======= Part 48. Harry meets the Order of the Phoenix and goes to Hogwarts ==========
Harry packed his things into a suitcase, said goodbye to the Dursleys, and slammed the door as hard as he could. The fact that the stupid Muggles, instead of thanking him for saving Dudley, immediately tried to kick him out of the house was the last straw. He didn't want to see these people in his life anymore. Moving a decent distance away, the boy pulled out his wand and summoned the Knight Bus.
A magical three-storey bus appeared on the quiet street a few seconds later, and the front door opened welcomingly.
"Where can I take you, young wizard?" Conductor Stanley Shampike beckoned Harry invitingly.
Potter, panting over his heavy suitcase, dragged it inside and, sitting down in a seat, asked,
"Can you take me to Cornwall?"
"That'll be one gold galleon and fourteen sickles," said Shunpike, calculating something. "And three more if you want a mug of hot chocolate. And another one if you need a hot water bottle and a toothbrush for the journey.
"Nothing, nothing," muttered Potter, indignant at the conductor's greed, counting out the money.
Having received his due, Stanley grinned cheerfully and shouted to the driver:
"Come on, Ernie, drive!"
The bus took off with such force that Harry was pressed back into his seat, so hard that he felt as if his lips were starting to part from the speed. The last houses of Little Winging flew by in an instant, and then only occasional lights flashed by. The bus picked up even more speed, and everything outside the windows merged into a continuous strip, and then, with a sudden bang, it seemed to have travelled a great distance. A few seconds later, the bus came to a sudden halt in the middle of a small square in some town, and Champike, who was still standing in the aisle, cheerfully shouted to the bewildered Harry:
"We're here, young wizard. This is the town of Soltash, Cornwall. Over there, beyond Albert's Royal Bridge, is Plymouth, if that's where you're going," he waved his hand to the right, "and to the left you can go wherever you want, even as far as Penzance.
Harry, green with nausea, cast a "Clean" spell on himself and tumbled out of the Knight Bus, now clean. "I'll never get on that rocket again," Potter grimaced. "Never in my life!" The bus disappeared again, and Harry sat down on a bench.
"Hello, young man," said an elderly lady who approached him. Harry immediately recognised her as Neville's grandmother.
"Hello, Mrs Longbottom," Potter jumped up awkwardly. "Are you talking to me?"
"Yes, young man," she said, bowing her head stiffly. "Read what's written here."
Harry read the address on the paper, and the elderly lady grabbed his arm. Before Potter could react, they had already crossed the threshold of the Longbottom estate.
At a set table in a small dining room, Potter was greeted by familiar and unfamiliar wizards. Harry sat down next to a confused Neville, and Alastor Moody, who was sitting opposite, began to introduce the others.
"This is Emmeline Vance," he said, pointing to a tall, serious woman with chestnut hair. "Next is Daedalus Dingle and Elphias Dodge.
The wizards bowed ceremoniously, and Mr. Dingle almost dropped his hat. Harry smiled warmly at Dingle, whom he had met several times before.
"And this is Mr. Kingsley Brestver," Moody pointed to the other side, where a tall black man in bright clothes was sitting. "He's an acting Auror, helping us keep track of what's going on at the Ministry of Magic. And this beautiful girl is Hestia Jones," Alastor introduced the pink-cheeked, black-haired witch sitting to Kingsley's right, who was looking at Harry with a hint of amusement. "I think you already know the rest.
After a hearty lunch, the adult wizards continued discussing their business, while Neville dragged Harry around to show him the house. Longbottom was a shy and modest boy, except when it came to herbology. In this subject, the clumsy boy had a family gift and immediately turned into a fanatic of all kinds of plant nastiness. Now he dragged Potter into the garden, where he enthusiastically began a tour of his favourite plants.
After the tour, they stopped by the hall, where the discussions were still going on.
"I say we send the children straight to Hogwarts," Moody argued heatedly. "What if they're attacked on the train?
"Traditions must not be broken," Augusta Longbottom objected primly. "Otherwise, everything will go to Mordred.
"Calm down, Alastor," Kingsley said, putting his hand on his shoulder. "You know the Dark Wizards control the train, and he who must not be named doesn't want to be exposed yet. He's fine with the Ministry turning a blind eye to his resurrection. If he attacks the train, everyone will know he's back, and then the hunt for him and his followers will begin again.
