Like A Phoenix From The Ashes
Chapter 3
By Kinsfire
Harry awoke in a room that he knew by smell. "You know, I’m getting really tired of this," he said amiably to the air.
"Ah, Mister Potter, you’re awake," Madame Pomfrey said. "Excellent. I think this may be a record for you, however — coming to the hospital wing even before the Hogwarts Express gets into the town."
"How did I get here? And why are my eyes bound?"
There was an uncomfortable silence before she answered. "The Head Boy and Girl and prefect badges have certain spells on them to allow transport to the nearest medical facility. Miss Granger activated yours."
"Is she here?"
"Yes. She is talking with Professor Dumbledore right now."
"Why can’t I see? I just realized that my eyes aren’t bound. Is this a permanent condition?"
"You took a strong blow to the occipital area of your skull. That’s where your vision centers are. In essence, they took a shock that made them shut down, temporarily, I hope. Regaining your vision isn’t guaranteed, since your injury aggravated the previous recent one in the same area, but I honestly will be surprised if you don’t get it all back as good as before. There has been no physical brain damage which might hinder your recovery."
He snorted. "So I get to go from really blind to merely legally blind," he laughed. "I trust you, Madame Pomfrey. If I don’t get it back, I know you did what you could."
"I am pleased to hear you in such a mood, Harry," the voice of Albus Dumbledore said. "Especially after what happened on the Express."
Harry shrugged, which reminded him of the pain in his chest. "Ow. He’s got a good punch, I’ll say." He paused. "Any bets that his Howler will be more along the lines of getting caught, rather than for attacking me? Molly hates me right now."
"She’ll hate me for breaking up with Ron as well," Hermione added. "I was going to anyway for lying to you, although I accept the same blame for being a partner to it, but that attack in the meeting car and in your compartment was beyond anything I could even remotely consider justified." After a brief pause, she added, "I mean that yelling at you might, and I say might have been justified, but the physical attack …"
"I understand, Hermione." There was an uncomfortable silence again, and suddenly he laughed. "Hey, Hermione? Do you have an escort for the first Hogsmeade weekend?"
"What?" she asked in shock. A few moments later, she began to chuckle. "Let me guess, you’d sworn to ask me if the situation presented itself?"
"Last year, but yeah. Seriously, I could use a friend, and I’m not giving up Hogsmeade because my rather vicious ex-girlfriend won’t go with me. I honestly won’t have many friends this year. You, Pansy, Susan, and Luna are guarantees. Neville and Dean have informed me that I will pay for what I did to Ginny. Seamus will go along with the majority. Ron and Ginny are popular within Gryffindor, so the rest of Gryffindor Tower will be against me, too. Slytherin is a given, especially with our Potions professor." Harry laughed a dark laugh. "I look forward to the end of the year, after I’m officially finished with school. That slimy little creep has taken points from me for the stupidest things, mainly for being Gryffindor and for being the son of James Potter. I was more adult than him when I started coming to this school. Unless his attitude changes, he’s eating teeth at the end of the year."
"Threatening a professor," came a familiar voice. "You set a new record for removal of points, Potter."
"Has school officially started, Professor Dumbledore?"
"No."
"Good. You can’t take points yet, you greasy little git. And it wasn’t a threat. It’s a promise for the end of the year. Assuming, of course, that I survive the Seventh Annual Moldieshorts Parade." He could hear that, against her will, Hermione snorted, joined by Madame Pomfrey. "I'm sorry, but you have treated me like crap all these years, Professor Snape, for no other reason that you hated my father."
"The only way your father figures into this is the way you have inherited his arrogance. I’ve treated you no worse than I needed in order to bring you down off your high horse and teach you what it’s like not to be pampered."
Harry could hear Hermione inhale, sharply, and put his hand out to catch her wrist before she could retort. "Don't bother, Hermione. It’s not worth it. Maybe someday he can really check out the Dursleys for himself. Try to pass for a Muggle and ask them about their nephew. If that’s being pampered, then everybody else is using the word incorrectly." He paused. "By the way, sir, how does it feel, being the chemistry teacher for St. Brutus’ School for Incurably Criminal Boys?"
