Harry had been brooding again. In his sixth year at Hogwarts with a war on the rampage and classes to be attending, Harry was hanging out in a quiet corridor on the third floor, right hand side. Not far from the door that once held Fluffy. He was avoiding everyone after having a session with Dumbledore on the person of Tom Riddle. Currently he was staring at a portrait and the portrait was staring back. The title of the painting, at the bottom on a gold-plated rectangle, was "The Servant". Harry tilted his head to the right and the portrait mirrored his action by tilting his head to its own left. They continued to stare. It was an old man, with gray hair pulled into a low ponytail. Harry couldn't tell how long the hair was because it was behind his back. The old man was beside a table already set with two glasses, a bottle of wine and a plate with cheese and bread.

"Usually, I can't get the portraits to be quiet." Harry observed, "Perhaps you were mute."

"No." the painting grinned at him.

"Then why haven't you been talking at me?" Harry asked.

"You came here to be alone and have quiet time did you not?" the man in the painting asked, "I was just giving you what you wanted. Perhaps quiet and alone is not what you really want."

"No, I don't suppose it is." Harry scratched the back of his head, "I guess what I want is peace. I want the gawking and pointing to stop. I want to be just Harry instead of… this."

"Why not be just Harry then?" he asked.

"They won't let me." Harry sighed, "Every year it's something new. I'm either a villain or the hero and sometimes it switches by the hour. Now I'm the Chosen One here to save their sorry… yeah."

"People love a hero." He agreed, "You will find it hard to ever get away once you have that label. It's the reason my portrait is labeled as it is and hidden here far from the hubbub of the school."

"You're a hero too?" Harry asked a bit excited, perhaps the man could be a mentor of sorts.

"I was called a wide variety of things, but yes one of them was hero for a time." He grinned.

"How did you deal with the fame?" Harry asked, "And please tell me you didn't go around signing autographs and having your picture taken."

"No, I did not do that." The man chuckled, "Cameras were not invented in my day. But even if they had been, I would not have done that. My fame was a bit different than yours. But I stayed true to myself and didn't become what the critics said I was. Now, I did my fair share of stupid stunts but I kept my own sense of right and wrong and wasn't swayed from my morals."

"Did you ever kill anyone?" Harry asked with a grimace.

"Several." The man nodded in understanding, "It was a different world, again, than yours. We did not have prisons and court systems. People who committed crimes were dealt with harshly. What would put them in a ministry cell for a year or so now would have a been a death sentence back then. There were no aurors to call if you were attacked, mostly it was your hope to kill them before they could kill you."

"Actually, that's exactly what I'm facing." Harry sighed again, "There's a prophecy that says I have to kill him or he's going to kill me."

"In your case, you can call it self-defense." The man grinned.

"I think it's going to be a case of me being dead." Harry shook his head, "Dumbledore says my ability to love is what will stop Voldemort. But unless I hug him to death, I don't see how love can help."

"I believe he's being metaphorical rather than literal." The man chuckled again, "I believe he means you will be helped by loved ones, not doing it on your own."

"That's still not going to work. All it will be is more people that I care about being killed in my place." Harry huffed, "The problem I have with this is that Dumbledore is expecting me to face the man with just a Hogwarts education when the man has had fifty some odd years to learn dark arts from all over the place."

"Yet the man uses the killing and torture curses like they are going out of style." The man chuckled, "If he used his talents on everyone, few would be left besides Dumbledore."

"How am I to stand against him?" Harry huffed and sat on the floor, "How am I meant to stand against him when even portraits know only Dumbledore can."

"Actually, I think you would be one of the few who could." The man smiled, "All you lack is confidence and practice."

"Practice?" Harry asked huffily, but then stopped to think and muttered, "I wonder if I can use the room? We did last year so I don't see why not."

"You have a place?" the man asked.

"I do, thanks!" Harry stood and moved off, heading up to the seventh floor.

After pacing three times he pulled open the door that appeared. When it closed behind him it disappeared since he didn't want to be disturbed. The DA training room was just as he remembered. Mirrors everywhere with some book shelves to the side.

"All I need now is someone to guide my training." Harry sighed to himself, "I just don't know where to start."

"I would suggest getting in shape first." A voice behind Harry had him twirling around with his wand in his hand.

