Chapter Twelve: Starting Small

Three days had passed since their second lesson with Umbridge. When Harry returned to the common room that first evening, both Ron and Hermione were waiting up for him to make sure he was okay. While Harry assured them that he was fine, he still wasn't feeling ready to tell them about the Room of Requirement. He had initially intended to show them the Room right away, but instead, he'd taken to visiting it by himself every day to practice his spellwork and let out some of his aggression.

In fact, on Friday he'd gotten so caught up in his training that he almost forgot to attend tryouts for the new Gryffindor Keeper. Fortunately, he made it just in time, but being the last one to arrive was still enough to annoy Angelina, that year's Quidditch Captain.

More importantly, he was there to see Ron try out for the position. Harry always knew that Ron was obsessed with Quidditch, of course, but he had no idea that he fancied himself a Keeper until that very week. They managed to practice together once ahead of Friday's tryouts, and Ron had performed surprisingly well, in Harry's opinion. His actual tryout wasn't nearly as impressive, but Ron had at least done well enough to secure a spot on the team. Harry was thrilled for his friend, even if it meant that Quidditch was an even more frequent topic of conversation than before.

The remainder of Harry's weekend revolved around completing his homework and spending time in the Room. After a few days of this, he had begun to suspect that his frequent absences were not going unnoticed, a theory which Ron and Hermione confirmed when he returned to the common room late Sunday evening.

When Harry walked in, the pair were already sitting together in the far corner, with their chairs turned towards the portrait hole — presumably so they could spot Harry the moment he returned, and so naturally, they waved him over immediately.

Already having a pretty good idea of what they were going to say, Harry didn't hesitate to join his friends and accept their scolding. Slipping his bag off of his shoulder, he plopped himself down into a chair and looking up at them expectantly.

Ron was the first to speak. "Where've you been, Harry?" he said, somewhat grumpily. "We've barely seen you since Friday."

"We're not upset or anything, we just want to make sure you're okay," added Hermione, giving Ron a sideways glance.

"I'm fine, really," Harry professed. "And I'm sorry I haven't been around…I had to work through some things, and I've been a bit distracted."

"I understand, Harry, but I thought the three of us agreed to deal with things together," Hermione reminded him. "That is, unless what you've been distracted by is something more…personal…"

Harry looked back at her quizzically but didn't reply.

"Oh, you know — we thought it was possible that you…maybe…have a girlfriend," she clarified.

"No, it's nothing like that," laughed Harry. "I was actually planning on telling you anyway. I've found somewhere in the castle where we can safely practice magic, but I wanted to get a feel for the place before I told anybody."

"That's it?" asked Hermione. "You've just been practicing magic? Why didn't you invite us?"

"I just told you, I wanted to get a feel for the place first. I'll take you both there tomorrow, if you'd like."

"Where is it? It's not the Chamber of Secrets, is it?" asked Ron, making a face as he recalled their trip down the pipe in their second year.

"Definitely not," Harry assured him. "I did think about it, but it's rather inconvenient to get to. Plus, it was pretty disgusting down there even without the dead basilisk. No, it's a secret room up on the seventh floor that pretty much nobody knows about. Dobby told me about it last week."

"Wait, Dobby? That mad house-elf?" said Ron.

"Yeah, he works here now, remember? Well, he showed me this room that can transform into pretty much anything you need. Apparently, the house-elves all know about it, but most people just stumble upon it once by accident and can never find it again."

"That sounds incredible," said Hermione eagerly, clearly excited by the mere idea of the Room. "Will it really become anything you need? How much have you tested it?"

"Not too much," shrugged Harry. "I basically just asked for a place to train. Inside, there's a wide-open space to practice, but it was also filled with targets and training dummies, plus an entire wall packed with spellbooks."

Hermione's eyes lit up at the prospect, but her look of excitement was quickly replaced by slightly nervous expression.

"Well…since we're on the topic…I had an idea, and this is probably a good time to mention it," she began tentatively.

"What is it?" asked Harry.

"Well, considering how useless our Defence Against the Dark Arts classes are this year…I was thinking that we should maybe just…do it ourselves."

"Do it ourselves?" repeated Ron, with a look of confusion. "As in teach ourselves Defence?"

