Author: Atlantis Potter
E-mail: atlantispotter@yahoo.com
Category: Romance, Action/Adventure
Keywords: Year 6, Harry, Hermione, IMS, Magus
Rating: R
Spoilers: All Four Books.
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
A/N: This is the first chapter in the second book of the Power of Three series. Expect a much darker story. In the first story, I took some unorthodox turns, a bit away from canon. This is not meant to be the defining Harry Potter fan fic. I'm not trying to create canon by any means, so please respect the turns and twists I take you on. I love to hear comments, but please, don't e-mail me and tell me that I'm not writing canon. I know. If you want to talk about flow, read the first story and judge from that aspect. This is my story and I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing. Thanks!
Harry Potter and the Wand of Ariel
"It is strange to be known so universally and yet to be so lonely."- Albert Einstein
Harry sighed audibly as he waved his hand at the teapot. In an instant, it turned into a turtle and he looked at the professor, who was watching him intently, her arms crossed over her chest.
"Yes, Harry, I know it's boring and seems unnecessary, but Professor Dumbledore wanted you to stay at Hogwarts to make sure that your magic was still intact."
"I've been here two weeks and haven't had any problems," he answered, a bit annoyed. He was still agitated with having to stay at Hogwarts by himself and also at Professor McGonagall calling him 'Harry', which seemed entirely new to him. So often, it was "Potter this" and "Potter that" that his mind still stumbled whenever McGonagall called him by his first name.
"That's not entirely true. Both Professor Dumbledore and myself have noticed that something with you is slightly odd." She consulted a parchment briefly and nodded her head, reaffirming her statement.
"But I haven't lost any power, I can still do wandless magic," he nodded towards the turtle that had tucked itself into its shell, "and I haven't any difficulty remembering the spells."
"Yes, I know that, still, I think something happened when You- when Voldemort," she winced as she said his name, "cast that charm on you."
Harry didn't respond and instead stood up, his watch indicating that the session was over.
"Oh, Harry, Professor Dumbledore would like the both of us to meet with him after dinner."
"Alright. Thank you, Professor, see you at dinner."
She nodded at him again and went back to her parchment, now scribbling hastily on the somewhat tattered looking sheet.
Harry stalled a moment, waiting for any further instruction. None came, and he turned from the professor's desk, exiting the classroom.
He trudged through the halls towards the IMS common room. He'd just begun to get used to the empty halls and quiet classrooms of the school. During previous holidays that Harry had spent at the school, there had always been other students and most of the staff stayed on, but over the summer holidays, the castle was deserted. Other than Draco, whom he had not yet seen this summer, he was the only student and as far as he knew, only about five professors remained. It was his first night back in his own room in the two weeks since Hermione had left for the Burrow. Madame Pomfrey had been worried and insisted he stay in the hospital wing until she was confident about his health.
Not surprisingly, the common room was deserted and though Harry had expected it, it was still slightly unnerving. Every sound seemed to echo slightly, from the closing entrance to his footsteps towards his dormitory. He placed his hand on the knob and opened the door slowly, half expecting Hermione to be sitting on the lounge, her head buried in some textbook or another. The room was silent and dark, and he took out his wand. After a few waves, the torches on the walls were burning cheerily, flooding the room with light that quickly burned away the dark shadows and lifted Harry's mood slightly.
He walked to his room, holding his gaze steady on the door, forcing himself not to even look in the direction of Hermione's room. His bed was neatly made and a fire burned in the grate, though he knew at this time of year, it would give off no heat. He walked to his bed and set his wand on the nightstand. He stretched out on his bed, not willing to admit that he was tired. Sighing, he rubbed his hands over his face, realising he should probably shave before dinner. He sat up again and immediately let himself fall back onto his bed. He settled against the pillows, feeling as if a large weight had settled upon his chest. He heard a clinking noise and felt Daryl jump up onto the bed. The small dog jumped onto his chest and licked his face. He smiled as the dog wiggled and jumped on him and he patted her and rubbed her ears until she settled down next to him. Chief Pip was napping at the foot of the bed and Harry wondered who had brought them from the hospital wing. He looked down at Daryl and his mind immediately jumped to Hermione.
The two weeks without her had been lonely and so far he'd only received one letter from her. It had been short, saying only that things were busy at the Burrow with wedding plans and that the Weasleys were well. He'd written to her a few times, but found it increasingly difficult to write letters to her when she wasn't writing back. He closed his eyes as memories of her clouded his thoughts. He thought about kissing her and couldn't chase away the thought that it may have been the last time.
