Harry Potter Breaking The Chains

"Of course," he replied, handing over the parchment.

Dumbledore read through the parchment carefully, smiling slightly as he made his way through it. When he was finished reading, he held his wand over it and gave it a little bit of a wave. His eyebrows shot upward in surprise. "You've already performed all the enchantments?" he asked.

Harry felt a prickle on the edge of his mind that he quickly associated as another presence seeking to read through his conscious thoughts. He kept his memories of the summer, especially the ones involved in the creation of the contract, locked tightly in the trunks in his mind, knowing that the Headmaster was using a casual form of Legilimency to pick up any memories that might flash through his mind that would contradict his answer. "Yes," Harry explained, "I planned everything over the summer and had it written out. I performed all the necessary spellwork on the train today." He really hoped he had progressed far enough in Occlumency to keep the Headmaster from spotting his lie.

"You know you're not really supposed to perform magic on the train, Harry," the Headmaster said sternly. "But then, what the ministry doesn't know won't hurt it, will it?" he chuckled softly, eyes never losing their twinkle.

"No, sir," Harry replied. "I've seen people using magic on the train before, and I've used magic on it before without getting in trouble, so I assumed it was alright."

"Indeed. The train ride is a bit of a gray area, I suppose. But as long as no harm is done, we are willing to overlook any magic used during the train ride." Harry nodded showing his understanding. "Now, Harry, what do you intend to teach at these meetings?"

Harry had to bite down the sigh of relief that he almost unconsciously made. "Well, sir, a lot of that is going to depend on how many people sign up for it, where they are all starting, and how quickly they learn. Assuming there are enough people for it, I plan on splitting the club into two different classes. The first class will consist of all the students I taught last year to start with, and we'll start where I left off last year: Patronus Charms.

"After they have managed that, I plan to start a new line of training with them. Most of the practice we have had dueling in the past has been standing still trading shots with an opponent. I plan to change that. I'm going to introduce new aspects into the duel, not the least of which is movement. I'll have them practice dodging spells without the aid of a wand for protection. I'll just have them cast stinging hexes so as not to cause too much damage for that.

"Once they get the hang of moving about to avoid being hit, I'll have them use that technique in a dueling situation. I'll also teach them some new spells along the way, like more advanced shields like contego and servo, stronger stunners like attonitus, and binding spells like incarcerous. We'll also get into dueling tactics and using your environment to your advantage. I'll get them out of the habit of trading spells back and forth and into the habit of launching a barrage of spells at their opponents to catch them off guard."

"It sounds like you have things pretty well in hand," Dumbledore commended. "What about your second class?"

"They'll start more or less where the other class started last year: the basics," Harry explained. "I started them with expelliarmus last year, and they really needed the help even with that spell. Some of them were saying it wrong, and there were a lot of issues with aim and the force put behind the spell. Any students who appear to be ahead of the rest of the class, I will consider moving into the more advanced class. We'll move through the basic spells: protego, stupefy, impedimenta, that kind of thing before moving into what the advanced class is starting with this year. The speed at which we move will be based entirely on how quickly they pick things up. I'm not trying to get through a specific set of material; I'm just trying to make sure they know what to do when the time comes where they need to fight back."

"An admirable ambition," the Headmaster praised. "It seems everything is in order, then. How often do you intend for the clubs to meet?"

"I thought maybe each one would meet once during the week for an hour, and once on the weekend for two hours," Harry told him.

"Very well, that will work fine. I should inform you that you may from time to time be visited by various faculty members during your classes. I will inform them that they are all welcome to attend but that your authority is not to be challenged without due cause. If you feel any of the faculty are being disruptive to your classes, please inform me right away. Please do not try to take matters into your own hands."

"Yes sir."

"I will ask all staff to refrain from visiting you during your first week of teaching. That should give you ample time to get settled and get your classes started up without fear of interruption."

"Thank you, sir."

"I should tell you, Harry, that another part of your Professor status allows you access to all of the House common rooms. I will ask you not to visit any common rooms besides Gryffindor Tower's without due cause."

"Yes sir."

"You have more privileges and responsibilities than any other student in the school, Harry. And it will set you apart from the other students to an extent, but it would be best not to set yourself apart any more than is strictly necessary. You are still a student, and they are still your peers and friends."

"I'll do my best, sir," Harry replied solemnly.

"I have no doubt of that, Harry. You hardly give anything less," he responded warmly. "Now I imagine that you'd like to get back to your friends before they all head off to bed. If you ask Professor McGonagall tomorrow, she will show you to your office. I just have one more question before you go. What day would you like to have all those interested in the club meet and where?"

"Would Friday after dinner in the Great Hall be okay?" Harry asked.

"That would be perfect, Harry. Have a good night sleep tonight. You must be prepared for your classes tomorrow." Harry nodded and headed for the door when the Headmaster's voice stopped him. "Oh, and Harry?"

"Yes, Professor?"

"I don't believe I've yet thanked you for all that you've done with this club of yours. It is very apparent that you've put a lot of thought and effort into it. I'll look forward to seeing your results," he said with a genial smile.

"Thank you, sir. Goodnight."

"Goodnight Harry."

Harry left the Headmaster's office and descended the staircase at a leisurely pace. The meeting didn't go poorly by any means, but he wouldn't say it went great either. He still felt strained with the Headmaster. He couldn't trust the man, for one thing, and he had a feeling that if Dumbledore had any inkling that he was hiding something, the man would not rest until he found the whole truth. Harry knew he would have to hide his secrets carefully, which was all the more reason to practice Occlumency. He just hoped that if Snape agreed to teach him that the Potions Master didn't manage to uncover any of his secrets during their sessions. The whole thing was a big risk, but it was one he would need to take in order to learn the skills necessary to hide his secrets. Hopefully the steps he had taken over the summer would be enough to at least hide some of his memories from the greasy man.

When Harry finally made his way to the portrait of the fat lady, he realized that he didn't know the password. He remembered what the Headmaster said about having access to all common rooms and hoped that this meant he could get in without a password. He asked her, "Can you let me in, please?" as he approached.

She regarded him carefully for a minute before replying. "Very well, Professor Potter" she said with a wink and a smile. The portrait swung forward, and Harry climbed through the opening. The common room was mostly empty by now. There were a couple scattered groups of older kids, one of which was watching his entrance expectantly.

He walked over to where Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Ginny were sitting and greeted them with a "Hey guys."

"So what's the big idea holding out on us?" Ron immediately asked, impatiently waving his arms in the air.

"I wanted it to be a surprise?" Harry half asked, half explained as he plopped down on the couch. At their exasperated looks he further explained, "I was just kind of embarrassed about it and didn't want to make a big deal out of it, alright?"

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about, Harry," Hermione replied practically. "It's a great honor. You'll be in the next edition of Hogwarts: A History for sure. Plus just think of all the extra privileges and responsibilities you'll have."

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