words escaped her mouth, the whole house shook violently. If she hadn't known better, she would have sworn they were experiencing an earthquake. The walls rattled, and every knickknack, window, mirror, and picture in the living room either fell to the floor or shattered. Hermione and Ron landed in a heap together on the floor, and Fred and George's swearing could be heard from the vicinity of the kitchen. Dudley's squeak of fear came from the sofa where he had passed out as an empty frame fell over his head, its glass lying in pieces around him. Hermione could feel the magical energy of the quake radiating off of the couple next to them, and knew without a doubt that one or both were the cause. The shaking ended as suddenly as it had begun, leaving behind an unnatural silence. Looking over at Harry and Ginny, Hermione noted that they were deathly still and pale. Almost fearfully, she crawled over to her friends and checked their breathing and pulse. Satisfied, she turned back to the shocked red-head and nodded curtly, letting the relief show on her face. Ron let out his own sigh of relief. "Bloody hell!" Fred exclaimed as he and George entered the room. "What was that?" "Dunno," Ron shrugged, staring at Harry and Ginny, who had not moved since the house began shaking. "Something funny's going on with those two, though," he said, motioning towards the couple lying motionless, locked in each other's arms. "Are... are you sure they're all right?" George asked hesitantly. "They look…" He stopped himself before he said the word dead. That would be too unbearable. "They're breathing, if that's what you're asking," Hermione replied. "They were dreaming earlier. Strange dreams… like they were having the same one. It's almost as if they were…" "Dreamwalking," Ron finished knowingly. Looking up at him sharply, Hermione suddenly put it all together. "Yes, that's it exactly. I've read about dreamwalking. It's supposedly not a very common gift, but it happens more than, say, Parseltongue. How did you know?" she asked Ron. "Ginny's done it before," he said. Before he could explain further something else drew their attention. Sudden loud noises, swearing, and footsteps began to come from everywhere at once. All over the house and in the entranceway, the house seemed to come alive with commotion. The most prominent noise was the blast from the front door, which burst open from a spell that had the teenagers drawing their wands and pointing them fearfully in the direction of the doorway. All present were relieved when Tonks, Mundungus, Lupin, Mad-Eye, Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Figg, and finally Dumbledore strode purposefully through the door. Dumbledore in particular seemed to radiate power, immediately commanding everyone's attention. His piercing blue eyes surveyed the room, not missing the prone forms of Harry and Ginny, who were still locked in an embrace but were deathly pale and still. Only the occasional rapid eye movement betrayed the fact that they were sleeping and not dead. Following the members of the Order into the room were Lee, Angelina, Alicia, and Katie - all sleepy-eyed and wearing confused, frightened expressions on their faces. Hermione heard them murmuring to each other, and watched Fred and George stride over to them and begin to whisper furtively. Dumbledore spoke aloud the words on everyone's minds. "Miss Granger," he stated in his most authoritative voice, "I think explanations are in order." Before Hermione had time to utter a word, however, Harry and Ginny woke up screaming, causing everyone in the room to jump in shock and surprise. *** It was some time later before the explanations asked for by Dumbledore could be given. Ginny in particular was the hardest to calm down. Clutching her hand to her forehead, in the exact same spot where Harry's scar was, she appeared to be on the verge of hysteria. Eventually, she had to be given a calming potion by Dumbledore, who came ready for just this scenario. For the millionth time since her first year at Hogwarts, Hermione marvelled at the Headmaster's sense of preparedness, and his calm demeanour in the face of crisis. Who else would think to carry a calming potion around but Dumbledore? Although, she supposed, as head of the Wizengamot and in light of present-day circumstances, it was probably a prudent thing to do. Only Harry seemed as calm as Dumbledore. Hermione could see his stony face, empty of all emotion. He had his hand pressed against his scar, much like Ginny; he sat quietly in a corner of the room wrapped in a blanket, his eyes shut as if to block out the rest of the world. Whenever someone attempted to address him personally, he acted as if he didn't hear, and refused to look up or answer. Hermione, having known Harry for such a long time, was very concerned for her friend. This behaviour was very out of character for him. Observing him from a distance, she noted that he didn't appear to be particularly afraid, upset, or ill. Instead, he looked as if he were thinking very hard. For some unexplainable reason, this caused her to feel extremely uneasy. Dumbledore did not miss Harry's odd