Harry Potter and the Dance of Death

by Wakefan

Harry is destined to stop Voldemort and his followers from corrupting and overrunning the wizarding world. Unfortunately, the Horcrux in his head is working against him. His friends and family are heavily impacted by its influence. Harry is on a long path of power and mastery. Powerful!Harry, Lily finds a way to live on, Casting Shadows Prequel.

39. Chapter 39 Summer Entanglements

—Dance of Death 39—

In the last chapter, Harry wrapped up year 5 and was recovering from the Battle in the Department of Mysteries. The one favourable outcome of that battle was the proof that Voldemort had returned. Harry has been lying low to avoid unwanted attention as Voldemort's return put Magical Britain in a mild panic. Compounding the attention was the fact that Harry had somehow been able to drive him off once again. Overnight, he went from being a murder suspect to a national hero once more.

Harry realised that he needed more training in Battle Magic to reach the level of ability he saw Dumbledore and Voldemort demonstrating in their duel. He met Dumbledore and agreed upon specific terms before he would return to Hogwarts. One of those terms was the completion of his NEWTs to an Outstanding grade evaluation in Transfiguration, Charms, and Defence. An optional NEWT in Charms was up to him. To this end, he threw himself back into his studies.

This is where we pick up.

I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters – they belong to JKRowling.

FASA owns the Earthdawn setting which has influenced many of the ideas in my stories. Many of the spells in this chapter are from the Earthdawn setting, I just put a Latin name on them.

"§Example of Parseltongue §."

—DoD—

Special thanks to my Beta Reader, 'Just William' for the excellent feedback and diligent work in making the story better.

—Dance of Death 39—

Summer Entanglements

Grimmauld Place

July 21, 1996

Sunday

The Weasley family and Hermione were all staying at Grimmauld Place along with the Tonks and the Malfoys. It was getting a rather cramped, but they all managed. Fortunately, it was a big house. Some areas were warded and only those in the Black family could go into the library and the master suite. Harry rarely left the house and it was generally not considered safe to roam about London as the Death Eaters were beginning to target families and individuals. The Order was stretched thin trying to defend and protect. Two weeks ago, Amelia Bones had been murdered in her manor.

Amelia Bones was the favoured candidate for Minister and her strong stance was what set her apart from other candidates. Unfortunately, she had been murdered at Bones Manor while Susan was at her friend Hannah's house. Harry knew Amelia regretted ending the Alliance that powered the original wards at Bones Manor, but who could have predicted this? She came through for him in the end with the Umbridge investigation… and he really didn't want Susan to be orphaned again. It had been a rough week.

Harry was currently sitting in the gym with Ginny. It was public enough that no one would mind them being alone, but private enough for them to be a 'couple'. Thank god for dragon-hide gloves! Harry was preparing for his NEWTs and Hermione was helping Ginny get ahead in Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. Summer was halfway over and with all the studying, they were both stretched thin timewise. Ginny was going to the Holyhead training camp tomorrow and wouldn't return until just before school started, so she and Harry made a point to spend the entire weekend together.

Listening to Ginny talk about how excited she was for the coming year was nice and relaxing. She was just so animated and full of life. Not only was it her OWL year, but with Alicia and Angelina graduating, the Gryffindor Quidditch team was being re-built. Katie was the new captain and she had asked Ginny to be her backup. Professor McGonagall gave the two girls permission to meet at Hogwarts to practice and devise new drills three times a week. Their first order was to require everyone to try out for their positions.

Ginny's new broom 'the Boomslang' had arrived. Sirius had it special ordered for her in his will and it was a beauty. On top of that, she used the credit Sirius had bequeathed her at Quality Quidditch Supplies and updated her gear. She was ready but had confessed to being concerned about Ron… Ron was extremely nervous about the try outs. Everyone knew how good McLaggen was, but no one really liked him. Well, Katie seemed to get along with him alright, but she got along with almost everyone. Ginny was certain Ron would get the keeper spot if he just kept his head.

After a long discussion around her Quidditch plans, she paused and became pensive for a moment.

She looked over and was chewing on her lower lip. "Harry, I want you to… do something for me."

"For you? Anything."

She stopped chewing her lip and said, "I want you to try to be nice to people at Hogwarts." Seeing her boyfriend tense up, she added, "You don't have to do much, just don't act like you want to kill everyone."

"Ginny, I threw a big party and invited everyone… isn't that enough? And why should I fake being friendly?"

"Come on, we both know you had the party because you needed witnesses." She shook her head a moment. "This is a big year for me and how you act is… Seriously though, I am a total bitch to the people that treated you the worst two years ago. But remember, they're mostly gone now. If you want to hate on Hannah, go for it. But don't hate Hufflepuff. You know I will personally kick Cho Chang's ass if I get the chance. But most of Ravenclaw is alright. And… be nice to Susan… even though she doesn't deserve it."

Harry was obligated to attend Amelia Bones' funeral and seeing Susan so broken up was not something he enjoyed. He decided it was time to let his animosity toward her go. Forgive and forget? Nope. 'Fake it and move on'… That was more accurate. Dumbledore said the spell used on him was just a homemade cramping jinx that the Horcrux used to its own benefit, but it sure felt personal lying in the dirt… Hannah wasn't getting off so easy.

