*AWWW! Summer's Over and Off to Hogwarts We Go*
After that the summer went perfectly normally. Or at least as perfectly normal as you can get when you are a wizard in training, your friends love magical pranks and your convict godfather who is recently back from the dead is encouraging them, you are studying to defeat the Dark Lord and doing your summer homework, and you have the occasional nightmare that you ignore and tell no one about.
Moody taught Harry a few more useful spells whenever he couldn't sleep from a nightmare.
Sirius taught Ron Hermione and Harry how to become an anamigas at Harry's request. Sirius told them it would be a long and hard process and warned them that it had taken the Marauders almost four years to completely transform. Harry countered that they were willing to work hard and long, and that it would take them less time, as they had a teacher, and didn't have to learn all the tricks the hard way.
They learned all of the theory over the summer, because they could continue the practical part at school without help. They practiced their forms in a room full of mirrors, so they could see what they were.
Harry was the closest to becoming an anamigi. He could transform most of the way. He was able to turn into a four foot long skinny thing with his legs reduced to almost nothing, and his arms migrating towards his back and becoming a bit longer and much broader and thinner, and a tail forming almost as big as his body covered with green scales that had silvery sparkly circles in the middle of each one. His face was the most transformed. His nose was that of a dragon, but his eyes and mouth were definitely snake like. His eyesight and hearing was improved, and he could sense heat. He could also smell with his forked tongue enough to differentiate between Ron and Hermione by smell alone, even though neither of them had any scent whatsoever in his human form. His teeth disappeared beneath the gums except his eyeteeth, which became long and hollow.
"Hey I bet you are an Alpine Mini-Dragon. I've read about those. They aren't well documented because one can only be caught if it wants to. They have some kind of apparational magic. All the writers of the book had to go on about what powers it contains is from checking the bodies of those who tried to capture one after backing it into a magical corner. The authors also weren't sure if each mini-drag has a different venom or if they can change their venom magically to suit their needs. One wizard was shot with a very powerful corrosive, there was nothing left of him but part of his belt buckle. Another was bitten and his magic was destroyed. I can't really remember any others right now. I can't wait to get back to the Hogwarts library…"
"Hermione, that's all very fascinating, but I'M TRYING TO CONCENTRATE." A few minutes later, "I'm sorry, just I want to become an anamigas as fast as possible, so I have to concentrate."
Hermione was the next closest. She became covered in white fur, her back legs shortened, her feet and hands became paws, her nose grew whiskers and her pupils became cat like. Her ears became pointy and migrated to the top of her head. Hermione's eyesight and sense of smell also became better.
"Hermione, I think you are some kind of white cat."
"No duh Harry"
Ron was having some difficulties. Whenever he concentrated, all that happed was that he shrunk. He was a little over a foot tall at his best attempts.
"Maybe your anamigas form is just a midget."
"No, I can feel there is more there." He looked over at Harry and realized Harry was trying to hold in a fit of laughter. "Arg, you'd better run." And Harry ran away from a one and a half foot tall and growing Ron.
Whenever they got a bit board, they made another invisibility potion. "Jezz, there must be over 50 invisibility potions in this book."
"Don't be silly Ron. There are only 47."
"How do you know that? There's no table of contents, and the book isn't exactly an organized one."
"I, well, do you remember that day that we drank the potion that renders you invisible for a whole 24 hours a couple of days after Cory left?"
"Yeah, of course. That's the only one of the potions that we have actually taken so far. Oh well, at least we're stocking up for Hogwarts"
"Well, I got board, so I decided to use the time to memorize the whole book, then I took statistics on it. Each potion also has an antidote, and there are 3 potions that allow you to see invisible people, although they don't work on all of the potions, they work on more external magic, like all the spells except one and invisibility cloaks…"
"Hermione!"
Before they knew it, the summer was over and it was Wednesday, September 3rd. Time to catch the Hogwarts Express. Mrs. Weasley had deemed it unsafe to go to Diagon Ally, so she and a few other Aurors bought their school supplies and went to Gringots for them after they got their letters and Owls. Hermione scored an Outstanding in everything, making her officially the top of her class. Ron scored an Excellent on everything except for Division, which he got a Poor in, Potions and Transfiguration, which he, surprised, got Outstandings in. Harry got an Outstanding in Transfiguration, DADA, and Potions much to his surprise. He got an A in History of Magic, Division, and Astronomy, actually giving him one more owl than Ron.
