3and4

Chapter 3

Preparing

.

Wishes

A sense of being trapped and a longing to escape drew Harry onward down a windowless corridor ending in a black door. Somehow he knew it would be locked. It was always locked. But if he could just–

The sound of knocking awoke Harry from his recurring nightmare the next morning. At least the dreams were bearable now his future self had explained them. Sun was streaming in through two of the parlour windows illuminating the bright blue fabric of the settee upon which he was sprawled. Rising quickly, he stretched his stiff limbs and listened to the voices from downstairs.

"Neville! You're early!" That sounded like Ginny's voice. "This is Luna. Harry's not up yet."

Rubbing his bleary eyes, Harry listened to their greetings then the smell of sausages cooking roused him to dress and make his descent.

"Hello, Harry," said Neville, uncertainly. "I wanted to come right away when I heard, but Gran said it could wait till this morning. She said what's in the Daily Prophet is rubbish. She's cancelled our subscription. We believe you about You-know-who being back."

"We do too," said Luna, very positively.

A surge of emotion gripped Harry for a few seconds, and he pretended to rub sleep out of his eyes as he looked around at the strange gathering of new companions.

Ginny seemed to misunderstand his gaze. "I've only told him what was in your message, Harry - that it's kind of an emergency project. It was obvious it must be about You-know-who."

"Uuh, right. Perhaps we–"

"We should eat our Plimpies first," said Luna, firmly, heading for the stove, "then we can discuss details with clear heads. I'll brew a nice pot of tea."

Ginny grinned at Harry. "They're fried fishcakes – but we've got sausages and bacon and toast as well."

The Lovegood's big old kettle had to be hovered to the sink to be filled. Harry looked over Luna's shoulder out one of the sunny back windows. "Why have you got a well out there if water's on tap? And how can you have a well at the top of a hill?"

"Oh, Daddy made it. He used to have to walk all the way down the back of the hill to the old well then one of Mrs Wiggley's elequants fell down it so–"

"Her what? You mean 'elephants'? Don't tell me your neighbour keeps a herd of elephants in the next field!"

Luna's laughter rang out and an echo tinkled back from the well. "Don't be silly, Harry, elephants can't talk!"

There were tears of merriment in her eyes as she swerved Harry over to another back window and pointed down the hill towards a mass of scruffy foliage. "Oh, no you can't see the old well anymore because it's overgrown with bogweed now, but anyway Daddy capped the old shaft off because Mrs Wiggley was mighty annoyed and told her elequants to gossip and poop noisily every day beside it, so Daddy made this new well up near the house."

Harry blinked in confusion. Not far behind him he could hear Neville and Ginny giggling together.

"But still... I mean... you can't just have a well on top of a hill, can you?"

"Of course you can. What goes down must come up – everyone knows that. He used a spell to divert the underground water so it flowed up and around the south slope instead of towards the original well. The water comes out from the ground at the foot of the west side – that's the stream you passed when you arrived."

"Ah, right. But why bother with a well when you have an indoor tap?" Harry craned his neck forward and could see a big brass pipe from the new well to the house.

"Why, because it's pretty, don't you think? Anyway, it's a wishing well. Oh, would you like to make a wish!" Luna left the kettle in the sink and pulled Harry to the back door. "Hey, everyone, we're all going to make wishes!"

They gathered outside. Neville tripped over the brass pipe, grabbed awkwardly at the well handle and ended up leaning dizzily out over the well shaft. Ginny took his arm to draw him steadily back and grinned. "You nearly did an elequant then, Nev."

"It's the Wrackspurts," Luna said serenely. "They slip in through your ears and make your brain go fuzzy if you lean over a steep drop."

"It's beautiful," said Harry, now he could examine the well close up. The creamy stone blocks set off the surrounding greenery while purple clematis smothered the wooden struts as if supporting the pretty, red-tiled roof with blossoms that spread a heady fragrance.

"I wish I had a well like this in our garden," said Neville.

"Good wish!" cried Luna. "Throw in a Sickle quickly. I wish for..." She closed her eyes, fell silent, then threw in her own coin. "Harry."

"Me?" mused Harry. The sunlit scene had a dreamy, soporific quality, and he'd still not quite woken up.

"She means it's your turn," said Ginny.

"Ah, right. Erm..." He frowned. "Uuh... world peace?" He only had a Knut in his pocket so in it went.

"I know what I wish for with all my heart," said Ginny, staring hard at Harry's face. She dropped in an entire golden Galleon.

"Ginny!" cried Harry. He knew she could ill afford it.

"It's really important," the girl replied, and swept Neville back into the house.

"What was that all about?" Harry muttered aloud to himself, watching her go.

"It must be true love," murmured Luna, startling Harry who'd forgotten she was behind him.

.

The Monstrous Book of Nonsense

While they ate, Harry noticed Ginny was in deep, whispered conversation with Neville about something or other. He seemed to be squirming a little. Maybe he was having second thoughts and she was still trying to convince him. It was impossible for Harry to imagine Neville duelling a Death Eater in a few weeks' time. The whole idea of these three kids being at his side dying like Cedric had was repugnant and unacceptable. Grimacing, Harry looked away and saw Luna was studying his own face with her head tilted on one side.

