The next few weeks went by quickly for Harry. He spent most of the time either playing chess with Ginny, Hermione and Ron, or reading his Apparition booklet. He was very nervous about the test. He and Ron, who had gotten his letter earlier than Harry, had been quizzing each other on the various rules and such. But, although the book gave when and where you were allowed to Apparate, it didn’t really tell how. Hermione, of course, explained that he wouldn’t be taught how until the actual day, and the test was just knowing what the book had said. Then, to Harry’s relief, Ron took his test. The day of, Ron was very nervous, but when he got back his face was bright with triumph. He had passed.
“Well, it actually wasn’t that bad. Once you take the written test,” Ron explained after showing Harry his new license, “they put you in this waiting room. That’s really the hard part, because you’re all tense and nervous. After awhile, if you passed the written test part, they take you out into this huge field that surrounds the building and teach you how to actually Apparate. They will give you a couple of times to do it yourself, and then, depending on how well you do, they’ll give you your license or not.”
Harry didn’t like the idea of being put in a waiting room, stressing over their final decision. He did pretty well whenever Ron quizzed him, getting most of the answers right, it was the actually Apparating part that was worrying him. What if they gave him the instructions and he just couldn’t do it?
“Harry, you really shouldn’t stress over it. Even if you don’t make it it’s no big deal,” Ginny said comfortingly. “I mean, even Charlie had to take it twice, and he is a really good wizard. I’m sure you’ll do fine though, you do great in everything else.” That made Harry feel a little better, but on the morning of August 19th, he was a nervous wreck.
First, he found that he had quite a bit of trouble putting on his shoes, putting them on the wrong feet. Then after awhile, Mrs. Weasley pulled him aside and informed him that his shirt was inside out. He barely ate anything at breakfast; his stomach was already full with butterflies.
“You’ll be terrific, Harry,” Sirius said, clapping him on the back.
“Thanks Sirius,” Harry muttered. After he had proven to himself that he couldn’t eat any breakfast, Mrs. Weasley bustled over.
“Arthur is going to take you, dear. You should hurry up though, it’s already 11:30,” she said, straightening his shirt over his shoulders. “Are you sure you can’t eat anymore breakfast? You hardly ate anything at all!”
“No, I’m fine,” Harry assured her. She nodded, and then picked up his plate.
“Alright, I’ll go get Arthur and tell him you’re ready then,” she said, hurrying away.
“Are you nervous Harry?” Remus said, walking into the room in a very nice robe. Harry smiled. Ever since Remus had started his own talk show ‘Good Morning Gideon’ he had been a hit. His voice was very calming, and he always had something interesting to say. It was going wonderful, not only could Remus get the message that Voldemort was out to a few more people, he also made considerable amounts of money, allowing himself to eat better and dress better. Harry was happy for him.
“Yeah, I’m a bit nervous,” Harry said, answering Remus’ earlier question. Understatement of the century! Remus nodded.
“I was too, but it’s really not all that bad, and if you do fail, which I doubt, you can always retake it.” Harry nodded. Mr. Weasley walked in, putting on his coat.
“Ready to go, Harry?” he said, winking. Harry nodded and stood up. Ron and Hermione came through the door.
“Good, I thought we might miss you!” Hermione said. “Good luck!” she hugged him tightly.
“Yeah, good luck mate, though I’m sure you’ll pass, no problem,” Ron said, slapping him on the shoulder.
“Thanks guys,” Harry said, grinning.
“Alright then, off we go Harry!” Mr. Weasley said, leaving out the kitchen door. With a last look at his friends, he followed Mr. Weasley.
The drive was surprisingly short, and Harry found himself wishing very much that it was further away, so he would have more time to review the facts in his head.
‘Don’t Apparate in front of a Muggle.’
‘Don’t Apparate in a non-Apparition zone.’
‘Don’t Apparate cross-country after dusk.’
“Alright, this is the place!” Mr. Weasley said, interrupting Harry’s thoughts. Harry got out of the car, and looked around. They appeared to be on a very deserted road. All he saw was a very run down looking gas-station. Other than that, for miles were just grass, a few pieces of junk, and a large tree way off in the distance. It actually made perfect sense to have it here; nobody in their right mind would go in a gas-station in as bad a shape as this one. “Coming, Harry?” Mr. Weasley said. Harry jumped and ran to catch up.
Harry had expected to enter a smelly old gas-station, which was why he was surprised when, as he walked in, he entered a very clean, well organized looking lobby. The room was very prim and rather dull. The carpet on the floor was grey, and the wall was simply painted white. Rather uncomfortable looking chairs lined the walls, and Harry saw some of its occupants looking very nervous. Harry noticed some of them staring at his scar, and he looked away, walking up to the desk situated in a corner of the room where Mr. Weasley stood.
