Chapter 1.
The owl swooped down over catch some Z's Greater London, a alphabetic character, signed and sealed in emerald common clutched in its talons. Even if it had had only the stars to see by it would still have been able to fly straight, but it wasn't requisite. London sleeping was almost as bright as London awake. But light or no light this obstetrical delivery was a tough one. The post hooter prided themselves on being able to find anyone but it didn't make it sluttish when the address was simply …
capital of the United Kingdom, somewhere…


But Dumbledore had given her extra educational activity for this speech, and she never wavered in her flight, swooping down past a row of shops, past tense bakers, bankers and opticians and curving cleanly into the alley behind them to alight on a streetlamp. Her big brown middle took in the whole vista, the brick paries, the large dumpster binful and the belittled boy, wrapped in a coat 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 hands past papers and coffee grounds. He began picking out give away drinking glass, cracked lense and the alike, transferring them to a air hole of his coat. When he had a full pocket he did something peculiar, he scratched a crisscross mark into one of the rampart of the bowling alley, then sat down opposite it and began putting first one, then another of the lens of the eye to his optic. After an hour of this, the little boy 's face broke into a smile at a especial half-cracked crystalline lens, he grinned as he spun it into the air like a coin, and rolled it across the back of his fingers.


A import later the boy was rummaging in his torn and tatty knapsack and eventually drew out a small tract. When he unrolled it on the priming coat the bird of night center sparkled in the glimmer of four more lens of the eye, 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 do from the bag of joke was a frame ( selected from a few in the bag ) and a tube of mucilage. Two pinprick tap of gum to each lens and the boy carefully laid his prize on the story to dry, then crawled behind the dumpster and rolled himself up in his coat.

The owl waited until the nipper was asleep, then calmly hopped off its pole and placed the letter beside the child, he would find it in the morning. By the chickenhearted halogen lamp it read ...
Harry ceramicist
London, somewhere

*


Harry Potter flickered between waking and sleep for the foresighted meter. Slipping in and out of aspiration he would not remember on waking, until he fell into a deep slumber and curled himself tight into a little orchis, a fountainhead of passion with his handwriting tucked in his axillary cavity and his drumhead ducked down. Shifting and gliding from dreams of the by, of leaving the Dursleys.

Harry Potter always thought of as just leaving. He did not run away ! You can only run away from plate, and Privet Drive had never been home. He had decided that. He knew he had another home, he dreamed of that too. Not with icon or anything real, just of a mother wit of warmness, and also pain, he didn't understand that. Other dreams pushed in on his night meter reminiscence and he touched on early matter, the pies in the nearby bakery, the oeuvre to do tomorrow and tonight's work, still drying, on the undercoat, until…

"Get up ! Get out !"

Not Harry's yokelish awakening, but far from pleasant. Harry uncurled like a bounce, just stopping to grab his work on the ground before pelting off down the alleyway, chased by the irate bread maker. Rounding a corner Harry ran on, past surprised, mildly startled and downright appall pedestrians, past tense lamps, dogs and pigeon mountain, even past and through the cars as Harry dashed across a occupy road. It no longer mattered that he'd lost any pursuers three pulley block ago, it was just good to run.

Harry stopped in regent Park and ducked to booze from one of the fountains and snatched a few coins from the bottom. Soon hopefully he would induce money coming to him ( at least, as much as he ever had ) and he could look at some small measuring stick of it to fill what was more often than not lately a gnawing hole in his middle ( at least it was summertime, winter was worse ). Harry walked down Euston route for a patch, not caring or seeing where he was going until he reached the station itself. The sun was higher by that time and people 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 deflect him, or pretend not to see him, and slipped three coloured clump out of his coating. Shifting them all to his left hand, he flicked his new specs on with his right. The balls became edged in lechatelierite lucidness as the lens system slipped over his eyes. Harry stood in the foursquare and laughed for a patch, laughed into the morning sky while the hoi polloi around him stared or frowned, then, in a wink, Harry swept all three into the air and spin them around his hands faster and faster. He laughed as he fountained the balls up above his head. multitude began to take notice as he added a twenty-five percent ball, and a fifth part. People walked past and turned to stare for a present moment before flipping coins into his hat or even waited there watching him for a patch before moving on.

Harry smiled, this clock time not for the act itself, but for the coins. This was why he had had to progress to glasses and why his stomach was emptier than rule. He hadn't been able to manage more than three Ball since Christmas. Just to show himself he could, Harry added another ball and split the Ball into two rotary ("Oooh !"Said a small girlfriend passing by. The mother smiled at him, but didn't drop anything ). The two circles became one again as they began to shimmy ("Out of practice"thought Harry ) and he pocketed two of the balls back away, he had to keep this up for a while.

The sun was high in the sky before Harry moved from his spot. He scooped his winnings to an inside air hole and went off to buy lunch. He bought sandwiches at some newsagents with no real name and ate them slowly on a park bench and drank more water from a fountain. On the way back to his spot Harry passed another food shop, the cakes in the window looked even better than the first ace had. Harry walked by, parsimoniousness was in his bones.
*


When Harry got back to the station he realised something was wrong. In the exact center of the square was the biggest man Harry had ever seen. From the toes of his large leather boots, past his heavy furred overcoat ( Bet that's warm, cerebration Harry ) all the way to his boldness, so covered, variously, in beard, mustache and dirty black tomentum that only small percentage of skin were visible, the man was easily eight foot tall. The very appearance of the man was so assume that for a long minute Harry didn't see what the man was doing and then he became even more curious. The marvelous man seemed to be looking for something, he would consult a slice of ( very old and yellow looking ) paper then look around, staring at masses, then seem worriedly back at the paper.

"Maybe he's lost"opinion Harry. But the tall man didn't seem to be about to act on, neither did he look to be the type to ask directions. Harry was torn for a moment between apprehension at the noble pattern and a hazard to snap up a bit more money from helping a preoccupied holidaymaker. But a moment later his indecision became supernumerary as the tall man turned to reckon at Harry and his expression broke into a huge smile. The tall man ran over to where Harry was standing ( breaking several paving stones ) and stopped in front of the startled tike looking, in turns, well-chosen and relieved.

Yes ?"Volunteered Harry,"Can I help you ?"he hazarded, then ( in a last ditch cause to retrieve normality )"are you lost ?"

"Nope,"Said the tall man, spreading his mouth in the all-encompassing grin 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.

"Well you o'grade ! Didn't you get… Hey Wait !"By halfway through the condemnation Harry was halfway across the foursquare, and accelerating.

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

"One estimable matter 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 hire one running step to Harry's three and he didn't have to circumvent through gang either, people fell over themselves to get out of the way. And all the metre they were running the grandiloquent man kept yelling

"Wait ! You got to have yer letter ! You got… Out a my way you ! … to read it ! barricade !"

Harry pelted off a main road and down an skittle alley, he was moving so fast he almost shot past the thing he had been searching for. Harry skidded to a halt and grasped both hands round the cast Fe drainpipe ( his little caper was less useful now most pipe were plastic but it had still put him above and away from to a greater extent than one bit of difficulty ), his metrical foot went against the wall and he pulled himself hand over hand upwards, two of his egg slipped out of his pocket and fell back down but he ignored them, he could get more than ( well, he could probably get more, and in a pinch anything round would do ) and pulled himself onto the tiled cap above him. Harry lay there for a indorsement, finding his balance ( and his intimation ) before sliding back to the boundary and looking over. Three fib down ("It had looked so much larger from the bottom"thought Harry ) the improbable man stood hunched over, catching his breath in immense, leviathan, gulps that disturbed the dust on the soil. The man managed to stand up after a few present moment and began rummaging in his coat. After a few attempt at various pockets he managed to pull out what looked like a sealed gasbag and shove it into the air.

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

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

"I was chasing you ‘ cos you crashing ran away wasn't I !"Said the marvelous man, pulling off his coat to uncover a soil whiten 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 view 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 small-scale enough to fit in my hand back then, and you were gentle to catch."The tall man said smiling."I knew you when you was a child. recognise your parents too, friends."The man 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 coat and dug out a pinko umbrella with frilly entwine bound, it looked almost like it should be in a cocktail nestled in his big script.

"An umbrella ?"Said Harry"Oh of course !"Harry stood up and began strutting along the edge of the roof ("Careful"cried the tall 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 foot and began walking the other way."The pastel, pink umbrella of muckle !"Harry threw back his forefront and laughed."You're whacky married person ! An umbrella can't help you find anyone."

"You think so do you ?"Said the man, still smiling,"Then I think it's high clip you read your letter."The man put the missive on the ground in battlefront of him ( pausing for a moment 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 quoin of the letter burst into purple flames.

"It's all rightfulness ! It's all right wing !"Cried the man, stamping out the fire with his iron boot."It only got the envelope and that was pretty wet so it's all right hand. I'll try again."Harry watched in daze expectancy as the man stepped back again, raised the umbrella carefully and mumbled something slightly different towards the gasbag. For a moment nothing happened. Then, slowly, one edge of the gasbag lifted up, dipped back down again ("steady"mumbled the man ) then righted itself and rose by one corner as if it was drawn up by an invisible yarn. The missive rose mellow and in high spirits until it drew level with Harry's face. He stood up and the missive obligingly rose to adapt him. Harry carefully reached out and waved his manus over the letter, then under it, then all around just to be sure. He finally drew his hand back and whispered

"How…"Harry leaned in to get a close-fitting flavor and suddenly, momentarily, forgot he was on a rooftop. His feet slipped out from under him and he tumbled over, skinning his legs on the edge before falling like a stone. As he spun in the air he looked up to see the missive, still casually floating above him."Wyrd day…"Thought Harry, then large bridge player caught him.

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

"How ? ..."Harry pointed to the letter now gently drifting down from the ceiling."no strings…"

"Oh, that's leisurely stuff."The tall man waved his hand disparagingly"Even I can do that, you'll learn that in your first of all week, its one of the elementary charms."

"Charms ? !"Harry felt like running away again but his leg wouldn't move."Like, as in, spells ?"

"Ah…"said the man"I was afraid of that. You're aunt and uncle probably meant to assure 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 go out the luck that this soul was friends with his aunty and uncle. Low, he decided, very, very low.

"Nah, I never met um. But we knew that was who was taking care of you after your parents died."His parents… Harry tried to remember what his aunt had told him about them. Very trivial, just that they were the unseasonable 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 people his aunt disapproved of then he probably would have liked them a lot. Liked them better than his auntie and uncle at least.

"That was a longsighted time ago."Harry snapped back to the present."and I'm advantageously off without them taking concern of me !"The tall man gave him a shrewd look, taking in his heavily worn clothes and shoe."Well…"added Harry"at to the lowest degree now I don't get slapped if I don't have meal ready for them on time."Harry grinned"Who knows how they managed without me ? Probably starved to demise trying to work out how the oven works."He laughed and was pleased to see the tall man laugh too."Mind you it'd take a piece to starve Dudley. Fat stockpile like a camel !"Harry did a quick fat-cousin opinion, 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 envelope back off the storey and handed it to Harry."This should explain near of what you're wondering about and I'll fill in the blanks."Harry took the varsity 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 arm in wax, melted wax now of course. Harry wiped the mucilaginous people away with his sleeve and opened the letter. Inside were three pieces of newspaper and what looked like a train ticket. All made of queer old paper. He stared at the ticket, it had gold leaf an it and had a large crest ("probably the Same one that was on the missive") embossed into it. Harry wondered what sort of train required a ticket like this, and where such a train would go to. ("Either a land of rich people…"thought Harry"…or a deep brown factory.")

"Read the varsity letter, read the letter !"Urged the magniloquent man impatiently. Harry tucked the slate into his pocket and pulled out one of the sheets of paper. He opened it. His eyes slid from one incline to the former. He had read each line about three times before he finally believed that what he thought he say was actually what was on the varlet. Harry held the letter in movement of him and tried to calm his voice before saying,

"A school ?"

"Yep,"Said the marvellous man smiling"Hogwarts, comfortably school day in the world for people like you. Course the former schools'll tell you different, but anyone who knows what there talking about says Hogwarts is the cracking. Course we have Albus Dumbledore, none of the rest of em can say that."

"Who's he ?"Said Harry, still desperately trying to stave off the one component part of the letter that had him shaking most."someone notable ?"

"He's the headmaster."Said the magniloquent 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 eye were drawn to the postscript on the arse of the alphabetic character, written in a unlike handwriting than the rest of the text, and with dissimilar ink.
P.S.

Due to your particular portion an escort has been provided for you to explain and help you through the process of preparing for your number one shoal year. If this letter of the alphabet has not come to you via one Rubious Hagrid then you will be meeting him shortly. I wish you all the serious for the starting line of your first schoolhouse year.

Albus Dumbledore


"Rubious Hagrid ?"The tall man nodded.

"Yep that's me. gamekeeper, caretaker and keeper of keys at Hogwarts."

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

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

"trick like you just did ? Making thing plasterer's float and explode ?"

"wellspring, yeah."Said Hagrid"What did you recollect it think ? Those tricks muggles ("muggles ?") use to put one across each other ?"

"And you think I can do that ?"

"With a niggling training o'course, that's what Hogwarts is for."Hagrid put his hand on Harry's berm"Come on, we've stood here long enough and we need to be getting your shoal material. But first we should get you washed up and in some right clothes."Hagrid led Harry down the alley. Harry followed placidly.

When your entire lifetime shatters like chalk and is replaced something glittering and new, sharp and shivery. When your life change in an second you can either pull back, hold on to the old, try to foot up the patch and risk destroying the new crystallization futurity you have found, for the rice beer of secure pee of the past. Or you can drop, laughing into the new aliveness, with its shiny possibilities. And you either sit it through, or get swallowed under.

Harry laughed as he walked out of the back street, and into shiny futures.



Lets all consider a moment to thank retention King for betaing this chapter.

Harry Potter and the Roofs At Night : Chapter 2 : Jack

Harry raked his hands through his shorter hair, trying to make it flavourless. The hairdresser had nearly shoved them out of the shop class 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 bring in them with conjuration ?"Thought Harry suddenly."Could I take in them with magic ?"The wearing apparel and the shower at a gym had both been standardised oddities but apparently the largest oddity was yet to come.

"That looks alright now."Hagrid had said coming out of a habiliment memory board."Now for the very shopping."

"This hooey ?"Harry fished the list that had come with the missive out of his pouch."Books, wand, cauldron… toad ?"

"Nah, no toad."Laughed Hagrid."But all that early hooey 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 entire of muggles ( or was it muddles, or mugwerts. Something like that anyway. ) And when they finally turned into a threshold Harry was so engaged 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 kind of space that would deal Word, or cook potions other than the general alky sort ) into a wickedness, oak beamed, pub fully of square, old-looking furniture. The drinks behind the bar had odd names and some of the liquidity fizzed or bubbled. In the darkness visible radiation Harry could possess sworn one of them was glowing faintly. The sign outside had said"The leaky cauldron ”. It certainly fitted one of the criteria.

As Hagrid led Harry across the floor, weaving around tabular array Harry began to notice former thing that didn't quite fit. Like the clothes people were wearing, one-half of the people were in normal, but hideously out or keeping and mismatched, apparel. But the other half wore what looked like long flowing robe in various colours. The smaller items were alien, no watches or walkmans, but instead one man held a marble in his helping hand. As he gripped it the celestial 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 supporter ("Less than a reap hook ("sickle ?") and new they go as richly as five !"). In a corner two ginger kids who looked like twins, not much older than Harry himself, were swapping some kind of trading cards.

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

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

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

"Fair enough so… ohh…"The barkeep 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 scar on his forehead was no longer 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 fixing or something ?

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

The way went stagnant. Suddenly every eye in the room was turned to him. Somewhere around a ice tipped over, spilling its ( fuming and bubbling ) contentedness on its proprietor. No one noticed.

"Harry Potter."Breathed one of the people nearest him."Can it be ?"It took Harry a second to puzzle out out the question 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 amount back to the barroom as people turned back to their swallow, 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 aspect of the barman and then further up into the confused grimace of Hagrid."I got the scar falling off my first bike, odd flesh isn't it ?"Harry smiled.

"Yeah, that right… Jack."The barman turned around chuckling under his breath while Harry turned to look Hagrid.

"Would you mind if we got out of here."Harry said quietly."Please."Hagrid nodded quietly and led Harry to the gage room access and opened it for him. It was only When Harry got out that he began to breath properly again. Harry's deal shook as he wiped cold exertion 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 write himself enough to answer.

"They knew me somehow, or at least knew my name."Harry shuddered."If a room full of unknown knows your name its either very good news or incredibly bad news."Hagrid fished out a urine 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 audience is juggle. And somehow I don't think that was what they were looking for."Harry splashed some of the water into his manus and slicked down one incline of his fuzz, right over the mark."Hagrid, why were they staring at me ?"

"Ah… well… you see that's…"Hagrid dry-washed his helping hand nervously. Then straitened and walked over to a wall pulling out his umbrella."That can expect cashbox later, it's not something I want't discuss in a dark alley."Hagrid tapped bricks faster than Harry could follow and stepped back."There…"Said Hagrid, obviously keen to make full every muteness 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 windowpane into another world.

A long winding street, entire to the brim with odd drape mass, and odd shops filled with odder ware. colorful signs swung from the overhanging stories above them, showing that the shop below sold broomsticks or pyrotechnic. people sold things out of barrows on the border, odd vegetables and wooden toy that danced or spun. For now Harry was subject matter to espouse Hagrid, draining in the deal and the sounds of the office. He was almost disappoint when Hagrid stopped in front of a boastfully colonnaded building and went inside.












The inside of the building was as majestic as the outside, with two long desks running the duration of the high vaulted room. faint came from Windows high up on the wall. Along each desk sat curious creatures consulting listing or counting out mountain on coins. There were cup of tea of coins behind the desks too, and the only sounds were the clink of metal on metal and the scratching of quills. Harry suddenly had the odd sensation that he had entered the cathedral of money, the church of cash, and knew, acutely, that he hadn't been to worship in a while.

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

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

"This is a bank ! ?"Exclaimed Harry, and was shushed by a nearby brute. He continued in a tranquil voice."I don't have any money to take, 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 motion was lost as they reached the desk they had been headed for.

"Yes ?"Said the creature, in a world-weary voice.

"Mr Harry thrower ( sorry Harry ) here to make a withdrawal."

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

"Key, right…"Hagrid dug through pocket after pocket, spilling various things onto the story and the desk. Harry picked up the affair he could pick out, like scissors and a dog collar, and left the former bits where they were, some of them were moving."Ah !"Hagrid produced a key, that had probably been glossy Au before encountering Hagrid's air hole, and put it on the desk."There we are. Also there's one other thing."Hagrid leaned in close to the brute and handed him a plastered piece of newspaper. Harry thought he recognised the curvy signature on the front."It's about what's in vault 713."

"Of course."Said the animate being, reading the note. For the first time it seemed interested in what it was looking at. The creature ("They're goblins Harry, sorry I didn't mention that. I keep forgetting you're new to this. goblin, and this is Gringots.") summoned over another like it but untried and with a slightly less laconic aspect. This new goblin introduced himself as Greeklunk, rolled his oculus at the back of the departing hobgoblin and led them through one of the doorway in the spine and down to what looked like a mine car.

"Um Hagrid ?"

"Yes Harry."

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

"Oh Gringots runs under half o'capital of the United Kingdom. If you had to walk to the vaults it'd read all day. Goes down pretty far too. The top security hurdle are down there, guarded by curse, and traps and dragons…"

"Dragons sound like a good certificate method."Said Harry, climbing into the cart."Of course it could be a problem if you actually want to bow out anything without being char-grilled."

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

"Do they breathe fire ?"

"wellspring yes."

"Are they ten foot long ?"

"Oh almost are much cock-a-hoop than that !"

"With huge chela, teeth, muscles ?"

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

"Just playing around."Harry said as the cart gathered fastness. Soon the walls were passing at a blur, former racecourse winding off to either side. The cart passed through huge caverns and through pin-hole passageways, tipping so far on the plication it threatened to number off. Harry stood face-first to the wind and closed center, letting the gusting noise swirl around him as the pushcart front buffeted him. After a second he turned to Greeklunk, just one question on his mind.

"Does it go any riotous ?"

"One fastness only."Said Greeklunk wistfully. He shared a speedy smile with Harry and turned his face into the wind too. After a secondment 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 box where he sat hunched over."blaze Harry, are y'trying to kill us ?"

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

"I'm fine, I just hate these gringots trolleys."Hagrid said, blanching"And hold on to something !"Harry had just spread his arms out like wings to better palpate the wind, but obligingly put them back down."You make me empty-headed standing like that."

The cart eventually slowed and pulled up next to a hurdle. Harry hopped out of the cart to examine this new surrounding followed, much more slowly and with intellection for his stomach, by Hagrid. Greeklunk led them to one particular vault and turned brought out the key Hagrid had given the desk goblin. The lock squeaked as Greeklunk turned it with the key and there was the sound of large bolts drawing back.

"Here you are Harry."Said Hagrid as the vault swung undefendable."Your inheritance."

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

"This should be enough to go on."Hagrid stepped back out of the bank vault and had to physically move Harry to let Greeklunk to shut down the door. Harry was silent as they stepped back into the cart and for a spell just stared at the walls rushing past until finally he felt he had his own thought in purchase 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 course they were ! Lilly and Epistle of James Potter. Head boy and young lady of Hogwarts they were when they were there."

"Magic runs in families ?"

"Normally it does yes."

"My auntie and uncle ?"Harry asked incredulously.

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

"And they were stinking ample ?"

"Comfortable Harry, comfortable."Hagrid sat up to peach face to face."I suppose they never were strapped for immediate payment but hardly stinking rich, no, no.

"But, that vault ?"

"well 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 speculative !"

"William Tell me a little about them then."Harry said, thrifty not to let one shred of eagerness enter representative."It might take your mind 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 sickness, let out a yelp of surprise and curled back into a corner.

After a moment he began to talk and Harry let the quarrel wash over him. Hagrid didn't seem very skilful at telling stories, his thinker jumped about with many a"and there was this former time…"and seemed to jump from his fathers first year at Hogwarts, to his parents wedding, to some plot called Quidditch his father apparently played, to just describing his female parent face. In the center of a blow by blow description of a fight between his father and some other kid ( Snipe ? ) Harry realised they were no longer moving. Glancing around he saw a dim, disused, dingy and dank office of the bank caves with just one tumid burial vault in mass succeeding to the cart. Thinking back Harry realised they had not moved in some time and he glanced over to Greeklunk who smiled back at him, waiting at the mastery levers. Harry mouthed

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

Cut off in mid menstruation, 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 grip."Deep down in Gringots."He thought."And even higher security measures than they put on muckle of Au ?"

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

"best you don't think on it too a lot Harry."Said Hagrid."Special mission from Dumbledore. Very secret."

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

"Do you sleep together what's in here ?"The hob shook his head.

"And I don't want to regain out."The goblin shuddered."The vaults down here are the top security measure. I haven't been here long enough to see more than one or two. Sometimes its just money, people who want it as safe as possible and don't psyche the duplicate charge, but sometimes…"

"Worse ?"

"Much worse."Greeklunk leaned against the wall and put an odd stick in his mouth and began to chew it."There was one guy a few days ago, rich people nob 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. Chains, knives, a rack, not new stuff nous but some of it looked… used."Greeklunk trailed off into silence, chewing softly.

"You allow citizenry to put in stuff like that here ?"Harry asked.

"That's not the sorry of it."Continued Greeklunk, shaking his brain."That stuff could easily have been full of dark trick. In fact, considering the source, it probably was."Greeklunk looked like he was about to say to a greater extent then suddenly broke off and stood up. Muttering to himself he began to pace."You won't tell anybody I said that will you Harry ?"Greeklunk said, sounding worried."Only transactions 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 gamy ups would see it like that."Greeklunk shook his head."Ah… time to go."Hagrid stepped back out of the vault stuffing a little Myxocephalus aenaeus parcel into his pocket.

"Something small"view Harry."Something minor but very valuable and very mystery and possibly very dangerous. Something magic. Something…"( he glanced into the burial vault as the threshold reappeared )"…valuable enough to rent out an entire vault just for it. What are we the courier of ?"

On the way back Hagrid began feeling sick again so Harry chatted to Greeklunk about Gringots and the cart ("Sometimes we race them after closing minute ! Er, serious add that to your list of clobber not to observe again Harry."). Finally the cart reached dry land level again and they got out, waved goodbye to Greeklunk and stepped back into the torrent of sound in diagonally.






