Legends of Potter
by Roff

WARNING! There is no pairing and Ginny is a good person.

Chapter One – Privet Drive

“GET UP BOY AND GET BREAKFAST READY!”

“Yes, Uncle Vernon,” said a groggy voice.

Uncle Vernon opened the bedroom door. “After that I have some chores for you to do outside.” Uncle Vernon almost seemed cheerful when he said that.

“Yes, Uncle Vernon” said Harry while putting on his glasses.

“HURRY UP,” Vernon growled then turned and went downstairs.

Harry Potter was not having a good year. For that matter, he was not having a very good life either. Stuck with his hateful family again for the summer was just not his cup of tea. They always treated him horribly while working him like a house elf or a “red-headed step-child” as they say in the states. Although Harry would be willing to bet all the gold in his bank vault that most, if not all, red-headed step-children were treated better than him.

Of course, Harry had a soft spot in his heart for red heads. The Weasley family contained some of his most favorite people in the world. Their youngest son Ron has been his best mate since they were 11 years old. They met on the Hogwarts Express the first day he went to the magical school. Ron’s younger sister Ginny was nice too. Harry had saved her from the evil dark wizard Voldemort and a giant basilisk at the end of his second year, which was Ginny’s first year. Their twin brothers, Fred and George, were a hoot, always pulling pranks, using twin speak when they talk to you, and being royal pains in the bum most of the time because they never seemed to know when to stop and be serious. Harry almost chuckled at the thought of them.

Harry then thought of his other best friend, Hermione Granger. Brown, bushy haired people were okay too, he decided. He knows that she was the only one able to keep him and Ron straight. School had just let out but Harry was missing his friends already.

Harry wished that his family was his only problem but alas there was a lot more he had been dealing with than just them. He was almost glad that Uncle Vernon woke him up so early. Harry was not having a very pleasant dream and welcomed the interruption, even though it was quite loud.

Harry had just got back from Hogwarts after the end of his 4th school year. During the year he had taken part in the Tri-Wizard Tournament where he was the 4th Tri-Wizard Champion. This was unusual because normally there were only three champions, one from each of the three major magical schools. Nothing too unusual for Harry though. No matter how hard he tried to stay out of trouble, it always seemed to find him.

There were three dangerous tasks. At the end of the last task in the tournament Harry had witnessed the death of Cedric Diggory, a friendly and talented Hufflepuff. He was also forced to give some of his blood in a graveyard ritual to return Voldemort to a new body. After that, Voldemort forced Harry to duel him before Harry managed to narrowly escape back to Hogwarts using the same portkey that brought him to the graveyard.

Harry had been dreaming about Cedric dying, seeing the green killing curse striking him down over and over. It made no sense to Harry. Voldemort said “kill the spare” and Wormtail killed Cedric just like that. He was not needed for their purposes so his life was taken like it meant nothing. It was difficult for Harry to keep from being sick every time that memory played in his mind.

Harry also dreamed about facing Voldemort and what had happened during the duel. He kept wondering why Voldemort would not leave him alone, why he had killed Harry’s parents, and why he had tried to kill Harry. What was so important about himself to cause Voldemort to want to kill him so badly? What did he ever do to Voldemort to deserve this? Since Voldemort tried to kill him when he was only one year old then what possibly could he have done to the dark wizard before that time? Drool on him?

He was sure that Dumbledore knew the answer but for some reason had chosen not to share the information. Probably Dumbledore thinks he was too young to hear about it. That just means that the information was likely very unpleasant. He still wishes Dumbledore would tell him everything. Harry agrees that he is very young but he also agrees that Dumbledore is very ancient. Harry likes and respects Professor Dumbledore but who really knows how old the professor is? In his eyes Harry may never seem old enough to hear the information that was being kept from him.

oo0O0oo

Harry had finished cooking breakfast and served it to the Dursleys. He was eating his breakfast finally while his Uncle Vernon was explaining what was expected of him today. Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and Dudley were going out for most of the day to visit with Aunt Marge. Harry was to remain at the house with the following list of chores to do:

Cut the grass

Trim the hedges

Very carefully take care of Aunt Petunia’s flower beds, getting rid of weeds, mulching, watering, etc.

Remove everything from the shed

Repair the door to the shed. It is broken and about to fall off.

Paint the shed inside and out using the fresh paint in the shed.

Put together the shelving units that Uncle Vernon purchased (located in the garage) and set them up in the shed. Leave two of the shelving units to be used in the garage.

Put all things back in the shed organizing it neatly on the shelves

Clean out the garage and use the two remaining shelves for organizing and storage.

Harry was to have all this done before they returned later this evening because they would have a new list for him tomorrow.

Harry looked at the list again and thought to himself. “Well at least I’ll be able to stay busy this summer and keep my mind focused on something else…. Although, I’m not sure how I’m supposed to get all this done in one day without magic. That’s not going to happen.” Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and Dudley left shortly after breakfast. After taking care of the dishes and cleaning the kitchen and dining room, Harry started on his chores outside.

oo0O0oo

Harry had the grass cut and trimmed. He had the hedges trimmed and the flower beds done. It was a little past lunch time and the shed looked daunting. He already knew the garage would take forever. “Impossible” he said to himself. Harry decided to fix him a sandwich for lunch before tackling the shed. He would need his strength. As he was enjoying his sandwich and crisps with lemonade to drink, his mind turned back to the shed, the shelves, and the garage which prompted him to wish out loud.

“Man, I wish I could use magic outside of school. I bet if Dobby were here he would help me.”

Harry heard a pop and there stood Dobby. Dobby hurriedly grabbed Harry’s legs and hugged them.

“Dobby is so pleased to see the Great Harry Potter again. Dobby will always come anytime the Great Harry Potter needs him. Just say Dobby’s name.”

“Dobby …uh…I’m sorry. I was not calling you. I just have a lot of work my family is forcing me to do and since I cannot perform magic outside of school I was just wishing I could and then said that if you were here I bet you would help me.” Dobby was nodding his head enthusiastically. “I did not mean for you to have to come. I am so sorry for wasting your time. Please forgive me and you do not have to be at my beck and call. You are a free elf and a great friend.”

Dobby started crying.

“The Great Harry Potter is apologizing to Dobby? The Great Harry Potter considers Dobby a great friend?”

“Of course you are my friend Dobby. I am so sorry. Please don’t get upset” pleaded Harry.

Dobby stopped crying immediately and looked right into Harry’s eyes. “Harry Potter is the greatest wizard ever to live. Dobby is very happy to help the Great Harry Potter. Dobby will take care of any work the Great Harry Potter has to do for his mean family.”

Harry almost took him up on his offer but then remembered something. “But Dobby, this is a muggle neighborhood. They should not see magic being performed and they certainly should not see a house elf, especially one using magic. It probably would be better if you go back to Hogwarts so no one will see you here. I will get the work done somehow. It was very nice to see you again Dobby.”

“No, Master Harry Potter, sir. Dobby can do all your work for you and no one will see Dobby or the magic. A house elf can do lots of things without being seen or noticed. The Great Harry Potter just needs to tell Dobby what needs to be done and Dobby will do it.”

“Wow, Dobby. Are you sure you don’t mind helping me?”

“It would please Dobby more than anything to help the Great Harry Potter.”

“Well then Dobby let’s take a look at the list and see where I left off.” Harry picked up the list and checked off the first three items. He then showed the list to Dobby.

X Cut the grass

X Trim the hedges

X Very carefully take care of Aunt Petunia’s flower beds, getting rid of weeds, mulching, watering, etc.

Remove everything from the shed

Repair the door to the shed. It is broken and about to fall off.

Paint the shed inside and out using the fresh paint in the shed.

Put together the shelving units that Uncle Vernon purchased (located in the garage) and set them up in the shed. Leave two of the shelving units to be used in the garage.

Put all things back in the shed organizing it neatly on the shelves

Clean out the garage and use the two remaining shelves for organizing and storage.

“Great Harry Potter, sir. Dobby will be right back.” Dobby disappeared with a pop and returned about 5 minutes later. Harry had just finished the last of his second glass of lemonade and was ready to tackle the remaining jobs with Dobby’s help.

“Dobby has completed all the remaining tasks on the Great Harry Potter’s list. Is there anything else the Great Harry Potter needs Dobby to do for him?” Seeing the dirty plate and glass on the table from Harry’s lunch, Dobby waved his hand and they were clean and put away. The table was shining.

Harry sat there for a minute. “Uh,…Dobby? Did you say you were done with all my chores?”

“Yes, Dobby has completed the rest of the list. Please tell Dobby what else he can do for the Great Harry Potter.”

“Just a second Dobby, I will be right back.” Harry walked out to the shed and saw that it was painted, the door was fixed, the shelves were in place, and everything looked neat as a pin. He walked back into the house and went to the garage. The two shelves were setup and the garage was sparkling clean and organized.

Harry came back into the dining room and spoke to the little elf. “Dobby I know magic is wonderful but Elf magic must be outstanding. You have outdone yourself. Everything is perfect! Thank you Dobby! There is no way I could have accomplished all that the muggle way in less than a day.”

“Since I now know how fast you can do these things Dobby, then I will call you tomorrow if they give me more work than I can handle in the allotted time. You are a great friend, Dobby. How about I pay you for your work today and pay you for tomorrow as well if I need you then. I will not feel as bad about calling on you if you will accept some payment for your services. Would that be okay with you?”

“No, Master Harry Potter, sir. Dobby does not need payment for helping the Great Harry Potter. Dobby will return tomorrow and take care of any chores your mean family gives you.” There was a small pop and Dobby was gone.

“Little bugger” said Harry. “I have to figure out a way to get him to take payment from me but I have to be careful not to hurt his feelings.” He would ponder that at another time though.

“Wow,” Harry said, “free time.” He then decided he would take a shower and get cleaned up after his yard work. Then he could spend his extra time going through the remaining items in the ornate box he had found in his vault last summer. He did not have much time while at school due to the tournament and then with Voldemort coming back Harry had almost forgotten about it. He had only skimmed the surface of the box so far last night but everything he had found was very interesting to him. It was obvious that his parents left it for him to discover. He was anxious to go through the rest of it and see what else he could find.

As he took his shower, Harry’s mind wandered back to that day last year when he was visiting his vault to pick up some galleons for his school purchases and for the school year. He caught a glimpse of something in the back that appeared to twinkle or sparkle. He could have sworn too that it was calling his name. It sounded like what he thought he remembered his mother’s voice to be. How he could know for sure he was not positive but he still felt confident that it was his mother’s voice calling him. It just felt right.

When he moved some of the galleons out of the way to get to the back of the vault he found some shelves against the wall with several books on them and on one shelf he found the item that sparkled and twinkled at him. It was a small ornate box about the size of a case you would gift an engagement ring in. He could not figure out how to open it so he slipped it into his pocket to take another look at it later.

He had asked the goblin with him if he could have something to carry the books in. For a small fee, the Goblin provided Harry with a small bag charmed with both expansion and feather-light spells. Harry was able to take all the books with him so he could look them over later. He placed the small bag of books and the small ornate box in his trunk and pretty much forgot they were there for a good part of the school year. The small ornate box fell all the way to the bottom of his trunk forgotten.

When he had finally taken a look at the books he was shocked to find that many of them would have been highly useful his first year at Hogwarts. Most of the questions he had about the magical world were answered in the books. There were books about the muggle world as well but they were a bit out dated. Technology in the muggle world was growing fast and it was difficult to keep up with the changes. There were also several books that were meant to expand on more than what Hogwarts taught for the years on all the subjects. Harry had already delved into those as much as he could while at Hogwarts this past year. Some of the information was helpful to him during the tournament. He was planning to look at the rest of the books as soon as he could this summer. There were quite a few to go through. He had not counted them yet but estimated there were around 40 or 50 books.

His first priority though was to go through the rest of the items in the ornate box. The little box turned out to be a puzzle that he finally figured out last night, which was his first night back at Privet Drive. Harry had found it again in the bottom of his trunk. When he pulled it out and had it resting in his hand, he knew for certain at that point that the box had been calling his name and he was also certain that the voice he was hearing was his mum’s. Holding the little box in his hand close to his ear he could clearly hear the voice saying “Harry, Harry, I love you. This box is for you. Only you can hear my voice. You need to expand the box. It is a 5 compartment trunk. Kiss the box then place it on the floor. We love you, Harry.”

A bit misty after hearing his mum tell him she loves him Harry took a small break to gain his composure back. He then followed the instructions. Harry kissed the box and placed it on the floor. It very quickly grew into a very large trunk still as ornate as it was when small. He opened the first compartment to the trunk and found a note on top that let him know that as long as the trunk was sitting normally when he closes the lid it would shrink back to the small size but if standing on its side it will not shrink when the lid is closed. Harry was not sure why one would stand it on its side but nevertheless he would try to remember that bit of information in case he was missing something. The message was from his parents after all, so it could be important.

There were many items in the trunk and he barely got through the first compartment last night. He found a lot of small items in there including some jewelry, a nice gold pocket watch, and some pictures of his parents which he thoroughly enjoyed. There were some pictures with Sirius in them as well and a few of Remus too. He added the pictures to the leather photo album Hagrid had given him at the end of his first year. He found a couple of pictures that included Peter but he quickly put them aside. Just about everything was too interesting for him to not take his time. He hoped to make a good dent in the items today, starting with the second compartment.

Harry toweled off and put on some clean but baggy clothes. He still was wearing Dudley’s hand me downs that were way too big for him. When he was ready, Harry kissed the box and set it on the floor. The box expanded again and Harry opened the lid and the second compartment. The first thing he saw was what looked like a diary. It had his mum’s name on it so figured it had to be hers. Not wanting to wait he sat back on his bed and began reading his mum’s diary. It began with her first year at Hogwarts. There was a note written on the inside cover that congratulated Lily for being accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, that they hoped this would be useful for Lily to capture important memories, and it was signed “Love, Mum & Dad.” Harry sighed. Here was another set of grandparents Harry had never met and his Aunt Petunia refused to talk about them as well. Harry just wished once someone would be willing to tell him about his family. He often wondered about his parents and his grandparents. He thought how nice it would have been to get to know them all.

He started reading at the front and quickly found that although his mum sounded really intelligent most of the time there were a few pages that were just too girly for Harry. He did not think of his mum that way. When he came across some pages that talked about when she had her first period and then went on to discuss when some of her other friends had their first period, Harry decided that skipping forward was in his best interest at this time. He was not sure when, if ever, he would be comfortable with that subject. Harry was more interested in her older self anyway, especially after she started dating his dad.

Harry was fascinated with the diary. It was almost like she was talking to him with every word he read. He found a few spells written in the margins and some with whole pages devoted to a spell or two. He would definitely have to come back to those. Harry kept reading and was looking at some pages his mum wrote after he was a few months old. He found something very shocking. His mum wrote that Harry at a very early age was showing remarkable magical powers for just a baby. She was certain that Harry not only experienced accidental magic already but would swear that he even exhibited some control at times, such as summoning one of his toys. She decided to discuss with James and they would monitor the little power wizard for a few days. Each day the diary contained a history of magic little Harry was performing with some getting bigger, especially the accidental magic when Harry was either hungry, sleepy, or stressed.

When Harry flipped the page he saw what had shocked him. After his mum and dad talked it over and looked at the evidence over several weeks they decided that they should bind Harry’s magic to prevent possible harm to himself or others. They would not bind it completely but make it so it was safe. When he gets older, and no later than the age of ten, they would remove the bind so he could learn to control the extra power before going to Hogwarts the next year. His mum cast the spell. Since it was a charm, his dad preferred that she do it.

Harry sat there for a while. He wondered if anyone else knew that his parents had bound his magic. He also wondered if it was still bound. After all, his mum and dad were killed when he was just one year old. It was not likely they removed the bind before that point. At school he was often told that he was a powerful wizard and definitely one of the most powerful students there. His magic always seemed to be a bit stronger than the others. Had the binding been removed already? Somehow he must find out for sure if his magic was still bound or not. There had to be a spell that would check it.

Putting the diary aside for a moment, Harry returned to the ornate trunk and began to look for more interesting stuff. He found several more books and wondered why they were in the trunk and not on the shelf with the other books in the vault. After checking them out closely he saw that they were very advanced books on different subjects – transfiguration, charms, defense, arithmancy, ancient runes, alchemy, and even magical creatures.

There were two small books he found very interesting. One was specifically about the subject of human transfiguration while the other addressed the one topic of animagus transformations. All the books were definitely past Newt level. He planned to read them as soon as possible. He hoped he would be able to follow along and that they were not too far over his head. If they were he would simply work his way up using Hogwarts text books. He should have a better grasp after completing the 7th year books.

Of course, he could just ask Hermione to help him. She will want to read them for herself anyway. He would not be surprised if Hermione had not already read and memorized the 7th level text books.

Harry was about to dig further down in the trunk to see if there was anything else down there other than books when he heard the front door downstairs. He quickly put the diary and a few other precious items back in the trunk and shut the lid. He then picked up the small ornate box and put it in his pocket.

“BOY, YOU BETTER HAVE ALL THOSE CHORES DONE OR THERE WILL BE NO MEALS FOR YOU FOR A WEEK,” bellowed Uncle Vernon.

Harry came down the stairs. “Hi guys. Did you have a good time?”

Aunt Petunia and Dudley looked at him like he had a third eyeball. Vernon blinked and shook his head to clear it. “Boy, you stay right there while I go check on your work. I want to see what you did not get done because you will not get fed for a week if all those chores are not finished.”

Harry shrugged his shoulders and said “Alright.”

Vernon walked out the back door. A few minutes later he came back through the house mumbling as he went to the garage. A couple of minutes later he came back in sputtering and stammering. “B…B…Boy there is no way you got all that done without using your m…mag…freakishness.”

Calmly Harry stated, “Uncle Vernon I did not use any magic to do my chores. You know as well as I do that the ministry does not allow underage wizards and witches to use their magic outside of school unless it is a dire emergency. Even then you may still get in trouble. Had I used my magic the ministry would have notified me of the infraction and I would be in trouble right now. There have been no owls from the ministry today because I have not used any magic since I left Hogwarts.”

“But…but…how? It is not possible!” Vernon glared at him.

Harry just had a marvelous idea.

“Okay, Uncle Vernon. Magic was used but not by me. I accidentally…”

“You had one of your freaky friends over while we were out? HOW DARE YOU! You know that I do not allow any of that freakishness in my house.” Vernon was moving toward Harry as he was saying this.

“Uncle Vernon?” Harry said quickly. “I am going to accept your offer.” Vernon stopped and looked confused. “You said if I do not complete all the chores you give me to do then I will not be fed for a week. Well, I am not doing anymore chores so I will not expect any food from you guys for the next week. You can have Dudley do the chores. He could use the exercise.”

“WHY YOU LITTLE FREAK!” yelled Vernon as he approached Harry.

“Dobby?”

Pop!

Dobby appeared in front of Harry. “Dobby is here Master Harry Potter, sir. Dobby is always pleased to help the Great Harry Potter!”

“Aaaaaaieeeeeeeh” screamed Petunia while Dudley was trying to hide his fat self behind one of the chairs in the lounge. Vernon staggered a few steps backwards in shock.

“W…w…what is that thing? That…that creature? Boy, you get that freaky thing out of my house this instant or I will…” cried Vernon while raising his hand as if to strike Harry.

Instantly Vernon found himself stuck to the ceiling where he could not move and a very angry creature had one hand pointed at Vernon, holding him on the ceiling with magic. Vernon blinked a few times. The strange creature seemed to be telling him something.

“…will not be harming the Great Harry Potter. Dobby will not allow it. The big fat oaf will keep his hands off the Great Harry Potter or Dobby will make sure he never touches anything again.”

“Dobby?”

“Yes, Master Harry Potter, sir?”

“Dobby, I have just made a deal with my uncle. If I refuse to do anymore of his chores then he has promised not to provide me with food for a week.” Vernon nearly soiled himself when the creature slowly turned his head back up toward Vernon and gave him the meanest glare Vernon had ever experienced. “I accepted my Uncle’s offer because I was hoping you could provide me with my meals for the summer? Do you think that would be alright with you Dobby?”

“Dobby will be happy to feed the Great Harry Potter for as long as the Great Harry Potter needs him to.”

“Great, Dobby!” said Harry. “You can bring my food straight to my room. That way you do not have to see my relatives again.”

“I told you boy that your freakish friends are not allowed in my house.” Dobby turned back to Vernon again and glared up at him as he was still on the ceiling. Vernon’s body was pressing harder into the ceiling and a few cracks were forming. Vernon looked intently into the creature’s eyes and changed his mind, “Well, I g-guess it would be o-okay if this f-friend brings you food.”

“Thank you, Uncle Vernon. Dobby you can put Uncle Vernon down now.”

“Are you sure Master Harry Potter, sir? He looks like he could stay up there and miss a few meals himself.”

“I’m sure, Dobby. Let him down. It will be okay now.”

Dobby shrugged his shoulders and said “okay.” Vernon promptly fell to the floor in a big crash. All the air was knocked out of him for several seconds.

As Vernon was struggling to get back on his feet and gain control of his breathing again, Harry began the introductions.

“Guys, my friend here is called Dobby and he is a house elf in the magical world. I helped Dobby a couple of years ago out of a bad situation. Ever since then Dobby has been willing to help me. He will not be in the way. The neighbors will never know when he is here. There is special house elf magic that allows him to do whatever he needs to do unnoticed. Here is the deal. You stay out of my way this summer and I will stay out of yours. With Dobby providing my meals we should have minimal interaction in this house. That suits me just fine.”

After Harry looked all three of them in the eyes once to make sure they each understood, he turned to go back upstairs.

“Dobby and I will be going to my room now.”

Dobby waved his hand at the ceiling and the cracks were removed leaving the ceiling looking like new.

The Dursleys just stared at Dobby with their mouths gaping. Either it was due to their first time seeing a house elf, seeing what he did to Vernon, or perhaps it was just due to the fact that Dobby wore very colorful mismatched socks and 4 hats. No one knows for sure.

Harry, with Dobby following, walked back up the stairs to his room. Harry closed the door. “Dobby, can you make it so no one can hear what goes on in my room but I can hear what goes on outside of it?”

“Yes, Master Harry Potter, sir.” Dobby waved his hand and the silencing charm was in place.

“Thank you, Dobby.”

Dobby looked around the room and thought for just a minute. This is where the Great Harry Potter will be spending his summer? The bedroom was tiny. Harry’s bed was too small and lumpy. His desk, if you could call it that, was broken and wobbly along with its chair. There were a lot of broken toys and equipment in one corner of the room. This will just not do thought Dobby, not at all.

In a flurry of motion and magic the room changed. The bedroom was magically expanded to twice its size. The old broken desk was replaced with a very nice large mahogany desk with plenty of room for Harry to work. A very nice leather office chair replaced the old wobbly one. Harry’s bed was transfigured to resemble his nice comfortable bed at Hogwarts. The corner was cleaned up of all the broken toys and equipment. Even the closet was expanded. The room looked completely different.

“Dobby, this is great but what if someone else sees this?” asked Harry.

“Dobby made it so that your mean family, and any other muggle, will only see what was here before. If a magical being sees it then they will see what you see” explained Dobby.

“Incredible,” declared Harry. “Dobby, you are one special friend and can do some amazing magic! I am starting to think I should have called you sooner. You are right handy to have around.”

Dobby stared down at the floor, shuffled his feet nervously, and looked as embarrassed as he felt.

Harry smirked and walked over to his school trunk and pulled out two pairs of different looking socks that used to be his Uncle Vernon’s. Harry mismatched the pairs and walked back over to Dobby, kneeling down in front of the little elf.

Harry placed his hands on Dobby’s shoulders. “Dobby, I’m sorry to embarrass you but I meant every word. I know that you are not used to being complimented, especially after spending so much time in service to that horrible Malfoy family. But Dobby, listen, you are my friend and I compliment my friends when they do something good. Believe me, this is not just good” Harry said, looking around the room, “it’s great!”

Dobby raised his head to look at Harry Potter.

“Dobby, since you will not accept payment from me for your services, I have decided to give you a special gift because of the special gift you just gave me today.” Harry held up the two mismatched pairs of socks to Dobby. Harry explained, “These socks are special. You can use them in a pair like this or you can match up the identical ones to form different pairs.”

“Thank you Master Harry Potter, sir! These are great! Socks are my favorite gift. I do not think I will be matching them up though. That is just not right.”

Harry laughed and said, “Somehow I knew you were going to say that.”

“Master Harry Potter, sir. Dobby will be back at 6:30pm with your dinner. What would the Great Harry Potter like to eat?”

“Surprise me, Dobby. I will eat whatever you bring me. Thanks again Dobby.”

Pop!

oo0O0oo

Harry discovered that there were just more books and some manuscripts left in the second compartment so he opened the third compartment. He found it full of clothes, very nice clothes that looked brand new. A lot of them were robes with the Potter crest on them. They were in several nice colors. He found several pairs of pants, including 5 sets of slacks in various colors like black, navy blue, gray, and forest green. There were also 5 sets of blue jeans, 3 sets of black jeans, a dozen or more long-sleeve button-up and pull-over shirts, some T-Shirts with funny sayings, 2 pairs of dress shoes in black and brown, some deep green dragon-hide boots with matching dragon-hide pants and jacket, 2 new sets of trainers, a dozen pairs of socks, and a dozen sets of boxers.

“That’s a lot of nice clothes. Too bad they are not in my size.”

In the fourth compartment Harry only found one thing – another note. “Harry, this compartment is intentionally left empty so it can be used for whatever else you would want to store in it. However, before you move on to the last compartment you should stand the trunk up vertically on its end and up against a wall, start to open the 5th compartment and the trunk will do the rest.”

Harry did as he was instructed. He stood the trunk on its end up against a wall in his bedroom. He grabbed the 5th compartment lid to open it but when he pulled it the trunk changed into a door and looked just like a door to an adjoining room. Harry opened the door and walked into a nice furnished living room with a comfortable looking sofa and couple of cushy chairs around a large area rug.

He found a lot of bookshelves covering one short wall from floor to ceiling with several books on the shelves as well. There was a small kitchen and dining room off to the left and a hallway to the right with a small loo half way down the hall and two nice bedrooms on each side at the end.

Each bedroom had a queen size bed, two walk-in closets, and a loo with a shower. In one of the bedrooms he found that the closets were completely full of more nice clothing. There were men’s clothing in one closet and women’s clothing in the other. Harry could not believe all the nice furnishings and all the clothes. The space was not cramped at all. It was hard to believe all this was inside one compartment of that trunk.

“I love magic,” he said with a smile.

Harry came back into the dining room and noticed a small item on the table that he missed before. It had a button on it with a note that said “Press the button.” He sat down in one of the dining chairs, then slowly but carefully pressed the button. Two full-sized images of his mum and dad suddenly appeared before him. Harry jumped up from his chair and stood there staring. “Mum? …Dad?”

“Hi Harry, I bet you look handsome,” his mum said. She was looking right at him.

“Yeah, Harry. I bet you are handsome because you certainly inherited all my good looks,” Lily elbowed James in the side. “Of course you got your mum’s beautiful eyes,” he quickly added. His dad was looking right at him as well.

“Nice save James, but we need to get down to business. Harry, I wish we could really talk to you and give you the biggest hug but if you are seeing this memory that means we are no longer there for you. I am so sorry sweetie. I promise you that your dad and I did everything possible to prevent this from happening. We were in great danger and obviously something must have gone horribly wrong in all our plans if we did not make it. I am quite sure though that Sirius took really good care of you. You guys are so inseparable these days, especially when he’s in his animagus form. You and Snuffles are real pals.”

“Harry, same goes from me,” his dad said. “We planned well I thought so I am not sure what could have happened. Your mum is right, though. You and your godfather are like two peas in a pod. I am sure growing up with Sirius was not too bad even though I wish I was really standing next to you right now, kiddo. There is so much we could have done together, father and son, Potters through and through to the end.”

“Okay, James, stop getting mushy. Potter, Potter, hoo-rah,” Lily said with a smile. “We both would have loved to see you grow up and be there for you, Harry, because we love you with all our heart. However, there is a lot we need to share with you in this memory. We will go over the trunk in finer detail to make sure you fully understand all of its functionality. We will also give you a guided tour of this little hide-away explaining how everything works with the kitchen appliances, loos, etc. Basically it’s all magic but we will explain it better and tell you why we have it and its intended use.”

“That’s just cracking the surface, sonny boy.” Harry’s focus switched to his dad. “I will also be telling you about your ancestral home and how you get there. Of course, there are more properties owned by the Potter Trust but we will not get into those for now. We will concentrate on getting to Potter Place first. The rest of the properties can come later.”

“Back to me, Harry” his mum said. “Let’s go to one of the bedrooms. Follow me.” Harry followed his parents into the bedroom with the closets full of clothes. “Harry, this is the bedroom your dad and I were going to use. You will find the closets full of nice clothes. You can wear any of them that you want.”

His dad threw in “You might not want to wear any of your mum’s clothes.”

“Very funny, James, but I am sure he knows that already. Harry, all the clothes in this trunk, including the ones hanging in the closets and the extras in the 3rd compartment are all spelled to auto-adjust the fit when you put them on. I am quite good with charms, you see. If you can use any of them feel free. They are all brand new. I am sure you know by now that the Potters are very well off. I was not raised poor as my parents did quite well but compared to the Potters we were broke.”

“As Potters, we do not flaunt it but we do take advantage of it and enjoy it as much as we can” his dad added. “In the end, money can always be replaced. Friends and family, and the ones we love, are the precious, irreplaceable items.”

“Don’t I know it,” Harry said.

“Your dad bought me all those clothes in my closet. There are a lot of nice ball gowns and robes in there that some pretty girl you fancy might want to use on occasion,” his mum said with a wink. “Your girlfriend could use some of the jewelry in the first compartment that you should have found already, but the really nice stuff is in the Potter family vault which you cannot access until you are an adult. Don’t worry though, it will be well worth the wait,” she said with a smile.

