Chapter 13
Back to Hogwarts
The rest of the summer passed in a happy haze for Harry. After the birthday party he, Ron, Bill, and Ginny returned to Potter’s Cove (It had taken an entire day of pleading with Mrs. Weasley, but she finally agreed when Bill had volunteered to be the “adult supervision”). They spent their days in a number of activities: playing Quidditch; exploring the nearby woods; cleaning the house; and eating, though most of the time they played Quidditch.
Bill, being the only one of age and able to use magic, had repaired the broken goals and cleared the field of weeds in a matter of minutes. Using an old Quaffle and the Snitch Ginny had given Harry for a present they quickly devised a way to play with only four people. Bill would play as Chaser and Ron guarded the goals, while Harry and Ginny fought to be the first one to catch the Snitch. Bill and Ginny were on a team and every time Bill made a goal they got ten points. Ron and Harry were on the other team, and for every goal Ron blocked they got ten points. Whoever was ahead when their Seeker caught the Snitch won the game.
It was surprisingly fun to play. Somehow Quidditch still held the wonderful power of causing Harry to forget about other worries while he played, and, observing Bill, Ron, and Ginny, appeared to have the same power over them as well.
At first Harry had felt bad for Ginny. She was riding an ancient Cleansweep that had most likely been Bill’s at one point, while Harry rode his Firebolt and although Ginny was a good flyer, he didn’t think she had any hope of beating him to the snitch. He soon learned, however, that she could keep her own. He had been about to catch the Snitch for the fourth consecutive time and was considering easing up on her when, like a bolt of scarlet, Ginny thundered right in front him and grabbed the Snitch, causing to pull up quickly. The move threw him off balance and the next thing he knew he was sliding face-first in the grass. Luckily they had only been a few feet above the ground, but Harry had felt humbled all the same.
“Ohhh, I’m sorry Harry,” Ginny said sweetly as she hovered above him, “I didn’t see you there! My broom’s just too fast, sometimes I can’t control it.” Ron and Bill laughed heartily at the remark while Harry spat grass from his mouth. From that point on he learned never to underestimate Ginny Weasley.
Ron, for his part, had improved tremendously as a Keeper. At first Bill had lobbed the Quaffle half-heartedly, as if wanting to take it easy on Ron, but after a few easy blocks and some name calling, Bill was throwing his best shots. He used every trick he knew to throw off Ron, who made some spectacular saves, and the two would get so intense in their competition that they would quite forget that anyone else was around. Every once in a while Harry and Ginny would stop just to watch the spectacle.
“Wow, Ron’s really improved,” Harry remarked one day.
“Yeah, if he plays like that I reckon we’ve got a good shot at the cup this year,” said Ginny, eyebrows raised in amazement.
“You mean you’ve got good shot at the cup this year. I’ve been banned, remember?” replied Harry bitterly.
Ginny looked at him in surprise. “Don’t be thick Harry! You think that hag Umbridge has anymore say in what goes on at Hogwarts? Of course you’re not going to be banned.”
Her words inflamed the tiny flicker of hope he had been holding on to the entire summer”the small hope that he would be allowed to play Quidditch.
“D’you really think so?” he asked timidly, as if scared that even mentioning it might prevent it from happening.
Ginny shook her head dismissively, red hair streaming out behind her in the wind. “Of course.”
Harry felt a surge of excitement. His insides began to tingle: He would play Quidditch again this year. McGonagall would welcome him back to the Gryffindor team. Angelina Johnson was gone and they’d need a new captain. Perhaps they would make him…
Harry cast the thought from his mind, not wanting to entertain any false hopes.
“Which is just fine for me”I’d rather be a chaser anyway,” Ginny said, interrupting his thoughts. “Come to think of it, I wouldn’t mind having a go at Ron myself,” she said, watching as Ron made another save on Bill. “Come on, it’s 4-3. If I win this next one, you‘ve got to let me ride your Firebolt.” It turned out that Ginny did win the next one, and from then on they switched brooms every other game.
The Weasley’s visit only lasted a week, but they were able to convince Mrs. Weasley into allowing them a second and a third. Fred and George even stopped by once or twice which was especially fun, as then they could play Quidditch with beaters.
The summer passed quickly and before he knew it, it was time for Harry to return to Hogwarts. A few days before the start of term Harry received the following note from a wiry, ancient looking owl:
Dear Harry,
I hope your summer has been a pleasant one. Unfortunately it has come to an end and you must return to the world that so desperately needs you. I would ask that you return to Grimmuald Place (or Weasley Place, as Mrs. Weasley keeps reminding me) to complete your preparations for the start of term. I will arrive at Potter’s Cove later this morning in order that I may accompany you there.
Sincerely,
Albus Dumbledore
Harry quickly ran up the dark wooden staircase to his upstairs bedroom and began packing. He had barely had time to finish and grab something to eat when the headmaster, in brilliant blue robes with silver embroidery, came through the back door and called for him.
