Categories > Books > Harry Potter > The Horror of Harry's Horcrux
7. Decisions and Missives and Training, Oh My!
Hermione Jane Granger had sat in complete and utter stunned silence for what had been well over two hours now. She was shocked and that was putting it mildly. There weren't too many things that could shock this young woman of fifteen years but the piece of parchment, which had fallen out of her grasp to come back into intimate and familiar contact with the waxed hardwood floor of her quiet bedroom for the twentieth time finally brought her out of her musings.
Hermione Jane Granger, the smartest witch of her year, found herself in the position which she had never, ever, found herself in. She had nothing that she could say at this moment which would be construed as an internal argument against what she had just read. He had covered all the bases and the counter-arguments as well. It was so short and simple and to the point that she didn't know what to say.
Hermione Jane Granger, leapt off of her bed now and, just as quickly as the previously nineteen mentioned times, retrieved the letter that her very best friend, and hopeful boyfriend, has sent her most recently. She quickly unfolded the letter and re-read it, once again.
Dear Hermione,
I'm not going to make this long but I have to tell you this now so that I can get it out of the way. I love you. I love everything about you. From the first time that I set my eyes on you and you, with all honesty, pointed out the smudge on Ron's nose, and your question to help in your search for Neville's toad.
You had been just as bewitched by the whole situation that you found yourself in as I had been. Fortunately for you, you live in an environment which was supportive and you were able to read up on all the things that you were to expect. I'm a bit jealous of that and had always been but only because I had wished that my family had been that supportive.
You've supported me in all of our misadventures each and every year and last year by standing with me allowed me to fall that much more in love with you. You've always been there for me and I wish that I could have found the courage outside of my pride to ask you to the Yule Ball. If I had your time-turner I most certainly would have gone back and asked you first.
Now, I find myself in a situation that we are creating together. Your flirtation and my return of the same has come and provided me more courage. I want more Hermione. Now, before you think that this is me just being a soon to be fifteen year old hormonally-driven boy. I would never do anything of force you to feel awkward in my affections for you.
I want to be able to talk to you the same way that we have always talked to you. I want to be able to hold your hand as we're walking to class. I want to be able to hug you first thing in the morning, and I want to be able to kiss you good night before we turn in and head back to our perspective dorm rooms. I want to pursue what I hope will be a relationship with you that could only conclude into further deepening and being hopeful that you feel the same.
Hermione, would you consider being my girlfriend? I humbly await your reply.
With Love,
From Harry
Hermione felt her hands trembling as she re-read the letter again. She knew what she had to do and quickly scrambled down the stairs to where her mum sat with her dad in t he living room in from of the television.
"Mum!" Hermione exclaimed silently and when her mother acknowledged her with a whip of her neck, she beckoned her to come back upstairs before rushing back upstairs. She sat nervously on her bed for what seemed like an eternity to her but realized that it had only been a few moments before she heard a familiar wrap upon her door that immediately identified her mum.
"Come in." She said a bit more harshly than she intended and then immediately covered her hand upon her mouth.
She watched in utter familiar humiliation as her mum entered the bedroom with the already present smirk upon lips that were identical to her own. The older woman quickly crossed the brief expanse of the room and sat quickly beside her daughter.
"Hermione, love, what seems to have you so worked up this evening?" Her mother questioned, and upon raising her head to meet her mum's eyes she could see the genuine concern and quickly relaxed. Unable to say anything she quickly handed the letter over to her mother and waited patiently as she watched her mother read.
The time, for Hermione, passed very slowly and she immediately knew that this was done for the exact same reason that she herself had read the letter twenty times. Her mother was simply taking in each sentence and then analyzing it for what it meant.
"What would you like me to do, Hermione?" Her mum asked with a knowing look that Hermione immediately recognized as acceptance but at the same time a testing ground. Her mum had always been supportive of her daughter and with that support came tests that would show that she could use her own intelligence and reasoning while still being about to sound-board her thoughts with her mum honestly.
"Well, mum, this is what I was hoping for but at the same point I look at this letter and I see something that I had never seen in Harry before. He was quick in responding to my last letter, and while this letter is a little brief it also is rather to the point. Would you agree?" She asked, hopefully.
"Yes dear, it is to the point. What are your thoughts as to his question?" Her mum quickly asked.
"Well, honestly, I think that it's bloody fantastic!" She exclaimed, and upon the mild profanity and the look of equally mild admonishment quickly said, "Sorry mum."
