Disclaimer: La, la, la . . . What? You think I own Harry Potter? *snickers* Yes, I see my master plan is working! Soon, the entire world will be at my mercy! Mwahahaha! MWAHAHAHA! *clears throat* I'm okay. Really. Right . . . on with the story!
Summary: Try looking in . . . I don't know . . . chapter four? Have fun searching for it!
Small Snippet to Torture Reader Until Reader Reads (and Reviews .:Hint:. .:Hint:.): Her fingers were wrapped around his neck once more, and he was sure he'd lose consciousness if he didn't do something soon. "Kick him a few times in the head. That should do it," she told him-NO! I'm not going to die like this. I won't let them take me-Just before Macnair's foot was about to connect, a pulse of magic rippled out from Harry, causing both Lestrange and Macnair to fly backwards.
Warning: To those of you who are faint of heart, I should warn you that there will be cursing in this chapter. I don't think it warrants an R rating (not at all), but I figured I should at least warn you, just in case.
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Training Trials
(Chapter Seven)
~*~*~
-Recap-
Harry woke up suddenly, cursing the end of a pleasant dream. The first thing he noticed was that Hermione was on top of him, clinging to him as if her life depended on it.
"Harry, put us down!" she demanded. He was completely confused. What was she talking about? "Harry, I swear, if you don't put us down this instant, I'm going to . . . well, I don't know what I'll do, but put us down anyway!" It was then that he took a better look at his surroundings. They were floating in the air. Not for long, though; the moment he realized what was happening, they both fell to the bed with a soft thump.
"What was that all about?"
~*~*~
August flew by, and before Harry knew it, they were at platform 9 ¾, waiting for the family in front of them to go through the barrier. What had happened to him and Hermione the morning after his birthday continued to plague his mind, but he hadn't seen Dumbledore again to be able to ask him about it. Harry knew that he'd done accidental magic, but he couldn't understand why. Usually when he lost control of his magic, he was upset, but his dream had been anything but distressing. He would talk to his headmaster once he got to Hogwarts.
The platform was as crowded as ever. Parents everywhere were saying goodbye to their children with numerous tears and hugs. A flash of pain shot through him as he remembered saying goodbye to Sirius there. He'd been so happy to get out of the house that day, but it had been one of the events leading up to his death. It had been all Malfoy's fault! He'd been the one to tell Voldemort about seeing Sirius at the station. Maybe if he hadn't seen how much Sirius meant to Harry, then he wouldn't have . . .
"Harry? Are you okay?" Hermione's worried voice reached his ears.
He shook his head to clear the images. "Sorry, I was just thinking."
"Well, stop that," said Ron. "You look like someone just killed your dog or something."
Harry glared at him.
"Ron! How could you?" Hermione screeched, hitting him on the back of the head.
"What? What did I do now?" he asked.
"You are completely impossible! I can't believe you would say that to Harry!" she continued to rant.
"What the hell, Hermione? I was just joking! Lighten up a little!" he raged back.
"How could you? Have you forgotten Sirius already?" she shrieked.
"Wha-" Ron's eyes suddenly widened. "Oh! Oh, Merlin, Harry, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean-I-I-bloody hell. You know I didn't mean to, right?" he finished weakly.
"Yeah, it's fine. Just drop it," said Harry, trying to wave it off.
"I'm really, really sor-"
"I said drop it!" A crack of thunder suddenly split the sky, as the heavens opened up and drenched the unsuspecting people below. His voice had come out a bit harsher than he'd meant for and immediately regretted it after seeing Ron's face pale. "I'm sorry. Let's just forget it, all right?"
He nodded.
They all hurried to say their goodbyes to the elder Weasleys and members of the Order who had escorted them, anxious to get out of the rain. The twins made Harry promise to cause some mayhem in their place since they would no longer be returning. Once Mr. Weasley had told Harry to be careful-as he'd lately taken the habit of doing-Mrs. Weasley gave each of them a paper bag with food in it for the train ride as she hugged each of them in turn. "Harry, do take care of yourself, won't you?" she said, giving him an extra-hard squeeze before scooting them all off toward the train to escape the downpour.
They were close to one of the train's many entrances when a sneering blonde wizard stepped in front of them. "Well, well, well. If it isn't Potty, the Weasel, and the Mudblood," spat Malfoy as he opened the door, standing slightly to one side yet still blocking their path.
Ron stepped forward, arms raised and fingers stretched, desperate to wrap themselves around Malfoy's scrawny neck, but Harry stopped him. "Isn't it a bit early in the day for one of your notorious visits, Malfoy? I haven't quite finished digesting my breakfast, and I'd really rather not be sick right now, so if you'll excuse us . . ." said Harry, ignoring the blonde's earlier comments and trying to shove his way past him. Malfoy, however, held him back with one arm as the other still held fast to the door. Harry found this behaviour a bit strange but shook it off. "Move, Malfoy."
"Or you'll do what?"
Harry slowly slid out his wand. "Or I'll make you."
Malfoy smirked at him. "No need for that, Potter. I wouldn't want to embarrass you in front of all of your adoring fans." His arm made a large, sweeping motion, gesturing to the crowds on the platform. "There will be other times for us to settle our differences." With that, he turned and walked onto the train, allowing the door to slide shut behind him.
