Is everyone nicely broke from their Black Friday shopping sprees? Good. As a filthy capitalist I’m contractually obliged to approve. Possibly. Anyway, I’d better throw up another ‘Naughtiness Warning!’ for this one (someone really needs to throw a bucket of cold water over Harry and Ginny soon. I’d do it, but my bucket has a hole in it). Oh, and for those of you wondering how Harry and Dumbledore’s relationship will pan out in this story, I have a scene that might provide some clarification. Or perhaps confuse it even more. Whatever.
Huge thanks to Arnel, who mercifully resisted wishing me, a Brit, a Happy Thanksgiving. And, yes, I have read Happy Potter stories where that holiday has been included! Gah!
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Category: Alternate Universe Characters:Harry/Ginny, Hermione Granger, Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom, Ron Weasley Genres: Action/Adventure Warnings: Death, Disturbing Imagery, Intimate Sexual Situations, Rape, Violence Story is Complete Rating: R Reviews: 369 Summary: It started with a surprising proposals from an unexpected source, but that was only the beginning. Soon, Harry finds himself dealing with forces beyond his imagination and dreams, and ultimately finds that the world is not what he believed it to be. Hitcount: Story Total: 99074; Chapter Total: 4705 Author's Notes: |
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“Happy birthday, Harry!” Harry looked around half in surprise. He’d guessed that the Weasleys were planning something for his birthday. After all, he and his friends had been excused from training for the day and he’d subsequently been banished into the house for most of the morning, but the effort they’d put in still took his breath away. While a sixteenth birthday didn’t carry the same weight as a seventeenth one would in the Wizarding community, it still felt like a big deal to him. If he’d never learnt that he was a wizard, he would have been leaving school about now, possibly to go onto college but more likely to some low-paying, mind-numbing job. No doubt dear Uncle Vernon would have been making noises about him ‘finding his own place’, too. It was wonderful, therefore, that everyone had gone all-out to make the day special for him. After being told in no uncertain terms that he was not to leave his bedroom without permission, Ginny had eventually come and led him outside where he’d found his friends gathered around several large tables all groaning with food. A bright banner declaring ‘happy birthday’ hung between two trees, and a stack of presents was arranged neatly before him. It was all enough to bring a lump to his throat and tears to his eyes. He tried to thank everyone, but he just couldn’t seem to get the words out. “Here’s the birthday boy!” Ginny called out, seeming to sense his emotional state. She squeezed his hand and smiled encouragingly at him. “Come and open your presents,” Hermione said, grabbing his other hand and leading him forward. Gradually, as he opened each gift, he managed to get himself under control. He was able to thank the giver of each present, even if his voice did waver a little as he spoke. His friends, magnificent as they all were, didn’t make any comment on his shaky voice and just smiled understandingly at him. None of the gifts were particularly expensive or extravagant in any way, but he wouldn’t have given a single one of them up for the world. After he’d opened the last one, Mrs Weasley came over and enveloped him in hug, before standing back to look at him. “You’ve grown so tall, Harry. I can barely believe you’re the same boy I met at King’s Cross five years ago,” she gushed. “It’s probably all the wonderful food you feed me,” he replied gratefully. “Well, it’s obviously done you good! Now, pull up a seat and we can all tuck in,” she instructed him, before guiding him to a chair next to the one Ginny had selected. Mrs Weasley had many admirable strengths, but subtlety wasn’t one of them. Harry looked across the table to where Luna and Neville were sitting. “Hey, thanks for coming, you two,” Harry said warmly. “I’m delighted to be invited, Harry,” Luna replied. “I would have missed not seeing everyone today, bearing in mind training was cancelled.” “Yeah, I find the weekends really boring now,” Neville agreed. “I can’t believe all the cool stuff I’ve learnt over the last month!” “Too right,” Ron agreed, pausing briefly from filling his plate with food. “I can’t believe I can Apparate already! Charlie had to take his test twice and he was nearly eighteen by the time he passed.” “Charlie isn’t built for Apparation,” Fred, who’d taken the day off to attend the party, explained. “Yes, he’s built more for running through brick walls,” George confirmed. “Probably head first.” “George! Don’t insult your brother like that,” Mrs Weasley scolded him. “He left school with a more qualifications than you’ll achieve, I dare say.” “Very true, but I’m pretty sure I’ll end up considerably wealthier than him, and with less burn marks, too,” George grinned. “Yeah, you have to admit, Mum, any profession which