Knowledge is Power
Disclaimer/Plot/Author's Note: SEE FIRST CHAPTER
Dedication: I'd like to dedicate this story to my good friends: my recommended reads are Saviour of Magic by Colt01, For Love of Magic by Noodlehammer, Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality by Less Wrong, Partially Kissed Hero by Perfect Lionheart, Harry Potter and the Daft Morons and Angry Harry and the Seven by Sinyk, Harry Potter and the Prince of Slytherin by The Sinister Man, Harry Potter and the Rune Stone Path by Temporal Knight, A Study in Magic and A Study in Magic: The Application by Books of Change, Dark and Light by Pleasedial123 and Harry Potter: My Life Is My Own by Sashian
Pairings: Eventual Harmony; Others TBD
Normal Speech
'Thoughts'
/Parseltongue/
Review Answers:
Harkon: I know that series and love it, but you say you see that in Harrison? That's interesting;
"So, in other words, it's experimenting time," laughed Hermione, earning a groan from Harrison even as the train started slowing down, indicating that the journey back to Hogwarts was nearing its end.
And the new and improved future of the Hogwarts Trio was about to begin.
"Hermione, surely even you remember me telling Professor Flitwick not to tempt me with that word…"
Chapter 23: Harrison's Revelation
For the first few days, Harrison seemed to get back to whatever passed for normal with him, namely being one of the top students of his year, as well as spending a fair amount of time in the Chamber of Pride and, aside from the occasional conversation with his classmates, he usually spent most of his time in the company of Neville or Hermione.
As much as she wanted to believe her friend was all right, however, Hermione had known Harrison's demeanour long enough by now to know that there was something bothering him. When he wasn't spending time with them or their classmates, he was shut up in his room, the door locked to everyone, but him and, even when Neville and Hermione went into the Common Room, they found themselves unable to reach Harrison.
Personally, this worried Hermione.
Yes, Harrison had really come out of his shell over the holidays and started to accept that he could be a regular, normal kid, but now they were back at Hogwarts, it was like he'd done a turtle and retreated back into his shell, closing every door to him and hiding all the world from him, which was a cheesy thought because it made Hermione think of a certain musical.
Still, that didn't stop her from worrying.
Knowledge is Power
At the end of the first week of the new term, Hermione was in the Chamber on her own while Neville had gone to look up some information for some Herbology homework.
As for Harrison, he was where he could usually be found; in his room, behind a locked door and without any means of getting through to him.
As Hermione read through another page in her copy of the Mystica, however, her eyes widened when she heard the lock on Harrison's door open before, to her surprise, her best friend stepped out, fully-dressed in his Hogwarts robes and wearing what had to be the biggest smile on his face since…ever.
"Harrison?" asked Hermione, earning a curious look from Harrison, though he didn't stop smiling, which made Hermione just as curious, but also secretly-relieved, if not content to see that her friend could look normal, despite everything that wasn't normal about him. "What's wrong? You look like you lost a penny and found a goldmine."
"Oh, I've found more than a goldmine, Hermione; nice euphemism, by the way," added Harrison, earning another curious look from Hermione before she let out a gasp as Harrison actually vaulted over the back of the sofa she was sitting on, parking himself next to her while he rubbed his hands together with childish glee as he added, "Compared to a goldmine, what I've found might as well be El Dorado itself!"
"What do you mean?"
Looking up at his friend, Harry's smile seemed to widen while his green eyes shone brighter than ever before as he answered, "I think…I'm pretty sure I've finally found the answer to our dilemma about the Robo-Me from Halloween!"
Again, Hermione gasped while, as Harrison's smile was all she saw, she turned her head suddenly when she heard the portrait hole opening, but she needn't have bothered looking. Apart from her and the master of the dorm, there were only two others who could make their way into the Chamber of Pride willingly and without being stopped by whatever magic kept unwelcome visitors out.
One was Professor Flitwick and the other was the young man who walked through the portrait hole, a look of relief on his face that turned into abject disbelief as he gulped before he asked, "Hermione…is it my imagination or is Harrison…is he…smiling?"
"Like the Cheshire Cat," replied Harrison, gesturing to a nearby chair as he added, "Come and sit down, Neville; you might as well be a part of this conversation too. Oh, this is brilliant! I can't believe the answer was right in front of me the whole time; gods, for such a smart guy, I can be such a blind idiot sometimes, but if you tell anyone I said that, I'll deny it."
