A/n: Apologies for the late chapter. Unfortunately work and home life has kept me busy the past few weeks, so my ability to sit down and review the chapters and right has been diminished. Hopefully things calm down soon enough.
Disclaimer: I own nothing other than the plot. The original concepts belong to JKR and Warner Brothers. Any concepts brought from other fictions are either coincidental or will be used in their own way, and no plagiarism is meant.
Chapter 21: Onto Summer
June 30th, 1994
To say that this year had been far better than any of his previous Hogwarts years would be an understatement. Harry had never truly enjoyed the castle as much as he had in the past few months.
New and remade friendships, specifically Susan, Hannah, Neville, and Luna, coupled with closer bonds to the quidditch team and another astounding win just last week for the Hogwarts Quidditch Cup where they won by a landslide had definitely been the highlights.
Sirius' freedom too, had been the best thing.
That wasn't forgetting his improvement wielding magic. Between Sirius and Flitwick, Harry had truly stepped up significantly in such a short time. Fighting either one of them was a challenge, Flitwick more than Sirius, but he had finally beaten them both. It had taken all of the skill and luck he possessed, but he had overwhelmed and overpowered the dueling master and, by pure luck, disarmed him. They were both proud of him for the feat and Flitwick had offered to keep their sessions up next year as well.
He had visited McGonagall and Lupin more as well. The normally stern woman showed a softer side during the hours she talked, regaling stories of his father setting the common room ablaze, getting hexed to high heavens for dying all of Lily's clothes purple, or the one time he chose to prank Dorea, resulting in him being charmed to have multicolored polka dots all over his skin for over a week.
McGonagall still had no idea how her long-time friend had accomplished that feat.
Lupin, meanwhile, had finally gotten to see his mastered patronus. The man was ecstatic at his success. Harry hadn't missed seeing the tears in the man's eyes as he stared at the patronus, a reminder of one of his best friends. Still, the man had given him a hug, some chocolate, and a butterbeer, before sharing more stories of his parents and a few others from their time in school. It was something Harry was happy with, especially since there hadn't been word of him leaving the Defense Post.
Of course, not having Voldemort or the Death Eaters try and kill him had been another perk of the year. It made it for an almost-normal year, discounting the Dementors, a time turner, and a room full of books worth almost as much as his trust vault, if not more.
Currently, the House was partying like never before. The feast had been amazing, both due to the food and friends as well as the victory for both the House Cup and the Quidditch Cup. Oliver had been recruited by Puddlemere to possibly replace their starting keeper, and Angelina and Alicia were both actively being scouted by several teams though neither had agreed to any one team.
Katie had fallen just short of the age to be possibly recruited, as had Harry by nearly a year. Both, however, had been invited to go through some training with different teams. Both of them had declined it for the time being, Katie because she was going on a vacation, and Harry so he could do his own training and learning.
The twins had signed to replace the beaters for the Arrows, one of the better teams in the league. They, to quote what Harry heard them say, were earning their start-up fund for their joke shop. Harry was sure that their mother was displeased, but she wouldn't stop them from playing for a while, and as the season was played in the summer, he had no doubt that it would give them plenty of research money come fall.
Finals were over as well, they had gone rather easily by. Harry had no doubt that every grade was around an Exceeds Expectations, having intentionally gotten some questions wrong on each exam. Hermione had fretted quite a bit after each one as well, but between himself, Ron, Neville, Hannah, and Susan, they had managed to calm her quite well, each one assuring her about her abilities and that there was no doubt that she would once again be within the top three students.
She still cursed Padma Patil and Terry Boot for holding the top two places in some exams.
Luna too, was vastly different now. The normally dreamy girl was rapidly making strides in her therapy. Harry wasn't sure if it were her own abilities or just the skill of the mind healer, but Luna was more grounded, even if her eyes were still unfocused at times or when her gaze wandered to trail something she was seeing. In fact, she had quickly made friends with Susan and Hermione, both of which were interested in what the magic she could see looked like. It was a vast improvement over the insults and disbelieving looks Hermione had always given the girl.
