Harry Potter and the Time of Learning

Harry walked back into his tent with a smile on his face. Watching the reaction of his aunt, uncle, and cousin when he informed them that he could use magic and would be staying in his room most of the summer had been most amusing. Now, though, he wanted to get back to studying the book on Apparation. After he skimmed through it, he learned that the book wasn't so much about how to Apparate but how to master the art of Apparation. This wasn't exactly what he wanted, but it would be helpful.

Three hours later, Harry put the book down when his stomach growled fiercely for food. He remembered Dumbledore saying in his letter that Dobby had made food for him. Harry hadn't been able to explore every room while Tonks was there, but he thought that the last door near the study was probably the kitchen. Entering into the room, Harry saw that it was actually a dinning room, complete with a door and a serving window in the left wall, which he decided must be to the kitchen. The dinning room had the same slate floor as the main room, and white walls with two large windows looking out back of the house. The entire dinning table looked to be made out of a single piece of white marble, and the chairs were made out of black onyx with white cushions for the seat and back. The walls had the same pillars as the main room, and candles were floating a few feet from the ceiling, giving more than enough light to eat, but dark enough to let Harry know it was night. Harry thought of the different rooms and could easily tell that several professors had made the tent; each room had its own unique feel to it.

When he entered the kitchen, Harry realized just how hungry he was - with all the excitement, he hadn't eaten anything all day. Silently thanking Dobby for preparing such great food, Harry grabbed some meatloaf, mashed potatoes, beans, and pudding, and brought them to the table. While eating, his mind wondered back to Apparation.

The book taught him a lot, but it lacked the basics. The author had assumed the reader could already Apparate and the reader just wanted to know how to improve. From what he could figure out, Apparating wasn't really a spell, but a form of wandless magic. The first, and most common form, is used when you have already been to where you are Apparating. The second form, which is significantly harder, is for when you are Apparating to a person; third, and by far the hardest, is used when you are Apparating to somewhere you have never been before. Though most people normally only learn the first form of Apparation, Harry had already decided he wanted to master all three.

He had also decided that learning the first form shouldn't really be that difficult. Basically, it was just using intense concentration to access the magic inside yourself and willing yourself to be there. Being able to access your inner magic seemed like the hardest part, as he didn't know how to do it. The book had mentioned that many beginners use their wand - not because it is required, but because it allows them to feel the magic easier. Harry, having earlier decided that he needed to be able to Apparate during a fight like Voldemort and Dumbledore had in the Ministry, did not want to use his wand as a crutch.

He knew he would have to learn eventually, and a thrill came through him when he realized he might be able to surprise Tonks when she came tomorrow to teach him, so he put his dishes in the sink, got his wand, and went into the main room to practice Apparating. He didn't want to have to use a wand to Apparate, but he thought he'd try and just hold his wand for a moment to get a feel for his magic. He'd been using it for five years now, but besides when he picked his wand for the first time in Ollivander's, he never really thought about what magic felt like. Just holding his wand, he didn't realize any difference at first, but after he concentrated for a while he began to feel his inner magic. Remembering how warm and different it felt years ago, he couldn't believe he had gotten so used to it that he now ignored the feeling. Closing his eyes, Harry tried to shut everything out except for that feeling of pure magic. After about three quarters of an hour, he could actually start to feel the magic; it was warm, soothing, and pulsing within him like it was alive, yet still very much part of him. He put down his wand and concentrated again on that feeling, but it wasn't there. Trying again, he still was not able to feel his own magic. This time, he decided to just concentrate on what it felt like when he held his wand. Twenty minutes of concentrating passed, and he realized that he was no longer thinking of the memory, but actually feeling it. Trying to keep the feeling, he started to remember when he was sitting in the study and reading the book on Apparation. He concentrated on that image, harder and harder, trying to make it as real and clear as he could. It was hard trying to concentrate on the memory and the feeling at the same time, but after a few minutes he thought he had enough willpower to try to Apparate. A moment later he realized that he was no longer standing, but sitting down... He opened his eyes and was amazed that he was sitting in the same seat he was studying in earlier.

