1996
"Severus please, how on earth is the boy so powerful?!" Albus Dumbledore asked, his voice raising from a panicked whisper to a shout.
"The memories could be tainted. Seeing only what she wished to see." Snape argued.
"DO NOT BE A FOOL SEVERUS! THAT IS NOT HOW A PENSIEVE WORKS!" A furious Dumbledore shouted, rattling the walls of the office.
After hearing word of an attack on Hogsmeade, Albus Dumbledore quickly made his way back to his office to monitor it, to his magical scope he used to spy and monitor the streets and in the shops.
But to his shock, he saw a very confident Harry Potter chop the six men down, all without breaking a sweat.
Worried, Dumbledore watched on as the town applauded Harry in the town center, thanking him for being their savior. Seeing this caused his stomach to churn, not liking the attention Harry got.
But then, just out of range of Dumbledores view, a man cloaked in darkness came out from around the corner and freed one of the men, arming him.
The now freed man then stalked around the crowd until being directly in line with Harry and the girl he was speaking with. Dumbledore watched as the man raised his wand and shouted out the killing curse, knowing it would hit them. But for a split second, when Harry turned the girl into his spot and lined himself with the curse, Dumbledore could feel a slight smile run across his face. The smile quickly washed off as another student, Seamus Finnigan, raced to push the pair out of the way, but not being able to due to the crowd around them. Instead he was hit, the spell only clipping his right elbow.
An inch from life.
Then all hell broke loose. With the man who killed Seamus being blasted away by Harry and stunned by Amelia, to the mysterious man returning and freeing the other trapped men.
Seeing the man whisper down to the trapped death eaters, Dumbledore amplified his magical scope to zoom into the area, but due to the position of the man, Dumbledore couldn't see his face, but he could hear his words.
"No port-keys. No surrender. The Dark Lord will punish any who try to escape, but he will reward those who act on his will."
Dumbledore watched on and through the recapture of the men, watching as one of the young death eaters attempted to surrender but a rogue bombarda spell from a nearby rooftop collided with him, killing him. Then Dumbledore watched as for the rest of the battle, Harry acted as a man with years of experience. With the swiftness and accuracy he'd only seen on one other man, Filius Flitwick. With these talents, Harry quickly managed to stop the attack, subduing the final two men.
Thats when Dumbledore withdrew from his scope, breathing heavily, and quickly summoned Snape.
Sitting down heavily, Snape walked over and offered Dumbledore a vial, to which Dumbledore only glared up at the greasy man.
"Will you help me Severus, or do you only offer lousy potions? If so I can appoint another to do your job, someone without a MARK ON THEIR ARM!" Dumbledore shouted again, causing the greasy dark man to instinctively take a step back, before tilting his chin to the older man and leaving. Closing the doors to the office with a soft click.
Seeing his only friend leave, Dumbledore grumbled again, before grabbing a bottle of ink off his desk and slamming it against the wall with a shout. Breathing heavily, Dumbledore thought of what to do when his floo suddenly flashed with green flame.
Instinctively, Dumbledore morphed his angry face into one of a kind grandfather and smoothed his robes, steeling his emotions.
Answering the call, Dumbledore was not shocked by the worried face that appeared in his fireplace.
"Minister Fudge, how can I help you today?"
Same Time
Harry tiredly walked through the streets of Hogsmeade, finally done with reports and questions. After awhile of being hammered by questions, Amelia gave the boy an out and ordered everyone to quit, focusing on something else, to which Harry gratefully thanked her for.
Walking through the streets now, Harry only thought of being back at Hogwarts, in his bed, asleep. But it still seemed so far…
A soft body suddenly colliding with him caused his mind to race back to his current state. Immediately reaching for his wand.
"…Harry!" He could hear the body say in a muffled tone. Looking down, a small tired smile ran across his face at the familiar scent and sight of Hermione's hair.
"'Mione." Harry said, relief washing over him. Wrapping both his arms around the slightly smaller girl, Harry used his strength to hold her as tight as he could, not wanting anything to separate the two. Digging his face into her shoulder, Harry felt all of the emotions he had suppressed during the fight finally break through him as he cried into her shoulder.
Hermione it seemed did the same, as Harry felt his shirt getting wet with what he could only assume were her tears.
Only the sound of rapid footsteps approaching caused the pair to separate. Standing apart, Harry looked into the direction of the steps and saw a very concerned Fleur racing to them.
