Chapter 1: Sirius' Will and Acceptance

Harry Potter lay in his bed, just staring at the ceiling and not knowing what to do. In the first place-in his mind anyway-he put almost all of his friends in a life threatening situation. Moreover, to top it off, he got his Godfather killed. He knew that everyone told him that it wasn't his fault, but he just couldn't believe it. He had agreed to start the D.A. club and he was the one that lead them into battle based on a false vision. To his mind, a person couldn't get guiltier than that.

The truth was in the facts; his Godfather was dead. Sirius was also the best friend of his father and his only link to his parents, save for Remus Lupin. Harry didn't know what to feel. The tears stopped coming about a week after he arrived at #4 Privet Drive. Now, all that was left was this deep seated emotion that could only be described as numbness. There was just no emotion left in him as he lay in his bed. The only things that he did do were the chores, even without being asked. He just did them to keep his mind off things.

To say that Petunia Dursley was shocked was an understatement.

If he felt better, he would have noticed that the Dursleys were acting quite strangely around him. Do not be mistaken though, they were not nice, they just gave him a wide birth and hope hoped that he wouldn't send a letter to "Mad-Eye" Moody that they were not treating him write. The warnings the Dursleys' had received at the train station scared the hell out of them. So much so that if Dudley saw him walking the hall, his beach-whale of a cousin would run to his room and lock the door.

Even in his depressed state, this always seemed to amuse him.

Meals were a different story. Harry still didn't eat with the family, not that he wanted to. He wasn't exactly in the mood for company these days. So, to make sure that he didn't starve, his Aunt Petunia always brought his food up and left without a word; not watching him eat it mechanically-not like he was enjoying it. It seemed that all the food tasted bland and not worth eating, to him anyway.

Like last year, he received no letters from his friends, or the Daily Profit, to find out what was going on in the wizarding world. However, this time his attitude was different. Well, as far as the letters from his friends, that is. He knew that it was most certainly too dangerous to be sending letters because they could very well be intercepted. And that was the last thing he wanted to happen. That was all he needed, Voldemort knowing more about him than he already knew.

It didn't really matter one way or the other. Harry already knew what was happening; he saw it all in his visions or dreams. Moreover, what he saw was that Voldemort was on a murderous rampage against all muggle-born children and adults, as well as half bloods. Even though he was annoyed with Dumbledore for withholding information from him, he felt it was his duty to inform the Headmaster of these "visions", even if he didn't know if they were real or not. He was tricked once, but he couldn't take the chance.

Harry had been having more visions than he had ever had before in his life, since he arrived at Privet Drive. It seemed like they came every other night. He witnessed everything from infants to elderly people fall to the arms of death because of a mad man. He knew it wasn't healthy for him to see these things, but it wasn't as if he could turn his head and not look. It was always there as soon as he closed his eyes. Moreover, when it happened he could always hear Voldemort's cold laugh and feel the searing pain in his scar.

It was on the day after his birthday that he woke up with a start, coated in a liberal amount of sweat. Crawling out of bed, he knew that the first thing that he needed was a fresh change of clothes and a shower. Therefore, collecting his cousin's tent like clothing from his closet he set out to do just that.

As he stood under the shower, he made the water as hot as he could stand it. His only hope was that it might wash away some of the numbing depression. But he knew that wouldn't help. There was only one person that could do that, and she wasn't here. Hermione Granger. She was his best friend and had stuck with him through everything. He just wished she were here now.

Harry got out of the shower and walked over to the mirror; what he seen saddened him, somewhat. His bright green eyes used to twinkle with mischief and happiness-that was all gone now. In its place was a pair of eyes that almost shocked him. They were green, but not dull, and they had a battle hardened glint of a person that had seen too much in his short life. They were the eyes of a person that had fought a Dark Lord and lived too many times. In addition, they were the eyes of a person that would not give up, no matter what. It was at that exact moment; Harry Potter made a decision that would change the wizarding world.

He decided that he would train until he was capable of beating the hell out of Tom Riddle (Voldemort). Harry decided to start calling the Dark Lord Tom Riddle; mainly because he knew it would tick off Tom to no end. The second reason was that he wasn't about to indulge a mad man because he had an over inflated ego. Harry didn't know when it happened, but he lost all of his fear for Tom. The only thing he was really afraid of was losing one of his friends, as he did Sirius.

