Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling nor do I own any part of Harry Potter. I am just a lowly fanfic writer.
A/N: Sorry it took so long guys. Like I said my computer has been down and I just got it back up. This is my longest chapter yet so I hope you like it. As always review, review, review. I get so many reads and yet so few reviews. I need them to know how I'm doing! And, as always, thank you so much Mudblood 428 for your awesome beta reading!
Harry was beginning to feel anxious. It had been a week since he wrote to McGonagall and he still hadn't gotten a response. It just didn't seem like her to not reply as soon as possible, especially about something so important.
Harry had three days until his birthday. He really didn't want a big party, but he knew the Weasleys were going to make a huge deal about his coming of age. After his birthday there was two weeks until the wedding and then a little over one week until they returned to Hogwarts.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were in the kitchen eating breakfast with the rest of the Weasleys. Ginny was at the other end of the table, hunched over her plate, eating mechanically. Harry knew he should have talked to her sooner after she heard of his and Ron's and Hermione's plans to track down Voldemort's Horcruxes. Now it was harder than ever to confront her. Harry was just about to get up and leave from the table when he noticed four black specks in the sky, heading straight for the Burrow.
"I think our Hogwarts letters are coming," he announced to the others.
Hermione gave a little squeal and ran to open the kitchen window. Four beautiful tawny owls flew threw the window and landed on the kitchen table, legs outstretched. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny stepped forward to untie there letters. Hermione paused before opening hers.
"No, I can't. I can't look. I didn't make Head Girl - I just know it; we've broken too many rules."
Ron let out a sound of disgust and ripped her envelope open for her. Out fell a scarlet badge with HG carved into it. Hermione let out another squeal and picked up her badge and started jumping up and down in excitement.
"No, I don't believe it, I'm Head Boy!" exclaimed Ron. Mrs. Weasley flew across the room and embraced Ron in a monstrous hug.
Harry could hear her muffled voice saying, "Bill, Percy, and now Ron, three in one family!"
Harry, on the other hand, had his note out reading one part over and over again. There will be no Quidditch this year.
"What's wrong Harry? You look upset," asked Hermione having noticed Harry's troubled expression.
"Well I guess I should have realized we wouldn't have it."
"Have what?" asked Ron.
"Quidditch… they canceled Quidditch this year. Which means I won't be captain, and won't be able to hang out with you guys during your duties."
"Well, it'll be okay. It worked out fifth year didn't it?"
Harry knew Ron was trying to make him feel better. But he still was going to miss the sport greatly, and it was going to be hard to be without his friends, especially now.
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Harry woke up the day of his birthday and jumped with glee. He could do magic outside of Hogwarts! He grabbed his wand from his side table and summoned his glasses to him even though they were right beside him. He then summoned all his clothes and his watch. Harry walked down stairs a little earlier than usual to meet Ron and Mr. Weasley. Mr. Weasley was taking Harry and Ron to their apparition tests that morning. Mrs. Weasley had already cooked up some eggs and toast for them to eat before they left. After breakfast they walked outside where they found a ministry car awaiting them.
"Scrimgeour isn't letting you travel anywhere without a guard or a ministry car," said Mr. Weasley.
"He's trying to show everyone that he's protecting me. He's still trying to get publicity for the ministry," said Harry in an angry tone.
In a surprisingly fast time the car pulled up to a back entrance to the ministry. Mr. Weasley led them through an employee's entrance where there was a good deal less people and security was more slack. After being poked and prodded by several devices and having their wands checked three different times, they were allowed into the ministry. Mr. Weasley steered them to the lifts and took them to the floor where the lady's cool voice said, "Apparition testing facility". Harry and Ron were then lead to a through a door and arrived at a long counter with several ladies working.
"Hello and how may I help you?" asked one lady kindly.
"Harry Potter and Ron Weasley are here to take their Apparition tests," stated Mr. Weasley.
"Harry Potter! Why, it is! It's Harry Potter!" announced the woman excitedly causing her fellow workers to look over excitedly as well.
After the excitement went down they were lead through the solid oak doors, down a brightly lit hallway, and through another set of doors to a large circular room full of differently colored rings and partitioning walls. Off to the left was an office that had a large window overlooking the ring-filled room. This was where the witch took them.
"Just go inside and give him these forms," said the witch kindly. She then tapped one of he forms and ink spread across it from where her wand tip hit it rather like the Marauder's map. She then did the same to the other form. After she was done she handed the forms to Mr. Weasley and walked off.
