Chapter 4: Advancements

"Taking risks consciously was perhaps the smartest thing I have ever done. Taking risks recklessly was definitely the dumbest. The problem is sometimes you can't know until after which one is which." Sedgwick Cecil, dragon whisperer in the dark ages, fate unknown.

Five days later Harry emerged from his trunk feeling refreshed to start his new tasks. For the last few days he had been every morning by going for a run in the park and then doing some exercises in the space of his trunk apartment. He actually found it highly invigorating to start the day with physical exercise. It gave him a jump start and now that he was eating more and healthier too he certainly wanted to expend his physical energy some way. While reading of course used up his mental faculties, it left him feeling sluggish. So he had decided to try his hand at running. A few days later and Harry was regretting not taking it up before. His muscles, after the first few aching days, shook off the rust they had gained from not playing Quidditch pretty much all year and responded in kind.

Funnily enough the exercising actually gave him more energy to tackle the books he had tasked himself with learning. He completed the theory of magic book in a flash and before he knew it had found himself delving into the book Sirius had given Remus. The battered book was worn almost to the point of degradation and appeared far older than its contents could have been, thus requiring Harry handle it with extreme care. Normally this wouldn't have been a challenge, however, Harry felt like he understood Hermione's complete obliviousness to the world when engulfed so deeply in a book now more than ever, as all he wanted to do was tear the pages away and absorb the secrets within. Not only was this a piece of Sirius and to an extent the Marauders he was learning, but also, the content inside drove a hunger in Harry he never knew he had.

One and a half days, two bloodshot eyes, unknowable aching muscles and cups of tea later and he had gone cover to cover. The book was mind blowing and left Harry dumbfounded and at times dubious over its contents. The author, having travelled around the world and discovered and researched various kinds of magics, had chosen to focus predominantly on the eastern philosophies of magic for this particular book. And for Harry, it had seemed a world away from what he had been taught at Hogwarts.

For his entire magical life Harry had been instructed to harness his magic through his wand and to perform spells as such. This book however, endorsed the ancient Asian cultures which had mastered and since passed down the techniques of learning to control your magic without a wand. The 'spells' and incantations were a lot less complicated and to a degree effective than some of the spells Harry knew were possible. These cultures instead had focused on the simplicity of magic and its relation to nature and the wider world. There were certain techniques that the book had subscribed that encouraged the user to try 'feeling one's magic', both when one was attempting to use it and not.'Awareness of your own magic and its perpetual flow through the body, increase not only your connection with it, but also your perception of how magic works and how we use it,' the book suggested. By extension then, the more Harry could understand and recognise his magic, the greater control over it he would be afforded.

Not only this, but everything else the book had contained as well were frankly a far cry away from the techniques that were taught at Hogwarts. The magical world really did seem to be an isolated one, even from its own varying cultures, harry observed. The book had all but confirmed this, with the author specifically stating that he believed he was one of the only magical persons to have ever traversed the entirety of globe in research of differing magics and their uses. Wizards, despite their abilities and ease of travel, never actually ventured too far away from their own continents or indeed cultures. In this regard, Harry thought that muggles were far more advanced than the magical world, as they were constantly travelling and exploring any and all cultures the world had to offer.

So, for the past few days Harry had been trying to work on some of the techniques the book had described. Centering oneself was an art that encouraged the user to meditate, or at least attempt to as Harry had. He had sat on the rug in his apartment and for hours had tried to focus on the magic that lay dormant inside.

Disappointingly, after many hundreds of attempts he had not been able to feel his magic the way the book had described. The difficulty for him was he didn't really know what he was searching for. Was he trying to locate a magical core within himself and if so what did it feel like? And how could he find it if he had never known what it was like to feel that before?

These were all questions the book had unfortunately failed to answer. In the end the book was more a description of the cultures rather than an instruction manual into their methodology. Not one to be deterred, particularly now, Harry had spent time trying to cast spells wandlessly from then onwards. He felt if he could feel the magic and recognise it from within him as he was casting the spell, then perhaps he could follow it back to the source. He remembered that last year while the Dementor was attacking him and Dudley he had lost his wand and without thinking had cast a wandless lumos spell. He therefore knew that wandless spells were possible for him, if even in the heat of the moment. He had seen Dumbledore and Voldemort use small bits of wandless magic to aid them in their duel last week too, so he wondered if he could explore the art as they obviously had.

Harry had been relentless. So determined was he and intrigued by the books possibilities that he had tried for the last few days to cast any and all spells without the use of his wand. Again in this regard he had been unsuccessful and had been becoming increasingly frustrated because of it. He was sure that wasn't helping him any, but it was hard to avoid given the necessity he felt towards learning it and the time pressure he was under to learn as fast as possible.

Then this morning, after he had finished his now daily workout and was relaxing for a few on his bed, he had cast a wandless 'Wingardium Leviosa' and lifted for the briefest of moments a feather that had come loose from his pillow. So shocked was Harry he dropped the spell in favour of cheering for joy. He was so happy in that moment that he didn't have to worry about noise control in his trunk anymore; Uncle Vernon would have popped a vain roaring at Harry for his 'freakish' outburst.

Over the next few hours he had practised with the same spell and on the same object. And it was a beaming Harry who then emerged in the late morning from his trunk having been able to repeatedly lift the feather and make it go where he wanted. He wasn't as perfect as he was with his wand of course, but still this was huge! Additionally, he had been able to feel the spell the more he cast it as well. Once he focused enough he could genuinely feel the magic ever so subtly flowing from his centre down his arm and out of his hand. He had not been able to feel his own core yet but this was still very encouraging progress. If he could learn to use this more effectively with some of his other spells as well, then he could certainly practise magic over the summer and no one would be any the wiser.

He would have carried on practising but Moony had contacted him via the mirrors and had said he would meet him in the park once more to divulge his news about the Marauders work book. The two had talked every night through the mirrors since they had last seen each other which was something Harry was heartily grateful for and was also enjoying thoroughly. He was becoming increasingly more at ease around his friend and the two had begun to open up bit by bit about the loss they felt over Sirius' passing. He was particularly thankful for this at the moment as Remus served to be his connection to the outside world, bringing him back to reality after a day of hard studying in the apartment certainly helped remind Harry of what was important.

Remus had informed him that the Death Eaters had begun carrying out small attacks on the muggle world. Nothing too newsworthy or even particularly mentionable in the prophet. But something the order had been keeping track of nonetheless. Every time Remus had mentioned the damage done it only served to bolster Harry's resolve and determination to become better so he could stop them.

His friends had all written back to him in the meantime. His two closest had done their utmost to encourage him through his mourning; Hermione had expressed her grief and supportive over his own at Sirius' passing; whereas Ron had been keen to break the ice and get back to normality with his friend. Harry was thankful for both of their methods. Differing as they were it clearly showed how much each of them cared. Luna's response had been quaintly random but had carried heartfelt condolences over his godfather. She had also thanked him profusely for including her in the D.A. this year and expressed her joy at being chosen by him for their Ministry adventure. A deep sadness hit Harry over the thought that Luna felt like she had to thank him for such a thing and he resolved to include her more this year as a result.

Ginny's response had been an interesting one for Harry. She had similarly expressed her condolences and shared a memory of Sirius from last summer when she got to know him at Grimmauld place. But it was what she had said afterwards that had caught Harry off-guard. She had admonished him for blaming himself over the events that culminated in Sirius' death, which she guessed he was doing at the moment. She had stated tentatively, but firmly, that he would never have wanted Harry to blame himself, but rather urged him to fight and live on in the most raucous and joyous way possible.

Her words had given Harry a lot to think about. Was he blaming himself for Sirius' death? He probably would have been blaming himself more had it not been for his recent ardent motivation and subsequent productivity. His realisation had compounded what he already knew deep down, which was that blaming himself and wallowing in self-pity wouldn't change what happened nor make him feel better. His conversations with Remus had helped him to accept and understand this further and together they had shared in their grief and while they certainly had not overcome this yet, they had taken steps towards positively dealing with it. Adding to this was his vow to his parents and Sirius which had the effect of shifting his focus from grieving towards much more constructive activities.

In the end, Harry was exceptionally grateful for Ginny's insight and kindness over how to handle everything. She wouldn't let him feel sorry for or blame himself for one second as she knew at the end of the day the only one responsible for his death was the one who cast the curse. Harry, given everything that had happened to him since returning home, had come to accept this as well. He understood that responsibility and blame were two different things and that he obviously needed to take greater care in the future as his friends would likely once again place their lives in his hands. But for now, he had shaken some of that guilt or inner blame away and come to terms with things a lot better than he had expected.

It was the missing response that Harry was worrying about the most out of all his friend's messages. He had yet to hear back from Neville and given the topic he had last broached with his friend he didn't blame him. Although, at this point Harry was starting to worry that something had happened to Neville. So he decided that if he hadn't written back within the next day then Harry would send him another Owl to make sure.

