Unofficial Portkey Archive

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Harry Potter Characters. They are the property of J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., etc. No money was made from the creation of this story.

Chapter 4: Meeting with Dumbledore

The next several days moved rather slowly for Harry. He had tried to speak with Dumbledore on the first day of classes, but was told by Professor McGonagall that he was asked to go to London on urgent business and would not return for a short time. Harry figured the business was in regards to the breakout in Azkaban; he only hoped that his Headmaster wasn't being interrogated the way he was the night the students arrived at the castle.

Though despite his inability to verbally speak with Dumbledore, Harry didn't give up. After learning of his Headmaster's visit to London, he hurried up to the owlery and had Hedwig deliver a letter to him. However he was disappointed to see that when Hedwig returned, she wasn't carrying a response. This caused a queasy feeling to grow in his stomach and with a heavy sigh; he knew he had to wait for the old wizard to return to the castle before he had a chance to talk with him.

It was Friday and Harry, Hermione, and Ron quickly made their way towards their Defense Against the Dark Arts class after having lunch. They were greeted by several Aurors along the way. The Ministry of Magic had stationed over a dozen Aurors at Hogwarts, a little added defense for the school during the troubled times. Ironically, the Aurors whom were stationed at the school were all members of the Order of the Phoenix, something the trio found quite encouraging and believed to be the work of Dumbledore.

"So what do you think Spencer will teach us this year?" Ron asked enthusiastically while gazing at the cover of the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor Spencer assigned all the students to purchase.

Ron never enjoyed any of his classes for the exception of Muggle Studies and maybe Care of Magical Creatures, except when he's trying to put out the fire on his robes out when he got too close to a blast-ended skrewt. However, with Professor Spencer in charge of Defense Against the Dark Arts, his interests in the subject had grown.

"I don't know," Harry replied as the three started to make their way up a flight of stairs. "I suppose he could teach us a few new hexes and curses."

"More than likely," Hermione agreed with a look of excited anticipation. "You know that unlike our previous Defense Against the Dark Arts professors, he mainly focuses on offense and defensive tactics for dueling."

"You think that we'll have another tournament this year?" Ron asked as he shoved his textbook into his school bag.

"I hope so," Hermione replied as the three made it to the top of the stairs and into the corridor that led to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. "I would really like to have another go at becoming one of the final four."

"I see she's still trying to pick a fight with you, mate?" Ron snickered at Harry.

"Seems so," Harry replied, a little uneasy with his girlfriend's bright grin.

"Oh Harry," Hermione insisted at him as she took his hand in hers and gave it a quick squeeze. "You know I'm not trying to pick a fight. It would be a really good learning experience for me. Plus, I also think it will be good fun."

"Good fun, she says," Harry groaned as he looked up towards the ceiling, causing Hermione to giggle before giving his hand another comforting squeeze.

"You keeping a watchful eye, Potter?" the three heard a raspy voice say as they passed an old suit of armor. "Maintaining utmost vigilance?"

The three immediately recognized the voice and turned to find Mad-Eye Moody grinning widely at them. He was dressed in dark robes, which bared the insignia of the Ministry of Magic on its left breast pocket. His magical eye was spinning around randomly as he slowly made his way towards them, a loud clunk echoing through the corridor with each step he took with his wooden leg.

"Moody," Harry exclaimed, completely surprised by his presence. "Good to see you. When did you get here?"

"What are you doing here?" Ron asked without thinking, also incredibly shocked to see him.

"Why do you think, Weasley?" Mad-Eye replied while he rolled his good eye. "I just arrived last night. I'm here to help keep a watchful eye over the students, especially you, Harry." His large magical eye turned to focus upon Harry while his other remained on Ron. "With Voldemort gathering all his Death Eaters, it will only be a matter of time before he takes action once again. We need to make sure that you are safe until the appropriate time."

"The appropriate time…" Harry mumbled to himself as he looked at Hermione and Ron. The two grew tense and Harry realized that they were both thinking about his prophecy.

"I know it is a grim matter, laddie," Moody said in a sympathetic tone. "However, it is a matter that must be accepted for that time will come."

Harry nodded his head quickly, not taking his eyes off of his two best friends. The more Moody talked about it, the more fidgety they became. Harry knew he had to quickly change the subject.