requires you to stand in front of an enraged dragon on a regular basis isn’t going to appeal to anyone with a dollop of intelligence, is it?” Fred reasoned. Try as she might, Molly Weasley seemed unable to come up with a reply to that. “This is great,” Harry said to Ginny as he placed several sausage rolls on his plate. “I can’t believe you lot all did this for me.” “It was our pleasure, Harry,” she told him tenderly. “Besides, we Weasleys don’t need much of an excuse to throw a party.” “It’s true, Harry,” George confirmed. “We once threw a party to celebrate Errol’s birthday. Of course, the stupid bird slept right through it.” “We should really thank you for the opportunity to have bit of a ding-dong. Mind you, it was a bit of a life-saver for me and George,” Fred admitted. “Trying to survive on what we can cook between us is a bit dodgy.” “Yeah, I hope you can put some doggie bags together for us, Mum. This is the best we’ve eaten in weeks,” George said, probably being truthful for once. Molly sighed dramatically, although Harry didn’t doubt the woman was already planning on making a series of meals to send over to the twins. The celebration continued in good humour, and everyone seemed to be having a wonderful time. Mr Weasley joined them later in the day, having bunked off work early so as to join in. It was, Harry decided, by far and away the best birthday he’d ever had. He did receive a shock, however, when in the middle of a conversation with Ron he felt a small hand slip onto his thigh and give it a squeeze. With admirable effort, he managed to control his facial expression and continue the conversation uninterrupted. When he reached a natural pause, he turned and tried to give Ginny a hard stare, but as the look she returned was so cheeky he just couldn’t maintain his glare. Instead, he just leaned over and whispered ‘later’ into her ear. As soon as he’d turned his attention back to Ron, he heard ‘I can’t wait’ whispered back. His day just seemed to be getting better and better, he decided. It was early evening by the time the party started winding down. Fred and George had already made their excuses, citing a large delivery of supplies they still had to unpack and put away before they opened their shop again in the morning. Harry noticed both of them were clutching a large bag each, presented to them by their worried mother and no doubt containing enough food to last a small army for a week. Luna and Neville also departed, but not before the former had given Harry a fierce hug and the latter had enthusiastically shaken his hand. Frankly, he was just glad they did it that way round. The sun was just starting to dip on the horizon, coating everything in a hazy glow, as Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione sat on the grass, each nursing a bottle of Butterbeer. The day had been truly wonderful, Harry decided, even if he had eaten far too much and was now feeling a bit stuffed. “Oh, Ginny, I quite forgot,” Hermione said suddenly. “I received a letter from Parvati which I have to show you! Come inside for a moment.” Hermione leapt to her feet and offered her hand to pull Ginny up. Ginny accepted it, but had a suspicious look on her face as she did. She allowed herself to be dragged towards the house, however. “What was that all about?” Harry asked in confusion. “No idea, mate. You know how girls are,” Ron shrugged. “Some girls, but not those two,” Harry pointed out. “Don’t ask me,” his friend insisted. There followed a few minutes of silence, as both boys continued to sip their drinks. Harry glanced at his friend, and had the strange feeling that he was nervous about something. He was about to ask him about it, when Ron cut him off. “So, you and Ginny, eh?” he said in flat voice. Harry sighed. He might have known the day was going too well. He really was in far too good a mood to receive the ‘big brother’ speech from Ron, assuming that was what he was about to get. Truthfully, despite Ron initially trying to push him and Ginny together, he had no idea how his friend was going to react. “Yeah, it’s been going on a few weeks now,” Harry admitted. “Why didn’t you say anything?” Ron asked. “I just didn’t think it was the sort of stuff we would talk about. I mean, I don’t ask about you and Hermione now, do I?” he said, determined to grab the high ground right from the start. “No, but that’s a bit different, isn’t it?” Ron argued. “I mean, I know you think of Hermione like a sister, but she’d not your actual flesh and blood, is she? You’ve only known Hermione for five years, while Ginny’s been around me my entire life. Me suddenly coming across you and my sister snogging is going to be a bit different to you catching me and Hermione doing it. You know, assuming we are snogging. Which I’m not saying we are.” “Of course not,” Harry grinned. “Anyway, you can see that I’d want to be protective of Ginny, can’t you? Especially after the bloody poor job I did of it back in her first year.” “No, I can quite understand that, but do you seriously think she needs protecting from me? Blimey, mate, you were the one trying to get us together not