The Privy Councilors 2/33 - part 1
Jan. 18th, 2011 07:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
herumtreiberTitle: The Privy Councilors 2/33 -1
Chapter: Spills and planning - part one
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
herumtreiber
Genre: AU to HBP, romance, adventure
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or related characters. Nor do I make any money from the writing of these stories.
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: none
Epilogue compliant? No way!
Chapter length: ~2,510
Summary: Draco/Harry, Luna/Neville, Ron/Hermione, Narcissa/??? Harry is about to be sent to Azkaban. The story explores Wizengamot politics and the fight against evil Dumbledore - where he gets vanquished early and does not prattle on and on - but is he gone? Plus de-aging. Someone returns whose name begins with S. (And my revenge on characters whose accents are hard to read – like Hagrid and Fleur ;-)
Table of contentsIn your room where time stands still
Or moves at your will.
Will you let the morning come soon,
Or will you leave me lying here?
In your favorite darkness,
Your favorite half-light,
Your favorite consciousness,
Your favorite slave.
(In your room, Depeche Mode)
Once they were comfortable, Draco grabbed his endless bag and rummaged for something to eat. He took out a covered pan, motioning to Harry with it. "I'm sure they haven't fed you, Potter. This is treacle tart which I bade my elf prepare for you. I've also got some drinks." He fished in the bag until he found a cold can. "Afraid I couldn't get pumpkin juice. But my elf found Muggle drinks."
Handing Harry the cola can, Draco turned to the others. "You can find more food inside. I know you eat like a famished hippogriff, Blaise."
Staring at Neville's thin face, the blond said, "And Longbottom looks famished!"
Pansy snorted whilst she conjured a silver fork. "You don't think about me, Draco! I wouldn't eat something so full of fat, but I'm hungry."
The aroma of the food and the contented look of the males and the blonde Ravenclaw spurred Pansy's appetite. She even had seconds and just when she was cutting the treat, she looked sideways. She couldn't see Draco rolling his eyes, but Harry did. It made him laugh richly, something he hadn't done in months, ever since he returned to Privet Drive.
After the meal, Draco noticed Harry had bags under his eyes. He sighed, thinking of all the stress the Muggles and the wizards put on the Gryffindor."Take a nap, Potter! You need to be on your mental toes." He waved his arms, encompassing the other privy councilors. "We will guard you, now you are safe."
Having enjoyed the first decent meal in weeks, Harry felt exhausted. He yawned and stretched his arms, deciding to take up Malfoy's offer. He would face other problems when he had to, but he realized he had to keep a clear head, like the blond said.
oOoOo
He woke up hours later in the suspended bubble whilst outside, just a few seconds had passed. The Gryffindor stretched luxuriously his limbs, feeling quite refreshed. He heard his companions whisper excitedly.
"The Cannons will win the Cup," murmured Malfoy.
Neville shrugged and whispered, "Whatever, I'm not a big Quidditch fan. Rather prefer my plants."
Blaise snorted. "Longbottom may have a point. Anyway, I'm sure the Falmouth Falcons will win."
"No way!" Draco glared at his friend.
Harry shrugged. By the look of things, it made sense that Malfoy and Ron had become friends if both were suckered into believing the Cannons had a chance. He looked at the end of the table and saw Luna and Pansy conversing animatedly.
"I'm afraid of the Dark Lord, that he will attack my family."
In the dim light, Luna's hair appeared to be molten mercury as she patted Pansy's shoulder. "You will prevail; I'm sure your Slytherin guile will help. Tell you what, if you need a bodyguard, I could try to convince a Snorkack…"
Pansy snorted whilst Neville said out loud, "Oi, Harry's awake!"
Draco swished his wand and raised the light level which he had artificially sunk.
He crossed his arms and looked at the group of his fellow conspirators. "We must get to the nitty-gritty and devise a plan to face these villains." Smiling at Harry, he said, "You might've noticed that all the people in that hall are against you. Have you wondered how it is possible that you have lost the support of all the Wizarding World?"
