Harry Potter and the Discovery of the Path

by artdam

6 OotP. Harry looks at his life, considers what he has to do to survive and he begins his struggle to end this war. Join him in his quest to find himself. Join and cheer him because the way ahead is always rough and rarely in a straight line. Review!

4. Chapter 04

Harry Potter and the Discovery of the Path

Chapter 04 Occlumency, other training and …

"Concentrate Harry, imagine that you are that 'flame'." Albus Dumbledore said. They were sitting in two comfy armchairs in the smallest bedroom on the first floor of number 4, Privet Drive.

The armchairs and two men were taking whole space of the room, but as Dumbledore said at the beginning of their lessons "When you are starting to learn Occlumency you should be as comfortable as possible. It will ease cutting all the distraction and help clearing your mind."

Harry's first thoughts were of "very comfortable" dungeons and "lack of distraction" that had been provided by his previous teacher. The fact that that was Dumbledore who had forced him there, wasn't lost on him either. But he didn't comment, he didn't want to get angry, and he really wanted to learn how to defend his mind.

It was the second week of August. Dumbledore, true to his word, had found the time to tutor Harry three times a week.

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Before his first lesson with Dumbledore Harry had decided to prepare his bedroom at the Dursleys. Basically he just made a mess throwing books and clothes around the room, hoping it would look as if he had lived there.

Unfortunately he had had to do that twice.

Because when he had made the room "not to clean" he still had few hours to spend and went to his trunk to read about Occlumency. When he came back, sometime about an hour before the lesson, his bedroom looked spotless. As it turned out Winky had cleaned it. Harry had never thought that making a mess after a house elves' cleaning service would be so difficult. He had wished Ron was there, remembering state of his friend's room at the Burrow as well as his trunk at Hogwarts.

Harry had been sitting on his old bed admiring his work. His bedroom did look as if he was living there. Some of his old clothes were laying near the wardrobe. He had brought some of his school books and had scattered them around the room, then he had picked some of them pretending that he was actually tidying. He looked around. Books, parchments and quills, some clothes, good, he thought, everything looked as if being used. His trunk stood by the wall next to his bed...

Harry's eyes winded, His Trunk! Damn!

Harry had completely forgotten that this trunk looked different from his old one. He didn't know if Dumbledore would notice the difference, however he didn't want to share this secret with the Headmaster, not yet anyway. He dashed to the trunk and got inside. Good thing that he had had few minutes to spare.

He had found his old trunk in his study, took it and run back to his bedroom. Once outside, he had moved his new trunk to the centre of the room and deposited old one next to his bed. He sighed and prepared himself to change his new trunk into the Famous Wizard's card, supposedly featuring Merlin. He knew he didn't have much time left.

Harry had set the switch to the middle, press it with his middle finger and uttered a password. He had read about the procedure in the manual. The password had been set by the last owner and Harry had no way to change it being out of school and underage.

He decided that even if he could he wouldn't do that. The password was a muggle related phrase, "The Blues Brothers", so he concluded that no one in the Wizarding World would use it anyway. Also, the trunk was bonded to him and only him, so no matter if anyone would get hold of the trunk he wouldn't be able to open it.

The trunk changed obediently into a card. It even looked as if someone was using it. Someone had been using it, mussed Harry. Then he realized that the elves were in the trunk as well as Hedwig.

"Dobby!" He called nervously.

With a quiet pop little creature appeared.

"Yes, Harry sir. Sir is calling his Dobby?" Overenthusiastic elf asked. He looked around the room frowning "Is Harry sir wants Dobby to clean his room, sir?"

"No!" Harry shouted panicking, he was afraid that if the elf cleaned he wouldn't be able to made a mess in time. "No" he said more calmly, "I just changed the trunk into the Famous Wizard's card, and was wondering if Winky, you and Hedwig were alright. I'm sorry, I forgot to call you before a did that. I'm glad that everything is alright.. I'm sorry Dobby"

Eyes of the elf were instantly full of tears "Harry Potter sir is the Greatest Wizard of al…"

Harry moaned, that really wasn't the time for that. Dumbledore was to arrive every minute now.

To cut the elf's hero worshipping, Harry asked "Is it possible for Dumbledore to know that you and Winky are here?"

Dobby stopped his tirade of complements and answered eagerly, "He would have to cast a spell sir. But Dobby doesn't know if the spell would work when Dobby and Winky is inside Harry Potter sir's very magical trunk"

"Thanks Dobby, I will hide the card somewhere in here." He said more to himself then to the elf.

Dobby's words stirred something in Harry. After a moment of considering his options he had decided to put the card inside a book, he choose the most magical book he could think of, that was his Care of Magical Creature book, good thin he remembered how to open it, and then put the book into his old cauldron in the old trunk.

Harry didn't knew if the trunk radiated some magic, or if it could be recognized but as Dobby said it was a very magical object.

