[Thank you ~Elijah Rabren~ and ~Amanda Bolick~ for joining Hero Tier]
When Harry returned from the headmaster's office to his room, he was convinced to tell his friends all of his secrets, or at least a large majority of them. He was still not very convinced if it would be a good idea to explain the situation to his parents, as well as the existence of a prophecy, which explained that his younger brother would be some kind of hero of the magical world. He knew that sooner or later he would have to explain to them what the situation was at home, but he would prefer it to be later rather than earlier.
Although his will had been hardened, as he returned to his common room, doubts began to emerge in his mind. Would it really be a good idea to explain to them about his mysterious transformation into an animagus? It wasn't that he distrusted them, quite the contrary, but he knew that it was very rare to have any talent as an animagus and even more so to be able to perform the profession correctly as an adult (although his father and godfather did it when they were teenagers and still they went to school), so their strange natural transformation without any preparation was even more strange and incredible. In addition, there were also all the powers that he had discovered so far, could he really explain to them that he had abilities that in some cases had not been seen in hundreds of years, and with others, it was even doubted that they could exist?
By the time he realized it, he was right in front of the entrance to their common room. After saying the password "perseverance", he entered the comfortable room, looking for at least the two Hufflepuffs. He found them at a table near a corner far from the entrance.
"Wow, look how dedicated you are." He laughed once near them and frightened them in such a way that they even jumped.
"Harry! Don't scare us like that!" Athenea complained.
"I just made an innocent comment."
"But we didn't know you were behind us. By the way, where were you? You've been out all afternoon."
"Ahhh… over there."
He didn't know why, now that he had the chance to explain what he wanted, he didn't dare. He smiled shyly, while he decided that it was best not to tell them anything, he was afraid of what they might think about him, whether they would leave him aside for fear of his powers, or try to study him... He feared that if he told them, they would not trust him again. on him, so he was silent.
"Over there? Over there, where?" Jonathan asked curiously.
"Oh, you know... a while in one place, another time in another... around there," He responded, smiling nervously at the suspicious and disbelieving looks he received.
"Yes... that would be much more credible, if you had ever done it, or at least it was from that type of people. Where were you?" Faced with suspicious looks, he gave in.
"In a room I know. It seems to me that only I know it, because when I found it it was quite dirty, and during the time I've been there, no one has come besides me."
"A room? Where?"
"On the fifth floor…"
"Brilliant! So that's where you've spent so much time."
"Yeah."
"Show it to us!" Jonathan fumed, almost bouncing in his seat.
"Yes, but tomorrow." Athenea cut in. "Curfew is about to start... we can't go outside."
"Party pooper," Jonathan murmured.
The next day, as promised, he took his Hufflepuff friends along with the rest of the group, who had found out during classes or lunch and had also joined the expedition, curious about the room that Harry had made his own.
"Well, here it is." The host stated as soon as they entered.
His friends looked around the room with growing amazement. All of them had imagined something similar to an abandoned classroom, or an empty room... never some kind of suite! Without answering their friend, they began to investigate the different rooms, books, and objects present there. Draco and the twins seemed fascinated by the laboratory, Herminio and Terry by the library, Neville by the plants he had transplanted into pots, and Athenea and Jonathan by the common room (especially the armchairs there).
"This place is... magnificent," Hermione whispered with one of the books in her hands. "The library you have here is better than even the one at school!"
"I know... most of them were already here, but a few are mine."
"You have a potions laboratory that Snape would kill for," Draco stated. "And some of its ingredients..."
"We resent that you discovered this room before us." A twin stated with a pout. "Especially when we have passed by here many times, and we didn't even see the door."
Each of them investigated the room to their liking, discovering what Harry had been discovering in it and why he spent almost all his free time there instead of in the common room, something that in itself was not very complicated, after all, it was amazing. In turn, Harry was relieved, his friends had accepted that his room was his only secret and he sincerely would like them to continue thinking that way for the moment. Who knows? Maybe, after their exams, he would explain the rest.
When his next class with Fawkes arrived, he didn't quite know how to react. Not because he couldn't do what the phoenix had taught him during his first and last class, but because he hadn't managed to explain his secrets, just as he had asked. To tell the truth, the young Animagus almost expected him to give him a scolding or a lecture, what he obviously didn't expect was for the bird to just shrug and tell him that after all, it was his decision.
"Well, now that you know how to groom your feathers, you should learn what to eat and what not."
"But Fawkes, I'm not a real phoenix... you mean I should learn that too?"
"Of course! There have been many cases in which different wizards or witches have had to remain in their animagus form for several days or perhaps even months... You have to learn what you can or cannot eat in case you find yourself in that situation."
"Okay, I understand..."
"Let's go to the Forest then."
That day, Fawkes taught him the different diets of phoenixes, basically fruits and berries. The boy had never found this type of food so delicious, especially the berries, although he had never liked them very much, at that moment he considered them almost a delicacy and devoured them enthusiastically before the laughter of Fawkes, who obviously found his reaction very very fun.
"Well, obviously you like berries." Fawkes laughed. "Personally, I prefer fruits more... pomegranates drive me crazy, but everyone has their own tastes."
"Shall we only eat this?"
"Of course not! What would we do during the winter? No... we also usually eat some tender roots, look..." The phoenix dug under a type of bush and took out a few roots with its beak. "These are the best, What do you want to eat?"
