Harry potter lay stretched out on his bed (which was no more than a small camp bed frame with a mattress so worn down some of the springs were poking out), the room in Semi-darkness as the only bulb working was a small lamp on a desk in the corner. All over the floor lay newspapers and clothing, the pictures and headlines on the newspapers moving and changing. They were mostly along the lines of attacks and lists of the dead. A owl hooted softly from atop of the wardrobe next to the door, which again by the looks had seen much better days. Harry was trying to read a schoolbook but before long his mind once more drifted onto Sirius. Determined not to start thinking about it again, Harry quickly got back up and went over to his desk and began to write another letter to Ron. Everyday since he got back from hogwarts he was having to constantly fight to keep his mind off that night. He hardly slept anymore, as his dreams were full of images his godfather falling though the veil. The department of mysteries had taken the closest thing to a father he had ever known from him. And as far as Harry thought it was his fault. He should have listened to Hermione and realised it was a trap. He had gone to the ministry to try to save Sirius and instead he had died trying to save harry. It was his fault Ron had nearly been killed by the brain thing, his fault Hermione had nearly been killed by the death eaters, Neville nearly suffering the same fate as his parents at the hands of the same person; Bellitrix Lestrange. His fault Ginny’s ankle had been broken and her and Luna almost being killed. For some reason the fact Ginny had been hurt and effected him nearly as much as Sirius being killed. She had been on his thoughts a lot recently. Not as much as Sirius obliviously but she had been there. He didn’t really understand why, or even what he was thinking of her. And then the prophecy. He was constantly thinking about it. Maybe even more than Sirius. It echoed round is head all the time; for neither can live while the other survives. Dragging his thoughts away once more, Harry bent down and concentrated no his letter. The next day Harry woke after another restlessness night to find two owls waiting for him. Grabbing his glasses from an old stool he used as a bedside table, he quickly got up and took the first letter. It had been typed so it wasn’t until he turned it over did he know who it was from. The wax seal on the back was that of the ministry for magic. Figuring he had never had anything good from the ministry he put it on his desk and took the next package; the daily prophet. Giving the owl some money, he once more sat down on his bed and read the front page. ATTACK ON CONFRERENCE!!!!! Yesterday the minister for magic Cornelious Fudge was holding a press conference to talk about his plans to sop you-know-who when fifty death eaters stormed the building. Despite the many wards and enchantments half of the two-dozen aurors on duty were killed quickly and the attackers gained entry to the main room. The minister, instead of remaining to help his guard fled quickly by way of portkey and left the sixty reporters and guests to fend for them selves. Reinforcements arrived quickly however, due to the quick thinking of aurors Shacklebolt and Dawlish who managed to hold the main passageway while sending a message to the ministry. Dawlish and seven-teen other aurors are amongst the forty-four dead, while two death eaters were killed in return and four more captured. It is estimated that perhaps a dozen more were injured before escaping. For a full, more detailed report turn to page 6. Harry sighed. This was the third attack like this, while there had been over a dozen smaller attacks and disappearances in the last week. There was no doubt anymore; Voldemort was moving in full force and in the open. Fudge was in his last few days in office, and after he had been forced to admit Voldemort was back, he had tried to carry on dis-crediting Harry and professor Dumbeldore. That had just angered the public who was once again looking toward the headmaster for guidance, and a vote of no confidence was put to notion. He had six days before the vote and was so desperate he had even tried to get Harry to support him and the ministry. Harry had just sent a letter back telling him firmly, and not so politely, no. The scar of ‘ I must not tell lies ‘ was still plain on the back of his hand. Harry still shook his head at that letter; Fudge really was stupid. Deciding to get it over with, he picked up and opened the first letter. Though it was from the ministry for the first time it was good news; Dear Mr. Potter We are pleased to inform you that due to the compelling argument of Albus Dumbeldore, headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, you have been given special permission to use magic freely. As you know, normally you may not do so until you reach the age of seventeen but due to your heavy involvement in the fight against he-who-must-not-be-named it has been agreed that you should be able to do what you need to without restrictions (note that you must still follow the law that applies to off-age wizards such as charms on muggles). Also note that your friends that fought at the ministry recently have also been given permission. once again you are expected to follow the magical laws with this responsibility. Yours sincerely, Amelia Bones, head of magical law enforcement Mafalda Hopkirk, Improper Use of Magic Office Harry read in surprise before a small smile crept onto his face. He could use magic out of school. Glancing round his small room he decided to start right away. The next half-an-hour was quite busy for harry as he whirled around his room, enlarging it, transfiguring his bed into a replica of the four poster beds at hogwarts (that took him quite a few