Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and characters related to it. Harry Potter and its characters are the intellectual property of the talented J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros. Scholastic, Raincoats, and Bloomsbury books. Storyline and plot have been developed partially based on the plots, characters, and storylines of the first 5 installments of Harry Potter, The Sorcerer's Stone, The Chamber of Secrets, The Prisoner of Azkaban, The Goblet of Fire, and The Order of the Phoenix

Author's Note: I thank the reviewers who have stuck with the story so far. I hope I can live up to expectations for this chapter. Thank you for pointing out the little typos in the previous chapters, I did notice them but I haven't changed them yet. Some chapters I have made slight changes to but I have yet to correct all of them.

Chapter 15

Harry was still shivering slightly as he walked through the familiar passageway that led to the headmaster's office. It was already quite late, and Harry was unsure if the headmaster would still be awake at this hour. He wasn't even sure if he should bother Professor Dumbledore with his dream. Nevertheless, he had to tell Professor Dumbledore about the new dream he had just experienced. He had experienced enough in the past to know that he could not dismiss his dreams involving Voldemort. He had to know if the dream meant anything, or if it meant that they were in danger. He arrived at the stone gargoyles and muttered the password.

"Crazy Conker Candy," he said out loud as the gargoyles on the wall sprang to life and stepped aside for him, revealing the continuing spiral staircase beyond them.

Harry walked up the stairwell, wondering if Professor Dumbledore would still be awake. It was already quite late, and although he had managed to see the headmaster in the past year when he had dreamt about Mr. Weasley being attacked, he wasn't all too sure if the headmaster kept late hours at all times. He arrived at the oak door which led to the headmaster's room. There were no sounds coming from behind the door as he rapped on the door with the brass griffin shaped knocker which hung on the door.

Harry waited for the doors to open. There was no reaction for a while, and he was thinking that he shouldn't be disturbing the headmaster at this hour when the doors suddenly opened, making him jump a little. Harry walked into the now familiar headmaster's office to see Professor Dumbledore sitting behind his desk smiling at him. He was wearing dark blue robes with crescent moons embroidered all over the material. Fawkes was perched behind Professor Dumbledore. The beautiful Phoenix which Harry had first laid eyes on in his second year was apparently sleeping. The sight of the Headmaster and the Phoenix were surprisingly calming to Harry's nerves as he spoke to Professor Dumbledore.

"I'm sorry to disturb you at this hour professor. I wasn't even too sure if I should have come to see you at this hour," said Harry as he walked towards the headmaster's table, the sounds of snoring echoing softly around the room. They were coming from the portraits of the former headmasters of Hogwarts, which were very useful to the current headmaster, as Harry had found out the previous year.

"It's alright Harry. You will find that as you grow older, it becomes more difficult to sleep for too many hours. I am normally still awake at this hour and you do not have to worry about having disturbed me," said the Headmaster in his usual calm tone as he beckoned for Harry to take a seat.

"Is something troubling you Harry?"

"Well….it's like this professor," said Harry as he went on to explain about the dream he had just experienced, about Voldemort talking to Wormtail about a plan, about reclaiming something that was rightfully his, and the black orb that Voldemort was holding.

Professor Dumbledore was silent for a moment. He seemed to be looking intently at Harry, something which he did not do the previous year. Harry was relieved that the Headmaster no longer avoided his eyes as he did the previous year. Professor Dumbledore stood up and walked around the room for a moment. He seemed to be deep in thought before he spoke,

"Was this dream the same as the ones you experienced last year?" he asked, referring to the dreams that Harry had had the previous year when he had seen things through Voldemort's eyes.

Harry shook his head.

"It was more like, I was there, in the same room as Voldemort and Wormtail," he said.

Professor Dumbledore seemed to be thinking again. After a while he looked at Harry again and asked, "And this black orb you say Voldemort was holding, could you describe it?"

Harry thought about the orb for a while. He tried to picture it in his mind as he had seen it in his dreams.

"It looked like it was made of glass, yet it was so black that it could have just as easily be made out of pure marble," he said as he tried to recall. "It was also glowing faintly."