After James and Lily had explained to Harry all about the trunk and its uses, James asked Harry to pause the memory (by pushing the button twice). Next, he wanted Harry to go back out and get the pocket watch found in the 1st compartment, bring it back in and start the memory rolling again.

With his parents’ memory paused, Harry left out of the room/trunk and went to his school trunk where he had put the pocket watch. He was thinking about using it as his own watch. Harry was not sure what his dad wanted to show him with it but he felt a bit of excitement coming on. While he was getting the watch out of his trunk, Dobby appeared with his dinner.

“Hi, Dobby, is it time to eat already?” Harry’s stomach growled and he realized just how hungry he really was. He hadn’t even thought about food for a while. He had been very distracted and was quite happy about it.

“Dobby has brought the Great Harry Potter his dinner.”

“Have you eaten Dobby? I would love it if you would join me for dinner. I am sure you brought plenty for both of us.”

“But Dobby is a house elf, sir.”

“I know you are a house elf but why does that matter?”

“The Great Harry Potter is a wizard, a very great wizard. No wizard has ever asked Dobby, or any other house elf Dobby knows, to sit down and eat with him before.”

“Really? That’s odd. Well, it’s about time then isn’t it? Dobby, you may be a house elf and I may be a wizard but no matter what we are still friends, correct?”

“Yes, Harry Potter is Dobby’s greatest friend.”

“Okay, so as my friend I am asking you to join me for dinner. I am not asking you as a wizard to a house elf but I am asking you as your friend. Do you accept?”

Dobby paused for only a second. “Yes, Harry Potter, sir. Dobby will be pleased to eat dinner with the Great Harry Potter.”

Harry and Dobby enjoyed a great dinner that included some of Harry’s favorites – Shepherd’s Pie and Treacle Tart for dessert.

When done, Harry asked Dobby a question. “Dobby, see that door over there? I created that with a trunk I found in my Gringotts vault. Can you make it so that it is not noticeable by anyone, except me?”

“Yes, Harry Potter, sir. Dobby will make it so only you can see the door.” Dobby waved his hand at the door and cast the spell.

“Thank you Dobby. Thank you for dinner and thanks for eating with me. Tomorrow I will not need breakfast. I am going to be up late working on something so I will sleep in tomorrow morning and will not need you to bring me food until lunch. Okay?”

“Yes, Harry Potter, sir. Dobby will see you at lunch.” Dobby left with a pop and all the dirty dishes went with him leaving a very clean room.

After letting Hedwig out for the night, Harry hurried back into the room/trunk with his pocket watch in hand. Going back to the table Harry pressed the button to continue the memory.

James started. “Harry, now that you have the pocket watch I need to tell you a secret. That is no ordinary watch. Yes, it functions just fine as a watch but it is also a portkey, a very special portkey. That watch is a Potter portkey. It will take you to the Potter ancestral home which is called ‘Potter Place.’ Once there you will learn about your heritage, be able to speak to your ancestors via their portraits, receive all kinds of help on anything you want to know or do, and you will be able to do all sorts of amazing things. The house and lands are protected by various charms and wards of the strongest nature. The house and lands are also unplottable. You can perform underage magic there without fear of the ministry finding out. I do not want to tell you much more. I think it would be best to have you go there and let our family fill in the blanks. The head house elf should still be there although she is quite old. Her name is Mattie. She will take care of you. She met you when you were a baby and even changed your nappy a few times. I am sure she will be happy to see you.”

“Yes, she will Harry,” his mum cut in. “She fell in love with you the first time she laid eyes on you. Mattie is the sweetest house elf but she knows her stuff so rely on her. She has taken care of the house and helped raise many Potter children. She will be able to catch you up to speed at Potter Place.”

“One last thing, Harry, before I show you how to operate the watch.” His dad looked worried. “I just realized while your mum and I were getting this ready for you that if we are dead then that means you are the last of the Potters. Harry, I do not want to put any pressure on you but I must insist that you take very good care of yourself, that you marry a beautiful and talented witch (she will probably have red hair), and that you have lots of Potter babies. It would be a major tragedy if the Potter name died out. You will understand better what I am talking about once you have been to Potter Place. The Potters have played a very important role in the history of magic in this country. A lot will be lost if our name dies out. Take care of yourself, Harry. I love you.”

“I agree Harry,” his mum said. “You may not know it but the wizarding world owes a lot to the Potter family. It is up to you to keep up the tradition. We know you can do it sweetie. I love you.”

“Okay, James, tell him what he needs to know about the watch. We have to wrap this up.”

“Right, Harry, let me show how the portkey works. Each Potter location has a phrase that you utter to go there. For instance, to get to Potter Place you merely need to hold the watch in the palm of your hand and say “Legends of Potter” but don’t say it yet as I am not done. Get Mattie to help you so you can learn all the locations. The watch is also capable to learn additional locations. If you wanted to add the location you are at now then you could do that. However, Simon or my dad is better at explaining it than I am and they can actually interact with you while we can’t since this is a memory.”

“Who is Simon?” Harry asked.

James smiled, “I bet you asked who Simon is, right? Simon is your great-grandfather, several greats to be exact. I forget how many greats it actually is but he goes back quite a ways. He was one of the most knowledgeable and best teachers of all the Potters, not to mention extremely powerful. His portrait can be found in the library. If you have a question he is the best person to ask. If he cannot help you then he will know who can. Also, don’t forget to visit your grandparents’ portraits in the study. My mum and dad will not only be ecstatic to see you but they will be very helpful to you. Dad was an unspeakable and mum was a healer. They can answer a lot of questions and teach you many helpful things. You got all that, Sport?”

Lily spoke up, “Oh, Harry, I almost forgot. If you have not read my diary yet then you should definitely read it. I wrote down some good spells in there, mostly charms. They should be very useful to you. Also, you need to know that we bound your magic when you were just a few months old. All this is explained in the diary as well. You were a very powerful little baby so we did it to protect you from hurting yourself or anyone else. We had plans to undo the bind no later than the age of ten so you could have a year to adjust to the extra power before attending Hogwarts. We were going to have you spend a lot of time at Potter Place after that so you could use your magic and adjust to the extra power. You need to know that as of this time when we made this memory your magic is still bound. Since we are not around you will need to ask your grandpa or Simon to help you determine if you are still bound and how to remove it. It could be that Professor Dumbledore noticed it already and removed it for you. However, I am sure you would have noticed if he did. Given the amount of raw magical power you were showing at such a young age, unbinding it should cause a big surge within you that you will feel and notice. I am certain of that. You will likely have to lie down for a while once it is unbound. Good luck, sweetie.”

“Harry, this memory is coming to a close,” his dad said. “We wish you all the best and want you to know that we have done this so no matter what happens you can come out on top. Potter Place is now yours. It will be a safe haven if you need it and a place to learn as much as you are willing to learn. Take advantage of it.”

Harry’s parents stood next to each other with his dad’s arm on his mum’s shoulders and her arm around his waist. They said together in perfect harmony, “Harry, always remember that we love you.” They smiled and disappeared.

Harry sunk down on his knees and cried harder than he as ever remembered. That was the longest amount of time he had ever seen his parents and it was a glimpse into how wonderful it could have been. He so wished they were with him now.

When Harry could not cry anymore he went into the loo to wash his face and clean up. He then went out of the room/trunk back into his bedroom. He got out the new clothes and put on a pair of his new boxers. He liked the fit. He put on a black pair of slacks and socks along with a gray button-up shirt. He put on the black dress shoes and one of the black Potter robes. Grabbing his wand and saying goodbye to Hedwig who had come back in, Harry pulled out the pocket watch and gripped it in his hand.

“Legends of Potter” and Harry was gone.

Chapter Two – Potter Place

Harry noticed that he did not feel the pull behind his naval like his other travels by portkey but nonetheless he knew he was moving from one place to another. That was obvious, especially when he saw his bedroom at Privet Drive disappear and then he reappeared in a nice room with walls made of finely decorated wood. They were of a reddish-brown color. Not too light and not too dark he thought, but a very nice brown. He quickly noticed on one wall, the one he was facing when he arrived, there was a life-sized, full-bodied portrait of a man. He did not notice any door to exit the room.

“Hello there, young man! Whom may I say is calling?” Harry noticed the middle-aged man in the picture had black untidy hair much like his own, although his eyes were a light blue. Taking a good look at Harry’s face and eyes, he stammered “Oh my.” Shaking himself, the man in the portrait stood up straighter and said “My name is Andrew Alan Potter and if I’m not mistaken your name would be Harry James Potter. Correct?”

“Yes,” said Harry. “Did you say your name was Andrew Potter?”

“Yes, my dear boy. I happen to be your great, great, great, great grandfather and I am most pleased to see you again. Of course, the last time you were here you were just a baby. Perhaps we can share a better conversation this time around? Not that you weren’t talkative last time, it’s just you were not very easy to understand; at least it was difficult for me. Your mother Lily seemed to understand you just fine though. You would jabber away and she seemed to know everything you were saying,” he smiled at Harry.

Harry gave him a big grin. “Grandfather?”

“Now, we will have none of that, Harry. You will find a lot of grandfathers in this house so you will need to stick with first names to keep down the confusion. I assure you, it will be perfectly alright with the others as well. Although, you may want to call your dad’s parents Grandpa and Grandma. I am sure they would get a kick out of that.”

“Okay, Andrew. It is very nice to finely meet you and talk to you. I have wanted so badly to meet my family so this is a very special occasion for me.”

Andrew smiled and nodded.

“Can you tell me what room this is, Andrew?”

“Yes, of course, Harry. This is the Receiving Room. Anyone who apparates here, takes a floo here, or takes a portkey here lands in this room. I make sure they are meant to be here and if so I announce their arrival. It is not a good place to be if you do not belong here but I will not get into that now. Across the hall is the Leaving Room. My wife, who is your great, great, great, great-grandmother, Carolyn Anne Potter, oversees that room. Be sure to go by and see her.”

“Now, hold on to your hat Harry. I am about to announce you and I am positive there will be a lot of excited portraits and house elves after I do. Have no fear though. We are all family here.”

“Thanks, Andrew.”

Andrew left his portrait for a few seconds and returned.

About the same time as Andrew’s return, a door appeared where there was not one before and an elderly elf approached Harry. She was dressed in a very nice uniform with the Potter crest proudly displayed on the front left breast area of the black dress jacket she had on. She was also wearing a grey skirt and a white jumper. She had the biggest smile on her face. Harry could hear quite a few voices coming through the now open door. They sounded excited.

“Young Master Harry, it is so nice to see you again. Why you are practically grown. You were just a tiny baby when I last saw you. James and Lily were so proud of you and loved you so much. I miss them terribly still…”

“…My apologies, Master Harry, for my reminiscing. My name is Mattie. I am the head elf for the Potters and I am at your service. You are the last of the Potters and sole owner of everything Potter. I will help you as much as I can to learn what you need to learn in your new role. You are obviously a Potter through and through so I am positive you will do just fine.”

“Mattie,” Harry responded, “it is so nice to meet you. I must insist that you call me Harry, just Harry. There is no need to call me master.”

“Harry, I will be honored to call you by just your first name. You are a credit to your Potter heritage. The Potters always treated the house elves as favorite employees instead of servants. I see you are no different. However, there will be times when it will not be appropriate for me to address you as such. I will have to address you formally like before or in some cases even more formally. I will know when those times come so do not think anything wrong of me when I do. Just know that I am doing what is needed at the appropriate time. I will return to our less formal address you have granted me when that time has passed. Do you understand?”

“I cannot think of a time when it would not be appropriate for you to use just my name but you are much wiser than I am so I will trust your judgment during those times you feel I should be addressed formally. I am sure there will be much more I will need to learn besides the ‘appropriate times’ you mention and I am sure you are quite capable of teaching me what I need to know.”

“I will do my best Harry” Mattie said smiling.

Harry smiled back. He knew he was going to like Mattie very much and not just because his parents had praised her. “My parents mentioned you in a memory they left me, the same memory that taught me how to get here. They spoke very highly of you and apparently were very fond of you. I can see now why.”

“James and Lily were the best. It is tragic what happened,” Mattie replied looking a little sad.

Mattie quickly changed the uncomfortable subject. “There I go again. Harry, are you ready for a tour of Potter Place? There are many elves and portraits anxious to see you.”

“Yes,” said Harry. “My parents also mentioned that I needed to talk to Simon in the Library and I believe they said my dad’s parents were in the Study. There are a couple of things that I need to have them help me with.”

“Yes, Simon and your immediate grandparents can be very helpful to you. I will be sure to introduce you when we get to the Study and the Library. We will see all the elves first in the Banquet Hall. It is nearby. Then you can see a few portraits on the way to the Study and Library.”

“Thank you.”

“Follow me, please.”

Harry followed Mattie out of the Receiving Room and into a rather large hallway. To his right it opened up into a very large room. Across the way was another door to the Leaving Room.

“Oh, let me say hello to Carolyn while I am here. I will just be a minute.”

“Sure, Harry. Take your time.”

Harry quickly met Carolyn who was very happy and pleased that Harry stopped by to say hello. He spent about a minute with her and came back out to a waiting Mattie.

Mattie led him into the large room where he met 20 other elves. They all appeared very excited to see him.

“Hello,” said Harry. “I did not realize there would be so many of you. But, nevertheless, I am so pleased to make all of your acquaintances.” All the elves grinned at him. “This place must be a lot bigger than I thought to need this many elves. Elves are so efficient so Potter Place has to be huge.” The compliment was not lost on any of the elves, including Mattie who smiled.

“You are correct, Harry. Potter Place is rather large and its lands are quite large as well. We need all of these elves just to take care of the manor and the lands. It is not as big as Hogwarts but other manors most anywhere would have to say “they are not as big as Potter Place.”

“I see,” said Harry. “I suppose introductions are in order?

After all the introductions were done with the house elves, Harry checked with Mattie to make sure they all understood about “appropriate times” and when given the go ahead he made sure they were all comfortable with calling him Harry. He made some big impressions on all the elves when he insisted on that.

Harry also learned that some of the elves worked outside a good bit with the lands and animals and that Potter Place is self-sufficient, providing meat, eggs, and vegetables from the grounds. An elf called Jojo was pointed out as the one in charge of the livestock, which included horses, cows, sheep, and goats.

According to Mattie, this part of the estate actually made a good profit. The horses were bred and some sold periodically for a great deal of money. They had a few quality stock horses. They also had quarter-horses that were used around Potter Place. Most of the quarter-horses originally came from the U.S, and most of those from a large ranch in the state of Texas. They occasionally sold a quarter-horse for profit but not as often as they sold thoroughbreds which are quite expensive. Some of the thoroughbreds were originally imported from Kentucky, a state in the U.S. known for its racing horses. Their breeding stock was second to none Jojo told him.

The cows were bred and used for beef at Potter Place as well as sold for beef to the market. Sheep provided wool to the market and the goats, a more recent edition, provided milk to a special market whose demand appeared to be growing. Harry was also told that there were plenty of chickens tended to as well. They provided eggs and poultry for Potter Place.

Another elf took care of the garden that provided fresh vegetables for the meals. There were plenty of produce so it was sold to the market as well. Any other meat they needed for Potter Place such as pork was acquired through trade.

Harry found it amusing that the biggest market Potter Place had was Hogwarts. All this time at school and he never knew he was eating his own meat and vegetables. Since these kinds of dealings with food were dealt with by the elves only, Potter Place was able to continue providing beef and produce to the school without interruption. The witches and wizards of Hogwarts and other businesses they sold to, such as restaurants, normally left it entirely up to the trusted elves that had a budget to purchase food items; therefore, they did not know where the elves bought the food so Potter Place remained hidden.

The market for wool existed in both Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade where the clothing shops like Madam Malkin’s bought the wool to make their clothes. Mattie kept track of the profits and expenses. Harry decided that he would have to take a look at the lands tomorrow. He hoped he would be allowed to ride one of the horses.

Mattie continued with Harry through the manor giving him the grand tour. The Banquet Hall where he met the elves was massive, as large if not bigger, than the Great Hall at Hogwarts. There was another room off of the Banquet Hall equally as large that was used for Balls and dancing. It included a raised stage at one end for live entertainment.

Harry met a lot of relatives in portraits as he travelled through the manor. It was getting late so he made sure they all knew he would come back to visit when there was more time available. He basically just said hello and had them introduce themselves to him so he could keep moving.

The kitchen was extremely large with a small table that would seat 6 in one corner next to a window. There was a dining room next to the kitchen which was entered through large swinging doors marked IN and OUT to prevent accidents during busy times. He imagined it was for normal and/or guest use. Although much smaller than the Banquet Hall the dining room itself was quite large with seating for two dozen people easy. He noted the size of the room allowed for expansion of the table to seat more if needed.

They finally made it to the Study where Harry was introduced to his grandparents. The Study contained a large desk, several pieces of nice furniture, some comfortable looking sofas and chairs, and a nice fireplace. He was surprised to see that his grandfather had hair much like his own and his grandmother had long dark-red hair. His grandfather had hazel eyes and his grandmother had brown eyes. His grandmother was very beautiful. “Hello Grandpa and Grandma! I have been waiting for as long as I can remember to get to meet you. Finally, at last! I realize that you are not the real thing and I missed out on that but I think magical portraits are the next best thing and I will take that over the nothing I have had for so many years.”

Harry’s grandparents turned toward each other and smiled. His Grandma said to his Grandpa “Did you hear that? He called us Grandpa and Grandma. Isn’t that the best sound you have ever heard?”

“Indeed, my dear, it is. My ears have never been so happy after all these years.” He turned back to Harry and said, “Harry, my name is Henry James Potter and I am, as you already know, your grandfather. We are so proud of our son James and your mother Lily for giving us you. We are definitely not the real thing but our portraits are of the highest possible quality, so we are as close to the real thing as you can get.”

“Sweetie, my name is Elizabeth Marion Potter and I, of course, am your grandmother. I am so pleased to see you again. If I could exit the picture and give you a big hug and kiss nothing would hold me back,” she said with tears in her eyes. “You can call me Elizabeth, Liz, Beth, or even Marion but if you want to continue to call me Grandma, I can guarantee you will never do anything wrong in my eyes.”

“Same goes for me, son” his grandfather chimed in. “I do like the sound of Grandpa.”

Harry’s Grandma continued where she left off. “You were only a baby last time but what a handsome boy you have become, just like your father. Oh, and those beautiful green eyes from Lily make you quite the catch. I bet you are real popular with the girls” she said with a wink.

Harry smiled and blushed.

“Your grandpa here was an unspeakable and he still has a portrait in the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic because they like to have his help on things. Because of that we know all about what happened to Sirius and that you had to go live with your Aunt Petunia. Now, don’t get us wrong because we love Lily with all our hearts but that poor dear had the misfortune to have a sister and brother-in-law that are absolutely worthless. I do hope you were not treated too badly while in their care.”

“Well, Grandma, I can’t say it has been a great time but recently we came to a mutual agreement between us that will keep us both out of each other’s hair. As a matter of fact that is one of the reasons I needed to talk to you guys and Simon. I have some questions that my parents said you and Simon could help sort out. Would that be okay? Could you guys help with a few issues?”

“Harry you look a little thin but otherwise appear healthy. Do your questions have anything to do with healing?”

“No, Grandma. No healing questions for now.”

“Then I will just sit back and stay out of the way while you chat with your Grandpa.”

“Thanks, Grandma.”

“You’re welcome, dear”

“Harry, fire away I will help you in any way that I can. If we need Simon we will get his help as well. What can I do for you? All you need to do is ask” his Grandpa said smiling.

“Okay, Grandpa, here goes.” Harry paused then yawned real big. It was late and he was getting very tired. “Sorry about that. I have not been sleeping well and I’ve had a rather busy day.”

“Perhaps you should go to bed and we can pick this back up tomorrow, Harry. Mattie has a room all ready for you, right Mattie?”

“That I do Henry. Young Harry can sleep in the Master suite and get himself a very nice rest tonight. I had Lucy get it ready.”

“Thanks, Mattie, you are very thoughtful but these things cannot wait until tomorrow. I have to get them figured out before I can rest. I will have to return to my Aunt and Uncle’s by lunch and hopefully I will be able to work it out with your help so that I can stay here and not have to go back.”

“I see,” said Grandpa. “Let’s get to work then so you can get some rest.”

“First,” said Harry, “since I have to return tomorrow before lunch I was wondering if I could get help with the watch to add my bedroom at Privet Drive to the portkeys? Second, my mum told me in the memory they left me that when I was just a few months old they bound my magic because I was having big accidental magic bursts. They were afraid I would hurt myself or others accidentally. They did not bind it completely but they had plans to unbind it no later than the age of 10 so I could have a year to adjust to the extra power before starting Hogwarts. They were going to have me stay over here a bit that year so I could practice my magic without detection. It is fairly certain that my parents never got a chance to unbind my magic since they were murdered when I was only a year old.”

“I am not certain if Professor Dumbledore discovered it and may have reversed it already but my mum said that when it’s reversed she is sure I will have to lie down for a while to recover. Dumbledore may have or Madame Pomfrey may have during one of the times I was injured and unconscious in the hospital wing but I do not recall any time when I was conscious that I felt anything like that. So, what I want to know is how to check to see if my magic is still bound.”

“Lastly, in order for me to stay here, I need help with how to make my relatives think I am still there this summer. In addition, should Dumbledore, my friends, or anyone else that comes to visit me show up at the house I will need to be alerted so I can portkey back to my bedroom there and pretend I have always been there. I am not ready yet to let anyone else know of Potter Place. Can you help with these items?”

“Certainly Harry. Not a problem. I would like to consult Simon on some of this though to get his opinion. He is right handy with these kinds of things and often knows the best and quickest way to solve issues. Tell you what, have Mattie take you to the Library which is right next door and I will meet you over there. You can be introduced to Simon and we will work together quickly to solve your problems so you can get some rest.”

“Okay, Grandpa. Shall we head next door to the Library Mattie?”

“Follow me.”

While they were heading to the Library, Mattie told Harry that she could tell him all the places and phrases to the different Potter houses that he can access via the watch. She suggested they do that tomorrow or another day when he was not so tired. Harry readily agreed to wait.

The Library was quite large. The bookshelves were from floor to ceiling which was at least 2 stories tall. There were rows and rows of bookshelves throughout the room. Every single one was loaded with books. Hermione would be in heaven here. On one prominent wall overseeing all the books was a large portrait of a middle-aged man, obviously a Potter with black hair and grey eyes. His hair was a bit longer and in a ponytail which made it lay down correctly instead of sticking up at odd angles like Harry’s. Harry’s grandpa had joined Simon in his rather large frame and was already filling him in on Harry’s problems.

Simon saw Harry and Mattie enter the Library so he turned toward Harry and greeted him. “Harry, it is my pleasure to finally meet you. I have heard some great things about you and I have no doubt they are all true. I am Simon Ignotus Potter, your great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather.”

“The pleasure is all mine Simon. You do not know how long I have waited to be with my real family, to get to know them, and spend time with them. I am honored to make your acquaintance. My parents spoke highly of you in a memory they left me.”

“Yes, I spoke often with James and Lily. We shared a lot of information with each other. Your mum even consulted me on binding your magic because she wanted to make sure she left you a normal amount to use while growing up. I understand that you are not sure if your magic is still bound and would like to find out.”

“Yes.”

“Okay, but before we go further there is something we need to take care of first. When you go back to your Aunt’s house you may need to use magic so we are going to make sure you have a wand you can use that the Ministry cannot trace.”

“Mattie, can you pop back to the Study and grab the box of wands for us?”

Mattie popped out, was gone for a few seconds, and popped back in holding an ornate wooden box. She placed it on the small table next to Harry.

“Thank you, Mattie. Harry, inside this box are all the wands we were able to hang on to through the years. They were the wands of your grandfathers, grandmothers, uncles, aunts, etc. In all of these Potter wands hopefully you will be able to find one that will be a good substitute for your current chosen one. If so, you will be able to use it when away from Potter Place and your magic will not be detected. It will be quite handy until you are of age and can use your own wand without worry. Open the box. Only a Potter can open it. It is locked with a very strong blood ward.”

Harry reached over and opened the lid on the box. It was not even locked.

Simon spoke up. “There was never any doubt about you being a Potter, Harry, but if there happened to be any doubt, that just proved you’re a Potter and removed any possible case for doubt.”

“How so?” asked Harry. “The box was not even locked.”

“Close the lid Harry and I will show you.” Harry closed the lid.

“Mattie, you open the box,” said Simon.

Mattie gave it her best try but she could not open the box. She then stepped back beside Harry. Harry walked up to the box again and he opened it without any effort. It appeared to not even be locked to Harry.

“Blood ward, Harry. Only a Potter can open that box. Got it?”

“I’m impressed” said Harry.

“Okay, that lesson is over” said Simon. “Let’s have you try some wands and find one that will work almost as well as your own. Start with Henry’s since he is closest to you then try Elizabeth’s. They are all labeled in their separate holders. Too bad we do not have James or Lily’s wands. I believe they might have been destroyed with the house. Otherwise we would start there. Typically the closest relatives work best, but not always.”

Harry looked in the box and saw that it was much larger internally than it was externally. The wands were all held in separate holders that were labelled with user name and description of the wand.

“There is an expansion charm on the inside to accommodate all the wands” noted Henry. “Any new wands that are added to the box will automatically be given their own space.”

“The box detects the owner and wand description then creates the label based on that info so you know the core, length, and wood used just by reading the label” added Simon.

Harry was getting a few sparks from his Grandparents wands but nothing like he gets from his own. Simon had him keep trying each time going further back to a more distant relative with about the same or less success. Finally Simon had an idea. “Harry, I have an idea. You are not having much luck and this is taking a lot of time. Your magic was bound and may still be. If so that would mean you are likely a very powerful wizard. I was a very powerful wizard in my day and never met anyone with as much power as myself. I am not bragging, just being honest. I would like you to find my wand and give it a wave.”

“Good idea, Simon” said Henry.

Harry looked further back in the box until he found the wand marked as Simon’s. The label read:

Owner: Simon Ignotus Potter
Wood: Holly
Length: 12 inches
Core: Dragon Heartstring

Harry pulled it out and it felt very warm in his hand. He gave it a wave and sparks flew out just like his own wand. Harry smiled and turned toward a long aisle and cast a spell.

“Expecto Patronum”

A large white stag erupted from the wand and ran down the aisle before turning back and walking back to Harry. It stood there for a minute looking down at Harry for direction before fading away.

Henry said, “Oh my word, Simon, did you see that? Harry is not quite 15 and he can cast a patronus like that? That is incredible Harry!”

“Yes,” said Simon. “That was one impressive patronus. I believe your dad’s animagus was a stag?”

“Yes, I suppose that is why my Patronus is as well.”

“When did you first learn to produce a full corporeal patronus, Harry?” asked Simon.

When I was 13, in my third year, there were a lot of Dementors at Hogwarts searching for Sirius who had escaped from Askaban. They affected me greatly. I would always hear my mum screaming and see the green light of the killing curse from Voldemort as he killed her and that same light coming at me when he tried to kill me as well. Professor Remus Lupin who taught defense that year taught me the spell so I can fight them off. It really came in handy when I had to save Sirius from about a hundred Dementors. My patronus was able to drive them off before they could perform the kiss and suck out his soul. I could not let that happen to my godfather. Besides, he’s innocent.”

“13, huh? Now I am really impressed” said Simon. “I was 16 before I was able to produce a full corporeal patronus and driving off 100 Dementors is no small feat. I expect we will hear of great things from our very young, but very powerful, Harry Potter” he said to Henry. “If your magic is still bound then I think we are going to be in for one big surprise.”

“Okay, next issue” said Henry. “Harry let’s detect if you are bound while we are on the subject and if you are then we will remove it just before you go to bed. Sound like a good plan?”

“Yes, that makes sense. I am anxious to know whether or not my magic is still bound but since it will make me tired to remove the binding then we should do that last. I am already tired.”

Henry started. “Harry, the charm to reveal what spells have been cast on you and still remain is Specialis Revelio Corporis. Specialis Revelio can be used to reveal magic on an object such as a book but adding Corporis to it signifies it is to reveal any magic cast on a person. You can cast this charm on yourself without issue. This is good since we have no other witches or wizards here to help us out with the casting. Mattie please provide Harry with a full length mirror he can stand in front of to see what the spell reveals. We will see as well and help you, Harry.”

Mattie waved her hand and a full length mirror appeared for Harry to use. Harry stood in front of it and cast the spell on himself. In the mirror he saw some items come into focus. Around his scar was a green color but it was unidentified as to what it was. Near his heart was a red color labeled with the word “BOUND” and near that was a yellow color labeled “TRACKING.”

Harry was speechless.

Simon spoke up. “Harry, it looks like you have 3 pieces of magic still applied to you. Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do right now about the green one attached near your scar. We will definitely be researching that one. We know the circumstances and how you received the scar so we can research it I think without needing any extra input from you. However, if we come up with any questions about it we will ask. Until then do not trouble yourself about it. You were hit with a killing curse and lived. I would be more surprised if nothing showed up. However, on the other two we can definitely remove those. We know your mum cast the binding on your magic but who put the tracking charm on you?”

“My best guess would be Professor Dumbledore. Other than that it could be a disaster in waiting. Is there a way to reveal who cast it?”

“Yes,” Henry said, “but you cannot cast that spell on yourself. It will require a very knowledgeable witch or wizard to cast that successfully. At any rate, it is not that important. We know you have a tracking charm that is there without your consent. I can show you the spell to remove it and that will be that. You are pretty safe if it’s Dumbledore but if an enemy has cast it on you it needs to be removed right away. You can always run the Specialis Revelio Corporis spell at any time to see if you are being tracked again. We will show you the spell to remove the binding as well but that is the one we should save until the end. I believe Lily is right about it requiring you to rest after the binding is removed. The spell to remove the tracking is Finite Investigo. Just point at the charm on your body with your wand and utter the incantation. That will remove the tracking charm. You can then cast finite on the reveal charm to cancel it as well.”

