Hey, everyone! I'm back with a new chapter. Enjoy, and please let me know what you think.
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Harry Potter: Slayer
Chapter 3
First Summer - Part II
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Harry walked up the stairs from Nicholas' lab to get something. He wasn't told what it was, but when Nicholas asked him to get something from Perenelle for his work, Harry had to get this magical something. "Everyone treats me like I don't know anything about this stuff. Well, it makes sense, considering I don't." he thought, walking up the stairs and then proceeding to walk to Perenelle's greenhouses.
The stairs came up to the first floor of Flamel manor, where Harry had spent most of his summer till date. He walked down to the kitchen where he'd had most of his meals that summer, and grabbed a glass of water. "I wonder if Perenelle's going to make her famous chicken parmesan for dinner. Last time they made it, Professor Dumbledore came for dinner. Wonder if he's going to show again. Watching Perenelle yell at him for offering me that weird sour candy for fun though. Who knew that she hated sweets before dinner so much?"
He opened the door to the outside, where Perenelle's greenhouses stood about a ways off. He'd been there every day that year, with Perenelle teaching him potions, citing his knowledge inadequate. "Reading from a book and throwing things in a cauldron till something blows your butt or face off, is not potion making, Harry." She had said, disdain colouring her slightly wrinkled face.
Since then, though, Harry had learned quite a bit of potions from the aging partner of his Professor's teacher. She'd also told him he had a natural talent for combat and defense magic, though for some reason she refused to use the term "Defense against the dark arts: "Pish posh! Pompous names from a pompous, overzealous Ministry! Being scared of the more combative magics does not mean no one will go dark! It just means that the people who fight them, and the people they hurt will not know enough magic to save themselves!"
Perenelle was something of an enchanter, by her own admission. Nicholas had proclaimed right after that, that in the same way, he was something of an alchemist. Perenelle had haughtily sniffed and walked away, leaving the three of them (Albus included) laughing. She and Nicholas apparently had known the founders of Hogwarts in their final days, which said something about their age.
He walked up to the door of one of the greenhouses, which was left unlocked, which meant nothing that could potentially kill or maim him, (Perenelle's words, not his) was going on. He knocked once, and entered.
A slightly-older-than-McGonagall lady, with a single streak of grey hair in an expanse of long black hair was bent over some plants in the greenhouse. She had a striking face, with regality and authority in an aura of sorts around her, and she was whispering to the plant in front of her. She wore a simple greyish blue dress, but moved unhindered around the greenhouse of lively plants. She moved to a set of bluebells, which seemed to sparkle when said something to them and then let loose a radiant glow. She went to a sunflower-like plant, which then proceeded to glow.
He hid eyes behind the back of his hand and watched as she moved across the greenhouse, continuing to somehow make each plant happy. Perenelle had a 'green thumb, as she had put it, though Harry felt it was more along the lines of her having a "green elbow" or "green forearm". When he had expressed this nuanced view to Nicholas, he had needled Perenelle about it for a few days to his amusement.
"Uh, Mrs. Flamel!" he yelled from near the door, not wanting to walk into the rows of plants that did God-knows-what.
"Yes?" she looked up calmly.
"Mr. Flamel asked me to get the ingredients for the something he's making today in his lab!"
She looked back amusedly at the raven-haired boy. "The crate to my left on the desk in the office should have it. It'll be the one with the golden stylings. Make sure you don't mix it up with anything else!"
He nodded and gave her a thumbs-up before heading up a set of spiral stairs right outside the doors to her office, where she worked on well, something. Apparently, both of the Flamels were great researchers, Nicholas with his alchemy and Perenelle with her herbology and healing prowess.
She looked back once more at Harry's retreating form. I'm sure he'll be able to get the right one. After all, who could mess something like this up? The directions are crystal clear.
She then proceeded to chat with a few other plants and they also seemed to get greener and show signs of more growth as she interacted with them.
Harry went up to the office where he spied the crate Perenelle had been talking about. The office was sparsely lit, and seemed to contain an endless amount of scrolls about who-knows-what.
Hermoine'd have a field day with this.
He chuckled as he closed the door behind him and walked to the desk in front of it. He spied a golden shine coming from his left and walked towards it.
As Perenelle had dictated, there was a golden chest with some very beautiful metal engravings – in the design of Hufflepuff. Interesting.
It wasn't too big, so he had no problem lugging it back to Nicholas' alchemy lab.
Though he never noticed the other golden item in the office – a crate with golden stylings to the left of the Perenelle's chair, or his right.
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Harry proceeded with the next part of his usual routine. Potions.
Pernelle had asked him some, ahem, "elementary" (in her opinion, which Harry genuinely doubted were in any way, actually elementary) questions when he described the car crashes that were his potions classes under Snape. His answers had not amused her, though Nicholas was another matter entirely – he guffawed until he fell off a chair. Until she had rounded on him, of course.