Quickly, he blurted out to everyone, "I can't pretend it won't be dangerous. So you need to give it a lot of thought. No shame in backing out before it's too late. In fact you should. You haven't a clue how bad it will be, and I don't want to see anyone else die."

"But then what would you do?" said Luna.

Harry had no answer to that and stabbed at his last piece of bacon instead.

"Would you run away as well as us?" persisted Luna.

"Can't." Harry decided to pour himself another cup of tea.

Ginny looked across then. "Why not?"

"Uuh, I mean..." Everyone's eyes were now on him. "Well, there's a sort of prophecy thing."

Luna clattered her knife and fork onto her finished plate and clapped her hands high. "I knew it was fate!"

"Yes, well... it's not that clearcut. Don't think everything will just fall into place. Nothing is guaranteed."

"What does the prophecy say exactly, Harry?" said Neville.

"Well... I can't remember it word for word, but it's me or him – Voldemort, I mean."

"Who told you that?" said Ginny.

Harry shrugged. How could he tell them? "Not important."

"But you've been planning this, right?" said Neville with a puzzled frown.

"Erm..."

"Harry," said Ginny, "if we're all going to risk our lives, we deserve to know everything, don't we?"

Looking round at the three of them: Ginny, still very young; Neville who often forgot to tie his shoelaces then tripped over them; and a dotty girl with vegetables in her ears, the truth was, Harry had not really believed this was actually going to happen with them. But then, who else? Maybe it was fate the four of them had come together. His future self must have known but hadn't said specifically who his friends would be. He'd assumed–

"Harry?" said Ginny.

"Huh... yeah..." He reached down to his backpack which, considering its deadly contents, he always kept close. "This is what the prophecy says."

He read it out to them, finishing with, "and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives. So, you see it's not cut and dried. He might kill me – might kill us all."

Luna laughed. "Well, that would be a silly kind of prophecy then wouldn't it?"

Harry stared at her dumbly.

"I've got The Monstrous Book of Nonsense upstairs with illustrations," the girl continued. "One of my favourite stories is about a wicked dragon that terrorises a village and lots of brave knights come to joust the beast but they all get killed. The villagers turn to a sorcerer who lives in the nearby hills. He'd had a vision that a particularly brave knight wearing silver armour would arrive within seven sunsets and use his magic sword on the creature. Hooray! cried the villagers, are we then saved at last? But the wizard said, no, the knight gets killed like all the others."

Harry shook his head trying to think it through.

Luna said, "You-know-who has killed plenty of people so why should anyone foretell another of the same? Wouldn't that be nonsense like my story?"

Ginny's mouth was open wide. "You're right! She's right, Harry. Think about it. It would be a really dumb prophecy to predict You-know-who kills someone again. Even I could predict that! It only makes sense if–"

"–if I defeat him!" Harry slapped the table with his hand. "And it's already happened!"

"What?" frowned Neville.

"Uuh, I mean, it could go wrong but at least I know it can be done because..." He delved down into his bag again for another sheet of the message which he then re-read silently.

After a while, Neville spoke up. "Cards on the table, Harry. Ginny's right, we deserve to know everything if we might get killed. Who's that from?"

Harry looked up thoughtfully. "Me. It's from me."

More silence.

"We're not turning back, Harry," said Neville, firmly. "We're all in this now so you have to tell us everything."

Looking round at their expectant faces, and thinking how rapidly everything had happened since only late yesterday afternoon, Harry came to a decision. "It's from myself years in the future."

Ginny gasped. "Impossible. Time-turner's can only–"

"It wasn't a Time-turner, Ginny. Somehow I found – or rather..." He thought for a couple of seconds trying to remember. "Or rather my Mum – I mean, my future... wife–" he glanced furtively at Ginny but carried on quickly, "–found a way to divert a Floo back through time. Makes sense because Floo travel bypasses space so where else does it go but through time? But they said they can only work it once very briefly so–"

"You grow up and become married – how adorable!" cried Luna. "I always wanted you to be happy and not get killed!"

"Erm... thanks, Luna, but there's no guarantee I will, only that it's possible."

"Who do you marry?" smiled Ginny. "Is she pretty?"

"Uuh, mmm... it was dark and – oh yeah, they gave me this..."

With a flourish, he pulled out the carrier bag.

"Oh, wow!" said Ginny, dryly. "Muggle groceries!"

"I've always loved carrier bags," said Luna. "Might I have that when you've finished with it?"

"Sure, knock yourself out," said Harry, tipping out the contents and passing the Aldi bag to Luna who grabbed it eagerly and began swatting it over her head.

"Now some of this stuff is lethal so pay attention. The KitKat is deadly – and I don't just mean eating it. You need only get some on your skin."

Neville and Luna frowned in sarcastic disbelief but Luna said, "Oh, that is so messy when chocolate melts in your hand. We use a spell so it always–"

"Yeah, " interrupted Harry, impatient with the cavalier attitude that everyone was displaying. "Well in this case your hand would probably melt in the chocolate – don't touch it no matter what!"

