The three of them were on their way to yet another of the magical training sessions, marching through the corridor with a sense of purpose. That was despite the fact that dealing with Moody for at least an hour was likely going to cause irreparable damage to both their physical and mental wellbeing. Most group members would have taken it more easy before the practice started, conserving their energy and preparing their minds for the inevitable onslaught. But Harry was hungry to learn whatever tidbits of information Moody had to offer. From his first exposure to the retired Auror's teaching style, he had to admit that it wasn't too different to the tactics that Matthew often deployed. There was a focus on subjecting the students to an unexpected amount of pressure in order to test how far they could go before breaking.

Of course, it wasn't a comparison that Harry had thought to say out loud just yet, for fear of how his friend would react. Matthew was exactly the sort of person who would see it as a compliment, in truth. And, as violent and volatile as Moody's classes were destined to be, training in the Tardis could have taken a leaf out of that particular book in Harry's humble opinion. Whilst he understood the importance of focusing his mind, making it a steel cage, it was by no means the most exciting of activities. He wanted to be wielding magic, believing that he was a much better learner in a practical setting. His complaints, though mostly kept to himself, had only increased once Hermione had admitted that they'd moved onto the next stage in her personal session.

"It's favouritism!" Harry had argued when the news had broken, causing a few people to look in their general direction in the Gryffindor common room. "It's blatant! It's clear as day!"

"I'm pretty sure that we've had this debate before," Matthew had returned with barely any patience. "And I'm not fond of going around in endless circles."

"The entire reason why we're having to have this conversation again is that my training hasn't changed in ages. I'm more capable than you realise."

"I've never once doubted just how brilliant you are, Harry."

"For some reason, I don't get that impression."

"I shouldn't have said anything," Hermione apologised. "I've caused this…"

Matthew held up a hand. "No, it's alright. You don't need to be sorry. Far from it, actually. The only way this works is if we're open with one another. I can only help Harry if I understand what his perspective is."

"Still…he must realise what sort of pressure you're under. Complaining won't help with that."

"I don't want to be left behind," Harry said. "I've had to deal with that far more than I'd care to admit, especially when it comes to you two."

"Let's not open old wounds," Matthew had sagely warned. "I thought we'd worked past that."

"We have. I'm not bitter or anything. Maybe I'm just…well, hearing that Hermione's doing so well just…scares me a little. I've got too many people to count who are now seemingly relying on me to defeat Voldemort. But if I can't even keep up now, what sort of chance do I have of succeeding?"

Matthew had given him a sympathetic smile. "It's a miracle that you've come as far as you have with all those doubts flying around your head."

"That's probably true, yeah."

"You should have spoken about this sooner," Hermione had pointed out.

"The last time I sulked about the prophecy, I got a pretty heated lecture."

"That doesn't mean that we're not an open ear to use or a shoulder to cry on."

"Although, if there are any tears on the way, can you give me a fair warning?" Matthew had added warily.

Harry groaned. "I'm not going to cry!"

"It's not a bad thing to let those emotions out every once in a while," Hermione told him. "It's perfectly healthy, in fact."

"Maybe we can save that for a later date. All I want right now is to know whether I'm on the right path. We're putting all our eggs in one basket if we choose to believe that the 'power he knows not' is this ancient magic. If I fail to properly unlock that…"

"If you're going to believe the prophecy, then that means you have to believe that you already possess that power," Matthew reasoned.

"I don't appreciate you catching me in a loophole."

Matthew leaned forward, slapping him softly on the knee. "For once, I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt. Next session, we'll do it your way. We'll try a more physical approach. But you'd best hope that you're right, otherwise you're not going to be able to deal with my smugness."

It was a promise that had eased the majority of Harry's concerns, though his impatience was growing with how long it was taking for that fabled session to arrive. The issue was that, with the weekly evening group added to their schedule, there was a risk of stretching themselves too far. Therefore, Hermione had intervened, stating the need for enough free time to recuperate properly. When they'd first met the Granger girl, Harry and Matthew would have been shocked at the thought of her being one to warn against doing too much work. Even now, it had taken them an entire day before they'd suitably recovered, much to her chagrin.

