Hey readers, how are you today? It is a beautiful day, I hope you enjoy it, and I hope this chapter adds to the joy you have. Thanks all, for reading, and I welcome all comments. Next weeks chapter is, Chapter 9, 'Trouble Buzzing At The Burrow'

Droo; Hey Droo, thanks so much! I'm thrilled you love my story! Thank you!

Obi-Wan K'Lari; Hey Lari, thanks for being here. Take your time. I love that you pointed out about Filch remembering. This is actually a clue for the next story. Great sleuthing! And yes thanks for pointing out my blunder, corrections were made. Thank you
Thanks for reading and commenting.

ashfig; Hey Ashley, thanks for reading and commenting. Here you go, the next chapter. And we need to let Harry sleep some, he's tired, and besides... it's easier to talk about him when he is sleeping.
Thanks Ashley

MollyW; Hey Sweetheart Yeah, I love reading comments and responding, but school/college has started up again so this is to be expected. Plus vacations, but it's ok. As long as the view count goes up, I won't complain. Thanks for caring. Not to worry, I wrote the story in it's entirety before I submitted it. I'm now on chapter 19 of the next (final) story of the series. And I had to have them go with him because I would have been too worried for him to go alone and I would forbid him to go. Not much of a story that way. I'm glad you love the story Stephie, thanks for taking time from your busy life to read and comment. I love you too.




Chapter 8

Dumbledore Spills The Beans

Everybody settled in for what they were hoping to be a long story. Molly got up and walked around the kitchen table looking under, and all around it.

“I was thinking I would set Harry’s clothes to soak since he’s not wearing them, but I don’t know where they went when he changed into… when he changed.”

“I’m sure they returned to his pouch that’s secured to his waistband. Ginny, since he has obviously been in his pouch to get us out, you will be able to untie and hand it to Ron.”

Ginny carefully reached for the pouch, and paused. “Is it tied of its own drawstring or is it part of, I mean when I untie it, it won’t cause…” Her face turned red, and she refused to look up for anyone to see her embarrassment.

“It is of its own drawstring, the small one, and the large one is knotted magically, and cannot be untied. You are perfectly safe to retrieve the pouch without effecting what he is wearing.” Dumbledore stated with a kind smile.

Ginny carefully untied the pouch, but when she started to lift it, Harry stirred and put his hand on hers. “Ginny?” he murmured softly. He opened his eyes and tried to focus on her and fell back into unconsciousness. Ginny untied and handed Ron the pouch with her free hand. She didn’t want to take her hand Harry had his on away from him. It felt wonderful to be this close to him with his hand resting on hers.


“Now, make like you’re pouring it out over the length of the table, for the contents will enlarge when they are out.” Snape put in quickly before Ron could dump the contents in a pile.

As Ron carefully poured the contents onto the table, nobody noticed that he trapped something under his thumb keeping it from falling onto the table. He turned the bag right side up when it was empty, and allowed the Marauder’s Map that was under his thumb to fall back into the bag. He looked at Dumbledore with his eyebrow arched, and to his relief the wise man gave him his answer with a wink and only just the slightest nod of his head.

Molly picked up his boots and put them on the floor out of the way, and picked up the dirty clothes he had been wearing, which were in a separate bag of its own. She looked at the bloody shirt and at the blood still on the table.

“Albus? There is a lot of blood here … is he going to make it? I’m so afraid…” as tears began to puddle in her eyes Albus answered her kindly.

“In a little bit we’ll wake him and he will assess his condition and let us know. Still, we must remember he said he was afraid he was going to die just before he passed out. However, for now rest will help him immensely.”

She tossed them into the washer and tapped it. The water filled in the tub, and started to agitate as the detergent and stain remover went into the water. As she cleaned the table thoroughly, Snape spoke up. “Molly when you finish there, if you would be so kind, take the jar beside that stack of files and the bandage over and redress his leg. Be forewarned that it will look hideous, and smell worse. Scourgify his leg, and then apply the medicine from his knee to his heel. Once that is done, apply the clean bandages the same way they are now.

