High Wizard

by dormask84

This will be HPSS. It's starts out fairly typical. Harry is about to turn sixteen and he will soon gain his full adult powers. Harry has to spend a part of summer with Snape. Heard it all before? Try it and find out.

8. Change 'edited'

Title: High Wizard (chapter 8)
Author: dormask84

Pairing: Harry/Sev rating: R category: Au, Romance, Action/Adventure.

Note: Yeah, ok. It has being AGES. Just because I haven't updated doesn't mean I'm not still writing. This chapter was a tough one as it forms the basis of Harry's magic and explains more about how his powers work. Blah, blah. Anyway, go ahead and read.

I think someone wanted to know what a 'snag' was. It's just a sausage. A snag on the barbie usually refers to having a hotdog, with onion and tomato sauce. (Ketchup)

Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. She wrote the books, she owns the copyright. I don't earn anything from this. I'm just "borrowing" for a little while.

ssHPss

"Back again?" Snape glowered at him, as if annoyed at being interrupted.

"I," Harry halted to a stop. "wanted to talk to you about Estelle." That he was even thinking of bringing this up with Snape was odd in itself but marked the fact that he now considered Snape as something of a friend and confidence.

"I presume this has something to do with that Estelle girl?" Snape broke in, scowling at him.

'I talked to her.' Harry nodded.

"Well? Obviously she told you something." Black eyes regarded him steadily.

Harry flushed. "She told me that a person's sex is less important, relationship wise. After…"

There was a slight sneer and a nod. "True enough. Most potentials always have a tendency toward being rather open minded about that sort of thing all ready." A questioning lift of the eyebrow.

Harry squirmed. "I guess, I mean, I always thought, if I found the right person I wouldn't care but guys, I look and I just, there isn't anything. You know?"

"You will find that the most attractive thing for a higher Potter is someone's mind, their intelligence. Nothing else. The problem is there are not many of us and so many settle for less. Not that they care less for such a person but that the same level of attraction is not there. Most are perfectly fine with that. Many wizards and witches are stuck in loveless marriage contracts anyway and dalliances are relatively common, accepted even."

Harry paused and glanced up shyly. "You don't exactly come across as a wizard who would settle for less."

A slight snort. "I have and found the experience, less then satisfying. I have resigned myself that I am unlikely to find someone by now."

"But, Estelle suggested..." Harry blushed, hard enough his cheeks burned.

"Ah." A sneer. "A reminder Potter that just because she has passed transition, does not mean she has all the knowledge of the universe at her disposal. She has a great many things to learn about being a higher, as will you."

Harry relaxed slightly. The whole idea had felt a bit too surreal and rather uncomfortable. "Right. But, you are being, nice." Harry hesitated on the last word.

"Potter, there have not been many Potentials I have been asked to aid. Since our numbers are small, when it does happen, I do go out of my way to insure they are taught what they need to know. I have very little patience in general terms, the fact that I have to wait a mere extra week before I can be reasonably sure of being able to treat you as an intellectual equal makes that easier. A great deal easier then the hundreds of students I deal with on a regular basis whom I know will probably never reach such a status."

"Ah." In that context, things made a lot more sense. "Right."

'" Was there anything else Potter?"

"Just a lot of stuff I didn't understand."

A twitch of a smile. "Why does that not surprise me?"

Harry scowled. "Well that won't last long and soon you won't be able to tell me I'm stupid."

"Won't I?" A challenging little gleam. Harry swallowed with fear.

"Um, I'll take that back." He said quickly.

"Good idea. As I said, going through transition will not mean you have the entire knowledge of the universe Potter, there will be plenty left you will have to learn."

ssHPss

Harry sat in the library, going through a book about ancient rites and how they could be applied in more modern times. Magic that by Ministry standards was outlawed, and he had to wonder at the stupidity of the Wizarding world to ban such useful bits of magic because of the darkness implied since many of these rites involved blood, or trickster spirits like imps and called upon energies most witches or wizards no longer even believed in."

He was uncomfortably aware of the eyes on him. Many believed he should be in isolation already but Snape thought otherwise. His professor had done one of his disappearing acts, which Harry guessed to mean Voldemort needed his Death Eater. That left a few highers a bit on edge, and as a result he was watched rather more closely then he was comfortable with.

"Harry?" Harry glanced up and broke into a smile when he saw Estelle approach.

"Hi. Out finally are you?" He grinned.

