New Spell list

Awlam-apo- Notice me not charm (Hebrew: aw-lam, hidden, Greek: apo, away from)

Teas Te- Bluebell charm (Irish for Warm heat)

Sirius, James, Lily, Snape, and the like are going to be older in this story. Older by one years (debating if I should give them two). For two reasons. That way one Lily isn't pregnant at 19 a year out of Hogwarts. It doesn't really make a lot of sense that in one year (plus some times when she was pregnant) she had faced Voldemort three times, all while being a teenager, and became a major combatant in the war. I am going to give them a little more time. So, there birthdays are all going to be between Sept 1 1958-Aug 31 1959. James and Lily are 22 when they die. And Snape is 32-33 in this story.

As for the point that, its following to close to the story. There are a few issues there. On one point, I will try to stray more from the original text, and I have been debating on whether I have been adding to much of the original in the story. The further the story goes the less it will have. I don't want to give anything away but the ending of this year is going to be rather different. And as the story (multiple years) go on there will be less and less, though new characters will have the same evolution towards A.U. As harry being different will change the nature of events. In some cases, I think it is important to keep some similarity. Like in chapter three, Hagrid had a rather similar speech. Considering Hagrid hasn't really changed at all, of course it would be similar. The change will be later on when Hagrid will think and treat Harry differently. To a certain degree this story is philosophical, in that age-old question how much does one contribute into shaping the world. The story will follow Harry's will to power, and how through it, he is able to change the world (where there will be a lot less similarity with the story) but not every action will be shaped by him, so some overplay will happen. That being said I will try to start skipping some of the descriptive and unnecessary elements, that I add to the story to make it have a cohesive sense (but that we all already know. Like describing the great hall).

Please continue to review, even if its critical, just so I can hear feedback. This is my first story and all and I want an honest description.

Chapter 10. Auld Lang Syne

The month after the Quidditch match passed quickly, and without noticing it was the end of term. Hogwarts found itself covered in several feet of snow. The lake froze solid and the Weasley twins were punished for bewitching several snowballs so that they followed Quirrell around, bouncing off the back of his turban.

Everyone was excited about Christmas and for once everyone included Harry Potter. With the castle, all decorated and the massive feast planned for Christmas Day this was looking to be the best Christmas ever. Though that didn't really mean much considering the usual Dursley style Christmas involved him being left in the cupboard as they ate their dinner.

"So, what are your guys plans going for the holidays?" Harry asked Ron and Hermione as they headed to the library.

"Oh, my parents are taking me visit my grandmother in Norwich."

"Oh, Hermione I guess you have something in common with Malfoy after all." Harry smirked.

"What"

"Well, in both cases Bob's your uncle and your father." Harry deadpanned.

"Oh, ha-ha. You know the whole East Anglia stereotype about inbreeding isn't true right." Hermione retorted.

"Unlike the pompous pure-bloods you mean." Harry said with a grin.

"Anyways. What are you doing for Christmas Ron?" asked Hermione, trying to change the topic.

"Oh, just going home to the Burrow. Nothing much really, well beside my brother Bill coming home, he's a curse-breaker in Egypt… My parents wanted to go visit Charlie. He works in Romania at a dragon reserve, but they couldn't aff—umm… err… couldn't get the time off work. You know dad works at the Ministry and all that." Ron finished while his face turned a deep pink as they arrived at the library.

Today as had become the norm Harry was huddled up with Ron and Hermione in the library. Ever since Hagrid had let it slip Nicholas Flamel's name, the three of them had been searching through the library for a reference of him, as how else were they going to find out what Snape was trying to steal? The trouble was, it was very hard to know where to begin, not knowing what Flamel might have done to get himself into a book. And the sheer size of the library; tens of thousands of books; thousands of shelves; hundreds of narrow rows made it a difficult task indeed.

After about an hour Hermione huffed. "This is infuriating, why can't we just find him." Ron and Harry just shrugged, the library failing Hermione, was something they just weren't used to.

