Harry Potter, Heir of Gryffindor

Complications

The next morning there was a crowd around the bulletin board in the Gryffindor common room as the notice had gone up over night that quidditch tryouts were going to be held on Saturday and, to Harry's surprise, Neville was among them.

Harry and Ginny were visiting at the breakfast table a few minutes later, Harry listening while Ginny told him about some of the pranks Fred and George had pulled on her and Ron as children, when Neville stepped over the bench and sat down next to Harry. "Hey, Neville," Hermione said from across the table.

"Hey," Neville said, a bit too preoccupied to give a proper response.

"So, are you going to try out for the team?" Hermione asked encouragingly.

Neville blushed slightly and said, "Yeah, I think I might. The notice says they are going to be filling three Chaser slots and two Beater positions on the main team and that they are going to be fielding an entire reserve team this year. I thought I would try out for a Beater position on the reserve team."

Harry and Ron looked at Neville in surprise. "What?" Neville said defensivly. "I'm a pretty fair flyer you know and I have been practicing."

Harry smiled and said, "I think it's a great idea, Neville."

"Yeah," Ron added, catching on to the idea of encouraging Neville to come out of his shell, "I think it's brilliant."

"Yeah," Neville said, threatening to slip into a mild depression, "but do you think anyone will notice?" he asked, quickly glancing over his shoulder towards the Ravenclaw table where Luna was chatting merrily with some of her friends.

Hermione caught this action and tried to reassure him by saying, "People will notice, Neville." she said. "The right people will notice." She then glanced at Ginny and gave her a meaningful look as if trying to communicate the idea that they needed to talk.

In Divination that morning Firenze, Ron, Harry and Neville discussed what they had read. When Ron complained that he didn't understand where all of their reading was getting them Firenze explained that since they would be going up against an opponent in a life and death struggle for survival and that there would most likely not be any rematches the most important thing they could do before the match began was come to an understanding of their opponent's abilities and how Voldemort thinks and that the best way they could do this would be to study and learn everything they could about him: his history, how he thinks, how he acts, his strengths, his weaknesses, his powers and abilities and even how he treats his subordinates. When this was made clear a determined gleam came into Ron's eye and he said, "Alright then. Let's get busy. If I'm only going to be allowed one chance at this guy I want to make sure I win."

At this Harry and Neville snickered and Firenze said, "I thought you might take that approach, Ronald Weasley," while struggling to suppress some laughter of his own.

At 6:55 that evening, as Harry approached the Headmaster's Office, no one was around and he was still several meters from his destination when he glanced up at the sound of the gargoyle moving aside. Expecting someone to descend the stairs he waited at the bottom of the steps for several seconds, listening and waiting. But when no one came down after almost a minute he cautiously mounted the steps and rode the revolving escalator up to the landing just outside the office door. Tentatively knocking on the heavy wooden door he waited for the familiar, "Come in!"

When it came he pushed the door open and walked into the Headmaster's Office. Looking around he saw that Albus was the only one present. "Er, Albus?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yes, Harry?"

"Uh, when I was approaching your office just now the gargoyle swung aside before I reached it and I didn't use the password you gave me. I thought someone was coming out but no one did. What's going on?"

Dumbledore peered curiously over his half-moon spectacles at Harry, his twinkle in full force, for several seconds then said, "Tell me Harry, have you had any other . . . interesting experiences, with the portraits perhaps, since you placed Godric's ring on your finger?"

Harry scowled and told Albus about his encounter with the Fat Lady and the numerous other encounters he had had with portraits treating him as though he were some kind of royalty and ended by saying, "I mean it's nice and all but after a while it starts to get on your nerves."

Dumbledore chuckled softly to himself then said, "I am afraid that is something you are going to have to learn to live with, Harry. You see, Godric Gryffindor's magic was so interwoven with the magic of Hogwarts that once you placed that ring on your finger and it became a part of you, the castle naturally woke up and began to recognize its master. This castle is as much a part of you as you are a part of it. While you are here you will be able to draw from its power to supplement your own in times of need. And I have my suspicions that you will begin to notice other changes as well. For example, you may suddenly find that the stairways and halls will give you the most direct route to your destinations. You may also find that the suits of armor will come to attention as you pass."

Harry scowled and groaned. "Oh, great. That's all I need, an entire castle responding to my magic."

Albus chuckled. "Ah, but, Harry, it could prove very useful if, for example, you want to get somewhere in a hurry or if you simply wish to be alone for a while. This castle holds many secrets and even I do not know them all.

"But tell me, what else have you noticed that seems to be different since your Maturo Auctus?"

Sitting down in one of the chince chairs across from the Headmaster Harry thought for a moment then said, "Well, aside from the wandless and wordless magic, my increased abilities at Occlumency and Legilimens and my increased and in-depth understanding of all of my subjects I somehow seem to be able to sense people's emotions, at least when they are directed at me."

