Author's Note: Yay for a new chapter! Thanks for the reviews, everyone, and thanks to Charmaine for betaing this for me, too.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
RIDDLE'S RIDDLE
On the morning of Mentorship Day, Harry woke up at dawn to see a reddish hue in the sky. It was a gorgeous late September day. Harry knew that pretty soon the weather would cool off and the leaves would change colors. Once they fell from the trees, the first snowflakes of winter would fall.
In other words, Harry would have to take advantage of the day and find something to do with Hunter outside. It was better than sitting around the common room all day.
As per his new morning routine that Moody had set upon him, Harry pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt before slipping his feet into his trainers and tying the laces up tight. No one had noticed Harry's new routine. He was always back and five minutes into his shower when the others woke up. They figured that Harry had just woken up too. They never yet questioned why he was always the first up.
He started jogging the moment he left the common room, the Fat Lady calling after him, "Aren't you skinny enough?"
He ran down all seven flights of stairs and then down the marble staircase into the entrance hall. He stopped to open the oak front doors and stepped outside. After the doors were closed, he inhaled deeply and started a series of stretches that Lupin had told him about after Harry had privately complained to him about how sore he had been after his first run. Once he was through, he took off again, running the same path he had been using since Moody had told him to start this morning routine.
The morning was peaceful. Birds were already twittering as Harry ran down toward the lake, watching the reflection of the rising sun on the calm surface. Off in the distance, he could see the giant squid popping its head out of the water.
His route took him by the edge of the Forbidden Forest. While it remained as dark as ever, he could hear animals within its boundaries. None of them, thankfully, sounded dangerous.
When he arrived back at the castle, he quickly made his way up the stairs and into the common room. Then he bolted up to his dorm to grab some clothes for the day before going to take a shower. Some of his dorm mates, he noted, were starting to stir.
In the shower, he let out a sigh as the warm water soaked him. He let his mind wander to his training, excited at the prospect of learning the same things that Aurors did. He felt as though he was living in some sort of dream.
After he got ready, he walked down the stairs and into the common room. Hermione was sitting down at a table, finishing off her homework from the night before, while Ron, who-much to Harry's surprise-sat nearby chatting with Ginny and Neville.
Glancing around the room, Harry saw his fellow Gryffindors; Seamus and Lavender looked to be having a heated discussion while Parvati sat by, listening in. The Creevey brothers were fiddling with Colin's camera. Hunter, Ally, Dylan, and their friend Laura MacKenzie were sitting in a corner, chatting. Dean, Harry remembered, was still getting ready, which was probably a good thing, he noted, seeing how red Lavender's face was becoming.
"'Morning, Harry," Ron said as Harry sat down next to the working Hermione. "You certainly took a long shower this morning."
"What? Oh, well, I got a few things on my mind," Harry said.
"Ah. Were you trying to figure out plans for the day with your midget?"
"Ron," Hermione scolded as she re-inked her quill.
"If they're shorter than me, they're midgets," Ron stated.
"Great, the lot of us are midgets," Harry joked.
"Damn straight," Ron muttered, causing Harry to laugh and Ginny to elbow him. "The only blokes here who aren't midgets," Ron went on, "are Dean, Hagrid, and maybe Dumbledore."
Ginny laughed. "Yes, Hagrid's a midget alright, what with being only half-giant."
Harry chuckled good-naturedly while Hermione started flipping through a stack of parchment she had sitting next to her. "What are you working on?"
"This Ancient Runes assignment," she said irritably. "I can't find my notebook."
Harry spotted a notebook lying underneath a large, heavy-looking book. He carefully pulled it out and held it up for her. "Is this what you're looking for?" he asked.
She glanced at it and immediately looked relieved. "Yes. Thank you."
"Blimey, what's with all the mess?" Ron asked, taking notice of all her things strewn everywhere.
"It's a very difficult assignment," she said, flipping through her notebook eagerly.
"It must be if you're still working at it," he replied, turning away. "Is it breakfast time yet?"
Harry glanced at his watch. "Nearly. We can go downstairs."
"Good. I'm starving."
"Coming, Hermione?" Harry asked as the rest of them got up.
"In a moment. Go on without me," she said.
Harry motioned for the others to go. "I'll walk with her."
When Hermione finished five minutes later, she and Harry left the common room for the Great Hall.
"It's only the end of September and already all of us are swamped," Harry commented. "They're really laying it on thick this year, aren't they?"