Harry shrugged. "I haven't had much time, Malfoy. I reckon they weren't so steadfast."
Draco shook his head. "You haven't lost them all. There are people who believe in you, they risk their lives and souls to help you."
The blond motioned at the translucent walls of the bubble, where the Wizengamot members could be seen, still as statues. "There are numerous loyalty spells, notice-me-not charms and so on, applied on the doors of the chamber. If people come here intending to support you, they are distracted by them, ending up in the other side of the building. Only the gits who detest you are allowed to pass freely through that door."
Harry bit his lips, recalling the scene when he had been chained. No wonder no one offered help. He lifted the rim of his glasses and frowned at Malfoy. "How do you know this?"
"We know these hellish machinations thanks to a stratagem we took from Dumbledore's books," said Draco and then smirked proudly. "We used spies. They endured torments to bring us details about Dumbles' plans. They told us about the hastily arranged trial so we could take countermeasures, and also about the strictures put upon the observers. They bested Dumbledore at subterfuge."
Harry gulped, realizing the dangers the spies endured. If Dumbledore did what he did to him whom he pretended to cherish, what would he do to them if he caught them?
"And they are…?"
Draco grimaced whilst he started putting things back on his bag. "Potter, it pains me greatly to say this, but those people who put their lives on the line? It's Weasley and Granger. They proved their grit and endurance shouldering the heavy burden for you. They showed true friendship and commitment."
Harry was startled. After Ron's outbursts and Hermione's condemning words, he didn't quite believe they were still his friends. "Really?"
"You may think they are near your enemies physically." Draco motioned towards the Gryffindor, hefting the bag. "But their love surrounds you right now. It sustains you whilst it gives you – and us – the strength to fight the evil."
Harry ruffled his hair. "But how did they do it? I wouldn't be surprised if Dumbledore used Legilimency!"
"Hermione designed a spell that when triggered – let's say by me saying 'Mudblood'" Draco smiled at that, recalling when he proposed that word and the brunette witch's enraged reaction. "The spell causes a set of memories to take centre stage whilst others disappear. When your friends are under the spell a core set of memories concerning you is hidden; thus they are able to pin the world's woes on you."
Draco shuddered when he thought about the perils the Gryffindors braved, akin to facing Voldemort. "I've no doubt Dumbles has used Legilimency a number of times, but the core memories remained hidden from sight. They follow the instructions we've agreed on, without having a conscious reason. When the spell is off, they regain their complete memories and report on his plans. But they remember their utterances. I'm sure they regret them."
Harry nervously tapped the table with his fingers. "They were mean. I just felt so lost when I heard them saying those awful things…"
Draco stood up and approached the brunet, squeezing his shoulder. "They'll need your support after tonight, and you will need them." He stared intently at Harry. "Potter, last night Sirius Black's testament was read. Contrariwise to what the Headmaster expected, Black only left you one thousand Galleons. The estate passed to my mother."
Harry smirked evilly, picturing the bearded old man when this happened. "I reckon Dumbles hated that."
Draco glared at the silent figure of the Headmaster outside the bubble. "The old coot was enraged; he tried to kill mother! With Kreacher's help she managed to avert that result." He beat his fists on the table, startling Blaise and Luna. "Mother asked Shacklebolt and Tonks to arrest the Headmaster but they refused. She even called the Ministry, Fudge and Bones; both gits said no."
"You hadn't told me, Draco." Blaise took out his wand, glaring at the Ministry officials in the chamber.
"Didn't have time, Blaise." The blond took a deep breath and stared intently at Harry. "So this is what we are dealing with, a side of the war that believes they are completely above the law. The people you've supported until now."
Neville leaned forwards, his elbows touching Harry's as he said, "But these considerations we can discuss later. You do realize the overkill of having the people who supports you absent from the trial. Obviously Dumbledore wanted to rub it in your face that they rejected you. No mercy."
