Harry Potter and the Druid Pathway
Author's Note: Here is the fourth instalment and I hope that you enjoy it. Tried to make this a little longer and include some more detail too. Warning: some violence in this chapter.
Chapter Four: Transitions
A month had flown by since Harry's birthday and he was to leave for Hogwarts in a day. Through dedicated Occlumency study, Harry had managed to fully complete his inner mind wall and found it to be secure. However, each day as his power grew; his walls would also grow in strength and solidity. He was due to start the assembly of his outer wall which would travel the circumference of his mind boundaries (a vast distance), yet his goal was to have them just as durable as his inner wall. He estimated that his outer wall would be completed by the next summer holidays as he would not be able to dedicate as much time to his Occlumency with school and the like.
His interest in the Black family library bequeathed to him in Sirius' will had also grown as he had owled Oswyn to request a book on Legilimency from the assortment of books left to him. Oswyn had done a splendid job as he had sent a rather large tome with stiff yellow pages covered in spidery script. He had not had much chance to explore the counter mind art yet, but had read enough to learn how to raise an eye-shield. This, basically, was a small mental shield (visualise a contact lens type thing) that prevented him entering the mind of anyone and vice versa (though the shield purely was a parlour trick of the art and tricked the practitioner's mind into believing a shield was in place – purely a temporary solution as the mind would soon overcome this). This meant that Harry would have to begin learning the art in full come Hogwarts.
His reviewing of his Hogwarts books in transfiguration, charms and DADA had progressed swimmingly. He was now at an excellent standard for a post-fifth year student and felt he was ready for the new material to be taught in his sixth year. The theory behind the spells actually helped him in the practical application of each subject and he found that his spells were more focused, effective and powerful when he learnt or understood the theory behind them. His wand work (mostly down to transfiguration and charms) had improved drastically as well and he found that his hand and wrist had become much more fluent in the casting of spells and he had developed the beginnings of a practised ease in spell casting. Out of boredom, Harry had also experimented with the way he spoke spells; he could now whisper most spells he knew, eliciting the came results. Due to his success in his magical studies, Harry found himself looking forward to his chosen subjects, though surprisingly, not Ancient Studies. He had only selected the course to annoy Dumbledore and really thought it would be a lesson much like History of Magic: sleep-inducing.
The apparition book given to him by Hermione on his birthday had also been useful in his summer studies. He discovered in his readings that there were many different possibilities in the field of self-transportation. Standard apparating as taught by the Ministry included the transition from place to place through willpower and the displacement of air pockets (sound effect). He read that some wizards could apparate themselves and companions though it was much more difficult. Also, silent apparition was also possible though it was dangerous to those without experience in standard apparition as it involved the air pockets created for travel to be skin-tight and this was incredibly difficult to do; though many of the Great duellers use this form of apparition to great effect. Harry had decided that he wanted to be able to do the entirety of mentioned forms of apparition though he knew he would have to start small. He could so far apparate himself across his room and had since, only worked on his speed of doing so.
The duelling book that Dumbledore had given had certainly changed his views in regards to the sport as it did not focus on spells and the like, but rather on tactics, approaches and styles. Harry, although not having a real duel to test him, fancied that he was rather more improved in his duelling even though he had learnt no new spells. His approach to it had shifted and he had learnt how to incorporate various magics into his duelling which he knew would put him ahead of many other Hogwarts duellers; though he still recognised that he had a long way to go if he wanted to be a Great dueller.
Harry's physical appearance had also changed slightly since a month previous. His hair which was previously at an awkward length had grew out some more and now hung about his face in shaggy bangs. He wanted it a little longer though so that it would hang about his shoulders, though he admitted that he suited the natural rogue look it gave him. His skin was still pale from lack of outdoor activity but it made him look older and he thought that was a bonus if anything. His eyes though showed the biggest change he thought; the emerald green that they were had deepened to a darker hue though they shimmered like liquid in the light, much like his mind-water.
Remus had contacted him via Hedwig to arrange to take him to the Platform for the next day. Harry had politely refused and told him that the Dursleys would be taking him, though he had no intention of getting in the car with his relatives. His plan was to apparate to the train station, though he understood the risk since it would be the largest distance he had travelled using his newly acquired skill. The way Harry took the pressure off though was by telling him-self that distance didn't matter, as the same principle applied every time, and this became a mantra for a while until its reassurance sunk in.
(cut)
Platform 9 ¾ was a hive of activity. The iron-wrought gateway to the magical world gleamed brightly in the morning sun as clusters of parents and students made their way onto the platform. The Hogwarts Express shone a blood red and the whistles and sprays of steam emanating from the large train added to the chaos. Amidst all of this activity, no one spotted a man with longish black hair and unforgettable green eyes materialise onto the platform, towards a secluded stone alcove. Not even the aurors stationed around the platform for security saw this man's arrival, occupied with many of the troublesome younger years. The man was wearing a black wizard's hat and long black cloak. Harry Potter had arrived on the platform ready to journey towards his sixth year of Hogwarts.
