iI do not, and will never, own anything related to the Harry Potter
–universe. I'm just borrowing it a bit./i
Okay, I know you've waited a long time for this, and I just hope I still have any readers left. If you read, please please please review as well. If you tried to read this chapter last week, then you know that Fanfiction.net screwed it up somehow. Here you have the chapter, the whole chapter, and nothing but the chapter! (I hope) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------
Remus' and Harry's eyes met with a look of mutual understanding. Drawing their wands, they quietly moved out of the kitchen. Sticking his head into the living room, Harry gestured to his aunt to remain where she was and to be quiet. Then, slowly but surely, he followed Remus up the stairs. After warning him to skip a step that usually made a lot of noise, Harry whispered: "I think that sound came from my room."
Knowing that there was no one in the house besides themselves and Petunia (Uncle Vernon was at work, and Dudley, as always, was terrorizing neighbourhood kids), Remus gave Harry a nod of understanding. They both moved to either side of Harry's bedroom door. Harry strained his ears to catch any sound that might be coming from his room, but he could hear nothing.
After what seemed like an eternity, but was probably closer to 10 seconds, Harry heard the doorknob turn, and a head popped around the doorpost. Harry and Remus, on edge from the adrenalin rushing through their bodies, had their wands aimed at the head before the man it belonged to was able to blink his eyes.
'Now, what kind of welcome is this? Surely it is good to see that you are on your guard, Harry, Remus, but this is no way to treat your Headmaster, is it?' Said Albus Dumbledore, amusement all but hidden in his voice.
'Professor Dumbledore?'
'Albus?'
Harry and Remus both seemed to be equally shocked by the strange appearance of the Headmaster of Hogwarts. As they simultaneously lowered their wands, they managed to blurt out: 'What, when, why?'
'It seems I have made the wards around this house a bit too strong for my own good. I thought I'd construed them so that I could apparate to your side when need be, but I seem to have made a mistake. The wards let me in, but put me off course. I had been aiming for the kitchen chair, but instead ended up face down in your rubbish bin, Harry,' Dumbledore explained.
Harry and Remus couldn't help but snigger at the mental picture the Headmaster had provided. That must have been some sight, Albus Dumbledore landing upside down in a rubbish bin. But Harry was going through a whole range of different emotions at the sight of the elderly man.
Something about Dumbledore had always made him feel safe, like he was home, but now that feeling had a hint of darkness about it. Harry was still not happy with the way Dumbledore had treated him in the last couple of years, telling him half-truths, and hiding important information, apparently for his own protection. Once more, the wave of anger he had experienced in Dumbledore's office after that fateful night, came over him. In a way, Harry blamed him, too, for Sirius' death. After all, if Harry had had a proper tutor for Occlumency, instead of Snape, he might have been able to block the fake vision. Harry knew that his feelings were all but fair, and as he looked at the man he had trusted more than anything for so long, it almost seemed like the Headmaster knew what he was thinking. Turning slightly pink, Harry dropped his head to inspect the floorboards, which, all of the sudden, seemed to be the most interesting thing Harry had ever seen.
'Well, what do you say we go down and have a bit to eat. We totally forgot about lunch,' Remus started, obviously trying to break the uncomfortable silence.
'Good idea,' said Dumbledore, and they made their way down the stairs.
Glancing into the living room, Harry saw that his aunt had obviously left, throwing his advice to the wind. At this display of ignorance, he couldn't help but shrug.
After a rather quiet and short lunch, Dumbledore gave Harry some news.
'Harry, I've come here to discuss several matters with you, and I'd like to start off with one of the more exciting ones; you OWL-results. I hope you don't mind I'm delivering yours a day early. I had a meeting with the committee and asked them if I could deliver yours in person. So, here's the envelope. Whenever you're ready.'
Harry stared blankly at the envelope. After everything that had happened in his life over the last couple of weeks, OWL-results had been the last thing on his mind. But now that the day had finally come, Harry felt his stomach do a small lurch of excitement. Was there a chance he's be able to take Auror-NEWTs? With a passion he didn't know he possessed, he hoped so. Hands slightly trembling, Harry picked up the envelope and broke the seal.
i Dear Mr. Potter,
We are delighted to inform you of the results of your Ordinary Wizarding Level exams. Your grades have been broken down in theory and practice, where applicable. You need to have at least an average 'A' on a subject, in order to receive an OWL.