so long ago,” Harry said in an exasperated voice. “Yeah, but that was when Dean was in the picture, wasn’t it? I just couldn’t stand the thought of Ginny being with him. I mean, he’s a nice enough bloke, but we’ve both heard him talk enough to know what he’d try to do to my sister!” Ron snorted. “I can’t argue with that,” Harry nodded. Even now, the thought of Dean even touching Ginny sent him into a cold rage. “Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that it’s not easy for me, you know? No one wants to see his own sister getting off with a bloke, especially not his best mate,” Ron said. “I do understand, and I sympathise. But me and Ginny have really hit it off. It’s like I said to her, I never really got to see the person that you all saw until recently. She was always really embarrassed when she saw me, and just used to make that weird little ‘meep!’ noise and run off. It’s only in the last year that she got over her crush and started to be able to have a normal conversation with me. Only then did I realise what a great girl she is.” “I think it was more an ‘eeep!’ noise,” Ron corrected. “Yeah, maybe,” Harry laughed. “So, is the fact that you’re not trying to kick my head in a good sign?” “I might have done, last week, anyway,” Ron admitted. “Daft as it sounds, after I said that you two should hook-up, I really wasn’t prepared for it to actually happen. Let’s face it, mate, you’re a bloody disaster when it comes to girls. Cho Chang was barmy about you and you still managed to screw that up.” “Sorry, Romeo, I should have come to you for advice, obviously,” Harry said sarcastically. “Anyway, what changed? Why aren’t you threatening me within an inch of my life?” “Ah, well, Hermione had a bit of a talk with me,” Ron said glumly. “She pointed out a few home truths. As she was slapping the back of my head just to emphasise each point, I soon got the message.” “She’s a bit violent, that one,” Harry noted. “For someone who keeps preaching understanding and tolerance, she can sure dish it out.” “Tell me about it! And she threatened to withhold privileges if I didn’t get my head out of my arse,” Ron noted sullenly. “Privileges?” Harry repeated gleefully. “Oh, bugger, I didn’t mean to say that out loud. Err, you know, helping me with homework and stuff like that,” Ron said hastily. “Do you know that your ears turn bright red when you fib?” Harry grinned. “Piss off, Potter,” Ron muttered. “Look, what I’m trying to say is I’ve thought about what Hermione said and I think you and Ginny getting together is a good thing. Frankly, you can be a miserable git at times, mate, and I know she won’t stand any of that shite. I would warn you not to hurt her or mess her around, but, let’s face it, if you do she’ll hurt you far worse than I ever could. Alright?” “Yeah,” Harry nodded. “I’ll do you a deal, okay? You never mention what you get up to with Hermione, and I’ll never say a word about what happens between me and Ginny. Deal?” “Deal,” Ron agreed and they chinked bottles. “Did Hermione really get a letter from Parvati?” Harry asked presently. “Nah, but she’s actually created a fake one, though. I tell you, Ginny will take one look at it and know it’s not from Patil! Honestly, listening to her trying to come up with stuff to put in the letter was hilarious. I know more about girls’ fashion than she does,” Ron snickered. “I’ll have to persuade her to show it to me later,” Harry grinned, “just so I can find out how my fellow Gryffindor is doing, of course.” “Of course,” Ron smirked. The two boys lay on the grass and enjoyed the last of the sunshine, for once content that all was going well. HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP “Pisst! Wake up sleepy-head,” a hushed voice said, rousing Harry from his slumber. “G…Ginny?” he mumbled sleepily. “Yeah, you still have a whole hour of your birthday left, and I’ve come to celebrate it with you,” she grinned cheekily. “You light a candle and I’ll soundproof the room, okay?” Harry fumbled to light the bedside candle while Ginny hopped off the bed. Deciding that groping for matches wasn’t going to do any good, he cheated and used his wand. He lit it just in time to see his girlfriend tapping the doorframe with her wand. “What are you doing?” he whispered. “It’s alright, Harry, you can talk in a normal voice now,” she replied at her usual volume. “Err, are you sure?” he asked hesitantly. “Yeah, this used to be the twins’ bedroom, remember? They had a penchant for blowing things up, so ages ago they placed Silencing Charms all around here. When they moved out, they naturally told their favourite sister all about them. Of course, I doubt they realised what purpose I would use those charms for,” she smirked. “Oh, and what exactly had you in mind?” Harry asked, suddenly becoming very interested. “Well, I thought I’d come and give you another birthday present. Something a bit more… personal, if you get my drift.” “Oh, indeed, the best gifts are always the most personal ones,” he agreed, nodding eagerly. “Well, now, where shall we start? As it’s such a warm night, maybe I’ll start like this.” With a