Harry Potter and all characters, etc. belong to J. K. Rowling, not me.
A/N Thanks to E.G. Potter for agreeing to be my beta. Enjoy the chapter!
Dumbledore Answers Harry - Chapter 12 - Back to the Dursleys
"Harry," said Dumbledore in his most grandfatherly voice, "I'm afraid that it would be too dangerous."
"So was being kidnapped by Voldemort," said Harry pleadingly. "So is being prophesied to either kill him or be killed by him. Everything about my life is dangerous because of him. Sir, I want to help destroy those things."
"The curses guarding them are far too terrible, Harry. I wouldn't ask a fifth year to accompany me."
"If they're that dangerous, then you shouldn't go alone! I know you're powerful, but anyone can make a mistake! Without anyone there to help, you could lose a limb or even your life! Then who's gonna find the Horcruxes?"
Albus sighed. "You have made some valid points, Harry. I believe that I shall seek help, but I'm afraid you are still too young. I'm afraid Sirius would push me through the death veil if I brought you with me. I rather think he'd want to go himself instead. I'm afraid that my decision is final in this matter, and hope that you'll trust my judgment."
Harry took a deep breath to calm himself. "Fine. Can I at least see the memory after you get it?"
Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling again. "Yes, I would be happy to share my memory of the incident once I obtain it."
-
"Well," said Hermione, "I think it's good that Professor Dumbledore isn't going to take you on a dangerous mission."
"But he has the right to go," argued Ginny. "I mean, Harry's already beaten Voldemort twice! Three times if you count when he was a baby!"
"I barely escaped with my life last time!" said Harry miserably, "I didn't beat him. Dumbledore was right. I'm not ready yet."
"I thought it was interesting that Professor Dumbledore told you he wouldn't take a fifth year," said Hermione pensively. "I wonder if he meant he'd want someone who'd passed their O.W.L.s."
Harry chuckled slightly. "He'd probably only consider taking someone who'd managed an 'O' in his Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L."
"I'll bet you could get that right now!" said Ginny.
"Hm," said Hermione, "I don't think you would right now, but if we got third, fourth, and fifth year defense books early, I'll bet we all could learn enough by the end of next year to take the test with the fifth years." Harry and Ginny looked at her incredulously. She seemed a bit nervous but kept talking. "I mean, we can practice magic at home now. I think we're already close to fourth year level. If we could pass that test, we could free up some time from our schedules to study even more." She smiled. "We might even be able to get D.A.D.A. N.E.W.T.s while our classmates are taking their O.W.L.s
"But we've got more classes next year, Hermione," said Harry. "I mean, you've seen the forms they gave us."
"Yes, and I'm signing up for every class."
"Every class?" repeated both Harry and Ginny together.
"Of course."
"But you can't take every class," said Harry, "And even if you could, why would you want to? Muggle studies is pointless to a muggleborn."
"But I could learn it from a wizarding perspective," said Hermione.
"All you'd learn is how to mispronounce words," said Ginny with a giggle. "Bill took the class and found out that most of what he learned was wrong when he dated a muggleborn girl."
"I wonder what class with Trelawney is like," said Harry. "I know she predicted my birth and that Voldemort would come back, but what can someone teach about Divination?"
"All about crystal balls and tea leaves and things like that," said Hermione.
"But that's not how she makes predictions," said Harry, "She just goes into a trance."
"Fred and George think she's a complete fraud," said Ginny. "She predicts a new student to die out of every class each year."
"Oh that sounds fascinating," said Hermione sarcastically. "I predict that I won't take Divination or Muggle Studies."
"Me neither," said Harry. "I guess that leaves Care of Magical Creatures, Arithmancy, and Ancient Runes, plus my extra Defense class with Flitwick."
-
The train ride home was uneventful. In other words the Slytherins knew not to cause trouble because Potter's Army had set up patrols every fifteen minutes. Even Harry and the girls did a couple patrols, but they didn't find anyone starting trouble. They did find Percy unsuccessfully trying to break up some seventh-year graduates that were snogging after the bloke had proposed. They thought it was quite humorous watching Percy get frustrated when the couple wouldn't pay attention to him, shouting, "I'm a prefect!" at them.
Hermione giggled, "He reminds me of a character in an old American television show. The actor Don Knotts played a deputy sheriff that no one took seriously because he's an idiot. He got just as frustrated as Percy as he'd show his badge."
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When they arrived at the station, Harry thought he'd see his friends off before he left the Platform. First Ginny and he went with Hermione to say hello to her parents. Hermione hugged both Ginny and Harry before they left. Then they went to the Weasleys, where they walked in on an unusual scene. Percy was in trouble with his mother.
Mrs. Weasley was yelling, "WHAT KIND OF A BLOODY FOOL ARE YOU LETTING PEOPLE GET ATTACKED IN THE HALLWAYS AT SCHOOL!?! PROFESSOR McGONAGALL OWLED ME THAT YOU WERE EVEN PUNISHING THE PEOPLE LIKE GINNY AND YOUR BROTHERS WHO STOOD UP TO THOSE STINKING SLYTHERINS!!! YOU SHOULD HAVE JOINED THEM!!! I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO ASHAMED OF ONE OF MY CHILDREN IN ALL MY LIFE!!! PROFESSOR McGONAGALL TOLD ME THAT YOU HAVE THROWN AWAY YOUR RECOMMENDATION FOR HEAD BOY BY YOUR COWARDICE!!!" At this news, Percy flinched. "YOU'LL BE LUCKY IF SHE EVEN DECIDES TO LET YOU KEEP YOUR PREFECT BADGE!!!"
