It was the last week of the holidays. The booklists were to arrive soon and Harry had to go to Diagon Alley soon. Just as he arrived at the informal dining room, several elves popped in front of him, holding another elf.
"Master, Dobby be trying to steal your mail. Tippy caught him in the act" said Tippy.
The non-Potter elf squeaked out, "Hadrian Potter must not go back to Hogwarts! Dark things are planned. He must be kept safe. Dobby must protect him!"
Harry was confused. "Tippy, Ninny, release him" he said. He looked at Dobby. The elf was wearing a dirty rag and had injuries all over his body. Harry knelt down to the elf's level and said, "Hello Dobby. It's nice to meet you. Now can you please tell me what exactly the danger at Hogwarts is?"
The elf burst into tears. "Hadrian Potter treats Dobby like an equal. He is far greater than Dobby ever imagined. But Hadrian Potter should not go back to school sir. There is a plot, a plot to make the most dangerous things happen!" said the elf.
"What plot? Who's plotting them?" asked Harry quietly, his eyes narrowed.
"Dobby cannot say sir. Dobby's master doesn't even know he is here. Dobby would have to iron his hands later for this. But Dobby doesn't care, for Hadrian Potter's safety is most important. Don't go to school, sir. Great danger is going to befall the castle this year. Hadrian Potter must protect himself" said the elf and snapped his fingers and disappeared.
Harry sighed and sat down on the floor. "Guys, who is Dobby's master?" he asked the two elves in front of him.
"Dobby is the Malfoy elf, Master Hadrian. He is treated very, very badly by his masters. They make him fall off the building; they beat him up, and punish him badly. Ninny thinks the torture has made him a bit, ahm, insane?" suggested Ninny.
Harry laughed sadly. "I probably would be in the same condition as Dobby if not for Aquila and wonderful elves like you. I'll have to figure out a way to free him from the Malfoys" he said.
Tippy and Ninny's eyes welled with tears. "Master is too kind" they said, and hugged him and popped out.
A few hours later, Toby came in holding the Hogwarts letter. "Master you need new uniforms. The old ones have become small for you" he said.
Harry nodded and morphed into a boy with blonde hair and blue eyes. He stepped into the fireplace and said "Diagon Alley"
Once in the alley, he headed to Gringotts. He bowed to the goblin guards who bowed back and went to the teller and said, "Greetings Master Sharktooth. May your gold flow and your enemies fall at your feet. I have an appointment with Lord Rangok at 10 30. Please let him know that I have arrived" he said in Gobbledygook.
The old goblin grinned at him. "Greetings, young one. We at Gringotts like to congratulate you on your victory in your recent endeavour. You have taken the first steps in following the path of a warrior. Good luck" he said.
Harry smiled and bowed to the aged Goblin. He followed another Goblin to Rangok's office. He entered and bowed low and said, "Greeting My Lord Rangok. I hope I find you in good health" he said.
The aged warrior grinned toothily at him and said, "Greetings to you as well Lord Potter. Congratulations on your recent achievement. Duel Master Flitwick has nothing but the best things to say about you this past year. Let's get down to business, shall we? I have spoken to the owner of the store, a Miss Serena Miller, and she is eager to get funding from you. I feel like this would be a profitable venture. What amount do you want to transfer?"
Harry thought for a few moments. "I would like to offer her one hundred thousand galleons for expansion, research and advertisement. But I want 49% ownership of the business and also for her to broaden her devices. Mirror communication is one thing, but I also want devices that can broadcast Quidditch matches, sensors and proximity charms that follow the players around, and memory crystals that can record the matches so that it can be watched later. I also want her to work with the mirrors so that people can watch such matches while at home. If she can make this work, I will gladly give her more funding and help her open branches internationally" he said.
Rangok nodded as he took down notes and said "I will have the contract ready and discuss it with her and let you know of any developments. You were saying about another business venture?" he asked.