Harry now found himself taking some "elementary" potions lessons under Perenelle and sometimes Nicholas. Said lessons would usually involve more parchment work than he had ever seen in his brief life. They had instructed him, not on the potions themselves, to his annoyance, but on the proper procedures to prepare ingredients and ensure he didn't make an arse of himself (Nicholas' words, not his) when he was following the steps outlined in his "extremely crude, practically caveman-level for any proper student of magic", in Perenelle's words, assigned textbooks.
At this point, he was considering asking Professor Dumbledore if Hogwarts standards had indeed declined as much as the Flamels… err described it (see: ranted and yelled at his complete lack of "any knowledge remotely relevant to anything of utility"). The lessons had been brutal, but Harry was now able to, under either of the Flamels' or Albus' supervisions make some minor potions of note, that would apparently only be in the textbooks for the higher years.
"Your mother was exceptionally gifted, Harry." Perenelle had told him. "She and that dolt Snape were the best of their generation at potions. Lily had actually written me asking for an apprenticeship." She remarked, as they sat in the kitchen one day for tea.
Albus chuckled as he took a sip of the hot beverage. "Indeed. They were quite close when they came to Hogwarts, though their friendship had somewhat diminished in their later years."
Harry smiled. It was nice to learn more about his parents. Aunt Petunia had told him some things about his mother's childhood but as she had not been at Hogwarts, she did not know much else. "That's nice."
He frowned. "Wait, if Snape" Perenelle frowned. "-er, Professor Snape and mum were friends, why does he like look like he wants to chop me up before every lesson?"
"I am sure you are exaggerating, my boy." Albus replied, with a chuckle.
"He once deducted points from me for, ahem, 'not chopping up the Asphodel root finely enough' – I'm pretty sure I saw Crabbe and Goyle toss the stupid thing in whole! I'm pretty sure Goyle tried eating it when Malfoy mentioned it was used in some forms of cookery, and he didn't give a cr-care about it at all!"
Perenelle looked at Albus, eyebrows raised. Albus slightly paled. She turned to Harry. "Go on, Harry. Tell us more about your Potions lessons. I would like to hear more about the standards of the Hogwarts education you are receiving." He nodded and continued for a few more minutes.
What followed was a lecture unlike anything Harry had ever seen before. When I say he had never seen anything like before, I mean he'd never seen Albus effing Dumbledore being lectured and looking like a chastised student before. It looked extremely weird to see the man look chastised, if you could see hard enough past his large beard and long hair.
And that was how his potions lessons had started. Apparently Snape was due for some teaching evaluations or whatever. He smirked. That sounded like something he'd like to see in person.
Presently, Perenelle walked in to the room, her gentle black hair with a single white streak slightly swaying in the breeze. She smiled at him.
"Ready for our lesson for the day?"
He smiled back. Potions was not so bad when you had a caring teacher.
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He walked in to the field where he was supposed to meet Albus for a lesson in defense. Nicholas and Perenelle had suggested this a few weeks ago apparently, and Albus was going to teach him some spells for his own safety. Nicholas had chuckled and simply mouthed 'troll' to him when he looked to him in that discussion, so he presumed it was something to do with situations like that.
He turned around to look at the hills that seemed to sit in the distance. Wherever Flamel manor was, it was a place that was very beautiful. It was an overcast day, with the sky as blue as ever, and green plains of grass reminded him of the similar sights you could see at Hogwarts. He looked at the trees littering the area near the greenhouses and smiled. Potions had been that day.
"I quite like to enjoy the sights myself, Harry. I am happy to see you are doing the same." Albus said, as he seemingly appeared a few feet where Harry was staring a minute ago. He wore purple robes, and looked through twinkling eyes down his crooked nose at Harry.
Harry smiled. "Professor Dumbledore, good morning." He said politely.
"I am here to instruct you in some spells so you may better defend yourself in case you find yourself in situations like those you encountered this year. Ideally, you should not find yourself in these situations at all." He spoke evenly.
"But after certain tidbits of information were brought to light in one of my recent discussions with Nicholas and Perenelle, on whom you have made quite an impression, my boy," Harry blushed a bit at that- "We have decided to teach you some magics so that if you find yourself in situations like that with the troll, you do not find yourself defenseless."
"We'll be going into the dark forest at some point as well, Harry." Came a softer voice from behind him.
Nicholas and Perenelle stood, a little smirk on Perenelle's face, and Nicholas was sniggering.
"Uh, sure." He replied. "Just one thing – why?"
"Oh, we'll be teaching you some spells that will help no matter who the opponent is. Some of these are archaic, and so it would be best to get you used to casting them." She replied.