He had Apparated.

It had taken him about an hour and a half but he had done it. Now he just needed to do quicker so he could use it when dueling.

Three hours later, Harry was happy with the progress he had made. His latest attempt at Apparating was done in less than five seconds, but he still had to close his eyes to do it. Figuring it was around one or two in the morning, he thought he'd go to bed and try again later that morning. He was so exhausted he didn't even try to take off his clothes before he was asleep.

Later that morning, Harry woke up. It took him a moment to remember where he was; he hadn't realized how nice the bed was last night, but now that he was lying on it, he realized it was more comfortable than even the school bunks and lots better than the small mat in his room. After he took a quick shower, he brought his school trunk into his new room for a change of clothes. He didn't want Hedwig to become lonely, so he brought her cage into the main room and promised her he'd improve it during the summer. Remembering that he was supposed to be working on Apparating, he concentrated on the kitchen he closed his eyes and willed himself to be there; he sensed the now familiar feeling of Apparating, and when he opened his eyes, he was right where he wanted to be. It had only taken a second to Apparate this time! He guessed it was because he was well rested instead of exhausted. With excitement, he took some food and ate a quick breakfast.

Harry realized he had not been outside yet and went back to the main room and out the backdoor. He was immediately impressed by the work the professors had put into the field and now understood why they wanted to change the enchantment in great hall to this new one. The sky looked real, like he could actually touch it. He could see the blue sky and white clouds, but not having been to the real outside today, he wasn't sure if his sky reflected the current weather. It looked like he was standing in the middle of a grassy field, not in a tent in his room. He imagined they used the same enchantment for the walls; from here, he couldn't tell where the field stopped and wall began. He saw a garden off to the left of the house, a few trees throughout the field, with flowers blooming wildly around it. It was truly magnificent. Harry would have to really thank Professor Sprout for the work she did. Thinking about it, he would need to thank all the professors that worked on the tent because it alone made his summer so much better. The only thing he felt missing were a few birds, so he took his wand out of his pocket and conjured a flock of twittering birds by muttering "Avis."

The book had said something about the farther the distance the harder it was to Apparate, Harry remembered. Now that he was outside, or as close to the outside as he could get while inside a magical tent, he could Apparate about half a kilometer away instead of just a room or two. Looking at a far hill, Harry closed his eyes, concentrated, and then Apparated there. It worked perfectly; he didn't even notice a difference between a short Apparation. Now he just needed to work on being to Apparate with his eyes open... It wouldn't do to have to screw up his eyes while in battle. The first few times were hard and took a lot of concentration.

Three hours later, Harry could now Apparate anywhere within his tent in less than two seconds with his eyes open. All he had to do now was work on the sound he created; it wasn't the loud cracks that Fred and George made, but it was much more than the near silent Apparation of Dumbledore or Voldemort, which he wanted to achieve.

Deciding that was enough practice for now, he went on a run around the field. It had been a couple days since he last run and he was easily tired before he finished one lap. Going inside to take a shower and get cleaned up he saw that it was approaching noon now. When he got out of the shower he saw that Tonks was sitting on the couch waiting for him.

"Wotcher, Harry."

"Hi, Tonks. When did you get here?"

"About ten minutes ago. I thought about visiting you in the shower, y'know, figured you may want some company or help to clean those hard-to-reach spots."

Blushing profusely, Harry managed to mumble some sort of reply and Tonks laughed.

"You're so easy to embarrass! I love it, haven't had such a fun target in a long time."

Angry now, Harry glared at her. "Glad I could be of some use."

"Oh come on, none of the grouchy Harry. Remember, I'm the one that you haven't yelled at, so you can't get shirty with me!"

"I am not grouchy!"

"Just keep telling yourself that." Tonks saw that he was getting upset and added "I spoke with Dumbledore this morning."

"What did he say?"

"He wasn't too happy that I knew the Prophecy, but then again, I wasn't too happy with him either. It seems you and I have similar tastes - you're not the only one that ruffed up his office a bit."

"What? You destroyed his office too? What'd he say, what happened?"

