Solemn Holidays (2)
"So I've heard about the situation from Professor Emrys, and I must say I'm sorry to hear about it." Harry eyed Professor Lupin warily as they sat down on the lunch table.
"You were friends with my parents, are you?"
Professor Lupin gave a small bittersweet laugh. "That's an understatement. Your father was my best friend. He supported me through the worst stages of my life, as did your mother. Your father was proud and a bit arrogant in his youth, yes, and I never approved of him being willing to duel others just for fun, but he was there for me... Even though I was a Werewolf."
Harry's eyes widened a bit. He didn't particularly mind werewolves, as his godfather had spoken adamantly against any prejudice towards werewolves in one of his recent classes. He had spoken all about the tragedy of werewolves with nothing but the utmost sympathy, and to be truthful, Harry shared the same views even without his godfather stating it. Hadn't he befriended Hermione, who was a muggleborn? He didn't see status or disabilities as something that deserves resentment, and he felt nothing but disgust towards such feelings.
To Harry, they were all the same. Inhabitants of the world of magic, equally deserving of all the wonders of the wizarding world.
A decent amount of his classmates shared that opinion, safe for a few hardy Slytherins, to where Harry had began to see what his godfather meant when he said that Slytherins weren't inherently evil.
"Well, I don't think it matters too. Your condition is a tragedy, but you shouldn't give up on living. No one deserves to be discriminated for something they can't control." Harry said firmly.
"If anything, that tolerance might as well be one of the only few good things I inherited from my father-"
"No, Harry. You've inherited his bravery as well. He willingly sacrificed himself to Voldemort to try to save you and Lily. Doesn't that count as bravery?"
Harry sighed as he nodded. "That, too, but I definitely inherited my mother's compassion and her lack of tolerance towards bullying from her. I sure as hell didn't get it from my father, who was the bully."
Remus gave a deep sigh. "I'm well-aware of how Severus had spoken of James's treatment of him, and I have to admit he has the right to fell that way. That said, however, James did try to apologize to him. He did try to make amends, as did I, but Severus had rejected him. His anger towards us had grown too strong after years of being bullied-"
"Well, he sure as hell deserves it." Harry said curtly. "I've experienced the feeling of suffering after years of stuck under the Dursleys. At least they had an actual reason to do it, but my father didn't. He may have been noble, but he sure as hell wasn't perfect. He's not Emrys Ambrosius, and after learning of what kind of a man he was in his youth, I sure as hell wished I wasn't his son, but was Professor Emrys's son from the start."
Harry's eyes softened at the clear look of dismay in Remus's face, but he had to acknowledge it. James Potter wasn't perfect, and while it didn't mean Harry did not care about his biological father, it still meant Harry could not respect him truly for the man that he was.
"Did you know that your father once saved Severus's life, when he had the choice to let him die?" Harry nodded, having heard it from Professor Dumbledore.
"You see, Sirius Black had given him... hints about my condition and the location where I was inside when I transformed. Your father learned about it, and despite his enmity towards Severus, without hesitation, he stepped forward and risked his life to save Severus. Ever since then, that was when he realized he had gone too far and began to try to make amends."
Harry processed the information slowly.
So Sirius Black already had a nasty streak on him, all the way back then?
"In the end, your father had matured, Harry. He had became a noble man. He wasn't perfect, but he was a good man in the end."
Harry nodded softly. He couldn't deny that. To be willing to save his enemy at a great risk to himself was something Harry wasn't sure he would do.
"Now, do you have any more questions?"
"It's about Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew. Professor Emrys believes that it may be Pettigrew that was actually guilty, but I'm not sure either. I think I would like to hear more about them."
Professor Lupin gave a deep breath, his eyes looking sorrowful before they hardened.
"So be it, Harry..."
By the time Merlin had arrived to the dining table with a bountiful of food due to Remus arriving as well, he was pleased to find that Harry seemed to have made more progress in recovering from previous week's revelations, his smiles no longer as forced as it was back then and his body relaxing itself. Whatever Lupin told him must have snapped him out a bit more.