"Hermione, what was the reason for asking me here, tonight?" Her mum asked, once again, with a smile upon her face.
"Mum!" Hermione said almost exasperatedly. "I would think that would be rather obvious. I want permission to pursue my heart without hindrance." She said with a pleading in her eyes that followed the words spoken from her heart.
"Hermione, Harry seems like a very nice boy. From what you've told me of him, he is quite noble, honest, courageous, and cares quite a bit about you from what I was able to read in this letter. The fact that he spelled out his intentions and isn't willing to cross obvious barriers is certainly what the mother of a fifteen year old girl wants to hear. I will have to talk with you father about this for obvious reasons, but I don't think that it should present any problems if you want to date Harry. You certainly have my blessing in this relationship, but again, your father will be the real test. Would you like me to talk to him about it?" She asked in complete seriousness so as to spare her daughter. Jane Granger wasn't apposed to toying with her daughter, however, learned when to do so and when not to. She hoped that this Harry Potter knew the same thing.
"Please Mum?" Hermione pleaded, and was happy to see the brief and honest smile on her mother's face.
Time seemed to pass at a crawling pace turning the time that Hermione's mum left her room. Listening, she followed the sound of her mum and she padded down the stairs and waited. When there had been instances for Roger and Jane Granger to discuss things in regards to their daughter, Hermione knew that it would be hopeless to overhear them from here. She was a patient person in dealing with the parents but they still ultimately had the last say so in what happened with her and she did respect their wishes. In turn, her parents also took time to mull things over and dissect everything logically before coming to a conclusion.
What felt like hours of silent torture for her was in all actuality only a few brief minutes before she heard the stirrings downstairs and the padding of her mother's feet shortly accompanied by the much heavier footfall of her father. The footfall came closer and closer to her as she heard the creak of a familiar creak of a floorboard just around the corner. Whatever the answer was going to be it was coming for her and she had to be patient.
/Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry - Headmaster's Office/
"Now see here, Dumbledore, you have to reign in the Potter brat and do so immediately before I am forced to take a more active roll in rearing and by right of Minister of Magic, disciplining the boy. He's already caused mass panic in the student body and since their return to their respective homes three days ago. I've received dozens upon dozens of howlers."
"Cornelius, I'm afraid that you've brought that upon yourself when you denied Harry's claim that Tom Riddle has been re-embodied. The fact that the claim came from the boy-who-lived and the chosen one is enough to put your cognitive reasoning under scrutiny. Honest, Cornelius, I understood the euphoria fourteen years ago when Harry had vanquished Tom, but the lack of a body should have put you on alert, not at easy..." Albus said with an air of finality that he had not intended. He noticed some devices that were an immediate cause for concern. "Cornelius, I've just an alarm go off which is an immediate cause for concern, if you would excuse me?"
"Dumbledore, I do hope that you understand that we have not come to a resolution here..."
"And we will not come to a resolution today, or at least now. For the moment, my presence is required elsewhere. Please see yourself out and I will contact you again when we can further explore these events. Good day, Cornelius."
"Albus." Minister Fudge said, inclined his head and tipping his trademarked and familiar green bowler hat, before turning and with a flash of green flame he disappeared back to his office.
As quickly as his one hundred and fifty-six year old body would allow, Albus brought his attempt to the ward monitoring devices that he had on his desk that were attuned to number four Privet drive. 'This is not possible, not this soon.' But he immediately noticed that the wards at Harry Potter's summer residence were at a much higher level that he had ever seem them before. In fact, they were higher than he had ever intended them to be and was causing him alarm to no end.
"Fawkes, I believe that a trip to Surrey is in order, would you consider bringing me to Mr. Potter, old friend?" He asked and was immediately whisked away in a flash of green flame only to arrive at the home of Arabella Figg.
"Albus, what brings you to my home this morning?" Mrs. Figg asked while sitting at her dinner table drinking a cup of tea while gingerly eating a raspberry scone.
"Arabella it is so nice to see you again. I'm here to check on the wards at Number Four. My ward monitors are indicating something that just shouldn't be possible. Would you be so kind as to get on the floo network with the other Order members and advise them of a meeting this evening?"
"Of course." Mrs. Figg replied before turning her attention back to her tea and scone.
Albus Dumbledore has seen a great many things in his one hundred and fifty-six years in the world. He thought that with his experience he would have been prepared for what was about to happen next, however as he put himself with one hundred meters of the Dursley residence he was knocked back rather forcefully upon his bottom.
