- Rating:
- PG-13
- House:
- Schnoogle
- Characters:
- Harry Potter Lord Voldemort
- Genres:
- General Drama
- Era:
- Multiple Eras
- Spoilers:
- Philosopher's Stone Chamber of Secrets Prizoner of Azkaban Goblet of Fire Order of the Phoenix
- Stats:
-
Published: 06/01/2005Updated: 04/18/2006Words: 216,956Chapters: 39Hits: 98,338
The Greatest Power
MuggleMomma
- Story Summary:
- After the events in the Department of Mysteries, Sirius' death, and the revelation of the prophecy, Harry is again sent back to stay with his aunt and uncle on Privet Drive, more broken and overwhelmed than ever before. How will he survive without his friends? He needs them more than ever, and as his mind is repeatedly attacked, the situation becomes desperate.
Chapter 19
- Chapter Summary:
- Harry begins his Occlumency training with Professor Dumbledore, and they talk about everything that has happened. We also find out exactly how Voldemort and Lucius Malfoy have been staging their attacks!
- Posted:
- 06/30/2005
- Hits:
- 2,069
Chapter 19: A Child No More
Harry arrived at the Headmaster's office ten minutes early for their first Occlumency lesson of the term. When he arrived, his bag already packed and heavy, he stared at the stone gargoyle, realizing he did not know the password yet.
He jumped slightly when the calm voice of Professor Dumbledore sounded directly behind him. "Good morning, Harry. Thank you for arriving so promptly." He turned to the stone gargoyle. "Sugar quill," he said clearly, his eyes twinkling. The gargoyle jumped aside and the familiar rotating staircase came into view. Harry followed the Headmaster onto the staircase, and they ascended to the circular office in silence.
Harry was not at all surprised that there was no evidence of his tantrum at the end of last term; in fact, he clearly remembered smashing several of the silver instruments which stood in perfect condition on the low tables.
Dumbledore noticed Harry looking around and told him gently, "The damage to my possessions was easily repaired, Harry. I wish I could say the same for the damage that has been done to you."
Harry looked sharply at Dumbledore, who continued, "Ah, yes, Harry. I've wanted to speak of this to you for some time, but the moment has not been right. Perhaps now, if you would care to sit?" He gestured at the chairs in front of his desk, and Harry sat, placing his bag on the ground beside him.
"Harry," Dumbledore began, "the passage from child to adult is a difficult process, and I have observed thousands of students on this journey in my time as a teacher and as Headmaster of this school.
"From the beginning, Harry, you have been different than any other young man I have ever known. Your very first day as a student, you chose your friends with more wisdom than I could have hoped for. At eleven years of age, you turned down an offer of friendship that implied immediate power and status in favor of loyalty to a boy you had only just come to know."
Harry was astounded. The choice between Draco Malfoy's outstretched hand and Ron's friendship had not been difficult, but how had Dumbledore known about it?
"As I told you before, Harry, I have watched you more closely than you could have guessed," Dumbledore said quietly. "And you have never given me reason to be anything but proud of the man you were becoming, for Harry, even at the times when you have made questionable decisions, they have always been for the right reasons. With only one exception, that is," he added, the twinkle in his eyes returning for a moment. "The incident with the flying Ford Anglia was regrettable." His eyes held no condemnation as he said this. Actually, the old man appeared to be holding back a laugh.
Harry remained mute throughout this rather surprising monologue, not sure what to make of it. How could Dumbledore seem so serious one moment, and almost jovial the next? Even as Harry watched, the amusement died, replaced once again by gravity, age, and a hint of sadness.
"Youth is meant to be enjoyed, to be savored. I regret that you have had few opportunities in your life to do either, and what chance you did have was taken from you too abruptly that night at the Department of Mysteries, the night you witnessed your own godfather's death. Your childhood ended that night, Harry. I have seen it in your eyes all summer, and I mourn that loss.
"I watched you come back from the very brink of your own death, and I am proud of the man you have become, proud of the fight you are waging. You have strength beyond anything I have ever seen, or could have ever expected, Harry. That is how I know that when your time comes, when it is time to fulfill that destiny which you have been handed, you will succeed."
