The Intelligent Potter

*** Defence Against the Dark Arts class

Almost before Harry could get a glimpse, Voldemort exited Harry's mind. Quirrell's face snapped to look at Harry incredulously.

Remembering what he had read about kids making accidental protections, Harry pretended to be doodling on his parchment, he doodled walls and cannons and drew a knight for good measure.

Quirrell/Voldemort carefully entered Harry's mind again and this time found the wall and the cannons, firing in the opposite direction, as well as a knight riding a unicorn and a Dumbledore-esque old wizard brandishing a wand in squiggly motions that were obviously not real spells.

Voldemort carefully exited Harry's mind, his relief that he hadn't been discovered was enough to give Harry enough proof that he had managed to fool Voldemort into thinking he was daydreaming.

He almost slumped back into his chair before remembering that Quirrell/Voldemort was still sitting at the front of the class and observing him, while continuing his stuttering act, which Harry could see through easily, now that he knew it was Voldemort who was lecturing them.

Harry resolved to find out what sort of dark magic Voldemort had used to look like the Defence professor. After considering, he decided that it was also possible that both Quirrell and Voldemort were in the same body. Either way, he decided to keep an eye on Quirrell and research what The Dark Lord was doing to impersonate/possess him.

*** Library

After Defence, Harry rushed off to the library, walking fast but not fast enough to seem in too great a hurry.

He got to the library and found mainly 5th years and above, with the occasional 3rd year floating around.

Them and Hermione Granger.

The girl had been in his defence class with him and had gotten to the library even faster than he had. Hell, she seemed to almost live in the place anyway.

She peered over her thick book, "Harry, what are you looking for!" she said bossily.

"Come on, I'm nearly done with my book on supplementary Potions. I could help you research whatever you're looking for."

Harry smiled at the pushy girl and declined, "Sorry Hermione, I'm just doing some general looking, I don't need your help."

"Come on, I can look with you." Hermione looked at him hopefully.

Harry realised that staying in the library all day, the one place where literally no first years apart from himself and Hermione had come yet was probably not the best place to make friends or socialise, Hermione was probably just trying to befriend him.

Harry felt his heart go out to the poor girl. He could sympathise with Hermione, because he didn't have any friends either and before he learned that Dudley was preventing everybody in his school from befriending him, he would also talk to others who went to the library, hoping to find a friend.

With a sigh, Harry decided that he would talk to Hermione. His analytical side screamed at him that it would be wasting time and he would need to make explanations and waste valuable research time, but for the first time in 3 years, Harry decided to ignore his analytical side and just go with his impulsive response to just accept her help.

With a start, he realised that he had been staring at her for a full 10 seconds.

He grinned sheepishly, "Sure, come on and I'll tell you what I've been reading about."

Hermione smiled, hoping she had made a friend and moved to stand and walk with Harry.

They started walking and Harry started towards the section on the mind arts.

"I've been reading up on Occlumency and Legilimency, I've progressing quite well on learning some Occlumency."

Hermione looked at him weirdly, "Occlumency is supposed to be really hard to do and it's almost never given to anybody under 15."

"It's actually easier the younger you are, because the imagination part of it, is far easier when you are younger and have a better and less restricted imagination. The reason many people think that Occlumency should not be taught to children is because it requires a large amount of patience and focus to keep your shields up and many children tend not to have the required concentration time."

Harry gave Hermione a short appraising look.

"People who read a lot of books, specifically non-fiction tend to be able to concentrate better as well as people who are focussed enough on one activity to spend lots of time to become good at it. The kind of meditation that this kind of concentration is required for, is also integral for the animagus transformation and wandless magic."

Harry looked back at Hermione who was looking almost hungrily at him, ready to absorb more knowledge.

Harry laughed, genuinely.

"I'll lend you some of my books."

Hermione enveloped him in a crushing hug and it took all of Harry's self-control not to stiffen and to sort of return the hug.

Hermione separated and blushed, "Sorry, I'm just really happy, I love books." She explained as if Harry was somehow unaware of the fact.

"Just make sure that you're reading the right books and not speculation or opinion posed as fact." Harry cautioned her.

Hermione looked somewhat offended, "Books are meant to tell the truth!"

Harry sighed at Hermione's naiveté.

"Anybody can write a book; it doesn't have to tell the truth. Make sure that other books can corroborate the stories and that you know where the information is coming from."

Harry looked at Hermione seriously, "Believing things you are told blindly can be the biggest mistake you ever make."

Hermione nodded numbly and opened her mouth to counter argue but closed it again. Harry's points were fair, and the emotion she heard in his last statement sounded like he had some experience.

"Fair enough, I will." Hermione found herself agreeing to Harry.

Harry smiled again, deciding to share his topic of research with the avid researcher that Hermione was. She might not have the general smarts that Harry did, but she was a much faster researcher than he.

"Today in Defence class, Professor Quirrell tried to use legilimency to enter my mind. Only, when I managed to stop him and he left my mind, I saw a glimpse of his face… and it wasn't professor Quirrell, it was… Voldemort."

Hermione looked at him sceptically, "But Harry, you killed Voldemort." She said as if talking to a toddler.

Harry shook his head, "I'm sure of what I saw, it made my scar hurt too."

"Just because you got a headache doesn't mean Voldemort is Professor Quirrell, you're the one who told me to check my facts."

"Trust me, I know what I saw, Voldemort is either impersonating or possessing Quirrell. If there was any way to show you, I would."

Hermione looked at him considering, "There is an heirloom pensieve in the Headmaster's office, I've read about it in 'Hogwarts, A History', we could sneak into Professor Dumbledore's office and take a look at your memory."

Harry rolled his eyes and shook his head, "One: It's stupid to even try to get into the Headmaster's office, 2: we'll get caught almost immediately, there's no way that idea would work."

"Oh." Hermione said, somewhat crestfallen.

"But your idea does have some credit, only, I can ask Griphook, whether I have a pensieve in the Potter vault and whether I can retrieve it, otherwise I can buy it, they're supposed to be expensive, but really useful and I do have the money."

Hermione took a long look at him, "Okay then, if you can obtain a pensieve and prove to me that Voldemort is back, then I'll help you research." Now looking a whole lot more frightened as Harry had expected her to be, the possibility finally sinking in, that the greatest Dark Lord of their time could have returned.

*** End of Chapter