Quickly, Albus Dumbledore adjusted his spectacles and took a look at the wards surrounding Harry's family house. He was taken back, immediately with the complexity of wards. All the standard ones that Albus had put in place had been replaced with more offensive wards. He even found a ward that was keyed specifically to activate a portion of the ground if someone crossed the initial wards which bore the dark mark.
For the first time in nearly fifty years Albus Dumbledore found himself shaking in fear of the unknown. 'Who put these wards up and how?' He wondered to himself, never noticing the nearly fifteen year old boy with raven black hair and shocking emerald green eyes approach his position, as Harry followed the path down the walkway until he was standing, just in front of his one-time mentor.
"Hello Professor, what brings you here today?" Harry asked honestly curious. Harry secretly remembered that he hadn't done anything to the Headmaster's office at this point in time and knew that the ward detection devices atop the Professor's desk had more than likely went a bit wonky when Harry added the wards.
"Mr. Potter, perhaps you could invite me inside and we could discuss these fascinating additions to the wards around your home?" The headmaster asked strategically. He saw that the boy appeared to be in contemplation for only a mere moment before he looked back at the Headmaster with a small smile upon his face and nodded briefly before turning while beckoning Albus to follow.
Upon entering Harry's bedroom, Albus was shocked to see that this once poorly furnished room was now a replica of the Head Boy suite in Gryffindor tower. That alone would shock him to his core as Albus could not recall how Harry would know what that room had looked like. He fingered his wand tenderly on the off chance that the continual shocking turn of events that were unfolding continued to set him on edge and amaze him.
"Professor, what do you know about paradox and alternate realities?" Harry asked honestly. He could see a flashing gleam in the headmaster's eyes.
"A Time Turner, Mr. Potter? I understand that we allowed Miss Granger access to one year before last but that was returned." Albus said, weighing the young man in front of himself. He quickly noticed that Harry didn't seem as forlorn as one would expect him to be, having Cedric Diggory murdered in front of him and Tom Riddle resurrected in front of him mere weeks ago.
"You're on the right track, however, it's a bit more complicated. Professor, there have been a lot of things that I have had questions about that you have been less than forthcoming with providing answers to. As you can see, I am perfectly calm and willing to discuss this, but at the same time, you also have to understand that I do know a great many things that you probably think that I shouldn't know at this point in time..." Harry stopped suddenly feeling a slight tingle as an attempt to skim the surface of Harry's more recent memories, and Harry, being the son of a marauder decided to have a bit of fun.
He focused his immediate train of though on just the past fifteen minutes, and unfortunately for Albus that had absolutely everything to do with a rather uncomfortable bowel movement for Harry. Whenever the headmaster tried to push beyond those constraints he found himself looped back to the beginning of the fated experience.
"Professor?" Harry asked with a grin worthy of his father and godfather, and upon feeling Albus Dumbledore retreat from his attempt.
"Yes Harry?" Albus replied, secretly annoyed at his lack of being able to break into the young man's thoughts.
"Mischief Managed, sir?" Harry asked, again with a slight chortle of laughter.
"Indeed. Back to the subject at hand..." But he was cut off immediately by what the young man in front of him had done. With a slight wave of his hand the open bedroom door quickly and quietly closed itself and a white flash of light surrounded both that door and the closed window within the room indicating that a privacy charm had been cast. He looked toward the boy again, never minding the fact that Harry Potter hadn't taken out his wand, and looked as the boy's expression changed from bemusement to one of complete and utter determination.
"The one with the power to vanquish the dark lord approaches..." Harry started, and was immediately less than impressed with the expression on his mentor's face change from worry to horror. Immediately his wand in hand, Albus sent a silent stunner which should have easily incapacitated young Harry only to watch the young man hold up his hand and effortlessly toss the spell to the side. "Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies, and the dark lord will mark him as an equal, but he will have power the dark lord knows not, and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives. The one with the power to vanquish the dark lord approaches, born as the seventh month dies."
Harry looked at the professor, whom still had his wand trained on him and had looked nervous. Harry had to think quickly and the very first thought that came to mind was the unbreakable vow that had led to the Professor's death during his sixth year.
"I, Harry James Potter, swear on my life and my magic that I serve the Light and my purpose is to stop Tom Marvolo Riddle from terrorizing and taking over the Wizarding world." He said solemnly and with a flash of light he noticed a look of peace and resignation came over the elderly professor.