"Ginny… alright, I'll try. But don't expect too much from me." Please don't expect too much.

She had that look again. "Harry, you forgave Draco Malfoy…" Everyone hated Malfoy… "You hated him more than anyone except his dad and You-Know-Who. Now you two are mates."

Harry angrily exclaimed, "Only after I beat the snot out of him. Besides, I saw how his dad treated him…" after a quiet moment, he calmed down and added, "I won't embarrass you, but don't ask me to be the life of the party."

Ginny laughed. "Harry Potter! The life of the party!" She laughed just long enough for Harry to realise that was never in the cards. Soon he was laughing too.

"Hey, I'll have you know I'm reaching out… Lavender sends me the Horoscope every week! She and Parvati plan to initiate me into their little club of mystics…"

Ginny did a double take, then smiled in disbelief. "Harry, you said you wouldn't embarrass me…" She was having fun now.

He grinned innocently back, "Sorry, but I have eight hours a week of Psychometry and Divination training. I'm joining the Divination club! My third eye cannot… will not be closed!" He was having fun now. "I just hope they don't haze me…"

"Nooooo Harry, they're crazy!" Ginny was laughing too. "They will predict your doom every week!"

"Honestly, I think they just want to hang out with the Girls." Harry noticed Ginny lost her enthusiasm. She tried to fake it, but his Familiar made her uncomfortable. Not wanting to argue the last day before Ginny left for camp, he changed the subject.

Thinking fast, Harry shifted the conversation back to Quidditch. "So, if you're going to be a chaser, who do you have in mind for seeker?" That should do it. Ginny was more Quidditch crazy than Ron these days.

Brightening up Ginny began listing the different people trying out. "Well, Dennis Creevey was looking like a strong possibility. Demelza Robins could fill the Chaser or the Seeker spot… Fay Dunbar was a likely candidate and looking to be a strong beater, but there were two others who were likely to try out for the second beater… Jimmy Peakes and Ritchie Coote." Ginny had her doubts about these two. "Dean Thomas would make a good back up chaser. It paid to have a backup in case Demelza had to cover for Dennis. Robins might even try out for Seeker and throw Dean into the starting position for Chaser…"

Harry enjoyed watching Ginny get passionate about Quidditch. If not for the damn thorns… Next summer they'd be gone. He didn't like the idea of Dean playing on the same team, though. Harry knew Dean had a thing for Ginny. No thorns either. But he trusted her more than Dean.

Harry noted that he didn't know most of the team… Gryffindor really had turned over quite a bit. As he thought about it, he only knew the team from two years ago and the kids in his year. Maybe not cursing everyone would be easier than he thought.

"Gin, it sounds like you already know whose getting picked."

"Not really, I'm mostly just guessing and considering all the scenarios. Katie has final say." Looking at Harry staring, she asked, "What?"

He could smell her shampoo… and perfume. Someone must have helped pick it out… Even her freckles are cute. He just kept looking at her… with a silly grin.

"I love you." Then he added, "The thorns come off in spring…"

She beamed at him. "I love you too, Harry… Spring, huh?"

God, he wanted to kiss her. He could tell she did too…

Instead she asked, "So, don't you get that second wand soon?"

Harry snapped out of his daydreams. "What? Oh… no. Gregorovitch is having difficulty with the thorns. They keep growing back and they're apparently kind of poisonous. Like Poison Ivy or something, only bad. He's afraid of what it'll be like when a Basilisk heartstring is added. Honestly, the guy is as crazy as Ollivander. He seems to be loving it. But he thinks it'll take a few more weeks."

Ginny looked confused for a moment, "How can the thorns grow back? Doesn't he… Carve and shape it?"

Harry shrugged, "Who knows? Wandmakers all seem crazy. He did send me a bill for an infected injury… so the poison part seems accurate. His wands aren't as refined looking as Ollivander's, but they're still shaped. They just look, more organic." Switching the topic, he exclaimed, "I can't believe I'm going back to Hogwarts!"

Ginny squeezed his hand through the glove, "Forget those people. Now, tell me about your plans for the year…"

Harry talked about learning from Dumbledore and Flitwick. His goals with Battle Magic and how Divination is more fascinating than he dreamed. He even discussed plans to get back into curse-breaking after the war. He had his new broom – 'the Black Mamba' and he was eager to try it once the thorns were gone. He admitted that the pain from the thorns never really went away, he just learned to cope. It was all about 'focus'.

—Dance of Death 39—

Grimmauld Place

July 22, 1996

Monday

Monday morning came and Harry bade goodbye to Ginny for the rest of the summer amid promises to write. They had spent the entire weekend together and Harry missed her already. But he had training and studies to get to. Harry was working with Mr. Oppenheimer until the afternoon. He was training Harry to understand how to open his mind up for psychometry without lowering his Occlumency shields. He also gave Harry a set of Tarot cards and a simple guidebook while commenting on Harry's accurately interpreting his reading during the OWL practical.

