Harry Potter and all characters, etc. belong to J. K. Rowling, not me.
Dumbledore Answers Harry - Chapter 2 - Starting Second Year
"How?" asked Arthur Weasley.
Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling. "Using a pensieve, I can extract and view the memories from the time that Mr. Malfoy had your daughter's book. I believe she, Mr. Potter, and Miss Granger would've been paying the most attention when the incident occurred, since they already knew Mr. Malfoy was planning something. With your permission, I'd like them to accompany me to my office for a few minutes."
After Arthur nodded, Dumbledore levitated the small diary into a bag that Mrs. Weasley gave him, and stuck it in a pocket. He then walked down the stairs and toward the fireplace, followed by Harry, Ginny, and Hermione. When they arrived at his office, Dumbledore told them, "Please make yourselves comfortable while I find an appropriate place to store this abomination until I can properly dispose of it. Have a lemon drop if you'd like."
They sat down and watched the aged headmaster point his wand at a cabinet, causing it to glow green as they heard a clicking sound. Albus opened it and moved a few things around on a shelf, finally clearing enough space. He pulled the bag with the diary out of his pocket and unceremoniously placed it on the shelf. He then closed the cabinet and pointed his wand at it again, this time causing it to glow red. He then walked up to another cabinet and opened it, revealing an object Harry had never seen before.
"This is a pensieve. It can be used for viewing memories, which are admissible in court. In turn, I'm going to place my wand tip near each of your heads, and I'll need you to concentrate on everything that happened from the time Lucius Malfoy removed the book from Miss Weasley's basket until he put it back."
Starting with Ginny, he pulled the silvery glowing streams of thought from all three kids, ending with Hermione's.
"Now, let's all of us hold hands and will lose ourselves in your thoughts." They grabbed each others' hands (with Harry in between the girls while Hermione held Dumbledore's hand as well as Harry's), and Dumbledore leaned into the pensieve with the others following suit.
Harry found himself falling into Flourish and Blotts, watching himself and the others until he forced himself to concentrate on Lucius Malfoy. While watching him intently, he caught the moment the diary was slipped into the other book. "There!" shouted Harry.
"Right you are, Harry," said Dumbledore. After they watched all three memories and seeing that they all were in exact agreement, Dumbledore pulled them out of the pensieve. "I believe that I shall be contacting Minister Fudge tomorrow morning. Thank you for your assistance. I would offer you a cup of tea, but I believe the Weasleys will probably be worried should you stay longer than you already have. You did, after all, accompany me while I was carrying a dark object."
-
That night, Harry dreamed that he was sitting outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor in Diagon Alley eating a sundae with the Weasleys and Hermione, when Voldemort, with a normal body and the face he'd seen on the back of Quirrel's head, showed up with Lucius Malfoy. Together, the two of them shot green lights at everyone around Harry, killing them as he watched in horror as he searched in vain for his wand. Voldemort then hissed, "Don't feel so lonely. You're about to join them." He pointed a wand, which Harry noticed was his own, at Harry, who saw the bright green flashes he'd dreamt of all his life.
He awoke with a start, and found he was drenched with sweat and breathing heavily. But aside from that, he was fine. He quietly got out of bed to avoid waking Ron and crept out of the room to splash water on his face. After he'd dried off, he quietly sneaked down the stairs, avoiding the step that creaked, and wondering why the Weasleys hadn't fixed it. He got a glass of water from the kitchen and sat on the couch thinking about his dream. He realized that if he were attacked, he wouldn't know how to defend himself or anyone else. He'd just gotten lucky when he faced Quirrel. He didn't know what to do. He buried his face in his hands and sat there miserable.
"Harry," came a female voice from near him. He looked up and saw both Ginny and Hermione.
"What's wrong?" asked Hermione.
"Oh. I, er, had a nightmare."
"Really?" said Ginny with a concerned expression, "What about?"
"Voldemort," said Harry, causing the girls to flinch.
"W-Was it about when you faced Professor Quirrel?" asked Hermione.
"No. I dreamed that we, along with the rest of the Weasleys, were eating ice cream together when Voldemort showed up with Lucius Malfoy, and they killed you all in front of me while I was trying to find my wand. He then turned on me, and before he killed me I realized that Voldemort was using my wand. I woke up just as he was killing me."
