Harry Potter Junior Level: Year Two

Ch. 42

The Explanation

Having been summoned to speak with his Dad, Harry is not enthusiastic about the meeting. Slowly walking into their quarters he doesn't see Sirius waiting as he expects.

"Dad? Hadley told me you wanted to see me." he calls, waiting for an answer.

"I'm in the kitchen, come in here." Sirius answers.

"Hello son. Happy weekend. Come, sit down and let's chat. I just made some hot cocoa. How was your day today?"

"We had class today, Dad. We didn't get a free Friday this week. We had Herbology for two hours today. That's why I couldn't come right away, I had to go shower first. I asked Hadley to tell you."

"She told me. How has your week been, son? I've been busy with classes and exams myself and haven't seen you."

Squirming a little in the chair and wondering just how much his Dad already knows, Harry decides to play it safe for now.

"It was a long week, Dad. It seems like every professor was out to make us miserable all at the same time. Do the professors have a meeting and plan to do that? All professors giving tests, practicums and long essays all in the same week? I think they do."

"No, Pup. We don't intentionally set up a schedule to make students miserable." Sirius answers, chuckling. "This is just the middle of the term and professors like to judge where their students are in learning the syllabus at this time. I've heard you had some troubles this week. Professor McGonagall is quite worried. What seems to be the problem?"

"My wand doesn't want to perform, Dad. I used to be able to do Transfiguration easily but this week nothing I did made the wand behave. My matchstick to beetle only grew legs on the matchstick and it ran off. When I tried the cup to rat, back to cup. I got a cup with ears and a tail but then I couldn't get it to completely transform one way or the other."

"One way or the other? I'm not following."

"It wouldn't go to solid cup or back to rat. Grandma scolded me and said I wasn't even trying. She even took my wand and checked to see if I was casting. I was trying, Dad. I couldn't do it. I don't think she believed me when I told her this, however. She made me stay after class and write lines! She told me 'You are just fiddling around and not even trying. You could do those transfigurations without trouble weeks ago.' I wasn't fiddling Dad. I don't know how to play a fiddle."

"She did mention this trouble." Sirius replies, trying not to laugh at Harry's not understanding the term 'fiddling around'. "I hope you didn't refer to her as Grandma while she was discussing this with you. You know while you are at school she wishes to be called Professor McGonagall. During school breaks, she is 'Grandma'."

"I was respectful, Dad. I don't call her anything but her title during school. The one time I slipped and called her Grandma in class last year, she made me write 200 lines of 'I will remember to show respect to Professor McGonagall.' My hand nearly fell off after that."

"Yes, I remember hearing about that punishment. I also heard from Professor Snape and Professor Lupin earlier today. Both came to me to ask what was happening with you. No, son. They aren't being informants to get you in trouble. I see from the look, that is what you are thinking. Believe it or not, they are concerned. What can you tell me about what happened with those classes?"

"I don't know, Dad. I just can't remember things this week. Everything I study and read for class goes right out of my mind when it's time to write or perform. We had a practicum in Defense and were to use our wands to perform three defensive spells. I could only get one to work. The Jelly Legs jinx was all I could do. I tried Incarcerous and Stupefy but couldn't do either one. I could do both two weeks ago!"

"Those are powerful spells, Harry. You are quite young to be doing either. Did Professor Lupin ask you to perform those?"

"Only the Jelly Leg one. We were to choose two defensive spells we have learned and then show we could cast Jelly Legs. I picked Incarcerous and Stupefy to show because I thought I could do them. I was able to do both when I practiced with you before we went to the Quidditch game. Remember?"

"I do remember and I was very impressed with your ability to do those. But Pup, those are advanced spells and they might not be appropriate for a ten year old to try at this time. Most thirteen year olds have trouble with those spells. I don't want you trying things that are too taxing on your magic. Just because you can doesn't mean you should until you are older. Do you see what I'm saying?"

"I think so. I shouldn't do too many advanced spells right now."

"That's exactly what I'm saying. I am going to limit your advanced spellwork to only one spell a month. You may learn and practice only ONE as long as you have adult supervision and you tell me which spell you are planning to attempt. Agreed?"

"Yes, Dad."

"Good. Now, what can you tell me about the Potions exam? Severus told me you were to write and perform the Boil Cure Potion. Harry, that is the first potion ever taught. It's also one of the most basic and one you have performed many times. I also know he has used this as an exam before. How is it you couldn't make a score higher than Poor? I can understand the Defense lesson but this result in Potions has me wondering. Are you paying attention in class and to your performance son?"

