Chapter Nine “ Letters and Surprises
Dear Harry,
You wouldn’t believe how empty it is here at Hogwarts! In my year, there are only twenty people! It’s only Colin Creevey and I from Gryffindor (his parents are Muggles, they don’t really know about You-Know-Who). Fortunately, Luna Lovegood is here, too, but I can’t be with her all the time. I’ve had to spend a lot of time with people younger than me, because I really don’t want to talk to Lavender Brown. Professor McGonagall has been doing a good job as headmistress, but that means that there is no transfiguration teacher. Also, the Defense Against the Dark Arts position was unable to be filled; people are certain now that it is jinxed. Other teachers take on these classes whenever they can, but it’s just a little odd to see Professor Sprout teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts! Fortunately, Slughorn came back and is head of Slytherin house now. McGonagall has this insane theory of unity, and she got rid of the house tables. We all have to sit at one big table together. It’s ok, though, I can sit with Luna. The Sorting Hat also had words of unity, although there were less than fifteen first years to hear them. I heard that McGonagall wrote letters of warning to all the Muggleborn first-years warning them about You-Know-Who, and hardly anyone wanted to come. I really miss you, Harry, and I’m counting down the days to Christmas. Tell me about everything that’s going on there. I’m really homesick. I’ve always had at least one brother here at Hogwarts with me, and now there’s hardly anyone at all.
Write back soon,
With love,
Ginny
Harry was pleased that Ginny’s owl, Hunter, had made it back to London so quickly. Reading Ginny’s letter was like listening to her speak, and he really missed her. He felt a pang of guilt. She was lonely, and it was his, Harry’s, fault that her own brother Ron wasn’t there with her. He really hoped that she wasn’t cozying up to Colin Creevey in his absence, but he thought better of it. Ginny had said that she loved him.
He grabbed a quill and some parchment, and wrote:
Dear Ginny,
He paused. How could he tell her about everything that had happened in her absence?
If everyone is away, at least you get the common room to yourself!
He crumpled up the parchment. It didn’t sound like him.
Thanks for writing, it’s good to know you got there alright. It must be exciting to have different teachers everyday that don’t really know what to teach you. It’s like a free period.
I’m glad you’re becoming better friends with Luna. I like her; she’s really funny.
Well, since you’ve been gone, the most exciting thing that happened was your mum walking in on Ron and Hermione snogging. She looked like she was going to yell at first, but then she just burst out crying. She was muttering something about being so happy, another wedding, and grandchildren.
Lupin found out where the locket Horcrux is! I showed him the memory, and he remembered where he had seen it before. It was in this house, Grimmauld Place, for years! Apparently, Regulus Black must have brought it here when he stole it. It’s the obvious choice; this place is practically impenetrable. Do you remember that heavy gold locket we found when we were cleaning the house with Sirius? I can’t believe it; I even held it!
Harry reviewed his letter so far. He hoped that it didn’t make her even more homesick. Thinking, he dipped his quill back in the ink. He explained to Ginny about how Lupin had sold everything to a wealthy friend at the ministry. The friend had the locket proudly on display, and Lupin had said that a Death Eater that was a spy at the Ministry must have seen it.
The night that they broke into the Ministry and killed Fudge, they must have been looking for it. Dumbledore said that this could be dangerous. If Voldemort knows that I’m looking for his Horcruxes, he will try to stop me. That could complicate things. So now the Ministry plan has been altered once again to include stealing the locket. The Order does not think that my life is in any danger, though, but they say I should tread carefully. Don’t worry about anything here; we will see you at Christmas.
Harry wrote his goodbye, including an ‘I love you,’ and sent Hedwig off through his bedroom window.
It had been just yesterday that Lupin had recognized the locket, and there were already plans to retrieve it. Harry briefly wondered if the other Horcruxes would be this hard to destroy. He still needed to find Hufflepuff’s cup, something of Gryffindor’s or Ravenclaw’s, and possibly, Dumbledore had believed, Voldemort’s snake, Nagini. Then there was Voldemort himself, which would be the most dangerous journey of all.
“Harry,” Mrs. Weasley was calling him, “Norwin Mayer is here to teach you Occlumency!”
Harry quickly grabbed his heavy Pensieve and hurried downstairs.
“Hello, Mr. Potter,” Mayer said, shaking Harry’s hand, “how are you?”
“I’m fine, thanks,” he said, setting the Pensieve on the kitchen table. Using the spell Dumbledore had taught him, Harry extracted certain thoughts from his head. They included embarrassing moments, time with Ginny, and, on Dumbledore’s orders, detailed memories of the Horcruxes.
“Alright, Mr. Potter, I’ve been told you’ve taken these lessons before, so you know what to do,” he flicked his wand, and the table and chairs disappeared.
“Please clear you mind of all thought and emotion.”
“Sir,” Harry said, “last time I was taught, I didn’t really understand how I was supposed to clear my mind. I didn’t have the best teacher,” he added with a growl.
“Oh, ok, Mr. Potter, one way is to look at an inanimate object, just look, but not really see it. Ok, one, two…”
“One more thing, sir,” Harry interrupted quickly, “I don’t know what to do when I am blocking the spell.”
“Ok, you should just try to end the connection, any way you can, but try not to hurt me, please. One, two, three, Legilimens!”
Just like nearly two years ago, memories flashed before Harry’s mind. But he was still thinking clearly. He shouted the first spell that came to his mind.
“Expecto Patronum!”
The silver stag burst from his wand, cantered around the room, and disappeared. Norwin Mayer looked shocked.