He nodded, though seemed a bit puzzled.
"Oh, for the love of- Older!" Nicholas laughed.
"Sure." Harry replied, embarrassed. "Archie means older, got it."
Perenelle facepalmed.
"Before we go," Dumbledore continued. "We will be teaching these spells to you, and you will show us a fair level of competence. Then, we shall allow you to witness a demonstration of how they may be used in combat in the forest. Does this seem acceptable, Harry?"
"Totally. Compete with myself, got it." He nodded assuredly. Perenelle facepalmed.
"The spell we shall be looking at today is Lacero." Said Nicholas, stepping forward. "It's a rather simple cutting curse taught in your upper years at Hogwarts."
He took out his wand and waved it in straightforward swipe diagonally. "This is the wand motion." He nodded to Perenelle, who waves her own wand elegantly in a swish motion, which conjured up a block of wood.
"Wow! Instant block of wood!" Harry exclaimed.
"It'll fade in a while though, depending on the amount of magic Perenelle poured into the spell itself." Albus replied. "Conjuration is a useful field of magic, though the transience of the objects produced is something important. Without the magic to sustain it, the conjured construct will vanish."
"Tranny-tent objects vanish without enough magic, yep." Nicholas sniggered.
"Yes, yes, Albus. Let's move on from transfiguration to what we were originally discussing." Said Perenelle, suddenly interested in moving on.
"Ah yes. My apologies, Perenelle." Albus then took out his own wand, and gracefully went through the motion Nicholas demonstrated earlier, while muttering 'Lacero' softly. The result was that the block of wood tore in half, splinters flying out from the point of the rip.
"Wicked!"
Nicholas chuckled. "But Hermione said that troll hide is hard to break through – will this spell work in case I run into another troll?" Asked Harry.
"Good question, Harry." Replied Nicholas. "There are some other spells and methods through which spells like this, can, in fact affect a troll. But these are advanced, and the basis of these are spells like the one we are attempting to teach you today."
Harry nodded, a bit embarrassed.
Nicholas smiled. "This spell here will anyway come in handy for a variety of other creatures – Acromantulas, Centaurs, even Manticores and Chimeras!"
He cocked his head down, and squinted, a finger on his chin. Nicholas chuckled.
Perenelle sighed and conjured another block of wood.
"Your turn, Harry." Said Albus.
Harry stepped forward and took up his wand and focused.
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After a few hours spent on casting, they retired to the kitchen to have tea. Harry sat at the table, watching Nicholas and Albus discuss a few aspects of the philosopher's stone. What they were saying went over his head and probably a few other floors in the building, but it seemed fairly interesting.
Apparently, there was something different with the latest stone Nicholas was working on. The older stone had been destroyed once Albus had returned it, so Nicholas had begun creating a new one.
But why though? He wondered. It doesn't really make sense. Why create a new stone?
Across the table, Nicholas and Albus were excitedly chatting over the new stone's progress. "It's not something we've seen before Albus! There's decidedly something new here!"
"I agree, Nicholas, but let us ensure that there is nothing remiss in the preparations. Not to dig up old bones, but you do remember the first time we worked on dragon's blood?"
"Of course, of course!" Replied Nicholas. "I would require your assistance, old boy! My age does not lend itself well to this endeavour! I would very much appreciate your assistance and input on this matter."
"Without reservation, Nicholas." Replied Albus, smiling more brightly than Harry had seen before. He looked curiously at the headmaster's elation as he continued discussing the stone with Nicholas.
"He's happy we have decided to stay a while longer here." Spoke Perenelle from beside him. She sipped a cup of tea.
"Uh, stay here? You were planning to go, move somewhere else?"
Pernelle chuckled at that. "Oh no, dear child!" She giggled, which seemed a bit odd to Harry considering her age. "We have lived long, Harry and were planning to destroy the stone, and pass on from this life."
Harry blanched a little, before restraining himself. "Well, Missus Flamel-" She gave him a pointed look. "Perenelle. I'm glad you didn't. I've really enjoyed staying here." He said shyly.
She gave him a warm smile, and patted his head. "I'm glad too, Harry, that we did. I have enjoyed teaching you as much as we have, and I would like to see what you do with your life."
Harry smiled back.
Nicholas turned to Pernelle. "By the by, Pernelle, would you tell Albus would your new potion? Albus, it's truly amazing, it is! It has brought back all kinds of sick and dying plants, as though it infuses them with a fresh dose of vitality!"
"Indeed? Perenelle, that does sound astonishing!" Albus said to the woman.