Harry looked sheepish for a moment, "Mr. Oppenheimer, I was just making it up. The Psychometry was real, but the Tarot cards were… not."

The man seemed amused. "Hmmm well, let's see. My 'Past' card was read as too much of a good thing… Inverted nine of cups. When I was in my twenties, I became very well known in my profession. I began traveling the world seeking out divinations and prophesies. I was obsessed. My wife begged me to stay home and start a family. I wanted to, but I couldn't stop… there was always just one more mystery to pursue. And now I have no wife or family. Inverted nine of cups is perfect for my past."

Harry winced. "Coincidence?" That really sucked.

"Maybe. My 'present' card was an Inverted King of Wands. Belligerent and stubborn. Making incorrect assumptions. Yeah… I was certain you were just wasting my time. I found you amusing, though. I was wrong. About the waste of time, not about being amusing."

Harry chuckled and had to agree. "You were kind of an…. Well, you seemed amused." Harry stopped himself from saying 'arse'.

Mr, Oppenheimer smiled. "Right. And my 'future' card was the Inverted Page of Pentacles. Disappointment and a delayed message." He scratched his chin a moment. "The future readings are always the toughest. The journal you deciphered held a mystery that was too long delayed. It detailed how Dementors were being summoned to Azkaban. They were drawn to and bolstered in their magical might. The wizard who recorded his notes in that journal believed at the time that the Dark Wizard Ekrizdis was building a near unstoppable Dark Army."

Oppenheimer continued, "Whatever Ekrizdis did caused the Dementors to band together as a cohesive group where before they were simply wandering horrors. Ekrizdis somehow created a group mind… like a hive consciousness, perhaps. That made them far more dangerous… at the time, the process was reversible. But now it's set. The window to undo that which had been done is no longer open. Delayed message."

Harry ponded this, "What happened to Ekrizdis?"

"Well, he spent all his time around Dementors… We think it drove him insane. Well, more insane than before. He died of natural causes." He then smirked sarcastically at his student, "The kind of natural causes that occur when you stop eating and drinking."

Seeing Harry grimly considering what he had learned, Oppenheimer gave another, less depressing interpretation of the Inverted Page of Pentacles. "Of course, it could be referencing what you did to the Hall of Prophesies. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to destroy every single prophesy in the room."

Harry laughed a bit then looked at the Tarot cards he'd been given. Harry didn't want to lie.

"I appreciate the gift, Mr. Oppenheimer, but I really think I just got lucky."

"Harry, Tarot readings take time and patience. I think you interpreted my past, present, and future correctly. Now you must believe it. Sometimes, it's less about the cards, and more about how you interpret them. This is where keeping yourself open to your own magical awareness is so important. Most practitioners with the gift don't see visions. They observe everyday events and find signs toward the future. Tarot cards just make it easier… The colours, the body language of the images… just how they make you feel. This is especially true for the Rider-Waite-Smith cards. Pamela Coleman Smith was brilliant in her design. She never got half the credit she deserved… Brilliant design all the way down to the predominant colours chosen for each image. But I'm biased. There are plenty of differing opinions around Oracle cards and many swear by Thoth or Marseilles."

Seeing Harry looking intensely at the deck, Mr. Oppenheimer added with a grin, "And they're great fun at parties."

Harry smiled genuinely and laughed a bit. "Thank you, sir." He found that he really did like Mr. Oppenheimer. "Is Pamela Coleman Smith still alive?"

Mr. Oppenheimer looked somewhat sad. "No… she died in 1951. A gifted artist and a beautiful person… Very petite. We called her 'Pixie'. I have all the books she illustrated as well as a number of her original paintings."

Harry wondered, "Was she a Witch, sir?"

"She was a Squib. But I always wondered if… Well, her Divination skills were nothing to sneer at. She is missed by many."

Harry realised his teacher had been friends with the woman. "I'm sorry, sir."

"Thank you, Harry. Please, call me Fritz. When it's just the two of us, I'd prefer to keep it casual." Fritz shook off his melancholy and snapped his fingers, "Alright Harry, let's get started."

—DoD—

Later that day, Harry checked in on Hermione. He had convinced her to teach his Familiar to read in exchange for Ancient Runes tutoring. It was fun exchanging ideas with Hermione, she was engaging and insightful. Harry's Familiar had grown quite a bit and was now over four feet long and very thick for her length. But all Runespoors were unusually thick, they had to be to support three heads. Harry had to enchant a backpack to carry her around in now that she had outgrown her messenger bag.

Entering the study, he watched them reading. "Hey, Hermione. How're the lessons coming?" Switching to Parseltongue, he asked, "§How's study time, girls? §"

Hermione spoke before the girls could. "They've picked up reading extremely fast. It must be a Familiar bonding thing… It's less like they're learning to read and closer to remembering how to read."

