Chapter 33 Wards, Wards everywhere

Minerva's POV

McGonagall sighed as she watched the Headmaster and the Potions Master be led away. She had little hope that Severus would be back, and she wasn't sure how that made her feel. However, she was sure that Albus would not be gone long. For now, she was in charge. She turned from the scene and remembered that there was someone in need of rescue. So, she went to find Madam Pomfrey. "We need to get Alastor. There is no telling how bad off the man is. I am very shocked that the Aurors seemed to have forgotten about him," she stated to Poppy as she entered the tent where the nurse had been set up.

"Yes, I was just getting my bag together," the nurse replied as she added a few more items to her bag, which also contained the eye and leg.

"Can you imagine being shoved in a trunk for months on end? Thank Merlin, Mr. Potter and his elf found the poor man. I do wonder how he was caught in the first place." She worried her collar at the thought of the torture it must have been for the proud man. To be attacked and then trapped, Alastor will never forgive himself for letting his guard down. Had she not been so concerned about Mr. Potter, perhaps she might have spotted the imposter sooner. But, she had so many duties that she let the inconsistencies slide. Now, she regretted not paying closer attention.

"Constant Vigilance, indeed," Poppy replied as she closed her bag and hurried to the castle, thankful that the bag was an extended one. Who knew what they would find when they got there. She knew he had to be alive, but that was all that was needed to make the Polyjuice. He could have undergone any torture.

They made their way to the DADA classroom and then to the living quarters. There in the middle of the room was the trunk. It took a few minutes to go through each compartment, but they eventually found the trapped man.

"It's about time someone got here," came the weak, but gruff voice of the ex-Auror. He looked pitiful. His most of hair was hacked off, and he was rail thin. He was dressing in long underwear and nothing else. He looked up at them with his one sunken eye and snarled, "Well, get me out of here."

"Hold on, Alastor, we will have you out in a jiffy. First, Poppy is going to come down and make sure we can move you," McGonagall called down. It hurt her to see her friend so indisposed. She knew the man's pride had taken a beating. She only hoped that he recovered from this. She, herself, was never going to forgive her lack of attention. Perhaps, it was time to step down from one of her duties.

Poppy made her way into the trunk and soon deemed him able to be moved. It took a bit of teamwork, but the two women got the injured man to the Hospital Wing, and soon he was dosed with a very strong sleeping potion. Other than some severe malnutrition and dehydration, he was in reasonably good health, which made both women thankful that he had not been tortured. Madam Pomfrey was just glad that she had retrieved his eye and leg from the impostor. While they would not be impossible to replace, they would be expensive and ex-Aurors didn't make a whole lot of money.

Sirius' POV

Meanwhile, Sirius was sneaking up on an old friend, who was standing on the outskirts of the stadium. He came up to the man and tapped him on the shoulder. "Moony," he whispered to the greying man, making the werewolf jump.

"Do I know you?" the werewolf asked, looking at the younger man in front of him, and wondering how he knew that nickname. The man looked like a younger Sirius only with light brown hair, brown eyes and rounder cheeks. He squinted his eyes to see if it was a glamor, but the image stayed strong. There was not telltale blurriness, just a solid face. He took a sniff and smiled.

"It's me. Sirius. Harry did some magic and now I look like this. I'm not even sure if he can change me back, but for now I'm taking advantage of it. It's great to be able to move around, not to mention pick up birds," Sirius said with a waggle of his eyebrows.

"What do you mean Harry did this? He is just a kid," Remus said in a questioning tone. Last time he saw the teen, he was just an average student. Sure, he did the Patronus, but other than that great feat of magic, his schoolwork was lacking. He remembered that the boy had had such a hard time getting the Patronus down, and that it was only with high emotions that the spell worked. Which was par for the course, since the spell needed a strong happy thought. He wasn't sure if he believed the rumor that Harry had driven off a hundred Dementors. He was good, but really.

