Chapter 10: Winter
It was only after reaching the Burrow for Christmas break that Harry was able to tell Ron and Hermione about Malfoy's and Snape's conversation. They got sidetracked before they could discuss about it by the twins. Harry didn't really want to get into war business at Christmas time. He wanted to enjoy his holiday with the Weasleys like a family. They cared about him like one and however shrewd and cynical he wanted to be, he craved for the affection that the Weasley family bestowed upon him.
The interactions between the various family members of the Weasley family fascinated him. They teased, heckled and even outright bullied others but they loved each other very deeply.
There was still a few days left for Christmas and Remus was arriving at the Burrow the day they arrived. Harry thought it was a good time to approach Remus. Remus was a friend of his parents and he really hoped to get Remus on his side.
After a boisterous dinner filled with minor pranks from the twins on everyone but Mrs. Weasley, Harry asked to talk to Remus privately. The Weasleys looked at him curiously but he simply shrugged.
Harry led him to the edge of the courtyard beside the broom shed. Making sure that he had the magic masking bracelet on his hand, he cast a privacy bubble around the both of them.
Remus was surprised and his voice indicated the same "Harry, wont you get in trouble for that? And how did you learn that spell anyway?"
Harry had decided to explain some bits to Remus and if Remus believed him, he would then come clean to him. "See this bracelet?" he said indicating to his right wrist where the magic masking bracelet was secured "It masks the magic performed by the hand it is worn. The privacy spell is there in plenty of books in the library and surely you understand the importance of such a spell Remus" Harry chided gently.
"Why do I get the feeling that you are about to turn my world upside down?" Remus asked having heard Harry.
Harry let out a deep breath and asked "Alright then I will get to it without beating around the bush. Did you notice anything suspicious about the events surrounding me?"
Remus smiled gently "Harry, no one but you really knows what happened in regards to you. The events at Hogwarts are not known generally. Even the Order does not know what really happened during your years at Hogwarts except for your fourth and fifth years. Even then it was just the basics. All anyone knows are rumors about your adventures."
Harry told him thoughtfully "Is that so? Interesting. I wonder why all of it was kept under wraps though."
Remus said softly "Rumors fly everywhere when it comes to you Harry. Why don't you tell me in brief what happened and why I should be suspicious?"
"Alright", Harry said "First year. A troll got into Hogwarts. Three first years broke through all the protections laid by the best of Hogwarts professors and I got to face Voldemort. He had possessed the defense professor, Quirell for a year and yet no one noticed. Ron and Hermione accompanied me but I was alone at the end. I had to fight him to save the Sorcerer's stone hidden in a mirror. Second year. Students were petrified and I was accused of bring Slytherin's heir. I found out I was a parselmouth and I used it to gain entry into Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets. I fought a fifty foot Basilisk which was controlled by a memory of 16 year old Voldemort. I killed it with the help of Fawkes and Sword of Gryffindor to save Ginny. I only came out alive because Fawkes healed me. Again I was alone as Ron was held back with a memory charmed Lockhart. Third year, you know most of it. But at the end, Hermione and I faced off against a hundred or so dementors. My Patronus saved us. Fourth year. You must have heard the broadcasts from the WWN of the different tasks. In the graveyard, when Voldemort came back, I faced him and the death eaters alone. I escaped with my life due to the ghost impressions of my parents that came out of Voldemort's wand. Fifth year. Many troubles and a ministry lackey at Hogwarts to lord over us. Brutal Occlumency lessons with Snape and visions from Voldemort. In the end, an ill fated trip to the Department of Mysteries where I fought with Voldemort alone in the end again. By some freaky luck and Dumbledore's help, I survived. Now do you see anything suspicious?"
Remus was thoroughly shocked but his impressive intellect began working almost immediately. "You were alone in facing the dangers at school every year, dangers, which should never have been there in the first place. Until you came to Hogwarts, there were no outward incidents at Hogwarts at all. It seems like they were orchestrated just for your sake. Most of the incidents seem out of control and they very well may be but it could just be that there was someone handling the events behind the scenes. I do not know what has happened in detail and so I can't be sure but it is very suspicious that you were made to face the dangers, in most cases Voldemort alone."
"Yes. And do you ever wonder why I was sent to the Dursleys every summer to be ridiculed? I never knew that I was a wizard until Hagrid told me when he came to deliver my letter. Even after I witnessed the murders of Cedric and Sirius, I was sent there with no communication at all. Voldemort used my blood during his rebirth and still the supposed 'blood wards' were supposed to be safe" Harry told him trying to press his point home.
Remus sighed and his face fell as he answered "I did try to gain custody of you Harry. But since I was a werewolf, the ministry did not allow me. I was banished from Britain for a decade for moving the custody to the court. It was only during your second year that I came back to England. Harry", Remus said sincerely "there is a lot going on around you. I do not know what all you have been subjected to but I assure you that I have no part in any of it. If you have any idea who it is and you want any kind of help, you have me at your disposal."
Harry was a bit surprised learning that Remus was banished from Britain for a decade. He had wondered why he had not visited him at the Dursleys. Now he knew. "It was Dumbledore." When Remus made to interrupt, Harry cut in "Think about it Remus. He was the only constant in all the times of my life. He gives the orders to almost everyone. The ministry would have done something to either get into my good graces or gain control of me if they were behind this. Voldemort was still a spirit when most of this happened. Dumbledore arranged for most of this. Surely there were some things he had not counted on, like Voldemort's rebirth. But everything else fits. It was better for me to be safe and downtrodden rather than arrogant and healthy. It was better for me to be tested in small ways every year rather than having a good education free from danger. It was better for me to learn on my own rather than depending on teachers as others students normally do. It was better for me to listen to Dumbledore and obey him like a good little boy." Harry voice had risen through his rant and he had to visibly calm himself before his magic went out of control.
