Sunday, January 3, 1995 - Morning
The Hogwarts Express trip to Hogsmeade went without incident. Draco and Pansy stayed in their compartment. Ron and Seamus stayed in a compartment with George and Fred. The Weasleys were unnaturally subdued. The consequences of the Yule Ball incidents were yet to become known.
Harry was enjoying his release from the soul shard. The Merlin House girls noticed the change in the scar. Su Li had stayed at Hogwarts as had Luna. Susan, and Hannah picked up the change as soon as they saw Harry in the compartment.
“What has happened to your scar Harry?” Hannah asked with no hesitation.
“Hannah!” Susan said.
“It’s fine Susan, Hannah. I have had a close encounter with a woman with a knife.” Harry grinned.
“Huh!”
“Our friends who don’t like to speak too much worked out something that they could do for me. The initial stage was quite unpleasant but once that was done, the dangerous part was captured in the scar tissue. A muggle medical operation then cut the old scar out and left me with a new lighter looking one.” Harry grinned again.
“I have been in a better mood almost continuously since then.” Harry smiled at the group. Daphne, Astoria, and Tracey smiled back and nodded to Susan and Hannah.
“How are the preparations for the next task?” Susan asked.
“Brilliant! I can’t say too much here, too many flappy ears in the corridors.” Susan looked at the door. There was an ever-present group of younger students in the corridor, straining to get a glimpse of the Merlin House students.
“I have a new swimming outfit which looks a bit outlandish, but the people who know assure me it is legal for the competition. I will be practicing with it as much as I can.” Harry grinned again.
--ooOOoo—
The carriages gradually filled and shuttled the returning Hogwarts students to the castle. A firm hand grabbed Harry by his shoulder.
“Harry, I want to thank for warning me about the dragons.” It was Cedric Diggory. He looked back over his shoulder.
“That’s OK Cedric. The Beaubatons and Durmstrang people knew before you did. It was only fair to let you know.” Harry looked back to where Cedric was glancing. Cho was talking to some of her Ravenclaw group and not looking at Cedric.
“Have you worked out the clue yet?” Cedric looked concerned.
“Yes Cedric, we have got a plan and preparations are being made.” Harry was not certain about talking to Cedric.
Sure enough. . .
“Cedric! I need you over here! Now please!” Cho was steaming.
Cedric smiled nervously and backed away.
“Poor bloke.” Harry mumbled.
--ooOOoo—
There were messages waiting for Harry when he made it back to his room. One was from the headmaster summoning him to a meeting in his office after dinner.
“Maybe” Muttered Harry.
The next was from Professor McGonagall asking for a short meeting when he was available.
“Certainly, how about after dinner?” Harry smiled.
Harry wrote a parchment note, “Sorry headmaster, I have another appointment. I might be available to meet with you and Professor Dawes later in the week.” Harry gave the message to Polly with instructions to find a school owl to deliver it.
His next message was to Professor McGonagall asking for a meeting after dinner. Harry gave this note to Hedwig to deliver.
Dinner progressed as most other returning dinners had over the years. Harry received a note from Professor McGonagall confirming that a meeting after dinner would be welcome.
Harry approached the Gryffindor Head of House office accompanied by Su Li and Luna Lovegood. The Merlin House students maintained the drill of never allowing Harry to go anywhere on his own.
Harry knocked on the door.
“Enter!”
“Good evening, professor.” Harry entered with Luna and Su Li.
“May I ask why Miss Su Li and Miss Lovegood have come with you?” Professor McGonagall seemed to be surprised.
“It is Merlin House practice to never go anywhere unaccompanied inside the castle and the grounds. The level of hostility towards our students is still high although it may be a bit less dangerous than it was initially.” Harry replied.
Professor McGonagall stared at Harry, then shook her head. “I had thought to have a confidential talk to you about the vassalages and why it has never been announced that they are all finished and that there is no compulsion on any of the Merlin House students to remain there.”
Harry waited for several seconds.
“Professor, I and anyone else connected with Merlin House can make all the public statements we like. We have officially asked The Daily Prophet, the Ministry, and the headmaster to tell the students at Hogwarts and the general public what the real situation is, in statements that people will take notice of. The Ministry has put out a six-line official notice which was buried in the back pages of The Daily Prophet, and they say that their duty is done. The headmaster claims that Hogwarts doesn’t need to add to that.” Harry waited for the professor to respond.
Eventually, Professor McGonagall spoke, she seemed to have difficulty getting her words out.