Harry, free from the restrictions upon underage sorcery, had shrunk his Hogwarts school trunk and placed it in the folds of his open robe; though his trunk was almost to overflowing and the problem would need to be tackled at some point in the foreseeable future. Making his way over to the train, weaving an agile line through the bustling crowds, Harry laid eyes upon a young woman, struggling with a heavy school trunk. He couldn't remember her clearly, though knew she was in his year and a Slytherin. Seeing that nobody was offering assistance, the nice side of Harry relented and he walked over to the girl.
"Need some help there?" he asked, his voice rumbling slightly in his chest after so long without use.
"If you don't mind?" she replied with a grunted sigh, dropping the trunk back to the ground. As she turned to look upon her rescuer she didn't expect to see a young man wearing the classics wizard's hat, or the liquid-green eyes staring from beneath a veil of dark hair; the eyes holding an alluring quality, though resistance to their own absorbing power.
Harry was taken aback a little at the girl's beauty. She had long black hair, hanging just below the shoulders and the clearest brown eyes he had ever seen. She was a little shorter than him he noticed as they stood facing one another, though he quickly regained his senses and knelt to help her with the trunk (not wanting to use magic, cards close to the chest and all).
Hefting the trunk onto his shoulder, Harry played the dangerous game of manoeuvring himself through the narrow train doors. He had soon enough brought her trunk to her compartment and set it inside for her.
"Thanks, you were a great help," she breathed after her dodging through the crowds. "Name's Blaise Zambini, not sure I've met you?"
Harry gave a little chuckle that once again reverberated in his chest. "Hi, I'm Harry. I guess I'll see you around then Blaise?"
"Yeah, for sure," she finished, talking to the retreating back of Harry. It took her only a few seconds after Harry had taken his leave for her to make the connection between the black hair and green eyes, and Harry. Harry Potter had just been not only civil, but kind to her despite her House. Plus, he looked totally different! This was something to think on.
(cut)
Stepping back onto the platform, Harry enjoyed the anonymity amongst the crowd before having to depart for Hogwarts. Most students were still milling about on the platform with a full ten minutes before departure and the aurors had clustered together by the gateway, their red robes blending into one mass. Harry looked around and found that he was happy to be on the way to Hogwarts, for the most part, though his happiness didn't last long.
A resonation of pops sounded around the platform as roughly ten wizards and witches clad in black robes and donning white, expressionless masks appeared on the platform. A short silence descended upon the gathered people as all eyes turned to the new arrivals before screams and shouts erupted within the crowds. The aurors began to fight against the tide of civilians, struggling to make their way towards the imminent threat; apparition too risky with so many people moving into and out of available space.
The first spell fired was from the death eater at the fore of the group. His wand arched in a small wrist movement that sent a jet of deep purple light sailing into the masses. Harry, stood frozen, watched as the light hit a boy of maybe twelve whose eyes rolled into the back of his head, before the spell sent him spinning seven feet across the platform. As this settled in, Harry's mind woke and with a short flick of the wrist, his wand was in hand and he was ready. No running, he was sick of being chased by the war, he was ready to do some chasing.
Harry was already near to the death eaters so, without really thinking of what he was doing, he picked up on the magic that sounded in his mind, though instead of the normal hum, the magic was roaring, feeding off of his emotions. His aura flared without him really noticing and the people around him subconsciously gave him a wide berth. Harry whispered a simple transfiguration charm (transformo: general spell) on two dropped thermoses (obviously from a muggle family) and transformed them into two perfectly circular balls of metal (easy transfiguration as they were already made of metal). Then by whispering a slightly more complex banishing charm than the average (pello), Harry was able to direct the aviation of both objects simultaneously. The power that Harry was exhibiting with the use of the simple spell was damn frightening as one ball flew right into the mask of one death eater and sent him flying, an audible crack as his jawbone broke sounded over the chaos. The second ball aimed towards the abdomen of another man sent him careening down the platform with horrific force.
Feeling rather than seeing the spell flying towards him, Harry twirled full circle, his robes and cloak struggling to follow before he returned facing a death eater and knelt down at a mind-numbing speed. His wand jerked violently forwards as he whispered a stunning charm (stupefy), his mind focused solely on the correct casting of it. The beam of light that erupted from his wand was pencil thin, but the power used was immense. Those whom the spell passed were shaken physically and the death eater who the spell impacted with was flown through the air unconscious, and landed with a sickening thud on the concrete ground, a pool of blood forming around his head.
