Chapter 54: St. Patrick’s Day
“It’s a letter from my dad “ your parents arrived last night…” Katie told Hermione as she read from a piece of parchment that a dark owl had just delivered to her.
“Oh, thanks Katie,” Hermione replied over her Ancient Runes book.
“So, will you be going straight to Katie’s for the Easter Holidays then?” Ron asked.
“Yes, but we’ll all be visiting the Burrow around mid-week…” Hermione answered.
“Has anyone seen a copy of Factors for Procuring Restorative Draughts?” Katie’s voice came from underneath the table.
"Ginny, that Slytherin Chaser is watching you..." Luna said.
“Oy! You stop looking at my sister and turn back to your own table!” Ron shouted.
“Ron, I believe that’s your second intervention “ one more and you’ll fail to prevent me from uniting with the one I long to be with…” Ginny teased.
“That’s not funny, Ginny!” Neville hissed.
It was breakfast a week following the fortune cookie incident, and Harry, despite trying his best to convince himself that Hermione was right, couldn’t stop worrying about his fortune. Something you cherish will be stolen… It reminded him horribly of the Triwizard task when he thought his Firebolt would be taken, and instead it was Ron “ except this wasn’t a game, or a riddle. This was real.
Stop being ridiculous, Harry told himself, and he tried to refocus his attention on the Potions essay sprawled in front of him. He gritted his teeth with impatience, wishing that Dumbledore would get rid of Pettigrew, but then thinking that it probably wouldn’t be much better having Snape back either. Harry didn’t know what he wanted anymore.
Something you cherish…
Harry looked up at Katie, who was explaining Calming Draughts to Ginny.
It was just a stupid fortune, Harry, he told himself again. He tried to think about something else, the Potions Essay clearly not effective in capturing his attention.
“Harry “ we’re going to have a party in the common room tomorrow night,” he heard Seamus telling him. “Think you could procure us some refreshments?”
“What?” Harry asked, jerked out of his thoughts.
“Tomorrow’s St. Patrick’s Day, and I thought we could do with a party… you seem to have a way with the house-elves, so I was wondering if you could get us stuff from the kitchens…”
“Oh, yeah “ alright,” Harry replied.
“Great! Thanks, Harry…” Seamus said, as he ran out of the Great Hall, most likely to make more arrangements for his celebration.
“Seamus’s fortune came true,” Neville said tonelessly.
“What are you talking about, Neville?” Ron asked.
“His fortune told him he would play host to a celebration…”
“Yes, it did, Neville,” Hermione said rolling her eyes. “And it’s come true because it gave Seamus the idea in the first place. Really… just forget the whole thing ever happened.”
Harry exchanged a quick glance with Neville, who still looked unconvinced.
“Ron,” Harry said. “Do you want to come to Hogmseade with me tomorrow and get some Butterbeers for the party?”
“Harry!” Hermione exclaimed, slamming her book closed “Aren’t you forgetting someone?”
“You can come too, if you like,” Harry replied.
“No, Harry “ Dumbledore. He has the map,” she hissed. “He’ll know if you sneak off the grounds. And given present circumstances, I don’t think he’ll be too happy with that…”
Despite his recent growing agitation with Hermione, Harry knew that this time she was right. They couldn’t risk going into Hogsmeade.
“Fine, I’ll just ask Dobby to send us up some stuff…”
“Oh, and you think Dumbledore won’t mind you visiting the kitchens?” Hermione asked.
“Of course, he won’t!” Ron said.
“Still, just in case “ I think you should just ask Dumbledore if he can get us some food and drinks for the party, I’m sure he won’t mind. At least he won’t mind any more than he would mind you taking food from the kitchens yourselves…”
“Fine, Hermione,” Harry said. “I’ll ask Dumbledore…”
“So let me get this straight,” Ron asked Hermione, with a grin. “It’s alright to break rules as long as you don’t think we’ll get caught?”
“That’s not what I said…” Hermione protested.
“Oh, I think that’s exactly what you said,” Ron replied, laughing.
Without further delay, Harry got up and headed for Dumbledore’s office, thinking that he had plenty to discuss with the Headmaster anyway, and that now was as good a time as any.
---
“Good morning, Harry,” Dumbledore greeted him as he entered the office. “Do take a seat. What brings you to my office today?”
“Quite a bit, actually...” Harry said, sitting down. “First of all “ Seamus wants to have a St. Patrick’s Day party tomorrow night in our common room, to get everyone’s minds off… things. And well… we were wondering if there was any way you could “ provide drinks and food and stuff…”
“Why certainly, I’d be glad to. It sounds like a wonderful idea. I’m invited I assume?” Dumbledore asked, his eyes twinkling merrily.
“Err… yeah “ sure,” Harry replied.
“Okay, I’ll have some things delivered to you room tomorrow evening. I do enjoy a good Irish celebration, and I’m sure Mr. Finnigan will be an excellent host… but I’m assuming you’re here on more than party business?”
“Yeah, yeah I am.” Harry said tentatively, trying not to sound rude. “I was just wondering, Professor “ how long do you plan on letting Pettigrew teach the Potion’s lessons. Or how long do you plan on letting him keep Snape hostage?”
“I know it may seem like an unwise decision, Harry “ but I think we can benefit from having Pettigrew in the castle without his knowledge that we are aware of his presence. He’s already made a few slip ups in his communications with his outside allies, that have given us a more shrewd idea of Lord Voldemort’s general location of operation.”
“Oh,” Harry said. This had definitely come as a surprise. “But that’s worth what he could be finding out from Professor Snape?”