"You again?" Harry asked seeing the same portrait that he had seen on the third floor, "How did you get up here?"

"Magic!" the man exclaimed with a grin, "You required help. Someone who knows what they're doing and can guide you."

"What's your name?" Harry asked accepting any help he could get.

"My title you see below, I am the Servant." The man waved his hand toward his plaque.

"I don't want to call the man training me, the servant." Harry huffed.

"You can call me Merry." He said, "It was a nickname some of my close friends came up with."

"Sounds like a girl's name." Harry chuckled.

"Not Mary like a girl, Merry like happy." Merry grinned at him, "Now for fitness, ask the room for a running track, and some of those dumb dumbs."

Harry envisioned a track like he'd seen from his cupboard. Vernon would never run but he enjoyed watching others doing it. Go figure the walrus liked to watch others exercise but hated cooking shows. Harry supposed he didn't like seeing food he couldn't eat. At any rate Harry had a track.

"Dumb Dumbs?" He asked unsure of the request.

"Weights for lifting." Merry explained.

"Dumb bells." Harry realized and envisioned some, "I should probably stretch first."

"Good idea, do you know how?" Merry asked cheerfully.

"I've got a few ideas." Harry took off his robe and sat on the floor, "Maybe I can pay one of the muggleborn's to get me some exercise clothes and books."

"Why not just transfigure your clothes?" Merry asked.

"We've never transfigured clothes before." Harry cocked his head at the portrait, "Do they teach it in seventh year?"

"Transfiguration is not hard." Merry explained, "Just visualize what you want your clothes to look like and push your magic into the clothes."

"What's the spell and wand movement?" Harry asked.

"You do not need a spell or wand; you need to visualize and push your magic." Merry explained.

"Push my magic?" Harry looked doubtful but shrugged.

He tried to follow the instructions. He got a picture of the clothes he wanted to be wearing in his mind and tapped his pant leg with his wand. Nothing happed so he tried several other wand movements but nothing happened.

"I'm visualizing but nothing is happening." Harry complained.

"You did not push your magic out." Merry looked at him oddly.

"How do I do that?" Harry asked.

"Feel your magic and push it through your hands, legs, and torso." Merry told him, "It is basic wandless magic."

"I can't do wandless magic!" Harry exclaimed, "Dumbledore is the only one who can do wandless and I've never seen him do anything as difficult as transfiguring clothes."

"Are you telling me you have only learned wand magic?" Merry looked aghast.

"Yes, wandless is for really powerful people only." Harry explained.

"Hogwash." Merry said, "Anyone can! Little children do it all the time accidentally. Once you have meditated and found your core anyone can do it."

"Meditate?" Harry asked, "Find my core? I've not heard anyone do that before."

"Change of plans." Merry shook his head, "Meditation is a calming practice that allows you to find your center. For the next week, I want you to spend an hour each day meditating to find your core. Ask the room for a book on that."

A rather thin book, with no title, appeared on the shelf beside him. Harry picked it up and read it over the next several minutes. He sat it back on the shelf and tried to follow the instructions in the book. He took deep breathes and he tried to look inside himself. He felt like he'd lasted about half an hour when he gave up.

"How am I supposed to do that for an hour each night?" Harry asked.

"You tell me." Merry smirked, "You have been sitting there for two hours."

"Two hours?" Harry looked at his watch in shock.

"Perhaps you should set an alarm to keep it to one hour." Merry grinned as Harry stood.

"Can I come back tomorrow?" Harry asked, "After classes?"

"I will stay here until you no longer need me." Merry smiled, "I will see you tomorrow."

Harry rushed from the room and headed for the common room. If he hurried, he'd be able to beat curfew. He quickened his pace as he approached the portrait guarding the door. He was just ahead of the chime and saw Neville coming from the other way and held the door open for him. They both made it before the chime stopped."

"Cut that one close." Neville grinned at Harry.

Before he could respond Hermione called, "Harry, I have a question."

Harry rolled his eyes at Neville, who covered his mouth and coughed to hide the grin and chuckle. Harry turned and headed across the room.

"Yes Hermione?" he took the seat opposite her at the table she was sitting at.

"What did you put for the answer on number seventeen of the quiz today?" She was looking through her notes.

"What was question seventeen?" He asked.