“May I be of assistance?” a very bored looking, middle-aged woman asked in a nasally voice, examining her nails.
“Yes, Harry Potter has come to take his Apparition test,” Mr. Weasley said, grinning proudly at Harry. The woman looked up sharply.
“Harry Potter?” she said, looking interestedly up at his forehead. Then she seemed to catch herself and looked down at her schedule. “Potter…Potter…yes. Follow me, please.” Mr. Weasley waved him goodbye, and then sat down in one of the stiff looking chairs. Harry followed the woman, who sauntered in front of him, turning around every once in awhile to look at his scar. “Are you nervous?” she asked, feeling obligated to make conversation apparently. Harry shrugged. “Right…well, here you are,” she said, pointing to a little cubicle.
Harry saw that there were some other people in cubicles, taking the test, frowning in thought. In the little square was a wooden table and chair. Placed on the table was only quill and ink. Harry took a large breath of air, and went to sit down. “Hold on a second,” she said, and scooted away. She returned shortly with a piece of parchment in her hands. She walked over and set it in front of him.
“When you’re finished, bring the paper back to the front desk. From there, you’ll wait in the room with your father until we have determined whether or not you’ve passed.” Harry nodded, feeling a slight pang. She thought Mr. Weasley was his father. She left him alone. He flipped the paper over and saw that it was double sided. Taking a deep breath, he filled his name and the date, and then set to work.
As Harry had expected, the written test was quite easy, he felt sure he had passed, but was that a good thing? That would mean he would have to go out in that field and try to actually try to Apparate. Sighing, he walked out to the main lobby. Mr. Weasley leapt up and waited for Harry who, after handing his test to the lady at the desk, walked over to him.
“How do you think you did?” Mr. Weasley asked eagerly. Harry shrugged nervously, sitting down.
“I think I did well, but I’m not sure. There was one question I left blank, I couldn’t remember for the life of me!” he muttered in frustration.
“Ah, well,” Mr. Weasley said, sitting back down, “they don’t expect you to get EVERY question right. Just most of them.” Harry nodded. The rest of the time was spent in silence, and Harry nearly leapt out of his seat when the lady stood up from behind her desk.
“Harry Potter,” she said, gaining curious stares. Harry stood up, and all eyes shot to him, he blushed. “Follow me.” Harry did so again, but he wasn’t sure what was happening. Had he passed? Or maybe he had done so badly she needed to reconsider his ever getting his license. She took him down a long hall, and to the last door on the right. She knocked twice, and then opened it. “Mr. Bidell, Here is another one,” and then, not saying another word, she left. Harry stared, his stomach twisting. What was happening? Mr. Bidell was a very tall, skinny man. He smiled warmly at Harry.
“Congratulations, Mr. Potter is it?” he said, looking at Harry’s scar. Harry nodded.
“Excuse me, but does this mean I passed?” he asked tentatively.
“Why of course! What did you think, you were in trouble?” Mr. Bidele asked with a laugh. Harry laughed to.
“No, of course not,” Harry lied. Mr. Bidell finished writing something on a piece of parchment, and then stood up. He was even taller than he had first looked, which was saying something.
“Well, follow me,” he said, leaving the room. Harry followed him out a back door, and into the large field of grass. “Now, Apparate,” Mr. Bidell said. Harry stared, and opened his mouth in shock. Then the man started laughing. “Only joking, oh, it always gets them,” he said through laughs. Harry started a very fake, airy laugh, trying not to strangle the man. “Alright, down to business. I want you to look at that tree, way off in the distance for me.” Harry did as the man said, squinting his eyes to see it better. After a couple of minutes the man said “alright, that’s good. Think you’ve got it in your head now? Can you close your eyes and picture that tree?”
“Yes,” Harry said, closing his eyes and picturing the lonely tree in his mind.
“Alright. Now, I want you to picture yourself by that tree, standing next to that tree. Picture it.”
“I’ve got it,” Harry said.
“That, boy, is how you Apparate,” Bidell said simply. Harry didn’t comprehend.
“But, why didn’t I Apparate then?” he said, confused. Bidell started to laugh again.
“If all you had to do to Apparate was learn how to do it, people all over the world would be doing it illegally. That’s what the problem with Muggle vehicle’s are. There are always illegal drivers because all they have to do is learn how to drive, and their friend could teach them in secret. No, we are smarted than that. You have to drink this to be able to Apparate,” he said, handing Harry a little vile from his pocket. Harry took it, and drank. It was surprisingly good, tasting very much like diluted lemon juice.
“Here,” Harry said, handing the vile back to the man.
“Ok, now try it. Apparate to that tree,” Bidell told him. Harry closed his eyes, and then pictured the tree. After he got the tree in his mind, he pictured himself standing next to it. He waited to feel something, some jerk, or jump, or vibration. Nothing happened. He opened his eyes, and looked at Bidell.