"Yes, it was actually a combination of several types of magic healing and vitality potions from different regions. Veela ones that we received from France, some of the Nymph ones we had and so on. While of course, mixing them together blew up my old lab, but under the right conditions, using a distilled older stone, we were able to simulate processes that brought back life energies and vigour to the plants, we might need to get some help from Fawkes on this, Albus…"
"Of course! I will request Fawkes' assistance! But, you must show me a sample, Pernelle!"
"It's down in the labs, in one of my chests. We'll have a look..."
Harry took another sip of tea. The Flamels and Dumbledore were truly interesting people.
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Harry focused on the block of wood carefully. He regarded it as it was another person, and that person had stolen his ice-cream cone. The grass shook with the wind. The breeze brew gently by him as he carefully regarded his opponent. A block of wood.
His hand snapped up with the force of a whip and in fluid motion, he yelled, "Lacero!" The block ripped into two pieces and splinters burst from the location of the tear.
"Good." Said Nicholas from behind him.
He smirked. A week of practise and he had this down. "Any other trolls or whatever have no idea what was coming to them!" he laughed, and Harry grinned.
"Well done, Harry." Said Pernelle. "Now, we will be going to the dark forest so you can see how dangerous this spell really is. Remember, Harry, the spell can kill people, so please do not betray our trust by using it on another person unless they are attempting to harm you directly."
Harry nodded. "I understand. Why did you decide to teach me this though? I mean, I'm very grateful, but why do this at all?"
Pernelle grinned at Nicholas, who passed her and Albus a sickle. "Harry, as you know, Voldemort will return. His mission is to enslave all the peoples of the world under his sick, twisted rule."
"Uh-huh." He replied.
"There is something of an obsession he has with you. The reasons for that aren't really important right now." She shared a look with Albus, which Harry did not miss. "But he is actively looking for methods to return to his original level of strength, and he will try to kill you before, during or after that."
"Glad to see we've narrowed it down, then." He smiled. Nicholas and Albus sniggered.
Unhindered, Perenelle continued. "We believe that there is something that links the two of you, as a result of what happened at Godric's hollow that fateful night. The tests I have run over the summer have confirmed there is an entanglement in your destinies, on multiple levels."
"My scar, you mean?"
"Your scar is a part of it, a significant one, but there is something else as well." Albus looked grave as he spoke. "Though the scar seems to facilitate a connection between the two of you that might try to use when he returns."
"You're sure he is coming back, then, Professor?"
Nicholas chuckled. "Astutely noted, my boy. Yes, you are young now, and have not yet been exposed to certain types of magic. Perenelle has a certain degree of mastery of Divination unlike most seers out there. This is something you will learn about later, however. Suffice to say, the point is that, he will try to kill you at some point or the other. It may be now, and it may be a little later, but you need to learn to protect yourself and retaliate."
Nicholas remembered the conversation he'd had with Albus a few days before Harry's first lesson. Albus had been insistent that Harry was too young and that he did not need to be burdened with a threat of this sort, but Perenelle had flat out yelled back saying that Albus wouldn't be around all the time to offer protection, and Harry had been in multiple situations of grave danger in only his first year.
Pernelle, his lovely wife(though he was bit biased), through divination, had uncovered some of the events Harry might be probably and possibly involved with in the course of his life. She'd called on several friends to assist in this, and had been away for the past four days. Nicholas had used the time to make Harry develop his physical fitness a bit, citing that Quidditch players needed to maintain their physiques.
The readings were brutal. Perenelle had reconfirmed the thing with the tea leaves, the thingamajig with the astronomy, and several other methods. All of them pointed to one conclusion. Harry had the risk of death looming strongly in his life in the coming years apart from just the prophecy, which she strongly insisted on, much to Albus' consternation and confusion.
He needed to be prepared.
Harry seemed frustrated. "I feel a bit scared that someone wants to kill me." He said, taking a deep breath.
Fawkes trilled, a soft note of calm washing over the area.
"And that's natural, Harry." Said Albus, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"We will try to protect you, my boy." Added Nicholas. "We've grown fond of you over the past three months, Harry. We will not leave you without aid."
"Thank you." He replied, with a small smile.
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Harry stood with Perenelle in a clearing in the forest. Harry looked around.
"How does this even work? It's just after noon and the it's a sunny day. I can't see more than beyond a few trees off the edge of the clearing!" he said.
Perenelle chuckled. "The dark forest is home to a large number of creatures, Harry. Their combined magic and some other enchantments cast make the place rather difficult to get through if you do not know what you're doing."
"I know, I saw a dead unicorn, a couple of centaurs and Voldemort flying around here last year."
She looked at him, bewildered. Is he joking?
"That's interesting. Why were you here at all?"
"I was serving a detention." He replied. "Something to do with Filch and Hagrid."
"A detention?!" She seemed mad, Harry noted, before calming down in a second.
"And you aren't scared, or frightened to come back here?" She asked, eyes slightly wide with concern.