She smiled slightly. "I didn't really destroy it, just made sure that he knew what I thought about how he treated you last year, and some of the decisions of the Order that I don't agree with now that I know what happened. We worked it out though; he's letting me train you as much as I can this summer."

"Great! Though I wish I could have been there when you ruffed up his office."

"I think I got a little out of hand but, well, he got my point. He's having Kingsley say I'm undercover for the next few days. Hopefully, we'll be able to have you finished with apparating by then. I thought that's what we'd get started on first, then we'd do some Occlumency and go over shield charms."

Harry grinned. "Oh, I have a surprise for you." He then Apparated onto the couch, sitting right next to her.

"Blimey Harry! When you'd learn that?"

"Last night, mostly."

Impressed, Tonks asked "You learned that in one night?"

"Well, yeah. I read that book for a couple hours, but then got hungry. After dinner, I decided to try it. The first time took me about a half hour, but after that I was able to get it down to about five seconds before I went to bed."

"You tried to Apparate with only studying for a few hours? What were you thinking? Didn't that book say you weren't suppose to try it like that? You have someone teach you, Harry! Ministry's courses are two weeks long! At Hogwarts, it's a month! What book was it that taught you in just a few hours?"

Sheepishly, Harry bowed his head a little "Um... The book was more for improving your already existing Apparating skill. I just kind of guessed how from what it implied."

"YOU WHAT? You didn't even learn how to Apparate correctly, not even bothering to read a book to really explain it. And then you try to Apparate for the first time when you're all by yourself!"

Harry just nodded his head.

"Bloody hell. I don't know if I should skin you alive or hug you because you succeeded!"

Stuttering, Harry replied, "I... I don't think I want to be skinned alive. I'm really sorry, Tonks, I didn't mean to do anything bad... I just wanted to impress you. I knew you were coming back to teach me and I thought if I could already do it..."

Tonks put her arms around Harry's shoulder and brought him closer to her. "Harry, I'm not mad - and you didn't do anything wrong. I should have told you to wait for me. It's just, well, a lot of people get hurt or splinched when they first try to Apparate. What would we have told the Ministry if we had to call St. Mungo's to get you unsplinched?"

Feeling really stupid now, Harry mumbled another apology.

"Enough of that, now, you did it on your first try! Do you know how hard that is? It took me over a week before I could successfully Apparate, and even then I was slow and really loud. From what I saw, you can already Apparate almost instantly, and it's quieter than most people are. That's really impressive, Harry."

Harry smiled at that. "Thanks"

"Well, since you already know how to Apparate, I guess it's onto Occlumency."

"Okay, let's hope it goes better than it did with Snape" The way Harry spat the name Snape left no doubt in Tonks' mind what he thought of the Potions master.

"What do you know about Occlumency so far?"

"Um... Not much. I know it's to defend your mind from attacks of Legilimency and that you're suppose to clear your mind."

"That's all?" at his nod she said, "Okay, um. What did Snape have you do for lessons?"

"He told me to clear my mind and then he immediately would attack with Legilimency before I could react. It would take a while, but I would force him out of my mind sometimes."

Tonks swore under her breath. "Well, that's one way to teach it I guess. I'm going to try something different though. Let me explain what Occlumency is and then we'll see what happens from there."

Harry nodded and Tonks started to explain.

"Occlumency is a lot more than just clearing your mind, Harry. Though that is part of the process, it is much more than that. The brain is incredibly complex and is always working. Your mind takes tons of information in, even if you don't realize it at the time. Like right now, you may not be able to tell me what color shirt I was wearing yesterday."

Harry interrupted her with a mumbled sound.

"Huh?"

"You wore a purple Weird Sisters shirt yesterday."

"Really?"

He nodded.

"Thanks for noticing!" she responded happily. "But let's get back to what I was saying before I forget.

"You may not notice all the little details, but your mind takes it all in. Most of the time, it gets rid of the useless information and only stores what you pay attention to. Now, when it stores it in your memory, it labels it. Most of what Occlumency deals with is the general labels like happy memories, sad memories, painful memories, confusion, transfiguration, memories about me, memories about Hermione, and memories you don't want to think about or let someone see. It's not always the same, though, like you may have memories you wouldn't want Hermione to see, but it really wouldn't matter if Ron or I saw them. And they don't just have one label; each memory has lots of different labels.

