Exerts from 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban' I do not own anything Harry Potter.
It wasn't only Professor Lupin's departure that was weighing on Harry's mind. He couldn't help thinking a lot about Professor Trelawney's prediction. He kept wondering where Pettigrew was now, whether he had sought sanctuary with Voldemort yet.
Chapter One
Harry dwelled heavily on this, something was coming and he was in the center of it. Harry couldn't help but wonder why he was in the center of it all. Obviously he was 'The-Boy-Who-Lived' but he didn't want anything of this. Personally right now he would love to be just a boy from know where special, two friends and a godfather who watched over him. He didn't want much, he thought to himself. Apparently fate had to stick her dirty nose into his life and ruin it. Once again this year he had faced danger, a death eater, this time the consequences were going to be bad, very bad. This was becoming a trend for him, anyone could see that.
Sighing to himself he looked around at everyone, Dean and Seamus were once again talking adamantly about possible Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers for the next year. Thinking about it Harry couldn't help but wonder about it as well, one teacher who tried to kill him, one teacher tried to Obliviate him and while he didn't consider Professor Lupin a bad person he was still a werewolf. Talk about trends, he looked over to Hermione and tried to catch her attention.
"Hermione, when was the last time a professor of defense held a position here for more than a year?" said Harry, with a look of curiosity.
Hermione who had been reading 'Hogwarts, A History' at the time, flipped through the pages and stopped, running her finger gently down the page she smiled a replied "Galatea Merrythought held her position for forty years."
The Gryffindor's around them were staring at her with a look of curiosity, Dean smiled hopefully and said "How long 'go was that then?"
"Over Forty years ago." Said Hermione looking back at the date, that couldn't be right she thought. "Says here, Galatea Merrythought was believed to be the one of the greatest Auror's of her time, she was even Head Auror for twenty years before joining the Hogwarts staff. In her old age she was said to be a little demented and harsh on the children. Also it's said here that after she retired no one person was able to hold the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts for more than one year."
"So it's safe to say that next year's teacher won't last the year." Harry let the subject drop there as he thought this over. It's too bad Dumbledore couldn't make Snape the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher; he'd be gone the next year. He laughed internally and headed off to bed with a wave.
Another thing had kept Harry up that night. His father and his friends, he couldn't help but wonder how they did it, Animagi at fifteen. They had started the process when they had been twelve. Surely he could do it with Ron and Hermione, maybe in less time with help from Sirus and Hermione. He would try, Dad would have helped me had he been here, Harry thought.
The exam results came out on the last day of term. Harry looked over them dully, still thinking about Professor Trelawney's prediction and what it meant. He had passed potions amazingly enough. He suspected Dumbledore had to step in where this matter was concerned. He wouldn't have put it passed Snape to fail him on purpose, the man was insane Harry thought, looked about ready to ring his neck, then box his ears in.
As the Hogwarts Express pulled away from his second home he couldn't help but think about how long it would be before he would be able to come back. As the three sat down Hermione revealed some rather surprising news that made both Ron and Harry sigh in relief. She had dropped Muggle Studies.
"It wasn't that bad." Looking over to Harry he just stared at her dully and she giggled. "Ok it was bad I admit it. I couldn't stand another year like this one. That Time-Turner was driving me mad. I'll be able to take a normal schedule again next year with you both." She looked around at Harry, who was watching Hogwarts disappear from view behind a mountain. Two whole months before he'd see it again…
"Oh, cheer up, Harry!" said Hermione sadly.
"I'm okay," said Harry quickly. "Just thinking about things that happened this year, you know with Sirus and Professor Lupin."
"I'm sure you'll see them again Harry, Sirus is your godfather after all." Hermione looked confident.
"I know I will" Harry thought about it for a moment and continued. "I was also thinking about my dad you know, and how they became Animagi. I want to try." Harry looked over to Hermione and Ron for their reactions. Surprisingly Hermione was smiling and Ron was frowning.
Ron spoke up first "I've heard stories of people who try Harry, this one guy transformed himself too early and was stuck as a weasel for years, mind stuck as a weasel, and it's a lot of work. Doesn't sound to fun to me mate, the work alone." Ron shook his head.
