Chapter 14: House of Hate

Harry had been sent back to Hogwarts early in the morning after a quick breakfast at the Burrow with only a brief reassurance that he would be seeing everyone again just as soon as preparations were complete. After that, he once again found himself in the empty halls of Hogwarts. Dumbledore was away, Professor McGonagall was away, and thankfully Snape was away too.

That did not mean, however, that Harry had nothing to do. Instead, he rushed to the Room of Requirement as fast as he could, barely pausing even for Justice's questions until he reached his destination.

"I must admit," Justice said as Harry stood in the center of the room ten minutes after they had returned to the castle. "This is not what I expected."

"Come on, Justice," Harry said as he waved around the sword he'd had the room make. "I'm going to have to fight Voldemort again at some point; I need to learn something that'll give me an edge, something that he won't expect."

"And you wish to be like Commander Surana, don't you?" Justice asked, causing Harry to flush slightly. "There is no shame in that; there are far worse people to wish to model oneself after." The spirit was silent for a time before he gave the mental equivalent of a sigh. "My concern, however, is with practicality. I do not know how much I can help you. My skill with weapons came from instinct, and most of the mortal, physical abilities I was present for the learning of were based on a staff rather than a sword."

"You've helped me learn magic before, even when you were in that coma," Harry insisted. "Surely your instincts can help at least a bit."

Justice was silent for a time. "Perhaps," he said after a long moment. "And you are correct that, if you were to learn these skills, you may be able to catch Voldemort by surprise." Harry was about to speak, but Justice silenced him with a thought. "However, there are still several matters of practicality that I would like to discuss. First, do not expect to be able to cast spells with an ordinary sword. The blade you saw Commander Surana wielding was a special one: forged centuries before and woven with lyrium. He did know enough about it to make one of his own some time after I met him, but I was not made privy to that knowledge. Any blade you wield would be nothing more than a blade."

Harry sighed as he looked down at the sword in his hand. From what he knew of wizarding duels, range was an important part: it gave the duelists time to dodge and plan that they just didn't have in close range. True, his reflexes were better than the average wizard due to his Quidditch training, but were they good enough to get into close quarters without magic? He knew he was right-handed, not ambidextrous, so he wouldn't be able to use a sword and wand at the same time with any level of skill. After a moment, though, he brightened. "I wonder if there's anything like that here?" he said, looking to one side just in time to see a table appear with several books and scrolls on it. "Looks like it," he said as he made his way over and grabbed the nearest book, almost not noticing the very human sensation of amused exasperation from Justice.

As it turned out, there did exist something that fit the basic idea Harry had in mind. They had been very popular during the early Middle Ages, but began to fall out of favor after the Status of Secrecy came into effect due to their difficult-to-hide nature. They were also much more difficult to control than the average wand, certainly not something a fourteen-going-on-fifteen year old would be able to easily handle. Still, with Justice there…

"Possibly," Justice cut in. "However, I would still recommend a different path. There is far more to swordsmanship than being able to carry and control a sword, and many of those things would be difficult for me to pass onto you with any degree of success. Magic is a part of my nature, and thus it is easy for me to give guidance." Harry slumped slightly, but the spirit wasn't finished yet. "It is also true that you will need a new magical tool before too long. Your wand is a product of the magical system of this world: designed for precision and control rather than the channeling of raw power. As we further combine and your magical aptitude grows, there may come a time that your wand will be insufficient for your strength. If I were to make a recommendation, a staff would be better for you than a sword; especially since I have some knowledge of how to create and maintain one."

"Really?" Harry asked, glancing back at the book. Staves had been mentioned several times, and carried many of the same issues as swords. However, there were still several magical cultures that used them extensively.

"Indeed," Justice said. "However, our bond is currently too weak to fully control a staff, even one from this world."

"Then I guess we should go back to training," Harry said, closing the books and standing up. "The sooner we can control a secret weapon, the better."

"Yes," Justice said, and Harry was pleased to note that there was only a faint trace of guilt and worry in the spirit's voice: it seemed revealing himself to Ron and Hermione and not being rejected had done some good for his psyche. Still, as they sat down on the cushions that now lined the floor, Harry knew that there was still quite a ways to go. A moment later, their minds merged, and pain once more filled their united thoughts.

As usual, the merge only lasted for a few agonizing seconds before the pain drove them apart, but Harry was satisfied that they had lasted longer than they had last time, and they weren't even knocked unconscious by the breaking of the bond; though they were still left gasping for breath afterwards. All in all, a major improvement.

"I think we're getting close," he said as he got up, thanking the Room for the fact that it could turn the floor into mats when he and Justice were working. "Maybe we'll even be able to manage it before school starts."

"I would not go quite that far," Justice cautioned. "There is still time; no need to rush."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right," he said before glancing up at the clock that the room had made. "We should check in with Flitwick, McGonagall probably told him to make sure that we're not on our own for too long." Justice agreed, and Harry stepped out of the Room of Requirement, pulling the Marauder's Map that he carried with him along with his Invisibility Cloak on Dumbledore's instructions.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," he muttered, tapping the worn parchment with his wand as he turned towards the Charm's classroom, just in case Flitwick had decided to go for a walk.

What he saw, however, caused him to come to a screeching halt. "What's she doing here?" he asked, staring at the labeled dot that was making its way up the front path to the castle: Dolores Umbridge.

"We best be cautions," Justice said, his voice dangerously cold. "I don't like this."