seductiveness that no fifteen year-old should be able to pull off, she stalked towards him with her hips swinging. When she reached the edge of his bed, she reached down and gripped the bottom of her t-shirt. “Shall I?” she teased. “Oh, dear God, yes!” he practically begged. Ginny pulled her t-shirt up over her head and then dropped it casually onto the floor. She stood wearing only a rather skimpy pair of knickers. “Happy birthday to me!” Harry gulped as admired her. Sweet Merlin, she was beautiful. How the hell did he get so lucky? “Now, shall we see what you wear to bed, Mr Potter?” she said casually, although Harry could detect a certain amount of nervousness in her voice. She grabbed the bedsheet that was covering him and pulled it away. Due to the warm weather, he’d chosen to only wear a pair of boxer shorts which did little to hide how aroused he’d become. Casting the sheet to one side, she climbed onto the bed next to him. “Ginny? How far are you planning to take this?” he asked, the need in his voice plain to hear. “Not quite all the way,” she admitted, her own voice also rather husky. “I do want to give you a special birthday treat, though.” Without warning, she grabbed his boxer shorts and tugged. Before he knew it, he was lying naked in front of his girlfriend. “Bloody hell,” Ginny gasped, “I wasn’t expecting it to be quite so… big.” “Wow, you really know how to stroke a boy’s ego, don’t you?” he joked, although he could feel himself trembling with excitement. “Ah, actually it wasn’t just your ego that I came to stroke,” she grinned, and took him in her hand. “Oh, my God!” he exclaimed, his mind totally blown by the sight of the near-naked redhead clutching his manhood. “I hope I do this right,” she said, starting to gently move her hand up and down. “Growing up in a house with six brothers meant I was forever walking in on them doing this to themselves. It’s a wonder I haven’t gone blind with some of the things I’ve seen!” “You’re doing just fine,” Harry managed to gasp. “Maybe a little bit faster?” Ginny increased her pace. Harry groaned in pleasure, immensely glad there was a Silencing Charm on the room. If she carried on like this he’d be screaming his head off pretty soon. “Is that good?” she asked in a breathy voice. “Better than you can imagine,” he confirmed. “Come nearer so I can kiss you.” She shuffled up the bed so she could lay next to him, but didn’t once stop the motion of her hand. Harry pulled her close and began to kiss her with an urgent need. She moaned as their tongues began to lazily rub together. He slid his left hand up her body so he could grasp her breast, and he lovingly began to caress her erect nipple with his thumb. She groaned her approval, and began to tug on him even faster. “Ginny, I’m… oh, God, I’m not going to last much longer,” he gasped. “Then don’t!” she urged. “Come on, Harry, let it out. Do it for me.” With a strangled moan, Harry exploded in her hand. He heard her gasp as he shot the warm, sticky liquid over both of them time and time again. Her hand began to slow as she milked the last few drops from him. “That was so cool,” she said, a look of wonder on her face. “That doesn’t even begin to describe it,” he said, breathing heavily. “That was the most amazing thing that’s ever happened to me!” “Yeah, right!” she giggled. “You’ve survived the Killing Curse, single-handedly fought off hordes of Dementors, battled a dragon to become the Triwizard Champion, and the most amazing thing you think that has happened to you was me giving you a hand job?” “I’m bloody serious! That was unbelievable,” Harry insisted, pulling her close so he could kiss her again. It was some time before they broke apart again. Ginny looked up at him and shook her head. “I can’t believe I had the nerve to do that, actually. I spent all afternoon thinking, ‘shall I or shan’t I?’ but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to do it,” she admitted. “It’s like I said before, I just don’t seem to be able to control myself around you.” “I know what you mean. It’s almost like I’ve got this compulsion to touch you. Even though you’ve just tugged me off, I still want to rip your knickers off with my teeth! I can’t help it!” Ginny frowned. “You don’t think someone’s messing with us, do you? I mean, I’ve heard of Compulsion Charms, and some Love Potions can drive you absolutely wild.” “Don’t say that!” Harry exclaimed, completely horrified with the idea that what he was feeling for her might not be real. “Ginny, I’m certain that what I feel for you is completely genuine. Aren’t you?” “Course I am!” she scolded him. “Bloody hell, how many years have I yearned after you, you stupid git? No, I’m just saying it’s a bit odd how intensely we want each other. I only have to think about you and I start getting randy.” Harry took an exaggerated look over her body. “Believe me, any bloke would have to be an idiot not to get horny if he could see what I can see,” he grinned. “I dunno, Ginny, I just think that we’ve really clicked. Maybe we feel like this because we both know we’ve found the right person.” She kissed him again. “Good