Harry wasn't allowed to be completely positive, however. That was mainly because their professors had seemingly discovered an extra level to the strictness of their teaching over the summer. Being in their fifth year now meant dealing with the dreaded OWLs, and the teachers refused to let them forget about it. Flitwick had prattled on at length about the importance of the exams, stating that they would go a long way in dictating the paths their future took. McGonagall had strongly reminded them that the only way to pass the tests would be through undying dedication to the cause.

They were sentiments that raised more than a few concerns in Harry's head, at a time when there wasn't much room for more stuff to worry about. Thinking about the future wasn't something he tended to do with a lot of optimism, normally because it was something that was taken out of his control. To be poised the question, at an unrelenting rate as well, was almost daunting. Ever since coming to Hogwarts, he'd adopted the mindset of enjoying every day as it came, especially since he knew that this portion of his life wouldn't last forever. Sirius and Remus spoke so fondly about their school years that Harry didn't want to waste his own by dreaming about things to come.

"It's not something that I've given a lot of thought to," Harry admitted as they continued to amble through the corridor.

Matthew eyed him curiously. "Should I wait for you to elaborate or…?"

"The professors keep making a big deal out of OWLs."

"That's because they're dreadfully important," Hermione spoke up.

"I don't think I truly appreciated just how much they want us to think about what happens next. You know…after Hogwarts? And it's scary because, like I said, I've barely thought about it."

"That's nothing to be ashamed of, Harry."

"I'm sure you've already planned out the first ten years after you're out of here though."

She flicked her hair. "I don't know what you think of me."

"It's the first twenty years," Matthew amended, earning himself a slight pinch on his arm.

"I'll have you know that I…well, I think I've become a lot more relaxed about that sort of thing. Yes, I have a few ideas about what I'd like to do. But I'm not going to let myself be bound by any preconceived notions. We're still kids. The way we think may have drastically changed by the time we're done at Hogwarts. We may be entirely different people by then."

That was probably the part that intimidated Harry the most. What would he be like by that point? If they were destined to change, would they still be compatible as a trio? What if they were forced to go their separate ways? Matthew and Hermione were dating, meaning there was every possibility that they would go off on their own, leaving him behind. Could he begrudge them that? What would he do without them? And, on top of all of this, after everything he'd been through and learnt more recently, would he even be alive long enough to experience these potential changes?

"What sort of jobs do wizards even go into?" Harry asked them.

"It's probably not as varied as we'd wish it was," Matthew answered. "You could work for the Ministry, although the thought of that is incredibly boring."

"Maybe I need some boredom after how hectic school has been."

"Nah, adventure is where it's at. You can come travelling with me in the Tardis. We'll explore every wizarding civilisation across the globe, learning about different cultures and the variations in magic."

"That does sound tempting. I've always been interested in how those societies work in different countries."

"That won't pay the bills," Hermione pointed out.

"Bills? We've got magic!" Matthew countered, playfully spinning on his heel and making a spectacle of himself in front of the few people also traversing that specific hallway. "The last thing we should do is live our life solely based around earning money. That's entirely the benefit of being wizards and witches."

"Fine then. Work should be based on doing something you're passionate about. Something that enriches your life."

"Now, that's something I can get onboard with."

"The idea of teaching has always intrigued me. Imagine being able to shape young minds, passing on the lessons that you yourself went through. I reckon that would be so enriching as a career."

"And you'd get to stay at Hogwarts," Harry reasoned.

"Unless you fancy teaching abroad. You'll have a good reputation at Beauxbatons already after your heroics last year."

"You could be reunited with Margot," Matthew added. "It's basically the plot of an award winning romcom. Young love separated by the Channel, only to come together once again as adults, rekindling that passion."

Harry blushed a brilliant pink. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves."