"We probably scored so well in Potions because Snape wasn't there."
Harry was also surprised that he had been made Quidditch Captain, as well as recently reinstated Seeker. A package came with that letter returning his Firebolt.
They had a huge farewell breakfast that Mrs. Weasley had made special. They had baked potatoes, bacon, eggs, hash browns, mash potatoes, sausages, and toast with jam and pancakes. Mrs. Weasley pilled a large serving of each on his plate, and he respectfully and strenuously ate it all.
"Are you all ready to leave?" asked Sirius. He got a replying chorus of yeses.
"How are we getting to the train station anyways?" asked Hermione.
"Oh, we must have forgotten to tell you. You aren't going to take the Hogwarts Express. We will be taking a port key to Hogwarts by order of the Minister of Magic. He says that it will reduce the likelihood of the train being attacked."
Harry's surprise was replaced with a desire to be able to defend himself and those he cared for.
"Why are we going so early then?" asked Ron plaintively.
"It's what Dumbledore decided. He said a little birdy had told him it would be a good time. You get the rest of the time once you are there to yourselves, and you can use it however you want. Except for you Harry. Dumbledore wants to see you in his office."
Harry looked up in surprise. It was actually quite surprising to be surprised three times in one day. I could go to the chamber of secretes after and Ron and Hermione will not question my disappearance for a while. I just have to cut the heart to heart with Dumbledore short. Harry realized that he had almost forgiven Dumbledore for last year, and not telling him the prophecy, and trying to get him to move on after Sirius disappeared. Almost, but not quite.
"Everyone got their stuff in hand? Good. 3…2…1…"
The colors blurred together as Harry felt a now familiar hook in his navel. He was just barely able to remain standing as the colors got put back in place.
"Let go now because it is going to send me back in exactly one minute. See you guys next year. Bye Harry. Oh and you can leave your trunks there. The house elves will get them in about an hour, and the train shouldn't arrive for another six hours at least."
"Bye," they all said in unison. Sirius flashed away.
"Well, I'd better head up to Professor Dumbledore's office then. I'm sure he's going to talk to me for a long time, so don't wait up." Harry left up the staircase quickly.
"Well, I'm glad to see that Harry's not holding any grudges."
"Why would he?"
"Ron!"
Harry laughed under his breath as he made his way up the stairs. He had made just his ears become their Anamigas shape so he could make sure they weren't suspicious. He arrived quickly at Dumbledore's office because he had been there so many times. The door opened just as Harry reached out to knock on it.
"Hello Harry, I was just coming to get you to tell you that you will be studying Occlumecy with me every Tuesday evening right after dinner. You will try to make a discrete exit, won't you?" At Harry's nod he continued. "Well, that's all; is there anything you would like to tell or ask me?"
"Yes professor. What defines Dark magic?" Harry asked on impulse.
"That's hard to say. I'd guess it would be any magic that can only be used by evil people for evil purposes. For instance the Crucatious Curse can only be used by an evil person, for an evil purpose, in this instance, torturing them." Dumbledore seemed satisfied with this answer. But he added just for good measure, "And any wizard who uses dark magic is a dark wizard. Would that be all?"
"Yes" Harry started walking towards the bathroom on the second floor. Well I guess I am already a Dark Wizard then. ((A/N) Remember that battle in the fifth book where Harry says Crucio?) But I am not evil. I know that, because I actually care about my friends. In fact I care about the entire human population. I wouldn't will anything bad on any innocent. So I guess I don't have to fear Dark Magic any more, just have to fear becoming Evil, and my friends finding out that I'm going to be, I'm currently a Dark Wizard. Even if they do, I could try to explain…
Cold Very COLD… Like I walked through a ghost. Ohh…
"Oh, Hi Myrtle." Harry was surprised he had gotten to the bathrooms so fast.
"Hi Harry." She was saying other stuff, but it was in a mopy voice, so Harry just tuned her out. He went over to the sink that never worked.
