Sunday – 18 August – 6:00 AM – Hogwarts
Harry got up early on Sunday and went out for his morning run. After he got back to the castle and had showered, he went down for breakfast. Minerva greeted him, telling him that she had seen him out running, and that she was glad to have him here as a teacher.
She offered to teach him to apparate that morning if he had no other plans. "It would be easier if you got your license before school started." He'd read the text that he had been asked to purchase, and with Hermione's help believed that he understood the theory.
They walked to Hogsmeade and visited on the way. When they got to Hogsmeade station which was deserted at that time of day, Minerva asked Harry to stop. "Harry, I want you to picture yourself over there," she said pointing to a spot twenty feet away. Harry thought about that spot. Nothing happened. He thought harder about that spot. Nothing happened. He thought about standing in that spot. For a split second, he felt warm, then Pop, he found himself standing in that spot.
"Remarkable," said Minerva. "Most seventh years stand here the entire hour on their first lesson and get nothing more than tired feet. If you feel up to it, project yourself back here." Before the words had fallen silent, pop, Harry was standing two feet from her. Like flying, he had found something that he could do effortlessly.
"Can you do it again?"
With only the tiniest of pops, Harry reappeared on the other side of the station. Ten seconds later he was standing next to her, again reappearing almost without a sound.
"Have a biscuit," she commanded, pulling a small tin out of her bag. Remembering the last time that she'd told him to have a biscuit, Harry smiled at her, and gladly accepted the cookie from her outstretched had. "Are you tired?" she asked.
"Thank you…Not a bit. Am I supposed to be?"
"Not necessarily. Everyone is different. A very few come to it naturally. Most can get it with enough work, while about a fourth never master it."
After a minute, she asked, "Can you picture yourself standing outside the Three Broomsticks? Wait a few seconds. I'll meet you there." She apparated across the street from the pub and turned around to watch for him. Without a sound, he appeared outside the doorway. "Brilliant," she said. "Are you thirsty, or should we go back?"
"I'd be happy to buy you a beverage." Harry smiled at her. He had developed a handsome facial expression to go along with his brilliant green eyes.
She gave him an honest smile and replied, "I'd be delighted, Harry."
He held the door open for her.
"Good morning, Minerva, Mr. Potter." It was Rosmerta. "What can I get for you on this fine day?"
Harry spoke. "Two butterbeers, Rosmerta, and please it's Harry. Just Harry."
Minerva marveled at his accomplishment. When she had said that apparation came naturally to a few, she was referring to fractions of a percentage point, not one in five. She had learned over the years, that Harry generally could do things if he didn't already believe that he couldn't do them. She began to question to herself, was she looking at a sixteen year old future hit-wizard, or a future Dumbledore?
"Harry, how far did you get in your studies over the holiday?"
"Not as far as I wanted. I ended up spending a lot of time at the ministry. Between the depositions, the hospital visits, and the trials, I kind of got distracted. I didn't finish potions."
"Did you get to the section on wandless levitation?" There was no section on wandless levitation.
"I don't think so. Sorry."
"No worries. Perhaps I forgot to send the book. It's not hard really." She took her tin of biscuits out of her bag and gave a quick look around. The pub was deserted, and Rosmerta had gone back into the kitchen to get something. She set the tin down on the tabletop. "Hold your finger out. Point it like your wand, and softly say the incantation to hover the tin six inches in the air."
Harry pointed his finger, giving it the 'Swish and Flick' movement that Flitwick had so carefully taught them years ago. The tin rose just as she had directed. She held out her hand, palm up. Harry gave his finger another wave, and the tin found its way onto her outstretched hand! He beamed at her, his emerald eyes twinkling.
She looked at him carefully, smiled slightly and said, "I knew that you wouldn't have any problem with it. I'm sorry that I forgot to send the book."
"No problem. Would you like another butterbeer?"
"No. Thank you, Harry. Why don't you bring a few back with you?"
"Good idea." He bought a case from Madam Rosmerta, and paid their bill.
"Okay. For extra practice, why don't you levitate them back to Hogwarts as we walk along." For good measure, she quietly put an unbreakable charm on the bottles when he wasn't looking. For fifteen minutes he levitated the wooden case in front of him as they walked. They were nearly to the castle when Harry mentioned that he was getting tired.
"Just set them down, dear." The case lowered itself to the ground. She spent a minute talking with him about the potential Quidditch players on the different house teams and their prospects.
"Are you ready to continue, or would you rather just carry them?"
"I can manage." He waved his hand again and the bottles floated a few feet in front of them. He set them down at the castle steps. "Maybe I should just carry them from here."
Pop. Dobby appeared. "Harry Potter sir. I will help you." Dobby hugged Harry, picked up the case (which seemed almost as big as he was) and with another pop, disappeared.
"Perhaps you want to finish unpacking, Harry. We can resume our review at one in my classroom." She pointed him to the staff quarters.
She made her way to Dumbledore's office. "Good morning Minerva, you seem flushed. Is everything all right?"
She sat down and took off her hat. "I've had quite a shock this morning, Albus. I took Harry to Hogsmeade station to talk with him, and see if he might get some kind of a start with apparation. He mastered it on his first try. By his third attempt, he could do it quieter than I can."
Dumbledore looked at her over his glasses. "Really? That's good news. You might use the rest of the holiday to teach him something else."
She held her gaze on him. "I'm not finished. We stopped in the Three Broomsticks to have a butterbeer and say hello to Rosmerta. I pulled out my tin of biscuits and he could wandlessly levitate them."
"Extraordinary. How long could he keep them floating?"
"That's the point. Without any effort, he floated the tin right into my hand. I had him purchase a case of butterbeer bottles, and he floated them to within a hundred yards of the castle steps as we walked along holding a conversation. I've only seen a handful of people who could do it at all, let alone as casually as if they were walking a dog. He must have had them afloat for twenty minutes."
"Really? Does he know the rarity of that ability?"
"No. I mentioned doing it in passing after he had mastered the apparation so quickly. I told him that I must have neglected to send him the text over the holiday."
"Was he exhausted afterwards?"
"I don't think so. I suggested that he go back to his room to finish unpacking."
"I'll find a reason to go see him in a few minutes. Did he mention being able to do anything else?"
"He said that he hadn't finished his potions work. I now take that to mean that he believes that he got through the sixth year work in the other courses."
