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Dreams of Home Chapter 14
🕑 Added 2023-03-28 18:20:32 +0000 UTCChapter 14
The knock on the door was preceded by butterflies in Harry’s stomach. The last conversation Harry had with the Headmaster of Hogwarts was in the man’s weakened state. The young man now knew the many secrets his old mentor had kept from him, and there was a bitterness in the underlying parts of his subconscious as the memory Snape left him echoed in his mind, ‘You’ve been raising him like a pig for slaughter.’
The door opened, and the familiar voice called out permission to enter as Harry forced himself to put one foot in front of the other. The blue eyes of the man he once looked up to were upon him, but what was missing was the smile. Dumbledore had his hands folded with two fingers pressed to his head when Harry entered the room, and they moved to the surface in front of him as the young man approached his desk. With a slight bow of his head, Harry offered the man greetings, “Good evening, Headmaster.”
In an instant, Harry felt it. Wards. Powerful, ancient wards. The Wampus wand that chose Harry when he arrived in this world shot to his hands as he eyed the still unmoving Headmaster with trepidation. The man finally stood, still no sign of the Elder Wand, and he looked down upon Harry curiously as if he expected a different response from the boy, “Who are you?”
Frowning at the question Harry spat, “What is this? I feel the wards you just summoned. What are you doing?”
The trill of the Phoenix was heard, and he saw Fawkes fly to his perch from the back of the room. A calming feeling spread through Harry, but it was not enough to make him put away his wand. Dumbledore on the other hand looked curious as he looked at his familiar which merely stared at Harry expectantly. A long tense moment passed before Dumbledore stated, “You have been in the company of a phoenix before.”
Deciding that lying as little as possible would do him favors Harry nodded, “I have been well acquainted with one since I was 12 years old.”
The older man waited for further explanation, but the time traveler shook his head, “My father told me you were barmy, Dumbledore, but you must know trapping me in this office without even introducing yourself is political suicide. Now I ask again, what is the meaning of this?”
“I will give you one chance.” Dumbledore said calmly, “It would give you no benefit to lie. Who are you?”
Dumbledore knew. Harry wasn’t sure how, or why, but the old man knew he wasn’t who he said he was. Despite all the efforts Charlus and Arcturus had gone through to protect the secret, the Hogwarts Headmaster could expose them. Harry knew about the wand the old man carried, and a part of him wondered if his hand was about to be forced into taking his birthright far earlier than he had intended. Dumbledore was a powerhouse, but Harry was certainly at an advantage in close quarters. It gave the man much less freedom to rely on his strength in transfiguration, but still, Harry was hesitant to cross wands with the only man that the Dark Lord ever feared.
“What do you know?” Harry asked after much hesitation.
The two men stare down continued for a moment before Dumbledore grabbed a file off his desk, “The transcript I have here says that Harry Arcturus Potter was born on July 31st, 1960. This makes you a little young for a seventh-year student, but this is not the unheard-ofpart.”
Reaching into his desk Dumbledore pulled out a rather thick book, and dropped it on his desk creating a loud thud, “This is the book of acceptance. Each year the quill of admittance pens the names of each witch or wizard born with a large enough magical core to pass a basic magical curriculum. The names of every child born to a family that has attended this school are normally placed at the forefront of the list, and sent an invitation automatically. No letter was ever sent to Harry Arcturus Potter. I have never had to pull these magical artifacts from their place in the upper parts of Hogwarts, but I would certainly remember a name such as yours. Now I will ask again, who are you? Why have you entered my school on false pretenses?”
Fuck. Of the all things they would be beaten by. A book that detects magical signatures was not on Harry’s radar at all. Trying to think of any excuse or lie that would get him out of his predicament he deflated, before speaking, “My name is Harry Potter. I am a Potter and Black by blood. That much is true.”
“Your parents?”
Gritting his teeth Harry shook his head, “Family secret.”
Frowning Dumbledore stepped around his desk leaving nothing now between them, “I am afraid you will have to do better than that. I cannot allow an unknown walk through the hall of these schools given the state of things in our country.”
“You think Charlus and Dorea Potter would allow a threat to walk these halls with their nephew in the castle?” Harry asked his temper flaring, “Why even accept my family's application to put me in the school if you were going to make an issue of it?”
“Between the names Potter and Black, there was no denying your acceptance.” Dumbledore admitted, “They could’ve made my life quite difficult, and without exposing you there was no other option.”
“So you cut me off from my family, and summoned me for a private meeting without the consent of my parents to interrogate me?” Harry asked hotly, his temper from the secrets the man had kept from him in the war threatening to spill over, “You have no right to interfere in my family’s business.”