"Have you heard any news from Professor Dumbledore? Anything about the breakout and the Death Eaters?"

"I haven't heard anything since he left for the Ministry of Magic," he replied, both of his eyes moving to focus on Harry. "All I know is that he is suppose to return sometime today. An Order meeting has been scheduled to be held later tonight. I believe he'll share his newfound knowledge at that time."

"That's really good news," Hermione smiled weakly as she looked up at Harry, trying her best to hide what she was really feeling at the moment. "You'll finally get a chance to talk to him."

Harry returned her weak smile with one of his own, giving her hand a warm squeeze.

"What is it that you must talk with Albus about?" Moody asked Harry curiously.

"Oh…" Harry started somewhat apprehensively. "I've been having some dreams and I wanted to tell Dumbledore about them."

"The workings of the Dark Lord?" Moody questioned, his magical eye bulging out to the point it looked like it was ready to pop out of his head.

"No no," Harry replied as he shook his head. "Not at all. I don't know if anyone is behind them."

"I know you're hiding something, laddie," Moody stated flatly as he took a step closer to him.

"What makes you say --" Harry was interrupted by a fierce shove from behind, which nearly caused Hermione and him to stumble into the old Auror.

Harry, Hermione, and Ron turned to find Draco Malfoy and his cronies, Crabbe and Goyle, with looks of sheer disgust. Harry was frustrated enough as it was and was ready to use his new Head Boy powers when the disdainful expressions of the three Slytherins turned to ones horror and panic. Harry was taken aback by this. Never before has Draco Malfoy ever given him that look. He was literally shaking.

"A thousand apologies, Mr. Potter! I didn't see you there," Malfoy said in a voice was so apologetic that Harry was actually about to believe him. "It will never happen again. I will be on my way now."

Before another word could be said, Malfoy took off a dead sprint towards the door of their Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom with his two clumsy henchmen chasing after him. Harry gave Hermione and Ron an odd look before turning to face Moody. Surprise and confusion covered his face.

"Why is the Malfoy boy so skittish around me?" he asked the three while scratching the side of his head. "I've never approached him about anything. That is the second time today that he has ran away from me. Is he afraid I'll do something to him because his father is a Death Eater?"

The three looked blankly at Moody and did their best to contain their now growing snickering.

"What is it, Potter?" Moody asked as he looked at Harry.

"He thinks you're the same Professor Moody that we had during our fourth year," Harry replied as he held him a laugh.

"Does he?" Moody said, still not quite understanding what that had to do with Malfoy's strange reactions.

"During that year, your imposter transfigured him into a ferret for trying to attack Harry from behind," Hermione explained as she did her best to calm the redness in her face.

"It was brilliant!" Ron added after taking a few deep breaths. "You…I mean, the imposter even made him bounce all about the hall while he was still a ferret. It was one of the best moments of my life. Bloody brilliant!"

Moody's confused expression didn't change. "So my imposter transfigured the boy into a ferret and made him bounce about the corridor."

Ron nodded excitedly before continuing, "If you ever have the urge to do so yourself…feel free --"

"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed as she shot him a look. "As funny it may be, Malfoy was lucky that he didn't get hurt."

"What?" Ron replied furiously, his humor completely leaving him. "You sticking up for him? I can't believe you. This coming from the girl who'd like nothing more than to slap him unconscious and incinerate his carcass?"

"What are you talking about?" she asked, completely appalled by his question. "I would never stand up for that horrible cockroach!"

"Don't play stupid with me," Ron replied as he crossed his arms. "You know perfectly well that you said those things."

"I never said any of those things!" she answered, her anger growing. "I despise him, but it doesn't mean that I want to openly assault him! If he and I were to face each other in the dueling tournament, then the situation would be completely different."

Harry was happy that his friends were no longer thinking about his prophecy, but this wasn't one of his top choices in distractions. He gave Moody an apologetic look before releasing Hermione's hand so he could wrap his arm around her shoulder.

"It's good to see you again, Moody. We better be going…don't want to be late for class, you know," Harry said with a nod.

"You three best be off then," Moody replied as he gave Ron and Hermione a peculiar.

