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Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related concepts are owned by someone who isn't me. I will never seek or accept money for the circulation of this work. Especially this work.

Holly Polter

Chapter : Headmastery

Harry was having a tough morning. He'd not slept for long, so he drank tea as breakfast until Hermione upgraded him to coffee. This brief buzz led him to bounce around the kitchen, knocking over nearly as much furniture and dishware as Tonks, who was there complaining of a late night also. Perhaps to save the kitchen, Mr. Weasley suggested they should be on their way.

Holly met them as they were heading out the front door; Harry sprinted with her to the Underground station, winning by a few car-lengths despite having to heft his outer dress robe folded over his arm, but once they were boarded he promptly fell asleep. He awoke with his head in Holly's linen-skirted lap, roused due to her insistent nudge on his shoulder, and still was not nearly as rested as he'd hoped.

Mr. Weasley led them into the Ministry by way of a quirky faux phone box, while commenting how strange the process was for him as well since he'd never come in through the 'visitor's entrance' before. They descended into a mob, bustling and queuing throughout the Atrium. Mr. Weasley was intercepted by a white-haired wizard who whispered into his ear then disappeared into the crowd without a backward glance.

Concerned by his soured expression, Holly asked Mr. Weasley, "More puking toilets?"

"Worse," he replied, "They've changed the time and location of Harry's hearing. I'm not entirely certain we can get to Courtroom Ten in time."

Holly must have recognised the destination, as she told Harry, "Aren't you special- you're going to be tried by the whole government!"

Harry twisted around to gape at her and said, "That is not funny."

She took a moment to straighten the collar of his dress robe and button it properly for him. "Did you think I was teaching you to speak to groups just so you could have a private chat with Madam Bones? The Ministry controls the Dementors who attacked us- they're trying to silence you, one way or another. Of course you're going to be railroaded."

"Now, now," assured Mr. Weasley, "It's just a hearing."

Harry wasn't buying that. "If things go as they want, they'll be hearing my wand snap."

Mr. Weasley chose not to argue the point and instead led them forward, trading quick greetings with other colleagues so they could hopscotch through the bustle. They were caught up at the visitors' check point when Holly got into an argument, protesting that she couldn't possibly be the first witch to enter the Ministry without a wand. Rather than hold them all back Holly begged off, but before they separated she tugged Harry's arm and said, "When you get down there, go to the loo."

"What? We're already late!"

"So it won't matter if it's five minutes or ten; go to the loo."

Harry bent close to her and asked, "Is this so we can... rendezvous, or--?"

"Harry, you had half a vat of caffeine before we left and we've been riding transit, which is like having your G-I tract massaged. You're about to stand in front of people who want to intimidate you. What's more, in a panic situation the body wants to evacuate non-essential weight which is why frightened people sometimes soil themselves. The last thing you want is to be standing there trying to look reserved and mature but yearning to pee like a racehorse at the derby gate -- Go To The LOO!"

He and Mr. Weasley made their way down to the deep hallways of polished black stone leading to Courtroom Ten. Despite Mr. Weasley's look of worry, Harry followed her advice. A few minutes alone getting himself buttoned up and centered proved to be quite helpful. He might've stayed in there longer, but fatigue had mostly overridden his anxiety. He just wanted this trial over and done.

~o~

Harry took his seat in the provided chair- a bare wood thing that Harry had last seen in Professor Dumbledore's Pensieve when he learned how the Crouch family had fallen from grace. It hadn't changed much in fourteen years. He was asked to confirm his identity then the Minister spoke pompously for several minutes. Harry tried to pay attention but something unusual about the acoustics made it difficult to hear details whenever the Minister turned to address the others in the high seats.

"... which is why I urge you to take this boy's testimony with an ear to finding the truth beneath the lies. Nonetheless, we shall abide by the sanctity of our laws and allow Mr. Potter a word or two to defend himself."

If he were fully rested, Harry might have bolted out of his chair in protest. Instead he settled for noting that Minister Fudge was most certainly not hiding behind a cultured veneer, which meant Harry might be able to use good manners to appear more reasonable. He then heard another voice down in the pit near to his chair, one that filled him with both relief and irritation.

"Witness and advocate for the defense, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore." Professor Dumbledore exchanged pleasantries with the muttering and disgruntled officials, conjuring a chair for himself no doubt to remind everyone why he was important. Harry had to think through why he was annoyed by the Headmaster, eventually deciding that he'd expected his mentor to have at least met with him well before now, given that Harry's life and freedom were at risk.

Professor Dumbledore's presence seemed to affect the timbre of the Minister's voice. There was a bit of byplay where Minister Fudge tried to excuse his manipulating the circumstances of the hearing, but Professor Dumbledore acted like he wasn't surprised or bothered. It rankled Harry, but he shoved that thought into the same mental pocket as his indignation over the Minister's other lies.

Fudge then returned his attention back to Harry. Just as he posed the first question, Holly's voice rose up in the back of his head, reminding him of her lessons over the last few days.

Stick to the truth, Harry. This is no time to improvise. Only tell them what you saw and what you did. Don't guess.

Harry was questioned on the simple matters of his casting the Patronus, with much emphasis made on the fact that Dudley was there to see it. Even so, the Minister would only allow Harry to give a yes or no reply before jumping into a related question. Dumbledore was doing nothing but watching and Harry could feel his anger growing.

Stop. That's what they want you to do- make a childish outburst. You're not Harry. You're Patronus Potter. Don't lose your mask.

"Mr. Potter, answer the question; did you cast a fully-formed Patronus?"

Harry stood up from the chair. He felt the anxiety fall back in his mind as he let his commanding self take over.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Nowhere, Minister," he replied, "In school we are taught to stand if we have something to say."

"This isn't school, Mr. Potter. Sit down."

Harry ignored the order and clasped his hands behind his back.

Good- you don't want to be waving your arms around, and you'll appear taller and more at attention. Now, if they're treating you rudely, call them on it but don't whinge.

"Minister, I'd like to give my full testimony to this assembly. As a favour, would you mind not cutting me off at least until I reach the end of a sentence?"

Shift the focus to things you want to add to the debate. Remember to lock eyes with individuals if you can- make sure they see that you're looking at them, finish the phrase and then look straight to another person in your audience. Everyone will hear you but you'll let each one know that you want them specifically to be listening.

He turned towards the stern-faced witch wearing a monocle and said, "To answer your question, Madam Bones, yes, I cast a fully-formed Patronus; mine appears as a stag. It's the only thing to do when facing Dementors. There were two there, and my cousin - the muggle witness- wasn't going to be much help. He's seen magic before but knows nothing of Dementors. He wanted to punch them, even though he couldn't see them."

Madam Bones asked with obvious surprise, "What would Dementors be doing in Little Whinging?"

"They were chasing after us, Madam. I didn't stop to ask why." That earned him a few titters.

The Minister gave a sanctimonious chortle. "Oho, and now we see how the lies are so well chosen- your cousin couldn't have seen them, so you have no witnesses, making it your word--"

"Holly was there as well. She can attest--"

"Who?"

Harry paused to take a breath then replied, "My tutor, Holly Evans. She was with me. She actually told me to cast the spell once we'd found shelter beneath the bridge--"

"We have no record of this. Are you now inventing people, Mr. Potter?"

"She's sitting up in the Atrium right now. If I invented her, I did a very good job of it."

Dumbledore - finally - spoke up,"That would change the nature of this incident greatly, Minister. If an adult witch was present and instructed Mr. Potter to cast the spell, the responsibility for breaking the Statute, if it were broken at all, would fall entirely on that witch."

The Minister started fussing and dismissing any interest in waiting, but Professor Dumbledore reminded the man that at a minimum the law allowed Harry to call witnesses. A pair of Aurors were dispatched, guided by Harry's description; "She's a short redhead with glasses, wearing a blouse, skirt and boots. Probably the only one up there not heading anywhere."

While they waited for the Aurors to find Holly, Professor Dumbledore fenced with the Minister about the Dementors and suspicions on who would have ordered them after Harry, if they even existed. Harry sat back down in the uncomfortable chair, hoping he hadn't done more damage in trying to save himself. If Holly were discovered as being non-existent until the day before the incident- well, they might be impressed that Harry really had invented a person, but he was sure they'd only mention it while sentencing them both to Azkaban.