“Well then, if you are ready?” he said courteously as he bowed Harry out the door. Harry had expected to travel by port-key, so he was considerably surprised to see two black, reptilian-like horses staring at him with their blank eyes when he walked out the back door. Thestrals. Skeletal, black, and silently eerie, the only people who could see thestrals were those who had seen death. The very sight of them brought back painful memories.
He was a little taken back at first, wondering why, of all the modes of transportation in the wizard world, Dumbledore had chosen this one. He felt a small twinge of fear but immediately cast it from him.
“Well Harry, why don’t you take the one on the right?” Dumbledore said casually.
Gritting his teeth Harry mounted the bony thestral. Within moments they were off. The journey passed quickly and without incident”Harry had even started to get used to the strange, eerily smooth way the thestral flew when they began their decent into London. Within a few minutes they had landed and entered Grimmauld Place, which was hardly recognizable to Harry.
The last time he had been in the house had been for his surprise birthday party almost a month earlier. As it had been quite late by the time the party finished, he had gone straight to bed and hadn’t seen much of it. The next morning he had left by port-key before he had had much chance to explore, so it was a complete surprise when he walked through the front door and saw a bright, cheery interior not unlike the Burrow. Curtains and chandeliers, once dark and drab, were now clean and sparkling. The wallpaper had been changed, and worn, comfortable looking furniture replaced the old, imposing tables and chairs that had once been there. There was now a large brick wall where Mrs. Black’s portrait had once hung, and in its place was a pedestal with a stone sculpture of a large dog sitting upright and staring off in the distance. A small plaque underneath read:
‘In memory of Sirius Black.
The unjustly condemned prisoner of Azkaban
Harry choked as he read the inscription and quickly turned away. He had come to terms with the death of his godfather, but any mention of the injustices he had suffered engulfed Harry in scorching fury. The mere thought of Bellatrix Lestrange made him burn…
Forcing his thoughts away from revenge, Harry looked at the rest of the house. Everything was much more bright and clean, though he was happy to see that it had already adopted the comfortable messiness of the Burrow.
“A little bit cozier in here now, don’t you think?” said Dumbledore, who had been watching him with interest.
“It is,” Harry replied simply, not wanting to voice any of the thoughts that were racing through his head.
Just then Mrs. Weasley and Ron came out of the kitchen. Ron took Harry upstairs to the room they had shared on numerous occasions, which apparently had been designated as his room during the Weasley’s stay at Grimmauld Place. A couple of hours later there was a knock at the door and Hermione entered accompanied by none other that Professor McGonagall, who gave Harry a quick nod in recognition before sweeping into the kitchen and out of sight.
“Oh good, Hermione’s here,” Mrs. Weasley said as she bustled out of the kitchen and gave her a quick hug. “As soon as Dumbledore’s done with Remus we can set off for Diagon Alley.”
“We’re done in here, Molly. I’m ready whenever you are. Tonks said she’d meet us there,” said Lupin as he walked out of the kitchen. Dumbledore followed.
“Incidentally, Harry, I think it would be best if you didn’t go to Diagon Alley. Molly can pick up whatever you need, but I feel you should remain here, given the circumstances.”
A pang of disappointment hit Harry. Ron and Hermione looked surprised. The “circumstances” Dumbledore was referring to was of course the prophecy, and he realized that any appearance in public was risking an attack from Voldemort. He was forced to admit that Dumbledore was right…again.
“Ok. I understand,” he acquiesced.
Harry bid farewell to his friends, noticing that Hermione was studying him intently, a thoughtful look on her face. Harry simply shrugged.
“Have fun. I’ll see you when you get back.”
Hermione continued to look at him slightly surprised, as if she had expected him to react differently to Dumbledore’s request that he stay behind.
“Harry, if I might have a word with you?” said Dumbledore, holding the kitchen door open.
“Sure.”
Harry entered the kitchen to see Professor McGonagall already sitting at the table, looking stiff and serious. As she took a seat across from her she spoke.
“How’s your summer been, Potter?” she asked in a business-like tone.
“Well enough,” he replied, starting to feel a trifle uncomfortable with her formality. Dumbledore entered, closed the door behind him, and sat in the chair to Harry’s right. Bowing his head slightly so he could look at Harry over his half-moon spectacles, he began.
“Thank you for coming in Harry. I know you would prefer a jaunt to Diagon Alley with your friends, but Professor McGonagall and I have some important items to discuss with you. Also, as I said before, I do not think it a good idea for you to be in public anymore than is absolutely necessary, and I’m sure you can understand why.”
Dumbledore’s voice was casually, almost cheerful, but he glanced at Harry meaningfully as he spoke. Harry nodded his head to show he understood. Professor McGonagall continued to look at him sharply like a hawk. He wondered how much she knew about the prophecy.
“Well then, we have a number of items to discuss with you concerning the upcoming year at Hogwarts. The first item concerns a certain illegal Defense Against the Dark Arts club that you, Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley formed last year right under the nose of Dolores Umbridge,” he said this with a twinkle in his eye and Harry was certain he saw the corners of Professor McGonagall’s mouth twitch, “better known as ‘Dumbledore’s Army’.”
