This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including, but not limited to, Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Chapter Four.
Alone at the Order
The next morning Harry wake with a start, it was still dark out side but dawn was in the air. He felt on the bedside table for his glasses before he looked at the time, with a bolt realised that Dumbledore will be there in about ten minutes time.
He jumped out of bed and headed for the bathroom. After a quick shower he got dressed and storm down the stairs to the drawing room, as he got to the door Dumbledore stepped out of the kitchen.
"Morning, Harry."
"Morning Professor"
"Well, lets have a cup a tea before we start, I find that it is some time necessary for the brain to wakeup first." Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eyes.
Harry had a feeling that Dumbledore knew he only waked up about ten minutes a go but refrain from saying anything; instead he just consented on the cup of tea in his hands.
After about five minutes of silence between the two of them, Dumbledore stood up and took the assignments on Harry's desk and went through them. He had finished the first four of the assignments.
"I see that you have studied hard yesterday. It's good." Then he noticed the parchment of questions. He went through those and looked up and fixed his eyes on Harry for a few moments.
"I believe we should start on theory to day. These are an indication of where I should start to explain the art of Occlumency and Legilimency. I see that you understand the definitions but do not understand the concept of distraction of the mind of the third party. Well the best why of explain it will be do make an illusion that looks like a memory, it's almost like what Voldemort did to you with Sirius. Do you understand that?"
Harry just nodded and went on taking notes. For the following hour and a halve Dumbledore gave examples to explain the theory before he announced that they should do a quick practice session before breakfast.
"Right on the count of three I want you to create an illusion for me. One…. Two... Three…" Dumbledore lift his wand and said "Legilimens"
Harry tried to grasp on one of his memories and to change it, rather than to create one. Finally he decided on the time he blew up aunt Marge, but in stead he made her shrink. When the spell hit him, he was prepared with this vision. The problem started to remain focused on this us Dumbledore keep on poking around.
After about five minutes, what felt more than an hour for Harry, he was on his knees and Dumbledore was standing over him.
"Well done, not to bad for the first time, we will try to keep it a bit longer tomorrow. Lets try the blocking on the count of three. One…. Two... Three…" Dumbledore lift his wand and said "Legilimens."
Harry felt the curse hitting him and before he could think what to do the wall that he build over the holidays at the Dursley's were blocking Dumbledore. He concentrated on keeping the wall there and after ten minutes Dumbledore lift the curse and with a twinkle in his eyes he said to Harry: " I'm please to see that you have followed my advised and practice. But you need more hands on practice, we will continue tomorrow. Go and think about factitious memories for tomorrow, its time for that breakfast that smells so good."
With Dumbledore's words Harry realised, that he was indeed hungry, for the first time after Sirius death.
They went down to the kitchen and find Lupin making breakfast, Harry went straight to the cupboard and fetch the plates and cutlery, started to lay the table. Within ten minutes breakfast was on the table and they started to eat. Dumbledore had some toast and tea before he left.
Harry and Lupin were sitting in silent for a while enjoying the breakfast together.
"Harry, I talked to Dumbledore last night and we decided that it will be all right if you stay on your own for the following two weeks. Molly will be popping in now and again to see if you need anything. She will do your school shopping as well. Dumbledore will bring Doddy over to cook and clean for you. Tonks and I will be leaving shortly, I don't think we will see one another soon, but please listen to Dumbledore and Molly. I'll send you an owl the moment on our return," Lupin look sad as he said this to Harry.
Harry was surprised at first but recover that quickly "Where is Kreacher?"
"Well I don't know, Dumbledore just said that he is safe and will not be able to do the Order any more harm."
They talked a little more about his studies and friends before Harry remember that he didn't open his school letter yet, he told Lupin all about the morning when he received his letter, they joked a bit before he headed to his room to fetched the letter. Running back down to the kitchen he heard voices. He stopped dead on the bottom step and listen. He recognised Professor McGonagall's voice and with a jolt looked at his watch to see that her session was about to start in ten minutes time.
They were talking about him he realised as Professor McGonagall asked Lupin, "How is he taking Sirius death."
"To be honest with you, I don't really know, I think the loss made him retreated into himself again, and I think Dumbledore is pressing him to hard with these sessions?"
"He got his reasons, well good luck with your trip, we must start on the session, where are Harry?"
"Thanks, he went upstairs to collect his school letter."
"I'll wait for him in the drawing room. Bye Lupin"
Harry went strait to the drawing room, feeling guilty for eavesdropping and the familiar miserable cold feeling was settling it self back in to his stomach. Fighting to keep his breakfast down and forced himself to stay calm he took a deep breath before entering the drawing room and headed for his desk. With shaking hands he tried to open the letter but let it go and put his head in his hands. Clearing his mind clearing all feelings from his eyes, forcing himself to smile and with a sight he collected himself just as the door opened and Professor McGonagall stepped in.
