Harry Potter and the Parliament of Dreams - 17. Fizzing Whizbees

It was Friday the 20^th of October. Nymphadora Tonks was in her office for the third straight day observing the comings and goings of various people.

She settled in her chair for another day of shuffling paper. She looked crossly at the paperwork and mumbled, “I hope that old fool realizes how boring this is.”

A knock came at the door before a face appeared. It was Kingsley Shacklebolt.

“Tonks? We have a more important mission for you now.”

“What is it?”

“Follow me, I’ll explain on the way.”

* * *

Friday at Hogwarts passed by much quicker than normal for the students. Harry felt as if he blinked and the whole day passed by. He was, admittedly, rather distracted by the link now. There was an almost continuous feeling of togetherness with Draco. He was feeling a mild euphoria from it.

Harry ate dinner in near silence. Ron and Hermione did not notice as they were rather distracted by each other. Colin and Seamus were likewise engaged. Neville was talking with Ginny and Dean was talking to Lee Jordan. That all suited Harry just fine, as it gave him time to converse with Draco in his head.

Draco was also left alone by his housemates. Pansy was at the other end of the table talking with Blaise Zabini after Draco had pointedly ignored her pathetic attempts to get information from him. Crabbe and Goyle were talking to each other. That left Draco free to chat with Harry in his head.

“I think I like this form of communication.”

“I would think so Dragon, you can’t misrepresent yourself, mind to mind.”

“Do you really love me Harry Potter?”

“Yes, of course I do.”

“Can we meet tonight in the flat?”

“Yes. I’m feeling a bit lonely. It is great to have you in here where I can chat with you, but I’d really like to hold you.”

“As much as I’d normally loathe to admit, I’d really like to hold you, my boy wonder.”

“Why Malfoy, are you getting sentimental?”

“Not on your life, Potter!”

Harry giggled lightly to himself as he buttered another piece of bread. Ron looked up confused for a moment but quickly turned back to Hermione.

Harry rolled his eyes a little before looking around. He found that George was watching him with a puzzled look on his face. George turned away after a moment. Harry shrugged mentally and refocused on Draco.

“Hey Dragon?”

“Mmmhmm?”

“Is after dinner ok for the time to meet?”

“That sounds acceptable.”

“I’m done. Are you?” Harry asked with mischief laced in his mental voice.

“Yes, now that you mention it.”

“Good. I’ll meet you up there.”

“Ok Boy Wonder,” Draco’s amused tone filled Harry’s head.

Harry finished off his pumpkin juice and stood up. He walked to the other side of the table where Ron and Hermione were and he leaned down next to Ron’s ear.

“I’ll be out tonight. See you at Quidditch practice in the morning.”

Ron nodded his understanding, but did not reply.

Harry moved out of the hall quickly and quietly. He ducked into a secret passage at his earliest opportunity. Draco left the Great Hall shortly after Harry and walked in the opposite direction. He went down to his dorm first and packed some clothes into his handy magical bag. Draco was out of the Slytherin dorms only moments later.

* * *

Harry and Draco met up again in front of the Gryffindor flat. They greeted each other amiably enough, and neither boy noticed another person lurking in the shadows.

Harry whispered the password and they entered the secret flat. The door clicked shut behind them, leaving their mysterious watcher staring curiously at the secret door. The person stayed for only a few moments before ducking into another secret door nearby and slithering away from the area.

As soon as Harry had the door shut, he spun Draco around and pinned him to the wall. Draco sputtered in surprise as the Boy Who Lived locked his lips over Draco’s mouth. All coherent thoughts stopped as the passion increased between the two boys. Draco was moaning from deep in his throat a few minutes later when Harry pulled away.

“Sorry I got so aggressive Dragon, but I really wanted a kiss from you,” Harry started only to be flipped around suddenly to have Draco pressing him against the wall.

Draco pressed his lips hard against Harry’s and they continued the kiss just as passionately. When they finally broke apart a few minutes later Draco smirked.

