The 2nd of September was an amusing day all in all. The day started with a hearty breakfast which was followed by Draco Malfoy's first attempt at befriending Harry.
Just as Daphne and Harry were leaving the Great Hall to explore the maze or as some called it Hogwarts corridors, Draco Malfoy approached them strutting with the two gorillas behind him.
"Merry meet, Mr. Potter, Ms. Greengrass. My name is Draco, Draco Malfoy."
Daphne stayed silent as Harry begun speaking.
"Oh, merry meet, Malfoy. I heard you were rather sure that I would not show up as I was… what was it, Daphne dear?"
"He said a miserable squib, Harry."
The young pale rodent-like face of the boy was marred by a grimace.
"Ah, yes, a miserable squib. It was a pleasure meeting you, Draco."
Then Harry dealt the final blow by soaking the boy in ice-cold water. While the boy was trying to understand what happened and turned to berate the gorillas behind him, the Ravenclaw duo left him laughing about stupid boys.
Then, a prefect delivered a note written in an elegant handwriting.
Mr. Potter,
I would love to have a chat with you at 3:00 pm.
Show this to a prefect, they will show you the way to my office.
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore
Daphne was as surprised as Harry was but neither paid too much attention to the message. It was not a request after all, it was an order worded as a request. They spent the time before the meeting discovering various places in the castle.
At 2:50 pm, Harry was escorted to Dumbledore's office. The gargoyle hopped aside to let Harry pass. The door to the headmaster's office was so full of magic Harry felt a shiver down his spine. He gently knocked on the door. The door was opened as Harry knocked.
Harry's curiosity got the better of him and he tentatively walked inside.
The office was simply huge. The walls of the first floor were filled with various books and metal tools. At the centre of the room, there was an ornate desk with parchments spread on it. To the right of the desk in front of a wide window, a phoenix was watching Harry intently. The plumage of the magical bird seemed to wave slowly like fire.
The moment Harry caught the bird's eye, a wave of magic hit him. Then the wave of images started appearing. Harry knew the scene too well for his liking. It was his room at the Godric's Hollow. However, the difference was the number of occupants of the room. There was a baby in the crib wailing, a snake-like man pointing his wand to the baby and a shadowy figure watching the others.
Before Harry could ask anything about it, he heard Dumbledore's voice.
"I apologize for the delay and thank you for coming, Mr. Potter. I see that you have met Fawkes. He is absolutely magnificent, isn't he?"
Harry could feel the suffocating magic of the man. He had never seen the man before; it was always his lawyer that interacted with the man on Harry's behalf.
"I am sorry, Sir, the door was open."
The old man had a serene smile on his face as he pointed Harry to sit that he conjured with a simple wave. The wand he was holding caused a fierce sense of avarice in Harry.
"Don't worry, my boy, a healthy amount of curiosity is what makes childhood fun."
Being addressed as "boy" yanked Harry from his focus on the wand. When he turned to look at the old man's face, he felt Dumbledore's suffocating magic wrapping his head. His anger was boiling behind the layers of pure darkness and several other defence mechanisms. So, he spoke in his mind.
"It would be better if you asked me if you wanted to know something, Sir."
The response came out loud.
"I did not know you were practicing occlumency, my boy. I assure you I did not mean any harm."
No one in the room believed it but sometimes one has to swallow their words for a while. Dumbledore continued as if he just did not try invading an eleven-year old's mind.
"Harry, Professor McGonagall told me you were exceptionally in control of your magic. Would you mind telling me who taught you control at such a level and, apparently, occlumency too?"
The kind smile made the question seem like a genuine curiosity of an old man. However, the demanding and intense eyes of the man made the question an obvious order. Combined with the ever-present feel of the Headmaster, the order genuinely intimidated Harry. Therefore, his response sounded more subservient than Harry wanted.
"I… I learned it myself, Sir."
As a last-ditch attempt, Harry tried to radiate the warm cackling flow of energy in his veins. The following minute would be remembered by both men. For completely opposite reasons, yet it would be remembered. The friendly flow of Harry's magic tightly wrapped him and started expanding. The relaxing sensation manifested itself in a glow in riot of colours. When the glowing colours reached the shocked Headmaster, charged sparks flowed from the old man's body to the nearest magical trinkets. Harry tried to pull back his magic but the sensation was just too good to let go. Then he felt six sharp talons sink in his shoulders. The pain was enough to distract him from his amazement. The glow receded back to his body and with it the pain also vanished. The warm and calming sound caused Harry to realize the majestic phoenix on his shoulders.
He thanked Fawkes and the phoenix nuzzled his hair softly in return.
The old man was watching the two intently. He cleared his throat to get the attention of the boy.
"Harry, my boy, the time has flown truly. While I would love to continue our chat, there are matters I must attend to. Have a nice day and excuse an old man's curiosity."
The same serene smile was back with the intense look in his eyes. Fawkes trilled once more as Harry felt the calm wash over him.
"Thank you and have a nice day, Sir."
Meanwhile, in a room next to a Transfiguration classroom, two friends were chatting amicably while sipping their most probably spiked teas. The woman was speaking about the child of two of her favourite students.
"I am telling you Fil, Harry is different. He paralyzed me. Without a move. Without a single word. And he did it twice as if it was nothing. On top of that, I feel something akin to a very light Legilimency sweep but I did not pay much attention to it. Yet, I would not be surprised if it was in fact him."
The friend of the woman, Filius Flitwick, had a cautious yet amused look.
"So, you are completely sure that it was not accidental? Minnie, what you are saying is rather unbelievable, you know that, right?"
"I know what I saw and felt, Filius. He was doing it on purpose. In fact, he refused to show the extent of his abilities when I asked him so I expect we are in for a surprise."
The man was smiling contently.
"He surely was bluffing."
"Fine, don't believe me. I expect your apology next Saturday."