"Oh, you're no help." She huffed and squinted at Ron on the other side of the room, "Just like…"

"Hey, just because I can't remember what the question was doesn't mean I'm not being helpful." Harry frowned at her, "Tell me the question and I'll tell you what I answered."

"Sorry, someone has me in a bad mood." She sighed, "I didn't mean to take it out on you."

"It's ok." Harry grinned, "So the question was?"

"Right, number seventeen was on the…" she gave the question and then proceeded to explain to him why she answered what she had and never let him actually give an answer.

The next morning in classes Harry tried to feel his magic as he performed the spells for class. He thought if he could figure out how it felt with a wand, maybe he could use it to find his core. Once he got the spell, he would repeat it several times to feel the magic. In transfiguration, after he got the spell, he tried altering the object by changing the details to see if they altered the magical flow. His work got him ten points from McGonagall for his achievement. After classes Hermione headed to the library, Ron was off with Lavender to who knows where, so Harry was able to go back to the room of requirement.

"Hi, Merry." He called as he entered the room.

"How was your day?" Merry asked.

"Fine, I got Dean to ask his mum to order a fitness book and a pair of sweats for me." Harry grinned, "He's my dorm mate."

"Very good, you are not giving up on transfiguring them yourself, are you?" Merry asked.

"No, but I thought if I had a pair, I could visualize changing mine easier." Harry explained, "Also when I go home and can't do magic, I can still exercise with them."

"Valid points." Merry agreed, "What will you do today then?"

"I thought maybe you could test my spell knowledge, or I can work on aim?" Harry offered.

"My spells differ greatly from the ones of today." Merry explained, "Most of what I want to teach you will be wandless with no spell name that I know of."

"Aim it is then." Harry agreed.

It took nearly a week for the fitness book and sweats to arrive. By that time Harry felt like he was getting very close to seeing his core. He started the fitness regime in the book including stretching, running and weight lifting. He had to change his visualization for the room to get the things they showed in the book. At the end of the second week, he sat in front of Merry's portrait.

"I feel like I'm really close to my core but I can't see it." Harry explained, "I can feel it but it's like there is a wall in the way of touching it."

"Someone put a block on your magic?" Merry was aghast again, "That is horrendous, I would never do that to someone. It is like leaving their hand but taking their fingers."

"That's disgusting." Harry pictured a hand with no fingers, "How do I get it unblocked?"

"My first suggestion would be to question Dumbledore, but he will want to know how you found out." Merry pondered the question, "I would really rather he sees me as just a random portrait. Any of the heads of house should ask how you know as well. You may need to go outside the school."

"But I could ask them for someone else." Harry grinned, "I've got an idea!"

Harry approached Neville in the common room and asked him to go up to the dorm. Neville followed without question knowing it would be important and/or private. Harry pulled out his map and made sure no one was near before he asked for the favor he needed.

"Upon the advice of a portrait I read a book on meditation and finding your core." Harry explained.

"Sounds incredible!" Neville grinned, "Was it hard to do?"

"Not really, except I have a wall between me and my core." Harry told him, "Someone has blocked my magic. I need to find out how to get the block removed."

"Goblins do that kind of thing all the time." Neville answered his question, "Kids with magic too strong for them to control will get blocks that slowly release. They have to go back to the goblins to have the blocks completely removed. But your account manager should have thought of that before first year. Didn't he ask to test you for one?"

"I don't think I have an account manager." Harry shook his head, "I mean why would I need a manager for one little vault? It seemed like a lot when I was eleven but I've paid six years of tuition, there can't be a lot left."

"Harry, you should have more than your trust vault." Neville explained, "Your family was at least as wealthy as mine, and the Longbottoms have three vaults. We have the family vault, my trust vault and then Gran's vault. There may be more but that's all I know of."

"I wonder if it's gone." Harry sighed, "No one has ever told me about any other vaults."

"Has the headmaster told you anything?" Neville asked.

"Nothing, but that does help. Thanks for the information, I owe you one." Harry grinned at his friend, "Please don't tell anyone about our conversation."

"Sure, anytime." Neville left Harry in the dorm and returned to the common room.

It didn't quite go how Harry had imagined. He had thought to have them check Neville for a block and Harry would go along as emotional support and be checked too. Instead, he pulled out a quill, ink and parchment and started a letter. He had no idea the commotion he was going to cause with his seemingly easy request.