“Harry, I am, . . . NO! . . . I wish . . . What am I trying to say? What is this?”
Professor McGonagall mumbled for a while.
“I’m sorry Harry. I can’t find what I want to say.” She shook her head.
“Thank you, Harry, ladies, I will write to you later when I have my thoughts together. Thank you. Goodnight.” The professor motioned to the door which swung open on its own.
As they walked quickly back to Merlin Tower, Su Li asked Harry, “What was that about?”
“Not here Su Li.” Harry replied.
Luna quietly spoke. “The portraits and others listen to conversations in hallways. Wait till we get back to Merlin Tower.”
The three went directly to Professor Dawes office. “Professor, we have just been to have a talk with Professor McGonagall. She seems to be struggling with keeping her thoughts organized. We were telling her how the Ministry and the headmaster are allowing the idea to stay around that the vassalages are still in place. She was under the impression that we didn’t tell anyone.”
Professor Dawes looked at Harry. “The vassalages are not discussed in staff meetings. I have encountered the same response as you from all the staff. The headmaster and Professor Snape are not affected in the same way. They deliberately ignore me or tell me to cease and desist. I’m afraid that the headmaster and Professor Snape are using their considerable expertise in Confundus charms to keep the staff confused over the issue.”
Professor Dawes paused, “I am only invited to staff meetings as a matter of courtesy, and they can easily forget to invite me. They have to invite me to Tournament committee meetings but that is obviously with great reluctance.”
There was a short silence.
“So, what can we do?” Su Li asked.
Professor Dawes smiled. “We can stop being the nice guys and start playing dirty. There are ways of protecting yourself from Confundus and other similar charms. Your lords’ and vassals' rings protect you. I will check with the underhanded tricks section about what we can do.”
“The ‘what’ section?”
“The Department of Mysteries”
--ooOOoo--
Harry became the centre of a winter swimming side show. An area of the lake was kept ice free for Harry and Viktor to train. Cedric and Fleur may have also used the ice-free patch, but no one saw them doing it. Viktor would go in wearing just his normal swimming costume. He would swim for a short distance and then disappear. How he stayed underwater for so long was not obvious.
The most comments were aimed at Harry. He first went down to the lake with a mob of onlookers following him as well as Merlin House. When he removed his robe and revealed the dry suit there some predictable objections.
Seamus bellowed out from a safe distance. “What is that Potter? You can’t wear that. I’m going to report you for cheating.”
Ronald was allowed out for only short periods. He had three separate detentions to serve for his Yule Ball performance. Seamus only had one.
Seamus did report Harry for cheating and was informed that Harry’s suit was completely legal. Disappointed, Seamus went back to making as many rude comments as he could while staying out of the way of the Merlin House supporters.
Neville Longbottom, Fred and George Weasley, and the Gryffindor Quidditch Team started turning up to watch Harry train. It was a bit dull as Harry walked into the lake until he submerged with his bubblehead charm working and after a long time walked back out again. The main interest was in the exchange of insults with the rest of the Hogwarts students.
After a few days of this, Fred, George and the Gryffindor Quidditch Team gathered around Harry.
“Harrikins! Can we talk to you about an unpleasant subject.” George grinned as spoke. The twin speak act was not in use.
“Sure guys, talk away.” Harry was pleased to have some of his old connections around him.
“We have been ordered to try to patch things up between you and Ronald. We being Fred and I.”
Fred huffed and then muttered, “The prat won’t listen to us. Our orders come from our dad. Pressure is being put on him from somewhere above him. How that works, we don’t know.”
Harry considered what he should say. He decided not to reveal the Dumbledore connection.
“I will be open to any genuine attempt to fix the problem between us, but things will never be as they were. Ron has to accept me being friends with all my Merlin House people including the former Slytherins.”
Fred looked around at the listening group of Merlin House students.
“They don’t treat you like they are servants. What is really going on?”
Harry was even more serious. “Listen to this, Fred, George. They are not vassals or any other type of servant. They were all released from the vassalages by the end of the first week. They are free to leave Merlin House any time they like. Of course, they will have to answer to the Gods of Olympus the same as I will if I don’t finish a mission I’ve been given. The first part of the mission is this wretched Tournament, the rest is something to do with Lord Voldemort. I can’t tell you more because I don’t know more. They are sticking with the mission, whatever it is.”
“Don’t get a swelled head about this Harry. We are sticking to you as well.” Susan said.
232Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZa8jAXdxCw