"Yes." Estelle looked at him a bit more closely. "Shouldn't you be in isolation? I can feel the build up of power within. You have to be close."

Harry winced. "So everyone has being saying, but Snape seems to think I have a bit to go yet."

"More?" Estelle looked stunned by the idea. "That's a lot of power."

Harry shifted again, uncomfortable. "I guess."

"Well apparently I still have a couple days of work I need to do before my tutor feels it will be safe to let me loose into society again."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, Snape has been working on keeping my temper and emotions more stable. It hasn't exactly being fun." Fun being a deceptive term, as Harry had been nicely reminded of just how much he had hated Professor Snape before this summer and Snape knew all the buttons to push. Still Harry had learned to stop himself before he was too worked up to seek inner calm; meditation had a two-fold purpose after all. There was also a higher that Harry could only describe as a psychiatrist with whom he had to discuss 'issues' over with and to deal with emotional problems.

"Dealing with people is a magic all its own Potter." Snape informed him. "Most are not aware of it, and it is something I lack but the Headmaster specializes in. It is the reason why he is headmaster and leader of the order. He knows how to see peoples' motivations and to figure out what the Dark Lord thinks, or feels how he might act. Because of this, the Headmaster can figure out a great deal of what he might do next and move against him. Part of my job is to supply him with the information he needs to keep doing this, in order to prevent the Dark Lord from getting stronger."

"However it also means that even Dumbledore, as strong as he is, does not have the insight and knowledge of how to actually destroy Voldemort. He has developed a very good idea but has reached a bit of a dead end as far as his mind and his specialized magic will allow. We may be powerful and we may be smart, but we are also limited to the area of magic granted to us. What precisely makes you special? It is unclear what has made an otherwise worthless seer present a true prophecy."

Harry sighed and gave Estelle a look over. "So how are you finding it? Getting a handle on your power, I mean."

"Hard." Came the wry smile. "Simple spells are now harder to control then some of the trickier spells. It's also, superb. I seem to have a knack for transfigured items, if something has changed shape, I can usually work out what it had been originally. I have yet to work out if I can change shape but that is going to take time, I'm told. There's too much other stuff I need to learn and master first."

"There you are Potter." Harry jumped and looked back to see Snape in a tattered robe and weaving slightly on his feet. With an even tread Snape stormed forward and regarded him a moment. "I doubt you will start your transition within the next day, but we had best put you into isolation in any case. If you will excuse us?" He glanced at Estelle.

"Of course. Good luck Harry."

Snape packed away his potions stuff and Harry moved to put his things away into a trunk. "Do not take everything Potter, just the essentials. Everything else will be stored until we leave. Is that clear?"

"Yes professor."

Harry separated his things picking out what he wanted to take with him. He would need blank parchment, ink and quills along with a few personal items and two or three changes of clothes. He also chose a few books to help keep him occupied. He didn't need anything else and so he stuffed the rest away. When he was done, he took the two trunks into the main room and saw that Snape had taken apart his temporary lab.

A few moments later he was in a plain white room, square with two beds, a table and chairs, plus a door into a bathroom. That was it. All of the furniture was looking a bit worse for wear. Severus eased himself in a wonky looking high backed chair.

"Are you all right sir?" Harry asked uncertainly.

"The Dark Lord has figured out you are not with the Dursley's and not at the Burrow. He's a touch upset." Came the sarcastic drawl.

"Oh. Um, you are all right though?"

"I'll be fine Potter. My body does not take kindly to the necessary bowing, scraping, and kissing hems while being struck by curses quite like it use to."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"This close to your transition? I would rather not risk it thank you. I will need a clear head as well, which means I also must keep clear of any potions." A faint grimace.

"Right, sorry." Harry sat on one of the beds. He glanced about the room, then at the panel, which was slid shut and locked from the outside. With a sigh, he went to get his things. It was going to be a long wait until he could get out of here again. He might as well get settled in.

Harry glanced up from the book he was going through. Now Severus Snape wasn't much company and usually that was fine, but after a day of nothing but Snape, well he felt he should get some sort of reward for putting up with the git. He could admit he had learned to get along with the professor and even sort of liked him, but being locked up in a room for a whole day was a bit much in his mind.

'If you tell me you are bored one more time Potter…" A warning from irritated black eyes had
Harry turning back to his book silently. So far he found it much more satisfying to do things like sing a hundred green bottles hanging on a wall, or I know a song that will get on your nerves and the song that never ends. Then there were old classics like the wheels on the bus go round and round. Guaranteed to put someone on edge, especially someone like Severus Snape.