answer, Potter. I might just have to keep you.” “I should hope so after what you’ve just done to me,” he laughed. “Yeah, but that was before I knew what a dirty boy you are. I mean, look at all this mess you’ve made,” she pointed out with a saucy grin on her face. “Know any good Cleaning Charms?” he asked, suddenly aware of the state the sheets were in. “Fortunately for you, I do,” she chuckled. “Great, but I’ll tell you one thing, though, Ginny. I’m going to have to come up with something pretty spectacular for your birthday!” The eager look in her eyes told Harry everything he needed to know. HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP Harry casually strode out of the Floo into the Headmaster’s office. Although he felt a little tired after his late night with Ginny, he was also eager to continue his lessons with Dumbledore. He really felt like he was on the verge of a major breakthrough and… He stopped dead. Unusually, Dumbledore was not the only person present in the office this morning. Sitting in a chair and eyeing him with an unfriendly stare was Severus Snape. Harry stiffed as he remembered the first time he laid eyes on the man, diffident and bedraggled, being led forward by Lucius Malfoy, who’d assured him the pathetic-looking boy held great promise. His memories shifted to Snape running towards him and then prostrating himself on the floor in front of him, babbling about some prophecy he’d overheard. Finally, another image presented itself, one of Snape on his knees begging for the life of that filthy Mudblood Lily Potter… With a startled gasp, Harry tore himself from the images and glared at Snape with hatred in his heart. He was the one who told Voldemort about the prophecy! He was directly responsible for the death of his parents! Oh, he may have subsequently begged for the life of his mother, but Harry noted that he and his father never warranted a moment’s consideration. It would have suited that greasy bastard down to the ground, wouldn’t it? The recently widowed Lily Potter, delivered to him by his master as a reward for being a loyal Death Eater. What would Snape have done when his mother rejected him? The bastard… Slowly, Harry gripped his wand and pointed it at the lank-haired professor. “Harry! Stop that immediately,” Dumbledore cried, deliberately placing himself between Harry and his member of staff. “That stinking bastard told Voldemort about the prophecy, didn’t he?” Harry growled, his whole body trembling with rage. “Albus!” Snape exclaimed. “What have you said to the brat?” “Harry, Severus made a mistake which he tried to rectify,” Dumbledore began in a reasonable voice. “He bitterly regretted his actions and…” “Oh, he regretted it when his vile master killed my mother!” Harry yelled. “He was happy to let me and my dad die, though, wasn’t he? Thought it would give him a shot at her, probably. Not that it would have done him any good. Like my mother would have ever touched a greasy, snivelling, bag of shit like him!” “You go too far!” Snape bellowed while standing and pointing his wand back at him. “STOP IT! BOTH OF YOU! LOWER YOUR WANDS!” Harry had never heard Dumbledore so much as raise his voice before, so to hear him yelling in rage was a shock. Almost immediately, the air was filled by a soft crooning sound, and Harry looked over to see Fawkes was standing on his perch, singing a soothing song. Despite his fury, Harry felt himself begin calm down, almost against his wishes. “Harry,” Dumbledore began in more reasonable tone, “I can guess how you came by this information, but I assure you that you’ve only heard half the story. Severus was indeed the one to carry word of the prophecy to Voldemort, but he did so when he was a young, inexperienced Death Eater. He subsequently discovered the evilness of his master, and sought a means to escape. The discovery that the prophecy related to you and that Voldemort planned to attack your home was just the final straw. None of us can claim never to have made a mistake in their lives, Harry, but it is a measure of a man on how he reacts after making that error. Severus has done everything he can to defeat his former master, and shown enormous bravery in doing so. That, surely, has to count for something.” “He’s hated me since the moment he clapped his eyes on me,” Harry countered. “He tried to get Sirius kissed by a Dementor.” “I believed Black was a guilty man and deserved the punishment,” Snape sneered. “Bollocks! You knew Pettigrew was alive. You just wanted to kill your hated school rival, didn’t you?” Harry snapped. “HARRY! Please, discord amongst ourselves will only aid Voldemort. Whatever your differences, you must put them aside,” Dumbledore urged. Harry’s looked at the old man with near loathing. “What’s he even doing here, anyway? I made it quite clear I never wanted to be taught by him ever again.” “The feeling is mutual,” Snape spat. “I can’t begin to say how overjoyed I was when I learnt I didn’t have to suffer you in my classroom next term, Potter.” “Enough!” Dumbledore said loudly. “Harry, I asked Severus here to perform a specific duty for me.” “And what