"I am, Dad. I'm telling you the truth! I know the Boil Cure Potion is one of the easiest and some kids got the Swelling Solution to do which is harder. We had to choose a color, red or blue. The blues did the Boil Cure but the people who picked red did the Swelling Solution. I guess I should of picked red like Ron did. He couldn't remember the steps to do the potion either but his was harder."

"I don't believe your choice of color has anything to do with your trouble, son. Something is going on here as you have been making excellent scores most of this term. You know I expect you to do your best at all times. Is this your best, Harry?" Sirius asks his tone giving way to sternness.

"It's my best for now, Dad. I am trying, I swear it! I don't know why everything went away with my remembering and performing this week. It just did. I can't think of anything but ... "

"Don't stop there, son. Now tell me. What is it you can't stop thinking of? Tell me the truth." Sirius coaxes to the boy sitting with his head down and lips trembling.

"You were going to tell me of the day Mummy and Daddy died and the bad wizard came. You didn't tell me and I can't stop thinking about what the man said at the Baron's game. Did I murder someone Dad? Am I going to be put in Ask Up On? I've waited all week and now you're mad and going to punish me for not doing excellent work in my classes."

"Put in "Ask Up On"? What is that, Pup? A new term for Time Out?"

"You know! The place where BAD people go. Am I going to be locked up forever with rats to eat? " Harry asks collapsing in tears on the table.

Abandoning his drink, Sirius quickly lifts Harry off his chair, into his arms. "Shh, it's all right. Stop crying, Pup. No one is angry at you. No one is going to punish you or be sending you anywhere. Children do not go to Azkaban prison, son. I'm surprised you've even heard of that place at your age. Come, let's go to my room and we'll talk."

Holding the boy close as they snuggle on Sirius' large bed, Sirius waits for Harry to get still before speaking. "Pup, first of all I want you to know you are not in any trouble over your schoolwork. I have never said I expect you to make Excellent or Exceeds Expectations on anything. All I ask is that you do your schoolwork to the best of your ability. I also know with your ability it means your scores will be Acceptable or above. No one expects perfection, son. I have been cross with you over scores before but that is because you were not attempting to do your best or you lied about your scores. That isn't the case this time. Do you see the difference, Pup?"

"I do. Will you tell me about Mummy and Daddy again? The night The Evil One came? I kinda remember but it's all mixed up too. I want to know if I killed someone."

"Harry, this is a difficult thing to talk about. Are you positive you want to discuss it? It's not a happy memory for either of us."

"I need to hear it again. I can't stop thinking about it and trying to remember isn't helping me."

"Alright son, but if you get too upset, I'll stop. Understand?"

"Umm hmm."

"Well, your Mummy and Daddy were part of what we call "The Order". The Order is a group of adult Witches and Wizards who work together to keep the Wizarding World safe from the evil side. Harry, in every society, there are always good people who follow the laws and cooperate in society and those who don't. In our world, turning to the evil side is even worse because those people use magic to harm and destroy. Are you following what I'm telling you?"

"Yes Dad. There are people who want to use their magic to hurt instead of help. Is that what the one who came to our cottage was? An evil wizard?"

"Yes son. He was the leader of the Dark Side, the side with the evil witches and wizards. His followers were called Death Eaters. You may have heard the term. The leader was named Voldemort. His intention was to kill anyone who was known to be against him. He and his followers were at war with The Order. Your parents and others like them, were sent to hidden locations. There were special precautions set up to keep them safe."

"They didn't help keep them safe did they, Dad? He got in anyway didn't he?"

"He did, son. Suppose you tell me what you do remember about that day. I know it's been two years but try to tell me all you remember. I'll listen and then we'll talk about it."

"Daddy and I were flying and playing outside when the sky got really dark. I thought a bad storm was coming. Daddy told me to run inside and he came in a little bit after me. He sent me up to my room and told me to get in my wardrobe to hide. He said not to come out until he said it was safe. I heard him say to Mummy "They're Coming! Get Ready!" I hid in my wardrobe but I had to go to the loo really bad. I waited and waited until I couldn't wait anymore. I crept out and down the hall to go. I looked down the stairs and saw a thing wearing all black and he pointed his wand at Daddy. He asked him something and Daddy didn't answer. A green light came out and Daddy fell on the floor."

"That would have been Voldemort, son. What else do you remember?"