"Yeah, me neither," Harry muttered, pulling the Invisibility Cloak out and wrapping it around himself as he hurried back down the castle towards where Umbridge was. What could she possible want? Dumbledore would have told him if the Ministry was planning an inspection… unless they weren't, and this was some sort of trick, but then how had she gotten into the castle? Whatever was going on, Harry wanted to know about it. Slowing to a careful walk as he checked his map again, he noted that Umbridge was only a few corridors from him and heading his way. Pressing himself back against the wall, Harry waited for the Ministry woman to pass by, noting the clipboard she carried with her as well as the cold smirk on her face, before falling into step a ways behind her.

'She's heading towards Dumbledore's office,' Harry thought after a minute of walking. He quickly checked the map. 'Looks like he got back at some point.'

'Then it is likely that this meeting has something to do with us,' Justice thought back, his voice still all but coated with ice. 'How curious.'

Harry blinked; Justice had mentioned that he'd been able to finish forming a rough defense against the corruption at the base of Harry's soul, though he would continue to modify it until he was satisfied. However, the tone of his voice… 'Justice… are you alright?' he asked warily, falling a few paces further back from Umbridge as he did; she mustn't know he was there.

'I am,' Justice said. 'I am simply… ill at ease, around Dolores Umbridge. Seeing her reminds me of… others, especially the claiming of children... that should not be permitted. Too many have abused it in the past.'

Harry nodded just as Umbridge reached the gargoyle protecting Dumbledore's office and gave the password in that high, singsong voice of hers. Harry carefully slipped in just before the stone guardian was able to come back into place before following her up the moving staircase.

"Hem hem," she said as she knocked.

"Ah, come in, Madam Umbridge," Dumbledore responded, his voice maintaining its normal calm, friendly demeanor despite who he was addressing. The witch did so, thankfully not closing the door before Harry could slip in himself. As he did, there was a faint brush against his mind that Justice intercepted, and Dumbledore's eyes flicked briefly to him as he moved to stand in a corner out of the way. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Umbridge smiled tightly as she made her way to stand in front of Dumbledore's desk, ignoring the chair that was already pulled out and waiting. "Several things, Dumbledore," she said, her voice even more sickly-sweet than usual. "I do hope I'm not… interrupting anything?"

"Of course not," Dumbledore said. "Lemon drop?"

"I'll pass," Umbridge said. "Now, I know this is a bit early, but I was talking with the Minister yesterday, about Hogwarts… difficulties, with finding and keeping qualified Defense Against the Dark Arts professors. There have been a few decent ones, but the most recent batch have been… substandard. A werewolf, Dumbledore, really?"

"From the student comments I've heard, Remus was actually considered one of the most successful professors in recent years," Dumbledore said, the slight dulling of his eyes' twinkle the only sign of whatever he was feeling about that comment. "However, I will admit that the school has had a great deal of ill luck in regard to that position. Did Cornelius or yourself have any ideas as to preventing further misfortunes?"

Umbridge's smile turned even more brittle. "The Minister," she said sweetly, "believes that your more recent choices have been much too adventurous. A return to the basics will be for the best, and after further discussion I volunteered to take on the position myself." Pulling a thick parchment letter off her clipboard, she placed it on the desk in front of Dumbledore. "I'm sure you will find my credentials acceptable, especially in comparison to… others." Harry clenched his fists, forcing himself to remain silent despite the boiling anger beginning to fill him.

Dumbledore didn't immediately take the letter, instead keeping his eyes on Umbridge. "I must admit, this is the first I've heard about you being interested in teaching. I had thought you enjoyed your position as Senior Undersecretary, and I wouldn't wish to deny Cornelius such an effective advisor."

"Your concern is most touching, Dumbledore, but I have absolute faith that there are enough loyal people in the Minister's office to make up for my absence, and the education and upbringing of proper Wizarding children is of utmost importance to the Ministry. I believe, and the Minister agrees, that a personal touch is what is required to bring this school back to acceptable standards."

'Claim dominion over it, you mean?' Justice snarled. 'I know her ilk.' Harry agreed, but didn't put his thoughts to words even in his mind for fear of creating a feedback loop and potentially giving rise to the darkness within. The last thing he needed was a blowup now.

Dumbledore, meanwhile, kept his face calm. "Very well, I shall take your offer into consideration," he said.

The witch's smile widened. "I do not believe you will have much of a choice in the matter, Dumbledore," she said. "The Ministry is very interested in making sure that there are no more of your experiments teaching this year. I doubt you will have any other candidates."

"We will see," Dumbledore said. "But you mentioned that you had several things to discuss with me this morning?"

"Of course," Umbridge said. "As I'm sure you've already guessed, the other matter is Harry Potter. The Ministry received your paperwork declaring yourself his guardian, and after some debate it was decided that there should be an inspection, just to be sure."

"Certainly," Dumbledore said, once more glancing at Harry as he rose to his feet. "I'm sure he's in the library, working on his summer assignments. If you wish to speak to him, I can take you there immediately."

"That would be wonderful," Umbridge said. "I'm sure, if we hurry, we can get this all sorted out without further interference."

Dumbledore simply kept smiling as he opened the door for Umbridge. "After you," he said, allowing the toad-like woman to leave the office before stepping out himself, leaving the office door open just long enough for Harry to join them on the moving staircase. As soon as the trio arrived at the bottom, Dumbledore led Umbridge down the corridor that Harry knew led to the longer way of getting to the Hogwarts library.

