Learning to Vanquish

Harry looked back over his shoulder at the now-vacant site. He would have loved to stay in the other world, but it hadn't been possible. Now, he had to decide where he was going to go and how he was going to send the letter the other Lupin had given him to send. He had just decided to take the Knight Bus to Grimmauld Place in London when he heard a pop behind him.

Turning, Harry saw Professor Lupin standing behind him. He looked enormously relieved, then his expression slowly turned to anger. Before he could get too angry, Harry handed him the letter he had intended to post with Hedwig. "Here, this should explain what happened. I never planned to go missing; I'm still not entirely sure how it happened."

Lupin gave Harry an intense look, then opened the envelope and began reading. As he read the letter, he looked shocked, but then he relaxed, chuckling and shaking his head. "The only other person I can think of who would get himself into this kind of predicament would be Sirius," he said finally. "They'd never . . . ?" Then he shook his head. "This isn't the place for this conversation. I have a portkey," he held out a torn envelope. "Let's take it and discuss this somewhere a bit more secure, shall we?" Harry nodded and touched the envelope. Lupin tapped it three times and Harry felt the jerk behind his navel that heralded portkey travel.

Harry managed to stay standing up; looking around, he found himself in Professor Dumbledore's office. Other than Fawkes sitting on his perch, the office was empty. "Harry, why don't you sit down while I find Professor Dumbledore?" Lupin said, walking out of the office.

Instead of sitting down, Harry walked around the office. He noticed that the instruments he had destroyed after Sirius died had been cleaned up but didn't appear to have been replaced. Harry found himself standing at the window looking out at the Quidditch pitch, wishing that his Quidditch ban were his biggest worry.

Some time later, Harry wasn't sure how long, he heard the door open and several people come in. Turning, he saw Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape and Lupin. Dumbledore indicated the chairs in front of his desk. "Harry, why don't you sit down while we try to determine what has happened?"

Harry chose the chair on the end closest to where he was now standing. Lupin sat next to him with McGonagall between Snape and Lupin. "Why don't you begin at the beginning?" Dumbledore suggested when it became obvious Harry wasn't going to start talking.

Harry told them everything that had happened since he'd left Privet Drive. Several times one of the adults made as if to ask questions, but Dumbledore held up his hand, indicating they should let Harry finish. When he did finish, there was complete quiet in the room for several minutes.

It was Lupin who broke the silence. "Why don't you bring your trunk and you can get settled in. You'll be staying in your normal dorm." Lupin got up and led Harry out of Dumbledore's office and to Gryffindor Tower.

"Professor Lupin, why am I staying here? I'd assumed it would be either the Burrow or Grimmauld Place."

Lupin sighed. "Grimmauld Place would be better, but it's unclear as to who owns it. Narcissa Malfoy is fighting hard for it to go to her and, although we're not going to give it up, it isn't safe to use it right now. As for the Burrow, it isn't safe. We don't know, for certain, that Voldemort's going to come after you, but we have to assume he will. That means you have to be somewhere safe." Lupin stopped, turned and looked at Harry. "Why did you leave Privet Drive, Harry? I don't understand; you didn't say anything was wrong. One morning, you were gone and the Dursleys couldn't tell us where."

"As if I'd tell the Dursleys anything," Harry said. He sat down on his trunk and thought how to explain what he'd been feeling. "It just got to be too much. There was nobody to talk to, we had to be so careful what was put into letters, and I needed to talk to somebody. Anytime I tried to talk to anybody who was around, I was told they had to concentrate on guarding me; they couldn't talk to me." Harry shrugged.

Lupin looked bewildered. "Why didn't you say anything? If I'd known you needed to talk, I would've come as soon as I could, even if no one else could."

"I tried asking the guards, but they said everyone was too busy. I felt like I was being a brat, whining over nothing. Every day, my safe area got smaller. I felt like I was in a prison cell." Harry sighed. "I'm going to take a wild guess; I'm not going to be allowed to go into Hogsmeade this year, am I?"

Lupin shook his head. "We haven't thought that far ahead. Let's not worry about that for now. Get settled in; we'll discuss our next step later." They walked in silence to the tower.

Once they were there, Lupin cleared his throat. "Er, Harry, the letter you gave me said you had been given other letters. Instead of posting them, would you give them to me to hand out?"

Harry couldn't see a reason not to. He opened his trunk and pulled out the stack of letters. "There's letters for you, Professor Snape, and Professor Dumbledore. There are also letters for Mr. and Mrs. Weasley; I'll just send them with Hedwig."

Lupin shook his head. "Don't bother. Arthur and Molly should be here shortly; I'll give them their letters then."

Harry glared at him. "Nice of you to let me know. I suppose I'm not to be told anything about what's going on. Just shove me in a corner while everyone else makes the decisions. I'll just sit around and wait for everybody to tell me what to do because, when I ask questions, I get told I'm a little brat and, when I don't, I get people killed!" Harry reached back into his trunk and pulled out the box. "This is for Professor Snape; his counterpart sent it to him." Harry sat down on his bed staring at the open trunk and waited for Lupin to leave.