Molly did as Snape requested. The unimaginably atrocious site of Harry’s hideous leg shook everyone to the core. Ginny asked what happened to him, as Ron ran outside to relieve his sick stomach. “That is a story for another time, if Harry decides to tell,” answered Dumbledore softly. Molly finished then sat beside Arthur who took her hand in his to comfort her.

“Kingsley, there by your right hand is a rather large black folder. Those are all his Auror reports he made from everywhere he went, and everything he did. They are for you to read, watch and pass judgment on, and present to the Aurors Board. Severus and I will both attest to the truthfulness of each report. Henceforth, I might add we are very pleased with our young man for all his accomplishments. It’s first-rate quality work, not just those reports, but his schoolwork as well. Also in those files are documented testament from law enforcement and tribal government leaders for all his activities.”

“Thank you Albus. I’m sure I will find them very enlightening. But, what am I to watch?”

“Harry figured a way to put his memories on parchment, instead of having to use a Pensieve. If you will open one and lay it out on the table you will see his report is on parchment that has ink completely covering it, and the words are devoid of any ink, but is a silvery matter. What he did was; he poured ink onto the parchment, and then he pulled out a memory of the incident to be reporting, and put the memory into the wet ink saying, “Priori Incantatem.”

“But that’s a spell to see the reverse spell or the last use of a wand!” Hermione spoke up not understanding why Harry would use that spell.

“Yes, that is correct as usual Miss Granger,” Snape spoke in his waspish voice. “But, we are not in a class where you have to be an insufferable know it all. Mr. Potter invented this magic from his brain and not one of your precious books. Everyone said you were the brains of the Trio… Clearly, they were wrong.”

“Now see here!” Arthur spoke up with a quiet authority in Hermione’s favor. “I don’t believe that is called for. There is no need for…” Hermione quietly spoke up for herself.

“It’s alright Mr. Weasley. He’s right and I as much as told Harry that his magic was better than my books and spell learning, in our second year at Hogwarts, when he had to go on alone to keep Voldemort from finding the Sorcerer’s Stone.”

Poor Hermione just wasn’t good at learning without her books to direct her. She was so interested in what Harry had done, but couldn’t fathom the reality of it without reading it from a book. Everybody has a comfort place where their confidence in their magical abilities lies, and Hermione’s are books.

There was silence for a few seconds, and then Snape sighed and spoke in a non-judgmental way. “Forgive me Miss Granger, for you had exactly the same reaction we had when Harry told us what he was thinking. We told him it couldn’t work. He explained his theory to us, and we still doubted him. He insisted he thought it should work and just went ahead and tried it, and it worked.” Snape looked at Ron and said, “I too have something I‘m working on.”

After Ron recovered from his shock that Snape actually apologized to Hermione and then him, he said, “Its ok, none of us are perfect, well…” he looked at Harry and said dejectedly, “except maybe him.”

“Oh no Ron; never assume things like that. Harry had many failures, some of which nearly cost him his life. He never tried anything new unless Fawkes was present to save him if he needed saving. However, we are getting away from the matter at hand. We need to continue and finish up before our splendid young man wakes and is embarrassed by us bragging on all his accomplishments.”

“The way Harry explained his theory was that when the wand is sent to look for a memory it finds it, and pulls it out of the mind. Then when the memory is set into the wet ink, it is the same as putting it in the liquid of a Pensieve. Saying the spell as it is absorbed into the ink causes the memory to come from the ink as an image of the last spell the wand did. Then you watch it just as you would if it actually came from the wand. When the memories become viewable, Harry put a drying spell on the ink. Next, he tapped his quill with his wand and said, “Tergeo” as he wrote the explanation of what was happening from the image, onto the dry ink, the ink siphoned off the parchment leaving words. This way you can just read the report, but if you have to have proof, then you can watch it also. Or if you don’t need to read it, you can just watch it.”

“Wicked brilliant!” Ron said, smiling at his friend.

