Chapter Five: Unknown Knowledge
Harry’s mouth dropped open in shock.
“You have it? How? Where was it?”
“We’re not positive, Harry, we just think there’s a really good chance.” Hermione interjected, not wanting to build his hopes up too high. “We were searching for anyone with the initials R.A.B., and Ron came across Sirius’ brother’s name in a Black genealogy book. Regulus Black had turned on the Death Eaters before he died, and we wondered if he might have accomplished anything against them.”
“It was completely on accident really, I just picked up the first book I saw,” Ron said with obviously false modesty.
Hermione smiled at him and continued, “And then we remembered the locket we found when we were cleaning the house, the one that no one could open. We thought at first that Sirius had thrown it away or that Mundungus might have taken it before he got arrested, but we searched the house anyway, and found it with all of the other junk Kreacher had saved in his room.”
As she said this, Hermione reached out and took the hand that wasn’t around Ginny’s waist and placed a silver locket and chain into Harry’s palm. Harry took his other hand away from Ginny and ran his fingers over the surface of the locket frowning, though he smiled slightly again when Ginny just tightened her hold on his shoulder.
“We know it doesn’t look exactly like the locket you described, but we thought…” Hermione began, but trailed off as she realized that Harry was muttering incantations under his breath and waving his hand over the locket in very precise movements. She started to interrupt, certain that Harry couldn’t possibly know what he was doing, but Ginny silenced her with a look and a shake of her head. Harry was no longer frowning, and suddenly smiled as he said one last spell and tapped the locket with his finger. The locket appeared to melt slightly before suddenly changing its appearance, and becoming what was obviously Slytherin’s locket.
“Harry! How…” Hermione began again, but was stopped by a gesture from Ginny once more.
“Regulus must have gotten the locket back to Grimmauld Place and failed in his attempts to destroy it,” Harry answered. “He knew the Death Eaters were after him, and he didn’t want Voldemort to know that he had managed to remove the Horcrux from its spot, so he changed its appearance. It probably saved his family’s lives as well.”
“How could you possibly know that, Harry?” Hermione demanded, astonished at what he had done without a wand.
“It was in the spells around the locket,” Harry answered. “It was warded from Dark magic both within and without, but when I held it, it triggered another spell that was easily detectable and let me know that it wasn’t what it appeared. He wanted this found, just not by the wrong people.”
“I never felt a spell triggered when I touched it,” Hermione muttered, displeased that Harry would know something she didn’t, and call it easy at that.
“Well, it was very subtle,” Harry said sheepishly, hearing her tone and knowing she wasn’t happy with this turn of events.
Hermione started to ask yet another question, when Ginny interrupted her.
“How are we going to destroy it if Regulus couldn’t?” she asked, feeling that somehow Harry would have the answer and wanting to test the theory.
Harry’s face became thoughtful, as he pondered the question. When he spoke he didn’t provide an answer.
“Everyone get behind me,” he whispered. Ron moved immediately, and pulled Hermione with him when it appeared that she wanted to argue. Ron was beginning to think along the same lines as Ginny, though he was more nervous about it. Ginny stayed where she was with an arm around Harry’s shoulder, and he turned his face in her general direction and smiled reassuringly, so she assumed her place was acceptable.
Harry once again faced the locket in his palm and raised his other hand in the air. He began muttering spells under his breath again, and the locket began to float above his open hand. With blinding speed it shot into the center of the room and hung in the air. The lights in the room almost seemed to dim, as Harry’s muttering grew louder and an eerie wind that seemed to come from nowhere and have no direction filled the room. Ginny’s arm tightened on Harry’s shoulder involuntarily, but he wasn’t distracted. Both of his hands were moving now, and a large spherical shield had appeared and shimmered all around the locket. Light began flashing around the locket, and suddenly the entire area within the shield was filled with a brilliant white fire that caused everyone but Harry to flinch and avert their eyes. The fire continued for a few seconds, before Harry’s voice grew loud and firm and there was an incredible muffled thump, a sound more felt than heard, and the floor shook briefly under their feet. The fire was gone, replaced by thick grey smoke, and the shield disappeared allowing the smoke to billow up towards the ceiling.
Harry collapsed back into his bed, exhausted, and Vanished the smoke with a casual wave of his hand; obviously he had known it would be there as there was no way he could have seen it. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny stood there in shocked silence as the obviously cracked locket zoomed back into Harry’s outstretched hand.
Hermione was obviously about to demand an explanation, when the doors burst open. Harry turned towards the door and wrapped one of his arms around Ginny’s waist again, while hiding the hand with the locket under the bedclothes. Ginny leaned down and whispered that everyone that had been there before was back, and they all had their wands out.
“What in Merlin’s name is going on here?” Professor McGonagall demanded, while everyone else put their wands away upon seeing no immediate danger. “We leave you alone for a few moments, and then there is enough magic pouring out of this room to destroy the castle, and then the floor shakes under our feet as though you were trying to do so!”
“Harry…” Hermione began.
“Was just testing out a few simple spells to see if he still could,” Harry finished, attempting to sound innocent and failing miserably. No one in the room believed he was telling the truth.
