The night before had been one of grief and anxiety, the moment Harry and Hermione entered the Burrow, Sean turned to the Weasleys and to Lupin and Tonks, who had returned to say farewell, and said "I will leave you to say your goodbyes to Harry," then took his leave and went up to his room to make final preparations for the journey in the morning. Harry had said heartfelt goodbyes to Charlie and the twins, thanking them for all their help; he shook hands with Percy who wished him well. Then he moved onto Ginny who he hugged tightly to him, she was like his little sister and he knew she would miss him, they came apart and he kissed her on the cheek.
Ron came up, and for the first time Harry could remember, he saw tears in his eyes, "come back safely mate" Ron choked out, "you wouldn't want my life to get lonely and boring would you?" Harry chuckled at this and hugged Ron, he then moved onto Lupin who looked at him with a very loving and concerned expression as he brought him to himself with an embrace.
"Listen to Sean" Lupin said slightly choked up but with resolution to Harry, "and you will be able to defeat Voldemort and end all this once and for all."
Harry nodded as Lupin released him, Tonks kissed him on the cheek and said "take care Harry, I would like you to attend our wedding once Remus commits."
Harry chuckled again at this, and moved onto Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, who gave him strong parental embraces and wishes for the best, thanking him for the use of his house. Harry then went to the last person there, his beloved Hermione Granger, he was thinking of merely kissing her cheek and saying goodbye, but was pleasantly surprised when Hermione pulled him in for a passionate five-second kiss on the lips.
Harry took one last look at the group there; Mrs. Weasley was leaning against her husband and holding back tears, as was Tonks as she leaned against her Lupin. Harry took one last look and bid them good night and goodbye. He knew he would need to be well rested, so he went straight to bed and drank a potion he had received from Madam Pomfrey at the end of sixth year for in case he started having trouble sleeping. The potion worked well and quickly, and Harry had quickly drifted off into a deep and dreamless sleep.
The next thing he knew, he could feel a hand shaking him awake, he awoke and reached for his glasses, putting them on, he saw the figure of Sean O'Sullivan crouched down next to his bed.
"It's time." Sean said in a no-nonsense tone. Harry had been anticipating this day for sometime now, and now that it was here, he had mixed emotions. He was eager to get the process going and to learn how to defeat Voldemort. But on the other hand, he was a little nervous and reluctant about the whole thing, he had made fairly detailed plans for his summer and possibly year, and in one day they had been completely dashed.
As his eyes adjusted to the dim light he realized something different about Sean, he was fully armed. He had on a pair of black pants and a black tank top, both of which tightly hugged his skin, and his crucifix hanging from around his neck, there were a pair of 24 inch double-edged swords patterned after the Roman Galdius strapped to his back. On each side of his chest he had sheathes that would snap shut, and each contained a large knife with a 12-inch long and four inch wide blade, a metal knuckle guard extending from the hilt, and empty slots along the same side of the blade…"like teeth" Harry thought. He noticed a sort of crossbow strapped onto his left forearm with the sides folded inward, and lastly a hard capsule-shaped container just above his rear, the top was open and Harry could see several straight silver arrows.
"The horses are prepared and waiting outside" Sean stated in a voice that suggested he had been up for a while, "I will leave you to change your clothes, it is important that we move out as soon as possible…take only your wand, you will not need anything else." Harry nodded to show he understood, and Sean took his leave. Harry dressed and began to start towards the door, careful not to awaken Ron who was still sound asleep.
"Goodbye Ron," Harry said quietly to his sleeping friend, "thanks for all the good times." Harry knew that things would never be the same, whatever would happen, whatever this new training was going to do, nothing would be the same. He exited the room and was about to leave the house when he realized that there was one last thing he needed to do.
He moved silently towards the door to Ginny's room and, very quietly, opened it. Ginny and Hermione were still asleep, "Goodbye Ginny" Harry whispered to the sleeping red head before pausing to look at the reason for his detour…the beautiful witch with the captivating brown hair and eyes, his true love, Hermione Granger.
His eyes quickly found the nightstand next to where Hermione was sleeping and he put a case containing the golden object he had acquired from Gringotts and a note down there. "What are you doing here?" Harry heard a familiar voice say to him from behind. He turned around to see Hermione sleepily staring at him from her bed. "Thought you would come in here like a thief in the night and leave without even saying goodbye?" Hermione's tone cut through Harry like a bucket of ice water, and he wondered what he could say to get her to stop being angry.
"You're leaving." Hermione said without question.
"Sean's waiting outside with the horses," Harry answered simply. "I just wanted to leave a couple of things with you, I didn't know you would wake up." Harry said these words with a tone that suggested that he was trying to lighten up the mood, but that he was inadequate to do it.
"Well," Hermione began, "I'm awake now, so what are you going to do?"
