AN: Alright so I had planned on finishing this a while ago, but it took me a while to figure out how I wanted to set up the ritual that is mentioned in it. Plus, I've been working on renovating in my house so that took up my time too. But here it is. It's a little long but there are a lot of important things in it. Hopefully you will enjoy it.


Chapter 11

At 3 in the morning, an alarm sounded off loudly in the room, waking up Harry and Minerva. They quickly sprung apart when the fuzziness of sleep cleared and they realized how they were arranged in the bed, which was similar to the previous morning. This time, neither could avoid having to explain how they had ended up in such an intimate position by playing sleep or sneaking away before the other woke. Instead, they sat in an awkward silence for a minute until Harry nervously spoke up, afraid that Minerva would be angry at him.

"Minerva, I promise I didn't try to… it just happened…"

She cut him off before he got too far into his apology. "I'm not angry with you Harry. You had no more control over your movements while you were sleep than I had over mine. Let's just get ready for the day right now. We can talk about it later." She felt it was too early in the morning for them to discuss this sensitive topic. Harry nodded in agreement, not ready to face the situation either. After another pause, the two of them started to get ready, heading for their respective bathrooms.

As everyone in Black manor met up in the trunk training rooms at a quarter to 4, the others, except for Charlie, noticed the slight tension between the two, but decided to let it go for now. They didn't have much time to ponder it anyway, since the rest of the group started arriving in the room. Poppy had also come to help with the tests as well as check on those who still had injuries, all of which were almost completely healed up.

Once everyone was there and the greetings had been made, Minerva nudged Harry forward to start talking. Last night, those in Black manor all agreed that he would be the official leader of the group and would start off the first training session. The trainees – Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Luna, Susan, Neville, Fred, and George – lined up horizontally in front of everyone, waiting for him to begin.

"Alright, so again, thanks to all of you for coming and being willing to take this path with us," Harry began after clearing his throat. "Today we're going to do a series of tests to learn your strengths and weaknesses so we can design a personalized training plan for you. I don't want any of you to get discouraged by your results because that's what training is for. Nobody can be good at everything so don't expect yourself to be either. All of us are here to help you realize your potential."

He paused for a moment before continuing. "Alright so the tests today will assess your physical fitness, spell knowledge, casting strength, speed, and accuracy, and determine any magical abilities you may have. Poppy will also be checking your health and magical core and giving you nutrient potions to help you get into your optimal condition. We will conclude with an introductory lesson on Occlumency."

Hermione instinctively raised her hand, causing Harry to chuckle at her. "Go ahead Mione."

"What kind of abilities will you be testing for?"

Harry looked at Minerva, who stepped forward to answer the question. "Elemental, Metamorphmagus, Seer, Natural Animagus, Eidetic Memory, Magic Reader, Aura Reader, and Empath. The methods to determine if you have these abilities are simple spells. Does anyone need me to explain what any of the abilities mean?" When they all nodded their heads, she launched into a short lecture.

"An Elemental has the ability to control one of the four elements without the use of a wand. You all should know that a Metamorph has the ability to change their appearance at will without potions or spells, but Dora here can explain it in more detail to anyone that might have the ability. A Natural Animagus is similar to the Ministry version except that it allows you to change the size of your animal, use magic in that form, and gain more of its abilities and characteristics. A Seer can predict prophecies, and some are even gifted enough to see possible futures based on choices that are made. Eidetic Memory allows you to remember and be able to use any knowledge you read from books or see elsewhere. This ability is improved when one knows Occlumency. Magic Readers can see and interpret the magic in their environment as well as in wards, a treasured ability for a curse-breaker. Hestia has that ability. An Aura reader on the other hand, can see and determine the magical nature of beings and creatures. I have a friend named Samena who has that ability. Finally, an Empath can sense the emotions of those around them, though not their thoughts. It also has to be controlled or it might overwhelm the individual."

Harry gave them all a moment to absorb that information before speaking up again. "Alright, with that being said, let's begin."

He led them over to the physical exercise station. There he made them do several activities to test their strength, speed, reflexes, and endurance. Harry also had himself and the other trainers go through it to determine their fitness level and discover areas they needed to improve on. During the magical part, targets and training dummies were used to test their magical prowess, knowledge, and dueling capabilities. Minerva and Andromeda administered the magical abilities tests. To test for the elemental ability, Minerva had them cast spells of all four elements and asked them to feel if any of them felt easier to cast than the rest. Poppy finished it all off by checking everyone's health and magical cores, trainers and trainees alike. She made a note of the types of nutrient potions each of them would need, promising to bring them all by at tomorrow's session.