They had already agreed they'd better not ask Madam Pince the librarian about where they could find Flamel. They were sure she'd be able to tell them, but they couldn't risk Snape hearing what they were up to. If Snape was the one responsible for cursing Harry's broom, then there was no telling what he would do if he realised they were on to him.

"Where not going to find anything at this rate." Harry finally said. "Do you think your brother Bill would know? Could you ask him during Christmas?"

"Bloody, brilliant mate, that should totally work!" Ron exclaimed loudly, much to Madam Pince anger as she chased the three of them out of the library.

Once the holidays had started, Harry was rather lonely. The normal rumble and bustle of the castle had disappeared with almost all of the students gone. Harry was the only first year and one of only six students left in Gryffindor tower.

But the loneliness provided Harry the perfect opportunity to practice on his wandless magic. Truthfully, Harry still felt bad having not told Ron and Hermione about it. But well he hadn't really lied, really. It's just his wandless magic was for so long his one lone sanctuary, he was still not ready to give it up quite yet. And Harry had plans for his wandless magic over the holidays, big plans.

Practicing, it freely again was great. Even though he hadn't done much with it lately. Thankfully, it was just like riding a bicycle. So far, Harry had realised he was using several actual spells silently when he cast wandlessly;

Alohomora - the unlocking charm

Lumos - (Nox) the lighting charm,

Teas te - the bluebell charm,

Wingardium Leviosa - the levitation charm,

All of which Harry was able to use both with a wand and with more difficulty wandlessly. Over the break his plan was to learn how to do the other spells with his wand as well.

Accio - the summoning charm (4th year, charms)

Depulso - the banishing charm (4th year, charms)

Flipendo - knockback jinx (2nd year, DADA)

Colloportus - the locking Spell (Second Year, charms)

And the spell he had loads of difficulty finding,

Awlam-apo - the notice-me-not charm (7th year charms)

Though some of these spells seamed daunting, he was betting that since he could already do them wandlessly then it should be easy for him with a wand. Well, that was the theory at any rate.

Harry had another major goal for the break. It was something that kept eating at him, but he never really had the opportunity to explore. "We find solace to know that Sirius or Alice and Frank are taking good care of you, providing you with a loving home." Those where his parent's words, so just who were these people and why had he never met them.

"Just who are you Sirius Black?" he said softly as he looked at the picture of his father and his friends that was hanging in the Den.

The days before Christmas, saw Harry alternating between practicing in the Den, and crawling through the library. Having asked Madam Pince, he found Hogwarts Public Register that is the official public record of students of Hogwarts. Grabbing the lists from his parent's years Harry combed through them for any mention of Sirius Black, Alices and Franks. There was only one Sirius Black, but the register didn't give a lot of information. Just that he was in Gryffindor, his OWLs and NEWTs scores and that he wasn't a prefect (though considering his father's notebook that wasn't a surprise). All in all, it wasn't very helpful.

He did find Snape's file though;

Severus Tobias Snape born 9 January 1959. Slytherin.

Hmm. I think Snivellus can expect a special birthday gift this year Harry thought evilly.

Finding Alice and Frank on the other hand, was more difficult. There was an Alice in his mothers' year. A Slytherin girl named Alice Burke, but there wasn't a Frank. After looking through every year his parents attended Hogwarts there had been several people bearing those Christian names, and anyone of them could be the right one. This was getting him nowhere he thought viciously.

On the day before Christmas, as he was returning from the library, Harry ran bang into Professor Flitwick, knocking him to the ground.

"Oh, sorry professor." Harry shot off as he went to help the Professor to his feet.

"Oh no worries Mr. Potter." The little professor said as he picked himself up from the ground. "No harm done after all. Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

"Oh, I just came back from the library sir."

"I commend you on your studiousness Mr. Potter, not many students would spend the day before Christmas in the library."

Harry just nodded in reply and started back on his way when Flitwick called him back. "I was going to have a cup of tea, Mr. Potter why don't you join me." As he led Harry into his office.

Professor Flitwick's office was a rather neat room with a big ebony desk and bookshelves that went as high as the ceiling around all the all the walls. The only part of the wall that wasn't covered in books was one large window that overlooked the Lake.

