Harry Potter

and the

Oracle of Four Seasons

Chapter 1

Flight From the Burrow

by Ri-kun

Something below him shook with all the force of an explosion. Harry glanced away from the window for a second, where he'd placed himself to watch the garden below. There was nothing of particular importance down there. He'd simply found the view soothing. All the action, it seemed, was going on downstairs, judging by the shouting that drifted up the stairs a second later. Ron had once again dropped something, and Mrs. Weasley was yelling at Ginny to hurry or else they'd all be late. Rather than be annoyed, he was finding the sounds relieving. Considering the past several weeks, a little normalacy before they headed back to Hogwarts was in order.

Harry made sure he was packed; a quick glance at the truck all packed up and secured tightly confirmed this, so he went back to his perusal of the garden gnomes below. Crookshanks had somehow gotten out when no one was watching. The bottlebrush-tailed cat had cornered several of them behind a bush, and now leaped high in the air to pounce. The gnomes scattered before he could land though, which Harry suspected was his intent all along.

The door swung open behind him without so much as a knock. Harry didn't bother turning around to see who it was. A whiff of some enticing perfume drifted over his nostrils. There were only a handful of women in this house, and by the frustrated, impatient stomp, that narrowed it down to two.

"Mind if I hide out in here?" Ginny asked, walking up to him. "Mum's driving me batty with her ranting. I think Ron's dropped about every piece of luggage we're talking with us. Most of the time, it's either on or near my feet!"

Harry chuckled softly, but didn't respond in kind. "It's all on account of her, you know," Ginny went on, glaring at him. "The way she just drifts into the room without so much as a warning. Bit pathetic, really. Each time he catches a glimpse of her, his face goes slack and whatever he's holding gets strewn all over the floor. I really don't know how Hermione can stand it."

Ginny eyed him for a moment. "Bill seems to be taking it in stride, though. I guess he figures Ron can't help it. I mean, he probably should get used to that sort of thing, marrying up with somebody who's part veela and all. But, still!"

Harry just nodded. "And Hermione's trying so hard to pretend she isn't jealous. It's practically written on her face."

"Right."

"Harry, I have great big unicorn horns coming out of my nostrils."

"That's nice."

"I'm glad you like them. I thought if tried something like this, Mum wouldn't be so down on me for getting my ears pierced. She's really been on a tear this morning, especially since we all found out the twins are sharing a bed now. And you haven't heard a word I've said this whole time."

Harry's eyes remained fixed on the window. "Harry," Ginny whispered softly. "I really do think she'll come back. It's just... taking her awhile, or something."

"Huh," he said, finally looking at her properly. "Did you say something, Ginny?"

Ginny shook her head and smiled weakly. "No, Harry. I just came in here to tell you that you should probably get your things and come downstairs. Ron's having to do all the lifting on his own, and it isn't going very well."

"Sorry," he apologized. "I was just sitting up here, thinking."

Harry followed her down the stairs to the drawing room. There was pandemonium everywhere as usual, and their ride was supposed to be here at any minute. Hermione had textbooks scattered all over the place in a corner where her clothes had been carelessly dumped out. She was still glaring hard at Ron, who was pleading that it had been an accident as he tried shoving everything back in at one time. This, of course, was not going very well, as Hermione kept knocking things out of his hands, claiming that they didn't belong together. Apparently, she'd arranged everything in some specific order that made sense to her alone, and was now attempting to rearrange everything as Mrs. Weasley shouted for everyone to hurry up.

Harry placed his trunk in the center of the room, then proceeded to help as best he could. Ron finally gave up trying to help Hermione, and busied himself by bringing Ginny's things together for her. Mrs. Weasley explained in a very panicked voice as she tried shoving toast into everyone's mouths that Dumbledore had sent for several members of the Order, who were due to be here any second. They were to be Harry's guard on the way to Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters. She was telling him all this while passing out jam and straightening things on shelves. By the time she was finished, and everything in Hermione's trunk had been packed up again, the drawing room looked as though it'd been struck by a low-riding windstorm.

"So, how are the Order taking us to King's Cross?" Harry asked, once Mrs. Weasley had left.

"Dunno," Ron said, taking great pains to avoid looking Hermione's way. "I overheard Dad talking last night, though. He thinks maybe Dumbledore might send for thestrals."

"Don't be silly, Ron," Hermione quipped. "How are we supposed to get our luggage to Hogwarts on thestrals."

"Probably a spell Dumbledore knows," he shrugged, looking away. "Anyway, Mum says they'll be here any minute."

"We heard the first eight dozen times or so she told us," Ginny shot. "Thanks for reminding me, though."