His speech complete, Dumbledore sat back in his chair and steepled his long fingers under his chin. He watched Harry's face closely, searching for a reaction to all that he had said.
Harry's mind was working furiously. Was this Dumbledore's idea of a pep talk? He did not know how Dumbledore could claim that he, Harry, had shown any kind of strength during the holidays; Harry had never felt weaker in his life. "Professor," he said hesitantly, "I lost my strength when Voldemort attacked my mind. I couldn't fight him, and until you began teaching me Occlumency, I didn't even try."
"Quite the contrary, Harry," Dumbledore answered. "It is true that you were unable to stop the attacks, but that does not mean that you did not fight them, even if you were not aware of doing so. Why do you believe you became so ill?"
"Because Voldemort attacked me, sir," Harry answered, feeling the beginnings of irritation. "He never let up."
"No, Harry," Dumbledore corrected him, leaning forward intently. "Even Voldemort does not have the power to physically harm you by intruding upon your mind. It was the fight that drained your reserves, both magical and physical. You were not equipped to push him from your mind, but you did not make it easy for him."
"Professor, I don't think -" Harry began, but Dumbledore interrupted him. "Why do you believe Voldemort went through so much trouble to break into your mind, Harry? He knew he could not kill you in that way, and it could not have been easy for him to get past the wards surrounding Privet Drive and Grimmauld Place."
Harry did not know what to say. He had never stopped to consider why Voldemort did what he did. When he thought about it, however, there were only two instances he could remember in which Voldemort had entered his mind voluntarily. The first time Voldemort had attacked his mind had been when he planted the vision of Sirius being tortured in the Hall of Prophecy. The second had been when he had possessed Harry in a futile attempt to get Dumbledore to use a killing curse on him. Both of these times, Voldemort had clear purpose. But what had his purpose been over the summer?
"He taunted me," Harry said, trying to reason through his thoughts. "He threatened the Weasleys and Moony. He tried to get me to give in to him. But what did he mean by 'give in?'"
"Harry, it does not stand to reason that Voldemort would expect you to physically surrender yourself to him. Oh, he knows you would risk your own life to save your friends, as you always have, but he also knows that you must believe them to be in physical danger. He also knows that the Order would not let you go even if you were inclined to do so, and he would not be so foolish as to reveal his location to you. Can you think of anything else he might have wanted?"
Harry nodded, and sudden realization hit him. "The prophecy. He must have known you would tell me the prophecy."
Dumbledore looked grave as he inclined his head towards Harry. "Yes," he said simply.
"But I couldn't keep it from him!" Harry exclaimed. "He knows now! And that was even after you had started to teach me Occlumency."
"But Harry, in order to get that information from you, Voldemort had to use an unknown form of Legilimency which allowed the dual attack that happened on your birthday. Even before you and I began work on your defenses, you had kept him out of the deepest parts of your mind, where your memories were located. He was looking for it all along, Harry, and he realized that he would have to launch a much more powerful attack in order to find it. Most wizards could not have kept Voldemort out of their minds at all, even had they been trying their hardest to block him. You were able, for a time, to keep from him that which he sought."
"What does it matter how long it took him?" Harry muttered. "He got what he wanted."
"What matters, Harry, is that every defeat you hand Voldemort gives him one less weapon to use against you."
"I'm sure he'll think of new ones," Harry replied. "I might as well be walking around with a target on my back."
"Harry, when your time comes, you will not be defenseless. I promise you that. You have the power to fulfill your destiny, and all you must do is learn to wield it." When Harry nodded, Dumbledore continued, "Now, Harry, are you ready to get to work?"
Only after their Occlumency practice had ended and Harry had left Dumbledore's office did he realize that he had forgotten to ask about the additional training Professor McGonagall had mentioned.
