center Harry Potter and the Amulet of Power /center
Summary: Harry Potter is in his 6th year at Hogwarts. Right off the start of summer holiday he is captured by Voldemort. There is a mysterious new student at Hogwarts this year that transferred from Durmstang and she holds some interesting secrets. Harry is a sixteen year old with all of the love problems that come with his age. He struggles with the meaning of love and has some tough decisions to make. And if he chooses wrong, everything could come crashing down around him…
Genre/Category: Action/Adventure/Romance
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related characters belong to JK Rowling and Warner Brothers Entertainment. I have no wish to claim it as my own. Yet, the plot and original characters of "Harry Potter and the Amulet of Life" are all my own.Ships: HPHG HGSS HPGW GWDM (Love triangles all around!)
A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in so long! I've been very busy with my classes. Thank you to the few people who reviewed me. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Keep the reviews comin'!
Chapter Thirteen – Back At Hogwarts
At breakfast all the teachers greeted Harry and Hermione and asked them how they were doing. Even though Harry was Happy to be alive and walking around he was still depressed. He'd had this dark cloud hanging over his head since Sirius' death. He knew it'd been his fault. All his fault Sirius died. If he had only listened to someone and not gone out and done his "saving-people thing" Sirius would still be alive.
He knew if he told anyone this they'd brush it off and tell him he's ridiculous for thinking such things. But just because everyone else didn't blame him, he still blamed himself. He'd sought revenge on not only Voldemort now for taking his parents but Bellatrix for taking his godfather. When would all this end? His friends and family being taken from him and suffering? It wouldn't, until Voldemort was defeated.
He knew that after all the time he had to think at Saint Mungo's that he was in love with Hermione Granger. All of her sweet words to him echoed through his head even now and that kiss she had planted on his forehead still soothed him. He thought of how beautiful she was becoming and how loving and tender she could be. No one knew him better than Hermione Granger.
But he knew that he couldn't have her. At least, not until Voldemort was defeated. He would not put her in higher risk by having her as a girlfriend. She probably didn't feel the same anyway. He was her best friend and that all she saw him as. Sure, she cared for him, but so did Ron. And he didn't mind it so much, as long as she was safe and he still got to spend time with her, that's all that mattered.
After breakfast they had a meeting with Dumbledore about the rest of their summer holiday.
"Now, as you know, the eminent threat of danger is upon us, and you two are in quite in the middle of it!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "Lemon drop anyone?"
"No thank you, sir. But would you mind telling me now why a woman at St. Mungo's tried to kill me under imperious and why Snape has been my body-guard for the past month?"
"Now, Miss Granger, I was wondering when you were going to tell me about that." He said sternly. Nothing gets by him… Hermione thought. "But, I believe it is in your best interest to tell you but I must ask you two that this not leave this room. Even Mister Weasley should be left out of it, for his own good. I'd imagine you wouldn't want your friend to be in any more danger."
"I won't say a word." Hermione said.
"Me neither." Harry added.
"Good. I trust you both a great deal and have no doubt in you. Now, Miss Granger, I believe that you have the Amulet of Life?"
Hermione gave Dumbledore a dumbfounded look and said quietly "My, nothing does get past you…"
"You're wondering how I know, correct?" He asked Hermione as she nodded her head. "Well, as you already know, we have some agents in Voldemort's midst and they have told me that some Death Eaters went to go pick it up for Voldemort in the store you had gotten it in the previous day. So they went over and tortured him until he told them who had bought it. He did not know your name so he gave your description and said that he had a vision about you and it said you were born in the tenth month."
"Why did he tell them?" Hermione asked, "I trusted him…"
"He didn't want to. They threatened the life of his family. And he did come to me with that information; he was an old student of mine, rather good in Divination and Astronomy. Anyway, he alerted me yesterday evening of what happened and I took his side of the story and saw they matched up. So they found their way to you, Miss Granger, and now they assume you have it and you plan to use it against Voldemort with Harry."
"But, they can't use it unless they are of Royal Egyptian blood. I mean, how many people are out there like that? The guy at the store did say that he had never felt like anyone else could have had it…"
"Well, also, they may have been able to work it, but whatever is leading him towards letting someone buy it or not was waiting for you to get it. It was fate. It is a very powerful item and will be very useful in this war against Voldemort."
Harry sat in his chair watching the two converse. Oh great, Hermione's in eminent danger even without me! Harry thought to himself.
"So, since you can work the amulet, I can only assume that he will figure this out and stop trying to kill you and kidnap you, which is much worse."
