And when he returned, he would build it bigger and grander than before. A beautiful home wrapped in the armour and weapons of a fortress. He had long vowed to rebuild the Potter family, and he would do just that.
...
However, he wasn't here today for books on family history, which could ultimately wait; what he was interested in were his mother's private notes and research journals.
After having completely read through his mother's private journals twice, documenting her life and feelings, he felt that he was ready to look into her other works, which he had left alone the previous summer.
Hopefully now he would have the necessary knowledge and experience to at least somewhat understand what his mother was researching. If he couldn't understand the concepts yet, it would provide a clear goal to reach in his studies.
Realistically, he understood that there was quite a significant difference between understanding words and magical concepts and actually being able to practically apply that knowledge. Ultimately, though, he just wanted to know his mother's mind better. Naturally, some would call him a mother's boy, but his father just hadn't left much behind; he hadn't left a diary or journal documenting his life like his mother had.
In fact, the only thing he had was a partially complete book he had been working on with Sirius, offering instruction on how to become an animagus. He would still read this, but it was rather useless to him all told now that he was well on his way to becoming one and had Sirius to help him in person and answer questions should he have any. Of course, his godfather was an excellent source of information on his father, but it was all second-hand, coloured and influenced by his own personality and memories.
Sirius just couldn't help him understand his father's mind and emotions like a personal journal could. The fact that his father hadn't left much behind showed quite clearly that his father never believed that he would die during the war—that he thought he would survive it.
Shaking his head, he employed his mind magic to rein in his rising disappointment and anguish at never being able to get to know his parents.
'Maybe I should begin my own journal? So my descendants can get to know me? Know how I thought? Why I did the things I did? What made me who I am?' he considered this whilst putting his mother's extensive research notes in his backpack to review later in private.
"You almost done in there, Harry?" Sirius shouted in from outside the vault, clearly growing impatient at how long he'd been forced to wait.
"Couple more minutes," he shouted back, hurrying himself up. Making his way to leave, he noticed the enchanted Mirror of Erised in the corner where he had left it last year, reminding him of his midnight adventure and the discovery and acquisition of the stone. 'I need to check that out sometime,' he mentally noted before leaving the vault.
"Done?" Sirius asked whilst the heavy metal vault doors sealed behind him, locking away the treasures within with a booming 'click.'
"Yes," Harry confirmed as he stepped up next to his godfather to wait for the magical cart to arrive. "It's time for some dinner."
...
( Headmaster's Office )
"So Harry, what is it you wished to discuss tonight? Perhaps charms? Transfiguration? Maybe some runes? I've heard you have quite a passion for them, or maybe some homework that you're stuck on," the Headmaster enquired with a kind-hearted smile that he saw right through as he sat down in the padded seat opposite the headmaster's.
To throw the aged wizard for a loop rather than discuss such conventional magical subjects, "History," he offered with a small smile. "Wizards, as a whole, love their history," causing the headmaster to nod in agreement. "It's how they justify their elevated status, self-importance, and legitimacy to govern, such as the whole idea of being pureblood, which is a joke, if you ask me," he voiced with a smirk as the headmaster listened intently, obviously trying to gain an insight into his thought process.
"But magicals more often than not ignore their mistakes, their dark past, and instead focus on goblin rebellions—anything other than their own shameful bits of history. I would like to talk to you today about the Dark Lord Grindelwald." At this, the headmaster frowned.
"Do you believe that that is a suitable discussion for this evening? Perhaps something a bit lighter?" the aged wizard offered, trying to change the subject.
"Perhaps, but it is an interesting one," Harry countered with an owl-like tilt of his head, examining the Headmaster's unusual body language.
"Still, it's a subject for another time," the older wizard stated firmly.
"Fine," Harry reluctantly agreed, realizing that he wouldn't be able to quiz the formidable light wizard on what made the old dark lord so dangerous.
"How about charms?" the headmaster offered.
"Interesting, albeit mundane. What about spell creation?" Harry asked, deciding that that would be an interesting alternative topic, given his latest find.
"Spell creation?" the headmaster questioned as if he had heard right, raising a carefully sculpted eyebrow. "That's awfully advanced material for a second year."
"Most things capable of holding my interest are," he countered with a delicate shrug of his shoulders, knowing that he sounded arrogant, but not caring a whit. "Why discuss subjects which are so common and well written about when I have such a rare opportunity to question such a brilliant and knowledgeable wizard? If I wanted to talk about a mundane topic like charms, I'm sure Professor Flitwick would be more than agreeable without the need for bribery. Besides, spell creation is quite similar to charms."
"True, but spell creation arguably requires a near-mastery-level understanding of arithmancy, far more than you are likely to possess at this stage in your life and education," Dumbledore expressed with a sad smile, which did nothing but wave a red flag of challenge in front of him.
Nodding his head in agreement, "True," Harry agreed. "But that's something I plan to correct forthwith," he said, giving the headmaster a determined look. "And everyone needs to start somewhere, so why not with you, the preeminent wizard of your generation?" After all, if he wanted to start making sense of his mother's notes, he had to gain the knowledge somehow.
Dumbledore merely continued smiling in his grandfatherly way. "I'm flattered, but spell creation never really caught my interest," the Hogwarts headmaster offered with an amused smile. "If you are genuinely interested in the subject, may I suggest Professor Snape? He has actually created several spells in his youth," he in turn resisted rolling his eyes at the statement.
"No thanks," Harry replied, deciding to ask Sirius instead upon receiving this unexpected resistance. The Marauders had modified and created several spells for use in their pranks. "However, I do wonder why you keep trying to get me and Professor Snape in the same room?"
"Just trying to ensure the school runs in harmony," the headmaster offered, as his own mind called 'bullshit' at the answer as he replied with his own amused snort. After all, if he sincerely wanted harmony in the school, reining in Professor Snape's clear abuse of power and overt favouritism for his house would be an excellent first step, and addressing the distrustful rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin the second one.
"If you say so," he finally answered, trying to work out the headmaster's true intentions. After all, he had already agreed to attend potions again with Snape beginning next year. The various crimes the headmaster had committed against him and his family continued to run through his mind on a loop. He decided to change tactics and go for a safer subject. "Let's just discuss transfiguration then, since it was your own chosen subject to teach for several decades before becoming Headmaster. Organic-to-organic transfiguration to start."
"That's a very advanced branch of transfiguration, Harry, easily fourth-year material at least," the aged wizard voiced, giving him another examining look. "Also a skill necessary for becoming an animagus; are you thinking of following in your father and godfather's footsteps?"
"I'm an advanced student, Headmaster," he countered confidently, neither confirming nor denying that an intimate understanding of the subject was necessary for any successful transformation, especially the animagus one.
Of course, that was only if you were taking the traditional potion route to discovering your animal form, like most wizards and witches did when becoming an animagus. His chosen route, reaching his spiritual animal counterpart through deep, extended meditation, would remove that barrier as they would essentially become one being—a true melding of thought and form.
He wasn't going to say any of this, but made note to be extra careful with what subjects he approached the headmaster with in the future during these meetings. The less the Headmaster knew about him and his thoughts and plans, the better.
...
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