~Open Up~
He hopped in and slid down the steep pipes. Opps. I am going to need to get back out. Oh well, I can just summon my broom if I can't find any other way out.
Then he walked by the shed basilisk skin. He climbed through the hole in the rockslide that was made by Gilroy Lockhart with Ron's wand. He navigated the other passageways until he got to the doors with the two emerald-eyed snakes.
~Open Up~
The room looked much like it did four years ago. The smell of blood and ink was still there without mold. Must be a preservation spell. The basilisk still lay where it had been slain. The statue of Salazar Slytherin was still intact and a little ape like.
Harry stepped across the threshold of the doorway. A silver light burst from the statue enveloping the room for five long seconds. What the heck! When the light disappeared a door was revealed at the base of Slytherin's statue. Curious, Harry walked slowly over to the door and entered it. It was a library. Of all magic.
~Hello, my heir~
Harry looked around wildly until his eyes rested on a ghost that looked exactly like the statue outside, except not so stiff. Why did he call me 'my heir'? ~But, Tom Riddle…~
~Tom Riddle was a Parseltongue, yes, but he lacked certain other qualities, so I never visited him, or showed him more of this room than one book. And that was on accident. You sure are a weak scrawny fellow. Don't look like you'd last five minutes in a battle…~ Harry opened his mouth to protest.
~No don't talk; I have a lot to do, so just listen. Hmmm, yessss…perfect… only way…~ He hovered over a wide-eyed Harry and placed his hand over the green crystal Hermione gave him with the silver chain and made it flare up bright green for a second. ~You have one week. After that you will be in the hospital wing for about a week, so I suggest you ask your teachers for next week's homework this week, do it and turn it in. You could do it after, but… I think it would be better if you did it my way without question. You need training. These books are now all yours. I organized them so that if you read them in order then you will understand everything properly. Start at one~ He pointed to one of the bookshelves in the room. ~I must go now~ Salazar faded out.
~Wait! ~ Darn. Oh well. This is really cool. He picked a book with the number one on it. Wandless Magic for Dummies. Then he looked at the next shelf down. It had another book with the number one on it: Practice in Simple Snake Spells, Incantations and Potions. The next row down had another number one book, The Very Complete and Magically Precise Encyclopedia of Snakes. It looks like Slytherin wants me to take three extra classes. Wandless Magic, Dark Arts, and Care of Dark Creatures. Well I can share Wandless magic with Hermione and Ron, but I'd better keep the other two down here.
He opened the second book he had taken off of the shelf and read it completely through. The last incantation was Cognosco Celeriter, but you had to say it in Parseltongue, because the book was written entirely in Parseltongue if he looked hard enough. It required a basilisk scale to be placed on ones wand for extra focus, so the caster of the spell wouldn't have to work or concentrate hard. It changed the recipient's memory into a really good photographic memory that never forgot and could absorb 200 about words per minute. It wore off in one hour because it was a simple spell, but you would always retain perfect memories of what happened.
Cool, I could learn all the theory in these books in hours instead of days. He checked his watch. 12:00, that must be why I'm so hungry. Well I will read till the spell wears off, then go up for the tail end of lunch. I wouldn't want Ron and Hermione to get to worried with Dumbledore being there and not me. ~Cognosco Celeriter~
He reread the book in about 15 minutes. Then he read the snake encyclopedia. It had some very interesting passages.
'Alpine Mini-Dragon
This is a cross between the Magical Cobra and a Jewel Crown Dragon.
It can project poison that can be changed by its will. If it is surprised the venom reverts to it's base; a very powerful corrosive acid that will even dissolve most metals. Many wizards have tried to capture them and died from this poison.
It can also go between to the null plane and reappear anywhere on the plane it just left. It is not certain if it can go between alternate universes, as none that have tried have come back. It is theorized that it could, but the journey is so long, that the mini-drags die of lack of oxygen.
Alpine Mini-Dragons have the same protection against stunners and other less powerful magic as the strongest full-sized dragon from the silver circles in the middle of their green scales.
Mini-Drags has more acute senses than humans, and a sixth and seventh sense. It's hearing can take place of it's eyesight if it is blinded. Its eyes are almost as good as hawks. Its sense of smell can verify if something or someone is real or not. The sixth is the ability to see heat. Their seventh sense is able see all magic and differentiate between them. This ability doesn't become active until they are full grown.'
