Chapter 14

The Making of Lord Harry James Potter Part 1

It had been nearly a fortnight since Harry had disappeared and that too, right in front of the aurors. Rita Skeeter's article had started a public outcry, not in Dumbledore's favor, but against him. There had been too many skeletons under the closet and they were coming out fast.

First, there had been an article about the fact that though it was Dumbledore who had fired the final killing curse at Grindewald, 76 wizards had died of his hands to weaken him enough. His skill and power had not been an issue, but some people had started asking questions.

Then, there was the issue of his dealing of the first war against Voldemort. Though it had been a young unknown as yet child of only a year or so old who had stopped him, it was Dumbledore who had actually milked it for political mileage. The question being asked was that if the greatest wizard ever himself could not defeat the dark lord, then why would you-know-who fear him. Then again, the majority of mayhem was caused not by the dark lord himself, but by his death-eaters. They themselves were never very powerful except the inner circle. So why had they not been found and dealt with.

Then there was Hogwarts. In the last few years, enough trouble had been happening inside the school than outside. The most famous was Harry Potter's inclusion as a champion in the Tri-Wizard tournament and his subsequent abduction; the death of Cedric Diggory and then, only a few days back, the fiasco at the Department of Mysteries.

It was not only Dumbledore, but also the entire ministry with Fudge at its head, that were the center of attack. They were being ridiculed left right and center. The public opinion was totally against both of them at the moment and they both were going thru hell.

The most important factor which stood against the Headmaster was none other his handling of Severus Snape, the potion master at Hogwarts. Severus had been teaching for the last thirteen years. In those years, all except the slytherin had been at one time or the other, on the receiving end of his bigotry and non-professional attitude. Despite several attempts in the beginning to make complaints against him, no action was ever taken. Added to that, that he was a marked death-eater who was out only because of the intervention of the headmaster, nobody was in a mood to spare him.

Countless ambitions of innumerable students had been thwarted because of their inadequacy at potions. This was a direct result of Snape's teaching style, which again was due to Albus Dumbledore.

Both of them, at the moment were being called as the reason of failure of the Wizarding world and the reason that they were in such a sad shape.

The only reason they both had not been ousted was that one was the minister and the other was the head of the institution supposed to take over in case of any impeachment motion is to be put against the minister. There were plans afoot to make a new head of the Wizengamot.

This all would never have happened had it not been for a small morning chat between a grandfather, his daughter in law and her son, if a one sided angry-as-I-have-ever-been lecture by the strongest wizard, the grandfather, Merlin could be called a chat.

A fortnight ago, the day after Harry reached the Himalayas.

It was quite late at night or very early in the morning. The main thing was that the sun had not risen as yet, and he was awake. Not understanding the reason why, he looked around and saw himself in a comfortable bed. The room was comfortable and a cool breeze passing thru the open window.

Then he suddenly remembered the events. By Merlin! Uh, he mentally chided himself, Merlin was alive and well, can't use his name anymore. Well, he was in the Himalayas, somewhere in Nepal. The time difference would account for his being up while it was still night. He remembered, getting very tired while it was just evening over here. Well, he had a lot of time. He did not want to wait and trouble anyone. He would just have to do something.

At first, he thought of practicing magic, and then he thought better and closed his eyes. He felt like he hadn't talked with lily in ages. There was no better time than the present.

He opened his eyes to find himself in his house, but he could not see his mother. He looked around, slightly worried and then did what he had seen Ron and Ginny do countless times, he hollered "MOM!" as loud as possible. A few second later, he saw his mom, dressed in a robe, coming out of a room upstairs. He looked worried. She had been sleeping. Boy was he in trouble! Never having been in such a trouble with her, he really didn't know what to expect.

His uncle and aunt had been brutal with him. His friends had been supportive albeit a bit pissed. Anything else he did not remember. He sure was apprehensive.

Coming down, he was amazed when he saw his mom smile at him. She tussled his hair, moving her hands thru his already unruly hair, just as hers were at the moment. She went down the kitchen and started to prepare a cup of tea. His face was filled with all the incredulous he could feel. Simply stated, he was amazed. In a spirit form, he did not think his mother would still need all these things.

Lily looked at her son, and finally understood what he was thinking.

"Surely you didn't think I was awake all the time. You were sleeping, and seeing you sleep, I felt I could use one too. It has been a long time since I slept." She said, her smile getting wider as she saw how nervous Harry had gotten. Deciding not to torture him anymore, she added, don't worry, I don't really need it, but its nice none-the-less.

Harry released a breath he didn't even know he was holding. Slowly, he relaxed. His face turned up a small smile of his own. Without saying anything, he too sat down on the chair in the kitchen and took the cup that had been prepared for him. With a few biscuits and a cup of tea, both of them sat down, sipping it.

"So…," both lily and Harry started at the same time. Harry stopped first. Lily looked at him and then started again, "So, what do you plan to do now? I mean, you have power, you have wealth…" she left the line unfinished.

"Yes. I also have a mad snake eyed bastard after my life and I have no knowledge on how to beat him, and no comparable training what-so-ever. I have survived here-up-to because of luck, fate and maybe foolhardy. But, I can't leave my fate hanging in by the threads of fate forever. I need help." Harry's demeanor, which had been pleasant a moment earlier, was now pensive. "I mean" he continued "how can I hope to compare in knowledge, training and wisdom of wizards like Dumbledore and Voldemort who have spent there lives training? One wants me dead and the other wants me as his pet. God! I hate my life!" he put his head in his hands as the anguish in his heart surfaced out and for the first time he showed what he really was, a very scared child/young man.

