Chapter 20- Replies.

Saturday, July 15, 1995

Harry stared at the beautiful scarlet and gold phoenix for a few seconds, then gripped the doorframe for support and closed his eyes in hopeless resignation. It was over. All over. Finished. Done. Kaput. If Fawkes was here, Dumbledore surely knew where he was. It had been good while it lasted, but this seemed to be the end of his little charade.

An eerily beautiful note of phoenix song made him look up. Fawkes was studying him curiously, looking annoyed, and strangely hurt at the same time. When the firebird saw he had the boy's attention, he waved his wing impatiently, and lifted his fettered talon. Oh. Right. Harry thought belatedly. I suppose I should untie that box.

Giving the bird an apologetic half smile, the young wizard approached the bed on slightly unsteady legs, and gratefully sat down on it. "Hang on there, Fawkes. Won't be a minute," he said, shaky fingers fumbling with the cord.

Fawkes was now eyeing him with something akin to concern. Noticing, Harry gave himself a mental shake. The phoenix had saved his life at the end of second year when he'd been bitten by a Basilisk, and he certainly deserved to be treated cordially. Pull yourself together, Potter, he scolded himself. Are you a Gryffindor or aren't you! With effort, he swallowed, in spite of his impossibly dry throat, and managed to address his guest in a mostly normal tone. "Sorry Fawkes," he apologized sincerely, finally getting the box untied. "You just surprised me, that's all." He gently stroked the beautiful red and gold plumage. "It's always wonderful to see you," he added, afraid he might have given the magical creature the wrong impression.

Fawkes trilled another gentle, soothing note, and spread his magnificent wings wide. Harry suddenly felt much better, like a soft, comforting blanket had been wrapped around his shoulders. Without thinking, he directly met Fawkes' wise gaze, and fell into it as the power of the phoenix bored into him. It felt similar to what he, Harry, had done instinctively many times when trying to get the measure of someone, but Fawkes was many times stronger, and this time, Harry was being assessed, not the other way around.

Fawkes had always seemed rather fond of Harry, probably because of his unwavering loyalty for Professor Dumbledore. He'd given Harry a discreet once-over, the first time they'd met, but he'd never subjected him to the full weight of his probing stare before. The wizard shuddered slightly, as the phoenix slipped past all his defenses to the essential Harry Potter, and was privy to everything from his headiest joys and triumphs to his deepest fears and sorrows. When it was over, the boy felt laid open, utterly bare, but somehow not violated.

Harry blinked slowly when he was released, and became aware that he and Fawkes were being observed very closely by all the animals in his room. Even hyper little Pigwidgeon was absolutely still, perched on the headboard beside Hedwig and the Hogwarts owl who had delivered Tom's letter. Hesitantly, he met the firebird's gaze again, and saw fondness, trust, and respect. "What...?" he tried to ask, but Fawkes interrupted him with a reassuring chirp, and flipped his wing towards the box he had delivered. Harry nodded, still a bit shaken, and opened the package. Inside he found a parchment envelope addressed to him in the headmaster's loopy handwriting. Harry raised a confused eyebrow, and wondered why Dumbledore had bothered to package a letter. Shrugging, he plucked the letter out of the box, and nearly fell off the bed in surprise when the package suddenly filled with an assortment of items. Okaaaay... Harry thought dazedly, as he tore open the envelope, and unfolded a rather long letter.

July 9, 1995

Dear Harry,

I imagine you have a great many questions just now. I will try my best to anticipate and answer them. If I miss any, please feel free to ask.

I suppose the first question, is why I am sending this package with Fawkes, and not one of the school owls. The answer is, I could think of no better way of assuring you that this package is indeed from me, and not a clever forgery. Fawkes will have undoubtedly subjected you to his own unique scrutiny by now. I apologize for the necessity of this, but since you are reading this letter, and perceive more than one item in the parcel I sent, he has found you worthy of our trust. If you had not passed his test, you would be reading a slightly different letter, and wondering no doubt, why I used such a large box to send one small pendant.

What you have before you, are some standard field items that are given to members of the Order of the Phoenix when they are on assignment. The Order is a very old organization that was founded about the time Hogwarts was. It's purpose is to stand firm against dark witches and wizards, as they have a nasty habit of popping up from time to time.

