𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘗𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘺 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘦

Chapter 17 - The Sword in the Stone

Chapter 17

3rd POV

The Sword in the Stone

The next morning at breakfast, Harry sat at the Gryffindor table with Ron and Hermione, discussing class.

"Mate, you're doing too much. Even though you've dropped quidditch, I still think you should keep going. You should drop those extra classes you're doing." Ron exclaimed; his eyes wide.

"Ron, honestly. Harry is trying to do what is best for his future. I for one think what he is doing is commendable. But..." She trailed off, a nervous expression on her face as she turned to face Harry.

"Harry, I hate to admit it, but I do think Ron is right. You are doing too much." She said, her eyes downcast.

Harry smiled at his friends, resting a hand on Hermione's shoulder.

"What would you recommend I drop then? My training with Sirius and Remus? My classes?" He asked and saw her flush.

"I-I don't know. I'm sorry, I know you've got a lot of pressure with everything that's going on." She muttered and Harry grinned.

"Don't worry about it Hermione, I'll be fine. I just need you guys to keep working on your occlumency, besides it'll help with classes." Harry smiled then looked up and saw Professor McGonagall approach.

"Mr. Potter, the headmaster requests your presence after breakfast. Never mind your classes, he said that you'd understand when you saw him." She said, her stern face not giving any sign of her thoughts.

"Of course, professor, thank you." Harry nodded before standing and looking at his friends.

"I'll see you guys later."

Harry made his way to the headmasters office and ten minutes later he smiled at the gargoyle leapt out of his way before he had even tried to guess the password. Soon enough he stood before the headmaster who sat at his desk with bags under his eyes.

"Headmaster? Are you okay?" Harry asked, rarely having seen the headmaster looking so old.

"Yes, my boy. Simply a lack of sleep I'm afraid. I just want to let you know that you are no longer required to attend classes, your studies are being deferred until next year owing to needing to train you for the current crises." The headmaster waved his hand, gesturing to Harry to take a seat.

"I hear that you have enlisted Filius in your training, does he know any of the sensitive information regarding your situation?" Dumbedore asked, steepling his hands in front of his face. Harry shook his head.

"No sir, I think I will tell him at our first training session. I feel it will help motivate him to push me if he knows as much as we can tell him, assuming he is skilled in occlumency of course." Harry shrugged and watched the old headmaster for a moment.

"Any word on Grindelwald?" Harry asked and he saw a flash of sadness on the older man's face.

"No, he is searching for something, but for what? I do not know."

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Without the need to attend classes, Harry spent most of his time training with Sirius and Remus. Sirius often had to teach, which left Harry and Remus to work on various styles of combat. Harry was growing proficient in muggle hand to hand combat, skills that Remus picked up in his travels in the muggle world.

The next week passed by Harry as he focussed on his training until it was Saturday again, and he was ready for his training with Professor Flitwick to begin.

Harry stood in the Room of Requirement set in a training room pattern. The same pattern he had been using with Sirius and Remus since they had found the room.