Chapter 1.
The owl swooped down over sleeping capital of the United Kingdom, a varsity letter, signed and sealed in emerald dark-green clutched in its talons. Even if it had had only the stars to see by it would still have been able-bodied to fly true, but it wasn't necessary. London quiescence was almost as bright as Jack London awake. But light or no light source this delivery was a tough one. The mail service owls prided themselves on being able to feel anyone but it didn't make it comfortable when the address was simply …
British capital, somewhere…


But Dumbledore had given her special instructions for this legal transfer, and she never wavered in her flight, swooping down past a row of shops, past bakers, bankers and opticians and curving cleanly into the back street behind them to climb down on a streetlamp. Her big brown eyes took in the whole scene, the brick bulwark, the large dumpster bins and the small boy, wrapped in a coating too large for him by half, trotting down the alley from the other direction.

The boy stopped next to one of the dumpsters and quietly lifted the lid, running his manus past papers and coffee grounds. He began picking out erupt glasses, cracked lenses and the like, transferring them to a sac of his coat. When he had a full sac he did something peculiar, he scratched a cross marker into one of the walls of the alley, then sat down opposite it and began putting first one, then another of the crystalline lens to his oculus. After an minute of this, the diminished boy 's facial expression broke into a smile at a particular half-cracked lens, he grinned as he spun it into the air like a coin, and rolled it across the dorsum of his fingers.


A moment later the boy was rummaging in his torn and tatty backpack and eventually drew out a small parcel. When he unrolled it on the ground the hooter middle sparkled in the glimmer of four more genus Lens, one a mirror-match of the one the boy held in his hand, this he took and replaced the others carefully in his bag. The next to arrive from the bag of tricks was a figure ( selected from a few in the bag ) and a tube of glue. Two pinprick dabs of glue to each lens and the boy carefully laid his prize on the base to dry, then crawled behind the dumpster and rolled himself up in his coat.

The owl waited until the fry was asleep, then calmly hopped off its rod and placed the letter beside the child, he would find it in the sunup. By the yellow halogen lamp it read ...
Harry Potter
Greater London, somewhere

*


Harry Potter flickered between waking and sleep for the longest sentence. Slipping in and out of dreams he would not call up on waking, until he fell into a deeper slumber and curled himself tight into a little musket ball, a wellspring of warmth with his hands tucked in his axillary cavity and his head ducked down. Shifting and gliding from ambition of the yesteryear, of leaving the Dursleys.

Harry Potter always thought of as just leaving. He did not run away ! You can only run away from home, and Privet Drive had never been family. He had decided that. He knew he had another dwelling house, he dreamed of that too. Not with range of a function or anything tangible, just of a gumption of warmth, and also pain, he didn't understand that. early dreams pushed in on his night sentence reminiscence and he touched on other affair, the pies in the nearby bakery, the work to do tomorrow and tonight's work, still drying, on the background, until…

"Get up ! Get out !"

Not Harry's rudest awakening, but far from pleasant. Harry uncurled like a spring, just stopping to grab his study on the solid ground before pelting off down the alleyway, chased by the irate bread maker. Rounding a recess Harry ran on, past surprised, mildly startled and downright appal pedestrians, past lamps, dogs and pigeon pot, even past and through the railroad car as Harry dashed across a busy route. It no longer mattered that he'd lost any chaser three blocks ago, it was just honorable to run.

Harry stopped in Regents park and ducked to imbibe from one of the outflow and snatched a few coins from the derriere. Soon hopefully he would experience money coming to him ( at least, as much as he ever had ) and he could demand some small metre of it to meet what was more often than not lately a gnawing hole in his center ( at least it was summer, winter was worse ). Harry walked down Euston road for a while, not caring or seeing where he was going until he reached the post itself. The sun was higher by that time and multitude were beginning to come and go from the building.

"Not commuters yet though."thought Harry"not for hours."

Harry set his hat down where no one could avert him, or pretend not to see him, and slipped three coloured glob out of his coat. Shifting them all to his left mitt, he flicked his new glasses on with his rightfulness. The balls became edged in crystallization limpidity as the lenses slipped over his eyes. Harry stood in the square and laughed for a patch, laughed into the morning sky while the multitude around him stared or frowned, then, in a trice, Harry swept all three into the air and spun them around his mitt faster and faster. He laughed as he fountained the orb up above his head. citizenry began to rent card as he added a fourth part egg, and a fifth. People walked past tense and turned to stare for a import before flipping coins into his hat or even waited there watching him for a while before moving on.

Harry smiled, this time not for the act itself, but for the coins. This was why he had had to have drinking glass and why his stomach was vacuous than pattern. He hadn't been able-bodied to manage more than three balls since Christmastide. Just to depict himself he could, Harry added another egg and split the Lucille Ball into two circles ("Oooh !"Said a small fille passing by. The mother smiled at him, but didn't drop anything ). The two circles became one again as they began to wobble ("Out of pattern"thought Harry ) and he pocketed two of the formal back away, he had to keep this up for a while.

The sun was high in the sky before Harry moved from his slur. He scooped his winnings to an inside sack and went off to buy tiffin. He bought sandwiches at some newsagents with no substantial name and ate them slowly on a parking area bench and fuddle More water from a fountain. On the way back to his slur Harry passed another food shop, the cakes in the windowpane looked even better than the number one unity had. Harry walked past, penny-pinching was in his bones.
*


When Harry got back to the place he realised something was wrong. In the claim center of the lame was the biggest man Harry had ever seen. From the toes of his magnanimous leather kick, past his heavy furred overcoat ( Bet that's warm, thought Harry ) all the way to his face, so spread over, variously, in beard, mustache and foul lightlessness tomentum that only small parts of tegument were visible, the man was easily eight substructure tall. The very show of the man was so striking that for a prospicient instant Harry didn't see what the man was doing and then he became even more curious. The tall man seemed to be looking for something, he would confabulate a bit of ( very old and yellow looking ) newspaper publisher then expect around, staring at people, then look worriedly back at the paper.

"Maybe he's lost"thinking Harry. But the grandiloquent man didn't seem to be about to move on, neither did he seem to be the type to ask way. Harry was torn for a moment between apprehension at the visit image and a prospect to snap up a bit more money from helping a miss tourist. But a moment later his indecision became excess as the tall man turned to look at Harry and his face broke into a huge grinning. The tall man ran over to where Harry was standing ( breaking several paving pit ) and stopped in figurehead of the startled kid looking, in play, happy and relieved.

Yes ?"Volunteered Harry,"Can I help you ?"he hazarded, then ( in a last ditch effort to recover normalcy )"are you lost ?"

"Nope,"Said the magniloquent man, spreading his mouth in the widest grinning Harry had ever seen."I think I've found what I've been looking for."

"And that is ?"But Harry already dreaded and expected the answer.

"fountainhead you o'grade ! Didn't you get… Hey Wait !"By halfway through the sentence Harry was halfway across the lame, and accelerating.

Harry dodged across a face road and began haring down first one back street then another.

"One good thing about being chased by a giant…"thought Harry"You know when he's behind you !"The pavement cracked and buckled as the tall man chased Harry, he didn't seem to run much but he only had to conduct one running footstep to Harry's three and he didn't have to dodge through crowd either, citizenry fell over themselves to get out of the way. And all the time they were running the improbable man kept yelling

"Wait ! You got to consume yer missive ! You got… Out a my way you ! … to read it ! arrest !"

Harry pelted off a master route and down an alley, he was moving so fast he almost shot past the thing he had been searching for. Harry skidded to a stoppage and grasped both hands round the cast iron drainpipe ( his little trick was less useful now nearly pipes were credit card but it had still put him above and away from more than one bit of trouble ), his ft went against the rampart and he pulled himself paw over hand upwards, two of his nut slipped out of his pocket and fell back down but he ignored them, he could get more ( well, he could probably get more, and in a apprehension anything round would do ) and pulled himself onto the tile roof above him. Harry lay there for a second, finding his balance ( and his breathing time ) before sliding back to the boundary and looking over. Three stories down ("It had looked so practically magnanimous from the bottom"thought Harry ) the tall man stood hunched over, catching his breathing space in immense, leviathan, gulps that disturbed the rubble on the priming. The man managed to resist up after a few moments and began rummaging in his coat. After a few attempt at various pouch he managed to draw out what looked like a sealed gasbag and force it into the air.

"You got… to have… yer letter."The man said breathlessly. He wiped his helping hand across his face and shook the perspiration off on the ground."Blimey you're fast."And with that the magniloquent man dropped to the reason and sat there mopping his brow.

"Who are you ?"Called Harry"and why are you chasing me ?"

"I was chasing you ‘ cos you damn ran away wasn't I !"Said the improbable man, pulling off his coat to expose a filthy white shirt and suspenders."Why'd you do that anyway ?"

"Because I've never met you before."Said Harry."Why would someone I've never met before be looking for me at Euston station ! Also…"added Harry as another thinking hit him"how did you even know I'd be there !"

"We've met before Harry, y'just don't remember. Not that I'm surprised at that, you were minor enough to fit in my deal back then, and you were easier to catch."The tall man said smiling."I knew you when you was a baby. lie with your parents too, friends."The mans head drooped for a moment then came back up quickly."As to how I found you, well, I had some help with that."The man reached into his pelage and dug out a pink umbrella with frilly plait bound, it looked almost like it should be in a cocktail nestled in his big hands.

"An umbrella ?"Said Harry"Oh of course !"Harry stood up and began strutting along the edge of the roof ("Careful"cried the marvelous man")"Why didn't I see it before ? An umbrella, a magical umbrella that points you on your way ! The umbrella of light, The umbrella of seeking !"Harry spun on one understructure and began walking the other way."The pastel, pink umbrella of plenty !"Harry threw back his school principal and laughed."You're nuts mate ! An umbrella can't assistance you find anyone."

"You think so do you ?"Said the man, still smiling,"Then I think it's high time you read your letter."The man put the letter on the ground in front of him ( pausing for a minute when he realised he had been using it to mop his brow ) then stepped back and pointed the umbrella at it and mumbled under his breath.

"Hey !"Harry jumped back and almost fell over as one recession of the letter burst into purple flames.

"It's all right ! It's all rightfield !"Cried the man, stamping out the ardor with his boot."It only got the gasbag and that was pretty wet so it's all right field. I'll try again."Harry watched in stunned anticipation as the man stepped back again, raised the umbrella carefully and mumbled something slightly different towards the gasbag. For a mo nothing happened. Then, slowly, one boundary of the envelope lifted up, dipped back down again ("unbendable"mumbled the man ) then righted itself and rose by one corner as if it was drawn up by an unseeable thread. The letter rose higher and high-pitched until it drew level with Harry's face. He stood up and the letter obligingly rose to oblige him. Harry carefully reached out and waved his paw over the alphabetic character, then under it, then all around just to be certain. He finally drew his helping hand back and whispered

"How…"Harry leaned in to get a closer face and suddenly, momentarily, forgot he was on a rooftop. His invertebrate foot slipped out from under him and he tumbled over, skinning his legs on the bound before falling like a stone. As he spun in the air he looked up to see the letter, still casually floating above him."Weird day…"thinking Harry, then tumid hands caught him.

"What'd you do that for ?"said the man. Setting Harry back down on the solid ground where he stumbled and sat down on a delivery pallet."You coulda'been hurt, or unfit !"

"How ? ..."Harry pointed to the alphabetic character now gently drifting down from the cap."no strings…"

"Oh, that's easy stuff."The tall man waved his hand disparagingly"Even I can do that, you'll learn that in your offset hebdomad, its one of the simplest charms."

"spell ? !"Harry felt like running away again but his branch wouldn't movement."Like, as in, spells ?"

"Ah…"said the man"I was afraid of that. You're aunt and uncle probably meant to tell you when you was older. We didn't know if they had."

"You know my aunt and uncle."Harry looked at the man and tried to work on out the fortune that this person was friends with his aunt and uncle. Low, he decided, very, very low.

"Nah, I never met um. But we knew that was who was taking tending of you after your parents died."His parents… Harry tried to call up what his aunt had told him about them. Very small, just that they were the incorrectly sort of people and died in some accident. A fire wasn't it ? Or maybe a car crash ? Anyway Harry had privately decided that if they were hoi polloi his aunty disapproved of then he probably would have liked them a lot. Liked them salutary than his auntie and uncle at least.

"That was a retentive time ago."Harry snapped back to the demo."and I'm punter off without them taking care of me !"The grandiloquent man gave him a shrewd look, taking in his heavily wear thin clothes and brake shoe."Well…"added Harry"at least now I don't get slapped if I don't have repast set for them on time."Harry grinned"Who knows how they managed without me ? Probably starved to death trying to sour out how the oven works."He laughed and was pleased to see the tall man laugh too."Mind you it'd take a patch to starve Dudley. Fat reserves like a camel !"Harry did a ready fat-cousin impression, waddling along the bowling alley, and the man laughed harder.

"We'll wherever you've come from you're going somewhere better."Said the man when he finished chuckling. He fished the gasbag back off the floor and handed it to Harry."This should explain most of what you're wondering about and I'll filling in the blanks."Harry took the letter carefully and looked at it before opening it. It was an old fashioned one, made with yellowing parchment and sealed with a coating of sleeve in wax, melted wax now of line. Harry wiped the mucilaginous mass away with his sleeve and opened the letter. Inside were three patch of report and what looked like a train ticket. All made of funny old newspaper publisher. He stared at the ticket, it had gold leaf an it and had a large crest ("probably the Same one that was on the letter") embossed into it. Harry wondered what kind of train required a ticket like this, and where such a railroad train would go to. ("Either a land of fertile people…"thought Harry"…or a hot chocolate factory.")

"Read the letter, read the varsity letter !"Urged the tall man impatiently. Harry tucked the just the ticket into his sack and pulled out one of the mainsheet of theme. He opened it. His eyes slid from one English to the early. He had read each line about three metre before he finally believed that what he thought he learn was actually what was on the pageboy. Harry held the letter in strawman of him and tried to steady his spokesperson before saying,

"A school ?"

"Yep,"Said the tall man smiling"Hogwarts, Best school in the humankind for masses like you. Course the other schooltime'll tell you dissimilar, but anyone who knows what there talking about says Hogwarts is the greatest. Course we have Albus Dumbledore, none of the rest of em can say that."

"Who's he ?"Said Harry, still desperately trying to annul the one part of the letter that had him shaking most."individual famous ?"

"He's the headmaster."Said the tall man, drawing himself up importantly."He gave me this job himself. Great man Dumbledore. But you'll be seeing him when you reach Hogwarts."Harry's eyes were drawn to the postscript on the bottom of the letter, written in a different handwriting than the rest of the text, and with unlike ink.
P.S.

Due to your special circumstance an escort has been provided for you to excuse and help you through the procedure of preparing for your starting time school yr. If this letter has not come to you via one Rubious Hagrid then you will be meeting him shortly. I wish you all the best for the starting line of your first schoolhouse year.

Albus Dumbledore


"Rubious Hagrid ?"The grandiloquent man nodded.

"Yep that's me. Gamekeeper, caretaker and steward of keys at Hogwarts."

"And…"Harry took a deep intimation, there wasn't much else he could ask before he asked this so he should just get it over with."…Hogwarts is a school day of magic ?"

"Of course."Said Hagrid."As I said, outdo school in the world."

"illusion like you just did ? Making things float and explode ?"

"Well, yeah."Said Hagrid"What did you think it have in mind ? Those tricks muggles ("muggles ?") use to dupe each other ?"

"And you think I can do that ?"

"With a short training o'course, that's what Hogwarts is for."Hagrid put his hired man on Harry's shoulders"Come on, we've stood here long enough and we need to be getting your school stuff. But first we should get you washed up and in some proper clothes."Hagrid led Harry down the back street. Harry followed placidly.

When your total life story shatters like Methedrine and is replaced something glittering and new, sharp and scary. When your biography changes in an instant you can either pull back, hold on to the old, try to pick up the piece and risk destroying the new quartz glass future you have found, for the sake of condom waters of the past. Or you can drip, laughing into the new sprightliness, with its shiny hypothesis. And you either ride it through, or get swallowed under.

Harry laughed as he walked out of the alleyway, and into bright futures.



Lets all lease a moment to give thanks memory King for betaing this chapter.

Harry thrower and the Roofs At Nox : Chapter 2 : seafarer

Harry raked his hands through his shorter fuzz, trying to make it monotonous. The hairdresser had nearly shoved them out of the shop when they arrived, a conspicuously tall man and a child with uncombed, unwashed, un-anythinged hair. Hagrid had paid her in notes that looked very old.

"Did he take a shit them with magic ?"thought process Harry suddenly."Could I make them with deception ?"The clothes and the shower at a gym had both been similar oddities but apparently the largest quirkiness was yet to come.

"That looks OK now."Hagrid had said coming out of a wearable store."Now for the real shopping."

"This stuff ?"Harry fished the list that had come with the letter out of his sac."Books, baton, cauldron… toad ?"

"Nah, no toad."Laughed Hagrid."But all that other stuff you'll need for Hogwarts."

Harry hurried alongside Hagrid, his mind still buzzing with questions. But there was no way he was asking about magic in a crowded street full of muggles ( or was it muddles, or mugwerts. Something like that anyway. ) And when they finally turned into a doorway Harry was so busy looking at where they were that they were pushed to the back of his mind. They had stepped, hopefully deliberately ( this didn't seem like the sorting of place that would sell books, or urinate potions other than the worldwide alky kind ) into a dark, oak beamed, pub fully of solid, old-looking article of furniture. The drinks behind the bar had odd gens and some of the liquidness fizzed or bubbled. In the dark light Harry could accept sworn one of them was glowing faintly. The house outside had said"The talebearing cauldron ”. It certainly fitted one of the criteria.

As Hagrid led Harry across the floor, weaving around table Harry began to notice other things that didn't quite fit. Like the clothes multitude were wearing, half of the people were in normal, but hideously incompatible and mismatched, clothes. But the other half wore what looked like long flowing robes in various colours. The littler items were stranger, no watches or walkmans, but instead one man held a marble in his hired hand. As he gripped it the sphere went cloudy-red and the man began consulting a shopping list worriedly. Another man was showing off what looked like a sheep's skull with odd symbols painted on it to his admirer ("Less than a reaping hook ("sickle ?") and new they go as high as five !"). In a niche two peppiness kids who looked like twins, not much older than Harry himself, were swapping some sort of trading cards.

"Well…"thought Harry."At least that's normal."

"The usual Hagrid ?"For a minute Harry didn't see where the articulation had come from. Then he realised they had reached the bar, and the tender was talking to them."Also there was soul in here selling wyvern testis. Probably just painted ostrich ones but you never know."

"Nah, nah."Said Hagrid waving one of his big hands."Got no clock time for a swallow or to face at clobber for myself. On Hogwarts business."He patted Harry on the shoulder."Important."

"fair enough so… ohh…"The barman was looking at Harry, or more accurately, at his forehead. Harry put his hand to it and realised that, with his new haircut, the old cicatrice on his frontal bone was no tenacious hidden.

"Got it when I was little."Said Harry, unless the bartender was wondering."I've always had it."Did this guy have a scar infantile fixation or something ?

"Of course you've always had it lad !"Said the mixologist, one-half amazed, one-half amused."You're Harry potter !"

The room went idle. Suddenly every eye in the elbow room was turned to him. Somewhere around a chicken feed tipped over, spilling its ( fuming and bubbling ) contents on its owner. No one noticed.

"Harry Potter."Breathed one of the masses nearest him."Can it be ?"It took Harry a second to work out the interrogative was directed at him and another to decide how to answer.

"My names Jack."He said, affronted."Why you all staring at me ?"Sound seemed to fare back to the barroom as people turned back to their drinking, mumbling and in one case shouting ("Oh no ! its all over my shirt !"). And Harry turned back towards the bar and looked up into the incredulous fount of the barman and then further up into the confused typeface of Hagrid."I got the mark falling off my initiative bike, odd cast isn't it ?"Harry smiled.

"Yeah, that right… Jack."The barman turned around chuckling under his breathing place while Harry turned to front Hagrid.

"Would you mind if we got out of here."Harry said quietly."Please."Hagrid nodded quietly and led Harry to the rearward door and opened it for him. It was only When Harry got out that he began to breath properly again. Harry's hired hand shook as he wiped cold sweat off his brow. What was that all about ?

"Harry ?"Hagrid said quietly."Um… why did you just do that ?"It took Harry a second to compose himself enough to answer.

"They knew me somehow, or at least knew my name."Harry shuddered."If a room fully of alien knows your name its either very good news program or incredibly bad news."Hagrid fished out a water bottle and handed in to Harry, who gulped it down."Plus they were all staring like they expected me to do something. All I know how to do for an interview is juggle. And somehow I don't think that was what they were looking for."Harry splashed some of the water into his hand and slicked down one side of his hair, right over the scar."Hagrid, why were they staring at me ?"

"Ah… well… you see that's…"Hagrid dry-washed his hands nervously. Then straitened and walked over to a paries pulling out his umbrella."That can hold back till later, it's not something I want't discus in a dark alley."Hagrid tapped bricks faster than Harry could watch over and stepped back."There…"Said Hagrid, obviously sharp to fulfil every silence lest questions re-arise."Here's where you can get your school stuff, Diagon alley."The bricks spread apart around the area Hagrid had tapped, opening out to a window into another world.

A long winding street, full to the brim with odd robed people, and odd store filled with odder merchandise. colorful signs swung from the overhanging fib above them, showing that the shop below sold broom handle or pyrotechnic. masses sold things out of wheelbarrow on the edges, odd vegetables and wooden miniature that danced or spun. For now Harry was mental object to follow Hagrid, draining in the good deal and the sounds of the place. He was almost disappointed when Hagrid stopped in nominal head of a large colonnaded building and went inside.












The interior of the building was as gallant as the exterior, with two foresighted desks running the duration of the senior high vaulted room. easy came from windows high up on the walls. Along each desk sat singular puppet consulting lists or counting out piles on coins. There were bags of coins behind the desks too, and the merely sounds were the slammer of metal on metal and the scratching of calamus. Harry suddenly had the odd genius that he had entered the cathedral of money, the church of cash, and knew, acutely, that he hadn't been to idolize in a while.

"Hagrid."Harry said quietly."Why are we here ?"

"Here to take a crap a withdrawal."Said Hagrid, as if it should be obvious."Can't buy your schoolbooks with muggle money can we."

"This is a savings bank ! ?"Exclaimed Harry, and was shushed by a nearby wight. He continued in a restrained phonation."I don't have any money to retreat, certainly not from a place like this."

"Oh, but you do."Said Hagrid, smiling."You're parents set some money aside for your education before they died."

"My parents ?"But the rest of the enquiry was lost as they reached the desk they had been headed for.

"Yes ?"Said the creature, in a blase voice.

"Mr Harry Potter ( no-count Harry ) here to make a withdrawal."

"Key please."This creature obviously wasn't impressed by the name, if anything it looked more tire than before.

"Key, right…"Hagrid dug through air pocket after pocket, spilling diverse things onto the level and the desk. Harry picked up the things he could recognise, like scissors and a dog catch, and left the former bits where they were, some of them were moving."Ah !"Hagrid produced a key, that had probably been shiny gold before encountering Hagrid's pocket, and put it on the desk."There we are. Also there's one former thing."Hagrid leaned in close to the animal and handed him a seal off piece of newspaper. Harry thought he recognised the curvaceous signature on the movement."It's about what's in vault 713."

"Of course."Said the creature, reading the note. For the first fourth dimension it seemed interested in what it was looking at. The brute ("They're goblin Harry, sorry I didn't mention that. I keep forgetting you're new to this. Goblins, and this is Gringots.") summoned over another like it but jr. and with a slightly less laconic expression. This new goblin introduced himself as Greeklunk, rolled his middle at the back of the departing goblin and led them through one of the doors in the back and down to what looked like a mine car.

"Um Hagrid ?"

"Yes Harry."

"I've never been in a muggle bank so I have no comparison but I'm fairly surely mine-carts don't figure into it."

"Oh Gringots runs under half o'London. If you had to take the air to the burial vault it'd demand all day. turn down pretty far too. The top security burial vault are down there, guarded by curses, and traps and dragons…"

"flying dragon sound like a beneficial protection method."Said Harry, climbing into the cart."Of course of action it could be a problem if you actually want to crawfish out anything without being char-grilled."

"Oh dragons aren't as bad as all that. That's just anti-dragon prejudice."

"Do they take a breath flak ?"

"Well yes."

"Are they ten foot long ?"

"Oh most are much adult than that !"

"With huge pincer, teeth, muscles ?"

"Um…"the cart took off with a jerking."I see where you're going with this Harry."

"Just playing around."Harry said as the cart gathered speed. Soon the rampart were passing at a blur, other track winding off to either incline. The cart passed through vast caverns and through pin-hole passageways, tipping so far on the bends it threatened to come off. Harry stood face-first to the wind and closed heart, letting the gusting disturbance swirl around him as the pushcart front buffeted him. After a second he turned to Greeklunk, just one inquiry on his mind.

"Does it go any faster ?"

"One speed only."Said Greeklunk wistfully. He shared a straightaway smile with Harry and turned his face into the wind instrument too. After a 2d he added with a wide-mouthed goblin-grin,"But we can go round some loops if you like !"

"No !"Hagrid's muffled yell came from the corner where he sat hunched over."blazing Harry, are y'trying to kill us ?"

"Are you alright Hagrid."Harry asked, turning around and leaning back against the edge of the cart.

"I'm mulct, I just detest these gringots trolleys."Hagrid said, blanching"And obtain on to something !"Harry had just spread his weapon out like wings to better find the current of air, but obligingly put them back down."You make me airheaded standing like that."

The handcart eventually slowed and pulled up next to a hurdle. Harry hopped out of the handcart to see this new surrounding followed, much more slowly and with thought for his stomach, by Hagrid. Greeklunk led them to one especial hurdle and turned brought out the key Hagrid had given the desk hobgoblin. The curl squeaked as Greeklunk turned it with the key and there was the sound of with child bolts drawing back.

"Here you are Harry."Said Hagrid as the burial vault swung open air."Your inheritance."

Harry's thinker rebelled. Not true, it insisted to its purchasable middle, the pictures your sending me just can't be true. There is no way. Just no way… Harry barely noticed as Hagrid walked into the vault and took a few coins from the wad of gold and more generous handfuls from the silver medal and bronze piles.

"This should be enough to go on."Hagrid stepped back out of the vault and had to physically move Harry to allow Greeklunk to close up the door. Harry was silent as they stepped back into the go-cart and for a while just stared at the walls rushing past until finally he felt he had his own view in order enough to try and get answers for them.

"Hagrid ? My parents left money here, so they must've been magic too, right ?"

"Well of path they were ! Lilly and King James I ceramicist. mind boy and little girl of Hogwarts they were when they were there."

"Magic runs in families ?"

"Normally it does yes."

"My aunt and uncle ?"Harry asked incredulously.

"But not always."Hagrid added nodding."You're mum was the first on her English of the sept with it."

"And they were stinking rich ?"

"Comfortable Harry, comfortable."Hagrid sat up to babble human face to face."I suppose they never were strapped for cash but hardly stinking rich, no, no.

"But, that vault ?"

"fountainhead all the money they had went to you when they di…"Hagrid stopped and frowned at himself."I'm sorry Harry, I should'nt've blurted that out."

"It's all right."Harry said shrugging."I don't remember them."

"That's not all right !"Said Hagrid with a mix of anger and sadness."If anything that makes it worse !"

"Tell me a fiddling about them then."Harry said, thrifty not to let one shred of avidness enter spokesperson."It might need your psyche off the cart for a while longer."Harry laughed as Hagrid suddenly looked around and, seeing that he was sitting up, not holding on and had momentarily forgotten his nausea, let out a yelp of surprise and curled back into a corner.

After a moment he began to babble and Harry let the words wash over him. Hagrid didn't seem very good at telling taradiddle, his creative thinker jumped about with many a"and there was this former time…"and seemed to leap out from his fathers kickoff year at Hogwarts, to his parents wedding, to some game called Quidditch his father apparently played, to just describing his mothers face. In the middle of a blow by blow verbal description of a fight between his begetter and some other kid ( Snipe ? ) Harry realised they were no longer moving. Glancing around he saw a dim, disused, dingy and dank part of the banking concern caves with just one large vault in pot following to the pushcart. Thinking back Harry realised they had not moved in some prison term and he glanced over to Greeklunk who smiled back at him, waiting at the ascendance levers. Harry mouthed

"Thank you."at him. Then said out loud…"Hagrid ? I think we're here."

Cut off in mid flow, Hagrid shook himself out of his reminiscence and stood up. As Greeklunk led them to the door Harry noticed that it had no keyhole and no handgrip."trench down in Gringots."He thought."And even higher certificate than they put on lot of gold ?"

"What are we here to get ?"Harry asked warily.

"Best you don't think on it too much Harry."Said Hagrid."special missionary work from Dumbledore. Very secret."

"Something magical ?"Harry asked."Another umbrella perhaps ?"Hagrid looked at him oddly for a moment before realising it was a joke. Greeklunk ran a finger down a parting of the door and it dissolved like junk into the air. The hobgoblin then stepped back warily as if he didn't want to be closer to the contents of the vault than he had to be. While Hagrid stepped into the bank vault Harry turned to Greeklunk and whispered

"Do you sleep with what's in here ?"The goblin shook his head.

"And I don't want to find out."The goblin shuddered."The bank vault down here are the top security. I haven't been here long enough to see more than one or two. Sometimes its just money, hoi polloi who want it as safe as possible and don't mind the extra charge, but sometimes…"

"Worse ?"

"Much worse."Greeklunk leaned against the wall and put an odd joystick in his mouth and began to chew it."There was one guy a few days ago, Rich toff from one of the old wizarding families. All he took out was money but I swear, in the back of the burial vault there was other stuff and nonsense. strand, knife, a rack, not new stuff judgement but some of it looked… used."Greeklunk trailed off into silence, chewing softly.

"You allow mass to salt away clobber like that here ?"Harry asked.

"That's not the unsound of it."Continued Greeklunk, shaking his forefront."That stuff could easily have been full moon of dark trick. In fact, considering the source, it probably was."Greeklunk looked like he was about to say more then suddenly broke off and stood up. Muttering to himself he began to yard."You won't tell anybody I said that will you Harry ?"Greeklunk said, sounding worried."merely minutes are meant to be confidential and everything. I shouldn't have let myself run like that."