Harry knew plenty of such songs, too much muggle primary school and Dudley driving teachers' nuts as once he started, they could not get him to stop. The situation had not been helped by the fact Dudley rarely remembered the actual words and still couldn't count down from a hundred correctly.

Severus refused to play word games like, I spy; not that there was anything in the room anyway. Harry didn't know what wizard children did to pass time, and when he had asked, about two hours ago, Severus had given him one of those looks. The 'you are nothing more then a miniscule organism that I can squash whenever I want to' looks and then deliberately went back to writing out lesson plans for next year's classes. Harry had asked about his classes but the response was some elaborate mumble jumble he couldn't de-code anyway. It was followed with an order to read the books Severus brought with him. Harry had flicked through them. Potions, Potions, Advanced Potions. He had paused on one geared toward defense until he realized that was also geared towards potions.

"It's nice to have a passion and all Snape." He spoke up briefly. "I know you can't help this obsession thing, being a higher and all, but surely even you have interests other then potions."

"Terrorizing students." A neutral response.

Harry snorted slightly. "That I can believe."

"I believe I mentioned a liking for plants, specifically ones I can use."

"Did you?" Harry frowned. "I've forgotten."

"Should I offer some expression of astonishment?" A dry tone.

"Don't bother on my account." Harry grinned.

"I won't." A statement vaguely amused.

"You are not as evil as students like to think are you."

"Careful Potter." A smirk. "Besides, considering what some of your lessons have been on, there are some who would consider you now as evil as I am."

"It's stupid, the laws on so called Dark Magic, though I admit some of it is justified."

"Indeed."

Harry sighed; Snape had returned his attention onto his notes again. A weird tingle brushed through him. "What the?" Harry sat up. He looked at his fingers which were still buzzing, so were his toes.

"It's starting then?" Severus rose from the table and came closer.

A warm sort of shiver started then. A little panicked, Harry glanced over at Snape.

"I would lie down if I were you." A recommendation Harry complied with. His body was starting to feel like it had been sunburned. "Relax Harry. It will be easier if you just let it happen."

Harry screwed up his nose slightly but forced himself to give in to the growing feeling his skin was burning. A cool hand was placed on his head. "That's it. It will get very painful soon. Ride it out Harry."

The use of his name sounded a bit strange coming out of Snape's mouth. He arched his head back as his muscles clenched with pain. This was as bad as cruciatus and getting worse.

"Easy now, let it go Harry," Soothing tones and encouragement were muttered as his gut flared up and then, fire, a blazing flame of white hot heat, burning him to ash. "Breathe Harry. Release."

Suddenly he lay gasping and trembling and the pain was gone. He giggled, feeling rather dizzy; everything seemed hilarious all of the sudden. "You said my name." He blinked at the multiple Snapes. "One of you did." He tried to focus but that was only making his nauseous. "Urg!"

"Wonderful." A smirk.

Harry cringed at the fierce headache that pounded away. "Did you, did, you, Snape." He giggled again; words were very strange things weren't they. Awkward and so useless really.

"Yes Potter?" Amusement. Harry blinked.

"I forgot." He laughed suddenly and groaned again at the headache.

"Let this be a lesson in not drinking too much alcohol Potter." Harry squinted as he tried to see if the blurring heads were smirking at him.

"Stop moving." He reached out a hand to try and stop the heads.

His wrist was clasped. "Close your eyes for now Harry, until you start feeling a bit more yourself."

"Poison me."

"Was that a request or an accusation?" The chortle sounded too bizarre in his addled state.

"Both." Snape was right; closing his eyes did help stop that dizzy, woozy sensation. He rubbed at his head.

"Rest a little while Potter"

"I was Harry." He complained.

"Yes, yes. Here, some water might help." A glass. Harry sipped at it.

"Tasteless."

"I am not going to poison you." Amusement again. "I've worked too hard to get you to this point"

"Right." He sipped again. His headache seemed to be easing. He cautiously started to sit up. The dizziness was not too bad either. He cautiously opened his eyes. Well Snape still had two heads but it was better. He continued to feel giddy. He frowned. Now that he could think again, all sorts of things suddenly made complete and utter sense. "You know, I think you are far more attractive now." He blurted out, upon realizing Estelle was right about a person's gender being nowhere near as important now.

A snort. "A life long dream fulfilled."

Harry burst out in laughter, because for some reason that had been funny, everything was funny right now. Even that lanky black hair.