Draco stared at his hands whilst he pondered Neville's words. "It's as if he's trying to fit some odd prophecy."
Harry sat up, startled by the blond's words. He told them about the prophecy concerning him, and how Dumbledore callously told him about it after his godfather had been killed.
Luna twisted her papaya necklace, and said wryly, "It seems false. That bit about the seventh month. I wonder which calendar that is? Roman, Greek, Celtic, Anglo-Saxon? They had different starting points for the months."
Pansy wrinkled her nose and took a handkerchief from a pocket in her robe. After daintily wiping her nose, she said, "Agreed. This just seems like the fairytales my father told me when I was a little girl, when he wanted me to behave like a proper pureblood. He'd say the beautiful princess that obeyed her father always got the kingdom and the prince."
Neville grabbed the last part of the treacle tart. However, Draco had gotten hold of the dish too. A brief tug of war between them occurred. The blond noticed Neville's gaunt face, he looked undernourished. Shrugging, he let him have the rest.
Sporting a bored expression, Blaise drawled, "To circulate a false prophecy and besmirch your enemies, you would need to be a good Slytherin, right? A man everybody respects and listens to, powerful enough to bend the law for 50 years. I guess Dumbles has repeated his lies so much he believes them wholeheartedly."
Draco shrugged and rolled his eyes. Blaise had expressed his thoughts on the matter. He drawled, "No one knows what happened to Harry's parents. Everything comes down to Dumbles and his explanations. He is at the crux of every conundrum involving you."
The blond pointed at Harry. "His allowing those teachers to enter Hogwarts, like fake Moody?" He shuddered when he remembered Moody's manic glee as he transformed him into a ferret. "The coincidences are too numerous. We must distrust everything he's told us."
The blond took a look at Harry's tired green eyes, knowing there was a serious matter to discuss. His words rushed out, unlike his usual drawl, "Excuse us, I've something to discuss with Potter."
The two moved to the corner of the table. Looking at Harry's tired visage, Draco didn't need to be a Legilimens to know how bone-tired the Gryffindor was.
Dumbledore was intent on Harry's destruction. Obviously Dumbles had found a way to kill Voldemort and didn't need Harry, if he ever did.
The headmaster wanted Harry destroyed and what better way than causing Harry to blow off his top? Draco knew firsthand how this worked with Harry. The Gryffindor was in mourning due to Sirius' death, and still the wily Headmaster kept his friends from writing him. Draco knew the Order threatened the Dursleys and failed to defend Harry when the beatings came. Dumbles probably goaded the Dursleys so they would either kill Harry or force Harry to hurt them.
Draco doubted very much Harry had killed them. He knew the stubborn Gryffindor inside and out, he wouldn't kill his relatives, even in pain. Dumbledore had mastery over the wards Hermione told him about, surrounding Privet Drive; he could go there anytime he wanted. Dumbles would kill the Dursleys and obliviate Harry to make sure he never told anyone.
The trouble was that if the Wizengamot wanted to ask questions with Veritaserum, Harry, following the truth as he knew it, would blurt out that he'd killed them.
If memory served Draco right, one way to restore one's memory was through the use of phoenix tears on the forehead of the patient. Fawkes, the phoenix, was Dumbledore's to command, but there might be other sources…
The blond took the bag and heaved it on the table, sticking his hand inside until he found the vial he was looking for. He hefted it and checked the colour and smell of the liquid inside, ensuring it was indeed phoenix tears. He asked Harry, "Do you trust me?" After an almost imperceptible delay, Harry answered confidently, "I believe I do."
He waved the vial at Harry. "Lay down. I'll put phoenix tears on your forehead. All memories that have been kept from you via Obliviate will return."
Draco put the drops on him, taking a hold of his shoulders when Harry jerked on the chair. Presently Harry said, "It's fine, Draco. I reckon the worst has passed."
The blond said, "Do you remember the deaths of your so-called family?"
