I don't own Harry Potter. Really I don't.


For the fifteenth time that morning Harry Potter's eyes centered on the middle of the model in front of him. For the fifteenth time his began to release a little of his magic to break one of the edges between corners. And for the fifteenth time all eight corners separated from each other leaving the model completely destroyed. Septima Vector sighed, and moved toward Harry.

"Alright that's enough for the moment. Harry you are learning to control the flow of your magic very quickly, but your magic is still wholly unfocused."

"Unfocused?" Harry wasn't exactly sure what she meant. He was after all controlling the magic better with the intent of only breaking one edge, what was he doing wrong?

"Yes unfocused. Think of a piece of glass Harry. Now if I were to push against the glass with the end of a thin metal rod what would happen?"

"The glass would break."

"Correct. No if I were to spread that pressure across the whole surface of the glass, would the glass still break?"

"Er, I guess if the pressure wasn't terribly great the glass wouldn't break."

"You're right Harry. Remember that Magic's energy connects everything. To manipulate something we push a bit more energy over a particular connection. Right now you are releasing your magic over the connection with the intent of breaking an edge so it breaks, but because you aren't focusing the magic and your magic is strong enough it spreads across multiple bonds and thus completely destroys the box. You need to learn to focus the magic so it only travels across the bond that you want it to." He understood that, or at least it made sense, but he had no idea how to accomplish it.

"How do I do that?"

"I don't know." Harry's eyes went wide. There were very few times that Professor Vector had said that she didn't know something, and he couldn't remember a single time she had said it about magical theory. "Harry pick up your jaw, and bring your eye lids down before your eyes pop out. I don't know everything and learning to focus raw magic is something only know to those who can control it. That list is very short."

"So how do I figure out how to do it, or if I even can?" He was confused if she didn't know how, how was he supposed to learn?

"Try a mental image of something that makes sense to you. Try thinking of a laser pointed at a particular edge. The better the image is for you, the easier it will be to focus the magic to accomplish that task. Think about what I told you to do Harry. All I said was break one of the edges. I didn't say they had to be pulled apart, I just said that one had to be broken."

Harry thought of different images he might use, and he rejected the first few that he thought of. It wasn't till he thought of the needle he came up with an image that he thought might work. He considered this for a little while and decided that he probably wasn't going to come up with a better idea at least right at the moment. The mental image of a needle point would have to do for now.

"I think I might have something that will work." Honestly Harry wasn't sure at all, but he did believe that he could eventually make the image work.

"Well you could say that with a bit more confidence, but I suppose as long as you can use your will with the image it won't matter all that much." That was not totally true, belief would play a very large role in the future of the research. Right now though, Harry might be able to get away with faking it and belief would come in time. "Alright Harry why don't you try again."

Harry once again began releasing his magic, but this time he visualized the magic traveling down the needle and impacting the model at the tip. Like many times before, the results were not exactly as he intended. He did manage to only break one edge, but that edge was obliterated.

"Harry, I would say that you can definitely use that image. In fact, I think the image may work a bit to well right now. You managed to focus your magic, in fact you exceeded what was needed at this point." Now he was really confused. He focused to much?

"What do you mean? I don't understand, too focused?" Vector chuckled and Harry wondered exactly how much entertainment Professor Vector got from these sessions.

"Yes Harry, too focused. You managed to focus your magic on a very small area, which in the future will be a very good thing. The problem is you still released the same amount of magic and in effect put so much pressure at such a high rate on that one point that the glass didn't crack, it shattered. You will need to learn a bit more control before you can use that image to the proper effect." That wasn't news really Harry knew he still needed to learn control after all they were still working on the first model. "Go ahead and try again."

Harry continued to try to attempt to gain greater control over his magical release for the rest of the morning session and did make some progress by the end. At this point Septima decided to ask a question.

"Harry, do you use anything we try in your other classes?" Although Harry didn't know it, the question was prompted by a discussion she had with several of the other Hogwarts' teachers. It was simple, Harry had shown great progress in just a couple days of practice but apparently had shown no real increased aptitude in his classes. Considering the control that he had already gained, it didn't really make sense that he would still be struggling at simple spells introduced in charms.

"No, should I?"

"Do you think it would help you?" Typical Vector response. Give him an indication of the answer but leave the rest up to him.