“That is very clever I will admit,” said Minerva, “but, then he doesn’t have that memory any more, and if the file is damaged or stolen, then there is no proof of it happening.”

“This would be true, but you forget that while Harry is writing his report, the memory he is watching is reinvented back into his mind of the memory as it happened.” explained Snape.

“But what happens to the viewable part when you’re done watching? How do you put it away?” asked Hermione

“You simply tap the parchment as you would if you were conversing with a memory above the Pensieve, instead of falling into it. When you tap the parchment the memory falls into the words that were made from where the ink was siphoned off of the parchment,” answered Snape again.

So, Kingsley tapped the parchment while saying, “Priori Incantatem” and the silvery words came off the parchment. They saw Harry much the way they remembered him when he first left. He was instructing a group of tribesmen with a plan he devised to catch a thief. It showed the men following Harry’s instructions, and catching the thief without the use of any magic. Then Kingsley tapped the parchment and the memory fell back into the words on the parchment.

“These files bundled together are all of his classes he took. His classes consisted of every subject. Hagrid will be quite pleased with Harry going on with his Care of Magical Creatures classes. He figured not knowing the animals of the different continents we were in, and which held magical creatures or not, would be a disadvantage to him. He decided to be safe and study them just to make sure. He did outstanding in all of them, because we would not accept anything less than that. There are practical’s and labs for the classes that required them. They will be the same as the Aurors files in so much as you can watch him achieve them.”

Snape took over from there. “The big black box, once opened, will expand into a closet of Potions he made for his classes. You will want to make sure you have it in an area where there is plenty of space.”

“Bill, the green folders, and the boxes marked with a caduceus, can go over to Harry’s house. They are his personal files, potions, medicines and such things.”

“OK, Sir, I’ll drop them off on my way home tonight.”

“Also,” Dumbledore continued, “If you’ll please take the green and black journal titled, “The Ginny” and read it carefully.”

“Yes sir.” Bill took and started reading it then looked up in surprise. “This is the Title and Deed to a Diamond Mine in South Africa, in Harry’s name!”

“Yes, it is exactly that.” Dumbledore smiled as his eyes danced at Bills excitement. “The last place Harry lived for six months before going to North America was a wealthy tribe deep in the darkest jungles of South Africa. They knew he possessed magic and accepted him right away. He helped the tribe exterminate a threat that had plagued their village for nearly a year. If things didn’t change, the village would be wiped out and their wealth taken from the tribes of many villages. They insisted on him excepting their gratitude with the ownership of this mine. It is not the largest they have, but one of considerable size. Harry tried to turn them down, but it offended the chief.”

“Harry told the chief he would send some Goblins down in the future sometime to do the mining. He also told them he would send a representative to make sure local people worked the mine to help boost their economy. The Goblins would be able to make sure the mines were safe to work. Very generous compensations and benefits are set up, and Harry wants you to be his representative and handle everything. You are even to oversee the Goblins. He has your wages and benefits showing, but if you do not wish to take the job or need to negotiate something other than what he has established you are welcome to do so.”

Bill was looking at the terms and conditions of his employment and the wages he would be earning. “No, these are fine just the way they are, and he is very generous.”

“I believe that covers everything then. Are there any questions?” Dumbledore offered, and when none had any, then he and Snape sat in their portraits and listened to the others talk among themselves.

Bill sat between his parents and began to show them his contract with Harry, and the mines. They were beaming, and going on that he was a perfect man for the job, because Harry knows him to be an honest and upstanding moral person.

Kingsley and Minerva were going on with the classes and training Harry was able to accomplish, and how they couldn’t wait to see the things in the files Harry had for them.

Ginny couldn’t move from her spot beside Harry on the edge of the couch with her hand under his resting hand. She could not take her eyes off him. She wondered about the things he did. She looked very closely at each scar that was visible to her. She gazed at his facial hair and longed to fill it on her face as she hugged and kissed him. Would it be soft and fuzzy feeling or hard and course? She got to looking at his unruly long wild looking jet-black hair. It started out innocently falling in gentle thick waves. Then mid length from his shoulder to his elbows, the waves rebelled into curls. Ginny remembered her hair the day in her second year at Hogwarts when they were riding on his broom. She wondered what his hair would have looked like if it had been long like this back then. She smiled at remembering her hair being wild and wind blown, and him trying to fix it for her.

