The next few days were heavenly for Harry who had never truly experienced a summer holiday. He and the others slept late, lazed in the sunshine and played games. Mrs. Weasley had shown up the 2nd morning with the school trunks and a new broom for Ginny, which she’d asked for on hearing she was a prefect. Hermione even used a school broom and joined in for Quidditch. They generally all had dinner together, with Mrs. Weasley and Remus, and which ever teachers who showed up. Hagrid was around most of the time, as was Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick, Snape and Dumbledore appeared once in a while.
They had been there for several days when Professor Dumbledore joined them at lunch, and listened to the animated conversation among the teenagers. Lupin and Mrs. Weasley were laughing as hard as Harry and Ginny as Ron tried to argue some obscure fact with Hermione. It was silly, and pointless, and they were having fun. Dumbledore’s bright blue eyes twinkled with merriment as he watched.
When everyone was done eating, Dumbledore sat back and surveyed the table. “Harry, you and I need to attend to a lesson this afternoon.” Harry groaned. “And I also have a task for the rest of you.” He looked at them steadily. “When the term begins, I would like you to continue your DA meetings. I would like you to plan out some of the things that Harry and all of you will be able to teach to those willing to learn. Think of what you experienced in the Department of Mysterious and assess what you might think would be helpful to learn. I am sure that Remus can help you in that area.”
The others followed Remus Lupin out to the grassy slope next to the lake, and Harry watched them settle in from the window of a large empty classroom on the third floor. He turned from the window and sat in at one of the desks. The sunlight filling the room made it pleasantly warm and he shut his eyes, steeling his mind to practice Occlumency. He envisioned smooth stone walls protecting his mind from intrusion and focused all his energy on the delight and joy he felt at being back in the place he felt most at home, with the friends that he considered his true family. Slowly, all else receded in his mind except the smooth walls and those he loved.
“Harry?” The warm voice of Sirius Black wrapped itself around his consciousness. Harry’s mind filled with the love he felt for his godfather, and he found himself once again in the Death Chamber at the Department of Mysteries.
“Hello, Sirius.” Harry sat on the stone floor next to the ancient archway.
“You sound better, Harry, are you sleeping?” Sirius’ voice was gentle.
“I am better, and I was practicing my Occlumency, but maybe I fell asleep. Thank you for the letter you left me, it helped.” Harry was more comfortable this time conversing with Sirius’ spirit? Or whatever it was, but he was just not completely convinced it wasn’t a Voldemort trick.
“I’m glad, Harry, and Remus is doing okay? How are the rest?”
“Yes, everyone is fine, and Dumbledore got your mum down!”
“Finally!” Harry could almost feel Sirius smile. “Harry, I want you to do something for me. I want you to work hard, do exactly what Dumbledore tells you to, and I want you to be very, very careful. Don’t trust lightly, alright?” The voice of his godfather was serious.
“I’ll try, Sirius, to do all of that. Sirius, I miss you …” Harry said as the stone chamber faded back into the smooth walls of his mind.
Slowly, Harry became aware of another presence and opened his eyes. Dumbledore’s light blue eyes stared intently at Harry’s from just inches away. Instantly aware, Harry returned the stare, as his headmaster pulled back.
“I just spoke to Sirius, Professor!” Harry repeated the entire conversation, trying not to notice how closely Dumbledore was watching him. “I don’t understand why he said not to trust lightly, though.”
Dumbledore steepled his fingers and looked through his half-moon glasses thoughtfully. “I think there are concerns among members of the Order that some of the returning students to Hogwarts will have been recruited as spies for Voldemort, some possibly even by their own parents. Sirius is correct in reminding you that must be very careful.” Dumbledore stood and motioned for Harry to move opposite of him. “Let us see how you are doing, Harry.”
Harry stood straight, the walls firmly in place.
“Ready? Legilimens!”
Harry had braced himself for the brutal intrusive style of Severus Snape, and almost missed the gently brushing against his thoughts. The Death Chamber flashed through his mind twice before he clamped the walls down and filled his mind with happy thoughts of being with his friends playing Quidditch.
“Very good, Harry!” Dumbledore’s voice seemed to come from both inside his head as well as in front of him. “Remember, that there is any number of ways to enter a mind, without the use of brute force.”
Harry opened his eyes to see the smile on Dumbledore’s face. He grinned in return and watched as the Headmaster walked over to the teacher’s desk and began pulling things out of his robes.
“Harry, I’d like to try another test with you, just to see where you are, all right?”
Harry moved closer as he nodded, and watched Dumbledore line up a number of objects on the desk, everyday sort of things like a key, an apple, a roll of parchment, an eagle feather quill, and the like. Dumbledore motioned him back against the far wall of the room.
“What I would like you to do, Harry is a series of exercises. You know your Summoning Charm, what I would like is for you to use your wand, but say the charm in your mind, not aloud. Let’s see how many of these you can move.”
