Start of Something New

Not as much smut here. The story-telling part of me took over here. Next chapter though, it\'ll get on.



"This could be the start

Of something new

It feels so right

To be here with you

And now looking in your eyes

I feel in my heart

The start of something new"



--High School Musical, "The Start of Something New"







Harry\'s first day as Head Boy was...not quite what he had expected. As it turns out, being Head Boy did have a distinct number of advantages. For instance, he now had full access to all four dormitories. Also, all the prefects reported to him, and he was given the password to the Headmistress\'s office. Slughorn was the potion professor again, and, to Harry\'s delight, Lupin had returned as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. For all of the classes of course, Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat next to each other. Harry found that he was able to perfectly recollect the mental image of a topless Hermione in his head, which he kept doing throughout the day, which of course meant that for most of the day, his cock was constantly hard. This was, of course, the image he thought of in DADA class when they started working on Patronuses. The 7th years that had been in the D.A. could, of course, produce a Patronus, so Lupin mainly spent his time with the Slytherins and the few others that had not been part of the D.A. This left everybody else free to talk and race their Patronuses around the room.



“So, Harry, what are you going to do first?” asked Ron.



“Wh-what do you mean?” asked Harry, who’s Patronus was particularly bright thanks to the vibrant mental image of a topless Hermione in his head, and had also been thinking about what to do tonight with Hermione.



“With the—” Ron’s voice dropped to a whisper at this point “—Horcruxes. What are you going to do?”



Now thinking about the Horcruxes, Harry’s Patronus started to dim. Harry tried focusing on a topless Hermione and think about the Horcruxes at the same time. Not surprisingly, it wasn’t easy, and Harry decided that, for now at least, he needed to concentrate on the Horcruxes. He let the mental image go, and his Patronus flickered out. “First thing I want to do is find out who R.A.B. is.”



“You’ve been trying that all summer!” said Hermione. “What more can you do?”



“I don’t know,” said Harry. “But…it’s funny. I feel like…like I’ve seen another locket somewhere.”



“Where?” asked Ron.



“Dunno,” said Harry. He thought. He was sure he had seen one. He remembered…being quite dirty at the time, too. Quidditch? No, unless being very sweaty counted. He tried thinking of the times when he had been very dirty. Any time with the Blast-Ended Skrewts. Harry doubted he’d have noticed a locket around those things. The maze from the Triwizard Tournament? No. Where would have seen a locket there? Harry kept thinking, but he just could not recall where.



“Well, what about the other objects?” asked Hermione.



“The only other object I know of for sure is the cup,” said Harry. “And I’m certain I’d have noticed a cup with a badger on it.”



Ron and Hermione looked at each other, then went back to casting Patronuses. Harry continued thinking about the Horcruxes left. The snake. That one Harry knew had to be last. The snake would hang around Voldemort until the end, so Harry had to save that one for last. The locket. R.A.B. whoever that was, had taken it, and had either destroyed or tried to destroy it. Either way, Harry would have to track it down, to make sure it was gone. The cup. Harry couldn’t begin to guess where that’d be. Something of Gryffindor’s or Ravenclaw’s. The only Gryffindor thing he knew of was the sword that was in Dumbledore…McGonagall’s office. Dumbledore had assured Harry that the sword was not a Horcrux. He had also told Harry that he believed that the sword was the only remaining known item of Gryffindor’s, meaning most likely it was an object of Ravenclaw’s that Voldemort had gotten.



Harry also had to think of how to destroy the Horcruxes. He had destroyed the diary with a basilisk fang, but he didn’t know if that was a fool-proof way or not. He wondered if there was a spell of some sort, though if there was, he imagined it would be pretty difficult. He wondered what Dumbledore had done to destroy the ring, and now regretted never getting the story out of Dumbledore.



Lost in his thoughts, Harry didn’t hear the bell ring, and he had to be poked hard in the ribs by Ron before he realized class was over. He followed the other two out of the room, but Lupin stopped him. “Harry…could I speak to you, please? Only for a moment.”



“Sure, Remus,” said Harry.



“Ah, Harry, better call me Professor again, now that you are a student of mine. At least…” and at this point, Lupin’s voice dropped, “when talking about school matters.”



Harry’s eyebrow raised at Lupin’s saying this. “Professor McGonagall wants a word with all three of you. Today. When classes are over.”



“All three of us?” asked Harry.



“Yes,” said Lupin. “Don’t ask me why; she’ll explain everything when she sees you three. If someone sees you, just tell them that the Headmistress requires a word with the Head Boy, Head Girl, and top Gryffindor prefect.”



“Right,” said Harry. Lupin shooed him away, and Harry walked down the stairs to find Ron and Hermione waiting for him.



“What did Lupin want?” asked Ron.



Keeping his voice low, Harry said, “McGonagall wants to talk to all three of us when classes are over. If we’re asked, we simply say that the Headmistress wants to speak with the Head Boy, Head Girl, and top Gryffindor prefect.”



“Sounds like the Order wants to speak with us,” said Hermione.



“Wonder what for?” asked Ron.



“We’ll find out, won’t we?” said Harry.