"Yeah, you better run, you coward!" Ron shouted after him.
Harry just shook his head in confusion. Malfoy backed down from a fight with me? Very odd.
As they walked down the train's aisle, compartment doors opened behind him, people sticking their heads out to stare. Whispers followed him everywhere.
"That's Harry Potter. They say he and his friends went into the Department of Mysteries a few months ago."
"I can't believe You-Know-Who is really back."
"He tried to warn the Minister, but he just called him crazy."
"Oh, he's so handsome."
"And he's available."
"Did you hear that Cho broke up with him?"
"She's the crazy one!"
"Do you think he'd go out with me?"
"How's my hair?"
"I like his bum."
That last girl's comment thoroughly disturbed him. "Come on guys," he said to his friends, "let's find a compartment quickly. I don't want anyone else staring at my bum." Hermione giggled something unintelligible, but he could have sworn he'd heard her agree with the girl's comment. They quickened their pace until about halfway through the train. Harry was looking into the compartments as they passed, but instead of finding an empty one, he found a surprise. "Profes-I mean-Remus, Tonks, Kingsley! What are you all doing here?"
Kingsley gave a small nod while Remus smiled at them.
"Wotcher, Harry!" said Tonks, jumping up to greet them. "Come in and have a seat!"
The four filed in and placed their trunks in the overhead luggage rack. Once everyone was settled, Harry raised his eyebrow at the Order members, still waiting for them to answer his earlier question.
Remus got the gist quickly and replied, "Dumbledore was afraid that the Death Eaters might try to attack the children on their way to Hogwarts so he asked us to keep watch in case anything happened."
"But that shouldn't happen," Hermione interrupted. "The train has just as many wards on it as Hogwarts itself. Once the train leaves the station, its wards are raised until reaching Hogsmeade. The only way to get around it is if the conductor shuts the wards down for some reason like he did in our third year when the Dementors searched for Sirius. It would take really advanced magic to break into the train from the outside, otherwise."
Remus smiled. "As brilliant as ever, Hermione. You are correct, of course. Dumbledore doesn't really expect anything to happen, but he thought it best to be cautious just the same."
They began talking about random things. At first, they conversed about who they thought the new Defense Professor would be. Ron made the off comment about a Vampire teaching them. "What? We've had just about everything else!" he defended after receiving odd glances.
A small while passed, and the compartment door opened to show Neville and Luna's faces peeking in. "Mind if we join you?" they asked.
Harry shook his head. "Have a seat."
About five minutes later, the train began moving. "Well, we really need to get going, Ron. We've got a Prefect meeting to get to," Hermione spoke. "So do you, Ginny." As the three left, Harry could hear Ron complaining about all of the responsibilities they had as Prefects and Hermione clucking her tongue at him until they were out of earshot.
"So, how was your summer break?" Neville asked him.
"It was okay, I guess. Nothing really special. What about yours?" he returned the question.
"It was great! Gran got me a new wand! Want to see it?" he asked, not waiting for an answer and pulling out the bit of wood from his pocket. "It's made of cherry and unicorn hair. You'd be surprised at how big of a difference this thing makes! It's amazing! I swear my spellwork has gone up at least threefold. I can't wait until the first D.A. meeting! Then, I can show you!" His face was full of glee as he continued on about his new wand.
Luna's head popped up from the paper she was reading at the mention of the D.A. "Are you going to continue the D.A. then, Harry?" she asked.
Harry was taken back by the question. He hadn't given it much thought. They didn't really need the D.A. anymore, did they? Though, he did have fun teaching. "I'm not really sure, Luna. I'll have to think about it. Now that Umbridge is gone, it wouldn't be breaking any rules, but do we really need it?"
"I think you should, Harry," Neville added. "I learned loads from you. Even if we have a competent professor this year, we'd still probably learn tons more from you."
"I'll think about it," Harry promised.
Hermione, Ron, and Ginny returned an hour later. Hermione's face was indifferent, giving nothing away. If Harry hadn't looked to Ron's wide eyes and Ginny's smug expression, he never would have known that something had taken place while they were gone. "What happened?" Ron just shook his head in disbelief, and Ginny's smile widened even further. Oh, that couldn't be good. Ginny was like the female version of Fred and George in one body instead of two. "What did you do?" he asked, this time directing his question at the redhead. She burst out laughing, quite unable to answer him, so he turned to Hermione and asked her, "Since it seems that these two are currently incapable of human speech, will you please tell me what happened?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Malfoy's a Prefect again. Anyway, he was abusing his authority and bullying some first years, acting like they had done something wrong when they didn't know any better, so we . . . tried to step in."
"Tried?"
Ginny's giggles grew in volume.
"Yes-well-let's just say they didn't need the help. You'd be surprised at what a first year these days can do given the right incentive, and being able to hex Malfoy was definitely motivation enough. Ginny was about to use a Bat Bogey Hex on him, but the first years beat her to it. All three of them. Malfoy is now being chased up and down the train by flying snot."
