Harry's Journey into Research

Three days later, after he finished his read-through of the Defense text, Harry tried to dive into his history book. It was like leaping head first onto a thick stone make of sleep and bafflement. He woke with his face attempting to peel letters from the page. Apparently Harry drooled in his sleep.

In short, for history, the professor and the text were both dreadful, at least as far as Harry could tell.

Some of what the history book was trying to explain was also covered in the The Dark Forces, Harry remembered. Some of it, though not all.

He still should learn it. This history book was inadequate and the ghost-teacher couldn't even tell he was putting the class to sleep. So, how to learn about history?

The question lingered in Harry's mind. He began re-reading the Defense book, including all the stuff in the very back which he had skipped before. This time, he knew about the topics that had surprised him. He wasn't amazed about the fact dragons existed; he was amazed at the details. He was also reading for the bits of history that were tucked into the Quentin Trimble book, as he was beginning to think of it.

Ron looked despondent at how much Harry was reading. He'd prefer heading to lunch early or playing wizard chess or, really, anything other than reading.

Harry could be persistent when he needed, like when he'd kept Hedwig safe from his relatives for the month before he got on the Hogwarts Express. Or when he'd spent the prior summer mostly away from Privet Drive and Dudley and his followers, who were even stupider than he was.

So Harry's curiosity won this round against Ron's love of games and sloth.

Ron pulled a book from his battered bag. His copy of the Defense book.

Harry noticed that Ron's copy of the book was rather different from Harry's. It had a slightly larger dimension and more pages and the cover was a different color.

Harry looked between the two for a moment. There was a brief note in his that it was the fourth revised edition.

"Hey Ron, can I look at your Defense book?"

Ron nodded. "Careful, it's kinda battered."

Harry opened Ron's copy of The Dark Forces and discovered it was the second revised edition. It included chapters and appendices that Harry's did not, including advanced topics no first year student would touch on. Inferi and necromantic constructs, dueling and magical combat, an introduction to identifying rituals, and chapters on dangerous plants and combat- or trap-related potions.

"Can we swap for the evening? Yours is a little different from mine."

To Ron, each book was just as evil as the next. But Harry didn't ask for a favor often. "Better you than me."

Harry plunged in. Ron cracked the book Harry had already finished, but didn't read much if anything.

Harry skimmed some sections and read anything that seemed new. He didn't have a perfect or even a great memory, but the topics were memorable. He returned Ron's copy and got his own back the next day.

That weekend, Harry ventured into the library and found Madam Pince. Hogwarts had a copy of all four editions of the Trimble book, though only because the author had once been Headmaster of the school. He had bequeathed the copyright to Hogwarts, therefore the royalties and the right to revise and update the book. None of the copies had cost Hogwarts anything. That was what Madam Pince had told Harry, even though he hadn't asked.

Harry would later learn that none of Hogwart's books cost Hogwarts anything. They had all been donations of one sort or other. Odd that, and cheap.

He checked out the first edition of the Trimble text and began making notes with a ferocity that would have impressed Hermione Granger, had she known. Harry didn't know her well, except for what she said in classes and what books she selected when they were both in the library at the same time. Harry didn't know many of his classmates well, yet.

Harry might have been considered a middling-to-poor student at the Muggle schools he'd attended, but once he latched onto something that caught his interest...well, for the first time, he was actually enjoying learning what there was to learn.

Some of it was horrifying, like the inferi or some of the curses used to torture and maim people, but it was still interesting. This is what the people in his new world had chosen to do or chosen to fight against.

There were notes to take and spells to learn. There was magic that seemed useful, very useful.

Harry dreamed of what he might be able to do with some of it.

He sat in the library and read. Sometimes Ron was there. Sometimes others, including that lonely girl Hermione. Harry smiled at her and chatted sometimes. She was rather loud, or fierce, or persistent, for Harry's taste when she asked questions. But nice and desperate to help. Harry understood all too well.