Chapter 42 You Can't go Home Again

Disclaimer: Using Time Travel devices to get extra classes could rip the fabric of space time and kill us all. A more responsible way to use Time Travel devices is to get more sleep . . . thank you.

"Wake up Harry," Henchgirl called out. "You don't want to be late for school."

"How long have you been waiting to do that?" Harry groaned.

"For the last three days," Henchgirl replied smugly. "I always wondered why my mother seemed so cheerful when she did it. It's fun to rip someone from the arms of Morpheus and then throw them out into the cold cruel world."

"The Professor was right when he said you were an evil woman." Harry put on his new coat, "so what's going on?"

"We've got some other things to show you." Henchgirl grinned, "let's go."

"I'm coming," Harry agreed. "Do you got any coffee?"

"I've got a milkshake." Henchgirl shrugged, "filled with lots of yummy vitamins and painkillers."

"Great . . . why did you wake me up at six in the morning?" Harry asked feebly.

"Because I couldn't wait to see the look on your face when you realized that I woke you up at six in the morning . . . it's better than I thought it would be." Henchgirl was bouncing up and down, "do it again."

"No." Harry stumbled towards the milkshake laden table and downed half a glass, "so what did you want to show me?"

"This," the Professor replied as he walked into the room.

"What's this?" Harry sighed, it was gonna be one of those conversations.

"This," the Professor pulled a small trunk out of his pocket. "Is a school trunk with a shrinking charm . . . nothing special there."

"No," Harry shook his head.

"Aside from the shrinking self charm and self packing charm this is a fairly standard trunk." The Professor slid it across the table towards Harry, "I picked it up in Diagon Alley. We added a few durability charms and as many security charms as we could think of, I included a list of wards that you might want to put on it."

"So why are you giving it to me?" Harry asked with an odd expression on his face.

"Every student has a trunk," the Professor shrugged. "And it would look odd if you did not have one."

"Ah." Harry nodded in understanding.

"The interesting thing we developed," Henchgirl said with a massive grin. "Is a spell that will store your possessions in a sub dimensional vault. This spell can be cast wandlessly and is very secure."

"How does it work?" Harry was intrigued by the many uses of such a spell.

"It is related to the principles behind Apparition and Portkeys," Henchgirl explained. "We've been researching it and we have discovered that when you use many types of transportation magic, you get pulled into a space outside of our current reality where you are in every place and no place all at the same time and then pushed back into our normal reality when you reach your destination."

"What this does," the Professor continued. "Is place your possessions outside of our current reality until such time as you choose to expend the energy to recall them."

"Making everything undetectable and available at all times," Henchgirl finished proudly. "The secure trunk is so you have a ready explanation of where you were storing things if you get asked. We've filled it with normal school supplies so that even if the security gets breached then it will still hold up under a cursory inspection."

"That . . . makes a lot of sense." Harry shook his head, "you guys have been spending way too much time around me."

"We know," Henchgirl lamented.

"Would it be possible to put a portkey on the trunk?" Harry mused, "one that could be activated from a distance so that the trunk could be recovered?"

"Some listening and detection charms could be useful too," the Professor agreed.

"God I'm getting too paranoid." Harry sighed, "this was supposed to be a relaxing summer."

"Look on the bright side," Henchgirl tried to cheer Harry up.

"What bright side?" Harry asked.

"I don't know," Henchgirl shrugged. "It's just an expression."

IIIIIIIIII

"Harry's on the train," Ron greeted Hermione. "I just heard."

"That's great," Hermione's smile turned into a frown. "I can't wait to give him a piece of my mind for worrying me like that."

"Too bad," Ron frowned. "I don't care that you're one of my best friends, I'm going to tell you what I told everyone else. Don't badger Harry about his summer and don't yell at him."

"What?" Hermione's eyes widened in shock.

"He left because he needed a break and if people start yelling at him he might leave again." Ron explained, "he's my best friend Hermione . . . I . . . I'm worried that if he leaves again that maybe he won't come back."

"You're right," Hermione ignored Ron's look of shock. "We'll let him tell us what happened when he's ready to and not a moment sooner."

"You said I was right?" Ron couldn't believe it.

"You were," Hermione sighed. "Harry left because he needed a break from the stress in his life. The last thing he needs is me adding to it."

