Harry Potter and Merlin's Wand

-Chapter Two-

OWL Results

"Silenco," cried the man, jabbing his wand at Harry.

When Harry had shut his mouth and got over the initial shock of seeing this man, here, stood over him in his bedroom in Privet Drive, he muttered the counter curse to allow Harry to speak again.

"Professor, what are you doing here?"

"I have come to check on you, Mr. Potter."

"But...but..." Harry was struggling to think, his head was pounding and the light was too bright. His teacher had opened the curtains, allowing the beams of a bright summer sun to shine through the window, lighting up Harry's messy room.

His trunk was open under the window and its contents spread across the room. His wizarding robes were piled in a crumpled heap in the corner, his dad's old invisibility cloak was hung over his cauldron, and his books were in various states of openness, strewn across the room in random places.

Harry's head was thumping, every little noise seemed like thunder to him, the light hurt his eyes and made him feel sick, not that he needed the light to make him feel sick.

The alcohol from the previous night was not sitting well in his stomach. Harry had never felt this bad, not even when he had fallen 50 foot off his broomstick and broken his arm, and then had to re-grow the bones that night after a teacher had accidentally removed them.

He felt like he would throw up at any time. Harry vowed to himself that he would never touch alcohol again. His eyes were all blurry and had not initially recognised his teacher, which is why he had screamed.

Harry tried to speak, but felt that the only thing likely to come out of his mouth was vomit.

The teacher strode back over to the bed and pointed his wand at Harry's stomach and muttered a new spell that Harry did not quite catch in his hung over state. As the spell hit home, Harry's head cleared and his stomach knot loosened and his eyes stopped hurting from the bright morning sunshine.

"Hello Professor Dumbledore," Harry said brightly, finally able to speak.

"Good Morning Harry," replied Dumbledore, "its is so nice to see that you are well. Your friends were getting worried about you."

At the mention of his friends, Harry's mood darkened suddenly, "Worried were they, they don't know the half of it. I have been cooped up here because of you again, with know way of talking to anyone about last term, no way to grieve for Sirius and no love of what is happening in my life."

"Like I said Harry, that is part of what makes us what we are...."

"Like I said, I don't want to be me," Harry spat at Dumbledore, "I wish I was a Muggle, their lives are much simpler."

"Simpler yes, Harry, Muggle life is simpler, but how many Muggles would trade all their money and possessions to be wizards? You see we all have a gift, and a gift that we should not waste, especially not sulking in your Aunt and Uncle's house. Do you really want to be like them?"

"Not like them," Harry replied, "like Chris, and his mates."

"Not all Muggle children are as happy as he," said Dumbledore, "Chris and his "mates" as you call them, come from a decent background and are both intelligent and responsible. Otherwise I would have visited you sooner. You see I wanted you to see your gift for what it is, having experienced the Muggle equivalent, though I hasten to point out that if you were to become a Muggle, you would not experience the same life comforts that they do."

Harry stared up at the ancient craggy face of his Headmaster and felt many times better than he had prior to his adventure into the Muggle world.

Dumbledore strode around Harry's room peering carefully at the mess, and then with a single swish of his wand, the mess picked itself up and formed an orderly cue to enter his trunk, which had magically righted itself, so it was the correct way up.

Harry's possessions then proceeded to dance their way into the trunk in a neatly packed way.

Harry watched in awe at the magical procession. Dumbledore had once again proven that he was the most powerful wizard of his age. The sight of his books doing a waltz with his wizarding robes was immensely funny. Harry noticed that Dumbledore was now humming to himself; it was some kind of waltz.

This did not surprise Harry, as one of the first things he had learnt about Dumbledore had been his love of classical music and also considering the gusto that he had danced with at the Tri-Wizard Yule Ball a year and a half ago.

"Now, Harry, as to why I came. Your friends had spoken to me, telling me of your lack of letters in response to their correspondence. Hagrid also was becoming concerned. They were worried that you had got into trouble and were unable to write back. So naturally, I came to make sure you were fit and healthy. I do this as a way of apologising for the way I treated you last summer over the Dementor incident. It would not be clever of me if I did not learn from my mistakes. Anyway the reason I am here, first of all I am here to personally deliver your OWL Results to you," said Dumbledore as he produced an official looking letter from the inside of his robes.

"Here you go Harry, good luck."

Harry took the letter with trepidation and stared at the writing on the outside. It was written in official Hogwarts emerald ink. Harry turned the letter over slowly and put his finger underneath the sealed flap and dragged his finger along towards the official Hogwarts seal that was holding the letter shut.