"It's alright, it's not as if you mentioned names or anything."

"I only wish the higher ups would see it like that."Greeklunk shook his chief."Ah… time to go."Hagrid stepped back out of the vault stuffing a minuscule grubby share into his pocket.

"Something small"Thought Harry."Something small but very valuable and very hole-and-corner and possibly very dangerous. Something conjuration. Something…"( he glanced into the hurdle as the room access reappeared )"…valuable enough to rent out an entire vault just for it. What are we the couriers of ?"

On the way back Hagrid began feeling sick again so Harry chatted to Greeklunk about Gringots and the carts ("Sometimes we race them after closing hours ! Er, better add that to your list of stuff not to mention again Harry."). Finally the handcart reached soil grade again and they got out, waved good day to Greeklunk and stepped back into the cloudburst of sound in diagonally.






"right, first things first."Hagrid looked up and down the street and stopped when he saw a shop that appeared to have got a needle-and-thread signaling outside its threshold."We need to get you some robes."Madam Malkin's was empty except for the proprietor who fussed over Harry like a female parent hen, standing him up on a stool and pinning and tucking the farsighted smutty robe she threw over him.

"You'll be going to Hogwarts of course."brothel keeper Malkin's vocalisation was muffled by the pins and clips held in her mouth. Hagrid, standing in the spinal column of the shop mimed drunkenness and pointed back to the talebearing cauldron, when Harry nodded he stood up and walked out the door. Harry suddenly felt a lilliputian vulnerable. Not from people, Harry knew how and when to run from difficulty, but from this world. He was in a foreign state and had just lost his translator.

"So everyone keeps telling me."Harry smiled wanly. Madam Malkin stood up and ruffled his hair.

"Don't worry."She said in a comforting motherly way."It can make you like that if you're new to this. You'll soon enough get into the swing music of things."

"How did you know I was new to this ?"Harry asked ( or did everyone know him here ? He quickly glanced up but his scar was still hidden by pilus. )

"I see a lot of Hogwarts scholarly person come in here for their first base robes."Madam Malkin moved around to his early side to begin working on that."You get so you can tell the ace who are muggle-born just by the way they look at anything magic sideways. But in a class time you see them derive back carrying broom handle and making the potty fly just like the rest. You'll fit in."She knelt down to start out on the hemline and Harry was left feeling more stable than he had all day.

"Just a matter of getting my sea legs."intellection Harry, idly taking two balls from his sack and juggling them one-handed."Get stable in this new reality and you'll be fine."Harry added another glob and kept on with one hand, using the early to get out his list."Still need quills, still call for parchment, still ..."

"I wish I could do that."Harry looked up to see a girl about his age standing in the doorway of the shop, an grownup ( judging from the foam of brown hair they were both endowed with, probably her mother ) stood talking with one of the shop class attendants and fiddling with gold coins she didn't seem familiar with. Also, Harry noticed wryly, they both seemed to be looking at anything magical sideways.

"Do what ?"Harry said as the girl was led onto an adjacent footstool.

"That."The girl pointed at Harry's right hand and he realised he was still bouncing the juggling balls.

"Oh, that."Harry suddenly felt like impressing somebody and added another lump before moving to both hands and separating them out into two iteration. He caught one ball in each hand then flipped his articulatio radiocarpea and let the others fall onto the vertebral column, he balanced them there for a moment before slipping them back into his pockets."That's nothing."Harry grinned and winked.

"I tried to see how to juggle once."The girl seemed to speak as if everyone should sit up and exact poster."I got a al-Qur'an out of the library that was supposed to learn you but I kept dropping the balls."The girl seemed to realise something and turned to him ( making the person pinning up her dress swear and suck a cock up finger )"Unless of row you used magic. Its probably easy for you to do if you do magic. I never knew I was magic until the missive came and I'm so glad but I bet I'll be behind everyone else, that's why we came out here the get-go day we could so I would stimulate a chance to get lots of books for background Reading. I just hope I don't end up looking stupid."The lady friend seemed to break more from lack of breathing spell than from want of words, she didn't looking at like she ever ran out of words.

"I don't think there's too much danger of you looking stupid"irritating maybe but not unintelligent"and anyway I'm the same, I was woefully, blissfully and surprisingly illiterate about magic trick until the letter came and warped the world."He grinned and waved his bridge player towards the window into diagonally"but it can't be anything but fun, especially wizard schooltime, especially spells."Harry laughed.

"Were not going there to have fun, were going there to learn."The girl sounded scandalised.

"Maybe you're going there to learn. But I've always had the opinion that animation's for fun, and if you can't receive something to jape at in any situation you're not trying hard enough. Anyway…"Harry swiftly moved on as the girl went through several stages of jounce."… we'll hardly be able-bodied to forfend having fun if we're doing spells all the clip, making squeeze fly, making stuff explode, making stuff into other stuff, the hale thing should be a blast."There was an uncomfortable silence, helpfully filled by Madam Malkin saying…

"Alright dear, you're done now."Harry stepped off the stool and went to go forth, just as he reached the door he heard…

"By the way I'm Hermione farmer, What's you're name."

"Harry Potter."The dressmaker gasped and stabbed her finger again, gentlewoman Malkin looked up in surprisal."See you at Hogwarts."He walked out into the street leaving two surprised and two confused stares behind him.

Hagrid was worried when he caught him halfway back from the Leaky cauldron.

"You should'a waited in the shop."Hagrid said taking him by the shoulder joint."I was about to do get you. Kids shouldn't be walking around alone."Harry was about to observe that that was exactly what he had been doing the last three years of his life when Hagrid started off towards another shop and Harry had to follow or be swallowed by the crowd.

On the circle of the shops Harry met three more prospective Hogwarts bookman, a brace of mate female child in the pill pusher's who laughed when he juggled crocodile eyes and laughed even harder when he was thrown out of the shop for doing so, and a boy called Blaise Zabini in flourish and Blotts who didn't seem to laugh at anything and sniffed in utter contempt when Harry bought second hand books.

"There's mass in that vault to close you know Harry."Hagrid said as they walked out of the bookshop carrying battered but still perfectly serviceable books.

"Easiest way to end up with no money is to drop it when you don't have to. Besides, these are still good."The Holy Scripture he was holding picked that moment to spill its first few pages onto the cobblestone. Harry picked them up without speechmaking and set off down the street fast enough to make Hagrid jog to hold back up.





Ollivanders came next and Harry thought for a import Hagrid had taken his advice to heart. Looking at the lose weight premises with attenuated windows and peeling paintwork belied its blurb which made out that it had made hunky-dory verge since 382 bc.

"Yes…"persuasion Harry,"…in this store. And you haven't repainted since then."But he walked in all the same and walked up to the replication as Hagrid took a seat by the door.

The inside was full of shelves, piled heights with long thin boxful. It reminded Harry of a Cross between an old sec deal bookstall and a obsolete shoe memory board. The sliver of spark from the window illuminated the motes of detritus in the air, Harry blew into it and was rewarded by a swirling formula, spotlighted in the murky room. He was just wondering if he should perhaps ring the bell when he heard a voice out of the darkness.

"trade good afternoon."The vocalisation was tranquil and felt like old velvet but it came so suddenly that Hagrid jumped like a spooked rabbit and Harry just kept enough of his self-control to avoid jumping himself though his heart felt like it had leapt on its own.

"trade good afternoon to you."Harry said, keeping his articulation steady while thinking"sneaking up on me, huh ? Don't let him see he got to you. For all he knows you heard him coming."Out of the gloom behind the desk an old, white haired and pale-eyed man stepped, cocking his nous like a heron.

"Ah, Mr. Potter."The old man couldn't have seen the scar, none of the other people he'd met had through the hair."I was sure I'd be seeing you in my shop sometime soon."

"Sorry to keep you waiting."Harry leaned back from the mans middle and said."I'm here to buy a wand."

"Why else would you be here ?"The man seemed faintly amused. He drew a tape amount out of a air pocket and it sprang out of his bridge player, measuring Harry's arm and digit."verge are what I do. I made all the wands here and I remember all of them, even the ones I've sold."

"Wouldn't some sort of card catalogue would be more effective ?"said Harry but Ollivander wasn't listening.

"It seemed only yesterday your parents were in here buying their first wands."

"Well it would if you've been around since 382bc !"Getting more devil as the tape measure wrapped itself around his head.

"You're female parent was a unicorn-hair young woman, set in willow. beneficial baton that, I remember the day I made it. Your father liked a scepter with dragon heart-string, more powerful. wellspring I say he liked but its really the wand that chooses the wizard."Ollivander fixed Harry with a stare that made his flavor like he was being weighed and measured but he managed to say.

"Fascinating, but there's only one verge I really want to talk about. Mine. Let me prefer it or let it chose me, either way seems fine."

"Very well Mr. Potter."Ollivander seemed oddly felicitous with Harry's insistence, as if this was the bit he'd been waiting for too. He snapped his finger and the tape bill curled back up in the palm tree of his script."Lets try ..."he ran his long fingers over a nearby ledge then nodded to himself and picked a box that was ( to Harry's centre ) identical to all the others."… true pine and Phoenix feather, short one at five inches."Harry took it and looked at it, it looked like a fat pencil."move over it a wave."Encouraged Ollivander. Harry swished the wand and jabbed at air to no effect before Ollivander snatched it back off him.

"No, not that one. Lets go in another direction."Ollivander climbed up a ravel on the far position of the store and dropped down another box."Dragon-heartstring and beach. 12 in and thin."He called out."Try it."Harry waved the glorified toothpick unenthusiastically before handing it back up to Ollivander who replaced it on the shelf and kicked the ladder over to another area.

More scepter passed by without effect and Harry was beginning to feel worried ( and a little hungry ) when Ollivander passed him another wand.

"Phoenix feather and Holly Eleven inches."Ollivander handed it to him just like he had all the others but Harry thought he had seen a glimmer in the old adult male flighty middle. Harry raised it apprehensively and swished it like a whip. zippo happened, and silence filled the small-scale workshop. Harry held the wand out for the old shopkeeper but he made no move to take it. He was staring at it like he did not quite understand.

"Try it again."Was all he said.

Harry obediently swished the wand a bit more and jabbed it in the air. It refused to do anything for him.

"Doesn ‘ t seem to work."Harry placed it back in its box himself and handed that to Ollivander, who finally took it. The pitiable man looked quite confused.

"Dra… Dragon-heartstring."He said after a moment, as if struggling with something."And oak."

A few wands later and one shot ribbons of light source in the air as Harry swished it.

"Andaman padunk."The wand maker said almost to himself."and Phoenix feather. Just nine in. But this is yours !"He held up the former wand in its box."This is the one you're supposed to own. This wand has at its burden, a certain feather. The razzing that gave that plume gave only one other that was made into a wand. Yes, xiii and a half inches, yew. That wand Harry, gave you that scar."He pointed at Harry's frontal bone."That wand belonged to he-who-must-not-be-named I'm sorry to say. You and… and… and he…"Ollivander lapsed into silence and Harry said.

"But that one didn't work. This one did."He liked the look of the wand he had in his hand. The Grant Wood was faintly red and the grip where he held it was a little rougher making the matter feel unchanging in his minuscule hand like none of the others had."How much for this one."

"takings it."The old man suddenly looked just that, old. He waved them out as he turned and walked into the rear of his shop class, without taking his eyes off the wand in his hand.










Harry left the monetary value of the wand on the desk and left the old man to his thoughts. When they were outside Harry took the confidential information and a surprised Hagrid followed him. Harry stopped by a niggling café and sat down at a board in the street corner and motioned for Hagrid to sit down too. When he did Harry said…

"Alright. Now I need to know what's going on."Hagrid nodded and sighed, mumbling something about not knowing why Dumbledore thought he was the one who should recount him, then launched into the story. citizenry passed by them but Harry was wrapped up in the level that was, he supposed, his story. Then finally when Hagrid finished he took a cryptical breathing spell and said…

"They think, that something I was or did block this dark lord ? And the reason people are staring at me is because I'm some sort of celebrity-hero ? And everyone in your existence knows this ? Including the the great unwashed I'm going to be going to schooling with ? And this sinister wizard may still be out there somewhere ? Have I got this right ?"

"I'm sorry Harry."Hagrid shook his head."There's a lot to take in on top of what you've already heard today. But you asked, and I would've had to evidence you anyway seeing as you'll be going off to Hogwarts with people who know."Hagrid suddenly looked around them, some of the store were already shut and the café owner was looking at them pointedly."We'd better get going."

On the way back down the street Harry deliberately kept his hair up off his scrape. people stared, he would give birth to get used to it.


Chapter 2 : The toaders

Hagrid spoke to the barkeep at the talebearing cauldron before leaning down to address to Harry.

"I've got you a room here at the cauldron."Hagrid pointed back up the stares."I don't know what yer gon na do in the long terminus but for now until you go to Hogwarts you can bide here."

So that was how it came to pass that Harry slept at the leaky caldron that Night, tired from a day that had held more surprise than, well, than the residue of his sprightliness put together. Harry kicked off the blankets when he began sweating and lay back with his hands behind his chief. His tired body fought his buzzing judgement as it churned through the 24-hour interval revelations. But as the clock crept past eleven Harry's physical structure began to win and his centre drooped.

He dreamt of wands and wizards and rocketing carts that flew past his eyes chased by broomsticks. But most of all he kept turning and turning the taradiddle Hagrid had told him through his forefront just as he had when he was awake. Again and again a dark trope killed a man, then a woman then touched him on the principal with his wand. Sometimes the man was Hagrid, his vast mass blowing away like junk in a twinkling of light, sometimes the man looked like Harry, but older, stockier. The killer whale was bad, sometimes it was just a dark effect, a wave. Sometimes it looked human, like a scoundrel off TV, decked out in Fang and a cloak as it killed a woman who looked like Madam Malkin. Sometimes it had red eyes. Once, it was Harry.

Harry jerked awake and saw that it was still dark outside. He had sweated despite ridding himself of the covers and scrambled to the windowpane to open it. Dim Light filtered in from the edges of a sky not quite gear up for cockcrow. Harry turned and looked over his elbow room, barely glimpsed the night before. It was panelled in oak and the furniture was all of the expectant wooden sort. The bed had a canopy around it that Harry had failed to close last night, he noted in passing that the under sheet was twisted as if the sleeper had squirmed in the night.

"Running from something"Harry decided grimly. That thought and others made him make up one's mind to forgo trying to get some more slumber before dawn and wandered over to where he'd dropped his bags by the dresser.

He idly looked through bags, sorting stuff into spile and chuckling as they brought back anamnesis of diverse episodes of the old day, the shaft the shopkeeper had tried to yield him free when a pennon from a fan blew back his hair, the potion ingredients Hagrid had had to go back in to get after the crocodile eye episode. When he finally had all he owned in muckle in nominal head of him he pulled over a hot seat and sat down in nominal head of it, considering his quandary. The largest piling by far, dwarfing his new robes in weight if not in sizing, was the books.

This really was a dilemma for Harry. Having not had cause to read anything foresighted than a sentence or two in three years Harry was painfully aware that those books would be seriously arduous going. Checking his ticket again ( from another pile ) Harry counted daytime and came up with thirty eight. He counted them again and came up with thirty seven. He did a short rhyme in his question to think how many days august had and came up with thirty eight again. He wondered how a great deal a room for more than a calendar month had cost and whether he could carry all his Good Book about on the streets and realised that Hagrid had probably paid in cash advance to stop him doing just that. The groundsman was surprisingly shrewd about some things.

Harry switched his care back to the books and began wondering instead if a month would be enough. He'd be blown if he was going to this school without knowing a jot more than he knew now and looking like a raw newbie. Harry's belly grumbled and he realised wryly that lunch had been a long clip ago and although a lot had happened in the mean-time dinner hadn't been division of it. And worse he realised with a chuckle, breakfast probably wouldn't be served for minute yet.

"Wow,"he thought grinning"All it takes is just a huge quite a little of gold and suddenly you can't overleap two repast. Weakling."

Harry lay back for a consequence and closed his eyes, then swung forward and pulled a leger off the top of the pile. After a moment he replaced it, shuffled through till he found the one with the parole tyro in the claim and started on that. After a moment he put that back too and found the one that said grade-one. After a moment he leaned back and put his foundation up. He had finally managed to sympathize the first sentence in one of his books. It was a start.

*

Harry was well into the book when he realised that light was streaming through the windows and the sounds of the urban center were filtering through loud and clear. Harry stood up, put the playscript in his bag and went off to explore Diagonally. The mixologist watched him go but didn't try to stop him.

"Hagrid probably told him to watch out me."thought process Harry as he walked out the back threshold, turned, walked back in and asked the barkeeper how to open the wall.

The way revealed to him, Harry stepped out onto the bustling street. Harry bought a folded-pastry affair at a go-cart and was surprised to discover it was pumpkin. He walked along staring in windows at the assorted oddment until he reached Gringots. Gaining this familiar footing Harry climbed to the top of the steps, sat down and finished his pastry dough where he could see everyone come and go. Eventually he got out his Koran and read a chapter on something called alohomora without taking it in before shouldering his bag again and walking back into the crowd.

Harry followed a pattern like this for the next few days, going out in the morning and soaking in the hatful of Diagonally until he was sure he knew the office by gist, The standard playscript of spells ( course one ) by Miranda goshawk was finished and replaced back by A tyro guide to transfiguration by Emeric Switch which was itself supersede after a much longer separation ( the Holy Writ was longer and had none of the helpful diagrams Miranda Goshawk had added to her ledger ) by one about Fungi.

Harry was just grinding through a particularly mute passage about moss after a long days walk when he heard a tapping on the window. A brown and cream flecked owl with prospicient legs stood on the windowsill. The window was open but the owl just kept sitting there, cocking its head at him until Harry motioned the bird to come in. It ducked under the window frame and hopped onto the flooring where it scuttled up to the desk and raised itself up to it in one fluttering. Careful to avoid disturbing any of Harry's stuff it walked over to him and held out a letter of the alphabet it had clutched in its claw. Harry took it and the owl hopped back but still stood there, regarding Harry carefully. When he looked it in the eyes it ducked its head and took another step back but didn't leave. Harry felt into his pocket and found the stiff of his ham sandwich lunch which he opened and placed near the owl. The owl looked at it but seemed too neural to hire it. Shrugging, Harry opened the alphabetic character. In writing almost as bad as his own Harry read…


Dear Harry
Happy birthday. Sorry I couldn't be there in somebody but what with the schooltime year just starting there's lots to do at Hogwarts. There was a classroom on the third floor fully of flesh eating slugs. Anyway I sent you your present. ( Harry checked inside the gasbag and read on bewildered ) Unless you're wondering why the owls still hanging around it's because she's yours. ( Ahh, thought Harry, glancing at the queasy bird ) The Cage and stuff should be coming soon too. If you want to write to me just give her a letter, she'll have intercourse where to find me. Once again Happy Birthday.

Hagrid


Harry folded the varsity letter up carefully and turned to expect at the owl. It really wasn't that great in the body but had long spindly legs that looked like they belonged on a wader. Harry slowly put his arm out and scratched the position of the owls foreland. She went remains for a second then relaxed and cocked her head under his scratching finger. After a little while the owl managed to tear up the courage to take a bit of ham off the table and swallow it solid. The next day he took her to eyelops owl emporium where they told him she was a burrowing owl. In visible light of this he named her Digger. The clerk said that that was the most unimaginative gens he'd ever heard. Harry stuck his tongue out at him and left the shop.

About a week after that Harry snapped shut the cover of the shoemaker's last book in his agglomerate. He put it carefully on top of the others and sat there for a while collecting his idea. Then he leaned forward, placed a hand firmly on the bottom of the pile and turned it over. Digger hooted from her batting cage as Harry sat back down to read.

*

Sep the for the first time bloomed bright and too soon but Harry was already up. His bag was stuffed to the brim with his school clothed and books and his caldron tied on the outside and he carried digger in her cage in one hand. Harry walked Diagonally one last meter to say goodbye to the people he'd met on his manner of walking, Greeklunk at gringots, the fruit seller he chatted to when he got bored of his books and finally to Tom the bartender before walking back out into the muggle world.

queen cross was not far away. But with an owl in a cage and a full bag even a scant way can look too far and Harry was tired when he reached it.

"Half an hour to go."Harry checked his tag."Easier to wait on the train than out here ”. He walked down the platform past platform eight, retiring program nine, past platform ten, back past platform ten, layover, look left, seem right.

A profanity slipped from Harry's mouth that made a passer-by gnarl and frown. There was no platform nine-and-three-quarters, at to the lowest degree not one he could see. Harry had walked the duration of platforms nine and ten before he saw an odd heap moving towards him. A man dressed in a black cape, attracting many stares from passer-by by, herded a white-blond haired child towards the platform. They were followed by a tired looking man carrying a with child travelling chest and ( and this was the bit Harry was looking at ) a large owl in a cage. As the trio drew skinny Harry heard the boy say…

"I don't see why I can't let my own ling father."Harry's suspicion were confirmed and he stepped in straw man of them to say…

"Hello."From the icy flavour in the valet de chambre eyes not a good start but he pressed on."I couldn't assistant but overhear that last bit and it occurred to me that you might be the kind of people who could testify me the way to platform nine-and-three-quarters."There, that was innocent enough, if they weren't whiz they'd just think he was an imbecile. The man looked him up and down slowly.

"So you know about the platform but you don't know how to get to it."The man has an self-important drawling spokesperson."That says to me, muggle-born."The man started forward again suddenly enough that Harry had to jump out of the way. He wasn't fast enough however and the tip of the Isle of Man cane tripped him, sending him sprawling to the floor. He heard laugh from both the man and the boy that cut off suddenly. Harry got up and dusted himself off but the ace were no-where to be seen. Cursing himself Harry looked at the time, barely five minutes left. Harry was just wondering if there was a second train he could select when…

"Jack !"Harry was thumped on the shoulder and spun around to face into the freckle fount of one of the Gemini from the leaky caldron the low clock time he had passed through there. They were followed by an older teen, possibly even more lentiginous than them and a youthful one bringing up the rear. Behind them was a plump woman, raging at being left in charge of a whole flotilla of baggage trolley while her sons ran off and a piffling girl hanging on to her hand.

"This is the guy we told you about."Said the Twin Falls to his leftfield as his brothers caught up.

"The guy from the leaky cauldron"The twin to his right added as if finishing the sentence.

"The guy who isn't Harry thrower"Added lefty.

"fortune of multitude aren't Harry Potter."Said Harry with a smiling."It's hardly an accolade."("Now how the hell am I gon'a be able to say them the truth."Thought Harry. )

"Stop bothering him love, and demand you're carts back."The mother had joined them and was pushing them towards the political program."We haven't got meter for dawdling."Harry walked with the crowd to the gap between weapons platform nine and platform ten trying to function out a way to tell them.

"You know, about the totally Harry ceramist thing."Harry said but was silenced as the Old pal took his cart and walked straight through the wall. Harry's blow must have came through on his face because the mother said.

"First time to Hogwarts dear ?"

"Either that or I've gone mad and I just haven't realised it yet."This explanation was becoming to a greater extent and more appealing to Harry's nous but the woman just laughed.

"Oh, its all decent Dear, its Ron's commencement time too."She pointed to the youngest son who shrugged and smiled."All you have to do, is run at the roadblock and don't closure. Don't worry that you'll crash into it, or you will. You see ?"

"Run at the wall."Harry said flatly as the twins disappeared as well."Alright. Thanks for you're help."Harry added more warmly."But if I end up breaking my skull I'm blaming you."Harry turned to the barrier and broke into a run. He wanted to conclude his eyes but kept them resolutely open. The bulwark came closer. A sudden bit of panic hit Harry and he squeezed his optic shut and shielded his caput with his hands.

There was a moment of lull imperativeness then Harry opened his eyes and walked out to gaze at the red steam engine, sat next to the sign for platform nine-and-three-quarters. He heard a unearthly shlooping sound behind him and saw Ron standing there checking himself to see whether he was alright and looking back towards the barrier.

"Skull still whole ?"Harry asked him and got a grin in riposte. Harry wandered down the chopine and got in a seemingly empty rig. He saw the Pt haired boy from the chopine talking to Blaise Zabini and hastily got back down. The side by side few baby buggy he checked were occupied by people already talking and chatting and showing each former pictures. Harry reached the end of the train and was on his way back when he spotted the boy, Ron, walking along in front of him checking each compartment. Harry walked up and moved into step with him.

"I think everywhere's taken"Harry said as they checked another compartment only to receive a chemical group of seventh years in dangerous discussion over a paper. Harry hefted his bag higher onto his shoulder and held the door to the next compartment opened for Ron and his vast trunk.

"You're not bringing much stuff."Said Ron looking between his huge trunk and Harry loaded backpack."I thought everyone was bringing a trunk."

"I like to trip light."Harry said, they leaned against the wall for a instant as a gaggle of former bookman passed."Makes it easier to run from fuss. Besides, I don't have adequate hooey to fill one o'those things."Harry nodded towards the trunk.

"I'm Ron."The boy extended a hand, which Harry took."Ron Weasley. What's your conclusion name Jack ?"

"fountainhead, see the thing about that is."No welcome distractions here."My epithet not actually Jack."Seeing Ron's perplexed face he continued."You heard how your crony met me right."( nod )."How the great unwashed thought I was Harry Potter and turned and looked at me ?"( nod )."fountainhead, try and see it from my linear perspective, you're suddenly in a new berth with lots of the great unwashed staring at you."( dumb stare )."What would you receive told them ?"He lapsed into secretiveness as Ron stared at him for a moment.

"So what you're saying is… that you really are Harry potter ?"Ron laughed and told him it was a near joke, he laughed right up until Harry pushed his fringe up and showed Ron the cicatrice on his forehead. Rons heart widened like lamps and his laughter caught in his throat and got turned into a fit of coughing that Harry had to slap him on the backrest to get him out off."You really are him ?"

“'Fraid so friend."Harry smiled"Sorry for tricking you."

"So, do you retrieve, you know, IT."Ron leaned forward conspiratorially.

"What ?"Harry said, leaning forward and putting on a mock surreptitious accent.

"You know, when…that…"Ron pointed at Harry's cicatrice and Harry understood.

"I remember being hurt. Nothing else really."They walked on in silence for a while.

"Fred and George I are gona go crazy."Ron shook his head slowly while grinning.

"You're Brother ?"

"Yeah,"Suddenly a thought seemed to strike Ron."Oh, let me tell them ! The look on their faces…"

"bang yourself out, only don't, really. Once had a friend who did that, lost part of his computer memory and forgot six."Harry launched into one of his farcical and totally fictional stories.

"Forgot six ? Six what ?"

"The number six, he used to count up like… four, five, seven. If you told him he'd missed out a bit he looked at you like you were mental."

"You're having me on aren't you."Ron looked at him sideways and folded his arms.

"Course not. trust me. This guy was for real, plus if you mentioned to him that if there wasn't a six then where did sixteen and sixty seed from ? He'd get a head ache and have to go sit down. Was awful at keeping appointments too, on story of missing Saturday. Even spoiled he was scared of dice. Seemed to think they should be made triangular."Harry launched further into the story, dreaming up more wildly unlikely circumstances when he glanced into a nearby compartment and saw intimate faces.

"Ah,"Harry said"I think I see some keister we can steal."

*

He opened the doorway and looked in on the twin girls ( I'm meeting a lot of Gemini the Twins ) he'd met in diagonally's pill pusher."Hi."Harry said by way of institution,"mind if we sit down here ? I could hoodwink again by way of payment ?"The girls giggled and Harry moved into the compartment and helped Ron put his vast trunk in the command processing overhead time compartment. He waited until Ron had introduced himself before adding…"and my figure Harry, Harry Potter."

"Are you ? You didn't say anything when we met before."One of the twins accused.

"There wasn't metre, what with the being thrown out of the shop and all. Don't headache about that this meter, I plan to stay at Hogwarts at least a few days before getting thrown."The twins laughed, that was how to do it. Tell a jest just after you say your name ‘ cos you can't gasp and laugh at the same prison term."And anyway, you didn't evidence me your names either."

"well I'm Padma, and this is Parvati Patil."Said Padma before her sister added"Do you have the scar ?"Harry obligingly lifted his hair's-breadth and let it pass back."Wow."The twins looked at one another then broke out into giggles. But Parvati added through the laughs,"I expected you to be improbable though."Harry looked around and realised he was the shortest person in a fifty percent lady friend room then shrugged.

"It's an optical illusion."he said with a grin,"I'm really a giant."

"Nah,"said Ron"If you were you wouldn't fit in the string. And you'd be a unhurt lot horrible !"

"Thanks."Harry said flatly while wondering whether he was serious ( dragons, so why not behemoth ? ). Before he could say anything else the compartment door slid unresolved to exhibit a beldam pushing a tram full of food.

"Would you like anything off the trolley dears ?"She asked. A momentary-flash-fire three way battle raged in Harry between hungriness, thrift and a need to ingrain but the thing was decided by a set of creamy orange tree cakes sitting on one side of the trolley. On seeing them, thrift waved a minuscule Edward D. White flag.

"Two of those please."Harry said, pointing at the cakes. Ron mumbled that he had brought sandwiches but the twins seemed to have worked out all the stuff they were getting in advance and amassed a minuscule deal of their favourites in strawman of them. As the trolley moved away Harry held up one of his cake and said."Now, can anyone secernate me what the sin I just bought ?"

"You don't cognise ?"Ron said disbelieving"They're cauldron cakes."Harry bit a short off one of them and smiled as the creamy filling hit his tongue.

"mavin get dainty food."Harry said leaning back and taking another bite.

"What do you mean ?"said Parvati.

"Why wouldn't you have eaten wizard food."Added Padma.

"I didn't grow up with wizards, or witch or dragons or giants."Harry gestured widely at the surrounding region."Welcome to my journeying of perpetual revelation. I'm just waiting for the extraterrestrial to jump out with Elvis and all will be complete."He stopped and waited on their confuse stares.

"I wondered why you couldn't get onto the platform."Ron said after a minute."Once I found out who you were of line. But I guess you must have been raised by muggles after You-know-who kill…Ow !"Annapurna had kicked Ron hard in the shin and was making shushing noises while her Sister stared disapprovingly at the powdered ginger tyke. Harry just laughed.

"Don't square Ron on my account."Harry took another bite out of his patty before saying"My parents died a farsighted time ago. Beyond my memory of events, so it doesn't issue if you talk about them."

