Waking early the next morning, Harry had a quick shower and then wandered down to the kitchen for breakfast.
"Good morning Master Harry." greeted Winky.
"Good morning Winky, I forgot to ask you yesterday how you were feeling."
"Master Harry is too kind to be thinking of poor Winky, I is feeling much better now that I have one master and his friends to serve."
"I'll be going back to Hogwarts at the end of August, but if you wish to stay here and continue looking after the order members and the house that would be much appreciated." Harry had given up trying to make the house-elves stop calling him master during the previous nights dinner, and had resigned himself to being pampered by them.
"That will not be necessary Harry" Dumbledore entered the room, "The order will be shifting its base of operations back to Hogwarts during term time. Dobby and Winky will accompany you back to school then, and will continue to serve both you and the order and aid the schools elves if they require more work to do."
Taking his seat he continued, "You and I need to finish our conversation regarding your training after breakfast, I have two different scenarios I will offer you. After last year I hesitate to make decisions on your behalf, so I will allow you to decide for yourself which path you will take."
"Thank you" Harry hesitated "Grandfather"
Dumbledore sat up, the expression on his face unreadable "Are you positive?"
"Yes, I thought about it a great deal yesterday, I am still not quite sure about how I feel about absolutely everything, but after talking with Hermione and Moony, I understand a little about what it cost you to make the decision you did, and why you did it. I haven't yet made up my mind what role I want you to have in my life yet, but I would be honoured if you would come forward on my behalf to the courts. At the very least it would allow me to continue living here, with Moony, if not with you."
"Harry, I honestly cannot express what this means to me, this has been gnawing at me for years. The number of times I had to stop myself from coming forward to both your grandmother and your father is countless. I kept reminding myself that what I was doing was for their benefit. Now I can at least begin making amends for the life you have had to lead to date. Harry I urge you to learn from my mistakes, I feel that you will play a similar role in wizarding society as I have done. Do not push away those close to you in order to protect them, allow them to decide for themselves whether they wish to be near you or not. Your friends and family are well aware of the risks, and a true friend will always stick by you. Do not be afraid to open yourself and your heart to others for fear of hurting them because all you will manage to achieve is a greater hurt to both them and you and in the long run you will find that you may not have the will to fight, if you have no-one dear to fight for."
"So what shall I call you?"
"Until we make a public announcement I would suggest you continue calling me Professor while others are around. Once it is in the public domain unless we are in a classroom situation I would like it if you called me Grandfather."
They sat in silence eating their breakfast, just looking at each other, absorbing this new bond that was developing between them. Lupin entered the kitchen a few minutes later. "Good morning Albus, your here early."
"Yes, I was just spending a little quality time with my grandson" the twinkle in his eye brighter than Harry had seen it since his first year.
"So Harry informed you of his decision then. Good"
"He has another decision to make this morning, so if you will excuse us, we will retire to the lounge while you eat your meal. I will let you know when we wish you to join us."
Entering the lounge room they sat opposite each other. "Harry, you have the potential to be an extremely powerful wizard, rivaling both myself and Voldemort in pure power alone. What has held you back up until now is your lack of motivation and a lack of passion for knowledge. Have you heard the expression knowledge is power?"
Harry nodded.
"Until the second half of last year you were just an average student" Dumbledore continued "Once you were motivated to prove Professor Umbridge wrong and began to study in earnest your marks improved dramatically in all your subjects. I have seen your OWL results, which I will keep to myself, you will have to wait the same as everybody else, and you performed exceptionally well in the majority of your subjects. What let you down in some areas was your theoretical knowledge, without understanding the basic theory behind a spell, you cannot achieve its maximum potential. Do you follow me so far?"
"I think so, what you are saying is that potentially I am far more powerful than Hermione for example, but she has less trouble than me performing most spells as she understands exactly how and why they work."
"Exactly! You are very similar to your father in that regard, it wasn't until his 6th year that he began to put the same effort he used for pranks and Quidditch into his studies. Before that, while he did well in most subjects he wasn't an exceptional student. Now Harry, you have two alternatives with regards additional training facing you. One will involve many sacrifices on your part in the short-term, the other may appear easier at first but will still have a price that you have to pay."
