Harry Potter

and the

Oracle of Four Seasons

Chapter 25

Goodbye, Hogwarts!

by Ri-kun

"I feel like I should have seen it before now," Harry said, his back straight and eyes level with Dumbledore's brother. "Probably, I did, and just wouldn't let myself think about it. That's why you seemed too eager at first, offering to teach me potions yourself. You needed a reason to keep me close, but that went against Dumbledore's plans. For one thing, you don't know the first bit about teaching potions. And secondly, there was too big a risk involved."

Alberforth said nothing as Harry faced him across his desk, Morgan standing beside him. "Dumbledore was afraid I might pick up on something. He thought if you spent too much time around me, that I would guess you were someone else. You must have been miffed, but in the end, who could argue with Dumbledore?"

Alberforth still said nothing. "Where is he?" Harry demanded.

"I don't know."

Harry was surprised by the quickness, the abruptness of his answer. "As in, you don't know where he is, or you don't know what I'm talking about?"

"I don't know," Alberforth repeated, sounding drawn out. "Dumbledore never told me anything more than what he felt was necessary. He said he would be away for some time, that he'd stay in contact with me, and that I should keep an especially close watch on you. For your own safety, of course, but also because he felt you were getting a little too carried away with yourself."

Alberforth paused, considering Harry for a moment. "I thought he was getting paranoid. Now, it looks like he had good reason. You have no idea how refreshing it is to see my brother finally outsmarted, and by one of his own students no less. My life could be called complete now."

Harry shook his head. "Dumbledore outsmarted himself more, I think," he countered. "You were acting too much like how Dumbledore did when he and I first met. I kept thinking something was strange, but there were other things to worry about. Guess I should have paid attention before now. If it weren't for that memory, I might never have worked it all out."

"Don't sell yourself short," Alberforth said insistantly, as he stood up. "Albus counts on people to do that to themselves. That's how he gets his way with everybody; it's how he's gotten his way with me for years now. I kept telling myself that I'd find the courage to stand up to him, but it always came down to the fact that he was cleverer than me. No matter what, I would never be as smart as him. He knew that."

"Why are you here now, then?" Harry asked, as Alberforth stood with his back to them. "What made you change your mind?"

Alberforth said nothing for a moment, and Harry wondered briefly if he would. When he finally answered, it was in a tone filled with resignation, like he'd given up after a long, hard fight. "Nothing," he whispered softly. "There just didn't seem any point in fighting him. I used to have this idea that I could go somewhere, find some place that he'd never think of looking for me in, and stay there. It was such a silly, childish dream. When Albus insisted, I came back here to help him with the Order. You boys would do wise to stay away from that bit of bad business, incidentally. The Order of the Phoenix has darker roots than you know."

"Because of Grindelwald," Harry stated.

Alberforth whirled around in surprise. "Who told you that?" he wondered, looking very afraid.

"Ask your sister, Reinette," he replied, evasively. "She should be down at Hogsmeade right now. That's another thing I feel like I missed, but then again, she does a lot better job of keeping a low profile."

Harry hesitated for a moment, then continued speaking. At this point, he might as well be straightforward. "She told me no one would remember anything about that night. I wasn't sure I believed her, but if you remember Grindelwald there at that castle in the sky, but not me, she must have erased all your memories. I bet she foresaw me coming."

Alberforth didn't look quite as shocked as Harry had expected him to, but he quickly decided that wasn't important. "Was she always able to see people's futures?" he pressed. "Or did she learn to, like how Professor Trewlawney claims people can?"

"Reinette," Alberforth spoke softly. "None of us have spoken in so long, and when Albus invited us here, I was sure it wasn't for a family get-together. No, she was always able to know things. As a child, she would sometimes stare at people, and guess at something that had just happened to them. Mother thought it an embarassment, but since so many pure-blood families were losing the unique talents that had been their claim to fame, she played it up like it was a special talent from her side. People bought it, but Reinette didn't like performing for people. Albus was our mother's favorite, so willing to bask in the limelight for her sake."