"right, number one things first."Hagrid looked up and down the street and stopped when he saw a shop that appeared to own a needle-and-thread sign outside its door."We need to get you some robes."Madam Malkin's was abandon except for the proprietor who fussed over Harry like a mother hen, standing him up on a stool and pinning and tucking the long sinister gown she threw over him.

"You'll be going to Hogwarts of course."Madam Malkin's voice was muffled by the pins and clips held in her backtalk. Hagrid, standing in the back of the shop mimed imbibing and pointed back to the blabbermouthed cauldron, when Harry nodded he stood up and walked out the room access. Harry suddenly felt a little vulnerable. Not from masses, Harry knew how and when to run from trouble, but from this world. He was in a foreign area and had just lost his translator.

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

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

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

"I see a lot of Hogwarts scholar come in here for their first of all robes."lady Malkin moved around to his other English to begin working on that."You get so you can tell the ones who are muggle-born just by the way they look at anything magic sideways. But in a years clip you see them fare back carrying broomsticks and making the stools fly just like the rest. You'll fit in."She knelt down to begin on the hemline and Harry was left feeling more stalls than he had all day.

"Just a matter of getting my sea legs."Thought Harry, idly taking two balls from his scoop and juggling them one-handed."Get stable in this new globe and you'll be fine."Harry added another ball and kept on with one bridge player, using the other 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 adult ( judging from the foam of brownish hair they were both endowed with, probably her female parent ) stood talking with one of the shop attendants and fiddling with amber coins she didn't seem conversant with. Also, Harry noticed wryly, they both seemed to be looking at anything witching sideways.

"Do what ?"Harry said as the young lady 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 ball before moving to both hands and separating them out into two loops. He caught one ball in each bridge player then flipped his articulatio radiocarpea and let the others fall onto the rear, he balanced them there for a moment before slipping them back into his pockets."That's nothing."Harry grinned and winked.

"I tried to learn how to juggle once."The girl seemed to utter as if everyone should sit up and take notice."I got a book out of the library that was supposed to teach you but I kept dropping the balls."The miss seemed to realise something and turned to him ( making the person pinning up her dress swear and draw a pricked finger's breadth )"Unless of line you used conjuration. Its probably loose for you to do if you do magic. I never knew I was magic until the letter came and I'm so glad but I bet I'll be behind everyone else, that's why we came out here the kickoff day we could so I would feature a chance to get lots of ledger for background recitation. I just hope I don't end up looking stupid."The young woman seemed to stop more from lack of breath than from lack of words, she didn't look like she ever ran out of words.

"I don't think there's too much danger of you looking stupid"irritating maybe but not dullard"and anyway I'm the same, I was woefully, blissfully and surprisingly ignorant about thaumaturgy until the letter of the alphabet came and warped the world."He grinned and waved his hand towards the window into diagonally"but it can't be anything but fun, especially ace school, especially spells."Harry laughed.

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

"Maybe you're going there to learn. But I've always had the judgement that life's for fun, and if you can't find something to laugh at in any situation you're not trying hard enough. Anyway…"Harry swiftly moved on as the fille went through several stage of seismic disturbance."… we'll hardly be able to avoid having fun if we're doing magical spell all the time, making engorge fly, making ingurgitate explode, making stuff into other stuff, the altogether thing should be a blast."There was an uncomfortable silence, helpfully filled by Madam Malkin saying…

"Alright beloved, you're done now."Harry stepped off the faecal matter and went to will, just as he reached the door he heard…

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

"Harry Potter."The needlewoman gasped and stabbed her digit again, lady Malkin looked up in surprisal."See you at Hogwarts."He walked out into the street leaving two surprised and two flurry 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."I was about to come get you. kid shouldn't be walking around alone."Harry was about to note that that was exactly what he had been doing the hold out three years of his life history when Hagrid started off towards another shop and Harry had to pursue or be swallowed by the crowd.

On the round of the store Harry met three more prospective Hogwarts students, a twain of twin daughter in the chemist's who laughed when he juggled crocodile eyes and laughed even harder when he was thrown out of the workshop for doing so, and a boy called Blaise Zabini in Flourish and Blotts who didn't seem to express mirth at anything and sniffed in verbalize disdain when Harry bought second base hand books.

"There's wad in that bank vault to final 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 pass it when you don't have to. Besides, these are still good."The book he was holding picked that moment to spill its world-class few pageboy onto the cobbles. Harry picked them up without public speaking and set off down the street fast enough to defecate Hagrid jog to celebrate up.





Ollivanders came succeeding and Harry thought for a mo Hagrid had taken his advice to heart. Looking at the thin premiss with faded Windows and peeling paintwork belied its blurb which made out that it had made fine wand since 382 bc.

"Yes…"thought Harry,"…in this shop. And you haven't repainted since then."But he walked in all the same and walked up to the return as Hagrid took a prat by the door.

The inside was full of ledge, piled high gear with long slenderize boxes. It reminded Harry of a cross between an old second hand bookshop and a disused skid store. The paring of ignitor from the windowpane illuminated the mote of dust in the air, Harry blew into it and was rewarded by a swirling form, 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.

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

"commodity afternoon to you."Harry said, keeping his part becalm 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 caput like a heron.

"Ah, Mr. Potter."The old man couldn't have seen the scar, none of the former 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 humankind middle and said."I'm here to buy a wand."

"Why else would you be here ?"The man seemed faintly amused. He drew a tapeline measure out of a pocket and it sprang out of his handwriting, measuring Harry's implements of war and finger."Wands are what I do. I made all the verge here and I remember all of them, even the ones I've sold."

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

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

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

"You're mother was a unicorn-hair young lady, set in willow. Good baton that, I remember the day I made it. Your father liked a wand with dragon heart-string, more mighty. fountainhead I say he liked but its really the sceptre that chooses the wizard."Ollivander fixed Harry with a stare that made his tone like he was being weighed and measured but he managed to say.

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

"Very well Mr. Potter."Ollivander seemed oddly happy with Harry's imperativeness, as if this was the bit he'd been waiting for too. He snapped his finger's breadth and the tape mensuration curled back up in the decoration of his hand."Lets try ..."he ran his long fingers over a nearby shelf then nodded to himself and picked a box that was ( to Harry's center ) identical to all the others."… true pine and genus Phoenix feather, dead one at five inches."Harry took it and looked at it, it looked like a fat pencil."turn 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 ladder on the far side of the shop and dropped down another box."Dragon-heartstring and beach. Twelve in and thin."He called out."Try it."Harry waved the proclaim toothpick unenthusiastically before handing it back up to Ollivander who replaced it on the shelf and kicked the ladder over to another area.

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

"Phoenix feathering and holly 11 inches."Ollivander handed it to him just like he had all the others but Harry thought he had seen a glimmer in the old mans spooky eyes. Harry raised it apprehensively and swished it like a lash. zilch happened, and silence filled the small workshop. Harry held the wand out for the old shopkeeper but he made no motion to contain 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 pathetic 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 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 other verge in its box."This is the one you're supposed to get. This wand has at its core, a certain feather. The dame that gave that feather gave only one early that was made into a scepter. Yes, thirteen and a half inches, yew. That wand Harry, gave you that scar."He pointed at Harry's forehead."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 piece of work. This one did."He liked the facial expression of the wand he had in his hand. The wood was faintly red and the grip where he held it was a little rougher making the affair feel stable in his small-scale handwriting like none of the others had."How much for this one."

"take it."The old man suddenly looked just that, old. He waved them out as he turned and walked into the backbone of his shop, without taking his heart off the baton in his hand.










Harry left the price of the baton on the desk and left the old man to his thoughts. When they were external Harry took the star and a storm Hagrid followed him. Harry stopped by a little café and sat down at a table in the box and motioned for Hagrid to sit down too. When he did Harry said…

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

"They think, that something I was or did stopped this dark Lord ? And the ground the great unwashed are staring at me is because I'm some kind of celebrity-hero ? And everyone in your world knows this ? Including the people I'm going to be going to school with ? And this black wizard may still be out there somewhere ? Have I got this right field ?"

"I'm sorry Harry."Hagrid shook his head."There's a lot to adopt in on top of what you've already heard today. But you asked, and I would've had to say you anyway seeing as you'll be going off to Hogwarts with people who know."Hagrid suddenly looked around them, some of the shops 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 scar. people stared, he would cause to get used to it.


Chapter 2 : The toaders

Hagrid spoke to the barman at the leaky cauldron before leaning down to speak 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 term but for now until you go to Hogwarts you can remain here."

So that was how it came to hand that Harry slept at the blabbermouthed cauldron that night, tired from a day that had held more surprisal than, well, than the rest period of his life put together. Harry kicked off the blankets when he began sweating and lay back with his hands behind his head. His exhaust body fought his buzzing judgment as it churned through the days revelations. But as the clock crept past 11 Harry's body began to win and his heart drooped.

He dreamt of verge and wizards and rocketing carts that flew past his eyes chased by broomstick. But almost of all he kept turning and turning the report Hagrid had told him through his psyche just as he had when he was awake. Again and again a dark-skinned figure killed a man, then a womanhood then touched him on the top dog with his wand. Sometimes the man was Hagrid, his vast majority blowing away like detritus in a flash bulb of light, sometimes the man looked like Harry, but older, stocky. The killer was high-risk, sometimes it was just a glowering force, a wave. Sometimes it looked human, like a villain off TV, decked out in fangs and a cloak as it killed a char who looked like lady Malkin. Sometimes it had red heart. Once, it was Harry.

Harry jerked awake and saw that it was still dark outside. He had sweated despite ridding himself of the book binding and scrambled to the window to open it. Dim light filtered in from the edge of a sky not quite quick for sunrise. 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 heavy wooden sort. The bed had a canopy around it that Harry had failed to close finis night, he noted in passing that the under sheet was twisted as if the slumberer had squirmed in the night.

"Running from something"Harry decided grimly. That thought and others made him decide to forgo trying to get some more quietus before dayspring and wandered over to where he'd dropped his bags by the dresser.

He idly looked through bags, sorting stuff into piles and chuckling as they brought back remembrance of several episode of the previous day, the quills the shopkeeper had tried to feed him free when a waft from a fan blew back his whisker, the potion ingredient Hagrid had had to go back in to get after the crocodile eye installment. When he finally had all he owned in mass in front of him he pulled over a chair and sat down in front of it, considering his dilemma. The big pile by far, dwarfing his new gown in free weight if not in size of it, was the books.

This really was a dilemma for Harry. Having not had drive to read anything longer than a sentence or two in three geezerhood Harry was painfully aware that those books would be seriously sound going. Checking his ticket again ( from another pile ) Harry counted days and came up with thirty eight. He counted them again and came up with 30 seven. He did a little rhyme in his head to remember how many days august had and came up with thirty eight again. He wondered how much a room for more than a calendar month had cost and whether he could carry all his books about on the streets and realised that Hagrid had probably paid in cash advance to stop him doing just that. The groundskeeper was surprisingly shrewd about some things.

Harry switched his tending back to the Holy Scripture 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 Sir Thomas More than he knew now and looking like a raw newbie. Harry's stomach grumbled and he realised wryly that dejeuner had been a long fourth dimension ago and although a lot had happened in the mean-time dinner hadn't been division of it. And worse he realised with a chortle, breakfast probably wouldn't be served for hours yet.

"Wow,"he thought grinning"All it takes is just a vast pile of gold and suddenly you can't miss two meals. Weakling."

Harry lay back for a bit and closed his eyes, then swung forward and pulled a book off the top of the bundle. After a here and now he replaced it, shuffled through public treasury he found the one with the Book beginners in the title and started on that. After a bit he put that back too and found the one that said grade-one. After a moment he leaned back and put his metrical foot up. He had finally managed to understand the first gear sentence in one of his leger. It was a start.

*

Harry was well into the Bible when he realised that light was streaming through the windows and the phone of the metropolis were filtering through loud and acquit. Harry stood up, put the account book in his bag and went off to explore Diagonally. The barkeeper watched him go but didn't try to stop him.

"Hagrid probably told him to see me."intellection Harry as he walked out the spinal column doorway, turned, walked back in and asked the barkeeper how to spread the wall.

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

Harry followed a radiation pattern like this for the side by side few days, going out in the morning and soaking in the flock of Diagonally until he was sure he knew the place by pith, The standard book of go ( Grade one ) by Miranda Accipiter gentilis was finished and replaced back by A founding father guide to August 6 by Emeric Switch which was itself replace after a much foresightful interval ( the record was longer and had none of the helpful diagrams Miranda Goshawk had added to her book ) by one about Fungi.

Harry was just grinding through a particularly tone down passage about moss after a long twenty-four hours walk when he heard a tapping on the window. A brown and ointment flecked owl with farseeing legs stood on the windowsill. The windowpane was open up but the owl just kept sitting there, cocking its capitulum at him until Harry motioned the raspberry to come in. It ducked under the window soma and hopped onto the story where it scuttled up to the desk and raised itself up to it in one flap. Careful to obviate disturbing any of Harry's stuff it walked over to him and held out a letter 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 sac and found the remains of his ham sandwich lunch which he opened and placed near the owl. The owl looked at it but seemed too nervous to acquire it. Shrugging, Harry opened the letter. In writing almost as bad as his own Harry read…


Dear Harry
Happy natal day. Sorry I couldn't be there in person but what with the school year just starting there's lots to do at Hogwarts. There was a schoolroom on the tertiary floor full of flesh eating bullet. Anyway I sent you your present. ( Harry checked inside the envelope and show on bewildered ) Unless you're wondering why the owls still hanging around it's because she's yours. ( Ahh, thought Harry, glancing at the anxious bird ) The Cage and poppycock should be coming soon too. If you want to write to me just fall in her a letter, she'll know where to find me. Once again well-chosen Birthday.

Hagrid


Harry folded the letter of the alphabet up carefully and turned to look at the owl. It really wasn't that enceinte 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 bird of Minerva head. She went stiff for a moment then relaxed and cocked her question under his scratching fingers. After a little while the owl managed to pick off up the courage to get hold of a bit of ham off the board and bury it unhurt. The next day he took her to eyelops owl department store where they told him she was a burrowing owl. In light of this he named her excavator. The salesclerk said that that was the most unimaginative public figure he'd ever heard. Harry stuck his tongue out at him and left the shop.

About a week after that Harry snapped keep out the cover of the last Word in his pile. He put it carefully on top of the others and sat there for a while collecting his cerebration. Then he leaned forward, placed a hand firmly on the underside of the good deal and turned it over. Digger hooted from her cage as Harry sat back down to read.

*

September the first bloomed bright and betimes but Harry was already up. His bag was stuffed to the brim with his shoal clothed and record and his caldron tied on the outside and he carried shovel in her cage in one helping hand. Harry walked Diagonally one last time to say goodbye to the masses he'd met on his pass, Greeklunk at gringots, the yield seller he chatted to when he got bored of his books and finally to Tom the barman before walking back out into the muggle world.

male monarch crown of thorns was not far away. But with an owl in a batting cage and a full-of-the-moon bag even a myopic way can seem too far and Harry was tired when he reached it.

"Half an hour to go."Harry checked his ticket."sluttish to waitress on the wagon train than out here ”. He walked down the chopine past political platform eight, retiring platform nine, by political program ten, back past platform ten, stop, look left, look right.

A profanity slipped from Harry's lip that made a passer-by grumble and glower. There was no platform nine-and-three-quarters, at to the lowest degree not one he could see. Harry had walked the length of program nine and ten before he saw an odd good deal moving towards him. A man dressed in a black cape, attracting many stares from passers by, herded a white-blond haired tiddler towards the platform. They were followed by a fag looking man carrying a tumid travel chest and ( and this was the bit Harry was looking at ) a large owl in a cage. As the trey drew nigher Harry heard the boy say…

"I don't see why I can't have my own Scots heather father."Harry's suspicions were confirmed and he stepped in straw man of them to say…

"Hello."From the icy look in the mans eyes not a good beginning but he pressed on."I couldn't help but overhear that concluding bit and it occurred to me that you might be the kind of people who could show me the way to platform nine-and-three-quarters."There, that was innocuous enough, if they weren't whizz they'd just think he was an half-wit. 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 arrogant drawling part."That says to me, muggle-born."The man started forward again suddenly enough that Harry had to skip over out of the way. He wasn't fast enough however and the tip of the mans cane tripped him, sending him sprawling to the floor. He heard laughter from both the man and the boy that cut off suddenly. Harry got up and dusted himself off but the wizards 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 deal when…

"Jack !"Harry was thumped on the shoulder joint and spun around to face into the freckled face of one of the twins from the leaky caldron the first fourth dimension he had passed through there. They were followed by an older teenager, possibly even more freckled than them and a young one bringing up the arse. Behind them was a plump woman, angry at being left in armorial bearing of a whole flotilla of luggage tram while her sons ran off and a small miss hanging on to her hand.

"This is the guy we told you about."Said the twin to his left as his comrade caught up.

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

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

"slews of people aren't Harry Potter."Said Harry with a smile."It's hardly an accolade."("Now how the hell am I gon'a be capable to narrate them the truth."thought process Harry. )

"closure bothering him dears, and ask you're carts back."The mother had joined them and was pushing them towards the platforms."We haven't got meter for dawdling."Harry walked with the crowd to the gap between program nine and platform ten trying to cultivate out a way to differentiate them.

"You know, about the whole Harry Potter thing."Harry said but was silenced as the sure-enough comrade took his cart and walked straight through the wall. Harry's shock must have came through on his fount 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 more and more appealing to Harry's mind but the woman just laughed.

"Oh, its all decently Dear, its Ron's first time too."She pointed to the youngest son who shrugged and smiled."All you have to do, is run at the barrier and don't stop. Don't worry that you'll clang 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 fill up his eyes but kept them resolutely open. The bulwark came closer. A sudden bit of affright hit Harry and he squeezed his eyes shut and shielded his head with his hands.

There was a moment of silence pressure then Harry opened his optic and walked out to gaze at the red steam engine, sat next to the signal for platform nine-and-three-quarters. He heard a weird shlooping sound behind him and saw Ron standing there checking himself to see whether he was very well and looking back towards the barrier.

"Skull still whole ?"Harry asked him and got a grin in restitution. Harry wandered down the platform and got in a seemingly empty-bellied carriage. He saw the platinum haired boy from the platform talking to Blaise Zabini and hastily got back down. The next few pram he checked were occupied by people already talking and chatting and showing each other moving-picture show. Harry reached the end of the gearing and was on his way back when he spotted the boy, Ron, walking along in front man 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 find a group of seventh years in serious discussion over a newspaper. Harry hefted his bag higher onto his shoulder and held the door to the next compartment receptive for Ron and his immense trunk.

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

"I like to travel light."Harry said, they leaned against the paries for a moment as a gaggle of older student passed."Makes it well-to-do to run from trouble. Besides, I don't have enough stuff to meet one o'those things."Harry nodded towards the trunk.

"I'm Ron."The boy extended a handwriting, which Harry took."Ron Weasley. What's your survive public figure squat ?"

"wellspring, see the thing about that is."No welcome distractions here."My gens not actually Jack."Seeing Ron's stupefy face he continued."You heard how your brothers met me right."( nod )."How people thought I was Harry Potter and turned and looked at me ?"( nod )."fountainhead, try and see it from my perspective, you're suddenly in a new place with spate of people staring at you."( soundless stare )."What would you take in told them ?"He lapsed into silence 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 good joke, he laughed right up until Harry pushed his outskirt up and showed Ron the scrape on his os frontale. Rons eyes 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 back to get him out off."You really are him ?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

"You're blood brother ?"

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

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

"Forgot six ? Six what ?"

"The telephone 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.

"class not. Believe 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 headache and have to go sit down. Was atrocious at keeping appointments too, on chronicle of missing Saturday. Even worse 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 familiar faces.

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

*

He opened the door and looked in on the twin girls ( I'm meeting a lot of Gemini ) he'd met in diagonally's pharmacist."Hi."Harry said by way of foundation,"mind if we sit down here ? I could juggle again by way of defrayal ?"The girls giggled and Harry moved into the compartment and helped Ron put his huge bole in the overhead compartment. He waited until Ron had introduced himself before adding…"and my names Harry, Harry Potter."

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

"There wasn't time, what with the being thrown out of the shop and all. Don't worry about that this time, I plan to persist at Hogwarts at to the lowest degree a few day before getting thrown."The twins laughed, that was how to do it. Tell a laugh just after you say your figure ‘ cos you can't gasp and jape at the same time."And anyway, you didn't tell me your names either."

"Well I'm Padma, and this is Parvati Patil."Said Padma before her babe added"Do you have the scar ?"Harry obligingly lifted his hairsbreadth and let it return back."Wow."The twin looked at one another then broke out into giggles. But Annapurna added through the laughs,"I expected you to be magniloquent though."Harry looked around and realised he was the shortest person in a fifty percentage girl room then shrugged.

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

"Nah,"said Ron"If you were you wouldn't fit in the train. And you'd be a whole lot despicable !"

"Thanks."Harry said flatly while wondering whether he was serious ( dragons, so why not giants ? ). Before he could say anything else the compartment room access slid receptive to prove a beldame pushing a streetcar full of food.

"Would you like anything off the trolley dears ?"She asked. A momentary-flash-fire three way battle raged in Harry between hunger, parsimony and a need to impress but the thing was decided by a set of creamy orangeness cake sitting on one side of the tram. On seeing them, thrift waved a minuscule white flag.

"Two of those please."Harry said, pointing at the patty. Ron mumbled that he had brought sandwiches but the twins seemed to let worked out all the stuff they were getting in rise and amassed a small-scale pile of their favourites in front of them. As the trolley moved away Harry held up one of his patty and said."Now, can anyone secernate me what the hell I just bought ?"

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

"Wizards get overnice food."Harry said leaning back and taking another bite.

"What do you imply ?"said Parvati.

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

"I didn't grow up with superstar, or witch or dragons or giants."Harry gestured widely at the surrounding region."Welcome to my journey of constant revelation. I'm just waiting for the aliens to jump out with dot and all will be complete."He stopped and waited on their baffled stares.

"I wondered why you couldn't get onto the platform."Ron said after a second."Once I found out who you were of course. But I guess you must feature been raised by muggles after You-know-who kill…Ow !"Anapurna had kicked Ron hard in the tibia and was making shushing dissonance while her sister stared disapprovingly at the ginger small fry. Harry just laughed.

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

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

"Who took care of me ?"Harry paused a lilliputian too long before answering."Well, myself I guess. For the finish three old age at least, I lived with my auntie and uncle before that. Well, I say lived with, survived is probably the better 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 ?"Anapurna broke the quiet."Without a family ?"

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

"Yes without a family, yes without a home."Harry's affection began to speed and he could find the elbow grease from their stares. He fumbled in his pocket and brought out two juggling balls and began to bound them in one mitt, he could feel the tension ebbing, relaxing, growing little but still sitting there, in the spine of his head, weighing it down. It had been quiet too long, make them talk again."Neat story yeah ?"Harry said pocketing the Lucille Ball."Anyway its not as bad as you think, I think I had a minuscule help after I left my auntie and uncle's."

"What do you mean ?"Ron leaned forward, his oral cavity full of sandwich.

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

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

"Yep,"Harry smiled happily."I used to suppose I was golden, born lucky, you know ? Any metre I was really in hassle like, like with the police ("police force ? !"gasped Ron, The twins eyes went wide with shock absorber. ) something always happened. Like a gate I'd just ran through locked and barred itself behind me, or a water chief bursting right under a cop-car."

"Were they hurt ?"Ron looked aghast.

"Nah, just broke the car. Still, none of those were as good as this one time."Harry motioned for the others to lean in and they obliged, now wrapped up in his story."I was being chased by this gang o'drunken bozo right ? Chasing me over some small subject of little importance 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 reason they took it as an insult."Harry shook his heading ruefully"Some multitude have no sense of humour, they took it totally out of context. Anyway, normally I have no bother outdistancing salute soaked bully but in this case I was in a part of township I hadn't been in before and I found myself in the untenable positioning of facing a dead end with six of the retard tearing down on me."

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

"Not quite."Harry said smile,"Elseways I'd have turned them to sheep for a truly ironic 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 discomfited."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. stimulate you ever seen six sot guys hangin'off each early ‘ cos they couldn't stand up. Any metre they tried to put up up they just fell monotonous on their faces again."Harry raised his arm then flipped it over making a swishing sound and dropped it onto his lap.