Heck of cool! I won't have to wait to learn how to apparate. I should see if I could go through Hogwarts' wards with this different kind of magic.
He checked his watch again. 20 minutes left. Wandless Magic for Dummies was a bit shorter than the last book so he was able to finish it. I'll try a simple one for starters. He put down his wand. "Wingardium Leviosa." The theory says that if you can concentrate hard enough, then you can do any incantation with practice. Your wand is just a focus point, very important for the weak minded. Which I cannot be. Let's try a harder one. "Okay, Accio Firebolt."
After about 6 minutes of concentration, which was much longer than normal, his broom came whizzing down to him. He put away the first two books and picked up the first wandless magic book and the next one with a two on it, Wandless Magic Book One.
Harry hurriedly flew out of the Chamber of Secrets. He wouldn't want to miss lunch, as his stomach was now growling at him very loudly. He got to the Great Hall. Hiding the two books and broomstick in his cloak, he walked in.
But the sun wasn't shinning through the roof, the moon and stars were. WHAT, it is NOT nighttime. He looked at his watch again. It says 1:00. He looked back up at the ceiling in disbelief, then back at his watch. He then looked closely at the little numbers around the time that signified the date. 9-4. Oh, no. How the Heck am I going to explain this?
As he ran towards the kitchen he thought of an alibi. Hmmm. The Room of Requirement. I probably could have gotten the book out of there, and I got so caught up in it… That might work.
He got his food as quickly as he could. He was glad Dobby wasn't there wanting to talk to him to make him later. He rushed up to the Fat Lady wolfing his food down.
@#$% ^&*() ()*&^ %$#@
*Gryffindor Common Room*
"BLOODY HELL! IT IS NOW PAST 1:OO A.M.! WHERE IS HARRY!"?
"Ron, calm down, he is probably just doing something important like last minute research…"
"FOR WHAT? THE NEWTS ARE AN AGE AND TWO YEARS AWAY!"
"Ron, I know your worried and you are mad at me for not believing that Harry has been captured or something ever since lunch. But Dumbledore said he was sure Harry was alright, because no one had left the grounds except Hagrid…"
"I know, that's probably it, he ran away from SENSIBLE PEOPLE LIKE YOU!" Ron was glaring at her. Everyone had retreated to their dormitories when this had started about an hour ago. Although their was a long period of silence in between when Hermione had convinced Ron that Harry would be coming any minute and just to play a game of chess. "When he gets back I'm going to…"
At that moment the portrait opened and a sweaty, red-faced, panting and chewing Harry slipped in with a mostly eaten chicken leg in his left hand, an almost gone goblet of pumpkin juice in his right hand, and under one arm two large tombs, and under the other arm his Firebolt.
Ron and Hermione became slack jawed and speechless at the spectacle Harry made. "You know if you hold your mouths that wide open for too long, a fly might buzz in."
That got them to close their mouths with a snap. "Where were you?" Hermione said in a deadly whisper.
"Well after I left Dumbledore's office, I went to the room of requirement to see if there would be anything helpful on how to defeat Lord Voldemort." Harry purposely said Voldemort to make Ron flinch, hoping that he would be distracted and accept the 'fib' easier. "I found these books and got really caught up in reading them. When I looked at my watch it said 12:00, I thought it was noon, and so I decided I'd just stay one more hour, and well…" He held his breath, and even his mind stopped thinking for a minute.
"Let me see those books." Hermione said. Harry gave her the books. "Wow." She said when she saw the title.
"Can you do anything in them?" Ron asked suspiciously.
"Ron!"
"No, it's okay, Hermione." He held his hands out to show he wasn't using his wand. "Wingardium Leviosa."
"Okay, we believe you then."
"Ron had thought that you had gotten captured by Death Eaters or snuck off with the twins. See I told you Ron, he was just doing some studying."