Ginny sunk into her seat, laughing hysterically. "Oh-it-was-wonderful!" she gasped. "You should have seen the look on Malfoy's face when a couple of first years hexed him. And they used my signature hex too! Oh, it was priceless. He looked like he'd just accidentally stepped into the Gryffindor common room with nothing but his shorts on."
The rest of the compartment burst out laughing at the image. Something was nagging at the back of Harry's head, though. "How on earth did a couple of first years know how to use a Bat Bogey Hex?" Harry asked.
"Well, it seems that they have a few older siblings here who told them about what happened last semester. Remember I used that hex on Malfoy to get away from him before we met you in the forest? Well, it turns out he'd run around the castle for quite some time, cursing loudly and attracting the attention of everyone near by. The story spread like wildfire, and now, tons of people have learned that hex just to be able to taunt the Ferret when he starts being the pest that he is." Her face was absolutely glowing. "I'm so proud of them!"
Suddenly, the blood curdling scream of a soul being tortured echoed throughout the train, wiping the smiles off their faces. Harry and the others were instantly out the door and down the corridor to where the screams reverberated from.
"Tell me where Potter is!" a feminine voice demanded from one of the six cloaked figures ahead of them. The leader, who had spoken, had her wand trained on a young girl who had slumped to the ground, sweat glistening on her forehead.
"I've already told you; I don't know!" she cried.
"Do you know who I am?" the figure asked. The student shook her head. The witch straightened her posture and lowered her hood and mask. "Now, do you know who I am?" The form of Bellatrix Lestrange leered down at the crumpled girl. The second year's eyes widened in recognition as she began to shake from fear.
"Please, don't kill me!" she begged.
Lestrange's cold laughter echoed through the aisle. "Tell me where Potter is, and we'll see."
"But I don't know!"
Lestrange sneered one last time before saying, "Then, you are of no further use to me. Goodbye."
"Wait!" Harry yelled.
"Harry, no!" Hermione hissed.
"Don't harm her!" he continued, rushing forward to face his godfather's killer, wand ready.
"So the brave hero finally decides to show up." She aimed her wand at him, as he approached. "You always were too soft, Potter. One day, you're going to get yourself killed if you continue to carry on with this morality of yours." She cackled, "Of course, that suits me and my master just fine." Without warning, a spell shot from her wand, straight at his heart.
"Protego!" he shouted, forming a makeshift shield at the last second. The yellow curse went sailing off to the side, hitting one of the other Death Eaters in the group.
Lestrange sniffed in disgust. "Useless," she muttered to her fallen comrade. "Well, don't just stand there you idiots! Fight!" she yelled to the mass of Death Eaters.
Harry and the others immediately began throwing up shields and firing hexes. Neville and Harry were the most fervent with their attacks, dealing out hexes and jinxes more quickly and more powerful than the rest. Both wanted revenge for the wrongs Lestrange had done them in the past.
It was hard fighting in such a small space. There wasn't much room to move around, making it easier to hit targets but also making it easier to get hit. Ginny was taken out first, felled by a Stunner. Fortunately, she'd been able to take her attacker down as well. Luna suddenly stopped her attacks, crouched down, and began crawling away after being hit with an orange spell that Harry didn't recognize. Tonks and Kingsley each Stunned one, and Hermione dropped to the floor halfway through the fight, bound by ropes. Remus was able to get the fifth before a flyaway Severing Charm grazed his right arm, causing him to drop his wand as blood dripped to the floor.
Harry could tell that Lestrange was becoming desperate now that she was the last one of her own standing, still holding off his and Neville's attacks. Her aim was becoming less precise, and her hexes became more deadly as they continued. Quickly, she aimed a Reducto at the ceiling of the train, causing it to collapse and allowing her to run as the others tried to fight their way through the blockade. Harry, finally fed up with their struggles, shouted, "Evanesco!" vanishing the piled debris.
Harry, Neville, Kingsley, Ron, and Tonks ran after the escaped Death Eater. She was making slow progress since she was dragging along the girl she'd been torturing earlier. Lestrange, noticing her pursuers, shot two more consecutive hexes before continuing on her way.
"Duck!" Harry called, but Neville was the only one to hear him. The first hex hit Kingsley, petrifying him. The second hit Ron. Blood gushed out from his newly formed wound as he fell to the floor, causing Tonks to trip over him and smash her head on the aisle wall.
Lestrange had made it to the head of the train. Harry and Neville opened the last door connecting the first boxcar to the engine. The English countryside sped past them in a rush of colour, wind, and water as they prepared themselves to continue forward. They could hear Lestrange shouting at the conductor to take down the wards. Don't you dare, he thought. "Stupefy!" he heard as the two approached the engine. Damn it! Now, she'll escape! A crazed Lestrange appeared in front of them, the door slamming behind her as it slid shut. She held the crying second year by her hair, wand tip jabbing the girl's head. "Throw your wands down!" They made no movement, so she continued, "Throw them down now, or this girl's blood will be on your hands, Potter! DO IT!" she shouted.
The two of them dropped their wands inside the boxcar behind them, so as not to lose them. Lestrange's face lit up with malice. "You really are stupid. Do you honestly think I'm going to let her go now? You've got nothing on me, Potter."