He sat on his old bed, happy that he had prepared himself, wondering briefly if Dumbledore would try and pry any unwanted memories from Harry's mind. But he doubted that. Books he had read clearly stated that in the beginning there should be no intrusion from outside because that would make recognizing your own mind a lot harder. And Harry definitely considered himself a beginner.

Suddenly Hedwig appeared out of nowhere, Harry instinctively grabbed for his wand, for some time now he was always keeping his wand close. When he saw it was Hedwig he let himself relax, but he smacked himself in the forehead, how could he forget about her.

She circled his small bedroom and landed gracefully on his shoulder. However when she did that she had nipped him quite painfully on his ear reprimanding him for not remembering about her.

Harry again wondered what would he do without her. She just had saved him from many unwanted questions. Maybe Dumbledore wouldn't notice the difference between the trunks but he would definitely notice the absence of Hedwig and her cage.

"Dobby?" Little elf appeared instantly, "Could you bring me Hedwig's cage?"

Dobby vanished just to pop back right away carrying said cage.

"Oh and Dobby could you and Winky stay in the trunk and don't come here unless I call you?"

"Yes, of course, Harry sir." And he was gone again.

Harry put the cage on his desk, Hedwig went inside and he sat on his bed again, hoping that he didn't forget about anything else.

After few minutes of waiting he heard a beautiful song vibrating around his small bedroom, first quietly than more intense, than burst of flames and after that Albus Dumbledore was standing in the tiny room with his familiar on his shoulder. The lessons had begun.

The lessons were quite different from what Harry was used to. During their first meeting Dumbledore had been asking many questions. They were talking about techniques that applied the best to him, about how Harry understood the term "clearing the mind" and many things at the beginning Harry had thought unimportant. To Harry's surprise and pleasure Dumbledore had shared his thoughts and experience about Occlumency with him. Harry was still angry with the man and felt betrayed for being ignored and kept in dark, but he couldn't deny one fact. Dumbledore was as good a teacher as he was powerful wizard.

When he finally had grasped the "clearing the mind" theory efficiently enough to do it every time, unnecessary with the same easiness, they started with the most important part, detecting an intrusion.

Again Harry was afraid that Dumbledore would force himself into Harry's mind, like it was with Snape. His worst fears centered around loosing his independency in the form of his trunk. But the methods Dumbledore had been using were entirely different. Harry had been supposed to concentrate on "the feel" of his thoughts. Dumbledore had insisted as well as the books Harry had read about the subject that it was the easiest way to determine if the mind had been under attack.

When the mind was well organized, and that was possible after accomplishing the level of mastery, one would know which thoughts were his and which were foreign, he would be able to create false memories and direct every intrusion where he wanted, if his defenses were bridged. He would also know when he was lied to and probably some other things Harry wasn't aware of. But there were very few Masters Occlumens. Dumbledore had known a few, probably all that were alive, Harry had known three of them, Dumbledore, Snape and of course Riddle. And he was supposed to achieve a level needed to stop Voldemort from entering his mind.

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Harry had decided to train using the Flame. It was one of the techniques from the book Dumbledore had lent him.

Harry had tried to embrace the "flame" in his mind, he had concentrated on the feeling of "air" around it, how it interacted with it, how it gave power to it. The flame was feeding on the air. Integrated air had been changed and it was warming its surroundings. Every blow of the wind, every time it had been sucked away from the flame, it made changes in it. It was a basic way to determine foreign, unrecognized "airs". The flame represented the mind and was always moving, never still, just like humans were always receiving information in many ways, through many senses. The Occlumency intrusion was like giving additional, already warmed "air" to the flame. That foreign "air" didn't interact like "clean air" did.

Over a week before his sixteen birthdays, during one of their lessons, Harry had been concentrating for quite some time and then for the first time he had noticed the power of the flame itself. It was incredible, he had let himself be consumed by it. It didn't scare him at all, it was inviting. It made him feel powerful and at the same time tiny compared to that power. The warmth and the tickling had made him shiver. In a way it felt like flying but much, much more intense. He couldn't believe anything could felt better than flying. It was indescribable.

After some time, when he reluctantly let go of it, Harry focused on his surroundings again. He was surprised to see that it was dark outside and that Dumbledore was comfortably sitting in his armchair, drinking tea and reading a book.

"Oh, welcome back Harry." he said vanishing his tea and pocketing a book. "How are you feeling?" He smiled, his eyes twinkling merrily, the expression that annoyed Harry many times. It was the expression of someone who knew something you didn't. But Harry was too awestruck to care about that. The experience was still to fresh. He couldn't explain how he was feeling. The closest to it was that he felt... awake?

"I understand that you merged with the flame." Headmaster said with a knowing smile.

Merged, fussed, it could be described like that. Harry thought nodding. But that was not what he was wondering about. He was desperate to know what was the feeling after he... merged with the flame.

