Harry moved quickly once he was out of the humanity sight and slipped into Gringots. He got money out more quickly than he should stimulate by simply ignoring the queue and asking for Greeklunk. His old goblin friend quickly helped him refill his pouch for another year. While he was down in the vault Harry stuck his t-shirt in his bag and instead took out a farseeing robe with a thug. At Greeklunk's confused expression he said…

"Someone back up on the street that I ‘ d rather didn ‘ t recognise me."

"Oh right. Bloody paparazzi."

Harry stepped back out into the street and did his school shopping quickly. When he walked back retiring Fortescue's the wizard was still there, showing the waitress a long scar on his arm.

*

Harry stood in the nation lane and rechecked the letter he held in his hired man. He was sure he was at least in the mightily small town and probably on the the right way route. It was just that the route went a prospicient way in both commission and Ron's advice on getting to his theatre had been rather vague. Like he'd only really seen the surrounding countryside from the air. Harry folded the letter away and shrugged, there was always another way. He walked over to a where a farmer was sitting near his tractor, fiddling with something in the railway locomotive.

"Hi. I'm looking for the family of ginger people who keep owls as pets."

"pile the lane, bout left at the co-op."The man said without looking up."And evidence the man I need my wrench back."

*

Harry had to resist the urge to founder into a run as he caught sight of the Weasley sign. Outside it in the overgrow garden he could see three boy working, flinging something he couldn't make out over the garden rampart. Harry smiled, they were expecting him today but he hadn't exactly been capable to give them an exact time. As he walked closer the door to the mansion opened and mollie Weasley ( Ron had told him all about his crime syndicate ) emerged, carrying a tray with deglutition on it. Behind her a young girl ( must be Ginny ) stepped extraneous and leaned against the doorjamb looking bored. None of them seemed to have noticed him yet, or maybe the tan had changed his appearance a bit. As he stepped up to the front gate he spread his weapon wide.

"ciao !"

"Harry !"Ron jumped in surprise"You ‘ re here."The twins jumped up too and ran to meet him, but the most extreme point response came from the youngest Weasley. Ginny went suddenly white under her haircloth and her oral fissure seemed to move as if she was trying to say something then she bolted through the still exposed door.

"She has some sort of objection to aloha ?"Harry asked the ginger crew.

"Nah, mate."Ron shook his point."She ‘ s been jumping and squeaking every time we so much as mentioned your name. speculation you in the flesh was just too a great deal for her."

"Ron, be nice to your sister."Mrs Weasley's phonation was stern for a mo then turned gentle again as she turned back to Harry."She ‘ s just shy Harry. I ‘ m sure she ‘ ll get over it the more she sees of you."

"Probably."Agreed Harry"The hero thing doesn ‘ t last. I ‘ ve been told on repeated occasion that I ‘ m a massive disappointment."

"Who told you that ?"Molly Weasley looked aghast.

"Snape."

"Yeah but he said you had floberworms for brains too."Said Ron."And we're fairly sure that's not true."

"Right."Chimed in one of the twins."We ‘ re pretty certain they ‘ re doxy droppings."

"At least that's up the evolutionary scale."

*

But Ginny's odd behaviour didn't stop. Harry found that she was incapable of staying in a room that he was in and that any attempt to verbalize directly to her was enough to send her scurrying away. One morn when he came down and found her curled up on the sofa with a clip he decided to put a occlusion to it.

"Ginny."She stiffened and looked like she was about to take flight."Don't run away please."He walked around and sat next to her on the lounge. She looked like a small gnawer confronted by a ophidian, eyes wide open and too dash to run."Can you recount me why you run every meter I try to talk to you or get into the room ?"secretiveness, except for the twitching she could have been petrified."Look Ginny I don't know what it is but could you delight blab out to me. We ‘ re going to be going to school together for the next six geezerhood. Could you talk to me. Please."

"Y… you…"Harry had to strain to hear her syncope whisper."you destroyed you-know-who."

"Oh you ‘ re still thinking about that ?"Harry waved his hand dismissively."That happened ages and geezerhood ago. No one cares about that. Apparently Markus Mandy Albert Michelson is everyone's hero now."

"You ‘ ve got the scar."

"I ‘ ve got a lot of scar. Which one in specific ?"Ginny reached out to point at his frontal bone and Harry brushed away the hair's-breadth to bring out the scar. But apparently this was too lots for Ginny and she bolted up the stairs almost knocking over Ron.

"What ‘ s that about ?"He asked sleepily.

"She ‘ s still shy around me. That sucks."

"Why are you so messed up about it."Ron asked. Then looked up as if he remembered something."You were acting like this about Hermione too, live on year. Back before she liked us."

"And that turned out OK."

"You ‘ re not gon na go up up a chimney again are you Harry ?"

"No Ron but I think I do call back I need to take drastic action to correct this situation."Harry thought for a consequence then latched onto a brilliant plan. An astound plan. Possibly the bang-up plan he had ever devised."You have a few brooms here right ?"

"Five last time I looked. My old one, the twins, Walker Percy's and one Charlie left here."

"Excellent. I would like to play some Quidditch."

"But Harry you can ‘ t play Quidditch. The last time you got on a broom you made a staring chump of yourself."

"Exactly !"

*

This was the worst architectural plan he had ever come up with.

"You have to observe through."Ron made a jabbing apparent motion with the flat of his hand. That meant follow through Harry knew, the manus signaling were about all he ‘ d picked up during the game."Just centralize on following through. That was the problem that time."

"No Ron, the problem was that I flew into a tree."Harry tumbled to the ground and spew out a leaf."What's the signal for ‘ You're about to fly into a tree ‘ ?"

"There isn ‘ t one, we'd have to forge it just for you."Ron helped him back on his Calluna vulgaris and they flew back up to join the counterpart. Ginny was sitting a little ways away watching them, when Harry had fallen out of the tree she had jumped up in shock. But as Ron and the twins had begun laughing at him he had seen a shadow of a smile cross her side as well. That shadow was all that was keeping him from giving up the intact endeavour and getting his groundwork back on square ground.

"Right."Ron said as they hovered at their end of the rake."You make for the right hand side. I ‘ ll deplumate them off to the left hand then pass it to you. Then you can score. Got it ?"

"Aye aye police chief !"Harry saluted and almost overbalanced.

"Oh and by the way, from now on this…"Ron grinned and put both fists out straight ahead."… from now on that means tree."

"I would punch you Ron, but I ‘ d fall off if I tried."Harry began moving off to the right and saw his friend shoot away with the Quaffle. After a minute Ron turned and chucked it ahead of him. He rushed forward to catch it, fumbled it, then snagged it in one paw.

"I got it ! I got…"thump !

Harry struck the priming hard and rolled to a stop in the long Gunter Wilhelm Grass.

"Ow."Harry put his handwriting to the spine of his head and sat up. Looking right into the face of Ginny Weasley. She had run over to see if he was very well and now stood, wide eyed before him.

"There didn ‘ t used to be four of you."Harry pointed at her with a shaking hired hand."stop being four of you, person… girl… Where am I ?"Harry blinked and looked around blurrily. A small noise brought him back to the present and he looked forward. Ginny had her hired man over her mouth and was trying hard not to laugh. Little strait kept escaping like steam out of a kettle.

"You ‘ ve got steam in your mouth !"Harry tried to get up and fell back on his behind."Like piddle but… broken. Where are my methamphetamine ? The four of you should be capable to find them."And with that Ginny burst out laughing.

The four Weasley's carried him off the pitch and Fred and St. George ( who seemed to have experience with head injuries for some ground ) pronounced him fine.

"Maybe we should take a break."Ron said worriedly."You know, gift him sentence to recover."

"punter idea."Harry tossed his broom to Ginny."You take my bit. I am never ever ever ever ever ever getting on one of those again. From now on I walk where I need to go."

"Hey ! I don't want her on my team."Ron said angrily."That ‘ s not fair when we're already behind !"

"Ron…"Harry pitched his voice to match Mrs Weasley's"Be nice to your sis ! And besides, your option are me or her."

"Welcome to the team Ginny."

*

"See ! No one can tucker out my team !"Harry grinned and slapped his chest as the game drew to an prescribed last.

"What do you mean your team."Ginny glided past him smiling and laughing."When you went off you were eight destination down. How can you say you won ?"

"The team won."Harry explained with sweeping paw gestures."And we all played a voice in that."

"And your part is ?"

"Cheerleader. I really should get some pompoms."



Note : Right, thats the secondment yr started.

Interesting tidings about Dumbledore, but it makes sentiency when you look back on it. Department of Energy kind of brand it more tragical however. The friend of accepting people for who they were died without ever himself being accepted. He probably never even told anyone. The bit about how he did n't make a motion against Grindlewald was interesting too and puts the whole thing in a new twinkle. What if Grindlewald was well aware of Dumbledores spirit and used him to gain power in safety device ? Knowing total well that Dumbledore was the only one who could possess posibly stopped him. Ah well ...

This is why we need JK Rowling to write some prequels.


# include `` standard legal disclamer.h ''

Ok, thats a very nerdy joke but thats fine 'cos anyone who laughed is just as nerdy.






Kings cross was crowded beyond belief as the Weasley kinship group crossed the station towards platform nine and three quarters.

"Hurry up."Mrs Weasley herded her several charges towards the barrier."Right. Come everyone, while the muggles aren't looking."One by one the carrottop shot through the barrier. Harry waited until last, as the summer had drawn to a ending he had wondered if perhaps he might not be let back into the school. He had got the book lean but perhaps that had been automatic.

"You go first. I ‘ m fine."Harry motioned Mrs Weasley ahead of him."I want to enjoy my stopping point minute of freedom."She disappeared through the barrier and Harry took a deep breath. There wasn't much more he could do to put this off. He started running forwards, lowered his point and closed his eyes as he reached the barrier.

Crack ! Harry bounced back and fell to the ground gasping. The roadblock hadn't opened ! He put his hand to his forehead and it came back bloody. His mind reeled.

"They don't want me back."Harry blinked and looked up at the clock. less than a minute till the train was supposed to leave."They expelled me."

Harry stayed on the floor despite the odd looks he was getting. There didn't seem to be often percentage point in getting up. The clock ticked over the time of day. The train was leaving.

Harry looked down platform ten and thought he saw a wisp of Mary Jane rise from beyond the trail. Where was the genius platform anyway ? A mad estimation struck Harry and he was stood back up in a flare. His feet seemed to proceed of their own accord and he took first one then another halting step along the platform. Another wisp of green goddess. He broke into a run and willed his peg to pack him immobile and faster.

"it's a steam train."Harry dodged past a start conductor at the end of the political program and jumped down onto the running."It takes a while to travel rapidly up."He pumped his legs for extra pep pill.

"digger !"Harry reached onto his backpack and flicked his owl's cage open."Catch me up at Hogwarts !"Harry shooting to the edge of the train tracks and looked down. The normal, muggle train tracks coming out of B. B. King hybridisation were raised up on a sorting of yearn bridgework, raising them several news report above the city streets. Harry glanced down in clip to see the end of the Hogwarts express squeeze itself out from between the bricks of the bridge and head off down a rails that looked disused. Up ahead the track rose up and joined with the others, if Harry was going to do it, he ‘ d have to do it now.

"Please ! Oh god please let me still be born favourable !"Harry prayed silently, then launched himself off the side.

He crashed into the top of the last carriage and hung onto it for dearest life. The train was beginning to pick up speed and Harry crawled to the boundary. Thankfully the bearing window was open. Harry swung his bag in through it then slid down into it himself.

"Harry Potter. Nice to foregather you."He said to the aghast first eld who's carriage he'd dropped into."See you at Hogwarts !"Harry walked shakily out the doorway. Once he was safely in the corridor he leaned against the wall and slid down till he was on the level. He wanted to get up and feel his friends but for some intellect none of his limb seemed to work. He caught a glimpse of himself in the glass in front of him and blinked in shock. He looked a wreck ! origin ran down the left side of his face and was matted into the hair above.

"M… Mr Potter."Harry looked around and saw the Wiccan with the trolley standing looking at him. Harry gulped for air.

"Two cauldron cakes please."He said, trying to recall of something that would calm his nerves.

She wordlessly handed him the cakes and took the Price of them without once taking her eye off him. When he was about to leave she finally said.

"Did you… just… jump onto the train."

"No."Harry shook his school principal"No. Definitely not. You ‘ d have to be crazy to spring on a moving train."

*

Harry moved down the railroad train as quietly as he could. Trying to witness his friends without drawing too a good deal attention. Unfortunately lecture travelled fast on the Hogwarts express and he couldn't go five stone's throw without encountering another stare or put across a group of educatee without them breaking out in a fit of whispering.

"So pathetic care seeking potter strikes again."The voice was behind him. Harry turned around and sagged when he saw Malfoy and his clod staring at him.

"Malfoy I really don't have the Energy Department for this now."It was true. Harry would have liked doing nothing Thomas More than simply collapsing on the floor there for the oddment of the journey."Could you please, and I mean this in the dainty potential way, bugger off and die like the diseased piece of dilate rectum physique you are."

"Big talk for a kid who can barely stand."Malfoy took a step forward and Harry retreated."And I don't see your little friends here to avail you today. This may just be my lucky day."The three Slytherins advanced on him and Harry drew his scepter when…

"Potter !"Harry turned and saw professor McGonagall standing in the rig. Malfoy and his bodyguards disappeared through a doorway."How in Merlin ‘ s name did you get here ?"She grabbed him and pulled out her wand, touching it calmly to the cut on his head then whisking away the blood on his face."I just spent an unpleasant few minutes arguing with mollie Weasley who was franticly trying to get us to end the power train. She seemed to be under the impression that the barrier had sealed with you on the other side."

"It did."Harry nodded."That's how I hurt my head."

"But then. How did you get here ?"

"You honestly, really and truly don't want to know."

"Harry…"

"I jumped onto the train."

"YOU JUMPED ONTO THE TRAIN !"

"The roadblock had sealed up ! There wasn ‘ t any other way ! And besides, I had a head trauma. I ‘ m not sure I was in an entirely rational frame of mind."

"That is beside the point Mr ceramist, but after the stunt you pulled at the end of last year I suppose I should not be entirely surprised."She straightened up"We will have to discuss this further in my office staff at Hogwarts. At the very least you will receive respective years detention."

"But if I have detention…"Harry grasped at this drinking straw"… then I ‘ m not expelled ? Right ?"

"No Mr ceramist. Not this time."She began walking away down the caravan."Go to my spot when we reach Hogwarts."

"After the sorting ?"

"As soon as you reach the castle."

"Professor please…"Alright this is McGonagall, you know how to fool McGonagall. She acts toughened but she's all hokey inside."… my Quaker's sis's getting sorted today and she ‘ s worried about it. All her chum are in Gryffindor, whole family unit really. I should be there for her. please ?"

"Alright Mr Potter. After the sorting."McGonagall's heart had gotten softer as Harry had spoken."But before the feast."

"Of course professor. I ‘ ll be there."

"And I will owl Mrs Weasley to inform her you are safe."She turned away and Harry was left alone once again in the corridor.

*

Harry eventually found the vulture compartment and slid the room access overt.

"hullo freindlies !"

"Harry !"Hermione's oral fissure dropped open."Ron said you couldn ‘ t get onto the chopine !"

"Couldn't."Harry noticed Ginny sitting quietly in the nook of the compartment. Ron had probably been told to keep an eye on her."Had to take on entry to the train by… early means."

"Apparation ?"Padma had apparently also caught some sun over the summer, though it was less noticeable on her."You do know that's illegal."

"Couldn ‘ t care less. But no."

"Portkey ?"Neville seemed to remember for a mo."Or a broom ?"

"No."Ron and Ginny spoke at the same time but Ginny backed down and Ron continued."Harry swore blind he ‘ d never touch another broom."

"Oh god I know what it is."Parvarti put her script to her mouth and began shaking her pass."I was talking to Lavender down the other end of the train. I thought she was joking."

"What is it ?"Hermione asked and the marauders seemed to hang up waiting for the solution.

"You jumped onto the top of the train."The marauders turned as one to look at him.

"Maybe."None of his friends seemed to want to speak.

"Harry ..."Neville broke the silence."…you ‘ re crazy."

"I know."Harry sat as the former snapped out of their shock and started speaking all at once."It ‘ s beginning to concern me."

*

The geartrain meandered its foresightful journey through the mound and Harry ducked out of the conversations around him. His chief still hurt and he didn't have the vigor to hold the great unwashed. He leaned against the cold window as rain started to streak down, leaving little trails on the windowpane Lucy in the sky with diamonds. He closed his eyes and lay there for a tenacious piece. fiddling lead of water, swirling, drowning.

"Harry."He shook himself awake and looked over at the vernal Weasley, leaning over to him."Are you alright ?"Harry looked around the compartment, the rest of his friends were still talking amongst themselves."You ‘ re typeface was all scrunched up like you were dreaming."

"Oh, are we there yet."Harry kind of wanted to get back to eternal rest. Even if it was to bad dreams.

"Not for a while."Ginny bit her lip worriedly. Harry noticed that her fingernails too looked like they had been chewed.

"Worried ?"Harry grinned as she jerked in surprise. Harry waved his hand dismissively."Don't trouble. You ‘ ll love it there. Lessons are easy, specially good luck charm. supporter everywhere. Plus if any of the Slytherins bother you we can show some swift retribution. We're feared by that house."

"That ‘ s sort of what I ‘ m concern about."Ginny glanced at the red bound on Harry's robe.

"Ah."Thought Harry."My guess was right, and I just made that up to soften up McGonagall."

"You ‘ re worried about the sorting."Harry said out loud."Want to be Gryffindor ?"

"Yes. If I don't my brothers ‘ ll never forgive me."

"Then tell it so."Harry looked at the young girls startled expression."You know what the sorting hat is in good order ?"nod."Then tell it you want to be a Gryffindor. Don't take no for an reply. It's your lifespan, don't let a hat make decisions for you."Harry leaned back down and closed his eyes again.

*

"What the hell ?"Ron voiced what they were all intellection as the marauder moved away from the train at Hogsmead. Ginny had left to take her little boat ride and the six friends now stood in battlefront of a course of carriages, each drawn by a thin leprose cavalry with close down leathery flank."Charlie told me the carriages pulled themselves ?"

"Maybe they've changed since your comrade day."Said Harry climbing into one of them."And besides…"He looked around"No one else seems to recollect anything's amiss."

"Still think this is weird."

*

Ginny Weasley stood fidgeting in movement of the hall as the sorting hat finished its Song dynasty. She was so aflutter she wanted to bite her nails despite the face they were already worn to the pith. Well, at least she was a Weasley. Her name would be called near to endure. She saw Harry on the Gryffindor table spinning three ramification in the air in front of him. She tried to bewitch his eye but failed, he was talking to his real friends. Everyone began to pay tending as Dumbledore stood up.

"Before we begin the sort I ‘ d like to announce two matter. One is that, despite what this empty hot seat seems to indicate, we have found a new demurrer Against the nighttime Arts teacher."Ginny looked along the teachers put over and saw a lank-haired professor face. She giggled, that must be prof Snape."Sadly he could not be here tonight as he has been managing the shipping of his belongings from oversea. sleep assured that he has my full confidence and he will introduce himself, probably at length…"did the lank-haired professor just grimace even more ?"…in your first lesson with him tomorrow. Now the second thing is that we will be doing this years sorting backwards."

"What ?"That prompted a murmuring about the Hall.

"Yes, call it an old humankind fancy. Now let us cover so that we can enjoy a magnificent banquet after we are all done."Dumbledore sat back down but the murmuring hadn't ceased. McGonagall then took her place, the expression on her face clearly showing that the schoolmaster had not discussed this with her. She looked down at her paper and read…

"Weasley, Ginevra."

"What ! Oh…"Ginny thought as she walked out in front of the school."Backwards…"The last thing she saw before she pulled the hat down over her eyes were the Marauders turning to determine her.

"Another Weasley, seems I see those on almost a annual footing. But a Weasley girl ? Why I haven't seen one like you in…"

"I chose Gryffindor."It seemed to her that the hat gasped loudly all around her.

"That's not quite how it works Weasley girl."

"No. That is how it works. Harry told me I could choose my home. I want to be in Gryffindor."

"Quite brave of you to just call it out it like that. Almost force me to pluck Gryffindor."Shout it out ? …Oh god !

"Ah… You didn ‘ t realise you were speaking out tatty ?"
Ginny lifted the rim of the hat just enough to see around the manse. There was whispering everywhere, and every fount had an superposable visage of shocked astonishment. Her optic searched out her chum at the Gryffindor table. Percy had buried his face in his script and seemed to be trying to venture it all wasn't happening, Fred and George were watching her with vast evil smile and Ron, Ron just looked confused. Her center flickered past Ron to Harry and their regard locked, then the boy did the peculiar thing, he pulled up his arm, put his hand palm out and jabbed forward.

Follow through

Ginny glanced back at the teachers table, where every face mirrored the astonishment of the students. She glanced back to Harry and he jabbed again. Well, if she was gon na follow through then there was only one matter for it ...

"Yep."She said, trying to not have her vox break out in whimpers."Definitely Gryffindor."And with that she pulled the hat off her top dog, set it down on the chairman and walked steadily towards Harry. She blanked out everything else in the hall, the whispers rising, the teachers, everything. There was a seat next to Harry and she was sitting in it. She reached the bench and hopped onto it, everyone was looking at her.

"arrest perfectly calm."Harry's voice but she swore his lips barely moved."flavour straight ahead and don't give them any signboard they're getting to you."Easy for him to say ! She stayed exactly where she was as the muteness crawled on. Then something touched her hand by her side. A candy of some form. Without a word, and before the mum stares of the whole hall, she brought out, expose and calmly ate a liquorice sceptre.

Every eye in the hallway turned as they heard McGonagall brighten her pharynx then…

"Kingston, Victor."

It was as if the hall had been holding its breath the entire meter and now let it out in a wave of cackle. Ginny felt person bang her on the spinal column and looked sideways into Harry's face.

"Thank you."Ginny breathed through the noise."I didn ‘ t know what to do. I didn't even realise I was talking out loud."

"Figured as much."Harry said glibly and offered her another liquorice baton."Good matter I was paying attention, who the hell is Ginevra Weasley ?"

The minuscule boy with exquisitely waxed hair and sunglasses apparently named Victor Kingston had reached the hat and was looking down at it worriedly. He looked like he was about to peck it up then looked at the table in the Granville Stanley Hall.

"Ravenclaw. I think I like Ravenclaw."

"On the plus position you may have started a revolution."Harry had leaned in to talk to her again."On the minus McGonagall's gon na vote down you…"

A vague looking missy was now looking at the hat thoughtfully before declaring that she was going to"The red haired miss's house."

"Are you our new star sign mascot Ginny ?"Fred leaned over and grinned at his sister.

"We could make up some new banners if you like."His twin leaned in from the other side of the table.

"farewell her twins."Harry was holding her by both berm away from her older brothers."She tricked the hat, swindled McGonagall, caused a crown of thorns house gyration and all in front of the entire shoal !"Harry grabbed her and hugged her from behind."You can ‘ t have her ! She ‘ s ours !"

"What's he talking about."Ginny didn't think she could grin more than she was as she shot the head at her comrade across the table. But it was Parvarti Patil who answered her.

"He means that you ‘ re the type of somebody who goes for what they want and has the nervus to see it through and doesn ‘ t fear what the rule say or who thinks what !"She stuck out her handwriting"Welcome to the Marauders."

By the end of the day Ginervrador House ( as it was briefly called ) had an unusually large category of get-go eld. Filch had to move some of the bottom.

*

As Harry trudged back from his first custody with McGonagall that night ( polishing hundreds and hundreds of brass buttons that were just going to be transfigured into mallet anyway ) he leaned on the wall near the portrait jam and closed his center for a instant.

"Harry Potter sir !"

Harry opened his eyes and immediately realised his head accidental injury must hold been worse than he thought. The Hallucination had tenacious pointy ears and was wearing some kind of irritate cloth like a toga.

"Wha… ?"

"Harry potter should never accept got on the train !"

"Who ?"Harry shook his head but the small flesh remained"What and/or who are you ?"

"Dobby sir. Dobby the house elf."The odd minuscule wight bowed to him, its olfactory organ almost touching the floor."Dobby is truly sorry to hold caused trouble for such a great champion as Harry Potter. But Harry Potter must give Hogwarts !"

"Caused bother ? What trouble ?"Harry slid off the wall and stood heterosexual person. His sceptre was inconveniently tucked in an inside sac, hard to reach. Was this wight a threat ?"What are you talking about ?"

"Dobby thought that perhaps if Harry thrower was hurt he wouldn ‘ t be able to go to Hogwarts."

"What precisely…"Harry heavily enunciated the watchword"… are you talking about."

"Dobby thought that if the platform closed…"

"That was you !"Harry snapped forward like a shot and caught the little creature by the blazon. The thing whined and tried to fail away but he held on."I could have got missed the bloody train !"The creature nodded and whimpered a little more."I could have been killed ! Wait… knockturn alley…"Harry remembered the rubber wall. The elf stiffened again and he seemed to be avoiding Harry's eyes."That was you as well ! Why WHY !"He picked the affair up and shook it roughly."Are you trying to vote out me ? Are you ?"The elf was truly crying now and Harry let him go. The lamentable thing crawled away from Harry and sat on the floor, looking up at him with its huge, deplume filled centre. It looked like a kicked puppy.

"flavour, I ‘ m sorry."Harry reached out towards the elf but it shied away."I didn ‘ t mean value to wound you. The hospital wing isn ‘ t far, can I…"

"No !"Dobby's face became a masque of fear."Dobby can not be seen. Dobby ‘ s masters can never eff. Dobby isn ‘ t hurt, Dobby gets far sorry than this at home. Dobby's masters are…"the elf seemed to tighten up for a moment then he rushed over to the wall and began hitting his head on it intemperately.

"Bad Dobby ! Bad Dobby !"

"time lag ! Hey, Stop !"Harry was torn between the need to quit it hurting itself and trying to forefend grabbing it again since he'd obviously hurt him. He pulled his gown off, quickly balled it up and ( between head spring ) slid it between Dobby and the wall. The poor elf continued on for a couple of hits, apparently not realising he was now cushioned, then dropped to the storey.

"Thank you sir."The elf's part was a little quaky."Dobby almost spoke ill of his masters."

"Dobby…"Harry saw a pauperism to trample carefully here."If, IF remember ! Hypothetically I asked who your masters were. Would you have to penalise yourself ?"The elf quickly nodded.

"If I asked you to write it ?"nod.

"If I asked you to act it out like charades ?"The elf appeared to recollect about this, cocking its head to the side. Then he nodded.

"If I asked you to secern me why you want me to leave Hogwarts ?"the elf's head stayed very still."How much can you tell apart me without having to penalize yourself ?"

"Danger. Dobby knows that risk has come to Hogwarts. Death…"

"If I asked you whether your master key were involved ?"Dobby tensed like a rod."Just IF remember, if I asked you that would you get to punish yourself ?"

Dobby nodded. Harry smiled, that meant his masters were involved. Otherwise why would he be forbidden to tell anyone ?

"And is I asked what shape the danger would acquire ?"

But at this Dobby shook his top dog furiously and put his hands over his pinna. The hapless elf began rocking backwards and forwards and keening.

"It ‘ s OK Dobby. You don't have to tell me."The rocking stopped and the elf uncurl.

"Harry Potter will leave Hogwarts ?"

"No. But I will be measured, very careful."

"Harry thrower must go forth, Harry Potter is in danger."

"I usually am Dobby."Harry leaned forward conspiratorially."That just makes it more fun."





Please review, especially if you think it 's bad. Really, it 'll help me improve.


"marvel if he ‘ s cute ?"Parvarti wondered quizzically as the back days wandered to the defence force against the dark arts classroom. They had the socio-economic class first period of time Monday, so would be the 1st to gather the new teacher."Dumbledore said he ‘ s strange, so I bet he ‘ s cute."

"I just question if he ‘ ll be a good teacher."Hermione hung her principal a little."After a year of… of bad teaching we need to catch up. We ‘ ll be lucky if we can have it up in sentence for the OWLs."Harry could tell she had been about to say Quirrell, but had stopped herself. As far as he could tell none of his Friend wanted to think about the events at the end of last year.

"Well, so long as he only has one grimace, I ‘ ll be happy."Harry stuck his hands behind his point and laughed."right field ?"The others stopped for a moment, then grinned with him."Thought so. Anyway…"Harry was the starting time to the room access and pushed it open."… after Quirrell we can ‘ t do a great deal risky can we ?"

"Pipsqueak ! Told you I ‘ d see you again !"

"No…"Harry looked across the room at Markus Maximus Michelson"…please no…"

"Take a seat up front my good lad ! I can already tell apart this is going to be one of your favourite course of instruction !"The vulture filed in the movement row and the other educatee moved in behind them. All of them looking a footling apprehensively at the booming muscled form in front of them.

"The name's Professor Markus Triple-M Michelson. I ‘ ll be your refutation against the darkness arts teacher this year. sentiment I ‘ d guide a respite from the globe-trotting to pass on some of my knowledge to the future generation !"He swept his hat off and spun it across the way, it landed neatly on top of a suit of armour."Oh and by the way the Ms stand for Maximus, Mighty and Magesto but they might as well stand for Muscular, Magical and most of all Masculine !"He laughed and put his fist on his hips."So, on to the matric !"He grabbed the register off the table and began yelling out public figure, variously chuckling at the odd name calling and winking at any female child who answered him quickly. When he got to thrower he said

"Know you ‘ re here Pipsqueak ! Don't need to level ask !"then went on. Harry dreaded looking backwards but did so anyway. Near the rachis genus Draco Malfoy looked at him and mouthed the word pipsqueek then sneered. Harry groaned, he ‘ d never hear the end of this.

When the cash register was finished the professor strode up to the straw man of the category. To the shock of all watching he slammed one fist back into the blackboard. Words jumped off the aerofoil as if they had been jolted into being.

"Duelling !"The prof said and indeed this was the deed of conveyance on the board."Who here has cast something harsher than jelly-legs at another adept ?"

A few hands went up around the year, including Harry's. Neville gulped and tried to hold his hand as low as possible, but Padma took it and jerked it up.

"You there !"Markus pointed to Neville. Padma giggled."What have you used ?"

"full-of-the-moon Body Bind sir."Neville appeared to be wishing he had a hole to cower into.

"good ! trade good solid spell ! incantation, for those who don't know is Petrificus Totalus. And who did you use it on ?"

"McGonagall."

"Mc…McGonagall ?"A skittish titter of laugh ran around the classroom."Right, OK. Um… Anyone else ?"He pointed at Harry,"How bout you pipsqueak ?"

"Acerbus cuspis."

"The pain-spear spell."The teacher stopped moving and turned back towards Harry."A nemesis originating in the metre of the inquisition, considered by many to be Dark magic trick ?"

"Er…"

"And who did you use it on ?"

"Quirrell."

"right hand OK."Michelson shook his point."Before we dredge up any more violation against Hogwarts teachers lets start on something else. Who here knows what a shield charm is ?"Many of the hands went down ( though not of form, Hermione's )"Right ! we'll start there."

*

The socio-economic class let out an hour later. Many of the scholarly person had the after-effects of minor hex and whammy on them from when their shields hadn't been soundly enough or when their adversary had been too near. Professor Michelson seemed to think all of it extremely risible and laughed outrageously at every furiously-dancing, uncontrollably-coughing or unnaturally-warty student before cancelling their affliction and sending them on their way. Half way through the form he had picked Harry to shew some more serious hexes to the social class. Harry ‘ s shield magic spell wasn ‘ t nearly good enough and he ended up suffering for every spell that winged his way.

"I hate him ! I hate that muscle-head by-blow !"Harry ranted as they walked to account of conjuring trick."He knows my name and he keeps calling me pipsqueak ! He singles me out ! He will pay for this ! rightfield ?"

The former marauders kept a safe distance, giggling behind their hands.

"You know Harry, he seems to be a pretty beneficial teacher."Hermione said. Harry rounded on her."I mean, some grownup wizards can't do harbor charm and he managed to get half the class doing them in just one lesson."

"He keeps calling me short !"Harry didn't understand why the others didn't get this"And didn ‘ t you hear him ? Mighty, Majestic, Mouldering… He loves himself !"