He had kept a brave face all along, as he had always been alone. He never had the luxury of depending on some-one. Now that he had someone he could depend upon, he had let go of some of the fears he had and let it surface. But now he had let out. For the first time since he could remember, he didn't have to be strong. Strangely, this only made him stronger, strong enough to cry.

Lily wrapped him in a hug and let him cry it all out. She had been waiting for it. She had been aware of all the fear that simmered unseen, unmentioned, underneath her son's soul. She also knew that this kind of help had to be asked and was glad that he had done so at last. Since the very day that they had found about the time difference in their respective worlds, she had been planning. And now was the chance.

In a few minutes, Harry disengaged himself from his mother. The crying had receded, though his eyes were a bit red. Lily smiled and taking heart from it so did Harry.

"Har, I have been thinking around the same lines and I have sort of come up with a plan."

Harry looked expectantly as his mother continued. "There are two things which are required for training in the Wizarding world, knowledge and practice. With passage of time, this would lead to wisdom and power. Knowledge is not good enough, we must know how to use what we know, when to use it and when not. This can come only from practical experience or from learning from others. But remember, when you learn from others, you must not let their priorities become yours. Use what you can, discard what you must."

"The other most important thing is power and it comes with practice. Though we both know you have great power, you don't control it. You also have very little idea as to your abilities. Then there is the special thing that is "…the power he knows not." You have great power, but a lot of training is required."

"I was a very good student, a powerful witch as well and with the time benefit we have in our dream world, I can teach you all I know. Another benefit is that while we are in such a dream world, our conscious as well subconscious are working in tandem. This gives us photographic memory. However, we still have to comprehend what we know. But at least the theory is going to be there."

"So when do we start?" asked Harry.

"How about now?" his mother said and with that, the scene changed from the kitchen to a very big library.

There were hundreds of books on separate subjects. However, the maximum books were on Charms and Arthimancy, followed by DADA and Transfiguration. Then there were a few books on all the subjects. Harry was surprised to find several books on blood Magic, dark magic, magical rites, and many other things.

They started. Hours turned into days, days into weeks, and weeks into months and nearly three years later, he was in a very advanced learning stage. He was an expert in charms, arthimancy, DADA & transfiguration. As a surprise, his mother turned out to be very gifted in potions. Now, he was very proficient in potion making. Not a potion master by any chance, but not far from it as well.

Because of their being a soul at the moment, and lily too having total recall, both of them were learning newer things. Things that one didn't know and things that the other had forgotten even ever hearing off. The only apprehension was that as Harry's subconscious was involved, how much of it could be retained when he was awake. Till now, he had stayed back a week and all of that had been retained. But there is a huge lot of difference between a week and three years. Now, that nearly two hours had gone by in real time, they both decided that it was time to find out.

Harry opened his eyes.

Merlin had now learnt of many other things, things that Harry had left out. His persecution by the hands of the Wizarding world, professor Dumbledore, the Wizarding press, and all. He was astounded. He had last checked in on his descendents some 20 years ago. Everything was fine. John Potter was a good man and his wife Estelle was a good witch, woman and mother. They had two kids, James and Gina. There had been a dark lord on the rise, but he had seen a lot of them. They came and went. Now, 20 years later, his whole line had disappeared save their sole scion. And he had grown in a life unfit any wizard.

He was angry as well as impressed. Angry at the Wizarding world for totally screwing his grandson's life as well as impressed at him at turning out the way he had even after the cards fate had dealt him. He needed to be educated. He was the scion of the oldest and wealthiest family. Things needed to change. First he would speak with Harry and then with the goblins. He also would look at the present dark lord. He was a young upstart. Pity, he might have made a good mage. But now, he wasn't sure.

Taking leave of his image, he went back to the Himalayas. Appearing at the edge of Harry's bed, he saw that Harry was in a deep slumber. He cast a spell which would alert him as soon as Harry gets up.

Nearly an hour later, Harry awoke and Merlin felt the alarm he had set. After waiting for a couple of minutes, he walked towards Harry's room and knocked at the door. Then he heard a scream. Without waiting for any answer, he appeared directly in the room finding Harry on the floor, unconscious.

After getting up, Harry looked around, a bit confused. There was a lot of new information in his brain. And he was totally out of it. It was as if he was hearing a huge, continuous roar inside his head and his head was receiving flashes. After each flash, some new information was added to his brain. Soon it became a sound so big that he just fell down on the floor and fainted. The last thing he saw was someone appearing. All he could see was pointed shoes.

As soon as Merlin saw Harry, he knew what was wrong. He had seen it enough in the older days. Foolish children, he thought. Then casting a mild leglimens spell, he entered the mind of Harry and began to work.

6 hours later.

Harry had been unconscious for 6 hours now and Merlin had gotten out nearly two hours before. It had been an arduous job but he had done it. When he had entered, he saw that all his brain had mixed up everything. With the ancient magic at his command, slowly he put everything as was. It had taken him 4 hours to get everything right. In soul-time, it had actually been nearly four and a half years. He had found lily unconscious inside as well. He was in right mind to really shoot both of them.

He had been tired, having used a lot of his magic. Now, he was meditating to find his balance again.

Five minutes later, Harry opened his eyes. He remembered everything that his mother had taught him as well as what had happened. Looking at the tired face of his grandfather in front of him, he knew he was in for some heavy duty punishment. Slowly he got up and then thought of his mother, closing his eyes; he went in and saw nothing but a large plain. There, on a bed, in the open, her mother too was unconscious. Using a charm taught by her, he tried to find out her status, he found that there was no effect. He cursed himself. He should have remembered that inside him, only thought worked. That had been another drawback of training in the soul-world. He tried to move her a bit, but found no response.

Scared and out of his wits, he came out and looked into angry eyes of his grandfather.

Author's Notes:

The arena is set and now, let the games begin.

Thank you all those who reviewed.

gl