A Death Eater suddenly Apparated next to Lestrange. "I roused the others," he said to her barely loud enough for Harry to hear. "They've all escaped, and we got what we came for." Lestrange was distracted for only a few seconds, but it was all Harry needed.
Without thinking, he lunged himself at the two Death Eaters and their hostage. They all knocked against the engine's closed door, the Death Eaters feeling the full force and dropping their wands. He kicked the wands aside, rolling them off the train. Quickly, while his enemies were down, he grabbed the girl and swung her around, pushing her into Neville's arms on the other side of the platforms' bridge. "Neville, take her to safety and get the others!"
"But-"
"Don't argue with me! Just do it!"
He nodded and took the girl away into the passenger car.
Before Harry had time to turn back to his nemeses, the fallen male Death Eater had grabbed Harry's ankle, bringing him down, his upper body hanging over the edge of the small platform. Lestrange got up and tried to push Harry off, but he quickly grabbed onto one of the safety chains holding the cars together. She wrapped her hands around Harry's throat, her long nails digging deep into his skin. He choked for breath, wriggling beneath her to free himself. His legs kicked out and caught her behind one knee, causing her to tip forward and over the edge. She clung to Harry, desperately trying to keep from falling.
"What are you doing, Macnair, you idiot!" she screamed. "Help me!" He seemed uncertain at first, but finally reached over Harry to grab her arm. Harry once again kicked out; Macnair lost his balance and tripped on the slippery surface, forcing him to tumble off the side as he still held onto Lestrange. The added weight, being too much for Harry to handle, caused his fingers to slip from the wet metal, and they all went tumbling off the side of the train and into the mud.
Harry was the first up. Quickly, he began running. He knew he wouldn't be able to catch up with the train, but he needed to get away from them. Lestrange ran after him, jumping on him and taking them to the ground again. "Macnair, Stun him!" she yelled.
"I can't! I don't have my wand!" he shouted back, waving his hands to prove his point. The only thing he had was an old bit of parchment clutched in his left hand.
"Then at least help me knock him out!" Harry was still struggling to push her off of him. Her fingers were wrapped around his neck once more, and he was sure he'd lose consciousness if he didn't do something soon. "Kick him a few times in the head. That should do it," she told him.
NO! I'm not going to die like this. I won't let them take me!
Just before Macnair's foot was about to connect, a pulse of magic rippled out from Harry, causing both Lestrange and Macnair to fly backwards.
"Fuck! The little swat burned me!" she cursed. "Stomp his fucking face in!" she raged.
But Harry never gave them the chance. He was running as fast as his legs could carry him. His muscles were burning, but he wouldn't stop. His mind was racing. He had to get back to the train. The first thing that came to mind was his broom. "Accio Firebolt!" he shouted as he continued his race against the two Death Eaters hot on his trail.
Moments later, his broom came whizzing through the air to fly alongside him. He quickly threw a leg over the handle and was off. As he left the ground, relief flooded his body. He was safe-for now.
It took him five minutes to catch up to the Hogwarts Express. Hoping that the wards were still down, he landed on the small platform at the back of the caboose and made his way inside. Everywhere, students were running around, panicking. He heard a few students comment on his capture, their voices laced with fear. The noise was deafening, and he found himself the owner of a very nasty headache. Before he knew what he was doing, he shouted, "ENOUGH!"
Everyone stopped, staring at his dirt-covered figure with wide eyes. Making his way through the crowd, he continued on to the compartment he had shared with his friends earlier. When he arrived, he heard the hurried voice of Remus giving commands to the other two Order members. From the sound of it, it seemed they planned to rescue him.
"There will be no need for a rescue mission, Remus," he said upon entering the compartment. The group turned his way, shock written all over their faces.
Hermione was the first to react. He soon found himself caught up in her arms, her cries of worry and relief muffled as she spoke into his chest.
"Hermione, I'm fine," he told her, but she refused to let him go.
"Hey, Ron, how are you holding up? She got you with a nasty curse," he said, focusing on his other best friend.
"It hurts, but I'll live. Tonks was able to stop the bleeding, but I'll have to see Madam Pomfrey when we arrive at Hogwarts."
Harry nodded, glad that his friends weren't terribly injured. "Hermione, I'm all right. Really," he reassured her, letting her go to put his broom back into his trunk. As he took a better look around, he noticed his belongings strewn about the place. Clothes were thrown across the compartment as were books and various other items. Harry first thought that the mess had been created after summoning his broom, but as he began to put everything back into his trunk, he realised he was missing something.
"Was my stuff everywhere when you all returned here, or did it happen when I summoned my broom?" he asked carefully.
"It was like this when we arrived," Hermione replied. "We were trying to figure out what to do about your disappearance when your broom suddenly went flying out the window," she continued, pointing to the broken glass. "We weren't really sure what to do after that."
His whole demeanour changed to one of panic. Where was it? He dug through his stuff desperately. It had to be there. If the Death Eaters had taken it, they'd all be screwed.
"Shite!" he cursed. "It's gone!" he yelled, kicking the side of his trunk. "I have to go back." He turned to leave, but Remus blocked his path.