~o~

Holly was sitting at the edge of the fountain, leaning back with her glasses off to absorb the simulated sunlight. Her reverie was interrupted by a large shadow stepping into her light and pointing a wand at her.

"Are you Holly Evans?" the bulky man asked.

She squinted up at him. "Will my answer determine which spell you're about to cast?"

"No. You've been summoned to appear at a hearing."

"In that case, I'm your girl."

Holly stood up and brushed her skirt straight, then looked up, ready to follow the wide man towards the lifts. She recognised him a second too late.

Macnair? Oh, fu--

"Stupefy," he whispered.

~o~

Harry had been getting more anxious as the Minister and Dumbledore argued. They kept going over whether the Dementors had attacked them, and Harry couldn't see why they wouldn't just accept his testimony.

"Excuse me, Minister. May I ask a question?"

"What is it, Potter?"

"If you could tell I cast a spell and you could tell my cousin Dudley saw it, why can't you tell that the Dementors and my tutor Holly were there as well?"

"The Trace alerts us when you've caused magic to happen. If you use a wand, the spell is logged."

"Then how did you know my cousin saw it?"

"Mr. Potter, I see no reason to explain the details of our systems of detection, if it's only to help you work around our laws."

"That's just it, though. I'm not trying to do anything to anybody. If I'd wanted to use a spell on my cousin, it certainly wouldn't be a Patronus. I could think of a hundred better spells to use on him after all the times he and his friends beat on me."

Madam Bones asked, "Are you saying your muggle cousin has assaulted you in the past and you didn't use magic against him?"

"Yes, Ma'am. I know the rules and have done since I found out about magic when I was eleven; I knew it wasn't allowed. Yet despite everything he's done, I didn't want to see Dudley suffer from what Dementors do to a person."

"You've shown admirable restraint for one so young."

"Thank you, Madam Bones."

Another official spoke up, "Are you saying you knew nothing about magic until you were eleven?" followed by yet another that protested, "That's preposterous! Everyone knows--"

The arguing resumed, except for one unusually absent voice. Harry turned to stare at the Headmaster, who had his head bowed.

The Minister pounded his gavel several times until the assembly quieted down.

Madam Bones spoke before Fudge could say otherwise. "Professor Dumbledore, your advocacy for Mr. Potter over the years has included several injunctions over discussing the details of this boy's life. You've asserted that these protocols were in place in order to protect the boy from the Dark Lord's followers and 'unethical hucksters who might be drawn to his fame'. What can you tell us to clarify this situation?"

Professor Dumbledore thought for a moment, coughed and then said, "The point of this hearing is to determine whether Mr. Potter broke the law when he cast a Patronus Charm earlier this summer. We know that he cast the spell in a muggle area and in front of his muggle cousin, though it is worth noting that he did so under a bridge, out of sight from casual onlookers. Harry has stated that he cast the spell to defend them both from Dementors who were present and attempting to harm them. There is, apparently, another witness to the incident who can corroborate his testimony. If such a witness is presented and attests to the circumstances, would you not say that the matter is settled?"

The Minister cut in, "I would, but I do not see such a witness here. If Mr. Potter says there was a witness and no witness is produced, then I believe we should also discount his testimony that Dementors were present, and know him as the liar he is!"

The courtroom doors opened.

The two Aurors had returned empty-handed.

Harry panicked. He said, "Did you check the loos?"

The Aurors, both of whom were wizards, stopped and shared a look. They turned around and left the courtroom.

~o~

Holly woke in a small barely-lit room. It didn't feel like waking up. More like she had been held in an 'off' state, or an empty space with no perception until a specified but undetectable amount of time had passed, and then she was 'on' again.

Her captor was only visible from the slit of light coming from the gap where he was watching the corridor beyond. She had been left on the floor, her hands bound behind her.

Once she was aware of her situation, she took care to change it as quietly as possible. First was extending her arms to gorilla proportion so that she could fit the manacles around her hips and legs, then a shift in her vision to see in low light, not to mention temporarily correcting for her nearsightedness.

I'll happily take the headache later for a chance to escape now.

Holly uncurled from the floor and stalked up to Macnair, trying to judge the best avenue of attack. She'd just spotted where he was holding his wand by his side when he turned away from the door and saw that she was no longer stunned.

Macnair swung a ponderous arm at her but she ducked under it and then rose, capturing his wand hand in the hinge of her manacles. She tried to pull his arm down onto her knee to disarm him with a counter-thrust upward, but the man grabbed her hair with the other hand and yanked her off-balance. Her clench around his wrist tugged him down with her as she fell to the floor, but having his mass land on her proved more trouble than it would have been if she'd left him standing.

He jabbed several punches at her face, finally connecting hard on the fourth swing. She felt the pain in her teeth and tasted blood, but was soon distracted by the man flipping her face-down and pinning her chest to the floor with his knee on her back.

He hissed a few expletives, but Holly didn't care what he thought of her. She just didn't want to be there anymore.

So she wasn't.

Holly pulled herself up to sit on the dark stone floor in a well-lit and quite different hallway, taking in a blessedly clear breath.

Mr. Weasley gasped nearby and said, "Holly, where have you been and where did you come from? And... where are your clothes?"

Looking down to see her usual problem of late, Holly cursed under her breath and turned to the kind-faced man, who was already doffing his wool outer robe for her to wear.

~o~

Harry was relieved to see Holly as she strode in, but noted that she was rather disheveled and busy wrapping herself in what looked like Mr. Weasley's tweed robe, trying in vain to tie it tight enough to not look like it was four sizes too large for her despite the hem dragging on the floor.

"Sorry for the delay," she said with a nervous warble, "I'm here."

"Who are you?" demanded Minister Fudge.

Holly took a moment to catch her breath.

"... and what has kept you?Where are the Aurors we sent to find you?"

"No idea. I caught up with Mr. Weasley outside and he told me you were asking for me. As to who I am, my name is Holly Jade Evans, previously of other places, like County Cork, Ireland. I'm in England as a private tutor to Harry Potter."

Harry appreciated the slight Irish lilt she'd added to her voice.

"What are you tutoring him in?"

Holly stood a little taller and said,"Private things. That's why we call it private tutoring."

The Minister was caught short by her reply. He glared down at her. "You are a witch? How old are you?"

"Well I'm certainly no muggle and as indecent as the second question is, I'll say I'm twenty-nine. It's tradition."

"You look a bit young for twenty-nine..."

"Why, thank you, Minister! I exercise quite a bit to stay rosy-cheeked and lively."

The man harummphed as only an official with a round belly can. His assistant Percy handed him a parchment. He then said, "I've been informed that you have no wand. Where is it? Was it taken from you for legal reasons?"

"It was stolen by a friend. I haven't found a good match to replace it yet, and she won't return my letters, much less the wand, but that's my problem."

"Where were you taught? We have no record of you here."

"And why would you? I was taught outside of this Ministry's jurisdiction, via schooling and apprenticeship, and my wand was a custom piece as I am such a difficult witch to accommodate."

"Yet you are tutoring Harry Potter?"

"There's much to cover that doesn't require spellwork on my part."

"Very well," the man sighed. "Please describe your involvement in this incident on 3rd August."

"Mr. Potter and I had been strolling about in the balmy air that evening when we encountered his fat cousin Dudley Dursley, who started a conversation with us. Soon the air turned cold, and I felt the creeping dread that heralds the approach of Dementors. I warned the lads that we needed to run, which we did. It turned a soft old day what with the sudden drop in mercury, and we sprinted far through it, until we sought shelter beneath a stone bridge."

"Why did you stop there?"

"We were waiting for his cousin to catch up- did I mention he's a bit portly? Also, the bridge was a fine shelter-it forced the Dementors to approach from only two directions. Dudley caught up to us, then two Dementors rushed in. The first one went for me, the other I believe grabbed Harry by the throat."

"You believe?"

"The Dementors had enshrouded us in darkness, as they are wont to do, so I couldn't see anything but I could hear him making choking noises and Dudley was wailing like a teething baby."

"And you couldn't cast the Patronus because you had no wand?"

"Right; I'd told Harry to do it. Then... I disapparated in a panic. Not my finest hour." She gave Harry a very heartful expression of remorse. He did his best not to cheer for her performance.

The doors to the courtroom then opened once more, and in burst a large bald man with a bushy mustache and an ill-fitting black eyepatch. He stopped short at seeing the assembly, then aimed an accusing arm at Holly and bellowed, "Aurors, arrest that witch and put'er in chains. She's the one done tore out my eye!"