After a moment, Lupin rested his hand on Harry's shoulder. "You weren't supposed to be left alone this summer. The guards were given orders that they weren't supposed to talk with you on duty; that was to prevent their being so distracted with conversation that they forgot they were guarding you. But, if you told them you needed someone to talk to, they were supposed to report that, and someone would have come out to talk to you. I had intended to come to visit, but I got busy and distracted. It does explain why you left; I can't imagine how alone you must have been feeling." Harry could see the concern and guilt in Lupin's face. "We'll talk, and I do mean talk, later." Lupin squeezed Harry's shoulder, then left.

As soon as he had gone, Harry pulled the second mirror out of his trunk. "Sirius Black," he said into it and, after a moment, Sirius's face was there, grinning widely.

"It worked! I knew it would," Sirius said rapidly, "but sometimes what should work doesn't."

Harry smiled grimly. "It works, but they're already shutting me out of things. They're in a meeting and I've been sent to the dorms."

Sirius's triumphant grin faded. "Not too surprising, really. Did you tell them what happened?" When Harry nodded, he continued, "Now, they have to decide if they believe you, decide if they believe the letters and decide what they're going to do about it. You said the dorms; are you spending the rest of the summer at Hogwarts?"

Harry nodded again. "Yes, I'll be here all alone except for the teachers."

"And you can't think of any way to use that situation to your advantage?"

"I'll be forced to stay in the castle and they'll probably decide that, since I'm here, I might as well study. Vanquishing Voldemort, The Torture of Occlumency and, of course, Remedial Potions." Harry scowled, thinking of how horrible the rest of his summer was going to be.

Sirius shook his head. "And you can't think of any way to get out of that? Think, Harry. You're the one, as far as they're concerned the only one, who can defeat this bastard. If they push you too hard, go on strike."

"What?"

"Refuse. What can they do to you? They can't take points; school's not in session. They won't expel you; that means you won't be under their thumbs any more and they don't want that. They can give you a detention but you can refuse to do it. They have no effective way to force you to do what you don't want to do. Now," Sirius continued, as Harry's eyes had grown huge, "I'm not really suggesting you see how far you can push anyone. What I am suggesting is that you let them know they can't push you around any more. So, relax and make up a list of what you consider essential. I'd recommend time outdoors, time with your friends and, if they insist on lessons, it should be a limited amount of time and no homework other than your normal summer work."

Sirius sat there grinning at Harry. He finally smiled back, starting to feel as if things would get better. "Even more important, I have a list of questions that need answering. See you later?"

Sirius nodded. "See you later." The mirror went blank and Harry returned it to its place in his trunk. He took a roll of parchment and the Occlumency books down to the common room to work.

Several hours later, Lupin returned to the common room with a tray. "I come bearing food, questions and, I hope, answers. Which do you want first?"

"We can talk while we eat," Harry answered. As the two of them tucked into lunch, he said, "What kind of questions?"

The questions turned out to be about the other universe. He wanted to know what their counterparts were like, how strange it had been, what Harry had picked up on what their world was like. Harry discovered that the question everyone found most perplexing was why Harry had returned.

"What was I supposed to do? My presence there destabilized both universes and, well, I was already there. And I'm needed here."

Lupin shook his head. "I'm not sure I could have been so selfless and I'm amazed you don't see yourself in that light." He pushed his plate forward and picked up his glass. "Time for your questions now. I see you have a list," Lupin added, indicating the list Harry had been working on.

"First, what about my Quidditch ban? Will it be lifted?"

"Oh, yes," Lupin said. "The only question is if it will be done through the proper channels or whether Albus just says it's lifted. For political purposes, it would be better to go through channels but it will be lifted no later than the 1^st of September. And," anticipating Harry's next question, "Minerva will be bringing you your broom no later than breakfast tomorrow morning. Apparently, that creature put some hexes on it and Minerva wants to make sure they're all off safely. I hope that's acceptable."

Harry nodded. "Does that mean I'll be allowed to fly? This summer?"

Lupin smiled. "Let me give you your rules for the rest of the summer, shall I? I suspect that will answer most of the rest of your questions." He took a deep breath. "You will be required to stay on the grounds. The Forbidden Forest is out of bounds unless you are in the company of a teacher or member of staff. If you are going to be anywhere outside of Gryffindor Tower, you must leave an easy-to-find note in the common room saying where you are. That table over there," Lupin pointed to a small end table that was rarely used, "would be a good place for it. Minerva will get together with you when she brings your broom to set up a study plan to help with your Auror ambitions a little; she's rather busy herself so that shouldn't be more than an hour or two a day. Albus wants to talk with you about training in Occlumency and possibly Legilimency; he said that should be about an hour a day. And all of us would be grateful if you spent as much time as possible with Hagrid and his new, er, project out in the Forest. We'd especially like it," Lupin continued with a pained look on his face, "if you could talk him out of providing said project with a lady friend. We think spending a significant portion of each day outside, unless it's raining, would be a good idea. Otherwise, your time is your own. Think you can live with that?"