In the meantime, he had a meeting with Remus to attend. He slipped on Dudley's old ragtag shoes and headed for the park. As he was walking there he caught an old lady looking at him disapprovingly from her garden as she watered her well-kept Tulips. Thinking it strange, as surely the Dursleys wouldn't have advertised their 'criminally disturbed' nephew, he looked down to observe his appearance. While he didn't look too dirty he by no means looked good. His clothes were either handed down from Dudley or gifted to him by the Weasleys. It was only really now that he was realising it too.

'I suppose I'd gotten used to looking this scruffy and shabby', Harry thought. 'No wonder she was glaring at me, the mere presence of me in the same neighbourhood as those plants would have been enough to sour them for good.'

Harry certainly did have to concede to the lady's point there. He seriously needed a wardrobe change and now that he had the capital and potentially the resources to make that happen he put the first workings of a plan together in his mind. It was just as he came to the edges of the park that he spotted Remus sitting on a bench soaking in the sun with a small book cradled in his lap that Harry began to get excited for the day's adventure.

Remus Lupin sat enjoying the afternoon sun against his dry tormented skin on the same bench where one week earlier he'd had a conversation that, he had a dark feeling, would change his life forever. Not to mention the course of the wizarding world, he added as an afterthought. Despite this, he was able to bask in the relative peace of the world and his body's place within it, being at the point of the month where he was the furthest away from a transformation.

It was as his mind wandered from the bench that it drifted to a place or to a person it had done incessantly over the last week: Harry. He'd had a tumultuous few days since speaking to Harry. Their initial conversation had blown his mind to say the least and had changed the way he looked at Harry as well as the war in general now; not to mention the subsequent outing and interactions he had endured in the meantime.

Since hearing Harry's plea Remus had acquiesced and held his tongue, telling no one of their outing or of Harry's intentions; an act he hadn't cherished in, especially from Dumbledore. He greatly respected the man and under normal circumstances wouldn't have thought twice before telling the wised Headmaster everything. However, these clearly weren't normal circumstances and Harry, for all the trials and hardships he'd had to face, had sought to surpass what others thought he could do and break out on his own. For that, he had earned Remus' respect. But it was for something else that he had kept his silence. During their time getting to know one another over the past week and a half, Harry had shown a great growth in maturity and his actions, while extreme, were no less out of proportion to what his situation demanded.

Remus honestly couldn't fault Harry for his actions. He was also beginning to see that the Headmaster's treatment of, while obviously not malicious, was still less than appropriate considering all that was at stake with the teen. Harry would surely need to be trained at least to some degree or informed to a larger on the war. But instead of any of this or more, he had shipped Harry off to his at best apathetic relatives where he would apparently be safe but receive no instruction or guidance until school reopened.

And so after careful consideration of everything and having spoken with Harry a great deal over the past week, Remus considered lying to his trusted old Headmaster a necessary subterfuge so that Harry could accomplish what he needed to.

He was nervous the first at their first Order meeting after their trip to Diagon Alley. Fortunately the Headmaster had shown no signs of knowing about their outing and hadn't addressed him personally about the matter so he therefore believed they had gotten away with it. Remus was impressed with his own ability to maintain his composure in front of everyone present at the meeting. His own conclusions about the justified nature of Harry's goals bolstered him to hold his outer calm. He believed Harry now and would help him in any way he could. Remus was thankful however that Tonks hadn't been present at that meeting. She was already suspicious of his recent behaviour and he knew as soon as she was free would demand an explanation.

He had become rather close with the young metamorph as of late and up until the Ministry they had been casually seeing each other. Since then they had both been busy but he knew he needed to see her soon and give some reason for his distance. It was as he thought through his next encounter with her that another troublesome youngster jumped down on the bench next to him with a grin.

"Moony!" Harry exclaimed to a shocked Remus, "I've been standing over there for a good minute watching you stare into space with that look on your face."

"What look?" Remus asked recovering from his momentary surprise.

"That look you get when I've caught you thinking about a certain lady." Harry said suggestively and beginning to laugh at his obvious embarrassment."Now look who's donning a faint shade of red, Moony?"

For his part Remus did his best to look abashed, but seeing as that only served to encourage the teen he gave it up and conceded with a smile. "Okay, I was thinking about her if you must know."

At this acknowledgement Harry reigned in his laughter to a smile and paid attention. Remus hadn't caved to Harry's jibes and divulged anything about his relationship with Tonks up until now, but he felt himself getting more and more comfortable with the teen so didn't resist the notion of telling him more. "Look its fine, I just haven't seen her or told her why I've been ducking her slightly since the Ministry. And come tomorrow I have to face an angry and determined Auror about it." Remus stated frankly.

To tell the truth Remus wasn't really annoyed about the situation but was more dreading attempting to explain away his distance from her. In the same vein facing Tonks' ire certainly wasn't something he was looking forward to either. Despite this though he was happy to see her again as he'd missed her presence and effect she seemed to have on him. She was one of the best things about his life and he felt he should probably remind her of that even though he'd been aloof.

Before Harry could respond Remus shook himself to remind him of the matters at hand. "Anyway, I'll deal with that," he began, "for now I've found the Marauder's work book for you." At that Remus smiled broadly at the bulging eyes of his young friend. He pulled the small but thick notebook off his lap and passed it to Harry.

Taking the book carefully, Harry examined the plain dark brown leather cover before opening it. Remus watched as his friend lit up and a small chill seemed to envelope him as he began examining the book. He hoped this would serve to deepen the connection Harry felt to his father and Sirius. He knew Harry didn't have a very many objects or heirlooms from his Parents so this would certainly mean a lot to him and would no doubt become one of his most prized possessions.

At Harry's questioning look Remus told him the password. "Prongs" Remus stated proudly.

Harry pulled out his wand tapped the book and repeated the password just as you would with the Marauders map. For the next few seconds Harry looked like he was going to burst as nothing appeared to happen. Remus of course new better, and a moment later the ink began to spread its way from the middle of the page to form letters then words before the whole book had renewed in front of him. Remus could tell Harry was not only speechless but also fighting back the tears as his father's and Sirius' handwriting and scribbled notes appeared on the page before him. The light hearted moment from earlier had gone, and Remus, seeing Harry struggle with his own emotions over the profound book slid closer to him and gave him a sideways hug on the bench. Harry, for his part, absorbed the writing for a few precious moments more before closing the book and embracing it tightly as if it was his father or Sirius that were here with him.

It was at this point that Remus realised just how very precious all of Harry's limited items from his parents were. He resolved to find as many pictures of his old friends for Harry and give them to him as soon as possible. He owed Harry at least that much.

After a few minutes of embracing the book and calming himself down Harry wiped a tear away from the corner of his eye and collected himself before addressing Remus. "I'm sorry Moony, I had no idea how much the book meant to me. It's silly really as it's just a book, but I've never seen dad's handwriting like this before so… it's nice. It makes me feel closer to him somehow." He finished nodding to himself and composing himself once more.

"There's no need to be sorry at all Harry. I hope you find what you need in that book and if not, well I'm sure you'll have fun imagining some of the stunts we pulled with the tricks that are inside." Remus said with a hearty smile trying to encourage the same from Harry. For his part the teen mouthed a thank you again before crushing Remus in a quick hug.

A few moments later the two men separated and Harry asked him to summarise what was inside.

"Well, I've flicked through and inside contains all of our notes on the Animagus Transformations as well as some pranking ideas and random pieces of magic we picked up here and there." They both smiled at that. "There are mostly notes from Sirius and James in there as they were the ones who enjoyed the secretive nature of the book more than me." Remus left out the part about Peter as he didn't want Harry to get upset and ruin his moment cherishing the book. He also knew that Peter's notes in the book were incredibly limited so he didn't think Harry would care too much.

"Thanks so much for this Moony, this means a lot." Harry said earnestly. Remus knew Harry meant that not just about the book, but about everything he was doing for him at the moment. While at first Remus had felt overwhelmed and uncertain over aiding the determined teen he had become used to the idea and more understanding over his current situation as time had passed and the two had talked more.

"You're welcome kid. Was there some other stuff you wanted to ask me by the way?" Remus asked curiously.

"Oh yeah of course," Harry began having been prompted, "So basically what do you know about apparition and do I need a wand for it?" Harry asked boldly.

Remus was slightly taken aback by his line of questioning but answered swiftly anyway. "Well, I obviously know how to do it and I could teach you I suppose but yes beginners do need a wand to do it. It's just far easier that way. Some wizards or witches who have practised extensively can apparate without a wand, like Dumbledore. Personally, I prefer to do it with a wand because the movement just feels more natural. Although, I probably could do it without if I had to." Remus finished frankly.

"Great", replied Harry sarcastically. "So when's my first lesson?" he asked, much to Remus' amusement.

"Well until we are able to get you an untraced wand or somehow cancel it on yours then you'll have to get by side-apparating with me. Learning without one doesn't seem too feasible I'm afraid." Harry looked disheartened but accepting of Remus' statement. Moments later he reaffirmed his intent on solving his wand problem with all urgency.