Harry turned and started to walk towards the door of the classroom, pulling Hermione with him while she was in mid-sentence with Ron. She gave Harry a shocked look, but upon receiving a disapproving expression from him, she crossed her arms and released an aggravated sigh. She quickly shot one last glare at Ron before regaining her composure. Ron noticed the look and in turn stuck his tongue out at her.

The three entered their classroom to find all the students sitting quietly at their seats. They looked towards the front of the class and saw that their professor was sitting casually on his desk, giving them all a stern yet friendly expression. They all had grown to learn that this was the face that Professor Spencer held when he was ready to start class. The three quickly took a seat at an empty desk in the back of the class and took out their notebooks and quills.

"Welcome students to N.E.W.T. Defense Against the Dark Arts," Professor Spencer announced as he dismounted the table and began pacing. "I first want to start by stating that what you're seeing is not an illusion. I know you all have never seen this before, but I am Marcus Spencer and I have returned as your Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor."

Many students started chuckling and clapping after hearing Spencer's comment, while a few, which included the Slytherins, just rolled their eyes. He was right. This was the first time that any of them had ever seen a professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts return for a second year. The commotion ended when Spencer raced his arm in the air.

"Thank you for the welcome," he grinned before continuing. "This class will follow a curriculum similar to the one that you all followed during your sixth year. As I have explained when you all first attended my class last year, I want you all to be prepared for the dark times that unfortunately seem to be inevitable. You are all aware of the destruction of Azkaban prison and with the ever-growing threat of the Dark Lord, more misfortunes will soon fall upon the Magical World."

Professor Spencer stopped his pacing and gave the class a pleased smile. "I was very satisfied with the results of last year's dueling tournament. Everyone participated in their duels and you all have showed me that you are capable of dueling…well, at least when you are forced into doing it." Spencer chuckled slightly at his last comment. "However what you showed me last year will now set the bar of what I expect to see out of all of you this year. By the end of this term and this year's dueling tournament, I will accept nothing but improvement out all of you."

Upon hearing that a dueling tournament was going to be held this year, an energized but quiet murmur began to spread throughout the classroom. Harry noticed the bright smile that formed on Hermione's lips and he couldn't help but feel happy and queasy at the same time. He was always happy when she was happy, but the idea of possibly dueling his girlfriend always made him nauseous. His eyes then moved to Ron, who was whispering anxiously to Seamus Finnigan about who he did and didn't want to duel during the tournament.

Upon clearing his throat loudly, the students quieted down. "I'm glad you all are excited about participating in another dueling tournament. However like I said earlier, I will accept nothing but improvement out of all of you, so I expect all of you to perform better in your duels. No more simple spells like Expelliarmus and Incendio…I want to see real creativity and real strategy. Believe me…if you wish to achieve a high mark in my class and on your N.E.W.T., you will give me nothing more than a hundred percent during our class lectures and practical lessons."

Spencer moved nonchalantly over to his chalkboard. He pulled out his wand and with a flick of his wrist, a piece of chalk levitated up from his desk and started to scribble every spell he had taught the students during their previous year on the chalkboard. The list was pretty extensive and many students were surprised to see that they had learned so much over the course of their sixth year.

"Though I cannot expect to see the improvement I desire unless you all increase your repertoire," Spencer said as the piece of chalk floated back to his desk. He quickly scanned over the board before turning to face his students. "As you all can see, these are the spells that you learned last year. That isn't too bad of a list…but believe me, you will learn just as much if not more by the end of this year.

"Now as you can see the majority of these spells are charms…spells that can usually be absorbed by an Invisible Wall or reflected by a Reflective Wall." Spencer walked back to towards his desk and leaned against it. "However what can these walls not absorb or protect against?"

Hermione instantly raised her hand and wore her usual expression of anticipation. Spencer gave her a smirk as he nodded to her.

"The Invisible and Reflective walls are not affective against hexes or curses," she answered in a clear and firm voice.

"That is somewhat correct, but it isn't the answer I'm looking for," Spencer replied as he stood from his table and resumed his pacing, his hands moving into the pockets of his robes.

Hermione's face contorted along with almost every other student in the classroom. Harry and Ron's mouths both dropped so low that their chins nearly hit their desk. It was incredibly rare when Hermione Granger had failed to answer a professor's question correctly. She leaned back against her chair and crossed her arms, re-contemplating what the answer to the question could be.