Harry thought it over. It meant spending two or three hours a day in study, but he knew he needed the lessons and they weren't going to be with Snape. He was being given permission to roam wherever he wanted inside or outside the castle. "What about my friends?"

"We decided against opening the Floo in the Tower; it's too much of a security risk. You can ask any of the professors left if you may borrow theirs; they are supposed to permit it unless there is a compelling reason not to. The Grangers aren't on the Floo network, so you're stuck with owls to keep in touch with Hermione, but the Burrow is on it and there is already lots of traffic; having Ron, Ginny or the twins over won't be a problem."

"And I'll be allowed to fly?" Harry confirmed.

"As long as you stay on the grounds, you can fly all day long." Lupin smiled. "Anything else?"

"Other than the rules for the summer, which are brilliant, what else got discussed in that meeting? And am I supposed to eat in the Great Hall?"

"The house elves will bring your meals here; they don't bother with the Great Hall during the summer break. Most of the meeting was everybody reading their letters, listening to Minerva complain that she hadn't received one, and listening to Molly scream at Dumbledore. After the Howler got through with him."

"The Howler?"

Lupin shook his head, grinning. "Apparently, that world's Lily was appalled at your condition. You're too short, you're too thin, you're too concerned with the fate of the world, you're in too much danger. From what they got from you, she has decided that this is Albus's fault and that he should change things. Immediately. She was quite emphatic about it. Between the Howler and the letter she sent Molly, Albus was quite eager to ensure that the rest of your summer is as pleasant as it can be made while keeping you safe. And Severus was so enthralled with the contents of his box, and so amazed at the letter that James sent him, that he paid no attention to your rules for the rest of the summer."

"I wish I could have seen that," Harry said wistfully.

"It was quite a sight," Lupin agreed. "Are you planning on spending the afternoon reading?" he asked, indicating the book Harry had laid aside when he came in. At Harry's nod, he grabbed a blanket and the stack of books. "Outside then. I want to see you get some sun and fresh air. I'd like to stay and talk, but I am busy today. How does getting together tomorrow afternoon for a proper chat sound?" Harry nodded and spent the rest of the afternoon by the lake; reading drowsily and watching the squid drift through the water.

Harry had intended on speaking with Sirius that night after supper, but the events of the last week caught up with him and he fell asleep in the common room instead. The next morning, after breakfast, Harry went to see Professor McGonagall in her office.

"Potter," she greeted him. "First things first. Your OWL results will be here any day; we will have a better idea where our efforts will be placed then. In the meantime," she handed him a stack of books, "I recommend you begin working on these books. They are not in the regular curriculum; however, they will assist you in your preparations for becoming an Auror. There are some rumours about the OWL marks that lead me to believe that this might be something it would be worth your time to consider." She handed Harry a brochure on teaching.

"Teaching? Me?" Harry asked.

"You understand, we have not yet seen the official results, so to say anything more would be premature." McGonagall gave Harry a thin-lipped smile. "Those four books should keep you busy for some time; I would like to meet with you twice a week to review them. Mondays and Thursdays?"

Harry nodded, his head whirling at what she seemed to be implying.

"And finally," she reached behind her desk and pulled out his broom. "Here is your broom. Mind, I expect you to be back in full trim when the season begins." She gave him a stern look that was quite spoiled by the quirk of her lips.

"Thank you, Professor," Harry said. He took his broom, more rapidly than was really polite, tucked the brochure into the top book, picked up the whole stack, and nearly ran out of her office. When he got back to the tower, he put down the books, ran back outside and kicked off. The feeling of freedom as he rose into the air was exhilarating. He spent the morning flying, swooping, soaring, diving and recovering. The only thing that might have made it better was a Snitch. And teammates. And a match being played.

He felt like he could have spent the entire day in the air, but Lupin's voice called him down. "I think you may be a better flier than James. Or maybe it's the broom," Lupin teased as he handed Harry a sandwich.

The mention of the Firebolt, and the thought of who had given it to him, made Harry's stomach clench. "I miss him so badly. Even though I can talk to the other Sirius, I still miss my, our, Sirius."

"What do you mean, you can talk to the other Sirius?" Lupin asked, looking worried. After Harry explained about the mirror, Lupin relaxed. "I was afraid," he said, "that you might be considering visiting the other universe. That would be a very bad idea."

"So everyone says," Harry replied. "I just wish I'd been smart enough to listen to Hermione."

