"Harry, wait!" Somebody called from behind him in the hall. "WAIT!" Harry didn't turn around to see who it was; he just kept running down the hall. There were footsteps behind him, and panting. Harry reached the stairs and jumped down them four at a time.
"Slow down!" Said another voice. It was Ron and Hermione, following him, again.
"This really doesn't concern you two!" Harry called behind him. The footsteps were gaining on him. "Go back to the common room," He said. He had reached the floor where the entrance to Dumbledore's office was. He could almost see the gargoyle guarding it when he ran into something solid. Harry stopped and looked up at the thing he had just run into. It was Dumbledore.
"Why, hello Harry." He said pleasantly, regaining his balance quickly.
"Sorry, Professor." He mumbled. " I was just coming to see you."
"Odd." Dumbledore said, mildly surprised. "I was just going to see you."
"Really? What about? I'm not in trouble, am I?" He said carefully.
"I think we are going to be discussing the same topic," He said. Harry wondered if it was even possible that it could be true. "Come, why don't we step into my office."
"Okay," Harry said slowly.
"Chocolate Frog." Dumbledore said and the gargoyle sprang aside to let them through. They stepped onto the moving staircase and circled around until they reached a door, which Dumbledore opened. He sat behind his desk and Harry sat in one of the armchairs in front of it. "Had a good first day, Harry?" He said kindly.
"Yes, it was very -er- interesting." Harry said, picturing the look on Snapes face when he had done his Patronus.
"Good. I heard you had a run in with a snake just moments ago, Harry." He said. Harry's jaw dropped.
"How did you know that?" He asked.
"Sybil told me. She sent Mr. Weasley to make sure you were okay and then notified me." He said. "Now, what did the snake tell you?" Harry thought hard for a moment, re-living the strange conversation he had had with Nagini.
"She said that I was the heir. She said that I had a power no other living Wizard or Witch possessed. She said 'they' were going to try and use it against me. She said I had to train if I wanted to live." He said finally. "Do you have any idea what she was talking about? Nagini said you would know."
"Nagini? Do you know this snake?" Dumbledore said.
"Yes, well, no, not really. I know whom she belongs to, though. Her master is Voldemort. She was supposed to eat me last year, if I died." Harry said.
"Hmm. I see. Is that all Nagini told you?" He asked.
"Yeah. It doesn't make any sense at all to me." Harry said and sighed.
"I can tell you what she means, although I have to tell you a story to begin with." Dumbledore said.
"Okay," Harry said.
"Now it begins with your parent's murders. The true mystery of the situation was the fact that Voldemort didn't want to kill your mother, a muggle born. Instead he wanted to kill a pure blooded wizard and his infant son. It confused us because, Voldemort rarely killed pure blooded wizards. And then the second mystery was that your house was in flames when Hagrid reached it to pick you up. Usually the houses or buildings that people were killed in were unscathed. Nothing happened to them, just the people inside. Do you see why we were confused? It made no sense, but recently it has." Dumbledore said. Harry's mind was racing. He had never thought about that before. "You see you and your father are in the direct bloodline of the first Wizard to ever walk the earth, Merlin. We know that he would have wanted to get rid of anything that powerful. Your father was not the heir of Merlin, but you see, his son was."
"What? Me? The heir of Merlin? That can't be right." Harry said automatically. It was just too crazy to believe.
"Yes, it is. Most people know that Merlin's signature power was to draw fire out of thin air, without a wand. Think back, Harry, have you ever made that happen?" Dumbledore said. Harry thought.
"Yeah, yesterday, on the train. Malfoy challenged me to a wizard's duel and I said I wouldn't and he grabbed my wand and said that he would get me anyways and then this little ball of fire just appeared in my hands. It was strange." Harry said, recalling yesterday's strange phenomenon.
"What did you do with it?" Dumbledore asked.
"Got my wand back and told him to leave. Then it just disappeared." Harry said.
"Yes, it is true then. You are Merlin's heir. When your parents died you literally blew your house up. You got everything except yourself and your parents' bodies. Which was lucky because when the muggles found them there was no evidence of anything magical."
"This is just to weird, maybe it's just a coincidence that the house blew up, I mean maybe they left the stove on or something." Harry said, trying to get out of this situation.
"That could be, but you cant explain yesterday, can you?" Dumbledore said wisely.
"It's not the first time I've made something happen without a wand," Harry said and held up a hand and began ticking off times. "I blew up my Aunt Marge in the summer after my second year. Just this summer my Aunt Petunia tried to kill me by throwing a bottle of hair tonic at me and I stopped it with my eyes. And then my Uncle started to strangle me and I knocked him out with it." Dumbledore held up a hand to silence him.
"Harry, that was a very good try, but you are the one." He said.
"Why couldn't I just be normal? Why?" Harry said and threw up his arms in exasperation. Dumbledore didn't answer this question.
"Your parents knew that you would be the heir," He continued. "Or at least your father did. You were going to be famous no matter what happened. He told me when you were born that you would be the one. And if I'm not mistaken, I was the only person he told, save your mother. He was right, Harry. You are Merlin's heir."
"Okay, I believe you." Harry said, miserably. He didn't want this to be happening in the least bit. "But how are they going to use my power of fire against me?"
"Another mystery." Dumbledore said. "Harry, we've missed dinner." Harry looked at the clock on the wall, which read six forty five. "So why don't you take this plate and go eat dinner back at your common room. I will contact you later, so we can try to train you. Meanwhile, why don't you try getting used to that power of yours." He stood up and walked Harry to the door and handed him a plate full of food he had conjured from the kitchens.
"Bye, Professor." Harry said and stepped on to the moving staircase and went out the door, eating quietly. Ron and Hermione were waiting outside for him. "You did eat dinner, didn't you?" He asked.
"Of course, but we decided to wait for you afterwards." Hermione said. Harry took a bite of chicken and nodded.
"What were you doing in there that took so long?" Ron asked and Hermione glared at him. "If you don't mind me asking." He added quickly. Harry swallowed and took a deep breath.
"We tried to analyze what that stupid snake was talking about." Harry said, avoiding telling them the entire truth.
"Did you get anywhere?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah, sort of. It just makes me wonder how the thing got in my trunk." Harry said thoughtfully.
"You have no idea?" Ron asked.
"Well, a theory. I think it was Malfoy, but there's no way to prove it." Harry said, and took another bite of chicken. They began walking.
"Why do you think it would be Malfoy?"
"Well he's the only person I could relate with that snake. It's either him, or his two gorillas."
"Harry don't jump to conclusions!" Hermione said.
"What d'you mean 'that snake'? Do you know that snake?" Ron said. Harry swallowed the piece of chicken in his mouth.
"That's exactly what Dumbledore asked me. I don't know any snakes. I just know who owns her."
"Who?" Ron and Hermione said at exactly the same time.
"Voldemort. The snake, Nagini, was supposed to eat me last year. If I died, that is." Harry said. "I know you know all about the fourth task," He said to their stunned faces.
"How did you know?" Hermione asked.
"I'm not deaf, you know. I heard you two talking about it." They both blushed.
"Oh." Ron said.
"Nagini was just delivering a message. I didn't get it. That's why I went to Dumbledore." Harry said.
"And did he get it?" Hermione asked, sensing that Harry wasn't telling them something.
"For the most part. It was just strange, you know." He said.
"Yeah. We've only heard you speak Parseltongue once and that was only like three words. It's really freaky." Ron said.
"Why's that?" Harry asked. It seemed completely normal to him.
"Because you weren't taking in any breath, or letting any out." Hermione said.
"And your eyes were glowing. That's what scared me. Your eyes were glowing when you did that fireball thing, to." Ron said. Harry went white.
"Really?" He said faintly.
"Yeah." Ron said. "What did that snake tell you anyways?"
"Rather not get into it, thanks." Harry said quickly. He saw Hermione mouth 'death threat'. "It wasn't a death threat, Hermione." She blushed.
"I still don't see why Crabbe, Goyle, or Malfoy could have put that thing in your trunk." She said.
"Because, Malfoy's dad is a Death Eater. So is Crabbe's and so is Goyle's, that's why. It would be a perfect opprotunity to put it in, when the lights went out in our compartment."
"You weren't jumping to conclusions, then." Hermione said, letting this sink in.
"You're kidding!" Said Ron, looking almost happy. "You can turn them in!" Harry shook his head.
"No, I cant. That idiot, Fudge is in complete denial that Voldemort is back. You saw him that night, didn't you?" Harry found that recalling on that particular day was very hard. He remembered the horrible experience very clearly, but all of the things after it were slightly fuzzy.
"Yeah." Hermione said.
" Well, as long as he considers me 'dangerous' and 'crazy' I can't turn anybody in." Harry said.
"But you're not crazy or dangerous!" Hermione cried.
"Try telling Fudge that. He lapped up Rita Skeeter's story. He believed the entire thing." Harry said coldly. Last year Harry had been in the paper at least once a week.
"What ever happened to her anyways, Hermione?" Ron asked curiously. Hermione smiled with pride.
"I let her out in London, just like I told you, and the last I heard she has quit her job at the Daily Prophet." She said and ran her tongue along her teeth. They reached the portrait hole and gave the fat lady the password. They were immediately met by Professor McGonagall.
"Potter, Professor Dumbledore has just told me the news. You will meet him and some of the other teachers Friday night at twelve o'clock. Practice. Practice. Practice." She hissed in her ear and left the common room.
"What was that all about?" Ron asked. Harry shrugged and put on a poker face.
"All I caught was 'practice'. Something to do with Quidditch?" Hermione said. Harry didn't answer. He figured they were going to figure out that he was Merlin's heir sooner or later, but they weren't going to be hearing it from him.
"When are try-outs, Harry?" Ron asked, changing the subject.
"Not this Wednesday, but the next." He said, thankful to be off the subject of the snake. "Spread the word, will you?" Ron and Hermione nodded. They sat down in the armchairs by the fire. Harry saw Parvati running towards him.
"You saved my life!" She cried and gave him a hug. "You scared me to death, but you saved my life," She kissed him on the cheek.
"Parvati?" Harry said.
"Yes?" She said.
"I cant breathe!" He choked.
"Oh!" She said and stepped away, embarrassed. Harry then remembered he had told Mrs. Weasley the same thing just last summer. He smiled.
"I don't think she would have eaten you though, Parvati." He lied.
"I don't believe you! That snake was huge! What did you tell it?" She asked.
"I said 'stop right now', nothing to heroic. I don't think I really saved your life."
"You're modest. Harry you saved my life. I owe you one." She said and gave him another hug and then left to talk with the other Gryffindor girls. Amelia, the first year, left the little group and went over to Harry, Hermione, and Ron.
"Hi!" She said to them.
"Hi, Amelia. How was your first day?" Hermione said kindly.
