Harry Potter and the Secrets from the Past

HARRY POTTER AND THE SECRETS FROM THE PAST

...

At the exit from school the boys

Were selling some books

I remained apart watching

and trying to find

The courage to do like them

Then defeated, I turned to play with

My mind and his worms...

...

"Gardens in March" by Lucio Battisti

The following day, Harry woke up very early and got ready in silence so as to not wake up his sleeping friends; then he went directly to Dumbledore's office.

When he was in front of the gargoyle statue, he realized that he did not know the password, so he tried several passwords without any success. The only thing he was sure of, was that Dumbledore always chose the password from among his favourite sweets.

"Chocolate frogs? Bubble Bees? Candy Bats? Every Flavour Beans? No he does not like those... Sugarquill?"

Finally the gargoyle statue moved apart, showing the secret passage which led to the Headmaster's office. Harry hurried up the stairs and he stopped in front of the door.

"Maybe he is sleeping?" he thought, but then he heard several different voices inside, and he was sure that Dumbledore was up. Anyway he felt a very strange feeling before coming in, because this would be the first time he had talked to the Headmaster after his revelation of the prophecy at the end of the previous year.

He opened the door and entered. Suddenly all the chatting stopped and Harry found himself completely alone in the office. On the walls, the ancient Headmasters were snoring noisily, but Harry knew very well that they were just pretending to do it; in fact, they were slowly opening their eyes to look at who was just entered.

Apparently Dumbledore was not in his office, or at least Harry was not able to see him; he moved a few steps forwards and reached the desk, hoping that the Headmaster would come out from somewhere. Then Harry saw him on the upper floor.

"Good morning Harry."

"Good morning Sir."

"Do you have something to tell me?" asked Dumbledore while slowly descending the stairs, without looking at Harry in the eyes. Harry asked himself if it was still dangerous for the Headmaster to gaze at him directly in the eyes, and in doing so, let Voldemort understand all his thoughts.

"Yes, Sir," answered Harry, lowering his gaze to the floor. He did not want to be used by Voldemort against Dumbledore.

"I am listening to you..."

Dumbledore sat behind his desk, always gazing at the floor.

"Yesterday evening... I saw Voldemort.... I mean, in my brain...."

"Please, go on...."

Dumbledore seemed interested, so Harry told him everything about his vision.

When he finished, he raised his gaze to the Headmaster, waiting for his opinion about that.

"You have to understand, Harry, that it is of vital importance that you start your Occlumency lessons again... this way, such things will never happen again."

Harry was bewildered. How was that possible? He was sure that the Headmaster would have found that information to be precious. He wanted to be useful, and then Dumbledore was telling him to take more of those useless lessons with Snape? He was starting to lose his temper, and he felt his heart beating faster in his chest.

"But Sir, don't you think it is useful what I have just told you? I thought that...."

"Harry, please listen to me. You should leave the duty of fighting against Voldemort to the wizards of the Order, and you should just live your life here at Hogwarts, like every other student does. If you are going to learn how to completely close your mind to Voldemort, then you will manage to avoid all those visions, and finally, you will be able to prevent him from knowing everything of your personal life."

"But I..."

"Harry, Voldemort should never come to know about the prophecy, so you MUST absolutely meet Professor Snape to start your Occlumency lessons... you do not have to worry about anything else."

Harry thought he was going to explode: how was it possible for him not to worry, when he was feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders? Wasn't this EXACTLY what the prophecy had said? Wasn't this EXACTLY what everybody was expecting from him? That he would defeat Voldemort?

So why was Dumbledore treating him this way, as if he did not have any role inside the Order of the Phoenix? Harry felt his blood boiling from the anger and he wanted to break everything.... but then he tried to control his temper and he spoke slowly, in a hurt tone of voice, tightening his fists.

"How should I not worry? You told me about the prophecy and now you are expecting that I remain quiet in the corner, waiting for Voldemort to come here to find me? Shouldn't I be the one to go and find him first, to defeat him? Shouldn't I...."

"Step by step, Harry, step by step... do you really feel to be able to defeat the Dark Lord now?"

Dumbledore gazed at him severely for a moment, then he moved his eyes to the floor again.