"Really, Occlumency is more about controlling your own mind rather than just blocking a Legilimens. That's a really important skill; having more control can help in a lot of different ways. One of the main reasons Occlumency is taught in Auror training is because it allows us to keep better control of our emotions. We can't afford to afford to loose control of our temper in a fight, and it helps when we have to go undercover and see something horrible, but can't let it bothers us. We see a lot of things that most people don't, and it can take a toll on us. Though I'm sure you are already familiar with that... It also helps to know how your mind - more specifically, your memory - works. Using Occlumency, you can search through your memory, looking for specific details that you may not have normally caught, or you can go into a situation knowing that you need to pay attention for small details or something specific.

"Now, one of the first steps is clearing your mind of excess thoughts, but that's only to makes it easier for you do the rest. It's much harder to concentrate on one specific memory when you have hundreds of memories popping up. In regards to Legilimency, it's also harder to stop an attack when the person has easy access to your thoughts. By clearing your mind, you make the person have to go further to look for a memory and you can tell what they are searching for. It's really easy to see something that is right there on the surface, but much harder if they actually have to go searching for it, and it gives you more time to kick the person out. Once you get good, you can not only kick the person out, but also block anyone from getting in. If you really train, you can also redirect the person to a different memory than what they seek or make a false memory to show them."

Getting impatient Harry interrupted her again. "But how do I clear my mind?"

"That was my hardest part, too. For some reason, my instructor thought it was the most natural thing in the world, but that was probably because he'd been doing it for so long. It was Kingsley that actually helped me out with it. Don't try to not think because that only makes it worse."

"I noticed," Harry said dryly.

Tonks continued like she hadn't been interrupted. "What I had to do to start was to think of one specific memory. It helps if it's a happy memory, but it's not like your trying to cast a Patronus. You don't want any extreme emotions; you want a happy memory where you felt relaxed and content."

"Um... I can't think of anything like that."

Tonks laughed. "Sure you can Harry, just give it a minute. Maybe something with you, Ron, and Hermione studying together or relaxing after a test or during the summer." Seeing the look on his face, she added, "One of the memories I used was a summer day during my fifth year. It was just after the O.W.L.'s, so we didn't have any studying to worry about... Most my friends and I just laid out near the lake for the day. I don't think we did anything at all the whole day, just laid there, relaxed and talked. There was nothing too special about the memory - no excitement or extreme emotions."

Taking a moment to think hard of the times he was with Ron and Hermione, he finally picked one. As he started thinking about it, he actually gave a rare smile. "During my fourth year, it was just after the first task of the Tri-wizard Tournament, when Ron and I had just started talking again. Hermione, Ron and I were sitting by the fireplace... Hermione even set down her books for a while and the three of us just sat there enjoying each others' company. I didn't care about the tournament or the badges, I had my friends back, and that was all the mattered right then."

"Perfect! Now I'm going to try and enter your mind. I want you to think about that memory. Concentrate only on it, and remember every little detail of it."

He nodded and started to concentrate on that memory, remembering how it felt to be with his friends around the warmth of the fire. Then the image changed; it was when Hermione had taught him the Summoning Charm. He concentrated more and was able to switch it back to sitting near the fireplace, but the memory changed again, and Ron was ignoring him. He concentrated; he was back to the couch near the fireplace. It stayed for a moment, but switched to the Three Broomsticks, where most the students were wearing the Support Cedric badges. Still concentrating, he switched the memory back to the fireplace. It changed again; he was asking Cho to the Yule Ball, but she was already going with Cedric. He forced the fireplace into his mind, and then Krum was hitting Cedric with the Cruiciatus curse during the third task. Cedric and the spider in the maze. 'No, not Cedric, think of the fireplace,' he screamed to himself. He was able to get the fireplace in his mind's eye for a moment, but it flickered to the cup and, no! The fireplace came for a moment, but then he was in the graveyard. 'NO!' The fireplace reappeared, but now it had Cedric's dead body in front of it. "Kill the spare." The green light and Cedric's lifeless eyes. 'No, no, no, not again! Not this again!' He tried to focus on the fireplace, of comfort with Ron and Hermione, but he saw Wormtail, then Voldemort... He was dueling with Voldemort, and the wands connecting, 'NO!' Wormtail's hand was coming from Voldemort's wand, and then it was Cedric's body... 'NO!'

