HARRY POTTER
And the Alliance of the Houses

Part Two: The Sixth Year
Chapter Two: Self-Sufficient

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and the universe belongs to JKR. This is fairly obvious, as it says on the front of the books: J.K. Rowling, so I'm just going to assume that it's her…

Summary: Part Two; It's Harry Potter's sixth year and he finally realises something. Albus Dumbledore sees him as a tool. A weapon against Voldemort, to be put into danger to prepare for the battle, and shoved in storage for the summer. Just how many secrets has he been keeping from Harry…

Ok now, answers to my reviewers… I have reviewers! ME! Woo Hoo! And… wait for it… I was added to FAVOURITES! I'm happy now.

Mini-MoonStar – Ah, well… great minds think alike. You'll just have to wait and see what happens to Serena.

Icy Tears – Sorry, everything that happened in book five has happened in this reality. But don't worry, there is a reason for this. It's in the plot. Which I haven't told anyone about. And honestly, I didn't come up with it five minutes ago… cough. Actually, I am a Sirius fan, and I hope that this next scene makes up for it!

Phipersei – Sorry, but I don't think she is… I might change it later though, so you can keep wondering:P

Also many thanks to Makotochi, BloodyPenhand, Imill123 (I'll have to see about writing howlers to Dumbles and Molly, I wasn't going to include any of them, but I might just for the fun of it), alfvos, jjeeff185 and Laura (thank you for the three reviews, I feel special). I think that's all of you… If I missed you, review to yell at me!

I'm just going to mention this here, I am not quitting because of the sixth book, which I personally think should be shot, several times. And does anyone apart from me think that it seems like fanfiction, or am I just insane? Plus, I do know that the legal age in the wizarding world is 17, but I'm ignoring that and making it 16. So there.

Hope, in reality, is the worst of all evils, because it prolongs the torments of man.

Harry suddenly woke up. Working through his groggy state, he sat up and checked his clock, finding that it was only five in the morning. Lying back down to go back to sleep, it soon became apparent what had woken him up.

From outside came a sharp bark. Harry stood up and walked to the window, where faint strains of light were shining through, intending to shoo the dog away to prevent him form the wrath of Vernon Dursley, when he looked down. Outside the front door, sitting innocently on the porch, was a huge, black dog looking very much like a death omen.

Harry gasped in shock and stepped backwards from the window. No… It isn't possible… he thought to himself. The dog gave another harsh bark, and Harry raced down the stairs as fast as it was possible to without making a noise, jumping over the squeaking stair near the top of the staircase.

Harry cautiously unlocked the door, holding his wand out just in case it was a trap. The large black dog was sitting on his haunches and looking up at him in a way that was almost painfully familiar, yet not quite the same. Harry slowly moved his hand towards the dog, still holding his wand at it, and the dog sniffed the out held appendage suspiciously before nuzzling it's head into his hand.

Harry smiled sadly at the large dog and petted it's head between the ears, the dog wagging it's tail slightly. Once again, he felt the magical tingly feeling throughout his body and, sure enough, when he pulled his hand away the dog had a waxing moon on it's fur, again in the same silver colour.

"Bloody hell!" Harry exclaimed softly, careful not to wake up the Dursleys. "Am I going to be doing tis for the rest of my life, every single time I pet an animal!"

The Boy-Who-Hated-Hyphenations sighed, and then he noticed that the dog had a letter attached to its collar, which was just a thin coil of rope. Harry gently grabbed the collar and tugged slightly to get the dog inside the house, quietly closing the door behind them. They got up the stairs without hitting the creaky step (praise Merlin!), and softly padded down the hall into Harry's room. Or cell, whatever you wanted to call it. The dog jumped up onto the end of his bed and curled up before going to sleep. Surprisingly this didn't disturb Amber one bit.

Harry carefully plucked the letter off the rope collar, so as not to disturb the sleeping canine, and started to read the note. It was from Hagrid.

Dear Harry,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! This cute little doggy (only Hagrid would call this dog 'little') was found by yours truly in the Forbidden Forest, just wandering around, looking all lost. So, I thought I might keep him, but Fang didn't agree, so I thought you might like him. He hasn't got a name yet, so he should respond to anything. Hope the muggles are treating you right… if the aren't, tell me and I'll come give the prunes some new tails.

Hagrid

Harry grinned and shook his head, before turning to the dog, who was staring at him with large blue eyes.

"So, you need a name Mr. dog. You know, you look a lot like Sirius… How about I call you Padfoot?" The dog raised his head from his paws and gave a soft, happy bark, which Harry decided to take as a yes. "Great! Padfoot it is!"

Harry decided that now he was awake and was not going to have a hope of getting back to sleep, so he picked up the two letters that he had gotten the night before and sat down on his bed, leaning against the headboard and breaking the seal on the first letter.

Dear Mr Potter,
We at the Department of Wizard Examinations (DoWE) are pleased to inform you that your O.W.L results have been marked, and are as follows:

Subject: Written – Practical

Astronomy (see note 1): Acceptable
Care of Magical Creatures: Outstanding – Outstanding
Charms: Exceeds Expectations – Outstanding
Defence Against the Dark Arts (see note 2): Outstanding – Outstanding
Divination: Acceptable - Poor
Herbology: Exceeds Expectations – Exceeds Expectations
History of Magic: Poor
Transfiguration: Exceeds Expectations – Exceeds Expectations
Potions: Outstanding – Exceeds Expectations

1. Students were interrupted during examination, and marks have been given taking this into consideration.
2. Student made new high score in subject, records now set according to this score. Worth two O.W.Ls
We sincerely hope that these grades are acceptable for your career option, otherwise you are buggered and there's nothing you can do about it, plus none of us are going to care because it's your own fault.

Hope you are well,
Mathilda Hopkins
Department of Wizard Examinations
Ministry of Magic

P.S. You are also now legally of age, and as such you are permitted to use magic outside of school. Feel free to ignore this message and continue to safely not practice magic before school. This is recommended by the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge. Have a good day.

Harry felt like jumping up and down in joy (he'd gotten 9 O.W.Ls, plus a high score in DADA!), but didn't, because he didn't think that Amber and Padfoot would appreciate that very much. He quickly cracked the seal on the other letter an started to read. He didn't think there would be anyone else who wanted to write to him…

Dear Mr Harry Potter,
As you are now rightfully of age in the wizarding world, it is our duty and privilege to inform you of your new status as the Head of the Potter House, as you well know. Please send us a return owl to inform us of a time and date when it is possible for you to meet and discuss your new status with us, as well as about your duties, properties, and any titles that come with your new status.

Yours truly,
William Remara,
Gringotts & Remara Legal Advisory

"'As you well know?' I didn't know anything about this," Harry said to himself.

Harry was pissed off. Today, he'd go to Gringotts & Remara Legal Advisory no matter what Dumbledore or the Order of the Over Cooked Pigeon said. And whoever had been supposed to tell him about it was going to be dead meat when Harry got his hands on them…

Author's Note

I'm really sorry about the lateness of this chapter! I got distracted by writing another story, and I just couldn't get back into this one, which is why it's so short too. Also note that I really think that ff. net should let me use the damned stars and smile things and such! :growls:

Ok, I've already replied to my precious reviewers, but thanks again!

Now everybody, PLEASE REVIEW!

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