Harry let his mind wander for a moment. The last time he'd been escorted anywhere with the Order, they'd taken him by broomstick. Maybe Dumbledore thought it would be that easy again. He eyed his trunk for a moment as Ginny and Ron continued to argue with each other. Rayne's letter was tucked away on top. He planned to take it out before boarding the Hogwarts Express. For a moment, he entertained the idea of Rayne waiting for him there, hidden amongst the crowd watching for him.

Where could she have gone to?

"Alright, you lot. That's enough now!" Mrs. Weasley stormed back in with a furious look on her face. "Get yourselves together and be quick about it. I don't want to be hearing anything about how you forgot something. Leave anything behind this year, and you won't see it till next summer!"

Harry thought he heard something coming up the driveway. Given the way everyone else reacted, he wasn't the only one, either. Ron made it to the window first, and let out a joyful gasp.

"They've brought cars with them!" he cried out. "The Order's brought cars again!"

Harry peered around Ron's much taller frame to get a look, and immediately frowned. He wasn't the only one who saw it. Ginny took one look, and immediately pulled the curtain closed.

"Hey!" Ron snapped at her.

"Ron, those are Ministry cars, you prat!"

"The Ministry?" Hermione asked, worriedly. "What are they doing here?"

"It's me," Harry answered gravely. "They've come here to take me."

Everyone looked at him. "We don't know that for sure, Harry..."

"After what happened two nights ago when the Minister showed up?"

"Well, I thought perhaps you could have handled it a bit better," Hermione told him. "I mean, yelling at the Minister of Magic wasn't very smart."

Harry turned away from her and looked back out the window. "He's there," he told her. "He's inside the middle car, the one that had the door open. I can just barely make him out. He came straight here to get me."

"That's really a shame," a familiar female voice called out. "He's come all this way just to leave empty-handed!"

"Mum?" Ron was looking over at Mrs. Weasley, who had just knocked over a hat rack while speaking in Tonk's voice.

"Sorry, Ron!" she apologized, switching to her more familar shape. "But this was the only way we could ensure Harry's escape."

"Of course," Ginny said, shaking her head. "This explains why you were breaking dishes all morning, and tripping over the rug. I should've seen it coming."

"Your mother is perfectly safe, Ron," she told him, holding up a hand before he could speak. Harry noticed that she looked a bit grim, and her eyes were heavy as though weighted down. "We traded places late last night. As far as the Ministry knows, I'm sick with a case of dragon pox, which will turn out to be a false alarm a few days later, and your Mum left with Arthur this morning to run a few errands. It was the best way we thought to get Harry to King's Cross without the Ministry interferring."

"But isn't Harry coming with us?" Ginny asked.

"You lot will leave with the Order when they arrive a few minutes from now. I'm to take Harry under his Invisibility Cloak out the back way. Once we're safely across the Anti-Apparation line, I'll bring us both to the Hogwarts Express and wait for you there. Just leave your trunk here, and we'll make sure it gets there in one piece."

"I'm not leaving without it," Harry said quickly.

"We don't have time to argue!" Tonk abruptly snapped. "They'll be in here any second!"

Harry blinked. It almost sounded as though Tonks were back to being Molly Weasley again. "I need it," he said, almost desperately. "Please, can't we just make it levitate or something? You could shrink it down, maybe? Or..."

"Harry, we'll take good care of it," Ginny told him, and there was a look in her eyes that said she knew exactly why he didn't want it left there. "No one will look inside."

"Dont see what the big deal is for," Ron sombered, giving Harry an odd look. "We've all seen in it before."

There was a knock at the door, which made Ron let out a high-pitched squeak. "Fine!" Tonk hissed, pointing her wand.

The trunk immediately shrunk down to about the size of a matchbox and flew across the room. It landed in Harry's palm with a resounding smack that echoed across the now-quiet room. Shadows could be seen moving across the windows as there was another knock on the door.

"This is bad," Tonk whispered, motioning for Harry to stand near her. "They'll have blocked off the back exit by now. Our main priority is to get Harry out of here without anyone noticing."

"We could send Hedwig," Harry offered in a low voice. "She could send word to Dumbledore, or..."

"It would take too long," Tonk cut him off. "Besides, the Order's got faster means of communicating with one another. The only problem is, I doubt the others can make it here in time. We'll just have to improvise!"

Before Harry could ask how, Tonk had rapped him over the head once with her wand rather fiercely. He felt a familiar chill run down him from the tip-top of his head to the toes, like cold egg washing over him. Tonk had just Disilluioned him to where he would blend in with whatever was surrounding him. He supposed the sharp sting of her wand was a way of repremanding him for taking so long. It didn't seem to him like a good idea for the Ministry to confiscate any of his belongings, but mostly he had been concerned about someone finding Rayne's letter.