Harry gave her a comforting smile, but she didn't notice. Her eyes were fixated on the board, slowly scrutinizing all the spells over and over again. Harry looked around the class and he could see that no one had the slightest idea of what the answer could be. However, after about a minute, Hermione's hand was once again in the air with a bright smile on her face.

"Yes, Ms. Granger?" Spencer said.

"Theses barriers are only capable of protecting a witch or wizard from spells that produce a visible attack," Hermione stated confidently.

A bright smile formed on Spencer's face. "That is exactly right, Ms. Granger. Twenty points to Gryffindor.

"These barriers are useless against anything other than visible attacks. Feel free to try as much as you like, but any spell that does not produce a visible spark or attack cannot be protected against by such means. Visible and non-visible spells are very different in their magical composition, so it would only seem logical that different means must be taken when it comes to protection. You all must rely upon a new set of barriers when it comes to the protection against non-visible attacks. Now since the majority of the non-visible spells consist of hexes and curses, they along with the new barriers will be the main focus of study for this class this year.

"Now without further a due, let's start our first lesson of the year." Spencer grinned as he turned his attention back towards Hermione. "Excuse me Ms. Granger, but would you mind taking notes for Mr. Potter?"

"No sir," Hermione replied as she gave Harry a curious look.

"Excellent," Spencer said as he turned his gaze to Harry. "Mr. Potter, since you are the reigning dueling tournament champion, I see it fit that you for the remainder of this term will be my…let's say my assistant. So would you please come up to the front of the class?"

Harry released a sigh of disbelief but quickly stood from the desk and made his way to the front of the class, not wanting to make too much of spectacle of himself. Though as he has grown accustomed to, all the eyes of the students were on him. He gulped nervously as he took his place next to Spencer, not entirely sure of what to expect.

"All right class," Spencer started again, "you all know that there is usually some sort of counter-curse or counter-hex that exists for every curse and hex. And you all have learned that one of the more universal charms used for most lower level curses and hexes is Finite Incantatum. Though those counter-curses and counter-hexes are generally used only after the curse or hex has taken effect.

"Now it is wise to learn all these counter-curses and what not, but the concept that many wizards and witches fail to see is that when under the effects of some curses and hexes, it becomes very difficult to call upon their counters. If that is the particular case, the duel is over and you have unfortunately lost. And in certain situations, especially in life and death situations, losing is not an option…or at least, it isn't the safe option.

"What I am about to teach you is another barrier that if done correctly will negate most curses or hexes from even taking effect. It is call the Consecro Barrier and it possesses two abilities. Just like the walls its first ability is to absorb, completely negating a curse's or hex's effects, and its second is to reflect it back at its caster. Unlike the walls, this barrier is very difficult to conjure for those who are not familiar with it and for this reason; we will be spending our entire practical lesson on Monday practicing it.

"In order to summon this barrier, a specific wand movement and incantation is needed. The incantation is praesido. The incantation must be spoken during your wand motions and you will see immediately if the barrier has been properly conjured. This barrier is very difficult to summon for it requires not only speed of hand, but speed of mind as well. You only have a second to summon this barrier…if you fail; you best start spouting off counter-curses and counter-hexes.

"I will demonstrate how to conjure barrier. I highly suggest that you all observe my wand motions for what you see is exactly what you need to do to perform this barrier properly."

Spencer raised his wand and with two quick flicks of his wrist, drawing a cross in the air while muttering the incantation. A white line of light started to shine, following the tip of the wand, as if he had scratched an opening into the air. The cross was visible for only a second before instantly vanishing.

"The cross that you all just saw was an indicator," Spencer started once more as he lowered is wand and tossed it onto his desk. "When the indicator senses a curse or hex or what not being launched at you, its center will glow red. Upon seeing its red glow, you will have a split second to decide what you would like to do with the captured magic. Slash through the cross with the tip of your wand to negate the effects or stab through its center to reflect it back at its caster."

Spencer took up his wand once again, walked in front of his desk, and lowered himself into his dueling stance. Harry observing this did the same, his wand trained on his professor.

"Now you all pay careful attention," Spencer said, his eyes not moving from Harry. "For this barrier to be affective, you must summon it immediately after if not during the time your opponent casts the spell. If you succeed in doing so, you will see the center of the cross turn red, and as I said before, you have two options with what to do with the spell. Let's first start with negating.