"You said I was right?" Ron couldn't wrap his mind around the concept.

"Oh grow up Ron," Hermione snapped. "There are more important things here."

"Like Harry." Ron nodded, "let's go find him . . . and not ask him any questions or scold him."

"I said you were right," Hermione huffed. "You don't have to rub it in."

"I'm just worried that you might forget," Ron replied slowly.

"I won't forget," Hermione promised. "Let's go."

Hermione and Ron spent several minutes searching the train until they finally managed to find Harry reading alone in one of the compartments.

"Harry," Hermione screamed as she lunged at her friend and enveloped him in a hug. "I'm so happy to see you."

"I'm happy to see you too, Hermione." Harry patted his friend on the back, "you too Ron."

"Hey mate." Ron grinned, "you hear about what happened with the defense position?"

"Who got it?" Harry asked quickly.

"It was almost Snape," Ron replied. He was enjoying this way too much, "but they got someone better at the last minute."

"Who'd they get?"

"You've heard of Mr. Black right?" Ron grinned.

"I know they didn't get Mr. Black to teach defense." Harry shook his head, "so who is it?"

"You're right." Ron gave a disappointed nod, "it's not Mr. Black. It's one of the men that the Quibbler got to write all those books about Mr. Black's adventures."

"He was an Auror for three years," Hermione added. "And a mid level dueler, he was never quite good enough to go professional but he was close."

"Sounds like a good Professor," Harry agreed. "Better than last year anyway. But I'm gonna withhold judgment until after I see him teach."

"I was worried about getting another terrible Professor also," Hermione admitted.

"Yeah," Ron agreed. "They've all been gits sides Lupin."

"The fake Moody wasn't too bad," Harry mused. "I probably learned the most useful stuff from him. Moony mostly taught about dark creatures and I don't have to worry so much about them."

"I suppose . . . "

"Hey Harry," Neville knocked on the door frame. "Mind if we join you?"

"We?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Some of us from the Ministry," Neville replied quickly.

"Sure, come on in." Harry waved them in.

"We were wondering." Neville glanced back at the group, "if you were going to be continuing the DA this year?"

"I won't be continuing the DA," Harry said quickly. "But I will be doing something else."

"Something else?" Neville asked eagerly.

"I'm going to run two groups." Harry nodded, "one for everyone here . . . the ones that went to the Ministry with me and another for everyone else."

"What are you going to teach us?" Ginny asked.

"I don't want to ruin the surprise," Harry demurred. "You'll see."

"If it's not DA then what are you going to call it?" Ginny persisted.

"Just a study club," Harry replied with a grin. "Who can say anything about a group of friends doing a bit of studying?"

"The new Defence Professor?" Luna suggested.

"I'll deal with him if necessary," Harry assured the group. "But I hope it won't come to that."

"What do you mean you'll deal with him?" Asked Hermione with a frown.

"I mean I'm not willing to allow another instance where a Professor uses a blood quill or any other instrument of torture on students," Harry replied calmly. "If anything like that happens to anyone, I want to be told about it so that I can take care of the situation."

The students shifted a bit and glanced at each other out of the corers of their eyes after that last statement, no one wanted to find out how far their friend was willing to take things.

"You back on the team this year?" Asked Ron, "we could really use you mate."

"No," Harry shook his head. "There are reasons that I couldn't be, not even if the ban got lifted."

"Oh." Ron seemed to droop, "what about being in reserve?"

"I'll think about it."

IIIIIIIIII

"Mr. Potter." McGonagall grabbed Harry before he had a chance to get to the tower. "The Headmaster would like to speak with you."

"What's this about?" Harry sighed.

"He did not see fit to take me into his confidence," replied McGonagall.

"I guess I can spare a few minutes," Harry agreed. "On the condition that he agrees to respect my privacy, if he even thinks of looking into my mind then I will be quite cross." Sure the old man wouldn't get anything if he did look, but it was the principle of the thing. "That goes for Snape too."

"Come with me." McGonagall nodded, "I shall inform the Headmaster of your conditions before your visit."

"Thank you." Harry nodded, "I read your article in that Transfiguration magazine. Why don't we ever get to learn things like that in class?"