Smiling grimly, Harry turned and headed in the proper direction. 'I wonder what she's up to?' he thought to Justice. 'The Ministry can't seriously expect to find any reason to take us away from Hogwarts, can they?'

'I doubt it loses them much to try,' Justice said. 'And they likely wish to intimidate us.' Harry snorted; it would take more than some Ministry witch causing trouble to frighten him.

Although, now that he thought about the consequences of Umbridge actually becoming the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. While she probably wouldn't have Lockhart's raw incompetence, having a Ministry spy dedicated to hurting Dumbledore's reputation when Voldemort was on the prowl would be disastrous, especially in as vital a position as Defense Against the Dark Arts. 'I wonder if anyone will complain about it?' he thought. 'Or will they all buy into Fudge's story?'

'Not all of them will,' Justice said. 'There are always some who oppose tyranny.' What went unsaid, of course, was the possibility that there might not be enough.

Harry shook his head as he slipped his Invisibility Cloak off before entering the library. Madam Pince glanced at him as he did, but chose not to comment as she grabbed a duster so as to have an excuse to follow him. Harry, however, only went to one of the general reference shelves near the front and grabbed a few standard fifth-year books.

He had just finished arranging himself as if he had been studying for a while at a nearby table when Dumbledore and Umbridge entered the library. "Hello, Harry," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling as he led the way over.

"Hello, Professor," Harry said, keeping his face carefully blank as he looked at Umbridge, suppressing the urge to glare at her as she smirked slightly.

"It is so good to see you again, Mr. Potter," she said. "I am just here on behalf of the Minister to make sure that there are no… issues, that need to be rectified." The way she said that sent a chill down Harry's spine and caused Justice to snarl in the back of their shared mind, but he was still able to keep his face impassive. When he didn't immediately speak, Umbridge continued. "Hem hem. Now, there are just a few questions that I wish you to answer completely truthfully, can you do that for me?"

"Of course," Harry lied easily.

Umbridge's smile widened, making her look more like a toad than ever. "Very good, Mr. Potter, very good," she breathed. "Now, I suppose we should start off with something simple, have there been any issues here at Hogwarts that you wish to discuss?"

Harry blinked; he hadn't expected that, she must have known he wouldn't be stupid enough to say anything that might jeopardize his stay at Hogwarts. Maybe she was just saying that because she had to make this appear like a legitimate visit. "No," he said. "Nothing comes to mind."

The quill Umbridge was holding scratched briefly on the parchment. "Are you certain, Mr. Potter," she said. "Anything at all?"

"Nothing."

"Hmmm… I see. Now, onto something else. Since the hearing, have you spent all your time here?"

'Now that was more what I was thinking,' Harry thought grimly. Unless Percy had somehow failed to mention Harry's presence at the Burrow last night, Umbridge already knew the answer to that question. Deciding it couldn't hurt to confirm that, he spoke. "I visited my friends once."

From the glint in Umbridge's eyes, it was clear she had in fact known about that visit, and that she believed his acknowlegemnt had put him into some trap of hers. "And might I ask what you were doing there?" she asked sweetly.

"Last I checked, it wasn't illegal to visit friends," Harry said, unable to completely keep the edge out of his voice. Umbridge's smirk simply widened as she made another note.

"And did anything happen while you were there?" she asked.

"I fail to see how this relates to your business here," Harry shot back. Dumbledore raised an eyebrow in warning but didn't comment further.

"You'll find, Mr. Potter, that a great many things relate my business here," Umbridge said silkily. "But enough about that, you have not yet answered the question."

Harry could tell that she already knew exactly what she wanted him to say: that Justice had flared up. However, he simply stared her in the eye and kept his mouth shut, he wasn't going to give her the satisfaction.

"Mr. Potter, answer the question," Umbridge said, her voice going up a pitch as she stared back at him.

The tension that filled the air was shaken as Dumbledore gave a light cough. "Madam Umbridge, I will say that Harry has a point, though he could stand to put it more tactfully," he said. "The purpose of your visit is to ensure that Harry Potter's wellbeing is being respected here at Hogwarts. What happens at the home of a friend is not included in that purpose."

Umbridge slowly turned to face Dumbledore, her smile shrinking away into an ugly scowl as her voice chilled. "Very well, I shall speak candidly," she said quietly, all traces of sweetness gone. "The Ministry knows for a fact that Harry Potter's abnormality continues to cause chaos and put everyone around him at risk. Despite the Wizengamot's decision, one that I believe to have been ill advised and made in haste, it is clear that Harry Potter cannot be trusted in any significant matters until a thorough examination has been made. The Ministry deserves to know what lurks within this boy, and why you're so concerned with hiding it from us."

'You deserve nothing but scorn, tyrant,' Justice hissed, his anger flaring once more. Harry gritted his teeth to keep from speaking those words himself, making sure to not repeat what had happened when Percy betrayed his family. Dumbledore's eyes had also lost their normal shine and were now flat and hard, though not yet blazing with true power.

"As I told Cornelius," he said, his voice still completely calm. "Harry Potter is as sane as you and I. He is unique, certainly, but then we all are in our own way. He is no threat to the Ministry or anyone else around him. His true enemy is and has always been Lord Voldemort and those that serve him, as is mine. Should the Ministry choose to acknowledge this threat, we shall all once again be on the same side."

Umbridge's quill was moving again even as she stared at Dumbledore. "Still spouting misinformation, I see," she whispered. "The Ministry does not take kindly to those who try to spread panic and discord in the Wizarding World."