"Exactly," confirmed Hermione. "And yes, part of my reasoning is that we need to pass our O.W.L.s," she admitted, "but with Voldemort out there, what we really need is to learn how to better defend ourselves."

"I mean, you're not wrong, Hermione, but can we do? I suppose we can look up spells in the library, but I'm already behind on homework as it is," complained Ron, clearly not thrilled with the prospect of taking on more work.

"Oh, come on, Ronald, it's not as if we'd assign essays to ourselves," said Hermione, rolling her eyes. "But I do agree that in order for this to work, we need a proper teacher."

"All right, but where exactly are we gonna find one of those?" asked Ron, pretending to look around the room as if a new teacher might simply pop into existence.

"If you'd stop to think for a moment, I'd say the answer is rather obvious," Hermione said dryly, glancing towards at Harry. Ron turned to follow her gaze, and his eyes widened slightly in recognition.

Harry, who had been amusing himself by watching the byplay between his two friends, sighed in understanding. "Look, I was already planning to practice on my own; that's how I found out about the Room in the first place," he told them. "I was also thinking I could show you some of the stuff I've learned, but that's not the same as having a proper teacher."

"I don't know, Harry, I think you might be selling yourself short," countered Hermione. "You've always been the best in our year at Defence, and lately it's been obvious that your spellwork has really improved across the board. It only took you two tries to completely vanish your snail, when it took me the entire class!"

"All right, fine," agreed Harry, holding up a hand in defeat. "Like I said, I was already planning to show you some things — maybe a few others, too. But if there's any research or theory work involved, I'm going to need you to step up."

"Of course!" replied Hermione, nodding excitedly. "I'm so glad you agreed; I was afraid we would have to convince you."

"Ron?"

"I'm in — as long as you promise there won't be any homework."

"You know me, mate, but I can't speak for Hermione," chuckled Harry.

"Blimey, she's probably already making up exams in her head," joked Ron, with false dread.

"Very funny, but no, I think we have quite enough on our plates as it is," responded Hermione, glaring at Ron before turning back to Harry. "Now, you did mention teaching people besides me and Ron…" she continued. "Well, I was thinking it might be a good idea to open it up to anybody who wants to learn."

"No way," replied Harry, shaking his head.

"But Harry, this could be important! Everybody deserves —"

"No, Hermione!" interrupted Harry. "Can you imagine the Ministry's reaction if Umbridge tells them students are being trained to fight by Harry Potter? They'd chuck me into Azkaban and throw away the key!"

Hermione's shoulder's slumped slightly as she conceded the point.

"I'm sorry, Hermione, but it's just too risky. We'll start small and only invite people I know for sure we can trust — I was thinking us, the twins, Neville, and maybe even Ginny, if they're interested. If it goes well, we can think about adding others."

"That sounds all right, but are you sure you want to invite Neville?" asked Ron sceptically.

"I'm sure," nodded Harry. "I've been talking to him a bit more since we got back. He's definitely trustworthy, and I think he could really benefit from our help."

Ron shrugged and nodded in agreement.

"Well, that settles that, then — wait — Ron, isn't that Hermes?" said Hermione, pointing towards the nearest window, where a handsome screech owl was perched outside on the windowsill.

"What?" said Ron, turning around to look. "Yeah, that's definitely Percy's owl…what's he writing to me for?"

Ron stood up and went to open the window. The owl flew into the room and allowed Ron to untie the letter from its leg, before immediately taking off again, and then Harry and Hermione looked on curiously as Ron unfolded the parchment and began reading the letter. Percy writing to Ron would have been unusual in the best of times, but it was even more so now, considering Percy was no longer associating with his family.

He had gone to work for the Ministry straight out of Hogwarts, working under Bartemius Crouch in the Department of International Magical Cooperation. When it was discovered that Mr. Crouch had actually been killed, and that an imposter had been sending in orders via owl — which Percy had carried out without question — he was subjected to a full inquiry and very nearly lost his job. That's why his family were surprised to hear that Percy had been promoted, and that he was now working directly for Minister Fudge.

