Harry Potter and the Power Behind the Door

Chapter 3 - The Strategy of Study

Upon entering the car, Harry was surprised to find himself shoved into the window by Hermione, who was hugging him fiercely.

"Harry! We were so worried about you," she said, her hair tickling Harry's face. "Dumbledore told us that your Uncle tried to strangle you."

"Well, that's not exactly what he was trying to do," Harry explained while prying Hermione off himself. "He was just trying to scare me..."

"Someone should go over there and hex the git!" Ron cut in heatedly.

Looking over at his friend, Harry noticed that he looked ganglier than ever. His legs looked very cramped in the spacious car, and his pant legs were above his ankles.

"What have you two been up to?" Harry asked, quickly changing the subject. "Have you guys been together all summer?"

"No, not all summer," replied Hermione promptly, trying desperately to avoid an argument like last year's.

"Guys, I'm not upset," he reassured them. "I know now why I have to stay there," he said, remembering how Dumbledore had explained to him the previous year that his family's blood was the only thing that had kept Voldemort at bay for so long.

"My summer was pretty cool," Ron said, oblivious to the tension that had built up in the car. "We started out at the burrow, until Dumbledore could sort out a few things over here. Fred and George came over with a few of their new products. We tried a couple of them out; they had an awesome broom booster that made the old Cleansweeps look good, and I warn you mate, don't ever let them give you an extra-lint mint. It took me a whole week to get the lint out of my belly button."

Harry chuckled a little bit, thinking of Ron's belly button with lint spilling out of it. "Well anyway, mom cried for about a week after Percy wrote. She'd be doing stuff around the house, and all of a sudden she'd start crying. I think it's because she was happy this time, though," Ron finished.

"Of course she was happy! It's like her prodigal son's come back... or at least, writing again. It's heartbreaking for a mother to lose her son."

"But there's another five of us, and Percy was always a git anyway," said Ron indignantly.

"You are so insensitive, Ron," Hermione shot back, looking at him in disgust.

Harry simply sat back, looking out the window, and listened to his friends bickering, until he felt a soft tap on his shoulder. He turned his head to see Tonks looking at him, her flashy red hair shining in the sunlight. "We'll be glad to have you with us Harry. Lupin and I will be living at Grimmauld place with you and the Weasleys, sort of like your personal set of bodyguards," she stated with a wink. "It'll be fun," added Lupin, glancing at Harry through the rearview mirror.

Had it been anyone else, Harry would have rolled his eyes at the thought of being followed around all the time because people didn't believe he could take care of himself, but he liked Lupin and Tonks, and he was certain they wouldn't get in the way. "At least it's not Moody," Harry murmured. There was a thump in the back of the car and Harry assumed it was because of a speed bump, before he continued, putting the sound out of his mind, "We'd have to go around the block at least seven times before we could leave to go anywhere."

"I wouldn't bet on that, Potter," came a muffled voice from somewhere behind his seat, making Harry jump in surprise and almost fall to the floor.

"Put your seat belt on!" Hermione yelled, taking notice of Harry for the first time since the argument had started.

Doing as commanded, Harry asked, "Why didn't you guys tell me Moody was in the trunk?"

"The element of surprise," Moody said. "If you don't know, neither will any of those who are out to get you."

"How come I didn't see you when we put my trunk in the car?" Harry asked, confused and with curiosity running through his mind.

"Think boy!" Moody said, a bit of exasperation in his voice, "I'm wearing my back up cloak, and you set your trunk right on my abdomen. Why do you think my voice is so muffled?"

"I thought it was because of the seat separating us," said Harry, sounding contrite, though not looking the part very well.

"Don't be stupid, the back of your seat is thin enough for me to get through if there's trouble, why should it trouble my voice?"

At that, Harry felt a distinct hand print on his back, as if Moody was trying to show him exactly how thin the back of his seat actually was. He felt a little disturbed by this, but kept the conversation going as if they had not been interrupted. "So Hermy, what have you been up to this summer?"

Harry waited for an answer, but did not get one from her. Instead, Ron interceded, "She won't answer if you call her that. I tried, and she got really mad in the beginning, but now she just goes on as if we weren't..."

As if she could not help herself, Hermione cut Ron off, explaining, "Harry, it's just that, it's bad enough that Hagrid got that undersized giant calling me that. I understand, though, it was too complicated for him, but you two don't have that excuse."

"I don't know," Harry cut in. "Ron's not always up there when it comes to brainpower."

Hermione looked over at Ron as he exclaimed, "What?" somewhat blankly, then rolled her eyes. She then proceeded to pick up her book and begin reading, avidly ignoring the two boys.

"Don't you ever go anywhere without a book Hermione?" Tonks asked in wonder, revealing that her and Lupin were aware of everything that was going on back there.

"Of course not," she answered matter-of-factly, "N.E.W.T.s are coming up soon."

"But Hermione, they're in two years!" Ron burst out incredulously.

"Exactly! I should have started studying as soon as the O.W.L.s were over with, I should have started before that!" she replied in a panicky voice. "I might not do so well, now that I've delayed for so long."