"You had me worried, my boy. Please let me apologize for the fears of an old man stuck in his ways."
"Professor, I understand completely what your fears are and more importantly will be in regards to certain events. What I need to know is why, with a prophecy of the magnitude in place and looming over my head, was I not better prepared to face what I need to face?"
"We all make mistakes, Harry, unfortunately that is what defines us as human; be it wizard or Muggle. We're not infallible."
"Professor, there are a couple of things that needs to happen and happen rather quickly." Harry said and then proceeded to provide some of the details surrounding the new Harry. He also explained the need to exorcise Ginevra Molly Weasley as, while Tom Riddle's diary Horcrux had been destroyed when Harry punctured it with a Basilisk fang his second year, she had become a vessel for that particular soul piece. He didn't tell him everything, but did let the Professor know that in the future he had been successful in stopping Tom, the cost had been too high and his love ones, lost.
"Mr. Potter exactly how far in the future had you been before coming back to this point in time?" Albus asked worriedly.
"Professor, I prefer not to answer that question. There had been plenty of errors that I can't even admit to everyone and because of that I may have inadvertently set certain things into motion that would probably not have been discovered as a direct result. I do hope that you understand that. While you may very well feel that you are entitled to certain bits and pieces of information, let me just say that my age at the time that I was sent back makes yours a dwarf in comparison and leave it at that. There were certain horrors in that life that I would prefer not to recount and will not do so. The experience that I had was brought back and I will not make the same mistakes and will do everything within my power to peacefully persuade those whom matter to me away from certain paths as well. You won't see the same meek person in me that you had in the past but at the same time I will enjoy my life a little bit more than I had the first time around."
"I see, well, the first thing that I would like to say is that this time I will listen more so than previously. I was going to suggest that you have Occlumency training from Professor Snape, however, having briefly testing your nature defenses, I see that that will not be an issue. I would like to suggest that you may want to assist your fellow students with procuring this ability for themselves and perhaps any other abilities that you feel would help out in the coming year. Harry, I would also ask that you take a look at the wards surrounding, not only your friends homes, and I will make sure that you have someone whom can assist you with making to their homes, but Hogwarts as well. The wards here are just simply mind blowing." Albus Dumbledore said, finally without anything further to add.
"Professor, I would like to spend my birthday with my friends and with my godfather, if at all possible. Certainly you are aware that the wards here will not be breached easily so do you think that you could arrange for me to leave here for Number Twelve Grimmauld Place in London as soon as possible?" Harry asked eagerly.
"Y-Yes, Harry, I believe that we can make an arrangement after a week." The headmaster said, finally standing up and crossing the room. "Until then, Harry, please continue to write to your friends and let them know that you're alright."
"Yes sir." Harry said resolutely as he watched the headmaster disappear. He smiled to himself at the most recent memory of Albus Dumbledore, the Greatest Light Wizard in recent known history staring at Harry in obvious disbelief as he wordlessly and wandlessly deflected the stunner fired at him at point blank range. He looked at the clock, realizing that time had gotten away from him and the lunch that he had been looking forward to had come and gone. The time was 3:55 PM and it afternoon tea was now just moments from now.
"Dobby!" Harry said with, both, resolve and kindness.
"Yes Harry Potter sir?"
"Tea please, and I apologize for skipping lunch..." Harry said, noticing the slight frown that appeared across his tiny visage. "Dobby? If it's not too much trouble, could you please bring me a roast beef sandwich with some crisps?"
"Yes Harry Potter sir, Dobby's being ready for you sir and with that said, and a soft pop, the energetic elf had disappeared.
Things had been happened today, for Harry, back to back without any sense of the events lulling into a quiet. Now, at this very moment didn't appear to be any different. Just as quickly as Dobby had disappeared from the room, Hedwig burst from the window and landed quickly atop his lap.
Looking down, he noticed the burdened leg of his familiar and quiet untied the expected letter from her leg. Taking the letter into his hands, he suddenly felt a nervousness in his stomach that hadn't been there before. 'What had she said? What was her answer going to be to his last letter?'
HARRY JAMES POTTER HOW DARE YOU SUBJECT ME TO THIS VERBAL THRASHING THAT I HAD TO ACCEPT FROM MY FATHER, HE WAS...
A/N: Evil cliffy, I know but I wanted to put it here. The next few days will be put together in one chapter with multiple letters from Harry and Hermione as well as letters from Sirius, Ron and Ginny. As always, read and review.
