Tannim's blog: "Harry Potter and the Mental War"

July 24^th

The next day, Harry and Fawkes apparated to outside the Potions classroom.  He knocked on the door to Slughorn's rooms.  A moment later, the door opened.

"Harry, m'boy, what are you doing here?" Horace Slughorn asked as he ushered them in.

"Professor, I need to ask you something, "Harry began.

"Go on," Slughorn prompted.

"Well, as you know, I'm gearing up to finally take on Voldemort.  I need some help from you.  Specifically, I need a potion made up, and since it needs to be perfect, I need your help to make it," Harry continued.

"Well, that I can help you with a little.  What potion are you referring to?"

"Felix Felicis."

"That's easily done, simply because I have it here, already finished."  He went into the Potions classroom. Harry and Fawkes followed.  He went over to a cabinet and opened it up, and pulled out a bottle.  He handed it to Harry-a bottle full of golden liquid.  Harry pulled out his wand and waved it over the bottle, uttering the unbreakable charm on it.  Slughorn turned back to close the cabinet.  He turned around to see Harry pointing his wand at him.

"I'm sorry, professor, but I need to make sure nobody knows I was ever here.  Obliviate!"

Slughorn's face went blank.

"Imperio." called Harry next.  "Professor, you will go back into your rooms and forget I was ever here.  The missing bottle broke, and you will need to brew a new one.  The curse will wear off in five minutes."

Horace Slughorn waddled back into his rooms.  Harry and Fawkes disapparated with a crack.

* * *

Fred had just come back from lunch at the Leaky Cauldron when he heard loud crack behind him.  Before he could react, a hand was over his mouth and he heard a voice. "SSHH!  It's only me." He was released the next moment, and he turned around.

"Harry!  Don't do that!  You scared the crap out of me!  I know you partly own the place, but we don't like people apparating at random into our storeroom!"

"Sorry Fred.  I'm not exactly supposed to be here, but I need some supplies," replied Harry.

"Name it."

"Let's see, smoke bombs, delayed explosion fireworks, stun bombs, and image projection bombs for starters," said Harry.  "Where's George?"

"He's up front.  Need him?"

"Not yet.  Let's get this stuff organized and we'll go from there."

Fred looked around for a minute and found what Harry needed.  He smiled to himself, thinking about what Hermione was cooking up for just a week from now, but quickly straightened his face.

"OK, here you go."

A moment later George came into the back.  Fred stepped to the front for a customer.

"Hi, Harry.  Hey, we need to show you something in the lab."  He led Harry into the back lab where the twins did most of their product research and walked over to a bodysuit on a Muggle mannequin that appeared to be swirling in a milky color.

"What is it?" Harry asked, intrigued.

"It's the prototype for our latest anti-Dark Magic product.  The swirling is amoebas, magically attached to the dragon hide.  We've been testing it with all sorts of curses and jinxes, and nothing seems to affect it.  We've only not tried the Killing Curse or a Dementor on it, but we think it'll stop them too.  There's just one problem," confessed George.

"What's that?" asked Harry.

"Neither one of us can do a Killing Curse, and we don't exactly want to have a Dementor around either.  Any ideas?" asked George hopefully.

"Not really, but I think you're on the right track." Harry started pacing.  "As you know, all charms, curses and jinxes work by disrupting or changing cellular activities in various ways.  The Imperius Curse, for example, disrupts neural activity, and the Cruciatus Curse disrupts the nervous system and in extreme cases, overloads the brain.  The Killing Curse works by totally disrupting the nervous and cardiovascular system simultaneously," Harry continued.  "However, its effects are blunted by dragon hide, and the amoebas are so primitive that they lack both a nervous and a cardiovascular system, so the energy of the curse would be simply absorbed by them.  Not bad at all.  I'd throw a shield charm on there too for good measure, but you need to figure out how to hide that swirling before someone gets sick just by looking at it."

"But how can we test it?" asked George as Fred walked in.

Harry thought a moment.  "I only have one idea.  Dobby?"

A loud "crack" signaled Dobby's arrival.

"Harry Potter sir calls Dobby and Dobby comes at once!  How can Dobby help Harry Potter and his Wheezies?" squeaked the eccentric elf.