"Well…"Parvarti chipped in"He is cute."Harry's case became flint and dark."And he… winked at me."

"You ‘ ll see."Harry turned and began back towards the history of magic classroom"You ‘ ll all see ! After you meet him a few times you ‘ ll agree with me about Markus Madonna Michelson !"

*

But they didn't.

defense team Against the iniquity nontextual matter quickly became the most looked forward to lesson by the entire school. Every few lesson Markus Michelson would introduce a new combat spell and work with them, pulling them with laughter, belittlement and encouragement, to hone the spell. From disarming and stunning through to cuticle and self-defence he taught everything with an identical gag and indistinguishable chesty attitude. Harry remained sullen and mum in these deterrent example especially when the inevitable happened and he was called up to facilitate demonstrate a new spell. He had tried to get the piranha riled up to work a japery on prof Michelson but they had flatly refused. Harry had to content himself with dropping potion on a radical off Slytherins that gave them oozing boils. It had been quiet coordination compound, whoever the pus hit when the boils exploded developed them as well.

It was on his way back from heavy detention that he heard somebody shout. Harry saw a first year rush past him upstairs and followed him, towards the disturbance. A chemical group of bookman were gathered on the tierce floor. Harry pushed through them without a thought and stopped at the front to see a horrific mountain. Painted on the wall in what looked like blood were the words…

Arise those of ancient blood ! Cast out the impure from this household of our fathers ! Be true to your bloodline ! Destroy the enemies of the heir ! This is the call to arms !

Harry glanced to his side, lined up next to one another stood a group of Slytherins. Malfoy, Goyle and flint stood side by side, each wearing indistinguishable expressions of Glee.

On the floor in front end of the letters crouched pitiable master Jamaican capital, the kid who'd liked the look of Ravenclaw, curled up in fearfulness behind his sunglasses.

Harry moved closer on instinct and put his fingers to the boys neck opening.

"What are you doing ?"A interpreter behind him hissed but he ignored them.

"He doesn ‘ t have a pulse."Harry murmured, trying to move his fingers around for a better smell."No beat. Get Madam Pomfrey ! Get Dumbledore !"

"Both are here Harry."Harry looked up to see the master walk of life to the bound of the crowd. He stood back gratefully as the school nurse went to go.

"Is he… bushed ?"An older Ravenclaw at the boundary of the forget me drug asked and a whisper of breathless shock swept the crowd.

"No."prof Dumbledore said calmly"He appears to experience been petrified."

"Will he convalesce ?"Harry noticed that the Ravenclaw was a prefect, she had probably known superior.

"Yes miss Clearwater. I think so, in time."tensity seemed to go out of the mathematical group but the prefect pressed on.

"Professor…"She glanced up at the writing on the rampart."Victor was a muggleborn, do you suppose that there ‘ s any danger ?"

"I am sure I can trust every student here to act in a way that does not dishonour the good public figure of this school."

"Yeah right."Harry thought and glanced back at Malfoy and the former Slytherins."Seems a war's been called. people are already choosing sides."

*

The number one attack happened just the next morning time. Hannah abbot was found with a broken arm at the posterior of the steps leading down to the Hufflepuff common room. Her bag and account book strewn haphazardly at the top. She'd been coming up from the cellar early to get breakfast and been pushed back down.

professor sprout took her to the hospital wing. But no one had seen what happened, not even Hannah, and no affair how much they asked the prof couldn't breakthrough who had done it.

The future day a radical of Slytherins cornered a first year in one of the pep pill corridors and began hexing him over and over. Only Flitwick happening past times had stopped worse happening.

In a matter of calendar week it was no thirster safe for a muggleborn or half-blood pupil to be out on their own. Madam Pomfrey was being worked of her metrical foot by the stream of combat injury coming into her fear.

Then, one morning, Oliver wood the Gryffindor Quidditch captain was petrified in the prefects bathroom. The instructor had tried to keep a lid on it but the words that had been scrawled on the bulwark somehow got out.

Mudbloods and blood-traitors cower in fear ! The heir of Slytherin returns and the chamber has been opened. Rise up around his standard ! Spill the bodge blood on the primer !

"It ‘ s getting worse."Harry said as they walked towards their following class."I mean just feel !"He gestured out the windowpane.

There was a powwow of students scurrying along the rampart and slipping in a door. A bit later a group of Slytherins hurried into the courtyard with their with sceptre out.

"Harry no !"Harry was aiming his wand out the windowpane but Hermione jerked his arm back."If we start fighting back things will step up ! We have to let the instructor handle it."

"They can ‘ t."Padma said dully as they passed the defense lawyers Against the Dark artistry classroom"Not on this scale."Her babe nodded silently. Her normally cheerful humor dulled.

"Padma ‘ s powerful Hermione."Ron shook his head."affair are just getting worse and besides, we can ‘ t afford to fall back any more Quidditch players."

"Is that all you care about !"

"I just meant…"

"Shut up."Harry snapped back at them irritably."Quidditch is about as much use as you two bickering when things are going to hell all around us. We ‘ ve got to do something."

"But what ?"Padma said, shaking her header."This isn ‘ t like Quirrell Harry. There ‘ s no evil genius behind it. Its half the school, trying the killing the early half and we don't know till too late which is which."

"With some we got a pretty good idea."Harry murmured darkly as they passed a group of Slytherins. The Marauders curled around Hermione like a human shield as they passed and only pass around back out after they had gone. A indorse later Harry's sceptre vibrated in his pocket."shit it !"Harry motioned the others to tranquillise and the phone of hexing could be heard above them. They broke into a run towards the nearest step.

*

"leave of absence him alone !"Ginny's own vocalism sounded shrill in her ears. She stepped in strawman her injured booster and tried to eat up her fear.

"What ? Protecting your mudblood boyfriend traitor ?"Marcus Flint stepped out of the closed chain of Slytherins surrounding her and Colin."stair aside for me. I ‘ d rather not pour forth wizard blood, even your families, unless I have to."

"Mico Harry."Ginny whispered, holding her wand out in nominal head of her. Hoping he was in range."Mico Harry."

"Your young man doesn ‘ t look up to much."Flint said stepping closer and eyeing the quivering Gryffindor."Maybe you want a real man ?"

"Mico Ron. Mico Hermione."

"What's that ?"flint leant forward to take heed."That supposed to be a hex ? Ha ! What ‘ s it do ?"flint laughed and his age bracket around him started laughing too.

"It summons demons !"

As Marcus'psyche jerked up a bludgeoning hex struck him in the chest. He was thrown back and his friends drew their wands as the predator rushed them from the stairwell.

*

Harry was the first to admit that he probably wasn't destined to be a duelist. His first bang against the one-seventh year had been lucky and he now found himself shielding for his living in the midriff of a war-zone. Other scholarly person from early houses had been drawn in or joined in or been pushed in by the bunch and now the corridor was filled with flashing lights and battle cry of infliction.

"You ‘ re stagnant potter. Oh you ‘ re dead."Flint advanced on him and Harry ducked behind a statue as the big Slytherins swear smashed into the terra firma near his groundwork. A second one smacked into the Lucy Stone wizard and it began to topple over. Harry scrambled out as it crashed to the storey and jabbed his scepter at his attacker.

"Expelliarmus !"The spell struck Flint but his thick, sausage-like finger's breadth were curled tightly around his wand.

"Confringo !"Harry leapt out of the way of the blasting hex and fell badly on his shoulder. He threw his own back in solvent and the Snake stumbled backwards. Harry jumped to his understructure and shot a bludgeoning hex only to accept it rebound off a shield and smack him in the chest. Tumbling backwards he landed on his back among the debris. His sceptre skittered off along the trading floor. A shadow fell over him and a huge booted foot slammed onto his chest, holding him down.

"Hello Potter."Flint pointed his sceptre at Harry's face."Now I ‘ m gona have some fun."

A second later Flint was thrown off him as a embroil wave of spark blastoff through the corridor, forcibly pulling opposite apart.

Harry's hand darted out and grabbed his sceptre while he looked for the source of the magic spell. His oculus found Albus Dumbledore standing at the end of the corridor with several other teachers behind him.

"Is any student here injured or in need of the hospital wing ?"His representative was stony as he eyed the assembled student. A few students raised their hands. Dumbledore nodded and turned to speak to the teacher behind him."Please escort them there."No one spoke as the wounded were gathered up. Harry saw Markus Albert Abraham Michelson handing Ginny her bag with one hired man while picking Colin up in his early. As prof McGonagall walked past him he caught her eyes for a minute, they were low temperature, rough and discomfited. When the terminal of the spite were gone the schoolmaster turned back to the remaining student.

"Now can anyone tell me why this happened ? Why Hogwarts scholarly person saw fit to turn this corridor into a field ?"He looked over the students and Harry realised that he and Flint were right on out in the middle, the two of them surrounded by emptiness. Somehow the ringleaders had been singled out."Why students who I thought I could trust to act in good religion instead acted like fools ?"

No one spoke. No one wanted to draw attention to themselves.

"You will all return to your usual rooms now. Tomorrow dawn you will all follow to the smashing hall where you will spend your Sabbatum in secretiveness. You will return the day after that and for many weekends to come until I decide that the repose and quiet of the school has returned. Your parents will also be informed of your let down behaviour."Dumbledore gestured at the children."Go off now. Not you Harry !"Harry was drawn back by Dumbledore's vocalization. Marcus Flint smirked at him with his troll-like smile and slinked off. Harry followed the Headmaster in muteness as he turned and walked off through the shoal. He stopped before a gargoyle on the s floor.

"sherbet Lemon."The childish password seemed oddly out of kilter with the spot. They remained mum as they were raised up by the staircase and walked out into the master government agency.

Harry glanced around in wonder at the odd silver gray car, many moving or making soft sounds, filling tables around the edges of the post. His eyes were drawn to the perch behind the desk where a tired looking red boo sat. Even as Harry watched another of its feather fell off and twirled towards the floor.

Dumbledore caught it before it hit and slipped it into an inside sack of his robes. He turned and sat behind the toilsome desk. Saying nothing, he regarded the student before him over steepled finger.

Harry knew that with any other teacher this was the time to be hushed and look guilty, but with Dumbledore he might actually be honorable off explaining.

"Professor."He began and licked his dry lips. Dumbledore's optic flicked to his."I heard the audio of someone being attacked nearby and I went to see whether I could help. When we… I got there Marcus Flint River and some early Slytherins had the first years surrounded."He couldn't recite what consequence this was having on the headmaster. His manifestation was inscrutable."I fired a tour to make them back off and they responded, I never thought that so many other student would be drawn in or that it would snowball like this. I ‘ m sorry."

"You cast the commencement hex ?"

"They had been beating up Colin Creevey before we got there."Harry felt too hangdog to lie."But I threw the first armed combat magical spell yes."

"several student are spite Harry."idol teeth the ragged bird was eyeballing him as well."And there was some structural damage to the school. Several house painting were damaged and statues broken."

"I was just trying to help sir. I didn't want any of that."

"And with this atmosphere of fear already around the school day you have given everyone another reason to hate each other."Harry felt very small in figurehead of the continued stare."bad, you have escalated this problem with your natural action. Next sentence multitude will be even agile to disembowel wands in angriness. succeeding meter the curse will be worse and masses could be seriously injured Harry, do you understand that ?"

"Yes sir."Harry thought of Marcus Flint's smirk. Next time they wouldn't wait to taunt people.

"Today you chose to fight hatred with anger and wildness. That way will always engender further hatred do you understand that ?"

"Yes sir."

"See that you do not duplicate this mistake."

"Yes sir. Thank you."Harry walked out of the office. All the way to the doorway he could experience the old gentleman oculus on his back.

*

Harry walked back slowly to the Gryffindor park room. By luck the itinerary took him back past the battleground. Some attempt had been made to cleanse up but the place still felt damaged. peachy chunk were missing from the stone and the humbled paintings had all been taken down. The passageway was bare. Harry saw social movement at the other end and tensed for a second, then relaxed as he saw red haircloth and freckle.

"Ginny ?"

"Harry."The little girl moved up the corridor towards him. Stopping just a minuscule way down from him."I ‘ m so disconsolate I got you into difficulty. I shouldn ‘ t have micod for you. Hermione said you could be expelled."

"If I was expelled every time Hermione said I would be I ‘ d be some sort o'world record."Harry walked up to his newest recruit and ruffled her hair."And I taught you that call exactly so you would anticipate me if you were ever in trouble. All this…"Harry waved his hired man at the impairment and shook his straits."Not your fault. But why are you back here ? Shouldn ‘ t you be in the coarse room."

"I was… waiting… for you."Ginny glanced to the left and bit her lip.

"Remind me to teach you to lie convincingly Ginny."Harry looked into her center. There was a surprising amount of fear there."Why don't you want to tell me ? You don't have to you know."

"Lost something."Ginny's voice became smaller with each Christian Bible she said."A journal. Must have fallen out in the fight."

"Your diary ‘ s missing ?"Harry shook his head."Did you pen anything bad in there ?"

"Not my diary."

"Whose ? Nicking person's diary is all very predator of you but…"

"I found it in my books before I even got here. intellection maybe it got leave there."

"Who ‘ s was it ?"

"The strawman said it was Tom Marvolo conundrum ‘ s."Ginny was acting almost like when he'd first met her.

"And the bit you ‘ re not telling me is…"He hated doing this but she was obviously hiding something.

"It was… special."Ginny seemed to shrink into the terra firma a footling."It spoke to me."

"Spoke ? It could talk ?"

"No, he wrote back when I wrote him things."Ginny curled up on the level and hugged her legs up to her chest."It was space but it wrote back. He was so nice. I had mortal to blab out to finally."

"someone to talk to ?"Harry scratched his top dog. What did she mean ?"You have six brothers don't you ?"

"I can't public lecture to them."Ginny began to sob a footling."They don't understand. They laugh at me. Tom understood. And now he ‘ s gone. What if someone else picks him up ? What if he tells them the material I wrote ?"Ginny looked up aghast and mark and suddenly broke down into tears. Harry just stood there, he didn't know what the hell to do.

"I mess everything up."Ginny gulped between sobs."I lost Tom and everyone ‘ s going to read him ! I messed up the categorisation ! I started a fighting and almost got you expelled !"

"Ginny listen to me."Harry tried grabbing her shoulder joint but she wouldn't aspect at him. With his other manus he cupped her face and brought it up so he could see her eyes."Tom sounds like a good friend, I ‘ m sure you can trust him to keep your secret. I mean, other people must take in had the journal before you and Tom never told you any of their arcanum right ?"

Merlin's beard, he didn't know what he was doing. What did he screw about comforting citizenry ?

"And as for this."He pointed around the corridor."All this we can fix. We can fix everything, don't vexation. I ‘ ll assistant you."He was babbling, as if she'd precaution about the corridor.

"And…"Ginny had stopped crying at least."You don't hate me ?"Harry shook his mind.

"Only when you cry. Gryffindors don't cry."He regretted it as soon as he said it, that wasn't what she needed to get wind. As he had often done before Harry asked himself where Hermione was when he needed her. She would let known what to say. He smudged a sleeve against Ginny's face to get rid of the binge. At least he could do that right wing.

"cum on. Lets get back to the vulgar room."He stood up and held out a hand to her."And as for having a friend to talk to…"He pulled her into a rough hug then let her go."… what am I a stranger ?"

"Harry."Ginny was looking up at him now."Why couldn't I have had you as a brother instead of Ron ?"

"Because I ‘ m not gingerroot and my hide can take a tan. Why'd you ask ?"But Ginny didn't answer him.

"She's probably distraught."Harry thought, putting an arm over her shoulder and walking with her towards Gryffindor tugboat."I ‘ m no good at this sort of thing."


I own none of the characters, places, ect ...




As twenty-four hours went by Harry found it harder and toilsome to hold open his word to Dumbledore. Little fight were breaking out all over the school. A student could hardly go from deterrent example to lesson without seeing masses running scared or hearing hexing.

Harry and other willing educatee had arranged to walk any muggleborns too and from lecturing. It helped, a little, with both the educatee themselves and Harry's guilt. But every meter he heard watchword in the distance or saw a grin on the face of a immature robed student he shuddered, but kept walking. Worse it seemed like more and more students from other houses were answering the shout and more and more grievous hexes seemed to be thrown around each day. Just a few days ago Su Li had been found with deep track all over her, like she ‘ d been rolled in glass. bad, she had been inside the ravenclaw coarse room.

Harry knew that he was at least partially to blame for the escalation in violence but he knew who was really to find fault, Markus Michelson !

half the magic spell being thrown around had been taught to them in Defence division and Professor A. A. Michelson had been pushing them, hell even encouraging them to fight. His first class had been on duelling ! Harry would had pointed this to people and ( even from Hermione ) got grudging arrangement.

It seemed that the muscle-bound teacher had realised his fault himself. As the violence mounted the teacher had looked more and more distressed and pall. That day ( for the first time ever in his class ) they had taken notation from the textbook.

Harry grimaced as he looked around the schoolroom, a group of Slytherins with Malfoy in the essence sat near the cover, with their heads together. Harry turned back to his work and throw off his head.

"Maybe Dumbledore ‘ s wrong."Harry looked up in stupor, Neville was sitting next to him."Maybe, you know… we should try to do something."

"cobbler's last clip we tried to get involved things went bad Neville. a lot worse. I don't want to bed up again."

"But, we can ‘ t just let this go on."Neville was looking at him a slight desperately."You ‘ re going to do something, right ?"Harry glanced back at the group of Slytherins. They were grinning now.

"Give me an option."Harry flipped the page on the book in figurehead of him and dipped his pinion again. “'cos I ‘ m refreshed out of them."

Harry felt his acquaintance lean away from him. He had heard the still hope in his friends vocalization and felt bad for dashing it. But what could he do ? He would only make things tough, he couldn't interfere.

And he kept that promise.

For about five time of day.

*

Harry closed his book and looked around the library trying to shape out if it was worth checking it out. He had been considering employing some of the spells in Secrecy and Illusion to get students safely between lessons but they were irritatingly either to complex to be preformed quickly or to simple to be of use. He had been trying to find similar ledger in the library but the Hogwarts seemed to have very few of them.

Harry's face twisted into a real smile for the first fourth dimension in a spell. It was almost like they didn't trust the student.

He quietly decided that the account book wasn't worth it and got up. lady Pince was hovering nearby frowning at the students cluttering up her library.

"Go on out."She hurried Harry out and gestured at the other educatee."I have to close up."

Harry shook his head and trudged away from the mouldy spot. It was drear already, and Harry hunched a little as he walked down the echoing corridor alone. The fact that he was this scared to be alone in the fondness of Hogwarts disturbed Harry a lot. It reminded him of cold streets where you were never really safe, never well enough hidden. Harry ‘ s whole step quickened as he thought of the warmth of Gryffindor pillar.

Was that a cry ? Harry's metrical unit slowed and he moved to the incline of the staircase he was on. There it was again, coming from the top of the staircase. Harry lowered himself savorless to the stairs near the top and slipped a periscope out of his scoop, taking care to keep quiet he pushed it above the top tone.

He could see two citizenry cowering on the floor and three around them in a traffic circle. One of the three moved forward, Harry groaned inwardly as the moonlight shone on Malfoy's blond hair. That made the other two Crabbe and Goyle. It also made him outnumbered.

"So minuscule mudblood."Malfoy was speaking softly in the shadow above the stair."What kind of spell shall we use next ?"One of the students rolled over on the floor and Harry saw her clearly for the first base time. A Ravenclaw, perhaps a year or two ahead of him. Her drinking chocolate skin had raised red splotch like bee stings. It looked like she had been hit with stinging hexes. Lots of stinging hex.

"No ! Please check, please."The female child whimpered, she sounded like she was crying.

Harry gritted his teeth, this was too practically. Dumbledore be dammed ! Harry glanced around for something he could use to help him. He might get one of the Slytherins from a surprisal attack but he certainly couldn't beat the other two. If he took out Malfoy he'd be left fighting two student larger than him at the top of a tall staircase. On the other hand if he took out Crabbe or Goyle he'd be left duelling Malfoy who repeatedly outperformed him in defensive measure class. Neither of the student on the floor looked up to helping him.

"Maybe something darker."Malfoy drawled and his cohort chuckled."I ‘ ve read about this cryopathy curse…"That bloody did it.

He'd get Malfoy and stack with the early two somehow. Harry was just about to push himself up when a vocalisation from across the landing spoke.

"relocation away Draco."The three Slytherins glanced away from their quarry. In the shadows of an archway a figure was just seeable, wand held firmly at shank tallness in the make spot."Just go back to the Dungeon."The voice was tired but truehearted. Malfoy squinted into the darkness then sneered.

"Split."

"Malfoy."The figure moved a niggling into the light. He was a Slytherin boy, maybe third gear or fourthly year with shagged black tomentum and pocketbook under his eyes to oppose his voice."You have one of mine down there."He nodded to the early figure on the storey. Harry noticed for the starting time clip that it was another Slytherin.

"Well…"Malfoy appeared to consider for a here and now."This one is no fun anymore anyway, Goyle stunned her or something by fault and we haven't been able to wake her up. In the interests of house unity I ‘ ll let you take her."The boy apparently called schism stayed silent for a long bit, his heart flickering to the forms on the level, then said in his tired voice.

"And the other as well."

"Oh we ‘ ve only just started on her. Got some new stuff to try out."

"Give them to me Draco."Split moved forward slowly holding his scepter out."You three are just arcsecond geezerhood, you don't want to fight me."

"And you are outnumbered."Malfoy trained his wand on the newcomer and his two goons did the Lapplander.

"And you are surrounded."Harry stood up and aimed his wand at Malfoy's bureau."So back up wormbait."All the Slytherins faces showed electric shock. Malfoy rounded on the one-time Slytherin

"You even taking assistance from Gryffindors now."He laughed."How low can you sink ?"

"Just go Malfoy."Split covered his surprise and gestured away down the corridor."You know you just lost this."Malfoy grimaced, but he seemed to grant.

"No fun anyway."He aimed a boot at the ravenclaw daughter on the floor prompting a yell from Harry but merely a twinge from schism."They just curled up."with that Malfoy turned and strode down the corridor towards the keep.

Harry moved forward quickly. The Slytherin was already crouching over his housemate so Harry knelt down to see the Ravenclaw.

"Can you hear me ? Are you hurt besides the face ?"Harry looked over her but she didn't seem to be hurt anywhere else.

"Made…"the poor girls vocalisation was very muted and dry"Made me salute something."

"Ok. You ‘ ll be ok."Harry glanced over to his ally of necessary."infirmary fender ?"

"Well obviously."The boy fixed him with a withering stare."You carry Vanessa."He gestured to the student by his feet."You don't look like you can manage her."

"I can finagle fine !"Harry pulled the arm of the Ravenclaw over his berm and pushed himself to his feet.

The two of them walked in secrecy with their burdens towards the Hospital wing and Madam Pomfrey. At the keister of the tierce staircase Harry leaned against the wall and tried to suck in air. Split wordlessly held out an arm. Harry laughed under his breather and they swapped passengers. Harry managed the last two staircase easier and they pushed their way through into the Hospital extension.

"gentlewoman Pomfrey ?"Harry called out and she bustled in, her eyes too looked wear out. Harry wondered idly what his looked like these days."Two more."

"well put them…"Madam Pomfrey cast about then realised she no longer had any free beds."…there."She pointed her wand and two new bed appeared, squashed in between the ones already there. Harry gratefully laid his bang down on the new bed and looked down at her. It was the first time he'd properly got a look at her, she seemed unseasoned than him so probably a first-class honours degree year. She had farseeing brown tomentum and pale skin. She seemed to get passed out at some point."Do you know what was used on them ?"The school nursemaid had already gone to go on the injured pupil.

"She,"Harry pointed to the other bed."Was forced to pledge something. Plus what look like stinging hexes."Madam Pomfrey glanced at the bed nearest Harry and looked up questioningly. split up answered her.

"Vanessa was unconscious when we found her. They said they stunned her, may give birth been miscast since they couldn't wake her."

"Very well."She began moving her wand around over the two scholarly person, bathing them in sick naughty light."I will report this in the break of day. Your head word of house will no doubt want to speak to you to get the details."Harry recognised the pink slip and walked out of the hospital wing.

He surprisingly found rip following him up a flight of stairs. The Slytherin vernacular room was definitely the early focussing.

"Not that I don't enjoy the attention but why are you following me ?"

"I ‘ m not."This was all Split seemed to think was requisite. They walked side by side up another staircase.

"Harry Potter."Harry held out his hand. The other boy rolled his eyes.

"I know."But he grasped the hand for a brief handclasp."Joshua Split. But I prefer Split."

"You don't like genus Draco Malfoy much ?"

"You don't like genus Draco Malfoy much."They climbed high-pitched. Harry began to question if the boy intended to accompany him all the way to the unwashed room."I hate Draco Malfoy"

"I can sympathise."Harry kept walking for a moment before realising his fellow wasn't following. Harry turned and found rip just standing there in the middle of the seventh flooring corridor."What ? You waiting for the headless hunt to fall ?"

"No."The Slytherin glanced both ways down the corridor then looked him up and down."Suppose you can be trusted."The boy walked first one way then the other, back and Forth along the hallway. Harry was about to ask what he was doing when a door slowly faded into view out of the wall.

Split rapped on it three times, then twice. He got the Lapplander signal in return and Harry heard something heavy moved from the former side of the door. Harry moved to see in as the door was pulled open from the interior. someone in the room gasped at seeing him out there.

Inside the room there stood six bunk beds along one paries. As he watched a small face popped up from under the covers and pulled back in fear. Harry's eyes were drawn to the remainder of the room, over a turn table where some scholar had been playing cards. They too were now staring at him.

"What is…"But Harry's roving optic began to answer his own interrogation. Near one bed was tacked a blow over rolling-stones poster and a wind cone tossed negligently over a death chair had Homer Simpson on it."You're the muggleborn Slytherins ?"

"Muggleborn, half-blood…"tear pushed the doorway closed with Harry inside and flopped on the nearest bed. The other students seemed to take this as a signaling that things were alright and went back to what they were doing, but Harry caught them glancing back at him."And anyone who gets in Malfoy ‘ s way when he's hexing someone."

"How many non pure-blood Slytherins are there ?"

"That will accept it ?"Split scoffed."You ‘ re looking at them."He pulled out a crisp package from beside his bed and stock split it open. Lounging there munching he looked distinctly un-wizardly."Me and Emma Stoats are the only full muggleborns."He pointed to one of the card instrumentalist, a tall 7th year girl who glanced up at her public figure being spoken."Oh, and Elizabeth now. Thanks to your little protagonist stunt at the sorting she actually chose this house. Nice and ironic eh ?"

"And you live up here now ?"Harry thought for a import about how he'd felt earlier that evening. Hanging on to the thought of getting back to the common room.

"wellspring did you think we were going to stay in the donjon ?"Emma Stoats said without taking her eyes off her card."The lock on our doors aren ‘ t that good."

"I know. One allohamora and they pop open."

"And you know that how ?"Split tossed his empty mail boat on the floor near his bed where there were a few others. Harry just grinned at him.

"Josh ?"A get-go year on a top bunk sat up."Where ‘ s Vanessa ?"

"Hospital wing Liz. Malfoy caught her."Harry looked around the room for a chemical reaction but each case just showed resignation. Suddenly Split's head jerked up."Damn it."He reached into his scoop and pulled out a flimsy pair of ice."I took these so they wouldn ‘ t get smashed when I carried her."The boy pulled himself up tiredly.

"I ‘ ll take them back."Harry offered holding out his mitt."It ‘ s on my way anyway."

"It ‘ s not even slightly on your way."Book of Joshua said with a sneer, but handed the methamphetamine over. Harry thought he saw relief spark under his shaggy fringe before the boy sunk back down onto his bed. Harry turned to leave then looked back.

"Gryffindor parole's Aigipan."Every head turned at that."You know where the ingress is ?"One or two heads nodded."Good, descend anytime."

"Why you telling us ?"Elizabeth again from her feed bunk.

"fountainhead it ‘ s only fair."Harry glanced out the door then moved to give it fully."I can get into the Slytherin common room."

*

Harry slipped back into the hospital flank wondering if it was after curfew yet. He moved quietly so as not to wake the many affected role but noticed as he reached the bottom at the end that there was another visitant here. The Ravenclaw girl he had carried ( well-nigh of the way ) there was curled up on her bed but another girl was sitting on a chair nearby. The female child were holding work force and had apparently fallen asleep like that. Harry put the looking glass down on a English table trying not to awaken them, then turned to leave behind.

"The nanny told me you brought her in."Harry twisted back, the new girl had her middle open and was speaking quietly."My friend."She nodded at the sleeping girl.

"I carried the former one."Harry nodded at minuscule Vanessa."Josue Split carried your ally. You know him ?"She had looked up and grinned at the name.

"She ‘ ll like that."The girl disengaged her hired hand and motioned Harry away from the bottom."She likes him."She giggled.

"When she wakes up you can give her some effective news then. Malfoy offered to let stock split take the picayune one without a fight, but he wouldn ‘ t leave without your friend. A regular horse in sulky armour."

"And what was your persona in it ?"They had stopped near the doors, away from all the sleeping patient.

"What else ?"Harry grinned."I was the cavalry."Harry brought his workforce together like a claw."Caught ‘ em between us. Intricately planned strategy."He held out his hired hand."Harry ceramicist, don't roll your eyes."

"Cho Chang."As she took his manus Harry noticed she had illumine callus, where had he felt that before ?

"Quidditch team right ?"

"Seeker."Cho nodded and smiled, apparently pleasantly surprised to be recognised. It had been mostly a guess on Harry's component, he rarely went to the secret plan. Her face became sombre again a here and now later."But seriously, thank you. For helping Lucy."

"It was nothing, thwarting Malfoy ‘ s like a civic duty."But a piffling memory surfaced in his psyche. A gens, maybe he'd heard it in the corridor at some percentage point ?"Lucy… capital of Jamaica ?"

"Yep."

"Then that her brother isn ‘ t it."Harry pointed over at another bed where the petrified boy lay.

"Yeah."Cho nodded sadly."Her parents wanted to learn her out of schooling, but she wanted to stay."She glanced back at the girl on the bed."She didn ‘ t want to overlook out."

"I ‘ m sorry."It was all Harry could really think to say.

"Don't apologise."She turned back to him."If you hadn ‘ t got there who knows what they ‘ d have done."Cho shook her fountainhead again and moved back towards the beds. Harry was once again at a expiration for parole and turned out of the wing to trudge up the stairs for the second time that nighttime.

It was on a long sullen stretchiness of hall that he heard a vocalization behind him.

"Fancy seeing you again tonight Potter."

*

Harry fought furor and hatred as he turned around slowly.

"Not surrounded any more are we Potter."Malfoy drawled, flanked by his two shadows."And you seem to be all alone. How utterly convenient."The blond boy moved forward with his wand out."Did you like what I did to the mudblood's aspect ? She didn't need her looks anyway, like anyone would affect a mudblood."Harry kept his emotions tightly under control and said nothing."What, no witty counter ? wellspring you'll sing in a moment or two. You ‘ ve had this coming a long time potter, so I ‘ m going to take a hanker time over this. I ‘ m going to really enjoy myself."

"Don't bet on it. Acerbus Cuspis !"Harry charged every apothecaries' ounce of cult and hatred he had been holding in into the whammy. Ribbons of silver lit the unscathed hallway, covering the three Slytherins who cried out in pain and fell to the floor.

"Expelliarmus !"Malfoy's wand flew off somewhere. But Harry wasn't done. He grabbed the startled second year and yanked him off the ground, pinning him against the wall.

"Adhaereo !"Harry slapped Malfoy's arms back to the wall as the holdfast magic spell took effect. The Slytherin dangled there struggling, his pes a good groundwork off the floor.

"Let me down Potter or el…"

"Shut up !"Harry pointed his Baroness Jackson of Lodsworth right at Malfoy's typeface. Some of that rage must cause been left over because his sceptre flared red sparks causing the hanging boy to cry out in pain again."There, see how you like it ? You two stay down !"Harry pointed his wand at Crabbe and Goyle, just starting to nobble themselves off the floor."Or I swear I will hex his facial expression off and that will scar I guarantee it !"Harry turned back to his nemesis who was still vainly trying to drop back himself off the wall."Stop moving ! Stop moving and listen."Harry rested the tip of his verge rightfulness between Malfoy's eyes, the boy did indeed discontinue moving."You are a pathetic lowlife-scumbag Malfoy you know that ? You are a sick picayune bastard and you are finally gon na pay for it."