As it was well known that the Weasleys were close to Dumbledore, Mr. Weasley suspected that Percy was given his new position in part to help the Minister gather information on Dumbledore's movements. Percy did not take it well when Mr. Weasley informed his son of his misgivings, and a blazing row erupted between the two of them. Many hurtful things were said, and it ended with Percy firmly declaring his allegiance to the Ministry and disassociating himself from the Weasley family — which explained why Percy had been present at Harry's hearing.

Judging by the deepening look of disgust that marred Ron's face as he read the letter, Percy obviously hadn't written with the intent of reconciling with his estranged family. Once he had finished reading, Ron loudly scoffed and thrust the letter at Harry and Hermione for them to read.

"He thinks Umbridge is delightful? Really?" Harry said disbelievingly, as he skimmed the letter.

Sadly, it seemed that Percy had fully bought into the Ministry's delusions about him and Dumbledore, and he had written to advise Ron to distance himself from Harry. Somehow, reading Percy's letter felt even worse than seeing things printed about him in the Daily Prophet. Harry was used to complete strangers thinking badly of him, but he had known Percy for years, and had even stayed at his house.

"I'm sorry, Ron," Hermione said consolingly, once she had finished reading. "I never would have believed Percy would act like this."

"Yeah, well, that makes one of us," scowled Ron. "He's always been a bit of a prat…more ambition than common sense, if you ask me."

"Well, if you want to — er — what was it?" said Harry, taking the letter back from Hermione. "Oh yeah — 'sever ties' with me, I swear I won't get too violent."

"Gimme that," said Ron, snatching the letter back and ripping it into pieces. "I swear, he is the world's biggest git!"

"I can't believe he said that about you," Hermione told Harry, seeming more disappointed than anything. "He should at least know you better than that. And what do you think this big announcement is that he keeps referring to?"

Harry and Ron shrugged in response, but it wouldn't take long for them to find out. The following morning, the answer was printed in huge letters on the front page of the Daily Prophet.

MINISTRY SEEKS EDUCATIONAL REFORM

DOLORES UMBRIDGE APPOINTED FIRST-EVER "HIGH INQUISITOR"

As one would expect, this latest action by the Ministry was the dominant topic of conversation that morning. The Hogwarts High Inquisitor was tasked with inspecting Hogwarts teachers and making sure that they were 'coming up to scratch', in the Ministry's eyes, bringing the Ministry's interference at Hogwarts to a whole new level.

Several of the fifth-year Gryffindors, including Harry and Ron, got their first taste of what Umbridge's inspections were going to be like that afternoon in Divination. Unsurprisingly, the new High Inquisitor was disruptive and condescending throughout the lesson, causing Professor Trelawney to grow increasingly more flustered. Harry had never cared much for Trelawney — mainly due to her habit of regularly predicting his death — but he almost felt bad for the batty Divination teacher.

Defence Against the Dark Arts class was nigh unbearable that day, at least in part due to the especially smug look plastered across Umbridge's face. The day's lesson involved nothing more than reading quietly — again — but Umbridge took several opportunities to subtly insult Dumbledore and make snide allusions about the perceived inadequacies of the many Hogwarts teachers. Whenever she made one of these comments, she looked at Harry as if expecting him to leap to the headmaster's defence, only to come away disappointed each time.

That evening, Harry, Ron, and Hermione went to dinner early, and then immediately made for the seventh floor. Hermione in particular had been excited to see the Room of Requirement, so she practically dragged the boys away from the table as soon as they had finished eating.

Once they had arrived, Harry demonstrated how to open then room while asking for the practice space he had become so familiar with, and then stepped aside to allow Hermione and Ron to enter first.

"This is incredible, Harry!" gushed Hermione as she explored the room. "I love the skylights and the big fireplace — it's really cozy. Is this really what you pictured when you asked for a place to practice magic?"

"Not at all," Harry admitted, as Hermione started perusing the bookshelves. "That was all Astoria," he said without thinking, causing Ron and Hermione to both turn sharply towards him. "My version was a lot more…utilitarian."

"Wait, utili-what?" asked Ron from over by the training dummies.

"It means designed to be practical instead of comfortable," Hermione answered matter-of-factly, before turning back to Harry. "Harry, are you saying you've already brought Astoria to the Room — even before us?"

"Oh, right, she just happened to be with me when Dobby showed it to me the first time," replied Harry. "She hasn't been back since, though — at least not with me. Now that you mention it, though, it is kind of funny how the Room keeps changing into Astoria's version, even when I'm the only one using it," he added thoughtfully.