"You're not going anywhere, Harry. You just got back. Now, calm down. What's gone?" Remus asked evenly.
"I can't believe they took it! They weren't after me! That was just a diversion! Damn it!"
"Harry, what did they take?" he tried again.
"Pettigrew, that little rat, he must have told them about it!"
"What did they take?" Remus demanded.
"Remus, they took it! The Marauders' Map! They took it!" Harry whispered roughly.
Remus's face instantly paled. "We've got to get it back," he said suddenly.
"I know that! That's what I've been saying!"
"No, not you. You're staying here. Tonks, Kingsley, and I will go," he commanded.
"What? No way! You can barely even hold your wand! Besides, it's my ma-"
"Harry, now is not the time to be arguing over this. You are staying here. The last thing we need is for them to capture you again. There is no discussion. You will do as you are told, do you understand?" Remus ordered, his voice a harsh whisper.
Harry glared at him. "Stop treating me like a child."
"Whether you like it or not, Harry, you are a child. While you may be mature for your age, you still have a lot of growing up to do, and learning when to stay out of it is one thing you still need to work on."
Harry was pissed. He'd just gotten out of a fight with Death Eaters, his headache was getting worse by the minute, and now this. He couldn't believe that Remus had just said that to him. He desperately tried to think of a way to get the map back without their help. He was sick of people treating him like a sodding porcelain doll. He would show them they were wrong. He'd show them he could take care of himself.
Come on, Potter. Think!
And then it hit him. It was so obvious! Why hadn't any of them thought about it before? Harry ran over to the window, and forced it open.
"Harry, what are you doing?" Remus asked cautiously. "You're not thinking of jumping out there are you? I won't hesitate to hex you if I have to."
Harry just glared at him again. Why did everyone always assume the worst of him? He closed his eyes and blocked everything out, concentrating on the map. He vaguely remembered Macnair holding a piece of parchment but hadn't thought anything of it at the time.
Concentrate!
"Accio Marauders' Map!" he yelled.
Please, let it work! Please!
After a minute, Harry figured he'd failed and prepared himself to try again, but then he spotted something in the distance. Yes! There it was speeding towards him, straight into his waiting hands. He caught the parchment easily and held it up.
"How's that for learning to grow up, Remus?" Harry smiled bitterly at seeing the others' wide eyes and open mouths.
"Erm, Harry . . . I didn't give you your wand back yet . . . ." said Neville, tentatively holding out the handle for him.
"Oh, thanks for picking it up for me back there, Neville," Harry responded.
Everyone looked at him as if he'd gone mad.
"What?" he asked, getting annoyed.
"Harry, you just did wandless magic . . . Somewhat advanced wandless magic," Hermione said slowly.
He looked down at his hands, thinking about her words, and realized she was right. In fact, he'd done a lot of wandless magic that day. He would be sure to ask Dumbledore about it later.
Ignoring his still staring companions, he returned his wand to his pocket and put the map away in his trunk. After sitting down, he suddenly felt exhausted. His eyes drooped closed, too heavy to keep open. As he thought back on the events that had taken place, he could just imagine the look on Lestrange's face when she realized they'd failed to get him and the map. He slowly nodded off, a small smile playing at his mouth. Harry slept for the rest of the ride, and was only woken when they were nearing Hogsmeade so he could change into his robes.
"I still can't understand how the Death Eaters got on the train in the first place," he heard Hermione say when he returned from changing. "I mean, the only way they could have gotten through the barriers was if they'd gotten on the Hogwarts Express before it left the station."
"They probably did get on before the train left," Harry replied, returning to his seat.
"But, how? Surely, someone would have seen them?"
"Not if they were using invisibility cloaks."
"You don't think someone would have noticed a door opening by itself?" Her voice was laced with scepticism.
He shrugged.
"It's possible," Ron said.
"But not likely," Remus argued.
Harry tuned them out for a moment. How had they gotten onto the train without being detected? He thought once more about the day's events. A particular memory came to the forefront of his mind.
They were close to one of the train's many entrances when a sneering blonde wizard stepped in front of them. "Well, well, well. If it isn't Potty, the Weasel, and the Mudblood," spat Malfoy as he opened the door, standing slightly to one side yet still blocking their path.
Ron stepped forward, arms raised and fingers stretched, desperate to wrap themselves around Malfoy's scrawny neck, but Harry stopped him. "Isn't it a bit early in the day for one of your notorious visits, Malfoy? I haven't quite finished digesting my breakfast, and I'd really rather not be sick right now, so if you'll excuse us . . ." said Harry, ignoring the blonde's earlier comments and trying to shove his way past him. Malfoy, however, held him back with one arm as the other still held fast to the open door. Harry found this behaviour a bit strange but shook it off.
"That's it!" Harry exclaimed.
"What's it, Harry?" Ron asked.
"Remember when we ran into Malfoy earlier? Well, he'd opened the train door, and continued to hold it open while he talked to us. When I tried to pass him, he stopped me, but still held the door open. Don't you find that a bit strange?" he said.
"Of course!" said Hermione, catching on. "He must have held the door open long enough to let the Death Eaters on board. He picked a fight with us to give him a reason to stand there, so he wouldn't look foolish just holding a door open. Others would just assume he was doing it to annoy us on purpose!"
