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Chapter 37
Harry was so engrossed in his letter to Ginny, that he didn't even hear the doorbell ring, or the heavy footsteps enter his room.
"Morning Harry" said a cheerful voice from the doorway. Harry jumped to his feet and spun around to see the smiling face of his godfather
"Sirius, don't do that, you almost gave me a heart attack" he accused as his heart slowed to its normal rhythm.
"Sorry, I didn't think you were so focused on, what are you so focused on?" he asked as he approached Harry's desk
"I'm writing a letter to Ginny, could you take it to her when you go back?" he asked hopefully
"Sure, but you still can't tell her anything about where you are in case someone else reads it" he warned "Finish it quickly so we can get started, we have a lot to do today" he said as he settled himself on Harry's bed
Five minutes later, Harry put the letter into an envelope and handed it to Sirius who slipped it into his robe pocket
"So, what do you want me to do?" he asked as he stood in the middle of his small room
"Patience Harry, you need to understand that your magical strength is nowhere near what it was a week ago. It took you seventeen years to build up that power and twenty minutes to drain it, so you need to start small" he said with a pointed look fixed on Harry
"But Sirius, I feel fine, just tell me what to change into and I'll be able to do it, I know it" he said in a confident tone
"Are you sure you're feeling well enough to transform?" asked Sirius uncertainly
"Yes, just give me an animal to change into already"
Just then, there was a gentle knock on the door, irritated at being interrupted, Harry waved his hand without approaching the door and it swung open with a loud bang to reveal the trembling form of Dudley. Harry relaxed a little since it wasn't his aunt or uncle at the door, but he was still irritated.
"What do you want Dudley, I'm in the middle of a lesson" he snapped, a little more shortly than was necessary
"I was just going to ask if I could watch your lesson. I was wondering what kinds of things you learn at school" he said in a meek whisper "But if you don't want me to know, that's all right" he said quickly as he turned to leave
Harry looked at Sirius for a moment, who shrugged his shoulders to say he didn't care before he looked back to his cousin
"Come in Dudley, but you have to be quiet and promise not to tell your parents or any of your friends what you see or I'll have to erase your memories. Go ahead and sit at the desk" he said, noticing with some satisfaction the lack of color on Dudley's face when he threatened to erase his memories. The larger boy ambled over and sat stiffly at the desk without making a sound and watched with interest.
"Where were we Sirius?" he asked, focusing his attention back to his godfather
"You were just telling me how you could do anything I asked of you" he said with a mischievous grin on his face
"What are you planning on asking of me, I don't quite feel comfortable with that expression on your face" he admitted warily
"Nothing to difficult yet, I have some big plans for the coming weeks, but for now I just want you to change into a form you're already familiar with"
"Which one?"
"Why don't we just stick with the raven right now? You've done that one enough you should be able to do it in you're sleep" he said as he stood from his place on the bed and stood in front of Harry "Are you sure you're up to this?" he asked one more time
"Yes Sirius, I'm sure, I feel fine" said Harry as he rolled his eyes "Honestly, you're starting to mother me again"
"Fine, but be careful. Now, remember to keep all of your senses focused on how they feel when you're in that form and picture yourself changing in your mind" he said as he watched Harry close his eyes and take a deep breath.
He immediately felt his body getting smaller and feathers covering his skin, but this time was different from all the others, he was having a very hard time keeping his attention focused on the transformation but after a few moments, he opened his eyes and was looking up at Sirius and an astounded Dudley.
"Good, now change back" said Sirius
Within a few seconds, Sirius and Dudley saw Harry changing back to his original shape, but as soon as he was completely back to normal, he fell to the floor.
"Harry!" exclaimed Sirius as he knelt on the floor beside the crumpled form of the black haired boy, Dudley by his side.
Harry had felt himself changing back to normal, and had focused all of his energy on the transformation, but as soon as it was completed, he found that he couldn't even support his own weight from the exhaustion.