"How can you say that? Didn't you just witness what happened in the arena?" Black asked, awestruck that the man would be so… belittling after what just happened.

"You know I'm not allowed in to Ministry events. I was at Hagrid's hut until the crowd started leaving," Remus answered, very put out that he missed something spectacular. Damn that Dolores Umbridge. "Are you saying that Harry pulled off something remarkable? But, how? I mean, he is just a kid."

"Look I can tell you, but you have to take a vow first," Black stated firmly.

"Why?"

"I am under a vow and can't release information until I have a similar vow," Sirius said urgently. He really wanted to tell Remus. He was sure the man would be impressed, and that the werewolf would help him along with his magic. His friend had always been better at theory than him. If they got their heads together, they could pull off just about anything, Sirius was sure of that.

"All right," the other man said, and took the vow his best friend told him to.

"There's so much to tell you," the disguised wizard gushed as he took his friends arm and led him away from the stands. "Harry changed after he lost his memory. He's wickedly powerful now. He doesn't do magic like we do. It's all wandless and wordless, unless he needs to concentrate. He got me into some deep trouble with the goblins, let me tell you. He's trying to teach me, but I've only got a bit down. I can summon things, repaired things, and clean up my messes. He's teaching his friends, and they are all pretty scary." Sirius was very proud of his godson, so he had no problem raving about the boy's accomplishments.

"You're going to have to explain that better," the older man said, folding his arms across his chest and lifting an eyebrow.

"It started like this," Black stated and proceeded to tell his friend all about what he and Harry had been up to the last two weeks. He explained the intent magic and Merlin's book, which he assured the man he could read. As they talked, they moved to the Whomping Willow. Sirius waved his hand and the tree's branches stopped swinging. However, now only he could find the entrance, making him pause in his retelling. "Shite, I forgot he put wards up, so no one could find me."

"I can try and take them down. How hard could they be? After all, Harry is just a teen," Remus said, lifting his wand and running a diagnostic. His eyebrows lifted at the weird wards, but he was determined to not be stopped.

"Be my guest," Sirius said smugly with a wave of his hand. He was delighted with Harry's work, and if the werewolf wasn't going to listen then maybe a practical lesson was needed.

Harry's POV

"I am sure that Mr. Black will be along soon. He has a surprise for us, though I'm not sure what it is," Luna predicted, not the least bit worried about the man. She was sure that Harry's glamor would fool everyone. She was happy that the fugitive was happy and couldn't wait to see what he was bringing home.

Harry gave her an inquiring look, but she just shrugged so he turned his attention to the rest of the group. "Now that we've eaten, let see if these ward stones work," he said, putting his empty cup on the table. He reached into his pocket and pulled out five flat stones. Each one had odd shapes carved on them, and they were polished to a shine. He handed one to each person and had them stand up. "Okay, I'm going to throw some non-lethal spells at you guys. If these stones work correctly, then there should be a dome much like mine. However, like I said, I haven't been able to test them. So, if you don't see a shield, duck."

"Oh, Harry, are you sure?" Hermione asked as she examined the stone. She recognized the runes etched there but was confused. Harry didn't take Runes. "Not that I doubt you, but like you said, these are untested."

"Which is why I'm only going to throw stunners," the boy hero huffed.

"I'll go first," Neville stated as he moved to an empty part of the room. He stood firm and hardened his face. He was going to be brave. He knew that Harry's magic was strong, but the boy didn't study runes, and he still didn't have his memory back. So, there was a bit of doubt lined with that bravery.

"Alright, this is just like my magic. It should work on intent, which means I'm going to have to try to hurt you. Just think 'shield' and the stone should do the rest. But, pay attention and move out of the way if nothing happens," Harry said, holding his hand up. He made sure to keep it simple and use words so that the other boy would know that the spell was being cast. "Stupefy," he intoned loudly and clearly.

