Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot...
Life for the boy-who-lived was no different than the first 16 years of his life. It was 3 days before his 17th birthday, and he was awake that night doing his summer potions assignment. He sat thinking about the essay he was supposed to be writing. 12 feet of parchment for Snape on "Why I need Potions to Become an Auror." As if he didn't already know the answer, he was debating if he should put in the Polyjuice Potion. Snape had informed them about the potion in their second year, but they actually wouldn't be studying it till their 7th year. Harry's N.E.W.T. potions class had been assigned the essay "Why I Need Potions to Become a..." As Snape "kindly" snarled at the class while giving some students deadly glares...specifically Harry, "the profession you would like to have after you graduate, hopefully not something stupid." Snape had no idea that Harry wanted to become an Auror. Harry preferred that Snape didn't know for apparent reasons. But he had to write the essay so that he could pass the course. If Snape even bothered to read it, he would think it was a bunch of shit.
It had taken Harry a week to finally put the title on the piece of parchment. He started his essay with, "An Auror is a witch or wizard that tracks down Death Eaters and other dark wizards and brings them to justice."
He had paused after the first few sentences. He thought about all his classmates who would also be writing this essay this summer. Harry smirked when he thought about Draco Malfoy's essay, which was most likely was titled "Why I Need Potions to Become a Death Eater." The Weasley twins, Fred and George who were two years older than him, had they taken the N.E.W.T. potions course would have aced it if Snape didn't teach it, hate Gryffindors, or anyone associated with a certain Harry Potter. Their joke shop was definitely no joke about their knowledge. Their crazy inventions earned them so much money that they had bought Ron and Ginny new school supplies. As his mind came back to his essay, he thought about all he had done since his first year at Hogwarts that could be used in the essay. When he had gone through the trapdoor in his first year, he came to Snape's contribution to the protection of the Sorcerer's Stone (Philosopher's...whatever...same difference). The poison, wine, and the potions, that would allow you to cross the fires. He had safely crossed to the other side and kept the stone from falling into the evil clutches of Voldemort. However, Hermione had helped him with it (okay, hell she figured out the entire thing...) but that would probably be something that would be useful to know. He could put it in because Snape obviously had to know that he crossed the fires in order to stop Quirell form taking the stone and giving it to his master. (A/N: yes that is in the 1st book in chapter 16 called "Through the Trapdoor"...ok it was logic not potions...same difference). Concluding from that experience, you obviously had to successfully identify potions as an Auror as well, right? Then there was of course his second year when he illegally took the Polyjuice Potion to intrude into his archenemy, Draco Malfoy's, life. He most definitely couldn't put that into his essay, but there had to be something about the potions that could be put in and explained. Then as he later learned about Veritaserum, the truth potion, in his fourth year, he also included that in his essay. The frustration over the Polyjuice Potion issue was so overwhelming that he finally decided to owl Hermione. She would know what they were taught in their second year she kept all the notes that she took in class over the past six or so years, and she always paid attention in class. Being that that year and potions, Harry didn't give a damn about it so he had absolutely no clue as to what his classmates were taught.
Hermione,
I need help on my potions essay, should I put the Polyjuice Potion in it?
I'm not sure b/c of 2nd year. I know too much about it.
-Harry
Harry then turned to Hedwig, his owl. He stood up and unlatched the cage. Hedwig hoped out and stuck out her leg knowing very well this was an emergency.
As he was tying the letter to her leg, he said, "Take this to Hermione, and be sure she sends a helpful answer back, okay?"
Hedwig cocked her head and nodded. She had watched Harry work studiously ever night this summer trying to accomplish the task of writing the essay for Snape. He had stayed up long and late for several nights working.
Harry gave Hedwig an owl treat, knowing perfectly that she understood, and opened the window and watched Hedwig fly off into the dark night sky. He sat down on his bed and continued to stare off into the night sky. He remembered the night when he ran away from the Dursley's and saw his godfather, Sirius Black, for the first time. His face clouded over with the reminiscence of the night at the Department of Ministries in the Ministry of Magic where Sirius had died. Harry recalled how a part of him died after the incident. He had wanted to pass through the veil in hopes of saving his godfather, the only person that was the "real" family he had left; Remus Lupin had held him back. Harry had hoped that Sirius hadn't really "died." But from what Nearly Headless Nick had told him, once your behind the veil, your behind it and can't come back. Harry always thought perhaps if he had known about the veil, he would have crossed it as well so that he could be united with his godfather, parents, and family that he never knew. Harry knew Sirius didn't "die," his godfather just couldn't cross the veil and come back. He hadn't been killed by Beatrix either because it wasn't the killing curse otherwise there would have been a blinding neon green flash that was absent from Sirius's "death."
However, ever since the prophecy was given to him by Dumbledore, Harry fully understood why he couldn't have gone. If he left the wizarding world behind, forever, there would no longer be an existing human who had the potential of destroying Voldemort. With no one to get rid of Voldemort, the world would be in deep shit because then Voldemort would take over the world and last time Harry checked that would be a definite unimaginable catastrophe. Voldemort had to be gotten rid of in Harry's lifetime because Voldemort was already immortal to certain measures and if Harry died the problem once again remained. Because of Fawkes's feather, tail feather to be exact, was in both of their wands, Harry could not use his own wand in a direct dual to defeat the Dark Lord. Harry had spent many nights that summer thinking about this over and over and over again. He thought about how he would no longer be under the protection of Dumbledore at Hogwarts after the end of his final year. Defeating Voldemort would come with increasingly more difficulty after the safety departed from Harry.
His mind soon wondered off to the people who supported him. The adults in the Order, his friends, and the Ministry of Magic. They were all behind him a hundred per cent, but they would never let him do the job on his own. The Order was way to overprotective, and well, Ron and Hermione were too cautious protective as well, and then the Ministry had no clue about the prophecy; therefore they thought they could handle the situation themselves and get rid of Voldemort without Harry interfering. Then Harry's mind went back to Sirius again. He wondered over to his trunk and dug out the mirror that Sirius had given him before he died. Harry had repaired it with a simple "Reparo" last year. Sirius had always been protective of Harry, but he still had a wild side. He knew what Harry's limits were and always supported Harry even during his all time lows. He hardly ever said no to any of Harry's ideas. Harry knew Sirius would let him fight Voldemort if he [Sirius] was still alive. Harry leaned back against his pillow and thought about all the great times he had with Sirius, two very short years. He wished that there had to be a way that Sirius could come back, he wished perhaps Sirius did have his mirror with him, he wished that he could at least see and speak to his godfather one last lime, at least to bid farewell.
Sleep soon rushed over him, the potions essay long forgotten. The moon shone through Harry's open window and illuminated his lightning bolt scar on his forehead; a breeze rushed past him and rumpled his hair. It felt as if a spirit, a guardian, had come to protect him.
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A/N: I'm sorry if any of you don't like it...but then on the other hand I luv all the ppl who review cuz then I can make mai fic soo much better...umm ppl were complaining that the chapters for "A Heart for the Heartless" were too short...well I hope this ch. wasn't too long or short...btw Liney don't do what u di on the other fic...soo for those of u who will r/r the is a button a the bottom of the page that says "go" click and type ur review plz...if ur worried if I'm the sensitive kind of person...i am in real lyf (just ask Fire Phoenix and Weasel Girl, Misao)...but I can take "constructive criticism" soo I can become a better writer