Harry did as he was directed and the yellow color was removed from his body. He then cancelled the reveal spell.

“Now, let’s add that new portkey to your watch” said Henry. “Normally, it is best for you to be at the place you want to add because you only have to look around the room when you set it, but it is not necessary if you are very familiar with the place and can picture it clearly in your mind. Can you do that for your bedroom at your Aunt’s house?”

“Yes, I have spent plenty of time there so I have it etched in my mind.”

“Okay, take out the watch and open the back of it.” After Harry had the back open, Henry continued. “Look closely and you will see a small black button.”

“Got it” affirmed Harry.

“Picture your room very clearly in your mind and decide what word or phrase you want to use. When ready, hold down the button while you say the word or phrase. After you have completed saying the word or phrase you can release the button. Your new portkey location will be set.”

Harry thought for a minute and decided that “Privet Drive” would work well enough for the phrase. He drew up in his mind his bedroom at Privet Drive, and then suddenly remembered that Dobby had changed things so he changed his bedroom in his mind to what it looks like now. Once he had that image pictured clearly, Harry pressed on the button and said “Privet Drive” then released the button. The watch glowed blue for a second and then went back to normal.

“Very good, Harry,” said Simon. “You did that perfectly.”

“Thank you.”

“Now as to the other 2 items” Simon continued “where you want to make your relatives believe you are there in your room all summer and the other one where you are to be alerted if someone comes to visit you are quite simple actually. Well, simple if you use a house elf. House elves can do that kind of thing with ease. Plus that is within their duties as a house elf to aid their master.”

“Really?”

“As a matter of fact, Mattie here could do that for you without breaking a sweat. Right Mattie?”

“Yes, Simon. I am quite able and would be delighted to take care of that for Harry but I was under the impression Harry wanted to learn the spells so he could perform them himself. Was I wrong?”

“No,” Harry said. “You are correct, Mattie. I was intent on learning the right spells for myself but since it is late and in the interest of time if a house elf can do this for me without any problems then I am all for it. As a matter of fact there is a house elf I am meeting at lunch tomorrow in my bedroom. I am sure he will be happy to help me. He has already helped me a ton.”

“Who is this house elf that you speak of?” Mattie asked.

“Dob…” Harry almost said his name and stopped. “Oops! I almost said his name out loud.” Mattie, Simon, and Henry looked at him with questions on their lips. Harry explained. “It seems every time I say his name he pops up right in front of me ready to do whatever I ask of him. I do not want to disturb him at this late hour.”

Simon asked, “You have a house elf bound to you?”

“Well, it is not exactly that. Here let me show his name without saying it.” Harry wrote the name Dobby in the air with his wand. He used the same spell Riddle used in the Chamber of Secrets.

They all said “Dobby” together.

“Yes, that’s his name.”

“I know Dobby,” Mattie began. “Dobby is a very hard worker and talented elf. He works for the Malfoy family as I recall.” Henry frowned at that.

“Not anymore,” replied Harry. “The Malfoys treated him horribly, especially Lucius. At the end of my second year I tricked Lucius into giving…uh…uh… D” (Harry said pointing to Dobby’s name) “a sock which gave D his freedom. It happened to be one of my socks but the trick worked. D has been eager to help me anytime I need him. He works for Hogwarts now but apparently hears me whenever I speak his name. He is bringing me my meals this summer because Uncle Vernon threatened not to feed me for a week.”

“He wouldn’t dare!” cried Henry. Mattie was looking murderous. Simon was shaking his head.

“Yes he would Grandpa because he has done it before. No worries though, Mattie. I have it all under control. When Uncle Vernon threatened me in front of my… uh… elf friend, you know his name, Uncle Vernon was promptly stuck to the ceiling. When I had D let him down he simply shrugged his shoulders and dropped Uncle Vernon to the floor. It took Uncle Vernon a minute or two to get his breath back but he gave me no more trouble after that.”

All three were smiling at Harry.

“I like this Dobby…very much,” said Simon with a big grin.

“He is a good friend and very helpful,” replied Harry.

Harry removed Dobby’s name from the air.

“I can get my friend to help me when I go back since he is meeting me there with lunch. I will tell him that he will not need to bring me anymore food since I will be coming back here to stay until time for school again.”

“Now that we have addressed all your concerns Harry,” Henry began. “Let’s get that binding removed and you to bed so you can get some rest. I will let Simon help you with that as well since he advised Lily on it.”

“Are you ready Harry? From what I have witnessed here tonight and from what I know, I believe your mum had it right. Once you remove that binding you are going to feel different and I dare say, at the minimum, you will need to lie down afterwards.”

“I am ready.”

“Okay, Harry. The incantation to remove the magical binding Lily put on you is Finite Modus. Like any cancelling charm using finite, there is no necessary wand movement, just point your wand where the red color was and say the incantation.”

Harry hesitated. “It’s weird isn’t it? I know I need to remove the binding but because it’s a spell my mum cast on me I am hesitating. Sentimental rubbish right?”

Mattie put her hand on Harry’s shoulder. “Sentimental, yes, Harry. Rubbish, no. Everyone here loved your mum. There was no sweeter person I have ever met than Lily. She and James did not intend for you to stay bound for this long. Make them happy and release the bind so you can reach your full potential.”

“There is nothing wrong with being sentimental, Harry. Take it from me, your grandpa, who is a sentimental old fool.”

Simon laughed a big hearty laugh.

Harry smiled at his grandpa then Mattie. He raised his wand to point at his chest.

Speaking clearly, Harry cast the spell. “Finite Modus”

For a second Harry felt like a dam had broken inside his body. He had never been able to feel his own magic so clearly and strong before. The feeling kept building and building and Harry was wondering when and if it was going to stop. Suddenly like a huge wave washing over him everything went black.

Harry knew no more.

Mattie who was watching her young master very closely saw him start to glow and magic was pouring off of Harry in huge waves. He had a look of worry on his face then suddenly he was falling. Mattie quickly levitated him before he could hit the floor. She looked up at Simon and Henry for confirmation.

Henry was shaking his head. Simon spoke to Mattie. “Mattie put Harry to bed. Have someone check on him every hour but let him sleep as long as he needs too. If he is not awake by 11am to meet Dobby then do not attempt to wake him. Hopefully that will be enough rest so he can port back to his Aunt’s house. If not, then use your elf magic to find Dobby so you can explain. Do not worry if he takes a few days before he wakes. As long as he is resting then he will be fine. I suspected something like this would happen. That boy has more power than even I have ever seen and he has not even reached adulthood where his power will increase even more. His body will need a good bit of time to get used to it so right now rest is what he needs most. His body will start adjusting to the magic while he sleeps and that will give him less to deal with when he does awake. Don’t worry, Mattie.”

“Yes, Simon. I will personally watch over my charge tonight. Nothing untoward is going to happen to my Harry.” Mattie said as she left with Harry levitating in front of her.

Simon smirked at Mattie’s possessiveness then looked at Henry and they both blew out a breadth. Henry spoke. “I think we are in for some excitement around here, Simon.”

“About time, huh Grandpa?”

Henry grinned and waved as he went back to his own portrait in the Study. He had loads to tell his Elizabeth.

oo0O0oo

Almost two weeks later…

Harry slowly opened his eyes, eyes that were so heavy he could barely get them open. He was so drained of energy. He felt like his body had been trampled by a hippogriff. He moved his arm. No, make that a heard of hippogriffs. He was in a very large and extremely comfortable bed which was in what looked like, at least from what he could tell, a very large but nicely furnished and very fancy bedroom.

Mattie came waltzing in the door with a big grin on her face (she had an alert on Harry so she would know when he awoke). She walked up to the bed where Harry was still laying trying to see everything.

“Mattie?” Harry barely croaked out.

“Do not talk yet Harry. Drink this water then drink this potion. You have been out for almost two weeks after you released the bind on your magic. Simon recommended letting you sleep it off.”

Harry drank the water Mattie gave him then she traded him for the pepper-up potion which he took in one go. He immediately felt some energy return and sat up slowly on his bed.

“Whoa, that has some kick. I almost feel human again.”

“That is some of Elizabeth’s special pepper-up potion. It should get you to the point to eat something which of course food has its own magic for the body. You will have your strength back in no time.”

Lucy showed up with some soup for Harry while Mattie was helping him sit up more with some pillows propping him up. Lucy floated the tray of soup over to Harry so it rested over his lap.

“Hi, Lucy. It is good to see you again,” said Harry when he looked up from his tray. Lucy was shocked. She never expected Harry to remember her name after meeting her once in the Banquet Hall with all the other elves there but she was very pleased that he did.

“It is very good to see you awake Master.. I-I mean Harry. We were all worried about you. Please eat your soup so you can get your strength back.”

“Yes, ma’am” replied Harry with a grin.

Lucy grinned back then looked embarrassed. She turned to leave but Harry spoke to her again so she turned back around.

“Oh, Lucy, I forgot.”

“What’s that H-Harry?”

“Thanks for the soup!”

“You’re welcome, Harry” she said with a shy smile. She left with a pop.

“Well, you seem to be in good spirits or is it grandma’s potion?” asked Mattie.

“I think it’s because I am finally home.” That made Mattie smile. Harry began eating his soup and enjoying his pumpkin juice.

After Harry completed his soup and juice he sat there for a minute enjoying the food on his stomach. After not eating solid food for so long it felt good. Then it clicked in his head.

“Mattie, how long did you say I slept?”

“You were out for almost two weeks.”

“Two weeks? Oh no! Dobby…Dumbledore…and other people are going to be looking for me and they will not be able to find me!”

“Calm down Harry. Dobby and I took care of your issues for you. When you did not awake the next morning I found Dobby and explained what was going on. We both went to your Aunt’s house and performed the magic so they would think you were in your room. Plus, if anyone comes to your Aunt’s house looking for you an alert will come to you via your wand.”

“In addition, I spoke to Dobby so you can use his name now. He will only come if you specifically call him. Using his name in a sentence will no longer summon him.”

“Thanks, Mattie.”

“I also took the liberty to bring you two wand holsters. They can be adjusted to fit your wrists or your legs. Your wand and Simon’s wand are both in their new holsters.” Mattie pointed to the wands that were sitting next to him on the bedside table. They looked to be made of dark brown leather but very thin so they hide easier under your clothes.

“Wow that was very nice of you. Thank you very much Mattie.”

“You’re welcome, Harry. Besides, you saw all the wands? We have quite a few wand holsters around here too.”

“Thanks again Mattie. I have always wanted one.”

“Harry, if you are feeling better now I think it is time for you to try getting ready for the day. You just had lunch so it is early afternoon. Take your time getting up so you do not fall. I will stay with you to make sure you can make it to the loo alright then I will leave you to your privacy so you can shower and get dressed. Your clothes have been cleaned and pressed. I will lay them out on the bed for you.”

“This is the Master Suite. Since you are the master now, it is yours. It is definitely the largest bedroom in the manor. We hope you like it.”

Harry got out of bed slowly. He was wearing some pajamas he had never seen before but they were comfortable. He stood up slowly and maintained his balance under Mattie’s watchful eye. Taking some slow steps at first he began to feel his strength come back. Harry took a walk around the room.

“It looks great Mattie and the bed is incredible. I love it. Maybe if you had tossed me on a lumpy one I might not have slept so long.”

“Okay, I can see that you are doing just fine. I am going to attend to my other duties. Call me if you need anything, if you have a pain, or need help with anything. I mean it. I will be here right away.”

“Okay, Mother Hen” Harry said as he ambled toward what looked like an extremely large loo.

Mattie smiled, closed the door, and popped out to give Harry some privacy.

oo0O0oo

Harry felt pretty good, great in fact. After a good shower and a close inspection of his rather impressive bedroom suite, with a closet as big as his expanded bedroom at Privet Drive, plus the loo and all its amenities, he very much liked what he saw. He loved the large walk-in tiled shower that was behind a tiled partition. Designed like that, there was no need for a shower curtain or shower door. You just had to walk back behind the partition that had a large garden tub/jacuzzi on the front side and the tub was as long as the tiled wall.

Behind the partition that was angled in a slight V shape, there were several shower heads on both walls situated at different angles. Plus, there were duplicates of the same setup a little further down as if it was designed for two people to shower at the same time, sort of a his and hers shower. It took Harry a minute to figure out all the shower heads and what they were for but he was positive when he was done that he had just had the best shower of his life.

Harry had joined Mattie in the kitchen at the small table by the window. She was working on some books that contained a record of the expenses and profits at Potter Place. Harry was being served some more food since his appetite had come back full force. One of the elves in the kitchen, Leru, had served Harry more food than he could possibly eat but Harry did his best to give Ron a run for his money.

After eating he decided to walk around the manor for a bit to talk to a few more portraits and then go see Simon to ask him about the magic he was constantly feeling. It was not an uncomfortable feeling; rather, it was a pleasant feeling but this was new to Harry and he was not sure what it meant.

After a couple hours of walking around and talking to more family members in all the portraits, that included more grandparents, uncles, aunts, and distant cousins, Harry was feeling that he had gained all his strength back and felt like he could take on an army all by himself if he had to. He managed to make it back to the Library to speak to Simon again.

“Harry,” Simon began, “what you are feeling is normal, well, it’s normal for you and was normal for me when I was alive. You could probably add Albus Dumbledore and maybe even Nicolas Flamel to that list as well. Albus is a powerful wizard and I imagine he can feel his magic much the same as I did and you do. Most all of the Potters have been known as being magically powerful but very few have shown my level. Probably none have shown your level”

“Are you saying you think my magic is stronger than yours was?

“Yes, definitely. From what information I have gathered, there were likely two other ancestors going back further than me that were powerful like us but we have no portrait of them. We have some manuscripts that indicate what their power level was like but it is difficult to prove. It was before magical portraits were invented. I doubt I was ever at your level based on what I witnessed a couple weeks ago but I was more powerful than the other Potters we have a record of. Regular witches and wizards do not normally feel their magic, Harry. They might if they are upset and their magic is allowed to build but even then they will not likely recognize it, plus being upset will mask other feelings.”

“Harry, I must warn you that you need to be careful. With the kind of power I believe you have you will need lots of practice with your wand and without a wand to learn to control that power. Let me put it to you this way, right now if you cast a stunner with the power you have behind it you will most likely kill the person rather than just stun them. You will need that control.”

“Wait did you say control without a wand?”

“Yes, Harry. With that much power and the fact you can feel it, you should easily be able to learn wandless magic. Learn control with your wand first. Pay attention to what the spells feel like when you cast them. That will help you with varying the intensity of the spell. There is no need to kill someone with a stunner, correct? Later we can tackle wandless magic and remembering what spells feel like will speed up the process.”

“So I need to practice. Is there a room in the manor where I could do that?”

“Yes, Harry, there is a practice room in the basement. It has reinforced walls, wards, and other fancy protections. There are empty portraits down there where Henry and I can join you to help you train and learn new spells. Once you have gained control, it would not hurt to have your grandma teach you some healing spells as well. She was an outstanding healer. Mattie or any of the other elves can show you where the room is located.”

“Great, I will check with Mattie.” Harry started to head back to the kitchen where he last saw Mattie but stopped and turned toward Simon. “Simon what is that beeping noise?”

“It sounds like it’s coming from you Harry.”

“From me? Wait! That’s my wand! Mattie said my wand would alarm if I had a visitor at my Aunt and Uncle’s house. I’ve got to go! Tell Mattie what happened, okay?”

“Will do, Harry. Good luck! See you when you return.”

Harry pulled the watch from his pocket, gripped it in the palm of his hand and said, “Privet Drive” and Harry was gone.

Chapter Three – Blood Wards

Harry appeared in his bedroom at #4 Privet Drive. He quickly said hello to Hedwig and apologized for being gone so long but promised her he would fill her in on all the exciting news a little later. He remembered that Mattie had told him Dobby was coming over every evening to let his owl out to hunt for food. Dobby had apparently been bringing owl treats for Hedwig as well. He would definitely have to thank Dobby for that.

Now who had come to visit him? Harry looked out the window but found no one. He then decided to pick up a school book and he sat down at his nice desk Dobby provided and pretended to work on his homework while he waited for his visitor.

Harry heard his uncle’s raised voice and then the unmistakable voice of the Headmaster.

“Vernon there is no need for theatrics” Dumbledore told him. “As you know I setup a ward on this house so your family and Harry would be safe. Something has happened to that ward. I received an alarm in my office when it started having trouble. It appears to be failing. Normally with Harry here it would recharge itself. Since it was cast 14 years ago it probably just needs me to recast it to fix it.”

“Well, hurry up Headmaster and do not let anyone see your freakishness!” Vernon replied.

Dumbledore stared at Vernon for just a second then said “I will just pop up and say hello to Harry while I am here. I am sure he would enjoy the education as well about blood wards. He can accompany me while I redo the wards.”

Vernon and Petunia looked at each other with worried looks on their faces.

Dumbledore walked up the stairs and knocked on Harry’s door. He heard “Come in” so opened the door and walked in.

Harry swiveled in his desk chair to face Professor Dumbledore. “Hello Professor. What brings you here?” he said with a smile.

“Harry, it is good to see you again. You seemed to be wearing much nicer clothes than normal. Did your Aunt and Uncle buy you some new clothes?”

“Oh, heavens no. They never buy me any clothes or anything else for that matter. All I get from them is Dudley’s too large hand me downs and Uncle Vernon’s used socks.”

“Hmmm” said Dumbledore.

“No these clothes came from my parents. I found a trunk in my vault that they had left for me. It contained a lot of books and a lot of clothes. My mum charmed them all so that they would automatically fit.”

“Ah, I see” said Dumbledore. “Lily was probably one of the best students we have ever had with charm work and I believe you yourself are pretty good as well. Miss Granger appears to excel more with transfiguration although she is excellent in charms too.”

“Let’s face it Professor. Hermione is good at pretty much all the subjects. The only thing I have seen her struggle with is flying on a broom.”

Dumbledore smiled and said “I would have to agree, Harry. Miss Granger is a very remarkable witch. I see that your bedroom appears a little larger than normal as well. Did you practice your charms on your room?”

“No, professor. That is an interesting story but let me cut to the chase. You are looking at the work of one house elf by the name of Dobby. I accidentally called Dobby and he appeared. Before he left he decided my tiny bedroom needed some adjustments. He expanded it, replaced my bed, my desk and chair, and removed all the junk in the corner left by Dudley. Dobby said that we can see it like this but my family and other muggles will see it like it was.”

“Very good, Harry. I believe that since you freed Dobby he has attached himself to you in a most curious way. Normally elves are bound to a house and some are bound to a person but Dobby has done something else entirely and I am not sure it has ever been done before. It appears to be a good thing though.” Dumbledore said with a smile.

“Professor, while I enjoy visiting with you it seems odd to me for you to come by for just a visit when you have not done so before. Is there anything wrong you have not told me yet?”

“Harry, I am so sorry. Forgive me and thank you for getting an old man back on track. There is nothing to worry about. I am here because of the blood ward I setup 14 years ago is failing. I have an instrument in my office that triggers an alarm if anything goes wrong with the ward. I have come to recast the ward spell to correct the problem. Would you like to accompany me to behind the house so I can explain blood wards and you can see how this is done?”

“Certainly, Professor. Thank you for the opportunity.” Harry said has he followed Dumbledore out.

“I must say Harry you are looking quite well. You look much happier than the last time I saw you. I am pleased you are happy after how the year ended. I know you never look forward to coming back here but this lesson today will help you understand why I have you stay here for at least a month every summer. It has to do with the blood ward I am going to redo today.”

“How is that professor?”

“The blood ward is based on your mum’s blood, your blood, your Aunt’s, and even your cousin Dudley’s somewhat, because it is a shared blood from your mum’s side of the family. Based on that blood and the strength coming from your mum as a powerful witch and now you as a powerful wizard, the ward gets recharged every year over a month’s time. Once it is recharged then it lasts for an entire year until you return to recharge it again with your presence. Once you turn 17 the ward will no longer function and there will be no need for you to come back. Until you are 17 the added benefit is it keeps your relatives safe all year as well.”

They had arrived at an inconspicuous spot behind the house a few feet from the flower bed. Dumbledore had cast a notice-me-not spell so none of the neighbors would see what he was doing. He had finished explaining to Harry about blood wards and how they provided protection. Harry remembered the box of wands at Potter Place and the blood ward on it that only allowed a Potter to open it.

“Okay, Harry, pay attention and I will show you how I do this.”

Dumbledore pointed his wand at a spot on the ground in front of him and a hole appeared. Next an almost square stone about the size of a bludger floated up out of the hole. The stone had all kinds of runes marked on its surface. Dumbledore mumbled an incantation and with a complicated wand movement cast a spell on the stone. It glowed a bright orange while Dumbledore floated it back down into the hole and covered it back up without leaving a trace that the ground had been disturbed.

“That should do for several years Harry. I put some extra power into it so it definitely will not fail before you turn 17.”

“So you can vary the power of your spells, Professor?”

“Yes, Harry. I am a powerful wizard and I had to learn to vary the power I use when casting spells for fear I could accidentally hurt someone when I do not mean to.”

“I see,” said Harry. “Thanks professor your lesson was quite informative.”

“My pleasure, dear boy. Now I must be off. I have an appointment at the ministry to keep.”

“Okay, bye professor. Thanks again for the lesson on blood wards. I learned a lot.”

“Stay here a month and the ward will be fully charged. We can see about you visiting your friends after that Harry. See you later,” and he disapparated.

Harry did not say a word to his relatives when he went back up to his room. He knew that the ward had not failed due to time but it was because Harry had been gone from the house for too long but how could he make it so he could stay at Potter Place and keep the ward up here? There just had to be a way.

Harry spent the next several minutes in his room talking to Hedwig and explaining everything that happened. Hedwig was a very good listener with a “hoot” she added now again. While explaining about the box of wands and the blood ward on the box it occurred to Harry that Simon apparently knew a lot about blood wards. He would definitely get his help on this new problem and get his grandpa to help as well.

Harry made some quick decisions. He called Dobby and explained that he was taking Hedwig with him to Potter Place. He thanked Dobby for taking such good care of his girl then told him he would call him the next time he was needed but he did not need to come to Privet Drive anymore to take care of things. Dobby did his usual gush about Harry and promised he would come any time “The Great Harry Potter” needed him. He then popped back to Hogwarts.

Harry shrunk his ornate trunk and pocketed it. He put Hedwig in her cage and explained they were going by portkey but you did not feel anything with this portkey so it was a very comfortable way to travel. Hedwig hooted her approval. He grabbed his school trunk as well.

Harry pulled out his watch and making sure he had a hold of his school trunk and Hedwig’s cage in one hand he said the magic words.

“Legends of Potter.”

Harry disappeared from Privet Drive.

oo0O0oo

Appearing in the Receiving Room with Andrew, Harry did a quick hello while Andrew opened the door for him. Harry apologized and explained the rush and his need to see Simon right away. Mattie appeared and Harry asked if she could get his trunk to his bedroom and let Hedwig out to explore the grounds. Mattie complimented Harry and Hedwig on how she was such a beautiful owl and promised she would take good care of his familiar while he hurried off to Simon.

“Thanks, Mattie. I owe you one.”

“No you do not. This is my job Harry. You never owe me a thing. It is my privilege to take care of you and don’t you forget it.”

Harry bent down and gave Mattie a big hug. “You’re the best Mattie. Don’t let anyone tell you different.”

Mattie was an old and very intelligent elf and hardly anything ever got to her. However, she could not stop a big blush after Harry’s display of affection.

She floated the trunk and Hedwig down to the master suite all the while talking to Hedwig about how sweet Harry is and she knew some day he would make her very proud. Hedwig hooted in agreement. After Hedwig saw Harry’s new bedroom, Mattie let Hedwig out and told her how to go outside to the grounds from there. She also told Hedwig that there was an owlery and where it was located. There were a few owls on the property that stayed out there, Mattie explained. However, since Hedwig is the master’s familiar and obviously is a very well behaved and intelligent owl then she is always welcome to stay in Harry’s bedroom. Mattie then said she would have a nice stand she remembers seeing in the manor brought to the bedroom so Hedwig would have a nice place to rest. Hedwig hooted in approval and thanks to Mattie and went outside to explore.

Harry had made it to the Library after stopping by the Study and asking his grandpa to join Simon again so they could discuss a big problem and hopefully solve it. His grandpa told Harry he would meet him there.

“So, as I understand it” Henry was saying “Albus used a rune stone buried close to the house and he has cast a blood ward spell on it to protect its occupants. Every year when you return you have to spend at least a month to recharge the ward for another year and because you were gone for two weeks before you were there a month the ward started failing. Correct?”

“Yes, Grandpa.”

“I’ve got this Henry” said Simon. “I happen to know a few things about wards in general, especially blood wards which are my specialty. Here is what you need to do, Harry. You will need a potion vial of your blood which you will cast a spell on (I will give you the spell). Afterwards you will need to stopper and seal it. You will need to cast charms on it to make it unbreakable and impervious. Next you will take it to the ward stone and enlarge it with the engorgio spell about five times its normal size. Bury it next to the stone about the same depth. It should be no more than three feet from the stone. The vial of your blood will serve as you being there and it will keep the ward stone fully charged all year round.”

“That’s it?” asked Harry.

“Yes, that’s it. That is all it will take. The spell you cast on your blood is the key. The spell I will give you basically copies your essence to the blood. It is actually quite easy since you are using your own blood which contains part of your essence already. The spell just makes the vial of blood represent your entire body to the ward stone so it stays charged thinking you are always close by. It should last forever but technically it only has to last until you’re seventeen.”

“Okay, so I need a vial for my blood. Mattie?”

Pop!

“Yes, Harry?”

“Mattie before I ask you for what I need let me preference it with another question. You are the head elf and are responsible for 20 other elves along with a lot of other things around this place. Should I be calling another elf when I just need help getting things such as a potion vial like I need right now?

Mattie looked at him with a smile then popped out for a second and popped back in handing Harry an empty potion vial as requested.

“Harry, there is something you need to understand. I will never be too busy to help you so you can always call on me for anything. Also, you need to remember that you are the master of all things Potter. The head elf takes care of the master. If you had some guests then I would assign house elves to take care of the guests, unless you wanted to do the assignments yourself for some reason.”

“No, Mattie. I am sure you can do that much better than I can. Thanks for the clarification. I just do not want to bother you so much if you’re busy.”

“Everything I do is secondary to what Master needs.” Harry started to object but Mattie continued. “Just because you allow me to call you Harry does not mean you stop being the master of the Potters. You are the lord of the manor and shall be treated as such. I realize you are young and new to this so I will help you to grow accustomed to what is proper. It is not a burden for me to take care of you Harry. I am thrilled with any opportunity to help you. Do not hesitate to ask or you will make an old elf very unhappy.”

“I’m sor-, “Harry began.

“No apologies necessary Harry. You asked a question and I answered. If you already knew the answer you would not have asked. It is not your fault.”

Harry looked at the elf for a second. “Mattie thanks for the vial. How long has it been since I told you how great you are?”

Mattie started to blush again but quickly popped out smiling.

“I do believe I made her blush,” Harry said.

“That you did son and that is not an easy task to accomplish with Mattie. Rarely anything gets to her,” said his grandpa.

“You have made a big impression on our Mattie, Harry.” Simon continued. “Be sure and call her anytime you need her. Do not disappoint her like she said.”

“I will do that,” replied Harry. “She is one special elf.”

“That she is” said his grandpa.

Simon quickly spoke up. “Harry, do not use your wand to cut your hand. You do not have enough control yet. You are likely to cut your hand off and slice open the stone floor as well. Go back to the Study and look on the desk there. You should find a letter opener that is quite sharp. Use it instead then capture the blood in the vial until it is full. While you are in there doing that ask your grandma for the spell to heal your hand. Heal it and come back.”

Harry went back to the study. “Hello Grandma.”

“Harry you were in such a hurry before. Did you come back to visit?”

“Sort of because I need your help now.” Harry had found the sharp letter opener and was holding it against his hand. He had the potion vial standing waiting on the desk.

“Harry James Potter just what do you think you are doing with that letter opener?”

“Grandma, here is where I need your help. I am about to cut open my hand so I can collect a potion vial full of my blood to fix a blood ward. I have not had the time to practice with my new expanded magic so I am avoiding any destructive spells for now, hence the sharp letter opener is needed. However, I will be safe using a healing spell to heal my hand afterwards. I just need you to teach me the spell.”

“Okay, Harry all you need to use is Vulnera Sanentur. Just move your wand along the cut as you say the incantation. Repeat if necessary. It will heal right up. When done use Tergeo to clean up any blood on your hand.”

“Thanks Grandma.”

Harry turned toward the vial and cut his hand so the blood ran into the vial. He laid the letter opener down and picked up his wand while the vial filled up. When the vial was full Harry cast Vulnera Sanentur over his cut once and it healed up immediately. He then cast Tergeo on his hand to remove the excess blood. He next cast Tergeo on the letter opener to remove the small bit of blood on it. Harry stoppered the potion vial.

“Well done, Harry. Let me see your hand.”

Harry held up his palm to his grandma so she could see it.

“I do not see even a red line where the cut was and you cast the spell only once. Very nice Harry. You would make a good healer.”

“Thanks Grandma. I have to get back to Simon and Grandpa now to finish this up. See you later.”

“Bye sweetie.”

Harry came back into the Library where he found his grandpa and Simon chatting away about Harry’s training.

“I’ve got it” said Harry holding up the potion vial.

The men turned back toward Harry. “Great Harry” Simon said.

“I trust your grandma showed you the correct healing spell. I see no blood on your hand,” said Henry.

“Yes, Grandpa. She gave me two spells, one to heal the cut and one to cleanup any excess blood. They both worked perfectly.”

“Alright Harry,” Simon picked back up. “Remove the stopper and place the vial of blood so it is standing up straight and will not spill. You are going to cast this next spell through the opening of the vial.”

Harry pulled the stopper and secured the vial in a standing position on the small table.

