Chapter 5

New Knowledge

As the school year ended, Harry and Hermione watched the last of the students leave. The last few days of term had been hard as they went back to classes with others. It had taken all her self-control not to curse those insufferable people whisper behind his back about what happened in the chamber. Most of the rumors going around were about him being a dark lord in training which wasn't helped by Ron's sayings as he was their former friend.

"So Harry, are you ready to truly begin your new studies?" Dumbledore asked. Harry looked at him and smiled. "Of course sir, oh and me and uncle Sev were wondering if he could teach me occulemency." Dumbledore looked down at him in surprise. "Well, if he is sure then he has my blessing. What about Hermione though?" Dumbledore asked him.

Harry looked at for a minute in thought. "Uncle Sev said his methods wouldn't suit her and would hinder her progress. He said they would be perfect for me though." Harry told him. "Well Harry, you do make good points. You have to tell Hermione though." Dumbledore said when they heard her behind them.

"Tell me what headmaster?" She asked with crossed arms. Harry looked at her and then back at the headmaster who was singing something about friendship. "Umm, well, you see Hermione I will be taking my occulemency lessons with Uncle Sev from now on. He said his methods wouldn't work for you though so he can't teach you." She looked at him before sighing.

"That's what I thought. I've suspected that he would want to teach you himself. Oh well, I'm sure the dear headmaster will love my company and my new idea for my defense." She said innocently. Dumbledore looked amused and intrigued at what she may of thought up for her mind's defense. "We should retire for now. Later on in the evening I shall be taking you to purchase a custom made wand."

At this news Harry looked up in confusion. "You can have a second wand?" He asked Dumbledore. Dumbledore smirked and looked at his young charge. "Of course you can have a second wand, if you where to go to that is." Snape watched as his friend's Slytherin side reared its head. Sometimes he wondered how the headmaster was sorted in Gryffindor and not Slytherin.

As Harry began to excitedly chat with Hermione at this news he met Dumbledore's eyes. After a brief but imperceptible nod he left to go set up a meeting with some of his shadier contacts. Dumbledore watched in happiness as the young lad in front of him let his emotions free without fear. He couldn't believe how this young man was able to be so gentle and pure of heart.

As Harry and Hermione walked back to the great hall they were met with an unusual sight. The only table left in the hall was a small round table and around it was all the remaining teachers. What was odd though was what they were playing. They were playing poker.

At the moment it was currently Flitwick who was winning and they could see why. Every time he moved his hand he was subtly casting charms to make the others mistake their own cards as poor choices. He was followed by McGonagall who was using subtle transfiguration to change the cards before they were picked up.

As they stood in the hall Dumbledore strode up to them and whispered in their ears. "They do this every year. This year though I was hoping you two would be willing to help in a prank of mine." He asked them. "What do you want us to do?" Hermione nervously asked him.

"Harry, why don't you call that lovely friend of yours to us?" Dumbledore asked him with twinkling eyes. "Andrea, could you please come here?" After that they waited a few moments before the young snake appeared from under his robes. "What is it that you want?" She asked him snappishly. Harry looked to Dumbledore who motioned for him to put her on the floor. He did so despite Andrea's protests and Dumbledore proceeded to cast some charms over and turned her invisible.

"Now Harry, could you ask her to go give them a scare?" He asked with barely contained mirth. "Andrea, how would you like to go give those people over there a nice scare?" He asked his friend. All he got was an amused hissing before she vanished.

At the table Flitwick jumped for joy for winning this year's betting pool from the others. As he jumped he never noticed the giant pink and orange snake rise behind him. The others saw it and stared in wonder until it licked Flitwick and covered him in slime. Everyone laughed until McGonagall was turned into an green cat and Hagrid donned a giant chicken suit and performed the chicken danced.

Harry, Hermione, and Dumbledore walked up to them smiling. "Oh Albus, you never could resist pranks could you. To think that you always have those twins blamed for your work and no has noticed." Flitwick said while trying to get the slime off. Andrea had wandered off and was in the process of chasing The giant chicken, that was until Hagrid spotted her and started chasing her wanting to pet the poor beasty.

"I am here to ask you all, my friends, for your help." Dumbledore asked them. "Whatever you need Albus, you know you can always count on us." Flitwick responded after failing to remove the slime. "I wish for you all to help me train Harry and Hermione this summer, I have already gathered Severus's help and now wish for your help." He asked them without his usual humor.

The teachers looked at him in concern. He had never asked them to help train students in the summer before. He usually had tutors come in for them. This had to be a serious matter then. At that thought they all gathered around him. "Albus, why would do you need to train them?" Poppy asked him. "Because my dear friend, Voldemort is not dead. This is the second time within two years that he has almost succeeded in returning to power if it was not for Harry stopping him.

"Of course we'll help you Albus. When should we begin?" McGonagall asked. "I would actually like for us to start today. I planned on having them throw all their power into their spells to get a measure on their strength." He told them. "We shall also test them on their physical skills as well." Snape said as he spoke for the first time. Hermione looked at fearfully then. "Our physical skills, why do you need to test those?" She asked him with a sense of dread.

"Why, to determine how long your endurance can last of course. You wouldn't want to pass out from exhaustion after only twenty minutes into a fight, would you?" Snape asked her with one his many smirks. "Stop scaring the dear child Severus, instead how about you go ahead and test them here in the hall." Dumbledore said with such a bright twinkle in his eyes.

Snape smirked and looked at the two teens. Harry and Hermione noticed it and started running for the doors with him chasing them down while launching stinging jinxes at them. After nearly half an hour Hermione collapsed and was sent back to the hall while Harry was still running. After Hermione left Harry increased his speed and started to randomly change his tactics. It was thanks to those years of Harry hunting that he could do this easily. This went on for another hour and a half before Snape called it quits.

"You are in marvelous shape." He managed to say between breaths. Harry just stood there while still breathing easily as he inwardly laughed at Snape. "Do you need a rest, I know your body isn't as good as used to be." Harry mockingly asked him in a baby voice. Snape glared at him before towering over him. "Are you calling me old?" He asked with a twitching eye. "I wouldn't say it like that, but I am." He said serenely.

Harry laughed and took off running with Snape hot on his heels. As they ran through the doors he was lifted into the air by him and was changed into a cute bunny. The teachers just sat there wondering what he would do when they noticed Hermione walking in. Snape smirked and called her over.

"Ms. Granger, Harry has passed out from exhaustion and asked me to give you this bunny and take care of it until tomorrow when he can find a home for it." Snape said to her while cackling in his mind. This would teach that welp. Hermione squealed and hugged the bunny to her chest. She didn't notice but everyone else did when the bunny went limp and started twitching its leg. "Oh we're gonna have so much fun Mr. bunny. I hope Harry will let us keep you." She said to it while walking off.

Snape turned and looked at the faculty who were trying not to laugh. "Severus, what made you come up with that idea?" Albus asked him. "He called me old, so I decided to let him suffer at the hands of a female. He'll regret what he said though he probably won't remember after tonight's experience." He said while taking a seat by McGonagall.

"And why is that, Severus." She asked him with a thin smile. "Because I made sure the transformation would end late tonight after she takes him to bed." He said with his own eyes twinkling. They all laughed at that and couldn't wait to see how they would act tomorrow. As they all went to sleep, it was a happy Harry Potter that reverted back into his true form unknowingly snuggled at against his nude girlfriend.