behaviour either. After seeing to Ginny and leaving her in the care of her father, he walked over to Harry and attempted to engage him in conversation. Although she could not hear the words exchanged, Hermione did not miss what happened next. Harry – her dear, kind, noble, gentle friend – looked Dumbledore directly in the eye with a look that could only be described as pure hate. His face contorted into an ugly mask of rage, and the fire in his green eyes reminded Hermione of a snake that was about to strike. The green orbs seemed to glow red in the pale light of the half-moon shining in through the windows. Hermione saw Harry's fists clench, in an effort to keep himself from attacking the Headmaster. In a move that could only be described as swift, Harry jumped up, pointed his wand at the Headmaster, squared his shoulders defiantly, and faced Dumbledore eye to eye. For the first time in her life, Hermione saw a semblance of fear in the old man's eyes. The room became deathly silent as all eyes swung to the two locked in a battle of wills. Dumbledore was the first to speak. "You don't want to do this, Harry," he said calmly, looking him directly in the eye. He did not draw his wand, or make a move to stop him. "How would you know what I want to do?" Harry said, spitting out the words furiously. He raised his wand even further. "Since when do you know anything about me?" "I know you better than you think, Harry," the old man said calmly as if his life were not in danger. He did not appear to be worried in the least. "I have watched you for a long time." "Yes, Headmaster. Yes you have, haven't you?" Harry said dangerously. To Hermione, the voice sounded odd – so unlike the Harry that she knew. His usually respectful and gentle voice was contorted with rage, disgust, and something akin to arrogance. "You are the great puppet master, pulling all the strings, aren't you, Dumbledore?" he sneered, sounding too much like Snape for comfort. "Put the wand down, Harry," Dumbledore said in a harsh voice that commanded obedience. "No," Harry said slowly and angrily, the lilt of arrogance tingeing his every word. "I don't think I will." Dumbledore did something next that shocked everyone in the room. His voice seemed to imitate thunder and reverberate from every corner of the room. It was like a Howler, only ten times worse. "Put the wand down, Tom!" he yelled angrily. Harry blinked in surprise. His features seemed to melt and fuse together, back into the face that Hermione knew so well – her Harry, the one who would risk anything to help his friends. She watched in agony, as the pain and realisation of what he had almost done seemed to collapse in on him, like a heavy weight dragging him under. Slowly, Harry lowered his wand. Everyone in the room, including Dumbledore, gave a sigh of relief, as the Headmaster snatched the wand from Harry's limp grasp. Without a word, the old wizard put a comforting arm around Harry's shoulder, shielding him from the staring eyes of everyone in the room, and led the shell-shocked boy out and up the stairs – presumably to the smallest bedroom, which Harry called his own. *** Dumbledore returned some time later, with a grave expression on his aged, haggard face. Hermione could see the toll his earlier confrontation with Harry had placed on the old man's countenance. In answer to the questioning look from the group, he sighed wearily and said, "He's asleep right now, and I ask you not to bother him. He will come around in his own time, in his own way. Right now, he has many issues and conflicting emotions and he needs to sort through them before he will be ready to see any of you. I ask that you respect his wishes," he said, looking pointedly at Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. "But..." Ginny began. "He expressly asked that you stay away for now, Miss Weasley," Dumbledore said kindly. "I understand that you have some things to tell us. Perhaps something that will shed some light on this situation?" Seeing that the Headmaster was not going to back down on this issue, Ginny asked, "What would you like to know?" in a resigned voice, her finger still fingering the spot on her forehead where she had felt Harry's scar burning. "Starting from the beginning is always useful, in my experience, Miss Weasley," Dumbledore said gently. "Yes," Mr. Weasley interjected. "Your mother and I would like to know how you lot came to be here in the first place," he said disapprovingly, looking at all four of his children. "That would be my doing, Arthur," Tonks said from behind. All eyes swung to look at her. "I had a rather disturbing conversation with Harry this morning, and could tell he was really down. Then I overheard his cousin making plans to humiliate him." She paused to look Dudley up and down in disgust. The boy was still on the sofa with the blanket hitched up around him, almost covering his face; he seemed to be in pure terror at the sight of so many wizards in his living room. "I thought Harry could do with some backup," she added, "so I Apparated to the Burrow and convinced Ron, Fred, and George here to come and help him out." "It didn't take much to