Chapter 3:
Harry Potter lay on his bed, lying next to him was a small blue book. The book, wasn't much, it didn't even cost Harry much, but in the short time he had owned it, it had become one of his most important treasures. It was his lifeline to the magical world.
The still form on the bed smiled briefly as writing appeared on the page.
"- the Concussion Curse, known in some circles as the migraine Jinx, when cast on target causes a slight concussion. This means that the target will have great difficulty casting spells and functioning properly. There is no counter spell. Being as there is no spell to cure head trauma, however potions, and rest will stop the affects.
The incantation is Capitis Dolor."
Underneath the writing, the name Terry Boot could be seen.
The text was joined by similar writings, one by Michael Corner, which instructed on the Caterwauling Charm, which was basically a wizard alarm system. Fred Weasley, who had added a complex Healing Spell, it was called the Purging Charm, and it would remove most curses from a person. Although the some of the more complex curses alluded it, the incantation was Expurget Malum. But that was Okay because George had added its more powerful brother the Evil Destruction charm. Which was on par with the Patronus charm. It's incantation was Purget Omni Malo and it could remove ninety nine percent of Dark spells. The differences between the two spells, aside from power, are that the Evil Destruction charm and the Purging charm was that while they both removed dark magic from people the Evil destruction curse could remove the magic from objects as well. Although the Evil Destruction Charm was useless if the object had been spelled to resistance outside magical interference on the object. The other difference is that the Evil Destruction Curse could not heal skin along with removing dark magic.
There were other's, the book was getting up to around a hundred spells. The problem was that Harry had only learnt the theory of them. As he was stuck, at the Dursley's, were the Ministry of Magic would detect and punish him for it.
He sighed, as he move the book to the side, reaching instead for the two way mirror, which Harry thought, functioned along the lines of an fifty way mirror. The mirror was blank, again. Harry groaned, that left him all of two things to do. One was read through his blue book, again. The other was work on a magical meditation exercise the D.A had found. Which was supposed to make it easier to cast spells and access your magic. Harry couldn't tell if it worked, even though he'd done it for two hours every night for something to do.
Groaning quietly at how monotone his life had become in the last month and a half, Harry rolled off his bed, the mirror had become quite useless, as when Dumbledore found out he had one they had changed their communication devices. They had copied the D.A's coin idea, except they had used dog tags, which were larger and allowed more words to be sent in a message.
That didn't really matter to him though, as Fred and George had managed to nick Dung's, and promptly hack into it, back jacking on the messages they sent. In hind sight, Harry really had to give those two more credit, he had discovered in the last month and a half that most of the things they came up with were genius, not just the idea's, but some of the magical arithmetic had Hermione running in circles.
However that wasn;t the only change that had come over the Order since his imprisonment in Pivott Drive, Ginny and Hermione, had managed to find a way to eavesdrop on Order meetings in Grimmauld place. And it was discovered that the reason he had spent a month and a half here was as a punishment for all the things he had done the last school year. From starting the D.A, too capturing a whole twenty three Death Eater's, the Ministry still had no idea who had done it.
The most irritating thing about the whole imprisonment was that the only people he had contact too were members of the D.A guarding his house. Apparently they had too view his letters to make sure that they were secure. Which was total horse shit, they were really making sure that he didn't have much contact with Ron, Hermione and Ginny. It was part of his punishment, although Dumbledore had wrote him, telling him that he needed to cool his head over the last school year, as apparently it was a traumatic experience.
But Harry was ignoring that, as soon as he had found out, he had gone straight to his blue book, and passed the word around, he was locked up. Ginny had thrown a fit the morning after apparently. But Harry didn't think that hexing everything in sight of her counted as a fit. Although, his time locked up had been used wisely, he had been doing everything he could to train, without actually using magic.
For the month and a half he had been here, he had re-read all the Hogwarts books he had accumulated over his five years there. As he read through his courses, he had taken notes of important parts. Luckily taking notes was easier now, because Fred and George had invented a rubber, which when used could transfer the words from one page to another.
Harry, who had never read thoroughly through the course books, found himself finding his understanding of magic rising easily. The Potions text book was filled with not just instructions for Potion making, but also full of the ingredients' and their descriptions uses, and how different ingredients interacted and for once, he was finding himself liking the subject.