"Oh, yes, brilliant, except for the obvious flaw," drawled Ron. "The idiot really underestimates us, doesn't he? Did he really think we wouldn't catch on?"
"He probably figured by the time we did, it wouldn't matter anymore. Their plan would have already taken place, and it has," Harry countered.
"He's still an idiot," Ron continued as they all nodded in agreement.
As the train pulled into the station, they gathered their things together, Harry making one last check to see if he'd found everything. They made their way through the dying rain to the carriages, but before Harry was able to follow his friends into the one they'd chosen, Remus pulled him aside.
He seemed a bit nervous, shifting his weight from one foot to the other and ruffling his hair as he let out a loud sigh. "Look, Harry . . . I'm sorry about how I treated you on the train," he started clumsily. "I know you can take care of yourself, but . . . it's just that . . . well, you're James and Lily's son. I kind of feel like I have a responsibility to watch over you now, and it's not just that. I've never had a child before, and when you were born, we kind of all adopted you. After losing Lily and James . . . I just don't want to see anything bad happen to you," he finished softly. "I'm sorry I overreacted back there." His eyes met Harry's, asking for forgiveness.
Harry nodded at him. "I get it. It's a bit annoying, but I get it. Actually, you helped me back there," he admitted. "If you hadn't stopped me, I probably wouldn't have thought of Summoning the map, so thanks," he said awkwardly.
"So, we're good then?" Remus asked.
Harry smiled at him. "Yeah, we're good."
As Harry turned to continue to the carriage his friends were still waiting in, Remus held him up once more. "Harry, wait. There's something else." He turned to the lycan, eyebrows raised in askance. Remus took something from his pocket and enlarged what seemed to be a book, one that Harry vaguely recognized. "Here," he said, handing the battered book out to him. "You forgot to take this back from me after leaving Gringotts. It's a diary: The Marauders' Memoirs. Sirius was the one who started it. There are all sorts of stories in there: How we pulled off our pranks, new spells we created, what we did to become animagi, and even a bit about James' infatuation with Lily. I'd forgotten about it until you took it from Sirius's vault."
Harry took the diary from his outstretched hand in slightly dazed excitement. It was another piece of his parents' past. Something more he could hold onto and treasure. "Thanks," he whispered, feeling that the word was inadequate.
They smiled at each other one last time before hopping into the carriage, both greeted by Ron's, "It took you long enough."
When they reached the castle, Professor McGonagall was waiting for them in the Entrance Hall. Apparently, Tonks had sent her Patronus ahead of time, notifying the Deputy Headmistress of their previous situation. "Come on, all of you, to the Hospital Wing," she insisted as they approached. They knew better than to argue with her, so they conceded.
As Madam Pomfrey was fixing their wounds, McGonagall conjured up some food for them before leaving since they were missing the feast.
"Does this mean we won't be joining the feast?" asked Ginny.
"I guess so," replied Harry.
"I was looking forward to the Sorting Hat's new song, but it's probably over by now," said Hermione.
"I was hoping to see who the new Defense Professor is," Harry continued as he reached for a sandwich.
"I still say he's a vampire," added Ron. They all laughed.
"And what makes you think our new professor is a wizard?" Hermione asked, eyebrows raised.
"Because if we're stuck with another Umbridge again, I'll gladly throw myself off the Astronomy Tower." Ron received an enthusiastic, "Hear, hear!" from the others.
"Not all witches are . . . witches, Ron." Luna's voice floated toward them from the next bed over where Madam Pomfrey was still fixing her up. Apparently, the spell she'd taken had caused her temporary blindness.
He raised his eyebrows at her comment. "I didn't say they were," he said uncomfortably.
Luna just smiled at him, once again able to see. Ron turned away shaking his head slightly in a bewildered manner.
"So do either of you three know who the new Defense Professor is?" asked Neville, directing his question at the Order members still waiting for Madam Pomfrey's assistance. "We never did ask you before."
"Sorry, but I've no clue. You should have asked Professor McGonagall when she was here." Remus chucked at their disappointed looks.
Before another word could be said, the doors to the Hospital Wing opened to reveal Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape. Harry clenched his teeth, trying to reign in his distaste for the latter of the bunch. "Might you all tell me what happened on the train today?" asked the Headmaster. They all began to speak at once, until Professor Dumbledore held up a hand. "One at a time, please." They then took turns retelling the events that took place.
By the time they were finished, it was already eight o'clock, and Madam Pomfrey was anxiously shooing them away. Professor Dumbledore dismissed his staff and the Order members before suggesting that the rest of them get to bed. Harry went to follow his friends, but stopped as the Headmaster's voice called out, "Wait a moment, Harry."
Harry's friends stopped and turned around. "It's okay. Go on without me," he told them.
"Follow me."
The two walked up to the Headmaster's office and settled down into their respective chairs. Fawkes trilled a soft "Hello" to them, and they both responded in kind.
As Harry looked around the room, he noticed that the trinkets that he'd broken last year were once again whole. If he hadn't known better, he would never have guessed that a hormonal and angst-ridden teenage wizard had destroyed most of the office only months ago. He felt his checks burn slightly from embarrassment as he remembered his reckless behaviour, but he quenched down the emotion to pay attention to his professor sitting across from him.
