10th August 1986
Poppy Pomfrey was currently seated in her office at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Normally she took great pride in cleanliness of her work space. A place for everything and everything in its place was one of her many mottos. Although not large compared to the headmasters office, it was still roomy enough to accommodate a good two dozen large filling cabinets. All of which were lined along the rear wall. Opposite these was the wall that divided her office from the main ward.
This was the wall that her desk was pushed against, just in front of a large single paned window that allowed her an unrestricted view of the ward. On either side of her desk were some of her most valuable possessions; her books.
The majority of these she had inherited when she had become the schools Healer, almost forty years ago. During that time she had added to the impressive collection, every time a new medical book was published, it found its way to her.
It helped a great deal that she had managed to save the leg of the son of one of the owners of the magical bookshop, Flourish and Blotts. Alexander Flourish had been at Hogwarts eighteen years ago, when he had been involved in a nasty accident during a care of magical creatures lesson. The Blast-ended Skrewt he had been working with had 'gone off' whilst Alexander had been standing behind it.
It had been touch and go, but she had managed to heal his leg enough that it wouldn't have to be amputated. Ever since then, any newly published book that was even remotely medically related, arrived on her desk.
At one end of the room were her medical supplies, arranged on shelves in alphabetical order. The majority of which were potions, kept in strangely shaped bottles or vials. Underneath the shelves were her supplies of bandages, slings, splints, spare bed linen, crutches and the other one hundred and one things she needed in her busy ward. Her fireplace sat nestled in-between these shelves, with a small pot of floo powder hanging from a small bracket.
The majority of the larger items, splints, crutches, stretchers etc, were kept in a shrunken state until needed. During term time, they were often needed on a regular basis.
The wall on the other end of the office wasn't really a wall at all, more of a large curtain that stretched from wall to wall. On the other side of the curtain were her private quarters. Not much to look at, just a bed and a couple of wardrobes. A door led from here to a simple yet functional bathroom.
The filing cabinets contained files relating to every pupil that currently attended Hogwarts, as well as all of the staff. These files were magical duplicated in St. Mungo's main archive. Just in case a pupil had an serious accident or caught something during the school holidays. Likewise, if anything was added to a students file there, it would be duplicated automatically in Madam Pomfrey's files.
At the moment though, over half of the filing cabinets where open. Files and sheets of parchment were scattered over every available flat surface, including the floor.
Books of all shapes and sizes were amongst them, so many in fact that the shelves on which they belonged looked almost empty. The majority of them where open at a particular page or chapter; some had students files acting as markers.
On Madam Pomfrey's desk, amongst random files and yet more books, were sheets of parchment. All had rough notes written hastily with her large orange Griffin feather quill.
Madam Pomfrey was seated in the stiff backed dark wooden chair, her head in her hands, staring unseeingly at one of the parchments in front of her. Strands of hair that had come loose from the normally tight bun clung to her sweaty brow.
This was how Minerva Mcgonagall found her friend. She had become concerned for Poppy's well being after she had missed supper that evening, and had decided to go look for her. Although not unusual during term time for Madam Pomfrey to eat her meals in her office, it was almost unheard of during the school holidays.
Taking in the state of the office before her, the elderly Transfiguration teacher shook her head sadly, pulled out her wand from her sleeve, and cleared a small space on the floor next to Madam Pomfrey's chair.
With a small flick of her wand she conjured a chair similar to the one that Poppy was sat on. Sitting next to her friend, she gently placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Without looking up from the parchment on her desk, Poppy sighed heavily.
"Nothing…nothing in my books, nothing in the files, nothing at all."
Poppy let her hands fall heavily onto the desk in front of her. Looking at Minerva, she smiled wistfully.
"I'm beaten Minerva, I have tried everything I can think of, there is nothing here, nothing in the schools library, nothing even in the restricted section".
Looking around her, Poppy seemed to be seeing the mess that was her office for the first time. Drawing her own wand, she pointed it at the nearest pile of books. Feeling a hand close around hers, she looked up again at Minerva.
"Let me help you Poppy. You look exhausted".
