"Harry Potter and the Knowledge of Ancient Magic."
Summary: The-boy-who-lived is being subjected to various changes that would one day change the fate of Wizarding World. However, petty teenager conflicts can harm the greatest of minds and Harry finds out that in the age of Mass Freedom, his best friend is still very conservative. My version of Harry's 5th year at Hogwarts. Animagus training, New powers, and a bit of H/Hr.
Professor Lupin turned towards them and said with a hint of urgency in his voice. "Hi! Hermione, Ron. Harry I want to have a very important talk with you, now!"
Professor Lupin led Harry out of the compartment. When they were at a reasonable distance from the compartment Hermione and Ron were in, Professor said. "Harry, Snuffles has told me what you want to do. Are you sure about this? It is very difficult for one to become an Animagus. And it isn't a matter of seconds to become one; it takes a lot of time. I am sure you have seen Sirius transforming, but it isn't as easy as it looks, in fact it is not easy at all. So, I wanted to tell you all of these dangers and ask your will, if you still want to be an Animagus tell me and if you don't, I will make sure that this doesn't reach Headmaster Dumbledore. Tell me your will one last time."
"Yes, I want to become an Animagus, Professor. I will not be afraid of any difficulties in the way. I want to be prepared for him when he comes." Harry said with grit in his voice. "Very well then. You can join your friends now." His Professor smiled at him. Harry turned to go. "And Harry" Harry turned halfway. "I am very proud of you." Lupin said, still smiling.
Ron and Hermione were fighting over something when Harry had returned. However, after seeing him, they stopped their fight. There was less time left to Hogwarts so they quickly slipped into their robes. Soon, Hogwarts Express made a stop at Hogsmeade Station. The trio found its way out of the train. "First 'ears 'ere. First 'ears 'ere." They heard Hagrid's voice. Harry waved at Hagrid who beaming, waved back. The trio secured a carriage for themselves and settled in.
When they reached the Entrance Hall after the journey of carriages, many memories flooded into Harry's mind. Some were cheering, some were painful. He still remembered his sorting. In which he was given two choices by the Sorting Hat, Gryffindor and Slytherin. He had chosen Gryffindor, because of the bad reputation Slytherins possessed. Harry knew afterwards that why the hat wanted to put him in Slytherin. It was because of his ability to speak Parseltongue. This ability had come in very handy in their second year to open the chamber of secrets. The memory of the chamber was itself a torture for Harry, because there he had faced Voldemort in his real, solid body for the first time.
They all went inside the Great Hall and settled into their seats. Harry sat between Ron and Hermione. Ron kept muttering about how hungry he was. Harry was getting annoyed of his undying love of food, because he kept muttering about his hunger. Harry watched as first years appeared with Professor McGonagall at the end of the Great Hall. The sorting ceremony begun. The Hat sang its song as usual. And after the thundering applause the Hat received, Professor McGonagall said. "When I call your name, come forth, place the sorting hat on your head and you will be sorted into your house."
Harry soon found the sorting ceremony boring. Probably, because there were very few Gryffindors. His eyes wavered towards the Teacher's Table. He saw Hagrid talking animatedly with Professor Flitwick and Professor Lupin watching the sorting with much enthusiasm. He was teaching DADA this year as he had told him. Harry watched Dumbledore as he was talking to a ….......a 'large black dog'. Suddenly, the Headmaster stood up and followed the dog to a doorway. Harry assumed that Sirius wanted to talk to Professor Dumbledore in his human form, alone.
During the whole sorting, Harry kept glancing at the same doorway, Sirius and Headmaster have entered. Just as sorting ceremony was about to finish, Dumbledore came out, Sirius was not with him. He scanned the entire Great Hall, and then his eyes fixed directly on Harry's face. Harry could see the twinkle in those blue eyes more than ever. Professor Dumbledore smiled at him and nodded. Then it all dawned on Harry. Sirius had just told Dumbledore about his request to learn to become an Animagus. And by the looks of Headmaster, he didn't mind at all. Harry shouted a 'YES' under his breath. Hopefully, no one noticed.
Now, that all the first years were sorted, Professor Dumbledore stood up. "Welcome, you are now about to start a new year at Hogwarts. This year will be different from previous all. Because, I assume, you all know that Voldemort has returned." Students gasped at the name. "Now, you all have to be more cautious and more prepared. For the later, we have scheduled Dueling classes for all fourth years and up. However, the others will also be appreciated if the want to take part. The classes will be teached by the 'real' Professor Moody. He can't come here today because of some of the problems at the Ministry. I advice you to take these classes seriously and be prepared." He said the last sentence by looking towards Harry. Harry nodded reassuringly. "And, as the name suggests, Forbidden Forest is strictly forbidden to all of you, and I mean all of you." He looked firstly in the direction of Fred and George Weasley and then at the trio. "Someone caught wondering there would be immediately expelled. Now, DIG IN."
As soon as the food appeared, Ron hungrily started filling his plate up. Harry shook his head, amused, and started eating for himself.
Harry kept glancing at Hermione throughout the dinner. She was looking different somehow, like he has seen her for the very first time. Harry dismissed the thought from his mind as he knew about Ron's feelings for her.
Just then Harry felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned and saw Professor McGonagall smiling proudly at him. He guessed by her expressions that she knew about his request. 'O.K, now she knows as well.' Harry groaned in his mind.
"Yes, Professor?" Harry asked. Professor McGonagall bended towards him and whispered in his ear. "Professor Dumbledore wants to see you after you lead the first years in their dorms. The password to the office is…..Vo….Voldemort." Professor McGonagall's voice trembled while saying the Dark Lord's name.
Harry laughed in mind at Dumbledore's choice of password. At one hand, this was a very difficult password to guess and a very reliable one, and on the other hand, Dumbledore was forcing the teachers to say the Dark Lord's name.