"He may have. I believe that he had conjured two rather nice wooden chairs last night. When did you tell him that you would resume?"
"In an hour and a half."
"Minerva, perhaps you could test him on conjuring objects of varying textures and densities. He did not vanish them last night. I think I' will have a look to see if they are still there. Would you care to join me?"
"Certainly."
They walked up to the astronomy tower. The chairs were still there. It was quite unusual that a conjured object would last more than a few hours. It was all but unheard of from a student. They still looked show room new, with the proper texture.
Minerva spoke. "I wonder if he owns furniture like this, or simply imagined them?"
"I'm not sure, but I think I will set these in one of the unused classrooms, to see how long they would last."
"You're sure that he did not transfigure them from something?"
"No. I'm not positive, but it is unlikely that he found anything to use. It was dark when he went up here to have a conversation with Miss Tonks."
Minerva looked at him sharply.
"She was fishing and he was not drawn to the bait. When I arrived, she was extolling his qualities as a gentleman. Miss Granger has nothing to worry about. Amelia granted him a Use of Magic license about a month ago. I should ask Remus what it is that they practiced. If you have the opportunity this afternoon, try the ice bucket test. It is NEWT level, but he might be able to get it. I'll contact Smith at the apparation board and let Amelia know that he is ready to pass his exam, and take him over tomorrow."
"He's certainly turned into a handsome young man. Knowingly or not, he flashed me a smile this morning that would have had half the witches in the school waving their knickers at him. That and word of his wealth is bound to slip out at some point. That leaves him good looking, charming, famous, amazingly talented, and now he's fabulously wealthy too. I wish I had a granddaughter to set him up with."
"Amelia may have that in mind herself. I don't think he has any idea about his true wealth. Somehow he found out about his parent's estate over the summer. He asked and I mentioned the existence of the Potter family estate in general terms. I do not believe that he will take advantage of anyone. It is not in his nature. Besides, I am certain that Miss Granger will do what she can to dissuade any overly aggressive young witches. He furnished his flat quite modestly and with exceptional taste."
At one, Harry entered McGonagall's classroom with his various books in his bag. She went through some OWL level review. He did everything very satisfactory. Some of the difference was in interpretation. She asked him to change a rock into a plate. He made a serving platter, she had in mind a dinner plate. It was obvious that he had mastered it on an everyday use basis.
They got to conjuring. She asked him to create a flower for Hermione. He had been practicing them, and created a dozen long stem yellow roses. The petals were perfect, and the scent absolutely correct. Harry created a glass vase, used his wand to jet some water into the vase, placed the flowers in it, smiled, and handed it to Minerva. "For your desk, Professor."
She smelled them, and smiled. "Thank you, Harry."
She brought out an ice bucket, half filled it with water, and placed an unopened bottle of butterbeer in it. "Harry, I'd like you to freeze the water into ice cubes without freezing the butterbeer." Harry thought about what she wanted for a few seconds, waved his wand and muttered "Conjurus. The ice looked like the pub ice that was served in the Black Dog. There had been more water in the bucket than what had been needed for the ice cubes. Harry had taken that into account and filled the bucket to the correct level. He also had conjured two half pint glasses.
She brought out another bucket and set up the test a second time. "Now try it without your wand." Harry looked at the water level, waved his hand, and the second bucket was looking identical to the first.
"Excellent. Now if you would please, conjure up a pepperoni pizza."
"Thin or thick crust?"
"Your choice."
Harry thought for almost a minute, and waved his hand in a sideways wave. In front of McGonagall appeared a table, two chairs, plates, flatware, a pizza pan and a steaming hot thin crust pepperoni pizza. The pizza had even been sliced.
"May I join you?" It was Professor Dumbledore. He conjured up a third chair, another plate and flatware.
"This is very good furniture Harry. Where did you see it?"
"Hermione's mother took me furniture shopping at Harrods over the holiday. I almost bought this table rather than the one that I purchased. The flatware is the kind that I bought, so I had seen that quite a bit. The pizza is the kind that Hermione likes. The pizza shop is a few blocks from her parent's home."
Minerva spoke. "Harry made these wandlessly in one pass."
Dumbledore nodded an affirmation at Harry. "Well done Harry. Conjuring multiple objects takes a good eye for detail. What differences did you notice when transfiguring the ice with your wand and without?"
"I had to focus a little harder wandless, but had better control. It was a lot easier not to freeze the bottle wandlessly."
Dumbledore poured the bottle into a glass and handed it to Harry. He tossed the bottle into the air. It hit the floor and smashed. "If you would Harry, please clean up the spill without your wand."
"Would you like the bottle repaired, or the glass vanished?"
"Both if you please, in that order."
"Accio glass," said Harry waving his finger at the broken bits and pointing to the table. The pieces flew to the table, and landed gently in a pile. "Reparo. The bottle reassembled itself. Harry picked it up, and felt it for smoothness. He handed the bottle to Dumbledore. It was perfect. Dumbledore set the bottle back on the table. Harry waved his hand again, and the bottle vanished.
"Well done, Professor," said McGonagall looking at Harry.
After they ate, Dumbledore conjured a basket of tennis balls. "Let's continue this next lesson outdoors. The weather is far too nice to sit in a classroom." They walked outside. Dumbledore stood 25 feet in front of Harry and about the same distance to his left. He tossed one of the tennis balls going from Harry's left to right. "Harry, the next one that I throw, I'd like you to vanish before it hits the ground. Please exercise care not to vanish me. Tell me when you are ready, by saying, "throw." Try it with your wand first if you wish."
Harry thought for a minute about what he wanted to do, put his wand in his wrist holster, and said, "Throw."
Dumbledore threw the ball. Harry missed.
"Throw."
Another ball went flying by until it vanished.
"Throw."
Harry missed. The ball hit the ground and bounced. Harry thought for a second about what he may have done wrong.
"Throw."
Gone.
"Throw."
Gone.
"Throw."
Gone.
"Throw."
Gone.
"Throw."
Gone.
"Harry, next time I will throw two balls."
"Throw."
Hit, miss.
"Throw."
Hit, hit.
"Throw."
Hit, miss.
"Throw."
Hit, hit.
"Throw."
Hit, hit.
"Throw."
Hit, hit.
"Throw."
Hit, hit.
"Let's take a break. Next time, I will throw one. And Minerva will throw another, only from the opposite direction. Again, pray, do not hit us."
