Harry Potter and the Legion of the Shadow

A/Ns: A few quick notes.  This is the first story in a trilogy, and I'm planning on updating around 2-3 times a week.  If this pace is too slow for you, I encourage you to check out the previous trilogy I wrote: Harry Potter and the Two Draughts, Harry Potter and the Possessions of Voldemort, and Harry Potter and the Obsidian Tome.

Second, although I wish to give credit to all the reviewers of the previous trilogy, I especially want to thank Soccerpunx and Kaelli Karali about their comments about teenagers and love.  It's kind of ironic that I wrote a parody about all the excessive romances, and I end up pretty much doing the same thing.  So I'll ask you now – do NOT take a 'ship' mentality when reading this story.  I don't want any complaints about Harry/Ron/Hermione not ending up with who they were 'fated' for.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.  Warner Brothers bought me out.

Harry Potter arrived back from Hogwarts, prepared for the worst summer of his life.  First off, Dumbledore had been very clear that he wasn't to leave the Durlseys, since Voldemort had returned to power.  Harry didn't know whether he or the Dursleys were more upset by the orders.

There were only two things that made the summer bearable.  First, the Dursleys seemed to go out of their way to avoid even acknowledging Harry's presence.  Ordinarily this grated on Harry's nerves, but after what happened with Cedric, Harry welcomed a little solitude.  Second, Harry was allowed to use Hedwig.  The letters Harry received from Ron and Hermione were like an oasis in the desert.  He eagerly read and reread each one, and Hedwig was starting to look at him oddly whenever he would pick up a letter that she delivered to him several weeks earlier.

In fact, the only letters that Harry didn't reread constantly were the two that he never opened.  They were both from Sirius, his godfather.  The reason Harry didn't open the pair wasn't because he didn't want to read them; in fact, Harry longed to hear from his godfather.  But what kept the letters unopened was that Harry had managed a weak equilibrium about Cedric's death, strangely due to Sirius, although absent.

The first day back, Harry had pulled out his quill and parchment to draft a letter to his godfather.  However, he couldn't seem to find the words to describe what he felt about what happened during the third task.  Yet he knew that if he sent a letter omitting the traumatic events, Sirius would write back with several direct questions about what had happened.

Harry tried to sum up his feelings and explain his guilt.  Yet every time he put a sentence down on his parchment, he knew exactly what Sirius would write back.  He could even see the words 'It's not your fault, Harry' in his mind, as though Sirius had actually written them.  A whole conversation between the two took place in Harry's imagination, and every argument Harry thought of on why he was partially to blame for Cedric's death was matched by arguments from Sirius.

Without even knowing it, Sirius counseled Harry out of his anxieties about the previous year without even communicating to his godson.  Yet Harry couldn't find it within him to open his godfather's letters, as they might disrupt the peace he had managed.  Harry knew that he would eventually open the letters – but now wasn't the time.

Harry read over his most recent letter, which Hedwig had received from Hermione in Bulgaria.

Harry,

I'm sure you'll be able to leave the Dursley's before the summer's over.  Besides, even if you can't, it's only 3 months.  Keep your head up!

- Love from Hermione

Harry looked over the letter with a small grimace.  It was by far the smallest letter she had ever written to him.  He then reminded himself that Hermione was off on a vacation in a foreign land with her boyfriend.  She probably had better things to do than write him.

Unfortunately, every day it looked less likely that he'd be able to visit Ron for the summer.  Besides the fact that Dumbledore gave him instructions to stay at Privet Drive, the Weasleys were having a family reunion of sorts.  Not only were Percy, Bill, and Charlie back for the last half of the summer, but several of the extended family were there as well.  So even if Dumbledore saw fit to let him visit, it was doubtful that there would be room around the Burrow for him.

Harry grimaced again, and turned back to his pile of homework.  The Dursleys had told every muggle they could find that Harry attended the St. Brutus's Secure Center for Incurably Criminal Boys, so needless to say, Harry had no muggle friends.  And the Dursleys were certainly not going to allow wizards to visit.  Since magic wasn't allowed during the holidays, Harry had spent the majority of his day, locked in his room, doing schoolwork.

Harry had to laugh a little as he took in the sight of his homework pile.  It was already a good portion of a meter high.  It wasn't that the professors assigned much; in reality, there were only three essays assigned, the biggest being a 4 roll report from Snape on Truth Potions.  However, Harry needed to find something to occupy his time.  At the very bottom was the 20 roll essay on every variety of truth potions Harry could find.  Above that was an assignment on self transfiguration, with an appendix of 50 different examples and detailed instructions.  The third one Harry did was for Care of Magic Creatures, which was the first homework he had for Hagrid's class.  It was only supposed to be a 2 parchment report on Chimeras.  Harry decided to go through 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' and make a report for each of the creatures in alphabetical order.

Harry was about ready to add another addition to the pile, a completely voluntary comparison piece between summoning and conjuring.  As he finally put his quill down, Harry realized that maybe it was a good thing that Ron wasn't there.  He wondered what the Weasley would say at the sight of all Harry's summer work, although he suspected there would be several comparisons to Hermione, or even worse, Percy.

Finally, Harry got sick of the school work and looked up at Hedwig.  Hedwig seemed to know what was coming.  She hooted in a resigned sort of way, and hopped down to his side.  Harry didn't know who he'd write to, though.  He had written his friends just about every day, and knew they were busy enough as it was.

"Tired?" Harry asked.  Hedwig hooted again, and Harry laughed softly.  "Ok, ok.  I'll give you a break."  Hedwig gladly nipped his finger, then flew back into her cage and fell asleep.  Harry sighed, and turned back to his charms report.  It was looking to be a long summer.

---

Feel free to review.