"I would never use it for him, sir. Never."
"I know, my dear, your intentions are good. But there is no way to guarantee that. They would not only torture you but also torture and kill your family and friends right in front of your eyes. And since you are stronger with the amulet, they'd be able to do more damage. Understand?"
"Yes sir."
"Now, on a lighter note! Congratulations, Harry, for beating the Killing Curse for the second time!"
Harry colored a bit and said "Its not like I did it intentionally…"
"Yes, yes. But, this summer we will be doing some training of you two. Both of you will receive training in Legilimency, Occlumency, Dueling, Advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts, Animagus training, Physical training, Advanced Potions, Advanced Charms, Advanced Transfiguration, and Apparation."
"Whoa! That's a lot of training! And we aren't allowed to apparate until we're seventeen, sir!" Hermione said in shock.
"Animagus? We are going to be Animagus!" Harry said.
Dumbledore chuckled. "Well, that all depends on you two. Only certain people can do it, and the training is very rigorous and painful. You won't be getting your apparition license and we will not be registering you as Animagus for your own safety. But you are only to use it while we are training and when you absolutely need you. The enemy must not find out and the Ministry either, which to some minds is also the enemy. But, you did not let me finish. Hermione, you will be getting Metamophagus training from Tonks and since you and Professor Snape get along you will be doing a private study with him on this Amulet. Harry, you will be getting sword wielding training from my dear friend Lancelot. I have a schedule of your classes right here." Dumbledore said, pulling two sheets of parchments out of his desk and handing them to Harry and Hermione.
Harry groaned looking at their list of activities over the next 5 weeks before school.
"Well, it appears you have an apparition class right now. See you later!" Dumbledore said cheerfully.
Harry was both looking forward to and dreading the classes. He was excited to be able to be an Animagus and apparate and learn how to wield a sword, but he didn't feel much like working towards it. And Occlumency he dreaded most of all.
Hermione was a bit apprehensive about all the training. Most of all, she wanted to be able to keep up with Harry. The thing she hated most was feeling incompetent. Hermione tried to do her best in everything and if she didn't, she'd either give it up or try harder until she was very frustrated. The only things at Hogwarts she never excelled at were Divination and Quidditch, but she didn't care about those things. They were silly. But, all of their training was important.
Harry and Hermione walked down to Hogsmeade and met with Professor Sprout at the Shrieking Shack (Dumbledore asked them to not go through the Whomping Willow entrance but through Hogsmeade).
After they followed Sprout in through a hidden entrance into the shack and began their lesson.
"Now, first off, the reason I'm teaching you is because I used to be an apparition instructor myself and I hope to teach it to you as Dumbledore's request. So, have either of you ever found that you apparated accidentally when you were very emotional or even intentionally without a wand?"
"No, Professor, I've never apparated at all." Hermione said.
"Well, when I used to go to muggle school when I was ten I was running away from my cousin and when I was trying to jump behind a trashcan I'd found that I had appeared on the roof somehow. I got in quite a bit of trouble."
"Excellent, mister Potter. You should be able to apparate with little training." Hermione felt uneasy again, what if I can't do it? She thought. "But, there are a few things you should know before attempting it. Do either of you know?"
"Only your body and the clothes you are wearing and the other inanimate objects touching your body can apparate. But if you re sitting on a couch or touching a table you could be splinched with the table." Hermione said.
"Very good. Can either of you tell me what splinching is?"
Harry spoke up this time. "Its when you apparate and either part of you gets left in the other place or another object gets in your body, like coming out with the leg of a table through your midsection."
"Correct, Mister Potter. Anything else about apparition?"
"You should never apparate into an area you don't know too well and don't apparate in a place where muggles can either see you or catch you on camera."
"Wonderful, Miss Granger. I think we've covered all the basics. Now, lets start to practice." Professor Sprout said, eyeing them with a smirk on her face. "Now, lets try not to splinch ourselves. First I want you to make sure you are not by any objects and concentrate on this area over where I am standing. Memorize it. Then imagine yourself standing there and imagine where I am standing. Close your eyes and concentrate on it some more. When I say go, with your wand extended, Harry say apparate and never stop thinking about this place, nothing else. If you're not ready then don't do it." Professor Sprout moved from where she was standing as the two teenagers stood five feet away from her with their eyes closed. "Go."
"Apparate." Harry said clearly and forcefully.
POP! He disappeared.
"Uh…Professor…How long is it supposed to take him to appear?"
Sprout looked panicked "Oh dear…"
Harry appeared at a rural setting, definitely not across the room.