"Who took fear of you ?"Ron asked while rubbing his smarting leg."I didn't see anyone at the station with you."

"Who took maintenance of me ?"Harry paused a little too long before answering."wellspring, myself I guess. For the last three years at least, I lived with my aunt and uncle before that. Well, I say lived with, survived is probably the estimable term. That's why I left."Harry lapsed into silence and quickly began to panic under their stares, this was worse than when they learned his name.

"So, you lived alone ?"Parvati broke the muted."Without a family ?"

"Without a home ?"Padma added onto the end of her sisters question. Ron just sat there looking dumbstruck.

"Yes without a family, yes without a home."Harry's heart began to rush and he could sense the stew from their stares. He fumbled in his pocket and brought out two juggling Lucille Ball and began to bounce them in one hired man, he could feel the stress wane, relaxing, growing smaller but still sitting there, in the back of his mind, weighing it down. It had been repose too long, spend a penny them verbalize again."Neat story yeah ?"Harry said pocketing the clod."Anyway its not as bad as you think, I think I had a slight aid after I left my auntie and uncle's."

"What do you imply ?"Ron leaned forward, his sass full of sandwich.

"We'll, its something I worked out since I found out."It had taken him a piece to recognise it, his mind soaking into the old books he was reading, the comprehension had come to him slowly, as More and more while fell together."You know unintentional magic…"

"The form muggle-born-wizard child use when they don't realise it."Parvati said, then gasped."You've been using it already, that's how you survived homeless as a kid !"

"Yep,"Harry smiled happily."I used to recall I was favorable, born lucky, you know ? Any prison term I was really in difficulty like, like with the constabulary ("law ? !"gasped Ron, The similitude eyes went spacious with shock. ) something always happened. Like a logic gate I'd just ran through locked and barred itself behind me, or a urine chief bursting right under a cop-car."

"Were they hurt ?"Ron looked aghast.

"Nah, just broke the car. Still, none of those were as estimable as this one time."Harry motioned for the others to be given in and they obliged, now wrapped up in his story."I was being chased by this pack o'drunken bozo right ? Chasing me over some humble matter of little grandness that was blown far, far out of proportion."

"What did you do ?"Padma said flatly.

"I said their mothers must have been sheep and for no ground they took it as an insult."Harry shook his header ruefully"Some people have no good sense of humour, they took it totally out of context. Anyway, normally I have no trouble outdistancing drink in overcharge yobs but in this instance I was in a part of townspeople I hadn't been in before and I found myself in the untenable placement of facing a dead end with six of the idiots tearing down on me."

"Did you turn them into something ?"Anapurna leaned forward eagerly.

"Not quite."Harry said grinning,"Elseways I'd have turned them to sheep for a truly dry ending. But instead as they ran at me they all suddenly fell over at the same time."

"Oh, you just knocked them down."Padma sounded disappointed."That's not very interesting."

"Not knocked down, slid over."Harry's eyes twinkled."I wasn't sure at the time but I think I turned their shoes to ice. Have you ever seen six wino guy wire hangin'off each other ‘ cos they couldn't stand up. Any time they tried to resist up they just fell two-dimensional on their faces again."Harry raised his arm then flipped it over making a swishing phone and dropped it onto his lap.

"Of course, if they'd just had the smartness to take their shoes off I'd have been a goner, but with a little supporter from the alcoholic beverage they'd sot that didn't occur and I was secure to slip away."Harry laughed and after a moment his friends laughed too. Harry could remember that night clearly, he hadn't laughed then. He'd cried and ran and shivered through his pelage. He hadn't slept that night either, he hadn't felt safe too but instead had just ran and ran until his wooden leg gave out and he crawled into a patch of shadows and to lie there trembling. laughter was prosperous after but he would never forget the fear.

"That's nothing."Ron said, clearly trying to top Harry."One prison term when I was out on my broom…"He got no further into his story as the doorway slid clear to break a unquiet looking kid with a chubby font and watery eyes.

"Has anyone seen a toad."The boy sniffed loudly."I've lost mine. He's called Trevor."

"No, I haven't."Harry looked over Ron, Parvati and Padma to see a refrain of shaking school principal."No, he hasn't been in here… But."Harry added as the boys middle started to well up again."I could help you look if you like."Parvati was straightaway to add that she'd help too. Padma sighed but repeated what her Sister said. Ron said zip and rolled his eyes.

But the Weasley was outnumbered and so The pack started off down the corridor, Harry idly juggling and starting another of his staple fibre tales, Padma and Parvati listening intently, Neville ( the toadless wonder ) had stopped crying and was even smiling at the report and Ron bringing up the buns, trying to pretend this wasn't bettor than sitting in a cabin.

*

Everything was going so well ( no they had not actually found the toad but they had met lots of interesting people and one interesting giant spider. ) when Harry saw someone coming down the corridor and grimaced. His little group of toad-hunters stopped dead as the atomic number 78 haired kid from the station walked towards them flanked by two rich educatee. ("well, I say robust."idea Harry."It's really just fat. A ton o'fat and about ten stone o'ugly to season.").

"Oh,"said the boy in a drawling, bored voice."Its you, the mudblood from the station."Harry heard Ron gasp and Anapurna yell"What did you say ? ! ”.

"So you finally found you're way onto the platform."The boy ignored the reaction he'd produced and continued his arrogant oration."Too bad for you, if you'd just stayed you would have been spared the humiliation of being constantly bettered by the veridical necromancer. My father always says muggle-borns shouldn't be allowed to take care with us pure blooded wizards."

"You haven't seen a toad have you ?"Harry asked brightly.

"What ?"Said the boy. And was echoed by Ron and Neville.

"A toad."Harry kept smiling."You know, minor, green, frog-like thing, answers to the name of Trevor."

"No I have not seen a toad."Said the boy acidly.

"Sorry but you just seemed like the kind of guy who would know where to find immature, vile, disgusting reptiles."With his punch-line achieved Harry dropped his smile and glared at the boy as Ron and the Twins began laughing, Neville just looked frightened.

"Who do you think you're talking to."Said the boy, ignoring the fact that mass in nearby cabins had opened their doorway to mind."I am Draco Malfoy, my father is Lucius Malfoy, you'd honorable not cause foeman you can't heap with mudblood."Once again the word produced a reaction, even from the people in the cabins. Most of them erupted in angered muttering, a few looked at Malfoy proudly."Anyway, I don't see why I'm wasting time with the the likes of of you. There's a rumour that Harry Potter is on the train."That set off a different sort of response, a frenetic pant and hasty, whispered conversation."And I'm trying to find him before he falls in with riffraff like you."

"Unless he's a frog I doubt you'll find him."Harry said smiling."Oh and also, I'm not muggle-born, you're esteemed father just assumed that."

"But I suppose you must be a mudblood lover."

"Oh yeah, I think their expectant. I have no idea what they are but since you seem to hate them so a great deal and gods truth, the more I see of you the more I seem to hate your sand I can be trusted I'll passion ‘ em to second. Now, would you mind moving, I have toads to find, and all I'm finding here are worms."Harry pointed straight at Malfoy and then to the side of the carriage. Malfoy remained stock still. The carriage had gone deadly quiet.

"Who do you conceive you are ?"Draco said with undisguised scorn.

"Harry thrower. Nice to meet you."Draco's eyes went wide and the compartments once more began whispering."This is Ron Weasly and Neville Longbottom, and Padma and Parvati Patil."Harry advanced on the blonde haired kid before him and waved his mitt at the behemoth bodyguard."Now, aren't you going to inclose me to you're friends…pets…companions. Interesting how you managed to fit two Hippopotamus amphibius into uniforms, you would have thought the rump would get in the way."Then Harry noticed the master separatrix, a small green lump near Malfoys charge. He stooped, swiped it up and held it for all to see.

"Trevor !"Cried Neville happily.

"feeling at this guys, it's even better than I thought. Malfoy…"He jabbed his thumb behind him,"…actually attracts despicable wight. He doesn't need to seek them out, they come to him ! I wonder why that is ? I think…"Harry went on in a stage whisper"… that it might be the smell."He just had time to see the laughter erupt before something hit him in the spine of the head.

*

Harry went down hard and felt a weight earth on top of him. It felt like both the hippopotamus were on him, punching and kneeing for all they were Worth. Harry kicked up and when one flinched back he rolled out from under and turned his roll into a jumping to his feet. He saw one of the kid trying to rise and pushed him back down on top of his acquaintance. At that mo he felt hot sparks singe his neck and smelled burnt hair and turned to see Malfoy standing there with wand drawn, the concluding faint radiance just fading from the tip. Harry looked around and saw that no one had moved. The thing had happened in moments. Then suddenly one of the Onlookers glanced down the stroller, yelled

"PREFECTS ! ! !"and suddenly everyone jumped back into their cabins. Harry felt two sets of hands grab him by the articulatio humeri and commit him in with someone. He turned to see the grinning faces of the Weasly twins and the toad hunting gang.

"That."Said Ron"Was bloody brilliant."As if that loosened everybody's tongue they all began talking at once. The Weasly similitude congratulated him on putting down a Malfoy, Padma said she didn't think anyone had caused this much worry before even getting to Hogwarts but she was smiling when she said it, Neville said nothing but began looking at Harry with a form of awe that was uncomfortable. Recounting the fight and the taunt that prompted it kept them laughing until Parvati glanced out the window and said

"Ooo, we're here."As if on cue the geartrain started slowing. Harry looked out onto the wet platform as the train stopped and breathed in deeply.

"Almost there…"He thought."…everything's beginning."

*

Harry's hand drifted through the water, forgotten, as he stared out from the sauceboat he, Ron and the twins had shared. All talk had just been lost as they rounded a promontory and saw in the distance, their destination. Hogwarts, it sprawled over the land on one side of the lake, a vast donjon or castle with tall, acerate leaf towers and jumbo entrance hall. Every window glowed from within and shone ray of unclouded out like searchlights. Harry had never seen anything like it. He wondered for a instant whether that was because it was conjuring trick, certainly some of the towers looked like they couldn't be supported by just gem and mortar.

Harry stood up in the gravy holder and watched the palace for as long as he could before they came too closing to the drop to see it. And as Hagrid led the gravy holder in through a cave Harry turned and sat down.

"This will be unbelievable."Harry said quietly, smiling.

"Wait boulder clay you get inside."Ron grinned,"Fred and George told me everything about it. Apparently the stairs motion and there's privy transit everywhere."Harry made a genial note to find all of them."And there's animal in the donjon that the instructor don't know about, and there a room full of treasure in one of the walls. Fred and George said they 'd have got it out by now if it wasn't guarded by a monster."

"That's a clump of pig poo."Parvati scoffed ( Harry chuckled at the absurdly mild profanity ) as they stepped out of the gravy holder onto a landing."My admirer's in her third year and she once told me Fred and George II Weasly were the with child jokester and the swelled liars in the whole school."Ron bristled and was about to retort when Harry said

"From what I've seen of you're chum Ron, they'd take that as a complement."Ron turned on him and was about to return when he suddenly looked thoughtful and nodded his foreland. Harry suddenly grinned and spread his arms above his head. Then he let himself fall slowly, forward then curled, put his hands down and stood straight like a needle with his toes pointed up at the sky."But I don't think they'll consume this so easy…"Harry pushed up and landed back on his feet to foregather astounded stares,"…if they do give the hoaxer poll they'd better enjoy it while they can ‘ cos I'm on the fit now."Harry put his mitt on his hips and licked his front teethh."And they ain't seen nothing yet."

*

It was a mo before anyone spoke up but Harry saw their formula. Ron's looked shock beyond words and had his sassing open, Padma was looking at him like he was joking in some way but her sister was smiling and nodding with a gleam in her eyes that said she was planning to try for a bit of mayhem herself. But it was secret option four who reacted first.

"You're already planning to break school day rules and you're not even past the sorting yet."Harry turned, praying he was damage about recognising the voice."I have half a mind to state the headmaster about you right now."appeal unanswered. The voice came from the bushy haired little girl from diagonally who was standing with her hands on her hips facing them as the other number one years filed past down the corridor.

"Herm…ione, right ?"Harry said smiling for all he could.

"You should all go along away from him."The young woman ignored Harry and addressed the other toad hunters."You could all get into huge trouble."With that the girl turned and marched off after the first-class honours degree year. Meanwhile Harry turned back to the others.

"So, you've heard my idea and you've heard the opposition."He jabbed his hand at Hermione's back."Who's with me ?"Grins answered him, even ( eventually ) from Neville."Right then, I'm happy you guy rope are behind me. Now lets get going. If were late we'll never even get put into the school to get thrown out !"They hurried after the others. Surprisingly it was Neville who brought up the subject of what to call themselves. Some ideas ( Not all of them good ) were bandied about. Ron seemed to be set on putting the word cannons in the gens for some reason but was silenced when Padma sarcastically said

"Oh, so we don't we want to be named after a winning team ?"That could consume come to blows without Harry's mood- lightening abilities. Even after a lot of other selection ( some very cool, Harry held out for the name the toaders for a long fourth dimension, Neville had suggested it but it did line them up to now ) one name seemed to stick and, even when early options came up they still found themselves using that one ( except for laughable event, when Harry still used the toaders. ). It felt right somehow, like they had already been using it and just hadn't known it.

"After all ..."Said Ron"My brothers could calculate as the old ones, and we're out to supplant them, so were the new one !"Harry didn't think that was the reason somehow, but the name itself fit like a glove.

So, as Harry ceramist, Ron Weasly, Neville Longbottom and Padma and Parvati Patil walked into the waiting anteroom by the nifty hall and the final stage of the sunset-sunlight streamed in through the window the New Marauders were born.

*

They stepped into the great hall in a row and giggled when they gasped in bicycle-built-for-two. The sight was awe inspiring, the Brobdingnagian tables of students staring and pointing, lighted by hundreds of floating wax light and even serious, Harry's center travelled upwards and he smiled in rapturous wonder. The Night sky greeted him above, every asterisk bright and take in like a back-lit diamond. Like gold debris. Having never been far out of the M25 Harry had grown up with streetlamps and light pollution. The whizz were natural endowment, just one Sir Thomas More thing he wanted to give thanks this place for.

He quietened as an older beldam carried an old hat out to the stagecoach and set it down on a stool. She straightened and delivered her book of instructions in a chip, efficient voice and the hall instantly became dumb. Harry thought he saw the hat move then turned back to the witch. But no ! it had moved, and now it split down a ridgepole and opened like a mouth to say…


Lasting thousands old age and more
By the illustrious Hogwarts four
The home of renown

Each one of accolade dependable and princely
And at their nativity you understand
My job was then set down

I was put here to class you prank
You sorry, stuck-up, shorty, folks
To one of them today

To Griffindor
The Leo roar
The brave and sheer dwell there

To Ravenclaw
Where there it's more
The thinker that holds the chair

To Hufflepuff
Of sterner stuff
The loyal and the just

Or Slytherin
The humor to win
Where craft is a must

These four alone await you here
And I can chose,
just volunteer
Nothing to fear
Just contribute an ear
I'm quite sincere
Can't wait to see them stand out and cheer !

And when you're settled
Where you belong
I will be done
Just like this song

"Funny yeah !"Ron leaned over to Harry.

"Not really."Harry had taken the shorty kinfolk comment a bit personally. He was also deeply worried that, of all the descriptions mentioned in the strain, cunning described him considerably than wise or steadfast and definitely better than brave. When Harry looked over to the Slytherin board he recognised some of the people who had cheered Malfoy on the train.

His extra investigating before arriving had also turned up the Slytherin gens, frequently associated with the dark and evil. And the hat's description had matched him. Harry felt suddenly very cold and small-scale and he felt like a dark cloud had touched him. He shivered and told himself it was his imagination.

He could depose he felt eye on the back of his head but when he turned around the only person there was a thin, aflutter looking whizz in a turban chatting to a lank-haired and sallow-faced professor. The lank-haired teacher eyes flicked to his face, then to his forehead and Harry turned back quickly. Just in metre to learn the first-class honours degree epithet called out.

*

Harry stood, his marrow beating fast in his chest and his lungs feeling like weights had been hooked to them. One by one the the great unwashed around him sat down to be sorted, he blessed the fact that he wasn't called Brown or Abbot, he couldn't have taken being the first to the stand.

Each somebody chosen prompted a new passel of cheering from the house they were chosen for. Harry had the insane urge to get out his juggling ball just to relived his tenseness but knew he couldn't, not under all those middle. A here and now later he recognised Hermione walking up to the professorship and seance, jamming on the telling hat, a few moments later and the hat pronounced her a Gryffindor and she ran down to the table. The next mortal he recognised was Neville, he tried to shut out away all his nerves and fall in Neville an further wave as he walked past, ashen faced. After what must birth been minute of arc the hat sent Neville to Gryffindor too and the relief on his face was clearly visible.

Malfoy went to Slytherin and Harrys gut seemed to cease up besotted. They were on to the P's now and Harry was sure enough his cheek must be showing his persuasion despite his efforts. The twins went on one after another, the hat sat for an age, chewing and mumbling over Padma before eventually sending her to Gryffindor but Parvati followed after her almost instantly. One more name then…

"Harry ceramist !"

"Alright."Thought Harry"If there was ever a clip you needed to keep you're cool. This is that time."He made himself swagger a slight as he walked over to the chairwoman through the whispering and stares then forced himself to grin as he dropped the hat on his head. The nighttime was welcome as the hat slid over his middle but then…

"Hm… Another tricky one."It was the voice of the hat, but quieter now, and coming from just outside his ear."full mind but underused, truehearted individual but no acquaint loyalties, and with your fears…"

"Hey !"Thought Harry, for a moment more tempestuous than affright."Who the underworld said you could look around in my mentality anyway ! That stuffs blooming common soldier !"The hat seemed amused.

"I only look to put you where you'd fit in upright, it's in your estimable pastime you know. To go with the great unwashed who understand you, whose judgment are like your own, full of cunning ways, veil course, former path to get what you want. I can send you where you'll fit in, where you'll receive Friend, in the house of Salazar Sl ..."But Harry cut him off.

"That's enough ! I will not let myself be placed in a house of black wizards and disgusting multitude !"Harry thought angrily."I don't see what gives you the right to chose either. I chose my track ! Always ! If you looked a little further in my brain you'd see the right o'that ! I chose to go out rest home ! I chose to number here ! No parent ! no guide ! I made my own way here, ME ! Its my life and I want to go to Gry ..."

"GRYFFINDOR !"The hat yelled triumphantly in the centre of his sentence and Harry was dumbstruck for a moment before grinning and rolling his eyes.

"Cheap trick."He said to the hat, before placing it down and walking towards the shouting red and Au table.

*

He sat down near Padma, Parvati and Neville who had saved outer space for him and Ron.

"That's a bit of a relief."If he had been being honest Harry would have said he felt like he was walking on air."I don't know anyone in the other houses."A few moments later Ron was put with them as well and dropped down in the remaining fanny, looking as relived as Harry felt and said.

"Don't know what my parent would have got said if I hadn't been picked for Gryffindor."Harry was about to say something comfortingly-funny when the hall went quiet. Harry looked around and saw that the man sitting at the middle of the highschool board had stood up.

He looked very old but he stood without a stoop and had straightened smoothly. His hair and beard were snowy white and tied into two tails, one down the front, one down the rachis. As he surveyed the hall, Harry could have sworn the mans eyes fixed on him for a split sec before moving on.

"Who the infernal region's he."Asked Harry.

"Albus Dumbledore pudden-head !"Hissed Parvati."The Headmaster."

"One piece of advice comes to me at this time."The old Isle of Man voice sounded faintly amused, like he knew something funny that everyone else didn't."athirst nipper listen only to their grumbling stomachs. With that in mind, tuck in !"Harry saw the plates in figurehead of him fill with everything imaginable. plateful of meat and potato piled in high spirits, and pitchers full of juice and Milk. Harry looked so long he didn't clink that everyone else had started.

"Not hungry ?"Ron asked through a mouthful that said clearly that he was. Harry shook himself and started fishing thing off the plates for himself. He was almost defeated when the comeupance appeared and was definitely discomfited when they went though he couldn't have eaten another bite. He was sitting in a happy, sleepy, full-of-the-moon and contended fog when he saw the headmaster rise to his feet again.

"I have a few announcements to piddle. Firstly, that kickoff year are reminded that they are not allowed their own brooms, that first gear and endorse yr are forestall to go into Hogsmead hamlet, that all students are forbidden to go in the forbidden forest and that anyone with any horse sense of self conservation should avoid the one-third trading floor corridor on the decently hand side. Thank you."

"one-third floor corridor ?"Said Ron."Hey George ! Fred !"He yelled down the tabular array at his brothers."What's on this third trading floor corridor ?"

"cipher the stopping point time we looked."Said Fred."Why ?"

"Is small Ron scared ?"Added his brother laughing. Ron turned back sullenly.

"What do you suppose ?"Harry asked the group as a whole.

"If there was anything there last yr they'd know about it."Ron said crossing his blazon and directing a drab aspect back along the table."So whatever it is it must cause only just happened."

"Their hiding something."Said Parvati confidently."There's something hefty they're researching and they want to keep it cloak-and-dagger, there's no danger."

"Dumbledore said mass who go up there could die. You saying that's not dangerous ?"Ron asked.

"well of course if Dumbledore says it then it must be true. He couldn't possibly he lying or exaggerating to make sure nobody goes up there."Padma raised an eyebrow at Ron."That would just be silly."

"But wait !"Neville had just caught up with the conversation."You're all talking like we're actually going up there !"

"Oh we're going."Harry took a sip of juice before going on."There was never any question of going or not. As soon as it became disallow it became our first target."

*

But there was little chance for Harry to express through on his promises for the get-go few days, lesson followed lesson and Harry found himself challenged to preserve up. Everything in the books he'd read seemed to be about one one-hundredth of what they needed to know and each new concept sent him out from the lesson scratching his head back to the Koran and then to the new ones he'd got out of the library.

The merely grounds he wasn't totally swamped was that after every day he could recall to the Gryffindor unwashed elbow room and sit down on the table that had already been designated, even by older scholarly person, the marauder board. On his second day Harry had simply invaded this tabular array and pulled four other chairs around it, plopped his bag down and waited. By day four it was established and the spot reserved.

It was near enough to the ardour to be warmed by it and was constantly piled with their books and travelling bag, whatever sweets they had each donated to the pot, a wizard chess set in perm disarray, at to the lowest degree one copy of Witch Weekly and, more often than not, Trevor. And under the mint, between the Sir Frederick Handley Page of the Holy Scripture or hidden in sweet negligee there were single-valued function, details, reports and ideas.

The five of them would act upon on the days onerous prep till the common way began to evacuate, then the record book would close and the work would begin in earnest. It had moved beyond the third base corridor of course, there were plans to get into hook office, McGonagall's office, each of the former common rooms, plans to cuss the great unwashed ( 99 % of those citizenry being Slytherins and 80 % of them being Malfoy ) and plans to feel all the privy passages of the school.

Harry laughed more than he ever had before and did thaumaturgy as they planned. Harry had never believed that Hogwarts could be like this, friends everywhere and a fete at every repast. Even the lessons couldn't put a dent in this. Then, on Friday, Harry awoke from sleep after a particularly proficient planning session and went downstairs to breakfast. If Harry had had a single prophetic off-white in his body he would sustain shivered when looking at his days timetable.

"Oh,"He said brightly."Potions today."

*

"Potion making is as… beautiful a skill as it exact. As deadly as it is complex and as hard to get a line as it is rewarding to those who have the talent, and the sensitivity to do so."

Harry and Padma looked at each other sideways and each saw the other barely stifling giggles.

"For those favorable enough to be capable to surpass in my subject."The hook nosed, sallow faced professor continued."It will reap them reinforcement far beyond any puerile magical spell or spell. What while can replete the roue with fire, can bolt down understood as a mouse, can fan liveliness back into what early spells would deem a corpse, can send person into so deep a rest they will never awake."

"I don't know any spells for the hold out one but his voice is doing a pretty honorable job so far."Padma whispered and Harry had to prick his pep pill lip to keep the audio in. They had been set at a desk thankfully near the spinal column of the socio-economic class and could look clear across the entirely course of instruction to where the teacher, one Severus Snape, stalked in movement of the chalkboard. The reasonableness they were laughing so hard was that, before the deterrent example, Ron's brothers had treated them to an impression of Snape which, at the time, they had thought was an exaggeration.

"But most of you will not ingest that skill and will doubtless find yourself confused… baffled… and, if prior catastrophe are any indicant, severely sting in this classroom. If that is the suit then I ask that you don't hesitate to come to me for help."("WHAT ?"Harry's dumbfounded verbalism was mirrored on every case in the class )"And I will say you what I tell all the former students stupid enough to come up to me. ‘ I don't CARE.'” The teacher waved his wand at the board and some instructions appeared there.

Later in the moral, when Snape was making his troll around the desks staring at everyone's cauldron and making derogatory comments to everyone not in unripened trimmed robe, Harry made a tip of looking Snape directly in the center as he passed by and smiling from ear to ear.

"Something funny Potter."Heads turned to view."You see something you find amusing ?"

"I don't think you'd get the joke professor, it's a youth thing."Harry said sagely."generation gap and all. But…"Harry added."I'll be for certain to came to you if I ever feel baffled… or burnt."

"A state of personal matters I foresee happening frequently. LET see if we can speed things up a picayune. Tell me…"Snape's back snapped straight like a willow sprig and he looked down at Harry."What would I get if I added powdered antecedent of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood ?"

"selective service of living death."Harry's prior-reading-parachute deployed on cue to economise him."A sleeping potion."

"Incorrect."Snape glowered.

"Excuse me."The annoying winding to the words… the self-important accent… Hermione sat at the next table over and was turned towards Harry and Snape."The solvent is the Draft of living dying. A sleeping potion knock-down en…"

"Five points from Gryffindor missy Granger."Snape said without turning."The correct answer Potter ... Was ‘ bill of exchange of living Death sir'. Another ten points from Gryffindor."Snape swept off leaving Harry glowering at his back.

"That wasn't fair."Said Ron, turning from the table in front that he shared with Neville."He can't take full point if you get the right answer."

"fountainhead you were a bit cheeky to forget off the Sir."Hermione said primly and folded her sleeve. Behind her on her table Lavender John Brown ( not a toader but a friend of Padma and Anapurna. Harry had promised to teach her to juggle once and was now trying to ascertain a way to wiggle out of it ) rolled her eye."But it shouldn't have been ten power point, maybe five."

"Harry do you call back which of us it was that asked her view ?"Ron said glibly.

"Can't recollection Ron. Why would one of us do something like that ?"Harry replied grinning and Hermione turned back quickly and looked down as if absorbed in her notebook. Ron did a silent jape and turned back to his desk but Harry leaned back and bit his lip thoughtfully. He'd just insulted, without incitation, someone who had stood up for him. He tried to think of something funny to say that would make Hermione laugh and realised he didn't know anything she'd like. A moment later Snape swooped back past and the chance for talk was over.

While failing to give his potion Harry thought carefully, Hermione didn't go around with anyone, she didn't sit with the same masses in any two class, he'd never seen her talking in the rough-cut elbow room with anyone. In fact, the only time he'd seen her out of classes was when he took al-Qur'an out of the library, then she was always there, with her head deep in progressively thicker books.

"That doesn't mean she doesn't have friends."Thought Harry while crushing porcupine quills."She could get laid multitude in early years from before she came here."

"She's muggle-born."Another part of his head said"How would she already have Friend at a wizard school."

"Oh…"Harry looked over at Hermione and Lavender, only talking to cite the instructions on the board and at former times Hermione was craned over her leger and Lavender over hers.

"She really doesn't… and you snubbed her…"Harry was quiet until the end of the object lesson. He didn't want to utter. When you find out something you don't often like about yourself the last-place thing you want to do is talk about it.

*

Harry tried to talk to Hermione several multiplication over the next few weeks but she always just ignored him or ran off. risky, Padma and Parvati had told him she had taken to crying in the girlfriend toilets during breaks and after lessons.

"Maybe you could do something."Harry pointed out during a late Sept evening after a particularly successful clowning of some fifth year Slytherins"You sleep in the Lapp bloody room. Surely you talk to her."

"She doesn't talk to us."Parvati explained"Always has a book or homework or something out and doesn't want to be disturbed."

"She's alright if you ask her about homework of ask avail with something."Padma carried on."But for anything else she just doesn't want to know."

"Why do you care anyway ?"Ron asked him pointedly."If she wanted citizenry to wish her she wouldn't be so stuck up. If she keeps pushing people away it's probably because she doesn't want friends."Annapurna and Padma nodded sadly but Neville ( unruffled on the sideline as always ) gave a small shake of his head. aloneness was easier to see from experience than from observation.

"No reason really, it's just we've got to live with the rest of our yr for the adjacent seven old age and that'll be easier if were at to the lowest degree on speakin'terms with them."The others seemed to take over this partial tone explanation. The accuracy of the affair was Harry didn't want to see anybody lonely either.

*

Harry decided to try a more direct approach. The future day, after object lesson but before dinner, Harry went down to the library and approached the now familiar raft of a mound of record book and Hermione. He pulled up a chairman and sat about a third of the way around the board from her.

"Looks like you beat me here."Harry said without provoking a reaction."Last copy."He added, pointing to a random book near her elbow. Without looking or speaking Hermione pushed the book to him then got up and walked to another table. Harry sighed and followed her.

"looking, you can't keep going like this forever. Humans need to talk to other homo or they go crazy."Harry twirled a finger near his ear and let his middle go span."Anyway don't you…"

"No I don't !"Hermione slammed the Holy Scripture shut and looked at him angrily. He saw red around her eye."And if you don't head I'm doing a extra project for professor Flitwick and it's in tomorrow. Some people care about school."And with that she darted to yet a third table and sat with her dorsum to him. After a moment he saw her shoulder begin to shake with sobs.



Harry stood there for a moment feeling worthless then turned and walked out of the library. But that wasn't the last he'd see of Hermione that day, a little later when Harry was on a fact-finding mission ("I swear foumart keeps a spare key in one of the janitors closets."Ron had said. Harry had agreed to attend into it without realising how very many janitors closets there were and what unpleasant smells inhabited them ) he passed a room access to an disused classroom and heard vocalization inside.

"Give it back !"Hermione's interpreter ?"You arrogant snake ! devote it back !"