"Mummy screamed and I ran down to help her. She pushed me behind her and I felt her wand go to my tummy. I felt warm and tingly for a few minutes and then she fell down too. Mummy and Daddy were asleep on the floor. The bad man tried to grab me but I ran. Daddy had another wand in his room and I knew I wasn't supposed to EVER touch it but I did. I grabbed it and ran back to the door but the Evil One was there. I don't really know what happened after that."

"Oh, Harry. I didn't know this part. I wondered how it came to be." Sirius replies softly, holding the boy closer.

"Are you mad because I disobeyed? I touched that wand and I shouldn't have?"

"Not at all. You saved yourself, son. That wand has special powers against the Dark Side. That plus what your Mum did to you to make you feel "tingly" as you said, helped you. You must have pointed the wand at Voldemort and said something. Can you try to remember?"

After a few minutes of watching while Harry scrunches up his eyes and face in deep thought, Sirius hears him whisper "I remember."

"Can you tell me or is it too frightening for you?"

"I can tell. I was really mad because he hurt Mummy and Daddy. I figured out that they weren't just sleeping when they didn't come to the room after I touched the wand. Daddy had spells on the drawer and if I opened it they went off. One time before I opened it because Mummy told me to get her diary for her. Daddy came running into the room and nearly smacked me until Mummy said she told me to open it. That day with the bad man, I was mad and I pointed the wand and said I hated him and hoped he would go away then I said 'I VANQUISH YOU'! He blew away just like a dark cloud. The funny thing was he blew away NAKED. His clothes were on the floor and he wasn't in them. He was starkers, Dad!" Harry says giggling at the memory.

"How did you know to say those words, Harry? How did you know to say "I Vanquish You"? Who taught you that?"

"Was it bad? Am I in trouble?"

"No, son. NO trouble. Tell me though."

"Mummy and Daddy taught me. We used to play a Magic Game with pretend wands. The would call out spells for me to say. We'd play with Accio and Stupefy and others too. Daddy told me about the Vanquish Spell. He said if I was ever in danger by someone trying to hurt me to point at them and yell it. He didn't say I could use a wand but I did."

"That was so brave of you. You saved yourself from Voldemort, Harry. He would have hurt you just as he hurt Lily and James. When you used the Vanquish Spell as you said, you sent his spirit away. He is not really dead, son. You didn't kill him. You separated his spirit from his body. As long as he has no body he has very little power. No one has seen any sign of him regaining a body. It's very difficult for a spirit to do and still retain magic."

"So that man was wrong when he said I killed someone?"

"Yes Pup, very wrong. Can you tell me anything else about that day?"

"Right before I did the vanquish spell, the evil man pointed his wand at me and the green light came at me. It bounced off me right as I said the Vanquish spell and hit the evil one. I guess I green lighted him away too. Mummy and Daddy wouldn't wake up. I went down to wake them and they wouldn't listen. You came running in the house just after I tried to wake Mummy. I remember you grabbing me and hugging me so tight I couldn't breathe much. Were you scared, Dad?"

"I was. I was very afraid."

"We're safe now though, aren't we? The evil one is vanquished and gone." Harry answers, beginning to fall asleep.

"We are as safe as we can get here, son." Sirius whispers, watching the child sleep.

Five weeks later:

"Two weeks for Spring vacation! No more Potions or Exams of any kind! Merlin Harry, I am so excited to be finished with schoolwork! Aren't you?" Ron asks as he packs his small trunk for his trip home.

"I suppose so, Ron. After those exams at mid term when I did so poorly, I had to work pretty hard to bring up my grades. I just hope I did well enough to keep from being grounded. Being sent to bed at seven each night and not going anywhere without Dad is not fun. We're going to the lake and I want to play outside without having to have my Dad right there. Are you going to come stay overnight during the last week? Did your Mum say you could come?"

"I can't come this time. We are going to visit my brother Bill. Maybe another time. Bye, Harry. I have to go to catch the group for the train. They are almost to the path to Hogsmeade!" Ron replies looking out the window.

"Have a good break, Ron. Owl me if you get time."

"I will. Have fun, Harry." Ron calls back as he rushes down the stairs to the portrait hole.

Walking into his Dad's quarters later, Harry flops down in the overstuffed chair with a sigh.

"Well, hello to you too, Pup. What is all this sighing and what's with the glum face? You are officially on Spring Break, be happy!"

"Everyone's gone home, Dad. No one is left to do anything with. Even Draco is about to leave. He and Uncle Sev are leaving tonight to go to their home in London. Uncle Sev is having Draco help him with some last minute things. I asked if Draco could come play and Uncle Sev said 'no'. I'm all alone."