He paused and removed two badges from a pocket within his robes. Placing them on the coffee table infront of Harry. "Mr Weasley will not be continuing as Gryffindors 6th Year male prefect, I can not inform you as to why his badge was taken except to say that it was a combination of things. If Mr Weasley himself chooses to inform you as to why that is his decision. The Gryffindor Quidditch Captain's position is also available. Now the first option of study is that you receive advanced defense lessons from Alastor Moody for the rest of the summer. Returning to Hogwarts you will be both prefect and Quidditch captain. You will select your NEWT subjects and continue as a normal student, squeezing in extra defense lessons between your duties to both your team and your housemates as well as occlumency lessons with me."
Harry's eyes lit up picturing himself as both prefect and Quidditch captain and possibly even Head Boy, exactly as his father had done.
"Of course this option means that it may be many years before you are truly capable of defeating Voldemort. Whilst the lessons with Moody will allow you to defend yourself and escape from many situations you will not have the required knowledge and associated power that comes with it to truly defeat him."
Harry's face fell at this thought.
"The second option will require you forfeiting your place as both prefect and captain and as an extension of this you will lose the possibility of becoming Head Boy. You will spend the remainder of the summer following a study regime that I will lay out for you which will essentially be a revision of your last 5 years at Hogwarts, ensuring that you have sufficient theoretical knowledge to proceed to the next stage of the plan. Once you return to school you will take NEWT classes in Transfiguration, Charms, Potions and Defense with the rest of your year. The remainder of your timetable will be devoted to Free Studies, and this time will be spent with either myself, Professor McGonagal, Professor Flitwick, or one of the three new Defense teachers. We will be training you in advanced charms and transfiguration from a martial aspect as well as occlumency and leglimency. You will still be allowed to play Quidditch, however you may not be able to attend all training sessions, hence the loss of captaincy. If at any time however you or I feel that your studies are suffering Quidditch may have to be dropped. This regime will also contain a physical fitness element to improve both your stamina and flexibility which are essential in a dueling situation. The timetable will also include space for you to continue with the DA as an official Hogwarts club. The benefit of this plan is that you should be prepared to meet Voldemort within a few years"
"Professor, if I choose the second option, would you be able to include animagi lessons in there?"
"I believe animagi training is considered advanced transfiguration Harry and as such could be included if Professor McGonagal agrees., do you wish to follow in your father's footsteps then?" his eyes openly smiling.
"Yes, and for the same reason. Moony is all alone now, the last of the marauders. I want to do this for him to show him he isn't alone at least not while I am alive."
"A noble reason, yes I can't see why we couldn't include that in your training, providing of course that you have the capability to transform."
"Sir, I don't really need to think about this at all, as much as I would love to be Head Boy and Quidditch captain like my dad, I promised myself that I would do all I can to destroy Voldemort as quickly as I could. I will follow the schedule you lay out for me."
"Very well Harry, if you could call Professor Lupin back in here please."
"Ok, sir, before I get him who will be Prefect and Quidditch Captain now?"
"I believe Mr Longbottom has demonstrated a sufficient improvement in his skills and classes to warrant a place as a Gryffindor Prefect. I expect it may be the exact boost that he needs to raise himself to an even higher level than your DA helped him attain last year."
"And Quidditch, please tell me that Ron will at least get to be Quidditch Captain."
"Mr Weasley did himself no favours with both his attitude towards his responsibilities last year, nor his attitude towards his scholastic endeavours. Unless his school work improves dramatically this year, he may find himself without a place on the team at all. Professor McGonagal was most vexed with him, especially after she warned him at Christmas of his precarious position."
"She gave him a warning? None of us knew that."
"No, I don't think he believed her. Harry, I must seriously urge you to not allow Mr Weasley to distract you from the task at hand, ignore him if you must. Whilst your own average attempts at study until now can be blamed solely on yourself, I believe that it is the constant distractions that Mr Weasley craves that led you astray in the first place. Please take a leaf from Miss Granger's book and study first, socialise later. You will find a balance in both will reward you greatly."