With a nod of her head, Poppy gratefully accepted her friends offer.
Aiming her wand at the books once more, she started magically arranging them on the shelves. Minerva started on the files, flicking her wand at any lose parchments, making sure that all were once again filed correctly before being put back into the filing cabinets.
Looking at the parchment strewn desk Minerva simply raised an eyebrow at her friend.
"You may as well dispose of it all Minerva, I wouldn't want these to fall into the wrong hands. Not that I found anything remotely useful anyway."
Minerva levitated the Pile of parchments over the now clear floor, and with a further flick of her wand, engulfed the lot in flames.
Ash drifted down towards the highly polished floorboards, disappearing before it made contact with them.
Satisfied that the office once again was as neat and tidy as it always was, Minerva turned towards her friend.
"Would you allow me to get you a cup of tea? And maybe something to eat?"
Poppy nodded, "Yes….yes please Minerva, I've been at this all day. I ashamed to admit that I got so caught up I missed breakfast, lunch and dinner. I don't think I've had anything to drink since last night either."
Had a student seen the expression on the stern deputy headmistresses face, they would have thought that at best that the schools healer was about to get a years worth of detentions, or at worst immediate expulsion.
But Poppy simply chuckled, "don't pull that face at me Minerva, I'm not one of your students. You know me well enough to know what I'm like when I get a Snitch in my bonnet."
"Be that as it may Poppy, you need to take better care of yourself".
Turning her head slightly Minerva called out. "Turpick"
Almost immediately a small house elf appeared. Dressed in a white shawl with the Hogwarts crest embroidered on the front, the elf bowed low to the pair of witches in front of him.
"How may Turpick be of service madam's?"
"Is their any of that wonderful soup left over from dinner?"
Turpick nodded eagerly.
"A bowl of that please, with a few bread rolls, and two cups of Earl Grey tea. With a few digestive biscuits if you would be so kind."
Turpick bowed once more, and then disappeared with a click of his long bony fingers.
After barely two minutes had gone by, he reappeared carrying a tray laden with two bowl of soup, three packets of biscuits, half a dozen bread rolls and a saucer full of butter, as well as cutlery, napkins, two pots of tea and a small jug of milk.
"Thank you for being so quick Turpick, you may place the tray on the desk. We will call for you should we require anything further. For now though, we wish to be left alone. Please instruct the other elves not to disturb us."
Bowing first to the deputy headmistress, as it was she who had spoken to him, he snapped his fingers once more and disappeared.
After Poppy had eaten her fill, she turned to Minerva, who had been waiting patiently for her friend to finish.
"I am starting to think that what has happened to those two young children may be unique. I've been trying to find anything that is even remotely similar, but without any success."
"I assume that you are referring to the two young children that you met a few days ago?" Asked Minerva.
"Yes." Poppy said with a sigh.
Looking around her office her eyes finally rested on Minerva's. "I don't think it would be wise to mention their names though."
Minerva smiled at her friend, "You know what they say about great minds thinking alike? Well I was just thinking the same thing."
Poppy smiled back at Minerva, then glanced at the clock on her wall.
"It's still quite early, how would you like a walk around the grounds?"
Minerva rose from her seat, and with a flick of her wand banished it.
"That is a splendid idea Poppy! I for one could use a breath of fresh air, and after being cooped up in here all day, I dare say you could as well."
They made their way out of the castle by way of the main entrance, and out onto the grounds.
The sun was quite low on the horizon, but they had an hour or so before it was going to get dark.
Linking arms, the two women made their way in the general direction of the Quiditch pitch. "That's a little better, I don't know how he does it, but Albus seems to know everything that goes on in that castle."
Poppy simply nodded in response. "I suspect the portraits Minerva, the castle is full of them, after all."
After a few minutes of companionable silence, Minerva stopped and turned to her friend.
"You said at the Weasley's that Harry and Ginevra's souls were identical. How is that possible? Do you have any idea?"
Poppy lowered herself down onto the sun warmed grass, followed shortly after by Minerva. She allowed the heat of the setting sun to warm her face before answering.