"What's that?" said Neville pointing to the bean can with the biscuit tin jammed on top like a lid.

"Silent weapon. It's–"

Ginny giggled and reached for the can. "Yeah, Dean told me all about Muggle baked beans."

Harry jumped up. "I'm serious, Ginny! There's a basilisk eyeball in there so be careful!"

Ginny's fingers sprang back as if she'd touched a hot flame. Jaws dropped and they all sobered up then.

"I can't believe you've got the eye of a basilisk after all that happened in my first year!" cried Ginny.

"There's a lot of things you're not going to believe before we're done – all of you," said Harry, sinking down with a rather dismal expression.

"So what's in that other can?" asked Neville.

"Snake tears. Nearer the day, we'll pour that in to activate the eye."

"It must have cried an awful lot," said Luna, sadly.

"And those?" said Ginny, pointing to the transparent films laying in the biscuit lid.

"Snake eyelids. We'll use those to cover the eye to keep in the teardrops and also so it only petrifies not kills – that's what the dark one's for, see it?"

"Why not use a mirror like Hermione did in second year?" said Neville.

"Uuh, because then we'd need a more complicated arrangement, I guess, and light might reflect off a mirror and reveal where it's – but that reminds me." He dug down into his backpack and pulled out the four mirrors his future self had given him and handed them out.

"Oh, Luna," giggled Ginny, puckering her lips theatrically as she examined her reflection in the looking glass, "do you think I need an eensy-meensy smidgen more rouge in my cheeks?"

"No, these are for–" began Harry, hotly.

"Yes and a little glint on your lashes would be – oh, I'm looking at you!"

"Me too! Your nose is shiny! We'll have to make up each other!"

"But what about Neville?"

"There he is! His lips need touching up but otherwise they are very nice!"

"Does this mean you'll have to brush my hair or can we still use the bathroom one as well?" frowned Neville.

"–communicating with each other," Harry finished, rolling his eyes.

He opened the crisp packet next and tipped out the badges. "There's one each. Which name do you want?"

There was a scrabble.

"Marylin – what a lovely name!" cried Luna.

"Bagsy Madonna." Ginny pinned the badge onto her top.

"Which do you want, Neville?" said Harry, dryly.

"Uuh... would it be alright if I'm... Mr Starr?" he said hopefully.

"Sure. I'll be Elvis then."

Reverently, Neville picked up his badge. "Mr Starr... wow!" He ran his fingers over the name, looking round at everyone else's. "Who are they? What they for, Harry?"

"They're just for visitors to the Ministry. Officially we'll be there on a careers advice trip. We'll only be visible briefly but someone might notice if we're not wearing badges because we obviously don't work there."

"These are lovely secrets!" cried Luna, eyes darting over all the packets. "What's inside that KP one? They look like dried Flobberworm droppings, I think."

Harry's mouth firmed impatiently. "Ignore those – they're only salted peanuts, let's..." Everyone was gawping at him to explain further. He sighed. "Right. Fine! Try them. Maybe they'll straighten you out." Harry pushed the pack to Ginny.

"I'll Pass," she said with a wince.

"Pass," shuddered Neville, shoving them over to Luna.

Luna tipped a few out into her hand then transferred one to her mouth. "How do they work? What do they do? Do they make you hear things?" she crunched.

"Do? They're just nuts!"

A couple of seconds passed. Harry let out a sudden roar of frustration. He pushed himself up and turned irritably away from the table, knocking his chair over as he did so. "Look, none of you really get it yet, do you! You all think this is some exciting adventure game! You've no idea what it's really like to face Death Eaters!"

Keeping his back to them, he stared out through the open window. A scarecrow – arms spread wide and robes like a sail – turned Harry's way in a new breeze that had sprung up out of nothing. He felt the air's coolness on his face. It relieved the humidity but not his hot temper.

Ron and Hermione had taken risks with him in first year, he pondered. Ron had even been knocked unconscious but they'd been too young to realise how close to dying they were. In second year Ron would have died for sure if the rockfall hadn't stopped him proceeding with Harry to fight the basilisk – Hermione too, if she hadn't been petrified. Always it had been Harry facing the worst danger alone and escaping by sheer luck. That's how it had been in fourth year too: Cedric, a skillful seventh year, had been despatched as casually and thoughtlessly as stepping on a bug. These naïve misfits with him now were all going to die, he just knew it: bumbling, stumbling Neville; kooky and quirky oddball Luna; and a starstruck Ginny dazzled by the apparent invulnerability of the Boy-who-lived. How had he got himself into this? The plan already carried out by his future self needed three friends. He couldn't take them to their deaths, but neither could he proceed without them – there was no one else.

The awkward silence behind him was broken by fidgeting and scraping of chairs on the floor.

"Then tell us, Harry," came Neville's voice.

"Tell you what?" Harry said, half over his shoulder.

"You said we don't know what it's like. So teach us."

Harry's shoulders sank in resignation and he rejoined the others at the table. They sat down again and waited.

"There's a record of the Prophecy at the Ministry, and Voldemort – his real name's Riddle – wants it badly," he began, then hesitated. "There's some kind of connection between me and Riddle – ever since he gave me this." He pointed at the scar on his forehead.