"Harry, are you ok?" asked Sirius, and Harry blearily opened his eyes and looked into the concerned blue ones above him
"Yes, just tired, and don't even say I told you so" he warned, the exhaustion evident in his voice as he allowed his eyes to close again, falling into a deep sleep within seconds.
Sighing heavily, Sirius gathered the sleeping body up in his arms and gently placed him on the bed, pulling the blankets over him before he moved the desk chair next to it and looked up to see that Dudley was still standing in the middle of the room.
"What happened to him?" he asked
"He pushed himself too far to fast, he wasn't ready to do that yet" said Sirius in an irritated tone
"Why not?" asked the blonde boy
"Yesterday was the first day he was awake for several days, he fought a dark wizard and exhausted all of his magical powers as well as physically exhausted him. It will take a while until he is back to normal" he explained as he got to his feet and pulled a thick book from Harry's trunk and opened it and started to read. "We're not going to be doing anything else today, you'd probably be bored just sitting here, but I'm going to hang around until he wakes up" said Sirius, and Dudley, sensing that that was his dismissal, left the room and shut the door soundlessly behind him. Sirius settled himself comfortably in the chair and began reading Harry's newest quidditch book while he sat protectively over his godson, berating himself constantly for thinking Harry was feeling as well as he had claimed.
It was several hours later when Harry awoke again, and after apologizing repeatedly to Sirius, the older man left to return to the school. The next two weeks were spent with Sirius as the only wizard Harry saw. They practiced day after day on the animagus transformations, and by the end of the second week, Harry was back to his former level as far as that aspect of his training was going, able to transform time after time without getting even the smallest bit tired. Every morning, he would give Sirius a letter to take to Ginny, and he would receive one from the red head as well before the lessons began, always watched intently by Dudley. When Sirius was satisfied by his progress, he informed his godson that another professor would be coming the next morning to begin his next round of lessons, though he couldn't say who it would be yet, leaving Harry anxious and the smallest bit apprehensive.
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The next morning, Harry awoke feeling refreshed and anxious for his next lesson, that is until he saw who was giving it. At ten sharp, his bedroom door opened to reveal the familiar sight of a certain sallow skinned potions master. Harry jumped to his feet from his place on the bed in surprise.
"Good morning sir" he said immediately
"Sit down Potter" was all he got in response as the tall man pulled the chair from the desk and sat across from him.
"Sir, forgive me for being rude, but I didn't think potions were going to be included in my training" he said after several minutes of awkward silence
"They're not, I am here to teach you hand to hand combat, using that sword and dagger you now own, but after what Black described happened during your first lesson with him, I am doubting that you are ready to begin just yet"
"I feel fine sir, I just get tired if I do too much magic, I'm sure I can handle physical stuff" he said quickly
"As you wish Potter, but rest assured that if you pass out, I will not be carrying you to bed and tucking you in and sitting beside you for six hours like your godfather" he said as way of warning
"Sirius stayed here that long?" Harry asked in amazement
"Yes, and he was planning on staying until you woke up but Albus summoned him back before you did" he answered curtly "Now get dressed in some proper clothing while I go into the back yard and set up some invisibility and sound proofing wards so we don't attract the muggles" he said as he got to his feet "And bring both the sword and the dagger with you" he added as he left the room.
Harry, a little nervous but anxious at the same time stood as well and went to his closet, assuming that by 'proper clothing' Snape meant robes and cloak so he dressed in just that, a pair of plain black robes and his old black cloak, not wanting the one Ginny had given him to get ruined. He then pulled his hair back away from his face to keep it out of his way and made his way down the stairs, sword in one hand and dagger in the other. He went through the kitchen and was met with the angry faces of his aunt and uncle, both who started slightly when they saw the scar on his face which until then had been concealed behind his hair during the previous weeks.