Smiling, Harry took a step forward to meet her. Meeting up with him, Fleur immediately wrapped the younger boy in a hug, whispering french rapidly into his ear.
"'Arry! Tu vas bien?! J'étais si inquiète, mais tout le monde m'entraînait à l'écart…"
"Fleur!" Harry eased the older woman, pulling himself from her. "I'm okay. Only bumps and bruises. See?"
Separating from her, Harry rolled the sleeves of his jumper up to his shoulders, showing the pair his minor injuries. Only sustaining a small bruise on his right shoulder from colliding with a stone wall, and a minor cut on his left forearm from the brick wall he had used to shield himself as he made entry into the final building.
"You should see the other guy." Harry joked with a laugh, receiving a punch in the shoulder from Hermione for it.
"I will be 'appier if I never see these cretins every again, thank you very much." Fleur replied, reaching for his arm while pulling out her wand, casting a simple healing spell on his injuries.
"Did everyone make it out okay?" Harry asked, looking back and forth between the two women.
With a nod from Hermione, Harry felt all of the tension in his shoulders vanish. Not noticing that since the battle ended, he had walked around with a gigantic weight on his shoulders. A weight that had just been lifted.
"Well, everyone except…" Hermione said, leaving one name unsaid.
Just like that, all of that weight rushed back onto Harry. A sick feeling filled his stomach as he remembered the glossy eyes of his friend as they stared at Harry. The same eyes Harry saw every night in that cemetery. The same eyes his parents must've had on that night. During the battle, and right after, Harry held back the emotion of seeing his friend die. Instead focusing on finishing the threat and preventing anymore casualties.
But now, with no battle, and no adrenaline, nothing could stop Harry's mind as it raced back to his friend.
"Merlin." Harry mumbled, bending down to hold his knees. Taking a breathe, but not feeling the air fill his lungs, Harry began struggling to breathe. Feeling himself hyperventilate, he rose from his knees, holding his hands above his head. Using a tip he had overheard Remus giving Sirius while they were alone in the kitchen one morning, Harry closed his eyes and counted to ten, while controlling his breathing.
Feeling his mind come back to him, Harry opened his eyes, which immediately landed on the familiar, warm brown eyes he loved, as Hermione was stood directly in front of him.
"…Harry?" Hermione asked with concern, offering her hand to him.
Nodding his head, Harry took her smaller hand and offered her a smile. "I'm okay. I'm okay."
"You sure?" Fleur asked, her eyes filled with compassion.
"Yeah, I just… I dunno." Harry replied, thinking for a moment. "I just want to go to bed. I got a feeling tomorrow's going to rough, so lets just head back, before something else happens."
Nodding their heads, Fleur gave the two her goodbyes and hugs before departing, telling the two to please write.
Wishing her well, the pair began walking back to the edge of the village, then onto the castle.
Same Time
"YOU CAN'T STOP ME! I HAVE TO GO FIND THEM!"
"Calm down Mr. Weasley. They are safe, AND on the way back. No more students are allowed outside at this time." Professor Mcgonagall replied to a stressed Ronald Weasley.
"But…"
"BUT NOTHING!" Professor Mcgonagall shouted, quieting the rumble of the crowd surrounding the two. Growing tired of the crowd and of the questions, Mcgonagall raised her wand to her throat and cast a spell, amplifying her voice.
"Everyone, please return to your house dormitories at once. The danger is over, and lessons begin anew tomorrow morning. Do not make me repeat myself." Mcgonagall ordered, canceling the spell.
As the crowd dispersed, Mcgonagall spotted a head of red hair, trying to hide in the crowd, but moving the opposite way. Towards the exit doors of the castle.
"RONALD WEASLEY!"
Stomping his foot, Ron turned with a huff and marched forward with the crowd, not looking at his head of house.
Same Time
Thinking back on what had happened during the day as Harry and Hermione walked back to the castle, Harry suddenly remembered something. Something said right before everything fell into chaos.
As he thought of it, a smile broke across his face.
A smile that she noticed.
Glancing over at her, he blushed when he saw her already looking at him with a questioning look. Deciding to question her about it, Harry replayed the memory in his head, and again, the memory ended with her saying the words he had dreamt of for months.
"Hermione?" Harry asked, cutting the silence between the two.
"Yes?" Hermione replied, stopping in her steps to face Harry. Seeing him blush, she couldn't help her own appear on her face.