"She's off her rocker, mate," Ron mouthed to Harry, leaning back so that Hermione, who was between them, would not see him.

"What have you been doing this summer if not studying for the N.E.W.T.s?" Harry asked again, intent on getting an answer to his question.

"Well..." Hermione said hesitantly, "I spent a week in Bulgaria."

"With Krum!" said Ron, outraged. "I thought you didn't like him anymore."

"He was just a friend," exclaimed Hermione defensively, "I mean he is," she added, seeing the look of horror on Ron's face. Hermione blushed deeply as both boys averted their gazes, Harry's face sporting a slight grin, which grew when he heard Tonks whispering to Lupin up front, "To be a teenager again!" It took Hermione's defensive cry of, "My parents were there too" for Harry to decide to mercifully change the subject.

"So how did you guys get to Grimmauld Place?"

Though the conversation came back to a tamer subject, Ron kept staring at Hermione, and she staunchly refused to meet his eyes. "Hermione came to the Burrow by floo, though I didn't know where from," he added shooting a glare at her. "Then just yesterday we took a portkey to the Black madhouse. You know, that woman's still yelling her head off, but Dumbledore promised us he'd be able to get rid of her by the end of the week."

Harry was surprised when the car slowed to a stop and he realized that they were parked on the side of the street directly between number 11 and number 13 Grimmauld Place. Opening the door and stepping out, Harry walked around to the back of the car where he popped open the trunk and took out his belongings, hearing a relieved sigh as he lifted the chest. There was some scrabbling as Moody got out of the car and Harry began thinking about the Order of the Phoenix' headquarters, when all of a sudden, out of nowhere, appeared its battered door surrounded by dirty walls and grimy windows.

Harry felt mixed emotions at seeing the house. At first, he was overjoyed with being away from the Dursleys and being able to spend time with people he loved, but the joy evaporated when he remembered that Sirius had lived here, and he would never see him alive again. He had hated this place, his childhood home, and now it was Harry's only sanctuary apart from Hogwarts.

He was ripped away from his thoughts by Mad-Eye Moody prodding him insistently in the back. "Get inside, boy, we can't stand around out here all day." With that, Harry noticed that Ron and Hermione were well on their way through the door, so he hurried to catch up, Moody less than a step behind him, sheltering him, as if to block any curse heading his way.

He had not even finished crossing through the doorway when he felt Mrs. Weasleys weight hitting him at full force as she engulfed him in a smothering motherly hug. "Harry, I'm so glad you've finally arrived, I was so worried about you, your uncle trying to murder and everything," she said, gasping for breath before starting again. "We told Dumbledore to let you come earlier, but he wouldn't allow it. He said you would understand, but I don't comprehend what he thinks he is doing sending you back to those impossible Muggles." Taking another deep breath and leading him over to the sofa, she prepared to rant some more, when Hermione and Ron grabbed Harry by the arms and said, "We've got to go get him settled in his room."

Harry was thankful for the interruption, and as they climbed the stairs, they could still hear the random, "Be good," or, "Dinner will be ready in an hour." On that last shout, Mrs. Black began screaming her regular litany of "Muggle lovers, mudbloods, and werewolves, in my house!" They scrambled the rest of the way to the boys' room and slammed the door shut, plunging the room into silence. That is, until Ginny, who had been sitting on the bed, saw them and began screaming in excitement, running to Harry and giving him a tight hug. "You're finally here! This is great, Mom'll finally stop coming in every five minutes to tidy up, and she'll stop being so frantic, too."

"Man Harry, what's up with you and girls?" said Ron, "This is the third one to throw herself at you today." As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Hermione and Ginny threw themselves at him, but rather than hugging him, like they had Harry, they smacked him hard.

Harry placed his trunk at the foot of his bed and Hedwig's cage on a dresser. When he was all settled, he realized that the room did not seem as gloomy as it had the previous year. As a matter of fact, except for Mrs. Black's incessant screaming, the house seemed like a completely different place. Harry walked back out into the hall and noticed for the first time that most of the portraits along the wall were of various Weasley family members.

"What's wrong," Ginny asked, concern in her voice as she stopped trying to injure her brother.

"Why are your pictures on the walls?" Harry asked, returning to the bedroom and sitting on the chair next to the bed.

"Well mate, that's why we brought you up here," Ron said, doing his best to keep Hermione at bay. "We have some interesting news to tell you." Ron looked over at his sister, as if begging her to tell it for him. When she shook her head gently, he looked resigned and proceeded to tell the news. "It turns out that Sirius gave us the um... the house." Ron cringed slightly as the words left his mouth, as if he expected some kind of outburst, but then straightened up when he saw Harry's face light up. "You're not mad?" Ron asked incredulously. "I thought for sure he would have given it to you mate. I mean, he never got along very well with Mom anyway, and you were almost like a son to him."