"§ This is easy, Harry... I'm getting bored... Can we get some food?... My sisters are slowing me down… Shut it, Hecate! §"

Harry forcefully exclaimed, "§ No Biting! NO BITING! §"

Hermione looked slightly stunned. They girls were hissing and threatening each other. "They got along fine the whole time… I really think they just compete for your attention… But they really are learning at a speed that normally wouldn't be possible. I'd say they're at a… fifth grade level. By the end of summer, they'll be better than most students." Changing the subject, she asked, "So, how did you do on your OWLs? We didn't really compare notes…"

Harry tilted his head and scrunched up his lips a moment. "Well, I did about as well as I expected." Seeing that Hermione wasn't going to stop, he added, "Outstanding in Charms, Transfiguration, Defence, Runes, Potions, and Arithmancy." With his parent's knowledge, it had really been simple.

"Six 'Outstanding' scores is impressive. What about the others?" Hermione was so competitive….

"I passed Herbology and Astronomy with 'Acceptable' scores. History and Divination were 'Exceeds Expectations'…"

Hermione gasped, "What? You actually had a vision in a Divination exam, and you didn't get an 'Outstanding'?"

Harry shrugged. "Well I didn't do that great on the written portion." Seeing Hermione still looking shocked, he added, "I also walked out of the practical before it was over and… I kind of said 'Fuck Divination' to the administrators."

After a few moments, Hermione broke out in laughter. "Only you, Harry…"

Harry laughed with her and added, "I got a 'Dreadful' in Care of Magical Creatures and a 'Troll' in Muggle Studies… But only because I didn't show."

Hermione pulled her hair back. "Well, ten OWLS is still impressive." She was still chuckling and shaking her head. "Muggle raised and a 'Troll' in Muggle Studies…"

"Oi, I was fighting Death Eaters!" He laughed at the irony himself. "How'd you do, Mione?"

She looked both proud and slightly embarrassed, "Eleven Owls."

Harry rubbed his chin. "And the scores were…?"

Hermione blushed a bit. "All Outstanding except… Defence. That was an Exceeds Expectation."

Harry stopped smiling. "How did you not get and Outstanding in Defence? You've been running a study group focused on it…"

"It just doesn't come as naturally for me. Harry, do you know that you may have the only 'Outstanding' OWL in Defence this year? And it's not like the study group was able to meet regularly. Most of the training was more focused on developing situational awareness, not curses and charms… Honestly, I think it's more effective, but no one tests you on that."

Harry didn't like to hear that his best class was Hermione's worst. "Well, we can work on getting that up to an 'Outstanding' for the NEWTs. Of all the subjects, that's the one you'll need the most. But you're right about situational awareness. That'll keep you alive."

Hermione suddenly looked hopeful. "So, are you offering to help lead the Defence Association?"

Harry thought about it for a few minutes. "Maybe. But… well, maybe." He didn't want to help a lot of the people in that class. But like Draco said weeks ago, he couldn't fight the war alone. Hadn't much of the class graduated?

Harry knew the agreement; Hermione taught his Familiar and he taught Hermione. "Hey, Hermione… Instead of Runes, how do you feel about learning the Demotic or Akkadian languages?" He could use a refresher himself.

His friend's eyes lit up… He noticed that Hecate also looked interested. Maybe he could even teach Hermione to write left-handed.

—Dance of Death 39—

Grimmauld Place

August 11, 1996

Sunday ~ 1AM

Harry was in his Dreamscape spending time with his parent's incarnations. Their house was now surrounded by a thick forest with enormous trees. One huge tree stood in the distance, far larger than the rest. Harry now came here on average about three or four times a week. Always after his Occlumency exercises. He had reviewed his battle in the ministry at least a dozen times with both parents and they had pointed out a few minor areas he could 'tweak', but overall, they were impressed. His father especially liked the way he had Bellatrix run headfirst into a wall.

In the house that his parent's incarnation lived, they used a muggle television to replay his memories. His father had replayed Bellatrix running into the wall about two dozen times before Lily finally asked him to stop. Both parents had passed on their knowledge at this point, so their meetings were mostly social or focused on reviewing his knowledge for the NEWTs. Harry was impressed with both of his parent's knowledge and writing skills. Between the three of them, they expected the NEWTs to be a snap.

Lily looked over at her son with concern, "Harry, what's eating at you?" He'd been acting awkward all night.

Harry could never hide things from her. "I'm nervous about going back to Hogwarts. I still don't trust the Headmaster and I don't really want to see all those students again. Doctor Gaines says it'll help me get past the year of the tournament… but I'm really not looking forward to it."

Harry saw James tense up. He seemed to think Dumbledore had made mistakes, but not intentionally. Of course, he was an incarnation and really couldn't change his outlook. As much comfort as his parent's incarnations gave him, they weren't his actual parents. They were more like interactive wizard paintings. His mum mistrusted Dumbledore and his dad had apparently looked up to the man.

James took a neutral position, "Albus made a lot of mistakes, but he's not a villain, Harry. He can train you and teach you so much… Battle magic is not something people can just learn from a book. He can help get you on the right path to survival."

That was Harry's opening, "I've learned a lot from the Grimoires Madam McKinnon sent over. The Potter magic has some great techniques as well. Couldn't you teach me?"