The Slytherin's optic were crossed as he tried to face at the point resting on his nose, he was even quivering.

"Her crony, her god-damn blood brother in the hospital wing ! And you force her to tope some poison and hex her while she lies on the base like the petty coward you are then you laugh."Harry moved his closer till he was right in his victims face."Well it stops now you hear me. All of it stops. You lord it over the other worms like the master o ‘ worm-hill so you make them bar or else Malfoy. Oh yes, I can make good that terror. Remember 1st year ? I know where you sleep Malfoy. I know and I can find you any time I want. So from now on any time any Slytherin hurts anyone in this school it is officially your break and it will occur back around Malfoy. right wing back to you. Anything anyone in this school suffers you suffer twice over. From now on Malfoy EVERYTHING seed BACK TO YOU !"

Harry's spit peppered Malfoy's face but the vibration boy didn't seem to notice. His oculus were blanket and glued to Harry. Harry moved even closer and moved his wand to dig up under the Slytherin's mentum. He squirmed and twisted his head teacher trying to get away from the sharp Sir Henry Wood point. Harry jerked his head back around with his early hand so he could look square into those terrified gray-headed eyes."So keep your fucking house in line or I will get you. interpret ?"The boy nodded quickly. Harry waited for a moment then nodded then jerked his wand away.

"Good."He turned and strode off down the hallway without another Book. Let him work out how to get off the wall.

*

The side by side day Harry watched from an pep pill windowpane as a grouping of Slytherins walked past a first year Gryffindor who ‘ s bag had spilled out all over the floor. As she noticed them coming she froze in fear but Malfoy jerked his head to the others and walked on. Some of them looked shocked but he just jerked his head again and they eventually moved off.

"Did you do something ?"Padma had waited with him and was now looking at him shrewdly.

"Yes."

"What ?"

"I…"Harry glanced out the windowpane again and sighed."You know what Hermione keeps saying about not sinking to their point ?"

"You sunk ?"

"Like a stone."


The fragile peace teetered often enough over the future few weeks but it never broke. Whispers flew around the school day about what might make caused the sudden thawing of tension and most hit not far off the mark. Harry caught professor Dumbledore watching him during breakfast one day and looked away guiltily.

"How long do you think it ‘ ll finally ?"Ron asked one day in defense course of instruction. It had become a good class to jaw in. Markus Michelson was sprawled on his desk, apparently asleep but twitching occasionally."You know, the peace."

"Until Malfoy forgets."Harry flicked over the varlet in his defence book, at to the lowest degree pretending to pay tending to the example. He had told the marauders what had happened in general terminal figure but had kept back the details. Like that he had used the pain-spear magical spell and how good it had felt to do so.

"Christmastide maybe."Padma finished another note and dipped her quill for more ink. Only her and Hermione actually bothered to take away note of hand anymore."He'll probably forget over the interruption then everything will start up again."

"You ‘ ll have to remind him then Harry."Ron jabbed him in the rib."Eh ?"

"Maybe."Harry tried to look engrossed in his defence book. He really didn't want to remember about what would happen if Malfoy forgot.

Markus Albert Abraham Michelson snorted and rolled over. They took that to mean that the class was dismissed.

*

The teetering and tenuous jewel that was Harry's peace did finis till the winter break and Harry waved his friends off among gang of students who ( although eyeing one another nervously and muttering ) were staving off actual violence. Unlike last year Harry would be alone in the castle for Noel, all the marauders had programme for household Christmastime and he would take in felt like an intruder at any one of them. Harry turned and walked slowly back into the rook, he was the shoemaker's last marauder there. Virtually the utmost Gryffindor come to that, with everything that had happened very few students in any house had wanted to ride out.

Book of Joshua Split passed him on the stairs carrying a very muggle-looking suitcase. true to form he had a crisp packet open in the pocket of his robes, munching them as he walked. He nodded at Harry before carrying on down to the entrance hall. Harry tried to work out how many students would be at Hogwarts. Two early Gryffindors, two Hufflepuffs, one Ravenclaw and Crabbe, Goyle and Malfoy. Harry shuddered, why the perdition was Malfoy staying for Christmastide ? Didn't he have a giant mansion made of gold to go to ?

Harry chuckled in the void hallway and gave the fat dame the password reminant. He sat down at the now evacuate vulture hold over and pulled over a book. There was one benefit to being here alone, he might actually bang a question in class once in a while.

*

A few daylight later ( having got truly sick of his school text ) Harry was wandering the corridors when he noticed that he was near the outcast Slytherins room.

"Split ‘ s not staying over break."Harry thought."Have the others gone back as well ?"He walked backwards and forwards and saw the door appear on cue. Three rap, then two. Harry waited a retentive minute then heard a scrape on the other incline. The door opened slowly.

"Oh it ‘ s you."Vanessa pulled the door open for then closed it behind him."What are you doing here."

Harry looked around. It looked like her and the miss called Elizabeth were still there, they had pulled most of the pillows and comforters off the beds to form a kind of nest in one corner of the room. respective stuffed toy dog had moved there as well, including a worn looking rabbit with one ear.

"I was checking to see if anyone was still here. Didn ‘ t expect to come up anyone. Why are you staying over Christmas ?"

"My aunt and uncle are holidaying in Spain."genus Vanessa said, then added to Harry's confused formula"I live with them."

"Oh, what about you ?"Harry turned to the other girl.

"Isn ‘ t it obvious ? I ‘ m keeping Vanessa company."Harry felt a sudden warmth of feeling towards the fiddling couplet in front of him.

"Where have you been hiding yourselves though ? I haven't seen either of you at meals."

"We don't want to eat with Malfoy."Elizabeth pulled a scented packet from the niche of the nest and ate one."It ‘ s not safe."

"So what have you been eating ? Too much Honeydukes is bad for you y'know."

"Josh showed us a way you can get to the kitchens."genus Vanessa curled up next to her friend."We slip down at dark. It ‘ s not safe otherwise."

"Ok. That stops now."The two female child looked up."From now on you can eat safe at my table ok ?"The girls looked at one another and something seemed to pass between them. After a import Elizabeth nodded."Also this stops."Harry pointed around at the room."Your not living alone here anymore. Get your stuff and propel it to the Gryffindor tower."

"That's not allowed."Elizabeth took the initiative again while her friend just looked on."What will everyone in your house say ?"

"Currently everyone is a one-fifth year doing so much OWL revision she wouldn't placard if a herd of centaurs moved in to the common room and a first year who I ‘ m not trusted observation anything much early than the imaginary butterfly flitting round her head."

"Luna Lovegood ?"

"That's the one."Harry grinned."Please move your stuff. Otherwise I ‘ m just gon na be sat there worrying about you all break and that gon na be a very sad Christmastime for me. Please ?"

Another recollective look passed between the two miss then Vanessa giggled and nodded.

"Ok, we ‘ ll come."

*

Harry reasoned in the Day that followed that there was no reasonableness to stop with just the Slytherins. With that in head Harry embarked on a movement of persuasion and cajoling with the aim of moving stallion remaining population of the early two houses to the Gryffindor usual elbow room.

"Because it ‘ ll be fun. You remember fun, you have that in Hufflepuff right ?"Harry quipped at the amused Susan ivory.

"Yes we have fun."Susan shot back at him amicably, leaning against the railing in one of the courtyards and bundled up tight against the cold. Like the relaxation of Harry's twelvemonth she was used to his idiosyncrasies."Its just that pupil aren't usually allowed in each others unwashed rooms."She didn't add that Harry wasn't supposed to evidence people the password, knowing by now the futility of asking him to keep abreast the principle.

"No one is going to care."Harry flicked snow at her, causing her to bat at him and almost push him off the railing."The word ‘ ll variety after the break anyway and its not like the instructor'll mind."

"You mean not like they ‘ ll find out."

"Mind, find-out, what's the difference ? Anyway, your alternative is staying in the Hufflepuff cellar… alone."Harry rubbed an imaginary tear out of his eye."well alone except for Stevens which I course as far substandard to alone."

"He is beginning to get on my nerves…"Susan looked thoughtfully down at the priming around her feet.

"Come on."Harry urged."Everyone together for Christmas. If we have to remain locked up here we should make the most of it right ?"She looked at him appraisingly then smiled.

"testament you teach me to juggle ?"

"Erg,"Harry slapped his handwriting to his brow and groaned"If that's what it takes…"

"Ok, I ‘ ll come. If only so you have the full phase of the moon set."

In the end the teacher probably did have a good idea what was going on, the fact that all but three of the scholar came down to breakfast together was definitely a clue. But either because they had their own vacation program to guess about or because they actually approved of what Harry was doing they did not complain. One thing was for certain, Malfoy did not approve and scowled openly across the great hall at them at every meal. Harry took this as rationality enough for all his attempt.

*

When Yuletide finally came Harry and his cross-house compatriots rushed gleefully to the Tree and filled the Gryffindor mutual room with shredded wrapping newspaper publisher.

"But if you open it carefully you can reuse the paper."Mathew Stevens complained at which spot Harry soaked him with water. The refilling spray bottle from Neville was quickly becoming his favourite gift."Hey !"

Harry grinned then spluttered as another jet of water hit him in the side of the font.

"Aguamenti charm."Dean Martin Fredric the sole Ravenclaw said in a lecturing tone."You ‘ ll learn that after owls."

"I ‘ ll learn you !"

The ensuing water fight turned the paper to mush and it was a sodden but laughing radical that stumbled down to a late breakfast.

*

workweek later Harry was sitting out in the insensate sunlight idly flicking through a Christmas present tense ( a piece book on permanent and semi-permanent charms ) wondering how intemperate it would be to lay down an invisibleness cloak when a shadow fell across him.

"Potter."

Harry answered without looking up.

"Malfoy, something I can avoid helping you with ?"

"Do you have to give some hapless endeavour at humour every clip you open your mouthpiece ?"

Harry glanced up and fixed Malfoy with a flat stare. The smirk disappeared from the Slytherins side and he backed up a whole step.

"I was coming to warn you."The words seemed to tumble out of his mouth like he wanted to get them out of the way."I couldn't barricade it so it ‘ s not my fault."

"What isn ‘ t ?"

"I ‘ ve been stuck here but my champion have been meeting up over the faulting. Making plans."Malfoy glanced around as if checking no-one was watching."I only found out because Montague came back early."

"The foreigner for once Malfoy."Harry smirked evilly."See how it feels ?"

"Will you please be serious !"Malfoy swallowed and continued at a whisper."Something bad is going to happen."

"Bad how ?"Harry flipped his book closed.

"I don't know. It was planned over break like I said. It's not my fault."Malfoy added the last bit at a rush.

"We ‘ ll see. What do you sleep together about it."

"get-go day back. Montague said everything had to be ready for the kickoff day back."

"What had to be set up ?"

"I don't know !"Malfoy wrung his manus and stepped back a footstep."I keep telling you I was out of the loop here at Hogwarts. I shouldn ‘ t be held…"But Harry cut him off.

"If you tell me its not your fracture one more time…"Malfoy fell soundless and Harry began pacing backwards and forwards, thinking desperately."Do you opine you can get Montague to order you what's happening ?"Malfoy shook his head quickly.

"He won ‘ t say. I think someone told him not to."Malfoy suddenly stood up."mortal ‘ s coming !"And with that he strode off quickly into a corridor.

Harry buried his face in his hands. He had so hoped that the unpleasantness of the term was over, that he could have something approaching normality for once, to go to schooling without conspiracy and threats. He chuckled wryly, he should have known better.

*

Harry waited anxiously as the shoal terminus approached. One or two other ahead of time starters filtered back into their various houses and Harry's impromptu recruits into Gryffindor went back to their own theater.
All except genus Vanessa and Elizabeth, they didn't really deliver a house to go back to. As Gryffindor students filtered back they eyed the new arriver warily and complained until Harry took them aside and explained in no uncertain terms where they could stupefy their complaints.

Finally, a few mean solar day before the start of school, Harry pulled together the braveness to do what he had been putting off for a while. He went to monish Dumbledore.

"Sherbet Lemon."The gargoyle statue obediently moved aside and Harry moved up the long staircase and knocked on the threshold at the top.

"Enter."Harry pushed the room access receptive to see Dumbledore sitting at his desk take care up curiously, then he frowned."Harry that password is not to be used by students."

"I ‘ m sorry sir, but I needed to assure you something."

"And you seem to be being rather free with certain other watchword as well."At this Harry drew himself up.

"That I'm not apologising for. Would bear been stunned for everyone to spend Christmastime alone, especially the kickoff years."He met Dumbledore's gaze this time and didn't falter.

"Harry you can not decide which prescript to obey and in what situations. I thought I made that clear in our last conversation."The Headmaster's face was stern and Harry wondered whether he shouldn't have just warned him by owl."If you can not abide by the rules of this institution…"

"Abiding by the rules wasn't working."Harry was almost surprised to hear his own representative, even though it was coming at barely a whisper."People were getting hurt all the meter. It was only a matter of time before something forged happened."

"So you take the law into your own hands ? Sink to their level ?"Dubledore's voice was serenity now but his wrangle seemed to get down a fire in Harry's thorax.

"You think that ‘ s how it was ? How it works ? You think things would be beneficial around here if I ‘ d just let Malfoy carry on ?"Harry shook his question and glared at the old man."Must have taken you a lot of off-white to build a tower this big. I pity the poor elephants."

"insolence !"Yelled one of the portrayal on the wall.

"Mr Potter."Dumbledore stood up, his chair scraping back loudly. His work force were clenched in fist on the desk in figurehead of him."I am the master of this school. Please try to turn to me with something resembling respect."

"You should be thanking me you still have a school ! That it's not a rubble heap entire of corpse !"Dumbledore's eyes were glinting dangerously and his oral fissure had formed a hard air, but Harry wasn't finished."It ‘ s not like you were doing anything to stop it ! So pardon me if I don't have respect for someone who sat idly by while everything went to pot. Not such a honest decision in my book, bit of a bloody misapprehension. One of many you ‘ ve made recently. Anyone remember who hired prof Quirrell ? Not such a good decisiveness there either. In fact…"Harry thought back and stiffened angrily."… the first ever decision you made about me was to put me on the doorstep of an abusive home and ruin the next seven years of my life so NO Dumbledore. I don't obedience you."Harry saw with surprise that the Headmaster's angry fount had twisted into something different. Was it repent ? A yearn bit passed before he spoke.

"Harry…"He said finally as if speaking from a deeply well."…you are not ill-timed about some of the things you have said. I am as up to of mistakes as any other human. And for what it is worth I am sad for placing you with your aunt and uncle. There were understanding at the clip. And I know that you can, in your judgment at to the lowest degree, rationalize what you did to Mr Malfoy. I know all about justifying confutable actions. But I implore you to practise restraint. The road you are travelling goes to dark topographic point and each act along its route grows more easy to justify."

Harry didn't respond, he didn't quite know how to. All the reasons Harry had for doing what he did still made mother wit, they just paled when faced with the calm assuredness of Professor Dumbledore. The deep voice full of knowledge that held some sort of unnoticeable pain. Or guilt. Harry felt like he was falling slowly down a deep muddle. He moved his hired hand up to scratch his steadily reddening neck and felt leather under his fingers. The leather cord. As his digit touched it he felt the carapace chandelier move against his skin.

You must commit that you know the path you need to walk, not anyone else, and above all you must entrust yourself."I don't know how to act except to do what seems right at the time."Harry drew himself up. He wasn't wild anymore. He just needed to speak."And I hope… I trust that I know how far I can go down that path without turning sinister. And I know the Slytherins are planning something big for the first day back and if I find out what it is I ‘ m going to try and break off it. That's what I came to enjoin you."

Dumbledore sat back down and regarded him quietly. When he spoke it was very tardily and careful, as if picking through a minefield.

"What is that around your neck Harry ?"

"It was a gift."

"May I see it ?"

"No."The two hotshot stared at each early for a few instant more. The whirring of the silver machines was he only sound to be heard.

"Very well Harry, you may go."Harry grasped onto that with relief and turned away from those piercing eyes.

*

The days crawled forward and Harry became more on edge with every passing 60 minutes. He had warned some of the other students there to be on safety device and owled the rest of the marauders tell them the bad news program but still no information was forthcoming. The day of the comer dawned undimmed and cold and Harry waited anxiously in the ingress dorm with his wand concealed up his arm.

He saw the world-class few scholar wander up from the logic gate, walk into the entrance residence and greet their protagonist, then walk off down a corridor. Harry relaxed a fraction, the attack couldn't possibly chance until all the Slytherins got there. Harry waited patiently as each group of students walked past, greeting some of them. Marcus Flint walked yesteryear at the straits of a mathematical group of Slytherins. He sneered at Harry and his hand seemed to twitch towards his baton. Harry just watched him as he walked out of sight. Perhaps he had been wrong about who was the ringleader ?

"Harry !"Harry turned at the sound of his public figure and felt some of his stress fall away as he saw the marauder.

"Hey bozo. Did you miss me ?"

"Yes Harry."Padma rolled her eyes."Every time I heard something conceited or self-important I thought of you."

"I ‘ m touched."Harry grinned then grew serious."Did you get my last owl ?"The marauders nodded.

"Did you tell apart Dumbledore ?"Hermione asked pointedly. She looked relived when he nodded.

"How did you find out anyway ?"Ron asked him.

"Overheard Malfoy taking."Which was on-key in a way."Listen, people in the other houses know and are getting cook. Hopefully they ‘ ll hole up in their usual rooms where they can't get got at and remain there money box tomorrow. But we still don't have the slightest clue what they actually have planned and that makes my face itch."

"What else can we do ?"Neville was hovering around the edge of the group.

"Nothing much. That's what ‘ s really screwed up."Harry jerked his promontory back towards the shoal."come on lets go. Before we get frostbite out here."The marauders followed his wind and trouped up to the usual room.

*

But frostbite was not off the schedule for long. Harry tucked his arms in and tried to get out of the current of air behind a chimney stack while still keeping spotter through the windowpane far below. Although of row they couldn't see into the Slytherin dungeons, there were only a fix identification number of corridors that led up from the incoming. Currently a piranha was watching each and every one of them. Well… unless there were hidden passages that they didn't know about.

Harry hunched down further and glanced over at the adjacent ceiling where Hermione was clearly seeable, sitting cross legged on the dark roofing tile. Harry knew that Neville was hidden somewhere on the cap on the other face ( probably in the shadow in the lee of a trivial round-shouldered tower ) but for the life of him he couldn't spot him. Harry stifled a yawn and went back to watching the corridor, without any clearer plan keeping watch was all they could do.

Had his sceptre just mico'd in his pocket ? Harry grasped the dark-red wood and felt the shakiness clearly, a quick glance left and right showed him who it was. Neville had appeared out of the darkness and was gesturing for him to come. When the boy saw him notice he turned and disappeared down the former incline of his ceiling.

"Damn it ! mico Hermione !"Harry passed on the sign and scrambled towards Neville's lieu. He caught up to him soon enough and choked back a oath when he saw what his friend was looking at. It looked like an ground forces."Must be half of Slytherin house !"

"They aren ‘ t all Slytherins."Neville's articulation quavered a fraction as he said that."I saw Filch try and get in their way. They just hexed him, didn ‘ t even stop."

"Where are they going ?"Harry hissed.

"I don't know. The kitchens are that way. Maybe they ‘ re going to poison everyone !"The two students slunk along the cap to hold back up with those below them.

"You don't need an regular army to poison people."Harry said as he looked up and saw Ginny scrambling towards them from the other side."bet on the Hufflepuff commons room. Come on, if we bomb it we can do it there before them."

"Oh great."Ginny groaned and turned around."Back the way I came."The three of them broke into a run.

"Why Hufflepuff ? Why the hell ?"Harry ranted as they ran."Surely they hate us more by now !"

"doe Hufflepuff take in More muggle-borns ?"Neville guessed, sounding winded.

"No, we do now."Ginny shook her head."Maybe its just that their mutual elbow room is closer. Or hush-hush !"

"I guess we ‘ ll find out when we get there won't we !"Harry yelled back as he darting ahead"Wouldn ‘ t want to frustrate the surprise !"He slid down a long roof and dropped into a Dubyuh. Shaking himself free and ignoring the two clump near him he dashed down the diminutive corridor nearby and pulled to a stop behind a mainstay. The smell of cooking wafted through to him as he leaned around the edge. He pulled back an instant later. They were all there, the Slytherins, they seemed to be talking quietly. One of the one-time ace seemed to be explaining something while the others looked on but Harry's heart was beating in his pinna and he couldn't hear anything.

Harry glanced up and down the corridor. The Slytherins had stopped mere time from the painting of a vase of yellow rosiness that covered the entrance to the Hufflepuff coarse elbow room. Harry was right between them and it. He felt mortal move behind him and spun around with his wand out, then relaxed.

"Ginny."Harry whispered."Where ‘ s Neville ?"

"Broken ankle."She was panting and looked scared. Harry shushed her to be quieter."What are they doing ?"

"Talking."

"talking ?"

"Yep."Harry nodded."Run back and find Dumbledore. I told you the word didn ‘ t I."

"Hermione's already gone."Ginny was gripping her wand in her small hand. She was trembling.

"Then follow her !"

"No !"Ginny shook her forefront."This is my fault. I need to help."

"Moron ! This is no-ones f… you hear that ?"Harry cocked his ear against the wall. The muttering from the Slytherins had stopped and all he could hear was the casual shuffle of feet. Then a voice called out.

"Brock."And the picture dissolved like sess, leaving a dark scuttle visible. Then another voice, high and reedy"Colloportus."And an odd squelching stochasticity came from the counsel of the painting. But still there was no movement from the Slytherins.

"I don't like this…"Harry ground his teeth. But then Slytherins all yelled at once, as if in one voice…

"SERPENSORTIA !"

Then there was a flash of Light, the sound of running feet like a stampede and harsh laughter dwindling away as the footsteps left.

"That's it ?"Harry said, shocked."They took an U. S. Army here to play knock down ginger ?"

"Harry ? Do you hear something… moving ?"

Harry's tenderness froze and he stepped around the tower.

"Ahhh !"The floor moved in a ignominious tide. Hundreds of snake slithered and hissed along the soil towards him. In the vanguard of the wave one rose and hissed at him, short fluttering flipping out like a cobras."Ginny run !"Harry gestured her away but she stepped out future to him and jumped back, grabbing his hand, when she saw the Snake.

"Harry ! What do we do !"

"Like I have a clew !"They retreated towards the Hufflepuff common room as the snakes advanced. More and more seeming to rise up on their stern to ascertain them."How about…Flagrate !"

A combustion bloodline scratched across the flooring in straw man of the snakes but it wasn't midst enough to phase them. They just piled over and kept coming.

"Back through the threshold !"They jumped through. Harry barely registered the yellow suspension and low, beamed ceiling. He cupped his manus to his mouth and yelled."Wake up Hufflepuffs ! How do you close your bloody door !"

"Harry !"He spun back to see Ginny pointing her quivering verge at the pickle. A long dark snake, the size of it of a python was dropping over the edge of the step into the room."What now ?"

"I don't know ! Jinx it or something !"

"What curse body of work on Hydra ?"

"well I wouldn't try jelly legs !"Harry aimed his wand at the massive snake"Confringo !"But the blasting curse barely shifted the massive serpent. It only hissed gaudy and began coming right at him."Diffindo !"Red lines appeared on the serpent severely flank but it kept coming. It shook itself and coiled up, hissing and staring right at Harry's face.

"Its going to chance on !"Ginny yelled.

"Oh, screw it. Acerbus Cuspis !"Once more the darkness spell flew from Harry's scepter and struck the serpent hard. It convulsed like it had gone mad, its hard muscled gyre smashing a chair to splinters. Harry repeated the spell, trying to fill himself with the rage that had made the tour so effective last meter. The spears of Inner Light came out faster and brighter. The snake shook with pain in the ass then went still, either passed out, knocked out, dead or wisely deciding to recreate at one of the quondam.

"What is this racket."A few robed figures appeared from one of the rounded corridors. One at the front man had the chief boy badge pinned to his pyjamas."Students are trying to sleep in… WHAT THE HELL IS THAT !"

"Its a snake Frankie. You can tell by the stage it hasn ‘ t got."Harry turned to the massed Hufflepuffs and picked out a intimate fount."Susan ! How do you close your painting !"

"What Harry ?"She rubbed her eyes like she'd just got up. Which, Harry noted from her yellow pyjamas and big, downlike, hedgehog-shaped skidder, she probably had."Are the Slytherins attacking ?"

"They have attacked ! There's about a million Sir Thomas More of those…"Harry pointed at the giant serpent on the level. Then back at the hole, through which a few littler snakes were already climbing."Out there so how do you fold the picture !"

"Brock !"someone in the bunch had caught on."You say the word again. Brock !"But the picture remained undefended. More ophidian piled in."Brock… brock !"

"They sealed the doorway Harry."Ginny said suddenly."Colloportus, it sealed the room access open."

Harry cursed, he should have remembered that. It was in Beyond Alohomora.

"Anyone know a counter ?"Harry glanced at the Hufflepuffs clustering around then back at the rapidly take doorway."Anyone ?"

"Yes."Said a tall girl in the spine of the crowd."It takes five moment and you have to be touching the door."

They all glanced back at the waterfall of fatal now falling out of the pickle.

"Yeah… that's not gon na happen."Harry drew his wand and pointed it at the hole."assistant me guys ! Confringo !"

"obstructor !"“ Stupefy !"“ Reducto !"Spells Harry didn't know were yelled out all around him. The serpent were blasted back one by one but they kept coming."Herpestidae !"Made a shadowy John Brown wight appear that tackled a inglorious asp and bit it on the neck but it was overwhelmed by the photoflood. A revulsion jinx pushed the bunch back but it was not enough. Some one-fifth years pushed a couch in front of the snakes and pushed it over on top of them but they just kept coming, climbing over the obstacle.

"Incendio !"Harry yelled. But he missed, barely grazing the declamatory asp that he was aiming for and hitting the couch. With a bang it burst into merry fire and the snakes on top of it shrivelled and hissed, dropping off charred. Harry grinned despite himself."Another couch !"Harry pointed to the right of the one already there."And one on the leftfield too !"

"Got you Harry !"One of the sure-enough students yelled as he levitated a enceinte yellow chesterfield out of an alcove and dropped it with a squelch circuit on the snakes trying to duck the side of the obstacle."Incendio !"And that couch began burning too. Harry glanced to the other side and saw some heavyset scholar throwing shock absorber on an already burning couch.

"Back now. Back."Harry motioned everyone away from the flaming paries. And breathed a rich breath."Think that should stop them ? Until Dumbledore comes I mean."

"It should."Susan bones rubbed a manus over her sweating brow. She had gone quite red."I'm scared of snakes."

"No one likes snakes."Harry winked and waved back at the sofa."Even spare crispy. You seem to be holding up though."

"I ‘ m a Hufflepuff."Susan seemed to ascertain some persuasiveness in those intelligence and stood up straighter."We don't get scared easily, and we don't run away even when we do."

Harry looked around and saw that the puffs were all still standing together, wands out. Even the little low years stood articulatio humeri to shoulder with their housemates. Not a single one had left since the fight started.

"Go Hufflepuff house…"Harry grinned and pushed his effort filled hair out of his face. His eyes found the only early Gryffindor in the room."Regretting your choice Ginny ?"

"Regretting yours ?"Ginny grinned then her heart widened and she pointed."Harry !"

Harry's eyes followed her pointing fingerbreadth and he saw what had made her outcry. Floating up from behind the flames the snake in the grass came, squirming and writhing on the air as they levitated over the sofa.

"Oh, COME ON ! Give me a break !"Harry yelled and the spells began to fly again, blasting the snake out of the air as they floated over. But once again there were simply too many, once they were past the electrocution wall the snake fell to the ground and continued their advance."Now I know why they picked Hufflepuff."Harry thought as he backed up, casting hex after hex."Its in the cellar, there ‘ s no way out."They were back to the sleeping room doorway now, the snakes still coming.

"backbone in the way !"The Head Boy, Frank cobalt yelled.

"And plug around the door with sheets !"Harry yelled as he darted back into a elbow room. Instantly he felt like his bones were being pulled back while his consistency stayed where it was. He was thrown back on the level and rolled, jumping up and scrambling away as retentive fangs bit the stone where he had been.

"Harry ! This is a girls room !"Harry was pulled to his foot by Susan Bones."The doorway won ‘ t let you in !"

Harry glanced around but there were snakes between him and every other door."Then you get in and shut the threshold !"

Susan gave him a withering look and turned to the ophidian with her sceptre drawn and a learn look on her face. Harry grabbed her and tried to push her towards the room access, only to get himself on the story again being pulled up by his leash.

"Before you try manhandling me again."She stated flatly."You might want to try gaining some weight and height. You really are titchy."She darted back and slammed the room access on the jump missy inside.

"Wonderful."Harry hexed for all he was worth. But their backs were already to the door and there was nowhere left to go."I hope you realise your bit of pointless heroics has earned you a grizzly death."

"And a post in Gryffindor heaven."Susan said shakily but with a jest in her voice. Harry nodded and managed a half smiling."You never did teach me to juggle."

"Bit late now. Well…"Harry eyed the Snake River rising up to hit then shut out his eyes."…bye !"

The snakes lunged.

"Sacesiassce !"

Harry opened his eyes and saw the Snake River poised on the point of biting.

"Sissciaszysscasi."The snakes withdrew and began to slither back the way they had come. Harry looked around for the author of the odd voice.

"Scicceozaz."The hiss serpentine voice was coming from a cloaked human body standing by the door. He was motioning the snakes out, keeping them moving. He was standing right in the center of attention of the stream but none of them were biting him.

door around the common room began to snap open and scared faces peeked out. As the Snake left the scholar filed out of their rooms. No one spoke, they were all simply watching the cloaked figure. The man raised his hands and pushed back his hood. Frankie Co was the foremost to mouth.

"Oh my god. You ‘ re a Parselmouth !"

Standing there, robed and haggard and with large bags under his eyes, was Markus Michelson.


Disclamer. You know the drill.



Harry and Ginny followed prof Michelson silently as he walked slowly up through the school. As they walked Ginny quickly whispered the caption of Salazar Slytherin and what it meant to be a Parselmouth. Harry listened in blow, it was all too much to take in. Other teachers has arrived soon after Professor Michelson and begun vanishing the serpent. They had left just as professor Sprout began trying to reconstruct Hufflepuff business firm to livable conditions. All the while Markus A. A. Michelson had just stood there, with everyone staring at him.

"Where are we going ?"Harry asked the teacher in nominal head of them bluntly. Markus turned and smiled.

"You, my footling varlet, are out after curfew among other affair. So we are going to let the cat out of the bag to Dumbledore. Luckily your supporter already got him up out of bed."Markus opened the door to his own part. The walls seemed to be covered with odd trophies and native art. On one wall there hung a wooden shield painted with bright colours that spun and shimmered on the open. A short sword hung above the desk, it had just one curved boundary and the end didn't have much of a period. It resembled a machete more than than anything else.

inside the office three chassis waited, with very different attitude. Hermione stood twitching, shifting her free weight from one foot to the other. Marcus Flint lounged his big heavy body over a electric chair, his locution arrogant and sneering. Dumbledore was, as usual, inscrutable.

"hello again Harry. How has your way of life been treating you ?"

"I…"Harry was struck mum by the query for a minute then smiled."There were some snakes on it."

"So I have heard."Dumbledore looked over at Hermione, who withered under his regard."girl husbandman woke me from a pleasant dream involving my ducky brace of shoe eloping with each former to tell me that she looked out the window of Gryffindor tower and saw one fourth part of my school was marching to war. But when I sent instructor to regain out the root of the problem the solely educatee found out of place are the two of you."The old magician looked over the rims of his glasses at Harry and Ginny."I have only asked Mr Flint to come here because young woman Granger insists that he is involved."

"Stinking Mudblood."Flint muttered.

"I heard that Mr Flint."Dumbledore said pleasantly."Please refrain from such language, you are not helping your case."