“It is a matter of safety for the students and staff that reside in this school that is my right.” Dumbledore corrected with a hint of steel in his voice.
“Then we are at an impasse. I will not be disclosing pertinent information about my life for it jeopardizes the safety and reputation of members of my family.” Harry returned with every bit of malice.
The look on Dumbledore’s face was one Harry had never seen directed at him. It was an expression Harry had seen pointed in the direction of Umbridge and Voldemort. Whatever wild assumptions the Headmaster had made about Harry, clearly none of them were good. The old man was viewing Harry as a potential enemy, and now the Elder Wand slid into the man’s hands, “I am afraid what follows will be for the Greater Good.”
Harry’s eyes widened, and as the man raised his wand, Fawkes flew in between the pair letting out a warning sound that the young man had never heard before. The tips of the bird's wings were dropping small embers, and Harry realized that for a second time, Fawkes was coming to his defense. Dumbledore looked shocked at his familiar, and in an instant lowered his wand. His blue eyes were wide and unwavering on his legendary ally, and at last, Harry felt the wards around the office begin to lower.
The tense silence had turned awkward, and Harry coughed before asking, “What now?”
“Now I ask…” Dumbledore started before pausing, “No, now I implore that you give me something. Any bit of information that can help me sleep at night. Something that gives me hope that you are not here with ill intentions to my students or staff. I have lowered the wards of this office, and if you so chose you could walk out without a further word. Fawkes has clearly made his opinion known, and in the fifty years, we have been companions he has never stood against me as he does now. My old friend knows something, and not for the first time I wish he could speak.”
A glimpse of the man Harry trusted was showing himself at this moment. The man that drew his wand ready to strike him down for not revealing all the information he held was the man that had earned his ire. This man that would let him go free is the man that earned his respect, “I wish no ill will to your students or staff, Headmaster, of that I can assure you. I have returned to Britain with a singular purpose, and that is to put an end to a man you knew as Tom Riddle.”
Dumbledore clearly did not expect this, “How do you-”
“That doesn’t matter right now, Headmaster.” Harry cut off patronizingly, “Nor was it the right question.”
Speaking in riddles was something the old man was quite fond of, and Harry took more than a little satisfaction watching the wheels turn in his former mentor's eyes, “The right question…Why?”
“In some ways, he took everything from me.” Harry answered simply, “And if he is allowed to continue he will take all I have left. I will not harm any that does not swear allegiance to him. Sympathizers I will turn the other cheek, but fanatics, the ones that bear the mark we are seeing in the skies of our country…I will not. Mr Riddle may not yet realize we are sworn enemies, but he will one day soon.”
“He is a very dangerous wizard, Mr Potter. Perhaps the most dangerous to be born in many years.” Dumbledore consoled.
“Then it is a good thing I don’t plan to fight fair, isn’t it, Headmaster? I want to trust you, but in a roundabout way that I can’t yet explain, you have wronged me. Wronged me to the point that I am unsure whether I can trust you, much less forgive you.” Harry offered without a hint of passion in his voice.
The tone of his words clearly surprised the old man, but perhaps not as much as the content, “I am certain we have never met before today. I believe I would remember a young man such as yourself.”
“All will be clear one day, Headmaster. Until then, I will ask you to trust in the history of my family. Remember what they have done for Britain. I very much intend to honor that legacy in the same way my forefathers did if I must.” Harry stated ominously.
Looking conflicted the Headmaster offered the slightest nod of his head, “Very well. I trust we can keep our differences out of the ears of the students and staff for the time being.”
Smiling for the first time since he entered the office Harry confirmed this thought, “Of course. I can’t have people thinking I am a nutter attacking the head of my school on my first night here. I would however expect a call from my mother, I suspect she will be quite displeased with our interaction tonight.”
Chuckling now, Dumbledore asked, “I don’t suppose I could ask for the favor of it remaining between us?”
“Not a chance, sir.” Harry returned with a wicked smirk, “I would expect quite the dressing down in your future. Knowing you have encountered my mother on numerous occasions I would caution that your wand is ready. She is quite protective of me these days.”
Offering a bow of his head at the offered words Dumbledore glanced towards his familiar again before saying, “I look forward to hearing of your progress inside this school Mr Potter. I wish you a good term, and offer an open door if you ever wish to discuss my old student, or any other that may be a threat to our world. It is a big task that you have set yourself upon.”
“A path that has been paved by better witches and wizards than myself, sir, but I thank you for the offer.” Harry returned with an acknowledging bow.
With that, Harry turned on his heels and departed the office. As soon as the door closed behind him he took a deep breath of relief, his adrenaline fading from the near confrontation that he had with one of the most powerful wizards of the century. Harry had held hope that in a duel, he would surprise the man with his ferocity and skill. Plus, in close quarters, he would like to think his age, stamina, and training he had done over the summer with his father would give him an edge. Regardless, he knew that a duel with the Headmaster would be one of the toughest fights of his life, and one that he would be unlikely to come out on top of.