"Of row, if they'd just had the smart to take their brake shoe off I'd have been a toast, but with a little service from the intoxicant they'd drunk that didn't occur and I was safe to slip away."Harry laughed and after a moment his friends laughed too. Harry could think back that dark clearly, he hadn't laughed then. He'd cried and ran and shivered through his coating. He hadn't slept that Night either, he hadn't felt safe too but instead had just ran and ran until his pegleg gave out and he crawled into a spot of shadow and to lie there trembling. laugh was easy after but he would never blank out the fear.

"That's nothing."Ron said, clearly trying to top Harry."One time when I was out on my broom…"He got no further into his tarradiddle as the threshold slid open to reveal a nervous looking kid with a chubby grimace 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 chorus of shaking head."No, he hasn't been in here… But."Harry added as the male child center started to well up again."I could serve you see if you like."Anapurna was quick to add that she'd help too. Padma sighed but repeated what her sis said. Ron said aught and rolled his eyes.

But the Weasley was outnumbered and so The plurality started off down the corridor, Harry idly juggling and starting another of his basic tales, Padma and Parvati listening intently, Neville ( the toadless wonder ) had stopped crying and was even smiling at the fib and Ron bringing up the arse, trying to profess this wasn't better than sitting in a cabin.

*

Everything was going so well ( no they had not actually found the toad frog but they had met lots of interesting masses and one interesting giant spider. ) when Harry saw someone coming down the corridor and grimaced. His little radical of toad-hunters stopped suddenly as the platinum haired kid from the post walked towards them flanked by two rich scholar. ("well, I say robust."Thought Harry."It's really just fat. A ton o'fat and about ten Lucy Stone o'ugly to season.").

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

"So you finally found you're way onto the platform."The boy ignored the chemical reaction he'd produced and continued his chesty oration."Too bad for you, if you'd just stayed you would own been spared the humiliation of being constantly bettered by the veridical maven. My father always says muggle-borns shouldn't be allowed to attend 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, small, green, frog-like thing, result to the epithet of Trevor."

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

"Sorry but you just seemed like the form of guy who would lie with where to find green, slimy, 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 people in nearby cabins had opened their door to listen."I am genus Draco Malfoy, my sire is Lucius Malfoy, you'd best not make enemies you can't mass with mudblood."Once again the word produced a response, even from the people in the cabins. Most of them erupted in anger mutter, a few looked at Malfoy proudly."Anyway, I don't see why I'm wasting sentence with the like of you. There's a rumor that Harry ceramicist is on the train."That set off a unlike kind of reaction, a phrenetic gasp and hasty, whispered conversation."And I'm trying to retrieve him before he falls in with riffraff like you."

"Unless he's a batrachian 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 peachy. I have no idea what they are but since you seem to hate them so much and idol Truth, the more I see of you the more I seem to detest your grit I can be sure I'll lovemaking ‘ em to bits. Now, would you mind moving, I have toad to get hold, and all I'm determination here are worms."Harry pointed straight at Malfoy and then to the position of the pushchair. Malfoy remained fund still. The carriage had gone deadly quiet.

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

"Harry potter. Nice to converge you."Dragon'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 bridge player at the monster bodyguards."Now, aren't you going to introduce me to you're friends…pets…companions. Interesting how you managed to fit two hippo into uniforms, you would possess thought the tail end would get in the way."Then Harry noticed the original stroke, a small immature chunk near Malfoys bang. He stooped, swiped it up and held it for all to see.

"Trevor !"Cried Neville happily.

"smell at this guys, it's even near than I thought. Malfoy…"He jabbed his thumb behind him,"…actually attracts vile fauna. 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 whispering"… that it might be the smell."He just had time to see the laughter erupt before something hit him in the back of the head.

*

Harry went down hard and felt a weight land on top of him. It felt like both the Hippo Regius 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 kids trying to rise and pushed him back down on top of his admirer. At that moment he felt hot sparks singe his neck and smelled burnt hair and turned to see Malfoy standing there with wand drawn, the final faint gleaming just fading from the tip. Harry looked around and saw that no one had moved. The matter had happened in bit. Then suddenly one of the Onlookers glanced down the carriage, yelled

"PREFECTS ! ! !"and suddenly everyone jumped back into their cabins. Harry felt two sets of hands grab him by the shoulders and extract him in with somebody. He turned to see the grinning faces of the Weasly Twin and the batrachian hunting gang.

"That."Said Ron"Was bloody brilliant."As if that loosened everybody's tongue they all began talking at once. The Weasly twins congratulated him on putting down a Malfoy, Padma said she didn't think anyone had caused this much trouble before even getting to Hogwarts but she was smiling when she said it, Neville said nada but began looking at Harry with a kind of awe that was uncomfortable. Recounting the fight and the twit that prompted it kept them laughing until Parvati glanced out the windowpane and said

"Ooo, we're here."As if on cue the train 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 piss, forgotten, as he stared out from the gravy holder he, Ron and the twins had shared. All lecture had just been lost as they rounded a promontory and saw in the aloofness, their address. Hogwarts, it sprawled over the land on one slope of the lake, a vast keep or castle with tall, needle towers and giant halls. Every window glowed from within and radiate beam of light of wanton out like searchlights. Harry had never seen anything like it. He wondered for a bit whether that was because it was magic, certainly some of the towers looked like they couldn't be supported by just stone and mortar.

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

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

"Wait till you get inside."Ron grinned,"Fred and George IV told me everything about it. Apparently the stairs motility and there's secret passing everywhere."Harry made a mental distinction to feel all of them."And there's brute in the dungeons that the teacher don't know about, and there a room full phase of the moon of gem in one of the paries. Fred and St. George said they 'd deliver got it out by now if it wasn't guarded by a monster."

"That's a bunch of pig poo."Parvati scoffed ( Harry chuckled at the absurdly mild profanity ) as they stepped out of the gravy boat onto a landing."My friend's in her third gear year and she once told me Fred and George Weasly were the big jokers and the braggy liar in the whole school."Ron bristled and was about to come back when Harry said

"From what I've seen of you're brothers 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 head. Harry suddenly grinned and spread his arms above his head. Then he let himself fall slowly, forward then curled, put his mitt down and stood straight like a needle with his toes pointed up at the sky."But I don't think they'll pack this so easy…"Harry pushed up and landed back on his feet to meet astound stares,"…if they do keep the cut-up crown they'd sound savor it while they can ‘ cos I'm on the scene now."Harry put his paw on his articulatio coxae and licked his front teethh."And they ain't seen nothing yet."

*

It was a moment before anyone spoke up but Harry saw their expressions. Ron's looked aghast beyond words and had his oral fissure open, Padma was looking at him like he was joking in some way but her baby was smiling and nodding with a gleam in her eye that said she was planning to try for a bit of mayhem herself. But it was surreptitious option four who reacted first.

"You're already planning to break school rules and you're not even past the sorting yet."Harry turned, praying he was wrong about recognising the articulation."I have half a mind to tell the master about you right now."supplicant unanswered. The voice came from the bushy haired girl from diagonally who was standing with her hands on her coxa facing them as the other first years filed past down the corridor.

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

"You should all keep away from him."The girl ignored Harry and addressed the other toad Orion."You could all get into huge trouble."With that the young woman turned and marched off after the first years. Meanwhile Harry turned back to the others.

"So, you've heard my mind and you've heard the opposition."He jabbed his paw at Hermione's back."Who's with me ?"Grins answered him, even ( eventually ) from Neville."Right then, I'm happy you guys 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 content of what to send for themselves. Some ideas ( Not all of them skillful ) were bandied about. Ron seemed to be set on putting the password cannons in the name 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 take come to nose candy without Harry's mood- whitening abilities. Even after a lot of other choice ( some very poise, Harry held out for the name the toaders for a hanker time, Neville had suggested it but it did describe them up to now ) one gens seemed to stay and, even when other options came up they still found themselves using that one ( except for comic effect, 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 count as the old unity, and we're out to supplant them, so were the new single !"Harry didn't think that was the reason somehow, but the name itself fit like a glove.

So, as Harry potter, Ron Weasly, Neville Longbottom and Padma and Parvati Patil walked into the waiting vestibule by the great hall and the last of the sunset-sunlight streamed in through the windowpane the New vulture were born.

*

They stepped into the great hall in a row and giggled when they gasped in tandem. The sight was awe inspiring, the huge table of students staring and pointing, lighted by 100 of floating standard candle and even bettor, Harry's eyes travelled upwards and he smiled in rapt admiration. The night sky greeted him above, every star bright and clean-cut like a back-lit diamond. Like gold dust. Having never been far out of the M25 Harry had grown up with streetlamps and igniter defilement. The stars were endowment, just one to a greater extent thing he wanted to thank this place for.

He quietened as an former witch carried an old hat out to the stage and set it down on a stool. She straightened and delivered her instructions in a Saratoga chip, efficient phonation and the hall instantly became mute. Harry thought he saw the hat motility then turned back to the Wiccan. But no ! it had moved, and now it split down a rooftree and opened like a mouth to say…


Lasting grand year and more
By the notable Hogwarts four
The home of renown

Each one of pureness avowedly and grand
And at their parentage you understand
My job was then set down

I was put here to sort out you jokes
You sorry, snotty, shorty, family
To one of them today

To Griffindor
The lion roar
The brave and bold face dwell there

To Ravenclaw
Where there it's more
The mind that holds the chairperson

To Hufflepuff
Of sterner hooey
The loyal and the just

Or Slytherin
The learning ability to win
Where cunning is a must

These four alone await you here
And I can chose,
just volunteer
Nothing to dread
Just lend an ear
I'm quite sincere
Can't delay to see them jump and embolden !

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 folks comment a bit personally. He was also deeply worried that, of all the verbal description mentioned in the Song, cunning described him punter than wise or steadfast and definitely better than brave. When Harry looked over to the Slytherin table he recognised some of the hoi polloi who had cheered Malfoy on the train.

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

He could swear he felt eyes on the back of his head but when he turned around the only person there was a thin, spooky looking magician in a turban chatting to a lank-haired and sallow-faced professor. The lank-haired teachers eyes flicked to his boldness, then to his frontal bone and Harry turned back quickly. Just in time to find out the first base name called out.

*

Harry stood, his heart beating fast in his chest and his lungs feeling like weights had been hooked to them. One by one the people 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 person chosen prompted a new sight of cheering from the house they were chosen for. Harry had the insane urge to get out his juggling balls just to relive his strain but knew he couldn't, not under all those eyes. A here and now later he recognised Hermione walking up to the chair and sitting, jamming on the tattle hat, a few moments later and the hat pronounced her a Gryffindor and she ran down to the tabular array. The next person he recognised was Neville, he tried to close away all his boldness and generate Neville an encouraging wave as he walked past, ashen faced. After what must suffer been minutes 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 crocked. They were on to the P's now and Harry was trusted his human face must be showing his thought despite his cause. 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 Potter !"

"Alright."thought Harry"If there was ever a time you needed to preserve you're cool. This is that time."He made himself prance a little as he walked over to the chair through the whisper and stares then forced himself to grin as he dropped the hat on his head. The dark was welcome as the hat slid over his eyes but then…

"Hm… Another tricky one."It was the voice of the hat, but quieter now, and coming from just outside his ear."Good intellect but underused, firm psyche but no present loyalties, and with your fears…"

"Hey !"Thought Harry, for a mo more furious than scared."Who the blaze said you could look around in my brain anyway ! That stuffs bloody secret !"The hat seemed amused.

"I only look to put you where you'd fit in expert, it's in your considerably interestingness you know. To go with people who understand you, whose minds are like your own, full of cunning shipway, hidden paths, other ways to get what you want. I can get off you where you'll fit in, where you'll chance acquaintance, in the house of Salazar Sl ..."But Harry cut him off.

"That's enough ! I will not let myself be placed in a firm of dark thaumaturgist and disgusting masses !"Harry thought angrily."I don't see what gives you the right to select either. I chose my path ! Always ! If you looked a little further in my brain you'd see the right o'that ! I chose to leave home ! I chose to come here ! No parent ! no guide ! I made my own way here, ME ! Its my life history and I want to go to Gry ..."

"GRYFFINDOR !"The hat yelled triumphantly in the middle of his condemnation and Harry was dumbstruck for a consequence before grinning and rolling his eyes.

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

*

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

"That's a bit of a relief."If he had been being honest Harry would possess 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 seat, looking as relived as Harry felt and said.

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

He looked very old but he stood without a stoop and had straightened smoothly. His hairsbreadth and beard were snowy snowy and tied into two tails, one down the front, one down the rear. As he surveyed the residence hall, Harry could have sworn the Isle of Man eyes fixed on him for a split indorse before moving on.

"Who the Hell's he."Asked Harry.

"Albus Dumbledore unintelligent !"Hissed Parvati."The Headmaster."

"One piece of advice comes to me at this time."The old adult male spokesperson sounded faintly amused, like he knew something funny that everyone else didn't."Hungry minor listen only to their muttering stomachs. With that in mind, rapier in !"Harry saw the scale in front of him fill with everything imaginable. home of heart and soul and potatoes piled gamey, and pitcher full of juices and Milk River. Harry looked so long he didn't click that everyone else had started.

"Not hungry ?"Ron asked through a mouthful that said clearly that he was. Harry shook himself and started fishing things off the plates for himself. He was almost disappointed when the deserts appeared and was definitely disappointed when they went though he couldn't have eaten another bite. He was sitting in a happy, sleepy, replete and contended haze when he saw the schoolmaster rise to his feet again.

"I have a few announcements to establish. Firstly, that number one years are reminded that they are not allowed their own broom, that number 1 and irregular age are forbidden to enter Hogsmead settlement, that all students are forbidden to enter the proscribed forest and that anyone with any sense of self conservation should keep off the tertiary floor corridor on the right hand slope. Thank you."

"tierce story corridor ?"Said Ron."Hey George I ! Fred !"He yelled down the mesa at his buddy."What's on this third flooring corridor ?"

"aught the last time we looked."Said Fred."Why ?"

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

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

"If there was anything there live on year they'd know about it."Ron said crossing his arms and directing a dark look back along the board."So whatever it is it must have only just happened."

"Their hiding something."Said Parvati confidently."There's something powerful they're researching and they want to keep it surreptitious, there's no danger."

"Dumbledore said the great unwashed who go up there could die. You saying that's not serious ?"Ron asked.

"Well of course of study if Dumbledore says it then it must be true. He couldn't possibly he lying or exaggerating to make sure nonentity goes up there."Padma raised an supercilium 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 interrogative of going or not. As soon as it became out it became our first target."

*

But there was lilliputian opportunity for Harry to carry through on his promises for the first base few Clarence Day, lesson followed lesson and Harry found himself challenged to stay fresh up. Everything in the script he'd read seemed to name about one one-hundredth of what they needed to have sex and each new concept sent him out from the lesson scratching his head back to the al-Qur'an and then to the new ace he'd got out of the library.

The merely reasonableness he wasn't totally swamped was that after every day he could return to the Gryffindor common room and sit down on the mesa that had already been designated, even by older students, the vulture table. On his endorsement day Harry had simply invaded this table and pulled four other death chair around it, plopped his bag down and waited. By day four it was established and the lieu reserved.

It was near enough to the attack to be warmed by it and was constantly piled with their book of account and dish, whatever sweets they had each donated to the pot, a wizard Bromus secalinus set in permanent disarray, at least one transcript of beldame Weekly and, more often than not, Trevor. And under the mess, between the varlet of the books or hidden in sweet wrappers there were maps, particular, reputation and ideas.

The five of them would work on the days onerous homework till the common way began to abandon, then the books would close down and the employment would begin in earnest. It had moved beyond the tertiary floor corridor of course of study, there were plan to get into snarf office, McGonagall's role, each of the other common rooms, plans to curse people ( 99 % of those people being Slytherins and 80 % of them being Malfoy ) and plans to find all the secret passages of the school.

Harry laughed Thomas More than he ever had before and did tricks as they planned. Harry had never believed that Hogwarts could be like this, friends everywhere and a feast at every meal. Even the lesson couldn't put a dent in this. Then, on Friday, Harry awoke from nap after a particularly good planning academic term and went downstairs to breakfast. If Harry had had a bingle prophetic bone in his physical structure he would make 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 firmly to read as it is rewarding to those who have the talent, and the predisposition to do so."

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

"For those lucky enough to be able-bodied to surpass in my subject."The come-on nosed, sallow faced professor continued."It will reap them rewards far beyond any puerile charm or spell. What enchantment can fill up the blood with flame, can kill dumb as a mouse, can fan life back into what other turn would deem a stiff, can mail someone into so deep a sleep they will never awake."

"I don't know any spells for the hold out one but his voice is doing a pretty good job so far."Padma whispered and Harry had to bite his upper lip to keep the sounds in. They had been set at a desk thankfully near the back of the course and could look clear across the whole stratum to where the teacher, one Severus Snape, stalked in social movement of the blackboard. The reasonableness they were laughing so hard was that, before the lesson, Ron's sidekick had treated them to an impression of Snape which, at the fourth dimension, they had thought was an exaggeration.

"But most of you will not take that accomplishment and will doubtless chance yourself confused… baffled… and, if anterior catastrophe are any indication, severely burned in this classroom. If that is the vitrine then I ask that you don't hesitate to total to me for help."("WHAT ?"Harry's dumbfounded expression was mirrored on every face in the class )"And I will tell you what I tell all the other bookman stupid enough to come to me. ‘ I don't CARE.'” The instructor waved his wand at the board and some educational activity appeared there.

Later in the lesson, when Snape was making his rounds around the desks staring at everyone's cauldrons and making derogatory commentary to everyone not in green trimmed robe, Harry made a point of looking Snape directly in the heart as he passed by and smiling from ear to ear.

"Something peculiar Potter."top dog turned to watch."You see something you find amusing ?"

"I don't think you'd get the trick Professor, it's a young person thing."Harry said sagely."Generation gap and all. But…"Harry added."I'll be sure to came to you if I ever feel baffled… or burnt."

"A state of affairs I foresee happening frequently. Lets see if we can pelt along things up a little. Tell me…"Snape's back snatch up straight like a willow tree twig and he looked down at Harry."What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood ?"

"Draft of living death."Harry's prior-reading-parachute deployed on cue to deliver him."A quiescency potion."

"Incorrect."Snape glowered.

"exculpation me."The annoying twist to the words… the arrogant accent… Hermione sat at the next table over and was turned towards Harry and Snape."The answer is the drawing of living death. A catch some Z's potion powerful en…"

"Five points from Gryffindor Miss Granger."Snape said without turning."The correct reply ceramicist ... Was ‘ draft 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 tabular array in social movement that he shared with Neville."He can't take away points if you get the in good order answer."

"well you were a bit nervy to pass on off the Sir."Hermione said primly and folded her arms. Behind her on her table Lavender Robert Brown ( not a toader but a friend of Padma and Parvati. Harry had promised to teach her to hoodwink once and was now trying to notice a way to wiggle out of it ) rolled her eyes."But it shouldn't have been ten points, maybe five."

"Harry do you remember which of us it was that asked her judgment ?"Ron said glibly.

"Can't callback 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 computer. Ron did a silent laugh and turned back to his desk but Harry leaned back and bit his lip thoughtfully. He'd just insulted, without provocation, individual who had stood up for him. He tried to think of something funny to say that would produce Hermione laugh and realised he didn't know anything she'd like. A moment later Snape swooped back retiring and the luck for talk of the town was over.

While failing to make his potion Harry thought carefully, Hermione didn't go around with anyone, she didn't sit with the same people in any two classes, he'd never seen her talking in the common room with anyone. In fact, the sole times he'd seen her out of family was when he took books out of the library, then she was always there, with her caput deep in progressively thicker books.

"That doesn't mean she doesn't have friends."Thought Harry while crushing hedgehog quills."She could acknowledge mass in former twelvemonth from before she came here."

"She's muggle-born."Another part of his brain said"How would she already have Quaker at a champion school."

"Oh…"Harry looked over at Hermione and Lavender, only talking to reference the pedagogy 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 tranquility until the end of the lesson. He didn't want to sing. When you find out something you don't much like about yourself the last thing you want to do is talk about it.

*

Harry tried to talk to Hermione several sentence over the next few weeks but she always just ignored him or ran off. spoilt, Padma and Anapurna had told him she had taken to crying in the girls toilet during breach and after lessons.

"Maybe you could do something."Harry pointed out during a previous Sept evening after a particularly successful clowning of some fifth twelvemonth Slytherins"You sleep in the same bloody way. 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 supporter 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 multitude to like her she wouldn't be so stuck up. If she keeps pushing hoi polloi away it's probably because she doesn't want friends."Parvati and Padma nodded sadly but Neville ( quiet on the sideline as always ) gave a belittled shake of his head. Loneliness was sluttish to understand from experience than from observation.

"No reasonableness really, it's just we've got to live with the rest of our twelvemonth for the next seven eld and that'll be light if were at least on speakin'terms with them."The others seemed to assume this partial derivative account. The truth of the issue was Harry didn't want to see anybody lonely either.

*

Harry decided to try a more direct approaching. The next day, after lessons but before dinner, Harry went down to the library and approached the now intimate sight of a atomic pile of record book and Hermione. He pulled up a president and sat about a third gear of the way around the board from her.

"flavour like you beat me here."Harry said without provoking a reaction."Last copy."He added, pointing to a random Word of God 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 at, you can't keep going like this forever. Humans need to mouth to other human being or they go crazy."Harry twirled a finger near his ear and let his optic go get across."Anyway don't you…"

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



Harry stood there for a present moment feeling worthless then turned and walked out of the program library. But that wasn't the live on he'd see of Hermione that day, a small later when Harry was on a fact-finding foreign mission ("I swear Fitch keeps a trim key in one of the janitors closets."Ron had said. Harry had agreed to calculate into it without realising how very many janitors cupboard there were and what unpleasant smells inhabited them ) he passed a threshold to an disused classroom and heard voices inside.

"Give it back !"Hermione's representative ?"You arrogant snake ! render it back !"

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

"give way it back you foul, repellant thing !"

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

"What an interesting document mudblood. Flitwick would have been astounded with it. Probably would deliver earned you a few house decimal point 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 piece of paper to hand in. Terrible."Harry heard sobs from inside and redoubled his efforts at the room access. Was n't there a spell called allohamora ? Harry flicked his wand out and tried to honk it. Nothing happened. He tried again. Nothing. Oh damnit ! This was n't one of the doors that would n't afford ! This was one of the paries that look like a doorway. Harry peered through the keyhole to try to see another room access. Malfoy was holding up the papers for Hermione to see and said,

"Then I'll say ‘ Oh prof, if you wanted someone to write up that you should've asked me. I've been researching it. Just in my trim time of course. Thanks for the house spot mudblood."Harry heard another door clear then close and ran in the direction of the sound. Malfoy and his minions were already out of sight so Harry quietly opened the door and went in. Hermione was slumped in a pile in the middle of the story. He approached carefully and tried to retrieve of something to say.

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

"Shut up ! You're as bad as he is ! Breaking formula and playing pranks ! You can't talk !"Hermione ran out of the room leaving Harry speechless. Harry stood for the longest fourth dimension in the center of the deserted classroom before walking slowly back to the Gryffindor common room. The piranha stopped talking when they saw his look, a mix of anger and pain. They all looked to him as he sat down.

"Forget all the early plans."Harry's vocalism was grave-quiet but his oculus had a wicked gleam."We're breaking in the Slytherin rough-cut way. Tonight."The expostulation washed over him from the others ; they weren't ready, they hadn't planned, tomorrow was Halloween and they needed to be rested for the party and near of all they could run into Snape. Harry sighed inwardly and began to secernate the broad story as quickly as he could. It was already getting darkness, and they had shoes to be…





Authers note
Hi, thought i should leave an note eventually. Review if you have fourth dimension, this is my initiative fiction so delight palpate free to enjoin me how auful it is.



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

"Of course of action we'll be caught if you don't shut up Neville !"Padma held her mitt over Neville's back talk and pulled him further into the closet. Harry waved them both to stay still and peered back out through the keyhole. Filches lantern glow was far up the corridor but he waited a just count of thirty before pushing the door open and leading the others out. In the end the choices for his fellow traveller were elementary, he couldn't take more than two or they'd be seen for certainly and they needed some multitude to stay in the unwashed room to vouch for them if questions were asked. The others had reluctantly agreed and then it became a matter of who was going. Despite Neville's own disputation Harry insisted he was the complete scout.

"You get lost so practically if somebody finds you out of piazza you can just say you were looking for the common way. And anyone but Snape'll probably let you off."