"Because the curriculum is dictated by the need to pass the Ministry controlled exams," Minerva explained. "As much as I would like to teach you the more . . . esoteric sections of my art, I am still bound by my responsibility to ensure that you can pass the exams."

"I see." Harry frowned, "then why isn't there an advanced Transfiguration elective?

"Electives are decided by the school's officials, I don't have any say in what may and may not be offered up as a supplementary class." Minerva glanced over at her student, "why are you asking me about all this anyway?"

"Just wondering why we learned what we did," said Harry with a shrug. "Like I said, your article was interesting and I was wondering why we didn't learn that sort of thing in class."

"I'm glad to see you taking more of an interest in your schoolwork," Minerva said with a fond smile. "To be quite frank, I would have expected Ms. Granger to come to me with this question."

"Hermione wouldn't have asked you," Harry disagreed. "She respects you too much for that, she would just convince herself that you had some sort of plan about what to teach and when."

"And then she would have learned it all herself so that she'd know it when the time came," McGonagall finished. "Yes, that sounds like Ms. Granger. Though I was unaware that she held me in such high regard."

"She spends a lot of time trying to model herself on you. Some of the students have compared her to you in a less . . . flattering way." Harry grinned, "she really looks up to you Professor."

"Thank you Mr. Potter," Minerva's voice was heavy. "I am always pleased to see one of my students succeed and knowing that they hold me in such high regard is an added bonus."

"I'm glad I could be the one to tell you then." Harry took a deep breath, "most of the students in your house look up to you. Hermione isn't the only one, she's just the only one that takes it so far."

"Thank you Mr. Potter." Minerva took a deep breath, "wait here while I inform the Headmaster of the ground rules for your meeting."

"Thank you Professor, I will." Harry agreed.

Minerva's expression firmed as she walked up the steps to the Headmaster's office.

"Hello Minerva," Albus greeted his deputy with a grin as she walked into the office. "What can I do for you today?"

"Mr. Potter is waiting outside to meet with you," McGonagall replied. "And he has asked that you show him some common courtesy in your meeting with him."

"What kind of common courtesy?" Dumbledore asked with a confused frown.

"You will not attempt to look into the boy's mind, you will respect his privacy, and you will not attempt to get around this by having Severus do it for you." Minerva said firmly.

"He really has so little trust in me?" Dumbledore asked in shock.

"He has a right to keep his private thoughts private," Minerva corrected. "A right that all the students and staff share. To tell you the truth Albus, I'm a bit worried that he felt it necessary to demand this."

"I assure you Minerva that I will respect Harry's wishes in this matter," Dumbledore agreed with a sigh.

"I would suggest that you do." McGonagall gave a satisfied nod, "I don't think Mr. Potter is in the mood for any of your games right now."

"I understand." Dumbledore closed his eyes, "please send him up."

Minerva gave the Headmaster one last look then turned with a sigh. "I do hope that you remember what I told you Albus, I shall not take any responsibility for the consequences of your actions should you choose to ignore my advice." Not waiting for a response, McGonagall walked down the stairs to get her student. "You may go up now Mr. Potter, the Headmaster has agreed to your demands."

"Thank you Professor," Harry said quickly. "I appreciate all you've done for me."

"Good luck Mr. Potter." Minerva smiled as Harry walked up the steps.

Harry reached the top of the steps and walked into the Headmaster's office. "You wanted to speak with me?"

"Yes," Albus agreed with a nod. "Please have a seat."

"Thank you." Harry sat across from the older man.

"You may be wondering why I asked you to come up here, but before we get to that." The Headmaster paused. "Before we get to that, I was hoping that you would tell me why you felt it necessary to ask me to respect your privacy?"

"Because you haven't in the past," Harry replied evenly. "I realize that you've justified your actions to yourself and others by saying that it was for my own good and well . . . I'm sure you've heard the saying about the road to hell."

"Yes I have," Dumbledore agreed. "And why did you feel the need to add Professor Snape?"

"Because you're intelligent enough to find that loophole in our agreement," Harry replied. "And because he is a petty and spiteful man who has abused his power to enter people's minds in the past, I realise that he is not without his redeeming qualities." Harry thought back to how the man had arranged the death of one of his fellow death eaters, "but they do not excuse his actions towards me or my friends."

"I see." Dumbledore nodded, "thank you for satisfying an old man's curiosity."