So they enjoyed a happier meal compared to their previous ones, where Harry would be tense and clearly seeing the food as more to regain his strength as to continue growing stronger rather than something to enjoy.
As soon as they had finished, Merlin escorted Remus along with Harry to the first room of the third floor, reserved to practice a specific skillset per use. He had modified the room for this day, and to be honest, Harry didn't come into this particular room too much. They focused more on learning dueling spells rather than any specific magical skillset, and when they began their magical studies, it would be held at the ceiling of their house, for the sake of a more relaxed environment after a day full of training.
"So, Harry, the first thing you need to know about the Patronus Charm is that it's an exceedingly advanced piece of magic, well beyond Ordinary Wizarding Level. The reason behind it is because it came directly from the Ancient Magic you have been learning. The Patronus Charm was reportedly created by the original Merlin when Lethifolds and Dementors came into existence, and as back then, the Old Religion had yet to fade, it has an innate direct connection to the Old Religion, among the very few modern spells to have such."
"And that's why you've been teaching me some Ancient Magic? Because that means I would be properly conditioned to cast it?"
Merlin nodded with a small smile. "Yes. Do remember, however, that the Patronus Charm is significantly more complicated than any other Ancient Magic spell you have learned. Even the basic forms of Ancient Magic that you have learned are on par with most of the O.W.L levels of magic, and that Shield Spell you recently learned was actually above N.E.W.T level magic. If it hadn't been for your natural aptitude towards Ancient Magic, you wouldn't have grasped them at all, and you still haven't mastered any of them completely. Be patient and focused, Harry."
"Remarkable. I've heard rumors about how you have a connection to Merlin Ambrosius, the "Second Merlin", and how you revealed truths regarding Merlin that the wizarding world had never knew of with undeniable proofs, but hearing it personally myself, it's quite enchanting, I have to admit." Remus interjected.
Harry chuckled. "Believe me, Professor, everyone else probably feels the same."
Merlin grimaced innerly. They had no idea how there was no second Merlin at all. It was just a lie he came up with to establish a presence in the wizarding world using his true name, which ended up becoming the basis of a religion, much to Merlin's distaste.
Yes, he was the closest and probably only true sorcerer who could be said to possess the magical powers and knowledge that would make him qualify as a "Magical God", having long since surpassed the might of the Sidhe, the Dragons, and even most of the Gods apart from the Triple Goddesses. Only Kilgharrah, the greatest of the Dragons, would be a conceivable match for him.
But like Kilgharrah, he too had flaws. They had long since came to accept that it was a mistake to blindly follow destiny, and Kilgharrah had apologized to Merlin for believing himself correct. Neither of them were the perfect gods the wizarding world envisioned them to be, and Kilgharrah even made a point to grumble about how he disdained the tales of the Great Dragon as being an all-knowing, all-wise company of "The First Merlin".
Kilgharrah was also immortal, like him, in that he can age but never really die, something the "Great Dragon" had only discovered a few ages ago after he claimed he was dying. Apparently, his aging just stopped after a certain point. Merlin had visited him at certain occasions, although admittedly only two to five times per decade, as Kilgharrah was the only one who could think and use magic at a comparable level to him.
Kilgharrah kept moving through the world, his magic more than enough to conceal himself and should he somehow be found, which was extraordinarily rare, invincible to all kinds of modern magic. That was why their interactions tended to occur sporadically. It could be when he was traveling, or when he was teaching at specific schools. As fellow immortals, Merlin at least had the comfort of confiding in his "spiritual brother" over matters only he could understand.
"Anyway! To cast this spell, you must focus on all the positive emotions within you and then project it, thus spawning a guardian capable of shielding against the most powerful of spells and dark creatures. With your grasp over Ancient Magic, as minimum as it still is, it would be easier for you to conjure a Patronus, as you would be able to draw upon some of the energies of the Old Religion combined with your emotions. Like I said before, some people tend to tap into Ancient Magic unwittingly when emotional, and as you have done before, thus unlocking deeper powers of your core."
"So I should focus on all the positive emotions inside me and then project it in the form of a guardian? How should I approach the Ancient Magic needed?" Harry asked inquisitively.