Harry hit the floor of the house and curled his body up into a small ball. "No, no, no..."

He felt someone touch his shoulder, and he heard Tonks. "Harry, it's all right. Its okay, Harry, it'll be alright." She kissed his temple and ran her hand through his hair. "Come on, we'll get something to eat. You did so much better than I expected." When Harry stood up, she saw pain and suffering in his eyes. They looked old, sullen, and she could see the raw agony barely concealed in his emerald eyes.

Tonks' voiced was filled with emotion as she softly apologized to Harry. "Harry, I'm sorry. I, I hadn't realized... I mean I knew, but I hadn't thought..." She trailed off for a moment and then said, "I'll find a better way for you to practice. You won't have to go through that again."

Lunch was quiet, or as quiet as it could be when you're eating with Tonks. She made faces, joked and talked a lot, but Harry just sat there, eating and barely commenting. She brought him out of his depression for a moment by telling him that, because of so many complaints, Umbridge had been arrested for abusing her position, and would have a trail next month. He was about to tell her about the detentions and Dementors when an owl that he didn't recognize came into the tent.

The owl, surprisingly, turned out to be from Ginny Weasley. He had never received and owl from her before, so read the letter quickly incase it was important.

Dear Harry,

This is one of Fred and George's owls from their shop; they needed an extra hand at Wheezes, so I offered to work down in Diagon Alley with them. I know you are probably wondering why I'm writing to you, but I just thought you might need a friend, or at least someone else to write. If I know Ron, he's probably been telling you about the Cannons and complaining about Hermione. And if I know Hermione, she has probably been trying to console you, pry into whatever you don't want to say, and complain about Ron. Pig's been so busy lately running letters for Ron I haven't had a chance to write you. I'm not sure what all my git of a brother has been telling you, so I'll fill you in about the family. We're all at the Burrow, though I'm sure you knew that already. Percy came home a few days ago begging for forgiveness; most of us wouldn't talk to him, but Mum was really happy he came back. I'm not sure I can forgive him, but I miss him so much I started talking to him before he left. Ron, Fred and George still haven't. Fred and George are still living here even though they thought about moving into the shop - Mum wants them to stay at home. Hermione is back at her parent's house. Dumbledore put up a lot of wards around it over the year, so she and her family should be safe. I think she and her parents are going on vacation next month, but I'm not sure exactly where. She may be inviting the git (Ron) - though if he keeps acting up, I don't think she will, or at least she'll threaten to change the plan to get him to behave. I still can't believe those two got together... I never thought Ron would have the guts to ask her on a date! I hope the Muggles are treating you okay. If not, let me know and I'll send you a care package from Fred and George. We were at Headquarters last night; Mum didn't want us to be at home alone. It was much quieter than last year, though they still haven't gotten that painting of Sir - of Mrs. Black off the wall. I tried to find out how you were doing, but no one would say a single word about you. All I could find out was that you were alive! I don't know what's going on, but it was creepy. That's why I borrowed one of the owls and really, it's the main purpose of this letter. Are you okay? I know that's a stupid question because you're not okay - even if you say you are. But could you write something? Mum has been going nutters worrying about you. You know she thinks of you as her son, right? I know Ron's been getting lots of letters, but he hasn't shared any with the family. You don't have to send me a letter back, but next time at least send mum one.

Sincerely,

Ginny

Well, that was a surprising letter... Ron and Hermione were together, and they hadn't bothered to even tell their best friend! They hadn't even bothered to write me at all yet! It looked like they were planning on going away together on vacation, but of course they didn't bother to even mention it to me, some best friends they are!