"Why in the process of making highers smarter, must the transition make us look so stupid first?" A suffering sigh.

"Here I thought Potters were doomed to stupidity." Harry giggled.

"You do have a compelling point there." Harry fell laughing again, who knew Snape could be so amusing.

"Thus, I am not so stupid after all."

"Oh Merlin, it's starting"

"What?" Harry knew he must look a fool but didn't particularly care right now.

"Most highers do enjoy a good debate Potter." An explanation.

"I think I read that." Many things he had read were whirling about right now as his brain neatly slotted bits and pieces into their rightful place. "My head is re-filing itself." he remarked with a grin.

"The true gift of a higher is an organized mind, and you could use one."

"Perhaps I could." Harry was astonished to see how much he had learned, not just here but at Hogwarts as well and his brain seemed to be filing information according to whether it was of any use or not. "A lot of Trelawney's stuff is being shoved into the useless pile." He giggled.

"Can you tell what seems important right now?" Snape asked.

Harry frowned. "Stuff about magical creatures and defense."

"Give me specifics Potter!" Snape demanded in his teacher tone.

"Um, werewolves, thestrals, basilisks, and the best way to deal with them, a bit of defense, like the patronus spell and ridikkulus."

"Defense against magical creatures with a dark alignment."

"When you put it like that... but what use is that?"

"Considering my reservations on whether the Dark Lord is in fact human now, it could be of great use."

"But, this, it's so ordinary."

A pause. "Potter, think. Why did someone like Lockhart get away with fooling the public so long?"

"I don't know"

"A miracle. Potter admits he doesn't know." A snort. "There are a great many books out there on magical creatures Harry, from a potion standpoint I know most of them are pure nonsense. Why?"

"Um, I don't know?" Damn it, he was supposed to be smart now.

A sigh. "There hasn't been anyone who has actively studied how to deal with magical creatures, or understood them and how they worked, in centuries. There is no one with any substantial power. There are also none who professionally won't make things up as they go and who morally do not care if they steal from someone else or from some book for a quick buck. There hasn't been a ministry approved and widely acknowledged Master in the field of magical creatures, either dark or light, and consequently a lot of mis-information has taken the place of what once was known fact. I doubt anyone not from a pureblood family would have access to the right books. These same pureblood families are also not likely to loan anyone a copy."

Harry thought about this and carefully went though his new mind. "You could be right."

"Horror of horrors." Snape said with a snarl.

Harry grinned. "I know, I'm agreeing with you. Can I know what theories Albus has worked out? I'm sure that if I could just find all the strings, I could pull the right one and he'd unravel."

"I think there are a number of things we need to do first before we work on the Dark Lord such as meditating. Your brain is processing a lot of new information right now. Meditating will make that easier and help prevent the resulting migraine. It will also help you get your new power under some control." Snape moved onto the floor and settled into meditation pose. Shakily and with his head still whirling, Harry rose and managed to walk over and sit across from him. Taking a breath he automatically sent his inner self out as far as he could. He had a brief impression of galaxies and galaxies of stars. Millions of swirling spirals of tiny dots of light. Then he was gathering himself and the brief sensation was lost. Snape was studying him, as if unsure of what to think. The slight look of awe was back in those dark eyes. Harry looked away from it.

"Well then, let's see what you can do. Try expecto Patronum and use as little power as you can."

Harry nodded and rose. He was glad that the dizziness seemed have gone and so reached for his wand. He knew wands helped control magic; to try without one now would be very dangerous. Once he had control with the wand, then he could try to start to learn without.

"Expecto Patronum," He made the movement while only putting the force of a lumos behind it. Still the ghostly blue stag burst out and forward with a force he didn't expect. Startled, he watched the huge stag gallop around the room several times, the trailing blue force whipping around searchingly, and then it stood and sniffed at Snape as if debating his potential level of threat. The head tilted at him.
"It's all right Prongs. Just practicing." Harry said weakly. The stag faded with a disappointed air.

"A little too strong Potter." Snape looked a little shaky.

"Sorry." Harry fiddled uncomfortably.

"I think this is where your main power lies as that spell is a strong defense against dementors and they are one of the darkest creatures afoot, whatever the Ministry may believe."

"No argument here." Harry agreed.

"Now try a transfiguration spell."

Harry sighed and pointed to a chair and tried to change it into a dresser. He stared at the rather elaborate ensemble he got. It was more like a walk in wardrobe complete with full length mirror and some elaborate carvings covering it. "Nice." He admired it, astonished with himself.