Harry gulped and answered tentatively, "They beat me? Felt so weak and lost, I must have created a shield to keep me out of their reach. I remember the bright light. Seconds later, I looked up and saw Dumbledore and Shacklebolt."
Harry grabbed Draco's wrist, squeezing it painfully. "Dumbledore used Avada Kedavra on the Dursleys! He gloated… the bastard obliviated me and left."
Draco gulped, noticing how much Harry had changed from the stubborn boy who always challenged him. Despite the fact that Potter still bore signs of deprivation, there was a glint in his eyes and a set to his shoulders denoting anger and the strength to set things right.
oOoOo
Remus Lupin bristled at being left in Hogwarts when so many momentous decisions were being taken on Harry's behalf. He couldn't understand why he followed the headmaster's directives and stayed behind in the castle, which had become the temporary abode of the Order now that they had been evicted from Grimmauld Place.
Remus smiled fondly when he recalled Narcissa's anger. She really was a spitfire! As if seeping from without, the weft of his thoughts and inner monologue changed to something else, namely his past as a proud Marauder. If there was a forced quality to the mental change, it was too slight for Remus to notice.
Still, the werewolf felt deep foreboding which permeated his human senses. It tickled his wolf abilities.
All his life, ever since he was bitten, authority figures had urged Remus to control the wolf. He wasn't supposed to let the wolf run free, knowing that he could kill or infect many whilst he wreaked havoc. His family told him this, like headmaster Dumbledore and the other Marauders.
Although Remus' friend paid him the greatest compliment when they became Animagi and kept him company on the full moon nights, undoubtedly they would have preferred him free of lycanthropy.
The only exception was a pale, raven-haired Slytherin that offered a rough sort of consolation. Severus always told him the unvarnished truth, but also mentioned possible avenues of escape.
Remus grew to really appreciate Snape's sarcastic wit and hidden caring nature, but then Sirius pulled his deadly prank. It was only the coincidental presence of James Potter that saved the Slytherin's life. Dumbledore punished no one, and his friendship with Severus was effectively ruined.
2a. Spills and planning - part two
Chapter: Spills and planning - part one
Author:
herumtreiber Genre: AU to HBP, romance, adventure
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or related characters. Nor do I make any money from the writing of these stories.
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: none
Epilogue compliant? No way!
Chapter length: ~2,510
Summary: Draco/Harry, Luna/Neville, Ron/Hermione, Narcissa/??? Harry is about to be sent to Azkaban. The story explores Wizengamot politics and the fight against evil Dumbledore - where he gets vanquished early and does not prattle on and on - but is he gone? Plus de-aging. Someone returns whose name begins with S. (And my revenge on characters whose accents are hard to read – like Hagrid and Fleur ;-)
Table of contentsIn your room where time stands still
Or moves at your will.
Will you let the morning come soon,
Or will you leave me lying here?
In your favorite darkness,
Your favorite half-light,
Your favorite consciousness,
Your favorite slave.
(In your room, Depeche Mode)
Once they were comfortable, Draco grabbed his endless bag and rummaged for something to eat. He took out a covered pan, motioning to Harry with it. "I'm sure they haven't fed you, Potter. This is treacle tart which I bade my elf prepare for you. I've also got some drinks." He fished in the bag until he found a cold can. "Afraid I couldn't get pumpkin juice. But my elf found Muggle drinks."
Handing Harry the cola can, Draco turned to the others. "You can find more food inside. I know you eat like a famished hippogriff, Blaise."
Staring at Neville's thin face, the blond said, "And Longbottom looks famished!"
Pansy snorted whilst she conjured a silver fork. "You don't think about me, Draco! I wouldn't eat something so full of fat, but I'm hungry."
The aroma of the food and the contented look of the males and the blonde Ravenclaw spurred Pansy's appetite. She even had seconds and just when she was cutting the treat, she looked sideways. She couldn't see Draco rolling his eyes, but Harry did. It made him laugh richly, something he hadn't done in months, ever since he returned to Privet Drive.