Mr. Weasley knocked on the door and a thin voiced answered from behind it. The door opened to find the same wizard that had come to Hogwarts for their training. Mr. Weasley handed him the forms and he looked over them for a second before looking up.
"Alright, everything seems to be in order. You first, I should think," he said pointing to Ron. "You are to Apparate out of my office into a red ring on the other side of that partition wall. Then Apparate to a green one in the middle of the room. Then Apparate to the orange ring on this side of the same wall as before, and then back into my office okay? Oh, and you are allowed to miss one ring by three feet. More than that distance or more than that many times and you fail."
He had said this rather fast and Ron needed it repeated several times before he was ready.
Looking like he was going to be sick he spun on his heel and with a crack Harry saw him arrive in the designated area. He had Apparated to the very center of the circle. A smile spread across his face and he gave a thumbs-up to Harry. Harry returned it before Ron Apparated again to the center of the room, where, again, he landed in the center of the ring. He spun again, but this time he landed a little out of the circle. Ron looked a little disappointed, but it was within three feet. He then spun once more, where he landed directly in front of the inspector, hand outstretched for his license.
"Very well," said the man before handing over Ron's license, "Now for you. You do the same thing he did"
Harry nodded and spun on his heel, focusing his whole mind, and body, on that ring. He landed perfectly. He did it again and again, and then finally back into the inspector's office.
"Well well, a perfect score. Here's your license."
Harry was going to say something to Ron about his exceptional score, but thought it better not to after remembering Ron's problems with seemingly always being mediocre. Soon after Mr. Weasley led them back out of the facility where they rode the lifts to the atrium.
"Dad, why don't we Apparate home?" asked Ron eagerly.
"Alright on my count. One, two, three."
With a crack Harry, Ron, and Mr. Weasley were standing in the garden. Harry and them walked up to the house and turned the knob. When he opened the kitchen door there was a loud pop and streamers flew over him while many voices yelled, "Surprise!"
Standing in front of him were about twenty witches and wizards, most of whom were people he knew from the Order of the Phoenix. The kitchen was decked in balloons and streamers and had glitter falling from the ceiling like snow. In the very center of the kitchen, on the table was a huge cake that had to have seven or eight layers. Across the top it said, "Happy 17th Harry".
"Wow, thank you guys!" exclaimed Harry.
Harry made his rounds through the people before dinner started, but he had that ever present feeling that this was just out of place. Having this great, happy time when Harry knew that he was just about plunge into this deadly adventure seemed bittersweet.
As he walked through the party he saw that Tonks, Lupin, Hagrid, Neville, Mad-Eye, Kingsley Shacklbolt, Fred, George, Bill, Fleur, Seamus Finnegan, and Dean Thomas had all showed up. At last he turned a corner and there was Professor McGonagall.
"Potter, I'm sorry I didn't respond but work has been very busy and I knew that I would be attending this party, and, of course I couldn't tell you that I could meet you at the party without spoiling the surprise."
"That's okay Professor. Is it alright if we wait till after the dinner? It should be ready soon and this should take a while"
"Of course."
Right on time Mrs. Weasley called them all over to the table to have dinner. It was all Harry's favorite foods and candies. They sat around talking and eating and laughing. Harry was having a great time, but was feeling anxious for it to be over to work things over with Professor McGonagall. At the end of the dinner the Twins jumped up to lead them in singing "Happy Birthday Harry" and then demanded cake and presents. So as Mrs. Weasley cut the cake and started diving out pieces, Mr. Weasley went to the closet and levitated all the presents to the table.
As soon as their cake was finished the Twins went to the pile and grabbed to big bags and handed them to Harry. He opened the first bag and found several of his favorite candies and some of their famous joke wands and trick candies. In the other bag he found the latest in shield cloaks and dark detectors and pretty much the Twin's entire line of protection inventions. He also found a note that read: We will meet you tonight in your room for an extra surprise. Harry wasn't quite sure he wanted to know what this surprise was. After this, Harry got his presents from Dean, Neville, Hermione (a book of advance enchantments and spells), Seamus, Kingsley, and Fleur and Bill. Then came Hagrid's present. It was book named, Monstrous Monsters by: Mathilda Magaby, and a big bag of Chocolate Frogs and Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. After that was Lupin's and Tonk's, which turned out to be a knife a lot like the one Sirius gave him, but instead of just being able to unlock doors in also detected enchantments and protective spells. Next was Mad-Eye's present. Harry unwrapped it hastily and found it to be a flask like his and an advanced sneak-o-scope. After this came McGonagall's which was a book on Transfiguration and a book covered in paper that read, "Open in private." Harry looked up at her questioningly, but she just simply smiled. Next to last came Ron's. It was a surprisingly a book. Written across the front in curvy gold letters was: Useful Charms and How to Do Them. Finally, the last present was from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.