Harry nodded and said, "The hotel industry isn't very developed in the wizarding world. I'd like to change that. I would like you to look at properties near, but not too close to Diagon Alley and properties in Paris and New York City as well, for now. These hotels will cater to all crowds, and we can create a division for those who can pay more and those who can't; standard rooms and amenities for those not able to spend too much and luxury rooms and amenities for those who can. We can boost tourism by offering special tours of the city or country. Discounts can be given to regular customers. The first Magical Hotel in the world. What do you think?"
Rangok laughed. "You really will make us both rich. You have a keen mind for business, young one. Your ancestors would be proud. I'll look into it and let you know of any developments" he said.
Harry got up and gave a warrior's salute and left.
"You really are something special, young one" whispered Rangok as he watched Harry walk out of the door. "You will lead the magical world to greatness one day. And I will be able to hold my head high and watch as my kin are treated as equals. You will do it, Hadrian Potter, as it has been foretold by many wise Goblins, for it is your destiny. The ancient prophecies predict your success. May the Mother Goddess always be by your side."
Harry exited the bank and went about his business. He first went to Madam Malkin's to get his new uniform. Harry had been rigorously working out for the past year to improve his strength and stamina, and his old uniform has gotten tight for him to wear. After purchasing his uniform and leaving a very happy Madam Malkin because of him purchasing expensive silk robes, he headed to the apothecary to fill up his Potions supplies. Thinking about Potions made him remember Horace Slughorn. The first time Harry had met him, he couldn't shake off the feeling that he knew Slughorn from somewhere. It confused him until he realised that it was probably Voldemort who knew the man and not him. It took only a few classes with the old man for Harry to figure out his intentions. Horace Slughorn was a collector; he liked to be associated with the talented and those from powerful families. It established him as a talent scout and his students gave him small presents every now and then so that he could throw in a good word about them to different people.
So ever since the first Potions class, and especially after seeing Harry's amazing talent in Potions, the man was raving about Harry's abilities and had begun calling him a prodigy. Harry, of course, went along with it. Slughorn was a very resourceful individual, so he could be useful in the future. Besides, the man was a sheer genius in the subject of Potions and Harry was learning a lot from him.
He entered Flourish and Blotts to buy his new books when he frowned. It looked like Gilderoy Lockhart was launching his new book and was signing autographs. This was not the first time Harry had been grateful for his metamorphmagus ability. If the peacock had recognised him as Harry Potter, there was no telling what he would do, but drag him for a photograph was a good bet, he thought darkly. He had read all of Lockhart's books and had come to the conclusion that it was a work of fiction, misrepresenting itself to look like fact. Just as he had finished buying the books needed, Lockhart made an announcement.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to take a moment to make an announcement. It gives me great pleasure to inform you all that I have accepted the post of Defence against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School this year. You all can see the real Magical Me all year round!" he said, grinning for a photograph.
Harry raised his eyebrows. He knew Dumbledore was a senile old man, but this decision was pushing it, even for him. After Quirrell had died, Dumbledore had decided to teach the subject himself for a few months until he could get a retired Auror to take over for the remaining of the year. He may hate the Headmaster, but no one could deny that Dumbledore was an outstanding teacher.
He smirked slightly as he watched a photographer take pictures of Lockhart. He flicked his fingers at the peacock and the man suddenly farted loudly. All those women who were looking at him adoringly stepped back as the smell permeated the shop. Lockhart spluttered for a few moments before giving away a few copies for free. Unfortunately, the books behind the author, courtesy of Harry suddenly started falling down on the man.
Harry smirked and had just walked out of the store when he heard a voice shout "ARTHUR NO!"
Harry turned back and saw Arthur Weasley and Lucius Malfoy engaging each other in fist fights. Lucius adjusted his robes and turned to Ginny Weasley. He dropped a book into her cauldron and said "Here girl, take your book. It's the best your father can give you" he said and left.