"I just don't see how it really relates. I can probably release my magic when I do regular spells, but they would come up completely overpowered wouldn't they?" Harry was curious as to what Septima thought. He had in several occasions thought about trying to use what he learned here in class, but had always thought it might be a bit dangerous.

"It is true Harry that you would probably overpower the majority of your spells for awhile, but the extra practice might help you to learn a bit more control. What about the extra focus like you did today?"

"I guess that some things would work very well." He shrugged.

"Why don't you try it. How about a simple lumos spell? Don't try to control the release on it, but focus like you did earlier."

Now those people familiar with the muggle world and its technology would have a very good idea of exactly what was probably going to be the result. Harry wasn't stupid, he knew what a laser was. He also wondered if this would produce the result his usual forays into experimental magic.

"Lumos." Concentrating on the beam he knew was the point of the experiment he knew was the purpose, he cast his spell. The result was much what he thought it would be. The light could be described as a white laser directed at the model functioning as a target, the result was not unexpected either. It was; however, volatile. The target burst into flames after a couple of seconds. Apparently magical light transferred energy too. With a quick water spell to douse the flames, Vector was ready to talk again.

"Harry, most of what you will learn will be applicable to normal casting as well. Knowing your history, I think you might be interested in exactly what some spells when dramatically focused or overpowered will do. Think about what might happen with the spells you use in class, and if safely possible go ahead and try such things. Well, I see that our time is up again. Shoo!" Harry was unceremoniously pushed out the door, and on his way to Charms.

He thought about what Vector had said. It was a good point, what would a focused Reducto do to a wall?

Unfortunately, He would not be able to test his magic in Charms that day, at least not the way he wanted to. He did attempt to overpower one spell, but the results were nothing spectacular. Not spectacular enough to get anymore attention than he usually had anyway. He didn't want to try anything in transfiguration yet, that was asking for trouble.


Harry's day continued much as usual until after his last class, Herbology. After ward he had decided to avoid detention and instead hang out down by the lake.

"Harry, what are you doing out here?" Harry was at this point sitting under a tree, ditching an Umbridge detention.

"Hi Susan, I decided that I would probably strangle Umbridge if I had another detention with her so soon." Harry had, in reality, decided that he would probably burn her office to the ground if he had to listen to the toad woman again so soon.

"Harry Potter's great act of defiance, skipping." Enter Hannah, who as usual needed to make some comment concerning Harry's more adventurous traits. Harry rolled his eyes.

"That was bad Hannah, even for you." It was after all not exactly up to her standards.

"Well you didn't exactly give me much to work with. I mean it isn't like you stood up and declared You-Know-Who's return recently right." Since Harry had in fact done that recently, several times, he decided that it was better off to just move on.

"So what brings you two down here?" The question brought an amusing response in his opinion anyway.

"Susan." "Hannah." The responses said by each girl in their attempts to each blame the other.

"That wasn't ominous at all." Harry didn't think it was a good sign when girls went out of their way to seek you out, and then avoided the reason why. His fears were increased exponentially when the girls sat down on either side of him.

"Harry we have a problem," spoke Susan. "A big problem.", followed Hannah. "It seems to me." "And to me." "That there are many things that we are not learning in defense." "Like defense." Now Harry was really scared. The twin act meant that there was something that the girls wanted, and most likely he wasn't going to like it.

"I'm not going to like this am I?" He was absolutely sure he wasn't.

"Of course you will Harry." "Maybe." "Harry, we need to learn defense." "I don't want to die." Now he knew he was in trouble. Hannah had played that last part very dramatically. She had fallen onto his shoulder shaking with tears in her eyes. There might have been a fluttering of eyelashes too. He was also starting to see where they were going with this particular drama.

"Why do I get the feeling that you want me to teach you defense?" Susan jumped at Harry's not quite suggestion.

"Harry it is so nice of you to offer." Wait a minute, he didn't offer to teach them.

"Wait I didn't . . ." Hannah cut him off before he could contradict Susan's acceptance of Harry's not-an-offer.

"Thanks Harry, just tell us when you have time." The girls were already getting up and moving away. He wasn't exactly sure how this had happened.

"Hey, wait . . ." Harry got up and started after the girls.

"Oh don't worry Harry, you can just tell us when you have time later." Susan waved him off and continued down the path.

"But I didn't . . ." Harry was stubborn. He wouldn't be alive if he wasn't. The problem was the Hufflepuff's had a plan, and were executing it flawlessly.