"We've got to be ready," Hermione said reasonably. "This is their last chance to teach us everything we need to know to be successful at whatever career we choose."
"A barrister, right, Hermione?" he asked her.
There was a short pause before her answer. "Yes."
"You'd be great at it. Championing house-elves and proving Death Eaters guilty of all their crimes, getting them sentenced to life in Azkaban," Harry said.
She smiled. "And you'll be a great Auror, keeping me busy," she said.
"Well, I'll try," he replied, then frowned. "I think it's time to start up the D.A. again."
She stared at him, amazed. "Really?"
"Yeah. What? Not a good idea?"
"No-it's brilliant. I'm just surprised that you brought it up," she said.
He shrugged. "I've been asked about it and I figure, with Dumbledore's permission, I should continue to help the students learn how to properly defend themselves."
"Okay, who are you and what have you done with Harry Potter?" she asked. "I used to have to fight you tooth and nail to get you to organize meetings for the D.A."
"I know. I just-I dunno-feel different about it now, like it's my responsibility to help my peers prepare themselves for whatever may come. I still feel like they should learn everything in Defense Against the Dark Arts, and I know Professor Lupin is teaching them well, but I also feel like I have to make sure for myself that everyone here is going to be alright in case something horrible happens," he said.
"Like another murderer?" she asked.
"Or something like that."
She nodded. "I'll help you set up a meeting time and a location."
"Thanks," he said, smiling at her.
They sat down next to Ron when they arrived in the Great Hall. Harry forked up some sausage and tucked in. He chatted with Ron and Hermione until breakfast was over; he parted ways with them to meet Hunter at the other end of the table.
"Hi," he said to the younger boy. "Got anything specific you want to do today?"
Hunter looked around conspicuously. "Er-could we-er-go flying?"
Harry shrugged. "Sure, if you want. Let's go back to the dorm and grab our brooms."
When they arrived back at Gryffindor Tower, they quickly parted ways for their dorm rooms. In his, Harry was just about to grab his Firebolt when he suddenly changed him mind. Back down in the common room, Hunter stared at the broom in Harry's hand.
"That's not your Firebolt," he said, looking thoroughly confused.
"Nope," Harry said, "it's my other broomstick-the Phoenix."
"Phoenix," he repeated. "When did you get that?"
"I made it," Harry replied simply and led them out through the portrait hole. "I hope you don't mind if I use our little flying exercise as another test run for it."
"Er-no! You made it?"
"Yes."
"When?"
"Last year."
"How come you haven't used it before?"
"It still needs some…tweaking."
"Is it dangerous?"
"No."
"Then what's wrong with it?"
Harry smiled. "The Cushioning Charm."
Hunter was silent for a moment. "Oh." He cringed slightly. "Yeah, I see your problem. Don't exactly want that region to be sore, do you?"
Harry glanced over at the boy beside him. "Not exactly, no," he said with a laugh.
Outside, the sun was just as bright as it was when Harry woke up. A lot of those mentoring the younger students were taking advantage of such a fine day. Harry could see Ron's vivid red hair down by the lake with Dylan.
"Shall we?" Harry asked, mounting his broom.
"Yeah," Hunter said with a grin. "Say, how fast is that thing?"
"Faster than that Nimbus Two-Thousand you're riding. Come on!" He kicked off of the ground and went soaring into the air at a speed that even he was surprised by. Within an instant he was level with the Astronomy Tower and gazing down at everyone on the ground.
Hunter caught up. "Blimey! That thing is fast!"
Harry grinned. "Hey, why don't we race? See who can get around the perimeter of the grounds the fastest? I'll even give you a thirty-second head start."
Hunter considered this. "Okay. Come on, let's go start over by the gates."
A minute later, Harry and Hunter were hovering just inside of the winged boar gates. "Ready? On your mark, get set-GO!" Harry yelled as Hunter flattened himself against the shaft his Nimbus Two-Thousand and took off. Silently, Harry counted to thirty and then, mimicking Hunter's position, he shot off after the younger Gryffindor.
Hunter was obviously going as fast as he could. From Harry's vantage he looked like a large gray blur, the shirt that he was wearing being the only thing that Harry could distinguish.
Maybe it's just that I need new glasses. Harry smirked at the thought as he felt more saw himself inch closer and closer to the Chaser.
Both Harry and Hunter soared along the edge of the Forbidden Forest, Harry estimating that he had knocked a good ten seconds already off of Hunter's lead. Suddenly, he saw Hunter jerk upward and wondered why, only to find himself heading straight for a large branch. With a quick twist, he barrel rolled underneath it and straightened out in time to miss another branch. The little maneuver actually took a small chunk out of the distance between himself and the second year.