"Wow," Morgan mumbled. "And I thought my family was screwed up."

"You say she erased our memories?" Alberforth pressed, ignoring Morgan. "There were several times that Grindelwald visited us, but I can think of only one time where we were all at the summer castle, and that was years before your parents were born."

"Ask Reinette," Harry repeated. "To be honest, I really don't know how she managed it, but the Time-Turner Grindelwald had stolen was how I got back. She had told me before I left that I would have to find my own way home. When I saw it, I knew that was what she'd meant by."

Alberforth looked blank-faced. "I simply don't remember."

"Good," said Harry. "If you don't, then there's a chance Dumbledore doesn't, either."

After a moment's silence, Harry spoke up again. "What is the Heart of Grindelwald for?"

"What?" Alberforth said, startled. "Who told you about that?"

"No one. I found it with a nest of vampires this past summer. A vampire queen was planning to use it in a resurrection ceremony. She said it was called the Heart of Darkness, but had also been called the Heart of Grindelwald before. Did Grindelwald make it for something specific?"

"Magic cannot revive the dead," Alberforth insisted. "Even Dumbledore knew that."

"She had been a vampire before," he explained, quickly. "Someone drove a stake through her chest, but missed part of the heart. Her body decayed, but her ghost... Look, it's a really long story."

"Could you tell me later?" Morgan pressed, interested. "This sounds facinating."

"I can't believe it," Alberforth whispered, more to himself than anyone else in the room. "He knew all this time. He knew, and kept it a secret from us. That dirty, bastard, son of a ghost knew, and didn't tell us!"

"What did he know?" Harry asked, suddenly very interested. "What did Dumbledore keep secret?"

"At this point," Morgan went on. "A better question would be, what didn't he?"

Alberforth looked at each of them, wearing a grave expression. Slowly, Harry began to get a crawling suspicion that they were in trouble, far worse trouble than anything McGonagal or even Snape had thrown his way. At that moment, he knew Morgan and himself needed to get out of there, for Alberforth was reaching into the sleeve of his robe. Harry spotted something long and wooden, and raised his own wand. Alberforth was faster, however, and disarmed him with a silent wave.

"I might not be as clever as my brother," Alberforth warned. "But you don't spend so many years around Albus Dumbledore without picking up a thing or two. You, drop your wand and put your hands up where I can see them. Both of you, now."

Slowly, cursing himself the whole time, Harry did as he was told. Morgan seemed a bit more compliant, but a quick glance told Harry that he had a plan. Just as Morgan's arms stretched as high as they would go, he leaned forward and shifted to his wolf form. Alberforth didn't seem all that impressed, and just stood there as Morgan charged him. Before he reached the acting headmaster, however, something blocked his path. An invisible wall of some kind sprang up between them, stopping Morgan cold with a sick thud.

"Albus thought I needed extra protection," Alberforth explained, waving his wand to levitate Morgan back. "Though I loathe it when he's right, you really can't fault his sense of style. Sorry to have to do this to the both of you, but you know far too much. I'll have to put you away somewhere for now until I decide the two of you can keep your mouths shut."

"You can't do this," Harry said, imploringly. "There are other people out there who will come looking for me, other members of the Order of the Phoenix!"

The mention of the Order seemed to push Alberforth over the edge. "The Oder," he growled. "Albus would like to think he's redeemed the name by now. He'd like to think he's redeemed a lot of things, but some of them are going to come crashing down on him. I don't need any special gifts or intellect to work that out. Anyone could see that if they bothered to."

A familiar glint appeared in Alberforth's eyes. "The Order won't be able to help you. Where you're going, no one will."

* * * * *

"I have to say, I'm relieved," Morgan said, a while later. "The way he was going on, I was scared he was sending us off to Azkaban."

"The Dementors aren't in Azkaban anymore," Harry reminded him, pacing back and forth in their cell. "What would be the point in shipping us off to some island when they can recreate the same miserable setting here?"

"Minus the soul-sucking wraiths bent on devouring our emotions."

"Right."

