Disclaimer: Harry Potter and the associated milieu belongs to J. K. Rowling and various publishers. I'm just borrowing the characters and the world for my own fun.
Some author's notes:
All right, finally another update. Again, I'm sorry for this chapter taking so long, but at least now I have a good reason for that: this chapter was a really difficult one. I ended up rewriting almost the whole chapter (and some parts more than once), because I wasn't happy with the original and also because I've done some changes to the storyline and had to change/add stuff, and then there were a few parts that I just didn't seem to get right, no matter what. Another reason for the delay was the fact that my notes (I've gathered lots during the months I've worked on this story) were in a complete disarray and it took me a long time just to figure out what exactly needed to be said in this chapter, especially as some of my notes were inconsistent with some others, and all in all it was a big mess...
Because my updates seem to be taking so long, I've decided to put up a forum here in fanfiction dot net (you can find a link to it on my profile page, as links don't seem to be allowed in chapter texts), and I'm going to at least try posting regular updates about the current progress of the chapter there, if it ends up taking more than a week or two. You can also go there to ask your questions and such, and I'll probably post stuff there about my future projects and things like that, should someone be interested in those.
In a review I was asked about what kind of reviews I like, and I don't think I have said anything about that yet, so: I really like constructive criticism because it (hopefully) helps me become a better writer, but most important thing to me is your honest opinion on whether you like the story/chapter or not. I mostly write for my own enjoyment, but there's no reason for me to take the time to edit and publish my stories if no one enjoys reading them...
In this chapter you'll finally get some background about the White Phoenix and other things, and I guess I should mention that the references in this chapter to Merlin and such aren't conforming with the real Arthurian legends (nor what little there is about them in the Harry Potter canon), but instead they are used creatively. The chapter is almost all talk, but I hope it's not too boring.
And finally, for everyone eagerly anticipating the Harry/Hermione stuff: patience my little ones, it will happen (grin). Harry is just going to need a bit of a push to actually ask her out and realize that he needs to act on his feelings if he wants something to happen. And no need to worry about Hermione going out with Ron, as that won't happen in this fic...
Harry Potter and the White Phoenix
Chapter 6 – The White Phoenix and the Black Serpent
"Fawkes," Harry said, feeling strengthened by the Phoenix song. "Thanks," he said with all his heart to the magnificent bird that had saved his life again. The bird answered him with another note of its song, and it invigorated Harry somewhat, as they flew high in the air, towards an unknown destination.
Fawkes was carrying him very high in the air, and when Harry glanced down, he saw that they were also flying at an enormous speed. The rapid changing of the scenery made him feel a bit dizzy and nauseous and, combined with the still lingering effect of the Cruciatus Curse, Harry decided that it was better not to look down. He just tried to relax as much as possible and let Fawkes carry him to wherever it wanted, although he presumed that they were going back to Hogwarts.
If Harry's mind hadn't still been dulled by the after effects of the curse, he might have wondered why he wasn't feeling cold, flying very high in the air on a cool February day – it was yet another trait of the brilliant creatures, phoenixes.
As Harry calmed down from the adrenaline rush that had resulted from the fight at the graveyard, he started feeling weak and he shivered despite not feeling cold, and despite Fawkes singing a few strengthening notes every now and then. That's when he also noticed that he was still grasping his wand tightly in his hand, and he quickly pocketed it, not wanting to drop it by accident.
His sense of time wasn't at its best either, but eventually, after what could have been mere minutes or even a couple of hours, Harry saw that he had guessed their destination correctly when he finally spotted the ancient castle of Hogwarts far ahead of them. But Fawkes travelled the distance in just a short moment, and without slowing its speed much, it flew straight in through one of the many windows of the castle.
Harry noticed that they were in Dumbledore's office, as Fawkes quickly slowed down, and gently lowered him to a soft armchair in the room. With another ethereal trill of its song, Fawkes disappeared through the window again, leaving Harry alone in the office, and now that he didn't have the phoenix song to help him, he started feeling really cold and soon his body also started aching with a deep pain that cut all the way to the marrow, making him feel truly miserable, and he curled up on the chair.
Thankfully, he didn't have to endure it for long before Fawkes returned and settled on its perch, singing a few comforting notes every now and then, easing Harry's condition considerably. And then, just a moment later, Dumbledore also rushed into the office, looking deeply troubled and serious, but he seemed to be relieved a bit when he saw Harry.
Dumbledore's face softened, as he noticed how small and miserable Harry was looking, curled up on the armchair; he was shaking from cold, his face was pale and he had some dried blood on his temple, and his expression was closed and turned inwards, and it was obvious that he was in a lot of pain. There was also a long, deep and messy cut on his arm, that was still bleeding slightly, and his clothes were dirty and dishevelled.
"Let's take you to the Hospital Wing, Harry," Dumbledore said softly with a sigh, and with a surprising strength for someone that old, the headmaster picked Harry up from the chair and walked out of the office with long, carrying strides.
Dumbledore carried Harry through the passages of Hogwarts and in just a short time, they were in front of the doors to the Hospital Wing, and they hadn't even met anyone on their way there. Dumbledore walked in through the doors to the empty Hospital Wing, and he gently lowered Harry down on one of the beds there and sat down on a chair next to the bed. Harry curled up on a ball with his eyes unfocused and he continued to shiver.
"Madam Pomfrey is still attending to the second task but she should be here in a moment," Dumbledore said, and Harry's eyes focused on him for a while, but then strayed again.
"Can you tell me what happened, Harry?" Dumbledore then asked him softly, leaning in closer to Harry.
For a moment it looked like Harry hadn't heard the question, but then his expression cleared somewhat and turned to a tormented one. "He's back," he said quietly.
"Voldemort is back!" Harry repeated a bit more strongly and urgently, but then his mind seemed to cloud again, and his expression turned more inwards again, and he looked away from Dumbledore. However after a moment of silence he started speaking again.
"Moody... he had a Portkey," he said, keeping a small pause. "Took us to a graveyard, and Wormtail, he was there too... tied me to a gravestone, but I summoned my wand... ugly Voldemort baby was there too, but then he was there with a grown up body," he told haltingly and in a small voice, before stopping again.
His expression turned to a really pained one, and he shivered harder, before speaking again. "Hurt... hurt too much," he said in a childish voice. "But Fawkes came and took me away," he finished in a relieved tone, and he relaxed just slightly.
Dumbledore sighed sadly, and all the humour that was practically always present on the headmaster's features was missing, and he was looking grave. "Madam Pomfrey will be here soon, and it won't hurt for long, Harry," he said soothingly, but Harry didn't seem to hear him.
There was a short but heavy silence that was broken when the doors of the Hospital Wing opened and Madam Pomfrey walked in with Professor McGonagall. They both seemed to be surprised about seeing the headmaster there.
"Professor Dumbledore," Madam Pomfrey said surprised, but then she noticed Harry lying on the bed. "Oh, dear, what's happened to him?" she asked concernedly and she was next to Harry's bed in a flash.
"He has a nasty cut on his forearm, I think he's had a blunt hit on his head and he's most likely been struck by the Cruciatus curse," Dumbledore said gravely.
