Shines A Light

Chapter Four: Holidays End

June passed quickly for Harry, who spent his time both at Privet Drive and Grimmauld Place, talking with his friends and gradually building up strength in his back, and his ability to move faster, without pain.

July drifted past in a hazy summer dream. Harry was spending a lot of his time preparing for his Aparating licence. He would be the first of his friends to be able to try out for a license, which Hermione wasn't too happy about. Harry had discovered, to his amazement, that Ron was actually almost a year younger than Harry was, having been born in March.

On Harry's seventeenth birthday, he was woken by Grypis, Tatsu and Neko. Harry was urged to open his presents from Tatsu and Neko early, and from Neko he received a book. Tatsu presented him with a letter saying that he was summoned to the Ministry to take his Aparating test, which had been paid in full by Tatsu Kendo.

Breakfast was a quick affair, because Harry was eager to reach the Ministry of Magic for his Aparating test.

Several rather exhausting hours later, Harry Aparated to Grimmauld Place with a proud 'crack'. Ron and Hermione both congratulated him on obtaining his license, but both looked jealous.

Harry remembered little of that day besides presents, food and good company. He knew that he had the best birthday of his life, one that he got to spend with his friends, and not just after someone he loved had died.

August swung around, and with it came the yearly visit to Diagon Alley for school supplies. Harry, Molly and Arthur Aparated as one, and the others all Flooed over. Harry had to promise to stay close to an adult at all times, because it was not safe for him to be without protection. Harry refrained, with difficulty, from pointing out that he was the most capable Defence student in Hogwarts, and could Aparate away at the slightest hint of danger.

"You know," Harry said as the group assembled outside the Leaky Cauldron, "This is the last time we're going to go to Diagon Alley for school supplies."

"I know," Hermione remarked.

"I hadn't thought about it that way," Ron muttered, an expression of anticipation on his face. "Wicked! Our last year of school!"

"Now we just have to get through the NEWTs with good grades," Hermione putting in, looking at Ron with exasperation. Harry wondered what Hermione was going to do when she left school – become a teacher and go straight back, perhaps? It sounded like something she'd do.

The first place they had to visit was Gringotts. Hermione waited in line to change some Muggle money into wizard coins while the Weasley's and Harry went down in a cart to visit their vaults and withdraw money.

This year the Weasley's had a small pile of gold – without all of their children living at home and needing food, clothing and school supplies, Molly and Arthur were finally making some money. Of course, Fred and George were undoubtedly giving their parents some money, and buying their siblings some things with their profits. They'd bought Ginny several of her school books for next year as a birthday present, for example.

Of course, when Harry reached his own vault, he felt somewhat embarrassed, as he always did. Even seven years at Hogwarts hadn't done much to dint the amount of gold that was located there.

He collected a bag that should hold everything that he needed, and the group headed back up to meet up with Hermione in the foyer.

They went to Flourish and Blotts first, to buy all of the books that they would need for the next year at school, which were quite a few. Harry picked up a couple of new Defence Against the Dark Arts books that hadn't been in the shop last time he'd been here.

Most of them needed new quills, ink and pens, so they remedied that as well, and headed to the Apothecary to buy more Potions ingredients (Ginny had managed to get into Snape's class, which Ron was amazed about).

Harry insisted on buying everyone an ice cream, although Molly tried to protest that they could buy their own, and they sat around for awhile, enjoying the cold food in the summer heat.

They went back to Grimmauld Place, Harry Aparating with Molly and Arthur and the rest making their way through the Floo network. The moment they arrived, Hermione made Ron sit down and start on his homework, which he still hadn't started yet, much to her disgust.

Harry sat around reading his Defence Against the Dark Arts book for awhile, but quickly grew bored and went to find Tatsu, who was in his room working on lesson plans for next year.

"How was Diagon Alley?" Tatsu enquired politely.

"Alright," Harry shrugged.

"Have you done you exercises yet today?"