Hermione and Ron exchanged significant looks. "Harry…mate…are you sure there's nothing going on between you two?" asked Ron.

"What? No, of course not," protested Harry. "We're just friends."

"Are you certain, Harry?" pressed Hermione, almost as if she has been waiting for the opportunity to ask. "It's just that you seem awfully close for only having known each other a few weeks."

"No, I mean — yeah, I guess we have gotten pretty close, but it's nothing like that," he insisted. "We're friends."

"Okay, Harry," she responded placatingly. "I won't say anything else about it, it's just that…if there was something going on…well, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, would it?"

Harry opened up his mouth to respond, but no words came out. Encouraging him to date was probably the last thing he had expected from Hermione at that particular moment. Even Ron was looking at her with a puzzled expression.

"What?" she asked. "We've only met her the one time, but she seemed really nice, and she obviously cares about you. Honestly, Harry, you could do far worse."

"Really?" questioned Ron. "I mean sure, she's cute enough, but didn't you say she was only a third year?"

"Yeah, but she's already fourteen. She's like you, Hermione, with the early birthday," Harry started to explain, before catching himself. "But that doesn't matter, because there's nothing going on," he emphasised.

"That's fine, Harry, I've said my piece," replied Hermione, turning back to continue examining the books.

Shaking his head, Harry plopped down in one of the chairs and watched as Ron tried his luck with some of the moving targets. All three of them had learned the Stunning Spell while helping Harry prepare for the third task, even though it appeared Ron really could use some practice with his aim.

He couldn't understand why everyone seemed to think there was something going on between him and Astoria. Daphne had been the first to say something, and then Astoria's friend Felicity on the train, and now Ron and Hermione. Was he missing something?

Now that Harry stopped to think about it, it was quite possible that he was missing something. He had never been the best at understanding girls — not that many blokes his age were any better, of course. That being said, Harry would be lying if he said he didn't catch himself admiring her from time to time, but he'd never seriously considered doing anything about it. Besides, he didn't think anyone was exactly jumping at the chance to be with him anyway — especially not with both the Ministry and Lord Voldemort having it out for him at the moment.

Harry found the whole thing confusing, but before he had a chance to think too deeply on the subject, his train of thought was interrupted by Hermione.

"Harry…have you noticed that a lot of these books are on Dark Magic?"

"No," he said truthfully. "I haven't spent much time looking through the books at all, really."

Hermione nodded and went back to browsing, only to turn back around a moment later. She kept biting her lip and glancing sideways, which made it obvious to Harry that she wanted to say something to him but was afraid to do so.

"Just spit it out, Hermione," he sighed, just as Ron was wandering back to their side of the room.

"Well, it's just that…you said that the Room responds to the needs or desires of the one who opens it, and it just happened to provide you with these sorts of books…well, I couldn't help but wonder…"

She locked eyes with Harry.

"…if you've been…dabbling…in Dark Magic."

Ron's eyes bulged slightly as he looked back and forth between Harry and Hermione.

It took Harry a moment to respond, as he first thought carefully about what he wanted to say. This was it — the first real test of Ron and Hermione's declaration of unwavering support. Would they still be behind him once the realised how far he was willing to go to make sure they all survived the coming war? What he was willing to do?

In the end, he decided that there was really only one answer to Hermione's question.

"Yes."

Ron swore loudly and dropped into the chair opposite Harry.

"Why, Harry?" Hermione asked quietly.

"Why? Because we're on the brink of war," he replied grimly. "Whether it's tomorrow or six months from now, war is coming. It's coming, Hermione, and if we're not actually willing to fight, then we stand no chance."

"I — I understand that Harry, but can't you fight without resorting to Dark Magic?" she asked, almost pleadingly.

"Magic is magic, Hermione," argued Harry, repeating Daphne's earlier words to him. "What do you think will happen if you try to take on a bunch of Death Eaters with nothing more than Stupefy and Expelliarmus? Do you think they'll respond with kindness and generosity?"

"No…" Hermione admitted quietly.

"Of course they won't," said Harry, now rising to his feet. "They will torture and kill anyone who gets in their way. Trust me, you have absolutely no idea what we're up against. If we try to fight this war like children, we — will — die," he finished, emphasising each word by slamming his fist into his palm.