“The spell is Inficio Substantia. You will need to start by pointing your wand at yourself. Start the incantation with your wand moving from yourself to the vial in one fluid motion. At the same time the incantation should be fluid as well so you end up pointing into the vial at the blood at the end. In other words, when you finish the incantation your wand should be pointed straight at the blood in the vial so the spell is released into the vial. Any questions? If not then go when you are ready. Remember the incantation is Inficio Substantia. Say it and use your wand in one fluid motion starting by pointed at yourself and ending pointing into the vial.”

Harry practiced a couple times moving his wand fluidly from pointing at his chest and stopping pointed into the vial of blood.

“I’m ready. Here goes.”

Harry pointed his wand at his chest and spoke the incantation smoothly and in one fluid motion his wand went from his chest to pointing straight into the open vial of blood. When he completed the last word his wand stopped on the opening of the vial. A very bright white light shot from his wand and into the blood.

Simon was impressed. “You did it Harry. That was a complicated spell and you executed it flawlessly.”

“Yes, I am very proud of you Harry” said his Grandpa. “That was one bright light that came out of your wand. I have no doubt that you have succeeded.”

“Thanks Grandpa.”

“Okay,” said Simon. “You are almost there, Harry. Put the stopper back in and seal it. Cast the unbreakable charm and the impervious charm on it.”

Harry completed the charms and looked at his mentors. They were laughing.

“What’s so funny?” asked Harry.

“Nothing really, Harry. It just caught us funny” said his Grandpa. “We saw the magic that came out of your wand. It was so powerful for those simple little spells. We were thinking that nothing would ever be able to break that potion vial, not in a million years.” They laughed again. “Then we thought how important it is for you to practice so you can control the power you use. We want to get started with you as soon as possible.”

“I agree. I am going to stick with safe spells only until I can get a better handle on it.”

“Good idea,” said Simon. “Try thinking in your mind when you cast a spell that you only want it to do a little with the spell. It will get you going in the right direction.”

“Thanks, I’ll try that. Well I guess I had better get back over to Privet Drive and get this in place before the ward fails again. See you guys later. Thanks very much for the help. If I do not have to go back to that place again after this I will be so happy.”

“Bye Harry and good luck” said Grandpa.

“See you when you get back” said Simon.

Harry told Mattie what he was doing and said he would be back when he had it done.

He used his watch and said “Privet Drive.”

oo0O0oo

Arriving back in his bedroom at #4 Privet Drive, Harry marched straight out his door, down the stairs, through the house, and out the back door to where Professor Dumbledore had taken him earlier. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia saw him go by and outside but did not say anything to Harry. Harry was thankful for the lack of interference. Dobby must have made a big impression.

Coming to the right spot, Harry, using Simon’s wand, cast a notice-me-not spell that he did not realize at the time covered several blocks. He put the potion vial of blood on the ground and went to cast engorgio on it but stopped and told himself to think small when he cast it. He then wondered how that would work since engorgio was meant to increase the size of an object. He shook his head and said “just do it.”

“Engorgio” Harry whispered trying to control his magic.

The potion vial was suddenly about 12 feet long and as a big as a log.

Shocked, Harry quickly cried “reducio” and the vial shrunk to the size of a needle.

“Crap” Harry exclaimed then said “finite” which brought the vial back to its original size.

“What am I going to do?” Harry said to himself. “I obvious need to learn control because this is just not working.”

After a minute, Harry said “Dobby?”

Pop

Dobby appeared in front of Harry. “Yes, Harry Potter, sir. How can Dobby help the Great Harry Potter?”

“Dobby, sorry to bother you but I cannot control my magic well enough to do what I need to do. Can you help me?”

“Yes, Dobby will be happy to help the Great Harry Potter anytime he asks. Dobby sees that the Great Harry Potter has cast a notice-me-not spell and it covers all the houses around.”

“Oh no” said Harry. “Dobby, I am going to cancel that spell and want you to cast one right after. Okay?”

“Okay, Dobby will take care of it.”

Harry cancelled the notice-me-not spell. Dobby immediately cast his after Harry’s spell was removed.

“Thanks Dobby.”

Harry explained what he needed Dobby to do and Dobby took care of it quickly. He then asked Dobby to meet him in his bedroom.

When Harry got back to his bedroom, Dobby was waiting for him.

“Dobby, you have been a great help. I do not know how I could ever repay you. What you just did will allow me to not ever have to come back here again to live. I need you to return the bedroom back to normal then I am going to check and make sure I have everything that is mine before leaving here.”

“Yes, Harry Potter, sir. Dobby will only take a minute.” Dobby finished returning the room back to its original size and look. “What else can Dobby do for the Great Harry Potter?”

“That is all Dobby. Thank you! I could not have done it without you. If I do not need you again this summer then I will see you back at Hogwarts in the fall. By the way, you are welcome to visit anytime at Potter Place.”

“Oh, thank you Harry Potter, sir. You are too good to Dobby.”

“Bye, Dobby”

“Bye Harry Potter, sir”

Pop

Harry checked carefully around the room to see if he had missed anything. He checked under the loose floor board as well but did not have anything there anymore. Satisfied, he pulled out his watch and said, “Legends of Potter.”

Harry disappeared from #4 Privet Drive.

oo0O0oo

Albus Dumbledore had a long day at the ministry after he left Harry. His short meeting prompted a long meeting of the Wizengamot so he was there all afternoon until almost dinner time. Being Chief Warlock he was required to be there. He was happy when he could return to Hogwarts.

Being back in his office he remembered the blood ward he had to fix at Privet Drive so he checked his instrument immediately. He was shocked to find that the ward was not only fully charged but was at levels he had never seen before. He thought about it for a minute then remembered he had put additional power into the spell, plus Harry was standing right next to him when he cast it. He must have put more power into it than he realized because the ward was practically off the charts. Albus decided not to worry about it because it was stronger than ever. Putting it out of his mind, he decided that he would join his professors for a wonderful Hogwarts dinner.

oo0O0oo

Harry had returned to Potter Place and was currently in the Training Room, located in the basement, with Simon and his grandpa Henry. Simon was working with Harry on control. Henry had just finished teaching Harry some protection spells that they had him cast over the room and especially over the portraits they were in. They explained that while the room had sufficient protection spells, given Harry’s control issue and his excess power they felt the added protection with his power behind it would insure nothing gets damaged.

Harry discovered that the room was able to provide dummies to practice with. Simon recommended the room provide Harry with a strong solid wood dummy so Harry could practice the intensity of his spells. The dummy was sized proportionately to a real person, about the same size as a 6 foot tall man with a medium build. Harry took his time, concentrating, and cast stupefy on the dummy. His spell blew a hole through the dummy about the size of a quaffle.

“That was much better Harry,” said Simon

“Yes, much better” said Henry.

“What are you guys talking about?” replied Harry. “I only cast a stunner. I blew a hole all the way through solid wood. I cannot get this under control.”

“Harry, Harry, you are being impatient” said Simon. “Do not expect to learn complete control during your first lesson. This is far from being easy. You have just had a huge change in your magical power. Since you were a baby you have been accustomed to a much weaker power level. You have gone a few years at Hogwarts practicing and learning magic at that weaker power level. Now, all of a sudden you have more power than you can wrap your head around. This will take some time. I promise you that you will have enough control to return to Hogwarts in the fall. Can you be patient?”

“Alright, I will try and be patient” answered Harry.

“Now let’s analyze that last stunner” Henry said. “What happened to the other dummy when you cast the stunner before this one?”

“It completely turned to sawdust” Harry said quietly looking down.

“Not only that the spell continued and bounced off the protection wards you put up and made the room reverberate” added Simon. “That was quite some power we saw for a simple stunner.”

Harry lowered his head even more feeling defeated.

“Okay, let’s sum up” said Henry. “You cast a stunner that did all that causing us to have to replace the dummy with a new one because that dummy could not be repaired. Evidently some of it completely disappeared and the rest was mere sawdust. Simon gave you some more instruction and you tried it again. This time you only blew a hole through the dummy. I would say that is significant progress, Harry.”

“Definitely more control than before” said Simon “so give yourself a pat on the back and stop rushing things. Staying calm will help you with your control as well. Cast reparo on the dummy, focus, and try a few more times. It is getting late. You have worked hard so you should take a break and grab some tea or butterbeer and perhaps a snack before it’s time for bed. Remember pay attention to how the spell feels when you cast it. If you have to cast another big one with more power, pay attention to how that feels then cast one with less power so you can feel the difference.”

“Okay,” said Harry. “Thanks for all your help, both of you.”

Harry concentrated and cast another stunner that turned the dummy into dust. He thought about it for a minute then asked the room for another dummy. He then cast the stunner again. This time it blew another hole but not as big as the last time. The hole was about the size of a bludger.

“Reparo”

The dummy was repaired and Harry cast another stunner. This time the dummy was cracked in two. The top half slid off and fell to the floor.

“Reparo”

Harry cast again and this time there was a long crack across the middle of the dummy but the dummy remained in one piece, barely. Harry continued to try a few more times but quit after he only left a small crack. He realized that he should not be leaving a mark at all but that was the best he could do for the night.

“Good night Grandpa. Good night Simon. Thanks for all your help. I am going for some cold butterbeer and a snack.”

“You did very well tonight Harry. You will need to gain more control but that will come the more you work on it. Next time we will start teaching you some more advanced spells and let your control continue to improve as you learn.”

“Okay, Simon. That sounds good. Tomorrow I would like to explore the grounds a bit before I practice more. I have not gone outside yet since I’ve been here.”

“You do that Harry,” said Henry. “Go enjoy yourself.”

“Thanks and by guys.”

Harry went to the kitchen to see what he could find for a snack and a cold butterbeer.

oo0O0oo

Harry could not believe it. He and Jojo had been riding around the grounds checking on all the livestock for a couple hours and Harry was having the time of his life up on a tall, beautiful horse that Jojo told him was an Appaloosa.

The horse stood 16 hands high, was black with his bottom half white with black spots. He also had 4 white-socked feet with black spots. Harry fell in love and thought he was the most beautiful horse he had ever seen, not that he had seen many horses in his lifetime. Actually, Harry thought all the horses were beautiful, especially the big, long bodied thoroughbreds but there was something about the Appaloosa that spoke to him.

Harry had ventured outside after breakfast and was exploring the grounds. The big Appaloosa had walked right up to him when he had leaned on the fence looking in at the beautiful horses. Harry gave him a rub on his forehead and the side of his head. He asked the horse for his name but he only snorted.

“The name is Rolly”

Harry looked at the horse, then turned around and saw Jojo coming up behind him.

“His name is Rolly?”

“Yes and he’s a great horse, very powerful and fast” Jojo said.

Harry was slightly amused at Jojo. He had never seen a house elf in western wear before. He had on jeans, chaps, a long-sleeve western looking shirt, cowboy boots, and a cowboy hat. The elf was smiling at him.

Keeping his amusement to himself Harry asked, “Can I ride him?”

“Have you ridden horses before?”

“No, sorry, I have never had the chance, just brooms. Can you teach me?”

“Certainly, Harry, but not on Rolly. If you learn to ride well enough then you can ride Rolly. You will need to start on a gentle mare we have. Her name is Misty and she loves to teach first time riders. She is very patient. She is a little smaller than Rolly here who is pretty big and stands 16 hands high. Misty stands 14.2 hands high. She is a beautiful red roan and you will love riding her.”

Jojo was amazed at how curious Harry was about everything. He insisted that Jojo explain the measuring of horses and what he meant by ‘hands high.’ Jojo explained that a hand was 4 inches and horses were typically measured from the ground near the foreleg to their withers to find their height. Jojo was also amazed at how quickly Harry took to riding a horse. He was able to pick up on the rhythm whether walking, trotting, cantering, or galloping which was not an easy thing to do very quickly. Besides Harry’s clothing, he looked like a natural cowboy in the saddle. Surprisingly, Rolly kept insisting that he stay close to Harry. He kept following Harry and Misty around. Eventually, Jojo felt it was time for Harry and Rolly to get what they wanted. He noticed how Rolly had taken to Harry and doubted he would do anything to cause him any harm. Harry was certainly confident with his riding ability already. And that is how Harry came to be riding the beautiful Appaloosa named Rolly.

Jojo told Harry that he could do his job using a broom or just elf magic to get around the grounds but what would be the fun in that when you had beautiful horses just waiting to be ridden. Checking on all the livestock from horseback was an experience he never grew tired of. Harry could see his point. He loved riding Rolly.

A small frantic owl Harry recognized as Pigwidgeon flew up to Harry with two letters attached to his leg. He would not be still and was all over the place. Rolly got a little nervous and started acting up with the owl going nuts around him. Harry quickly said “whoa” and pulled up on Rolly’s reigns. Rolly settled down immediately. Harry, using his seeker reflexes snatched Pig from the air and removed the letters from his leg. The letters were from Ron and Hermione. He stuffed them in his pocket and released Pig who left and went back home.

Harry patted Rolly on the side of the neck. “Good boy, Rolly. That was just my friend’s crazy owl Pigwidgeon. He gets a little excited. I will read those letters later when I can respond to them. Let’s ride some more.”

Rolly snorted and nodded his head a few times. Harry turned to Jojo and said “I believe Rolly and I understand each other.”

“You did very well when the owl spooked Rolly. Rolly is very high-strung and strong. It is a good thing he likes you and wants to please you.”

“Well, I like him too” Harry said giving Rolly another pat.

“Follow me,” Jojo said and took off at a gallop.

Harry spoke to Rolly. “You heard the elf. Let’s go.”

Rolly took off like a bullet and caught up with Jojo in no time. Harry loved it. He was all for speed. Eventually Jojo slowed down and they walked to the top of a rise in a large field. Harry stopped Rolly and just sat there mesmerized. Before him stood one of the nicest Quidditch pitches he had ever seen. It would give the one at the World Cup a run for its money although it did not have stands for the audience but the hill had a good view. The pitch was in a bowl as well but not as deep as the one at the World Cup. The hoops were in place and the grass looked well taken care of.

“This is one nice pitch” Harry told Jojo.

“The pitch has magic that keeps it in perfect working order and the grass green. It has not been used though in many years. We are looking forward to the time when Potter Place has many visitors again and all the things it offers can be enjoyed once more.”

“Rest assured, Jojo, that day will come again if I have anything to say about it.”

“You are Lord Potter, master of everything that is Potter. If you say that it will happen someday, Harry, then it will happen.”

“Thank you for your confidence in me, Jojo. I will try not to disappoint.”

“Harry, rest assured you could not disappoint me even if you tried.”

“Now Jojo, you should not make my job so easy.” Harry said with a grin.

Jojo smiled at his master and asked if he wanted to race back.

“You’re on Jojo. You know these horses better than I do though. Is the horse you’re on faster than Rolly?”

“Harry, I ride different horses all the time to give them all a chance since I am usually the only one who rides. I can tell you that although Toby here is a fast horse, Rolly is probably faster than most around here. Only a few of the thoroughbreds could beat him but he would give them a run for their money. You will likely win but the race will still be fun.”

“Well, give it all you got because Rolly is eager to get going.”

“Okay, Harry. 1, 2, 3 go!”

Jojo and Toby took off like a dragon was on their tail. Rolly jumped about a half a second later. Harry could not believe how fast Rolly could run. It was not as fast as his Firebolt but he caught Jojo and Toby in no time and pulled ahead increasing his lead over them more and more. Toby speeded up a little bit more but could not catch Rolly. Harry and Rolly ended up winning the race by about 6 lengths.

Jojo thanked Harry for the race and told Harry that the horses needed to be walked off to cool down and then brushed but he would take care of Rolly for Harry so Harry could go do what he needed to do.

“That’s okay, Jojo. My other things can wait. I would like you to show me how to do this as well. It’s only fair since I rode Rolly that I take care of him.”

“It would be my pleasure, Harry and Rolly would probably prefer you do it anyway. He sure has taken a liking to you.”

Jojo showed Harry how to cool off his horse and how to tell when he was cooled off. They then took the horses in the barn where Jojo showed Harry the proper way to brush him down and make sure he had plenty of water and feed.

After Harry took care of Rolly, he said good-bye to Jojo, Toby, and Rolly. He promised Rolly he would come back soon for another adventure. Rolly snorted and shook his head up and down. Harry laughed.

oo0O0oo

Later, Mattie was shocked that Harry, who had never ridden a horse before today, had ridden Rolly. She was very familiar with Rolly from Jojo’s reports on the horses. She knew how high-strung and powerful Rolly was; however, when Harry finished the story and she learned that Rolly had taken to Harry the way he did, she understood.

After lunch, Harry had gone back to his room to wash up and read his letters from Ron and Hermione. He noticed a really nice stand that Hedwig was using. “Where did this come from girl? I don’t recall that being here before. It sure looks nice. I bet Mattie put this in here for you. Am I right?”

Hedwig hooted a yes.

“I thought so, Hedwig. Mattie is real nice, isn’t she?”

Hedwig hooted again.

“I have a couple letters from Ron and Hermione that Pig brought when I was outside riding. I am going to read their letters now and will reply afterwards. Would you mind hanging around so I can send my reply with you when I’m done?”

Hedwig hooted a yes again.

“Thanks girl” he said stroking the side of her head with his finger. She nibbled it affectionately

He read Ron’s first which was pretty short.

Harry,

Just thought I would see how you are doing. I hope your relatives are not being too bad. Hermione has a letter for you too but we are not allowed to say much of what is going on. Sorry mate.

Stay safe,

Ron

Harry opened Hermione’s letter next, which was barely longer, and began to read.

Harry,

Ron and I wish you were here. We can’t say much about you-know-what, obviously but will talk when we see you. We’ve been told not to say anything important in case our letters go astray. We’re quite busy but I can’t give you details here. There’s a fair amount going on, we’ll tell you everything when we see you.

Sorry I can’t tell you more right now.

Love,

Hermione

Harry thought about the letters for a minute then realized he had been so distracted with Potter Place he had completely forgotten about everything else. Evidently, since he had not received any news about what was going on since Voldemort returned he took it from Ron and Hermione’s letters that perhaps they were not going to share with him what was going on. He had not received any letters from anyone else either, including Sirius. Well, thought Harry, right now I am not really caring about that. I am having the best summer I have ever had. I will stay here and enjoy myself, train, and gain control over my new powers. I will deal with whatever they are keeping from me when I return to school. Now, what to say in my reply to them?

Dear Ron & Hermione,

Since you are both together then I will write just the one note.

Do not concern yourselves with me and what you are not able to share. I am doing great right now and can wait to hear whatever information you are holding back. There were a few changes around here that changed my attitude for the summer but you will have to wait until I see you before I can share that information. You see I have to hold back as well and not tell you everything in case my letter goes astray.

If you are not allowed to say much and I cannot say much either then I suppose letters will not be necessary for the rest of the summer.

All the best,

Harry

“That should be ambiguous enough,” said Harry. “Hedwig? Come here girl.”

Hedwig flew over and stuck out her leg. Harry tied on the letter and gave her a few pets. “This letter is for both Ron and Hermione so you can give it to either one. There is no need to wait around. Thanks girl.”

Hedwig took off and Harry headed down to the Practice Room.

oo0O0oo

Ron was flying on his broom at The Burrow when he saw Hedwig fly to the house. He followed her down and landed by the back door. His mum, Molly, let Hedwig in who promptly flew to the living room where Hermione was reading a book. Ron came in through the door just in time to see Hedwig go into the living room so he followed her there as well. Hedwig was standing on the edge of the sofa with her leg held out to Hermione.

“Hello Hedwig” Hermione was saying. “It’s good to see you again. You have a letter for me?” Hermione untied the letter as Ron came in and sat beside her on the sofa.

“A reply from Harry I see. Anything for me?” Ron asked.

Molly stuck her head in and said, “Remember you two not to tell Harry what is going on.”

“Yes, Mrs. Weasley. We know,” replied Hermione.

“Yes, Mum,” said Ron rolling his eyes.

Hedwig left the way she came.

“Ron it looks like he replied to both of us in one letter.”

“Okay, let’s read it.”

Hermione angled the letter so they could both see it. When they were done reading they looked at it each other and said “huh?”

“What does he mean by that?” asked Ron.

“I have no idea, Ron. I did not expect that reply from Harry. He evidently has caught on that no one is sharing information with him and since we can’t and he is holding information back as well then I guess he is right that there is no need to send letters back in forth. But, what does he mean about a changed attitude? He said he is doing great but he always says he is fine when he is not. Oh Ron, I hope he is not mad at us because we are not allowed to tell him what’s going on.”

“Nah, Hermione. He didn’t sound mad besides we told him we would fill him in when we see him in person. He sounded like he was okay with it because things had changed. If things changed at his relatives then it must be for the better because it was never good for him there. Nah, he’s fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yea, Hermione, he’s fine. Let’s not worry about it. If we do not write him then we do not have to skirt around the issues which he will not appreciate.”

“You’re right. Not writing him when we cannot share news is not for the best. I will still send him a birthday card and present if he is still not allowed to come visit by his birthday.”

“I’ll get him something, too” said Ron.

Ron and Hermione did not notice one Ginny Weasley standing on the stairs listening to their conversation. She was determined to read that note from Harry as soon as she could nick it. It turned out a little later to be quite easy.

Chapter Four – Training

Harry was tired. He had been training with Simon and his Grandpa Henry every day for a couple of weeks and today he had been at it for several hours. In fact he had been training so much he had not ridden Rolly in a week. He was sure Rolly was not happy about that. Occasionally Harry had ridden some of the other horses for a little while to help Jojo with giving them all a turn but he assured Rolly that they would never replace him which placated the beautiful Appaloosa only a little bit.

In addition to training his magic so he could learn new spells and gain better control, Harry was instructed that he needed to exercise his body to gain better control physically. In turn, that would help him with his magical control. Plus it did not hurt to be physically fit. The better fit you are the longer you can fight, the more energy you will have.

Most wizards and witches do not exercise and are not physically fit. Professional Quidditch players tended to be but that was because they were paid to stay in shape and flew brooms a lot which was a form of exercise as well. Wizards and witches depend more on their magic and tend to duel standing in one spot. The problem is you cannot block unforgiveable curses that the Death Eaters toss out indiscriminately.

Sure, if you are really good at transfiguration like Albus Dumbledore you might be able to transfigure an object into a wall or conjure one before the spell hits. If not then you better get out of the way. If you are not fit enough then that may not be possible if you are long into the fight and are tired.

Based on their recommendations, Harry had taken up running, pushups, crunches, squats, and pull ups every morning. The Exercise Room was used for that. It contained all the equipment needed plus an indoor track that was in the shape of an oval. Most of the time Harry ran outside but if the weather was not cooperating he ran indoors. He had managed to get up to 5 miles running so far. His other exercises were increasing as well.

Both his mentors had spent a considerable amount of time teaching Harry several spells. He used those along with the stunner, varying his spells in an effort to find one where he could control his power properly. So far, Harry had not had much luck.

He had not managed to trim more power off of his stunner at all. He was still leaving a crack in the solid wood of the practice dummy. He was growing quite frustrated with his lack of improvement. He could not figure out how to decrease his power any further when casting. Simon kept pushing him to find that “soft touch” he was so fond of calling it.

Harry had conjured a chair to sit in and was taking a break drinking a cold butterbeer that Mattie had provided. He was concentrating hard on trying to figure out his problem. While contemplating he did not notice Henry and Simon in a big discussion behind him. They seem to come to an agreement and turned back toward Harry.

“Harry, Simon and I are going to give you a surprise. Not tonight though. We want you to quit for the night and think a little more on what you have learned. Take a couple days off and enjoy yourself. I will need a few days to setup your surprise. We will let you know when we are ready with that.”

“When you come back after 2 days of fun in the sun, I am going to start you working on wandless magic” Simon said “so get some rest and think about this while you enjoy your time off. A wand not only focuses the witch or wizard’s magic, it increases it somewhat as well. The magical core of the wand works with the magical core of the witch or wizard so it adds focus and some additional power.”

“A wizard, who lacks a lot of magical power, the opposite of you Harry, will be able to perform magic properly with the help of the correct wand. It is true ‘the wand chooses the wizard.’ Kids with less raw power tend to have fewer, if any, accidental magic issues while growing up. Some muggle borns do not realize they are magical until they receive their Hogwarts letter because of the lack of accidental magic.”

“That tends to happen far less though with muggle borns. What is more common is a pure blood child whose parents are afraid their kid is a squib. The Hogwarts letter relieves their fears. The little wizard gets his first wand and he can suddenly do magic, not real powerful magic but magic nonetheless.”

“Keep in mind Harry” said Henry “magical power is like everything else. There are differences in people’s magical power levels. Although I know you would never be guilty of this, I feel as your grandfather, especially in the absence of your father, that it is my duty to tell you that it’s not something to boast about. It is how we are born. It is no different than a person being born a different color or one who can sing and another who is tone deaf. There are people who are artists and others who are not. Even people who are not tone deaf have differences in their singing ability. Some are good singers; some are great singers, and some you would not pay to listen to. None of these differences make us any better as persons.”

“The purists would like everyone to believe that they are better. They lie to themselves believing that a pureblood will always have more magical power than a muggle born or half-blood witch or wizard. This is so far from the truth. The longer a family practices being pureblooded the more likely they will become weak and more squibs will be prominent.”

“It is due to the lack of families left they can intermarry with. After a while you are marrying a distant relative and then in later years not so distant. It is the old families, like the Potters, who have married spouses that are muggle, muggle born, or half-blood once it became evident there was a shortage on purebloods and they were starting to pull from the same gene pool. The truth of the matter is the Potters have never concerned themselves with blood status. They marry whomever they fall in love with – whether pureblood, half-blood, muggle born, or muggle. The Potters have never had a squib but even if we did that person would be a welcome member of this family instead of hidden like many pureblood families do. Shameful, that’s what that is. I’ll get off my soapbox now.”

“Thanks, Grandpa, I agree.”

“Harry, you were born with lots of power,” said Simon “so much power your parents bound your magic to keep you from hurting yourself or anyone else accidentally. Your mum and dad both told me that they had witnessed you summoning things you wanted when you were only a few months old. Your Mum told me that one time when you were crying she went to your room to see what was wrong. When you saw her enter the room you reached out your hands for her to pick you up and she was immediately pulled over to you very quickly. That is not common Harry, especially at that age. That was wandless and controlled magic. Even regularly powered wizard kids do not experience much accidental magic until they are a few years old.”

Thinking over what he had been told for a minute, Harry looked up at the portraits. “Are you sure I should take some time off? I am not any closer to having enough control.”

“Yes, Harry we are sure” said Simon “and you are much closer than you think. What we are planning for you will help you with your control so take a couple days off and have some fun. Go get some rest tonight. You need it. We will see you back here after 2 days of fun.”

“Okay” said Harry. “No one has to twist my arm!”

oo0O0oo

Harry kept up his morning exercise routine but spent the next two days riding Rolly and exploring more of the grounds at Potter Place. He saw where they grew all the vegetables along with several different fruit trees as well. It was more of a farm since they grew enough to provide vegetables to the market. The amount of horses, cattle, sheep, and goats plus the amount of land where they were kept was big enough to be a large ranch so he was not surprised at the size of the farm.

Harry spent some time down at the pitch as well flying his broom. He found in the locker rooms 5 brooms but they were an older model, the Nimbus 1500. The 1500 was a good racing broom in its day but was not up to the specs of the Nimbus 2000 and 2001. Harry’s Firebolt was even faster. There were also a couple of older Cleansweep brooms but he was not sure of the model. They looked older than the Cleansweep 5’s Fred and George rode as beaters on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. He made a note to himself to buy new brooms before he started having guests over to play Quidditch.

Harry even went swimming in the pool when it got a little too hot outside. He thought how nice it would be to share all this with his friends. Maybe if things go as well as he hopes he would be able to tell Ron and Hermione what happened to him this summer and bring his friends over to spend some time enjoying Potter Place with him.

oo0O0oo

Three days later…

Harry had enjoyed his two days off but was hard at it once again after he completed his morning exercises and showered. True to his word, Simon was working with Harry on wandless magic. They still had not told him what his surprise was going to be but he guessed if they told him then it would not be much of a surprise so he tried to remain patient. Harry did try a couple times to get them to spill it but they were not going for it.

“Harry,” said Simon “the only thing we can tell you about your surprise is that we cannot tell you, at least not yet.”

“We will tell you when it’s the right time” added Henry “and I promise it will be soon.”

“Alright, alright, I will quit prodding and be patient besides I am still not getting this wandless thing very well. I had better concentrate on that.”

“Yes, you should because you keep forgetting what I have taught you” agreed Simon. “You have had some success, a little, but I believe you are about to make the necessary breakthrough. Concentrate and remember two things. One, you have performed wandless magic before so you know you can do it. Why the doubts? Two, you are not remembering what the spells feel like when you cast them with a wand. Now get your wand out and cast your soft touch stunner and pay attention to what it feels like. Then try it wandless using that same feeling.”

Harry took his time and paid very close attention to what the magic felt like when he cast his soft touch stunner with his wand. He then holstered his wand and tried the stunner again this time concentrating on how the stunner is supposed to feel. The spell came out of the end of his hand much wider than when it came out of his wand. It hit the dummy pretty much all over and some sailed past the dummy and into the protections on the wall. However, what was encouraging was it did not appear to crack the dummy any further.

Wanting to try again right away to see for certain if it cracked or not he cast reparo on the dummy without his wand and it repaired perfectly. Simon and Henry were keeping quiet behind him smiling all the while after they saw his success and especially the repair charm he cast wandless when he was not even thinking about it.

Harry cast the stunner again and it did not crack the dummy. He cast it a third time and took note that his fingers were a bit spread out. He closed his fingers together and cast it again and this time it was not as spread out and hit just the dummy. It still was not as tight a spell as when using the wand so he cast it again this time pointing with just his finger. The spell tightened up even more and Harry was able to hit with pinpoint accuracy wherever he pointed. The wand still cast the spell tighter and more focused but the great thing Harry had discovered about casting wandless is he had less power. He was absolutely thrilled that he could stun the dummy and not leave a physical mark.