"Back there, before… you know. Y-you were saying something?" Harry stuttered out, running his hand nervously through his hair. Feeling like a herd of Cornish pixies were running rampant in his belly, Harry all to suddenly regretted bringing it up and began spewing out apologizes.
"Never mind 'Mione! Forget I said anything, really! Sorry! Don't answer…" Harry began, his face glowing bright red.
Hermione's at the same time was also glowing red, as she stood crosslegged, covering her mouth with her hands.
"Harry." Hermione began, nervousness seeping into every word she said. "I was only congratulating you on your victory, you know? I wouldn't… well I wasn't… I don't…"
"You don't?" Harry asked, stopping her ramble, as he felt his heart shatter into millions of pieces.
At his words Hermione went from staring anywhere else than him to directly into his eyes. Opening her mouth to speak, she tried to talk but nothing would come out.
'This is really the worst Valentine's Day ever.' Harry thought to himself as he looked at the girl he crushed on, rejecting him.
Taking a breath, Harry managed a smile. "It's alright 'Mione. You're with Michael. I overstepped. I'm sorry." Harry said, trying to convey the lie through his eyes.
"Harry…"
Raising his hand to stop her, Harry shook his shoulders. "It's okay."
"No it isn't Harry!" Hermione argued heatedly, before stopping and taking a deep breath. "I… I don't want to be with Michael, Harry. It was only a few dates, just to see where it went, you know? With everything going on, training in the morning, training in the evenings, lessons during the day, it was stressful. So when he asked me out I agreed."
Looking at her anxiously, Harry responded, "You don't have to explain anything to me 'Mione. I wasn't trying to…"
"I DON'T CARE ANYMORE!" Hermione shouted back, startling Harry into silence. "I just want things to go back to normal Harry! Me and you… and also maybe Ron. Just being friends again. Without training, without all of these worries, without you having to fight a battle on our weekends away from school!"
Seeing tears fall from her red-blushed face, Harry took a step forward and wrapped his arms around the girl.
"I'm sorry." Is all Harry said, holding her in newfound silence.
After a long moment, Harry felt Hermione pull away, releasing herself from him. Wiping her eyes, she looked away from him.
"It isn't your fault Harry. I know that. I just need to deal with it, and help you deal with yours." She said, causing Harry to nod with a slight laugh, making her smile. "Can we head back now, please?"
Nodding his head, Harry took a few steps forward and rewrapped his arms around Hermione, and thought of how badly he wanted to be back in the common room with Ron and Hermione. Where he'd spent hours of his life playing games, studying, reading, and talking. Of where he had fallen in love with her.
Feeling his mind explode with a squeezing sensation, his instincts took over as soon as his feet found solid ground after a second. His eyes opened in shock as he broke apart from a equally scared Hermione and looked at their new surroundings.
A common room filled with wide eyed students.
Same Time
Feeling the wards around Hogsmeade twist and bend before shattering into thin air, Amelia Bones ordered all aurors and citizens to take cover and prepare for another attack.
Hiding the worry from her face, Amelia raised her wand and sent a patronus off, intending on finding their new arrivals.
A useless endeavor however, as she knew of only two wizards who were known to be strong enough to apparate through wards.
One would be a treat, the other… not so much.
"Is it him?" A young auror asked, holding their wand out ahead of themselves.
Shrugging her shoulders, Amelia kept her eyes on the streets, waiting for the attack.
But it never came, and when her patronus came sauntering back, Amelia rose from her position with confusion and concern written all over her face.
"Stand down." Amelia ordered with scrunched eyebrows. "False alarm. Lets finish up and go. Auror Shacklebolt, return to the ministry and gather some Ward-Masters to rebuild the wards, they were old anyway. Lets leave this place better than we found it, yeah?"
With a chorus of agreements, the aurors went back to their jobs, leaving Amelia to her thoughts.
'What was that?'
The Next Day
Feeling something press into his side, Harry grumbled underneath his covers, flipping to his side. Feeling the pressing again, Harry grabbed one of his pillows and swatted it into the direction of the nuisance, but only managing to hit open air.
"Harry." A soft voice said coming from beside him. Moaning, Harry dug himself further underneath the covers of his bed, using his weaponized pillow as extra cover on his head.
"HARRY!" The person shouted, right before jumping and landing on top of the sleeping boy. Shouting in fright, Harry flung his arms and legs around as he tried to escape the attack from the unknown assailant. Eventually, himself and his attacker shifted off the bed and landed onto the hard ground, still bundled in the webs of his covers.