"What was that?" he blurted out. He didn't actually intended to ask. He was just thinking aloud.

"That, Harry, was Magic." Said his mentor. "The purest form of magic one could ever experience." He smiled at Harry with pride and continued. "Every witch and wizard at some time in their lives acquire access to that place. Some earlier and some later but every one is made aware of this in the end, even if many just before their death."

"But what…? How…? I don't unde…" Harry trailed off. He still couldn't voice his questions. He couldn't shake the feelings that reminded in him. "I still…"

"That feeling will remain with you for the rest of your life." Said Dumbledore guessing Harry's thoughts. "I'm very proud of you Harry. You have just experienced your core, your essence." He paused for a moment. "Your Magic."

"My magic…" Harry mumbled to himself. He somehow doubted that that was his magic, it was so much, but the feeling felt so good, that in the same time he had yearned it was true.

He felt a little sore sitting in the armchair. He remembered that it was dark outside.

On the other side of the slightly ajar window, the street lamps were lightning the surroundings areas, shining merrily in a warm yellowish light. Only a few windows across the street, were still lit. It was a warm night with a clear sky. It was very quiet, no sounds other then the sound of the night.

"How long have I been out… err…been there? I mean…" He didn't know how to call what happened.

"You were meditating six hours." Supplied the answer older wizard still smiling pleasantly.

WHAT, Harry thought, six hours! It didn't feel that long. And Dumbledore stayed with him all that time. And he didn't interrupt him. He felt extremely grateful even if some part of him didn't want to feel that way toward the man. But in the end he did experience something… incredible.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to keep you so long" He did feel sorry. But wouldn't Dumbledore wake him if he had to go somewhere.

"It is quite alright. I've comfortably spent a very pleasant evening. And it really was a pleasure to be with you, especially when you experienced your magic for the first time."

Albus Dumbledore waved his wand and a plate with sandwiches and a glass of pumpkin juice appeared on the desk.

Harry's stomach gave a loud noise at the sight of the food.

"I believe you are hungry right now. After all you missed your dinner." Then Albus frowned a little. "Your relatives didn't come and call you for the meal. Maybe I should talk to them." Old professor mussed out loud.

Harry felt panic rising in his chest. All thoughts about his magic forgotten. He knew that Dumbledore would know when he was lied to. He was trying to think something very fast.

"I don't eat with them." He blurted. "We…, err, we stay out of ours way and I..I always could go downstairs and make myself something to eat." That was actually true. He hoped it would be enough.

"Ah, well, you actually do look healthy, I believe it works for you then." Headmaster said after a moment of silence.

Albus wanted to remind Harry to tell them if he was mistreated or underfeed. But he knew that they settled that problem, well Alastor said they did, and he wasn't sure if he should mention it to Harry again, at least not now when their contacts were so strained. He felt ashamed of himself that he had left Harry for all those years without checking on him himself at least from time to time. Arabella's help had been greatly appreciated, but she couldn't know what had been happening inside the house. He just hoped that they could repair they relationship. Harry had been polite and even eager as a pupil, but he had always kept his guard up, and Dumbledore knew that if he hoped to ever regain the younger man's trust he could never try and openly force him to anything and he couldn't forget to keep his Occlumency probes away from Harry from now on. He was brought back to reality by Harry's question.

"Do you think it will be easier to learn Occlumency from now. I mean after I… merged with that flame? Would I be able to use it somehow, to help me?" He asked voicing his thoughts after he had eaten a sandwich.

Headmaster smiled "Unfortunately it will slow your progress in Occlumency." He had rise his hand to prevent Harry from saying anything and continued. "At first you have to recognize an intrusion and while surrounded within your magic you noticed you lost all track of time and space."

Harry nodded somehow sadly.

"Now we will concentrate for you to stay, in a way, out of the flame but still feel it. Then we will go back to feeling, recognizing an attack from outside. Next in order would be for you to learn how to defend form that attack using "clearing mind" and some other methods. And after that, you will begin to learn to see an attack as foreign magic, that, after all it is. Than being in your core will help you to recognize it. It will also help you to feel the magic around you."

At Harry's questioning look he said.

"I thought of teaching you about recognizing magic that surrounds us. You are very attuned to magic."

"Huh?"

"You are very sensitive to magic Harry."

"How do you know?" Harry asked suspiciously. Did they kept something about him a secret again.

"I mean the way you fly Harry" Said Headmaster pleasantly, ignoring Harry's slightly shift of mood.

Harry immediately forgot about what he was starting to think. Flying? Sensitive?

"Do you mean that I like to fly?"

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled some more "In a way. You see it was actually Filius idea."

"That I'm sensitive to magic?" Harry interrupted at a loss what to think.

"No Harry. When Filius was at Hogwarts he was on Ravenclaw Quidditch team, he was a seeker."