An uncomfortable silence fell between them. After a few moments, Morgan turned towards Harry. "You really have no idea how we're going to get out of this one, do you?"

That hit home hard. "No," he admitted. "A part of me is still finding it hard to believe they threw us both in the dungeon."

"Slytherin, remember?" Morgan prompted. "I spent my youth in the servant's quarters, and then got sorted into Salazar's House and stuck at the bottom of the castle. Living underground feels natural to me."

"I guess it should for me, too," Harry mused, pausing for a second. "Only, my cupboard was at least sea level with the rest of the Dursley house."

"What?"

"The Dursleys," he explained. "My aunt and uncle would put me in the cupboard when I was living in Surrey. They had two spare bedrooms, but a closet was good enough for me. I think that's why I haven't grown much until recently. They only moved me to the upstairs after my Hogwarts letter came. Magic terrifies them."

Morgan didn't answer at first. "That stinks," he stated flatly. "Nice way to treat a hero."

"I'm no hero," Harry disavowed at once. "And I really couldn't care less anymore. Hogwarts has been my home for years now. I really don't care what happens to them from now on. Sorry if I was boring you or something."

"No. No, it's cool," Morgan assured him quickly. "I just... You're really nothing at all how I expected."

"Is that a compliment or an insult?"

Morgan smiled. "A little of both, but if I admit that, you'll probably wind up hexing me to death."

"We don't have our wands," Harry reminded him. "Otherwise, I could open the door. Hermione taught me that one in our first year." Harry's voice trailed off slightly. "I wonder how they're all doing..."

"About as well as we are, hopefully. As bad as things are, I really don't believe they're in any serious danger. Think about it, the teachers would never let them be hurt in any way. Whatever else might have happened, they're probably a lot safer than we are."

"The teachers probably don't know where they are," Harry mused. "Something about all of this feels wrong. I thought I knew Dumbledore at one time. I though he was the one wizard in the whole world I could trust. Dumbledore was going to fix everything, but now..."

"Now, he's holding everyone you know hostage in exchange for keeping you under control," Morgan finished. "Hard to believe, even for me."

"And the worse part is, I'm not sure things weren't always this way. So much that's happened felt like a coincidence, but now I'm starting to believe it was because someone planned it that way. But if that's the case, where does that leave me?"

"In control of your own fate, of course."

Harry and Morgan were both startled by the third voice that reverberated off the walls. Overhead, a light grew out of the dimness inside the dungeon cell until it formed a halo around them. From out of it came the shape of the Oracle, who glared down at Harry disapprovingly.

"Honestly," she scowled, glaring at him. "Do you always get this way when someone captures you?"

"It's the first time I was ever held prisoner in my own home," Harry countered. "This is taking some getting used to."

"What about last year?" Morgan asked, pointedly. "You're forgetting about Umbridge. She made everyone feel like they were prisoners here."

"Even Slytherins?"

Morgan shrugged, nonchalantly. "Not all of us thought she was a good thing, believe it or not. It just wasn't a safe time to speak out, if you remember. Some of us were put out that the centars let her go, instead of finishing the job. We were going to take up a collection before the Ministry came to take her away, but Professor Snape made us stop."

Harry blinked. "Oh."

"I hate to interrupt what I'm sure is a romantic moment between you two," the Oracle cut in, derisively. "But I projected myself all this way to rescue you. If you boys would rather be left alone in here, though..."

"What's the catch?" Harry asked, immediately.

The Oracle nodded at his statement and gave Harry a very pleased smile. "Very good. You're getting much better at this, but I came to help you because letting you rot here would mean you might never complete your bargain with me, and I have another job for you soon. Your friend, however, has no such contract with me. Therefore, I'm in no position to oblige helping him."

"Morgan helped me when I was being held by the Death Eaters," Harry told her. "He helped me get away. I never would have made it if not for him."

"Not my problem," she replied, flippantly. "You should really reconsider getting into debt with so many people. It will only end in disaster sooner or later."

"It's alright," Morgan spoke up, then. "Go with her and get yourself out."