However, his depression was still making him almost numb. Harry really didn't know that much about depression, because he never felt it this deeply before. He also thought that it was strange that Ron was not the one he wanted to be with, to talk to now. Instead, it was Hermione Granger. Her beautiful brown eyes always seemed to calm him, somewhat.

It was about noon when he was sitting up in his room on his small mattress, when he heard a hideous terrified shriek. Harry immediately grabbed his wand and rushed down the stairs at full speed. He didn't even think about how he was dressed as he rushed down the stairs. He might have disliked his family, but he sure as hell didn't want them dead. It was when he got to the bottom of the stairs and saw what all the commotion was about, did he lower his wand, just slightly. If there was one thing that Harry knew, it was that a person should never let their guard down completely.

The person that made Petunia shriek was none other than Albus Dumbledore. Harry also notice that his Uncle Vernon was in such a rage that his face was as red as a beat and a person could actually see him trembling slightly as he was standing still. A person could tell that if it weren't for the old man being able to use magic, then Vernon would have attacked him at any moment.

As it was, Dumbledore looked as calm as could be and even had a slight smile on his face. "I do apologize for frightening you Mr. and Mrs. Dursley. Believe me when I say, that all I want to do is talk to young Harry here."

There was that ever-present twinkling in his eyes when he turned toward Harry. Harry just couldn't understand why he couldn't stay mad at this man. Dumbledore just had a way about him that put a person's mind at ease.

Harry might not be anywhere near as smart as his best friend Hermione Granger might be, but he believed he could read Dumbledore's eyes fairly well. If they were twinkling as much as they were now, that meant that the Headmaster had brought some good news. Also, Harry was beginning to think that the Headmaster had put a silencing charm on his relatives. This particular fact brought a small smile to the teenager's face.

"What did you want to talk about, Professor Dumbledore?"

"Ah, I think we should go upstairs to talk about this. If you wouldn't mind?"

Harry never could understand how the man could be completely civil and even polite-considering that he trashed his office fairly well at the end of the term. Harry knew that if he were in Dumbledore's shoes, he would still be angry as hell.

"Yeah, sure. My room is upstairs, first door on the left," he stated as he let the Headmaster lead the way.

It didn't take them long to get to the room and Harry saw that the Headmaster seen the three unlocked locks that was outside of the room, which could mean only one thing: Harry had been locked in his small room at sometime or other.

When the Headmaster arrived inside the room, his frown deepened even further. How can a boy live this way?

"Before we start, I would like to apologize to you for something. Actually, I have a couple of things to apologize for, sir. The first is the way I acted last year. I was a prat, pure and simple. The second is how I acted when I was in your office. I had no right to destroy your things when all you were doing was trying to look after me. But I am planning on making a complete turn around this year, if I can."

Harry said all these things in a very sincere voice and the Headmaster could not help but believe him. Dumbledore looked over the rim of his glasses at the boy, into his eyes. And what he saw there saddened him and gave him great hope. He had a battle hardened glint that he himself had when he fought the Dark Lord of his time, when he was in his prime.

All of the sudden, he waved his hand a plush chair appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the room. "May I take a seat?"

Harry just nodded absentmindedly, wishing that he knew how to do that.

"These bones are not what they used to be." He told Harry in an amused voice. However, both Harry and he both knew that this was a small fib. After all, even though he was old, he held his own against Voldemort fairly damn well at the end of the last school year.

He could get around just as well as the rest of them if he wanted to. It was then he pulled out a lemon drop from his pocket and popped it into his mouth. "Would you like one, Harry?"

In all truth, Harry was getting just a tad irritated that the man wouldn't get to the point. But this was always the way Dumbledore worked. Harry had this sneaking suspicion that the man did on purpose-to confuse and put people at ease.

"Ah yes, maybe we should get down to business. How would you like to leave this place forever, and never come back and be able to practice magic all you like, even when school is not in?"

Harry's eyes were as large as saucers at the suggestion.

