The Entrance Hall emptied as the soaked students had their clothes dried by senior students, and they moved away.
A small bunch approached Harry; it was Neville, Hermione, Susan, and Hannah.
Hermione looked steadily at Harry. “You did that, didn’t you!”
Harry nodded.
Hermione folded her arms. “Why? What was Professor Snape doing with you?”
“The professor wanted to know what I did last night. He was particularly interested in what I did to Draco. I told him that I did it using atmospheric elemental charms.”
Neville was shocked. “No! I read what you put in the journal, but you didn’t mention elemental charms. Elemental charms are impossible for a firstie.”
Hannah said. “What are you talking about? I’ve never heard of what you said.”
Neville recovered his composure. “Elemental charms are ancient magic. They are only hinted at in the most ancient scrolls. Merlin knew of that magic, but his students couldn’t perform the charms. The students didn’t have the power needed.”
Harry nodded and then told them what he had said to Professor Snape. As Harry talked, they walked out of the hall and around the wet courtyard. The clouds had cleared away. Neville, Susan, and Hannah were stunned. Hermione tried to remember everything. She resolved to write down everything Harry did and said.
“Will you teach us?” Hermione asked. “You are our age, but you can do more than some of our teachers, especially Professor Quirrell.”
Harry responded. “Our teachers will teach us. But, then, what we can do is practice the spells and charms that are in our coursework. That is the best course for you to follow until your magic develops. I can do more because I was born with a lot of magical power. So, I will help you as much as I can, but don’t expect to be able to make thunderstorms whenever you want to.”
The Escort waited and listened as Harry and the Alliance talked.
-ooOOoo-
The evening meal passed with some verbal baiting thrown by Malfoy at the Gryffindors.
Tom whispered. “Malfoy doesn’t seem able to walk past a Gryffindor without spitting some insulting remark. He is totally lacking in cunning. But, at least he left you and your Slytherins alone.”
“I’m waiting to see how he reacts when Malfoy Senior gets the bill for replacing the Common Room furniture,” Harry replied.
-ooOOoo-
That evening Harry went to his bedroom and received his much-anticipated visitors. Three fat lizards peeked out from an almost invisible gap in the wall at one corner of his room. Harry didn’t see them but sensed their reptilian presence in his magic.
Harry switched to Parseltongue.
“Hello friends, come closer. I would like to know your names.”
The lizards hissed their names; the sounds were hisses which defied translation. In response, Harry hissed his own name.
“Now, tell me about the castle, and may I see what you see. I can see your memories, but I promise not to hurt you. I want you to be my allies. If you help me, I will make extra warm, safe places for you to live in.”
Harry sensed a new view of the castle. Long dark passageways with cracks and gaps opened into almost every room. Any room that did not have an entrance could be explored by running along a corridor wall and then under a door. All of the inside walls and floors were dry. The outside walls held small pools of rainwater that leaked through gaps in the outer walls. There were millions of insects to eat, and sometimes the kitchen elves left crumbs that could be picked up during the few times the kitchen was not working.
“What do you do when winter comes?”
The lizards showed Harry pictures of lizard passages and tiny rooms in the chimney walls. The fireplaces and kitchen fires were hot for most of the year. Because the chimney and kitchen walls were always warm, the lizards did not have to hibernate. However, they would have to sleep in hidden places for many months if they were outside.
“Are there any rooms near here that humans never use?”
Harry had to start sketching a map of the dungeons. There were empty rooms and unused passageways which extended for thousands of paces. Humans had not visited some human-sized places for many lizards' lives.
Harry’s map became a book of maps extending over the whole castle. Sirius had told him of the Marauder's Map, which showed all the rooms, hallways, corridors, and secret passages his father’s gang had explored.
Sirius said that there were many gaps in the Marauder’s Map. Now, Harry’s lizard map was filling in those blank spaces.
The lizard map was huge. Harry took a mundane sketchbook and drew the joining maps on each page. The levels in the castle were different; each tower and building had its own levels and floor layout connected by many staircases. There was an official number of staircases, hallways, and classrooms, but many more hidden stairs, passages, and spaces existed.
After three evenings of drawing new pages, it became evident that the map book was a months-long project. So, Harry asked his lizard people to recruit lizard families from all over the castle to give their memories to Harry. As a result, it looked like Harry’s lizard map would be much bigger than the Marauder’s Map.
-ooOOoo-
Harry received a short letter from Aunt Amelia. She had discovered that Harry had no formal guardian in the mundane legal system. She then nominated herself as his guardian, and the paperwork was processed with the usual magical help. Albus Dumbledore claimed Harry’s Magical Guardianship and the Wizengamot approved that. Magical Guardianship had no significance in the mundane legal system. The change was not significant for Harry but could be important in the future.
