Harry now stood in Dumbledore magnificent circular office with his trunk and Hedwig's empty cage. Dumbledore vanished the heavy luggage with a wave of his wand. The sun was now completely gone, darkness shrouding the fresh summer grounds of Hogwarts. Harry still felt slightly dizzy from his first experience of Floo powder. The spinning sensation he had endured made his already throbbing head seem to want to explode.
He quickly made his way over to one of the lavish chairs Dumbledore had for guests and leaned against it for support. When Dumbledore saw this he made towards Harry and with a wave of his wand patched up Harry's head so the unhurried drops of blood ceased and the wound was sealed. "Forgive me Harry. I was distracted with the number of unfortunate events this day had for us."
Harry nodded in acceptance of Dumbledore's apology. "What will you be doing at Hogwarts? I mean surely someone will notice you in the castle?" he asked Mr. Davis who had made his way over to Dumbledore's desk. Picking up a heavy leather-bound book he tucked it under his arm before answering Harry's question. "Well, I'll assume the role of the school librarian. Helping out Madam Pince," he said wryly as if sincerely regretting that part of the deal. "But," he continued "Professor Dumbledore has magically enlarged the library and there is now a more ancient sector at the back. That is where most of our training will take place. The books from the Restricted Section will be placed there so students won't interrupt that often, if at all."
Harry again nodded his head, having nothing more to say. Dumbledore took his seat behind his expansive desk and looked over his thin spectacles at Davis. "I trust Ethan you would like to begin immediately."
"Er…yes," he replied quietly, walking over to the door and opening it. Harry felt slightly apprehensive about being trained by somebody he didn't know. But he also got the feeling that Mr. Davis was a shy, timid person who probably felt the same. From the past few hours Harry guessed that Mr. Davis did not go out a lot and probably didn't have a lot of dealings with people. He seemed very introverted and withdrawn from conversations, which gave him a sense of innocence that Harry couldn't ignore.
With one last look at Professor Dumbledore Harry made his way out to the winding staircase that preceded the oak entrance. He heard the click as Mr. Davis closed the heavy door and followed him. When the stair had finished revolving, both wizards stepped out and Harry not knowing where they were headed stayed a step behind Mr. Davis. Soon, after a brisk walk, Harry found himself outside the doors of the familiar library. With a wave of Davis' hand the entrance doors opened. The library looked eerier than ever. Harry thought he heard whispers coming from within the books. Histories of battles, fantastic wizards and renowned witches calling out to be read.
Davis strode down to the very back of the library where the Restricted Section was usually to be found and Harry was shocked to find a new wooden door with heavy bolts fixed to it. "Not only will a student need written permission to enter this area but they will also need to be accompanied by a teacher," admonished Davis.
"Do the teachers know what you are doing here?" Harry inquired hesitantly.
"Of course not," he replied abruptly as if the idea was absurd. He was now drawing back the bolts. "I think Professor Dumbledore told them I was doing extra research into muggle and magical zoology….as well as helping with Madam Pince," he finished again ruefully.
He pulled forcefully on the door and it opened slowly. Davis gestured for Harry to walk through first. When Harry entered the new sector of the library his jaw nearly hit the floor. It was a wide oval room, an expanse of marble laid out on the floor. A small stair led to the carpeted upper level of the room which was filled with bookshelves. A large table was stretched out in the middle of the marble floor. It was covered in books that were opened, their dusty pages looking up upon the gaping ceiling. Mr. Davis strolled nonchalantly over to the table and placed the book he had been keeping under his arm on the table with a large thump.
Harry followed him to the table and his eyes immediately took in the covers of the books that lay before him. Titles written in large gold and silver letters instantly grabbed his attention. Dictionary of Ancient Deities, Dictionary of Angels-Including the Fallen Angels, Encyclopedia of Hell and Upir & Nelapsi.
Harry gave Mr. Davis a questioning look. In answer to his unspoken question Davis slid the huge book in his hands across to Harry. Harry read the title Demonology.
"Do you like reading this sort of…thing," said Harry cautiously. Davis seemed to stop to think for a moment. "Well its research. It is quite interesting and no doubt will come in handy when Voldemort moves out into the open again."