Harry took a deep breath. "You know what happened with the troll in the chessboard, and with Voldemort?"
She nodded. He continued. "And with what you've told me about him coming after me, or me having to kill him if he does." He inhaled sharply once more, his eyes clouding as he gripped his wand tightly.
Pernelle grew concerned. Maybe we should call this off.
"And, well," His eyes steeled. "I guess I need to trying to be brave though I'm scared since I need to face him, so then I can do what I want."
"A noble sentiment, young man." She replied, a measure of pride coming through in her voice, which made Harry stand a bit straighter. "I am sure Lily and James would have been proud." Harry smiled serenely.
She smiled. "I hail from an old clan of warriors, Harry. When I was a child, I felt scared too, going into my first fight. My hands were shaking and I could not hold my blade steadily. My father asked me if I was scared. I told him I was."
Her eyes closed, but her smile remained. "He said to me, 'It is only when you are scared that you can be brave, young one.'" She opened her eyes. "And it is what I would like to tell you today, Harry. You can only be brave when you are scared, so be brave despite the fear, Harry, and go forth."
Harry smiled. "Thanks, Perenelle."
His brow furrowed. "Wait, who were you fighting with? Did you win?"
She chuckled. "My clan specialized in combat magics, Harry. We were mercenaries, or at least, they were. I left a while after I met Nick. I was fighting a troll that day for a commission, and I won."
She looked up at the air, seeing something Harry did not. "While magical creatures can be peaceful, like unicorns, some are bestial and the magic makes them much stronger and impervious to damage. The dark forest contains many examples of these."
Her eyes glowed slightly, and then steeled. "For example, Harry, Nicholas and Albus are bringing one of them as an adversary for you to fight right now."
"Indeed." Came a voice from behind them.
"Nick." Said Perenelle with a gentle smile, which he returned.
"Nell."
He turned to Harry. "So, Harry, are you ready? Don't worry, we're here to protect you. Fawkes will get you out if there's any trouble." He pointed to the phoenix sitting in a branch of the tree they'd been standing next to the whole time. Fawkes eyed him for a second, and then trilled.
Feeling the warmth from the melodious sound fill him with clarity, Harry nodded. "Let's do this. It's clobbering time!"
They laughed, and then Nicholas shot some sparks into the air.
Harry stilled, as Perenelle and Nicholas stepped back to different locations around the clearing. He took a breath, and waited.
A fight, huh? Wait, what am I fighting?!
A scree-ing sound came from ahead, and a visible ripple of magic echoed from a distance. And then, flying into the clearing, came his opponent.
It was large, a bit bigger than him, but not taller. It had hairy limbs, a lot of hairy limbs, with which it quickly got up and staggered for a second, before eyeing him warily. It screed again, a grating sound which Harry felt was annoying and scary at the same time.
"How did a spider get that big?!"
"It's called an acromantula, Harry!" said Nicholas.
"I don't care what it's called, it looks creepy and sounds like a broken stereo system!"
It cried out once more, seemingly confused. Harry hesitated.
Albus appeared behind it at the edge of the clearing. He stood directly opposite Harry, the hairy giant spider between them, pincered by Nicholas and Perenelle laterally.
He pointed his wand at it for a second, and it fell down flat. "Acromantulas prey on the other denizens of the forest, Harry, and they kill and devour them to expand their own numbers. They form clans under their own leaders, and engage in mindless conflict, destroying the land."
Harry looked confused.
"He's giving you some background information, Harry, on what these creatures are. Do not show mercy, as it will not show you any in kind." Spoke Perenelle firmly.
Albus nodded to Harry, and then released his focus. The acromantula screeched again. Harry pointed his wand at it.
Harry met its eyes, and for a brief moment, everything went still. He could see the murder in its eyes, the hunger and something else. He felt as though, it wanted his flesh, it was mindlessly hungry and without a shred of control. He felt a bit nervous as well.
Lacero. That's the spell I need to use. Lacero. His grip on his wand tightened. It began to glow at the tip, a wisp of magic the others in the clearing did not miss.
Lacero. Calm down, it's trying to kill you, and it's hurting the forest.
Lacero. I am sorry, for this, I wish I didn't, I wish you weren't…I'm sorry.
It lunged at him, with a ferocious snarl. Its mouth revealed fangs with poison dripping, and the hairs on his legs sharpened and it pounced ferociously, its shadow enveloping Harry completely.
Perenelle watched the confrontation, worry colouring her expression as Harry seemed to tense up. Come on, Harry, you can do this.
Albus looked at Nicholas with worry. Harry was too young to be doing this, but Nicholas and Perenelle had told him what the fates had in store. He cared for Harry, and if neglecting this would hurt him, he would rather not do so. He flared his connection to Fawkes in an instant, and Fawkes flamed.