Lessons continued at a slow pace. The slowest student set the speed of the studies; in Slytherin, that meant Crabbe and Goyle. The Ravenclaws needed something to distract them, or they would become bored. So, Professor Flitwick gave them their own projects for extra credit. Some others could have had research projects to keep them from being bored out of their minds; Harry started planning some work for Hermione, Daphne, and Tracey.
Harry started at Hogwarts with some objectives that he needed to achieve. His advisors, including Tom, had given him many ideas about what to do.
“Try not to do all the work yourself, Harry. One of my big failures was that I made sure that only I knew what I was doing. You have made a great start with your Alliance and Slytherin teams. I know the Slytherin team was not expected. Maybe you could get both teams to train together. That would cut the effort needed to get them organized.”
“Thanks, Tom; I was thinking about setting tasks for the guys to get them working in a team. We need a place to train. Each house has training rooms and a duelling piste. The Slytherin rooms are reserved for the OWL and NEWT students. My lizards tell me that no one uses the rooms belonging to the other houses. I want to get Susan and Hannah to connect with Professor Sprout. Susan and Hannah can ask Professor Sprout to open the Hufflepuff rooms for Susan and her friends to practice their spells. We will see what the reaction is when Gryffindor and Slytherin first years turn up to practice.”
“Remember, Harry, we need allies to get organized to remove Voldemort’s support. Without his followers, Voldemort will be much weaker. But, at the same time, we must limit Dumbledore’s control. They are both obsessed with that stupid prophecy. That obsession makes them both dangerous.”
-ooOOoo-
The first Saturday at Hogwarts was interesting. Harry invited his Alliance to meet under a tree by the Black Lake. It was a public place, so they would be seen together. Harry would make other plans for future meetings if there was any adverse reaction.
The group sat on convenient rocks or lounged against the tree trunk.
“How was your first week? Tell me how it went for you.” Harry asked.
Hermione answered first. “It was fantastic and awful in equal measures.”
Harry stared at Hermione and gave her an upwards hand wave that said, ‘Tell me more!’
“I loved Transfiguration and Charms. Astronomy was good if it didn’t have to be done at midnight. Thank you for the History of Magic notes. I received them after the second class and checked my notes against them. He read out his old lectures word for word. I will not have to work so hard on that subject, but I’m sure it could be much more enjoyable if the teacher was not dead. Potions classes were horrid. Defence is strange. We have had three lessons with Professor Quirrell, and I have not been able to make a single sensible sentence out of any of them. Professor Quirrell gives me the creeps. I do not want to be left alone with him, ever. Herbology was good, but it isn’t my sort of subject. Neville loves it.”
“That is about what I thought. So how are things in Gryffindor?” Harry asked.
Neville jumped in before Hermione could start again. “Difficult! Ronald Weasley started on a rant about you going into Slytherin as soon as we got to the Common Room after the sorting. He hasn’t given us a break since then. He watches you as much as he can, and if we are seen talking to you, even for a second, he calls Hermione and me traitors.”
“What about the others in Gryffindor?”
“They all seem to know that the Weasleys have important friends. So, they don’t say anything. Only Neville talks to me. The other girls in my dorm are friendly enough, but we haven’t clicked together.” Hermione was visibly deflated.
Neville spoke again. “There is another muggle-born firstie, Dean Thomas, the West Indian boy. He says he is muggle-born, but I think he is a half-blood. He says his father left his mother and him when he was born, but I am sure I saw his father’s name on an honour roll of wizards killed by Death Eaters. He knows nothing of the wizarding world.”
Hannah and Susan had been listening to Hermione and Neville. Harry looked at them and motioned to them to respond.
Hannah spoke first. “The classes are about the same for us. We both knew about the History of Magic notes. It didn’t occur to us to tell the muggle-borns about them until Hermione mentioned that you sent them to her. The Puffs are very curious about you, Harry. Everyone expected you to be in Gryffindor. They weren’t surprised to hear about you having trouble with Malfoy. They were surprised that he and his cronies ended up in the infirmary. That just pushed their curiosity level about you even higher.”
Hannah looked at Susan. Susan was looking embarrassed. “Aunty Amelia wrote to me this morning. You haven’t written anything to her. She wants a detailed report from you. She didn’t give anything away, but she mentioned that Lucius Malfoy was complaining about you. She wants to hear your side of what happened. She didn’t write to you herself; she doesn’t want the headmaster to have a reason to get more involved. She suspects that he has intercepted your mail. You haven’t received mail from anyone, have you?”