Harry however, was not within the common room. In fact, he had long left the seventh floor entirely. "Enter."
The door swung open as he pushed, revealing the Headmaster sitting at the desk, a small pile of paperwork resting in front of him with a bright red quill of Phoenix Feather sitting in an ink well of dark blue ink. His gaze shifted to the Phoenix for a moment, and Harry smiled as Fawkes trilled, flaming from his perch to rest on his shoulder. "Hello Fawkes, Headmaster."
"Hello Harry. Attempting to steal my Phoenix?" Dumbledore asked humorously, his eyes twinkling.
"I highly doubt something so magnificent, much less capable of travel, could be taken against its will." Harry mused. "I doubt any magic would really harm a phoenix, though I suppose stealing him as a baby when he would be more vulnerable would be possible. Still, Fawkes would grow again and leave once more."
"Fair enough." Dumbledore chuckled. "I suppose we could skip the deflection and get to why I requested your presence?"
"I suppose." Harry shrugged indifferently. He wasn't completely warmed up with the headmaster yet, the man still had things to atone for, but regardless, he wasn't against the powerful warlock.
"Very well. The mailing ward has officially been removed. The remaining wards, according to my math, will fade within the next four months, so before Halloween they will be gone."
"Was that all?" Harry asked with a frown. If it were, it would mark the shortest conversation the two would have ever had.
"Of course not." Dumbledore smiled, "I wished to offer you assistance this summer, discreetly, of course. I wish to see how far you have actually come, along with how far you can go."
"What?" Harry frowned. As far as Harry knew, the headmaster thought him marginally above average in classes.
"You admitted that you hold yourself back in class some, Harry. I wish to see how much you hold back, and how far some skills can be developed. Besides, Remus told me of your rather impressive Patronus. At such a young age, I believe you have quite the potential. You can refuse, of course, I won't be insulted, but I only wish to help you." Dumbledore answered softly.
Harry stared at him for a moment, feeling the briefest touches of Legilimency. Instantly and reflexively he flooded his mind with an empty that was so unnatural it even unsettled him. It took only a second before the magic retreated.
"Your Occlumency has developed nicely. I don't recognize the method though." Dumbledore smiled, apparently having conducted some sort of test.
"It is my own, actually. The absence of everything leaves nothing to latch on to. The trick is breaking a darkness so thick that light cannot live." Harry answered cryptically.
The method was actually something Salazar Slytherin had developed. The entire goal was to not block something, but cloak it in absolute darkness. A Legilimens would likely attempt to search a mind for the information using various methods. The easy part was creating the darkness to obscure whatever the intruder was looking for. The harder part, in order to keep up the ruse, was silencing everything as well as suppressing the feelings involved as the memory played out.
It was vastly tricky, but Salazar's book had been a wonderful guide in completing the method.
"Interesting. I never thought of attempting something like that." Dumbledore smiled. "I was not prying for anything. I was only curious about your development in the art. It seems you're naturally inclined to the mental disciplines."
"Thank you for the compliment." Harry nodded. "As for the lessons this summer, I will discuss it with Sirius and let you know."
"Of course." Dumbledore nodded, "And Harry, congratulations for your performance in Quidditch. I have no doubt that James would be over the moon at the talent you display. If you ever wish to see some of his games, I would be happy to use my Pensieve to show you."
Harry was taken aback by the kind offer, and only nodded silently, leaving the room. He made it all of the way back to the common room, ignoring the odd silence developing as he sat down next to Hermione in the corner of the room. "Harry, why is there a phoenix on your shoulder?"
"Phoenix?" Harry mumbled, before the words caught up to his brain and he snapped his head to where Fawkes rested, looking over at Hermione's plate of snacks with interest. "Damnit Fawkes. I didn't know you were still there."
"Language."
Trill. The bird seemed unconcerned that he was not by the headmaster, instead fixated on the grapes resting on Hermione's plate. Harry sighed, "Hermione, could you give him a few grapes?"