"Professor Flitwick? A seeker?" Harry asked shocked.

"Don't you think that he has a good build for a seeker?"

Harry immediately thought that he had too short hands, but on the other hand was definitely very light.

"But we wandered off topic. Now, You know that Professor Flitwick was a Master Duelist for many years" Dumbledore waited for Harry to nod "he is very powerful wizard Harry. After the Hogwarts he had worked developing charms for broom companies for a few years. He discovered that when someone is more "a natural", as I suppose it is called, when it comes to flying a broom, that person is also more sensitive to magic in general."

Harry always heard that he was a natural on a broom. He knew he could fly, he was very proud of it. It was entirely his talent.

"Do you know Charlie Weasley?" Asked Dumbledore.

"Yes." He said thinking of Ron's second oldest brother, and the dragons he saw during his four year.

"He was the best flyer at Hogwarts when a student there. He is also very sensitive to magic. That's why he is so good at handling dragons."

"What about Hagrid, then?" Harry challenged his teacher before he thought what he was doing.

Albus Dumbledore only smiled at his pupil.

"Rubeus abilities with magical creatures are connected rather with his heart, however I have never seen him on the broom. Hmm, maybe we should convince him to try and fly a broom" He mussed smiling.

Thinking about his Headmaster, Harry briefly wondered if Hermione wasn't sometimes bored with him and Ron around. She would definitely love to chat with someone like Dumbledore.

"I think it would help you with feeling an attack if we train more frequently." Dumbledore said suddenly.

"I believe I could arrange for us to meet every day from now on until you have no problems with being merged with your magic and still alert to the surroundings." He continued after a moment of thought. And he added after a second. "Would you agree to such an arrangement."

In spite the fact that he was feeling smoothed and manipulated into something again, the idea applied to Harry very much. He would learn fester that way, and that was what he wanted.

"Sure, thank you, sir"

"It is a pleasure Harry. I will come tomorrow at our normal time?" When Harry nodded they both stood up and Albus vanished the armchairs.

"I am very proud of you, You have achieved very much today, goodnight, Harry"

"Goodnight, professor" And Dumbledore vanished after summoning Fawkes to take him.

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And so they begun meeting every day. It had been five weeks of Harry's Occlumency lessons, over a month and a half of the vacations. Two weeks, after Harry's sixteen birthday.

He was finally sixteen. Sometimes he just felt much older.

At the end of school he had asked his friends and a headmaster not to inform him about happenings in the magical world. That request surprised his headmaster, who was willing to share some things with Harry, but he obviously understood Harry's need to have some time to mentally prepare himself for what was going to happen, what was he destined to do. Albus said that if Harry wanted to know about doings in the Wizarding World, he would be told.

He was only worry about the other request of the young man. Harry stated that he would like not to interact with his friends for a time, and didn't want to be bombarded with the mail from them. Dumbledore's only consolation was, and Harry had pointed it out, that he would be seeing him often enough.

Harry hadn't intended to celebrate his birthday at all, even if he had came to some kind of understanding in the matter of Sirius death, he remembered his last time spend around Sirius during a celebration during the Christmas. Sirius wasn't there to by with him anymore. He couldn't shake a feeling of meaningless of such an event. It made him feel empty.

But of course so far, his life had never turned out like he wanted it to, and when Albus Dumbledore arrived at their lesson that day, he had arms full of presents and birthday cards.

Headmaster was surprised when Harry had put all his presents on the bed, and sat in a conjured armchair preparing for their lesson, but he didn't comment. He just had wished him a happy birthday, added his present to the pile on the bed and started their lesson.

Albus had thought that that day's lesson would be rather uneventful, with the younger man concentration wandering from his task. However he was proven wrong when Harry for the first time since experiencing his magic, had detected a very subtle intrusion. It was a great achievement and Albus congratulated young man on it. He pointed out that detecting a full force assault would be easy even to untrained mind, even if said mind wouldn't have any defenses against it, Harry knew that all to well. Detecting slight shifts of the magic in ones aura was much harder and required much better grasp of person's magic, his "fire", and "air" surrounding it. It would allow them to concentrate on repelling techniques.

Albus smiled to himself when he realized that he would eventually teach Harry how to, not only defend himself against a mind attack, but also how to recognize a lie and detect if he was checked by someone if he was telling the true and in the end he would learn how to prevent anyone from telling if he was lying. He was sure Harry would be able to achieve required stage to conceal his mind from any level of intrusion.

After that lesson, very pleased Harry had returned to his trunk with all the presents that Dumbledore had brought. The good lesson had risen his spirit and the thought that his friends remembered about his birthdays made him feel him really good.

He was surprised by Winky and Dobby when they brought a cake with sixteen candles as well as some other sweets sent by the Weasleys and of course Hagrid's baking inventions.

