Harry Potter And The Legion Of Hooh

Chapter Text
The atmosphere up in Gryffindor Tower was not pleasant. You would never have guessed they’d won the match, judging by the grim looks on everyone’s faces, or that they’d completely obliterated their greatest rivals. No one really seemed to care about that. After all, what use was it to beat Slytherin if they were just going to lose to everyone else.

Angelina was irate.

“I can’t believe you,” she hissed over to Fred and George. They were sitting on a sofa together, looking so unlike their usual selves. They seemed to have lost what made them truly alive.

“We get it, Angie,” Fred told her mutinously. “We get you’re mad.”

“Mad,” Angelina hissed. “I’m furious. Do you not realise you have singlehandedly handed the Quidditch Cup to Ravenclaw. Or worse, to Slytherin.”

“It wouldn’t have been singlehanded if you hadn’t held me back,” George told her. “I still want a go at that twat. Might as well earn my punishment, eh.”

“George don’t,” Katie whispered, looking really anxious. George fell quiet. But Angelina wasn’t finished.

“What got into you?” She asked them. “Seriously, what could Malfoy have possibly said to make you act like that?”

“He insulted our parents,” Fred said angrily.

“So!?” Angelina replied, her voice shrill. “What’s new with that? What on earth made you think it was a good idea to attack Malfoy in front of the whole school?”

“It wasn’t just our parents,” George said quietly, throwing an awkward glance sideways at Harry.

“What?” Angelina asked angrily. But Harry already knew.

“Leave it,” he said tiredly. The day had drained him dry and it was still only mid-afternoon. “Leave it, Angelina. You’re not going to get an answer that’ll satisfy you.” Angelina narrowed her eyes at him.

“So you think that Malfoy deserved it then?” she challenged. “You think they were right to be so foolish?” Harry hesitated.

“They shouldn’t have done it,” he admitted, glancing briefly at the twins as he did so. Neither of them looked like they’d argue the point. “But you don’t know Malfoy like I do. Whatever you think he might have said is nowhere near as bad as what he actually did. He definitely deserved what he got.”

Angelina did not believe him. She never said it aloud but he could tell. The problem was that she just didn’t understand Malfoy, or even Fred and George, like Harry did. Malfoy was vicious, unprincipled. Nothing was off limits when it came to his cutting barbs. And no one was as loyal as a Weasley, and Fred and George were no exception. It wasn’t the cracks about their parents that had set them off, Harry knew it. It was the cracks about his. Fred and George, for all they joked around, truly cared about people and Harry was like a brother, at least that’s how he felt about them. They wouldn’t, simply couldn’t, let such an insult slide.

The afternoon passed by slowly, in a flurry of nothingness as one by one the Gryffindors eventually gave up on the day, returning to their dormitories to try and start afresh tomorrow. The quidditch team were some of the last, Angelina making a pointed comment about arranging tryouts again before she left, and Fred and George went soon after, Lee Jordan hovering worriedly behind them.

Soon enough the Common Room had completely cleared but for Harry, Ron and Hermione. The loud tick of the grandfather clock was the only sound in the room.

“Well,” Harry said heavily. “Some first match, Ron.” Ron let out an uncomfortable chuckle.

“Yeah,” he admitted. “Slytherin foul play, Machop evolving, winning the match, Malfoy getting the crap beaten out of him…” he tailed off. “Saying it like that it seems weird to feel like we’ve lost.” He grimaced.

“We’ll survive,” Harry assured him, though inside he had doubts. “Fred and George are good but even without them I reckon we can take anyone in the school.”

“At least with you and Talonflame as Seeker,” Ron said, throwing an admiring glance at the flying type as he perched on the back of a wooden chair, head tucked under his wing. “Only problem really is Ravenclaw. And you’ve beaten Chang before.”

Harry nodded but he wasn’t really listening. He was too lost in thought.

“Still, this educational decree,” Ron muttered. “This means trouble.”

“It means Umbridge is even more powerful than ever before,” Hermione said abruptly, speaking up after having spent so much of the day in silence. “It means that sooner or later, unless You-know-who shows himself, she will be in charge of the school, and by proxy so will the Ministry.”