Harry was able to summon all the objects on the desk by waving his wand and doing the “Accio” command in his head. Dumbledore then had him say the charm, but not use his wand, and Harry was able to summon all the items to him as well. Finally, Harry was to close his eyes, and using nothing but his hand, summon the items in his head. This wasn’t as easy as the other exercises.
“Concentrate, Harry, like you were practicing Occlumency. Close your mind to everything but the object you want to bring to you.” Dumbledore directed him.
Harry did as he was instructed and to his great astonishment, every item on the desk flew into his hand. He opened his eyes, looking for Professor Dumbledore, only to find that Remus and Professor Snape had joined them. Harry flushed, not sure whether to be embarrassed or excited.
“Excellent, Harry, excellent! You have indeed been practicing hard.” Dumbledore clapped his hands, and even Snape looked nonplussed. Remus smiled at him, his eyes twinkling.
“You have great potential, Harry, you just need to keep practicing and learning to refine the ability you have.” Dumbledore smiled at him. “But power and ability are only a portion of what you need.” Dumbledore smiled at him. “Magical power will only get you so far against Voldemort, Harry, you must also be confident in your ability to use it. That is one of the reasons that you were taught to Apparrate, and are being tested on some of the more advanced wizarding skills. We must be prepared, Harry.”
Harry nodded solemnly, as he looked at Dumbledore. They both knew the Prophecy, both knew that some how, some day, it would come down to he and Voldemort, and if he did not triumph, the entire world, wizard and Muggle, would be in danger.
“As with everything else, Harry, you need to keep practicing in secret. It certainly would not do to have anyone report back to Voldemort that your powers were being strengthened and refined.” Dumbledore stated sagely,smiling. “Although I am sure that Ron will be suitably impressed.” Harry grinned back at him, again the just-turned-16 year old.
It was quiet in the Gryffindor common room late that evening where Ron and Harry were playing wizard chess with Hermione watching. Ginny had already gone up to bed. Ron, as usual, was beating Harry soundly, even though he kept moving the pieces without touching them, to which Ron would growl “show-off” at him. Harry had just toppled his king in defeat, when Ron smacked a hand to his forehead.
“Blimey! I forgot all about Ginny’s birthday day after tomorrow! What are we going to do, I don’t have a present for her!”
“Neither do I.” Said Harry, looking at Hermione, who shook her head as well. “Maybe we can go into Hogsmeade tomorrow and get something from Honeydukes.”
“No, Harry!” Hermione said quickly, “None of us can leave the castle! If we are seen, then Voldemort will know you are back at Hogwarts, and you know Dumbledore doesn’t want him to know.”
“We could use the Invisibility Cloak and go out the passage right into the back of Honeydukes.” Ron said desperately. “Ginny will be so disappointed if we don’t get her anything.”
“And if we just stay in Honeydukes…”
“Harry.” The voice of his guardian sounded from the doorway, and Harry looked up to see Remus Lupin standing there, clad in a midnight blue dressing gown and a stern look on his pale face. “If you need something, we’ll get Hedwig to fly a letter up to Fred and George in the morning, and she’ll get back by tomorrow night.”
Harry looked at him, dumbfounded. “How do you always know, Remus?”
Lupin smiled at him fondly. “Know when you are about to make mischief? Well, you seem to forget that I went to school with Sirius and James, Harry, I had to hone my skills early on, as the Headmaster always seemed to make it my responsibility to keep the two of them out of trouble. And Harry, you have no idea the trouble those two got me into!” He looked around at them. “Now, what do you need and can we send Hagrid to Hogsmeade or do we need an owl to Diagon Alley?”
They put their heads together and made up a list of items that Hagrid could walk down to the village and get them without raising suspicious of anyone who might be watching. Hermione went up to her dorm as Ron and Harry said goodnight to Remus. Their beds were warm and comfortable and they both dropped off immediately.
The rough gray walls of the Chamber of Secrets were damp and stone cold as he slithered along them. He was climbing as he went, looking for something, something just out of his reach, searching… The walls darkened and became the stone Death Chamber at the Department of Mysteries, and he tried to slither closer to the ancient archway, but his long serpentine body stubbornly continued around the walls, searching… Searing pain split his head, when he refused to follow.
Harry woke up from his nightmare, drenched in sweat and colder than he had been in a long time, his head feeling like it had burst. Automatically, the smooth walls he had erected in his mind sealed it against the snake who was trying to gain entry. Fumbling, retching over the side of his bed, he grabbed the watch on his wrist and pressed. Harry rubbed hard at his forehead, desperately trying to ease the pain. Gently hands pulled the twisted bedclothes from around him and laid him back on the bed.