"Dobby, Fred and George here have a problem.  They need to test their new garment here with a Killing Curse and a Dementor.  Do you have any ideas?" asked Harry.

"Oh, yes, Dobby can help with that!" He pointed at the bodysuit and cried, "Avadra Kedavra!"  Green light shot from his hand, passed through a housefly in the way, killing it instantly, but the rest hit the bodysuit.  The amoebas glowed yellow for a moment, and the swirling continued as if nothing had happened.

Before the three could react, Dobby snapped his fingers and a doppelganger appeared in the bodysuit and a Dementor appeared.  Harry reacted instantly.  "Expecto Patronum!" A stag suddenly erupted from Harry's wand, standing between the Dementor and the humans and elf.  The Dementor turned towards the doppelganger, reached it, then stopped, confused.  It didn't move for the Kiss, but just hovered there, not moving.  Dobby banished it and the doppelganger with a snap of his fingers.  Harry's Patronus disappeared with a pop.

"Well, that seemed to work," commented Harry.  "The Killing Curse hit the suit and nothing happened, and the Dementor didn't know whether to kiss the doppelganger or look for a price tag.  I think some more animal essence might be good for the confusion, though."

"Brilliant, Harry!" George said weakly.

"There's one other thing I want to show you.  If this works, we gain a huge advantage on the Dementors."  He explained and demonstrated the Patronus storage and revealing charms he had discussed with Flitwick.  Fred and George got the idea quickly and began working with various objects to make it work, and told Harry they would work on it.

He had one more idea he wanted to share with them, and promptly told them a story of a prank he had pulled on Dudley as a boy.  The twins laughed hysterically and agreed it would make a terrific product, and made notes to work on it later.

"Let me know how that progresses.  I think that might be useful later.  By the way, have you thought about using that Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder in the smoke bombs?  Thanks for the supplies, guys.  I was never here." He grabbed Fawkes's tail and they disapparated with a flaming crack.

Fred and George looked at Dobby.  "Thanks, Dobby, but next time, take it slower, OK?"

Dobby just bowed and disapparated with a crack.

Fred turned to George.  "Let's see what that powder can do, eh?"  They got to work on it and within minutes had some prototypes made up.  They gave them to Lee to drop on them outside the shop from the second floor.  Lee headed upstairs and the twins headed for the door.

Then all Hell broke loose outside.

"MORSMORDE!"

* * *

Harry and Fawkes had only disapparated a few stores to the jewelry store and had completed his purchase when the screaming started.  He whipped out his wand and headed to the door and peered out.  A dozen Death Eaters had apparated and were making their way towards Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, firing curses at the shop.  The first three fell immediately to Fred and George's stunners, and Lee Jordan immediately threw the new smoke bombs into the rest, disrupting their view with smoky blackness.  Harry immediately sprang into action, changing into his greyhound form and covering the distance between the jewelry store and the Death Eaters in seconds.  He leaped from ten yards out, transformed in mid-leap into his lion form, and landed on top of all nine.  Three were knocked out by sheer impact-a full adult lion leaping with the momentum of a full-speed greyhound carries quite a bit of force-and three more were quickly dispatched with paws to the head.  The last three scrambled clear out of the black smoke, not quite sure what had fallen on them, and were immediately stunned by Lee, Fred, and George.  Harry, still obscured by the slowly clearing smoke, changed into human form and went around binding up unconscious Death Eaters and snapping wands.  He noticed one in particular had lost his mask, and Harry left him for last.  When the eleven were bound, he turned to the twelfth, called Fawkes to him, grabbed the last Death Eater, and disapparated with a crack.  A second later Aurors started arriving, to find smoke, no damage, and eleven bound and gagged Death Eaters, out cold, wands snapped.

The entire attack lasted twenty seconds.  Fred, Lee and George were labeled heroes, but they had all seen Harry in the dissipating smoke and knew that his surprise attack had turned the trick.  What they didn't see was his transformations.

* * *

Harry arrived at the Shrieking Shack with his captive in tow.  He took him upstairs and dumped him unceremoniously on the old bed, waved his wand and cast the charm Flitwick had shown him, then sat down and began to write on a piece of parchment.  Then he waited.