"Grapes?" Her voice showed her confusion, but she acquiesced, giving the creature three. Fawkes trilled once more before vanishing. "Harry, why did you steal the headmaster's familiar?"
"I didn't mean to!" Harry huffed, "He just never left me, and I never noticed."
"How do you not notice the warm bird on your shoulders, mate?" Ron joked.
"I have no idea." Harry grumbled, displeased at being made fun of. "Doesn't matter. He is back with the headmaster."
The peals of laughter from the corner were not missed by anyone, much less was the look on Harry's face missed either.
July 16th, 1994
Sirius, by some miracle, had gotten copies of the previous year's Transfiguration, Charms, Defense, Ancient Runes, and Potions O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T. exams. As the questions were changed every year, as were the spells they requested one to attempt, it mattered little for him in the future, but Harry had sat the old exams in front of Sirius, who, having a favor from one of the examiners, graded them according to that exam's standards. The exams themselves had taken two weeks to get through, but thankfully, scoring had taken far less as the Examiner had done it in his off time and was only present for his practical exams.
Hence, the results came far sooner, especially since the homeschooled students were still being tested at the Ministry.
The results were in front of him.
"Open them, Harry." Sirius said encouragingly.
Harry swallowed, taking a deep breath before opening the first envelope slowly.
O.W.L Exam Results
Examinee: Not notated
Examiner: Steven Greensworth
Note: This examination was from a previous test, and hence the results are unofficial. For officially recorded results, please apply to sit the current exam in the Wizarding Examinations Authority, located within the Department of Magical Education.
Ancient Runes:
Practical: Not Applicable
Theory: O+
Overall: O+
Charms:
Practical: O
Theory: O+
Overall: O+
Defense Against the Dark Arts:
Practical: O+
Theory: O+
Overall: O+
Potions:
Practical: O
Theory: EE+
Overall: O
Transfiguration:
Practical: O+
Theory: O
Overall: O+
Harry smiled. The results were significantly better than the first time around, and he was rather proud of the change, even if it were due to some… abnormal reasons. It gave him confidence to pick up the second envelope as Sirius took his attempt for O.W.L.s from him.
N.E.W.T. Exam Results
Examinee: Not notated
Examiner: Steven Greensworth
Note: This examination was from a previous test, and hence the results are unofficial. For officially recorded results, please apply to sit the current exam in the Wizarding Examinations Authority, located within the Department of Magical Education.
Ancient Runes:
Practical: A
Theory: EE
Overall: A+
Charms:
Practical: O
Theory: EE
Overall: EE+
Defense Against the Dark Arts:
Practical: O+
Theory: EE+
Overall: O
Potions:
Practical: EE
Theory: A+
Overall: EE
Transfiguration:
Practical: O+
Theory: EE-
Overall: EE+
Harry could only smile. Sure, the results weren't anything astounding, but the results spoke of his current standings, sitting at a relatively good level within the N.E.W.T. theory and with a good understanding of the principles needed to move onto more advanced forms of magic.
Sirius grinned after reading the results, "James would be proud… Lily too, but she would also have figured out how you have gotten these results four years early too."
"From what everyone has told me, probably." Harry admitted sheepishly. He had come to know his mother was surprisingly sharp, even having caught some of Dumbledore's double-speak at times.
"Well done. We'll work on these too, but it shows that I can now properly start teaching you the Black Family specialty, Curses." Sirius said… Well, seriously. "Come on, meet me in the backyard."
Harry nodded, shrugging off the shock of the results and moving quickly to the back yard. It took Sirius only a few minutes to return, a large black tome with the House Crest on the cover burdening him. Harry had the courtesy to conjure a small table for the book to rest on.
"Ah." Sirius let out a huff, "Thank you. It'd have killed my ancestors to allow that book to be charmed to be lighter or levitated."
"What is that?" Harry asked curiously.