In charms, he was discovering the many joys that came with finding out how the spells are crafted; discovering just how his magic grafted itself into a charm was interesting. He likened it to electricity in the muggle world. Where one would start a circuit with a set amount, and as it went through the circuit the different components would manipulate the flow, amount and use capacitors to create brief power surges. Which, was exactly what you did to create a spell, you took a base amount, and used your concentration to manipulate the magic, to achieve the desired spell.
Then there was transfiguration, and Harry knew why it was his dad's favourite subject. The most important part of the transfiguration was the amount of conviction you put into the spell, forcing your magic into the object and subjecting it to your wishes. And at the same time you couldn't over power the spell like in charms. You only used enough magic to enclose the object, and then it was based on how much conviction to the task you could exert to the task. Using too much magical energy in the spell would result in just making it harder to exert your will on the object, as you had more magic to extend it over.
The other subjects that he had an interest in, Herbology and Care of Magical creatures were more reliant on your love of the subject, and frankly he didn't just have any great interest in them, as it was, he was only going to study them for the ingredients they provided for Potions. And Defence Against the Dark Arts, as always stayed on top, but with his improving in the subjects around it, his potential in it had risen as well.
After he had finished the first to fifth year books, he had snuck into Diagon Alley, and bought his text books for next year, and the Arithmency and Ancient Runes text books for the third to fifth years, thinking that Voldemort had most likely been experienced in those subjects too. And if what the prophecy said was true, and everything in Dumbledore's letter was truthful, then eventually it wold come down to him and Voldemort. Of course when Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Neville and luna had heard it alongside him, they had quickly said that the D.A was going to be a big part of the war. As someone had to clear the path between him and Voldemort.
He had agreed grudgingly and now, every single member of the D.A, well Cho and her friend never did come back, were spending their holidays, hoping between book stores, looking for useful information for their group. Over the course of the one and a half months, they had accumulated a pretty library of information, including everything they could need.
He was half way through his fourth year arithmency book at the moment, things had always come easily for him. That was why it had been so hard when he was younger to conceal his grades from the Dursley's, and when he had gotten to Hogwarts, he had already been acclimatised to the practise. Thankfully during the last year he had slowly been breaking that habit, and by then end of the year it was completely gone.
The change itself, wasn't anything that he had noticed until it was done, it was just the culmination of a few things throughout the year. First, was the fact that it was OWL year, and Hermione had had himself and Ron reviewing everything they learnt each week with her. God how he hated that, they had spent most of their time on potions, the second was, the D.A, and all the lessons he had to plan for it, this workload, on top of the reviewing that Hermione refused to let him stop resulted in him spending the time when he usually fooled around with Ron studding, and of course then Ron, being lonely, decided to study at the same times as him. Hermione was delighted with that, much to Ron's pleasure. The third, and final factor, was that at the beginning of fourth term, the D.A had disbanded briefly. And like a klutz, he had forgotten that he didn't need to study that hard.
Yesterday, his owl results had arrived, the results, were had what finally put the nail in the coffin for his little theory about his study habits.
The letter was now on his desk, alongside his Arithmency book.
Dear Mr Potter
Please find enclosed your Owl results and a letter regarding changes that the Ministry feels is needed at Hogwarts.
Madam Umbridge,
Headmistress of Hogwarts school of witchcraft and Wizardry, High Inquisitor of The Ministry of Magic.
Snorting to himself at the absurdity of it all, Harry once again looked at the letter and OWL results.
Ordinary Wizarding Levels
Pass Grades:
Outstanding (O)
Exceeds Expectations (E)
Acceptable (A)
Fail grades:
Poor (P)
Dreadful (D)
Troll (T)
Harry Potter has achieved:
Astronomy
Practical A+ Paper E total E-
Care of magical Creatures
Practical E Paper E- total E
Charms
Practical O Paper E+ total O-
Defence Against the Dark Arts
Practical O+ Paper O+ total O+
Divination
Practical P Paper A- total P+
Herbology
Practical E+ Paper E- total E
History of magic
Practical - Paper D+ total D+
Potions
Practical O Paper E+ total O-
Transfiguration
Practical O+ Paper O- total O
That had been more then he hoped he would get; seven owls. And he had passed everything he needed to become an Auror. That wasn't all, even though he had failed history and Divination, he had expected those. But he hadn't thought he'd get so higher marks in Potions, Transfiguration and Charms. And then there was DADA, he'd aced it, full marks. He'd like to see Umbridge try to stop him now.