"What are you on about, Potter?" Snape snarled.
"That's where I go to school, when I'm not at my Aunt and Uncle’s house. At least, if you talk to Vernon, that's the case." He took a deep breath. "Rather than getting petty revenges like destroying my potions, or seeing to it that the best Defence teacher we've had gets fired, why don't you use that brain of yours to actually get the damned facts! I know you're smart enough to — you're a Potions Master, and they don't just hand Masteries out the way you hand out punishments to Gryffindors!"
He took a deep breath, then let it out again, visibly letting go of his anger. "No, forget I said anything. You're too damned hide-bound to look into anything that might change your comfortable world view. Might hurt your brain to think you might have treated me unfairly from the moment you heard a Potter was coming to the school."
"Screw this," he grumbled, staring sightlessly up at the ceiling. "All I've done is make sure that I get even more points taken from Gryffindor, for talking back to the professor when I answer a question he asked me, or get detentions because I accidentally dropped my potion once it was actually in the teacher's hands. Tell you what, Snape — since I'm gonna get the points removed anyway, why don't I just make sure they're actually earned for once?"
"Harry …" the headmaster admonished.
Harry scowled for a long moment. "You’re right, headmaster," he finally said with a resigned sigh. He turned to ‘look’ at Snape. "Professor Snape? My outburst was uncalled for. I have my opinion of you, but this situation with the Weasleys has me more than a little bothered." He took a deep breath. "I took out my anger and frustration at the situation, and the probable end of a six year relationship on you, and for that, I apologize. I was wrong."
There was a long silence. "Understandable, Mister Potter," came the response. "I appreciate the apology. Though it would have been polite of you to at least look at me while you gave it."
Harry chuckled mirthlessly. "A little difficult at the moment, since I’m stone blind right now. I can only guess where you’re standing. Once … if … I can see again, I’ll make a proper apology, looking at you and everything, all right?"
There was another long silence. "No, I … that will not be necessary, Mister Potter. I was unaware of the situation. I only came down here to talk to Madame Pomfrey about some medicinal potions she requested. I certainly didn’t intend to get involved in a verbal sparring match with you. Poppy, if I may have a moment? Headmaster. Miss Granger." Harry could hear the man’s embarrassment as he took his leave.
"You may have done more for your cause, Harry," the headmaster said with a smile, "than you could possibly be aware."
"He was stunned, Harry!" Hermione murmured quietly. "He never expected an apology from you. I think you may have finally convinced him that you aren't your father."
"Doesn’t matter one way or the other, right now. What I’m worried about right now, Professor, is what’s going to happen to Ron. That was an attack, in front of witnesses. You also have the problem that being proper in your treatment of him could be seen as favouritism for me. You’ll probably have to be lenient with him, just to be looked at as being fair to the other students."
"Why are you doing this, Harry?" Hermione asked incredulously. "He hit you so hard that he broke two of your ribs. Your head broke the glass on the train and you could be blind. By rights he should be expelled. And you’re saying to go light on him?"
"What was the reason he attacked me? Had you just broken up with him officially, by chance? If so, then he wasn’t in his right mind at the time, and would be able to defend himself on the grounds of diminished capacity."
He could almost hear her blinking. "Where did you learn that one?"
"Dudley, just before the Dursleys permanently expelled me from their home. He’d been arrested by the Bobbies for hitting his girlfriend, well, ex-girlfriend, and that was the defence that they successfully used. Not that he had all that much capacity to be diminished, in my opinion."
"Be that as it may be," Dumbledore said, finally injecting himself into the conversation, "Ronald will of necessity be stripped of his prefect status. He has set a very bad example for other students, and that can not be tolerated. I have Minerva composing the letter to Molly, which will explain the reasoning for the removal of his prefect status, and explain that we are being quite lenient in permitting him to remain a student at Hogwarts. My current problem is trying to figure out which student from your year to give the badge to."