Minerva, Amelia, Tonks, Hestia, and Andromeda walked around taking notes on the trainees' performances throughout the testing, with Harry helping a lot during the physical part. Charlie and Fleur helped Harry with administering some of the tests and took note of their observations as well. When all of the tests were done, the trainers took a few moments to compile all of their data while giving the students time to take a break. Harry, after giving his assessments went to join the trainees. They all looked expectantly at him as he sat down with them.

"Alright, what have you all been talking about?" he asked cautiously. "If you're worried about how you did, don't. All of you did really good. You're already good witches and wizards. Almost all of you were in the Department of Mysteries and were able to hold your own against the Death Eaters. This training is simply to help you get stronger to face the dangers of this war."

"How bad do you think it will get?" Susan asked.

"I… I don't really know," Harry admitted. "I've read up some on how the first one went, and this time looks to be worse. We have to be ready for anything they might throw at us."

"Will you be continuing the Defense Association at school this year?" Hermione inquired.

Harry nodded. "Yes, and this time we likely won't have to hide it unless a certain headmaster tries to interfere. All of the students need to be able to defend themselves properly."

"Talking about defense, who do you think will be the next Defense Professor?" Ron questioned.

"Hopefully someone that won't try to kill Harry or any other student," Neville noted.

"One can only hope," Harry agreed. "I have no idea who Dumbledore might try and put in that position. Maybe we can try and get someone who's not dangerous or insane to apply for the job."

"Good luck with that one mate," Fred said.

"Yeah, it seems that dangerous and insane are requirements for that job," George observed.

"Maybe Harry can be the professor," Luna suggested simply. "He's dangerous, though only to those who mean him and his friends harm, so he meets at least one of those requirements."

Harry looked at her in shock. "Me?" The others had thoughtful expressions on their faces. "You guys can't seriously be considering this. I haven't even taken my NEWTs yet," he protested.

"We all know that you're going to pass that test easily," Ginny remarked.

"You already have experience teaching," Susan pointed out.

"Yeah, and you were great at it. I learned better from you than most other professors," Neville said.

"You'd definitely be an improvement mate," Ron said honestly.

"Have you guys forgotten that I'm still a student? Shouldn't that make me ineligible or something?" Harry countered after getting over his shock.

"Since when have you done things according to the rules?" George asked.

"Yeah, you might as well face it mate, you're the master of doing the unexpected and achieving the impossible," Fred added.

Harry looked at Hermione, hoping she would speak some sense into the others. Her words dashed that hope. "I agree with them. You already have the experience with the subject in real life as well as with teaching. And, I don't think there's any rule at Hogwarts forbidding it."

"There isn't," Minerva interjected having overheard the conversation. "In fact, there's no age limit for being a professor at all. When Hogwarts was first founded, anyone who was accomplished in an area of study could apply to be a professor, regardless of their age. Throughout the years, this rule has never been changed."

"Not you too," Harry groaned.

"Don't pout Harry, it's actually a good idea," Andromeda said.

"Indeed, though I'm not sure how we would convince Dumbledore to go along with it," Amelia remarked.

"Maybe we could convince him that it would help him get on Harry's good side," Tonks proposed.

"Even if he doesn't accept you as a full teacher, we might be able to convince him to let you be an associate professor under someone else, like me or Dora," Hestia advised.

Amelia nodded her head after mulling over the idea. "We could present it as a way to show that the safety of the students is important by having an auror as the Defense professor with the 'Chosen One' as their assistant. If we spin it right, Dumbledore will be unable to refuse." Everyone voiced their approval of this plan

Harry looked around at all of them. "I can't believe you all think this is a good idea. I… I'm not making any promises, but I'll consider it."

Then, before anyone else could say anything Harry suggested that the results be given out to change the subject. Minerva, realizing he needed time to come to terms with their suggestion, did exactly that.

"Okay, well first, I want you all to know that you did very well. These parchments have your results and training plan for you to go over at your own leisure. We will start tomorrow morning at the same time, so be prepared for that." She passed them out before continuing. "Now, as for your abilities, you all have at least one. Hermione has an Eidetic Memory, which explains why she is able to remember so much of what you read. Ronald, Fred, and George are all Natural Animagi. Susan is an Empath. I'm almost certain that Ginny and Neville are Elementals, fire and water respectively, though we'll have to do another activity to confirm this tomorrow. Luna is a true Seer. I have given you all some additional information about these abilities with your results, so study them thoroughly."