"A bit overdone but acceptable." Snape stared at it looking a bit bemused. "Now, try to return it to its former state."

"Finite Incantatum." Harry incanted. The dresser promptly shrank into a chair that fell into a pile of splinters. "Oops."

"The problem with a strong Finite Incantatum is of course that it not only takes off the most recent spell, but removes every spell ever placed on the indicated object." Snape remarked. "Try again and try to concentrate on what your wand is doing. Its job is to control your power. Once you work out what your wand is doing, then you can work out how to do that yourself. Only when you have started to control your own power and how to get magic to do as required, can you hope to learn to use wandless magic."

Harry gave Snape a rather pointed look. "I know I've only newly completed my transition Snape, but give me some credit."

Snape actually looked slightly guilty. He waved a hand to the chair. "Try again and concentrate."

Harry raised his wand. "No wonder the furniture in here looks shabby." He incanted the spell while focusing mentally on his wand, rather then what it was pointed at. This time he was faintly aware of power being drawn from him; from his head, chest, stomach, knees, and feet. What Estelle said about the energy a person could control being minimally proportionate to the magic that existed in the solar plexus suddenly began to make sense. The magic that naturally existed around him was attracted, for lack of a better word, by the fact that the magic in him, which had been activated the moment his power had, was being draw upon.

The magic he had and the power he had to draw upon to use it were separate identities and yet one seemed to affect the other. It reminded him of those science classes he'd had about co-dependency. He had to have the magic to have the power but the amount of magic he had relied upon the amount of power his body could provide. With his body having had what amounted to a power surge, he now had a significant increase in magic as well, which meant that more magic was attracted to him when he harnessed it.

In fact, his power wasn't so much as doubled, it was now tripled. The wand not only drew upon him and his magic, but also the magic attracted to him. It seemed somehow to compress it; the feather in it seemed almost to filter the magic, getting rid of some of the unpredictability. The wood seemed to invoke some form of intelligence and wisdom into the magic to tell it what was wanted. Harry realized that his own will, his internal desire for the chair to be a dresser was also being called upon. His wand did seem to recognize the words he spoke and even the movement he used helped it shape the magic into a tool it could use, however it seemed to rely much more on his own desire, which was, at that moment, to have a chair turn into a dresser.

Basically this meant that if he was focused enough, all he had to do was point the magic in the right direction and maintain control over it until it hit the object he wanted and did as asked. The fact was however, that even under such direction, the magic was still, inherently unpredictable, which was why the dresser he got this time, while still rather elaborate and larger then necessary, was not the same dresser he'd gotten last time.

"Can a person, if a spell is cast at them; use their own will to affect the magic thrown at them to modify it? If not enough focus and will is directed on a spell, then isn't it possible that someone with a stronger will could override the spell in order to get the magic to do something different, and magic, being the unpredictable thing it is, having an identity and will of it's own, do so?"

Snape looked at him as if he was balmy but seemed to think it over. "In theory I suppose it could be possible." The man scowled slightly. "Though if that was what you did as a baby, how would a year old child have the will to override the intention to kill it?"

"I saw this documentary once on the television," Harry said, "about how a baby's first instinct is to simply survive. I don't really remember much but I do remember wanting to do something to the one who was hurting my parents. They screamed, I was scared and then, I don't know. I just knew I really had to do something to get rid of this person."

"So you did." Snape rubbed his chin. "Not entirely effective Potter, but it more than did the job for a time. The Dark Lord would not have been expecting any sort of fight from a baby, and probably did not see the need to use much power in order to kill you. He has as much power as is possible to have without being a higher. It is unknown for an ordinary wizard to actually be more powerful then some of the lower level highers.

"The potential can die in a person Potter and once the Dark Lord did have it. His inherent darkness however killed it and was never truly realized. His darkness is what makes him so terribly dangerous. Dangerous enough for even the more powerful highers to think twice about facing him head on. Even if we had the knowledge to do so and win, we currently do not.

"Albus' knowledge of people, how they work, how they react, how they think, was good enough to manage Grindlewald's downfall but the Dark Lord has done something Grindlewald hadn't. Something that meant he survived even though it probably should have killed him under ordinary circumstances. It is something that has even Dumbledore baffled.

"That's where I come in." Harry slumped at the idea. He still didn't see how exactly defense against dark creatures was going to help at all, despite the apparent rarity in his gift.