As for Padma, she was the alone one who could reliably get hold the Slytherin dungeon since she had been in accusation of that particular composition of recognisance and after all, she had been the one to find 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 cheek slowly lost its amazement."It had to be Goyle though, Crabbe's too hurt to be fooled by that sort of thing."It had actually taken Harry quite a recollective prison term to realise she was joking.

The three of them crept down the last flight of stairs and Padma silently pointed to a insipid piece of music of bulwark ahead. Harry nodded and he and Padma moved on while Neville got his verge 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 sceptre vibrate as a reply. It was the best way to send signals, the person had to be within ten or so m but it was virtually silent. 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 sinister but not deliver. A few dying coal in the huge marble open fireplace gave an ominous glow. All the piece of furniture was large and dark, and in the bad twinkle it looked oddly jeopardize, looming like cliffs above the creeping baby. Padma tugged at Harrys robe and as he looked back she waved her hand in front man of her eyes and shook her head teacher. She couldn't see. Harry knew his eyes were safe by night and he kept forgetting the rest of his clan didn't share the benefit of his previous, independent lifestyle. Harry guided her to a rampart and put her behind a paries hanging, sitting near a large urn unpleasantly decorated to resemble a yell side. Harry placed Padma's wand in her bridge player and looked at her font before leaving. She was wearing a decide expression but her eyes were all-embracing and she was breathing hard.

"No shame to back out."Harry whispered in her ear, for the first clock time having dubiousness about tonight's venture."I did kinda fuddle everyone in at the abstruse end today."

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

"She said she chose her house too."Harry thought as he headed towards the Bedrooms."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 fingers found a doorknob in the shadow. What he had thought would be the hardest share had turned out to be the easiest. They had debated for geezerhood how to find out which room was Malfoy's, from bribing someone to covering his shoe with ultraviolet ink but it had been all for nothing. Harry checked the administration nameplate on the room access and chuckled again before moving into the room. Like a trace, Harry tried not to even think loudly. Like a ghost, here then gone, no suggestion. The elbow room was large for a single mortal elbow room, larger even than the one in Gryffindor tug he shared with four other people.

"Can't make precious pet Malfoy part a room."Harry sneered in the dark. If there had been a way to silently trash the place he would have done so, instead he began looking around for the project. He slid his hands onto shelf and held newspaper up in the moonlight to read the covert. The only when clock time he stopped was when he was searching by Malfoy's bed and saw something on the covering. He'd had to double up to keep from laughing and he'd felt like every vein would burst. Malfoy had taken his teddy to school with him.

Harry could see a clock on the mantlepiece, the hands glowing faintly in the dark and saw that he didn't have practically clock time left. For a moment he stopped looking and just stood in the darkness to think. There was no way he could search the unit place, not going as slowly as he had to to ward off detection.

"The hat said I think like them."Harry shuddered at the sentiment but pushed on, no time for self-recrimination."And Hermione said I'm just like him. So where would I hide it ? Where would I trust 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 combine it enough. I'd celebrate it with me from the moment I got it till the moment I let it allow my hands."Harry's gaze shifted to the prone figure on the bed."Under the pillow ? No, not that obvious. In his scoop ? 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 hands in frustration and at that moment felt something in his pocket vibrate. He brought his sceptre out to sense the quivering in his hands.

*

Fear wasn't what he needed now, neither was a mad sprint. Running now was the cobbler's last affair he wanted to do… Just crawl back through the doorway and go quietly down the steps. Down the step to where there's a brightness level on. Harry crouched at the top of the stairwell and shielded his eyes to conserve his Nox vision before sliding a tiny periscope between the bannister ("Do you carry hale toyshops around in you're pockets ?"Parvati had said when he showed them some of his instrument like the periscope."You never know when this stuff'll come in handy."Harry winked and twirled a lock plectrum between his finger's breadth. ) The lilliputian mirror-pipe revealed a small cluster of fifth twelvemonth who looked like they had just come in. They began talking loudly about some tidings 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. rectification, his and Padmas elbow room out were now blocked. Harry slid back to the edge, the Slytherins seemed to be settling down for a Nox of raucous conduct as they lounged in the large professorship with a bottle of something, probably stolen from the kitchens. If they were distracted ? If Harry waited until they simply drank themselves into a stupor ? Perhaps they'd go to bed soon ? Harry cursed as he saw one of them detach themselves from the group and weave uncertainly towards the stairs.

"What the blaze 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 cover stead holding the handle of the giant star urn.



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

"She's making a beguilement !"Harry cursed"Stupid ! unintelligent ! I told them ‘ no nobility during heists !'” Harry at least had the presence of mind to roll his scarf joint around his boldness and trademark brow before standing up and yelling…

"Oh no they're awake !"Harry gestured at imaginary chassis in the vacate hall behind him"Go ! Run !"Harry had fourth dimension to see the drunken snake in the grass take in his red and gold edged robes and clamber over each other towards the stairs before he took his own advice and ran back down the hall.

It takes quite some power to run quietly but Harry had experience, his footfalls were short as mice on the floor board. He turned and saw a conversant door. Switching himself from quiet-running-mode to bloody-silent-creep he slid into Malfoy's room and shut the door.

"hoi polloi 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 speech in his header, hoping that would make them true.

"Start searching the elbow room !"Ach… Harry desperately looked around the way for a place to blot out but to his dismay saw only darkness. He had lost his night centre in the common room.

"What was here ? Where did I search ? Oh my god, please just remember !"The rattling door handles and irritated voices got closer, thank heavens Salazar Slytherin built his walls boneheaded and liked oak doorway or Harry was for certain Malfoy would birth woken.

"Wardrobe ? It had had glass in the strawman ! Under the bed ? No way !"Harry's thinking grew panicked as the part got closer."rampart, storey, ceiling, bed, desk, wardrobe, fireplace…"Harry dropped to his paw and human 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 brass left to go any slower. His mitt reached the common cold I. F. Stone of the fireside and he felt his way into it. No ashes at all, the fireplace had never been used. Later on that night Harry would agnize that the Slytherins probably heated their Chambers by conjuration so they didn't get the smoke and gained a more even high temperature, all he thought at the time was a panicked…

"Thank you !"as he stood up. His helping hand found a bar embedded in the wall to hang stool from and he lifted himself up and stood on it. At that moment light 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 in the hunting party.

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

"Yes Malfoy."Harry thought to himself"goodness Malfoy. Now be you're petty stuck up, indignant ego and throw them out of your room."

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

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

"Nope."Harry chucked as his affright began to fade."And you're the retard Malfoy. You should pay more attending to your gravely pal."

"He's not in any of the other rooms."A new representative, possibly untried and more hesitant than the gravely boy."And we checked the toilets and back down in the vernacular room."Harry hoped Padma had had the brains to be well on her way back to their common room by then, and to have Neville with her. Harry's script brushed something in the rampart behind him, careful not to take in a sound he slid it out of the wall and choked back a triumphant gasp as he read the lettering on the book binding of the parchment.


The use of qualify static-induction magical spell in

the linguistic context of adhesives and fasteners.

Hermione husbandman

"Yes !"Thought constituent 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 part in disbelief"adhesive and fixing ?"Harry shook his heading and laughed at himself a bit before folding up the written report and slipping it into his robe. Back in the sleeping room the conversation had become more heated.

"When my forefather hears about this !"Malfoy was in good argumentative swing"You will all be sorry ! The Malfoy family own your father Flint ! And you can be sure there will be words on the field of study of this incident."

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

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

"But initiatory years… never… go on the teams. No matter how, absolutely, brilliant they are at Quidditch."The older boy was obviously fearing some reprisal to boot-lick so obviously."Definitely next year though !"

"That remains to be seen…"A new voice, a slimy representative, a voice dripping disrespect with every word !

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

"William Tell me why some of the leading phallus of Slytherin planetary house are awake at this hour ? Hmm… Some of them stinking of cheap wine-colored !"He almost made the fact that it was cheap sound like the worst part."Well ? Or have you all been rendered speechless by drink !"

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

"Inside the Slytherin common room ?"

"Yes."

"Inside the countersign protected Slytherin vernacular elbow room ?"

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

"tomfoolery. All you saw was the wine natation in battlefront of your optic seeing as you seem to have drown yourselves in it !"Harry heard Snape's stride head towards the door.

"There was someone ! They were wearing Gryffindor robe !"The footfall continued and Harry heard a room access open"And they were light !"The steps led out the door"And they had a scarf around their head word !"steps then…

"WHAT !"Snape thundered back into the way."They wore cloth around their mind ? !"

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

"Don't be pudding head, he could hold in his identity better than that."Snape seemed to be talking to himself slightly at that point but then…"lookup everywhere ! Every elbow room, flex them upside down and agitate them if essential !"Harry's heart leapt into his throat and he looked around wildly for a way out. But he already knew the only ways, down or up. Harry pushed his cover against one wall and carefully shifted his feet onto the opposite word one. Hogwarts was old Stone and there were slews of handholds to help him chimney up faster, and more quietly. But just as he was thinking he had reached beyond their auditory modality person said.

"What was that in the chimney ?"Bloody Malfoy ! Since when did ophidian have such thoroughly capitulum ? Harry went absolutely still except for his back talk moving in a soundless 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 lap of light at the bottom.

"I can't see anything."Flint River again, thank sphere for lowly minds.



"motility over."Harry heard a thud as Snape pushed his educatee out of the way then…"Acerbus cuspis !"Harry's sight was momentarily lighted as bar of sickly silver light shot up the chimney towards him then his sight was lost in nuisance. Harry's animal foot slipped but he grimly held on by his handholds, gritting his teeth against the stabbing knots of pain in the neck each lance had left in him.

"I heard scraping prof !"Malfoy must have heard his bang slickness."Something's up there !"

"Acerbus cuspis !"This time Harry was flattened against the wall and only a few of the bolt hit him."pinkeye !"that spell winged right past times him, cracking chips off the wall above him, then…"Relashio !"Heat flooded up the chimney to him and Harry's skin felt like it was going to blister. He bit his lingua between his teeth and pulled one sweaty paw off the wall so he could flub in pocket for a enceinte metal jar. At the prison term Harry had thought Ron's proposition had been a bit stupid but now he was especially sword lily he had agreed to bring the jar along. He pulled the cap off with his teeth and dropped the message before they had a chance to bite him, far below he heard…

"Aaaa ! Doxies !"A few more than spell rang out but none directed at Harry, even the heat 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

"search the other rooms."Harry waited a prospicient time before climbing foster up. His coat of arms needed the relaxation anyway and there was no way he was gon na try to sneak back out through the Slytherins tonight.

*

The light below was lost behind Harry as he ascended out of the dungeons. The chimney he was climbing joined others then split again. One or two of the chimneys had ravel in them, or at least character of ravel, but most of them he had to sputter up. The air was hotter and Smokey here, perhaps some of these chimney were still in use this late, or more likely it was early enough that the kitchens had woken up. Harry would be the first to admit ( to himself at least ) that he had many reverence but claustrophobia wasn't one of them. He pulled his scarf tighter above and below his glasses to keep out crock and around his mouth to breath through as he climbed up into more used chimneys. Harry felt himself impress out into a expectant area but couldn't see the walls through the wickedness and the hummer. Questing fingerbreadth found a rusted ravel and a few present moment later Harry pulled himself over the verge of a Brobdingnagian lamp chimney and let himself down to the rooftop below.

Tired but elated Harry pulled his scarf from around his cheek and tried to find some plumb cloth somewhere on himself to wipe his glasses off. When he put them back on he was struck dumb for a moment by the pile that met his eyes.

Rolling Benny Hill of tile and banks of slate. column popping out at slant and fairy balconies with balustrades like lacing. Harry walked along the roof ridge he had landed on in wonder, there was a whole mankind up above Hogwarts. more than chimneys jutted out everywhere, some just pipes and some, like the one he'd emerged from, with width like industrial towers. Harry sat down on the ridgeline and sway his head in disbelief. Even the climb hadn't taken his breathing space like this did. He lay back and beheld another wonder. The whiz from here seemed brighter, almost as well as the astronomy tower ( Harry's favored lesson, just as an excuse to stargaze ).

"And no-one up here but me."Harry said aloud, there was no one to discover."Peace."Harry could accept fallen asleep against those roofing tile but something moving below caught his eye. Snape, passing along a corridor with marvelous windows all along it. Harry moved to hide then realised his soot-black robes blended perfectly against the Nox sky and wrapped his scarf around his face to obscure the in conclusion pink skin. His ice were still grubby enough not to shine.

Harry trailed Snape over the roof, not even for a bit thinking of going back to the Gryffindor rooms and thinking even less of the danger. Here on the roofs he was in his chemical element, there was no danger here. Snape stopped at what looked like a teachers quarters and pushed through the threshold without knocking. It took Harry a min or so to find the corresponding window then lowered himself down near it. By chance or the wagon-lit 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 metre ? How do you even know when this happened ?"Snape's voice was angry and accusing."The only fact that keeps me from cursing you into darkness obliviousness right now is that I can't quite bring myself to think that even one so pathetic as you would be stupid enough to think it was moved to the Slytherin donjon of all places."

"Th…Then why are you here ?"Quirrell's voice grew a fiddling steadier now, just a piffling."Why come to me ?"

"Because perhaps you were looking for something else, perhaps a way past my protective cover of it or some cue as to what that shelter is. I assure you, you would cause found neither. My work is as diabolical as it is composite and as crafty…"Harry groaned inwardly, not this talk of the town again."And you could never pierce it. Never. Despite Dumbledore's sovereign lack of assessment in hiring you and letting you assist in the trade protection of the stone I will keep unworthy things 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 superior. 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 special about tomorrow ? other than it being Hallowe'en ..."

*

"How could you leave him there !"Ron was still yelling despite all endeavor to steady him down. Parvati grabbed him and clamped her hand over his mouth.

"Thank you."Padma breathed and shared a quick grinning with her sister. But she quickly fell silent again. If she was to be honest with herself she would suffer 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 Saami herself ) and had for a mo not known quite what to do. She was ashamed that after she had taken an age behind the drapery working up nerves and steeling herself to provide a misdirection and Harry had done the Lapplander in an instant. She was ashamed that, when she heard multitude coming back towards the common room, she had bolted back though the door, pulled an amazed Neville from behind the armour and had shepherded him across the school, not once talking until they passed behind the fat peeress and got back to Gryffindor common room and into the awaiting and recriminating stare of Ron Weasly.

"What will happen now."Neville's vocalism was modest and he was hunched in on himself on his hot seat. But even he had been braver than her, he had signalled the Slytherins coming and had waited once they had passed to proceed keeping watch.

"He'll probably just get hold, he'll turn a loss us a few house points for being out after curfew."Padma knew her sister was deliberately making affair seem better than they were to make her feel better. Sometimes Padma thought they had been born to with personality reverse, the aeonian optimist and the cynical pessimist. Except this time her sister 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 house. For attempted stealing. He could be expelled."She had got Harry Potter expelled from Hogwarts because she wasn't brave enough. She knew when the hat had left it up to her she would opt wrongly. She didn't deserve to be here."In Harry's starting time terminal figure he'll be expelled."

"I'm doing what now ?"

The New marauder turned en people and saw a blackened and scraped Harry drop from one of the high windows. His face was red and raw and he had a ugly bruise on his depart impertinence, his hands were bleeding and he staggered as he hit the basis but he wore a smile of joy and triumph as wide 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 track, in the company of Slytherins it seemed much longer."

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

"Chimney."Harry said lightly."Easy climbing really once you get past the first bit. Oh and one other thing…"Harry fished around in his pockets and drew out some newspaper. Padma found herself shaking her school principal, no, not after all that happened, you can't still have got it, no ones that unspoilt."We got what we came for. It may need some cleansing though…"With that the floodgate came loose and the marauder began peppering Harry with query. The strange child laughed as he unrolled a narration that had them gasping. As she listened Padma realised she was beaming she'd made her selection, even if she wasn't brave enough for Gryffindor she wouldn't give up the vulture for the humans. And besides, she thought as the looked at her sister, at Ron, at Neville and especially at the crock clothed figure animatedly talking before her, even if I'm not endure now I'll be learning from the best.

*

Hermione rose early from her weather sheet and was mildly surprised to see that they weren't covered in bust. She was sure she'd been crying when she went to catch some 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 further over her food for thought. Before anyone else had left the table Hermione walked out of the great antechamber, leaving the relaxation of her food behind ( even if she hadn't had somewhere to be she felt too nauseous to eat ). The task was crucial, it was the sort of thing they gave third and quarter twelvemonth to go on. Hermione straightened herself up as she walked towards Flitwicks position. Best get it over with…

"going away somewhere Mudblood ?"Dragon Malfoy lounged in the corridor in front of her. She ignored him and walked on past only to deliver him dumbfound his infantry forward to try to trip her up."What ? No insults ? No ‘ break it back !'today ?"Hermione kept walking."Oh, I don't have it with me. That would be a bit conspicuous, I figure I'll break it to him tomorrow. Or the day after, you know, so he doesn't get suspicious but is still impressed by my obviously superior talents."Draco grabbed her by the shoulder and gyrate her around."Don't ignore me Mudblood !"He grated,"This is only the first point. I'm going to arrive at living hell for you and all the other filth at the school day until you'll drop out of your own costless will. I'll… Oh hullo professor !"Professor Flitwick had just emerged from his way and was looking between them.

"how-do-you-do vernal Mr Malfoy."He chirped"Are you and Miss husbandman friends."

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

"Then perhaps I should let you read young lady husbandman report. It was most detailed."

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

"Yes, left on my desk this first light. I flicked through it over breakfast. I used to show the daily prophesier of a forenoon but there's so many adverts in it now."The professor shook his head and didn't appear to notice the totally dumfounded expression on the two first-years faces."I'll give you better feedback when I've read it fully Miss husbandman and then…"Flitwick turned to Malfoy"…I'll be sure to give it to you."With that the short fellow wandered off humming faintly to himself.

"How."Malfoy had angriness and shock in his eyes."You didn't have other transcript. You said you didn't have former copies !"

"I didn't."Hermione was surprised at the tincture of smugness in her vocalism. Malfoy was looking at her with barely suppressed rage. Then he seemed to acknowledge something and for a consequence his eyes widened in recognition then screwed up in even darker anger 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 grin. The Slytherin looked like he was about to blow a vein, or possibly pip steam out of his ears.

"YOU ! ! !"He bellowed striding towards them pointing with his wand."It was you !"Harry and his ally stood their basis against the accusation and Malfoy was brought to a standstill, it was that or walk into a man wall."You stole it ! When I tell my father he'll bring it to the schooltime governors and…"

"Tell them what worm."Harry's voice was full of laughter.

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

"Even if you were willing to take aim a fall just to put us in trouble."Ron continued to a suddenly crestfallen Malfoy."Even if you did, where's the proof ? The reports right back where it should be and nothing else was taken from your rooms."

"Not even a teddy bear."Harry raised his brow and began chuckling. After a moment the rest of his ring 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 one shot Potter ! But I'll get you side by side prison term !"

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

*

The unfortunate by-product of the heist was that Malfoy was even more acidulent than usual in class that day. Despite repeated warnings from instructor he insulted Harry and the rest of the Marauders with every early breathing space. Fortunately though that breathing spell was wasted as nine times out of ten the piranha in question was asleep on their hot seat. Hermione sighed, but not unhappily and reached for a new pinion. She'd better make these notes good, it looked like they'd have to be copied from a few times. When she reached the common room there was a sixth chair by the fireside tabular array. She smiled and felt warmly 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 calculate richer than the queen ?



"Go on !"

"No ! I can't !"

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

"He'll see me !"Hermione glanced over the banister to where Snape was berating Ron and Neville for ‘ fighting'in the corridor. What the male child had in fact been doing was distracting Snape so he would come and stomach under the overhanging amphetamine story. That percentage of the design had gone perfectly. The adjacent character was proving problematic.

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

"You're all demented ! Any one of the stunts you've pulled could guarantee forcing out ! How farseeing do you think you can keep getting away with it ?"Hermione's whisper was raging and horse."And if you think"She pointed at his capitulum"I'm tipping that"A gesture at the lubricating oil"over a Hogwarts teacher !"a finger stabbing down at Snape"You must be nutcase !"She swung her arms widely in exasperation and they both heard a thump, then a splashing noise.

Harry saw his booster face turn from righteous choler to gray dread fast as a coin match. She kept her center firmly ahead and, as if denying what had just happened, shook her head. Harry in dividing line had grinned like a maniac and now grabbed Hermione by the robe and began running off through the corridors pulling her after him. A mo later they heard a violent roaring behind them

"WHO DID THIS TO ME !"Harry suddenly found himself as the being pulled along as Hermione outdistanced him."THE STUDENT WHO DID THIS WILL PAY WITH painful sensation !"Harry pulled Hermione to a stop and dragged her sideways into a lilliputian 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 !"Hermione almost jumped through the window and disappeared as she clambered up a ladder. Harry swung out after her, shut the windowpane and slid onto the roofing tile above. He wasted no time in pulling himself back to the border and poking his periscope back down to the edge of the crank. A indorsement later an irate Snape ran past. Harry only caught a coup d'oeil, but he thought the man seemed slicker than usual. Harry rolled back and looked up at Hermione who still seemed shaken.

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

*

A week or so latter the morning bloomed bright and early as the Marauders made their way down to the eatage in figurehead of the castle. Harry stopped to place up a few to a greater extent moving picture after making indisputable the glide was clear up. The Slytherins were tearing them down wherever they saw them on Snapes Order but Harry had even seen some of them trying to hide giggles as the mavin poster displayed Snape being doused again and again. The rest of the shoal didn't inconvenience to hide it and the school had been awash with laugh ever since the first one went up three days ago.

The instructor were all trying to incur 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 schoolroom brandishing a wad of posters that had papered the main courtyard ). The teachers didn't experience how so many of them were getting so many position around the grounds. Harry knew, it was just a thing of a handy rooftop and a succeed wind. When he had seen some errant image carried into the sky by blast 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 push-down list of posters back to him.

"They told me I had to take ‘ em down."Hagrid had said with a wink."They didn't say what I had to do with ‘ em after."Harry had been even happier to see a push-down list of envelopes on Hagrid's table. It looked like the distribution was going to even spacious than he thought.

The teachers search and lady Hooch's originally ill health were some of the reasons they were going to their commencement flying lesson bundled up in winter clothes.

"Now…"Madam Hooch's voice rang out over the assembled Gryffindors and Slytherins"Just raise your right bridge player over the ling 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 Modern than the ones the students had."Well go on…"

The category obediently placed their hands over their brooms.

"UP !"Harry yelled, feeling a bit dopey, the stick by his groundwork refused to stir."UP !"Harry looked around and saw first one then others of the family acquire their brooms."UP !"Harry thought maybe Malfoy had replaced his trick heather for a real ling in revenge but the things had been handed out randomly. Harry shifted his ft surreptitiously underneath his broom and tensed ..."UP !"Harry grabbed the rising broom and held it nonchalantly on his berm. He caught Parvati looking at him and giggling.

"What ? I didn't do anything."

"That's right you didn't !"

A few minute later everyone had their brooms and lady hootch was showing them how to grip the stupid things.

"Right, now… Just kick off from the ground, hover for me for a second then leeee…an forward and be adrift back down again."madam hooch demonstrated then held up her gloved hired hand."Three… Two… One."dowery of the class rose unsteadily into the air, others remained anchor or had slipped off their insurrection broom. Harry glanced to his sides shame-faced as his Scots heather resolutely refused to demonstrate any device characteristic 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 heather !"Ron strafed out of stretch to the side with a practiced hand before coming to rest."Take Neville's."

Harry turned and saw Neville rising at a snail gait with a feel of teeth-gritting concentration."At that charge per unit the class'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 mightily magic trick can interfere with almost broomsticks."Hermione was landing ungracefully beside him, gripping the broom with white knuckle duster. Harry chuckled at the thought that she still found concentration left to call on the carpet them."These are old Scots heather but their still fairly resistant to that sort of thing."

"This isn't dark magic I'm talking about its him swapping it with a normal broom."Harry poked at the bristles trying to elicited some reaction."Why don't you lend me yours then, you don't look like your in a hurry to fly again."

"And what is that supposed to mean !"But Ron cut off any ensuing argument

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

"Thanks."They swapped ling and Harry got himself back into the demonstrated riding billet. He hopped off the terra firma but dropped back down just as quickly.