"A connection?" said Neville.

"Yeah. It means I sometimes have bad dreams – sort of glimpses into his thinking."

"What!" cried Neville, "but that means– what does that mean?"

"They're only fragments when he's excited or upset. But the main thing is, he knows this and is deliberately giving me feelings about the Prophecy room at the Ministry to lure me there."

"It's a trap," said Luna firmly.

"Yes, but more than that. Riddle doesn't want the public or Fudge to know he's back until he's stronger, so he's reluctant to go and get the Prophecy himself in case he's seen. My plan is to go months earlier and let someone at the Ministry overhear that I'm about to take the Prophecy – so Voldemort won't have time to do anything but rush there himself with Bellatrix. Lucius will be the one already at the Ministry. We'll turn Voldemort's trap upon himself."

"So you can stop him getting the Prophecy?" said Ginny.

"No, I intend to let him take the Prophecy from me. That will be his downfall." He held up the KitKat while looking at them all very meaningfully.

.

No Chance

For the next few days, Harry was busy showing the other three how to cast the stunning spell which he'd learned for the final task in the Tri-wizard Tournament. The charm was just as effective as the killing curse except it could be blocked by a shield spell if the victim saw it coming. The plan was not to let the enemy see it coming.

Harry was taking no chances. They were practising on the scarecrow as a target dummy in the garden. As well as the unpredictable wind, Harry also turned the target randomly using a weak summoning charm on either of its outstretched arms. The drill was to shoot the dummy in the back without being seen. If the scarecrow turned enough for the caster to see the corner of its eyes before the charm hit then they were failed and had to try again. Multiple hits were a bonus.

The casters hid behind a high row of seed tray shelving so had some degree of movement left and right to avoid the 'gaze' of the dummy.

"Don't expect to take on Lucius or Bellatrix in a fair duel – you'll lose. Our one chance is surprise," cautioned Harry. "You'll all be in shadow, waiting for the signal. Don't be noble. Don't shout or challenge them. Neville, just hit Bella right in the back as we've been practising. Ignore everything else. Repeat as many hits as you can so at least one should strike home. Ginny, you do the same with Lucius."

"My pleasure," growled Ginny.

"What's the signal, Harry?" said Neville.

"Either Voldemort squealing like a scared pig or else shouting the killing curse at you. Remember, if he tries to kill you, what do you do?"

"Stupefy him first?" said Neville.

Harry groaned. "No, you still stun your target which is...?"

"Bellatrix!"

"Right. Don't forget. Your instinct will be to fight back or run but you must focus on your target. Luna and I will take care of Voldemort."

"What happens if you can't?" said Ginny.

"Then either you die or, if you've disposed of your target, you run. There's an alley along the back of the shelves at the Ministry and an exit at either end – look where I paced out those barrels, see? With a bit of luck you'll reach your exit just after he kills you. Any questions?"

"Erm... can't we somehow reach the exit before he kills us?" asked Neville, tentatively.

"One of you might. That's the whole point. While he's killing one of you, the other one could reach their exit in the opposite direction, and escape."

Neville looked at Ginny. Ginny looked at Neville.

"Is that your grand plan, Harry?" said Ginny.

"Look, what I'm saying is, if both Luna's and my attacks on Voldemort fail then you're pretty well dead anyway because Luna and I will be. Riddle is death on legs. Running in two directions in dark shadow gives you at least a tiny chance one of you can get up to the busy public atrium. Ignoring your targets and running won't help because then there'll be three after you and you both die. Don't worry, we're going to rehearse this over and over."

"What, dying?" Neville muttered nervously to Ginny.

"But why am I practising this spell?" said Luna.

"Backup, extra firepower, and self-defence for anything unforeseen. Once you've petrified Voldemort you can go after either of the targets if they're still standing – and so will I. With luck, there'll be four of us stunning those two from different directions in the dark. Right, who wants to be Voldemort?"

"Me! Me!" cried Luna.

"Can you squeal like a dying pig?"

"Ee! Ee!" squeaked Luna.

"That's rubbish," sighed Harry. "Voldemort will be wetting himself with his worst fear, not giggling from a tickling spell. You do realise that Neville and Ginny are going to be crouching in the dark, also frightened out of their wits, probably wondering where everyone is, scared that their target isn't in perfect position, and wondering if they missed the–"

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Luna's shriek was so piercing that Harry's scar was uncovered and a couple of crows sped away to the next county. "Sheesh, Luna, you scared the hell out of me!"

"Is that... good or...?"

"Good? It's BRILLIANT!"

Daily they rehearsed in different arrangements. Luna shrieked then Neville and Ginny stunned the scarecrow and raced each other for the barrels over and over until they were exhausted. The eyeball had been tipped into a bucket of water and stored in a cupboard below the kitchen sink. Luna practised uncapping the empty bean tin and had a moderate-sized melon wedged inside. Harry was Voldemort in these sessions. His scream was no match for Luna's but when he let rip, Luna opened the can. If Harry glimpsed the melon then he froze as if petrified, but it wasn't always that easy. Sometimes he contorted his face up, down, or sideways, and Luna had to stretch or twist to get into his line of sight.