"And I wish I'd been smart enough to listen to Sirius," Lupin sighed. At Harry's questioning look, he continued, "As soon as he knew Voldemort was back, Sirius argued with Dumbledore that you should be told about the prophecy. He didn't know what it contained, nor do I, but we both knew Dumbledore knew and that it involved you. Sirius believed you should be brought all the way in. Maybe not make you an actual member of the Order, but let you in on the basics of what was happening. To a lesser extent, I agreed with him. Events have proved him right. Sometimes, people are forced to make decisions and, when there isn't sufficient information, the choices they make aren't as good as they might be." Lupin smiled sadly at Harry. "You shouldn't blame yourself for Sirius's death. When Severus told us what had happened, Sirius shouted at him, well at all of us, that this was what came of keeping you in the dark. He was right; what happened was much more our fault than yours."

The two of them sat quietly, eating their sandwiches and looking over the grounds. Finally, Harry started describing the people of the other universe, how some people were so much the same and how others were so different. Lupin laughed when he heard his counterpart was in business with James in a joke business. "That was something James always wanted to do. He actually did develop some items for the Order. They were useful, but they always had an element of fun. He'd have loved the Extendable Ears and would have wanted the twins to come work with him."

Harry raged about the alternate Neville and what it implied about the Neville in this universe. "He had everything going for him and that bitch robbed him of it all. Even if I didn't want to kill her because of Sirius, I'd want to hurt her for what she did to Neville."

"You mean he didn't have the memory problems Neville's cursed with?" Lupin looked thoughtful. "No one's ever thought that Neville might be fighting anything other than inability and lack of power, but it might be something more. I think we might want to take a closer look at Neville."

"It was strange about Ron, too," Harry said, "but in the other direction. Ron may not be the best student, the best Quidditch player, although he is our king," he joked to Lupin's snigger, "or the most powerful wizard. But he's, well not happy, it's hard to be happy with Voldemort and Death Eaters hanging over our head, but he's content with who he is. There, he was just angry. I tried talking to him, but he was sarcastic and nasty."

Lupin thought about it for a bit. "At a guess, I'd say it's because there he's the youngest Weasley boy. Is he a prefect?"

"No, that's Neville."

Lupin looked surprised. "So, he's not a prefect or a great student like Bill or Percy, he's not exceptionally talented at Quidditch like Charlie, he's not a prankster like the twins. He's just the baby, the youngest boy, and I suppose that must be difficult for him."

"But that's true here as well. Plus he's Harry Potter's Best Friend, too, which he must hate."

"Ah, but being Harry Potter's Best Friend is a role he's chosen, not one he was born to. And," Lupin continued, "it's a role which has put him into danger. Danger he hasn't run away from or allowed to change his friendship. No, I suspect that the Ron in this universe is much more confident. Odd, isn't it, to think how everything touches everything else; how changing one thing changes so much else."

The two of them continued to talk about the differences between the two universes, and the similarities. As evening approached, Lupin stood up. "Harry, I could sit here and talk to you for hours, but tonight's the full moon. I need to take my Wolfsbane Potion and lock myself in. You need to go in, get some supper and some rest. I wouldn't bother with studying much just yet; you'll be getting your OWL results in the next couple of days and that will help you decide what needs work." With that, he shook Harry's hand and walked up to the castle. Harry, hoping to make him laugh, got on his broom and raced him to the entrance. Lupin caught on and ran to the entrance, trying to beat him. He hadn't a chance, of course, but it was the wide grin on Lupin's face that Harry took with him up to Gryffindor Tower that night.

After a quiet dinner, Harry decided to plan out the rest of his holiday. He was obviously expected to study Defence Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Transfiguration, Potions and Occlumency. He wanted to make time to see Hagrid, Lupin, the Weasleys, and Hermione if he could. He wanted to have lots of time for flying and he wanted to thoroughly explore the castle. Looking at his list, he decided he wasn't likely to have enough time to do all he wanted to do. Knowing any real timetable he made up would just have to be changed when he got his OWLs, he decided to wait until then. Then he'd write to Hermione. As he fell asleep, he realized he hadn't had a single dream from Voldemort since he'd been back. He wondered what that meant, and how long it would last, until he fell asleep.

When he woke up the next morning, Harry decided it was a good thing he'd had a good night's sleep. He was bombarded by owls when he came into the common room for his breakfast. One was Ron's hyperactive midget owl, Pig, who was zooming around the room excitedly. The second was a calm barn owl who turned out to be from Hermione and the third was a stately owl from the Ministry. Swallowing nervously, he reached for the Ministry owl first; thinking to get his OWL results over with. Just as he was opening the letter, Lupin burst into the room.

"I just heard the OWL results were posted today and I had to see how you did," he said. Lupin looked quite tired and peaky and there was a fresh scratch across his left cheek. When he noticed Harry looking at him, he smiled. "No need to worry; it was very easy this month. I got my tail caught in my desk drawer and stumbled a bit; it's nothing to worry about. Have you seen the results yet?" When Harry shook his head, Lupin threw himself into a chair. "Well, open it and put me out of my misery! I'm dying to see your results; you have to do the Marauders proud!"