Both girls walked up to Harry and put a hand on one of his shoulders. "It was just a bad dream," said Ginny.
"Understandable, considering what happened yesterday," said Hermione.
"I, I just felt so helpless, like when I was locked in the cupboard by the Dursleys. I never want to feel like that again! And I don't know what to do about it."
"Er, if you feel that strongly about it, maybe you could ask Professor Lockhart for extra lessons. All of the things he's done in his books…" said Hermione.
"That arrogant git?" said Harry incredulously, "All he'd teach me is how to pose for a bloody camera."
"Language, Harry!" said Hermione, "and you don't even really know Professor Lockhart, so how can you judge him so harshly?"
"I know all you and the other girls, even Mrs. Weasley, were doing is fawning over him while he flashed his fake smile at you," snapped Harry.
"Well," said Hermione, "Er, a lot of girls do the same thing when you're around, and that doesn't mean you're a fraud, or that you like the attention."
"He was eating it up. I could see it in his face; he called me up there so that his stupid book-signing would make the front page. I'm not asking for his help. If I ask anyone, it'll be Dumbledore."
"Ok Harry," said Ginny, "Ask Dumbledore. You're probably more comfortable with him anyway. If you need anything at all, I'd be more than happy to help you."
"As always, I'm willing to help as well. I can read some books on defense and show you the best spells I find," said Hermione.
"Thanks," said Harry, "to both of you. You're both really good friends. I think I should try to get some sleep, and I suggest you do the same." He got up and walked back to bed.
-
A few days after that, while the three of them were taking their occlumency lessons with Dumbledore, the aged professor said, "That concludes today's lesson. I must say, you've all been doing remarkably well, especially considering your ages. I'm afraid I'll only be able to give one more lesson before school starts. After that, we'll have one lesson per week for the first four weeks, and then we'll be finished. Of course it would be a good idea for me to test your shields every month or so, just to make sure you don't get rusty.
"I have shown your memories to Minister Fudge, as well as a few other ministry officials, and they have informed me that Mr. Malfoy will be arrested tomorrow and put on trial. You may be required to testify. If the trial occurs while school is in session, you will of course be allowed to leave the school. If you've nothing else to discuss, I should be getting back to the office."
"Actually, professor," said Harry, "There's something I'd like to discuss, er, privately. I hope you don't mind, girls."
"Don't worry about it," said Ginny.
"We know when we're not wanted," teased Hermione. She winked at him and the two girls left.
Dumbledore pointed his wand at the door for a moment while asking, "Well, Harry. What did you want to discuss?"
"I would like to have extra defense lessons, more advanced than second year. The next time I meet Voldemort, I want to be better prepared. I would also prefer if they were not taught by Professor Lockhart or Professor Snape. I met Professor Lockhart the other day, and I truthfully don't trust him for some reason. I don't think I can explain it, but I'd be more comfortable learning from someone else. I know Professor Snape is probably good at that subject, but as you know, he and I don't get along very well, and I don't think it would be a good idea for us to have a class alone."
Dumbledore sighed, "I suppose that's a good idea. You and Professor Snape would probably glare at each other for an hour instead of having a productive lesson. Don't tell anyone else this, but I don't entirely trust Professor Lockhart either, but he was the only applicant. Hopefully he'll be an adequate teacher. I did see your picture with him in the Daily Prophet, by the way. You certainly don't appear happy about it. It's quite humorous the way your photographic self is trying desperately to escape your new professor while he firmly holds onto you."
Harry chuckled a bit at that. "I'd also like to talk about that diary. You said it has a piece of Voldemort's soul in it. How is that possible?"
Dumbledore took a deep breath. "That is a very important topic that we must discuss. There are some things I could tell you now, and some things I wouldn't risk until your occlumency lessons are finished. I would prefer to wait until then to give you the whole explanation than to break it up, but I'll leave that up to you."
Harry appeared lost in thought for a few seconds. "I think I'd rather hear the whole thing at once than to have it split up. I guess I can wait a month."