"Bloody hell…" Harry said under his breath, just then a young woman with blonde, stringy hair walked out of the door and nearly ran into him.
"Oh!" She said after falling over him. Then a look of shock crossed her face and she scrambled back into the house.
"Uh…er…excuse me? I'm learning how to uhm…apparate and I accidentally got here, could I use your floo?" He yelled after her. When he remembered she might not be a witch he could have kicked himself. But a minute later the thin girl came running out again but this time with an old woman.
"Grandmother, I just came out of the door and ran into him." The girl explained to the older woman.
"You are Harry Potter, no?" The old woman asked him.
"Er…yes. Listen, can I use your fireplace? I'm practicing apparating and I have no idea how I ended up here, mam."
"Oh, no reason to call me mam, its Julie. I suppose it's time you and I had a talk. Come in? I'll put some tea on, there's some things we need to talk about."
"I'm really sorry, but my friends are probably worried. When I get the hang of this apparating maybe I'll come back sometime. But could you tell me why I came here?"
"Well, because we did a sort of spell to help you and you have a connection to this place now."
"Well, how do I stop apparating here when I try to apparate somewhere else?"
Julie took out her wand and held it above Harry's head and he considered disarming her but decided to trust her. She murmured a few words under her breath and told him to try apparating back. After opening his eyes again, he found himself right where he tried to apparate to at first.
"Harry!" Hermione yelled, throwing her arms around him. "Where were you! Professor Sprout just left to tell Dumbledore you were gone!"
"Well, I guess we better call him and tell him I'm okay. Is there a fireplace or floo powder in here?"
"Well, I have some floo powder on me and there might be a fireplace upstairs. Let's go."
"Hermione, why do you carry around floo powder?"
"For a time like this. Come on, Harry."
When they got upstairs Hermione lit the fireplace then called Dumbledore.
"Good thing that this fireplace is on the floo network." Harry said.
"Hello Headmaster. Sorry to bother you but Professor Sprout is about to come and tell you Harry disappeared but he's come back now." Hermione said to the fire as Harry looked around the room.
He had never been upstairs before, nor anyone else in a while. He guessed it was because people rarely came into the Shrieking Shack. The only person Harry knew of was Lupin that came here regularly. And Lupin couldn't have gotten upstairs since the stairway was so narrow.
Harry noticed that there was a dusty desk in the corner and walked over to it. There were a few pieces of parchment on it. He picked it up and saw that a few of them looked like essays that were left unfinished and one was a letter.
My love,
Life is too short and I cannot burden yours any longer. I'm sorry for how this has turned out. I don't see how you could ever love a monster like me. Maybe one day we'll meet again.
Then the letter cut off, leaving Harry wondering who had written it so many years before. When he looked at the other unfinished assignment from the desk it was an essay on Potions. Maybe they went to Hogwarts! He thought to himself. They must have used this place as a hang out or something while going to school since no one's lived here for a decade.
"Harry, Dumbledore says Professor Sprout will be back up in here in a few."
"Oh. Uh…alright. Sorry I gave you a scare, I uh…apparated to some field. It was weird. I've never been there in my life." Harry said, having no idea why he was lying to her.
"Weird." Hermione concurred.
After more searching of the room Hermione found an old wizard photograph. It wasn't too old, maybe twenty years or so years old, but it had been sitting in the Shrieking Shack for a while. It was on the floor next to the desk. The young woman looked in her late teens and had long brown hair and incredibly dark eyes. She actually resembled Bellatrix Lestrange, but with softer features that made her more beautiful.
"She's beautiful, Harry. Who do you think she is?"
"I don't know. Do you think she lived here?"
"I doubt it. On the back it has a date only twenty four years ago."
"Maybe she went to Hogwarts! My parents went to Hogwarts around that time. Maybe she knew my parents!"
"Maybe."
Just then they heard voices downstairs that weren't Sprout's.
"I don't think I'm ready yet…and isn't this place haunted?" A feminine voice said.
"Don't worry, love. It's just an old rumor. And I love you, we can do this. If you loved me it wouldn't be so hard." A man said.
"Can't we just take it a little slower? I mean, I haven't even told anyone we're dating yet."
"I suppose…anything for you. I can wait for you." He told her.
The talking stopped so Hermione and Harry figured they had left, but just in case they went down the staircase with dexterity. When they got to the bottom they turned into the dusty den to see if anyone was occupying it. When Harry and Hermione looked in they both gasped.
"DRACO! GINNY?"