Harry turned around to Henry and Simon. “Did you see that? I cast a stunner and I did not break the dummy!”

“You also cast a perfect reparo wandless without even thinking about it, Harry, because you were anxious to see if your wandless stunner truly was not breaking the dummy” said Henry.

“See what a told you Harry? You just had your breakthrough” said Simon. “Congratulations! The rest will be a lot easier.”

“Thanks Simon and Grandpa. I could not have done this without your patient instruction.”

Simon continued. “Well, now that you know the secret just continue to add more spells you can do wandless. Cast with your wand first if you do not remember how the spell feels then try it without a wand. I am sure with your power and how clearly you can feel your magic that there will be very few spells that will be too difficult for you to do wandless. Keep in mind that there are some very complicated spells out there that are just not meant to be cast without a wand but you do not need to worry about that right now.

“Cast several more times, Harry” said Henry “and try a few other spells besides the stunner so you can get this lesson set solidly in your mind. The more you practice the more natural it will become.”

“Practice casting with more of a softer touch as well” said Simon. “If you can soften your power even more casting wandless then you might be able to use how that feels to get your spell softer when using your wand. It will take some extra concentration but you can do it.”

oo0O0oo

July 31st – Two days later back in the training room…

“Harry, you have learned a lot and improved tremendously in a short period of time. Both Simon and I are very impressed with what you can do and you have made us both very proud. In just a couple days you can cast nearly every spell with or without your wand. That is spectacular!”

“And that leads us to the next point” added Simon. “We are going to reveal part of your surprise today.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really” Henry said with a smile.

“Alright, let me have it.”

“Harry,” said Henry “we have come up with an idea that we think will help you gain further control and it will be done in a way that we think you will find exciting. The part of the surprise that you need to know about now is you are going to have a visitor show up tomorrow afternoon at 2:00. This visitor is a long-time friend of mine, an unspeakable, who has kept Potter secrets for years and he has a very special talent. Sorry, to keep you on pins and needles until tomorrow Harry but it will be best if he introduces himself and explains his special talent.”

“Finally! You have been torturing me with this surprise stuff for way too long. I can’t believe I will finally know what the secret is tomorrow.”

“Sorry it took so long, Harry but we were shooting for your birthday and this friend’s schedule had to be accommodated as well before he comes out and provides his services to you” said Henry.

“No problem, Grandpa. I was just being sarcastic. I am looking forward to meeting your friend.”

“Harry” said Simon “you should take the rest of the day off and enjoy yourself. In the morning after your exercises, do some reading in one of those good books your mum and dad left you. Those books will come in handy plus you have a gigantic library here in Potter Place that you can explore. I will be happy to point out books on any subject for you.”

“Thanks Simon, I appreciate that.”

Mattie showed up at that moment with a birthday cake and drinks. Harry invited all the elves in for the celebration, even Harry’s grandma came over and joined Henry in his portrait in the Practice Room. Harry and the elves all ate cake and drank butterbeer or other beverages as they preferred. The elves got together at some point and sang an off key rendition of the Happy Birthday song. Harry was happy. He was with family.

Later that day Pig showed up with some Honeydukes chocolates from both Ron and Hermione. The chocolate arrived with just a short note from Hermione saying “I expect we’ll be seeing you quite soon.” Harry shared his chocolate with the elves.

oo0O0oo

Benjamin Preston showed up promptly at 2:00. Mattie and Harry met him in the Receiving Room when Andrew announced his welcome. Mattie asked if she could get him anything to drink but he declined saying he was fine for now. After introductions, in which Mr. Potter became Harry and Mr. Preston became Ben, Mattie left them and Harry took his visitor down to the Practice Room.

Benjamin Preston was just under six feet tall and well built. He was probably in his early sixties and had a very quiet confidence about him. His hair was brown with a touch of grey at the temples and he had a mustache with a mixture of brown and grey. He carried a small bag with him. He insisted that they wait until they were in the Practice Room with Henry and Simon before he explained everything.

When they arrived at the doorway to the Practice Room Harry indicated for Ben to go in first but he stopped just outside the doorway and bowed before going in. Harry thought that was a little unusual but followed his visitor into the room.

Henry introduced Simon to Ben. It was obvious Henry and Ben were both very glad to see each other as they shared a laugh or two before Ben and Henry began their explanation.

Ben, as an unspeakable, had been sent to Okinawa when he was younger to learn self-defense. It was part of what the unspeakables do to further ideas and explore new areas. There was a style of karate that started in the early 50’s and was being taught in Agena, Okinawa called the Isshinryu Karate System. Ben excelled in it and was soon teaching others as well in a few years. Ben explained that in Isshinryu there are multiple belt levels signified by color. As in most karate systems beginners start with a white belt, next comes orange, yellow, blue, green, purple and three levels of brown before you reach black belt level. Once you reach the level of black belt it continues on to ten levels of black. Ben had reached the level of 8th degree black belt. He was hoping to reach the final tenth level at some point but it took many, many years of study, he explained.

The surprise for Harry was Ben coming to teach Harry karate. Of course Harry had heard of karate but new practically nothing about it. Simon and Henry believed that with some of the training involved with Isshinryu it would help Harry with his concentration, focus, and control.

Ben explained that “Isshinryu’s main goal is to perfect of oneself through physical and mental development. As students learn they acquire self-confidence, serenity, and humility. Isshinryu has many advantages over other styles, such as: Isshinryu stresses ‘close-in’ techniques that are more practical on the street vs. high flashy kicks for example. Isshinryu techniques are mostly thrown from natural stances, limiting wasted motion, maintaining stability and giving you split-second advantages over other styles.”

“Isshinryu uses a ‘snap style’ that permits you to move quickly, deliver more punches or kicks, and lead naturally into other techniques. For example, the straight punch has no corkscrew common in other styles. Approximately five Isshinryu punches can be thrown in the time used for one corkscrew punch. The punch also ends in and can be thrown from a middle block.”

“First things first” Ben said continuing on. “We need to establish the rules. When I arrive every day at 2:00 pm the Practice Room will then be called a dojo and will remain that way until we are done for the day. Before you enter the dojo you will bow in respect for the dojo. We also will bow to each other in respect.”

“As your teacher I am called Sensei. While in these lessons, Harry, you must call me Sensei but outside of class you can go back to calling me Ben. This is very important. Respect and discipline are an important part of karate. Karate teaches you the ability to harm, severely maim, or even kill an opponent without using a weapon. Your body is the weapon. Therefore, it is very important for the student to learn respect and discipline so that karate is used for defense only.”

“There are some who would let their ability and power go to their head. They would use what they have learned to intimidate and treat people with disrespect, even going so far as to harm them simply because they can and they feed on that power. This cannot be allowed so respect and discipline are a steady diet for the karate student.”

“We will train for at least 4 hours every day starting at 2:00. This will not be easy but we will train this way so you can get the most benefit before you have to return to school. After that we will have to get together when we can. I am hoping to get you through a few belt levels before school starts. With individual, private instruction plus the amount of hours we are going to work on this, I will be expecting significant progress from you. Do you accept these rules and me as your Sensei, Harry?”

“Yes, Sensei” Harry replied excitedly “I accept.”

“Good,” Ben said reaching into his bag. He tossed a white uniform at Harry and said “put that on. It’s called a gi. I will show you how to tie the belt when you get back.” Ben then took off his outer robe and revealed he already had his gi on with a black belt containing Japanese letters on the ends that hung down in front.

Harry had stepped out to change and came back with the gi on but the white belt was in his hand. The sensei went over how to tie the belt three times for Harry so he could learn it. He then told Harry that first they must stretch so they do not tear any muscles. After a few stretches and warm up exercises, Ben promptly slid down into a full Chinese or middle split. Harry was amazed at his flexibility. He told Harry he would be able to do the same in a few weeks. Harry was not sure if he believed that but decided he would work at it.

Ben did not hold back at all. He started Harry at a fast pace. He began explaining how karate worked while he showed Harry what he called a straight punch which is intended for the heart or solar plexus. He explained that the key was knowing where to strike and having the skill and accuracy from practice will make sure the strike hits where intended.

Harry thought Ben would be teaching him several punches and kicks right away but it took a good while and several repeated straight punches later before he moved on to another punch. It became clear to Harry that there was a science to this. Ben spent an inordinate amount of time on the one straight punch because he wanted Harry to perfect his form before moving on.

Harry discovered that the correct form delivered a much more powerful punch which is what Ben had been explaining to him. How you stand, the spacing between your feet, which way your feet are pointed, knees slightly bent, and back straight were all important for throwing the Straight Punch. Even then you had to put some shoulder into it, not just throw with your arms, to get extra power. It was a lot to take in but Harry found himself having a great time learning this special skill.

After Ben felt Harry’s form was perfect he had Harry repeat the punch over and over. He even taught Harry to count in Japanese up to ten which was used to count the reps. He went on to explain that when Harry had perfected the form on a few more punches, blocks, and some kicks then Ben would teach him a kata that Harry would need to memorize and perform perfectly.

The kata was a system of basic body positioning and movement exercises that showed the student’s perfection of learned techniques. The first kata would be an exercise simulating a fight with three opponents at the same time using the beginning techniques previously learned which were a few punches, blocks, and kicks.

After Harry had repeated the straight punch enough times for his body to develop some muscle memory, Ben taught him more punches such as the upper cut then moved to blocks and kicks where he learned the front snap kick and the outside angle push kick, among others. Harry was quickly perfecting the form faster and faster on each new technique he was taught but Ben would consistently work with him on each one until he had the form perfect before moving to the next. Each time after a form was perfected Harry would have to repeat the technique over and over to develop some muscle memory while counting to ten in Japanese then repeating. Then Ben would have him repeat the rest of the techniques as well to make sure he had not forgotten anything.

Each day when they were done around 6pm, sometimes later, Harry was so tired he could barely stand up. The more days they worked though the more Harry was finding extra energy and was less tired at the end of the day. He had put on more muscle and had grown a couple of inches already since his last day of term.

In addition to all the kicks, punches, and blocks, Ben taught Harry where all the pressure points were on the body. Harry learned how to make a person let go of you if you were grabbed by the arm or if a strong man was trying to crush your hand while shaking it. There was a pressure point in the forearm that if pressed sufficiently with your thumb it would make them let go because of the pain. If someone grabbed the front of your shirt you could use your middle fingers on both hands and press hard right behind the ears to make them let go. Of course, you could also grab their wrists, take one step backwards to get them off balance, swing your arm over theirs then come back with an elbow to the head, lean back further and hit them with a back fist to the temple. Harry found that one a little more fun than using the pressure points.

Another part of the training was sparring with the sensei. This was a little nerve wracking since Ben was so many levels above Harry. Harry knew he had no chance against Ben in a fight but the sparring lessons were very beneficial and Harry was able to learn a lot about fighting an opponent using his new techniques. In one particular sparring session Ben had kicked Harry lightly twice in the stomach over the course of about two minutes. For some reason Harry was not able to block him. Ben was so fast and accurate.

Ben told Harry “that’s twice now. If you let me kick you a third time it’s going to hurt.”

Harry started concentrating hard so he could avoid that third kick. Ben could have probably hit him with anything else since he was concentrating so hard on just the kick but Ben was teaching so working on a surprise kick again was all he wanted to do at the moment. He wanted to see Harry react quicker and with confidence.

Ben tried the third kick but this time Harry was ready. He grabbed under Ben’s leg with one arm and moved toward Ben to grab him by the front of the gi and push. His front leg knocked Ben’s remaining leg out from under him so he began to fall backwards with Harry in control. What happened next was not what Harry was counting on. Ben grabbed Harry by the front of the gi with both hands and used his momentum to carry Harry over his head past him to the floor. Ben sprung up quickly to be ready for another attack. He saw Harry take the floor with a forward roll so he came up on his two feet again ready for another go.

Ben stopped and congratulated Harry. “Very well done, that was a well-executed take down, Harry.”

“But what did you do? You threw me straight over you. My take down was useless!”

“Against a less knowledgeable opponent that would have worked great. What you experienced was your own momentum being used against you. You were pushing forward to knock me down so you would gain the upper hand. I used that and with a little effort on my part I sent you flying over me. You did very well on your landing though. That forward roll ending with you back on your feet was impressive. While I negated your upper hand you negated mine. I would say that was a draw. You have come along very well Harry. How do you like what you have learned so far?”

“This has been the best, Sensei! You thoroughly wore me out early on but all the work has given me the stamina to keep going without getting too tired. I feel like I have a needed edge now, something I can use in tight spots I tend to find myself in a lot.”

“Good, Harry. I am glad you are getting a good benefit from it. We will continue to work and train. I will teach you even more techniques as time allows. Right now I want to show you something different. Remember the focus and concentration techniques I taught you? These will be needed for what we are about to do. Get yourself a drink and I will set this up.

After Harry had some water he went back to his sensei carrying a bottle of water for him too.

“Thanks, Harry. I think I have it all set. What I am about to show you is how to break a board with your hand or your foot. Use the concentration and focus technique I showed you and this will be a piece of cake. Let me demonstrate.”

Ben placed a one by four board over two pedestals in front him about hip high. After readying himself Ben’s hand came crashing down breaking the board in two. He issued a kiai with the blow. A kiai is usually a vocal sound that helps focus energy when using a technique.

Ben looked up at Harry. “This is a simple one which is where I am starting you. Let me show you something more advanced before you try.” Ben spoke to the room and it provided five solid concrete blocks that were placed on the pedestal. Ben went through the same focus technique before his hand came crashing down onto the stack of five concrete blocks, Ben was issuing a loud kiai at the same time. He broke all five of the blocks clean in two. Harry was impressed.

“Harry, just so you know there are Isshinryu senseis out there, about my same level that are capable of even breaking metal. Not too long ago one of the senseis put on a demonstration and broke an iron pump handle clean in two.”

“That is incredible” said Harry

“Yes, but do not expect to be doing that this summer. You will start with one board and adding one at a time as you try for more. The goal is to not break your hand but if you do injure it I can heal it for you. Just use the focus and concentration I showed you. Picture your hand going through the board and feeling no pain. I have no doubt you can easily break the one board but you have to get past the one before moving on to more. Always remember that no matter how easy something may be, never forget to focus. Give the easy one just as much focus as the harder one. You avoid a lot of mistakes that way.”

Harry did just fine breaking the board and even managed to work his way up and break five boards at one time. In addition, Ben taught Harry how to break boards with his feet as well. Harry thought it was incredible what he had learned in such a short time. Ben continued on through the remainder of the summer teaching Harry. He even taught Harry how to use different weapons, including swords and a staff.

oo0O0oo

Earlier that month…

One of the evenings during the first week of August, after a grueling session with Ben, Harry was reading his book on human transfiguration when his wand beeped at him so he left Potter Place using his watch to go back to #4 Privet Drive. He looked out the window but it was too dark. He did not see anyone. Harry went downstairs and there was no visitor there either so he went out the front door. As soon as he did he started to feel a little cold. That’s strange he thought. Cold like this in August? Then he realized – Dementors! But what are they doing in Little Whinging? He took off towards the area that looked the worst but before he could see where the Dementors were he ran into Dudley.

“Dudley, you should get to the house quickly. It’s not safe out here.”

“What is with this weather? It shouldn’t be cold like this in August.”

“This is not normal Dudley, this is magic. You need to get inside. It’s too dangerous out here.”

“What did you do, Harry?”

“It’s not me. I did not do this. I came out to see if I can fix it though. This should not be happening here. Go inside where it’s safe. I have to find the dementors causing all this and drive them off.” Harry was looking all around for the dementors but could not see them. However, the bad thoughts were starting and happiness was going away.

Dudley hit Harry in the head when he was looking around. It knocked Harry sprawling. Dudley was a boxer now and his punches had improved quite a bit. Harry looked up to see a dementor attack Dudley.

“Noooo” cried Harry but when he stood up he was grabbed by a second dementor. He tried a pressure point but it did not phase the 12 foot nightmare. Harry tried to kick him off but he was too big and Harry could not reach him. He finally hit the dementor with a wandless stunner that caused Harry to be dropped. He managed to get out Simon’s wand and struggled but managed to find his happy thought.

“EXPECTO PATRONUM!”

A silver stag erupted out of his wand that stood about 20 feet tall. It ran off the dementor that had attacked Harry with ease then Harry turned it on the one working on Dudley. The two dementors left the area like their tails were on fire. Apparently Harry’s overly large patronus was just too much for them.

Harry ran over to Dudley to check on him. He did not look too good. Just about that time Mrs. Figg came running up to Harry and Dudley. Harry started to hide his wand but she told him not to put it away. She was afraid that they might come back. Harry wasn’t. He knew that they did not want to face his patronus again.

“You know about magic, Mrs. Figg? Are you a witch?”

“No, a squib. Dumbledore has me keeping an eye on you.”

“Dumbledore? You know Dumbledore? What next?”

“Sorry Harry. Let’s get you and Dudley back in the house. Can he walk? I don’t think either of us can carry him.”

“I’ll get him Mrs. Figg.”

Harry wandlessly cast a feather-light charm on Dudley while helping him up then draped Dudley’s arm over his shoulder.

On the way back to #4 Mrs. Figg went on and on about Mundungus Fletcher and how she was going to kill him for leaving. Evidently he was supposed to be here guarding the house where they thought Harry was staying but Mundungus had left and was not around when the dementors came. Before they could make it to the house though there was a loud crack and a short man who smelled strongly of alcohol and tobacco appeared before them. Evidently this was Mundungus Fletcher because Mrs. Figg was laying into him like there was no tomorrow. Mundungus decided that it would be best for him to leave so he could inform Dumbledore. Crack!

Harry finally made it to #4 with Dudley so he said good-bye to Mrs. Figg and took Dudley inside the house. Aunt Petunia pretty much lost it when she saw Dudley but Harry quickly explained about the dementors and how he had run them off with a special spell.

“Give Dudley chocolate. It will help negate the effects of the dementors and help him recover faster.” Petunia immediately went and found some chocolate and brought it to Dudley who wolfed it all down as fast as he could.

While explaining more about what happened to his irate uncle and aunt, Harry received an owl from Mr. Weasley and then one from Sirius. They both instructed Harry to not leave the house. Uncle Vernon was not pleased to see the owls. When no more owls came and Dudley was doing better, Harry excused himself back to his room. He was tired and needed his rest before training again tomorrow. Harry used his watch again once in his room to port back to Potter Place. He went straight to bed and fell asleep almost immediately.

oo0O0oo

A couple hours later…

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

Harry woke with a start. “No, not again.” He quickly grabbed his wands and watch.

“Privet Drive!”

Harry appeared in his bedroom at #4 Privet Drive. Who or what was it this time? Harry asked himself. He heard some noises downstairs so he went out into the hall. It was completely dark in the house but he could see several people near the front entry way due to the street light shining in. Soon a wand tip lit up and it turned out to be Professor Lupin, Mad-Eye Moody, Nymphadora Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Elphias Doge, Dedalus Diggle, Emmeline Vance, Sturgis Podmore, and Hestia Jones. They had evidently come to rescue him from danger he was not in. Harry sighed. He only knew a few of them but the rest were introduced to him in short order.

Thinking it through Harry decided that it would be best to go with them for now even though he was dead tired. He could always get back to Potter Place whenever he wants. Perhaps it was time to let a few people that he trusts know where he was staying. He was not ready to invite them over yet because he had to finish his training but he would assure them an invite sometime in the near future, maybe Christmas holidays since school would be starting soon and he had to train up till then.

Harry convinced them that he had nothing to take with him because it was all in a safe place where he would retrieve it later. They wondered why he was not telling them everything but he would not answer any more questions about it. He needed some time to figure out how much he was going to share with a select few. He did that on his journey to where they were taking him. Harry had a pretty good ride on broomstick, although it seemed Mad-eye took the scenic route.

oo0O0oo

Sirius’ House – The Order of the Phoenix

Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were surprised at how Harry looked and he seemed quite a bit different. He was happier and very confident in himself. He was also taller, more muscular, and dressed a lot better. He actually had clothes on that fit. Ginny was very much liking what she saw.

After dinner Harry managed to get Sirius alone. After Sirius promised to not share this with anyone, Harry told him about Potter Place and the memory his parents had left that started the whole thing. Sirius insisted that Remus join them at that point and when Remus heard about the memory he let Harry know that it was him who provided the memory. He was asked by James and Lily to pretend to be Harry while they went through everything about the trunk, the clothes, and the portkey. Remus then provided that memory to them to use. Lily had charmed the little gadget with the button to play the memory.

“That’s why it looked like Mum and Dad was looking straight at me because you were pretending to be me and they looked right at you. It was tremendous. It was the longest time I had ever been in their presence that I can remember. I cried when it ended wishing things could have been different. I saw my parents and their personalities for the first time. I will never forget the experience.”

“Harry, we miss them too,” said Sirius. “By the way, we both have been to Potter Place before with James. I even lived there with James for a while when I ran away from here at age sixteen. Mr. and Mrs. Potter took me in and treated me like their own son. We cannot get back there on our own though so we were not able to take you there or even remember much about it up until now. There are very strong and ancient enchantments on Potter Place that causes this. No one can go there if they are not invited.”

“Well, I am sure Grandpa and Grandma will be happy to see you then. You both should consider yourselves invited but remember that you cannot tell anyone else, including Dumbledore. Don’t worry. I will reveal this to him at some point especially when it’s time to tell him I will not be going back to the Dursleys. Right now I am in the middle of some special training that I have every day and I have to get back to it. This training will continue up until September 1st when I return to school so it may be Christmas break before I have time to do anything with you at Potter Place but I want you to go there if you feel like it. There’s a lot more to do there and more things to enjoy so don’t let yourself get depressed here. I will inform Mattie of you two being welcome. Go to Potter Place even if I’m in school and take advantage of all that it offers. That’s exactly what I’ve been doing this summer and I have had a blast.”

“Okay Harry, thanks for the invite. There’s a lot going on with the Order right now so Christmas may be the best and earliest time for all of us to do that” replied Remus.

“True” said Sirius. “It probably will be Christmas before we have any time to do that.”

“Alright guys, we will shoot for Christmas break then. I am going to tell Ron and Hermione some of this so they know why I am leaving. If anyone asks where I went then you can tell them I am safe and sound at my ancestral home and I have a special portkey that takes me back and forth. Actually, if you don’t mind, I will add this house to my watch then I can travel between here and home when I need to. I already added my bedroom at Privet Drive but I will not need that much longer.”

“That will be fine Harry” said Sirius. “Pick a good spot where you can come and go easily.”

“Thanks, I will. Sirius, Professor Lupin – “

“Call me Remus, Harry. I am no longer your professor.”

“Sirius, Remus, I obviously have not told you everything but I will eventually. Now is just not the right time. There’s a lot I am having to work out so be patient with me and I will reveal all in due time.”

“No problem, Harry. You should have your secrets and you should not tell anyone around here” said Sirius. “I have not been pleased with Dumbledore’s decision to keep you in the dark nor any of the others who agree with him. Keep them in the dark as long as you can and they should know, like you know, they are being kept in the dark. See how they like it!”

Harry laughed. “It’s a deal. I like it!”

oo0O0oo

Harry found a nice quiet room across the hall from the master bedroom where Buckbeak was being kept and added it to his watch. Afterwards he went back into a bedroom with Ron and Hermione to say good-bye.

“Listen guys – “

Ginny walked in and stopped. “Sorry, am I interrupting? I can leave and come back later.”

“No, Ginny, you are not interrupting. There is nothing you can’t hear in this conversation as long as you can keep a secret.”

“Thanks, Harry.”

“I am going to be leaving in a just a few minutes. I have too much left to do so I cannot stay here.”

“What?” asked Hermione. “What do you mean you can’t stay? Where will you go? You can’t go back to the Dursleys. It’s not safe since they are sending dementors after you.”

“Hermione, I can handle a few dementors but I am not going back to the Dursleys. I have hardly stayed at the Dursleys all summer. I only pop over there if someone comes to visit me. Unfortunately, my last visitors were two dementors.”

“Then where are you staying?” asked Ron.

“Look, I cannot tell you everything, at least not right now but I will tell you as much as I can. First, though you must all promise me that you will tell no one what I am about to say, no matter what. I will eventually tell the others and reveal the rest of what I can’t tell you. Only Sirius and Remus know any of this as of right now. They are the only ones. Once you are told then that will be it until I am ready to share more and with others. Promise me and I will tell you what I can for now.”

“We promise” they all said together.

“I trust you guys but let me warn you. You better keep your promise. You can tell absolutely no one accept you three, Sirius, and Remus. No one else so be careful if discussing it when others might be listening. If you break your promise I will not tell you anymore of my secrets. Got it?”

They all nodded their heads.

Harry motioned for them to come closer into a tighter circle. He pulled out Simon’s wand and cast a silencing charm around them. He wanted to make sure none of the pictures or extendable ears were inside the charm.

“Harry you are not supposed to be using magic outside of Hogwarts. They will arrest you for illegal use of underage magic” said Hermione.

“No they want” said Harry. “First, this house is under a Fidelius charm and it’s unplottable. The ministry cannot detect magic here but that’s not the main reason.” Harry held up Simon’s wand. “This, technically, is not my wand. It is the wand of an ancestor’s that works as well as my own wand. Plus this wand is untraceable. In fact. I cast my patronus with it earlier to chase off the two dementors. No ministry owls showed up.”

“Where did you get it?” asked Ginny.

“Ah, you want the rest of the story? Well, let me start from the beginning. If you recall I found some items in my vault last year. Remember the books I had in my trunk? They came from my vault but I also found an object at the same time that opened up a whole new world for me. It was a small ornate box about the size of a ring box, like what an engagement ring comes in.” Ginny smiled at that. “It was sitting on a shelf at the back of my vault and I could swear it was calling my name. I had to move some stacks of galleons out of the way to get to the back wall and that is when I discovered the shelf of books and this little box that was sparkling. I guess all this time my gold was covering up the shelves.”

“Harry, I know you have money but to have to move stacks of galleons out of the way to get to some shelves is just more than I can fathom” said Ron.

“Ron? It’s just money. Money can always be replaced. Friends and loved ones are far more important. I would gladly give it all up if I could have my parents back.”

“We know Harry. Ron, be quiet!” said Hermione.

“Anyway I could not figure out how to open the box so I stuck it in my pocket. From Gringotts I bought a bag that had the feather-light charm and extendable charm on it to get all the books. When I put the little box and little bag of books in my trunk I almost forgot about them due to everything going on last year.”

“Later, I found the books and we used some of them but the little box fell to the bottom of my trunk and I did not find it again until my first night back at the Dursleys. When I took it out and held it in my hand I definitely heard someone calling me and it sounded like my mother. I held it close to my ear and she told me that it was a five compartment trunk. I was to kiss it and place it on the floor. When I did that it expanded to regular size.”

“I found Jewelry with a nice gold pocket watch and odds and ends in the first compartment, lots of post NEWT level books and my mum’s diary in the second compartment, tons of clothes that my mum charmed to auto-fit were in the third compartment, and the fourth compartment was empty except for a note that told me to stand the trunk on its end against a wall before I opened the fifth compartment. I did that and when I opened the fifth compartment the trunk changed to look like a door. It looked just like I had an adjoining room. I opened the door and it was an adjoining room, several rooms to be exact.”

“It had a living room, kitchen, dining room, small loo, and two decent size bedrooms both with full loos, and two walk-in closets. One bedroom had both closets full of new clothes. Men’s clothes in one and women’s clothes in another. I found a gadget on the dining room table that said push me. I pushed it and a life-sized memory of my mum and dad popped out. It was exciting and wonderful at the same time. They could not see me but they were looking right at me. I just found out tonight that it was Remus.”

“He pretended to be me and they told everything to him so when I viewed it would appear they were looking right at me. Remus gave them the memory and my mum charmed the gadget to play the memory when I pushed the button. They explained everything. It was wonderful.”

“Oh, Harry.” Ginny stepped up and pulled him into a hug. Hermione was right behind her and joined in on his other side. Ron was just looking uncomfortable.

After a minute. “Um, can we get on with the story?” asked Ron.

“Ron, you are an insensitive git” cried Hermione.

“It’s okay Hermione” interrupted Harry. “I really need to get on with this because I have to be up early. I have a busy day tomorrow.”

Hermione and Ginny pulled back but Ginny remained close and kept holding Harry’s hand which he did not mind.

“Anyway, they told me all about the trunk and that all the clothes were charmed to auto-fit, and my dad had me fetch the golden pocket watch because it’s a special Potter portkey. It took me to my ancestral home, Potter Place, which is a huge manor with lots of land around. I met lots of ancestors in their portraits and spoke to them. I met my grandparents. Grandpa Henry was an unspeakable and still has a portrait at the Department of Mysteries as well. Grandma Elizabeth was a great healer. They both reside in the Study.”

“Next door is a very large library that you will faint when you see it Hermione. In the library is a portrait of my Great (times seven) Grandfather Simon. Simon is known as the most knowledgeable and most powerful Potter that has ever lived. Simon and Grandpa have been training me and I have had some healing training from Grandma as well.”

“Recently, I started some self-defense training and I will be continuing my magic training in the mornings and self-defense training in the afternoons through the rest of this month. I would like to be able to invite you guys over but there is not enough time this summer. Maybe Christmas break will work. There is so much you can do there. There are horses, cows, sheep, and goats on the ranch part of the lands. There is an entire farm on another part. There is also a nice swimming pool and get this guys, there is one extremely nice Quidditch pitch.”

“You’re kidding?” asked Ron.

“Nope, I’m not. The place is amazing. I have had the best summer of my life. I can’t wait for you guys to be able to come visit. I’ll even introduce you to Rolly.”

“Who is Rolly?” asked Ginny.

“Rolly is the most beautiful horse you will ever see and he has claimed me for himself. He gets a bit miffed when I do not ride him regularly. He is going to be upset when I return to school.”

“Wow, Harry, that sounds wonderful and I am so happy for you. I can’t wait to see all your books at Potter Place.