"I've been studying healing for over fifty years Minerva. I thought I had seen everything in that time, little did I know how wrong I was. I can honestly say that I have never seen anything like those two children before. Imagine it! Identical souls!"
Minerva couldn't help but smile at her friends enthusiasm. "I take it that the records at St. Mungo's wouldn't contain records of such a thing happening before?"
Poppy shook her head, "believe me, if anything like this had happened before I would have heard of it".
Mcgonagall frowned, "why then were you searching your records might I ask?"
Poppy sighed, "I don't know, I thought there may have been something I had missed. Obviously I was mistaken."
Poppy and Minerva sat together and watched as the sun sank slowly over the Highland Mountains. Minerva stood first, then offered a hand to Poppy, who accepted it gratefully.
"I can see that we are going to have to keep a close eye on those two children, who knows what they will be capable of. Already they have access to each others senses and memories. As the soul contains the magical core, they will probably be able to share that as well. Who knows what that could mean."
Minerva stopped dead in her tracks. "Poppy, you don't think that they would be able to share other things as well do you?
"What other things?"
"Well, if they are sharing senses, would they be able to feel the others pain if one of them got hurt? And what about brain power, would they be twice as intelligent as other children their age?"
Poppy looked thoughtful for a few moments before she answered her friend. "Yes, I do believe that they can feel each others pain." Then with a chuckle added, "I don't envy young Harry when Ginevra reaches puberty. How many of your first or second year boys would know how to deal with what all young ladies have to deal with during a certain time of month?"
With this Minerva covered her mouth as she stifled a laugh. "Merlin, I hadn't even considered that"
"As for the other point that you raised, I doubt very much if they would have double the intelligence of others. They will however be able to use each others memories. So if one of them knows the answer to a question, they both will. This in its self will cause problems." Ignoring Minerva's raised eyebrow, Poppy continued. "I believe that Ginevra is a year younger than Harry?"
Minerva thought for a few seconds. "You are correct, Ginevra was born in nineteen eighty one. Harry was born a year earlier….."
Minerva trailed off as what Poppy was suggesting sunk in.
"That's right Minerva, Ginevra will be in a year below Harry. Imagine how bored she will be. With this bond of theirs, she will already have learnt everything Harry has during his first year."
Minerva pondered on what Poppy had told her, not being able to find a suitable answer to that particular problem, she decided to change the subject slightly.
"Why did you leave so abruptly after you had examined the children the other day? You know Molly loves to have a chat and wouldn't have minded you staying for a while longer."
Poppy stopped and gazed up at the castle. Only Gryffindor and the astronomy towers were bathed in the last of the setting suns rays. "Because I didn't have any answers for her. You know how protective she is of her children, especially her youngest and only daughter. She would have wanted answers that I simply wouldn't have been able to provide."
Minerva nodded sympathetically. "Yes, even when she was here, once she got a snitch in her bonnet she refused to let go. Poor Arthur, he never really stood a chance."
With that the two Witches climbed the warn granite steps that lead to the courtyard that was in front of the main entrance. Bidding each other good night, they separated and made their way to their respective rooms.
11th August 1986
Harry Potter was sweating so much that his new glasses kept on slipping down his nose. He dare not move though in case he alerted the small rabbit that was only yards away. He and Ginny had been out in the garden since the sun had risen, just over five hours ago. At the moment they were very close to the tree line on the edge of the Weasley's property. He was wearing only a pair of Percy's old shorts, and the grass he was laying face down on was starting to irritate his bare chest and stomach.
Molly had applied the standard anti-burning charm before they had gone out, but that didn't stop him from getting hot. It was going to be worth it though, if he could catch the rabbit he and Ginny had been chasing all morning.
Today was Ginny's fifth birthday, and because she had always wanted a pet of her very own, Harry had said he would help her catch one. He was disappointed that he had nothing to give her, even though he had no money, or any way of getting a present even if he did. At least he thought he felt bad, for all he knew, it might have been Ginny feeling disappointed that Harry hadn't got her a present.