"The Black Family Grimoire." Sirius said proudly. "This book contains a significant amount of knowledge about our family, its roots, the list of families that have married into ours or ours into theirs. It is quite literally a memoir of our entire history, but that is only the first half of it. The second half is magic. All sorts of magic too. There is theory in here that you won't find published, whether it be spells, potions, arithmetic equations, wards, curses, Alchemical substances. I've spent the majority of my freetime learning from this book, and not just the magical portion either."
"I thought you didn't care much for your family or history." Harry frowned.
"Harry." Sirius sighed, "I've explained that my family was terrible, something you once knew, right?"
"Yes?"
"They weren't always that terrible. There was a time when they weren't torturers, killers, etcetera. It's more than that though. The family magics are a powerful thing. It's a link of blood, something which strengthens ever so slightly when you know your roots. It is quite likely the least understood branch of magic because it is different for everyone. The Potters, for instance, were especially well known for having prodigies in Transfiguration and generally being exceptional at all practical aspects of magic. The Blacks, we are known for our curses and offensive casting. Admittedly, we have some amazing wards too though."
"And that has to do with Family Magic?" Harry asked.
"Yes and no." Sirius took a breath, "Your parents will influence the magic you are good at, much like they decide your eye and hair color, but the magic of your blood is connected to your history. It's like… casting a spell without knowing any of the theory behind it. It makes it a bit harder to do, but there is nothing that really stops you from doing it as long as you know the incantation, wand movement, and your desired outcome. Understanding your history only makes some of the magic easier. It doesn't necessarily make you stronger, but it connects your magic with your blood and that of your ancestors just a fraction more."
"Noted." Harry muttered, "Where would I find the Potter Family Grimoire?"
"Hm. Possibly the Potter Family Vault? It wasn't located in the cottage at any point, at least not that I saw, but that means very little." Sirius shrugged, "We can look into it later. Onto our task."
Sirius flipped open the book, searching for a specific page before stopping. "Read this page while I set up our practice targets."
Curse of Bone Disintegration, Divegereo (Die-veh-geh-re-o)
One of my newest creations, I must admit that it is a rather odd spell. I was intending to make a version of the Vanishing charm specifically for bones, but instead I created this. The spell literally grates a bone down to fine sand, rather painfully judging by the swine's squealing. It could be useful, especially since I have found no counter curse. Perhaps Skele-gro could undo the effects? I shall endeavor to attempt this one on a prisoner later.
Hesper Black - October, 1699
"What the hell were your ancestors doing creating a spell like this?" Harry muttered, turning to find Sirius with a, hopefully, transfigured pig.
"Like the many times great something of mine wrote, the spell was supposed to be for medical usage. Now, there is no wand movement for this spell. It is solely based on intent and strength." Sirius said, "This is a pig transfigured from a block of wood, meaning it is not real nor is it suffering any true pain, however, the spell will still work properly and the pig will still squeal."
With a flick of Sirius' wand, Harry saw the dark blue curse leave the wand, hitting the fake pig's leg and causing the pig to topple forward with a very distressed squeal. Sirius was not cruel, undoing the magic on the pig. "It is not what I would consider a difficult spell, but it would definitely be useful to use on a person's wand arm or a leg. I would not think the spell would be good to use on someone's skull or similar. Remember, intent is important here. Regardless of where the spell hits, it will have an effect on what you focus it on."
"Of course." Harry nodded, swallowing heavily as the pig was returned without the damaged leg. Sirius stepped back, and Harry focused. It took only a moment, but the curse left his wand. Harry could see the part of the leg where the bone was destroyed, but it didn't go all of the way up the leg.
Harry wouldn't deny the slightly sick feeling that coursed through him as he stared at the partially limp limb. Sirius undid the transformation, reverting it back to the wooden log. "Deliberate or not?"
"No." Harry muttered. "It's hard to inflict that harm onto something."
"Well, buckle up kiddo. We both know these spells will save your life one day." Sirius said, "This is no different than impaling someone with a conjured spear or using a cutting curse to slit someone's throat, Harry. A hard lesson to learn is hesitating. It'll get you or someone else killed."