"Alright, looks like we need to come up with a solution for that problem and fast, I suppose." To which Remus could only agree. In the time they had been apart, he had been unable to think of a solution to Harry's problem. Getting a wand would require going straight to the wandmaker himself and 'convincing' him to give one up whilst maintaining his silence. Harry had the money for it now but with unique magical items such as these it was never that easy to guarantee a purchase. Wands were strictly regulated by the Ministry and if the wandmaker was found to be dealing behind closed doors then they were risking a heavy Ministry punishment. Ollivander for instance, being the number one wandmaker in Britain, would never do such a thing. He would be risking his entire livelihood as well as reputation and life's work. Something Remus knew the old man prized above all else.

The two continued to chat amicably and bounce ideas off one another for a while longer before each retired to their own tasks. They had yet to come up with a solution, although Remus suspected Harry would find one soon. It was impossible to mistake the pure determination in Harry's voice and coupling that with the wildness of some of his ideas gave Remus a good indication that Harry wouldn't stop until he had a solution - however out there it would be.

For now though, they had promised to see each other soon and Harry had even asked Remus if he was free next week for some clothes shopping. Remus had balked at the idea, but had understood when Harry had gestured to his scruffy attire and explained his entire wardrobe collection with embarrassment to Remus. Knowing he too was in need of new robes, he wasn't exactly dressed to impress either, Remus agreed to take Harry out once again, into muggle London this time for a shopping trip.

As Remus left the park he reflected on how different this summer was shaping up compared to what he perceived it would be. He was getting the distinct impression that this undertaking with Harry was only just beginning to get interesting. He just hoped he could handle everything. Harry had already blown his mind once and if the two kept on with their 'outings' and Harry with his tenacity to hoodwink the Headmaster, Remus thought he would need one hell of a holiday by the end of the summer. Still Remus had to admit to himself, he was having fun getting to know and aid Harry. His secretive nature and proactive attitude were infecting Remus and it reminded him all too often of the way he felt with his Marauder brothers back in school. For that, Remus was eternally grateful to Harry. It was as his mind happily sought to shake off the cobwebs from his school memories that he apparated to meet Tonks: another encounter which would probably leave him tense and yet exhilarated at the same time. Albeit it for an entirely different reason.

As Harry returned home from his meeting with Remus he walked into his room to discover a brown and cream coloured owl sitting atop Hedwig's perch. Fortunately, Hedwig was out at the moment otherwise she would not have taken lightly to a stranger invading her turf. The bird appeared more regal than most owls and held itself with grace and experience: a complete contrast from Ron's awry Owl, Pigwidgeon.

Crossing the room Harry took the missive from the outstretched Owl's foot. He didn't think the owl could have been from anyone who would have wanted to do him harm as he was sure Dumbledore would have had some sort of preventative ward in place to safeguard him. Caution was always best though and Harry tentatively unravelled the note to see Neville's name at the bottom. Sighing in relief, that he both recognised the sender and that Neville had finally written back, Harry took a deep breath and dived in.

Dear Harry,

Well firstly Harry, thanks for the near heart attack you gave me with the information in your last letter. Merlin, at least warn someone before you go telling them something like that. Wow, I mean wow! I've been trying to come up with a response as well as process all you've said over the past few days and frankly I'm speechless. I mean sure it explains a few things now and I can certainly appreciate your position. It makes sense why he's so fixated on you. I can't imagine what my life would have been like if it had been me he had chosen. I'll be honest I'd probably be dead or worse. I can't imagine I would have had the guts or ability to have done some of the great things you three have.

Having said that I want you to know I'm totally behind you now and always, and I will support you in whatever you decide to do. I trust you Harry and I'll help you in any way I can in the coming war. You are not nor will you ever be alone. We will always be by your side even, if necessary, when you face him.

On that note I also thank you for trusting me with this info. I swear on everything that I am that I won't reveal it to anyone without your express approval. I owe you at least that. I am equally touched that you chose to share this with me. I mean it does pertain to me so I can understand why for that reason, but in general thank you anyway. If it was even half as hard for you to write as it was for me to read then I'm very appreciative you went to the effort to let me know all the more.

To answer the now seemingly trivial questions though, yes I'm doing fine thank you. I've recovered well and can move freely without pain once more. I also managed to purchase a new wand from Ollivander's the other day and the difference is crazy! My old wand felt so foreign and loose. This one sits in my hand like its home. That explanation sounded a lot better as I thought about it but now that I've written it, it sounds way more ridiculous. That's probably the best way I can describe it though.

For now, I hope you're doing well and finding productivity and fruition with your summer plans. If your relatives give you any trouble don't hesitate to contact the twins for some revenge formulas either. I'm sorry again for the loss of your godfather. If you need to talk at all about it or anything just let me know and I'm sure we can organise something.

Good luck on your O.W.L. results Harry.

Speak soon,

Neville

P.S. So listen Harry, with all that said there's really only one question left to ask you. What can I do to help?

From Neville's heartfelt words Harry felt such blissful relief. He was so proud and lucky to have a friend like Neville, who despite the challenges that obviously awaited Harry and the weight behind such a task as his, had pledged to stand by him unflinchingly regardless.

He had basically just swore his resolute support for Harry and all in one powerful question that was really more of a statement of loyalty than anything else. Once again Neville had gone above and beyond other's expectations of him and come through for Harry in a way he could never have predicted. He was so happy his friend was coming out of his shell now. The Ministry and to a wider extent their entire school year had changed them and forced them to mature quickly. Neville displayed this as much as Harry and he had no doubt that he would see the changes in both of them by the new school year.

When Harry failed to hear from Neville after a few days he had begun to worry that he'd scared or traumatised his friend with too much heavy information all at once. He knew he should have told him in person about the prophecy. However, these weren't the times when things could wait any longer. He had to prepare now, and he needed his friends too as well if they were going to have any hope of surviving.

To be honest Neville had handled it rather well considering. He had used the week to gain his thoughts and process everything Harry had said and its implications. From there he had declared his loyalty and passion for helping Harry, and for that Harry was eternally grateful and touched beyond words.

It was his last line that hit Harry hard and as heartened as he was by his friend's declaration he was also intrigued. Neville had offered his help in any way he could. Harry immediately thought of his two biggest problems at the moment: he needed a wand and the Animagus potion ingredients. He didn't think Neville would be able to help with the former. The latter however, Neville could certainly help out with. Harry wouldn't even need to tell his friend what the ingredients were for, just request them and explain back at school why. He was sure Neville wouldn't press him for an explanation he wasn't ready to give as his more inquisitive bushy haired friend might.

With that thought Harry grabbed a piece of paper and wrote a hasty but thorough letter back to Neville to thank him for his allegiance and his offer. As he gave the Owl the letter, as well as a few owl treats to smoothen the deal, he smiled knowing he now had one issue solved. Neville would surely be able get the potions without any complications arising and without having to go too far out of his way. He hoped everything would prove to be just as simple as going shopping for the ingredients so he could focus on his other goals in the meantime. The first of which was practising magic.

While obtaining a wand was at the top of his wish list Harry was by no means going to sit around whining about not having one. Instead, he decided to channel his energies and focus on the things he could do, mainly study and train. In all honesty, Harry was happy to be spending his free time before his next outing studying and practising his magic; especially if he could keep on practising with the same degree of success he'd had earlier. He was enjoying relaxing and learning so much more now that he had a comfortable, distraction free atmosphere in his trunk. It certainly didn't hurt that it came with a replenishing fresh foods charm either. Harry smiled to himself at the thought of that and headed for the kitchen for what would no doubt be a delicious lunch.

Pursuing his previous thought, Harry wondered whether regardless of the trunk he should have utilised the spare time at the Dursleys in his previous summers to greater effect, as quite clearly he had time to spare here. He was by no means a lazy worker, as Ron usually was. He perhaps just lacked the proper motivation to push him to try harder. Hermione felt like she had something to prove, to all those who said her kind wasn't worthy, and so from the get go she was determined to be the best. He and Ron were happy up until now riding her intellectual coattails: and thankful they were for it too. Now though, he needed to establish himself as more than an average wizard. This he knew with unflinching certainty, right to his core. Although, it wasn't what he knew anymore so much as it was what he believed. This was the right thing to do and no matter how content he was before in being that normal wizard, he knew he could no longer do that. His rumbling belly brought him swiftly back to reality as he finished climbing down the ladder and headed for the kitchen.

An hour later a very full and satisfied Harry sat comfortably on his couch trying to lift the feather again. He had been trying for the past half an hour to repeat his earlier performance with little success and had been getting rather frustrated over it.