"Matthew's just messing with you," Hermione said, as if it needed explaining. "And I'll be sure to make him pay for it when we get to partner up in the club."

"Before I'm turned into a pretzel, I hope you realise what we're trying to tell you, Harry," Matthew said, eyeing his girlfriend warily. "There are a number of options that you can start to think about, many of which you'd be great at. But don't let McGonagall get into your head. She just wants everyone to work hard and, in turn, make her life easier. The important thing is not to stress too much. You've got enough on your plate as it is."

"Yeah, you're right," Harry agreed. "Especially seeing as I probably won't ever need to worry about getting a job."

"Because you think the wizarding community will give you free handouts after you save everyone from eternal doom? Because you think you're going to get free accommodation in the Tardis?"

"Well…I was more leaning to the more obvious thing that's standing in the way of me and the future."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. "I'd choose your next words very carefully, Harry Potter."

Harry held up his hands in surrender. "At least it explains why I've never thought to plan for the future. Given what the prophecy says, I've got a fifty percent chance of dying."

She whacked him on the shoulder. "Don't say things like that!"

"I know we agreed to ignore the prophecy as best we could…but I've got to approach this realistically…"

"I've changed my mind, Matthew."

The other boy didn't appear too pleased about being dragged into that mess. "Hmm?"

"I'm going to use the training club to take out my anger on Harry instead of you."

"Well, I'm never going to complain about that."

"Why are you angry at me?" Harry hissed.

"I can't believe you'd be so nonchalant about the risk to your life. If you start thinking that you're destined to die, then you're not going to fight as strongly to prevent it! If I hear you say anything like this again, I swear to Merlin that you'll have a true problem on your hands."

Harry looked at Matthew, who pulled a face. "What do you expect me to do? I fully agree with her. It's one of the reasons why Dumbledore waited so long to tell you about the prophecy. Imagine if you'd known for four more years that your death was potentially predicted before you were even born. The last thing we want to see is you giving up. So ignore my earlier advice. Think about the future. Think about the job you want to do. Burn that desire into your heart. Give yourself something to stay alive for."

Harry risked smiling at his friends. "I think I already have that."

Hermione rolled her eyes, though she was powerless to fight against the smirk growing on her lips. "Do you really think you're going to get out of trouble by saying something sweet like that?"

"Is it working?"

Matthew laughed. "You're following my rulebook, Harry, and I couldn't be prouder."

By the time they reached the Great Hall, it was apparent that their heated conversation had allowed most of the group to beat them to it. Walking into the chamber, the first thing that Harry picked up on was the fact that the size of the crowd was nowhere near the same as the previous week. There were definitely fewer people, probably as a result of them being scared of the curriculum being used by Moody. Harry couldn't help but feel disappointed that those members had already seemingly quit, knowing that they needed everybody to reach their potential if they were going to stand a conceivable chance in the future.

The second thing he noticed was that there was no reason for them to have bailed, seeing as it wasn't Moody who was prowling the stage.

It was, in fact, Lupin. He was waiting patiently at the head of the hall, much to the surprise of the trio. Seeing as he was the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, it stood to reason that he'd have a lot of skill to pass on in this arena. But what else could he teach them that hadn't already been covered in his lessons, or was due to come up in future subjects? He sent a warm smile in greeting to the three of them, instantly erasing any questions Harry may have had. He was simply happy about getting an unexpected opportunity to spend time with a man who had quickly grown to be something akin to an uncle to him, particularly when they'd lived with one another for the entirety of the summer.

There was a third thing that Harry's attention was drawn to, though he soon wished that he'd ignored it. In the corner, perched on a small chair, was Umbridge. Whilst she was sticking to the outskirts of the hall, her horrendous outfit meant that it was impossible for her to remain undetected. Whilst he hadn't had any meaningful interaction with the woman before, besides a passing comment during his interrogation at the Ministry on behalf of Sirius, there was more than a large part of him that was telling himself not to trust her. There was something about her expression, the way she was somehow watching everyone at the same time, her lips permanently etched into a condescending smile.