Merlin smiled a bit at that. "While focusing on your positive emotions, you must also harness in as much of the Old Religion as you could into your wand. Interpret the Old Religion as the form while the emotions act as the power. Move your wand in a circle, and then recite the incantation "Expecto Patronum"."
Harry nodded, clearly enthusiastic to begin, and Merlin was pleased to find it was not just to get stronger, but also to learn.
He had Harry first cast the spell on orbs specifically designed to test out the strength of the Patronus Charm.
Harry's first tenth tries ended in him achieving minimum results, as expected, only making the orb slightly glow rather than shine brightly, but Merlin was already pleased to see that Harry could already cast the Charm to begin with.
Harry was able to keep up the Patronus Charm in the form of a stream of white magical energy, and he could feel it slowly increase more and more with each try. That was more of a partial mastery over the Patronus than most, and the orbs would only shine brightly if it was a Corporeal Patronus.
"Why can't I get it to shine as brightly as it did with Professor Lupin's?" Harry said irritatedly as he settled down, exhausted from casting such a spell for 10 times.
"Be patient, Harry. To be honest, this is actually already enough to keep a Dementor back. You can't expect to manifest a Corporeal Patronus so soon. The goal would be that you could master the spell within the remaining days before we return to Hogwarts enough so that your incorporeal Patronus could drive away 2 Dementors."
Professor Emrys was off to investigate "certain matters" and had assigned Hagrid to teach Harry for the day.
Hagrid had gladly agreed to help. Professor Emrys first told him to continue Harry's training in healing spells. Harry had learned the average ones fairly easily, the spells to heal minor injuries, and with only a little bit more struggle, he learned the more moderate ones. What Harry struggled to master, however, was how to heal himself. He could heal others easily enough, but healing himself was a bit more difficult. He noted it felt as though his body could be harmed in the process, so he was only able to heal a few wounds at first.
Now, though, Hagrid saw Harry had improved noticeably, as he was able to easily heal the injuries of the creatures Hagrid brought for Harry to practice on and he could also heal himself without that much strain and bigger injuries. It must have been Professor Emrys's repeated teaching. Hagrid wasn't particularly inclined towards Arithmancy or Study of Ancient Runes, but he still learned much from the man.
Hagrid taught Harry one of the most useful healing spells there were: The Stamina Charm. It not only healed wounds, but could also restore the stamina. Professor Emrys had helped him perfect it after Hagrid brought up how he wasn't that good with the spell, so he was able to teach it to Harry. Harry had did well, managing to recover from taking on 35 moderate dummies easily with a single cast.
Professor Emrys had also entrusted him to teach Harry a few new spells, such as Impedimenta, Expulso, and the Weakening Hex (Infirmatio). Harry had got the Impediment Spell done easily enough, but struggled more with the Expulso Curse and the Weakening Hex, as those were advanced magic on the level of sixth to seventh years.
Nevertheless, Hagrid found it utterly impressive how by the time of his third-year, Harry was able to master spells that closely resembled the O.W.L level. Even Professor Emrys admitted how outstandingly talented Harry was, stating he had previously only taught Harry a few basic spells, so Harry mastering more complex spells was definitely because he had the talent to do so rather than just Professor Emrys's skills at teaching.
Finally, Hagrid was also entrusted to teach Harry more about pacing in dueling and the ability to charge his spells up with little focus. Typical Professor Emrys, knowing what would be best for the situation. He still didn't want Harry to be anywhere near Black, but if that can't be avoided, than Hagrid would surely do his best to ensure Harry was well-prepared.
Things were harder for both Harry and Professor Emrys as Harry had learned about Black's past with his parents and was angry enough to consider looking for Black himself. He didn't say how Harry found out, but Hagrid wasn't interested in that too much. What mattered was how he would make sure Harry was ready for any possibilities.
He had demonstrated the proper discipline and techniques maintain a fast-paced assault while retaining a staunch defense and the opposite, where a fast-paced defense was the main style, and also forced Harry through various scenarios where he had to quickly charge up his spells. Like always, Harry had managed to get it done well.