Once they calmed down from their excitement about their respective abilities Andromeda begin the Occlumency introduction. "Alright, for those of you who are unfamiliar with the art, Occlumency is simply a way to organize and protect your thoughts, emotions, and memories from those who would try invade your mind. Now the way you do that is determined by you as you need to choose a method that fits your personality. I have copies of book, written by a member of the Black family, that details these different methods as well as several exercises to practice. I want you to read over it during the rest of the day. Right now, I will simply be entering your mind to check its natural defenses as well as put rudimentary shields up to protect you until you can do so yourself. Until you have mastered this technique, I want you to avoid direct eye contact with those you don't know or can't trust." After the trainees, which in this area included Charlie who didn't know Occlumency, nodded in acceptance, Andromeda did just as she said, finishing after about twenty minutes.

"I think that's enough for today," Harry said. "Tomorrow, the real hard work will begin so I advise you all to study everything you've been given thoroughly and prepare yourself." Almost everyone left through their respective doors except for Harry and Ron.

"So, you've been secretly training with Professor McGonagall since the tournament?" Ron probed.

"Yes. At the time, it was best if no one knew about it but us so that Dumbledore couldn't find out," Harry answered.

"I understand that, but how did you get bloody 'Battle-Axe McGonagall' to let you use her first name?"

Harry shrugged in response. "I don't know. It kind of surprised me too, but I eventually got used to it. Besides, she's not as strict as she usually portrays herself to be. Even has a wicked sense of humor when you get to know her."

"That woman is full of surprises. Did you know she was hiding how she looked?"

"I suspected it, but it wasn't confirmed until recently."

"It's a good thing she did or none of us would have been able to focus in her class." They shared a laugh before Ron's tone turned thoughtful. "How are you doing with all of this mate?"

Harry sighed. "It's definitely a lot to deal with, but I'm doing better than I was before."

"Well, I just want you to know that I meant what I said yesterday. I'm here if you need anything, even if it's just to vent. I know I messed up before, and let my jealousy get out of control, but it won't happen again. I've been doing some thinking since then and I realize that your life is far from easy and I should be happy with what I have instead of wanting what I don't."

"Thanks Ron. Even though sometimes you're a bit thick, I'm still glad to have you as a friend."

The two shook hands before departing to their respective destinations.

After taking showers and getting ready for the rest of the day, those in Black manor were greeted by the Daily Prophet with the announcement of their survival and their interview with David splashed on the front page. When they had all finished reading it and were satisfied with how it had been written, one thought ran universally through their minds. This was voiced by Tonks.

"How do you think Riddle's going to react to that?"

- H.M. –

At the Malfoy mansion, his death eaters were trying to avoid the answer to that question. Most of them had reacted with anger and fear when they'd seen the morning paper. Some had even fled the mansion, pretending that they had some other business to attend to for the morning. Unfortunately, the two death eaters who had been responsible for checking whether Amelia and the others had survived had not read the paper just yet and were unaware of their approaching doom.

As Wormtail went to deliver the Daily Prophet to Voldemort in the dining room, one of his daily duties, he shuddered at the thought of what the Dark Lord would do to those two as punishment for this recent failure.

"Here is the paper for you, my Lord," Wormtail announced quietly as he placed it on the table in front of him. The rat animagus scurried off quickly before the wizard could read it.

Voldemort dismissed Wormtail's cowardly behavior as he picked up the paper, not thinking anything of it since the man was always cowardly. When he read the headline on the first page however, he began to shake with fury. Angrily, he snapped at a nearby death eater to fetch the two who he had instructed to check for signs of life. As he waited for their return, he read through the rest of the article, his angering growing with each word. By the time the two arrived, lacking the death eater who had been sent to retrieve them, he was beyond himself.

"Explain this now!" he instructed dangerously, his voice barely above a whisper.

The two of them looked at their Lord quizzically, not knowing what the wizard was talking about. One of them gathered up the courage to ask what was going on but regretted it immediately.

"WHAT'S WRONG?!" Voldemort exploded, unable to contain his anger as he threw the paper at them. The two of them paled as they read the headline. Voldemort placed them under the Cruciatus curse for a minute before speaking again. "What's wrong is that I sent the two of you make sure the five of them were dead and you failed to do that. They survived and managed to escape because you two didn't check thoroughly enough. Do you know how bad this makes me look?" He periodically placed them under the Cruciatus as he ranted at them.

The two death eaters tried to babble their way through an apology and explanation but were cut off when Voldemort's patience ran out.