Harry shifted to Ginny's point of view, she was about twenty yards to his left, slightly in front of him. The grass in this area of the meadow was particularly long, and helped hide them from their target. They had been this close before, but the rabbit had managed to evade them all morning. They knew that if it managed to get into the trees, they would have no hope of ever catching it.
Slowly, noiselessly, Harry crept forward on his elbows, keeping as low to the ground as he could. Ginny was moving to, she knew what Harry was doing without even having to 'mind talk' with him. She knew that she would have to make her way around so that she would be in-between the rabbit and the trees. Carefully and deliberately she moved towards the tree line.
Thorfinn Rowle would not have described himself as a patient man, in fact he was anything but patient. He always preferred action rather than inaction. That was one of the reasons why he had been drawn to the Dark Lord when he had left Hogwarts. The last surviving heir of the House of Rowle, he had been encouraged by his Slytherin House mates to approach Lord Voldermort eight years ago, when the Dark Lord had been at the height of his power.
He had been promised power, wealth, and most importantly in his mind, a good pure blood wife that would bare him son that would carry on his line. He had certainly enjoyed the two years that he had been an active Death Eater, the fear he had caused in others was like a drug, totally addictive. Leading him to cause more and more atrocities, all in the name of blood purity. Then the unthinkable had happened, The Dark Lord had been defeated, not by an Auror or Unspeakable. Not even by Dumbledore, the leader of the Light. No, the Dark Lord had been beaten by a one year old child, a Half Blood no less.
He had escaped Azkaban by the narrowest of margins, going to ground for the first few weeks, and then fleeing abroad. He had returned to England when news had reached him of Potters whereabouts.
He had been watching the Burrow for the last two days from his vantage point in the woods. Being careful to remain hidden, he had gently tested the Wards that surrounded the property. His mild probing had told him that the Wards were not going to be brought down easily, if at all.
He had watched the family carefully, expecting a very long wait before having a chance to exact his revenge on the brat that had brought his world tumbling down around him.
Rowle couldn't believe his luck when, on the third morning of his vigil he saw his intended target approaching very near to where he was hidden. All Potter had to do was cross the Ward line and vengeance would be his. The other child, a little red headed girl was of no consequence. If she tried to interfere, it would be the last thing she ever did.
He waited in the shadows of the thickly growing trees for them to get a little closer, thirty more yards and they would be completely unprotected. Rowle could clearly see Potter now, the jet black hair, black round glasses, thin gaunt features and pale skin that stood out in sharp contrast to the long sun dried grass that he was laying in.
The two children were obviously concentrating on something, he followed their stares to a point about twenty feet in front of him, slightly to his left. A rabbit, sitting up on its hind legs, whilst lazily chewing on a dandelion leaf. So that's what they were doing, they were trying to catch the rabbit.
Rowle knew that no spell, hex, charm or curse could ever breech these Wards, so he would have to wait, and hope that fate was on his side.
The rabbit hopped slowly away from Rowle, keeping roughly parallel to the tree line. This was not what he had hoped for, as it was leading the two young children away from him. Desperately he searched for additional cover, closer to where the children were heading. Cursing his luck, all he could see were wide open spaces between the trees, with little or no undergrowth.
Desperation took over, silently he tapped himself on the head with his wand, Disillusioning himself. He knew that he would not be rendered completely invisible, the air around him would shimmer when he moved. But he was willing to take the risk, hoping that the two youngsters would be so engrossed with following the rabbit that they wouldn't notice him.
Darting from cover to cover, Rowle slowly followed the two children as they stalked the rabbit. Once, when there was little cover between the trees, he thought Potter had spotted him. After standing stock still for a few minutes, the boy's attention returned to the rabbit.
Harry, and through him, Ginny, was getting more excited. The rabbit hadn't spotted them yet, and was making it's way towards a steep bank where they should be able to corner it and catch it between them.
Slowly it hopped along the tree line, occasionally standing up on its rear legs to have a look around, all the time Harry and Ginny kept close enough to see it, but far enough away that it wouldn't be scared. Harry had thought he had spotted movement in the woods at one point, but after looking carefully, was unable to see anything.