would that be?” Harry demanded, still glaring at Snape. “It occurs to me, Harry, that despite my best assurances, you still believe that I want you to die by Voldemort’s hand. Whilst I freely admit that was once the case, I realise the utter futility of that gesture now, and that it would only lead to Voldemort’s victory. Whilst you still doubt me, however, a massive chasm lays between us, and this will only lead to greater problems later. To offer you some reassurance, therefore, I propose to give you an Unbreakable Vow as to my good intentions. Severus will act as our Bonder.” Harry turned to look at the old man in surprise. He certainly hadn’t been expecting such a gesture. Then, a worrying thought occurred to him. “How much have you told him?” he asked, gesturing at the angry Potions Master. “Not everything, by a long shot,” Dumbledore said. “I have assured him of the absolute necessity of this action, however.” For a moment, Harry pondered the old wizard’s offer. Of course, everything would depend on the wording, but did he have anything to lose? Besides, if Dumbledore really did still believe he had to be sacrificed, it might be a good idea for Harry to let him believe that his suspicions had been satisfied. “Okay, I accept,” he nodded. “Splendid. If you would be so good as to hand your wand to Professor Snape, then we shall undertake the vow immediately.” Reluctantly, Harry handed his wand to the sneering man, and Dumbledore did the same. The headmaster then lowered himself to his knees on the floor, and Harry did the same, facing him. They then clasped their right hands, and Snape stepped forward. “Will you, Albus Dumbledore, promise that you have no intentions to sacrifice the life of Harry Potter?” Snape intoned formally. “I will.” “And will you, to the best of your ability, protect him from harm?” “I will.” “Will you also teach him to the very best of your ability, and do everything in your power to help him defeat Lord Voldemort?” “I will.” Their clasped hands glowed for a moment, sealing the Vow. Slowly, Dumbledore rose to his feet, a gentle smile on his lips. “Thank you, Harry. I hope this will convince you that I only wish you well,” he said. “Yeah, I guess so,” Harry agreed, also climbing to his feet and accepting his wand back from Snape. “I mean, you can’t break an Unbreakable Vow, now, can you?” “If we’re quite done here, may I be excused?” Snape growled. “I’ve had quite enough of pandering to the insecurities of some worthless brat.” Dumbledore turned and looked sternly at his Professor. “Severus, it is time to put away this childish hatred of yours. While I quite understand your animosity to Harry, you must cease seeing his father every time you look at him. I have told you many times before that he is far closer to his mother in personality, and that alone should have proved his worth to you.” “Worth? Potter has no worth. Believe me, Headmaster, if you’re hoping that this appalling child will save us all from the Dark Lord, then you are fooling yourself. He is a talentless dunderhead, and you are wasting your time trying to teach him anything,” Snape snarled. “Oh, I think you are gravely mistaken on that count, my friend,” Dumbledore said in a deceptively calm voice. “Maybe a demonstration is in order. With Harry’s leave, I would suggest, Severus, that you try to break into his mind.” “What?” Snape snapped in surprise. Harry continued to glare at the man. Dumbledore’s challenge virtually confirmed what he’d come to believe for some time, that Snape regularly broke into his mind and plundered his thoughts. But why was Dumbledore openly challenging his lackey to do so now? Unless… “Do it, Professor… if you can,” Harry challenged, knowing full well that was an invitation Snape would never turn down. “Very well. Prepare yourself,” Snape jeered, whilst drawing his wand. “Legilimens!” Harry stood impassively and made no attempt to repel the Professor’s spell. Snape stared at him intently for a moment, before his eyebrows rose in surprise. “Legilimens!” he cried again, and still Harry did nothing but stand there. “I… I can’t break into his mind!” Snape gasped. Dumbledore walked forward and gently lifted the fringe of Harry’s hair, revealing his faded scar. Snape stared at it with his mouth open. “How?” he asked simply. “That, my friend, is not my story to tell, but I will say that many things have changed in a surprisingly short space of time,” Dumbledore explained. “The connection with Voldemort that once plagued young Harry is now broken forever, and it has had a dramatic effect on him. His power and understanding has grown considerably, and I suspect will continue to grow in the coming months. You may scoff, Severus, but now that Voldemort is no longer tormenting him, Harry has the potential to be one of the greatest wizards who ever walked the earth.” Snape glared at Dumbledore for a moment, before pushing pass them and walking out of the office without a word. Dumbledore sighed. “It is too soon for him to let go of his resentment and anger, I fear,” he said softly. “He still blames himself for Lily’s death, and as a means