"Yes," Harry replied, smiling.

"Do them again then, they are good for you. I want your opinion on some of the things I want to do with the third years," Tatsu instructed him.

Harry sighed. He was getting more and more flexible now, and had once more taken up sparring with Tatsu every now and then. He was disgusted by how far he had fallen behind, but Tatsu forbade him to press himself, and they moved slowly through the forms when they did fight.

Harry chafed at the delay sometimes, he knew that Tatsu was only doing what was best for him. He began his back exercises, while Tatsu read out his lesson plans. "Aren't you going to teach them to enter the Centre?" he asked, surprised, not long after Tatsu started.

"No. The Centre is only for those who will become great fighters," Tatsu replied, "I may teach it to some of the seventh year students that I take on, but that all depends on how promising they are."

Harry nodded, for some strange reason feeling happy about that. He realised that he didn't want loads of people being able to find their Centres, it was something that he usually thought was only for him and Moderators, though he knew that there were plenty of other people who managed to find the Centre.

When Tatsu had finished telling Harry what he had thought to do, and Harry had advised on possible changes, Harry was almost finished with his exercises, "If you need any help with teaching, you know I'll do what I can," Harry told Tatsu.

"I know," Tatsu replied, "And I may need to call on you in the later parts of the year," Harry wondered if his teacher had said 'later parts' of the year because he didn't think that Harry would be much use while his back was still so stiff and sore, but decided to let it lie.

Before Harry left, Neko came in to ask him the same sort of questions as Tatsu just had, so Harry restarted his exercises, feeling better to be doing something, while he talked to her.

When he went back downstairs, Ron had escaped from Hermione to go flying in the dusk with Fred and George, who had just come home from work. Harry did his best not to feel envious.

Despite that he had told Ron and Hermione, that he wouldn't be able to fly for most of the year, Harry had been doing his exercises as often as possible to try and recover full movement and pain relief before the school year started, in the hopes that he would be able to fly again.

It would seem that those hopes were in vain, as August was nearly over, and after August came September and school. Harry knew that it had been stupid to hope that he would recover from a broken back in three months, but he couldn't help hoping.

---

He went up to bed early, feeling sorry for himself, and feel asleep. That night he dreamed of Sirius.

"How are you going?" Sirius asked him, smiling, when they first met.

"Alright," Harry replied, "We went to Diagon Alley today to buy our school supplies."

Sirius nodded, "Did you buy anything other than school supplies?" he asked with some interest.

"Just some books on Defence Against the Dark Arts," Harry replied. "Do you want to go flying tonight?" he asked, changing the subject suddenly.

"Sure," Sirius replied. "Any reason why?"

"Ron's flying at the moment, with Fred and George," Harry replied. "And if I can't join them in the waking world, I can fly in my dreams with you instead."

Sirius smiled sadly, "You still can't fly?" he asked.

"No," Harry replied, as they each called Firebolts into being and took off. "I won't be able to fly for a long time yet. I still can't even fight if we move at all fast. Maybe by the end of the year I'll be able to fly again, but not now. Not in time to play Quidditch."

"I'm sorry," Sirius said. "We can fly as often as you like in dreams, I promise you that."

Harry smiled at his godfather, and they took off. That night they had a great time, flying and diving, racing one another through scenes that varied from things that Harry remembered of the waking world to fantastic landscapes that could not exist upon the earth.

----

When morning came, he was sad to awaken to his life. His back hurt, as it always did, and Harry contemplated asking Snape for a pain relieving drought, as he did every morning, and, as always, decided against it.

He entered the Centre instead, and let the pain that his physical body endured wash through his mind like water. He could at least think, now, and concentrate on other things. He usually spent most of his morning in the Centre, just waking up and getting ready to face the new day.

Today, he, Tonks and Tatsu went shopping in Muggle London for Muggle clothes. Harry felt comfortable in the clothes that he had spent his childhood in, and Tatsu rarely ever wore robes, unless you counted kimonos.