Why did she leave? he thought to himself, before chastising himself for it. He understood exactly why she had left. If Hermione was anything, she was loyal. Despite all of the bad between her and Ron, she still considered him a best friend. Harry knew from her letter that the Burrow was in utter chaos. The stress created by the wedding for Mrs. Weasley was no doubt tripled by the death of Arthur. He knew that it was a good thing Hermione had gone to the Burrow, but deep down, he wanted her nowhere except for with him.
The term at school had been both physically and mentally draining. The lack of research projects and various presentations gave Harry more time to think that he would have preferred at that time. For the first time since he had discovered his aunt's secret, he had allowed his mind to reflect on the situation and it had not left behind any pleasant feelings.
Since he was very young, there had been a large part of him that had hoped dearly for a real family, one that cared about him and loved him unconditionally. The Dursleys had never been willing to do that and it wasn't until he'd come to Hogwarts that he had received something remotely close. His friends and the Weasleys had given him a family. He had mourned his parents even more than he had previously when he'd found out the truth surrounding their deaths.
The previous summer had given him hope. Ami seemed very willing to give him what he had never had and for a short time, he actually felt as if he could have a real family. Even after the Fidelius Charm, he began to develop a bond with Ami and it was the reminder of the bond that had helped him out last year. It had taken him nearly a year to realize how upset he was over her having to go into hiding and how, even without physically being there, she had helped him through the year.
Between Ami and Hermione, Harry knew how he had survived the night in the graveyard.
He rolled over, stretching his arms as he moved. He blinked and looked at the clock. Six o'clock. He sat up and looked down at his clothes. Thoroughly rumpled from sleep, he groaned as he stood up. He quickly changed clothes and grabbed his wand from the table, anxious to get to dinner.
In the countless times that Harry had been to the kitchens, he'd never seen them as inactive as they were during the summer holidays. Much to Harry's surprise, most of the teachers left over the holidays and the few that remained lived lives very different from what Harry saw during the school year.
Professors Snape, McGonagall and Dumbledore were all seated around a table. Snape was holding a copy of the Daily Prophet and was reading allowed from an article.
Dumbledore noticed Harry first and Snape stopped abruptly as he too noticed Harry.
"Good evening Harry, how are you feeling today?"
"Better, sir, thank you."
"Wonderful. I was telling Professor McGonagall earlier that I would like to meet with you both tonight to discuss what happened in the graveyard."
Harry nodded as he sat down in the only empty chair, which was next to Professor Snape. Snape barely acknowledged Harry, only slightly nodding before unfolding the paper and reading it again.
As soon as he was seated, a group of house elves scurried forward, depositing plates and dishes onto the table. Harry served himself and began half heartedly eating his shepherd's pie. As he was pushing his food around his place, he heard a small noise from Professor Snape. He looked up to see Snape sneering slightly at the page.
"Severus, is something wrong?" asked Professor McGonagall, a note of concern in her voice.
"Listen to this. 'Due to the current recession in wizarding business, Minister of Magic, Bernard Connolly, announced today that all shops not owned by those of wizarding blood in Diagon Alley will be closed from the first of August through the second of September,'" Snape read aloud from the paper.
Harry knit his eyebrows, finding the announcement to be rather strange. He noted the Professor McGonagall looked stunned and Dumbledore looked adamantly concerned. "Why would they do that?" Harry asked Professor Dumbledore.
"In a wizarding slump, you can't very well have a bunch of mudbloods running the shops in Diagon Alley," came a voice from behind him.
Harry turned and was surprised to see Malfoy standing a few feet away, wearing a very haunted look on his face. Harry saw a shadow near his brow line and knew that this was where he'd been injured in the graveyard a few weeks prior.
"Malfoy!" McGonagall said, anger obvious in her tone.
"My apologies Professor McGonagall for the use of that particular term, but it's the truth. Everyone knows that the most popular shops in the alley, like Quality Quidditch Supplies, are owned by wizards that aren't from old families."
"Be that as it may, I don't see how it is relevant-"
"Minerva. He's right," Snape interjected.
Harry looked between McGonagall, who was wearing a mask of anger, and Snape, who seemed to have recovered from his earlier shock. He wondered to himself what exactly was going on and turned towards Professor Dumbledore, who was also eyeing the two teachers.