"Enough!" he shouted, causing them to go silent immediately. "For your failure, you will spend the next few days in the dungeon with no food or water. Then I will decide what to do with you. I will make you an example of what happens to those who fail me in this way."

As the two death eaters were dragged away kicking and screaming, Voldemort reflected on the one good thing that came out of this. At least that Hooded nuisance is no longer a problem.

How wrong he was.

- H.M. –

Harry and Minerva left for the latter's home to wait for Samena to arrive, shortly after breakfast was finished. When they got there, they went to the training room as Minerva intended to have Harry practice and do some studying while they waited. First, she wanted to address something that had crossed her mind yesterday.

"I've been meaning to ask you something. In all the chaos that's been going on, I haven't asked you how you're handling Sirius's death."

Harry looked down for a second. "I… I miss him a lot. He was one of the few people that really cared about me just for me. Even with him being on the run, he always took the time to answer my letters and care about my problems, no matter how small they were."

"He was a good man and he did not deserve the hand life dealt to him, but I'm glad the two of you got the chance to know each other. Even if that time was far too short."

"Me too. I… I know it's not my fault that he died, but sometimes I can't help but feel responsible, you know."

"I understand exactly what you mean. From my experience, the best way to honor the sacrifices of those we love is to try remembering them as they lived and not dwell on their deaths. Instead, we should focus on the happiness they brought into our lives. It takes time to get to the point where you can think of them without it always being so painful, but you'll get there."

"How long did it take you?"

"Too long, but I did get to that point. Sometimes it's still hard, but not nearly as much as it was before." Minerva released a deep breath. "I just want you to know that you can talk to me about it anytime. For now, though, you need to get some studying and practicing in before Samena gets here. Just because you're ahead of the others doesn't mean you can slack off."

"Yes Professor."

Samena didn't arrive for another three hours, giving the two of them time to get some things done. They focused most of that time working on Harry's studies and elemental abilities. Then, Minerva remembered that she needed to start teaching him how to apparate since Amelia informed them that he could take the test as soon as he was ready. She only got through the basics before the sound of the floo interrupted them. They put up their stuff before heading to the living room to greet their guest.

When they got there, a dark-skinned woman of slightly above average height with black curly hair was dusting herself off. As she looked up, they could see her intense golden eyes that spoke of much wisdom and experience. It was like she was looking right through you, an effect that Minerva realized Harry had on others as well at times. The woman also had an ageless quality about her, as if she was from another time, making it hard to guess her age.

Minerva quickly went over to greet her, pulling the woman into a warm hug that was reciprocated.

"It's so good to see you Samena," Minerva said as they moved to hold each other at arm's length.

"You as well Minnie, though I wish the circumstances were better. But beggars can't be choosers," Samena replied. "Now please introduce me to this handsome young man of yours."

Minerva rolled her eyes at her friend's innuendo. "This is Harry Potter and he is my student."

Samena waved off Minerva's correction. "He is also your friend, or he wouldn't be here in this house. Either way, it's very nice to meet you Harry. Minerva has told me a bit about you," Samena said as she held her hand out.

Harry accepted it, shaking her hand as he replied. "Only good things I hope," he joked. "It's nice to meet you as well. Minerva's told me a bit about you as well."

His use of his professor's first name caused Samena to turn and give the woman a pointed look that said, 'We'll talk about this later,' before she turned back to Harry. "Well I'm sure we'll be getting to know a lot more about each other soon enough. But I need some sustenance before we begin that journey. Traveling so far works up an appetite."

"Of course," Minerva declared. "Lunch is already ready for us."

They adjourned to the kitchen to eat the meal Winky had prepared for them. As they ate, Samena told them a few stories about the different places she'd been to recently and the things she had done. She explained to Harry about her self-appointed task to rediscover the hidden or forgotten mysteries of magic from all around the world. When Harry asked how she made her living, she told him how she used the knowledge she gained in her travels as well as her Aura Reader abilities to help people out. She had also written a few books and sold some of the rare items and ingredients she acquired along the way, though nothing that was too dangerous.

Harry and Minerva also caught Samena up on what had happened in Britain recently. They described how the Ministry ran a campaign to undermine and suppress Harry's claims that Voldemort was back. They explained how Umbridge, with Fudge's permission, tried to take control of Hogwarts and demean anyone that disagreed with the Ministry's position or were of "lower" status. Then they talked about the events of the end of the year and what had happened so far this summer. The only thing they left out was anything to do with the horcruxes, but they described the plans they had made so far and some of their grievances with Dumbledore. Samena was only a little surprised by how Dumbledore had failed the students of Hogwarts and Harry and voiced her own distrust of the man. She believed that anyone who had as much power as he did were bound to lose sight of what is right if they didn't have someone to help ground them.