Moody slammed his fist on the table and growled,
"I still think the children need extra protection, at least until they get on the train.
"Well, no one is suggesting leaving them alone in front of Kings Cross," Emmeline Vance began to reason with him in a deep, chest voice. "We'll all be there under illusions and make sure the children board the train safely.
"Do what you want," grumbled Moody, still dissatisfied, and grabbed his firewhisky. Everyone exchanged cheerful glances and continued to agree on the small details.
Without delay, Harry and Neville went upstairs to Longbottom's room. Potter's suitcase had already been packed at the Dursleys', and Neville needed to load his own with everything he needed.
***
Harry, Neville, Ginny, and a white-haired girl with wide eyes settled into the compartment. She introduced herself as Luna Lovegood and closed her magazine. Potter was briefly surprised to see that the girl was reading it upside down.
An hour later, Ron and Hermione entered the compartment. The redhead hugged Harry, greeted Neville and his sister, and then proudly showed off his prefect badge. Ginny moved over and Hermione sat down next to her, also stroking the shiny badge a little demonstratively. During this time, the others had managed to share all their news, so everyone looked at the new arrivals with great curiosity.
"I've been made prefect this year, along with Granger. It's because I'm going to be head of my family soon," Weasley said pompously.
"Head of the garden?" asked the white-haired girl, staring at Ron in surprise. He closed his mouth, not knowing what to say, but Ginny came to his rescue.
"Don't mind him, Ronald, it's just crazy Lovegood," his sister nodded at the girl.
"Luna Lovegood," the blonde girl corrected her pedantically. "At least I'm not trying to build my happiness with brainwizards, like some people!"
Ginny rolled her eyes and stopped paying attention to the fair-haired girl.
"Are there new prefects in the other houses too?" Harry looked curiously at Ron.
"Malfoy and Parkinson are prefects," Ron spat out sourly.
"And Hufflepuff?" Neville asked, tossing Trevor up in the air, causing the toad to bulge his eyes in terror.
"Hufflepuff has Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbott," Ron shrugged.
"Ravenclaw's got Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil," Hermione said suspiciously, glancing at Polumna's magazine. "How can you read that?" she finally asked.
"My father publishes that magazine," the blonde girl replied distantly. "I can read it however I want."
Ginny twirled her finger at her temple, and Hermione nodded understandingly.
***
At the sorting ceremony, the children looked at their neighbours and teachers with wide eyes. Everyone had grown a little over the summer, and there were some changes at the teachers' table. Harry noticed with displeasure among the familiar faces a small, fat woman in a pink dress who had been so keen to sue him that summer. "What's that pink toad doing here?" Potter wondered to himself.
It turned out that her name was Dolores Umbridge and she was the new DADA teacher. Knowing the bad reputation of this position, the Gryffindors exchanged malicious glances. They did not yet know what form the curse would take, but they could only feel sorry for the new professor. "Pink toad," as the Gryffindors immediately decided to call her, immediately revealed her nasty character. She dared to interrupt Dumbledore himself in the middle of his welcome speech and, stepping up to the podium, launched into some sleepy sermon that immediately made Ron's eyes close and Harry start hiccuping. Her high-pitched, breathy voice was so out of keeping with her appearance that it made your ears curl up. The new professor chattered on and on, and Harry noticed that Ron's eyes were glazing over and Neville had frozen with a piece of cake in his mouth.
Finally, she finished and sat down, and the hall politely clapped a few times and fell silent. Dumbledore immediately continued his interrupted speech and ended with an announcement of the new Quidditch team line-ups.
The very next day was the first DADA lesson, during which Miss Umbridge, as she had suggested she be called, immediately assigned Harry extra work. She had no intention of teaching DADA as previous professors had done, completely reworking the curriculum over the summer. Now, according to the textbook "Theory of Defensive Magic," written especially for her by Wilbert Slinkhart, every student was required to know all the theoretical aspects of defensive spells, the history of their origin, and how they were constructed.
When asked how they would pass the O.W.L. exam, which Potter clearly voiced on behalf of everyone present, Umbridge stated categorically that, with a good knowledge of the theory, it would not be difficult to pass the practical part, especially since they were unlikely to ever need practical knowledge of defensive spells. Harry began to argue and try to prove his point, but was immediately punished and expelled from the class.