Hermione Jane Granger had sat in complete and utter stunned silence for what had been well over two hours now. She was shocked and that was putting it mildly. There weren't too many things that could shock this young woman of fifteen years but the piece of parchment, which had fallen out of her grasp to come back into intimate and familiar contact with the waxed hardwood floor of her quiet bedroom for the twentieth time finally brought her out of her musings.
Hermione Jane Granger, the smartest witch of her year, found herself in the position which she had never, ever, found herself in. She had nothing that she could say at this moment which would be construed as an internal argument against what she had just read. He had covered all the bases and the counter-arguments as well. It was so short and simple and to the point that she didn't know what to say.
Hermione Jane Granger, leapt off of her bed now and, just as quickly as the previously nineteen mentioned times, retrieved the letter that her very best friend, and hopeful boyfriend, has sent her most recently. She quickly unfolded the letter and re-read it, once again.
Dear Hermione,
I'm not going to make this long but I have to tell you this now so that I can get it out of the way. I love you. I love everything about you. From the first time that I set my eyes on you and you, with all honesty, pointed out the smudge on Ron's nose, and your question to help in your search for Neville's toad.
You had been just as bewitched by the whole situation that you found yourself in as I had been. Fortunately for you, you live in an environment which was supportive and you were able to read up on all the things that you were to expect. I'm a bit jealous of that and had always been but only because I had wished that my family had been that supportive.
You've supported me in all of our misadventures each and every year and last year by standing with me allowed me to fall that much more in love with you. You've always been there for me and I wish that I could have found the courage outside of my pride to ask you to the Yule Ball. If I had your time-turner I most certainly would have gone back and asked you first.
Now, I find myself in a situation that we are creating together. Your flirtation and my return of the same has come and provided me more courage. I want more Hermione. Now, before you think that this is me just being a soon to be fifteen year old hormonally-driven boy. I would never do anything of force you to feel awkward in my affections for you.
I want to be able to talk to you the same way that we have always talked to you. I want to be able to hold your hand as we're walking to class. I want to be able to hug you first thing in the morning, and I want to be able to kiss you good night before we turn in and head back to our perspective dorm rooms. I want to pursue what I hope will be a relationship with you that could only conclude into further deepening and being hopeful that you feel the same.
Hermione, would you consider being my girlfriend? I humbly await your reply.
With Love,
From Harry
Hermione felt her hands trembling as she re-read the letter again. She knew what she had to do and quickly scrambled down the stairs to where her mum sat with her dad in t he living room in from of the television.
"Mum!" Hermione exclaimed silently and when her mother acknowledged her with a whip of her neck, she beckoned her to come back upstairs before rushing back upstairs. She sat nervously on her bed for what seemed like an eternity to her but realized that it had only been a few moments before she heard a familiar wrap upon her door that immediately identified her mum.
"Come in." She said a bit more harshly than she intended and then immediately covered her hand upon her mouth.
She watched in utter familiar humiliation as her mum entered the bedroom with the already present smirk upon lips that were identical to her own. The older woman quickly crossed the brief expanse of the room and sat quickly beside her daughter.
"Hermione, love, what seems to have you so worked up this evening?" Her mother questioned, and upon raising her head to meet her mum's eyes she could see the genuine concern and quickly relaxed. Unable to say anything she quickly handed the letter over to her mother and waited patiently as she watched her mother read.
The time, for Hermione, passed very slowly and she immediately knew that this was done for the exact same reason that she herself had read the letter twenty times. Her mother was simply taking in each sentence and then analyzing it for what it meant.
"What would you like me to do, Hermione?" Her mum asked with a knowing look that Hermione immediately recognized as acceptance but at the same time a testing ground. Her mum had always been supportive of her daughter and with that support came tests that would show that she could use her own intelligence and reasoning while still being about to sound-board her thoughts with her mum honestly.
"Well, mum, this is what I was hoping for but at the same point I look at this letter and I see something that I had never seen in Harry before. He was quick in responding to my last letter, and while this letter is a little brief it also is rather to the point. Would you agree?" She asked, hopefully.
"Yes dear, it is to the point. What are your thoughts as to his question?" Her mum quickly asked.
"Well, honestly, I think that it's bloody fantastic!" She exclaimed, and upon the mild profanity and the look of equally mild admonishment quickly said, "Sorry mum."
