(Harry Potter) Worthy of you: Chapter 19 - Trainings and letters

Chapter 19 - Trainings and letters

Summary: Old scars resurface as new bonds are tested.

"We believe he will be coming after you Harry." The headmaster dropped another bomb on them, "He escaped after a visit from the minister. Fudge allowed him to look through the newspaper and when he saw your picture on the front he began muttering 'he is there, I have to get there.'"

Harry's fists clenched and he said through gritted teeth, "Let him come."

Dumbledore sighed, "While I understand your anger Mr. Potter, please consider that before he was sent to Azkaban, Sirius Black was a promising auror, whose abilities could match your father's."

Harry glared at the old man and shouted, "What do you expect me to do? To just sit around safe houses and hope he never finds me? Or that he escapes the country and punishment for what he did to my parents?!"

The headmaster gave Harry a firm look and said in a stern voice, "Mr. Potter, the ministry has already begun hunting after Black, and we at Hogwarts are making our own preparations. Hopefully it won't fall to you to face Black. Alas, in the possibility it will, the most you can do at the moment is train, so when the time comes you will be able to at least hold him back long enough for us to arrive."

Damn it! Harry hated that the old man was right. Even after years in Azkaban chances were still that Black would kick his ass with a wand.

After all with all his skill, he was still bested by Lockhart a couple of months ago, which was really painful to admit.

Harry sighed and slumped back in his seat. He raised his head when he felt a hand laying on his shoulder, "Don't worry Harry, I will make sure he pays for what he did, and train you to hold your own in the meanwhile."

"Thank you, Remus." Harry said gratefully.

Remus chuckled kindly, "You should call me Uncle Moony, that's what your mom used to do around you."

Harry smiled wider. He liked the sound of it.

The headmaster then stood, with a kind smile on his face he said, "I shall take my leave then. Thank you, Mr. Potter, for the news you shared with me." His eyes then landed back on the shattered pieces of the cup he dropped, "Oh, allow me..." He said as if he just noticed them.

The old man's wand was out and in a blink of an eye a small swipe of his wrist made sure to fix the cup as if nothing had happened to it and floated it carefully back to the table's top.

With a small bow of his head he turned and left back to his office using the floo.

After the shock of what he saw passed the only thing Harry found himself mumbling was, "Show off."

Remus just chuckled while standing up to clear the table. Harry rose to help him when the older man shook his head and reminded him teasingly, "I believe you still owe a letter to a certain bushy-haired girl. If I learned something from your father during our Hogwarts years it would be the fact it is never wise to keep a lady waiting."

Harry felt warmth spreading across his chest at the same time he felt a shiver going down his spine. Remembering that he really did promise to write Hermione the soonest he could. It was three days ago.

With a small gulp he turned and ran back toward his new room. Once he entered there, he found parchment and a quill already laid on his table.

Harry frowned, the only thing coming to mind was, "Dobby?"

The house-elf appeared with a soft pop and immediately went on one of his usual rambles, "Master Harry was saying to Wolfy that he wants to write a letter to his Grangy. Dobby is being sure Master Harry has everything for a letter. Did Master Harry need something else from Dobby?"

Harry blinked twice, and filed away the fact that Dobby was listening in on their conversation for future reference.

But when he looked down at the elf he almost choked on his own spit.

Dobby was wearing three kinds of vests all on top of each other. Both his feet had socks on them, different socks. And on top of his head there were four types of hats that the elf somehow managed to balance, probably with magic.

"Ummm, Dobby what are you wearing?" Harry couldn't help himself asking.

Dobby smiled widely, "Master Harry told Dobby, Dobby can wear whatever he wants."

Harry blinked twice, "I mean yes, but I was thinking... I mean you could, I just..." Eventually he just sighed and with a small smile said to the little creature, "You look good Dobby."

Dobby's eyes began to shine with happy tears again as he bounced in place screaming, "Master Harry is too nice to Dobby, saying Dobby is dressed good, Master Harry really is the greatest wizard."

Dobby left with another soft pop after that, leaving Harry to chuckle at the house-elf's antics.

Harry sat down at his table and after a long moment of consideration he began writing.

Dearest Hermione,

I hope that the last few days have been good to you, and you got the chance to catch up with your parents. I learned a lot in the last few days, not everything I can tell you in this letter.

Before you start ranting about me not telling you stuff you want to know, it's not that I don't want to it's more like I can't. Some of those things are private family matters that for now should stay between me and Remus, while other things are protected by magic to stay a secret.

I know you have a large thirst for knowledge Hermione, and that's something I really like about you. It's something that has even saved our arses a few times in the last two years, but I have to admit there are times you can get too pushy about subjects that you are not necessarily supposed to be a part of. So while I know it will probably frustrate you, all I ask is that you take a moment and understand that some things are just supposed to stay secret. Just like I won't expect you to tell me every detail about every family interaction you have.

Well, if you are still reading and haven't thrown away the parchment with a huff already, I promise you that we will talk when we get the chance to meet face to face about everything I can tell you.