"I think it's a brilliant idea Harry, we would have to register with the ministry first of course. We could start next year and maybe get it by our seventh year. "
Harry shook his head at that, "I want to start this summer. I have a feeling Sirus and maybe Professor Lupin will help us." Hermione was now frowning. "I read a bit about it in the Library before we left, and I think it would be possible to start the first step this summer." Taking out a piece of parchment he unrolled it on his lap. "I copied this from a book. It's the first step."He handed it over to Hermione to look at it.
"Harry, this is from the restricted section, how did you get this?" Hermione looked worried that he had broken a rule? After all they had been through in the last week. Or was it that fact that he broke a rule in the library, he laughed again on the inside.
"Used the Invisibility Cloak late at night when I couldn't sleep." Harry said looking over at Hermione. Ron looked bored by now. He clearly doesn't want any part of this, Harry thought.
There was about two feet of theory work on the parchment, along with the instructions.
Hermione looked up into his eyes and understood why he would want to attempt this part of the training. "It's mental work, nothing to do with wands or potions." She kept reading on, the theory bouncing around in her head, smiling she handed back to him. "It referenced Occlumency; do you know what that is Harry?"
"Only what it said in the book, which said 'The magical Defense of the mind against external penetration.' I don't know what that means but I think it's some sort of shield for your head. But it only said Occlumency helped the process along didn't it? I mean we don't need to be trained in both." Hermione seemed to be thinking this through as the tea cart arrived in there compartment.
Hermione had never seen Harry eat so much. He ordered everything the cart had that wasn't a sweet or candy. Definitely out of character for Harry Potter, he was a small boy lanky frame. Even at school he didn't seem to eat healthy at all.
"Do 'ou 'hink we 'ould ask Sirus about this?" Harry said finishing a tart. "I mean he's done this before hasn't he?" Hermione looked over to Harry gauging his emotions, reading him as she had learned to in the last three years of friendship. She didn't see anything she knew, his passion for this was by far the largest she had seen him display outside of Quidditch.
"Why are you doing this Harry? I know you want to do it because of your dad and Sirus but there is another reason isn't there?" Hermione looked sharply at him expecting him to come clean.
"It's Professor Trelawn-"Harry said but was quickly interrupted by Hermione but Harry continued ignoring her protests "ey. She predicted something; her voice went all weird and everything. This is the thing that has been stuck in my head this whole time, no matter what I do I can still remember the prediction." Harry looked over to Hermione expecting her to interrupt again but she looked oddly confused, obviously she thought Trelawney was a fraud so why wouldn't she say anything.
Harry continued his story, "Then Dumbledore said 'Who'd have thought it? That brings her total of real predictions up to two. I should offer her a pay raise…' Dumbledore believes predicting the future to be very difficult but he never said it was a false prediction..." Harry ended his little story looking a little out of breath over to Ron and Hermione.
"She is a fraud Harry, mate all that bull with the grim and you dying remember what McGonagall said." Ron was looking down at an exploding snap deck, looking very bored.
"Harry, what was the prediction? What could have spooked you so much?" Hermione was looking at him with caring eyes. He realized then what a fool he had been this year over that broom. Even though she thought Trelawney was a fraud she would still believe him.
"I wrote is down thinking I could get it out of my head." Reaching inside his pocket he pulled from the same pocket as the Animagus instruction a crumpled piece of parchment. Unfolding it he laid it out for her to see on the seat.
It read:
"IT WILL HAPPEN TONIGHT."
"THE DARK LORD LIES ALONE AND FRIENDLESS,
ABANDONED BY HIS FOLLOWERS.
HIS SERVANT HAS BEEN CHAINED THESE TWELVE YEARS.
TONIGHT, BEFORE MIDNIGHT…
THE SERVANT WILL BREAK FREE AND SET OUT TO REJOIN HIS MASTER.
THE DARK LORD WILL RISE AGAIN WITH HIS SERVANT'S AID,
GREATER AND MORE TERRIBLE THAN EVER HE WAS.
TONIGHT… BEFORE MIDNIGHT… THE SERVANT… WILL SET OUT… TO REJOIN… HIS MASTER…"
Ron had gotten up from his seat and read it also, now interested. He looked oddly confused before he spoke. "What does this mean Harry? The Dark Lord will rise again with his servant's aid? Is this a prediction for You-know-who's second coming?" He read it over again and looked up to Harry expecting an answer.