Harry understood what they were trying to do. He readied himself. "Throw."
"Hit, hit."
"Throw."
Hit, hit.
"Throw."
Hit, hit.
"That is quite enough for today. Harry you did a superb job. You hit most of the targets, and Minerva and I are still here. Next time we will throw the balls without you prompting us. We will work up to multiple unexpected throws from a standing at rest position."
They visited for a bit while walking back. "Harry you did very well. Remember to write to Miss Granger. I'm certain that she misses you immensely. Please don't mention any specifics as it relates to your training in the event that Hedwig is intercepted. I have asked Miss Tonks to come and collect you tomorrow at eight. She will bring you to the apparation testing area. If there is anything that you neglected to purchase that you can think of, it might be a good opportunity. Please be back by one in the afternoon, and we will continue with our practices. If you have the opportunity tonight, please review your readings on animal transfiguration. I hope to see you both at dinner. Enjoy the remainder of your afternoons."
Harry spoke. "Thank you both. I have some letters to write." Harry went back to his room. He wrote Hermione that he was taking his apparation test tomorrow, and would be done by ten. He hoped that she would meet him at the Ministry, but didn't know Emma's schedule for the day.
He also wrote Neville a letter, telling him that he had started school already, and wishing him a good final two weeks of holiday. He wrote Ron a similar letter, saying that it was good to see him and Luna. He asked Hedwig to deliver Hermione's first, then Neville's then Ron's. "Hermione will give you something to eat. Be careful girl." He stroked his friend before setting her off on her journey. It occurred to Harry that he could probably call her from Hogsmeade station on his cell phone. He certainly could call her from Diagon Alley. He also wrote a note for Remus, and found a school owl to deliver it.
After dinner, he did the reviewing that Dumbledore had suggested. He finished about eight and decided to go for a jog before it got dark.
… - …
Monday morning, Harry got up and went for another run before six. He'd come to view this as much therapeutic as physical exercise. He finished about seven, and took a quick shower. He had time to grab some money, get a bite of breakfast before Tonks came to collect him. Dumbledore had made him a portkey to take him to the apparation testing office. There were quite a number of students in the lobby. Harry recognized most of them. Tonks led him into a side room, where they met Amelia Bones. "Hello Harry. I don't usually do apparation testing anymore, but I am authorized to test. How many apparitions have you made?"
"Six so far."
"Any problems?"
"None yet."
"As long as you maintain your focus, you shouldn't have any problem. Avoid apparation after drinking, or if you are tired. You should stick to apparating to places that you have been to for a while. It's much easier to visualize the projection. If you're ready, please project yourself across the room. Excellent. Please project yourself standing next to me. Excellent. Tonks, please project yourself to Miss Granger's back garden. We will give you a minute. If there is a problem, please come back and notify us."
Tonks disappeared. She noticed that Harry was virtually silent when he projected himself. She had him try again going back and forth. There really wasn't more noise than a faucet drip. She was quite impressed, but not really surprised.
"Okay Harry, project yourself to Hermione's back yard. Wait a minute, then apparate back to this room."
A minute later, Harry returned. Tonks returned a few seconds later. She nodded, but did not say anything. Amelia signed the certificate, and wished Harry a great day. Tonks told him that she had business to do, and asked him to go back to Hogsmede station on his own.
Amelia spoke after Harry left. "Did he do all right?"
"Yes, that wasn't it. I didn't even hear him come. The kid is really smooth."
"I thought the same thing. I tested him here again after you left. I couldn't hear him disapparate, and only barely hear him reappear. Was Hermione at her house?"
"No. No one was home."
"Just as well. I'll see you again next week, Auror Tonks."
"Yes Director Bones. Enjoy your day."
Harry met Hermione and Emma in the Leaky Cauldron. He hugged them both. Hermione asked him how things were going.
"Fine so far, I got my room set up, went jogging a few times, played tennis with Dumbledore, and had a butterbeer with Professor McGonagall."
Hermione knew there was more to the story, but did not press. Emma said that she'd be happy to wait in the pub for an hour if they wanted to do any shopping.
They agreed and went into Diagon Alley. Harry held her hand as they walked. He told her about the Order meeting, and the concern over the dementors. They walked by Quality Quidditch. On a whim Harry ordered Ron a Firebolt that matched his own, and asked that it be sent to him at the joke shop. He wrote a note wishing Ron him the best season. He signed it love, Harry and Hermione. He ordered two more robes of different shades of gray. He also took Hermione to a jewelry store and bought her a matching Rolex Submariner watch. "Next summer if we're ready, we'll buy engagement rings. I love you, Miss Granger."
Hermione soaked in his words, her heart racing. "I love you so much, Mr. Potter. Thank you so much for the watch. I love it!" She looked at the time and said, "I probably should go now. Mum is waiting. Be careful at school."
They kissed again in the alley between Diagon Alley and the back door of the Leaky Cauldron. Harry told her that he would try calling her from Hogsmeade station one evening during the week.
Harry had another hour before he had to get back to school. He transfigured his robes into a gray suit and walked out the front of the Leaky Cauldron. He found an art shop and purchased three framed prints for his room. He found a framed and matted print of a WW 2 submarine that reminded him of the stories that Poppy had told him. He selected an American west print because he liked the picture and the colors. Finally he selected a print of a Triumph motorcycle that looked identical to his own. He liked the colored metal frames. He paid the merchant, had them wrapped and carried them with him back to the alley behind the Leaky Cauldron. He changed his robes back and held the prints in both hands as he apparated onto Hogsmeade station.
He floated his prints up to the castle. This time he had no problems. He put them up in his living area. The only other picture that he had was one that he had taken at the Grangers. It had Dan, Emma, Hermione and Harry smiling at the camera. It was a muggle picture. In his bedroom, Harry had several other photos, Hermione alone, Harry and Hermione together, and Harry, Sirius, Hermione, and Lupin. That was his only photo of himself and Sirius. He also had one from third year of himself, Ron and Hermione. Colin must have taken it. Harry missed Hermione immensely, but felt very at home in the castle.