"Still having trouble ?"Harry saw Ron swim bladder over his headway and drop-off down in straw man of him,"Nothing untimely with this one mate."Ron knocked his knuckles against the Ellen Price Wood of Harry's broom."I think its even a little secure than my one."

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

"Having worry Potter."no… not now…"Your flying's so pathetic even the weasel here can beat you and that's saying something."Malfoy floated along in front of Harry, sitting side-saddle and not even bothering to carry on."Didn't your father ever teach you to fly… Oh no hold I forgot ! He's a bit too musty to sit on a ling now !"The remark about his parents washed over Harry but the other insults bit and he sneered at the white haired kid in presence of him. Ron however erupted."What do you think that's saying something !"He was back on his broom in a twinkling and whipped himself around Malfoy so fast the Slytherins robes billowed in the idle words."Half of my home's been on the Gryffindor Quidditch team !"

"As if that's saying anything."Malfoy shot back but he had had to spellbind his broom in the crosswind and was now sitting normally, staring Ron down."Gryffindor harbor't won the cup in years. Being on a team of nonstarter is no laurels weasel."

"Yeah, they haven't won since my Brother Charlie left !"Ron's tirade had began to attract attention and brothel keeper Hooch was walking over. Harry tried to catch Ron's eye but failed."Best quester in a decade ! He coulda'played for Engl…."

"Mr Weasly ! Mr Malfoy ! Decend at once !"Madam Hooch didn't delay for them to respond and instead grabbed the fronts of their brooms and yanked them to the storey. Ron fell in a heap, Malfoy kept his balance but only barely."I will have no debate in my classes and I distinctly told you to rise then fall, not hover like blowflies !"The flying instructor spun and walked back to the quietus of the course of study leaving Malfoy and Ron glaring at one another.

Harry shifted his broom under himself, all during the debate he'd tried to wax up and get together his acquaintance but the ling had refused to impress. By the end of the lesson he'd take flight once, a few wobbling fundament followed by a entire collapse into the grass. Malfoy had laughed unfit than before and Harry said some things that lost them house points ("An eleven year old shouldn't know those words Mr Potter, much less know what they mean !") and the Marauders were a muted lot that ascended the stairs to Gryffindor towboat. Parvati tried to lighted the note by pointing out how many pupil had the drenched Snape posters on the walls of their rooms and Harry decided to stop moping.

"right wing,"Harry cracked open a deglutition stolen from the kitchen."down feather to the unplayful business sector. 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 tabular array as if to punctuate himself. Neville, Parvati and Padma all nodded but Hermione snorted dismissively.

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

"It just doesn't make common sense 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 swordplay like he's accusing Quirrell when only Quirrell was in the room ! Also why would Quirrell play like it's him when nobody was in the room !"Harry leafed through some written document again while the others bickered, the day-by-day prophet from a few months ago was there, a raid at gringots where nothing was taken. other things too, Quirrels records, researched through old files, an intelligent scholar, masterful in the theory if not the practice of defence against the dark arts, the death few years of his life spent travelling around dealing with life-threatening dark beasts. Harry pushed them away and pulled over a thinner file, Severus Snape, potions master of Hogwarts and long meter envier of the defence against the dark graphics post. There wasn't often else, Snape didn't seem to be a very newsworthy person.

"It's the right way there."Ron was taking to him again. Harry pressed his hands to his temples, there's only so much insistence one can make."Snape wants the darkness art job and is trying to get Quirrell sacked."Harry was about to explain then stopped, if the survive XXX times hadn't done it…

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

"We won't be able-bodied to do it."Hermione crossed her sleeve."Well we won't !"She said to their recriminating stares"I'm not just being… being…"

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

"Being 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 fourth dimension. Did you hear what McGonagall said in course of instruction yesterday ?"They all did, she'd basically just repeated what Dumbledore had said at the start of condition but she had looked right at them the entire time and each intelligence had been clipped like little razors."She knows we're preparation something and she probably knows we're behind the card too, she just cant prove it."

"So ?"

"So, Mr Ronald Weasley they are watching us like war hawk. I'll bet there's a teacher guarding the third base level right now and another just on the other side of that door."She pointed at the other face of the fat ladies portrait, from this side looking like a hole in the bulwark."Even putting aside the notions of detention, house-points and especially expulsion ! We'd never get conclusion enough to the corridor to retrieve anything. It's all your fault really"She continued without a breathing space."If you hadn't done your pointless rule breaking we might be able to observe out really important material now."That comment was the cause an argumentation broke out that Harry had to calm down down with wit. It was also at least partially the reason Harry stayed awake that night till he was sure Ron and Neville were asleep then got out his darkest apparel and slipped out one of the Windows before heading in the direction of the disallow corridor.

*

Harry peered through a windowpane and saw professor vector idly marking some assignments by the light of his wand while sitting on the stairs above the fat gentlewoman's portrait. Reminding himself to tell 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 right wing hand side, or above it at least. The thing was in the middle of the construction, no chimney or window reached it and Harry could only peer through a side window at the Wizard guarding the doorway… Quirrell… Standing in a temporary hookup of lumos-light, his tincture jumping as he nervously twiddled his wand in his finger. 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 refutation Snape mentioned yet. Then why isn't he inside the corridor trying to break through them. Harry's mental monologue was cut short as the answer leaned out of the patch of darkness it had been sequestered in, inconspicuous even to Harry's eye's.

"Nervous Quirrell ?"Snape slid from his shadowy corner, his sceptre held lightly but readily in his hired hand."Or perhaps not happy with the company."Harry saw now that it hadn't just been the shadow, Snape's entire eubstance blended into the background, changing colour like a chameleon. Only his optic stayed the Lapplander, fateful golf hole even against the get off grey rock behind him, it made them seem like they were floating above the ground.

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

"Because if you were unhappy with this arrangement."Snape continued like nothing had been said."You'd have to get used to it because I've made sure all our guard duty's occur on the Lapplander nights Quirrell, won't that be fun."Snape laced the last Christian Bible with such poisonous substance Harry was surprised the pappa professor didn't run like a rabbit. Instead he jumped like one and whimpered.

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

"No Quirrell. I do not, have never and will never intrust you."Snape slid back into his shadowy quoin and once again became virtually invisible. Quirrell swallowed loudly and brightened his verge, peering into the darkness around.

But Harry was already groom, while they had been talking he had sneaked around into the room next to the be-turbaned wizard and entered. It was an hollow schoolroom, desks piled up to the ceiling. Harry waited near the room access as the searchlight beam swept past his stead, swinging across the way like passing headlight before moving on. Harry waited patiently. Step two was already in motion.

*

Crack…

"What was that !"Snape pushed forward from his hiding place at the small-scale but nearby auditory sensation. He pointed his camouflage arm at the far wall, by some mainstay."I heard something over there."

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

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

Crack…crack…

"There."Behind a column, perhaps the potter boy or one of his clique trying to get through the corridor again. An irritation he didn't need with something so much more important going on. The rat Quirrell needed watching. For now Snape wasn't sure whether he wanted the rock for himself or for… for… Snape shuddered away from the epithet in his mind. Dumbledore said saying it would make him fear less but to Snape it was too much. The old fool didn't know, he hadn't been up close. Some things deserve fear.

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

"Oh you'd love that wouldn't you Quirrell."Snape jammed his wand under the servile wretch's Chin. Quirrell squealed and tried to stand on his tiptoes to take to the woods the dark-wood pointedness."leave-taking you close to the doorway unsupervised while at the Lapp meter turning my back on you. Something I will never do."Snape pushed the man towards the other rampart."You go first."

They walked like hostage and kidnapper up the cold stone nerve tract to the column. Quirrell raised his wand. Not a chance…

"rear down by your side or I will submit it and possibly the hand It's gripped in too."Quirrell's arm injection back down. As they reached the pillar Snape let the rat take the lead and facial expression around the street corner. wagerer him to fill the offset blow if one came.

"There's n… zero 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 nix but three oddly placed rock'n'roll, all together, near the priming where they might have fallen. They were both considering the conundrum when a shadow skirted the back wall 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 glimpse at the professor before closing the door."Lighter than air liquorish. Eat it agile or it melts in the air ! also if you tie up a rock or two with it you get a noise about five minutes after you take it from its wrapping. Who needs Q when you have mail-order Honeydukes ?"Harry turned back and for the first prison term took a look at his surroundings.

sales pitch black. Not even heart trained for this could interpenetrate it. Harry squatted down quietly and let his former weed have a try.

cold, clammy, flimsy intermittent cinch. Odd that, you'd think there was nowhere for a air to amount from. Also the air had been all in still out on the roof.

moistness scent with a lead of mud and lot. There was urine in there somewhere too and former thing even less savoury. Bit like a wet dog smell…

And most importantly in a osseous tissue temperature reduction, 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 trace of dribble on them. More like snoring actually. Harry tried to cool it himself down and at to the lowest degree partially succeeded. Getting out his wand he smothered the tip in his robe then breathed.

"Lumos"

The glow through the material was like dead fireflies but it showed Harry the form of what was in front of him. Its mass half way to the ceiling and slowly revolt and falling with its breathing space. Like a muffled spectre Harry moved across the storey, skirting the paries until he had travelled all the way around the animate being, having to mistreat over its tail where it brushed the rampart. There were no former doors. This room and this beast was all there was to see. Harry edged closer to the front of the thing, his feet turned and poised to flee to the threshold at any moment.

"But what if I'm not fast enough."Harry tried to silence his brainpower but it kept up its shrill reservations"What if its like a flying lizard 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 indisputable if you don't shut up and let me concentrate !"Harry edged in closer to the beast and stopped when his light revealed a change 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 night. The just problem was the dark mass obscuring one nook of the public square, a paw or claw of the thing. Harry's movements was as tiresome as drifting feather and as lull as his hands found the edge of the matter, and the handle, on the inverse position to the nipper. Harry wanted to snuff out his verge but the sound he'd have to make was risky than the stifled gleaming. Harry reached for the trapdoor handle and applied the clean touch of attractor to it, increasing by tomentum breadths Harry felt the wood move.

A grunt near his shoulder made his muscles halt and his warmness subspecies. He felt flesh movement all around him and the air brought new streamer of stench. But the beast just grunted again and fell back into snoring. Harry eased the door up a half span more then nonplus his hand in and felt inside. No steps met his questing hand, just a straight shaft. Harry propped the door open with a rod and felt in his sac. 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 forget me drug counting under his breathing spell. The drawing string went mire. About eight meters. With something soft he'd do it. With frigidness Oliver Stone he'd break a leg. Harry wondered if a existent wizard would know some self levitation charm to get themselves down safely. He pulled back up on the drawstring and suffered a surprisal. It was stuck ! He tugged on it again. No give at all. He tugged again and in a heart stopping moment, felt the rod brush his arm.

The trapdoor banging closed was like a cannon ball in the gut and Harry felt the darkness motion around him. He threw himself backwards as a pharyngeal growl filled the room with primeval fright. He saw a shape the size of an oven smash down in social movement of him and heard Sir Henry Joseph Wood splinter and crack. Harry whipped the cloth from his verge and the stark shadows danced high on the walls before him as the massive rottweiler head turned and looked at him with bloodshot eyes. Harry dived again to avoid 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 duck soup of jaws behind him but he was gone. heterosexual person into the destroyed trapdoor and plummeting down the shaft.

*

Harry spun in the air and he felt grueling pain as his head caught itself a crack on the release wall. He landed in a plant and in a haze, his eyes showing him inglorious spots more than anything else. He lifted his hand to his head and was surprised to see it came back houseclean, without profligate or possibly learning ability. He shook his head to crystallize it and held his shaking hand and wand up to reveal his surroundings. A nondescript room with this plant covering the flooring, covering some of the walls too, and the ceiling, and him !

"What the hell !"Harry shouted at the tendrils as they wrapped themselves around his leg. He tried to pluck them off but they were corresponding wire ! They wrapped his waist too ! Harry pulled and tore at the vines !"Acerbus cuspis !"Harry used the curse Snape had aimed at him but desolate togs of light shot from his verge and the plant barely noticed. What was that other one ! ? Think ! Think !"Relashio !"red sparks and passion dead reckoning from his baton and where they hit the plant drew back."Relashio !"Harry aimed at his legs and cried out as his skin burned. But he was free. He stumbled to his groundwork and blasted a few last tendrils. He leapt to the door and pushed through, staggering down the corridor occasionally pointing his wand back in compositor's case the ogre works had tried to take after him, he reached another door and carefully pushed it undefendable, wand out in nominal head he entered the room, and was met by a strange sight.

shining, fluttering glittering affair, flying near the ceiling hundreds of them. Harry edged out into the kernel of the high vaulted space. The fairy Muriel Spark remained near the ceiling and Harry at end stopped eying them crooked. He walked over to the door on the other slope and tried the handle. Locked. Obviously. It could never be easy could it ? Harry was just wondering what to do when he heard voices from behind him. Spinning like a jump cat Harry saw faint wanton coming from around the edges of the door he'd just come through. The Light Within and the spokesperson got solid as Harry searched for a hiding property. He ran to a wall buttressing and grabbed for a handhold, thank heavens they like palm around this place…

*

"I assure you prof Dumbledore no one got by us. Unless they were… hm… inconspicuous ! Ha…"

"I am not impugning your ability 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 trading floor near the trapdoor in a hysteria. Still, the old mug still had his mental capacity 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 require them down and a marble walkway over the devilsnare with a casualness that betrayed his dependable ability. Snape had to privately hold to himself he couldn't have replicated either exploit. 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 experience locked it from the other side."Ivy and identify ? Foolishness and idiocy. The early teacher hadn't protected the stone nearly well enough.

"But if they had."Dumbledore said in his insufferably unruffled phonation."Then the key would own been locked on that side with them and I think… Ah !"The old man pointed a be-ringed finger towards the roof and Snape strained his eyes into the cloud of coruscation but failed to piece 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 world-class place."

"well. I… I for one am calling my replacement."Quirrells vocalism was strident and grating. Snape made a mental government note to add de-lunging to his list of twisting once he finally caught the loathsome beast."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 fool will heed to what I have to say now."As I have said before, Quirenius Quirrell has every intention of stealing the philosophers stone."Snape was so exasperate he didn't even notice the movement above him in a luxuriously alcove, like someone getting into a estimable perspective to mind."He was seen snooping around the Slytherin common way a week ago and he's never really explained why he took the defending team job in the first place."Snape couldn't collapse voice to the real cause for his distrustfulness. A gut feel, a twisting tongue in his bosom and an atmosphere of menace he felt in every cell whenever Quirrell was nearby. An irrational number veneration too. A fear of being discovered, a fear that made every moment a silent prayer that his mental defense force 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 suspect Professor Quirrell."As he half grow away Snape could have sworn that Dumbledore's lips tilted into a unruffled grinning."But if it would serve you sleep secure I will place my own protection on the stone tonight rather than waiting until after Christmas."That was certainly a shock !

"professor you have resisted every asking that you add your own magic's to the security of the stone."He had. All the other instructor 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 things have changed. Before I had not tested enough. Now I have."Dumbledore took a humble sugariness out of his sack and popped it in his sassing before continuing."I intended to do a bit more quiz but…"The old man spread his hands."I suppose the electric current interlingual rendition will probably work well enough."

"May I ask what this miraculous tribute is ?"The headmaster had made some extraordinary call about what his shelter would do."A protection that not the Dark Lord, nor any dying eater, nor anyone with compliments to use it for ill or greed could penetrate ?"

"Ah Severus."Now the man was smiling. Sometimes the senile old man was just plain insufferable."You are always telling me I'm too trusting and now you want me to let on my brilliant protection ?"His smiling eyes glanced at Snape over the top of his trash before he turned and walked back down the passageway. There wasn't a lot Snape could do but pursue him.

*

Harry waited a skillful half hour after seeing Snape disappear, just to be sure as shooting he was truly gone before slipping out of his hiding place and climbing down to the floor. With a furtive glance around he made for the door and was almost there before…

"going already Harry ?"

Harry turned on his bloc, his face frozen mid pant and looked up into the facial expression of Albus Dumbledore.

"Headmaster."Harry said doing his Best to smile."I was just inspecting the security department 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 quizzical stare.

"And…"

"And ?"

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

"Well, the two headed dog was good."

"final I looked it had three heads."

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

"Devilsnare has clamed old and wiser wizards than you Harry. You'd be amazed how few people can still conceive clearly enough to burn it away while being constricted."Dumbledore stepped forward and touched Harry's face. A moment later he nodded and touched Harry's forehead with his verge. A moment later Harry felt an odd tingling filling him, the burns on his ramification faded and disappeared, as did the scratch he'd received throwing himself away from the dog."There. All better."Dumbledore moved back and folded his arms."And now I'm afraid to say I must ask the actual reason 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 prof Snape threatening Professor Quirrell the night before Halloween."Dumbledore just nodded as if this was normal."Snape seemed to call up 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 same day we shopped for my school stuff. The Lapp thing someone tried to come apart into Gringots to get later."

"The philosophers stone."When Dumbledore saw Harry's fount 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 eye of the night and alone."

"Couldn't risk anyone else. And besides, they all make too much noise for this kind of work."Harry tried to see Neville sneaking past the dog and giggled."The only way I could do this was alone."The other reason of trend was that after being humiliated by Malfoy on a broomstick he'd wanted to testify 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 trouble than your father. I never thought anyone would challenge that crown."Dumbledore's smile was back, and this metre not a half one. He shook his read/write head ruefully then frowned as if a sore memory was surfacing. But the smile was back in a moment and he motioned Harry over to the wall 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 Harlan Stone ?"

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

Harry obediently moved in figurehead of the mirror and stared into his reflectivity. He wasn't alone in the mirror. Behind him stood the new marauder, some of the early bookman he'd talked to around the school, Hagrid, even Malfoy for some reason, More faces he'd met and some people he hadn't but still felt some odd joining 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 haircloth. He grew to an old man, smiling, surrounded by his friends. Then in an instant he was back as a child and he saw it commence again.

"What does it mean ?"Harry looked at the silver 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 less than what we truly desire above all else. You Harry, who by your own choice lived a lonely and stale childhood desire acquaintance, and comrade and more than than that ..."Dumbledore took Harry by one shoulder and kneeled down to talk to him fount to face"…you want to acknowledge you'll keep them. You want to know that you don't have to go back to the cold liveliness. 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 amiss with the mirror. Then he felt the bite in his eyes. Wordlessly, Dumbledore handed him a tissue.

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

*

"So."Said Harry at a loss for conversation."How ‘ d you get past the other auspices ?"The schoolmaster fixed him with a critical eye.

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

"Indeed you did. The details of which I would favor you keep open to yourself."He smiled back down at Harry."And perhaps you are correct. I strongly suspect that my own protection would not trouble you at all."

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

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

"Exactly. It ‘ s so dim-witted 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 representative filtered down from the first old age way to where Harry was idly skimming through one of his school day playscript by the Christmas tree."What are you doing down there ?"

"What do you imply ?"Almost no one else left in the Gryffindor common room since everyone was away for the holiday, thus Harry didn't feel the pauperism to soften his voice when yelling back to Ron. It was just one of the fun affair they had worked out about being left behind. Of course Ron wouldn't have kept quiet anyway. Ron had no volume control."And Merry Christmas to you to !"

"Merry Xmas ? Yeah I can see why you'd leave that to concluding beholding 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 will them up there ?"

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

"Didn't want to fire up you. And why are you using my presents as projectiles ? What if it had been fragile ?"

"Nah mate."Ron shook his nous ruefully"I can tell what that one is, however you wrap them they all feel the same."Harry unwrapped the parcel and pulled out a blue, knitted jump shot. On the presence were three juggling balls in red, yellow and green."My mum."Ron said holding up a interchangeable 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 head and they went back up to the room to get the relief of the present tense. Of course Harry had sent his friends present tense ( poor shovel had been run ragged. The piddling owl was so eager to please she didn't seem to carry any gap in flight. ) but it kind of failed to click in his head that he ‘ d probably get some in return. Harry noticed one with Hermione's neat handwriting on it ( after all, he ‘ d copied off her notes decent fourth dimension. Occasionally even with permission. ) and pulled it over first.

"It ‘ ll be a book mate."

"Wow Ron, a midst, grave, rectangular package from a known bookworm ? And just from that you can approximate it's a book ?"

"That, and she got me one too."Ron held up a Scripture with a checkerboard cover, there was a rook on the social movement but Harry couldn't read the statute title. Pulling the paper off his own present tense he smiled. It was an magnanimous natural selection of coffee but what made him smiling was the note on the top that said


Admit it, you thought this was a record 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 championship read Secrecy and Illusion, charms of concealment and Beyond allohamora, unlocking your obstacles. 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 second to hold out of his Christmas chocolates into his mouthpiece and handed the last one to Parvarti who was skulking in the shadower nearby. At least it was a nice night, nighttime with pelting had been rather unpleasant. For the by few calendar month the piranha had been working on the Quirell secret but getting nowhere. Eventually one day when they were researching in the library Harry threw his book 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 ancient alchemy for the preceding half hour. He hadn't turned the page.

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

"We can ‘ t really do anything else Harry."Herminone had pointed out. Of course 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 melodic theme had formed in Harry's thinker. It was so dim-witted he wondered why he hadn't thought of it before."But we can find out out."

"How ?"Neville had asked.

"We become his shadower. 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 squad of two they rotated, each team taking either the start half of the night, the second half or having a night off. After a hebdomad and a one-half of trim sleep the 1st year imp were getting a bit ratty. At to the lowest degree 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 round with the newsworthiness that Quirrell had slipped out furtively. Him and Hermione had moved swiftly to the third floor corridor to head him off, but he had never showed."We just take to go for a little longer."

"But I'm tired."The usually chipper twin hadn't taken well to the hours."And he's never going to come out."

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

"Yes ! We've got him. Lets go !"The tiredness had drained from her nerve and she had regained a grin. She moved off without a word but Harry had started in the opposite direction."Hey ! The third floor corridor is that way !"

"Yeah but we don't know he's going there."Harry held her hand as they walked a roof rooftree on the side of a courtyard."I'm not making the Lapp mistake as the others, I'm not letting him out of my sight."They slid silently down a waste pipe onto a flat roof above the kitchens and Harry saw the turbaned wizard slip out a face door, cross the courtyard, then enter a room access leading to the entrance hall.

"wellspring we can't…"But Harry held up one finger to silence her and a moment later they, heard a room access gap and closing then could clearly see the grim shape of the magician robes as he crossed the yard towards the forbidden forest."What do we do now ?"

"We watch him."Harry said it without the conviction it usually held and with a beneficial Cupid's itch of fear 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 opportunity to object."Besides, I've heard there are Centaur in there. I wouldn't mind seeing a centaur."

*

"Do you roll in the hay where your going ?"Parvarti hadn't seen any centaurs, but there had seen other matter skulking between the trees. Harry looked back and wished he would have offered some reassurance. He knew he could find the way back, well probably. He had made sure as shooting to mark it at regular separation with cut of meat on the tree automobile trunk. But tracking a man through forest was zero he had even thought of doing before. They had entered the forest at about the same post as Quirrell and Harry had had his hopes boosted by finding a footprint impression in mud nearby but after that nothing.

He was vaguely aware that they should expect out for conk out sprig or birdsong but the branchlet seemed to have no discernable features and the forest was eerily silence. 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 ash gray liquid covered the leaf, it felt sleek and greasy under his fingers. Also slightly warm."And there's more."Again she was right, there was a trail leading across the path they'd been taking more liquid tinged the ground in both directions."It must hold been bleeding !"

"It ? What it ?"

"The unicorn silly !"Parvarti pointed her burglars lantern back at the leaf."Oh I cant think what could do such a thing ! This is unicorn stemma Harry, and it looks fresh !"

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

It was one thing knowing nasty thing were out in the woodland butchery nice things, quite another to experience proof and another still to throw them be so close that the blood wouldn't have had metre to cool in the night air. He looked at his Friend and was suppressed to see no concern in her face, only anger that something would spite a unicorn.

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

"This way."Said Harry in beat whole tone and pointed at the ground ahead. In the mud there, clear for all to see, was the heel of a boot print. Harry didn't want to allow in even to himself that his first instinct on seeing the print was to steer the other way. That or run for the J. J. Hill."Alright. conclude the shutter on the light right down, we can see the line well enough. And go slow."Parvarti did as she was told and they set off again into the forest. Harry couldn't have told anyone afterwards how hanker they had walked, it seemed like an eternity. The splatter of blood grew larger and more frequent, the further they went until.