After the meal, Draco noticed Harry had bags under his eyes. He sighed, thinking of all the stress the Muggles and the wizards put on the Gryffindor."Take a nap, Potter! You need to be on your mental toes." He waved his arms, encompassing the other privy councilors. "We will guard you, now you are safe."
Having enjoyed the first decent meal in weeks, Harry felt exhausted. He yawned and stretched his arms, deciding to take up Malfoy's offer. He would face other problems when he had to, but he realized he had to keep a clear head, like the blond said.
He woke up hours later in the suspended bubble whilst outside, just a few seconds had passed. The Gryffindor stretched luxuriously his limbs, feeling quite refreshed. He heard his companions whisper excitedly.
"The Cannons will win the Cup," murmured Malfoy.
Neville shrugged and whispered, "Whatever, I'm not a big Quidditch fan. Rather prefer my plants."
Blaise snorted. "Longbottom may have a point. Anyway, I'm sure the Falmouth Falcons will win."
"No way!" Draco glared at his friend.
Harry shrugged. By the look of things, it made sense that Malfoy and Ron had become friends if both were suckered into believing the Cannons had a chance. He looked at the end of the table and saw Luna and Pansy conversing animatedly.
"I'm afraid of the Dark Lord, that he will attack my family."
In the dim light, Luna's hair appeared to be molten mercury as she patted Pansy's shoulder. "You will prevail; I'm sure your Slytherin guile will help. Tell you what, if you need a bodyguard, I could try to convince a Snorkack…"
Pansy snorted whilst Neville said out loud, "Oi, Harry's awake!"
Draco swished his wand and raised the light level which he had artificially sunk.
He crossed his arms and looked at the group of his fellow conspirators. "We must get to the nitty-gritty and devise a plan to face these villains." Smiling at Harry, he said, "You might've noticed that all the people in that hall are against you. Have you wondered how it is possible that you have lost the support of all the Wizarding World?"
Harry shrugged. "I haven't had much time, Malfoy. I reckon they weren't so steadfast."
Draco shook his head. "You haven't lost them all. There are people who believe in you, they risk their lives and souls to help you."
The blond motioned at the translucent walls of the bubble, where the Wizengamot members could be seen, still as statues. "There are numerous loyalty spells, notice-me-not charms and so on, applied on the doors of the chamber. If people come here intending to support you, they are distracted by them, ending up in the other side of the building. Only the gits who detest you are allowed to pass freely through that door."
Harry bit his lips, recalling the scene when he had been chained. No wonder no one offered help. He lifted the rim of his glasses and frowned at Malfoy. "How do you know this?"
"We know these hellish machinations thanks to a stratagem we took from Dumbledore's books," said Draco and then smirked proudly. "We used spies. They endured torments to bring us details about Dumbles' plans. They told us about the hastily arranged trial so we could take countermeasures, and also about the strictures put upon the observers. They bested Dumbledore at subterfuge."
Harry gulped, realizing the dangers the spies endured. If Dumbledore did what he did to him whom he pretended to cherish, what would he do to them if he caught them?
"And they are…?"
Draco grimaced whilst he started putting things back on his bag. "Potter, it pains me greatly to say this, but those people who put their lives on the line? It's Weasley and Granger. They proved their grit and endurance shouldering the heavy burden for you. They showed true friendship and commitment."
Harry was startled. After Ron's outbursts and Hermione's condemning words, he didn't quite believe they were still his friends. "Really?"
"You may think they are near your enemies physically." Draco motioned towards the Gryffindor, hefting the bag. "But their love surrounds you right now. It sustains you whilst it gives you – and us – the strength to fight the evil."
Harry ruffled his hair. "But how did they do it? I wouldn't be surprised if Dumbledore used Legilimency!"