"Hermione, what was the reason for asking me here, tonight?" Her mum asked, once again, with a smile upon her face.
"Mum!" Hermione said almost exasperatedly. "I would think that would be rather obvious. I want permission to pursue my heart without hindrance." She said with a pleading in her eyes that followed the words spoken from her heart.
"Hermione, Harry seems like a very nice boy. From what you've told me of him, he is quite noble, honest, courageous, and cares quite a bit about you from what I was able to read in this letter. The fact that he spelled out his intentions and isn't willing to cross obvious barriers is certainly what the mother of a fifteen year old girl wants to hear. I will have to talk with you father about this for obvious reasons, but I don't think that it should present any problems if you want to date Harry. You certainly have my blessing in this relationship, but again, your father will be the real test. Would you like me to talk to him about it?" She asked in complete seriousness so as to spare her daughter. Jane Granger wasn't apposed to toying with her daughter, however, learned when to do so and when not to. She hoped that this Harry Potter knew the same thing.
"Please Mum?" Hermione pleaded, and was happy to see the brief and honest smile on her mother's face.
Time seemed to pass at a crawling pace turning the time that Hermione's mum left her room. Listening, she followed the sound of her mum and she padded down the stairs and waited. When there had been instances for Roger and Jane Granger to discuss things in regards to their daughter, Hermione knew that it would be hopeless to overhear them from here. She was a patient person in dealing with the parents but they still ultimately had the last say so in what happened with her and she did respect their wishes. In turn, her parents also took time to mull things over and dissect everything logically before coming to a conclusion.
What felt like hours of silent torture for her was in all actuality only a few brief minutes before she heard the stirrings downstairs and the padding of her mother's feet shortly accompanied by the much heavier footfall of her father. The footfall came closer and closer to her as she heard the creak of a familiar creak of a floorboard just around the corner. Whatever the answer was going to be it was coming for her and she had to be patient.
/Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry - Headmaster's Office/
"Now see here, Dumbledore, you have to reign in the Potter brat and do so immediately before I am forced to take a more active roll in rearing and by right of Minister of Magic, disciplining the boy. He's already caused mass panic in the student body and since their return to their respective homes three days ago. I've received dozens upon dozens of howlers."
"Cornelius, I'm afraid that you've brought that upon yourself when you denied Harry's claim that Tom Riddle has been re-embodied. The fact that the claim came from the boy-who-lived and the chosen one is enough to put your cognitive reasoning under scrutiny. Honest, Cornelius, I understood the euphoria fourteen years ago when Harry had vanquished Tom, but the lack of a body should have put you on alert, not at easy..." Albus said with an air of finality that he had not intended. He noticed some devices that were an immediate cause for concern. "Cornelius, I've just an alarm go off which is an immediate cause for concern, if you would excuse me?"
"Dumbledore, I do hope that you understand that we have not come to a resolution here..."
"And we will not come to a resolution today, or at least now. For the moment, my presence is required elsewhere. Please see yourself out and I will contact you again when we can further explore these events. Good day, Cornelius."
"Albus." Minister Fudge said, inclined his head and tipping his trademarked and familiar green bowler hat, before turning and with a flash of green flame he disappeared back to his office.
As quickly as his one hundred and fifty-six year old body would allow, Albus brought his attempt to the ward monitoring devices that he had on his desk that were attuned to number four Privet drive. 'This is not possible, not this soon.' But he immediately noticed that the wards at Harry Potter's summer residence were at a much higher level that he had ever seem them before. In fact, they were higher than he had ever intended them to be and was causing him alarm to no end.
"Fawkes, I believe that a trip to Surrey is in order, would you consider bringing me to Mr. Potter, old friend?" He asked and was immediately whisked away in a flash of green flame only to arrive at the home of Arabella Figg.
"Albus, what brings you to my home this morning?" Mrs. Figg asked while sitting at her dinner table drinking a cup of tea while gingerly eating a raspberry scone.
"Arabella it is so nice to see you again. I'm here to check on the wards at Number Four. My ward monitors are indicating something that just shouldn't be possible. Would you be so kind as to get on the floo network with the other Order members and advise them of a meeting this evening?"
"Of course." Mrs. Figg replied before turning her attention back to her tea and scone.
Albus Dumbledore has seen a great many things in his one hundred and fifty-six years in the world. He thought that with his experience he would have been prepared for what was about to happen next, however as he put himself with one hundred meters of the Dursley residence he was knocked back rather forcefully upon his bottom.
