Chapter 1

Harry was in a dark cave and he was more than a little confused as to why he was there. He had defeated Voldemort…Right? Just six months ago he had finally managed to defeat his long time nemesis. But something about the cave didn't feel right…almost as if… he was on enemy territory. Why was the object he had been sent to retrieve here of all places?

The cave sparkled as if it was made of crystal rock. It looked like something was dripping off the walls, a small amount of the liquid was dripping but not enough to make you think it would potentially flood the noticeably small cavern. It reminded Harry a lot of the place Dumbledore had taken him to just a couple hours before his death.

Though Harry would never quite accept Dumbledore's death without a feeling of remorse he had received some closure from his lucid dream in King's Cross Station. Harry suspected he would never completely accept the beloved professor's death without guilt, Hermione claimed that it had something to do with this "hero-complex" she was always going on about. Ron had steadfastly agreed with her, but that was to be expected. The two had randomly, at least in Harry's eyes, seemed to start up a relationship. Though you would never know, they still argued about anything and everything. The only tell that they were dating, was the sneaking off together to do God knows what. Harry had a pretty fathomable idea, but honestly, that was something he never wanted to think about his two best friends doing.

Harry shook his head quickly as if to get those thoughts out of his mind. He was here for one reason only and that was to complete McGonagall's task for him. He just wanted to get it done and apparate back to the headmistress' office. The cave was getting more and more eerie by the second. He half-expected some inferi to pop out from behind the stalagmite rock. He finally spotted what the former Transfiguration teacher must have been looking for.

In a groove in the corner of the cave sat a small bottle that could have only been planted there by Dumbledore himself. "Accio bottle," Harry whispered. It zipped towards him quickly, which surprised Harry. He had just been attempting the spell; he had never thought that Dumbledore would have planted the bottle there without any protection enchantment on it. However, Harry suspected it was some sort of reverse psychology.

The flask-like bottle had a corked top and the label had the name of some obscure Muggle candy. Lemon drops? Harry assumed McGonagall would understand it however. The bottom of the bottle revealed Dumbledore's initials, A.P.W.B.D.

Harry felt a chill down his back, but when he turned around no one was there. A gust of wind seemed to be blowing into the cave. Harry decided that now would be as good a time as any to apparate back.

A familiar ear-popping sensation filled him as he concentrated on the glittering wall and heard a telltale Crack! as the wall started to spin like a fast forwarded carousel ride. He stumbled forward a bit when it all came to a stop. He nearly considered throwing up in the plant he found himself looking at when he came to a stop. But before he committed the deed he felt the nausea disappear, and he smiled to himself. He was improving on his apparating skills.

Before he could congratulate himself on succeeding without splinching himself, he heard an impatient tapping of a foot on the glossy floor of the headmistress' office. As Harry winced and stood up he saw Dumbledore's portrait wink at him before promptly turning around to receive the full-extent of Minerva McGonagall's wrath.

He had been slightly longer than he had originally estimated. The location, in his defense, had been very obscure and he had accidentally popped into several Muggle homes in the nearby town of County Wicklow in Ireland. That meant memory wipes and putting everything back into place before the Muggles remembered their surroundings. He had to destroy several different versions of a memory involving an oddly tall and gawky teenage boy randomly appearing in someone's home before he had finally figured out that the ink blot had changed one of the names in the address, the address was written on an old piece of parchment carefully tucked into his robes.

When he finished turning around he was brought face to face with a very stern looking McGonagall. While she didn't look particularly pleased with him, she also didn't look particularly angry either. The sheepish look Harry gave her softened her expression slightly. Her eyes lingered on the bottle in Harry's hand before she started walking to her enormous desk chair and motioned Harry to sit. She studied him for a moment longer before she spoke.

"Do I need to explain to you again about the secrecy of our world, and how important it is that it stay a secret?"

"No, professor."

"Then why did I receive a call from Kingsley about a magical disturbance in the normally magic- free town of County Wicklow an hour ago?"

"It was an accident…"

"I know Harry but you mustn't be so careless…"

Harry started to speak again but McGonagall put a hand up to silence him.

"I realize that things happen, and you fixed the problem as soon as it occurred. But I just want you to understand that this can't become a regular problem with you. I will not divvy out a punishment this time but please, don't let it happen again or I will be forced to. Understand?"

Harry sighed and repeated, "I understand."

"Good," she replied, "I believe that we are done here, thank you for retrieving the bottle. You are dismissed." She stood up from her chair and Harry took that as a sign to stand up as well. He slid the bottle across the wooden, intricately- carved desk.

He started to walk out the door down the stone steps. He wanted to check the damage one last time before he apparated back to the Burrow. He suddenly stopped and asked, "Professor, that memory wouldn't have anything to do with anything Voldemort related…would it?"

The stern look upon the professor's face turned into a half-smile of sorts. "No…definitely not Mr. Potter, that I can assure you of," she replied with the most clarity he had heard throughout the entire encounter.

He hesitated before asking, "Then would you mind…Professor… telling me what is so important about this memory?"

"Mr. Potter, this is Dumbledore's last wishes and wisdom for me. As you know the school will be up and running in only a few months and Dumbledore's words should provide some ease to my transition to being headmistress of this school." She seemed emotionally drained as she spoke, as well as determined.

Harry swallowed before finally walking out the door and down the steps past the gargoyle. He knew that McGonagall had subtly dismissed him from the office. The silence was deafening in the once chock-full hallway of Hogwarts. The recently created construction department from the Ministry would be there in a couple of days. He passed the room of requirement and peeked inside.

The room showed a place of relaxation that Harry had sought out for months now. The grief had passed but the Daily Prophet would not stop hounding him. He was also constantly badgered at the Burrow, his new home as the Dursleys no longer had to keep him anymore much to Harry's delight. Mrs. Weasley was the prime violator though she meant well.

Harry sunk down in the couch in middle of the star-filled galaxy that served as a stop in time that he had craved for a while now. He fell into a lulling sleep, before heading back to the Burrow.

Little did he know, Headmistress Minerva McGonagall was experiencing the wonders of Dumbledore's passing words of wisdom in the Pensive. All the while she grew paler and paler by the second.