“Think nothing of it Potter, I think we are even,” Draco purred as his smirk changed into a very seductive grin.

Harry reached up and gently trailed his finger from Draco’s right ear down to the bottom of his chin. Draco did a full body shiver and Harry did too at the same time, because Draco suddenly opened the link between them. Both boys stood still for a moment before wrapping their arms around each other again. This time they kissed much more slowly, savoring the experience.

They released each other long enough to drift in the master bedroom of the flat. As soon as they arrived, Harry started to undo the buttons on Draco’s robe. Draco, not to be outdone by his boyfriend, did the same to Harry. It took quite a few minutes for them to become naked. Draco smiled fully, lighting his face up like nothing had before. Harry could not help but to return the radiant look.

They crawled into bed together and with a flick of the wrist of one of the boys, the room went dark. The only thing that could be heard in the room was the sound of gentle kissing.

* * *

The night’s silence was pierced only by the quiet footsteps of a blue-haired woman and a striking black man. The pair was walking silently through an old castle in the northern most reaches of Scotland, well north of Hogwarts’ secret location.

“Kingsley, are you sure this is where you wanted us to go?”

“Yes Tonks, this is most definitely the spot,” he said, looking around.

“This place gives me the creeping jeevies,” Tonks said.

“There is not much to be done about it, but I do know what you mean.”

“Our contact should be here soon. It is almost 10 pm.”

“I thought clandestine meetings were supposed to take place at midnight?” Kingsley asked dryly.

Tonks gave him a thoughtful look, “There’s a first. You appear to be correct.”

“Hey, watch it kid. I might have to demote you to guarding Minister Fudge,” Kingsley said haughtily.

The only sound in response was a thump and OOF!

* * *

It was nearly eleven P.M. when a silent figure, dressed head-to-toe in black, stepped out from his hiding place in a little nook outside the Arithmancy classroom. The figure ghosted along the hallway, looked both ways and then triggered a hidden door.

The figure walked into the passageway and moved along stealthily.

He wasn’t sure what to make of what he had seen tonight. Fred and George Weasley, the school’s foremost practical jokers, ducking through secret passageways, Professors moving stealthily about and the big one. He had started his evening by following Draco Malfoy from the Great Hall. Malfoy had met up with the Boy Who Lived. In an overly friendly manner, they had entered a secret room together. He was determined to find out more about that.

He stepped out of the secret passage and walked down another hallway coming face-to-face with his house’s guardian portrait. He spoke the password and the portrait swung open. He passed quickly through the blue decorated common room and went straight up the stairs. He quietly entered the sixth year boys dormitory of Ravenclaw and drifted silently to his bed. He stripped down to his blue boxers (with black ravens on them) dropping his black shirt over his trunk, covering the name engraved there: “Zavien Higgs”

* * *

Harry woke up in the middle of the night with a headache and scar throbbing. He carefully climbed out of bed after extracting himself from Draco’s embrace. He put his clothes back on, put his glasses on and grabbed his wand. As soon as he was clear of the bedroom, he increased his speed. He walked quickly across the flat’s common room and opened the door. He crossed the hallway and went straight towards the stairs to the top of the Astronomy tower.

Harry finally came to a stop when he reached the railing. He took several long, deep breaths of the cold, frosty air. It helped to clear his scattered thoughts and to remove the dull ache of his scar.

He wasn’t up there for very long before a silent shadow stood beside him. Draco put his hand gently onto Harry’s shoulder. Harry stood still for a moment before spinning around and burying his head in Draco’s shoulder. Draco was unprepared for Harry’s sudden move and moved back a step, nearly tumbling them both onto the roof. Harry was sobbing quietly into Draco’s robes and there was nothing for him to do but comfort his boyfriend.

Anybody that thought they knew Draco had never seen the look that appeared on Draco’s face then. Draco had always, always, kept true emotion off from his face. The depth of his love for Harry, and the power of the link between them, now showed clearly on his face as he held the head of his sobbing love.

No words were spoken between them.