"Oh, dear," Madam Pomfrey said again, but this time she was horrified and Professor McGonagall gasped behind her. Madam Pomfrey quickly left to her office.
"Minerva? Would you check the quarters of Professor Moody?" Dumbledore asked McGonagall. "And take someone with you," he added with a worried tone as an afterthought.
"Of course, Headmaster," she replied solemnly with a nod, before marching out of the Hospital Wing sternly.
Madam Pomfrey returned soon from her office, carrying several different potions, but before giving any of them to Harry, she ran her wand over his body, muttering some spells, and she actually seemed relieved from what she learned.
"The cut on his arm will heal quickly, although it will leave a scar, and he has a concussion, but most importantly the Cruciatus Curse hasn't done any lasting damage to him, and fortunately he is young enough to recover from it quickly," Madam Pomfrey said with relief to Dumbledore, since Harry seemed to be quite out of it. "With some sleep and a couple of potions, he should be fine in a day or at most two," she added.
"Is it possible to keep him awake for a bit?" Dumbledore asked, looking apologetic even at the thought of it.
"Yes, but he really needs rest," Madam Pomfrey said weightily. "The curse is still affecting him and the reduced state of consciousness is protecting him from the worst of the pain," she added matter-of-factly.
"I only need a moment," Dumbledore sighed sadly.
Madam Pomfrey clearly disapproved of the headmaster's request but still she fed Harry all but one of the potions she had brought with her. In just a few seconds Harry was looking much more clear-headed but he was also looking even more pained now and his face scrunched up in agony.
"Harry, can you tell me what happened?" Dumbledore asked him gently.
Harry's eyes focused on Dumbledore, but then he averted his eyes and looked thoughtful under the pain for a moment, before starting to speak. "We... we were going to watch the second task, but Professor Moody interrupted us and said he wanted to talk with me," he started with a weak and shaky voice.
"He led me to the Forbidden Forest and there he suddenly Portkeyed us somewhere. It was somewhere with a graveyard and a large house. I tried to fight against Moody, but then Wormtail surprised me and tied me to a gravestone with some spell. Professor Moody took away my wand, and together he and Wormtail readied a huge cauldron with some kind of liquid in it," Harry continued his tale and kept a short pause.
"Wormtail brought Voldemort, who had a small body, like a cross between a snake and a baby, and he put him in the cauldron and then he started some kind of a ritual. For the ritual he needed 'the bone of the father', 'flesh of a servant' and 'the blood of the enemy'," Harry recited from his memory.
"He took my blood," he added with a troubled voice and turned to look at Dumbledore, who was looking really serious, but didn't say anything, so Harry continued his story.
"I... I managed to summon Wormtail's dagger and cut myself free from the gravestone, and then I summoned my wand and almost got away from there, but Voldemort came and he now had a grown up body, just like he used to be. He fought against me, and I... I think he cast the Cruciatus Curse on me," Harry told and he stopped for a moment and shivered with a completely hollow look on his face, very much like Sirius looked whenever he was reminded of the Dementors.
"But then Fawkes appeared and carried me away," Harry finished and again the thought of the phoenix eased the turmoil he was feeling, and he seemed to be relieved a bit.
"Thank you, Harry," Dumbledore said gratefully and he nodded to Madam Pomfrey.
"Drink this, Mr. Potter," Madam Pomfrey said and she gave Harry the last of the potions.
In just a few seconds Harry started feeling really tired and he was quickly overcome by the sweet oblivion of deep, dreamless sleep.
Harry awoke gradually to the muffled voices of someone arguing. He kept his eyes closed for now, as he also became aware of a dull ache all around his body, and it soon reminded him of what had happened before he had fallen asleep, and he also realized the fact that he was most probably still in the Hospital Wing. The arguing voices stole his attention, though, and from the muffled tone of them, Harry knew that they were most likely coming from just outside the Hospital Wing.
"I can't announce that You-Know-Who has returned based on some glory-seeking, cock-and-bull story of a kid, Dumbledore. I would be made laughing stock in the Ministry and the public," said an irritated voice that Harry recognized belonging to the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge. "Potter entered himself into the Tournament underhandedly, and he has made trouble before, and still you believe his childish stories about You-Know-Who!" Fudge added accusingly.
"Harry holds my utmost confidence and you'd know that he is well worth it, if you only paid more attention to the real people instead of what you might hear about them in the public," Dumbledore replied calmly. "You could at least investigate into the matter, if nothing else. By outright denying it you only play to Voldemort's pocket, Cornelius," he tried to reason with the Minister.
"For Merlin's sake Dumbledore!" Fudge exclaimed, obviously shaken by the name of the Dark Lord. "You've held your position for too long and time has clearly clouded your judgement. I will make an announcement that Barty Crouch junior is at large but that's all! Good day," he said sharply with finality in his words, and Harry could hear the Minister stomping off.
Harry listened to the heavy silence for a moment, but then he finally opened his eyes to look around, and he saw that it was dark outside and the torches were lit, casting their slowly and serenely dancing light on the Hospital Wing. He saw Hermione sitting on a chair next to his bed, immersed in a book, and seeing her made him smile inside. Next to her, on another chair was Ron, who seemed to be fast asleep, but the thing that really caught Harry's attention was a big black dog at the foot of his bed.
"Sirius?" Harry tried to say, but his throat was parched and it came out as a weak croak.
Both Sirius and Hermione heard it anyway, and Sirius raised his dog head to look at Harry, while Hermione lifted her eyes up from the book and she perked up when she noticed him being awake.
"Harry, you're awake!" she said happily and she hastily stowed away her book, before elbowing Ron awake and jumping up on her feet. "Are you okay? Do you need something?" she quickly asked him with a concerned voice, while Ron abruptly woke up and shook himself awake.
"Harry!" Ron said surprised. "You okay mate?" he then asked.
Meanwhile Sirius had jumped off the bed and had transformed to his human shape and he was now looking at Harry concernedly. "Are you all right, Harry?" he too asked.
"Yeah, just a bit sore," Harry answered all of them, his voice still a croak. "And I could use some water," he added, holding his throat because talking felt really uncomfortable.
Hermione took a glass of water from a night table and offered it to him. He took the glass from her gratefully and drank a few sips, his throat immediately feeling much better, before he placed the glass back on the night table.
"Thanks," he said to Hermione, who just smiled a bit as a response.
"I just knew it, something was bound to happen when you got out of the Tournament. They just had to have some other plan," Sirius interrupted with an agitated and slightly self-accusatory tone.
"It's not your fault," Harry replied, but then he looked surprised. "Sirius? How come you're here?" he asked, realizing that the Hospital Wing they were in was a public place where just about anyone in the castle could enter at any moment.
"I was already making my way towards the Hogsmeade, as I wanted to meet you on the next Hogsmeade day. So, I came here directly when I got a word from Dumbledore that you had been attacked again," Sirius told. "I actually sent you a message by owl, asking the date of the next Hogsmeade day, but it seems that I made it here before the owl," he added with a smile.