The rest of the classes of the day seemed to be twice as long as they really were. All the Trio could think of was what McGonagall wanted with them. Harry was so curious, he had trouble keeping a mental image of Hermione topless. When their last class, Herbology, was over with, the three of them practically ran to the Headmistress’s office. “Maggie Smith!” said Harry, and the gargoyles moved to allow entrance to the office.



“Who’s that?” asked Ron.



“She’s an actress,” said Hermione. “Pretty good one, from what Mum’s told me. Looks like McGonagall’s a fan of hers.” They walked up the stairs and knocked on the door. “Enter,” they heard McGonagall say. They opened the door and walked into the office.



Harry was surprised. Much of the office still looked like it had when Dumbledore had been Headmaster. Fawkes’ perch was gone, and several of the instruments were missing, but other than that, Harry wouldn’t have been able to tell Dumbledore was no longer Head of Hogwarts, except for the portrait hanging directly behind the Head’s chair. Dumbledore in the portrait was currently asleep. Harry wondered if McGonagall had found it too hard to try to completely remodel.



“Come in, come in,” said McGonagall. She took out her wand and drew up three red chairs. “Sit, please, all of you.” Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at each other, and sat down.



“I’m certain the three of you are wondering why I called you here.” They nodded. “Professor Dumbledore told the Order to watch out for the three of you. I don’t know why, and I’ve been told not to ask. The Order has been given explicit instructions to help you out, no questions asked. Frankly, I don’t feel comfortable doing that, but those are Dumbledore’s orders. There are three reasons why I’ve brought you here.

“First of all, I wish to teach the three of you how to use your Patronuses to send messages. I know that you, Mr. Potter, have known how to do so since your third year from Professor Lupin, and that you two, Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger, were taught by Potter here in your fifth year. Patronuses, as you know, are very useful against dementors, but they are also extremely useful for communicating between Order members without fear of them being intercepted. This is something that I feel the three of you should know how to do, in case you need to reach an Order member quickly or quietly.



“Second, because of our orders to help you, this means that…certain restrictions that you would have as students are lifted, for the three of you only.” McGonagall’s eyes narrowed as she said the last line. “You will be allowed full access to the Restricted Section of the library, dormitories, and offices, as well as allowed to roam the castle at night. HOWEVER,” and McGonagall’s eyes narrowed even more at this line, “only unofficially. Officially, you three are still students, and with the two of you,” and she pointed to Harry and Hermione, “as Head Boy and Girl, there are certain freedoms that you have. What I am saying is, do not get caught. If you are caught by a member of the Order, you will be scolded for not being more careful, but if you are caught by another teach, or Mr. Filch, you will be punished for officially breaking school rules. So, do not get caught. You have an Invisibility Cloak, right? Use it. And, I would recommend learning Disillusionment charms, and other appearance altering spells.



“Third, and finally, Dumbledore’s will has been made available to the general public, however there was a secret part of his will left in Order hands, which I am giving to you now. What I give to you, you must keep secret.” At this, Professor McGonagall pulled out a scroll, unrolled it, and began to read.



“ ‘To Ronald Bilius Weasley, I leave my Deluminator, in the hope that he will remember me when he uses it.’ ”



Professor McGonagall pulled out what looked like a silver cigarette lighter. Harry recognized it from the first time he’d gone to Grimmauld Place. Moody had used it to douse the street lights so that they wouldn’t be seen leaving, and he’d then restored the lights with a simple click. She handed it to Ron, who turned it over in his hands, examining it.



“ ‘To Miss Hermione Jean Granger, I leave my copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, in the hope that she will find it entertaining and instructive.’ ”



Professor McGonagall then took out a small book that looked very old. The binding was stained and peeling in places. Harry saw that the title was written in runes, and wondered if Hermione would be able to translate them.



“ ‘To Harry James Potter, I leave the Snitch he caught in his first Quidditch match at Hogwarts, as a reminder of the rewards of perseverance and skill.’ ”



Professor McGonagall took out a small, walnut-sized golden ball, which Harry recognized as a Snitch. She wrapped it in a silk handkerchief and gave it to Harry. Harry felt confused. Why did Dumbledore leave him this? “Professor…” he began, putting the handkerchief-wrapped Snitch in his robe pocket.



“Don’t bother asking, Potter, why Professor Dumbledore left you these things,” said McGonagall, sounding like she wished she did in fact know why. “I haven’t the foggiest idea. I’m not done yet. There’s one more thing for you, Potter.”



Harry felt slightly excited. Perhaps this would be important!



“ ‘To Harry James Potter, I leave the sword of Godric Gryffindor, in the hope that you will always remember what it means to be a Gryffindor.’ ”



Harry’s pulse started racing. The sword of Godric Gryffindor? Harry couldn’t believe it. Professor McGonagall rolled up the scroll and threw it into the fire behind her desk. “Harry…I don’t know why Dumbledore wanted you to have the sword. Frankly, I’m uncomfortable giving it to you without at least some explanation. Can you tell me why Professor Dumbledore wanted you to have the sword?”



The truth was, Harry didn’t know why Dumbledore was giving him the sword. Since he didn’t know, he didn’t see the harm in telling McGonagall this. “No, Professor, I’m sorry. I have no idea why he wanted me to have it.”