Harry squirmed uncomfortably in his seat. They had formed the DA without the knowledge or approval of any of the teachers, much less Dumbledore whom they had named it after. The discovery of it had lead to his ousting from the headmaster position for some time.
“I’m sorry, Professor. We didn’t mean for…” Harry began but was immediately interrupted by Dumbledore who held up his hand, palm facing Harry, and shook his head.
“It is our wish that you continue with the club, Harry. Though this time you will not have to resort to secrecy and charmed Galleons to set up your meetings.”
Harry looked back at them, completely startled.
“With the danger that faces us these days I want my students to receive all the defensive training they can get,” Dumbledore said in explanation. “Our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher will love to work with you on this, that is, of course, if you accept?”
“Yes! I do.”
“Splendid. Now on to the second item, Occlumency. It is still, of course, very important that you learn to shut your mind against Lord Voldemort. While some progress was made in your lessons with Professor Snape, there is still much to work on. I would like for you to continue with your lessons.”
Harry’s insides dropped. The prospect of more lessons with Snape didn’t appeal to him at all, and he wasn’t even sure the potions master would teach him anymore.
“I said before that it was a mistake that I didn’t teach you myself,” Dumbledore continued, “so you will, of course, be receiving your lessons from me.”
This lightened the load considerably. Harry nodded again to show he understood.
“Good. Now to our final item of business. Minerva?”
Professor McGonagall nodded at the headmaster and turned her hawk eyes to Harry.
“Last year steps were taken by a certain…woman,” she spat the word out in disgust, as though the very thought of ‘Dolores Umbridge’ was revolting to her, “regarding the disciplining of students. With that person no longer in any position of authority, it is my pleasure to reinstate you to the Gryffindor Quidditch team.”
Harry broke out in a grin. Ginny had been right; they were going to let him play again.
Professor McGonagall watched him with a small smile.
“With the graduation of Angelina Johnson, there is a vacancy in the captaincy,” here she fixed Harry with a stern glare. “Now, you have a full load with Occlumency, the Dumbledore’s Army and your normal workload, Potter, so I want you to think about this before you say anything. I would like to offer you the position of team captain, if you feel this duty will not take away from your other, more important ones.”
Harry was completely taken aback. His insides surged with excitement. Team Captain! A small part of him had been dreaming about this moment ever since his first Quidditch match. His first impulse was to accept the position, and he almost did, until the full meaning of McGonagall’s words sunk in. He would have a heavy load this next year, though the biggest one of all”the prophecy”hadn’t even been mentioned. Running a Quidditch team would definitely take a good deal of time and energy from him”the sudden thought of Oliver Wood obsessing over practices came to his mind”and the small, logical part of his mind admitted that it definitely would take away from his other duties…
Dumbledore and McGonagall were looking at him expectantly. Slowly, grudgingly, he forced the words out.
“I’m honored, I really am, but I don’t think I would be the best person for the job.”
McGonagall raised her eyebrows.
“I think you should make Ron team captain. He deserves it more than I do, and I wouldn’t be able to put as much into it as he would.”
Dumbledore smiled. McGonagall nodded curtly. “Very well, Potter. I think you have made a wise, selfless decision. I will contact Mr. Weasley and inform him of the new development.”
Harry nodded, not believing what he had just done. He wasn’t even sure why he had recommended Ron, though the memory of the Mirror of Erised their first year came to mind.
“Well Harry, that is all we had to talk to you about,” said Dumbledore as they all stood. “I suggest you finish your preparations for tomorrow. Tonks and Mad-Eye will escort you to the King’s Cross tomorrow morning, and the next time we meet will be at Hogwarts. Do you have any questions?”
“No, sir,” Harry replied. as he made his way towards
“Very well then, we will see you tomorrow. Enjoy what is left of your last day.”
Harry was just about to the door when he stopped and turned around.
“Oh wait, actually there was one thing,” he said, suddenly remembering the conversation he had had with Ron and Hermione at Potter’s Cove.
“Yes?”
“Er…it’s not really related to anything we’ve just talked about…”
“That’s quite all right, Harry. What is it?”
“Do you remember in Godric’s Hollow when you took me to the Gryffindor family tree and showed me my name?”
“I do,” responded Dumbledore. Professor McGonagall looked at him curiously.
“Well, when I asked you what happened to one of his descendents, you said ‘If we knew that, the war would be over’. What do you mean by that?”
Dumbledore was quiet at first and raised his eyebrows slowly. He exchanged a glance with McGonagall who looked at him with something like amusement in her eyes.
“The Half-Blood Prince?” she asked him softly.
Dumbledore, giving her a quick nod, turned back towards Harry and glanced at him appraisingly for some time before answering.
“That is something that is easier shown than explained, Harry. Perhaps after one of our Occlumency lessons I will attempt to do both.”