Holly whipped around just as four Aurors formed a circle around her with their wands drawn. Two of them grabbed her by the arms and cast binding spells on her. She locked eyes with Harry, said, "I'm sorry, but I can't..."

-- and promptly disappeared.

Everyone gasped. Professor Dumbledore gasped. Clearly, Holly had done something Impossible.

Or possibly they were concerned because she'd left the robe behind.

Macnair growled in frustration and said, "She did it again!" He was then struck from behind by a red spell that knocked him to the ground, cast by Mr. Weasley.

The Aurors who weren't still startled by Holly's disappearance turned to aim at Mr. Weasley. He had the good sense to drop his wand and put up his hands, but also said, "Miss Evans mentioned that she'd just barely escaped being molested by this man, which is why I had loaned her my robe. I hope I haven't acted out of turn?"

Professor Dumbledore very calmly suggested, "Before we move on to this newest altercation, may I ask if there is any point to further debate on the cause of Mr. Potter's innocence? After all, there is no longer any doubt that Harry's spell was cast to fight off Dementors, as his tutor has attested."

Amelia Bones officially called for a vote. The Minister seemed unable to deflect this, as he first asked for a vote whether debate was ended, then another vote for a possible rescheduling of the matter, before finally calling for a vote over Harry's actions. It wasn't a landslide, but Harry was cleared of the charges. A summons was issued for Holly in regards to Macnair, but the officials seemed a bit stumped on where to send it, eventually handing a copy to Harry with a request to 'pass it on'.

Soon, everyone was filing out of the courtroom, except Mr. Weasley who was answering questions from an Auror while Macnair's unconscious body was levitated out by two others. Harry had stepped down from the chair of the accused but stood to the side, waiting to see if he'd have to make his own way back to Sirius' house. Several members of the assembly came over and shook his hand or voiced an appreciation of his manners and bearing during the hearing. He did what he could to remember each one as he thanked them but it seemed like none of them would stay long enough to tell him their names- as if important people like them should be known by reputation already.

Once the last well-wisher had wandered off, Professor Dumbledore sidled up next to him. "I don't know very much about that young lady," he mused, "but I must warn you Harry; even if she isn't your enemy, she is not your friend."

Harry's anger flared, but he stopped himself from reacting and took a breath. He looked up at the Headmaster, who seemed more interested in watching dust float in the air, and replied, "Really, sir? Because from where I'm standing--"

"I understand, Harry. I do. Sometimes it's difficult to separate what you think you're seeing from what is really there, particularly when the illusion is wrapped in an attractive package."

"I don't think you do understand, sir. She's done nothing but help me since we've met. Even if she looked like Filch, she'd have my trust."

Of course, I'm ecstatic that she looks nothing like Filch. Sometimes literally. Ha!

Professor Dumbledore seemed disappointed, but Harry wasn't inclined to accept his implied condemnation as anything but sour grapes. It didn't help his attitude that the Headmaster had spent their conversation, indeed the entire morning, without ever looking in his direction.

Harry noticed the Auror handing back Mr. Weasley his wand, and took that as fair cause to leave the Headmaster's side. As he and Mr. Weasley made their way up the stairs to the lifts, Harry told him the highlights of his legal adventure.

"Harry," Mr. Weasley asked tentatively, "are you quite certain that Miss Evans is a witch?"

"She just did magic right in front of us, Mr. Weasley, and she's taught me several spells that came off exactly as she described. Why was everyone so surprised when she disapparated?"

"This courtroom is specifically enchanted to prevent entry or escape by apparation or portkey, as it is used to handle the most dangerous cases. Similar protections exist all over the Ministry aside from the Atrium, but this room in particular has been made and remade over the generations to be inescapable. Do you have any idea where Miss Evans has gone?"

"No, but she didn't have any trouble finding me before, so I figure she'll find me again as soon as we go back to... the place... where we go."

Mr. Weasley nodded in understanding, and they decided to return directly to headquarters to share the news of Harry's exoneration.

~oOo~

Ginny had cheered along with the twins when they'd learned Harry had got off. She could tell he was distracted, though, and guessed that Holly's absence was worrying him. Also he looked exhausted, so when Ginny suggested he take a kip to recover, she earned a grateful smile from him.

Perhaps an hour later, she diverted from her 'trip to the loo' to look in on him. The room he shared with Ron was mostly dark due to the heavy curtain over the window, drawn to block the midday sun from intruding. All she could see of him from the hallway was a lump on the mattress. Daring others' wrath, she entered the room closing the door behind her with barely a squeak of the latch.

Her vision adjusted to the darkness and she sat on Ron's bed, watching Harry's chest rise and fall, his messy hair even more unmanageable than when he was upright.

Her moment with Harry was disrupted when she caught the sound of another person taking in a very deep breath. She turned towards the sound at the end of his bed and watched as a silhouette of a woman formed in the space, as if she'd merely lacked enough density to be visible up until then. The woman stood there staring down at Harry for a moment, then finally noticed Ginny and said, "Oh! Hello." A bluebell flame lit up in her cupped hand, bright enough that they could see each other's face. As she'd guessed, it was Holly; bare naked but otherwise unchanged.

Ginny hissed, "Don't wake him!"

"Oh, pull the other one," Holly muttered, "After the week he's had it'd likely take thundering rhinoceri to get him roused." She turned away and the blue flame bobbed along with her as she sorted around the room, finally finding a knapsack beside Harry's bed. Holly tossed the flame up out of her hand, allowing it to wander while she fingered through the contents. She stood up again to wrestle a dark undervest over her head, across her chest and stretch it down her belly.

Ginny saw Holly turn and look her way. There was a pause where they strained to see each other's face in the shadows, then Holly bent down to reach into the satchel again, rising a moment later to wrap a striped skirt around her hips and tie it off.

"Now that I'm decent enough," Holly said, "did you want to announce my arrival to the rest of the house?"

"Do you want me to?"

"No rush. We can just chat here for a while if you'd like. What's on your mind, aside from my body?"

Ginny protested, "I wasn't... I'm not--"

"You were staring," she nudged with coy tone.

She had been, though the reason for her fascination wasn't even clear in her own mind. Ginny hoped her blush wasn't obvious in the flickering blue light.

"Not that I mind; in fact I liked it." After another discomforting pause, Holly added, "but I'm not expecting anything to come of it. I'm just enjoying the tease!"

Ginny could feel the blush finish its spread and felt some relief in her breathing. "You'll fit in well here," she said. "What happened to you?"

"How do you mean?"

"Harry said you disapparated from the courtroom but left your clothes behind, again." It felt good to tease her back a bit.

Holly sat down next to her on Ron's bed, then half-turned to face her while still able to keep an eye on Harry. The bobbing blue flame wandered their way to hover overhead.

"Yeah... I think my outfit got caught in some sort of security charm in a way that I wasn't. I popped up in the Atrium right below the statue. Heard a little girl say, 'Oooh, mummy! There's a nymph living in that fountain...'"

Her impression of the little girl's voice prompted Ginny to laugh, though she tried to keep it quiet for Harry's sake.

"I realised that I was deshabille and up to my knees in water," Holly continued, "so I popped again, this time landing outside the phone box entry in the alley above ground. Well that wasn't going to stay private for long, so I popped a third time and arrived in my room at the Leaky Cauldron."

Ginny held back her cackling to ask,"Why didn't you get clothes there?"

"It wasn't mine anymore! It was occupied by a portly old wizard who took one look at me and said, 'I didn't order this, but I'm willing to accept delivery.'"

Again, Ginny had to stifle a laugh.

"I was getting tired, so rather than banter with the man, I popped then onto the rooftop and just rested there until I could sense that Harry had stopped moving. Now I'm finally back here in Sirius' house, wherever that might be. Think I might have caught a bit too much sun, but at least I won't have to worry on tan lines, right?"

Ginny continued to snicker for a bit.

Holly nudged her and said, "Glad to provide a smile to you, Gingersnap."

There was that name again, making for a sobering splash of presumption on Holly's part. Ginny squinted at her (though her target probably couldn't see it) and said, "Y'know, I'm not your friend, whoever she was. Which reminds me- where do you get off saying I know what it's like for Harry to fight off an invader in his head?"