As they cleared the forest, Harry tried to push his broom a little harder as they flew over the edge of the lake. Hunter was no longer a gray blur in front of him. He was solidifying into a human being on a broomstick.
As they flew past the castle, Harry moved over to the right slightly. Hunter wasn't more than ten meters away from him-he wanted to be ready to make the pass. Then the boy would be eating his mentor's dust.
The lake arced back out to the left and Hunter took the shorter line, but that didn't bother Harry. As far as he could tell, he was still gaining. Once they made the right turn back onto land to fly along the wall, Harry would have him.
And that's exactly what happened. Harry, on his superior broom, finally caught Hunter as they made a sharp right turn to head back along the wall and passed him. But Hunter wasn't about to give up. The reflection provided by light hitting the side of Harry's glasses acted like a side mirror on a car; Hunter was lying flat on the shaft of his broom, giving it everything he had.
For a moment, Harry considered letting the younger Gryffindor win. But only for a moment. After boasting about the Phoenix's speed, he couldn't let a Nimbus Two-Thousand beat him, especially when his own Firebolt could cream the older broom.
Older? Jeez are you dating yourself, Potter, and you're only seventeen! The Nimbus Two-Thousand was the best broom out there not too long ago!
His mind decided, Harry cruised to the finish, Hunter following along about a second behind him. Grinning, Harry landed and waited. Hunter quickly joined him, panting.
"There isn't a Seeker alive that can stand a chance against you!" he said, breathing deeply. "What did you use on that thing to make it go so fast?"
Harry shrugged and cringed, feeling the affects of riding a broomstick without an adequate Cushioning Charm. "A couple of spells and such that the Marauders had researched."
"The Marauders? Your dad, right? Along with Professor Lupin and Sirius Black?"
"That's them."
"They're geniuses."
"They were, yeah. Professor Lupin still is."
"What did your dad do for a living?" Hunter asked.
"He was an Auror, like your dad," Harry replied.
"An Auror? Really?"
"Yeah."
"Our dads may have worked together!" Hunter said, suddenly excited.
"I dunno. My dad died in 1981."
"Oh. I think my dad became an Auror in 1983."
"Then obviously they didn't."
"No." He glanced up at Harry. "D'you-I mean do you ever miss your parents?"
Harry thought about it for a moment. "I think so, yeah. I mean, I never really had a chance to get to know them, but I still feel the loss. They were my parents."
"What about your godfather? Do you still miss him?"
He nodded. "Every single day."
"Yeah, I miss my dad everyday too. But I feel like I can deal with it now. I'm proud of him," Hunter said.
"Are you?"
"Yeah. He died trying to save people, trying to end a war. He was brave." He frowned. "I hope that one day I'll be that brave."
"I think you will be. I think you're pretty brave right now, Hunter."
"Not as brave as my dad. Not even as brave as you," he said. "You've taken on Death Eaters. Hell, you've taken on You-Know-Who!"
"Not by my choice," Harry reminded him. "I'm not as brave as people think."
"Yeah, but you've survived and plus you know all those cool spells." He kicked a small pebble. "I'm-I'm happy you're my mentor, Harry."
Suddenly reminded of their rocky beginning and Hunter's refusal to even have a mentor, Harry felt deeply touched. The only thing he could do was smile, wrap an arm around the boy's shoulders, and say, "I'm happy you're my friend."
*****
The next evening found Harry walking the halls after curfew. It was his night to go out on rounds. Much like Ron, he found rounds to be tedious, so while scheduling them with Hermione he always figured out a way to work around doing it too often, using Quidditch practice mainly as his biggest excuse. Plus, there was the fact that Harry and Hermione had agreed silently to themselves that they would never go out on rounds together. It might lead them into trouble.
Harry had yet to ever find a rule breaker on his nights out, so it came as a shock to him when he suddenly bumped into somebody.
"Oh! Sorry, Harry, I didn't see you there," Professor Lupin said. "What are you doing out after curfew?"
"I have rounds," Harry explained.
"Oh. Of course! James used to hate going out on rounds when he became Head Boy. I used to too, but James and I figured the bright side of it was that we could investigate as much as we liked in the castle legally-sort of," Lupin added sheepishly.
Harry chuckled. "But wasn't the Marauder's Map finished by then?"