Oh SHIT! I forgot the basilisk eyes for Fred and George. Oh well, I'll just go back to the Chamber tomorrow, I am the heir. I feel really guilty about lying to Ron and Hermione, but they might freak out if I told them I was Slytherins Heir and a Dark Wizard. Why are Ron's eyes going really wide? He can't know…
"HARRY, WHAT DO YOU MEAN DARK WIZARD AND SLYTHRINS HEIR AND BASILISK EYES? MY BROTHERS ARE CONSPIRING WITH YOU? DO YOU MEAN YOU WENT BACK TO THE CHAMBER MY BABY SISTER ALMOST DIED IN? I AM SOOOOO MAD AT YOU! YOU ARE…"
"Shhhhh! Do you want to wake everyone up? These walls are thin!"
"They won't come, I've been yelling off and on for the last hour."
"Ron why are you accusing Harry…"
"Ask him, that's what he SAID!"
"Ron I didn't say it." I thought it.
"What do you mean you thought it? You just said it out loud. Didn't you hear him, Hermione?"
"I've just figured it out, Ron you're a telepath."
"Good for you Ron!" Maybe he will forget about me. Darn I just thought that out loud didn't I.
"Yes, you did. This is so cool. But I am not letting you off the hook until you tell us. We won't talk to you ever again if you've turned evil. Will we Hermione?"
"Harry, if you can convince Ron, then I will follow, but I want to stay out of any fight with a dark wizard."
"A dark wizard is different from an evil wizard. It just means you don't really care what kind of magic your using, just what the results are." He decided to go over all of his important memories of the past few months in his mind as loudly as possible, starting right after Sirius fell through into Cory.
"Well, are you going to try to convince us of your statement now?" Hermione stated when Harry had just finished, impatient with the long wait. "You two have just been standing there with Ron occasionally gasping for about an hour now…"
"No we haven't. And Harry isn't evil, like he said; he has just lost his prejudices of Dark Magic. And that seems to be all they are.
"It is just more common for evil wizards to be Dark wizards; maybe because it is more common for them to use it. Most of the time good Wizards don't need the dark arts, so the probably fell into disuse and then when it returned on the evil side, it got a very bad name." Hermione was speculating out loud, convincing herself. "Hey Ron," Can you project your thoughts?
"I don't know, I'll try though"
"Try what?"
To project my thoughts.
I think it worked.
Are you going to try yet?
I already have on Harry and it worked.
How about let's talk out loud now so you two can hear each other, it's kind of strange having to relay messages when you two are within apparent hearing range of each other, and I can hear you. Ron sent to them both at the same time. "And I'm kind of tired to concentrate this hard."
"Okay."
"Oh Hermione, I'm going to be in the hospital wing all next week, so anything I want to do, I have to do quickly." Both Ron and Hermione's eyes got really wide.
"How do you know that Harry?"
"Slytherin told me. I think he fixed it. I can't take your necklace off now Hermione, because of what he did to it. He told me to ask for what we are going to do for next week from the teachers. I don't think his intensions can be truly evil if he is worried about my education."
"I'll help you get next week's work Harry," offered Hermione. "But I think you should tell Professor Dumbledore…"
"HEMIONE, do you realize how bad an idea that is!" Ron yelled, and then calmed down remembering the thin walls.
"No she doesn't Ron. She didn't hear Dumbledore today. Can you project a whole memory?"
"I don't know. Since it's not my memory exactly and I'm a little tired, I think we should hold hands." He smiled apologetically.
After Hermione had seen the memory she said, "Your right, we definitely should not tell Dumbledore." Then she yawned really widely, resembling a cat. "Oh My Gosh!" she yelled starting at Harry. "Do you realize what Dumbledore said? He said that he would be teaching you Occulmacy." Hermione looked wide-awake.
Ron and Harry replied with more yawns. "What does that matter now?
"It matters. Harry isn't very good at protecting his memories, so Dumbledore will find out if his method is the same as Snape's."
"@#%$#^$#!"
"HARRY!"
"Hermione, do you want to wake up the entire dormitory?"
"I think they have either gone deaf or learned that it's just us by know, as we've been at it for about, three hours now."
"I think we'd better get to bed. We have less than five hours until breakfast. And, Harry, practice with clearing your mind, please. It will be a lot easier if we don't have to explain this." Hermione calculated. They exited up the stairs, thinking about their very weird day. As soon as their heads touched the pillows they were asleep.