"I'm well aware of the details of Harry's adventures, including rescuing you from the ensorcelled Diary of one Tom Marvolo Riddle."

Ginny couldn't decide whether to be mortified, angry at Harry for sharing her humiliation or angry at Holly for bringing it up.

Holly said, "I'm sure you won't appreciate this question but I have to know; do you still hear Tom's voice in your head?"

Her anger turned to panic. Ginny found herself breathing hard, heart sped up, her skin alternating between flushing and paling. She started to murmur a protest but Holly interrupted by repeating, "Do you hear him?" The tone was sharp but Holly's expression was full of concern.

Ginny decided to take a leap of faith, so she whispered, "S-sometimes, in my dreams he shows up- says and does things to me. But I don't think it's really him- just my own memories and fears about them. They didn't start up again for me until the end of the Tournament when I'd heard he was back, whereas Harry said he'd been feeling weird things ever since before the Quidditch World Cup."

Holly touched her knee in sympathy. "I think you're right. It doesn't sound like he has hooks into you anymore. Just some leftover wounds."

The reassuring words became a wash of calm flowing down her body. Ginny nodded in gratitude and took a deep breath to settle her nerves.

Holly asked, "Have you considered talking to Harry about it? What he told me didn't explain enough about your recovery."

"Harry didn't care if I recovered," she muled.

Holly stared her in the eyes. "You don't believe that. I know you don't."

Ginny's face fell from the truth of it, but then she decided she wasn't going to let this witch make her feel guilty. "How is it you know so much about us? You don't know me!"

Holly looked down then locked eyes with her once more.

"Ginny... I don't want to insult you, but I see a lot of myself in you. I went through some horrid things, stuff that made me doubt my own humanity, my capacity to love and whether anyone should ever trust me. I struggled through, mostly alone but knowing I had support from the few who loved me. They were there, but they could only do so much. It was up to me to deal with the hardship- to make it a part of me but not define me. I broke down a few times and hurt some friends in the process, but I'm stronger now. Doesn't mean I'm not haunted by it. Sound familiar?"

Ginny found herself nodding almost desperately in agreement. "But I... I can't talk to him about that. Nor my mum nor the twins and certainly not Ron. Bill helped me before, but he's not around much."

Holly took a loose hold of one of Ginny's hands and said, "Maybe you're willing to bend my ear about it? I want to help, and with Harry there catching up on the sleep of the just, I certainly have some time."

There was a warm shine in Holly's eyes, maybe a reflection of light from the hallway reaching them through gaps between the door and its frame. Ginny saw understanding there, and she nodded.

"We should probably find somewhere else to talk, though. Knowing your mother, they'll be sending search parties for you soon."

As they stood, Ginny found herself noting the bounce of Holly's breasts- larger than hers by far, inducing a flash of jealousy and a bit of heat in her belly. If I'm distracted, you know the others will be just obnoxious about it... "Uh, Holly? Maybe a bit more clothing would be considered decent, y'know?"

Holly looked back at her and then down at herself. "Yeah, probably..." She then grabbed a few more garments for her kit, endeavouring to dress with enough layers to satisfy the public good.

Ginny watched her as she did so, and felt a twinge of disappointment when the bluebell flame winked out before Holly was done.

~oOo~

Harry awoke in darkness, the sound of Ron's abrupt snort still echoing in his ears. It took a moment to put it together, but he must've slept through the day and into the next night. Hedwig flew in then through the open valence window, beyond which the dark sky was clear and the moon shone, still nearly full.

Harry padded around, getting fresh water and owl treats for Hedwig then grabbing a new outfit to wear for the day to replace the one he'd slept in. The moonlight provided enough clues to let him escape with minimal bruising of the shins, and he crossed to the loo with no evidence of waking anyone.

A brief wash-up and Harry was refreshed, but notably hungry. He slinked down the stairs towards the basement kitchen but stopped when he saw that the library door was open, an oil lamp casting light and shadows into the hall from within.

Just as he was leaning past the doorframe to look for the occupant, the grandfather clock chimed the hour, startling him out from concealment with a yelp.

Holly snorted. "Smooth, Mr. Potter."

Harry blushed but smiled as well. He slid the door closed behind him, then strode over to where Holly was rising from her chair. As soon as he could reach her, he grabbed her up in his arms. From their tight embrace he whispered in her ear, "I'd take another ten pratfalls if it'd guarantee you'd be here to see them."

"Oh, how sweet," Holly teased, "He wants to suffer for me. Always better to work with volunteers."

Harry relaxed his grip, allowing Holly to drop to her feet, though they still held close. She looked up at him, smiled and murmured, "C'mere, you."

Her smile extended to his face, and he leaned down to kiss her. A soft commingling of breath became a game of catch-the-tongue, turning into a needful snog. Holly took no particular path in deciding where to run her hands across his body, though after a minute she must've decided that his t-shirt was simply in her way and pushed it up his chest for him to remove. Her fingers clawed down his belly as they resumed kissing, sending delightful pings to his spine that in a less heated moment would probably feel ticklish. Her chest pressed the silk of her blouse against his bare torso, enhancing the effect.

Holly unclasped his belt and trouser button but left the zip alone, instead threading her hands between skin and fabric around his waist to slide over his buttocks, grabbing them with gusto. It prompted Harry to goose up a little, which broke their kiss.

Holly seemed fine with that, moving to lick her way across his bare chest with wet jabs of her pink tongue. Harry moaned and then murmured, "Holly, your shirt."

She pushed him back, the loss of leverage toppling him to sit on the arm of the sofa behind him. When he found his balance, he saw Holly staring at him, her hands held up to her collar with a grip on the lapels of the grey silk button up.

"Y'mean this shirt?"

Harry nodded.

"You tore open my other shirt. I like this shirt."

"Then unbutton--"

Some odd act of prestidigitation happened, as Holly leaned forward as if to bow and suddenly was holding the shirt out towards him at the end of her extended arm. She paused, and then let it float to the floor, the rippling silk drawing his eye as it dropped away. Behind this distracting fabric was Holly, wearing only a loose skirt and proudly displaying her hard-nippled breasts.

"You are amazing," he declared.

As she strut towards him, she said, "And don't you forget it."

His mouth found hers, his hands found her tits and Harry was once more electrified by Holly's capacity to stir his desire. Their bodies collided, then entwined. Skin grazed tender skin. Harry held her against him to keep her warm body in contact then decided on another plan. He pulled her away, spun her half around at the waist and then hip checked her to tip forward onto a nearby table, rewarded by a muffled gasp of shock. Holly pushed several tomes off to clear the surface then braced herself for him.

Harry dropped his loosened trousers and then grabbed the waistband of her skirt, yanking it from around her hips to expose her lovely, knickerless derriere. She looked back over her shoulder at him, and then stepped out of the skirt into a wider stance. He smiled, placed a hand between her parted legs and slid it up to rub against her swollen vulval lips. Her entire body shuddered in his palm; his hand came back dripping with her 'iral' fluid. He slathered some over his cock and stepped forward to align himself above her glistening folds.

Holly snarked, "Not much for forepl-AAAAYY," but the sentiment lost some of the taunting tone once he'd buried his cock into her. The muscle and moisture embracing his erection was enough of a warm greeting for his senses.

He replied, "Every time I watch you move, it's foreplay." Harry leaned forward, sliding his hands from her hips across her back, following the curve along her ribs and then cupping her breasts, squeezing them until she moaned. Her other response was to twitch back with her hips, forcing his cock a quarter inch deeper.

Harry felt that pulse in his feet. His hips churned into motion like an industrial piston, gifting him with shocks of excitement throughout his body. Holly shifted, bringing one leg up to brace on the table top. This changed the angle of his rutting slightly, but it also served to open her to a deeper penetration, allowing more of her heat to press against his pelvis. Harry could feel the tip of his cock being greeted within by a ring or divot of denser tissue, almost like a kiss. Connecting with it added an extra boost of joy for him at the end of each thrust.

Holly otherwise was just gasping and writhing in his hands, holding one of the hands massaging her breasts with her own. Harry realised that they had achieved some sort of optimal rhythm and motion, and Holly wasn't going to let him change it.

Willing to agree but not to give over authority, Harry increased the force of his slickened pounding, prompting Holly to release his hand as she needed both of hers to grip the table. Her deep red hair was flouncing about, her head lolling and Harry noted that her flanks made a thrilling ripple each time he drove his cock into her.