Remus replied shakily "It does seem there are too many loose ends that hint at Dumbledore. But why would he do that? What does he have to gain by all this?" Having one's deep trust shattered was not a comforting thought. Being a werewolf, he had been very grateful to Dumbledore when he was allowed to attend Hogwarts. He also considered that Dumbledore was a force that stood up against Voldemort and he had to follow him to stop the evil. But what could be gained in controlling a child, albeit a special one like Harry?
Harry shrugged "I am not entirely sure why. But there is a prophecy about me and Voldemort. Maybe I am the weapon that Dumbledore wanted to mold and control to dance to his tunes. Maybe he liked being in control and wanted to shape me as his protégé. I don't know the why of it but I do know that he has done it and is doing it. I respect his power and his resources but I don't trust him Remus. He may very well be the greatest wizard of this age who is leading the fight against Voldemort but his actions concerning me are unforgivable in my eyes. I may listen to his advice but I want to pull my own weight in the war."
"You have given me a lot to think about Harry. This is the biggest shock I have ever received. A wizard as renowned and respected as he is can get people to do things for him. If he is truly behind all this and has a motive for doing them, I simply can't understand. You are telling me about a prophecy. James had told us about a prophecy about Voldemort and you or Neville Longbottom. Is it the same one?" Remus asked.
Remus didn't really believe in him yet. He needed a little more information. "Yes, it is the same prophecy. It says that it is either Voldemort or me. Kill or be killed. Neither can live while the other survives."
Remus rubbed his eyes tiredly "That might do it. Dumbledore would have controlled you if that was the case. He did say that the Order was protecting a weapon. He kept a close watch on you during the summers. He had us follow you everywhere. He specifically told the Order that keeping you safe was the first priority. He gave me all the clues himself and I didn't even realize it. I just took it at face value like everyone else. This is all too much. Bloody fucking hell!"
Harry decided to give Remus a break and adopted a mock shocked look "Remus! You swore. An educated and soft spoken wizard like you cursing?"
Remus growled "Don't play with me now Harry. I am pleasant most of the time to keep the wolf inside docile. It gets agitated when one messes with its pack. It considers you its pack member and is raising its hackles now." His eyes were flashing amber now and then.
Harry was not scared in the slightest "Impressive. But now is not the time for discussing your lycanthropy. Maybe it sounds cold to you but I want to know if you are with me? I have a few things going and I want to form my own side in this stupid war. I need someone to look at things from an adult's perspective. There is a lot I don't know about the wizarding world and I need someone with the knowledge of how the world works." Harry's voice softened as he said imploringly "I really want you with me Remus. You were a friend of my parents and I need you with me. You are like another godfather to me."
Remus also spoke softly but earnestly "Harry, I am always with you. One of the main reasons Sirius and me joined the Order the second time was to keep you safe. But we haven't done that till now. I am sorry for that and I promise I will help you Harry."
Harry was never the one to show affection openly but he was really relieved that Remus was on his side. He hugged the surprised man who returned his embrace. Knowing that the last friend of his parents supported him made him feel warm. Hearing that the main reason for Sirius and Remus joining the Order again was him moved him in ways that he couldn't describe. They cared about him to consider his safety as the main reason to fight against Voldemort.
"Thank you Remus. It means so much to me that you are with me" Harry mumbled heartily.
Remus laughed "You should never have had doubts in the first place. Now" Remus said as he let go "do you have any ideas about how you are going to proceed? I need more time to think on this and you did say you had a few things going. I will think more about how I can help you and if you need anything to be done, just tell me alright?"
Harry grinned and said "I have a few prospects at school. I have been training myself in magic since my first year. I don't really know how good I am but I bet I can take care of a death eater or two. I need to duel with experienced wizards to improve and I hope I can make arrangements for you to duel me. I have a very good area and an advanced library at my disposal at school. It is completely private. But right now, I was thinking that you could garner us some support from the werewolves. I know you are doing the same thing for the Order but I want you to advocate us. I have been liquidating some of the darker investments of the Black family and I can easily provide Wolfsbane to a large number of werewolves for quite a few months. I just don't know where to find someone to brew the potion. Suppose you could help me with that? And maybe I can set up something for them to have jobs later."
Remus laughed "Wow, you have been preparing. Nice ideas. I can find a Potion Master or at least some apothecary to brew the potion. Even if you don't ask, I will tell you what I can about the Order. We have to know what Dumbledore is up to. I will also ask discreetly if anyone is interested. I think I can free up time to train you if you are interested. Or we can duel if you want."
Harry beamed "That would be great. But send your mail to Luna Lovegood. She is helping me the most these days. All the mails are being monitored and I think mine will be watched the most. Just tell me the day to meet you in Hogsmeade in the letter and nothing else. We can discuss things when we meet at… say the Three Broomsticks. How does that sound?"
"Perfect. I hope we can talk more in detail soon" Remus told him.
"Yes soon. Remus, do you know Occlumency? Both Snape and Dumbledore are Legilimens and will probe you" Harry asked concerned.
Remus smirked "Being a werewolf has its perks. I know the basics but it is not needed due to supernatural shields. I hope you have learnt Occlumency? I heard about the disastrous lessons with Snape."
Harry smirked back "I bluffed. I knew Occlumency long before he started to 'teach' me. Believe me Remus; I have a few tricks up my sleeve."