“We’d got that, thanks Hermione,” Ron grumbled. “Just trying not to think about it. At what point do we just drop out of school and go learn at home.”

“About the point when Umbridge makes a decree saying you have to attend Hogwarts,” Harry said dully. “I don’t get it, how is she getting away with this? Surely people are wondering what is going on? Security cameras all over the place, a High Inquisitor who can’t even teach her own subject, how is anyone okay with that?” He shuddered. “Is anyone else feeling a bit cold?” The three of them glanced at each other.

“Boo!”

They all jumped. But not as much as Myrtle was probably hoping. After four years at Hogwarts it was hard to really surprise these particular Gryffindor students.

“Myrtle,” Ron said, sounding a bit relieved. “So you were the one making it cold?” Myrtle huffed.

“You noticed that, didn’t you,” she said haughtily. “But when I wait in my toilet for you to come visit you’re nowhere to be seen.” She let out a small sob.

“Oh, jeez, Myrtle,” Harry said, half exasperated and half apologetic. After all, life must be hard for a ghost.

“No, I get it, you don’t like me,” Myrtle said with a sob. “I should have expected it. Boys, they’re all the same. They play with your heart, make you care, and then just discard you when someone prettier comes along. What’s her name, Harry, hm? Who’s the girl?” Ron rolled his eyes and Hermione shook her head exasperatedly.

“There’s no girl, Myrtle,” Harry assured her, trying to fight a blush at the very idea. “I just haven’t been able to visit because of the cameras. It would look really suspicious if I was seen going into a girls bathroom.” The attitude change in Myrtle was immediate.

“That damn witch,” she scowled. “How I wouldn’t like to haunt her until the end of her days, though I’d despise the company.” She smiled down at Harry. “I knew you weren’t avoiding me, Harry. You’re such a good boy.”

“Eh, yeah,” Harry said awkwardly, trying to ignore the way Ron was sniggering behind his hand. “So, eh, yeah, I won’t be able to visit for a while. Not until the cameras are gone at least.”

“That’s alright,” Myrtle said cheerfully. “I’ll just visit you here.” Ron’s eyes widened comically.

“Not the dorm room,” he insisted. Myrtle pouted.

“Meet us down here,” Harry agreed. “And make sure we’re alone. You don’t want to scare the other students.” Judging by the look on Myrtle’s face she’d like that very much.

“Okay, but if you try to avoid me Harry you know what’ll happen.” The first time Myrtle had visited him after the incident with the Chamber of Secrets she had hovered over his bed while he slept. It was an unpleasant experience Harry would rather not relive.

“I won’t,” he promised, with feeling. “You just have to be careful no one else sees you. How do you stay hidden, by the way?” Did she just stay in her bathroom the whole time?

Myrtle looked pleased.

“Oh, it’s brilliant, Harry,” she crooned. “I can turn invisible, just like that, and no one will ever know that I’m watching them, listening in to their conversations. Oh, the things I’ve heard.”

“Creepy,” Ron commented warily. Harry, however, was thinking.

“So you can listen in on anyone?” He asked, frowning. “No matter who or where they are?” Hermione and Ron looked at him in confusion.

Myrtle nodded. “Nothing can stop me following them,” she confirmed. “The physical world does not constrain me like it used to.”

“And can you travel anywhere?” Harry asked, starting to get excited. “Are you just stuck in the castle or…” Hermione’s eyes widened. It seemed she had picked up on what he was getting at.

“On no, I can go anywhere,” Myrtle told him. “I used to fly all around the world when I was just a young ghost.” She got a manic look on her face. “I was haunting Olive Hornby, you see. She’d teased me about my glasses, just before I died, so I was determined to get back at her. Oh how she tried to escape me, moving house every few weeks in an attempt to shake me, but I was not to be deterred. She even hired an exorcist to try and get rid of me.” Myrtle let out a derisive laugh. “As if that would work. But then they put her in a home and it wasn’t so fun anymore, so I returned to the school and my toilet, never to haunt again.”

“Eh, that’s great,” Harry said uncertainly. He hadn’t really contemplated what it meant to be on first name terms with a ghost but he was sure now more than ever that he didn’t want to get on Myrtle’s bad side. “I have a favour to ask you.”