By the end of week one there seemed no further room for improvement, but Harry kept urging them on to be prepared for differing situations.

"What if Bella gets in front of Voldemort?" he asked.

"I ignore her," replied Luna, serenely. "and trust Neville to drop her out of the way."

"What if Voldemort sees you before he screams?"

"He can't. I'll be under your invisibility cloak."

"If he appears to see you?"

"I keep my nerve and wait for his scream."

"Ginny, your stunner is on target but is deflected from Lucius."

"Shield charm. Continue with Stupefy until it breaks down or... as long as I can."

"Longbottom, your dumb, stupid mother deserves to be–"

"TAKE THAT BACK!" Neville advanced angrily on Harry, wand raised.

Ginny called him back. "It's Bella, he means! That's what Bella might say!"

Neville stopped then muttered sullenly, "Well, you shouldn't say things like that anyway."

"You should have stunned me after the first syllable then you'd never have heard it!" shouted Harry. "DON'T TALK – ACT! Don't get into ANY conversation with–"

"STUPEFY!"

Harry barely dodged Neville's stunning spell. "Not good enough! They won't have any cover so she can only dodge left or right. You MUST follow up your stunning spell with more of the same. Which way?"

Neville frowned. "Feint my wand arm to my left but flick the wand right at the last moment?"

Harry nodded. "Or the opposite. Practise it. Remember, we haven't a hope of fighting them on level terms. Our only chance is to train again and again for the few seconds while we remain alive. Our advantage is surprise and temporary concealment. Even so, expect them to react quickly – especially Riddle. Your targets won't be a static dummy like this scarecrow – they'll be dancing." He looked thoughtful for a few moments. "We need more practise with ourselves as live targets. Let's start over with the bandit masks and decoys."

Ginny groaned but took up her position. Each of them pulled up a scarf around their mouth to muffle their soft chants. It wasn't as good as non-verbals but with decoys producing fog and a general background hubbub, they would not give away their positions immediately.

"What are those noises, Harry?" asked Luna.

"Ginny's idea. She got them from Fred and George but they modified them for her. It's a smooth background mixture of crowds and engines and flowing water – plus the drifting fog of course. It's not loud enough to drown out shouts or Voldemort's scream but it will smother our footsteps and muffled incantations and add to the enemies' confusion. And we must begin training after dark because the Hall of Prophecy is full of shadows and very gloomy."

"Which reminds me," said Ginny. "I'll send Mum another owl saying I'm staying here a few more days, playing games in the garden with Luna."

Chapter 4

Elsewhere

.

No One Home

While Harry and his friends rehearsed their planned surprise attack in the Lovegood's garden late one evening, elsewhere a quite different group of witches and wizards were also treading along very stealthily...

In the kitchen at four, Privet Drive, there was a loud crash.

"Tonks!" growled a heavyset man with a long mane of grizzled, dark grey hair. One eye swivelled rapidly around the dark room but the other looked apprehensive. He seemed to be doing a headcount of the several figures standing there. "What's through there, Sturgis?"

The orange glow from the street highlighted the head of a man with straw-coloured hair who was leaning through a doorway. "Just the parlour. What's that other door, Mad-eye?"

A handle was turned cautiously. "Dining room," said Mad-eye.

Sturgis Podmore straightened up. "It's ten-thirty; he'll have gone to bed."

"Why are we all standing in the dark?" said Tonks. "Lumos."

"Keep away from the window then!" said Mad-eye. "Lead on Sturgis, you're nearest."

Softly, they ascended the stair.

"That must be it," whispered Podmore. He tried the bedroom door then crouched down. "Locked. From the outside."

"What's that, Remus?"

"Looks like a..." There was a gasp. "Reminds me of the food flaps they have on the doors of the worst Azkaban cells."

"Here? You mean...?"

"But... the Dursleys have been gone days! They refuse to leave the hospital until their son regains his senses. Mad-eye, you don't think Harry's been locked in there all this time?"

"Stand back!" The gruff man with the funny eye raised his wand. "Alohomora."

He cast another light as he pushed in, with the others following.

"By Merlin!" someone cried. "We're too late! All that's left of him is that bloodstain on the carpet."

Remus went over to the desk. "Don't be daft. Looks like dried up tomato sauce. What do you think, Alastor?"

"I think," said the gruff man as he snatched a sheet of parchment off the bed, "that our Harry's–" He scrutinised Harry's message and then the dark sky through the open window.

"Been kidnapped?" said Sturgis. "Is that a ransom note?"

Moody poked at a twig fragment on the sill. "Flown the coop."

"Huh?"

"Absconded. Done a bunk."

"Let me see that," said Remus.

Remus scanned the letter. "Says he's hungry and thirsty and desperately needs someone to talk to so he's staying with friends for a week or so."

"Good for him!" said the young witch called Tonks. "He'll be safer anywhere but here – and likely get some decent food," she added, rubbing the toe of her shoe across the encrusted carpet stain.

"He should never have left without permission!" barked Mad-eye.