of protection has shifted that anger onto you, the son and spitting image of the man who stole her away from him.” “She was never his to steal,” Harry said sharply. Dumbledore looked back at him in surprise, before his expression softened. “No, I suppose she was not,” he agreed, “not that Severus will ever see it like that, of course. Come, Harry, let us head to the Room of Requirement and begin your training for the day.” Harry nodded and followed the old wizard out of the room. As he walked, he stared at Dumbledore’s back, pondering the value of an Unbreakable Vow made by a man who knew he had only a limited time to live. HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPH P Maybe it was the events of earlier that morning, but Harry increasingly found it hard to concentrate. Although he was making leaps and bounds in terms of dispensing with formulaic incantations and wand movements when casting spells, he still couldn’t tap into the vast cloud of ambient energy that swirled around him. It was incredibly frustrating. “Perhaps we could pause for a moment, Harry, and catch our breath,” Dumbledore suggested, no doubt picking up on his increasingly sour mood. “Yeah, that would probably be a good idea,” he agreed, and lowered his wand. With a weary sigh, he walked over to a small table where a jug of water rested. He poured himself a glass and gazed moodily around the room. The Room of Requirement currently only boasted two small windows through which shafts of light penetrated the otherwise gloomy interior. Several torches burned at various points around the room, but the place still seemed oppressively dark to him. “You seem to be becoming increasingly frustrated, Harry,” Dumbledore noted as he came over to join him. “Perhaps you need to approach the problem from a different angle.” “And how would I do that?” Harry asked tartly. “I really have no idea,” Dumbledore admitted cheerfully. “This was never one of my greater skills.” “Thanks,” he muttered dryly. But despite currently being as much use as a chocolate dragon harness, the old wizard did have a point. What Harry was doing at the moment simply wasn’t working, so he needed to come at this from a different direction. But what? Sipping his drink, Harry was grateful for the cool liquid as it slipped down his throat. The room was stuffy and warm, almost humid, in fact. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. Previously, he’d been attempting to utilise the ambient energy to power whatever spell he was casting by trying to drag that energy to him and incorporate it into the spell directly. Perhaps that was the wrong way to go about it. Maybe he didn’t need to physically interact with the power source at all. Placing his glass back onto the table, Harry stepped forward and drew his wand again. How could he use the energy without it being inside him? He couldn’t channel it through his wand, obviously, so there had to be another way. There must be a way to connect with it, he surmised. Harry let his vision blur slightly, and the now familiar clouds of twisting, spiralling magic came into focus. It danced in the air about him, surrounding him but apparently untouchable… wait a minute! The air! With a dramatic flourish of his wand, Harry cast his magic with no apparent form in mind. Instead, he concentrated on his immediate environment, and in particular the humid air all around him. If he could direct his magic through the very atoms of the air then maybe he could connect with the energy that was part of it. There was a brilliant flash and Harry gasped. Before him, stretching out for perhaps twenty yards or so, was a spiral of glittering ice. Its crystalline structure was smooth, and it seemed to glitter with thousands of different colours. It hung in the air, completely unsupported, shining brightly. Dumbledore, with an unreadable expression on his face, walked over and gently pushed at the structure with his finger. It swayed very slightly in the air, but otherwise remained in the same place. “Utterly remarkable,” he breathed, before turned to look at Harry. “What were you trying to create when you unleashed your magic, Harry?” “I… I wasn’t,” he admitted. “I really didn’t have anything in mind, at all. I just figured that as the magical energy seemed to just float in the air, I needed to direct my magic through it. I never expected this!” “I should imagine not,” Dumbledore chuckled. “It’s quite beautiful, really.” “It’s the same shape as one of those clouds of ambient magic,” Harry suddenly realised. “Did I alter pure magic into ice?” “No, I don’t believe so,” the old wizard shook his head. “But I do believe that you used that magic to transfigure the air into ice. It’s just as well you didn’t change all the air in the room or we might well have suffocated.” Harry just stared at him, dumfounded. “So, you think I actually managed to tap into the ambient magic, then?” he asked eventually. “Yes, I do,” the old wizard confirmed. Harry said nothing, but turned back to look at his improvised ice sculpture. Slowly, a smile crept onto his lips. He’d done it! He’d found a way to utilise the