Status: Rewriting and Continuing, Updates on Mondays!

The Last Fight

Slughorn

We found ourselves on a street in a quiet neighborhood. The houses had ivy growing over their bricks, the lamplights flickering slightly, and a cold dampness hung in the air. We walked down the street in pairs, Harry and Dumbledore leading, myself and Hyden following. I couldn’t help myself to keep glancing at him, searching his face for any sign of emotion.

“Sir, why do you need us to go see an old friend of yours?” Harry asked, interrupting the silence around us.

“I am trying to persuade him to come and teach at Hogwarts once more, and I think you three might change his opinion.”

Hyden and I all exchanged glances of confusion. What in the world was Dumbledore on about? I didn’t even go to Hogwarts anymore. And what could Harry and Hyden say to a complete stranger that would convince him to teach again? I glanced at Hyden and he looked as clueless as I felt.

“Ah, here we are.” We all stopped outside a house with the door hanging off its hinges. Windows were smashed in. A trail of blood led in the doorway. “Oh dear. What happened here?” Dumbledore asked himself. He drew his wand and led the way in. Was he kidding? He had no idea what was in there. Even if he was Dumbledore… despite my internal protests, I drew my wand and followed Harry and Hyden through the broken front door. We tread carefully through the darkness, wands lit, checking corners. Finally, we came to the living room.

The room was absolutely trashed. All the furniture was torn apart save one armchair, which had managed to survive all but a single stain the back rest. Glass, splintered wood, and feathers were strewn across the floor. Blood dripped down from the ceiling into a small puddle. Everyone but Dumbledore pulled the collar of their shirts over their nose. “Ugh, it smells disgusting,” I mumbled. I had a vague sense that I had smelled this smell before, but I couldn’t quite place it.

“Yes,” Dumbledore said a bit absentmindedly, his gaze fixed on the armchair. “Alright Horace, you can come out. I know you’re here.”

“Oh, blast it all Dumbledore,” grumbled a rough voice, and before any of us could believe it, the untouched armchair turned into a short, portly man who was almost completely bald. He looked rather displeased from being ousted from his disguise. “How did you know?”

“Dragon blood, Horace,” Dumbledore said, pointed to the blood on the ceiling. Of course. Dragon blood smelled an awful lot like NEWT potions with Snape. “And if the Death Eaters had come knocking, they would have left the Dark Mark over the house.”

“Of course, of course… I knew I forgot something. Well, let us clean up then,” Horace said, and he and Dumbledore began waving their wands. Everything began to right and fix itself, and the blood disappeared. “And that was my last bottle as well…” He now began surveying Harry, Hyden and I. He frowned curiously as he looked at me, but his mouth went into an O when he saw the scar on Harry’s forehead. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

“Horace, this is Harry and Jennifer Potter and Hyden Black. Harry and Hyden are going to start their sixth year and Jennifer just graduated. And for the rest of you, this is Horace Slughorn,” Dumbledore said kindly. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to use the loo.”

“Yes, yes, third door on the right,” Slughorn said, waving Dumbledore down the hallway, not once taking his eyes off of Harry’s scar. Dumbledore sent us a small smile before leaving us with Slughorn and his creepy stare. I shifted closer to Harry, my grip on my want adjusting, ready for action.

“Well, well, Harry Potter, is it?” Slughorn asked as soon as he was confident Dumbledore was out of earshot.

“Yes, sir,” Harry answered, unsure.

“You look quite like your father. I taught him at Hogwarts, you know, him and your mother. You even have your mother’s—”

“Eyes. I know,” Harry said, a slight bit irritated.

“And you, Jennifer,” Slughorn said, now turning to face me again, “you look just like Lily. Just like her…” His voice trailed away. I didn’t like the way he looked at me, like he was searching for something. Something not quite sinister, but not innocent either. When he seemed to come back to earth, he looked at Hyden.

“And you must be Sirius Black’s boy. I never had him in my House; I had his younger brother, Regulus, but I would have liked the set…” He glanced at a group of photographs on a trunk. “It was such a tragedy to hear of his death a few weeks ago.”

Hyden stared at the dark green carpet, wordless, trying desperately to keep his hands from quaking.

“Ah, yes, well,” Slughorn continued. “My answer is still no.”

“No to what?” I asked.

“To teaching again. I won’t do it. I’m not coming out of retirement, not even for Dumbledore.”

“Why not?” Harry asked, curious now.

“I haven’t taught in almost twenty years.”

That didn’t seem like a very good excuse. “So?” I asked. When Slughorn didn’t respond, I posed a new question. “Why did you destroy the house when we got here?”

“I thought you were… someone else.”

“Death Eaters?” Harry offered.

Slughorn frowned at us, but then sighed, “Yes. They’ve been trying to… erm, contact me for almost a year now.”

“Why do they want you on their side?”

“I don’t know.” I had to choke down a snort. This was laughable.