"All right, calm down," said Hermione, though she couldn't help but smile at the excitable, normal-kid nature of her best friend; neither could Neville, who sat down on the nearest chair to his two friends while Hermione asked, "Why don't you start at the beginning, Harrison?"
"Well, first, I think it would be ideal for you to let me repeat myself for Neville's sake," argued Harrison, looking from a bemused Hermione to a curious, but still-bewildered Neville as he explained again, "It's taken me as much free time as I can manage this past week, for which I can only apologise if either of you have been worried I relapsed into my dark and broody side."
"What can we say? After putting up with it for this long, we've grown used to it," drawled Neville, earning a scoff from Harrison.
"Anyway, that's not the point," continued the excitable young sorcerer, once again rubbing his hands together while he repeated, "No, the point is that, after weeks of wondering, more theories than you can wave a wand at and silent moments of thought and exploration, I have a strong belief that I have finally found out exactly how I went into that trance back in my duel with Malfoy."
This time, Neville was the one who gasped, his eyes as wide as saucers while, as Harrison let out an amused, if not slightly-crazed laugh, both Neville and Hermione couldn't help but think to the day in question…
Flashback Start
"Sectumsempra!"
"DRACO!" Screamed Lucius, but the warning came too late.
Even Harrison was confused by the spell, which meant he didn't get the spell out until it was too late.
Draco's curse slashed Harrison's chest up badly, leaving deep, bloody gouges where the spell hit him, earning a large number of horrified cries and even boos and jeers from the crowd as they watched this usually-apathetic prodigy be hit with such a pained curse, resulting in his blood being sent flying everywhere.
However, when they looked to the injured party, expecting to hear a scream of his own, more than a few people were surprised to see Harrison didn't scream from the pain that had hit him.
In fact, the worst he did was grunt in pain before his eyes widened as his own scarlet rivers of blood spurted from the wounds, soaking the ground around him in crimson.
"Ha!" snarled Draco, unaware of an outraged glare filling his Father's eyes while, to the outrage of many more people, Severus looked like the cat that ate the canary as Draco exclaimed, "See? I told you I'd make you bleed, Potter! All your so-called smarts and you couldn't even dodge a curse like this one! I'd call that pathetic, but we all know who was more-pathetic: your filthy Mudblood Mother!"
Suddenly, a dead silence filled the Great Hall while, behind Draco, even Severus' gloating look became one of cold apathy.
As for Harrison, he still hadn't said anything or made any more moves since Draco had cut him open.
Instead, he seemed to have gone into a trance, his green eyes still staring at the blood that pooled around him as though he couldn't believe what he was seeing while his body was still and calm, in a way that reminded many of a coiled serpent getting ready to strike.
"Look at you!" laughed Draco, crowing like a rooster as he asked, "Nothing to say now, have you, Potter? Maybe if you yield to me, I might spare you the humiliation of having to obey your better like…"
"Stop…talking…NOW!"
Suddenly, Draco's eyes went wider than it was humanly-possible for them to go as he saw Harrison lift his head, his green eyes just as cold as before as he hissed, "Here's a lesson you need to learn, Slytherin brat: I bow to no-one, least of all a pathetic mewling quim of an insect like you!"
Then, to the alarm of the students, and the horror of both Draco and Severus, Harrison took a step forwards, his blood still dripping down his chest and body while his hand tightened its hold on his wand.
"Stop!" exclaimed Severus, noticing the blood flow from Harrison's wounds increasing with each step as his body moved, "Your body can't handle it, Potter: just stop…just yield!"
"What? To you?" asked Harrison, lifting his wand as he hissed, "Never again! Reducto!"
A powerful blast of magic suddenly flew from Harrison's wand, sending Draco flying back as the spell's power hit him.
However, while the blonde fell to the ground, just short of his Head of House, Harrison kept coming.
His eyes never left Draco's as he lifted his wand again, its tip glowing with a terrifyingly-familiar green glow as he aimed it at Draco.
However, before anyone could say anything, Lucius got there first; drawing his wand, he exclaimed, "YIELD! House Malfoy yields, Potter! Do you hear me? We yield!"
"He has to say it!" hissed Harrison before everyone gasped as, instead of the deadly-fatal green flash they'd all expected, what looked like a long, thick whip of green magic emerged from Harrison's wand, slithering forwards like a serpent before, to the shock of the students, Harrison lashed the whip, cracking it against the ground as he snapped, "Say it!"
"Ne…AHHHH!" Screamed Draco as the whip lashed his cheek, but instead of shedding blood or leaving a burn mark, the crack of the whip seemed to electrify Draco, causing his blonde hair to stand on end while his eyes widened with horror.