"Thanks for taking off all the pressure," Harry grumbled, and pulled out the papers. Taking a deep breath he unfolded them and looked through the stack. The first page was a letter to the student's parents, explaining the meaning and purpose of the OWLs. Harry handed it to Lupin, completely uninterested in it. The second page explained the different marks a student could get (you could get a Troll), and how those marks were achieved. Harry handed that one to Lupin, too. Lupin, for his part, glanced at the first two pages but was scarcely more interested in them than Harry was.

*** start here ****

It was the third page that had the marks. Harry was finding it very hard to get enough air into his lungs as he went through them.

Charms Theoretical: E

Charms Practical: O

Transfiguration Theoretical: E

Transfiguration Practical: E

Herbology Theoretical: A

Herbology Practical: A

Defence Against the Dark Arts Theoretical: O +

Defence Against the Dark Arts Practical: O +*

Potions Theoretical: E

Potions Practical: O

Care of Magical Creatures Theoretical: A

Care of Magical Creatures Practical: E

Astronomy Theoretical: A

Astronomy Practical: P

Divination: D

History of Magic: T

+ indicates highest score in class

* indicates score was over 100% due to extra points given.

Harry realized he had stopped breathing when he took in a large breath to relieve the pressure in his chest. He'd done much better than he'd dared hoped. He hadn't made it into the NEWT potions class, but he had made it into the others. Harry hoped that taking Potions wasn't actually required to become an Auror; he thought McGonagall had only said it was recommended.

It was only when Lupin shouted at him that he realized the man had asked him several times what marks he had received. He had been so wrapped up in the marks he hadn't heard him. He handed the page over to him, saying, "I guess these aren't too bad."

Lupin looked at the marks, smiling broadly. "Wherever James is, he's bragging about these marks to anyone who'll listen. You do realize that, don't you?"

Harry grinned. "What would my mother be saying?"

"Proud of the Defence Against the Dark Arts marks; appalled at the History of Magic one." When Harry grimaced, Lupin said, "Is that the one you were in when you got the vision of Sirius?"

Harry nodded. "It was a lost cause before that, though. I had the vision because I'd fallen asleep."

"Well, falling asleep is only to be expected. After all Binns trains you well."

Harry laughed at the outrageous twinkle in Lupin's eyes. He glanced at the rest of the pages when he noticed one that didn't belong. "Hang on a minute. They've put an instructor's report in here . . ." Harry's voice trailed off as he looked more closely at it. It listed him as the instructor, Defence Against the Dark Arts / Dumbledore's Army as the class and listed all of the students in the DA who had taken the OWLs or NEWTs. Even more shocking, however, were the marks. Every student on the list had received an E or an O in the practical exam and everyone had passed the written. Harry gazed happily at the report; the students in the DA had worked hard and he believed they had earned those marks. "Look at this, Professor Lupin!"

Lupin took the page. He read it over and seemed stunned at first. Then he gave Harry a look of utter pride. "Well done, Harry! And this will be one in Umbridge's eye. I can't believe the students who weren't in the DA did a fraction as well." Lupin handed the pages he was holding back to Harry. You should look over everything in the packet carefully, but that is an OWL report to be proud of. Well done, Harry, on everything." Lupin stood up. "I can't stay but I had to see how you did. Now, I can brag outrageously to everyone I talk to." Lupin left, waving over his shoulder. Harry noticed happily that he was walking easily.

Now that he knew what the marks were, Harry was able to look at the other papers more carefully. He had just decided that none of them told him anything he didn't already know when a school owl arrived with a note for him. It was from Professor McGonagall, asking him to come to her office at his earliest convenience and to bring his exam results.

Harry arrived at McGonagall's office out of breath. "Potter, I didn't intend for you to race here; I wanted to speak with you before lunch."

Harry grinned at her. "I got good news today; I feel like running."

McGonagall smiled cheerfully at him; it wasn't an expression Harry was used to seeing from her. "I can understand why you might be happy; those marks are splendid. I asked you here to confirm your classes for next year. I assume you have no problems with dropping Astronomy, Divination or History of Magic?" When Harry shook his head, she continued, "Leaving aside Potions for the moment, do you want to keep your remaining classes?" She made a notation on the page in front of her when Harry nodded. "Excellent. You did not receive a sufficiently high mark on your Potions exam to be admitted to the NEWT Potions course; however, the Headmaster is interceding with Professor Snape on your behalf. In the meantime I would recommend you begin working on the Potions text I gave you." With that, she shut the folder briskly and smiled at Harry.

"I found it delightful that the students in your class passed their Defence Against the Dark Arts OWLs and NEWTs easily while those who . . . ." McGonagall's lips got very thin and her nostrils flared. "Well, those students who didn't benefit from your instruction did quite poorly. The difference in the marks is dramatic. Professor Umbridge tried to claim the high scores of your students as her own; however, the Headmaster was able to demonstrate who made the difference in scores. Since you are showing a marked proficiency in both Defence Against the Dark Arts and teaching, I will be asking you to tutor those students coming to me for additional help."

"Me? My grades are all right, but tutoring?" Harry protested, feeling stunned.