Subject Theory Practice Divination A A Charms O E Transfiguration E O Defence against dark arts O O History of magic D Care of magical creatures E E Potions O O Astronomy P Herbology A
This means that you have obtained 7 OWLs, congratulations.
Yours truly,
Melinda McTyree, Head of OWL-committee /i
'I made it!' Harry almost shouted. 'I'll be able to take all the NEWTs I need to be an Auror.' As both Dumbledore and Remus congratulated Harry, his happiness suddenly disappeared quickly.
iFor neither can live while the other survives/i, a voice in the back of his head whispered. Harry wondered if he'd live a life long enough to make it to being an Auror. With the way things were going at the moment, he wasn't even sure if he'd live to see his own graduation.
Apparently reading his mind once more, Dumbledore subtly changed the subject. 'I'm terribly sorry, Remus, but I need to speak to Harry about certain things. Among others that subject we spoke about earlier. Would you mind?'
Remus, as if he had expected this to happen (he probably had), got up swiftly and, with a hand on Harry's shoulder, told him; 'I'll see you again soon enough. Don't worry. I'll let myself out.'
With a look of despair, that Harry failed to hide, he watched his friend walk out the door. He really had no inclination to speak to Dumbledore alone. Somehow, he didn't feel too comfortable around him anymore. Not to mention that during their last conversation, Harry had smashed the Headmaster's office to smithereens.
Looking at Harry intently, Dumbledore folded his fingers under his chin and regarded Harry over his half-moon spectacles. Then, he let out a small sigh. 'Well, Harry,' said Dumbledore, 'I thought there were a couple of issues we should discuss. Firstly, Occlumency.'
At this, Harry held his breath audibly, wondering if the old man had found out what had happened the other day.
'Not to worry, Harry,' Dumbledore, who miraculously misunderstood Harry's reaction, continued. 'Professor Snape will not be tutoring you anymore. I will be taking this task on me myself, as maybe I should have done in the first place. Our sessions will be starting this week, and will continue throughout the rest of the year. We will start with 4 nights a week for 2 hours, and as you return to school, 2 nights a week for 2 hours. Furthermore, you will need some additional dueling and combat training. What you did with my army,' Dumbledore's eyes glistened mischievously, 'was a good start, but you need some professional guidance as well. Of course, the restriction for underaged magic is still in place, so you will only be able to study the theory on new spells, until you are back at school.'
Here Dumbledore obviously paused to let Harry pose some questions. Instead, Harry just looked at the Headmaster intently, wondering if he'd heard the old man own up to a mistake once again. 'Go on,' Harry said, after a minute's silence.
The Headmaster raised his right eyebrow slightly before continuing. 'I don't know how much Remus already said to you, but we will pair you up with him and Tonks for additional training. You will be studying both advanced offensive and defensive spells with Remus, and Tonks will guide you through combat training. She is a master in Muggle martial arts, karate and taekwondo in particular, believe it or not.'
Harry indeed found it hard to picture clumsy Nymphadora Tonks to be good at something that required so much precision and focus. However, she was an Auror, a job that needed a tremendous amount of those qualities as well. So he probably shouldn't be too surprised.
'But, Professor,' said Harry, 'what good will it do me to learn about spells I can't practice. And do you expect me to fight Death Eaters with karate?'
'Ah Harry,' Dumbledore answered, 'and in-depth knowledge of theory I half the work. Didn't you notice that you could perform spells much easier after you'd explained them in your class?'
At this, Harry nodded.
'Well then, this is the same thing. By explaining, you could understand the working of the spell, the theory, better yourself. Once you have a good knowledge of the spells, performing them should not prove to be your trickiest path. And as for combat training... Well, during a duel it is important to be agile, you must have noticed this by now.'
For a moment, Harry remembered ducking behind gravestones to avoid being hit by Voldemort's spells, at the end of his fourth year.
Dumbledore continued. 'But not only agility is an asset. This training will increase your stamina, allowing you to tire less quickly. Also, you will be able to take your opponent out wandless, if you would ever happen to face them without the benefit of your wand. Because, believe me Harry, that happens. When a wizard is robbed of his wand, they become desperate, and the opponent feels almighty. With proper knowledge of fighting techniques, however, you will have a chance of survival.'
Somehow, Harry found it hard to believe that one could escape powerful wizards without the help of magic, but he decided not to comment on this. You never knew. And he knew that Dumbledore was right about learning spell- theory.