Once they finished eating, they went into the library, with a few snacks and drinks being provided by Winky in there. Minerva pulled out the pensieve and any memories they might show Samena before they began talking.

"Now, from your letter, I can assume that you have something very serious to discuss with me," Samena asked.

Minerva nodded in confirmation. "Yes, and it's quite a long story."

"I think I should tell you about my experiences at Hogwarts before we get to the main topic," Harry suggested. "In fact, we can show you the memories, if you'd like."

"If that will make it easier for you," Samena agreed.

Harry did so, saving the memory of his time in the Chamber of Secrets for last since it was the one most directly related to the horcruxes. As it got to the part in that memory where Voldemort revealed his birth name, Samena gasped in shocked horror, causing Harry to pause the memory.

"What's wrong Samena?" Minerva asked concernedly, seeing the fear on her friend's face.

"I know Tom, went to school with him in fact, and he's supposed to be dead," Samena admitted.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"I was in the same year as him in Hogwarts and was also sorted into Slytherin, so we spent a lot of time together. We were even friends as I was unable to see behind the charming façade, he put up to hide his true self." Samena paused as the memories of that time in her life passed through her mind.

"But you said he's supposed to be dead?" Minerva pressed.

"About two years after we graduated, he contacted me. He asked to join me on my exploration of arcane magic around the world, something he knew I was planning on doing since we had kept in touch regularly. I agreed, seeing nothing wrong with the request at the time. The first few weeks were normal, and we fell back into the rhythm of our friendship easily." Samena took a deep breath before continuing. "Then I started noticing that he was focusing most of his attention on the darker magic and rituals, some of which were considered evil. He revealed his true nature when I confronted him about it. I tried to make him see reason and warned him about the dangers of the path he was walking, but he wouldn't listen. So, to save the world from the monster I realized he was, I fought him and managed to mortally wound him. I thought he was dead, but I guess I was wrong. After that, I stayed away from Britain since my memories were tainted by him. When Voldemort began his reign of terror, it didn't even occur to me that he might be Tom."

Harry looked at Minerva as they both realized why he didn't die. Harry saw this as an opportunity to transition to the main reason for this meeting. "There's something you didn't know about him that prevented him from dying. See, Riddle made horcruxes, with his first created while he was still a student at Hogwarts. In fact, the diary that you see in this memory is his first one."

Samena looked up in alarm. "How do you know this?"

"Let's finish watching this memory and then we'll explain it," Minerva suggested. Samena agreed and they viewed the rest of Harry's fight against the Basilisk and his destruction of the diary. Samena was very impressed by what Harry had been able to accomplish at such a young age and understood why Minerva was so fond of him. She was curious about how close the two of them were and planned on asking her friend as soon as she was alone with her.

Harry took a few moments to gather his thoughts once the memory was finished and Samena waited patiently. "Voldemort, or Riddle as we call him, made horcruxes in an attempt to be immortal. He made seven of them in total. One is already destroyed, and we have two others that need to be. The rest we're still searching for."

"Well that explains why he didn't die. I knew that man was insane, but to tear his soul apart to that degree is unheard of. The most I've heard someone make is three, and that was extreme enough," Samena remarked disgustedly. "But how did you figure this out."

"A few days after the summer started, I got curious about the connection between me and Riddle. So, I probed it through my mindscape and… I learned that on the night my parents were murdered I unintentionally became one. I have a memory for you to watch that shows this," Harry admitted, putting his head down. Minerva placed a hand on his shoulder in support.

Samena was horrified but made sure to school her expression to one of compassion. She could see how much this affected him and didn't want him to think that she was disgusted with him. "You are much too young to be burdened with so many hardships. I promise you that I will do everything I can to help you."

"Thank you, Samena," Harry replied after realizing that she wasn't afraid or disgusted by him.

"Do you know of a way to get it out of him?" Minerva asked.

"First let me look at the memory and do a full examination of him. Then I will discuss what his choices are," Samena answered.

Minerva pulled out the relevant memory and dropped it into the pensieve. With a nod to the two, Samena dunked her head inside to view it alone.

"Do you think she'll be able to get it out of me?" Harry asked Minerva as they waited. He was nervous now that he was about to find out if the horcrux could be removed and worried that he would not get the answer he wanted.