"Dobby, he thinks that Harry sir, should celebrate his last year before adulthood." Said a little elf holding a small parcel in his hands. He gave it to Harry hesitantly and backed a little waiting for the response. Harry eyed the little package and then tore it open laughing earnestly at the present. Inside was a pair of socks, mismatched, of course. Both with colorful stripes, but on one they were horizontal and on the other vertical. It would be added to his collection growing steadily since the first present from Dobby.

"They are beautiful Dobby. Thank you." Harry said smiling happily.

Winky was hovering a beautiful cake on the stone table.

"Wow. Thank you Winky, it looks delicious." His other elf-friend blushed under the praise. Harry was happy to notice that she was adjusting to her new situation rather well and he chuckled to himself as he remembered that she even scolded him once. He had been reprimanded when he had came back from his running and other outdoor exercises, covered in dirt and mud and making a mess of the room.

Harry had spend the rest of the day looking through his presents, deciding to skip his running for that day. He had received several books, surprisingly and to his delight, not about defense or other fighting related subjects.

Ron and the Twins had sent him some sweets and few WWW products as well as "The Cannons – Thousand Reasons For Cheering Them". When Harry skimmed through it, it was actually a history book describing all known fact about the team, that meant, who, when, where and how the team was founded to the present times. If you would pay to update the book, the latest news about the team would appear. Ron's note was short and to the point.

Happy Birthday Harry,

Happy Birthday, mate. Hope you are well.

Dumbledore said that you are, so, well, if you need anything just write, alright?

Can you believe the book! It was just released. I mean, look at the section about seekers. Did you know that the Cannons had had the youngest seeker in the league.

This book is brilliant!

Hope to see you soon.

Ron

p.s. – Fred and George wish you a happy birthday as well and tells you to try some of their products on the Dursleys or even better on Dumbledore. Good luck!

Harry chuckled when he thought that the seeker was probably the same since being the youngest and would be ancient now. But the book did look interesting. He would check Twins' products later.

He grabbed a present from Hermione, a book of course. But this time it was about some household charms. Surely useful as all presents he had received from her. And he had again decided that he would have a need to use them one day.

Her letter was longer. She had described her trip with her parents and of course had asked him if he had received his OWL's already, because she still hadn't. She had complained about Ron being Ron. So he had suspected she was at Grimmauld Place again. And she very carefully had jumped around anything about the Wizarding World and he could tell that she was dying to ask him why he didn't want to know what was going on. Harry was very grateful that they respected his wish.

He got a foe glass from Moody an Kingsley, with the instruction to enlarge it when back at Hogwarts and keep it next to his bed. Harry sight when he looked at the black, shrunken mirror that showed him some shadows and not surprisingly one with a visible red eyes under a hood.

Remus had sent him few photos with Harry's parents in Hogwarts times as well as some with Harry and his friends from Harry's years by now. They were photos of Harry's friends playing and chasing near the lake, Harry training Quidditch, and some in the common room. Harry thought that all of them were probably courtesy of Colin. Remus of course knew about Colin's camera and his worshiping Harry. He had sent a short letter which made Harry extremely sad and tearful but lifted some of his fears at the same time.

Happy Birthday Harry,

I acquired them and sent to you so you remember that there are also good things in life.

Cherish the memories you have, yours and those who left, but do remember to live, no mater how dangerous these times are going to be.

He was my best friend, Harry, my last from old friends.

I will be always grateful for those two years you gave us after all that time of sorrow.

I don't know if you realize that, but you had helped me enormously during the time I spent teaching you. You had brought me from my shell I was hiding all those years after James and Lily died. Thank you, Harry.

Remember to live, because we own it to them.

Your Friend,

Moony

Harry wiped few tears from his eyes and looked at the photos in his hand. He would ad them to his album Hagrid had given him. It really was a great present. He put them back to the box they were delivered in and had looked through other presents.

He had received a pack of batteries and a plug from Mr. Weasley, a cake and some other delicious cooking from Mrs. Weasley, some of them on the table, thanks to the elves. He had gotten a bright purple t-shirt with Weird Sisters on the back from Tonks and black, dragonhide, high boots from Charlie and Bill. They said they were charmed by Bill, with some spells that they would discuss with him when they would meet.

Ginny had sent him a cooking book "Prepare A Feast Or A Snack And Seduce Your Wizard" with the note that made him laugh. It said.

Happy Birthday Harry,

If you want to keep a girl next time, learn something useful.

Ginny

He cringed when he remembered the awkwardness between him and Cho, but wasn't sure cooking would help them. Well, he was definitely going to look through this one. He looked at the note and the book again and laughed shaking his head. He really should have became friends with her earlier. He thought he had to buy her something for her birthday, he remembered that Ron mentioned once that she had had birthday when he had his hearing.