Remus laughed freely "Alright I believe you. I have seen the same thing with Sirius and James to know that you can handle yourself. Be careful and give me some time to think this over. I might have a few ideas that you might not have thought of."
"Sure Remus. In the mean time, please act as though we have not had this discussion. I don't want anyone suspecting me yet" Harry replied.
"No problem Harry. I think it will be better if I am a bit aloof but advisory to you in front of others. It will throw off others if they think you might come to me for help since I am James and Lily's friend" Remus told him.
Harry refrained from putting the Memoria Sodalis spell on Remus because he saw the sincerity in his eyes. The feelings behind his words were genuine and the Grim agreed with him. He did trust Remus and knowing that he had supernatural mental defenses eased his concerns.
Harry was very glad Remus agreed. It was a big shock to his system and he understood that Remus needed time to think on it. In spite of that, Remus recovered and thought logically. Harry was impressed with that. Remus might not have comprehended the seriousness of the moves Harry was making right now but Harry had no doubts that Remus would deduce it when he had time to think over the information Harry had revealed.
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Christmas Eve was fun and joyful at the Weasleys. Harry was glad Remus was with them.
Harry got a chance to talk to Mr. Weasley that night. He learned that the ministry was just as incompetent as it was under Fudge. They were passing off arrests of innocent people for death eater arrests. As expected, his news on Snape and Malfoy only generated smoke and nothing else. Remus putting on an act or otherwise, argued with him. The adults were of the idea that Snape was offering a helping hand to learn Malfoy's plans. Harry personally thought that Remus advocating Dumbledore's decisions were a bit over the top though.
The information about Greyback was repulsive. How sick could a person to ruin the entire life of children by biting them. Granted there were ways to ensure safety but it cost high and most people didn't have that kind of money. Besides the painful transformations, the scorn from the public would effectively ruin their lives. He also realized that until Greyback was neutralized, werewolves wouldn't readily accept his offer for help. It seemed like all other werewolves were too afraid to revolt against him.
Harry was curious about the identity of the Half Blood prince and hence asked Remus about it. But he found nothing useful. He had better things to do rather than worrying over his identity.
Lavender's gift for Ron was awesome according to Harry. It was humiliating and really sickeningly mushy thing. But it was expensive. Harry thought that Ron would wear it if only for that reason.
Harry didn't know how the present from Kreacher got to him. He had killed Kreacher. It utterly stupefied him. How could it be possible? He might have to ask someone in the kitchens then since Kreacher used to work there. Maybe some other elf found it and sent it to me. But if he asked around, it would indicate that he knew about Kreacher's disappearance. Shit! He couldn't do anything about it.
He clamed down and examined the other gifts in detail. To get some semblance of control, he cluelessly asked Ron about elves getting Christmas presents.
The arrival of the minister of magic and Percy was a shock to everyone. It was clear to him that Percy was at the Burrow simply because he was ordered to do so. Ginny, Fred and George were glaring at Percy.
The reason for the visit soon became apparent as Harry was requested to walk with Scrimgeour, the minister.
Harry decided that it was polite to keep his answers short or not answer at all while he thought. He was sure the minister was trying to get in his good graces. He had to choose his answers carefully. He did not want to offend the minister but he did not want to support him either.
Hearing the crap about the 'Chosen One' and standing with the ministry, Harry nearly blew up. Bribing him with being an Auror in return to be a ministry lackey was a big no no.
Harry decided then to portray himself as Dumbledore's man. The reason for this was fairly simple. Scrimgeour was the minister now and was an auror before. Harry knew that there was little pureblood power behind the minister these days. The ministry was being seen as inefficient. Rufus Scrimgeour might be in power now but he was not a reliable power. Dumbledore might be a manipulating bastard but no one could deny that he had all kinds of power. Most of the ministry would bend over backwards to accommodate him. He was also the head of Wizengamot and the International Confederation of Wizards. Dumbledore could make the life of any minister difficult if he chose to do so. Another major reason was trust. If Harry took the minister's side, Dumbledore would monitor his every move and he would have no freedom. Harry still needed a lot of time to prepare and this would hamper his efforts greatly. If he did back Dumbledore, Dumbledore would trust him a bit more and would lax his watch. That's why backing Dumbledore would be doubly beneficial to him.
When Scrimgeour said that it was his duty to be used by the ministry, Harry barely held himself in check. He would not be under anyone's control, not Dumbledore, not the ministry and definitely not Voldemort. To reinforce his dislike, Harry silently put an illusion on his right hand that looked like the scars that Umbridge had inflicted upon him. That was the final nail in the coffin. The minister realized that he couldn't convert Harry to his cause and left.
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The next few days were relaxing. Without Hermione being there to nag him, he had much more free time. It also meant that Ron was more peaceful around him without the strain of avoiding Hermione.
Harry was bored. He couldn't do his daily run and all of his physical exercises due to the snow. He was only able to do warm up exercises so as to not stop his daily workout completely.
Indoor games soon lost interest to him. There was only so much of Chess and Gobstones one could take. Conversations with Ginny were pleasant and fun. Fleur was also good to pass time. Mrs. Weasley was fussy and Mr. Weasley was hardly there due to work. Bill made intelligent conversation but he was more occupied with Ron and Fleur. The twins dropped in occasionally and he had a fun time watching them tease Ron.
Harry also started to give hints of liking Ginny. He made sure that Ron noticed. He was sure that his idea to have a binge night with his dorm mates would reveal something about Dean and Ginny. So he wanted to have a head start. He also thought of giving hints to Hermione about liking Ginny once school started again.
The only thing Harry accomplished was trying Teleportation. It was the third and final phase of personal transportation. Since he didn't really need much sleep, he snuck out to practice at night.