McGonagall looked at Harry for several seconds, then finally sighed and leaned back in her chair. “Very well, then,” she said. “But, I cannot give it to you now.”



“Why?” asked Harry, bewildered by this.



“Why?” asked McGonagall, out of sheer disbelief. “Potter, think about it! How would you look walking the corridors with the sword of Godric Gryffindor in your hands! You can’t be seen with that!” She brought her voice level down a bit. “Come back tonight, around midnight, with your cloak and…that map Lupin’s told me about. You’ll get it then, and…Miss Granger, make sure you are with him. Dumbledore wanted to give you one more thing as well, but he didn’t want it mentioned in the secret part of the will. Now, run along, before you are missed!” She stood up from her chair, and motioned them towards the door. The three of them got up from their chairs and exited the room, heading down the stairs.



“What is this book anyways? The Tales of Beedle the Bard?” asked Hermione as she put the book in her bag.



“It’s a book of wizard fairy tales. Muggles had…what was it? Aesop’s Fables? That’s what this is like. All sorts of stories in it… ‘The Three Brothers’, ‘Fountain of Fair Fortune’, ‘Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump.’ You know. Things like that. Mum used to read them to me all the time when I was little.” Harry had to stifle a laugh at “Babbitty Rabbitty.” “Why do you suppose Dumbledore gave us these things anyway?” asked Ron, who was playing with the Deluminator.



“I don’t know, but stop playing with that!” said Hermione, reaching out with her hand to grab the Deluminator and attempted to hide it by putting it back in his robe pocket. “We shouldn’t be seen with these things. Dumbledore obviously has some special reason for giving them to us.”



“Hermione, look at what we got for a moment,” said Harry. “Ron’s got a light dimmer, you got a book of fairy tales, and I got the first Snitch I ever caught. What could be so special about that?”



“Don’t forget the sword,” said Hermione, lowering her voice. “I can’t believe you’re getting the sword! I wonder what other thing I’ll be getting.”



“That’s another thing. How come you two get two things, and I only get one?” asked Ron.



“Ron, if you want, you can talk to Dumbledore’s portrait yourself and get the answer to that question,” said Hermione, rolling her eyes. “Although, I think I know what the Snitch is for,” she added.



Harry stopped her. “You do?”



“I think so,” said Hermione. “As you know, I’m no expert on Quidditch, but, Ron, isn’t there some sort of special charm put on the Snitch? In case of a Seeker dispute?”



“Well, yeah,” said Ron. “Flesh memories. In case it’s unclear who caught the Snitch first, you can find out from the Snitch itself who the first one was to touch it…oh,” he added, now thinking. “Oh…Hermione, I think you’re onto something.”



Harry was still in the dark. “What?”



“Well, see, when a Snitch is made, the maker is wearing gloves the whole time. That way, the first person to actually touch the Snitch with their bare hands is the Seeker that catches it. That way, you’ll know for certain who first caught it. The Snitch is supposed to react when the first person to touch it touches it again!” finished Ron, now clearly excited.



“Exactly,” said Hermione.



Harry was still confused. “So…what does that mean?”



Hermione rolled her eyes, as though she couldn’t believe how thick Harry was being. “Harry, you were the first person to ever touch the Snitch. So, when you touch it again, it will react to you!”



“So…so there’s something…like a message? On the Snitch?” asked Harry.



“Has to be, doesn’t it?” asked Ron. “Go ahead, try it!”



“Wait,” said Hermione. “Let’s go back to the Head room and try it there.”



The three of them walked very quickly to the portrait which lead to the Head Boy and Girl’s room. “Mystery,” said Harry. The portrait swung open.



“Why ‘mystery’?” asked Ron.



“Because everything with the Horcruxes is such a mystery. Where are they, what are they, who R.A.B. is, how do you destroy them?” answered Harry. The three of them sat on the couch overlooking the fireplace. Harry pulled the handkerchief out of his robe, and held it in his hand, unwrapping it. With a feeling of anticipation, he picked up the Snitch.



Nothing happened.



“So much for that idea,” said Ron.



“Don’t be too sure,” said Harry, who had just now thought of something. “Remember how I caught this one?”



“That was your first game, right?” asked Ron, thinking. “Didn’t we think Snape was messing with your broom?”



“That’s the game. Remember how I caught the Snitch, though?”



Ron thought. “Oh!” he said, his eyes now rich in understanding. “That’s the one you nearly swallowed!”



“Exactly,” said Harry. With another feeling of anticipation, he placed the Snitch to his lips.



Again, nothing happened.



“Well, so much for that idea too,” said Ron, leaning back into the couch. “Man, this couch is really comfortable,” he said. “More comfy than the couches in the Gryffindor common room, that’s for sure.”



“Of course,” said Hermoine. “Those couches are used by everyone in the house. But, these…Harry!” she exclaimed, her voice filled with amazement.



“What?” asked Harry, but Hermione simply pointed at the Snitch. Harry looked, and to his amazement, he saw lettering appear on the Snitch. Harry found the beginning of the lettering and read.