Hermione had tears in her eyes. "I — I've been wondering ever since you told us about the spells you used on Malfoy," she sniffed. "It's one thing to use dangerous spells to save your life, but to use them for a prank…"

"Prank? You think that was a prank?" replied Harry, his voice rising slightly. "Malfoy directly threatened us, Hermione, and he threatened you specifically. Sure, it was all fun and games when we were just second years trading insults, but things are different now. The little ferret may not be much of a threat on his own, but his father is right in Voldemort's inner circle, and he's not the only one. Crabbe, Goyle, and Nott's fathers were all in the graveyard that night, too. We cannot afford to give them a single inch this year!"

With that, Harry sat back down and started rubbing his temples. He was allowing his emotions to get the better of him, which wouldn't help anything.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I don't mean to yell, and I know you just want what's best for everyone. It's just that I've seen what happens when innocents get in the way of Voldemort and his Death Eaters, and I won't allow myself to be a victim — not anymore," he finished, sitting back in his chair to await their judgment.

Hermione still seemed upset, but she came around to join the boys in the small sitting area near the bookshelves. The three simply sat there in deep thought for what felt like hours, until Harry finally broke the silence.

"Ron, you've been awfully quiet about all this."

Ron blew out a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling for a moment. "You've met my family," he started. "Mum would hit the roof if she heard any of us were using Dark Magic, but I kinda see Harry's point, too."

Harry shivered slightly at the thought of Mrs. Weasley finding out what he had been up to. "Yeah, you're not wrong about your mum," he said.

"Don't I know it," grumbled Ron. "Still, though — Bill's a curse breaker, so I'm pretty sure he knows some nasty stuff, even if he never talks about it around the family. People like Mad-Eye are out there fighting for our side too, right?"

"I suppose so," Hermione replied uneasily.

"So, it's probably not a bad idea to have a few tricks up our sleeve, just in case," he rationalised. "Plus, if Harry's the only one who can kill You-Know-Who, then I say he can learn any bloody spell he wants."

"Thanks for that," snorted Harry, but he was relieved more than anything. Now, it was up to Hermione.

"I don't think I can do it," she finally admitted. "I don't think I have it in me to use spells like that."

"No one's asking you to, Hermione," Harry told her earnestly. "There are plenty of things we can work on in here — teaching you Dark spells was never part of the plan." Seeing the questioning look on Ron's face, he added, "But if anyone does want to learn a thing or two, I'm definitely not going to be the one to say no."

"Okay, Harry," she replied, wiping her eyes. "I — no, we promised to be behind you no matter what, and we meant it. Just promise me that if we tell you you're going too far, you'll listen."

"I promise," agreed Harry without hesitation, as the three friends once again reached an understanding.

"Great," said Ron eagerly, standing up once more. "Now that's settled, how 'bout you show us how to work those training dummies."

oOoOoOo

The following day, the High Inquisitor saw fit to inspect Professor McGonagall during the fifth-year Gryffindors' Transfiguration class. As Ron had predicted, their head of house was not in the least bit intimidated by Umbridge, and for the most part she avoided even acknowledging the other woman's presence.

Watching Umbridge repeatedly try and fail to exert some semblance of authority over the senior professor was quite satisfying, so Harry was in a rather good mood when he strolled into the Great Hall for lunch. Just as he was taking his seat next to Ron, Harry noticed that Astoria was staring at him from her place near the end of the Ravenclaw table. That didn't bother him, of course, but what caught his attention was her uncharacteristically downcast expression.

Between homework, training in the Room, and stewing over Umbridge, Harry had somehow neglected to notice that he and Astoria hadn't really spoken since their rather emotional conversation the week before. His initial feelings of guilt were soon replaced by worry — was she scared to associate with him, now that she knew about the existence of the prophecy? Was the knowledge that he had previously played host to a piece of Voldemort's soul too heavy for their developing friendship? He thought she seemed genuinely supportive at the time, even if she had rather abruptly ended their conversation. Could having more time to think have possibly led her to conclude that he wasn't actually worth the effort after all?