Harry thought for a long moment, and then looked to Professor Dumbledore. "Neville. Seamus is too likely to simply go along with what the others want, and Dean — well, Dean never struck me as having the interest in doing that sort of thing. It would cut into his drawing time, and that would be one of his criteria. That leaves Neville, who has the drive to prove himself, and is also smart enough to realize the quiet message you’re sending to the rest of the students."
"And that message is?" Dumbledore asked, smiling.
"‘We’re watching you. Don’t even think it.’" He laughed, and turned his head to Hermione, who had a smile. "You should smile more, Hermione. You’re much prettier with a smile on your face."
"You can see me?" she asked, her expression happy.
"Well, yeah. I can see you smiling, and you’re twirling a lock of your hair nervously, like you do sometimes."
Madame Pomfrey came out in time to hear that, and quickly ran her wand over his head. "How are you doing that, Mister Potter?" She paused. "How clear is your vision?"
"Clear enough to see the worried looks on all your faces. Why what’s wrong?"
"You aren’t wearing your glasses, Harry," Hermione said. "Your vision isn’t usually that good."
He consciously closed his eyes, and noticed that the vision didn’t fade the way it normally did. Leaving them closed, he concentrated on looking at Hermione, and her face came back into sharp focus. He carefully sat up in the bed. "I can see you right now, Hermione."
"How many fingers am I holding up?" she asked in curiosity, holding up her hand such that only her thumb was raised.
"Depends. Do you classify the thumb as a finger? If so, one. If not, none."
The room was extremely quiet. "Very interesting, Harry," Dumbledore finally said. "I believe we shall have to study this further. Will you be able to make it to the Welcoming Feast?"
"I think so. If Hermione doesn’t mind being there for me as a guide dog if this ability fades out."
"I wasn’t there for you all last year, Harry. I’ll be here for you this year."
"Just promise me that if it’s a choice between grades and getting me to a class on time, choose your grades."
"No," was her simple answer.
"No?" he asked, surprised.
"No, I will not promise you any such thing. You are my friend — quite possibly my only friend left here at Hogwarts. If the choice came down to getting good grades or being expelled for doing something that saved you, I’d choose expulsion. Books and knowledge are good, but it’s bravery and heart and soul that are the real treasures in this world, Harry Potter. Don’t take this wrong, but I love you. You’re my best friend, and if it meant you’d defeat Voldemort, I’d throw myself in front of an A-K for you."
"Please don’t," he said quietly. "I love you the same way, Hermione. You are the best friend I have ever had in my life, and my life would be a lot darker without you in it to tell me all the things that I shouldn’t be doing, since you’re so often right."
She opened her mouth to respond, but the hospital wing doors slammed open. "Harry!" came a relieved voice, and he suddenly found himself being hugged quite strongly by Pansy Parkinson.
He was finally released by the black-haired girl when he tapped her shoulder and croaked, "Can’t breathe." She released him, blushing, and he smiled at her. "I’m happy to see you too, Pansy," he laughed.
"I’ve come to a decision, Harry," she said finally. "We need to choose sides in this war, and too many people are sitting on the fence. I’m going to support you, for good or ill. Draco and I will probably divide Slytherin right down the middle when I do that."
"It could put you at great risk, you know," Hermione said.
Pansy bit her lower lip. "I know. And no one will trust me because I’m Slytherin, and even worse, the cause for your break-up with Ginny Weasley."
"I hope that was just you speaking the way people will look at things, Pansy, and not what you really think," Harry said. "You are not the cause for the break-up. Bill and Charlie Weasley are. They used our friendship to break up Ginny and me." He scowled. "I don’t know how to react, to be honest. I still feel like I love Ginny. I want to forgive her, because it was her brothers playing on her trust of them, and the supposition that they would never do anything to hurt her badly. But I also want to rail and scream at her for not trusting the five years she’s known me. Same with Ron, although I have other, completely separate reasons for being angry at him." He looked at Pansy, struck again by how pretty she could be. He held out his hand and a small box popped into it. "Pansy? They used the ring that I was going to give Ginny as a promise ring as proof that I was cheating on her. Take a look at the writing on the note."
