Looking back, Harry couldn't believe how quickly the months had flown by. He was back at Potter castle for the Christmas break and absolutely loving his life in the magical world. His academic life had been, well, both exciting and disappointing. Some of his subjects had progressed extremely well, but he felt that others just held him back and leeched his already severely limited time.
He smiled as he considered how rapidly he had advanced in transfiguration. Mcgonagall had discovered that he could transfigure with truly remarkable speed and precision, without using the incantation everyone was supposed to need. She had been completely thrown by the ability that she herself did not possess despite having obtained her mastery in transfiguration. She had explained that she had gone further in this field than any other British witch or wizard in the last century save Albus Dumbledore himself. Despite this, she still needed to think the correct incantation or string of incantations to transfigure as she desired. She had been so impressed with him that she had set up a meeting for the two of them with Dumbledore just a month into the school year.
(Flash back to Dumbledore's office)
Harry wrung his hands as Albus Dumbledore surveyed him with his trademark grandfatherly smile and a twinkle in his eyes that surely had to be charmed there. "So, Mr Potter, may I call you Harry?" Receiving a nod in response, Dumbledore continued, "Professor Mcgonagall has brought it to my attention that you are transfiguring silently, without knowing the incantations you should require." Harry nodded and after a moment of silence, Dumbledore continued again. "You should be very proud, Harry. It is a rare skill indeed. In my OWL year I was informed, in a similar conversation to this one actually, that Hogwarts hadn't seen this gift for almost half a century. And I can tell you that to the best of my knowledge you are the first to possess this gift since me." Harry was now listening with rapt attention, but Dumbledore simply stared at him until Harry started to get uneasy.
Harry shifted and Dumbledore seemed to break out of a daze. He smiled and continued the one sided conversation, "Complex transfiguration is more than just focus and intent. True, sometimes magic allows us to transfigure beyond our understanding, but it does so at a price. I could transfigure a cat from a stick, but, it would require far more magic than starting from a monkey. If I transfigured an acromantula from the same stick, the process would be much slower and far more exhausting, yet still possible. The proper incantation, as you hopefully know, assists in directing the flow of magic to guide the necessary changes. Without the incantation, whether verbal or non-verbal, your magic has to step in to help. Now, when your transfiguration requires the rapid multiplication of matter or a series of complex changes that you don't fully understand, you risk magical exhaustion if the desired result is beyond your capacity. Do you see where I am going with this?"
Harry nodded, "Yes sir, it is crucial that I know my limits, but how would I increase my capacity? I can't transfigure an acromantula from just a stick, but others can. I don't have as much power as the purebloods. How can I compete with them?"
Dumbledore leaned back and regarded Harry for a few moments before addressing his concern. "Harry, simply put, those books are only partially valid at best. I myself am a half blood, yet I am widely regarded as one of the most powerful wizards in Britain. It is true that we require a fairly sizeable magical reserve to perform advanced magic, but every student that is accepted at Hogwarts has the power required to excel in their NEWTs. Yet, many simply do not pass the Charms, Transfiguration or Defense Against the Dark Arts practicals. Why is that?"
Harry looked down and replied "I don't know, sir."
Dumbledore smiled, "I think you do, Harry. Wizards and witches have been able to live comfortable lives and get by without applying themselves for centuries now. Muggle technology surged forward in leaps and bounds, but wizarding Britain has stagnated. Apathy has become the norm for our society, and I am sad to say that we have become extremely lazy here in Britain."
Harry looked up again and questioned further, "Surely it can't be that simple, sir? There must be more to it. Power can't just be about applying yourself, can it?" Dumbledore chuckled, "There is, of course, more to power than many recognise. The purebloods believe that it's all in the blood, and there is some truth in that when you consider the hereditary magical gifts that appear in strong bloodlines. The muggleborns, on the other hand, tend to believe it's all about applying yourself and flexing your magic, and there is real value in that view too. Focus, intent, mental clarity, those have a significant role as well. Practice and experience make a big difference. This list is by no means exhaustive. Wizards and witches who were driven have always found their own ways to stand out."
Harry was getting very excited, "And what about you, sir? How did you become so powerful?"
Dumbledore chuckled, "I won't give away all my secrets, my boy, but I will humour you to some extent. I was very fortunate to be blessed with the ability to see magic in addition to our shared transfiguration gifting. I applied myself wholeheartedly from a young age, and I continue to search out the secrets of magic to this day. My mind is one of my greatest strengths and at my age, I think it's fair to say that I have experience on my side. Without giving too much away, I will say that the combination of all of that is crucial, but my greatest advantage lies in my hereditary giftings that appeared in me after skipping almost thirty generations."
Harry was leaning forward in his seat as he whispered "I can be powerful. I can actually be someone significant."