Harry replied to the smile, feeling good that there were people that really cared for him that much. "But Sirius, won't you be seen?" he asked with obvious concern for his godfather's safety.
"Madam Pomfrey and some teachers know about me now, so it's not such a big risk, especially as Dumbledore wanted you to have some privacy and he put a Privacy Charm on this part of the room," Sirius said appeasingly.
Harry looked around more closely, and he saw that he was indeed in the most remote corner of the Hospital Wing, and then he also noticed Professor Moody lying on another hospital bed, sleeping it seemed, and he was looking quite the worse for wear; he was very pale and gaunt, like he had been malnourished for a long time, and he was also missing his artificial leg and eye. Despite his appearance, Harry couldn't help feeling surge of anger at seeing the person who had seemingly betrayed him to Voldemort.
"What is he doing here?" Harry asked coolly from no one in particular.
"That you will hear soon, Harry," answered the voice of Professor Dumbledore. None of them had seen the headmaster enter the Hospital Wing and they were all a bit startled at his voice.
"I'm truly sorry that your life has been threatened once again in Hogwarts, Harry," Dumbledore said apologetically, as he came to stand next to Harry's bed. "But I believe you would like to know how it all happened?" he asked then, cheering up a bit.
"Yes, sir, I would," Harry replied politely with an eager nod.
"It all really boils down to me placing my trust on someone who wasn't who he claimed to be," Dumbledore said mysteriously. "But I'm getting ahead in the story," he added after seeing Harry's confused look.
"Let's see..." Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "The second task was just finishing, and I was still there, when Fawkes appeared, and he seemed to be very distressed about something, so I excused myself and followed him to my office, where I found you," Dumbledore started the story, looking at Harry. "It seems that Fawkes once again knew you were in danger and wanted to help you out," Dumbledore added fondly, before sobering and continuing with the story.
"As you might remember, I took you to the Hospital Wing, where I asked you to tell me what had happened, while we waited for Madam Pomfrey. From your story I gathered that Professor Moody had somehow been involved in a plot to get you to Voldemort, and when Poppy appeared with Minerva, I told her to go and check Professor Moody's quarters. What she found was quite shocking indeed," Dumbledore told, adding the last in a curious tone, and he kept a short pause.
"She found Professor Moody inside a magical trunk, bound and very malnourished, and she of course brought him here for some medical attention. Professor Moody told us that he had been locked inside that trunk for months, ever since the summer, and he had been kept alive so that his hairs could be used for Polyjuice Potion to disguise someone as him," Dumbledore said, keeping just a short pause again, and Harry could hear Hermione's surprised intake of breath.
"And that someone was Barty Crouch junior, a convicted Death Eater, who had been presumed to be dead," Dumbledore added emphatically.
Harry didn't know exactly what to think about it, but he noticed from the corner of his eye that Hermione and Ron seemed to be quite shocked by the news, while it seemed that Sirius had already known it, and Harry presumed that Sirius had already talked with Dumbledore about it.
Then Dumbledore sighed and continued speaking. "So, it has been Barty Crouch junior that has really taught your DADA classes, disguised as Moody, and he was almost certainly the one that put your name in the Goblet too. And most importantly, it was also him that kidnapped you with the Portkey and took you to Voldemort for the ritual, while the real Alastor Moody was locked in a trunk for the whole time," he summed up the story.
It took Harry a second to let it all sink in, but then he turned to look at Professor Moody again. "Is the real Professor Moody okay?" he asked concernedly, seeing that the gnarled professor was looking almost lifeless on the hospital bed, now that anger wasn't affecting his perception.
Dumbledore seemed to be glad for his question. "He is, considering that he has been locked inside a trunk for several months with very little food and water, and he should be fit to continue teaching your DADA classes after a week or two of recovering," he said somewhat seriously, but then he smiled before continuing.
"It took us quite a bit of convincing to get him to stay here in the Hospital Wing at all, because Alastor – quite understandably, I think – felt like this was a way too open place to be secure," he said, smiling amusedly.
But then Dumbledore sobered again before continuing. "But he needs medical attention, of course, and it was much better for him to stay here for at least the beginning of his healing process," he said.
Harry felt glad that the real Moody would be okay, and now that his concern about that was eased, he started thinking of his own situation. "But, Professor?" Harry asked after a moment, and continued when he had the attention of the headmaster.
"Why did the fake Moody put my name in the Goblet? I mean, if they needed me alive for the ritual, then why would they want to have me killed?" he asked puzzled, but there was also a troubled undertone in his voice – something he really couldn't help with, considering the topic – and Harry could see the others being interested about it too.
"I don't think it was their intention to have you die in the Tournament, Harry," Dumbledore said heavily. "It is only a guess, of course, but I believe that Voldemort wanted to somehow use the Tournament to get you to him without exposing Professor Moody, although I don't know how he was going to do that," he finished thoughtfully, and he was silent for a moment, before shaking the thought off and continuing.
"What you need to remember is that Voldemort had already managed to infiltrate Hogwarts with his spy, and even more importantly for him, it was someone that I and most others trusted implicitly. He could have benefited enormously if he had managed to keep that spy among us," Dumbledore explained seriously.
"But when the Tournament plot failed, I believe Voldemort got impatient, because he needed you for the ritual and to regain his body, and so he decided to take a more direct course of action – something that would get you to him at any cost," Dumbledore finished.
As Harry thought about it, he glanced around at the others, and he saw that Hermione was looking at him with sympathy, while Ron was still looking surprised. Sirius was more hard to read, but he seemed to be deeply troubled.
Dumbledore soon broke the silence again. "As you might have already heard, Minister Fudge doesn't believe that Voldemort has returned and I'm afraid that not many others are going to believe it either, with nothing more as a proof than your word, Harry," he said with a sad sigh.
"But, Professor, shouldn't this be told to the public? Don't they have the right to know about it?" Hermione interjected fervently.
"Yes, I do agree with you on that Miss Granger, but I'm afraid Cornelius was right about one thing; we would most likely be laughed at if we just outright started telling that Voldemort has returned. And losing our creditability at this moment could have very undesirable consequences in the future," Dumbledore replied reasonably. "But rest assured that we have already started our efforts against Voldemort, even if we are not public about it, and we are doing everything we can about it," he then added reassuringly.
Hermione seemed to be relieved to hear that, but Harry thought that she wasn't looking totally satisfied, and he was quite sure that she would have probably wanted to do more about it; especially something that she could have helped with herself, if he knew her at all. But his thoughts were soon interrupted when Dumbledore spoke again.
"That also means that we cannot tell the real reason why Harry and Professor Moody are in the Hospital Wing, should someone ask about it. Instead I think it would be best to tell that you two were attacked in the forest, when Professor Moody wanted to show Harry some magical creature for DADA – which wouldn't be that unlikely since I believe you are the top student of your class, Harry?" Dumbledore told them and finished with the question to Harry.
"Yes, I think I am, sir," Harry replied, feeling slightly uncomfortable about the praise.