"The fact that the Dark Lord managed to resurrect himself a body, potion or no potion, lends itself to the idea of still being human how?" Snape drawled at him. "He is not a vampire, or a zombie, he is more then either of those. So what exactly is he?"

Harry scratched his head. "I'm not really sure. I mean he possessed Quirrell in first year. Then there was the unicorn blood. I'm not sure how the diary fits into it, or even if it does."

"That Harry is why you have a personal tutor to help fill in the gaps and teach you what the magic does not provide. As I have said before, being a higher does not gain you all the knowledge of the universe. Otherwise, the Dark Lord would have been already been dealt with. You have provided an idea I would never have considered, my forte after all, is in potions. The Headmaster of course, has a skill with people, not with anything to do with actual magic. Perhaps only you, with your unique bend toward defense, could have come up with the idea of how a child could possibly survive the killing curse; not only survive it, but do something to the curser in return." Snape actually gave Harry a smile. "Such a thing has never actually being attempted, no higher would be stupid enough to affect the magic being cast at them."

Snape continued. "Even at the age of one Mr. Potter, you showed yourself to be both a true Potter and Gryffindor. We should test this theory of yours, or find out if indeed someone has ever had the same idea. It is not in my usual area of research, I must admit. It will have to wait however, until we are back at Hogwarts."

Harry nodded. "With magic, being what it is, wild and independent, doesn't that mean that Ravenclaws and, well Hermione, are approaching it the wrong way? By just knowing enough spells and studying enough spell books that don't even touch on theory and the basis of spell structure, they can control and perfect magic. They never get a spell wrong and always know the right one to use, and they get it right the first time."

"Quite, but being far more focused on getting what they want, they are actually more likely to get it. That will only work as long as they have the right wand with which to do it. Wands as you should know, respond to different people in different ways"

"Ollivander told me it is the wand that chooses the wizard."

"Wands do not technically have a mind of their own but the magic objects they comprise of do. If that magic is entirely compatible with the wizard, it is considered a perfect match. It is something Ollivander strives to get every time. What is your wand made of?"

"Er holly and phoenix feather."

"Hm, holly is considered a pure wood. It actively resists dark magic, which probably makes it excellent for defense. Phoenix feathers, well a fair number of wizards actually consider the phoenix to be a dark creature."

"What? That's ridiculous. Fawkes..."

Snape waved him into silence. "Phoenixes are relatively solitary. Only a rare handful have ever connected themselves to a wizard. Not much is actually known about them, where or if they breed, what they normally eat, even Dumbledore doesn't know that, or if they migrate. For the most part, they are a mystery. Few people are even aware they have the power to heal. They are known to burn down entire forests, buildings, cities along with anyone who happens to be in them when they get angry enough. The ability to literally burn stone and melt metal is why so many consider them to be dark creatures."

"It's stupid." Harry said stubbornly.

"Many things written about supposed dark creatures are stupid Potter. I know there has to be a better way then wolfsbane for those like Remus Lupin, but while my skill in potions is unmatchable, my knowledge of werewolves is moderate at best. Even the old family books about magical creatures aren't providing me much help."

"How would I become endorsed as a Master by the Ministry, so I can fix that sort of thing?"

Snape snorted and gave him a look. "I think defeating the Dark Lord should go well in your favor Potter." Slightly amused.

"Oh, right. So him first." Harry nodded quickly.

"Try to change the dresser back without reducing it to splinters."

Harry merely pointed his wand. He should be able to shape the magic himself through will alone. He had to use a wand however to make sure the magic was controlled, and perhaps this time he could figure out how the feather filtered out some of the undesirable bits of magic. When he directed his energy this time, he paid much more attention to how the wand drew upon his power so he could learn to control how much it could take.

With his mind set on returning the dresser to its former state, not just simply removing the spells on it, Harry hoped it wouldn't dissolve into splinters this time. To his relief it didn't, though it did look rather worse for wear then it had.

"Better Potter. Now, try again."

With a sigh, Harry did so. He knew Snape would have him doing this all week if necessary; just to be sure he could control his magic. He made an effort this time, to prevent the wand from pulling in more power then it really needed, and he actually managed something that looked a bit more like a normal dresser, rather then the elaborate ensemble he had conjured before.

ssHPss

In the next chapter, whenever I get to it. No promises.

Harry had actually missed the first couple of days of school by the time Snape felt satisfied enough that he had enough of a grasp of his new power to manage going back to Hogwarts.