And so they sparred, this time with Hagrid being more serious. If Harry was going to be potentially fighting Black, someone who was still more skilled than Hagrid despite how he had improved under Professor Emrys, then Hagrid needed to make sure Harry was ready to fight someone of that level as best as he could.
Harry had still put up an actually even more of a good fight than he had back then. All the training Professor Emrys had given him had definitely improved his abilities. Professor Emrys was the best teacher in Hogwarts, on par with Professor Dumbledore, and combine that with Harry's talents, and the result was impeccable growth rate indeed.
If anything, Harry actually managed to fight him to a draw for the 10 minutes time as Professor Emrys had put it.
"Yeh alright, Harry?" Hagrid asked in concern as Harry cast the Stamina Charm to recover faster.
"I'm fine, Hagrid. How are things going between you and Professor Emrys?"
"'s going fine! I'll be starting on me N.E.W.T by nex' year. Professor emrys's bin teaching me arithmancy an' study o' ancient runes too, so i'll be ready ter take on the o.W.L 2 more months!"
Harry had smiled at that. "Glad to hear it! Good luck, Hagrid!"
"Listen, Harry. I've heard from Professor Emrys abou' wha' happened. I jus wan' ter say tha' growing more powerful is a must an' yeh should try your bes' ter not disappoint those who believe in yeh. At the same time, yeh have ter know your limits an' learn ter take a break an' understand tha' yeh're not alone. Yeh don' have ter always think jus ter protect your friends. They're your friends, not your charges. Yeh can still enjoy life with 'em. I had a few friends too, even after me expulsion, an' they all had died by now. I guess even now I still hoped I could have bin there fer 'em more. 's not jus abou' protection. 's also abou' appreciating an' returning all the company an' friendship in. Never forget tha'.
Hagrid had given a tremulous smile at that, and he was sure Harry understood, as he gave him a sympathetic look and nodded sincerely.
"I know, Hagrid. I know. I'm sorry about those friends of yours."
Hagrid had shook his head. "Nah. I still got ev'ryone in hogwarts. Professor dumbledore, Professor Emrys, yeh, Hermione, an' Ron. I remember 'em, but i think they would have liked fer me ter move on. Jus like how I knew your parents wouldn' have wanted yeh ter seek revenge. They would have wanted yeh ter live. Trust me."
"Well done, Harry! You managed to drive away 4 Dementors in a single cast of the Patronus Charm!" Merlin declared happily.
When he briefly left Hagrid to take over Harry's training under the pretense of investigating certain matters, Merlin knew Hagrid would be able to further help Harry with his issues. Remus served to remind Harry of what his blood parents would have wanted from him, while Hagrid served the role of giving Harry the wisdom to appreciate his friends rather than just seeking to protect them.
Merlin could speak all that he could, but he knew Harry would not be able to truly listen to him. It must be someone else he was close with rather than the godfather Harry had came to admire, if Harry were to be truly reminded of all the good the company of friendship could give him.
To be honest, that was one of the drawbacks of him being overly involved in Harry's life. It was necessary to bond with Arthur's reincarnation, but that also meant he would display his extraordinary abilities and mind in a way that would make the boy see him as a great man beyond others. The admiration and bond he had built with Harry meant Harry believed as long as he had Merlin, it was enough.
To get the proper effect and remind Harry that he had others beyond just Merlin, he needed the help of others, and they were quite happy to help.
And so they were at the end of holidays and would soon return to Hogwarts, and Merlin finally had him practice the Patronus Charm on Dementors. He taught him more discipline and precision to maximize the power so even his incorporeal Patronus would be able to repel Dementors. With Harry now capable of utilizing the Old Religion, things became much more easier, but that wasn't the only thing that helped him.
After what Hagrid had told him, Harry had gained more focus and sincere desires in learning rather than just wanting to get what he needs for revenge, which pleased him.
"I couldn't have done it without you, Professor."
Merlin smirked. "Don't mention it Harry. You have grown and learned valuable lessons not just from me, but also from Professor Lupin and Hagrid, haven't you?"
Harry nodded softly. "Yes. I've learned my mistakes. I'll be better. I promise."
"Then it's all good. Be strong and happy, Harry. I'll always be there for you."