"Draco, won't you have a seat?" Dumbledore said as he summoned a chair, "there are a few things in the paper worthy of discussion this evening, perhaps you would like to join us."
Malfoy didn't respond, instead moving towards the chair that Dumbledore had placed directly next to Harry. He didn't look at anyone as he sat down, only moving a bit to allow a house elf to place a plate in front of him.
"Professor Dumbledore, why would Connolly close the shops? Won't that anger a lot of witches and wizards?" asked Harry.
Snape and McGonagall both shifted in their seats. Dumbledore ignored them and looked directly at Harry.
"I'm afraid, Harry, that the wizarding world has gone through a great many changes in the past few months. Connolly has been gathering supporters in favour of tighter restrictions for those not born of purely wizarding blood."
Harry was admittedly very surprised to hear this. He had not read an issue of the Daily Prophet in some time as the work load towards the end of the year had greatly increased. "Does anyone know who he really is yet?"
Snape had been moving a fork full of mashed potatoes towards his mouth and stopped abruptly at Harry's question, raising his eyebrows inquisitively.
"I'm afraid Harry, that is not possible for us to reveal that at this time. The Ministry is unstable enough as it is right now. We're very unsure of sides," he responded, his voice lowering as he said this. "Things are generally unsure actually. Voldemort has gone quiet in the past two weeks and there have been no reports of Death Eater activity in that time. It's almost as if the entire side has disappeared, with the exception of Connolly."
Harry struggled to wrap his mind around this. Truthfully, he had expected near chaos after the incident in the graveyard. With a charm as powerful as the Veneficus Quies in his arsenal, Harry was shocked to hear that Voldemort had become eerily silent. "What is Connolly up to?"
"Mostly just gathering support for pureblooded wizards. He placed into effect a few 'economic sanctions', such as the closing of the shops in Diagon Alley. There have been other things too. Curfews, trade restrictions, etcetera."
"It sounds like the Holocaust before World War II."
"Indeed," interjected Snape, raising his eyebrows again.
Harry, slightly annoyed, narrowed his eyes at Snape and looked again at Dumbledore.
"He's also made public his anti-Muggle sentiments. The unsettling part is that a great many people in our world are beginning to agree. Families are losing money, the older families have withdrawn their savings from Gringott's, and people are beginning to get restless with the slump in our economy."
Harry nodded. He was mentally processing everything Dumbledore was saying and was a bit anxious to go back to his dorm to write to Hermione. McGonagall continued her questioning of Draco about the shops in Diagon Alley and Harry's mind began to wander.
Dinner was cleared away quickly and the house elves brought desert. Everyone ate in relative silence. Harry's thoughts had moved to the meeting he would be having with Dumbledore and McGonagall after dinner. He had thought up until this morning's lesson that he was recovering well, but McGonagall had noted that something was still off. He was more than a little worried at what Dumbledore would say. He blocked any thought of no longer being able to continue in IMS, instead focusing on his Yorkshire pudding.
Dumbledore cleared his throat after the desert had been taken away. "Harry, Minerva, I believe we have a meeting to attend," he said.
His stomach turned over as he stood from the table, following the two Professors from the kitchen. They walked in silence during the long trek to Dumbledore's office. Harry kept his eyes carefully trained on his shoes the entire walk.
"Ice mice," Dumbledore said softly when they reached the stone gargoyle. After a short moment, it jumped back and the portion of wall behind the statue slid back, revealing the circular staircase. Harry jumped onto the stairs after his teachers, urging the stairs to move a little slower.
The trip went even quicker than usual and in a few moments, they were seated in Dumbledore's office. Fawkes was perched next to the desk, looking at Harry and trilling softly. McGonagall shifted in the seat next to him as he looked around the office, glancing at the snoozing portraits and taking in the strange magical artifacts.
"Harry, how have you been doing in the lessons?" Dumbledore asked suddenly, looking at him over his spectacles.
"Er… quite well, I thought. I'm still able to perform wandless magic and I've been able to handle all of the different tasks that Professor McGonagall has assigned."
Dumbledore gazed at him for a moment before bending his head and looking at the parchment laying on his desk.
"Have you noticed anything different?"
Harry racked his brain, searching for a clue to the right answer. "Well… I think something has been a bit off."
"For example?"
"Erm-I don't have as much control as I did before, I don't think. I can still do everything properly, it's just that there seems to be a bit more force behind the spells than usual."