Mcgonagall cleared her throat and Harry snapped out of his daze to see a slight frown on Dumbledore's face just before it disappeared, and a clearly disgruntled Professor Mcgonagall.
She voiced her displeasure and shot a glare at Dumbledore, "I didn't arrange this meeting so you two could talk about magical power. We need to discuss the way forward for Mr Potter. It would be a waste for him to attend the first year class considering his gift."
At the end of the meeting, Harry had a standing invite to meet with Dumbledore whenever he had serious matters to discuss, and although he still had to attend the transfiguration classes, it was only for the theory and he had been strongly encouraged to bring his own transfiguration related study material to classes. The two professors had also given him a list of suggested reading, both magical and muggle. Harry left the meeting with a burning desire to learn everything there was to know about transfiguration and anything related to it.
(End flash back)
Harry had collected library books on basic biology, physics, material science and chemistry soon after the meeting to supplement his advanced self-study of transfiguration. He had decided to focus on his primary areas of strength rather than all of his subjects. As a result, he expected to achieve an Acceptable grade in Herbology, History and Astronomy, Exceeds Expectations in Potions, and Outstanding in DADA, Charms and Transfiguration. He wasn't too concerned about his marks in the subjects that wouldn't further his long term goals, and Harry certainly had goals.
He hadn't made any real friends in Slytherin, but he did have acquaintances on the Quidditch team and in his classes. He found though, that for the first time in his life, he was truly happy. His studies stretched and engaged him, he was more active than ever and he was almost completely sure he would be on the starting Quidditch team in his second year.
He had been challenged to a duel, but transfiguring air into water in Draco's lungs, without an incantation or wand movement and without a spell trail for warning had ended the duel very quickly. Draco had been furious but admitted two weeks later that it was an impressive display. He had, however, warned that he would challenge him again as soon as he worked out how to defend against the spell. Draco and Nott duelled every week without fail, and Nott had thus far won only once before losing in the rematch Draco scheduled at the earliest opportunity.
Harry closed his book on the animagus transformation and sighed happily as he snuggled into his blankets on the night before his return to Hogwarts. He had excitedly asked Professor Mcgonagall to teach him after witnessing her turning into a cat, but she had outright refused and forbade him from experimenting until after Hogwarts. He had naturally ignored her and decided he would achieve the transformation before the end of his third year. Harry heard an elf pop in to turn off the lights and stoke the fire in his room. His last thought before bed was a contented 'life's good'.
(-)
The welcome back feast was loud. Harry was slightly overwhelmed after a week of isolation at home, but it was good to be back here. He chatted amiably enough with his acquaintances, but he couldn't quite shake the feeling that he was almost as isolated here as he was at Potter Castle. Just as he was about to start on his treacle tart, the doors to the great hall burst open and Professor Quirrell came sprinting into the hall screaming "Trolls! Trolls in the castle! Trolls!" before fainting just a few steps from the entrance to the hall.
After a moment's silence, the great hall erupted as the students leapt to their feet and shouted over each other in their panic and excitement. The noise only died down as Professor Dumbledore yelled "SILENCE!" with the assistance of the sonorous charm and a blast of his aura. "Students will remain in the great hall until further notice. Prefects, do a head count and give feedback to your head of house. Everyone stay calm, you are safe – "
They all heard a mighty roar as a heavily armoured troll smashed through the door from the ante chamber near the Professor's table. The professors and students nearest the ante chamber were showered in splintered wood and chunks of stone. Professor Sprout's head hit the table after a chunk of stone thudded into her from behind. Professor Flitwick rushed to her side and tried to stop the bleeding while the rest of the professors tried to position themselves between the troll and the students with limited success. The troll dwarfed even Hagrid, but where Hagrid was friendly, this troll was vicious and rabid.
The troll swung its enormous mace at the professors and Professor Trelawney took the brunt of it while the others dove to the side. "Evanesco!" someone shouted, but nothing happened. Harry took that as his que and joined the rest of the students scrambling over each other to get out of the great hall. Broken plates, overturned benches, terrified screams, pushing and shoving. He wasn't getting anywhere in the chaos. The very stones of the castle suddenly vibrated as the troll roared and started running towards the students who were falling over each other in their haste to flee the great hall.
Harry turned and watched in awe as a giant metal panther launched itself onto the trolls back and savagely ripped into its neck between the troll's helmet and its armour. The troll collapsed before it reached the students and screamed almost pitifully for a moment before the giant panther snapped its neck. "Students! Stay in the hall!" It was far too late for that though, over half the students had already fled and who knew where they had gone.
Dumbledore's phoenix flamed into the hall and screeched at Dumbledore before flaming away again. He visibly paled but immediately issued orders to the professors with great urgency and obvious fear. Professors Mcgonagall, Snape and Flitwick sprinted out of the hall. Dumbledore himself closed his eyes and chanted under his breath for almost a minute before Harry felt something shift in the stone floor. The stone walls thickened and every statue in the hall suddenly animated and followed the professors through the doors to the hall. The moment the statues cleared the door, a now metal door slammed shut and the phoenix flamed in, grabbed Dumbledore, and flamed out again.