"Good," Dumbledore replied with a nod. "So, it would make sense that Professor Moody wanted to show you some creature he found in the forest, and when you were unfortunately attacked, he bore the brunt of the attack, while you, Harry, managed to get through it mostly unscathed," Dumbledore said, and there was a slight questioning tone in his voice, indicating that he wanted to know what the others thought about it.
Everyone nodded or shrugged their approval, even Harry, who's mind was otherwise occupied. Talking about an attack had reminded him of the scene at the graveyard, and there was one thing that really puzzled him about it.
"Something bothering you, Harry?" Dumbledore asked, seeing his expression.
"I just remembered something... odd," Harry replied, looking at Dumbledore, and he hesitated a bit before continuing. "At the graveyard, Voldemort said that the Black Serpent would be resurrected, and that this time the White Phoenix wouldn't be there to save the day. I think he meant himself by the Black Serpent, but I'm not sure if he meant me or something else by the White Phoenix," he told a bit uncertainly, but it wasn't the headmaster that answered first.
"What?" Hermione exclaimed. "Voldemort thinks he's the reincarnation of Morgan le Fay, or something like that?" she asked in amused disbelief.
Dumbledore had looked somewhat surprised at Harry's words, but then he turned to look at Hermione, now really surprised. "You've heard of the Black Serpent before, Miss Granger?" he asked her.
"Uhm, well, yes, I have," Hermione replied a bit uncertainly. "I was interested in the Arthurian legends when I was younger and Morgan le Fay was called that in one obscure source I read," she told.
"Indeed? I wasn't aware that Muggles knew about that legend," Dumbledore mused, before he focused inwards and seemed to be trying to remember something.
Harry was suddenly struck by an odd feeling of ancientness as he observed Dumbledore going back in his memories, who knows how many years past, and he realized that he had no idea how old the headmaster actually was, but at that moment he would not have been surprised to hear that he was two hundred years old. The people in the magical world seemed to live longer than muggles, after all.
"Ah, yes," Dumbledore finally said mostly to himself with a smile on his face. "That is not quite correct, but still somewhat close to what I have heard about it," he said, now focusing back on the present and those listening to him.
"It is an old legend from beyond written history of the Wizarding Britain, and like so many other old stories, it has been nearly forgotten and lost in history centuries ago, and I don't believe there are many that know about it at all. I have never heard the whole story in its entirety, but I do know a shorter version of it, and I don't think it's too long of a tale to tell here," Dumbledore said, finishing thoughtfully, but soon he continued again.
"The story I'm about to tell you took place in the time that is called the Dark Ages by the muggles, because very little history is preserved from that time, just after the downfall of the Ancient Empires. For the magical world the name is doubly true, because that age also witnessed a rise of the Dark Arts like never seen before, and there were many dark lords and ladies at that time," Dumbledore told them.
"So... this is the shorter version of the story of the White Phoenix and the Black Serpent as I heard it a long time ago from someone who knew the full tale," he then said, before keeping a short pause, and when he continued speaking again, there was something ethereal and captivating in his voice, something that completely enthralled Harry, Hermione, Ron and Sirius in just seconds.
"In the times of old, when magic was still young in Britain, there were small magical communities all around the island, and one of these villages was to be the home of the most feared dark wizard of the time, and perhaps off all times ever since. He was born to a respected Wizarding family, and from very early age he was praised as the smartest child that had ever been seen in the whole village. Starting from very early childhood, he was able to learn simple spells, and as he grew older, he learned even the more difficult branches of magic with little difficulty, and he even started coming up with spells of his own when he came to his teens. And, as if that wasn't enough, he had a special magical gift that no one had ever heard of before, but a gift that would soon be associated closely with dark magic – he was born with the ability to speak with snakes."
"Everyone was expecting the child to become a scholar of magic, perhaps extending the known limits of magic in his lifetime, but unfortunately that was not to be. In his teen years, the child became very fascinated with snakes, no doubt stemming from his ability to talk with them, and he started withdrawing himself from all other children of his age, choosing to devote his time with snakes instead."
"Whether it's true or not, it has been said that the snakes seduced him towards the Dark Arts of magic, and as he continued growing up, he quickly became shunned by everyone, even including his own parents, for expressing such an interest in Dark Magic, and the other kids started bullying him, and calling him by names like Forked Tongue or Snake or the most popular, sometimes used even by the grown ups, Twisted Snake. The bullying stopped and everyone grew to fear the young genius, when bad things started happening to those who dared to bully him – they would just suddenly get horribly ill or be involved in freak accidents – and so the bullying turned to fear and everyone tried to avoid the Twisted Snake as much as possible."
"One morning, not long after, the village woke up in shock and horror, when the parents of the Twisted Snake were found dead in their own house, and their son was nowhere to be seen. At first it was presumed that someone had killed the parents and kidnapped their child, but everyone knew where to place the blame when it was discovered that the deaths had been caused by snake venom – it seemed that the Twisted Snake had had enough of the small village and had left, but not before leaving behind his mark. Once they had recovered from the shock and grieved for the loss of two prominent members of their community, the whole village sighed in relief when it seemed that the evil child was gone for good."
"As the years passed, the Twisted Snake was all but forgotten and the whole story became just that – a story that was sometimes used to scare the children into behaving by threatening them with the evil Twisted Snake that would come and eat them if they misbehaved. But one day, decades later, and after he had travelled far and wide in search of everything dark and everything considering snakes and serpents, the Twisted Snake returned, and it was in his old home village that he started his rise to power as a dark lord."
"Single handedly he destroyed almost the whole village in a senseless massacre, and only few escaped to tell the tales of horror and warn others from an evil threat that was beyond anything they had ever seen before. Despite being laughed at first by disbelieving people, the tales of the Black Serpent, as he was now called, quickly spread over the lands, as he travelled around the Britain, leaving behind death and destruction. He also started gathering followers from among the witches and wizards that practised the Dark Arts, and in a very short time, he left the marks of his power and the fear of him, on many of the magical communities in Britain."
"There were those who believed that they could stand against him, and many challenged the Black Serpent at first, but he had delved so deeply into the Dark Arts, and so huge was the depth of his knowledge and talent in magic, that very few could last long against him in a magical duel, and even those who could were helpless when faced with a whole new form of magic he had developed; the Black Serpent had loved snakes so deeply and had studied them so intensely that he had become able to turn into one at will. But where regular snakes were usually small and only dangerous for their poison, the Black Serpent could turn into a huge black snake that could crush people under it or easily bite them in half, and, as if that wasn't enough, there was no spell nor blade that could penetrate its thick black skin. So the Black Serpent triumphed above all other magicians and none was able to stop him."
"The numbers of those who dared to openly oppose him quickly diminished, as many villages were raided and pillaged by the followers of the Black Serpent, and so feared he became that even his real name was soon forgotten because none dared to utter it aloud – not even his own followers – and soon 'Black Serpent' became his one and only name."
"Just when all the hope of anyone ever overcoming the Black Serpent was fading, a new hope arrived in the form of a young woman and her two companions. No one knew where she came from, and no one knew who she was, but her fame quickly grew, because she was among the few who dared to stand against the followers of the Black Serpent, and she was the only one that never backed down from them, nor lost a battle against them."