“You are safe now, Harry. Steady, just relax back.” Dumbledore’s reassuring voice came out of the darkness. Harry continued to tremble, knowing that his reaction would just have to run its course, as usual. He took slow, steadying breaths, the pain in his head beginning to ease a little.
“He’s searching, Professor, like he is desperate to find me.” Harry haltingly began to tell Dumbledore everything he could remember.
“When did your head start hurting, Harry?”
“When I tried to go towards the archway and the snake wanted to keep going around the chamber. Almost like he didn’t know I was aware he was there up until then, and it made Voldemort really mad when he realized.” Harry was glad that Dumbledore had left the room dark, as he was still shaky and knew he must be pale. He hated this! Hated the weakness and trembling he felt whenever he dealt with Voldemort. “Why does it do this to me? Why am I so weak that it makes me…well, makes me feel all shaky and sick feeling?”
Dumbledore sat next to Harry on the bed, his hand resting lightly on his forehead. Remus Lupin stood silently next to the bed, having come in sometime after Dumbledore. Ron’s soft, gentle snoring was the only sound in the room.
“Harry, the forced intrusion into any mind is a terrible thing, the body reacts physically to the attack, with the same type of shock as it would to a physical attack on any other part of itself. You know that even during Occlumency lessons with Professor Snape when you were prepared for it, the intrusion left you half sick. It has nothing to do with being weak, Harry, and a lot to do with being sensitized to it.” Dumbledore’s voice was thoughtful. “We will continue to practice, Harry, but I think you will always be sensitive to Voldemort due to that scar he gave you and the connection it forged between your minds.”
“Just my luck! I have practiced hard, Professor, since…since that night last term. I didn’t let him know where we were, and my walls stayed up.” Harry was feeling a bit better, and was comforted by Remus’ presence beside them. “I know that I can’t afford to be weak, because I refuse to be the cause of someone else’s death.”
“I realize, Harry, that nothing I might say is going to ease the burden you are carrying, only time will do that. It is one of the reason’s I want you to share these incidents with me, so that together, we can be sure of what you are ‘seeing’.” Dumbledore moved slightly and Harry’s bedside lamp lit of its own accord. “I can’t help but think of the burden of guilt that Sirius took with him to Azkaban, Harry, and although it, and knowledge of his innocence, kept him sane, it took a great toll on him. He is the last one who would want you to suffer.”
“I know.” Harry muttered. “And I am trying, Professor.”
Dumbledore patted his shoulder and studied him carefully. Harry still felt a little shaky, but he had warmed up and his stomach had settled. “If you are feeling better, Harry, we will leave you to sleep.”
Harry nodded and pulled the covers up around his chin as the light went out and the others left the room. Sleep was slow in coming, though, and events of the past few weeks played over in his mind.
Ginny’s birthday turned out to be a smash, with tons of goodies from Honeydukes and loads of presents. The Great Hall was filled with balloons and streamers, and Mr. Weasley had somehow arrived with Fred and George just in time for dinner. Mrs. Weasley had organized all of Ginny’s favorite foods and a huge cake at one end of the long table. Professors Flitwick, McGonagall, Dumbledore and Madame Pomfrey, joined the Weasley family, Harry, Remus, and Hermione in celebrating. Ginny loved the broomstick servicing kit that Harry gave her, blushing furiously as he kissed her on the cheek.
Harry sat back down by Remus Lupin and they watched the interplay of the family members. An arrow of envy shot through him as he watched the sibling banter. “Remus?”
His godfather looked at him. “Yes, Harry?”
“Do…do you think my mum and dad would have had other kids, if things had been different?” Harry asked quietly, watching the Weasley bothers.
“Oh, yes, Harry, I think they would have. They were both so delighted with you when you were born, James with his puffed out chest, declaring his son and heir had arrived. And your mother, who used to just sit and watch you sleep, could not have loved you more. Yes, I think if things had been different, you would have had at least a sibling or two to contend with.” There was a half smile on Lupin’s face. “Your folks were great, let me hold you when you were a baby and all.” He laughed quietly. “You should have seen Sirius hold you for the first time, wasn’t sure whether you were going to break or wet on him! It was very funny.”
Harry smiled at the mental picture Remus’ words created. “Sirius said my grandparents were really nice to him, too. Did you ever meet them?”
“Oh yes! What lovely people they were too, Harry, half adopted Sirius and never batted an eyelash about taking me in whenever my parents were away. They knew all about me, but never held that against me, letting me stay in that lovely manor house whenever James drug one or both of us home for the holidays.” Remus looked at Harry thoughtfully. “If you want to find out about your family, you have the immense library upstairs and the brightest witch of this school as one of your best friends. I think between them you could trace out your own family tree.”
Harry had never thought of that, and he nodded, a vision of the Black Family tapestry flashed in his mind. “That’s a great idea, Remus, maybe I actually have other living relatives, on my dad’s side.”
“You’ll never know unless you look, Harry.”