He didn't get it. What was so different about his magic or him now? It couldn't have been that he wasn't focused. His entire mind was energetically intent on lifting the very feather in front of him. He was saying the spell in his mind as clearly as he had in the morning, and was still not able to lift the feather. What was wrong? Harry could feel his magic inside of him very faintly reacting to his demands, exactly as he had before, but this time it felt almost like it was grumbling or groaning at him as an engine does when it has a screw clogging its inner mechanisms. Perhaps this was the key. Upon that thought Harry stopped attempting to lift the feather and leaned back on the couch.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, let go of the tension coursing through him and allowed himself to think. His mind which had been eager and perhaps even overzealous in his determination to achieve the spell calmed considerably as he spent the next few minutes winding down. Attempting to piece together the puzzle of his wandless magic, he thought back to earlier. He had emerged from the bathroom, refreshed and chilled, ready to begin lifting the feather once more. He had sat down, determined sure, but he was just as determined, if not more now. So it couldn't be that. Therefore, maybe it was his calm approach that was the key here. It was possible that his magic was somehow hindered by his own frustration. This was an interesting thought, as Harry let out a final sigh and relaxed fully into the couch.

From this position, he stretched out his hand, smiled a little as if he knew something and spoke the incantation in his mind. 'Wingardium Leviosa'. And with that the feather rose smoothly into the air.

"Yes!" Harry jumped up in the air screaming with joy. He did it. The feather floated peacefully back down. This was a huge breakthrough! He had not only repeated his previous magic, he also now knew how he had done it and therefore (and most importantly) he knew how to do it again. Keen on repeating his success he hastily sat back down and focused once more on the task in front of him. It was difficult to tell with the adrenaline running through him at the moment, but when he repeated the spell and the feather once again rose in the air, Harry was sure he could feel his magic coursing down his arm and out of his hand. So shocked was he at feeling this that he looked at his arm as if he could see or somehow perceive the magic inside of him. His own arm was the only thing staring back at him as it normally would. Smiling at the simple and evidently surreptitious nature of his magic, Harry once again focused on the feather in front of him as he practised with the spell again and again from various locations around the room, slowly making it more difficult for himself.

'It was his frustration,' He thought, as he sat down half an hour later to catch his breath. He had successfully repeated the spell from various angles and had come up with the exact same results. The further away he stood the more he had to concentrate to focus his aim and the more practice it required to hone his magic, but still he had succeeded nonetheless. And rather competently if he did say so himself. All the while he had been careful not to become frustrated if the spell had not worked immediately. If he found it difficult once more he took a few seconds to calm himself, refocus on his centre as Remus' book had taught him and tried again. The technique worked so well. Plus, Harry had begun to feel the magic flow through him so much more steadily once he was able to repeat the process with ease. The most he could trace it at the moment was the root of his arm. He was sure with more practice he could eventually locate his centre and command his magic more wilfully.

With that in mind Harry chose to focus on another heavier item to practise on next. He also had a number of new books to get through as well as his magical meditation to practise. This summer really was a far cry away from any usual summer, Harry thought, and he couldn't be happier about it. With a gleaming smile on his face, he refocused on his magic and this time tried to make the book on the coffee table move.

"Here goes nothing." He said out loud with a cheery smile.

One week later and the sun rose steadily over the inhabitants of Little Whining to reveal another marvellous day. Those who had opted to go on holiday this year would be missing out on the summer heat wave that was currently bathing the country. The news had said it was the hottest the country had seen in years and because of such, a draught and subsequent hosepipe ban, was likely on the horizon. For those who remained in the small suburb over the summer, they cherished in the fact that fewer neighbours meant fewer inquisitive eyes to beware of. The people needn't be as concerned, therefore with how much water they were using to keep their garden grasses green and their ostentatious flowers perfectly sated.

They were also, on the whole, less prone to whisper. Something one curious family was very happy about. It turns out that their frowned upon nephew had taken to running early every morning around the neighbourhood. Fortunately for them, it was early enough in the morning that it was unlikely to be noticed, as much so by them as anyone else. Naturally, they couldn't have people talking more than they already did about their relations to the infamously troubled boy. The less attention on that area the better in their eyes. It grated them enough that he stayed with them for so long each year. But this summer he had spent almost all of his time locked away in his room. How he was eating and surviving they didn't know, nor cared to know. As long as he stayed as far away from their cosy little bubble as possible and didn't jeopardise their deserving reputation they would leave him be. The threat of one of his abnormal friends showing up on the front porch was more than enough to quell any anger that arose over the issue: imagining the cover up and the explaining they would need to do to quash the inevitable rumours around said visit was all the encouragement they needed. 'Still, in a few years it would all be over and the boy would be living elsewhere', was the most prominent thought which served to carry them through their bitterness. Like sailors bracing the boat to weather the storm, the family would simply have to wait for their current plight to end before they could be free once more.

It was upon this very morning that the same boy who caused such hardships for his relatives was pushing himself harder whilst running around the neighbourhood. Thankfully, Harry was up earlier this morning so as to attract even less attention and to get a jump start on the day. He had begun with his normal workout but had decided to drive himself harder and see how it went. He had been pushing himself more every day and found he really enjoyed the stimulation exercising brought. He liked the fact that he was pushing his boundaries each day and was extending his endurance in the process. He actually felt physically much better for all the exercise he had been doing. This morning, however, he felt as though he had a little more energy so decided to sprint for longer.

On reflection, Harry was relieved he'd gotten up earlier today as no doubt his frantic running would have drawn attention any later, and if that didn't then the petals of their most precious flowerbeds that came flying off as he raced past would surely have been enough to cause an uproar. Thankfully, having overheard the Dursley's, Harry knew that most of the neighbours were away for their summer holidays so were less prone to their over the fence chitchat. 'The links in their gossip chain's had been disturbed', Harry thought jokingly. Little Whining really was as greater rumour mill as any, Hogwarts included; and there they had magic to aid them. Even so, especially in this part of the world nothing disturbed the peace like a strange sight: and Harry potter was that exact description.

He had, he felt, been doing very well recently with his healthy eating and constant daily exercising. So much so in fact, that he was beginning to see the consequences, not only on his mood, which was much brighter than usual for his summer holidays, but on his body. He had been gaining weight from all the food he now consumed daily and had with that weight been burning most of it off and building up a nice bit of muscle in its place. He was by no means as big as a boxer or anything, but now he certainly had a good bit of tone to his figure. Something he was immensely proud of. Particularly as it had another interesting side effect of increasing his focus too - at least he believed this to be the case. It was likely his newfound attitude towards life that equally contributed. In general though, Harry felt the exercising was affecting his entire status for the better.

Despite this positive, it was his attire that was likely to draw the unflattering attention of any who happened to be looking. While his face displayed the features of an average teenage boy with scruffy brown hair and a faint tan, it was his hand me down clothes that really drew the eye. They were lightyears too big for him, looking like they could house entire families underneath or be used to signal space stations from earth. His shoes were no better either and his feet were beginning to hurt as the shoes were clearly not meant to be used as harshly as they had been lately. It was this oddity (or rather combinations of strangeness) that bewildered the occupants of Little Whining and encouraged that garden gossip, which so rarely needed an excuse as it was.

Hopefully though, all that would end today. Not the neighbourly nosiness of course, that would never stop, Harry thought with a chuckle: Voldemort was more likely to become a nurse at St. Mungo's than that happening; a scary thought in itself. No! Happily, today was the last day he would have to endure wearing such rubbish again, as today he was going shopping with Moony.

As the day had crawled ever closer Harry had increasingly been anticipating buying a whole new wardrobe just for himself. He had never been in the position to do such things before and had honestly never even been properly shopping before, the Dursleys had merely tossed him Dudley's handoffs and that was the end of it. He felt that after all he had endured, especially recently, today would be his reward, and so he was going to buy whatever he liked no matter what the price. There were times to be cautious and consider what you spent money on and there were times to just go wild because you could, and today was definitely one of the latter.

After having given the topic some thought Harry had decided he would cheekily encourage Remus to do the same as well. He knew his wolf friend could use it considering his barely acceptable appearance as it was. Plus, Harry was sure Tonks would appreciate Remus' new and hopefully more flattering attire. So with the anticipation riveting his every movement Harry finished his run with a sprint before leaping upstairs into his room and down into his trunk to get ready for the day.

Half an hour later he emerged showered and ready from his relatives, wearing, hopefully for the last time, Dudley's cast offs. A few minutes later Remus jauntily walked around the corner and the two embraced and walked towards the park where there were few onlookers.

"How are you Harry?" Remus asked with a grin, visibly glad to see him again.

"I'm absolutely great thanks Moony," Harry began, "honestly I cannot wait for today. I mean fortunately the last week has rocketed by with studying and everything, but regardless this day has been something I've been particularly looking forward to. And not just for me either, but for the both of us." Harry said gesturing to his and Moony's clothes with a chuckle.

Remus had to agree. "You've got a point there kid I'll give you that. Alright before we reach the park let me just go through apparating again with you…"

"Moony I get it, you've explained this to me every other night for the past week: the three D's of apparition, what it feels like, what splinching is and what to do if I get lost." Harry interrupted. "But you're side apparating me and you said it yourself, with you in complete control 'there's nothing to worry about'". Although, when he did say it Harry had noticed Remus was trying more to reassure himself rather than Harry. Harry was too eager to let his fears over apparition worry him. Plus he knew apparition was totally safe. Remus apparently just got cold feet sometimes before their little outings, a trend Harry noticed was lessening in recent times; perhaps due to their closeness or the fact he was getting desensitised - again.