"We know you need time to decide what to teach Harry, we'll be there when you're ready." Hannah interjected and the two entered Hogwarts effectively escaping any objection Harry might have had.

"Why does this always happen to me?" He mumbled to himself.

After being roped into yet another thing he wasn't sure he really wanted to do Harry made his way toward Gryffindor tower.


Upon reaching Gryffindor Tower, he found that it would not be the end of the night. Sitting in the common room were both Ron and Hermione. The first was furiously scribbling out something on parchment, the second had a decidedly nervous look on her face. He figure that had something to do with him.

"Harry, could I talk to you for a minute?" Hermione was always direct, well mostly.

"Sure Hermione what do you need?" He privately hoped it wasn't another lecture about his research with Vector. As it turned out he would be pleasantly surprised.

"I want to apologize. I shouldn't have pushed you so hard." She still looked nervous and was currently fidgeting in her seat. It didn't really surprise him, after all the two had never really had problems before.

"Er, no problem."

"It was Harry, it wasn't right of me to try to stop you. I should have let you come to your own conclusions. . ." She was obviously not happy.

"Hermione. Hermione." Harry attempted to get her attention. It didn't really work. She was off on another one of her rants, which was odd as she was currently listing everything she thought she should have done differently. "Hermione!" That got her attention. "It's okay."

"Thanks Harry!" He was summarily subjected to a bone-crushing Hermione Hug. "So where have you been? Isn't it a bit early for you to be out of detention?"

"I didn't go today."

"Harry you didn't go! You'll get in more trouble!" Same old Hermione.

"I couldn't go, I would have done something she'd regret."

"You mean you would do something you'd regret."

"No I don't." Harry meant what he said. Umbridge would have regretted Harry's appearance in detention today.

"Oh Harry, you can't keep getting detention. I know that she isn't teaching anything worthwhile, but it will only get worse if you continue." Harry had considered that already, but Umbridge wouldn't beat him.

"I know Hermione, but people will need to be able to defend themselves. She's going to get people killed."

"I know Harry, and I've thought about it. We need to learn defense and. . ." Harry couldn't believe it. Twice in one day. This could not be happening. ". . . so I thought . . ."

"You want me to teach defense don't you."

"How did you know what I was going to say?" A fair question. Hermione's way was a bit more subtle than Susan and Hannah's. A lot more subtle.

"Susan and Hannah found me outside, they had apparently already decided I would teach them. I was just informed before I came up here."

"Well they are right. You're good at defense, very good. You could probably get an outstanding on the OWL right now." Harry wasn't so sure but he let it pass for now.

"I can't teach."

"Yes you can Harry, I know it." Hermione was adamant.

"She's right mate, you'd be great. Much better than Umbridge anyway." Ron had picked that moment to enter the conversation. His input wasn't the shining endorsement that Harry might have wanted.

"Thanks Ron."


While several Hogwarts' students were attempting to come up with convince a reluctant Harry Potter, a good distance away a man was trying to find ways to silence a vocal one. Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, was at present looking for ways to increase Dolores Umbridge's power at Hogwarts. Hopefully enough to silence the Potter Brat. Help for his task was coming from an unlikely source, Lucius Malfoy had asked for a meeting. It seemed that he felt that the boy needed to be stopped as well.

"Minister I think that it might be appropriate to look up the older laws on Ministerial Decrees in this case." Cornelius had no idea what kind of decrees he was allowed to make, and as such was eager to hear Malfoy's idea.

"Why would I do that Lucius?"

"If I am correct, and I'm sure that I am, the Minister is allowed to make certain legal decrees so long as he can get a majority vote from the department heads, and he puts any decrees up for a Wizengamot vote within a years time." That was news. A majority of the department heads. That would be difficult, he knew that he was for sure down three before the voting even started. Any decree made with this purpose would definitely be something Weasley, Bones, and Hopkirk were against.

"I'm not sure Lucius, several of the department heads would surely be against anything I tried. I'm not sure I can convince enough of the rest. Bones will surely be against it and she does hold a good bit of power. Weasley holds some influence as well." That was an honest answer, but he and Lucius both knew the response.

"I'm sure that enough of the Heads can be . . . convinced." Fudge knew that convincing those people would require bribery, and knew that it was better that he didn't ask.