background energy around him. Admittedly, it was going to take some work to be able to shape that energy into something useful, but nevertheless, it seemed to be a major breakthrough. He felt Dumbledore’s hand on his shoulder giving him an approving squeeze. “I can’t wait to see what you create next,” he smiled. Harry grinned back. Neither could he. HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPH PHP The sound of the black water lapping against the edge of the shore was strangely eerie, Harry felt. Of course, the knowledge that hundreds of Inferi lurked just under the surface, all waiting for the opportunity to rise up and rip them limb from limb was enough to put anyone on edge. Still, if they were careful there was no reason that the undead should be woken from their dreamless slumber. “The boat should be around here… ah! I do believe I have located the chain securing it,” Dumbledore announced. Harry hurried over to where Dumbledore was apparently holding something in his hand. A tap of the old wizard’s wand, and the promised chain appeared. A further tap and the chain began to slide through his hands, dragging a small, green boat with it. “Our transport, I believe,” Dumbledore smiled. “After you, Harry.” Without hesitation, Harry carefully climbed into the boat, pulling his knees to his chest to allow room for Dumbledore. With surprising agility, the headmaster stepped into the small vessel and settled himself down. The moment he seated himself, the boat began to move forward gracefully, its prow cleaving the still water effortlessly. “I’m still not happy about you having to drink the potion,” Harry said, restarting an argument he’d been having with the headmaster ever since they decided to make the attempt to obtain the locket Horcrux. “It has to be me,” Dumbledore insisted. “I dread to think what effect the potion might have on you, my dear fellow. Remember your vulnerability to Dementors — this potion would have a similar effect on you. I also suspect that it might awaken all sorts of dreadful visions now that you share a small part of Voldemort’s soul. It’s simply not worth the risk.” Harry nodded, still not happy but accepting the old wizard’s arguments. At least the enchanted flasks of water they carried with them would help dilute the potion’s terrible effects, somewhat. That was all part of the protection Voldemort had placed on the island. The dreadful, burning thirst the potion created was designed to send the unwitting drinker scrambling to the water’s edge in search of relief, only to awaken the Inferi that lurked there. It was a simple trap, but effective, nevertheless. The rest of the journey was conducted in silence until the sound of the boat’s bottom scrapping against rock alerted Harry to the fact they had reached the small island. Half-turning, he managed to wiggle himself out of the boat and he jumped well clear of the lapping waters. Dumbledore followed, as agile as a mountain goat. Together, they approached the glowing stone basin, set atop a small pedestal. “As much as I’m not looking forward to this, I see little point prevaricating,” Dumbledore announced, pulling a goblet from his robes. “Please remember that I’m to drink a mouthful of water for every one of the potion I consume.” “Sir… wait!” Harry said, stopping the old man as he was about to dip the goblet into the glowing, green liquid. “What it is, Harry? Is something wrong?” Dumbledore asked hurriedly. “The locket… I can just see it down there and it looks wrong,” he replied, trying to peer through the murky potion. “In what way?” “That doesn’t look like Slytherin’s Locket,” Harry announced. “It was supposed to have a large ‘S’ on it, inlaid with green jewels. The one down there doesn’t.” Dumbledore frowned and also stared down into the green liquid. “I do believe you are right,” he said after a while. “This one doesn’t match the description of the locket, at all, neither the one you provided nor the one in historical records.” “It’s a fake,” Harry spat in disgust. “Indeed, but I suppose the questions is, do we attempt to retrieve it, anyway?” Dumbledore asked. “Nah, it’s not worth it,” Harry said adamantly. “There’s always a chance that Voldemort might check up on it occasionally, especially if he gets wind that we’re hunting his Horcruxes. There’s no point disturbing this one for no good reason.” “There might be a clue as to the original locket’s whereabouts,” Dumbledore pointed out. “Or there might be some really nasty trap which I know nothing about,” Harry countered. “I say we leave this.” “I suppose you’re right. After all, we can always return here if needs be.” Harry nodded in agreement, but inside he was seething. Obviously, the locket had been switched sometime after Voldemort had placed it here on the island. Undoubtedly, Voldemort had not been aware of the switch, certainly not before he lost his body at Godric’s Hollow. Either way, they were now presented with the problem that one of the Horcruxes was now missing. And until they found it, Voldemort would remain immortal. |
| Reviews 369 |
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