"You didn't have to get me anything. After letting me stay in your house, giving me food, and throwing me his party … it's too much."
"Nonsense, we had to get you a present," replied Mrs. Weasley.
Harry opened it and to his amazement it was a Pensieve.
"But, how could get one of these? Where did you find it?"
"It was actually Dumbledore's. He told me to give it to you when you came of age, er, about a month before he died," explained Mr. Weasley.
"Wow, thank you. This is amazing!" He ran up and embraced Mrs. Weasley and then turned and shook Mr. Weasley's hand.
After that the party moved into the den where people split up into small groups and started forming many different conversations. Harry did his best to move from conversation to conversation and see all his guests and friends but all he could think about as seeing Professor McGonagall as soon as possible. As time slipped by so did guests. Neville, Dean, and Seamus left together to head home. After them Lupin and Tonks had to go and then Mad-Eye informed Harry that he had been away from his home too long. Kingsley had to head back to the ministry and Hagrid said that he really should be heading back to Hogwarts. Finally, Bill and Fleur had to go back to their house; they would be leaving tomorrow morning to spend some time with Fleur's family before the wedding.
So it was just the Weasleys, Harry, Hermione, Professor McGonagall.
"Molly, can I have a word with the children alone, maybe in the twin's old room?"
"Why of course Minerva," replied Mrs. Weasley with a questioning sort of tone.
Harry, Hermione, and Ron followed Professor McGonagall up the stairs to the Twin's old room. Once inside she shut the door behind them and did several wand movements.
"I made it Importable, and put a Silencing Charm on it, we don't want to be disturbed. So, you said you had some things to discuss, and that it was about what Professor Dumbledore was doing last year"
"Yes, Ron, Hermione, and I can only come back to Hogwarts if we can leave whenever we need to. And we wish to have private lessons with you on advanced spells and dueling," explained Harry, rather quickly.
"Mr. Potter, you had better have a good reason for this. No student is allowed to just, leave school whenever they please. And why would you need lessons on advanced dueling? What are you three planning?" She sounded tense and they could tell that she wasn't happy with what they were asking for.
Harry began to tell her everything that he and Dumbledore had done in his 6th year; how they learned about Voldemort's history, and learned about Voldemort making himself immortal through his seven Horcruxes and what they might be.
"Dumbledore then started to give me private lessons to prepare me to find these Horcruxes and destroy them, and, eventually, Voldemort himself," said Harry.
"The night that Dumbledore died we had gone out to find a Horcrux and he had been weakened by the experience. It ended up that Horcrux was a fake too. But before he died he taught me all that he knew abut the Horcruxes and it is now my and my friend's jobs to find them and destroy them and then destroy Voldemort," Harry explained.
"But," interjected Hermione, speaking for the first time since the conversation started, "We don't know how to destroy Horcruxes, or break through strong enchantments, or are we advanced enough to take on Voldemort or many of his Death Eaters, nor are we positive of what the Horcruxes are."
Professor McGonagall was quiet for a while, and then she finally spoke.
"But you don't really expect to do this, do you? You're children, you're… this is something for an advanced team of Aurors, not three school children."
"That's just it. Aurors can't do it. We have to, and without your help if we have to. This is what Dumbledore expected us to do and this is what he planned. He planned for us three to do it and we need your guidance and training. We need you to support us and we need your lessons. Also Hogwarts is a good and safe place and a wonderful headquarters for us to work out of. And, Dumbledore said that one of the Horcruxes might be there. We need to be able to come back to school. Will you please help us?"
There was another long silence where McGonagall seemed to be in deep thought over all they just told her. A resolution seemed to reach her face.
"I will. I will help you and I will allow this to happen, but I will know all of what is going on. Nothing will be hidden from me, understand"
"Yes ma'am!" replied all three of them excitedly.
She got up and waved her wand removing the charms. She was just about to leave when she turned around and said, "That book, Potter, is about how to become an Anigmus. I expect that you will need my help on that also." She then turned and left.