"Very well Lucius. I will come up with several decrees to silence Potter. I will leave convincing to you." Lucius nodded and left.

"Weatherby!" Calling out for his new assistant. A real suck-up, Fudge liked him immediately. The boy in question rushed through the door.

"Yes Minister?"

"I want to take a larger interest in the education at Hogwarts. I think Dolores has done a fantastic job so far, and I wish to widen her influence. Hopefully this will further improve the school. Please contact the Prophet and have them send over Rita Skeeter as soon as possible."

"Yes Minister." With that the boy left.

"First, I think a promotion is in order for Dolores. High Inquisitor sounds appropriate." The Minister was talking to himself. It helped him clear his head.


At the same time that Fudge was contemplating actions well into the future, a person who left the Ministry in a hurry was approaching a figure dressed in black.

"Master." Kneeling before the man known as Lord Voldemort was Lucius Malfoy.

"Yes Lucius?"

"I have spoken to Fudge, and I gave him the idea of using the old laws to silence Potter. Eventually he will have his pet professor take overt action against Potter." Still kneeling the publicly proud man dared not look up, such action was dealt with harshly.

"You have done well Lucius. Do you expect that there will be any problems pushing him to our ends."

"No Master. Fudge is a weak minded fool. It will take minimal effort to get him to cooperate with our plans. At worst it will take a few galleons, at best he will do it without any influence at all." This pleased the Dark Lord. He wished to come out from the shadows, to have the people quiver in fear, but the shadows remained too much of an advantage. For now.

"Very well Lucius. Return to your duties." With that the blond man left. Riddle grinned. Everything was coming along perfectly.


There was one professor withing Hogwarts which was likely to be one of the first targets. At the beginning of the year it would have been predicted that she would not have been a major target; however, with her recent acquisition of Harry Potter as research partner Septima Vector was now near the front of the line. It was for this reason that a witch dressed in pink was standing in the Arithmancy classroom.

"Ah, Professor Umbridge what can I do for you?" The words were nice but the tone wasn't so cheery.

"I'm sorry, but I heard that you were giving Harry Potter extra lessons."

"You heard incorrectly, he is in fact helping me with a bit of research." The amphibian looked delighted for a few seconds, then looked . . . constipated.

"Hem hem, I would think that given the current situation it would be rather prudent of you to avoid Mr. Potter." A large smile appeared on the defense professor's face. Septima wanted to slap her.

"I don't see how, the boy is doing spectacularly so far. In fact, I believe such talent should be pushed to its limits." Septima's smile was just as big.

"The boy is a liar, such an attitude shouldn't be rewarded. I believe that there are plenty of other students who would be delighted to help you."

"That's funny, I don't believe I can remember him ever telling a lie. I also think that, while there maybe other students who would like to help, I have found the one student who I want to help."

"The boy has lied nearly every time he has spoken in my classroom."

"I do doubt that. I also believe that I have made myself very clear, I want to work with Harry." Vector was getting annoyed now. Frog Lady was pushing her patience.

"Hem hem. I would expect more respect from a professor. You should also remember the Ministry's stance right now. Dissenting opinions are not being rewarded."

"That sounded very much like a threat Professor Umbridge. I'm surprised you would do such a thing. I do know why you are though. Harry Potter scares you." Vector laughed. Harry might not realize it, but the Ministry was deathly afraid of him. Power, charisma, and skill were not something they took lightly. Especially not when that person advocated exactly what they ignored.

"I'm not scared of Potter."

"You are. The Ministry can see what a threat the boy could become. If he wasn't so dangerous you wouldn't spend the first two pages of every Daily Prophet trying to discredit him," Vector spoke with a humorous tone. "If Harry was really unbalanced you would have just announced it, and taken action against him. Instead you try to silence him. It means that you have no case, you just don't like what he says." Umbridge was furious.

"The boy is a liar. He will learn not to defy the Ministry." The voice was a growl.

"I very much doubt that, Dolores."


AN: Alright I have a test in 9 hours so this is a shorter chapter, but in the interest of getting it out before I leave for the fourth I'm cutting it off here. It is also not proofread. I will try to proofread it sometime this weekend and get a corrected version up. I could come up with some reason why I haven't gotten a new chapter up till now but the truth is I was just being lazy, and doing stuff other than writing. Anyway I hope you enjoyed this one.