"No problem," Harry replied evenly. "Why did you wish to speak with me?"

"As a young lad," Dumbledore began. "I tired of my responsibilities and decided that I needed a vacation. I left home and spent several months living in the muggle world . . . I believe that it was the happiest time of my life. I made my living shining shoes at first and I later managed a short apprenticeship with a chimney sweep. I learned more about magic from him and his nanny friend then I had in the past few years from my classes . . . what I'm saying is that I am sorry, I realize what it's like to feel pressured by society and I know how relaxing a vacation can be."

"I see." Harry tilted his head, "I had half expected you to demand to know where I was. I hadn't believed it when I was told that you were willing to remove your grasp over my life."

"You don't really see me like that do you Harry?" Dumbledore was aghast, "are you still angry about last year?"

"No, I'm angry with you for several other things."

"Then why?" Dumbledore had to know, "why are you so angry with me?"

"Why am I angry?" Harry's eyes flashed dangerously as he turned to respond to the Headmaster's question. "I've had a lot of time to think during my vacation and I've come to the conclusion that I'm nothing more than your pawn."

"How did you come to that conclusion?" Dumbledore asked, staring at the young man with honest confusion.

"How did I come to that conclusion?" Harry mocked. "Let's start by discussing the events of my first year, when Voldie went after the stone."

"I fail to see what that has to do with the hostility that you're showing towards me."

"A trio of first years got past everything you had protecting the stone," Harry growled.

"Three very talented first years," Dumbledore countered feebly.

"And if the three first years were able to get past the traps then what was to stop a man guided by the specter of a powerful Dark Lord?" Harry gave a cruel smile. "It was nothing more than a training exercise, you wanted me to face him, you put me in danger because 'you thought that it would help me later in life' or some other useless excuse. And why guard the stone when you could have just destroyed it in the first place?"

"I'm afraid that you're mistaken Harry," Dumbledore's shoulders began to sag, "and I'm afraid that I'm not nearly the puppet master you think me to be Harry. Such a task as you describe would be beyond even my considerable skill."

"Then what?" Harry glared, "you expect me to believe that the tasks were easy because of incompetence and not intelligent design?"

"Harry," Dumbledore sighed. "The professors here at Hogwarts rank among the finest minds in their fields of study."

"Which doesn't include guarding things?" Harry asked sarcastically.

"Yes actually," Dumbledore agreed with a shrug. "They tried but enthusiasm is nothing compared to knowledge and experience."

"That still doesn't satisfy me." Harry replied flatly, beginning to calm down. "Take Snape's task, why bother leaving the correct potion? Why not write the riddle and leave several bottles of poison?"

"To continue your line of reasoning, why not leave a room full of fake keys, why leave a chess board that allows itself to be played when a chess board that attacks any that come near would be just as easy to make?" Dumbledore gave a weak grin, "I would be happy to answer all of your questions but for two things."

"And those are?"

"The first is a security issue, if you don't know then none can force you to reveal it by looking into your mind."

"And if my mind was strong enough to protect the information?" Harry asked.

"Then I would tell you the second reason, and should you choose to persist." Dumbledore exhaled, "then I would answer any question you had."

"Then just this once, you may check my mind." Harry countered with a frown, "I'm willing to allow it just so I can get to the bottom of this."

"I shall be as quick as I can and I shall not look at anything," Dumbledore assured his young charge. "I . . . I can not seem to get in. It is as if your mind is filled with nothingness, I commend you on your technique . . . it is not something I have ever seen before."

"So then my mind is secure enough to know the truth?" Harry was starting to get impatient.

"Yes," Dumbledore agreed. "I dare say that you have one of the most secure minds in Europe."

"The second reason?" Harry prompted.

"The second reason is that I don't believe you wish to know." Dumbledore held up his hand stall argument. "Sometimes Ignorance is bliss, and I believe that you would be happier not knowing."

"Tell me now," Harry commanded as his temper began to rise.

"As you wish," Dumbledore gave in. "It is my belief that you regard preventing Tom from retrieving the Philosopher's stone to be one of your greatest achievements, is that true."

"Not entirely accurate but noteworthy," Harry allowed. "Stop stalling."

"What I am about to tell you must remain secret until the end of the war at the very least and I would suggest that you leave off telling until you are in your old age and it does not matter."