Dumbledore nodded. "I think, Harry, that what happened in the graveyard changed your magic. We have known for some time that you are exceptionally powerful and its only been in this past year that your Magus powers have begun manifesting themselves. I've believed for several months now that it was only a matter of time before the powers reached their fullest potential. Under normal circumstances, the powers would grow as you did."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, more really, that you would grow into your powers. There are a great many things that come to a Magus naturally, and I expected that you would eventually gain use of these talents. However, I think that Voldemort pulling the charm out of you caused your powers to grow much faster than they should have. It is my belief that that is why you're having difficulty controlling your magic."
Harry nodded, puzzling over Dumbledore's words. He reminded himself that he would write to Hermione about this as well.
"Have you spoken with Amarante recently, Harry?"
Harry's head snapped up. "No."
"Your aunt has spent the past year working with Rachel to better understand your powers. Rachel is a magical historian and was able to help Amarante learn a great deal. I have arranged for you to meet with both of them once a week until we feel confident in your ability to control the magic."
"Hermione's mum is a magical historian?"
"Yes. I personally believe that she read Hogwarts: A History to Hermione when the girl was very young," Dumbledore said, with a hint of amusement in his voice and the familiar twinkle back in his blue eyes.
"That would explain a lot."
"Indeed. You will be meeting with them Wednesday evenings after dinner, if that is agreeable for you."
Harry raised his eyebrow. "That will be fine."
Dumbledore nodded. Harry looked at McGonagall, seeing that she had nothing to add to the discussion. He faced Dumbledore again.
"One last thing, Harry. Have you considered the events of the graveyard?"
"How do you mean sir?"
"I think it is of utmost importance that you find a way to record the events. I believe a Penseive may be key into greater understanding of the Keys. I have several books on the art of Pensieve crafting, if you're interested."
"I have a book, sir. I'll look through it tonight."
"Very well. You may see either Professor McGonagall or myself for any materials you may need, though I imagine Professor Snape will be much more helpful during the potion brewing process."
Harry nodded again as Dumbledore stood up. McGonagall stood as well, motioning for Harry to follow her from the office. He said goodbye to Dumbledore and followed his head of House. As soon as they had reached the stairwell, she turned to him.
"Are you going to work on the Pensieve, Harry?"
"Yes, Professor McGonagall."
"Very well. What book do you have about Pensieves?"
"I believe it's called 'Clearing Your Thoughts: Instructions on Pensieves'."
She nodded. "Excellent resource. I must get back to my quarters, Harry. Have a good evening."
"Good night Professor."
She nodded once more and turned down a narrow, dark hallway. Harry continued down towards the Entrance Hall, heading back towards his dorm.
He reached the entrance and gave the password. The door opened and bright light flooded from the common room. Harry blinked and walked cautiously through the door. He saw a blond head over the top of the sofa and groaned inwardly.
"Close the door," came a monotone voice.
Harry rolled his eyes. The door closed automatically and Malfoy knew it.
"Don't be stupid," he replied.
"That's rich, coming from you."
Harry strode to the front of the couch in front of Malfoy. "Do you have a problem?"
"With you? Why would I have a problem with you?"
"If I knew, I wouldn't be asking."
"Did you end up in Gryffindor based on your wits alone?"
Harry raised his eyebrows as the blond boy looked up at him. "Well?"
"Potter, do you have any idea what happened in the graveyard?"
He narrowed his eyes in response as Malfoy stood up to glare at him face to face. "What?" he said, taking the bait.
"I saved your arse, that's what."
Harry had not expected that answer. His eyes widened as he saw a dark fury cross over his schoolmate's eyes. "I-I know."
"Hmph," came the reply. Malfoy picked the book he had been reading off of the lounge and pushed past Harry, heading towards his own dorm. Harry stood rooted to the spot, shaking his head for a moment before moving towards his own room.
The dark lounge room was strangely chilly as Harry turned up the torches. He left a few lit as he crossed towards Hermione's room. He hesitated a moment at her door, feeling odd just walking into her room. Instinct had him reaching up to knock before he shook himself. He opened the door with a loud creak, the room mostly empty and very dark. He lit a torch next to the door and walked in quietly. The emptiness of the room made him feel very lonely. He quickly walked to Hermione's bookcase, smiling in amusement at the gaping holes where she had removed books to take to the Burrow.
As expected, the books were neatly alphabetized and he soon located the book on Pensieves. He pulled it from the shelf, running his eyes quickly over the other titles. Nothing caught his eye and he grasped the book close to him, blinking out the torch and exiting her dorm.