The rest of the week was about the same. He spent most of the day with Minerva, working on progressively harder transfigurations, all wandless. On Saturday morning, he went to Hogsmeade with Dobby and Winky. He ignored any funny looks that he might have received. He took them into Madam Malkin's and ordered them each a set of school robes in their size. They really did look good in them. They thanked him profusely. Harry smiled at both of them, and asked them to have a great day. He called Hermione, and talked with her for ten minutes before his battery ran out. There was electricity in the Three Broomsticks. He made a note to come over that night and get his cell phone battery charged. He purchased a large box of Honeydukes chocolate bars and chocolate frogs to have around when people came by for the school year, and another case of butterbeers.
The next week he spent working with Professor Flitwick and charms. Flitwick worked very well with Harry. He knew that Harry was much less interested in the theory and much more interested in the practice. He literally fell off of his chair when he noticed that Harry was doing the charms without his wand. He called a break for lunch and hurried off to see Professor Dumbledore. "Hello Filius. How is young Harry doing?"
"Doing? He's doing NEWT level charms without his wand! I've only seen one other person perform at a fraction of that level without a wand, and you hired her on the spot. Have you told him that wandless magic at his level is all but unheard of?"
"No. I was hoping that no one would mention it to him until we ascertain about what his ultimate skill level at wandless magics might be. He was doing NEWT level transfiguration last week, a few days after trying wandless magics for the first time. He is amazingly accurate. I had him hitting moving targets with a high degree of success. Please let him guide the lessons where they may go for the week. When school starts, we can ascertain what the best content will be. Have fun with this, my friend. It is an opportunity that we are not afforded on a normal basis."
Flitwick went back to Harry and suggested, "Let's have some lunch."
After lunch, they continued for another hour. During a break, Harry asked Flitwick if he knew of any ways to kill a dementor. They talked about the Patronus charm, and ways that it might be strengthened. Flitwick mentioned that some wizards' strength could be amplified when casting through a staff. He mentioned that legend had it that Godric Gryffindor had used his sword to cast with. He used a spell testing device to measure Harry casting Stupefy with and without his wand. There was no difference. Harry asked him if that was usual.
"To be honest, Harry, I haven't spent much time strength metering spells. I really don't have an answer for you."
… - …
The next day Dumbledore gave Harry Gryffindor's sword. They tried metering the spells again. Harry was at the absolute upper end with spell strength with and without his wand. He tried the same test casting through the sword. The results were nearly off the chart! Dumbledore and Flitwick had rehearsed their response telling Harry that the results were somewhat higher. They told him to keep practicing and that they would try again on Friday. His homework was to blast rocks using the Reducto charm at the old quarry a half mile from the castle. They left him be for the afternoon.
Flitwick mentioned that Harry had asked about ways to kill a dementor.
Dumbledore replied, "I've considered many ways, decapitation, transfiguration and a variation on a Patronus, or casting of the charm from multiple sources. We have really never had a reason to try hurting them before now. Like sharks in the ocean, we know so very little about those creatures. We know next to nothing about their origin, or lifespan." Dumbledore stood up. "I must leave now. I have some business at the Ministry and a bit of shopping to do. I'll see you at dinner. Thank you, Filius."
… - …
The next day, Harry continued his lessons with Flitwick. Harry asked him about teaching. "I always admired your style. It was never intimidating. You never made anyone feel degraded if they made a mistake."
"Thank you Harry. Realistically, there is only so much intimidation that can be had when you are 3 foot 6. I found the nurturing approach works best for me."
"I never cared about your height."
"I know. That is one of your great qualities Harry. You choose to look past the outsides and see the true essence of someone. You took the time and found the real Hagrid, Dobby, Firenze, Fleur, Tonks, Luna, Griphook, Lupin, and myself. Most people only see the oyster shell, not the pearl inside."
"I understand what you are saying. Most people never get past their fantasy of the boy who lived. They never see Harry. Speaking of Luna, with Marietta gone I hope that she has an easier year. I heard about people hiding all of her stuff."
Flitwick looked up at Harry and said, "You can probably help her much more than I can. You may wish to casually mention her involvement in the fight at the Department of Mysteries some time. The air has been cleared, so to speak with the removal of various students."
"I will. Thank you for the advice."
"I'm positive that you will do well, Harry. Try to quickly learn the names and get to know each student. You don't have to be their friend. They should respect you, but they should never be scared of you. Be certain that you are approachable, and as much as possible treat everyone with equal respect. Students will learn best if they can see a practical application to a topic. That shouldn't be a problem in your case."
"Your biggest challenges will likely be Mr. Ron Weasley trying to take advantage of you and staying out of Gryffindor tower."
Harry understood that Flitwick meant. For all practical purposes, he had quit school and gotten a job. It would never be the same, hanging around the common room.
Friday proved to be interesting. Harry's practice at blasting rocks had produced results. His spells cast through Gryffindor's sword averaged half again stronger than with his wand or hand. Dumbledore made arrangements to have Harry tutored in mid-level sword handling.
On Saturday, Dumbledore gave Harry a back holster for his sword. He shrunk it to one quarter size. "Harry, please do not leave the castle with out it. In its current size, it could be worn standing or sitting without discomfort, and hardly be noticed. You would want to expand it before using it as a sword."
"Your classes next week will begin with a resumption of Occlumency. I believe that you will have better results with your new instructor, with much less distress."
"Thank you, Professor. Professor, how is Severus Snape doing?"
Dumbledore looked Harry in the eye and nodded. "Thank you for asking, Harry. I am planning on seeing him tomorrow afternoon. I will pass along your greetings and learn of his progress. I believe that this is his best path for the time being. You made a very responsible decision concerning him."
… - …
Harry waited anxiously on Sunday the first of September. He sat thinking of his first trip on the train, meeting Ron, Hermione, Neville, Crabbe, Goyle and Malfoy. It seemed a lifetime away.
The students got off the train and onto the carriages. Five younger Ravenclaws, and Slytherins along with an older Gryffindor noticed the thestrals pulling the carriages for the first time. McGonagall led the first years into the great hall for the sorting ceremony. Most of the eyes of the older students were not on the newest students, rather on the head table. Sitting to the left of Dumbledore was little professor Flitwick. On Dumbledore's right was their favorite professor. Next to him was an Asian gentleman, known only to one student. Next to him was a man that many thought they knew, but only a handful had actually met. Next to Flitwick was a visitor. She was ultimately responsible for keeping all of them safe. Missing was a man that most students either feared and or loathed, regardless of his skill at his craft.