"Oh ? And why exactly should I ?"Hermione and Malfoy ? Harry's hand moved toward the door-handle."I just want to consume a read."The handle turned but the door didn't assailable. Harry groaned as he realised this was one of the eldritch doors. He tried the handle again more gently, then tried stroking it and humming to it. Inside the conversation had become more heated.

"Give it back you foul, loathsome thing !"

"Crabbe, Goyle, hold the filthy mudblood away from me. I'm trying to read."Stroking the door, kicking the room access, poking the door… come on door ! You can get word what's happening in there the Saami as I can !

"What an interesting written document mudblood. Flitwick would have been astounded with it. Probably would give earned you a few star sign dot eh ? Except you won't be able to give it to him. unreliable as you mudbloods are, saying you'll do something then not having even a single sheet to hired man in. Terrible."Harry heard mother fucker from interior and redoubled his campaign at the door. Was n't there a tour called allohamora ? Harry flicked his wand out and tried to range it. Nothing happened. He tried again. naught. Oh damnit ! This was n't one of the doorway that would n't open ! This was one of the walls that look like a room access. Harry peered through the keyhole to try to see another threshold. Malfoy was holding up the papers for Hermione to see and said,

"Then I'll say ‘ Oh professor, if you wanted someone to drop a line up that you should've asked me. I've been researching it. Just in my excess time of trend. Thanks for the house points mudblood."Harry heard another doorway undecided then close and ran in the direction of the auditory sensation. Malfoy and his minions were already out of sight so Harry quietly opened the door and went in. Hermione was slumped in a spate in the midriff of the floor. He approached carefully and tried to mean of something to say.

"Um Hermione…"She looked up then scowled when the saw him."You could severalise Flitwick, tell him what happened. If Malfoy's really gon na observe it then all they have to do is find oneself it on him and…"he got no further.

"Shut up ! You're as bad as he is ! Breaking rules and playing pranks ! You can't talk !"Hermione ran out of the room leaving Harry speechless. Harry stood for the farsighted sentence in the midsection of the defect classroom before walking slowly back to the Gryffindor common room. The marauders stopped talking when they saw his grimace, a mix of anger and pain. They all looked to him as he sat down.

"Forget all the other plans."Harry's phonation was grave-quiet but his eyes had a wicked lambency."We're break in the Slytherin commons way. Tonight."The objections washed over him from the others ; they weren't ready, they hadn't planned, tomorrow was Hallowe'en and they needed to be rested for the political party and most of all they could run into Snape. Harry sighed inwardly and began to tell the wax story as quickly as he could. It was already getting dark, and they had places to be…





Authers note
Hi, thought i should leave an note eventually. critique if you have prison term, this is my beginning fiction so delight sense relieve to tell me how auful it is.



"We're going to be caught. We're going to be caught !"

"Of course we'll be caught if you don't shut up Neville !"Padma held her mitt over Neville's rima oris and pulled him further into the closet. Harry waved them both to stay still and peered back out through the keyhole. Filches lantern glowing was far up the corridor but he waited a goodness count of thirty before pushing the door open and leading the others out. In the end the choices for his companion were simple, he couldn't take more than two or they'd be seen for sure and they needed some people to stick in the vernacular room to vouch for them if interrogative sentence were asked. The others had reluctantly agreed and then it became a thing of who was going. Despite Neville's own parameter Harry insisted he was the perfect scout.

"You get lost so much if person finds you out of place you can just say you were looking for the common room. And anyone but Snape'll probably let you off."

As for Padma, she was the just one who could reliably find the Slytherin dungeon since she had been in tutelage of that fussy piece of music of recognizance and after all, she had been the one to recover out the password. Harry had been incredibly impressed until she revealed that she had just gone up and asked Goyle.

"I just asked him straight out."She had explained while Harry's face slowly lost its astonishment."It had to be Goyle though, Crabbe's too smart to be fooled by that variety of thing."It had actually taken Harry quite a farseeing time to agnise she was joking.

The three of them crept down the endure escape of stairs and Padma silently pointed to a flat piece of wall ahead. Harry nodded and he and Padma moved on while Neville got his wand out and pushed himself deep into an alcove behind some armour. Harry gestured back at him and got out his wand.

"Mico Neville"Harry muttered, sending the signal, and having his own verge vibrate as a reply. It was the dear way to direct signals, the mortal had to be within ten or so meters but it was virtually mute. Harry crept towards the wall and stepped aside so that Padma could give the Password.

"genus Ophiophagus"The wall dissolved from the centre and revealed the doorway.

"Anticlimax."Muttered Harry, surprised that the entrance to the Slytherin room should be so unobtrusive."Expected fireworks."Harry moved into the shadows within and felt Padma following him.

It was dark but not pitch. A few dying embers in the huge marble fireplace gave an minatory glow. All the furniture was vauntingly and dark, and in the bad Christ Within it looked oddly minacious, looming like cliffs above the creeping children. Padma tugged at Harrys robe and as he looked back she waved her paw in front of her eye and shook her head. She couldn't see. Harry knew his eyes were in effect by night and he kept forgetting the ease of his clan didn't share the benefits of his previous, independent lifestyle. Harry guided her to a wall and put her behind a wall wall hanging, sitting near a large urn unpleasantly decorated to resemble a screaming case. Harry placed Padma's wand in her hand and looked at her boldness before leaving. She was wearing a determined expression but her eyes were wide and she was breathing hard.

"No shame to back out."Harry whispered in her ear, for the firstly meter having doubtfulness about tonight's venture."I did kinda throw everyone in at the late end today."

"I'm staying."Padma's voice as barely more than a whisper."I chose Gryffindor didn't I ? I'd better start earning it."And with that she pulled back into the alcove.

"She said she chose her firm too."Harry thought as he headed towards the sleeping accommodation."Perhaps there's more to the sorting than brave, cunning or whatever. Perhaps its not what you are…"Harry's mind kept considering as he slipped into the stairwell."It's what you want to be…"

*

Harry had to chuckle as his digit found a doorknob in the dark. What he had thought would be the hardest section had turned out to be the easygoing. They had debated for old age how to find out which room was Malfoy's, from bribing individual to covering his shoes with ultraviolet radiation ink but it had been all for nix. Harry checked the brass nameplate on the door and chuckled again before moving into the room. Like a ghost, Harry tried not to even think loudly. Like a specter, here then gone, no trace. The room was boastfully for a single person room, larger even than the one in Gryffindor towboat he shared with four early people.

"Can't make precious pet Malfoy share a room."Harry sneered in the dark. If there had been a way to silently trash the spot he would have done so, instead he began looking around for the task. He slid his manus onto shelves and held papers up in the moonshine to record the covers. The solely clock time he stopped was when he was searching by Malfoy's bed and saw something on the book binding. He'd had to duplicate up to keep from laughing and he'd felt like every vein would collapse. Malfoy had taken his teddy to school with him.

Harry could see a clock on the mantle, the bridge player glowing faintly in the night and saw that he didn't have much time left. For a here and now he stopped looking and just stood in the darkness to reckon. There was no way he could seek the whole place, not going as slowly as he had to to stave off detection.

"The hat said I think like them."Harry shuddered at the thought but pushed on, no time for self-recrimination."And Hermione said I'm just like him. So where would I cover it ? Where would I commit to be condom enough…"Statues moved more than Harry in the long moments of the night.

"Nowhere. I wouldn't put it anywhere because I wouldn't corporate trust it enough. I'd keep it with me from the consequence I got it till the moment I let it leave my hands."Harry's gaze shifted to the prone material body on the bed."Under the pillow ? No, not that obvious. In his pocket ? If it's there then I'm screwed so…Where else… No where. This line of thought has got me no-where and time is running out."Harry threw up his custody in thwarting and at that moment felt something in his pocket vibrate. He brought his wand out to feel the quivering in his hands.

*

Fear wasn't what he needed now, neither was a mad dash. Running now was the last matter he wanted to do… Just creep back through the threshold and go quietly down the stairs. Down the stairs to where there's a lighter on. Harry crouched at the top of the stairwell and shielded his optic to conserve his night vision before sliding a tiny periscope between the balustrade ("Do you carry whole toyshops around in you're pocket ?"Parvati had said when he showed them some of his tools like the periscope."You never know when this stuff'll come in handy."Harry winked and twirled a lock pickaxe between his finger. ) The petite mirror-pipe revealed a small cluster of fifth geezerhood who looked like they had just come in. They began talking loudly about some news or other and Harry carefully slid back from the edge. Now what ? He didn't have the project, and his way out was now blocked. Correction, his and Padmas manner out were now blocked. Harry slid back to the border, the Slytherins seemed to be settling down for a Nox of raucous behaviour as they lounged in the large chairs with a bottleful of something, probably stolen from the kitchens. If they were distracted ? If Harry waited until they simply tope themselves into a stupor ? Perhaps they'd go to bed soon ? Harry cursed as he saw one of them detach themselves from the radical and weave uncertainly towards the stairs.

"What the hell was he gona do now ?"Harry's brain worked quickly"Run back, hide in a… oh no don't !"Harry watched as Padma slipped out of her hiding place holding the handgrip of the giant urn.



"Back in !"Harry mouthed, abandoning the periscope and sticking his headway between the banisters."Before they see you."She shook her capitulum stubbornly and raised the pot above her head.

"She's making a distraction !"Harry cursed"Stupid ! dullard ! I told them ‘ no magnanimousness during rip-off !'” Harry at least had the comportment of idea to twine his scarf around his face and trademark frontal bone before standing up and yelling…

"Oh no they're awake !"Harry gestured at imaginary public figure in the empty anteroom behind him"Go ! Run !"Harry had time to see the drunken snakes take in his red and gold edged robes and clamber over each other towards the step before he took his own advice and ran back down the hall.

It takes quite some ability to run quietly but Harry had experience, his footstep were light as mice on the floorboard. He turned and saw a familiar door. Switching himself from quiet-running-mode to bloody-silent-creep he skid into Malfoy's room and shut the door.

"People chasing you expect you to run away, especially if there's a lot of them. They don't expect you to go to ground."Harry spoke the words in his psyche, hoping that would make them true.

"starting time searching the rooms !"Ach… Harry desperately looked around the way for a place to hide but to his discouragement saw only darkness. He had lost his Nox eyes in the vulgar room.

"What was here ? Where did I search ? Oh my god, please just remember !"The rale door handles and miffed voices got closer, thank heavens Salazar Slytherin built his wall thickheaded and liked oak doors or Harry was sure enough Malfoy would get woken.

"Wardrobe ? It had had glass in the front ! Under the bed ? No way !"Harry's thoughts grew panicked as the voices got closer."bulwark, floor, ceiling, bed, desk, closet, fireplace…"Harry dropped to his hired hand and knee and crawled across the floor as fast as he dared. He was sure he was making noise now but he didn't have the nerve left to go any slower. His hands reached the cold Harlan Stone of the hearth and he felt his way into it. No ash at all, the fireplace had never been used. Later on that night Harry would clear that the Slytherins probably heated their chambers by trick so they didn't get the Mary Jane and gained a more even estrus, all he thought at the clip was a panicked…

"Thank you !"as he stood up. His manpower found a bar embedded in the wall to hang pots from and he lifted himself up and stood on it. At that moment lightness flooded in from below. Harry could see that his feet were only a few inches from the top of the fireplace and hoped fervently there was no one too short circuit in the search party.

"What do you think you're doing !"Harry heard Malfoy cry out indignantly."Why are you barging into my elbow room in the middle of the night Flint ?"

"Yes Malfoy."Harry thought to himself"good Malfoy. Now be you're little stuck up, umbrageous self and throw them out of your room."

"There's someone sneaking around in the rooms."The voice sounded like the speaker system was gargling crushed rock."We thought he might experience come in here."

"No 1 been in here you idiot ! If they had don't you think I would have woken up ?"

"Nope."Harry chucked as his panic began to fade."And you're the idiot Malfoy. You should pay more aid to your gravely pal."

"He's not in any of the other rooms."A new vox, possibly younger and more hesitating than the gravely boy."And we checked the toilets and back down in the uncouth room."Harry hoped Padma had had the encephalon to be well on her way back to their common room by then, and to induce Neville with her. Harry's manus brushed something in the bulwark behind him, careful not to make a sound he slid it out of the wall and choked back a triumphant gasp as he read the lettering on the cover of the parchment.


The use of modified static-induction charms in

the circumstance of adhesives and fasteners.

Hermione Granger

"Yes !"mentation part of Harry's mind."I'm still born lucky ! This is what I came here for."…"This is what I came here for ?"Said another voice in incredulity"adhesives and fastener ?"Harry shook his head and laughed at himself a bit before folding up the written report and slipping it into his robe. Back in the bedroom the conversation had become more heated.

"When my father hears about this !"Malfoy was in full argumentative swing"You will all be sorry ! The Malfoy family own your father flint ! And you can be trusted there will be language on the subject of this incident."

"I'm sorry Dra… Mr Malfoy."The other boy was obviously older but the fear was plain in his voice.

"You know."Malfoy's voice was more sly now"You know how you could realize it up to me."

"But beginning years… never… go on the team. No issue how, absolutely, brilliant they are at Quidditch."The one-time boy was obviously fearing some reprisal to boot-lick so obviously."Definitely next class though !"

"That remains to be seen…"A new voice, a slimy spokesperson, a interpreter dripping contempt with every countersign !

"Ah"Thought Harry as his gut clenched up"There's that panic again."prof Snape continued talking in the room.

"Tell me why some of the leading penis of Slytherin mansion are awake at this hour ? Hmm… Some of them stinking of gaudy wine !"He almost made the fact that it was tawdry sound like the rack up part."Well ? Or have you all been rendered obtuse by drink !"

"We were chasing someone !"Flint said shakily"Someone was sneaking around in here !"

"Inside the Slytherin common elbow room ?"

"Yes."

"Inside the countersign protected Slytherin common room ?"

"Yes !"Flint was frantic but Snape just snorted.

"indulgence. All you saw was the wine floating in strawman of your oculus seeing as you seem to have drown yourselves in it !"Harry heard Snape's stride header towards the door.

"There was mortal ! They were wearing Gryffindor robes !"The footsteps continued and Harry heard a door open"And they were abruptly !"The tone led out the door"And they had a scarf around their school principal !"steps then…

"WHAT !"Snape thundered back into the room."They wore cloth around their head ? !"

"Yes ! So we couldn't see their grimace I'll bet !"

"Don't be stupid, he could hide his identity better than that."Snape seemed to be talking to himself slightly at that peak but then…"lookup everywhere ! Every room, turn them upside down and shake them if necessity !"Harry's bosom leapt into his pharynx and he looked around wildly for a way out. But he already knew the only agency, down or up. Harry pushed his back against one paries and carefully shifted his foot onto the opposition one. Hogwarts was old stone and there were lots of handholds to help him chimney up faster, and more quietly. But just as he was thinking he had reached beyond their hearing someone said.

"What was that in the lamp chimney ?"Bloody Malfoy ! Since when did snakes bear such undecomposed ears ? Harry went absolutely still except for his brim moving in a silent curse."I heard something !"Harry looked down and was met by a relieving sight. The chimney curved as it went up, He could no longer see the roach of sparkle at the bottom.

"I can't see anything."Flint again, thank firmament for small minds.



"Move over."Harry heard a clump as Snape pushed his pupil out of the way then…"Acerbus cuspis !"Harry's sentiment was momentarily lighted as streaks of sickly silver grey light shot up the lamp chimney towards him then his hatful was lost in pain. Harry's feet slipped but he grimly held on by his handholds, gritting his teeth against the stabbing knots of nuisance each lance had left in him.

"I heard scraping professor !"Malfoy must accept heard his boots slip."Something's up there !"

"Acerbus cuspis !"This time Harry was flattened against the paries and only a few of the bolt hit him."pinkeye !"that spell winged aright past him, cracking chips off the rampart above him, then…"Relashio !"high temperature flooded up the chimney to him and Harry's skin felt like it was going to blister. He bit his tongue between his tooth and pulled one sweaty manus off the wall so he could grope in sack for a bombastic alloy jar. At the time Harry had thought Ron's suggestion had been a bit dazed but now he was especially glad he had agreed to land the jar along. He pulled the cap off with his teeth and dropped the message before they had a chance to burn him, far below he heard…

"Aaaa ! concubine !"A few more spells rang out but none directed at Harry, even the passion stopped, allowing Harry to put his feet back against the bulwark and give his aching arms a rest. Below him he heard Snape yell out

"hunting the other rooms."Harry waited a prospicient time before climbing promote up. His weapons system needed the sleep anyway and there was no way he was gon na try to sneak back out through the Slytherins tonight.

*

The illuminate below was lost behind Harry as he ascended out of the donjon. The chimney he was climbing joined others then split again. One or two of the lamp chimney had ladders in them, or at least parts of ladder, but most of them he had to sputter up. The air was hotter and Smokey here, perhaps some of these chimneys were still in use this late, or more likely it was too soon enough that the kitchens had woken up. Harry would be the for the first time to admit ( to himself at least ) that he had many care but claustrophobia wasn't one of them. He pulled his scarf tighter above and below his glassful to keep out soot and around his mouthpiece to breath through as he climbed up into more used chimneys. Harry felt himself move out into a prominent region but couldn't see the walls through the dark and the smoke. Questing finger found a rusted ladder and a few moments later Harry pulled himself over the brink of a huge chimney and let himself down to the rooftop below.

Tired but elated Harry pulled his scarf from around his nerve and tried to happen some clean cloth somewhere on himself to wipe his Methedrine off. When he put them back on he was struck dumb for a here and now by the sight that met his eyes.

Rolling Benny Hill of tile and cant of slating. pillar popping out at Angle and pansy balconies with balustrades like lace. Harry walked along the roof ridge he had landed on in wonder, there was a entirely populace up above Hogwarts. More chimneys jutted out everywhere, some just pipage and some, like the one he'd emerged from, with breadth like industrial towers. Harry sat down on the ridgeline and shook his chief in skepticism. Even the acclivity hadn't taken his breath like this did. He lay back and behold another marvel. The sensation from here seemed brighter, almost as good as the astronomy tower ( Harry's favourite moral, just as an self-justification to stargaze ).

"And no-one up here but me."Harry said aloud, there was no one to get word."Peace."Harry could consume fallen asleep against those tile but something moving below caught his eye. Snape, passing along a corridor with tall windowpane all along it. Harry moved to hide then realised his soot-black robes blended perfectly against the night sky and wrapped his scarf around his face to enshroud the last pink skin. His glassful were still grubby enough not to shine.

Harry trailed Snape over the roofs, not even for a moment thinking of going back to the Gryffindor rooms and thinking even less of the danger. Here on the ceiling he was in his element, there was no danger here. Snape stopped at what looked like a teacher fourth and pushed through the doorway without knocking. It took Harry a moment or so to ascertain the corresponding windowpane then lowered himself down near it. By luck or the sleeping car habit it was ajar. When Harry moved closer he heard ...

"D…on't know what you're talking about Severus. I've been asleep he…here the wh…ole time."Quirrell ? Snape had gone to Quirrell ?

"What whole time ? How do you even know when this happened ?"Snape's voice was angry and accusing."The alone fact that keeps me from cursing you into obscure oblivion right now is that I can't quite bring myself to believe that even one so pathetic as you would be stupid enough to consider it was moved to the Slytherin donjon of all places."

"Th…Then why are you here ?"Quirrell's phonation grew a fiddling steadier now, just a little."Why seed to me ?"

"Because perhaps you were looking for something else, perhaps a way past my protection of it or some clew as to what that aegis is. I assure you, you would possess found neither. My work is as satanic as it is complex and as crafty…"Harry groaned inwardly, not this talk again."And you could never pierce it. Never. Despite Dumbledore's supreme lack of judgement in hiring you and letting you assist in the protection of the Lucy Stone I will keep unworthy matter like you from it !"With that Snape turned and stamped out of the room. Harry was about to provide when Quirrell quietly spoke.

"He, suspects something master. We can not do it tomorrow."

Harry waited but that seemed like all Quirrell felt like saying. Harry left over the rooftops and mulled over what he had heard as he scrambled towards Gryffindor tower.

"Do it tomorrow ? Do what tomorrow ? What's so extra about tomorrow ? Other than it being Halloween ..."

*

"How could you leave him there !"Ron was still yelling despite all attempts to calm him down. Parvati grabbed him and clamped her hired man over his mouth.

"Thank you."Padma breathed and shared a quick smile with her baby. But she quickly fell silent again. If she was to be honest with herself she would have to say she was ashamed. Ashamed that when Harry had stood up on the stairway she had instantly realised what he was trying to do ( having been about to do the Saame herself ) and had for a import not known quite what to do. She was ashamed that after she had taken an age behind the drape working up cheek and steeling herself to allow a beguilement and Harry had done the Same in an instant. She was ashamed that, when she heard people coming back towards the common room, she had bolted back though the door, pulled an astonished Neville from behind the armor and had shepherded him across the school, not once talking until they passed behind the fat lady and got back to Gryffindor common room and into the awaiting and recriminating stare of Ron Weasly.

"What will go on now."Neville's articulation was humble and he was hunched in on himself on his chair. But even he had been braver than her, he had signalled the Slytherins coming and had waited once they had passed to continue keeping watch.

"He'll probably just get hold, he'll mislay us a few sign points for being out after curfew."Padma knew her sister was deliberately making things seem better than they were to make her feel better. Sometimes Padma thought they had been born to with personality opposite word, the eternal optimist and the cynical pessimist. Except this time her babe wasn't just being optimistic. And neither was she just being pessimistic when she said…

"But he could be expelled."The others went silent and looked down. They had all been thinking it."For breaking into another home. For attempted stealing. He could be expelled."She had got Harry ceramist expelled from Hogwarts because she wasn't brave enough. She knew when the hat had left it up to her she would select wrongly. She didn't deserve to be here."In Harry's first of all term he'll be expelled."

"I'm doing what now ?"

The New vulture turned en volume and saw a blackened and scraped Harry drop from one of the high school windows. His case was red and raw and he had a ugly bruise on his exit cheek, his hands were bleeding and he staggered as he hit the terra firma but he wore a smile of joy and triumph as all-embracing as they had ever seen on him.

"Miss me ?"Harry's stagger became a swagger as he approached them."I wasn't gone that long. Although of grade, in the company of Slytherins it seemed very much longer."

"How did you…"Padma's vox breathed unbelief into the air."They were right behind you."

"Chimney."Harry said lightly."Easy climb really once you get past the beginning bit. Oh and one other thing…"Harry fished around in his sac and drew out some newspaper publisher. Padma found herself shaking her drumhead, no, not after all that happened, you can't still have got it, no ones that good."We got what we came for. It may want some cleaning though…"With that the floodgates came loose and the Marauders began peppering Harry with questions. The unusual child laughed as he unrolled a taradiddle that had them gasping. As she listened Padma realised she was glad she'd made her choice, even if she wasn't brave enough for Gryffindor she wouldn't give up the predator for the Earth. And besides, she thought as the looked at her sis, at Ron, at Neville and especially at the soot clothed figure animatedly talking before her, even if I'm not brave out now I'll be learning from the best.

*

Hermione rose former from her sheets and was mildly surprised to see that they weren't covered in teardrop. She was sure she'd been crying when she went to log Z's. She dressed mechanically and didn't talk to anyone as she made her way down to breakfast. Not that that was strange she conceded to herself but today especially she didn't want to talk. That thought only made her hunch in advance over her food. Before anyone else had left the table Hermione walked out of the great hall, leaving the relaxation of her food behind ( even if she hadn't had somewhere to be she felt too queasy to eat ). The project was crucial, it was the sort of thing they gave third and quaternary years to solve on. Hermione straightened herself up as she walked towards Flitwicks situation. effective get it over with…

"Going somewhere Mudblood ?"Draco Malfoy lounged in the corridor in straw man of her. She ignored him and walked on past only to have him stick his base forward to try to misstep her up."What ? No insults ? No ‘ return it back !'today ?"Hermione kept walking."Oh, I don't have it with me. That would be a bit conspicuous, I figure I'll give it to him tomorrow. Or the day after, you know, so he doesn't get leery but is still impressed by my obviously superior talents."Draco grabbed her by the shoulder and spin around her around."Don't ignore me Mudblood !"He grated,"This is only the foremost degree. I'm going to make lifespan hell for you and all the other skank at the school until you'll drop out of your own free will. I'll… Oh howdy prof !"prof Flitwick had just emerged from his way and was looking between them.

"hello young Mr Malfoy."He chirped"Are you and fille Granger friends."

"We were just discussing the charms assignment you gave her."Draco turned to her with an malign smirk."It's a topic I myself find very interesting."

"Then perhaps I should let you read Miss husbandman paper. It was most detailed."

"What !"Malfoy's part rose an octave. Hermione would feature laughed if she hadn't been so shocked.

"Yes, left on my desk this morning. I flicked through it over breakfast. I used to read the day-after-day prophet of a morning but there's so many advertisement in it now."The prof shook his principal and didn't appear to notice the totally dumbstruck look on the two first-years faces."I'll give you just feedback when I've read it fully Miss Granger and then…"Flitwick turned to Malfoy"…I'll be sure as shooting to give it to you."With that the little familiar wandered off humming faintly to himself.

"How."Malfoy had choler and shock in his eye."You didn't have former written matter. You said you didn't have other copies !"

"I didn't."Hermione was surprised at the trace of smugness in her spokesperson. Malfoy was looking at her with barely suppressed passion. Then he seemed to remark something and for a moment his centre widened in realisation then screwed up in even morose ira than before. Then Hermione realised he wasn't looking at her with such hatred, he was looking behind her. She turned and looked back down the corridor. And there stood the Marauders. Tired and resplendent, staring Malfoy down with five Cheshire-cat smile. The Slytherin looked like he was about to burn out a mineral vein, or possibly fritter steam out of his ears.

"YOU ! ! !"He bellowed striding towards them pointing with his wand."It was you !"Harry and his acquaintance stood their background against the charge and Malfoy was brought to a standstill, it was that or walk into a homo paries."You stole it ! When I tell my father he'll bring it to the shoal governor and…"

"William Tell them what worm."Harry's phonation was full phase of the moon of laughter.

"That we cunningly and evilly broke into your rooms and stole something awfully precious from your rooms ?"Parvati said in a voice like she was talking to a child. She leaned forward."Admit that we stole something that you stole yourself !"

"Even if you were willing to take a fall just to put us in trouble."Ron continued to a suddenly crestfallen Malfoy."Even if you did, where's the proof ? The reputation right back where it should be and nil else was taken from your rooms."

"Not even a slip bear."Harry raised his supercilium and began chuckling. After a moment the residuum of his crowd began laughing as well. Malfoy turned and stalked away against a backdrop of hysterical laughter. Hermione was surprised to she was laughing too. At the end of the corridor Malfoy turned back and yelled…

"You win this round Potter ! But I'll get you side by side time !"

"I look forward to it."Harry said between wheezes."You can show me the eternal sleep of your stuffed animal collection."

*

The unfortunate person by-product of the heist was that Malfoy was even more acid than common in form that day. Despite restate warnings from teacher he insulted Harry and the rest of the Marauders with every other breath. Fortunately though that breathing place was wasted as nine sentence out of ten the piranha in dubiousness was asleep on their chair. Hermione sighed, but not unhappily and reached for a new calamus. She'd secure pee-pee these notes good, it looked like they'd have to be copied from a few fourth dimension. When she reached the park room there was a one-sixth chair by the fireside board. She smiled and felt lovesome inside for the first time in what seemed like forever and walked over to sit down with her friends.


I own nothing, certainly nothing Harry Potter related.

Seriously, i 'm not kidding ! Do I look fertile than the pouf ?



"Go on !"

"No ! I can't !"

"Go for it ! You've come this far."

"He'll see me !"Hermione glanced over the balustrade to where Snape was berating Ron and Neville for ‘ fighting'in the corridor. What the boys had in fact been doing was distracting Snape so he would come and abide under the overhanging amphetamine write up. That part of the plan had gone perfectly. The following section was proving problematic.

"Just woof it up and tip it on his head."Harry spoke slowly pointing first to the bucket of cooking oil ( a few pieces of burnt Gallus gallus were still floating in it ) standing between them then down to the potions master."Then we run like hell."

"You're all crazy ! Any one of the stunts you've pulled could guarantee forcing out ! How long do you think you can keep getting away with it ?"Hermione's whisper was furious and buck."And if you think"She pointed at his head"I'm tipping that"A gesture at the grease"over a Hogwarts teacher !"a finger stabbing down at Snape"You must be crazy !"She swung her munition all-inclusive in exasperation and they both heard a thump, then a splashing noise.

Harry saw his friends face turn from righteous anger to grey dire fast as a striking match. She kept her eyes firmly ahead and, as if denying what had just happened, shook her head. Harry in demarcation had grinned like a maniac and now grabbed Hermione by the robe and began running off through the corridors pulling her after him. A moment later they heard a violent roar behind them

"WHO DID THIS TO ME !"Harry suddenly found himself as the being pulled along as Hermione outdistanced him."THE educatee WHO DID THIS WILL PAY WITH PAIN !"Harry pulled Hermione to a catch and dragged her sideways into a little used corridor, with her still wide-eyed and ashen-faced he pushed her to a pre-opened window.

"Come on ! Just like the plan !"Harry said, then added"Only real number !"Hermione almost jumped through the windowpane and disappeared as she clambered up a run. Harry swung out after her, shut the window and slid onto the roofing tile above. He wasted no prison term in pulling himself back to the border and poking his periscope back down to the edge of the chalk. A s later an irate Snape ran past. Harry only caught a glance, but he thought the man seemed silken than usual. Harry rolled back and looked up at Hermione who still seemed shaken.

"I hope Parvati and Padma were in plaza with the television camera. I wouldn't have wanted to have to do all that again."Hermione's expression sent Harry into another fit of giggles.

*

A workweek or so latter the morning bloomed bright and early as the Marauders made their way down to the grass in front of the rook. Harry stopped to post up a few Thomas More exposure after making sure the coast was clear. The Slytherins were tearing them down wherever they saw them on Snapes orderliness but Harry had even seen some of them trying to hide giggles as the wizard poster displayed Snape being doused again and again. The relief of the school didn't vex to hide it and the school had been awash with laugh ever since the first one went up three days ago.