"I'll take your suggestions under advisement." Harry's eyes narrowed, "continue."

"A friend of mine once said something to the effect that 'The Truth is so Precious that it must be surrounded at all times by a bodyguard of lies.' What I am about to tell you is something that was until now known only by two people and it in no way lessens your achievement. Harry." Dumbledore licked his lips, "you did not save the Philosopher's Stone, it was never in any danger."

"What?" Harry's eyebrows shot up, "what do you mean never in any danger?"

"The stone has never left the possession of its creator. I've never believed that Tom was destroyed that night at your parent's home, so what I did was lay a trap." Dumbledore took a deep breath, "I told the Staff that I needed them to design a series of protections for unspecified object and they were happy to help, of course I would come to them, the finest minds in our world for aid in such an important undertaking."

"It never occurred to them that generations of England's finest security experts have spent decades making Gringotts one of the most secure places on Earth?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Alas no," Dumbledore admitted with a frown. "I'm afraid that their pride got in the way of their good sense."

"So you set a trap for Moldyshorts?"

"Yes," the aging Professor agreed. "If it had been too easy then Tom would have suspected a trap, as it was when he reached the last task . . ."

"He didn't suspect a thing." Harry began to look at his school's Headmaster with grudging admiration, "I can't imagine what you felt when you returned to the school to find out your perfect little plan had been foiled by a trio of well meaning first years."

"I will admit that I was not overcome with joy," Albus admitted. "And I could not admit my plan for two reasons."

"Because it would let the world know just how cunning and deceitful you can be, and because it would not have been the best thing to tell a group of children that they had just risked their lives for nothing." Harry shook his head, "you really are a piece of work aren't you."

"There's also the fact that I didn't want Tom to know that the stone was still available. I'm sorry Harry, I had hoped that you would never know and I had planned to take the information to my grave."

"Why?"

"Didn't it provide you some comfort to think that you had kept the Philosopher's Stone out of the hands of a madman?" Albus's shoulders dropped, "forgive me, but I did not wish to take that comfort away."

"You." Harry's face began to turn red, "you." tears began to leak out his eyes, "you."

Albus closed his eyes, waiting for the tirade he knew was coming.

"Bwahahahahahahahahahahaha,"

Dumbledore's eyes shot open as he watched his favorite student try to regain control himself.

"You crafty old bastard." Harry wiped the tears from his eyes.

"You're not angry?" Dumbledore asked cautiously.

"Angry? Hell no, I haven't had such a good laugh since," Harry scratched his chin, "well . . . no."

"Uh, good then?"

"Goodbye Professor, I had better leave before I give into the temptation to ask you another question." Harry patted his side, "I'm afraid my ribs would crack if I had another laugh like that."

"Have a good night then." The Headmaster wasn't quite sure what had just happened, "and feel free to call on me at any time for any reason."

AN: Yes Dumbledore got hit by a clue by four in this story. Evil manipulative Dumbledore is getting a bit too common in stories for my tastes, I'll probably use it again at some point but not in this story. I wrote the scene with Dumbledore the way because of the stunning number of fics where Harry realizes that Dumbles has been pulling his strings for years and that the events in the book were training exercises. Normally at some point, there is a large confrontation where Harry yells at Dumbledore. I decided to do things a bit different, rather than the events of Harry's first year being some sort of training exercise, a trio of well meaning first years disrupt Dumbledore's well thought out plans. People are uncomfortable thinking their leaders are human, so they make up strange conspiracy theories to explain away mistakes.

Omake for the last chapter by Fate

Snorting softly, the Hungarian Horntail quickly lowered her head and partially covered it with her wings. Her whole body shaking with suppressed laughter as she gleefully watched yet another young buck, eager to impress his peers, plow head first into the ground. Serves them right.' She thought smugly as she relaxed back into her nest. They should have listened to me when I told them not to pursue the racers this time around.' Raising her head once more, she drew in another breath of air, trying to catch that elusive but familiar scent. At least this time he's not after my eggs'.

OMAKE by Typhonis

Henchgirl: "Professor, whatever shall we do tonight?"

Professor: "Why,the same thing we do every night,try and build a better mousetrap. I still can't believe you let those two mice go?"

Henchgirl: "But they were so cute and cuddly especially the tall one when he said Narf"