"Nor do I, Dolores," Dumbledore said. "I seek to prevent the panic that will come when Voldemort returns to the open. He will not remain hidden forever: he is simply building his strength." The headmaster's voice took on a different note, one that Harry could almost categorize as hopeful. "It is not too late, though. If the Ministry…"

"The Ministry does not have time to cater to the whims of delusional little boys, or bow to the pressures of wizards who are seeking to undermine the peace," Umbridge said. "If the Minister were to agree to your terms, how long would it be before you demand more, and more? How long will it be before you are running the Ministry for all intents and purposes?"

Harry's blood was reaching its boiling point: he remembered the first full day he'd known he was a wizard: how Hagrid had told him that Fudge was constantly asking Dumbledore for advice. At the time, he'd wondered whether a man like that should really be in charge of anything, but now he wished that Fudge still depended on Dumbledore; at least someone competent would be calling the shots. As he began to open his mouth, however, both Dumbledore's and Umbridge's gazes flicked to him, the former with a calm demand to control himself and the latter with barely restrained malice. Taking a breath, Harry forced calm back upon his own mind, and a moment later Justice acknowledged the assistance and faded back.

With the danger passed, the headmaster looked back at Umbridge, a profound sadness in his eyes. "I am disappointed that the Ministry cannot be convinced to put its people before itself," he said. "It seems that I will have to continue working in my own ways to prevent Voldemort from regaining the kind of power he held in those dark days." He paused, but Umbridge didn't take the offer to speak, so the Headmaster continued. "If you have any further questions on Harry's health, I would recommend that you direct them to Madam Pomfrey, the only trained Healer who has had a hand in Harry's care. Now, is there anything else you wish to discuss?"

Slowly, Umbridge pressed her quill to a small holding clip on the side of the clipboard, not taking her eyes off Harry. "No, I believe I have a firm grasp on where everything stands," she said. "However, I will warn you: when I come to this school at the beginning of term, things will begin to change, Dumbledore, whether you like it or not. Good day." With that, she turned and walked away.

A long minute of silence passed before Dumbledore gave a small sigh and turned fully towards Harry. "I'm sure you have questions," he said, and Harry knew instinctively that he was speaking to both Harry and Justice as he did, "and I'll be happy to answer them if you'll just step into my office." Harry nodded quickly and immediately got up and followed the headmaster, sparing only a moment for a polite nod to Madam Pince, who huffed and went to clean up his books. After a minute of walking, Dumbledore spoke again. "How are you feeling, Harry?"

"Fine, sir," Harry said. "Will she be the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?"

Dumbledore sighed again. "I certainly hope not, Harry," he said. "But we should hold on further discussion until we reach my office." Personally, Harry didn't understand why, but he decided to accept Dumbledore's request. Before long, the pair were once more in Dumbledore's office.

"Now, you were concerned about whether or not Dolores would become our newest professor, and I will admit that the thought is not one I am pleased with. With Voldemort on the rise, that particular class will be vital for the students of Hogwarts. However, unfortunately, it is possible that I will have no choice."

"Can't you find someone else, sir?" Harry said. "There has to be someone…"

"Sadly, it is not that simple. Our victory over Cornelius' hasty attempt to claim you was an important one; however there have been repercussions. Being overruled by the Wizengamot has shown Cornelius that his hold over the Ministry was not as complete as he believed, and he is now working to solidify that control. Sadly, with the help of certain groups that have a vested interest in Voldemort remaining undetected, they have a good chance of succeeding, at least for a time."

"Malfoy," Harry hissed.

"Among others, yes," Dumbledore said. "Unfortunately, since the Ministry has a great deal of control over the media, it is very difficult to convince the large number of people it would take to effect change that there is a serious issue. Eventually, more and more irrefutable evidence will appear, but I fear that Voldemort will have completed his preparations by then. As for our Professor issue, the Ministry has great power of coercion, and so even if I were to find someone there is a good chance that they would be able to convince them to step down."

"There have to be some people who aren't under the Ministry's sway!" Harry cried.

"There are some, yes, but unfortunately they are few and far between, and those that trust me have important missions elsewhere that they will not be able to complete should they take up the post. Plus, I cannot risk that the curse on the position will cause them irreparable damage, as it did to Professor Quirrell and Professor Lockhart."

Harry blinked, he'd heard the rumors that the position was cursed, but he'd thought it was just a coincidence that every one of his Defense professors had been forced to leave after one year. "There actually is a curse, sir?" he asked.

"I cannot be absolutely certain," Dumbledore said. "But since we have not been able to keep a professor for more than one year in decades, I believe it is plausible."

"But curses can be lifted," Harry said. "You're the greatest wizard in the world, there has to be something…"

Dumbledore smiled sadly. "You flatter me, Harry. It is true that I am a powerful and talented wizard, but I am not omnipotent. Besides, if my suspicions are correct, this curse was cast by an equally talented wizard. As I have told you before, even if he has chosen to use his powers for evil, Lord Voldemort is exceptionally gifted in the magical arts."

"Voldemort?!" Harry gasped. "How did he…"

"Another story for another time, Harry," Dumbledore said firmly. "The sad fact is that there is a distinct possibility that the Ministry will be able to ensure that Dolores Umbridge becomes our next Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Rest assured, I will do everything in my power to prevent this, but it is very possible, perhaps even likely."