Inevitably, or so it would seem, the rabbit started moving towards the thinly growing trees. They were still about twenty yards away from the bank, and the rabbit could easily escape if it took off. Harry and Ginny froze as one, all of their combined senses concentrated on the rabbit in front of them. It hopped up to the nearest tree, raising on its hind legs as it sniffed at the it. The two children decided that if they were going to have a chance of catching it, they would have to move now.
Harry sprang to his feet, and ran as fast as he could towards what he hoped was the soon to be pet. Ginny was right on his heels, willing him on. With five feet to go, Harry dived at the rabbit, he felt his hand close around one of its hind legs. With a vicious kick, the rabbit managed to free its self and darted into the woods. Harry cursed under his breath as he regained his feet and chased after Ginny and the rabbit.
Rowle waited until the rabbit had passed him before stepping out from behind the tree where he had been hiding. Cancelling the Disillusionment charm, he held out his wand as he watched the two children come to a stumbling halt.
Harry had immediately moved in front of Ginny when the stranger had suddenly appeared, attempting to shield her with his body. The stranger slowly, deliberately moved towards them. Never breaking eye contact with Harry.
Move backwards, we need to get back to the wards. If you get a chance, run!
Neither was sure who had spoken to whom. At that particular moment they didn't care. They just wanted to get away from the mean looking man.
Ginny took a step back.
"Make one more move and it will be your last!"
They froze in fear as the stranger got closer. When he was within twenty feet of them he stopped.
"Harry Potter", he sneered. "The great Harry Potter. The Boy-Who-Lived. The one who defeated the greatest wizard who had ever lived. The one who ruined all of our carefully laid plans. The brat son of a blood traitor and his mud-blood whore."
"Five years I've been on the run. Five fucking years! Digging through muggle rubbish bins to find food. I even had to flee the country; and all because of you."
Rowle spat on the ground in front of him, then wiped his mouth on the sleeve of his free hand.
"Time for a little payback me thinks. Have no doubt you little shit, your going to die today. Don't worry about your little friend though, she won't be harmed….. Yet. I've got some friends who will enjoy her company."
Rowle laughed manically as he looked past Harry at Ginny.
"I'm going to have fun with you first, it'll sort of make up for the suffering you've put me through."
With that he waved his wand around his head, putting a silencing charm up around them. After all, he couldn't have the boys screams attracting unwanted attention.
Rowle pointed his wand once again at Harry. "I'm going to enjoy this!"
"CRUCIO!" He roared, watching the bright red beam of magical energy streak its way towards Harry.
Harry and Ginny were more afraid than they could ever remember being. More afraid even than when Harry's uncle had locked him in the cupboard.
They listened to the man as he ranted, understanding little. They knew he meant to harm them, why though, they were unsure of.
Time seemed to slow for them as they watched the man cast the curse at Harry. They watched the beam of magical energy as it made it's way towards them. Instinctively, Harry raised his hand as if to shield them, his palm open and facing towards the man. Harry's other hand was wrapped around Ginny's back, pulling her into his back. Shielding her.
The beam was now within five feet of them. Four feet, Harry could feel his magic react to the threat. Three feet, his magic was travelling down his outstretched arm. Two feet, his magic had reached his hand. One foot, his magic surrounded his hand.
The beam from Rowle's wand hit Harry directly on his palm. Not knowing what to expect, he braced himself.
Harry could feel his magic combine with the strangers beam. Without knowing how he knew, he realised that the strangers magic was meant to hurt him. But he felt no pain, none at all.
His magic welcomed it, as if it recognised it as something similar to itself. His magic merged with the beam, drawing the raw energy towards Harry's magical core.
Harry felt energised, he eagerly accepted the new source of magical power as it mixed with his own.
Rowle was worried, very worried. He had expected the boy to be writhing on the ground in total agony by now. But instead he was still standing. The Cruciatus Curse was supposed to be unable to be defended against. So why was the boy still standing?