His vision faded slightly as he thought about what they had done, and found himself getting just a little tired. "It’s good," Pansy said, "but not good enough. I’ve been involved in some of Draco’s schemes over the years, and I was his forger. You and I worked together enough last year and sent enough owls back and forth that I’ve learned your style."
Hermione snorted. "You could probably get a job as a Muggle forensic handwriting expert," she finally said. "They do exactly what you just did, and they’re pretty well paid, too."
"Harry," Pansy finally said, "how did you bring this ring to you? Is your wand strapped to your arm or something?"
"No. I’ve been doing a lot of wandless magic in the last handful of months." He turned to face Dumbledore. "Why did I do so well getting Bill and Charlie out of my room in St. Mungo’s, and keeping Ron from getting to me that day, but then Ron blew right through and was able to hit me on the Express?"
"How prepared were you when Ronald came into the compartment on the Express?" asked headmaster.
"Not at all." He paused, obviously thinking. "I had the time to prepare in the hospital. And here, I decided that I really wanted to see. Interesting. If I have time to plan, I can do things wandlessly. Without an incantation, even."
Dumbledore looked seriously at him. "The ability to do wandless magic in a controlled manner is quite uncommon. Most children do uncontrolled magic when they’re quite young, but most stop by the time they’re your age. If you can, indeed, access your magic reliably without a wand, it could be quite an advantage. One best kept as secret as possible."
"We’ll keep it between us," said Pansy.
"But Bill, Charlie, and Ron all know. You used it on them at the hospital, Harry," said Hermione.
"At the time, I was angry. So were they. They may not remember it clearly, or chalk it up to something like when I blew up Aunt Marge. That was uncontrolled. If one of them does mention it, we could pass it off that way."
Dumbledore nodded. "That will have to suffice. Hopefully it will be enough to keep the secret."
Harry looked back to Pansy. "By the way, Pansy, if you want the ring, you might as well take it. If they want to believe that I could make love to a woman, and then buy a different one a ring the very next day, then someone ought to enjoy the ring. It might as well be the woman everyone thinks I was cheating with."
"No, Harry," Pansy said. "That will only make it worse. Keep the ring."
"No. Bill and Charlie destroyed its meaning, so I don’t want it anymore. Do with it what you will."
He watched as the two girls shared a look, and then Pansy handed the box to Hermione. Hermione said, "This should make the point to everyone. We all saw the ring when they ‘proved’ that you were cheating on Ginny with this ring. But with me wearing it, it should make them wonder, since it was obviously meant for Pansy." She looked to Harry. "May I, Harry?"
He nodded. "Now Ginny will hate you even more, you know," he said. "Professor? I think that we may need that table again — the one we used for Pansy and me last year? Give it enough room for at least five people, though. There’s no way that the Gryffindors will permit me to eat in peace at their table, and I think — well, Luna's already hated by her classmates, and being my friend is just going to make things worse for her. And with Hermione, Pansy, and Luna at that table, Susan is likely to show her true Hufflepuff loyalties and want to eat with us, if she acts like she did on the train."
"You think I wouldn’t?" Susan said as she walked into the room, Luna behind her. "I can’t speak for the entire house, but I’m with you, Harry."
"I will see to it immediately, then," Dumbledore said. "Please, if you can, be down to dinner in fifteen minutes. I wish you to be there when I revoke Mister Weasley’s prefect status." With that, he breezed from the room.