convince us," Ron admitted. "You know we'd do anything for Harry." "Yes, Mr. Potter is very lucky to have friends such as you," Dumbledore said with amusement, a knowing gleam in his eye. "Anyway," Ron said sheepishly, "I was writing a letter to Hermione at the time, and I sort of ended it in a way that gave the impression that there was serious trouble at Harry's." "Naturally, we were worried, so Ginny and I made our way over here to make sure that everyone was all right," Hermione added. "And then what happened?" Lupin asked patiently. He looked haggard and worn to Hermione's eye, but healthy enough considering he had two weeks till the next full moon. "Harry asked us to stay a bit, and since we had come all this way, we thought it wouldn't hurt. After all, these Muggles are the worst sort, aren't they? How were we to know he'd be safe?" Ginny told the adults. They all exchanged knowing looks that affirmed what Ginny had just said, while Dudley let out a squeak of protest. One warning glance in his direction from Moody, and he was silent. "After Dung advised us about the Dementors," Ginny continued, "and told us that the Ministry wouldn't be bothering us with owls for using magic, we all decided to make sure we remembered how to do certain spells that might prove useful if we were attacked. You know… to protect ourselves," she said defensively upon seeing the adults exchange pointed looks. "I told you that's what they were doing," someone, perhaps Dung, mumbled. After seeing the teens exchange confused looks, Dumbledore explained. "While we did say you would not get into trouble for using magic this evening, thanks to a favour owed to me by Mafalda Hopkirk at the Office of Underage Wizardry, we did not expect for you to actually use magic unless situations deemed it necessary and you were required to defend yourselves," Dumbledore said with definite amusement, as he surveyed the guilty faces of the teens over his half-moon spectacles. "The underage magic sensors were kept very busy tonight, and it seems I have some grovelling to do. Ms. Hopkirk graciously covered for several of you all evening," he explained. "Suppose I forgot to mention 'bout that," Dung mumbled, rubbing his stubbly chin. Mrs. Figg hit Dung over the head with her handbag, making him yelp. "I told you I should have delivered the message, Albus!" she bellowed angrily. "Why you still trust him after last summer's fiasco, I'll never understand!" "When're you going to let that go, Figgy?" Mundungus whined. "Any bloke can make a mistake!" "Any bloke indeed!" she screeched. "You, Mundungus Fletcher, are a sorry mistake all on you own!" "Enough!" Dumbledore roared, causing everyone in the room to focus their attention back on the matter at hand. "This is not helping us determine what happened here tonight!" "Wormtail!" the twins gasped, as they flew out of the room towards the kitchen. Everyone looked surprised and curious as they craned their necks in the direction of the kitchen. "He won't be in there," Ginny said quietly, just before a string of obscenities and loud noises Mrs. Weasley would certainly not approve of came streaming from the vicinity of the kitchen. Dumbledore raised an eyebrow and gave her a significant look, but said nothing. "He's gone!" Fred said disgustedly, slamming through the door, followed closely by George who was carrying Hedwig's ruined, empty cage. George had an identical look of anger and disgust on his freckled face. "Perhaps you'd better explain," Dumbledore said, looking in Ginny's direction. "Fred and George used a locking spell to keep us safe," Ginny went on. "Only we didn't know at the time that Scabbers, er… Wormtail… you know, Peter Pettigrew, was in the house in his Animagus form. Hermione used a brilliant bit of magic to find him." Ginny beamed at her brown-haired friend, who blushed at the praise. "She Summoned him." "Interesting," Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "I was always under the assumption that one must know where the thing is that we are intending to summon, for that particular spell to work. You are quite exceptional, Miss Granger," Dumbledore said, obviously impressed. Dumbledore's praise made Hermione flush even brighter. "In any case, it worked," Hermione said, trying to hide how pleased she was. "What we didn't know at the time was that Fred and George had no idea how long their spell would last, and it made it impossible to Apparate or Disapparate while in use." "As we learned when we tried to gain access into the house," Dumbledore said mildly. "Quite impressive bit of magic in your own rights Messrs. Weasley," he said, his blue eyes twinkling as they saluted him. Becoming serious once again, he bid Ginny to continue. "How did you know that Wormtail had escaped, Miss Weasley?" he asked. "I saw it in Harry's dream," Ginny explained. "At least I think it was a dream… it's all very confusing." "I'm not sure I understand," the Headmaster said. "Harry and I had an argument which resulted in the four of us agreeing to sleep on the floor," Ginny said, looking at her father warily, as if she didn't know how much to say without revealing that she