“I was beginning to think Ginny had cursed him,” Arthur told the room at large, “But I see he came to his senses before that became necessary.” Everyone chuckled at comment, and Ginny and Harry both blushed, but neither relinquished their grip on the other. Ginny smiled brightly at her father, who smiled back, while Molly Weasley appeared to have tears in her eyes.
“All right, Harry?” Lupin asked, openly concerned about Harry, who was slumped back in exhaustion.
“I’m fine…” Harry began, before being interrupted by Madame Pomfrey.
“I shall be the judge of that! I believe I recall demanding everyone allow my patient some rest, and here I find him using enough magic to pull down the ceiling. Everybody out! I expect you to really get some sleep this time.”
As everyone began to file out, Harry demanded that Ron, Hermione, and Ginny be allowed to stay for at least a few minutes longer. Madame Pomfrey frowned, but relented after Harry’s assurance that they wouldn’t stay long, and that Harry would take the first of the potions for his eyes which she left on his bedside table before leaving. The three who had been asked to stay watched as Harry downed the potion, which was thankfully not nearly as bad as others he taken.
Surprisingly, it was Ron that beat Hermione to speaking first.
“Harry, that was wicked! How in the world did you do that?”
“I don’t know exactly,” Harry said, and would have said more, but Hermione gasped.
“Don’t tell me you were doing that without knowing what it was, Harry, that was really powerful magic, and that could be really dangerous, especially without a wand…”
“I knew exactly what I was doing, Hermione, but I don’t know where I learned it. I just knew it would work, so I did it. I don’t think I can explain that right now, but maybe if you give me a night to think about it I can tell you more. By the way, where is my wand?”
Ginny pulled out his wand from her pocket and told him she had it. Harry handed Hermione the locket and asked her to hide it somewhere safe, before taking the wand and holding it in his hands, a thoughtful expression on his face. He reached over and placed it on the bedside table, and seemingly forgot about it, though he thanked Ginny profusely for keeping it safe for him. They made small talk for a few moments before Harry asked shyly if someone would help lead him to the bathroom.
Ginny smiled and took his arm as he got up out of his bed, and led him to the right door.
“Will you need any help in there?” She asked sweetly, and Harry felt his face flush scarlet.
“I… I think that I can manage, thanks,” he stammered, clearly unsettled, while Ron and Hermione laughed at his discomfort.
Thankfully, he was able to find his own way, and Ginny was waiting for him when he came out. She said nothing as she led him back to his bed, though by now he was leaning heavily on her, and he could barely keep his eyes open. He couldn’t hold back the laugh that burst forth at the thought, realizing it couldn’t matter much whether they were open or not.
“What’s so funny,” she asked suspiciously, as she helped him back into his bed.
“I was just thinking about how you have to guide me around like I’m an old man, and I’m only sixteen. Are you sure you want me around, Ginny?”
“Harry, you know exactly how I feel about you, so you know that I do. And you aren’t sixteen anymore. Your birthday was a few days ago, and you slept through the whole thing.” She responded, while helping him under the covers and making him comfortable.
“Don’t worry, mate, we still have a party planned for you as soon as you are up to it,” Ron informed him, “Though I imagine Hermione will have to return the book she bought you and get something else.”
Hermione slapped Ron’s arm and glared at him for being so insensitive, but to everyone’s surprise Harry burst out laughing. It cheered everyone, and they all felt better seeing Harry’s obvious good humor. Ginny held his hand as they talked for a brief while longer, but Harry was very soon asleep. She put his hand down, and smiled at his peacefully sleeping face, before ushering Ron and Hermione from the room.
**********
Some three hours later, Harry’s eyes snapped open and he sat up in his bed. His sleep had been free of the flashing dreams, and had concentrated instead on Ginny, which was an exceptionally pleasant change. He felt wonderfully well rested, but knew that he hadn’t been asleep for more than a few hours, and somehow he could feel that it was somewhere close to midnight. That feeling reminded him of all the other things he somehow knew, and he sat back trying to think about how he could possibly have learned all of the things he suddenly knew.
It was somewhat frightening, to realize how much he truly did know. He could merely think of a subject and thoughts he had never had before would flood his mind, words from books he had never read and could easily remember. He could recite potion ingredients and the incantations to complex charms; he even knew the advanced theory of the Animagus transformation. That last one brought a smile to his face as he thought of becoming like his father or Sirius. It also somewhat disturbed him to know that he could perform almost all of the spells he knew without his wand, though he also knew that his wand would help him focus his energy and keep him from becoming as tired as he had when he destroyed the Horcrux. He also knew that non-verbal spells would never be a problem for him again.
The answer to the unknown knowledge was somehow tied to the strange dreams and the phoenix song, and probably to Fawkes as well. Harry remembered how his mind had connected with the bird in the hospital, and also how he had summoned him. Once again Harry raised his hand and called the phoenix, to the same effect. Fawkes was suddenly perched on his table, and Harry reached out to stroke the bird’s head.
“What’s happening to me, Fawkes?” Harry asked in a whisper.