"Harry," she moaned, "I'm-- I'm-- I'm cumming againnnn..."

Indeed he felt her clenching but was momentarily distracted wondering when she first climaxed during this process. As if reading his mind, Holly finished stuttering out her breaths from the orgasm and said, "S-s-s-second you touched my twat, I was in heaven. God, don't stop; don'tstop... don'tstop... dunstp... dnst... "

He paused then, his cock throbbing within her, stopped mid thrust. Harry held there to taunt her but she whined in protest almost immediately. With this wordless admission of need he pounded hard into her again a few times, but then decided to change up slightly. He lifted her other leg to rest on the table as well, positioning her in a frog crouch. His reinsertion was satisfying more for how it made Holly shriek, but it still felt marvelous. Harry couldn't hold off his own enthusiasm anymore and resumed pounding into her pelvis to the meter of her joyful yelps.

Churning, thrusting, clenching and twisting, it was a thrill both timeless and too brief. Something in his pelvis sent notice that he was about to come. He double-timed the pistoning, sending Holly into a vulgar rant.

"Guh! Guh! God-fuckshite... rip-me-apart, you can't know, I'm a fucking slut, a monster, I like it all, Iwant it all, FUUUUUUCK! Fuck-fuckfckfckfckfck Haaahhhrrrrrryyy..."

He came, a river of sensation rushing through him and into her trembling hips. As if it wasn't already mind-blowing, Holly started reflexively bouncing her hips down against his stiff stance, milking the orgasm to the point where Harry felt a second wave of pulses shooting into her. Their motion slowed over the next few minutes, until they both were moving more from their heavy breathing than any intent to continue.

He grabbed her up, pulling her unresisting body against his chest and latching his lips on her neck almost like a vampire might. She tilted her head back against his shoulder as if to offer him better access to feed, her arms held limp in surrender. Harry held her there in the desperate embrace with one arm, the other reaching across her, caressing her all over her gasping, limp-with-fatigue body. He wasn't bothered by the loose hairs sticking to their sweat-dampened skin or the salty musk rising from their bodies. Touching her and kissing her was making her mewl, and he knew she was trying to say 'I like this,' but just couldn't form the words while her body shivered in sensation. It all was so erotically perfect.

Holly's breathing slowed to a calm. She then turned in his arms, shifting how she was kneeling on the desk until she faced him, then flopped to sit at the edge so she could embrace him properly with both arms and legs. They kissed.

When they broke apart for breath, Holly said, "Missed you."

Harry cackled. "I got that impression."

"Go get washed up. People will be awake soon."

Harry nodded and let her go. He grabbed up his clothes, skipping over to slide open the library door. When he rounded past the grandfather clock, he stopped short.

"Uhh, Holly?"

"Yeah, sweetie?" she replied from the library.

Harry was looking up the staircase at four Weasleys, a Granger and a rainbow-haired woman who was wrestling to keep her hands over her mouth, all perched on the steps with a variety of wide-eyed expressions aimed at him.

"They're awake now."

George was in the center, holding the tip of an extended Extendable Ear. Sirius stepped forward out of the shadows to stand at the bottom of the stairs. His wand was at the ready, apparently to deter anyone from interrupting Harry's 'special time'. Hermione was already stuck in a Body-bind, half risen from her seat on the stairs with an expression of righteousness frozen on her face.

Tonks couldn't hold it anymore and burst out laughing.

Before anyone else could react further, Holly slid past the door on her bare feet to join Harry, wearing her grey silk shirt held closed only by the button between her breasts. She looked up at the assembly, warning them in tense whisper, "I'm sure this will need to be discussed, but if you don't shut up, Walburga will--"

"SLATTERNS! BLOOD-TRAITORS! CRAVEN MUDBLOODS! YOU HAVE MADE MY HOUSE INTO A BROTHEL!"

Since the rest of the Black family portraits were equally annoyed at being roused, they decided to join in the ranting. Sirius hopped up the staircase to deal with his mother, recruiting the twins to silence the other portraits as he passed by. Holly turned and walked back into the library no doubt in search of her skirt, leaving Harry to ask 'cackling Tonks' if she would unpetrify Hermione.

Ron suggested, "Wait a bit, Harry. She won't want to actually yell at you if the portraits have been calmed down already."

~o~

Aside from Holly saying, "Harry makes his own choices," and Harry saying, "And I did," there really wasn't much discussion at all. Harry was relieved for that, though everyone's behavior turned a bit odd by the time Mrs. Weasley had come down to cook up breakfast.

Hermione was huffy, so that wasn't too different, but Holly had disappeared into the house soon after she was dressed, which somehow resulted in Hermione looking in every dark corner for her, even as they settled down to eat.

The twins and Ron and even Ginny had taken to giving him teasing looks, with Fred and George occasionally whispering things like, 'How can we learn to be such an awesome lover of witches?' and,'Is that the Boy-Who-Lived or the Berk-Who-Laid-Pipe?'.

At one point, the clumsy-happy-witch-who-should-only-be-called-Tonks pulled him aside and asked, "Did I do something to insult your friend?"

Harry could only give her a look of incomprehension.

"I only ask 'cause she seems a cheery and funny sort, like me, but the moment she saw me she got all grumpy and walked away."

"Holly hasn't said... anything about you, at all. Kinda weird, actually. I'll ask her."

"Don't go out of your way; I just like to know if I did something. Otherwise good on you, eh? She's a looker and smart, no mistake! If I'd known you had an eye for an experienced witch, I might've found you first."

Harry smiled and replied, "Don't give up your dreams, Tonks. You found me now, and Holly keeps saying that I should always consider the possibilities."

Tonks faux-gasped and gave his shoulder a playful shove, but the food was being served so they returned to the table.

~oOo~

Nine hours and three meals I've been hiding. I've listened to the chatter and the cheering, the arguments and teasing, and finally I can go join them. Because I found my courage or got my emotions bridled? No, because I can't hear her unfortunate braying laugh anymore. I am such a coward.

Holly slumped down the staircase, trying to pinpoint where everyone was to see if she could arrange for a moment to explain things to Harry. As it happened, the cat found her first, followed by his owner coming up the stairs to find him. Holly stopped at the landing and waited until Hermione picked up Crookshanks and joined her.

"Well, you've been silent as a ghost. It's been a busy day for everyone else," she noted with some venom.

"I wouldn't have been good company." Holly gave her a slight smile. "I wanted to say earlier; it's never been my intention to offend or frustrate you, Hermione. I just have a talent for it. Sorry."

"I'm not offended, but neither do I think you're a responsible person to be carrying on with someone as young as Harry." She then huffed, "Why are you smiling?!"

Holly tried to wave her off but Hermione stood there with an armful of cat, tapping her foot, which Holly found even more amusing. "I started much younger than he did." [.../With you/].

Before Hermione could press her point, they were interrupted by Harry rushing up the stairs double-time to reach them.

"Hols! Where've you been?"

She held out her arms and Harry hugged her close. Holly could see the look of discontent on Hermione's face but only hugged Harry harder to revel in it.

Harry stepped back and gushed, "You wouldn't believe the day we've had. Did Hermione tell you? She's a Prefect! Ron is too, which we all thought was a bit unexpected but I'm sure he'll do alright. We made a party of it and most of the Order stopped by to wish them well and all. Ron's getting his own broom."

Holly gave Hermione a nod and said, "Congratulations. I'm sure this is a banner day for you. Something even your parents can understand, right?"

"That's... exactly what I said to Harry. My parents are muggles, but they know the importance of being a student leader. I sent them a letter with Hedwig."

"And the booklists came," Harry continued, "which means the adults are arguing over how safe it'd be to get the shopping done. I've been thinking- even if they have it in for me, Voldemort's people wouldn't be stupid enough to try anything against a bunch of us right in the middle of Diagon Alley, would they?"

"No, only Macnair would make that mistake," Holly agreed, "and even someone like him wouldn't attack a group without bringing an edge in numbers. We should all go, and maybe then head off into London to catch a flick or go dancing. I think you all deserve a chance to live it up before returning to school."

They descended the stairs together, talking about possible places to shop or see. Hermione had a few suggestions for museums or libraries she'd wanted to visit, but Harry was more inclined to sample something loud, as he was tired of tiptoeing around headquarters all the time.