"I think so."
Ron shook his head in disbelief. "This can't be true he's dead, can't be." Looking over at Hermione he had a look that said 'please prove Harry wrong.'
Hermione cleared her throat before rereading the whole thing again, shaking her head as she sighed. "As far as I can tell its true Ron, although Pettigrew wasn't exactly chained down was he? I still think it means him." She thought for a moment looking it over again. "It doesn't say that you-know-who will come back 'tonight' though it just says his servant will 'set out' and he will eventually find his master."
"Oh of course that's much better you-know-who's coming back just not now." Ron scoffed.
"What I mean Ronald is that we have time." Looking over at Harry before continuing "I think Harry came up with the same conclusion when he started to research new magic, but the question is why Animagus?"
"Sirus and my dad were one; I just thought it would make them proud to see me becoming one also." Harry smiled at Hermione literally the cleverest, smartest, most-brilliant Witch he knew, she smiled back at him with a ting of a blush creeping up her cheeks. "You know my dad was brilliant at Transfiguration, McGonagall said so, do you think this could be why?"
She shook her head "Remember Pettigrew needed all the help he could get? I doubt he was any good at Transfiguration that's why he needed so much help."
"So dad and Lupin did his Transfiguration's for him? Must have addled his brains on accident." Harry muttered the last part.
It was late afternoon by now and something truly wonderful happened as their conversation wound down.
"Harry," said Hermione suddenly, peering over his shoulder. "What's that thing outside your window?"
Harry turned around to see a tiny black snitch fly by the window; well at least he thought it a snitch. Harry stood up and pulled down the window and stuck his hand out in attempt to catch it.
Success! He had grabbed the tiny fluff ball. He brought it carefully inside.
He dropped it on his seat and a minuet owl bobbed his head dropping a letter before flying around the compartment annoyingly. Crookshanks looked about ready to eat the little fir ball.
Ron, noticing this, snatched the owl safely out of harm's way.
Harry grabbed the letter before unfolding it and read the post-script. I'll write again soon.
Sirius. "It's from Sirius!"
"What?" said Ron and Hermione as one excitedly. "Read it aloud!"
Dear Harry,
I hope this finds you before you reach your aunt and uncle. I don't know whether they're used to owl post. Buckbeak and I are in hiding. I won't tell you where, in case this owl falls into the wrong hands. I have some doubt about his reliability, but he is the best I could find, and he did seem eager for the job. I believe the Dementors are still searching for me, but they haven't a hope of finding me here. I am planning to allow some Muggles to glimpse me soon, a long way from Hogwarts, so that the security on the castle will be lifted. There is something I never got around to telling you during our brief meeting. It was I who sent you the Firebolt, Crookshanks took the order to the Owl Office for me. I used your name but told them to take the gold from my own Gringotts vault. Please consider it as thirteen birthdays' worth of presents from your godfather. I would also like to apologize for the fright I think I gave you that night last year when you left your uncle's house. I had only hoped to get a glimpse of you before starting my journey north, but I think the sight of me alarmed you.
I am enclosing something else for you, which I think will make your next year at Hogwarts more enjoyable.
If ever you need me, send word. Your owl will find me.
I'll write again soon.
Sirius
Harry opened the envelope and peered inside before pulling out the other slip of paper.
I, Sirius Black, Harry Potter's godfather, hereby give him permission to visit Hogsmeade on weekends.
"Think that'll work for Dumbledore?" Handing it over to Hermione while smiling very brightly she read it and nodded. "Also PS 'I thought your friend Ron might like to keep this owl, as it's my fault he no longer has a rat.' Cool Ron."
Ron's eyes widened tremendously as he looked down at the owl in his lap. Then surprising both Harry and Hermione he held it out to Crookshanks to sniff. He just let out a tired meow and purred. "That's good enough for me," said Ron happily. "He's mine."