Grateful that things had not turned bloody on his first night at Hogwarts, he made his way down to the dungeons, wondering how he would explain his knowledge of the location of Slytherin's Common Room. He also pondered how he would get the password. The worst-case scenario was that he could go to Slughorn's office, and ask, but instead, he turned to an area he was more familiar with. Ascending the staircase led Harry to the seventh floor, where he paced in front of the familiar tapestry three times revealing a door that would provide all he required.
.o.
Dumbledore couldn’t prevent himself from pacing in his office. The Potters were bringing a new player on to the board. One that shouldn’t exist. It was clear that the boy was a Potter, and he swore to it. He could’ve lied, but why would Fawkes have protected the boy if he were a liar.
Then there was the accusation towards the Headmaster, himself. How had he wronged the Potters? How had Tom Riddle taken everything from him? Dumbledore had of course heard the mumbles of revolution around the world from the ICW, so perhaps Harry was blaming Voldemort for this pureblood revolution. Perhaps someone dear to him was killed by the radicals where he grew up?
If Harry knew who Tom Riddle was, did that mean that he blamed the Headmaster for allowing the man to rise to power unchecked? It was the only thing that made sense. What didn’t add into the equation was Fawkes.
Looking at his longtime companion he noticed the phoenix had hardly taken his eyes off him since the Potter scion had departed his office, “What is it about this boy, old friend? Why do you trust him?”
The phoenix let out a happy trill at the man, and Dumbledore shook his head, “I wish I could understand. We have been friends for nearly fifty years, so I will trust you on this. I just hope I am not misinterpreting your warnings.”
The phoenix merely cocked its head to the side and the man sighed in frustration. He would be keeping an eye on the boy, but he desperately wanted to understand. James Potter was a great wizard in the makings, and that was with the boy mostly applying his time to pranks. If Charlus Potter had raised his son in combat then he could only imagine what the young man might be capable of. Coming from both the Black and Potter lines spoke of the young man’s potential. Dumbledore could only hope it would be used the right way.
.o.
The next morning Harry found his way to the grounds at an hour that would be unusual for the Hogwarts student body. The sun was barely on the horizon when Harry was making his way around the lake. Hours had already passed since he rose from a bed in the Room of Requirement, and he pushed himself harder than usual as he attempted to leave behind the dreams that haunted him. The final moments of Hermione and Tonks fresh on his mind.
At the end of his workout, he freshened himself up, and reversed the shrinking charm on his chest to change into his Hogwarts robes. When he entered the hall that morning for breakfast Harry noticed Professor Slughorn looking through a Daily Prophet, and walked past the curious glances of his housemates towards the head table. Professor Slughorn greeted the young man with an excited smile, “Harry, my boy, good morning. How was your first night in Slytherin House?”
Returning the good morning greeting Harry explained his predicament, “The Headmaster and I had a meeting that went later than planned. I never had an opportunity to get the password or location to our dormitory.”
Slughorn looked appalled at his words, “Harry! Why didn’t you come to wake me? Or have the Headmaster bring you down?”
“Even if I knew where your office was, sir I would not have woken you up. The Headmaster and I hardly left on the best terms last night. Personal disagreement. Besides, I am quite resourceful sir, and have learned to adapt when necessary. It was hardly even an inconvenience, the castle is quite large after all.” Harry added with a smile.
Slughorn looked like he had a hundred questions, but instead sighed, “Of course, my boy. I will escort you myself to the Slytherin dorms, and give you the password upon the conclusion of our breakfast. Please try to enjoy it, and we will remedy the error of our judgment from last night.”
Harry offered a slight bow of his head, and then returned to the table where Andromeda and Nate were staring at him with wide eyes. When he sat down Andromeda asked in surprise, “Where were you last night? I waited for you to come down to the dorms, but it was after midnight before I gave up. I thought you had been expelled.”
“Long story.” Harry answered between grabbing bacon, and a few pieces of toast, “Needless to say, I found a place to sleep after wandering the halls for a bit.”
Harry knew there was no way he was going to explain that he knew where the Slytherin Common Room was, and did not dare test his theory that a parselmouth would likely be able to open the door even without a password. Too many possible mistakes could be made along the way that made it not worth the risk.
Andromeda looked like she wanted to pry, but with a warning look for Nate she decided to drop it, while Harry said, “Besides, Professor Slughorn is personally going to show me to our Common Room now. I will get to sleep in my new bed tonight.”