The teachers were all trying to find who was posting them ( Harry had caught both Flitwick and Sprout laughing when they thought no one was looking and even McGonagall had cracked a smile when an incoherent Snape had burst into her classroom brandishing a wad of post horse that had papered the master courtyard ). The teachers didn't hump how so many of them were getting so many property around the terra firma. Harry knew, it was just a issue of a handy rooftop and a pursual breaking wind. When he had seen some errant pictures carried into the sky by gust he had idly wondered just how far they'd go.

Hagrid too had been roped into removing them but when Harry went down to his hut to see him the giant man had laughed and handed a stack of posting back to him.

"They told me I had to take ‘ em down."Hagrid had said with a blink of an eye."They didn't say what I had to do with ‘ em after."Harry had been even happier to see a stack of envelopes on Hagrid's tabular array. It looked like the distribution was going to even wider than he thought.

The instructor search and gentlewoman hootch's earliest ill health were some of the cause they were going to their first flying lesson bundled up in winter clothes.

"Now…"gentlewoman hootch's voice rang out over the forgather Gryffindors and Slytherins"Just raise your right on hand over the heather and yell UP ! Just like this… UP !"Her broom leapt obediently into her helping hand, Harry noted that it was varnished and looked a lot newer than the I the students had."Well go on…"

The social class obediently placed their hands over their brooms.

"UP !"Harry yelled, feeling a bit foolish, the spliff by his feet refused to shift."UP !"Harry looked around and saw first one then others of the family acquire their Calluna vulgaris."UP !"Harry thought maybe Malfoy had replaced his magic Calluna vulgaris for a genuine Calluna vulgaris in revenge but the thing had been handed out randomly. Harry shifted his foot surreptitiously underneath his Scots heather and tensed ..."UP !"Harry grabbed the rising broom and held it nonchalantly on his shoulder. He caught Anapurna looking at him and giggling.

"What ? I didn't do anything."

"That's right you didn't !"

A few here and now later everyone had their brooms and lady Hooch was showing them how to grapple the stupid things.

"rightfulness, now… Just kick off from the earth, hover for me for a second then leeee…an forward and float back down again."Madam Hooch demonstrated then held up her gloved mitt."Three… Two… One."Portions of the category rose unsteadily into the air, others remained run aground or had slipped off their rising Calluna vulgaris. Harry glanced to his English shame-faced as his broom resolutely refused to demonstrate any characteristics beyond long, wooden and prickly. Harry motioned towards Ron who was dropping down smoothly beside him and held out his broom.

"Let me try with yours."

"No, I don't want the dud ling !"Ron strafed out of reach to the side with a practiced hand before coming to rest."Take Neville's."

Harry turned and saw Neville rising at a snails stride with a facial expression of teeth-gritting concentration."At that charge per unit the category'll be over before he gets down."Harry turned back"Come on, I just want to see whether Malfoy really has screwed this broom."

"Only powerful magic can interfere with most broomsticks."Hermione was landing ungracefully beside him, gripping the Scots heather with white brass knucks. Harry chuckled at the thought that she still found concentration left to chide them."These are old brooms but their still fairly insubordinate to that sort of thing."

"This isn't sorry legerdemain I'm talking about its him swapping it with a convention broom."Harry poked at the bristles trying to elicited some reaction."Why don't you lend me yours then, you don't facial expression like your in a hurriedness to fly again."

"And what is that supposed to have in mind !"But Ron cut off any ensuing debate

"Oh fine…"He held out his broom."Just give it a shot if you have to."

"Thanks."They swapped heather and Harry got himself back into the evidence horseback riding attitude. He hopped off the flat coat but dropped back down just as quickly.

"Still having trouble ?"Harry saw Ron float over his head and free fall down in front of him,"nothing wrong with this one mate."Ron knocked his knuckle duster against the wood of Harry's Scots heather."I think its even a footling better than my one."

"In that event consecrate it back."As Ron laughed Harry held up his broom"Or I'll show you the former way to use one of these !"

"Having trouble Potter."no… not now…"Your flying's so pathetic even the weasel here can tick you and that's saying something."Malfoy floated along in figurehead of Harry, sitting side-saddle and not even bothering to hold on."Didn't your father ever learn you to fly… Oh no wait I forgot ! He's a bit too mouldy to sit on a broom now !"The remark about his parents washed over Harry but the early insult bit and he sneered at the Patrick Victor Martindale White haired kid in nominal head of him. Ron however erupted."What do you have in mind that's saying something !"He was back on his broom in a trice and whipped himself around Malfoy so fast the Slytherins robes billowed in the wind."Half of my kinfolk's been on the Gryffindor Quidditch squad !"

"As if that's saying anything."Malfoy blastoff back but he had had to grip his broom in the crosswind and was now sitting normally, staring Ron down."Gryffindor haven't won the cup in old age. Being on a team of nonstarter is no accolade weasel."

"Yeah, they haven't won since my pal Charlie left !"Ron's tirade had began to draw aid and gentlewoman hooch was walking over. Harry tried to catch Ron's eye but failed."Best searcher in a 10 ! He coulda'played for Engl…."

"Mr Weasly ! Mr Malfoy ! Decend at once !"Madam hootch didn't hold for them to answer and instead grabbed the front of their brooms and yanked them to the floor. Ron fell in a heap, Malfoy kept his balance but only barely."I will bear no arguments in my stratum and I distinctly told you to prove then fall, not hover like blowfly !"The flying teacher spun and walked back to the rest of the course of study leaving Malfoy and Ron glaring at one another.

Harry shifted his Scots heather under himself, all during the literary argument he'd tried to come up up and connect his friend but the ling had refused to strike. By the end of the example he'd flown once, a few wobbling feet followed by a total flop into the grass. Malfoy had laughed worse than before and Harry said some thing that lost them house points ("An eleven year old shouldn't know those words Mr potter, much less know what they mean !") and the vulture were a muted lot that ascended the stairs to Gryffindor column. Parvati tried to lighted the musical note by pointing out how many scholar had the drenched Snape card on the walls of their rooms and Harry decided to stop moping.

"Right,"Harry cracked open a drink stolen from the kitchen."down to the dangerous business. What have you all found out about Quirrell ?"

*

"I still think Snape's your bad guy Harry."Ron tapped his finger's breadth on the table as if to punctuate himself. Neville, Anapurna and Padma all nodded but Hermione snorted dismissively.

"Just because you don't like someone doesn't mean you can blame them for anything Ronald."Hermione shook her mind as if explaining to a child.

"It just doesn't make sentiency Ron."Harry continued"Snape may be a git but it doesn't make sense. He thinks Quirrell's trying to slip something, from what I overheard afterwards he probably is. Why would Snape manoeuvre like he's accusing Quirrell when only Quirrell was in the elbow room ! Also why would Quirrell play like it's him when nobody was in the room !"Harry leafed through some theme again while the others bickered, the daily prophet from a few months ago was there, a foray at gringots where zippo was taken. Other things too, Quirrels records, researched through old files, an intelligent student, masterful in the theory if not the drill of defence against the dark arts, the endure few long time of his life spent travelling around dealing with life-threatening drab savage. Harry pushed them away and pulled over a diluent Indian file, Severus Snape, potions master of Hogwarts and foresightful time envier of the defending team against the sorry arts spot. There wasn't lots else, Snape didn't seem to be a very newsworthy person.

"It's good there."Ron was taking to him again. Harry pressed his hands to his temples, there's only so much insistence one can take."Snape wants the dark arts job and is trying to get Quirrell sacked."Harry was about to explain then stopped, if the shoemaker's last 30 times hadn't done it…

"We're not going to experience until we see what's on the third floor."Padma said with a note of finality."Until then all this is just academic."She waved her hands over the table. Harry silently thanked her, he could always count on her to cut straight through the bull.

"We won't be capable to do it."Hermione crossed her implements of war."Well we won't !"She said to their recriminating stares"I'm not just being… being…"

"Yourself ?"Ron said and earned a thrill from Parvati.

"organism square-toed. I've been looking into it the same as everyone else has which is exactly the point. We've all been caught loitering around the third floor a few too many times. Did you hear what McGonagall said in course of study yesterday ?"They all did, she'd basically just repeated what Dumbledore had said at the start of terminal figure but she had looked right at them the entire time and each Word had been clipped like picayune razors."She knows we're planning something and she probably knows we're behind the posters too, she just cant prove it."

"So ?"

"So, Mr Ronald Weasley they are watching us like hawks. I'll bet there's a instructor guarding the third base floor right now and another just on the early side of that door."She pointed at the other position of the fat ladies portrait, from this slope looking like a hole in the wall."Even putting aside the feeling of hold, house-points and especially expulsion ! We'd never get close enough to the corridor to find anything. It's all your fault really"She continued without a breather."If you hadn't done your pointless rule breaking we might be able-bodied to find out really important stuff now."That gossip was the understanding an disputation broke out that Harry had to lull down with wit. It was also at least partially the cause Harry stayed awake that dark money box he was for certain Ron and Neville were departed then got out his darkest clothes and slipped out one of the window before heading in the instruction of the forestall corridor.

*

Harry peered through a window and saw professor vector idly marking some assignments by the brightness of his baton while sitting on the stairs above the fat lady's portrait. Reminding himself to say Hermione later ( she'd be insufferably smug but she deserved the satisfaction ) Harry slipped away and made his way over to the one-third floor corridor on the ripe manus face, or above it at least. The thing was in the midsection of the construction, no chimney or window reached it and Harry could only peer through a face window at the genius guarding the doorway… Quirrell… Standing in a patch of lumos-light, his fantasm jump as he nervously twiddled his baton in his finger's breadth. Harry slid inside and dropped behind a pillar. Quirrell was guarding it ? He'd been so sure… Maybe the others were rightfield and Quirrell wasn't attempting theft after all. Or maybe he just hasn't gotten past the defences Snape mentioned yet. Then why isn't he inside the corridor trying to break through them. Harry's genial soliloquy was cut shortly as the answer leaned out of the patch of darkness it had been sequestered in, invisible even to Harry's eye's.

"Nervous Quirrell ?"Snape slid from his shadowy corner, his wand held lightly but readily in his handwriting."Or perhaps not well-chosen with the company."Harry saw now that it hadn't just been the trace, Snape's entire body blended into the background, changing gloss like a chameleon. Only his eyes stayed the same, mordant holes even against the lighted Lady Jane Grey rock behind him, it made them seem like they were floating above the ground.

"Why ever w…would I be infelicitous Severus."Quirrell was leaning away from the wraith-like signifier before him."No one better equipped to guard this place than you and I, Eh ?"

"Because if you were distressed with this arrangement."Snape continued like cipher had been said."You'd have to get used to it because I've made sure all our guard obligation's occur on the same Night Quirrell, won't that be fun."Snape laced the last word with such poison Harry was surprised the dad professor didn't run like a cony. Instead he jumped like one and whimpered.

"Y…you truly don't trust me Severus ?"

"No Quirrell. I do not, have never and will never trust you."Snape slid back into his shadowy corner and once again became virtually invisible. Quirrell swallowed loudly and brightened his sceptre, peering into the wickedness around.

But Harry was already prepared, while they had been talking he had sneaked around into the room next to the be-turbaned wizard and entered. It was an empty classroom, desks piled up to the cap. Harry waited near the threshold as the searchlight beam swept past his position, swinging across the room like passing headlights before moving on. Harry waited patiently. ill-treat two was already in motion.

*

Crack…

"What was that !"Snape pushed forward from his hiding property at the small but nearby sound. He pointed his camouflage arm at the far wall, by some pillars."I heard something over there."

"I didn't hear anything."The rat said in his cowardly quavering flavor."Perhaps you're… ha… ha… imagining things…Severus."

"It should be Snape from the the likes of of you."Snape kept scanning the darkness before him and a moment later

Crack…crack…

"There."Behind a pillar, perhaps the thrower boy or one of his ingroup trying to touch the corridor again. An discomfort he didn't need with something so much more important going on. The rat Quirrell needed observation. For now Snape wasn't sure whether he wanted the pit for himself or for… for… Snape shuddered away from the public figure in his mind. Dumbledore said saying it would make him reverence less but to Snape it was too much. The old fool didn't know, he hadn't been up close. Some things deserve fear.

"Well if you think so th… then go over and check."

"Oh you'd honey that wouldn't you Quirrell."Snape jammed his wand under the servile wretch's Kuki. Quirrell squealed and tried to stomach on his tiptoes to escape the dark-wood point."parting you close to the doorway unsupervised while at the same time turning my back on you. Something I will never do."Snape pushed the man towards the other paries."You go first."

They walked like hostage and kidnapper up the cold stone pathway to the pillar. Quirrell raised his baton. Not a chance…

"book binding down by your slope or I will take it and possibly the hand It's gripped in too."Quirrell's arm shot back down. As they reached the pillar Snape let the rat take the pencil lead and flavor around the turning point. Better him to take the first puff if one came.

"There's n… nothing here Sev…Professor Snape."No there isn't now, not after you distracted me for so long. Useless idiot.

Snape stepped around himself and saw cipher but three oddly placed rock'n'roll, all together, near the ground where they might make fallen. They were both considering the conundrum when a fantasm skirted the rachis rampart and stopped by the no-longer-guarded door.

*

"Alohomora."just a whisper like silk sliding over silk but the lock clicked and Harry slid the doorway open just ever so slightly, then entered the forbidden hall.

"Ha."Harry thought as he took one last glance at the prof before closing the doorway."tripping than air liquorish. Eat it quick or it melts in the air ! also if you tie up a rock or two with it you get a racket about five hour after you take it from its wrapping. Who needs Q when you have mail-order Honeydukes ?"Harry turned back and for the first clip took a look at his surroundings.

pitch inglorious. Not even eyes trained for this could come home it. Harry squatted down quietly and let his other skunk have a try.

Cold, clammy, slight intermittent zephyr. Odd that, you'd think there was nowhere for a breeze to follow from. Also the air had been abruptly still out on the roof.

Damp aroma with a hint of mud and mess. There was urine in there somewhere too and other affair even to a lesser extent savoury. Bit like a wet dog smell…

And about importantly in a bone chilling, heart leaping, cold-sweat, dry-palms, running-for-the-door-despite-Snape-and-all way, the sound of breathing. Heavy in-out breaths with a clue of slobber on them. More like snoring actually. Harry tried to calm himself down and at to the lowest degree partially succeeded. Getting out his sceptre he smothered the tip in his robe then breathed.

"Lumos"

The incandescence through the material was like dead fireflies but it showed Harry the shape of what was in strawman of him. Its bulk half way to the ceiling and slowly rise and falling with its breathing time. Like a muffled wraith Harry moved across the base, skirting the wall until he had travelled all the way around the brute, having to pace over its tail end where it brushed the wall. There were no former room access. This room and this beast was all there was to see. Harry edged closer to the front line of the thing, his feet turned and poised to flee to the door at any moment.

"But what if I'm not fast enough."Harry tried to silence his mental capacity but it kept up its shrill reservations"What if its like a dragon and it doesn't matter how fast I am. It'll wake and I'll die in one bright flare in the darkness !"

"It'll wake for sure if you don't shut up and let me centralize !"Harry edged in closer to the beast and stopped when his light revealed a variety of texture in the floor. Harry carefully traced its edge in his mind."A square… a trapdoor… that which is hidden… that which is forbidden."Harry grinned in the shadow. The only trouble was the drear mass obscuring one corner of the square, a paw or pincer of the thing. Harry's movements was as slack as drifting feathers and as calm as his hands found the boundary of the affair, and the handle, on the inverse position to the claw. Harry wanted to extinguish his baton but the sound he'd have to establish was sorry than the strangle lambency. Harry reached for the trapdoor handle and applied the lightest speck of tie to it, increasing by hairs breadths Harry felt the wood move.

A oink near his shoulder joint made his musculus freeze and his heart race. He felt physique move all around him and the air brought new wafts of stench. But the wildcat just grunted again and fell back into snoring. Harry eased the doorway up a one-half span more then deposit his hand in and felt inside. No steps met his questing hand, just a straightforward shaft. Harry propped the door open with a rod and felt in his pocket. He drew forth a long string. His nimble fingers felt the plumb on the end and he put it through the trapdoor then slowly and evenly paid out rope counting under his breath. The twine went slackness. About eight meters. With something diffuse he'd do it. With dusty stone he'd disclose a leg. Harry wondered if a literal wizard would know some ego levitation good luck charm to get themselves down safely. He pulled back up on the string and suffered a surprisal. It was stuck ! He tugged on it again. No springiness at all. He tugged again and in a marrow stopping minute, felt the rod brush his arm.

The trapdoor banging closed was like a carom clod in the gut and Harry felt the darkness move around him. He threw himself backwards as a guttural growling filled the room with primordial fear. He saw a human body the size of it of an oven smash down in battlefront of him and pick up Sir Henry Joseph Wood splinter and crack. Harry whipped the cloth from his baton and the stark shadows danced luxuriously on the rampart before him as the massive rottweiler head turned and looked at him with bloodshot eyes. Harry dived again to obviate its teeth and looked up to see it descending from above him too ! Harry kicked off from the ground and slid, he felt hot breath on his back and the snatch of jaws behind him but he was gone. heterosexual person into the sunk trapdoor and plummeting down the shaft.

*

Harry spun in the air and he felt hard pain as his psyche caught itself a gap on the passing wall. He landed in a plant and in a daze, his centre showing him black post more than anything else. He lifted his hand to his head and was surprised to see it came back sporty, without blood or possibly brains. He shook his head to clear up it and held his shaking mitt and wand up to reveal his surroundings. A nondescript room with this flora covering the floor, covering some of the paries too, and the roof, and him !

"What the hellhole !"Harry shouted at the tendrils as they wrapped themselves around his legs. He tried to pull them off but they were like wire ! They wrapped his waistline too ! Harry pulled and tore at the vines !"Acerbus cuspis !"Harry used the scourge Snape had aimed at him but desolate ribbon of lighter injection from his baton and the flora barely noticed. What was that other one ! ? Think ! Think !"Relashio !"red sparks and heat blastoff from his verge and where they hit the plant life drew back."Relashio !"Harry aimed at his ramification and cried out as his tegument burned. But he was free. He stumbled to his feet and blasted a few last tendrils. He leapt to the threshold and pushed through, staggering down the corridor occasionally pointing his scepter back in case the ogre plant had tried to follow him, he reached another door and carefully pushed it open, wand out in front he entered the way, and was met by a strange sight.

shining, fluttering glittering things, flying near the ceiling C of them. Harry edged out into the pith of the high vaulted infinite. The fairy arc remained near the roof and Harry at final stage stopped eying them crooked. He walked over to the door on the former side and tried the grip. Locked. Obviously. It could never be easy could it ? Harry was just wondering what to do when he heard interpreter from behind him. Spinning like a jump cat Harry saw faint light coming from around the edges of the room access he'd just come through. The Light and the vocalization got secure as Harry searched for a hiding place. He ran to a rampart buttressing and grabbed for a handhold, thank heavens they like ornament around this place…

*

"I assure you professor Dumbledore no one got past times us. Unless they were… hm… Invisible ! Ha…"

"I am not impugning your power Quirenius I merely wish to be sure."Dumbledore walked slowly as if there was no hurry. Severus had alerted him as soon as the dog had awoken and had himself tried to calm the brute which was tearing at the floor near the trapdoor in a frenzy. Still, the old fool still had his wits about him. He'd made them both leave while he placated the dog so neither of them had seen how to do it. He'd conjured a staircase to need them down and a marble walkway over the devilsnare with a casualness that betrayed his true tycoon. Snape had to privately take on to himself he couldn't have replicated either feat. That made him cringe inside but he took some comfort from the fact that if he could not do it, Quirrell certainly couldn't and so the stone was still safe.

They emerged into the key chamber and Snape strode forward and jerked the handle. The door was still locked.

"They could have locked it from the former side."Ivy and keys ? betise and idiocy. The former instructor hadn't protected the stone nearly well enough.

"But if they had."Dumbledore said in his insufferably quiet phonation."Then the key would have been locked on that side with them and I think… Ah !"The old man pointed a be-ringed finger towards the ceiling and Snape strained his eyes into the cloud of coruscation but failed to find fault out which one the old man was indicating."It's still here. So… crisis averted. Or more correctly, there never was a crisis in the first gear place."

"Well. I… I for one am calling my replacement."Quirrells voice was shrill and grating. Snape made a mental musical note to add de-lunging to his listing of twisting once he finally caught the disgusting creature."I'm all of a fl… flutter."Quirrell turned and walked back down the corridor.

"Professor."Perhaps he'll listen to me now. Perhaps the doddering tomfool will listen to what I have to say now."As I have said before, Quirenius Quirrell has every design of stealing the philosophers stone."Snape was so umbrageous he didn't even notice the movement above him in a high alcove, like someone getting into a better position to heed."He was seen snooping around the Slytherin common room a hebdomad ago and he's never really explained why he took the defence job in the first place."Snape couldn't give voice to the really reason for his mistrust. A gut feeling, a twisting knife in his warmheartedness and an glory of threat he felt in every cell whenever Quirrell was nearby. An irrational number fear too. A fear of being discovered, a reverence that made every second a silent prayer that his genial defences would hold and he wouldn't be found out for what he was. He hadn't felt like that in over ten years…

"And as I have said before Severus I have no reason to distrust Professor Quirrell."As he half turned away Snape could consume sworn that Dumbledore's lips tilted into a quiet smile."But if it would facilitate you sleep well I will place my own shelter on the Harlan Fisk Stone tonight rather than waiting until after Christmas."That was certainly a shock !

"Professor you have resisted every request that you add your own conjuration's to the protection of the stone."He had. All the former teacher had done it but the headmaster had maintained he wasn't ready yet and he still needed to test."What has changed ? Have I truly swayed you ?"

"Many affair have changed. Before I had not tested enough. Now I have."Dumbledore took a diminished dessert out of his pocket and popped it in his oral cavity before continuing."I intended to do a bit more examination but…"The old man spread his men."I suppose the current version will probably work well enough."

"May I ask what this providential protection is ?"The headmaster had made some over-the-top claims about what his protection would do."A protective cover that not the Dark Lord, nor any destruction Eater, nor anyone with wish to use it for ill or covetousness could penetrate ?"

"Ah Severus."Now the man was smiling. Sometimes the senile old man was just plain impossible."You are always telling me I'm too trusting and now you want me to reveal my brilliant protection ?"His smiling oculus glanced at Snape over the top of his glass before he turned and walked back down the passageway. There wasn't much Snape could do but fall out him.

*

Harry waited a safe one-half hr after seeing Snape disappear, just to be sure he was truly gone before slipping out of his hiding place and climbing down to the base. With a furtive glimpse around he made for the door and was almost there before…

"Leaving already Harry ?"

Harry turned on his Axis, his typeface frozen mid gasp and looked up into the face of Albus Dumbledore.

"Headmaster."Harry said doing his best to smile."I was just inspecting the security you have here. Sort of… um… assessing it for you so I could tell you where you could… improve…it…"Harry trailed off under that questioning stare.

"And…"

"And ?"

"And how could I improve it ?"Dumbledore was half smiling when he said that. Under that warm grin facial expression Harry relaxed a fiddling, this didn't feel like a conversation that could end in expulsion.

"Well, the two headed dog was good."

"cobbler's last I looked it had three heads."

"wellspring I didn't stick around long, I only met two. The industrial plant was less good though. A little oestrus, a few sparkle and it's backing away."

"Devilsnare has clamed older and wiser wizard than you Harry. You'd be amazed how few citizenry can still think clearly enough to cauterise it away while being constricted."Dumbledore stepped forward and touched Harry's typeface. A mo later he nodded and touched Harry's forehead with his baton. A moment later Harry felt an odd tingling fill him, the burn mark on his stage faded and disappeared, as did the scrapes he'd received throwing himself away from the dog."There. All better."Dumbledore moved back and folded his arm."And now I'm afraid to say I must ask the real rationality you came down here tonight."Suddenly the air had grown colder. Expulsion was back on the table.

In defiance of tradition Harry tried the truth.

"I overheard Professor Snape threatening professor Quirrell the Night before Halloween."Dumbledore just nodded as if this was normal."Snape seemed to think he was going to try and steal something. We…"No, better he thinks I'm the only one to blame"I worked out that it must be what's hidden here. What you got Hagrid to collect for you the Lapplander day we shopped for my school clobber. The Sami affair somebody tried to develop into Gringots to get later."

"The philosophers stone."When Dumbledore saw Harry's grimace he continued"Harry, don't feign shock I know you overheard my previous conversation with professor Snape. What I wish to know is why you came here in the middle of the night and alone."

"Couldn't jeopardy anyone else. And besides, they all make too much noise for this kind of work."Harry tried to picture Neville sneaking past the dog and giggled."The only way I could do this was alone."The early reason of line was that after being humiliated by Malfoy on a broomstick he'd wanted to prove to himself that he could do it alone.

"Harry. As amazed as I am to say this it is possible you are going to turn out to be more fuss than your father. I never thought anyone would challenge that crown."Dumbledore's smile was back, and this clock time not a half one. He shook his head ruefully then frowned as if a irritating store was surfacing. But the smile was back in a moment and he motioned Harry over to the rampart behind him where a grandiloquent mirror was stood.

"That wasn't here before."

"I brought it down after conversing with Professor Snape."

"This is your protection ? What your using to protect the Edward Durell Stone ?"

"part of it."Dumbledore looked thoughtfully at the mirror for a second then turned back to Harry."Its called the Mirror of Erised. front into it and tell me what you see."

Harry obediently moved in movement of the mirror and stared into his reflection. He wasn't alone in the mirror. Behind him stood the new marauder, some of the other student he'd talked to around the schooltime, Hagrid, even Malfoy for some reason, more faces he'd met and some people he hadn't but still felt some odd connection to, as if they were… friends. As he watched he saw himself age, and the others around him too, passing through teenage years he grew taller, passing further and further, lines appeared on his face, then grey in his hair. He grew to an old man, smiling, surrounded by his friends. Then in an split second he was back as a tiddler and he saw it begin again.

"What does it signify ?"Harry looked at the silver gray haired professor who was standing nearby."Is it showing the future ?"

"One could hope so, but no."Dumbledore seemed proud of but faintly surprised as he looked down at Harry."The mirror shows us nothing more or to a lesser extent than what we truly desire above all else. You Harry, who by your own option lived a lonely and cold childhood desire friends, and fellow traveller and more than that ..."Dumbledore took Harry by one shoulder and kneeled down to talk to him face to face"…you want to do it you'll celebrate them. You want to know that you don't have to go back to the cold life. Because that is what you most fear."

Harry looked back at the mirror. The faces were still there standing behind him, some were laughing now, or talking amongst themselves. The figures were growing misty for some reason, Harry wondered if there was something legal injury with the mirror. Then he felt the sting in his eyes. Wordlessly, Dumbledore handed him a tissue.

"Let me take you back to your room Harry."He said quietly."Your admirer are waiting for you."They walked calmly back through the room and out into the sleeping castle.

*

"So."Said Harry at a loss for conversation."How ‘ d you get past the early protections ?"The Headmaster fixed him with a vital eye.

"I reckon I could get retiring ‘ em."Harry grinned up at the old wizard."Got past two didn't I ?"

"Indeed you did. The contingent of which I would opt you prevent to yourself."He smiled back down at Harry."And perhaps you are justly. I strongly suspect that my own protection would not worry you at all."

"Hm, how do you get past a mirror ? Break it ! That's the answer isn ‘ t it."

"Oh please Harry. Do you really consider my protection would be so crude."

"Exactly. It ‘ s so simple-minded that no one would suspect ! That's how I ‘ d do it."

"Then I am thankful Harry, that I am not actually employing you."

*

"Harry !"Ron's voice filtered down from the first years room to where Harry was idly skimming through one of his schooltime books by the Xmas tree."What are you doing down there ?"

"What do you signify ?"Almost no one else left in the Gryffindor common room since everyone was away for the holidays, thus Harry didn't feel the need to moderate his vocalism when yelling back to Ron. It was just one of the fun things they had worked out about being left behind. Of course Ron wouldn't have kept quiet anyway. Ron had no mass controller."And Merry Christmas to you to !"

"Merry Xmas ? Yeah I can see why you'd leave that to lastly seeing as you've left all your presents up hear."Ron emerged from the staircase and tossed a present at Harry who caught it before it could knock over a lamp."Why'd you just leave them up there ?"

If Harry had been honorable he would have said that he'd just assumed they were Ron's. Instead he went for…

"Didn't want to wake you. And why are you using my present tense as rocket ? What if it had been fragile ?"

"Nah mate."Ron shook his principal ruefully"I can tell what that one is, however you wrap them they all feel the same."Harry unwrapped the bundle and pulled out a bluing, knitted jumper. On the movement were three juggling balls in red, yellow and cat valium."My mum."Ron said holding up a exchangeable article."She makes them for all of us. Must have heard you weren't expecting many presents."

"Its pretty good. Very debonair."Harry pulled the jumper on over his caput and they went back up to the room to get the residuum of the present tense. Of course Harry had sent his Quaker presents ( poor Digger had been run ragged. The little owl was so tidal bore to please she didn't seem to take any breaks in flight. ) but it kind of failed to click in his nous that he ‘ d probably get some in replication. Harry noticed one with Hermione's neat handwriting on it ( after all, he ‘ d copied off her note enough times. Occasionally even with permit. ) and pulled it over first.

"It ‘ ll be a record book mate."

"Wow Ron, a midst, backbreaking, rectangular bundle from a known scholastic ? And just from that you can pretend it's a book ?"

"That, and she got me one too."Ron held up a Scripture with a checkerboard screen, there was a rook on the front but Harry couldn't read the title. Pulling the report off his own present he smiled. It was an large extract of deep brown but what made him smile was the note on the top that said


Admit it, you thought this was a book didn't you ?

Ron himself had provided Harry with an absurdly orange hat and Neville had found him some juggling batons charmed to trail rainbows in the air behind them when thrown. Padma and Parvati had got him books, but it looked like they'd collaborated because the titles read Secrecy and conjuring trick, charms of hiding and Beyond allohamora, unlocking your obstacle. most of the rest were edible things ( not that Harry minded ) and he bit into a bar of chocolate while settling down to read.

*

Harry popped the secondment to last of his Christmas chocolates into his mouth and handed the last one to Parvarti who was skulking in the dark nearby. At least it was a nice night, nights with rainwater had been rather unpleasant. For the past tense few month the predator had been working on the Quirell mystery but getting nowhere. Eventually one day when they were researching in the library Harry threw his Holy Writ away in disgust and said

"This is pointless."

"You ‘ re the one who said we had to get him mate."Ron had been staring at a book on antediluvian interpersonal chemistry for the past half hr. He hadn't turned the page.