At first it looked like nothing happened then a silver dome erected right as the spell was about to hit Neville. "That was close," the sandy-haired boy stated, wiping the sweat off his brow. He knew the spell wouldn't hurt him, but he hadn't wanted the stone to fail. The more magic Harry showed him, the closer he got to healing his parents. First, he needed to help the boy hero get rid of You-Know-Who. He didn't want his parents to be thrust into a war, not when they had been injured in the last one.

"Yeah, but you're still standing, so I call it a win," the dark-haired teen stated with a huge smile. He clapped his friend on the back and looked at the rest of the group. "Do you guys want to try yours out? I'm hoping that these will prevent kidnapping. I worry about all of you," he stated with a serious look on his face. He didn't remember having friends before, and he cherished the ones he had now. He was very concerned that they would be caught in the middle of whatever the Dork Idiot had planned. Though, he had no idea if the… man's plans were ruined now, or how desperate the being would be to get his hands on him.

"We'll go next," the twins volunteered as they moved to where Neville had stood. One by one, each of the group had their stones tested.

"I'm getting worried about Sirius," Hermione said, looking at the entrance of the tunnel. She hoped that the man didn't get caught. She wasn't sure that Luna's prediction could be trusted. She still didn't like Divinations. To her it was an iffy thing.

"Yeah, he should've been here by now. Winky," Harry called, thinking maybe the house elf knew where her master was.

"What can Winky be doing for Master Harry?" the little elf asked as she popped in. She looked around the room and saw that they were done with tea. So, with a snap of her fingers, she cleared the table.

"Do you know where Sirius is?" the teen asked as he took a seat on the couch, his friends joining him.

"Master Sirius is being talking to his friend. He is being letting the wolfie try to bring down the wards," the elf said, after her eyes glazed over in search of her master.

"Oh, why he didn't use a Patronus? He knows that those wards are strong. I wonder what he's playing at," Harry said, rubbing the back of his head in confusion.

"I don't know if he can cast one, not after Azkaban," Luna reasoned thoughtfully. "I mean, there might not be any happy thoughts left."

"I guess that makes sense," Harry said with a nod. Though he thought after his day on the town that his godfather would have at least one good memory. He shrugged and blinked his eyes, and the wards were adjusted to let Remus in. He then sent Winky to let the fugitive know that they could enter now. Not that he was overly glad to let the other man in, but he'd try to listen to what he had to say before he threw him out. Besides, Sirius still thought of the werewolf as a friend.

It didn't take long before the two old pranksters came into the shack. "We need to find a way to communicate," was Sirius' first words. "Everyone, I'm sure you remember Remus Lupin," he added, waving to the worn man who had followed him.

"I don't, but I do recall what people have told me," Harry stated, a bit snidely. Okay, so patience wasn't his strong suit. He had had enough adults letting him down over the last three weeks that he didn't want to give leeway to another that he felt had shirked his duty as a family friend. Not to mention deserted his godfather. Sirius could have used a friend since his narrow escape from the Dementors.

"I thought you said he was okay with me being a werewolf," Remus said, turning to Sirius with a great deal of confusion. Sirius and Albus had told him that Harry was suffering from amnesia, and he had made sure to ask his friend if the boy was okay with his infliction. The dog Animagus had assured him that Harry had no issues with his condition, so he was a bit shocked at the bitterness.

"I don't have a problem with you turning furry once a month. I have a problem with a grown man not taking precautions to not put others, especially children, in danger. You almost ate me and my friends — twice, from what I've been told, and both times could have been avoided if you had just taken five seconds to drink your potion," the irate boy snapped.

"Harry," Sirius barked, "we talked about this, he made a mistake. You said you could deal with that, so why are you bringing it up now?" the dogman asked, very put out that his godson was being an arse.

"Where have you been?" Harry asked, ignoring his godfather.