Harry grinned in spite of himself. Professor Dumbledore made evil witches and wizards sound like they were nothing more than a troublesome patch of weeds in the garden.

You have not been conscripted into service, nor will you be required to go on missions. You have been entrusted with these items in an attempt to ensure your own safety, and to maximize the efficiency of your communication, but I'll get to that in a moment. Please do not discuss the box's contents or their magical properties with anyone. Some of them are not publicly available, and give us a huge advantage over our adversaries. If you will kindly empty the parcel and follow along, I will explain each to you in turn.

Shrugging agreeably, Harry did as he was asked, and soon had the box's contents lined neatly on the bed. He studied them curiously for a few seconds, then picked up his letter again.

You should find a phoenix pendant, some sheets of parchment, and some quills. Please take the pendant and put it on immediately. It is a standard portkey issued to all field operatives. When activated, it will transport you directly to the Hogwarts hospital wing. I do not anticipate the need for its use, but it will provide an escape for you, should you require it. You are probably aware that there are different types of portkeys...some activate instantly when touched, others activate at a predetermined time, and still others must be activated with a key word or phrase. The phoenix pendant is one of the last type. To use it, clasp the charm tightly in either hand, and say "Sanctuary." Rest assured that the pendant can be casually handled without fear of activation.

Harry closed his eyes for a second, and took a deep breath. The very thought of portkeys still made him slightly queasy. He wasn't sure if he'd ever be able to look at one again without memories of the graveyard closing in on him. Actually, it was rather good of Dumbledore to reassure him without stating the issue point blank. Realistically, Harry knew he needed to try and get over his irrational fear of portkeys. As phobias went he couldn't think of many that would be more inconvenient, but he couldn't seem to help himself. He didn't want to touch it, despite his headmaster's assurances.

Seeming to understand, Fawkes gracefully leaned forward, grasped the chain in his beak, and presented it to the boy, making reassuring noises as he did so. Mollified somewhat, Harry gingerly accepted the chain and pendant, studying it a second before slipping it over his head. As a whole, the necklace was rather unisex in design, with an exquisitely wrought cloisonne phoenix pendant suspended on a plain gold chain. The charm was richly detailed, looking rather like Fawkes himself, and depicted a firebird in flight. Harry ran an admiring finger over it before tucking it safely under his shirt, and retrieving the letter again.

Before I continue, I wanted to take a moment to thank you for sharing your information regarding Voldemort. I had been told by another source that a memory potion was being brewed, but we had not been able to determine who the intended recipient was. Thanks to your furnishing that detail, my source was not forced to ask questions that might cast suspicion on himself.

This brings us to the parchment and quills included in your parcel. They are charmed to allow almost instantaneous communication. You simply write what you want to say on one of the pieces of parchment provided to you. The message will appear to soak into the paper, much like the effect you described with Tom Riddle's diary in your second year, and will be transferred to a corresponding piece of parchment in my office. This is the preferred method of communication for agents in the field, because it is faster than owls, and virtually untraceable. Please use this to pass on information regarding Voldemort, no matter how simple or unimportant it might seem. And Harry, if your scar is bothering you, please say something. Madam Pomphrey and Professor Snape have many remedies at their disposal, and are happy to help. I am grateful for any information you can give me regarding Voldemort, but I do not want you sacrificing your health or suffering needlessly.

Back to the parchment, when you send your message, the charm on the paper will dissipate. If necessary, you may send some of your parchment back to Hogwarts to be re-enchanted. If not, consider your supply of parchment for the coming school year bought. Now, if you will kindly look at one of the pieces of parchment, you will notice some symbols across the top.

Harry looked, and saw a phoenix, a paw print, a crescent moon, and a serpent arranged in a neat row across the top of each sheet.

I have taken the liberty of selecting some people you may wish or need to contact directly. Touch your quill to one or more of the totems when you finish writing to select your recipient(s). The symbols represent myself, Sirius, Remus, and Professor Snape. You have my permission to write your godfather and Remus weekly using this parchment. I think it may help allay their fears for your safety. The parchment is bi-directional, so we may use it to contact you as well, but we will refrain from doing so as much as possible. Ordinarily, the parchment emits an attention-getting signal when an incoming message is received. I have removed this feature from your parchment because I know your muggle relatives are uncomfortable with the idea of magic. Please make sure to check your parchment for messages occasionally.