Again, Dumbledore continued. 'Good, on weekday mornings, you will train with Nymphadora from 7 AM till midday. You'll spend 1 PM to 5:30 PM with Remus. I will come here on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sundaynight at 7:30 PM. You'll be off the rest of the weekend, but I recommend you use that time studying spells and training on your own.'
Harry had no problem agreeing with this, desperate to do anything that would help take his mind off things. Sniggering, he made a mental note of telling Tonks that Dumbledore had called her by her given name. Then, a new idea popped into his head.
'Professor, when will I be able to get out of this place and see my friends? I know I've never coped well with living here, but this summer I feel like I just can't take it too long. I would really like to see my friends.'
At this, Dumbledore looked at Harry apprehensively, and with a glint of sadness in his eyes. 'As I explained to you, your stay here is for your own good. You need to recharge your battery, strengthen the blood magic. You can probably leave the week before term starts, although, if Molly Weasley had her way, you'd be out of here this instant.'
Harry's heart had felt like it dropped into his stomach when he heard about leaving a week before term, but at the news of Mrs. Weasley apparently giving Dumbledore a hard time, there was a little spark of hope. After all, Weasley women were known for nothing if not their perseverance and temper.
'Alright then,' said Harry, 'anything else?'
'A couple of things, actually,' the Headmaster replied, while displaying a small smirk. 'You might like to know that your Quidditch ban has been lifted.'
At this, Harry let out a yelp of happiness, but he was quickly silenced as Dumbledore continued.
'Professor McGonagall has asked me to inform you that you are welcome back on the team. She also asked me to assess your feelings on being team co- captain with Mr Weasley.'
After Dumbledore had finished, Harry was not only beaming, he was positively radiant.
'Assess my feelings? What kind of crap is that? I'd love to co-captain with Ron!'
Dumbledore couldn't help but smile at Harry's youthful exuberance and sheer happiness. For the first time in a while, he actually looked his age.
'By Merlin, this is amazing, wait till I tell-' then, Harry stopped dead. What he had meant to say was 'wait till I tell Sirius', but of course he couldn't. He would never be able to tell Sirius. His gaze dropped to the floor, and as he felt a lump in his throat rise, his happiness ebbed away completely.
'Harry? Are you alright?' Dumbledore queried carefully. His voice seemed to come from a distance, but the question nevertheless released Harry's bottled-up anger once more.
'Am I alright?! AM I ALRIGHT? WHAT KIND OF QUESTION IS THAT? Only weeks ago I found out that I am the only thing that stands between Voldemort, and the end of the world! That it's him or me! But before I was told about this, I went on a mad quest that got most of my friends injured, and my godfather killed! I know I should always blame myself for everything that happens around me, but I do! It's just the way I feel! So tell me, DO YOU THINK I'M ALRIGHT?'
Harry had shouted at Dumbledore with an amazing force, and the old man hadn't even flinched. Instead, he seemed to be considering what Harry had said.
'True, Harry, I dropped a bombshell on you. That didn't mean you'd have to bear your cross alone, though. Share the weight. Share the sorrow. In the end, it might come down to you and him, but you'll never be able to reach that point fully prepared if you have no one to help you. And as for what happened to Sirius, that wasn't your fault, his fault, my fault or anyone's fault but the people are behind his death. Never forget that. You will have to come to terms with your personal feelings of guilt in your own time, as I have to come to terms with mine, but you have to allow yourself to grieve first. Do you understand, Harry?'
As Harry looked into the Headmaster's tired eyes, he knew that he was telling the truth. His eyes were filled with compassion, understanding, and sadness.
Breaking the connection between them, Dumbledore said, 'It's time for me to go. You can expect Nymphadora at 7 tomorrow morning. Be ready.'
And with that, Dumbledore disapparated from the spotless kitchen.
Still in shock with everything Dumbledore had told him during their conversation, Harry decided to go up to his bedroom and see if he could make sense out of any of it. Of course, he'd also need to relate everything to his friends. And wondering how Hermione might react to his 7 OWLs, he went upstairs.
Thanks for reading! Some more action is definitely under way, but you do need the introductory stuff too. I hope next chapter'll be a bit better. Just bear with me, okay. I promise I'll make it a good story.
PiM: Thanks for your comments on chapter 2, much appreciated.
All Flyboardians: You too can leave reviews by using the menu in the left hand corner, on the bottom of the page. I love you already, but I'd love you even more if you could leave some comments there as well.