* * *
Harry was preoccupied with the things Dumbledore had told him all through his study period, lunch, and N.E.W.T. Transfiguration. Even though he tried to work on his Potions essay in the library, Ron tried to talk to him about Quidditch tryouts during lunch, and Professor McGonagall reprimanded him sternly for letting his mind wander while he was supposed to be studying the theory of transfiguring inanimate objects into animals, he could not get the conversation out of his mind.
"You have the power to fulfill your destiny, and all you must do is learn to wield it."
What power did Dumbledore believe he had? Harry tried to understand. He wanted to believe that he had the ability to complete his task, but he did not know how he would ever defeat Voldemort. It just didn't seem possible.
"Harry," Hermione asked as she, Ron, and Harry walked from Transfiguration to their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class with Tonks. "Is something bothering you? You haven't been able to pay attention to anything all day."
"No, I'm fine," Harry answered semi-truthfully. "I've just got some stuff on my mind, is all."
"What kind of stuff?" Hermione asked.
"Hermione, give it a rest," Ron told her, knowing that they would find out what was on Harry's mind sooner if they didn't badger him.
"I'm just asking, Ron!" Hermione said irritably.
"Look, guys, I'm fine. I promise, OK? I just need some time to think," Harry said, trying to put a stop to the ensuing argument. For a few moments, they walked in silence.
"I wonder what classes with Tonks will be like," Hermione said with difficulty, and Harry shot a grateful smile at her. He knew how hard it was for her to let things go, and he appreciated it.
"Dunno," Ron answered. "I bet she's good, though. Might give Lupin a run for his money, eh? I mean, she is an Auror and all."
"Yeah," Harry answered, "and she's a damn good dueler as well." He broke off suddenly, realizing that the only time he had seen her duel had been at the Department of Mysteries. Ron and Hermione looked slightly fearful, and then very relieved when Harry did not seem too disturbed by his reference to that night. A flicker of sadness had crossed his face, but he had recovered quickly as they reached the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom and quickly took seats near the front.
* * *
Harry was quite happy to see that the N.E.W.T. class was almost entirely comprised of D.A. members. After the intentionally poor instruction they had received from Professor Umbridge, it was hardly surprising; students who had not been in the D.A. had been at an extreme disadvantage in taking their Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L. As Harry sat down next to Ron, he greeted Neville Longbottom, Seamus Finnegan, and Dean Thomas cheerfully and exchanged waves with some of the members from other houses. He frowned, however, when Malfoy, once again without Crabbe and Goyle, took a seat with two other Slytherins at the table right behind Harry, leaving Lavender, Parvati, and Padma looking distinctly disappointed as they took a seat near the back.
As the bell sounded, Tonks strode to the front of the room confidently, not bothering to order her class into silence like many of the teachers did. She simply turned to face them, smiling pleasantly as their conversations died down and they waited to hear what she had to say.
"Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to N.E.W.T.-level Defense Against the Dark Arts. As you learned at the Start-of-Term Feast, my name is Professor Tonks, and it is my task this year to begin your preparation for your Defense Against the Dark Arts N.E.W.T. examinations at the end of your seventh year.
"Having said that, however, I must warn you that my focus is not to simply make sure you pass your examination, although you should have no problem if you are attentive in class and complete the assignments I set for you. My main purpose is to prepare you to defend yourselves should the need arise.
"To that end, this class will include very little bookwork. I understand that your previous professor focused entirely on theory." She paused as the class let out a unified groan at the memory of the hours of class time they had spent the previous year reading Defensive Magical Theory in Umbridge's class.
"While theory is an important element in the learning of magic, I'm afraid you will not have time to consult the library should you find yourselves fighting for your lives." At this comment, Ron and Harry could not help grinning at Hermione, who was famous for resorting to books whenever she had a question on any topic. Tonks continued, "Much of the fall term will be devoted to learning and practicing shield charms as well as some of the more common jinxes and hexes, and on physical training. The spring term will consist of countering some of the more serious Dark spells, and we will end the year by combining all of what we have learned into a section on dueling."
Lavender raised her hand. "Yes, Miss...Brown?" Tonks asked, consulting her roll sheet.
"Professor, what exactly do you mean by physical training?" she asked nervously.