Just tell me where and when we can meet and I would love to spend time with you this summer, even invite you to where me and Remus are staying. And yes, don't worry, me and Remus found a safe and good place to stay.

What I can tell you now is that Remus is going to be our Professor for DADA next year, and he starts training me tomorrow, for a complicated set of reasons.

Hope to hear from you soon.

With love, Harry.

Harry reread the letter three times. Always wincing at the middle paragraph. He really hoped Hermione wouldn't be too offended by what he wrote, but no matter how much he liked the girl she had her flaws just like he had his, and like he tried to make himself better he thought he should voice a few issues she had as well.

Harry wouldn't force her to change them if she didn't want to, and he would stay her friend for as long as she wanted to, but anything else would have to be treated with more care.

So, with that in mind, he rolled the parchment and waited for Hedwig to land on his window frame before tying the parchment to her leg and sending her off.

It was around a day later that Harry stood in one of the training rooms of the mansion, wand in his hand and sweat running down his brow.

Across from him Remus stood calmly and casually, with his own wand directed at Harry. The older man nodded in approval, "You achieved a decent grasp of the shield charm for one day of training, we will keep working on it. But there is something else you should consider. What is the best way to avoid being hit by an unknown curse?"

"You cast the best shield you can." Harry gave the most obvious answer.

Remus shook his head in disapproval, "And what if the curse is too strong for even your best shield to stop, like the unforgivables? Not to mention that doing so repeatedly will drain your magical core and leave you at a disadvantage to retaliate once you find an opening."

Harry nodded along with the man's points. He hated the fact he never considered such obvious things that limited him before. "What should I do then?" He asked with a frown.

Remus smiled a little, "The best thing you can do is not be there when the curse hits. Purebloods are lazy due to their luxurious upbringing. You could probably outlast most of them in a test of endurance. So you should keep moving, avoid being in a single place for long, and once you see them start to tire from their constant curse throwing you shoot your own spell."

Then the smile turned into a smirk, and he used a mischievous voice, "Let's make a deal. I will allow you five minutes to fire at me as many hexes as you want, and afterwards I get to do the same. Sounds fair?"

"Yes." Harry answered at the same time he released three consecutive sting hexes in a widespread.

Harry watched with wide eyes as the older man avoided all his hexes with impossible agility and speed.

Remus chuckled, "Didn't I mention before? Werewolf's agility, strength and speed are above normal humans. A small advantage to a terrible situation." His voice then turned slightly mocking, "You still have four more minutes."

Harry narrowed his eyes and brought his wand up, the hex already half way through his lips.

Another hour later Harry dropped exhausted on his bed.

The training with Remus was brutal, but he could feel how efficient it was even as they were doing it.

Harry learned a lot in the past day. Remus was a great teacher, which would be a first in next year's DADA class.

He just took a shower to wash off all the sweat and frustration away. Frustration that began to creep back with his mind going backwards.

He didn't manage to hit Remus once, while the older man managed to make his ass sore for hours to come.

Just as Harry was about to reach and rub his ass-cheek from the sting he could still feel there a soft knock on his window drew his attention.

Harry jumped from his bed toward the window once he saw Hedwig waiting there with a letter strapped to her leg.

He opened the window, and his other hand went straight toward a pouch hanging next to his window with some owl treats in it. He let Hedwig munch on her treats while he untied the letter from his familiar's leg.

He sat on his bed, the folded paper clenched in his hands. He knew he really shouldn't be scared to open it, Hermione wasn't the kind to write some spiteful letter back, but the words he had written her echoed in his mind and caused him to wince a little.

Even if what he said was truth and he only said it because he wanted to help his crush, there was still the part of Harry that was the unloved orphan who was scared to lose his best friend.

Still... Only one way to find out. With a deep breath he unfolded the paper and began reading.

Dear Harry,

I'm so glad to hear you and Mr. Lupin... sorry Professor Lupin, found a good and safe place to stay. I was very worried about you and considered stopping at the Leaky Cauldron to see if you were renting there. You took your time to write me a letter.

Harry felt another shiver go down his spine reading the last line, and he resolved himself to write more often. He didn't want to be on Hermione's bad side.

You are right Harry. I'm frustrated and want to know exactly what you learned while I was away, but I also know that there are things that are not concerning me and should stay private, even if I don't like that. I'm sorry if I was pushy in the past and made you uncomfortable because of that. I will try to rein my curiosity in from time to time, and I hope if I am going past any boundaries that you will let me know, I won't be mad if you do.

Harry released a breath he didn't know he was holding.

Me and my parents are leaving tomorrow for a week to a vacation in France, something we do every couple of years, so I won't be able to meet you, though I still expect you to write. Can you ask Professor Lupin if I can join your training for the rest of the summer afterwards?

Harry chuckled at the usual bossy attitude he had come to associate with Hermione, for better or worse.

I will be sure to wait for your next letter, which I hope will be soon... Can Hedwig even fly as far as France? If not just use usual mail to deliver it to the address I added at the bottom of the page.

Yours, Hermione.