In years past, Harry likely would have remained silent and allowed himself to believe the worst. Ever since the summer, however, he had slowly been growing more accustomed to confronting issues head-on, and with that in mind, he got up from the table and crossed the room to speak with her.

She looked away as soon as he stood up, but Noreen, who was sitting next to her, had noticed Harry approaching and subtly nudged Astoria with her elbow. Once she saw him, she sat up a bit straighter and quickly whispered something to Noreen.

"Hey," said Harry, as he approached their table.

"Hi Harry," Felicity answered first. "Would you like to sit down?"

"Sure," he replied, taking the seat directly across from the girls. "How've you been?" he said, looking directly at Astoria.

"Fine…how was the rest of your week?" she replied awkwardly.

"I've had worse," he shrugged.

"Felicity," interrupted Noreen, "didn't you promise to help me with my Charms essay after lunch?"

"Hmm? Oh, right —" the girl replied, her brief look of confusion quickly replaced by one of recognition.

"Let's go now so we have enough time to finish before Ancient Runes."

Felicity nodded and rose from her seat. "We'll meet you in class," she said to Astoria. "See you later, Harry."

Harry gave them a small wave, and the two girls made their way up the aisle between the Ravenclaw and Slytherin tables before exiting the Great Hall.

"Is something on your mind, Harry?" Astoria asked tentatively.

"I just realised we haven't really talked since that night in the Room, and I wanted to make sure you were okay after everything I told you."

"Me? Of course, I am — why would you think…"

"I mean, it's okay, really," Harry assured her. "I know it's a lot. I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to distance yourself from me."

"Distance myself?" she replied sharply. "Why in Merlin's name would — oh, I am so stupid…"

Harry looked at her quizzically as her face took on a mortified expression.

"You haven't been avoiding me, have you?" she asked meekly.

"No…" he said slowly. "I have been really busy, but that's nothing new. Why on earth would I be avoiding you?"

Astoria cast her eyes downward. "I thought that you might want to, after the way I acted that night," she said, her cheeks reddening.

"What do you mean?" asked Harry, obviously confused. "You were brilliant — I felt loads better after talking to you."

Finally, Astoria looked up from the table. "That's…that's good to hear," she said.

"Great, so…everything's fine, then?" he asked hopefully.

"Yes, I think so," she answered with a relieved smile. "How about we just pretend this conservation never happened?"

"Fine by me," replied Harry, with a grin. He still wasn't entirely sure about the source of their misunderstanding, but he was glad that it seemed to have resolved itself. "So, how was your first week? Are you liking your new classes?"

Astoria practically gushed about her new favourite class, Arithmancy, though she was a bit lukewarm on Ancient Runes. The mysterious awkwardness seemingly behind them, they spent the next several minutes catching up with one another and making small talk. Neither of them noticed, but Hermione spent much of her lunch period observing them from across the room.

"So, you've been going to the Room to practice every day?"

"Yeah, almost," replied Harry. "I showed it to Ron and Hermione last night, too."

"Have you been practicing with Daphne again?" she asked quietly, as to not be overheard.

"Daphne? No, why would I?" he responded curiously. "I'm pretty sure we're both supposed to be ignoring each other, now that we're back at school. She was fairly clear on that."

"I know, but with the Room you could meet up without anyone else knowing. I was just wondering."

"No, I honestly hadn't thought of that," he admitted. Even so, it would be nice to have someone else to train with — someone who he knew wouldn't take issue with certain spells. "Maybe I'll invite her if I get a chance," he said noncommittally.

"I really hope you do," she said quietly. "I'm worried about her; I don't like the looks Draco and some of the other Slytherins have been giving her."

"You think she's in danger?"

"No…at least I hope not," replied Astoria, again worrying at her lower lip. "It's just that she doesn't really have anyone else to watch out for her — at least no one who would take her side over Draco's. That's why I worry; Daphne's tough, but not as tough as she thinks she is."

"All right," nodded Harry. "If it means that much to you, I'll figure out a way to ask her. If she turns me down, though, it's up to you to convince her."

"Deal," she replied brightly, and the two of them continued eating lunch together until it was time to head to their respective classes.