Okay, I know you've waited a long time for this, and I just hope I still have any readers left. If you read, please please please review as well. If you tried to read this chapter last week, then you know that Fanfiction.net screwed it up somehow. Here you have the chapter, the whole chapter, and nothing but the chapter! (I hope) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------
Remus' and Harry's eyes met with a look of mutual understanding. Drawing their wands, they quietly moved out of the kitchen. Sticking his head into the living room, Harry gestured to his aunt to remain where she was and to be quiet. Then, slowly but surely, he followed Remus up the stairs. After warning him to skip a step that usually made a lot of noise, Harry whispered: "I think that sound came from my room."
Knowing that there was no one in the house besides themselves and Petunia (Uncle Vernon was at work, and Dudley, as always, was terrorizing neighbourhood kids), Remus gave Harry a nod of understanding. They both moved to either side of Harry's bedroom door. Harry strained his ears to catch any sound that might be coming from his room, but he could hear nothing.
After what seemed like an eternity, but was probably closer to 10 seconds, Harry heard the doorknob turn, and a head popped around the doorpost. Harry and Remus, on edge from the adrenalin rushing through their bodies, had their wands aimed at the head before the man it belonged to was able to blink his eyes.
'Now, what kind of welcome is this? Surely it is good to see that you are on your guard, Harry, Remus, but this is no way to treat your Headmaster, is it?' Said Albus Dumbledore, amusement all but hidden in his voice.
'Professor Dumbledore?'
'Albus?'
Harry and Remus both seemed to be equally shocked by the strange appearance of the Headmaster of Hogwarts. As they simultaneously lowered their wands, they managed to blurt out: 'What, when, why?'
'It seems I have made the wards around this house a bit too strong for my own good. I thought I'd construed them so that I could apparate to your side when need be, but I seem to have made a mistake. The wards let me in, but put me off course. I had been aiming for the kitchen chair, but instead ended up face down in your rubbish bin, Harry,' Dumbledore explained.
Harry and Remus couldn't help but snigger at the mental picture the Headmaster had provided. That must have been some sight, Albus Dumbledore landing upside down in a rubbish bin. But Harry was going through a whole range of different emotions at the sight of the elderly man.
Something about Dumbledore had always made him feel safe, like he was home, but now that feeling had a hint of darkness about it. Harry was still not happy with the way Dumbledore had treated him in the last couple of years, telling him half-truths, and hiding important information, apparently for his own protection. Once more, the wave of anger he had experienced in Dumbledore's office after that fateful night, came over him. In a way, Harry blamed him, too, for Sirius' death. After all, if Harry had had a proper tutor for Occlumency, instead of Snape, he might have been able to block the fake vision. Harry knew that his feelings were all but fair, and as he looked at the man he had trusted more than anything for so long, it almost seemed like the Headmaster knew what he was thinking. Turning slightly pink, Harry dropped his head to inspect the floorboards, which, all of the sudden, seemed to be the most interesting thing Harry had ever seen.
'Well, what do you say we go down and have a bit to eat. We totally forgot about lunch,' Remus started, obviously trying to break the uncomfortable silence.
'Good idea,' said Dumbledore, and they made their way down the stairs.
Glancing into the living room, Harry saw that his aunt had obviously left, throwing his advice to the wind. At this display of ignorance, he couldn't help but shrug.
After a rather quiet and short lunch, Dumbledore gave Harry some news.
'Harry, I've come here to discuss several matters with you, and I'd like to start off with one of the more exciting ones; you OWL-results. I hope you don't mind I'm delivering yours a day early. I had a meeting with the committee and asked them if I could deliver yours in person. So, here's the envelope. Whenever you're ready.'
Harry stared blankly at the envelope. After everything that had happened in his life over the last couple of weeks, OWL-results had been the last thing on his mind. But now that the day had finally come, Harry felt his stomach do a small lurch of excitement. Was there a chance he's be able to take Auror-NEWTs? With a passion he didn't know he possessed, he hoped so. Hands slightly trembling, Harry picked up the envelope and broke the seal.
i Dear Mr. Potter,
We are delighted to inform you of the results of your Ordinary Wizarding Level exams. Your grades have been broken down in theory and practice, where applicable. You need to have at least an average 'A' on a subject, in order to receive an OWL.