Andi leaned over towards him quietly, “Probably for the best. Lots of whispers in the Common Room last night. I have a bad feeling about what may follow tonight.”
Harry looked curiously at the girl, before his eyes drifted down the table to notice a few had quickly lowered their heads to avoid his gaze. A frown followed this line of thinking before he shook his head, “Some bridges are best crossed once you get to them. Let’s have a good first day of lessons. What do we have first anyway?”
Elaina appeared suddenly taking a seat next to Harry, answering his question with a small smile on her face, “Most of the seventh years have a free period, but Andi, Nate, and I have Defense Against the Dark Arts.”
Nate grumbled, “No wonder you look like you are in such a cheery mood. Starting our year off with your favorite subject.”
Elaina ignored the Greengrass heir as she grabbed a piece of toast with that small smile still on her countenance. The girl's dark hair was tied back today, and put in a neat bun. Her skinny frame made her robes look larger than necessary, but even so, Harry was impressed by the air of confidence she held. Noting what Nate had said in the back of his mind, Harry spoke indifferently, “Ah yes. I got to meet our defense teacher very briefly at the Black Family gathering. Alphard Black right? He wasn’t at the feast last night.”
Andromeda frowned at his words, and seemed to recall the evening before knowing he was right, “That is odd. Usually, the new professors are always at the opening feast.”
Nate shook his shoulders dismissively, “Maybe something came up. Could’ve been a hundred things, but I doubt it is really our business as long as he is there for the first lesson.”
In agreement, the four Slytherins continued their breakfast discussing the various teachers in the school, and Harry felt he had a decent expectation of what would follow. Professor Slughorn had found his way over to Harry towards the end of the meal, and as promised escorted the time traveler down to dungeons where he was ‘introduced’ to the Slytherin Common Room. The room was as dimly lit as Harry remembered from all those years before. The low-hanging lanterns, greenish lamps, and fine leather chairs were spread across the room neatly, and a nearby window indicated they were below the Black Lake.
Taking in his new home for the year, Slughorn talked about some of the other Blacks that had passed through his halls in recent years. The phenomenon which was Bellatrix Black was a main topic of conversation, and Harry tried not to reveal his animosity toward the woman. He also mentioned Narcissa, as well as the parents of the Black sisters, as well as Sirius and Regulus' parents. By the time Harry was led up the stairs he was introduced to a small room that held a small bed and desk. Slughorn looked apologetically towards the young man, “Bad luck, my boy, seems all the best rooms were taken, but this one will be yours for the year. I shall give you a friendly piece of advice, however. How one decorates their room in Slytherin can often determine their status. Wards, defensive spells, and decorations can raise your status in our house. Choose wisely.”
Harry nodded as his eyes flickered around the room. One small window showed the Black Lake, but other than that the room was practically Spartan. He would have his work cut out for him if he wanted to make it anything spectacular, but in acceptance, he offered a smile towards the professor, “When I am done with it you will have to come to see my work, sir. What do you do if you have to breach the wards of someone's room in an emergency?”
The man looked at Harry curiously, before answering, “I am no slouch with a wand, Harry. Most of the students besides the 7th years I could dismantle in a matter of moments. If I struggled I would summon the Headmaster, or professor Babbling.”
In understanding, Harry nodded as he flicked his wand, and in three quick motions summoned some very basic defenses for his room. Slughorn looked impressed, but didn’t comment further, “Well, my boy you best be getting off to Professor Black’s class. Do you need directions to the North tower or the third floor?”
“No, Professor, I know the way.” Harry answered, “Thank you for giving me the private tour.”
Slughorn offered him a final wink, and wished him luck on his first day of classes as Harry took his personal items out of his cloak and tossed them onto his bed, not bothering to unshrink them just yet. With another wave of his wand, he created a new ward that would certainly keep any student out of his room. A creation of his father’s, and he was uncertain of how the man came up with it, but in practice, the ward created a visible shield in the doorway. The shield was a perfect mirror however, so any magic cast at it would be reflected back at the caster, and was all but impenetrable. It would take delicate rune work to bring down this ward, and in the meantime the creator would be alerted as soon as the process began, giving the defender all the time he could possibly need to stop the intruder.
In acceptance of his work, Harry returned to the Slytherin Common Room to find it empty, and departed for his first class.
Comments
Beau Brown
There is no prophecy yet in this time, so he has no fear of sharing what are currently random words. Voldemort isn't even known as The Dark Lord yet.
Ronke Kayode
Only read the first to paragraph and I want to punch Harry? "What do you know?" bloody Merlins knickers, play hard to get before spreading all your information and basically confirming all he's suspicions. And stop telling known traitors (peter) about the fucking prophecy. You would think he would be a bit more wery