No words needed to be spoken.

Draco managed to get Harry back to the flat within the hour. Draco undressed Harry slowly and lovingly and then helped him into bed like a child. Harry curled into a fetal position when Draco got him there. Draco paused long enough to remove his own clothes before crawling into bed again with Harry. He pulled Harry into him and cooed softly in his ear. Harry eventually calmed and went back to sleep.

Draco went to sleep more determined than ever to help and to protect Harry.

* * *

Around one in the morning Fred put down the beaker of fluid he had been working on. On the shelf next to the worktable, arrayed neatly on a fine silver tray, were a dozen authentic-looking Fizzing Whizbees.

Fred turned and exchanged a glance with George. They both grinned evilly at each other.

“I think they are ready George,”

“It certainly looks that way Fred.”

“We should get back to the dorm so we can sleep.”

“Indeed.”

Fred opened the secret door and peered out. As soon as he determined that the coast was clear, he stepped out in to the hallway. George followed him out. They slipped quietly through the hallways, moving like two more of the many ghosts at Hogwarts.

They arrived at the Gryffindor tower in almost no time at all and they went in and quickly went to bed. They both fell asleep almost as soon as their heads hit their respective pillows.

* * *

Harry woke up the next morning around seven. He felt fairly refreshed, considering his emotional turmoil on the roof. The pain in his scar had reminded him that he hadn’t told Dumbledore about what happened on Wednesday morning. He kissed the still sleeping Draco on the forehead and he got dressed quickly.

As soon as he had his clothes on, he was out of the flat and on his way to Dumbledore’s office. He wasn’t sure if he would be in that early, but he thought it best to try before breakfast, given how long he had already delayed.

As he was about to try whispering passwords to the gargoyle, the gargoyle stepped aside of his own accord and the door opened. Professor Dumbledore was standing there, looking slightly surprised to see Harry.

“Did you want to talk to me, Harry?”

“Yes, sir. If you have a moment sir.”

“Of course, Harry. Follow me.”

Dumbledore turned around and went back up to his office. Harry trailed closely behind him. Dumbledore crossed to his own side of his desk and sat down. He waved vaguely at the open seats across from him and Harry took one of them.

“What did you want to talk about Harry?”

“Two things sir. One is that my scar hurt Wednesday and I have some information about Voldemort.”

“Why are you just telling this to me now?” Dumbledore asked looking concerned.

“I was pulled out of the dream by Draco. We are able to talk to each other in our minds now. The discovery of that and the other drudgeries of school made me forget about it. The pain in my scar last night is what reminded me.”

“First, what was said by Voldemort?”

“He was criticizing Lucius Malfoy and the senior Crabbe and Goyle. He received a letter from Pansy Parkinson about Draco’s behavior and the junior Crabbe and Goyle’s behavior. He would very much like all of us dead. And… I remember his exact words… ‘Potter has somehow managed to connect himself with your son,’ he told Lucius. ‘It could have been a side effect of casting Legilimens on your son while Potter was in my head, but there is no research in the area. Damn Potter to hell!’ What did he mean professor?”

It was only at that moment that Harry looked up at Professor Dumbledore. Dumbledore’s blue eyes were wide with shock.

“I don’t know. Do you remember more? “

“No, sir.”

“Hold still for a moment,” Dumbledore said as he cast something on him.

The air around Harry tingled for a few moments as Dumbledore looked on intently. The Headmaster sighed a few times before he said anything else.

“You have had a very powerful memory charm cast on you. It is a variety that is almost impossible to remove. As it only seems to be affecting this particular memory, it is not worth the risk.”

“Ok sir,” Harry replied, a puzzled look on his face.

“You should get to breakfast, since you have Quidditch practice today.”

“Yes, sir.”

Harry got up and showed himself out. Dumbledore sat at his desk for a few minutes and waited for the faint clicking sound that accompanied the gargoyle’s return to his guarding position.

Dumbledore stood and walked over to Fawkes. He gently stroked the phoenix’s head as he whispered, “I guess that explains where their link came from, but not really how.”