Ron and Hermione stayed behind to do Ron's homework. Harry had to laugh at his red-headed friend, with Hermione always hanging over his shoulder making him do his homework. Harry had finished his in July, before his birthday came around, to Hermione's obvious approval.

Tonks saw to it that Harry bought some more trendy clothes, which Harry didn't mind at all. It was nice to know that he was wearing the latest crazes, which he'd never had a chance to do before last year.

They returned in the late afternoon, and found Ron out flying with his brothers and Ginny, and Hermione in a huff because he wasn't doing his homework like she was trying to make him do. Headmistress McGonagall was waiting in the kitchen when Harry arrived, and told him she wanted to talk to him.

Tatsu and Tonks left him there, and closed the door behind them. Harry knew that Mrs. Weasley had put a permanent ward against eavesdroppers which activated the moment that the door closed, just in case.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Potter," McGonagall said, smiling briefly at him. "How is your back?"

"As well as can be expected," Harry said stiffly. "I won't be able to fly for awhile yet though."

"A pity that, Mr. Potter. You were a great flyer. You are obviously unable to play Quidditch this year, which means that you will not be able to take the place of Gryffindor captain – that has been given to Mr. Weasley instead."

Harry nodded, feeling horrible. He could have been captain, but no, he had to break his bloody back. Now Ron got that as well, just like he'd gotten the Prefect position in fifth year when Dumbledore himself had admitted that it should have been Harry's, would have been Harry's, if Dumbledore hadn't thought that Harry would be 'too busy'.

He didn't mind, not really, about either event, but he was just feeling momentarily bitter. Besides, he'd been captain of a team last year, and had led them to victory. "Ron deserves the position," he said, knowing that it was true.

"As it is not our policy to have the Quidditch Captain of any House as Head Boy, because it means that they have little time for either job, as well as their studies, I wanted to offer that job to you," McGonagall told Harry, "It is also not in our policy to ask if a student wishes to be Head Boy, but I understand that you have a lot on your plate, so I thought I would give the opportunity to decline, if that was your wish."

Harry just sat and stared at her for a moment, hardly able to believe it. She was offering him the position of Head Boy, after all the rules he'd broken, after all of the things that he'd done before … but Harry knew that he was of the few people in his year who really deserved the position. He'd managed to unite the school, which was what the Head students and the Prefects were supposed to do, along with upholding the rules.

"Who's the Head Girl?" Harry asked curiously, before he made his decision, he wouldn't want to be Head Boy if the Head Girl wasn't someone he could work with.

"Miss Granger's letter should arrive this evening," McGonagall replied, "But I would ask that you not reveal it to her until after she has received it. Do you have your answer now, or would you like a day to think about it? I can't give you much more than that, I'm afraid, because if you decline, we will have to notify the next on the list."

Harry hesitated for only a moment, before saying, "I accept."

Well, there is the end of the fifth chapter … still trying to get in contact with beta-reader … anyway, is there anyone who wants to go over all the chapters in the previous story? (In Every Darkness) for mistakes and such? My previous editor for that particular story is a lot busier at present and can't continue with her work.

My apologies for crazy updates at the moment. Exams are coming up, and I'm writing another story with my friend (which I've mentioned several times before) – that is really coming close to being posted now! After my exams are over (in a little over a week) I'll be working more on that and it should be up soon after that! (We hope …)

Thanks to:

Dumbeldave, JeanieBeanie33, Mulledmead, fcucking cathy, katepotter13, TuxedoMac, jbfritz, Emmo Barrows, Laen, Krodolin, moonypadfoot, Wytil, gina87, lyss33, QueenWeasel, shadowmonk, cantfindagoodname, Ezmeralda, NateP, uNoeWho, Quillian, Quillian, Quillian, Quillian.

Please keep reviewing! Your comments are appreciated, and I'll try to be better about updating … Also, rewriting Deceptions (my earliest story that has yet to be deleted) and might start posting that soon.