James nodded, "Not as well as Albus. And unless you plan to wade into a dozen battles, you'll need someone like Albus to speed things up. You saw him in the Ministry…"

Lily inserted herself at this point, "And Filius can help as well. He may not be a Battle wizard, but he's a duelling prodigy. Based on what Albus mentioned, he can train you in Dual Wand fighting… among other things. Now that would be a huge benefit. Most fights are small skirmishes and are frequently one on one. But combat is only good for fighting, Horace can help you reintegrate socially."

James groaned, "Oh, boy. Horace Slughorn."

Lily cut her eyes at her husband. Harry knew this was a sensitive topic. At least with Dumbledore they had agreed to disagree.

Lily firmly said, "James, Horace helped me understand the social dynamics of the Wizarding world. He can do the same to Harry."

"Slughorn just wants to be relevant. He's like a parasite… trying to attach himself to anyone who has potential."

Harry didn't want to sit through this again. "Oi! I like Professor Slughorn. He may have his reasons for helping me, but I know he cared about mum. And at least he doesn't pretend to be my grandfather with the twinkling eyes and the guilt trips."

James rubbed his jaw. "True… just don't make any business deals with him."

Lily seemed to silently agree on that. "Harry, go to school to learn. Horace can help if you need someone to talk to about social problems… but avoid anything political. And never discuss alliances or money."

James added, "And keep your guard up. This is your year, Harry. After the battle in the ministry, you're no longer just Harry Potter. People will act differently around you. Some might try to prove themselves by… well, you know."

Harry grimaced at that. "Great. Well, at least I'll have my own room."

Lily smiled, "My old room!" Harry had forgotten she had stayed there before going to France.

They spent the rest of the night talking about Quidditch, Runes, and eventually the NEWTs which Harry was taking the following week. And about Ginny.

—Dance of Death 39—

Grimmauld Place

August 17, 1996

Saturday

Saturday at noon, Bill, Fleur and Harry walked into Grimmauld Place having just returned from Castelobruxo. It was obvious they were both relaxed and happy. Harry wrapped up his NEWTs, having tested in Ancient Runes, Transfiguration, Defence Against the Dark Arts, and Charms. Bill had accompanied him and spent the week with Fleur. Officially, they were on guard duty, but they also had plenty of time together on the Rio beaches while Harry was studying and testing.

Harry set his bags down which Kreacher collected and apparated away to unpack and clean his garments. Andromeda noted how relieved the teen looked now that his NEWTs were behind him. He would still take NEWT level potions and Divination classes, but he was transitioning out of the role of student and into the role of apprentice. He had two more weeks to relax and she intended to make those weeks as stress free as possible. Aside from one small request…

Harry saw everyone looking at him expectedly and raised his thumb. "Killed it!" He'd have to wait a bit for the results, but he knew he had done very well. He was ready to sit back and relax.

Harry's Familiar was anxiously awaiting his return. This time, she was too big to stow away. Apparently, Castelobruxo did not allow any animals, Familiar or otherwise, to be present during NEWTs and OWLs. Unfortunately, she had grown too big to fit between his thorns, so he now had to wear gloves to hold her.

"§ Hello girls! I can't wait to take you to Brazil. You will love it! Merlin, I loved that school! §"

"§ Thank god you're back, Harry!... Selene's been bullying us… Hermione says we can read simply fine now… No, I haven't… What did you bring us?... Yes, you've been a nasty snake without your Harry! §"

Harry had forgotten how they sometimes bickered. "§ No Biting! Stop! What the…? Seriously, can't you just get along? §" He bend down and they each touched noses with him. Until the thorns came off, that was the best he could do. Selene went twice.

After his Familiar calmed down, Harry pulled out a heating stone that resembled a Mayan temple. "§ Once I get this into our room at Hogwarts, I'll expand it so you guys can have a warm place in the winter. §"

After unpacking and sharing stories, they all settled in and had a massive lunch. There were so many people at Grimmauld Place now, all the meals were massive. Between the Tonks, the Weasleys, the Malfoys, and the regular stop overs from members of the Order… They practically had to eat in shifts. Harry talked about the Rain Forest and meeting a massive Anaconda. His elementalist side fell deeply in love with the region. It was a brilliant place and he planned to go back soon.

As lunch ended, the boys agreed to a chess match. Hermione abstained, so Harry would play against Draco and Ron would play the winner. Apparently, chess was something Draco and Ron could do without constantly being at each other's throats. Ironically, Harry's Familiar had begun watching them play. Draco appreciated the way the Runespoor subtly freaked Ron out and he took advantage of the distraction. Hermione opted out of the little chess match and left with Fleur to learn a few new charms. It was good that she had Fleur around now that Ginny was away. As Harry, Draco and Ron rose to engage in their battle of wits, Andromeda asked Harry to stay behind.

"Harry, I'd like you to read this letter and consider a response." She looked to be conflicted. The letter was quite thick. It was on par with one of Hermione letters.

Harry took the letter and after the second sentence, he knew who it was from. "Oh, hell no." It was from Billy Corbin.

"Harry, at least read it and…"

"I thought you were as mad about him getting off easily as I was. Now you want me to… reach out to the little bastard?" He paced a bit around the kitchen, then said, "Hell no! I'm tired of getting crapped on and always having to turn the other cheek. Not happening."