He saw Nicholas smirk. His brow furrowed a little.
Harry waved his hand up, and brought it down with a fierce determination. "Lacero!" he yelled, a bright purple light echoing from his wand, just as Fawkes flamed him away to safety.
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He arose from unconsciousness to the aroma of tea, and some blueberry cupcakes. He turned his eyes around groggily, and reached for his glasses on the bedside table next to him. He put them on, and then turned to look around.
He was in his bed, in his room at Flamel manor. He could see the mountain ranges that stood nearby through the window and smell of crisp, clean air made him inhale a bit more. The sun, was setting in the horizon, a ball of fire descending down the mountain silhouettes.
Presently returning his gaze to the interior of his room, he saw Albus standing there, and jumped.
"Oh, uh, hello, Professor." He said.
"Good evening, Harry." He replied genially. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine, just a bit tired." He said, then his eyes widened behind his glasses. "What happened? At the clearing, I mean."
"You defeated your opponent, my boy. The arcomantula was slain by your spell, though you fainted afterwards due to the exhaustion and shock, I believe."
"So, I did it?"
"Indeed you did." Said Perenelle, from the other side of the room where he'd been looking a minute ago.
He jumped again. Albus stepped forward from near the door to sit on Harry's bed, near his feet. "Harry, we are sorry you had to go through such an endeavour, but Nicholas and Perenelle have informed me it is necessary to prepare you for what might be to come."
"It's alright, Professor." He said, trying to smile, but failing. He gripped the sheets covering him tightly. "Would the acromantulas really hurt and kill other animals in the forest?" He remembered Perenelle's words to him during the encounter.
"They would." Replied Perenelle, from the other side of the bed. "They feed and feast to their heart's content, and unlike the goblins, they have no reason to hold peace with the other denizens of the forest or whatever habitats they inhabit. Their instinct is to consume and multiply, and only a few rare breeds have any level of intelligence."
"I see." He replied, exhaling. His grip on the sheets loosened.
"Slaying them is a common job in their usual common habitats." Perenelle continued. "I have slain a number of nests in my day, though my bones are a little old for that anymore."
"Isn't there any way to reason with them?"
" Settlements that let them be have seen them invade and kill people in later years. There are a number of smaller villages and settlements, magical and muggle, in places in South America and Western Africa, where this has happened. The governments finally contact hunters and slayers, who kill the beasts."
"In the dark forest, there are mainly intelligent ones, but Hagrid had informed me of some new breeds taking residence since a certain visitor sold him the dragon egg last year." Spoke Dumbledore.
Harry gaped. Dumbledore chuckled. "Come now, my boy, not much gets by these old eyes in the castle."
"Voldemort."
"He's trying to take over the forest?" Asked Perenelle.
"In a sense, he might have been. I know of his, and twisted mentalities. He had unleashed a number of creatures during the last war, most of them abroad."
"Is it so?" asked Perenelle, an elegant eyebrow raised.
Dumbledore turned to face her. "Indeed. He crossbred various monstrosities, to increase the lethality and ferocity of creatures, many of them in XXXXX class. Driving them to insanity, they would viciously murder and destroy anyone in the area. It was one of his more ruthless tactics to inspire terror abroad. Several hundred notable, kind, great people were killed."
"Truly horrible."
Dumbledore nodded.
"Why would he do that?" Harry asked softly. The thought of people hurting and killing others made him quiver.
"Voldemort's exact motivations are a conversation for another time, Harry." Dumbledore responded, smoothly.
"Your question is more along the lines of 'how could anyone want to do that?' yes?" Asked Perenelle.
Harry nodded, eyes shining with unshed tears. Nicholas stepped into the room. Perenelle thought for a second, as he greeted Harry and enquired how he was doing, before turning to her.
Her eyes fell to the floor. "People sometimes their sense of empathy and kinship for many reasons, Harry. It could be heartbreak, it could be abuse, betrayal, it could just be the way they are and the way they see the world. They turn into animals, hurting others out of some misplaced feeling or the other."
She turned to look at him directly. "It falls to those who are chosen, those who care for others, to defend and protect, and destroy them as it is needed. When it is required, do so. Do not do what you can just because you can. Protect yourself, protect the innocent and beloved as best you can."
Nicholas nodded. "When you walk these roads, Harry, you sometimes find that company is short. People who do not understand, out of fear and inflexibility, people once thought friends might be lost. Some return. Others fear retribution, and some don't try to come back out of shame. They are not to be blamed, as their paths might be different from yours." He stood beside Albus near Harry's bed.
Dumbledore raised his hand. Fawkes appeared in a slower, less invasive flame.
