Harry Potter and the Ethereal Flame
Summary: Post Ootp – 6th yr fic. Harry has had enough of others dictating his life. It is time for him to take control and prepare for his destiny! Political battles and power issues ensue as exciting happenings occur at Hogwarts. Not superpower Harry!
Author's Note: Hello everyone! I promised in my one-shot fic that I posted a few days back that I would have this story up within a week; so here it is! I am planning on updating this fic at some point between every 5-10 days, this way it gives me time to make sure that chapters are good (hopefully) and provide a reliable updating period. Anyway, onto the story, this is only the first chapter and so might be a little slow, but bear with me here…
Chapter 1: Drawing Conclusions
Relentlessly, heavy rain assaulted the houses of Surrey, England. In the smallest bedroom of number 4 Privet Drive, one young man was sat on the floor, legs crossed, staring out through his window into the night storm. A small bedside lamp was the only source of light in the enclosed space aside from the flashing lightning outside.
This young man of slight build had only recently returned from the boarding school that he attended almost year round. This might seem quite normal if it were not for the fact that the curriculum taught at said school consisted of Potions and Transfiguration to name a few.
The teenager's name was Harry. Harry James Potter really, but he would rather be just Harry. His dark locks brushed about his eyes and he distractedly shook them out of his line of view. His startling emerald green eyes were unfocused as he thought over things that no near sixteen year old rightfully should.
He had only returned from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry a mere three days ago and as of yet, his days had involved thinking, bathroom breaks and the rare spell of sleep. Plagued by nightmares and grief over the recent loss of his Godfather, Sirius, Harry had been an emotional wreck. Add to this the fact that he had been isolated from his 'world'; it is surprising that he is as collected as he is.
His thoughts drifted over his parent's death, leaving him orphaned when he was but one year old. Bitterness and resentment seemed to stir his memories and the unfairness of his life in general. Of all the things that haunted him, two particularly were at the forefront of his mind. These were the death of his caring Godfather, Sirius Black of which his death he was partly responsible for. The second was the prophesy! It was the thing that was directing his life and foretelling his fate. In a morbid way, Harry found it quite amusing that the wizarding public as a majority had turned their backs on him because he spoke the truth! If they were so weak that they could not accept what was going on around them and take a stand, then why should he fight for them?
He had been sat there for three days now, barely touching the food that his Aunt, only in blood mind, had provided him with (out of fear of Moody only) and had only really moved to visit the bathroom two or three times a day. This had given him ample time to reflect on his life and speculate on his future. Although he tried to make himself want to fight for the wizarding world, he could not. No, instead, he was going to fight for his parent's memory. He would fight for those who are innocent and for those who were innocent. He would fight for vengeance!
The young man that sat on his floor seemed to have reached some sort of decision as he sat a little straighter and his relatively handsome features were etched with a silent anger and fierce determination. His eyes, no longer unfocused, could now clearly distinguish the silhouette of three large birds flying toward his window, battling against the storm and vicious winds. If one were to look at it in an analytical way, it really was quite magnificent to see these creatures' powerful wings propel them through the harsh weather.
The arrival of these feathered beauties however, did raise some suspicion in Harry's mind. After all, Hedwig was currently sleeping contentedly, perched on the back of his chair after taking this morning's letter to the Order informing them (rather unnecessarily in his opinion) of his wellbeing. In his mind, he knew he was still being watched and so wasting parchment as requested of him by Moody (every three days) to inform them of what they already knew was pointless.
Opening the window in time for the three birds, one screech owl, one eagle owl and one magnificent phoenix to soar through the window, Harry was able to see a letter tied to each of the birds' legs. At seeing Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix, he had felt a surge of white hot anger stir within him though he had suppressed it in light of his love for his red and gold friend.
Untying the three letters from his animal guests, Harry allowed each in turn to refresh and replenish their strength with water and owl treats (which he found Fawkes had a liking for) before they all took to the storm again to return to their senders. Deciding on the letter bearing a wax seal of Gringotts Wizarding Bank, as it posed the most interest in Harry's mind; he hurriedly broke the seal and unrolled the parchment.
Mr. Potter,
I am writing to you concerning some legal processes that involve yourself and require your presence here at our London branch. In light of the dark times that are upon us, I will not say too much in this letter in regards to our business.
I have sent a letter to Mr. A Dumbledore also informing him of the meeting that needs to take place during the course of the next month. If you could, within the period of a month from now, come to our London branch, then we can deal quickly and efficiently with our business.
You do not need an appointment, just ask for myself. I thank you for your time and look forward to our meeting.