Professor Dumbledore had returned to his seat as Harry finished describing the orb, he didn't ask anything else about the orb. The headmaster still looked as calm and old as he always was, which to Harry, was a great relief. If Professor Dumbledore was remaining calm then there usually was nothing to worry about.

"What could it have meant, Professor?" asked Harry.

"I can only guess, Harry. I'm afraid I do not have all the answers," said Professor Dumbledore quietly. "It appears that Voldemort might carry out his ambitions towards the wizarding world a little sooner than expected. From what you have told me Harry, his preparations for a second war are nearing completion."

Surprisingly, Harry was neither worried nor concerned about what the Headmaster had to tell him. Normally, he would have expected to feel anxious, or to feel troubled that the most powerful Dark Wizard the world has ever known was ready to strike soon. It must have had something to do with the calm old wizard sitting in front of him. Albus Dumbledore, probably the greatest wizard the world had ever seen, besides maybe Merlin himself. He was sitting there looking as calm as the gentle sea during a low tide. Harry grinned slightly.

"You've already made preparations for this professor, haven't you?" asked Harry. He had a feeling that the preparations that had been mentioned by Remus and Professor Abe had something to do with what Voldemort was planning.

Professor Dumbledore smiled. "Intelligence has provided the Order with enough knowledge to be ready for whatever Voldemort has been planning. We have taken the necessary precautions and hopefully, we can buy some time for ourselves by slowing or interfering with his plans," said the headmaster calmly. "Yes, I have been making some preparations for the battle ahead, with the help of Order members and my brother of course."

"The ministry, under the leadership of Cornelius Fudge…" continued Professor Dumbledore, "are relatively inexperienced in handling matters of tremendous pressure. Sometimes it is best that matters are taken in our own hands," he said with a wink.

"But professor, won't we need the ministry's help to fight Voldemort?" asked Harry slightly confused.

"Yes Harry, you are right. We will indeed require the aid of the ministry if we are to fight Voldemort. I have said this before. We are only as strong as we are united. I am sure that you have heard of the chaos that is currently within the ministry. It seems that the ministry is at a loss and is confused if not unsure of how to deal with Voldemort. By the time they get their act together, I'm afraid it may be too late," said Professor Dumbledore, who still said this calmly yet there was a slight tone of urgency in his voice.

"There are members within the ministry however, that have realised the urgency in which we have to 'get our act together' so to speak. Individuals like Mafalda Hopkirk, whom I'm sure you have met during your brief stay at headquarters, have been willing to aid the Order directly."

Harry was relieved to know that the headmaster had already been making preparations to face Voldemort all this while. The old wizard's seemingly undying resolve did a lot to calm Harry's nerves and assure him that they were not in danger yet. Harry understood why Hagrid had said that they had nothing to worry about as long as Dumbledore was around.

"I must urge you Harry, and I'm sure you already know this and have heard this countless times, but work hard in the extra classes you have been receiving. The knowledge you gain with your professors will be invaluable to you in the future," said Professor Dumbledore sagely.

"I know that you are prepared to face what you have to do, but rest assured Harry, I will do anything and everything I can to think of to find another way to deal with Voldemort. If there is a chance that he can be defeated by any other means, we will try it," said Professor Dumbledore reassuringly.

Harry was heartened by what Professor Dumbledore had just told him. Yet, he felt that he should tell Professor Dumbledore that he was willing to face the challenge. That he knew what he had to do and was prepared to face it. He couldn't quite find the words to say all this out loud though, and he merely nodded his head. There was one thing however, that was disturbing him greatly, especially after the dream he had.

"Professor, is it possible that Voldemort will try and mislead me again……..," asked Harry as he had to swallow before he finished his sentence, "like he did last time?"

Professor Dumbledore looked through his half moon glasses at Harry. "I doubt that Voldemort will be able to influence you that way again Harry," he said. "Unless I'm mistaken, prior to tonight, your scar hasn't been hurting as often or at all since the events of last year?"