Dumbledore let out a dry chuckle as he seen the look on the teenager's face. "I'll take that as a yes. But, I must warn you, there will be consequences."

"I'll do anything!" Harry exclaimed, feeling the most excitement he had in weeks. He knew in his heart that he would do anything to get out of this house.

"The consequences are very serious, Harry. I want you to hear them out and come to a logical, thought out answer." Not for the first time, Albus Dumbledore was wondering if he was doing the right thing for Ms. Granger and Mr. Potter. He just hoped it worked out.

"What are the consequences?" Harry asked cautiously.

"Now the things that I am about to tell you will affect you and Ms. Granger. I would appreciate it if you do not interrupt until I have finished."

Harry gave a nod of acceptance.

"Have you ever heard of a spell called "Proprius Potentia"?" Harry just shook his head. "It basically means sharing your magic and life force with someone on a permanent basis. It would also give you certain traits that you wouldn't normally have. In other words, you would share traits."

"For instance, who ever you shared your magic-or life force-with, you will always know where they are and if they are ok. Not to mention that each of you would get about a thirty-five percent increase in you're magical power. There is one other thing that you have to think about..."

Dumbledore trailed off and Harry waited patiently for him to get to the point. So far, everything the Headmaster had been telling him was scaring the shit out of him, just slightly.

Dumbledore cleared his throat once more and continued. "The two people that merge their magic and life-force must live together. In fact, they have to spend an abundant amount of time together."

"Now, let me tell you the up side of things. If you merge with the person that I am thinking about, you will be just as safe in any house, just as you are here; that's how powerful this ancient spell is."

"It's 'Mione isn't it?" The headmaster gave a solemn nod. "And just how does she feel about this? Or have you asked her?"

"Oh, yes. I asked her before I asked you. I must say she is quiet excited about this. She can hardly wait to do it. She is acting this way for two reasons. The first, she wants to do everything that she can to help you. The second is that this spell has not been preformed in over six hundred years, and you know how she feels about history." He chuckled after that statement.

Harry and Dumbledore sat there in complete silence for almost a full ten minutes, with Harry thinking, and with Albus waiting on the boy's answer.

Finally, Harry did speak. "I assume that we would live at the Headquarters?" Dumbledore gave a quiet nod. Harry couldn't actually believe what he was about to ask Dumbledore and he was pretty sure that he would turn him down flat anyway.

"Ok, if I'm going to do this, then I have a few favors. Will you consider them?"

"Ask and I'll see what I can do."

"The first favor is that I have to go to Diagon Alley. I'll have to have an adult with me, preferably an Auror; because I am going to buy some things that they probably just will not sell to kids. Specifically weapons. I think that it's time I owned up to my destiny."

Harry wasn't sure, but he could have sworn a flash of pride went through Dumbledore's eyes. "I think that is very acceptable, Harry."

"Next, I am going to need some books that are restricted to anyone under 17. Such as Occlumency and Legilimency. And I would also like some more advanced books on Dueling and Advanced Transfiguration. Well, I may just go ahead and buy up all the schoolbooks for 6^th and 7^th year as well. What do you think, sir?"

"I think that you are on the right track. And I dare say that Ms. Granger will help you along on your way. Moreover, speaking of Ms. Granger... She had already asked about the books for Occlumency and Legilimency and I dare say that the clever witch has already mastered both. She has a real knack for those subjects. I think that she could help you with those."

Harry just gave a grateful nod.

"She is at the Headquarters waiting for you to show up to perform the ceremony." Dumbledore stated with that damn twinkle in his eyes again.

"What? She knew I was going to say yes?"

"I dare say that she is a very clever witch." Dumbledore replied laughingly. With that, the old wizard pulled out his wand and muttered a spell. "Sarcina". It was then that everything that Harry wanted to take with him was neatly folded and placed in his trunk.

"I wish I could do that at home."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "You never know, stranger things have happened." With that statement Dumbledore picked up a quill and made it into a portkey. "Are you ready?"

Hermione Granger, noted by some as the cleverest girl in Hogwarts, was definitely not acting in her normal self assured way. In fact, the way she was pacing the floors of the Grimmauld common room, one would think that she was as nervous as a person could get.