"I'm glad you asked that question," Tonks said cheerfully. "I am afraid that you will find that in true dueling, it is not enough to stand in one place and cast hexes and charms back and forth. You must also learn to be quick on your feet, to take advantage of multiple positions, and to be able to dodge spells that are cast your way. Your spellwork is your best weapon, but physical defense can save your life as well."
The class spent the rest of the hour practicing the protego shield charm, which causes a spell to bounce back upon the attacker. Tonks taught her class in much the same way as Harry had instructed the D.A., walking between the pairs, who had been told to take it in turns to throw minor jinxes and try to defend themselves using the shield. Harry, of course, had not only mastered the spell long before, but had used it against Bellatrix Lestrange in the Department of Mysteries. He took a turn each with Ron, Hermione, and Neville, but left them to their own devices after he had successfully used the charm against each of them. He watched the other D.A. members critically as they practiced, noticing that while all of them could successfully cast the charm, most of them were not quick enough for it to do any good.
"Wotcher, Harry," whispered Tonks, coming up behind him.
"Hi, Professor," Harry replied, smiling at her. "Great lesson!"
"Thanks," Tonks replied, still whispering. "What do you think so far?"
Harry told her the truth. "Most of them learned the spell in the D.A. last year," he said, "But I think you were right about the physical training. None of them would stand a chance against a Death Eater."
Tonks nodded and then stepped back to the front of the room. She raised her voice, calling for an end to the spellwork, and the class fell silent. "I am impressed with the spellwork I see from most of you," she complimented them. "However, your speed is far too slow. It will do you no good to be able to work the spell if your opponent's spell is able to hit you before you complete it." Harry distinctly heard a derisive snort from the Slytherins seated behind him, but he did not turn.
"Alright, then, homework," she said decisively, smiling at the groans from her class. "Practice your shield charm, and as a beginning to the physical component of your training, I would like all of you to start taking a daily run of no less than twenty minutes. You may have your own choice whether to complete it before breakfast or in the evening before curfew, but it is a requirement, and I will take note of anyone who is absent without excuse. You will not be alone - I am requiring this of my seventh-year class as well."
There were many grumbles as the class packed up their bags and headed to their dorms to stow their books before dinner, but the overall tone of the students' whispers was excitement. Harry, Ron, and Hermione all smiled at Tonks as they left the room, and she gave them a slight wink in return, but did not say anything else to indicate that she knew them better than the rest of the students. Draco Malfoy had spilled the contents of his book bag on the floor, and she did not want to risk revealing anything in front of any of the other students.
* * *
"So, Harry," Ron said as they entered the Great Hall for dinner. "Quidditch tryouts on Saturday, OK, mate?"
"Sure," Harry answered, looking forward to getting into the air again. "Let's see...all we need is a chaser, right?"
"Two chasers," Ron corrected him.
"But we've already got Katie Bell and Ginny," Harry said in confusion.
"No, we've already got Katie. Ginny played Seeker last year. If she wants to change positions, she'll have to try out like everyone else."
"You were serious when you said that?" Harry asked incredulously.
"Serious when he said what?" Seamus interrupted.
"Ginny's going to have to try out for the Quidditch team again," Harry told Seamus and Dean, who looked a bit surprised at the news.
"She's already on the team, though," Dean commented.
"As Seeker," Ron said, starting to get irritated. "But now that Harry's back as Seeker, she's going to have to try out if she wants to be a Chaser...I can't just give it to her automatically because she's my sister!" He stalked away from him and took his seat next to Hermione at the Gryffindor house table.
Harry watched Ron walk away, and then turned to Seamus and Dean, who had rather amused expressions on their faces. "Well," Harry said, "that settles it, then. Angelina Johnson and Oliver Wood are possessing him." The other two snorted, and Harry left them to join Ron and Hermione.
After he had eaten his way through a large plateful of ham and vegetables, Harry was considering going back up to the common room to finish the Wolfsbane essay for Professor Snape's class when he felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to find several D.A. members, including Cho Chang, standing behind him.