Justice's emotions flared. "There must be something that we can do!" he hissed in frustration. "Something Harry or myself-"

Dumbledore shook his head; he must still have been reading the spirit's thoughts. "I'm afraid not," he said sharply. "The two of you have far more important things to focus your attention on." Harry started to open his mouth, only to stop as he realized that Dumbledore's eyes were not twinkling. "Arthur told me about what happened last night. Is there anything either of you would like to tell me?"

Harry tensed. "That was different," he said automatically.

"It was a moment of weakness, a failing, my failing" Justice responded, and from the prickle at the edge of his mind Harry knew that Dumbledore's Leilimency had allowed him to hear as well. "Despite the circumstance, I should have been able to control myself." Harry sighed; the spirit had a point.

Dumbledore nodded. "I am glad that you are able to acknowledge your flaws, Justice," he said. "However, I would like to know what happened. Surely there have been other times when you have felt strong emotion without inadvertently taking over Harry's body."

"There are, but Harry is right that there were unusual circumstances," Justice said. "There is… a darkness here… something that has attached itself to Harry's soul. It… affects him, and through him, myself. I can contain it, but not destroy it."

Dumbledore's shoulders tensed almost imperceptibly as Justice spoke, and he remained silent for a long minute afterwards. Finally, however, he spoke, his every word careful. "I see," he said. "Are you absolutely certain that you have it contained?"

"I am," Justice said. "It can still affect us, but not as much as before, and when it does we will know."

"Professor, what is it?" Harry asked.

For a moment, it seemed like Dumbledore wouldn't answer, but after that moment he did, though he did continue speaking carefully. "Do you remember what you and I discussed during your second year, just after Mr. Weasley and yourself rescued young Ginny Weasley and finally closed the Chamber of Secrets for good?" Harry tensed; he remembered it well. "I told you that, on the night your parents were killed, Voldemort inadvertently left a piece of his own power within you, which gives you access to Parseltounge as well as a connection that warns you when he is close. I believe that is what Justice has found."

"I see," Harry and Justice said together. It was clear to both of them that Dumbledore wasn't telling them the complete truth, but it was equally clear that they weren't going to be getting that information out of him before he was willing to divulge it. The Headmaster raised an eyebrow, but continued on as if he didn't know that they knew.

"Sadly, I do not believe there is anything to be done about it now; with almost fourteen years to ingrain itself into your shared mind." He peered over his half moon glasses. "However, do keep a very close eye on it, and should it begin to strengthen or act alarmingly, be sure to tell me at once. Will you do that?"

"…Of course," Harry said.

Dumbledore nodded, his eyes once again bright. "Then there's nothing more to say about the matter," he said. "I trust that you two will continue working well together." After a moment, he nodded. "Now, I'm sure you have more questions, and I will do my best to answer them."

"Will Mr. Weasley…"

"I do not believe he will be removed from office," Dumbledore said. "I have several sources closer to the Minister than he imagines, and they have informed me that he as not completely given up on the idea of young Percy Weasley being a potential source of information, despite what happened last night." That was good, Harry didn't know what he would do if it turned out that he was the reason that Mr. Weasley had been sacked, after all the Weasleys had done for him. Dumbledore, meanwhile, was still speaking. "That leads to an interesting point, Cornelius has developed such an interest in what happened to you that he is willing to follow up on any lead. Madam Pomfrey mentioned to me that she was approached by several Ministry agents a few days ago asking about you." He chuckled. "Sadly for them, Madam Pomfrey takes patient confidentiality very seriously, so all they received was a tongue-lashing for meddling in affairs that don't concern them. However, you should be careful, especially if the Undersecretary does become our newest Professor."

Harry, however, had a more important question. "When will I see the Weasleys again?"

Dumbledore smiled slightly. "It should not be too much longer. Perhaps two weeks: both to allow time for our Headquarters to be… cleaned, and to ensure that the Ministry does not intend to make any further attempts to claim you. I do not expect them to, but neither did I expect them to attempt to implement the Huntsman's Directive on you. It is best to be certain."

Harry, however, was thinking about something else that Dumbledore had said. "What do you mean, cleaned? I thought Headquarters was at Sirius' home?"

"It is. However, the house has been almost empty for years since his mother died. Since then, the magic of the house, which was never pleasant, has all but gone wild. Sirius is somewhat protected: the house recognizes him as its master, but others who spend too much time there are at risk. However, the worst of the magic has been brought under control, and the rest will soon follow. Once that is done, you will be able to join them, so long as the Ministry does not make any further attempts to claim you."

"I have seen places like that in my world," Justice said. "Where the Veil has been sundered and demons run amok… it is not a pleasant experience, even for me."

Dumbledore looked mildly curious. "It is a shame that there is so much to do," he said. "I admit myself to be interested about you and your world, Justice. Sadly, that is not to be." A minute passed before Dumbledore sighed. "If there are no more pressing questions, I'm afraid there are a few things that I need to take care of." Harry nodded quickly and left the office.

'I think this is the first time I've ever truly wanted to leave Hogwarts,' Harry though wryly as he walked through the silent halls. 'I hope the Ministry doesn't try anything else.'

If the Ministry did make any moves, Harry didn't hear about them, either from the professors of Hogwarts or the Daily Prophet. He was glad of this: by the end of the second week he was almost bouncing off the walls. He couldn't use magic, he and Justice could only rarely attempt merging, and there was only so many times someone other than Hermione could go the library and not go crazy. Had he not had the Room of Requirement, he likely would have gone crazy. It didn't help that he wasn't getting a lot of information about what was going on outside the walls of Hogwarts. Dumbledore was gone more often than he was around, and even when he was at Hogwarts it was only for short periods of time and he never answered any of Harry's questions. Lupin had visited twice to pass on messages from Sirius that things were going well, but he too refused to give any details about what the Order was up to or when Harry could move to be around other people again.