His last gift was from Dumbledore, and Harry was afraid that it would be something very useful in the war. His other presents were so.. normal so far, except of course Moody's, but that had to be expected, and he didn't want to be reminded of the war that day. He looked carefully at the small, grey box. It seemed to light for the book and a little to small. It was just a present he reasoned with himself, straighten his shoulders, took a deep breath bracing himself and open the box. And then he laughed again. In the box was a pair of socks, very colorful, as well as Dobby's, but they were matched as far as Harry could see. There was also a small note in the box.

Appreciate small things, they give the energy that pushes us further.

Best wishes,

A.D

Yes, Harry definitely didn't expected to enjoy his birthday so much. It was his best birthdays he could remember.

That had been two weeks ago.

True to what Dumbledore had said it had been harder to train his Occlumency abilities after merging with his magic. For a week of daily meetings he didn't made any progress. But thankfully Professor Dumbledore often reminded him that it would get better so he shouldn't get angry. And it finally did get better.

From the beginning of the summer he had been staying in his trunk with the exception of his lessons with Dumbledore.

Harry was very happy with his other activities as well. He had read a lot, almost all the time when he wasn't doing any physical training. He was astonished how much Occlumency actually helped. He didn't think it was possible to remember so much of a book.

He had decided to use a pencil as a wand to try and practice spells he had read about. First Harry wasn't sure if he did make the movements right but recently while practicing some more complicated movements of the wand and concentrating very much something stirred within him and his "flame" brightened. He immediately had stopped what he had been doing. He had been trying to learn how to cast the ward against apparating, when that happened, he was learning that ward to later learn how to disband one. Harry recognized what was happening. He somehow stirred his magic without a focus, without a wand. He was worried that that could warn the Ministry and he would be in trouble, again. But he decided that the magic actually didn't leave him and after all Occlumency was also a kind of magic that wasn't detected by the Ministry.

After that discovery Harry was very careful with practicing new spells he had learnt. Although he experimented with stirring his magic within himself and only within himself. That was very fun exercise even though sometimes he wanted just to let the magic flow.

His running in the mornings and evenings paid off. Two weeks before his next school year Harry could easily made the trip to the stream twice and after the run his breathing was still even.

Harry's most enjoyable time was spent of course flying, he had found that the door on the other side to his cave leaded to the small room with a few old brooms and some Quidditch equipment. Some of those brooms were ancient and even more beautiful then his Firebolt. In the moments like that he had wished his friends were with him. However he still wasn't sure how much he wanted to tell them.

Surprisingly his second best activity was an Occlumency related physical training Dumbledore encouraged him to try. Muggles knew that as Tai-chi. Dumbledore told him that Ancient Chinese Wizards, created it to bring to the surface natural Occlumency defenses as well as understand, develop and integrate body, mind and magic. The Professor had brought Harry few books and an instructor. The instructor was a small figure, just like Viktor Krum, Ron had had. The figure would show the necessary body movements.

At first he had been very awkward and unsuccessful in coordinating the sequences of those movements. Harry was afraid that without any guidance he would not learn, he wasn't sure if the positions and moves, he was training, were right, if he was bending to low or not bending where he should or if his hands were moving at the right angles. In spite of that, he had liked it so much that he asked Dumbledore to tutor him. Unfortunately his Headmaster didn't know Tai-chi, and said that the instructor figure and books were from his friend who died few years earlier. However he knew enough to help Harry with breathing techniques which were similar to Occlumency he was practicing.

His worries vanished with practice. And the breathing was the most important part. After some time his movements became more fluid he didn't feel awkward anymore. With training he stopped worrying if he had been doing them right, the positions started to feel natural as if they supposed to be the way they were.

He wasn't very adept with it, he was only training it little more than a month, but he knew enough movements that allowed him to fluidly repeat the sequences.

He liked it because it was very good for his physique, balance and focus. But most of all, he loved it because it had helped him with merging with his magic. When practicing it, surrounded by his internal flame, Harry had felt incredible. He was totally calm but incredibly alerted. His magic had been moving with his body giving him the feel of wholeness.

So far his scar didn't hurt him, it had bothered him slightly only twice and both times it was in the mornings, after he got this strange dream he couldn't remember. He had felt panicked and disorientated after waking. After those dreams he had felt the need to check on his friends. Following the second nightmare he had wrote a letter asking them if they were okay. The letter was strange and he later had hoped that they wouldn't rush in and check on him. Thankfully he told Dumbledore about the dreams, so he could explain Harry's friends why he wrote the letter. He had received a letter, from his friends assuring him that they were alright. Harry again had felt a little ashamed of shutting them out and hiding the knowledge about the trunk from them, but he couldn't get himself to share it with them yet. He had wondered sadly how many secrets there were going to come between them. The Prophecy was a dangerous knowledge, Harry had realized that Dumbledore had risked a lot telling him. Maybe that was why he had decided to train Harry himself. Harry had been spending a lot of time with his headmaster lately. At school he had one lesson of Occlumency a week, therefore four a month and that gave about ten to twelve meetings with Snape. And he was assaulted not tutored, he stated angrily. With Dumbledore, and their daily meetings there were already few months of training more. And he actually had learned something.