Then he felt it, the change in direction of his magic. When he had cast the curse, he had felt the magical energy flow along his arm and out of his wand, as it should be. But now that had changed, it was now being pulled at an alarming rate from him.
He could feel his core depleting, unable to recharge anywhere near fast enough to keep up with the flow that was leaving his body. He tried letting go of his wand, but all the time magic was flowing out of him, he was unable to.
"Stop!" he cried. "Please stop, please… please!"
His core was now using up his reserve. The reserve that normally would only be used to sustain a severely injured body.
All adult wizards knew what would happen if a wizard or witches core was fully drained, it was one of the things all the professors at Hogwarts taught. Once a core was completely drained, it would contain no magic with which it could recharge itself. Effectively they would be a squib for the rest of their lives. Never being able to perform any kind of magic ever again.
This was what was happening to Rowle. With a final shout of "NO!", he felt the last of his magical energy leave his body.
Harry and Ginny stared in disbelief as the man in front of collapsed to the ground. Harry slowly lowered his raised hand as Ginny stepped out from behind him. They stared at him for a full minute before Harry gingerly stepped forward. Slowly they approached the unconscious man.
When they were near enough, Harry bent down. Never taking his eyes off the man, he reached for the wand that had fallen from the mans grasp as he had fell. After feeling around on the ground, his fingers grasped the smooth wood of the wand.
Backing away, they didn't turn around until they were sure they could make it safely back in side the wards.
Sprinting back towards the Burrow, Harry began to feel uncomfortable, like he had something inside of him that was swelling, something that was trying to get out. Falling to his knees, he began to pant heavily. Ginny stopped and ran back to him, she could feel through him what he was feeling. Not knowing what else to do, she ran as fast as she could back towards the house.
Molly was in the kitchen, preparing a midday snack, when her daughter burst in through the door.
"Hurry mummy, Harry's hurting", with that Ginny raced back towards where Harry was.
Not even having a chance to ask what was wrong, Molly grabbed her wand from the kitchen table and went after her daughter. She found her at the edge of the orchard, near to where Dumbledore had created the wards. Harry was curled up on the ground, obviously in a great deal of pain
Ginny looked up at her approaching mother, and with a pleading look cried "help him mummy, please help him!"
Molly didn't know what to do, she had looked for any obvious injuries, but had found none. Placing her hand on his forehead, she was shocked to feel that Harry was burning up. Scooping the young boy into her arms, she raced as fast as she could back to the Burrow.
Placing Harry gently onto one of the sofas in the living room, she went over to the fireplace, took a pinch of floo powder and tossed it into the flames. As she got down onto her hands and knees, she shouted "Hogwarts, Madam Pomfrey's Office!" Sticking her head all the way into the cool blue flame, she was relived to see the Healer sat at her desk.
"Poppy, please come quickly, Harry's ill."
The tone of Molly's voice caused the Healer to grab her emergency bag and rush to the floo. Pausing, she called out "Turpick!" the elf appeared almost immediately, "please let the headmaster know that I'm going to the Burrow, and that I don't know how long I'll be".
Without bothering to make sure the elf had gone, she grabbed in pinch of powder and disappeared into the flames.
Dumbledore had just finished the last of the staff appraisals when a small house Elf popped into existence next to the desk at which he was sat.
"Good morning to you young Turpick, what may I do for you this fine morning?"
The Elf bowed deeply to the headmaster. "Sorry I is disturbing you headmaster, but Madam Pomfrey asked me to tell youse that she has had to leave Hogwarts, and she don't know how long she'll be".
Dumbledore smiled warmly at the Elf, "did she happen to mention where she was going?"
"Yes sir, she be going to the Burrow she said."
Dumbledore left his seat and knelt down in front of the Elf. "Did she say why she had to go to the Burrow?"
The Elf shook his head, his long ears making a slapping sound as he did so.
"Do you think you can take me there?"
A big smile appeared on the Elf's face as he nodded in reply, eager to help the venerable old wizard. Holding out a thin arm, which Dumbledore held gently, he snapped his fingers.