"Did you manage to knock Mundungus out alright? You didn't say I needed to use my cloak to get out of the house". Harry asked quickly changing the subject.

"Yes, I slipped something in the flask he takes with him when he goes on duty. Considering what's inside is usually enough to knock a normal man sideways I think with this added he's out like a light right about now." Remus stated with a smirk. Harry could tell despite all Remus' fretting over their excursions he secretly enjoyed the subterfuge: a reminder no doubt of his mischievous youth.

"Nice one. It was definitely a good idea to apparate Moony. Taking the bus twice in a row would likely draw too much attention to us and it's definitely best to avoid that."

"I know Harry, and I'm not really worried about the apparition part as I've done it a thousand times before. It's just the anticipation of another one of our outings is enough to age me several years. I'm also beginning to feel the ache of the approaching full moon, which is never a help for me." Remus explained genuinely, his eyes taking on a downcast look.

Harry's heart wrenched for his friend. He knew he had been suffering with this for most of his life but as Harry had come to know him better over the last few weeks he had begun to feel Moony's pain over his condition more fervently. It was no wonder the Marauders had wanted to help their friend and brother with his furry problem by becoming Animagus themselves, as he now felt that same tug to learn as quickly as possible so he could similarly accompany him during his transformations. It was his legacy after all and he felt he would be making his parents proud if he could help their friend out in such a way.

"I'm sorry Remus, I know this is tough for you". Harry exclaimed and put a hand on Remus' shoulder for comfort. They had arrived in the park now and apart from the clanging of the ever ominously swaying swings, the park was deserted.

"It's alright Harry, I'm used to it." Remus started before shaking his head to dismiss the melancholy thoughts below. "Anyhow, shall we." He finished with a small hopeful smile as if to cheer himself up with it.

"Ready when you are Moony." Harry straightened up and matched Remus cheer with some of his own. Remus then turned away from Harry facing forwards. After a quick uttered spell he was satisfied that no one was near and he stuck out his arm ready for Harry to take. After a few seconds of anticipatory pausing he grabbed Remus' outstretched arm and immediately felt himself being stretched and twisted through an insanely narrow tube before landing next to Remus in what he assumed was an alley miles away from where they were moments ago.

He knew they had arrived at their destination because the cool summer morning winds of the suburbs were instantaneously replaced by the warm breeze of the inner city air. Car horns, Sirens, the cacophony of construction work and the general buzz of a city were immediately perceptible as his nose filed with the all the smells one would naturally associate with a classic urban alleyway. Harry then attempted to open his eyes but felt an immediate rush hit him as if several speeding cars had caught him off guard and ploughed into him from every which way.

Harry gripped Remus' arm as he tried to centre himself: his balance off and vision wonky. It was like going on a fairground ride that left you dizzy and disorientated with that infamous nauseous feeling in the pit of your stomach, except it all happened in the space of a split second. Almost as soon as it started though it miraculously evaporated and Harry felt almost fine again. He took a deep steadying breath to be sure and calmed his thumping heart. He looked over to see Remus eyeing him with as much attentiveness as mirth.

"What's so funny?" Harry said, as he righted himself and tried to level his breathing once more.

"Well I didn't tell you this but it's not uncommon for first timers to puke upon landing. You however handled it rather well I must say. Although your face did go a little green for a moment there." Remus said with a chuckle at Harry's predicament.

"Merlin, thanks Moony. I really appreciate the heads up." Harry said exasperatedly, but finished with a chuckle as well. "Shall we", Harry said gesturing to the entrance of the alley and taking a steadying breath to make sure he had shaken off the momentary sickness altogether.

Remus smiled at Harry's predicament but nodded in affirmation and the two walked out in muggle London in search of some much needed new clothes.

Several hours and even more shopping bags later and Harry and Remus sat eating in an American diner, both men looking extremely exhausted and satisfied. They had finished their burgers and were now picking at their chips and sipping on giant milkshakes.

"I had no idea shopping could be so exhausting", Harry stated frankly, "I mean there was so much to choose from and try on and consider."

"I know, I must admit I certainly didn't think it would be that draining. We did get a lot of great things though. I'm particularly proud of our new suits." Remus exclaimed jauntily.

While Remus had been hesitant at first, Harry had persuaded him to get one after seeing how well it had suited him. Harry thought his own would be a good idea in case he needed it for school; his old robes were a little out of date not too mention snug where they shouldn't be. Moony, having also tried his on, had to accept how good a muggle suit looked and acquiesced to get one as well.

The two had gone to everything from the massive department stores to the cosier half-hidden stores and had spent hundreds, maybe even thousands of muggle pounds on new wardrobes. Harry had bought far more than Remus as he was literally starting from scratch. Everything from sports clothes, to winter jackets, to shoes, right down to his underwear – that had been an embarrassing purchase as it had been a young lady shop assistant around his age who had served him - had been tossed into his trunk.

Now though, after an exceedingly long day the two were enjoying each other's company over a indulgent meal. Finishing the last of his chips Remus piped up and asked Harry about the Marauders workbook and if he had had a chance to read it.

At this Harry's eyes lit up. "Oh, of course Moony. I completely forgot to tell you," Harry reprimanded himself. "I've read it cover to cover… almost twice. It's amazing! The spells and ideas inside are out of this world useful. Especially the parts where you guys detailed how you created the map! There was hardly any structure to the book though, so it was a bit hard to follow," Harry stated curiously, "I had to reread things several times and link pages together before I could make sense of some half-finished sentences. The rest may forever remain a mystery though."

"Yes I know, well we frequently got distracted by one thing or another so it was a very sketchy style process. Sirius always said he put his Animagus research at the back though?" Remus asked inquisitively.

"Thankfully yes, that part was all at the back and will hopefully come in extremely useful in the future." Harry said out loud. Beneath he was thinking it was already coming in useful as he had begun trying to harness and tap into his inner magic. Ironically, what Harry had read from his father and Sirius' notes was drastically similar to what Sirius' eastern book had suggested. Both talked about channelling and getting acquainted with your own magic and developing your more natural wandless skills. As soon as Harry had recognised this compatibility between the two books he had begun to understand why Sirius had been interested in it and why in the end he had given it to Moony. Clearly, he had hoped that such methods of controlling ones inner magic would help his wolf friend tame the beast within. It was this thought that prompted Harry to enquire about such to Remus, it also allowed Harry to steer the conversations away slightly from his secret Animagus goals.

"Remus, how come you gave Sirius' eastern style book to me? Did you not find uses for it?" Harry inquired. Remus was taken back by the change in topic.

"Well I was very interested in the book when Sirius gave it to me, and upon Sirius' insistence I tried a few of the practical techniques the book describes. It actually helped me, albeit only partially, with my transformations." At Harry's nod of understanding Remus continued. "Unfortunately, the book only briefly outlines some of the techniques required to control your inner magics. As I recall it's really more of a study into the eastern methods of magic rather than a guide as to how they actually work or indeed how to harness them. For me they just turned out to be not so impactful. My…" and here Moony glanced around cautiously before lowering his voice, "Furry problem runs deep within my body through my magic and to my biology. It is, particularly after so long, a part of me now more so than it was then. Regardless, I was unable to discover any other useful techniques along those lines to deal with my problem and by that point the Wolfsbane potion was aiding me considerably in controlling it." Remus finished.

Harry felt sorry for his friend's plight but could understand his choice to put more heed into the Wolfsbane and accept his condition. From this, Harry still felt determined to get his hands on a book that delved further into the eastern magical principles, as much for Moony now as for himself. He knew the book Sirius had acquired only just scratched the surface and Moony was right, it was more a study of the culture rather than their methods. It was a brilliant starting point though, and one that opened up a path Harry intended to pursue rigorously.

"Why do you ask?" Remus followed up, when Harry failed to respond.

"Oh well it's just because I've found the book so useful and interesting. It's a far-cry away from anything Hogwarts teaches and given its focus on achieving magical awareness and thus control I thought it would have been of great significance to your 'furry problem'. Harry lowered his voice for the last words, imitating his wolf friend.

"Ah yes, I believe Sirius had hoped the same." Remus said as much fondly as sadly.

From here the two lapsed into a small silence while they pondered their own thoughts. Harry's thoughts revolved for a time around his godfather and father. Having consumed all the Marauder's book had to offer over the past week he felt so much closer to his father and Sirius; two men he wished he'd known better had now come alive in a new way through the words in the book and the adventures they forecasted. Certain spells and jokes paved the way for Harry to imagine just how they were used and the great friendship that was born out of them. He could easily believe that these mischievous formative years would have been the highlight of Sirius' short life. That thought however led him to sadness over his godfather's imprisonment and then abrupt end after half a life time of misery.

Remus must have seen the saddened look on Harry's face as he reached over the table and placed a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"I'm sorry kid. He meant a lot to me too." Remus said, perceiving the direction of Harry's thoughts. At that Harry had to smile. He was thankful for Remus' heartfelt gesture.