Severus Snape awoke to find himself on a musty bed, bound head to foot. The attack failed, but where am I?  He saw his captor now, with his back turned.  Snape silently thought, Legillimens! and was promptly met with a mental brick wall.

"Nice try, Snape, but not unexpected."  He knew that voice. Potter!

"I take it there's a reason I'm here and not in Azkaban at the moment," sneered Snape.

"Actually there is, Severus." Harry turned around and looked at him.  "We need to talk."

"I have nothing to say to you, Potter!" spat Snape.

"You will, but for now you're going to listen."  Harry got up and walked over to him, then sat Snape up on the bed.  "No sense in being unreasonable on this, and it beats a levicorpus, doesn't it?"  Harry went back and finished his writing, then turned back to Snape.

"Now listen, Severus.  I know all about why you are a spy for the Order.  I know that you fancied my Mum, and that the fact that my Dad won her over you made you eternally hate him.  I also know that you and Dumbledore arranged his death in advance.  Those are the only reasons that you are not either in Azkaban or dead right now.  I also know that Draco and Narcissa Malfoy are both dead, and that you had to help Voldemort rise again a second time from his own foolishness.  But I need information, and I have a job for you to do as well."

"First, I need to know if you have come up with a way to partially block the mingling of my and Voldemort's minds.  When I saw the whole scene with the Malfoys, it was though his mind, but my scar did not hurt.  I've been seeing other things through his eyes since then.  He's not happy at the moment over what happened in Diagon Alley, but he doesn't quite understand what happened.  For now, it's going to stay that way, at least until I tell him otherwise."

Snape looked at him in shock.  "How did you know about how I feel about Evans, Potter?"

"It is enough that I do know, but Dumbledore did not tell me," replied Harry.  "Now, what's up with the block?"

"When I went to move the Dark Lord's soul back into the cauldron I gave it a spell first that blocked mind presences.  It is a permanent spell that will prevent him from noticing you in his head.  It does not, however, prevent him from getting into yours, so you shall still have to practice Occulmency, even if you have shown improvement," sneered Snape.

"Fine.  There will be a time when I will need you to lift that spell, just not now.  Second question:  How can I induce memories into a mind using Legillimency, the same way Voldemort did to me to lure me to the Ministry?  Not just reading another's thoughts but actually planting them there?" asked Harry.

"To what end?  You surely don't expect to simply waltz into the Dark Lord's mind and start planting thoughts around, do you?  If so, then you are foolish, Potter!" Snape looked at him in disgust.

"In fact, since he can't detect me in there, that's exactly what I intend to do.  For all the years of him rummaging around in my brain, I'm going to do the same.  I'm going to drive him batty, and enjoy doing it.  I know his weaknesses, and I know how to exploit them," intoned Harry.  "Now, how can I do it?"

Snape sighed.  If the boy has a foolish plan, then so be it.  However, he did take out twelve of us today before we even knew what happened...

"When you cast the Legillimens spell, cast it as 'Legillimens Silencio.'  That will work in conjunction with my blocking spell to allow you to roam his mind unimpeded," answered Snape.

"Thank you, Severus.  I guarantee you that when this is over you shall be a free man.  For now, though, I have two tasks for you.  The first one is simple in nature, and only must be completed before I face Voldemort for the final time.  You need to kill Nagini.  I care not how, but it must be done, and I need the body when it is done."

"The second one is this." Harry waved his wand to remove the bonds, handed Snape the parchment he was writing on earlier, and Snape's wand. "You need to deliver this to Voldemort and tell him it is from me.  You need to simply tell him that I captured you for the express purpose of delivering this note to him.  Do not mention this conversation."

He opened the door.  "Now go."

Snape took his cue to leave.  This was not the Harry Potter he was used to.  This Potter was calm, confident, and strong.  Snape smiled to himself.  The Dark Lord will not know what has hit him, and the results could be...interesting.  He waved his wand and silently cast a charm.  Then he disapparated with a pop.

Back at the Shrieking Shack, Harry quickly waved his wand to shake off the tracing charm Snape thought he had placed on him, grabbed Fawkes, and returned to Privet Drive.