A little over eight hundred miles away, Poppy Pomfrey was desperately trying to find out what was wrong with the young boy in front of her. His temperature had risen to dangerous levels, and he seemed to be having some kind of fit or seizure. Every muscle in his thin frame seemed to be tensed. Just as she was about to cast another set of diagnostic charms, Dumbledore burst into the room.
Ignoring Molly and Ginny, who was softly crying at her mothers side, he strode purposefully toward the sofa that Harry was laid upon.
"Poppy, what is it? Do you know what is the matter with him?"
Poppy looked up at the concerned Headmaster, "as far as I can tell, he's having a magical overload. But I don't know what's causing it"
Dumbledore passed his own wand over Harry, muttering an incantation so quickly that nobody could understand him. His eye's widened in shock once he had finished.
"TURPIN!" he yelled, desperation evident in his voice.
The Elf once again appeared at his side. "Headmaster called for….". He started to say. But was cut off by Dumbledore.
"Take us to somewhere deserted NOW!"
Turpin quickly grabbed onto boy on the sofa and the Headmaster, and in the blink of an eye, was gone.
They appeared on a small island, nothing more than an outcrop of rock. Surrounded on all sides by an angry sea, waves crashing against the steep sided cliffs. A strong gusty wind whipped around them.
"GO!" Shouted Dumbledore to the Elf. With another click of it's fingers, the Elf disappeared.
Kneeling down next to Harry, Dumbledore raised him up into a sitting position.
"You have to do magic Harry, your life depends on it". Dumbledore had to shout in order make himself heard over the strong wind.
"Take my wand Harry, point it at that rock and say 'Reducto'"
Supporting Harry against his body, Dumbledore put his wand in the boys hand, and wrapped his much larger hand around it.
"Reducto, Harry, say it".
At first, nothing happened, Dumbledore thought that Harry had slipped into unconsciousness, but then he heard him faintly mumble.
"Force your magic out of you Harry. Reducto Harry, Reducto"
Dumbledore looked down at the small hand that was holding his wand, willing Harry to say the curse.
Harry could feel the smooth wood in his fingers, it felt alien to him. He didn't need it, so why was he holding it? He uncurled his fingers and let it fall from his grasp. He had heard a word 'Reducto'. At first he thought that his mind was playing tricks on him, but then he had heard it again, louder this time.
"Reducto" he had repeated, though in barely a whisper. He had felt his magic react to the command. "Reducto", he said it again, louder. He could feel the magic coursing down his outstretched hand.
Dumbledore slumped down when he saw Harry let go of his wand. He prepared himself for apperating away from the huge magical explosion he knew was coming.
Releasing Harry's arm in order to retrieve his wand, he was astonished when it didn't drop like he expected it to. A small spark of hope filled the old man. "That's it Harry, you can do it!" he exclaimed over the noise of the wind.
Harry had no control over the magic that was now searing its way down his arm.
"REDUCTO!"
A beam of pure magical energy, light blue in colour, burst out of his hand. Dumbledore watched in amazement as it came in contact with a huge boulder, two hundred yards away. The boulder was reduced to no more than sand by the force of the blast.
Harry climbed unsteadily to his feet, finding another target he took aim.
"REDUCTO!"
A huge outcrop of rock was sent crashing into the sea.
"REDUCTO!"
A crack, five foot wide appeared at one end of the small island.
Harry switched hands. Aiming at the other end of the Island.
"REDUCTO!"
Another huge outcrop was sent to a watery grave.
Harry put both hands out in front of him, aiming directly at the churning sea.
"REDUCTO!"
The sea exploded, or rather the seabed exploded, sending a plume of water hundreds of feet into the air.
Thoroughly drenched, Harry turned to the Headmaster.
"That feels better, can I go home now please?"
I would like to say a huge thank you to all those who have added my story to their favourite lists, and to those who have left reviews.
So here is chapter ten, and Harry isn't even at Hogwarts yet. I've a feeling it's going to be a while before I get to that stage of the story, so please bare with me.
Any suggestions on how I can improve the story, or even improve my writing would be greatly appreciated.