Freeing himself from his trap, Harry rose from the ground and looked around, confused as all hell.
"Luna?" Harry asked, his eyes squinting as he looked at the laughing girl still lying on the floor in his sheets.
"Hello Harry. Good night's rest?" She said while laughing, causing Harry to shake his head in annoyance. Sticking her hand into the air, Harry walked over and grabbed it, helping her off the ground.
"Do you have any idea what time it is Harry?" Luna asked as Harry went over to grab his glasses, before moving over and reaching into his trunk for clothes to wear.
"No? Why? Is it late?" Harry asked, sliding a loose jumper on.
"Almost noon." Luna said, walking over and taking off Harry's jumper, to his shock.
"What?! Luna, what are you doing?" Harry asked, now holding the jumper, before Luna reached into his trunk and pulled out a finer shirt, tossing it to him.
"Professor Dumbledore wanted to speak to you. Walked over to me and Hermione himself at breakfast asking for you. Hermione said you were still sleeping, which he understood, so he asked if we could wake you before lunch." Luna explained. "So I did."
"Yeah thanks you lunatic." Harry said, buttoning up the shirt. "Want to pick my trousers too?"
Sticking her tongue at him, Luna turned to leave. Before opening the door out, she said over her shoulder, "Nothing too baggy or you'll trip." then left. Leaving Harry alone to figure it out.
'What does the old geezer want now?' Harry thought as he looked into his trunk.
Later
Raising his fist to knock on the large doors leading into the Headmaster's office, Harry was not surprised to be interrupted by the subtle display of power he knew Dumbledore did often to his guests.
"Please enter Harry." Harry could hear Dumbledore say through the door.
Hearing the invitation, Harry rolled his eyes and twisted the door knob, opening it to reveal the familiar office. The familiar magical knick knacks as they wizzed around the office, letting out little trills. The large oak desk covered completely in paperwork and candy wrappers. With a smiling old man sitting behind it in a large royal looking throne.
Moving his eyes left, Harry smiled as his eyes landed on Fawkes, who trilled out a welcoming tune as their eyes met. Walking over, Harry ignored the headmaster for a moment as he lifted his hand to the phoenix, rubbing his feathers.
"How are you boy?" Harry said gently, smiling as Fawkes leaned over to rub his head against Harry's hand.
"He is doing excellent Harry, I'd wager it will be another century before his next burning day." Albus Dumbledore answered, looking over at the pair.
Nodding his head, Harry whispered a few more compliments to the phoenix before moving away. Walking forward, Harry reached the desk and sat down heavily into the chair in front of it, looking skeptically at the man sat across him.
For a long moment, the two only looked at each other, waging a war of eye contact. Rolling his eyes at the older man, Harry broke the silence with a cough.
"So how's your head?" Harry asked, replaying their previous encounter.
Dumbledore shrugged his shoulders, tilting his head side to side. "Fine. Nothing I couldn't handle."
"Do you know what it was?" Harry asked, leaning forward slightly. Seeing this, Dumbledore smirked a bit.
"Just old man issues, you'll have them too Harry, don't you worry." Dumbledore smiled, hiding the truthful answer. "Speaking of, you look a lot healthier Harry, something happen?"
At that question, Harry steeled his mind, running through what Remus and Sirius had told him. Every other practice lesson he did at Grimmauld, he would have a boosted nutrient potion, made by Remus, and over the months, his body had changed drastically. His muscles now grew easier and quicker, making him significantly quicker and stronger during training. It was also helping with his eyesight, although at a slower rate, so Harry still wore glasses. But if Sirius was correct, he wouldn't need them for much longer.
He remained short though, only growing about two inches. He remained hopeful though when his godfather and uncle both confirmed that his dad had also been quiet short until his seventh year, when he had a late major growth spurt.
"Just been watching what I eat sir. I don't know if you've noticed, but I've also been running during the mornings. It adds up." Harry deflected, aware of Dumbledore's meddling into Harry's lack of nutrition potions.
"Hmm." Professor Dumbledore nodded, clearly not convinced. Tapping his knuckles against the wood of his desk, Dumbledore finally decided to get to the meaning of their meeting.
"During the first war, the men and women who followed Lord Voldemort were a very difficult problem to overcome." Dumbledore explained, standing from his desk and moving over to one of his many magical oddities, tinkering with it.