“I don’t feel anything,” Harry said, frowning.
“You aren’t supposed to,” Bidell said, grinning and leaning against a tree. Harry frowned, but then froze. Leaning against a tree? Not a tree, the tree! He had done it! “Very good. I knew you had potential. Alright, let’s try it again. Apparate to that pile of scrap metal over there,” he said, pointing in the direction. Harry scrutinized the pile, picturing it in his mind. Then he pictured himself standing next to it, but just then, as he was thinking about the pile, he became distracted by a sound. Was that coming from near the pile? He opened his eyes, and looked around. Where was he? Then Bidell appeared behind him.
“How did I do that?” Harry asked, seeing that he was nowhere near the pile.
“You must have gotten distracted. Let’s try again,” Bidell said.
For the next fifteen minutes, Harry practiced Apparating. In Harry’s opinion, he had done really well.
“Will this potion ever wear off?” Harry asked.
“Yeah, every three years you have to come and take another potion. Come on, let’s go get your license, you did very well.” Harry grinned, he had done it!
“Thanks!” Harry said ecstatically.
“Did you come with someone?” Bidell asked. Harry nodded. “Why don’t you surprise them? Do you remember what the lobby looks like?” Harry grinned and nodded. He pictured the lobby and a seat in particular, the one he had remember sitting in before he had been called to take the test, next to Mr. Weasley. Then he pictured himself sitting in it.
“AH!” came Mr. Weasley’s yelp of surprise. “Harry! You did it then?” Harry grinned and nodded. “I knew you could do it.” Mr. Bidell appeared right next to them, and handed Harry a piece of parchment.
“You should be proud of him, sir. He did very well,” Mr. Bidell said to Mr. Weasley who put his arm around Harry.
“Do I have to carry this bit of parchment around with me when I’m Apparating?” Harry asked.
“It might be wise at first, but after awhile you can start leaving it at home, as long as you have it handy at home, the authorities can just pop into your house and check that you have it,” Mr. Bidell explained.
“Thanks, then,” Harry said, and he left out the door, followed by a beaming Mr. Weasley. When they pulled into the driveway of Grimmauld Place, Harry decided to Apparate into the kitchen, instead of walk. It was really quite fun. There was a shocked silence, and then everybody started laughing.
“Way to go, Harry!” Sirius said, grinning widely.
“Knew you cold do it,” Tonks said, pulling him into a one-armed hug.
“Thanks, where are Ron, Hermione and Ginny?” Harry asked.
“Upstairs in Ron’s room, they have been a nervous wreck for you the whole time,” Remus said, smiling. Harry closed his eyes, trying to picture Ron’s room, the next second he was standing in the middle of the room, grinning ear to ear. Again there was a shocked silence, but no laughter. Hermione was crying, and Ron had his arm around her, but looked pretty happy to Harry.
“What’s the matter?” Harry asked, walking over to Hermione, frowning. Ron shook his head.
“Krum, the bastard. He, along with the entire Durmstrang clan that’s old enough to use a killing curse joined Voldemort,” Ron said, looking at Hermione.
“I’m such an idiot! How could I not see it?” Hermione said, angrily. Harry saw that it was taking all of Ron’s self-control not to say ‘I told you so.’ Harry shook his head.
“How did you find this out?” he said, sitting down on Hermione’s other side.
“We overheard Dumbledore talking to Snape. They are trying, as you know, to get as many groups on our side, and Snape tried to get Durmstrang and Beauxbaton with us, Beauxbaton joined us, obviously because she liked Hagrid so much, but Durmstrang joined Voldemort,” Ron said.
“Who else do we have on our side?” Harry asked.
“Well, so far, we’ve got some giants, the Goblins believe it or not, and of the course The Order,” Ron said.
“Don’t forget the House-Elves!” Hermione said indignantly. Ron nodded, squeezing her shoulders lightly.
“Yeah, the House-Elves too. Then, on Voldemort’s side he’s got the Death Eaters, Dementors and he’s also got some Giants too. And now he’s got Durmstrang,” Ron said. Harry nodded, frowning.
“So,” Harry said, sighing softly, “We’re pretty much evened up.”
“We’re just waiting now. I hate it, just waiting until the war starts. We need more races on our side,” Hermione said.
“Don’t worry; I’m sure Dumbledore knows what to do. As long as Dumbledore is Head Master, everything will be alright,” Harry said, reassuring himself.
A/N: Finally, the story gets moving!!!!! Please R&R!!! In the next chapter, we get to go on the Hogwarts express, meet the Head Boy, and see who the new DADA teacher is, along with the Care of Magical Creatures Teacher(a huge surprise...i hope) So if u wanna know what happens next, READ AND REVEIW!!! Thanks!