"She's actually come inside this time," Harry said to his friends.

"Maybe she wants to learn a thing or two," Matthew suggested.

"Or maybe she's spying for Fudge."

"Fudge? The man who has publicly backed you and Dumbledore? It would have been easy for him to shove his head in the sand after the tournament ended. Can you imagine what that would have been like?"

"Still doesn't mean that we can trust her."

"You know that I'm usually more than suspicious of nearly everyone…but it wouldn't make sense for anyone in the Ministry to start interfering."

"Unless their allegiances weren't solely to the Ministry…"

"Look at this way: her being here means we get a better chance of checking out what she's up to. Perhaps I'll accidentally throw a hex in her direction and you can sneak a look at the notes she's been taking."

"Please don't attack a Ministry official," Hermione said pleadingly. "I don't think even you could talk your way out of that one."

"Just watch me try."

"Everyone!" Lupin called. "Please could you make your way over to me, thank you!" He waited for the mass of students to shuffle into place, whilst Umbridge remained in her shadowy corner. "You may be wondering why I'm here this week instead of Alastor Moody. Some of you may be disappointed. Some of you may be cursing your luck that you're having to spend even more time with me outside of our usual classes. Whilst some of you may be relieved to see that you won't be going through the same exhausting drills as last week."

A pause came to allow the chuckles to die down, with a large portion of the group definitely happy about the last point.

"Professor Dumbledore has seen fit that these sessions cover more than one mindset. Mister Moody is an experienced and renowned fighter. I can provide a more…technical approach to our studies. By the time this year is over with, you will have received lessons from various witches and wizards who all have their particular expertise. That way, when the time comes for you to use these skills in a real life situation, you'll have a more wide ranging repertoire. Who knows…maybe by the end of proceedings, some of you might take up part of the teaching."

His eyes landed on Harry, sparkling unashamedly. As a result, it felt that everyone else was suddenly looking at him, even if the truth of it was that most of them were still entirely focused on the professor. He couldn't understand why Lupin would see him as a worthy candidate, when he was standing next to a boy who had already been acting in that role and a girl who knew seemingly everything that was worth knowing about magic. What did he have to offer? The absolute last thing he wanted was to purposefully draw attention to himself.

"Conducting this evening session gives me one major advantage over our usual studies," Lupin continued, "and that's the fact that I can push you even further than usual! Believe it or not, but I often do my best to obscure the worst and truly horrendous aspects of the world in our classes. The curriculum, after all, doesn't think that students are mentally prepared to learn about the full extent of those terrors. This group…gives you the chance to prove that you're mature enough to handle that pressure. Because, as you must be well aware, a storm is approaching, meaning you won't be able to hide behind your books forever."

A shiver seemed to crawl up Harry's back at his comments. Looking to one side, he noticed Hermione's crestfallen look, as if she believed that books could be a defence to anything .

"If there's one creature in existence that exemplifies the possible darkness that threatens our world once again, it's a monster that you've all had first hand experience of. But only one of you has successfully defended yourself against a full blown dementor attack."

Harry knew what was coming before it even happened.

"Mister Potter, if you'd come up to the stage for a quick demonstration…"

With all eyes now definitely on him, he didn't have much choice but to cooperate, especially after Matthew gave him a shove of encouragement. The room was achingly silent, particularly when you compared it to the usual hive of activity it was during meals, and it meant that Harry's footsteps echoed frustratingly loudly. Lupin patted him on the back once he was standing next to him, staring awkwardly at the classmates looking in his direction. Any hopes of not becoming the teacher were quickly becoming a distant memory.

And yet Harry was saved from having to do anything thanks to a cough from the very corner of the hall that Umbridge had frequented. The woman was standing up, hovering much closer to the group than Harry thought was possible, since she hadn't made a sound (besides the clearing of her throat). Her arms were folded together, staring at Lupin with that same expression she always seemed to be wearing. For the first time, though, Harry could definitely see something darker under the surface.

