Secrets, Lies and the Daily Prophet (Alt. Fifth Year Fic)

Chapter Ten: Harry meets the real Mrs. Figg

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Harry was shocked to hear that Mrs. Figg's husband had been murdered. Mouthing a simple, "I'm sorry" seemed inadequate.

Mrs. Figg patted his hand. "Thank you, Harry. There were many lives that were ruined due to the ruthless actions of Voldemort. I was devastated by the loss of Robert. So much so that it led to my miscarrying what would have been a daughter. So when Dumbledore asked me to oversee your security, it gave me the opportunity to protect a small child and it gave me the chance to have some solitude to grieve in peace."

Harry began to wonder how she could have been pregnant fifteen years ago given her advanced age. He watched as she slowly wiped a tear from her eye and then looked straight at Harry with a new determination in her eyes.

"The most important thing for you right now is to prepare yourself for your O.W.L.s."

Harry groaned.

"I know, I know," she said. "But you must know that this coming year at Hogwarts will again be fraught with danger for you. It is for your own protection that you become educated in survival techniques. Charms, hexes, transfiguration, and so on." Then she gave a cryptic smile. "I thought it might be easier for you to study here and then you might not be pacing in your room during the night. Your aunt will be pleased because she won't have to see you during the day and you can come here study in peace and spend time with your godfather."

"I heard her say something that you would be leaving to visit a sister soon?" Harry asked as he reached for a second scone.

Mrs. Figg smiled. "I am going away from here, but not to see any sister. I'm going to be your new Defence Against the Dark Arts instructor. You can start calling me Professor Figg."

Harry's eyes grew wide at that thought and then he smiled.

"Sirius will be staying here and standing guard here as my 'nephew' who will be house sitting for me." She then stood up from the table, "If you don't mind, I'm feeling positively ancient right now. I think I'll resume my true form and besides, I think you ought to get used to seeing me the way I'll appear during the school year so it won't be too much of a shock for you."

She reached into her pocket, drew out a small bottle and placed three drops of the liquid under her tongue. Harry watched as she transformed in the matter of a few seconds into a woman that Harry guessed was in her forties. She took off her glasses and released a hairpin that allowed her hair to fall down past her waist. She straightened her back and shoulders and seemed to grow at least two inches taller.

"Ahhhh, that's much better."

Harry was amazed to see how beautiful she was. Sirius also seemed to be captivated by her beauty.

"Yesterday Sirius and I went to Diagon Alley. It was the first time in many years that I had gone there. We needed to get him a new wand along with other supplies for him to stay here and for me to teach my classes."

"Did Mr. Ollivander..." Harry wasn't sure what to ask.

Sirius smiled and shook his head. "We didn't want to risk that. Mr. Ollivander is one of the most perceptive wizards around."

"Dumbledore arranged to have Hagrid help Mr. Ollivander to procure the hair from a new unicorn in the Forbidden Forest along with getting some wood for the wands. Mr. Ollivander's apprentice is shrewd, but he had never met Sirius before. We were able to pass him off as my boyfriend Joseph O'Brien from Australia." She then waved her hand in the air and mimicked herself, "I have been telling him that he must get a wand from Ollivander's as they are simply the best. I promised to buy him a new one as a present."

"It worked?" Harry asked.

"Like a charm," Sirius replied putting on a thick Australian accent.

"That ruse worked throughout Diagon Alley," she said. "No one got to ask him very much as I would monopolize any conversation and simply take him by the arm and lead him away from any store before too long. People were glad to see me once again – laughing and smiling. I doubt anyone recognized that the man on my arm was someone they hadn't seen in fourteen years and who now appears twenty years older than his true form."

Professor Figg then became deadly serious, "Harry, I must implore you. No one is to know that you have known me outside of Hogwarts. Part of that is so no one thinks that I'm playing favourites and more importantly it has to do with your security and now your godfather's security. He will be here and I need not remind you that he is still wanted by the Ministry of Magic. If anyone suspects that we knew each other before Hogwarts, then Sirius may wind up back in Azkaban or worse."

Sirius nodded. "That includes Ron and Hermione. You cannot tell them."

Harry understood and nodded. "Okay. I won't do anything that might endanger you. I understand how dangerous it's been for you these last two years. Living in this house has got to be like Paradise for you compared to living in a cave and eating rats."

Professor Figg shook her head and shuddered.

"Why yes, it is much nicer staying here," Sirius replied.

"Speaking of school," said Professor Figg. "We need to start discussing your lessons this summer. We need to take full advantage of this time before school starts and try to bring you up to speed as best as we can."

"What do you mean?" asked Harry.

"I mean that we need to prepare you for the worst and give you the best defensive skills possible so that you can use them to survive any attacks."

Harry gulped. Of course he was still at risk from Voldemort. It was just that at times he wished he could be like any other teenager and not have to worry about an evil wizard who wanted him dead.

"Why does he want to kill me so much?"

Professor Figg gave a rueful smile, "Right now Harry you represent the only weapon we have against Fear. You represent Hope. Voldemort's power lives and breeds in Fear and shrinks in the face of Hope. Because of that and because Voldemort has been unable to vanquish you in the three times he has met with you – he will be desperate and that means he'll want to see you dead anyway possible."

Harry thought about the three times Professor Figg mentioned. The night his parents were killed, the end of his first year when Harry stopped Quirrell and Voldemort from getting the Philosopher's Stone and the night in the graveyard. Professor Figg didn't know about Harry's encounter with the ghost of Tom Riddle in the Chamber of Secrets. So really, it was four times...

"The night he duelled with you in the graveyard, do you realize what else he had planned for that night?" she asked.

Harry started to feel dread in the pit of his stomach. He wasn't sure that he wanted to hear what she had to say. He shook his head slowly.

"After killing you, we think he planned to have his Death Eaters join him and use the Portkey to be transported to Hogwarts. They would have attacked as many people as possible. Think of the chaos with everyone in the Wizarding World being utterly terrified. More than they were when he had been at the height of his powers."

The enormity of what Professor Figg said weighed heavily on Harry.

"You saved Hogwarts from certain destruction," Sirius said simply.

Harry felt dazed.

"So what do we do now?" he asked.

Author's note: Coming up, Harry is given a lesson in paranoia that is reminiscent of "Mad Eye" Moody's "Be vigilant!" in Chapter Eleven's "The Power of Hair."