"Harry, before we get around to what I need to talk to you about, is there anything that you wish to discuss with me?" Dumbledore asked.
Harry furrowed his brow. "Yes, actually. Weird things have been happening lately. Well, more so than usual."
"Weird things?"
"I-I've been doing a lot of wandless magic, it seems," he continued. "I know I've done it before, but it's been happening more often now. I don't understand why."
Dumbledore sat back in his chair, peering at Harry over his spectacles. "I can't give you a definite answer, Harry," he finally said. Harry's face fell. "However," he continued, "I can tell you a theory I've developed." Harry perked up at this.
"Small bits of wandless magic are not uncommon for wizards. The scale of wandless magic you're talking about is, though. Most wizards and witches can only do small spells, and very infrequently depending on the person's magic levels.
"You, of course, know that younger wizards are more prone to advanced wandless magic than fully trained adults. The reason for this is because a child isn't allowed to do magic until he reaches the age of eleven. The magic, therefore, has no outlet and gets bottled up inside the child. The magic continues to build up until the child is incapable of containing it any longer. A wizard produces magic at a quicker rate when his emotions are high, which is why most children lose control when they are upset. The already high magic levels mixed with the rapid increase in magic causes the release. The biggest difference is that children cannot control when their wandless magic occurs and, in many cases, cannot control the magic itself.
"What seems to be happening to you is the same thing that is normal for one who hasn't been practicing magic. In other words, your producing magic faster than you can use it up."
"But why? Why now?" Harry asked.
"Again, this is just a theory, but I believe it is happening to you now because you've been under more stress and have had to deal with more than usual lately. After your third year when you blew up your aunt, I suspected it might come to this eventually. You've witnessed Voldemort's rebirth and Cedric Diggory's death. Just a few months ago, you were witness to your own godfather's death, and on top of that, you now know the prophecy, which is a terrible burden to carry around. I believe what happened last term was what you needed to push your magic over the edge; it was the turning point for you. All of the events in your past have culminated to cause your overflow of magic.
"Now, most wizards would have one burst of uncontrolled magic and be done with it. You, however, seem to keep replenishing your over abundant magic supply. This is just speculation on my part, but I believe that due to the constant stress you've been under your whole life, your magic has actually changed completely. It now seems normal for you to have too much magic. It's like your body is producing such high levels as a sort of defence mechanism, so that if you ever need it, your magic is there for you with or without a wand."
"Has this ever happened to anyone before?" Harry asked.
"Of course. There have been many theories on the occurrence, but nothing has been proven yet. It actually happened to me, if you're curious to know."
"You, sir?" Harry wasn't all that surprised, but he was a bit awed that he was going through what Dumbledore had once experienced.
Dumbledore nodded. "Indeed. It was a bit of a shock at the time, but I had an excellent mentor to guide me."
"So you learned how to control it, then?"
"Naturally."
"Could you show me how to-" Harry trailed off.
"That actually leads me to what I wanted to talk to you about: Your advanced training. You received the letter I left with your birthday present, did you not?" he asked.
"Yes, I did. You mentioned giving me private lessons."
"That I did." He held out a slip of parchment for Harry to take. "That is your night schedule. You will be given extra training by most of your professors. They will be teaching you things well above N.E.W.T. level, and I expect this year will be one of your most tiring. In case you were wondering, I did not make you a Prefect again this year for this very reason. You'll have enough to be getting on with without worrying about Prefect duties. You do, however, have many of the same privileges as Prefects. For example, I've given you the password to the Prefects' bathroom, and I've extended your curfew to midnight. I am trusting you to not abuse these privileges," he said in a warning tone.
"Yes, sir, of course."
Harry looked down at the parchment clutched in his hand.
Monday, 8:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m., Advanced Spellwork with Professor Flitwick
Tuesday, 6:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m., Conjuring and Animagus Training with Professor McGonagall
Wednesday, 6:00 p.m.-?, Lessons with Professor Dumbledore
Thursday, 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m., Quidditch Practice
Friday, 6:00 p.m.-?, Advanced Defense with Professor Nevar
"You'll notice that your Monday evening has been left open until eight o'clock. You can use that time for extra Quidditch practice or for the D.A. if you wish. You can even switch that time with Thursday's schedule, if you need to. One of the advantages of being the Quidditch Captain is that you decide when to have practice, so we won't have to worry about it interfering with your training. Your weekends have been left open for homework, relaxation, and anything else that you may need time for. This schedule takes effect when classes start. Do you have any questions?"
"Yes, a few. What am I going to be learning with you?"
"We'll be working on different things, the first of which will be teaching you to control your wandless magic." Harry nodded, glad that he was going to be able to get his magic under control. "We'll also be working on Occlumency and Legilimency training, among other things. Is there anything else?" Dumbledore asked.
"You mentioned the D.A. Do you think I should continue it? If I'm having lessons with the new Defense Professor, then surely he must be good. I mean do we really need the D.A. anymore?" Harry asked.
