The rest of the holidays went by quickly as Harry and Hermione (along with the others) continued daily training. A few days after Christmas; Harry, Hermione, Neville, and Ginny were sitting together while Ron was sitting with Luna at the Ravenclaw table. They noticed that Professor Dumbledore wasn't in the Great Hall for breakfast.
"I wonder where he's off to," said Neville.
"Probably Wizengamot business," suggested Hermione.
"I think it's about the war," commented Harry as he flipped through the 'Howler' newspaper to see who Voldemort's latest victims were.
"Have there been any attacks?" asked Ginny.
"No. No news about him at all. That's what worries me. He must be planning something big."
"What are you four conspiring about?" asked Sirius from behind Harry, startling him.
"Professor Black," answered Neville, "We're just wondering where Professor Dumbledore is."
He eyed all four of them with a worried expression on his face. "He wouldn't say, but I think he's doing a bit of…soul-searching right now." He winked at Harry as comprehension dawned on his face.
"I'm surprised he didn't ask for your help," commented Harry.
"He seems to think that he has to do everything by himself."
"That's stupid!" replied Harry.
"It certainly is," agreed Hermione pointedly. "I'm glad I convinced you not to do the same thing last summer."
He grinned at her while squeezing her hand. "So am I."
"Why would he want your help to do soul-searching?" asked Neville, confused.
"Er," replied Ginny, who then looked to Harry, Hermione, and Sirius – all of whom shook their heads. "Don't worry about it."
"It's a secret. Sorry I asked," said Neville with a neutral expression.
"It's not that I don't trust you, Neville. I do," assured Harry, "I'm just concerned that you don't know Occlumency."
"We don't want there to be any chance of Voldemort finding out what we know. It could be disastrous," explained Hermione.
"Sorry, Neville," said Sirius, "but I agree. I don't trust Snape no matter what the headmaster says, and he could read the information right out of your head. We can't take that risk."
"So if I learned Occlumency you'd tell me your secrets?"
"Some of them," agreed Harry, "but it would take about four months for you to master it."
"But it would stop You-Know-Who from being able to read my mind?"
"Yes, if you master it."
"Then could one of you teach me?"
Harry took a deep breath. "I suppose one of us could teach you that while we practice Legilimency. That means we'll be looking into your mind. You may want to think about which of us does that. I'll get you the book to read tonight when we go back to the dorm."
-ASM-
Dumbledore did not show up for lunch or dinner that day. Neville decided to let Ginny begin his Occlumency lessons until she couldn't get through his defenses. Then someone else would take over his training.
When they got to breakfast the next morning, Sirius walked over to them immediately with a concerned look on his face. "Morning, guys."
"From the look on your face, it's not a good morning," countered Harry.
"No. Professor Dumbledore did return late last night, but he was injured."
"How?" asked Hermione.
"Somehow his right hand has been…I don't know – killed. It's still there, but completely black like it's been burned. When he got here, he immediately asked for Snape's help and no one else's. I wonder if his hand could've been saved by someone else."
"I wouldn't put it past Snape…" said Harry.
"Was Professor Dumbledore successful?" asked Hermione.
"I think so," Padfoot said vaguely, "but he wouldn't say."
"How is he, apart from his hand?" asked Ginny.
"He seems to be all right. He's in the hospital wing right now and Madam Pomfrey has taken over his care. You know she doesn't let anyone leave until they've spent at least a day with her." The others put on small smiles at that proclamation.
-ASM-
By the time Christmas break was over, Dumbledore was, in fact, sitting at the head table pretending that nothing was wrong. Ron had spent most of his time with his new girlfriend 'inspecting broom cupboards for Yartsprees,' but still kept up with dueling practice.
In the first week of January; Harry, Hermione, and Ginny finally finished the advanced Charms book they'd been studying since the summer and began another one that was beyond N.E.W.T level and included the Fidelius Charm. They also reached chapter thirty of the Wordless/Wandless magic book, which began the section on wandless magic.
"It says that for our first spell we should use something simple," stated Hermione, "so I suggest the levitation spell we learned in first year." She then pulled three quills out of her bag and set one in front of each of them. "First cast it silently with your wand to get the feel of the spell and then try without it."
All three of them were easily able to levitate a quill with their wand, but after their first attempt without a wand, none of them had moved. "This isn't working," said Ginny frustratedly.
"We'll have to spend more time than this on it," suggested Harry, "although that quill is getting on my nerves."
"Close your eyes and concentrate hard on it. Use the meditative exercises we've learned for other purposes."
Harry closed his eyes and his expression went from anger to peace in a few minutes as his breathing became deeper. After about five minutes, the quill began slowly rising.
"You did it!" exclaimed Hermione. The quill immediately fell as Harry's eyes opened. "Sorry."
"No. We've got to be able to keep our magic working even when there are distractions," stated Harry wisely. "We also need to be able to do this without meditating for an hour first."
"Remember how we used to have to meditate before using our full power before?" asked Ginny, earning nods from the other. "Now our magic is always more powerful than it was. I'll bet the same thing happens with this. I'm going next."
It took Ginny seven minutes, but she also managed to get the quill to rise. Then Hermione did it in six minutes.
They ended that part of their daily training on a positive note, sure that they would be able to master that skill within a few months.
-ASM-
A week before Valentine's Day, they had a Hogsmeade weekend, so Harry and Hermione were walking hand-in-hand toward the bookshop when Harry stopped suddenly and tensed up.
"You see him, too," whispered Hermione.
"Uh huh." Through the use of their special contact lenses, both of them were seeing a disillusioned man in a black cloak, wearing a Death Eater mask.