Subject Theory Practice Divination A A Charms O E Transfiguration E O Defence against dark arts O O History of magic D Care of magical creatures E E Potions O O Astronomy P Herbology A
This means that you have obtained 7 OWLs, congratulations.
Yours truly,
Melinda McTyree, Head of OWL-committee /i
'I made it!' Harry almost shouted. 'I'll be able to take all the NEWTs I need to be an Auror.' As both Dumbledore and Remus congratulated Harry, his happiness suddenly disappeared quickly.
iFor neither can live while the other survives/i, a voice in the back of his head whispered. Harry wondered if he'd live a life long enough to make it to being an Auror. With the way things were going at the moment, he wasn't even sure if he'd live to see his own graduation.
Apparently reading his mind once more, Dumbledore subtly changed the subject. 'I'm terribly sorry, Remus, but I need to speak to Harry about certain things. Among others that subject we spoke about earlier. Would you mind?'
Remus, as if he had expected this to happen (he probably had), got up swiftly and, with a hand on Harry's shoulder, told him; 'I'll see you again soon enough. Don't worry. I'll let myself out.'
With a look of despair, that Harry failed to hide, he watched his friend walk out the door. He really had no inclination to speak to Dumbledore alone. Somehow, he didn't feel too comfortable around him anymore. Not to mention that during their last conversation, Harry had smashed the Headmaster's office to smithereens.
Looking at Harry intently, Dumbledore folded his fingers under his chin and regarded Harry over his half-moon spectacles. Then, he let out a small sigh. 'Well, Harry,' said Dumbledore, 'I thought there were a couple of issues we should discuss. Firstly, Occlumency.'
At this, Harry held his breath audibly, wondering if the old man had found out what had happened the other day.
'Not to worry, Harry,' Dumbledore, who miraculously misunderstood Harry's reaction, continued. 'Professor Snape will not be tutoring you anymore. I will be taking this task on me myself, as maybe I should have done in the first place. Our sessions will be starting this week, and will continue throughout the rest of the year. We will start with 4 nights a week for 2 hours, and as you return to school, 2 nights a week for 2 hours. Furthermore, you will need some additional dueling and combat training. What you did with my army,' Dumbledore's eyes glistened mischievously, 'was a good start, but you need some professional guidance as well. Of course, the restriction for underaged magic is still in place, so you will only be able to study the theory on new spells, until you are back at school.'
Here Dumbledore obviously paused to let Harry pose some questions. Instead, Harry just looked at the Headmaster intently, wondering if he'd heard the old man own up to a mistake once again. 'Go on,' Harry said, after a minute's silence.
The Headmaster raised his right eyebrow slightly before continuing. 'I don't know how much Remus already said to you, but we will pair you up with him and Tonks for additional training. You will be studying both advanced offensive and defensive spells with Remus, and Tonks will guide you through combat training. She is a master in Muggle martial arts, karate and taekwondo in particular, believe it or not.'
Harry indeed found it hard to picture clumsy Nymphadora Tonks to be good at something that required so much precision and focus. However, she was an Auror, a job that needed a tremendous amount of those qualities as well. So he probably shouldn't be too surprised.
'But, Professor,' said Harry, 'what good will it do me to learn about spells I can't practice. And do you expect me to fight Death Eaters with karate?'
'Ah Harry,' Dumbledore answered, 'and in-depth knowledge of theory I half the work. Didn't you notice that you could perform spells much easier after you'd explained them in your class?'
At this, Harry nodded.
'Well then, this is the same thing. By explaining, you could understand the working of the spell, the theory, better yourself. Once you have a good knowledge of the spells, performing them should not prove to be your trickiest path. And as for combat training... Well, during a duel it is important to be agile, you must have noticed this by now.'
For a moment, Harry remembered ducking behind gravestones to avoid being hit by Voldemort's spells, at the end of his fourth year.
Dumbledore continued. 'But not only agility is an asset. This training will increase your stamina, allowing you to tire less quickly. Also, you will be able to take your opponent out wandless, if you would ever happen to face them without the benefit of your wand. Because, believe me Harry, that happens. When a wizard is robbed of his wand, they become desperate, and the opponent feels almighty. With proper knowledge of fighting techniques, however, you will have a chance of survival.'
Somehow, Harry found it hard to believe that one could escape powerful wizards without the help of magic, but he decided not to comment on this. You never knew. And he knew that Dumbledore was right about learning spell- theory.