When he received another questioning look from Harry he continued. "You see Harry. Lord Voldemort will probably face us with every evil he has ever encountered. When or if he returns he will send out messengers to every corner of the earth, gathering his malevolent army of before. There are not just Death Eaters under his control. Vampires, trolls, the most sinful of demons, everything you have ever feared. He will try to resurrect hell and destroy all hope, creating a world of despair and utter fear. Because that is how you take control…you make everyone who stands against you, fear you," he finished. He had been talking himself into a frenzy but after he had finished he made his way around the table and sat in one of the wooden chairs.
"Way to calm me down," said Harry somewhat sardonically. Davis chose to ignore his comment and removing a small cloth from his tweed pocket he took off his glasses and wiped them. Harry guessed this was a habit of his for there were no marks on them. With a sigh he gestured for Harry to sit down. "It is apparent that most of the wizarding world fears Voldemort already. His name strikes fear into the hearts of nearly all the wizarding population of Britain. I do not mean to frighten you. But you…you must come to realize, if you haven't already, what this task appointed to you truly means. It is you and you alone that can finish his evil and release people from their fear."
Harry nodded in agreement. He didn't want this; he didn't want any of it. He felt like he was giving up something that he had not even experienced. Life seemed to dwindle and die in front of him. But so many people had died in order for the prophecy to be heard and fulfilled that he couldn't step away from the path before him.
A voice awakened him from his quiet reverie. "You can still live your life. Life is your greatest ally when fighting evil for evil feeds on life. And if you face it with emptiness you will be destroyed at once," Davis said feverishly.
"But how do I fight evil. I'm twelve!" Harry shouted skeptically. All his doubts seemed to surface at that moment. His fear seemed to escalate and with a yell he threw one of the largest books across the room. It collided with the floor and skidded to a halt just at the bottom of the stair. Harry looked away not wanting to talk to Davis anymore. The man knew nothing of what he had to do. What he would have to give up. He seemed to think Harry was this all powerful being but he was just a boy. With a sigh he slowly turned back around to see Davis' bemused expression.
"With that," said Mr. Davis simply, pointing at the now desolate book. "That book is one of the largest I have I my collection. You just threw it as if it were a copybook."
"Anger, Harry, is one of the most powerful forces in this world," Mr. Davis said striding over and picking up the book. "Voldemort has it. But his is fuelled by hatred and greed. Yours however is based upon love, passion and emotion. Don't get me wrong," he continued, putting the book back on the table "anger can sometimes lead you to recklessness and wild actions. But if you learn to control and use it, it will make you unstoppable."
Davis seemed to be in his element. Harry noticed he hadn't stuttered since entering the room. His words while warning Harry seemed to bring comfort. Some hope among his fear. He was certainly capable of conjuring anger with his experience of life. "And now for how you really fight Voldemort," said Mr. Davis standing opposite him on the other side of the table.
Suddenly Mr. Davis threw, with some ferocity, a thick green book across the table in Harry's direction. Harry's `other sense' immediately kicked in, and he caught it abruptly just before it hit his face. Absolute silence descended on the room and Harry wondered momentarily what on earth was happening. He lowered the book and found Davis with a small grin on his face and narrowed eyes. "Since the beginning of prophecies, this is essentially the beginning of time, a prophecy, which has dire consequences that can change the way of the world, brings with it a power to the Chosen One."
"For thousands of years those who study the prophecies have looked for the One who would bring this power. It a story told to all Unspeakables. A prophecy of a prophecy one could say. Today it is told as a myth. But something about the way Dumbledore spoke of this prophecy told me that this was the one that would bring with it the Power."
"What is the Power?" Harry asked. Suddenly things seemed to be falling into place.
"The Power is that which is given to the Chosen One. Strength, stamina and super reflexes are just some of the physical assets. But it will also influence your magical ability as well," he replied astonished as if he still couldn't believe it. After a minute of wondering at the possibilities, he calmed slightly. "You've felt it. You've used it haven't you?" he asked seriously.