"Oh, yeah. But we added to it when necessary."
"I see." He looked up and down the corridor. "How are things with the Order going?"
"You'll be happy to know that as of Saturday we are now established at a new headquarters. Hopefully that will make it harder for Bellatrix to sniff us out," Lupin said.
Harry was pleased at the news, especially since it was his advice to leave Sirius's old house in the first place. "What about Hermione's parents?" he asked, remembering that the Order had hidden them away for the rest of the summer.
"Funny you should ask. We're returning them to their home next weekend. We haven't had a bit of activity near their home, which is odd, because we thought we would. So, after a lovely two month vacation, the Grangers can finally go back to work," Lupin said. "I'm sure Hermione will be thrilled to hear the news."
He nodded. "I know she will. Will the Order leave somebody outside their home to look after them? They still could be vulnerable to attack."
"Dumbledore thinks so too. There will be somebody watching them, don't worry," Lupin assured him.
"Good. I couldn't bear it if something were to happen to them or the Weasleys," Harry said.
"I understand," Lupin said quietly.
"And it's not because I don't want to go through that pain but rather that I don't want either Hermione or Ron to go through that pain. It's bad enough that Percy's gone. They can't take another blow," Harry said.
"The Weasley family is a lot stronger than you think, Harry," Lupin said, "but I agree that they've had enough. I can't image how sick with worry both Molly and Arthur are, considering that their two oldest sons are in the Order and that Fred and George are petitioning to join."
"They are?"
Lupin nodded. "They want to be of use. Plus they have that wonderful arsenal of products that they create. I know most people think of them as just being gags, but those tricks can be quite useful in sticky situations."
"I hope Dumbledore lets them in. After all, they're adults and they're brilliant. I just hope that nothing happens to them because of it," Harry added.
"That's Molly's main concern," Lupin said. "She's scared for them, just as she's scared for Bill and Charlie. Just as she's scared for Ron and Ginny…you and Hermione too."
Harry frowned. "This place isn't that much safer than it was last year with that murderer running around, is it?"
"You tell me, Harry," Lupin said, frowning equally.
"Sometimes I don't understand why Dumbledore never figured out who the murderer was," Harry said quietly. "He knows practically everything, but he couldn't figure out that Crow was killing students."
Lupin arched an eyebrow. "Tell me, Harry, did you have it figured out?"
He shifted uncomfortably. "I thought it was Frost."
"Why? Why not Crow?"
"Because she hates Muggle-borns and he…he always seemed to have an alibi! I didn't know that he had a Time Turner," Harry said.
"And neither did Dumbledore," Lupin said calmly. "As much as all of us believe Dumbledore knows everything, he really doesn't. He is a man that can examine things and make great deductions from them, but he can't solve everything. He is not infallible. He is as much human as you or me. The reason why he couldn't figure out that Crow was killing the students was for the same basic reason you couldn't: there wasn't enough evidence against him."
"Who did Dumbledore think was killing the students?"
"He spent a great deal of time toying with the idea of an Animagus Death Eater running loose in the castle, sort of like how Sirius was able to slip into and out of the castle a few years back. At one point we wondered if it weren't Wormtail."
"But Wormtail spent a great deal of time with Voldemort last year. It couldn't have been him," Harry said.
"None of us can keep tabs on a Death Eater every minute of every day. Between your visions, none of us knew what Wormtail was up to. At least, that's the logic we used," Lupin explained. "Obviously we were wrong." He sighed. "Well, I had better be on my way and you have plenty of more places to check out tonight, am I right?"
"Yes, sir," Harry said. "But wait, I have a question for you."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. I was wondering if you'd be the advisor for the D.A. again this year and let us use your classroom."
"Of course! It's a great group and you do an excellent job teaching them. You know, you would be an excellent Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Harry," he said, "but I do think being an Auror is a better calling for you. You'll be great at it."
"Thank you, sir. Well, good night."
"Good night, Harry."
He watched Lupin walk away, still thinking about what Lupin had said before about the Order. How many other times, Harry wondered, had the Order been wrong?
*****
Thanks to the efforts of Hermione, word got out quickly about the reforming of the D.A. Within a week, a meeting time had been set up and Harry found himself in Professor Lupin's classroom, blowing a whistle to quiet the large number of students that were crowding the rear of the classroom.