Already being accustomed to stares and whispers, Harry remained oblivious to the large amount of attention his presence at the Ravenclaw table had drawn. Had he been paying more attention, he might have been amused to learn that the subject of that day's whispers wasn't his association with death and Dark Lords for a change.

oOoOoOo

Harry's good mood had all but evaporated within the first few minutes of Care of Magical Creatures class. For one, sitting through Professor Grubbly-Plank's lessons was a constant reminder that Hagrid was still mysteriously absent. The prevailing theory was that he was out conducting work of some sort on behalf of Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix — likely something to do with giants — but Harry really hoped Hagrid would return sooner than later.

Worse than that, Umbridge was there to audit the class, spending much of her time trying unsuccessfully to dig up incriminating information on Dumbledore. She also wasn't shy about making snide remarks about Hagrid, insinuating he was some combination of incompetent, unintelligent, and most likely dangerous — much to the delight of Malfoy and the rest of the Slytherins.

It had been a struggle, but Harry once again managed to keep his temper in check. Whatever her goal, Umbridge seemed intent on drawing a reaction out of him, and she was beginning to show signs of frustration that she had yet to succeed.

"I'm telling you; it won't be long before she just gives up and gives you detention for no reason," Ron insisted, just as they were entering the Great Hall.

"Maybe, but what am I supposed to do about it?" Harry grumbled in reply.

"I don't think there's anything you can do except keep ignoring her," advised Hermione, reinforcing the conclusion Harry had already come to on his own.

His head aching, Harry sat down at the Gryffindor table and massaged his temples. It had been barely more than a week, and already, Umbridge had tested his patience more than he could have ever thought possible. What he could use more than anything at the moment was a chance to blow off some steam.

"How about we head up to the Room after dinner for some practice?" he suggested to the others.

Ron was clearly interested, but neither he nor Hermione got a chance to answer before Professor McGonagall suddenly appeared, seemingly intent on speaking with Harry.

"Mr. Potter, Professor Dumbledore would like to see you in his office as soon as you've finished," she informed him. "He has also asked me to tell you that he has been partial to Pepper Imps as of late."

"Thank you, Professor," replied Harry, which Professor McGonagall acknowledged with a curt nod before taking her leave.

"Sorry, looks like we'll have to pick another day," he told Ron and Hermione apologetically, but internally, he was thrilled.

His recent meetings with Dumbledore had certainly been informative, but Harry was hoping this would be his first real lesson. For days, he had been wondering what sort of magic he'd be learning from the man many referred to as the greatest wizard of the age. There must have been a reason so many people called Dumbledore the only one Voldemort ever feared, and Harry was quite eager to see first-hand why that was.

With that in mind, he hurried through the rest of his dinner so he could leave for the headmaster's office as quickly as possible. After a quick goodbye to Ron and Hermione, he walked briskly out of the Great Hall and pulled on his Invisibility Cloak, which he had taken to carrying with him everywhere he went, just in case.

Even though dinner was on, there were a few students still lingering in the halls. Being invisible, Harry avoided them easily, although he did have to take a detour around the corridor where Peeves was hurling rotten fruit at any passers-by. A few more flights of stairs and a whispered password later, and Harry was once again knocking on the door to Dumbledore's office.

"Enter," the headmaster called from inside.

Harry opened the door to see Professor Dumbledore at his desk, this time wearing a set of midnight-blue robes with crescent moons and twinkling stars embroidered around the cuffs and hemline.

"Good evening, Harry," the professor greeted him cheerily. "Please do have a seat," he said, gesturing to the chair in front of the desk.

"Before we begin, Madam Pomfrey has recently informed me that she has given you a clean bill of health."

"Yes, sir," Harry nodded. "Do I still have to go every week?"

Professor Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully for a moment. "No, I do not think so," he eventually replied. "I shall ask you to pay her one more visit in a month's time, and if the results are the same, then you may stop going."

"Sounds good, sir."

"Yes, I thought you might agree," Dumbledore replied jovially. "Now, I wanted to ask you about your first week of classes. I have been informed by both Professors Flitwick and McGonagall that your performance thus far has been nothing short of outstanding."

"I don't know about that, sir, but I definitely haven't had trouble with any spells so far," said Harry, shrugging off the praise. "Do you think it's because I'm not a Horcrux anymore?"