Again, Dumbledore continued. 'Good, on weekday mornings, you will train with Nymphadora from 7 AM till midday. You'll spend 1 PM to 5:30 PM with Remus. I will come here on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sundaynight at 7:30 PM. You'll be off the rest of the weekend, but I recommend you use that time studying spells and training on your own.'
Harry had no problem agreeing with this, desperate to do anything that would help take his mind off things. Sniggering, he made a mental note of telling Tonks that Dumbledore had called her by her given name. Then, a new idea popped into his head.
'Professor, when will I be able to get out of this place and see my friends? I know I've never coped well with living here, but this summer I feel like I just can't take it too long. I would really like to see my friends.'
At this, Dumbledore looked at Harry apprehensively, and with a glint of sadness in his eyes. 'As I explained to you, your stay here is for your own good. You need to recharge your battery, strengthen the blood magic. You can probably leave the week before term starts, although, if Molly Weasley had her way, you'd be out of here this instant.'
Harry's heart had felt like it dropped into his stomach when he heard about leaving a week before term, but at the news of Mrs. Weasley apparently giving Dumbledore a hard time, there was a little spark of hope. After all, Weasley women were known for nothing if not their perseverance and temper.
'Alright then,' said Harry, 'anything else?'
'A couple of things, actually,' the Headmaster replied, while displaying a small smirk. 'You might like to know that your Quidditch ban has been lifted.'
At this, Harry let out a yelp of happiness, but he was quickly silenced as Dumbledore continued.
'Professor McGonagall has asked me to inform you that you are welcome back on the team. She also asked me to assess your feelings on being team co- captain with Mr Weasley.'
After Dumbledore had finished, Harry was not only beaming, he was positively radiant.
'Assess my feelings? What kind of crap is that? I'd love to co-captain with Ron!'
Dumbledore couldn't help but smile at Harry's youthful exuberance and sheer happiness. For the first time in a while, he actually looked his age.
'By Merlin, this is amazing, wait till I tell-' then, Harry stopped dead. What he had meant to say was 'wait till I tell Sirius', but of course he couldn't. He would never be able to tell Sirius. His gaze dropped to the floor, and as he felt a lump in his throat rise, his happiness ebbed away completely.
'Harry? Are you alright?' Dumbledore queried carefully. His voice seemed to come from a distance, but the question nevertheless released Harry's bottled-up anger once more.
'Am I alright?! AM I ALRIGHT? WHAT KIND OF QUESTION IS THAT? Only weeks ago I found out that I am the only thing that stands between Voldemort, and the end of the world! That it's him or me! But before I was told about this, I went on a mad quest that got most of my friends injured, and my godfather killed! I know I should always blame myself for everything that happens around me, but I do! It's just the way I feel! So tell me, DO YOU THINK I'M ALRIGHT?'
Harry had shouted at Dumbledore with an amazing force, and the old man hadn't even flinched. Instead, he seemed to be considering what Harry had said.
'True, Harry, I dropped a bombshell on you. That didn't mean you'd have to bear your cross alone, though. Share the weight. Share the sorrow. In the end, it might come down to you and him, but you'll never be able to reach that point fully prepared if you have no one to help you. And as for what happened to Sirius, that wasn't your fault, his fault, my fault or anyone's fault but the people are behind his death. Never forget that. You will have to come to terms with your personal feelings of guilt in your own time, as I have to come to terms with mine, but you have to allow yourself to grieve first. Do you understand, Harry?'
As Harry looked into the Headmaster's tired eyes, he knew that he was telling the truth. His eyes were filled with compassion, understanding, and sadness.
Breaking the connection between them, Dumbledore said, 'It's time for me to go. You can expect Nymphadora at 7 tomorrow morning. Be ready.'
And with that, Dumbledore disapparated from the spotless kitchen.
Still in shock with everything Dumbledore had told him during their conversation, Harry decided to go up to his bedroom and see if he could make sense out of any of it. Of course, he'd also need to relate everything to his friends. And wondering how Hermione might react to his 7 OWLs, he went upstairs.
Thanks for reading! Some more action is definitely under way, but you do need the introductory stuff too. I hope next chapter'll be a bit better. Just bear with me, okay. I promise I'll make it a good story.
PiM: Thanks for your comments on chapter 2, much appreciated.
All Flyboardians: You too can leave reviews by using the menu in the left hand corner, on the bottom of the page. I love you already, but I'd love you even more if you could leave some comments there as well.