“I knew Hermione would be thinking about all the books” said Ron with a smile.

“But Harry, is it just you there with only portraits for company?” asked Ginny. “Aren’t you lonely?”

“No, I’m not lonely but I do wish I could have spent more time with you guys this summer enjoying it all together. Potter Place actually has 21 house elves. The head house elf’s name is Mattie and she is the absolute best. She is so smart and wise. She has taught me so much. She runs the place and keeps everyone happy. The house and lands are so large that it takes all of them to keep it running. The whole place is self-sufficient and we are one big family. The livestock provides meat. The farm provides fruits and vegetables. Other items that are not grown or raised, like pork, are traded for. It’s a great place to be. On my birthday Mattie brought a large birthday cake and drinks to the Practice Room after we just finished training. We invited all the elves to the little party and later they all got together and sang me a wonderful, but off key, happy birthday song. It was great!”

“To answer your question Ginny, my extra wand belonged to Simon and it was at my house. Simon recommended I try some of the family wands to see if one would work. He thought it would be good for me to use an untraceable wand when away from Potter Place. It ended up his was the best fit. Mattie gave me two wand holsters for them as well.” Harry lifted his sleeves to reveal the holsters.

“That is all I can tell you for now. I have to get back so I can rest. I will see you guys on September 1st at King’s Cross. By the way, I have added this place to my portkey so I can get back over here quickly if I have to.”

“That is some watch, Harry” said Hermione.

“It certainly is” replied Harry.

Ginny grabbed Harry and hugged him hard. “Bye Harry. See you on the train.”

Hermione was next. She gave him a quick hug. “Bye Harry.”

Ron gave sort of a quick shoulder hug. “Can’t wait to visit you and see that pitch, Harry. See you on the 1st.”

“Bye guys, sorry I can’t stay.”

Harry cancelled the privacy spell then stepped back so he was no longer touching anyone and pulled out his watch.

“Legends of Potter”

Ron, Hermione, and Ginny all looked at each other for a minute after Harry disappeared.

“Whoa” they all said together.

oo0O0oo

By the end of August Harry had learned to control his power even more whether he used a wand or not. He felt he could keep it a secret for as long as he needed to now. From all the focus training he finally could cast his stunner or any other spell he knew with either wand and never leave a mark on the dummy unless it was supposed to do physical damage. He was happy about that so now he could keep his wandless ability secret as well.

Elizabeth was an outstanding teacher for Harry. He became quite proficient with healing spells, so much so he could probably handle minor cases at St Mungos. She was very proud of him and his natural ability to learn healing spells. She attributed this to his desire to help people and prevent their suffering.

Ben surprised Harry when he awarded Harry with a purple belt on August 31st. Ben never gave Harry another belt during the month. He trained the whole time while still wearing the white belt. Ben tested Harry on the last day and was able to determine his level.

He explained that the goal was to teach as much as possible before school started. Stopping to test for next belt levels was not high on the priority list and would have used valuable time. Harry was actually about half way through the purple rank so he should be able to get to the first level of brown pretty quick when he can train again. Harry never dreamed he would get that far in one month but Ben assured him he had earned it. Ben then questioned him about respect and discipline to reemphasize the importance but he had got to know Harry very well and knew that would never be a problem.

Chapter Five – Hogwarts

Harry met everyone back at headquarters on the morning of September 1st before they went to King’s Cross to board the train. Molly had a few words for Harry. She was upset that he left without telling her, especially after the Order had rescued him and he did not even stick around where he would be safe.

“Mrs. Weasley, I am so sorry I did not find you to say good-bye but I was in a big hurry to get to sleep due to an early start the next morning. However, I did speak to my godfather and Remus about it. I told them what was going on and where I would be. I also made them promise to keep some of what I told them a secret. They were only allowed to tell you that I went back to my ancestral home and I have a portkey that takes me there. My ancestral home is safer than here and safer than the Dursleys as well. My parents left instructions on how to get there with the portkey and they wanted me to live there where it would be safe and I could enjoy everything it offers. So, I am merely following my parent’s wishes, Mrs. Weasley. As far as the rescue goes, no one bothered to ask but I did not need rescuing. It was good to see everyone though.”

“Oh, Harry, I did not mean to fuss but I was so worried about you.”

“I know, Mrs. Weasley, and I love that about you. You are the closest thing to being a mother that I can remember. I was too young when my parents were murdered.”

Molly enveloped Harry in a hug he would not soon forget. She then let go and went back into the kitchen sniffing. Harry’s ribs were a little sore after the hug but he didn’t mind.

After everyone had eaten and made sure all the trunks were downstairs waiting, Mr. Weasley came in and was going to offer to shrink their trunks for them but found no trunks sitting there.

“Where are all the trunks?”

All the teenagers patted their pockets and smiled.

“Who shrunk them for you?”

“We all did it ourselves, Mr. Weasley” said Hermione. “We found out that the ministry cannot detect magic in this house because of its charms.”

“Well done kids! However, do not let Molly find out” he said with a wink and a smile.

All the teenagers laughed.

oo0O0oo

At King’s Cross after they had all said their good-byes the students found a large empty compartment in the back to sit and talk. Ron and Hermione were prefects so they had to attend a meeting first thing with the other prefects and the head girl and boy. A blond headed girl named Luna Lovegood showed up after they left. Ginny knew her so introduced Luna to Harry. Neville joined them later. Not long after that Ron and Hermione returned. Neville commented about Harry’s new look, clothes, and growth spurt.

“You’re getting a lot taller yourself Nev” said Harry. “Pretty soon you may even catch up with Ron here.”

“I doubt that” said Neville. “Ron never seems to quit growing or eating.”

“Hey, I resemble that remark!” exclaimed Ron. “I can’t help it. I’m a growing boy!”

They joked around for a while longer before Neville left again. Luna left right after that as well. The lady with the trolley came by and Harry bought enough for everyone. They were all talking and enjoying the snacks when about halfway through the ride the door slammed open to reveal Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. Malfoy stepped in with his goons standing right behind him.

“Well, if it isn’t Potty, the mudblood, and the weasels!”

Harry quickly got up and went up to Malfoy so he could get some distance between them and his friends. He turned back to his friends and said “please don’t get up, I will handle this.” He saw that all three of his friends had reached for their wands.

“You will handle this? What makes you think you can handle anything about me, Potter?”

“Malfoy you have interrupted our conversation with your rudeness again and we are not in the mood to hear any more of it. I strongly suggest you go back to your own compartment and leave us alone. Nothing good will come of this if you don’t leave.”

Harry was right up close so Malfoy did not think he had room enough to pull his wand and use it so he pushed Harry away from him then took a swing at him. Harry stepped back from the push and ducked under the swing. Malfoy then went for his wand. Harry spun around quickly and hit Malfoy with a spinning back fist to the chin that knocked him out cold. Goyle came at Harry but he was nailed with a roundhouse kick that knocked him down and into Crabbe. He was not out but dazed. Crabbe quickly got up and came at Harry. Harry hit him with a front snap kick in the solar plexus driving all the air out of him. When he bent over Harry grabbed Crabbe’s head and pushed down while smashing his knee into his nose. Crabbe’s nose was broken and blood went everywhere. Crabbe fell down holding his nose and catching his breath.

Harry’s friends were looking at the scene in shock. They never saw anything like it. Harry just took out three guys without using any magic. They could not believe how fast he moved.

“You guys had enough?” asked Harry. Crabbe and Goyle nodded their heads. “Good, I would hate to have to get violent and resort to magic.” Harry gave them another minute to recover.

“Stand up Crabbe; I’ll heal that for you.”

Crabbe stood up and Harry cast a healing spell silently that fixed his nose completely, even the blood stopped. Next Harry cast Tergeo silently on Crabbe, the wall, the floor, and any clothes where the blood splattered.

“Crabbe, I left your headache as a reminder to you of your poor choice today. If it does not go away before we get to Hogwarts then you should get a potion from Madam Pomfrey for it.”

By this time Goyle was standing up as well holding the side of his head. Harry held his wand over Malfoy’s face and cast aguamenti on him. He woke up sputtering and very wobbly.

“Take him back with you” said Harry indicating Malfoy “and one word of advice. Never assume you have the upper hand. If you noticed I never drew my wand. If you force me I can promise it will not be pretty. Now get going.”

Crabbe and Goyle helped Malfoy up and dragged him back to their own compartment. Harry closed the door and turned back around to his friends. They were all looking at him with their mouths open.

“That’s a good way to catch flies leaving your mouths open that way.” Harry walked over to Ginny and lifted her chin up to close her mouth then took a seat next to her across from Ron and Hermione who began to recover as well.

“Harry that was amazing!” said Ron. “How did you learn to do that? You took all three down in about 3 seconds! You used your hands and your feet in ways I have never seen. Incredible!”

“Wait a minute Harry” said Hermione “you cast silent spells and a pretty powerful healing one at that, then you cleaned up all the blood silently as well. Was that Tergeo you used on the blood?”

“Yes, I used Tergeo to clean up the blood but the healing spell is a bit complicated. I will tell you about that one another time.”

“I remember, you said that your grandmother was a healer and she was teaching you healing spells” said Ginny. “You also said that you were being taught self-defense. That was what you just demonstrated on those three idiots, right?”

“Right, that was self-defense, Isshinryu karate actually. I learned a good bit of it over the month of August. Respect and discipline are important in karate so you do not use your skill against others without justification. I asked Malfoy nicely to leave and warned him of the dangers if he chose not to. He then pushed me, took a swing at me, and then went for his wand. Three strikes you’re out. Crabbe and Goyle got involved because they have never been that smart. This is one lesson they learned…hopefully.”

“Harry, you are my hero” said Ginny scooting over closer to Harry. “What you did to those morons was outstanding! You should get a medal for that.”

Harry laughed at Ginny’s antics. He was happy she was feeling more comfortable around him. He then replied. “No, I was just doing what was necessary. They forced it so I am not sorry for the pain they suffered for their actions.”

They remained silent for a while contemplating it all then normal conversation eventually started back up before it was time to change into their Hogwarts robes.

oo0O0oo

At the welcoming feast, all eyes were on Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle who were sporting marks on their faces that look to be the beginning of big bruises. Harry and his friends were pretending that they knew nothing about it.

Snape got up from the head table after everyone started eating. He marched over to Malfoy. He obviously was asking him what had happened. Harry could not hear what was said but Snape left them and immediately came over to Harry.

“Potter, you will serve two week’s detention for muggle fighting and causing harm to fellow students. I will see you starting tomorrow evening after classes at 5:00.” He stated loudly so all could here then began walking away.

Hermione, Ron, and Ginny started to protest but Harry spoke up and he was not worried about who heard him either. “No, sir.”

“What’s that Potter?” snarled Snape turning back around.

“I said ‘no’ professor. I will not serve detention with you for what happened to Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. I did nothing wrong.”

“Do not push me Potter or things will get worse for you.”

Standing up, Harry stated “I made a decision this summer that I would not put up with your rubbish anymore and this, sir, is rubbish. You spoke to Malfoy and he told you something I could not hear. You then came over to me and publically made it look like I was guilty, assigning detention for something Malfoy caused. Apparently, you were not interested in getting to the truth because you never asked me once for my side of the story. Well, we are all about to hear it. You wanted it public so public it is. I am sure Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle won’t mind letting the truth out.”

“That won’t be necessary Potter. Sit down.”

“Oh, it is definitely necessary. Without a doubt it is necessary” said Harry while calming himself. Then speaking up so all could hear “You see Malfoy likes to stop by every train ride and insult us. Right on schedule he showed up again interrupting our conversation and enjoyable ride. He is very free with his insults and manages to call one of my best friends a mudblood every time. I thought that term was unacceptable to decent folks? Does that mean Malfoy is not a decent person? Well, he is certainly overly rude. That’s a fact. When he arrived and burst through our door uninvited I stood up. I asked him politely to leave, letting him know that we were not in the mood for his rudeness and insults. I warned him that his bad behavior can lead only to no good. Malfoy then pushed me which caused me to step back. He then tried to hit me but I ducked. He then grabbed his wand so I hit him and knocked him out cold. Goyle then came at me but I hit him as well and that knocked him into Crabbe. Goyle stayed down but Crabbe got up and came at me so I broke his nose. I gave them some time to recover then I healed Crabbe’s nose and cleaned off all the blood on his face, hands, and clothes. I also cleaned the blood off of anything else where it splattered. Malfoy was still out so I woke him with water from my wand. He was still wobbly so I asked Crabbe and Goyle to help him back to their compartment. That is the truth and I have three witnesses that saw the whole thing. I was only responding in kind to defend myself.”

“Oh, and one last thing Professor Snape, if you ever pull this rubbish on me again I will hex you!”

“Are you threatening me Potter?”

“No sir that’s a promise. There’s nothing in the handbook that says I have to allow you to disrespect me and treat me the way you do. It’s simply wrong and I will take no more of it.”

“Why you little – “

“That will be enough Severus and Harry” said Dumbledore when he walked up. “Why don’t you both join me in my office after the feast and we will discuss this calmly.”

“Certainly Headmaster” said Snape regaining his composure.

“Yes, Professor” said Harry. “I’d be happy to join you and Professor Snape in your office to discuss this.”

Snape and Dumbledore went back to the head table to finish their meals.

Malfoy was giving Harry a murderous look. “Be ready if they need to call on you for your statement” said Harry to his friends. “Also, watch out for the Slytherins. You never know what they might try.”

“We’ll be ready” said Ron. “Don’t worry about us, Harry”

After the meal, Dumbledore introduced the new teachers. Hagrid was noticeably missing. While he was away Professor Grubbly-Plank had returned to teach the Care of Magical Creatures class. Dumbledore next introduced Professor Umbridge, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Harry did not like the look of that woman especially after the unwelcomed speech she gave that left no doubt that she works for the ministry. He had enough on his plate without ministry interference.

oo0O0oo

Harry followed Dumbledore when he headed toward his office. Snape was already at the gargoyle waiting. “Harry, I would like you to go on up and wait. Severus and I will be along shortly.” Harry saw Dumbledore cast a silencing spell around Snape and himself as he rode the winding staircase up to Dumbledore’s office. About 3 minutes later Dumbledore and Snape entered the office.

“Ah, Harry, thanks for waiting. I just needed to talk to our Professor Snape privately for a bit. Care for a lemon drop?”

“No thank you, Professor.”

“Okay, gentlemen, let’s discuss this calmly and come to an agreeable conclusion. Harry would you care to start?”

“Certainly Professor but I have nothing further to add to what I stated in the Great Hall. If I need to repeat it for this meeting I will be happy to oblige.”

“No, that will not be necessary Harry. We all heard perfectly what the both of you said. Severus would you care to enlighten us with what Draco said so we can hear both sides to this event?”

“No, headmaster, I realize now that my actions were a bit rash and I should have fleshed out the truth before taking action. Your detention will not be required Mr. Potter.”

“Excellent! I am glad we were able to get past that so quickly. Cool heads prevail and all that, right? Now, Harry I believe you need to apologize to Professor Snape for threatening him. Students are not allowed to threaten their professors.”

“I’m afraid there has been a misunderstanding Professor Dumbledore. I told Professor Snape that if he ever pulls this rubbish on me again that I would hex him. That in no way was said or meant as a threat. Professor Snape even asked if I was threatening him and I told him no. That sir was a promise.”

“Now. Harry –”

“I’m sorry sir but I’ve had to put up with this very thing since my first year here. Prior to that I was abused by my relatives where you placed me. It dawned on me this summer amidst my studies and training that I was allowing myself to be taken advantage of and abused. Since I no longer have my parents and no adults have opted to step forward in my defense I realized it is left up to me to do something about it. Please don’t misinterpret my meaning. I am not planning on behaving in an inappropriate way. I am simply going to stand up for myself when it is necessary because evidently I have no one else who will.”

Dumbledore was thinking hard about Harry’s words.

“Now, the elephant in the room” Harry continued “is Professor Snape’s aberrant behavior for all the years I have been here. I can only assume he has behaved this way before I came here but to that I cannot testify.”

“What do you mean by “elephant in the room?” asked Dumbledore.

“That’s a muggle expression meaning we are avoiding what we should be talking about. It’s like having an elephant in the room that we continually ignore. Do you think if there were an elephant standing here with us in this office that we could easily ignore it? No, we could not.”

“Okay, Harry I will sit down with Professor Snape later this evening and go over the issues you have raised. I am sorry that you feel you have no one who will stand up for you Harry. I assure you that while I have made mistakes concerning you, I am definitely on your side and I will endeavor to do better for you. Now, I believe we have some other things to discuss so I would like you to stay so we can discuss those items now. Would that be alright with you?”

“Yes, Professor. There are a few things I need to tell you but I will only tell you, not Professor Snape.”

“Of course. Severus if you will excuse us. I will contact you later for our discussion.”

“Yes, Headmaster” said Snape as he left the office eyeing Harry carefully. There is something definitely different about Potter, he thought to himself.

After Snape had left Harry took out his wand and cast a silencing charm just around Dumbledore and himself.

“Very impressive Harry but I assure you that my office is safe.”

“I am not so certain and I do not want any of the portraits to hear this either. Eventually this will all be known but I am quite certain that I need to keep it secret for now. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Harry, continue.”

“This will be information that you will need to hold secret until I am ready to reveal to others. I will not require a wizard’s oath but I will require your word. Will you promise me to hold this information I am about to share with you secret? You can tell no one.”

“I promise Harry I will keep your secrets” said Dumbledore.

“Thank you professor. Let me start from the beginning. I found a small ornate box in my vault last year….”

Harry went on to tell Dumbledore most of it. He left out his extra power and the extent of his self-defense. He got a kick finding out how well Dumbledore knew his grandparents and Simon. Dumbledore attended many functions at Potter Place but it was many, many years ago and due to the enchantments he no longer remembered how to get there or much about it until Harry mentioned it.

“The last thing I need to tell you Professor is that I will not be going back to the Dursleys.”

“How so? Is it because you have better protection at Potter Place? I know that it’s safer but the blood ward at Privet Drive not only protects you but your relatives as well.”

“Actually my relatives are fully protected even with me never returning. In fact, it should continue past me turning seventeen.”

“Perhaps you should enlighten me Harry. Since I cast the blood ward I think I have a handle on how it works.”

“You did but I changed it.”

“You changed it? How did you accomplish that?”

“After you showed me the ward stone and you re-cast the blood ward spell on it, I realized it was failing because I had been gone, not because it wore off. I had only spent one night at the Dursleys so after a couple weeks it started to fail. I asked Simon how to fix it so I could remain at Potter Place. He knew exactly what to do. He had me fill up a potion vile with my own blood then he showed me a spell called Inficio Substantia that I used to copy my essence into the blood so it represented my entire body. I then had to seal the vile and cast the unbreakable charm then the impervious charm on it. He had me take it to the ward stone and bury it within three feet of the stone. I actually had to enlarge it to five times the size then bury it. The ward stone now thinks I am there all the time and remains fully charged.”

“Ingenious!” Dumbledore exclaimed. “Simon truly was an amazing and knowledgeable wizard. Thanks for sharing that with me Harry. I believe I can find uses for that.”

“You’re welcome, Professor.”

“Look at the instrument that monitors the ward Harry. It has been practically off the charts since that day. I thought I had mistakenly put too much power into the spell but it was Simon’s trick all along. Outstanding!”

“You best be off Harry. It’s getting late and I’m sure your friends are waiting on you.”

“Thank you professor. See you at breakfast?”

“That you will Harry. Have a good night’s rest. I am here if you need me.”

“Good night Professor.”

oo0O0oo

Harry’s friends were indeed waiting on him. He found Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Neville sitting on the couches when he entered the common room.

Hermione jumped up and ran toward Harry. “How did it go? Do you have detention? What happened?” she asked.

“Slow down Hermione. One question at a time. Everything went fine. Dumbledore talked to Snape privately before we met so I think some things were pre-decided. Snape changed his mind in our meeting right away and said he perhaps had been a bit rash in his actions so he cancelled the detention. It’s a good thing because I was definitely not going. I then told both of them that the days of picking on Harry were over. I have no parents or guardians that will be in my corner and defend me when I am being wronged so it dawned on me this summer that it will be left up to me to defend myself. No one else was going to do it. I told Dumbledore that Snape has been treating me this way ever since first year and I have had enough. What I told Snape about hexing him if he pulls this rubbish with me again was not a threat but a promise and I meant it.”

“Whoa Harry I bet they didn’t expect that” said Ron.

“Dumbledore said he was going to have a talk with Snape about all that later this evening so I am not sure what will come of it but he better not continue to pull more of his stunts. I am not remaining quiet and sitting there taking everything he dishes out. That ship has sailed. I will fight back if I am wronged. The same goes for Malfoy. He was not even on my radar before but he inserted himself on the train. He was made to pay for it but I highly doubt he’s that smart. It’s not likely that lesson sank in at all. He’s too hard headed for that. I’m sure he will try something else and that will be his downfall. I won’t start it but I’ll not be shy about finishing it. I’ve come to realize that bad people have no incentive to stop being bad if the good people never stand up to them and make them know they are wrong and that they will not be allowed to get away with it. They have to be put in their place or they will continue to inflict wrong. Why should they stop if no one objects enough to take action against them? I am just letting you guys know that this is the new Harry. My parents set me on this journey and I intend to not disappoint them.”

All four just sat there looking at him pensively, thinking over everything he had just shared with them.

“Well, that’s it for me” continued Harry. “I have to get to bed so I can get up at 5:30 for my morning exercises. I’ve been training all summer and I do not intend to slack off. Good night all.”

“Good night Harry” they all said together a bit distractedly.

oo0O0oo

Harry was up at 5:30 the next morning running around the lake. He had plenty of workout clothes that Mattie had given him. He was currently wearing trainers, shorts, and a loose fitting tank top. He did what he thought was approximately 7 miles then dropped down on the ground and did 25 reps each of pushups, crunches, and squats with no rest in-between. He then repeated that cycle 4 times giving himself a minute rest between cycles. In total he did 100 reps of each of the three exercises.

He did not have a bar for his pull ups but found a low enough tree limb where he cranked out 50 pull ups in two sets of 25 with a minute rest between sets. He decided he would look in the castle when he had time to see if he could find an unused room for his exercises. He really needs a bar for his pull ups and an incline for his pushups and crunches. Not to mention, he needs a private room to practice his karate. He did not want a lot of people knowing about his ability so he would keep that as quiet as he can. Of course, he’d used it on Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle but they really didn’t see all that much of it. Harry attacked them so fast they did not see any of it coming.

Harry walked back to Gryffindor Tower to get cleaned up for breakfast. He had taken off his shirt and had been using it to wipe the sweat off of his face. He entered the common room and was headed for his dorm and the shower.

He didn’t see Ginny sitting on one of the couches waiting for a friend to go to breakfast. When she saw Harry walk through she was speechless after drawing in a quick intake of breath at the site she just witnessed. Her eyes followed him all the way up the stairs until he disappeared. Harry was tall, tan, and muscular. He was in top shape and all his muscles were showing. In fact some were still expanded from the workout he had just completed. Ginny was drooling before she caught herself. She then sunk back into the couch and said to herself “what is he doing to me?”

oo0O0oo

Harry had taken a quick shower and was waiting in the common room for Ron and Hermione so they could go to breakfast. A few others were down as well waiting for their friends. Hermione and Ron showed up almost at the same time.

“Good morning Harry did you get your exercises done?” asked Hermione.

“All done Hermione.”

“Harry did you really get up at 5:30 to exercise?”

“Yes, Ron. It’s not that difficult to do if you are motivated like I am. With Voldemort back I plan to be as prepared as I can be.” Ron had grimaced when Harry said Voldemort but Harry kept going and ignored it for now. “You guys are welcome to join me in the mornings. It’s good to get the heart pumping.”

“We’ll think about it Harry” replied Hermione. “I know I’m not very athletic but I see where it would be beneficial to do.”

“Speak for yourself Hermione. 5:30 is just too early for me. Let’s get some breakfast. I’m starving.”

Harry and Hermione both looked at each other with a knowing smile and followed their hungry friend to the Great Hall. Harry saw Ginny was already there with one of her friends. Their eyes made contact so he smiled at her and waved. Her face turned red and she looked away. He was not sure what that was all about but decided not to ask her. He thought that Ginny was comfortable around him now but she didn’t look like it right then. Hermione noticed the interaction between Harry and Ginny and decided she would question Ginny about it later.

“What was that with Ginny?” Hermione whispered to Harry

“I don’t know Hermione.” Harry whispered back. “I thought she was comfortable around me now but she didn’t look comfortable then when I waved at her. She looked embarrassed. I don’t know what I can do about it so I’m not going to say anything.”

“I’m sure it was nothing, Harry. Don’t worry about it.”

While eating breakfast Harry kept noticing Cho Chang, a very pretty Ravenclaw, looking at him on occasion. When he thought about it he realized that he had been looking at her as well. Of course Harry had caught many of the students looking at him. He assumed it was due to the lies the Daily Prophet had been telling about him and Dumbledore. Harry had been insulated from all that rubbish over the summer when he was at Potter Place so he tried to take it all in stride when he found out but all the stares he was getting was making it very difficult. He decided that if it started to bother him too much he would use some of the techniques Ben had taught him to center himself and block out the offending feelings. At any rate, it’s not his problem if people choose to believe the lies in the Daily Prophet. Harry knows what the truth is and that will not change no matter what lies others choose to believe.

Professor McGonagall handed out the class schedules. He and Ron had History of Magic, double Potions, Divination, and double Defense Against the Dark Arts all on their first day. Nothing like starting school off with a full schedule.

Professor Binns was boring as usual. No doubt Harry and Ron would be borrowing Hermione’s notes again. They were just discussing it after class when they ran into Cho. She was wanting to speak just to Harry but Ron did not pick up on that. Nevertheless, Harry noted she had chosen to talk to him instead of stare and point like most everyone else did.

Potions was a challenge. Snape was obviously more subdued than normal but Malfoy was being his regular annoying self. The potion they were working on was a complicated one called the Draught of Peace. It required concentration and Malfoy kept distracting Harry by trying to toss something into his potion to ruin it. Just by chance Harry caught Malfoy’s action out of the corner of his eye when he tried to throw something in the first time. After that Harry was keeping a closer look out. Every time Malfoy would attempt to toss something into Harry’s cauldron Harry would silently and wandlessly cast a shield spell over his potion so the item would bounce off. Harry had to keep dropping the shield though in order to stir and add more ingredients. After three attempts by Malfoy, Harry decided it was time to stand up for himself. Harry kept an eye on Malfoy for another attempt. As soon as Malfoy had his hand up to toss the item Harry cast an immobulus on him to freeze him in the act.

“Professor Snape?” said Harry.

“What is it Potter?”

“Sir, Malfoy has been trying all class long to ruin my potion. I have immobilized him on what is now his fourth try so you can see I have caught him in the act. Let me be perfectly clear about this to Malfoy and anyone else who may have a funny idea about trying to ruin my potions. This is a very serious act and I am taking it as a severe threat.”

“Let me explain. By ruining my potion Malfoy would hurt my grade for the day. By hurting my grade he is messing with my education which I value highly. By messing with my education he is in turn threatening my chances at a career. Does everyone understand or do you need me to explain further?”

Some of the Slytherins tried to cancel Harry’s spell on Malfoy while Harry was talking but they could not. Harry put some power behind it so only he could undo it. He noticed Snape even waved his wand once with no result.

“That will not be necessary Potter” said Snape. “Now remove your spell from Draco.”

“I will remove the spell after I make one last statement.”

“What would that be Potter? Haven’t you spoken enough already?” asked Pansy Parkinson.

“I will handle this Miss Parkinson” said Snape

“Good Professor because I need you to handle Malfoy and deal with his severe behavior. If you do not then I will be forced to take matters into my own hands. Malfoy could have caused my cauldron to explode harming multiple students in your classroom. I would think given his reckless behavior he should be punished…severely.”

Harry released Malfoy from his spell.

“Potter, I will get you for this!” yelled Malfoy.

“Mr. Malfoy, you will join me for detention tonight at 5:00 and if you attempt to ruin anyone else’s potion today you will receive a zero. Now get back to work. All of you!” said Snape.

Potion class was a lot quieter after that. Harry was able to complete his potion without further incident. He did not think Snape had gone far enough with Malfoy’s punishment but at least he did something. No doubt Malfoy was not done though. Harry was sure his confrontations with Malfoy were far from over.

After managing to get through all their other classes, they ended up in the last one for the day – Defense Against the Dark Arts class with Professor Umbridge. Things did not go so well with the new teacher from the Ministry. She seemed determined to make everyone believe that Harry had been lying and Voldemort had not really returned. Needless to say Harry was not going to sit there and take that. After the argument, Harry ended up with a week’s worth of detention with the professor starting tomorrow evening at 5:00. Harry was fuming when he left her classroom.

oo0O0oo

Later that evening in the common room…

Ron, Hermione, and Neville were sitting on the couch. Harry was pacing in front of them.

“I will not be going to detention with Umbridge” Harry stated emphatically.

“But Harry she’s a professor. You have to go” replied Hermione.

“No I do not Hermione. Professor or not, she is wrong and I am right. Remember what I said about this very thing? No more” said Harry. “I will not be disrespected and abused like this and let her get away with it. I am the only one I have who can stand up for me when I am wronged.”

“You have to be careful Harry. She represents the ministry. Your actions could have dire consequences” said Hermione.

“Yeah, mate” added Ron. “This could get real ugly.”

“Harry, I will back you whatever you decide” said Neville. “Just a word of advice on this. You may want to reconsider and pick your fights carefully. This has the makings of turning really bad.”

“So you guys are saying this is too dangerous and I should just allow her to run all over me no matter what?”

“No, Harry” replied Neville. “What I am saying is weigh your options before you decide on your course of action. This is a situation that requires careful consideration.”

“Thanks guys. That is good advice” said Harry in a much more calm and collected manner.

Harry paced for a bit longer thinking it through then suddenly stopped and addressed his friends again.