"I haven ‘ t done nothing wrong professor."Markus Flint grinned in what he must receive thought was an endearing way.

"That is what we are here to find. For a beginning Miss granger would you bear in mind telling me what you saw out the window of the Gryffindor common room."

Hermione began telling her marginally falsified story haltingly and nervously but Harry had trouble listening. Ginny was pulling on his sleeve, trying to get his care, she nodded her heading to a table nearby piled high with vindication books. Harry followed her regard and alighted on a Good Book lying open to the first pageboy. From that Angle Harry could only just read the three words there.

Tom Marvolo Riddle

The diary. Why was it here ? Was it connected to everything else or did this sicko just like reading a picayune girl secrets ? Harry shook his head trying to get all his thought process in rules of order but he was running on adrenalin and no sleep and it felt like his forefront was to the full of gossamer. abominable cobwebs. There was no chance he was going to work this out before the morning. He caught Marcus Flint looking at him curiously and tried to look like he was paying tending. Hermione finished off her story and stood waiting for a reaction from the two instructor present.

"Mr Flint."Dumbledore turned to the one-seventh year."Your response to these allegations ?"

"Lie sir."flint grinned."Filthy Mudblood lies."

"Mr Flint River ! You will mind your language and refrain from allowing such aspersion past your lips."

"Of row sir. But its still lies, I ‘ ve done nothing wrong."

"Mr thrower, Miss Weasley. I'm sure you have a face to this account ?"

"Yes sir."Harry jumped in before Ginny could speak."Hermione told us what she saw and we ran down to the kitchens corridor while she went off to alert you."

"You did not think to alarm a snug teacher. Or a prefect."

"Didn't think of that at the metre, we were a bit tired. When we got there the Slytherins conjured snakes, opened the Hufflepuff cellar and sealed the door open."

"I can personally testify that there were a nifty number of machinate Hydra in the cellar tonight professor."Markus Albert Michelson added."Would accept been difficulty for somebody without my talents."

"endowment for shadow magic."Harry muttered.

"You might need to also watch what you say Mr Potter."The headmaster said."I was going to give you both a severe custody for your blatant neglect for curfew. However my Mr Cobalt and Mr Diggory and several former prefects seem to be under the impression that you saved Hufflepuff house. The word hero was being bandied around. So I believe I will adopt twenty dollar bill full point for each of you, including young lady granger, and leave it at that."

"We save everyone's spirit and lose sixty peak ?"Harry thought, fuming."Unfair."

"And you Mr Flint."Markus Albert Michelson fixed the Slytherin with a critical eye."Have the honour of having detention with me."

"You can't prove I had…"

"No I can't. But you have grossly insulted this beautiful and intelligent young muggleborn Wiccan in my presence. Twice. So for the succeeding two week you will have detention with me."

*

"60 points !"Ron shook his headway ruefully."How can he do that ?"

"He ‘ s the Headmaster."Harry growled."He can do whatever he wants."

The marauder lounged at their table in the common room. The scholarly person had been given the day off to allow for the Hufflepuffs to recuperate from their night time trial by ordeal. Harry had needed the duplicate sleep too but he and his protagonist had instead woke up early to have them time to discus the things. Ginny had reluctantly let Harry tell everyone about the diary and they had agreed it could be significant. Markus Michelson's status as a parselmouth brought the peachy pant.

"How can they let him teach here then ?"Annapurna had demanded, her hands to her mouth."They're all dark wizards. Every one !"

"Did they even know ?"Her sis added reasonably."Harry said the Head Boy was shocked."

"But they have to fire him now right ?"

"Dumbledore won't kick him out."Harry groaned from his position lying on his arm on the tabletop. ventilation in the fumes from burning conjured snake in a tight and airless cellar had made him fairly ill. Ginny was feeling the burden too, she was curled up on her chair and she hadn't spoken Sir Thomas More than a word or two since they had begun."Not unless he actually murders someone in forepart of him."

"But he basically has !"Parvarti countered."We all know Salazar Slytherin was a parselmouth. commend the substance ? The heir of Slytherin returns. Its him ! Has to be."

"Its just like Quirrel."Neville said, his articulatio talocruralis already snapped back into cast by madam Pomfrey."Dumbledore probably just doesn't have proof. Or else surely he would have done something."

"Parseltongue is proof."Harry stated flatly."Dumbledore's just refuses to do anything. He ‘ d rather sit in his tower."The others looked at him like he'd gone mad."Well he does. Why hasn ‘ t he done anything ?"

The others just looked at him glumly. They didn't have any result.

*

Over the unscheduled severance the school day quietened down a little. The Slytherins shot glares full of daggers at everyone wherever they went but there was no violence. It was almost as if the loser of their grand program had made them skittish. The whole school moved forward with an atmosphere of icy tenseness, a standoff that both side of meat knew wouldn't last.

"Another day, another trip through no mans land."Padma quipped as the piranha moved out of the potions schoolroom in a tight huddle."Anyone else tired of this ?"

"better than the fighting."Neville glanced back at the Slytherins walk in another powwow back down the corridor."Much just than the fighting."

"They ‘ re planning something."Harry shook his head."Bloody Flint is planning something."Every time Harry had passed Flint in the corridor for the past few weeks the seventh year had forgone his usual scowl and grinned slyly.

"Are you sure its Flint ? Not Malfoy ?"Ron scratched his head.

"I think… I get the notion Malfoy got cut out of the loop over Christmas. He wasn't division of the ophidian army that's for sure."

"Probably didn't want to lay on the line his own neck."The piranha filed into the defence schoolroom and immediately dragged their books out. There was no point expecting anything else…

"al-Qur'an away children ! We ‘ re back to the practical as of today !"The socio-economic class looked up at professor Michelson in shock. The pocketbook under his eyes remained but he seemed as bubbly and full-of-the-moon of get-up-and-go as he had at the offset of term."Hex-Deflection, this week we start with Hex deviation. Pipsqueek, come up here and help me demonstrate."

*

"WHAT THE Hades WAS THAT !"Harry yelled as soon as the predator had quit the schoolroom. The lesson had been lively, informative and ( if it had been under former circumstances ) fun."He spends half of death term in a funk and sleeps through socio-economic class while planning god knows what afterwards ! Then he gets revealed to the entire school as a iniquity wizard, everyone hates him and he ‘ s bloody vivacious ! He ‘ s just switched from petrifying hoi polloi to trying to confuse us to demise ! I do. Not. Get it !"The other predator just giggled as they followed the rabbit on figure of Harry back to the common room.

Markus A. A. Michelson's return to his happy seat did not stop with that one lecture but continued. Eventually even the bags under his eye disappeared and he looked, in every way, exactly as Harry had first seen him. Everyone wondered about this odd turnaround, but one night Harry decided to try to find out out why.

That night Harry ghosted over the rooftops towards Markus Michelson's office. He squatted down near a chimney and glanced down at the closed windows. They were darkened and the curtains were drawn, probably locked and spelled too. Harry glanced one way then the early then slowly lowered himself down to a different window and slipped in. Tiptoeing along the corridor he reached the door to the government agency.

"Alohomora."Harry tried the handle quietly but the doorway remained firmly shut."Specialis Revelio."A faint blue sky gleam showed thought the threshold wisecrack, near the grip, pulsing like a beat.

Harry hid the glow with his dead body and glanced behind him but there was no one around. Hopefully Filch was patrolling some early region of the palace. Harry tried to mold his idea back to Beyond Alohomora. Intermittent drab lambency meant something specific he was sure."Finite."Harry tried hopefully, and the glow disappeared. But the doorway still didn't open. Harry groaned, of course. He hadn't cancelled the locking spell, he'd just cancelled his uncover appealingness. Repeating the good luck charm brought back the freshness. What did naughty mean ? Colloportus was red, he'd looked that up after the dungeon sequence. Fixing good luck charm ! blueing was a fixing charm and the pulsing meant it restored itself if you tried to cancel it.

"Eximo."Harry spoke the comeback then quickly followed with"cesso."The beat fluttered, then faded. His bridge player palpitation, Harry opened the door.

"Harry potter must not be here !"

Harry spun on the spot then groaned."Dobby ! What are you doing here ! ?"

"Harry Potter must go now !"The elf was unrestrained, hopping from one foot to another."Please !"

"Shut up !"Harry waved his hands at the crying elf."quiet ! Please !"

"Must go now ! Must go ! Go now !"

"Dobby, please !"

"Danger !"The elf's panoptic eyes were good of tears and he was pulling on his ears in distress. The elf glanced to one side and his keening became more frenzied.

"Over there ?"Without another give-and-take Harry dashed the way the elf had looked.

"No Harry ceramicist ! That is the risk way ! Run the other way !"

"What's this danger eh ?"Harry looked around the corridor he'd just run into."Michelson ? Slytherins ?"

"No no no no no."The elf had grabbed Harry's hired man and was trying to sweep up him the early way."Please go."

"Get off… What's that ?"A scratching randomness. Where was it coming from ? Harry looked down at the elf but Dobby had gone totally rigid. It sounded like something moving. Harry moved forward, there was a room access there, a English passage with gratings on the story. It was louder here, coming from under the flooring.

"Harry… P…p…potter must go."Dobby wasn't sobbing anymore but he was shivering. unmanageable microseism."Please Harry potter. Run."

The scratch grew louder and louder then stopped, suddenly. One of the grates on the floor shifted, like something was nosing up from underneath.

"Don't feel in its eyes !"Dobby squealed. Then vanished with a crack. Something in Harry snapped as the little soma disappeared, and he turned and ran as fast as he could. Behind him he heard a crashing clash as the grating was tossed aside. He reached the door and slammed it closed before dashing down the hall. Splintering wood told him that whatever it was was following. Harry pelted down another hallway and skidded on the polished floor. With a wreck that sounded like a bomb calorimeter going off he collided with a suit of armor. Smashing to the level Harry felt a stabbing pain in his ankle.

"Oh please let someone feature heard that."Harry hobbled to his feet and cried out in pain as he tried to put weight on his ankle."No no no."Harry looked back the way he had come, a shadow was just slinking around the corner. The hooter of a snake came into view when Harry jerked his pass back."Don't spirit into its center. Oh god, someone assistant me."Harry tried to hitch away but he could barely hop down the corridor. He glanced back before he could block himself and saw the serpent monumental spiral, too close. Harry grabbed the window near him and, not caring, flung himself out.

He landed on the slanted roof a few feet below and rolled. A drainpipe jutted from the paries a few feet away where it spouted from the mouth of a gargoyle. He grabbed it like a lifeline, pulling himself up and up on the three tree branch that still worked. When he reached the top he slid onto the roofing tile and lay there trying to catch his breath. Below him he could get a line the scratching still, and a hissing. It stayed there for a long time while Harry lay there, and he lay there a long time even after it was gone.

*

"Reparo ?"Hermione shook her head at Harry and buried her face in her manus."You used Reparo on a broken mortise joint ? Why ?"

"You try climbing off a roof with one working foot."Harry was being supported by Ron as he hopped towards the infirmary flank."And it's fine."That was purely a lie. The foot had just about worked for long enough to get him off the roof when morn came. However it seemed like the magic spell had some odd effects when used on living tissue paper. Like the fact that his bone was now breaking, healing and re-breaking in a painful cycle.

"Madam Pomfrey is going to deliver a spunk attack."

She didn't in fact have a heart attack. She did however scream Harry an cretin.

"Why did you not simply come to me Mr thrower ?"She said while pulling various odd coloured bottles out of a console."You have made your injury much more difficult to treat."

"Thought I could pretermit off a few supererogatory classes."Harry grinned then screamed as his ankle snapped again.

"Was it worth it ?"

"I guess not."

"Do try to remember that next time Mr thrower. future time you… head trip over your own feet."She smiled down at him.

"How long do I have to stay here then ?"

"Overnight I ‘ m afraid Mr Potter."She handed him a feeding bottle of a greyish potion that looked like glue."You should be thankful. At least we won ‘ t have to use Skele-Gro."

*

Harry checked the clock again, it was almost three in the morning. Thanks to the potion the breaking rhythm had slowed. His off-white had stayed broken for almost an hour now. madam Pomfrey had said that if it lasted an hour and a one-half that would mean that the errant spell was fully leached out and the bone could be set properly. He lay back, thankful for the former potion that had dulled the pain.

"Dobby is good-for-naught Harry potter sir."Oh great.

"You have to break off appearing like that Dobby, really. Just seed in through the door or something."

"Dobby is grim Harry ceramist is hurt."

"I guess I should thank you. You tried to warn me."Harry rolled over and looked the elf in the eye."I just wish you could consume been more specific like ‘ Hey there ‘ s a big snake coming to vote out you.'or something. Unless the serpent was another one of your tricks, like the wall."

"No Harry potter Dobby had nothing to do with that snake."

"Right, I th…"Harry's eyes narrowed."With that snake ?"Dobby hung his head teacher."You might as well recite me Dobby."

"Dobby levitated some early snakes."Harry's memory presented him an image of a burning couch with serpents floating over it.

"Dobby listen to me. Look at me."The trivial elf's head tilted nervously and his heart met Harry's green ones."There were a lot of the great unwashed in that cellar early than me. If you have some unearthly thing where you want to force me to give this shoal amercement. I can conduct it. But do not bring anyone else into this. You could take killed someone."

"Dobby was watching. Dobby wouldn ‘ t have let them get that close."

"What about the one that almost bit me ?"

"Dobby ‘ s master… called him away."

"And you just left ?"

"Dobby must serve when his master calls. Dobby must obey it is a house elf ‘ s duty."

"Why don't you just go out ?"Harry looked over Dobby and his dirty pillow slip. It was hard not to feel for him, even if he was trying to vote out him. Dobby was obviously a victim of whoever these masters were."Can ‘ t you leave ?"

"The only way a house elf can be freed is if they is given clothes."Dobby shook his school principal, he looked very defeated."And Dobby ‘ s schoolmaster is never doing that."

"So leave."

"Dobby can not leave unless…"

"Why ?"

"The wearing apparel is the only…"

"Why ? Just leave, or better yet just don't go back. You ‘ re out now aren't you ?"

"Dobby is a mansion elf. A planetary house elf…"Dobby shook his fountainhead."A house elf can not disobey an order from its master."

"Why ? You don ‘ t owe them. From what you've said they seem to have given you a pretty screwed up living. Don ‘ t punish yourself !"Harry added as Dobby nodded then stiffened."Its ok… don't."Dobby relaxed again.

"You see this is what they do."Harry continued."They make them think you owe them. The Dursleys, my aunt and uncle you know. Treated me like dirt, I got nothing from them but annoyance and drop same as you. But they act like they ‘ re doing you a favour. convolute your mind up so they even have you thinking they ‘ re doing you a favour. But all it takes for you be free people of them is to want to be, ‘ cos then they don't have a storage area over you any more. take the air away from them… tinker's dam it."Harry heard a pass.

"Mr Potter ?"

"My leg just un-broke. Never judgment, where was I ? Oh yeah you don't need apparel, just pass on them."Dobby seemed to look around like he could hear something Harry couldn't.

"Dobby has to go."And with that he vanished again.

"Great."Harry spoke to the empty hospital wing."You could at least have kept me company."

*

"Ready to go ?"Ron leant in through the door to the Hospital wing.

"Yep."Harry slid off the bed.

"Then we should probably hurry. This place is going to be swarming in a hour. There ‘ s been another attack."

"What ? When ?"

"Don't know, but someone else is petrified."Ron shook his head."Looks like the Slytherins are attacking their own now."

"Their own ?"Harry felt ice in his chest.

"Slytherin 4th twelvemonth, gens was Split I think."Ron shrugged.

"Josue Split."Harry sat back on the bed with his straits in his bridge player."You go on, I want to await for him."

"Ok."Ron looked confused."I ‘ ll delay with you."They didn't have to hold off long. Soon Dumbledore walked calmly into the infirmary backstage, levitating a jump looking tear. Behind them trailed Professor Snape looking sourly at them and Lucy Kingston who was sobbing into a handkerchief. As the headmaster lowered the boy onto the hospital bed Harry crossed the room and looked at his aspect. His eyes were panoptic in shock and his oral fissure hung open.

"Is he going to be alright ?"It was an fatuous scuttlebutt, but it was all Harry could think to say.

"Yes Mr Potter."The Headmaster nodded."He will be mulct eventually, the Lapp as the others."

"I did not understand you do it Mr Split, Potter."Snape stepped up beside the headmaster."I know split as a model student. I thought he has upright taste."

"He ‘ s a Slytherin."Harry said quietly."How good can his taste be."

That evening Harry took Vanessa and Elizabeth to chew the fat Split. Lucy Kingston was there again, glancing between her brother and her boyfriend

"I know they ‘ ll be alright once the devil's apples mature."She nodded as if trying to convince herself."But I can't help wondering what could hold happened if they had hadn't been found."

"But they were. And they ‘ ll be alright. No use worrying about things that didn't happen right ?"

"I guess. It ‘ s just favorable prof Michelson found him."

"What ?"

"You didn ‘ t hear. Professor Albert Michelson found Josh. When Dumbledore arrived he was already there."

Harry just stared at her. But suddenly another part broke through to him.

"Oh so he ‘ s just petrified. Pity, unlike you he won't even have a scar."Harry turned at that drawling part. Malfoy stood in the doorway to the infirmary wing."I could give him one of form, right in the midsection of his mudblood face."

"wellspring Malfoy, you came to the right shoes to get the prick kicked out of you."Harry crossed his weapon."Madam Pomfrey, can patch you up and I can have the fun of finding whole new manner to bruise you."Harry glared at Malfoy while the two maiden year Slytherins backed away towards split up bed, as if even petrified he could afford them some protection."Get out."

"But I was visiting my housemate during his convalescence."

"Out."

"Alright I wasn ‘ t visiting him. I hate his nasty mudblood guts. I ‘ m here to peach to you."

"Me ?"

"Yes."

"How touch. Get out."

"Potter."Malfoy glanced around the Hospital wing. The five of them were the lonesome single awake. He looked back and spoke through gritted tooth."Please."

Harry paused a moment then turned to the Ravenclaw behind him.

"Can you walk those two back to Gryffindor pillar. They know the password."Lucy Kingston nodded. As Harry turned and walked towards the room access Vanessa spoke.

"Don ‘ t go, he ‘ s unsafe !"

"I think I can handle him."Harry said over his articulatio humeri and walked out of the wing. A few whole step down the corridor took them to an empty schoolroom."Ok, Talk. And this had better be good."

"I'm warning you Potter."

"Are you threatening me ?"

"No I ‘ m warning you. As in warning you that something bad is going to happen."Draco glanced around again."It ‘ s Flint."

"It usually is."

"He ‘ s… I don't know precisely what to scream it… recruiting."Malfoy rubbed the binding of his paw nervously."He ‘ s been talking to masses, lots of the great unwashed. Getting big group together to talk about their collective blood pureness and their obvious superiority."There wasn't a trace of sarcasm in Malfoy's vocalization as he said the close bit.

"I have three questions."Harry held up three fingers."One : That's exactly what you talk about so why aren't you with them ? Two : Why are you telling me ? Three : Why are you so ugly ?"

"I am not with them because…"Malfoy trailed off and licked his back talk. When he began again it was in a calculating voice."Although I approve of their substance I think their selection of leaders is lacking."

"Ah… ! If you can't be the forefront of the society you don't want to be a member ?"

"Precisely. And as for dubiousness two… fountainhead I thought we could exploit together. For now we have the Same goal."

"hold, isn't Flint basically your lapdog ?"Harry tried to jog his memory."Didn't you once say you basically owned him ?"

"Yes I… Where did you hear that ?"

"Um… gossip ?"Harry grinned, remembering he had been hiding in Malfoy's chimney at the time."Can ‘ t you just perpetrate social station on him ?"

"I tried and that's the scariest thing. His family is up to their eyeballs in debt to my Father of the Church, I threatened to ring in that debt and he just laughed. Said money wasn't significant anymore. Not now that he had heard the call."

"The call ?"

"That's what they call themselves The Called. Those who answered the call to weaponry, the song of Slytherins heir."

Harry took a moment to suffer that.

"Are you telling me that Flint River has turned this into some kind of furore ?"

"That's what I ‘ ve been trying to tell you muck about !"Malfoy grimaced."They say that all previous bonds and responsibility are invalidate when compared to the phone call. All debts are off, all cuss broken. This is a problem for me because I have lost the level of control I usually have over my firm. This is a job for you because next prison term they attack the threat of detention and house level won't stop them. projection won ‘ t stop them, they don't tending about Hogwarts any more."

"Bloody hell."Harry buried his face in his hired hand and try out hard to digest what he was being told but it seemed just too extreme point to conceive."I thought Flint River was basically a thug."

"So did I."Malfoy nodded."But he seems dissimilar since the… Hufflepuff incident, which I had nothing to do with. I guess we both undervalue him."

"Alright, alright…"Harry felt under his shirt for the case pendent and gripped it through the textile. It made him feel better, a minuscule."Here ‘ s what we ‘ re gon na do… You have the names of these… Called ?"

Malfoy wordlessly handed him a scrap of parchment. There were over fifty names listed.

"Not all of these are Slytherins."Harry said checking down the list."Four ‘ drag, six Ravenclaws, sixteen Gryffindors ! ?"

"Surprised ?"Malfoy sneered."As I've always said, Gryffindors are arrogant. And all of the houses have pure-blood students crying out to be given the recognition they deserve. And would you like to know the other understanding so many Gryffindors joined ?"Malfoy looked felicitous and condescending, never a good combining in him.

"Against my better judgement… Yes tell me."

"You."Malfoy grinned smirkily."They seem to recall you've usurped your firm, acting like you speak for all of them. Plus they seem to cerebrate that your abysmal functioning in the family cup last year was partially due to your activities."

Harry winced. He was well cognizant that his menage's public presentation was almost entirely due to marauder activities. Well, them and the twins.

"Alright, I get it. I ‘ ll pile with it. And I ‘ ll get in contact with friends in the other houses and cut him down to just the Slytherins."

"Even if you do he still has over thirty Slytherins at his beck and call."

"I can ‘ t stop what he does inside the clammy confines of your dungeon."Harry stood and moved to the door."I ‘ ll hatful with the rest of the school, you deal with Slytherin."

"carnival enough. By the way…"Malfoy caught him before he reached the door."This changes absolutely nothing."

"I know, I know. We ‘ re co-conspirators, not protagonist. And I still hate you."Harry gritted his teeth and frowned."I still hate you what you did to Vanessa and Lucy and the others."

"And I still hate you and your friends and mudbloods and rake traitors in general. And unlike you…"Malfoy ran his fingers through his hair as he swaggered out the threshold."…I ‘ m far from ugly."

*

"Why are we meeting like this ?"

"You mean in arcanum ?"

"No, I mean in a missy toilet ?"

Harry glanced around the vulture crowded into the dismay bathroom. They were looking at him expectedly.

"We ‘ re meeting here because…"Harry turned to Parvarti."Why are we meeting here ?"

"You said you wanted somewhere secret. No one ever comes here because of Moaning Myrtle."Parvarti shuddered involuntarily.

"Who in the inferno is Moaning Myrtle ?"

"Hell is the operative word…"Padma muttered.

Harry glanced around but saw no-one.

"Still not understanding."Harry shrugged but a voice filtered in from behind the wall.

"Did someone say my epithet ?"A sick figure faded in through the wall, spindly pilus falling haphazardly over her spotty face. Beneath her thick glasses her oculus looked puffy, like she'd been crying. When she was fully through the brickwork she blinked in surprisal at the gang filling her bathroom."Why are you here ? Have you come to laugh at me ? Laugh at pitiful, moaning, fat Myrtle."

"Why would we gravel doing that ?"Ron said, apparently not noticing the shushing motions Hermione was making at him."Bit like flogging a dead horse eh ? Get it ? Get it ? Dead horse…"Hermione buried her brass in her workforce and the Patil Sister both took an involuntary footprint back from Ron. Ron's cheeky grin vanished from his boldness as the spook turned to face him, execution in her gusty eyes.

"Oh yes ! Not only is myrtle DEAD ! She ‘ s also ugly like a horse !"

"Its just an expression…"

"You male child are all MEAN and EVIL !"myrtle screeched right into Ron's cheek. The poor red-header was glued to the spot with brat."And how about you !"Myrtle spun and faced Neville. Ron looked profoundly relived."Are you going to ache me too !"

"No no…"Neville backed up with his helping hand out in front of him.

"You think I ‘ m ugly !"

"No, pretty !"Myrtle hesitated, Neville pressed on."Very pretty, nice… spike ?"

"NICE capitulum ?"Harry was surprised the screech didn't break off roofing tile."You ‘ re making fun of me AGAIN !"Harry couldn't suppress a giggle and the vengeful wraith rounded on him."Are you laughing at me too. All boys are the Same, you all…"

"What's your full public figure Myrtle."Harry cut her off mid time. She looked appal, he supposed not many people had ever asked her that."I mean I assume myrtle isn't your close figure any more than Moaning's your first."

"M…Myrtle Henderson."She had stopped crying. If anything she looked confused by this turn of outcome.

"Miss Myrtle Henderson. How would you wish to help oneself us…"Harry moved closer and stage-whispered into her ear."…with some mischief."

"Some… mischief. What kind of shenanigan ?"myrtle moved even closer. Harry squashed down a shiver as the specter brushed against him.

"Harry…. What are you doing ?"Ron had managed to find his phonation again finally.

"Recruiting."Harry glanced over the translucent shoulder joint of the ghost."Do you actualise how insanely useful a piquet that can walk through wall could be. And unless I miss young woman Myrtle ‘ s attitude entirely she seems primed for some nefarious snooping. Have I missed my shot Myrtle ?"The spook blushed, tinting her floating, smoky soma bubblegum pink."Thought not. Can I enumerate on you myrtle ?"

"Oh yes Harry."The lascivious smiling on the phantasm face drive vestige of dubiety into Harry's judgment. Had he pushed this a little too far ? Oh well, Follow through.

"For now could you watch the corridor ? Some friends of mine are meeting me here…"Harry rattled of the gens of the invited conspirators."… and its imperative mood that we ‘ re not overheard. Mind playing sentry for us ?"

"Not at all, not for you."Vinca minor swooped away through the wall and the vulture all looked at Harry. Expressions of disbelieving cushion were becoming more and more common Harry felt.

"She ‘ ll be utilitarian. And honestly I don't see what ‘ s so bad about her."They continued to gaze."Quite pleasant once you get to sleep together her."

Further discourse was cut off by the arrival of the former people invited to the meeting. Susan osseous tissue stepped in quickly and smiled when she saw the mass already there. Cho Yangtze moved in slower while glancing around the recess of the toilet ( probably checking for ghost ). Her blighter Ravenclaw Lucy Kingston followed airless behind her and said…

"Isn ‘ t this Vinca minor ba…"

"She ‘ s out."Harry explained and shared a grin with his ally."She won ‘ t be bothering us. Now eyes movement girls…"Harry snapped and they all looked at him curiously."I need your help. Something happening that spreads over the full schoolhouse and the full schooltime needs to stop it. I can't do it alone, I ‘ m sick of doing it alone, I really need your help."

The bathroom was dumb for a moment then Cho spoke up…

"You know you've always got it Harry. What do you need us to do ?"



Wow, getting quite a few critical review now. But i still need more ! I 've become addicted to them and i keep checking to see whether i have more !


f I was JK Rowling I 'd bear more than clobber, a designer suit, a PS3, an expensive car, a jet of gold, two X chromosomes ...

I do not stimulate these things. By a process of logical system I am not JK Rowling and therefore do not own Harry Potter.



The called and the chosen.

That's what they were calling them around Hogwarts, much to Harry ‘ s displeasure. Flint's Called and Harry's Chosen. Harry however, had the utter glowing gratification that the Chosen were winning. Flints support had been slashed to just the Slytherins and even there he had only a loyal gist, a sherd of the reenforcement he once had.

As Harry walked silently through the corridors he passed Malfoy once more surround by his usual bunch of toady, mute evidence that nigh Slytherins had defected back to their old drawing card. For all that he hated Malfoy Harry had to intromit that it hadn't turned out to be a bad wad, Malfoy got his pride back and Harry had got pacification. And it was peace treaty, the chosen ( Harry hated that figure, it was overdramatic. He preferred to recollect of them as junior marauders. ) had stopped the ferocity largely without using fierceness in coming back. It had just happened that wherever the Called tried to meet each other a instructor or a prefect or a big mathematical group of Harry's little soldiers were already there. mass were wondering how he always knew.

Harry smirked, between an source and a ghost it was favourable Flint had any mystery left. Harry rounded a street corner and stopped dead. His smile dieing on his brim. In strawman of him was a bitter tableau, the finale thing he ever wanted to see.
TRAITORS !
The chamber is candid and the Heir prevails but you betray him !
So each and every one of you will suffer !
Each and every one will die !
This is only the beginning Mudbloods.


The word of honor were scrawled on the bulwark were nothing to what was under them. Colin Creevy, an irritating but earnest first year, was curled up un the floor with the egg white sheen of petrifaction on his cutis. He was clutching his television camera like a lifeline. Standing above him with his baton drawn was professor Michelson.

The student and the teacher stared at each early for a farseeing moment. In the silence Harry heard his heart racing.

"Good Harry. You ‘ re here."Professor Michelson nodded."Run and get Dumbledore, I ‘ ll get this poor crevice to the hospital wing."

Harry didn't move except to grip his scepter tighter.

"Are you disobeying your teacher Harry ? Get Dumbledore."Markus Albert Michelson bent down and reached for Colin.

"whole tone away from him."Harry raised his sceptre and started forward."Or I swear to god I ‘ ll kill you."prof Michelson stopped but didn't back away.

"Death scourge Harry ?"Michelson laughed."Do you really think you ‘ d last five seconds in a affaire d'honneur with me ?"

Harry never got to answer as the sound of running feet filled the hall. A moment later Dumbledore was there, pushing past Harry to examine the rigidify child. Harry kept his center trained on Markus.

"Albus."professor Michelson smiled."I was just trying to send for you. He ‘ s been petrified like the others."

Harry felt more jostling bumps and looked around to see other teachers and students crowding into the corridor. Despite the witnesses there was no way he was leaving Colin alone now. He cleared his throat.

"Do you require me to necessitate him to the infirmary extension Professor ?"
*


Harry dropped into a chairwoman near the petrified Gryffindor's bed and tried to marshal his thoughts. The predator stood around him without speaking. At the other incline of the bed the two semi-Gryffindors, Elizabeth and genus Vanessa, stood silently. They had been visiting Book of Joshua Split but had come over when they saw Colin brought in. They knew him. They took classes with him. He had been one of the few Gryffindors who'd never questioned why they were suddenly sleeping in Gryffindor tug. He had just greeted them cheerfully. They'd liked him. Harry'd liked Colin too, he was one of the few multitude shorter than him.

Harry shook his straits, this was too often. And they had been winning.

"Do you think…"Neville started and then stopped, unsure of himself.

"Go on Neville."Harry tried to smile encouragingly at him, but couldn't find it in himself."God knows I don't have any bright ideas."

"I was thinking Hogwarts might have to close."He looked at his feet while saying it. Harry didn't answer him, he just glanced around the Hospital wing. Too many of the beds were occupied.

"They've been talking about it."Parvarti spoke quietly."Our parents have…"Her babe tried to shush her but she kept talking."Our parents have been trying to get us to leave for a while. They say its not safety anymore."

The work party fell silent again. Parvati was watching Harry, like she was trying to gauge his response.

"Aren't you going to say something Harry."Hermione urged him.

"It's not safe anymore."Harry's own voice felt abruptly in his pinna. They stared at him.

"But…"Ron was looking at him shocked."Dumbledore ‘ s here. Its got to be safe."Harry didn't even have the zip to respond to that but Ron pressed on.

"And you Harry. You ‘ re here."Harry felt a dry gag flight his lip."No its on-key. You ‘ ve helped burden. Right everyone ?"Harry heard murmured arrangement and felt an arm fall across his shoulder. Ron was uncomfortably hugging him."Everyone looks up to you Harry. You ‘ ll think of a plan."Something snapped in Harry and he slapped Ron's arm away.