Harry left quickly too. He did not want to be near the Weasleys. The family tended to get on his nerves and he already had a headache. He tried to access the floo, but the fireplace was packed. He sighed and ducked into a dark alley. After making sure he was alone and nobody was watching, he concentrated on the front gates of Potter Castle and Disapparated with a near silent crack. He had been Apparating since he was seven years old, and was now able to do with quite well. He could have used his portkey of course, but he needed to practice Apparating as well.
Finally the first of September arrived. Just before he was about to leave, suddenly the weather took a turn for a worse. Heavy wind and rain battered against the windows, lightning could be seen and thunder could be heard. Harry's eyes went wide.
"Aquila, what's wrong buddy?" he asked.
"Harry, listen to me very carefully. You are going to be in grave danger. I don't know how or when. All I know is that your life will be at great risk. I will not let you die little one. Promise me that if you are ever in trouble and you feel like your life is in danger, you will call me to you. Understand?" said the Thunderbird.
Harry paused. Could this be related to Dobby's warning? The little elf had stressed on the fact that dark deeds were planned at Hogwarts this year and that his life was in great danger. His heart started beating faster.
"I promise Aquila. If I am in danger, I will call you. I will also let you know if there is anything suspicious. I'll keep my eyes and ears open" he said.
"Good luck, little one. Stay safe"
He entered the fireplace and said "Platform Nine and Three-Quarters". To his immense shock, he did not move at all. He stepped out and called for Toby. "Toby can you look at the fireplace and see what's wrong?" he asked.
The elf looked at it and cursed under his breath. "This be blocked by house elf magic, master. It looks like Dobby tried to stop you from leaving. Toby will adjust the Elvin wards so that it does not happen again" he said and snapped his fingers. He nodded to Harry and popped away.
Harry sighed and flooed to the station. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the red and black train. He walked into the train and searched for his friends. To his immense frustration, as he walked up the train, people were staring at him more than they were last year. Winning an International Duelling Championship was bound to bring attention, especially as he was already famous, he thought darkly. He finally found his friends and walked in. He greeted them all, put his trunk on the rack, removed Tango from his cage and took a seat next to Daphne.
"What's got you in a bad mood?" whispered Daphne as she took Tango from him. She was the little dog's favourite apart from his owner and spent a lot of time with her. She giggled as Tango licked her face and settled on her lap.
"Some house elf is stalking me saying that something bad is going to happen at Hogwarts this year. So I'm trying to figure out what it is. On top of that, the stares I get from the general population have increased, and it's annoying" grumbled Harry.
"Stalking elf?" asked Neville.
"Danger at Hogwarts?" asked Susan
Harry nodded "Lucius Malfoy is up to something. Keep your eyes and ears open for anything out of the ordinary. With any luck, we can prevent his plot from taking off."
"Can't we alert the teachers or Madam Bones about it?" asked Tracy.
"And say what?" asked Daphne. "That Lord Malfoy is planning something underhanded, and accuse him without proof? That's political suicide, considering that Malfoy has the Minister in his pocket. Believe me, if Harry hadn't done it so silently, Lord Black's trial and subsequent exoneration would have been very difficult with Minister Fudge, a portion of the Wizengamot and Albus Dumbledore against you. I don't think people realise that Harry fought against an innumerable amount of odds against him. That session was so unique; I don't think such a phenomenon has ever occurred in recent history."
Silence followed her declaration as people were lost in their own thoughts. Harry looked at Daphne and smiled. This was the reason he admired her. She wasn't just a pretty face; she had intelligence and understanding of politics and business to go with it. He marvelled at the fact that he had met her only one year ago, and yet he had grown so emotionally attached to her. He squeezed her hand and gently rubbed it with his thumb. He had just now noticed that he and Daphne tended to hold hands a lot recently.
"Moving on, I asked Harry a few weeks back to teach us Occlumency. Are you all game?" asked Neville.