“Okay, here is what I’m going to do. I just met her today and I don’t know what exactly I am dealing with so I will slow it down for now. I need more information before I can make a careful decision. I will go to detention tomorrow evening and see what else I can find out. I can serve detention until I am confident on my best plan of action. It may mean I serve the full week and I move on or it could end sooner based on the information I am able to gather. One way or the other she will not get away with this completely. I can promise you that.”

“That is sounding much more reasonable, Harry” said Hermione. “Just be careful please” she begged.

oo0O0oo

Everyone headed up to bed after talking some more. Hermione decided to check and see if Ginny was still up. She had not had a chance to ask about what happened in the Great Hall at breakfast when Harry waved at Ginny. She went to the fourth year girls’ dorm and knocked quietly. Ginny’s roommate Becky answered the door and let Hermione in. All the girls were still up working on homework or getting ready for bed. She went over to Ginny and asked if she could talk to her for a minute.

“Sure Hermione. What’s up?” asked Ginny.

Hermione cast a silencing charm around Ginny’s bed.

“Whoa, this must be important” said Ginny.

“It’s concerning Harry” said Hermione.

“What’s wrong? Anything happen to him? Is he hurt?” asked Ginny worriedly.

“No Ginny. Harry’s fine. Let me be more specific. What happened this morning when Harry waved at you after we entered the Great Hall? Your face turned so red like you were embarrassed or something and then you turned away. Harry thought you were finally able to be comfortable around him but after what you did this morning he was not so sure.”

“Oh Merlin” said Ginny as she fell back on her bed covering her face with her hands. After a minute with Hermione waiting patiently Ginny finally spoke. “Hermione you remember how you told me to date other guys so it would help me to be more natural around Harry?

“Yes.”

“Well, it worked! I finally was able to quit acting like an idiot every time he walked into the room. That is until he walked into the common room early this morning. I was the only one down there sitting on a couch waiting for Susan to join me so we could go to breakfast. Next thing I know in walks Harry from outside. He evidently had been working out. He did not see me as he headed for his dorm. Merlin, Hermione he had his shirt off. Have you seen him with his shirt off? That boy is no longer skin and bones. He looks like a god. He is tall, tan and muscular. I watched him the entire time until he was out of site. I was drooling Hermione. Drooling!”

Hermione laughed at her friend.

“What am I going to do Hermione?”

“You my friend are going to focus and get back on track. Concentrate more on your boyfriend. Get in control again. Show Harry that you are comfortable around him. Ginny, Harry really cares for you and wants you to be happy but right now he wants that as your friend. Be his friend, Ginny. If more is to come it will.”

“But look at the way he looks at Cho. It drives me crazy!”

“Ginny, don’t worry about Cho. Harry doesn’t really know Cho. He just thinks she’s pretty…and she is. You have to give her that. She is not a bad person either but I know Cho and I know Harry. They would never stay together if they ever dated. She is not the right person for him and he will see that for himself just as soon as he gets to know her better. Mark my words, not those two.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m positive.”

“Thanks Hermione. I will put on the friend face and gain control again.”

“What are friends for? Good night Ginny” said Hermione as she cancelled the silencing charm.

“Good night Hermione.”

oo0O0oo

The next morning after Harry’s run and other exercises he decided to spend some time looking for a spare room he could use to workout in and practice his karate. He had a free period later so decided to look at that time. The tree limb was not ideal for pull ups. It was too rough on your hands and difficult to hold on to. Plus he could not find anything outside that was suitable to work as an incline for his pushups and crunches. He would likely have to get help from Mattie and Dobby to bring in the equipment he needed but he would cross that bridge once he found the room where he will not be disturbed.

When his free period came he told Ron and Hermione that he had something he needed to do and he would catch up with them later. He looked around for a while with no success then decided to go to the kitchens for a snack. He tickled the pear near the entrance and went into the kitchens. Dobby came over immediately to greet him.

“What can Dobby do for the Great Harry Potter?”

“Hi, Dobby! It’s good to see you again. I was hoping I could get a snack real quick.

“Dobby will be happy to get the Great Harry Potter a snack. Have a seat and I will be right back.”

Dobby returned about a minute later with tea and scones for Harry.

“Thanks, Dobby. I’ve been trying to find a room I can use to do my exercises in but I’ve not had much luck. Do you know of any rooms not in use that I could use for that?”

“Yes, Harry Potter sir” said Dobby excitedly. “Dobby knows the perfect place. It is a room in the castle called the Come and Go Room by the elves. It is also known as the Room of Requirement! It appears only when a person has a real need of it. It is called the Come and Go Room because sometimes it is there and sometimes it is not. It equips itself for whatever the user needs.”

“Can you show me where it is? It sounds perfect.”

“Yes, Harry Potter sir. I can show you right now if you wish.”

“Sure Dobby, let’s go.”

Dobby took Harry to the seventh floor where hung a tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy being clubbed by trolls. Dobby instructed Harry to walk three times in front of the wall opposite of the tapestry while thinking about what he needed. Harry tried it and a door appeared right in the middle of the stone wall.

Harry opened the door and found a workout room much like the one he had at Potter Place. It included a large oval track that he could use for running if the weather was bad outside. There was plenty of equipment for all his exercises.

“This is brilliant Dobby!”

oo0O0oo

Harry decided to talk to Dumbledore before his detention with Umbridge.

“Harry what brings you here?” asked Dumbledore.

“Hello Professor. I have a situation that I want to inform you about.”

“What would that be Harry?”

“Well sir, at 5:00 I will have a detention with Professor Umbridge.”

“Yes, I have heard that you do. Please continue.”

“Yesterday in our first class with her she was trying to convince the class that you and I had been lying and that Voldemort had not returned. I argued with her about it and she assigned me a week’s detention. At first I was not going to go because obviously I was wronged in this situation and I felt the need to stand up for myself and not allow someone in authority over me to abuse their power. However, my friends convinced me to be more careful and proceed cautiously.”

“You have some very good friends Harry who care greatly for you. Never ignore their advice.”

“Yes sir. I found that to be true as well. After they advised me I gave it some thought and came up with a new plan. Since I really do not know the professor I thought I would go to the detention and just see how it goes. It will give me a chance to consider the situation more carefully before I make a decision. It could be that it’s not worth making a fuss over and I will just serve the detention to be done with it.”

“Very responsible and mature of you Harry to take the high road.”

“Thank you professor but just so you know I have a sinking suspicion about her and have my doubts about how well this will go. However, I give you my word that I will be on my best behavior and put my best foot forward. I have enough issues to deal with without adding another teacher to my list.”

“Harry I have faith in you that you will do the right thing. We are in a precarious situation here with the ministry getting involved. Things could get nasty before too long. It would be best not to hurry it along, if you catch my meaning.”

“That I do Professor. I will see what I can do without compromising my principles.”

“Thanks Harry. I cannot ask for any more than that.”

“It was good talking to you sir. Thanks for your time.”

“Not a problem Harry. I am glad you decided to share your plans with me. I am sorry you are having to deal with this at all but I agree with your friends and I advise caution when dealing with Professor Umbridge.”

“Yes sir, caution it is then. Bye Professor.”

“Bye Harry.”

oo0O0oo

At an early dinner in the Great Hall because Harry had detention at 5:00 with Umbridge, Ginny had joined Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville. After catching Ginny up on what was going on between Harry and Umbridge, Hermione asked about Harry’s plan.

“Harry have you changed your plan any since last night? Are you going to be careful?”

“No, Hermione. My plan is still the same. I am going to be very careful. I even went and talked to Dumbledore earlier today about it.”

“You did? What did he say?” asked Hermione obviously impressed that Harry would do that.

“Well, I should thank you guys for your sage advice because he told me to be very careful as well. He said we are in a very precarious position with the Ministry involved here, that things could get nasty before too long but there was no need to hurry it along. I promised him I would be on my best behavior and see what I can do without compromising my principles.”

“Well, Harry we wish you all the luck with Umbridge” said Ginny. “I had class with her yesterday and did not like her at all.”

“Thanks Ginny. Sad to say but I think I will need all the luck I can get. I have a really bad feeling about this.”

“Stick to your plan Harry” said Hermione. “It will all work out. We will wait for you in the common room and see you afterwards.”

Chapter Six – Dolores

Harry left the Great Hall and his friends at five minutes before 5:00 and headed for Umbridge’s office. When he arrived he knocked politely on her office door. After a few seconds he heard “come in” so he entered slowly and noticed the entire office was bathed in a sickening pink color. She had on that same pink cardigan that she wore at the opening feast and in class.

“Good evening, Mr. Potter” she said sweetly in a girlish voice.

“Good evening, Professor” said Harry politely.

“Have a seat over there. You are going to write some lines.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Harry sat down and reached into his bag to retrieve his quill and ink. A piece of parchment was already sitting on the table where he would be working.

“You will not need any of your supplies, Mr. Potter. I want you to use a very special quill of mine.” She picked up a black feathered quill and walked over to Harry and laid it on the piece of parchment he was to write on. “I want you to write ‘I must not tell lies’.”

“Okay, Professor. If you say so. How many times would you like me to write it?” asked Harry staying as polite as he could.

“Until it has sufficient time to sink in, Mr. Potter.”

“Professor, you did not provide any ink with your quill.”

“As I said, Mr. Potter, that is a special quill and it does not require any ink.”

Harry focused on the parchment and wrote the first line. As soon as he completed it he noticed a pain in his left hand. When he looked he saw the same words he had just written being carved into the back of his hand. He stopped and looked at the quill carefully. He then looked down at what he wrote and noticed the ink was the same color as his blood. He reached out with his magic to see if he could feel the magic in the quill. It felt dark, like it was cursed.

Harry jumped up from his seat and turned toward Umbridge. “You have purposely had me use a dark and cursed object that has caused damage to my hand. I am taking this quill to Professor Dumbledore and reporting you.”

This surprised Umbridge. She was not expecting Harry to react that way against authority so she decided to take preventive action and teach him a lesson. Harry headed toward her door but while his back was turned he heard what he never thought he would hear from a professor.

“Crucio!” cried Umbridge, casting the unforgiveable curse at Harry.

The curse hit Harry square in the back. He fell to the floor and was writhing around in agony. Harry started to focus using his karate training to get rid of the pain but she released it after just a few seconds. Harry went ahead and finished focusing to shut down any tremors. While doing that he began standing up. Before he was fully standing, however, he heard another unforgiveable.

“Imperio!”

Harry completed standing and felt the familiar floating sensation. All his worries had just melted away. Then he heard in his mind Umbridge’s voice telling him to sit back down and finish his lines with her quill. Harry thought to himself, “Why would I want to do that?” Next, Harry pulled out his wand.

“What are you doing, Potter?”

“Imperio!” Umbridge cast it again with more fervor.

“No” said Harry while at the same time he silently cast Expelliarmus.

Harry deftly caught Umbridge’s wand in his left hand still keeping his wand trained on Umbridge.

“GIVE ME MY WAND BACK THIS INSTANT!” yelled Umbridge.

“I don’t think so.” Harry replied calmly. “You have been a very, very naughty girl, Dolores. First, you force me to use a cursed object, then you used two of the unforgiveable curses on me. One you even cast twice! I guess no one told you that I can resist the Imperius curse?”

“You can resist?” she mumbled.

“Hmm, what to do now? I think the best thing to do would be to stun you, tie you up, and cart you over to Dumbledore’s office and let him deal with you.”

“No, Harry, please. I beg you. You do not have to do that. It was all a misunderstanding, you see. You will not have to serve anymore detention with me. You are all clear. Nothing more to do. We can work this out. There is no need to tell Dumbledore what happened here.”

“Will you swear to the whole school and the ministry that Voldemort is back and Dumbledore and I are not lying?”

“Yes, Harry. I will do anything. Please do not tell anyone about this.”

Harry acted like he was considering it for a few seconds.

“Sorry, Dolores but if there is one thing you’ve taught me” said Harry as he held up the back of his left hand so she could see it, “I must not tell lies!”

“NOOO! YOU CANNOT DO THIS TO ME! I WILL – “

Incarcerous!

Harry cast the spell silently with his wand. Dolores whimpered once then fell over all tied up. She hit the floor with a big thump then started begging Harry all over again. Harry walked over and was standing over her so she could see him.

“Dolores, just so you know, I’m not done yet.” Harry pointed his wand down at her. Her eyes got a little bigger.

“Good night, Dolores. We are going to take a little trip” said Harry. Dolores started whimpering again.

Stupefy!

Dolores Umbridge was quiet after that. After stunning her, Harry lifted her up with his wand directing her in front of him while he headed for Dumbledore’s office. He was not all that careful with her going through the door so her head might have bumped into a few things. Harry remembered it was not that late so there were probably students and teachers in the halls. Remembering a spell he learned this summer, Harry disillusioned Dolores and floated her up higher over people’s heads. He then switched to wandless. Harry saw a few people in the halls but he made it to Dumbledore’s office without an issue.

“Chocolate Frogs” said Harry. The gargoyle leapt aside and let him through. Harry carefully took Dolores up to Dumbledore’s office. It was tricky on the spiral staircase. He switched back to his wand then knocked on the door.

“Come in Harry” said Dumbledore.

Harry always wondered how he knew who was at his door. Harry walked in and saw that Professor McGonagall was in the office as well. He lowered Dolores to the floor. When he had her about three feet away from the floor he dropped her with a thump.

“What do you have there, Harry?” asked Dumbledore. McGonagall was looking at Harry with interest.

“Sorry, Professors, I did not mean to intrude but I believe this is high priority.” Harry removed the disillusionment charm from Dolores. Both professors jumped up.

“Harry, what is the meaning of this?” asked McGonagall.

“I take it your detention with Dolores did not go as planned, Harry?” asked Dumbledore.

“You are correct, sir” replied Harry.

“What have you done to her, Mr. Potter?” asked McGonagall.

“Oh, well I used Expelliarmus to get her wand. I then used Incarcerous to truss her up like a Christmas goose and Stupefy to stun her. I then brought her here disillusioned so no one else could see her. I wanted to turn her over to Professor Dumbledore before anyone else found out what happened.”

“But why, Mr. Potter, would you do that to one of your teachers?” asked McGonagall.

“I suppose I should start from the beginning?” asked Harry.

“I think that would be prudent, Harry” replied Dumbledore.

“It was like this. Professor” said Harry looking at Dumbledore “as you might recall I told you earlier about my detention and that I had a bad feeling about how it would go.” Dumbledore nodded at Harry. “Well, I do believe it went about as bad as it could have.”

“She had me sit at a table and was wanting me to write lines. She handed me what she said was her special quill” Harry retrieved that and put it on Dumbledore’s desk. “She said I was to write ‘I must not tell lies’ until it sunk in. She had provided parchment but no ink. I told her she forgot to give me ink. She told me that her special quill did not need any ink. I then started writing and completed the first line but before I could start the second line I felt a pain on the back of my left hand.” Harry showed Dumbledore and McGonagall his hand.

“Merlin, no” said McGonagall. “That’s a blood quill and it’s illegal.”

“A blood quill?” asked Harry. “So that’s what it’s called.”

Dumbledore thought for a second. “Harry, before you continue perhaps it would be best if you shared your memory of the events with us.”

“I thought that was what I was doing” said Harry a bit confused.

“Sorry, Harry, I meant for you to use my pensieve.

“Oh, okay, but I’ve never provided my own memory before, sir.”

“Not a problem, Harry. Here is how it works. You think of the memory you want to share and then place your wand tip on your temple. Slowly pull your wand away from your temple and you will have a copy of the memory on your wand tip. Place the memory into the pensieve. We will then all be able to view it together.”

Harry concentrated hard on the memory but wanted to cut it off before he takes Umbridge to Dumbledore’s office. He does not want them to see him using wandless magic. When he had the memory set he placed the tip of his wand on his temple and slowly pulled it away. He had a silvery substance on the tip of his wand. He placed it in the pensieve.

Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Harry all stepped up to the pensieve and stuck their heads in.

When the memory had run its course they all came back out. McGonagall and Dumbledore were livid. Harry thought Professor McGonagall was going to go over and kick Dolores but she calmed herself instead.

“Oh, here is Umbridge’s wand as well” Harry said as he sat it on Dumbledore’s desk next to the quill. “I suppose they will want to see the last spells cast with her wand?”

“They indeed will Harry. Minerva, call Madame Bones and have her come here with a couple of her aurors to retrieve Dolores. I believe Amelia will need to be in charge of this from the beginning. Dolores is the Undersecretary to the Minister after all and I do not trust Fudge at this time.”

“Okay, Albus.” Minerva went to the fireplace and floo called Amelia Bones, who is the Head of the Magical Law Enforcement office. While she did that Dumbledore began talking to Harry.

“Harry that was some very impressive magic you did and the way you handled yourself was nothing more than spectacular.”

“Thank you, Professor. I tried to go along with her and not cause a scene but she just went too far.”

“Harry, what she did was horrendous. Those two unforgiveable curses will get her a lifetime sentence in Askaban. I am not sure how you made it through them. Even the use of the blood quill, especially on a student, would send her to Askaban for a few years as well.”

“I used my training from this summer to shut down the pain on the Cruciatus curse. If she held it any longer I believe I could have resisted it or most of it anyway. When she released I did use my training to stop the tremors while I was standing up. She wasn’t very bright casting the Imperius curse the second time. It was obvious, I thought, that I was resisting.”

“Very impressive, Harry. She likely was not aware that anyone could resist it. I was also not aware that you could resist the Imperius curse.”

“I learned that I could when Moody was teaching last year, well, the fake Moody. He showed all the unforgiveable curses and then used the Imperius curse on us to see if we could fight it. I was the only one that could.”

“I’m sorry Harry. I keep putting you in danger with these Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers. I can’t seem to find many good ones. Of course, Dolores was forced on us. With her doing what she did though, the Ministry will not force another teacher on us. I will see to that and we owe it all to you.”

“Well, sir, it was not a pleasant experience but I am happy to be of service. She was not going to be a decent teacher anyway. We would not have learned anything from her.”

“No, you would not have. Fudge was making sure of that.”

“Amelia and her aurors will be here shortly” said McGonagall. “Harry when we are done with this, I am escorting you to the hospital wing. Madame Pomfrey will need to check you out and verify you are okay after you were hit with that Cruciatus curse.”

“Okay, Professor, but I feel fine now. She only held for a few seconds and her Cruciatus is not near as bad as Voldemort’s.”

Dumbledore and McGonagall looked at each other briefly with sadness.

“Madame Pomfrey will still want to verify you are in good health, Harry” said Dumbledore.

“Yes, Professors.”

Amelia Bones, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and Nymphadora Tonks came in through Dumbledore’s floo about that time. Harry got up and stood off to the side to stay out of the way.

“Albus, I was shocked to hear what Dolores has done” said Amelia noticing Dolores tied up on the floor and still unconscious. “Minerva was brief but obviously had to tell me enough to get me over here. Can you start from the beginning and give us all the details?”

“Amelia, we have a memory that Harry provided for us. It made understanding the situation easier. I would suggest you and your aurors view it. Harry would you kindly tell Madame Bones and the aurors what lead up to the start of the memory?”

“Certainly, Professor. I attended my first Defense Against the Dark Arts class with Professor Umbridge yesterday. She immediately started trying to convince the students that I was a liar and that Voldemort had not come back.” Harry paused just a second so the gasps would die down from saying Voldemort’s name. “I argued with her about it so she assigned me a week’s detention with her starting earlier tonight at 5:00 pm. I went to her office at 5:00 and what is in the pensieve is what happened.”

“What is in the memory needs no explanation. Go ahead and have a look. It only lasts a few minutes.” added Dumbledore.

Amelia, Kingsley, and Tonks put their heads in and viewed the memory. All three were in shock when they came back out. Amelia marched over to Harry and embraced him with a strong motherly like hug. She then leaned back holding onto his shoulders. “Mr. Potter, I am so sorry that you had to go through this. I promise she will never do this to anyone else again. We have more than enough evidence to put her away for good. I will need you to testify at her trial. Can you do that for me?”

“Yes, Madame Bones. That will not be a problem” replied Harry.

“Good, son. As much as I would love to throw her straight into Askaban, she has to be given a fair trial. It will likely be in two weeks, possibly a month. Keep your schedule open.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Amelia walked back over toward Dumbledore but suddenly turned back around to face Harry. “Oh, yeah, Harry, spectacular spell work in there and you kept such a cool head. I am not sure I have ever seen anyone throw off the Imperius curse before but Merlin’s beard you sure did. Amazing, Harry! Good work!”

“Thank you, Madame Bones” replied Harry.

“Kingsley” continued Amelia “take Umbridge’s wand and have the unspeakables check for the last three spells cast. Take the quill as well and have them verify it is a blood quill. We need to do this by the book and leave no loopholes. Tonks float Dolores over to the floo.”

Kingsley picked up Umbridge’s wand and the quill from the desk. Tonks went over and got Dolores to the floo.

“Tonks and Kingsley, take Dolores back to the holding cells and make sure no one reports anything to Cornelius. It is late enough he has gone home. He can find out about this tomorrow. That will be soon enough and it will give me time to get this on the books and recorded before anyone can interfere. I will not let her get away with this.”

“Okay, boss.” Tonks magically floated Dolores into the floo where Kingsley was waiting. The both of them took her through to her cell.

“Thanks Albus for calling me in. I think we have a better chance this way before anyone can cause a problem. She has people on her side so I will do this swiftly tonight before they can do anything tomorrow when they find out. Keep this quiet around here as well if you can. That will buy me a little more time. I realize you will have to make some sort of announcement in the morning about the Defense Against the Dark Arts classes but if we can keep it quiet tonight that will give me the time I need. Any extra time you can provide will be appreciated as well.”

“We will Amelia. The three of us are the only ones who know at the castle. We will keep it that way for as long as needed” said Dumbledore.

“Oh, before I forget. Harry can I borrow your memory that we viewed? We may be able to use it as evidence at the trial. If not we can at least use it to prepare for the trial.”

“Certainly, Madam Bones.”

Albus retrieved the memory from the pensieve, placed it in a vile with a stopper, and handed it to Amelia.

“Thanks, Harry, Albus, Minerva” said Amelia. “See you in a few days.” Amelia left through the floo.

oo0O0oo

Minerva had lead Harry down to the hospital wing to see Poppy who immediately started chiding Harry for having to come to see her on only the second day of school. Minerva explained about Harry being hit by a Cruciatus curse without mentioning Dolores and Poppy immediately went to work running diagnostic spells on Harry to see if he was hurt. She could not find anything. Nevertheless, she gave Harry a potion to take before bed that was just a precaution for the curse. Harry thanked Poppy and left.

Harry was feeling a bit out of sorts so decided he needed a workout to clear his head. He headed over to the Room of Requirement, walked three times in front of the wall, and then disappeared behind the door that also disappeared after he went through it.

He did not have any workout clothes so asked the room for some and it provided shorts, shirt, socks, and trainers. He was impressed. He changed then did his usual pushups and crunches but this time he used an incline to make it harder. He did his squats using weights provided by the room then added some lunges as well. His pull ups were done on bars with various grips for changing up the muscle group slightly. He felt better after the exercises so decided to work on his karate a little. He began by running through three katas to get his focus and concentration going. He then began working on increasing the speed at which he could focus and ignore pain. He figured that might come in handy. He was not sure if these methods could completely block out a Cruciatus curse but he felt confident that the effects could be lessened and possibly overcome by using the technique.

After working himself to exhaustion, Harry needed a shower. He wished he had a shower and a full loo with shower was provided by the room. While in the shower he got an idea to tap into his magic when working on speeding up his focus. He made a mental note to work on that next time. Harry cleaned up and changed back into his school robes. He headed back to Gryffindor Tower and the common room. He had forgotten that Hermione had said they would be waiting up for him but remembered when he saw them all on the couches and chairs by the fireplace – Hermione, Ron, Neville, and Ginny.

“What can I tell them?” he thought.

“Harry, it’s about time” said Hermione jumping up to grab him and pull him over to the group.

“Hi guys. Sorry I’m late. I must apologize. I was a bit out of sorts after everything that happened so I went and worked out and worked on my self-defense for a good while to clear my head. I did not remember you guys were waiting for me until I saw you when I came in. I’m sorry.”

“That’s okay, Harry” said Ginny. “You look like you’ve been put through the ringer.”

“So, tell us what happened,” said Ron.

“I can’t.” replied Harry.

“What?” they all said at the same time.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t. It’s a big secret until it’s safe to reveal. Professor Dumbledore needs time to get some things done so wants this kept secret until everything is in place.” Harry cast a silencing charm around them. “What I can tell you, but you must not say a thing tonight to anyone about it, is that Umbridge is gone. She will not be back.”

They all looked at each other and smiled.

“Listen guys, I mean it. Talk to no one else about this or you will ruin it if the wrong people find out. I am sure Professor Dumbledore will announce tomorrow at breakfast that Umbridge is gone because students will not have her class anymore. That is the only reason I am telling you that now because that cannot be kept a secret past tomorrow. But keep your lips sealed until Dumbledore announces it. If I can tell you more detail after he announces it then I will. If not it will likely be just another day or two I have to keep it a secret.”

Harry cancelled his silencing charm. “I’m beat guys. My workout was grueling and I had already worked out this morning. I’m going up to bed. Both Ginny and Hermione gave Harry a hug and a kiss on his cheek before telling him good night and heading up themselves.

oo0O0oo

Harry took his potion Madam Pomfrey gave him last night before bed. He woke up at his usual 5:30am. He started to turn back over for more sleep since he worked out late last night but decided it was not worth it. He put on his workout clothes and went outside for his run. After seven miles he went to the Room of Requirement and decided to work on just his karate focus to ignore pain instead of the exercises. He did not want to over tax his muscles so put those off for a day.

Harry began meditating and practiced his breathing, deciding to focus more on decreasing the amount of time it takes to get into that state of mind where he can ignore pain. Remembering to use his magic, Harry began building it up inside him as he focused on his technique. When his magic reached a point where Harry wanted to release it he instead backed it off realizing that releasing it could be very dangerous.

Harry got up from the floor where he was sitting. He went to each wall, the floor and the ceiling. He cast a protection spell on each using his full power. Next, he cast a silencing charm on the room as well. He then sat back down and started focusing again. When he had his focus right he began building up his magical power again. He let it build and build until he finally released it at what he hoped was half power. Harry heard some loud crashing noises when he did so he opened his eyes and looked around. All the workout equipment, weights, mats, everything had been slammed up against the wall moving directly away from Harry who was the center of the force.

“Whoa.” He sat there for a minute taking it all in.

Harry suddenly realized after over an hour of meditation that not only had he missed breakfast but he was going to be late for class if he did not hurry. He would definitely give it more thought but needed to take a quick shower and get to class.

“Reparo” said harry. All the room and equipment returned to normal. He then took off for his dorm room.

“Dobby?”

Pop!

“Yes, Master Harry Potter sir?”

“Dobby, sorry to bother you but I was working on something and missed breakfast. I do not have time for a big meal but if there was something I could eat quickly that would be very helpful. After a hard workout I really should not miss a meal. I am going to grab a quick shower. Can you get me something I can eat on the way to class?”

“Yes, anything for the Great Harry Potter sir” said Dobby. He disappeared.

Harry was about 5 minutes late for class but Binns never noticed. Dobby made sure Harry had plenty of toast and pumpkin juice for breakfast. He even met Harry at his classroom door and took his glass and napkin from him after waving his hand to remove the crumbs from his robes before Harry went in to class.

“Thanks, Dobby. You are a life saver!”

Hermione had saved him a seat so he sat next to her. She started a note.

Where were you?

Got distracted and worked through breakfast. Did Dumbledore announce anything different?

Yes she is no longer teaching here

I will talk to Dumbledore and see how it is going

OK

Harry was having a difficult time focusing on History of Magic. All of his focus training and Professor Binns could ruin it in less than 5 minutes. Harry’s eyes started drooping. Hermione elbowed him in the ribs.

“Sorry, Hermione. Binns can put me to sleep like no other” whispered Harry.

“No, Harry, look” she said pointing at the door.

Harry looked at the door and saw Professor McGonagall standing there motioning for him to come over. He got up and went over to the door. Professor McGonagall pulled him into the hall and cast a silencing charm around them.

“Mr. Potter, I did not see you at breakfast.”

“Sorry, Professor, I was working and got distracted so I ended up working past breakfast. I barely made it to class.”

“I see. Well Albus announced that Dolores would no longer be teaching here so for now all Defense Against the Dark Arts classes are cancelled until he can find a suitable teacher. He did not say why she would no longer be teaching here, only that she had to return to the Ministry. That was the truth but not all of course. He handled it quite well, actually. I know that your close friends are likely trying to get the story out of you, Mr. Potter. I think you are safe to tell them now but please ask them to keep the details to themselves until after the trial. It should be in a couple weeks so everyone will know after that.”

“Thank you, Professor.”

“One last thing, Mr. Potter. How are you feeling? Any lingering effects from the curse?”

“No, ma’am. None at all and I took Madam Pomfrey’s potion before bed as she instructed. I feel great!”

“Good, Mr. Potter. I will let you get back to your nap” she said with a smile before walking off.

Harry went back into class and sat next to Hermione again. He wrote on the note they were using before.

Everyone should meet me after classes in the common room. I can tell you guys what happened.

OK

Hermione passed the note to Ron who read it then gave it to Neville who was sitting next to him. They all nodded at each other.

Hermione whispered to Harry. “I will let Ginny know.”

“Okay, thanks Hermione” he whispered back.

oo0O0oo

Ron and Harry decided to fly their brooms during the cancelled Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Ron was wanting to try out for Keeper so Harry threw the quaffle several times at the goals to give Ron some practice. He did pretty well but Ron was not that confident about his skills. Harry decided to help Ron any way he could. Harry had other ways to build up Ron’s confidence. The problem was getting him to commit to it. He then got an idea on how to appeal to Ron.

“Ron” Harry said as they walked back toward the castle with their brooms on their shoulders, “all you need is a little confidence in yourself. I can tell you the best way to get it and at the same time show you how you will improve your game exponentially.”