Harry hadn't thought about his scar. The throbbing pain in his scar had been so constant in the past 2 years that at times he was able to ignore it completely. He hadn't realised that he had not felt any pain in his forehead since….

"Since Sirius died," muttered Harry. "What does that mean professor?" he asked. The look on Professor Dumbledore's face had depicted a kind of emotion that Harry was hard to make out. It was somewhere between the look of kindness and sadness.

"Harry, do you remember, back in your first year, when I told you about the love your mother gave you when she died protecting you? Do you remember when I told you that the one thing that Voldemort did not understand was love?"

Harry nodded.

"Harry, when Voldemort possessed you in the Department of Mysteries last year, he had wanted me to kill you, hoping that I would do so in the hope of destroying him as well. I know you don't want to think of it, but I need you to relive that moment for a while for you to understand. Could you describe your emotions at that time?" he asked.

Harry didn't want to think about that moment in the Department of Mysteries, but he closed his eyes to think of that moment when Voldemort had caused him great pain when he was possessed for that short period of time.

"I wanted the pain to end," he said looking up. "I wanted you to kill me, to end the pain. I wanted to be with Sirius again," he said sadly.

"You wanted to be with Sirius again Harry," said Professor Dumbledore. "You had just lost the man you had come to love as a surrogate father and a brother to you in a way. I know it is difficult for you to think of it again, but, I expect that at that very moment you were experiencing the feelings of incredible grief and mourning at the loss of someone who was so dear to you."

Harry could feel his eyes burning again when he relived how he felt that night in his mind, when Sirius was killed. He had already talked about all this at the end of last year. Why did Dumbledore have to bring it up again? What did that have to do with anything? He couldn't open his mouth to say anything, instead he just nodded silently.

"Harry, Voldemort could no longer possess you that night as you were feeling all those emotions which he does not understand and cannot bear to feel. It must have pained him greatly to have shared the mind of someone who had that much love in his heart at that very moment. In a way Harry, Sirius's death had benefited you in a way. Your grief Harry, your love for your late godfather, your sorrow for losing someone you loved so much, has become your shield against Voldemort's attempts to control your mind. I believe, that he is unable to control you due to the feelings you have which he despises most," explained Professor Dumbledore.

Harry understood what Dumbledore had said, but in his heart he was only listening half-heartedly. He was fighting back the feelings of grief and longing for Sirius to concentrate on the state of mind he should be in to face Voldemort. Dumbledore had just told him that Voldemort was ready to wage the second war. He couldn't let despair take over him. He couldn't let his sorrow drown him into being useless. He had to face Voldemort. He had to repay all the sadness that Voldemort had caused. He had to kill Voldemort, one way or the other.

Harry and Dumbledore merely sat there in silence. After a short moment, Dumbledore spoke again.

"I think it is best that you go back to bed Harry," said Professor Dumbledore. "For the mean time, try not to worry about anything outside of Hogwarts if you can. Work hard with Professors McGonogall and Flitwick, and Professor Abe when the time comes. I will write to Kingsley Shacklebolt. He needs to be informed that Voldemort may take action sooner than has been anticipated and that he will have to be on guard at all times."

Harry stood up and nodded in silence. He turned to leave the Headmaster's room when he thought of something else that he wanted to ask.

"Er.. Professor,"

"Yes Harry?" asked Professor Dumbledore, looking up from the piece of parchment he was writing.

"You mentioned that you would be teaching me some 'extra classes' as well. Are we going to start anytime soon?" asked Harry.

"Ahh yes Harry. You will be having some extra lessons with me. But at the moment, learn what you can from Professor McGonogall and Professor Flitwick first. I will inform you about our lessons when the time comes," said Professor Dumbledore.

Harry nodded and turned to leave.

"Oh and Harry," called Professor Dumbledore. Harry turned around to see what it was that the headmaster wanted.

"Congratulations on being made captain of the Gryffindor Team," said Professor Dumbledore smiling, his eyes twinkling behind the half moon glasses.

Harry smiled and thanked the Headmaster, bidding him goodnight.