Quickly, Albus Dumbledore adjusted his spectacles and took a look at the wards surrounding Harry's family house. He was taken back, immediately with the complexity of wards. All the standard ones that Albus had put in place had been replaced with more offensive wards. He even found a ward that was keyed specifically to activate a portion of the ground if someone crossed the initial wards which bore the dark mark.
For the first time in nearly fifty years Albus Dumbledore found himself shaking in fear of the unknown. 'Who put these wards up and how?' He wondered to himself, never noticing the nearly fifteen year old boy with raven black hair and shocking emerald green eyes approach his position, as Harry followed the path down the walkway until he was standing, just in front of his one-time mentor.
"Hello Professor, what brings you here today?" Harry asked honestly curious. Harry secretly remembered that he hadn't done anything to the Headmaster's office at this point in time and knew that the ward detection devices atop the Professor's desk had more than likely went a bit wonky when Harry added the wards.
"Mr. Potter, perhaps you could invite me inside and we could discuss these fascinating additions to the wards around your home?" The headmaster asked strategically. He saw that the boy appeared to be in contemplation for only a mere moment before he looked back at the Headmaster with a small smile upon his face and nodded briefly before turning while beckoning Albus to follow.
Upon entering Harry's bedroom, Albus was shocked to see that this once poorly furnished room was now a replica of the Head Boy suite in Gryffindor tower. That alone would shock him to his core as Albus could not recall how Harry would know what that room had looked like. He fingered his wand tenderly on the off chance that the continual shocking turn of events that were unfolding continued to set him on edge and amaze him.
"Professor, what do you know about paradox and alternate realities?" Harry asked honestly. He could see a flashing gleam in the headmaster's eyes.
"A Time Turner, Mr. Potter? I understand that we allowed Miss Granger access to one year before last but that was returned." Albus said, weighing the young man in front of himself. He quickly noticed that Harry didn't seem as forlorn as one would expect him to be, having Cedric Diggory murdered in front of him and Tom Riddle resurrected in front of him mere weeks ago.
"You're on the right track, however, it's a bit more complicated. Professor, there have been a lot of things that I have had questions about that you have been less than forthcoming with providing answers to. As you can see, I am perfectly calm and willing to discuss this, but at the same time, you also have to understand that I do know a great many things that you probably think that I shouldn't know at this point in time..." Harry stopped suddenly feeling a slight tingle as an attempt to skim the surface of Harry's more recent memories, and Harry, being the son of a marauder decided to have a bit of fun.
He focused his immediate train of though on just the past fifteen minutes, and unfortunately for Albus that had absolutely everything to do with a rather uncomfortable bowel movement for Harry. Whenever the headmaster tried to push beyond those constraints he found himself looped back to the beginning of the fated experience.
"Professor?" Harry asked with a grin worthy of his father and godfather, and upon feeling Albus Dumbledore retreat from his attempt.
"Yes Harry?" Albus replied, secretly annoyed at his lack of being able to break into the young man's thoughts.
"Mischief Managed, sir?" Harry asked, again with a slight chortle of laughter.
"Indeed. Back to the subject at hand..." But he was cut off immediately by what the young man in front of him had done. With a slight wave of his hand the open bedroom door quickly and quietly closed itself and a white flash of light surrounded both that door and the closed window within the room indicating that a privacy charm had been cast. He looked toward the boy again, never minding the fact that Harry Potter hadn't taken out his wand, and looked as the boy's expression changed from bemusement to one of complete and utter determination.
"The one with the power to vanquish the dark lord approaches..." Harry started, and was immediately less than impressed with the expression on his mentor's face change from worry to horror. Immediately his wand in hand, Albus sent a silent stunner which should have easily incapacitated young Harry only to watch the young man hold up his hand and effortlessly toss the spell to the side. "Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies, and the dark lord will mark him as an equal, but he will have power the dark lord knows not, and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives. The one with the power to vanquish the dark lord approaches, born as the seventh month dies."
Harry looked at the professor, whom still had his wand trained on him and had looked nervous. Harry had to think quickly and the very first thought that came to mind was the unbreakable vow that had led to the Professor's death during his sixth year.
"I, Harry James Potter, swear on my life and my magic that I serve the Light and my purpose is to stop Tom Marvolo Riddle from terrorizing and taking over the Wizarding world." He said solemnly and with a flash of light he noticed a look of peace and resignation came over the elderly professor.