and Harry had grown quite close over the course of the evening. "I was dreaming of something that happened a long time ago at the Burrow, and Harry dreamwalked into my dream. Then, I did the same to one of Harry's, and through all that I somehow got pulled into one of Harry's visions. I... I saw Voldemort," she said quietly, ignoring the gasps from those around her. "He was talking to Pettigrew. He… he said…" "He said what, Miss Weasley?" Dumbledore asked reassuringly. "It is very important that I know," he said softly. Taking a deep breath, she continued, looking steadily at the floor. "He knew Harry was there," she explained. "And he could sense me in the background. He's evil, Professor. He sent Wormtail here to do something, but I'm not certain what." "Is that all, Miss Weasley?" the old wizard asked her kindly. "Was there any more you can tell us?" "No, as far as I remember that was all. Pettigrew was supposed to report earlier, and Voldemort was angry because he was late. When Wormtail arrived, he asked for a report, and that's all we heard before we woke up. How did he escape, anyway?" she asked, looking accusingly at the twins. "Don't look at us! We didn't fall asleep," George said indignantly. "It must have been after the explosion," Fred said. "What explosion?" Ginny asked, confused. "The one that either you, or Harry, or both of you were making just before you went deathly still. There was a big wave of magical energy coming off the two of you," Hermione explained. "We noted this occurrence from the outside," Dumbledore added. "After that, we were able to gain entrance to the house. Whatever caused it was powerful enough to break the charm that had been placed over the house." "Right before the explosion, the two of you were thrashing around and calling out in your sleep," Hermione told her. "I'm curious… what were you dreaming about? It looked as if you were having some bad nightmares." "We were," Ginny said with a shudder. "I dreamed of the Chamber and Harry… well… he had several. I don't really feel comfortable sharing them right now," Ginny said, looking down at her feet and gulping. "It was horrible! I felt so useless. I don't know how Harry has held it together so well all this time." "Harry is strong," agreed Dumbledore. "He has strength of character that many wizards twice his age will never have. However, he is in a great deal of pain right now." Dumbledore turned to Hermione. "Miss Granger, do you or young Mr. Weasley know if Harry practices his Occlumency often?" Dumbledore asked. Hermione sighed guiltily and looked at Ron, who seemed to mirror her expression. "No, Professor," Hermione admitted. "I don't believe that Harry is practising his Occlumency at all. He had another episode earlier in the evening and passed out and when he went to sleep he was looking ill again. He said it was just a headache, but I don't believe him. He was clutching his scar and it was too much like all the other times. When I confronted him about it, he got angry and I dropped it." "Harry told us last year that Professor Snape said he didn't need to go to lessons anymore," Ron added. "But then after what happened at the end of June," Hermione continued, "I suspect there's something we don't know. I'm beginning to wonder if Harry lied to us." "Indeed, Miss Granger, Harry was not exactly truthful. Yet neither was he lying." Dumbledore went on. "Professor Snape did dismiss Harry from lessons, but only after Harry saw something he was not meant to see. I have already discussed this with Mr. Potter, and he knows my feelings on the matter. Arrangements will have to be made to see that he is properly trained. After tonight, I fear that Tom is trying to take control of Mr. Potter's mind, and I believe Harry's life may be in danger," he said sadly. "W-what do you mean, Professor? Will Harry be all right?" Ginny asked fearfully. "Harry is not himself, Miss Weasley," Dumbledore said wearily. "From what I could gather he is now being influenced by Voldemort through their mind connection. At times, he appears to be himself, but in an instant he… is not." He sighed deeply. "I cannot be sure how long this will last. It may be temporary, or it may be permanent. The crux of the matter is that Harry must learn Occlumency before Tom finds a way to completely take over. That is why I must insist that he stay here at his aunt's home until we find a suitable teacher." "Why can't you teach him, Albus?" Lupin asked. Turning his sad eyes to the werewolf, Dumbledore answered, "Harry is angry with me right now. Coupled with the hate emanating from Tom, I seem to make the connection stronger. Harry asked that his friends stay away. He is very… unlike himself, and I think I will indulge him on this. I do not know at this point if it would be safe for the children to see each other." "Harry would never hurt us!" Ginny exclaimed defiantly. "Tell him, Dad! You know Harry. He would never hurt us!" "I must agree with Albus on this, Ginny. I'm sorry," her father sighed regretfully, "truly I am. I trust his judgement and if he thinks it best that you not see Harry, then I have to insist." "It will not be forever, Miss