Harry lowered his head: Dumbledore was perfectly right, he was not yet able to fight against the Dark Lord... he was not able to do anything useful right now.

"No, Sir."

"Now go back to your classes, Harry and be quiet. Do not be wrong and believe that you are doing nothing useful..... Only if you go on with your education you will be able to improve and then you will be successful in what the fate has written for you. Now go, Harry, and swear to me that you are going to talk to Professor Snape today."

"Yes Sir."

Feeling resigned, Harry turned to the door and exited the office.

***O***

When he arrived at the Great Hall, all the house tables were full of students busy eating their breakfast. Immediately Harry looked for Ron and Hermione, but they had not arrived yet, so he headed to the Gryffindor table.

Suddenly, even without thinking about it, his eyes went to the Ravenclaw table and he stared at a pretty black haired girl: Cho Chang, his ex-girlfriend. He was surprised to see that she was staring at him as well, and that was not causing him any particular feeling at all, just a great indifference.

He took a seat, while thinking that he did not like her anymore: last year she treated him so badly, always crying and comparing him to the poor Cedric Diggory.

After Sirius's death, Harry found himself to be very much changed, and all those things that were important to him before now they had lost all their value.

Anyway Cho Chang was not looking at him any more, but she was animately chatting with her friends instead.

Harry started to eat, while thinking again to his discussion with Dumbledore. He could not believe that the Headmaster was just expecting him to go on with the school and be quiet....

He had always thought that he would be an important part of the plan to defeat Voldemort.

He always felt very much involved with everything concerning the Order of the Phoenix, firstly because his parents were part of it in the past, and secondly, because of the prophecy.

His thoughts were stopped by Ron and Hermione who were arrived and sat in front of him. Hermione could not wait anymore; she wanted to know everything about his meeting with Dumbledore.

"What did he say?"

Harry told them everything, except the part concering the prophecy.

Then Ron expressed his comments about that.

"I cannot believe that Dumbledore told you to remain quiet here at school, while out there the war is starting and you always have visions and nightmares about YOU-KNOW-WHO!"

"NO, Ron... I think that Dumbledore is perfectly right! Believe me Harry, Dumbledore has given you very good advice. You should absolutely start your Occlumancy lessons and you should remain quiet and in your place."

"YES, waiting for Voldemort to come catch me!" commented Harry, looking resigned.

"It will never happen, be sure of that.... Dumbledore will always guard you, even if he is going to risk his life!!" Hermione exclaimed.

Harry and Ron were surprised by the strenght of that affirmation. Hermione went on.

"Harry, please swear to me that you are going to follow Dumbledore's advice: no whims, no dangerous plans on your own initiative and, above all, try to do your best with the Occlumency lessons."

Hermione's insistence was making him agitated: it seemed as if his friend could not understand him.

"Do you have some other advice to give him? Come on, Hermione, you are talking like my mother!" Ron gave voice to Harry's thoughts, but he wanted to point out something as well.

"Why don't you understand that Occlumancy lessons are really difficult? I have always done my best, it is just that.... with Snape it is completely impossible to remain calm... I would like to see someone else in my shoes...."

"Oh, yes, I understand you perfectly mate..."

Ron tried to comfort him, but Hermione did not seem to give up, and after her breakfast, she frowned at Harry and started again.

"At least, try not to lose your temper, Harry."

Harry frowned back at her before he got up, took his school bag and rushed outside the Great Hall to start the school day. Ron and Hermione followed him.

***O***

It was 1^st October, a Friday and the first school month had just passed by.

Harry had made agreements with Snape to start with the Occlumancy lessons that evening after dinner. For the whole month Harry had tried not to think about it, and actually he had not even had the time, since he had been very busy with homework, the try-outs of the new Quidditch players, and regular Quidditch trainings.

That morning, the thought of his meeting with Snape came overpoweringly to his mind; luckily he hadn't had any other visions or nightmares for the whole month, and that was good, even if he was sure that Voldemort was going to plan something. And then, the following day was going to be the first Hogsmeade weekend, and he, Ron and Hermione were really looking forward to it.

While he was having breakfast, the owls with the mail arrived and Hermione got her usual copy of the Daily Prophet. She paid the owl, took the newspaper and then she sank herself into a deep reading.

Suddenly she gave a shrill cry and Harry and Ron turned to her.