"What do you think you are doing boy?" demanded his uncle
"Going to meet my professor for my lesson" he responded in a level tone
"Now you just listen here, we agreed to allow you to continue your lessons here, but in your room where nobody else could see you, not in the back yard in clear view of all of the neighbors" he yelled
"I can't very well do this lesson in my bedroom Uncle Vernon" answered Harry as he continued to the door
"Why not?" demanded his aunt
"Because, today, professor Snape is teaching me hand to hand combat, using these" he said as he raised his weapons to show them, which they had overlooked until now
"I will not have the neighbors seeing you sword fighting in the back yard and showing off your abnormality you freak!" bellowed his uncle "And I will not have you corrupting my son any more either!" he added as an after thought
"I'm afraid you have no say in the matter Mr. Dursley" said a silken voice from the doorway
The three inhabitants in the kitchen spun around to see the potions master leaning on the door frame with his wand drawn in one hand and a long silver sword in the other, both trained to the floor at the moment but in perfect position to strike if needed. "Potter, let's get started" he said and Harry, grateful for this fight being avoided for the time being followed him outside.
"Do they always speak to you like that?" asked Snape once they were away from the house
"Yes, for as far back as I can remember, but at least they stopped making me do the chores now" he answered truthfully
"What were they talking about, what abnormality" he asked, and he was truly curious and not condescending in any way
Harry laughed for a moment before he answered the confused man "Magic, they think having magic and being a wizard is an abnormality and that this makes them better than us"
"So you have always been treated like this because you were a wizard?"
"Yes, but until I got my letter from Hogwarts I didn't know the reason they treated me so badly, they said they were trying to stamp the magic out of me" he answered and was shocked that he was being so open and honest with the man who had made the past six years of his life miserable
"You didn't even know you were a wizard until you turned eleven?" asked the man in amazement
"Nope, Hagrid told me on my birthday when he took me to Diagon Alley, until then I just thought I was a freak of some sort that lived in a cupboard" he answered
By then they had reached the middle of the backyard and were just standing and talking as old friends might do
Snape seemed slightly uncomfortable for a moment at this new revelation before he spoke again.
"What do you mean you lived in a cupboard?" he asked
"Just that, until I got my letter I lived in the cupboard under the stairs and the bedroom I'm in now was Dudley's second bedroom" he answered with a shrug of his shoulders "Not the perfect and spoiled childhood you thought it was is it?" he asked with a small smirk on his face at being able to prove the man's suspicions wrong
"No, defiantly not" answered the potions master quietly "Well, we should probably get started, I have to be back by 2:30 for a lesson" he said and the he showed Harry the basic positions for sword fighting and a few offensive and defensive moves, and by the end of the lesson, Harry was sweaty and sore, but he had a wide grin on his face and even Snape looked pleased.
They continued to practice all the basic moves for several days, but when it became obvious to the potions master that Harry could learn no more through talking and examples, he suggested they put the lessons to use with a quick contest, which Harry readily agreed to. The fight lasted only minutes before Harry had the older mans sword in his hand and trained on the man before him who was lying on the grass, clearly defeated.
"Well, it appears you are just as much of a natural with this as you were with quidditch he said as Harry gave his sword back and joined him on the grass, smiling broadly. At the mention on quidditch though, Harry's smile faded, he was going to miss the last match of the season and of his Hogwarts years, which was to be held tomorrow between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw for the house cup. He pushed those thoughts from his mind tough in favor of another subject he had been wanting to ask Snape about for several months.
"Sir, can I ask you a personal question?" he asked hesitantly and after a few moments, the man nodded "How do death eaters manage to keep the dark mark a secret from other people when it is visible?" he asked in a small voice, looking at the ground
Snape sat silent for several minutes before answering in the same quiet voice "Pretty much the same way you are doing it Harry, by always wearing long sleeved shirts and being careful"
"Is there any way to make it disappear or at least go invisible?" he asked hopefully
"No, there is no way to get rid of it or magically conceal it once you have it I'm afraid, but just remember that just because you might have the mark, you didn't take it on willingly and you don't believe in what it symbolizes" he said reassuringly "I need to go, Albus will be here tomorrow" he said as he got to his feet, Harry nodded and watched the man disappear with a pop before he laid down on the grass and fell asleep in the warm sunlight, reliving the most disturbing, depressing, and shocking conversation he had heard during his time in the cave with Voldemort and his followers.