"Anyway," Remus began, changing the subject and tone, "have you been able to come up with any solution to your lack of a wand problem?"

At this Harry perked up slightly. "Well, that depends on your definition of the word solution." Remus raised his eyebrow. "Basically, the other night I brainstormed over it and could only come up with one working answer. I need a wand and who has one, Ollivander."

Remus scrunched his features in confusion as if Harry had just spoken another language to him. "But I thought we ruled that out as all of his wands are traceable." Remus stated.

"Well yes and no. I think almost all of his wands are traceable, however there's no way all of them are. I mean he's a wandmaker with what must be thousands of wands locked up in tiny boxes and crammed into ever crevice of his old shop. There's got to be some he hasn't placed the trace on. One's he's made for non-sale purposes perhaps. Plus, he's like a million years old- just a few shy of Dumbledore- so he's been making them for decades upon decades and is bound to have a few odd wands lying around. It's my plan to go there and get one. Now I'm not just going to go in and throw money at him. You said the other day that the thing he prizes more than anything else is his reputation, aka his livelihood, his passion, right?"

Remus nodded eagerly listening as Harry continued. "Well what if I could offer him something he'd been willing to do anything to obtain, some of the rarest ingredients imaginable to make wands with. Do you think he'd be willing to help me out then?"

Remus thought for a second before replying, but he looked sceptical. "Honestly, I doubt it; I mean what would you be able to offer him that would make him consider risking jail and indeed his reputation?"

"Well firstly the amount of money I'd be willing to offer him could likely buy him whichever rare ingredient he desired. Still, all in all I think a little basilisk venom for his wandmaking would certainly do the trick." Harry finished, eyeing Remus' reaction.

Not being one to disappoint, Moony's eyebrows shot up at the mention of Basilisk venom. "You mean to say all that talk about Slytherin's beast the year before I joined was true? You killed it down in, what was it, the chamber of secrets?" Remus asked incredulously.

To which Harry responded with a nod of sincerity. "Wow kid, no half measures, huh? And I thought you were brave for tackling those dementors in my year there." Remus said as he sighed out in bewilderment. "Okay, well I suppose that would certainly buy his curiosity if not curry his favour, tempting him even to risk as well. But from all I know about him, this is a man who plays by the rules. He's never been one to step outside of the law or social norms let alone lie to a man he's known for decades and is bound to have contact with. He's as much Dumbledore's man as the Weasleys are." Remus reasoned.

"I know Remus, but I've got to try something. I'm just going to go there as myself and persuade him as best I can that getting this wand is not just a want of a boy in school, but the need of someone who has to be fighting; who already is. After that, all I can do is hope for the best." Harry stated just as hopefully as decidedly.

To that Remus opened his mouth, Harry assumed to protest, before thinking better of it and closing it, leaning back into his seat to think over Harry's words. After a minute of deliberation Remus leaned forward again placing his fingertips together in front of him in contemplation of his next words. "Well I don't like it Harry. I just don't think he would risk everything when all is said and done, and in the end you will have exposed yourself to him and by extension Dumbledore for nothing. Consequently, you will be on lock down no doubt for the rest of the summer and our little 'outings' will likely no longer be possible." Remus said, his eyes casting themselves downwards.

He took a deep breath before continuing. "However, you brought me around with your sincerity and passion. Maybe, just maybe, it's possible you can do the same with the old wandman. So, as long as you promise me you will think this through thoroughly, as well as consider all of the consequences over the next few days and if by that time you come up with the same intention, then I will help you as I can." Remus stated dependably with a nod.

Harry was taken aback by the man's show of not just respect for Harry's decision, but loyalty for him too. "Wow, Remus," Harry was so stunned he momentarily didn't know what to say, "thank you. That meant so much to me. After last year with most of the wizarding world as well as Hogwarts believing me a crazy attention seeking boy, that really meant a lot to me." Harry said sincerely. He was truly touched by Remus' stand of loyalty for him and he knew Remus could see that Harry had observed this in the hardness of his facial features.

"Your welcome, kid. Honestly,if you came to me three weeks ago asking for such a thing I would have thought you mad or likely careless and reckless for wanting to do something so drastic without thinking it through. But from all I've seen since then, there's no way anyone in the wizarding world or at Hogwarts will be able to perceive you as that boy anymore. You've grown so much in such a short space of time Harry. Partly, I suppose, because of what happened at the Ministry." Upon Remus mentioning it, Harry ducked his head as he remembered all that happened that day. From their flight, to the Ministry fight, to their brief escape and finally to Dumbledore and Voldemort's clash. It had all been an earth rattling wake-up call to the impending storm on the horizon. The veil over the dark lord's resurgence had been lifted and now his shadow crept onto the populace of Britain as the prospect of war caught up with their reality.

"And partly," Remus continued, "because of how you've dealt with it. The decisions you've made since and your acceptance of the consequences of your actions as well as inactions have shown so much about the person you're growing to be. The boy I met in your third year has been replaced by the rapidly approaching man in front of me. "At that Harry had to smile. It was the first time anyone had called him that and he'd never felt more honoured to be gifted such meaningful praise. The fact that is was coming from Remus meant even more to him.

"Thanks Remus." Harry said genuinely.

Remus nodded in acceptance. "Sure thing kid. It's why I'm here after all." He said gesturing to the room. "Just one final question Harry?" Remus asked. With a nod from Harry he continued. "Do you really need this wand? Can you not wait until you go back to school to practise magic; I mean the school holidays are half way over as it is."

Harry took a second to think over Remus' question and whether it truly was necessary. He was progressing remarkably well with his wandless magic and had been able to cast over a dozen basic spells so far. He was now easily proficient with his first spell, Wingardium Leviosa, and was currently practising with a first year transfiguration spell. He would have tried using spells like expelliamus and stupefy, as they were most useful, but without anyone to practise them on or a target area to shoot at he would be unsure of their effectiveness. Amazingly though, with his other spells he had been able to recognise the magic it took for each one to be cast. It turned out that once Harry practised each spell enough times he began to recognise the subtle differences in each piece of magic that lay behind it. It wasn't particularly a feeling one could describe, just as one cannot describe a colour, as it just is. What he could do though was remember the feeling of his magic for each spell he wanted to cast and from there reproduce each spell easier.

Having said that, despite his progress and his exceedingly useful insights he was gaining by practising wandless magic, he was sure he would still need a wand if he was to train normally and more efficiently. While training without a wand was all he could do right now, he was sure even if he carried practising for a year his spell casting would only reach a certain point. Just as Sirius's book had described, the native eastern masters of the magic had only used this for the more basic of spells. To focus the real energy behind a spell was something that needed a wand. He was sure in the future he could combine wandless magic with normal magic to his advantage in fights and elsewhere, especially as this magic was a particularly overlooked and/or undervalued one. For now though, a wand was the only thing that would further his progress that would satisfy his goals. He knew it down to his core.

"Yeah Remus I do. I have to practise and be able to use magic without the restrictions the Ministry would put on me, for now and the future. I need to do this. I will of course think long and hard when I get back about whether this is the right way to get one. But in the end, I'm confident this is the most likely way to achieve that goal. Even if it does seem quite crazy." Harry finished jokingly, to which Remus had to crack a smile as well.

The two continued to chat for another hour and enjoy each other's company before they headed home to awaken Mundungus and resume their daily activities as if nothing out of the ordinary had ever occurred. They figured Mundungus wouldn't look too closely at the fact that Harry now had brand new fitting clothes on, after all Remus had said he'd likely be too busy snoozing again.

The next morning after his run Harry returned to see Neville's regal Owl sitting atop his desk next to Hedwig's perch. Hedwig, who had donned her perch clearly proclaiming it as her own, was currently puffing out her chest, not glancing even for a second at the new bird in the room. Harry wasn't sure but he believed he could see pride in his familiar's eyes over her position in the room. The other bird looked indignant, if owls could look such way, and glanced casually out of the window. Chuckling, Harry grabbed a treat, handed it to Neville's bird and took the package it held.

Sitting down on his old Dursley bed, he ripped into the package to find all of his requested Animagus ingredients as well as a letter from his friend.

Neville had immediately thanked Harry for his early birthday present. Harry had sent, along with his last letter, his copy of Practical Defence that Remus and Sirius had gifted him last Christmas; the book was more of a loan than anything as it now held sentimental value for Harry, but he figured once he had easier access to the shops in Diagon Alley he could get his friend something proper of his own. Harry had read and reread the book various times over the past year and felt like he now knew it well enough that it was time one of his friends benefitted from the knowledge within. He knew the books contents would be highly useful for Neville and would help him prepare for the future battles that waited, gleaming like a dark omen on the horizon.

After thanking Harry, Neville responded in earnest over Harry's ingredients, but was curious to know what caused Harry's urgent need for them and why he had come to him and not Ron or Hermione for help. Harry had expected this question and in honesty it was a very good one to ask and one Harry wished he didn't have to answer.