Harry nodded at her and Professor McGonagall headed back to the teacher's table. As soon as she sat down besides Dumbledore, the Headmaster stood up and announced. "Prefects, lead the first years back to the dormitories."
Harry glanced towards Hermione. She was telling the password to the students. Harry stood up. "First year boys, follow me." There were only five first year Gryffindor boys this year.
He leaded them, up to Gryffindor Tower, through the portrait of the fat lady, and finally into the first year boys dormitories. He turned to face the first years. They were staring around with awe written on their faces. "This is where you will be living for your stay at Hogwarts. Any questions?" Harry asked.
A boy looking awfully like Neville raised his hand. "Yes?" Harry asked. He swallowed and said in a trembling voice. "Are you re…really Harry Potter, the Harry Potter?" Harry nodded. Now, all the boys were staring at him, rather respectfully. "Wow. Can you show us your…..scar?" The same boy said. "No." Harry said strictly. The boy was disappointed but was still over-joyed that he got to meet the Harry Potter. "Now, all of you, settle into your beds."
Hermione left the first year girls in their dorm and get down to the common room. She sat down on a sofa and waited for Harry to come down. Ever since she has seen Harry on the platform 9 ¾, she was beginning to think of him as more-than-a-friend. 'He is just my friend.' She scolded herself. Yet again, the thought kept sneaking in her mind. She was snapped out of her thoughts by the sound of footsteps coming down from the boy's dorm. It was Harry. He sat down across from her. "What took you so long, Harry?" She asked, shaking all other thoughts from her mind.
"Well, you know all that fan club and 'Are-you-really-Harry Potter?' stuff." Harry groaned. Hermione chucked. She very well knew of Harry's annoyance from being the center of attention. "What about Professor McGonagall. What she said to you?"
"No thing important." He said. He didn't wanted to tell anyone about it until he learned it well. Then he will give them a big surprise. Harry remembered that he had to go meet Pro And that reminds me that I am supposed to meet Professor Dumbledore……..in about ten minutes. I better hurry up." Harry answered while rushing towards the portrait hole.
Harry turned the corner of the corridor, to come in front with the gargoyle that was protecting Headmaster's Office. If it would have been any other time, he would be standing in front of the gargoyle, trying to guess the correct password. But now it was different, he was told the password by Professor McGonagall. So, instead of playing the guessing game, he said the password and didn't even flinch at the Dark Lord's name. He had faced him far too many times to be afraid of saying his name. The gargoyle jumped out of the way. Harry climbed the spiral staircase and knocked at Headmaster's office softly. "Come in, Harry." Came the voice of the wise and kind Professor from inside the office.
Harry opened the door and stepped into the office. It was same as last year, when he had last visited it. He sat down on the edge of the chair to which Professor had motioned.
"You wanted to talk to me, Professor?" Harry asked. "Ah. Yes Harry. I have been told by Sirius that you want to learn to become an Animagus. Is that true?" He questioned while staring at Harry intently. Harry nodded. "Very well, Harry. I appreciate your efforts. You need to be prepared for Voldemort when he comes for you. The process of learning to become Animagus is very difficult. But I believe that you will learn it very quickly."
"Excuse me Sir. But why will I learn it quickly if it is so difficult." Harry said, confused. Dumbledore smiled and said. "Harry, I believe that you are special and very, very powerful in magic. I am speculating your success confidently by judging how quickly you have learned the Patronus Spell only in your third year, and in only a month, while only a few Aurors and high-ranked Death Eaters have achieve it so far. And even they took whole two and a half month's practice to perform it properly."
Harry sat there astounded. Sure he had found the Patronus Spell difficult at first but then it had gradually become easier. He had never, in his dreams, thought that it was that powerful and difficult that even Aurors found it difficult to perform.
Dumbledore smiled at Harry's astounded face. He had expected that kind of reaction from him. When Lupin had told him about Harry's progress and success at the spell, he could hardly believe his ears. No one was found to do that spell so perfectly and so easily, except the most powerful and renown wizards in History. But then, even they have done it at a mature age, not at such a younger age. He had known from then and there that this boy was a very powerful wizard and perhaps, a very useful and dangerous weapon to use against the Dark Lord. He had also grown to like the boy as an alternative grand-son, which he never had. He let out a long sigh.
He was so busy in saving the world, first from Ginderwald and then from Voldemort, that he never even thought about it. After Harry had defeated Voldemort on that Halloween night of 1981, he then had nothing to save as the world was free now, 'thanks to the boy-who-lived' as people called it. Only then he felt the need of a family that he had not. The Hogwarts staff was like his family, but not his own family, where he would have had his siblings and wife. He knew that Harry had also had none. That was also why he felt a sort of bond between himself and the young boy.
Harry was still lost in his thoughts, when Dumbledore coughed to get his attention. Harry raised his head to look at him. "Harry, I have arranged the Animagi classes for you. They will be after dinner every Tuesday, Friday and Monday, 11'o' clock to be exact, in the Great Hall with Professor…" He smiled at Harry's eager face. "……Lupin."
Harry's heart burst with joy ness. Professor Lupin was his favorite teacher. He felt very comfortable with him, knowing that he was best friend of his parents.
"You may go now, Harry." Professor Dumbledore said.
Harry wished him goodnight and headed back to the Gryffindor Tower.
Later that night, when he retired for night, he felt more satisfied than he had since Voldemort's return, for now, he knew that he will be training to protect himself as well as others from Voldemort. With this satisfaction in his mind he drifted of to sleep.
A.N: Here's the third one. I hope you like it. And please Review. I really appreciate that. Ok let's make a deal. The more reviews I will get, the more speedy I become. (Author laughs evilly). It all depends on you guys now.