They were intercepted at the bottom of the stairs by three men, all holding their wands at the ready.

Alastor Moody ordered, "Potter, Granger; you'll need to step back up those stairs."

"Miss Evans, if you'd be kind enough to come down and join us in the library," invited Lupin.

The tall bald black man rounding out the trio said with a deep voice, "It's very important to us all, especially Professor Dumbledore, that you answer a few of our questions. Now."

I wonder how long they were waiting here for me to show up?

Harry said, "Uh, Holly?"

She answered, "It's cool. If they weren't willing to listen, they would've Stunned me first. Isn't that right, Mr. Moody?"

"Step lively, Missy, or we'll see how Plan 'B' suits you."

~o~

Under the watchful eye and readied wands of the Order's toughest members, Holly was escorted into the Black library. Harry was allowed to come as well, but the other 'kids' were sent out past the sliding door, even Fred and George.

Moody, Shacklebolt, Lupin and a late-arriving Snape remained standing. Sirius, Arthur and Molly all sat in chairs, but Holly was directed to sit separate from and facing the others in case spellfire was required. The Headmaster strode into the room last, sealing the door behind him and then settling into a summoned armchair that faced Holly.

He smiled at her and said, "You, I take it to understand, are Harry's mythical Aunt Holly."

"Mythical? I may be all sorts of fantastic, but I'm very much real."

Lupin scoffed. "But you've only appeared within the last month. You showed up in Harry's life claiming to be Lily's other, magical sister, but wait, no, you're really her cousin. No one has ever met you or heard of you before this. So, up until recently you were, what, consigned to the French Foreign Legion?"

Holly gave him a dismissive look and said, "That's me- the last lover of Beau Geste. I was unavailable and cut off from contact. Now I'm here, and hoping to make the best of things. Sorta like how you came back into Harry's life. Why are you so hostile to me, Mr. Lupin? It's not like I stole your girlfriend or anything." In her head, Holly amended 'at least not here'.

"I knew Lily," Lupin proclaimed. "Sirius may have accepted you because you've made Harry happy, but I know there's no way that Lily could have had a close friend or another sister whom we'd never known about. To suggest it insults her memory. You're using that insult to get close to Harry- that makes me hostile as well."

"Indeed," added Dumbledore, "your every statement and action raises more questions than answers. Perhaps..." He then turned to Harry and said, "Perhaps you'd be willing to ask Miss Evans to share with us the unvarnished truth, Harry? She seems inclined to be more direct with you."

Of course Albus knows about the geas. A part of me is relieved to just get this sorted, but the smart part knows it won't be that simple.

She nodded to Harry, who said, "Holly, please tell me; who are you, really?"

Holly could feel a kind of constriction around her throat- as if a spectral hand was readying to choke her if her words weren't true. She gulped, sighed, and then said, "Alright, since we're now in confessional mode, I'll tell you and your guests my provenance. I'm not Harry's Aunt. I... used to be Lily Evans Potter, except in a different timeline.

"I, as Lily, enacted a protection on my Harry that resulted in us merging to make Holly. Unfortunately, I neglected to include my memories in the transfer, so I lived the life arranged for Harry, until I later discovered who I really was. I've fought this fight against Voldemort's forces, and later when I died I woke up here in a younger, unscarred version of my body. That's why I know everybody but not all the right details. I know this isn't my life, but I'm here now, and I'm still devoted to Harry's survival and success."

A second after she was done, the room filled with protests, denials, expressions of shock and not a few threats. Holly listened but didn't reply to any of the angry faces when they turned her way. She was waiting for cooler heads to prevail, even if it looked like that might not happen until the next ice age. She shared an eyeroll with Harry while waiting, as he was trying to ignore the noise as well.

The Headmaster took in a breath. One might think that some bell had tolled for how that simple action had drawn all the attention in the room. Once he had exhaled a long-suffering sigh, Dumbledore said,"Thank you for sharing that with us. I'm certain it's what you believe to be true." He sighed again, then declared, "But, you are not a witch."

"I assume this isn't about gender identity," Holly prodded.

"No," he replied with a hint of impatience, "you most evidently are female. What you are not, is a wand-wielder."

"Right. Discovered that," she said.

"Rather, I believe that you are a kind of poltergeist."

Holly scowled. "Ehh, like Peeves? I'd like to think my fashion sense is a bit more developed."

"Consider the evidence; you know quite a bit about magic and can magically travel between spaces, but as you attest, you cannot cast spells; much as a ghost, you lack the life to make magic even though you are magical. You are a physical being, yet you seem to require no food or sleep. And finally, you were able to disapparate from one of the most secure rooms in the entire Ministry, but neglected to bring the physical objects you wore along with you, suggesting that you weren't disapparating at all but transporting your essence in some other way."

"Yeah, but a poltergeist? Aren't I a bit too... sane for that?" Holly then muttered, "...which is a dubious question to ask one's accuser, on reconsideration."

"The creature called Peeves is not insane," answered Dumbledore. "He is an embodiment of a kind of emotional miasma that surrounds and suffuses the walls of Hogwarts--"

"Oh, I get it," she replied. "A thousand years of adolescent impulses and urges have been leaving magical waste product in the air- the cumulative hormone overflow of a hundred thousand frustrated magical juveniles, which at some point turned into a pervy little personification of impudence." She sat back and glared. "I can see how you'd think I was one also."

"You seem to possess his sort of capabilities," Dumbledore said, "but instead of haunting the halls of Hogwarts, you have taken to haunting Harry. I would suggest that you experiment with vanishing and enjoying the ghostly power of flight. Once you have reconciled that you are such and not one of the living, you may decide to move on, and find better propects than Harry to amuse you."

"Amusing myself isn't my priority and my presence here isn't random. I intend to help Harry."

"As do I. As do all of the people who have collected here to support him."

Holly grimaced rather than reply as she wanted. The effort was obvious.

"You wish to say something?"

"I really don't want to lock horns with you; it's a bad habit that I worked hard to break. But let's be honest- they aren't here to support him. They're here to support you. If you declared that Harry wasn't the destined nemesis of Tom Riddle, they'd turn towards whatever other sacrificial lamb you were to designate, and Harry would be tossed to the winds. I'm here for him."

Something in that had upset the Headmaster. He noted rather acidly, "And now we see your tendency to sow discord."

"Just because I disagree with you doesn't make me an evil spirit."

"No, but I was hoping that you were simply a wayward imp who could be convinced to move on when your deception was revealed. Now I see that my greater fear is more likely. You aren't a spirit accidently enamored of Harry- you've been sent by others to seduce him for a purpose."

"I'm a woman, not a floating cartoon! I realise you aren't keen on the features but I'm sure the younger, straighter men in the room can attest--"

"Your appearance is more refined than Peeves', I'll grant you, but I believe it is because you have been modified."

"How do you explain how I know so much about this world and the people in it, but not the details of events that have happened in the last ten to twenty years? I'm telling you, I'm from another timeline!"

"A feat which has never happened before and is not considered possible by the most advanced theories in temporal magic," Dumbledore said with finality. "I believe that everything you say is a carefully crafted lie, meant to distract us from our goals. If I'm right, I'll have to applaud your master or mistress. Whomever it was that ensnared a poltergeist and conditioned it to believe itself human should be given credit for such astounding Charms work, however twisted their purpose."

She growled in frustration and then slumped in her chair.

"Disappearing from within the carefully charmed and protected walls of the courtroom was a key piece of evidence, but in truth, I really wasn't certain of my theory until I saw you here for myself. It all came together when I realised how much you could learn from so many people, once they were within range of your Legilimency."

Holly felt a cold flash of panic.

"Yes, I know about that," the Headmaster continued. "You've been very free about peeking into the minds of others around you, particularly Harry, thinking that no one would be able to sense the intrusion. But I can sense it, even when it isn't directed towards me."

She turned to look at Harry, just in time to watch the blood drain from his face. She shook her head but Harry's expression showed he was too busy wrapping his head around the idea to bother hearing any attempt at a denial.

Sirius scoffed. "I don't recall poltergeists as being mind-readers, Professor."

"No, but boggarts are, even if they're too simple to understand what they see in a person's fears," said Professor Dumbledore, "and having that instinctual capability fused with aPoltergeist would make her insinuation that much more credible. That she didn't know of her own nature would make detection even more difficult. As I said-it's an astounding feat of magic. Worthy of Voldemort. One might even see this woman as his boggart- a version of Harry with greater knowledge and confidence, and... passionate in a way that he most certainly has rejected in his pursuit of power."