He moved out of the wards surrounding the Burrow to try for the first time. He wanted no obstructions for the first time. He willed himself to transport a few metres away. But when he traveled there, he realized he had apparated. The next time, he concentrated more on the feeling of Sliding and then thought to travel like Apparation. He felt a good deal of drain on his magic but he succeeded. It was very different and yet similar to Apparation and Sliding. It was like traveling though a gust of wind. Apparation was like squeezing though a tube and Sliding was like ice skating.
He practiced for a few hours outside wards to get a hang of it. After a few tries, he learnt to limit the heavy drain on his magic. His body slowly got used to traveling in a new way and hence conserving the amount of energy wasted.
The next challenge in Teleportation was traveling though wards. He stepped inside wards of the Burrow to try it out. Again he focused on Teleporting to a few meters outside the wards. This time, the drain on his magic was clearly felt. The wards around the Burrow were very impressive and he sensed that a lot of his power was used to travel though the wards. He barely made it to bed that night as he was exhausted and magically drained. Thankfully a good sleep covered his tiredness.
It was strange but he finally understood the complete definition of Teleporting. There was no piercing of the wards or breaking of wards involved. While Teleporting, a theoretical hole was created though the Apparation ward enabling him to Teleport outside the wards. This theoretical hole was only temporary and was covered as soon as he traveled through. Other wards also affected Teleportation since Apparation wards were usually tied together with other wards. All the other wards leant more power to the Apparation ward to try and stop him from Teleporting. He needed more power to overcome this resistance. The very nature of magic enabled different wards to support each other if they were properly aligned. The resistance was not equal to the total power in all the wards rather it was only what was available to the Apparation ward through the various wards.
He only realized all this when he performed his first true Teleportation successfully though the wards. From then on, it was only refinement. He would need more practice and he decided to sneak out of school to practice. Harry knew like Apparation, distance mattered in Teleportation too. He had to practice to travel longer distances too. He was not ready to pit himself against the ancient wards of Hogwarts this soon. He thought he would need a lot more power and a lot more refinement before even thinking of trying it.
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Soon after reaching Hogwarts, he got summons from Dumbledore to have a 'lesson' again. As expected, his suspicions of Malfoy and Snape were not totally accepted by Hermione. Apparation lessons were a surprise and he had to join to show that he didn't already know it even when he did. Ron's announcement that Harry had gone side-long with Dumbledore seemed to generate a lot of unwanted interest. He had to give some silly excuse to escape.
Meeting Dumbledore again was a chore. Hopefully it would be more helpful than the previous lessons. Dumbledore appeared to be touched when he told him about him being a 'Dumbledore's man thorough and thorough'. Harry couldn't make out if it was genuine or not.
Dumbledore was a bit sharp with him when he questioned Snape's loyalty again. Harry thought it was a fair accusation. They both knew that Draco Malfoy was up to something. Why take the chance of him hurting anyone? Why endanger the other students needlessly? Why not question him at least? But Dumbledore refused to hear anything about that subject.
Dumbledore told him more about Voldemort's time at school. Then they saw the memory. Voldemort was ingenious even in youth. He covered his tracks well, too well. Framing his uncle and having him admit it to the aurors was over the top but it said two things – Voldemort was very gifted in the mind arts and aurors were not as good as they claimed to be. Harry knew from his own research that it was not easy to make a man admit to murder unless he was under the Imperious curse.
The second memory gave the true account of how charismatic Voldemort was. The group around him clearly admired him and he liked to show off. The stolen ring was on his finger and Slughorn seemed impressed by him. Harry realized that Slughorn was older than he looked. Voldemort was in school at least fifty years ago and Slughorn was a professor back then.
The unnatural white fog apparently showed tampering with the memory. Harry's task was to collect the true memory.
But there were so many questions. What the hell was a Horcrux? Harry didn't even know there was an antidote to Veritaserum. Dumbledore mentioned that Slughorn carried it with him. Harry had to act the favored pupil again to get the information.
The next class with Slughorn was a bust. Harry didn't know much about Potions even if he knew the basics pretty well. He had absolutely no idea what so ever about antidotes. Harry was really annoyed at the way Hermione mocked him about Half Blood Prince's book not helping him this time. The information about bezoar was very welcome and Harry thought he might just get out of it. Thankfully Slughorn bought it. He was actually impressed at his cheek to just show the bezaor.
Both Hermione and Malfoy looked livid at his success. It was cheating but who cared?
Later, Harry thought it was totally tactless of him to simply ask about Horcruxes right after class. Slughorn deduced that he had been put to task by Dumbledore and denied having further knowledge about Horcruxes. Hermione also couldn't find anything about it in the library other than that it was the vilest of magics. What did Slughorn know about such dark magic that even Dumbledore didn't?
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Over the next few days, he got back into his routine. Luna thanked him profusely for his Christmas gift. He told her about Remus and she was happy for him.
As he had decided, Harry starting dropping hints that he likes Ginny around Hermione. He had to be subtle because Hermione was exceptionally sharp.
Harry also took a look at the books Kreacher had brought from Grimmauld Place. He and Luna took a long time to organize them properly into categories. Harry was disappointed to note that there weren't anymore Battle Magic books available. Whatever he had learnt till then was only the basics of Battle Magic and it was mentioned in the books that all the remaining knowledge was hidden by Maurius Black 300 years ago. The rest of the books were mainly on Dark Arts. Harry asked Luna to search through them in her spare time for any information on Horcruxes. He had told her about Dumbledore's sessions as soon as they were done.
Just after a week in Hogwarts, Blaise dropped off a note in Potions class to meet him and Daphne that night at the usual room in the dungeons.