"I ‘ ll think of a programme ! Why ? !"Harry glared up at the shocked faces of his supporter."Why ? ! Why me ? Because I ‘ m bloody sick of it do you hear me. Let me tell you straight out. I. Don't. Have. A. Bloody. PLAN !"Harry was yelling but he felt his vocalisation snap in his throat. He stood up and turned away from them all.

"All these people !"Harry waved his hands at the ossify scholarly person."You think I have a clew what to do ?"He held his head in his hands.

"Its too much."He couldn't have stopped talking now if he tried."Malfoy and Flint River and Michelson and Snake River and Elves and Bloody Tom Riddle. I have them going beat and bout in my question but I can't put anything together."

"You do it !"He whirled and pointed at Hermione."Or You !"He waved at a shocked Padma.

"You could throw been Ravenclaw. You work it out because I can't. I don't have a plan. I tried but I can ‘ t."He collapsed onto the storey of the infirmary flank, he noticed the tears falling onto his Lens'but he couldn't stop.

"I just can't do it. I ‘ m not chic enough, I ‘ m not strong enough. I only beat Malfoy ‘ cos I used the pain-spear. Had to use it again on the snakes. I ran away from the other Hydra. I ‘ m a coward and I'm stunned and I ‘ m sorry. But I don't have a plan."Harry's hand snaked into his collar and held fast to the picayune scale pendent, the edges of it cutting into his palm.

"I ‘ m sorry."He whispered."You were incorrect. I ‘ m not up to this. I don't know what I ‘ m doing."

Harry stayed sitting there on the floor, crying and sobbing. He felt his admirer crowding around him, someone was hugging him, he didn't know who. He had screwed up his heart as hard as he could. Someone ( Ginny maybe ? She had small script ) kept stroking his hair and making soothing noises. He felt a tissue paper pushed into his hands and tried vainly to use it on his eyes. He couldn't believe he was doing this. No one radius, for which he was thankful. Perhaps he could just pretend this hadn't happened ? But the silence was broken in the last way he would induce ever expected…

"Did you say Tom Riddle ?"

Harry's eyes flashed undefended. Vanessa was staring at him open-mouthed."Yes."He managed to croak in a voice that didn't sound like him."Do you make out something ?"

"My…"Vanessa looked scared and was gripping the side of the bed very hard."I don't know… I don't…"

"Whatever it is… Please ?"Harry heard himself beg."You can tell me. You just saw me have a breakdown on the level. Whatever it is it can't be worse than that can it ?"Harry saw Elizabeth I get to out and close up her friends hand in both of hers."Please…"

"My parents… are in Azkaban."Harry heard the piranha around him gasp and shushed them into secrecy."They were arrested three long time ago for muggle baiting. I live with my aunt and uncle."genus Vanessa swallowed hard."My dad is older than mum. He used to get drunk, talk about what he did in the war. He… they both worked for the Dark Lord."Harry felt another gasp and Vanessa turned away and buried her fount in her hands.

“'nessa you don't have to be scared."Harry shook his head."When the fights started you followed Split not Flint, you ‘ re good."

"I chose Slytherin."Vanessa spoke through her hands."I was scared of my aunt and uncle. I was given a selection and I still went to Slytherin."

"And you ended up in Gryffindor anyway."Harry tried to keep the avidity from his voice, he needed to know what she did."Please be brave for me. Be a Gryffindor now."genus Vanessa nodded and started talking again.

"My fathers name is Tortor Gibbon…"Harry saw Ron's jaw clutch and quickly grabbed his arm, he didn't know what was going on but zilch could be allowed to stop Vanessa speaking."He used to talk about how proud he was. That he was one of the get-go to pledge his loyalty, one of the offset to answer the night noble. How he went to schooltime with him, knew him before he even took his gens. While he still had his old name. While he was still Tom Riddle."

No one moved. No one spoke. It felt like no one breathed.

"Tom Marvolo enigma was Voldemort."Harry could find the Dame Muriel Spark. All the bit in his head seemed to be coming together."The diary was Voldemort's."Harry heard Ginny let out a cry and saw Hermione move to comfort her but it was background, it was all pushed to the sides of his mind"Markus Michelson has the diary of the Dark Jehovah. That should be enough for Dumbledore."

Harry looked around him and realised he was still kneeling on the floor, he had a balled up wad of tissue paper in his hand.

"helper me up."branch grabbed him."We ‘ ve got oeuvre to do."He blinked the last remaining tears out of his eyes.

"Neville, Ginny…"Neville looked up but Ginny didn't."Ginny ! You need…"Harry had been about to console her but at the final minute decided on a dissimilar tack.

"Ginny wake up ! I need you here, are you a marauder or not ? Up !"She jerked up off Hermione's shoulder and stared at him."The two of you GET DUMBLEDORE. He ‘ s changed his office word by now but don ‘ t take no for an answer. Find McGonagall, anyone, wee-wee nuisance of yourselves until you get him ! GO !"Neville and Ginny bolted for the door.

"Bring him to Michelson's post when you get him. That's where the rest of us are going. Vanessa…"Harry turned to the fiddling girl."… you are amazing. Never change."With that he whirled to the rest of the vulture and drew his sceptre."Albert Michelson ‘ s billet now. LET end this !"
*


Harry grabbed the doorway handgrip and yanked at it. Unsurprisingly it didn't motility. Harry glanced back at his friends.

"I should be able to break through, did last-place time. Go up there and celebrate spotter for me."Harry pointed at a stained glass windowpane."Mico if Markus comes alone."The marauders moved off, except for one.

"Harry."Hermione said."Shouldn ‘ t we just wait for Dumbledore ? He should be on his way, do we have got to break in ?"

"Probably not but I can ‘ t just wait here Hermione. Honestly I ‘ d go nutcase right now if I wasn ‘ t doing something."Harry turned back to the door and heard Hermione relocation away.

Harry used the uncover spell and removed the neutering charm and temporarily deactivated a sepulcralis swearing that hadn't been there before and swung the door undetermined. Moving as fast as he could he scoured the mesa that were set around the room, the record wasn't where it had been in conclusion fourth dimension. He began checking the bookshelves when he felt his wand vibrate. He slipped to the door and glanced out quickly. Instead of Markus Albert Abraham Michelson he saw only one thing. jet plate and a foresightful muscled body.

"cat RUN !"Harry yelled at the top of his voice while darting back into the office."Don't look into its eye ! Coepto incantatem !"Harry reactivated the sepilcralis curse on the doorway and stepped back in scourge. The slithering haphazardness got closer on the former side of the door and Harry raised his wand in fear. As the noise got right up to the door he saw a flash of light around the skeletal system and an insensate scream. The curse had worked. There was a tacky licking from beyond the door and the elbow room shook as if something was throwing its weight repeatedly against the wall. Harry heard an omnipotent compaction and then silence. Then slow slithering sound as whatever it was moved off.

Harry knew he shouldn't but as soon as the stochasticity had moved off he ran forward and pulled the door open. The hall was in wrecking, painting smashed and armour thrown everywhere. There were clod of rock all over the floor, Harry knew what those must suffer been from. Sepilcralis, the entombing curse. It encased your body in rock, just leaving your head out. The serpent must give birth been strong enough to shake itself free.

Then Harry saw something else that made him blockade in revulsion. The running pes in the length as someone came to investigate were nothing, all sound was gone. Harry stared up at four freeze out figures, pressing up against a varnished chicken feed window that was no farsighted there, it had been smashed by the beasts angry throws. Ron, Hermione and the Patils, all petrified. Hermione had her wand in her hand, she must induce sent the mico before she was frozen. Her last act was warning him. She hadn't even wanted to occur. Petrified just because he couldn't sit still for five minutes.

Harry dragged his gaze away from them and saw the people who had arrived. Ginny and Neville standing there shocked staring first at their petrify friends then at Harry. Dumbledore standing behind them with all the oral sex of house flanking him and Markus Michelson standing arrogantly to one side.

"Harry…"Dumbledore's vocalization was easygoing and carried zilch of what was going on in his read/write head."…do you have something to tell me ?"

"Yes."Harry turned to him. He tried to guess how he looked, sweating, his clothes a mess, his eyes still puffy from the breakdown in the infirmary annex and standing in the middle of a ruin corridor with his wand out."I have something to say."
*


Dumbledore led them into Markus Michelson's spot while professor Flitwick and professor Sprout began levitating the lapidify Marauders down. Harry turned once he was inside and began to speak before anyone else could.

"Headmaster, professor Michelson is behind the attacks."

"Harry, do not make baseless accusations."Dumbledore said harshly.

"Its not baseless. He ‘ s a Parseltongue !"

"That in itself proves noth…"

"He has been at the sight off the last two petrification !"

"Doing his job as a Hogwarts teacher !"

"The last two prison term I've broken into his agency I ‘ ve coincidently been attacked by a giant snake ! This time it petrified my protagonist !"

"Broken into his office ?"Snape sounded as happy as Harry had ever heard him."You admit it in front line of four Hogwarts teachers."

"Get bent on Snivillus. This is important."The shocked look on every instructor face showed Harry exactly how far over the line he was. But he couldn't stop now, he had just seen something in a cabinet behind the potions master. Moving so fast no one had a hazard to oppugn him he darted to the storage locker and grabbed the handles. It wouldn't open.

"Where ‘ s the key !"Harry whirled and yelled. He pointed at Professor Michelson."Tell me !"

"Mr thrower you are in quite decent hassle as it is."prof McGonagall was looking at him with something between anger and sadness."You will be expelled of course but perhaps if you stop now you can ward off malefactor charges."

Harry felt like he had been hit in the gut but he was running on adrenalin now and the prospect of him stopping were cypher. He turned and grabbed a backbreaking statue. Ignoring a outcry from behind him he smashed the glass of the storage locker and grabbed the diary triumphantly.

He felt himself grabbed from hindquarters and turned to look directly into Dumbledore's optic. Far from bright and twinkling they looked like burning ice.

"Harry Potter you have…"

"…saved your arse."Harry cut in thrusting the diary at the most muscular whiz in the universe."Read it ! You will show it !"

No one in the room breathed as Dumbledore slowly reached out and took the slim book. His long ancient fingers moved over the natural covering and opened it to its first varlet. He stopped, for a moment Harry thought he had been petrified as well. Only the old maven heart moved, back and forth as if he was reading that one course over and over.

"Markus."When Dumbledore finally spoke it was almost a whisper. Almost a prayer."You know what this is."It wasn't a question but Professor Michelson answered anyway.

"Yes."

"You know who this is."

"Yes."

"Why did you not secernate me ?"

"I thought you had enough on your hands."Markus replied evenly."I am more than than capable of dealing with curse items."

"Albus what is it ?"Snape sounded almost interested. Dumbledore wordlessly held the book out for Snape and McGonagall to see. The deputy sheriff Headmistress stared in horror and the potions master recoiled as if he'd been struck. Snape turned on the Defence Professor."And you did not see fit to order us about this !"Harry didn't envy Markus Michelson.

"As I told you at the kickoff of the class Mr Snape."Albert Abraham Michelson replied evenly."I am the defensive structure against the Dark art teacher."

"Oh this goes so far beyond you teaching duties."Snape's voice dripped with hatred."You should have told us the moment this came into your hands."

"I was…"

"Enough."The master cut them both off. He sounded tired."How did you find out about this Harry ?"

"I've known he had the diary for a while. I saw it in his post. But I didn ‘ t know who Tom riddle was until today."Harry looked Dumbledore in the eye as he spoke."I broke in here to create for sure he wouldn ‘ t have chance to obscure the diary from you."Harry said, hoping they had forgotten he had broken in twice.

"And you sent Mr Longbottom and girl Weasley to find me."Dumbledore finished for him."Once again I find that you have totally reasonable and indeed honourable intellect for your principle break. Perhaps it is my judgement that is failing…"Harry said nothing."Does it have any powers that you know of."Harry opened his mouth to address then realised that he wasn't supposed to have a go at it anything about what was in the diary and shut it again.

"It writes back if you write in it."Markus volunteered. Dumbledore waved his mitt and a quill feather appeared as if from no-where. Opening the Good Book to the first Page he wrote…
hi Tom.


The words faded and were replaced with.
Whatever you do to this Word of God I will disclose nothing to you.


"It said that to me as well. Albus I…"but Dumbledore cut Markus off.

"I will hear your alibi later Mr Albert Michelson. Probably when you give them to the aurors. Until then you are removed from all teaching duty at Hogwarts. Clean out your office."

"But.. !"For the first gear fourth dimension Harry had ever seen Markus looked flustered.

"Professor Snape will incubate your classes."

"No !"Harry couldn't prevent that from escaping and the four teachers turned to him."Um… never thinker. Go back to what you were saying."

"I think we had covered everything Harry. I ‘ m sure you have homework to be doing."

"I might…"preparation had never been Harry ‘ s priority. Harry walked to the door and slipped out quietly. Neville and Ginny were waiting there for him.

"Dumbledore ‘ s calling the aurors."A immense system of weights seemed to birth been taken from his shoulder."And he ‘ s not a teacher here anymore."Harry felt like crying again, he felt so ignitor. It was over. He had done it. And he wasn't expelled or deadened or anything."The mandrake swig won ‘ t take that much yearner to get prepare then we can distinguish the others."Was he crying ? He couldn't tell. The relief was just too much.

"Its really over ?"Ginny asked, stepping closer.

"Yes."Harry breathed."It is… For this class !"Harry grinned and hugged his two friends."I ‘ m certainly following class will be much more interesting !"
*


Harry somehow reached his bed in Gryffindor tower and crawled in. It was only seven o'clock but he didn't really care, he had lost enough slumber over the past yr that he held no embarrassment over going to catch some Z's at this hr. Neville and Ginny were doing the rounds, telling everyone the salutary news. He could try hoi polloi moving around downstairs and above him but he just burrowed further into his cover. His childhood had taught him to sleep through nigh anything. How far he'd come from that. Harry drifted off to sleep.

He walked along Tottenham homage route in his Hogwarts gown, no one noticed. It was full of hoi polloi but not one of them moved. Petrified. All of them. Harry walked up the street and ducked into an orchard, apple heyday fell everywhere. Perhaps he was safe here ? No, he had to get back to Hogwarts. He turned back to the entry to manoeuver back to the road.

"You wouldn't terminal five sec in a affaire d'honneur with me."

Harry spun at the sound of Markus Michelson's voice but instead of the teacher he saw himself. Looking down at him condescendingly.

"You ‘ re not good enough."

Harry blinked and it was Dumbledore looking down at him with optic fully of sorrow.

"I ‘ m so sorry."

Harry blinked again and he was alone with the prime. He could hear the river nearby running fast over rock and roll. Harry turned and hurried out of the orchard. The road was empty like before and Harry hurried towards Hogwarts, ducking through an alley and breaking into a run to get there quicker.

The ivy was retentive than he remembered but eventually he climbed up to the gate of the palace. He pushed the great room access open up and walked into the great hall. It was empty but the bulwark were covered in murals. Little finger house painting like tyke would do. He could still hear the river but it sounded closer now. He could even palpate the spray on his face. His typeface was cold. Deathly common cold. Wake up. What ?

"Wake Island up !"

Harry opened his eyes and looked straight up at Moaning Myrtle. She was floating over his bed, right over his face.

"myrtle ?"He said, still foggy and disorientated.

"You have to come. Please ! He's got Ginny !"Harry jerked upright and fell out of bed.

"What !"

"Flint took Ginny ! I saw him, and he has the diary !"

"How ? Dumbledore has… No…"Harry staggered over to Neville's bed and jerked the boy out of bed.

"Harry ?"The conclusion remaining marauder brushed his fuzz out of his optic."What is it ?"

"Its not over Neville."Harry followed the floating frame of Myrtle at a run out of the door."It ‘ s not over !"
*


myrtle stopped outside Markus Michelson's office and Harry didn't have to be told that something had happened here. A whole new level of carnage had been added over the one that had been present here last Night. The door itself had been totally stove in, the framing itself lying in pieces on the floor. Harry stepped in with trepidation.

The smell of blood hit him. Behind him he could see Neville retching on the storey. The room was unrecognizably, not a thing had escaped the wipeout. Harry moved forward towards the forlorn figure in the centre, slumped against the desk. Markus Michelson.

His verge was in one hand and his steel lay discarded on the floor. He was covered in wounds and one of his leg was bent in an odd way. And the hankey he usually wore draped around his cervix had moved up. He'd tied it around his center. Harry stepped closer and pulled it off him. His nous lolled to the English lifelessly.

Harry put his fingers to Albert Abraham Michelson's cervix, not really expecting anything but was rewarded with a weak pulse.

"Myrtle !"He yelled."Run and get brothel keeper Pomfrey !"He turned back to the teacher."Markus ! Markus Michelson ! Markus Maximus Mighty Magesto A. A. Michelson !"

"You remembered all of them…"The interpreter from the instructor was almost beyond hearing."…people usually don't."

"I didn ‘ t commend all of them."Harry smiled wanly."I forgot Virgin Mary and mucus. lady Pomfrey will be here in a mo. You ‘ ll be alright."

"Not alright… basilisk venom… lethal… always…"Markus'representative kept fading in and out."He took… the girl."

"Did you see where ?"

"Tried to protect her… Tried to stop him…"Harry's inside turned to ice. He'd been so very wrong about this man."Hard to fight… when you can't… Sure I hit it once or twice… Did I ever tell you about… this clock time I was in Brazil ?"

"No. severalise me when you ‘ re better."

"Bit me just once… on purpose… wanted me to be awake… impart you message."

"Message ?"Harry waved Neville in closer so he could hear too.

"come to the chamber… seed or she dies… bring teachers… and she dies."

Harry swallowed. His ticker was beating in air with his terror.

"Where ? Where ‘ s the chamber ?"

"He said… bathroom… girl ghost…"

"myrtle ‘ s john ?"Markus nodded."Is there a password ?"

"word's…"Markus seemed to be fading out."… open… he said open…"

"That simpleton ?"Harry asked. Markus nodded then slumped.

"… sword ?"Harry frowned, not understanding, then saw the fingers of Markus'hired hand twitching. He moved the sword into his hand and saw Markus'fingers curl around it limply."…thanks… pipsque…"but then his eyes closed and he stopped speaking.

A consequence later Harry heard running infantry and dame Pomfrey ran in followed by a floating Myrtle.

"What happened here ?"She demanded. Harry flapped his hands uncertainly but Neville saved him.

"Basilisk bit him. Conscious when we found him dropped off a 2nd ago. shallow pulsing. Cold."Neville rattled that off in one breath and Madam Pomfrey instantly grimaced and pulled her bag open. Rummaging around in the undersurface she pulled out a long red feather.

"Fawkes !"She gripped the plumage in both hired hand."aid me."

Harry never heard whether her yell was answered as he had already darted out the door and was sprinting for the second floor.
*


Harry smashed through the doorway at a run and skidded to a stop on the tiles.

"OPEN !"Harry yelled.

"What are you doing in here."A little girl pushed out of a cube-shaped."This is a lady friend bath you know ?"Harry drew his wand and blew a sink off the paries. The girl cried and jumped away from him.

"You have three irregular to get the Hell out of here !"The female child was gone before he'd counted to two."Open ! Open up !"

"Harry are you alright ?"Harry spun and noticed Neville and myrtle in the doorway.

"Its not working !"

"Maybe that's not the password. Maybe he was delirious."Neville bit his lip in worry.

"Then what do we do ! ?"Harry threw his hired man up."We don't even have intercourse where the entering is !"

"I think I do."myrtle volunteered.

"You do !"

"There are some places in Hogwarts that the specter can't go. They ‘ re warded against us. Dumbledore ‘ s office for example."myrtle pointed to one of the cesspit."There ‘ s a pipework behind there, I can do down it below the donjon but no further. Its blocked."

Harry ran up to where Myrtle floated in the air, threw his arms around her and kissed her float cheek."You are a true marauder Vinca minor. One of us. You are amazing !"Harry released the startled touch and ran to the sink."Open !"But the cesspool didn't move."No… But that's got to be the entranceway !"

"What do we do ?"Neville asked."Go around ?"

"Yes ! That's perfect !"Harry turned to the pink glowing spectre nearby."Myrtle, you know the pipework around Hogwarts. Is there another way to get down to the same piazza as this pipe goes ?"

"I… I think so…"She said dreamily.

"Take us there, please !"The ghost flowed out through a bulwark and Harry was running again to hold on up. They ran passed startled scholarly person until Vinca minor came to rest in a obsolete classroom on the one-third floor.

"Through here."She said and disappeared into the wall.

"myrtle !"Her promontory reappeared."We need a way we can go !"

"There isn ‘ t one."Myrtle floated out to stand next to them."Its all walled up."

"Then what…"Harry began but Neville had already stepped up beside him.

"Reducto !"An Creator crack made Harry cover his ear and microchip of stonework flew everywhere.

"Alright !"Harry yelled as soon as the dissonance died down."Reducto !"

"Reducto !"

"Reducto !"

"Reducto !"

"Reducto !"Harry blasted the last of the debris from the hole they had made in the wall. He heard murmuring in the nearby corridor."Colloportus."Harry sealed the threshold shut.

"I ‘ ll go first."Harry stepped into the dusty tobacco pipe and gripped his baton between his teeth as he shimmied down. After he had lost sight of the entrance he heard Neville begin above him.

After a tortuous few arcminute Harry dropped into a tiny troll passage and got out of the way so that Neville could pretermit down behind him. It was gear Negroid but was soon lit with a deliquium wan light as Myrtle floated through the roof. They wordlessly followed her. After many squelching measure they emerged into a turgid chamber.

"Here we are."Vinca minor announced importantly."The Via Mortiferus."



You did n't think it was going to be that easy did you ?


I own none of the material I 'm not supposed to.



It was a blanket stone room, the stones underfoot slickness and stinking. A tiny runnel of cheating water ran from the incoming of the room to a giant hole in the floor. Underneath there was a massive sloping pipe, twice the width of a thermionic tube gearing. It was clogged with rubble and garbage in topographic point and the tiny drip of piss made the piping slick magazine as glass.

"There ?"Harry asked. Vinca minor nodded."We don ‘ t even lie with if this is the proper way."

"I think we do."Neville pointed at a turning point of the way where a onus of light-green shapeless scraps were lying. Harry took a closer look.

"Snake skin ?"Harry gulped.

"From a big snake."

Harry looked back down the pipe. There was no way someone could go down that and not hit the scraps trend. Some of them had broken bottles or musical composition of alloy in them.

"We can't just slide down, we ‘ ll be killed."Harry shook his nous."Maybe if we blast all the stuff we can see…"

"Then it ‘ ll be at the behind waiting for you,"Myrtle pointed out.

"I know !"Neville cried suddenly. He ran over and grabbed the two biggest part of snake skin."Think Basilisk skin is as roughneck as Dragon pelt ?"

"Can I desire it's knotty enough to preserve us up here…"Harry wrapped his piece around him as tightly as possible."… but not so tough the Basilisk kills us when we get there ?"

Neville smiled wanly.

"Neville whichever of us gets there gets Ginny out."Harry met his admirer's optic and moved closer."We don't worry about anything else."

"I know Harry."Neville nodded.

"I can ‘ t follow you,"Myrtle sniffed."But if you die you ‘ re welcome to share my crapper. Either of you."

"Death doesn't seem so chilling now eh ?"Harry grinned and moved to the edge."Well…"Harry tilted his head up and closed his eyes."Could use some of that luck now…"And with that Harry jumped off the edge.
*


Harry felt the Harlan F. Stone skidding under him even through the snake tegument. He was traveling faster than he thought and it was only a moment before he smashed into a garbage stilt. It felt like he was being smashed with clubs but the shinny didn't break and he kept going. Another smacked into his legs and set him spinning across the pipe like a top.

He could discover Neville screaming but couldn't see him. Another heap took him in the chest and soon he was screaming too. The whole mankind reduced to the moving stone under him, his own screech in his capitulum and the sudden excruciating bursts of nuisance as he hit things.

The hit became less and less frequent as Harry fell and he at last opened his eyes. As soon as he did so his metrical unit hit water and he went under. Harry's mind went dummy. Get out ! Get out ! Get out ! He flailed wildly against the tegument that was still wrapped around him and managed to slip out. airfoil ! Air ! Harry felt his lungs constrict and he breathed in a lungful of the blackish water. His chest felt like fire. His understructure touched merchantman and he kicked out as hard as he could. His head broke the Earth's surface and Harry half coughed, half vomited up the water he'd breathed in plus everything he'd eaten in his entire lifetime. palpitation, he stood up and pushed his gunk-filled fringe out of his eyes. Then he realised what he had done and looked down.

The water barely reached over his hips.

The realisation made him gag again and he emptied another burden of bile into the already marshy water. He reached into his robe and pulled out his verge, thankfully undamaged. He lit it and surveyed the scene. He was in a tunnel, waistline deep with disgusting melanize weewee full of superior general garbage. It went on for a slipway in both directions, then turned off into conjunction and divide away into darkness. God it was cold down here. Harry saw his Basilisk skin floating nearby and wrapped it around his shoulders like a cloak. A pay back charm made sure enough it stayed there, not that it helped much.

Then Harry realised something. Neville wasn't there ; he had been right behind him a moment ago. Harry looked back up the pipe he'd fallen out of but there was nothing as far as he could see. There had been turnings off the pipe. He must have just been shunted a different way by the drivel. At least, Harry hoped that was all that had happened. Hopefully they ‘ d find each other eventually. He saw a kitchen tongue natation by its handle nearby and grabbed it. With shaky fingers he scratched an H into the wall next to him, followed by an pointer. Then, pulling his makeshift cloak closer about him, he headed off in that direction.

Harry slogged through the water system until he came to a junction. It was impossible to differentiate which way was proper, so Harry just scrawled another mark on the rampart and kept going. He had no idea how long he walked through that freezing water. How many arrows he scrawled on the walls. Eventually it all blurred into one, until something caught his attention.

Skeletons. slews of them, floating in the water. Not food animals either, scab and small birds. Harry tried to mold out which way they were coming from and pushed that way, batting the little carcasses out of his way. There was a jailbreak in the brickwork here. Just big enough for a big ophidian or a small boy to creep through. Harry dragged himself up and looked around. He was on the base behind a giant pillar carved with serpents. He looked up and saw a bank building of them at the other side of the vast chamber.

"Ah, Mr Potter. You have chosen to grace us with your presence."

The voice came from somewhere he couldn't see. On the other side of the pillar somewhere. It sounded like Flint River's vox but the row didn't seem like I he's choose.

"You might as well arrive out ; I've been waiting for you."

Harry was too tired to come up up with a better approximation and stood on benumbed legs. He walked out slowly from behind the pillar. Flint River stood proudly in front of a monstrous statue. Ginny was lying still by his feet, unconscious. But was it Flint River ? It was almost as if a shadow was overlaid over the Slytherin's stocky inning. A shadow of a taller man, thin and common cold, with high cheekbones.

"Hello Tom."Harry stopped in the middle of the room a few beat from the shadowy half-figure. He had his wand gripped tight in his correctly paw and a strong knife in his leftfield. He knew he looked horrific, he was probably swaying, but he felt as solid as he had ever been.

"how-do-you-do Harry. Why in Merlin ‘ s name didn ‘ t you just use the front door ?"Tom/Flint laughed chillingly.

"You gave me the wrong watchword. I said ‘ open'but it didn't work."

"Ah… I told him the password was Sizzasc, Parseltongue for ‘ give ’. He must have got confused. That can fall out when you ‘ re dying, or so I'm told."

"By the end of the day I can undertake you ‘ ll know for sure."

The split apparition laughed again and Harry could blaspheme he heard two vocalization there. A gravely deep one and a smoother nasal one.

"Can I ask you one thing ?"Harry played for time while working his toes, trying to get some feeling back into them.

"Ask away Mr Potter. A condemned man should have his questions answered."

"How did you get the journal back from Dumbledore ?"Harry was genuinely curious.

"Oh… that is an interesting one."Tom grinned."The true statement is the old fool never had the diary."

"?"

"Let me start at the starting time. With inadequate Ginny Weasley, you do know that she was creditworthy for the first-class honours degree few petrification ?"

"I guessed."

"Good. It's good to know you ‘ re not a fool. Like her."Tom kicked the prone body in front of him."I took control of her to open the chamber and scrawl my call to subdivision on the wall. But it backfired on me, during one of the fights I had so wanted to do the diary fell from her bag. And it was spotted by Markus Michelson."

Harry thought back. He remembered seeing Markus picking up Ginny's rule book bag after the fight the day she lost it.

"He recognised that it was a unchurch object if not just how cursed and, in his hauteur, thought he could deal with it himself. He fought me with his magic every night, trying to come up a way to demolish the book."

"And he looked more hackneyed every day…"Harry shook his pass. He had so badly misjudged the man.

"And then something wonderful happened !"Tom spread his arms all-inclusive."While on a custody for the insufferable Michelson a wonderful man chanced upon the diary. Marcus flint. His father had been one of my servants during my rise to power and had told his son my true name."Tom paused."An criminal offence which in normal circumstance I would penalise him for, but in this case it has come to a good end. Then youthful flint did something so clever Salazar Slytherin himself would be majestic of him. He constructed a fake diary."

"Oh…"the patch began to fall into place in Harry's head once more.

"Only capable of simple phrases obviously. ‘ I am Tom Riddle ’, ‘ I will never tell you my secrets ’, that form of affair. And then, in his last detention with Markus Michelson he switched the two books."

"Michelson didn ‘ t placard the deviation ?"

"I assume he thought he was finally forcing the diary to go on the defensive. Finally winning."Tom laughed the peculiar doubly laugh again."And in the have in mind prison term I finally had a willing servant. One I didn ‘ t have to manipulate or insure. Oh, no, he wanted me to control him. Wanted the power."Tom reached up and patted Flint on the shoulder. It was the start motion the shadow had made that Flint hadn't done as well."I initially thought I would drain his energy to give back to the populace. He was indeed wiling to make that ritual killing to help me but I decided that he is simply too useful to me."The spectre glanced down at the material body at his substructure."Instead I will use hers."

"What !"Harry took an involuntary gradation forward.

"Yes, Harry thrower. I will drain her and return. You think I told you that long winded taradiddle because I wanted to ? That I was stupid enough to let you buy time like that ? No… by buying time you have been giving me time to raise potent. And what have you gained ?"

"Well, I can feel my fingers now…"Harry grinned through the muck covering his face. A truly vicious smile."Oh, when you come back you ‘ ll probably need a wand."

"I…"

"Here have mine."Harry held his baton out and tossed it lazily through the air.

Voldemort wore a shocked expression as the sceptre landed in his outstretched palm.

"Potter-"But he got no further as Harry's stab stabbed deep into his chest.

"… and you need agile finger for knife throwing."

"…."Tom tried to speak but only a croak came out. A trickle of blood drew down the English of his back talk. Harry walked slowly up to his foeman and curled his fingers around the knife hilt.

"Confused yet you motherfucker ?"Harry tore the tongue out and Voldemort collapsed onto the earth spurting blood. Harry grabbed his baton and nicked Flint's for commodity measure, then stumbled shakily over Ginny prone form.

"Hey Gin…"Harry shook her, trying vainly to wake her."Ginny ?"She didn't stir. Her skin didn't even sense lovesome."Wake up…"

"Ssssss……"Harry turned in a flash. Tom had his oculus open and a serpentine hiss escaped his mouth."Saseeciss. Sassozziss. Sss…"Harry ran up and savagely kicked him in the jaw. But the legal injury was done. With a grinding noise the oral fissure of the slap-up statue opened and Harry saw a flashing of dark-green before he turned away in fear.

"Ginny we need to go !"Harry tried to lift her and failed. He would have found it hard going if he hadn't just gone through torment. As it was he settled for dragging her across the level by an arm while the fizzle got closer. Harry aimed a hex over his berm without looking but apparently it didn't connect because the Hissing got closer. It was catching up. Harry abandoned Ginny and ran to the other side of the elbow room yelling"Hey ! Over here ! Me !"but he tripped and spun as he fell. Without thinking he looked right into the face of the Basilisk.

And laughed ! It was a wreck ! A giant burn stretched half the length of its side and the tip of its tail was a burnt off stump. A massive stroke marred its throat below its head and, most importantly, its eye were gone. Replaced by a gaping wound.

Markus Michelson had got in more than a few stab !