“I admit, I am quite worried about Severus. But what he must be facing now is no more or less than he signed up for when he agreed to do what I asked of him. And I do not think that there is much valuable information he can draw from Snape about the Order since I am the only one who can divulge that information directly.”
“But Pettigrew doesn’t know that… because he tried “”
“To get information from you,” Dumbledore nodded. “Remus informed me. You handled that situation quite well, Harry. Though you could not directly inform Pettigrew that Tonks was indeed a member of the Order, if you had let him know you were personally familiar with her, and showed any understanding of why Professor Snape would have any reason for secret communication with her, then Pettigrew could have surmised as much.”
“Professor Dumbledore?” Harry asked, now thinking of something else he wanted to discuss.
“Yes, Harry?”
“I purposely tried to look into Voldemort’s mind, using Legilemency…” Harry said slowly.
“And, did you succeed?” Dumbledore said seriously.
“I believe so “ I witnessed a memory, a memory that answered the question I was asking.”
“About Ophelia Cunningham?”
“Yes…she tried to stop him from doing something that he’d never turn back from.”
“I believe Ophelia knew that Tom intended on murdering his father and grandparents, and what such a crime would lead to…” Dumbledore said.
Harry put aside the irritation that Dumbledore hadn’t just told Harry this in the first place.
“So now Voldemort’s killed one of the only people who ever gave him a chance “ despite the fact that she knew what he was?” Harry asked.
“Yes, I believe that is the case.”
“But it just shows “ that Voldemort had some kind of regret, about what happened.”
“I believe it was Tom Riddle who felt that, not Voldemort, Harry.”
“But what does that mean?” Harry asked.
Dumbledore rested his blue gaze on Harry.
“I think you know exactly what it means, Harry.”
---
The Gryffindor common room was a sight to behold the next evening. Shamrocks were growing from the floor, which was strewn with leprechaun gold. The walls were covered in green, complete with pictures from the Irish Quidditch World Cup victory. There was music by a famous Irish group, the Ulster Warlocks, playing from all around the room. Dumbledore had sent two dozen house-elves up with Butterbeer, sweets and pastries, and had even made a small appearance himself in which he entertained the students with a jig before leaving them to their festivities.
Harry tried his best to enjoy himself, for Katie’s sake if nothing else. She actually seemed quite happy as they danced to the music alongside Ron and Hermione and Neville and Ginny, as well as other students who had paired off. Harry was having a harder time paying attention to anything other than his conversation with Dumbledore the day before. The headmaster had been right “ Harry knew exactly what he had meant about Tom Riddle. He didn’t know exactly what to do with the information yet, but it was clear that Dumbledore felt that Tom Riddle and Voldemort were slightly separate entities, and Harry felt that this would help him fulfill his part of the prophecy “ without being killed himself.
…THE POWER TO VANQUISH THE DARK LORD…
The words were pounding inside Harry’s head. He knew he was not expected to use a killing curse on Voldemort, but he still couldn’t wrap his mind around what other power he could use to finally rid the world of Voldemort’s evil.
“Harry “ you’re stepping on my feet…”
“Oh “ I’m sorry, Katie. I was thinking.”
“You seem to be doing an awful lot of that lately…”
“Sorry…”
“It’s alright. It gives you a brooding quality “ I like it,” she said, grinning.
Harry grinned back.
“Listen Harry “ there’s something I meant to pick up from Professor Alchemina. She said it would be ready by eight…”
“What are you picking up from her? She’s not teaching any more…”
“I know, but I’m serious about my Potions N.E.W.T “ and Pettigrew just isn’t doing as good a job teaching as I’d like, so I’ve asked her to help me a bit more,” Katie said hurriedly. Harry got a slight suspicion that this wasn’t just about her N.E.W.T’s; it seemed that Katie was just trying to busy herself as much as possible so she wouldn’t have to think about her mother’s death.
“Oh, alright “ well, do you want me to go with you?” he asked.
“No, I’m fine “ you stay here and… think,” she said and she turned and exited through the portrait hole. Harry took a seat in the armchair and watched his friends enjoying themselves; he was happy that Ginny and Ron were having such a good time, as he had been worried about them, too.
A little while later, Professor McGonagall entered the common room. She looked quite taken aback at the scene that met her, but put it aside quickly as she scanned the room. Harry felt a horrible knot tie in his stomach. He had a feeling this was bad. His mind immediately jumped to Katie “ but he felt only slightly relieved when he saw McGonagall stride over to Neville. Harry watched anxiously as the two of them went to a quieter area of the room. He couldn’t make out anything either was saying; McGonagall looked serious, but not upset. She then left as quickly as she had entered, and Neville came over and sat next to Harry looking quite stricken.
“What happened, Neville?” Harry asked.
“Gran…” Neville said tremulously. “My Gran “ she was attacked. She’s in St. Mungo’s now. McGonagall said she’ll be alright. But she was attacked “ by Death Eaters. Lucius Malfoy, she said it was…”
“That’s terrible, Neville,” Harry said consolingly. “I hope she recovers quickly…”
“Thanks, Harry…” Neville said, staring at the fire. “Means a lot…”
Harry leaned back in his own chair as the people around him continued to dance, sing, and laugh. Harry felt very tired suddenly as he realized that the only thing that people were able to do nowadays was find new ways of pretending that everything was alright. When Katie got back from Alchemina’s office, Harry acted just as the rest of them did, and wished desperately that a day would come soon when they wouldn’t have to pretend anymore.