He had never thought this was possible, never even entertained the idea that they could do something to take the fight to the Ministry and play it on their own terms, but with the ghost of a young girl, one who the Ministry had failed by letting her killer go free, on their side it was so incredibly possible.

Myrtle looked gleeful.

“I’d love to,” she said, looking flattered that he had asked. “Oh it will be so cool, spying on Umbridge. I’d be like a secret agent. Oh, do I get a codename?”

“Ghost,” Ron suggested with a grin. Usually Myrtle would take umbridge but she was just so completely carried away by Harry’s idea that all she did was nod gleefully.

“Alright, Agent Ghost reporting for duty,” she said excitedly, saluting before breaking down in giggles. “Oh, this will be so fun.”

“Just remember not to get too carried away,” Harry warned. “You can’t let Umbridge know you exist, otherwise she’ll have the whole Ministry down here to try and stop you.”

“I’d like to see her try,” Myrtle challenged.

“You must be cautious,” Hermione argued. “If anyone can find a way to stop you it will be the Ministry. They have the resources of the entire country to work with.” Myrtle rolled her eyes.

“Alright, don’t get your pigtails in a twist,” Myrtle told her.

“I don’t have pigtails,” Hermione mumbled quietly.

“I’ll keep a low profile,” Myrtle assured them, having not heard Hermione’s mutter. “I’ll start small. You know, cold rooms and ghostly noises.”

“And don’t overdo it,” Harry added. “If you can overhear anything important that’ll be so much more useful than just freaking out Umbridge.”

“Though a lot less funny,” Ron countered. Myrtle giggled.

“Alright, alright, I’ll behave,” she told him, grinning happily at the thought of the mayhem she could cause. “I’ll go get started right now, in fact. Just a quick question. Who’s that?”

Together Harry, Ron and Hermione turned. They’d thought they were alone. There had been no sounds to indicate that wasn’t the case.

But they were wrong.

Gallade stood behind them, silent as the night and watching patiently. Who knew how long he’d been standing there but he’d been waiting for them and Harry had a suspicion he knew what for.

“We have to go,” Harry said, turning back to Myrtle. “Don’t mention any of this to anyone.” And with that Myrtle’s surprised expression morphed into that of Harry’s godfather, Sirius Black.

“Sirius.” Harry threw himself forward upon appearing in the abandoned classroom, wrapping his arms around the man who responded with equal enthusiasm. How Harry had missed him, after two months apart it seemed like an eternity since they’d said goodbye at Grimmauld Place.

Eventually they pulled apart.

“Hey there, pup,” Sirius said with a grin. “Missed me?” Harry just smiled.

“Sirius, what are you doing here?” Hermione and Ron had stood back and waited while Harry and Sirius reunited, Gallade standing silently by their side, but now that the moment was over Hermione’s worries kicked in.

“Why, I’m here to see my Godson, aren’t I,” Sirius pointed out. “Great match, by the way. Love beating Slytherin.”

“You watched the match?” Harry asked, astonished.

“From a distance,” Sirius admitted. “Gallade here was able to mask my presence but even then if I was in the crowd someone would have bumped into me.” He turned to Ron. “Great work by the way. Congrats on Machop evolving.”

Ron’s thanks were cut off by Hermione.

“Sirius, this is incredibly dangerous,” she told him sternly. “You realise you’re the most wanted man in Britain right now.”

“That’s nothing new,” Sirius told her, winking. Hermione grew flustered.

“You know what I mean,” she said crossly. “The Ministry still think you are a Death Eater, the only Death Eater that got away, too. I’m sure they must have people working round the clock to capture you.”

“They do,” Sirius agreed. “Kingsley’s leading the case.”

Hermione huffed. “Kingsley can only do so much,” she warned. “What if someone spotted you in the castle? What if someone saw you with us? Do you not realise how much trouble Harry would be in with Umbridge around?”

“Relax, Hermione,” Sirius said, though he didn’t look so pleased anymore. “I know what I’m doing. I had Gallade scout the castle extensively before I turned up. There are no cameras outside, I checked, and only the corridors and major classrooms are under surveillance. I can teleport in and out of this room and no one will be any the wiser.”