The aurors were also in the fray by now and, although there were only three, combating the death eaters with some success. Harry knew he had eliminated at least three of the death eaters from the conflict and the aurors at least four. The remaining two death eaters used a combined shield spell, allowing them enough time to mass portkey their group from the platform as reinforcements arrived. The damage was already done though as many a student and some adults had sustained injuries. Luckily, there were no fatalities but this was a hollow comfort. Harry, not wanting questions to be asked of him boarded the train and found an empty compartment. Luckily, amidst all the confusion, his name was not specifically spoken; though it was reported of a man fighting with the aurors. After a few statements were made and the injured treated or escorted to St. Mungo's, the train ride began with the aurors and some teaching staff riding the train for security.
(cut)
Sitting in his compartment, Harry had time to review the events on the platform a few hours previous. He was impressed with how he had dealt effectively with his opponents, though he was very disappointed and angry at the wizards and witches, both adult and older students, who ran from the ten death eaters when they could have helped fight.
However, the first test of his magical ability since his summer activities had been a shock. His occluded mind had helped him focus on his spells, despite their simple nature, and the power he had used was beyond anything he had exhibited before. The thing that was scaring him slightly however, was that he hadn't thought his spells would do so much damage and magical maturation was said to last at least a couple of months. Just how powerful would he become?
He didn't see Ron or Hermione for some while since they were in the prefect's meeting. When they did eventually seek him out, they found him to be less than talkative. Hermione managed to give him a full on one-sided account of hers and Ron's summer and then proceeded to speculate on trivial school things such as new professors, how good classes were going to be and the like as well as discussing their OWL results and chosen courses. The death eater attack was brought up and despite Hermione's questions on where he was at the time Harry remained tight lipped which forced her to drop the subject. The tension between them seemed to have eased some, but Harry was still a little upset with them for not writing to him (even though he hadn't made the first contact either) and also because they were obviously keeping something from him; he suspected a relationship since they kept snatching peaks at one another when they thought he wasn't looking.
For the remainder of the trip, Harry read the book McGonagall had given him for his birthday on career paths in the magical world. The urge to read his legilimency book was great but he resisted, deciding that he should keep his exploration of the mind arts to himself. Harry managed to bookmark a few pages in the careers book too, noting them as possibilities though he still had no real direction in careers.
(cut)
Harry was seated at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall of Hogwarts. Hermione and Ron were sat closely together across from him and next to him were his dorm mates. He had removed his wizard's hat, and now his longish bangs fell about his friends as he bowed his head, avoiding meeting the eyes of Dumbledore whom he knew would be watching him. Despite the death eater attack, spirits seemed to be reasonably high and the sorting had gone sensibly, the students divided more or less equally. The food had been served and eaten, though Harry ate little as he caught Blaise staring at him more than once in a quizzical fashion and Draco Malfoy wearing a satisfied smirk; despite the death eater attack having little success, he wondered.
Dumbledore rose from his raised chair at the teacher's table and raised his goblet.
"I would like to thank all those who helped I the attack today on platform 9 ¾, as it was much appreciated. Although a few were injured today, there were no fatalities and our injured students will rejoin our ranks soon. Now, I would firstly like to make some announcements: the Defence against the Dark Arts position has been filled by our own Severus Snape!"
The hall fell silent as Snape stood up to receive his (surprisingly expected) applause, though even the Slytherin students seemed to be in shock and elicited only a scatter of clapping.
"Well, yes…" Dumbledore continued with a hint of embarrassment for Severus, "Also, our new Potions professor is Miss Ling Chen."
A woman of average height with a heart-shaped face, obviously of Chinese heritage, stood up to a louder round of slightly suspicious applause. Her long black hair (half-way down back) shone in the light of the Great Hall but her eyes remained kind as she surveyed her future pupils.
The feast was soon ended and the students herded from the Great Hall by prefects, destined for bed. Classes would start the following morning since they had arrived on a Sunday. As Harry made for the doors, he was caught by McGonagall who requested a short word with him. She led him over to the side of the doors, out of way of the passing students.
"Mr. Potter, the headmaster wished to talk with you. I trust you can find your way to his office?" although her voice was as stern as ever, her eyes held a sympathetic kindness, one which Harry wasn't too fond of.
"Yeah, I'll be there."
"Good and I look forward to our first lesson. Judging from your OWL scores, you should be quite the student in my subject."
With that, McGonagall hurried from the hall, leaving Harry to go and meet with the old man. In truth, he was in no real mood to deal with Dumbledore, but what must be done, must be done. Tiredly, Harry made for the headmaster's office.
Author's Note: General review responses: Harry's animagus form (IF he has one) will not be a phoenix. Also, I don't think Harry will be able to absorb books faster to gain knowledge, though he will gain knowledge quite quickly (clue: next chapter is called 'School Day Inspirations'). Anyway, thank you for all the reviews; they really do help when writing chapters! Let me know what you think of this chapter too, thanks.
P.S. This story may move towards a FemaleBlaise/Harry relationship, though its not definite, and if it does, then it will be gradual.