The sorting hat finished its song to the usual round of applause. The mix of new students sorted into the various houses was about the same as most years, 16 to Gryffindor, 18 to Hufflepuff, 17 to Ravenclaw and 15 to Slytherin. Yet something was different.
Professor Dumbledore rose, and the students as one became silent. "Good evening. Before we begin our lovely feast, I wish to welcome you. Welcome new students, welcome back returning students. I do have a few announcements before we eat, so forgive me. I will try to be brief. It is with great pleasure that I announce some staff changes that I believe will meet each of your approvals. Replacing Severus Snape, who has agreed to spend his days researching some critically needed potions at St. Mungo's, I would like to introduce Dr. Wo Pei Chang from the People's Republic of China. Professor Chang has had much previous success teaching and working with students. Dr. Chang will also be acting as head of Slytherin house." The applause was significant, particularly from the returning students.
He continued. "We have made some program changes in the Defense Against the Dark Arts class that should meet your approval – strengthening it due to the activity of Voldemort and his minions. As such, we will continue to spend some time teaching defensive law and theory. I ask you to welcome back Professor Alastor Moody." There was a polite amount of applause. Moody was remembered by some of the older students. A few knew the story of the imposter. Regardless of their experience or knowledge of the man, he did look scary. This Professor at least had the good sense not to wear some ridiculous colored cloak or a turban, just regular wizard wear.
Dumbledore continued. "The Board of Governors agreed with our assessment that the practical area of defense should be significantly expanded, and instructed by someone with current practical experience. Accepting this very important position is Professor Harry Potter." The response was unprecedented in anyone's memory! Every one of the students (and the staff) got to their feet applauded and cheered him for more than a minute. No one was clapping louder than Hagrid who had also begun his Hogwarts working career early.
Dumbledore raised his arms to get their attention, and the room quieted again. "Harry has agreed to complete his own studies on an individual basis, and as such will no longer be attending any of the classes here. He has received endorsement of qualification by a unanimous vote of both the school governors and the heads of house – a feat rarely seen in the defense position." The older students laughed. "Please welcome your new instructors and give them your fullest attention. They are among the very best within their respective fields." More applause. "Tuck in." and the serving plates magically filled themselves.
Sitting next to Ron, Ginny, and Hermione, Neville noticed some changes around the room. The Slytherin table was missing most of the sixth year, and Ravenclaw was missing Marietta. People were talking to Luna like they would every other student. Dumbledore hadn't specifically mentioned arrests of the students, Snape, or anything about Umbridge, but their absence was like a breath of fresh air within the school.
After dinner was mostly finished, Dumbledore got up. The student body again grew silent. "I ask you to indulge me for the next few minutes. I have a matter of some importance to share with you. I expect that many of you are familiar with Madam Amelia Bones. Madam Bones is the Director of the Magical Law Enforcement branch of the Ministry of Magic. The Ministry Aurors all report to her. The following announcement is therefore within her jurisdiction."
She stood up. "Good evening. As many of you may know, this last summer was unprecedented in your lifetimes with respect to attacks from Voldemort's supporters, people known as Death Eaters. They have historically gone virtually unchallenged in their path of terror and destruction. Many of you in this school have been victims of these attacks. Would Ginny Weasley, Susan Bones, Hermione Granger, Ericka Smith, Daniel Scott, Tim Bigham, Sally Scott, John Parkinson, Patrick Fletcher, and Ronald Weasley please come forward?" The students walked up and stood on her right as directed.
Bones continued. "Would Mr. Arthur Weasley, Auror Hestia Jones, Mr. Mundungus Fletcher, Dr. Dan Granger, Dr. Emma Granger, Dr. Diane Turnbull, Mr. Fred Weasley, and Mr. George Weasley please come forward?" They entered from the room in back and stood on her left as directed. Minister of Magic, Amos Diggory entered behind them, staying out of the way.
"One of your own has gone a long way to stem the wave of violence. It is with great respect that on behalf the entire wizarding community, I request Mr. Harry James Potter to come forward. Mr. Potter, the men women and children standing in front of you owe their lives to your services." Harry walked up and stood beside her. Dumbledore and McGonagall were beaming at him.
Bones continued. "To present this award, I ask Auror Tonks to please come forward."
Tonks looked up into his emerald eyes. "Harry, None of us who are standing in front of you would be here if it was not for your bravery, skill, and quick thinking. I also owe you my life. Your skill and concern for others saved my life and nine of the people up here a month ago today. This was not a random act. The others are here because of a handful of other instances where you placed another's safety ahead of your own. It is with my deepest appreciation that I am able to announce you as the latest member in the most prestigious of wizarding organizations, the order of Merlin – First class!" She placed the award around his neck, and kissed him. The younger female students started giggling until they received a murderous look from McGonagall. Each of the people who Harry had helped came up and shook his hand, hugged, or kissed him.
Amelia spoke for a few more minutes about the attribute of putting other people's need in front of your own. Harry was almost ready to pass out from embarrassment. Several photographers were around. Harry did not want yet another poster hanging on the young witch's walls.
Harry did not like receptions. He did not like being the center of this kind of attention. Yet it was impossible not to feel the love and gratitude that the people in the room felt towards him. This was not a 'public' reception. Only the Order members, heads of houses and the people who had been called up to the stage had been invited. Rita had been invited as Harry's friend, not in her business capacity. He said hello to her. "Thanks for coming Rita. I had no idea that this was in the works."
"Madam Bones called me yesterday about it. They must have been cooking this up for a long time. I've seen the paperwork for the second and third class awards before. They are the size of a book. Congratulations Harry. You deserve it." She looked him in the eye and shook his hand.
"Professor Potter, would you do me the honor of introducing me to some of the people here. I have not met most of them?"
"Certainly, Dr. Chang. Dr. Chang, I would like you to meet my friend, Rita Skeeter. Dr. Chang has agreed to teach Potions this year. Rita is the head writer for the Daily Prophet." Rita smiled. She knew that Harry had meant what he said about considering her a friend. "Excuse me Rita, Dr, Chang." Harry went from one person to the next, making introductions, getting his picture taken with them, and visiting. Finally he got to the Grangers. He hugged Diane and Emma, and then shook Dan's hand.
Emma spoke. "Well deserved Harry. We're so proud of you." Colin Creevey took his picture with Hermione, Diane, and her parents.
"Thank you, but as you know, I had a lot of help. Can I show you around the castle after?" He was looking for an excuse to leave. "It's really a beautiful place."