***
Albus Dumbledore, wearing gloves to hide his curse-struck hand, climbed the astronomy tower. He liked being here, on the windswept platform. He had an important task ahead of him today, and he had left a portal stone here for himself, carefully hiding it under the stairs. Of course, apparition was not allowed at Hogwarts, but the headmasters had their privileges. He had decided to take advantage of one such opportunity today.
Hearing the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs, Dumbledore greeted the approaching potions master. Snape, as always, was gloomy and dressed in black, and stood silently at the edge of the platform next to Albus.
"Are you ready, Severus?" Dumbledore asked quietly. Snape nodded curtly, and the headmaster took him by the hand. In an instant, both wizards disappeared into the swirling portal.
Jumping out of the spatial funnel first, Dumbledore grabbed Snape by the collar and prevented him from falling off the cliff. They stood on a steep bank, where harsh waves crashed against the rocks below, and the smell of the sea reached even here, where the wizards stood. The old man smoothed his beard, which had been tousled by the strong wind, pointed to Severus the inconspicuous steps leading down the cliff, and shouted over the wind:
"We need to go there, but be careful, it's slippery.
Snape, levitating himself, began to descend, and Albus followed him. Reaching a rocky nook near the shore, where the waves broke only in the form of dirty, iodine-smelling foam, Dumbledore ran his hand along the stone wall, cutting the skin on his hand, and the rock instantly disappeared, revealing the dark arch of a gloomy tunnel. A little further along the winding passage, the wizards stepped onto the edge of a huge cave. There was no ceiling in sight, and almost all the space in front of them was filled with black, non-glittering water. Dumbledore waved his wand, and a small boat, just big enough for two people, floated up to the shore.
"Come on, Severus, I'll need your help there on the island," and he waved his hand towards a patch of land on which a pedestal was visible. Snape silently climbed into the boat and sat down on a bench in the centre, while Dumbledore sat down at the edge. The boat slowly made its way to the island, which was only four metres across. In the middle, among sharp rocks, was a platform with a marble grove standing on a stone pedestal. Some kind of phosphorescent liquid was splashing around in it.
"Severus, try to figure out what this is," Dumbledore ordered. "In Barty's memory, I heard Tom say that this potion can be drunk and is not poisonous, although it causes some unpleasant sensations and hallucinations.
Snape began to examine the potion closely and noticed a large silver medallion at the bottom.
"Albus, there's something here," he called to Dumbledore, who was peering fearfully into the completely black liquid.
"Yes, Severus, we came here for this thing, but we can only get it by drinking the liquid.
"And you suggest I do that?" Snape exhaled doomfully.
"Well, I was hoping you could figure out what it is, and since you probably have all sorts of antidotes with you, nothing bad will happen to you. In the worst case, I'll get you to Mungo's, my boy," Dumbledore flashed his glasses.
Snape drank and drank. With each new cup, his condition worsened, he began to delirium, calling for Lily, remembering his mother. Dumbledore felt very sorry for him, but for the greater good, he methodically continued to pour the glowing potion into the now completely incoherent Snape. When there was nothing left at the bottom, Albus quickly grabbed the locket. Leaving Severus to come to his senses, he began to examine the silver artefact and finally discovered how to open it. Pressing the side tabs, Dumbledore opened the locket and saw a folded piece of paper inside: "If you are reading this, know that I stole your Horcrux and will try to destroy it. It is forbidden magic that has no place in our world. Damn you, Voldemort!" Below the text, written in quick, nervous handwriting on the parchment, was a signature: R.A.B.
Albus wondered who had taken the real locket and heard a sudden splash. Snape, whom he had left lying near the bowl, had somehow managed to crawl to the edge of the island and was now frantically gulping down water as black as night. Cursing, Albus moved forward to pull the potion maker back, but infernos suddenly began to emerge from the water, and one of them grabbed Snape's dirty hair and was about to drag him into the depths. With a sharp wave of his wand, Dumbledore threw the monster back, took a couple of steps towards Snape and threw him behind him.
The black waters boiled, and from all sides, the living dead began to emerge onto the island, slowly at first, then faster and faster. Dumbledore groaned when he saw their numbers, jerked his gnarled wand, and shouted, "Inferno Flamare!"