He crossed to his own room, which was lit and warm. The nights had been surprisingly chilly lately and the house elves had kept a warming fire burning in the grate in the evenings. He tossed the book onto his bed, walking towards his bed. A parchment envelope and a thin, square package were resting on the bed. He picked up the envelope and immediately recognized the handwriting. His heart fluttered as he broke the seal and pulled out the enclosed letter.
Dear Harry,
I hope all is well at Hogwarts. I miss you terribly. I've been thinking about you every day. The mood at the Burrow has shifted dramtically. The sorrow that enveloped the house has diminished in the hustle and bustle of wedding preparations. If everything continues as smoothly, I told Molly that I'd like to come back to Hogwarts a few days early. I told her I'd like to see my parents before the castle is swarmed with wedding guests. I talked to Penelope this afternoon and they are expecting some four hundred guests! The wedding should be beautiful, I'm very excited. Promise me a dance?
I'm not sure whether or not Professor Dumbledore has spoken with you. Before I left, he mentioned to me that he wanted to make sure you were able to remember everything that happened with Voldemort in the graveyard. He suggested that you might try a Pensieve. I agree with him, but from the book you gave me for Christmas, I know that they can be very difficult and time consuming to craft. I thought in the meantime, there is another method for remembering. I would have sent this sooner, but I only just today had the opportunity to get down to the village. I hope you'll find this useful, there's something about Muggle notebooks that make them better for diaries than rolls of parchments. I've kept diaries all my years at Hogwarts, it's fun to go back and read them. I know this won't be quite the same, but maybe it will become a habit. Maybe if you kept a diary, you'd better be able to keep your thoughts in order.
I thought also that both you and I could use this journal as a sort of record of the information we find on the Keys. I haven't had much chance to do any research yet. You wouldn't believe how mad things have been around here. I miss you and wish you were here. I can't wait to see you. Only a few more weeks.
Love from Hermione
He sighed and sunk to his bed, feeling as if he'd just been hit by the Knight Bus. Running his hands through his hair, he looked at the square package. He tried to take his mind off of missing Hermione and picked up the package. He tore off the brown paper and a familiar book fell into his lap. He picked it up, surprised that Hermione had sent him the journal that they had discovered earlier that year. She practically hadn't let it out of her sight since they'd figured out what it was and was surprise she'd sent it by owl. Then again, Hermione trusted her post owl more than any other. He pulled off the rest of the paper, revealing a shiny, green spiral notebook. It reminded him greatly of the ones Dudley used to take to school. He always ended up with second hand notebooks, as Dudley never used his, opting instead to toss them into some drawer where they yellowed and collected dust.
He flipped open the cover, slightly enjoying the crisp whiteness of the lined pages and the slight scent that came off of the new paper. He smiled to himself as he flipped the pages, feeling a bit like a child at the excitement over the new notebook. Every page was blank and untouched. Tucked inside the spiral binding, he found a blue pen. He picked up both items and moved towards his desk. Setting them down, he picked up a quill and pieces of parchment.
Dear Hermione,
Thank you for the diary, it's perfect. I had a meeting with Dumbledore after dinner tonight. He did suggest that I make a Pensieve. I took the book out of your room, but I haven't had the chance to look through it yet. The two weeks since you left have been pretty uneventful. I've been having daily lessons with McGonagall. She and Dumbledore think that the spell Voldemort used unlocked my Magus powers. I'm going to be working with Ami and your mum for awhile. Did you know that your mum is a magical historian? Maybe I should ask her about the Keys. There's some strange things going on lately. I don't know if you still receive the Daily Prophet, but Dumbledore said there are some things going on relating to the Muggleborns. Dumbledore thinks that you might be in danger, because the Ministry has begun clamping down on people not of pure wizarding blood. If what he says is true…Well, just... be careful. Okay?
Harry
Harry scratched his name quickly on the parchment and blew lightly on the paper, waiting a moment for the ink to dry before folding the parchment and sealing it. He looked towards Hedwig's perch and the snowy owl flew to him, landing and stretching out her leg. Harry tied the letter to her and she nipped his finger before taking off through the open window.
He picked up the journal again and opened it to the first page. Hesitating, he picked up the pen off of his nightstand and scribbled the date on the top line. He held the pen poised over the line, wondering what exactly he should write.
Thanks to everyone who review VQ. Also, thanks to Elliott, my beta reader. Please review! For updates, art, and ficlets visit The Power of Three! at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/powerthree .