When Harry walked into the room, he was unsurprised to see them already there.
"Hey there, how was Christmas?" Harry asked jovially as he plopped down on a chair.
"Fine, no thanks to you" Daphne replied frostily.
"My, my, what a wicked temper? What has got you so worked up beautiful?" Harry asked innocently.
"You very well know what would have happened Potter. Don't act innocent. What was the big idea in sending gifts to our parents? Do you know how much we have to answer to our parents? And what is that spell that you put on us?" Daphne asked angrily glaring at him.
Harry chuckled and replied "You already know answers to that. If not, you would not be Slytherins right?"
"Right. Stereotype Slytherins" Blaise said dryly.
Daphne turned and scowled at Blaise "What is the matter with you?" she snapped at him.
Blaise just lounged in his comfortable chair and said "Come now Daphne. He outplayed us clearly. He gave us information and covered his tracks. You know I told you about his Occlumency and that bleeding counter Occlumency. It certainly impressed our parents."
He turned to Harry and said "Our parents thank you for your thoughtful gifts by the way. My father was especially ecstatic about his books. Any chance of us knowing your source? Such books are invaluable."
Harry grinned "Play your cards right and I might give you complete access to my horde of extraordinary books."
Daphne was still scowling "Show him a couple of good books and he goes drooling. Some Slytherin you are" she told Blaise disdainfully.
Blaise grinned, the first time in Harry's presence "Daphne, just because you are not interested in gaining knowledge does not mean others are like that too. Knowledge is power after all."
"What use is knowledge if you can't apply it practically?" she shot back.
"Who is to say what kind of books I might find? Don't delude yourself Daph, you loved your gift from Harry" Blaise retorted.
Daphne flushed slightly but refused to back down "And who was the one positively drooling over his gift? You even almost missed the Christmas dinner because of it. You and your damned fascination with Runes."
Harry was delighted to see the good natured bickering between them. He was also glad that his gifts were well received, especially with Daphne. He noticed that she was wearing the necklace he had given her.
Harry cut in smoothly "Daph… it is a nice nickname. You apparently liked my other gift since you are wearing it."
"I happen to appreciate fine jewelry Potter. It matched nicely with my eyes and so I used it. And you do not have the permission to call me Daph" she told him icily.
"Why not Daph? Is that the only reason you wore it?" Harry asked impudently.
She flushed again. Blaise laughed, another first in front of Harry, and answered him "No Potter. She has this tiny little crush on you for years and this year you showed her your new face. It bloomed enormously. Lets just say I got tired of hearing about you this Christmas. Regardless of how she might act towards you now, she likes you and was flattered by your gift. Don't let her tell you otherwise."
Daphne rounded on Blaise furiously "You were not supposed to tell him that. You had promised."
"So… I broke it" Blaise replied nonchalantly.
"You… you…" Daphne sputtered.
Harry laughed delightedly "Daph, all you had to do was ask. I am really flattered that you think me worthy of your affections my lady. May I have the honor of courting you?" Harry asked formally yet teasingly.
Daphne blushed at his words and replied "One last test Harry. If you pass that, I will accompany you on ONE date. One date only."
"Finally you called me Harry. One date is all I need Daph. What is this final test then?" Harry asked eagerly.
"You have to duel us both simultaneously. We want to see how good you are. If you win, you get a date with Daph" Blaise replied this time.
"Sure" Harry replied confidently "When and where?"
"How about right now and right here? There is enough space here for a friendly duel" Daphne challenged.
Harry remembered that Luna wanted to see him duel. It was a good time for them to meet each other too. He told them "A trusted friend of mine wanted to see me duel. I will just go and get her." Then he winked at Daphne and said "Don't be too surprised at what I do next."
Then he Slid to the Chamber where he knew Luna was currently since he had left her there. It would have been amusing to see their reactions to his disappearance. He saw that Luna was not in the library where he had left her. He walked to the bedroom and found her.
He bounded to her happily and hoisted her up to her feet "Hey Luna! Daphne agreed to go on a date with me if I win a duel against both her and Blaise. Since you wanted to see me duel, you might as well meet them."
Luna laughed at his enthusiasm and dropped her book "Let us go then. Obviously you left them to wonder how you disappeared. You have such a penchant for dramatics Harry."
Harry grinned and Slid back to the room with her. They both took two steps to gain proper balance after Sliding.
The expression of shock on both their faces almost sent him into fits of laughter. He was gone only a few seconds.
"What… How did you… Can't apparate…" Blaise stammered.
At the same time, Daphne exclaimed "Loony? Loony Lovegood?"
Harry made the introductions "Blaise, Daphne, meet Luna. Luna, meet Blaise Zabini, a bookworm interested in Runes and Daphne Greengrass, the beautiful girlfriend to be for yours truly."
Daphne scowled at him "Don't be too confident Potter." She turned to Luna and apologized "Sorry for earlier Lovegood. I am pleased to meet you but I just hadn't expected you that's all."
Luna laughed it away "Don't worry about it. I have been called worse and if we are going to work together from now on, you need to know that it is just a mask I keep up."
Blaise then said admiringly "You would have made a fine Slytherin. But is it not presumptuous of you to think that we 'work' with you?"
Luna smirked "Of course not. If Daphne is willing to purse a relationship with Harry, it means that you will no longer be neutral. You would put your worth with Harry and back him. You must have discussed this with your parents and obtained their assent for this since it is such a big step for your families. And you want to duel him now so that you can know if he really worth everything he has been known for. And I seriously doubt if the two of you could beat him."