A fiery storm swept around the island, reducing the infernos to embers, but more and more dead continued to climb onto the rocks. Dumbledore waved his wand in a circle, widening the channel of fire. Fierce faces of otherworldly monsters began to appear in the depths of the flames, and the flames roared even louder. It seemed as if a sea of fire was raging around them, from which terrible creatures were bursting out here and there. The infernos' pressure began to weaken, and Dumbledore wiped the sweat from his forehead with his glove. Snape lay unconscious at his feet. When the last creature crumbled to ash, Dumbledore, with a titanic effort, helped himself with his other hand and began to drive the fire back into the inferno. When the last petal of flame disappeared, the exhausted old man sat down right on top of the potion master lying at his feet.
"Severus," Dumbledore nudged him. "Come on, wake up... Young people are so weak these days," the old man chuckled to himself and nudged Snape again. He groaned softly but couldn't open his eyes.
"What kind of rubbish did Tom concoct to protect the medallion?" wondered the great light-haired man, and transfigured another boat out of stone. Levitating Snape's body, he safely crossed to the shore and returned the same way.
The fresh, cold wind had a beneficial effect on the potion maker, and Snape opened his eyes. He opened them even wider when he saw Dumbledore, who was covered in soot and had a beard charred from the intense heat.
"Ah, what happened there? " asked the potions master in a weak voice, staring wide-eyed at the great light.
"Feel your head," the old man grinned, and Snape grabbed the remains of his hair in horror.
"Yes, my boy," Dumbledore flashed his glasses. "We'll have to drink some potions if we don't want to be the laughing stock of the Great Hall tomorrow. 'R.A.B.' What does that mean?" the old man muttered thoughtfully.
"Sir," said Snape, looking up at him from the floor. "When I was a student, I had a good friend in our department who liked to sign his name with those initials. It was Regulus Arcturus Black..."
Dumbledore stared at Snape in surprise and whispered:
"Another Death Eater who betrayed his master despite the Dark Mark? How surprising," he added louder.
"Stop lying on the cold stones, Severus," he grabbed the potions master by the arm. "We're going to Hogwarts."
A moment later, the portal sucked both wizards in.
***
Cassius was lying on his bed in his room at 12 Grimmauld Place, reading a book on portal magic written by one of the Blacks. Based on what he had read, he had already made several so-called probes — artefacts capable of pulling a wizard in trouble out of even places protected by anti-portal spells, if necessary. The task fascinated the young man, and he didn't notice how he made a couple more. "Enough," Cassius stopped himself, "the house is already full of magical junk. I should give them to someone who needs them."
Kricher appeared in the doorway of the bedroom and grunted approvingly, sensing the magic swirling around the room.
"What did you want, you old grump?" Cassius smiled at the house elf.
"The owl brought a letter for the master," the elf croaked. "The headmaster asks you to visit him at Hogwarts. He writes that he has information about the criminals who attacked your mother. The password to enter the tower is 'lemon sherbet'.
Cassius, who had been lying relaxed on the bed, sat up abruptly and looked seriously at the house elf.
"Please prepare my ceremonial robe and open the fireplace for a one-way trip to the Hog's Head."
An hour later, Cassius was already walking through familiar places. On the way, Black bowed to Filch, who met him at the gate, showed him the headmaster's letter of invitation, and sent him on his way. Reaching the gargoyle through the deserted corridors, Cassius gave the password and stepped onto the moving staircase, which took him straight to the office door.
There were three wizards in the room. The headmaster, as always, was sitting at his desk, with chairs standing next to it, and in two of them sat wizards whom Cassius knew well. Closer to Dumbledore's desk sat Severus Snape, even paler than usual. His earthen-coloured face looked sick. In the second chair sat Professor Flitwick, a cheerful little half-goblin who held a cup of candied pine nuts on his knees and was enjoying them with relish.
"Sit down, Mr Black," said the headmaster, pointing to the empty chair. Cassius did not keep him waiting long, sat down and stretched his hands towards the fire in the fireplace.
"What's that tattoo you've got?" Snape asked tensely, pointing to the young wizard's face.
"Oh, don't worry," Black grinned, "it's not a symbol of your rebellious boss.
Snape even flinched in surprise, grabbing his forearm, while Cassius smiled, pointed to the top of the tattoos, and decided to explain:
"This is the inverted Rune of Laguz, it predicts trouble and difficulties that may arise if a person acts spontaneously, rashly, on impulse. It's just a reminder from my teacher that I need to be more restrained. Below, near the eye, is the Dagaz rune. Its main meaning is prosperity and growth in wealth — a reference to my family.
"And the three dots?" Flewitt asked curiously.