"Permission? Who from?" frowned Tonks.

"Dumbledore, of course."

"Did Dumbledore tell him he must stay here all summer?"

"Not exactly, but–"

"Did he tell him we were coming to take him away from here?"

"No."

"Then I can't see that he's done anything wrong," cried Tonks. "These Muggles – the Dursleys – are his legal guardians. From what I've heard and seen they don't care much what he does. Staying with friends is a great idea."

Mad-eye sighed. "Except we've no idea where he is!"

"Then neither does You-know-who."

"That's not the point. He must have the best protection."

"Tonks has a point," said Sturgis. "Why hasn't anybody told Harry that? He's not a mind reader! Does he even know that Dementors were seen in Little Whinging? Did anyone tell him?"

"Not directly but it should have been obvious. His cousin is in hospital with–"

Tonks cried, "The Muggles think he was in a traffic accident! Why should Harry think any different? Seems to me he's not been told anything at all that might help him, so why should we complain if he makes his own choices? He is on holiday after all!"

Remus said, "Whatever the right or wrong, Dumbledore must be informed right away that he's missing."

"I can do that," said Mad-eye, "and Granger and Weasley might know something. Tonks, you'd better interrogate them. Report to me via the Headmaster's office floo."

"Right. I'm on it."

.

Real Friends

"Wotcher, Ron, can I have a word? Is Hermione about?"

"Sure, Tonks. I think she's in the library."

"Come on then."

"What's up?"

"It's Harry. Hold your questions, I may as well speak to both of you together."

The Black's library was a moderately-sized chamber but packed from floor to ceiling with shelves of books. There was only room for a couple of reading tables and Hermione was at one of them, face aglow with lamplight and immersed in The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5.

"Busy?" said Tonks.

"Mmm... just prepping with one of next year's books – we're bound to need this one."

"Hermione, it's about Harry," said Ron, with a meaningful look.

"Oh my goodness, what's happened!" Hermione was on her feet, the book forgotten.

"Nothing much as far as we know. Just wondered if he'd been in touch with either of you?"

"But we've not said a word, honestly!" cried Hermione.

"What did he say?"

"He asked us what's going on, but Dumbledore made us swear not to say anything at all and we haven't, have we Ron!"

Ron shook his head. "We wanted to but..."

"I see. Did he sound... What did he ask, exactly?"

"Just for news and stuff," said Ron. "Obviously he doesn't know about this place or about the Order."

"So Dumbledore's keeping him in the dark?"

"Well, yeah..." said Ron.

"Look, this is official now so if either of you know where he is you'd better say before it goes any further." Tonks' eyes darted about the room as if she expected Harry to leap out from behind a bookcase.

Hermione froze – her hands pressed to her face in horror.

Ron cried, "Oh, Merlin! You don't mean he's – you don't know where he is?"

"I'll need to see your rooms."

"What!" said Hermione. "Surely you can't think we've got him hidden in a cupboard or something?"

"I doubt it but I have to make a complete report of my enquiries. Lead on."

Hermione's room was on the same floor as the library. There were twin beds and wardrobes and Tonks went straight to all of them to look under and inside. Ron stood in the doorway, eyebrows raised in amazement.

"Just you?" said Tonks, as she gazed around for any other possible hiding places.

"Yes, Ginny didn't like this spooky house much, so her mum said she's staying with a neighbour."

Tonks nodded. "Where's your room, Ron?"

"Next floor up. I'll show you, but you're wasting your time." He snorted. "Nobody can get in this house without Dumbledore tells them the address can they?"

"It's just procedure."

Hermione followed them up and stood in Ron's doorway while Tonks went through the same quick search. Abruptly, Tonks' hair turned a deep blue. "What's that?"

Hermione groaned inwardly. Ron had left his travel chest lid up and there was an open parchment lying on top.

"Er... " began Ron, "oh, yeah, that's the latest message from Harry. Kept trying to get us to tell him something. Hedwig practically nibbled my fingers off – look."

But Tonks paid no attention to Ron's scratches. She'd already glimpsed some of the words in the message and snatched it up.

Ron, Hermione, I've had a bit of an emergency and really need your help. It's a bit risky but should only take a week or so. Can you get away? It's really important. If so, where can we meet? I wouldn't ask only I'm desperate. – Harry.

Tonks' voice hardened. "What did you tell him?"

"Uuh..." said Ron.

Hermione said, "We didn't. We knew he was just trying to find out something, and Dumbledore made us promise..."

"You ignored him? Your best friend who's been through hell the last few weeks and constantly in danger begged you for help, and you just didn't bother answering? Didn't you even ask him what's wrong?"

"It wasn't like that. If it was serious he'd have owled Dumbledore surely? We're sure he's just... he's – oh, please tell us what's happened!"

"He's missing. Left a note saying he's staying with other friends. At least he does have some real friends," snapped Tonks. "Our concern is not knowing where he is in case of a threat. But his message to you indicates that there may be trouble."

Hermione started crying. "We didn't want to! We thought we had to."

Ron frowned. "Tonks, Harry doesn't know anyone else that well. We are his only real friends. You don't reckon he's been... you know? Tricked into something?" He mouthed the last part while glancing nervously at Hermione, not wishing to upset her further. It didn't work.