"Yes, I put it down to a car crash that I'd had a few months before I first felt it," said Harry. "Any time I was in serious danger, everything…everything seemed to slow down. I could move faster and think faster than anyone or anything else. But it seems to just come and go, how do I…control it?"
"Well that is one of the first things we'll need to discover. I suppose you can control it with your mind just as you can control your body. We'll need to find references to other times this has happened. I'm sure it has happened before," Davis said thoughtfully. A comfortable silence descended on the room and everything was still. Mr. Davis had returned to his seat and was now deep in thought. He had removed his glasses and was merely staring unknowingly at a book.
Harry had sunk back into his train of thought. All that he had discovered in the past few hours seemed totally unbelievable. He looked at his hands pensively. Was it true? Did he have this much power within him? Did he have a chance?
His eyes roved the overlapping books that spread across the table. The darkest creatures would be employed to kill him and he would have to face them with a brave face. His cynical side kept repeating that he was only twelve years old while his heart kept telling him that at the moment he felt about five years younger. A young child trying desperately to hide from the darkest of nightmares.
"What will you be teaching me?" Harry inquired, bringing Mr. Davis from his own trance.
"Er…well," he began, shifting in his chair "we'll start out with some basic fighting skills, some weaponry skills, quarterstaffs and the likes. I was in the Auror program for a while so I learnt a lot of these skills. I'll also start you…"
"You were in the Auror program. I thought you were an Unspeakable," Harry interrupted.
"Yes…I trained with the French Ministry of Magic for a number of years and completed the Auror program. I became an Unspeakable after moving back to England. I was always interested in the concepts of prophecies and the more classified branches of magic."
Davis stopped for a moment as if remembering something and a haunted look played across his features. But it was gone just as Harry noticed it. "Sorry, Er…where was I? Oh, yes…I'll introduce you to some more complex and relatively darker magic than you would usually be exposed to in school conditions. I must warn you that under no circumstances should someone find out about this. Any of it," he warned.
Harry immediately thought of Hermione. He hadn't told her yet of the prophecy but he assumed that at some point he would. Seeing the look on Harry's face, Davis heaved a sigh of annoyance. "Who were you planning to tell?"
"My friend," Harry started tentatively "she's my closest friend. I was planning to tell her this year. She'll probably find out anyway. I mean what with training and all."
"Only her," Davis cautioned. "The less people that know about this, the better. It's an extremely dangerous situation."
"So when do we start training?"
"Tomorrow morning, bright and early. Seven o `clock. You might as well have breakfast here as the Great Hall won't be serving. I think that the less people that know you're currently in the castle the safer it will be. You can stay in your dormitory I assume and then come straight here."
When Harry entered Gryffindor Tower he couldn't help but feel a sense of home. It looked the same as ever, its crimson colours glittering in the firelight. Making his way up to his dormitory he found his possessions which Dumbledore had obviously sent on. He lay on his bed, a sense of relief seeping through his head for the temporary break from the pain. He didn't bother changing his clothes; instead he just closed his eyes, his tiredness overpowering him.
*************************************************************************************
Harry woke up suddenly his chest heaving from his heavy breathing. He put his hand to his face and felt the cold sweat running down from his forehead. He sat up trying to calm himself. He had the dream again but the chanting had been louder than before. Closing his eyes he forced himself to remember the details of it but they were soon slipping away. When his heart had stopped pounding in his chest, he climbed off his bed and went to get some water. A clear water jug was always to be found in the dormitories. It refilled itself everyday. With trembling hands he poured himself some cool water and drank it thirstily.
It took awhile but Harry finally calmed down enough to catch some sleep before he started his day. This time he wasn't awoken by the mysterious mantra in his dreams.
He made his way down to the library the next day without running into anyone, which he was grateful for as he had thought about what would happen if he was to be spotted by a curious Peeves who would probably turn the whole ordeal into a limerick and repeat it every time he met Harry in the corridors.
Surprisingly the vault like door that led to the back of the library was opened. When Harry walked through to the dazzlingly lit room he found a small breakfast on the table. There were still some open volumes on the dark table, but many of them had been piled neatly on one of the chairs. He heard footsteps and turned to see Mr. Davis standing in the doorway of a small office, a cup of tea in his hand and the Daily Prophet clutched it his other.