"Please fire any curse you like at me, Mr. Potter."

Harry took in a deep breath as he quickly thought of a curse that wouldn't cause his professor too much harm if he had failed in summoning his barrier. Upon thinking of one, Harry's grip on his wand tightened. He took in a quick breath and launched the curse. "Affectus vocis!"

Spencer swiftly performed the cross and when completed, its center glowed a bright red. He slashed through the cross, causing it to tear and vanish. The class remained silent, unsure of whether or not the barrier had protected their professor. He turned to them and gave them a bright smile before turning back to Harry.

"A voice-changing curse, Mr. Potter?" Spencer snickered as returned to his dueling stance. "Not trying to make me sound like a squirrel, are you?"

"No, sir…more along the lines of a whale," Harry replied sheepishly, causing a giggle to spread throughout the class. "I didn't want to do anything too bad…you know, incase the barrier failed or something."

"I appreciate your concern, but as you can hear by my voice, I am completely fine. Believe me, Mr. Potter, I know how to protect myself," Spencer said before turning to face the class. "Now class, I will perform the reflective ability of the barrier." His attention along with everyone else in the class returned to Harry. "Be ready, Mr. Potter."

Harry quickly peaked over at his friends and wasn't thrilled to see both Ron and Hermione paler than Nearly Headless Nick. He knew what to do to protect himself from his reflected attack, but if he somehow failed, the effects of the curse would only last for a few hours. Harry refocused on Spencer and with a nod; he launched the same curse again. Spencer performed the same movements, however rather than slashing through the cross, he thrust his wand through the center of the cross.

The cross consumed its red center creating a bright red sphere, and with the speed of which Spencer motions, the sphere flew towards Harry. Harry readied himself and easily destroyed the red sphere with an Invisible Wall.

"Very good, Mr. Potter," Spencer smiled as he stood out of his dueling stance.

"I thought you said that curses couldn't be protected against by those walls," Malfoy scoffed as he sat back against his chair and threw his legs onto the table, very upset that Harry was able to protect himself against his reflected curse.

"You are correct in your statement, Mr. Malfoy," Spencer replied as he motioned Harry to take his seat, which he gladly did. "However, upon contact with the Consecro Barrier, the magical compensation of the curse is changed so that it becomes a visible attack, and as we have discussed earlier, all visible spells can be protected by the walls."

"Makes perfect sense," Hermione whispered to herself as she diligently wrote in her notebook before looking up at Harry with an excited smile. "I have to read up on the magical compensation of spells! It sounds fascinating!"

Harry grinned at her before opening his notebook and dipping his quill into his inkbottle. Hermione was simply adorable when she got excited about something. He quickly scanned over the notes that Hermione had written for him, and couldn't help but take her hand and give it a squeeze. She had written "I love you" neatly at the top of the page.

The class progressed rather slowly, but smoothly. Spencer lectured further on the Consecro Barriers, explaining the proper strategy behind its usage and when best to conjure it. It was a concept that the majority of the class failed to understand, causing the professor to resort to several hypothetical situations as examples.

Despite its repetitiveness, Harry was intrigued. He came to see that Spencer and himself had very different dueling styles. Spencer was like Hermione, overtly prepared for an encounter, usually having a strategy formulated in his mind prior to any confrontation, while Harry flew by the seat of his pants, strategizing according to the current situation. That was how he always dueled, and Keung encouraged that sort of mentality. "No need worrying about a duel before one actually happens" was their motto.

When class ended, everyone eagerly packed up their bags. It was the first weekend of the new term. It wasn't necessarily a big occasion, but any day they didn't have to go to classes was a welcomed one. It was also a good time to catch up on homework, something Ron was allowing to slip.

"Harry," Spencer said as he approached Harry, Hermione, and Ron's desk, doing in his best in avoiding the scurrying students, "mind if I have a word with you?"

"Sure," Harry replied as he stood from the desk.

"Would you like us to leave, Professor?" Hermione asked as she and Ron stood from the desk.

"Oh no, feel free to stay," Spencer replied with a smile as he turned back to Harry. "I've heard from Professor Dumbledore that you have been training with your guardian over the summer. I was curious to see how your progress was."