She was a bit shocked to see Harry so calm and notice the school letter halve way opened and forgotten on his desk, and immediately knew that he probably forced himself to be calm and friendly, collecting herself she smiled at him and said, "Morning Mr. Potter, I see you are quite eager to start this morning?"
He smiled and nodded, " Morning Professor."
"I'm going to have a look first at your assignment that you had to do for today, so if you want, you can go and say you fare wells to Lupin before he leave."
" Thanks Professor." He stood up and went to the kitchen to find Lupin reading the Daily Profit.
"Remus," he started unsure.
Lupin looked up and smiled at Harry. "Ah, I was wondering were you disappeared too."
"I went to the drawing room because it was almost time for the session to begin, but Professor McGonagall gave me permission to see you before you leave. I just want to say thanks and good luck."
Lupin made it around the table and hugged Harry. "Take care of yourself. We will keep in touch. Good luck with your test as well."
Harry felt embarrassed at first but then he relaxes, hugging Lupin back. He noticed Lupin's bag at the fireplace. "Look's like you are ready to go."
"Yes I'm waiting for Tonks. She will be here shortly" Just then the fireplace burn green and a young lady with blond hair with square glasses dressed in a red jumper and denim stepped out of it.
"A Mosuire, Sorry to keep your waiting." She said.
Harry and Lupin burst out laughing, it was Tonks and she outdid herself again.
"You need to get back to your session. And keep well."
Harry nodded and said to both of them. "Return safely back." He made his way back to the drawing room to find Professor McGonagall marking his assignment. With a quick look at his watch he calculated that he only spend ten minutes with Lupin.
He made his way to his desk and sit down, Professor McGonagall looked up and smiled, "That was a quick farewell. Well lets start, I'll finish this up later." She said as she closed the roll of parchment and with a wave of her wand it went right into her bag. "I must admit that I'm impress with the effort you put into it, and hope that you will continue with this quality back at school. I also must impress on you that what we are doing is advanced transfiguration and mostly only the theory is done in the seventh year."
The first week went by quickly, in the mornings Harry practice Occlumency with Professor Dumbledore and after breakfast that Doddy prepared for him, he spend with Professor McGonagall going over theories of all the kinds of transfigurations, but mostly human transfigurations. Surprisingly his afternoons with Professor Snape didn't go to bad. Harry was surprised at the professor's ability to teach Defense against the dark arts and his respect for this Professor increased, but both of their prides stand between a truce. The first hour of the session we spend on theory and obviously critic from Professor Snape on the way Harry had done his assignments. The two hours practicing of the spells and curses were the part that both enjoyed, Professor Snape was surprised in the boy's ability to defend him self and the quick way he learned the spells and curses. He also realised that Harry was powerful and that, he must be trained well to focus that power better. Harry on the other hand felt that he couldn't cope with the pressure that Professor Snape put on him in that two hours but his pride forced him to continue with out saying a word to either of his professors. He just worked harder and concentrated more.
Finally Sunday arrived and it was Harry's off day, he slept till eight in the morning, went down to the kitchen for some breakfast, and stroll through the house, but being alone he found himself in front of his desk in the study revising the weeks studies and assignments that were handed back to him. He studied the remarks of the professors and was glad of the honesty in them. Although Professor Snape criticized him verbally his remark on the assignments were ones of courage and good suggestions to improve his work.
The next week the pressure was even more, his studies with professor Dumbledore were intense and tiring but he finally could block the Professor from entering his mind for a few minutes. The transfiguration they started the practice part and he could at the end of the week transfigure himself in to his Animagus, but the reversal he could do yet, because as Professor McGonagall refer to the problem as getting stuck in the animal mind. She suggested that they spend the Sunday together to refine the practice, and praised him on how well he did master the art in such a short time. She also suggested that she would schedule extra sessions for him when school started to keep in practice.
In his afternoon sessions with Professor Snape and Dumbledore Harry's nerves were at the end of there lives. The apperation study was down right difficult. The theory he mastered in no time but when the practicing started he realised that it takes so much more concentration than the transfiguring he had done. That Friday Professor Dumbledore appeared alone for the session, and with the calming affect that Dumbledore had on him Harry finally got the technique. That Saturday Harry could apparated. Dumbledore suggested that Harry rest well the Sunday and he will see him at six that Monday morning to take him for the test.
That Sunday with Professor McGonagall he finally become a full Animagus as well. But that afternoon when all was done and he could relax, no more studying and practicing he realised how much he missed his friends and how more isolated he had become form them. With all this preparation and practicing that was only the start, when school starts he will continue his studies with Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall and no one must know about it.
All thoughts of Sirius for the time being forgotten, Harry was at peace with himself and finally had a good rest that night.
Author's Notes:
I'm working on Chapter Five: The ride back home. So please submit your reviews. Thanks for reading. Hes.e