Before Things Change, Harry Potter Year 6

4. Horace Slughorn

Lilly's POV
Dumbledore, Harry, and I Disapparated and Harry felt relatively awkward with the headmaster because everyone never had a normal conversation with him. Harry told Dumbledore how his scar hasn't been hurting and he has had no nightmares. Dumbledore said Voldemort is taking Occlumency against Harry. I asked Dumbledore where we were and he said, "This, Harry, Lilly, is the charming village of Budleigh Babberton."
Harry asked, "What are we doing here?"
Dumbledore said, "Ah yes, of course, I haven't told you. Well, I have lost count of the number of times I have said this in recent years, but we are, once again, one staff member short. We are here to persuade an old colleague of mine to come out of retirement and return to Hogwarts."
"How can we help you, sir?" I asked.
Dumbledore said vaguely, "Oh, I think we'll find a use for both of you."
Harry wondered why we didn't Apparate into the house and Dumbledore said it would be quite rude. Harry and Dumbledore discussed Rufus Scrimgeour and his forceful tendencies, how sad it is that Madam Bones is gone, and the security measures taken against Dark Wizards. They were quite resourceful, but not helpful, even if I wrote them... Harry asked about the Inferi. I said, "They are corpses, dead bodies that have been bewitched to do a Dark wizard's qbidding. Inferi have not been seen for a long time, however, not since Voldemort was last powerful. He killed enough people to make an army of them, of course." Dumbledore showed us the place, he was a bit distressed, he lit his wand.
Harry and I took our wands out and carefully entered the building. It was a total devistation. A grandfather clock lay splintered at our feet, its face cracked, its pendulum lying little for the away like a dropped sword. A piano lay on its side, its keys strewn across the floor. The wreckage of a fallen chandelier glittered nearby. Cushions lay deflated, feathers oozing from slashes in their sides; fragments of glass and china lay like powder over everything. Dumbledore raised his wand even higher, so that its light was thrown upon the walls, where something darkly red and glutinous was spattered over the wallpaper. Harry's small intake of breath made Dumbledore look around.
He said heavily, "Not pretty, is it? Yes, something terrible has happened here." Harry suggested a person was dragged off, but I peered further into the house to see an overturned sofa. Dumbledore said, "I don't think so, he's still here, somewhere."
Without a warning, Dumbledore plunged the tip of his wand into the seat of the overstuffed armchair which yelled, "Ouch!"
"Good evening, Horace, " said Dumbledore, straightening up again.
Harry's jaw dropped and I smiled, where once was an armchair was a enormously, fat, bald, and old man massaging his belly. "There was no need to stick the wand in that hard, it hurt, " he said gruffly as he got to his feet.
He wanted to know what gave him away and Dumbledore said, "My dear Horace, if the Death Eater really had come, the Dark Mark would have been set over the house." He knew what he forgotten, then the two men fixed the house and Dumbledore asked what blood was on the wall and Horace said it was dragon. He collected it and then saw Harry and his lightening shaped scar on his forehead. Dumbledore started introductions saying, "This, is Harry Potter. Harry, this is an old friend and colleague of mine, Horace Slughorn. Horace this is, Lilly Black, honorary staff member and Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."
Slughorn said, "So, that's how you thought to persuade me, isn't it? Well, the answer is still no, Albus."
We stayed for a drink and Horace explained to us how he's been on the move escaping Death Eaters, how he won't come back to Hogwarts because Umbridge was there. Dumbledore tried to justify himself saying that Horace would know better than to go into a forrest telling a horde of centaurs 'filthy half-breeds.'
Horace was shocked and said he never liked her. Harry and I chuckled. They looked at us and Harry said he never liked her.
Slughorn was talking to Harry about his parents and then he said, "Ever heard of Sirius Black? You must have done - been in the papers for the last couple of years - died a few weeks ago... Well, anyway, he was a big pal of your father's at school. The whole Black family had been in my House, but Sirius ended up in Gryffindor. Shame - talented boy. I got his brother, Regulus, when he came along but I'd have liked the set." My head whipped up at the sound of his name and my stomach turned... Slughorn looked at me and said, "If I am not mistaken, you are daughter of Sirius Black?" I nodded, he said his condolences, and asked, "How are you an honorary staff member and the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement?"
I said, "It's a bit further than that. I am also a student at Hogwarts. I have special powers that allow me to do incredible things. I can make myself into more than one of me and combine back, I can fly, I can read minds and send mind messages, I can do many things. When I was three years old, I started listening into Hogwarts lessons and continued up eaxh year until I was ten, then at eleven, I officially started Hogwarts. At age three I was also brought to the Ministry of Magic and they were wondering how I had so many incredible and unbelievable powers. Through time, I moved up in the Ministry. My mentor, Alastor Moody taught me everything I know. Dumbledore thought I was a good student and named me honorary staff member when I was ten. My duties include giving orders to Head Boy and Gril and the Prefects, I take care of some parts of the castle, report and reluctant breaking, and typically do anything the Head Girl does. It was because I was raised on Hogwarts grounds since my mum died the day after I was born and my dad was sent to Azkaban when I was one and a half."
He looked at me astonished and I smiled. He asked, "Your house?"
I smiled proudly saying, "A true Gryffindor, just like my father."
He nodded and asked, "How is one witch capable of all of this?"
I chuckled saying, "Believe me, sir, I've been wondering that myself my whole life."
He chuckled. Slughorn noticed Harry looking at his pictures and continued their conversation about Muggle-borns and how Lily was his favorite student. Harry mentioned Hermione being one of the best in our year. Slughorn showed Harry and I his pictures and who he's been proud to know, he knows a lot of people high up in various areas of the Wizarding World.
Harry wondered how people were able to send him things and Slughorn said he had to stay low for a while. He, as a great wizard, must keep his head down, unlike Dumbledore. He went off about Dumbledore being the leader of the Order of the Phoenix and how he doesn't want to join. I said he doesn't have to join the Order to work at Hogwarts, but Slughorn went off about the safety and Amelia Bones being killed under protection of the Ministry, which anyone can be killed these days. (Which is really sad if you think about it. Even the government can't protect you...)
Dumbledore said it was time to go and as we left, Slughorn said yes to coming back.
Dumbledore explained to Harry how Slughorn creates relationships with the prominent students he has and collects them to make connections throughout the Wizarding World. Dumbledore advised Harry and I to let Professor Slughorn collect us. Slughorn will obviously want Harry because he is 'the Boy Who Lived' or 'the Chosen One', which ever one he prefers. Also, Slughorn would love a significant connection within the Ministry itself.
We Disapparated to the Burrow and Dumbledore talked to Harry and I about how proud he was of us handling the things that happened last year. Dumbledore told Harry to tell Hermione and Ron about everything, Harry is to keep his Invisibility Cloak with him at all times, and that the Ministry is doing high security measures for his safety; and that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley are not bother by it because it's for Harry, but Harry shouldn't repay them by risking his neck.
Seeing the Kitchen light on, Dumbledore sent Harry ahead of us and I was going to follow, but I asked Dumbledore, "How are you proud of me, Professor? I didn't cope with what happened last year, that well."
He smiled saying, "Dear Lilly, you are still breathing, walking, talking, eating, and most importantly, smiling. You may have cried, which is very natural and common, but you chose to live on and to not shut yourself off to anyone. I am certainly proud of that, especially since this is the second time you have lost him and you know he isn't coming back..." I hugged him quickly and we followed Harry to the Burrow.

Thanks for reading! Vote please! :)
-Lilly :)