"How…how's he doing this?" demanded Snape, looking now to Dumbledore as he exclaimed, "No first-year, especially not Potter should be this strong! How's he still standing?"
"After being hit with your curse, you mean?" asked Harrison, earning a horrified gasp from the staff and many of the students while the Gryffindors started booing and jeering all over again, crying out for punishments and retribution even as Harrison went on, "I saw your expression, Snivellus! I know you were the one responsible for that curse and Draco knowing it. You'd do anything to silence me, and to be able to polish your ego so well it shines like the sun, but guess what?"
Here, he cracked the whip again, causing Draco to scream as another volt of lightning hit him courtesy of the magic empowering said whip while Harrison roared like the tickled dragon woken.
"You LOSE!"
"YIELD!" Screamed Draco as Harrison lifted his wand again, throwing down his wand for emphasis as he cried, "I yield, Potter: you win! Please…no more…please, I…I beg you!"
"Listen to him, Harrison," said Filius, his voice still amplified while he also wondered where and how his student could still be standing. "The duel is over: you've won! Now allow us to tend to your wounds…just let it go…let go…"
Suddenly, in a manner similar to a certain sword from a certain movie, the electrified whip retracted into Harrison's wand while the duelling wards fell, signalling the end of the bout. As everyone stared in silence, Harrison's eyes seemed to shine before he blinked, looking almost lost as well as curious about what was happening before, to the surprise of the spectators, as well as his defeated opponent, Harrison did something he should have done several minutes back.
He started screaming in pain, clutching at his chest even as he fell to the ground.
Flashback End
While Hermione shuddered with the dread courtesy of the memory of the duel in question, Neville swallowed hard as he asked, "So…how did you manage to find out about it, Harrison?"
"By doing the one thing I've avoided doing since discovering my magical nature," replied Harrison, taking a long, deep breath while he looked up to Neville with a much-calmer air about him as he explained, "I looked back."
"Huh?" asked Neville.
Hermione, however, let out a gasp as she asked, "Your memories? You keep saying you never forget anything…so…are you saying you actually used that gift and revisited some of your memories from the past?"
"Not literally," answered Harrison, looking from a stunned Neville to a curious and surprised Hermione as he explained, "Such feats require the aid of devices like a Pensieve or the aid of a Master Legilimens, neither of which I possess despite the strength of my mind. But you're on the right track, Hermione: I did consider some of my memories…in fact, I considered one memory in particular."
Suddenly, a dark look crossed Neville's face, but rather than show concern for it, Harrison nodded slowly as he added, "Yes, Neville: that memory."
"Which one?" asked Hermione, looking from one boy to the other.
"The night his parents died," answered Neville, earning a shocked, if not horrified gasp from Hermione as Neville cleared his throat as he looked back to Harrison before he asked him, "You always denied yourself the right to look back because you refused to be a mere shadow of them, but now…I mean, is it because you remember me? Or is it because of the gift that Hagrid sent you for Christmas?"
"In a way, it's both," replied Harrison coolly, linking his hands together while he stared deep into the hearth of the fireplace in the Common Room while he explained, "But, at the same time, despite all our theories and speculations, it wasn't until I saw those pictures and received the generous gift from Daniel and Emma that I asked myself a question none of us have ever done."
Suddenly, the Knut dropped for Hermione while Neville took a little longer, though when Hermione voiced the thought, he got it too.
"Have you ever tapped into that power before now?"
Snapping his fingers in Hermione's direction in a way that showed she was bang-on, Harrison's lips twitched in amusement as he went on, "So, I let myself finally wonder about my past, especially since, back when I first met them, Professors McGonagall and Flitwick asked me if I'd ever had an Accidental Magical outburst and, when I answered no, they looked like they'd just been told I was dead!"
"That's because the majority of magical children do have Accidental Magic outbursts at one time or another," insisted Neville, earning a slow nod from Harrison before Neville swallowed hard as he added, "It's how most even know their kids have magic in the first place and, sometimes, the ways they get them to reveal it can be…pretty barbaric, if not borderline-traumatic at times."
"My guess is you're speaking from experience," said Harrison, earning a shrug from Neville while Harrison sniffed as he went on, "But my point is, Neville, I never had any Accidental Magic outbursts when I was a kid and yet, as we've seen, not to blow my own trumpet, but I do have quite the arsenal under my belt when it comes to power…and yet, not one time, not even with…them…did I ever have an outburst."