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

They moved around until they were behind a fallen Tree then slowly looked over the top of the log. Through the branches that his them they saw an fearful sight. The unicorn was splayed on the floor like it had been run to earth and a cloaked image 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 picture of anger and she mimed jumping over the log while brandishing her lantern. Harry shook his capitulum firmly. What the hell was she thinking ? She gestured more firmly then touched her heart and made a pumping motility. What was that supposed to think of ? She opened her sassing and mouthed something to him but he couldn't tell what. She did it again more magnify and the import hit him with sickening certainty.

"It's still live !"
Harry looked over the log again and saw what he had missed the low fourth dimension. The Unicorns chest was indeed still moving up and down and its breath disturbed the rubble near its head. He sat back down and made the essence pumping movement while nodding, he'd seen it too. Obviously Parvarti wanted to preserve the creature if possible. Harry stuck his finger's breadth in the dirt between them and wrote one word.

HAGRID

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

misdirection

*

Without further ado he moved further around the clearing so that when he ran he would take the matter away from the focus Parvarti would give to go to get help. He was glad to see her moving off too, rather than arguing with his determination. Harry wrapped the scarf round his caput 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 thrifty aim and yelled

"Acerbus cuspis !"

The cloaked figure was caught off precaution and some of Harry's faint shaft had hit it. It flinched back, more storm than hurt then an new noise came from its hood, a drawn out hungry speech sound. Like a snake in the grass having a rat dangled in its fount. 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 fright paralysis and he ran, away from the clarification and the affair. He moved without thinking, invertebrate foot slamming on square background where possible and pushing off root word and mud when not. Harry never looked behind him but he knew the thing was still on him. He moved into new sections of the timber where the trees were different shapes, erstwhile, newer, taller, more brush they all shot by him in an moment, too fast for him to see properly. He did notice that they weren ‘ t meeting any fauna and thought that they were probably scared of the thing behind him.

He reached a boneheaded tie-up of tree and brush and slipped in sideways. Here he risked a tone back. Nothing. Sides ? battlefront ? 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 eternal rest. The tiredness of the past week and the stress of the night caught up to him at once and he sagged against the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree behind him. He didn't know how long he sat there, he may even have fallen asleep but he did get laid what caused him to come to attention suddenly. A twig breaking nearby. Harry moved slowly and backed away from the seed of the speech sound when a helping hand grabbed him from tooshie and swung him around roughly. Harry's care of attack turned into relief, then quickly back into fear.

"Out for a midnight stroll thrower ?"

"Professor Snape."Harry said trying his outdo to put on a full brass."Thank god you found me."

*

The boy walked in silence in figurehead of him as Snape led him back towards the castle. The charms 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 jaunts. But once again the niggling louse had eluded him and he'd been on his way back when he'd seen thrower in a standstill of tree diagram. His mouth felt like twitching into a smiling, at least some good could fare of tonight's work.

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

"We are going to your headspring of house. Then to Dumbledore. Then you can explicate what you were doing in the forbidden forest after hours."Snape allowed himself a mo of joy then said."Then you can go back to your room and battalion for the train journey back. From which you will never return."

"But what if I've got a expert ground for being here ?"

"What potential reason could that be ?"

"Saame reason you are. Following Quirrell."Had that been a shot in the dark ? He tried to view the insufferable shaver's eyes but he looked straight ahead."And unlike you I succeeded."

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

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

Insufferable, Worthless, Sneaking, COWARDLY, MANIPULATING !, WORM ! ! Snape took a moment to assemble his thinking before turning Potter and looking directly into his eyes. There was a flash, a table, some faces… a frown crossed the male child face for a bit then he shook his head worriedly. Even Snape could not conceal his shock as a dummy wall appeared before him, slowly fading over the memories. The boy was an Occlumens ! But he couldn't know what he was doing, it must be subconscious ! With a flicker of fright his center were drawn to the scar on the boys forehead. Or was it entirely subconscious ? Power would be transferred in such an case, great power…

"What are you suggesting ?"Inside himself he was seething. He so wanted to see the son of James thrower expelled. It would shit up for so lots but… Quirrell was more important, if there was even the svelte chance the Edward Durell Stone could be use to land back… Potter could hold back for another time.

"You forget this ever happened and in one week I ‘ ll recite you what I saw tonight."Smug and unacceptable. And in this case right.

"Why one week ?"

"Because it would appear odd if in one week you go to Dumbledore and say ‘ I caught Harry ceramicist in the forest a week ago, I just didn't tell you till now.'” They had entered the castle now and were on their way to the common room. They stopped outside the portrait door."wellspring ?"

"Agreed."

*

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

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

"Take it easygoing alright. I'm alright."Harry levered her off him and took a breathing time 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 pull through it in the first lieu, 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 dawn !"Harry grinned and she returned to her billet at the table.

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



*

The succeeding few hebdomad were full of letdown. Except for the Slytherins who got a temporary suspension from pranking. Hagrid had saved the unicorn and in thanks for their supporter he told them all about the properties of unicorn blood and what it could be used for. Snape hadn't been any service, when Harry told him the level a workweek later he merely nodded and told him to get out. From what they knew they could forge out that Quirrell was after immortality but for what reason ?

"Maybe he ‘ s not after it for himself."Neville had said one day. Harry tried to always treat Neville's hint as smart in the Hope it would persuade the boy to talk more."You said he called soul captain when he thought he was alone."

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

"Or he had some form of witching communicator in his room."Padma said scathingly."Something he was talking to someone through."

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

"That would depend on how sophisticate it is."Hermione's voice came from behind a mountain of books, shed already begun revising for the end of year test and at least some of the other marauders seemed to want to join her."But Dumbledore could probably do it."

"Alright then."A programme began to forge in Harry's nous."Dumbledore said he had no grounds to distrust Quirrell and Snape's got no proof to show him otherwise. If we get this communicator then they've got the trial impression they need and they can travel to bar 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 opine it is."

"What's a spellchecker ?"

"it's a magic spell that detect misspelled quarrel, underlines them in red."

"I really need to revise."

*

But the opportunity didn't come for a recollective patch. 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 scamp the key to the plantation."Ron had shot back"Yeah, or you the key to the library !") and there was cipher to be done but look and watch for Quirrell to slip up. There was a plus side though. Guard duty gave them plenty of fourth dimension to retool. Then the exams came, painful and inevitable with the fear and uncertainness that came with them.

The only ones Harry was at any way comfortable about were charms and astronomy, the latter because unlike other year he actually paid attention and the former because ( perhaps due to his Christmas presents ) he was genuinely practiced at the while. Potions was a nightmare and refutation against the dark arts worse. Quirrell had taken to watching him out of the niche 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 task it was hard to finger bad. The weather had turned to wonderful and students could always be found out sunning themselves on the grass. Harry was just on his way to expend an afternoon in just such a style ( the rest of the marauders already waiting ) when he looked up and saw what he had been waiting for for weeks. Quirrells window, open.

Harry glanced around, did he dare go up on the rooftops in the middle of the day ? When the whole schooltime would be able to see him. Harry turned to where he knew he could climb up and stopped. Should he get the others ? No. Quirrell might retrovert and their only hazard would be lost. He quickly scurried up the wall and slipped in through the window.

The room smelled strongly of Allium sativum and indeed there were cloves hanging in assorted places around the elbow room. He quickly began searching using what they knew of communication charms, mirrors were often used, sometimes gems or vitreous silica. He checked the mirror in the bathroom but it appeared to be the normal kind ( no response when tapped with a wand ). He was about to condition the bedroom when he heard a articulation behind him.

"Come into my parlour said the wanderer to the fly."




line, if your wondering why some of the chapters are twice the duration 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 poppycock posted. Also because they seemed pointlessly myopic before.


"wellspring, well, well."professor Quirrell had lost his stutter and stood in front of the put away door with his wand pointed at Harry's chest."You do get yourself into a peachy deal of mucilaginous situations."

"it's a gift."Harry tried not to glance at the windowpane. It was still assailable, and there were some Tree in the courtyard below. He might make it.

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

The corridors that were always so fully of smiling scholar were virtually empty-bellied now. All of them outside enjoying the sun. The few he saw in the distance too far away to betoken to.

"boldness forward."Quirrell hissed."If you attempt to warn anyone then that person dice then you die is that clear ?"

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

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

"Snape."Good old sneak bastard Snape.

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

Harry took a tiny sip of the potion and instantly felt the outcome. His hands seemed to grow and he pulled off his shoe as the force per unit area in them increased. Black hair grew down in front of his middle and he flicked it out of the way. After a few mo the impression 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 long dreary robes and gestured to the mirror nearby. Harry took them and walked over, stopping for a moment in shock absorber. He looked like Snape !"Get on with it boy !"Harry struggled into the gown then did them up and allowed Quirrell to contribute him towards the dreaded corridor. Harry saw professors Flitwick and Sinestra outside the door. Sinestra was sitting interbreeding legged and appeared to be meditating in some way. Quirrell prodded him in the back. Of course, Snape would make the first move. He tried to fix his voice as sneering as possible then said.

"We're here to live over you."Apparently that was all that's needed as the two instructor nodded and left the corridor murmuring good-by. Quirrell pulled him towards the room access."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 happenstance."He thinks he arranged a refilling on guard duty but unfortunately the owl never got through. Oh and in shell you were wondering your precious 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 titan dog. Its three mind instantly rose to watch them but Quirrell pointed his wand at the floor nearby and a harp appeared. Another complex drift and it began plucking out a wide-eyed tune. The not bad beast eyelid drooped and it fell quickly asleep.

"seed on boy ! I haven't got all day."Quirrell pulled him forwards to the trap room access then pulled it open. He whispered a little charm and a forget me drug began curling its way out of his scepter. Quirrell seemed to have to centre a big deal to draw in this off and Harry backed away slowly. He felt some matter behind him and put a hand back to feel. It was the harp. Acting on inherent aptitude, Harry grabbed the harp and smashed it as hard as he could against one of the dogs giant mitt. The dog awoke with a bellow and bit through the harp remains in a single chomp. Then it turned to the other interloper in its elbow room.

"Boy ! What do you cogitate you're…"But then Quirrell was forced to defend himself as the great heads reared up above him. He screeched a single Book and bolide smacked one on the nozzle. Harry took the opportunity and bolted for the door."I'm not done with you yet monkey !"Quirrell screamed. Harry glanced back in clock time to see red lighter, then darkness.

*

"Where the hell is Harry ?"Ron glanced back at the castle gravel."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 priming and sighed happily.

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

"I can't trust 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 following old age exams ?"Ron shook his forefront then yelled"Hey !"as a quaffel smacked into the English of his head.

"Oh sorry Ron."Padma commented with massive insincerity."Were you not gear up ?"

"Oh look the mudblood army seem to be missing a general."The vulture turned en mass to see Malfoy strolling towards them with his men in his scoop."Better get used to it though."

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

"I mean trash,"Ron's fist clenched."That your little hero seems to give finally gotten into more fuss than he can manage. Oh yes, I saw a teacher carting him off. Looked furious too."

"Which teacher ?"Padma's dubiousness seemed ominously restrained in the open air.

"prof Quirrell, but don't think that… Hey !"But Ron had grabbed him by the front of his coat, knocking his wand away. The redhead was vaguely aware of his Friend surrounding him with sceptre drawn. Keeping Crabbe and Goyle at bay.

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

"Th… Th… third base storey. That corridor with the maypole painting."Ron let him go. That was right adjacent to the dog's way.

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

"professor McGonagall !"Ron interrupted her ( something never done ), bringing gasps from the onlooker."Harry thrower's in risk. And so's the Philosophers Stone."

*

"Wake up Mr Potter. Rise and radiancy for the brand new day."The sentence slid around the Black person cocoon of Harry's unconscious mind."Now now, that won ‘ t do. Up !"Pain blossomed in Harry's stomach and the bunco game of it pulled him back to realness. He drew himself up on the inhuman gemstone floor shaking terribly. The long sleeve of his robes fell down over his arms and he realised he was back in his own organic structure. Quirrell aimed another savage kick at Harry ‘ s chest and he sprawled on the story again.

"You think that's painfulness ceramist ?"Yep, sure seemed like it, at the very least he had a cracked rib."I can introduce you to the distortion cuss if you want. If you choose not to co-operate with me."Harry raised his head wearily and realised that he was in a new room. fervour blocked both doors and on a table in the centre a row of bottles stood, twinkling in the torchlight.

"Wh… where ?"

"The two-timer trial."That hadn't sounded like Quirrell. Harry looked up and saw fear in Quirrells eyes.

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

Quirrell hang over the table and read with a smile…

"Danger lies before you, while safe lies behind,
Two of us will help oneself you, whichever you would discover,
One among us seven will let you incite ahead,
Another will transport the drinker back instead,
Two among our turn hold only nettle vino,
Three of us are killer, waiting hidden in crinkle.
Choose, unless you wish to stay here forevermore,
To help you in your alternative, we give you these clues four :
showtime, however slyly the poison endeavor to hide out
You will always find some on irritate wine 's left side ;
Second, dissimilar are those who stand at either end,
But if you would affect onward, neither is your friend ;
Third, as you see clearly, all are different size of it,
Neither gnome nor elephantine holds death in their insides ;
Fourth, the second base left field and the endorsement on the mighty
Are twins once you taste them, though dissimilar at outset sight."

The wizard shook his head word angrily.

"What kind of a task is that ? You don't even need magic. And besides, I've never taken the lucid path to get solution. I so prefer the… experimental approach."He picked up one of the feeding bottle at random and held it out to Harry with a under the weather grin."boozing up !"

*

"He's there !"Ron was shouting now. Heedless of the unwavering stream of crimson that must bear been leaving the hourglass in the majuscule hall."He's there right now having god knows wha…"

"Mr Weasley ! If you can not ensure yourself I will give birth you dragged to my power where I will flue your mother ! And we will discuss your retain presence at this school !"The contestation had moved from the outside to the corridors as the deputy headmistress had failed to listen."As it is you are all already in enough trouble for just knowing about the Harlan Fisk Stone ! Let alone disesteem to a Hogwarts prof. Two professors in fact as I think prof Quirrell will want to hear about the base accusation you have made."

"But you don't…"Ron was brought to a halt by a hired man on his shoulder joint. He turned to see Neville holding him back with a panic-stricken flavour on his face. He shook his foreland quickly.

"You should hear to your Quaker Mr Weasley."The professor said while turning and walking down the hall."Now you will all follow me to my office where we can decide…"

"Petrificus Totalus !"

The vulture crowd watched in utter silence as their head of house went steady then slowly but inexorably fell backwards. Ron caught her and lowered her to the floor, ashen faced. He looked cycle to see Neville standing with his verge out and a horrified expression on his face.

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

Ron looked down at McGonagall face. A soul shouldn't be capable to kindle fear while only moving their center but somehow the set of them said there would be hell to pay.

"Ok then."Padma broke the muteness."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 floor as Quirrell took a sip of the potion he'd just proved was safe."Still born favorable I see."Harry fell into a fit of coughing that wracked his torso with pain. He pulled his head back and idly noticed the blood all over his arm. So, more than a cracked rib then.

When he had refused to fuddle the first base bottle Quirrell had used some variety of bludgeoning curse that squashed him back to the base. As he had lain there vainly trying to get his breathing spell back Quirrell had pulled his head back and tipped the potion down his pharynx. The second sentence he had tried to stand firm more and been formally introduced to the cruciatus curse. He was ashamed to say he willingly took the bottle in shaking hired man and drink a sip himself. All the time feeling wretched and a coward.

"Now."Quirrell looked down on him almost proudly."Since you seem to have learned your space in this minuscule drama."The sadist looked down for a reaction but Harry didn't rise to the lure. He wasn't sure he had the Energy Department too even if he had wanted."I'll let you chose the next one."He waved his hand over the remaining nursing bottle and stood waiting.

Harry pulled himself up on the edge of the table and tried to bring a learning ability cadre to bear."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 curse. As a purely academic study. Of course to fully treasure it I would hold to do it on her as well."Harry looked from one nursing bottle to another and a snatch of Sung dynasty came back to him.

Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their interior.
Harry's eyes slid to the diminished bottleful in the row. His hands shook almost too much for him to subscribe to the bob out and he spilled some as he took a sip. An instant cold sense impression trickled down his pharynx and into his branch. But was this the forward 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 paw to his throat and pretended to clog up, falling towards the fire he took a heavy gasping breathing place.

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

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

"You will pay for that !"A chain of mountains with a draw shoot through the curtain of flames, trailing Muriel Spark.

"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 shout behind him but he ignored it, there was a room up ahead. He walked in and barely saw the stead. All he took in was the tall mirror in the centre, familiar. Without really realising what he was doing he moved towards it and fell to the undercoat in front of it. Oh, god everything suffering. He looked up into the mirror and saw his friends familiar 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 wickedness for a moment then was brought back around. inherent aptitude again waking him when he was no longer alone. He turned to see a charred soma, robe in tatters and his turban unwound and trailing behind him.

"There's always More than one way round a challenge."The spokesperson was cracked and thirsty but full phase of the moon of malice and ire"You just have to imagine outside the box."

*

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

"Yes potter. What Severus seems to have forgotten…"The wretched trope said as it stalked towards Harry on ruined leg."Is that I would much rather walk through blast than admit failure to my professional. Much, much rather."He came to a full point in figurehead of the Mirror and pointed his sear wand at Harry.

"No wait, this won't work."He threw the scepter away like garbage."But luckily I have another."He drew out Harry's wand, unblemished and pristine. He laughed at Harry's shocked face and said"Rubbed in what fiddling of the potion you let knock off on the story. It was bound to live on skilful than mine. After all, phoenix feathers are meant to occur through fire."He flicked the wand negligently and ropes bound Harry's legs under him.

"Yes, you left just enough for the wand and for…"His hand rose involuntarily to the back of his head and a quiver of pain ran across his face."But enough !"He stood in nominal head of the mirror, his expectancy clear on his typeface."I see myself presenting the gemstone to my master. He is restoring my eubstance, 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 bother in front of him. His friends faces still stared back at him, mocking him with their happiness.

"wellspring 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 obliterated the populace again but soon enough he was shook awake and slammed in front of the glass.

"What do you really SEE !"

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

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

"Alright fine."Harry brought a rictus grin to his boldness"I see Hagrid with a whale spiked baseball bat. He's sticking it right up your…"the world once again dissolved into pain in the ass.

*

"A chess set, what the…"

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

"Do you think he.. ?"

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

*

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

Brave, or maybe simply dopey.
That voice again. The passkey.

Your parents were brave out Harry ceramist. It didn't do them any good either.
"Oh so you know my parents too. Got any practiced anecdotes ?"He wasn't sure if he said that out loud but the phonation laughed.

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

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

"Yes Harry."The typeface spoke with malice now, and barely controlled choler."This is what you reduced me to. Ten years ago."

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

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

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

"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 evilness. This duskiness. They haven't seen it. They don't have to deal 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 sound echoed through the mansion house and Harry felt glass fragment cut into his hide. He tried to roll but a incisive annoyance 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 fragment, heedless of the slash and blood."Where is it ! Where is it ! … Gone… You knew !"The double head came up and looked him straight in the eye."You knew that wouldn't firing the stone !"

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

"You.. YOU ! !"The two-base hit animate being stood quivering with rage."Well I hope you bask your victory."The thing drew Harry's verge"Because, it is the last opinion you will ever have ! Avada Ked…"

"tarantella !"

The whammy spun over the creatures head and broke against the far wall. Harry turned to the door and saw the predator standing there. Five wand pointed ramrod-straight at the thing, that had swung around to confront them.

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

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

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

"I ‘ ve already petrified my promontory of house."Neville seemed to have left his stammer in the world of fright and could speak calmly now he'd moved on to terror."It can ‘ t get much worse."

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

"tyke !"Quirrells blazonry twisted back, cracking round at the cubitus to give Voldemort ascendance of the wand"I will not be stopped again by children !"

"Petrificus Totalus !"Hermione's articulation rang out but Voldemort raised a carapace disdainfully. The rebounding condemnation took the Cy Young witch in the chest and she fell like a stone.

"Crucio !"Neville dropped to the ground. His face a mask of pain.

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

"Crucio !"Ron fell in his tracks. He had tried to agitate the creature.

"Im… im… impedimenta !"

"Crucio !"Parvati's piece died on her wand and she fell beside her babe. He had to do something. He had no scepter. He had no weapon… He had glass. Harry pulled his too long sleeves up around his hired man and picked up a long shard.

"Pathetic creatures."The expression spat the intelligence."Unworthy of lifespan !"Harry stepped closer measured not to trouble the ice on the floor."You will all die ! For defying Lord Voldemort. You will…"

"Master bet out !"But Quirrell's warning was too late as the farsighted shard plunged into his tum. Him and his assailant fell together and Harry jerked the glass out only to engulf it again into the wizards bod. His work force bled, the fabric of the robe hadn't been nearly enough to protect them. Quirrell rolled over under him and the snakelike font looked up at him in hatred.

"You can not destroy me Harry Potter. I can not die ! Whatever you do I will return !"

"fine then snake-face."Harry raised the shard above his forefront."See you in another ten old age. Do try to come back pretty next time."And plunged the shard through Voldemort's eye.

The shrieking rung out through the chamber. Rising mellow and high-pitched, louder and louder till the shards still on the base shattered into sand. Then the body slumped like a rag bird and finally lay still.

Harry fell back drained. It felt like he had aught left in his vena, felt vacuous. He slumped on the floor and looked up to see five have-to doe with faces crowding around him. They were saying something but his thinker couldn't quite make sense of it. The image suddenly reminded him of something and he pointed at them with a shaky hand.

"stupid person mirror."He laughed."I thought I broke you ?"Then the shadow rolled over again and he didn't see a thing.

*

"I could just strike the one…"

"Ron people left those for Harry !"

Voices ? …

"But I just want the card."

Familiar…

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

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

Ah…

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

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

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

"wellspring yeah."Harry shook his point to sack up it before answering Hermione's dubiousness."Why would I not be ? How long was I asleep ?"

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

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

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

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

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

"Oh that, that was nada. Anyway it was Neville got us past the ogre trap !"

"devil snares easy. Anyway you got the key."

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

"There was a broken harp on the trading floor. What else could it have been but music ?"

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

"Children."The 1st years turned as Albus Dumbledore stepped into the hospital wing."I can not guess how delight you must be that your protagonist is awake however,"He continued with a spark in his eye as he peered over his glasses"…it will mean that you will cause to witness a new source of chocolate frogs."Ron at to the lowest degree had the decency to look guilty."Now, if you would founder us some seclusion I would like to verbalize to your friend."The piranha filed out and Harry was left alone with the schoolmaster.

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

"Irreplaceable."Harry's stomach seemed to fall out his body."It ‘ s a good thing it is being repaired."

"You could have told me that bit !"Harry shook his head as he regained his stomach.

"Although they may leave one sherd out. It may need to be kept for posterity."

"So is he… gone then ?"Harry's voice was promising but something in him already knew the resolution.

"Nothing about this death was any different from his previous one. If he survived that I believe we can wear he can live on this."

"Will he come after the Lucy Stone ? I mean, when you fix the mirror you can get the gem ?"

"Yes, and it will be destroyed."Harry breathed a sigh of relief."But it appears I was wrong about one thing Harry."

"Hireling a man who was literally duplicitous ?"

"No Harry."Dumbledore fixed him with a patient stare and Harry bit back a smile."I mean that you were unable to get preceding my last tribute. 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 matter as before."Harry shifted uncomfortably"You know, friends."

"So faced with the prospects of unceasing spirit and unending wealth, your pipe dream remained the same ?"

"I have a cracking deal of wealth now, and if eternal life means being someone's scalp I think I ‘ ll pass on that too."

"Very well Harry. I will not pry any further. But there is something else that we need to talk about before I let your friend back in to brabble further."

"Hm ?"

"I want you to hark back to your aunty and uncles house."

"No."

"Harry, I can assure…"

"No. The answer is no Professor."Harry looked directly into the schoolmaster glittering gaze."I will not."

"You are 11 Harry."professor Dumbledore put his handwriting on Harry's shoulder and his spokesperson went soft."It would be negligent of me to let you give my maintenance without assuring myself that you would be looked after."

"You did it once before. Left me on a doorstep."a sliver of steel entered Harry's representative.

"I thought that you would be happier with family, even distant ones."

"You were unseasonable. Would you like to see some scars by way of proof ?"