“And besides,” he said, straightening up. “I thought you’d want to hear a bit about what’s going on outside Hogwarts.” That caught their attention.

“What’s happening?” Harry asked eagerly. “I know the Ministry still don’t believe he’s back but I haven’t heard anything about Voldemort, even indirectly.”

“That’s because Voldemort is keeping a low profile,” Sirius told him. “You’re right, we’ve made absolutely no progress in convincing the Ministry he’s back, if anything they’re digging in even deeper in denial. And that suits Voldemort. The more time he can work under the radar the stronger he will be when the day comes for him to show himself.”

“And in the mean time we’re doing nothing,” Ron said. “With the Ministry being idiots about it we can’t even prepare properly.”

“Quite right,” Sirius agreed. “And it’s even worse than that. As you know the Legion are trying to recruit and spread the word of Voldemort’s return but it’s not easy. People don’t want to believe it, some have already been convinced Dumbledore’s completely lost it, and now the Ministry are trying to put pressure on people to give up names of known Dumbledore sympathisers. They’re worried, you see. They think Dumbledore is trying to take over. They think he’s building an army.”

Harry, Ron and Hermione shared a look.

“That’s just about what Percy told me,” Hermione admitted. Sirius nodded.

“He’s right, but now the Ministry are really stepping it up. It’s part of the reason for all this increased surveillance of Hogwarts.”

“That’s what we thought,” Hermione agreed. “Or feared, really.”

“The Minister is sure that Dumbledore is trying to recruit students straight out of Hogwarts and use his role here to ensure their loyalty,” Sirius said. “Nonsense, of course, but considering his close relationship to you, Harry, you can understand why they’re worried.” There was of course the caveat that even the little sense the Ministry made was nothing in comparison to the lack of sense they were showing.

“So what are we doing?” Ron asked.

“Nothing,” Sirius responded. “Or at least nothing new,” he corrected. “We’re still trying to spread the word, still trying to recruit, but at the moment the Ministry hold all the cards. Until Voldemort shows himself this is all we really can do.” He sighed. “Of course, you guys are doing something about that anyway, aren’t you.”

It took a second for the three students to recognise what he was hinting.

“You know?” Harry asked, surprised. “Hagrid?”

“I haven’t spoken to Hagrid since the summer,” Sirius denied. “No, I heard through Aberforth. He’s the barman at the Hogs Head.”

“How did he know?” Ron wondered aloud.

“Through Madam Rosmerta, of course,” Sirius said with a grin. “Dear Rosie never had much of a filter for her gossip and good old Abe was always surprisingly good at getting people to tell him things.”

“And who will Abe tell next?” Harry asked hesitantly. Word about their secret group seemed to be spreading far beyond where they could contain it. If it went much further they’d have to simply pull the plug on the whole idea. With the new educational decrees it would be far too risky to go ahead.

“Don’t worry, Abe won’t tell anyone,” Sirius said confidently.

“How can you be sure?” Harry persisted.

“Cause Abe is Dumbledore’s brother,” Sirius told them. “You didn’t know that?”

The three of them were stunned. ‘Dumbledore’s brother?’, Ron mouthed over to Harry in disbelief. There were just so many questions, so many things Harry wanted to learn in light of this new and unexpected information, but he pushed it aside for now. He had more important things to worry about.

“So you’re sure he won’t tell anyone?” Harry asked, determined to get an answer.

“Positive,” Sirius told him. “Abe isn’t a sociable chap and quite frankly most people forget about him. Shortsighted, considering who his brother is, but useful for us at least.”

“So who does know about this?” Hermione asked. Sirius hesitated.

“Well, pretty much the whole Legion,” he answered.

“I thought you said Abe was unsociable,” Ron challenged.

“But the rest of the Legion aren’t,” Sirius countered. “Abe told one person and it spread like wildfire. In fact the story seems to have got a life of its own. I distinctly remember one junior Legion member insisting that you were going to attack Umbridge and make her disappear.”

“Not a bad idea,” Ron opined.

“I agree,” Sirius grinned, though he hurried to correct himself under Hermione’s disapproving look. “I mean about this whole battle club thing. I think it’s good.”

“You do?” Harry asked.