Weasley," Dumbledore said gently. "I promise that as soon as this is resolved, you may see Mr. Potter straight away. In three weeks he will turn sixteen, and then he can leave this place. Until then, we will step up our protection here in Surrey. Constant Vigilance, eh, Alastor?" the Headmaster said, smiling at the old Auror. Turning back to the young people who looked ready to protest again, he tried to reassure them. "Given time, this development may resolve itself without our interference. Harry is a very powerful wizard and possesses great strength of mind for one so young. He has shown resistance to the Imperius Curse in the past, and I feel certain he will find a way to shut Tom out of his mind for good. In the meantime, we need to give him as much support as possible. Perhaps a letter would let him know you are thinking of him and wishing him well?" Hermione exchanged uneasy glances with Ron and Ginny. She was certain that they were thinking the same as she…a letter could not possibly suffice. They needed to talk to Harry and make sure that he was all right. Seeing the adults' stubborn looks, however, Hermione knew it was pointless. Their minds were made up. She nodded her head in submission and watched Ron and Ginny do the same, albeit reluctantly. "Good," Dumbledore said gravely. "Now, Miss Granger. I'm afraid I have some rather difficult news to break to you." He paused, as if unsure how to say what he had to say, in the gentlest way possible. "I'm very sorry I could not inform you of this earlier, but other matters were more pressing." A sudden fear gripped Hermione's heart, and she knew instinctively that what Dumbledore had to say would not be good. For one thing, the Headmaster never had trouble saying what needed to be said. The sad look on his face spoke volumes. "It's my parents, isn't it?" Hermione whispered. "Your parents are fine," Dumbledore said with a small smile. "Thankfully, they were out for the evening, or things may have turned out very differently. We had feared that you and Miss Weasley were at home when the Death Eaters attacked, but luckily your instinct to help Mr. Potter served you well tonight. The sad fact is that your home was destroyed." Hermione's knees buckled, and she felt Ron's supporting arm catch her before she fell to the floor. She managed to croak, "Crookshanks?" "Is unharmed," Dumbledore said kindly. "He is a very smart cat, Miss Granger, as I'm sure you know. He was found outside your home in a tree, moments after the Aurors arrived on the scene." Hermione gulped a thankful breath of air. "A-and where are my parents, now Professor?" she asked. "They are being cared for by Molly Weasley," he answered. "When you are ready, I will see that you are taken to them. I think you owe your parents some explanations," he told her shrewdly. "I-I'd like that. And, yes I do owe them an explanation. One that is long overdue, I'm afraid. Thank you, Professor," she said, stepping away from Ron's comforting support and gathering her things together. "What about the rest of us?" Ginny asked. "I don't want Harry to feel as if we abandoned him. Would it be possible to stay here for the rest of the night?" she asked. "…just in case he's able to see us?" "If your father agrees, I see no harm in that," Dumbledore agreed. "This house is as safe as any. Safer in many respects. The unfortunate incident with Peter will not be repeated. I have already taken measures to correct the flaw in the wards that surround this house, and have also stepped up guard activity around the premises. I do not think Mr. Potter will want to see anyone tonight, however. Now, it is late and I'm sure everyone is very tired. For this reason, I'll make arrangements to have everyone escorted safely home in the morning." "Thank you, Professor," Hermione heard Ginny say. Somehow, she knew her couldn't leave until she saw Harry one last time. Hermione saw Ginny touch her fingers to her forehead, her face clouding over. "If you please," Dumbledore said, addressing the adults in the room. "I must discuss some things with the members of the Order of the Phoenix before I retire for the evening. It has been a rather eventful day, and I'm no spring chicken, after all," Dumbledore said, a smile twisting his bearded face. "If you don't mind following me into the kitchen," he said, extending his gaze to the Order members, "we'll get this over with so that everyone may get some well deserved sleep. Mr. Lupin will then see Miss Granger," he paused, and surveyed the close proximity of Hermione and Ron knowingly, "and young Ronald to Grimmauld Place, where I believe her parents are most anxious to converse with her." "If there are no more questions?" he asked, looking at each teenager in turn. Fred and George looked as if they wanted to be included in the meeting in the kitchen, but the Headmaster held up his hand. "No, Messrs. Weasley, I'm afraid this meeting is for Senior Order members only. You will be filled in on everything later. Any other questions?" he asked. When no one answered he said mildly, "Very good. If you'll follow me?" he said, leading the adults out of the room. He paused at