"Hermione designed a spell that when triggered – let's say by me saying 'Mudblood'" Draco smiled at that, recalling when he proposed that word and the brunette witch's enraged reaction. "The spell causes a set of memories to take centre stage whilst others disappear. When your friends are under the spell a core set of memories concerning you is hidden; thus they are able to pin the world's woes on you."
Draco shuddered when he thought about the perils the Gryffindors braved, akin to facing Voldemort. "I've no doubt Dumbles has used Legilimency a number of times, but the core memories remained hidden from sight. They follow the instructions we've agreed on, without having a conscious reason. When the spell is off, they regain their complete memories and report on his plans. But they remember their utterances. I'm sure they regret them."
Harry nervously tapped the table with his fingers. "They were mean. I just felt so lost when I heard them saying those awful things…"
Draco stood up and approached the brunet, squeezing his shoulder. "They'll need your support after tonight, and you will need them." He stared intently at Harry. "Potter, last night Sirius Black's testament was read. Contrariwise to what the Headmaster expected, Black only left you one thousand Galleons. The estate passed to my mother."
Harry smirked evilly, picturing the bearded old man when this happened. "I reckon Dumbles hated that."
Draco glared at the silent figure of the Headmaster outside the bubble. "The old coot was enraged; he tried to kill mother! With Kreacher's help she managed to avert that result." He beat his fists on the table, startling Blaise and Luna. "Mother asked Shacklebolt and Tonks to arrest the Headmaster but they refused. She even called the Ministry, Fudge and Bones; both gits said no."
"You hadn't told me, Draco." Blaise took out his wand, glaring at the Ministry officials in the chamber.
"Didn't have time, Blaise." The blond took a deep breath and stared intently at Harry. "So this is what we are dealing with, a side of the war that believes they are completely above the law. The people you've supported until now."
Neville leaned forwards, his elbows touching Harry's as he said, "But these considerations we can discuss later. You do realize the overkill of having the people who supports you absent from the trial. Obviously Dumbledore wanted to rub it in your face that they rejected you. No mercy."
Draco stared at his hands whilst he pondered Neville's words. "It's as if he's trying to fit some odd prophecy."
Harry sat up, startled by the blond's words. He told them about the prophecy concerning him, and how Dumbledore callously told him about it after his godfather had been killed.
Luna twisted her papaya necklace, and said wryly, "It seems false. That bit about the seventh month. I wonder which calendar that is? Roman, Greek, Celtic, Anglo-Saxon? They had different starting points for the months."
Pansy wrinkled her nose and took a handkerchief from a pocket in her robe. After daintily wiping her nose, she said, "Agreed. This just seems like the fairytales my father told me when I was a little girl, when he wanted me to behave like a proper pureblood. He'd say the beautiful princess that obeyed her father always got the kingdom and the prince."
Neville grabbed the last part of the treacle tart. However, Draco had gotten hold of the dish too. A brief tug of war between them occurred. The blond noticed Neville's gaunt face, he looked undernourished. Shrugging, he let him have the rest.
Sporting a bored expression, Blaise drawled, "To circulate a false prophecy and besmirch your enemies, you would need to be a good Slytherin, right? A man everybody respects and listens to, powerful enough to bend the law for 50 years. I guess Dumbles has repeated his lies so much he believes them wholeheartedly."
Draco shrugged and rolled his eyes. Blaise had expressed his thoughts on the matter. He drawled, "No one knows what happened to Harry's parents. Everything comes down to Dumbles and his explanations. He is at the crux of every conundrum involving you."
The blond pointed at Harry. "His allowing those teachers to enter Hogwarts, like fake Moody?" He shuddered when he remembered Moody's manic glee as he transformed him into a ferret. "The coincidences are too numerous. We must distrust everything he's told us."
The blond took a look at Harry's tired green eyes, knowing there was a serious matter to discuss. His words rushed out, unlike his usual drawl, "Excuse us, I've something to discuss with Potter."
The two moved to the corner of the table. Looking at Harry's tired visage, Draco didn't need to be a Legilimens to know how bone-tired the Gryffindor was.