"We do have to get him."Harry waved his hand wearily over the board."But we ‘ ve gone through all this clobber. We ‘ re not gona find anything this way."

"We can ‘ t really do anything else Harry."Herminone had pointed out. Of line she would say that. She was probably enjoying this."We just don't know enough about what he ‘ s doing."

"No…"And that was when the idea had formed in Harry's intellect. It was so elementary he wondered why he hadn't persuasion of it before."But we can ascertain out."

"How ?"Neville had asked.

"We become his shadows. We watch him everywhere he goes. He ‘ s got to slip up eventually right ?"

Organising a night watch had seemed like a lot More fun than it was. In teams of two they rotated, each team taking either the first half of the nighttime, the indorsement one-half or having a night off. After a week and a half of shrink sleep the 1st year rascals were getting a bit ratty. At least he was paired with Parvarti. She was mostly cheerful.

"This isn't working."Or not…

"We know he's going somewhere. Some nights."Ron had woke them all after one of his daily round with the news that Quirrell had slipped out furtively. Him and Hermione had moved swiftly to the third level corridor to head him off, but he had never showed."We just need to go for a minuscule longer."

"But I'm tired."The usually debonaire Twin Falls hadn't taken well to the minute."And he's never going to add up out."

"good story you should say that…"Harry ducked low and pulled the girl down with him as he saw the door to Quirrells quarters open and close, permitting the teacher to scurry off down the hall.

"Yes ! We've got him. Lashkar-e-Toiba go !"The tiredness had drained from her face and she had regained a grin. She moved off without a word but Harry had started in the face-to-face guidance."Hey ! The third base corridor is that way !"

"Yeah but we don't know he's going there."Harry held her hand as they walked a cap ridgeline on the face of a courtyard."I'm not making the same misunderstanding as the others, I'm not letting him out of my sight."They slid silently down a drainpipe onto a plane cap above the kitchens and Harry saw the turbaned star slip out a side door, cross the courtyard, then enter a door leading to the entrance hall.

"Well we can't…"But Harry held up one finger to silence her and a moment later they, heard a room access opening night and culmination then could clearly see the dark configuration of the genius robes as he crossed the footing towards the disallow forest."What do we do now ?"

"We watch him."Harry said it without the conviction it usually held and with a good dose of veneration in there as well."You go back and tell the others."But he was surprised when she shook her head.

"No, I'm going with you. You can't go in there alone."She started moving before he had a chance to object."Besides, I've heard there are centaur in there. I wouldn't mind seeing a centaur."

*

"Do you know where your going ?"Parvarti hadn't seen any Centaur, but there had seen other thing skulking between the trees. Harry looked back and wished he would take offered some reassurance. He knew he could find out the way back, well probably. He had made trusted to differentiate it at habitue intervals with cuts on the tree trunks. But tracking a man through forest was nothing he had even thought of doing before. They had entered the forest at about the same fleck as Quirrell and Harry had had his Bob Hope boosted by finding a footprint feeling in mud nearby but after that nothing.

He was vaguely aware that they should face out for break away twigs or song but the twigs seemed to possess no discernable features and the forest was eerily quiet. Except for the things.

"Look at this !"Parvarti was pointing at a leaf nearby. When Harry moved closer he saw what she was pointing at. A silver liquidity covered the leaf, it felt slick and greasy under his fingers. Also slightly warm."And there's more."Again she was right, there was a lead leading across the path they'd been taking more liquid tinged the ground in both steering."It must cause been bleeding !"

"It ? What it ?"

"The unicorn silly !"Parvarti pointed her burglars lantern back at the folio."Oh I cant suppose what could do such a affair ! This is unicorn lineage Harry, and it looks fresh !"

"It is."Confirmed Harry with a swig."Its even still warm."Why are we here ? Why did I do this ? Why didn't we get the others or tell McGonagall or… Harry tried to keep his fount impassive but it was hard.

It was one thing knowing cruddy things were out in the woodland butchering nice matter, quite another to take proof and another still to have them be so close that the rip wouldn't have had time to cool in the night air. He looked at his Quaker and was suppressed to see no fear in her face, only anger that something would smart a unicorn.

"But which way did it do ?"She shone her light first one way then the other.

"This way."Said Harry in dead tones and pointed at the ground ahead. In the mud there, clear-cut for all to see, was the heel of a boot mark. Harry didn't want to allow in even to himself that his for the first time inherent aptitude on seeing the print was to guide the other way. That or run for the hills."Alright. Close the shutter on the light right down, we can see the blood well enough. And go slow."Parvarti did as she was told and they set off again into the woods. Harry couldn't have told anyone afterwards how prospicient they had walked, it seemed like an timelessness. The splashes of parentage grew expectant and more frequent, the further they went until.

"!"Harry stopped numb and put his hired hand out flat in front of the other Marauder. There was a glade up ahead, bathed in the kyphotic Moon and the night air carried audio to them. It sounded like an obscene slurping and gurgling and along with it there were the speech sound of faint movement. Harry pointed left, around the edge of the clearing then once again put up a single fingerbreadth. Silence.

They moved around until they were behind a fallen tree then slowly looked over the top of the log. Through the ramification that his them they saw an awfully sight. The unicorn was splayed on the level like it had been run to ground and a draped figure hunched over it, drinking its blood out through its wounds.

A tug on Harry's sleeve brought him back to the moment and he crouched back down with Parvarti. Her face was a characterization of choler and she mimed jumping over the log while brandishing her lantern. Harry shook his head firmly. What the hell was she thinking ? She gestured more firmly then touched her heart and made a pumping gesture. What was that supposed to mean ? She opened her mouthpiece and mouthed something to him but he couldn't tell what. She did it again more hyperbolize and the meaning hit him with sickening certainty.

"It's still alive !"
Harry looked over the log again and saw what he had missed the 1st metre. The Unicorns pectus was indeed still moving up and down and its breath disturbed the junk near its capitulum. He sat back down and made the heart pumping move while nodding, he'd seen it too. Obviously Parvarti wanted to save the brute if possible. Harry stuck his finger's breadth in the grunge between them and wrote one word.

HAGRID

Then pointed to her. She nodded, then pointed to him. He smiled and wrote one More word.

DISTRACTION

*

Without promote ado he moved further around the clearing so that when he ran he would take the matter away from the focusing Parvarti would take in to go to get service. He was glad to see her moving off too, rather than arguing with his decision. Harry wrapped the scarf round his head again and tucked it in so it wouldn't unravel. This would do, he thought. No sense waiting around. He got out his wand, took careful aim and yelled

"Acerbus cuspis !"

The cloaked image was caught off guard and some of Harry's faint spear had hit it. It flinched back, more surprised than damage then an new noise came from its strong-armer, a drawn out hungry auditory sensation. Like a snake having a rat dangled in its face. Wonderful, thought Harry as the thing rose up, Uncle Vernon always said I was vermin.

It was as if that thought snapped him out of his awe palsy and he ran, away from the clearing and the matter. He moved without thinking, foundation slamming on solid state ground where potential and pushing off etymon and mud when not. Harry never looked behind him but he knew the affair was still on him. He moved into new sections of the forest where the tree diagram were unlike shapes, older, novel, taller, more brush they all shot by him in an instant, too fast for him to see properly. He did notice that they weren ‘ t meeting any animal and thought that they were probably scared of the thing behind him.

He reached a thick bandstand of Tree and brush and slipped in sideways. Here he risked a look back. Nothing. English ? presence ? Nothing. Harry allowed himself a controlled breath. It looked like he had lost it. Harry sat for a second on a log and let his legs rest. The weariness of the past week and the stress of the night caught up to him at once and he sagged against the tree behind him. He didn't know how long he sat there, he may even have got fallen asleep but he did know what caused him to come to attention suddenly. A twig breaking nearby. Harry moved slowly and backed away from the informant of the sound when a hand grabbed him from rear end and swung him around roughly. Harry's fear of blast turned into ministration, then quickly back into fear.

"Out for a midnight stroll Potter ?"

"prof Snape."Harry said trying his best to put on a good facial expression."Thank god you found me."

*

The boy walked in silence in strawman of him as Snape led him back towards the castle. The magical spell he'd laced the edges of the forest with had tripped, waking him and warning him that Quirrell had gone on another of his nightly outing. But once again the piffling louse had eluded him and he'd been on his way back when he'd seen Potter in a stand of trees. His sass felt like twitching into a grin, at least some sound could descend of tonight's work.

"What are you going to do when we get back to the castle."The boys voice was firm than he expected. Planning something… Ha ! Just like the other ceramist this one thought he was smart.

"We are going to your head of star sign. Then to Dumbledore. Then you can explain what you were doing in the forbidden timber after hours."Snape allowed himself a moment of joy then said."Then you can go back to your room and inner circle for the train journey back. From which you will never return."

"But what if I've got a salutary reason for being here ?"

"What possible intellect could that be ?"

"Same reason you are. Following Quirrell."Had that been a shot in the dark ? He tried to arrest the insufferable child's optic but he looked straightforward ahead."And unlike you I succeeded."

"Quirrell is a beau teacher. With every right to visit the timber if he so chooses."

"Oh."The scion of his foe said brightly."So you wouldn't be worry in what he's doing in there then ?"

Insufferable, Worthless, Sneaking, COWARDLY, MANIPULATING !, WORM ! ! Snape took a moment to assemble his idea before turning ceramist and looking directly into his center. There was a flash, a table, some faces… a scowl crossed the boy face for a minute then he shook his head worriedly. Even Snape could not hold back his shock as a blank wall appeared before him, slowly fading over the retentiveness. The boy was an Occlumens ! But he couldn't know what he was doing, it must be subconscious ! With a glint of reverence his optic were drawn to the scar on the boys forehead. Or was it entirely subconscious ? Power would be transferred in such an event, expectant power…

"What are you suggesting ?"Inside himself he was seething. He so wanted to see the son of James Potter expelled. It would make believe up for so much but… Quirrell was more important, if there was even the slightest chance the Stone could be use to bring back… Potter could hold off for another time.

"You forget this ever happened and in one week I ‘ ll enjoin you what I saw tonight."Smug and insufferable. And in this cause right.

"Why one week ?"

"Because it would look odd if in one calendar week you go to Dumbledore and say ‘ I caught Harry Potter in the forest a week ago, I just didn't Tell you till now.'” They had entered the castling now and were on their way to the plebeian room. They stopped outside the portrait door."Well ?"

"Agreed."

*

Harry breathed again and slipped in through the door. A moment later he was attacked ! Visiously and unexpectedly, it took him a second to realise it was Hermione. She had thrown her coat of arms around his neck opening and was sobbing against his chest.

"We thought…"She sniffed giving Harry a hazard to look around. Everyone was there, including Parvarti. They all looked relived."That it had… got… you."

"Take it easy fine. I'm alright."Harry levered her off him and took a breath only to be re-bowled over as Parvarti hugged him."What the ?"

"We shouldn't have left you. And it was me who wanted to save it in the starting time berth, I…"

"I. Am. Fine."He pulled her of as well and was about the speak before looking up expectantly at Padma.

"Oh fine if everyone else is doing it."She stood up and hugged him too. Then let out a fake sob and said"And I broke a nail this morning !"Harry grinned and she returned to her place at the table.

"So, now we know what he ‘ s doing the next stair ‘ s to retrieve out why. And what we ‘ re gona to do about it."



*

The side by side few weeks were full of disappointment. Except for the Slytherins who got a temporary reprieve from pranking. Hagrid had saved the unicorn and in thanks for their help he told them all about the properties of unicorn parentage and what it could be used for. Snape hadn't been any supporter, when Harry told him the news report a week later he merely nodded and told him to get out. From what they knew they could work out that Quirrell was after immortality but for what reasonableness ?

"Maybe he ‘ s not after it for himself."Neville had said one day. Harry tried to always care for Neville's prompting as smart in the hope it would carry the boy to talk more."You said he called someone skipper when he thought he was alone."

"But he was alone Neville."Ron apparently hadn't heard about that architectural plan."Wait… that's our explanation. He ‘ s crazy ! Nuts ! He ‘ s prob'ly talking to his turban !"

"Or he had some sort of charming communicator in his room."Padma said scathingly."Something he was talking to person through."

"Oh, yeah."Ron looked down a little sheepishly. Then brightened."Hey ! Maybe if we got our hands on the communicator we could, I don't know, trace it back to this passe-partout ?"

"That would count on how sophisticated it is."Hermione's voice came from behind a pile of books, shed already begun revising for the end of year test and at to the lowest degree some of the other marauders seemed to require to join her."But Dumbledore could probably do it."

"Alright then."A program began to form in Harry's nous."Dumbledore said he had no rationality to mistrust Quirrell and Snape's got no test copy to show him otherwise. If we get this communicator then they've got the proof they need and they can move to stop Quirrell."

"But Harry. We don't know where the communicator is."

"I know. That's why we ‘ re going to burglarize Quirrell."

"Is ‘ burglarize ‘ even a word."Padma asked.

"The spellchecker seems to think it is."

"What's a spellchecker ?"

"it's a charm that detect misspelled words, underlines them in red."

"I really need to revise."

*

But the opportunity didn't come for a long while. Quirrell had begun sleeping with his window closed and the lock on his door resisted all the tricks in beyond allohamora. ("I can't believe you gave him that."Hermione had said"Its like giving a monkey the key to the plantation."Ron had shot back"Yeah, or you the key to the depository library !") and there was nothing to be done but wait and picket for Quirrell to slip up. There was a positive incline though. Guard obligation gave them plenty of time to revise. Then the examination came, painful and inevitable with the fear and uncertainty that came with them.

The only unity Harry was at any way well-situated about were charms and uranology, the latter because unlike early course of instruction he actually paid attention and the old because ( perhaps due to his Christmas presents ) he was genuinely good at the spells. Potions was a nightmare and defence against the dark arts worse. Quirrell had taken to watching him out of the corner of his eye when he thought Harry wasn't looking. Harry hadn't told the others, Quirrell wasn't watching them and he didn't want to worry them.

Even with the exams and their continued failing in their chore it was intemperate to feel bad. The atmospheric condition had turned to wonderful and pupil could always be found out sunning themselves on the Gunter Grass. Harry was just on his way to spend an good afternoon in just such a manner ( the rest of the vulture already waiting ) when he looked up and saw what he had been waiting for for week. Quirrells window, open.

Harry glanced around, did he make bold go up on the rooftops in the midriff of the day ? When the whole school would be capable to see him. Harry turned to where he knew he could climb up and stopped. Should he get the others ? No. Quirrell might deliver and their only hazard would be lost. He quickly scurried up the bulwark and slipped in through the window.

The room smelled strongly of garlic and indeed there were clove tree hanging in several places around the room. He quickly began searching using what they knew of communicating appealingness, mirrors were often used, sometimes gems or crystal. He checked the mirror in the can but it appeared to be the normal kind ( no response when tapped with a baton ). He was about to check the sleeping accommodation when he heard a vocalisation behind him.

"ejaculate into my parlor said the spider to the fly."




annotation, if your wondering why some of the chapters are twice the length of the others it 's because they used to be two chapters. I put some of them together because its taking so long to get the clobber posted. Also because they seemed pointlessly short before.


"wellspring, well, well."professor Quirrell had lost his stutter and stood in front of the mesh door with his sceptre pointed at Harry's chest."You do get yourself into a great muckle of sticky situations."

"it's a gift."Harry tried not to glance at the window. It was still open, and there were some tree diagram in the courtyard below. He might take it.

"No !"Quirrell flicked his scepter and the window banged shut. Another pic and it glowed for a moment, accompanied by a squelching sound."No, you're not leaving that way Potter."He grabbed Harry's arm, jerked his sceptre out of his pocket then pulled him to the threshold. The 1st year could find the tip of Quirrells wand against the minor of his back."Now walk, calmly and unhurried. To the third floor."

The corridors that were always so full of smiling bookman were virtually abandon now. All of them outside enjoying the sun. The few he saw in the space too far away to betoken to.

"face forward."Quirrell hissed."If you attempt to warn anyone then that mortal atomic number 66 then you die is that crystallize ?"

"Why are you taking me up there ?"Harry tried to convince his brainiac to work but he seemed to be missing mastermind cells.

"Oh that's quite simple. Your going to help me, I knew what you and your little friend were up to so I laid a trap. Now you are going to assist me with something, with two things actually. The first is simple, all you have to do is play along. Lie. You're good at that yes ? The second is a bit more composite. You see…"They grew close to the corridor and Quirrell pulled him to a stopover and into a disused classroom."I've spent the class devising foolproof ways to get past times each defence except one that still eludes me."

"Snape."Good old stealthy illegitimate Snape.

"Yes Snape."Quirrell drew an odd potion from his robes, it was sales pitch Negroid and looked oddly oily."His protection I don't screw how to pass but… that is for later. For now ? potable this."He held out the potion."Just a sip, we only need the event for a few minutes."Harry hesitated."Do it ! Do it or you die !"

Harry took a flyspeck sip of the potion and instantly felt the effect. His hands seemed to grow and he pulled off his brake shoe as the pressure in them increased. Black tomentum grew down in battlefront of his eyes and he flicked it out of the way. After a few import the effect ceased and he stood up again, taller by far than when he had begun.

"Ah, wonderful."Quirrell said smiling."Now put these on."He handed Harry some recollective saturnine gown and gestured to the mirror nearby. Harry took them and walked over, stopping for a moment in shock. He looked like Snape !"Get on with it boy !"Harry struggled into the robes then did them up and allowed Quirrell to go him towards the dreaded corridor. Harry saw prof Flitwick and Sinestra outside the threshold. Sinestra was sitting crossbreed legged and appeared to be meditating in some way. Quirrell prodded him in the backrest. Of path, Snape would induce the first move. He tried to throw his phonation as sneering as possible then said.

"We're here to relive you."Apparently that was all that's needed as the two teachers nodded and left the corridor murmuring cheerio. Quirrell pulled him towards the door."What if they meet the real Snape ? They'll know he's not here."

"Professor Snape was called away unexpectedly."Quirrell smirked confirming to Harry that his absence was no coincidence."He thinks he arranged a replacement on guard duty but unfortunately the owl never got through. Oh and in shell you were wondering your wanted Dumbledore is gone too, called away to the ministry. No one can help you."

"I can help me."Harry thought desperately as they entered the room with the giant dog. Its three foreland instantly rose to watch them but Quirrell pointed his wand at the flooring nearby and a harp appeared. Another complex apparent movement and it began plucking out a simpleton air. The with child beasts eyelids drooped and it fell quickly asleep.

"Come on boy ! I haven't got all day."Quirrell pulled him forwards to the trap door then pulled it give. He whispered a small charm and a roach began curling its way out of his wand. Quirrell seemed to let to concentrate a great deal to take out this off and Harry backed away slowly. He felt some matter behind him and put a handwriting back to feel. It was the mouth organ. Acting on instinct, Harry grabbed the harmonica and smashed it as hard as he could against one of the firedog giant mitt. The dog awoke with a holla and bit through the harps remains in a undivided bite. Then it turned to the other trespasser in its room.

"Boy ! What do you believe you're…"But then Quirrell was forced to defend himself as the great read/write head reared up above him. He screeched a exclusive word and fireball smacked one on the nose. Harry took the chance and bolted for the room access."I'm not done with you yet Potter !"Quirrell screamed. Harry glanced back in time to see red lighter, then darkness.

*

"Where the Scheol is Harry ?"Ron glanced back at the castle irritated."He said he was only gon na be a few minutes."

"Why are you worrying Ron, when you could be sunbathing !"Parvarti stretched out on the soil and sighed happily.

"He's probably just got distracted by something Ron."Hermione was doing her type of sunbathing. With a rule book."Honestly, sometimes I think he has a unretentive care span than… than… well than you !"

"I can't believe your reading out here."Ron caught the quaffel thrown to him by Neville then threw it back."The test are over Hermione."

"For this year."

"You're actually revising for side by side class exams ?"Ron shook his promontory then yelled"Hey !"as a quaffel smacked into the face of his brain.

"Oh sorry Ron."Padma commented with massive hollowness."Were you not prepare ?"

"Oh look the mudblood army seem to be missing a general."The piranha turned en mass to see Malfoy strolling towards them with his deal in his pouch."wagerer get used to it though."

"What did you say !"Ron yelled at the same time as Hermione said"What do you mean get used to it ?"

"I mean trash,"Ron's fists clenched."That your little Hero of Alexandria seems to receive finally gotten into more trouble than he can plow. Oh yes, I saw a instructor carting him off. Looked angry too."

"Which teacher ?"Padma's question seemed ominously unruffled in the outdoors air.

"prof Quirrell, but don't think that… Hey !"But Ron had grabbed him by the forepart of his pelage, knocking his wand away. The carrottop was vaguely aware of his champion surrounding him with baton drawn. Keeping Crabbe and Goyle at bay.

"Where did you see them ?"Ron punctuated each Son by shaking the Slytherin up and down."WHERE !"

"Th… Th… third base trading floor. That corridor with the maypole painting."Ron let him go. That was right-hand following to the dog's room.

"Mr Weasley !"McGonagall was striding across the grounds in ira."I never expected such tearing behaviour from…"

"Professor McGonagall !"Ron interrupted her ( something never done ), bringing gasps from the onlookers."Harry Potter's in danger. And so's the Philosophers Stone."

*

"Wake up Mr potter. ascension and shine for the brand new day."The sentence slid around the Joseph Black cocoon of Harry's unconscious mind."Now now, that won ‘ t do. Up !"painful sensation blossomed in Harry's breadbasket and the bite of it pulled him back to reality. He drew himself up on the stale gemstone floor shaking terribly. The long sleeve of his gown fell down over his implements of war and he realised he was back in his own eubstance. Quirrell aimed another wildcat kick at Harry ‘ s chest and he sprawled on the level again.

"You think that's botheration Potter ?"Yep, sure seemed like it, at the very least he had a cracked rib."I can bring in you to the overrefinement curse if you want. If you choose not to co-operate with me."Harry raised his head word wearily and realised that he was in a new elbow room. Fires blocked both doors and on a table in the centre a row of bottle stood, twinkling in the torchlight.

"Wh… where ?"

"The traitors trial."That hadn't sounded like Quirrell. Harry looked up and saw fearfulness in Quirrells center.

"So."sentiment Harry."He has the communicator on him. That must have been his master voice and whoever the master copy is he's scared of him."

Quirrell bent over the mesa and read with a smile…

"Danger lies before you, while refuge lies behind,
Two of us will help you, whichever you would recover,
One among us seven will let you move ahead,
Another will transport the toper back instead,
Two among our issue hold only nettle wine,
Three of us are sea wolf, waiting hidden in wrinkle.
Choose, unless you wish to outride here forevermore,
To assist you in your choice, we give you these cue four :
starting time, however slyly the poison tries to hide
You will always find some on nettle wine 's left side ;
Second, different are those who stand at either end,
But if you would move onward, neither is your acquaintance ;
Third, as you see clearly, all are dissimilar size,
Neither midget nor giant holds demise in their interior ;
Fourth, the second gear left and the second on the right
Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight."

The wizard shook his head angrily.

"What form of a undertaking is that ? You don't even need magic. And besides, I've never taken the logical path to get solvent. I so prefer the… experimental approach."He picked up one of the bottles at random and held it out to Harry with a seedy grinning."Drink up !"

*

"He's there !"Ron was shouting now. Heedless of the steady watercourse of rubies that must bear been leaving the hourglass in the outstanding hall."He's there right now having god knows wha…"

"Mr Weasley ! If you can not hold in yourself I will have you dragged to my office where I will flue your mother ! And we will discuss your uphold presence at this shoal !"The tilt had moved from the exterior to the corridors as the deputy headmistress had failed to hear."As it is you are all already in decent problem for just knowing about the stone ! Let alone disrespect to a Hogwarts professor. Two professors in fact as I think Professor Quirrell will require to hear about the foundation accusations you have made."

"But you don't…"Ron was brought to a halt by a hand on his berm. He turned to see Neville holding him back with a terrified look on his face. He shook his nous quickly.

"You should listen to your protagonist Mr Weasley."The professor said while turning and walking down the hall."Now you will all accompany me to my bureau where we can decide…"

"Petrificus Totalus !"

The piranha mob watched in double-dyed silence as their caput of house went stiff then slowly but inexorably fell backwards. Ron caught her and lowered her to the base, ashen faced. He looked rhythm to see Neville standing with his scepter out and a horrified expression on his font.

"I… I … I had to…"Neville stuttered without moving."God, that was like cursing Gran."

Ron looked down at McGonagall face. A person shouldn't be able to evoke fear while only moving their eyes but somehow the set of them said there would be hell to pay.

"Ok then."Padma broke the silence."Since it seems we're going to get expelled anyway lets go get our boy."

*

"Nil for two Mr Potter !"Harry fell choking on the flooring as Quirrell took a sip of the potion he'd just proved was secure."Still born favourable I see."Harry fell into a fit of coughing that wracked his body with pain. He pulled his caput back and idly noticed the blood all over his sleeve. So, more than a collapse rib then.

When he had refused to imbibe the start bottle Quirrell had used some sort of bludgeoning expletive that squashed him back to the floor. As he had lain there vainly trying to get his breath back Quirrell had pulled his head back and tipped the potion down his throat. The endorsement time he had tried to hold out more and been formally introduced to the cruciatus oath. He was ashamed to say he willingly took the feeding bottle in shaking handwriting and drank a sip himself. All the time feeling wretched and a coward.

"Now."Quirrell looked down on him almost proudly."Since you seem to throw learned your place in this little drama."The sadist looked down for a reaction but Harry didn't procession to the bait. He wasn't sure he had the energy too even if he had wanted."I'll let you chose the next one."He waved his hand over the remaining bottles and stood waiting.

Harry pulled himself up on the border of the table and tried to add a mentality electric cell to carry."Hermione where are you when I need you ?"He must have said it out loud because Quirrell laughed and said

"I could get her if you want. I'm sure she'd like to see the cruciatus whammy. As a purely academic study. Of course to fully appreciate it I would suffer to do it on her as well."Harry looked from one bottleful to another and a bit of birdsong came back to him.

Neither dwarf nor hulk holds end in their insides.
Harry's eyes slid to the little bottle in the row. His paw shook almost too much for him to study the bottle cork out and he spilled some as he took a sip. An instant frigidity sensation trickled down his throat and into his arms. But was this the forth potion or the cover one ? It didn ‘ t really matter since Quirrell was between him and the way back, so only one way remained. Harry put his hired hand to his throat and pretended to fret, falling towards the fire he took a labored gasping breath.

"Trickery ! Get Him !"DAMN IT ! Harry reacted on instinct and kicked the nearest table leg. One of the remaining potions fell between him and Quirrell, cracking on the trading floor and bursting into blue-black flame. That was all the distraction Harry needed as he clawed himself off the floor and jumped headfirst into the fervour.

The level on the other side knocked the wind from him but he wasn't burnt. It had been the right potion.

"You will pay for that !"A mountain range with a come-on shoot through the drapery of flames, trailing sparks.

"A blind shot."Harry thought muzzily."But I can't stoppage here."

He pulled himself up and staggered along the corridor clinging to the wall. Quirrell continued to exclaim behind him but he ignored it, there was a elbow room up ahead. He walked in and barely saw the place. All he took in was the tall mirror in the nub, comrade. Without really realising what he was doing he moved towards it and fell to the ground in front of it. Oh, god everything detriment. He looked up into the mirror and saw his booster companion faces surrounding him, filling the mirror-Harry with warmth and happiness.

"Where are you."Harry spoke to the empty room. He felt himself falling backwards, lonely and broken."Where are you now ?"

He floated in the shadow for a moment then was brought back around. Instinct again waking him when he was no longer alone. He turned to see a blacken frame, robes in tatters and his pillbox unwound and trailing behind him.

"There's always more than one way round a challenge."The vocalization was cracked and thirsty but full of malice and ire"You just have to think outside the box."

*

"No."Harry pulled himself away from the further figure. Forgetting for a minute that there was nowhere to go.

"Yes Potter. What Severus seems to stimulate forgotten…"The deplorable figure said as it stalked towards Harry on ruined pegleg."Is that I would much rather walk through fire than admit failure to my master. often, often rather."He came to a stop in movement of the Mirror and pointed his blackened wand at Harry.

"No delay, this won't work."He threw the sceptre away like garbage."But luckily I have another."He drew out Harry's wand, unblemished and pristine. He laughed at Harry's shocked human face and said"Rubbed in what petty of the potion you let sink on the floor. It was bound to subsist better than mine. After all, phoenix feathers are meant to pass through fire."He flicked the verge negligently and ropes bound Harry's pegleg under him.

"Yes, you left just enough for the wand and for…"His hand rose involuntarily to the back of his question and a chill of pain sensation ran across his grimace."But enough !"He stood in battlefront of the mirror, his anticipation clear on his face."I see myself presenting the stone to my schoolmaster. He is restoring my body, making me well again… But how do I get it ?"

"Use the boy."Quirrell grabbed his arm and jerked him back in front of the mirror. The images swam in pain in nominal head of him. His friends faces still stared back at him, mocking him with their happiness.

"Well boy ? What do you see ?"

"Well…"Harry though."…since I seem to be dieing anyway…"

"I see myself you charred bastard. It's a mirror."

"Crucio !"pain sensation obliterated the world again but soon enough he was shook awake and slammed in straw man of the glass.

"What do you really SEE !"

"I ‘ ve just found every chocolate frog card. My aggregation is complete."

"Do you enjoy pain ?"Quirrell's face was twisted beyond recognition."Do you think even for a moment that your petty larceny defiance will actually achieve anything !"

"Alright fine."Harry brought a rictus smile to his face"I see Hagrid with a giant spiked baseball bat. He's sticking it right up your…"the world once again dissolved into nuisance.

*

"A Bromus secalinus set, what the…"

"Oh god spirit here on the floor… Blood."

"Do you think he.. ?"

"No meter for this ! We need to move !"

*

Harry floated again on the ocean of agony. But this time he wasn't alone.

Brave, or maybe simply foolish.
That voice again. The master.

Your parents were weather Harry Potter. It didn't do them any thoroughly either.
"Oh so you know my parents too. Got any honorable anecdotes ?"He wasn't sure if he said that out loud but the spokesperson laughed.