"Indeed," McGonagall said. "I well may ask you to assist the first and second years with all of their subjects, but you are more than competent to assist any student at this school in Defence Against the Dark Arts and I will expect you to do so, as a member of my house." McGonagall's face was stern, but Harry could see a glimmer in her eye. "It isn't often I get a student who can teach a subject as well as learn it; you've shown quite an aptitude for it.

"Finally, Professor Dumbledore asked me to tell you that he will be meeting with you in about a week to begin Occlumency lessons. In light of your OWLs and the events of last month, he may also discuss with you the possibility of teaching you Dark Arts. That last has not been decided and should not be discussed with anyone." McGonagall was giving Harry a very stern look. "Is that quite understood?" When Harry nodded, she smiled at him and dismissed him, looking quite pleased.

Harry walked back to the tower slowly, trying to take in everything he and McGonagall had just discussed. First, there was the suggestion that she thought he could be a teacher. Not just run a study group, but actually teach people what they needed to know. The instructor's report implied the same thing. Even in the DA, he had thought of himself as leading a group training themselves, not teaching a class. When he thought about it, he realized that he really had been teaching. It was a wonderful feeling.

The other thing going through his mind wasn't nearly as pleasant. Learning Defence Against the Dark Arts was important; it was also something he was good at. He wasn't so sure he wanted to learn Dark Arts. Sirius had said that his father had hated the Dark Arts; how would he have felt knowing his son was learning them? If he studied Dark Arts, then what would separate him from the Death Eaters? The memory of cursing Bellatrix with the Cruciatus Curse ate at him, too; although he couldn't regret it, he was ashamed of casting an Unforgivable Curse.

It was with these confused thoughts that Harry returned to Gryffindor Tower.

When Harry got back to the tower, he decided he was too unsettled to try to study. Instead, he decided to visit Hagrid. He stood at the portrait hole when a thought struck him. It was something he'd never be able to do when school was in session, but he hadn't seen Filch around and this was too good an opportunity to pass up. He ran up to the dorm and grabbed his Firebolt. Once he got through the portrait hole, he jumped onto his broom and went sailing down towards the Great Hall. Filch was there, polishing the entrance doors. Since they were open, Harry went flying through, enjoying the rush of air and sheer joy he always felt while flying.

When Harry saw Hagrid in the school gardens, he felt a stab of guilt go through him. The last time the two had talked, Harry had cut Hagrid off when he was only trying to help. Harry landed his broom and walked up to Hagrid. "Hagrid, I'm sorry for how I acted last month when we were talking about Sirius. I know you were just trying to help."

"Tha's all righ', Harry," Hagrid said, gently laying one of his large hands on Harry's shoulder. "Yeh were grievin' fer him; weren't ready ter hear abou' it. He was a good man; we all miss him." The instant forgiveness was a little heady.

Harry spent the rest of the morning helping Hagrid out in the gardens. After eating lunch, which was edible because it was provided by the house elves, Harry went out to sit by the lake and read his letters. The first one was from Ron.

Harry,

Bloody hell, what were you thinking? We were all worried sick about you. Mum and Dad came back from that meeting pretty upset but they won't tell us why. Mum did say your Mum sent Dumbledore a Howler. How is that even possible?

Ginny says to tell you that if you don't start telling us what's up, she'll hex you or send you a Howler, whichever seems better.

Dad says the OWL reports will be out soon. Let me know what you get as soon as you know.

Ron

Harry grinned. It was nice to know more about what was going on than Ron this summer. He would have to remember to send Ginny her own letter; he didn't fancy getting a Howler or one of her hexes.

The letter from Hermione was longer than Ron's.

Dear Harry,

I know how you dislike living the Dursleys; however, it was very dangerous for you to leave that way. It's a good thing it was Professor Lupin who found you and not a Death Eater. We were all very happy when you were found safe and sound.

I wish I could visit you this summer, but my parents are insisting that I spend it with them. I haven't spent much time with them over the past couple of years, so we've agreed I'll spend the entire holiday with them. They have said I can still visit my friends; I hope Professor Dumbledore will allow me to visit you and bring them with me.

I hope we get our OWL results soon; the suspense is killing me. Professor McGonagall told us we'd get them in July, which is almost over.

I look forward to hearing about your experiences when I see you next. I hope to see you soon.

Sincerely,

Hermione

Harry spent the afternoon writing letters. He started with responses to Ron and Hermione, and a letter to Ginny to avoid Howlers and hexes. After thinking about it, he then wrote letters to Fred and George, Neville and Luna. He didn't think it was a good idea to tell them where he had been or where he was now, but he was able to tell them he was doing well and to ask how they were doing. He asked the twins how the store was doing and if they were selling any new products.

After dinner, Harry pulled out the books on Occlumency and began reading. Two of the books were the thick kind Hermione liked so much. The third was one on types of meditation and its use in Occlumency. Harry spent the evening reading it and taking notes on it. The longer he read, the angrier he got. The techniques he was reading about wouldn't have worked entirely, but he would have had more of a chance of learning Occlumency if he had been taught how to clear his mind. When his scar began to prickle, he tried the first technique he had read about. The pain decreased immediately. He wasn't able to make it go away entirely, but he could make it recede.