Dumbledore looked at him down his half-moon spectacles. "Only phoenixes can burn and be reborn, Harry. Other birds do not have the strength to survive the power of the flame."
Harry looked around, at them, a bit mad. Fawkes trilled, a note of power yet kindness, and looked Harry dead in the eye. He fluttered his wings, cuffing Dumbledore and Nicholas softly.
They looked anxiously at him, Dumbleore, over his crooked nose, Nicholas, through his short grey beard, and Perenelle, with her vivid green eyes.
Harry smiled. "But some phoenixes do have older phoenixes to guide them, don't they, Fawkes?" he spoke, reaching out to stroke the majestic bird. "They protect their own?" he looked up at them with a tentative smile.
The usual twinkle returned to Dumbledore's eyes. Perenelle smiled softly, her green eyes glimmering.
Nicholas smirked. "Well said, Harry."
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Harry stood in front of his trunk, and undid the latches and opened it.
"Let's see…" he scrunched his eyes after closing them, and then opened them once more.
"Books for the year, check. Owl treats for Hed, check. Parchment, quills, check. Notebooks and pens because Nicholas and Perenelle hysterically laughed at the old crap used at Hogwarts, check. A wand holster, on my desk so I can keep it attached to my arm." He said to himself.
He glanced briefly at the desk in his room where there was a simple holster – a gift from Albus on his birthday.
"Extra books for potions, check. Extra books for defence, check. All of the summer homework, check. Extra homework for Professor Flitwick, check and check. Robes, check."
He closed his trunk, did the latches, and then got up. He walked to the window in his room. "It's been a great summer, I think. I'm not really sure, with all the news of a madman coming to kill me at some point. But it is the same as last year, so it's the same, I think?"
He looked out the window to who he was talking to. "What do you think, Fawkes, hat?"
Fawkes flew in, with the sorting hat on his claws. He settled at the top of the chair near the desk after dropping the hat on the desk, rather unceremoniously.
"Ruddy bird!" said hat.
Turning from the window at the new entrants to his room, Harry smiled.
Fawkes trilled irritatedly, the usual pure sounds with a note of annoyance that was confusing to Harry. It swiped at the hat with surprising speed, considering its usual graceful movements. "Ha! Claw all you want, bird, won't help you here!"
It turned and pecked viciously for a second, a small speck of orange appearing at the end of its beak, at the offending piece of cloth. "Ow!" it said, surprising Harry. "Alright, calm down! No need to get magical!"
Harry reached out to pet Fawkes, and the bird leaned into his hand. He turned to hat while doing so. "What was that, at the end of his beak?"
"He's a phoenix, Harry. He can do many things, most of them unknown, since the species has never been fully studied."
"Before, when he clawed at you, you didn't react?"
"Yes, I am impervious to most forms of damage, weapons and object hurt me little. Magic, especially phoenix fire, can cause me pain though."
"Hmm. You really learn something new every day."
"Indeed you do, lad!" it boomed in response. "So, looking forward to returning to Hogwarts for ye'r second year, eh?"
"Kinda."
"Dark lords and trolls, Harry, they come and go. You know what doesn't? Your youth!"
"So, you're telling to ignore it and enjoy myself anyway?"
"Oh, definitely not!" it laughed. "I'm sayin' that worrying about it isn't doing you any favours. Practise your magic, so you can fend 'em off!"
Fawkes trilled his agreement.
Harry chuckled. It was a simple idea, but hat had a point. Worrying didn't help at all.
A knock sounded from the other side of the door. "Come in!" he said.
Albus walked in to the room. "Ah, Harry!" he said, jovially. "Ready to depart, my boy?"
"Yep!"
He looked around his room one more time, and then hefted up his trunk and made to leave the room he'd come to recognize as his own this past summer. He walked down the stairs where Perenelle had made his favourites for breakfast. Nicholas and she were talking at the table near the kitchen, as he and Albus entered.
"Ah, Harry! All packed up and ready for another year of adventure?" said Nicholas with a smile.
Perenelle elbowed him, before turning to Harry. "Take care, Harry. I suspect that danger might once again follow you around this year."
"To be fair, according to the divination, you said it would for several years to come." Nicholas said.
"Take care of yourself, do your work properly, young man. We expect to hear good things from Albus about you."
"We'll be there to watch your Quidditch matches!" Nicholas chimed in.
"And make sure you get someone from the staff, in case of any dangerous situations, like Albus."
"Of course, in a school with a few hundred students, it might be hard! But do try before you begin chasing after the trolls and what-not!"
Perenelle slapped him across the head.
"Keep in mind, Harry, the Lacero curse and the other spells you learn over the summer are not to be used against anyone unless they are trying to hurt or kill you. No schoolyard brawls, no working up to it in the dueling club, got it?" she said sternly.