Fawkes trilled softly in response, and Harry felt his mind connect to the bird once more, and he was able to see an image of Dumbledore casting an incredibly complex spell on himself and Fawkes, at what must have been some time ago. Harry, with his newfound knowledge recognized the spell instantly, and sat back in astonishment.
“He knew he was dying, so he prepared you to transfer his knowledge to me?”
Fawkes trilled again, and to Harry it was as clear an affirmative as a spoken ‘yes.’
Harry was astonished that Dumbledore would cast such a spell, because once cast, he would have been severely weakened for the rest of his life. Harry could now appreciate all that had happened with Dumbledore the previous year, and why his reflexes had slowed so much in so short a space of time. It was one more debt to pay that Harry didn’t want.
“I didn’t ask for this,” he whispered.
Fawkes sang this time, briefly, and it was a song of comfort. In that song, Harry knew that Fawkes had chosen to stay with him as he had stayed with Dumbledore, as a friend and guardian. Harry thanked Fawkes, and continued to stroke the feathers on his head. Harry, knowing the source of his newfound knowledge, knew also that Dumbledore had hardly ever needed to sleep for more than three or four hours a night.
“What did Dumbledore do with all of his extra time?” Harry asked, knowing he wasn’t going to make it back to sleep that night, and that it would be many hours before anyone else was awake.
Fawkes’ response rang with musical laughter, and Harry was treated to an image of Dumbledore perched over an old book in a dressing gown and wearing large fuzzy slippers, sipping at a steaming mug.
“Oh, bloody brilliant!” Harry exclaimed grumpily. “I’m the most knowledgeable seventeen-year-old in the world, and I’m expected to continue learning. Hermione will love this.” Harry was now actually comforted by the fact that he could no longer see to read.
“I wouldn’t mind having some tea or hot chocolate or something though.” Fawkes’ laughter ended with a flare of heat on the side of Harry’s face, and he knew the phoenix was gone, but his surprise was interrupted by Fawkes’ immediate return, followed by the pop of something Apparating near him.
Before Harry even had time to think, he felt two small arms grab his hand from the bed and heard a sobbing voice.
“Harry Potter is back! Dobby has been hearing awful rumors about Harry Potter being hurt, and that he can’t see, and no one knows where he is…” the house elf wailed, as Harry tried to extract his hand and calm the hysterical elf.
“I’m fine, Dobby, really! I was just talking to Fawkes here about getting a mug of hot chocolate, do you think you could do that for me?” Harry asked, knowing that a task to complete would cheer Dobby right up.
“Certainly! Harry Potter is welcome to anything that Dobby can do for him, any time. He certainly doesn’t need to ask Kreacher to do anything because Dobby will do it better.” Dobby Disapparated and Apparated back with two quick ‘pops’ and Harry felt a hot mug being placed gently into his hands.
“Thanks Dobby,” Harry said, taking a grateful sip from his mug. He could feel Fawkes’ pleasure at helping Harry and amusement at the antics of the house elf and Harry’s annoyance, and chuckled thinking that Fawkes certainly had a well developed sense of humor.
Fawkes trilled proudly at the thought, and Harry could imagine the bird preening. Harry realized that there was now another person in his life he wouldn’t be able to keep his thoughts from, and Fawkes sang to the affirmative once again.
“Is there anything else Dobby can do for the great Harry Potter?” Dobby begged hopefully.
“No Dobby, thank you. You can head back to the kitchens. I’ll certainly call you if I need anything at all.”
Dobby gushed on for a short while longer about how great and generous Harry was, and then was gone.
Harry sat sipping at his mug quietly, thinking about everything he had just learned. As he sat, Fawkes began singing again, and his song was beautiful and happy; Harry enjoyed it immensely, and he could feel Fawkes’ pleasure at his approval. Harry grinned, remembering Tom Riddle calling Fawkes a ‘songbird’ in the chamber of secrets. He had been right, but Harry found it one more thing to love about Fawkes. At this thought he was treated to a series of familiar images from the Chamber, mostly of himself swinging the sword of Gryffindor at the basilisk, and finally killing it. He could also feel the pride Fawkes felt for him at his accomplishments, and so he responded with memories of his own, of Fawkes tearing out the basilisk’s eyes so that Harry had a chance to survive. He shared his gratitude with the phoenix, and felt that Fawkes was somewhat embarrassed at the compliment but pleased as well.
Harry smiled as he finished the hot chocolate and felt beside him until he could set the mug down on the table.
“Well, that took care of about twenty minutes of the night. What do we do now?”
Fawkes’ reply was clearly that he would enjoy whatever Harry wanted to do.
“You’re no help,” Harry grumbled. “Want to attempt to go for a walk?” Harry was suddenly very tired of hospitals in general, and was feeling kind of daring now that Fawkes was with him.
Fawkes sang his approval, so Harry slowly got out of bed and stood up. He felt around for his wand, and then transfigured a bed sheet into a robe and his hot chocolate mug into a walking stick. Fawkes then landed on his shoulder, and Harry could feel him telling him which direction to face to get out.
“Thanks, Fawkes,” he said, somewhat hesitant about moving around, but determined that he wouldn’t spend the rest of his life in bed. Fawkes sang out what sounded like a phoenix battle cry, and they set out.