He felt a little uneasy at the perturbed look on his headmaster's face when he had been informed about the strange dreams. Other than that dreams Harry had endured some ordinary nightmares, they weren't as frequent as Harry was used to, even with Sirius gone. Harry concluded that that was because his progress with Occlumency. He didn't allow himself to feel guilty because he had more peaceful nights than not. He still cared and felt sad about Sirius but reasoned that Sirius wouldn't want him to have nightmares. And the Prophecy did stated that he had a chance and he made himself to remember that part the most.

One day after a shorter lesson, Harry had stayed in his room at Number 4 after Dumbledore left. He was sitting in one of the armchairs that Dumbledore had conjured. Headmaster had told him he would leave one. Since his mentor left, Harry had been engrossed in a book that he had been lent. The book was an advance study about magic and its origins.

Only few months ago, Harry would never believe that he would be reading a book about magical theories and enjoy it so much. The book contained many theories from many civilizations all around the world. It described customs and different schools of magic. It really was interesting. Harry had been wondering why Hogwarts didn't have a subject about that, or why at least some of it weren't in his History of Magic classes. Or maybe there was something but during NEWTs level. Unfortunately he wasn't allowed to take them. Not the big surprise there, since he had his vision during this particular exam.

Dumbledore had brought Harry's OWL results about a week ago.

Over all Harry had been pleased with them. He had had T in History of Magic and he had failed Divination as well. The rest he had passed. What surprised him was that he had received O in Potions. Snape sure wouldn't be happy. Harry was actually Outstanding in Potions, he smiled with satisfaction.

After all that had happened he wasn't sure if that was good or not. He didn't know if he wanted to be an Auror anymore.

In any case with the money he had inherited from his parents he could probably be on a permanent vacation. He had thought briefly that he could probably quit Hogwarts now and focus on learning the kind of magic he would be needing to fight Voldemort. But then again to completely cut himself from his friends for even longer, he really didn't like the idea. However he would have to remember that possibility.

He had been reading for a few hours, it was getting dark outside. Harry absently looked at his watch and remembered that he still didn't have one. He recalled that in his study there was a trunk with some belongings of the last owner he still neglected to look through. Maybe there would be a wristwatch that would be working at least until he bought a new one.

In the trunk, time didn't have much meaning to Harry. Dobby and Winky had always reminded him about his lessons with Dumbledore, they woke him up every day so he could begin his training. He wasn't even sure what day today was. He thought that it was Friday because Dumbledore came at Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and it will be three days till his next visit.

It was quiet outside. Harry looked up from the passage in the book, the night was going to be a beautiful one. The window was slightly ajar and he frowned when he heard familiar sound of someone apparating nearby. First he had thought that it was someone from the Order, change of shift or something, but then he heard two more people apparating. He thought that both minders could apparate away or that three people apparated nearby and he didn't like the possibilities of the second theory.

The noise from the Dursleys TV from downstairs seemed very annoying. Usually when he had his lessons with the Headmaster the sounds were cut off with a silencing charm around his room. Harry rarely stayed long in the small bedroom after Dumbledore left and he suspected that the ward must be spelled to wear out. He turn off the lights in the room and silently neared to the window.

Looking outside, his wand in hand, he didn't notice anything unusual, anything that would suggest that something was amiss. Yet his scar did prickled during last three days. That was actually why Dumbledore left earlier today leaving Harry with the book. He did that sometimes when his attention was needed elsewhere, actually it was the second time he had left earlier. First was a week ago, he had received a note brought by Fawkes and had to leave. Dumbledore even asked Harry if he wanted to know why he was leaving but Harry still had refused to be informed about any doings in the Wizarding World. Harry liked his peace, his refuge. He knew it wouldn't last, Dumbledore knew that as well. However if Harry recalled correctly his scar had reminded about itself then, for the firs time during his normal daily activities.

Harry's scar didn't hurt anymore. He didn't feel any pain from it but he could sense foreign magic in his mind, he could recognize different "airs" around his "flame". The more he knew about Occlumency, the more he knew about his magic. Harry had started wondering if even with the experience and knowledge Dumbledore possessed would he be able to block Voldemort completely?

He had voiced his concerns to Dumbledore once and the old wizard sadly agreed with him. However not in the way Harry thought. Dumbledore had told him that he would block Voldemort out of his mind but that the connection between them would stay as long as Tom lived. Or as long as he lived, Harry added silently. It was the first time they had mentioned the Prophecy since the end of school.

He was looking intensely through the window. The feeling that something was going to happened was bugging him. The hairs on his back stood and that meant trouble, that always meant trouble.