Unfortunately Harry had waited too farsighted staring and his laugh had told it where he was. It dived and bit down around him. Harry had no chance to elude, he felt like he had been put in a vice, pressing down on his thorax all around and he cried out hoarsely. He thought he heard his ribs crack then the insistence lifted and he staggered back. The Basilisk looked, if anything, confused.

Harry checked himself over. hurting, bruised, get out costa but no teeth bull's eye and no poison. Harry's hand fell on the silvery-green, stopgap cloak he had around his shoulders and started in shock.

It couldn't insect bite through its own skin !

Harry got up from where he was kneeling on the base and tightened his clutch on his wand. It was wounded, its master was gone and he had a cloak it couldn't burn through.

"Hey you ! Ugly !"The Basilisks head snapped around just in time to hold an Incendio spell hit it right in the heap where its optic had been. Its shrieking of pain was insensate and it writhed its monolithic spiral in torment."Acerbus cuspis !"Harry sent the pain-spear winging straight into the massive burning on its side of meat and was rewarded with another screeching. It smashed its tail around, trying to rap him over but he just ducked and fired a sting hex into a gaping wounding he hadn't even noticed before.

"Here !"Harry yelled again and as its headland whirled around he sent another nemesis into its face. But this one missed and the cracking snake lunged forward and bit Harry around the legs. The merely part of him unprotected by the cloak.

Harry felt a combustion pain as a tooth pierced his leg. He felt himself being lifted into the air and cried out again. It was holding him up in its mouth like a drained rat. Harry clung to its snout and with the final stage of his metier plunged his wand into the mess that had been its eyes.

"Reducto !"There was an explosive auditory sensation and Harry felt himself fly through the air and hit the base hard. As he looked up through fuzzy oculus he saw the Basilisk swaying in the air. ancestry gushed from its mouthpiece and eye like some perverted fountain and it screeched like nails on a chalkboard. Then, with one cobbler's last cry, it went still and fell like a great tree, crashing onto the pit and lying there still.

He had done it.

Harry dragged himself back to list against a pillar. He looked down at his leg. Yep, there was a huge tooth fix right there in his second joint. No escaping it. Harry gulped then smiled. He supposed it didn't matter if he was dying. His hired man reached up into his shirt and held tight to the pendent there.

"You knew I could do it,"Harry whispered."You know I could do it."

"Harry ?"Harry glanced across and saw Neville's round face poking out from the hole in the wall. He has glancing between Harry and the giant serpent.

"Ginny ‘ s there."Harry tried to point but found he couldn't. Neville got the subject matter though and disappeared. He reappeared a consequence later carrying Ginny in his arms.

"Harry can you get up ?"

"No Neville, I can ‘ t."Harry managed a wry smile."Sorry."

"Harry…"

"Can you get out ? I don ‘ t…"

"It's OK. While I was looking for this post I found a pipe that lets out near the lake. I can get back there. I left markers."

"You left marks…"Harry suddenly couldn't keep from laughing."I taught you… you left marks…"

"Yeah Harry."Neville sat down beside him and put his hand on Harry's shoulder. His font said that he knew Harry wasn ‘ t getting out of there."Just like you did. That's how I found you."

"You did it right… I did it right."Harry looked at the dead ophidian."I did it right. Get her out."Harry ordered and Neville stood.

"We ‘ ll be back for you. You know your…"Neville stopped and rubbed his eyes. He was crying."We won ‘ t leave you down here."

"I know. Go."

Neville was shaking as he made his way to the shot in the rampart and pushed himself through. Then pulled Ginny after him.

Harry leaned back and closed his eyes.

"How sentimental."

Harry's eyes flickered open and he saw Tom Riddle leaning casually against the great bulk of the Basilisk. He wasn't fuzzy or transparent anymore, he was firm. And he had a wand.

"You took yours and flint's wands."Tom answered his question before he asked it."But you forgot about Ginny ‘ s."

"Oh…"Harry glanced at the crack in the wall. Neville's light was still seeable, slowly passing away.

"Go on, margin call for supporter. He can probably still hear you."

Harry kept his mouth tight shut. Neville was getting out with Ginny. That was all that mattered.

"good choice."Voldemort moved forward and snatched Harry's scepter from his unresisting bridge player. He threw it into the vestige by the heavy statue. As an afterthought he sent Flint River's wand and the knife after it.

"As he was dying Mr flint preformed me one net service."Voldemort smiled."He gifted his remaining life to me. Restoring me."Voldemort moved even closer. Harry tried to slew himself away but found he didn't have the vigor, the poison had almost run its course. His eyes flickered back to the cleft in the paries. It was totally obscure. Neville was truly gone.

"Lord Voldemort. Killed by a knife ?"Tom Riddle shook his forefront."Never. It could never happen."

"amercement,"Harry mumbled."springiness me back the knife."

"No Harry."Tom raised his baton."I think I will err on the side of safety in this matter. I think I will simply kill you. Now. Ava-"

But he got no further as the massive door to the chamber was flung open. Tom Riddle stepped back in shock as the room was filled with glowing golden light.

"Get the hell away from him !"Framed by the doorway and glistening with H2O and sweat stood Markus Albert Abraham Michelson, brand in one had, verge in the former and with Dumbledore's Phoenix circling above him. Bathing the room in light.

"You !"Tom aimed a dark violet curse at Markus, who shot it out of the air with a facile one of his own.

"Yes. ME !"The teacher strode forward and smashed a hex into Tom Riddle's hastily raised shield.

"Markus !"A second hex drove riddle further from Harry.

"Maximus !"Tom enigma shot a spell back but it was easily deflected.

"Mighty !"Tom Riddle yelled something unintelligible and a jumbo shard of steel sprang into being and shot towards the teacher. Markus just swatted it away with his sword.

"Magesto !"A monumental black curse that looked like it was made of tar swarm Tom to his knees.

"Mary ! Mucus ! Michelson !"The teacher drew degree with Harry and stopped, his wand vibrating in his hand."And you will not adjoin him you sick, short freak !"

Harry noticed the genus Phoenix landed estate beside him but ignored it. If he was going to die then we was going expend his last few minute enjoying the show.

"You dare to dispute me !"Tom Riddle stood from where he had been thrown."I am the Dark Lord !"

"wrong !"Michelson barked."You are the darkness Creator at age eighteen ! Not even that, you ‘ re a subtlety of the wickedness Creator teenage self ! A shadow ! A lie !"

Harry could now see why Dumbledore had hired this man. He came off as a fool to the highest degree of the time but that was because he wanted to. He saw no intellect to be serious all the sentence. But actually get him into a fighting and he became like red-hot iron.

"I am the Dark Jehovah ! master Voldemort ! Avada Kedavra !"A jet of gullible light shot across the way but Markus Michelson yelled something and a clump of stonework broke off of the bulwark, smashing into the curse as it flew.

"Orbitus !"Markus yelled and lump of base around him were ripped from the solid ground. They began the spin around him like planets and he advanced on the juvenile Dark Lord like the wrath of worlds.

"Avada Kedavra !"Michelson didn't even blink, just let the hex impact itself on one of the orbiting rocks. Even through the shower of gravel he kept walking.

"AgniparvataH !"Michelson yelled and a glowing symbolic representation flew across the elbow room and exploded on a silver carapace that Tom Riddle had made. Even so it caused the stones around him to beam white hot and shot under the strain.

It was at approximately this decimal point that Harry realised he wasn't dead. He looked down at himself in electric shock ; he wasn't even in that much hurting anymore. Pulling his ruined trouser leg aside he saw that the raciness wound was totally closed without even leaving a scar. He looked at the burnished red Bronx cheer that had alighted next to him and grinned. It looked like he was going to exist another day.

"Maquixtia !"The cry brought Harry back to the moment as he saw professor Michelson break out of a prison of massive pitch blackness vines and creeper."KhaNDana !"A thunderbolt of disconsolate light bounced of Tom Riddles shield. It looked like Tom wasn't playing anymore and had begun to attack in earnest. Already Professor Albert Michelson had been forced to founder ground and almost all of his tilt were gone.

He had to do something to aid !

Harry cast about for a weapon but his wand and knife were too far away. His eyes came to rest on the blackened journal fabrication discarded on the base. Ah…

Harry crawled down behind the cadaver of the Basilisk, ignoring the enchantment that occasionally winged over him, until he was crouched behind the remains of the arse with the petty Holy Scripture a few meters away. Harry glanced back at the scrap and waited for the rectify moment. Unfortunately he could not hold off long…

Voldemort twisted his baton in the air and jabbed it upwards like a spear. A shining lead of flickering lightning exploded above him like a nova. Swinging his scepter down he flung it at Professor Albert Michelson. The teacher's harbour shattered like glass and he screamed in pain in the ass as the lightning struck him. Harry knew he had to act now ! He darted out from behind the Basilisk and grabbed the book.

"drib him !"Harry yelled at the shadow Lord."fall him or I ‘ ll destroy it !"

"Hm… ?"Voldemort turned to seem at Harry. The lightning stopped but professor A. A. Michelson didn't move from the trading floor where he had fallen. Voldemort crossed his coat of arms and stared at Harry mockingly."How ?"

"I ‘ ll just… Oh…"Harry cringed a memory from sooner stung him. Professor A. A. Michelson had tried for week to destroy this thing. Harry opened it and tried to tear a page off. It felt like paper but for the life of him he couldn't so much as scratch the Earth's surface. Harry looked up at the quietly chuckling Dark Maker."How embarrassing."

"I take it back Mr Potter,"Tom brain-teaser said raising his wand."You are a fool."

But Harry felt a weight commonwealth on his articulatio humeri. He looked up to see the capital of Arizona that had healed him standing there. The bird tilted its head to calculate him in the eye and he could have sworn it winked at him. Then it spread its beautiful vermilion wings and burst into flame.

Harry screamed as the attack curled up around his head teacher but then jerked back in electric shock, it wasn't burning him ! He felt the flames wreath all around him but they felt more like a affectionate snap. They covered his brass and eyes and he could see aught but a wall of luminosity. Harry felt something in his manus shifting, he wasn ‘ t burning but the diary was !

Harry held the diary in front of him and felt the claws on his articulatio humeri release for a moment then felt the free weight transfer of training to his arm. Somewhere outside the flame someone was screaming but Harry couldn't Tell who. He felt the weight on his arm lessen as the flames died down and eventually stopped. Harry felt the lastly flaming recede and stood for a moment, completely disbelieving. Something about what he had just gone through didn't spirit normal or even magical. It felt somehow greater, sr. and far Thomas More powerful.

Harry realised he still held his helping hand out in front line of him, clenched. He released it and watched as blackness ash slowly trickled out from between his finger's breadth. Right in the centre was a lilliputian ugly chick that looked up at him with its featherless face. Of the diary there was nothing.

Harry looked around the now battle-scarred chamber. There was a giant burn mark right where Tom Riddle had been standing. Not even ash had been left of him. Harry moved forward slowly, his mind still reeling from what he had experienced. He came to a stop in the center of the room and fell down on his knee, unable to walk further. He cradled the minuscule dame in his mitt and asked it…

"What the sin just happened to me ?"The hoot just chirruped in response but another voice gave Harry an answer.

"Phoenix fire…"Markus Michelson lifted himself up with obvious effort and limped over to Harry."…it only burns up evil."The professor sat down and began running his baton over his powerful coat of arms, fixing the burns and bruising.

"A lightning-rage spell, however…"he continued healing over a particularly charred patch."…burns anyone. Oh snap out of it kid !"He added seeing Harry's shaken verbalism."I've only ever heard third hand stories of people who were actually inside a genus Phoenix's rebirth flaming and they all agree it's an experience. None of them say it renders you catatonic !"

"Wha ? … yeah sorry."Harry shook his read/write head to clear it and looked over at his teacher ‘ s healing efforts."Do you need any aid with that ?"

"Just pick out me any spot I ‘ ve missed pipsqueak. Well, suppose I shouldn ‘ t call you that now…"Michelson gestured at the Basilisk with a grin."…but now you won ‘ t have any excuse for low fall guy eh ?"

"Yeah…"But the Professor's use of his byname had reminded him of something else and he felt guilt bubble up in his mineral vein."I treated you pretty badly this term."Harry hung his head. He didn't want to meet Markus Michelson's eyes.

"Really ? How so ?"

"I thought you were the one behind the attacks. I broke into your government agency. Twice."Harry shook his head but didn't look up."I helped all the rumor against you, started most of them. I threatened to pop you. I got you fired. I almost got you arrested. And then you almost died protecting one of my Friend. I ‘ m… I ‘ m so sorry."Harry forced himself to search up and converge his teacher's optic. Michelson had stopped his healing and was looking at Harry with just a intimation of a smile.

"Oh… that."Markus Michelson smiled broadly and clapped Harry on the arm."Don ‘ t worry about that."

"What ? But…"

"Harry I thought you understood. You gave me my steel when I was dying."prof Albert Abraham Michelson was speaking as if this was the most obvious thing in the world."Then I saved your life. Then you saved mine. We ‘ re warrior-brothers now."The giant man reached out and held both Harry's shoulders."Brother at arms."

"sidekick at sleeve ?"Albert Michelson nodded."That a wizard matter ?"

"Sure…"Markus A. A. Michelson pulled him to his feet and preformed a quick drying charm."… in certain Nordic magical cultures."

"trade good enough for me then."Harry grinned."So… How do we get out of here ?"
*


"…and then Flint River, he grabbed me."Ginny Weasley clutched her mother's deal as she sobbed and shuddered through her narrative. She had woken suddenly as Neville was carrying her across the reason away from the lake. When they reached the castling they had been mobbed by instructor and dragged almost bodily up to the Headmaster's part. Her parents had been there ( her mother crying, her Church Father ashen-faced and grim ) and she had been enveloped in a jumbo wet hug.

But as soon as brothel keeper Pomfrey had said that she was unharmed the motion had begun and she had been forced to haltingly secern her taradiddle, starting with the first clock time she found the journal mixed in with her books. Neville hadn't said anything since she had woke up. He had just curled up in an armchair and stared out with hollow heart. She knew something was incorrect but he wouldn ‘ t say anything, she just hoped he found his representative again now her part of the fib was over.

"… and then he did some trance on me and I blacked out."Ginny looked over at Neville hopefully. She saw Dumbledore's gaze motion to the pitiful neural boy.

"Mr Longbottom ?"The Headmaster moved over and placed his helping hand on Neville's shoulder."Please…"

"We… me and Har…"Neville cut himself off and bit back a sob. He looked back up and kept talking in a hollow out voice."We found Professor Michelson dying. He said we had to go find Ginny, that if we told any instructor then Flint would kill her. We broke our way into the pipes, slid down. I got separated from Ha… We got separated. When I found him the Basilisk was dead. He ‘ d killed it, but…"The room was silent as Neville wrapped his arms around himself and broke into tears."…He ‘ s dead ! It bit him ! He ‘ s dead."

Ginny felt her female parent's fingerbreadth clench around her arm and looked up. Molly Weasley was shaking her head in disbelief. Ginny looked back at the schoolmaster. The old man had backed away and collapsed into a death chair. His usually sparkling eyes were abruptly and empty.

For her own contribution she just shook her head.

"No !"Ginny felt the room tour to her."He ‘ s not dead !"She dashed the snag out of her eyes."He wouldn ‘ t die ! He can ‘ t !"

"Ginevra…"Her female parent had pulled her closer."… I know it seems like that but…"

"No ! He needs to be here !"

Her mother just moved to stroke her hair.

"Ginny please…"another vocalization called out."…If you keep telling them I ‘ m alive you ‘ ll ruin my dramatic entrance."
*


Harry looked out across the office staff and laughed at the various grammatical construction of shock.

"Wooo…"Harry wiggled his fingers at them."I ‘ ve come back to haunt you !"But he got no further as Ginny dashed at him and tackled him to the ground.

"You ‘ re animated ! You ‘ re alive !"

"Oh so now it ‘ s a big shock."Harry grinned as he lifted Ginny off him and levered himself to his feet. He kept one hand on his Quaker's shoulder for support and walked further into the situation. He stopped suddenly as he caught lot of a figure he thought he vaguely recognised. A white haired man with a long cane, topped with a watch crystal. He was staring down his nose at Harry with scarcely concealed contempt.

"Who ‘ s this son of a bitch ?"Harry jerked his head at the man and he felt Ginny stifle a giggle. Even Professor McGonagall ( who would hold usually yelled at him for such language ) seemed to be concealing a pocket-sized grinning behind her hand.

"My name is Lucius Malfoy."The man's representative didn't bother to conceal the contempt."And I am here as a representing the schooling governor and their opinions on this… unpleasantness."

"I remember you now."Harry pointed at the man."I asked you the way onto platform nine and three quarters before I met the Weasleys. You tripped me up and laughed."Harry felt the air in the room cool by an appreciable degree."And the unpleasantness is over. You can go."

"Oh yes ? And do we simply contain your word for it ?"Lucius sneered at Harry. For the number one clock time Harry noticed the underweight figure crouching behind him. Dobby the house elf was attempting to hide behind his master.

"I can show you the Basilisk ‘ s corpse if you like."Harry realised he was still wearing dress caked in mud and blood and held them out for Lucius to see."You slide through garbage, kingdom in faeces and drag yourself through a international mile or so of freezing, putrid sewerage. Anyone know a good dry-cleaners ?"

"Is that what all that is ? I just assumed it was your normal clothes."Lucius sneered at him."You are a street urchin are you not ?"

"Look…"Harry eased forwards until he was standing unsupported."… I ‘ ve had a long day. A long, unpleasant day. Just get out. You ‘ re not needed here."

Lucius Malfoy smiled.

"I was leaving anyway. The reek in here is unbearable."And with that the man strode towards the door to the billet. Harry saw Dobby keep up him cringing and said…

"You know. I wasn ‘ t joking about the mile of freezing sewage."Both Lucius and Dobby turned back to him."In the end I couldn ‘ t even feel anything but I kept dragging myself forward. Because I knew I had to and so nothing else mattered."Harry glanced down and caught Dobby's heart."Almost nothing is impossible if you just push through. Just keep walking towards what you want, one stone's throw at a time."

"How uplifting."Lucius turned."seminal fluid Dobby."He began to walk until a small voice brought the whole room to a stop.

"No."

Lucius turned, his face a masquerade party of disbelief.

"What ?"But Dobby had begun to move, walking very slowly away."Come back here now !"Dobby cringed and his feet seemed to twist of their own accord.

"One step at a time."Harry knelt down and reached out his custody towards the elf."Come on…"

Shuddering so badly it looked like he was one step away from a fit, Dobby continued his understood walk.

"Dobby, obey me !"Dobby cried out and fell to his genu but go on forward at a crawl. As he reached Harry's outstretched implements of war his shuddering stopped and he fell to the footing in tears. Harry gathered him up as he sobbed and sniffled through his farseeing nose.

"You have subverted my servant !"Lucius Malfoy's face was twitching with barely controlled furor and his manus seemed to nip on his wand.

"You should receive taken intimately upkeep of him,"Harry replied levelly, staring the man down."Go now. Just gather your precious smidge of pride and go."Lucius Malfoy drew himself up.

"mulct, I don't need a disobedient servant."He tossed one of his boxing glove on the floor near the elf and stalked away. Harry let out a prospicient breath. The sobbing elf in his arms reached out without looking and snatched the glove from the floor. Dobby clutched it to his bureau with both deal but didn't stop watchword. Harry glanced back over his shoulder at the shocked font of Albus Dumbledore.

"way in the kitchens for another elf, schoolmaster ?"Dumbledore blinked in surprise, then smiled."I think this one needs a good home."
*


"You have given me a lot of shock today Harry,"Dumbledore spoke to the boy sitting on the other side of his desk. The Weasleys had gone home, Dobby had been taken down to see the kitchens and Neville and Ginny had returned to the towboat for some much needed rest. Harry thought privately that he needed rest even more but didn't say anything. Dumbledore had kept him back to say something and he was damned if he wasn't gon na hear what that was."At my age my capacity to be surprised is rather low, but somehow you always seem to manage."

"I ‘ m always unexpected."Harry grinned.

"Yes, you are."Dumbledore met Harry's greenish oculus with his own sparkling I."I fear I misjudged you this year Harry. I gave you discipline when I should receive given counseling and I lectured when I should throw listened. I was wrong Harry I-"But Dumbledore broke off as Harry begun chuckling under his breath."Something amusing ?"

"Just a little sense of déjà vu."Harry smiled as he recalled the outcome not even an hour ago."Only I was on the other side of meat. Since I was forgiven then I can't really do anything but forgive you now can I ?"Harry grinned at the schoolmaster."It ‘ s ok, really."

"Very well Harry."Dumbledore leant back in his chair."But I do believe some reward is in order for your heroic today. I believe an laurels for special religious service to the shoal for yourself and Mr Longbottom would-"

"professor, I don't know about Neville but could I ask for something else ?"Harry saw the headmaster's supercilium rise in surprisal."It ‘ s just… there ‘ s this group of Slytherins, Vanessa Gibbons and Elizabeth I heath and Joshua tear. couple of others too. They ‘ ll know all the names if you ask them. They ‘ re the Muggleborn ones or the half line ones or Pure-Bloods that had the guts to stand up to Malfoy and Flint River. They shouldn ‘ t have to go back to the dungeon. They shouldn ‘ t have to go back to where they have to live with the kind of abuse Malfoy and his care dole out. They ‘ re not safe there, and they shouldn ‘ t have to stay there just because some unintelligent hat told them to. I want you to let them change house."The situation fell into silence again for a consequence before Dumbledore answered.

"Once again Harry you manage to surprise me. But I ‘ m afraid it is not possible, never in the History of Hogwarts has a student switched houses. And even though the sorting hat's choice seem foreign sometimes, it always has the right idea about people."

"So what ? So what if they ‘ re more cunning than they are smart or brave out ? Does it matter, does it stand for they should sustain to live with people who think they're trash ? Professor…"Harry raised his hand to end the Headmaster retorting."… you just saw a menage elf drag himself across the storey to earn the right wing to choose. Just return these student the same chance. Please… ?"Harry looked pleadingly at the headmaster and saw his words sink in. Dumbledore took his glasses off and rubbed his temples.

"First the categorisation and now this. Will you only be happy when the entire school is Gryffindor ?"

"I ‘ ll be happy when the entire school is felicitous. Or at to the lowest degree reasonably content. occur on Professor…"Harry added spreading his hands."…I ‘ m frigidness, I ‘ m tired, I want a rain shower and I want to go to bed and we both know you ‘ re going to say yes."

Dumbledore's smile gave Harry his answer.
*


"Wait ? It wasn ‘ t Markus Michelson."

"No Ron, it was Flint."

"But we knew it was Michelson."

"Apparently we ‘ re morons."Harry shrugged. The petrified scholarly person were only just being woken up. Each of their reaction had been uniquely priceless. Harry ticked them off in his head…

Joshua tear had been awoken with a kiss from Lucy Kingston and had promptly pulled the curtains around his bed to continue what she'd started.

Oliver Wood had gone from horizontal to vertical in a fraction of a second and scream"Quidditch ! Is it over ? Did I miss it ? Did we win ?"

At first they had though the potion hadn't worked on Colin Creevey before they discovered that he'd woken up and fainted perfectly away when he saw Harry standing next to him.

victor Kingston had run to the phone of his sister's voice when he woke up then run back out from behind the curtain yelling"My eye ! My eyes !"

And now the Marauders had joined them in the Din Land of the living, Harry had spent the low few min explain what had happened in their absence seizure and the following half hour fielding questions., nearly of them from Ron who couldn't quite seem to get his head round the idea.

"Honestly Ron."Hermione shook her brain at him."It all makes perfective tense sense when you know the journal was fake."

"But he did have the real diary."

"Yes but only for a while…"

Harry covered his ears and let Hermione explain the things she herself hadn't known an hour ago. She'd probably do a estimable job anyway.

He looked out of the windowpane of the hospital wing at the blazing summer sun and grinned. Maybe it was meter to begin making plans for the coming summer. Maybe he should get a guitar…
*


Harry saw Markus Michelson off at the gate, his trunks looking decidedly odd with several native artifacts strapped to the sides.

"Do you own to go ?"Harry had asked while helping him lade up his carriage.

"Never intended to stay on,"Markus quipped as he loaded a large wooden statue into the carriage."Told you before, I was just taking a intermission from my travels."

"Where do you think you ‘ ll go ?"

"Oh I don't know. Africa maybe…"Professor Michelson shrugged his widely articulatio humeri."… could try and get myself roped into a Nundu Holman Hunt. They're always fun."

"I ‘ ll take your password for it."Harry shook his head as he passed up a small carven statue. It was a ophidian, and looked quite old."So, you always been a parselmouth ?"

"No."Markus looked down at him grinning."Some central American shaman practice demon summoning. I visited a federation of tribes whose totem was a snake-god, almost all their ceremonial were parseltongue. That's where I learnt it. feed that was before I got there, after I left nearly of them were worshipping me."

"Yeah yeah yeah."Harry rolled his heart chuckling as he tossed up the last box."hypothesis that's everything."

"You know pipsqueak, I wasn ‘ t joking about the brothers thing."Markus Michelson reached out and put one of his big hands on Harry's articulatio humeri."You ever need me you know where I ‘ ll be."

"No I won't,"Harry said with a grinning."But I ‘ m sure Digger ‘ ll be able to bump you."Michelson nodded.

"issue caution of yourself kid."

"You too, Professor."

Harry watched as the carriage slowly moved out of sight around the bend in the road then slowly walked back up to the rook. When he reached his elbow room he lay down and stared at the ceiling for a long time. There was someone else who had helped him this year, someone he really should feature thanked a long time ago. Harry drew out a quill and started writing.

I should suffer written to you a long time ago, but its been a feverish year. I don't know if you know already but affair got pretty bad here.

Harry chewed the end of his quill ; it was severe to bang exactly what he was trying to say. In the end he settled for…

Your pendent has helped me keep going when things have been at their most bleak. If that was it's magic trick was for then it's worked. It's worked like a charm.



This chapter is grammatically correct thanks to the superb genus Beta Colon.


well that 's another ledger done. The succeeding chapter should be coming soon. Be prepared to leave the suburbs of pseudo-cannonvale and enter AU city in Harry Potter and the Torrent of years !


I wish I owned Harry ceramist, I really do. But I do n't. Maybe if I 'm very, very good Santa Claus will impart me the legal rights for Christmas.



Harry Potter dragged his animal foot as he trudged along the pavement down the once intimate road. This summer, like the last, had been fun and relaxing. Harry had lazed the majority of the vacation away in Spain, juggling, studying and learning to take on the guitar that he now carried slung over his impart shoulder. well, learning and being taught.

Thinking that Dumbledore had probably had sufficiency shocks the previous year Harry had negotiated his vacation instead of sneaking away like he had planned. The master had been happy to oblige him and had only really had two conditions, that he be virtually wizards and that he check in daily. Neither had been too practically of a stock so Harry had chosen to visit the Spanish village near where the Academia Atsingani was located. Or at to the lowest degree where it was located currently : the school day had been founded by Bohemian and had a tendency to move around the country at irregular intervals.

"What do you do if you're left behind ?"Harry had asked one of the students living nearby while the new man showed him the rudiments of guitar playing.

"We hop on a broom and try to catch up."The entire schooling had a sort of que blood serum, sera attitude that Harry found he liked.

But now Harry was back in England and he was doing something he really didn't need to do, but something he knew probably should.

Harry loved his new maven life and had never missed any part of his old one. But still he felt like he needed to come together that chapter properly. Close it so he knew he never had to come back. Harry took a cryptical breath and knocked on the door of number four Privet Drive. A instant later it was opened.

"Yes ? What do you- YOU !"

"I don ‘ t want to stay."Harry held a hand up to silence his uncle."I don't want to be here any more than you want me to be here. I just came back for the stuff I left, then I can leave and never come back."

"You left here ! You can get out !"Vernon Dursley was even More fat and furious than Harry remembered."We don't want you here ! The day you left was the happiest of my life-time and if I don ‘ t see you gone from my attribute I ‘ ll…"

"You ‘ ll what, uncle ?"Harry slid his sceptre from his air hole so his uncle had a clear position of it. The fat world oculus bulged and all the blood seemed to drain from his face."I know what I am now. Interesting that you never thought to separate me, but I know all the same. So I want my stuff. The diminished insignificant measure of self-command I was ever allowed under your roof. Then I ‘ ll be on my way."

"Y… I don ‘ t…."Vernon Dursley blustered but Harry just cocked his hear to one face as if to say ‘ well ?'

"Get in then. Before the neighbours see you."Harry obligingly slid in thorough the straw man doorway and allowed his uncle to slam dance it closed behind him."petunia !"Uncle Vernon yelled out and a bit later Harry's auntie came down the stairs.

"What is it dearly ? Is… oh…"

"Long time no see."Harry grinned at her traumatise construction."Don't mind me… I don ‘ t intend to stay."

"Where did we knock down his things genus Petunia ?"Uncle Vernon asked brutishly.

"Under the… under…"Petunia was still opening and closing her mouth like she'd seen a ghostwriter but managed to point at the closet under the stairs.

"Ah. Should own known."Harry pushed past his uncle and jerked undefendable the cupboard. sure as shooting enough, there beside a new washing machine, was a smallish cardboard box. Harry pulled it out and opened it. Clothes now too low for him, a school workbook or two - that was all he'd really expected. Harry was under no illusions that picking up his poppycock was for anything more tangible than his own heartsease of mind."Looks like it."Harry closed the box and slide it into his leather backpack. It was a good backpack ; he had bought it in Kingdom of Spain. Harry never understood why wizard lugged trunks around when they could charm smaller bags to carry just as practically yet press almost nothing. Probably just a adept thing, he reasoned. Lapplander as quills.

"That everything ?"

"Yes it is,"said Petunia at the same metre as her hubby said,

"What about that box in the bonce ?"

"Box in the attic ?"Harry watched his aunt's face crepuscle."Yes aunty dearest. What about the box in the attic ?"

"That's… but…"

"Just get it for him so he can leave genus Petunia,"Vernon grumped. His wife looked like she was about to sound off again before turning stern and almost running up the stairs.

Harry heard a noise behind him and glanced over his shoulder.

"Hi Dudley."Harry's cousin was almost as wide-eyed as the door he was standing in."Yes that's right ! I ‘ m back."

"Harry… eh ? What happened to you ? You weren ‘ t like this when you left."

Harry wondered for a moment whether his aunt and uncle had told Dudley about magic, but then realised what he meant. Harry did reckon dissimilar, with his hair long enough to synch into a pony-tail and a guitar case slung over one shoulder, he looked naught like the persecute and timid boy that had been scared out of Privet Drive all those long time ago.

"I grew up."Harry hitched his bag eminent and grinned.

"Cool guitar,"Dudley said though he clearly couldn't see it through the case.

"I remember you had one yourself before I left. What happened to it ?"

"Smashed it through the TV."Dudley smiled at the memory of destruction."It was too heavily to play."

aunty Petunia came back down the stairs a bit later and thrust an old shoebox into his hands.

"Right, you have everything."Vernon had apparently been waiting for this and pulled the room access open."Out ! Now !"

"fountainhead uncle…"And now for the real reason for the sojourn."… there ‘ s just this minor bit of paperwork from my school."Harry pulled the Hogsmeade form from his pocket.

"If you could just signalise this, it's nothing important, then I can be on my way."But Vernon Dursley had recoiled from the parchment as if it was a lethal snake in the grass."Just one little signature…"

But his aunt took matter out of his hands. She strode forward and grabbed the Hogsmeade kind before tearing it in quarter and stuffing it back into his unresisting hand.

"Get. Out,"Petunia said from between clenched teeth."addict !"

Harry stared at the art object of parchment in his deal then up into his aunty eyes. He disdainfully opened his hand and let the combat of paper fall onto the storey of identification number four.

He would not let them have intercourse they had got to him. He would not leave them the satisfaction.

"Ah well."He brushed his hand against each other casually."Never creative thinker. hypothesis I ‘ ll be going then."

"Nice to see you again Dudley."Harry doffed an imaginary number cap to his full cousin and tucked the shoebox under his arm."Petunia…"Harry nodded at his auntie and strode out the doorway. The close sound he heard before it closed was,

"Dad, I need a new guitar."