Damn the man, but that's a really coherent theory. Worse still, I've been noticing the same signs. I don't sleep. Wands don't listen to me, the Ministry didn't detect me when the Dementors attacked...

Holly couldn't look up at anyone anymore. Instead she murmured, "Harry, what do you think?"

"I... I dunno. I just don't know. Sirius says you have to answer my questions with truth, so here's what I want to know. What magic have you used on me?"

Holly paled as she turned to him. "Now listen Harry, I wasn't trying to--"

"What magic did you use? You've been busy with me from the moment you appeared- what did you do, magically?"

"I sensed the soul magic in your scar when I touched it."

"Soul magic? What're you--?"

"Don't try and distract us, Miss Evans. Continue to answer Mr. Potter's question."

"I put a little Confundus on Vernon to keep him at bay- that wasn't on you, but it was in your interests."

"And?"

"I've been... I... when I touch you, I... I read your thoughts. The whole trip on the Knight Bus, when I was listening to you describe your adventures, I sifted through your mind to get more details, especially the stuff you didn't want to talk about. I've done that since the start and I haven't stopped. If you were touching me, or staring into my eyes-I was probably in your head."

Seeing the look of fear on his face, she implored him,"I had to! I had to know what the differences were--"

"Or," Dumbledore said, "You needed his experiences as a baseline to construct your 'alternate history'. I've heard it said that the biggest lies are the easiest to sustain, if they hinge on a single assumption that cannot be proven or disproven."

The rest of the room certainly had a number of things to say on the matter. Sirius and Lupin argued on the nature of boggarts and poltergeists, Snape and Mad-eye made paranoid suggestions about the purpose of her mission and possible depth of secrets that may have been leaked, Arthur and Molly worried on what had been done to Harry and what she might have done to their children as well...

Holly sat there, statue-still. She couldn't look up if what she'd see in Harry's eyes was the pain of betrayal-her betrayal, and that was...

"Professor," she heard Harry ask in a strangely distant voice, "what should we do with her?"

It felt like a physical blow. Her heart skipped a beat, and despite her usual self-control, tears escaped from her eyes.

She said, "Harry, please, if you ever... ever had any love for me--"

The Headmaster said, "Professor Snape, if you will escort Miss Evans into that study - I don't believe she should have any further input to this discussion."

~o~

Thus, Holly was led by Snape into the study adjoining the library to await her fate.

She was mulling over how badly this all was playing out when she felt the brush of another mind against her outer shell.

Losing access to wanded magic had been disconcerting, but Holly had adjusted. However, coming to realise that her usual titanium-like mental defenses didn't have any real substance here had been a loss like having a foot removed. Since Sirius' visit to her forebrain, she'd been aware that anyone who chose to test her resolve would find penetrating her mind no harder than sifting that of a willful muggle. She'd been trying to move fast enough that those who could do so wouldn't bother to make the attempt.

Holly's gorge rose in panic. Snape's probe had triggered another unwanted reaction. The fear of having her defenses ripped away inexorably drew her mind back to the graveyard, memories of which were still raw and vivid from her time suffering within the Dementor. She jumped back and retreated to the far wall, placing the reading chair between them while pleading, "Don't- please, don't! Don't look, Severus!"

Her last mistake- using his given name. He sneered at her and turned to face her directly, a gesture from his wand forcing her head to tip up and her eyes to pop wide open. Once he'd made the connection, Snape stormed into her mind like a viking.

Holly could sense him watching her as she relived having two dozen men in black cloaks and death eater masks use her body to pursue their carnal satisfaction. As if suffering through it again wasn't enough, this time Snape bore witness to her debasement, his avatar's expression trapped between revulsion and morbid enjoyment.

In the real world, Holly keened. First it was a tremulous whine, but the volume rose into an outcry within a minute. By the time Sirius and Harry had shouldered the door open, she was wavering between screaming and weeping.

~oOo~

Sirius and Harry had burst through the door in time to see Snape flourish his wand and call out 'Purgatorio!'

A sheath of smoky-white ethereal fire surrounded Holly's body, burning her skin and hair as if the flames were real. Holly's scream turned from anguish to horror, redoubling in volume.

Harry cried out, "No!" and lurched at the potions master, disrupting his spell.

Holly's suffering ended, but the damage was done.

Her skin burned away like dry leaves tossed into a furnace, but beneath it wasn't muscle and bone- just an amorphous blob of brackish fluid held in shape for barely a half second. Her clothes then fell to the floor accompanied by several gallons of liquid.

Harry saw this and grabbed the man by the robes, trembling in fury. "Y-y-you BASTARD!"

"Get off me you swine!"

Harry raised a fist but Snape, wand already in hand, petrified him mid-punch.

Much shouting and accusations rose. Professor Dumbledore turned back to the doorway, raising his arms wide to block the scene from those not already in the room. Sirius rushed over and then fell to his knees beside Holly's remains. Snape stood between Harry's statuary pose and Dumbledore, straightening his robes and brushing off imaginary Potter-cooties.

"Enough!" commanded Dumbledore.

In the ensuing quiet, Snape said, "If she were a real witch rather than this abomination, my spell wouldn't have had such an effect." He then turned his back on Harry's petrified pose to report, "I saw into her mind, Headmaster. She was in persistent trauma, tormented by a recurring nightmare of assault and molestation by monsters dressed as Death-eaters. This must be how she - how it - was conditioned to behave as if human. No doubt when I saw through her deception, she was then punished for her failure."

Snape turned back to whisper in Harry's ear, "Be glad that your witless affair with this creature hasn't destroyed the Order completely, Potter, for that is nearly what you accomplished. And if you wonder why no one chooses to 'keep you informed', as you so arrogantly demand, perhaps you'll consider that this sort of stupidity is just one reason why."

Sirius commanded, "Get out of my house, Snape, or I won't be held responsible for what happens next."

"Oh, of course you won't. You're not responsible for anything--"

"OUT!"

Snape strode out, closing the door behind him.

The headmaster sighed. "If only you had stayed where it was safe, Harry. Instead, the moment you step out the door an enemy is there, disguised as an attractive fancy, ready to pounce. At times I wonder if you've been keeping a malaclaw for a pet."

Sirius clambered back to standing. "I think you have a very poor understanding of men like myself and Harry, if you think we find safety more important than doing something with our lives. As it stands though, you have the whole thing backward. Harry didn't leave and meet Holly; he met Holly, then left. The first time he ever saw her, she was sitting on his desk, in his bedroom. Spirit she may have been, but not malicious. When she first appeared here, Remus asked her how she'd found the place. Her reply?'Harry's here.' That's all she needed."

Professor Dumbledore's face fell. He turned and strode out the door towards the entry hall, calling for Snape to wait for him.

~o~

Ginny and the others had been frustrated to be excluded once again, but the twins assured her that they weren't going to simply accept defeat. As soon as they'd been shoo'd out of the meeting, Fred and George had tried a number of tricks and toys to get an eye or ear into the action.

Their efforts proved fruitless and they lost interest after half an hour's effort. In fact, it seemed like their last attempt had triggered some sort of reflected trap, as Ron and Hermione also retreated to their rooms rather suddenly right when the twins did. Ginny had been playing with Crookshanks at the time, so she guessed she wasn't affected. Though the others had left she decided to continue her vigil with the massive cat keeping her company, purring in her lap.

The Imperturbable silence was broken when the door to the library slid open, allowing Snape to emerge. From within the room, she could hear Professor Dumbledore calling for him not to depart just yet. The oily git stopped short, closing the door and stalking up towards the front entrance as if his extra slow pace would be the limit of his willingness to wait.

Soon Dumbledore came out to the hallway, joining Snape in the foyer. They muttered together for several minutes but Ginny couldn't hear any details due to some sort of low noise muffling their words. Snape turned to open the front door but paused when Dumbledore said,"Severus, please."

The Potions master turned to give a reply, but was met with a wand point and a whispered, "Obliviate." Snape stumbled back against the door, his face turned up in shock. Ginny could see his wide-eyed expression and wondered if this was how all people react when their memories are being bound up inside of them.

Minutes passed. Professor Dumbledore finally relaxed his wand and then lurched to catch Snape as he stumbled forward.