"Do me this one favour, then. Just read the letter. That's all." Andromeda waited for him to calm a bit and added, "My frustration at the school was with Dumbledore. I'm not happy that that boy tricked you, but I'm furious that Dumbledore didn't even allow for an investigation. The man disregards the law when it's convenient… simply because he can. In this case, he's probably right. But what about Sirius? What about all those Death Eaters who got off? What about… other decisions?" She almost said Snape but caught herself. No point opening that can of worms.

"Andromeda, you have no idea what I've gone through. I'm tired of being everyone's kickball."

"I have no idea what a 'kick-ball' is, but I know you got into a lot of fights, Harry. I know that your house didn't believe you when you said you hadn't entered yourself in the tournament and you were asked to leave Gryffindor. I also know some of your friends stood by you, but many didn't. I know how terrible that must have been… Am I missing anything else?" She suddenly began to wonder if there was even more…

Harry hadn't ever told her about the worst of his years at Hogwarts. The Heir of Slytherin business. The Badges almost all the students wore that said 'Potter Stinks'. The fact that he wasn't really getting in fights as much as he was getting ambushed and cursed in the back. The time three Slytherin students tried to kill him and Snape murdered his pet. Most of Gryffindor attacking him in the common room. How he was cursed in the courtyard… over and over… So much more. He had worked through a lot of this with Dr. Gaines, but he didn't like talking about it outside of therapy. Well, Dudley knew a lot. Draco and Hermione, too. Ginny knew enough. But Andromeda? She probably only knew the clinical 'whitewashed' version of his time at Hogwarts.

"No, Andromeda. That's about it." He didn't want her to… think less of him.

Andromeda looked uncertain. "Harry, if you ever want to…"

"No, I'm fine. I'll read what Billy has to say." Changing the subject, he murmured, "Lunch was great. It really is good to be home." He sounded somewhat robotic.

—DoD—

Later in the basement

Draco scowled and spat out, "Hell no! You don't owe that little miscreant anything. First, he bothers you for an autograph, then it turns out to be a set up. He's lucky you didn't just kill him when you got back. There's a place for Wizards like that, it's called Azkaban."

The three teens were looking over the chess board. Harry was trying to capture Draco's queen, but he kept forgetting about the knight. Ron was completely engrossed in the game but looked up while Draco was shaking his head in disbelief.

Reluctantly, Ron added his two cents, "Look, I'm the last to throw stones here… yeah, I know. I fucked up. But that kid set you up to get killed, Harry. I messed up a lot, but nowhere near that bad."

Draco looked over and smirked, "Yeah, as best mates go, you really fell short of the mark. I should have made a second badge for you."

Ron went back to staring at the board looking miserable. "Yeah. I know." After a minute he said, "Prat." Draco was still smirking.

Harry thought a moment, "But would either of you done any different than Billy if your family was at risk." It wasn't a rhetorical question. Harry really wanted to know. But he regretted asking it immediately. He thought he knew the answer already.

No one spoke for a good three minutes.

Draco finally smiled and moved his rook… "Checkmate, Harry."

They were all grateful for the shift in focus.

"Fuck." Harry couldn't believe he didn't see that coming.

Draco started setting up the board. "You Gryffindor's have no self-control. This is just too easy."

Draco then leaned back. "We should talk about the fun times at Hogwarts whenever we play. That was almost too easy." Looking over at Ron, he tapped his chin. "Step right up Weasley. Let's discuss second year when you thought Harry was the Heir of Slytherin…"

Harry groaned, Ron glared, and Draco laughed.

Harry chuckled a little, then turned to Ron. "Kick his smarmy ass."

"With Pleasure."

—DoD—

August 23, 1996

Friday

Harry was taking Psychometric readings on various common objects and learning how to block and open up to each. His Occlumency flexed a bit, but he was improving, he just needed to be careful and not force it. It was impressive the way Oppenheimer had instructed him… it was terribly similar to the various Alaric Grimoire instructions.

Fritz Oppenheimer interrupted his final meditation. "That's enough for today, Harry. You're getting better. But I may need to continue your training at Hogwarts."

Harry slowly regained his focus. These exercises were helping him with his Psychometry, but his other Divination related skills were benefitting as well. Taking the Divination OWL had been one of the best moves he ever made. He and Fritz had grown closer over the summer and now they were on a first name basis. It was almost like he was with Bill.

"Fritz, what's the end goal here? I mean… I really like Psychometry and my combat predictions feel more natural… but it seems like we're working toward a goal here. But no one told me what it is."

Fritz chuckled at his young trainee. "You're the one with the gift, you tell me." He could smirk as well as Harry.

This was his style of teaching. He provided the tools and the guidance, but he let you figure out where you're going. Harry thought about it… There was really one main goal here… Beat Voldemort. But before we beat him, the Horcruxes need to be destroyed. He knew Fritz was an Unspeakable and Dumbledore was teaming up with a few of them to try and find the last of the Horcruxes.

Harry gave Fritz a suspicious look. "Horcrux hunting. Right?"

Fritz adopted a questioning look, "Are you asking me or telling me?"