"Okay," Tonk said, shifting to an exact copy of Harry. "Here's the new plan. The Ministry will leave once they have Harry in their posession, so we're just going to let them think they've taken him. You lot just play along and.."

"Wait!" Harry protested, as the door was nearly forced open. "What if they..."

"No time to argue, Harry!" Tonk snapped. "Get ready to move for the exit the moment they pull away with me. Someone will be waiting for you at the edge of the field behind the Anti-Apparation Line. Got it?"

Harry nodded, then realized no one could see it. "Okay," he said reluctantly. "But what if they hurt you?"

The door burst open before she could say more. Harry moved back a few steps instinctively and watched as several grown wizards in Ministry robes burst through the door. Each of them had wands at the ready, as though preparing to hex anyone that moved. The others must have been thinking along those same lines, for none of Harry's friends moved a muscle.

"It's clear, sir!" one of them called out.

Rufus Scrimgeour, the Minister of Magic, stepped through the doors a second later and surveyed the room. His eyes fell immediately on Tonks, who didn't blink the whole time. A smile fell across his face, then. To anyone else, it might have looked almost fatherly, but from where Harry stood in the background, it seemed more like the Minister were leering at him with an almost hungry expression.

"Harry," Scrimgeour said, still grinning boldly. "It's so good to see you. How have you been these last few days?"

"Fine," Tonks replied, coolly. "We were just waiting for Mrs. Weasley to get back so she could take us to King's Cross."

"Really, now? Well, I'm afraid there's been a bit of a change in plans. You see, Dumbledore contacted us, and we're to escort you directly to Hogwarts personally. He seemed to think this was best, given the present situation."

Harry wasn't sure how stupid the Minister thought he was. The way several of the other wizards in the room kept their wands raised at everyone, however, clearly showed what he meant. If the Minister didn't leave with Harry in tow, every one of his friends would be in serious danger. Harry started to open his mouth, but Tonks beat him to it.

"I guess that's alright," Tonks said quickly. "If I have no choice."

The Minister extended a hand, meaning to motion Tonks towards him,, but Tonks walked coldly past without so much as brushing up against Scrimgeour's robe. Her eyes darted back to where Harry stood still, glaringly. The Minister caught where she was looking, and for a moment watched his exact spot furiously. Some of the other wizards began to do the same, but after a moment, he gave up and turned around without another word to anyone else in the room.

"Harry!" Hermione said, once the Ministry officials were safely away. "Harry, are you still in here?"

She began waving her arms around wildly through the air. "I'm over here," he told her, looking out the window as the cars drove down the road. "Should we go after them, though?"

"And do what?" Ron wondered, looking at the kitchen sink next to him as though it were mad.

"Tonk will be alright," Ginny assured him. "The important thing is for you to get past the Anti-Apparation Line now."

"Yes, Harry, you mustn't try and do anything foolish now," Hermione said frantically. "Tonks knew what she was doing, and Dumbledore is probably waiting for you right now."

"You really should listen to her for once, mate." Ron was still looking aimlessly around the kitchen as he spoke. "There's no point in you going after her now, when they've got such a head on you already."

All three of them sounded as though they had prepared this speech in advance. Any other time, Harry might have protested. He still felt torn at the idea of leaving while Tonks was being taken away by the Ministry in his place. A few months ago, he would have stormed out the door in a blaze to try and stop her, and have to be restrained by everyone. Things were different now, though. He had seen the whole magical world in a new and dangerous light.

"You're right," he told her, straightening up. "If anyone can slip away from that lot, it's her. She's a Metamorphmagus, after all!"

Hermione blinked. "Right..."

"I should go now," he told them, stepping towards the door. "See you all at King's Cross, alright?"

"Sure," Ron nodded, watching the door open with a perplexed expression. "Take care of yourself, mate."

"Bye!"

Harry tore off through the backyard of the Burrow towards the field in the distance. The fence blocking his path slowed him down no more than a second as he lept spryly over it. He was by no means a sprinter, but the though of getting away as fast as he could motivated him. By now, the Ministry might have figured out who Tonks really was. This meant he needed to hurry. The trunk now tucked safely in his pocket gave him some strange comfort. He found himself pawing it every few minutes through the fabric of his jeans.

A light feeling went through him as he crossed the Line. Harry paused for a moment to catch his breath and look around. There was no one else here besides him. His feet made impressions in the ground, the colors of the grass changing little by little as he shifted positions slightly.

A loud crack came from behind him. Harry thought for a dim second that someone had Apparated behind him. Before he could turn, however, pain shot through his body. The Disillusionment Charm shattered as his whole body went numb. Harry felt himself fall forward as everything went dark.