Finally, however, he walked into the Great Hall (which he ate in only out of habit rather than any real need,) only to come to a halt when he realized Professor McGonagall to be there, another relatively uncommon event. "Mr. Potter," she said crisply. "You will be leaving Hogwarts tonight to be moved to Headquarters. Pack your things and be ready to depart at nine o'clock sharp."

Harry's heart leapt. "How will I be getting there?" he asked.

"That will be discussed when the time comes," Professor McGonagall said. "Just be ready to leave then."

As Harry made his way back up to the dorm, breakfast forgotten, he realized that, despite the boredom, there was still a part of him that would be sad to leave the castle. Silent and empty as it was, it would always be the first place he had truly felt at ease, more a home than Privet Drive had ever been. Even though the Burrow now shared that, Hogwarts would always hold a special place in Harry's heart. Besides, he had come to like the Room of Requirement. 'We'll have to show the others once we get back,' he said to Justice, who simply "nodded." Even now, Harry still had trouble describing just what form communication with the spirit took some of the time. He put this out of his mind, however, as he focused on getting ready to relocate.

Finally, when nine o'clock arrived, Harry was sitting at the top of the stairs in the entrance hall beside his trunk and Firebolt when the massive double doors ground open, revealing a dozen witches and wizards, led the by large form of Mad Eye Moody. Harry's tensed second before he reminded himself that this was the real Moody, not Crouch or any other Death Eater.

As he began making his way down the steps, however, the ex-Auror raised a hand. "Sloppy, Potter," he called. "Even when you're expecting people, always assume that they've been compromised. Now ask a question that only one of us would know."

"Moody, is that really necessary?" a younger witch with shocking pink hair grumbled. Her voice was familiar, but it still took Harry a moment to connect the voice with the steely-haired form of Tonks. "You asked us all yourself, and no less than three of us asked you, so…"

"It's the principle of the matter!" Moody growled, his magical eye spinning to glare at her. "Proper security protocol must be observed at all times!"

"Yeah, yeah, constant vigilance and all that," Tonks said. "Alright, fine. Harry, please ask something so that we can leave sometime this hour."

Harry's eyes trailed briefly over the gathered crowd, looking for someone he knew well enough to ask a question that would satisfy Moody before resting on Remus Lupin. "What was the only thing you ever confiscated from me, Professor?" he said.

The werewolf chuckled. "I already told you, Harry, you don't have to call me that anymore," he said. "But to answer your question, it was the map that your father, Sirius, and myself made."

"I guess that'll do," Moody grumbled. "In future, Potter, you'd do well to think up a list of questions to ask everyone you know now, rather than be grasping for one at the last second, but for Merlin's sake don't tell them! If the Death Eaters interrogate them properly..."

"MOODY!" Tonks said. "Please, we know everyone's who they're supposed to be now, so can we go?" Everyone else in the group murmured their agreement.

"Fine, let's get going," Moody said. "You got everything you need?"

"Yes," Harry said, pulling his trunk down the stairs. "How is this going to work?"

"The Ministry is watching the Floo network as well as the Knight Bus, and as you are underage it is inadvisable to use either a Portkey or Side-Along Apperation near Hogwarts," Moody said. "So instead, you will fly with us to a safe house south of here, where you will be free to Floo to another location, where you will be escorted to your final destination. Understood?"

Harry blinked, that seemed rather complex. "Why can't we just Apperate from outside of Hogwarts?" he asked.

"The Trace, the thing that tells the Ministry when magic's going on around underage wizards," Moody growled. "The Ministry can tell what kind of spell is used, and if an Apperation is too close to you, they'll know about it and start asking questions and even if they couldn't cause problems on their own anything they know will get back to the Death Eaters. Once we get away from Hogwarts, however, we'll be safe enough to Floo; especially since they don't have the manpower to watch every fireplace. Of course, first you have to make it there, which is where we come in." Tonks rolled her eyes, but fortunately for her Moody's magical eye was fixed on Harry at the moment so he didn't notice. "Well, let's get your trunk on its way so we can go. It'll be at Headquarters before you arrive; no need to weigh us down on the trip."

Deciding not to argue, Harry pulled his trunk over to the group, where it was quickly grabbed by two of the guards. The two carried it along with the rest of the group as they made their way across the darkening grounds towards the gate. Harry's eyes were drawn to Hagrid's hut, and he realized with a twinge that he hadn't thought much for the half-giant since he spoke to him before school ended. "Has there been any word from Hagrid?" he asked.

"No," Lupin said. "But that's not surprising, he's traveling through rough terrain and avoiding detection, he won't be sending owls regularly. Don't worry, he's tough and he's got Madam Maxime with him. He'll be fine." Harry nodded, hoping the werewolf was right.

"Alright, is everyone ready?" Moody growled as he led the way out of the gates of Hogwarts, his magical eye spinning. "Now, we're going to fly in tight formation around Potter. If something happens, don't stop or break ranks; just keep flying to meet up with the reserves." Tonks muttered something under her breath, but if the ex-Auror heard he chose to ignore it. "Let's fly."

Kicking off, Harry smiled as he felt the air flow around him. Like many things, the Room of Requirement wasn't able to perfectly replicate the indescribable feeling of the cool air whipping by his ears, and he had to prevent himself from accelerating to his full speed: the Firebolt was still the fastest broom in the world by a significant margin, and from the looks of it most of the guard were flying various Cleansweep models with the occasional Nimbus 2000 thrown in.