"It was -er - interesting." She said after awhile. Harry looked at the girl strangely. He had said the exact same thing just an hour ago in Dumbledore's office. Come to think of it, Ron and Hermione were right. She did look a lot like him, except she didn't have a scar in the middle of her forehead and she had a rounder face, but otherwise they looked like twins. " I really didn't think I was going to fit in here, but I guess I do."
"We all thought that at first." Ron said looking at Hermione. In their first year, Ron and Harry had hated Hermione. They had only become friends when they 'saved' her life from a large mountain troll.
"Do you guys remember Professor Quirrel?" Hermione said, talking about their first Defense against the Dark Arts teacher. They had never had a defense teacher that had lasted more than a year.
"How could we forget?" Ron said. Amelia looked very confused. "Harry, you explain."
"He was our defense teacher in our first year. He was a servant of Voldemort." Harry said.
"He was a Death Eater?" Amelia said. Harry shook his head.
"No, he wasn't. But he let Lord Voldemort posses his body and he tried to kill me a couple times that year, by bewitching my broom, to kick me off. We found out that Dumbledore was hiding the Sorcerer's Stone in the school and we all thought Snape was after it, I mean that guy is pretty evil." Harry said.
"I know! He hates me!" Amelia said. "I'd bet my life he was a Death Eater!"
"He is a Death Eater." Harry said plainly. " So we went under this trapdoor thing and had to pass all of these obstacles to get to the Sorcerer's Stone before Snape got to it."
"What is the Sorcerer's Stone?" Amelia asked.
"It's the art of Alchemy. It turns any liquid into an elixir of life, and turns any metal to gold." Hermione said. "Harry, continue."
"Well Ron got knocked out by a giant chess piece, and Hermione went back to help him. So when I got to the last obstacle Quirrel met me. I got the stone and then Quirrel and I decked it out. He tried to kill me again, but realized he couldn't touch me. I grabbed his face and he sort of burned. I got knocked out then woke up in the Hospital Wing three days later." Harry finished.
"Why couldn't he touch you?" Amelia said.
"Because my mother died to save me, and that leaves a mark. When he tried to touch me he was affected because something that good hurt him."
"What happened to him, anyways Harry? Is he in Azkaban?" Ron asked.
"He died when Voldemort left his body. Didn't I tell you that?" Harry said. Hermione shook her head.
"He deserved it." She said. "Harry, did you just say Snape was a Death Eater?"
"He is a Death Eater. Present tense. Or at least he's pretending. He's our 'valuable' spy. But I still don't trust him. He seemed pretty keen on killing me this year. He even opted to do the deed. But Voldemort didn't want him to, go figure. So now he's taking notes on me."
"So he hates you to?" Amelia said.
"Yeah." Harry said. "Join the club." She laughed and Harry joined her, despite the situation. Hermione and Ron looked at each other strangely.
"Are you two sure you're not related?" Ron said.
"All of my relatives are dead except the Dursleys. I know I've told you that before," Harry said.
"And I would have seen you in a photo album or something." Amelia said.
"Forget photos! No, I would be living with you if we were related." Harry said. She shrugged.
"I heard a snake was loose down here earlier," She said, trying to change the subject.
"Yeah, there was." Ron said. "Harry, what happened to it?"
"It disappeared." Harry said.
"I forgot that you guys were there." Amelia said. "So you really are a Parseltounge, aren't you?"
"Yeah, I am."
"How did that happen?"
"How did what happen?" Harry asked.
"How did you get to be a Parseltounge?"
"When Voldemort tried to kill me when I was baby, I got some of his powers." Harry said.
"That makes sense." She said. "I thought somebody was spazing out when we heard that hiss echoing down the hall."
"You heard?" Harry said.
"Duh, Harry. You were, like, screaming at the thing. And you're loud when you do that anyways." Ron said, shaking his head.
"Well, she wasn't making any sense! What was I supposed to do?" Harry said, defending himself.
"You did what you thought was right, and it probably was." Hermione said, sounding a lot like a mother. Amelia stood up.
"Hermione, lets go to bed." She said stiffly and looked at her with searching eyes.
"What? Oh-" Hermione said. "I'll see you guys tomorrow at breakfast." She followed Amelia up the stairs. Harry heard rushed talking as they went up the hall but couldn't make out any of the words.
"That was strange." Ron said and Harry nodded. "Wanna know something?"
"Sure," Harry said.
"Trelawney misses you. She actually misses you." Ron said.
"Why?" Harry said.
"She told us all that you had left the class for more strenuous training. And then she said that you had strong aura around you."
"And then she predicted my death, right?" Harry said.
"Actually no. But it was really weird she called me up to her desk and started talking in this weird low voice, it wasn't hers at all."
"What did she say?" Harry said so quickly that it almost sounded rude. Harry knew that Trelawney had told him a true fortune.
"She said 'The heir will not die, he is to powerful.' Then she snapped out of the little trance she was in and told me to tell you that she says 'hello'. Strange isn't it?" Ron said. Harry suddenly realized he was clutching the arms of his chair very tightly.
"Very." He said. He looked at the clock over the fire. "I'm really tired. I think I'll go to bed now." He stood up.
"Well I'm not, but I don't want to sit here alone either." Ron said and he and Harry went up the stairs into their dorm room where Seamus, Dean, and Neville were already sleeping. Harry put on his pajamas and pulled the curtains around his bed.
"Lumos," He muttered very quietly and a light went on at the tip of his wand. He grabbed the only family picture he had and looked at it. James and Lilly Potter beamed up at him, squinting in the wand light. Th little baby started to squirm when the wand light hit his sleeping body and James took him. He bounced his infant son on his knee and then held him up in the air and zoomed him around like a Muggle airplane. The infant Harry had a wide smile on his face. Lilly took Harry out of his father's arms and put him over her shoulder and burped him.
Harry looked at the little baby boy in his mother's lap. Did they truly know that Harry was the Heir of Merlin? Harry suddenly wondered how old he had been when the picture had been taken. He couldn't have been very old. He took apart the frame and flipped over the picture to see if Sirius had written anything on it.
James and Lilly with Harry, 9 months
Was written near the bottom of the picture. Three months before their deaths. The all to familiar wave of sadness rushed in his stomach. He put the pictures back in the trunk and fell asleep.
* * *
Two days later Harry could have sworn he was related to Amelia. It seemed as though Ron, and Hermione had wanted to prove it to Harry that they were very much alike, and almost forced the two to hang out together. Harry found that he was very busy with Quidditch, even though tryout hadnt even happened. He found himself talking to Alicia and Katie frequently about different people who looked like they should go out for the team.
He hadnt even tried practicing his newly discovered fire talent, of even think about it. Whenever the meeting with the snake was mentioned Harry just nodded solemnly and most people got the idea that he didn't want to talk about it. Somehow the story had spread throughout the entire school and now Harry couldn't walk along the halls without somebody hissing at him. This reminded Harry very much of his second year, when the entire school had found out that he was a Parseltounge.
Harry, Ron and Hermione headed into the Defense against the Dark Arts room. They took seats at the back of the room and started talking.
"Just look at Snape!" Ron said, and pointed at him under his desk. He had a strange expression on his face that just didn't belong. A smile.
"I wonder what he'll be having us do today," Hermione said.
"I have no idea. This is my first regular Defense lesson, mind you," Harry said. Snape silenced the class. He was looking at a clipboard.
"Today we will be reviewing the Unforgivable Curses." Hermione shot her hand in the air. "Yes Miss Granger, I already know you all have a full understanding of these curses, but we need to review them. Let me see who could manage the Imperious Curse? Potter!" Snape said. Harry shrank in his seat.
"Yes, Professor?" He said.
"Up to the front of the room. Now. We are going to observe you." Snape said curtly. Harry glanced over at Ron and Hermione who gave him tragic looks. Harry walked slowly up to the front of the room. "Who can tell me what the Imperious Curse is?" He asked. The whole class put their hands up. Snape pointed to Neville, who went white.
"The Imperious Curse controls the person it is used upon." He said shakily.
"That is correct, though a very weak explanation. The Imperious Curse is the mildest of the three Unforgivable Curses. If I'm not mistaken you have all had it put on you last year, but only Potter succeeded in resisting the power?" The Gryffindors nodded. "Well now let's see what it looks like again. Potter, you ready?" He said. Harry shook his head.
"No. I don't want to do this, Professor." He said firmly.
"Why not, Potter, don't you trust me?" He asked.
"No, Professor Snape, I don't." Harry said. A few of the girls gasped.
"IMPERIO!" Snape said loudly and pointed his wand at Harry. He was hit with it before he had time to duck. Th wonderful floating sensation was in his body again, and Harry almost forgot why he didn't want this to happen.
Do a flip, said Snape's cruel voice in the back of his head.
I don't want to, said his own voice.
Do a FLIP! It said louder.
No, I really don't want to, said his voice much more firmly.
DO A FLIP! The voice screamed. Harry felt the floaty feeling slowly leave him.
"WHY DON'T YOU?" Harry said loudly, back to himself again. There was a pause and then- Snape did a back flip. The class applauded. Harry was now a little freaked out. That had never happened before. Snape looked very angry.
"Potter, detention. After class." He said and smoothed out his robes. Harry quickly went back to his seat and sat down. They spent the rest of the lesson taking notes on the curses, even though they already had them all from last year. When the bell rang everybody rushed out of class and up to the dorms. Harry didn't move.
"What do you want me to do for my detention?" He asked.
"You aren't here for detention, Potter." Snape said. Harry goggled at him.
"Why am I here?" Harry said.
"What did Nagini tell you?" He said.
"Who's asking?" Harry said.
"Potter, I can give you detention." He threatened.
"Okay, okay, but cant you just ask Voldemort yourself? I'm guessing he was the one who sent her." Harry said.
"I could, but this is so much easier." He said.
"Isn't it my business?" Harry said.
"It's mine to." Snape said.
"Fine. She said I was the heir and that Dumbledore would know that she was talking about. Is that what you wanted?" Harry said. Snape narrowed his eyes.
"I don't understand." He said.
"Can I leave?" Harry said.
"The heir? Certainly not Voldemort's heir?" He asked rather to himself than to Harry.
"Get real. Can I please go?" Harry said.
"Yes, leave." He said and pointed at the door. Harry grabbed his thing and left the room and headed up to the dorms so he could drop his things off before dinner. He wondered why Snape wanted to know what Nagini had said so badly. He started jogging up the stairs and down the corridor to portrait of the fat lady. He gave her the password and climbed through into the common room. Hermione and Ron were sitting in the corner, playing chess. Harry went into his room and threw his stuff on his bed. He walked down the stairs and threw himself into one of the armchairs next to Hermione.
"That was a quick detention." Hermione said and groaned as one of her pawns was wrestled off the board by one of Ron's knights.
"Yeah. Snape didn't really have anything for me to do." Harry said, only telling half the truth.