* * *

Snape returned to Malfoy Manor and was ushered inside.

"Well, Severus?  Where have you been, and tell me why I should not kill you right now?" demanded Voldemort without preamble.

Severus looked up calmly at the Dark Lord.  "I must tell you what happened, not only in Diagon Alley, but afterwards.  If you kill me now, you will not know important information.  Remember also that if not for me, you would not have rose again the second time, so there is a debt there you owe me."

Voldemort's eyes narrowed.  "Very well.  Proceed."

"We apparated directly into Diagon Alley and started our attack on the blood traitor shop, and they immediately responded.  Three of us were stunned quickly and then smoke bombs went off around us, and we could not see a thing.  Then suddenly all of us were knocked down from behind by something large.  I did not see what and I was knocked out.  When I came to, I was bound and gagged in the Shrieking Shack.  My captor had his back to me, and when he turned around, it was Potter!  He blindfolded me, gave me a letter to give to you, then we apparated to an unknown place.  He untied me and left.  I was able to remove my blindfold and pick up my wand where he left it.  I came directly here.  I have no idea what happened to the rest of the group." Snape explained.

"Potter gave you a letter for me?" asked Voldemort.

"Yes, my Lord.  Here it is." Snape handed the letter to Voldemort, who opened it.

July 24

Hello Tom,

As you probably know, the reading of Dumbledore's will is August 1 at Gringotts.  I will be there as will you.  I strongly suggest that you and your Death Easters do nothing until then.  We both have a vested interest in that meeting.  Keeping it neutral is the best solution for you, because the allies I will have there are also in the will.

The attack today failed.  Do not attempt it again.  I sent eleven of your Death Eaters to Azkaban today.  Yes, me.  The Daily Prophet does not know what happened, and neither do your Death Eaters.  I let Snivellus go only so he could play messenger boy for me.  If not for that, he would be in Azkaban as well, awaiting a kiss for Dumbledore's murder.  I will not hesitate to take out more Death Eaters if you are foolish enough to make that mistake again.

Understand this, Tom.  It is not a question of whether or not you will be defeated.  It is simply a question of WHEN.  Only I know that answer, Tom.  You should have known five years ago that you could not win.  You have failed to do so five times now, and each time I have grown stronger.  How thick can you get, Tom?  You can't seem to see a losing game when it is right in front of you!

Looking forward to seeing you in the future.  I plan on not making the feeling mutual.

Later, Snake-Eyes!

Harry Potter

Voldemort read the letter a second time.  He was very angry, but underneath he was shaken at the confidence and utter cheek of his words.  The nerve of that brat!  He dares insult me, the greatest wizard who ever lived?  He has no idea that I am immortal.  He will never find my Horcruxes!  Bluster and bravado, that's all that it is.  He cannot beat me.

Snape watched the emotions pass through the Dark Lord's face.  Whatever Potter wrote, he got to him, badly.  I hope I'm around to see this end!

Voldemort looked at Snape.  "He said he let you go to deliver this.  You have done so.  Why should I not kill you now?"

Snape answered coolly.  "Because of the old magic.  If you try to kill the one you owe a life debt to, you will die yourself and the person owed the debt will live.  You know this."

Voldemort looked at him.  He did know this, and Snape had called his bluff.  "Very well.  But your insolence needs correcting. Crucio!"

The spell hit Snape square on, but surprisingly he felt nothing except a slight tingle.  Quick on the uptake, however, he fell to the ground screaming and twitching as if the spell had affected him.  Interesting, he thought.  Potter must have done something to protect me.  The spell ceased, and Snape played out his role, slowly getting to his knees before the Dark Lord.

Voldemort lowered his wand.  "Now we must plan."

Inside Voldemort's mind, Harry smiled as he watched the whole thing, gauging Voldemort's reactions.  The protection charm Flitwick had showed him worked perfectly.  He had gotten to Voldemort, all right, and his reaction was exactly as he had expected: dismissive, arrogant, and overconfident.  At Privet Drive, Harry started to take notes as Voldemort laid out his plans for August 2.  On that day he would send a clear message to the wizarding world that the war was on.  Harry planned to meet that message with one of his own.