Minerva sensed this and made him look up to face her. "I do. Samena has spent almost her whole life studying several different types of magic, especially those unknown to most. It likely won't be easy, but I'm sure she'll come up with something." They waited anxiously for about ten minutes for Samena to finish viewing the memory.

"Your parents were very brave for the way they sacrificed themselves for you," Samena commented once she was done. "I had a suspicion when I saw your scar up close, but the memory confirmed it. They used an ancient Greek protection ritual that required their lives to be given up in order to give you some of their magic to strengthen you. That's what those lights that flew into you were."

"What about the horcrux?" Harry asked.

"That is definitely what went inside of you, which likely means he had already started the ritual and intended to make one with your death. Before I can make suggestions on how to get it out, I need to get a better look at you and ask you some questions," Samena said as she gestured for him to stand up. She took out her wand and stood up as well. "Just relax, this won't hurt at all, but it will take several minutes."

When Harry nodded, she began waving her wand in several intricate patterns and activated her Aura Reader ability, writing down a few things on a notepad provided by Minerva periodically. As she had warned him, it did take several minutes. Harry tried to stay as still as possible, though it was hard for him to resist the urge to squirm a bit. Even though he had stronger sense of confidence due to his injury from Greyback, he still felt uncomfortable being the center of attention. Especially when someone was waving their wand around him and he didn't know what they were searching for.

"Alright, you can sit down now Harry," Samena said when she had finished. Harry let out a loud sigh of relief and quickly retook his seat. Samena and Minerva shook their heads at his actions.

"I doubt it was that bad," Minerva remarked.

"How about you stand there and let someone wave their wand around you like that without knowing exactly what they're looking for," Harry challenged. His tone was light though to show that he was joking.

"Well, my examination isn't quite done yet," Samena interjected. "I need you to tell me more about the extent of the connection between you and Riddle and how you think it affects you."

"Alright, what do you want to know?" Harry asked.

"You have visions whenever he's feeling strong emotions?"

"Yeah and they hurt badly, though I can block them off sometimes with Occlumency. He was even able to send me false visions when he realized that we were connected."

"Have you ever been able to look in his mind?"

"I did." Harry gave a brief summary of the beginning of his summer and how he was able to learn about the two death eater raids by spying on Riddle.

"That was very dangerous… but also very brave. It seems that he's not as aware of your presence as you are of him." Samena paused in though for a moment before continuing. "What about psychological effects? Do you sometimes get unexpected depressive or angry thoughts in your head but don't know their origin or reasoning?"

Harry nodded. "Both. I also have some really bad nightmares which makes it hard to sleep, though I don't know if that's related."

"It is. In the few documented cases of human horcruxes, explosive nightmares are one of the most common symptoms noted. But you seem to be pretty well rested right now. How often do you have them?"

"Every night."

"How are you managing them then?" The embarrassed look Harry and Minerva shared gave her the answer. "I see. Well honestly, that's one of the best ways to deal with them. The presence of the magic of someone who you trust can be very effective in keeping nightmares at bay. However, I can ward the room you sleep in to help minimize them if you'd like. It's not as effective as your current method, but it will help you nonetheless." She smirked at how quickly they agreed to that.

"Is there anything else you need to know?" Minerva asked, ready to change the subject.

Samena resisted the urge to tease the two of them further. "No, I have all of the information I need. First, I want you both to know that Harry here is a very unique wizard, which is a good thing. He naturally is very powerful, though you already know that based on the two elements he has the ability to control. The protection his parents gave him increased that strength some as well. His heart, despite having a horcrux inside of him, is pure. One of, if not the, purest I've ever seen. This is partly due to his parent's protection, but the purity of his heart rejected the horcrux strongly enough to prevent it from tainting him. Being healed by a phoenix helped too. He is also in excellent condition health-wise, something that is very important for any method of horcrux-removal. All in all, he's in better condition than anyone else I've read about in his situation."

"So, it can be removed then?" Minerva pressed.

"Yes. Though there are no actual rituals specifically designed to remove a horcrux from a living container, there are several purification rituals that can accomplish this. None of them are without their risks. Instead of going through a list of them all, I will simply explain the method I think is best for him."

Harry nodded for Samena to continue.