“Did you know you could do that?”
“Yes, I’ve done it before,” Harry replied. It had almost worked, his mind had still been clear.
“Alright, we will try something a bit different. I will ask you a series of yes or no questions to which I do not know the answers, you will tell me either the truth, or a lie, and I will try to find out which is which using Legilimency. You will focus on preventing me from finding out. Are you ready?”
Harry nodded. He wasn’t quite sure how he would do this, but he didn’t want Norwin Mayer to think he was stupid.
“Alright,” Mayer said, and Harry prepared himself, “here we go. Do you have a cloak?”
“Yes,” Harry said, this one was obvious.
“Do you own a broom?”
“No,” Harry lied.
“Is your favourite food pork chops?”
“Yes,” Harry lied again. He preferred chicken.
“Do you own an owl?”
“Yes.”
“Is your wand core dragon heart?”
“Yes.”
“Very good, Potter, but you were lying about the broom, weren’t you?”
“Yes,” he said sheepishly. It must not have worked, then. “Also about the pork chops and my wand.”
“Oh, very good, then! I couldn’t tell!”
There was suddenly a scream from upstairs.
“Oh, dear! What happened?” Mayer barked.
He and Harry rushed up the stairs to see what the matter was. In the entrance hallway were Bill, Fleur, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley all beaming proudly. Charlie, Fred, George, Ron, and Hermione were running down the stairs to see why someone had screamed. Lupin and Tonks appeared from the sitting room looking worried.
“Who screamed? Is every thing alright, Molly?” Tonks said as Mrs. Weasley buried her face in her hands. She motioned for her husband to explain.
“It’s just,” Mr. Weasley said happily, as though the information was bubbling inside him.
“I’m just, we’re just…” he stuttered before Fleur squealed as though she couldn’t wait any longer.
“We’re going to ‘ave a baby! Well, I mean, two babies!”
“Oh my goodness!” Hermione gasped running over to them. Fred and George beamed proudly as though they were responsible for passing on the twin gene.
“I’m going to be a grandma!” Mrs. Weasley sobbed happily, “I’m going to be a grandma!”
~*~
That night’s dinner was very enjoyable. Hermione had conjured up a glittering pink and blue banner that read ‘Congratulations “ New Baby Weasleys!’ which now hung over the kitchen door. A few members from the Order dropped by to congratulate Bill and Fleur, including Mad-eye Moody, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and two of Bill’s friends from work. Lupin, apologizing continuously, told the group at large that he couldn’t stay.
“Is this a job for the Order?” Harry muttered to Lupin so that only he could hear.
“You could say so,” Lupin answered shortly. “Congratulations once again, Fleur.”
After saying goodbye to Mad-eye, Lupin left, pulling on his traveling cloak.
“More apple pie, Harry?” Mrs. Weasley asked, interrupting Harry’s thoughts about Lupin’s departure.
Two servings of dessert later, most of the visitors decided to leave. Harry and Ron trudged sleepily up the stairs to their bedroom, only to find Dobby the House-elf scurrying around inside cleaning.
“Dobby?” Ron exclaimed, sounding both surprised and amused, “you’ve got to stop stalking Harry like this, it’s rather creepy!”
Dobby bowed so low that when he resurfaced his pencil shaped nose was covered with dust.
“Ron Wheezey must pardon Dobby’s sudden appearance, sir,” Dobby squeaked, his ears drooping slightly, “but Dobby was worried, sir, when Harry Potter did not show up at school! Dobby searched all over the castle, sir! And then Ms. Ginny Wheezey told me Harry Potter would not return, he must defeat He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, sir.”
“Weasley, Dobby,” Ron corrected the excited elf, “Weasley, not Wheezey.”
“Sorry, Mr. Wheezey, sir,” Dobby said, shifting his feet. Ron rolled his eyes impatiently.
“I is feeling lonely at Hogwarts, sir,” Dobby continued as thought there had been no interruption, “most House-elves have left now and are in hiding! Professor McGonagall is giving us all clothes, if we wish.”
“Hermione would like that,” Harry said, thinking of S.P.E.W.
“Indeed, sir,” Dobby said, nodding his head vigorously, “most have left for good, sir. These are dark times indeed, sir.”
“Are you leaving too, Dobby?” Harry asked.
“Not yet, sir. I is faithful to Hogwarts. They is needing me there, sir!” he swelled importantly, “I is now cleaning ALL the common rooms, sir!
“But why are you here, Dobby?” Harry said. It seemed that every time Dobby paid him an unexpected visit, it was to tell him something important. Dobby’s eyes were suddenly wide with fear.
“Word gets around in the Slytherin common room, sir. Is it true that Severus Snape is with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named now?”
Harry felt a surge of anger. Dobby was just curious “ him and everyone else in the world.
“Yes, Dobby, is there anything else?” Harry asked irritably.
“Yes, Harry Potter, sir,” Dobby said shyly.
“I heard Professor McGonagall talking with someone in her office as I was cleaning, sir,” he said quickly, “what is a Horcrux?”
Dobby looked so eager that Harry explained only what was necessary. He neglected to mention the Voldemort had several.
“But why did you come ask me, Dobby?”
“Because, sir,” Dobby said, “your name was brought up in the conversation.”
“What else did she say?”
“She mentioned Professor Dumbledore, and random objects, but I is knowing one of the objects, sir!” he exclaimed excitedly.
“She mentioned a cup, sir, and a House-elf. Hokey was my mother, Harry Potter sir!”