There were enthusiastic responses to this. "I really want to learn non-verbal casting. It's so cool to just wave your wand without incantations during a duel" said Susan.
Harry smiled and said "Most witches and wizards consider it difficult because it requires mental discipline. We'll start with Occlumency. I know that all of you have been taught the rudimentary aspects of it, but that's not enough. The mind arts are an amazing branch of magic. Occlumency helps you with memory recall, so when you are duelling you can recall a whole bunch of spells without forgetting the incantation or wand movements. Let's start now."
He flicked his wand to his hand and pointed it to the door. The door locked itself shut with a strong Colloportus charm. He then flicked his wand a few times to put up a notice-me-not charm. He did not wand Malfoy, Weasley or Granger to disturb them.
He then began his instruction. "I want you all to sit comfortably. Close your eyes and take deep breaths, in and out; in and out. Focus on the blackness you see in front of you. Your mind belongs to you and no one else. When you are in your mind, you are in total control. This is your magic and your mind, where you are in solitude. The void can be shaped in any form you like. Your magic flows to your mind, and you have to channel it. The mind is vast; it has no limit, just as the universe has no limit. It is your domain; you are in control. Breathe in and out. Connect with your magical core; let it infuse you" he said softly.
He silently took out a few biscuits for Tango and a book on Offensive Warding from the Potter Library and started reading. He knew that they would find it difficult to continue the meditation. He realised that he had a gift when it came to the mind arts; he couldn't expect the others to reach his level of control this soon if ever, but he was most certainly willing to help them. Daphne started reading a book as well. Harry had been training her in the art for several months now and she was capable of hold off light medium attacks. He had told her that once he was confident in her abilities, he would tell her his secrets. Both of them did not want the other to be in the dark about their lives.
The hours passed with each of them not being successful at different times. But Harry was patient and helped and encouraged them. He told them that it was a process that would take time, so they couldn't expect any results just by practicing for a few hours. During that time he had seen Draco Malfoy, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger pass by his compartment several times with looks of confusion on their faces. He smirked; he really should have done this last year as well. Oh well, better late than never.
As they approached Hogsmeade, Harry snapped them out of their meditative trance which they were all trying to hold together with much difficulty. They changed into their uniforms in silence and left the train and got into the carriages.
When they entered the Great Hall, Harry went to the Ravenclaw table, Susan and Hannah sat at the Hufflepuff table, Neville proceeded to the Gryffindor table and Daphne and Tracy went over to the Slytherin table. Harry began chatting with his housemates as they asked him questions about the Duelling Championship. He may not be a social animal, but he knew that talking to others and building contacts were very beneficial. He had learned that from Slughorn, but Harry used a more subtle approach.
He watched the sorting and mentally sighed in relief when Ginny Weasley was sorted into Gryffindor. If the sad look on her face was anything to go by, the red head was probably trying for Ravenclaw, but the hat sorted her with the lions. He was grateful for this as he did not want to be in the same house as the girl Dumbledore wanted him to marry. An eccentric looking girl named Luna Lovegood was sorted into Ravenclaw. Harry knew that family. Xenophilius Lovegood owned the Quibber, a wizarding publication that catered to a very small audience.
After dinner, the students went to their dormitories for the night. Harry entered his room and looked at the blank walls. He called Toby to expand the room again. While he could do the expansion charm, he still found it a bit tricky so he didn't mind letting his house elf do it instead. He redecorated his room like last year, changed clothes and went to bed.
The next morning he went out to the lake, finished his morning run and exercises, took a bath and came to the Great Hall for breakfast. Just as last year, just as he entered the students stopped talking to stare at him. He calmly went to the Ravenclaw table and started eating.
He had just finished explaining the rules of a wizard's duel to a third-year muggleborn when Professor Flitwick made his appearance and handed him his timetable. "Congratulations on your achievement Mr Potter. I was quite shocked to see you at the championship. But I have to say your performance was outstanding. I was most impressed with your silent casting. Most adult wizards have problems casting spells silently so it was really shocking to see a twelve-year-old boy do it naturally. And that technique you used in the finals; both the trick with the wand hand and the suspended water were sheer brilliance. It was on par with the Under-16 championship to tell you the truth. Well done" he said smiling.