"Hello," he greeted them, knowing already what they wanted, and getting straight to the point. "Listen, now we've got Professor Tonks -"
"Harry, she's good, but we will only be in there three times a week," Neville said, pointing out the same thing that he'd said on the train. "We need more practice than that."
"Neville's right," Cho added. "If we're going to have to defend ourselves, we need to know how to do it properly."
"Harry," Hermione said quietly, "You're a really good teacher, you know. If you keep helping us along with Professor Tonks, we'll all be that much more ready when it's time for us to fight."
Harry did not miss the fact that she had said, "when it is time for us to fight," not, "if we have to fight," and he realized that she was probably right. It would not be long before the second war began in earnest, and no family in the world would be safe.
After considering for another moment, Harry nodded slowly. "It might be a couple of weeks before we get started," he said. "It won't be a secret this year, and I'm going to have to talk to Professor Dumbledore and Ton- ... er, Professor Tonks about it. Do you all still have the fake galleons Hermione gave you last year?"
They all nodded. "OK, then," he said. "I'll use mine to let you know when our first meeting will be."
The D.A. members began to head back to their own tables, and Cho flashed an awkward smile at Harry, who grinned back at her. After everything that had happened, he had quite forgotten his anger with her, but neither did he feel the nervous butterflies in his stomach that seeing her had previously caused.
"Still fancy her, mate?" Ron asked teasingly.
"Nope," Harry answered simply. "There's nothing there now."
Ginny, who had watched the exchange between Harry and Cho with interest, finally spoke up. "That's good," she said definitely, and Ron gaped at her.
"I agree with Ginny," Hermione said, reaching over and pushing Ron's chin up to close his mouth. "Harry really needs someone a bit less emotional, I think."
"When you've all finished discussing my love life!" Harry said irritably, and the conversation abruptly ended, all three of his friends looking slightly offended. Harry got up from the table, ignoring the puddings that had just appeared. "I'm going up to the common room," he said shortly. He was not certain why he felt so annoyed, but he did know that discussing Cho in front of Ginny felt very awkward for some reason.
"Harry," Ron called after him. "What about our run?"
"I'll go in the morning," Harry answered, without looking back.
"Here we go again," Ron said grumpily after Harry had left. "Why do we always shave to bear the brunt of his temper?"
"Because there's no one else," Ginny replied simply.
"Why not Malfoy?" Ron suggested.
"Don't be stupid, Ronald," Hermione replied snappishly. "If Harry let his temper get the best of him with Malfoy, he'd hex him into oblivion. At least we don't have to worry about that."
* * *
The throne room was empty but for two black-cloaked figures, one seated on the throne, the other kneeling at the foot of the dais. "Are the preparations in place, Lucius?" asked the cold voice of the Dark Lord.
"Yes, My Lord," drawled the kneeling figure. "We are prepared to strike upon your command."
"Good," replied the man upon the throne. "You are certain our information is correct regarding the squib?"
"I am certain, My Lord."
"Then there is only one thing left to be done. I think it is high time we paid Potter a visit. No doubt he will enjoy tonight's festivities."
"It has been far too long, My Lord," Lucius Malfoy answered maliciously, cold anticipation lacing his voice.
"Prepare yourself, Lucius," the Dark Lord commanded, and Malfoy obediently slid his make over his face.
"I am ready," Lucius said, standing as the man on the throne rose to his full height. At the slightest of nods from Voldemort, the two men apparated noiselessly to a dark and rather bedraggled-looking front lawn, soggy from the September rain. Surrounding them were several other masked figures, all of whom bowed slightly in the presence of the Dark Lord, awaiting his signal to begin the attack.
"It is time," Voldemort hissed, "You will give Lucius and myself thirty seconds with the boy, and then you will bring the squib to me." He raised his wand, concentrating his considerable power on the mind of his young nemesis, and pointed it at the Death Eater standing to his right.
"Mentis iunctum legilimens!" he intoned, and the connection was made between master, servant, and the boy walking alone through the corridors of Hogwarts.