"As she travelled around, helping in the fight against the darkness, and bringing new hope to the hearts of people, the tales of her deeds were soon known by everyone, and with those tales everyone also came to know of her companions; they were creatures only known from myths in the Britain of that time, but soon everyone knew about the song of the birds that brought new hope to the hearts of the good people, even in the darkest moments of despair. Because of her companions, the unknown traveller became known as the Phoenix Tamer."
"But the name of the Phoenix Tamer was soon to reach the ears of the Black Serpent too, and as his followers seemed to be too weak to oppose the new obstacle in his path to ultimate power, he decided to act on it himself, and there was no doubt in his mind that he would win this fight too, just as he had won dozens of others with the most powerful wizards and witches of the time."
"Some time later the Phoenix Tamer and the Black Serpent finally met each other in the highlands of the northern Britain, and despite the fear that the Black Serpent struck in the hearts of everyone, the Phoenix Tamer had renewed the hope and courage of many. As such there were some that found themselves near the scene, wanting to witness the battle that was to ensue, despite their fear of the Black Serpent and his followers."
"The Black Serpent appeared arrogantly with triumph etched on his face, and he mocked the Phoenix Tamer for soon being just another greatness fallen at his feet, and as she did not rise to the words nor show any sign of fear, the Black Serpent began the battle furiously, wanting to show everyone just what happened to those who dared to oppose him. So, the Black Serpent started throwing the darkest and most powerful spells he knew at the Phoenix Tamer, but instead of falling to the deadly spells, she just calmly deflected and dodged all of them and their effects, and she even countered them with offensive spells of her own."
"So strong had been the fear over the hearts of the people, that despite the new hope that the Phoenix Tamer had brought, few had really dared to expect her to able to offer even a challenge to the Black Serpent himself, but as the battle went on, that started changing. While it seemed that the Black Serpent was more experienced and powerful in magic, thanks to his greater age, the Phoenix Tamer in turn was more clever and used plenty of quick tricks to counter the magical attacks of the Black Serpent, and she managed to hold her own against the most feared wizard ever, and there was still no trace of fear nor worry on her features."
"The hope was short lived, though, when the moment came that everyone had been fearing and expecting; the Black Serpent had had enough of the magical duel, and he decided that it was time to end the battle now. He stopped the fighting but for a second to transform to his snake form, and when the people surrounding the scene saw the huge black snake forming, their hearts fell, as it seemed that the fight was over. After all, what could one person do to a hundred feet long snake that could not be hurt by any spells nor weapons?"
"However, the Phoenix Tamer was not to be bested so easily, and the watchers of the fight that was soon to grow to an epic battle, witnessed a miracle as the Phoenix Tamer turned to a brilliant white phoenix, and with her song she called out to her two companions who appeared almost instantly, and the Black Serpent found himself faced against three mythical creatures; phoenixes of green, red and white."
"It seemed that the Black Serpent had finally met his match, and everyone in the vicinity was entranced by the battle, knowing that it would ultimately decide their fates, and even the small fights that had been going on between the followers of the Black Serpent and the others who had come to watch the battle stopped, as the three phoenixes faced the biggest and most dangerous serpent that ever lived."
"For hours the battle went on, as the phoenixes did daring attacks against the gigantic snake with their long and sharp talons, that were miraculously able to bite into the thick skin of the snake. But even so, it seemed that they were doing nothing more than scratches that merely annoyed the Black Serpent and he mostly just ignored the attacks, as he did feint attacks towards the helpless bystanders to draw the phoenixes to its reach, so that it could bite them. Ultimately two of the phoenixes, the green and red ones lied dead on the ground, and the single white phoenix was left, lamenting its dead fellows with a heartbreaking song that even the hearts of the most hardened criminals could not withstand without being deeply affected – except for the Black Serpent, who continued his attacks just as viciously as ever before."
"With a rage renewed from the sight of its dead kin, the White Phoenix attacked even more ferociously against the abominable serpent, and she seemed to be tireless in her rage. Her attacks were now so blindingly fast, that the huge snake seemed to be completely unable to respond to them, and the Black Serpent found himself in a defending position against someone for the first time in a long time. Infuriated about that, the snake tried to respond to the attacks, but it was powerless against the rage of the phoenix who had just lost its companions, and so the Black Serpent found himself looking for an escape, before he could be seriously harmed by the enraged bird."
"There was no escape from a creature that moved faster than the eye, though, and no matter how the Black Serpent tried to slither away from her, the White Phoenix always followed him and she continued her fight driven by the love she still felt for its fallen companions, and the Black Serpent soon started to panic. It stopped trying to escape, knowing that it was useless, and instead tried to once again respond to the attacks of the phoenix. For three times the huge black snake managed to deliver a blow against the fierce bird with its head, and despite it never managing to really bite her, the White Phoenix should have fallen from just one of those brutal hits, but instead she just continued the battle without any sign of being hurt or needing to slow down."
"The people who had been watching the battle had followed the serpent and the phoenix the best they could, and even more onlookers had gathered around the scene, as the White Phoenix finally sunk her talons deep to the head of the enormous snake, and for a short moment the whole scene stood frozen and absolutely still. Then the snake fell down on the ground, hissing frantically and trashing its head from side to side, as the White Phoenix still continued her attacks on the creature, each time sinking its talons deeper and deeper to the skull of the Black Serpent, and soon the snake's movement started to slow down and abate and soon it was lying still on the ground, and a thick silence cascaded on the scene, as everyone watching waited for something to happen, some kind of a sign that the Black Serpent was still alive and would continue its fight, but nothing happened."
"Then the White Phoenix landed silently next to the head of the snake and sang a brief triumphant note. Despite the fact that many of the people watching the scene had never seen nor heard a phoenix before, everyone understood that simple note of song and knew that the darkest and most feared wizard of the time was dead, and most of the onlookers exploded in triumphant shouts and yells, while the followers of the Black Serpent stared at the scene in disbelief."
"Just as quickly as it had started, all the noise died immediately, as the White Phoenix started to sing again. This time her song held so deep pain and loss in it, that it immediately stopped everyone around, and instead of celebrating their victory, everyone was now again staring at the phoenix, totally entranced by its incredibly beautiful song that was laced with more sadness than anyone's heart could endure, and almost at once everyone in the vicinity that could hear the song sat or fell down on the ground, and soon they were all crying their hearts out."
"The White Phoenix had been victorious, but not without losses, and after lamenting her lost companions for an indescribable time, the bird suddenly fled off, high in the air, and disappeared, leaving behind a large group of emotionally drained people. Later, when some of the people returned to the place where the battle had started, they did not find the corpses of the green and red phoenixes, and there was no sign of them ever being there, not even a single feather, just as there was no sign of the White Phoenix, and she would indeed never be seen again," Dumbledore finished the tale and lapsed into a silence.