The other letter, the one that Umbridge had sent with his grades was the more troubling one.
Dear Mr Potter
It has come to the Ministry's attention that students at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry have become misguided by the teachings of one Albus Dumbledore. Who is now a criminal on the run from Ministry authorities.
This year it is the Ministry's goal to restore the high performance that Hogwarts students once achieved, and so we have made the following changes to the staff.
Professor Minerva McGonagall, who has been a long term member of the faculty has been removed from her position as the Vice-Headmistress of Hogwarts and has been put on investigation. She has also been removed from the position of Gryffindor Head of House. If her investigation comes back with positive results, some of her roles inside the school will be reinstated.
Professor Severus Snape, who the ministry knows has long held an interest in the DADA position, has been asked to replace myself for this year. And will be teaching a Ministry approved course. His position as Slytherin Head of House has also been removed.
Rufus Hagrid has been removed from his position as Grounds Keeper and Care of Magical Creatures, and he is currently on the run from Ministry officials, if anyone has any information on his whereabouts then they should contact Ministry authorities immediately. As he is of Half-Giant descent and is a danger to himself as well as others he comes into contact with.
Professor Firenze has been removed from his position at the school, and the subject of Divination has been closed.
This year, I have asked the ministry for assistance in filling the positions that have appeared in the school as a result of my campaign to fix the abysmal conditions and performance of studies and students at Hogwarts. Therefore the following will be joining the teaching staff.
Professor Percy Weasley will be joining me as Head of Gryffindor house and the Potions teacher. Many of you may be unsure of my decision because of his young stature and his connection to current students but I can assure you that this will broke no differential treatment in the school.
Professor Walden Macnair will also be joining us this year, as the head of Slytherin house and the Vice-Headmaster, as a precious Slytherin member and long-time Ministry of Magic employee he comes highly recommended and skilled. He will taking up the teaching of Care of Magical Creatures, and he comes highly recommended from the Minister.
I hope that if you have any complaints about this you will contact myself or any of the teaching staff, if you cannot contact us then please kindly leave a notice and reason in the Ministry of magic Foyer.
Madam Umbidge.
This secondary part of the letter is addressed towards Hogwarts Owl students and is highly confidential between the student and the staff.
Mr Potter,
It has come to my attention that you achieved an owl result of Seven OWL's, and on the DADA you achieved over One Hundred Percent from the bonus question.
I would like to inform you personally that everyone here at the school is very pleased with your results, but I digress.
The purpose of this letter is to provide the students under my care with every course they are eligible to take, and that you may select your courses before you arrive back for Hogwarts.
Your choices are as follows:
Astronomy
Care of Magical Creatures
Charms
Defence Against the Dark Arts
Herbology
Potions
Transfiguration
If you could please send me your choices before the start of term, and please remember that you can only take six newt causes.
Also I would like it noted, that I have spoken with Professor Umbridge and she feels that as an award for your performance in your OWL's that the ban on Quidditch be lifted from you. And I would like to take this chance to extend to you the honour of captaining the Gryffindor Quidditch team this year. I will return your Firebolt back to you when the term starts.
Your regards
Percy Weasley,
Head of Gryffindor, secretary to the Ministry of Magic and Potions Professor
Harry had not known what to make of that letter; he had however rejoiced that he could play Quidditch again. And had responded that he would be happy to captain the team and that he would be taking Potions, Transfiguration, Defence against the Dark Arts, Charms and Herbology as he had no desire to listen to more than one Death Eater prattle on at a time.
Of course Ron was doing the same subjects, as he had got O's in DADA and Potion's, though he told him that he had only just got the score and it was only thanks to all that studying they had done. While he had got E's and A's in the other subjects.
Hermione, he found out had got straight O's in everything, except DADA where she got an E.
Though Neville it seemed was taking DADA, Charms, transfiguration, Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures. When asked why he'd take Care of Magical Creatures, he said that someone had to keep an eye on the Death Eater during the lessons.
On the otherside of his desk, there was another letter, telling him that the Order would be moving him three days before his birthday, which was two weeks away. The D.A, once they heard that through his Blue Book, had quickly decided to intervene. And now he would be leaving, with an armed escort, in three days. When the weather Bureau predicted the storm would be strongest.