Tonks stared at Ron for a moment then rushed for the door. "I'll tell Mad-eye – he's with Dumbledore."

.

Words Apart

The following morning, a brown tawny owl swooped down onto the scarecrow's hat just as Neville struck. Only Harry's quick thinking in casting a shield charm stopped the bird being stunned.

"Merlin, Harry! I didn't know you could do a protection spell!" cried Neville.

"Yeah, learnt it for the maze last year – just as well," he added as the bird fluttered its wings in alarm.

"Sorry."

"Don't apologise," said Harry as he countered the shield, "you did right to leave everything else to me and just focus on pumping stunners into Bella's butt."

Luna, wearing a startlingly bright yellow frock, on top of Harry's invisibility cloak but with the hood down, came running over from her hiding place, "I think those Hogwarts' owls are quite pretty, don't you?"

Harry frowned at the apparently-limbless dress-girl while Ginny was removing a scroll from the bird's talons. "It's for you, Harry."

After unrolling the parchment, he read it half-aloud as the others gathered round:

"Harry, you must return at once to your home. No one can protect you if they don't know where you are. We'll collect you from there. – Remus Lupin."

"Collect me! Like I'm a package?" Inwardly, Harry was fuming that still Dumbledore hadn't contacted him personally, even though his future self had explained the reason why.

"Oh, don't go, Harry! We're having so much fun!" cried Luna.

With a look of disbelief, Harry snapped, "This is not fun, Luna! Lives may be lost! Most likely they will! And look at you! You look...! Well, you look..." Harry couldn't quickly think of a softer alternative to 'stupid'.

There was a strange glimmer in the little blonde-haired girl's eyes as she turned away. "Oh, you're right... it's just that..." She walked slowly back to the house.

"I've never... I don't think I've ever seen her quite like that before," whispered Ginny. "I think you've hurt her feelings, Harry,"

"But...!" Harry's shoulders drooped. He roused himself immediately. "Come on," he said, "we've got messages to write." He strode after Luna, calling back irritably over his shoulder to the owl, "Wait there!"

On the way he asked Ginny, "I've been thinking, who wrote that message for you? Was that a spell? The one about meeting on Stoatshead Hill? I thought before that it was George or Fred, but you said they couldn't–"

"Wrote it myself," grinned Ginny. She whirled her left hand around. "Left-handed, slow and boxy. Normally I write fast and loose with my right. I thought you might not come if you thought it was only me."

Her words took a second to sink in, then Harry stopped his march and waited until Luna's frock-with-head disappeared inside ahead of them. Neville bumped into him and waited, so did Ginny. Harry said, "You were right." They continued on their way.

"About what?"

"Everything."

Ginny stopped again. Neville stumbled again. Harry stopped to look back, shaking his head. "Look, I make mistakes, okay? I'm human not some... superhero. I'm... just Harry."

They resumed their walk more slowly and thoughtfully.

Despite the brightly-coloured decor, the kitchen seemed very dark and subdued after the sunshine and for a few moments, Harry blinked to adjust his eyes to the dim light, wondering if Luna hated him so much she'd gone upstairs. But a flicker of yellow movement over by the stove caught his attention. She'd removed Harry's cloak and laid it carefully across a chair back. Her loose frock – or rather, smock – was slightly rucked up at her waist, and her hair was a-straggle.

"I thought we'd all like a cup of tea," came her soft, dreamy voice from across the room. The teapot lid clunked down and she began gathering teacups and saucers together.

"Er... Luna..."

"Did you want something to write with?" She turned and pointed to the table where parchment, quill, and inkpot already awaited.

"Right. ... Thanks."

He sat down and reached for the quill. Neville and Ginny joined him.

"What you putting, Harry?" said Neville.

"I'm telling Remus that I'm fine and will be back shortly – that's sufficiently vague but it tells them I'm safe and is not too rude."

There was no blotting pad and he felt a little self-conscious about calling to Luna so he left the message face up to dry. Neville leaned over to satisfy his curiosity, smudging the signature with his thumb. "Sorry."

"I want you to write this other message, Ginny," said Harry with a quick glare at Neville, "in your disguised writing."

Glad of something useful to do, she plucked the quill from Harry's hand. "Who's it to?"

"The Daily Prophet."

Everyone gasped. Even Luna hurried over with the tea tray.

Harry continued, "Use your own words so it doesn't sound like me as well. Make up some anonymous message saying you have information that Harry Potter has gone missing and is no longer being protected. Now that Dumbledore and everybody knows I'm missing, they'll think it was one of their own who let the word out."

Ginny stared hard at Harry's expression, decided he was serious, then began writing.

"Why, Harry?" said Neville.

"Voldemort will be most anxious to begin a search. He'll need more men. He'll bring forward his plan to rescue Death Eaters from Azkaban, including–"

"–including Bellatrix," cried Luna. "That's very clever."

"Er... well, not really. I knew in the future that's what happened, so I told myself everything in the message." He gestured at his backpack on the floor at his side.