Harry raised an eyebrow, then a giddy smile crept onto his features. Professor Dumbledore still thought he was with the Dursleys! He wasn't found out after all!

Lastly, I wish to discuss owls with you. The charmed parchment will decrease the owl traffic at your residence considerably, but your owl is highly visible and recognizable. I have contacted Tom at the Leaky Cauldron, and asked him if he would mind occasionally making the one of the Cauldron's owls available to you during slow times. It should be much more efficient than trying to do the same thing with school owls since the Leaky Cauldron is much closer to your summer home than Hogwarts is. You should know within the next few days if he agrees. By the way, I must say I was surprised to hear about your summer employment. I tried to make sure your relatives understood the seriousness of your situation when I wrote them before the end of term. However, if you say it's helping you put recent events out of your mind, perhaps it's for the best. In any event, you have your portkey now-do not hesitate to use it. Please look after yourself, and enjoy the rest of your summer.

Sincerely,

Albus Dumbledore

Headmaster, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

P.S. I nearly forgot! I forwarded your letter to Sirius and Remus. You should be hearing from them soon. Also, would you please thank Hedwig for graciously waiting while I assembled your package and guiding Fawkes to you? He is a magnificent creature, but I'm afraid he lacks the magical tracking ability of messenger owls. He should be able to get back to Hogwarts on his own, however. -A.D.

"Yessssss!" Harry leapt off the bed, and pumped a fist in victory. Everything was still okay. Well, except for Tom's letter. The boy stilled, and bit his lip nervously, wondering exactly what Tom's letter said, then shrugged. He'd find out soon enough. Remembering his manners, he turned back to the now rather amused-looking phoenix, and said, "Thanks, Fawkes. I really appreciate you coming all the way down here. Oh!" Harry suddenly remembered he hadn't offered any of the birds so much as a sip of water. He took care of that immediately, setting Hedwig's feeding dishes on the floor so that the flock could have better access. That done, he eagerly flipped through the rest of his letters, looking for...yes! There was one from Sirius.

July 9, 1995

Dear Harry:

Padfoot is asleep at the moment, so I'm starting this letter. We've been taking turns doing a very boring job, and my shift just started a couple of hours ago. Rest assured he'll add his part when he gets up.

First things first. If you can call this daft git by his given name, then surely you can call me Remus, or Moony if you prefer. I must apologize for not keeping in better touch this past year. I really have no good excuse. Albus and Sirius have done such a good job keeping me up to date with your news, I guess didn't realize I hadn't actually been in contact with you directly until your letter arrived today. I am flattered and properly humbled that you included me, and promise to do better in the future.

Sirius is well, and I'm about as good as can be expected with the full moon coming up on the 12th. Don't worry about your godfather, though. Albus has generously continued to supply me with the Wolfsbane Potion, and I have been dutifully taking it, but I really wish something could be done to improve the taste. Of course, now that I think on it, I don't believe I've run across many pleasant-tasting potions. Especially medicinal ones. How about you?

Speaking of you, how are you holding up? Sirius was very upset when he arrived at my home a few weeks ago, and with good reason, it seems. I wish there was something I could say or do to make things easier for you, although you seem to be managing fairly well. Keeping busy is indeed a good way to keep your mind off your troubles, just be careful when you're away from your uncle's house, and be sure you aren't internalizing all your worries. Your mum used to do that, you know. Drove us all mad. She was always very hesitant about sharing her worries and fears, and was more likely to look after others than herself...much like a certain young man of my acquaintance. You have a coping mechanism, and inner strength that is nothing short of remarkable, Harry, but don't be afraid to reach out to your friends. It's okay to let someone else be the strong one every now and then.

Dear me. I do believe that is the most serious paragraph I've ever written. Must be these times we're living in. You'd never guess I was one of the famous Marauders of Hogwarts. I'll try to do better in my next letter. In the meantime, take care of yourself, and don't work too hard!

Remus Lupin

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