Dumbledore was intent on Harry's destruction. Obviously Dumbles had found a way to kill Voldemort and didn't need Harry, if he ever did.
The headmaster wanted Harry destroyed and what better way than causing Harry to blow off his top? Draco knew firsthand how this worked with Harry. The Gryffindor was in mourning due to Sirius' death, and still the wily Headmaster kept his friends from writing him. Draco knew the Order threatened the Dursleys and failed to defend Harry when the beatings came. Dumbles probably goaded the Dursleys so they would either kill Harry or force Harry to hurt them.
Draco doubted very much Harry had killed them. He knew the stubborn Gryffindor inside and out, he wouldn't kill his relatives, even in pain. Dumbledore had mastery over the wards Hermione told him about, surrounding Privet Drive; he could go there anytime he wanted. Dumbles would kill the Dursleys and obliviate Harry to make sure he never told anyone.
The trouble was that if the Wizengamot wanted to ask questions with Veritaserum, Harry, following the truth as he knew it, would blurt out that he'd killed them.
If memory served Draco right, one way to restore one's memory was through the use of phoenix tears on the forehead of the patient. Fawkes, the phoenix, was Dumbledore's to command, but there might be other sources…
The blond took the bag and heaved it on the table, sticking his hand inside until he found the vial he was looking for. He hefted it and checked the colour and smell of the liquid inside, ensuring it was indeed phoenix tears. He asked Harry, "Do you trust me?" After an almost imperceptible delay, Harry answered confidently, "I believe I do."
He waved the vial at Harry. "Lay down. I'll put phoenix tears on your forehead. All memories that have been kept from you via Obliviate will return."
Draco put the drops on him, taking a hold of his shoulders when Harry jerked on the chair. Presently Harry said, "It's fine, Draco. I reckon the worst has passed."
The blond said, "Do you remember the deaths of your so-called family?"
Harry gulped and answered tentatively, "They beat me? Felt so weak and lost, I must have created a shield to keep me out of their reach. I remember the bright light. Seconds later, I looked up and saw Dumbledore and Shacklebolt."
Harry grabbed Draco's wrist, squeezing it painfully. "Dumbledore used Avada Kedavra on the Dursleys! He gloated… the bastard obliviated me and left."
Draco gulped, noticing how much Harry had changed from the stubborn boy who always challenged him. Despite the fact that Potter still bore signs of deprivation, there was a glint in his eyes and a set to his shoulders denoting anger and the strength to set things right.
Remus Lupin bristled at being left in Hogwarts when so many momentous decisions were being taken on Harry's behalf. He couldn't understand why he followed the headmaster's directives and stayed behind in the castle, which had become the temporary abode of the Order now that they had been evicted from Grimmauld Place.
Remus smiled fondly when he recalled Narcissa's anger. She really was a spitfire! As if seeping from without, the weft of his thoughts and inner monologue changed to something else, namely his past as a proud Marauder. If there was a forced quality to the mental change, it was too slight for Remus to notice.
Still, the werewolf felt deep foreboding which permeated his human senses. It tickled his wolf abilities.
All his life, ever since he was bitten, authority figures had urged Remus to control the wolf. He wasn't supposed to let the wolf run free, knowing that he could kill or infect many whilst he wreaked havoc. His family told him this, like headmaster Dumbledore and the other Marauders.
Although Remus' friend paid him the greatest compliment when they became Animagi and kept him company on the full moon nights, undoubtedly they would have preferred him free of lycanthropy.
The only exception was a pale, raven-haired Slytherin that offered a rough sort of consolation. Severus always told him the unvarnished truth, but also mentioned possible avenues of escape.
Remus grew to really appreciate Snape's sarcastic wit and hidden caring nature, but then Sirius pulled his deadly prank. It was only the coincidental presence of James Potter that saved the Slytherin's life. Dumbledore punished no one, and his friendship with Severus was effectively ruined.
2a. Spills and planning - part two