Luna poured out the tea. "I'm sorry I was so silly earlier, Harry. It's just that... I thought I'd be spending the summer all on my own – you know what that's like – and now it's like having lots of friends round so... perhaps I was too happy."

Everyone gaped at her. Ginny had never heard her speak that way before either.

"Uuh... don't worry about it," mumbled Harry. "Yeah, I do know exactly what that feels like."

Ginny looked at them both rather curiously then went back to scratching away with the quill.

Luna leaned over the table to place a cup of tea before Neville and Ginny but then walked round with Harry's to hand it to him directly. "Did you tell yourself about me in your message?"

Harry snorted hot tea and grabbled in his jeans pocket for a hankie to hide the smirk on his face. "Er, no – I think I'd remember that."

"Oh," said Luna, and sat down again.

Ginny glared sideways at Harry.

"What?" he mouthed.

"How does THIS sound?" she said, rather loudly. "That arrogant, poncy, attention-seeking prat, Harry Potter, HUGELY embarrassed now that everyone knows his true nature, has run away like a cowardy-custard. His would-be father-figure, Professor Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School, is said to be extremely distressed that the Boy-who-fibbed is no longer under his protection. – signed, a well-wisher."

Mouth sagging, Harry blinked at her. "Isn't that just a bit erm..."

"That's brilliant, that is, Ginny!" said Neville. "No one would ever suspect Harry might have sent that to the Prophet!"

"And you really are a well-wisher so it's all true!" cried Luna. "Except for the first part."

Nose in the air, Ginny folded the message wet, seized the other note for Lupin, then strode towards the door. "I'll just send these then."

Harry stared after the girl in shock. Her long hair was flaming in the early sun, but it wasn't quite how he remembered it from the garage alley back in Magnolia Crescent, nor could he help wondering about her tone of voice.

.

Harry's Disappearance

Harry's disappearance was headline news the very next day. He scowled at the Daily Prophet laid out before him. There was even a stock photo of him with a terrified expression on his face disappearing into the distance on his broom; it might have been taken during the dragon task of last year's Tri-wizard Tournament. Ginny's sparse message had been amplified into a full-page spread with comments by many uptight authority figures including the Minister for Magic himself:

This simply proves what many have been saying about the show-off. His earlier celebratory status has gone to his head and now he's sulking in a corner because nobody believes his childish nonsense anymore.

He slapped his hand on Fudge's smirking picture, but between his fingers he could still see Lucius Malfoy, carefully posed behind the Minister's right shoulder, delicately peeling off one expensive baby-dragon-hide glove so he could sniff disdainfully into his monogrammed kerchief. Mesmerised by the well-rehearsed and coordinated behaviour, Harry watched the movement over and over until finally, in a jerk of annoyance, he screwed up the newspaper and flung it across the room.

"But isn't that what you wanted?" asked Neville.

"I guess." Harry turned in his chair. "But it's not quite how I originally visualised it."

"So now we wait?" said Ginny.

"So now we wait," said Harry.

.

Free To Go

But it was Harry's birthday before Luna came running excitedly into the parlour with the Evening Prophet blaring the latest news:

MASS BREAKOUT FROM AZKABAN ! ! !

MINISTRY FEARS BLACK IS 'RALLYING

POINT ' FOR ALL OLD DEATH EATERS!

" 'Black'?" said Harry. "Do they mean Sirius?"

But as he looked at the others, Neville was staring transfixed at the picture below the headlines.

"Bellatrix Lestrange," said Ginny.

"What will happen to her, Harry?" Neville said very softly. "After I've put her down?"

Harry paused. He'd only given thought to the action and to capturing Voldemort. The dark wizard's two supporters hadn't seemed so important provided they'd been stunned out of the way.

"We give her a couple more stunners to make sure they'll last for a few hours then we leave her there for the Aurors to arrest. She'll get the Dementor's Kiss for certain – all escapees do."

"And Malfoy?" said Ginny.

A frown crossed Harry's face. There could be no evidence to convict Lucius, and Fudge would never accept Harry's word – he'd made that clear at the end of the previous school year. Luna's testimony? – a girl who attaches radishes to herself and believes in brain-fuzzing Wrackspurts? How about Neville? A boy who'd stammer through his testimony so badly even Harry would have trouble believing him. As for Ginny...

"Harry?"

"We have to let him go," Harry said wearily. "Nobody would believe us, and anyway, we daren't hang about or we'd be arrested just for being there."

"But..."

"He'd deny everything and we couldn't prove it. We leave him stunned with Bella but he'd make up some story like he'd captured her – in fact he'd give her more stuns with his own wand and a full body bind as well, so it could be tested. She'll never get a chance to say what really happened, if I know Fudge."

"What!"

"It's the perfect cover. I'd rather that happen than Malfoy testifies it was me. He'll know I was there but I doubt they'll really see any of you three properly. It'll be gloomy, you'll be in shadow under concealment spells wearing scarves so they don't hear your voices, and Luna will be under my cloak."

Ginny pulled a long face but she could see there was nothing for it. With a bit of luck, Malfoy would break a leg when he fell over and she could always insert a Dungbomb up his nose ready for when he woke up.

.