"McGonagall just came up here looking for you." Ron said.
"Do I have to go into her office?" Harry asked, hoping he hadnt gotten in to trouble.
"No, but she gave us this," -he motioned to a candle stick on the table- " ant told us to tell you to practice."
"What do you practice with a candle stick?" Hermione asked him.
Harry knew the real answer would be to practice lighting it without his newfound power but he thought for a moment and then replied, "Extra transfiguration?" Hermione looked at him skeptically but nodded.
"Check mate!" Ron said. He took his pieces and put them in a little sac and put the board off of the table.
"When's dinner again?" He asked.
"Six o'clock." Hermione said and checked her watch. "We still have fifteen minutes."
"Harry, better take that candle and put it in the dorm. It might melt, we're pretty close to the fire." Ron said.
"Okay." He said and grabbed it. He walked slowly up the stairs all the while looking at the stick. Did they really expect him to be able to light the candle using his power? Harry sat down on his bed and stared at it. Nothing happened. He concentrated very hard and looked at it. Nothing happened. He put it on his pillow and walked back down the stairs.
"Took you long enough," Hermione said, "Let's go to dinner." They walked out of the portrait hole and descended the stairs down to the great hall.
"Harry! Wait up!" Somebody called from behind them. He spun around and saw Cho running down the hall after them. He stopped to let her catch up. "I haven't seen you in a while! Where have you been hiding?" She said and linked arms with him.
"Detention." Harry said and she laughed.
"You're not serious?" She said.
"Sort of." He said. They continued walking down the hall.
"Well if it isn't the perfect couple!" Said a cold drawl from the corridor to the left of them. Draco Malfoy and his sidekicks, Crabbe and Goyle stepped out from the hall, sneering at them. "Potter, heard you had a visit from Nagini."
"Malfoy, get a life." Harry said.
"I have a life." He said.
"So stop wasting it on me." Harry said and walked down the hall faster.
"What's his problem?" Cho asked.
"I'm not sure, but it'll get him into trouble sooner or later." Harry said coldly. They reached the Great Hall and separated when they reached their own tables. Harry sat down in a chair next to Ron and started to load his plate down with food. Harry noticed that Hermione and Amelia were sitting next to each other and kept whispering things in each other's ear.
"Got something you'd like to tell the rest of us?" Harry said. Hermione blushed.
'Um…no…" She said.
"Harry, when are Quidditch try outs?" Amelia asked.
"Next Wednesday, but you're not allowed to try out." Harry said.
"Why not?" She said indignantly.
" Because first years aren't allowed on the team. It's an old rule and a dumb one at that, I'm sorry." Harry said.
"Then how come you got in during your first year?" She asked.
"Have you ever seen Harry fly?" Ron asked just as Harry opened his mouth to talk.
"Yeah, last year. My family came to watch the first task. You were amazing." She said.
"Thanks." Harry said.
"That's why he was let on the team in our first year." Ron said.
"It's like the only thing I'm good at," Harry said. Hermione choked on her potato.
"Harry, don't say that! You're good at lots of other things! You passed all of your subjects last year with flying colors!" She cried.
"I didn't have to take the end of year exams, though." Harry said. " I got an automatic 'A'."
"True. But even so, you're pretty smart." She said.
"I'm just much better at Quidditch." Harry said. "End of discussion." Hermione opened her mouth to argue some more but quickly snapped it shut. They finished dinner and walked out into the corridor. Cho was waiting for them there.
"Walk with me Harry," She said and yanked him away.
"Talk to you later!" He called behind him to Hermione and Ron, who looked almost shocked. "Where are we going?" He asked Cho. She shrugged.
"I dunno. Take a walk through the castle, I suppose?" She asked. Harry nodded and they started walking around the main level. They finally came upon a door that was labeled 'Garden'. Cho steered him through the door.
Harry had never been in such a place. It was a very light room covered in different plants. They were blossoming and were letting out a heavenly perfume. A little metal loveseat was in the middle of the room. Cho and Harry sat down on it.
"I've never been in here before." Harry said. Cho laughed.
"Of course you haven't. It only appears once a month on the full moon." She said. "I only found it just last year, and I'm not sure if Filch knows about it."
"It's really cool." Harry said, looking around. One of the candles in the room was out. "How did you find out about it?"
"Oh I was just walking around one night and this door just jumped up from nowhere. I went in and well, I just keep coming every month to look at the plants." She said and smelled a shocking pink flower and sneezed. She had a dainty high-pitched sneeze that was almost cute. He would have to add that to the list of things he liked about her.
"Quidditch season is coming up." He said. "And somehow the remaining two players on our team talked me into being captain." Cho smiled.
"You know we're going to be playing against each other sometime." She said.
"And we all know who's going to win!" Harry said and pointed to himself.
"Not if I can help it!" She said. Harry grinned and kissed the tip of her nose.
"We don't play each other for a while, so don't worry about it." He said. He put his arm around her shoulder and they sat there for a long time not saying anything. Cho scooted closer to him and put her head on his shoulder. It was amazing how well it fit on his shoulder, just barely touching his neck and chin bone. Harry put a forefinger on her cheek and brushed a lock of hair out of her face. She stared up at him with her beautiful brown eyes and they fell into a kiss. Cho broke it quickly.
"Oh shit! We have to get out of here! This place is going to disappear in, like, ten seconds!" She cried. They ran to the door and opened it. They stepped out of the room just in time; it disintegrated into a stone wall a second after they left.
"That was close," Harry said. Cho nodded.
"I don't want you to get into any trouble because of me, Harry. We should probably go to our own dorms pretty soon. Same place same time next month?" She said.
"It's a date," Harry said. They had a little kiss goodbye and then they walked to their own common rooms. Harry walked up the stairs and climbed in through portrait hole.
"Took you long enough," Ron said, buried in his Divination homework.
"Where did you two go?" Hermione said, not looking up from her Arithmancy homework.
"A walk around the castle." Harry said.
"Don't you have homework?" Ron asked.
"Only for Binns and I don't remember what the assignment was, because I fell asleep." Harry said. Ron grinned.
"Imagine, someone falling asleep in HIS class!" He said. Hermione cracked up, even though it wasn't all that funny.
"Harry, we were supposed to write an essay about the life of Merlin." Hermione said when she stopped laughing. "I've just finished my Arithmancy homework, so I'll help you, I suppose." She pulled out a clean piece of parchment and her History of Magic book.
"Let me get my stuff and I'll be right back." Harry said and dashed up the stairs to get his own things. "How many pages?" Harry asked Hermione when he got back down.
"He didn't say. So you might want to make it longer for extra credit." She said and flipped to the pages in their books devoted to Merlin. "What does this mean, 'his signature power was fire'?" She mumbled. Harry knew the answer strait away.
"It means he could summon fire without his wand." He said quickly and flipped to the same page. They wrote for a while in silence.
"How did you know that, Harry?" She asked suddenly, looking up from her work. Harry didn't know how to answer that one.
"It's common knowledge, Hermione." Ron said, and shut his Divination book. "I'm done with my homework, and I actually understood it."
"That's a first." Harry said loud enough for him to hear. He mock punched Harry in the arm.
"Hey! I resent that!" He said.
"No, you don't! You're proud of it, if anything!" Harry said and punched him back. Ron shrugged.
"I guess you're right." He said. Hermione had pulled out a piece of paper and was scribbling frantically on it.
"What're you doing Her-" Harry started, but she held up a hand to silence him. She kept writing on the scrap for about a minute, and then held it up to the light to examine it. Harry glanced at the paper and saw a very complex math equation. "What is that?" He asked.
"It's a math problem. If this prophecy in the book is right, the heir of Merlin should have showed up," She paused for a moment looking at the paper, "fifteen years, one month and three days ago."
"So it's wrong then?" Ron said. Hermione shook her head.
"No, that's just when the person was born." She said. Harry seriously hoped that she wasn't going to realize that it was Harry's birthday she just named. She didn't seem to.
"What's the point of his heir?" Ron said. Harry was almost offended.
"He or she inherits the power of fire from Merlin." Hermione said. Harry figured this was an excellent time to change the subject.
"Hey, do you guys know anybody who wants to try out for the team?" He said quickly. Hermione looked startled.
"No." She said. "Back to the homework, Harry." She pulled her history book up to her nose and began to read it, pointing out important points as she went. By the time they went to sleep, Harry and Ron had more than enough information than they needed.
Harry went into their dormitory and pulled the curtains around his bed. He grabbed the candle and stared at it hard. Nothing happened. Harry took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He looked at the candle again. Nothing happened again. He took another deep breath and glanced at the candle. The wick smoked momentarily but then was extinguished. He was a little closer to lighting it. He stared at the candle harder than he had in the past. Nothing happened. He let the air out of his lungs and just looked at the candle, as if to tell it, that if it didn't shape up pretty soon, he was going to break it in half. It lit. Harry was very startled and jumped a little. He blew the candle out. He thought hard. How did he make it happen? He had been telling the candle to light and then it did light. Did that mean he just could command it to light fire? He tried it again. He thought in his mind, light candle, light you stupid candle. The flames jumped back to life. He blew the flame out again and did the trick over and over until he was sure he knew how to do it right. When he was done the candle had been reduced to just a stump and light was beginning to creep over the grounds. Harry hit the pillows and fell asleep felling very proud of himself.
Harry was very nervous on Friday. He wondered what they were going to be making him do. He knew that he could burn a candle, but what if it suddenly didn't work. What if he couldn't remember how? Harry did a mental shrug. He was being stupid. Nothing horrible would happen to him, at least for now. He shuddered when he thought of what was in store for him. It scared him to think that he could be attacked at any time, and was on constant alert. If Voldemort had an extra pair of eyes on him, he was very vulnerable. Hermione and Ron didn't seem to notice that Harry had become almost as jumpy as Mad-Eye Moody was at the end of their last year. When somebody tapped him on the shoulder he would whip around very quickly and scare the poor person half to death.
"What's with you, Potter?" Malfoy asked that day at the end of Potions on Friday.
"Nothing." Harry snapped.
"On the lookout Potter? He's going to get you." He said.
"Keep talking Malfoy, and the whole school can hear how you have these connections." Harry warned. Malfoy's grin faltered a little.
"My father." He threatened.
"That's right your father, Malfoy. Your father the-" Harry's voice was muffled when Ron clapped a hand over his mouth.
"Shut up!" He hissed. Harry elbowed Ron in the stomach and he removed his hand. Malfoy took a deep bow and then curtsied.
"Now if you'll excuse me, Merlin boy, I want to get to dinner on time." He took another bow and left the dungeon. Ron and Hermione looked at Harry strangely.
"What did he call you?" Ron asked.
"I dunno." Harry said.
"He called you 'Merlin boy.' Harry what is that supposed to mean?" Hermione said. Hermione must have been putting two and two together.