the door to address Ginny. "While Mr. Potter is asleep, I see no harm in you checking in on him. I gave him a little something to ensure that he gets an adequate night's rest. He will not wake for some time, and I only ask that you not disturb his sleep." Dumbledore sighed after this, sounding very old and weary to Hermione's ears. Hermione wondered if Dumbledore had read Ginny's mind because she knew her friend well enough to know that nothing would keep her from seeing Harry tonight. *** The mood in the kitchen was grim. Lupin was the first to speak. "Tell me, Albus, how bad is it?" he asked, not bothering to hide the edge of concern in his usually controlled voice. Dumbledore sat down tiredly, signalling the others to do the same. All of the members of the Order looked worriedly towards their leader for reassurances, as they took their places around the table – assurances he could not give to them. This made his burden all the more heavy to bear. "The situation is not good, I'm afraid," he said. "I did not hold much back from the children. Harry is indeed not himself. I fear that Tom is attempting to take over, and the angrier Harry becomes, the more he is susceptible to his influence. Tonight's events weakened the barrier even more. It is as I feared. There is no doubt that as Tom becomes stronger, Harry's resistance to the mind-connection becomes weaker." Sighing, he said, "If Harry does not learn Occlumency soon, he may be lost to us forever. This is a risk that we cannot afford to take. He is too important to our cause to lose him now, especially after everything we have done to protect him." He paused, taking in the grave faces of those around him. "Therefore, I have decided to call in a trusted friend from overseas, to help us with this matter." "Who do you have in mind, Albus?" Moody asked in his usual straight-forward growl. "Stephen Hunter," he answered, ignoring the gasps from around the table. "Hunter?" asked Tonks incredulously. "Did you say Stephen Hunter, the ex-Auror?" "Yes, I did," Dumbledore admitted mildly. "He's a legend!" Tonks said with obvious awe. "Books have been written about him!" "Three, to be exact," the Headmaster affirmed. "Why would he agree to help us?" Mrs. Figg asked warily. "I understand he wants nothing to do with the Wizarding World since his wife and son were killed. I read it in Witch Weekly," she said with authority. "You trust that rag?" Tonks said flippantly. "Half of what they print is no more reliable than the Daily Prophet!" "I quite agree," Mr. Weasley said. "Just last week Molly showed me an article written about Harry. Half of what they printed stretched the truth, and the other half was downright lies." "In this case they are correct," Dumbledore said in his enigmatic way. "Mr. Hunter did drop out of the Wizarding World, for the most part, after the death of his family. However, I know he will agree to help us." "And why is that, Albus?" Lupin asked curiously. "Because, as some of you may remember, James once saved his life. Beyond that, he hates Voldemort with a passion. I think he'll be inclined to train Harry. There is no one more skilled in the art of Occlumency, with the exception of Severus, perhaps. Unfortunately, that situation did not work out as well as I had hoped. In many respects, I feel it may have actually hurt our cause," he said regretfully. "Severus should have used better judgement in his dealings with Harry," Lupin agreed. "I tried to talk reason into him, but he has his prejudices against me as well." "Yes, trusting Severus to teach Harry Occlumency was a mistake," Dumbledore agreed. "The more important thing is to move on and correct our errors. Can anyone think of a better solution?" When no one answered, he moved to adjourn the meeting and stood up. "Unless anyone has any objections, I will contact Mr. Hunter and do my best to convince him to help us. Keep in mind that this may require some sacrifices on our part," he warned them. "It may very well be that Harry must be taken to him." "All the way to America?" Mrs. Figg asked, shocked. "Yes, Arabella," Dumbledore affirmed. "It actually may be for the best, if that is indeed where Mr. Hunter resides nowadays." Mr. Weasley cleared his throat. "We'll do whatever is necessary to protect the boy, Albus. That's what we pledged to do when we joined the Order, after all. Molly and I are quite fond of him, as you know. We think of him as another son, and, just like our children, we would do whatever is best for him, no matter the cost." "I feel the same," Lupin agreed. "Protecting Harry is the most important thing. If I have to travel half way around the world to do it, then so be it. It's the least I can do for James and Sirius." The others murmured their agreement. "Good, good," Dumbledore said in a pleased voice. "How long do you think it will take before he leaves, Albus?" Moody asked, most likely thinking of the security needed until then. "Harry must stay here until his birthday. That is in three weeks time. I think we should be able to make the necessary arrangements by then. In the meantime, everyone has strict orders to keep a very close eye on the boy. I