"Maybe I should just ask my Tarot cards…"

Fritz guffawed, then recovered, saying, "You do that, Harry."

Harry thought about it. "There are three more. One's the snake. Plus, two unknowns."

Fritz shook his head. "Nope. Your Headmaster found one last week. Damn fool didn't call us, either."

"That's great! So, just the snake and one more…" Fritz didn't look incredibly happy. "What aren't you telling me?"

Fritz seemed less 'witty' suddenly. "I'll let Albus tell you… but learn from the mistakes of others, Harry. Don't ever go it alone. Every dangerous job requires at least two people. Do you know what happens to Curse-Breakers who work alone?"

Harry knew the answer. Curse-breakers who work alone, get killed. He didn't say it out loud, but it only took a simple look for Fritz to know he understood.

Fritz gave a bit more scholarly advice, "The man who thinks he's the smartest person in the world, is always going to be disappointed at some critical point in their life." Then he wryly added, "Just ask my ex-wife."

Harry laughed awkwardly a moment. "Right." Harry had considered going off on his own to find Horcruxes… but maybe not. Fritz was warning him…

Fritz looked at his student and saw his words sinking in. Good. He would have hated it if the battle at the Ministry had given Harry a false sense of invulnerability.

Lightening the conversation, Fritz asked, "In a few minutes, your Headmaster will be here with your NEWT scores. How do you think you did?"

"Easy O's. In fact, I think I over-prepared." With a grin, Harry added, "Much better than my Divination OWL."

Fritz smiled back, "No vomiting, I take it."

Harry smirked. "Or Drowning."

Fritz could match Sarcasm with anyone. "Glad to hear it… Cheeky… Let's go see Albus."

—DoD—

As Harry and Fritz came upstairs, the mood seemed sombre. Harry noticed Bill staring at the Headmasters right hand. It looked dead and withered. Harry opened his perceptions and saw it was a terrible curse and it had integrated with his 'pattern'. It was fatal. But on his finger was a ring… no, a stone. An immensely powerful one at that. As Harry stared, he sensed Fritz behind him and started walking again.

Dumbledore smiled as if everything was fine. "Harry, my boy. How has your summer been?"

After an awkward moment, Harry said, "It's been busy, actually. I loved Castelobruxo and seeing South America. We really should have a more robust foreign exchange program…"

Dumbledore smiled and seemed lost in his memories. "There was a time when most students would take a year after graduating to see the world. It was a good tradition."

Harry could see the weariness in the Headmaster. "I wish Colin had been with me. He really loves photography. When this war is over, we should all go back. The waterfalls alone are worth it."

Tonks took the moment to say, "Count me in, Porcupine! I'm game for a trip as long as you're paying."

Harry looked startled for a minute, "Porcupine?"

Fred shook his head, "More of a Hedgehog"

George disagreed. "I like pincushion…"

Harry really didn't like where this was going, "What about… How did I do on my NEWTs?"

Dumbledore produced an envelope and handed it to Harry. "I think you will be most pleased."

Harry used a thorn to tear the envelope open. "Yes! Four Outstanding grades. Hmmm." Harry continued reading. "They're offering me a spot in their post graduate Runes program."

Bill knew the program. "Nice, Harry. I think your friend Julia Scott* went through the program. It focuses on Olmec and Toltec runes. A good bit of Mayan and Aztec as well."

Harry folded it up, managing to slightly tear the paper with his thorns. "Maybe something for later. For now, I have a Dark Lord to stop." Seeing everyone looking terse, he added, "And my girlfriend lives in Europe."

—DoD—

August 27, 1996

Tuesday

Harry and Tonks were in a small room at Gringotts, waiting for Mykew Gregorovitch. Ginny and Mrs. Weasley were shopping for clothes… This was his bailout option. The wand was taking longer to make than expected and given that school starts in four days, the man was cutting it close.

The walk down Diagon Alley was a challenge. Since the Battle at the Ministry, he couldn't go anywhere without his 'Anonymous' charm. People were constantly wanting to talk to him and get reassurances. Unfortunately, the street was so crowded that being recognised wasn't the primary concern. Being covered in thorns, he couldn't just walk down the crowded street without injuring a lot of people. He eventually relied on his familiar to scare people off. The girls loved it and Harry appreciated the way most people kept their distance.

Tonks was doing shell trick for the girls… Three shells and a marble. She was hopelessly inept with anything requiring dexterity. The marble spent more time on the floor than under the shell. Still, she was fun, and her stories kept the mood light while they waited. Artemis and Hecate were enraptured, and Selene was annoyed. She wanted to go shopping with the other ladies. She had no idea Ginny was uncomfortable around her.

Soon enough Gregorovitch entered the room with a wand box. Setting the box on the table, he pulled out a chair and took a seat. Harry noted that the man seemed less than pleased. Hopefully, the wand came out alright.

"Mr. Gregorovitch… May I?" Harry asked pointing to the box.

"You may, but the thorns are still there." Settling back and watching, the elderly man said, "I would be incredibly careful with that wand… It seems to enjoy drawing blood."