"Please have a seat Mr. Potter. Sugar, milk."

"Yes, please sir." Harry replied as the professor levitated the cup and saucer to him.

"Now, Mr. Potter, I have been well, greatly impressed with your work in Charms so far this year. Rather exceptional indeed quite like your mother, you seemed to inherit her gift in the subject, I dare say. And your help to Mr. Longbottom has been greatly appreciated, I might add."

As they continued their talk about charms, inspiration finally hit Harry.

"Umm. Sir did you know my mother well?"

"Oh, yes I did, I knew both your parents. Though your mother better than your father. She apprenticed under me for her Mastery of Charms, after her 7th year."

"Did you know some of her and my father's friends. You see, well they wrote a letter to me, and they mentioned some people in it, and I well, err…"

"You wanted to know what became of them. Yes? What were their names my boy?"

"Sirius Black, Alice and Frank." At the mention of Sirius, Flitwick recoiled as if shocked.

"Umm. Yes, err… I know what happened to them," he said sadly. "Alice and Frank are if I am not mistaken Alice and Frank Longbottom. They were friends of your parents though a few years older than them."

"Neville's parents." Harry asked shocked. He knew Neville lived with his Grandmother after all.

"Yes, the very same, Mr. Potter. Their story is well, a tragic one I am afraid. They are presently at St. Mungo's Hospital for injuries they received from death eaters. They are well rather unwell and will not recover." He said sadly.

"Oh,"

"As for Mr. Black. Well let's just say he wasn't such a good friend as your parents thought." The professor said with venom. "He was, err… he ended up working for You-Know-Who, and is in Azkaban for life."

"He worked for Voldemort!" Harry shouted, as Flitwick's gasped at the name. "But he was my dad's best friend."

"I know Mr. Potter but it seems Black, had a change of heart." Flitwick said, as Harry stared blankly trying to wrap his head around it all.

The next morning Harry woke with a start. He didn't really sleep well. He spent the whole night tossing and turning, thinking about his parent's old friends. He knew something had to have happened, they never had bothered to check in on him. But it still hurt finding out the people that his parents wanted to raise him were gone. Even worse was hearing about Sirius, how could his dad's best friend end up working for Voldemort? It just didn't make any sense, not with the Sirius that he knew from the Marauders Notebook.

As Harry got up he forgot all about it being Christmas. That is until he stumbled on a pile of packages at the foot of his bed when he went for the loo.

"I've got presents." He said shocked. Who would give him presents?

Harry picked up the top parcel. It was wrapped in thick brown paper and scrawled across it was To Harry, from Hagrid. Of course, Hagrid would get him something. Inside was a roughly cut wooden flute. Hagrid had obviously whittled it himself. Harry blew it -it sounded a bit like an owl, and summoned Hedwig to him.

The next parcel Harry had torn open was from Ron and Mrs. Weasley. It contained a thick, hand-knitted sweater (a Weasley sweater as she made one for all her kids) in emerald green and a large box of homemade fudge.

There was one from Hermione, with a large box of Chocolate Frogs. And one from Neville that had a box of Every Flavor Beans. At this a pang of guilt hit Harry, all these people thought to get him something, when he hadn't even thought about getting them anything, something he hoped he could make right.

Then he saw there was one package left, it was rather small, and very light. As he unwrapped it something fluid and silvery gray went slithering to the floor where it lay in gleaming folds. Harry picked the shining, silvery cloth off the floor. It was strange to the touch, like water woven into material. It was some kind of cloak.

Harry threw it around his shoulders, but as he looked into the mirror all he saw was his head suspended in midair, his body completely invisible. This was the invisibility cloak his dad had mentioned in his notebook, he was sure of it.

Looking at the package he saw a note attached to it. Written in narrow, loopy writing he had never seen before were the following words:

Your father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it well.

A Very Merry Christmas to you.

There was no signature but he felt something in the message like there was some deeper meaning.

Harry decided to skip dinner (traditionally in Britain served at noon) in the Great Hall. He knew it was going to be a big spectacle and bluntly Harry wasn't really in the mood. Finding out what happened to his parent's friends and getting the cloak, had got him rather depressed. He just wanted to be left alone. So, he went to the Kitchens instead.