The truth, he feared, as well as the keeping of it as a secret would likely serve to be an area of contention between himself and his two best friends. Unfortunately, both Hermione and Ron would likely have taken issue over the ingredients and would have wanted to know more; Hermione would probably have even gone so far as to research and figure it out herself. This was exactly what Harry didn't want at the moment, he really worshipped his secrecy in this matter. It wasn't that he didn't want to tell his friends, it would surely be a lot easier if he did, it was more that if he told them and others found out the whole thing would become a big deal. And honestly after the oppression of last year, Harry was happy keeping things quiet until he could actually validate them: he would rather have people know he had done it rather than know he was trying, for some reason. Perhaps it was the not wanting to be seen as the struggling boy anymore and rather the accomplished man he aspired to be.

It was for this same reason that he had decided to keep his wandless abilities and eastern magical pursuits secret as well. He thought it was best not to make a fuss over something which he didn't even know the outcome of. That and the less people knew the less likely Dumbledore was to find out. If the old headmaster got even a whiff of Harry's activities he would almost definitely keep a much closer eye on him, which would no doubt restrict his movements somewhat. Right now keeping his friends and thus Dumbledore in the dark was certainly the right way forward. It did feel strange and slightly saddening not to confide in his two closest friends however as he had done so for the last five years. In the end though, it was best everything was kept close to his chest until he could establish himself more in the war situation. For Harry, that meant keeping his wandless abilities and Animagus training under wraps for now, at least until he had progressed further.

It was for those reasons that Neville was the perfect one to choose to keep everything quiet. Harry knew his friend would be more than willing to help and would not reveal anything without Harry's express approval. Harry got the feeling from his last letter that whatever was said between them was kept that way, something Harry was exceedingly grateful for right now. Harry also knew that Neville had considerably easier access to some of the herbs needed for the potion as he rigorously tended to his plants year round. It was actually extremely impressive how much Neville excelled at Herbology. It was a shame their potions teacher was such a harsh taskmaster (not to mention that he was a massive ass as well), otherwise Neville may well have applied his same herbology talents to the cousin subject of potions.

Neville had then gone on to mention the attack that had happened in muggle London only yesterday. It had taken place while Harry and Remus had been returning from their city shopping spree during the afternoon rush hour. According to the Daily Prophet one of the busy Bridges in the middle of London had collapsed due to Death Eater interference. Several high ranking Death Eaters were implicated in the attack and the ministry were apparently working overtime to deal with the ramifications of the situation. Several muggles had died and more had been injured in the attack. The muggle world was in outrage over the mysterious incident which left no evidence of cause or reason.

'So this is how it starts', Harry thought apprehensively, knowing that Voldemort wasn't even getting warmed up yet. The dark lord was perhaps trying to stretch the ministry to see where the exploitable cracks formed. Although, this was just speculation on Harry's part.

The main Prophet story had finally gone into as much detail as they could gather about what happened at the ministry the night Voldemort re-emerged. It turns out many rooms in the department of mysteries had been vandalised or destroyed along with much of the hall of prophesies. In the end Harry had no idea which rooms they had ran into as they were running for their lives at the time. But he guessed the Death Eaters would likely not have cared where their stray spells went so that's why so much had been damaged or destroyed. The rest of the article was filled with gibberish and the standard Daily Prophet speculation about him and his friends' activities inside the Ministry.

Curiously, when Harry was flicking through the rest of the paper, he had also noticed towards the back a small article about an old wizarding shop which lay outside of Diagon Alley that had burnt down. The shop was home to an old wizard bookkeeper who sold mostly muggle books now but was also known for holding some magical ones too. The fire had been brushed over by the prophet and Harry hadn't thought much of it. It was when he happened to catch the muggle news downstairs at the Dursleys later that night that he thought the incident far more curious. The muggles had reported the same incident of an old bookkeeper in London who had gone missing after an attack and subsequent fire on his property had left most of the place destroyed. Harry was taken back by this. Why had the prophet not reported that he was missing or that there had been a fire? Were they purposefully not reporting the incident to the public? Surely it wasn't a coincidence that its full details hadn't been reported. With Voldemort now back in the picture nothing could be dismissed as mere chance. Was someone therefore trying to keep it under wraps? He doubted few in the wizarding world would bother watching the muggle news and even fewer would think the events suspicious even if they linked them. Why would they? They after all had more important topics to focus on right now. As a matter of interest Harry resolved to inquire about the missing wizard with Remus next time he spoke to him.

Neville finished the letter by thanking Harry once again for the book and wishing him well with whatever his summer activities with the potions ingredients entailed.

For now, Harry was incredibly excited to start prepping his Animagus potion so he headed down into his trunk to fetch the Marauders notebook where the instructions lay inside. Whilst waiting for it to be ready Harry intended to dive head first into his newly acquired Occlumency book and begin his training. Hopefully, he would have more luck with a book as a teacher than he ever had with Snape. 'Probably less painful this way too', he thought, as he began to ready his potion.

Four days later found a very relaxed Harry Potter lying in the back garden absorbing all the intense English sun had to offer on an uncannily hot day for the country. The inhabitants of Little Whining had all retreated into their homes and turned their fans on high as they braced for the midday heat to reach its peak. The Dursleys had decided to vacate their home, much to the ire of Uncle Vernon, seeing as it was Harry's birthday and an influx of Owl post was likely to occur throughout the day, facts Harry was only too happy about.

The result of this was a very peaceful morning in the Surrey suburb which Harry took advantage of to sit outside in the Dursley's more secluded back garden and practise his Occlumency exercises. Since first picking up the book Harry had delved into its contents with vigour and had emerged afterwards having discovered many new exercises to practise and techniques to reinforce in order to harness the specified mind magics. The book, which had been exceedingly thorough if not a tad dated, had described that the art of occlumency served as the barrier against the art of legilimancy. 'As fire is broken by water so too is legilimancy by occlumency', the book had begun.

However, what Harry didn't know, as both Snape and Dumbledore had failed to mention, was that occlumency also served as a brilliant method of honing ones memory and clarifying ones emotions. Speaking in generalities the book had purported that those who were gifted and trained in the art of occlumency were able to retain much more information and assert greater control of their natural feelings through the enhancing retrospect of occlumency. Known practitioners including the author were able, using occlumency's techniques, to organise their thoughts, sort through memories and eventually clear one's mind to a degree that left it indissoluble to even the most skilled of legilimens: 'A mind that retains such clarity and volition is impregnable as any legilimens will discover no hint of weaknesses to exploit.'

This was huge news to Harry. Snape had never mentioned the other advantages of learning Occlumency, nor to be honest any of the information that was outlined by this book in the first chapter let alone the rest of it. Upon reading and understanding the author's recommendations Harry had begun to sort through as many memories as he could muster. He had a hard time reliving many things, particularly Cedric and Sirius' deaths had not been something he would have done again, but after a day spent reliving the past, both the good and the bad, he laid back in his chair an emotional and exhausted mess.

While the experience left him completely wiped, he felt happy in an overwhelmingly relieved sort of way. He had confronted a lot of what had made him angry in his life, particularly last year at school and had at least to some degree come to terms with as much as he could. His reflections had also given him perspective over his own actions as well as the actions of others which garnered him an interesting angle on past events. Harry could certainly see why going through your memories was the first step to take in the book as even if it was the most emotional, it was the best method forward in order to achieve the calm of mind required to become an occlumens.

From here, there were several techniques for beginners which Harry had spent the last few days practising. He had to focus his mental acuity and try to build up walls with magic around his mind, so to speak. These walls would eventually be able to keep a legilimancy attack out and more. Harry discovered that Snape had been right in one regard, in that the fastest way to learn occlumency was to be attacked by a legilimens and try to block or repel them once they gained access to your mind. This is so you learnt what it felt like to be attacked and could counter accordingly. Unfortunately, Harry didn't have anyone he wanted to divulge his occlumency intentions to let alone someone he could trust to attack him and learn his other secrets. So he wasn't exactly sure how effective his occlumency walls were but the book had instructed that there were other ways to learn than be attacked so he had followed those instead.

It was a little tricky as he was never sure what his walls would do if actually attacked, but he eventually managed to build some up and took time to reinforce them with his magic every time he did his exercises. He knew he was very early on in his occlumency training yet he felt he was doing well, particularly as he could tell he was beginning to retain more information when studying.

He had of course read a lot of his other books over the last few days as well, including some of next year's transfiguration and charms books. Interestingly, he had also started reading up on Runes. The book Remus had lent him had been incredibly difficult to grasp, but was slowly getting easier and Harry could see why Remus had recommended it. It was packed with useful facts and had small scribblings of Remus' in the margins which highlighted useful tips and strategies for remembering different patterns. Fortunately, Harry's occlumency came in handy when the time came to remember different configurations of patterns and what they meant. He had once thought Runes was a wasteful subject and couldn't see why Hermione had studied it. As soon as he was explained the uses of them by the book he found he couldn't be more wrong. For example, ward creation and curse breaking had a lot to do with runes as the ambient magic held within could hold curses in place for years. A useful piece of information for the future no doubt.