"What do you mean? I have been staying away, just like Albus asked me to. He said that everything needed to blow over. I was not even supposed to come today, but when I heard you had to compete, I wanted to make sure that you were okay," Lupin said in a very confused voice. He had no idea why this teen was angry at him. "I was unable to see your performance, but Sirius said you handled it well." He was still doubtful that his friend wasn't just bragging on his godson.

Harry waved the apology away. "I've been, well not ill, but without memory for about three weeks now. I'm sure the Headbastard told you that. He seems to like telling my business to others. So… where have you been? Why haven't you written, or come by to see Sirius? We're supposed to be important to you," the teen all but snarled as he folded his arm and glared at the older man.

"But Albus said…" the werewolf started, only to look away from the betrayed look in Harry's green eyes.

"Right, well that answers that. I'm not sure if we can have any type of relationship if you are going to let your life be dictated by that conniving old man."

"Harry," Hermione said softly, getting up and then sitting near her friend. She put a hand on his arm and made him look her way. "That's not fair. Mr. Lupin owes the Headmaster a great debt. If it were not for Professor Dumbledore, then Mr. Lupin would not have been able to attend Hogwarts. I think you're being a bit too hard on him."

"No, he's right. I could have at least written," the greying-haired man said sadly. He felt that he had messed up this time. "All I can do is ask that you give me another chance. I really want to get to know you," he said with pleading eyes. He didn't want to lose his last connection to James.

Harry hemmed and hawed for a few minutes, taking in the looks on his godfather's and friends' faces. They were all asking that he be a bit more understanding. So, he slumped his shoulders and nodded his head. He'd try.

"Great," Sirius said, clapping his hands together and rubbing them in a happy motion. "What were you guys doing before we showed up?"

"Oh, yeah, I have some ward stones that we were testing," Harry said, reaching into his TARDIS pocket and grabbing two more. "These are for you guys. Not that I knew Mr. Lupin would be here, but I have extra. It never hurts to have backup in case I make more friends." He handed each man a stone and then explained how they worked.

The two men decided to test them themselves and commenced in throwing spells at one another. The stones, of course, worked perfectly. The older pranksters were made to stop by Winky, who was distraught at the mess they were making.

"These are great, Harry. How did you come up with them? I know you didn't study runes," Sirius asked as he pocketed the stone.

"I asked the diadem," he answered with a shrug.

"Wait, you got it to where you can ask it questions?" Luna asked excitedly, bouncing in her seat and looking like Harry had just offered her the world.

"Well, no, not quite. I can do it in my head, but not in the real world. I'm still working on that," he confessed sheepishly. He had a red-shirt wear it and give him the answers. The man had volunteered, so he didn't feel bad about putting him in danger. However, he was relieved when nothing happened, even if most red shirts died young.

"You will let me know when you have that worked out, right?" she said a bit firmly.

"Of course."

"Lovely."

"Okay, can you two tell the rest of us what you are talking about?" Sirius demanded, not liking being left out to the loop.

"Oh, well, it was how we found the Room. The Grey Lady, or Helena Ravenclaw, told us were to find her mother's lost diadem. The Dork Idiot did some type of Dark magic on it, so she asked me to cleanse it, so she could move on. I thought I told you that," Harry said with a tilt of his head.

"No, you told me about the ghosts fighting and that you helped her move on, but not the details," the disguised man huffed.

"Oh, sorry, well it wasn't intentional. I mean, it's not like it's a secret. I'll tell you the whole story later. I have a question for you two, since you know the castle so well. Do you know where the ward stone is?" Harry asked, looking between the two men, hoping they could answer the query.

"Yeah, it's under the dungeon. We needed to find it to hook the map to it. Without it being connected to the wards, it wouldn't work. It'd just be a map of Hogwarts, without the live action," Sirius explained as he nodded to his friend, who was the one who found the ward stone.