"Very well. I believe that the Greek Soul Purification Ritual would work best for your situation. It was designed centuries ago to purge all impurities from the soul and has been used to remove horcruxes twice before, with one being successful. The requirements of the participant are a strong will, high magical strength, and a pure heart, something you have spades. The reason the other attempt I mentioned failed is because the participant did not have a pure heart. Now, as I said before, it is risky. It can result in irreparable damage to the magic or soul if not carried out correctly, but all of them carry this risk. What makes this ritual ideal is that it also requires the help of a human 'anchor' who will lend you their strength and serve as a tether to this world."

"Can anyone be an anchor or are there a set of requirements?" Harry piped up.

"There has to be mutual love and trust between you and your chosen anchor. It doesn't have to be romantic, but it does have to be very strong. There is a spell to test the compatibility of an anchor, so you will know beforehand if the person you choose will work. There is something else you should know before you make your decision though," Samena said, pausing to show the seriousness of what she was about to say. "You and your anchor will form a bond that will give you access to all of each other's memories, good or bad. It can also have other effects such as the ability to sense each other's emotions or more. Unfortunately, the anchor bond is not well researched since those involved kept much of it to themselves, but it is not harmful or so strong that you will be forced to stay within a certain distance of each other. However, this is a very intimate thing to share and you should think carefully about who you want to have this connection with."

"How does the ritual work?" Minerva asked after a moment of silence.

"It has to occur on the night of a full moon and requires some rare and powerful ingredients. 48 hours beforehand, the participant and the anchor will have to take purification potions to remove any potions, curable sicknesses, and binds on magic. This is simply to put you in the optimal condition. It is also advised that they do very little magic in that time to conserve as much of their strength as possible. The ingredients that will be used to draw the runes for the circle and on those involved include phoenix tears, blood from the participant and the anchor, blood from a unicorn, willingly given, dragon blood of the participant's choice, and water from a magical lake in Greece called the Límni tis Aretís, or the Lake of Virtue. I can gather all of the ingredients except for the unicorn blood, which has to be given directly to the participant. During the ritual, I will recite the chant and the anchor will make their pledge. After that, it is up to the participant, aided by their anchor, to fight against the impurity in their soul and remove it while keeping their soul intact. In this case, the horcrux will try to be the soul that remains in the body, so this will be especially hard and very painful. Once it is done, the participant will need at least 24 hours to recover."

Harry sat back thoughtfully as he mentally went through everything he'd been told. While most of it was pretty straightforward, he was wary of the prospect of being bonded to someone else and sharing his memories with them. However, Harry trusted that Samena was giving him the best option and at least this method meant he wouldn't have to face this alone. As he thought about who he might choose for an anchor, Minerva was the first name that went through his mind. He knew if he asked her, she would do it, but still he hesitated. It meant that she would likely learn of his confused feelings for her and he didn't know if that was such a good idea or how it would affect their friendship.

Samena guessed at the dilemma Harry was facing. "You don't have to choose an anchor right this moment Harry. It will take me 30 days to make the purification potions and I also have to gather the rest of the ingredients. We won't be able to perform the ritual until the full moon in August, so you have plenty of time to make a decision on that."

"Okay, then if you're sure that this is the best way to go forward, I'll do it," Harry decided.

"It is. I will leave tomorrow to get started. Do you have a particular breed of dragon whose blood you'd like to use? It's best if the dragon has some sort of significance to you," Samena questioned.

"If you can get it, then Hungarian Horntail blood would be best," Harry replied.

"Ah yes, you managed to best one during the tournament. That is a good choice," Samena agreed.

"I have one more question," Minerva spoke up. "Harry was planning on becoming an animagus during the upcoming full moon. Will that have any adverse effects on the ritual?"

"No. He can move forward with that plan," Samena replied with a smile.

"Well, now that that's been decided, let's go back to Black manor so you can meet some of the others," Harry declared.

- H.M. –

When they returned to Black manor, Samena was introduced to Andromeda and Susan, who were the only ones there since everyone else was at work. She told them a bit about herself and what she did, and they reciprocated. Then Harry and Minerva showed her to the room she would stay in for the night. Once she had her stuff put away, they went to Harry's room so she could set up the ward that would help with his nightmares. After that, she and Minerva went to go talk in private in her room while Harry went to his study to be alone for a while.

When the two witches were seated on the bed in the room, Samena decided to ease her way into learning more about Harry and Minerva's relationship. "So, Harry is definitely a one-of-a-kind wizard."

"What do you mean?" Minerva asked, unsure where Samena was going with this.

"Well, I've only met two other living horcruxes and none of them were in as good a condition as he is for one. To have a heart that's so pure despite the evil that is latched onto his soul is amazing. He also seems to have a strong sense of duty and a good moral compass. That is especially noteworthy considering he didn't have any good role models until he started Hogwarts at 11."