"So much so, that the auror amount nearly halved in size. That is why your father and Sirius were admitted so quickly into their ranks, because they needed the men. You see, with our way of fighting back, we aimed to capture. To help them, to show them the way forward. But they were persistent. While we fired nonlethal spells, they would almost exclusively fire back dark and dangerous ones, aiming to kill or maim. To the point, that if you were to encounter a 'death eater' as they have been proclaimed, you must not be alone. For if you were, you were dead. Simple as that."
"But now." Dumbledore said, moving his eyes from the moon dial he tinkered with straight to Harry. "Now it appears to everyone who witnessed, that anyone can go and take down an ENTIRE group of them. Even someone as young as fifteen."
Confused, Harry opened his mouth to argue back but was cut off by Dumbledore raising his hand to stop him. "You have made a grave mistake Harry. A mistake that will cost us numerous lives in this war. The false hope you have instilled into the people yesterday will do NOTHING but play into his hands. You realize this, yes?"
"Sir, with all due respect, fuck you." Harry spat at his headmaster, raising from his chair and walking towards the office doors. Before reaching them however, an invisible force took hold of his body and dragged him back into the chair he had just left, binding him to it.
"These games you play, your attitude. I have had enough of it. You have started a war, a war that has already claimed a life of someone you held dear. How long will you continue down this path without someone to guide you? Long enough for you to LEAD EVERYONE YOU LOVE TO THEIR DEATHS?! IS THAT WHAT YOU WISH?!" The professor yelled into the face of his student, who sat back in his chair with a angry expression.
"I didn't start the war, you did when you didn't kill Voldemort during the first war!" Harry fought back, challenging the older man. "Everyone alive tells tales of how you are the only man he's afraid of, so why don't you do anything?! How many more children or their parents have to die before the MOST POWERFUL MAN IN HISTORY takes action?"
"You know nothing of what you speak boy." Dumbledore warned, his voice low and sinister.
"Oh really, that's rich." Harry scoffed, rolling his eyes. Deciding to hammer another nail into the ego of Albus Dumbledore, Harry spoke directly into his eyes.
"You're probably just jealous their looking at someone else to help them other than you."
With saying that with a smirk, Harry watched as fury and rage filled the warm blue eyes of his headmaster, leaving him with cold hard dark blue eyes and clenched teeth. For a moment, the thought of Dumbledore actually attacking Harry filled him with a slight unwelcome feeling of fear.
As they stared into each others eyes, neither backing down, Harry could feel the older headmasters magical aura slowing rolling off of the man in waves, surrounding Harry in a blue-like mist. Feeling the mist coat his body, Harry thought back on a lesson Moody had taught him.
"Never show your opponent everyone you have to offer, let them get comfortable with what you show. Then, when the time is right, use whatever you have to win."
Deciding not to test his own strength against his headmasters, Harry forcefully removed his eyes from his professors, immediately feeling the mist dissipate from the room. Leaning back in his chair heavily, Harry looked back up to his professor, only to see the man still staring at him.
"I just couldn't let anyone else die." Harry explained, avoiding looking back up to show submission.
"I understand Harry, but actions have consequences, especially for men like us." Dumbledore replied back in a breathless tone, moving from in front of Harry back around to his chair at the desk. Sitting back heavily, Dumbledore continued to observe the younger boy, who remained in his chair, looking at the ground.
As he looked sternly at the silent boy, a light behind and to the left of Harry lit up, causing Dumbledore's eyebrows to raise. The light came from a tiny box that was used by only those he trusted most, a way to send messages quick. Knowing what it meant, Dumbledore knew he needed to act quick.
"You may go Harry, the great hall will only be serving meals for another twenty minutes." Dumbledore dismissed, giving Harry pity. "But, I expect you back in this office again next week. I will call for you. Dark times are coming, and in order for us to lead our civilization into the light, we must work together."
Nodding his head, Harry made sure to keep his head down a second longer as he rolled his eyes at the mans 'lesson'.
"Yes sir, I'll be here." Harry agreed, standing from his chair for a second time and heading for the office doors, opening them before leaving the headmasters office.
As the door's to the headmasters office shut, Dumbledore quickly stood from his chair and walked briskly over to the light, opening the box and bending down to read what it said.
Reading it once, then again, then one more time, Headmaster Dumbledore couldn't help but let fear pierce his heart.
"ATTACK-AZKABAN-HURRY"
'NO! It's too soon!' He thought as he quickly grabbed a coat to wear over his robes, before spinning in a circle and disappearing from his office.