Harry smiled warmly at him and said "Thank you, Professor. I had no idea you were present on the second day, but your compliment means a lot to me."
He looked at the timetable and groaned. "What wrong Harry?" asked a fellow Ravenclaw Anthony Goldstein.
"We have Transfiguration and Potions with the Gryffindors this year. And that means I have to-"
"-deal with Granger who'll probably try to do her best to one up you. Tough break" finished Padma Patil.
"Yeah. Come on, we're late for Herbology" he said, grabbing his backpack and made his way to the greenhouses.
They entered the greenhouses to find an annoyed Professor Sprout dealing with Gilderoy Lockhart. "Oh, hello there! Just telling Professor Sprout the right way to doctor a Whomping Willow. But I don't want you-"
"Greenhouse three folks" interrupted Professor Sprout.
"Harry! I've been wanting a word if youaaaa!" he said just as he slipped and fell face first into a pile of dung. Harry smirked. He really loved wandless magic. It might not help in using advanced spells, but it worked for pranks and in using mind magic. The class laughed and Professor Sprout did her best to hide her vicious grin as well. Lockhart fled to his classroom as fast as he could.
"Alright class, today we will be working with Mandrakes. Can anyone tell me what they are?" she asked.
After waiting for several seconds, waiting to see if anybody else knew the answer, she turned to Harry and asked "Mr Potter, what can you tell us about mandrakes?"
"A mandrake is a powerful restorative agent, and in some cases a catalyst if you will. They are primarily used to return those who are transfigured or cursed to their natural state. You also have to be careful while dealing with them because the cry of a mandrake can be fatal to anyone who hears it" answered Harry.
"Excellent. Twenty points to Ravenclaw. Now, these mandrakes are young, so their cry is not fatal. But they can still harm you. So put on your earmuffs and work with them" she said and demonstrated it for them.
After getting cleaned up, he was mentally preparing himself for Granger's reaction in Transfiguration. He entered the classroom and sat down next to Neville.
"What's with you?" asked Neville with eyebrows raised.
"Granger" he replied grimly. Neville gave a cough, but it couldn't hide his snicker or his grin. "Yeah, yeah. It's going to be hilarious" Harry said and rolled his eyes.
"Don't look, but she's already sending death glares your way" Neville whispered.
"I have no intention to" replied Harry.
Professor McGonagall marched into the classroom and began. "Before we begin our new course, we will first review what we have learnt the previous year over the next few days. Let us start with the exercise of turning a match into a needle and the other of turning a beetle into a button" she said.
Harry supervised Neville who was steadily improving in Transfiguration ever since he got his own wand last November. He managed the transfiguration after his second attempt and McGonagall came over. "Very good Mr Longbottom. I expect to see better progress in my class this year. Mr Potter, congratulations on your achievement. Professor Flitwick showed me the memory of the final duel and I have to say I'm impressed. Conjuration, even if it was leaves at your age is most impressive. I also expect silent casting from you in every class. Go on, give it a try. I'd like to see it with my own eyes" she said.
Harry nodded and did the necessary wand movements. The match changed into a perfect needle and the beetle turned into a button. "Very good Potter. I have no idea how you developed this skill; it's not taught until sixth year, but well done. Twenty points to Ravenclaw" she said and walked away.
The Ravenclaw students were quite used to Harry doing something like this so it wasn't much of a surprise. But Hermione Granger was furious. She just couldn't beat Potter, however hard she tried! She attempted silent casting as well, but with no luck. Finally, at the end of the class, she was forced to give up and she marched out of the classroom, throwing filthy looks at Harry as she went past.
Harry snorted. How long before Dumbledore called him to his office?