“Of course,” Sirius insisted. “What better way to fight back than to help train your fellow students. Nothing will thumb its nose at the Ministry and Umbridge quite like you doing exactly what she doesn’t want you to do.”

“But that’s not a good reason to do something,” Hermione objected. Harry and Ron looked at her, surprised.

“This was your idea, Hermione,” Ron pointed out. Hermione blushed.

“Yes, and I stand by it,” she said quickly. “But the reason we do this should be to help people prepare and learn how to defend themselves against the Death Eaters. Annoying Umbridge shouldn’t be our goal.”

“Just a happy byproduct,” Ron added.

“I’m just saying we need to get our priorities straight,” Hermione said mutinously. “Otherwise there’s no point going ahead with it.”

“How are things going, then?” Sirius asked interestedly. “So far I haven’t heard anything other than what you’ve planned at the Three Broomsticks.”

“We’re still working on it,” Harry told him heavily. “We’ve found a place but we can’t figure out a way to get thirty odd students there and back at the same time without Umbridge noticing, especially with all these cameras around.”

Sirius sucked in a breath. “Yeah, that’s a tough one,” he admitted, furrowing his brow. “And I’m afraid I don’t really have anything for you.”

“If you can’t figure out how to sneak around Hogwarts then who can,” Ron pointed out. Sirius chuckled.

“I’m flattered,” he admitted. “But I think my talents of trouble seeking pale in comparison with yours. You’ll figure something out, I’m sure of it.” Sirius stretched. “In the meantime your mother will just be glad to hear you aren’t doing anything ‘stupid and dangerous’, at this moment at least.”

Ron winced. “She not happy?” He asked, though his expression told everyone he knew the answer.

“Absolutely furious,” Sirius said cheerfully. “Was in half a mind to go charging up to Hogwarts and talk some sense into you in person.” Ron gulped.

“I can’t imagine how she’ll react when she hears about Fred and George,” he muttered. Sirius’s face darkened.

“Don’t worry,” he said seriously. “I’ll put her straight.” It seemed, like so many of the males in Harry’s life, Quidditch was something Sirius found of utmost importance.

“I should go now,” Sirius admitted, checking his watch. “I snuck out of Headquarters to come see you, Molly is probably getting suspicious. I’ll come back and see you soon.”

“Don’t,” Harry said. Sirius stopped dead in his tracks.

“Don’t come back,” Harry warned. “Hermione’s right, it is far too dangerous. We’ve only been here a couple of months and already Umbridge has almost total control of the school. Who knows how many security measures she’ll have installed next time you try to visit.”

“I’ll be careful,” Sirius said with a frown. “I have gotten quite good at evading the Ministry, you know.”

“I just don’t want to take that chance,” Harry told him, hating to think of not being able to see Sirius again for even more time. But it was better to wait than to watch Sirius be sent through the veil. “If something happens to you I don’t know what I’d do. Please Sirius, it’s not worth the risk. Please just stay safe.”

Sirius didn’t say anything for the longest of times. He stood, half turned away, his face in shadow, and did not say a word or move a muscle. Harry could only wait with bated breath for his response, hoping that he understood and saw it his way. He could not stand for Sirius to be mad with him. The only thing worse would be for Sirius to get caught.

Eventually Sirius let out a sigh and his shoulders slumped.

“Alright, Harry,” he conceded. “I’ll stay away. But just know you can’t protect me, that’s not your job. I’m still going to be going out there, doing work for the Legion, and at times it will be dangerous.” Harry nodded. “I’ll see you at Christmas, all of you. You’ll come to Grimmauld Place. Until then…” He tailed off and nodded to Gallade. A moment later they were back in the common room, as though they’d never left, and Gallade was gone.

They settled back down into their seats, completely silent. The only sound in the room was the tick tock of the grandfather clock and the crackling of the dying flames in the fireplace.

“Christmas,” Ron said eventually, looking towards Harry. “It won’t be long. We’ll see him soon.”

They would, Harry knew, and that gave him comfort as he felt himself start to unwind again. Sirius understood and that was enough for now. And soon enough they’d be together again for a whole two weeks. Until that time there was still work to do, both school and extracurricular. He had a month and a half until he saw Sirius again, he better make good use of it.