Ron got up and went to the kitchen, and Hermione followed. “What is it Ron? Why are you unhappy?” She put her hand on his shoulder and made him turn to look at her. He shrugged his shoulders and started getting food and drinks from the refrigerator. He summoned four loaves of bread Molly had just baked that morning.

Molly got up quickly and tended the clothes in the washer. She put them in the dryer and returned to sit with Bill and Arthur. She was still smiling from ear to ear with her son’s good fortune.

Ron started slicing the bread and said he was starving since they hadn’t eaten anything since lunch. “You wanna help me make up a bunch of sandwiches for everyone?” Hermione gladly jumped in and the two of them looked like they were conducting an orchestra with their swift wand movements; Hermione, being the conductor of the strings and wind instruments with her eloquent and graceful movements, and Ron, being the conductor of the percussion instruments with his jerking and jabbing movements.

“I’m proud of him,” he nodded his head meaningfully at Harry and speaking in whispers “I am really. He’s done everything, seen everything, and KNOWS everything. His accomplishments are more than I could ever dream about doing. And now he’s even richer than he was before, and I’m just afraid when he wakes up he’ll remember we’re just nobody’s, POOR nobody’s. He’s better than we are, more so now than ever. When he is able to think straight, he’ll wanna take off and not be mates anymore. Plus” he paused not really wanting to say this but it fell out of his mouth before he could shut the words in. “It’s just he’s my best mate, or so I thought, and well, first he gives all his earnings from the, Tri Wizard Tournament, to Fred and George to start their Joke Shop, and NOW… he’s given Bill this huge job that will make him a wealthy man. I just want him to think of me more than just a comic sidekick. I‘m not saying I want any of his money,” adding his last sentence quickly.

Hermione finished the last of the sandwiches and made the plates serve themselves to everyone in the room. Ron quickly grabbed two as they whisked by him. When they returned she put the rest on the table, and sent butterbeers in for them.

“Ron, stop thinking that way!” Her eyes narrowed showing the displeasure she was feeling with him. “He came here before he went home and rested. He came here before he ate anything. He came here first, because he wants to see us and be with us. If he didn’t then when he came to and got away from us earlier he would have said, “Oh yeah, I forgot how stupid you lot are,” and walked out the door. But, he didn’t. Don’t you remember just about two hours ago he stood here shocked that we didn’t know him, or believe him when he told us who he was? We made him show us proof. He could barely stand and with blood running down the side of his face, he identified all those scars pleading with our memories to believe him. He’s broken hearted and what I’m afraid of is that he won’t think it’s necessary to fight and stay alive. If he does pull through, I bet he is still the same ole Harry we know and love.

"I think we should stop assuming things like we always have with him. And, the bit about you being just a comic sidekick… all I have to say to that is its rubbish. Your friendship means more than even money to him. You were always too proud whenever he bought us things. You always would say you‘d pay him back, or you except it as a Christmas or birthday present, or even flat out refuse even pastries on the Hogwarts Express. Never have you allowed him to just share with you. So there you have it Ron. He doesn’t offer you things of value, because you’ve showed him your pride at being poor and able to get along without his money; so he shows his respect for you by not giving anything to you, but his friendship. He makes everything with you and him the same, equal. And further more Ronald … If you can’t think proper thoughts about Harry, then we should talk about us getting married. I keep asking you why we can’t get married and you keep dismissing the subject because you wanted to wait until Harry got home. Well….. he’s home; let’s talk.”

Ron turned white in the face and began to stammer. “Wha… what, I mean how do you go about saying all that stuff, and then get on that subject? Why are you so uptight? You’re just changing the subject…What time is it anyway?” He looked at the calendar instead of the clock.”

Hermione’s mouth dropped and she let loose with a hard slap across his face.