“That is right, Susan. I didn’t get any mail in Azkaban; prisoners usually don’t get mail. I haven’t received any since then. “
Neville huffed. “You should have got letters from Gringotts. They wrote to me when I took my Heir’s ring. They said that I would get monthly statements from them. Have you received any of that?”
“No, Neville, there has been nothing. That points pretty clearly to a mail interception.”
Harry looked around. There were plenty of other students walking around the lake. “I think we should go in for lunch. Let’s meet here for a talk when we need to.” The other agreed.
As they strolled back to the castle, Harry approached Hermione. “Hermione, could you meet me tomorrow for a walk around the lake? There are some interesting problems that I need your help with, and I would like to hear your opinion first.”
“Sure, Harry! Everything that you have said and done is fascinating. Neville, Susan, and Hannah performed that spell on my wand, and since then, I have had to concentrate on holding back the power. Transfiguration and Charms exercises work instantly. I want to hear more about what you can teach me. Oh, and Harry! Your handwriting is divine! Where did you learn that?”
“Azkaban; Augustus Rookwood was in the cell next to me for nine years. He was an Unspeakable until he was convicted of being a marked Death Eater. Then, because he wanted me to become his apprentice Death Eater, he taught me to read, write, and many other things about magic and the muggle world.”
“That magic must be dark! How can you use it?”
“Magic is magic. Magic is made dark or light by your intent. I can use spells classified as light magic for the darkest purposes. The Ministry is wrong about classifying magic as dark or light. Wizards can be dark. Everything Voldemort does is dark because that is his intent.”
-ooOOoo-
Hermione and Neville met Harry on Sunday morning. They and Harry’s escort walked out of the Entrance Hall together and found the stairs leading to the boathouse.
“Hermione! Do you want to find out more about the wizarding world?”
“Of course, Harry! There is so much that I don’t know. Where do I start?”
“I would like you to research and write a paper about every muggle-born wizard and witch who has been a Hogwarts teacher. Then, when you have collected all of their details, I would like you to do the same for Ministers of Magic, Ministry department heads and so on. Then collect every muggle-born who has made a great magical discovery.”
“That will be wonderful! I’ll start right away. All the teachers are in the Hogwarts yearbooks going back a thousand years.”
Harry and Hermione completed their walk around the lake. Hermione happily told Harry her life story. She admitted to herself that it didn’t take long. After that, Harry started to reveal more of himself. After a long silence, Hermione asked one more question, which she feared would strain their tentative friendship.
“Why can’t you show any emotion? You say you are happy or sad, but don’t show it.”
“The answer is dementors. They feed off any emotions that their victims can’t hide. The adults are open to their attacks. The Death Eaters had nowhere to hide. They were beaten down and left with nothing but their own misery. Sirius was in better shape; he could transform into his animagus form. His animagus is a large black dog. The dementors ignored him. But it didn’t help Sirius that he was already crazy when they imprisoned him there.
I was exposed to them when I was fifteen months old. My mind adjusted to cope. I automatically learned to hide every emotion in a way that can’t be uncovered. My feelings can't be uncovered after so many years of dementor exposure. I can’t say when that hiding place may be broken down.”
Hermione walked along for a few minutes. “I’m sorry, Harry.”
“Please don’t be sorry. It’s not your fault.”
-ooOOoo-
Harry wrote a detailed report for Amelia. Also, he asked for any mail to be delivered by her house elf. Then, he informed Amelia that he was sure that someone was intercepting and blocking his mail.
-ooOOoo-
Headmaster Dumbledore received a package in the Sunday morning mail.
The Ministry regularly sent administrative mail to Hogwarts. The Deputy Headmistress' job was to sort through that mail and forward any items she could not deal with to the headmaster.
The cover letter was personally signed by Cornelius Fudge.
“This means trouble. Fudge never gets involved unless it’s something that he can use to inconvenience me.”
The package proved to be a report from the Head Unspeakable. All reports from the Unspeakables were made to the Minister of Magic. He may then send the report to whomever he wants to impress.
Dumbledore opened the cover letter. The report was about the massive release of uncontrolled magic at 4 Privet Drive ten years ago. Three muggles had been killed, and a fifteen-month-old child was found to be the source of the deadly outburst.
That child was now identified as Harry James Potter.
“AAAAAARGH!” Dumbledore was ready to choke on his own beard.
Dumbledore read the report. The Unspeakables had verified Amelia Bone’s version of Harry’s early life. The history of these events was still embedded in the boy's magic. There was no mistake. He had indeed been held in Azkaban for nearly ten years.