"There is a new Minister of Magic!"

"Can we have a look?"

Ron leaned out to read the main page, on which there was a giant picture of an ancient witch with a severe look in her eyes. She reminded them of Professor McGonagall.

"It is Madame Amelia Bones, the aunt of Susan Bones," explained Hermione while reading the article and Harry leaned to look as well.

"Hey, but I have seen that witch... she was at my hearing last year."

"And how did she treat you?" asked Ron curiously.

"She seemed the most comprehensive of them all, she kept asking me if I really was able to form a Patronus..."

"Here it says that her brother and her sister-in-law were both killed by Death Eaters more that 15 years ago. Maybe she has been chosen for this reason... in a time like this one, the wizarding world needs a Minister who can effectively oppose Voldemort, don't you think so?"

Ron nodded, but Harry's attention was stolen by the Slytherin table, where Malfoy and his cronies were talking close to each other and were giving strange looks at him and his friends at the Gryffindor table.

"Harry, what's wrong?" asked Hermione, gazing at him in the eyes.

"I don't know, but I am sure that it is nothing good. Malfoy and the others are planning something, I feel it."

"Well, then we must do our best to avoid them!" said Hermione firmly.

"Avoid them? If they only try to do something to me, then I will show them who Ronald Weasley really is!"

"Ron, please... I remind you that you are a prefect and..."

"Yes, yes, I know.... I must give a good example... but if they only dare to provoke me, I will respond!"

"Are you serious, Ron ? Would you like to be in trouble? Besides, tonight we are going to the prefects' meeting, don't you remember?"

"Yeah... I completely forgot about that... we are going to spend another useless evening ... hem... because we won't be able to do the homework!"

When Hermione frowned at him, Ron corrected himself.

"Anyway, you should be really careful... and try not to get yourselves in trouble with the Slytherins..." said Harry with a worried tone, then added: "Tonight I am busy as well..."

"What? Are you going out with your girlfriend?" joked Ron, but Harry frowned at him.

"Yes, in fact my girlfriend is Severus Snape! Come on!"

They both burst into laughter, imagining Snape dressed like an old woman, just like Neville's boggart in their third school year.

***O***

That evening after dinner, Harry left Ron and Hermione and headed to the dungeons, to meet Snape. When he arrived, he found the classroom door open, and he slowly entered.

Snape was busy pouring his thoughts into Dumbledore Pensieve.

"Come closer Potter, I was waiting for you," ordered Snape in his usual cold voice, and Harry quietly reached the center of the room.

"Before we start, I would like to point out a very important matter: I accepted teaching you Occlumency again because the Headmaster asked me to do so, but I want you to know that it is NOT a pleasure at all."

"Yes, sir," answered Harry coldy, even if he wanted to add that it was not a pleasure for him either.

"Let's see if you remember what I taught you last year. What are we trying to do here tonight, Potter?"

"You are going to try to enter my mind.... and read my thoughts.... then I will do my best to prevent you to do so."

"Yes, let's say that in a general way it is like that, but the most important thing is that you are going to use all your strength if you want to succeed in rejecting my attacks. Are you ready? Then we are going to start immediately...."

Harry closed his eyes and he suddenly felt the strong mental attack of Snape: at great speed he was seeing all his memories, as if Snape was skimming through a book. Then his mind stopped on a particular memory: it was during his last school year, he and Cho Chang were walking to Hogsmeade, chatting animately.

Harry started to reject the attack with all his strenght: he did not want Snape to see that memory, he would not permit it!

Harry used all his concentration and suddenly he found himself in Snape's brain: several memories were darting at high speed in front of him: Snape was 10 years old, a little boy with dark hair, who was crying in a corner, while his parents were fighting in another room.

Then Snape's memories started to dart again: now Snape was 16 and he was at school, during a younger Professor McGonagall's class.

Suddenly Harry heard Snape screaming with anger, and he came back to senses, finding himself again into the Potion classroom. He saw Snape panting heavily, looking at him with extreme hatred. Then the teacher spoke:

"Very well, Potter...... I think that for tonight we may end it here."

Harry nodded, happy to end the lesson so early. Anyway, he was also proud because this time, he succeded in rejecting Snape's attack.