Harry had not expected this, he paused, and then he reached over to the nightstand to get the note and bracelet. "Here" Harry said gently as he placed the two items into Hermione's hands. She looked at them not knowing what to think or do. "Go ahead and read the note," Harry said, "it explains the other item." Hermione rubbed some of the sleep out of her eyes and then read the note.
Hermione:
When you read this, I will have left with the Muggle. I want you to know that from the moment we first met, I have had strong feelings for you. It wasn't until later on in life that I realized that these feelings went much deeper than friendship. I love you, and I want to be with you forever, that is why I have to go. I only hope that this gift will help you through the time we are apart. It was in my parent's vault at Gringott's, I noticed it there on a trip I took in preparation to go looking for the Horcruxes. Lupin told me that it was a present that my Dad gave to my Mum when they fell in love…and now I want to give it to you. Remember me fondly Hermione; and I will come back, if for no other reason, I will come back for you.
Love,
HarryTears were welling up in Hermione's eyes, she now realized just how much she meant to Harry. She now knew that his leaving for this unknown end was absolutely necessary and that she was a motivation for it. Harry had one last thing to do before he left and handed Hermione the case he had put the going away present inside. "Open it" he said calmly to Hermione who did so. Inside the box she found a bracelet made of solid gold, it was at least half an inch think and a full inch wide and Hermione could see her reflection in it.
"It's beautiful," she said to Harry as tears began brimming in her eyes.
Harry could not stand to see his beloved Hermione Granger cry. He began to wipe away her tears and endeavored to speak. "Hermione…" he began but was cut off by Hermione pulling him down to her for one last heated kiss.
They came apart after about twenty seconds when Hermione said, "you shouldn't keep your new teacher waiting."
"I love you" Harry responded.
"I love you to" Hermione responded before they came together for a brief but loving kiss.
"I will come back to you," Harry said with that new determination and resolution that Hermione had noticed in his voice.
"I know" she answered quickly before she would start to cry, "go," was the last word she said before Harry nodded and was off.
Harry came outside and found Sean holding the horses and straightening the robe he was now wearing over his weapons. "Do you need help mounting the horse?" Sean questioned.
"No, I'll be alright" Harry answered.
"You will follow me, and pay attention, your training starts from this moment onward" Sean stated in his no-nonsense Irish accented monotone. Harry nodded in understanding and, with some difficulty, mounted the horse Sean had provided for him.
Sean was preparing to mount his horse when he heard something he had not expected, his own name being called. "Sean!" the familiar voice of Ginny Weasley belted out from the doorway.
"Ginerva?" Sean said "what are you doing up and about, you should rest."
"I just wanted to say goodbye," Ginny said as she ran to Sean and hugged him tightly. Ginny came up to just under Sean's chin, and Sean stiffed when she hugged him, the only contact he had had with women since he was orphaned and before Fleur, Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley was when he had killed female vampires.
He had no idea how to react to this, but his reflexes kicked in. He put his arm around her and spoke, "goodbye Ginerva" Sean said quietly, "be a good girl and help your family, I wish you the best in your schooling and your future."
Sean finished his goodbye, then effortlessly mounted his horse, gently encouraged it forward, and was off down the road. Harry followed but turned around to see Hermione glancing out her window, she waved and blew a kiss to him, and he followed suit. He then signed I love you to her and was off, for good this time, after Sean.
They were moving along at a moderate pace, not wanting to move too slow because time was a factor with them being ready for the main objective, but not wanting to tire the horses by moving too fast. Harry enjoyed the feel of the air through his long jet-black hair and around his face. But he was thinking about other things, namely about the girl he left behind.
"Hey" Sean said to Harry, "are you okay back there?"
"I'm okay" Harry lied.
"Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord" Sean retorted back to Harry as he dismounted from his horse and motioned for Harry to do the same. "I can tell that there is something that is occupying your mind, and your mind must be clear if I am to teach you anything and if you are going to learn."
Harry dismounted and could sense determination and honesty in Sean's monotone, but he wasn't about to confide in this Muggle stranger. "It's nothing," Harry tried to retort, a little ire in his voice as well.
"You cannot be keeping secrets from me" Sean retorted, "you must be open with me if I am to teach you how to vanquish the Dark Lord." Harry had had enough of this and had forgotten all the council he had received to listen to and follow Sean.
"Listen!" he began with undisguised ire, "I am out here against my will, I don't have any fucking choice in this matter. I have never had any say in my life since I was a month old. I have had everything taken away from me, my parents, my guardian, my mentor, my childhood, and now you think that I am about to just convey all my thoughts and feelings to a total stranger and a Muggle then at that!" Harry paused and then uttered "Jesus Christ."