"I dunno." Harry said.
"Harry, what aren't you telling us?" She asked. Harry was trapped.
"Nothing, nothing at all. Except that I'm really, really hungry." Harry said and started walking up the stairs to the great hall, where dinner would be served in ten minutes. He sat heavily in a seat next to Neville. Harry wasn't sure why, but he was mad. He was mad at life. Nothing ever happened the way he wanted and he was beginning to be very agitated with the whole thing. Hermione and Ron sat down next to him a little while later.
"What's wrong?" Hermione asked timidly.
"Nothing, I'm just mad at Malfoy. I'm sorry, don't pay any attention to me." He said and shook his head. Hermione didn't believe him.
"It's something else, isn't it?" She asked. Harry shook his head again.
"No, really. It's just Malfoy." Harry said.
"Well don't let him get to you." Hermione said.
"Easier said than done," Harry reminded her. McGonagall was walking towards him. He slumped in his seat.
"Potter, how is practice coming?" She said quietly.
"I have it down, if that's what you want to know." Harry said, equally as quiet. Hermione and Ron were listening, or trying to.
"Excellent! Don't forget twelve o'clock tonight, on the Quidditch field." She said and took her place back at the teachers' table.
"So how much did you guys hear?" Harry asked and looked at them cynically.
"We only caught 'Quidditch' and 'practice.' But why so secretive?" Hermione said.
"Well, if it's a secret, why would I tell you two, eh?" Harry said.
"Good point." Hermione said reasonably, but looked very put out. They ate dinner and headed back up to the common room and Harry watched as Hermione lost to Ron over and over again at chess. Harry glanced up at the clock and saw it was ten o'clock. Hermione followed his gaze and immediately yawned.
"I think I'm going to bed." She said and stretched. Ron did the same.
"Yeah." They walked up the stairs. Harry looked at them skeptically but went to bed anyways. Ron shut the curtains around his bed but Harry never heard him fall asleep. Around an hour later he heard Ron get out of bed and leave the room. Harry figured he just needed to go to the bathroom, but Harry never heard Ron return to the room.
At eleven thirty Harry got up and stretched. He pulled his robes on over his pajamas and left the room. He was very tired and wished that he could have gotten some more sleep. He walked slowly and silently down the stairs, so he didn't wake anybody. He looked in one of the rooms to see what time it was and saw that he only had twenty minutes to get to the Quidditch field. He stared to run down the stairs, and was making a little noise. As he reached the bottom stairs he heard people talking.
"Get off, Ron!" A girl hissed. "Some ones coming!" Harry recognized the voice, as Hermione. Harry walked out the door to see Hermione and Ron sitting at opposite sides of a couch, looking the picture of innocence.
"Harry! What're-" Ron started but Harry cut him off.
"I won't ask, if you don't." He said and continued walking very fast to the end of the room. He climbed through the portrait hole and hogged down the hall and slid down the banisters until he reached the two large front doors. He pushed them open and walked out into the cool night air. It woke him up. He walked over to the Quidditch field. Harry saw four tall figures at the other end and he jogged over to them. Harry stopped next to them and panted.
"Good evening, Harry," Said Dumbledore.
"To you to." Harry said. "I can't see. Lumos." He said and his wand lit. Harry looked closer at the faces in the shadows. Dumbledore was there of course and next to him was Snape. The other two were on the other side of Dumbledore. One of them was a familiar face- Professor Lupin, the Defense against the Dark Arts teacher in his third year. They shook hands warmly. Professor Lupin looked just as Harry had seen him last, in torn and patched robes and a smile on his face.
"Good to see you again, Harry." He said. Harry looked into the face of the fourth person. Harry could barely see it. All he could see was incredibly dirty and tattered robes and longish dark brown hair. Harry knew who it was.
"Sirius?" He asked. Sirius looked down at him and smiled. He pulled Harry into a tight one-armed hug.
"See, Harry? I told you I'd see you soon." He said and pulled away. Snape said nothing in greeting to Harry, but he didn't care because Harry hated Snape just as much as Snape hated him. Harry grinned; this wasn't going to be as bad now that he knew that he liked most of the people present.
"Now Harry, I trust you've been practicing hard?" Dumbledore said. Harry nodded.
"I think I've got this thing down." He said. "It took a long time, but I get it."
"Good. Why don't you show us?" Dumbledore said and beamed down at Harry. He pulled out a candle. Harry looked at it. It lighted. Dumbledore looked mildly impressed. "It is true then. You are the heir. Now we have to set some guidelines for you. No lighting any thing on fire that has a face. We can replace bushes and trees, but a human life is priceless." He said. Harry nodded. "Unless the person happens to be Voldemort. Then we will allow you to use it on a person."
"I think that went without saying." Sirius said. Lupin nodded.
"Even so, we must tell him. Harry, we need you to practice this power on larger things." Dumbledore said.
"Why?" Harry said.
"I don't know, but you need the practice for whatever may be in store for you." Dumbledore said. Harry was a little taken aback. He had never seen Dumbledore not know what he was doing. It just didn't seem possible. "Accio shrub!" Dumbledore said and a little bush came flying towards them from the Forbidden Forest. Dumbledore let it hover there for a while.
"You want me to burn that thing?" Harry asked, hoping he could do it. Dumbledore nodded. Harry looked at it and told the bush, light up right now or you'll be sorry, and it burst into flames. Harry told the fire to go out and it disappeared.
"How did you do that?" Sirius said suddenly. Lupin elbowed him in the ribs. It reminded Harry of himself and Ron. Harry shrugged, not able to put his actions into words.
"I didn't know about that power," Dumbledore said. Harry noticed that Snape was taking notes.
"Professor Snape, what're you doing?" Harry asked. Snape looked up at him from his clipboard.
"Taking notes," He said coldly.
"For who?" Harry asked. Snape didn't answer; he just went back to writing. Harry didn't trust that man at all. Dumbledore started to talk again, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
"Harry, you told me about a fireball?" He asked. "Do you know how to do that one?"
"I never tried to do that one." Harry said. "I remember I just lifted my hand into the air and then it was just -there."
"Would you like to try again?" He asked. Sirius was shooting Dumbledore daggers with his eyes. Harry shrugged again and thought for a little while. What had he been doing? It came to him. He put his right hand into the air and concentrated on Malfoy's sneering face. He felt sudden warmth above his hand. He brought it down and looked at the fire. It was much larger than he remembered it. Now it wasn't the size of a mere tennis ball, it was the size of a beach ball. Lupin was guarding his eyes with an arm above his eyes, and so were the rest of them. Harry cleared his mind but the thing didn't go out. Go out, I don't need you any more. Harry told the thing. It immediately disappeared. They lowered their arms away from their faces.
"That was amazing," Lupin said faintly.
"Harry, you told me it was only the size of a tennis ball." Dumbledore said.
"I had some extra motivation this time." Harry said, realizing his flaw.
"Which would be," Snape said. Sirius was now shooting him daggers with his eyes.
"You," Harry lied. Snape's sneer faltered. Both Lupin and Sirius tried to stifle laughs, unsuccessfully.
"Now, Harry. Treat Professor Snape with a little more respect." Dumbledore said. Now Lupin was glaring at Snape to. If the situation hadnt been so serious Harry would have burst out laughing, but he was holding the outburst of laughter back inside his throat.
"Yes, sir." Harry mumbled.
"Why don't we try long distances now." He said and banished the half-burned shrub back fifty feet. Harry strained his eyes to see the thing. From fifty feet away the bush exploded into flames.
"Harry Potter and the burning bush." Harry said in an undertone. Dumbledore, Sirius, and Lupin all burst out laughing again. Harry grinned at his successful joke. Snape had on a poker face, but Harry could tell that by the way his mouth was twitching he was restraining a smile, or a laugh.
"All hail the chosen one!" Lupin said, and pretended to grovel.
"Let my people go!" Said Sirius. Harry laughed at this one. Dumbledore stop laughing and cleared his throat.
"Harry, the bush, if you please?" He said. Harry extinguished the fire. "Much better. Now that we know your power works, you may go up to the castle again and get your well-deserved sleep. I will contact you if we need to have another meeting."
"Tell Hermione and Ron I said 'hi'!" Sirius said.
"For me too." Lupin said.
"See you soon Harry," Sirius said and turned into the great black dog and Lupin and Sirius walked down the road into Hogsmeade. The remaining three people walked back to the castle in silence. Snape turned off at the Dungeons and Dumbledore said goodnight to Harry when they reached the third floor. Harry climbed up the stairs to the fourth floor and went to the portrait of the fat lady.
"Where have you been?" She squawked.
"Apple Pie." Harry said and she swung forward on her hinges. (She had changed the password earlier that day.) Harry climbed through the hole and looked around the room. Hermione and Ron were still sitting on the couch, having a pleasant conversation. They stopped abruptly when he sat down next to them.
"Where have you been?" Ron asked him.
"Practicing." Harry replied.
"What is that supposed to mean?" He asked.
"That I was practicing." Harry said.
"What were you practicing?" Hermione said.
"What's with the third degree?" Harry asked.
"Harry, we're concerned about you. We think you're not telling us something." She said. Harry wasn't going to tell them. He knew he was being stupid, but he just couldn't do it. He was about ready to burst, having a very bad day and being fed up with his life style.
"Why couldn't I just be normal?" Harry said quietly. Hermione looked at Harry with searching eyes.
"Harry, you're not normal, so don't try to be," She said. She told Harry the bitter truth and then Harry snapped. He couldn't take it any more.
"You don't get it do you? You don't get it either!" He said and pointed to Ron who turned slightly pink. "I'm always getting special treatment. Everybody always looks at me whenever I'm in public. I don't want that. I don't want to be famous. I don't want to be treated special. Heck! I don't want to be Harry Potter!" Harry had a lump in his throat.
"Calm down, Harry." Hermione said and gently touched his shoulder. He wrenched himself away from her touch.
"I just can't take it any more! Poor little Harry Potter, our tragic little orphan hero. He's got no parents and a strange, ugly scar on his forehead." He took a breath. "All I ever wanted in life was to be treated like a normal person. But oh no, that's never going to happen because I'm Harry Potter, and everything always happens to me." Harry stood up and ran up the stairs before tears started streaming silently down his face. He knew he was being stupid, feeling sorry for himself but he couldn't help always feeling singled out, even in school. Harry pulled off his robes and lay on his bed, curtains pulled tightly around him. He heard Ron enter the room shortly afterward.
"Harry?" He asked. Harry didn't say anything, tears still rolling steadily down his cheeks. He wiped them away with the sleeve of his pajamas. "I'm pretty sure you're awake, but I can take a hint when a guy doesn't want to talk." He said. Harry ignored him again. He rolled over in his bed and thought about what he had just said. Harry wanted to slap himself; he had been so melodramatic. He supposed he deserved to fume about it, but his friends didn't need to hear it. He rolled over again and fell slowly into a restless sleep.