Harry read the letter over again still thinking about the prediction and everything that had happened this year; he looked over to Hermione who was now petting her cat while it slept in her lap. He smiled at her and she caught it and smiled back. Her smile is very pretty he thought, that had come out of know where. "Do you think I should write to Sirus about this prediction, and maybe information on Animagus?" She smiled again and his heart sped up slightly.
"I think it's a great idea asking for help, especially from someone who has completed all the steps. Professor Lupin might be a big help to, in this regard. As for the prediction Harry I don't think it'll do much good telling him about it but if it'll help get more information about the steps of Animagi I think it wouldn't hurt anything." He nodded simply before looking into her eyes and smiling again. Their friendship was back but she couldn't help but to notice something different about how he looked at her.
Harry and Ron started a conversation about the Quidditch World Cup that would last the trip and Hermione had requested the parchment back for the Animagi step one. Slowly Harry, Ron and Hermione embarked from the train as with the rest of the students and walked towards the barrier between platform nine and three-quarters. Harry spotted his Uncle and the Mr. and Mrs. Weasley standing a good distance apart and he greeted Mr. and Mrs. Weasley first. Molly Weasley had been known to give world renown, bone-crushing hugs and today was no exception. As he bided the Weasley's goodbye and promised to stay out of trouble this summer, Harry walked over to the Dursley's.
After a short interaction with his Uncle they started out of the station to head back home.
"Harry!" Someone called from behind. He turned around to see Hermione running up from a couple of nice looking people. He smiled at her brightly as she hugged him and she passed Harry the parchment. He nodded his thanks and she surprised him by kissing him on the cheek before running back to her parents with a heavy blush on both her cheeks. He merely stared after her as she went back to her parents. His Uncle Vernon cleared his throat breaking him from his gaze and they continued on home. He touched the cheek once more a blush of his own rising up.
Exerts from 'Human Transfiguration by Albus Dumbledore'
Human Transfiguration can be very complex if done wrong; special precautions should be used and should never be attempted alone. The Animagus transformation is by far the hardest most demanding piece of human transfiguration thus far. I myself have not completed it after finding out my form, I was discouraged, as you cannot choose what you wish to transform into. Occlumency assisted me in this regard, the first step while the easiest step is also the step most people will stop on for the reasons stated above. Occlumency lessened the time this step took but is not required; you must have a strong sense of self if you attempt this step without Occlumency as it is possible to get lost in side your mind. Delving this deep into one's mind can be intensely difficult as you will witness what seems like every known memory you possess.
Twelve days, fourteen hours, and seven minutes had passed since Harry Potter had stepped back into the house of Dursley; it was by far his best summer yet for one simple reason. Sirus Black, his godfather, was a convicted felon and was supposed to be his guardian. Often he would say small things like 'My godfather says he'll be in London soon' or something like that to keep the Dursley's on their feet, he'd keep reminding them about him offhandedly.
Harry stared down at his parchment as he reread it again. He had been trying to 'Enter' his mind for the last seven days, and he was about fed up with the instructions. When he had tried to enter his mind he often got a head ache of epic proportions. He really didn't understand it. The new book Sirus had sent him didn't help much either. He'd gotten a letter and the book just yesterday from Sirus, somehow he'd managed to procure a darker looking book and sent it Harry's way, and it was very useful, tons of stuff about transfiguration but not a lot on Animagi. He'd promise to send Lupin an owl asking for the notes his dad and him had used.
Hermione had sent him, along with the sugar-free sweets, a letter that was quite long. Apparently she had access to her mind already and was already working on step two of the process. He was so frustrated. He pulled out a piece of parchment out and started a letter for Hermione:
Dear Hermione,
How are you? Holidays treating you well I hope? I'm doing fine here the Muggles are being less of a pain since my last letter. Thank you again for the sweets. I'm having a lot of trouble with the first step, every time I try to enter my mind I get a head ache from hell. It's like my mind is blocked off or something, every time I try it hurts worse. Did you have this problem at first? And if you did how do you get past it? Maybe I need to try Occlumency?
I'll write again soon your friend,
Harry Potter
PS – My godfather sent me a book you would love to read. I'll send it along with the next letter.
He picked it up and reread it before folding it nicely and putting it next to Hedwig's cage. He sighed and grabbed the parchment from the library and heading towards the door, it was kind of hot in his room the Dursley's had sealed his Air conditioning off back before his second year started. Of course it was nice and cool outside his room where the air was about seventy-two or so. Not like he cared though he didn't want to hang around inside all summer anyway.