Calm settled over the hall for a moment until someone noticed Madam Pomphrey covering Professor Trelawney with a white blanket before rushing to the next injured party. Harry tried to find someone he knew but only found shocked and terrified strangers. He was alone again, and he had almost died. His legs felt weak so he walked to the newly thickened wall and sat on the floor with his arms around his legs and his forehead resting on his knees. He tried to hold back the overwhelming emotion, but it barrelled over him and he couldn't help it. Harry Potter sobbed as he shivered in shock and emotional pain as he realised he was alone, completely and utterly alone. Nobody would care if he died. Nobody would protect him. Nobody would comfort him.
After a while he felt warmth on either side of him as two people joined him on the floor and leaned against him. He looked up and found the equally upset faces of Susan and Hannah. He looked deeply into each of their eyes before resting his head against the wall and staring blankly into space. He felt the two girls rest their heads on his shoulders and hug his arms. He nearly choked up again as another wave of emotion surged through him, but he held it together and sat stiffly until he eventually nodded off and fell asleep.
(-)
The damage that had been done to the castle was remarkable. Entire corridors had been melted, as impossible as that seemed. The stone walls and floors were black and had flowed like lava before solidifying again. Construction experts were supervising teams of house elves as they tried to restore the castle while twelve aurors patrolled the castle at any given time. Harry had even seen a few people with cloaks that completely hid their faces investigating the battle that had taken place in the halls of 'one of the safest places in Britain'. He had later learned that these were Unspeakables.
Something significant had happened on the night of the troll attack, but the students hadn't been given the full story. All they knew was that Professor Quirrell was the one who let the trolls into the school, armed them, and charmed their weapons and armour. He had then proceeded to the third floor corridor during the chaos, and had released a barrage of dark magic so powerful and destructive that the ancient Hogwarts wards had partially collapsed under the onslaught. He had then either used a secret passageway on the second floor to escape, or he had been killed by the very magic he had unleashed. Professors Snape, Mcgonagall and Flitwick had all been sent to St Mungo's but were expected to return soon. Albus Dumbledore himself had been taken to the Infirmary where he had stayed for the night.
Four other trolls had been set loose in the castle that night, but all of them had been killed in the end. Incredibly, there had only been three human deaths, two Hufflepuff students and Professor Trelawney. Harry still couldn't quite believe that stuttering, quivering, jumpy Quirrell had done this.
He had also heard that the ministry had fired the headmaster for hiring Professor Quirrell in the first place, only to reinstate him as headmaster after it came out that the Hogwarts Board had actually hired the man without Dumbledore's approval. Somehow, the Board escaped any punishment, at least as far as Harry could glean from the conversations in the Slytherin common room.
Neville Longbottom was also somehow involved in the whole affair, Harry was almost sure of it. He too had been temporarily hospitalised along with the bookworm and the red head, and Harry had heard that the three of them had a long meeting in Dumbledore's office. It frustrated Harry to no end that the students didn't get the full story despite the fact that they had almost been killed. The Daily Prophet published all sorts of unverified stories and he had quickly discarded the entire publication as a load of rubbish. He had instead tried to discover as much as possible from the Slytherins, but even they didn't have the complete picture. In the end he gave up on ever knowing and distracted himself with his extra-curricular studies. He had been extremely impressed by the panther and had started working on his own version with great urgency and excitement.
(-)
Professor Snape and Mcgonagall didn't return to school for three weeks and four weeks respectively, and their classes had just been free periods in their absence. Flitwick had returned after just a week but he was far from his normal, enthusiastic self.
The rest of Harry's first year was slightly dull in comparison to the excitement and intrigue of the attack. Quidditch training continued to intensify, his animagus research progressed nicely, and he managed to produce a house cat sized steel panther of his own that would last for almost half a minute before reverting to the original material. His panther's movements were admittedly very jerky and slow and it wasn't particularly intelligent but Harry knew for a fact that none of the other first or second years could match his achievement and he doubted the fourth years could achieve it either.
(-)
It was a contented Harry that boarded the Hogwarts Express at the end of the year. His exams had gone well, the ones he cared about at least, and now he was going home where he could focus even more effectively on his chosen areas of study. He had also secured a ticket to a Falmouth Falcons league match which he was really looking forward to. He had his books, he had his broom, he had a safe and comfortable place to stay, and he even had Susan, Hannah, and surprisingly, Draco to write to. He opened his third year transfiguration book as he settled into his compartment with Hannah, Susan and few other Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. Harry caught Susan and Hannah smirking at each other in response to his antics but he simply sniffed imperiously before flashing them a smile and going back to his book.