He was now sitting up in bed, feeling very nervous. Here was the moment when he found out how well he had done over the last five years at Hogwarts. His dad had been a top pupil at the school and so had Sirius. He knew he was not going to get the best results as that would go to Hermione, but he was at least hopeful of good results.

He had unconsciously crossed all his fingers and toes. He opened the letter and withdrew the dreaded results letter, he read it and gave himself a sly smile. The letter said:

OWL Results for Harry James Potter

Of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Astronomy: E

Care of Magical Creatures: O

Charms: O (3)

Defence against the Dark Arts: O (3)

Divination: P

Herbology: E

History of Magic: P

Potions: O (3)

Transfiguration: O (3)

It should also be noted that the Defence against the Dark Arts result was the best mark of the year with 105%; this is also a Hogwarts record.

Congratulations on your excellent results Mr. Potter, please fill in the attached sheet concerning your choices for NEWT's. The third sheet tells you which subjects you need for you chosen career options.

Professor Albus P.W.B. Dumbledore

"Congratulations Harry. A splendid effort, now I have some good and bad news for you. The good news is that Professor Tofty has told me about the "fit" you suffered during your History of Magic exam. Now that the events have come to light, I have managed to persuade the powers that be to allow you to re-attempt the exam. The bad news is that I will be staying with you for a few days, in order for you to achieve perfection in the skill of Occlumency."

"Do I have to?" asked Harry.

"Yes, as I found out last year, I cannot distance myself from you, our relationship must be closer than that of Headmaster and pupil as, I need firstly to protect you and secondly help you, through these testing times."

"Why? Is it because only one of me and Voldemort can survive?"

"Yes Harry, as your results imply in general, you are a very intelligent young man, not surprising considering your parents. Your father Head Boy and the cleverest pupil at the school with the possible exception of your mother, understandably as she was in Ravenclaw."

"Mum was in Ravenclaw? I always assumed she was a Gryffindor."

"How many people know that the Sorting Hat wanted to put you in Slytherin? Imagine people's views of you if you had not been a Gryffindor."

"It annoys me that I know so little about my parents, I wish I knew something about them, rather than having to wait for someone to tell me or compare me to them."

"I will see what I can do," muttered Dumbledore, "but for now you have mail."

Dumbledore indicated to the two owls trying to gain entry to the bedroom through the window, Harry leapt out of bed and let them in. One was a tiny hyperactive owl and the other a normal screech owl. Harry untied the letters and the screech owl hooted loudly and disappeared out the now open window. The other kept flitting around the ceiling.

"Pig, calm down." Harry urged the owl; "eventually the owl flew across the room and joined Hedwig, Harry's snowy owl, in her cage.

Harry looked at the letters and realised that one was from his best friend Ron, especially as it was his owl that had delivered it. The other was from his other close friend at Hogwarts, Hermione Granger, a muggle born witch, who Harry and Ron had been close to ever since they defeated a Troll in a girl's bathroom at Hogwarts together.

Harry unrolled Ron's letter; it read:

Harry,

I have just got my results for my OWL's, I got 11. I passed them all with E's except Potions and Defence against the Dark Arts, I got an A in Potions and an O in against the Dark Arts. I have you to thank for that one! Oh and I got a P in Divination! How did you get on, send the reply back with Pig.

Ron

Well done Ron, Harry thought to himself, thinking back of all the long hours that they had spent studying together. He carefully unfurled the letter from Hermione:

Harry,

I have received my OWL's I got straight O's, but I guess that is what you expected. How did you get on? I hope to see you soon.

Love Hermione

xxx

Harry smiled at Hermione's letter. She was by far the cleverest witch in their year and had worked so hard at school these last five years that anything less than straight O's for her would have been a travesty of justice.

"Harry, I think it is best that you write replies to your friends. Best if you send a letter to Hagrid as well. I will go downstairs to discuss some things with your Aunt and Uncle, when I return we shall talk about your Occlumency lessons," and with a flourish of his wand, writing paper, a quill and ink appeared in front of Harry.

Dumbledore stood up and disappeared out of Harry's door.

Harry took the quill and dipped it into the ink that Dumbledore had provided and started to write his first letter.

Dear Ron,

I am sorry that I have not written to you recently, I have been doing some much-needed soul searching since the loss of Snuffles. Congratulations on your OWL results, I knew that we could pull it off. I picked up 15 OWL's I got mostly O's with an E in Herbology and Astronomy and P's in Divination and History of Magic.

Hope to see you soon.

Harry

Harry re-read it to make sure he was happy with it, before rolling it up and sealing it. Harry picked up the pen and started to think what he was going to write to Hermione.