"We will meet next week at the same time. Now you can go, and remember to empty your mind before you fall asleep. And beware, if you do not do as I just said, I will know it for sure."

Snape ended the sentence staring at him with disgust, then he turned himself to the Pensieve and Harry understood that the lesson was finally over. Harry exited the room without saying a word, and headed upstairs.

Snape had that innate power to make him lose his temper: anything he was doing or saying, Snape was always against him.

Harry was just heading to the third floor, when he suddenly heard a girl screaming from the second floor.

Without thinking it over, he ran toward that direction, sure that someone was in danger.

He was almost there, when he heard some voices from one of the empty classrooms at the end of the corridor; he stopped and came closer to the door, which was half open, and his heart jumped, when he recognized Malfoy's voice.

"Well, well, well... you are no longer such an arrogant mudblood when your two trusted knights are far away?"

His heart started to beat faster fearing the worst, while he was coming closer to see Malfoy's victim.

Unfortunately he was not able to see the girl from where he was, but he saw that along with Malfoy there were also his cronies, Pansy Parkinson, Theodore Nott, Crabbe, who was bent forward, apparently for the pain, and then Goyle, who was holding the girl tightly.

Then Malfoy started again, pointing his wand to the girl who was in front of him.

"Let's see what you think if I try one of the forbidden curses on you, like for example the CRUCIATUS CURSE? My father always told me to practice...."

"Malfoy, you cannot do that, it is forbidden!"

Harry's fear seemed to be true, because the girl was actually Hermione and he felt his blood boiling into the veins for the anger.

He wanted absolutely to do something, before Malfoy could use the Cruciatus Curse against her.

He would not allow it!

Then Malfoy spoke again.

"It doesn't matter, because nobody will know about that. Are you ready, Mudblood? I am going to make you feel great pain."

Suddenly Harry entered the room and pointed his wand directly at Malfoy, looking at him with scorn.

"LEAVE HER ALONE, MALFOY, OR YOU ARE GOING TO REGRET IT!"

Malfoy and his cronies looked at him with their mouth open in surprise: Harry was standing at the door, with his wand drawn like a sword.

But Malfoy continued to point his wand at Hermione and spoke trying to challenge him.

"I do not think that you are on the position to give me orders, Potter!!"

Without giving him any other chances to talk, Harry cast a first "STUPEFY" spell to Pansy Parkinson on his left, and a second one to Theodore Nott on his right, and they fell backwards senseless. Then with three long steps, he headed toward Malfoy, and he pointed his wand directly at his throat.

"Who isn't in the right position now, Malfoy?"

Malfoy's face went pale and he glared at Harry with fear: he had never seen him like that before. Hermione was also astonished.

Then Malfoy started to shake, and always keeping his eyes on Harry, he made sign to

Goyle to let Hermione free; then she reached Harry, and called her wand from Pansy Parkinson's hands, with the "ACCIO" spell and she pointed it directly to Goyle's throat.

"Now, apologize to her, Malfoy"

After a long hesitation, Malfoy said something incomprehensible with a low voice.

"I did not hear well.... I TOLD YOU TO APOLOGIZE, NOW!"

Harry was really angry and Malfoy had no other choice as he turned to Hermione.

"I AM SORRY."

"Now listen to me carefully, Malfoy, because I am not going to repeat it twice: do not come close to Hermione or to another friend of mine again, if you want to save your skin. DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"

Malfoy nodded.

"Now go away from here..... RIGHT NOW!"

As soon as Harry lowered his wand, Malfoy made a sign to his cronies: Crabbe, who was still bent forward, with his face full of horribles pimples, and Goyle both lifted Pansy Parkinson and Theodore Nott up, and headed to the door followed by Malfoy.

Harry was slowly calming down, and he turned to Hermione, who was staring at him smiling.

"Is it everything all right, Hermione?"

"Yes, Harry... right on time!"

Suddenly there was a jet of red light coming from the door, and Harry realized with horror that Malfoy had just turned to them and had pointed his wand to Hermione, casting a spell on her.

"OESOPHAGUS OBSTRUCTO"

Harry had no time to react, because this time Malfoy was faster than him: he could only look at Hermione, who was thrown with strength into the stone wall and then slumped to the floor, raising her hands to her throat.