The report went on. The cause of the outburst was Harry’s own magic. It is usual for babies to show uncontrolled magic. Parents could put light bindings on their children to keep magical flares confined until they learn to control their magic. However, parents still had to watch their children if more powerful surges overwhelmed the bindings.
The Unspeakables found that the parental light bindings had been placed. In addition, the report stated that days before the outburst occurred, a powerful extra binding had been placed on Harry’s magic.
This binding caused something that the Unspeakables called positive feedback. Harry was perhaps annoyed or upset at something. He was approaching two years old; temper tantrums were to be expected. The emotional instability set off a magical outburst. So far, that was normal.
The binding did not let the outburst flow away. Instead, the magic was reflected back on Harry, causing even more magic to surge from him. The cycle of flow and reflection built up until Harry’s magic was powerful enough to destroy all the bindings on him. The resulting outburst shattered the interior of the house and killed the Dursleys.
If there had been no additional magical binding placed on Harry, then there would have been a child-like magical outburst, but no one would have been killed.
The report did not say that Dumbledore placed that powerful binding on Harry, but the Head Unspeakable would know that it was him. So would Fudge.
“NOOOOOOO!”
Dumbledore sulked for the rest of the day.
-ooOOoo-
The first flying lesson was on Thursday afternoon of the second week. Harry was interested in how the Cleansweep Sixes would be received.
“Cleansweep Sixes!” sneered Malfoy. “I have a Comet 260 at home.”
Madam Hooch took control of the flying lesson. “These brooms are an older model, but they are a vast improvement over what Hogwarts students had to use up until this term.”
No broom went out of control for the first time in many years. Neville and Hermione easily completed the lesson. Malfoy and Weasley taunted each other, trying to goad each other into disobeying their teacher and showing off the broom-flying skills they both claimed to have.
-ooOOoo-
Then Harry heard something. “Tom, Malfoy challenged Ronald Weasley to a duel!”
“That is a standard first-year prank. A Slytherin challenges someone to an unofficial duel and then doesn’t show. The full prank is to inform Filch, who will catch the victims out after curfew and hit them with detentions.”
The lesson was over. Harry hurried to his room and wrote a warning in the journal about the prank for the alliance. Then, he asked Neville and Hermione to warn Ronald and stay out of it themselves.
-ooOOoo-
Hermione opened her journal the next day and recorded what had happened the night before.
To: All
From: Hermione Granger
Date: Friday, September 13, 1991
Time: 8:05 am
Message: Neville and I spoke to Ronald as soon as we read the warning from Harry. Ronald demanded to know who was giving us this warning. We honestly replied that it was Harry.
Ronald sneered like a Slytherin and refused to believe Harry or us. So, Ronald, Seamus and Dean went off at midnight to the duel.
As Harry said, Malfoy didn’t turn up, but Filch did. So, they ran for their lives and tried to hide in a room on the third floor. Dean had been getting some tutoring from me and had practised the unlocking spell, Alohomora. So he used it to unlock the door, and the three hid in the room.
The room was already occupied by a huge three-headed dog. The same three-headed dog that guards the entrance to Hades in the Underworld; they are called Cerberus.
The three silly billies bolted from the room and made it back to the Gryffindor Tower.
I have some questions.
First, who thinks it’s a good idea to keep a huge savage three-headed dog in a school?
Second, why was the door to that room locked with a charm that can be unlocked by every firstie? Professor Flitwick taught it to us this week.
Third, a Cerberus is a guard beast. What is it guarding?
Fourth, if that thing is so valuable that a Cerberus is set to guard it, why is it kept in a school?
Seamus and Dean are unhappy with Ronald. However, Ronald is unrepentant and tries to make it look like Harry is responsible for their misadventure.
Duh?
Hermione
-ooOOoo-
The existence of The Philosopher's Stone, or at least a copy, was close to being revealed.
Harry wrote to the Alliance.
To: All
From: Harry Potter
Date: Friday, September 13, 1991
Time: 8:15 pm
Message: All about The Philosopher's Stone.
The stone really exists. At least one was made by the alchemists Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel. There is probably more than one.
The stone is used to make a healing elixir. Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel have used this elixir to extend their lives. They are now 665 years old.
There is a story that the stone can be used to turn lead into gold, but that story is made up. Probably, that story hides the fact that the Flamels made some long-term money-making investments.
The connection to Hogwarts is that I accompanied Hagrid when he collected something from Vault 713 at Gringotts. That object looked like The Philosopher’s Stone. I sensed that Hagrid thought it was The Philosopher’s Stone. Hagrid can’t hide his thoughts or keep a secret.