"Yes, your assessment of Professor Nevar is accurate. She is highly capable for the job, but I think it would be a good idea to continue the D.A. Sometimes people need to hear something from someone of the same age. Also, I think the D.A. gave a few of your classmates something more that they don't get in every-day classes. Unless I'm much mistaken, it seemed that your group became a sort of makeshift family. The final decision is up to you, of course, but I do encourage you to continue leading the D.A., and I'm not saying that just because your group was named after me." Dumbledore chuckled.
Harry gave a small smile at his professor's weak joke. "I had a few of them asking me to continue, actually. I guess I have to now."
"Well, it is getting late. I think it's time for you to be heading off to bed. I'll see you on Wednesday."
"Goodnight, Professor," Harry said as rose to leave.
"Harry."
"Yes, sir?"
"You'll need a fancy fwooper to get past the Fat Lady."
It took Harry only a moment to realise that Dumbledore was telling him the password to Gryffindor Tower. "Right, sir."
Dumbledore nodded. "Off with you, then."
~*~*~
It was well past eleven by the time Harry reached his dorm. He placed his newly acquired training schedule on his nightstand and changed for bed.
"Harry, 'zat you?" Ron poked his head out from behind his curtains.
"Yeah."
"You're gettin' back late." Ron yawned as he made his way over to Harry. "Had a nice chat with Dumbledore, did you?"
"Something like that. He just wanted to go over the schedule for my extra training with me."
"Uh-huh."
"What do you mean, 'uh-huh'?"
"Well, it's just . . ." Ron paused to make sure his other dorm mates were asleep. "You haven't really been telling me everything, have you?" he whispered.
"What are you talking about, Ron?" Harry asked, becoming slightly annoyed.
"Look, I know you've been holding some stuff back from me. I just don't know why. You know you can trust me, right?"
"Of course, I trust you. Ron, what in the bloody hell are you on about?"
"I . . . I didn't mean to, but I overheard you talking to Hermione about the-well, the You-Know-What that broke last semester," he continued. "I'd gone to find you to apologise when I heard you two talking. I didn't want to interrupt, but I still wanted to know what was going on."
Harry felt like the bottom of his stomach had dropped out. He'd entirely forgotten to tell Ron the prophecy. It had been such a relief to tell Hermione that he'd completely forgotten to talk to Ron.
"I thought you'd tell me eventually. I figured you just needed some time . . . but I waited all summer, and you never said a word. I just . . . it was a bit frustrating, you know! I mean, we're supposed to be best friends, but you couldn't even tell me the prophecy!" Ron ranted.
"Ron, I-"
"Why did you tell Hermione and not me?"
"Ron, I didn't mean to."
"We are best friends, right?"
"Of course!"
"Then why didn't you tell me?" he asked, his voice laced with hurt.
"I-I meant to tell you. I wanted to tell you two together, but it just kind of came out that day. Hermione just happened to be the one there when it did. I meant to tell you, really, I did. I even asked Dumbledore if it was all right to tell you two. But I guess after finally getting it out of my system the first time, I was so relieved, I just forgot. I'm sorry." Harry finished, his voice pleading for Ron to forgive him.
Ron sighed, but after awhile he gave a short nod. " 'Sokay, I guess. Just don't let it happen again, yeah?"
"I won't." Harry smiled at him. "So . . . was that why you were a little distant this summer?"
"Oh-er-yeah. Sorry about that."
Harry shook his head. "Forget it. It's done with."
"So we're good, right? I mean, there isn't anything else you want to tell me, is there?"
Harry shook his head in amused exasperation. "No, Ron. I'm not hiding anything else. Dumbledore really did only want to see me about my schedule. I asked him why my magic has been going all wonky lately, but I'll tell you about that tomorrow when Hermione's with us."
"Right. Well then, I'm going back to sleep. G'night."
"Goodnight."
~*~*~
A/N: So, we finally get some action in this action/adventure/romance! This chapter finally explains some of the strange things that have been going on like the floating in the last chapter (and has anybody noticed the weather?). Harry's still got a long way to go, but he's finally going to start growing into his powers. In the next chapter, you'll finally get to meet the new Defense Professor. For all of you who are wondering who she is, you probably won't be able to guess. Her actual character is not from the series; though, one could logically assume she exists in the Harry Potter Universe. For you super-sleuths out there, you might be able to guess her background just by looking at her last name in just the right way. Okay, I think I've confused you all enough with that.
To all my reviewers on FFnet (I don't have a problem like this on PK), I'm thankful for every single one of the reviews I receive, and I would love to reply to all of you, but some of you don't give me that choice. I've had a few reviewers ask me questions, but they didn't sign in or leave an e-mail address for me to contact them with. I'm sorry to those of you who were expecting a reply and haven't gotten one, but I have no way of contacting you now that review-replies are no longer allowed in posts. So please, if you wish to ask me questions, sign in or leave an e-mail address so that I may be able to reply. Also, if you wish to comment on something I said in a previous reply, could you please remind me of what I wrote. FFnet doesn't keep my replies for me, and my memory isn't that good. Thank you.
Also, many thanks to my beta, Nati, for putting up with the Harry/Hermione pairing for me. You're awesome!
~Amie