After narrowly missing his aunt who looked on the war path with her flower garden, outside it was hot but not overly so, around eighty-five. He walked down the path towards the Park; he had stuck his Invisibility Cloak into his pocket just in case there were unfriendly people around the park.
Case and point he thought as he spotted the group of bullies walking around the park playing 'beat up the eight year olds' he ducked into and ally before pulling out the cloak and slipping it on.
This had been somewhat of a routine the last five days. His aunt kicked him out of the house around noon the first two days, right when he was in the middle of concentrating and he decided to just start it outside. His new favorite spot was a large shade tree, the biggest one in the area. He would sit down on the side opposite to the park with the cloak on.
Sitting down he made sure the cloak was on so no one could disturb him in this first step. 'You must have a strong sense of self if you attempt this step' A strong sense and self? What did that mean exactly? He shook his head thinking, If Hermione was here she could explain it to him. He looked down to the parchment again he reread the rest of it.
A man once said to me while the eyes are the key to the soul the memories are the body, mind, and self of your soul. If you can access your mind then you can essentially access your soul. In effect if you can access this part of your mind then you are nearly halfway to your magical Core. Every person, animal, plant has a Core which is theorized by some to be the magic that makes the soul move and the soul gives us access to memories, actions, thoughts, emotions everything to do with living. Accessing this Core is what we Wizard's do to access our internal magic source. Some Wizard's have a hard time accessing this core and can therefore be treated like a near-squib in terms of magical ability. The Core is different for each person, animal, plant; human cores tend to be the largest followed by magical animals, squibs, Muggles and so on.
Essentially the Core can be manipulated to meet our needs and in this case of Animagus transformation this is the best way to find your animal. This is step one of the first part of the training to become an Animagus. Accessing the Core through the soul is by far the most effective way of getting the information you require to continue on in your endeavor.
This is obviously the reason why it was in the restricted section. This entire passage had to do with the soul and the instructions on accessing it. He had tried to access his mind seven times thus far all he'd seen was a single string of memories from his days at Hogwarts. He reread the part on focusing and clearing his memories, it was supposed to help him enter his mind with his mind clear.
He closed his eyes and focused intensely on his inner-mind, already a small ting of a head ache had cropped up. Harry pushed memories away as they came, memories of the last year and his second year; his first year flew past him as he was fast approaching the part that blocked him. He sees himself washing dishes during his tenth year at the Dursley's then watering bushes and the grass. A memory he couldn't remember flashed by and he was suddenly reminded of his third year at the primary school in Surrey. The teacher with her hair a violet green color and the trouble that he had got into after school. He hadn't eaten in two days with a small beating. His forehead exploded in pain, this is what was stopping him from entering his mind more. Repressed memories.
Harry exited his strained dream, panting he grasped his head in pain for an undetermined amount of time. It subsided a bit before Harry decided to go back into his nightmarish memories of his youth more determined than before.
Once again he pushed harder through the repressed memory of his teachers not caring about him, bordering on neglect in class as he was ignored by not only his teachers but his classmates.
Frequently he would be pushed to the back of the class forced to sit alone with no one to talk to, another memory of him running in the back of the school from five other children carrying what looked like cricket club and suddenly of him vanishing and appearing on the roof. He suddenly remembered the punishment for this act of magic and he pulled out of the dream once again…crying this time. Repressed memories huh? He thought memories of great cruelty, brutality, and rough treatment. He hadn't experienced anything life threatening, but just barely so.
Harry fell back onto the grass watching the couple of clouds float by, what he would give to just be flying up there right now. He wished Hermione was here to help him… he wished he had someone to talk to. He shook his head; there was nothing that could be done by over thinking this stuff now. It was over with and nothing could make him return to being a beating ignorant little boy. He resolved himself once again before focusing again.
He pushed through all the memories this time he wanted, no he needed to get through this time. He stopped, his earliest memory, one that he had been reminded of during his entire third year of school at Hogwarts.