"I don't care, you guys are practically my family anyway. I wouldn't be able to live here my own, Dumbledore would never allow that, so it's just as well that you guys have it. That way I can visit," Harry reassured them. "There's something I have to tell you, from when we went to the Department of Mysteries. Do you know what the prophecy was about?" Dumbledore had told him at the end of the year, but Harry was not sure he would have advised the rest of his friends.

Harry could guess he had not when Ron and Ginny's faces lit up with curiosity and Hermione's saddened with the knowledge that Harry knew something she did not. "I can't remember exactly how it goes, but basically, it says that either Voldemort will kill me or vice-versa. Please don't get scared," he added when he saw the looks of worry on his friends' faces. "Cause you know what," he continued for emphasis, "I don't think I am anymore."

"That's exactly why we're scared, though," Hermione said desperately. "If you tried to find ways to defend yourself in your spare time, then we might feel better, but it's like you just don't care what he does to you anymore. What if you get hurt..." she paused, unwilling to voice the last, but knowing it was inevitable, "or die."

"So what do you want me to do about it, Hermione," Harry asked in frustration.

"It's not like we can just go to the library and find an answer," supplied Ron, "I can see it now, 'Madam Pince, do you have a book that treats on the subject of defeating extremely dark wizards?" he asked, pitching his voice higher in an imitation of Hermione.

"Shut up, Ron, that's not what I'm saying!" Hermione snapped back in irritation. "We should be training. There are so many things Harry doesn't know that could save his life if he were to find himself dueling with Voldemort." Ginny flinched at the name, while Harry sat amazed at the assurance with which Hermione had said the name. She must have been practicing over the summer. "There's plenty of information in the room of requirements, and we could ask teachers, too."

"What kind of thing do you suggest we should learn then?" Harry asked, interested in the proposition despite his dislike for studying.

"We could do invisibility, and you've still got to finish Occlumency..." started Hermione.

"And we could learn Apparation!" exclaimed Ron, getting excited about the prospect of being ahead of his entire class at school.

"Ron, how many times do I have to tell you? You can't Apparate inside Hogwarts. You should really get to reading 'Hogwarts, a ..."

"We don't have to do it at school," Ron said, cutting her off. "It only took Fred and George two days to learn how to do it. I bet we could beat that; they weren't exactly the scholarly type."

"But they had teachers Ron!"

"So," Harry interjected. "Dad and Sirius did tons of things without the help of a teacher. They made the marauders map and they completed the animagus transformation."

"We could become animagi!" Ginny exclaimed, voicing her thoughts for the first time since the conversation had begun.

"And we could start here," finished Hermione. "The library here has much more information than the one at Hogwarts. It's like the restricted section, but we don't need permission to go through it."

"All right, lets go then," Ron proposed. "The sooner we get started the better, I guess," he added, seeming surprised the words had come out of his mouth.

"It's wonderful to see you finally have an interest in learning," Hermione said, beaming as they walked out of the room and headed for the library.

Ron's enthusiasm was short lived when he realized he would actually have to do research, and pretty soon, all books had been abandoned to watch Harry challenging Ron in a game of wizard's chess. They were interrupted halfway through the slaughtering of Harry's bishop by Mrs. Weasley yelling up at them that supper was ready. They reached the dining room and sat with Lupin and Tonks, waiting for Mrs. Weasley to be seated before beginning the meal. They were almost to the main course when there was a soft yet decisive tap at the door. Lupin excused himself from the table and headed out the dining room, only to return a few minutes later with none other than Albus Dumbledore.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your meal," said Dumbledore, his voice soft but commanding, "but if I may, I must have a few words with Harry."

"Uh, sure," Harry said, excusing himself in turn and following Dumbledore out to the living room. They both seated themselves in armchairs and Harry turned his attention to his headmaster, who was fiddling in his pocket. "Lemon drop?" Dumbledore asked Harry when he noticed the direction of his gaze. Shacking his head, Harry began waiting for Dumbledore to explain why he was here.

"I know everything must be going a little fast for you, but I feel I should keep you informed, in accordance with my promise to you last year. I have decided that, for your own protection, we should add certain classes to your curriculum. If you are willing, we might even begin training over the summer so that you are ready when Voldemort comes calling again." When Dumbledore was finished, Harry simply sat stunned, having been discussing this with his friends just an hour ago. He began wondering if Phineas had not eavesdropped on them and suggested the idea to Dumbledore. "I have asked Minerva if she would teach you animagism, in which your friends can join you if they so desire. You will have an Occlumency class with me, and I will extend that to include Legimency. You see, wizards can be very powerful, more powerful than any other, yet they can fail, because they underestimate the mind. This is one thing that both Voldemort and I understand. I failed last year when I did not teach you and left you unprotected." With that, Dumbledore popped a lemon drop into his mouth and motioned that Harry was now free to leave, unless he had more questions.

"Just one thing Professor. Could Ginny learn animagism with us? I know that she's younger than the rest of us, but I know that she's ready..."

"Of course she can," Dumbledore said approvingly. "You should surround yourself with as many trustworthy people as you can find."

With that, Harry got up and headed back to the dining room, leaving Dumbledore in the living room, where he sat in thoughtful silence.