"I believe that would be a reasonable conclusion, based on what you have told me and your teachers' observations," replied Dumbledore. "However, I also believe a large part of your improvement can be explained through a combination of your own natural ability and an increased desire to better yourself, in light of your circumstances."

"I'd like to think so, at least," agreed Harry. He had been working rather hard for the past few weeks, after all, and he wanted to believe that at least some of his progress was earned, and not simply a byproduct of his expelling a piece of Voldemort's soul.

"Sir…have you had any luck figuring out Voldemort's other Horcruxes?"

Dumbledore peered at Harry for a moment before answering. "I have a few leads I am pursuing, but nothing to speak of, as of yet," he told him. "My investigation will take some time, but rest assured that I will share my progress with you, when the time is right."

Harry had been hoping for more of an update, but part of him had expected that tracking down Horcruxes would be an exercise in patience.

"We do have one final topic to cover before we move on to our main agenda for the evening," continued the headmaster. "It appears that you have so far succeeded in avoiding conflict with Professor Umbridge. How would you say you are managing with this task?"

"It hasn't been easy," grumbled Harry. "She insulted my mum…implied that my 'uncouth behaviour' was down to her 'filthy' muggle blood," he spat, making air quotes with his fingers for emphasis.

Dumbledore's eyes narrowed as a look of concern crossed his face. "Did anyone else hear her say this?" he asked evenly.

"Hermione did, but I don't know who else," he replied. "She was careful not to say it too loudly."

"I see," sighed Dumbledore. "In that case, I would say you have done exceptionally well in holding your temper — far better than anyone would have any right to expect. Dolores has never been the most pleasant of people, even dating back to her school days," he continued, now sitting back in his chair. "She is a rather fierce proponent of pure-blood superiority, even though her own lineage is far from clear. She is also particularly hostile towards anyone whom she considers 'half-breeds' and is responsible for several laws targeting werewolves and other magical creatures."

"That doesn't really surprise me," Harry said with a look of disgust. "Wait — Hagrid! She was already saying bad things about him during her inspection today, and he wasn't even there!"

"Yes, I am afraid that when he returns, Hagrid will likely run afoul of her duties as High Inquisitor," Dumbledore replied sadly.

"So, you're expecting him to return soon?"

"I do, though I ask that you not call too much attention to his absence, as he is currently on an assignment for the Order of the Phoenix."

"I understand, sir, I'm just glad to know he's okay," said a relieved Harry.

"I am sure that Hagrid would be delighted to know how much you care, but do try not to worry," said Dumbledore kindly. "Hagrid is more than capable of defending himself if necessary. Now, I would like to give you one final warning before we move on," he continued, redirecting the conversation and causing Harry to lean forward in anticipation.

"It is my belief that Professor Umbridge's primary objective is to build a case providing justification for having me removed from the castle," the headmaster said gravely. Seeing the look of panic on Harry's face, he continued, "I do not tell you this to alarm you. I tell you this only so that you understand the gravity of the situation."

Harry nodded and anxiously ran a hand through his hair.

"Dolores Umbridge is not known for her patience," he began again. "As time goes on and she becomes more frustrated with her failure to depose me, she will become increasingly more likely to lash out at her secondary targets — yourself being chief amongst them."

Harry sighed in exasperation.

"She will feel obligated to justify her presence here to the Minister, and furthering Cornelius's own vendetta against you by 'proving' you are nothing more than a troublemaker would do exactly that," explained Dumbledore. "It is for this same reason that she is so intent on swiftly dismissing one or more of my teachers, and it is also why you must continue to avoid conflict with her at all costs."

"I understand, sir," said Harry, dropping his head against the back of his chair.

"I am glad to hear it, but also know that I do not underestimate the difficulty of your task," Dumbledore added sympathetically, before rising to his feet. "Now," he continued, in a much brighter tone, "unless you have any objections, I suggest we move on to much more pleasant activities. We have a short journey ahead of us, so if you would be so kind as to don your Cloak."

Harry quickly stood up and threw his Invisibility Cloak around his shoulders.

"Excellent — now follow me, if you please."

Harry nodded his agreement and pulled up the hood of his Cloak, before following Professor Dumbledore out of his office. He could practically feel his magic tingling in anticipation of what he might learn, hoping that the evening would be another significant step in his journey towards finally defeating Voldemort.