"Soooo, you are all alone. When did I become invisible? I'm sitting right here. I don't believe I have the ability to be invisible and last I checked I wasn't wearing an Invisibility Cloak."

"Yeah Dad, but you're a DAD not a kid. I'm alone and have no friends to play with. When are we going to the lake cabin? Tonight?"

"Tomorrow morning, son. I still have a few more things to do here. You can go spend time with your Grandpa or Hagrid this afternoon. I'll be ready to play games with you tonight after we eat and then we'll go to bed early. We leave for the cabin first thing in the morning. How does that suit you?"

"Alright, I suppose I can go visit Grandpa for a while. What time are we eating?"

"Five o'clock, be back here by then. You know something, Pup? I don't want to spend MY Spring break with a Grumpy Gloomy Gustoffagaus."

"What does a Grumpy Gloomy Gustoffagus look like and where do you find them? Is that a Magical Creature Dad? Is it at the lake?"

"I'm not sure if I'd call it a creature and I found one right here in our quarters. It looks rumpled, gloomy, droopy faced and sighs often. It's about your size too."

"DAD! I'm not a Grumpy Gloomy Gustoffagus! I'm Harry!"

"REALLY? Are you positive you are my son named Harry? I could of sworn you were a Gustoffagaus as you sure looked like one."

"You are so silly, Dad. I'll go to see Grandpa, now." Harry tells him as he stands to leave the room.

"Before you leave I have to say: So long Mr. Grumpy Gloomy Gustoffagus, we don't want you here." Sirius answers, pretending to shove something out the front door before Harry leaves. Turning to see the wide grin on his son's face he tells him "Eureka! It worked! I got rid of the Gustoffagus!" At Harry's giggle, he opens the door again. "Have a good time, Pup. It's nice to see that smile."

"I will. See you at five, Dad. Be sure to set a extra place for dinner. Mr. Gloomy could come back."

"Oh no, he's not eating with us. He's gone. I vanquished him just now. So it will just be the two of us."

"Okay, Dad." Harry giggles.

"Hi, Grandpa. I can call you that now, school is over for two whole weeks!" Harry announces walking into the Headmaster's office.

"That it is my boy, that it is! Come, tell me all about what you have planned for your school break. You and Sirius are going to a lake, I hear."

"Yes sir. Dad rented a cabin on a lake in the southern part of Ireland. We are going to hike and fish and play on the shore. Maybe I can go swimming too. I wish we had been able to put in that swimming pool here at Hogwarts. I know you tried to find a place to put it so I shouldn't complain. I just love swimming!"

"It just wasn't possible, my boy. The castle refused to allow that much water to form inside. Perhaps you will have a pool one day." Dumbledore answers.

"I know! YOU can make one for me at our house! We have a huge yard and if you can make a racetrack, you can make a pool! Please Grandpa? Please, won't you make one for me? Please?"

"Harry, your Dad wouldn't like it if you were begging now would he?"

"No sir. I'm sorry. You won't tell on me will you? I don't want to start holiday under punishment. I might anyway though. We got the grade report just as I was coming to see you. I saw the owl bringing it. If I didn't do well in my classes, I'll get punished! I have to have Acceptable or better. I really didn't do well on the middle of term exams and it could make me have bad grades."

"Well now, let's just look at your scores, shall we? I have a book here that will show everyone's scores for the term. Let me just get it and ... yes, here it is, Harry Potter Black, Junior Level Year Two. Hmm, well come on and sit up here with me and we'll look together."

"This whole page is just for me? No other scores are here."

"I didn't ask it to show any other scores. Let's look, shall we? Transfiguration - Acceptable. Now I wonder why Minerva didn't give you higher. I'll just have to ask her that. Potions - Acceptable. Yes, Severus is not one to give much higher. Herbology- Exceeds Expectations. Now that is a good mark! Defense- Excellent. Yes, Remus loves to give high praise. I've heard you mastered some advanced spells for his class!"

"How about Literature? I don't see it."

"Just a second and we'll see." Dumbledore replies tapping his wand on the book. "Ahh, here we are. Literature - D minus."

"I made a D MINUS! That's like Dreadful! Oh, Grandpa! That's bad enough to get spanked! Dad said if I ever had term scores of Dreadful, I'd get a sore bum! He said I wouldn't have been doing my best if I made such a score! I did do my best though!"

"Come now, a muggle grade can't be that terrible. It's not a magical course it shouldn't matter much. Run on now. I have some things to finish up here."