"Slow down!" Said another voice. It was Ron and Hermione, following him, again.
"This really doesn't concern you two!" Harry called behind him. The footsteps were gaining on him. "Go back to the common room," He said. He had reached the floor where the entrance to Dumbledore's office was. He could almost see the gargoyle guarding it when he ran into something solid. Harry stopped and looked up at the thing he had just run into. It was Dumbledore.
"Why, hello Harry." He said pleasantly, regaining his balance quickly.
"Sorry, Professor." He mumbled. " I was just coming to see you."
"Odd." Dumbledore said, mildly surprised. "I was just going to see you."
"Really? What about? I'm not in trouble, am I?" He said carefully.
"I think we are going to be discussing the same topic," He said. Harry wondered if it was even possible that it could be true. "Come, why don't we step into my office."
"Okay," Harry said slowly.
"Chocolate Frog." Dumbledore said and the gargoyle sprang aside to let them through. They stepped onto the moving staircase and circled around until they reached a door, which Dumbledore opened. He sat behind his desk and Harry sat in one of the armchairs in front of it. "Had a good first day, Harry?" He said kindly.
"Yes, it was very -er- interesting." Harry said, picturing the look on Snapes face when he had done his Patronus.
"Good. I heard you had a run in with a snake just moments ago, Harry." He said. Harry's jaw dropped.
"How did you know that?" He asked.
"Sybil told me. She sent Mr. Weasley to make sure you were okay and then notified me." He said. "Now, what did the snake tell you?" Harry thought hard for a moment, re-living the strange conversation he had had with Nagini.
"She said that I was the heir. She said that I had a power no other living Wizard or Witch possessed. She said 'they' were going to try and use it against me. She said I had to train if I wanted to live." He said finally. "Do you have any idea what she was talking about? Nagini said you would know."
"Nagini? Do you know this snake?" Dumbledore said.
"Yes, well, no, not really. I know whom she belongs to, though. Her master is Voldemort. She was supposed to eat me last year, if I died." Harry said.
"Hmm. I see. Is that all Nagini told you?" He asked.
"Yeah. It doesn't make any sense at all to me." Harry said and sighed.
"I can tell you what she means, although I have to tell you a story to begin with." Dumbledore said.
"Okay," Harry said.
"Now it begins with your parent's murders. The true mystery of the situation was the fact that Voldemort didn't want to kill your mother, a muggle born. Instead he wanted to kill a pure blooded wizard and his infant son. It confused us because, Voldemort rarely killed pure blooded wizards. And then the second mystery was that your house was in flames when Hagrid reached it to pick you up. Usually the houses or buildings that people were killed in were unscathed. Nothing happened to them, just the people inside. Do you see why we were confused? It made no sense, but recently it has." Dumbledore said. Harry's mind was racing. He had never thought about that before. "You see you and your father are in the direct bloodline of the first Wizard to ever walk the earth, Merlin. We know that he would have wanted to get rid of anything that powerful. Your father was not the heir of Merlin, but you see, his son was."
"What? Me? The heir of Merlin? That can't be right." Harry said automatically. It was just too crazy to believe.
"Yes, it is. Most people know that Merlin's signature power was to draw fire out of thin air, without a wand. Think back, Harry, have you ever made that happen?" Dumbledore said. Harry thought.
"Yeah, yesterday, on the train. Malfoy challenged me to a wizard's duel and I said I wouldn't and he grabbed my wand and said that he would get me anyways and then this little ball of fire just appeared in my hands. It was strange." Harry said, recalling yesterday's strange phenomenon.
"What did you do with it?" Dumbledore asked.
"Got my wand back and told him to leave. Then it just disappeared." Harry said.
"Yes, it is true then. You are Merlin's heir. When your parents died you literally blew your house up. You got everything except yourself and your parents' bodies. Which was lucky because when the muggles found them there was no evidence of anything magical."
"This is just to weird, maybe it's just a coincidence that the house blew up, I mean maybe they left the stove on or something." Harry said, trying to get out of this situation.
"That could be, but you cant explain yesterday, can you?" Dumbledore said wisely.
"It's not the first time I've made something happen without a wand," Harry said and held up a hand and began ticking off times. "I blew up my Aunt Marge in the summer after my second year. Just this summer my Aunt Petunia tried to kill me by throwing a bottle of hair tonic at me and I stopped it with my eyes. And then my Uncle started to strangle me and I knocked him out with it." Dumbledore held up a hand to silence him.
"Harry, that was a very good try, but you are the one." He said.
"Why couldn't I just be normal? Why?" Harry said and threw up his arms in exasperation. Dumbledore didn't answer this question.
"Your parents knew that you would be the heir," He continued. "Or at least your father did. You were going to be famous no matter what happened. He told me when you were born that you would be the one. And if I'm not mistaken, I was the only person he told, save your mother. He was right, Harry. You are Merlin's heir."
"Okay, I believe you." Harry said, miserably. He didn't want this to be happening in the least bit. "But how are they going to use my power of fire against me?"
"Another mystery." Dumbledore said. "Harry, we've missed dinner." Harry looked at the clock on the wall, which read six forty five. "So why don't you take this plate and go eat dinner back at your common room. I will contact you later, so we can try to train you. Meanwhile, why don't you try getting used to that power of yours." He stood up and walked Harry to the door and handed him a plate full of food he had conjured from the kitchens.
"Bye, Professor." Harry said and stepped on to the moving staircase and went out the door, eating quietly. Ron and Hermione were waiting outside for him. "You did eat dinner, didn't you?" He asked.
"Of course, but we decided to wait for you afterwards." Hermione said. Harry took a bite of chicken and nodded.
"What were you doing in there that took so long?" Ron asked and Hermione glared at him. "If you don't mind me asking." He added quickly. Harry swallowed and took a deep breath.
"We tried to analyze what that stupid snake was talking about." Harry said, avoiding telling them the entire truth.
"Did you get anywhere?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah, sort of. It just makes me wonder how the thing got in my trunk." Harry said thoughtfully.
"You have no idea?" Ron asked.
"Well, a theory. I think it was Malfoy, but there's no way to prove it." Harry said, and took another bite of chicken. They began walking.
"Why do you think it would be Malfoy?"
"Well he's the only person I could relate with that snake. It's either him, or his two gorillas."
"Harry don't jump to conclusions!" Hermione said.
"What d'you mean 'that snake'? Do you know that snake?" Ron said. Harry swallowed the piece of chicken in his mouth.
"That's exactly what Dumbledore asked me. I don't know any snakes. I just know who owns her."
"Who?" Ron and Hermione said at exactly the same time.
"Voldemort. The snake, Nagini, was supposed to eat me last year. If I died, that is." Harry said. "I know you know all about the fourth task," He said to their stunned faces.
"How did you know?" Hermione asked.
"I'm not deaf, you know. I heard you two talking about it." They both blushed.
"Oh." Ron said.
"Nagini was just delivering a message. I didn't get it. That's why I went to Dumbledore." Harry said.
"And did he get it?" Hermione asked, sensing that Harry wasn't telling them something.
"For the most part. It was just strange, you know." He said.
"Yeah. We've only heard you speak Parseltongue once and that was only like three words. It's really freaky." Ron said.
"Why's that?" Harry asked. It seemed completely normal to him.
"Because you weren't taking in any breath, or letting any out." Hermione said.
"And your eyes were glowing. That's what scared me. Your eyes were glowing when you did that fireball thing, to." Ron said. Harry went white.
"Really?" He said faintly.
"Yeah." Ron said. "What did that snake tell you anyways?"
"Rather not get into it, thanks." Harry said quickly. He saw Hermione mouth 'death threat'. "It wasn't a death threat, Hermione." She blushed.
"I still don't see why Crabbe, Goyle, or Malfoy could have put that thing in your trunk." She said.
"Because, Malfoy's dad is a Death Eater. So is Crabbe's and so is Goyle's, that's why. It would be a perfect opprotunity to put it in, when the lights went out in our compartment."
"You weren't jumping to conclusions, then." Hermione said, letting this sink in.
"You're kidding!" Said Ron, looking almost happy. "You can turn them in!" Harry shook his head.
"No, I cant. That idiot, Fudge is in complete denial that Voldemort is back. You saw him that night, didn't you?" Harry found that recalling on that particular day was very hard. He remembered the horrible experience very clearly, but all of the things after it were slightly fuzzy.
"Yeah." Hermione said.
" Well, as long as he considers me 'dangerous' and 'crazy' I can't turn anybody in." Harry said.
"But you're not crazy or dangerous!" Hermione cried.
"Try telling Fudge that. He lapped up Rita Skeeter's story. He believed the entire thing." Harry said coldly. Last year Harry had been in the paper at least once a week.
"What ever happened to her anyways, Hermione?" Ron asked curiously. Hermione smiled with pride.
"I let her out in London, just like I told you, and the last I heard she has quit her job at the Daily Prophet." She said and ran her tongue along her teeth. They reached the portrait hole and gave the fat lady the password. They were immediately met by Professor McGonagall.
"Potter, Professor Dumbledore has just told me the news. You will meet him and some of the other teachers Friday night at twelve o'clock. Practice. Practice. Practice." She hissed in her ear and left the common room.
"What was that all about?" Ron asked. Harry shrugged and put on a poker face.
"All I caught was 'practice'. Something to do with Quidditch?" Hermione said. Harry didn't answer. He figured they were going to figure out that he was Merlin's heir sooner or later, but they weren't going to be hearing it from him.
"When are try-outs, Harry?" Ron asked, changing the subject.
"Not this Wednesday, but the next." He said, thankful to be off the subject of the snake. "Spread the word, will you?" Ron and Hermione nodded. They sat down in the armchairs by the fire. Harry saw Parvati running towards him.
"You saved my life!" She cried and gave him a hug. "You scared me to death, but you saved my life," She kissed him on the cheek.
"Parvati?" Harry said.
"Yes?" She said.
"I cant breathe!" He choked.
"Oh!" She said and stepped away, embarrassed. Harry then remembered he had told Mrs. Weasley the same thing just last summer. He smiled.
"I don't think she would have eaten you though, Parvati." He lied.
"I don't believe you! That snake was huge! What did you tell it?" She asked.
"I said 'stop right now', nothing to heroic. I don't think I really saved your life."
"You're modest. Harry you saved my life. I owe you one." She said and gave him another hug and then left to talk with the other Gryffindor girls. Amelia, the first year, left the little group and went over to Harry, Hermione, and Ron.
"Hi!" She said to them.
"Hi, Amelia. How was your first day?" Hermione said kindly.