"No Harry, I see I can not sway you on this score. I will arrange for you to abide at Hogwarts over the summer, it has been done before in certain circumstances."

"Thank you."Harry smiled and he saw a certain tension rise from the air. Harry looked down at the natural endowment arrayed in presence of him and picked up one."hot chocolate frog ? Go on, otherwise Ron ‘ ll just submit all of them."

"Thank you Harry."Dumbledore took the squirming concoction and stood up."Now I shall just chit-chat this flank other resident then leave you to yourself."

"Who ?"Harry looked around and spotted a twosome of carpet slipper poking out from behind a curtain."Who'zat ? They Ok ?"

"Oh they ‘ ll recover quite soon."Dumbledore seemed to find something in this slightly funny remark."She's just sleeping off an improperly formed Petrificus curse."

"Oh."Said Harry uninterested."How soon will she get better ?"

"Hopefully after your protagonist leave."

*

"close chance for legal legerdemain !"Fred ( or George I ) yelled as he walked down the Hogwarts expressage. His brother walked beside him ringing a hand-bell up and down."I repeat ! in conclusion fortune for all summer !"

"You heard that Harry ?"Ron said as his brothers walked past the marauder rig.

"Yep."And indeed he could see the John Griffith Chaney skyline around the geartrain as they pulled towards magnate crossing. He had asked Dumbledore if he could accompany his friends on the railroad train and the Headmaster had agreed.

"You gon na be alright over the summer on your own Harry ?"Parvarti leaned over considered him quietly."You ‘ ll write everyone right ?"

"And you have to impose 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 magic becomes illegal…"Harry took a small parcel out of his pocket, tapped it and pulled back as his bag expanded to full sizing.

"You brought your bag ? Why did you make for your bag…"Hermione's vocalisation became pipe up and a niggling scared. But the motion was moot, everyone in the carriage had guessed the answer.

"Oh, come on guys."Harry shot them a grin and slid out of the baby carriage."Don ‘ t tell me you didn ‘ t see this coming ?"

"Harry ! The wedge of the wizarding world can not just go AWOL !"Padma shook her header in disbelief."Dumbledore will bump you, or the ministry."

"The ministry can only give chase me if I use magic."Harry said jumping down onto the platform."And length counts too, I ‘ m thinking Greece or possibly Kingdom of Spain. Mediterranean Sea 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 semicircle around Harry with various variant of disbelief on their faces. But after a year they had realised that Harry mostly made his own rules.

"What they gon na do ? Arrest their shining sub ?"Harry winked and smiled his vicious wiz smile."And I ‘ ve realised something. Being a homeless vagabond sounds a whole lot more fun if you ‘ ve got a giant chain reactor of gold subway system to lessen back on. It ‘ ll just be like going somewhere fun, to consume fun."

"I think that's called a vacation Harry."

"rightfulness, that."Harry pointed and nodded."I think I ‘ m due one of those."He turned and began walking down the platform."Write every day ! But no trackable computer address !"

"HARRY ceramist YOU GET book binding Hera ! ! !"

"Got ta go."Harry broke into a run as the teacher appeared at the other end of the political platform. He dodged between groups of students as the call got closer and blastoff between carts. He saw his chance, launched himself like a catapult off the trunk of an astonished student and dived through the barrier. He kept running through Kings Cross, retiring chemical group of astonished muggles. Running for freedom.

*

"Think he'll misplace ‘ em ?"

"Oh, Neville you know the result to that."Padma smiled at the pandemonium Harry had left in his wake on the platform."It's the marauders first rule. ‘ You can do anything you set your mind to if you've got the nerve to see it through.'”

"I thought that was ‘ Never get caught'?"

"That one too."




Phew ... one Christian Bible down ! Six to go.


Harry Potter stepped back onto Brits soil with a springiness in his whole tone and a tan fit to blind seagull. Officially there was not guide magical path across the transmission channel save by broom or former tool of flight. However Harry had known before he had ever held a wand that the most utilitarian matter were always hidden from those in bursting charge.

It had been by this ancient fireplace, disconnected from the respite of the flue network but with a maneuver link to a similar hole and portals around European Union, through which Harry had left the area weeks ago. An xi year old can not book a planer slate alone much to a lesser extent limp a lift on a broomstick and even if he could do so those room had probably been watched.

After he was gone he'd sent a letter to Dumbledore, with a borrowed owl and an untraceable address. He'd received a bum one in reply. The schoolmaster understood his decision and his motivation for freedom, even sympathised with it. But Harry needed to be kept safe, protected.

But to Harry protected meant trapped and the reason he needed to be kept safe was the very thing he needed some exemption from. So Harry ceramicist had spent the legal age of the summer as laborer compeer, juggler and tumbler pigeon on various Grecian beaches. He had explored the wizarding side of the ancient land too, he had watched a school of hippocampus breaching and jumping like dolphins off the sea-coast of Aeaea and seen the colossus of Rhodes. He had walked to the temple of Alcmeonidae at Delphi and climbed hand-over-hand up the hanker trailing vines of ivy to where it floated in the sky. Levitated above the ‘ ruins'below and concealed from muggle eyes. But the prophesier that gathered there had seen through his camouflage and greeted him as Harry Potter. They had treated him with an eerie respect and he had been taken to ingest tea with the current prophesier. It was a meeting he would never forget…

"Sit dear one."She led him to a shock on the story and sat down herself nearby him. She looked like she was barely a yr or two elder than him but he knew that if he believed that he was a fool. Only her eyes betrayed any hint that this was possibly the most mighty prophesier in the world. Harry had been shocked when he first saw them, he had heard chronicle that the greatest seers had milky Edward White eyes showing that they were blind to the mundane. The oracles center were pattern except that the iris of one was deep purple and the other luminance green. Oh and the schoolchild ( and Harry had had to seem hard to make this out ) were shaped like champion.

"Thank you Pythea."Pythea wasn't her name, the prophesier held it as a statute title in honour of the for the first time."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 cryptical eyes. Something in them betrayed a last sadness, a hint of the memory concealed behind. Memory that spanned century.

"If you wish to encourage Sir Thomas More visitor your Grace. Perhaps you should put in stairs."He instantly felt that perhaps he was being too familiar. Harry generally ignored authority but the hushed power of the minuscule girl before him ( even sitting as she was, barefoot in a simple snowy dress ) was hard to deny. Anyway he didn't he didn't want there to be steps. Too many the great unwashed, especially too many tourist, would destroy this peaceful place.

"Yes, that is why we do not have them. And no, I prefer that you speak freely before me."Harry looked up obscure and she laughed. It sounded like falling water."Your occlumency is quite good for one doing it unconsciously. But entree to thoughts is one of the gifts that comes with being… this."The sadness was back in her eyes for a moment then she reached forward and poured him a looking glass of water out of a tall fluted jug.

"Thank you."Harry took it and sipped it. It smelled like mountain air. He grinned and looked down at it speculatively."Is this going to draw me see visions or pass out ?"

"Those thing are more belike to happen if you do not drink it seeing as you climbed for half an hour in the summertime sun."

"Mad dogs and so on…"Harry took another gulp of the scented drink and asked."But, why did you call for me up here ? Why am I sitting, joking, with the capital seer in the world."

"I wanted to adjoin 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 hero but coming from her it seemed sorry.

"You are anything but a disappointment Harry. I think you are equal to the labor ahead of you, Sir Thomas More than match. I look into your soul and what I see gives me keen hope. You are more than you think you are Harry, you are far to a greater extent than you, or anyone else, realises. You must trust that you know the path you need to walk, not anyone else, and above all you must trust yourself."

"Really."Harry's throat was suddenly very dry. He took another gulp of water."Anything else ?"

"I like your eyes."

Harry coughed and spluttered and the small seer laughed. He realised she was teasing him.

"You're a brat !"He sniped at her.

"Am I ?"She seemed to wait far away for a moment then issue forth back down to earth."Why do you say that ?"

"Because you ‘ re teasing me ! You're a oracle, aren ‘ t you supposed to be telling me my futurity or something ?"

"Do you really want to know ?"She seemed amused."Really ?"Harry thought about it for a moment.

"No. No, if I knew what was gon na happen it wouldn ‘ t be any fun."

"Good."She smiled."Good choice. But I think I will give you something anyway. In exchange for a time to come not told."She dipped her hand into a pocket of her dress and drew out a pendant on a braided leather corduroy. Harry leaned closer and saw that it was made of sea plate, glittering like it had just been plucked from the water. She held it out towards him.

"haircloth please."She commanded and he obediently lifted his shaggy mane up so that she could tie the cord behind his sunburnt neck opening.

"What is it ?"Harry lifted the eggshell to bet at it nigher but it didn't have any marker at all. It looked like it was made of two orient helical casing, hanging vertical from its clench. Harry looked closer and saw that the very tail end 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 unload down near his affection.

"You ‘ ll find out what it does eventually. But you will cause to larn a few things for yourself before you do. Call it a little piece of your future."She took his hired man and raised him to his feet."Now I am afraid I must say goodbye. The duty of my office staff 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 time in his life and walked towards the room access.

"Oh and when you go back to Hogwarts."The little miss said as he reached for the handle."Could you tell Sybill Trelawney to halt owling me. Please ?"

Harry climbed back down and walked a little agency away before turning around and gazing back at the peacefully drifting building, floating over the horizon. Digger flapped down on a rock side by side to him and handed him a alphabetic character. He took it without reading it and slipped it in his pocket, still thinking. Then he walked over to a clump of flowers sprouting out of the Oliver Stone nearby and picked some of the gravid ones.

"Up there please."Harry nodded towards the tabernacle while holding the flowers out to his owl."Pythea. And be careful."The owl obediently took off and Harry walked off down the route with his headland still full of cerebration.

It had not been long after that when he found his way to the krybo-lakkos securities industry in Athens and to the odd clayware chimney that connected to the under-flue and that could get him dwelling house.

*

"quintuplet 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 Au coins in the jar. This holiday had cost him surprisingly lilliputian, tourist 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 solid clip in between.

Harry stepped out into a dingy alley and set off away from the shop class. Walking quickly he made for the wanton end of the street where he could pick up more people moving. people turned to stare at his brightly summery clothing in the night and shadowed street and he heard grumbling and muttering. A bony hired man fell on his articulatio humeri and he broke into a run. Shadowy figures leapt out at him and Thomas More work force tried to gain purchase, Harry broke off as his way ahead was blocked and he sprinted down a side street. He could see the bright sounds of diagonally ahead of him and sprinted as voiceless as he could.

Suddenly he hit what felt like a rubber paries, picking him up and bouncing him back into the darkness.

"What the… ?"But there was no time to recollect. anatomy were closing in and Harry dove in the face-to-face direction. He slipped down another road.

Thomas More mask bodies seemed to pop out of every shadow. The humble boy dodged down another street and found himself at a absolutely end. The incoming to the bowling alley was blocked by a pocket-size crowd, five or so wizards and beldame in dark ragged robes blocked his way back.

Harry slipped his baton out of his air pocket into his proper hand. His eyes scanned the walls around him but they were straight up and down. No handholds. The crowd advanced on him with paw out. Harry crouched down, if he was gona die he was prepared to die like a rat in a recess. Biting and scratching till the final.

"What have we here ?"A scabby and dishevelled witch said with a chatter."Kids shouldn't be in knockturn bowling alley. Something bad could happen."She reached out towards him and Harry's hired man tightened on his scepter.

"stand aside hag !"A flash of red igniter shooting from the other end of the bowling alley and the witches hair burst into fire.

She shrieked and jumped away while the others tried to put out the fire. This left Harry with a straighten out view down the alleyway to the man standing there, his foresighted wand out.

"Never fear youthful rascal !"The man said in a booming voice."Markus A. A. Michelson is here !"

*

"Who in the… Hey !"Harry tried to object but the man had reached him in three retentive footstep and picked him up with one hired hand."Put me down ! Put me down !"

"Quiet down pipsqueak."The man set off out of the alleyway with Harry held almost nonchalantly in the crook of his heavily muscled arm."You're in secure hands now."

Harry tried to pry the fingerbreadth off of him but the valet de chambre grip was like a vice. Harry continued to fight until they got out into the secure haven of diagonally and he was dumped unceremoniously on the flooring.

"For somebody being rescued by the greatest warrior, adventurer, lover and explorer that the world has ever known."The man put his fists on his hip and bent down to put his font near Harry's."You sure don't seem to hump how show you're grateful."

Harry sat up and checked himself over before replying. For a moment his hand rested on the leather electric cord around his neck then he looked up and responded.

"Yeah, sorry. Thank you. Thanks."The man reached out a paw and pulled Harry to his pes.

"Not to worry. I'd imagine getting stuck down a all in end in knockturn alley is a niggling frightening for someone not as… imposing… as me."He tucked his scepter in his belt and Harry looked him up and down. Even without taking his hat into write up the man was easily seven understructure tall and had berm like a ox. He wore thick leather boots and leather trouser above them, fitting tightly over muscled legs. The smash was snake pelt and he had what looked like creature teeth tied hanging off it so they clattered as he moved. Above that he wore a form adjustment red singlet that left his weaponry bare. Harry could see the boundary of a tattoo peeking up amongst his pectus fuzz and another on his bicep. Further down his arms he wore two spindle bands. To top it all off the man wore a cowboy hat over his compact blond hair with a long red plume tucked into the set on one side and three rifle bullet train on the other.

"Who are you ?"

"thought I introduced myself before. Never judgement, probably slipped your idea in all the excitement."The man struck a pose."I am Markus Maximus Michelson. glad to make your acquaintanceship pipsqueak."

"My name is Harry."Odd to hear that after a summer of Jack.

"commodity to see 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 bother. You fiddling tyke."He ruffled Harry's tomentum as if he was a fiddling kid, earning himself Harry's eternal hatred.

"…um. The ice cream place."Harry lied with a straight fount."Their probably waiting."

"Good, good."The man grabbed his arm again and set a brisk tempo through the crowd. There were a lot of people this clock time 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 form however and sat down at a table, leaning far back on his chair and tucking his thumb in his belt loop. Harry was just wondering why he was waiting around when the reasonableness walked up to the table.

"Can I get you anything Mr Michelson."The waitress was a young witch, probably not far out of Hogwarts, and she blushed as she spoke to Harry's savior.

"My little Friend here needs a umber William Ashley Sunday to calm him down. He's just been in a bit of a unenviable place down knockturn alley. For myself just seeing you smile is all the confection I need, and please…"he plucked a jaundiced daisy out of air and set it behind the girls ear"…call me Maximus."

"You helped him ?"

"Oh no."mentation Harry."She was here conclusion summer. She knows who I am."

"You saved Harry ceramicist ! Oh, you ‘ re so brave and like, hard !"

"Harry Potter.. ?"The man looked at him for a moment with a light 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 grinning again. Harry crossed his arms.

"thought your middle gens was Maximus."

"Nope, Mighty."The man flexed his bicep and Harry was able to show the tattoo there. It was five Ms written one after another. The man pointed at the it with his early hand."Markus Maximus Mighty Majesto Michelson"he tapped the monogram with his finger."But the 1st of my middle names is my personal pet. So these parents that we're waiting for…"

"My friends parents."Harry fabricated."I ‘ m animation with them this summertime. I didn ‘ t explain because I prefer to go under the radio detection and ranging a bit, you know."

"Can ‘ t honestly say I do short man."Harry's sunday appeared and he began eating it quickly."How can you not walk down the street and feel the basking adoration of the people Harry. I owe it to my legend to be seen, in the promise that I inspire young puppy like you to become just like me. Its my duty Harry, as a man."

"Oooo."The waitress had stuck around to listen to Marcus speak and was now holding her hands clasped together over her pectus."You're so wise as well as so hansom. You're like a poet or a radio star or something."

Harry rolled his heart and finished his ice cream quickly as the vain wizard chatted to ( or more accurately chatted up ) the young lady. Harry dropped the price of the meal on the table.

"Ah, there they are."Harry pointed off in a random focusing and got up."See you."

"Sure I will Harry."The man said cryptically before turning back to the early object of his attention.

*

Harry moved quickly once he was out of the mankind 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 hobgoblin familiarity quickly helped him refill his sac for another year. While he was down in the vault Harry stuck his t-shirt in his bag and instead took out a long robe with a toughie. At Greeklunk's confused look he said…

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

"Oh right hand. 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 prospicient mark on his arm.

*

Harry stood in the country lane and rechecked the letter he held in his hand. He was sure he was at least in the right small town and probably on the rightfulness road. It was just that the route went a retentive way in both directions and Ron's advice on getting to his home had been rather obscure. Like he'd only really seen the surrounding countryside from the air. Harry folded the alphabetic character 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 unit of ginger people who keep hooter as pets."

"down feather the lane, turn left at the co-op."The man said without looking up."And tell the man I need my wring back."

*

Harry had to resist the urge to break into a run as he caught sight of the Weasley house. Outside it in the overgrown 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 able to pass them an exact meter. As he walked closer the threshold to the sign of the zodiac opened and mollie Weasley ( Ron had told him all about his class ) emerged, carrying a tray with drinks on it. Behind her a youthful little girl ( must be Ginny ) stepped alfresco and leaned against the doorpost looking bored. None of them seemed to own noticed him yet, or maybe the tan had changed his appearance a bit. As he stepped up to the strawman logic gate he spread his subdivision wide.

"Aloha !"

"Harry !"Ron jumped in surprise"You ‘ re here."The twins jumped up too and ran to take on him, but the most extreme reaction came from the untried Weasley. Ginny went utter livid under her haircloth and her mouthpiece seemed to strike as if she was trying to say something then she bolted through the still heart-to-heart door.

"She has some kind of remonstrance to aloha ?"Harry asked the powdered ginger gang.

"Nah, mate."Ron shook his nous."She ‘ s been jumping and squeaking every clip we so much as mentioned your name. hypothesis you in the physique was just too lots for her."

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

"Probably."Agreed Harry"The hero thing doesn ‘ t last-place. I ‘ ve been told on perennial function that I ‘ m a monolithic disappointment."

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

"Snape."

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

"Right."Chimed in one of the Twin."We ‘ re pretty sure they ‘ re doxy droppings."

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

*

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

"Ginny."She stiffened and looked like she was about to flee."Don't run away please."He walked around and sat adjacent to her on the couch. She looked like a belittled rodent confronted by a snake, eyes wide open and too scared to run."Can you tell me why you run every time I try to talk to you or insert the room ?"Silence, except for the twitching she could have been petrified."Look Ginny I don't know what it is but could you please tattle to me. We ‘ re going to be going to school together for the next six eld. Could you talk to me. Please."

"Y… you…"Harry had to puree to listen her faint rustle."you destroyed you-know-who."

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

"You ‘ ve got the scar."

"I ‘ ve got a lot of scars. Which one in specific ?"Ginny reached out to point at his forehead and Harry brushed away the hair to unveil the scar. But apparently this was too a good deal for Ginny and she bolted up the stairs almost knocking over Ron.

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

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

"Why are you so messed up about it."Ron asked. Then looked up as if he remembered something."You were acting like this about Hermione too, last year. 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 use up drastic action mechanism to right this situation."Harry thought for a import then latched onto a magnificent programme. An amazing plan. Possibly the superlative plan he had ever devised."You have a few brooms here right ?"

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

"Excellent. I would like to act as some Quidditch."

"But Harry you can ‘ t play Quidditch. The last prison term you got on a broom you made a gross mark of yourself."

"Exactly !"

*

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

"You have to follow through."Ron made a thrust motion with the flat of his hand. That meant trace through Harry knew, the hired man signals were about all he ‘ d picked up during the biz."Just concentrate on following through. That was the problem that time."

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

"There isn ‘ t one, we'd have to cook up it just for you."Ron helped him back on his ling and they flew back up to join the twins. Ginny was sitting a petty ways away watching them, when Harry had fallen out of the tree diagram she had jumped up in shock. But as Ron and the twins had begun laughing at him he had seen a trace of a grin cross her face as well. That shadow was all that was keeping him from giving up the entire endeavour and getting his base back on self-colored ground.

"Right."Ron said as they hovered at their end of the delivery."You make for the right helping hand incline. I ‘ ll perpetrate them off to the left then pass it to you. Then you can tally. Got it ?"

"Aye aye Captain !"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 perforate you Ron, but I ‘ d fall off if I tried."Harry began moving off to the right and saw his acquaintance shoot away with the Quaffle. After a moment Ron turned and chucked it ahead of him. He rushed forward to take in it, fumbled it, then snagged it in one hand.

"I got it ! I got…"Thump !

Harry struck the reason hard and rolled to a stop in the long pot.

"Ow."Harry put his script to the back of his heading and sat up. Looking right into the face of Ginny Weasley. She had run over to see if he was fine and now stood, wide eyed before him.

"There didn ‘ t used to be four of you."Harry pointed at her with a throw off helping hand."Stop being four of you, person… girl… Where am I ?"Harry blinked and looked around blurrily. A minuscule noise brought him back to the present and he looked forward. Ginny had her hand over her mouth and was trying hard not to express mirth. Little sounds kept escaping like steam out of a tympani.

"You ‘ ve got steam in your rima oris !"Harry tried to get up and fell back on his behind."Like water but… broken. Where are my glasses ? The four of you should be able to rule them."And with that Ginny burst out laughing.

The four Weasley's carried him off the auction pitch and Fred and George ( who seemed to have got experience with header trauma for some reasonableness ) pronounced him fine.

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

"bettor idea."Harry tossed his ling 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 match Mrs Weasley's"Be skillful to your baby ! And besides, your alternative are me or her."

"Welcome to the team Ginny."

*

"See ! No one can shell my team !"Harry grinned and slapped his dresser as the game drew to an official close.

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

"The squad won."Harry explained with sweeping mitt gesture."And we all played a part in that."

"And your parting is ?"

"Cheerleader. I really should get some pompoms."



musical note : Right, thats the irregular year started.

Interesting word about Dumbledore, but it makes sentience when you look back on it. DOE kind of make it more tragic however. The champion 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 prompt against Grindlewald was interesting too and puts the whole thing in a new visible radiation. What if Grindlewald was well mindful of Dumbledores opinion and used him to gain ground great power in condom ? Knowing good well that Dumbledore was the only one who could deliver posibly stopped him. Ah well ...

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


# include `` standard legal disclamer.h ''

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






Riley B King hybridizing was crowded beyond belief as the Weasley clan crossed the station towards platform nine and three quarters.

"hurriedness up."Mrs Weasley herded her diverse direction towards the roadblock."rightfulness. Come everyone, while the muggles aren't looking."One by one the redheader crack through the barrier. Harry waited until final stage, as the summer had drawn to a close he had wondered if perhaps he might not be let back into the school. He had got the book inclination but perhaps that had been automatic.

"You go first. I ‘ m fine."Harry motioned Mrs Weasley ahead of him."I want to enjoy my last moment of freedom."She disappeared through the barrier and Harry took a abstruse breath. 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 barrier.

Crack ! Harry bounced back and fell to the ground 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. Less than a hour till the wagon train was supposed to leave."They expelled me."

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

Harry looked down platform ten and thought he saw a wisp of dope ascent from beyond the tracks. Where was the maven platform anyway ? A mad idea struck Harry and he was stood back up in a flash. His metrical foot seemed to make a motion of their own treaty and he took first one then another halting step along the political platform. Another wisp of smoke. He broke into a run and willed his ramification to carry him profligate and faster.

"it's a steam train."Harry dodged past a startled director at the end of the platform and jumped down onto the runway."It takes a piece to hasten up."He pumped his legs for extra speed.

"excavator !"Harry reached onto his knapsack and flicked his owl's Cage open."Catch me up at Hogwarts !"Harry shot to the edge of the railroad train cut and looked down. The normal, muggle train tracks coming out of kings hybridizing were raised up on a sort of long bridge, raising them several stories above the city streets. Harry glanced down in clock time to see the end of the Hogwarts expressage clinch itself out from between the bricks of the bridge and principal off down a track that looked disused. Up ahead the track rose up and joined with the others, if Harry was going to do it, he ‘ d stimulate 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 last rig and hung onto it for dear aliveness. The train was beginning to pick up speed and Harry crawled to the edge. Thankfully the carriages window was open. Harry swung his bag in through it then slid down into it himself.

"Harry Potter. Nice to meet you."He said to the aghast first off old age who's stroller he'd dropped into."See you at Hogwarts !"Harry walked shakily out the doorway. Once he was safely in the corridor he leaned against the wall and slid down till he was on the floor. He wanted to get up and detect his friends but for some reason none of his limbs seemed to work out. He caught a glance of himself in the glass in figurehead of him and blinked in shock. He looked a crash ! ancestry ran down the left side of his human face and was matted into the hair above.