Blaise was clearly impressed with Luna "An intelligent as well as a sly witch." He took hold of her hand and kissed the back of it, bowing slightly "Enchanted to you meet you Luna. But I do wonder how you ended up being his most trusted friend. I expected Weasley or Granger."
Harry noted that Luna flushed at the attention bestowed upon her. She was not used to such displays from handsome men apparently and Blaise was a handsome guy.
"Harry needed a friend who would not hog him or nag him about anything. I just happened to offer a listening ear. My Witch's Pledge also helped" Luna replied casually.
Daphne sucked in her breath sharply "A Witch's pledge! What made you do that?" she almost shouted at her.
Luna replied calmly, smiling at Harry "Harry is worth it and more. He has not once abused his privileges and has not asked me for anything. If you give him a chance, you will know how much a true gem Harry is among men."
Harry was embarrassed "Luna…" he started.
"Don't be so modest Harry. It is the truth after all" Luna cut off sternly.
"Right" Blaise remarked "How about the duel?"
There was a lot of empty space in the room apart from the sitting area. Luna pointed to the empty space and asked "How about there?"
"Sure" Harry said "You can stay here and shield yourself Luna."
Harry then drew his wand which seemingly just appeared in his hand. He pointed his wand at the door and charmed it to be locked securely. He put an impenetrable charm on the room and silencing charms on all the walls and the door. Harry was glad that he was able to use Focus Casting right now. He was a little afraid that his magic would fluctuate and he would not be able to win.
He noted that Daphne and Blaise were impressed with his Focus casting despite themselves. He moved to the empty space and readied himself.
Blaise called out "Whatever you did when you entered with Luna Potter, consider it barred."
Harry grinned back "I don't that kind of advantage to defeat the two of you Blaise. Luna, countdown please."
In the three seconds of countdown, Harry observed them as he readied himself. They were both still wearing robes unlike him who was wearing pants and a shirt. Daphne had her wand pointed at him even when she could do wandless magic fluently. She faced him sideways, offering him less of a target. Blaise had a relaxed stance and had his knees bent to be able to move easily. They had been clearly trained in dueling.
Harry concentrated on his Grim part a bit to hopefully bring it to the surface. He relaxed himself and called forth his magic to the surface. All it really meant was that he could fire off the first spell faster than they could. He narrowed his eyes as he focused on them properly. Friends and allies or not, he would never be defeated in a duel. Harry knew he had no 'set' stance like professional duelers. It was both an advantage and disadvantage. The good thing was that his opponents could not predict his moves because most dueling stances were known to have some advantages and disadvantages. The bad thing was that sometimes, he might get caught off balance.
Blaise and Daphne noticed the changes in Harry as he prepared to duel them. They saw the slightly crouched stance and a relaxed posture. They also saw the narrowed eyes and the grin that remained on his face. It was an eerie sight.
They all heard Luna's voice "Three… Two… One… GO."
A/N: All Battle Magic spells used by Harry are the ones from Black family books. The Battle Magic spells developed by others that I had mentioned in earlier chapters is not used by him unless specified. Also note that Harry is NOT voicing his spells out loud and is using Focus casting.
Harry decided to only hold back on the truly damaging spells. Harry quickly rolled to his side and shot off a Stunner at Blaise. He saw two jets of light pass by where he stood before but no voices calling out the spells. So, both of them were well versed in nonverbal spells.
Harry jumped to his feet and ducked another red colored spell shot at him. He then cast Reducto at Daphne.
She put up a shield but Harry felt the floor become slippery. Daphne was using her wandless magic. Blaise was not quiet either. He had shot a purple colored spell at his torso.
Harry didn't want to take a chance with a simple Protego shield. So he used a high level auror shield, Reflecto. The purple spell from Blaise was reflected sideways into the wall by his shield.
Since they both used unnecessary wand movements, Harry had an advantage of having much faster casting speed. Both together could barely match his speed. Focus casting was truly a boon.
Harry dropped the shield and side stepped the slippery floor. He shot off a much stronger spell that he had seen Bob Odgen use, Relashio at Blaise. He also cast an Incarcerous hoping to bind him. These low level spells did not even need any small wand movement from him.
A split second later, he shot Flipendo right at Daphne and Petrificus with a flick of his wand to her left hoping to catch her when she dodged. Flipendo spell caused the target to be pushed back a bit. Petrificus was actually a Battle Magic spell of the Blacks. It petrified the target where the caster concentrated. If the caster wished to petrify the limbs, he had to cast the spell focusing on the opponents' limbs.
To his surprise, Blaise drew three Runes in the air with his wand and calmly withstood the feeble spells. Even though there was power considerable behind the spells, the spells themselves were weak. Blaise was really good with Runes if he was using Runic Spellcasting this soon. He hadn't even known about the subject before Harry gave him the book for Christmas.
Daphne too did something that he did not expect. She did not drop her previous shield and cleanly absorbed the Flipendo shot at her. She brought her left hand up and pointed her palm at him.
Harry felt himself being pushed back violently. He crashed into the wall and fell down.
He got up angrily.
"No more playing" he growled at them, his eyes flashing dangerously. He felt the Grim growl with him in agreement.
He stalked towards them and cast spells directly at Blaise. Pulsato was the first with a jab at his direction. It was a bludgeoning Battle Magic spell of the Blacks. It crashed though his Rune shield caused him to stumble backwards from the force of the spell. He followed it up with Altefy again a simple jab in his direction. It was also a Battle Magic spell for stunning. Blaise was knocked out of the duel as he slumped down bonelessly.
Harry turned sharply and cast Sperectum giving a light twirl with his wand. It was a Battle Magic shield spell. Daphne's two spells, the brown one from her wand and the red one from her left hand collided with the shield. But the shield held.