Dear Hermione,

Congratulations on your brilliant results! I knew you'd do it. I managed 15 OWL's and almost got O's in everything, however I failed Divination and History of Magic. I am learning that subject I dropped last year but with Brian not that Slimeball who instructed me previously. Sorry about not writing, I am deeply missing your company and hope to see you soon.

Harry

xxx

Harry also checked this letter for possible mistakes, which might endanger the Order of the Phoenix if intercepted. Happy that this was the case he sealed this letter and attached it to Hedwig's leg, similarly attaching Ron's to Pigwidgeon before letting them fly off in to the distance to deliver their cargo.

* * *

The Occlumency lessons had started in earnest, with Dumbledore, not surprisingly, being a better teacher than Severus Snape. Dumbledore actually had bothered to teach Harry the theory and technique before launching himself into Harry's mind.

Although the problems Harry had suffered whilst Snape had been teaching had not disappeared, his scar was at least not hurting as much or as often as it had. Harry also thought he was finally getting the hang of Occlumency.

He was now able to repel Dumbledore from his mind without shouting and without his wand, but it was still, in Dumbledore's opinion, taking Harry too long to repel his entry.

On Friday of the next week, Harry having written to Hermione and Ron several times, Dumbledore woke Harry as he had done every morning while he had been teaching him. Harry jumped out of bed and put his clothes on and got ready for the Headmaster to start the lesson with his usual unpredictable attack on Harry's mind.

Dumbledore however spoke instead, "Harry. You have worked well this week, so I have decided that you are ready to learn a different spell instead, as a change and as a reward. However first, you must swear never to use it at school unless absolutely necessary. Do you agree?"

"Depends what it is," replied Harry.

"I am going to teach you to perform the Ligilmency spell."

"Ok, I agree!" Harry replied promptly with enthusiasm.

"Now this is just as complicated as Occlumency, you must concentrate even harder, as you must break the natural defences of a persons mind. Right, I am thinking of an emotion. Concentrate as hard as you can, staring straight in to my eyes. Think your way in. Go on, give it a try."

Harry stared deeply into the eyes of his teacher and concentrated as hard as he could.

"Is it love?"

"Yes Harry it is, however that would have been your intuitive guess after the many speeches I have given you personally over the years. Still, remember the details. Store that pattern as love, so that you will be able to recognize it again. Now it is very unsafe for us to continue with you practising on me, as I doubt you will be able to control what you are looking for, and there are many things that I still wish you not to know, in case Voldemort does penetrate your mind again. Hold on a moment."

Dumbledore left the room for a few minutes and Harry sat there trying to master his Ligilmency skills on himself in the mirror.

Dumbledore re-entered, followed by Harry's cousin, Dudley Dursley, Dudley looked strange, not quite normal but not quite like he had the previous summer when a Dementor had nearly kissed him.

"Its alright Harry, I have put a spell on him that means he cannot remember anything about his ordeal, but is compliant to requests from anyone. No it is not the Imperius Curse before you start worrying."

Harry's look of concern was wiped off his face after hearing Dumbledore say this.

"Right Harry, try and penetrate your cousin's mind. Dudley just sit down and look Harry straight in the eye."

Dudley did as he was told Harry looked his cousin straight in the eyes and started to concentrate. He could feel himself tearing down Dudley's defences and pouring into his mind.

He could now see images of Dudley's gang, especially Piers Polkiss and was sensing an emotion he recognized, then he was seeing the image of Dudley busy kissing someone, and as the recipient of the kiss withdrew, Harry withdrew from Dudley's mind as quickly as he could.

"Professor Dumbledore, would you mind looking into my cousin's mind and focusing on his love interest, just to confirm I saw the truth and not what I wanted to see?"

Dumbledore looked into Dudley's eyes and cast the Ligilmency spell.

After a few moments Dumbledore looked at Harry and said, "Yes Harry your cousin is...."

"GAY?!?" cried Harry

"Yes Harry, your cousin is in a homosexual relationship with this boy, Piers."

"Oh boy, wait till my aunt and uncle find out."

"You will not tell them, Harry, that is a job for Dudley, when he feels the time is right."

"Alright, Professor, I guess you are right."

"Now Harry, I have another surprise for you. I think you have been cooped up in here for far too long on your own. So here is another shock for you, you may come in now." Dumbledore said, raising his voice at the end.

In to the room an otter ran, and jumped on to the bed.

"What the..." exclaimed Harry, "What is this, some surprise."

As Harry spoke though, the otter started to transform in to a human.

When Harry recognized it, he swore.

7

Harry Potter

7

Owl Results