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Chapter 37
Harry was so engrossed in his letter to Ginny, that he didn't even hear the doorbell ring, or the heavy footsteps enter his room.
"Morning Harry" said a cheerful voice from the doorway. Harry jumped to his feet and spun around to see the smiling face of his godfather
"Sirius, don't do that, you almost gave me a heart attack" he accused as his heart slowed to its normal rhythm.
"Sorry, I didn't think you were so focused on, what are you so focused on?" he asked as he approached Harry's desk
"I'm writing a letter to Ginny, could you take it to her when you go back?" he asked hopefully
"Sure, but you still can't tell her anything about where you are in case someone else reads it" he warned "Finish it quickly so we can get started, we have a lot to do today" he said as he settled himself on Harry's bed
Five minutes later, Harry put the letter into an envelope and handed it to Sirius who slipped it into his robe pocket
"So, what do you want me to do?" he asked as he stood in the middle of his small room
"Patience Harry, you need to understand that your magical strength is nowhere near what it was a week ago. It took you seventeen years to build up that power and twenty minutes to drain it, so you need to start small" he said with a pointed look fixed on Harry
"But Sirius, I feel fine, just tell me what to change into and I'll be able to do it, I know it" he said in a confident tone
"Are you sure you're feeling well enough to transform?" asked Sirius uncertainly
"Yes, just give me an animal to change into already"
Just then, there was a gentle knock on the door, irritated at being interrupted, Harry waved his hand without approaching the door and it swung open with a loud bang to reveal the trembling form of Dudley. Harry relaxed a little since it wasn't his aunt or uncle at the door, but he was still irritated.
"What do you want Dudley, I'm in the middle of a lesson" he snapped, a little more shortly than was necessary
"I was just going to ask if I could watch your lesson. I was wondering what kinds of things you learn at school" he said in a meek whisper "But if you don't want me to know, that's all right" he said quickly as he turned to leave
Harry looked at Sirius for a moment, who shrugged his shoulders to say he didn't care before he looked back to his cousin
"Come in Dudley, but you have to be quiet and promise not to tell your parents or any of your friends what you see or I'll have to erase your memories. Go ahead and sit at the desk" he said, noticing with some satisfaction the lack of color on Dudley's face when he threatened to erase his memories. The larger boy ambled over and sat stiffly at the desk without making a sound and watched with interest.
"Where were we Sirius?" he asked, focusing his attention back to his godfather
"You were just telling me how you could do anything I asked of you" he said with a mischievous grin on his face
"What are you planning on asking of me, I don't quite feel comfortable with that expression on your face" he admitted warily
"Nothing to difficult yet, I have some big plans for the coming weeks, but for now I just want you to change into a form you're already familiar with"
"Which one?"
"Why don't we just stick with the raven right now? You've done that one enough you should be able to do it in you're sleep" he said as he stood from his place on the bed and stood in front of Harry "Are you sure you're up to this?" he asked one more time
"Yes Sirius, I'm sure, I feel fine" said Harry as he rolled his eyes "Honestly, you're starting to mother me again"
"Fine, but be careful. Now, remember to keep all of your senses focused on how they feel when you're in that form and picture yourself changing in your mind" he said as he watched Harry close his eyes and take a deep breath.
He immediately felt his body getting smaller and feathers covering his skin, but this time was different from all the others, he was having a very hard time keeping his attention focused on the transformation but after a few moments, he opened his eyes and was looking up at Sirius and an astounded Dudley.
"Good, now change back" said Sirius
Within a few seconds, Sirius and Dudley saw Harry changing back to his original shape, but as soon as he was completely back to normal, he fell to the floor.
"Harry!" exclaimed Sirius as he knelt on the floor beside the crumpled form of the black haired boy, Dudley by his side.
Harry had felt himself changing back to normal, and had focused all of his energy on the transformation, but as soon as it was completed, he found that he couldn't even support his own weight from the exhaustion.