Oh yes. Joking in the expression of pain. That is something I think your begetter would do.
"Yeah."Harry said as the man began to swim back into stress."But I've got my mothers eyes."He looked up but Quirrell was standing a shipway away, curiously with his back to him. Harry groped around for his glasses.

"There by your elbow."The spokesperson almost had a teasing tone to it now but Harry was struck by a single question. How did he know ? He pulled his glasses back on and was met by his horrific answer.

"Yes Harry."The face spoke with malevolence now, and barely controlled anger."This is what you reduced me to. Ten days ago."

"Oh my god."Harry gulped as he realised the Truth."Voldemort."

"Yes Harry Potter. Lord Voldemort. Now do what you are told and tell me what you see in the mirror."

Harry turned without wanting to and asterisk again into the shining surface. The faces stared back, laughing and glad.

"Their probably still out on the grass."Thought Harry. The Ron in the mirror patted him on the back."They don't know about this iniquity. This shadow. They haven't seen it. They don't have to lot with it. And they shouldn't need to."

"I see…"

"Yes… yes !"

"I see… stars."Harry smiled and flung himself at the mirror.

The crashing strait echoed through the dorm and Harry felt glassful shards cut into his skin. He tried to wheel but a shrewd pain in his arm caught him and he stopped, quivering.

"You FOOL."He felt himself picked up and shook like a doll."You destroyed it !"He fell to the ground again and saw Quirrell rifling through the shards, heedless of the cuts and blood."Where is it ! Where is it ! … Gone… You knew !"The twice brain came up and looked him straight in the eye."You knew that wouldn't loss the Harlan Fisk Stone !"

"Dumbledore told me."Suddenly Harry actually did find like laughing."But on the minus English, that should be seven years bad luck."

"You.. YOU ! !"The double creature stood quivering with rage."fountainhead I hope you relish your victory."The thing drew Harry's scepter"Because, it is the go thought you will ever have ! Avada Ked…"

"tarantelle !"

The hex spun over the creatures head and broke against the far wall. Harry turned to the door and saw the Marauders standing there. Five wands pointed ramrod-straight at the matter, that had swung around to face them.

"Children."Quirrell's voice again. They probably hadn't even seen the other face."What are you doing here ? This orbit is forbidden."

"Put the scepter down."Ron's part quaked a fiddling as he said it. But he kept his wand trained."Wand down now !"

"You wouldn ‘ t hex a teacher would you."Quirrell was playing with them. His part was just like it had been when he'd forced the drinkable on Harry."You'd get in so much trouble."

"I ‘ ve already petrified my headspring of house."Neville seemed to deliver left his stutter in the world of fright and could verbalise calmly now he'd moved on to terror."It can ‘ t get very much worse."

"You think not ? Then perhaps I should be talking out of the former incline of my face."Quirrell turned on his axis of rotation and Parvarti shrieked.

"Children !"Quirrells munition twisted back, cracking round at the elbows to give Voldemort ascendence of the scepter"I will not be stopped again by children !"

"Petrificus Totalus !"Hermione's voice rang out but Voldemort raised a shell disdainfully. The rebounding hex took the young hag in the chest and she fell like a Edward Durell Stone.

"Crucio !"Neville dropped to the ground. His side a masquerade of annoyance.

"Crucio !"Padma fell, her arms wrapped around her chest. Screaming. He was still playing with them. He could stimulate death as easily as painfulness.

"Crucio !"Ron fell in his cartroad. He had tried to tear the fauna.

"Im… im… obstructor !"

"Crucio !"Parvati's spell died on her wand and she fell beside her baby. He had to do something. He had no wand. He had no weapon… He had methamphetamine. Harry pulled his too long sleeves up around his hired hand and picked up a long shard.

"Pathetic creatures."The face spat the language."Unworthy of life !"Harry stepped closer careful not to disturb the glass on the floor."You will all die ! For defying Almighty Voldemort. You will…"

"superior look out !"But Quirrell's word of advice was too deep as the long shard plunged into his stomach. Him and his assaulter fell together and Harry jerked the glass out only to plunge it again into the adept flesh. His manpower bled, the cloth of the robe hadn't been nearly enough to protect them. Quirrell rolled over under him and the snaky face looked up at him in hatred.

"You can not put down me Harry potter. I can not die ! Whatever you do I will riposte !"

"mulct then snake-face."Harry raised the sherd above his question."See you in another ten years. Do try to come back pretty adjacent time."And plunged the shard through Voldemort's eye.

The belly laugh rung out through the chamber. Rising higher and higher, louder and louder till the shards still on the floor shattered into Amandine Aurore Lucie Dupin. Then the body slumped like a rag doll and finally lay still.

Harry fell back drained. It felt like he had cypher left in his nervure, felt empty-bellied. He slumped on the floor and looked up to see five touch on faces crowding around him. They were saying something but his mind couldn't quite make sense of it. The range of a function suddenly reminded him of something and he pointed at them with a shaky mitt.

"pudding head mirror."He laughed."I thought I broke you ?"Then the darkness rolled over again and he didn't see a thing.

*

"I could just conduct the one…"

"Ron hoi polloi left those for Harry !"

voice ? …

"But I just want the card."

Familiar…

"It'll try to hop away when you open it !"

"Oh please that's what he's planning. Then he'll ‘ have'to eat it."

Ah…

"Maybe I'll just occupy a cauldron cake…"

"You so much as try it…"Harry pulled his heart open with an travail."…and I'll hex ya fingers off."

"Harry !"The marauders crowded around the hospital bed."You awake ?"

"wellspring yeah."Harry shook his principal to solve it before answering Hermione's question."Why would I not be ? How foresightful was I asleep ?"

"Days I ‘ m afraid mate."Ron shook his head ruefully."They had to yield you sleeping potion while everything healed. Did you know you broke your arm ?"

It had hurt when he rolled over, but surely he would take noticed ?

"How ‘ d you follow me ?"Harry groggily shook his pass again."I swear all the potion got drunk."

"Dumbledore said they regenerate."Hermione answered smiling."We had to go through the chess pieces too."

"Ron was amazing."Anapurna said beaming. Ron blushed and said

"Oh that, that was nada. Anyway it was Neville got us past the devil snare !"

"Devil snares prosperous. Anyway you got the key."

"That was a team crusade. The counterpart were up there too. Plus Padma worked out the dog."

"There was a broken harmonica on the floor. What else could it make been but music ?"

"I don't know, its allergic to harp ?"

"Children."The 1st yr turned as Albus Dumbledore stepped into the hospital wing."I can not imagine how delight you must be that your Quaker is awake however,"He continued with a twinkle in his eye as he peered over his eyeglasses"…it will mean that you will have to get a new reservoir of chocolate frogs."Ron at least had the decency to look shamefaced."Now, if you would give us some privacy I would care to verbalize to your friend."The piranha filed out and Harry was left alone with the Headmaster.

"The mirror."Harry began,"Was it… valuable ?"

"Irreplaceable."Harry's abdomen seemed to fall down out his organic structure."It ‘ s a good thing it is being repaired."

"You could have told me that bit !"Harry shook his head teacher as he regained his breadbasket.

"Although they may leave one fragment out. It may take to be kept for posterity."

"So is he… gone then ?"Harry's voice was hopeful but something in him already knew the answer.

"Nothing about this death was any unlike from his previous one. If he survived that I believe we can assume he can survive this."

"Will he come after the Harlan Fisk Stone ? I mean, when you fix the mirror you can get the gemstone ?"

"Yes, and it will be destroyed."Harry breathed a suspiration of relief."But it appears I was wrong about one affair Harry."

"Hireling a man who was literally double-faced ?"

"No Harry."Dumbledore fixed him with a patient role stare and Harry bit back a smiling."I mean that you were unable to get retiring my last trade protection. You did not get the stone."

"Yeah. What was I supposed to do ?"

"When you saw yourself in the mirror there. What did you see ?"

"The same affair as before."Harry shifted uncomfortably"You know, friends."

"So faced with the expectation of interminable life and eonian wealthiness, your dream remained the same ?"

"I have a gravid deal of wealth now, and if unceasing life means being individual's scalp I think I ‘ ll straits on that too."

"Very well Harry. I will not pry any further. But there is something else that we need to discuss before I let your admirer back in to quibble further."

"Hm ?"

"I want you to return to your aunt and uncles house."

"No."

"Harry, I can assure…"

"No. The solution is no Professor."Harry looked directly into the schoolmaster glittering gaze."I will not."

"You are eleven Harry."professor Dumbledore put his script on Harry's shoulder and his vocalism went soft."It would be negligent of me to let you lead my care without assuring myself that you would be looked after."

"You did it once before. Left me on a doorstep."a paring of sword entered Harry's part.

"I thought that you would be happier with family, even distant ones."

"You were wrong. Would you like to see some scars by way of validation ?"

"No Harry, I see I can not sway you on this score. I will set up for you to stay put at Hogwarts over the summer, it has been done before in sure circumstances."

"Thank you."Harry smiled and he saw a certain latent hostility lift from the air. Harry looked down at the gifts arrayed in strawman of him and picked up one."drinking chocolate frog ? Go on, otherwise Ron ‘ ll just take all of them."

"Thank you Harry."Dumbledore took the squirming confection and stood up."Now I shall just call this wings other occupier then leave you to yourself."

"Who ?"Harry looked around and spotted a pair of slider poking out from behind a mantle."Who'zat ? They Ok ?"

"Oh they ‘ ll recover quite soon."Dumbledore seemed to incur something in this slightly fishy."She's just sleeping off an improperly formed Petrificus curse."

"Oh."Said Harry uninterested."How soon will she get serious ?"

"Hopefully after your friends leave."

*

"Last chance for legal magic !"Fred ( or George ) yelled as he walked down the Hogwarts express. His brother walked beside him ringing a hand-bell up and down."I repeat ! utmost opportunity for all summer !"

"You heard that Harry ?"Ron said as his pal walked past the marauders carriage.

"Yep."And indeed he could see the John Griffith Chaney sensible horizon around the train as they pulled towards kings hybridisation. He had asked Dumbledore if he could accompany his friends on the train and the Headmaster had agreed.

"You gon na be alright over the summertime on your own Harry ?"Parvarti leaned over considered him quietly."You ‘ ll write everyone right wing ?"

"And you have to visit home."Ron said through a mouthful of sweets"Mums been bugging me about it ever since she found out."

"May just take you up on that Ron."Harry stretched as the train drew into the station."Oh, and before charming becomes illegal…"Harry took a small parcel out of his pocket, tapped it and pulled back as his bag expanded to full size.

"You brought your bag ? Why did you bestow your bag…"Hermione's spokesperson became pipe up and a trivial scared. But the question was moot, everyone in the go-cart had guessed the answer.

"Oh, come on guys."Harry shot them a grin and slid out of the carriage."Don ‘ t severalize me you didn ‘ t see this coming ?"

"Harry ! The hero of the wizarding world can not just go AWOL !"Padma shook her head in disbelief."Dumbledore will find you, or the ministry."

"The ministry can only track me if I use magic."Harry said jumping down onto the platform."And space counting too, I ‘ m thinking Hellenic Republic or possibly Kingdom of Spain. Mediterranean certainly."

"You ‘ ll never get away with this Harry."Hermione spoke but all for some reason didn't quite believe it. The marauders stood in a hemicycle around Harry with respective versions of unbelief on their faces. But after a class they had realised that Harry mostly made his own dominion.

"What they gon na do ? turn back their shining poor boy ?"Harry winked and smiled his evil brilliance smile."And I ‘ ve realised something. Being a homeless drifter sounds a whole lot more fun if you ‘ ve got a giant tidy sum of Au underground to fall back on. It ‘ ll just be like going somewhere fun, to have fun."

"I think that's called a vacation Harry."

"rightfield, that."Harry pointed and nodded."I think I ‘ m due one of those."He turned and began walking down the political platform."Write every day ! But no traceable computer address !"

"HARRY POTTER YOU GET cover Hera ! ! !"

"Got ta go."Harry broke into a run as the instructor appeared at the other end of the platform. He dodged between groups of students as the yells got closer and guessing between go-cart. He saw his chance, launched himself like a arbalist off the torso of an astounded educatee and dived through the barrier. He kept running through top executive Cross, past tense group of astonished muggles. Running for freedom.

*

"Think he'll fall back ‘ em ?"

"Oh, Neville you know the result to that."Padma smiled at the chaos Harry had left in his wake on the platform."It's the marauder first dominion. ‘ You can do anything you set your judgement to if you've got the nerve to see it through.'”

"I thought that was ‘ Never get caught'?"

"That one too."




Phew ... one book down ! Six to go.


Harry ceramist stepped back onto British soil with a give in his step and a tan fit to blind sea gull. Officially there was not train magical itinerary across the epithelial duct save by Calluna vulgaris or other tool of flight. However Harry had known before he had ever held a sceptre that the most useful things were always hidden from those in boot.

It had been by this ancient hearth, disconnected from the rest of the flue pipe net but with a straight link to a similar fix and portal vein around Europe, through which Harry had left the country workweek ago. An 11 year old can not book a planing machine ticket alone much lupus erythematosus buck a lift on a broom handle and even if he could do so those agency had probably been watched.

After he was gone he'd sent a missive to Dumbledore, with a borrowed owl and an untraceable destination. He'd received a backside one in reply. The Headmaster understood his decision and his motive for freedom, even sympathised with it. But Harry needed to be kept safety, protected.

But to Harry protected meant trapped and the reason he needed to be kept safe was the very matter he needed some freedom from. So Harry Potter had spent the majority of the summertime as squat mates, juggler and tumbler pigeon on various Grecian beaches. He had explored the wizarding side of meat of the ancient country too, he had watched a school of Hippocampus breaching and jumping like dolphins off the glide of Aeaea and seen the goliath of Rodhos. He had walked to the Temple of Alcmeonidae at Delphi and climbed hand-over-hand up the longsighted trailing vines of ivy to where it floated in the sky. Levitated above the ‘ ruins'below and concealed from muggle eyes. But the prophet that gathered there had seen through his disguise and greeted him as Harry thrower. They had treated him with an eerie respect and he had been taken to take tea with the current prophesier. It was a meeting he would never forget…

"Sit dear one."She led him to a cushion on the trading floor and sat down herself nearby him. She looked like she was barely a year or two older than him but he knew that if he believed that he was a fall guy. Only her eyes betrayed any lead that this was possibly the most herculean visionary in the Earth. Harry had been shocked when he first saw them, he had heard stories that the greatest seer had milky Patrick Victor Martindale White eyes showing that they were blind to the mundane. The prophesier eyes were convention except that the fleur-de-lis of one was abstruse purple and the other light super acid. Oh and the pupils ( and Harry had had to look hard to hold this out ) were shaped like genius.

"Thank you Pythea."Pythea wasn't her name, the oracles held it as a title in honour of the inaugural."But you really don't have to do any of this."

"It is not very often we receive visitors."She smiled at him with those recondite eyes. Something in them betrayed a lasting sadness, a confidential information of the memory concealed behind. retention that spanned centuries.

"If you wish to encourage more visitors your Grace. Perhaps you should set up stairs."He instantly felt that perhaps he was being too familiar. Harry generally ignored authority but the placidity power of the small girl before him ( even sitting as she was, barefoot in a dewy-eyed whiteness dress ) was surd to traverse. Anyway he didn't he didn't want there to be stairs. Too many multitude, especially too many holidaymaker, would destroy this peaceful office.

"Yes, that is why we do not have them. And no, I prefer that you speak freely before me."Harry looked up confused and she laughed. It sounded like falling water."Your occlumency is quite good for one doing it unconsciously. But access to thoughts is one of the giving that comes with being… this."The sadness was back in her optic for a moment then she reached forward and poured him a looking glass of water out of a marvellous fluted jug.

"Thank you."Harry took it and sipped it. It smelled the like mount air. He grinned and looked down at it speculatively."Is this going to nominate me see visual sense or snuff it out ?"

"Those thing are more likely to chance if you do not drink it seeing as you climbed for half an 60 minutes in the summertime sun."

"Mad andiron and so on…"Harry took another gulp of the scented swallow and asked."But, why did you receive me up here ? Why am I sitting, joking, with the slap-up vaticinator in the world."

"I wanted to run across you myself. I ‘ ve heard about you of course, the boy who lived. You are not what I expected."

"Oh."Harry looked down guiltily. He knew he was a bit of a disappointing submarine but coming from her it seemed worse.

"You are anything but a disappointment Harry. I think you are equal to the task ahead of you, More than equalize. I look into your soul and what I see gives me great hope. You are more than you think you are Harry, you are far Thomas More than you, or anyone else, realises. You must swear that you know the path you need to take the air, not anyone else, and above all you must trust yourself."

"Really."Harry's throat was suddenly very dry. He took another swig of water supply."Anything else ?"

"I like your eyes."

Harry coughed and spluttered and the little prophesier laughed. He realised she was teasing him.

"You're a brat !"He sniped at her.

"Am I ?"She seemed to appear far away for a moment then come back down to ground."Why do you say that ?"

"Because you ‘ re teasing me ! You're a seer, aren ‘ t you supposed to be telling me my future or something ?"

"Do you really want to cognize ?"She seemed amuse."Really ?"Harry thought about it for a second.

"No. No, if I knew what was gon na fall out it wouldn ‘ t be any fun."

"Good."She smiled."Good choice. But I think I will give you something anyway. In interchange for a hereafter not told."She dipped her hand into a pocket of her garb and drew out a pendant on a braided leather cord. Harry leaned closer and saw that it was made of sea shell, glittering like it had just been plucked from the piss. She held it out towards him.

"Hair please."She commanded and he obediently lifted his shaggy mane up so that she could tie the cord behind his sunburnt cervix.

"What is it ?"Harry lifted the shell to look at it closer but it didn't have any markings at all. It looked like it was made of two pointed turbinate scale, hanging vertical from its clasp. Harry looked closer and saw that the very undersurface point was tinged green and the very top tinged purple."Is it magic ?"

"Yes."

"Are you gon na tell me what it does ?"

"No."

"Meany."Harry tucked the pendent into his T-shirt and felt it drop down near his spunk.

"You ‘ ll find out what it does eventually. But you will have to learn a few things for yourself before you do. Call it a little piece of your future."She took his hand and raised him to his feet."Now I am afraid I must say goodbye. The duty of my office call."She seemed genuinely sad to see him go and Harry suddenly wondered if she was lonely up here.

Not trusting himself to speak Harry bowed for the first prison term in his life and walked towards the door.

"Oh and when you go back to Hogwarts."The slight girl said as he reached for the handle."Could you tell Sybill Trelawney to blockade owling me. Please ?"

Harry climbed back down and walked a small ways away before turning around and gazing back at the peacefully drifting construction, floating over the visible horizon. Digger flapped down on a rock side by side to him and handed him a letter. He took it without reading it and slipped it in his sac, still thinking. Then he walked over to a clump of flush sprouting out of the Harlan Stone nearby and picked some of the larger ones.

"Up there please."Harry nodded towards the temple while holding the flowers out to his owl."Pythea. And be careful."The owl obediently took off and Harry walked off down the road with his head still full of thought.

It had not been long after that when he found his way to the krybo-lakkos food market in capital of Greece and to the odd pottery chimney that connected to the under-flue and that could get him menage.

*

"quint Galleon ‘ s. Here."The shopkeeper pointed to a pot next to his cash register. Harry nodded to him while dusting himself off and dropped five of the gold coins in the jar. This holiday had cost him surprisingly little, tourists had liked his juggling on the beaches and liked his witty remarks even more. The galleons to get there and the galleons back was probably more than he'd spent the whole clock time in between.

Harry stepped out into a dingy alley and set off away from the shop. Walking quickly he made for the lighter end of the street where he could see more people moving. the great unwashed turned to stare at his shiny summery clothing in the wickedness and shadowed street and he heard grumbling and muttering. A bony hand fell on his articulatio humeri and he broke into a run. Shadowy figures leapt out at him and more manpower tried to pull ahead purchase, Harry broke off as his way ahead was blocked and he sprinted down a side street. He could see the shiny sounds of diagonally ahead of him and sprinted as severe as he could.

Suddenly he hit what felt like a caoutchouc paries, picking him up and bouncing him back into the darkness.

"What the… ?"But there was no meter to reckon. number were closing in and Harry dove in the opposite word guidance. He slipped down another road.

More masked consistence seemed to pop out of every phantom. The lowly boy dodged down another street and found himself at a deadened end. The entrance to the alley was blocked by a small gang, five or so whizz and hag in dark ragged robe blocked his way back.

Harry slipped his baton out of his pocket into his redress hand. His eyes scanned the walls around him but they were straight up and down. No handholds. The bunch advanced on him with hired hand out. Harry crouched down, if he was gona die he was prepared to die like a rat in a corner. Biting and scratching till the last.

"What have we here ?"A scabby and dishevelled witch said with a cackle."tiddler shouldn't be in knockturn alley. Something bad could happen."She reached out towards him and Harry's bridge player tightened on his sceptre.

"Stand aside hag !"A instant of red light shot from the other end of the alley and the witches hair burst into flame.

She shrieked and jumped away while the others tried to put out the fire. This left Harry with a clear horizon down the alley to the man standing there, his yearn wand out.

"Never fear young rascal !"The man said in a booming part."Markus Michelson is here !"

*

"Who in the… Hey !"Harry tried to object but the man had reached him in three long step and picked him up with one manus."Put me down ! Put me down !"

"placidity down pipsqueak."The man set off out of the alley with Harry held almost nonchalantly in the crook of his heavily muscled arm."You're in good hands now."

Harry tried to pry the finger off of him but the mans grip was like a vice. Harry continued to struggle until they got out into the secure haven of diagonally and he was dumped unceremoniously on the floor.

"For someone being rescued by the greatest warrior, adventurer, lover and explorer that the human race has ever known."The man put his fists on his hips and bent down to put his nerve near Harry's."You sure don't seem to have a go at it how display you're grateful."

Harry sat up and checked himself over before replying. For a moment his hand rested on the leather cord around his neck then he looked up and responded.

"Yeah, sorry. Thank you. Thanks."The man reached out a mitt and pulled Harry to his animal foot.

"Not to worry. I'd imagine getting stuck down a dead end in knockturn alley is a little frightening for individual not as… imposing… as me."He tucked his wand in his whang and Harry looked him up and down. Even without taking his hat into account the man was easily seven animal foot tall and had shoulders like a ox. He wore thick leather rush and leather trouser above them, fitting tightly over muscled legs. The belt was Hydra skin and he had what looked like animal teeth tied hanging off it so they clattered as he moved. Above that he wore a anatomy accommodation red vest that left his limb bare. Harry could see the edge of a tattoo peeking up amongst his breast hair's-breadth and another on his bicep. Further down his arms he wore two spike dance orchestra. To top it all off the man wore a cowboy hat over his dense blond tomentum with a farseeing red feather tucked into the band on one side and three rifle bullet train on the other.

"Who are you ?"

"Thought I introduced myself before. Never psyche, probably slipped your head in all the excitement."The man struck a pose."I am Markus Maximus A. A. Michelson. glad to make your acquaintance pipsqueak."

"My name is Harry."Odd to find out that after a summer of Jack.

"commodity to come across you lilliputian Harry. Now…"the man looked around at the crowds"…where are you meeting your parents. Can't leave you alone out here since you seem to attract trouble. You little tyke."He ruffled Harry's hair's-breadth as if he was a little kid, earning himself Harry's interminable hatred.

"…um. The ice cream place."Harry lied with a straight typeface."Their probably waiting."

"goodness, good."The man grabbed his arm again and set a brisk gait through the crowd. There were a lot of the great unwashed this clip of day but they parted to let Markus through. Harry had hoped that when they reached Fortescue's ice cream parlour the odd wizard would leave him alone. He did nothing of the kind however and sat down at a mesa, leaning far back on his chair and tucking his thumb in his belt cringle. Harry was just wondering why he was waiting around when the understanding walked up to the table.

"Can I get you anything Mr Michelson."The waitress was a young crone, probably not far out of Hogwarts, and she blushed as she spoke to Harry's rescuer.

"My small friend here needs a hot chocolate Sunday to quieten him down. He's just been in a bit of a gummy position down knockturn back street. For myself just seeing you smile is all the sweet I need, and please…"he plucked a yellow daisy out of air and set it behind the young woman ear"…call me Maximus."

"You helped him ?"

"Oh no."Thought Harry."She was here last summer. She knows who I am."

"You saved Harry Potter ! Oh, you ‘ re so brave and like, strong !"

"Harry Potter.. ?"The man looked at him for a moment with a Light Within smile then turned back"Yes I did. And yes, I am rather strong. Mighty is my middle name."The female child swooned and rushed off to get Harry's ice cream. When she was gone the man turned back and fixed him with the smile again. Harry crossed his arms.

"intellection your heart name was Maximus."

"Nope, Mighty."The man flexed his bicep and Harry was able to register the tattoo there. It was five Ms written one after another. The man pointed at the it with his other mitt."Markus Maximus Mighty Majesto Michelson"he tapped the monogram with his finger."But the first of my centre name is my personal deary. So these parents that we're waiting for…"

"My friends parents."Harry fabricated."I ‘ m livelihood with them this summer. I didn ‘ t explain because I prefer to go under the radar a bit, you know."

"Can ‘ t honestly say I do little man."Harry's Sunday appeared and he began eating it quickly."How can you not walk down the street and palpate the basking worship of the multitude Harry. I owe it to my fable to be seen, in the hope that I inspire young whelp like you to become just like me. Its my duty Harry, as a man."

"Oooo."The waitress had stuck around to take heed to Marcus speak and was now holding her hands clasped together over her breast."You're so voguish as well as so hansom. You're like a poet or a radio whiz or something."

Harry rolled his eyes and finished his ice cream quickly as the vain wizard chatted to ( or more accurately chatted up ) the little girl. Harry dropped the cost of the meal on the board.

"Ah, there they are."Harry pointed off in a random direction and got up."See you."

"Sure I will Harry."The man said cryptically before turning back to the early aim of his attention.

*

Harry moved quickly once he was out of the man sight and slipped into Gringots. He got money out more quickly than he should have by simply ignoring the queue and asking for Greeklunk. His old goblin acquaintanceship quickly helped him refill his sack for another year. While he was down in the burial vault Harry stuck his t-shirt in his bag and instead took out a retentive robe with a hood. At Greeklunk's confused grammatical construction 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 past Fortescue's the wizard was still there, showing the waitress a long cicatrice on his arm.

*

Harry stood in the country lane and rechecked the letter he held in his deal. He was sure he was at to the lowest degree in the the right way village and probably on the right road. It was just that the road went a long way in both directions and Ron's advice on getting to his house had been rather vague. Like he'd only really seen the surrounding countryside from the air. Harry folded the missive 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 engine.

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

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

*

Harry had to stand the urge to break down into a run as he caught sight of the Weasley firm. Outside it in the grow over garden he could see three boy working, flinging something he couldn't make out over the garden wall. 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 doorway to the firm opened and mollie Weasley ( Ron had told him all about his class ) emerged, carrying a tray with drinkable on it. Behind her a young girl ( must be Ginny ) stepped alfresco and leaned against the doorpost looking bored. None of them seemed to cause noticed him yet, or maybe the tan had changed his appearance a bit. As he stepped up to the front gate he spread his arm wide.

"aloha !"

"Harry !"Ron jumped in surprisal"You ‘ re here."The twins jumped up too and ran to meet him, but the most extreme reaction came from the youngest Weasley. Ginny went all in white under her whisker and her mouth seemed to make a motion as if she was trying to say something then she bolted through the still open room access.

"She has some sorting of objection to aloha ?"Harry asked the ginger crowd.

"Nah, mate."Ron shook his foreland."She ‘ s been jumping and squeaking every clip we so much as mentioned your public figure. speculation you in the figure was just too a good deal for her."

"Ron, be prissy to your sister."Mrs Weasley's voice was stern for a moment then turned diffused 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 matter doesn ‘ t utmost. I ‘ ve been told on recapitulate occasions that I ‘ m a massive disappointment."

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

"Snape."

"Yeah but he said you had floberworms for mind 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 to the lowest degree 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 attack to mouth directly to her was plenty to send out her scurrying away. One morning when he came down and found her curled up on the sofa with a powder magazine he decided to put a stop to it.

"Ginny."She stiffened and looked like she was about to flee."Don't run away please."He walked around and sat succeeding to her on the couch. She looked like a belittled rodent confronted by a snake, eyes wide of the mark open and too mark to run."Can you differentiate me why you run every clock time I try to mouth to you or go into the room ?"muteness, except for the twitching she could have been petrified."flavour Ginny I don't know what it is but could you please lecture to me. We ‘ re going to be going to school together for the succeeding six age. Could you talk to me. Please."

"Y… you…"Harry had to filter out to hear her faint whisper."you destroyed you-know-who."

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

"You ‘ ve got the scar."

"I ‘ ve got a lot of scars. Which one in particular ?"Ginny reached out to place at his frontal bone and Harry brushed away the hair to reveal the scar. But apparently this was too very much for Ginny and she bolted up the steps 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, finish yr. Back before she liked us."

"And that turned out OK."

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

"No Ron but I think I do think I need to rent drastic activity to chasten this situation."Harry thought for a moment then latched onto a brilliant program. An amazing plan. Possibly the smashing architectural plan he had ever devised."You have a few ling here right ?"

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

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

"But Harry you can ‘ t play Quidditch. The final clock time you got on a Calluna vulgaris you made a complete fall guy of yourself."

"Exactly !"

*

This was the pip program he had ever come up with.

"You have to comply through."Ron made a poke motion with the flat of his hand. That meant travel along through Harry knew, the hand signals were about all he ‘ d picked up during the game."Just decoct on following through. That was the problem that time."

"No Ron, the job was that I flew into a tree."Harry tumbled to the soil and applaud out a leaf."What's the sign for ‘ You're about to fly into a tree ‘ ?"

"There isn ‘ t one, we'd have to contrive it just for you."Ron helped him back on his heather and they flew back up to get together the twins. Ginny was sitting a lilliputian slipway away watching them, when Harry had fallen out of the tree she had jumped up in shock absorber. But as Ron and the similitude had begun laughing at him he had seen a phantasm of a smile cross her look as well. That shadow was all that was keeping him from giving up the entire attempt and getting his feet back on solidness ground.

"Right."Ron said as they hovered at their end of the delivery."You make for the right hired hand incline. I ‘ ll rive them off to the left hand then pass it to you. Then you can grade. Got it ?"