As he got ready for bed that night, he realized that tomorrow would be his birthday. Harry wondered what it would be like to have a proper birthday celebration, with candles and singing. Then, he used the first meditation technique to clear his mind. He slept through the night with no dreams of Voldemort.

The first thing Harry thought when he woke up was that today was his sixteenth birthday. No owls had come with birthday wishes yet, but he reckoned it was only a matter of time. The house elves gave him a large breakfast, which he tried to eat but couldn't. When he'd finished his breakfast, he decided to ask Professor McGonagall if he could ask his friends over to visit soon. He was on his way to her office when he ran into Professor Snape.

The first thing Harry noticed was that, although Snape didn't look at all happy to see him, he didn't look nearly as angry in Harry's presence as he usually did. "Potter, I need to speak to you. Please come to my office."

Harry followed Snape to his office in the dungeons. Indicating he should sit, Snape sat behind his desk. "Your OWL scores were insufficient for my NEWT Potions class; however, the headmaster has intervened on your behalf. You will be permitted into my class on the following three conditions: First, any disrespect toward me will result in your immediate removal. Second, if you cannot keep up, you will be removed. My NEWT class is faster-paced than the earlier class, but you will be responsible for keeping up; I won't coddle you. Finally, were you aware that basilisks do not decompose?"

The non sequitur confused Harry. "No, sir." A thought occurred to him. "Does that mean that the basilisk I killed is still in the Chamber?"

Snape almost smiled. "Very good, Potter. Yes, the corpse is still there. The final condition for your being admitted to my class is that you open the Chamber and help me in harvesting that basilisk. It is a valuable source of potion ingredients and it has been lying there long enough. Mr. Weasley will be given the same option as you, although he cannot open the chamber. What is your answer?"

"I accept," Harry said. He wouldn't tell Snape, but he found the conditions much less onerous than he had been expecting. He watched Snape check something on his desk, then look back up.

"Good," Snape said. "I know, of course, that you were the one who found the Chamber and killed the basilisk. What I do not know is the location of the Chamber. I am aware that I cannot enter it without either you or the Dark Lord; however, I would like to know where it is." He glanced again at the item on the desk.

"It's in the second floor girl's bathroom where Moaning Myrtle is," Harry said. "The sink moves and exposes the opening after you tell it to."

"No, Mr. Potter," Snape corrected. "After you tell it to." He checked his desk again. "Will you show me the entrance? I would like to be prepared."

After Harry nodded, Snape picked the item off his desk, and led the way. Once there, Harry hissed at the snake carved into the sink. Snape carefully looked into the opening. "How did you get down there?"

"We jumped in," Harry told him. "We forced Lockhart to go first, then I jumped in, then Ron followed."

Snape shook his head. "How did you intend to get back?"

"I wasn't thinking about getting back; I was thinking about saving Ginny." Harry watched Snape glance at the thing in his hand. "Sir, what is that thing?"

Snape looked surprised that Harry had noticed it. "It's a reminder. I have someplace to be later and I don't want to miss it. How did you get back up?"

It took Harry a minute for his brain to catch up with the change in topics. "Fawkes flew us out."

Snape nodded, and made an abortive move to check his reminder. "How large was the basilisk?" When Harry looked puzzled, he explained, "Knowing how large the beast was will give me an idea of how long it will take to harvest it."

Harry thought, trying to remember. "The shed skin looked more than sixty feet long; the thing itself was longer, but I don't know by how much. Is that close enough?"

Harry couldn't read the expression on Snape's face. "That's . . . more than close enough. It will take several days of hard work; we may not finish before school begins." Snape glanced down at his reminder again. "I must go now. I believe Hagrid mentioned he would have lunch for you today. With cake." Snape gave Harry another unreadable look and swooped out of the bathroom.

Harry sat for a minute, trying to figure out what was going on with Snape. After several minutes of making no headway, he gave up and went to see Hagrid. From what Snape had said, it sounded as if Hagrid had remembered that today was his birthday.

When Harry got near Hagrid's hut, he discovered that Hagrid had indeed remembered that today was his birthday. So had a number of other people; there was what looked like a huge group of people gathered around a table with a pile of presents and a large cake. The candles weren't lit yet, but they were on the cake for later.

Hermione came running at Harry as soon as she saw him. "Were you surprised? You looked surprised! Tell me you were surprised!" Her bushy brown hair was braided into a plait and her face looked . . . different somehow.

Harry agreed that, yes, he had been quite surprised. Then, something occurred to him. "You had Snape keep me out of the way while you set this up?" he asked incredulously.

Ron laughed. "That was Dumbledore's idea. Brilliant, really. We knew you'd never suspect him." Ron looked much the same: even taller, but still with bright red hair and loads of freckles. "Now, come on, we've all been waiting for you; we weren't allowed to start eating until you got here."