"Harry, are you ok?" asked Sirius, and Harry blearily opened his eyes and looked into the concerned blue ones above him
"Yes, just tired, and don't even say I told you so" he warned, the exhaustion evident in his voice as he allowed his eyes to close again, falling into a deep sleep within seconds.
Sighing heavily, Sirius gathered the sleeping body up in his arms and gently placed him on the bed, pulling the blankets over him before he moved the desk chair next to it and looked up to see that Dudley was still standing in the middle of the room.
"What happened to him?" he asked
"He pushed himself too far to fast, he wasn't ready to do that yet" said Sirius in an irritated tone
"Why not?" asked the blonde boy
"Yesterday was the first day he was awake for several days, he fought a dark wizard and exhausted all of his magical powers as well as physically exhausted him. It will take a while until he is back to normal" he explained as he got to his feet and pulled a thick book from Harry's trunk and opened it and started to read. "We're not going to be doing anything else today, you'd probably be bored just sitting here, but I'm going to hang around until he wakes up" said Sirius, and Dudley, sensing that that was his dismissal, left the room and shut the door soundlessly behind him. Sirius settled himself comfortably in the chair and began reading Harry's newest quidditch book while he sat protectively over his godson, berating himself constantly for thinking Harry was feeling as well as he had claimed.
It was several hours later when Harry awoke again, and after apologizing repeatedly to Sirius, the older man left to return to the school. The next two weeks were spent with Sirius as the only wizard Harry saw. They practiced day after day on the animagus transformations, and by the end of the second week, Harry was back to his former level as far as that aspect of his training was going, able to transform time after time without getting even the smallest bit tired. Every morning, he would give Sirius a letter to take to Ginny, and he would receive one from the red head as well before the lessons began, always watched intently by Dudley. When Sirius was satisfied by his progress, he informed his godson that another professor would be coming the next morning to begin his next round of lessons, though he couldn't say who it would be yet, leaving Harry anxious and the smallest bit apprehensive.
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The next morning, Harry awoke feeling refreshed and anxious for his next lesson, that is until he saw who was giving it. At ten sharp, his bedroom door opened to reveal the familiar sight of a certain sallow skinned potions master. Harry jumped to his feet from his place on the bed in surprise.
"Good morning sir" he said immediately
"Sit down Potter" was all he got in response as the tall man pulled the chair from the desk and sat across from him.
"Sir, forgive me for being rude, but I didn't think potions were going to be included in my training" he said after several minutes of awkward silence
"They're not, I am here to teach you hand to hand combat, using that sword and dagger you now own, but after what Black described happened during your first lesson with him, I am doubting that you are ready to begin just yet"
"I feel fine sir, I just get tired if I do too much magic, I'm sure I can handle physical stuff" he said quickly
"As you wish Potter, but rest assured that if you pass out, I will not be carrying you to bed and tucking you in and sitting beside you for six hours like your godfather" he said as way of warning
"Sirius stayed here that long?" Harry asked in amazement
"Yes, and he was planning on staying until you woke up but Albus summoned him back before you did" he answered curtly "Now get dressed in some proper clothing while I go into the back yard and set up some invisibility and sound proofing wards so we don't attract the muggles" he said as he got to his feet "And bring both the sword and the dagger with you" he added as he left the room.
Harry, a little nervous but anxious at the same time stood as well and went to his closet, assuming that by 'proper clothing' Snape meant robes and cloak so he dressed in just that, a pair of plain black robes and his old black cloak, not wanting the one Ginny had given him to get ruined. He then pulled his hair back away from his face to keep it out of his way and made his way down the stairs, sword in one hand and dagger in the other. He went through the kitchen and was met with the angry faces of his aunt and uncle, both who started slightly when they saw the scar on his face which until then had been concealed behind his hair during the previous weeks.
