Harry Potter and a Better Future

A/N: Very sorry about the long wait, I kept getting writer's block when writing about the events up to Halloween, to make up for this chapter being late I will be adding a Defense against the dark arts lesson to the next chapter, I won't make a target to upload the next chapter as I know I won't be able to stick to it

Chapter 17: The Waiting Game

September and October passed fairly quickly with events occurring the same way as they did the first time around, the only differences was Defence Against The Dark Arts being taught by Sirius Black instead of Gilderoy Lockhart, and there had been no attacks by the basilisk due to the diary being remaining locked away in Harry's trunk.

The Gryffindor Quidditch practice still got interrupted by the Slytherins, this time around Ron's spell didn't backfire and it was Malfoy who ended up vomiting slugs, Ron and Harry didn't have detentions as they didn't fly the Weasley's Ford Anglia to Hogwarts, Harry also didn't have to endure hours of envelope licking and Gilderoy Lockhart droning on about himself endlessly.

Shortly before Halloween Harry checked the defences on his trunk to make sure the diary remained undisturbed, so far there had been no attempts to steal the diary but Harry knew that could change especially if anyone got near the trunk, Harry decided he would visit Dumbledore after Halloween to have it tested to check the security on the trunk.

Halloween went better this time around as they didn't have to attend Nearly Headless Nick's Death day party and didn't miss out on the Halloween feast, so far there had still been no attacks by the basilisk, Harry spoke to Professor Dumbledore shortly after Halloween to ask if he could test the defences of his trunk, Dumbledore agreed and asked him to bring his trunk to his office the following morning.

The next morning Harry woke up and quickly got dressed, he shrunk his trunk using wandless magic and placed it into his pocket, he met Ron, Hermione and Neville in the common room, he had told them the previous night about his visit to Dumbledore and asked them if they wanted to come with him, they climbed through the portrait hole, Harry said hello to Ginny when they passed her on the stairs, Ginny replied as she passed them heading towards the portrait hole, they eventually arrived at the headmaster's office, Harry knocked four times on the door, Harry heard a voice telling them to enter so he pushed the door open and walked into the office.

"Ah, Hello Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville, I understand you have a trunk you would like me to test the defences" Dumbledore confirmed.

"Yeah, that's right" Harry replied and pulled the trunk out of his pocket, he placed it on the floor and enlarged it using wandless magic.

"If you would all like to step away from the trunk while I perform a few spells on the trunk" Dumbledore requested.

Once everybody had moved away from the trunk Dumbledore pointed his wand at the trunk and muttered a few words under his breath, the trunk remained locked which Professor Dumbledore confirmed by trying to open the trunk by hand.

He carried on like this for half an hour and eventually put his wand away and returned to his desk, he beckoned for everyone to take a seat as Harry shrunk the trunk down and placed it into his pocket.

"Harry, the defences you placed on your trunk are even better than I expected, not even Voldemort himself would be able to gain access to your trunk, even I couldn't get inside" Dumbledore explained.

"Brilliant, thanks sir, hopefully the diary will remain locked away until we can destroy it" Harry replied.

"When we can get a hold of some basilisk venom we will be able to destroy the diary" Dumbledore replied.

"I'm guessing their probably isn't a store that sells Basilisk venom" Harry joked.

"No, I don't think there is" Dumbledore replied with a chuckle.

"Thanks for testing my trunk's defence's professor" Harry spoke as he got up from his chair and walked to the door.

"No problem at all" Dumbledore replied.

After leaving Dumbledore's office Harry put his trunk back in his dormitory and spent the day playing Wizarding Chess, Exploding Snap with Ron, Neville and the twins, Hermione preferred to sit and read her book as usual.

After spending the day in the common room Harry, Ron, Neville and the twins said goodnight to Hermione and walked up the stairs to their dormitories, the twins said goodnight to Harry, Ron and Neville as the continued up the stairs to their own dormitory.

Harry climbed into his bed and pulled his curtains closed, he changed into his nightclothes and placed his glasses and wand on the bedside cabinet, he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.