Albus, who had been watching Harry intently while gazing contentedly over his steepled fingers, sat silently gazing at Harry for several seconds, his eyes seeming to glaze over as though recalling his own Maturo Auctus training. "Ah, yes," he finally said as he lowered his hands and sat back in his chair. "You have begun to tap into the Ethereal, Harry. The Ethereal is the magic of pure thought and pure emotion. Your wandless magic is another manifestation of this ability. It is another one of those obscure branches of magic that is very seldom studied. There are a few of us, however, who have studied it and are proficient enough at it to be able to teach the basics and set you on the path of discovery. We will start with this and I will help you, as this is something I use quite regularly to keep track of the goings on at Hogwarts. From what you told us the other night, however, I believe there may be a few other branches of magic you would like some specialized training in as well. Is this correct?"

Harry thought for a moment then said, "Yes, Albus, there are. I'm pretty sure I understand the theory behind the animagus transformation and I'm fairly certain I can brew the potion but I would like to sit down with Minerva sometime to discus it in detail to make sure I have got it right. Another branch of magic I would like to study in some depth are the metamorphmagus abilities I studied and supposedly have. I don't know how good they are but I would like to find out."

Albus rocked back in his chair and folded his hands in his lap. After a few seconds of seeming to study the ceiling he said, "Yes. I believe Minerva and Miss Tonks would be more than happy to help you with these matters. Is there anything else?"

Harry thought for a moment then said, "Is there any way I can get rid of these glasses? I mean, if I'm going to have to go up against Tom in the final battle I don't want to be blind if I lose my glasses."

Albus leaned forward and, resting his elbows on his desk, steepled his fingers, gazing pensively into Harry's eyes. "A reasonable request," he finally said after several seconds had passed in silence. "I will look into it. The muggles, of course, have something called contact lenses but I have a feeling you are looking for something much more permanent than that."

Harry nodded his head. "If there is a permanent solution, Albus, I would be more than willing to pay for it."

"I'm sure you would, Harry," the old man said as he stood up and began walking around to stand in front of his desk. "You are much more dedicated to our cause than even I could have hoped. I will talk to the ophthalmologists at Saint Mungo's and see what, if anything, they might have that could prove either useful or beneficial to our cause." Turning around to face Harry and leaning back on his desk Albus said, "Now, Harry, are you ready to begin your training in Ethereal Magic?"

Harry nodded his head.

Placing his hands on the desk behind him the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry silently bowed his head and closed his eyes in thought for several seconds before suddenly opening his eyes, raising his head and gazing into Harry's eyes in what Harry had come to recognize as the old wizard's teaching mode. "Ethereal Magic," Professor Dumbledore began, "is an obscure branch of magic which deals, primarily, with the expansion of one's conscious awareness through meditation and something the muggles call self-hypnosis. Ethereal Magic is, by and large, undetectable and exists outside of and beyond most of what are considered to be the Physical Laws of Magic. It has been theorized that nothing is impossible for the Master of Ethereal Magic but that is little more than theory. Theory and practice, however, are two different things. I will not tell you that anything is impossible when working with Ethereal Magic because I quite simply do not know.

"For tonight's lesson I will be introducing you to the wonders of expanded awareness, Harry. So if you could do me the favor of slipping into a light meditative state, similar to the states you achieved this past summer while learning Occlumency, we will begin and I will guide you through these initial exercises."

Nodding his head Harry relaxed into the cushions of the chair he was sitting in and closed his eyes.

With all of the practice he had been doing it didn't take him long to reach the desired state of mind and begin focusing upon his magical core. Then, almost as though a mist was rising, or a veil was being lifted, he became aware of the entirety of the Headmaster's Office. He could see and was aware of everything. He saw himself sitting in the chince armchair. He could see Albus standing in front of his desk and could hear him talking. The words weren't making much sense but he could hear them.

Next his attention was directed towards a piece of parchment on the headmaster's desk and he found himself reading and memorizing a list of Ethereal Magic Exercises he should be doing on a regular basis. These exercises included continually expanding his awareness to ever increasing ranges; focusing his attention upon one or more area's of interest; recognizing thought patters and magical signatures so that he could seek them out and find them at later dates and in subsequent sessions; listening to, hearing and remembering everything he heard; memorizing charts and data for later transfer to parchment; and setting internal alarms so that his body could rest while he was out exploring the world and so that he would return to a thoroughly rested body at a given time.

The last thing he did before returning to his body was, to his utter amazement, pick up the parchment and turn it around. When he finally did return to his body and opened his eyes Albus was smiling down at him and his eyes were both twinkling and brimming with tears of joy. "Wonderful, Harry! Simply wonderful! It took me almost a week to get that far! I can see that this is going to be an interesting year. I would not be surprised if your ethereal abilities far surpass my own by the end of the year. Indeed, I would be surprised if they do not."

Harry blushed slightly, at a loss for words, as he stood up. What he had just experienced was far beyond anything he had ever thought possible and yet he had done it. He had left his body, experienced an expanded form of consciousness, read a piece of parchment, turned that parchment around and then returned to his body. It seemed amazing and almost impossible and yet he had done it.

Several minutes later, a book on Ethereal Magic in hand, Harry was walking past a suit of armor on his way back to the Gryffindor Common Room when it suddenly snapped to attention. He looked at it and scowled then realized that all of the other suits of armor were snapping to attention as well. Glaring at the original suit of armor he said, "At ease, soldier." When that one suit of armor returned to parade rest but all of the others remained at attention he let out an exasperated sigh then shouted, "All of you! AT EASE!"