Harry removed the top of the box. The wand was rather light in colour since being 'shaped'. It was mostly straight if you drew a line from the tip to the end, but it curved slightly a few times in getting there. It had a few organic bulges and it was a true Gregorovitch design. Harry loved the way it worked with the grain and kept its natural beauty.

Then there were the thorns. From top to bottom, it was covered in vicious barbs. He'd have to fashion a different kind of holster for it. Harry 'felt' it calling to him. Remarkably similar to his Holly and Phoenix feather wand… but more aggressive. It reminded him of Rose from his dreamscape. He slowly reached out and lifted it from the box. One side had a thicker curved section that was a perfect fit. As he grasped it, he felt the thorns bite into his palm. It was warm and natural feeling… It seemed similar to his own thorns. Of course, he had grown it from his merger with Rose, so it was no surprise it felt right.

Gregorovitch and Tonks were watching closely as the wand began to drink deeply of his blood. It went from being somewhat light to as dark as it had been when Harry had given it to Gregorovitch. Near Black… but the thorns had crimson tips. There were no sparks or flashes of light. Only a cooling of the air and the scent of blood and roses. It was his wand… Or was it the other way around?

Looking up, Harry met the wide eyes of the wandmaker. "Mr. Gregorovitch, this is a masterpiece." The old man smiled and began nodding.

"Yes. Yes, I see it now. The wands were… searching. Searching for you, Mr. Potter. In truth, I was not sure… It seemed so… independent."

Harry summoned his Holly wands from the sheath on his left wrist. At a casual glance, they looked quite different, but upon closer inspection, the similarities were there. At least to him, they were. Yin and Yang, but neither was mild or… passive. He was ready now. Two masterwork wands. It felt so right. His magic was pulsing with each heartbeat. It was reaching out and acclimating to the wand pairing.

"Harry… You're eyes." Tonks was staring. So were the girls. Gregorovitch had his head cocked to one side and was watching intently.

Harry Potter knew these wands… like he knew his own hands. "I'm going to kill Voldemort."

Gregorovitch slapped his knee and laughed out loud. "You do that Mr. Potter! Send that son of a bitch back to hell!"

On a whim, Harry sent an electric arc between the wands… feeling their power. Letting them get to know each other… Power. Harry didn't look up to see the Goblins peeking into the room from the open door. He didn't see the way the magical lights flickered… Power! He was read to take that next step.

Harry let the arc die back and glanced at his Familiar. "§ Let's go home, Girls. §"

—DoD—

Nott Manor

August 30, 1996

Friday Night

Theo Nott was lying in bed crying. He didn't always cry, sometimes he raged… But today had been a day where he had been held under the Cruciatus curse a bit longer than usual. After taking the mark, he was given to Bellatrix Lestrange for training. To say she was a harsh taskmaster was like saying a hurricane was a bit breezy. Always talking about how he needed to give Potter a good challenge. How embarrassed she'd be if he were beaten too quickly. And the singing… She was utterly insane…

Last year, he was just another student at Hogwarts, but the summer had ruined any hope of ever going back to that life. First, the Dark Lord moved into the manor. His arrival turned his home into a prison full of insane killers and a giant snake. Then his father was killed in the Ministry, leaving him as the Head of the house of Nott. Being only sixteen, he couldn't access the entire estate, but his father had selected a man he'd never even met, Thorfinn Rowle, as his magical guardian. Theo knew Rowle was draining his family coffers and selling the assets…

Potter! This was all his fault. First, he beat the Malfoys, sending the Dark Lord to Nott Manor. Then Potter killed his father. Somehow, he even beat Bellatrix and left her obsessed. Anyone who ever doubted her insanity should only look at the scar on her forehead. She had carved it into herself with a cursed knife! Her obsession with Harry Potter was only something an insane woman would have.

She even sang about Potter in that scratchy cackling voice of hers. Everyone thinks she is obsessed with killing him, but Theo wasn't so sure. Damn bitch and her Cruciatus… he'd have the tremors for at least three more days. And that was with Professor Snape's potions. How had it come to this?

For fifteen years, he lived an idyllic life. One of privilege and wealth. Now he was little more than a house elf. Beaten and abused… forced to do the bidding of others. His one and only way to survive was to kill a wizard that was far beyond him in knowledge and power. Further, he had to kill the man at Hogwarts, where he held absolute control over the castle and the wards.

Albus Dumbledore.

—Dance of Death 39—

*Julia was in Chapter 8 as an apprentice curse-breaker.

And now we are in Harry's sixth year. According to the outline, there will be four more chapters. The real training begins in the next chapter, but the foundation is already in place. He has his second wand, his Familiar can read and is learning to play chess, Divination studies have begun, so yes – we are on the path toward Casting Shadows. If you want a visual for the thorn wand, it is like the commercially available wand #NN8226, but with extra tiny thorns from top to bottom. A google search will suffice.

Story Recommendation:

'Harry Potter and the Lost City', by AvydReedr. It is a fresh take on a Harry that never goes to the Dursleys but is raised by a Wizarding Family that is not from canon. Very professionally written and the world building is excellent. Absolutely worth a read if you like stories where Harry isn't overpowered, and you enjoy world building. Highly recommended.