"Thank you Harry. Professor McGonagall took us around earlier. You have a busy evening. Stay with your guests." Emma hugged him again and whispered, "Be careful Harry. We love you."
"Thanks Emma. I love you and Dan too." She beamed at him.
"You were quite a good kisser," observed Fred with a mischievous smile on his face.
"Thanks Fred. You weren't too bad yourself. Seriously, it's good to see you both. Can I get you a butterbeer?"
"No. Thanks mate. We brought a bottle of Ogden's. Would you like some?"
"No thanks. Ogden's and I don't get along too well."
"A wise choice. Harry, we want to thank you for the help that you gave to Ron. He seems to be as good as new."
"No worries. A friend of mine talked with him. She did all of the work."
George shook Harry's hand again. "Either way, you set it up. Thanks. Also thanks for helping us get back on our feet so quickly. You set us up good with the Prophet. We're still delivering orders. We brought quite a load with us today to drop off to the kids looking to cause mayhem."
"What I don't know won't hurt me."
"Okay. Well, thanks again."
"Congratulations Harry." It was Amos Diggory.
"And to you, sir. It is good to see you again."
"Likewise, Harry. Cedric would have been very proud of you."
"As he would be of you, Sir. I think of him often."
"Keep up the good work, Harry. The world is a safer place because of you." Amos Diggory had none of the phony pomposity that Fudge had. He had also lost the parental competitive edge that he had displayed during Harry's fourth year.
"Thank you, Sir." Harry finally found the person he was looking for most of all. "Hi Hermione." He hugged her.
"Oh Harry this is great. I am so proud of you."
"I'd rather be spending a quiet evening with you in my arms."
"That's so sweet. I love you."
"I love you too."
It was time to go. He wanted to be fresh for his own studies, as well as for his students. He thanked everyone for coming, and bid them goodnight.
… - …
Logistics dictated that Harry's morning classes were held in his own classroom. Dumbledore came down on Monday morning at nine. With him was the oddly dressed man that Harry had seen a few weeks ago at the Order meeting. "Harry, I would like to reintroduce you to my mentor, Sir Nicholas Flamel. Sir Nicolas, Harry Potter, the next generation's leader of the light forces. Harry, I have asked Sir Nicolas to offer you guidance and council. He will also tutor you in certain subjects of mutual interest. Of particular priority are wandless magics, Occlumency, and Alchemy. I would encourage you to listen carefully, and take good notes. These are lessons that could not easily be replaced. I will leave you two." Dumbledore walked out of the room and quietly closed the door.
Flamel was an exceptionally personable wizard. "Good morning, Harry. First to your questions. It is obvious that I am not dead. I shall be here for another two months on Monday mornings to help you. I will give you lessons, guidance, and opinions based on my rather extensive perspective. The lessons that we cover will be yours to share with others or keep for yourself as you wish. I will not share the content of them with Albus, as I did not share the content of his lessons with his headmaster. Please sit and be comfortable. Take notes now, or use your pensive as you wish."
He continued. "We will start with Occlumency today. The future topics will be yours to guide. Occlumency is a little known technique that can help protect your memories against someone skilled in a mind reading technique known as Legilimency. The secret to a good defense is to have a well-organized filing system within your mind. Think of your memories as this bundle of papers. Some of them are school lessons, some memories of young ladies, some sad events, and the like. Some may even be your secret battle plans."
"If I were to toss this bundle of papers in the air then rebundle them together without care regarding their content I would have no organization. As such, I would have a hard time detecting what someone was looking for. There is no sense putting up walls in your mind to keep someone from learning what the weather was yesterday. That information has no strategic value. No, you want to organize your mind so that you can truly guard the critical few. So you will need to learn to organize your mind, be able to detect when someone is looking for something, and put your best defense in that area."
"The detection phase is critical. It is sort of like having an insect land on your arm. If you detect it early, you can swat it before it bites you. The blocking part is easy. Here is a manuscript on the subject that I wrote. You can have it."
He continued. "I will be looking for your memory of where you acquired that handsome timepiece. Please tell me when you feel me in your mind. Raise your hand and I will know. I will start with more overt attempts and work our way to more subtle approaches. Please lower your arm to indicate that you are ready." While Sir Nicolas never did anything as crude as Snape shouting Legilimens, the first attempt was blatant. Harry raised his hand. "How did you know?" asked Flamel.
"I focused on one thought and felt other thoughts coming up that wouldn't have on their own."
"Good. Try again. Please indicate when you are ready." Again Harry raised his hand after half of a minute. "Good. This time we will try a subtle approach. Again, raise your hand when you feel my presence. Harry are you a fan of Quidditch? I used to play it when I was younger. In my case, that was a very long time ago." Harry raised his hand.
"Very good. In most cases the attacker will come in by stealth. Only an idiot would point a wand at someone and shout Legilimens." Harry nodded in agreement. "Thank you for allowing me to help you today Harry. You did very well. In the next lesson, we shall discuss how to organize your thoughts and memories. Please read the little manuscript that I wrote before then. I hope to see you here at the same time next week."
"Thank you, Sir Nicolas."
Nicolas nodded, and disappeared. Harry collected his things and brought them back to his living quarters. He really did not get a lunch break until after his first afternoon class. His first class was due to begin in ten minutes.
Harry went over his teacher tips sheet that he had collected.
Learn their names.
They should respect you, but they should never be scared of you.
Be certain that you are approachable.
Treat everyone with equal respect.
Students will learn best if they can see a practical application to a topic.
Thank you allowing me to help you today.
He walked in the door. It was the first year Slytherin and Ravenclaw class. "Good afternoon class. My name is Professor Potter. I will be helping you learn and practice various defenses against the dark arts. This is the hands-on portion of the class." He sat on the front of his desk to get closer to the students.
"Let's pretend that I was a bad guy. I was going to fire off some nasty spell to hurt you. What would you do? Think of something, and please write it down on the scrap of parchment that I put on every chair. I will give you half a minute to decide what you would do." He walked to the back of his desk to give them a bit of time to think of their answer and write it down. "Who would like to go first?"
"Roger?"
"I'd try to blast you first."
Harry wrote Blast you first on his whiteboard. "Okay. Colin?"
"I'd duck."
Harry wrote Duck. "Okay. Ericka?"
"I'd run away." The class laughed.