#####
Ten minutes later, the doors opened to let the five students in, and the Great Hall went immediately silent. "Hello to you too, Hogwarts!" Harry said in a cheery voice. He didn’t feel the emotion, however. He breezed to the table that had been set up near the front of the room, the four girls walking behind him as if they were his bodyguards and entourage. They sat down as one at the small table. The Gryffindor table looked at him angrily, and Harry knew the moment that Ginny caught what Hermione wore on her right hand, since Ginny’s face took on an ugly red hue and transformed into one of the ugliest scowls of rage he had ever seen on anyone. He couldn’t resist; he lifted his right hand and waggled his fingers impudently at her. She put her thumb to her mouth and bit it. "Love you too, Ginny!" he said brightly, which only made her angrier.
"Do you really have to antagonize her?" Hermione said.
"Hey, she bit her thumb at me," he said simply, shrugging.
The doors opened again a few minutes later to show Professor McGonagall leading the new first year students into the Great Hall. There were about eighty of them in the group, and when the sorting was done, a disproportionate number had been sorted into Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Harry found it interesting to note that the ones who got Gryffindor looked quickly at him before their faces fell slightly, and they marched to the Gryffindor table.
"Looks like a few people are unhappy to be in the same House as that vile betrayer Harry Potter," Hermione murmured angrily.
"That’s ‘Sultan Vile Betrayer’ to you," he quoted with a smile. Hermione chuckled at him while the other three girls developed confused looks. "Later," he promised.
"How can you be so calm and … and humorous about this?" she asked angrily a moment later. "They’re dragging your name through the mud, and you don’t care?"
Keeping the smile plastered on his face, he said, "Of course I care. But they want to see me squirm, and suffer. So I keep a happy face for them, and thoughts of the looks on their faces on the day that Bill and Charlie decide to come clean about what they did just help me stay happy, in a nasty way. I just hope that it’s at a gathering of the Weasleys that I can be at for some reason."
Before Dumbledore could speak, an owl flew into the room and dropped a small package in front of Harry. He opened it to find a letter on top of a small box.
Harry,
Please read this all the way through before destroying it. This is Fred and George, and we want you to know that not every Weasley is an arsehole. We believe you. The box contains some things to use if the situation with Ginevra or Ronald gets too far out of hand on their side of things.
Given BillandCharlie’s lies, and the fact that the rest of our family has not only believed them despite knowing you but accepted Percy back into the fold because "he was right about you" — well, the only reason we’re still keeping the Weasley name is for brand recognition.
There are times we wonder if we’re really Weasleys at all. Sad, really.
Gred and Forge
"Well, that’s interesting," Harry said with a genuine smile as he handed the letter to Hermione. The letter quickly made the rounds of the four girls. As Susan shook her head and handed it back to Harry, Dumbledore stood finally and spoke.
"Before we get to the portion of the evening that so many of you are waiting for, there are the standard warnings I must give. The Forbidden Forest is named such for a reason. If you wish to survive, then please pay attention to this warning. The list of forbidden items at this school can be found attached to Caretaker Filch’s office door, although those of you with catalogues for Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes will find that you already possess the list." Laughter flowed through the Great Hall. "I am saddened to announce that there must be a matter of discipline performed here tonight, before we get to the feast. Ronald Weasley; Neville Longbottom — will you please approach the head table?"
The two stood apprehensively and walked forward, as they began to walk by the table that Harry and the girls sat at, comprehension dawned in Ron’s eyes and he looked a death glare at Harry. Harry merely smiled beatifically at him. When they had approached the table, Dumbledore said, "As much as it pains me to do this, I fear that I must. What happened on the Hogwarts Express today was inexcusable. Never in my history has any student been attacked such that the injured party had to be immediately removed to Hogwarts hospital wing. By itself, this would have been bad enough, but for the assailant to be a prefect, and the reason for the attack other than defence of another student, well, I fear that I must revoke your prefect status, Mister Weasley. I will be giving the prefect badge to Neville Longbottom in your place." He turned to Neville. "I expect that you will fill the position responsibly and honourably, Mister Longbottom."
"I will, sir," Neville said. At being obviously dismissed, both turned and returned to the Gryffindor table, Ron giving Harry a look that clearly said, "You’ll pay for this."
Author Notes:
Next chapter we find out what will be done to accomodate the necessary protection for people.