He indicated with a nod of his head that Harry should take a seat. As Harry started on his breakfast, bacon and sausages accompanied by a fried egg, Davis scanned through the newspaper. "Good," he finally said, throwing the paper onto a stack of books. "There have been no reports about the events of yesterday. I've also checked the muggle papers and nothing showed up there."
When Harry had finished his breakfast Mr. Davis cleared the remains away. Harry could hear him bustling around in the little office until he returned. He was carrying padded body armour with him and deposited them on the table. As Davis turned to go back to the office Harry examined the body armour.
"This for me," he said jokingly. Davis came back with a grimace. "No. For me actually. You'll soon realise you're significantly stronger than you feel."
Davis who was again dressed in tweed and a sweater vest removed his tweed jacket and donned the body armour which protected his chest and then placed a helmet on his head. Harry bit his lip trying to restrain from laughing. Considering he thought Davis to be a respectable English `fellow', wearing the padding made him look completely ridiculous.
Mr. Davis returned his laughter with an annoyed glare. "You might think it funny. But I assure you that it is necessary," he said briskly.
"What exactly will be doing?" Harry inquired.
"A bit of everything. Martial arts are essential to master your reflexes. To learn to control your `new sense' while improving your other senses is vital. Now we shall start with…"
***********************************************************************************
Six hours later and Mr. Davis was lying flat on his back in the middle of the marble floor. He groaned as he pulled himself up with Harry's support. "Very good," he managed to say. He was surprised to say the least at how Harry had adapted to the new moves and also his great technique.
Harry felt slightly guilty about hitting Davis but Davis demanded that he do so. They had focused on Harry's kicks and punches, Davis showing him how he could make them more powerful without losing speed in the process. Harry couldn't deny that Davis was a brilliant teacher and that he had had a lot of experience but still, he wasn't that young and much older than anybody who should have to act as Harry's punch bag.
Harry, though tired, didn't feel as drained as Davis did. He guessed that was what Davis had meant when he mentioned increased stamina. He had felt strength seep through him with every punch, his adrenaline building. Harry was brought back to his senses when he heard the evident sound of ripping Velcro and turned to see Davis removing his padded protection. "I think that is enough for the day," he said quietly moving back into his office. He indicated for Harry to follow him. The tiny office was crammed with a mahogany desk overflowing with thick tomes. A green leather couch had been pushed into the corner. Harry was amazed at the amount of muggle objects he found in the office. A small stereo radio sat on the desk, wires had been pulled out of the back and Harry guessed that Davis used magic to power it. There was also a green study lamp sitting on the desk. Though lamps weren't that unusual, candles were the most abundant thing to be found at Hogwarts.
Harry also spotted copies of the Daily Mail and The Times lying on the floor. "You can already see that you have more strength and stamina then you had previously realised. But there is still a lot of work to be done until we can turn your training into a routine. There is still a lot more learning on your behalf," Davis' voice came from under the desk as he searched for something. He popped up suddenly with a wide grin on his face and a muggle kettle in his hand. "Ah…tea Harry?"
"Er…yes please. How come you have so much muggle things? Are you muggle-born?" Harry inquired.
Pointing his wand at the silver kettle and muttering a spell, the kettle, though disconnected and water-less, started to boil. "Eh…no. My…my mother was a witch, my father was a…a professor at Oxford University," he stammered and Harry knew he didn't feel comfortable discussing his parents. "But…I…I have always tried to live in the muggle world. Reality has always been easier to digest when you can't simply conjure something you need."
*********************************************************************************
There is another chapter. Hope you like Mr. Davis. I contemplated whether or not to bring in an extra character but I feel it makes the story a lot more different. I have one more character, she'll be an adult. More of a minor character though. By the way if anyone is wondering, Mr. Davis is not evil. Just reserved and it'll take awhile for you to see his full character as he is full of contradictions.
Again hoped you liked the chapter. Thank you so much for reading. Please leave a review if you can.
Take care,
Radagast.
-->