* * *

Harry made his way straight to the Great Hall so that he could eat. Ron was just arriving with Seamus when Harry got there. They all walked in together.

“Where were you Harry?” Seamus asked.

“Talking to Dumbledore.”

“Were you? I meant last night,” Seamus stated.

Harry smiled coyly but said nothing.

Ron rolled his eyes and plopped down in his usual seat.

“What is that supposed to mean? … OH! Sorry Harry,” Seamus blushed red.

“I’m going to be out again tonight,” Harry smirked.

“Good. I’ll kick Ron out and have my way with Colin,” Seamus replied, recovering his shameless Seamus persona.

“Let’s eat and then get out on the pitch,” Captain Harry suddenly yapped.

“Aye Aye, Captain,” Seamus saluted.

Ron slapped him in the back of his head before Harry could do it.

* * *

Practice passed quickly, despite lasting all day. They broke for lunch when Hermione and Colin brought down a picnic basket full of food. They didn’t stop again until just before dinner. The entire Gryffindor team attacked their respective showers before going to the Great Hall.

Harry practically inhaled all of his dinner and he even had seconds and then thirds. He had worked up quite an appetite from his long day. Ron ate nearly twice what Harry was able to put away.

As soon as Harry was done, he whispered good-bye to Ron and Hermione and was on his way. Draco had finished a few minutes before and had already left. In fact, quite a few students had already left from all the house tables.

Harry took the scenic route up towards the astronomy tower. It took him a few minutes to get up there. As soon as he did, Draco melted out of the shadows to join him at the door to the Gryffindor flat. Draco tenderly touched the side of Harry’s face and Harry smiled. He then whispered the password and the door opened. Both boys stepped through, failing to notice the three pairs of eyes that observed all.

The next twenty minutes passed by in eerie silence before a person wearing the black robes of the school detached from the shadows to place his ear on the door to the flat. The two other people, who hadn’t moved a muscle the entire time, exchanged significant glances with each other when they saw the flash of a Ravenclaw badge on the other boy. They too left the shadows, creeping up on the secret watcher.

George rushed forward the last few feet and shoved the younger boy hard against the secret door.

“What the bloody hell do you think you are doing?” he hissed sharply into the boy’s ear.

“Help… mumph,” the boy started and was cut off when George pressed him harder against the door. The younger boy’s head bounced off the door once, causing a dull thud to sound.

“George, don’t hurt him,” Fred admonished.

“Why are you following Harry?” George snapped at the other boy, who was still pinned against the door.

Instead of answering, the boy brought his elbow sharply back into George’s chest causing him to loosen his grip as he started to gasp. The boy started to duck away and as soon as he was clear of George, he was sent careening into the door again by a flying tackle executed by Fred. The boy’s head bounced hard of the door and he slumped, stunned. George could only glare at the boy as he tried to get his breath back.

The door quite suddenly flung open causing all three teens in the hallway to come tumbling in. Draco, who had been the one to open it, leapt out of the way of the tumbling bodies. Harry, who was nearby, poked his head outside and looked around. Seeing nobody, he joined Draco in shoving the three teens out of the way. As soon as they were clear, Harry slammed the door shut, pulled out his wand and whispered a locking spell. The spell, which he had found in a book on the desk in the study, was designed for that door only. Only Harry would be able to reopen the door.

He turned and glared at the pile in front of the door to the flat, “What the bloody hell is going on?”

Draco moved to stand in front of the fire, the leaping yellow flames causing shadows that gave him an altogether sinister look. All Draco and Harry had on were shirts and pants. Their school robes, socks, and shoes had already been removed.

Fred looked back in an almost sullen way. George frowned as he continued to rub his chest. The other boy, Harry recognized as sixth year Zavien Higgs from Ravenclaw, was battling emotions and alternated between looking scared and looking pissed.

Nobody answered.

“I said, what is going on?” Harry asked again, his voice as cold as an Arctic winter. He was looking directly at Higgs.