His mother was lying next to him calmly as he giggled and she cooed him, James sat in a chair reading a book. He looked up with a worried look as Lily also looked up with a frightened look. James jumped up and peaked out the window. He looked back at his family with loving yet fearful eyes. "It's them, Peter has been compromised." James ran franticly shooting fire from his wand into the fire place. He tossed a small amount of green powder into the flame and it shot back a purple flame. James looked down to his child, and then into the eyes of his beloved he resolved once again to protect his family. "Lily, take Harry and Go, I'll hold them off while you punch a hole in the wards to escape."
She looked up to James, her beloved, possibly for the last time. A tear fell from her eyes as another ward fell and everyone felt it. She nodded and ran upstairs pausing for only a moment; Harry watched the interaction between his Mother and Father for what would be the last time. Another ward came down and apparently this had been the last as the front door shot forward smashing into the wall.
"Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off —" The sound of a blasting curse sounded in the background as Lily shut the door with a bang and began chanting and activating runes on the door. She was fanatically adding her own protections as fast as possible. But apparently too late as she quickly backed away from the door and shielded Harry in his crib. The door came flying off its hinges and smashing down to the ground as Lord Voldemort entered his room, he couldn't see him of course.
"Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!" His mother begged him. She pleaded in every sense of the word as Voldemort stepped forward.
"Stand aside, you silly girl or you will die."
"Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead please!" She was still pleading with him as he approached and as he lifted his wand Harry could just barely see the face of the monster that killed his family.
"Stand aside now, you foolish little mud-blood!" Voldemort was close enough for Harry to see him raise his wand towards Lily.
"Not Harry! Please have mercy… I beg you have mercy he's just a child!"
"Avada Kedavra." Voldemort said coolly as Harry cried for the first person who had loved him, he somehow knew what had just happened. Voldemort once again held his wand in a tight grip with one hand and another object in the other hand before he smiled and cried "Avada Kedavra!"
An Emerald sea searing pain was all Harry knew now he was kicked out the dream so fast he bopped his head on the tree and passed out.
Harry awoke to a dog barking nearly an hour later, his head ache was subsiding quite quickly and he reflected heavily on his first memory. Although it faded fast he hoped he could keep that first vision forever. The one with his mother cooing him and his father smiling down reading a book, his only memory of them had been of their deaths. He smiled sadly in remembrance.
His resolve intensified a thousand fold in that one moment, he didn't know why Voldemort had picked him but he knew now that he would have his revenge upon him. He sat up against the tree and checked the time on his wrist watch. 3:34 PM, it was getting late already but stubbornly he took one last try getting through the thick layers of memories surrounding his Core. Piercing through with brutal force he saw his first memory again and pushed it aside as a blinding flash of emerald green light shown into his eyes before he quite literally dropped to the floor panting.
A low humming sound emitted from a huge ball of green light in the middle of a room. He nearly whooped right then and there. Doors around him had notes, one read memories, another emotions, love, happiness, it went on and on, a door for each piece of him, and one black door with no title or tag or identification near the back made him cause. He walked the pathway of light towards his own Core, ripples spreading out like a rock skipping on top of the lake each time he walked.
Slowly he approached the ball looking around for some sign of an animal like the book had suggested, nothing had come... yet he knew something was there watching him, he could feel it. Harry closed his eyes and reached out to touch the sphere of magic, slowly he touched it. It felt great, invigorating even, power so much control he could feel it all in his body as he touched it.
Harry felt a sharp pain in his hands and quickly opened his hands; a tendril of black magic wrapped itself around his arm. Searing pain flashed inside his mind as it crawled up his forearm heading for his head. The sound of a great eagle filled his ears as something huge swooped down slashing through the black tendril. He knew then it was time to leave.
He awoke from his mental escapade with sweat trailing down his back and his scar hurting; he quickly stood and realized his energy was quite drained. "Shit" Harry cursed out as he staggered for a moment before leaning back against the tree again. The Cloak had by now fallen to the ground and he stood in plain sight. He reached down and picked up the parchment and his cloak before staggering back 'home.'
He plainly remembered what happened in his Core. It was so vivid in his mind right now that he had no trouble writing it down on two pieces of parchment before sending it out to Hermione and Sirus.
Lots of Errors here because of how I transferred from word to Open Office.