Harry had been totally captivated by the story, and now he was a bit startled to notice that they were still in the Hospital Wing, but he also saw that Ron, Hermione and Sirius seemed to have been just as entranced in the story, and they too looked somewhat surprised and none of them seemed to be willing to break the moment by speaking. Hermione's eyes were glistening with unshed tears, and Harry saw that Ron too had been deeply moved by the story, even if he tried to hide it. Sirius, on the other hand, wasn't showing any clear emotions besides sadness, but Harry could tell that he too had been deeply affected.
"That's the story of the White Phoenix and the Black Serpent as I've heard it," Dumbledore said quietly, finally breaking the silence and the atmosphere. "The full story is much longer, detailing how the Black Serpent lived for years with snakes and learned dark magic from them, including his ability to turn into one, and it also tells how the White Phoenix saved a community of phoenixes, far away, and as a thank-you received her two companions and the gift of being able to turn into a phoenix," he told them. "But I believe those parts are later additions to the original story, and almost certainly purely speculative," he added as an afterthought.
"But what's that got to do with me and Voldemort?" Harry finally asked in a slightly hushed tone, after another moment of silence.
"I'm afraid I can only give you guesses about that," Dumbledore sighed. "Obviously Voldemort knows more about the legend and thinks that there is something connecting him to the legendary Black Serpent, although I don't know what that is, as I don't really know the legend that well," he continued and lapsed to a short thoughtful silence.
"There are of course a couple of things that seem to loosely connect Voldemort to the Black Serpent, and, conversely, also you to the White Phoenix," Dumbledore said, looking at Harry for a moment, but then he turned back to address all of his listeners. Harry was listening to the headmaster raptly.
"As everyone these days would know after hearing the legend, the Black Serpent was obviously a Parselmouth, just like Voldemort is and has always been. The Black Serpent apparently was also a snake Animagus – a Basilisk it would seem – but I consider it very unlikely that Voldemort is one, as no one, not even his followers, have ever heard anything to implicate that," Dumbledore told them thoughtfully.
"Then there is also your connection with Fawkes, and possibly other phoenixes as well, and that connects you to the White Phoenix, and it is possible that you surviving the Killing Curse also has something to do with it," Dumbledore mused, and Harry remembered Voldemort's reference to the fateful Halloween night at the graveyard.
"If only we knew more about the legend, or even better the real history of those events, we'd perhaps understand Voldemort better, but sadly very little is known about those," Dumbledore added more sadly than frustrated.
Hermione perked up at hearing that. "So, there is some real history about the White Phoenix and the Black Serpent, and the story is real?" she asked interestedly. "Is it known who those two are from the legend, and did Morgan le Fay really have something to do with the Black Serpent?" she added hastily.
Dumbledore smiled a bit at her zeal for more knowledge, before he answered her question. "Yes, there are a few things that connect the White Phoenix and the Black Serpent with known historical characters. While it is not very commonly known these days, Morgan le Fay called her master 'Black Serpent' in her writings, and the one I heard the legend from had actually read her writings, and believed that it was the very same Black Serpent as the one in the legend. And it would also fit in with the time line of the history, as it is quite certain that the legend comes from a time long before Merlin, and Morgan le Fay was known to have been much older than Merlin, and it's also known that her master had died a long time before she met Merlin for the first time," Dumbledore told them, and especially Hermione and Harry were listening to him raptly, but Sirius, and even Ron, seemed to be interested about it too.
"The same person also suggested – and I quite agree with him – that the White Phoenix is someone you might have heard called by the name of Alanna the Everliving," Dumbledore added with a slightly questioning tone.
Hermione perked up immediately at hearing the name, but she needed a second to go through her impressive memory, and Harry was faster to reply than she was.
"Um, wasn't she the tutor of Merlin?" Harry asked slightly uncertainly, remembering what the book he had received from Hermione had told, and from the corner of his eye he could see Hermione nodding eagerly, agreeing with him.
"Yes, that she was indeed," Dumbledore replied. "She is a mysterious character because practically nothing is known about her, besides what little Merlin writes about her, and even that is somewhat inconsistent. If the White Phoenix really is the same person as the Alanna that taught Merlin, it would mean that she would have had to have been really old by the time she met Merlin, and that is actually supported by Merlin himself; one of the few things that Merlin wrote about Alanna, was mentioning that she was – according to her own words – over 'two hundred summers old' when she met Merlin and took him as her protégé. She taught Merlin for about 30 years more, before she disappears from Merlin's journals, so Merlin calling her 'Everliving' seems quite justified," he told, finishing with a small smile.
"Merlin also tells about Alanna that, 'she battled a great evil in her youth, although she isn't very willing to talk about it,' and that would be quite understandable if she lost her phoenix companions in the fight, as the bond between a phoenix and their companion is very strong, and I'm sure that she felt the loss for the rest of her life," Dumbledore told seriously, but also somewhat sadly.
"And then there is the fact that Alanna seems to have been even more powerful magically than Merlin himself was, and Merlin certainly doesn't hold his praises about his mentor. Of course it is possible that Merlin exaggerated Alanna's magical proficiency, especially earlier in his journals, but that doesn't seem very likely, since Merlin is usually very rational and logical in all parts of his journals, and that's actually one of the reasons why they are still held in such a high esteem among magical scholars," Dumbledore mused.
"However, It does seem a bit unlikely that such a powerful witch wouldn't have been known by anyone except for Merlin. But then again, Morgan le Fay is also very little known person, despite being a very powerful Dark Lady of the time, and almost nothing is known about her either besides of a chapter in Merlin's journals about his fight with her, and some further details that Merlin told to his later students, who in turn wrote them down," Dumbledore continued.
"But there is also an inconsistency," Dumbledore then said with a sigh. "In the legend Alanna is described as a 'young woman' when she faces the Black Serpent, and if she was indeed over two hundred years old by the time she met Merlin, then she would have been at least several decades older than Morgan le Fay and would have had to have been quite a bit older in the legend. Assuming that the legend has it right, the only reasonable way to explain that would be her ageing slower than what the average magical people does, and that would actually make sense since reaching the age of two hundred years is almost unheard of even in the magical world, and if what she told Merlin was true, she lived to be over 230 years old. Then it would also explain how a seemingly young person could best a very powerful dark lord with decades of experience in the Dark Arts, if she indeed aged slower and merely appeared young," Dumbledore finished his explanation.
"But what does all that mean?" Harry asked after a moment in a slightly desperate tone. "If Voldemort thinks that he's the new Black Serpent, and there are things connecting me to the White Phoenix, does it mean that we have something to do with the legend too?" he continued, feeling quite overwhelmed by all of it.
"The story about the White Phoenix and the Black Serpent is just that; a legend," Dumbledore replied. "There are things connecting you and Tom to the story, but why that is, I have no idea. For all we know it could be just a coincidence. But whatever the reason is, it won't change the fact that Tom seems to be very interested about the legend, and he will certainly associate you with the White Phoenix more than ever, now that you were saved by Fawkes from the graveyard. Especially as I'm sure that he has also heard about what happened to you in the first task, although I don't know if he can make the connection between dragons and phoenixes," he said thoughtfully, but then his expression and voice softened to sympathetic ones.