"Very well," said Dumbledore. "I feel that it would be good for us to continue the weekly meetings after our occlumency lessons are over, so that I can attempt to prepare you for what lies ahead. I'll start with the prophecy, and then tell you everything about Voldemort that I know, including what I know about the diary."
-
Both Harry and Hermione started studying hard as soon as they got their new books. Ginny reluctantly joined them so that she could spend time with Harry, while making sure that Hermione wasn't alone with him. Hermione had always been studious, and Harry had decided that he needed to learn as much as possible to prepare for his destiny.
Harry wasn't as fast of a reader as Hermione, who could read all her books before school started, so he used a different method than hers. He'd read a chapter in one book, and then switch to another book. Harry especially paid attention to the potions book so that Snape wouldn't be able to humiliate him. Using that method, he got through the first half of each book before school started. Ginny used his method as well with her first-year books, and got further than Harry. He really hated Lockhart's books. They seemed more concerned with how to keep your hair to stay in place during a duel than how to actually fight one.
-
Before long, it was September 1st, and they were at Kings Cross Station, heading toward Platform 9 ¾, with Ginny proudly carrying a basket of cookies that she had successfully baked the day before. Lucius Malfoy had been arrested, and was scheduled to be tried on September 9th. His house elf Dobby had 'accidentally' left the entrance to the secret chamber under the drawing-room floor open, and several dark items were confiscated.
However, the ministry had yet to see what Lucius Malfoy had up his sleeve. (If they would just roll it up they'd see a symbol that would show them exactly what kind of man he is.) Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys crossed the barrier with no problem, and got onto the train. They found an empty compartment where Ginny, Harry, and Hermione sat on one side with Ron sitting across from them scowling. He said, "Harry, why don't you sit by me so that the girls have more room?"
"We're fine, Ron," said Ginny happily.
"We've got plenty of room for HARRY," said Hermione, making it clear that no one else could sit by her.
At that moment, their compartment door slid open, revealing Draco Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. "Well, what do we have here? Two weasels, a mud…"
"Get out, Malfoy!" shouted Harry angrily.
"Why don't you go visit your worthless father in Azkaban?" said Ginny as she pulled out her wand.
Draco's ears went red, "How DARE you…Whaaa!" At that moment Ginny had performed her Bat Bogey Hex. Draco ran out of the compartment, followed by mucus bats and his brainless followers, who couldn't understand how their leader had been bested by a first year.
"Was that the hex you told me about?" chuckled Harry.
"Yes," said Ginny proudly, "The Bat-Bogie Hex."
"You really shouldn't have done that, Ginny," said Hermione, "You could get in trouble before school even starts."
Harry looked at her as if she were crazy. "Don't you remember what he and his father tried to do to her just a few weeks ago? She has every right to hex him, and I don't care what the teachers say."
"Thank you very much," said Ginny.
Ron added, "I only wish I'd hexed him first."
Hermione's cheeks went pink and her head went down a bit. "Er, of course I remember what they did. I didn't say Draco didn't deserve it. I, I just don't want Ginny or you to be in trouble is all."
"Hermione," said Harry, "When you let people get away with things like that, they'll keep doing it again and again, making it worse each time. Draco is a Voldemort follower in training. If he doesn't learn his lesson now, that's what he will become. Only next time he won't be insulting people. He'll be hexing them, and eventually killing them.
"I remember how that happened with my cousin Dudley. When I was younger he was just insulting me. I wasn't allowed to say a word against him, and then he started hitting me. I wasn't allowed to defend myself, and eventually his whole gang would beat me up all the time. They'd do it so that teachers would never see it happen, so they never got in trouble. Just like Draco.
"This summer, however, he left me alone, and the reason is that he believes I can defend myself now. People like him and Draco only understand power. Dudley knows I have more power than him, so he fears me and leaves me alone. That's the way the police system works. Criminals know that police have power, so they fear the police, and hide from them.
"Now Draco will fear Ginny, although I would suggest Ginny, that you watch your back in case he tries to get revenge. I'll certainly help you if I can, but he is a coward and will probably try something when I'm not around. It'll be the three of them against you."
Ginny was staring at him wide-eyed, but before she could respond, someone else walked into their compartment. It was Neville, so he joined them, sitting next to Ron. He greatly enjoyed the story of Ginny hexing Malfoy.