But after a minute of starring he decided he was overreacting and was about to turn away when there was a loud thud, like something was dropped to the ground. Harry lean closer to get a better view, he thought it was on the right side of the lawn in the bushes separating number 4 from number 2. But he didn't see anything. His heart started to beat faster, he knew something was wrong, he just knew that.

Harry decided that he would go downstairs to get a better look through the kitchen window. He would leave this room for the first time in a month and a half.

As discreetly as he could manage he had closed his window, secure all exits, one of his books said and Harry decided that that was a very good advice. He hoped that he was getting paranoid, that nothing was going on.

Wand in his hand he quietly moved to the door, opened them slowly and stepped out to the hall. From the sounds of the television he decided that the Dursleys were downstairs.

When he was leaving his room Harry had thought that out of the corner of his eye he saw a light green light shining for a moment somewhere outside. Wards?He had hoped that if anything was going on the wards would hold. Blood wards were supposed to be the strongest possible.

He creped downstairs as quietly as possible, hoping to avoid any confrontation with his family. He was just paranoid, he kept telling himself, trying to shake the feeling of dread. The greenish light was probably from a TV or a passing car, he tried to reason with himself.

He had reached the kitchen door unnoticed. The Dursleys were indeed in the living room, watching television. All of them. They were watching some loud movie full of shooting noises.

Harry had walked into the kitchen, looked through the door back at the living room, they didn't notice him. He turned to the large window just in time to see dozens of dirty yellow strays of light zooming towards the house. He staggered backward knocking the pincer full of juice from the table in the process.

Time had slowed down.

Shocked, Harry had starred at the pincer falling to the floor as if in a perfect synchronization with the spells. The fleeting thought in his mind was that it would all be decided when the pincer hit the floor.

In the exact moment the pincer crashed splashing the juice, the foreign and unwanted magic clashed with the wards protecting Number 4, creating a blinding blue light and a tremendous thunder.

Then the house shook suddenly, and Harry was knock to the floor.

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A/N

I just wanted to post this chapter before HBP.

I hope you enjoyed it. Tell me – even if you didn't.

REVIEW! REVIEW!

Thanks.

Thank you Treck for beta reading this chapter.

I didn't think it would be so great that people are actually reading something I wrote. And even more that you seem to like it, Big Thanks.

RR:

fanficfreak35, schmanskibirthday-candlesCiA1LiLy MaLfOy13wiley73YinMiltatosnow fox2000, -never-, WindsibHonor-Harrington1982, CaptKidd, Jon, Weirkatbandgsecurtiyawjbfritzkliewer, jaryli, KemsyCaptain Jack Sparrow 1 – Thank you very much for your reviews.

RaeRoark – Thanks. I love the elves as well, they are fun to write. But I think Harry needs his friends and the support they can give him, however, we all know that even they can turn their backs on him or hurt him, even if it is out of worry. So, we will see how much of his guts will be spilled.

alen – I'm sorry but I am pretty sure it will be H/G, though, as I see Harry, he needs to mature fast, because Voldemort will not wait. And in a way, I sometimes think that he would be better suited with someone like Tonks. On the other hand, I think Ginny is also more mature, after all she had a rather bad first year. But is she in love with him? Did she ever loved him or was she daydreaming about Harry Potter, the boy who saved the world? She only started to know him during last year, and I think that he wasn't acting to his great hero image. And about his trunk, it's rather easy  .

Treck – thanks and thanks for beta reading chapter 4.

Michael – Thanks for your reviews. About Harry apologizing – I think he apologized for destroying things and not for blowing up at Dumbledore. He is a good lad and he doesn't walk around and destroys other people's possessions  . I was writing a part of chapter 5 when I received your review and question about how long the summer was going to last –well some time did pass already and I wont write everything day by day, until something of importance would be happening. We will discover what did he learn when he will try to use his new knowledge. I sometimes get bored when reading about Harry's training in detail (which at the moment of reading seems great) and later in the story there is actually a repeat of everything when he needs to use the knowledge.

Damien Dumbledore – I think it will, check the review response to alen. Thanks for reading.

jimbuzz – Thanks for the review and check the review response to alen.

C. Rose –Thanks for your review. I can say and it will be true in my story from now on  that Blood magic needed to bind the Elves to Harry is only required when the Elves are forced to serve humans not asked and made their own choice. They might have their own rituals that not require Harry's participation or knowledge but never use them because of who they are. And here comes Dobby. Because he is Dobby he bonded himself to Harry with great enthusiasm.

Ryudo – Wow, I am on C2 groups now, cool. I'm glad you like it. Keep reading and leave many reviews. Thanks.

Shadowed Rains – Thanks for your review. I think that the 'next' button is malfunctioning, I am working to fix it.

Rkhiara – Thanks for the offer. I will mail you as soon as I'll be back from my parents.

DaRedDragon – Thanks for the review. Look at my response to Alan. I know I cant satisfy everyone but I will try to make things interesting.