"In practise, I think it means that – as much as it pains me to admit it – that Tom is going to think of you as an obstacle in his new rise to power more than ever and that will certainly make him even more determined to... well, find a way to remove that obstacle from his path," he said sadly and with a heavy heart.
It was a startling thought, but for Harry it just confirmed something that he had suspected for some time, even if he hadn't wanted to consciously think about – that Voldemort would not stop haunting his life until either of them was dead. Of course the thought troubled him somewhat, despite him having expected it, but it seemed that the others were more affected than himself by what Dumbledore had told.
"Bloody hell," Ron muttered quietly under his breath, looking totally shocked.
Hermione, on the other hand, was looking horrified and shocked, and she shook her head slightly in a desperate denial. Uncharacteristically for her, she didn't even react to Ron's cursing at all, and didn't seem to hear it at all, as she seemed to be too overwhelmed for the moment to do anything.
Sirius' face took on a pained and sad expression, and when he turned to look at Harry, there was a look in his eyes that told that Sirius was greatly burdened by what Dumbledore had told. But when Sirius saw that Harry wasn't looking scared at all by the news, the look in his eyes turned determined and proud instead.
"Yes, that isn't something we should dwell too much on – what will come will come," Dumbledore said encouragingly, breaking the silence that was getting too heavy.
"Sir? Is it possible for us to get an access to the papers of Morgan le Fay and other things that we might use to learn more about the legend?" Hermione asked firmly, and Harry was surprised to see that all trace of shock had now left her features, and she was looking fiercely determined instead.
"I've been thinking of that myself actually, ever since Harry told about Tom mentioning the White Phoenix and the Black Serpent," Dumbledore replied.
"Yes, I think I might be able to get an access to the papers of Morgan le Fay, but I'm afraid it's going to be very difficult to find anything more about the legend itself. It was a long time ago that I heard it, and since the person who told it to me passed away, I don't know of anyone who knows more of it than I do," Dumbledore told seriously.
"I've only ever seen it referenced in writing a couple of times, both in very old books, and never have I seen even a verse of the original story in writing, and as such, I'm afraid there is perhaps only a handful of people that know about it at all," he said sadly.
"But I will, of course, look for anything that might give us a bit more knowledge about the matter, and if I do find something, I'll be sure to tell you about it," he added, somewhat more cheerfully.
Hermione nodded at that, still looking determined, although she was obviously a bit disappointed that there were no books that they could read about it.
"Now, that that's settled, there is one more thing I'd like to talk you about, Harry," Dumbledore then said. "The fact that Voldemort used your blood in the ritual has some quite serious consequences," he said, turning to look at Harry seriously.
It took Harry a moment to realize what Dumbledore meant, but then he remembered Voldemort's words at the graveyard. "Yeah, Voldemort said that my mother's sacrifice isn't protecting me any more," he replied to Dumbledore with the sadness that remembering his parents always brought to him.
"Yes, I'm afraid that is true," Dumbledore sighed. "It also means that you're no longer safe at your relatives' home and we need to find some other safe place for you to stay for this summer," he added.
For a moment Harry stared at nothingness and looked thoughtful, but then he broke the silence with a question. "Is that why I was put there? To keep me safe?" he asked quietly, surprising even himself with the open question.
Dumbledore sighed deeply. "It indeed wasn't the best decision to place you there," he then replied remorsefully.
"But no, that was only one of the reasons. Your parents didn't leave a will, and as Sirius, your godfather, wasn't able to care for you, there was really only two alternatives for you; either you could have been placed in an orphanage or given to your only living relatives. Of course, you would have been immediately adopted by one of the many Wizarding families – after the Halloween, most of them would have wanted to have you, had it been possible – but that would have led to a long legal proceeding, where the best family would have been decided for you and there is no telling what kind of a decision they would have ended up with. The possibility that you would have been given to a family that would have abused your celebrity status to their own gain was always there, and even worse, one of the supporters of Voldemort could have gained your custody, as some of them were and still are in high positions in the Ministry," Dumbledore explained.
"So, in that light it seemed like a very good choice to give you to your relatives' care, especially as your aunt's close blood relationship with you mother meant that the blood protection would keep you safe from Voldemort there. Petunia was never very fond of the magical world, but she didn't outright hate it either when she was younger – at least from what I know. I believe that she grew to hate the magical world only after the death of her parents and Lily, none of whom were very close to her at the time, but they were still close blood relatives of hers and they all died because of Voldemort... because of the magical world," Dumbledore finished with sadness and sympathy.
There was a short silence when Harry took it all in, but the silence wasn't broken by Harry, but instead it was Hermione who spoke.
"But didn't you keep any kind of watch over Harry? You just left him there?" she asked and there was a hint of resentment in her voice. Sirius nodded at the question, agreeing with her, and he too turned to look at Dumbledore expectantly, while Ron looked uncomfortable and like he didn't belong there.
"At the time I didn't know that Petunia would grow to hate the magical world, and I would have never guessed that she would also start disliking Harry because of it," Dumbledore answered them with a sigh.
"As I said, it seemed like the best decision at that time, and there wasn't really much that could have been done to it afterwards, as long as the Dursleys didn't start to outright abuse Harry," he finished apologetically.
"So, where am I going to go for the summer?" Harry interjected, wanting to change the subject. He asked the question from Dumbledore, but it was Sirius who answered first.
"I would have been more than happy to take you in, but of course I'm still on the run, so that just isn't possible," Sirius said with a sad shrug.
"Yes, I'm afraid that is true," Dumbledore said in kind but then he continued with a bit more cheery tone. "The final decision is yours of course, but one of the possibilities would be for you to stay here in Hogwarts," he told.
"Really? Could I stay here for the summer?" Harry asked hopefully.
"Yes, if that is what you want. Hogwarts would be the ideal place for you now that you aren't protected at your Aunt's house any more, but there are other things that must be taken into consideration," Dumbledore said reasonably. "Hogwarts is mostly empty during the summers as the students and even the professors leave the castle during their holidays, and I'm afraid this would be quite a lonely place for someone to stay for that long," he told Harry.
"But you have until the summer to think about it and things might still change, so you should take all the time you need for deciding what you want to do," Dumbledore added after a short pause.
Harry was already quite certain that he wanted to stay in Hogwarts, as he wouldn't be able to stay with Sirius, and besides that the only place he could imagine of going to was the Burrow, and he really didn't want to impose on the Weasleys. Especially as it would mean putting them at the risk too, and he was also quite certain that Professor Dumbledore wouldn't consider Burrow to be safe enough for him, anyway. He wasn't really concerned about the loneliness either, since he was practically more lonely at the Dursleys during the summer; sure, he had people around him there, but they were people who despised him, and he always preferred to avoid the Dursleys as much as possible, and at least here he would be more free to come and go as he pleased.
"Oh, there was one more thing I was curious about in your story, Harry," Dumbledore said, interrupting Harry's thoughts. "You said that you summoned a dagger while you were bound to a gravestone?" Dumbledore asked Harry and his eyes were now twinkling merrily again.
Harry realised the implications of what he was saying and he looked towards Hermione. She gave him a small shrug as an answer, telling him that he could decide it himself whether he wanted to tell Dumbledore or not.