"But I was only following the rules," argued Percy. He didn't notice that most of the students still at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters were watching him.
"YOU SHOULD BE DOING WHAT'S RIGHT! NOT OBEYING STUPID RULES THAT LET STUDENTS GET BEAT UP SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY'RE MUGGLEBORN!!! THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH THOSE RULES, AND PROFESSOR DUMBLEDORE WILL BE WORKING ON CHANGING THEM THIS SUMMER, BUT YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT IT'S WRONG TO TURN YOUR BACK ON SUFFERING!!! Oh, hello Harry-dear. Hello Ginny. It's good to see you both."
"Hello Mrs. Weasley."
"I understand that standing up to the Slytherins was your idea, Harry."
"Yes mum, it was," answered Ginny when Harry blushed and looked down. Percy was glaring at the Boy-Who-Lived. "We'd walked in on some Slytherins ganging up on a first year girl, and Harry wanted to stop them, so naturally, me and Hermione helped."
"That was when Professor McGonagall punished you," Mrs. Weasley said.
"Yes. Then Harry got really mad about it and said that the house cup didn't mean a thing if people couldn't walk the halls of the school without being attacked. He gave a speech in the Gryffindor common room. You should've heard him, mum! He said that Gryffindors were supposed to be brave and that we should stop those attacks! Every Gryffindor except Percy joined us, but that Slytherin in disguise doesn't count." Ginny knew that this would probably be the only time in her life she could get away with insulting Percy to her mother's face. "Even his Ravenclaw girlfriend dumped him and joined us a few weeks later."
"He punched me!" said Percy bitterly.
"You deserved more than that!" said Molly.
"But I'm a prefect!" he said with a red face.
"Which means you should've been patrolling the halls yourself and trying to put a stop to the attacks!" said Harry coldly as he glared into Percy's eyes, finally speaking. Percy backed up. "Anyway," Harry said smiling at Mrs. Weasley, "I wanted to say hello to you and Mr. Weasley and that I hope to see MOST of your family before the summer's out."
"You are welcome at the Burrow anytime. You know that." She hugged him, and then Ginny hugged him. Harry then started to walk toward the barrier. Before he got there, he heard a shaky female voice calling out, "H-Harry."
He turned to see a blonde haired small girl that he knew he'd seen before somewhere. "Yes?"
She looked down shyly. "I, er, never thanked you for saving me from those Slytherins. If you and your friends hadn't helped me, I don't know what would've happened." He now realized that she was the victim in the attack that had started it all. "I could've been killed. I…"
"It's all right," Harry said uncomfortably. "I'm sure you'd have done the same for me."
"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be able to come back next year." She then hugged and kissed him on the cheek quickly before turning red and running through the barrier.
He smiled and then continued toward the barrier, thankful for his trunk that shrank into a wallet. He even had Hedwig's cage in it while she was flying to Privet Drive. Therefore he didn't have to carry anything except his wand. He walked through the barrier to see Uncle Vernon with a purple face talking to…Sirius Black in an isolated spot. From what Harry could tell, Padfoot was laying down the law for how Harry was to be treated while at their house.
"There you are, boy," said Vernon, trying to act friendly.
"He has a name!"
"Of course Harry. I…hope you had a good term. Where are your things?"
"I've got them…magically hidden," Harry said vaguely. "I am looking forward to practicing my stunning spells and cutting hexes while I'm at your house. Will Dudley be available to help me in target practice? I've been trying to learn the curse that killed my parents and I wanted to try it out."
"YOU WILL NOT HURT DUDLEY!" shouted Vernon, forgetting about the fully qualified wizard next to him.
"Unless he starts trouble," said Sirius calmly, earning a frightened look from Vernon. "And that goes for any of them. You are not to do any chores for them, although you may cook for yourself if you prefer your own cooking. They are to leave you alone and let you move about the house and neighborhood freely, although it might not be such a good idea to spend much time outside unless you're disguised. We don't want any Death Eaters to recognize you and attack. Killing one of them would be a lot of paperwork at the ministry, especially if they're not recognizable when you're done." Vernon paled. "I believe you've got a book on glamour charms so you can properly hide your identity." Harry nodded. "You may practice magic for school inside your room and defend yourself as needed. If any of them lay one finger on you, do Ginny's favorite hex on them. I will be visiting at least once every week to pay for your meals so they can't call you a freeloader, and to see how you're doing. I'll also be watching you sometimes in my dog form."
Vernon looked almost ready to have a heart attack. "Y-Y-Your dog form?"
Sirius smiled broadly and looked around. Seeing no one, he changed form and walked up to Vernon, who wet his pants. The dog looked around again and changed back. Vernon was literally shaking as he tried to hold one hand in front of his crotch to hide the wet spot.
Padfoot grinned. "See you around," and disappeared with a small pop.
Vernon hurried to his car and Harry happily followed. He was going to have fun this summer.
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