"Okay, you lot, quiet down. I'm not going to do any revising of what we did last year. I know there might be some new faces in the crowd who may not know how to do some of the spells we did last year, so I encourage all of you to talk to each other and practice outside of these meetings we're going to have each month," Harry said. "We've got a lot of ground we can cover because there are several spells and charms to help protect ourselves. After all, that's what you're here to learn how to do, right? Protect yourself. You don't need to be going out there like a vigilante, taking on Death Eaters all on your own, do you? Try that and you'll probably end up dead. No-when it comes to Death Eaters, the main objective is defend yourself well enough so that you can get away from them. Everyone got that? Good, now let's get started.
"Pair off. What we're going to be working on today is Silencing. Believe it or not, but a good defense against somebody is to shut them up. Granted, it doesn't fully stop them from using spells since, if a person is skilled enough, they can perform nonverbal magic, but it does hinder them. Some people can't do nonverbal magic. Hopefully, if you run across a Death Eater, that will be the case.
"Can I get a volunteer to help me demonstrate how effective this can be?"
A few brave hands rose. Harry glanced over the crowd, then smiled. "Ally, if you would?" She grinned and came up to the front. "All I want you to do is use a few spells on me. It's my job to deflect them and then Silence you. Then we'll see how well you can continue to attack me, okay?"
She nodded.
"Okay," he said, taking a few steps away from her and pulling out his wand. "Whenever you're ready."
She took a deep breath as she held her wand up, then shouted, "Impedimenta!"
Before she even had the last syllable out, Harry was already yelling, "Protego!" The jinx bounced off his shield charm harmlessly.
"Locomotor Mortis!"
Harry quickly muttered the countercurse to her Leg-Locker Curse, the fired back. "Silenco!" he cried, rendering the second year mute. She mouthed a curse, but nothing happened. "You see," Harry said, turning back to the crowd. "Very effective.
"So, let's get to work on that. This is also a good way for you to practice the spells I taught you last year, like Disarming or using a shield charm like I did with Ally here. Good luck."
*****
Standing in the middle of Professor Flitwick's classroom one week later, Harry had his wand out, his face turning blue as he concentrated intensely, his eyes focused on Lupin, who stood before him.
"Breathe, Potter!" Moody barked.
Harry let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding, his head aching. "It's…too…difficult," he wheezed as he hunched over for air.
"Trying to create an effective curse without saying the incantation is difficult?" Moody asked sardonically. "I'd hate to see you attempt some higher-level magic nonverbally, Potter."
"No one's ever asked me to place a person in a Full Body Bind without speaking," Harry said. "I need to practice."
"Apparently, but do that on your own time, Potter, not mine," Moody said.
"How?" Harry bit out. "Am I supposed to curse somebody just because I feel like it?"
"You have friends, don't you? Use them."
He frowned. "They don't know what I'm doing," he said quietly.
"No? Fine. Work with squirrels for all I care, but practice!"
Harry scowled but said nothing.
"Are you ready to try again?" Lupin asked.
"Yeah."
"Get going then, Potter," Moody said and sat back against a desk. "Hear the curse in your mind."
Harry faced Lupin once again and pointed his wand at him. Petrificus Totalus! Petrificus Totalus! Petrificus Totalus! Petrificus Total-
"ARGH!" he cried as a flash of pain ripped through his forehead. His scar seemed to be on fire.
"Harry!" he heard Lupin yell distantly as he collapsed.
Flashing through his mind he saw flames engulfing houses. Death Eaters marched, their wands shooting bright fireballs into more houses. A tree fell. Suddenly, he was looking into a broken mirror, staring at a face that wasn't his own. The face was as white as ash, the eyes as red as blood.
Lord Voldemort laughed at his image and tapped his forehead. "Are you seeing this, Potter? Are you seeing this? This is Keswick. My servants are burning the entire town to the ground. Another town like this will fall in the same manner soon. Since I am a merciful lord, however, I am willing to give you a chance to play hero and save that other town, Potter. I have a riddle for you to solve, since you like them so much. You have until All Hallow's Eve to figure it out and you must do it alone or believe me, I will find out. Ready Potter? Listen closely because here it is:
"Upon the Afon Hafren do farms lie.
"In a town and parish that are like a certain man and I.
"A royal forest lies near by.
"Above its gardens birds like to fly."
Voldemort laughed, staring at his reflection. "You have two weeks." With a snap of his fingers, the connection broke, causing such an intense pain that Harry rolled over and vomited.
Lupin was sitting by his side. "Harry?"
Harry felt weak, so weak. Darkness was enclosing him. The only thing he could mumble was, "Another attack," before he succumbed to it.