"It was -er - interesting." She said after awhile. Harry looked at the girl strangely. He had said the exact same thing just an hour ago in Dumbledore's office. Come to think of it, Ron and Hermione were right. She did look a lot like him, except she didn't have a scar in the middle of her forehead and she had a rounder face, but otherwise they looked like twins. " I really didn't think I was going to fit in here, but I guess I do."
"We all thought that at first." Ron said looking at Hermione. In their first year, Ron and Harry had hated Hermione. They had only become friends when they 'saved' her life from a large mountain troll.
"Do you guys remember Professor Quirrel?" Hermione said, talking about their first Defense against the Dark Arts teacher. They had never had a defense teacher that had lasted more than a year.
"How could we forget?" Ron said. Amelia looked very confused. "Harry, you explain."
"He was our defense teacher in our first year. He was a servant of Voldemort." Harry said.
"He was a Death Eater?" Amelia said. Harry shook his head.
"No, he wasn't. But he let Lord Voldemort posses his body and he tried to kill me a couple times that year, by bewitching my broom, to kick me off. We found out that Dumbledore was hiding the Sorcerer's Stone in the school and we all thought Snape was after it, I mean that guy is pretty evil." Harry said.
"I know! He hates me!" Amelia said. "I'd bet my life he was a Death Eater!"
"He is a Death Eater." Harry said plainly. " So we went under this trapdoor thing and had to pass all of these obstacles to get to the Sorcerer's Stone before Snape got to it."
"What is the Sorcerer's Stone?" Amelia asked.
"It's the art of Alchemy. It turns any liquid into an elixir of life, and turns any metal to gold." Hermione said. "Harry, continue."
"Well Ron got knocked out by a giant chess piece, and Hermione went back to help him. So when I got to the last obstacle Quirrel met me. I got the stone and then Quirrel and I decked it out. He tried to kill me again, but realized he couldn't touch me. I grabbed his face and he sort of burned. I got knocked out then woke up in the Hospital Wing three days later." Harry finished.
"Why couldn't he touch you?" Amelia said.
"Because my mother died to save me, and that leaves a mark. When he tried to touch me he was affected because something that good hurt him."
"What happened to him, anyways Harry? Is he in Azkaban?" Ron asked.
"He died when Voldemort left his body. Didn't I tell you that?" Harry said. Hermione shook her head.
"He deserved it." She said. "Harry, did you just say Snape was a Death Eater?"
"He is a Death Eater. Present tense. Or at least he's pretending. He's our 'valuable' spy. But I still don't trust him. He seemed pretty keen on killing me this year. He even opted to do the deed. But Voldemort didn't want him to, go figure. So now he's taking notes on me."
"So he hates you to?" Amelia said.
"Yeah." Harry said. "Join the club." She laughed and Harry joined her, despite the situation. Hermione and Ron looked at each other strangely.
"Are you two sure you're not related?" Ron said.
"All of my relatives are dead except the Dursleys. I know I've told you that before," Harry said.
"And I would have seen you in a photo album or something." Amelia said.
"Forget photos! No, I would be living with you if we were related." Harry said. She shrugged.
"I heard a snake was loose down here earlier," She said, trying to change the subject.
"Yeah, there was." Ron said. "Harry, what happened to it?"
"It disappeared." Harry said.
"I forgot that you guys were there." Amelia said. "So you really are a Parseltounge, aren't you?"
"Yeah, I am."
"How did that happen?"
"How did what happen?" Harry asked.
"How did you get to be a Parseltounge?"
"When Voldemort tried to kill me when I was baby, I got some of his powers." Harry said.
"That makes sense." She said. "I thought somebody was spazing out when we heard that hiss echoing down the hall."
"You heard?" Harry said.
"Duh, Harry. You were, like, screaming at the thing. And you're loud when you do that anyways." Ron said, shaking his head.
"Well, she wasn't making any sense! What was I supposed to do?" Harry said, defending himself.
"You did what you thought was right, and it probably was." Hermione said, sounding a lot like a mother. Amelia stood up.
"Hermione, lets go to bed." She said stiffly and looked at her with searching eyes.
"What? Oh-" Hermione said. "I'll see you guys tomorrow at breakfast." She followed Amelia up the stairs. Harry heard rushed talking as they went up the hall but couldn't make out any of the words.
"That was strange." Ron said and Harry nodded. "Wanna know something?"
"Sure," Harry said.
"Trelawney misses you. She actually misses you." Ron said.
"Why?" Harry said.
"She told us all that you had left the class for more strenuous training. And then she said that you had strong aura around you."
"And then she predicted my death, right?" Harry said.
"Actually no. But it was really weird she called me up to her desk and started talking in this weird low voice, it wasn't hers at all."
"What did she say?" Harry said so quickly that it almost sounded rude. Harry knew that Trelawney had told him a true fortune.
"She said 'The heir will not die, he is to powerful.' Then she snapped out of the little trance she was in and told me to tell you that she says 'hello'. Strange isn't it?" Ron said. Harry suddenly realized he was clutching the arms of his chair very tightly.
"Very." He said. He looked at the clock over the fire. "I'm really tired. I think I'll go to bed now." He stood up.
"Well I'm not, but I don't want to sit here alone either." Ron said and he and Harry went up the stairs into their dorm room where Seamus, Dean, and Neville were already sleeping. Harry put on his pajamas and pulled the curtains around his bed.
"Lumos," He muttered very quietly and a light went on at the tip of his wand. He grabbed the only family picture he had and looked at it. James and Lilly Potter beamed up at him, squinting in the wand light. Th little baby started to squirm when the wand light hit his sleeping body and James took him. He bounced his infant son on his knee and then held him up in the air and zoomed him around like a Muggle airplane. The infant Harry had a wide smile on his face. Lilly took Harry out of his father's arms and put him over her shoulder and burped him.
Harry looked at the little baby boy in his mother's lap. Did they truly know that Harry was the Heir of Merlin? Harry suddenly wondered how old he had been when the picture had been taken. He couldn't have been very old. He took apart the frame and flipped over the picture to see if Sirius had written anything on it.
James and Lilly with Harry, 9 months
Was written near the bottom of the picture. Three months before their deaths. The all to familiar wave of sadness rushed in his stomach. He put the pictures back in the trunk and fell asleep.
* * *
Two days later Harry could have sworn he was related to Amelia. It seemed as though Ron, and Hermione had wanted to prove it to Harry that they were very much alike, and almost forced the two to hang out together. Harry found that he was very busy with Quidditch, even though tryout hadnt even happened. He found himself talking to Alicia and Katie frequently about different people who looked like they should go out for the team.
He hadnt even tried practicing his newly discovered fire talent, of even think about it. Whenever the meeting with the snake was mentioned Harry just nodded solemnly and most people got the idea that he didn't want to talk about it. Somehow the story had spread throughout the entire school and now Harry couldn't walk along the halls without somebody hissing at him. This reminded Harry very much of his second year, when the entire school had found out that he was a Parseltounge.
Harry, Ron and Hermione headed into the Defense against the Dark Arts room. They took seats at the back of the room and started talking.
"Just look at Snape!" Ron said, and pointed at him under his desk. He had a strange expression on his face that just didn't belong. A smile.
"I wonder what he'll be having us do today," Hermione said.
"I have no idea. This is my first regular Defense lesson, mind you," Harry said. Snape silenced the class. He was looking at a clipboard.
"Today we will be reviewing the Unforgivable Curses." Hermione shot her hand in the air. "Yes Miss Granger, I already know you all have a full understanding of these curses, but we need to review them. Let me see who could manage the Imperious Curse? Potter!" Snape said. Harry shrank in his seat.
"Yes, Professor?" He said.
"Up to the front of the room. Now. We are going to observe you." Snape said curtly. Harry glanced over at Ron and Hermione who gave him tragic looks. Harry walked slowly up to the front of the room. "Who can tell me what the Imperious Curse is?" He asked. The whole class put their hands up. Snape pointed to Neville, who went white.
"The Imperious Curse controls the person it is used upon." He said shakily.
"That is correct, though a very weak explanation. The Imperious Curse is the mildest of the three Unforgivable Curses. If I'm not mistaken you have all had it put on you last year, but only Potter succeeded in resisting the power?" The Gryffindors nodded. "Well now let's see what it looks like again. Potter, you ready?" He said. Harry shook his head.
"No. I don't want to do this, Professor." He said firmly.
"Why not, Potter, don't you trust me?" He asked.
"No, Professor Snape, I don't." Harry said. A few of the girls gasped.
"IMPERIO!" Snape said loudly and pointed his wand at Harry. He was hit with it before he had time to duck. Th wonderful floating sensation was in his body again, and Harry almost forgot why he didn't want this to happen.
Do a flip, said Snape's cruel voice in the back of his head.
I don't want to, said his own voice.
Do a FLIP! It said louder.
No, I really don't want to, said his voice much more firmly.
DO A FLIP! The voice screamed. Harry felt the floaty feeling slowly leave him.
"WHY DON'T YOU?" Harry said loudly, back to himself again. There was a pause and then- Snape did a back flip. The class applauded. Harry was now a little freaked out. That had never happened before. Snape looked very angry.
"Potter, detention. After class." He said and smoothed out his robes. Harry quickly went back to his seat and sat down. They spent the rest of the lesson taking notes on the curses, even though they already had them all from last year. When the bell rang everybody rushed out of class and up to the dorms. Harry didn't move.
"What do you want me to do for my detention?" He asked.
"You aren't here for detention, Potter." Snape said. Harry goggled at him.
"Why am I here?" Harry said.
"What did Nagini tell you?" He said.
"Who's asking?" Harry said.
"Potter, I can give you detention." He threatened.
"Okay, okay, but cant you just ask Voldemort yourself? I'm guessing he was the one who sent her." Harry said.
"I could, but this is so much easier." He said.
"Isn't it my business?" Harry said.
"It's mine to." Snape said.
"Fine. She said I was the heir and that Dumbledore would know that she was talking about. Is that what you wanted?" Harry said. Snape narrowed his eyes.
"I don't understand." He said.
"Can I leave?" Harry said.
"The heir? Certainly not Voldemort's heir?" He asked rather to himself than to Harry.
"Get real. Can I please go?" Harry said.
"Yes, leave." He said and pointed at the door. Harry grabbed his thing and left the room and headed up to the dorms so he could drop his things off before dinner. He wondered why Snape wanted to know what Nagini had said so badly. He started jogging up the stairs and down the corridor to portrait of the fat lady. He gave her the password and climbed through into the common room. Hermione and Ron were sitting in the corner, playing chess. Harry went into his room and threw his stuff on his bed. He walked down the stairs and threw himself into one of the armchairs next to Hermione.
"That was a quick detention." Hermione said and groaned as one of her pawns was wrestled off the board by one of Ron's knights.
"Yeah. Snape didn't really have anything for me to do." Harry said, only telling half the truth.
"McGonagall just came up here looking for you." Ron said.