“How’s that, Harry?”

“Workout with me. I know you don’t want to get up that early but I’m telling you this is what you need. I will even teach you karate. You saw what I did to Malfoy. I can teach you that. Not only would that help you, it would help me as well. I need a sparring partner. I would like to invite Neville, Hermione, and Ginny too. I can teach you all at the same time.”

“You really think exercising and learning that would help me?”

“Absolutely Ron, it will help you. Exercise makes you and keeps you fit. You are able to move faster and last longer. Your body is stronger and looks better. Isshinryu Karate teaches you to be even faster as well. Give it a try. You will not be disappointed. Learning karate will give you so much confidence in yourself, you will not believe it. Knowing that you can kick just about anyone’s arse does wonders for your confidence.”

“Okay, Harry. I will give it a try” said Ron laughing.

“Great Ron. Thanks for joining me. I get up at 5:30 and run around the lake for about an hour. That’s about 7 miles. Why don’t you get up at 6:00 and start your run? Once you get in a little better shape and can run longer you can start getting up earlier and running with me. When I complete my run we can go do some exercises to build up muscle in the rest of the body. I would like for us to meet for about an hour right after classes but before dinner to work on self-defense.”

Harry did not fancy himself a qualified Isshinryu Karate instructor but he felt confident he could follow Ben’s example and teach what he was taught. He would definitely emphasize respect and discipline just as it was emphasized to him. He decided to invite the others to join him after he told them about his evening with Umbridge.

oo0O0oo

Harry continued to work on his focus technique right after classes and before dinner. He managed to get focused a little quicker but kept working on it. He next worked on establishing the focus while he did other simple things such as moving and walking around. It was more difficult to accomplish but not impossible.

After dinner he met his friends in the common room. It was crowded so he had them follow him outside to underneath a tree beside the lake. Harry cast a silencing charm around them. “What I am about to tell you is still a secret so do not share this with anyone, got it?”

They all nodded at him.

“This will only need to be kept secret for about 2 weeks so not a long time. After that everyone will know.”

“So what happened Harry” asked Hermione.

Harry related his experiences with Umbridge to his friends, giving them every detail.

When he finished both Ginny and Hermione jumped up and grabbed him into a tight hug. They stayed there for a while trying to get comfort and give some at the same time.

“Harry, we are so glad you’re alright” said Hermione as she stepped back. Ginny was crying still holding onto Harry. Harry noticed and turned to Ginny holding her in front of him now.

“Ginny, it is okay now” he said rubbing her back. “I am not hurt at all. In fact, I feel fantastic. You do not have to cry over what that toad did to me. Believe me, I got the better of her.”

“I’m sorry Harry” said Ginny sniffling but still holding on. “I guess it hit me the wrong way when you mentioned she tortured you. She could have seriously hurt you or killed you.”

“She did surprise me with the Cruciatus but I was in control after that. I was not going to let her cast anything else harmful to me after she tried to torture me. I started using a technique I learned in karate to ignore pain. She lifted the curse before I could get fully focused but I went ahead and used the technique to avoid any tremors. It was almost fun taking her down after that.”

Ginny was still hanging on but decided she had better let go (even though she did not want to). She leaned back from Harry but kept her hands on his waist. Looking up into his emerald green eyes she nearly melted but with tears still making her eyes wet she told him “thanks, Harry, thanks for putting up with my crying.”

Harry put his hands on her shoulders. “No problem Ginny. I am here if you ever need me.” Harry used his thumbs to wipe the tears from her cheeks then he pulled her closer, leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. It was not exactly what she was hoping for but at this point she would take what she could get.

Ginny went back and sat down again. Harry indicated that they all should sit but he remained standing. They all sat back down as Harry began to pace in front of them.

“I have already talked to Ron about this and he has agreed. I want to invite you guys to join us. As you know I exercise every morning and I have begun working on my karate before dinner. I want all of you to join me in the mornings for exercise. You need it to be able to protect yourselves better. You will get in shape, look great, and feel great at the same time. The karate will be good for you too. I am not really a qualified karate instructor but I can teach you what I was taught. I am sure of that. All of you will gain speed, agility, strength, confidence, stamina, and peace. You will also learn responsibility, respect, and discipline. It will be very beneficial to all of you and I would like to share my abilities with you. Will you join me?”

“I’ll join you Harry” said Ginny.

“I’ll join you too” said Neville. “I could really use the self-defense training.”

“When will I get to study?” asked Hermione.

“Hermione?” said Harry.

“Harry, you know I am not much on sports and exercise but if you think this is important then I will do it.”

“It’s important Hermione and just may save your life or someone else’s.”

“Okay, everyone. Here is what I want you to do. I get up at 5:30 and run around the lake for about an hour or more. Since you guys are new at this then you should get up about 6:00 and start your run. Just run as far as you can and encourage each other to push on. Your body will start adjusting as it gets in better shape. You will eventually work your way up to running several miles like me. After the run I will take you to a room Dobby showed me and we will work on some exercises in there. If the weather is horrible then I go straight to the room and run around a track provided. I believe the weather will be fine in the morning so meet outside here and then I will show you that room after our run. If you guys finish your run before I do then have a rest and catch your breath. You will need it for the other exercises.”

They all looked at each other with wide eyes then turned back to Harry.

“That is all I have. Should we go back to the common room?”

They all got up to go.

“Remember” Harry said as he cancelled the Silencing charm “keep the details of this secret, until the trial anyway.”

“We will Harry. Not a problem.” They all agreed.

oo0O0oo

Two weeks later…

Harry was excused from class on a Wednesday. He went to the Ministry and was led by Tonks to courtroom number 10 where he was seated next to Dumbledore. There was a chair down below in the center of the courtroom with shackles and chains connected to it. After a few minutes, they brought Dolores in and sat her in the chair. They then chained her hands and feet to it. She was angry and looked like she was ready to burst.

Dumbledore had been talking to one of the Wizengamot members seated close by him. He turned back around to the front when the courtroom was called to order. Dumbledore was Chief of the Wizengamot but he had asked Augusta Longbottom to stand in for him since he was serving as a partial witness in the trial of Dolores Jane Umbridge. The good thing about choosing Neville’s grandmother to preside over the hearing was the fact that there was no good feelings between Dolores and Augusta. Augusta was looking forward to today’s trial. Seeing Dolores get what she deserves would make her day.

“The courtroom is now in session” announced someone Harry could not see. “The honorable Augusta Longbottom is presiding.”

Dolores actually looked up at Augusta and groaned.

Augusta Longbottom started speaking. “We are here in this courtroom today for the trial of one Dolores Jane Umbridge currently the Undersecretary to the Minister and Professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Dolores Jane Umbridge? How do you plead?”

“NOT GUILTY! THIS IS PREPOSTEROUS! I AM THE UNDERSECRETARY TO THE MINISTER FOR MERLIN’S SAKE. THAT LITTLE MONSTER SITTING RIGHT THERE” she pointed at Harry “IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS. HE SET ME UP! HE OUGHT TO BE –”

“THAT IS ENOUGH DOLORES!” yelled Augusta then banged her gavel. Augusta took a big breath and let it out. “All I needed was your plea. Another outburst like that and you will not get to speak again. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, perfectly clear” replied Dolores much quieter.

“Madam Bones you may present the evidence against Dolores Jane Umbridge” stated Augusta.

“Thank you Madam Longbottom. I call Harry James Potter as the chief eye witness to the crimes committed by Dolores Jane Umbridge. He is also the victim of these crimes. Harry can you stand and tell us what happened on that night two weeks ago?”

Harry stood and told his story of what happened in the classroom, the detention he was given, and the actions taken by Dolores and himself. When he finished Madam Bones thanked him for his participation then called on Professor Dumbledore to speak. Dumbledore explained about Harry’s coming to him prior to the detention, what was said, and then showing up afterwards in his office with Dolores.

Minister Fudge jumped up and started shouting. “WHY SHOULD WE BELIEVE ANYTHING THESE TWO ARE SAYING? WE ALREADY KNOW THEY ARE LIARS!”

“Minister Fudge” said Augusta Longbottom calmly. “In case you have forgotten, I am the presiding judge in this courtroom today. I don’t care if you are the minister or the king of the world. Another outburst like that in my courtroom and I will have you arrested. Do. I. Make. Myself. Clear? Now sit back down or you may leave this courtroom at once. Make a choice and do it quickly.”

Fudge sat back down. “Sorry for the outburst, Madam Longbottom.”

“Please continue Madam Bones before someone else gets on my nerves” said Augusta.

“Madam Longbottom, Professor Minerva McGonagall was also in the office with Professor Dumbledore when Mr. Potter brought Dolores Umbridge into his office stunned and tied up. She is currently running the school while Professor Dumbledore is here. She can be called on to testify if you feel it is needed but I have spoken to her and she saw the same thing as the Headmaster who has already provided his testimony. As testified, Mr. Potter brought with him into Professor Dumbledore’s office the blood quill he was forced to use by our defendant and her wand. He submitted both to the Headmaster and handed them over. I had head auror Kingsley Shacklebolt take her wand and quill to the Department of Mysteries where the Unspeakable Saul Croaker examined both. Since Mr. Potter testified that Dolores Umbridge cast the Cruciatus once and the Imperius twice I needed the unspeakables to reveal the last three spells cast by her wand and not just the last one. Kingsley Shacklebolt, can you tell us what information Saul Croaker provided after you had him examine the wand and the quill?”

“Yes, Madam Bones, Madam Longbottom. After Saul Croaker examined the quill and the wand he told me that the quill was definitely a blood quill and had been used recently. He also showed the last three spells cast by Madam Umbridge’s wand. The last two were both the same – the Imperius curse. The spell before that was the Cruciatus curse.”

‘Thank you Auror Shacklebolt. I have one other thing to add before I rest my case Madam Longbottom” said Amelia Bones.

“Proceed Madam Bones” said Augusta Longbottom.

“When Mr. Potter came into Professor Dumbledore’s office with Dolores Umbridge and told about the blood quill, the Headmaster had the foresight to ask Mr. Potter to provide his memory of the event. I would like to submit that into evidence as well.”

“Very well, Madam Bones. I personally would like to view that memory and recommend we do that now.” No one in the Wizengamot wanted to cross Augusta Longbottom no matter whose side they supported.

One of the court wizards that helped in these situations quickly setup a special pensieve that projected a very large image like a movie onto the back wall of the courtroom, behind Umbridge. Two aurors turned her around so she could see it too.

Amelia handed the young wizard the memory and he placed it in the pensieve. Augusta nodded at him so he dimmed the lights slightly and started the memory.

There were grim faces on the Wizengamot members when the memory completed. Umbridge was weeping.

With a stern face, Augusta turned Dolores back around using her wand. “Dolores Jane Umbridge it is now your turn to testify. I am going to help you out and have them give you veritaserum so no one will question whether or not you are lying. Sound good to you? I want to make sure we hear only the truth from you. Both Harry Potter and Professor Dumbledore have provided the truth, verified by that memory that showed Mr. Potter’s bravery and your despicable behavior. You are lucky Mr. Potter is a gentleman, Dolores. I might not have been so kind. Bring out the veritaserum and administer it.”

“NO, YOU CAN’T DO THIS!”

“Silencio!

“No point in having to listen to that while we wait” stated Augusta.

Two aurors forced Umbridge to swallow a few drops of the potion. Augusta nodded to Amelia to ask the questions.

Amelia got up and crossed over to Umbridge. “State your full name” she said.

“Dolores Jane Umbridge” she choked out.

“Dolores did you force Harry James Potter to use a blood quill?”

“Yes.”

“Did you use the Cruciatus curse on Harry James Potter?”

“Yes.”

“Did you use the Imperius curse twice on Harry James Potter?”

“Yes.”

“I have no further –”

Amelia noticed Dumbledore motioning to her to come here. She went over to Dumbledore and he whispered in her ear. She walked back over to Umbridge who was still under the potions influence.

“Dolores, did you send two dementors to Little Whinging during the middle of summer to attack Harry James Potter?” There was a gasp that went through the courtroom.

“Yes.”

Talking and shouting broke out all around the courtroom. They could not believe what they just witnessed.

“Silence” said Augusta banging her gavel. They all quieted down immediately.

Madam Bones turned and walked back toward Augusta. “I have no further questions, your honor.”

Augusta Longbottom turned and addressed the Wizengamot. “You have heard the evidence. The law states that use of any one unforgiveable is an automatic life sentence in Askaban. We have been presented with more than adequate evidence proving beyond the shadow of a doubt the guilt of Dolores Jane Umbridge. All agreeing that Dolores Jane Umbridge is guilty of the charges against her, please signify by the raising of your right hand. Nearly everyone on the Wizengamot raised their hand except a handful of people. All those opposed, the same sign.” The others that refused to raise their hands before, refused again. Dolores was unanimously found guilty. “Aurors take Dolores to Askaban immediately.”

Dolores looked up at Augusta. She was crying and pleading silently because they had silenced her again. “May you rot in there Dolores. You are a miserable excuse for a human being” said Augusta. The aurors shackled her ankles and wrists with ones she could walk in. She was not moving though, she kept yelling silently. One of the aurors simply stunned her and floated her out of the courtroom.

Amelia went over to Harry. “Thanks Mr. Potter –”

“Harry, please. Just Harry.”

“Okay, Harry then you can call me Amelia. Good work in getting that crazy woman off the streets. Also, Professor Dumbledore will be staying here for a while longer. He has some work to tend to before going back to the school. I understand he is having difficulties finding a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor so he likely will be working on that as well. I am going to loan you one of my aurors to watch your back as you journey back to school. Tonks?” Tonks was close by so stepped up to Amelia and Harry.

“Yes, Boss?” asked Tonks.

“I need you to continue with your job before the trial. Stick with Harry and make sure he gets back to the school safely. You can return to the ministry when done, unless it is too late. There is no hurry so if Harry needs to buy anything or go to the bank then tag along with him and protect him.”

“Yes, ma’am. I am happy to oblige. Harry is a good bloke. You ready Harry?”

“Sure Tonks, let’s go. Thanks Amelia” Harry said with a smile. “I will say hello to Susan for you.”

“Thanks Harry. I appreciate that. Keep an eye on her will you? With you-know-who on the loose again I worry about her.”

“I will Amelia. She’s a sweet girl.”

“Come on Harry, let’s get out of here. Courtrooms give me the creeps!” said Tonks.

Once they were in the atrium, Tonks stopped Harry to talk. “You heard the Boss. If you do not need to go back to school so fast then we can do some fun stuff before going back. Do you have any errands to run? If not then you could at least treat a pretty girl to an ice cream.” Tonks turned into a voluptuous, leggy blonde in a mini-skirt and tight top accentuating her curves. She looked just like a movie star.

“Tonks, I appreciate the show but I think you are pretty just the way you were.”

Tonks quickly changed back to herself and gave Harry a crushing hug and kiss right on the lips. Harry was too stunned to do anything so he just waited until she was done. Tonks pulled back from Harry blushing.

“Sorry about that Harry. I did not mean to cause you any discomfort or embarrass you.”

“No problem Tonks. You just caught me off guard there for a minute. I do not have any special feelings for you other than as a good friend but I don’t think you have those for me either, do you?”

“No, Harry. You are right. I was just excited because you said I was pretty and I knew it came from the heart. I do not hear that from others so I just wanted to thank you but went a little overboard.”

“I would disagree. At my age, I can honestly say that I have never been kissed by a girl like that. While I’m sure I could have done a better job with my response the experience was quite enjoyable now that I think on it. You are a good friend Tonks so I do not mind if you get a little excited and share your feelings so openly like that. I will remember if it happens again that it is just a friendly kiss.”

Tonks sidled slowly up to Harry, placed one hand on the side of his face and kissed him real soft on the lips. Harry kissed her back just as soft.

“Thanks Harry, you really know how to make a girl feel comfortable and you are definitely a very good friend.”

“You know I do have some shopping I need to do. Would you care to accompany me my lady?” Harry asked with his elbow extended.

“Why certainly, my lord. I would be delighted to accompany you” Tonks said with a grin as she looped her arm through his.

“I will need to go to Gringotts first for some more gold and I will need to exchange some for muggle money. I need to do my shopping in London you see.”

“Okay, let’s go to Gringotts first.”

They took the floo straight to The Leaky Cauldron, got out and said hello to Tom on their way out the back to the secret entrance into Diagon Alley. Tonks did the necessary tapping on the bricks so it formed a door. They passed through and the door turned back into a wall. They headed towards Gringotts.

As they were walking Harry got a strange feeling so he reached out with his magic and found some darkness in one person that seemed to be always close by as they moved down the street. The street was slightly busy but not overly crowded. He figured someone was following him.

Augustus Rookwood who was in disguise spotted Harry and a girl in an auror uniform when they came through the wall. He started following them waiting for a chance to strike. He knew the boy was good so decided to hit him first with a Cruciatus then take out the auror while Harry was in pain.

After another minute Harry heard the shuffling and noise of the crowd as they quickly moved away screaming. Harry suddenly pushed Tonks to the ground and immediately had his wand at the ready and a shield up as he side-stepped and stopped in front of Tonks. Just as he figured the person he sensed had drawn his wand to attack him and the crowd seeing it had fled causing a loud commotion. Harry heard the incantation – Crucio, and he saw the spell coming. He was right in front of Tonks who was starting to get up and others were further behind him. He began his focus hoping to get there quickly. He felt the excruciating pain for a second before his focus kicked in. Harry remained standing which completely shocked the attacker. He thought Harry had made it easy for him pushing the auror down. He held the curse and tried to strengthen it but Harry was not falling down and looking like he was being tortured. “What is this kid made of?” he asked himself.

Harry still felt the pain but it was bearable. He quickly hit his attacker with an Expelliarmus which knocked the guy back about 20 feet. Harry realized he over powered that one. He refocused as he caught the man’s wand. Then he hit him with a regular powered stunner from 20 feet away and followed immediately with an Incarcerous to tie him up. The spells were so quick that they looked like Harry had cast them at the same time.

“Listen slugger” said Tonks, now standing beside him, “I am the auror. You are the student. Stop showing me up” she said with smile.

“Let’s check around real quick for any others” Harry said.

Tonks nodded and they kept their back to each other as they turned around and around wands drawn looking for any other attackers. Tonks said, “All clear.”

Harry responded, “All clear.”

They walked over to the attacker and pulled up his sleeve. Death Eater.

“I don’t recognize this one” said Tonks.

Harry felt like some magic was on his face. He cast Finite and cancelled the glamour charms.

“Augustus Rookwood’ Tonks said then she whistled. “Harry you just caught a big fish. He was an unspeakable before going bad. He is one of the worst and a top Death Eater for Voldemort, one of his inner circle actually.”

“Will that make Voldemort angry?”

“I am sure it will, Harry.”

“Good, serves him right, the wanker!”

Tonks just stared at Harry amazed at his bravery and ability. “Harry, I am pretty sure that was a Cruciatus curse he hit you with but you never fell down. How did you do that?”

“That is a conversation for another time, Tonks. Can you call some aurors to pick up this trash?”

“You bet Harry. It’ll take just a second.”

“I am going to head over to Gringotts since we are close and get the money I need. I will meet you back here and provide whatever statement they need from me if they need one.”

“I can take your statement Harry and give it to them.”

“Well, just tell them what you saw but I would appreciate it if you left out my Cruciatus trick. Tell them I managed to get off an Expelliarmus right after he had cast the curse. I then stunned him and tied him up. Sound good? If not tell them you did it. I don’t care. I certainly don’t need any more publicity.”

“Harry, what you said sounds good. You did it. I did not. See you in a little bit.”

oo0O0oo

Tonks was waiting in Gringotts lobby when Harry returned from his vault. He had exchanged some gold for a good bit of muggle money. He saw Tonks and walked over.

“I got everything I need. Did the aurors pick up Rookwood?”

“Yes” answered Tonks “and my boss, Amelia to you, wants to talk to you about it. She said that she would come visit you at the castle some day when it was dinner time so you will not have to miss any classes like today. She said she could say hello to Susan as well while she is there.”

“Fine with me” said Harry. “Let’s get that ice cream for a pretty girl.”

Tonks bounced up and down which distracted Harry a bit. She put her arm through his again and leaned up and gave him a kiss on his cheek. Harry took it all in stride this time and led his friend over to Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlour where they both had a double dip cone and sat outside at a small table to enjoy it.

No one else attacked them in Diagon Alley so they finished their ice cream peacefully and left out through The Leaky Cauldron to go out the front and into London. Tonks transfigured her auror robes into muggle clothing before they went out. When they were out on the sidewalk Harry turned to Tonks and asked if she knew where a sporting goods store was that carried karate gear. She thought for a minute then lead him down the street to a location she knew about. After a minute or two they crossed in front of an alley and noticed some guys in there with a young woman backed up against the wall. It looked like her blouse was torn and she was crying.

Harry stopped. “Whoa, Tonks, I do not like the look of that.”

“Me either. Let’s see if she needs help” replied Tonks.

“Okay,” Harry said “I want you to stand back and not follow me all the way in. I will try and diffuse the situation but if you need to use your wand you will be in a good spot to do it.”

“Alright Harry but be careful. I am not going to let those guys hurt you.”

Harry walked into the alley. He counted four guys all bigger than him.

“Miss, do you need assistance? I could not help but notice these gentlemen around you. I am not sure if they stopped to help as well or if they are the cause for your distress.”

“I-I n-need h-help” she cried.

“Alright, ma’am. I’ll take care of it for you. Please go and stand by my friend over there while I talk to these gentlemen.” Harry pointed at Tonks. The young woman started to slowly walk toward Tonks but one of the men grabbed her arm. Harry quickly grabbed his little finger and he let go of the girl immediately and went to his knees. His friends went on alert but did not attack. The indication was that the young man could easily break their friend’s finger. Truth be told, Harry was strongly considering it.

Harry let go of the man’s finger once the girl was safely with Tonks. He faced the guys and moved in real close to them which made them a little nervous that this young kid showed no fear. Harry knew that with Isshinryu Karate up close was an advantage for him.

“What are you guys doing? Where is the dignity and decency in attacking a young defenseless woman like that?” asked Harry.

The leader of the four and the biggest decided he did not need a lecture from some punk kid so he grabbed Harry by the front of his shirt.

“You listen here, squirt. You need to mind your own business. When we get done with you we will take care of that girl and your girlfriend too.”

“You mean that pretty girl that came with me? You should know that she is far from defenseless and the last thing you want to do is attack her, besides I am not done with you yet” said Harry calmly.

“What are you going to do, squirt?”

“This.” In one fluid motion, Harry grabbed the wrists of the man who had him by the shirt front. He then stepped back to throw the man off balance which also caused the man to lean forward. Harry then took his right arm and swung it over the man’s two arms while turning to the left so he was sideways to the man. This loosened his grip but Harry was not done. He elbowed the man hard in the face with his right arm and then back-fisted the man in the temple. Harry held on to his arms and threw the man over his shoulder to the hard concrete, landing on his back. Harry did a quick kick to the head to knock him out.

Harry spun around and noticed the other three were getting into position. He quickly front kicked the man on the right in the solar plexus. He then jumped and front kicked him hard in the face. The man dropped like a rock. When Harry landed, he was in the perfect position so he did a spinning back kick to the man’s chin on his left. The man fell and was out cold.

The next guy reached for Harry but Harry kicked him with a very powerful side kick that sent the man flying 4 to 5 feet away. The man was slowly getting up so Harry took time to make sure the rest were still knocked out and they were. The man came rushing back holding his ribs. “Not very smart” thought Harry. “I broke some of his ribs and he still wants to fight?” Harry waited until he was close enough then jumped in the air and using a roundhouse kick, kicked him hard right on the chin. The man flew into the brick wall and slumped down out cold.

Harry looked around at his handy work, straightened his clothes and walked over to the women.

“Harry, you could have left some for me” said Tonks.

“I was having way too much fun, Tonks” said Harry.

“You’re Harry and you are Tonks?” asked the young woman.

Tonks answered. “Yes, that is my last name because I despise my first name and Harry will be a gentleman and not tell you.”

“Okay, Tonks. My lips are sealed.”

“Harry, Tonks, my name is Julie and I cannot thank you enough. You saved my life Harry. I was certain they were going to rape me, beat me, and perhaps kill me when they were done.”

“Well, I am glad you are okay” said Harry. “You are okay, right?”

“Yes, I think so. Just a little shaken up.”

“Can we walk you somewhere until you feel safe? It would not be safe for me to report these guys to the police but perhaps they will not be doing this to anyone else again? Or, at least for a long while. I know for a fact that a couple of them may end up in the hospital for broken bones.”

“That will not be necessary. I am meeting my boyfriend who is a cop just up there. I will let him handle it and not mention your names or describe you very well. Would that be okay? I am sure in my distressed state they will understand if I cannot remember what my savior looked like exactly since he took off so quickly” she said with a smile.

“Thank you Julie” said Tonks. “We very much appreciate it. Harry here has enough to worry about.”

“Yes, thanks Julie. You be safe and stick to that boyfriend of yours” said Harry.

They stayed where they were as they watched Julie walk down the sidewalk. They checked the guys again and they were still out. Harry and Tonks did some quick Incarcerous charms on the four and left them there tied up for the police.

As they continued down the sidewalk Tonks decided she could not keep quiet. “Harry I have never seen anything like I saw today. I know that Kingsley is really good at self-defense and he has taught me some along with a few other aurors but I am positive he cannot do what you just did. All of those guys were grown men, burley, and a lot bigger than you. You dropped all four in about 5 seconds and they went down and stayed down. You are something else Harry.”

“Do not tell anyone this Tonks. I was given a crash course in Isshinryu Karate over the summer. We spent hours and hours a day with me getting personalized and one-on-one training. Because of that I was able to get through several belt levels. I am not yet a black belt but when I can I will study more to get there. I basically have 3 more levels to get through before I qualify for 1st Degree Black Belt and in Isshinryu there are 10 levels of black belt. Isshinryu is very suited for the street and self-defense. It does not waste any movements and its techniques speed up striking. This is my second fight with multiple opponents and basically they both went about the same so I guess it works well.”

“I’d say so, Harry. Who did you fight the first time?”

“It was on the train. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle burst into our compartment. Malfoy was rude and would not leave when I suggested it. He pushed me, tried to hit me, and then went for his wand. I laid him out cold with a spinning back-fist. Then I took down Goyle and then Crabbe.”

“Wow, Harry, making any enemies?”

“Well no one can say I do not have my share.”

“This is it Harry, this is the store.” Tonks indicated they had arrived at the door. “Wait a minute you needed a store with karate equipment and you just put on the best karate demonstration I have ever seen. What are you going to get?”

“I have been teaching karate about two weeks. I am not a qualified sensei but I can teach what I have been taught. So, I have Hermione, Ron, Neville, and Ginny learning self-defense from me.”

“Ooh, Harry, I wish I could attend your class.”

“Me too, Tonks. It would be fun and we could use an extra female. Right now we have two girls and three boys. It would be nice to even out for sparring. We meet for about an hour after classes but before dinner. Any time you can join us, feel free.”

“I will see what I can do.”

“If not, I will be glad to meet with you over holidays or something like that.”

“Thanks, Harry.”

Harry found white gis (karate uniforms) for all of his students and bought for Tonks as well. Harry picked up a couple more for him. He liked the grey and the black. He thought his purple belt would go well with those colors. He also found body pads (head, chest, elbows, knees, shins, feet, etc.) that can be used for sparring so picked up enough for everyone, plus extras. He also picked up some protection cups with a few sets of jock straps for the guys and some sport bras for the girls. Tonks helped him a little on the sport bras, especially since she knew Hermione and Ginny’s approximate sizes, but sport bras stretched a good bit so it was difficult to get it wrong. Lastly, Harry picked up some white belts for everyone. He went ahead and picked up the other colors as well just in case they moved up in levels. Once outside they found a secluded place to shrink the bags. Then Tonks apparated Harry to the gates of Hogwarts.

Harry and Tonks arrived back at the castle in time for dinner. She ate with Harry and his group then stuck around afterwards when Harry asked her. They discussed the trial and were happy that Umbridge was going away for good. Harry then took them all, including Tonks, to the Room of Requirement. It looked like a dojo. Tonks noticed that Harry and the others bowed before entering. Once inside Harry handed out all he had bought for them. They each got a couple of white gis, a white belt, and a full set of pads. He handed the sport cups and jock straps to Ron and Neville who looked confused then embarrassed when they figured it out. He then handed the sport bras to Hermione, Ginny, and Tonks who sorted them out equally and then thanked Harry properly with hugs and kisses.

“I know it has only been a couple of weeks but you guys are doing great in karate so I thought I would help us out and get everyone the right equipment. Ron and Neville please wear the cups and jock straps at every karate class. You will thank me profusely if you ever get accidentally or purposely kicked in the bits.” Their eyes went wide.

“Ladies, I am sure you know more about sport bras than I do so use them instead of your regular bra when you exercise and when you attend karate class. The gi that everyone needs to wear to karate class from now on will work better for you if you are wearing one of your sport bras. This is due to movement and sparring and before you ask, no, Tonks picked them out.” The girls grinned at him.

“Now who wants to learn how to tie your belt?” asked Harry.

They all raised their hands excitedly.

Harry had them get their white belt and he got out one of the extras that he bought. He walked them through tying their belt four times for maximum memory retention. Ginny insisted that he show her personally before she could get it. He had to reach around her and pretend it was her hands as she observed his every move tying the belt properly. He had to show her a couple more times before she got it.

Hermione, who learned on the second time Harry demonstrated it to everyone noticed the big smile on Ginny’s face as Harry pressed up against her from behind so he could reach around her enough to tie her belt. The smile remained until she had to admit she now could do it on her own. However, occasionally her smile returned when she thought about it. Tonks thought it was hilarious and started laughing which Harry could not figure out why. She started to ask Harry for the same treatment just for grins but then remembered Ginny’s temper and decided to let it go.

---