Sincerely,
Griphook
Head of Inheritance and Distribution
Gringotts, London Branch
Harry quickly reread the letter to ensure that he had not misunderstood any of its content. It was then that Harry realised that he had heard the name Griphook somewhere before. He did not have much time however to ponder this as his thoughts turned abruptly to the fact that Dumbledore seemed to play a part in every aspect of his life! To say he was angry would be a severe understatement. Harry James Potter at that moment was enraged beyond belief that Dumbledore was again keeping even more information from him.
Nevertheless, Harry reminded himself that he had also received a letter from Dumbledore and decided to read it purely intent on finding some form of explanation.
Harry,
I am writing to you concerning a many number of things. I am sure that you have received a letter from Gringotts bank and have quite a few questions. However, firstly I would like to apologise for my mistakes last year. I only hope that you can forgive me.
Firstly, Gringotts have no doubt informed you that they require your presence at some point during the next month. I have decided that a month will be sufficient enough time to spend at your home and so on your birthday, I will arrange for you to be collected. I can then personally escort you to Gringotts the following day.
Also, I have to discuss with you the matter of Sirius' funeral. We plan to hold the event at a private wizarding cemetery on the 30th of August. I know that this may be a sensitive subject for you, but I think the best we can do is honour his memory.
Until then Harry, stay safe and try not to wander too far from 4 Privet Drive as the closer to home you are, the safer you will remain.
Regards,
Albus Dumbledore
Harry didn't know where to start being angry with this letter! Dumbledore just spewed some half-assed apology and expected forgiveness? Then there was the fact that he was telling Harry what his summer would consist of and directly interfering in Harry's personal life. As it were, Dumbledore is only the Headmaster of Hogwarts, not his relative and so in Harry's opinion; he could just butt out of his life!
The there was the funeral. Sirius' funeral. That was something he definitely planned on attending!
Deciding to think on these things later, he turned to the last remaining letter. Picking it up, he noticed that the letter bore the seal of the Ministry of Magic. Thoughts rushed through his mind, speculating on what he could have done to warrant a letter from them! He really did hate them at the moment. They were incompetent, fearful, ignorant and being led by someone who could possibly be the most pig-headed man in Britain. These facts were also devouring his once dream of becoming an Auror. After all, why would he want to work for such an organisation? The fact that when he was done with Voldemort (which he was very intent on), he wasn't too sure that he would actually want to involve himself with catching 'dark' wizards. Maybe an exciting job that was a little less socially affecting?
Anyway, dispelling these thoughts with a firm shake of the head, Harry broke the seal and began to read the letter.
To Whom It May Concern:
We here at the Ministry of Magic are writing to inform the public of a dark wizard who is currently terrorising the British muggle and wizarding community. The wizard, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, also controls a group of wizards and witches by the name of Death Eaters who are highly dangerous. These are robed figures, in black, who also wear white masks.
We are alerting all wizarding homes of this danger and enclosed is a leaflet on defensive spells and precautions that should be adhered to. We thank you for your time and we ensure you that the Ministry is doing all in their power to stop this threat. Thank you for your time,
Hoping you are well,
Sincerely,
Jeremy Falkurk,
Head of Protocol,
Ministry of Magic
Harry quickly turned to the enclosed defensive leaflet and after flicking through it for a brief minute, could not hold back the burst of bitter laughter that escaped his lips at what the Ministry were distributing to the public. The leaflet consisted of 'protego' and 'expelliarmus'; none of which would really help you in a full on Death Eater attack. The sad thing though was that his duelling capability rested on these types of spells. It suddenly dawned on him, how much he needed to learn in order to seek vengeance and protect those he will. He then decided that he would have to learn like a man possessed as he needed to become powerful, no, powerful!
After throwing the letter onto the messy pile he had formed on his battered desk, courtesy of Dudley, he lay down on his hard bed, suddenly quite tired and the prospect of a nightmare was doing nothing for his mood. Thinking over his lack of knowledge concerning the wizarding world and magic in general, he figured he needed study material of which he thought Diagon Alley would be perfect. So, he needed to go to Diagon Alley (which would alone be difficult with Dumbledore's warning in the letter he just received) and he also needed to go to Gringotts (of which he had no intention of going with Dumbledore)!
Deciding he would think on how he could accomplish what he needed to do after a nights worth of sleep, Harry closed his eyes and it was with the sound of the rain still beating against his window, comforting him slightly, that he drifted off into a relatively peaceful slumber.
Author's Note: Okay. There is the first chapter. It is just to really introduce the story and get into the style and flow of the story. Anyway, let me know what you think in reviews as I would really appreciate it! As of now, I have no real set length for chapters, just however long to say what needs to be said, but all my chapters should be relatively decent lengths. Oh, I do have the story mapped out roughly, so I do have guidelines that I am following (albeit sketchily) and so suggestions are welcome. Expect the next chapter within 5-10 days – more like 5 really though (hopefully)! Review please!
Serpentine Phoenix