"I think I've improved a bit," Harry said, thinking back to everything he had learned over the summer. "Keung taught me different styles of dueling and loads of various spells."

"That's very good to hear," Spencer replied as he cross his arms and gave him a knowing look. "You already knew everything about the Consecro Barriers before you set foot in class today, didn't you?"

Harry nodded. "It was one of the first things Keung trained me in after I turned seventeen."

"Had to wait until the Decree of Underage Wizardary no longer applied to you?" Spencer asked and Harry nodded again. "What did you learn prior to your seventeen birthday?"

"Mostly strategy and some hand-to-hand stuff," Harry replied with a grin. "He said that just because a wizard was unarmed doesn't mean that he still wasn't dangerous."

"I will happily agree to that," Spencer snickered. "How are you on your Apparition?"

"I can do combat Apparition, but not standard yet."

"They're two kinds of Apparition?" Ron asked, a confused look on his face.

"Yes, there are," Hermione started to explain. "Standard Apparition is used as a mode of transportation. When a wizard uses it, they disapparate with a loud pop and can apparate to any location, no matter how far away it is…well saying that the location they want to apparate to allows it."

"I know that," Ron said heatedly, feeling that Hermione's response had insulted his intelligence. "What is combat Apparition?"

"It's another form of Apparition used during duels," Hermione replied, not taking his tone to heart. "Unlike standard Appaition, a wizard cannot apparate very far from his original position. Also, when a wizard disapparates, they do it silently and leave a cloud of smoke behind, further confusing his opponent. It is mostly used as an evasive and disorientating tactic."

"Your knowledge never ceases to amaze me, Hermione," Spencer said, causing her to blush slightly. "Combat Apparition is a very tough practice, much more difficult that standard Appariation. I am very impressed that you have learned so much over the summer and I'm glad that you had a fine trainer."

The four heard the hoot of an owl and when they turned to face the front of the class, they saw a jet black one fly towards them with a note attached to its leg. Spencer held out his arm and the owl landed gracefully on it, sticking out its leg with the attached note. Spencer took the note and with another hoot, the owl flew away.

Spencer opened the note and the three students watched his expression change to one of worry and happiness as he quickly read through it.

"Everything okay, Professor Spencer?" Ron asked.

"Oh everything is fine," Spencer answered quite breathlessly, it was obvious to the three that he was hiding something. "Just something from my daughter. I haven't heard from her for several weeks, so I was starting to worry."

"We never knew you had a daughter," Hermione said with a smile, hoping to lighten the mood.

"Yes, she's twenty-one," Spencer said, his voice still somewhat shaky. "She's off in the world following her heart…occasionally forgetting to check in, you know." Spencer snickered before folding up the note. "You three are free to go, I only wanted to check up on your progress, Harry."

"Thank you," Harry said with a lopsided grin.

"Now, I know that Keung will be performing tasks for Dumbledore, so he won't be around as much as he would like to be," Spencer said. "If you ever have any questions about any tactics or need someone to duel to sharpen your skills, by all means feel free to stop by my office."

"That'll be brilliant," Harry exclaimed.

"Good then, you three run along. Have a good weekend." Spencer gave them a nod before turning and walking towards the front of the class.

The three gave each other puzzled looks as they watched their professor walk up the stairs to his office, once again reading the letter. When he retreated into his office, the three left their Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, only to find Professor McGonagall waiting at the end of the corridor.

"Potter," McGonagall said as the three stopped before her, "Professor Dumbledore has returned from London, and would like to have a word with you."

Knowing that this was the moment he'd been waiting for, he gave his friends a reassuring look and followed their Transfiguration professor to the statue that hid the staircase that led towards their Headmaster's office. McGonagall whispered the password and the staircase revealed itself. Harry stepped into the staircase, and after receiving a warm smile and nod from McGonagall, proceeded to ascend it.

Upon entering the office of Professor Dumbledore, Harry found Dumbledore sitting behind his desk and Keung petting Fawkes. Dumbledore stood and gave him a warm smile, Harry noticing the same twinkle in his eye, as he offered him a seat in front of his desk. Harry took the seat and relaxed against the chair.

"Good to see that you haven't caused any trouble," Keung snickered at him as he took his seat next to Harry.

"You haven't give me enough time yet," Harry replied sarcastically causing his guardian to release a short laugh.