"Just be glad that Dumbledore talked Moody out of having us fly all the way to Headquarters," Tonks said as she orbited Harry. "He was seriously pushing for it." Harry grimaced, he and Ron had flown in the old Ford Anglia, and that had been uncomfortable enough; making the same trip on a broom at night would be even worse.

As they continued to fly, Harry turned his thoughts inwards to the silent Justice. 'Any thoughts on this Trace?' he asked.

'Yes, actually,' the spirit said. 'I believe I discovered it when I was searching for the cause of my outburst at the Burrow, but after I determined that it was not what I sought I put it aside. Now… If I'm right, it is actually quite a clever spell: it amplifies the ripples in the Fade that occur whenever a mage casts a spell. I assume that somewhere in the Ministry there are mages who are on the lookout for these ripples.'

'Is there a way to stop it?' Harry asked.

'If my theory is correct, then yes,' Justice said. 'I need simply counteract the amplification when a spell is cast; potentially troublesome but not difficult.'

Harry considered; it would be nice to be able to actually use magic if he needed to, but there were still some questions… "Pro… Lupin?" he called as his former teacher flashed by.

"Yes, Harry?" the man replied.

"I've been thinking about this Trace, and I have two questions. First, why does it detect spells I don't cast, and second why aren't there constant alerts for magical families?"

Lupin laughed. "Very good questions, Harry!" he called. "To answer your first, it is simply an easier spell to cast than one that ignores all spells other than the child's, and with many magical children being born or discovered every year the Ministry is happy to accept anything that saves time and effort; it's already tricky enough to set it to automatically lift when the child reaches an age of majority. To answer your second question; there are almost constant false alarms, so much so that they are completely ignored. Wizarding families are assumed to be able to teach their own children the importance of following the rules on underage magic." There was a pause in the conversation as Lupin orbited away from Harry, which gave the young wizard time to consider before his former teacher returned. "In fact, the Trace was not originally put on Wizarding children at all; but in 1888 there were a series of murders that were eventually traced back to an underage wizard; and a law was passed declaring that the Trace was to be put on all children with magic." Lupin smiled grimly. "That law has been repeatedly challenged by the likes of the Malfoys, but it remains in effect to this day."

Harry nodded; that made sense. "So it lifts by itself?"

"Yes, at seventeen. It's actually a very complex bit of magic, especially since it has to be resistant to all manners of counter spells. There are ways to get around it, but those are equally complex and not well known." Again, Lupin's voice faded as he moved away before continuing when he returned. "Now, where we're going will be protected from the Trace, but it would still be good for you to exercise restraint; or Molly will be quite upset." Harry wasn't quite sure if Lupin was referring to using his wand or Justice.

The trip continued in silence, save for Moody shouting course changes every few minutes, seeming to take great cares to direct them through every cloud formation in their path. Harry found himself very grateful for Oliver Wood; his former captain's maniacal training program had gotten the team so wet that this felt positively leisurely to Harry, at least for the time being. The same could not be said for some of the guards, as he could hear Tonks swearing under her breath ever time she came close. Finally, however, the ex-Auror called for a general decent, angling towards the front gate of a decently sized estate.

"Where are we?" Harry asked as he touched down, his eyes flicking over the old walls.

"The Longbottom estate," Moody grunted, his eyes spinning. "Augusta Longbottom's an old friend of the Order and was kind enough to let us use her Floo to get you to London, so long as we did it quickly." Raising a hand, he grabbed rope hanging from the inside of the large bell with lion motifs and rang it. A few moments later, the iron gate creaked open of their own accord, allowing the ex-Auror to enter, followed by Harry and Lupin. "Stay on the path, whatever you do." Harry was about to ask why, before deciding that he really didn't want to know. If Neville's grandmother was as talented at Herbology as he was, then there were likely all manner of nasty plants hanging around.

"The rest of the Guard will Apperate to our destination and meet us there," Lupin said as he followed Harry up the path. "We don't want to test Mrs. Longbottom's patience."

Moody, meanwhile, had reached the front door and used the lion-headed knocker to announce his presence. This time, there was no pause between the echoes of the knock ending and the door swinging open, revealing a woman that Harry vaguely remembered from his first trip to Platform 9 3/4. Tall and thin, she nevertheless had an aura of authority about her as she studied them from the foot of the main staircase. 'Another relative of McGonagall and Bones?' Harry thought.

"You are late," she said sharply. "I was expecting you five minutes ago." Harry glanced at Moody out of the corner of his eyes, wondering if the old Auror had finally met his match.

The scarred man, however, refused to be cowed. "Can't be too careful," he shot back.

"Of course," Mrs. Longbottom said. "That is why I always keep a mousetrap in my handbag. I trust that bit of trivia will suffice that I am no imposter in my own home? You'll forgive me for not drawing this out further by asking you something in turn: if the Order has been infiltrated so deeply that the Ministry or You-Know-Who know to come here at this time with someone who looks like Harry Potter, then we have larger problems."

Moody looked like he was considering pushing the issue, but Lupin nudged his shoulder. "We thank you for your help, Mrs. Longbottom," he said, bowing slightly as he stepped over the threshold.

"The House of Longbottom has always been proud to be a part of the fight against the Dark Arts, Remus Lupin," Mrs. Longbottom said haughtily. "That fact has not changed because of the blind fools who currently hold power in the Ministry." Her eyes turned to Harry, spending only a fraction of a second on his scar before shifting to his eyes. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Mr. Potter. My grandson speaks highly of you."