"I'm confused, first you tell me not to push away my friends, then you tell me to ignore my best friend."
"Harry" Dumbledore sighed " a true test of friendship is how it survives conflicting interests. If Mr Weasley wished to devote his time to better himself rather than spending time playing chess and snap with you would you understand?"
"Well yes of course I would providing he explained to me what he was doing and didn't just fob me off."
"Exactly, so if Mr Weasley truly is your friend he will understand."
"So who will be captain then?"
"Since Miss Bell is to be Head Girl this coming year she has chosen, as you have done, to forfeit her place as captain whilst remaining on the team. Miss Weasley will become the next Gryffindor Quidditch Captain. I ask that you keep these announcements to yourself however until the others have been informed."
"Of course sir, should I fetch Moony now?"
"If you would."
Harry walked quickly out to the kitchen "Grandfather would like you to join us now please Moony"
"Righto"
After they had seated themselves comfortably Dumbledore questioned Lupin "have you informed Harry of your plans for this year yet?"
"Not yet, I was waiting for your go ahead before I did so." taking Dumbledore's nod as permission to continue he went on "Harry, I will be at Hogwarts again this year as one of your DADA teachers."
Harry leapt at him with a huge smile on his face "Fantastic!" he exclaimed giving the older man a hug. "Who are the other teachers and don't you dare say Snape?"
"Tonks will be teaching first and second years, both Tonks and I will be teaching third and fourth years together, and Alastor Moody and myself will be teaching fifth, sixth and seventh years. Tonks and Moody have been seconded to the school as security consultants, so they will spend much of their free time patrolling the school."
Dumbledore took over by saying "All three of them will be assisting with your training Harry, which brings me to my next point. Starting tomorrow, Professor Lupin will be overseeing your summer studies. Your timetable is as follows. At 6.30am you will be expected in the fitness room where you will follow a circuit of training to improve your strength and stamina. This will only be for an hour at first and will be increased when you arrive back at Hogwarts. Breakfast will be at 8am. At 9am you will begin your revision of your transfiguration work. At 10.30am you will begin Potions, Lunch will be at 12pm. Charms will begin at 1pm. Defense lessons will be at 2.30pm. From 4pm until 6pm will be time for any reading that you are required to do for the next days lessons. Dinner will be served at 6.30pm. At 7.30pm you will be having either yoga classes with Professor Lupin or occlumency lessons with myself alternating daily, with the exception of Tuesday and Friday evenings which are order meetings and which I would like to invite you to attend, and Sundays will be free days where your time is your own."
"So I'm in the order then."
"No that's not what I said, however I have promised to keep you abreast of any information that we have, you will be allowed to attend and participate in meetings, but until your training is finished you will not be allowed to become an active member of the order."
"I can accept that."
"Thank you for your consent" Dumbledore said dryly.
"So where is this training room?"
"If you would like to follow me down to the basement" Moony asked "I will show you where you need to go."
Walking out of the lounge and down to the basement, Moony stopped outside the first door. Opening it they saw what appeared to be a well stocked Potions laboratory. Walking further down the corridor they stopped outside the next door, inside appeared to be a training hall. "This room will be used for Charms, Transfiguration and Defense, the walls and floor are padded so that if you get thrown, or stunned you wont hurt yourself falling." walking a little further they got to the final door inside was a well equipped gymnasium , with a treadmill, rowing machine, exercise bike and a nautilus machine. In one corner a heavy bag and a speed ball were suspended from the roof with a skipping rope and some gloves hanging on the wall.
Dumbledore tentatively gave Harry a one armed hug, "You have made a wise and honourable decision and I am proud of you."
"Thanks Grandfather"
"Now I must be off for today, if I have an opportunity before the next order meeting I will call in, if not I shall see you at Tuesday evening's meeting." with a nod of his head "Gentlemen" he walked out.
"What do you say about spending the rest of today learning how to use each of these pieces of equipment" Lupin said pointing at the gym, "exploring the house and just generally telling stories and having fun."
"Sounds good to me" Harry grinned.
Harry went to bed early that night keen and motivated to begin training the next day. For the second night in a row he had an uninterrupted sleep.