"We've been studying wandless magic with Hermione ever since I was chosen to be a champion in the Tournament," Harry told Dumbledore, and from the corner of his eye, he could see Sirius' mouth drop open in surprise.
Dumbledore had seemed amused at first, but after hearing what Harry said, he looked astonished, and it took him a moment to gather himself, before he could reply with anything. "So, you're saying that you've only practised for a few months and you can already do the Summoning Charm without a wand and even without hand gestures?" he asked somewhat incredulously, something that Harry had never heard in the headmasters voice before.
"Well, yes, that and some other, simpler spells," Harry replied slightly uncertainly.
"That's remarkable," Dumbledore said, clearly very impressed. "I thought that you had been training for a much longer time," he continued in the same impressed tone, but then he turned to Hermione. "Like Miss Granger here," he added with an amused smile, and Hermione blushed a bit under the attention.
"Don't worry, Miss Granger, your secret is safe with me. The headmaster merely has some ways to obtain information about what goes on in the castle, although it seems that they aren't as precise ways of gathering information as I thought," Dumbledore then said with a smile, looking between Harry and Hermione.
"It is truly extraordinary that you have learned wandless magic so quickly, Harry. I've known only a few people who could do it at all, and all of them had practised it for several years, while you have made a lot of progress in just a few months. I myself had to practise for better part of a year, before I could do any wandless magic at all, and even after that my progress was really slow," Dumbledore said, and Harry could see Hermione nod at that.
"You really seem to have a talent for wandless magic and I'd recommend that you continue with your studies, and if there's anything I might help you with, I'd be happy to," Dumbledore said, and looked at Harry and Hermione questioningly.
Harry couldn't think of anything from the top of his head. "I don't think there's anything we really need, at the moment," he said and looked at Hermione, who shook her head, although she looked thoughtful.
"Harry, did anyone see you doing wandless magic at the graveyard?" Dumbledore asked then, turning more serious again.
"Uh, I'm not sure. I don't think that anyone saw me summoning the dagger, but Voldemort might have seen me summon my wand a bit later, and, well, I guess it's quite obvious that I had to escape somehow," he said uncertainly.
Dumbledore considered it for a second, before speaking thoughtfully. "I believe it would be wise to keep your wandless magic talent to yourself for now, in hopes that no one did see you use it, because it might prove out to be very useful one day," he said.
"Besides being unconscious, there isn't much that can stop one from using wandless magic, and it is very easy to underestimate someone that can do even elementary spells without the use of any magical device," Dumbledore added sagely.
"Now, unless you have anything further to ask, I should be on my way. I should get started in tracking down a copy of the papers of Morgan le Fay and there is some other business that I must attend to," Dumbledore said then.
Harry, Hermione, Ron and Sirius all wished Dumbledore a good evening and he left the Hospital Wing after returning their wishes and he added one for a quick recovery for Harry.
"So, we learn to become Animagi during our school years, but you just had to up it a notch and learn wandless magic, didn't you?" Sirius said after Dumbledore was gone, looking at all three of them in turn, and he pretended to be hurt about it.
"Uhm, we're sorry?" Harry suggested with a grin. He didn't feel like telling that Ron wasn't studying wandless magic with them, and neither did Hermione nor Ron it seemed, since they didn't say anything about it.
"Oh, just think about all the pranks you could pull with that!" Sirius said eagerly, dropping the hurt expression and staring off to distance with an overly dramatic dreamy expression. "You could turn Snape's hair pink and he'd never be able to tell who did it!" he then said with merry excitement.
"Oh, or better yet, give him a pink tutu and make him sing I'm a Little Tea Pot," he added, and he started singing the song, having such a perfect impression of Snape's grouchy expression on his face that Harry couldn't help starting to laugh at it. He distinctly remarked that it was just what he needed at that moment, something to take his thoughts off of everything for a moment, but he soon forgot that thought too, as he continued watching Sirius' antics, and soon even Hermione was laughing, although somewhat reservedly.
Sadly their merriment was cut short way too soon by none other than Madam Pomfrey, as she approached them with an expression that clearly conveyed that she was less than happy about one of her patients taking part of such activity, and it was starting to get late anyway.
"All right, I want everyone out except for the patients!" she said in a commanding tone, that none usually dared to disobey. "Mr. Potter will need his rest to finish healing from that disgusting curse, and he can't rest with all of you making a racket in here, now can he?" she added, and all three of Harry's visitors prepared to go, despite looking reluctant to leave Harry by himself so soon.
"I will see you in the morning, Harry," Sirius said, grinned, and turned to his dog shape, before prancing out of the Hospital Wing – something that made Madam Pomfrey harrumph, clearly unimpressed.
"Yeah, see you mate," Ron said, glancing at Madam Pomfrey dubiously, before he too made a hasty retreat from the Hospital Wing, barely staying long enough to listen to Harry's reply, but Hermione still lingered there and she turned to the school healer.
"Will Harry be released tomorrow morning, Madam Pomfrey?" she asked her with an obvious concern for his well-being.
"Yes, he will. He is mostly healed from the curse already and just needs to stay for the night to make sure there aren't any lasting effects from it," the healer responded, her demeanour softening a little towards the concerned teenage witch.
"Thank you," Hermione replied politely to Madam Pomfrey, before turning to Harry. "I'll see you in the morning, Harry. Before breakfast," she said to him sweetly.
"Okay," Harry agreed with her. "See you then," he added. Unnoticed by himself, his tone had also turned softer and sweeter than usual.
Hermione smiled at him, before turning to go, but just before reaching the doors, she stopped and turned around. "Oh, and sleep well," she wished him.
"You too," Harry quickly replied and with another smile as a reply, Hermione walked out of the Hospital Wing, leaving Harry alone with Madam Pomfrey and the still sleeping Professor Moody.
"Well, I'm sure you know your way around by now, Mr. Potter," Madam Pomfrey said, referring to the numerous times that Harry had been in the Hospital Wing, and despite there being no humour in her expression, Harry thought that he could still detect a slight hint of it in her tone.
"As I said, you should be mostly healed already, but you know how you can alert me, if you experience any severe pain or other symptoms during the night. Headache and slight dizziness are normal after a concussion, and you're probably still hurting somewhat by the after effects of the curse, but if there's anything worse, it's better to be safe than sorry," she told him matter-of-factly, before keeping a small pause.
"And do try to sleep well," she then added in an almost mother-like tone, before she too left, and Harry was finally left by himself in the Hospital Wing.
As usual whenever he was there, Harry had been brought a fresh set of pyjamas (he now thought that the house-elves did it), and seeing them, he realized that he was still in the dirty clothes he had worn for the day, and he was more than happy to get out of them and get a nice hot shower. The shower made him feel delightfully sleepy, and despite having so much to think about, having a slight headache, and having slept for most of the day, he fell asleep quickly and easily. His last conscious thought was of Hermione's sweet smile, and perhaps because of that he slept very well that night.
To be continued...
Hmm, is it just me or am I ending most of my chapters to Harry going to bed and falling asleep?