"I can take you there if you'd like. Though, I don't know if it would do you any good. The stone is very well protected, there is a shield that needs to be attuned to you in order to allow you access. It took me four weeks to get it to recognize me," the werewolf said, rubbing his chin in thought.

"Okay, we can go now, while the Headbastard is in custody," the teen said, standing and heading toward the tunnel. No time like the present.

"Right, okay, I can do that," Remus said as he too stood, and the rest of the group followed, except Sirius, who was going to stay behind.

"I'll wait here. You come back when you're done, Moony," Sirius said as he got comfortable on the couch. He had plans to talk to his friend about Harry. The man needed to know that the teen was in great danger and that he was not the same young man. Even though Moony couldn't break the wards, the werewolf still didn't understand that Harry was very powerful. No, his friend was going to be caught flat-footed if he didn't get it through his head that things were different. Well, that and he wanted to take Remus out on the town, perhaps get him some clothes from Tylor's Threads.

"We can go with you, Harry," George said, ready to get into mischief.

"We can't all go. A large group of people would make the staff wonder what we're up to. Especially, a group of Gryffindors, in the Slytherin area. How bout, you guys go and see what people are saying. I want to know if I should practice my defenses. I just know your brother is going to break the restraining order, again," Harry said, pointing to the twins.

"You never know, after what happened today it might just be the wakeup call he needs to quit being a prat," Fred said as they made their way down the tunnel.

"Yeah, maybe," the younger teen said, waving it off. He wasn't giving the youngest Weasley male another chance. Not after the last two weeks of scorn and ridicule.

They all parted ways at the castle's entrance. Harry and Remus made their way to the heart of the building. Down and down they went, until they finally got to a door deep under the dungeon.

"This is it," the older man said, indicating the door. "You might want to shield your eyes; it can be quite bright in here." They entered the room, but it wasn't like Remus described. There was very little light shining from the ward stone, and the shield was nonexistent. The stone, itself, was like a dim night light. As if the magic was fading. "That's not right," the man said as he waved his wand over the stone. "I have no idea what happened, but if the wards are this weak then the whole school is vulnerable."

Harry waved his hand and saw that the magic was being syphoned out of the stone, though he had no idea where. So, he looked for the connection, and with a slicing motion, cut it. The stone brightened and started to glow. Seeing that it needed more power, he laid his hands on it and pushed some of his magic into it. It then got so bright in the room that he had to close his eyes, until he thought some shades on his face.

"Harry, stop. Wizards aren't meant to charge ward stones alone. It takes up to six people. Unless you're as powerful as the Headmaster…" he trailed off as he watched the teen stand firm, having conjured his own sunglasses.

"I'm almost done," the dark-haired wizard stated as he continued to feed the stone. After about five minutes, he stopped and removed his hands. "There, now the wards are at full strength. I'm upset at the Headbastard for draining them in the first place. I have no idea where he was putting the magic, but I'll be damned if I let him do it again," he snarled as he waved his hand and a golden dome was erected around the stone. Now only someone with the intent of charging the stone could get near it. There would be no more adjustments, unless it was for the betterment of the school. Not even the Marauders' Map would work now.

He waved his hand again and got rid of all the ridiculous wards that only hindered the students, like the one that made electricity not work. He was sure that the person who added it was one that didn't like Muggles. He then added a non-bullying ward, now there would be punishment for attacks on classmates. Not even the teachers would get away with mistreating students.

"Are you sure it was Albus? It could have been anyone who has access to this room. I found it as a teen, and I'm sure I'm not the last," the werewolf stated, not wanting to believe the Headmaster would do such a thing.

"I concede that point, but whoever it was is a right bastard," the teen said as he made his way out of the room.

"Language," Remus reprimanded, making Harry snarl at him.

"Do not correct me. I'm old enough that I can curb my tongue when I want. Right now, I don't feel the need. You don't hold any authority over me, so don't think you can tell me how to speak," the boy lashed out.

Remus sighed, this was going to take longer than he thought.