"Aye aye maitre d' !"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 moment Ron turned and chucked it ahead of him. He rushed forward to catch it, fumbled it, then snagged it in one hand.

"I got it ! I got…"thumping !

Harry struck the ground hard and rolled to a stop in the long Grass.

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

"There didn ‘ t used to be four of you."Harry pointed at her with a excite hand."Stop being four of you, person… girl… Where am I ?"Harry blinked and looked around blurrily. A small stochasticity brought him back to the exhibit and he looked forward. Ginny had her mitt over her oral fissure and was trying hard not to express joy. piffling sounds kept escaping like steam out of a kettledrum.

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

The four Weasley's carried him off the pitch shot and Fred and George ( who seemed to ingest experience with head harm for some reason ) pronounced him fine.

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

"wagerer idea."Harry tossed his broom to Ginny."You take my spot. 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 pair Mrs Weasley's"Be nice to your sister ! And besides, your choice are me or her."

"Welcome to the team Ginny."

*

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

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

"The team won."Harry explained with wholesale handwriting motion."And we all played a percentage in that."

"And your division is ?"

"Cheerleader. I really should get some pompoms."



Note : Right, thats the second year started.

Interesting news about Dumbledore, but it makes sensation when you look back on it. Does form of make it more tragic however. The mavin 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 run against Grindlewald was interesting too and puts the whole thing in a new light. What if Grindlewald was well mindful of Dumbledores intuitive feeling and used him to gain baron in prophylactic ? Knowing full well that Dumbledore was the only one who could have 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.






magnate hybridizing was crowded beyond belief as the Weasley clan crossed the station towards platform nine and three living quarters.

"haste up."Mrs Weasley herded her various charges towards the roadblock."rightfield. Come everyone, while the muggles aren't looking."One by one the carrottop shooting through the roadblock. Harry waited until live, as the summertime had drawn to a close he had wondered if perhaps he might not be let back into the school. He had got the book listing but perhaps that had been automatic.

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

shot ! Harry bounced back and fell to the priming coat gasping. The barrier 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. lupus erythematosus than a minute till the train was supposed to provide."They expelled me."

Harry stayed on the trading floor despite the odd looks he was getting. There didn't seem to be much point in getting up. The clock ticked over the 60 minutes. The train was leaving.

Harry looked down platform ten and thought he saw a wisp of smoke rise from beyond the trail. Where was the wizards platform anyway ? A mad approximation struck Harry and he was stood back up in a news bulletin. His invertebrate foot seemed to run of their own pact and he took first one then another halting tone along the political program. Another wisp of heater. He broke into a run and willed his stage to carry him firm and faster.

"it's a steam train."Harry dodged past a startled conductor at the end of the weapons platform and jumped down onto the rail."It takes a while to pelt along up."He pumped his legs for extra upper.

"shovel !"Harry reached onto his rucksack and flicked his owl's coop overt."Catch me up at Hogwarts !"Harry shot to the edge of the train rail and looked down. The normal, muggle train tracks coming out of top executive hybrid were raised up on a sort of long bridge deck, raising them respective tale above the city streets. Harry glanced down in time to see the end of the Hogwarts express squeeze itself out from between the bricks of the bridge and nous off down a track that looked disused. Up ahead the cut rose up and joined with the others, if Harry was going to do it, he ‘ d take in to do it now.

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

He crashed into the top of the conclusion equipage and hung onto it for dear lifespan. The train was beginning to pick up speed and Harry crawled to the edge. Thankfully the equipage window was open up. Harry swung his bag in through it then slid down into it himself.

"Harry thrower. Nice to meet you."He said to the aghast first years who's carriage he'd dropped into."See you at Hogwarts !"Harry walked shakily out the door. Once he was safely in the corridor he leaned against the paries and slid down till he was on the trading floor. He wanted to get up and find oneself his friends but for some reason none of his limbs seemed to work. He caught a glance of himself in the glass in front of him and blinked in shock. He looked a wreck ! Blood ran down the bequeath slope of his human face and was matted into the hair above.

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

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

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

"Did you… just… startle onto the train."

"No."Harry shook his head"No. Definitely not. You ‘ d have to be mad to jump out on a moving train."

*

Harry moved down the train as quietly as he could. Trying to get his champion without drawing too much attention. Unfortunately talk travelled fast on the Hogwarts expressage and he couldn't go five steps without encountering another stare or pass a group of scholarly person without them breaking out in a fit of whispering.

"So pathetic attention seeking Potter smash again."The articulation was behind him. Harry turned around and sagged when he saw Malfoy and his lump staring at him.

"Malfoy I really don't have the vigor for this now."It was honest. Harry would throw liked doing nothing More than simply collapsing on the floor there for the remainder of the journey."Could you please, and I mean this in the nicest potential way, bugger off and die like the diseased piece of distended rectum chassis you are."

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

"ceramist !"Harry turned and saw professor McGonagall standing in the bearing. Malfoy and his escort disappeared through a door."How in Merlin ‘ s name did you get here ?"She grabbed him and pulled out her sceptre, touching it calmly to the cut on his read/write head then whisking away the blood on his face."I just spent an unpleasant few minutes arguing with Molly Weasley who was franticly trying to get us to stop the train. She seemed to be under the depression 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 power train !"

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

"That is beside the point Mr Potter, but after the stunt you pulled at the end of hold out year I suppose I should not be entirely surprised."She straightened up"We will birth to discuss this further in my office at Hogwarts. At the very least you will receive several days detention."

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

"No Mr Potter. Not this time."She began walking away down the gearing."Go to my billet when we reach Hogwarts."

"After the sorting ?"

"As soon as you reach the castle."

"prof please…"Alright this is McGonagall, you know how to fool McGonagall. She acts strong-armer but she's all mushy inside."… my Friend's sister's getting sorted today and she ‘ s worried about it. All her Brother are in Gryffindor, unanimous family really. I should be there for her. delight ?"

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

"Of course of study 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 Marauders compartment and slid the door open.

"hello freindlies !"

"Harry !"Hermione's mouth dropped open air."Ron said you couldn ‘ t get onto the program !"

"Couldn't."Harry noticed Ginny sitting quietly in the turning point of the compartment. Ron had probably been told to save an eye on her."Had to acquire entry to the geartrain by… other means."

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

"Couldn ‘ t attention less. But no."

"Portkey ?"Neville seemed to think for a moment."Or a broom ?"

"No."Ron and Ginny spoke at the Saami 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 hand to her mouth and began shaking her head."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 answers.

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

"Maybe."None of his supporter seemed to need to speak.

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

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

*

The gearing meandered its long journey through the hills and Harry ducked out of the conversations around him. His capitulum still hurt and he didn't have the vitality to entertain masses. He leaned against the frigidness window as pelting started to blotch down, leaving little track on the window pane. He closed his middle and lay there for a long while. Little trails of weewee, swirling, drowning.

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

"Oh, are we there yet."Harry form of wanted to get back to 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 surprisal. Harry waved his bridge player dismissively."Don't worry. You ‘ ll love it there. Lessons are gentle, specially charms. Friends everywhere. Plus if any of the Slytherins bother you we can evidence some blue-belly retribution. We're feared by that house."

"That ‘ s kind of what I ‘ m worried about."Ginny glanced at the red edges on Harry's robes.

"Ah."thinking Harry."My guesswork was compensate, and I just made that up to soften up McGonagall."

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

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

"Then narrate it so."Harry looked at the youthful young woman startled locution."You know what the sorting hat is right ?"nod."Then tell it you want to be a Gryffindor. Don't take no for an answer. It's your life, don't let a hat make decisions for you."Harry leaned back down and closed his eyes again.

*

"What the Scheol ?"Ron voiced what they were all thinking as the marauders moved away from the geartrain at Hogsmead. Ginny had left to lease her slight boat ride and the six protagonist now stood in front of a line of posture, each drawn by a thin scaly knight with folded leathery wings."Charlie told me the baby buggy pulled themselves ?"

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

"Still think this is weird."

*

Ginny Weasley stood fidgeting in front of the Marguerite Radclyffe Hall as the sorting hat finished its Sung dynasty. She was so nervous she wanted to sting 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 last. She saw Harry on the Gryffindor table spinning three crotch in the air in strawman of him. She tried to entrance his eye but failed, he was talking to his literal ally. Everyone began to pay attention as Dumbledore stood up.

"Before we begin the sorting I ‘ d like to announce two thing. One is that, despite what this evacuate chair seems to indicate, we have found a new Defence Against the Dark nontextual matter teacher."Ginny looked along the instructor table and saw a lank-haired professor grimace. She giggled, that must be professor Snape."Sadly he could not be here tonight as he has been managing the transport of his belongings from overseas. Rest assured that he has my full confidence and he will infix himself, probably at length…"did the lank-haired professor just make a face 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 humans image. Now let us continue so that we can relish a brilliant feast after we are all done."Dumbledore sat back down but the murmuring hadn't ceased. McGonagall then took her place, the expression on her aspect 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 day."Backwards…"The last thing she saw before she pulled the hat down over her eye were the predator turning to find out her.

"Another Weasley, seems I see those on almost a annually basis. 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 opt my sign. I want to be in Gryffindor."

"Quite brave of you to just shout it out it like that. Almost military group me to piece Gryffindor."Shout it out ? …Oh god !

"Ah… You didn ‘ t realise you were speaking out tacky ?"
Ginny lifted the brim of the hat just enough to see around the Hall. There was whispering everywhere, and every face had an identical physiognomy of appal astonishment. Her eyes searched out her brothers at the Gryffindor tabular array. Sir Henry Percy had buried his expression in his work force and seemed to be trying to pretend it all wasn't happening, Fred and George were watching her with huge evil grins and Ron, Ron just looked confused. Her eyes flickered past Ron to Harry and their gaze locked, then the boy did the oddest affair, he pulled up his sleeve, put his hired man decoration out and prod forward.

Follow through

Ginny glanced back at the teacher table, where every look mirrored the amazement of the scholarly person. She glanced back to Harry and he jabbed again. Well, if she was gon na follow through then there was only one thing for it ...

"Yep."She said, trying to not hold her voice rift out in whimpers."Definitely Gryffindor."And with that she pulled the hat off her head, set it down on the death chair and walked steadily towards Harry. She blanked out everything else in the hall, the rustle uprising, the teachers, everything. There was a can next to Harry and she was sitting in it. She reached the work bench and hopped onto it, everyone was looking at her.

"Stay perfectly calm."Harry's vocalization but she swore his lips barely moved."smell straight ahead and don't give them any sign they're getting to you."Easy for him to say ! She stayed exactly where she was as the secrecy crawled on. Then something touched her hand by her side. A candy of some sort. Without a word, and before the mum stares of the whole vestibule, she brought out, unwrapped and calmly ate a liquorice wand.

Every eye in the hall turned as they heard McGonagall bring in her throat then…

"Kingston, Victor."

It was as if the Asaph Hall had been holding its breath the integral time and now let it out in a wave of yakety-yak. Ginny felt someone clap her on the backrest 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 scepter."thoroughly thing I was paying attention, who the hell is Ginevra Weasley ?"

The small boy with exquisitely waxed hair and sunglasses apparently named Victor Jamaican capital had reached the hat and was looking down at it worriedly. He looked like he was about to pick it up then looked at the tables in the mansion house.

"Ravenclaw. I think I like Ravenclaw."

"On the addition side you may receive started a revolution."Harry had leaned in to blab out to her again."On the minus McGonagall's gon na shoot down you…"

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

"Are you our new theatre mascot Ginny ?"Fred leaned over and grinned at his baby.

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

"leave of absence her twins."Harry was holding her by both shoulders away from her former brothers."She tricked the hat, swindled McGonagall, caused a cross business firm revolution and all in front of the entire school !"Harry grabbed her and hugged her from posterior."You can ‘ t have her ! She ‘ s ours !"

"What's he talking about."Ginny didn't think she could grin Thomas More than she was as she shot the question at her sidekick across the board. 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 face to see it through and doesn ‘ t charge what the rules say or who thinks what !"She stuck out her hand"Welcome to the Marauders."

By the end of the day Ginervrador House ( as it was briefly called ) had an unusually orotund grade of 1st years. Filch had to displace some of the seam.

*

As Harry trudged back from his first detention with McGonagall that night ( polishing hundreds and C of brass clit that were just going to be transfigured into beetles anyway ) he leaned on the wall near the portrait hole and closed his eyes for a mo.

"Harry Potter sir !"

Harry opened his eyes and immediately realised his head injury must induce been worse than he thought. The Hallucination had farsighted pointy capitulum and was wearing some kind of ragged cloth like a toga.

"Wha… ?"

"Harry ceramicist should never sustain got on the train !"

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

"Dobby sir. Dobby the house elf."The odd little beast bowed to him, its nose almost touching the floor."Dobby is truly sorry to have caused trouble for such a big wizard as Harry Potter. But Harry thrower must leave Hogwarts !"

"Caused fuss ? What bother ?"Harry slid off the bulwark and stood straight person. His scepter was inconveniently tucked in an interior pocket, hard to make. Was this creature a threat ?"What are you talking about ?"

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

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

"Dobby thought that if the platform closed…"

"That was you !"Harry snapped forward like a nip and caught the little beast by the arms. The thing whined and tried to break away but he held on."I could have missed the bloody train !"The creature nodded and whimpered a little more."I could have been killed ! Wait… knockturn alley…"Harry remembered the safety bulwark. The elf stiffened again and he seemed to be avoiding Harry's eyes."That was you as well ! Why WHY !"He picked the matter up and shook it roughly."Are you trying to kill me ? Are you ?"The elf was truly crying now and Harry let him go. The pitiful affair crawled away from Harry and sat on the floor, looking up at him with its huge, bust filled eyes. It looked like a kicked pup.

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

"No !"Dobby's font became a mask of fright."Dobby can not be seen. Dobby ‘ s masters can never sleep with. Dobby isn ‘ t hurt, Dobby gets far regretful than this at home. Dobby's master are…"the elf seemed to stiffen for a present moment then he rushed over to the paries and began hitting his head on it grueling.

"Bad Dobby ! Bad Dobby !"

"Wait ! Hey, stoppage !"Harry was torn between the need to kibosh it hurting itself and trying to head off grabbing it again since he'd obviously hurt him. He pulled his robe off, quickly balled it up and ( between head leaping ) slid it between Dobby and the rampart. The poor people elf continued on for a span of hits, apparently not realising he was now cushioned, then dropped to the floor.

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

"Dobby…"Harry saw a need to tread carefully here."If, IF think of ! Hypothetically I asked who your masters were. Would you have to punish 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 think about this, cocking its head to the side. Then he nodded.

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

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

"If I asked you whether your Edgar Lee Masters were involved ?"Dobby tensed like a rod."Just IF remember, if I asked you that would you suffer 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 forge the danger would subscribe to ?"

But at this Dobby shook his chief furiously and put his hands over his ears. The piteous 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 uncurled.

"Harry thrower will leave behind Hogwarts ?"

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

"Harry Potter must leave, Harry Potter is in danger."

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





Please recap, especially if you think it 's bad. Really, it 'll serve me improve.


"Wonder if he ‘ s cute ?"Parvarti wondered quizzically as the s years wandered to the defence against the colored humanities classroom. They had the socio-economic class first period Monday, so would be the first to foregather the new teacher."Dumbledore said he ‘ s foreign, so I bet he ‘ s cute."

"I just wonder if he ‘ ll be a good teacher."Hermione hung her head a little."After a year of… of bad teaching we need to view up. We ‘ ll be favourable if we can make 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 booster wanted to call back about the events at the end of last year.

"well, so long as he only has one cheek, I ‘ ll be happy."Harry stuck his hands behind his oral sex and laughed."rightfulness ?"The others stopped for a moment, then grinned with him."mentation so. Anyway…"Harry was the first gear to the door and pushed it spread."… after Quirrell we can ‘ t do a good deal worse can we ?"

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

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

"Take a prat up movement my good lad ! I can already tell this is going to be one of your favourite classes !"The marauder filed in the presence row and the other student moved in behind them. All of them looking a fiddling apprehensively at the booming muscled figure in front of them.

"The public figure's Professor Markus Triple-M Michelson. I ‘ ll be your defence reaction against the dark arts teacher this year. idea I ‘ d take a fault from the globe-trotting to return on some of my noesis to the next multiplication !"He swept his hat off and spin around it across the room, 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 tolerate for Muscular, Magical and well-nigh of all Masculine !"He laughed and put his fists on his hips."So, on to the matriculation !"He grabbed the register off the table and began yelling out names, variously chuckling at the odd public figure and winking at any girl who answered him quickly. When he got to thrower he said

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

When the register was finished the professor strode up to the front of the class. To the seismic disturbance of all watching he slammed one fist back into the blackboard. Words jumped off the surface as if they had been jolted into being.

"Duelling !"The professor said and indeed this was the title on the board."Who here has cast something harsh than jelly-legs at another wizard ?"

A few hands went up around the class, including Harry's. Neville gulped and tried to declare 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 Body Bind sir."Neville appeared to be wishing he had a kettle of fish to crawl into.

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

"McGonagall."

"Mc…McGonagall ?"A nervous titter of laugh ran around the schoolroom."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 curse originating in the time of the inquisition, considered by many to be shadow deception ?"

"Er…"

"And who did you use it on ?"

"Quirrell."

"Right OK."Albert Michelson shook his head."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 hired hand went down ( though not of course of study, Hermione's )"Right ! we'll starting there."

*

The family let out an hour later. Many of the pupil had the after-effects of minor whammy and hexes on them from when their carapace hadn't been upright enough or when their antagonist had been too good. Professor Michelson seemed to think all of it extremely funny 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 class he had picked Harry to demonstrate some more life-threatening jinx to the course. Harry ‘ s harbor charm wasn ‘ t nearly good enough and he ended up suffering for every tour that winged his way.

"I hate him ! I hate that muscle-head SOB !"Harry ranted as they walked to history of magic."He knows my gens and he keeps calling me pipsqueak ! He singles me out ! He will pay for this ! Right ?"

The early vulture kept a good distance, giggling behind their hands.

"You know Harry, he seems to be a pretty good teacher."Hermione said. Harry rounded on her."I mean, some adult whiz can't do screen appeal 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 face became stony and non-white."And he… winked at me."

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

*

But they didn't.

defense reaction Against the nighttime prowess quickly became the most looked forward to lesson by the entire school day. Every few example Markus Albert Abraham Michelson would introduce a new combat magic spell and work with them, pulling them with gag, belittlement and boost, to perfect the charm. From disarming and stunning through to cuticle and self-defense he taught everything with an superposable laugh and superposable arrogant attitude. Harry remained sullen and silent in these example especially when the inevitable happened and he was called up to help oneself demonstrate a new spell. He had tried to get the predator riled up to represent a put-on on prof Michelson but they had flatly refused. Harry had to content himself with dropping potion on a grouping off Slytherins that gave them oozing boiling point. It had been quiet composite, whoever the pus hit when the boils exploded developed them as well.

It was on his way back from toilsome detention that he heard someone yell. Harry saw a first year upsurge past him upstairs and followed him, towards the noise. A chemical group of students were gathered on the tierce floor. Harry pushed through them without a persuasion and stopped at the front to see a horrific mountain. Painted on the paries in what looked like blood were the words…

Arise those of ancient blood line ! Cast out the impure from this house of our father ! Be genuine to your lineage ! Destroy the enemies of the heir ! This is the call to arms !

Harry glanced to his side, lined up succeeding to one another stood a radical of Slytherins. Malfoy, Goyle and flint stood side by incline, each wearing identical expression of mirthfulness.

On the floor in figurehead of the letters crouched poor people victor Kingston, the kid who'd liked the look of Ravenclaw, curled up in reverence behind his sunglasses.

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

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

"He doesn ‘ t have a pulse."Harry murmured, trying to impress his fingers around for a wagerer feel."No impulse. Get Madam Pomfrey ! Get Dumbledore !"

"Both are here Harry."Harry looked up to see the headmaster base on balls to the edge of the crowd. He stood back gratefully as the school suck went to exercise.

"Is he… dead ?"An older Ravenclaw at the bound of the rotary asked and a whisper of breathless cushion swept the crowd.

"No."Professor Dumbledore said calmly"He appears to ingest been petrified."

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

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

"Professor…"She glanced up at the writing on the wall."winner was a muggleborn, do you cerebrate that there ‘ s any peril ?"

"I am sure I can trust every student here to act in a way that does not dishonour the effective epithet 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 1st attack happened just the adjacent morning. Hannah archimandrite was found with a broken arm at the bottom of the pace leading down to the Hufflepuff common way. Her bag and Christian Bible 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 issue how much they asked the prof couldn't find who had done it.

The next day a mathematical group of Slytherins cornered a first year in one of the upper corridors and began hexing him over and over. Only Flitwick happening past had stopped worse happening.

In a matter of calendar week it was no recollective safe for a muggleborn or half-blood student to be out on their own. Madam Pomfrey was being worked of her feet by the flow of trauma coming into her care.

Then, one morning time, Oliver Sir Henry Joseph Wood the Gryffindor Quidditch captain was petrified in the prefects bathroom. The teachers had tried to continue a lid on it but the dustup that had been scrawled on the paries somehow got out.

Mudbloods and blood-traitors cower in fear ! The heir of Slytherin returns and the chamber has been opened. resurrect up around his standard ! release the bungle profligate on the undercoat !

"It ‘ s getting worse."Harry said as they walked towards their next course of instruction."I mean just look !"He gestured out the windowpane.

There was a huddle of students scurrying along the rampart and slipping in a door. A here and now later a mathematical group of Slytherins hurried into the courtyard with their with wands out.

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

"They can ‘ t."Padma said dully as they passed the Defence Against the darkness prowess classroom"Not on this scale."Her babe nodded silently. Her normally cheerful mood dulled.

"Padma ‘ s compensate Hermione."Ron shook his head."affair are just getting worse and besides, we can ‘ t afford to lose 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 head."This isn ‘ t like Quirrell Harry. There ‘ s no evil hotshot behind it. Its half the school, trying the putting to death the other half and we don't know till too late which is which."

"With some we got a pretty well idea."Harry murmured darkly as they passed a group of Slytherins. The vulture curled around Hermione like a human buckler as they passed and only disseminate back out after they had gone. A second later Harry's verge vibrated in his pocket."Damn it !"Harry motioned the others to quiet and the phone of hexing could be heard above them. They broke into a run towards the nearest stair.

*

"Leave him alone !"Ginny's own phonation sounded shrill in her ears. She stepped in front her injured friend and tried to swallow her fright.

"What ? Protecting your mudblood beau traitor ?"Marcus Flint stepped out of the ring of Slytherins surrounding her and Colin."stair aside for me. I ‘ d rather not spill wizard blood, even your syndicate, unless I have to."

"Mico Harry."Ginny whispered, holding her sceptre out in front of her. Hoping he was in range."Mico Harry."

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

"Mico Ron. Mico Hermione."

"What's that ?"Flint leant forward to discover."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'nous jerked up a bludgeoning hex struck him in the chest. He was thrown back and his friends drew their wand as the piranha rushed them from the stairwell.

*

Harry was the number 1 to acknowledge that he probably wasn't destined to be a duellist. His get-go strike against the seventh year had been favorable and he now found himself shielding for his life in the midsection of a war-zone. other students from other houses had been drawn in or joined in or been pushed in by the crowd and now the corridor was filled with flashing lights and battle cry of pain.

"You ‘ re dead ceramicist. Oh you ‘ re dead."Flint advanced on him and Harry ducked behind a statue as the big Slytherins beshrew smashed into the ground near his feet. A second one smacked into the Harlan Fiske Stone wizard and it began to topple over. Harry scrambled out as it crashed to the floor and jabbed his verge at his assailant.

"Expelliarmus !"The magical spell struck Flint but his midst, sausage-like fingers were curled tightly around his scepter.

"Confringo !"Harry leapt out of the way of the blasting curse and fell badly on his shoulder. He threw his own back in solution and the serpent stumbled backwards. Harry jumped to his feet and guessing a bludgeoning hex only to birth it rebound off a shield and smack him in the dresser. Tumbling backwards he landed on his back among the debris. His verge skittered off along the floor. A shadow fell over him and a huge booted base slammed onto his dresser, holding him down.

"howdy Potter."Flint pointed his wand at Harry's facial expression."Now I ‘ m gona have some fun."

A moment later flint was thrown off him as a tangle waving of Christ Within shot through the corridor, forcibly pulling opponents apart.

Harry's hand darted out and grabbed his scepter while he looked for the source of the turn. His oculus found Albus Dumbledore standing at the end of the corridor with several early teacher behind him.

"Is any bookman here injured or in need of the hospital wing ?"His vocalism was stony as he eyed the meet students. A few students raised their hands. Dumbledore nodded and turned to speak to the instructor behind him."Please escort them there."No one spoke as the wounded were gathered up. Harry saw Markus Albert Michelson handing Ginny her bag with one hand while picking Colin up in his other. As prof McGonagall walked past him he caught her eyes for a minute, they were cold, harsh and foiled. When the endure of the injured were gone the Headmaster turned back to the remaining students.

"Now can anyone tell me why this happened ? Why Hogwarts scholarly person saw fit to move around this corridor into a battlefield ?"He looked over the students and Harry realised that he and Flint were right out in the middle, the two of them surrounded by vanity. 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 common rooms now. Tomorrow morning you will all descend to the with child hall where you will spend your Saturday in secretiveness. You will return the day after that and for many weekends to come until I decide that the heartsease and quiet of the school has returned. Your parents will also be informed of your disappointing behaviour."Dumbledore gestured at the children."Go off now. Not you Harry !"Harry was drawn back by Dumbledore's voice. Marcus Flint smirked at him with his troll-like smile and slinked off. Harry followed the schoolmaster in silence as he turned and walked off through the school. He stopped before a gargoyle on the second floor.

"sherbert Lemon."The infantile password seemed oddly out of kilter with the site. They remained mum as they were raised up by the staircase and walked out into the Headmasters billet.

Harry glanced around in marvel at the odd silver machines, many moving or making lenient phone, filling tabular array around the edge of the office. His eyes were drawn to the perch behind the desk where a tired looking red hoot sat. Even as Harry watched another of its feathers fell off and twirled towards the floor.

Dumbledore caught it before it hit and slipped it into an inside pouch of his robe. He turned and sat behind the heavy desk. Saying naught, he regarded the student before him over steepled fingers.

Harry knew that with any early instructor this was the sentence to be quiet and look hangdog, but with Dumbledore he might actually be honorable off explaining.

"Professor."He began and licked his dry lips. Dumbledore's centre flicked to his."I heard the sounds of mortal being attacked nearby and I went to see whether I could aid. When we… I got there Marcus Flint River and some other Slytherins had the number one old age surrounded."He couldn't tell apart what effect this was having on the Headmaster. His manifestation was inscrutable."I fired a spell to make them back off and they responded, I never thought that so many other students would be drawn in or that it would snowball like this. I ‘ m sorry."

"You cast the 1st hex ?"

"They had been beating up Colin Creevey before we got there."Harry felt too guilty to lie."But I threw the first fighting magic spell yes."

"Several students are spite Harry."God teeth the ragged chick was eyeballing him as well."And there was some geomorphological damage to the school. various 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 you have given everyone another ground to hate each other."Harry felt very small in front of the continued stare."regretful, you have escalated this job with your legal action. Next metre masses will be even quicker to draw wands in anger. succeeding time the curse will be defective and people could be seriously injured Harry, do you understand that ?"

"Yes sir."Harry intellection of Marcus flint's smirk. side by side time they wouldn't hold to ride people.

"Today you chose to fight hatred with ire and wildness. That way will always breed further hatred do you infer that ?"

"Yes sir."

"See that you do not reprize this mistake."

"Yes sir. Thank you."Harry walked out of the office. All the way to the door he could experience the old mans eyes on his spinal column.

*

Harry walked back slowly to the Gryffindor plebeian way. By opportunity the path took him back past the field of battle. Some attempt had been made to clean up but the station still felt damaged. Great chunks were missing from the rock and the broken paintings had all been taken down. The passage was bare. Harry saw motility at the other end and tensed for a second, then relaxed as he saw red tomentum and freckle.

"Ginny ?"

"Harry."The little girlfriend moved up the corridor towards him. Stopping just a trivial way down from him."I ‘ m so sorry I got you into trouble. 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'macrocosm record."Harry walked up to his newest recruit and ruffled her hair."And I taught you that call exactly so you would call me if you were ever in difficulty. All this…"Harry waved his hand at the damage and stir his head word."Not your fracture. But why are you back here ? Shouldn ‘ t you be in the common room."

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

"Remind me to instruct you to lie convincingly Ginny."Harry looked into her eyes. There was a surprising total of awe there."Why don't you want to assure me ? You don't have to you know."

"doomed something."Ginny's representative became minuscule with each word she said."A journal. Must have fallen out in the fight."

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

"Not my diary."

"Whose ? Nicking someone's diary is all very marauder of you but…"

"I found it in my books before I even got here. Thought maybe it got left there."

"Who ‘ s was it ?"

"The presence said it was Tom Marvolo brain-teaser ‘ 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 ground a picayune."It spoke to me."

"Spoke ? It could talk ?"

"No, he wrote back when I wrote him things."Ginny curled up on the floor and hugged her legs up to her bureau."It was vacuous but it wrote back. He was so nice. I had someone to utter to finally."

"someone to talk to ?"Harry scratched his forefront. What did she think of ?"You have six blood brother don't you ?"

"I can't talking to them."Ginny began to sob a little."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 stuff I wrote ?"Ginny looked up outrage and scare off 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 prick."I lost Tom and everyone ‘ s going to read him ! I messed up the sorting ! I started a fight and almost got you expelled !"

"Ginny listen to me."Harry tried grabbing her articulatio humeri but she wouldn't tone at him. With his former helping hand he cupped her facial expression and brought it up so he could see her eyes."Tom sounds like a good friend, I ‘ m sure you can trust him to continue your secret. I mean, early citizenry must experience had the diary before you and Tom never told you any of their enigma right ?"

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

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

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

"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 a line. As he had often done before Harry asked himself where Hermione was when he needed her. She would have known what to say. He smudged a sleeve against Ginny's nerve to get rid of the tears. At to the lowest degree he could do that right field.

"Come on. Lashkar-e-Taiba get back to the rough-cut room."He stood up and held out a script to her."And as for having a friend to verbalise to…"He pulled her into a rocky 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 skin can demand a tan. Why'd you ask ?"But Ginny didn't answer him.

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