*

Harry found a bench a safe few streets away and opened the box to see what he had got. It was mostly full of newspaper and old photos, but a few other things jingled around in the derriere. Harry drew them out carefully : a wizard coin, a quill, an evacuate phial, a delicate flatware locket lying open and a small ash grey badge with a P on it. Harry looked back over the composition, they were all written in neat, curled cursive. A charwoman's hand, or a female child's. These things were his mother's. Harry hurriedly pushed everything back into the box and shoved it back into his bag ; he needed to search at this later when he had to a greater extent time. He was about to get up and go when a small articulation behind him said,

"Sir… You missed something."

Harry turned, a pocket-size child was pointing at something glinting on the floor. It was the locket. It must have slipped out while he was looking at the papers. Harry took it and closed it before hastily wrapping it in a sock to stop it getting scratched it transit.

"Thanks."Harry was about to turn and leave when he realised something. A hideous shock jolted right down his sticker. The nestling had a lightning bolt shaped cicatrix on his forehead.

"What's your public figure ?"Harry dreaded the answer.

"Harry Potter. Why do you-"

"And what yr is it ? Ah… I mean how old are you ?"Harry amended quickly.

"Nearly four."

Harry glanced around quickly. Had he somehow travelled to the past or was this kid in his time to come ? Damn it ! It was impossible to recite, the route around Privet Drive probably wouldn't variety for anything unretentive of a nuclear holocaust. The road was evacuate of any people ; the simply life sentence he could see was a dog making a inspirit effort to dig its way under a fence.

Harry looked back down at the kid and tried to wrack his computer memory into shape. Did he remember having this conversation ? Did he recall meeting an odd man with a guitar who looked like him ? No, no he didn't remember. But that didn't mean it hadn't happened, he didn't think a lot of stuff from when he was young.

"Kid…"What to say him ? Should he severalize him anything ?"Kid you ‘ re especial. Don ‘ t let your aunt and uncle tell you different."

The boy blinked at him in surprise then faded. Faded away.

Harry collapsed back onto the bench and held his head in his hands. Without looking up he counted on his finger.

"evilness wizards, goliath snakes and now time travel."Harry banged his top dog on the hard woods of the arse."Wonderful."
*


Harry made it to King's Cross in spate of time and crossed quickly onto chopine nine and three tail to be met by an unexpected sight. The doors of the Hogwarts limited were closed and what scholarly person were already there were milling around uncertainly or talking in whispering mathematical group. Harry spotted the twins right near the end of the platform and wandered over.

"Hi, girls."

"Hi Harry, had a skillful summer ?"Parvati chirped at him.

"Not too bad. Thanks for the reading material by the way."

"Well you did ask for it. Can ‘ t imagine why."Padma shook her head and turned back to her contemplation of the unmoving train.

The al-Qur'an they were talking about was a weighty loudness they had got him for his birthday. Mrs Patil was a librarian at a monumental library in Bath and the counterpart had made a riding habit of getting him record on topic not even touched on by the Hogwarts curriculum. But when he had requested a Word on the obscure art of Occlumency, even they had raised their identical eyebrow. It hadn't just been an stagnate fancy however - the depicted object had been suggested to him in a alphabetic character. A alphabetic character from a girl in Greece with one purpleness eye. Despite not wanting to disappoint Pythea he'd not made much forward motion, the book was heavy going. He persevered though.

"When a young woman who can see the future tells you to learn something,"Harry had reasoned."It's probably in your trump pursuit to put in the time."Of course according to her he already was an occlumens, he just had to read to control it. Despite Harry's absolute respect for the little Greek seer, he looked on that statement with enceinte disbelief.

"Do you know what the hold up is ?"Harry gestured at the train."Can we get on the gear ?"

"Yes Harry, we can get on the train."Padma rolled her eyes."We ‘ re standing on this mucky, smokey platform purely in the pursuit of our own health."

"Can I dub you sourpuss this yr ? I think it suits you."

"I don't know, don't you want to not debar experiencing a scalping hex ?"

"No. Or yes… I mean no… Damn your duplicate negatives !"Harry grinned and Padma smiled back at him."Just tell me what's wrong with the train."

"We don't know,"Anapurna answered him and sat down on her trunk. Padma did the same.

"Ah…"thought Harry."So trunks do induce some vantage. Luckily…."Harry reached into his bag and pulled out a folding beach chair. He unfolded it and flopped down."… I make my own advantages."

"All we know…"Anapurna eyed Harrys chairman but said nothing."…is that they're going to make some promulgation before we get on the train."

"Don't they usually make those at the feast ?"Harry glanced around. The post was already filling up. Harry caught spate of Neville stumbling through the barrier and waved him over.

"Hi, Harry, Anapurna. Hi Padma, do you know what's wrong with the train ?"

"Why do you all assume I know ?"Padma snapped irritably.

"Well… because…"Neville floundered."You ‘ re smart. You usually know things… about… stuff…"

"Oh… um,"Padma bit her lip and looked slightly guilty."Well I don't know this, sorry."

"Relax guys."Harry leaned back into his chair and closed his heart."Y ‘ all worry too much. It's a nice day, we ‘ re outside, who cares about the train ?"

"Smartest matter I ‘ ve ever heard you say,"Anapurna mimicked Harry and they both sighed in contentment as the sun peeked out from behind a cloud and lit up the station. Padma snorted and got out a pack of card game before turning to Neville.

"While these two are photosynthesising you want to play exploding snap ?"

Surprisingly Padma lost two secret plan in the next few minutes before a loud murmuration made them all sit up and pay tending. Harry stood up on his hot seat and glanced around. He could see the Weasley family with Hermione standing nearby back near the barrier and waved to them. They waved back but he saw that they obviously couldn't ambit him through the jam on the platform. He turned the other way and saw the campaign of the murmur, professor McGonagall was standing on a raised dais at the end of the platform. He watched as she held her verge to her sassing then spoke in an artificially loudly voice.

"Please take heed to me all of you."The murmuring stopped and Harry stood up on the arms of his chair to get a good view."When you reach Hogwarts there will be no carriage to take you to the school. Instead you will immediately line up behind your Heads of House ; number 1 old age follow professor Hagrid…"McGonagall pointed at the monumental man standing next to her. Harry just had time to wonder about the ‘ Professor'bit before she continued."From there you will be taken by boat to Hogwarts. I must stress to all of you that failure to abide by this will be met with stern punishment. Anyone acting in anything other than a mature and hospital attendant fashion will be similarly punished."

Harry just stared at her, what was going on ? A moment later he felt the chair under him work shift and he dropped to the ground with an God Almighty clangour. He stood up and dusted himself off. Everyone around was looking at him.

"A mature and orderly fashion."Harry heard professor McGonagall repetition while glaring daggers at him."Now if you will all enter the train."The room access clicked open and there was an exigent scrum around the entrance as baby tried to thrust their way in. The twins and Neville were chuckling a little.

"You always seem to witness some way of being the centre of attention,"Anapurna said with a tender smile.

Harry laughed and folded up his chair.

"ejaculate on, let's get on the train,"Annapurna added."Before all the ripe bottom are taken."

"Don ‘ t worry about that sis,"Padma said dryly."Harry seems to take a full phase of the moon garden set in his bag."
*


As the Hogwarts express neared the place the dispute mounted. Instead of being let off the gear as they wanted they were funnelled out in orderly lines to line up behind the teacher. The marauders huddled together. What was going on ? After they had lined up in quiet the former Heads of house peeled off and they followed McGonagall out of the station.

The scholar trudged along a muddy, misty way of life down to the lake. Harry glanced into the sky and saw broom handle circling. Harry saw Professor Snape swing past, his longsighted hooked nose making him look like a monster Corvus as he scanned the ground surrounding the students. A consequence later Madam Hooch ( flying with a good pile more expertise than the potions victor ) flew past in the other direction.

"Whatever it is that's happening,"Harry thought."Its got them seriously worried."

The boat surprised everyone, a Victorian looking wooden paddle steamer complete with gas light source waited at a prospicient dock at the side of the lake. The scholar filed on and the gravy holder moved slowly away. As they moved out onto the water the teacher visibly relaxed. The students began to slack too, jumping at the rails and charging up and down the deck.

"Up there guys."Harry heaved his guitar into a luggage rack and pointed to the upper deck."Come on."

"But Harry McGonagall's up there,"Ron whined."We won ‘ t be able to do anything fun."

"But we might hear what all this is about. come in on guys ? Aren't you curious ?"

"Not again Harry,"Hermione crossed her coat of arms."Let the instructor handle it."

"I am going to,"Harry said starting up the stairs."But I want to know what it is they ‘ re handling."

"And whether it involves time travel,"he added to himself as the marauders followed him up the stairs.

Up on the top deck it was colder and they could expect far out over the lake as the mist curled on the aerofoil of the water. Or was it just mist ? Harry looked deeper and squinted through his glasses. The giant squid was right wing beneath the long-neck clam, shadowing them. teacher guarding above, the squid guarding below. Harry shook his head, something definitely had them spooked. A import later a broom swooped down from above and a booted foot nearly cracked the side of Harry's head. Snape landed in an undignified pile on the deck and tried to get up before tangling his legs in the broom and almost tripping over. Harry heard a few stifled giggles but himself remained silent. What were they laughing about ? Snape was better on the thing than him.

"get hold of it. Don ‘ t lose it,"Snape snapped and shoved the broom into Ginny's hands before moving towards McGonagall. Harry turned to listen surreptitiously ; this was what they'd been waiting for.

"One of them was sniffing around near the edge of the forest."Snape gestured away towards eastern shoring of the lake. He sounded peculiarly disinterested."It is gone now."

"Likely gone to order the remainder of them Severus."McGonagall was anything but disinterested. She sounded tense, even for her."Why didn ‘ t you stun him ?"

"They can hardly do anything now."Professor Snape glanced up at the sky with a wry smile on his case."All these unneeded precautions."

"You yourself helped fortify the wards over the summer, Severus."

"That was a necessity precaution."Snape was unruffled by Professor McGonagall's flinty stare."For times other than now."

"You know they like to aim multitude Severus. delay and make indisputable they ‘ re in a position to walk out when the clip is right."

"Wait almost a hebdomad ?"

"Severus, the safety of the students is our top priority."

"No Minerva."Severus's laconic attitude was gone in an blink of an eye."Finding out what they are up to. Finding out why they move now. Finding out why they grow less fearful each day. Finding out why they are gathering and why they speculation further and further outside the confines of the forest. That is our top priority. That is our top priority because until we do Hogwarts is not safe."

The two instructor dropped off into secrecy and stared out over the lake. Harry turned around and stared out over the railing himself. When was Hogwarts ever safe ? People kept saying that Hogwarts was protected, but Harry had seen precious little evidence of that over his clock time there. Harry leant out over the rail and stared out over the misty water supply to the blot out forest, just visible as a dark spot in the distance. Since he'd been into it in his first year Harry hadn't really thought about the forest. He'd walked it, seen it, even fallen asleep in it and miraculously failed to get eaten by anything. Since that day it hadn't really scared him anymore. Harry frowned and closed his eyes. Now the forest was something malevolent, ruining what could have been a wide-eyed year.

"What are you thinking Harry ?"Harry twisted and saw Neville standing behind him.

"I ‘ m cerebration we ‘ re in for another interest class Neville,"Harry sighed."Lets just hope it doesn ‘ t involve more freeze out cloaca. That was half the reason I went to Spain you know…"Harry added."…to warm up again."

"I know Harry."Neville moved up adjacent to him on the track."I don ‘ t… I don't jazz how I managed it."

"I don't know how I managed it either. And I don ‘ t lie with how you managed it twice."Harry grinned at his protagonist."That woulda killed me."

"It did almost wipe out you."

"Nah, that was the snake."Harry was chuckling now."Anyway you didn ‘ t just throw to get out. You had to deport soul out."

"That actually made it easier."Neville was chuckling too."She floats."Harry flare-up out laughing. He turned to his quiet friend.

"She floats ?"

Neville nodded, still laughing.

"Ok."Harry shook his head and leant against the track."What are you thinking Neville ? What do you call back about all this ?"Neville sort of John Drew back into himself and shrugged.

"You know I ‘ m not really smart or anything Harry."

"Just sacrifice me a guess."Harry glanced over at the others who were watching what looked like a shallow of fish."I want your initial reaction."Neville form of shrugged again.

"Something in the forest ‘ s dangerous."Harry nodded and motioned for him to continue.

"It ‘ s something that's always been there but's acting differently now."Harry nodded and smiled. He'd got that impression too. In fact he'd got respective stamp from the conversation, not that he was going to mention them.

"But something that isn ‘ t unsafe right now. That's what Snape said."Harry saw that Padma had wandered over too them. Neville shut his mouth suddenly, maybe less pitch to talk now that person else could hear him if he was wrong.

"Either of you hazard a guesswork as to what ?"Harry looked between them, from one to the other."Something that's not dangerous now but is in a week's time ?"

"There are… some dangerous flora with hebdomadary cycles."Neville mumbled."Some even grow in the woods. But he said something was sniffing down by the shore."

"What if it's were-"Padma began but Harry caught her eye and subtly held one finger up, then glanced at Neville, who was still lost in thought. The Gemini looked confused for a second then understanding seemed to fall onto her face and she quickly added."No, it can't be that. Never mind."

"Energy Department something special happen in a hebdomad's time ?"Harry asked Neville. Neville looked confound then opened his bole and pulled out what looked like a diary or a homework planner.

"In a week…"Neville's drew his fingerbreadth down the page."Well it's a full-of-the-moon moon… postponement ! Werewolves ! Could it be werewolves ?"Neville looked up with a blow out of the water and surprised expression.

"Of course. And they already live in the timberland. They must be gathering."Harry nodded and looked out over the body of water."You should go tell the others, they ‘ ll want to know about this."Neville almost skipped as he moved away. Padma fixed him with a knowing stare.

"When did you turn out it was werewolves ?"she said quietly.

"About when you walked over. I remembered when I was in the wood with your babe, talking about all the nasties that were supposed to subsist there, and it just variety of clicked."

"You are either a very expert Quaker or a keep in line bastard."

"I always thought I was both,"Harry commented dryly.

Any response of Padma's was cut off as the ship lurched alarmingly to the side. Harry fell against the track and slid down to the story before he could catch himself. A sudden pain sensation struck him in the back of his neck.

"Ow !"Harry picked himself up and rubbed the back of his neck. He had even heard something ginger snap as he fell.

"Oh, o.k. don't be gallant. Just let me pick myself off the floor,"Padma griped, but Harry wasn't listening. Something felt dreadfully wrong.

Suddenly he was fixed with a hideous certainty, his hands checking around his neck opening, his eyes checking the floor around his animal foot. It wasn't there. The eggshell, Pythea's shell pendent was gone. Harry dashed to the incline and looked out over the urine, as if he would be able to see it floating despite the mist and swells. Then his eye caught a clamber spark and he breathed a immense sigh of relief. It had fallen on the dispirited deck, not in the water.

belief like he'd just run a marathon Harry went down the nearest staircase and swung round to the lower deck.

"leave of absence it ! Don't stone's throw on it !"Harry yelled at the first years careening down the gangboard."Just let me… Oh bugger."Harry stopped moving and let his men fall to his sides. A pupil had turned at his cries and picked the pendent off the story and was now holding it up to the light.

"Interesting piece of jewellery Potter."Malfoy grinned evilly."Didn ‘ t think you were one for decoration. Where did you get it ? Never head, I know. shell, train, glue from the library, a gift made entirely of free ingredients. This was the Weasley ‘ s Xmas nowadays to you wasn ‘ t it."

"spring. It. To. Me. Now."Harry didn't remember drawing his wand but it had somehow ended up in his hand."Do not have intercourse around here Malfoy."

"Oh but it's so sweet."The Slytherin drew the pendent off its cord to search at it more closely."You carrying this man of refuse close to your heart."

"Malfoy…"Harry took a step closer and held out his hand. Out of the recession of his optic he could see his friends gathering behind him."… believe me you don ‘ t want to see what'll happens to you if you don't give it to me."

"Well if you care so much…"Malfoy smirked and tightened his script around the shell."… oops !"And with that he turned and hurled the pendent out across the lake.

"Noooo !"Harry heard the scream fly past his lips and it felt like his heart flew with it. But a moment later a red blur shot past him at shoulder height, darting out over the disconsolate surface of the lake, following the curving ark of the pendent as if climbed to its zenith then fell swiftly to the mist. The fuzz shot down with it and for a second both were lost in the purity. Then a moment later it reappear, travelling slower now. Harry watched as Ginny Weasley floated back down onto the sauceboat next to him on Snape's broom, held out her clinched fist and said…

"Here you go Harry."Her deal opened and there it was, not even wet. She'd caught it before it touched the water.

Harry reached out with trembling fingers and grabbed the tiny thing into his hired man. Why had he ever kept it on something as fragile as leather ? He should get some wire, or a chain. Yes, yes a chain. With unbreakable appeal on it. He could ask prof Flitwick for assistance making them really strong. Harry looked up then enveloped the vernal marauder in a hug.

"Thank you,"he breathed into her hair.

"That's ok Harry. You saved me from a elephantine snake."Ginny chuckled.

"Believe me…"Harry pulled back from her and looked her straight in the eye."…we ‘ re even."

"Miss Ginevra Weasley !"The marauders turned and saw McGonagall bearing down on them. Harry stepped in strawman of the others and held out his hands.

"Entirely my fault prof, you see-"

"I do not need to take heed it Mr Potter."Even Harry didn't have the moxie to suffer up to that tone of voice."miss Weasley, I was perfectly open about the seriousness of the situation when I spoke on the train platform."

"But professor I was-"

"Not another word of honor Miss Weasley. And using a broom given to you to keep secure by a Hogwarts Professor."Ginny bowed her forefront."Come with me now."

Ginny obediently moved off after the Deputy Headmistress. Harry tried one live attempt…

"The calamary would'a caught her if she fell !"

McGonagall turned and gave him a withering stare before turning and walking up to the straw man of the ship, the vernal piranha trailing.
*


Ginny clutched the broom in her script as her Head of planetary house led her across the deck. To her surprise they stopped near a mathematical group of seventh year, one of whom McGonagall tapped on the shoulder.

"Mr Wood, I have found you a seeker."

Ginny's heart leapt. She wasn't expelled ! Far from it, she was going on the Gryffindor Quidditch team.

"Really ?"The older boy looked almost charge, like it would be too painful to desire."Is she unspoilt ? Merlin ‘ s beard but we need a good seeker."

"She caught a piece of music of casing smaller that a stoolie straight out of a standing start,"McGonagall snapped."In this mist too, and on a schooltime broom."

"more than a man of shell…"Ginny mumbled, defensive of Harry's treasured pendant. But neither the professor nor the Quidditch captain seemed to hear her. Then she had a horrible thought."But I don't have a ling,"she protested.

"Considering the flow situation in the Gryffindor team…"McGonagall shook her principal ruefully."I think we can provide you with a broom."

"A expert Calluna vulgaris,"Wood cut in."A Nimbus 2000, maybe a newer comet. Or you know the gloriole 2001 is around-"

"We are not made of money Mr Wood,"the Professor said icily.

"right hand, right, of path. Better be the 2000."

McGonagall nodded and walked off humming what sounded like a victory march under her breathing spell. Ginny turned back to the seventh twelvemonth. Suddenly a memory hit her and her nerve turned from triumphant grin to horrified grimace.

"Something unseasonable piddling one ?"Oliver Natalie Wood leant over to lecture to her.

"I…"Ginny began then continued in a hurry."… I was kind of involved in the hooey last year and I was possessed by an iniquity book that had Voldemort in it and I set a giant snake on you and it petrified you and that's the reason you missed about of your close term and I could have killed you."

"But you can play Quidditch ?"

"Yes."

"Don't worry about it then."



The Beta for this chapter was once again colon. Thank you !

Please review, I want to know what you think about the passing from canon.


I feel the need to explain something so no lupine fans get angry.

In this chapter, and the next few, you may find that Lupin is a slight different than he is in cannon. Specifically a picayune harsher. I promise I will explicate, eventually ... lupin is one of my best-loved fiber so it pains me to do this to him, but bear with me, it 's for a near reason.



The sorting hat's Sung dynasty that twelvemonth was the shortest in anyone's memory.

"Last class a girl, A little daughter
Saw fit to break off the rule.

I wish to make believe it fully clear.
I will not be made a fool.

I sort the pupil, me the hat.
And if you wish to call into question that.
GO FIND ANOTHER SCHOOL !"

Harry laughed out loud but stopped when he saw that Ginny appeared to be trying to hide under the table. The sort occurred along normal lines from then on except for the fact that the hat sometimes seemed to be almost spitting its decisions out, as if daring anyone to question. Maybe it was Harry's imagination.

"Guys…"Harry began after the solid food had appeared."… we ‘ ve got to get back into the vacillation of things."

"What do you mean ? What things ?"Ron said through a mouth full of mashed potato.

"buffoonery guy wire, the reason the marauders exist in the number 1 place."Harry shook his head word ruefully."Last year we let little things like open warfare in the corridors distract us from what's really important."

"Harry please."Hermione put her hands together as if praying."Haven't you had plenty hullabaloo. Can't we just have a hush year, study, maneuver chess, exploding gingersnap that form of thing. Besides, we all have new classes this year. We won't have time."

"Yeah, classes…"Harry tried to think back. What classes had he chosen ?"… those classes I chose… called… um…"

"Care of Magical wight and Ancient Runes."Hermione's voice took on a long-sufferance tone.

"Right ! right hand yes."Now he remembered. It had been a appendage of riddance really. Muggle Studies : too useless, Arithmancy : too hard, Divination : Taught by prof Trelawney. Much as Harry wanted to learn more about the seers Pythea had warned him about the Divination prof."And a fun, studious time will be had by all but between year, we prank. We prank secure. We prank hard. We prank deadly. But well-nigh of all…"Harry stopped and surveyed his troops.

"We prank Malfoy."Parvati finished for him, middle ablaze."We make him pay for almost losing you your pendent."

"Exactly."

Hermione buried her face in her hands.

"And for tormenting the muggleborn students."Ron added.

Hermione straightened instantly.

"Of course, we can't let him get away with it !"

"Children…"Albus Dumbledore had stood up and was addressing the schooling. The school day turned and quietened attentively, except for Harry who was concentrating on rolling a coin over his brass knucks."… and you Harry."Harry glanced up and grinned before making the coin disappear down his sleeve."I once again experience the need to score a few promulgation before allowing you to retort to your common way and treat each former with tarradiddle if your summers. Firstly I hope you will fall in me in welcoming a new Professor to the staff, he will be teaching defence mechanism Against the Dark Arts."

"…this year."A girl near the back of the Ravenclaw table yelled.

"And for as long in the future a he wishes to teach."

"let not kid ourselves here."Another interpreter added cynically. Harry craned his neck and saw Joshua split grinning sardonically in his new blue edged robes. Somehow he had already managed to get them rumpled. He caught Harry's gaze and nodded amicably.

"In any case…"The schoolmaster continued."I would like to welcome Professor Lupin."The headmaster waved towards a adept sitting on his left.

Professor Lupin was definitely a change from Markus Michelson. The necromancer gown were patched like they had been repeatedly self-repaired and his hair showed grey. more than than that he moved like a man not quite recovered from a long illness, his eyes were tired and lined. There was a smattering of applause, virtually of it soon stopping. Harry clapped once or twice to show will but decided to reserve sagaciousness till the for the first time class. The man certainly didn't looking like he would death a year, he looked like he'd be hard pressed to live on a month.

prof Lupin didn't seem perturbed by the unenthusiastic response, he seemed to ask it as formula. Harry's eyes were drawn across the tabular array and alighted on Professor Snape. The potions master's ( usually so cheery ) expression had twisted into something very close to pure hatred. Harry's eyes flickered to Lupin then back to Snape. There was a storey here unless he was much mistaken. Suddenly the Potion Masters gaze flickered up to meet his. Harry felt a nub of insistence on the back of his scull, like a piddling balloon was being inflated inside his brain.

"Ok Harry ! assoil head !"Harry thought as he breathed deeply and tried to blank his intellect."Clear… clear… breathing…"The nub intensified and the pressing spiked into pain in the neck."lacuna, paries, darkness, fog…"It was no good, the medulla of pain exploded and a alluvion of images filled Harry's brain before he jerked his eyes away. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the Professor smirk triumphantly.

"Secondly…"The headmaster continued."I would like to harbinger that our very own Rubeus Hagrid has agreed to take on a post as the Professor of Care of Magical Creatures."The cheer this time was louder, but still not heavy. Harry stood and clapped but not many others did.

"Thirdly, and most importantly…"Dumbledore's voice took on a deathly serious whole tone."… as your unusual means of comer will no doubt own alerted you there are problems at Hogwarts this year. I truly hope that they will not difficulty us but there are some matter you must know. The prohibit timberland has always been off limits to students, but I must now move the bound a good deal closer to Hogwarts. There is a personal credit line that you will all see on the ground just passed the nursery, do not queer it unless you have an undeniable need to visit brothel keeper Pomfrey. And even then there are much less awful ways. I must also insist that all students are inside the castle bulwark during the minute of shadow. The Quidditch stadium has been closed for matches…"

"No !"The cry went up from several spot around the great hall.

"… but the Quidditch cup will still contain place in a different venue."Dumbledore continued to a somewhat lenify Hall."I truly hope that none of these precautions are necessary and that we can all have a normal year."The Headmaster sat back down.

"Fat chance of that."Harry said swinging around.

"Shh !"Hermione admonished him.

"… and you Harry."Harry spun back round. Dumbledore was standing again and looked like he was about to bug out speaking again. Harry obediently fell silent.

"I once again palpate the need to make a few announcements before allowing you to return to your common way and regale each other with write up if your summers."What ? more than announcements ?

"Firstly I hope you will join me in welcoming a new prof to the staff, he will be teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts."We already did ?

"…this year."knack on…

"And for as long in the future tense a he wishes to teach."Oh no… Harry glanced over at schism just a here and now before he spoke.

"let not kid ourselves here."

Harry glanced around, no one else seemed to retrieve anything was wrong. He made himself gonorrhoea for both prof and appear to hear attentively to the confinement he'd heard just a moment before. As the balance of the schooltime began leaving the great hall Harry grabbed a jug of water system and took a long thirsty swig. It did no goodness, his throat still felt dry.

"You alright Harry ?"Ron had hung back, waiting for him.

"Oh fine."Harry set the jug back and wearily got to his feet."Just déjà vu."

As he turned and walked unhurriedly out of the manse a set of gilt optic watched him go.
*


"A rain cloud 2000."Ron ran his hands lovingly over the handle of the broomstick."Wow… I mean… wow…"

"Um Ron ? pal dear ? Give me my ling back right now !"

"Right."Ron handed the Scots heather back over the breakfast tabular array."Sorry Ginny."But he kept staring at the ling and his bridge player kept twitching as if itching to grab it again.

Harry caught the eye of Hermione, the only other marauder not currently clustered around the broom, and rolled his center. Hermione smiled but said…

"Some of it ‘ s actually quite interesting actually Harry. I ‘ ve read up on flying charms and the glory 2000 is the first to use the new impulse reversion spell for pinpoint turns in…"

"… in conjunction with an aeris-fissio to increase to speed ? Yeah, but the Atirabhasa appealingness produces pretty a lot the Lapp speeding and it's a tinker's dam sight more reliable. Or you could use Frenum instead of the impulse magical spell so long as the wood itself is solid enough."

Hermione's jaw had dropped clear and she was looking at him with disbelief.

"They ‘ re charms."Harry explained, waving dismissively."They ‘ re well-situated. And as for the Quidditch talk of the town well… after hearing Ron blether on for so long I can probably itemize the rule book."

"Harry if you would just apply the same level of committal you give to charms and pranking to other things like say… potions or defense class I ‘ m sure you ‘ d find them just as easy."

Harry wasn't so sure, especially about the potions.

"But potions is boring."Harry took a swig of Orange succus ( he had never grown to like pumpkin succus )."How can you spend clock time doing something so boring."

"Its not boring, there are many subtleties like slow-brewing and distillation."

"dance step one : say Instruction. Step Two : Follow Instructions. stride Three : Have Cauldron Explode and get yelled at."Harry mimed an exploding cauldron and laughed. Hermione at least smiled as she took a drinkable from her glass."Only footstep three is of any real interestingness. That's why I add so many odd ingredients."Hermione eyes bulged, she gagged and sprayed Cucurbita pepo juice across the table. Spluttering and gasping she managed to say…

"You ‘ ve been doing it on purpose !"

"Scheol yes ! It's not really any fun otherwise."Harry thought back for a moment, lost in recollection."The one that turned violet and ended up all over the ceiling. That was probably the skillful one."

"Let's just get to class."Hermione stood up and grabbed her bag."I don't want to be lately for muggle studies."

"What are you talking about ? We have fauna first don't we ?"

"Oh, decent yes."Hermione bit her lip before nodding."Let me just go, um, get some fifth wheel parchment. I ‘ ll meet you there."She moved off down the hold over quickly. Harry watched her go, frowning.

"That was odd."Harry took another sip of succus then turned around at the sound of a loud bam. Ron was helplessly flailing at his face, trying to knock away the two leathery wings that had emerged from his nose. One from each nostril."Tried to grab the Scots heather again didn ‘ t you Ron ?"

"I couldn ‘ t assist myself."
*


Hermione hurried away from the majuscule hall, very cognisant of the trivial fortunate hourglass hanging around her cervix. She had felt Harry's stare as she walked out of the mansion house, she would have to be more measured in succeeding. He was too shrewd sometimes. The consequences if someone found out would be awful. McGonagall had made that clear…

"You will suffer to bless this."McGonagall had said, pushing a long var. over to her."Make sure to interpret it carefully."

She had dutifully read through the document. It seemed to be a banner from, there had been versatile reference to the punishments for different infractions.

"There ‘ s a bit that's been written in in unlike ink at the bottom."Hermione had noticed.

"We thought it requirement to add that."

“'I swear that I will never ever ever ever tell Harry thrower about the time-turner.'You mention Harry by epithet ?"

"We thought it prudent."

"It ‘ s underlined."

"I know."

"In red."

"I know."

"And there ‘ s a big arrow pointing to it."

"Just sign the form."

Hermione had done so and been handed a diminished hinged box, like a piece of jewelry would add up in. On the cover had been a petite label
Time-Turner
Property of the department of mystery story
Warnings :
Keep with you at all clock time
Do not essay to give
Do not use in conjunction with other method of time-travel
Do not have paradoxes or interfere with the fabric of causality
Do not swallow


Hermione hurried to her lesson. She just needed to be more careful. This twelvemonth couldn't be that intemperate, could it ?
*


"Where are you going Harry ?"Parvati called out to him as he stepped out of the main door of Hogwarts.

"wellspring I was thinking of going to my magical beast class."Harry shrugged and grinned impishly."But if you wan na ditch I ‘ m game."

"The sorcerous fauna course are being held inside this class. Probably because of all the security. Didn ‘ t you read the notice ? I ‘ m really looking forward to it…"Parvati continued as Harry turned to be her."… I wonder if we ‘ ll do unicorns or maybe an Abraxan."

"Acromantula and yetis and bicorns oh my !"

"Oh come on Hagrid wouldn't be allowed to make for those things into the school."

"Really ?"Harry chuckled."Bet you a galleon whatever we see today has more teeth than me."

"You're on."Parvati had stopped in figurehead of a door on the 3rd floor. All the predator had, the spot held some vex memories. Hermione hurried towards them ( not from the instruction of Gryffindor tower Harry noticed ) and stopped nearby.

"Is that… ?"

"Fluffy ‘ s room."Neville finished for her in a voice full of dread.

"Ooo."Harry said as he moved to open the door."I think I hear that galleon calling."

"Great, y ‘ r all here."Hagrid waved the marauders over. The room looked dissimilar to when the Cerberus had occupied it. It had been cleaned for one thing and the trapdoor was gone, replaced by savorless stone just slightly less hold out than the relaxation of the floor. If you weren't looking you'd never see it.

The students were sat on shock absorber in a rotary around Hagrid, who himself was standing future to a monumental cage covered in a blackness cloth.

"Sorry we have to have the lessons in here but its for your own salutary y ‘ see. Now, have a expression at this…"Hagrid pulled the cloth off and the unharmed social class shied away."…A six-headed Vorompatra. Ain't she a beautiful creature."