The thing that Hagrid collected did not have any magical enchantment. It is probably a copy of the stone.
Then there was the odd incident of that Gringotts vault being broken into. The vault was empty at the time because Hagrid had just emptied it.
I am concerned that the headmaster thinks he is hiding The Philosopher’s Stone here at Hogwarts. There are a few reasons why the headmaster is doing this. His odd speech at the Commencement Feast indicates that he has set a challenge for the adventurous and foolhardy to find this hidden thing. There are other, more sinister possibilities. I hope my fears will be proved wrong, but I am concerned for all Hogwarts students.
Please be alert for any mention of The Philosopher’s Stone or Nicholas Flamel.
Harry.
On Saturday night, Hermione wrote back with confirmation.
To: All
From: Hermione Granger
Date: Saturday, September 14, 1991
Time: 8:10 pm
Message: Ronald and his friends Seamus and Dean had been invited to tea by Hagrid. Ronald questioned Hagrid about the three-headed dog. Hagrid proved Harry’s prediction that Hagrid doesn’t know when to keep his mouth shut. The Cerberus belongs to Hagrid. Its name is Fluffy, and according to Hagrid, it is nearly harmless and can be put to sleep by playing music.
Also, the thing that Fluffy is guarding belongs to the headmaster and Nicholas Flamel.
It can only be The Philosopher’s Stone.
Ronald told the whole story to his brothers in the Common Room. Ronald’s normal conversation is always at a shouting level. Everyone in the Common Room heard every detail.
Hermione
-ooOOoo-
The weekly staff meeting started. This time Headmaster Dumbledore was present.
Severus Snape was not impressed and muttered. “He must have cancelled one of his political meetings. This must be because of Potter.”
Dumbledore clapped his hands and gave his teachers his best grandfatherly smile.
“Now then, people, it seems to be an age since we have been able to have a get-together.”
He seemed to miss the look on the gathered faces that said, ‘We’ve been here. You’re the one who is always missing!’
“Let’s do something that I haven’t done for a while. We will go around the room, and you can tell us all about your students who are impressing you for good reasons or not.”
Severus had to speak. “Is this a good idea, headmaster? Surely some things should be discussed in private.”
“Now, Severus, let me decide that. Minerva, can you start?”
Professor McGonagall glared at the headmaster. “This year's first years seem to be a very mixed bunch. Some are a disappointment, and one is a shock.”
Dumbledore nodded and gestured to Professor McGonagall to continue.
“Crabbe and Goyle from Slytherin are very slow.”
Dumbledore shrugged.
“Ronald Weasley and Seamus Finnegan from Gryffindor are also disappointing.”
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. “The Weasleys have always been exceptional. The twins are more interested in pranks but are gifted and inventive.”
“It is very early to say this, but Ronald is misbehaving. The portraits have seen him out after curfew, and he has already discovered the Cerberus. Also, he is not interested in his classes.”
Dumbledore frowned. “Very well, who else?”
“Miss Granger is exceptional. She is hard working and is helping the slower ones in the class.”
Dumbledore smiled and nodded.
“Mister Potter is astounding.”
“What do you mean?”
Professor McGonagall glared at Dumbledore. “He performs transfigurations and charms beyond NEWT level in his first lessons.”
“How? How can he do that?”
Professor Snape spoke. “Headmaster, I beg you to reconsider your attitude toward Mister Potter. He has magical power on the Merlin scale. The Slytherin first years are already deeply divided. The sensible ones have seen his magic at work and are following him. Malfoy is doing everything he can to isolate him, but it isn’t working. Mister Potter ignores his feeble efforts.”
Dumbledore glared at Professor Snape. “Is there anyone else we need to know about?”
The teachers mumbled ‘No’ and shook their heads.
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Author’s Note:
- Harry’s money: I know this is second-level canon, but count the pile of galleons in the movie shot of his vault. Harry had at least 10000 galleons in his vault, probably more. He wasn’t poor. His family had investments and were known to have quadrupled their wealth with business deals. With average investments, the goblins should have doubled the Potter wealth in the last ten years. There is no evidence that anyone was stealing from the Potter vaults.
- Broom price assumptions:
- Nimbus 2000 - 250 galleons.
- Cleansweep 7 - 150 galleons.
- Cleansweep 6 discount price - 15 galleons each.
- Harry can easily pay for all the brooms he bought for the alliance and the school. The Cleansweep company would be unable to sell the old Cleansweep 6 brooms they had left in their inventory. They were happy to take an offer from Harry for their old stock.