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

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

She wordlessly handed him the patty and took the toll of them without once taking her eyes off him. When he was about to depart she finally said.

"Did you… just… startle onto the train."

"No."Harry shook his head"No. Definitely not. You ‘ d have to be unhinged to pass over on a moving train."

*

Harry moved down the railroad train as quietly as he could. Trying to recover his friends without drawing too much attention. Unfortunately talk travelled fast on the Hogwarts express mail and he couldn't go five steps without encountering another stare or surpass a group of scholarly person without them breaking out in a fit of whispering.

"So poor attention seeking Potter strikes again."The voice was behind him. Harry turned around and sagged when he saw Malfoy and his goons staring at him.

"Malfoy I really don't have the vim for this now."It was true up. Harry would have liked doing nothing More than simply collapsing on the floor there for the residual of the journeying."Could you please, and I mean this in the nicest potential way, sodomise off and die like the pathologic piece of distend rectum flesh you are."

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

"ceramicist !"Harry turned and saw prof McGonagall standing in the carriage. 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 top dog then whisking away the lineage on his face."I just spent an unpleasant few minutes arguing with Molly Weasley who was franticly trying to get us to arrest the train. She seemed to be under the impression that the barrier had sealed with you on the early 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 gear !"

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

"That is beside the level Mr Potter, but after the stunt you pulled at the end of last year I suppose I should not be entirely surprised."She straightened up"We will have to discuss this further in my power at Hogwarts. At the very least you will welcome several days detention."

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

"No Mr Potter. Not this time."She began walking away down the wagon train."Go to my office when we reach Hogwarts."

"After the categorisation ?"

"As soon as you reach the castle."

"Professor please…"Alright this is McGonagall, you know how to fool McGonagall. She acts problematic but she's all mushy inside."… my protagonist's sister's getting sorted today and she ‘ s worried about it. All her brothers are in Gryffindor, all kinsfolk really. I should be there for her. delight ?"

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

"Of line prof. 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 unresolved.

"Hello freindlies !"

"Harry !"Hermione's sassing dropped open."Ron said you couldn ‘ t get onto the platform !"

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

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

"Couldn ‘ t care less. But no."

"Portkey ?"Neville seemed to think for a consequence."Or a ling ?"

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

"Oh god I know what it is."Parvarti put her helping 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 waiting for the response.

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

"Maybe."None of his acquaintance seemed to desire to speak.

"Harry ..."Neville broke the quiet."…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 worry me."

*

The train meandered its hanker journeying through the hills and Harry ducked out of the conversations around him. His head still hurt and he didn't have the DOE to entertain people. He leaned against the cold window as rain started to streak down, leaving little trail on the window Zen. He closed his eyes and lay there for a retentive while. Little trail of water, swirling, drowning.

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

"Oh, are we there yet."Harry form of wanted to get back to sopor. Even if it was to bad aspiration.

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

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

"That ‘ s kind of what I ‘ m worried about."Ginny glanced at the red border on Harry's robes.

"Ah."cerebration Harry."My guess was right, 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 brothers ‘ ll never forgive me."

"Then say it so."Harry looked at the young lady friend startled expression."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 sentence, don't let a hat make decisions for you."Harry leaned back down and closed his eyes again.

*

"What the hell ?"Ron voiced what they were all intellection as the vulture moved away from the train at Hogsmead. Ginny had left to take her minuscule gravy boat ride and the six Quaker now stood in figurehead of a cable of carriages, each drawn by a thin scurfy horse with pen up leathery wings."Charlie told me the baby carriage pulled themselves ?"

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

"Still think this is weird."

*

Ginny Weasley stood fidgeting in front of the hall as the sorting hat finished its song. She was so nervous she wanted to bite her nails despite the face they were already worn to the inwardness. Well, at to the lowest degree she was a Weasley. Her name would be called near to live. She saw Harry on the Gryffindor mesa spinning three forks in the air in figurehead of him. She tried to get his eye but failed, he was talking to his genuine Quaker. Everyone began to pay attention as Dumbledore stood up.

"Before we begin the sorting I ‘ d like to announce two things. One is that, despite what this empty chair seems to indicate, we have found a new defensive measure Against the Dark Arts teacher."Ginny looked along the teachers table and saw a lank-haired professor grimace. She giggled, that must be prof Snape."Sadly he could not be here tonight as he has been managing the transport of his property from abroad. quietus assured that he has my broad confidence and he will introduce himself, probably at length…"did the lank-haired professor just grimace even more ?"…in your foremost lesson with him tomorrow. Now the arcsecond thing is that we will be doing this days sorting backwards."

"What ?"That prompted a muttering about the hall.

"Yes, call it an old Man fancy. Now let us stay so that we can enjoy a smart as a whip fiesta after we are all done."Dumbledore sat back down but the murmur hadn't ceased. McGonagall then took her berth, the formula on her human face clearly showing that the schoolmaster had not discussed this with her. She looked down at her report and read…

"Weasley, Ginevra."

"What ! Oh…"Ginny thought as she walked out in front of the schooling."Backwards…"The last thing she saw before she pulled the hat down over her centre were the vulture turning to watch her.

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

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

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

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

"Quite brave of you to just shout it out it like that. Almost forces me to pick Gryffindor."Shout it out ? …Oh god !

"Ah… You didn ‘ t realise you were speaking out loud ?"
Ginny lifted the brim of the hat just enough to see around the Hall. There was whispering everywhere, and every grimace had an identical kisser of ball over amazement. Her heart searched out her pal at the Gryffindor mesa. Percy had buried his face in his paw and seemed to be trying to pretend it all wasn't happening, Fred and Saint George were watching her with vast evil grins and Ron, Ron just looked confused. Her eyes flickered preceding Ron to Harry and their gazes locked, then the boy did the oddest thing, he pulled up his arm, put his manus palm out and jabbed forward.

Follow through

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

"Yep."She said, trying to not have her voice break out in whimpers."Definitely Gryffindor."And with that she pulled the hat off her pass, set it down on the chair and walked steadily towards Harry. She blanked out everything else in the hall, the whisper rising, the teacher, everything. There was a backside next to Harry and she was sitting in it. She reached the bench and hopped onto it, everyone was looking at her.

"Stay perfectly calm."Harry's vocalization but she swore his back talk barely moved."Look 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 silence crawled on. Then something touched her hired man by her side. A confect of some kind. Without a word, and before the silent stares of the whole hall, she brought out, give away and sedately ate a liquorice baton.

Every eye in the Asaph Hall turned as they heard McGonagall pull in her throat then…

"Kingston, Victor."

It was as if the hall had been holding its breath the total time and now let it out in a wave of chatter. Ginny felt somebody clack her on the book binding and looked sideways into Harry's case.

"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 wand."thoroughly thing I was paying attention, who the hell is Ginevra Weasley ?"

The humble boy with exquisitely waxed pilus and sunglasses apparently named winner Kingston 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 table in the Asaph Hall.

"Ravenclaw. I think I like Ravenclaw."

"On the positive position you may have started a revolution."Harry had leaned in to tattle to her again."On the minus McGonagall's gon na kill you…"

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

"Are you our new house mascot Ginny ?"Fred leaned over and grinned at his babe.

"We could cause up some new banner if you like."His counterpart leaned in from the other position of the table.

"leave her twins."Harry was holding her by both berm away from her sometime brothers."She tricked the hat, swindled McGonagall, caused a cross home gyration and all in straw man of the entire schoolhouse !"Harry grabbed her and hugged her from backside."You can ‘ t have her ! She ‘ s ours !"

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

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

By the end of the day Ginervrador House ( as it was briefly called ) had an unusually prominent division of first years. Filch had to move some of the beds.

*

As Harry trudged back from his commencement detention with McGonagall that night ( polishing 100 and C of organisation clit that were just going to be transfigured into beetles anyway ) he leaned on the bulwark near the portraiture hole and closed his eyes for a here and now.

"Harry potter sir !"

Harry opened his center and immediately realised his head injury must have been worse than he thought. The Hallucination had long pointy ears and was wearing some sort of chew out textile like a toga.

"Wha… ?"

"Harry thrower should never hold got on the string !"

"Who ?"Harry shook his top dog but the small figure remained"What and/or who are you ?"

"Dobby sir. Dobby the house elf."The odd little creature bowed to him, its nozzle almost touching the trading floor."Dobby is truly grim to have caused trouble for such a not bad hotshot as Harry Potter. But Harry Potter must pass on Hogwarts !"

"Caused trouble ? What bother ?"Harry slid off the wall and stood straight. His scepter was inconveniently tucked in an interior pocket, hard to reach. Was this creature a threat ?"What are you talking about ?"

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

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

"Dobby thought that if the political platform closed…"

"That was you !"Harry snapped forward like a shaft and caught the little creature by the weapons system. The thing whined and tried to conk out away but he held on."I could have missed the bloody railroad train !"The creature nodded and whimpered a little more."I could have been killed ! Wait… knockturn alley…"Harry remembered the rubber wall. The elf stiffened again and he seemed to be avoiding Harry's optic."That was you as well ! Why WHY !"He picked the affair up and didder it roughly."Are you trying to kill me ? Are you ?"The elf was truly crying now and Harry let him go. The hapless matter crawled away from Harry and sat on the floor, looking up at him with its huge, deplume 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 value to hurt you. The hospital wing isn ‘ t far, can I…"

"No !"Dobby's expression became a masque of fright."Dobby can not be seen. Dobby ‘ s masters can never know. Dobby isn ‘ t hurt, Dobby gets far unfit than this at home. Dobby's professional are…"the elf seemed to stiffen for a moment then he rushed over to the rampart and began hitting his headway on it grueling.

"Bad Dobby ! Bad Dobby !"

"postponement ! Hey, stopover !"Harry was torn between the motive to block off it hurting itself and trying to avoid grabbing it again since he'd obviously hurt him. He pulled his robe off, quickly balled it up and ( between head bounces ) slid it between Dobby and the wall. The pathetic elf continued on for a duo of hits, apparently not realising he was now cushioned, then dropped to the level.

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

"Dobby…"Harry saw a need to tread carefully here."If, IF think back ! Hypothetically I asked who your masters were. Would you possess to punish yourself ?"The elf quickly nodded.

"If I asked you to drop a line it ?"nod.

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

"If I asked you to assure me why you want me to result Hogwarts ?"the elf's header stayed very still."How much can you tell me without having to penalize yourself ?"

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

"If I asked you whether your passe-partout were involved ?"Dobby tensed like a rod."Just IF think of, if I asked you that would you experience to punish yourself ?"

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

"And is I asked what form the danger would aim ?"

But at this Dobby shook his head furiously and put his hands over his ears. The poor 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 Potter will lead Hogwarts ?"

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

"Harry ceramicist must leave alone, Harry Potter is in danger."

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





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


"Wonder if he ‘ s cute ?"Parvarti wondered quizzically as the second years wandered to the defence against the non-white arts classroom. They had the social class first period Monday, so would be the initiative to meet the new teacher."Dumbledore said he ‘ s foreign, so I bet he ‘ s cute."

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

"fountainhead, so long as he only has one face, I ‘ ll be happy."Harry stuck his custody behind his straits and laughed."right hand ?"The others stopped for a import, then grinned with him."thought so. Anyway…"Harry was the first to the door and pushed it exposed."… after Quirrell we can ‘ t do much sorry can we ?"

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

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

"Take a bum up front my dear lad ! I can already tell this is going to be one of your favourite classes !"The predator filed in the presence row and the other student moved in behind them. All of them looking a niggling apprehensively at the booming muscled shape in social movement of them.

"The name's Professor Markus Triple-M Albert Michelson. I ‘ ll be your Defence against the dark arts teacher this yr. persuasion I ‘ d withdraw a fault from the globe-trotting to overstep on some of my knowledge to the next generation !"He swept his hat off and birl it across the room, it landed neatly on top of a courting of armour."Oh and by the way the Ms stand for Maximus, Mighty and Magesto but they might as well stand for Muscular, Magical and most of all Masculine !"He laughed and put his fists on his pelvic arch."So, on to the Matriculation !"He grabbed the register off the table and began yelling out name calling, variously chuckling at the odd names and winking at any miss who answered him quickly. When he got to Potter he said

"Know you ‘ re here Pipsqueak ! Don't pauperism to even 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 division. To the shock of all watching he slammed one fist back into the chalkboard. Words jumped off the control 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 harsher than jelly-legs at another adept ?"

A few hands went up around the course of study, including Harry's. Neville gulped and tried to give his hand as low as potential, 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 hole to crawl into.

"goodness ! 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 laughter ran around the classroom."Right, OK. Um… Anyone else ?"He pointed at Harry,"How bout you pipsqueak ?"

"Acerbus cuspis."

"The pain-spear spell."The teacher stopped moving and turned back towards Harry."A curse originating in the time of the Inquisition, considered by many to be Dark legerdemain ?"

"Er…"

"And who did you use it on ?"

"Quirrell."

"right OK."Albert Abraham Michelson shook his head."Before we dredge up any More ravishment against Hogwarts teachers lets start on something else. Who here knows what a buckler charm is ?"Many of the hands went down ( though not of course, Hermione's )"Right ! we'll scratch line there."

*

The class let out an time of day later. Many of the students had the after-effects of minor jinxes and hexes on them from when their shields hadn't been in effect enough or when their opponent had been too good. professor Michelson seemed to imagine 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 exhibit some more severe jinx to the class. Harry ‘ s shield spell wasn ‘ t nearly salutary enough and he ended up suffering for every while that winged his way.

"I hate him ! I hate that muscle-head bastard !"Harry ranted as they walked to history of magic."He knows my name and he keeps calling me pipsqueak ! He singles me out ! He will pay for this ! right ?"

The other marauders kept a dependable distance, giggling behind their handwriting.

"You know Harry, he seems to be a pretty good teacher."Hermione said. Harry rounded on her."I mean, some adult wizards can't do shield magical spell and he managed to get half the grade 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 dismal."And he… winked at me."

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

*

But they didn't.

Defence Against the Dark Arts quickly became the most see forward to object lesson by the entire schoolhouse. Every few lessons Markus Michelson would enclose a new combat spell and work with them, pulling them with laughter, belittlement and encouragement, to perfect the magic spell. From disarming and stunning through to buckler and self-defence he taught everything with an identical laugh and identical arrogant position. Harry remained saturnine and silent in these moral especially when the inevitable happened and he was called up to help demonstrate a new tour. He had tried to get the marauders riled up to play a japery on Professor Albert Michelson but they had flatly refused. Harry had to content himself with dropping potion on a group off Slytherins that gave them oozing boils. It had been subdued complex, whoever the pus hit when the boil exploded developed them as well.

It was on his way back from gravid detention that he heard somebody shout. Harry saw a first yr spate past him upstairs and followed him, towards the noise. A group of student were gathered on the third storey. Harry pushed through them without a persuasion and stopped at the front to see a horrific hatful. Painted on the wall in what looked wish blood were the words…

Arise those of ancient blood ! Cast out the impure from this firm of our don ! Be true to your stock ! Destroy the opposition of the heir ! This is the call to subdivision !

Harry glanced to his incline, lined up succeeding to one another stood a group of Slytherins. Malfoy, Goyle and Flint River stood side of meat by position, each wearing selfsame expressions of Glee.

On the floor in movement of the letters crouched poor victor Kingston, the kid who'd liked the look of Ravenclaw, curled up in veneration behind his sunglass.

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

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

"He doesn ‘ t have a pulse."Harry murmured, trying to move his fingerbreadth around for a better feeling."No pulse. Get gentlewoman Pomfrey ! Get Dumbledore !"

"Both are here Harry."Harry looked up to see the Headmaster walk to the border of the crowd. He stood back gratefully as the schooltime suck went to turn.

"Is he… abruptly ?"An elderly Ravenclaw at the bound of the circle asked and a rustling of breathless jounce swept the crowd.

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

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

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

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

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

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

*

The first base onset happened just the following morning. Hannah abbot was found with a violate arm at the tush of the steps leading down to the Hufflepuff plebeian elbow room. Her bag and Koran 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 extension. But no one had seen what happened, not even Hannah, and no affair how much they asked the professor couldn't discovery who had done it.

The future day a group of Slytherins cornered a first class 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 workweek it was no longer safe for a muggleborn or half-blood educatee to be out on their own. lady Pomfrey was being worked of her groundwork by the stream of injuries coming into her caution.

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

Mudbloods and blood-traitors cower in fear ! The heir of Slytherin proceeds and the sleeping accommodation has been opened. Rise up around his standard ! Spill the spoilt blood on the ground !

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

There was a powwow of student scurrying along the bulwark and slipping in a door. A import later a chemical group of Slytherins hurried into the courtyard with their with verge out.

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

"They can ‘ t."Padma said dully as they passed the Defence Against the iniquity Arts schoolroom"Not on this scale."Her sister nodded silently. Her normally cheerful modality dulled.

"Padma ‘ s decent Hermione."Ron shook his headway."thing are just getting speculative and besides, we can ‘ t afford to recede any to a greater extent 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 wickedness brainiac behind it. Its half the schoolhouse, trying the kill the former half and we don't know till too late which is which."

"With some we got a pretty estimable idea."Harry murmured darkly as they passed a group of Slytherins. The marauder curled around Hermione like a homo shield as they passed and only spread back out after they had gone. A secondly later Harry's wand vibrated in his pocket."Damn it !"Harry motioned the others to lull and the sound of hexing could be heard above them. They broke into a run towards the cheeseparing step.

*

"farewell him alone !"Ginny's own representative sounded shrill in her ears. She stepped in battlefront her injured admirer and tried to swallow her care.

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

"Mico Harry."Ginny whispered, holding her wand out in movement 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 existent man ?"

"Mico Ron. Mico Hermione."

"What's that ?"Flint leant forward to pick up."That supposed to be a hex ? Ha ! What ‘ s it do ?"Flint laughed and his cohort around him started laughing too.

"It summons devil !"

As Marcus'point jerked up a bludgeoning hex struck him in the chest of drawers. He was thrown back and his acquaintance drew their wands as the marauder rushed them from the stairwell.

*

Harry was the first to admit that he probably wasn't destined to be a duelist. His number one strike against the seventh year had been favourable and he now found himself shielding for his aliveness in the middle of a war-zone. former student from early theatre had been drawn in or joined in or been pushed in by the crowd and now the corridor was filled with flashing twinkle and cries of pain.

"You ‘ re dead ceramist. Oh you ‘ re dead."flint advanced on him and Harry ducked behind a statue as the big Slytherins swear smashed into the background near his feet. A endorsement one smacked into the gemstone wizard and it began to tip over. Harry scrambled out as it crashed to the floor and jabbed his verge at his aggressor.

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

"Confringo !"Harry leapt out of the way of the blasting curse and fell badly on his shoulder. He threw his own back in resolution and the Snake River stumbled backwards. Harry jumped to his feet and dig a bludgeoning hex only to throw it take a hop off a shield and smack him in the chest. Tumbling backwards he landed on his book binding among the debris. His wand skittered off along the level. A shadow fell over him and a Brobdingnagian booted foot slammed onto his chest, holding him down.

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

A moment later Flint was thrown off him as a swing out Wave of lightness jibe through the corridor, forcibly pulling opponent apart.

Harry's hired hand darted out and grabbed his scepter while he looked for the reference of the spell. His eyes found Albus Dumbledore standing at the end of the corridor with several early instructor behind him.

"Is any student here injured or in motive of the hospital wing ?"His voice was stony as he eyed the put together scholarly person. A few students raised their hand. Dumbledore nodded and turned to speak to the teacher behind him."Please escort them there."No one spoke as the wounded were gathered up. Harry saw Markus Michelson handing Ginny her bag with one hand while picking Colin up in his other. As prof McGonagall walked past him he caught her heart for a mo, they were cold, harsh and disappointed. When the last of the injured were gone the Headmaster turned back to the remaining educatee.

"Now can anyone tell me why this happened ? Why Hogwarts students saw fit to grow this corridor into a battleground ?"He looked over the student and Harry realised that he and Flint were right wing out in the middle, the two of them surrounded by emptiness. Somehow the ringleaders had been singled out."Why students who I thought I could confide to act in thoroughly religious belief instead acted like sucker ?"

No one rung. No one wanted to draw and quarter attention to themselves.

"You will all return to your common rooms now. Tomorrow sunup you will all fare to the enceinte student residence where you will spend your Sat in muteness. You will bring back the day after that and for many weekends to descend until I decide that the public security and tranquillity of the school day has returned. Your parents will also be informed of your disappointing behaviour."Dumbledore gestured at the nipper."Go off now. Not you Harry !"Harry was drawn back by Dumbledore's vocalism. Marcus Flint River smirked at him with his troll-like smile and slinked off. Harry followed the schoolmaster in muteness as he turned and walked off through the school. He stopped before a gargoyle on the endorsement level.

"sherbert Lemon."The childish countersign seemed oddly out of kilter with the situation. They remained silent as they were raised up by the staircase and walked out into the schoolmaster office.

Harry glanced around in wonder at the odd ash grey political machine, many moving or making mild sound, filling mesa around the edge of the power. His eye were drawn to the rod behind the desk where a trite looking red fowl sat. Even as Harry watched another of its plume fell off and twirled towards the floor.

Dumbledore caught it before it hit and slipped it into an inside sack of his robes. He turned and sat behind the heavy desk. Saying goose egg, he regarded the student before him over steepled fingers.

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

"Professor."He began and licked his dry back talk. Dumbledore's oculus flicked to his."I heard the strait of someone being attacked nearby and I went to see whether I could help. When we… I got there Marcus flint and some other Slytherins had the number one years surrounded."He couldn't differentiate what effect this was having on the schoolmaster. His expression was inscrutable."I fired a go to make them back off and they responded, I never thought that so many other scholarly person would be drawn in or that it would snowball like this. I ‘ m sorry."

"You cast the kickoff hex ?"

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

"Several student are bruise Harry."Supreme Being teeth the chide Bronx cheer was eyeballing him as well."And there was some structural impairment to the school. Several picture were damaged and statues broken."

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

"And with this air of fright already around the school you have given everyone another reason to hate each other."Harry felt very belittled in movement of the continued stare."Worse, you have escalated this problem with your activity. side by side meter people will be even quicker to take up wands in ire. Next time the hex will be speculative and people could be seriously injured Harry, do you see that ?"

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

"Today you chose to agitate hatred with anger and ferocity. That way will always breed further hatred do you understand that ?"

"Yes sir."

"See that you do not repeat this mistake."

"Yes sir. Thank you."Harry walked out of the situation. All the way to the door he could find the old mans optic on his back.

*

Harry walked back slowly to the Gryffindor rough-cut way. By luck the path took him back past the battleground. Some attack had been made to scavenge up but the situation still felt damaged. smashing glob were missing from the rock and the check paintings had all been taken down. The handing over was bare. Harry saw motility at the other end and tensed for a second, then relaxed as he saw red hair and freckles.

"Ginny ?"

"Harry."The little little girl moved up the corridor towards him. Stopping just a little way down from him."I ‘ m so sorry I got you into fuss. 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'humankind record."Harry walked up to his newest enlistee and ruffled her hair's-breadth."And I taught you that call exactly so you would predict me if you were ever in trouble. All this…"Harry waved his mitt at the damage and escape from his head."Not your fault. But why are you back here ? Shouldn ‘ t you be in the common room."

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

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

"Lost something."Ginny's interpreter became low with each word she said."A Diary. Must have fallen out in the fight."

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

"Not my diary."

"Whose ? Nicking individual's diary is all very marauder of you but…"

"I found it in my rule book before I even got here. Thought maybe it got leave there."

"Who ‘ s was it ?"

"The straw man said it was Tom Marvolo Riddle ‘ 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 flinch into the ground a niggling."It spoke to me."

"radius ? It could talk ?"

"No, he wrote back when I wrote him things."Ginny curled up on the trading floor and hugged her pegleg up to her chest."It was blank but it wrote back. He was so nice. I had mortal to babble out to finally."

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

"I can't talk 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 mortal else picks him up ? What if he tells them the stuff I wrote ?"Ginny looked up shocked and scared 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 categorization ! I started a scrap and almost got you expelled !"

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

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

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

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

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

"Come on. Lets get back to the common room."He stood up and held out a hand to her."And as for having a friend to peach to…"He pulled her into a raspy 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 crony instead of Ron ?"

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

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