Harry nodded seriously, before hesitating. "What's a dueling club?"
Nicholas chuckled as Albus facepalmed. Perenelled turned to Albus, in a manner similar to when she'd found out about the state of affairs of the Potions classes at Hogwarts.
"Albus, care to explain?"
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He finally was apparated with Albus to the station, after a brief but intense round of quickfire questions for Albus from Perenelle.
"Harry, do you know your way around the station?" Albus asked gently.
"I was hoping you could help me get to the platform, Professor. I got lost last time, and don't want to get stuck here by mistake."
"Of course. Let us away then."
They walked down the platform, Dumbledore in his robes which now looked like a business suit, and Harry in a shirt and pants, wearing a simple hooded cardigan.
"So, Professor, how's Nicholas' new sto-project coming along?"
Dumbledore looked over at him for a moment, silent, before sighing. "The conversation in the kitchen after your first encounter in the forest, yes?"
He nodded. After that, he had put two and two together.
"Astutely noted, my dear boy. It comes along well, for now. We will need to study the properties of the stone to understand what makes this one different from the previous ones he'd been using. A truly never-ending wonder, alchemy happens to be." His eyes shined with an air of discovery Harry had learnt was Dumbledore being excited by the prospect of discovering and learning something new.
As far as Harry saw it last year, Dumbledore knew most stuff. But now it seemed, even he was not all-knowing.
"That seems interesting! I have no idea what the difference is , but it sounds wicked!"
Dumbledore laughed, as they neared the platforms. Harry smiled – it was good to see Professor Dumbledore laugh, he was usually very serious or projecting that grandfather persona Nicholas made fun of him for. He looked through his glasses at the platforms as they passed a refreshment stand.
"Harry, might I ask you for a personal favour?"
"Of course, sir." He replied.
"As I have told you, Harry, you can call me Albus when we're not at school. Would you mind procuring some candy and chocolate at the store? I rarely find myself with the time or mood to try some of the new muggle ones out. I'll be back here in a minute from the lavatory."
Harry looked gobsmacked for a second, before nodding. He grabbed a few notes from Albus and headed off to get some snacks while Albus strode towards the platforms.
He neared one of the walls that were the customary passage for platform nine and three-quarters. He touched the wall, and felt around the lain brick for a moment, before striding off to the washrooms nearby.
Harry looked around at the varieties before picking several different varieties of candy he though Professor Dumbledore-Albus, Biscuits, that's so weird to say. -would like. Humourously, the Flamels also had their preferences in sweets. Perenelle liked sour candies, much like Albus. "Though we might disagree on many a day, sour candies are delicious, Harry." Nicholas was a bit similar to him, they both loved chocolate, in most forms.
He picked a large amount of sweets for the Flamels and Albus, and put them in a bag. The cashier, a bored-looking lady, seemed amused at his order, and she even gave him an extra lollipop since he'd bought so much.
He walked back to where he and Albus had parted about ten minutes ago, to find Albus chatting with Nicholas there.
"Ah, Harry!" the man boomed through his short grey beard.
"Nicholas!" he said. "What are you doing here?" he said, and he gave Albus the bag containing the candy.
"Just thought I'd check on your progress, my boy." He replied.
"There's some for you and Perenelle as well."
"Ah, now the heap of chocolate makes more sense. Many thanks, Harry, we'll enjoy these for a few days." Said Albus, visibly delighted.
"Thank you, Harry. You're welcome to return for the winter holidays, and we might pay you a visit as well sometime in the middle of the year, since I'll be meeting Albus every now and then for the new stone."
"Nicholas!" Albus remonstrated.
The man chuckled at his student. "As the young ones say, 'chill', Albus."
And with that, he was on his way to the express. He passed smoothly through the wall, and gazed on the old-timey train to his school. Ah, it feels so nice to see this again!
He looked around for any of his friends as he boarded the train.
He spotted a bushy head of hair near some flaming red, near one of the carriages, loading up suitcases or trunks as people in the wizarding world called them. Sometimes, he didn't get the joke, or if it was a joke at all.
I need a cool line to make it sound casual like we're awesome. We ARE awesome, but we need to sound awesome.
"Anyone have any trouble with their summer homework?" he called as he neared the carriage.
His so-called cool line was overshadowed by a call from Ron's mother.
Dammit.
"Hey, Ron, Hermione!" he said finally, standing a few feet behind them.
"Harry!" they yelled together. In sync. Hmm.
"We got a compartment?"
"Yea mate! Let's get settled in!" said Ron, enthusiastically. "Mum's packed some great food for the trip!" After he'd greeted the Weasleys, and they'd got all the luggage sorted out, he boarded the express and they settled into a compartment.
The whistle sounded, and they were off!
Back to Hogwarts again. Hopefully this'll be a great year.
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