Suddenly, Harrison's head snapped up as he stated in a flat, but fiercely-determined tone, "Not one I remember!"
Suddenly, Hermione gasped while Neville swallowed again, looking from Harrison's dead glare to Hermione's shocked expression before he asked what she was thinking.
"You…you don't actually remember the trance, do you?"
"Nope," answered Harrison, looking to Hermione as he explained, "I only let you believe I did because I knew you'd probably find it hard to believe I actually forget anything, Hermione. Plus, I had all the information from Professor Flitwick, Madam Pomfrey and this weird, alien feeling inside of me: like something was missing, but found at the same time."
"So…why go back to that night?" asked Neville.
Looking to Neville, Harrison took a deep breath before he licked his lips nervously as he explained, "Because, while I do remember the flash of the Avada Kedavra and my Mother's death at the hands of Lord Voldemort, it wasn't until I revisited that particular memory, by going into a trance and meditating for a good long while…"
"That's why you locked the door," realised Hermione, earning a nod from Harrison as she asked, "But why didn't you just tell us? If we'd known you were meditating, we wouldn't have tried to disturb you, Harrison."
"Given what he was focusing on remembering, can you blame him?" asked Neville, earning a blush from Hermione before Harrison cleared his throat, reminding the other two he was still talking. "Sorry, Harrison: you were saying."
"Although I remembered him killing her, her last words to me and the Avada Kedavra," explained Harrison, swallowing hard himself while his face suddenly gained a smile that was both surprising and a little scary as he looked to his friends. "I realised that I had no memory of what happened when the curse hit me…or what happened before I remember Hagrid retrieving me from my parents' home in Godric's Hollow."
While both Gryffindors were stunned into absolute silence, Neville opened his mouth to speak, but when the words failed him, he closed his mouth again, frowning in confusion before, to his relief, Hermione asked what he was thinking. "And that makes you act like a kid hopped up on caffeine and as crazed as a laughing hyena…why, Harrison?"
"It's a clue," said Harrison, looking to Hermione as he went on, "Like I said, I believe I've found the answer, but to be sure of it, I have to find a way to unlock those lost memories, to find out why I can't remember that moment or the trance I went into in the duel with Malfoy…or if there were any others like it. Because then, if I can find out the truth…"
"You can begin to control that power."
Looking up suddenly, Harrison's eyes widened while Hermione gasped when she saw Professor Flitwick standing there, a look of awe in his eyes while he held up his hands as he explained, "My apologies for not announcing my presence, Mr Potter, but I couldn't help but overhear the back end of your conversation. And, although you may decline it, if I could offer one small piece of advice to you."
"Of course, Professor," said Harrison.
"Be sure you want to know what is lost," replied Filius, a note of caution and counsel in his voice as he told Harrison, "If you really cannot remember what you did back then, and you cannot remember that tragic night either, you should be prepared for anything. So, before you pursue this course of action, be absolutely certain that you're ready for what you may find because, for one with a mind as sharp as yours, what is remembered cannot be so easily forgotten again."
As Harrison stared blankly, he took a breath before he asked, "So…is there something we can help you with, Professor?"
"Actually, I was coming to have a little meeting between Head of House and student regarding your own worries and dilemmas as of late, Harrison," replied Filius, earning a curt nod from the young boy before the Ravenclaw/Harrison's Head of House waved his hand dismissively as he went on.
"But now I know what your mind has been focused on, I see no reason for such a discussion. However, if I might be so bold, it is nice to see you opening up more to your friends, young man."
"After what they helped me realise and also helped me do, how can I not, sir?" asked Harrison calmly, sniffing once before he rose from his seat as he added, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to see if I can clear my head before this evening's feast: see you two down there?"
When Hermione and Neville nodded in response, Harrison made his way out the portrait hole, leaving the other two alone with Professor Flitwick.
After only a moment, however, the goblin-blooded teacher looked to Hermione before, offering her a friendly smile, he explained, "I don't know what happened this Christmas, Miss Granger, and until he is ready to share, I don't want to know. But whatever you and Mr Longbottom did, thank you."
"We were there for him," said Hermione calmly, her mind still reeling from Harrison's revelation as she told him, "Also, he probably wouldn't want me saying this, but my parents have offered to open their home to him so that…so he doesn't have to go back where he was over the summer."
"Good," replied Filius, nodding as he looked to Hermione before he added, "I'll be sure to have any mail for him sent to your address, Miss Granger, but if you can do one thing for an old soul…then please, keep a close eye on him."
"Always," said Neville, though Hermione also nodded in agreement.