Daphne made a beckoning gesture with her hand and he felt himself being pulled forwards. Instead of resisting, he cast Pulsato at her feet and Adepto, Fundo Subnecto, Altefy at her with a jab, a slight pull, a flick and a final jab with his wand corresponding to the spells. Adepto was a Battle Magic spell equivalent to a high powered Accio. Fundo Subnecto was also a Battle Magic spell that petrified and bound the target with iron chains.
Harry rolled forward with the pull of the wandless spell and shot to his feet when it ended. He had not used Lacerous as he wanted to on Daphne as it would cause a deep cut to the bone and he did not want to hurt her too much.
Pulsato made her lose her balance while trying to avoid it. Adepto caused her to be pulled towards Harry and Fundo Sucnecto petrified and bound her with iron chains before she had a chance to protect herself. An ordinary Accio spell did not have the power to summon a witch and so he had to use Adepto. He cast Altefy because he did not know the limitation of wandless magic that Daphne used. She might still be able to cast spells even when petrified and bound. She crashed face first onto the floor.
The duel was over and Harry had won.
Luna had watched the exciting duel eagerly. She had known Harry was a god dueler but this was incredible. She noted the use of Runes by Blaise in combat which she didn't even know was possible. She also noted the wandless magic of Daphne. She had thought that all the natural wandless magic users had died out. The moment Harry crashed into the wall due to wandless spell of Daphne; she knew that the momentum of the duel changed. Harry's posture changed and he prowled towards them like a hunter stalking its prey. The spells Harry used then were very powerful and Luna guessed that they were all Battle Magic spells from the Black family books that he was studying. The effects of the spells were impressive. She never knew that Harry was so well versed at offensive spells. He did not call out his spells at all and his wand movements were very limited.
She was learning how to do this but Harry was on a whole new different level. She knew she had to improve to be useful to Harry in a battle.
Harry turned to Luna and said sheepishly "Luna, I think I overdid it a bit. Do you by chance know any healing spells?"
Luna shook her head regretfully "No Harry I don't. They might be okay if it is only bruises."
"Let us check, shall we?" he said and undid the spells on Daphne and Blaise. He had to use Emanio to awaken them as it was the counter to Altefy. Then he cancelled the binds on Daphne using Desino, a Battle Magic cancellation spell like Finite, only much stronger.
They both got up shakily. They were confused for a second and then they turned to glare at Harry.
Harry held up his hands and protested "Hey don't look at me that way. You were the one who wanted the duel."
Blaise glare turned into a smirk "I told Daph that you could take us. But I never expected the duel to be so short. Nice going Potter."
"I don't duel Blaise, I fight. There is a difference" Harry told him smugly.
Daphne just scowled "You countered my wandless magic too easily. Even if you knew about it beforehand as Blaise told me, it should not have been that easy. And I didn't see you use any. How did you defeat us Potter? I could not make out the spells you were using."
"I will tell you later. Do you want any medical attention?" Harry asked a bit nervously. He didn't really want to take them to Auntie P. But if he had no choice, it would be a good chance to really ask her to join him. He needed a healer on his side and as far as he had observed, Auntie P was the best.
"Yes. I think I have a broken wrist and a twisted ankle Potter. I doubt Daphne is any better" Blaise answered.
Daphne grimaced as though she had just discovered pain "Yes. I think I have dislocated my shoulder as I fell. Neither of us can do required spells. Can either Luna or you do it Potter?"
Harry apologized "Sorry about that. But we don't know the spells." Then he sighed deeply and told them all "I really didn't have to do this, but I will take you all to Madam Pomfrey."
Daphne snapped "We can't go through the corridors like this. We are all dirty. We have an image to uphold."
Harry waved her off "Don't be so vain. You won't be seen at all. I will get you there using what I did to get Luna here. Give me a minute"
He used his wand to undo the spells on the room and the door. Then he pulled out the Marauder's Map from his pocket which he kept with him at all times.
He heard Blaise ask "How will you do that?"
Luna answered "He can explain everything to you in detail later. Let us just get you healed first. Don't be too surprised at what you see."
Harry had checked the Map and saw that Auntie P was in her office and that no one was nearby. He cleared the Map and pocketed it again.
He addressed them "Alright. The area is clear. I will take you all one by one, Blaise you first."
Blaise came to him gingerly since his ankle was twisted. Harry put a hand on his shoulder and a split second later, Slid to a few feet in front of the door to the hospital wing. As expected, Blaise stumbled forward. Harry steadied him and knocked on the doors.
"Auntie P" he called out.
"Auntie P?" Blaise asked curiously.
"She was trained by my grandmother" Harry said as he heard the doors open.
Pomfrey was walking towards him with a scowl on her face "Get in. Got in a fight did you? As if your visits weren't enough."
Harry guided Blaise in and answered cheekily "You know you love me."
"Hmmph… What happened this time?" she asked snappily.
"Nothing" Harry started innocently "Blaise Zabini here and Daphne Greengrass decided to test me if I was as good a dueler that everyone thought I was. Fortunately for me, I proved to be better than what they thought. So this time, you only have to mend them and not me."
"Oh… what shall I do with you?" she asked rhetorically before ordering Zabini "Lay down on the bed so that I can see what is wrong with you."
Blaise did as was told. Her voice brokered nothing else.
Before she could start her spells, Harry told her grinning mischievously "Auntie P, I will be back with Daphne shortly" and Slid out in front of her eyes.
He appeared in front of Daphne and Luna who were talking.
"You had better tell me how you do that Potter" Daphne told him waspishly.