"You appear to have taken ill, Severus. Perhaps you should return home and rest."

Snape clutched at his head but nevertheless protested, "And let you sort out Potter and his latest mess without a voice of sanity in the room? I only came because you insisted that my talents were required. 'Of paramount importance,' if I recall."

"I realise that, and it will make my task harder, but I insist. Go home and rest. I will speak with you later ... to fill in the blanks for you."

The greasy git had the gall to act put-upon, then swirled his black robes back towards the door, his snap of disapparation audible even as the door shut behind him.

Dumbledore sighed. Then he, too, exited the house, but not before taking a last look up the staircase, not quite where Ginny was perched but close enough to make her wonder.

The other adults that had gone in to confront Holly emerged eventually, each quietly making their way out or in the case of her parents, up to their borrowed bedroom. None of them said anything to her, and all carried very troubled looks on their faces.

A while later Harry skidded out into the hallway, looking around as if ready to pick a fight, but there was no one around but her. His shoulders sagged. Sirius came out to say something to him but Harry violently shrugged him away and headed up the stairs.

As he passed her, Ginny asked him, "Where's Holly?"

Harry stopped. He replied, "Didn't you hear the scream? I suppose they sealed the room first. Turns out Holly wasn't human, so Snape destroyed her," and then resumed his journey up the stairs.

She looked down at Sirius who gave a grudging nod to confirm Harry's assessment.

Ginny felt like someone had just stabbed her in the chest.

~oOo~

Sirius sealed the library and stoked the fire to place a floo call. He yelled towards one of the portraits, "Phineas! Is Dumbledore back in his office?"

The sallow man appeared in a portrait next to another relative who was sleeping. He said, "I am not the Headmaster's social secretary, young man."

"Oh, could you be useful just once without having to make a drama out of it?"

"No. Professor Dumbledore has just arrived."

"Thank you," he said as he tossed some floo powder into the fireplace. "Hogwarts- Headmaster's office!"

Professor Dumbledore's face appeared in the flames. "Sirius? Has something else happened?"

"Would it have to? Dumbledore, I'm a bit disappointed in you right now. You fled like a coward, leaving me to clean up your mess. Snape's Body-bind on Harry wasn't easy to unlock, you know."

"I had to avert a disaster in the making."

"Another one? What about that travesty you'd already created? You let Snape destroy her. Right in front of him!"

"I had no intention of doing so, and gave no order to him to do so. Severus acted on his instincts and his understanding of the situation."

"I can't believe you!" Sirius railed, "Are you still prepared to sit there and defend Snape? How can you watch him torture one of Harry's friends to death and then say he's going to help Harry win?"

"So many things are wrong about this, Sirius, but my faith in Professor Snape's allegiance is not."

"Why do you say that?"

"I have my reasons."

"What would happen if you were disabled for a time- would the Order focus on helping Harry or taking the fight to the enemy?Or would they flounder with no idea which is the priority? Who would be making the call to trust Snape then?"

"I'm not certain where you're going with this."

"My point is that no one else knows why you trust him, so if others were to take over for you following an unplanned retirement or coma, they'd have no reason to trust him. If it's due to some sort of leverage you have, well, that's lost if no one else knows what it is. Unless you have reason to believe that you're immortal, I'd suggest sharing some of the most critical secrets you're keeping close to the vest, and preferably sharing them with someone others will trust if you were gone."

"And who would you suggest? Yourself?"

"If I have to tell you it should be Harry, you've already lost your way. Holly was right- the Order isn't here for Harry. They're here for you. Your cult of blind sycophants. I'm resigning, by the way. Find yourself a new clubhouse. Oh, and the next time I see Snape, I'm going to slice off his arm. I'll let Harry decide what else to remove."

"Sirius, please don't make any rash decisions. I admit my fault here. I was mistaken about the nature of Holly's connection to Harry, and in so doing may have doomed us all. If... if, by some chance, you were to see the spirit called Holly Evans once more, please apologise to her for the actions made against her today. If she is willing, I would meet with her to do so in person."

"You think she's still around, then?"

"I truly hope so."

Sirius smiled.

"I see you do as well," the Headmaster said.

"Oh, I think she's a jewel, but that's not why I'm smiling, though I am consoled to know that you think she'll come back. Twice in one night you've admitted to being deceived or mistaken. I find this very entertaining."

"Sirius, a little respect--"

"Y'know, Holly told me about a time when, in her other life, she'd asked me if I would escort her down the aisle when she got married. But first, she told me, I had to tell you that she was done being a hero. She insisted that I would have to do it, as 'despite leaving the Sword of Gryffindor impaled through his desk as notice of termination, the man tends to be exceedingly dense whenever it comes to me.' She's a jinx for you. I'm looking forward to your next encounter with her."

"Tell me, was she considered a 'Marauder' in this other life?"

Sirius took a sip of his whisky. "Marauders- hmm. Isn't that some sort of pirate? Never heard of them."

Dumbledore gave him a withering look, obvious even through the flickering green fire.

Sirius answered, "That said, her friends did have a codename of sorts for her. They called her Rook. Better than a pawn."

~o~

Sirius entered his old bedroom to find Harry sitting on the floor, his back leaning against the bed. He was reading through a leather-bound journal. His expression was intense but Sirius couldn't see any evidence of crying, which he felt could be both good and bad.

"Should I have my wand ready?" he asked.

Harry replied with a toneless, "You should always have your wand ready. We live in dangerous times."

Sirius shrugged. After closing the door, he settled down to sit on the floor across from Harry. He didn't have to wait too long for Harry to realise he wasn't going away.

"I'm going to kill Snape."

"I won't stop you," Sirius replied, "but I do think it's worth planning it out, so that you won't have to go to Azkaban for it."

"You're just humouring me."

"Am I? I just came from an argument over the floo with old Dumbledore, wherein I told him he can bloody well take his Order someplace else."

"Why, oh why, would you do that? I mean- the Headmaster was right, wasn't he? Holly was just a thing, so why would you decide to side with her and hamstring the only ones who are preparing to fight Voldemort?"

Sirius took the exaggerated tone of the question as Harry playing the devil's advocate and so he made his case. "I can no longer ally with Dumbledore because I cannot follow a man who is so focused on his vision of things that he can't see when a golden egg is dropped into his basket. Holly had answers to many more of our questions than Snape will ever provide, and they just tried to flush her down the drain."

"Tried? They SUCCEEDED!"

Harry bolted to standing and began yelling to the room in general. Knowing this pattern, Sirius let Harry rant for several minutes until he'd run out of new expressions to describe his frustration. When Harry was down to just seething, Sirius explained his reasoning.

"Perhaps you aren't acquainted with the nature of Poltergeists- they can't be eliminated while they can still cause mayhem. Do you honestly think the headmasters of Hogwarts would allow Peeves to terrorize the students unless they had no choice? Even Dumbledore can't kill Peeves, so I don't think Snape has killed Holly. He hurt her, certainly... though not as much as you did."

Harry lost colour in his face. He admitted, "Because I stopped believing in her. It hurt her, too- I could see it in her face. I was so overwhelmed- there's the headmaster saying she's an evil spirit, there's Holly getting caught snooping in my head, looking guilty in a way I've never seen on her face. Then I'm asked by everyone- make a choice, and by the way, most of the people carrying wands are saying 'it's a demon'. I'd change it if I could. I should've told them all to get bent."

"I noticed you haven't grieved for her yet. Maybe because you don't think she's gone, either."

"I dunno," Harry admitted, "it's like all I have is a hole where Holly used to be. I can't tell you what I feel for her, because all I feel when I think of her is... nothing. Like an empty lift shaft."

"Then what have you been doing up here all this time?"

"Reading. I'm still learning from her. If she does show up again, the last thing I want is to tell her that I haven't done shite with what she already taught me."

"That's good. Anything I can do to help?"

Harry stared at him for a full minute. Sirius could sense that he was assessing something, so he waited for Harry to come to a decision.

Finally, Harry said, "I need to build an army. Can you help me do that?"

Sirius grinned. "I'll teach you how to win friends and influence people. I hear that's a key leadership skill. Also, I happen to have a neat little device that'll keep us in contact when you're at school..."

In his head, Sirius proudly declared himself the first volunteer for Potter's Army. He wouldn't be hiding in a hole anymore.

~oOo~