The elves were overjoyed to see him, even more so when he wished them all a Merry Christmas.

"Oh, thank you master Harry Potter, yous too kind sir." Nelly creaked out. "Now sit-down sir and let us get you your dinner."

The food was amazing, there was roast turkey, pheasant and goose, stuffing, mashed potatoes, tureens of buttered peas, silver boats of thick rich gravy and cranberry sauce. It was only after triple servings of treacle tart, did Harry completely stuffed make his way out and walked around the grounds to clear his head.

That evening while lying in bed. He looked again at his father's cloak. He let the material flow over his hands, smoother than silk, light as air. There was an odd familiarity between the cloak and himself, as if the cloak was recognising its master.

Use it well, the note had said. He had to try it, now, he just had to. He slipped out of bed and wrapped the cloak around himself.

Once he had left the common room, Harry felt subtly drawn to something. He couldn't place, what was drawing him, or where he instinctively moved his feet towards. It was all rather odd. But none the less. With every foot he took, he was definitely heading somewhere.

Soon, he had found himself in an unused classroom. The dark shapes of desks and chairs were piled against the walls, and there was an upturned wastepaper basket - but propped against the wall facing him was something that didn't look as if it belonged there, something that looked as if someone had just put it there to keep it out of the way.

It was a magnificent mirror, as high as the ceiling, with an ornate gold frame, standing on two clawed feet. There was an inscription carved around the top: Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi.

He stepped in front of it and had to clap his hands to his mouth to stop himself from screaming. He whirled around. His heart was pounding for he had seen not only himself in the mirror, but other people standing right behind him.

But the room was empty. Breathing very fast, he turned slowly back to the mirror.

This time taking a closer look at the people, reflected in the mirror. These weren't strangers he was seeing. They were his parents. His mother beautiful with dark red hair and emerald eyes full of soft tears. His dad looked so much like him, with untidy raven coloured hair that stuck up at the back. He stared at these figures, trying to soak in everything about them.

Till suddenly the hair on the back of Harry's neck stood up. He felt as if someone was watching him. Not knowing what to do he whipped out his wand and twisted around, looking for whoever was prying at him. But there was no one there. Yet, he was certain he was being watched. He went to shoot out a spell, but it's not like any of the spells he knew would have helped in this case. All they would do would make noise and cause a mess, both of which he wanted to avoid.

A few moments later he screamed as Albus Dumbledore simply appeared right in front him.

"Er…Professor" he gasped. "I didn't see you there."

"No, you did not my boy. But you most certainly saw something. Most commendable I dare say."

"So," said Dumbledore, while he went to stand next to Harry "you, like hundreds before you, have discovered the delights of the Mirror of Erised. Have perchance worked out how the mirror works?"

Harry just shook his head, unsure what was going on.

"Now when you gaze into the mirror you see your parents, if I am not mistaken. While the happiest man on earth would be able to use the Mirror of Erised like a normal mirror, that is, he would look into it and see himself exactly as he is. Does that help?"

Harry thought, as he gazed upon the mirror of Erised. What did the mirror do? It showed him his parents. And would show the happiest man nothing. So, it showed us what we wanted. But that wasn't it, the happiest man would still want things, and his parents were not the only thing he wanted. Wait a second, ERISED, on a mirror. He was reading the mirror image, then it's not erised but desire.

"ERISED is the mirror image of desire. It shows us what we most desire. That's what the mirror does sir."

"Quite astute. I show not your face but your heart desire, is the full inscription. This mirror gives us neither knowledge or truth. Men have wasted away before it, entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad, not knowing if what it shows is real or even possible. It is a good sign that you Harry are not so easily swayed by such illusions. The Mirror will be moved to a new home tomorrow, Harry and I have no doubt you will not try to go looking for it."

"Now, why don't you put that admirable cloak back on and get off to bed? And, Harry please do not go on anymore midnight jaunts." Dumbledore said as Harry made his way back to Gryffindor tower.