Chapter 25: Plans Might Change

Time went on and a week had passed, Harry and his friends when to classes and Harry and his army trained. There was a rash of mini pranks all throughout Hogwarts, as the doxies took offence on Harry's behalf. They didn't bite anyone, but they had no problem shooting them with prank arrows. It was good practice for when they used more deadly ones.

No one knew what was going on, and the twins got the brunt of the blame. They took it in good nature. They were happy that their little experiments worked so well. That and if there were this many getting pranked, that meant that there were many people badmouthing Harry. And that was not to be tolerated.

It was now Saturday morning, and Harry was in the RoR with the doxies.

"Okay," he said to the generals, "I know we practiced that you would attack anyone who tried to kidnap me. However, we're going to let Malfoy, that's the git with blonde hair, do exactly that next weekend. I'm going to let him stun me, and you are going to not do anything," he stated, seeing they were listening. "At least not until we get wherever he sends us," he added, making sure they understood.

"Is that necessary?" the queen asked from his shoulder. She already knew the plan but wanted clarification.

"Yes, if we are to win this war, I need to be where the enemy is. From what Sirius has told me, Bill is already studying the wards at the manor. He thinks he can get them down in ten minutes. So, the minute I'm knocked out, you call Sirius, and they will go to the manor and get them down," Harry explained what he and his godfather had talked about.

"What are we to do while you fight?" she asked, wanting to train her men in what she thought was a well laid out plan.

"Use the one-use wands to stun everyone. Keep your daggers on you. There's a snake there that needs to be killed. At least we think it's a snake. Be prepared for any animal. We know it's alive, that's all," he said, tapping his chin in thought.

"Why only stunners?" she asked, more than willing to take down the enemy with violence.

"I don't want to have to kill anyone, however if it comes to it use them on anyone who is trying to kill me," Harry said, wondering if the one-shot wands would work on everyone. They should, but it was better to have back up plans.

"What of the Dark Lord?" was the next question.

"Kill him without prejudice. I'll probably be fighting him one-on-one," Harry said firmly. "I'm going to be doing my best to make sure he dies and stays dead. Any help you can give me will go a long way," he said, looking at the troops to see if they were listening. They were.

"I'll start the drills," the queen said, snapping her fingers at the generals. They all flew to her, and she started barking out orders in their native tongue.

Harry took the time to train his bodyguards to use the smelling salts. He would stun himself and they would revive him as soon as they could. It was nauseating, but it got him used to waking up suddenly and with that nasty smell.

Harry also had the room create a snake for the others to train on. They needed to know how a snake moved and what it would do to protect itself. It was a good thing he did, because they were not very good at attacking a moving target. And a snake was quick moving. He only hoped they were correct, and it was a snake that had to be killed. The goblins only said that it was alive, and there had been a snake when Voldy was resurrected.

Later that afternoon, he talked to Sirius and his group. "What can you tell me?" he asked the dogman.

"Not much more than you already know. We aren't making any plans without your input," Sirius said, proud that his godson was growing up. Yet sad at the same time.

"I don't have much more to report, but we are training hard. It will only be a week from now, that this war might be over. Have you heard from Dumbledore?" Harry asked, not sure what to do about the headmaster.

"He's gotten in contact with me. He didn't tell me any of his plans. It was more along the lines that you needed to go back to the Dursleys," the other man confessed with a sour note in his tone.

"You put paid to that, I hope," Harry said, his tone too was bitter. The last thing he needed was the interfering old man to send him back to his relatives. They hated him and he returned the favor. Nothing would be accomplished by him being there.

"You bet. I told that old man, it would be over my dead body that you have to go back there," Sirius said with a stern face. "If I have my say, that's exactly what will happen before you go back."

"I hope he listened. However, I don't want you to do anything rash to prevent it. If I do get sent back, just come and get me," the teen said, looking at his troops perform a deadly strike on the faux snake.

"We'll talk about it after all is said and done," his godfather stated. "What plans have you made so far?" he asked the teen.

So, Harry told him all about the training they had been doing. The dogman and his in-the-know group listened in. The Aurors were at work, so they would be told what they needed to know when the plan was put into action. They didn't like hiding it from them, but laws might be broken and Shacklebolt and Tonks needed plausible deniability.

"That's smart of you," Moody said from somewhere off to the side.

"I remember the snake from the graveyard, so I thought it was pertinent," Harry said, puffing up a bit at the praise. He didn't get praised often.

"Let us know if there's a change in plans," Sirius said, with a firm voice. His face lined with worry.