Knowledge is Power
The answers were there…they were practically within his grasp…
At last, he would understand what happened and what he was really capable of.
Even though emotions weren't really all that common to him, Harrison couldn't help but feel as giddy as a schoolboy as he made his way through the ever-amazing halls of Hogwarts. He walked with such a skip in his step that he almost seemed to leap from one step to the next while he felt like he actually had a great weight lifted off of his shoulders.
Once he had the answers, he would finally know his own greatest secret and then…then…well, okay, so maybe he didn't know what was going to happen next, but after waiting so long for answers, who cares?
As Harrison smiled at the thought of finally having answers that had eluded him long before he'd become a wizard, let alone a member of Hogwarts student body, he stopped suddenly when a reflection of light caught his eyes.
Looking in the direction of the light, Harrison was slightly bemused to find a door that was ajar, but just beyond, standing at the end of what seemed to be an empty, random classroom or storage room of some sort, was an ornate-looking mirror. Doubling back, Harrison looked around, making sure he wasn't being watched, before he slipped inside and examined the mirror: it was pretty big in terms of size and looked as old as the hills.
The frame was as ornate as the age suggested, though as Harrison took in the intricate detailing in the framework, his eyes narrowed when he noticed some unusual writing engraved above the mirror's top.
Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi
"That's interesting," mused Harrison, eyeing the writing as though it was a new piece of a puzzle that needed solving, "What language is that?"
Suddenly, it was like the letters had leapt off the framework and were hovering in front of Harrison's eyes.
In a weird, but funny way, he felt like he could reach out and rearrange them in any way he so wished, allowing him to identify their source, their language of origin and comparing them to known expressions or images. (1)
As he worked through the possibilities, however, Harrison's eyes narrowed suddenly as he wondered, "Could it be so simple?"
Spinning his hands around, he flipped the words around in his mind's eye until, letting out an amused snort, Harrison dismissed the pretend image of the words with a wave of his hand as he drawled, "I show not your face, but your heart's desire? Intriguing to say the least."
Looking down from the mirror's frame, Harrison stared into the mirror itself, but as soon as he did so, his eyes widened and his heart stopped dead in its tracks when he saw the image in the mirror change right before his eyes.
Where once, there'd been just him, now, Harrison saw himself as a much-older wizard, draped in robes of finery and pure-bred nobility, but he wasn't alone. With him was a small cluster of shrouded, slightly-blurred images and figures, save for one whom was standing proudly at his side; one whom Harrison recognised even though she looked as old as he did.
Hermione Granger, his best friend and his inspiration to let himself be a kid, was standing right there next to him.
Looking back to his older self, Harrison's eyes narrowed as he wondered, "What are you trying to show me? My heart's desire is…what? Life? A future? Companionship? To be the greatest and have the world follow me and walk in my shadow?"
As he looked at the images, Harrison smirked before he rolled his eyes as he reasoned, "What a joke…if it was so easy to obtain my heart's desire, I'd have done it years ago when I sent my enemies to their own ruin…"
As he said the last bit, Harrison's head snapped up as he thought he heard something creak behind him.
Without turning, the young boy smiled as he wondered, "But then again, maybe this is exactly what I need to see, if only to be the real me and not just who I think I am right now."
Turning away from the mirror, Harrison folded his arms as he asked, "At least, that's what you want me to realise, isn't that right, Headmaster?"
Albus Dumbledore looked like he'd been shot point-blank through the heart, though as he looked into Harrison's eyes, the aged Headmaster let out a sigh before he looked to the mirror and back to his young student.
"Harrison, I think it's time we have that talk now."
Chapter 23 and, wow, talk about a whole new beginning for our hero: Harrison believes he's found a clue to his strange trance, but is his theory right and, if so, exactly what will he find if and when he chooses to find it?
Also, is it just coincidence that Dumbledore turns up right when Harrison sees a future that's probably more-possible than anyone else's heart's desire or is the old man less benevolent than he's shown our young warrior wizard?
Keep Reading to Find Out
Next Chapter: Truth will out: Dumbledore finally decides to do the right thing and tells Harrison what he wants to know, but will the truth encourage Harrison's slowly-building trust in the old man or will the dark secrets of the young sorcerer's past destroy him forever?
Please Read and Review
AN (1)
So, as weird as this is going to sound, when Harrison's 'juggling' with the words on the mirror, I had the scene from Sherlock in my head when Sherlock's trying to figure things out and 'flicks' through his knowledge and his Mind Palace's contents;
