Chapter 7:

Now that the main challenges of years 1 and 3 were resolved, it was time to deal with year 2. It was now a little before Christmas break of year 1, so there was time to plan ahead. In my dorm, after placing a silencing charm around me, I said, "I would like to speak to Dobby about a matter of importance about Harry Potter." I did not know if that would work, but Malfoy's elf, Dobby, appeared and said, "Master Picard wishes to speak to Dobby?".

I said, "Yes, but try to listen without revealing information. I don't want Dobby to feel like he has to punish himself. I have seen a version of the future, which can still change. You would become aware of a plot to cause a cursed object to appear in Hogwarts, which would result in the opening of the Chamber of Secrets and great danger to everyone at Hogwarts, but with perhaps special danger to Harry Potter. You would ask Harry Potter to not return to Hogwarts, and then would take steps to prevent him from arriving, and then when there to injure him so he would be sent home. I must caution you that these steps will weaken him, but not keep him out of danger. Since I know what the plot is, and am free to speak to him, I can better guide him through the danger. Your actions will hurt, not help. The only action that you could do to help, would be to deliver the warning the danger approaches, so the time of approaching danger can be communicated. Do not try to stop Harry Potter from being at Hogwarts. Even if you could prevent the plot from happening, Harry Potter will at some point need to personally fight the one your owner pledged himself to. He won't gain these skills without going to Hogwarts. You could cause his death later while trying to help him earlier."

"In any case, if you try to do more than warn Harry Potter, if you try to interfere in his actions, I will be forced to complain about a rogue elf, meaning you." Dobby understood the implication of a complaint against him.

Dealing with Sirius's elf Kreacher will take some time, until I can speak to both Harry Potter and Sirius Black about how Kreacher's loyalty can be gained by helping him complete the task that Sirius's brother Regulus gave him to destroy the locket with the horcrux.

At the next meeting with Dumbledore, I said, "Clearly you are trying to work with me. Let's discuss some tactical issues. I think we should encourage Harry to be friends with the Weasley twins, but not especially with Ron, or for that matter Percy." Dumbledore replied, "Explain your logic behind these recommendations."

I said, "I see you understand that I'm a Ravenclaw and prefer logic. Ron would hold him back from reaching his potential. He also would turn on Harry at critical times in the next years of canon, mostly due to jealousy. The twins, on the other hand, would inspire him to outdo himself in magical cleverness. They also would be valuable allies. Percy would follow rules, even to the extent of working loyally for a Voldemort dominated Ministry, until a very late point. You might consider Hermione in the same category, but she'll grow beyond the stage of believing too much in authority soon."

Dumbledore said, "That makes sense. However, you are leaving out someone who would be a useful friend indeed to Harry Potter, that would be yourself. You already know the plan, and can help guide him."

I said, "That also makes sense. Also, Neville Longbottom. The prophecy could be interpreted to be about him, maybe not correctly, but maybe by Voldemort, as an additional target, just in case. They should both train intensively. You've seen in canon how Harry Potter could fight Voldemort. He's fast and magically strong. He needs knowledge and practice. In canon Neville could kill Voldemort's snake Nagini. Again, more intensive practice."

I added, "One important point before Christmas break, Hufflepuff's Cup in Bellatrix Lestrange's vault in Gringotts. There are different fan theories about the goblins. Some say they would be upset to know that a horcrux is in their bank, and would remove it. Others say that Sirius Black has a right to it. Perhaps the school can make a claim to it. Some say, that goblins know a way to non-destructively remove a horcrux, and perhaps even the soul fragment in Harry Potter's scar.

Perhaps you can determine which of these might be true. You can also guide Sirius Black as to when and how to remove Bellatrix Lestrange from the Black family, and how, if possible, he could gain access to her vault."

Christmas break happened, and I won't bother listing the presents given and received. Harry got his Cloak of Invisibility back from Dumbledore.

During the break, I asked my parents, "Did our family ever have any dealings with the Malfoy family?"

My father answered, "They moved to England with William the Conqueror in 1066. There is a French branch of their family still, but they are not closely linked with each other. I do not have any family information about any connections between Picards and Malfoys before 1066, in France. Remember that France was not united at that time, and the Malfoys were in Normandy."

During the spring term, I showed the "Advanced Study Group", the Room of Requirement. We set it up to be a dueling and fighting training room. We also all started doing intensive physical exercise, which would help in prolonged magical fighting and in dodging.

In Professor Flitwick's dueling class, he allowed us to move up class levels after demonstrated ability. By the end of the term most of us were in the third year division.

In our "Advanced Study Group" training, Dumbledore explained the differences between formal duels and fighting, including that actual fighting isn't necessarily one on one, and that lethal spells are often used. He cautioned us that the unforgivables would result in being sent to Azkaban prison.

Dumbledore also taught us about how to change terrain during fighting and duels. He also introduced the concept of chained spells, where multiple spells are done in one quick sequence, and practiced in those combinations. At the end of the term, he left us with learning the principles and fundamentals of both silent and wandless casting. He said, that not many adult wizards can do these, but he thinks many of us will master these while at school.

I didn't get involved in the idiocy of the chase for the sorcerer's stone, except to tell Dumbledore that I hoped he didn't put the real stone at risk. That, assuming he didn't commit that idiocy, he should find a way during the summer to substitute Tom Riddle's father's bones with other bones in a way that he would not be able to tell the difference. This might hurt his ritual enough that Harry Potter had a better chance to fight him then. Also, we don't know when a portkey might send Harry Potter to that graveyard, so he should be ready at all times to fight on arrival, and the Order of Phoenix should be ready at all times to go there instantly if Harry Potter disappears. Of course, it could be a different location. Dumbledore should be very careful not to make his presence known at Little Hangleton graveyard, or to disturb any detections that might already be at Riddle's grave.