"Okay, I will. I'll let you go. I need to head back anyway. My friends might start to fuss if I'm gone too long," Harry said, getting up and grabbing his bag. He gave a short whistle and the doxies all filed in said bag.

"Yeah, okay. I'll talk to you later. Be safe," Sirius said, signing off.

The queen was the last to enter the bag, and she did with a nod. Harry shouldered it and moved to leave the room. First though, he checked the map to see if the way was clear. It wasn't. Malfoy was between him and his dorm. He didn't know what the other boy was doing up here, but he was prepared for anything.

He had two choices; use his cloak and sneak past the git and let their plans fall into action. Or confront the boy and let them happen sooner. He pulled the mirror out to get some advice. It wasn't often he asked, so it was weird to him. "Sirius Black," he said to the mirror.

"We just talked," his godfather said, looking more worried.

"I know, but Malfoy is lying in wait for me. I wanted to hear your advice," Harry said, setting his pack down for the moment.

"We're not ready yet, sneak by him," Sirius said right away. "We have everyone available for next week. Only I, Moody and Remus are here right now," he added, looking at those he had just named.

"Okay, I'll do that, but if I can't, be ready," Harry said, picking up his bag and slinging it on his shoulders. He pulled out his invisibility cloak and put it on. "I'll let you know I'm okay as soon as I can. If you don't hear from me in an hour then you know I'm in trouble," he said, slipping out of the room.

"Okay, be careful," Sirius said and signed off.

Harry put the mirror in his bag. If he was taken Queenie could use it to get help. He kept the map open under his cloak. He made his way to where Draco was standing. The blond was looking up and down the corridor. He was alone, and he looked scared. Harry wondered why. If he was going to do as he planned, he should look anxious, or happy.

Harry must have made a sound because Draco's head whipped his way. So, he stopped cold.

"Potter," the white-haired boy said, looking around to try and spot him. "I know you're there," he said, grabbing the air in front of him. "I'm going to find you, and take you to the Dark Lord," he finished, still grabbing the air trying to find Harry.

Harry silenced his feet and moved away. Draco almost caught him, but he was quicker than the other boy. He slinked away, feeling like a coward, but knowing it was the best for now. That and he now knew Draco was more than willing to change plans. He would have to be more vigilant.

He made his way to the dorms and slipped off his cloak, shoving it in his bag. His friends were waiting for him. "Hey, guys, hold up a moment. I have to use the loo," he said as he walked by, not waiting for them to say anything. He slipped upstairs to his room and went to the bathroom. Locking and silencing the door, he called Sirius and let him know what happened.

"So the little blighter is willing to change plans, huh?" Moody said, there was amusement in his voice.

"I guess," Harry said, having already thought that. "I mean, he already had a good plan. Why change now?" he wondered out loud.

"He's probably getting anxious," Padfoot suggested, thinking on what little he knew about the boy.

"He looked scared to death," Harry said, remembering the fear in Draco's face. "I wonder if he thinks he's going to be punished?" was the next thing he said.

"Possibly, as far as I know, old Voldy doesn't like surprises. Though, you showing up on a platter might be one he likes," Moody said, his voice gruff.

"I'll keep an ear out. I've got to go, someone is coming," Harry said, signing off and shoving the mirror in his bag. He removed the charms and went to the sinks and started washing his hands.

"Hello, Harry," Neville said, going to a stall.

"Hello, Neville," Harry returned, finishing washing his hands and drying them with his wand.

"Where were you?" the blondish boy asked, concern lacing his tone.

"Practicing, like I told you guys I would," the dark-haired boy replied, leaning against the wall by the door.

"I get it," Neville said, coming out of the stall and going to the sink. "I was hoping you could help me now that I have my new wand. It seems my spells are overpowered. Ollivander says it's because I used a bad wand for so long," he finished, drying his hands on a towel, not wanting to do damage to them by using a spell.

"Sure, I'll help," Harry said, more than happy to oblige.

"Great," his friend said, and they left the bathroom. There was an empty room in the same hall the portrait that guarded the dorms was. So they went there.

Harry and Neville spent an hour going over how to regulate Neville's magic. Harry was impressed at how far the other teen had come in such a short time.

"I'm glad McGonagall got your gran to listen," he said once they were headed back to the dorms.

"Me too," the other boy enthused, holding his wand like it was precious.

They went inside and started talking to Ron and Hermione. Ginny was nearby, but all she did was make mooneyes at Harry.

"You really need to talk to your sister," Harry said, after Ginny giggled at him one too many times.

"Don't you think we've tried. She won't hear anything different," Ron grumbled, folding his arms over his chest.