“Well,” Harry said slowly after a moment, “you do know that Hogwarts is the safest place to be, especially if Voldemort is after you?”

“Don’t say that name!” Slughorn hissed, shivering.

“But it’s true,” I chimed in.

“Yes,” Slughorn said quietly, shiftily. “Yes it is.”

“So, what—”

“Forgive me for taking so long, but I do love knitting patterns.” Dumbledore had re-entered the room, holding up a Muggle magazine. “Do you mind if I—?”

“Not at all, not at all,” said Slughorn, a bit irritably. Harry, Hyden and I glanced at each other, all frowning slightly. Slughorn was so obviously hiding something, but as to what and why, we were all lost. What could he possibly have to offer Voldemort?

“Well, I think I’ve let these children pester you long enough. And since there’s no changing your mind, we’ll be on our way now,” said Dumbledore, starting to usher us out.

“Oh,” said Slughorn, clearly disappointed. “Oh, alright.”

“Goodnight, Horace.”

“Goodnight, Dumbledore.”

Dumbledore led us back out of the house. “Sir—” Harry started, but Dumbledore silenced him with a raised finger. We were halfway down the path to the street when we were stopped.

“Alright Dumbledore, I’ll do it.”

We all turned around to see Slughorn at the door, looking defeated and rather annoyed. “But I want a raise! And Merrithought’s old office, not that water closet I had before!”

Dumbledore smiled. “As you wish, Horace. I’ll see you when term starts.”

Then we started back for the same spot we had originally Apparated to. “Sir, um, do you mind me asking again—”

“Why I brought you three along?” Dumbledore finished.

“Yeah,” Harry finished.

“As I said before, I needed a way to convince him to take up his old post at Hogwarts. Horace is a collector of sorts, and I’m sure that he would add yourself and Hyden to his collection.”

“His collection?” I asked, frowning. I had the mental image of Slughorn stuffing Harry and Hyden into bottles and sticking them on a shelf.

“Yes. Horace likes to collect the famous and talented around him. He helps them reach their full potential, and in turn, they can provide him with comforts and connections. If he had decided not to come back, he would have missed the ultimate opportunity—The Boy Who Lived, along with Sirius Black’s son and whomever else he finds to be worthy.”

“Weird,” Hyden muttered. I nodded in agreement, curious as to what Dumbledore possibly wanted me to be there for. It’s not like Slughorn was going to be teaching me next year.

“So where are we off to next?” I asked.

“I’m taking Harry and Hyden to the Weasleys, and I’ll need to have a quick word with you in turn.”

“Alright.”

We all hooked arms and turned on the spot. When the squeezing sensation stopped, we found ourselves near the Weasleys apple grove that served as a small Quidditch pitch in the summer.

“Your trunks are inside,” Dumbledore said. “Walk with me, Harry.” Harry followed Dumbledore off to Mr. Weasley’s shed. Hyden and I walked slowly towards the Burrow, the silence between us weighted.

“Hyden… I know it’s kind of stupid, but… how are you?”

He shrugged non-discriminately. “I… I dunno. I don’t wanna talk about it.”

“You sure? I understand what you’re going through. It’s perfectly reasonable that you’re sad.”

“I’m not sad.” He tucked his head further. “I don’t… I don’t really feel anything.”

I bit my lip. What did I even say to that?

“You’re up, Jen.”

We had made it to just outside the Burrow and Harry had greeted us. I gave them both hugs before I went to the shed to find Dumbledore inside, examining Mr. Weasley’s plug collection by the moonlight. Dumbledore waited for a moment before he spoke. “Jennifer, I must ask that, when term starts, in addition to your other duties that you be part of a group helping to keep Hogwarts secure.”

“Okay,” I said slowly. “Why me?”

“You have a good relationship with many of the students—they’ll listen to you. You’re a fine witch, and you’re one of the few who are available for the task. The Order is, as they say, stretched thin.” Dumbledore looked out the window. “Soon, I fear, we will all have to learn to be like the stars—separated, but shining as brightly as we can.”

I gave him a strange look. ‘What the hell was that supposed to mean?

“Don’t worry yourself with the troubles of an old man, Jennifer. You need to focus on your duties.”

“If I may ask, sir… why does Hogwarts need extra protection?”

“We can never be too careful, especially in these dark times.”

I felt like there was something else he wasn’t telling me, just like with Slughorn. What was everyone’s problem? I was supposed to be an adult, not a child still. I can handle myself.

Just then I noticed that Dumbledore was gone. I sighed, wishing he would have at least said goodbye, but he probably had other matters to attend to.

The lights were on in the Burrow’s kitchen. I considered walking down there and checking up on everyone, but I stopped myself. This really wasn’t the time. Mrs. Weasley would be too concerned over Harry and Hyden, and she had a house full of people. And anyways, I had work tomorrow, and it was nearly midnight. I turned and Disapparated to the alleyway closest to my flat.
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Please excuse my lateness. July was extremely busy and I simply didn't have time to write. Updates should be more regular again!