want to know where he is and what he's doing at all times," the Headmaster said sternly, looking at Mundungus in particular. "Hopefully the effects of Harry's latest encounter with Voldemort will fade, and his resistance will strengthen," he said, more for his own benefit than anyone else's. *** As soon as the door was closed behind the Senior Order members, Fred and George rushed to get their Extendable Ears out and eavesdrop on the conversation in the kitchen. In frustration, they both swore loudly and turned to the group that had gathered around them. "No good," Fred said. "They've used a silencing charm. Can't hear a thing." "What do you think they're in there talking about?" Lee asked curiously. "Dunno," George answered. "Whatever it is, it's big. Otherwise they would have included us in on it as well. We've been members since we left school, and they don't keep much from us." "Yeah," Fred agreed. "They figure we'll find out one way or another anyway, so why bother hiding it?" As they were talking, Ginny took her opportunity to slip out and up the stairs to Harry's room. *** "We'll all meet again tomorrow evening, with a report," Dumbledore told the group in the kitchen. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a letter to write. If I am needed, you know how to contact me." Turning to Mr. Weasley, he said quietly, "Before I leave, I'd like a private word with you, Arthur." "Of course, Albus," Mr. Weasley said as he hung back from the group. "I'll see that Miss Granger and your son are transported to Grimmauld Place, Arthur," Lupin told the two. "Much obliged, Remus," Mr. Weasley said gratefully, before the werewolf hurried off to collect the two. When they were alone, Dumbledore turned to Arthur. "What I have to say concerns your daughter," he began. "Yes," the younger man said in a resigned voice. "I wondered how long it would be before we had this conversation." "Judging from what was said earlier, it seems she and Harry have grown quite close. While not altogether surprising, it was unexpected in its suddenness. I was not aware of anything other than friendship prior to this evening. Am I wrong in this assumption?" the old wizard asked. "No, Headmaster. I do not believe you were mistaken. While I know that Ginny was infatuated with Harry in the past, I had thought she'd grown out of it," Mr. Weasley said. "Ah… yes," Dumbledore mused. "That is the thing about the heart. It does not always turn our feelings off so easily. Young Harry and Ginny seem to have a very unusual bond. This ability to dreamwalk that your daughter described is a serious bit of magic. It is not something easily done, unless there is a deep bond between the two individuals. The fact that it was a reciprocal experience is most unusual." "I had thought… but then…" Mr. Weasley spluttered, at a loss for words. He was unused to thinking of his little Ginny as grown up. To him, she would always be his little girl. Although he was fond of Harry, the thought of the two of them being so close made him uncomfortable. As if sensing his mood, Dumbledore skilfully steered the topic of conversation towards its original intent. "My fear is that Ginny has now become a target. If Voldemort is aware of Harry's feelings for your daughter – which I have no doubt he at the very least suspects – I can only surmise that his intentions are to use it to his advantage. For this reason, I feel it best that your family remain at Grimmauld Place for the rest of the summer." "Why, yes… yes, of course, Albus," Mr. Weasley stammered. "You know we'll do as you suggest. Do you really think Ginny could be a target of You-Know-Who?" he asked fearfully. "I do," Dumbledore said regretfully. "I wish it were not the case, but I'm afraid at this point we can only assume that your Ginny may be second only to Harry on Voldemort's list of Most Wanted. He used Harry's feelings for Sirius to lure him into a trap, and I have no doubts that he will try to exploit this situation as well." "I refuse to let anything happen to my daughter, Albus," Arthur said with staunch determination. "When we joined the Order it was to fight against this sort of evil so that our children could live normal, peaceful lives without fear. Ginny has already been through so much. I-I never expected any of this." "Life rarely gives us what we expect, my boy," Dumbledore said sympathetically. "Sometimes we must muddle though as best as we can, and try to make the most of it. At least you can be comforted in the fact that your family is, at this point, whole and healthy. We can not see what the future holds, but you must never give up hope. That is what we are fighting to preserve." Changing the subject, Dumbledore inquired, "I suppose you will be staying here tonight?" "Yes… yes. I-I think it's for the best," the younger man answered. "I don't think Ginny has any intentions of leaving until she sees Harry at least once." "Quite a remarkable daughter you have there, Arthur. Most remarkable," Dumbledore said quietly, almost to himself. "Harry is a most fortunate young man. Her strength may just save us all."
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