Harry looked at him. "What? No, we'll find some way to..."

"I made my decision," he interrupted. "If you don't get out of here, there's no telling what could happen. Besides, I wouldn't expect you'd want to take me along anyway. I am a Slytherin and all. If the situation were reversed, do you think I'd stay for your sake?"

Harry felt a grin tug at his mouth. "I think you already have."

Looking up at the image of the Oracle, Harry firmly shook his head. "No deal," he told her. "If Morgan doesn't come, then I stay here."

"And risk putting yourself at the mercy of the Headmaster and his flunkies?" she challenged.

"I've been in much worse situations," he assured her. "Besides, if Dumbledore wanted me dead, he could have done it a million times before now. He needs me alive for whatever he's got planned, and even the Order of the Phoenix would get suspicious if I just up and vanished, not to mention everyone in the castle. Like it or not, I'm just too big to miss. They'll start asking questions, and we both know how much Dumbledore hates answering those."

The Oracle rolled her eyes. "I liked it better when you weren't so quick on your feet," she grumbled quietly. "Blast that girl."

Descending the rest of the way, the Oracle floated in front of Morgan's face for a moment, deliberately ignoring Harry. "You mean every word, don't you?" she pressed, gazing into his eyes. "You're not what you appear to be. I guess even I can be wrong every once in a while. Albus would be thrilled to hear."

"Fine," she stated, drawing back. "You may come as well. I'll have the house-elves take you along, too."

"The house-elves?"

The Oracle looked at Harry. "You never thought to call them yourself?"

"I did," he explained. "When we first got here, but Dobby never came, and I don't know the names of any of the others."

The Oracle tsked. "Don't even know the names of your own soldiers. What kind of commander is that? And I'm afraid Dumbledore was one step ahead of you on this one. After you used Dobby to break into his office, he had the poor elf renounced from this place. House-elves are a tricky sort, though. I'm sure he's fine."

"Dobby is a free house-elf," he reminded her. "He can go wherever he likes."

"And heed the call of whomever he choses," she reminded. "You have to want something before magic will work. This is remedial knowledge, Harry Potter. If you want to summon a house-elf that's sworn loyalty to you, needing them is a basic requirement. Call Dobby, then. I will have the other elves bring you your things. Are you certain you want to do this, though? What about your friends?"

Harry hesitated, then. "Can't we free them?"

"I am limited to what I can do here," she said, sounding genuinely regretful. "And Alberforth will eventually detect my presence, and by that fact, alert Dumbledore. My hand in this must remain concealed. If you want to free them, go now, but you may never have another chance to flee this place. It is no longer the sanctuary it once was. But think on this, Harry Potter. Are you friends in any true danger now?"

She was challenging him, pushing him to make a decision on his own. Harry knew that, and more than ever wished he didn't have to. He didn't want to chose between his friends and his freedom, but as she'd already pointed out, time was running out. In his heart, Harry knew she was right. Hogwarts was no longer safe for him. This wasn't like before, with a basilisk lurking in the pipes or one of his teachers being possessed. The danger was more real than ever, yet he had nothing to fight against. The problem was just too large for him alone to solve without help, and any of his friends who might have come up with a solution were currently held captive like himself. Yet, as the Oracle said, none of them were in danger.

He was the target here. Without him, whatever plan Dumbledore had would surely collapse. Dumbledore had ordered his brother to keep his friends locked up as collateral to be used against him, so that he would tow the line. Harry knew that, in order to beat Dumbledore at his own game, he would have to do something unexpected. Looking over at Morgan, he realized he was going to have to think like a Slytherin. For a moment, he again recalled the memory of when he'd put on the Sorting Hat, who had told him he would do well there. Now, as the decision bore down on him with all the weight of the world, Harry began to question what exactly that had meant.

"Do it," he hissed, painfully.

The silence that followed was deafening. "Are you sure?"

"No, I'm not," Harry snapped. "But do it now, before I change my mind."