"It's good to see you in good spirits, Harry," Dumbeldore said as waved his hand over this desk, causing the dispersed documents across it to magically organize itself into neat stacks. "There is something that we must discuss with you, but before we commence with that, there was something urgent that you needed to discuss with me."

"Yes, sir," Harry replied with a nod. He opened his mouth to begin, but hesitated, trying to find the right words so that he wouldn't alarm him or Keung. "I know how Azkaban was destroyed…I know who did it and how they did it…or at least, I think I do."

"What do you mean, Harry?" Keung asked as he gave Harry an expression of both puzzlement. "How could you know what happened?"

"I had a dream about it," he said quietly, watching Keung carefully.

"A dream?" he exclaimed. "You mean like the ones who had during your fifth year?"

"No, it isn't like that," Harry replied as he turned to face Dumbledore. "This…this felt different, Professor. This dream was nothing…nothing like the ones during my fifth year. I was looking through the eyes of a Death Eater…his name was Vincent. He carries this sword that glowed a dull green."

Dumbledore settled against the back of his armchair and folded his fingers together. He stared down at his desk for a few moments, thinking deeply about what Harry had just said, before he sat back up and placed his hands at the edge of his desk. He gave Harry a warm look, which caused Harry's heart rate to settle down.

"Tell me what you saw in your dreams, Harry."

As he had done with his friends, Harry spent the next several minutes explaining everything he had saw in his dreams to Dumbledore and Keung, the two listening intently. He decided to leave out the incident that took place in his bathroom. He didn't really know why, but something inside him told him that it wasn't important. When he was done, he leaned back against his chair and took in a deep breath.

"Willard…" Keung muttered to himself as he shook his head. He gave Harry a comforted pat on his shoulder and turned to Dumbledore. "I can't explain why, Headmaster, but I do feel that Harry's dreams are an omen of some sort."

"As do I," Dumbledore replied, running his long fingers through his beard. "These dreams are not a coincidence. They are the work of some form of magic, but I do not believe it to be dark magic. Voldemort would never want to reveal his plans in such an intricate manner, especially to Harry. Someone is behind this, but I am happy that the culprit is seemingly on our side.

"Harry, will you please notify me immediately when you have another one of these dreams. The information that it reveals will be very useful to the Order. They will add some hope to the situation."

"Situation?" Harry asked, turning to look at Keung and then back to Dumbledore.

"Voldemort is trying to get his hands on a new weapon…the Crest of Eternity," Keung said as he stood from his chair and walked over to Fawkes, resuming his petting. "This crest contains unbelievable power. It gives its possessor more power than any could ever imagine, they say. The perfect instrument in taking over the world."

"Then we have to stop him!" Harry exclaimed, also standing from his chair.

"The proper preparations have been made, Harry. Please, sit," Dumbledore said in a comforting voice, his hand gesturing to take his seat. "Voldemort will do everything in his power to acquire the crest, but doing so isn't as simple as it seems."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked as he sat back down.

"The crest has been divided into four separate pieces," Keung answered. "And these four pieces have been dispersed around England. The locations of three of these pieces are known, but the last is still missing. As of yet, we know that the first three are safe, and really if we know that at least one of these pieces are safe from Voldemort, we'll be all right."

"In order for the true power of the crest to be unleashed, all four pieces must be assembled," Dumbledore continued after noticing Harry's confusion. "As long as the Order possesses at least one of these pieces, the power of the Crest of Eternity will never belong to Voldemort. Therefore it is the priority of Order to acquire as many of these pieces as necessary to prevent Voldemort from assembling them."

"That's brilliant," Harry said, his concern subsiding slightly. "Is there any way that I can help?"

"Funny you should ask that," Keung grinned as he glanced at Dumbledore out of the corner of his eye.

"There is something that the Order could ask of you, Harry." Dumbledore's posture had straightened once more and he looked deeply into Harry's eyes. "However, you are not by any means obligated to do anything."

"I want to help, Professor," Harry said eagerly, ready to jump out of his chair. "I want to do whatever I can."

"All right," Dumbledore replied with a slow nod. "The location of one of the pieces is very close to the castle. It is hidden somewhere within the chamber in which you and Ron explored during your second year."

Harry thought for a second and his eyes grew wide when recalled the chamber that Dumbledore spoke of. "The piece is inside the Chamber of Secrets?"