Harry grinned, feeling a bubble of joy rising up in him. Looking around, he could see all of the people he most cared for were there. The Weasleys, of course; Harry could see all of them but Charlie and Percy. Most of the DA was there; Luna, as usual, looking as if she had just been passing by. Lupin was there, talking with Neville's grandmother; Hagrid, Professor McGonagall, Tonks. Harry was thrilled and pleased with everyone who was there.

"Now, Harry," Ginny came up behind Ron, "what have you always wanted but never had at a birthday party?"

The first response that came to mind was "anything", but Harry thought that would dampen everyone's spirits. After a moment, he said, "I just want candles and singing; I don't need anything fancy."

"In that case," teased George, "we'll just take these presents, then."

"You will not!" Harry yelled, and the argument degenerated into a laughing wrestling match. The teasing in and of itself was something of a gift; the only touch Harry had grown up with had been hurtful and this was wonderful. After separating the pile of laughing boys (several others had joined in), Mrs. Weasley shooed everyone to the buffet table for lunch.

Once he had filled his plate, Lupin came over to talk with him. "What was your original answer to Ginny's question?" he asked Harry mildly.

"You saw that?" Harry asked. When Lupin nodded, he sighed. "Anything would be more than I had with the Dursleys. I've never had a birthday party before." Harry smiled. "This is wonderful."

Lupin shook his head. "I know you don't remember it, but this isn't your first birthday party." Realizing they were collecting an audience, Lupin's eyes lit with mischief. Harry could see the Marauder in Lupin right then. "When you turned one year old, your parents had a party for you. It had to be small, but Lily said it wasn't right for you to turn one without anything." His smile had grown distant with the memories. "Several of us came to the house, your mum cooked a nice dinner and, of course, baked a cake. Chocolate cake with white icing, little sugar snitches and brooms all over it - they were James's contribution," he said in an aside. "After we finished eating, Lily asked James to keep an eye on you and clean you up while she cleaned up dinner. So, James cleaned your hands and face and started talking with Sirius and I. You were strapped securely in your high chair; I'm sure James didn't think you could get into any trouble with him sitting right there, so he wasn't paying much attention to you."

Mrs. Weasley was laughing and shaking her head. "Silly man, that's when children get into the most trouble."

Lupin nodded. "It certainly is. The cake was sitting near Harry, because when Lily came back out, he was to blow out his candles. James obviously thought it was out of Harry's reach. There was this exciting thing sitting right in front of him. Harry obviously thought it was some new toy, so he reached out to grab it and got a handful of icing." Lupin had to stop to laugh for several minutes; everyone else was chuckling and waiting for him to continue. Harry was embarrassed, but wanted him to go on. He knew so little about his parents; he craved anything good he could hear about them. "He wasn't expecting any of the cake to come off; he obviously thought it was one solid piece. The expression on his face as he tried to get this horrible stuff off his hand; it was somewhere between horror and disgust. The three of us were practically rolling on the ground by this time, so Harry decided to get our attention by crying. Lily came out to see what was going on, checked the situation out carefully and then started hexing James into next week while cleaning Harry off. It was bloody brilliant!" Lupin seemed to be reliving the event; he was now laughing so hard tears were running down his face. The rest of the party was laughing, too; including Harry.

"I wish I could remember that. It must have been so funny. But why wouldn't I have tried to eat the icing?"

Mrs. Weasley shook her head. "I doubt you realized it was something to eat, dear. I've watched all of mine have that same reaction the first time they got a handful of icing. And somehow," she gave Mr. Weasley a look, "it always seems to happen when their father is supposed to be watching them."

There was more laughter over that. Then, after listening to everyone sing 'Happy Birthday' to him and blowing out his candles, Harry reached out and picked out a small piece of birthday cake while making a horrified face. This resulted in waves of laughter, especially from Lupin, who finally just sat down on the ground and howled.

The rest of the day passed too quickly for Harry. Although he opened and praised the presents, he knew the best gift of all was the party itself. When it came time for his guests to leave, he tried to express as best he could how much their presence had meant to him. Most of the girls gave him hugs and several kissed his cheek. Fred, who was saying goodbye right after Lavender, decided to go her one better, and gave him an enthusiastic hug and a kiss right on the mouth. Harry's horrified reaction, deliberately overplayed, had everyone left laughing at Fred's antics.

Lupin was the last to leave. He took Harry's hand, then shook his head and pulled Harry into a hug. "Dumbledore is asking me to do a lot of things, but I will be around. If I'm not here when you need me, send Hedwig; I'll get free as soon as I can."

"Professor Lupin, could you think of some more of the funny stories for next time?" Harry asked.

That got a grin. "Not only will I bring stories, I'll bring pictures. How's that?"

"You'd better make sure we're there for that," Ginny said. "I want to see Harry's baby pictures."

As he got into bed that night, Harry thought it had been a perfect day.