times; Hermione was much better at transfiguration than he was), repaired some of the things left over from Dudley’s use of the room as a dump, which included a television. He also repaired a broken chair that had been in the corner and improved his desk with some transfiguration and finally put a charm on the wardrobe that made it like a small room on its own in the inside, turned hedwigs cage into something that could only be described as a palace for birds and changed the wall paper to light blue. After a few other smaller changes he sank into the repaired chair (that now looked like a armchair from the griffindor common room). The peace did not last. “OI! What’s all the noise…wha..!” Dudley poked his head though the door and stopped in mid sentence as he noticed the changes. “You cant use magic out of school!” He flinched a little as he said the so-called ‘M word’. Harry just gazed steadily at his cousin until Dudley looked away. Then he broke into and evil look Harry knew to well. “Oh, wait until I tell dad!” Dudley’s piggy face quickly disappeared from the doorway and Harry could hear the thumping as he ran down the stairs. Harry’s uncle had been even meaner to harry since some of the ‘freaks’ had dared to threaten him. Petunia and Dudley had taken to ignoring him but Vernon had carried on as usual apart from to make sure harry wrote the letters that he was ok and they didn’t need to come around and check on him. ‘Still.’ Harry thought ‘not long till I can leave’ Harry had been told that he only needed to stay for twelve days this summer, all that was needed to renew the magic his mother had placed on him when she was killed. Five days were now up. Glancing at the clock, harry got up and grabbed a few things from around the room. He had been staying most of the days at Mrs. Figg’s house, having visitors like Remus, and generally keeping in touch with the wizarding world. Ten minutes later saw Harry being ushered in by the cat lover. He stopped dead in the door to the lounge in surprise as he saw his headmaster. The last time he had seen him wasn’t exactly a pleasant memory; straight after Sirius had died and half of Dumbeldore’s office destroyed in Harry’s anger. The professors eyes were twinkling as normal, as if he knew what harry was thinking. He was wearing muggle cloths but it was obvious he had his distinctive tastes in fashion in both and muggle and wizard cloths; he wore a bright orange and red Hawaii shirt. “Hello harry, how are you?” asked Dumbeldore? “Fine, sir. Iam sorry for what I did in your office after….that night” the twinkling in Dumbeldore’s eyes were replaced by sorrow and regret for a moment before returning. “Its quite all right harry. It was understandable, and as I said at the time I have far too many possessions as it is. Now to more important matters; I take it you’ve received the letter about your permission to use magic?” Harry nodded. “Good. Now in these holidays I would like you and your friends to take etc training and lessons in order to help fight Voldemort. You see I had a….old friend, return recently and with what he said and how you react to be kept in the dark, I mean no offence; once again I often forget that people having feelings out side of the big plan and picture, I intend to completely confide in you to what is going on. You now know the truth…” Once again for neither can live while the other survives flashed though Harrys mind as he once more nodded. “… and I can no longer deny you much; you see harry, when Sirius died he left no reference to who should be your guardian. As such it would normally revert to me but there is a problem; Sirius, in his will, has made it obsolete that you should be your own man. And so after looking though every book on the law ever written, the ministry has agreed that you should be counted as having reached majority; you are now, in law, an adult. It will be better explained later which is the next thing I must tell you. Sirius Black’s will is going to be read in eleven days time. You and the entire Wesley family are too attend, as I believe you are all mentioned. Remus will be along tomorrow to tell you about this in more detail but I thought it fair to mention it. I’ll leave the details to him.” Dumbeldore stopped as a phoenix feather burst into the room in a flash of fire. Harry guessed it was from Fawkes, Dumbeldore’s phoenix. Dumbeldore sighed at the sight. “Well I guessed it would happen soon” he said seemingly to himself, then to Harry “now I must be quick, events are happening at the ministry that I must prevent before they get out of hand. At four o’clock tomorrow afternoon you friends who went with you to the ministry, with the exception of Miss. Lovegood, will be coming here. I believe Miss. granger is staying at the burrow with Mr. and Miss. Weasley and Mr. Longbottom staying here. Then between five and six the old friend I mentioned will be arriving to talk to all of you about the training in the summer” “Sir” Harry interrupted “ why isn’t Luna coming, and who is your friend?” “Miss. Lovegood has gone on holiday with her father, looking for crumpled horned Snorbacks I believe” The twinkling in Dumbeldore’s eyes danced as he said this. “ And as for the my friend…… well I’ll let him explain. Goodness knows it’s hard enough to understand first hand let alone someone else telling you” again this seemed half to himself than to harry “well Harry, I must be going, I would suggest you be here at three tomorrow to help Mr. Longbottom as he will be arrive early to unpack.” He took some floo powder out of a bag in his pocket before turning back to Harry “a word to the wise; be careful Harry. You’ve no doubt seen the daily prophet and so you know Voldemort is moving in full force and there is little he will think twice about doing. Be careful”. With that he was gone.