"You had me worried, my boy. Please let me apologize for the fears of an old man stuck in his ways."
"Professor, I understand completely what your fears are and more importantly will be in regards to certain events. What I need to know is why, with a prophecy of the magnitude in place and looming over my head, was I not better prepared to face what I need to face?"
"We all make mistakes, Harry, unfortunately that is what defines us as human; be it wizard or Muggle. We're not infallible."
"Professor, there are a couple of things that needs to happen and happen rather quickly." Harry said and then proceeded to provide some of the details surrounding the new Harry. He also explained the need to exorcise Ginevra Molly Weasley as, while Tom Riddle's diary Horcrux had been destroyed when Harry punctured it with a Basilisk fang his second year, she had become a vessel for that particular soul piece. He didn't tell him everything, but did let the Professor know that in the future he had been successful in stopping Tom, the cost had been too high and his love ones, lost.
"Mr. Potter exactly how far in the future had you been before coming back to this point in time?" Albus asked worriedly.
"Professor, I prefer not to answer that question. There had been plenty of errors that I can't even admit to everyone and because of that I may have inadvertently set certain things into motion that would probably not have been discovered as a direct result. I do hope that you understand that. While you may very well feel that you are entitled to certain bits and pieces of information, let me just say that my age at the time that I was sent back makes yours a dwarf in comparison and leave it at that. There were certain horrors in that life that I would prefer not to recount and will not do so. The experience that I had was brought back and I will not make the same mistakes and will do everything within my power to peacefully persuade those whom matter to me away from certain paths as well. You won't see the same meek person in me that you had in the past but at the same time I will enjoy my life a little bit more than I had the first time around."
"I see, well, the first thing that I would like to say is that this time I will listen more so than previously. I was going to suggest that you have Occlumency training from Professor Snape, however, having briefly testing your nature defenses, I see that that will not be an issue. I would like to suggest that you may want to assist your fellow students with procuring this ability for themselves and perhaps any other abilities that you feel would help out in the coming year. Harry, I would also ask that you take a look at the wards surrounding, not only your friends homes, and I will make sure that you have someone whom can assist you with making to their homes, but Hogwarts as well. The wards here are just simply mind blowing." Albus Dumbledore said, finally without anything further to add.
"Professor, I would like to spend my birthday with my friends and with my godfather, if at all possible. Certainly you are aware that the wards here will not be breached easily so do you think that you could arrange for me to leave here for Number Twelve Grimmauld Place in London as soon as possible?" Harry asked eagerly.
"Y-Yes, Harry, I believe that we can make an arrangement after a week." The headmaster said, finally standing up and crossing the room. "Until then, Harry, please continue to write to your friends and let them know that you're alright."
"Yes sir." Harry said resolutely as he watched the headmaster disappear. He smiled to himself at the most recent memory of Albus Dumbledore, the Greatest Light Wizard in recent known history staring at Harry in obvious disbelief as he wordlessly and wandlessly deflected the stunner fired at him at point blank range. He looked at the clock, realizing that time had gotten away from him and the lunch that he had been looking forward to had come and gone. The time was 3:55 PM and it afternoon tea was now just moments from now.
"Dobby!" Harry said with, both, resolve and kindness.
"Yes Harry Potter sir?"
"Tea please, and I apologize for skipping lunch..." Harry said, noticing the slight frown that appeared across his tiny visage. "Dobby? If it's not too much trouble, could you please bring me a roast beef sandwich with some crisps?"
"Yes Harry Potter sir, Dobby's being ready for you sir and with that said, and a soft pop, the energetic elf had disappeared.
Things had been happened today, for Harry, back to back without any sense of the events lulling into a quiet. Now, at this very moment didn't appear to be any different. Just as quickly as Dobby had disappeared from the room, Hedwig burst from the window and landed quickly atop his lap.
Looking down, he noticed the burdened leg of his familiar and quiet untied the expected letter from her leg. Taking the letter into his hands, he suddenly felt a nervousness in his stomach that hadn't been there before. 'What had she said? What was her answer going to be to his last letter?'
HARRY JAMES POTTER HOW DARE YOU SUBJECT ME TO THIS VERBAL THRASHING THAT I HAD TO ACCEPT FROM MY FATHER, HE WAS...
A/N: Evil cliffy, I know but I wanted to put it here. The next few days will be put together in one chapter with multiple letters from Harry and Hermione as well as letters from Sirius, Ron and Ginny. As always, read and review.
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