"He is definitely different from most wizards I've ever met," Minerva admitted. "Special even."

Samena eyed Minerva curiously. "Special huh? Do you mean in general, or to you?"

Minerva avoided her gaze. "I don't know what you're implying."

"Hah, don't give me that Minnie. You know exactly what I'm implying and the fact that you're defensive about it gives me your answer."

"While I do consider him my friend, he is still my student. What you're implying is completely inappropriate."

"Maybe, but that doesn't stop it from being true. If you didn't feel so strongly for him, you never would have offered to sleep with him to help him with his nightmares."

"I… he needed to sleep, and I couldn't think of anything else that would help."

"Would you have done that for anyone else?"

Minerva looked away in shame. "No."

"Then you did it because he is special to you." Samena's tone was gentle and nonjudgmental.

Minerva voice was barely above a whisper as she replied. "He's not supposed to be. At least not like that."

"The heart wants what it wants. We have no control over that."

"I'm too old for him."

"You're not that old and you surely don't look like you are either. Plus, I know for a fact that you are still able to bare children."

"Samena!" Minerva was scandalized.

"Well it's the truth and you've always wanted a family. Maybe this is another opportunity to do so."

Minerva sighed deeply, trying to ignore the seed of hope that sprouted from Samena's words. "It doesn't matter. He could never see me that way so there's no point in thinking about it."

"You can't tell me that you really don't notice the way he looks at you," Samena insisted.

"He's young and it's likely nothing more than a crush that he'll get over soon enough," Minerva argued. She refused to get her hopes up for something she saw as impossible.

Samena shook her head at her friend's obliviousness. "I think you should ask him before you make that determination, but I'll let it go for now. Just remember that not everyone gets a second chance like this." Samena moved on before Minerva could argue with her any further. "Anyway, tell me more about these horcruxes that monster made. Maybe I can help you figure out where the rest might be."

The two of them discussed that and other things for over two hours, making a trip back to Minerva's house to retrieve the pensieve and memories so Samena could view them. After reviewing all of the evidence, Samena suggested that they look in the ROR at Hogwarts since she knew Voldemort spent some time there when he was a student. Then the conversation shifted to lighter topics as they caught up with each other.

After a while, Kreacher came by to tell them that everyone else was back from work and that dinner was ready. The two of them thanked the house-elf before heading downstairs. Minerva introduced Samena to everyone she hadn't met yet before looking around for Harry. When she realized that he wasn't there, she excused herself to go retrieve him. As she reached the third floor, she heard the sound of music being played and followed it until she got to Harry's private study.

She stopped at the door to take in the scene in front of her. Harry was sat in front of the piano, moving his fingers expertly over the keys as he played. She'd never heard the song before, but it was beautiful. Instead of interrupting him, she remained quiet, simply allowing the emotional melody to swirl around her.

As he played the final notes, Minerva shook herself from the daze she'd been in and spoke up. "It seems you are an excellent piano player just like Dora said."

Harry turned around, startled to see her standing at the door. "Oh hey, I didn't hear you come in."

"What were you playing?"

"It was Beethoven's 'Moonlight Sonata' the first movement, one of my favorite pieces."

"Well you played it beautifully."

"Thank you. I had to practice really hard to get it right."

"You're welcome. Anyway, I came up here to tell you that dinner was ready, and everyone's returned from work.

"Alright. Let's go then."

A minute later they were seated at the dining table with everyone else. Dinner was a nice affair as they all talked and joked with each other. Everyone shared funny stories as they got to know those they were just meeting. After dinner, Harry and Minerva took Andromeda, Tonks, Amelia, and Samena to the side to discuss the horcrux ritual. He also asked Hestia to join them after a bit of hesitation, deciding that she should be brought in on the subject as well. They could use her help and experience finding these things as well as getting past any obstacles in the way. Once they caught her up and she got over her shock and horror, Samena explained the ritual that they would be using to remove the horcrux from Harry. She told them about everything in great detail, answering most of the questions they had about it. They also talked about possible places Voldemort may have hidden his horcruxes with Samena giving them the same advice about the ROR that she'd told Minerva earlier. Harry promised that it would be the first thing he did once he was back at school.

Eventually, all of them retired to bed, since they had to get up early for training. When Harry and Minerva reached their rooms, they bid each other an awkward good night before heading into their respective rooms. It took them both longer than usual to fall asleep as they missed each other's presence, though neither would admit it out loud. It would be a restless night for them.