"Yes sir. I'll see you after vacation, Grandpa."

"Mr. Abbott? Are you there? Step through, please."

"Yes Headmaster? You wish to see me?"

"I have a parent wishing to speak to you." Dumbledore replies before calling through the floo, "Sirius? Are you ready to come through?"

"Hello, Mr. Abbott, I'm perplexed by the grade of D minus and the note of missing assignments in Literature. I know Harry completes his work. His grade was a B at mid term."

"He may have completed it, but it did not get turned in. Our coursework this term was to learn to make an outline and use it for an essay. The outline for the final essay was to be in with the essay by Tuesday. Harry did not turn his in even after I reminded him. I gave him until Thursday afternoon but I had no final essay or outline. Therefore his grade was zero. His last two papers were scored 70, his mind was elsewhere apparently. All this averaged together is 65 which is a D minus."

"Thank you for your explanation. This is strange. I saw Harry complete his outline and I read the essay. He chose to write on Tom Sawyer. That is his favorite story of the moment. Let me call an elf to get him and find out what went on." Sirius replies.

"MITSY!"

"Yes Professor?" She asks as she pops in.

"Please get Harry from Hagrid's."

"Yes sir."

Popping back in two minutes later with a startled Harry, the elf leaves.

"Dad? I didn't even have time to put Julia back in her nest! Mitsy popped me here so fast I couldn't even say goodbye to Hagrid either." Harry complains as everyone looks at the long snake in his arms.

"Let me send um Julia?" (Harry nods) "Yes, Julia, back to Hagrid." Dumbledore says reaching out with his wand and lightly touching the snake, it disappears.

"Harry, Mr. Abbott and I are discussing your Literature theme. He says he never received it. Why do you suppose he doesn't have it to grade?" Sirius asks calmly.

"Well, Dad. I didn't give it to him. I like it so much I want to keep it to read."

"Son, you have to turn in your assignment or you won't receive a grade. You know this. Where is your theme?"

"It's in my trunk at home."

"Go get it, Harry."

"Can't I keep it though? It's the best I've ever written! You said it was!" Harry says, sighing.

"I did, that's true. Mr. Abbot must grade it, now bring the theme and the outline, Harry James."

"Yes, Dad." Harry answers, walking glumly out of the office.

"Why didn't he floo, Sirius?" Dumbledore asks.

"He gets floo sick. It will be better to have him walk. I apologize Mr. Abbott. I didn't know Harry was hoarding the theme! That boy gets possessive with some things! I should have checked seeing how reluctant he was to turn it in. I told him you would give it back but apparently, that wasn't enough reassurance for him."

"I've never seen a child be attached to a theme before."

"That's Harry. He's unique in many ways!" Dumbledore answers, chuckling.

Ten minutes later Harry hands over his theme with a frown. "Sir, I'm sorry. Will I still get the D score? "

"Let me grade this and I'll have it back to you. I'm sure your score will improve afterward."

"Yes sir." Harry replies as he watches the man walk to a corner to read.

"Dad? Am I in trouble?" Harry whispers after a few minutes pass.

"For hiding the essay or for the unacceptable grade?"

"Either one."

"Your grade should improve so no trouble there. Tell me son, what spell is used to make copies of something?" Sirius asks after sitting down to look Harry in the eyes.

"The Duplicating Spell. That's an easy question, Dad."

"Yes, that's the spell. Now, why didn't you ask me to cast it on your essay? You would have one to keep and one to turn in."

"OH! Umm, well, I just didn't think of that."

"Start thinking better, son. No punishment this time but if you deliberately fail to turn in an assignment again, I'll put you over my knee! Got me?"

"Yes Sir!"

Having walked up in time to hear the question and answer session, Mr. Abbott can't help but grin at Sirius' responses.

"Well Harry, I have your paper graded. Here you are."

"An A? I haven't made an A on any theme this year!" Harry exclaims joyfully waving the paper in the air.

"You earned it. That truly is an excellent essay as your Father told you. Headmaster, please change the final grade to a B for Harry in the Gradebook." Mr. Abbott answers.

"It's already done. Magic is a wonderful thing"

"Thanks Mr. Abbott! Dad? May I go back to Hagrid's now? I was playing with Julia."

Shaking his head in amusement, Sirius replies, "Go ahead. Be home by five o'clock."

"Thanks Dad!" Harry calls running for the door.

"Don't Run In The Castle!" Three voices call out behind him.

"Yes sirs! Sorry!" Harry calls back slowing to a trot.