Draco felt his skin crawl just seeing the look on Harry’s face. Draco shivered involuntarily. “Calmly Harry. You’re the Golden Boy, remember?”

Harry growled out loud, “Why won’t everybody just leave me the fuck alone?!”

Draco turned away and dropped abruptly onto the couch by the fire. Draco closed his eyes and concentrated hard, projecting calming feelings to Harry.

Harry visibly wilted under Draco’s assault. He turned away from the others and walked straight to Draco and dropped down into the seat next to him. Harry then buried his head into Draco’s shoulder, feeling the conflicting emotions wandering about.

Draco relaxed his concentration and opened his eyes. Looking directly at George with a drained look on his face he said, “Weasley, you interrupted a training session. Harry is not himself at the moment. Would you be so kind as to explain what is going on please?”

George, shocked at Harry’s behavior and Draco’s as well, said nothing.

“I’d give you a knut for your thoughts Weasley, but that would start in war in your family to see who got to be the richest,” Draco sneered.

George leapt to his feet and was about to come at Draco when Harry’s voice was heard, “Draco, don’t irritate my friends.”

Draco bowed his head in response and George stood his ground.

“We were following you Harry,” Fred said simply.

“I was following the Death Eater’s son,” Higgs finally spoke.

“I’m not Lucius,” was Draco’s short, sharp reply.

“So Potter, you’re whoring yourself to that Slytherin slime?” Higgs asked Harry.

Before anyone else could so much as twitch, George leaned down and grabbed Higgs by the neck and dragged him upright. As soon as they were face-to-face, George used his superior build to lift the other boy right off his feet. Looking up into the boy’s face he hissed, “Harry is one of my family, and I really don’t like it when people insult my family.” He ended the statement by giving the boy a savage shake and then dropping him.

The boy landed in a heap at George’s feet, gasping for air.

Fred, at this point, reached down himself and dragged the other boy to his feet. He held firmly onto the boys collar, fully restricting the boy’s movement. The normally jovial teen looked very angry, but not nearly so upset as George. George looked like he was ready to pull the boy’s limbs out.

“What is going on?” Fred asked in a tone that brooked no nonsense at all.

“What do you mean?” Higgs asked, sounding thick.

Fred shook him violently for a few moments.

Draco’s eyes widened in shock. He was used to seeing Ron Weasley’s temper, as it was right on the surface. He was not used to seeing either one of the twins enraged. It wasn’t something he wanted to see more of either, given their large Beater-builds.

Harry looked on in silence, the emotional maelstrom still swirling about in his head. He was amazed at how quickly everything was moving. He had linked minds with Draco before arriving at the flat, and had given over to mind-to-mind contact as soon as the door was closed. It had seemed like hours had passed when in reality it was only minutes at best. Somehow, Draco ended up as the calm one.

“I’m not going to ask again,” Fred growled dangerously.

“I don’t know…ARGHHHHHHHH!” Higgs’ voice ended in a scream as Fred reached forward and viciously clamped his hand over the younger teen’s crotch. The blood drained completely out of the boy’s face as Fred twisted slightly.

Both Draco and Harry winced at the same time. George looked on in barely controlled rage.

“Are we leaking emotions?” Harry asked Draco suddenly in his head.

“Possibly. It is a little strange that the twins are acting so violently. Though I know well the Weasley anger.”

“There seems to be more to it than that. Try to fully shield your mind. I’ll do the same.”

As soon as he finished talking, Harry violently clamped down on his mind and the connection towards Draco, and hopefully towards the twins, if they were the cause.

The twins seemed to relax slightly almost immediately, though they still radiated anger. It no longer bordered on being a killing rage.

Draco and Harry exchanged surprised looks.

Fred released his vicious hold on Higgs’ crotch, though his hand did not move. Higgs started to fold over and Fred spun him around. He put his left arm around Higgs’ neck and his right hand over the boy’s crotch.

The boy squeaked in impotent rage, but was unable to do anything.