"I know!" Harry snapped, regretting it as he did. He took a breath that did little to calm the anger, "If I hadn't been some naïve idiot, Cedric never would have died in the Graveyard. You never would have died to some stupid piece of tapestry! Hell, most of those who died likely wouldn't have."
"You were a child!" Sirius' tone was forceful, "You never should have been put into those situations, regardless of Dumbledore's grander plans. Now though, you aren't some child. You are nineteen mentally, give or take a few months. You need to understand that this isn't going to be some game like it was the last time when they toyed with you. When the Death Eaters see us going back to killing on sight, especially so quickly, they won't keep pulling the punches like they did until Dumbledore was close to death."
The words… Harry couldn't deny that they hurt, yet he knew it was the truth. The instant Riddle realized he wasn't some child barely able to cast the fourth and fifth year spells would be the moment that he started truly taking him seriously. He knew, too, that it was likely to have a larger effect in the war, but he still hesitated. Even against some pig that wasn't even real. Even after throwing spells that would have instantly and irreversibly ended Flitwick in their duels, or even caused him death, he still hesitated.
And why?
Harry stared off into space, remembering the jolt of fear that went through him when he obtained Riddle's wand brother. He remembered the fear of Riddle saying they were alike in his first year, and again in his second when both Riddle and Dumbledore said that they were eerily similar.
The why was clear to him the longer he thought. He was afraid. Afraid that learning these spells would cause him to follow a similar path to Riddle, but then Dumbledore's words at the end of his second year came back to him.
'So I should be in Slytherin.' Harry remembered the memory clearly, 'The Sorting Hat could see Slytherin's power in me, and it-'
'Put you into Gryffindor.' Dumbledore had been calm in his reply, but with a knowing twinkle that Harry only noticed as he watched the memory play, 'Listen to me, Harry. You happen to have many prized qualities that Salazar Slytherin prized in his hand picked students. His own very rare gift, Parseltongue - resourcefulness - determination - A certain disregard for the rules,' There happened to be a noticeable twitch in Dumbledore's mustache, a suppressed smile if Harry wasn't wrong, 'Yet the Sorting Hat place you into Gryffindor. You know why that is. Think.'
In the memory, it took him a moment to come up with the reason, 'It only put me into Gryffindor,' Merlin he sounded defeated, 'Because I asked not to go into Slytherin…'
'Exactly.' Dumbledore openly smiled. 'Which makes you very different from Tom Riddle. It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities. If you want proof, Harry, that you belong in Gryffindor, I suggest you look more closely at this.'
'Dumbledore was right.' Harry drew himself back into the real world, the memory fading quickly. Choices define everyone. Harry wasn't so daft to have forgotten Dumbledore himself had nearly followed Grindelwald as an equal to conquer the magical and muggle world alike. He knew that perhaps if he had given into the desire for power, something Riddle had offered before, he could perhaps become another Voldemort, but he never wanted power, never wanted control over the people, to make them kneel or scream in terror at his mere presence.
No. Choices and intent meant more, something it seemed had slipped his mind in the past few hours.
"Better now?" Sirius' voice pulled him back from his thoughts fully, and Harry turned to see the man sitting silently in a nicely conjured chair, "You've been staring off into space for nearly forty minutes, but I knew you were working through your thoughts, so I let you be.
"Thank you, I needed that." Harry lowered himself to the grass, his muscles in his legs groaning in protest from having been held in one position for so long. "You're right. Things are going to be different. Things are different already."
"Are you prepared for this now?" Sirius asked softly. The man cared, Harry could see the concern in his eyes.
"I hope so." Harry said slowly, "But make me a promise, if I ever begin to become something similar to Riddle, torturing for fun and lording over subjects for power and control, you go straight to Dumbledore, tell him everything, and then do whatever you must to stop me. I don't want to become a murderous dark lord. I don't want to dishonor my parents like that."
Sirius seemed to hesitate, knowing that whatever meant even killing his godson, but he slowly nodded. "Alright. Clear your mind and then we shall continue."
Excerpts taken from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. No copyright infringement meant.