"Sorry for the interruption," she said, not sounding apologetic at all.

"I'm sure you have an excellent reason," Lupin replied, a touch more scathing than Harry was used to. Perhaps he was seeing through the performance too.

"I was simply wondering…why it's at all a good use of time to be teaching the students how to ward off dementors…"

It was Lupin's turn to cross his arms. "I don't think I'm following."

"When these sessions were organised, corresponding with the Minister of Magic's approval, they were designed to help Hogwarts' populace learn vital skills for a reality we still hope doesn't come to fruition. Minister Fudge has acknowledged the Dark Lord's return, yes. So why bother focusing on dementors?"

"Again…you're going to have to spell it out to me…"

"Dementors are solely employed by the Ministry, Mister Lupin…"

"You'll find that I'm a professor."

"That's right, my sincere apologies. Professor Lupin…I would hate to report back to my superiors that students are being encouraged to rise up against creatures that are dedicated to Ministry service. Well…from a certain perspective…it could even be viewed as inciting antagonistic behaviour towards the Ministry itself…"

"I can assure you that…"

"...I hope you'll reconsider."

Lupin glanced at Harry. "You should probably rejoin your friends."

"But…" Harry tried to protest, suddenly forgetting his lack of enthusiasm for being roped into the process.

"No, it's okay." The professor turned to the rest of the group, pointedly ignoring Umbridge's calculating smirk. "Perhaps it's best if we avoid that subject matter, for this week at least. I heard you practised constructing shields last time out. But how good are you at physically dodging spells? That can often be a handy tool that everyone seems to forget about. So let's partner up…"

Harry couldn't claim to hate a lot of things. Voldemort was understandably up there. Any of his devotees had to be added to the list. His time with the Dursleys was definitely not one of the highlights of his life. But as he glanced at Umbridge, barely anything had ever filled him with such unbridled rage as the triumphant smirk she wasn't bothering to hide.

xxxxxxxxxx

He was back at Grimmauld Place. He remembered this moment. How could he possibly forget it? Sirius and Dumbledore were sitting across from him. The headmaster was holding a glowing orb in his palm, recounting its role in shaping Harry's life. But, for some reason, he couldn't properly make out the words. It was like being underwater, or behind a door and trying to eavesdrop on the conversation playing out right in front of him. Something was making him strain unbelievably hard to hear, as if it was vitally important that the details came to light. But why was he so stressed if he'd been told all this before?

Harry blinked wearily when a sudden light came into his vision. He found himself in bed, most definitely in Hogwarts instead of Sirius' house. His house, he reminded himself, though that sort of correction was playing second fiddle as his mind comprehended what was going on. As his vision returned, mainly because he remembered to put his glasses back on, it turned out that Matthew was standing over him, wand in hand with its tip alight. His expression was etched with concern, his brow coming together.

"You okay?" he asked.

"...yeah? Why wouldn't I be?" Harry was genuinely confused.

"You were murmuring very loudly. And you're sweating. Like, a lot . Like you've been for a run."

Harry brought a hand to his forehead, surprised to find that it actually was rather clammy. "Must have been a bad dream."

Matthew's concern only seemed to increase. "They're not normally just dreams when it comes to you."

"I'm fine, honestly. Come on, you're going to wake everyone else up. You know what Ron is like if he doesn't get enough sleep."

" Harry ."

"It was just about the time I was told about the prophecy. That's all."

"Was there anything strange about it?"

"Well…it was like I was stopping myself from hearing it. But that's not too weird, right? It probably just means I want to forget about it, which is a perfectly normal reaction."

Matthew stood up straight. "I think we should speak to Dumbledore."

"What?" Harry's mattress creaked as he sat up. "We can't wake him up for something as mundane as this!"

"Given the circumstances, I think he'd prefer to know every little thing that happens out of the ordinary, no matter if they turn out to be boring. I'm not going to take no for an answer."

"We can't walk around the school at night."

"Rules are made to be broken. And, since it's you, I'm pretty sure that they'll give us special dispensation, seeing as this could be related to you-know-who."