Harry felt a calloused and stiff hand come violently across his face in a hard slap that sent him off his feet and to the ground. He looked up to see Sean, for the first time he had ever seen him, with a blatant emotion sprawled across his face…and it was anger. "I will not tolerate blasphemy," Sean said after Harry had recovered enough to face him.
Harry felt a fury arise from within him. He looked at the man in front of him and had undisguised fury written across his features. He took out his wand and pointed it at Sean, "stupefy!" Harry shouted and pointed his wand directly at Sean, but Sean had already moved out of the way before the spell left the wand. Harry was unfazed by this and aimed his wand again at Sean, this time shouting "petrificus totalus!" with the same result.
"Thought to action," Sean said as he effortlessly dodged Harry's latest spell, "that is one thing we will need to improve on." Harry was at his wits end now and was at the point of doing the unthinkable and performing one of the unforgivables. "Sectumsempra!" he yelled. At this Sean moved out of the way of the spell, and with one fluid motion had moved up to where Harry was. Sean unfastened one of the holsters on his chest and drew a knife, when he came up to Harry he grabbed the front of his wand with his left hand, and brought up his right hand (which held the knife) to Harry's forearm, causing the wand to leave Harry's hand. Sean then maneuvered to behind Harry and held his knife to Harry's throat.
Harry gasped, he realized that he had been defeated, and by a Muggle at that. "If I could beat you," Sean began still not lowering his knife, "then how long do you think you will last against the dark lord?" Harry was still angry, "it's a different kind of fighting asshole" he blurted out to Sean who merely shifted slightly and then said, "and how do you think Voldemort or any others of your enemies will be able to counteract when you combine what I have done with this 'different kind of fighting' you speak of?"
Comprehension dawned on Harry as Sean still held the knife to his throat, this Muggle could teach him something. "I miss Hermione," Harry blurted out, "I love her and I am worried that I won't see her again." At this Sean lowered his knife and put it back in the sheathe, snapping it shut. Harry was stifling sobs now, "it took us six years to come together, and now I am afraid that all we will ever have is that one night last night together."
Sean placed a hand on Harry's shoulder, all the fury gone from his face. "That's understandable" Sean said with compassion and understanding. "I felt similarly when I first joined the Order, like nothing would ever be the same, like I would never know the things I loved again. But I was only five, I imagine it is even more difficult for you being your age."
Harry paused and felt a sway of relief come over him, he began to see that Sean wasn't as completely different from him as he thought. "When do I learn how to do what you did?" Harry asked, hoping to show Sean that he was sincere in his desire to learn.
"First off," Sean began with his usual no-nonsense monotone, "you are going to have to be open with me…about everything." Harry nodded in agreement and silently begged Sean to continue. "And you may be a chosen person, and the boy who lived and all that. But I don't care about who and what you are in your world…realize that you are in my world as of now and that you are nothing."
At this Harry nodded and showed resolution on his face, "well then" Sean said, "I can give you a few pointers right now if you are interested." "I'm ready for you to teach me." Harry said with as much a firmness and determination as he had ever had for anything in his entire life. Sean took a few steps back, picked up Harry's wand, and handed it back to him. Harry took it and was about to put it into his pocket when Sean stopped him.
"Leave that out" Sean said, "I'll show you something." Sean went to the horses and made sure they were secured before going to Harry. "Your main problem is the same as for all people. The fact is that from your thought to your action takes a few seconds…and that is too long."
Harry thought for a moment and then realized, "that's how you were able to dodge the spells I threw at you."
"Aye," Sean said, "I was taught to recognize the motions a wizard goes through when casting a spell. I realized that most, if not all wizards and witches will say a charm, make a specific motion with their wand, and then point it at the objective. You wait for them to say the charm, watch the motion, and then the instant" Sean snapped his fingers for effect, "that their hand stops. You spring forward, grab the front of their wand," Sean grabbed the front of Harry's wand, "bring your knife up through it," he brought his hand up past the wand as if he had his knife in his hand again, "then move behind them."
Harry realized that with Sean behind him as he was, and armed like he was, and with him without his wand, that he couldn't even apparate without Sean running him through.
"There's no way for a wizard to counter that" Harry beamed with realization.
"Aye" Sean said, "and that is only the beginning of what you will learn." Harry now felt something that he had not ever felt about this whole thing…he was eager to begin and learn everything Sean had to teach him.
"When do we start in earnest?" Harry asked with excitement.
"We will begin in earnest when we get to the Order monastery in Ireland which should be in about a week. But," Sean continued, "I will be teaching you some stuff along the way."
Harry paused, "it shouldn't take that long to get to Ireland, even by horse and boat."
"We will be making a slight detour," Sean stated.
"Where?" Harry asked with an honest desire to know.
"The lady Hermione, asked me a favor when we first met. She asked me to take you to a place called Godric's Hollow on the way to where we will be casting off…an early birthday present."