When the train ride was over, Ginny reluctantly left the others to ride the boats with Hagrid and the other first years, while Hermione got to ride the horseless carriages with Harry. Ginny could just picture Harry choosing right then to start dating Hermione. She convinced herself that those two would be snogging in the Great Hall by the time she was sorted.
Her brothers had told her she'd have to fight a dragon to get sorted, but when she'd asked Harry about it, he told her all she'd have to do was put on a hat. Although the rest of her family had all been sorted into Gryffindor, she silently feared she wouldn't be. She thought of the way she'd been sneaking her brothers brooms and worried that the hat would put her in Slytherin. As she watched the others get sorted, she was going over every bad thing she'd ever done in her mind, hoping it wouldn't put her in the Dark House, as she thought of it.
When it finally got to be her turn and she put on the hat, she was silently begging, "Please put me in Gryffindor; Please put me in Gryffindor; Please…"
"Gryffindor!" shouted the hat, causing Ginny to grin broadly as she made her way to the table where Harry was already seated.
She ignored all the applause, except Harry's. She saw the Hermione was sitting on one side of him, while he'd saved a spot for her on his other side. 'We've really got to get this sorted out,' she thought to herself as her brother stared at the three of them.
"Never had any doubt you'd make Gryffindor!" said Harry happily.
"That makes one of us," she said.
"Did you know that hat actually wanted to put me in Slytherin last year?" said Harry. "I told it I wanted anything but Slytherin, so it put me in Gryffindor. I guess once it realized I wouldn't be happy in Slytherin, it saw reason."
"Really?" said Ginny, but before Harry could respond, Percy walked up to her.
"Congratulations on making Gryffindor. That makes the whole family, now. I must admit I was worried with the way you like to disobey the rules, but then I suppose if you consider that even Fred and George made Gryffindor, I didn't have much to worry about. I'm glad I don't have to deal with the shame of having a sibling in Slytherin or Hufflepuff." He began walking away, but Ginny heard him say something about Ravenclaw not being so bad.
"That Percy can just talk and talk and then talk some more," said Ron.
"He really does seem to like the sound of his own voice," agreed Ginny.
-
The next morning when they got their schedules; Harry, Hermione, and Ginny had an extra note that said that they would have lessons with Dumbledore every Tuesday evening at eight o'clock. As they were comparing schedules, Hermione noticed that Harry had an extra class on his schedule. "Harry," Hermione asked, "You have one more class than me. How did that happen?"
Harry looked down at his schedule, and sure enough, in addition to his other classes, he had a class called, 'Advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts,' that was taught by Professor Flitwick. It listed a book that he'd have to order. Harry smiled to himself. "I guess that's what Dumbledore came up with. I asked him for help in learning defense; I guess he talked Flitwick into teaching me."
"That's wonderful," said Hermione, "I heard that Professor Flitwick was a dueling champion when he was young."
"That's great, Harry," said Ginny, "I wonder if he'd let me join the class. You've kind of gotten me worried about Malfoy."
-
Hermione had also wanted to join the class, but Professor Flitwick apologetically answered both girls the same way, "I'm sorry, but I'll need to be personally dueling Mr. Potter for the class to be as effective as possible. I don't have enough time to teach more than one student, and Harry asked first. I do have a suggestion though. You may ask Harry to teach you what I teach him. It would be a mutually beneficial arrangement. It will give him a chance to practice what he has learned."
Harry and the girls had taken their first occlumency lesson in Dumbledore's office. It went the same as usual, with the aged professor very pleased with their progress. They all met Fawkes, a magnificent phoenix that had bonded with Dumbledore. The headmaster mentioned the magical abilities of phoenixes, while they gazed at Fawkes in wonder. Hermione excitedly said, "I've read about them of course, but I never expected to see one at Hogwarts."
-
Harry had sent Hedwig to Flourish and Blotts with the order right after breakfast the morning he'd gotten his schedule, and had received the book the day before his first defense class with Flitwick. The professor had told him in Charms class to read chapter one before the first lesson, and that's what Harry did. He was nervous as he opened the classroom door for his first private lesson with Professor Flitwick.
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