"Do I have to go into her office?" Harry asked, hoping he hadnt gotten in to trouble.
"No, but she gave us this," -he motioned to a candle stick on the table- " ant told us to tell you to practice."
"What do you practice with a candle stick?" Hermione asked him.
Harry knew the real answer would be to practice lighting it without his newfound power but he thought for a moment and then replied, "Extra transfiguration?" Hermione looked at him skeptically but nodded.
"Check mate!" Ron said. He took his pieces and put them in a little sac and put the board off of the table.
"When's dinner again?" He asked.
"Six o'clock." Hermione said and checked her watch. "We still have fifteen minutes."
"Harry, better take that candle and put it in the dorm. It might melt, we're pretty close to the fire." Ron said.
"Okay." He said and grabbed it. He walked slowly up the stairs all the while looking at the stick. Did they really expect him to be able to light the candle using his power? Harry sat down on his bed and stared at it. Nothing happened. He concentrated very hard and looked at it. Nothing happened. He put it on his pillow and walked back down the stairs.
"Took you long enough," Hermione said, "Let's go to dinner." They walked out of the portrait hole and descended the stairs down to the great hall.
"Harry! Wait up!" Somebody called from behind them. He spun around and saw Cho running down the hall after them. He stopped to let her catch up. "I haven't seen you in a while! Where have you been hiding?" She said and linked arms with him.
"Detention." Harry said and she laughed.
"You're not serious?" She said.
"Sort of." He said. They continued walking down the hall.
"Well if it isn't the perfect couple!" Said a cold drawl from the corridor to the left of them. Draco Malfoy and his sidekicks, Crabbe and Goyle stepped out from the hall, sneering at them. "Potter, heard you had a visit from Nagini."
"Malfoy, get a life." Harry said.
"I have a life." He said.
"So stop wasting it on me." Harry said and walked down the hall faster.
"What's his problem?" Cho asked.
"I'm not sure, but it'll get him into trouble sooner or later." Harry said coldly. They reached the Great Hall and separated when they reached their own tables. Harry sat down in a chair next to Ron and started to load his plate down with food. Harry noticed that Hermione and Amelia were sitting next to each other and kept whispering things in each other's ear.
"Got something you'd like to tell the rest of us?" Harry said. Hermione blushed.
'Um…no…" She said.
"Harry, when are Quidditch try outs?" Amelia asked.
"Next Wednesday, but you're not allowed to try out." Harry said.
"Why not?" She said indignantly.
" Because first years aren't allowed on the team. It's an old rule and a dumb one at that, I'm sorry." Harry said.
"Then how come you got in during your first year?" She asked.
"Have you ever seen Harry fly?" Ron asked just as Harry opened his mouth to talk.
"Yeah, last year. My family came to watch the first task. You were amazing." She said.
"Thanks." Harry said.
"That's why he was let on the team in our first year." Ron said.
"It's like the only thing I'm good at," Harry said. Hermione choked on her potato.
"Harry, don't say that! You're good at lots of other things! You passed all of your subjects last year with flying colors!" She cried.
"I didn't have to take the end of year exams, though." Harry said. " I got an automatic 'A'."
"True. But even so, you're pretty smart." She said.
"I'm just much better at Quidditch." Harry said. "End of discussion." Hermione opened her mouth to argue some more but quickly snapped it shut. They finished dinner and walked out into the corridor. Cho was waiting for them there.
"Walk with me Harry," She said and yanked him away.
"Talk to you later!" He called behind him to Hermione and Ron, who looked almost shocked. "Where are we going?" He asked Cho. She shrugged.
"I dunno. Take a walk through the castle, I suppose?" She asked. Harry nodded and they started walking around the main level. They finally came upon a door that was labeled 'Garden'. Cho steered him through the door.
Harry had never been in such a place. It was a very light room covered in different plants. They were blossoming and were letting out a heavenly perfume. A little metal loveseat was in the middle of the room. Cho and Harry sat down on it.
"I've never been in here before." Harry said. Cho laughed.
"Of course you haven't. It only appears once a month on the full moon." She said. "I only found it just last year, and I'm not sure if Filch knows about it."
"It's really cool." Harry said, looking around. One of the candles in the room was out. "How did you find out about it?"
"Oh I was just walking around one night and this door just jumped up from nowhere. I went in and well, I just keep coming every month to look at the plants." She said and smelled a shocking pink flower and sneezed. She had a dainty high-pitched sneeze that was almost cute. He would have to add that to the list of things he liked about her.
"Quidditch season is coming up." He said. "And somehow the remaining two players on our team talked me into being captain." Cho smiled.
"You know we're going to be playing against each other sometime." She said.
"And we all know who's going to win!" Harry said and pointed to himself.
"Not if I can help it!" She said. Harry grinned and kissed the tip of her nose.
"We don't play each other for a while, so don't worry about it." He said. He put his arm around her shoulder and they sat there for a long time not saying anything. Cho scooted closer to him and put her head on his shoulder. It was amazing how well it fit on his shoulder, just barely touching his neck and chin bone. Harry put a forefinger on her cheek and brushed a lock of hair out of her face. She stared up at him with her beautiful brown eyes and they fell into a kiss. Cho broke it quickly.
"Oh shit! We have to get out of here! This place is going to disappear in, like, ten seconds!" She cried. They ran to the door and opened it. They stepped out of the room just in time; it disintegrated into a stone wall a second after they left.
"That was close," Harry said. Cho nodded.
"I don't want you to get into any trouble because of me, Harry. We should probably go to our own dorms pretty soon. Same place same time next month?" She said.
"It's a date," Harry said. They had a little kiss goodbye and then they walked to their own common rooms. Harry walked up the stairs and climbed in through portrait hole.
"Took you long enough," Ron said, buried in his Divination homework.
"Where did you two go?" Hermione said, not looking up from her Arithmancy homework.
"A walk around the castle." Harry said.
"Don't you have homework?" Ron asked.
"Only for Binns and I don't remember what the assignment was, because I fell asleep." Harry said. Ron grinned.
"Imagine, someone falling asleep in HIS class!" He said. Hermione cracked up, even though it wasn't all that funny.
"Harry, we were supposed to write an essay about the life of Merlin." Hermione said when she stopped laughing. "I've just finished my Arithmancy homework, so I'll help you, I suppose." She pulled out a clean piece of parchment and her History of Magic book.
"Let me get my stuff and I'll be right back." Harry said and dashed up the stairs to get his own things. "How many pages?" Harry asked Hermione when he got back down.
"He didn't say. So you might want to make it longer for extra credit." She said and flipped to the pages in their books devoted to Merlin. "What does this mean, 'his signature power was fire'?" She mumbled. Harry knew the answer strait away.
"It means he could summon fire without his wand." He said quickly and flipped to the same page. They wrote for a while in silence.
"How did you know that, Harry?" She asked suddenly, looking up from her work. Harry didn't know how to answer that one.
"It's common knowledge, Hermione." Ron said, and shut his Divination book. "I'm done with my homework, and I actually understood it."
"That's a first." Harry said loud enough for him to hear. He mock punched Harry in the arm.
"Hey! I resent that!" He said.
"No, you don't! You're proud of it, if anything!" Harry said and punched him back. Ron shrugged.
"I guess you're right." He said. Hermione had pulled out a piece of paper and was scribbling frantically on it.
"What're you doing Her-" Harry started, but she held up a hand to silence him. She kept writing on the scrap for about a minute, and then held it up to the light to examine it. Harry glanced at the paper and saw a very complex math equation. "What is that?" He asked.
"It's a math problem. If this prophecy in the book is right, the heir of Merlin should have showed up," She paused for a moment looking at the paper, "fifteen years, one month and three days ago."
"So it's wrong then?" Ron said. Hermione shook her head.
"No, that's just when the person was born." She said. Harry seriously hoped that she wasn't going to realize that it was Harry's birthday she just named. She didn't seem to.
"What's the point of his heir?" Ron said. Harry was almost offended.
"He or she inherits the power of fire from Merlin." Hermione said. Harry figured this was an excellent time to change the subject.
"Hey, do you guys know anybody who wants to try out for the team?" He said quickly. Hermione looked startled.
"No." She said. "Back to the homework, Harry." She pulled her history book up to her nose and began to read it, pointing out important points as she went. By the time they went to sleep, Harry and Ron had more than enough information than they needed.
Harry went into their dormitory and pulled the curtains around his bed. He grabbed the candle and stared at it hard. Nothing happened. Harry took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He looked at the candle again. Nothing happened again. He took another deep breath and glanced at the candle. The wick smoked momentarily but then was extinguished. He was a little closer to lighting it. He stared at the candle harder than he had in the past. Nothing happened. He let the air out of his lungs and just looked at the candle, as if to tell it, that if it didn't shape up pretty soon, he was going to break it in half. It lit. Harry was very startled and jumped a little. He blew the candle out. He thought hard. How did he make it happen? He had been telling the candle to light and then it did light. Did that mean he just could command it to light fire? He tried it again. He thought in his mind, light candle, light you stupid candle. The flames jumped back to life. He blew the flame out again and did the trick over and over until he was sure he knew how to do it right. When he was done the candle had been reduced to just a stump and light was beginning to creep over the grounds. Harry hit the pillows and fell asleep felling very proud of himself.
Harry was very nervous on Friday. He wondered what they were going to be making him do. He knew that he could burn a candle, but what if it suddenly didn't work. What if he couldn't remember how? Harry did a mental shrug. He was being stupid. Nothing horrible would happen to him, at least for now. He shuddered when he thought of what was in store for him. It scared him to think that he could be attacked at any time, and was on constant alert. If Voldemort had an extra pair of eyes on him, he was very vulnerable. Hermione and Ron didn't seem to notice that Harry had become almost as jumpy as Mad-Eye Moody was at the end of their last year. When somebody tapped him on the shoulder he would whip around very quickly and scare the poor person half to death.
"What's with you, Potter?" Malfoy asked that day at the end of Potions on Friday.
"Nothing." Harry snapped.
"On the lookout Potter? He's going to get you." He said.
"Keep talking Malfoy, and the whole school can hear how you have these connections." Harry warned. Malfoy's grin faltered a little.
"My father." He threatened.
"That's right your father, Malfoy. Your father the-" Harry's voice was muffled when Ron clapped a hand over his mouth.
"Shut up!" He hissed. Harry elbowed Ron in the stomach and he removed his hand. Malfoy took a deep bow and then curtsied.
"Now if you'll excuse me, Merlin boy, I want to get to dinner on time." He took another bow and left the dungeon. Ron and Hermione looked at Harry strangely.
"What did he call you?" Ron asked.
"I dunno." Harry said.
"He called you 'Merlin boy.' Harry what is that supposed to mean?" Hermione said. Hermione must have been putting two and two together.
"I dunno." Harry said.
"Harry, what aren't you telling us?" She asked. Harry was trapped.