"I prefer fruits and berries."
"How stupid!... This is what you eat when you are in need, when you can't find anything better to eat." He reprimanded him. "It's starting to get late, it would be better if you came back, otherwise you'll attract attention."
"Good." Harry was about to take off when he remembered something. "Ah! Fawkes, I won't be able to come for the next few days... I have exams soon and I have to prepare."
"Sure, don't worry. Will you stay during the holidays?"
"Yes. I have things to discuss here. Plus, I have to choose my electives."
"Well... well that's when you have my classes."
The truth is that he was very busy. Since his first exams had gone so well, it was clear to him that these had to go the same way and for that reason, he could always be seen studying and repeating what he had been taught during the last three months. There were some upperclassmen who on more than one occasion offered him help to study or explain something to him, but it was unnecessary.
The Professors also offered him help, after all, they were aware of how much they were asking of him. After all, not even Dumbledore or the 'He Who Shall Not Be Named' had received such an exhaustive education during their childhood and you had to look at what strong and capable wizards they had become. What would end up being the boy they were educating now? Of course, although he appreciated it, he did not use it at any time. From his point of view, he should only ask his professors for help when he encountered a problem that was difficult to solve, which at the moment consisted of his own independent research, something that he didn't want or couldn't teach just like that.
When Professor Sprout gave him his list of tests about a week before Easter, he discovered that this time they had decided to give them all day and not just after school. For example, he had the transformations exam from 10 to 11,30 in the morning and charms at 3 in the afternoon. Surely the Professors decided to use free periods to examine it, or perhaps even when they were teaching other courses.
That last assumption proved to be correct when the boy went to his first exam (curiously, it was about potions) and found that the classroom was the fifth-year Gryffindor and Slytherin students. He had to admit that the expressions on their faces were priceless, they were pure disbelief. Although Snape acted as if nothing strange was happening, he told him to sit at a separate table, gave him his written exam, and then gave him the instructions for the practical.
Harry was very aware throughout his theoretical and practical exam that the older students were more attentive to the exam than to their potions, something that the professor himself was also aware of, but chose to ignore.
The rest of his exams were more or less the same. During the transfiguration exam, there was the seventh-year class of Ravenclaws and Gryffindors, in the fourth-grade Hufflepuff and Slytherin charms. At defense, he got the attention of the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw third-years and the list went on. In fact, the only exams that he did not have the attention of any other student was during herbology and astronomy, although they were two subjects that the boy had mastered even before his arrival at Hogwarts. Then there was also the fact that despite having been present in class in almost all the courses, he was not present during any of the second year, surely a precaution in case he forgot something, couldn't receive the information through the interested class that was developing at the same time.
Of course, that had another consequence, if before he was talked about among the students of higher grades (especially within his own home), now he was the subject of heated debates and discussions about how it was possible for him to be so skillful or so good, because he had not been selected into Ravenclaw, the house of the intelligent... but as the headmaster used to say, no one knows what criteria the sorting hat uses to choose which house each student should go to.
"Come in, Mr. Potter."
Harry, that morning had received a note from his Head of House to go to her office, and entered with an unsteady step, although not as much as he had done three months ago. He had a feeling he was going to receive his grades.
"Good afternoon Professor Sprout."
"Good afternoon Mr. Potter. Sit down, please. I guess you know why you're here, right?"
"To give me my grades."
"That's correct. I think this situation will be something that is repeated often." The woman laughed. "Here."
Taking her smiling expression as a good sign, he opened the sealed envelope with greater determination than the previous term, looked at the contents, and smiled, his grades were just as good as they had been in the previous year.
"Congratulations, Mr. Potter. I am convinced that you will find it very good news."
"Yes, ma'am, it is."
"You can save this report for yourself, your parents will receive theirs within a few days. Here is a list of the different elective subjects for you to start next term, I suppose you will have to decide which subjects you will take."
"No ma'am, I've already decided."
"Is that So? Wow, this is quite a surprise... if you tell me which ones you want to do, I will write them down and notify the corresponding Professors."
"I would like to study Ancient Runes and Care of Magical Creatures."
"Very well, I will tell Professor Kettelburn and Professor McMillan that after vacation, you will be in their classes."
Harry smiled and after saying goodbye to the woman he ran to where his friends were waiting for him (a little corner in the library, because although Harry had shown them his room, that was still his refuge). Everyone was there, including the twins who were the least common, who were waiting for him impatiently.
"Well?" Terry asked as soon as he saw him. "How did it go?"
"Well..." the little boy began with a smile. "Same as last time, Outstanding in all subjects.
"Congratulations!" Everyone exclaimed while hugging him with enthusiasm.
The boy couldn't help but smile as he was hugged. Yes, those were his friends and they would be no matter what happened. In some ways they liked him more than his own family... no, they REALLY loved him more than his family. They, along with Remus, were his only family and there should be no secrets between family... he would explain the truth about him and the situation in his house. It was time to put aside the doubts and take the plunge.
[T/N, YYYYYYEEEEEEEESSSSSSS!!!! My boy's gonna get the love he deserves! I loved reading and Translating this chapter. If you guys liked it then leave a comment, if you didn't tell me why. Drop some stones, leave a review, and if you are as sucked up in the story as I am then check out the p@treon for advanced chapters to help me pay rent.
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