"That's how many enemies I killed the first time," Cassius replied without changing his expression, making Snape flinch.
"Ahem," Dumbledore cleared his throat, drawing attention to himself. "This year, we uncovered a particularly dangerous Death Eater who had been holding my friend Alastor Moody captive for a long time, using his appearance. In this villain's memory, I was able to see him kidnapping Narcissa Black on the orders of the Dark Lord.
Cassius's face remained impassive, and the boy smiled slightly and said,
"Now that you've caught him, I suppose the Death Eater got what he deserved and is probably settling into a cosy cell in Azkaban?
"No, he was drunk by a Dementor right in Hogwarts," Snape snorted.
"Hmm," Dumbledore said, not pursuing the subject. "Anyway, I also saw some important information about his master.
And Dumbledore shared with all the wizards the known information about the Dark Lord's Horcruxes.
"Filius, I would ask you to contact your acquaintances at Gringotts," Dumbledore turned to the little wizard. "Perhaps they can help us retrieve Hufflepuff's cup from Mrs. Lestrange's vault?"
Fletwick nodded, his black eyes flashing:
"Very well, Albus, I will send an owl to Gringotts today. I will inform you immediately when I receive a reply.
"Thank you," smiled Dumbledore. "We have also learned that another Horcrux has been taken by your relative Regulus Black, and most likely hidden at Grimmauld Place.
Cassius's eyes flashed with anger.
"So that's who's responsible for my grandmother's death," the boy hissed angrily. "A loser and a fool! Instead of destroying the cursed thing or at least warning Walburga of the danger, he apparently left the evil artefact right at home and died in some ditch!" Cassius clenched his fists, but immediately tried to calm down.
"And what happened to the medallion?" Dumbledore asked insinuatingly.
"Valburga's grandmother sacrificed her life to destroy that piece of junk on the altar," Black shrugged. "Now the locket is just an old relic. It sits on the mantelpiece as a warning to future generations. If you wish," Cassius said, assessing Dumbledore's sceptical expression, "I can grant my house-elf access to Hogwarts. I will ask him to fetch the locket.
The headmaster nodded in agreement and opened the door for Kreacher. Cassius summoned the house-elf and ordered him to fetch the item. A couple of minutes later, Kreacher reappeared in the office and bowed, handing the amulet to Cassius.
"Here, check it," Black handed the locket to Flitwick.
When the artefact reached Dumbledore, the old wizard examined it carefully, cast several diagnostic spells, and even dripped some liquid from a crystal vial onto it. The liquid hissed, but nothing else of interest happened.
"The medallion is completely empty," Dumbledore said with surprise. "That means Tom has only one Horcrux left. He used the rest to restore himself, or they were destroyed... Filius, my friend," the old man said to the half-goblin. "Your mission is becoming even more important.
Fletchwick just nodded silently, and Dumbledore stroked the phoenix thoughtfully.
"If that is all, gentlemen, then I must take my leave," Cassius said, looking at the wizards. "Family matters, as you understand."
Everyone began to say their goodbyes, and Black, accompanied by the little professor, left the office.
"What do you think, Severus?" Albus looked thoughtfully at the potions master. "Could our young friend share the Dark Lord's position? Perhaps the locket was not destroyed as he said, but served as another piece of the restoration?"
Snape smiled crookedly:
"I've never seen the boy at Death Eater meetings. I don't think the Dark Lord has paid any attention to the existence of another Black. I learned from Walden Macnair the day before yesterday that they were on a mission for the Dark Lord in France and found out where Malfoy is hiding.
"Really?" Dumbledore tensed. "And what happened? Has Lucius also joined Voldemort's cause?"
"No," Severus grimaced as if in pain. "They summoned the lord, and he killed Lucius in front of his wife and ordered Draco to be sent to him.
"And now the younger Malfoy is marked?" Dumbledore frowned.
"No, Headmaster," Snape shook his head. "The Malfoys somehow cast a Fidelius spell on the manor, and my godson stayed there until autumn. And Hogwarts is safe while you're here.
"What's going on?" Dumbledore shook his head in surprise. "First Tom kills his treasurer, then someone unknown casts the strongest protective spell on the Malfoy house, and now it turns out that the eternally cowardly blondes have decided not to bow down to a strong master?
"Maybe they've seen the light?" Snape grinned.
Dumbledore shook his head in amazement again, stroking the phoenix. Then he reached into the table and poured some nuts from a packet for the bird.