Chapter 16 - A talk with Dumbledore

"I have not failed, I have found 10,000 ways that do not work." - Thomas Eva Edison

Harry silently got up and followed the aged wizard out of the hallway and into the newly defined world.

The clatter died down as Harry started to speak to the fourth year Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs on what they were to cover today in DADA, "Today you will start learning how to defend yourself during a Death Eater attack. Does anyone know any methods? Yes, Mathis?"

The boy looked as if he was going to faint, as he was called on unexpectedly, "Um, fight?"

Harry smiled, "Correct, " Mathis deflated, "you fight. It is as simple as that, you cannot do anything but fight with your life. And if you do not, then, well you end your life. That is it. Death Eaters will not spare you, neither should you them."

"But, Harry, how are we supposed to go against them? It's not like we're seventh years. We don't any spell-"

"-yet." Harry cut in. "Today we will learn the stunning spell. Walter."

"Yes?"

"Up here." The boy walked up and stood unsure of what to do. "Please levitate an object and hold it up."

Brian pointed his wand and murmured the words and the goblet rose into the air. "Is that good enough?"

"Yes, now hold it there. Stupefy." The goblet stood still in midair. "There, you can now let go of the goblet, Walter."

The boy stepped down and went to his seat as the goblet still stood stock still in it's place. "Now to awaken the person. Enervate." The goblet fell. "You will not get the same result when you try this spell, because my magic is a bit-no very-different from your all. I would like you to pair up and practice on each other. Stun, awaken. All right pair up."

The rest of the class was spent on making some mistakes correct and fixing the stances and words as the fourth years practiced the stunning and awakening their partners. As the bell rang Harry yelled out, "Very good job, tomorrow we will be practicing the proper way to summon your wand during a surprise attack."

Harry walked out of the class and shut the door behind her. When she turned back, she came face to face with Moody. "Seems like you are training there kids how to fight, Potter, not defend themselves." Harry opened her mouth to respond, but Moody beat her. "But, that's a good thing. Never know what's around the corner."

She smiled, "Thanks Moody." Grunting, Moody walked back to the end of the corridor, turning his back on her, just before reaching the end, he turned and said, "Dumbledore wants to see you. I feel like I'm being used like an owl these days, hardly ever see the fight." Turning right he limped back to what would be the Ravenclaw tower.

Harry grinned and walked towards the Entrance Hall and out on to the grounds walking towards the forest. The last few months had seemingly gone flying by, and here came December, and the snow was starting to fall, leaving a blanket of white on the grounds, blinding Harry. There hadn't been much progression in training the magic in her, Harry now could only wield the magic if she really wanted to, and that took a lot of effort. Merlin had said that the magic will only respond if, in her heart, Harry had trully accepted her destiny. But that was the problem, Harry didn't want to take more burdens, she just wanted to be normal. Knowing herself, she knew that asking for that was too much, bordering impossible. Haven't I suffered enough? Nevertheless, Harry had taken some large steps in her time at Hogwarts. She did what she always wanted to do, know her parents. It seemed that the Marauders had a very large knack for making others laugh. Even Harry, who's past still tormented her, was able to be cheered up the group of four boys. Her mother was a rather, different, person. A girl who wanted to be left alone, and to have her own place for herself, and only herself, Harry had a hard time warming up to her. Lily was so much like Hermione, that you could take one and put it in the other's body, and it would make no difference. Lily had finally told Harry that it wasn't that it wasn't that James Potter was overlly bad, it was just that he had no reason to act the way he did with the other students. Harry pointed that if he wasn't too bad, why Lily kept rejecting him. 'It really kills a guy, you know? Try him, you won't find him too bad.' Lily just said vaugely that she will think about it.

Her meeting with Dumbledore were very few and in between, he had said that she must not be distracted. Harry was only called in on important Order meetings, or if Dumbledore wanted some help on a skirmish. Which was why she found it odd that he wanted to see her now. Nothing much was going out since Harry had shown her face to Riddle couple of weeks back. Lancelot had said that it was time that she had practiced her sword skills. She had been forbidden form using her magic, only using her katana to slash away at the Death Eaters. That was until she had reached Riddle.

Riddle sneered, "So, it's you. Any reason why you slaughtered my servants?"

Harry had kept her face hodded, there was no reason to let Riddle who she was and what she looked like. Looking back Harry saw that she had indeeded created a bloody mess of flesh and bones. Turing back she only smirked.

Riddle saw this and sneered back, "Very well let's get this over with."

Harry's eyebrows shot up, so no trying to recruit her? But of course she hadn't used magic, Tom must have thought of her as a squib, no use recruiting one was there? Harry fell into a tance.

It was a grusome fight, and even more embrassing when Riddle had beaten her down, it seemed that he was quite skilled with handling a person with a sword with magic. Harry shook her head. Reaching the gargoyle, she muttered the password, Lickorish, walked up the stairs to Dumbledore's office. Opeing the door, she found Dumbledore looking at a parchment in his hand, the other one resting his head. Looking up at her with no twinkle, but his eyes held a sort of sadness that she might have found that he might start crying any moment.

"We might have a problem, Harry."

"What is it?" It must have been very serious, because it seemed that the Order was not here.

Passing the paper to her, "Read." Looking down at the writing, chills went down Harry's spine.

Harry,

How is everything? I am quite sorry, but I could not make it with you. But like always, I want some part of the fun there too, you know? Anyways, I'll be coming soon, be ready.

By the way your headmaster's blood is a rather good replacement for ink, you think no?

With best regards in hell,

Tom Riddle

So it seemed that Voldemort was human after all. Oh and he is paying me a visit.

We're oh, so royally screwed.