With those words, Harry felt as though his stomach would churn right out of his body. His inyards felt as though they'd been transmutated into iron, the weight of which would surely bring him to his knees any moment. The Oracle watched him as he stood there below her, observing him strain against his decision. It seemed as though she were expecting him to change his mind, but when he did, her form evaperated into evanescence with a final nod. Nothing was said between he and Morgan Bloodmoon. Harry looked away, unable to deal with what he might find in the Slytherin's face.

Harry stood off by himself, trying to justify himself with his conscience, until he felt a firm hand grip him by his arm and give it a calming squeeze. Against his better judgement, Harry raised up, and was stunned to find a look of sympathetic understanding in his newfound friend's eyes. He had expected many things, but the empathy shown in Morgan's face rended him speechless.

Morgan did not let go of Harry's arm right away. Harry blinked, and looked down at it, while Morgan at the same time jerked it away as though the contact had suddenly scalded him. Both looked towards the door as the noise of the locks being tumbled open filled the room. It swung inward, and in marched a troupe of house-elves carrying with them Harry's trunk, his Invisibility Cloak, wand, and several other, smaller carriage parsels that apparently were Morgan's.

"Fast work," Morgan noted. "Remind me to call these guys if I ever get kicked out again."

The house-elves deposited the luggage in a nearby corner, then proceeded to surround Harry in a half-moon circle. "We are proud and honored to serve the one true Sock Lord," said one, bowing low.

"Yes, praise to the Sock Lord, whom we willingly serve and obey. The hero who conquered the Dark Lord!"

It sounded to Harry as though the room were suddenly filled with a bunch of cheerleaders that had been sucking down helium from balloons that had been left over from Dudley's last birthday party. Morgan couldn't contain himself, and turned away so he could quietly laugh into his hand.

"Um, thanks," was all that came to Harry's mind. "This won't get any of you into trouble, will it?"

"The servant of the Sock Lord said we were to bring this here," one readily answered.

"Yes," Harry nodded. "I meant, this won't get you punished by Dumbledore?"

"We are bound to the castle of Hogwarts," one spoke up, almost nervously. "The house-elves are not tied to one particular headmaster. We do whatever is necessary to preserve and protect our home. As the one called Dobby explained, the great Sock Lord is the defender of Hogwarts. Therefore, we swear loyalty to you, as we have done to the castle for time beyond time."

"You have to admire their loyalty," Morgan said. "When this is all over with, I'm going to think of some way to get you tell me how they wound up calling you..." And then, Morgan staggered from another fit of the giggles. "...Sock Lord."

Harry ignored him. "Thank you," he said to the house-elves. "Now, how do we get out of here?"

"We will send you beyond the borders of the castle's magic," the head elf explained, as they gathered around him and Morgan in a circle. "We is not bound by the same laws as you are. We will take you to the place at the foot of the castle grounds. The servant of the Sock Lord said she would be waiting for you there."

"Oh, right."

"So, is this going to be anything like..." Morgan started, as a loud crack filled the dungeon chamber

And with that, they were standing in a street somewhere in Hogsmeade. "...the last time?" he finished.

"Seems like it," Harry nodded. "Wait, where's our stuff?"

As if in answer, their luggage materialized next to them. "That answer your question?" Morgan teased lightly. "Now, where do we go from here? If with those little pointy-eared midgets' help, they'll be looking for us soon enough. We might want to get off the street."

"Nice to see you making friends with someone that can think," came the Oracle's voice, not far away.

Harry looked and saw the Oracle coming their way with several of her serving girls walking along behind her. "The girls will take care of your bags," she said, snapping her fingers. "Once we get inside, I'll see to the both of you. You each look as though you've had a very hard time of it. Some food and a place to rest would definitely be in order. After that, you can get started on helping Mr. Potter with his next order of business."

Neither one moved at first, even after the girls had gathered up their things. Two of them strode past he and Morgan, passing their wands back to them. He and Morgan accepted them, looking at once another rather bemused.

"Well, don't just stand there," the Oracle snapped, sounding very much like McGonagal all of a sudden. "Let's get moving."