Harry wrote Run away on the whiteboard. "Any answer is Okay. Lisa?"
"I'd hide."
Harry wrote Hide on the board. "Okay. We'll try it. The rest of the class, please step to the side and watch what happens. Roger, take this tennis ball and be ready. I'm going to walk out that door and come back in through one of the two doors. Roger, if you can hit me with the tennis ball before I hit you, you'll win. Colin, you try to duck my shot. Ericka, try to run out the door, and Lisa, you try to hide."
Harry walked out the door and waited fifteen seconds. He walked quickly in the door that he had walked out of. With his tennis ball in hand, he waited until Roger had thrown. Harry did not have to dodge the throw. It went wide by three feet. He tossed a ball at Colin who ducked. The ball glanced off Colin's hip. As he did, Ericka ran out the other door. Harry looked around the room and found Lisa. He soft tossed a ball at her hitting her on the leg. He picked up another ball and tossed it at Roger who wasn't watching what was happening.
He gathered the class back together, remembering to collect Ericka who was still standing outside the door. "First of all, thank you for participating. There were no wrong answers to my question. Any of your ideas would have worked some of the time, and not have worked some of the time." He avoided using the words failed, or gotten you killed. These were first years.
"Roger, what happened with your idea?"
"I missed you."
"Right. It doesn't matter what spell you cast if you miss. We will have a practice unit on accuracy."
"Colin, what happened with you?"
"I ducked, but you threw the ball and it hit me."
"Right. We will also have a unit on agility."
"Ericka, what happened with you?"
"I ran away while you were looking at Colin."
"Excellent. We'll have a unit on speed and quickness."
"Lisa, what happened with you?"
"I decided on a plan before I knew if it would work. There weren't many good places to hide in the classroom."
"I should hope not." The class laughed. "Later in the year, we'll have a unit on concealment, so you can hide if you need to."
"Now, I would like everyone else in class to look at their parchment again. How many of you wrote down run away?"
Three hands were raised. Harry gave each of them a chocolate frog. "How many of you think you could have ducked, and gotten away?" A few more hands were raised. Soon everyone had gotten a chocolate frog or a house point.
"Thank you for letting me help you learn today. I will see all of you next week."
"Thank you Professor Potter," the class said in unison. The students were all smiling at him. They left. He had gotten through his first class.
Dumbledore appeared next to him. "Well done, Professor Potter. You kept them engaged, showed respect for everyone's ideas and reinforced your points. I dare say that you made an outstanding first impression."
"Thank you, Professor. I had a lot of fun too."
"Enjoy your day, Professor," Dumbledore said, patting Harry on the shoulder.
The agenda for each of the classes was similar. In the second year class, several of the kids who had been in the joke shop told their story about the man who hid, but got caught. They left no doubt in anyone's mind that Harry had come and saved them. In reality, they saved themselves by staying out of the way until help arrived.
His first class with Dr. Chang was the basics of swordsmanship. They had met in Harry's classroom. Chang brought several hard cases along, while Harry brought his own sword.
Chang examined Harry's sword for a few minutes, immediately realizing that it was a rare, magical weapon. "The weapon that you have is a European longsword when it is full size. It has a thirty three inch blade and a seven inch handle. It weighs about three and a half pounds. It's amazingly sharp. You can hold it with one hand or two. I will show you several basic thrust moves and a few cuts. Since your opponent is unlikely to have a sword, you may consider holding it two handed. This requires that you face your opponent, but requires less grip strength. Please allow me to demonstrate." He demonstrated the moves very slowly at first, talking about the arm and leg movements. Gradually, he built up speed, reinforcing what he had said about the various movements.
To avoid wasting time, Harry announced, "Dr. Chang, my intended opponent will be twelve feet tall, and blind. I need to be able to stab them or cut them badly probably in the head or neck area. I probably will be on my broom, so I will have to do this one handed."
Glad to have information on his specific application, Chang replied, "Then I recommend that you shorten the sword slightly and cast a mild charm on it to have it weigh only about two pounds. Given your size and build, a thirty inch overall weapon would fit you best. Harry shortened the weapon and lightened it slightly. It felt much better in his hand."
"If you would, please put your remarkable weapon back in its scabbard. We will practice this evening with the wooden sword." He charmed the sword so it had the same length and weight as Harry's sword. "There is no edge on the wooden sword, so we will not accidentally cut ourselves."
Harry practiced the slices and thrusts that Chang showed him. Chang gave Harry the pair of wooden swords and asked him to practice the basic moves a while each day to build up his arm and wrist strength.
… - …
Harry's day classes were going remarkably well. On Thursday when he got to the sixth year class, the discussion was a bit more emotional. Ron relayed his attempt at hiding, and the torture that followed. Hermione related the story and about the capture of Vincent Crabbe by her mum throwing a wine bottle at him. Harry related a story about Luna knocking over a bookcase and breaking a Death Eater's leg. The mood of the class lightened with laughter. Harry reiterated the need to know basic first aid. "We will also spend a lot of time this year on blocks and other defensive techniques."
His own defensive classes were nothing short of brutal. On Friday, Kingsley had him outside dueling four of the Aurors at once. He went the entire session without being hit, but had bruises and cuts all over his arms legs, back and face by the time he was done. At the end of the lesson, Kinglsey and the other Aurors stood by Harry. "I want you to know that we went easy on you this morning, Potter," Kingsley said trying to maintain a straight face. Harry said nothing for about thirty seconds watching each of the Aurors breathe hard. He smiled, and they all started laughing. Kingsley said, "You did great. I'll be sore for days after having chased you. See you next week, Potter."
"Thank you all for helping me," said Harry.
Friday afternoon came. It was time for Dumbledore's staff meeting.
Professor Flitwick stood up, looking at the bruised form of Harry, and observed. "It's an old Hogwarts tradition that the new teacher buys drinks for their first staff meeting. I don't recall anything about professors receiving beatings though." Everyone looked at Harry and snickered.
Professor Dumbledore had mentioned this to Harry, who had come prepared. Harry levitated a case of cold butterbeers onto the table. He was careful to always use his wand in doing magic. Only Flitwick, Minerva, Sir Nicolas and Dumbledore knew about Harry's ability with wandless magics. "Let's at least drink to my still being alive." All of the teachers laughed.
"Well done, Harry," said Professor Chang. You appear to be both an attentive student, as well as a popular professor."