"That is correct, Harry," Dumbledore said. "I will need you to assist Keung in retrieving that piece. Your ability to use Parseltongue will be an invaluable asset for no one can safely be sure of what dangers may lie within Salazar Slytherin's lair. There may be several occurrences when you will need to use that ability to ensure safe passage."

"The crest is located in the last chamber," Keung explained as he unrolled a parchment and placed it in front of Harry. It was a map of the school grounds with a very large maze of green paths drawn in. "The green paths you see are the tunnels of the Chamber of Secrets. The chamber we're looking for is here." Keung pointed down at a large green circle that lied deep within the Forbidden Forest. "The good news is that there is an exit to the maze is located right next to the chamber; however, if we are wrong or the exit is blocked, you and I will have to do things the hard way and start from Moaning Myrtle's bathroom."

Harry studied the map carefully and nodded before looking back at Keung. "When do go?"

"We'll go tomorrow morning," Keung said as he picked up the parchment and rolled it back up. "You get some rest tonight. Meet me in the Quidditch locker room at six o'clock. If everything goes accordingly, we should be able to make it back to the castle before breakfast is over." Keung pulled on his robes and placed the parchment in his pocket. "If that will be all, Professor, I will take my leave."

"That is all, Keung," Dumbledore replied as he turned to Harry. "Are you all right, Harry?"

"I'm all right, Professor," Harry answered as he stood from his chair. "But…er…I do have a question about Magnolia Reins, sir?"

"Do not concern yourself with Magnolia Reins, Harry," Dumbledore said with a reassuring tone. "I know all about her escape. Believe me when I say that her situation has been taken care of. Now you two go and have a good rest of the day."

"All right, Professor…thank you," Harry said as he turned and walked towards the door with Keung.

"Godspeed to you both," Dumbledore smiled as the two exited his office.

"Don't stay up too late tonight," Keung grinned as the two descended the staircase and found Hermione and Ron waiting anxiously at the bottom. "It's up to you whether or not you want to tell them. Though knowing you, they'll probably know the whole story before you reach your Common Room."

"How you doing, Keung?" Ron asked with a bright smile on your face.

"Hey, Ron, Hermione," he replied as he waved at them. "Sorry, I can't stay and chat…urgent Order business I need to take care of." He turned and gave Harry a lopsided smile. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"What are you two doing tomorrow?" Hermione asked as the three watched Keung leave the corridor.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

"You nervous about tomorrow?" Hermione asked as she entered her bedroom.

"Not exactly," Harry answered as he sat up in the bed. "I am worried a little bit…but I'm also excited about it. It's the first time I've ever get the chance to really do something for the Order. I've been wanting to help out for the longest time."

"Sorry if I don't share your enthusiasm," she replied in a slightly displeased tone as she crawled into the bed next to him. "I am very happy that you get the chance to help the Order. You know that Ron and I both want to help too, but…it's just --"

"You don't like the idea of me going off without you," Harry answered for her, drawing her into his arms.

"It's not that I have anything against you going without me," Hermione explained as she looked into his eyes. "It's…I don't like when I can't be there to help you…to protect you when you need me."

"Hermione," he whispered to her as he lean forward and gave her a tender kiss. "You know that I won't do anything reckless. Believe me, I have learned from my mistakes. Besides, Keung will be there with me. You know that he won't let anything happen to me."

"I know he won't," Hermione replied, resting her head against his shoulder. "But I would feel loads better if I were going with you."

"I'll be fine, Hermione," Harry smiled as he gave her another kiss. "I promise that I'll come back to you in one piece."

"I will hold you to it," she grinned as the two settled in her bed.

Hermione laid her head against the chest with her arm resting across his stomach, her legs tangling around his. Harry wrapped his arms around her and took in the gentle aroma of her hair. She took in a deep breath and released a soft sigh.

"You promise to wake me before you leave?" Hermione asked quietly.

"I promise, love," he answered as he gave her a tight squeeze. "I love you."

"I love you too," she replied.

Harry gave her a warm squeeze in which she returned with one of her own. He gazed up at the ceiling and released a soft yawn, slowly letting sleep take him.

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A/N: Thank you again for those who reviewed and once again I am sorry in the delay of my updates.

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