“Why were you following Harry?” Fred hissed into the boy’s ear.

“I was following that blonde twat,” Higgs growled in return.

“Why?”

“It’s none of your business.”

Fred gripped the boy’s crotch again, causing the boy to arch back into Fred’s body in pain. Fred released after a moment. He was surprised when he felt a reaction in the boy’s pants.

“Shirt lifter, eh?” Fred whispered harshly into the boy’s ear.

All the fight went out of the boy at once. He slumped completely again Fred, who let go of the boy’s hardening crotch area.

“What is going on?” Fred asked again, this time quietly and gently, his apparent anger gone.

George looked on, his face neutral.

“I’m spying for Dumbledore,” was the piteous response.

“Care to elaborate?” Fred prompted.

“My family has been, traditionally, associated with the dark arts. I had the fortune of being cut of a different cloth than the rest. I was therefore sorted into Ravenclaw. Since I had the misfortune of being in my family, I knew other families that were tied to the dark arts. The Malfoys are prominent among them. I asked to assist Dumbledore on the side of light. I was doing investigations on my own to try to determine if Draco Malfoy was following his father’s footsteps. Imagine my surprise to find the Boy Who Lived in league with a Malfoy.”

“What a tangled web of secrets around this place, eh Fred?” George asked.

“It would appear that way. Harry, would you like to make a comment here?”

“Higgs,” Harry started and then glanced at the twins before continuing, “Dumbledore has recruited students from each house of Hogwarts to assist in the war against Voldemort.”

Fred, George and Zavien Higgs all flinched at the Dark Lord’s name.

“All right. That’s it. All this cloak and dagger stuff is really beginning to bugger me all to hell. Tell me everything you know right now,” George demanded, looking at Harry, Draco and then Zavien in turn.

“Why should we spill what we know when you don’t? You two have the run of the entire school, using secret passageways that I doubt anybody else even knows about. What do you know?” Harry huffed.

Fred and George exchanged glances before Fred spoke, “Dumbledore has allowed us an incredible amount of freedom in exchange for certain concessions. One of them is to keep an eye on you.”

Harry turned red, “What do you mean on eye on me?”

“You are watched all the time Harry. We are set to watching those who watch you. To a limited degree for the past few weeks, we have also been watching those that watch Draco. Dumbledore informed us right way about your relationship, which is how we knew the other day.”

“It would appear then that we are all watching each other and the old man is getting a good laugh out of it,” George said dryly.

“What are everyone’s intentions?” Fred asked in the ensuing silence.

“I would like to spend time with my boyfriend,” Draco responded immediately, his gray eyes stormy in appearance.

“I’d like to see the Dark Lord dead and gone so that I can live my life as my own. I’d like very much for Draco to be part of that life,” Harry said, looking admiringly at his boyfriend.

“I too would like to see the Dark Lord gone. I’d like to find a boyfriend of my own as well,” Zavien added quietly.

“I’d like to join my brother in forming a new joke shop to one day rival Zonkos. Until then, I plan on keeping my family, and their loved ones, safe from danger,” George said, looking pointedly at Harry and Draco.

“Now that that is all in the open, perhaps we can have a little peace here?” Fred asked.

“One can assume that the crafty old man behind this will find some neat little way of keeping everyone happy,” George added.

“I’m sorry about the comment earlier Potter, but I still don’t like Malfoy,” Higgs stated, narrowing his eyes at Draco.

Harry shrugged, but did not reply.

“You would do well to remember that we don’t take kindly to people hurling insults at our family,” Fred told Higgs.

“Potter is not related to you,” Higgs replied.

“He’s our brother,” both twins replied as one.

“If you gentlemen don’t mind? Draco and I would like to work on further exploration of our relationship,” Harry said just after whispering the unlocking charm on the door.

“I’m sure you can find your way to the door?” Draco asked dryly.

“Good night then, and have fun…um… exploring,” George said with a grin.

Higgs scrambled out of the flat quickly, the twins not too far behind.