"Nothing, nothing at all. Except that I'm really, really hungry." Harry said and started walking up the stairs to the great hall, where dinner would be served in ten minutes. He sat heavily in a seat next to Neville. Harry wasn't sure why, but he was mad. He was mad at life. Nothing ever happened the way he wanted and he was beginning to be very agitated with the whole thing. Hermione and Ron sat down next to him a little while later.
"What's wrong?" Hermione asked timidly.
"Nothing, I'm just mad at Malfoy. I'm sorry, don't pay any attention to me." He said and shook his head. Hermione didn't believe him.
"It's something else, isn't it?" She asked. Harry shook his head again.
"No, really. It's just Malfoy." Harry said.
"Well don't let him get to you." Hermione said.
"Easier said than done," Harry reminded her. McGonagall was walking towards him. He slumped in his seat.
"Potter, how is practice coming?" She said quietly.
"I have it down, if that's what you want to know." Harry said, equally as quiet. Hermione and Ron were listening, or trying to.
"Excellent! Don't forget twelve o'clock tonight, on the Quidditch field." She said and took her place back at the teachers' table.
"So how much did you guys hear?" Harry asked and looked at them cynically.
"We only caught 'Quidditch' and 'practice.' But why so secretive?" Hermione said.
"Well, if it's a secret, why would I tell you two, eh?" Harry said.
"Good point." Hermione said reasonably, but looked very put out. They ate dinner and headed back up to the common room and Harry watched as Hermione lost to Ron over and over again at chess. Harry glanced up at the clock and saw it was ten o'clock. Hermione followed his gaze and immediately yawned.
"I think I'm going to bed." She said and stretched. Ron did the same.
"Yeah." They walked up the stairs. Harry looked at them skeptically but went to bed anyways. Ron shut the curtains around his bed but Harry never heard him fall asleep. Around an hour later he heard Ron get out of bed and leave the room. Harry figured he just needed to go to the bathroom, but Harry never heard Ron return to the room.
At eleven thirty Harry got up and stretched. He pulled his robes on over his pajamas and left the room. He was very tired and wished that he could have gotten some more sleep. He walked slowly and silently down the stairs, so he didn't wake anybody. He looked in one of the rooms to see what time it was and saw that he only had twenty minutes to get to the Quidditch field. He stared to run down the stairs, and was making a little noise. As he reached the bottom stairs he heard people talking.
"Get off, Ron!" A girl hissed. "Some ones coming!" Harry recognized the voice, as Hermione. Harry walked out the door to see Hermione and Ron sitting at opposite sides of a couch, looking the picture of innocence.
"Harry! What're-" Ron started but Harry cut him off.
"I won't ask, if you don't." He said and continued walking very fast to the end of the room. He climbed through the portrait hole and hogged down the hall and slid down the banisters until he reached the two large front doors. He pushed them open and walked out into the cool night air. It woke him up. He walked over to the Quidditch field. Harry saw four tall figures at the other end and he jogged over to them. Harry stopped next to them and panted.
"Good evening, Harry," Said Dumbledore.
"To you to." Harry said. "I can't see. Lumos." He said and his wand lit. Harry looked closer at the faces in the shadows. Dumbledore was there of course and next to him was Snape. The other two were on the other side of Dumbledore. One of them was a familiar face- Professor Lupin, the Defense against the Dark Arts teacher in his third year. They shook hands warmly. Professor Lupin looked just as Harry had seen him last, in torn and patched robes and a smile on his face.
"Good to see you again, Harry." He said. Harry looked into the face of the fourth person. Harry could barely see it. All he could see was incredibly dirty and tattered robes and longish dark brown hair. Harry knew who it was.
"Sirius?" He asked. Sirius looked down at him and smiled. He pulled Harry into a tight one-armed hug.
"See, Harry? I told you I'd see you soon." He said and pulled away. Snape said nothing in greeting to Harry, but he didn't care because Harry hated Snape just as much as Snape hated him. Harry grinned; this wasn't going to be as bad now that he knew that he liked most of the people present.
"Now Harry, I trust you've been practicing hard?" Dumbledore said. Harry nodded.
"I think I've got this thing down." He said. "It took a long time, but I get it."
"Good. Why don't you show us?" Dumbledore said and beamed down at Harry. He pulled out a candle. Harry looked at it. It lighted. Dumbledore looked mildly impressed. "It is true then. You are the heir. Now we have to set some guidelines for you. No lighting any thing on fire that has a face. We can replace bushes and trees, but a human life is priceless." He said. Harry nodded. "Unless the person happens to be Voldemort. Then we will allow you to use it on a person."
"I think that went without saying." Sirius said. Lupin nodded.
"Even so, we must tell him. Harry, we need you to practice this power on larger things." Dumbledore said.
"Why?" Harry said.
"I don't know, but you need the practice for whatever may be in store for you." Dumbledore said. Harry was a little taken aback. He had never seen Dumbledore not know what he was doing. It just didn't seem possible. "Accio shrub!" Dumbledore said and a little bush came flying towards them from the Forbidden Forest. Dumbledore let it hover there for a while.
"You want me to burn that thing?" Harry asked, hoping he could do it. Dumbledore nodded. Harry looked at it and told the bush, light up right now or you'll be sorry, and it burst into flames. Harry told the fire to go out and it disappeared.
"How did you do that?" Sirius said suddenly. Lupin elbowed him in the ribs. It reminded Harry of himself and Ron. Harry shrugged, not able to put his actions into words.
"I didn't know about that power," Dumbledore said. Harry noticed that Snape was taking notes.
"Professor Snape, what're you doing?" Harry asked. Snape looked up at him from his clipboard.
"Taking notes," He said coldly.
"For who?" Harry asked. Snape didn't answer; he just went back to writing. Harry didn't trust that man at all. Dumbledore started to talk again, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
"Harry, you told me about a fireball?" He asked. "Do you know how to do that one?"
"I never tried to do that one." Harry said. "I remember I just lifted my hand into the air and then it was just -there."
"Would you like to try again?" He asked. Sirius was shooting Dumbledore daggers with his eyes. Harry shrugged again and thought for a little while. What had he been doing? It came to him. He put his right hand into the air and concentrated on Malfoy's sneering face. He felt sudden warmth above his hand. He brought it down and looked at the fire. It was much larger than he remembered it. Now it wasn't the size of a mere tennis ball, it was the size of a beach ball. Lupin was guarding his eyes with an arm above his eyes, and so were the rest of them. Harry cleared his mind but the thing didn't go out. Go out, I don't need you any more. Harry told the thing. It immediately disappeared. They lowered their arms away from their faces.
"That was amazing," Lupin said faintly.
"Harry, you told me it was only the size of a tennis ball." Dumbledore said.
"I had some extra motivation this time." Harry said, realizing his flaw.
"Which would be," Snape said. Sirius was now shooting him daggers with his eyes.
"You," Harry lied. Snape's sneer faltered. Both Lupin and Sirius tried to stifle laughs, unsuccessfully.
"Now, Harry. Treat Professor Snape with a little more respect." Dumbledore said. Now Lupin was glaring at Snape to. If the situation hadnt been so serious Harry would have burst out laughing, but he was holding the outburst of laughter back inside his throat.
"Yes, sir." Harry mumbled.
"Why don't we try long distances now." He said and banished the half-burned shrub back fifty feet. Harry strained his eyes to see the thing. From fifty feet away the bush exploded into flames.
"Harry Potter and the burning bush." Harry said in an undertone. Dumbledore, Sirius, and Lupin all burst out laughing again. Harry grinned at his successful joke. Snape had on a poker face, but Harry could tell that by the way his mouth was twitching he was restraining a smile, or a laugh.
"All hail the chosen one!" Lupin said, and pretended to grovel.
"Let my people go!" Said Sirius. Harry laughed at this one. Dumbledore stop laughing and cleared his throat.
"Harry, the bush, if you please?" He said. Harry extinguished the fire. "Much better. Now that we know your power works, you may go up to the castle again and get your well-deserved sleep. I will contact you if we need to have another meeting."
"Tell Hermione and Ron I said 'hi'!" Sirius said.
"For me too." Lupin said.
"See you soon Harry," Sirius said and turned into the great black dog and Lupin and Sirius walked down the road into Hogsmeade. The remaining three people walked back to the castle in silence. Snape turned off at the Dungeons and Dumbledore said goodnight to Harry when they reached the third floor. Harry climbed up the stairs to the fourth floor and went to the portrait of the fat lady.
"Where have you been?" She squawked.
"Apple Pie." Harry said and she swung forward on her hinges. (She had changed the password earlier that day.) Harry climbed through the hole and looked around the room. Hermione and Ron were still sitting on the couch, having a pleasant conversation. They stopped abruptly when he sat down next to them.
"Where have you been?" Ron asked him.
"Practicing." Harry replied.
"What is that supposed to mean?" He asked.
"That I was practicing." Harry said.
"What were you practicing?" Hermione said.
"What's with the third degree?" Harry asked.
"Harry, we're concerned about you. We think you're not telling us something." She said. Harry wasn't going to tell them. He knew he was being stupid, but he just couldn't do it. He was about ready to burst, having a very bad day and being fed up with his life style.
"Why couldn't I just be normal?" Harry said quietly. Hermione looked at Harry with searching eyes.
"Harry, you're not normal, so don't try to be," She said. She told Harry the bitter truth and then Harry snapped. He couldn't take it any more.
"You don't get it do you? You don't get it either!" He said and pointed to Ron who turned slightly pink. "I'm always getting special treatment. Everybody always looks at me whenever I'm in public. I don't want that. I don't want to be famous. I don't want to be treated special. Heck! I don't want to be Harry Potter!" Harry had a lump in his throat.
"Calm down, Harry." Hermione said and gently touched his shoulder. He wrenched himself away from her touch.
"I just can't take it any more! Poor little Harry Potter, our tragic little orphan hero. He's got no parents and a strange, ugly scar on his forehead." He took a breath. "All I ever wanted in life was to be treated like a normal person. But oh no, that's never going to happen because I'm Harry Potter, and everything always happens to me." Harry stood up and ran up the stairs before tears started streaming silently down his face. He knew he was being stupid, feeling sorry for himself but he couldn't help always feeling singled out, even in school. Harry pulled off his robes and lay on his bed, curtains pulled tightly around him. He heard Ron enter the room shortly afterward.
"Harry?" He asked. Harry didn't say anything, tears still rolling steadily down his cheeks. He wiped them away with the sleeve of his pajamas. "I'm pretty sure you're awake, but I can take a hint when a guy doesn't want to talk." He said. Harry ignored him again. He rolled over in his bed and thought about what he had just said. Harry wanted to slap himself; he had been so melodramatic. He supposed he deserved to fume about it, but his friends didn't need to hear it. He rolled over again and fell slowly into a restless sleep.