Harry had continued to study these and various other topics and was happy he was making some large strides forward with his summer. He had even finalised a plan to go to Diagon Alley and confront Ollivander. In the end Harry had to admit that he couldn't predict everything, he could plan and plan but ultimately he just didn't know what the old wandmaker would say. All he knew was that he needed to try if he was ever to succeed in his goals.

Surprisingly, his OWL results, of which he had completely forgotten about, had arrived yesterday. It had seemed so long ago that he and his friend had sat in the Great Hall and written them. So much had happened since then. As Harry felt at the end of last term, looking back before the Ministry was like peering into a different universe. He felt so different now, and in the best possible way.

At any rate, he had received Exceeds Expectations in Charms, Transfiguration, Care of Magical Creatures, Herbology and most surprisingly Potions. He knew he wouldn't get the O he needed to study potions at a higher level for NEWTS and is thus required to be an Auror, but still an EE with a professor as harmful to child education as Snape wasn't bad. He received his only O in Defence of course, which he was thankful for even if he did expect it. His Astrology, Divination and History of Magic grades he just glanced over as they didn't really matter to him, or ironically to much else.

'Oh well, there goes being an Auror then', Harry thought. Although to be fair Harry reasoned his entire life would likely turn out to be like an Auror's anyway, just without the uniform. He would still go after people who tried to hurt others as per his oath to his parents even if he did somehow manage to defeat Voldemort. A simple title of Auror and a badge to go with it were not as defining a career opportunity for him anymore. Conversely, he wondered how his friends had done with their OWLs and awaited their birthday messages which would no doubt tell him about them. Hermione particularly would likely burst at her predictably whitewashing results. It was 20 minutes later, thankfully after he had finished his occlumency exercises that the first of the day's owls shot towards him with his first letter and gifts. It was Neville's by the look of it and appeared to be carrying quite a bit package in its talons.

A few hours later and Harry was in his trunk apartment writing responses to the eclectic range of presents he had received. Ron and Hermione had gifted him a few of their usual trinkets-chocolate frogs and a small book on quidditch. Luna had sent him a nice letter and postcard about her summer travels. Ginny had sent him a picture of the six of them which Harry remembered had been taken late last year before their exams, and Neville had sent him a wand holster, which came with several special enchantments. Harry was grateful for all his presents and said as much in his responses. Hedwig would certainly be busy again tonight he thought.

The Weasleys had sent him a homemade cake, which Harry swore got nicer each year and Hagrid had sent him some of his infamous rock cakes: Harry actually found a good use for them as targets to practise aiming at with his wandless abilities. He needed to use something that was exceedingly tough after all, he thought with a chuckle of fondness over his half-giant friends freakishly hard cakes. Remus had sent him a book on duelling, something Harry was ecstatic over and would delve into with fervour as soon as he could.

His last letter, which he had received in a shocking as much as frightening plume of flames thanks to Fawkes, had been the most disconcerting by far of all his presents. Dumbledore had written him to wish him well and many happy returns. He then went onto mention that he would be over to pick Harry up in a week's time when he would leave him, after requiring his help with a small matter, with the Weasleys as usual for the rest of the summer.

At this Harry froze. He reread the passage one more time and dropped the letter with an annoyed and defeated sigh. 'I should have expected this,' he thought. Dumbledore was coming and Harry could do nothing about it, particularly without the old man getting too curious over why he suddenly wanted to stay with his despised relatives.

On any normal occasion Harry would have done anything to go with the Weasleys; his surrogate family were almost as good as the real thing for him and treated him as one of their own. However, now that Harry had begun preparing things for the future and started his training, there was no way he could continue with these while at the Weasleys. He would probably be roped into de-gnoming the garden, or something fun but ultimately useless towards his war effort. He would also be afforded no privacy and as a result his training schedule would go to hell. Sure he wanted to see his friends and indeed the Weasleys, but what he was doing right now was so important he just didn't have time to waste. School would be here all too soon and he could see his friends then. Now he needed to be studying and practising. Likewise, Dumbledore probably thought the contact between the two of them as well as his little planned excursion would bring them closer together and mend bridges, whereas in reality it would likely only serve to drive Harry further from where he wanted to be and thus away from him. Harry never thought he would relish being at the Dursleys let alone pick it over being with his friends. He felt guilty at that thought, but knew he needed this time to get better.

This severely screwed up his summer schedule and meant he would likely need to bump up his timetable considerably. After all he still needed his wand for the new year, regardless of whether he could practise with it over the summer or not. He knew if he was ever to use his holly wand outside of Hogwarts during the year then he could easily be tracked and caught. It needed to happen soon then. 'I'll have to contact Remus and let him know as soon as possible', was the idea that lay upon Harry's mind when he heard a ringing in his kitchen.

Hurriedly Harry, forgetting about Dumbledore's letter, leapt up and into the kitchen to switch the stove off which was currently heating his Animagus potion.

"Yes!" Harry exclaimed loudly. Finally he had gotten the potion right. His previous two attempts had not worked out very well. Apparently it was a more difficult potion to brew than his father and Sirius had stated in the Marauder's book, but thankfully one of his other Animagus books he had purchased filled in the gaps. The potions current colour now indicated it was ready for drinking according to the instructions.

"Best Birthday Present Ever!" Harry said out loud with glee. He gently poured some of the potion into a cup and waited a few minutes for it to cool before eagerly downing the contents. He decided to lie down on his bed as the potion was likely to induce a trance-like sleep and he didn't want to fall over randomly and hurt himself when it kicked in. As if the potion had heard his thoughts he felt a sudden drowsiness and almost drunkenness wash over him and he stumbled into the side of the kitchen before hitting the floor, unconscious.

When Harry would attempt to reflect on his dream state later he would be able to remember scarily little about what occurred. All he would be able to piece together of the event was a complete strangeness to his surroundings and random colours flashing at intervals around him. To top it off, he had the constant feeling of falling. Funnily enough it wasn't an unpleasant feeling, more like what Harry associated Alice felt tumbling down the rabbit hole: he was falling but smoothly, calmly rather than uncontrollably.

Before he knew it though the strange lights all around him began to fade into white and from afar he could see something moving. It was coming towards him from the centre of his vision, except it was blurry, blurry as if he wasn't wearing his glasses. Were those wings? When it came closer Harry could feel a pull towards it. It was calling him. It was so strong and Harry for all of the feelings he'd felt and suppressed and swallowed and immersed himself in in his life, this one just felt right. Like a part of himself he never knew existed was coming back to him. It had nearly reached him. Without thinking he leaped forward to grasp it and as he did so the figure took on an absolute clarity. Fluttering there on his outstretched arm, with radiant green eyes mirroring his own and even with a brown tuft of hair standing on end was a brilliant hawk.

A torrent of pain washed over him. Immersed him. Scolded him. A pain so pure it pounded from the inside. His body was screaming on top of screams trying to drown out the pain. It was eating him, clawing at him, he couldn't think anymore. He wanted to - just as Harry felt his head was on the verge of exploding, the pain stopped. A prickling sensation haunted his head as he managed to opened his eyes.

A green darkness surrounded him. Empty.

Suddenly his pain that was shifted, moulding into something like a mirror. Only a mirror he could see through. There was movement on the other side.

In a shrouded expanse a figure, darker than nightmares stepped forward. Lord Voldemort moved as a viper. His dark robes swaying in a motionless wind upon the dirtied grey stones on a rocky island. Barely perceivable light drenched him as he stood basking in his power. Magic radiated from him like heat from a star.

Harry's skin crawled, sweat pouring from him. He stood stark still. Voldemort had not seen him. Was he even really here? All of a sudden he began.

"I know how afraid you are, Harry." Voldemort said.

Harry became ice. He didn't dare breathe. Where was his wand? Where was he?

"But you shouldn't be. All you need do is merely accept your fate." His voice barely above a whisper. The prophecy, did Voldemort know?

"Come now Harry, RISE!"

Harry didn't move. He couldn't. This wasn't his- . A noise reverberated around the hall. Harry turned to see, himself. He stood up from behind rock on the other side of the island. It was Harry, or at least what he had looked like only a few months ago.

He stood and tried to look defiant as Voldemort turned to face him. "I'll never surrender to you, Tom."

A humourless laugh sprang from Voldemort's throat. "I know, Harry. It's so much better when you don't!" With one swift swish of his hand Voldemort destroyed the rock that was next to his other self. Other Harry went flying over and landed with a crash in front of Voldemort. Harry still couldn't move.

Other Harry started weeping. Cuts and blood coated him from the blast. Voldemort laughed again. "And now Harry, you will die." He paused, staring down into Harry's eyes. "But not before I impart on you the knowledge that every one of your friends, all the people that you love, will die. But only after I've made them suffer, suffer so much more than your ever have." Voldemort raised his hand.

Harry couldn't move, but he had to, he must. He gripped his fist. Voldemort was about to strike. Other Harry gripped his fist too, and as though Harry was speaking through him, he said. "No Tom, you will be the one to suffer." As Voldemort struck other Harry sprang at him. An explosion so bright and strong it shattered the mirror and sent Harry flying, falling back towards the light.