The ten foot tall ostrich-like creature stuck its heads through the measure and glared at the scholarly person with all dozen of its red, buttony optic. Then it drew back its heads and screeched like a banshee.

"Her name is Isabelle."Hagrid said fondly.

Not one of the students spoke until Parvati leaned towards Harry's ear and hoarsely said…

"You owe me a galleon."
*


The shaken piranha made their way to defence against the saturnine arts.

"It ‘ s eyes… It kept staring at me."Neville kept mumbling as they walked down the corridor.

"It was staring at everyone Neville it had six bally heads !"Harry threw his work force up in the air and shook his head.

"He probably just wanted to take off the year with a bang."Hermione rationalized, kneading the bound of her robes in her clenched fist nervously."The rest of the classes won ‘ t be like that. Surely ?"She even seemed to be rocking back and forth a little. Ron tentatively reached out and rested his script on her articulatio humeri comfortingly.

"We can only hope. Though perhaps we shouldn't."Padma said dryly.

Harry just shook his hear again and thought that perhaps arithmancy wouldn't have been so bad. As they entered the defense classroom Professor lupine looked up from what he was doing. The piranha were the showtime ones there.

"You needn't line up your seats bookman, we will be going somewhere else for the lesson today."The teacher spokesperson was horse and tired. The predator waited for anything further educational activity but none came, the professor had gone back to writing something on a sheet of parchment.

Harry shrugged and made three juggling balls appear from thin air ( the first time he'd done this half of Gryffindor home thought he'd mastered conjuring, it had been hebdomad before anyone had caught on to the sleight of mitt ) and began spinning them idly. When the residuum of the class were there Professor lupin called the register then rose wearily from his tooshie and told them all to follow him. As they trouped through the schooling Harry whispered…

"Where do you imagine he ‘ s taking us ?"But the answer became apparent almost instantly as they entered the staff room.

"Now, I do not want any of you to get appall. But there is a dark animal in this wardrobe, a boggart."virtually of the course of study ignored his warning and became alarm."Mr, Longbottom is it ? Mr Longbottom would you come to the battlefront please."

Neville gingery moved to the front of the year. Harry listened with half an ear to the description of the properties and proper refutation against boggarts. The more he saw of Professor lupine the more he got the tactile sensation he'd seen him somewhere before.

"Alright Mr Longbottom ?"shucks ! Should really have listened to that."Ready ? Go !"professor Lupin flicked his verge and the cupboard opened. Out stepped Isabelle in all her glory.

"Oh bloody nether region ! Not again !"Harry yelled.

Neville seemed to have been petrified, his wand rigid in his hand as the gigantic bird stomped towards him making the ground wag. Then he seemed to snap out of it and yelled…

"Riddikulus !"The elephant-birds six foreland suddenly snaked together into a tangled knot and it fell to the floor.

"trade good, good ! adjacent one up."professor lupine was smiling and motioned Susan Bones up. The boggart became a snake and was quickly changed into a slinky.

"Ok, I get the idea."Harry thought as he slowly moved up the descent. skunk, bat, toads and spiders were changed into more amusing things and Harry thought it might actually be fun to see what happened when he came face to boldness with the creature. The last student in straw man of him moved away and he stepped up, baton in hand. The boggart seemed to gurgle for a present moment, then dart forward. For a moment Harry saw a blue flash then he felt water system all around him and his mind became a white slate full-of-the-moon of terror.

"Can't breath ! Air ! Air ! Can't breathing spell ! Can't…"Harry flailed helplessly."Drowning !"Harry's thoughts were interrupted as the piddle disappeared. Harry caught a flash of something globe-shaped and silver before he dropped to his human knee on the floor.

"Are you hurt ?"Harry looked up at the sound of the Professors articulation then shook his psyche."Perhaps this will teach you to pay more attention when your instructor speaks in future."With that lupine turned away and started talking to the sleep of the social class, lecturing them on other boggart properties. Harry felt an arm Snake around his shoulders and looked up to see Hermione's openhearted face.

"Why didn ‘ t you speak the appealingness Harry ?"

"Couldn ‘ t breath."

"The water wasn't real you know."But Harry just shook his head.

"Couldn ‘ t breath."

The class was dismissed a few minutes later. Harry slouched along a few pace behind the rest period of the marauders with his bridge player in his pockets. Malfoy would surely have spread this story across half the schooling before the end of the day and the other half by breakfast. Harry decided he hated Professor Lupin.
*


The adjacent day Harry was bodily dragged from lunch by Hermione.

"Come on, or we ‘ ll be late."

"And would that be so bad."Harry tried to dig his bounder in to retard her down feather but he just ended up stumbling ( why did he have to be smaller than everyone ? )"Are you that excited about ancient rune ?"

Harry was the only marauder joining Hermione in that subject. In addition to the care of magical wight they were all taking, and now regretting. Ron and Annapurna had signed up for foretelling, against Harry advice. Neville was taking muggle report along with Padma who was the only predator doing three elective ("Why !"Harry had asked."And arithmancy ?"). Apart from Hermione of course, who was doing everything.

"I am excite !"Hermione entered the schoolroom and took a tush right at the front.

"Not the seat I would take chosen but whatever."Harry thought as he sat down."At to the lowest degree nothing in this class can eat me or submerge me."

"Good forenoon class. I am Professor Babbling."The professor looked a little like an older Hermione, but a more whacky one. She had detectable ink stains on her turnup and even a smudge on her brass. She was obviously good at her open though if the elaborated calligraphy that hung in whorl behind her desk was any reading."Well shall we get started."

Harry rested his head in his handwriting as the Professor begun explaining some blot out runic hand in quick flowing speech while scraping symbol on the gameboard. After about half an minute she asked them to transform a bit of it. Harry turned to Hermione.

"I assume you noted all of that down ?"

"well of course !"

"Good."Harry held up a study of a dog with downlike pinna."Because I didn't."



Questions, scuttlebutt, anger ? Please review.


Despite the supernumerary precautions around the school classes continued more or less as pattern. Hermione's Hope had been chastise and Hagrid had just been trying to initiate the year big. Creatures class was, from then on, not quite so terrifying. Harry had reduced his own care by talking to professor Flitwick who had assured him that all the cage Hagrid had were built with the strongest unbreakable charms. Flitwick himself had inspected each one of them. Harry felt better after that and tried to convert the other scholarly person of the same thing.

"Unbreakable charms won ‘ t break."Harry said to Susan bone as they wrestled a writhing vine into a pot and packed it down with clay."He could bring anything into course of study and, so long as its in a cage, it should be fine."

"I know that. I mean, I know that's true but its not the same when the creature ‘ s actually in front of you."Susan shook her head, she had a bit of dry land on her impertinence. Harry reached out and brushed it off for her, ignoring the odd flapping feeling in his stomach.

"Well…"Harry swallowed and continued."… at least its not snakes !"Harry jumped at her fizzle and holding up a bit of vine, making it wriggle like a snake. Susan snorted and shoved him backwards into a flowerbed.

Harry left herbology with mud all down his back.

"Not one word."He warned the snickering predator."We ‘ ve got a job to do tonight remember ?"

The vulture quieted down. It was true, tonight genus Draco Malfoy would pay.
*


Harry slid along the rampart up to the entrance to the Slytherin common way. Myrtle ( intentionally dimming herself ) wafted through the paries. A moment later her top half slid back into sight and she gave him a wink and a thumbs up. Harry made one last baulk around for the lookouts he knew were at each end of the corridor then said the password. Grinning he slipped into the common room and up the stairs. How had they ever managed without a ghost ?

It took Harry a good five minutes to afford Malfoy's door. Obviously after last year the third year had seen fit to add some extra protections to his apartment. Harry glanced over the son bed. Malfoy'd got rid of the shimmy bear at some point but seemed to lack it, he had his blankets bunched up in figurehead of him and was hugging them. Harry shook his capitulum and made his way to the bureau. Harry opened the top drawer ever so slowly and sprinkled a bighearted amount of a glum powder inside. He then did the same with the other drawer and with the clothes hanging in the wardrobe. Chuckling to himself silently Harry slid out of the room and closed the door.

The following morning Harry watched for Malfoy carefully during breakfast but he never showed. Most likely in the hospital wing Harry reasoned, the lesions had probably burst by now.

"Step 1, success."Harry leaned back and shared a broad smile with the early marauders."On to step two. But that will have to wait for the weekend."

"But it ‘ s a Hogsmead weekend ?"Ron pointed out.

"Yep, stride two takes place in Hogsmead. Let me tell you about it…"Harry began but was interrupted by Hermione.

"But Harry you can ‘ t go to Hogsmead. You don ‘ t have a permit word form, its not allowed. I mean… you… Dumbledore said that…"Hermione trailed off under Harry's mocking gaze.

"I have left the country against Dumbledore ‘ s indirect request. I shouldn ‘ t think the school grounds will provide too lots hassle. Now…"Harry leant forward conspiratorially."This is what I think we should do, cut in if you ‘ ve got some suggestions."
*


The Saturday sun rose bright and early as did the students tidal bore to be off to Hogsmead. Harry waved his admirer off at the presence gate in a modality of mild panic. He had made a hope to encounter them early outside the three broomstick but, despite his cockiness, he actually didn't have the faintest clue how he was going to leave the grounds.

Ginny had wanted to come with him but he had refused saying at the time that it would be too obvious she wasn't supposed to be there. Now he was regretting it as she might have been able to fly him over the wall. Harry walked up to the gate but saw Filch checking student as they wandered out, there was no way he could get out that way.

Harry walked along the wall in the counselling of Hogsmead looking for some cracking or flaw. He could probably cause climbed the wall in places but for the fact that he knew they were not mere stone. He reached the lakeside without finding anything and was about to release back when an idea struck him. The lake. Harry scrambled down to the edge of the urine and looked out to his right, cliffs for a good XXX measure but a scrap of beach after that. He could even see the route the carriages went along.

Remembering the boggart Harry eyed the H2O with deep intuition. But it looked like it was his solely alternative. He would probably be alright so long as his caput was above water.

"The things I do to get Malfoy."Harry shook his point as he took off his shoes and tied the lace together so he could intertwine them around his neck. He reluctantly stepped into the water and winced at the cold, he went deeply and began to conform to the cliff around. Eventually the lakebed sank and he could no longer touch it with his feet. Harry could feel the inky pitch blackness all around him as he kicked for the far shoring. The water sapped his bravery and Harry's essence raced until he was able-bodied to put his ft back on land.

Harry drew himself up onto the beach and wasted no metre in performing a quick drying magical spell on his wearing apparel before heading up into the village.

In Harry's opinion the predator were not impressed enough that he had managed to get out the castle.

"Where were you ?"Padma hissed."You're late, we ‘ ve been waiting."

Harry just rolled his centre and said…

"Is he here yet ?"

"No."

"Then I ‘ m not late."Harry started off down the road and the vulture didn't really have a choice but to follow him. They all trouped into madam puddifoots to the surprise of the owner, she rarely saw group of more than two in her shop. The third years moved towards a duo of hufflepuffs sitting at the table nearest the window.

"Hi !"Harry greeted brightly. They looked up."I know you don't want to be disturbed but we are playing a massive prank on a horrid git known as Draco Malfoy. Oh you know him too ? Well the just way we ‘ ll be able to watch the issue of our consummate dissimulation is if we can have this mesa. So, do you bear in mind ?"The couple looked at each other for a moment.

"genus Draco Malfoy ?"

"Yes."

"thinker if we watch too ?"

Harry smiled

"Course not. In fact…"Harry turned and addressed the unit workshop ( after a nimble eye scan to see that there were no Slytherins nowadays )."… anyone wanting to see Draco Malfoy get his comeuppance come to the window now."Harry heard president squeak back and the other four couples in the café all crowded around the window.

"There he is !"One of them pointed. Draco Malfoy was scurrying down the street, occasionally scratching at his thorax and munition. Harry twirled his wand around and held it under his chin like a microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen…"He began."… I would like to welcome you to the inaugural ever episode of The New Marauders TV Show ! With our special guest… Malfoy !"Several of the supporter were shooting him odd flavor but others were grinning.

"Earlier this workweek someone impregnated Mr Malfoy's clothing with brech pulverisation which, as you know, causes grave problem to any bare skin it touches."A snickering began all around Harry."And yes, the powder got on his underclothing too."Malfoy was almost flush with them in the street now.

"Now Malfoy knows by now that pretty much all his clothing is infested so as soon as he reaches Hogsmead he ‘ s going to need to visit…"Dragon ducked into the shop opposite."… gladrags wizardwear. What Mr Malfoy is incognizant of is that we have an agent inside gladrags wizardwear, hidden using the magic of his kind. I think we should all have a moment to give thanks Dobby the mansion elf for his body of work in this endeavor."Harry and the marauders clapped and a few of the others did too, getting into the game of it.

"It probably won ‘ t take Malfoy long to get his poppycock since it is just school robes for the to the highest degree office. But you see the former thing of which Mr Malfoy is unaware is that Mr Dobby has made sure he gets the clothes we pre-prepared. These clothes have a jonah on them, a curse commonly known as the emperors-new-clothes jinx."A couple of the scholarly person broke out laughing."Ah, so you ‘ ve heard of it, or can at to the lowest degree estimate what this picayune while does. For those that can ‘ t… Ah ! Here ‘ s Mr Malfoy now."Some of the café crowd laughed, some looked away and some just grinned in glee as Malfoy walked off down the street in his ‘ robe'oblivious to the stares he was getting from everyone.

"Of course we left him his boxers."Harry continued."There are some affair I just don't want to see."
*


"Even though I am truly panic-struck mighty now."Harry thought as he swam back past the cliffs."That was so worth it. Malfoy won ‘ t live this down for years."

Harry was right, the whole school knew how Malfoy had walked through Hogsmead and into the three broomstick half-naked. The whole schooling had a fair guessing as to who was responsible too. Over the next few week the vulture were treated to another chapter of ‘ The many knowing and calculating stares of Minerva McGonagall'but no one could prove it.

"We need to do more than stuff like that."Harry said to himself as they waited for the defense course of study to get."I wonder where Snape buys his robes ?"

The others just grinned. A moment later Hermione hurried in through the doors looking flustered before landing down in her seat.

"Where did you go Hermione ?"Ron questioned."We all left fortune telling at the same time."

"What do you signify ?"Padma turned around."We were just in arithmancy."

"We were all just in transfiguration."Harry argued, confused."We must get all been there, it ‘ s not an optional class."

"Harry are you crazy ?"Ron asked, stunned.

Any retort Harry had been about to deliver was lost as the door to the schoolroom banged open and Severus Snape strode in. Arrogantly making his way to the presence of the class he stood behind the desk.

"prof Lupin."Snape said smugly."Is unavailable to teach today due to ill health."The instructor smirked."So I will be taking today's deterrent example. Turn to… ah ! Werewolves ! Chapter 32."

"But professor !"Hermione began but Harry shushed her to silence. He wanted to know where Snape was going with this. Did the potions master want them to infer what was threatening the school ? The students began scribbling away, making annotation on the chapter when Harry felt a phantom dusk across him.

"Mr Potter, taking notes ? I might almost intend I was imagining things."Harry looked up, directly into Snape's eyes. This time he didn't even have time to essay to take in his mind and the pressure broke through instantly. Harry tore his gaze back down to the paper in battlefront of him. Harry heard a victorious Bronx cheer from above him but ignored it.

"acquisition all I can about werewolf sir."Harry said flippantly."Especially since they live so close."

"closer than you know Potter."What was that about ? But Snape continued on a unlike tack."Did you enjoy the Hogsmead weekend ceramicist ?"

"prof you know I don't have a license shape. I could never go to Hogsmead."Harry tried to see innocent, unsuccessfully."It would be wrong."

"Really, I have been hearing from phallus of my household who saw you in Hogsmead that weekend."

"fountainhead professor I hate to secernate you this but I heard a member of your mansion walked into the three broomstick in his under shortstop so I don't bonk how far you want to trust their judgment."

"Oh and I suppose you simply heard about that from endorse hand business relationship ?"Snape sneered.

"Oh Professor you know if I ‘ d been there I would birth taken the chance to throw mud at him. No mud ergo I was not there."

"Do not be flippant with me Mr ceramist. Thirty compass point from Gryffindor. I know your character so well Potter. You are just like your father."

"Whatever."Harry grumbled as the teacher moved off.
*



prof Lupin was back in heraldic bearing of the class after the weekend and, much as the man was inexplicably cold towards him, Harry welcomed the getting even. Anyone was serious than Snape.

On night in the run up to Halloween Harry remembered the box he'd got from the Dursley's reaching into his expanding bag he dragged it out and opened it up on his bed. With the contents strewn out it seemed a lot less. Harry quickly separated the written document into junk ( note, old homework assignments, soppy love letters ) and interesting stuff like photos.

One of the photos caught his eye and he drew it out, six figure of speech stood on the pasture outside Hogwarts. Older student, sixth or seventh years. Harry's eyes found two students on the left of the pic locked in an bosom. One with eyes like his and the other with everything else, his parents.

But Harry had noticed something else, nearby them was another bookman, the only one in the characterization who seemed to be sitting still for it to be taken. He knew that expression, he'd been lectured by it earlier that day. That must hold been where he recognized prof Lupin from, he must have caught a glimpse of him in the scene. for sure enough on the spinal column of the characterization were scratched some name calling in pencil, Remus lupine appeared near the bottom of the list.

Harry frowned, if his parents and Lupin had known each early why was the professor being so frigidness to him ? Harry pushed the box's contents back into it and slid off the bed. He would birth the answer to this puzzle. Moving through the deserted common room Harry pushed open the portrait door.

"Is it even worth telling you its past curfew ?"Said the fat madam but Harry just smiled at her and shut the door. Moving silently he made his way to the defense instructor federal agency. Luckily there was still a light peeking out from under the room access. Harry went to the door and knocked.

"One moment."Professor Lupin opened the door in a faded fertilisation gown."Oh its you. Shouldn ‘ t you be in your common room."

"I came to ask you something."Harry drew out the photo."About this."

lupin seemed to withdraw into himself, then deflate and sigh.

"Ah."Was all he said, and all he appeared to be going to say so Harry prompted him.

"You knew my parents."

"Yes I did. I was in the Saami year as them."

"And the Saame house."Harry pointed to the robes of the people in the photo."And you and my female parent were prefects together."

"Yes you have sufficiently proven that you are observant."The student and teacher still hadn't moved from the doorway. Lupin had not invited him in."Where did you get this ?"

"In a box of my mother old stuff. zippo much, letters, pic, a locket."

"Lilly didn ‘ t wear a locket."For the first metre lupine seemed vaguely interested."She wore a pendent."Harry frowned and drew the silver thing out of the box."Yes that's it. It's a pendent."

"But it was open…"Harry looked closer at the little matter. It was true that now it was closed the seam around the border was almost invisible and the matter was sparse enough to pass for a satisfying chandelier. Harry tried to get a fingernail in the offer but the thing seemed to be solid.

Was it a locket or had he imagined it ? No, it was a locket because it had been open when he first got the box. He'd closed it so it wouldn't get damaged. Harry put it back in the box and mentally filed it under mysterious.

"Seems like you know a lot about her for someone who was just in their year. Seems like you must give known them. You and the other people in this picture."

"Everyone but me in that photo is dead."The usually mild mannered Professor snapped, but Harry was in no mood to take aim this anymore.

"Really,"Harry flipped the exposure."Rose McKinnon ? Sirius Black ? St. Peter Petigrew ?"

"Yes, yes, yes !"The teacher roared and Harry took a footprint backwards."rose wine was tortured and killed along with her integral class during the war ! And the early two, well ? Sirius Black person betrayed us all to Voldemort and got Lilly and James killed. poor people Saint Peter the Apostle managed to tag him down the future day and made him pay at the toll of his own life-time. We found both their bodies in the wreckage left behind by the duel. In the course of instruction of two days I lost everything. Can you see that ? Can you even comprehend ?"Harry bowed his head.

"No, I guess I can't."He moved to go away then turned back and said."Do you need the moving-picture show ?"But the prof had already closed the door.
*


"Ginny eat something. Anything."Annapurna leant over the table with a shell of fruit and held it out for her. Ginny just shook her headspring and tried to breath evenly. Stroking the hold of her broom handle calmed her a little, but not enough to make eating anything an option.

To be fair it was a marvelous day for Quidditch, not a cloud in the sky and a pleasant breeze. Ginny just wished she were playing on the delivery behind the burrow not in presence of the intact school.

"fourth dimension to go sis."She felt a hand on her shoulder and saw Fred hovering over her."Don ‘ t trouble, you ‘ ll feel a lot better once you get up there."

"Yeah,"His Twin chimed in"Our first base compeer we felt just the Same, everyone does."They led her away from the board. Just as she was leaving she saw Harry frisson suddenly and look around like he had just woken up before sighing and burying his look in his hands.

"What was that ?"She thought as she left the Great Hall in a stream of people.

"Do we even know where we ‘ re playing yet ?"She said to kick downstairs the silence.

"We took a look-see earlier."George's human face broke into a across-the-board smiling."It ‘ s bloody brilliant."

"Where is it then ? Tell me you gits !"Ginny kicked her brother in the shin lightly making him stumble.

"Oy ! We need our beaters in top condition !"wood was stalking over. His aspect showing no signal of wittiness."No playing about. This is the most important match of the year ! Slytherin are the squad to beat. They won the cup net yr and the twelvemonth before and they all have new brooms good manners of Draco Malfoy."

"I was just…"

"Well don't ! Lets just get to the pitch."Sir Henry Wood stalked off.

"Don't listen to him Gin."Fred wrapped his arm stave her shoulder.

"He ‘ s just stressed out. We tried to lighten up him up earlier but he hexed us both good."

Ginny giggled. She knew what her brothers ‘ lightening up'had probably involved.

Just then the new Quidditch locus came into thought and Ginny gasped. A massive stand had been erected at the sharpness of the lake, hanging onto the cliffs and built up on the beaches. The goals stuck straight up from the rippled water.

"Awesome isn ‘ t it."George VI breathed and he and his sidekick set off towards them. Ginny was about to surveil them when she felt a hand encircle her arm. Looking back she saw Harry's familiar fount. He looked commonplace and sorting of deadened. The conclusion fourth dimension she had seen him like this was back when the blood war was at its height, when there seemed to be no answer to it. Back when he had almost given up. It wasn't quite that bad yet, but it was similar.

"About an hour and a half into the game."Harry said quickly."You should probably determine around the base of the Gryffindor goal."

"How do you know ?"

"Déjà fucking vu."Harry said in a low growling before walking off towards the stands. Ginny shook her read/write head worriedly, Harry swore a bit more than the rest of them but he usually saved it for sober billet. If he was just dropping f-bombs into conversation something was going on. But whatever it was it was going to ingest to wait. Her outset right Quidditch match ever was about to start.
*


"Go ! Go ! GO !"Ron screamed and the gang screamed with him as the two searcher dove for the snitch..

"He ‘ s blocking her."Parvati yelled and pointed.

Suddenly the snitch spun and snapped back directly towards the seekers. For a moment the crowd together held its intimation as the two players came together in a swirl of robes. Then a cry of triumph sounded out of the sky and Ginny broke away holding something glinting gold.

"She did it !"Ron leapt from his chair, he had never been prouder of his little sister. He turned to Harry who was laughing more than cheering, head thrown back and eye sparkling.

"Of trend she did. piranha don't lose."Harry snapped a grin then his font went grey and he pointed back into the sky where Ginny was still hovering, showing off the snitch. From where she was there was no way she could see Malfoy dropping from above her.
*


She had won ! She had really done it ! It had been touch and go for a minute there but she had grabbed it right out of Malfoy's hands. She hadn't even needed to use Harry's tip to get it since she'd spotted it barely an minute into the match.

She saw a shadow hybridizing over her and looked up just in time to see a iron boot smacking into her face. She heard a massive crack and suddenly she was falling, a mess of ling and gown. Whoever had hit her was falling with her, tumbling over and around each other.

A minute later she hit the water and a moment after that the lake bed, the water supply hadn't been nearly oceanic abyss enough to slow down her fall. She kicked up as best she could in robe and bang but she was waterlogged and barely moving. After what seemed like an eternity she just managed to break down the aerofoil before being dragged back under. She felt for her gown clutch and snapped them off before starting to recoil back onto the aerofoil. But she was too worn out and hurting from the collision, the sun on the surface tantalizingly close.

She felt the swells from someone in the water with her and a minute later felt herself lifted up by a giant handwriting on her back. She broke the surface and gasped one desperate breathing space after another.

"Y ‘ r alright now. Y ‘ r alright."She heard Hagrid's voice and looked down into ruddy face. He was just tall enough to still be capable to stand on the bottom but even for him the urine came up to his chin."Gave us all a bit of a scare."

"Who hit me ?"Ginny's capitulum was still swimming from the want of oxygen.

"Malfoy."The groundskeepers voice had gone low and dangerous."Snape picked him out ‘ o the water with a spell but no-one could see where you ‘ ad gotten yourself to."

"I didn ‘ t get myself anywhere."Ginny croaked. Now that the urine was shallower Hagrid sat her on his shoulder then finally set her down on the pebbled beach. She could see her team-mates rushing towards her across the shake. Behind them by the base she saw the marauders hurrying towards her. Professor Snape seemed to be trying to kibosh them and was shouting something, Harry simply ignored him and ducked underneath his arms. A minute later they had all crowded around her and she was forced to reprize the words ‘ I'm o.k.'over and over to stop them fussing over her.

"Deplorable ! Disgusting behaviour !"Somewhere else on the beach she could get a line Professor McGonagall yelling in another part of the beach. Ginny stuck a finger into her ear and wiggled it around. It was full of water and everything sounded distorted."I have never seen the like."

"Minerva it was clearly an accident."Snape had sidled over."If it had been intentional do you reckon he would have let his own broom become damaged like that."He pointed away to the side at where Malfoy's Calluna vulgaris lay, cleanly split in the center with the bristles knocked far out of whack. Ginny suddenly had a sinking feeling.

"Professor ?"McGonagall turned towards her."Has mortal found my broom ?"McGonagall raised her supercilium, perhaps she hadn't realised it was missing. The instructor turned towards the lake, raised her wand and said…

"Accio Ginerva ‘ s broom."For a moment nothing happened then something flew out of the water, something much too small. A moment later another joined it. No one spoke as a pile of fragment and sliver grew near professor McGonagall's feet. Even the bristles came out, ending up in a sodden heap.

Ginny heard her head of home bend on Malfoy again and start yelling but it felt like background signal noise. Kneeling down she picked up a few sliver of wood and let them strike through the cleft in her fingerbreadth. Growing up with six brothers gave you all sorts of training in how to hold in tears but nothing was working. She felt herself start sobbing and covered her case with her handwriting so no one would see. It wasn't working. Giving up she stood and ran away through the crowds on the beach. She couldn't look at anyone right now.

The last thing she saw before she left was prof Snape levitating the fragment of both her and Malfoys brooms into a scraps can, a look of gloating on his face.
*


Harry watched her go. He wanted to go after her but didn't have the faintest idea what he'd say when he caught up.

"mortal please…"Harry gestured after Ginny, a plea clear in his voice.

"We got it."Padma nodded and her, her baby and Hermione began following the fleeing redhead. Harry felt himself bunching his clenched fist and saw that the the great unwashed next to him were doing the same.

"No one does that to a Weasley."Fred muttered.

"No one does that to a marauder."Harry shook his head and punched his fist into his palm."Not and gets away with it."

"Malfoy ‘ s gon na pay."George III chimed in shaking his fist."ass prankster competition, you want to help us Harry ? All of you guys ?"

"Won ‘ t make Ginny find better."Harry felt a spark twinkle in his mental capacity."But I know what might. And I ‘ ll need your help. You in ?"

"In an instant."

"Obviously."

"And we ‘ ll need outside help too, people who helped us endure class. A lot of stuff could go legal injury, even the commencement footmark's a doozy and they just get strong after that. Ron, Neville I definitely won't have much time for my assignments for a while. Savvy ?."

"We got you Harry. But what do you have in mind."

"Humiliation."

"But I thought you said we weren ‘ t going to get Malfoy directly."

"We ‘ re not."Harry smiled his crocodile grinning."We ‘ re gon na let Ginny do it."
*


Over the next few hebdomad Harry became a ghost. He rushed into lessons belatedly or barely by the Alexander Melville Bell and began to face even more tired than Hermione. He could be found at odd times in the subroutine library or pawing over odd canvas of parchment with the Weasley Twin Falls, speaking in whispers.

gentlewoman Pince had raised her eyebrows further that Harry had thought humanly possible when he'd taken out sealed books. But none of them were actually restricted so she stamped them out with only her common layer of distain.

"Mr ceramicist do you seriously think I will believe this is your essay ?"McGonagall had confronted him one moral."When the script is not yours and in fact strongly resembles girl farmer. What are you spending all your time on anyway ?"Harry had simply leaned closer to his teacher and whispered…

"Winning you the Quidditch cup."

They had no homework set that lesson.

Harry lost so many decimal point in Snape's classes that he considered simply not turning up since that would lose him LE overall. However potions gave him the perfect tense opportunity to simper at Malfoy over his caldron. Everyone in school knew Harry was up to something and it was an easy guess as to who was the intend target, even the target himself. Malfoy spent potions year sweating under Harry's gaze, wondering what he was planning.

"What are you up to Potter ?"Malfoy had confronted him after one lesson.

"I ‘ m not up to anything Dracs."Harry gave his nemesis a thumb up."Just surfing along you know Que sera sera."As Dragon hurried off Harry glanced back at the potions master. Again the air pressure mounted and he lasted barely a enumeration of five before he had to buck his middle away. He thought he saw Snape rima oris ‘ just like your Church Father'before he turned away. Harry shook his head to pull in it, Snape wasn't a antecedence right now.

Harry signed up to stay at Hogwarts over Christmas but encouraged the marauders to chaffer their families.

"I have so much still to do I ‘ d be bad company anyway."

"Wish we could appease mate."Fred said shaking his head dejectedly.

"Yeah, we promised we ‘ d help you then we just leave."George also shook his header, unconsciously falling into the exact rhythm of his twin.

"Don ‘ t worry. It ‘ ll be finished by the end of the vacation anyway."

Harry's Christmas present were as good as they always were, the standard Patil book set this year was basically a big encyclopedia of charms and Neville had found him a jesters hat that flashed different colors as the buzzer jiggled. Hermione had got him a preparation planner.

"Bless her."Harry thought, taking a sting of Honeydukes chocolate."She tries."

Harry was waiting by the measure as the students returned from the their home base with a parcel wrapped in composition under his arm. He caught hatful of the piranha plus Fred and George coming and walked out to meet them.

"Is that it ?"Fred said excitedly.

"Is it finished ?"His twin added.

"Yes and yes. And its awesome !"Harry moved past the twins to stand in front man of their untried sibling. He thrust out the piece of ground."Merry Christmas. This is form of from the twins as well. wellspring everyone helped actually."

"Don ‘ t do yourself down mate."Ron said."It was mostly you."
*


Ginny looked down at the tract in her hands, it dawned on her that it was very heather shaped.

"You didn ‘ t buy…"She began but Harry stopped her.

"I didn ‘ t buy. I repaired. Was a lot of fun actually. thinking of doing it when I leave school."

"But my broom was far too rugged to repair."

"Your nimbus 2000 was too smashed to fix. Malfoy's 2001 on the other hand had a fairly uncomplicated break. reparable with a little exploit. And he just threw it away like garbage."Harry tutted and shook his head."Wasteful."

"And you fished it out ?"

"Wouldn ‘ t be the first time I ‘ ve dumpster dived snare. Now unwrap the damn thing."

Heeding him she ripped the paper off and stared in awe at the broom shining in her hand, looking like new.

"It doesn't facial expression just like a 2001."She said running her hands down the recursively curving handle.

"Well we used some component part left over from your broom as well. Plus she's got some different charms and spells we researched and we corrected the list on the tail end."Harry shrugged."Guess she ‘ s form of a chimera really."

"Did you name her ?"Ginny asked, quickly slipping into use of the female pronoun.

"I hadn ‘ t but I think I just did. The Chimera."Harry list forward conspiratorially."And you and her, my little protégé, are going to win us the Quidditch cup."



recap, it makes me well-chosen. Tra la la !