Harry bowed to her exaggeratedly "Your wish is my command my lady. May I have the honor of escorting you to the medical wing this glorious night?"
Harry saw that Luna was giggling.
Daphne came and held out her hand to him. He ignored the hand and pulled her into his arms in a loose embrace taking care to not jostle her injured shoulder too much. He called out to Luna before he left "I will be back for you soon."
He Slid back to see Auntie P had dropped her wand was looking at him with wide eyes.
But Daphne freed herself out of his arms by elbowing him roughly in the side "Don't you dare do that to me again Potter."
"Why ever not Daph, I though you liked me. In fact, you have agreed to a date with me" Harry replied.
"That does not…" Whatever she was going to say was cut off by Auntie P.
"Harry, tell me what is going on… NOW" she shouted.
"There is just one more person I need to get Auntie P and then I will explain everything" Harry said as he Slid out.
He appeared in front of Luna and told her "Why don't we take up something to drink? They will need it."
She nodded and hugged him. He Slid them to the Chamber and picked up a few bottles of butterbeer and his last bottle of firewhiskey.
He Slid them back to the hospital wing. The door was closed and Daphne was laid down on a bed next to Blaise. Auntie P had picked up her wand and was scanning Blaise with spells.
Without turning to look at him, Auntie P ordered "You will tell me everything after I have healed these two."
Harry just nodded and warded the doors with silencing and impenetrable charms. He also put silencing charms on the walls for good measure.
He and Luna watched silently as Auntie P healed Blaise first and then Daphne. A few spells and a potion to each of them did the job.
Then he proceeded to explain in brief about most of the things. He told them of Dumbledore's manipulations over the years which garnered him skeptical but accepting looks. The he told them that he was forming his own side in the war. He told them a little of what he had been up to. The part about the Chamber of Secrets and Battle Magic got exclamations of disbelief but he continued. He didn't tell them what he learnt in detail but just that he did. Then he told them that what he used to travel was called Sliding and that it was the next form of Apparation. He promised to get them together and explain everything in detail soon when they persisted for more information.
Blaise, Daphne and Auntie P were shocked with the information.
Before they could start with the questions again, Luna got up and produced a scroll from her robes. "I think all three of you need to sign this."
Harry asked her before they could "What is that?"
"Just a contract for keeping your secrets" she answered calmly, "but the effects of breaking will be far more severe than the DA contract."
"What about you?" Auntie P asked.
"I will if Harry asks me to. But I don't really need to since I gave him my Witch's Pledge" Luna answered serenely.
"Are you daft girl?" Auntie P exploded, "I know that Harry is a good lad but a Pledge?"
"I trust him and he has never misused it" Luna replied.
Harry interrupted sheepishly "I didn't really know about it then Auntie P. I promise I won't abuse it. Also, I forgot to ask you if you will help me?" he asked hesitantly.
Auntie P rolled her eyes at him and said "Of course I will brat. You think I would let you do this alone after what your grandparents have done for me? Besides, I know you. You will get yourself into enough scrapes that you will need my healing all the time."
She turned to Luna and asked briskly "Give me that scroll." She then summoned a quill and inkpot from her office. She signed the scroll and handed it to Blaise.
Blaise and Daphne signed it mutely, still not out of their daze. They had not expected the familiarity between Madam Pomfrey and Harry nor had they expected the revelations that Harry had rocked them with.
Harry enlarged the bottles and conjured glasses for all of them. "Now let us celebrate you all agreeing to help me" he said smiling.
They all agreed even though Daphne and Blaise were not out of their stupor yet. A drink would help them relax.
XXXX
A few days later (more like three); Harry got another Gringotts owl telling him that all of his properties in Knockturn Alley were sold. Only a few of them had to await payments from the buyers for a few weeks. Unfortunately, Dumbledore was present and he saw it.
So, it was not a surprise when he was summoned to Dumbledore's office. After the usual pleasantries, Dumbledore asked "Harry, might I inquire why Gringotts in contacting you?"
Harry felt the light probe of Legilimency and answered a half truth "They are sending me updates on something I asked them to do sir. It is something I wanted to do for a while and didn't know how to do it." He purposefully remembered how poor Weasleys were and the times when they bought second hand things. He felt the probes recede after seeing those images. Dumbledore believed that he was looking into helping the Weasleys financially. Harry was thankful that he had prepared for this questioning since he leant that Gringotts mail was not checked by whoever was monitoring all mails into and out of the castle.
Dumbledore eyes brightened and he asked delicately "Is there anything I can help you out with dear boy? I might be able to clear up any obstacles you might encounter."
"No thank you sir. It is almost done and the goblins said that they could handle it" Harry replied politely.
"Very well Harry" Dumbledore said graciously.
"Sir?" Harry ventured hesitantly "Can we have another lesson now?"
Dumbledore sighed "Alas my boy, we need Slughorn's true memory to continue. Have you obtained it per chance?"
"No sir. I have tried but he shuts off the subject sir" Harry answered.
"Please hurry Harry. There is a lot to show you but they might not make sense until we view the actual memory" Dumbledore told him.
"Yes sir" Harry parroted.
"Contact me as you as you have it Harry" Dumbledore said.
Recognizing the dismissal, Harry left happily. He had avoided Dumbledore again but he had not yet obtained the memory. He would have to do something about it soon.
Later in the evening, Luna told him that she had received mail from Remus. It said tomorrow at 9 PM.
Harry had not explained everything in detail to Daphne, Blaise and Auntie P yet. He had also not shown them the Chamber. He decided to explain and show them all together with Remus.
A/N: Thank you all for the reviews. I appreciate all kinds of reviews that I have encountered.