The mention of that particular name was enough to kick Harry into gear. "You don't think this has anything to do with him, do you?"

"Knowing your luck? I wouldn't bet against it. Isn't it better to be safe than sorry."

"You can explain to McGonagall why I'm so tired in class tomorrow," Harry grumbled as he slid his slippers on.

Matthew was already making his way through the door, expecting Harry to follow. "I've got a real knack for sweet-talking her, so don't worry."

"Are we bringing Hermione?"

"I can't reach the girl's dormitory. And, as easy as it would be to find a work-around, I'm not foolish enough to wake her up from her slumber. I quite like my limbs being intact."

The walk to the headmaster's office was a strange and rushed one, but thankfully a journey they'd conducted more times than they probably should have done. Having Matthew by his side gave him an unusual sense of confidence as they wandered through the corridors, navigating the darkness with practised ease. The most surprising part about the experience was that Dumbledore was awake by the time they arrived, conducting a hushed conversation with a face in the fireplace as they entered the room.

"Was that the Minister of Magic?" Harry asked bluntly, no beating around the bush when his brain wasn't properly in gear.

"You have a good eye, Harry," Dumbledore commended as the fire died down, smiling pleasantly at the two unexpected visitors. "He was just informing me of some of the latest developments."

"Anything that we need to know?"

"I'm sure you're not here to find out the details of my conversation with the Minister."

"No…in truth, I'm not really sure why we're here at all."

"Harry had a dream," Matthew explained, cutting to the chase. "About the prophecy. I wouldn't be so bothered if he hadn't been writhing around so much. It was like he was…fighting off something."

Harry looked at his friend. "You didn't tell me I was doing that."

"I didn't want to scare you until we were in a safer place."

Dumbledore's face was as difficult to read as ever. "Would you care to tell me about the contents of the dream?"

So Harry did. He recounted all the details that came to mind, a task that was always tricky when you just woke up, with the visions concocted by sleep slowly ebbing away. He mentioned the setting and the contents of the discussion, not that Dumbledore needed telling since he'd been the one to originally conduct it. The old headmaster leaned forward in interest when Harry covered the issues with sound quality and, now he thought about it, how the orb itself had been pulled from his focus, again suggesting that he was trying to ignore it completely.

Dumbledore steepled his fingers together. "Harry…I wouldn't be too surprised to learn that you have just successfully fended away Lord Voldemort's attempts to enter your mind."

It took a couple of seconds for Harry to process the information. "Pardon?"

"It's not a confirmed hypothesis because it would be impossible to tell what caused that specific dream. But given Voldemort's desire to learn the contents of the prophecy, and his failures to find it within the Ministry, it would stand to reason that you'd be the next source he investigated."

"He tried to enter my head?"

"Perhaps making use of the connection you've shared with him ever since the night he marked you as his equal."

"So…I was only thinking about when you told me…because Voldemort wanted to hear it for himself?"

"Again, I can't be completely certain…but my guesses are usually accurate, yes."

"Are we in trouble then?" Harry was growing more agitated, probably a mixture of his panic and the lack of sleep. "Because if he's heard it…"

Dumbledore held up a hand. "And yet we know for sure that he hasn't. You disrupted the sound of the memory, remember?"

"Oh…"

"It seems that your mind is so strong that you were able to close it off upon his mental attacks. Being asleep gave you the advantage of not having any distractions so that all your brain power could be concentrated in dealing with Voldemort, though being asleep also left you more vulnerable than you are when you're conscious. So he was able to approach the right memory…"

"...but I was able to interfere enough."

"Precisely."

"Professor…how was I able to do that though?"

"Well, controlling the mind is a skill that very few people possess and it can take a considerable length of time to practise. Have you, perhaps, been learning to meditate over recent months?"

Harry glanced at Matthew. "You're not saying…"

His friend smirked. "Who knew that focusing on strengthening your mind would have loads of benefits?"

"You're going to be so smug about this."

"I already am."