"Thank you," Harry said. "How's Neville?"

"He is well enough," Mrs. Longbottom said. "Now, if you'll come this way, I've prepared a fireplace for your use." Harry glanced at Lupin, wondering if he should say anything else. His old professor, however, shook his head silently as he nudged Harry to follow Mrs. Longbottom into a small parlor off the main hall, where a fire was already crackling merrily. Rather than the old flowerpot that the Weasleys used, Mrs. Longbottom lifted a small but fancy vase off of the mantle and offered it to the three wizards. Harry took a small handful, silently bracing himself for his least favorite method of travel.

'It is a rather fascinating arrangement,' Justice said as Lupin stepped forward and took a pinch before tossing it into the flame, turning it green.

'What is?' Harry asked.

'Everything,' Justice said as the former professor vanished in a rush of green fire. 'Things seemed… so much simpler, when I was in Thedas. Here… there are so many shadows; twists and turns of…'

"Come on, Potter, we don't have all night," Moody growled, pushing Harry forward. "You're flooing to a place called the Platform Drop-off. Normally used for Hogwarts students to get to Platform 9 ¾ if they live to far for other methods, but Dumbledore has a friend who got it reactivated and is keeping to from being monitored."

Grimacing, Harry stepped into the fireplace; he really hated this method of travel. "Platform Drop-off," he said as clearly as he could through the lingering ash from Lupin's transit.

Thankfully, it seemed he'd made it to the right place as he stumbled out and was steadied by Lupin. A moment later, Moody arrived and stepped out as if he'd done it a hundred times before, his magical eye spinning. "Any trouble?" he asked.

"No," Lupin said. "The rest of the Guard have cleared the area and are spreading themselves along the path to Headquarters. It should be a quick walk."

"Good," Moody said, his eye still moving. "Still, keep your wand out. The mission isn't over until he's safely behind the Headquarter's defenses-"

"We know, Moody, we know," Lupin said as he led the way across the deserted platform, the slightest crack in his patience showing in his voice.

As Lupin had predicted, the trip was short. Every now and then, Harry was able to pick out one of his guards standing around inconspicuously… or at least trying to, in a few cases. Moody muttered something about unprofessionalism every now and then, but kept going at a brisk pace. Finally, the three of them walked onto a darkened street. "Here, Potter, take this," Moody growled, thrusting something into Harry's hand. Cocking his head; he realized that it was a piece of paper with some sort of writing on it: it was too dark for him to read.

"What's this?" he asked.

"Just read it and think about what it says," Moody said, lighting his wand silently and thrusting it next to the paper so that Harry could finally see what was written.

"The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London."

Almost as soon as the last word registered in Harry's mind; a strange chill passed over him. 'What was that?' he thought warily, looking around.

'Some sort of spell,' Justice thought back, his own voice cold. 'I do not believe it was dangerous, but…'

Before the spirit could continue, a flash of motion caught Harry's eye, and as he looked up he realized that something was appearing between two of the houses in front of him. "A Fidelus charm…" he whispered as he watched a house that looked identical to the others on the street grow as if was being inflated.

"Yep," Moody growled, yanking the paper out of Harry's hand and stuffing it into his pocket; likely to dispose of later. "Now hurry, get in before someone sees you." Nodding, Harry made his way up the path after the ex-Auror and stepped in as the door was held open.

He had barely stepped over the threshold when a wave of agony hit him and the world went black.

…

Blood. Death. Pain.

"Harry!"

Misery. Darkness. Hate.

"Close the door, damn it!"

Torn. Corruption. Danger.

"What's going on- Harry!? Oh Merlin, what happened?!"

'Murderer! Demon!' 'Freak! Abomination!'

"Get back, give him some room!"

A high, cold laugh… A pillar of red…

"Filth! Scum! By-products…"

'Not like this… never again…'

"Shut up, you old hag!"

"I… will not… "SUBMIT!"

Screams. Then only silence.

Department of Mysteries Research Project Notes

Lead Researcher: Broderick Bode (B.B.)

Secondary Researcher: Michael Edwards (M.E.)

Subject: The Black Taint (B.T.)/Subject Origin/Subject Beta

Log 39:

Antidote Test 3.2 failed with another twenty rats, but this time, something unusual happened. During previous tests, all control rats expired within an hour of being injected with the B.T. while rats given the antidote would last anywhere from two to five hours. However, in this test, one of the control rats survived. It was violently mutated by the BT, but it is currently still alive nearly ten hours after Test 3.2 was administered.

Attempts to study this rat, henceforth known as Subject Delta, were hindered by a dramatic rise in aggressive behavior. Researcher M.E. was nearly bitten by Delta, and it was decided to postpone examination until Delta expires. Also, we are preparing another batch of rats to undergo B.T. injection. With any luck, we will have more survivors to run tests on.

We're onto something. I can feel it.

PS: Several researchers have reported hearing indistinct voices while working. Check with other projects to ensure that there have been no leaks.

AN: It lives. I'm sorry I haven't updated this in months, but I swore that I'd see this story through one day, and I will. RL just had some things to throw my way, along with my other stories were going better for me.

About reviews: there's just such a backlog that if I responded to each of them I'd probably go on longer than this chapter. So, as of now, I will not be directly responding to each comment, but I am reading them and I do appreciate them.

Thank you for all those who have stuck the wait out.