"Don't get me wrong, she's cute and all, but she's a fangirl," Harry said, empathetically. He didn't want to have to hurt the girl, but she so wasn't his type.

She giggled at him again, and he turned his head dismissively. He gave a pointed look to all her brothers that were in the common room. Fred and George got the hint and went to distract her.

Just then the portrait hole opened. McGonagall walked in, which made the whole room go silent. She rarely came into the common room. Usually only to dole out punishment. "Mr. Potter," she said in that stiff voice of hers, "the headmaster wants to see you," she finished. Turning smartly around she moved to leave the way she came.

"Why?" Harry asked before she could leave completely.

"It is not my place to ask," she sniffed, like he was being impertinent.

"Actually, it is," Harry said, standing up, making sure his bag was on his shoulder.

"I beg your pardon," McGonagall almost hissed.

"It's part of the Head of House's duty to make sure that those in her house are safe and happy," he stated, folding his arms.

"Mr. Potter, you will not speak to me that way. Ten points from Gryffindor. Come along," she said, turning once again.

"I guess, I'll go talk to the old man," Harry said, looking at his friends that were wearing worried looks. "Don't worry. I haven't done anything wrong," he said to them and waved them goodbye as he followed the old biddy, as he was now thinking of her.

McGonagall was so far up Dumbledore's bum that it was a wonder she could breathe. He really hated that she was never there for him, or any of his House. She would take whatever side the old man told her to take. And usually, it wasn't her House's side. Well, she did get Neville a wand, so there was that. Five years too late, which negated the effort.

They quietly walked down the corridor until they came to the gargoyles.

"Pincer mice," she said the password which made the statues leap aside. "Go up, Mr. Potter, and you had better be polite," she said stiffly.

"Whatever," the teenage boy said, with an eyeroll. He made his way up the moving stairs, not wanting to wait for them to get him to the door. He knocked on the door and heard 'Enter'. Pushing it open he looked inside. There behind the huge, cluttered, desk was Albus too-many-names Dumbledore.

"Ah, Harry," the old man said, waving him in.

"Mr. Potter," Harry said, pointedly. "You call everyone else by their last name, you need to do the same for me," he explained before the man could protest.

"Very well, Mr. Potter. I have been meaning to talk to you," Albus said, folding his hands onto his desk.

"What about?" Harry asked, sitting in one of the chairs like he had been invited to.

"I wanted to know how things are going with your godfather," Dumbledore inquired, his eyes twinkling.

"Best summer I've ever had. That's including the trial," Harry said with a touch of enthusiasm.

"Surely you don't mean that?" Albus stated, like he didn't believe it for a moment.

"Barring the dementors, yes, yes, I do," the teen said, crossing his legs and getting comfortable. "The life at my aunts is not a good one. As I'm sure you know," Harry said, tapping his bag to warn Queenie that there might be trouble.

"Come now, my boy, your aunt loves you," the old man tried, only to be met with a glare.

"My relatives hate me with every fiber of their being," Harry said with a great deal of force. "They have made my life a living hell since day one. Don't tell me how they or I feel. You weren't there. You have no idea what went on. You have no room to decide for us," he said, breathing heavy. Things in the room started vibrating.

"Come now," was as far as the headmaster got.

"You weren't there!" Harry yelled, slamming his hands on the arm of the chair. "You have never been there," he said, more quietly. Meaning more than just his homelife.

"I've always done what I thought was best for you, Harry," Albus tried again.

"Well, you suck at it," Harry said, taking some calming breaths.

"To change the subject, do you know what your godfather has planned?" Dumbledore asked, peering over his spectacles.

"If I did, I wouldn't tell you," the teen said in a typical teen fashion. He had his occlumency shields, weak as they were, up. "He left your group for a reason," he explained, tapping the bag again. This time in code.

It was something they had worked out just today. The code he was using was to tell her to leave a few men here after he left. They were to prank the old man when he was long gone. Maybe bite him in his sleep. Then the men were to return to the bag with any information they learned.

"I fear he may do something foolish," the old man said, putting his fingers in a temple.

Harry got the impression that he was trying to look wise. He was failing. "What Sirius does isn't my business. I know he will do nothing to go back to prison for," he said in a voice full of innocence. That failed too, but he didn't care. "Are we done?" he asked, after giving the doxies enough time to leave the bag.

"Yes, we are done," Albus sighed, not liking the answers he got, but expected them just the same.

"Thank you," Harry said, wrenching open the door. He took the stairs two at a time. He was so done with that old man. Who the hell did he think he was? Trying to tell him how to feel. Trying to get him to rat out Sirius. Nope, he was done.