"What do you think you are doing boy?" demanded his uncle
"Going to meet my professor for my lesson" he responded in a level tone
"Now you just listen here, we agreed to allow you to continue your lessons here, but in your room where nobody else could see you, not in the back yard in clear view of all of the neighbors" he yelled
"I can't very well do this lesson in my bedroom Uncle Vernon" answered Harry as he continued to the door
"Why not?" demanded his aunt
"Because, today, professor Snape is teaching me hand to hand combat, using these" he said as he raised his weapons to show them, which they had overlooked until now
"I will not have the neighbors seeing you sword fighting in the back yard and showing off your abnormality you freak!" bellowed his uncle "And I will not have you corrupting my son any more either!" he added as an after thought
"I'm afraid you have no say in the matter Mr. Dursley" said a silken voice from the doorway
The three inhabitants in the kitchen spun around to see the potions master leaning on the door frame with his wand drawn in one hand and a long silver sword in the other, both trained to the floor at the moment but in perfect position to strike if needed. "Potter, let's get started" he said and Harry, grateful for this fight being avoided for the time being followed him outside.
"Do they always speak to you like that?" asked Snape once they were away from the house
"Yes, for as far back as I can remember, but at least they stopped making me do the chores now" he answered truthfully
"What were they talking about, what abnormality" he asked, and he was truly curious and not condescending in any way
Harry laughed for a moment before he answered the confused man "Magic, they think having magic and being a wizard is an abnormality and that this makes them better than us"
"So you have always been treated like this because you were a wizard?"
"Yes, but until I got my letter from Hogwarts I didn't know the reason they treated me so badly, they said they were trying to stamp the magic out of me" he answered and was shocked that he was being so open and honest with the man who had made the past six years of his life miserable
"You didn't even know you were a wizard until you turned eleven?" asked the man in amazement
"Nope, Hagrid told me on my birthday when he took me to Diagon Alley, until then I just thought I was a freak of some sort that lived in a cupboard" he answered
By then they had reached the middle of the backyard and were just standing and talking as old friends might do
Snape seemed slightly uncomfortable for a moment at this new revelation before he spoke again.
"What do you mean you lived in a cupboard?" he asked
"Just that, until I got my letter I lived in the cupboard under the stairs and the bedroom I'm in now was Dudley's second bedroom" he answered with a shrug of his shoulders "Not the perfect and spoiled childhood you thought it was is it?" he asked with a small smirk on his face at being able to prove the man's suspicions wrong
"No, defiantly not" answered the potions master quietly "Well, we should probably get started, I have to be back by 2:30 for a lesson" he said and the he showed Harry the basic positions for sword fighting and a few offensive and defensive moves, and by the end of the lesson, Harry was sweaty and sore, but he had a wide grin on his face and even Snape looked pleased.
They continued to practice all the basic moves for several days, but when it became obvious to the potions master that Harry could learn no more through talking and examples, he suggested they put the lessons to use with a quick contest, which Harry readily agreed to. The fight lasted only minutes before Harry had the older mans sword in his hand and trained on the man before him who was lying on the grass, clearly defeated.
"Well, it appears you are just as much of a natural with this as you were with quidditch he said as Harry gave his sword back and joined him on the grass, smiling broadly. At the mention on quidditch though, Harry's smile faded, he was going to miss the last match of the season and of his Hogwarts years, which was to be held tomorrow between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw for the house cup. He pushed those thoughts from his mind tough in favor of another subject he had been wanting to ask Snape about for several months.
"Sir, can I ask you a personal question?" he asked hesitantly and after a few moments, the man nodded "How do death eaters manage to keep the dark mark a secret from other people when it is visible?" he asked in a small voice, looking at the ground
Snape sat silent for several minutes before answering in the same quiet voice "Pretty much the same way you are doing it Harry, by always wearing long sleeved shirts and being careful"
"Is there any way to make it disappear or at least go invisible?" he asked hopefully
"No, there is no way to get rid of it or magically conceal it once you have it I'm afraid, but just remember that just because you might have the mark, you didn't take it on willingly and you don't believe in what it symbolizes" he said reassuringly "I need to go, Albus will be here tomorrow" he said as he got to his feet, Harry nodded and watched the man disappear with a pop before he laid down on the grass and fell asleep in the warm sunlight, reliving the most disturbing, depressing, and shocking conversation he had heard during his time in the cave with Voldemort and his followers.
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