The general discussion was that the mood in the castle was considerably lighter than in previous years. McGonagall attributed it to a few students being missing. Flitwick attributed it to Harry. Harry attributed it to Chang. No one mentioned Snape by name. Dumbledore smiled. "Whatever the reasons, we should take advantage of the opportunity. Does anyone have any suggestions on increasing interaction between the houses?"
Changing the house tables to smaller tables seating 4 or 8 people over the weekends.
Find a spare room to be a Hogwarts common room that anyone could use.
Have the staff sit at the round tables during the weekends.
Start the Defense Club again, and open it up to everyone.
Dumbledore liked the ideas. "We will start with the round tables tonight. Argus can you be ready?"
"I will manage," he said, his scowl never really leaving his face.
"Harry, do you have time to run the defense club?"
"I could from 6 to 8 on Thursday mornings."
Dumbledore shook his head. "I hesitate to have students firing stunners at each other before they are fully awake yet. Perhaps another time could be found?"
"How about every other Sunday from nine to noon?"
Dumbledore nodded. "Much better. Filius, can you make the changes to the third floor armory? I'm certain that the armor could be moved to another location."
"I'll have it done."
"One last order of business. I would like to schedule the first Hogsmeade weekend on Saturday the 28th of September this year. I am of course concerned about the possibility of an organized attempt to harm our students. Harry, with your knowledge of the area, the paths less traveled, and the surrounding areas, could you keep an eye open for possible places to station a teacher or Auror? Perhaps you could take a look tomorrow, or Sunday if you have the opportunity?" He hadn't mentioned the Marauder's map by name, but Harry knew that Dumbledore hadn't forgotten it.
Moody spoke. "I'd be happy to…" Thunk! Minerva kicked his wooden leg.
"Mad-eye, give the kid a break. He'd probably rather be accompanied by Miss Granger than you." Everyone laughed.
Dinner that evening was delightful. Each of the teachers sat at a different table, and gradually the students filed in. Luna, Neville, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione sat by Harry.
"What's with the little tables, mate?" Ron asked.
"We won't have house tables from Friday evening through Sunday evenings," Harry answered.
"It gives students from different houses the opportunity to visit," said Luna. She and Ron were holding hands.
"How was your week, Harry?" asked Neville.
"It was fun, but really exhausting. How about yours?"
"It was the first week I ever had in potions without losing house points." Everyone laughed, but there was truth to what he had said. No one in the school had earned a detention that week.
After dinner, Harry asked Hermione if she would go to Hogsmeade with him the next day. "Of course, silly. What time?"
"As early as you could be ready. We have a little Order business to do."
"I can be ready at six. Do you want to have breakfast in the great hall or the pub?"
"The pub. Let's meet by the front doors."
"I'll see you tomorrow."
"Goodnight."
Hermione smiled at him. "Enjoy your last class, Professor Potter."
Harry found Poppy up in her area off of the hospital wing. She had several realistic medical mannequins in sizes varying from toddlers to adults. "Good evening, Harry. How was your week?"
"I really like teaching. I hope to learn enough technique to be able to actually get the students to learn what they need to know. I've quickly come to realize that my knowing the content is not the same as being able to transfer the knowledge effectively. I'll keep working on it. My own classes are fantastic. Quite honestly, I have been looking forward to this time with you all week. When I was trying to help Tonks this summer, I felt so helpless."
"Have a seat, Harry." He handed him a cold butterbeer. "First of all, you quickly realized that there is such a thing as teaching technique. That puts you miles ahead of some of the teachers that you have had over the years. Second, there's a lot of reading material on the subject of learning theory. Try a muggle college bookstore. One of the fun things about teaching is the repetition. You have the opportunity to try differing techniques for teaching the same lesson. Observe what works and what doesn't. Filius is a good resource. Third, you did the best that you could that day with what you had with Auror Tonks. You gave first aid. First aid is something that a layperson might do to help a victim before a Healer or Mediwitch can be found. You passed the blood test. Three out of four people would have fainted or retched, and that poor woman would have bled to death within a minute. So what did you actually do to help her?"
"She was bleeding badly from a gash on the side of her head. After the remaining Death Eaters apparated away, I held my hand over the wound to try and stop the bleeding, and talked to her."
"Was she conscious?"
"At first. She was dying in my arms."
"There would be many worse ways for a young witch to go, Mr. Potter." She winked at him. "So what you did was try to stop the bleeding and keep her conscious as long as you could?"
"Right. I can show you if you wish."
"Wizard boys and their pensives. No thanks. I get the picture. Come over here." He walked over to one of the female mannequins. "Where was she bleeding?" Harry pointed to the area. "How badly?" Poppy opened a cut and the mannequin started bleeding.
"Quite a bit worse." Poppy deepened the cut. Blood was literally gushing onto the floor. "Like that."
"Hold your hand over the wound like you did." Harry showed her. The blood slowed, but did not stop. "Harry, you must have helped her within five to ten seconds of her being hurt. From the Mediwitches' accounts that I read, she had probably bled three to four pints by the time that help arrived. Make no mistake, Nymphadora owes her life to you."
She showed him how to close a cut with her wand. "The trick is that there is more to healing a cut than closing over the skin. If an artery is lacerated, you need to close that first." She showed him the technique. "The problem is that most wizards can't move their wand finely enough to do the job right. It would be easier if you could just use your index finger."
Harry thought about what she had said for a minute. "Let me try another time." She cleaned up the mannequin, and the blood, then re-cut the wound. Harry laid his wand down and traced the area with his finger. The wound closed without a scar! Harry vanished the blood away and let Poppy examine the area.
"How did you do that?"
Harry looked her in the eye. "I'm learning wandless magics in one of my tutoring sessions. Please don't tell people. It really is supposed to be secret. I trust you Poppy. This is important to the Order."
"You have my pledge. I'll modify your future lessons accordingly. You have a good eye and excellent dexterity Harry. I would be surprised if the Mediwitch who treated her did as well."
She looked at the healed mannequin again. "I was asked not to assign you a lot of homework, or extra reading for right now, so we can leave it here for the night."
"Thank you Poppy. When you think of it, stop by my room some time. I found something for my room that you had told me about. It really has been helping me."
"I would be happy to. Enjoy your week-end, Harry."
"You too. Thanks again."
It was nine thirty. It had been a long day. Harry went to his room and was asleep within minutes.